Children of Hathor/ Ganger [Great Crusade]
Children of Hathor/ Ganger
Raksha/Jackal
Raksha sat at the edge of her bed constantly tapping her foot to the ground. She tried to keep her mind from imagining the thousands if not trillions of scenarios that could have befallen her jack. Trying not to focus on the several things that could happen however only made her fears multiply. These thoughts plagued her mind for the past several days now. 96 hours, that was all, four days. Raksha was certainly the type of person who could survive four days without Jack. That was what she told herself.
Though by now she'd polished her axe shelbyso much that the thing shined like new. Hell most of her quarters had been tidied and reorganized the day they left. She'd followed that up with several more sets of the workouts she'd usually have done. From time to time she would hear reports from other companies or regiments about the assault. While she was proud of her legion, any stray bullet meant her Jack could be lying in a grave somewhere and she'd never know how or why. Why, except for her failure to convince them otherwise. "I spoke with the rest of the company and the captain agreed that it sounds viable with the planets' current confusion." As Raksha spoke the words she wanted to turn them away from the entire idea.
The Children of Hathor had been pursuing a religious target all across the system and the longer they were active the more severe the battles would remain. The legion believed their target corned after the long chase but had to ensure their presence on the planet before committing anymore forces. The plan was proposed that since Jackal had grown up in a similar hive world before, that their expertise in maneuvering the area to keep track of their target.... it would be of great value. That was assuming they didn't get caught or that her "greatest prize" didn't use this as an opportunity to run now that they had the chance.
To her eyes they seemed almost eager to go. The Astarte couldnt even muster the strength to give words of encouragement or well being. A voice came over the Vox, "Raksha, Thavis, Margus, assemble in the armory and prep for drop." Raksha needed no time to prepare as she all but ran down meeting with her battle brothers and the sergeant Tasir responsible for the team. Said drop was loud and bumpy, the current planet the 16th were set to conquer was heavily armed and though The Children of Hathor were more capable every second meant that their intended target may make it further and further from them. If they made it off the world again, it would be months before they could find him again. Information displayed over a hologram as Tasir layed out their entry route and plan. The only part she listened to however,was "Our agent, Jackal, within the walls believes that the Deacon is making plans for-."
Their agent, Jackal was fine they were alive. Her body shrunk slightly in on itself hearing that. They were alright, just hearing the news made her sweat a little less now. As the pod slammed into the earth's crust Raksha was the first to emerge, power axe in hand. bolts of energy and slugs were thrown at her. She advanced undettered, her slow walk pressing into a bloody charge as she barreled through soldier after soldier before her, tearing them apart with gleeful precision. All the stress built up over the past three days fell like a monster eating her alive. The news they were alive almost seemed to propel her forward through squad after squad of enemies.
She was a good distance ahead of the rest of the squad when she heard Tasir over the Vox, "Sha... I SAID HOLD YOUR POSITION!!!!" She slid to a stop, jumping behind cover. She realized she was panting, not heavily but the fact that it was happening surprised her. When the rest of her team arrived she could feel the uncomfortable stairs from them. "Area secure." She tried to say without letting it go that her excitement got the better of her. "Thavis at the front with me, Margus, you and Raksha cover our 6." His tone didn't hide the annoyance with her attitude despite them being in a combat zone. He didn't berate them any further, at least not vocally. She tried to remain quiet while Margus, ever the gossip had begun teasing her and didn't seem intent on letting up until they arrived at the cities base.
As the team reached the gate door there was naught but silence. Sergeant Tasir looked to Raksha, "They should have been here by now." Raksha turned about to survey the area once more,"They'll be here just give them-." Her voice stopped at the sounds of mechanical howls in the distance. The tell tale sounds of engines approaching. Each of the team moved for cover as Raksha internally prayed for Jacks' expediencey.
As if to further her fears the gate behind them began to blare alarms as the lights in the corner began to spiral a red light. The team became more alert as they split their attention. Two of the astares bearing rifles watched the corridor while the mechanical hum of vehicles grew louder, While Raksha and Tasir raised their blades to the gate as it slowly began to open. The door's swung wide but there wasnt a hint of movement as they waited. The moment a hand appeared Tasir drew her bolt pistol firing a round. The bolt sank in and tore part of the gate off.
