I:
The Ulysses class bulk cargo hauler Thrace's Arrow lumbered through space much like the millennia extinct cetacean that it resembled had journeyed Ancient Holy Terra's long since evaporated oceans. No one would describe the vessel as elegant or graceful. No, utilitarian would be a better term, it was designed for one thing and it did it adequately, though it was in ill repair and ancient. Blocky, grey and slow, it made its way for Celias IV, its holds laden with ore and a small amount of other assorted materials from Worth. However this was not it's only cargo.
In the deep dark spaces of hold Six-Beta Kappa-Four-Three, inside a weathered container the twin of which languished back on Worth, the Genestealer waited. Suspended upside down in the nondescript crate, it slept, its alien metabolism lowered to near undetectable levels, expending as little energy as possible.
Nonetheless, even in this dormant state it was aware, aware of it's surroundings, aware of the psychic urges from its Patriarch back in Endomaw. It was aware of the hybrid cult members that had infiltrated the vessel and of course it was aware of the ever present Tyranid Hive Mind, so very far away but always inexorably on the move, drawn to fresh feeding grounds as its Hive Fleets devoured planet after planet, system after system, sector after sector, in a never ending attempt to quell the insatiable hunger of the Tyranid race.
Suddenly it was aware of something else. An increased level of alarm amongst the freighter's crew, human and Hybrid alike. Rising fear and panic, a warning signal from its Brood Brothers. Then it was aware of a sudden acceleration from the Hauler, the whine of the engines as they strove to supply the additional thrust being demanded of them. The juddering of the hull as it protested against extra forces it was never designed to endure.
The Genestealer began to unfold itself, pumping adrenal fluids to its extremities and bringing itself to full alertness, preparing to react quickly if needed. It swayed slightly as the vessel was rocked by an impact, then another. The whine from the engines became a scream as the ship attempted maneuvers and velocities far beyond its intended limits. The creature hissed and dropped lithely to the floor, almost silent. It tensed, straining to discern what was going on outside the confines of it's container. The crate was secure and locked but the Genestealer's razor sharp claws would be able to tear through the metal casing of the container in seconds if needed.
Suddenly the container rocked violently as the hull was torn asunder. The superstructure was ripped apart and laser fire lanced into its inner workings. The Genestealer was aware of the rush of decompression and the squeal of twisted metal, it was aware of the swiftly hushed screams of the crew as they were sucked into the cold vacuum of space, an environment it could easily survive. The creature was aware of the tortured terminal scream of the engines as they went into a catastrophic overload, damaged beyond any hope of salvation. Aware of the roar of plasma fire surging through the ship as something critical gave way.
Then it was aware of nothing at all as it was utterly obliterated in the searing white hot blast of a critical level plasma engine explosion.
Far away, though perhaps not in the terms of void combat, Alexys Servil Tayn grunted with mild satisfaction as the hulking freighter simply disappeared in an blinding ball of plasma. Even though the display screens around her dimmed automatically, Tayn still narrowed her eyes at the sudden flash. As the explosion dissipated, leaving just metallic fragments as a cloud of fine debris, she unclasped her hands from behind her back and with a tight smile turned to congratulate her crew on the kill.
Well, at least those crew that were human. Many of the menials onboard the Strike Interceptor she commanded were mind scrubbed servitors, half human cyborgs that were programmed with just enough information to perform their assigned tasks. Those that still had faces stared blankly at their instruments, performing minor adjustments as needed by the thousand to keep the ship operational and running smoothly.
Still, as she turned Tayn caught a few human expressions, mostly satisfaction and pride. Gleams in eyes here and there, Most noticeably on Shais Jaroslav, her first officer and lover. The gleam in Shais' eyes spread to her ebony round face and burst out in that smile that Tayn found so very appealing. She fought to keep her own smile from showing and instead focussed on bestowing her praise upon the crew as a whole, using the ships address system to do so. And it was praise well earned, given the speed that they had reacted to the Inquisitor's signal, identified, hunted down and eliminated the target. Everything had performed admirably, not least the aged vessel itself.
