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Chapta 23 | |
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Da Raiders From Da Shadows Chapta 23 |
The barricades were set in place. Behind each one a small group of kabalite warriors waited with splinter rifles. Heavier weapons had been abandoned for this operation, there was too much chance that by deploying them they would drive off and scatter the orks which would in turn lead to them returning in far greater numbers and with far more powerful weapons. Today the Kabal of the Flame would feign weakness just long enough to draw in those who knew their location. Beyond the barricades, where lights from the outside world leaked into the hangar were more warriors, again armed only with rifles. These had the job of providing the bait that would bring the orks into the old human-built complex. Their job was the most dangerous. Though the eldar were eschewing the use of heavy weapons in this battle the orks would undoubtedly employ everything they had at their disposal. But as dangerous as standing out in the open and waited to be seen was still regarded as less risky than disobeying an order from the archon. To do so would serve only to invite his wrath. Two Heads stared at Gorgoga with all four of his eyes. “Ya wot?” he both said. “Hazug went off to look for another way inside.” Gorgoga replied, “’E said for us to wait ‘ere until we got a signal.” “But we can see da bloody pansies right dare!” one of Two Heads bellowed and he waved towards the doorway set into the cliff side. “Dat’s wot Hazug said alright.” Drazzok agreed, “’E ‘ad one of dem looks ‘e gets when ‘e’s thinkin’ like a git. Wot ‘e does too much if ya asks me. ‘E took ‘is grot, ‘is squig and ‘is git with ‘im. Stuffed ‘is git into da clothes of dat naked pansy on dat banner dare.” Two Heads sighed and sat down on a fallen tree trunk. “Ah well, we may as well wait den.” He said, “Gorrid, tell da lads to break out da beer while we is waitin’.” Hazug was about to lead his servants one way down a wide corridor when he heard a sound coming from the opposite direction. It was an animal-like growling and at first Hazug thought it was Cuddles. But the sounds were not produced by any squig Hazug knew of and he decided to investigate. “Stay behind me,” he whispered to the others, “and stay quiet. Ratish keep Cuddles back.” Cautiously, Hazug crept forwards towards the sounds that continued. Then he heard another sound, a sharp ‘crack’ that was followed by a howl. This was a sound he knew - it was the sound of a whip being used to punish something. Ahead of him Hazug saw that there was an open doorway, beyond which were stacks of crates and other obstacles. The light both in the room and in the corridor was dim and Hazug crept closer, using the gloom to conceal him. A figure appeared in the room clutching a lantern and Hazug saw that it wielded a whip. It took a moment for him to recognise the figure as an eldar, its poise and the way it moved was different to the others he had seen so far and where the lantern illuminated its skin Hazug saw scars. A second figure appeared in the light cast by the lantern and Hazug saw that it too bore the marks of injuries and moved differently to the other dark eldar. At first Hazug considered the possibility that these were slaves. But why would a slave have a weapon? Then another figure appeared. This was more massive than any eldar that Hazug had seen before, bigger than an ork even. It too moved differently, shambling and staggering. Then it growled and Hazug realised that this was the source of the noises that had drawn him here. This beast bore scars just like the two smaller ones in front of it, but the result of whatever surgery had been carried out on this creature had left it with the look of something deformed. The figure stepped closer to the two smaller ones and the whip-armed eldar cracked it again and then pointed. The larger figure growled once more and then lurched to where the smaller one had pointed. Then Hazug realised what he was seeing. The smaller figures were not slaves they were the slavers. Hazug pulled the tau viewing device from his belt and activated its low light viewing function for a better look at what the dark eldar slavers were up to. He saw that there were more of the larger slave creatures in the room, all of them positioned behind the obstacles that had been placed there and Hazug knew that he was looking at an ambush. But who was this ambush for? He thought as he put the viewing device away once more. As far as he knew the eldar were not aware of his presence in their base of operations so it could not be for him. That left only the rest of the warband that would probably be waiting outside for his signal to attack right now. Hazug though about the difference between the two opposing forces. Everything he had seen suggested that his was significantly larger than the eldar occupying