The War of Shadows

[Necris]

He'd coated the missile with his blood in a swirling pattern, the ward was a banishing ward but it was not complete passing it to Silv he let her do her work altering his pattern to add her own warding of sanctuary when she was finished she loaded it into the launcher.

"Czernarvok, send the tank."

He looked at Fabio

"I'm going to show you where your sniper is."

He stood moving along the lines his voice lifting.

"Men of the Emperor! Steel your hearts know that the Inquisition is with you, that these daemons will not win this day for your strongest armour still remains, our faith in Him on Terra our contempt for the wrongness of that which comes against us and the knowledge that mankind rules these stars and always will."

He stopped and pointed at the daemon prince beyond.

"That is nothing, not when compared to a man, a man is solid he has a soul that thing will melt away into nothing, and what is nothing against the flesh of man!"

He twisted from his feet as a shot struck against him but pushed himself back up.

"See ever our enemies strike at us, those lost to the daemons those who have forfeited them souls to the darkness, but even they are powerless against us, so stand and show the enemy that we fear nothing they can throw against us."

He moved along the line again weaving quickly between the men back to Silv and Fabio ducking down behind the defences he cursed as blood pumped from his left shoulder.

"Shiv that stings, tell me you found him."

Fabio looked up from his rifle.

"I think so, I'll co-ordinate with Czernarvok to range in on the target."

[Swarbie]

Fabio raised his voice. "Czernavok, have you got a range on that sniper?"

"Affirmative," came the other inquisitor's answer, his voice-unit hunkering down behind a crenelation. "Target is approximately 400 meters from your location. Direction and range place the sniper somewhere in the ruined hab-block on your right, on the third floor. Take him out."

Fabio peered at the hab-block through his rifle's scope. As he scanned the windows, he caught a glimpse of sudden movement as a tall, stick-thin figure appeared in one of the windows. The sniper's shot punched through the helmet of a guardsman standing to Fabio's right. For a second, time seemed to slow for him.

The guardsman fell, gore exploding from the holes in the front and back of his skull. The enemy sniper began to drop below the window sill, trying to get out of sight. Fabio squeezed off a trio of shots. Two hit the sniper in his upper left arm, while the third shot barely missed his head. Fabio cursed. He knew the hits he had managed wouldn't stop the sniper from picking them off. He needed another chance.

An idea occurred to him. It was risky, but then again, it might be his only chance. He needed to give the sniper a target that would occupy his attention. Perhaps a certain power-armoured inquisitor would stand out as being important.

"Ottakar, how averse are you to being used as bait?"

[MarcoSkoll]

Seeing Jeremiah go down with a spray of blood, Maya looked sideways at Lyra.

   "I hate to tell you this, but he really hasn't added any weight to your arguments about the competence of the Inquisition."
   "He is a biomancer, so I suppose he plans to heal himself. But if he got hit in the head... okay, yes - he is an idiot."

Lyra waited a second, then smiled.
   "I've wanted to say that all day."
    "You called him an idiot earlier - after he'd drawn that ward by the gate." , the psyker gestured in the vague direction.
   "Yeah, well, he's got on my nerves since then."

Several shots rang out, and Lyra's view snapped over to see a guardsman collapse next to Fabio. Her vox crackled in:

   "Ottakar, how averse are you to being used as bait?"
    "Are you sure that's wise? That rifle overloaded my energy field - and it just went through both sides of a guardsman's helmet like it was butter. Is power armour enough?"
   "Have you got a better idea?"
   "Well, it would probably be best to not get hit in the first place - and I've got someone who can bend light up here. Your call I guess, but make it quickly."

[Swarbie]

Fabio considered Lyra's suggestion. A new idea occurred to him.

"Maya, you can make yourself invisible."

"Yes, you know that."

"The question here is: can you make me invisible? I'll be able to get a clearer shot if I don't have to dodge bullets myself."

As if to emphasize Fabio's point, another guardsman fell to the floor, screaming and clutching at his right arm. 

[MarcoSkoll]

   "I've never tried. It could theoretically work, but I'd need to be a lot closer."
    "How close?"
   "Two, maybe three metres. I'd also need some cover to hide behind - there's no way I could veil both of us at once."

[Koval]

I initially didn't want to answer, worried that I'd give my position away, but when the shot I'd anticipated didn't come, I considered Glosche's proposal more carefully.