The Strike Interceptor was called Fist of Makius, a sleek lethal predator of a vessel. Old and of a design not exactly of the typical Imperial style. It was more streamlined, with fins akin to an aquatic hunter, its engines were spread around the hull rather than clustered at the back which gave it a unique and at times hazardous level of maneuverability and temperamental handling. Tayn had been its master for 35 Terran Solar Years. Of course those units of time could mean little when the vagaries of the Warp were factored but in any case, she knew the ship and knew it well, even if she didn't know who 'Makius' was, or particularly care.
No, the ship worked and performed as she desired and that was all that really mattered to her. She wasn't one to get sentimental about such things, being an entirely pragmatic woman, who dealt with facts and cold hard data rather than emotions and feelings. For years she had operated the ship as a hunter, taking bounties and settling feuds. Running escort to convoys and any other work she could get. The ship's appearance had largely kept it out of Imperial service with none wanting to associate with such an unusual and exotic looking vessel, but there was always someone looking to hire a vessel even if they regarded the unorthodox Strike Cruiser with suspicion or disdain. This had not bothered Tayn in the slightest, she knew the truth even if she was one of the only ones who did. Few others knew how she had become Shipmaster and from where the vessel originated and those that did not only ever asked her once, for her steely glare brooked no further enquiry on the subject. Fist of Makius therefore remained an enigma. Dark and mysterious as the depths of space itself, and just as quietly dangerous.
It was this that had attracted Inquisitor Garanthe to the vessel in the first place. Tayn let her mind drift back to the memory. Five years ago she had been escorting a Merchantman Convoy that was making a supply run through the Danoiris Belt, an area of space thick with nebulae and asteroids. The asteroids in the area churned up the gases of the nebula leading to each piece of space rock being surrounded by eddies and a bright corona of disturbed gas. Some would have found it beautiful. She had not. Tayn had simply considered it an annoyance, the phenomenon cast false sensor echoes and made the Belt a prime spot for an ambush.
And so it had proved, approximately half way through the belt the convoy had been attacked by xenos Pirates, their jagged yet elegant vessels scything through the gases and seeming to appear out of nowhere. One of the leading vessels of the convoy was crippled in seconds, it's minimal shielding flaring before the follow up shots ripped through the hull, spilling gasses and corpses into the void. However, the Pirates were not looking to destroy the vessel, only disable it, and as it span, powerless and out of control, the raider ceased fire and slowed for boarding and capture.
Fist of Makius' retribution was swift; with her armament being almost entirely forward facing, she bore down upon the Raider vessel and obliterated it with a punishing volley of fire. But the Pirates were in number.
Realizing that the convoy had protection, the three other raiders halted their predation of the other Merchant ships and focussed upon the Interceptor. Their exotic weaponry lanced at the Fist of Makius and under the combined volley the shields buckled. The Interceptor was designed for combat under evasive maneuvers and to be hard to hit. She was not designed to repel firepower of that magnitude and she had been caught cold, exulting in the kill.
Tayn was no novice ship commander though and took steps to ensure her ship's survival. Gambling that her foe valued the contents of the Merchant Vessels highly, she pulled the Interceptor behind one of the ships and, though fire lanced after her, it ceased as she reached the lee of the vessel. However, the Pirate Vessels were agile and deadly and sought to outmaneuver and surround the Fist of Makius, harrying it and managing to strike it a few more times, punishing it's weakened shields yet further though they could not land a telling or penetrating blow. Tayn had never been prone to desperation but even she was growing worried at the odds that she was facing.
She decided to use the environment to her advantage, with curt commands she ordered the ship into one of the pockets of gas, gambling that the nebula would hide her ship. It was an extreme risk, there could have been anything in there, another Raiding party could have been concealed within and she would have not known until she was right on top of them. Fortune favoured her though and as two vessels followed her in, the third doubled back to attack the convoy once again, the transport ship's meagre defensive turrets swiftly silenced by the exotic weaponry. Panicked messages spilled onto the bridge as the convoy begged for help from the raiders. Tayn ordered the communications cut, silencing their pleas. Inside she seethed, not at any real empathy for the convoy but for the fact that she had had to abandon it, albeit temporarily, she had pride in her reputation.
