"Here. Those. Sign those." The desk clerk shakily replied as it handed a set of papers and a pen to Grimm before quickly, yet carefully shifting away from him. A few over cautious Guardsmen began aiming lasguns towards the Kommando whilst he was busy signing the papers, surprisingly dexterous with his writing given the large hand sizes of an Ork, although it wasn't perfect, it was somewhat legible.
"Here you go." Grimmfang replied as he placed the papers and pen on a nearby table and took one of the spare Valiant Light crests before slowly backing out of the building, the Guardsmen following with their lasguns with every step. He then walked back to Lock, his two Gretchin buddies still fighting.
"Right den Lock. We best get going before dem Humies get any ideas." He gestured to the building behind him before walking towards the shuttle bay.
One Month Later - Training Room
"Salvage crews report to the docks. Contractors report to the closest docking area to your quarters. Officers report to the planning dens. Further instructions will be given once there. Security teams on standby." A voice of a male Humie spoke aloud through the speakers, whilst Grimmfang was busy having a go at a punching bag.
"Contractors. Guess that means me then. Righty oh. I must admit bag, you put up a good fight, shame you didn't hit back, would have been better that way." Grimmfang remarked with a laugh as he pulled the hood of his camo cloak up and picking up his weapons and heading to the nearest docking area.
Smoke nods and waves at the friendly human who had answered Khauch and the thing beside him as well he says to Khauch still in Kroot. The large Kroothound now much more friendly next to her.
Smoke looks down at the book still held in her hand and tilts his head slightly to look at the cover. Looking back up at Khauch's face he asks her puzzled.
Lifting up the book, flipping it over she completely forgot that other Kroot haven't been as ambitious as she in the knowledge of other species.
Showing Smoke where the dog eared page was about a centimeter into the 3 inch thick book.
Extending her clawed hand towards the Kroot, officially introducing herself to the other Kroot. Feeling the Quills at the base of her skull tingle with excitement. Being that is has been at least a few decades since the last time she met another Kroot.
Smoke takes her hand and starts to squeeze when he can hear the bones in her hand start to grind and lessens his grip. Shaking her hand lightly he nods at Cha'Chak.
Smoke laughs out loud as he lets Cha'Chak's hand go, it sounding luck a chittering that got higher till it stopped. Looking up at her still he can feel his quills rattling and quivering in excitement and happiness.
The grip on her hand was strong and the feeling of her bones grinding made her grin, having a strong ally in a place like this will prove for the better.
.
Hearing Smoke laugh, the chittering high pitch. Made her gut flip, it has been such a long time since she has heard another Kroot besides herself laugh.
Squatting back down to Khauch, she pat her companion enjoying the touch of him against her scaled leathery hand.
Looking across the room she saw the Human the made rude gestures. The ebbing feeling of hatred towards her and her kind was starting to get under her skin.
Gesturing towards the human against the wall smoking.
The Eldar absent mindedly focused on humming a tune and mucking about with the various runes and items on her person as she waited for the Kroot to stop hissing and clicking at each other.
She noticed the angry mon-keigh that had shot at her was still being anti-social. She put a hand on her hip and waved at him anyway. After all if she could be less stuffy surely he could as well.
Or maybe he'd try and slip a krak grenade in her pants, one or the other.
Jack seemed a little on edge so Ysenelle made a sweeping gesture and grabbed his head. Speaking softly as she cast her psychic spell.
Although embolden was usually used to fix the state of mind of Eldar and bring them to victory she attempted to use images that would better brighten and encourage Jack.
Maybe take out some of the images of Eldar dominating and destroying mon-keigh forces...
Yeah that might be for the best.
She removed her hand and tried to gauge her handiwork.
"Feeling any better Jack?"
She didn't feel any great disturbances or stomach turning entities or eyes. However psykers on the ship and psy-prone individuals may have noticed her presence when she did it. Shouldn't cause a bother, it is why I was hired. Ysenelle mused.