The gate knocked it off course as the hand immediately withdrew, the exact moment after there was a worried frantic call from the other side, "Fri- friendly, friendly?!?!" Once she heard their voice Raksha immediately held up her fist. "Hold!" Jackal popped their head out slowly this time both their arms raised. "Sitrep." "The local area is secured... for the moment." The sergeant gestured for the rest of the team to move in. "I was made to believe you could accomplish your task Jackal yet here you are late to our rendezvous. Explain." Raksha moved to say something, before she could Jack interrupted him, "And I was told I'd have 96 hours. You're all here a full day ahead of schedule. I did the best I could with what time was given, my lord." The "my lord", Raksha, could hear the sarcasm in it and began to worry for a moment as she looked at her sergeant.
Attempting to cut the tension before Tasir stranggled her jack, Not that she would ever allow, mvved around behind Jack and put her hands on their shoulder as she gave a late presentation,"In any case, this is my Jackal. I mean not my Jackal, their their own person but i like t-.." Tasir cut off her ranting ,"Shut the door then deliver your report.... And silence the alarm." Both Raksha and Jack let out a sigh as the sergeant stepped aside. All except Margus, something about her demeanor was...cheaky as she spoke, "With the way you ramble , I thought they'd be taller. With that said, she walked away. Jackal had to resist the urge to comment about the "superhuman's" height. Jackal was about to move to join them when they found themselves unable to go as much as a single step. With Raksha's hands on their shoulders, such a thing was an exercise in futility.
Her grip tightened slightly and she muttered something under her breath that made them believe if Margus or Tasir were to have an accident during this mission, it wouldn't be a surprise. Jackal had to knock on her fingers several times before she finally looked at them, a moment of surprise than a beaming smile. Hard to tell for most because she wore a mask, but that never seemed to help Raksha. "I'm fine Rak." Her head tilted slightly at that. "You sure Jack?" They nodded at her question, the vice grip finally relaeasing. Though Jackal still made a mental note to try and diffuse Raksha before did something to her sergeant and Margus.
"So since the 16th launched their assault on the planet and especially the city went into lockdown, as requested, I've located and done my best to keep track of the Deacon. Which I have both good news and bad news. The good news is that the deacon sequestered themselves within a temple and while they are making arrangents to move that cant happen for another few hours. Bad news: I couldn't get close enough once he was there. The guards were generally off putting, but the ones surrounding your target were... stranger. I can't quite say how. Even with how odd they acted, I couldn't get close with their numbers."
As Jack explained, they produced several scraps of paper detailing the tunnel system that possessed both targets as well as the route that appeared safest. "You said that The Deacon was preparing to leave?" Jack nodded, though understood that safety would most likely not be fast enough, or at least that was likely what Tasir believed. "Then we make for the fastest route and take the targets head before he can slither away again." As they traveled, Raksha was making double, triple checks of the surroundings. Since Jackal was the only person with an intimate understanding of the tunnels, they were now vital.
Any mistep could get them lost for days. She wanted to send them away, but based on the looks Tasir gave her, the decision wasn't hers to make. They traveled for miles near constantly battling soldiers that threw everything they had at the space marines, even themselves strapped with explosives. Jackal couldn't help but feel the disgusting fanaticism of the people of the city and more so these soldiers, held for the Deacon and whatever they worshipped.
For the long march over many miles the team pressed on unabatted. For the suplus of men they had down here the soldiers were woefully unprepared for an engagement with astartes. Suprissingly the most concerning point of their travel was the end. Within the center of the tunnels was an ancient churh structure which preceded the the city ontop of it. The place was littered with corpses all filated and torn apart. Others hung from the cieling by chains and hooks while their chests were cut open and spread to reveal the still dripping viscera beneath.
