Emperor's Will be done? Pt12

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A little shout out to and his amazing rendition of a scene of these two a few chapters back elmutanto.deviantart.com/art/R… I owe you one, buddy.

I love the art everybody has been submitting on these two. Makes me want to draw more of these.

As for the votes, it did seem a little one sided, so I will continue from here:

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I noticed another huge difference between us humans and this strange and mysterious species in the last 30 minutes of running. It is the adrenaline. I knew something behind us is close, and relentless in the pursuit. That makes me motivated to move faster and with no rest. I have noticed that Kai’Faan has a harder time keeping up. I think since that mysterious link to their leader is broken, he seems to lack that sense of urgency. That slows down his personal Stealth Suit bodyguard as well. This guard had been great with working ahead of us to scout out the danger, but now seems more attentive to Kai’Faan.

Xin, on the other hand, has no problem keeping up with my adrenaline ridden body. Earlier, she seemed to have the same problems as the scientist, but after my encouraging speech, she is now focused on keeping up with me, almost as if my presence had replaced that link. Maybe I’m reading too much into it.

We saw our first encounter with the battlefield ahead of us. We came across a run down Ork Trukk, and I would have ignored it, if it wasn’t for the sounds below the trukk that the Stealth Suit Guard heard before me. He moved with a new purpose. I lost track of him, even when he was within a few meters from me. I steadied my Tau gun and looked through the scope towards the trukk. Two Orks had been trying to fix the undercarriage and axle (it seemed like). I never knew what they were fixing, because the next thing I saw were hundreds of bright blue pulse rounds lighting up the bottom of the rusty vehicle. The orks had been killed even before they heard a sound next to them, and all from that hidden Stealth Suit guard. Sooner or later, I’ll have to ask Kai’Faan what his bodyguard’s name is.

We had to move. I could feel something getting closer. The others couldn’t tell it, but I felt something start to tug at my soul. I think the daemon is homing in on my presence.

As we moved closer to our destination, I noticed fresh kills littered about the streets. Both humans and Orks alike. But now I realize why those greenskins are good scavengers. All forms of weapons and armor had been stripped away from all dead bodies. Can’t those little grots take a break? Then I saw a human patrol from a distance. Probably about 2 km away. We ducked under cover behind a huge pile of fallen concrete from the building next to us. I looked through my scope again to get a closer look.

It was a standard patrol unit from the 137th. Not only was it from my regiment, but this particular group had a painted icon of “a bird’s talon gripping a blood soaked stone.” That meant 137th’s “Impact Squad.” Brutus is in there. That man made it hard for me and my brother to make it through boot camp. Just because we weren’t big like him and his mates. I remember a visit to the infirmary because of a broken nose from Brutus. My brother (with a bruised ribcage) had sat by my bed to talk to me when he had any free time. I miss him so much.

Feeling the presence of something behind me come closer was terrifying. It felt like I could turn around and see terror staring back at me down the street that we came from. I looked to my Tau companions, and noticed that Kai’Faan and his guard looked ahead, oblivious to the danger I felt on our rear flank. Xin’Vauk, on the other hand somehow felt my angst. She was looking behind us, like she knew the direction of my concern. That link she had with Aun, could it be that…uh….I doubt it.

I have a choice, and I have to think quick. Something is coming close, too close now:

1) Keep my Tau companions hidden while I get to Impact Squad. At first, it might be scary to know I might be shot at, but they will soon realize what is coming behind me is a larger threat, and hopefully Impact Squad and I can defeat this thing. Even if we can’t, the Tau can move along while we are busy fighting. I know where Xin’Vauk is going, so I can meet up with them later, hopefully alone. That is if I survive.

2) Rely on Xin’s skill to sneak around the patrol. We can continue together, hopefully hidden in the battlefield to the caves. This thing that is chasing me, I think is only looking for a human soldier from the 137th. There are plenty here now. The focus could be taken off me, and I wouldn’t have to worry. But this daemon really seems to want to possess Commissar Setorious using the body of a common 137th soldier to get close to him. The Tau could escape the planet with the cure, leaving this planet to be the daemon’s playground. Is that something I can live with?
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Voting will close march 12th.