"A sound proposal. Risky, but sound," I stated, making sure my guns were all in the right places. "Unless our sniper's using an anti-materiel rifle, which I doubt, I'll hold up to anything that isn't a direct headshot or a lucky hit on a joint."

"Then you'll distract him?" Glosche asked, sounding hopeful. I thought I caught Inquisitor Rhodes sighing wearily over the vox, but dismissed it.

"Warning: Be aware that presenting yourself as a target entails a high level of risk," Czernavok added unnecessarily. "To that end, I--"

"Thank you for your opinion," I sighed, eager to just get it over with. The sooner I was no longer at risk of being sniped, the better. "Glosche, cover me."

I caught a grunt of disapproval from Czernavok, overlaid with Glosche's confirmation, and spying a low wall, I sprinted towards it, crouching low but still making myself noticeable (to be fair, power armour wasn't built for stealth, so every step I took was making a racket). As expected, the sniper's bullet ricocheted from my shoulder, pinging off somewhere behind me.

It meant the sniper had made himself visible, even just partway.

Perfect.

Skidding to a halt just behind my cover, I waited and hoped that Glosche could take his shot.

[Necris]

The wound had already sealed a red mat of scar tissues forming and full mobility had returned to his shoulder but the pain remained and would for a long while he could heal almost any wound but the pain always lingered like his own mind rebelled against his ability to repair himself unnaturally.

"Fabio, you need to get to her and you need cover while you do it Ottakar is giving you a distaction but you'll still be an open target."

He turned pushing a hand against the wall they were using as cover.

"Everyone clear this area, Silv leave the launcher behind me."

The guardsmen moved backing away and clearing the wall leaving only him and Fabio.

"Ready....go."

Lighting erupted from his hand shattering the wall and creating a cloud of dust before them Fabio broke into a run as he pulled the launcher to his shoulder dropping to his front he sighted down the length of the weapon before squeezing the trigger, the wash of the rocket's motor spread the dust cloud along the wall clearing the space where he lay, he rolled to one side as the sniper fired the las round tearing up the masonry sending chips of stone chasing after him, ducking back into cover he watched as Fabio darted along the wall to duck in beside Maya, his attention turned to the rocket as he screamed through the are a trail of crimson light flowing from it as it sought it's target, the warded warhead bore down on the daemon prince aimed with the aid of his warp sight and struck it square in the chest with a deafening explosion, the daemon staggered the wards inscribed upon it working in unison to prevent it from healing from the wound, he shouted out his voice ringing across the courtyard

"Men of the Imperium, give fire and show these daemons we are not afraid!"

The wall lit up as the guardsmen stood and gave fire the area effect of his banishment ward meant the lesser daemons were cut down by the massed las fire as they rushed towards the walls, then the tanks opened fire it was carnage and destruction, but he knew the effect would be short lived they needed to end the Daemon Prince now, he roared into his vox link.

"Czernarvok send that dammed tank now!"

[Zephon]

"Inquisitor Czernarvok, time to target?"

There was no reply. Bernard spoke for a second time into the vox-set, before handing it back to the operator. Perhaps it was the proximity of the Daemonic host or an intensification of the storm causing addition interference. Since the other Inquisitors had departed, the vox had been full of static and other, more disturbing sounds. Bernard had elected to remain in the bunker, and Gideon had readily agreed to stay as well. He was currently trying to make sense of the reports from the perimeter.

As Bernard moved back to the holo-table, he saw the results: an angry swarm of red dots flashing into existence around the circle of blue. Gideon looked up from his data-slate and spoke:

"Snipers and small groups attacking all over"

"Probing for weakness and pinning down our perimeter units. We can't afford to reinforce them." Bernard said, before glancing towards Oliver, across the table. "Second-line ready?" 

A nod. Good. Biting briefly at a knuckle, Bernard noticed the anomaly in the display. He pointed to the uppermost eagle, furthest from the Arbites Precinct.

"Why nothing here? Have you heard from them?"

An adept answered. They had not.

"Try voxing."

No response.

"It could just be comms. Keep trying. Send a runner."

He turned his attention back to the main battle. Gideon held a vox-phone close, and over the open channel he heard the unmistakable sound of battle cannon fire, along with a distorted voice saying:

"-peat, have engaged."