this place and that in a pitched battle they would easily defeat the eldar. But if the warband was drawn inside the complex and split up to search it all they could be repeatedly ambushed and destroyed bit by bit. But the eldar would need some way of getting the orks to come this way. Then Hazug thought of the two eldar warriors who had rushed past. By stationing troops near the entrance and having them retreat when the ork assault began the eldar could entice the orks into following them into one ambush after another. The running eldar had likely been heading towards the main entrance to be part of the bait for the trap. Hazug moved back to where Ratish and Sophie waited for him. “Right den,” he said, “I needs ya to sneak outta here and back to Mek Batrug and da others. Keep outta sight of da eldar. When ya gets back to dem tell ‘em to start dare attack, but warn ‘em to stick together, use da burnas to clear out all da ‘idey ‘oles dey finds. Da eldar is plannin’ to ambush ‘em.” “What are you going to be doing?” Sophie asked. “I is gonna find as many of dese ‘idin’ eldar as I can,” Hazug said, “and I is gonna kill ‘em all.” As Ratish and Sophie ran off in the other direction, Hazug turned back towards the ambush that the eldar were preparing and as he advanced he pulled a grenade from his belt. He lifted the base of the explosive to his mouth had pulled out the pin with his teeth before spitting it to the floor. Then he hurled the grenade towards the two slavers standing illuminated by their own lantern. The grenade landed short and bounced across the floor. The two dark eldar turned around and held out the lantern as they tries to see what was making the noise. When they saw the grenade they both froze. One began to shout what sounded to Hazug like a warning when the grenade went off. Both eldar were thrown backwards by the blast and the lantern went dark as fragments from the grenade shattered it. Neither eldar made any sound after detonation and Hazug assumed that they had been killed. There were howls from the misshapen slave beasts and they began to emerge from their hiding places. Hazug raised his rifle and took aim as they rushed towards him with their arms outstretched towards him. He snatched the trigger of his rifle twice and the first beast fell with a pair of holes its chest. Behind it two more leapt over the body of their fallen comrade without sparing it a thought. With the dark eldar grotesques closing fast, Hazug switched his rifle to fully automatic and sprayed the corridor in front if him with bullets. The two charging grotesques nearest to him jerked as the bullets impacted on them before they too collapsed before getting within reach of him and Hazug dropped the empty magazine from his rifle and reached for another. But the remaining three grotesques were closing on Hazug fast and he doubted that he would be able to shoot them all. Instead he dropped the empty weapon and drew his warscythe and activated the blade. With a swift swing he cut the legs out from beneath the first grotesque before turning towards the next. But the injured one was still alive and using its arms the thing dragged itself to Hazug and began to claw at his legs. “Geddof!” Hazug shouted and he stepped backwards before bringing the warscythe down on it again, this time slicing its head in half. Though the grotesque was now dead the need for a second strike had cost Hazug time and the final two were now upon him. He head butted the first as it grabbed his warscythe and tried to pull the weapon from his grasp. The grotesque jerked its head back from the blow but kept its hold on the warscythe. Noticing the final grotesque beside him Hazug whirled around, dragging the one holding his warscythe with him and he thrust the tip of the warscythe through the grotesque’s chest. Now facing just a single grotesque, Hazug tried to pull his weapon free but his opponent was a match for him in strength. Hazug needed an alternate means of attack and he needed it quickly, the longer he delayed here the more likely it became that the other dark eldar would discover him. He reached down to his belt where he kept his pistol and pressed its muzzle against the grotesque’s ribcage. Then he pulled the trigger repeatedly until the grotesque fell. Sophie took a quick glance around the corner. In the poor lighting she had to remove her disguise’s helmet to see clearly, but even without it she could barely make out a pair of dark eldar warriors lying prone behind a low barricade across the width of the corridor. They were on the side nearest to her and Ratish and were facing the other way. Clearly this was one of the ambushes that Hazug had told them to warn the rest of the warband about. “Two of them.” Sophie whispered, “Looks like they’re manning some sort of heavy weapon. Like a larger version of their rifles.” “Let’s get ‘em!” Ratish hissed and he snarled. “How?” Sophie replied, placing a