Vendrigoth proceeded into the infested machine shrine intent on purging it. Boltgun in hand he ventured in alone, making his way to the ransacked depths. The Tech-Priests had been through here in a hurry. He continued into the slimy reaches where the Magos-Errant found a number of shoggoths lurking. He made quick work of the three, dealing with them with bolter and bulk-head cutters in equal measure.
From the elevatus tore forth a much greater creature - the size of several of the "large" shoggoths the acolytes had fought previously. It lurched across the room with great menace, but Vendrigoth knows no fear. He tore into the beast with his modified bulk-head cutters, but in the intense fight that followed Vendrigoth had to sacrifice his utility mechadendrite to the shoggoth's absorbed omnesian axe. The great xeno also laid claim to one of the Magos-Errant's manipulator mechadendrites. However, no matter how many of Vendrigoth's valued limbs the xeno disintegrated with his power field there was no stopping the wrathful Magos from tearing it to shreds.
Vendrigoth patched his wounds and descended into the machine shrine's depths. His sensors indicated a high level of rocket fuel in the atmosphere. Things weren't looking good. Then something very large grabbed the elevatus. Vendrigoth levitated to the floor above and tossed a krak grenade after what lurked down there. A powerful explosion followed, but not all of the fuel ignited. Unsatisfied, Vendrigoth drew his las pistol and let loose until a massive explosion rocked the space port.
Just as this was happening, Tristan and the barely living battle-sister had awoken. Tristan talked her down from reentering the shrine and throwing her life away. Instead the two of them headed to the armored-limousine, one of many used by the Ministorum on Amon-Psi. The driver was most distraught at the state of the battle-sister, her bandaged head was very concerning after all.
Though she could barely speak, Tristan was able to make out most of what she said. The three of them drove to a shrine to Saint Lanty, where Tristan borrowed an old flamer enshrined there. With further study, Tristan found that the tale of the flamer was written upon a purity seal attached to it. According to legend, a mutant hunter stalked one of Amon-Psi's few sub-humans through the great city of Baydin. For days he chased him, finally purging the foul creature in an alleyway with this very flamer. He was made a priest after his victory.
Tristan, secretly being a mutant himself, decided against using the flamer (besides, the fuel was only half full, and probably going bad anyway).
He would have to wait some time to explore what remained of the machine shrine's depths - if anything. However, it appeared as if back up did indeed arrive early. A handful of PDF soldiers armed with flamers made their way into the room where Vendrigoth was waiting. They were merely the forward scouts for five men in black suits and a man in purple carapace armor - Psyker 1st Class Woeden - the man who the acolytes had met with previously.
Woeden studied the situation for a moment, and it soon became apparent that he was using some form of psychic detection. "There are a few more of them." He slurped from his tube. "The arbites are dealing with one of the large ones now." He seemed to drift off for a moment. "They will... survive."
Vendrigoth is not good with psykers. At some point in his past, probably on Wayne, he developed an intense hatred for them. It was all he could do not to just gun him down and continue with the mission. Which seemed easily in his power. For now an agitated response would suffice. "I called for the guardsmen. What are you doing on Mechanicum property?"
"Our purpose here is manifold." Woeden scratched at the tube running into the side of his mouth. "We are here to clean the xeno filth from this place and to help ensure the arbites do their duty. Things would be easier if you were to come with us, Magos."
Though he had no real face left Vendrigoth still managed a malefic glare. "There are still more to be purged in the level beneath this place. I have recently defeated a xeno of immense size."
"How large?" Woeden pondered.
"At least three times the size of the large variety you may have encountered."
"Hmm." The psyker pondered. "We may not have been able to defeat one of that size... at least not without considerable casualties." Woeden looked distant. "I can detect no signs of life, xeno or otherwise in the level beneath us. And we can handle the xeno that remain on this floor."
"I am asking you for the last time - leave the machine shrine at once." The Magos demanded.
An arbite entered the chamber, his thick boots squishing the xeno paste that now made up the floor. A hound modified into a cyber-mastiff kept to his side, while a wounded officer clutched his chest and made an effort to stand in the doorway. "Magos Vendrigoth - it is unwise and unlawful to make the arbites come to you."
