Kirandriel's StormShadow Hunter
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Kirandriel vaulted the boulders, trying to keep himself as close to the cover provided as possible. He knew the squad
of Storm Guardians he was leading would be doing the same, as all of them had once followed the path of either the
Howling Banshee or Striking Scorpion before now. Each had perfected their chosen aspect of close combat before moving on to whatever path they were now walking along. However, without the ritual armour of those aspects of war, they could not be as accomplished as they were whilst devoted to that path. With a simple gesture of his hand, Kirandriel ordered the squad to halt and take cover. The 20 Guardians that followed him carried out that command, each almost disappearing into the shadows provided by the ruined monkeigh structures. He could make out the target of their advance. A large building that dwarfed even the skyscrapers of the city. This was the last place that was occupied by the taint of Chaos. This was where they were making their last stand, and that was how it had to be. Every single sign of Chaos had to be removed. It was the will of the Farseers. Kirandriel sent a psychic message to the Farseer Erthanior informing him that he and his squad were in position. Now they had to wait for the rest of the Eldar forces to report their readiness. Yet again the Eldar forces had been deployed on an alien world to save it from the threat of chaos. Yet again the worshippers of the dark gods had overthrown the human defenders. Yet again the taint of chaos had penetrated into the heart of the governing forces without knowledge of the Terran Inquisition. And yet again the Eldar fight with the determination as if it were their own world they were protecting. Unknown to the Monkeigh, this was closer to the truth than they’d ever realise. The skeins of time had been followed closely. The Farseers had foreseen that the rise of Chaos on this world would lead to the spread of the followers of the dark Gods to the neighbouring systems. Cults would rise from the dark corners they were currently hiding in. They would become bolder with the success of the fall of this world. And the worship of ‘she who cannot be named’ would spread like a cancer. The plague would become so far-reaching that even the sophisticated technology that conceals their craftworld from prying eyes would be no protection. Kirandriel nodded in understanding of the Farseers orders he had just received. All the other units must now be in position, and so the final attack began. He gestured his squad to follow his advance, and rose out of the cover. He darted across the open terrain as fast as he could. Heading towards the outer walls of the large structure, piercing streams of light flashed from concealed positions within the building. Kirandriel and the squad that followed him made themselves as difficult a target as they could. With their weapons shouldered, they were able to leap, weave, duck and dive their way across the open ground, in a bid to avoid the fatal shots. There were not many races that were as agile and lithe as an Eldar in full flow, but even they are not as quick as a lasgun beam. A loud scream signaled to Kirandriel that one of them had not made it. There would be time for mourning later though. For now, only one thing was on his mind. Peering from behind the outer walls, Kirandriel observed the building. Despite the battering it had taken, it was still fortified well. Any easily accessible entrances had been reinforced with sandbags and other barricades. A loud rumble growing into a tremor was the signal Kirandriel was waiting for. Several Vibro Cannons had targeted the building, with the intent of opening up access to the Eldar forces. As Kirandriel watched, a side of the building the size of a grav tank shook and slid to the ground. The beam had been very precise, opening up the building side, yet leaving the supporting structure intact. Seizing the initiative, Kirandriel rose and charged for the opening. He knew the cultists in the close proximity of the opening would be laid prone due to the tremor. And now was the safest time to advance. Hitting the side of the wall, he signaled to Ethanion and Ti’landor and they raised their flamers. Pointing into the opening, both flamers spurt out a stream of burning fluids. The screams that followed from within reassured them that it was doing the job of flushing out the enemy within. Once the flames had subsided, he entered the building, followed by his squad. Some cultists were still alive, rolling around desperately trying to put out the flames. His squad began to put them out of their misery with shuriken pistol shots and swords. Inside, debris and bodies littered the floor. Not much of the once splendid structure was left untouched. If it wasn’t destroyed, it was covered in blasphemous scrawlings drawn out with human blood. Exploding plascrete from the wall near Kirandriel’s head focused his mind on the battle again. Reinforcements for the cultist defenders were on their way down the large corridors to plug one of the gaps the Eldar had just forced open. Using the cover provided by the debris, Kirandriel and his squad closed the distance. With their weapons in hands ready, they ran towards the mutated humans. Shots were exchanged, with a few falling from each side. A beam of light split the air straight towards Kirandriel, and knowing that it was to late to leap aside, he concentrated. The beam crackled in an explosion of electrical sparks, the energy dissipating a hairs breadth from his body as his rune armour deflected the force from harm. It was now merely a few paces between the two forces, and with a simple thought Kirandriel unleashed a psychic wave invigorating his squad and him. The power flowed through his body, allowing him to move quicker than the eyes of his enemy could follow. Lifting his Witchblade, Kirandriel charged the nearest cultist, and before the cultist could react he was split in two. The other members of his squad, now with a surge of energy coursing their veins, slammed into the debased forms with utter savagery. Swinging their swords, the cultists were hacked down before they knew what was happening. Only one remained, who appeared better armoured and trained than the others. He was still much slower than the Eldar Storm Guardians, but a combination of thick armour and a frenzied resistance to pain had kept him alive. He swung his chainsword at his nearest assailant, and it rewarded him by gouging a huge chunk out of the Eldars mesh armour. With the teeth still whirring, the blade dug into the body of the guardian, burrowing in all the way until it hit bone. Here it became stuck, and the cultist desperately tried to prise it free. With his feet on the body of the now slumped guardian, he pulled on his sword. It was too late, however. Ethanion swung the butt of his flamer round in a huge arc, slamming it into the side of the unarmoured cultists’ head. With a sickening crunch, his skull caved in, sending splatters of blood spraying outward. Kirandriel sent a psychic message to the Farseer that they had gained access and were now securing the entrance. He waited for the Farseers instructions, whilst assessing his situation. Five had fallen to the initial assault. Already a quarter of his squad down, and only the outer walls had been breached. At this rate there would be little left by the time they reached the inner sanctum. As if to answer his call for aid, the air shimmered next to him. A squad of Warp Spiders appeared from the rift in the air. He then heard the Farseers’ voice within his mind. ‘Exarch La’dyen and her squad will penetrate deep into the complex, and attack from behind the enemy. With the surprise gained from their appearance within their midst, you and your squad will be able to advance with less hindrance.’ With that the Warp Spiders once again stepped into the shimmering air and vanished. He had utter respect for their risk of traveling through the warp in the mysterious way their warp jump generators allowed. Now was not the time to ponder it however, and he signaled his squad to follow him. With La’dyen’s aid, they may yet succeed. | ||
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Top of Page Date: 04/09/2003 Author: Shadow Hunter |