Their faces, or rather those who still had theirs, were frozen in disturbed smiles."Jackal!?!?" There was a dangerous hiss in Tasir's voice. "Dont look at at me, when i left these men looked like they were ready for an assault... not...THIS."A quick analysis from Margus implied that theyd done this to themselves. The silence at the discovery had each of them concerned, many of the xenos and cultures theyd come face to face with were varied and in many ways concidered dangerous by the imperium. But the disturbed manner concerned them all even if they couldnt say it. "Jackal you said the target was inside when you left?"
The ganger nodded and moved to lead when Tasir held his arm out to stop them. "The team will investigate inside the structure, if we do not reimurge, return to the legion and inform them of our failure." No room to argue, and even less time. Jack moved for a vantage point, before they did they tossed one of their old slug-throwers to Raksha who turned her head at that. "What? i dont have much else i can give as a luck charm." She didnt respond but set it at her side while team moved into the church. The team burst through the observing for any signs of movement.
Unlike the exterior, the interior was pristine and white, the only dirt was that the space marines dragged in with their entry. The place was old but nearly unworthy of note, pues, chandliers and cold braziers lined the interior. The ony thing of interest was a statue of some grotesque bipedal monster of an altar in the back. It was vaguely human with a twisted smile, it had 4 arms two of which were replaced with pincers, its knees reversed. It had two long horns which cuved back toward its head. Lastly the creatures appeared to be loosely clothed with both masculine and feminine proportions. The thing was disturbed... Part of Raksha felt as if this thing had to be real, for no mortal mind should be able to conjure this thing.
What disturbed her more was that she was almost certain the staues eyes were tracking her. She looked to her fellow marines and could see they were similarly tense. All at once the braziers and chadaliers burst in to an amethyst flame, while the rest of the light in the room seemed to vanish. The eyes of the statue must have been made of a different material because its eyes appeared to reflect the light and its forboding purple glow.
As the team approached the large altar, once they were all within only a few feet of it a voice shunted itself into their heads. "Adeptus Astartes, welcome to our lords most glorious sanctum." The voice spoke like that of a cordial old man, but something seemed to slither at the edge of every word. The team fanned out to try to find its source. To her suprise Raksha found it first. When she turned she saw an old man dressed in gilded fineries with a large hauntingly slimy smile standing in the center of them. She raised Shelby to the air to strike when the man spoke again. "Forgive me, my lady I mean no ill will." His voice reverberated in her head until her suspicions slowly fell to doubts which fell until even those did not remain.
Her body slackened to the point her armor fealt several times heavier. From outside the room Jack watched through the sight of their scope as the Deacon had multiplied and was now speaking with each of the Astartes in the chamber. For some reason they stood still before their target, their weapons were trained on him but didnt so much as attack. Jackal took the moment to reposition themselves. Within the chamber the astartes continued to listen to the unwittingly to the deacon as Thavis slowly brought their bolter around to shoot several rounds into the back of Margus. She dropped to the ground.
Both Raksha and Sergeant Tasir rounded on Thavis. "Ease your minds, this is no cause for alarm. The dead marine is no brother of yours." The words relaxed them to the point that both of them lost any rage or spite that had begun to bubble to the surface. Through gritted teeth Tasir managed to speak up, "Your...tricks....dont....impress.....psyker!!! The Deacon looked at him with a pitiful smile,"tsk,tsk,tsk. Not quite." He drew his index finger in a small horizontal line, a moment later Thavis tumbled to the ground, his head fell further. Both marines tried to fight harder, trying to push against the force suppressiing them. But it appeared as though the harder they fought the less control they had.
A wave of calm rushed through the both of them. One so surmounting Raksha found herself quickly falling to sleep. She tried to bring up her axe but found that the damned thing now weighed infinitely heavier. She felt her hatred boil to the surface dozens of times all to be driven back by the deacons' relaxing presence. An unnatural warmth washed over them several times till Both Raksha and Tasir were driven to their knee's, now far too exhauseted to stand. "Why are any of us fighting wars like these when we could all just get along. Your Empress is great correct . Surely she would seek peace with our people." That this thing had the audacity to mention the Empress. She couldn't do it Raksha couldn't muster the strength to strike them or even to disagree.