Jack - The Valiant Light - Undesirables Docking Bay
After his scare with Smoke, Jack was able to calm down. Now he was mostly just tired and somewhat annoyed. He listened to the two Kroots clacking for a minute before going through another surprise. Though this one was at least somewhat pleasant. He didn't even realize what was happening until he heard Ysenelle talking softly. Jack hadn't had much interaction with any pyskers and wasn't sure of what was happening. There were a few weird images that put him off. Didn't really need to see humans getting slaughtered. Overall however it was extremely relaxing. Enough so that he almost fell asleep on the spot. He stumbled a bit as the spell wore off but managed to catch himself. He had to rub his eyes to keep from falling asleep before he stood back to his full height, then he heard.
"Feeling any better Jack?"
"Uh, yah yah." Jack mumbled as his reply. He stood there for a few moments trying to regain his senses but somewhat failing. He was so tired now. "What... What was... That uh... That thing you did." Jack muttered as he tried to stay awake.
Looking over at the one Cha'Chak points at Smoke feels his quills lift slightly before settling and they rattle in amusement. Pointing at the thing that had just cradles the nice humans head he says in the more common language.
"That human shot at thing there, tried shoot at thing. Shot his self and more. when he come he had hole in side. Thought snack till smell throat burning, he never taste good so much throat burning."
Adding to Cha;Chak in kroot.
Going back to the language everyone can understand Smoke turns towards the thing with the shiney face and holds out his hand down towards her.
"Hello new old ship mate."
"What... What was... That uh... That thing you did."
The Eldar woman sighed. Touching Jack's mind was enough for her to see that he had barely had any sleep. Ignoring the Eldar lifestyle nudging into the back of her mind she firmly grabbed him and sat him down against one of the large steel crates of supplies of some sort that they were standing near.
"I thought it would settle your mind and get you ready for the job at hand. I didn't realize you were so tired though. Try and close your eyes for a few moments OK?"
She could still feel the fear and anxiety from reaching his psyche.
"I'll watch over you, is that alright? You don't have to fear anything happening to you. When you open your eyes I'll still be here. So try and take a minute."
She felt bad about forcing Jack around but felt he could use the direction and care. Her actions were in gross violation of everything she'd been brought up on and that she had learnt lately but at the same time it felt invigorating. Between being a stuck up Eldar or a depraved beast Eldar she felt what she was discovering was much better. She knew she had to try to find new things.
It could even be linked to saving the Eldar as a whole.
Ysenelle pat Jack on the head and stood, acknowledging the Kroot. A large portion of the Eldar looked positively on the Tau Empire, so Ysenelle had an understanding of their allied races within the Empire. Personally Ysenelle found the Kroot very interesting. Especially after delving into stories concerning their original meeting with the Tau.
"Hello again, Smoke was it? I see not only your biology is adaptable. I feel you're in a very positive mood." The Eldar turned her faceless mask to the other Kroot, unable to tell what sex either of them were she just avoided it entirely.
"I assume it has something to do with your friend and..." she trailed off as she looked at the Kroot hound "... smaller friend."
Ysenelle shrugged and gave a soft laugh, making sure to make her presence as friendly and harmless as possible. For the Kroot but also for the hound so it wouldn't growl at her.
"What is your name? Have you two had much to speak about?" She looked at the second taller Kroot and then back to Smoke as she asked this.
Nodding along to what Smoke was saying. She started to understand more about what went on earlier on the ship when she was hiding out in the room.
Bringing her clawed hands up to the base of her jaw, giving it a slight scratch with the tips. Engrossed in thought now she didnt realise that Smoke had turned to the tiny colourful female.
Its a good thing that we Kroot dont eat much aye Khauch
Khauch looked up at Cha'Chak, as if he heard her thinking about him. Over twenty years Khauch and Cha'Chak have been together and they have never left each others side.
Feeling a pull back towards her other hounds that were patiently waiting for her return.
"I assume it has something to do with your friend and..." hearing the voice trail off "... smaller friend."
"What is your name? Have you two had much to speak about?"
Cha'Chak turned as she was being pulled back into the moment. Assuming the lil colourful creature was talking to her she answered.
