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Waaargh! Hazug! Chapta 26 | |
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Waaargh! Hazug! Chapta 26 |
The
orks had come at Rell and his stormtroopers in small groups and the elite
inquisitorial troops had little trouble in picking them off. From their
position the humans could see little of what was happening in the rest of
the camp, but signals from both Cubrim in Two Heads’ battlewagon and Jarr
provided enough information to know that the battle was going their way.
The sounds of gunfire could be clearly heard and the early morning sky was
now glowing orange from the flames that looked to be spreading throughout
the camp. “Sir!
Over there!” Henner yelled as he fired a short burst at a pair of gretchin
running along the inside of the perimeter wall towards the gateway. The
shots sent both gretchin sprawling across the ground. But as Rell ran to
look for himself he saw another group of figures heading for the gateway.
This time it was a trio of orks. “Take
them down.” Rell ordered and the stormtroopers opened fire. Then he
activated his communicator, “Jarr, Cubrim. Tell Hazug and Two Heads that
something’s going on. The orks from this place appear to be trying to
escape.” “Get
us back to da gate.” Hazug told Batrug when Jarr relayed the message to
him. “Ya
‘eard ‘im.” Batrug said to the truck’s driver, “Put ya foot
down.” The
truck accelerated rapidly and as it raced through the burning camp there
was a sudden roaring sound. The
two surviving squiggoths had remained relatively stationary just inside
the perimeter wall and away from the fighting for most of the time since
their riders had been killed. But now the flames spreading throughout the
camp were nearing their position while the wall prevented them from
retreating further away. The prospect of being burned alive was now
starting to panic the massive creatures and that could mean only one
thing. They
were about to start moving again. Hemmed
in between the wall and the spreading flames the two squiggoths roared as
they searched for a way out. But with the fire on all other sides only the
direction of the wall presented itself. Not being climbing creatures the
squiggoths instead charged the wall directly, seeking to use their own
bulk to knock it down. But the wall was built to withstand heavy
bombardment and even the impact of the massive squiggoths did no more than
crack the inner face. One of the creatures struck the wall head on, dazing
itself and it dropped to its knees. At that moment the second squiggoth
saw an opportunity and jumped up onto its prone comrade, using it as a
step to reach the top of the wall. Howling
in rage and pain the trodden on squiggoth lashed out at the other, raking
its stomach with its claws and causing it to collapse before making it
over the wall. The two massive beasts then turned their rage on one
another and even as the flames drew closer sought to tear one another
apart. “Dat
aint gonna be good.” Hazug commented as he saw the squiggoths
battling. “Why
not?” Rhia asked, “So long as they stay over there.” “Dey
might open up da wall.” Batrug told her. “What?”
Rhia replied. “Ha!”
Ratish snapped, “Stupid git. All grot tunnels filled in, even da one
master led us down. Plus da mine is collapsed so no way out down dare. Dat
means only da gate is left for anyone to leave by. If da squiggoths smash
an ‘ole in da wall den dat’s another way out.” Then he looked at Hazug and
smiled, “Ratish is right master?” he asked. The
truck holding the Blood Axes and meks was the first vehicle to reach the
gateway and they saw the evidence of both orks and gretchin having tried
to escape. Their bodies lay littered around the gateway with injuries
characteristic of those inflicted by human laser weapons rather than ork
projectiles and for just a moment as he looked down at one of these Hazug
recalled how just a few years earlier a similar corpse had led to his rise
from solitary outcast to advisor to Warboss Kazkal
Kromag. “Spread
out!” Hazug ordered, “We needs to keep anyone from getting’ out. Thrak,
get to me trukk and get on da big shoota.” And he pointed to his own truck
that was parked nearby. Nodding, Thrak ran over to it and climbed aboard,
pulling himself up into the roll cage where its weapon was
mounted. It
was then that Rell came running from the building he and his stormtroopers
had occupied. “We’ve
had a couple of dozen try and escape.” He told Hazug, “So far nothing’s
got through though.” “Good.”
Hazug replied as he looked around for somewhere suitable for his troops to
deploy, “But we’re gonna ‘ave to send some lads outside to check on da
wall. Dem two squiggoths may ‘ave smashed an ‘ole in it and we can’t ‘ave
anyone getting’ out dat way.” A
dull rumbling sound heralded the arrival of Two Heads battlewagon and
rhino and Hazug grinned. “Hazug!”
one of Two Heads yelled as he jumped down from the vehicle, “Dis ‘ole
place is burnin’ down.” He was followed by Cubrim and the two servitors
who went to stand beside Rell, translating what the orks had to say for
him. “Just
my lot.” Two Heads replied before the other added, “Drazzok, Druken,
Gorgoga, Thuggrim and dare lads is on dare way back on foot. Da beakies
was with ‘em an’ all last I saw.” “Well
I needs ya to send some of ya lads outside da wall and round to where dem
squiggoths was fightin’. If da wall’s been bust open den dey needs to stop
anyone else getting’ out.” Two
Heads nodded. “We
just wait ‘ere.” Hazug answered, “We’ll let da fire burn down all da ‘uts
and den we’ll see if dare’s anyone left ‘idin’ in da ruins. Den once we’s
sure dat dare’s no one left we can go ‘ome and tell da
boss.” “Err,
Hazug.” Batrug said as he approached from the truck, “I don’t reckon we’s
done just yet.” Hazug
frowned and he and Two Heads turned to look at the
mekboy. “Why
not?” Hazug asked. “Well
its dat thing dey was buildin’ on da other side of da camp.” Batrug
replied. “Well
ya see when Krorden’s and my lads got dare we found dat it was basically
just a big lump of stone. But it was designed to withstand a lot of ‘eat.”
Batrug explained and Hazug sighed. “Wot
is it?” he asked. “I
reckon dat it’s a landin’ pad. For landas.” Batrug said, using the orkish
term for any short range spacecraft designed for ferrying cargo and
passengers between a planet’s surface and an orbiting
spacecraft. Hazug
turned to look at Rell. “Ya
said dese genestealers came form da ‘ulk right?” he asked, speaking in
orkish so that his fellow orks could understand him and letting the
servitors translate his question for the inquisitor. “Yes
that is correct.” Rell answered, “The tyrannids deposit groups of them
aboard such vessels and leave them to-“ “Exact
numbers vary of course.” Rell said, “But generally several
thousand.” Hazug
stood up straight and looked around. “We
dealt with ‘alf a dozen in da tunnels and another dozen or so before we
started burnin’ dis place down. Anyone else seen
any?” The
gathered orks looked at one another without speaking. “It
sounds reasonable.” The inquisitor replied, “Genestealers avoid open
confrontation until they are in a position of strength. Attacking your
city openly would most likely result in their being wiped out. A few
infected orks may survive, but not for long from what I know of your
species.” Hazug
looked up into the morning sky. The orbiting space hulk was not visible
from here but he knew that it was out there somewhere and that aboard it
was an army of alien killers. “So
now we needs to go up dare and deal with ‘em.” He
announced.
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