Tayn accessed the communique with a thought, as she had suspected it was a recorded message, a pointed yet polite request for an update on the situation from the Inquisitor. With a sequence of thoughts Tayn submitted a reply, confirming the kill and advising of the minor repairs that needed to be completed before they could return. she wondered how his own mission of infiltrating Endomaw was proceeding and enquired as much. Though the Inquisitor was in no way obliged to divulge, Tayn was direct and didn't care much for etiquette or politics, something he found laudable, he would likely answer. She signed off with the standard 'The Emperor Protects' and dispatched the message with a thought. There would be a delay before the information was received and by then the Fist of Makius could be well on its way. With any luck she would be in a position to aid the Inquisitor should his mssion have not been as straightforward as hers.
Suddenly it was aware of something else. An increased level of alarm amongst the freighter's crew, human and Hybrid alike. Rising fear and panic, a warning signal from its Brood Brothers. Then it was aware of a sudden acceleration from the Hauler, the whine of the engines as they strove to supply the additional thrust being demanded of them. The juddering of the hull as it protested against extra forces it was never designed to endure.
The Genestealer began to unfold itself, pumping adrenal fluids to its extremities and bringing itself to full alertness, preparing to react quickly if needed. It swayed slightly as the vessel was rocked by an impact, then another. The whine from the engines became a scream as the ship attempted maneuvers and velocities far beyond its intended limits. The creature hissed and dropped lithely to the floor, almost silent. It tensed, straining to discern what was going on outside the confines of it's container. The crate was secure and locked but the Genestealer's razor sharp claws would be able to tear through the metal casing of the container in seconds if needed.
Suddenly the container rocked violently as the hull was torn asunder. The superstructure was ripped apart and laser fire lanced into its inner workings. The Genestealer was aware of the rush of decompression and the squeal of twisted metal, it was aware of the swiftly hushed screams of the crew as they were sucked into the cold vacuum of space, an environment it could easily survive. The creature was aware of the tortured terminal scream of the engines as they went into a catastrophic overload, damaged beyond any hope of salvation. Aware of the roar of plasma fire surging through the ship as something critical gave way.
Then it was aware of nothing at all as it was utterly obliterated in the searing white hot blast of a critical level plasma engine explosion.
Far away, though perhaps not in the terms of void combat, Alexys Servil Tayn grunted with mild satisfaction as the hulking freighter simply disappeared in an blinding ball of plasma. Even though the display screens around her dimmed automatically, Tayn still narrowed her eyes at the sudden flash. As the explosion dissipated, leaving just metallic fragments as a cloud of fine debris, she unclasped her hands from behind her back and with a tight smile turned to congratulate her crew on the kill.
Well, at least those crew that were human. Many of the menials onboard the Strike Interceptor she commanded were mind scrubbed servitors, half human cyborgs that were programmed with just enough information to perform their assigned tasks. Those that still had faces stared blankly at their instruments, performing minor adjustments as needed by the thousand to keep the ship operational and running smoothly.
Still, as she turned Tayn caught a few human expressions, mostly satisfaction and pride. Gleams in eyes here and there, Most noticeably on Shais Jaroslav, her first officer and lover. The gleam in Shais' eyes spread to her ebony round face and burst out in that smile that Tayn found so very appealing. She fought to keep her own smile from showing and instead focussed on bestowing her praise upon the crew as a whole, using the ships address system to do so. And it was praise well earned, given the speed that they had reacted to the Inquisitor's signal, identified, hunted down and eliminated the target. Everything had performed admirably, not least the aged vessel itself.
The Strike Interceptor was called Fist of Makius, a sleek lethal predator of a vessel. Old and of a design not exactly of the typical Imperial style. It was more streamlined, with fins akin to an aquatic hunter, its engines were spread around the hull rather than clustered at the back which gave it a unique and at times hazardous level of maneuverability and temperamental handling. Tayn had been its master for 35 Terran Solar Years. Of course those units of time could mean little when the vagaries of the Warp were factored but in any case, she knew the ship and knew it well, even if she didn't know who 'Makius' was, or particularly care.