Yet still a distressing lack of exploding tank. What was going on out there?

[MarcoSkoll]

Fabio came crashing to a halt between the two women. Half glancing at Lyra as a form of rushed greeting, he turned to Maya.
   "Maya. As quickly as you can."

The psyker nodded. Leaning forwards, she carefully supported her head in her hands.
   "This... may... feel slightly weird."

She took two deep breaths, then tensed. For a brief instant, Fabio appeared almost as if viewed through a kaleidoscope, but then the scattered images disappeared, leaving only empty air.

   "Impressive." Lyra murmured, before looking up at where she assumed Fabio's head was.
   "Make it quick. She's good, but she's never done this before."

Inside the psychic veil, Fabio pushed himself up, resting his long-las on the wall in front of him. Maya was right. It was weird, although he wasn't sure words actually existed to describe quite how. But this was no time for poetic descriptions, it was a time for action.

There was a slight movement in the building. As he sighted in on it, Fabio's mouth formed an sentence, but the sounds never joined it. He didn't really notice the instant when he pulled the trigger, lost as if it was part of a dream, but he could see that the shot had done its job.

Crouching down again, he tapped Maya on the shoulder twice. As the psyker's position loosened, he felt an alarming sensation of falling, but in the next instant, it was gone. He could tell from Lyra's eye movements that he was once again visible.

    "Is it done?", Maya spoke without looking up. Her voice had again lost the power behind it, sounding eerily weak.
    "He's dead.", Fabio nodded, before standing and turning to face the terror which was bearing down upon them. He was of the Ordo Malleus. It was time to prove it.

[Swarbie]

"The daemon will come through the gate," said Fabio. "But at least it'll be alone, and wounded."
In the background, he could see the explosives-laden chimera slowly moving towards its target.

Fabio felt strangely detached. Perhaps it was an after-effect of Maya's power, or simply an acceptance of the truth that he was most likely about to die. Either way, it didn't really matter. He turned towards Lyra, suddenly realizing how battered and worn he must look. The thought caused him a tinge of embarrassment.

He reached underneath his blood-stained shirt and pulled out a silver locket. Flipping it open he stared at the holo-lith inside. Himself, his twin brother, his master and his master's wife, all hugging and grinning at the lithographer's instruments.

He felt, rather than heard, the whumph of the chimera exploding.

"This . . . this is my family," he said. "My master, Jorken, his wife, Racquel and Marcas, my-my brother. They're all gone now. All dead. Perhaps today I shall join them." He stuck his hand out to Lyra. She took it, the firm handshake helping him ground himself. 

"It . . . it was a pleasure working with you Lyra." Fabio turned towards Maya.

He stepped close to her, then placed the silver locket around her neck. "Keep it," he said. "To remember me by. I do not want to be forgotten. Especially not by you." In a sudden movement, he hugged her and planted a quick kiss on her forehead. Maya shoved him away, embarrassed.

Fabio grinned. "You know, Jorken's wife was an untouchable. It's funny, but the two of you, you and Racquel I mean, seem so alike." He paused. 

"I . . . I think that if I had ever married, it would have been to someone like her. Someone like you, Maya."

He turned away to avoid the looks he knew the two women would give him.

"Goodbye," he said. 

[MarcoSkoll]

Lyra was somewhat lost for words. It wasn't until she had watched Fabio's slightly strange movements as he left that she finally decided what to say.
  "He's lost it. Again. What did you do?"

The psyker seemed slightly dazed, peering at the locket Fabio had hung around her neck. She turned it over in her fingers as she spoke, studying the reflections off its surface.
  "I don't know. Veiling can give a strange detachment from reality, but it never normally lasts."
 "You're sure you didn't make a mistake?"

Maya let go of the locket, letting it drop down on its chain, and turned her head right to look straight at Lyra.
  "No. I'm not sure. But I'm burnt out - if I made a mistake, I haven't the power to fix it."

Ignoring the pandemonium around himself, Fabio had drawn his sword, and was drawing complex swirls on it in what Lyra assumed was his own blood.

  "I think he's going to face the daemon in melee. He's got to be delusional."
  "No. I think he's scarcely cared about living for years. This locket - it carries real emotional weight."
  "I thought you said you were burnt out?"
  "I don't need my powers to see that. Nobody carries something like this for no reason."
  "Cute. But he's still delusional. I don't think he really wants a daemon consuming his soul."