"This one is Cha'Chak. I ap-oolo-guissse for my.......my lack of uhn-dur-stand-eng of the common tongue. I read, but not speak very well."
Still being crouched down, the tiny colourful being was just as tall as Cha'Chak.
"Might I as-ssk, colour creature. What are you? I don't believe I have ever.......encountered a creature sss-such as you before." Hissing towards the lil thing, whilst sniffinf the air around it. The tang of psychic energy hung limply in the air.
Jack - The Valiant Light - The Undesirables Docking Bay
"I thou it wou settllllll your min and ggget you re for the job at ha. I didn't realize yo were so t thoooough. Try... your eyes for a 1011101 moments OK?"
At this point in time Jack couldn't really understand anything. He was just tired. So tired. He'd probably do anything someone asked if he could understand them. What happened? He needed to stay awake. Couldn't... Couldn't let anything happen. They'd come and take him back.
"I'll watch over you... You don't have to fear anything... When you open your eyes I'll still be here...."
'Ysenelle?' Was Jack's only thought as he was dragged somewhere and set down. 'Safe... Safe now. Ysenelle will... Safe' Was Jack's final thought before he drifted into unconsciousness.
Hello again, Smoke was it? I see not only your biology is adaptable. I feel you're in a very positive mood."
"I assume it has something to do with your friend and... smaller friend."
"What is your name? Have you two had much to speak about?"
"This one is Cha'Chak. I ap-oolo-guissse for my....my lack of uhn-dur-stand-eng of the common tongue. I read, but not speak very well."
"Might I as-ssk, colour creature. What are you? I don't believe I have ever....encountered a creature sss-such as you before."[/b]
Smoke looks down at the shiney thing and takes its hand, squeezing it he is more careful this time and it doesn't hurt it. Looking down at the now kneeling Cha'Chak who is close to level with the small shiney think he says down at her.
"We not see kroots for long time because we mercenary. Finding another is good thing, more so when with 6 little kroothounds. Yes, Smoke is what i get called because i always hide like smoke. We talking about hurt smelly over against wall and how he hurt when he come."
Looking over at the now sleeping human Smoke says down at Cha'Chak in Kroot.
Saying to the short shiney thing.
"He must be tired and trust filled. i agree with Cha'Chak, what is you? she never seen you but i scented dead yous before. Not able to feed, to running."
Smoke leans down and smells around the shiney head a few times before straightening and shaking his head. Making his quills rattle around a little loudly before saying again to her.
"Why shiney face? Smell metal and things."
Ysenelle - 'undesirables docking bay'
Ysenelle was taking in the series of questions from the two and weigh up her responses.
"I'm a member of the ancient and powerful Eldar race! Once long ago the very stars themselves lived and died at our command!"
She paused for a moment, becoming melancholy.
"... then everything kind of went bad and now we're basically extinct. I'd show you my face but I'm not really supposed to."
Ysenelle was surprised at how casually she could communicate with mon-keigh and other species, she was starting to think of it more as a skill rather than a hindrance.
She went on.
"I am a Harlequin, a performer. I travel the stars and planets finding those who wish to see and hear the tales of the Eldar and live our story through my dance, I also get called upon to aid in various dire circumstances, hence why my application for a contract was considered and duly accepted."
She couldn't helped rocking side to side and clasping her hands as she explained, resisting the urge to dance and pose to express herself and communicate. That type of linguistics was generally reserved for a large and complex language such as the Eldar's alone.
Ysenelle began a short explanation of how she was useful and behaved in combat, not entirely paying attention as Smoke spoke. "Why shiney face? Smell metal and things."
The rather short shadowseer slowed down as she felt her mask reacting even further and further than general combat imagery. The smooth surface showing faces that the Kroot found terrifying and filling them with whispers of dread and danger.
The Eldar woman paused and turned away from them quickly, making sure to empty her mind before turning back around. She doubted either of them saw their death mask but had to be quick to diffuse the situation.
She turned back around.