No, the ship worked and performed as she desired and that was all that really mattered to her. She wasn't one to get sentimental about such things, being an entirely pragmatic woman, who dealt with facts and cold hard data rather than emotions and feelings. For years she had operated the ship as a hunter, taking bounties and settling feuds. Running escort to convoys and any other work she could get. The ship's appearance had largely kept it out of Imperial service with none wanting to associate with such an unusual and exotic looking vessel, but there was always someone looking to hire a vessel even if they regarded the unorthodox Strike Cruiser with suspicion or disdain. This had not bothered Tayn in the slightest, she knew the truth even if she was one of the only ones who did. Few others knew how she had become Shipmaster and from where the vessel originated and those that did not only ever asked her once, for her steely glare brooked no further enquiry on the subject. Fist of Makius therefore remained an enigma. Dark and mysterious as the depths of space itself, and just as quietly dangerous.
It was this that had attracted Inquisitor Garanthe to the vessel in the first place. Tayn let her mind drift back to the memory. Five years ago she had been escorting a Merchantman Convoy that was making a supply run through the Danoiris Belt, an area of space thick with nebulae and asteroids. The asteroids in the area churned up the gases of the nebula leading to each piece of space rock being surrounded by eddies and a bright corona of disturbed gas. Some would have found it beautiful. She had not. Tayn had simply considered it an annoyance, the phenomenon cast false sensor echoes and made the Belt a prime spot for an ambush.
And so it had proved, approximately half way through the belt the convoy had been attacked by xenos Pirates, their jagged yet elegant vessels scything through the gases and seeming to appear out of nowhere. One of the leading vessels of the convoy was crippled in seconds, it's minimal shielding flaring before the follow up shots ripped through the hull, spilling gasses and corpses into the void. However, the Pirates were not looking to destroy the vessel, only disable it, and as it span, powerless and out of control, the raider ceased fire and slowed for boarding and capture.
Fist of Makius' retribution was swift; with her armament being almost entirely forward facing, she bore down upon the Raider vessel and obliterated it with a punishing volley of fire. But the Pirates were in number.
Realizing that the convoy had protection, the three other raiders halted their predation of the other Merchant ships and focussed upon the Interceptor. Their exotic weaponry lanced at the Fist of Makius and under the combined volley the shields buckled. The Interceptor was designed for combat under evasive maneuvers and to be hard to hit. She was not designed to repel firepower of that magnitude and she had been caught cold, exulting in the kill.
Tayn was no novice ship commander though and took steps to ensure her ship's survival. Gambling that her foe valued the contents of the Merchant Vessels highly, she pulled the Interceptor behind one of the ships and, though fire lanced after her, it ceased as she reached the lee of the vessel. However, the Pirate Vessels were agile and deadly and sought to outmaneuver and surround the Fist of Makius, harrying it and managing to strike it a few more times, punishing it's weakened shields yet further though they could not land a telling or penetrating blow. Tayn had never been prone to desperation but even she was growing worried at the odds that she was facing.
She decided to use the environment to her advantage, with curt commands she ordered the ship into one of the pockets of gas, gambling that the nebula would hide her ship. It was an extreme risk, there could have been anything in there, another Raiding party could have been concealed within and she would have not known until she was right on top of them. Fortune favoured her though and as two vessels followed her in, the third doubled back to attack the convoy once again, the transport ship's meagre defensive turrets swiftly silenced by the exotic weaponry. Panicked messages spilled onto the bridge as the convoy begged for help from the raiders. Tayn ordered the communications cut, silencing their pleas. Inside she seethed, not at any real empathy for the convoy but for the fact that she had had to abandon it, albeit temporarily, she had pride in her reputation.
Tayn accessed the communique with a thought, as she had suspected it was a recorded message, a pointed yet polite request for an update on the situation from the Inquisitor. With a sequence of thoughts Tayn submitted a reply, confirming the kill and advising of the minor repairs that needed to be completed before they could return. she wondered how his own mission of infiltrating Endomaw was proceeding and enquired as much. Though the Inquisitor was in no way obliged to divulge, Tayn was direct and didn't care much for etiquette or politics, something he found laudable, he would likely answer. She signed off with the standard 'The Emperor Protects' and dispatched the message with a thought. There would be a delay before the information was received and by then the Fist of Makius could be well on its way. With any luck she would be in a position to aid the Inquisitor should his mssion have not been as straightforward as hers.
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