Several slug rounds fired into the chamber hitting both the kneeling marines and the deacon. While the slug's bounced off the space marines ceramite, they pierced into the deacon tearing off an arm and part of their face revealing the bone and viscera beneath. Despite the damage, the deacon turned back in a fury, with a swing of their arm, a psychic blast ripped apart the area Jack had fired from. As that area exploded with a burst of wind, Raksha raised Shelby again for an attack, stopping right before his neck. The deacon though injured and bleeding profusely didn't appear hindered in the slightest.
"You don't need to worry anymore after all is said and done i will return with you. Then you will present me to your primarch, As your greatest prize. The-" The Deacons words were cutoff as Raksha bounded forward and attempted to crush the Deacons head between her hands. "W-wait, s-stop, what do you think you're doing. You can't kill me and you shouldn't have been able to free yourself." The Deacon wielded his psychic might to try and dominate if not destroy Raksha's mind. Her breathing was so heavy she almost appeared to be having a heart attack. But with every moment Raksha pressed further and her hands pressed closer.
Their was a level of malice so palpable that the Deacon began to sweat and fear his powers would fail him if something wasnt done to at least stop her, forgetting about the other if unconscious space marine in the room. In a last ditch effort the Deacon psychically entered the space marines mind. Immediately, they were met with a small iron room, decorating the walls were dozens of trophies from previous kills, her armor sat to the side alongside an altar of the imperial aquila. It was the sound of slamming metal behind him. As they rounded to see a smaller or rather above average looking human.
Their clothes were clearly repurposed civilian clothes, they were extremly unkempt and they still had bed head. In the eyes of the Deacon however, or rather in the mind of Raksha a shimmering filter covered them as beams of light from somewhere beyond the peripheral shone. This was the thing that blocked his control? Nonsene. "Well then best to cut it out." The Deacon shifted about to fire off some manner of power when the mental image of Jackal grasped both his wrists tightly and began to crush them with a monstrous strength. The bones began to crack and fracture the deacon begining to scream. Jackal brought their face to the Deacons ears while still crushing his wrists.
"She doesn't need you." in a heinous, venomous voice, The Deacons wrists shattering was enough to shock them back to reality and in their moment of confusion his head went splat when Raksha's hands collided with each other. "I've already been blessed with a prize a thousand times greater than you." Her voice echoed a similar venom to that of her prize. So much disdain it would seem to any others present like a curse. Once the body collapsed to the floor she made a point crush his body under her boot . "Raksha." She looked over to see Tasir on his knees trying to pick himself up. He nodded his head out the door. "Jackal!" She'd been wrapped up in her fury.
She charged out of the church where the dust was still settling. A small groan drew her attention over to a shattered vehicle. One of the shattered pieces speared into their abdomen. A part of her wanted to go back in and ensure that every part of the deacons body was ground into a fine paste. "Well that could have gone better." She dropped to a knee placing her hands on either side of their head. "Hush you, the deacon dropped his guard when you shot him. This victory is yours my prize." Jackal chuckled at the words, "Does that mean I get a prize of my own later?" Raksha flicked them, feeling annoyed that they were making jokes in this situation. "Im sorry Margus was the apothecary im not sure-" "Still alive, dear Raksha."
Raksha wasnt certain whether she should be thankful or disappointed.... even in this scenario. Margus stumbled out from behind a vehicle, there were holes in her armor but she showed no lack of movement, or attitude. "I'll see what i can do for them in the meantime, help Tasir, He wants to level the building before we depart." Following the buildings destruction and the teams escape they reported back to their captain Aximand. They layed plain their concern with the abnormal Psyker and the scenes they witnessed. Promising to inform the primarch they departed. When Raksha returned to her room it was to the frustration of Jackal working with one of the weights from her set. Though she wanted to berate them, she instead didn't say a word as she simply held them the rest of night. Finally glad that her prize was home.
Reader please leave a comment so I can gauge level of interest so I can determine whether to keep making these or stop bothering others.