She shifted out of her seated position, coming into a low kneel. Maya sat up, immediately alert.
  "And call me selfish if you must, but I think we need him alive. Really, I cannot possibly cope with Jeremiah being the only Malleus Inquisitor here."
  "What are you going to do?"

Lyra unclipped a small dull metal cylinder from her belt. She pressed one of the buttons on it, and was rewarded with a cluster of green lights. Pressing the button again, the lights faded.
  "The best I can do. Hope that daemon princes are affected by gravity."

[Swarbie]

The daemon prince finally reached the gates. It was battered, severely wounded by both the warded missile and the exploding chimera. And it was angry.

Its long, crab-like claws tore into the thick steel of the gates and tore them open. It strode through their remains.

Fabio stood alone in the courtyard, tears streaming down his face, his sword burning with white fire. 

"Come on then!" he shouted. "I've had enough! I've been living on a prayer for too long! I've been dead for the last ten years! Come and try me if you think you're hard enough!"

The daemon chuckled and ran towards him. Fabio tensed himself.

Lyra threw her graviton grenade.

[MarcoSkoll]

The first of the green lights turned red as the grenade left Lyra's hand. Fabio tensed, his sword held in a firm fighting stance. His eyes darted across the daemon's form, searching for a point to strike, a way to kill it.

The second light changed as the grenade arced through  the air. The third  followed suit as the small cylinder hit the ground, bouncing and rolling.
The daemon bared its claws. It had been wounded by these impudent humans, and it desired little more than the thrill of revenge.

The fourth light blinked to red as it rolled to a halt on the dusty ground a few feet in front of Fabio, just as the daemon leapt. The grenade rolled up onto its end, pulled by an invisible force. And the last light changed.

There was a huge rush of wind, a hundred thousand litres of air displaced by the undeniable force of gravity. Lyra threw up an arm, shielding her face from the spray of loose stones and dust the grenade had kicked up.

The red lights on the grenade faded out as one, and the gravity field shut off, allowing the air to rush back into the vacuum left with a deep boom.

[Swarbie]

The pain was horrific. Fabio struggled to breathe. He felt as though something had caved in his chest.

He sat up. The blast from Lyra's graviton grenade had thrown him across the courtyard and into the perimeter wall. He was sure he'd gone through a couple of crates before he hit it too. 

Despite the pain, he was sure he wasn't too badly hurt. Some broken ribs, a sprained left wrist, perhaps a few broken fingers. Then he looked down, and realized his original sensation of having his chest caved in was very nearly correct.

The twisted ruin of his shirt helped hide a little of the damage. But it was easy for him to see what had happened. Some gravel, a few pebbles and a small rock had been just a few of the objects making up the debris scattered around the courtyard. Unfortunately, the graviton grenade had propelled them in the same direction as Fabio.

He gasped and realized he had a punctured lung. Blood began to seep into his mouth as he tried to yell out.

"Maya! Lyra! . . . Jeremiah?  . . . Somebody . . . somebody help me . . . please . . ."   

[MarcoSkoll]

Lyra glanced left and right. She could see Fabio in amongst a pile of debris on the far side of the courtyard. The daemon too had been blown a considerable distance. She hadn't been sure about using the grenade at its full power, but not knowing how effective it would have been on the daemon, she hadn't been able to compromise.

Fabio didn't look good, but he was probably whole lot better off than he would have been after fighting a daemon. Looking over her shoulder at Maya, Lyra raised a gloved hand, pointing at the wounded Inquisitor.

   "Maya. Check Fabio."

She didn't wait for a reply before raising the lasrifle to her shoulder and firing a burst of shots into the prone daemon.

   "It's not enough!" a shout came from further down the line as the daemon began to stand.

Lyra stepped forwards, trying to find a better shot, and nearly tripped, her foot rolling on Maya's discarded staff. Looking down, the swear word stopped in her throat. Reaching down, she picked it up, hefting it in her hand.

   "Jeremiah!" , she practically screamed the name, hoping that he would somehow hear her over the din.

By some miracle, he turned. Hurling the staff as hard as she could muster, Lyra watched the imperfect javelin soar through the air.