hand on his shoulder that he shook away, “Are you planning to just walk up to them? They’d shoot you.” Then she thought for a moment, “Which might be worth it.” She added quietly in Gothic so that Ratish could not understand it. “Speak proper git!” Ratish snapped, “Wotcha sayin’?” “Just that you can’t go walking right up to them.” Sophie said, “But I think I can.” And she put her helmet back on, “Wait here.” She said before walking around the corner and calmly walking towards the two dark eldar. They heard her approach and one of them looked around. Initially the warrior just stared at Sophie as she walked closer, her hand resting on the pistol holstered at her waist. Then the eldar spoke. Believing that he was talking to another member of his own species the alien had not activated his translator and so Sophie had no idea what he was saying. Then eldar spoke again and this time his comrade turned around also. Then the first reached for a rifle. Sophie pulled the gun from her holster and fired without pausing to aim. The sliver of crystal missed the eldar’s chest and instead just grazed his shoulder, but the effect was immediate. The alien cried out in agony as the toxins that coated the projectile began to make their way through his system and then he began to convulse wildly. He lashed out an arm at random and it struck the second dark eldar just as he was drawing a pistol of his own and the weapon was knocked from the second eldar’s grip. Taking aim at the second dark eldar as he scrabbled to retrieve his lost weapon Sophie fired again and again. This time her aim was better and the eldar slumped to the floor dead from the projectile impacts before the poison could do its work. Sophie then pointed the pistol at the dark eldar that was now gasping for breath as the poison he had absorbed was causing him to vomit inside his helmet. She fired again and put a round into his head and he finally lay still. She returned her pistol to its holster and then waved at Ratish to signal him to come out from behind the corner. Then as she waited for him to catch up she looked at the equipment left by the dark eldar she had just killed. The weapon mounted behind the barricade was large and heavy and Sophie doubted that she would be able to carry it. But the other alien had possessed a rifle that was still propped up against the wall. Sophie picked up the weapon and examined it. The controls looked the same as on the automatic pistol she normally carried. Unlike the eldar pistol, the rifle appeared to include the option for automatic fire. Looking down, Sophie saw what looked like spare ammunition clips on the eldar’s belt and she took them for herself. “Come on,” she said as Ratish and Cuddles caught up with her, “and stay behind me.” Ratish frowned as she then walked off ahead of him. It was just up ahead that Ratish and Sophie found themselves looking at the way out that they were looking for. They were stood in a doorway that looked out into a large chamber that was used for housing vehicles. A handful of ancient human vehicles still remained in a far corner but they showed no sign of being in use. However, there were also four of the dark eldar’s sailed troop transports present. These had shown themselves to be potent war machines, but at present they lacked crews so were of no more danger to the ork warband than the human vehicles were. But as inconsequential as the transports were the hangar was by no means a safe place to be. All around more dark eldar lay in wait for the orks. “’Ow many?” Ratish whispered as he peered around Sophie into the hangar. “Too many.” Sophie replied, “At least twenty of them. There’s no way that I can sneak past them all.” “Useless git.” Ratish said as he took another look at the eldar warriors in the hangar. “Well do you have a better idea?” Sophie asked. “Yeah.” Ratish
replied, “Ratish know exactly wot needs doin’.” Ratish said nothing; instead he grabbed hold of Cuddles’ harness and disconnected the leash. “’Ere, ‘old dis.” He said to Sophie and he gave her the leash. Then, still keeping hold of Cuddle’s harness he climbed up onto the squig’s back, “Geddout me way git.” He said, then he dug his heels into Cuddles’ sides and let out a loud cry, “Waaargh!” Although Ratish could not hope to deliver the war cry with the same tone as an ork, it still served to divert the attention of every dark eldar warrior in the hangar towards the door that he emerged from. Riding atop Cuddles, Ratish hung on with one hand and waved his pistol in the air in the other. Not used to being ridden, Cuddles leapt from side to side and presented such a difficult target to the eldar that despite their best efforts none of them could accurately aim at them. Two eldar scrabbled backwards as Cuddles jumped up onto the barricade they manned and brought up their rifles. But as a gunshot from Ratish sent one of them tumbling to the floor, Cuddle leapt forwards off