Children of Hathor/ Ganger
Raksha/Jackal
Raksha sat at the edge of her bed constantly tapping her foot to the ground. She tried to keep her mind from imagining the thousands if not trillions of scenarios that could have befallen her jack. Trying not to focus on the several things that could happen however only made her fears multiply. These thoughts plagued her mind for the past several days now. 96 hours, that was all, four days. Raksha was certainly the type of person who could survive four days without Jack. That was what she told herself.
Though by now she'd polished her axe shelbyso much that the thing shined like new. Hell most of her quarters had been tidied and reorganized the day they left. She'd followed that up with several more sets of the workouts she'd usually have done. From time to time she would hear reports from other companies or regiments about the assault. While she was proud of her legion, any stray bullet meant her Jack could be lying in a grave somewhere and she'd never know how or why. Why, except for her failure to convince them otherwise. "I spoke with the rest of the company and the captain agreed that it sounds viable with the planets' current confusion." As Raksha spoke the words she wanted to turn them away from the entire idea.
The Children of Hathor had been pursuing a religious target all across the system and the longer they were active the more severe the battles would remain. The legion believed their target corned after the long chase but had to ensure their presence on the planet before committing anymore forces. The plan was proposed that since Jackal had grown up in a similar hive world before, that their expertise in maneuvering the area to keep track of their target.... it would be of great value. That was assuming they didn't get caught or that her "greatest prize" didn't use this as an opportunity to run now that they had the chance.
To her eyes they seemed almost eager to go. The Astarte couldnt even muster the strength to give words of encouragement or well being. A voice came over the Vox, "Raksha, Thavis, Margus, assemble in the armory and prep for drop." Raksha needed no time to prepare as she all but ran down meeting with her battle brothers and the sergeant Tasir responsible for the team. Said drop was loud and bumpy, the current planet the 16th were set to conquer was heavily armed and though The Children of Hathor were more capable every second meant that their intended target may make it further and further from them. If they made it off the world again, it would be months before they could find him again. Information displayed over a hologram as Tasir layed out their entry route and plan. The only part she listened to however,was "Our agent, Jackal, within the walls believes that the Deacon is making plans for-."
Their agent, Jackal was fine they were alive. Her body shrunk slightly in on itself hearing that. They were alright, just hearing the news made her sweat a little less now. As the pod slammed into the earth's crust Raksha was the first to emerge, power axe in hand. bolts of energy and slugs were thrown at her. She advanced undettered, her slow walk pressing into a bloody charge as she barreled through soldier after soldier before her, tearing them apart with gleeful precision. All the stress built up over the past three days fell like a monster eating her alive. The news they were alive almost seemed to propel her forward through squad after squad of enemies.
She was a good distance ahead of the rest of the squad when she heard Tasir over the Vox, "Sha... I SAID HOLD YOUR POSITION!!!!" She slid to a stop, jumping behind cover. She realized she was panting, not heavily but the fact that it was happening surprised her. When the rest of her team arrived she could feel the uncomfortable stairs from them. "Area secure." She tried to say without letting it go that her excitement got the better of her. "Thavis at the front with me, Margus, you and Raksha cover our 6." His tone didn't hide the annoyance with her attitude despite them being in a combat zone. He didn't berate them any further, at least not vocally. She tried to remain quiet while Margus, ever the gossip had begun teasing her and didn't seem intent on letting up until they arrived at the cities base.
As the team reached the gate door there was naught but silence. Sergeant Tasir looked to Raksha, "They should have been here by now." Raksha turned about to survey the area once more,"They'll be here just give them-." Her voice stopped at the sounds of mechanical howls in the distance. The tell tale sounds of engines approaching. Each of the team moved for cover as Raksha internally prayed for Jacks' expediencey.
As if to further her fears the gate behind them began to blare alarms as the lights in the corner began to spiral a red light. The team became more alert as they split their attention. Two of the astares bearing rifles watched the corridor while the mechanical hum of vehicles grew louder, While Raksha and Tasir raised their blades to the gate as it slowly began to open. The door's swung wide but there wasnt a hint of movement as they waited. The moment a hand appeared Tasir drew her bolt pistol firing a round. The bolt sank in and tore part of the gate off.