"State to me the charges put forth against me." Vendrigoth boomed.
The arbite responded quickly, having memorized the charges beforehand. "Suspected Intent to commit Theft of Adeptus Psykana property, Dangerous Conduct, Intent to commit Dangerous Conduct, Suspected Intent to commit Dangerous Conduct, and Failure to Confess Guilt. An astropathic message has been sent to Judge Loathing detailing these charges. You must come with us."
"And what is to happen if I choose not to comply?" Vendrigoth's blank, metal expression remained motionless.
Everyone in the room was weighing their options. Could Vendrigoth take on three PDF, five secret agents, one psyker, two arbites and a cyber-mastiff? This would surely be a difficult fight for both parties. But Vendrigoth realized that even if he were to achieve victory, then arbites elsewhere would still be after him.
"I will not leave this place until the xeno are purged. But I will answer what questions you have for me." Vendrigoth assumed a seated position.
Vendrigoth proceeded to build a counter-case against Command Psyker Rumen, the speechless psyker that violated the sanctity of his mind. Firstly, the psyker made uninvited psychic contact with Vendrigoth - which provoked the Magos-Errant's firewalls, resulting in a physical backlash on the psyker. Secondly, after this event Command Psyker Rumen refused to hand over non-psychic technology to the Adeptus Mechanicus. Thirdly, Vendrigoth has a record of handing psyco-reactive technology to the Psykana, specifically on Kentaro. Before this incident, relations between Vendrigoth and the Psykana were favorable. The nature of this misconduct was to lie with Command Psyker Rumen and he alone, accoring to the Magos-Errant's account.
The arbite took his notes, and Vendrigoth offered to patch up the arbite's partner. After some debate, the arbite decided for it and was made much better.
Tristan entered the machine shrine, the flamer strapped to he shoulder and readied (just in case). He came across Psyker Woeden, who remarked about Tristan's bionic eye. After giving it a reccomendation, Tristan headed deeper into the shrine to meet with Vendrigoth. The arbites had just finished with him and apparently did have any questions for Tristan.
The two acolytes searched the machine shrine through and through. No signs of Engineseer Blank or the other high ranking tech-priests. This was going to be a serious set-back for the Kappa-Mon mining station project. Things were much worse though. When the acolytes went to send an astropathic message to Arch-Magos Myrmidon they found that the chambers were no longer powered. Apparently the explosion that rocked the machine shrine destroyed the central cognator and erased the power to the space port. The Magos ordered the astropath be relocated to the Mechanicus Lander, and that all that could be salvaged of his chamber be added to the vessel.
Vendrigoth went about making sure as much of the spaceport could be saved as possible, letting the vessels awaiting refueling know that the spaceport on this side of the plant would not be working for several months at the least. Tristan went about rounding up whatever servitors he could find. However, the two of them couldn't find what happened to the master servitors. Deciding to track their location with the vox-thief they found that the master servitors had been taken from the shrine - rather than destroyed in the xeno attack or ensuing explosion. There was only one conclusion:
The xeno had stolen the master servitor.
This would turn out to be a vital error.
The acolytes went about town in their model-T tracking the signal. When they got out of Baydin and into the countryside they found that the signal grew much stronger. It would be nearly impossible to pin-point the location with just the vox-thief. Vendrigoth looked to Tristan. "Servitor. Transmit coordinates." They were certain that the xeno that had stolen the servitor would be packing up as soon as they realized what was going on.
As soon as the acolytes got the coordinates Tristan floored it. Driving through fences, shooing grox away from their path, dodging trees, the acolytes made their mad dash to the heretics lair. They neared the coordinates, driving up a hill onto a cultured meadow the acolytes spotted a large, white manor house. Tristan looked to Vendrigoth. Vendrigoth hooked onto the back of the model-T with his manipulator mechadendrite and took aim with his bolter.
Tristan hit the pedal with all his fury. Vendrigoth shot the wall with his boltgun, and the acolytes were most surprised to find that the first shot was absorbed by the manor's void shields. Not intimated by a chance of ramming head first at sixty miles per hour into an unbreakable wall, Tristan took his chances with the void shield. The acolytes smashed into the weakened wall, only to find another wall just a few feet behind it.