"Make no mistake, this mask is a tool and a weapon. That was unintentional though I assure. I would advise you don't stare at it too long if the conversation or situation takes a turn for the worse. Only allied Eldar can really get around that little hiccup easily. It's hard to subconsciously flick it off just because the different species aren't hostile for once."
She clapped her hands together and cleared her mind, returning to her usual odd and warm self, a mechanism to control her outward passive psychic abilities and wargear.
Smoke, The Valiant Light - The Undesirables Docking Bay
"I'm a member of the ancient and powerful Eldar race! Once long ago the very stars themselves lived and died at our command!... then everything kind of went bad and now we're basically extinct. I'd show you my face but I'm not really supposed to.
I am a Harlequin, a performer. I travel the stars and planets finding those who wish to see and hear the tales of the Eldar and live our story through my dance, I also get called upon to aid in various dire circumstances, hence why my application for a contract was considered and duly accepted.
Why shiney face? Smell metal and things.
Make no mistake, this mask is a tool and a weapon. That was unintentional though I assure. I would advise you don't stare at it too long if the conversation or situation takes a turn for the worse. Only allied Eldar can really get around that little hiccup easily. It's hard to subconsciously flick it off just because the different species aren't hostile for once."
Smoke had stiffened when things had started showing things and his hand flashed back to grab his rifle when she turned away and it stopped. Breathing a bit hard and muttering to Cha'Chak.
Slowly letting his rifle go as the small thing goes back to its rocking and seemingly happy voice Smoke is not as sure now though the fact this Eldar did not try to attack and stopped doing whatever it was doing made him think that he could trust it some at least. Lowing his hands again and lightly scratching at his side Smoke says at the small thing.
"That was new thing for me. Never seen new things show like that before. I think you be able to fight fine, stay alive and out of belly for long time."
Smoke scratches at the base of his quills and nods down at the little thing.
"Will no look at shiney when talking feeding and fighting."
And so Kalgard went into isolation along with every other soul that was hurtling though the void on this collection of bolts and screws, with only the flimsy sciences of man to keep them safe from the horrors of Sha'eil and She-Who-Thirsts that might be drawn to claim his soul or that of the harlequin that shared this voyage with him.
In all honesty he'd been overjoyed to see one of his own number among the crew when Ysenelle had come aboard. Finally, someone who could offer good conversation in his mother tongue and to stand beside should the Mon-keigh lose their patience or go mad and turn on them, which no doubt Mon-keigh were want to do. Unfortunately it seemed the two of them didn't have much time to talk before the ship set off for the fringes of charted space... and... it seemed as if she openly courted the younger Mon-keigh... most strange. Though in Kalgard's experience the harlequins were known for their eccentricities, cavorting with Craftworlds, Exodites and even the dark kin. Perhaps this was the same thing. Perhaps she had claimed some on the ship as her pets. Still... it was strange to see her without her troupe. As Kalgard had heard it was the solitaire kind that were prone to wandering in isolation.
No matter, answers would no doubt be found further along the path. For now he was alone in enemy territory where even his mind could be besieged. And so Kalgard meditated. Every day he would temper his thoughts and his body, going through the old exercises and routines until it was almost as if he had never left the path of the warrior. Until he was one with each of his weapons and the waters of his thoughts were calm and tranquil, his war mask calm and sated for it had been creeping its way to the surface in recent days.
It was the last day of their confinement and Kalgard sat on the floor of his tiny quarters, cross legged and stripped of his armour. His mental meditations at an end, he contented himself with simply enjoying the closest thing to a moment of quiet he could find on this ship. Kalgard held a simple wraithbone charm between between two of his fingers. The one he'd been given when his travels had brought him to the Exodites. The one Damara had given him.
'Where do I travel to now, Damara?' Sadness came over him and his war mask growled beneath the surface of his consciousness.
"Salvage crews report to the docks. Contractors report to the closest docking area to your quarters. Officers report to the planning dens. Further instructions will be given once there. Security teams on standby."