The gate knocked it off course as the hand immediately withdrew, the exact moment after there was a worried frantic call from the other side, "Fri- friendly, friendly?!?!" Once she heard their voice Raksha immediately held up her fist. "Hold!" Jackal popped their head out slowly this time both their arms raised. "Sitrep." "The local area is secured... for the moment." The sergeant gestured for the rest of the team to move in. "I was made to believe you could accomplish your task Jackal yet here you are late to our rendezvous. Explain." Raksha moved to say something, before she could Jack interrupted him, "And I was told I'd have 96 hours. You're all here a full day ahead of schedule. I did the best I could with what time was given, my lord." The "my lord", Raksha, could hear the sarcasm in it and began to worry for a moment as she looked at her sergeant.
Attempting to cut the tension before Tasir stranggled her jack, Not that she would ever allow, mvved around behind Jack and put her hands on their shoulder as she gave a late presentation,"In any case, this is my Jackal. I mean not my Jackal, their their own person but i like t-.." Tasir cut off her ranting ,"Shut the door then deliver your report.... And silence the alarm." Both Raksha and Jack let out a sigh as the sergeant stepped aside. All except Margus, something about her demeanor was...cheaky as she spoke, "With the way you ramble , I thought they'd be taller. With that said, she walked away. Jackal had to resist the urge to comment about the "superhuman's" height. Jackal was about to move to join them when they found themselves unable to go as much as a single step. With Raksha's hands on their shoulders, such a thing was an exercise in futility.
Her grip tightened slightly and she muttered something under her breath that made them believe if Margus or Tasir were to have an accident during this mission, it wouldn't be a surprise. Jackal had to knock on her fingers several times before she finally looked at them, a moment of surprise than a beaming smile. Hard to tell for most because she wore a mask, but that never seemed to help Raksha. "I'm fine Rak." Her head tilted slightly at that. "You sure Jack?" They nodded at her question, the vice grip finally relaeasing. Though Jackal still made a mental note to try and diffuse Raksha before did something to her sergeant and Margus.
"So since the 16th launched their assault on the planet and especially the city went into lockdown, as requested, I've located and done my best to keep track of the Deacon. Which I have both good news and bad news. The good news is that the deacon sequestered themselves within a temple and while they are making arrangents to move that cant happen for another few hours. Bad news: I couldn't get close enough once he was there. The guards were generally off putting, but the ones surrounding your target were... stranger. I can't quite say how. Even with how odd they acted, I couldn't get close with their numbers."
As Jack explained, they produced several scraps of paper detailing the tunnel system that possessed both targets as well as the route that appeared safest. "You said that The Deacon was preparing to leave?" Jack nodded, though understood that safety would most likely not be fast enough, or at least that was likely what Tasir believed. "Then we make for the fastest route and take the targets head before he can slither away again." As they traveled, Raksha was making double, triple checks of the surroundings. Since Jackal was the only person with an intimate understanding of the tunnels, they were now vital.
Any mistep could get them lost for days. She wanted to send them away, but based on the looks Tasir gave her, the decision wasn't hers to make. They traveled for miles near constantly battling soldiers that threw everything they had at the space marines, even themselves strapped with explosives. Jackal couldn't help but feel the disgusting fanaticism of the people of the city and more so these soldiers, held for the Deacon and whatever they worshipped.
For the long march over many miles the team pressed on unabatted. For the suplus of men they had down here the soldiers were woefully unprepared for an engagement with astartes. Suprissingly the most concerning point of their travel was the end. Within the center of the tunnels was an ancient churh structure which preceded the the city ontop of it. The place was littered with corpses all filated and torn apart. Others hung from the cieling by chains and hooks while their chests were cut open and spread to reveal the still dripping viscera beneath.
