Post by Yurrath (aka Rezzy) on Oct 5, 2005 12:25:04 GMT
UNLIKELY ALLIES
Void. Space. Nothingness.
A cold blackness that swirls with invisible energies and background radiation, its as timeless and as silent as death.
An icy tomb, thought the alien. A fitting resting place for his enemy; the one that now cast an ominous gothic silhouette against the stars, probing antenna reaching up from mighty deck guns and guards watch-stations; the six-kilometre hulk of military might sent by a clumsy galaxy-wide empire known as the Imperium of man.
An aliens bladed slender gauntlet caressed the shoulder of a female companion, pinking the flesh where its cold edges brought the nerves to attention. The alien womans long hair was a deep striking purple, her white carapace covering her, yet allowing breathing space for her smooth skin around the joints to allow fluid movement.
The gauntlet withdrew from her shoulder and came to rest upon a translucent console, seamlessly incorporated into the hull of the vessels interior. Where the pointed fingertips brushed the surface of the flawlessly smooth screen, glowing contours were highlighted and symbols lit in various electric blues and greens.
Cold and piercing, a pair of golden eyes gazed with calculating menace out through the shielded viewing window on the bridge of the alien vessel, focused on the unsightly Mon-Keigh ship.
Far below the Bridge, 3 kilometres toward the extending nose of the vessel, a massive oval bead of Wraithbone rose above the surface of the hull like a petrified tear, protruding from it a single Pulsar Lance capable of scything through the most reinforced hull, or the most entrenched planet-surface bunker.
The scene on the bridge of the alien vessel Black Dawn was one of eerie serenity, each crew member meticulously preparing the ship, dedicated fully to his or her own task, diligently and silently following instructions given by the Pirate Prince Yurrath with the slightest movement, unnoticeable to any uneducated observer.
The bridge of the Imperial ship, however, was not so serene.
********************************
d**n you, bloody fool! A harsh and scratchy voice screeched across one of the badly lit ammo-storage rooms of the Mechus Titanus, a flicking tongue betraying its inhuman owner.
A servitor; half man, half machine, half brain-dead, crashed to the floor in a macabre display of twisting flesh being pulled tight by protruding cables where sockets were badly joined to living tissue. Half a dozen smaller skull-servitors drifted over to the sudden disturbance, whirring and ancient devices recording the insignificant incident to be filed and logged where they would never be seen by anyone alive enough to find any significance in them.
The hunched cultist crouched down low behind a large pipe so as not to be seen. The auto-pistol in his clawed purplish hands, he gradually crept forwards toward the stairwell that led to the primary torpedo-loading bay, being careful to avoid the ruptured tube that was spewing coolant into the contained atmosphere of the room. The intruder had one goal; only he could aid his broods conquest of the human craft.
Give me broadside fire! barked a seething Captain at his subordinate on the Bridge hundreds of metres away.
Gas cloud obscures our guns target Captain, how are we the officer shrunk away, dwarfed by the Captain.
Now! Before I kill you for dereliction of duty, growled the Captain, his very last nerve being pushed to the limit.
Of course Sir, immediately.
Within minutes, the crippled vessels remaining portside guns opened fire, great fiery shells thrust towards the alien ships shifting form, but to little effect.
The Captain watched in horror as the telltale light through the gas cloud betrayed the charging of the aliens devastating Pulsar Lance.
He bellowed once more to his crew.
BRACE FOR IMPACT!
********************************
Its fleshy minions were closing in. Its hunger was to be sated, but only after its creatures has done their work. Such hunger. Gnawing. Must feed. Must devour. Soon my children. Soon.
Conscious of the depths of cold, it extended its presence across the sub-sector, feeling the numerous bio-weapons at its disposal. A malign intelligence, searching for prey.
There! Focus the intelligence upon the fleshy creatures machine. Focus the centre-brain upon the minion. Darkness! The minion was in darkness and humidity steam noise machines. The minion was close, soon the killing to begin yes and soon food bringing to the digest-pools, hunger to be sated.
But fleshy ones die slow, many pain-throwers. Must throw fleshy beings into confusion; yes! And swiftly descend with ferocity. Isolate the weakened ones. Rend them! Feast on them! Soon my children.
The presence cast a psychic shadow across the sub-sector like a black veil the astronomican snuffed out like a candle.
The Mechus Titanus was isolated, alone, and above all, unaware
********************************
The very universe shook. Or so the crew of the Mechus Titanus would have expected. A coruscating Eldar Pulsar had lanced the ship across the portside, and several decks were now ablaze.
Damage Report! shouted the ships Captain, Give me damage status!
Decks 3 through 7 are sealed captain, fire stations are at maximum alert and repair teams are operating at an estimated 40% efficiency.
d**n it the Captain turned and called to his Chief of Observation, What are those d**ned Xenos doing now?
They . theyre attempting to contact us sir. Shall I open the comms?
Do it.
- Silence -
This is Yurrath, masterful Pirate Prince of the Xunsunh Corsairs. The aliens distaste at having to speak in the humans language was obvious.
You will die Xenos scum, make no mistake. If I have to destroy us both, I will cleanse this sector of your befouling presence! The Captain slammed his hand down onto the console.
Brave words for a snivelling wretch, Mon-Keigh. I have no time for this; we have far more urgent matters to attend to.
I can think of nothing more urgent than destroying you, filth! the Captain spat.
Then may I be the first one to wish you a slow death Captain, for the devourer is upon our flank."