Kalgard took a deep breath and reigned in his competing emotions. 'Control, in all things, this is the path.' He forced himself to calm down, breathing deep until he could be sure that his nature would not betray him. It was time to leave. He would get dressed. Kalgard stepped into the corridor, his flowing camo-cloak covering his armour and his helmet and rifle slung over his back as he made his way to the hangar as openly and non-stealthily as he was able. Eventually he arrived in what was supposed to be his nearest hangar only to find what looked to be all the trader's hired 'aliens' gathered together. Of course they would be segregated. He approached the group, no one taking notice of him as he walked in on the middle of a conversation.
"Will no look at shiney when talking feeding and fighting."
"Then how will you see her coming to not look at her?" Kalgard said, possibly startling those gathered there.
He looked upon the mask of the harlequin. he didn't say anything to her out loud but the subtle change in his posture under his cloak and a tiny shift in his facial muscles asked (Are you well?) Ah it felt liberating to use his people's language to its fullest after so long. (Concern) The tilt on his head conveyed.
() implies when Kalgar is using the unspoken parts on the Eldar language.
Sha'eil - place of deamons, hell. Eldar word for the warp.
This was too much, Eva couldn't take it anymore! Did she have cabin fever? She was pretty sure this was what cabin fever was supposed to feel like. She enver cared much for long space flights. 'Real smart move signing up for this then wasn't it?!' Well she didn't like void travel then. Regular flight, fine. But this, getting all cramped up and locked away, no thank you!
She had to be doing something, to be up and about and keeping busy. Cadian troops were always busy, always on the march or getting ready for the next big fight - when they weren't in that big fight. Eva didn't no how to do nothing! To just... re... relax...
'Is this what civilian life is like? Sweet emperor, I'll go mad like this. How can anyone put up with anything so boooooorrrrrring?!'
Finally the day came and the second in command's voice sparked out over the speakers to tell everyone to get to their battle stations.
"Jackpot!" Eva cheered to the room. She'd already cleaned her armour three times that morning alone and was ready to put the old gear back to work.
She got dressed at double time and marched down the halls, moving effortlessly despite the weight and bulk of her carapace armour. Eva walked into the bay, helmet held under one arm and hellgun slung under the other, her combat boots thumping against the metal floor. Natasha and Maarku had already beaten her there.
"Sir. Ma'am." Eva nodded politely to the two of them, standing partly to attention and partly at ease. "P-please someone tell me we get to set foot on solid ground today." She gave a nervous chuckle to punctuate her awkward attempt at humor. It was hard to feel at ease when you were in the presence of the emperor's weapons made flesh.
"Sir. Ma'am." Natasha turned to observe the blond woman who had entered the hanger. Natasha returned her nod. A Ex-Guardswoman if Natasha had to guess.
"P-please someone tell me we get to set foot on solid ground today."
"As far as I can tell we are, yes." Natasha said with a shrug. She took a better look at the woman. She walked as though she was born to the armor she wore. A veteran then. And yet she still shifted from foot to foot, she was either nervous or anxious. Probably both.To a Gaurdswoman, a Sister of Battle or a Space Wolf would be intimidating indeed. Let alone both in the same room. "No reason to be anxious, so long as we serve on this ship, we are equals as far as I am concerned." She told the woman flatly. Well that's not entirely true, Xenos don't count, but that is an entirely different beast.
Herschel stumbles forward, and steadies himself with a chair. 'What was that!'
He had been standing in the Planning Den alone, attempting to sweep away the giggling in his mind when something ground painfully against the edges of his Witch-Sight. 'Psykik event... on the ship?' Herschel's bones chill at the thought. 'Who's there?' He quickly expands his awareness and reaches through the warp to where he felt the witchcraft.
His spirit swells as he soars through the labyrinth of corridors in the ship, searching for the intrusion. It doesn't take him long to find it. 'What are you doing!' he shouts at the source of his anxiety. Looking forward, he sees one of the xenos, an Eldar Shadowseer, communing with a human. He gleams the name of human from his mind. Jack. Why had he not fought against this intrusion? Herschel briefly considers girding the poor mans soul against the xeno's witchcraft, but before he can make a decision, disaster strikes.