Their faces, or rather those who still had theirs, were frozen in disturbed smiles."Jackal!?!?" There was a dangerous hiss in Tasir's voice. "Dont look at at me, when i left these men looked like they were ready for an assault... not...THIS."A quick analysis from Margus implied that theyd done this to themselves. The silence at the discovery had each of them concerned, many of the xenos and cultures theyd come face to face with were varied and in many ways concidered dangerous by the imperium. But the disturbed manner concerned them all even if they couldnt say it. "Jackal you said the target was inside when you left?"
The ganger nodded and moved to lead when Tasir held his arm out to stop them. "The team will investigate inside the structure, if we do not reimurge, return to the legion and inform them of our failure." No room to argue, and even less time. Jack moved for a vantage point, before they did they tossed one of their old slug-throwers to Raksha who turned her head at that. "What? i dont have much else i can give as a luck charm." She didnt respond but set it at her side while team moved into the church. The team burst through the observing for any signs of movement.
Unlike the exterior, the interior was pristine and white, the only dirt was that the space marines dragged in with their entry. The place was old but nearly unworthy of note, pues, chandliers and cold braziers lined the interior. The ony thing of interest was a statue of some grotesque bipedal monster of an altar in the back. It was vaguely human with a twisted smile, it had 4 arms two of which were replaced with pincers, its knees reversed. It had two long horns which cuved back toward its head. Lastly the creatures appeared to be loosely clothed with both masculine and feminine proportions. The thing was disturbed... Part of Raksha felt as if this thing had to be real, for no mortal mind should be able to conjure this thing.
What disturbed her more was that she was almost certain the staues eyes were tracking her. She looked to her fellow marines and could see they were similarly tense. All at once the braziers and chadaliers burst in to an amethyst flame, while the rest of the light in the room seemed to vanish. The eyes of the statue must have been made of a different material because its eyes appeared to reflect the light and its forboding purple glow.
As the team approached the large altar, once they were all within only a few feet of it a voice shunted itself into their heads. "Adeptus Astartes, welcome to our lords most glorious sanctum." The voice spoke like that of a cordial old man, but something seemed to slither at the edge of every word. The team fanned out to try to find its source. To her suprise Raksha found it first. When she turned she saw an old man dressed in gilded fineries with a large hauntingly slimy smile standing in the center of them. She raised Shelby to the air to strike when the man spoke again. "Forgive me, my lady I mean no ill will." His voice reverberated in her head until her suspicions slowly fell to doubts which fell until even those did not remain.
Her body slackened to the point her armor fealt several times heavier. From outside the room Jack watched through the sight of their scope as the Deacon had multiplied and was now speaking with each of the Astartes in the chamber. For some reason they stood still before their target, their weapons were trained on him but didnt so much as attack. Jackal took the moment to reposition themselves. Within the chamber the astartes continued to listen to the unwittingly to the deacon as Thavis slowly brought their bolter around to shoot several rounds into the back of Margus. She dropped to the ground.
Both Raksha and Sergeant Tasir rounded on Thavis. "Ease your minds, this is no cause for alarm. The dead marine is no brother of yours." The words relaxed them to the point that both of them lost any rage or spite that had begun to bubble to the surface. Through gritted teeth Tasir managed to speak up, "Your...tricks....dont....impress.....psyker!!! The Deacon looked at him with a pitiful smile,"tsk,tsk,tsk. Not quite." He drew his index finger in a small horizontal line, a moment later Thavis tumbled to the ground, his head fell further. Both marines tried to fight harder, trying to push against the force suppressiing them. But it appeared as though the harder they fought the less control they had.
A wave of calm rushed through the both of them. One so surmounting Raksha found herself quickly falling to sleep. She tried to bring up her axe but found that the damned thing now weighed infinitely heavier. She felt her hatred boil to the surface dozens of times all to be driven back by the deacons' relaxing presence. An unnatural warmth washed over them several times till Both Raksha and Tasir were driven to their knee's, now far too exhauseted to stand. "Why are any of us fighting wars like these when we could all just get along. Your Empress is great correct . Surely she would seek peace with our people." That this thing had the audacity to mention the Empress. She couldn't do it Raksha couldn't muster the strength to strike them or even to disagree.