"Without an alliance, we will all surely perish.
Void. Space. Nothingness.
A cold blackness that swirls with invisible energies and background radiation, its as timeless and as silent as death.
An icy tomb, thought the alien. A fitting resting place for his enemy; the one that now cast an ominous gothic silhouette against the stars, probing antenna reaching up from mighty deck guns and guards watch-stations; the six-kilometre hulk of military might sent by a clumsy galaxy-wide empire known as the Imperium of man.
An aliens bladed slender gauntlet caressed the shoulder of a female companion, pinking the flesh where its cold edges brought the nerves to attention. The alien womans long hair was a deep striking purple, her white carapace covering her, yet allowing breathing space for her smooth skin around the joints to allow fluid movement.
The gauntlet withdrew from her shoulder and came to rest upon a translucent console, seamlessly incorporated into the hull of the vessels interior. Where the pointed fingertips brushed the surface of the flawlessly smooth screen, glowing contours were highlighted and symbols lit in various electric blues and greens.
Cold and piercing, a pair of golden eyes gazed with calculating menace out through the shielded viewing window on the bridge of the alien vessel, focused on the unsightly Mon-Keigh ship.
Far below the Bridge, 3 kilometres toward the extending nose of the vessel, a massive oval bead of Wraithbone rose above the surface of the hull like a petrified tear, protruding from it a single Pulsar Lance capable of scything through the most reinforced hull, or the most entrenched planet-surface bunker.
The scene on the bridge of the alien vessel Black Dawn was one of eerie serenity, each crew member meticulously preparing the ship, dedicated fully to his or her own task, diligently and silently following instructions given by the Pirate Prince Yurrath with the slightest movement, unnoticeable to any uneducated observer.
The bridge of the Imperial ship, however, was not so serene.
********************************
d**n you, bloody fool! A harsh and scratchy voice screeched across one of the badly lit ammo-storage rooms of the Mechus Titanus, a flicking tongue betraying its inhuman owner.
A servitor; half man, half machine, half brain-dead, crashed to the floor in a macabre display of twisting flesh being pulled tight by protruding cables where sockets were badly joined to living tissue. Half a dozen smaller skull-servitors drifted over to the sudden disturbance, whirring and ancient devices recording the insignificant incident to be filed and logged where they would never be seen by anyone alive enough to find any significance in them.
The hunched cultist crouched down low behind a large pipe so as not to be seen. The auto-pistol in his clawed purplish hands, he gradually crept forwards toward the stairwell that led to the primary torpedo-loading bay, being careful to avoid the ruptured tube that was spewing coolant into the contained atmosphere of the room. The intruder had one goal; only he could aid his broods conquest of the human craft.
Give me broadside fire! barked a seething Captain at his subordinate on the Bridge hundreds of metres away.
Gas cloud obscures our guns target Captain, how are we the officer shrunk away, dwarfed by the Captain.
Now! Before I kill you for dereliction of duty, growled the Captain, his very last nerve being pushed to the limit.
Of course Sir, immediately.
Within minutes, the crippled vessels remaining portside guns opened fire, great fiery shells thrust towards the alien ships shifting form, but to little effect.
The Captain watched in horror as the telltale light through the gas cloud betrayed the charging of the aliens devastating Pulsar Lance.
He bellowed once more to his crew.
BRACE FOR IMPACT!
********************************
Its fleshy minions were closing in. Its hunger was to be sated, but only after its creatures has done their work. Such hunger. Gnawing. Must feed. Must devour. Soon my children. Soon.
Conscious of the depths of cold, it extended its presence across the sub-sector, feeling the numerous bio-weapons at its disposal. A malign intelligence, searching for prey.
There! Focus the intelligence upon the fleshy creatures machine. Focus the centre-brain upon the minion. Darkness! The minion was in darkness and humidity steam noise machines. The minion was close, soon the killing to begin yes and soon food bringing to the digest-pools, hunger to be sated.
But fleshy ones die slow, many pain-throwers. Must throw fleshy beings into confusion; yes! And swiftly descend with ferocity. Isolate the weakened ones. Rend them! Feast on them! Soon my children.
The presence cast a psychic shadow across the sub-sector like a black veil the astronomican snuffed out like a candle.
The Mechus Titanus was isolated, alone, and above all, unaware
********************************
The very universe shook. Or so the crew of the Mechus Titanus would have expected. A coruscating Eldar Pulsar had lanced the ship across the portside, and several decks were now ablaze.
Damage Report! shouted the ships Captain, Give me damage status!
Decks 3 through 7 are sealed captain, fire stations are at maximum alert and repair teams are operating at an estimated 40% efficiency.
d**n it the Captain turned and called to his Chief of Observation, What are those d**ned Xenos doing now?
They . theyre attempting to contact us sir. Shall I open the comms?
Do it.
- Silence -
This is Yurrath, masterful Pirate Prince of the Xunsunh Corsairs. The aliens distaste at having to speak in the humans language was obvious.
You will die Xenos scum, make no mistake. If I have to destroy us both, I will cleanse this sector of your befouling presence! The Captain slammed his hand down onto the console.
Brave words for a snivelling wretch, Mon-Keigh. I have no time for this; we have far more urgent matters to attend to.
I can think of nothing more urgent than destroying you, filth! the Captain spat.
Then may I be the first one to wish you a slow death Captain, for the devourer is upon our flank."
"Without an alliance, we will all surely perish.