In his rush to find the source of the psyker activity, Herschel had forgotten he still had an intruder of his own.
Before Herschel realized what was going on, the giggling magnified in sound and turned into a shrieking laughter that tore at his senses. Blazing forth along the trail of his own psykik passage, it struck Jack first, jibbering wildly in a multitude of voices and grazing his mind. Jack lacked the gifts that would enable him to hear the words of the warp entity, but it would non-the-less affect his mind poorly.
The laughter turned its warp mass next towards the Eldar, and shot at the xenos. Finally overcoming his panic, Herschel reels himself back to his body as fast as he can. The laughter, anchored to him as it was, was dragged back with him before it could reach the witch. Snapping back into his own body, Herschel once again recites a benediction in his mind, this time of banishment.
"No reason to be anxious, so long as we serve on this ship, we are equals as far as I am concerned."
"Thank you ma'am!" Eva said sternly... and saluted... and then caught herself.
'Smooth hun, way to put your best foot forward there.' Why could she only be sardonic and collected in her head? That wasn't fair. Eva lowered her hand back to her side a little too slowly as her eyes darted between the sister and the marine all embarrassed. At least the actual wold didn't seem to care.
"I mean um- ahem." Eva cleared her throat awkwardly. "Evangeline Straud. Pleasure to meet the two of you, I - I don't believe we've had the chance to be properly introduced yet. Well, besides the incident at the center." She added to Maarku, trying to sound as casual as possible.
'Considered an equal by an Adepta Sororita. What a time to be alive!'
There was always one room in Jack?s dreams. He never got to leave the room in any of his dreams. He sometimes tried to get out but never could find a way. He knew he was dreaming at the moment but something was different. There was a faint laughter and then everything changed. He was in a room but didn?t know where. There was someone huge standing over him. Jack lifted his arms as the man raised a foot but found that his arms were tiny now. His legs were tiny and that?s when Jack realized he was a child. The foot came down with tremendous force and knocked him to the ground. Jack was scared, no terrified. He didn?t understand what was happening and the pain that was arching through him didn?t help. Stomp, pain, stomp, pain, stomp pain, stomp, pain. This pattern seemed to go on forever until suddenly the foot was gone.
When he looked up, Jack found he was in a dimly lit room, the only light coming from a window where the moon was casting its light. It took a few seconds before Jack realized what was in the room. Dead bodies, four to be exact, were sprawled out across the floor of the room. One a father and a mother, although he didn?t know how he even knew that. The other were two guardsmen lying on the ground. That?s when he spotted the lone figure in the room. Jack couldn?t see the figure?s face because the figure had its back turned to him at the moment. That was when he began hearing laughter. It was a predominately male voice and it only kept getting louder until it was a full blown laughter. That?s when Jack spotted the blood on the man?s clothes and the knife in his hand. The man raised his face towards the top of the room and laughed even louder than before.
Jack started getting up and found that this figure had finally turned towards him. His heart stopped for a moment as he stared the figure. Jack was met by pale skin, dark blue eyes, and dirty blonde hair. It took a few moments for Jack to even process that he was staring at himself. Although this? Copycat of Jack was covered in blood and smiling directly at Jack. ?What?s wrong Jack.? He? Himself? The copycat said as he made his way towards Jack. ?Afraid of a little blood?? Jack backed up against a wall in a vain attempt to get away. ?Get away. Stay away. Who are you?? Jack stuttered as he looked for something to defend himself with. Jack couldn?t describe the utter terror he was feeling at this point. ?I?m you silly. Whether you?d like to admit it or not, I?m a part of you, a piece of your fragile little psyche.?
Jack curled into a ball muttering. ?No, no, no, no, that?s not right. You can?t be. I wouldn?t do that.? The imposter didn?t bother saying anything else as he brought up the knife and struck. He cut Jack?s arm, then his leg, and continued to cut Jack all over. Jack couldn?t find the words to describe the pain and terror he was in right now. And the imposter just kept cutting, as Jack tried to use his arms to defend himself?
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