the barricade and landed on the other. The alien screamed briefly as the squig’s sharp claws ripped open his chest and he found himself unable to make any sound at all. Normally Cuddles would have paused to devour the dark eldar lying beneath him, but when Ratish dug his heels into his sides once more the creature roared and bounded directly ahead where he pounced on two more of the dark eldar. Sophie saw her chance and she stepped into the hangar. Crouching, she moved towards the outer door. Instead of a direct route she headed for one of the vehicles parked nearby. Despite to confusion in the hangar Sophie still thought it sensible to keep herself concealed as much as possible. From across the hangar one of a group of eldar now running towards Ratish as he rode the bouncing Cuddles in a seemingly random course spotted her. Sophie saw the alien waving and her initial thought was that he had seen through her disguise and his group was bout to attack. Then the warrior yelled something in the eldar language and changed the direction of his waving to point towards Ratish and Cuddles. It was then that Sophie realised that the alien did believe her to be another of his own species and he was instructing her to join his unit’s attack. Nodding, Sophie began to move slowly in the opposite direction. For a moment she considered that the dark eldar may not use the same gestures as humans and orks, but the eldar reacted as she hoped they would so Sophie guessed that her disguise was still fooling them. As soon as the eldar looked away Sophie halted and brought her stolen rifle up to her shoulder. Aiming into the centre of the eldar group she switched the rifle to what she hoped was the automatic setting and pulled the trigger. The weapon had less kick than she was used to with projectile weapons, but still more than her lasgun and it sprayed its ammunition as the muzzle shifted slightly with each shot. By the time the eldar group was aware they were under attack two of them were already on the floor, screaming in agony. Their armour had stopped the projectiles that would have pierced their vital organs, but the toxins from those that struck elsewhere filled their bloodstreams with poison. A third dropped his weapon and clutched at his throat as a sliver of crystal punctured it as blood pumped out from behind his hands. Sophie ducked behind the vehicle she was using as cover just in time to avoid the return fire from the dark eldar. She plucked one of the spare magazines she had stolen from her belt and slammed into the splinter rifle. She paused, waiting for the hail of return fire to cease. But unlike orks who would just open fire and continue shooting until their weapons ran dry of ammunition the eldar were well-disciplined troops. They fired in short bursts and staggered their firing so that when one of them ran out of ammunition and had to reload their squad mates were able to provide them with covering fire. Then Sophie remembered that she was using a human made vehicle as protection and even though the air had gone from its tyres long ago its chassis still stood clear of the floor. Sophie lay flat on her stomach and aimed her rifle under the vehicle. She could see only the feet of the dark eldar, but she knew that the poisoned ammunition would be lethal even with a hit to an extremity. Switching the rifle to semi-automatic, Sophie snatched at the trigger repeatedly. Shooting under the vehicle made accurate targeting difficult and all Sophie saw for her efforts were tiny sparks of light as the rounds shattered against the concrete floor between her and the dark eldar. But it was enough of a distraction that the eldar warriors fell back in search of cover before more of them could fall to one of their own weapons. The distraction that Sophie caused also took their attention away from Ratish. “Woo-hoo!” he shouted with glee as Cuddles bounced into the midst of the dark eldar. Cuddles landed directly on top of one of them and the alien lay sprawled out and screamed as the squig clawed at him. Ratish’s pistol barked as he fired at the dark eldar around him and another of the aliens fell with blood pumping from a gaping chest wound. Knowing that her disguise was now worthless, Sophie pulled the helmet from her head so that she could see better. Looking over the vehicle she saw that Cuddles had bounced out from amongst the group of dark eldar she had been shooting at and was now headed towards the main doors. Though several of the aliens were still alive they were more concerned about tending to their wounded than in trying to stop Ratish and Cuddles from escaping. Not one of them paid any attention to Sophie so she too ran for the exit. As she drew closer she saw why the eldar in the hangar did not appear worried about her or Ratish getting away. Outside the doors a full squad of dark eldar warriors waited for them. |
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