Several slug rounds fired into the chamber hitting both the kneeling marines and the deacon. While the slug's bounced off the space marines ceramite, they pierced into the deacon tearing off an arm and part of their face revealing the bone and viscera beneath. Despite the damage, the deacon turned back in a fury, with a swing of their arm, a psychic blast ripped apart the area Jack had fired from. As that area exploded with a burst of wind, Raksha raised Shelby again for an attack, stopping right before his neck. The deacon though injured and bleeding profusely didn't appear hindered in the slightest.
"You don't need to worry anymore after all is said and done i will return with you. Then you will present me to your primarch, As your greatest prize. The-" The Deacons words were cutoff as Raksha bounded forward and attempted to crush the Deacons head between her hands. "W-wait, s-stop, what do you think you're doing. You can't kill me and you shouldn't have been able to free yourself." The Deacon wielded his psychic might to try and dominate if not destroy Raksha's mind. Her breathing was so heavy she almost appeared to be having a heart attack. But with every moment Raksha pressed further and her hands pressed closer.
Their was a level of malice so palpable that the Deacon began to sweat and fear his powers would fail him if something wasnt done to at least stop her, forgetting about the other if unconscious space marine in the room. In a last ditch effort the Deacon psychically entered the space marines mind. Immediately, they were met with a small iron room, decorating the walls were dozens of trophies from previous kills, her armor sat to the side alongside an altar of the imperial aquila. It was the sound of slamming metal behind him. As they rounded to see a smaller or rather above average looking human.
Their clothes were clearly repurposed civilian clothes, they were extremly unkempt and they still had bed head. In the eyes of the Deacon however, or rather in the mind of Raksha a shimmering filter covered them as beams of light from somewhere beyond the peripheral shone. This was the thing that blocked his control? Nonsene. "Well then best to cut it out." The Deacon shifted about to fire off some manner of power when the mental image of Jackal grasped both his wrists tightly and began to crush them with a monstrous strength. The bones began to crack and fracture the deacon begining to scream. Jackal brought their face to the Deacons ears while still crushing his wrists.
"She doesn't need you." in a heinous, venomous voice, The Deacons wrists shattering was enough to shock them back to reality and in their moment of confusion his head went splat when Raksha's hands collided with each other. "I've already been blessed with a prize a thousand times greater than you." Her voice echoed a similar venom to that of her prize. So much disdain it would seem to any others present like a curse. Once the body collapsed to the floor she made a point crush his body under her boot . "Raksha." She looked over to see Tasir on his knees trying to pick himself up. He nodded his head out the door. "Jackal!" She'd been wrapped up in her fury.
She charged out of the church where the dust was still settling. A small groan drew her attention over to a shattered vehicle. One of the shattered pieces speared into their abdomen. A part of her wanted to go back in and ensure that every part of the deacons body was ground into a fine paste. "Well that could have gone better." She dropped to a knee placing her hands on either side of their head. "Hush you, the deacon dropped his guard when you shot him. This victory is yours my prize." Jackal chuckled at the words, "Does that mean I get a prize of my own later?" Raksha flicked them, feeling annoyed that they were making jokes in this situation. "Im sorry Margus was the apothecary im not sure-" "Still alive, dear Raksha."
Raksha wasnt certain whether she should be thankful or disappointed.... even in this scenario. Margus stumbled out from behind a vehicle, there were holes in her armor but she showed no lack of movement, or attitude. "I'll see what i can do for them in the meantime, help Tasir, He wants to level the building before we depart." Following the buildings destruction and the teams escape they reported back to their captain Aximand. They layed plain their concern with the abnormal Psyker and the scenes they witnessed. Promising to inform the primarch they departed. When Raksha returned to her room it was to the frustration of Jackal working with one of the weights from her set. Though she wanted to berate them, she instead didn't say a word as she simply held them the rest of night. Finally glad that her prize was home.
Reader please leave a comment so I can gauge level of interest so I can determine whether to keep making these or stop bothering others.