Tristan slammed on the breaks and tried to steer clear, but it wasn't enough. They smashed through that wall and stopped in the third. Tristan was knocked unconscious for a moment. Vendrigoth leaped from the back of the car and tossed a frag grenade at a nearby group of eight mercenaries. Everyone watched in slow motion as the beautifully arched grenade flew across the room - and subsequently turned the mercs into a hot, red paste.
Vendrigoth followed the coordinates. The walls of the manor were meaningless to his augmented bulk-head cutters.
A maid screamed and his behind a bed. Irrelevant. The Magos continued. A door. Knock? Open? Could alert hostiles. Could be locked. Logical approach: bulk-head cutters. It wasn't long before the merc's back up arrived. They hauled Tristan's limp body out of the car and began searching him.
Bolt pistol, second bolt pistol, needle pistol, auto pistol - how did he manage to hide that spear?! "Who the throne is this man?"
Vendrigoth then made his presence known. The mighty warrior of metal and hatred stood in the opening that used to be the wall - obscured slightly by a cloud of dust. The men let go of Tristan and let loose a hail of bullets. They were nothing more than a nuisance to the Magos-Errant. The magos responded with a hallucinogenic grenade. Suddenly, in the minds of most of the mercenaries were clouded with thoughts of insect-like xenos pouring from the walls.
They went shooting at the walls, at each other, anything really. In the ensuing chaos Tristan awoke, rolled under the car and took a shot with his bolt pistol. Though he missed he was able to pass it off for being under the effects of the grenade. "What is that thing!?" The mercs asked, trying to hit Vendrigoth, who had taken cover.
"Watch who you're shooting at! He is none other than Magos-Errant Vendrigoth!" Tristan shouted from his cover.
"The Mechanicus? What's he doing here?"
"We are here to investigate the xeno activity here." Tristan said, sternly.
The gunfire ceased. "So you're here to stop those xenos with the insectile heads? They've been kidnapping some of us mercenaries for weeks."
Tristan looked to Vendrigoth. It was the Eldar no doubt. But the Eldar where not what called the acolytes here. It was the Yith. "Who do work for exactly?" Tristan inquired.
"Father Orenz signs our paychecks. Why did you drive right inside the house?"
"There really isn't any time to explain. We have to follow these coordinates. Come with us."
The ten or so people followed Vendrigoth as he cut through the manor walls. The coordinates led to the kitchen, where a very startled chef was cooking some grox steaks. "Is there a basement here?" Tristan demanded.
The group was pointed down to the cellar, where they found nothing out of the ordinary. Concrete floor. Best to check the upper floors. No time for stairs! Tristan grabbed Vendrigoth's robe and braced himself. The two of them flew towards the ceiling while Vendrigoth made quick work of the floor boards above them. It wasn't long before the acolytes made it to the attic.
The two of them began searching, looking for any clues that might lead them to the mind-swapped Yith and a big break in their investigation. Tristan managed to scrounge up some some old jewelry, but their investigation was halted by the sound of someone walking up the stairs. Tristan hid behind the door and donned his cameolione cloak rendering him virtually undetectable.
An older gentleman with a white lab coat stained in fresh blood and oil made his way through the door, a somewhat curious expression upon his face. Vendrigoth simply glared at the man with his optics. The man didn't seem all that worried about the presence about the Magos, but he was very curious as to why such an important seeming tech-priest was there.
Vendrigoth was not keen to answer any of the man's questions. Tristan silently licked his lips from beneath the cover of the cameolione cloak, his blood addiction tempting him now more than ever. He was able to control it... for now.
Vendrigoth and the old man passed questions between each other, neither giving a satisfying answer until the man said "You should answer my questions."
"It would be wise of you to answer my inquiries." The Magos-Errant threatened in his low, metallic voice.
"Why would I ever want to do that?" The man asked, with an inquisitive smile on his face.
"Because if you don't we will answer your every question regarding pain!" Tristan shouted, blasting the man's leg with his bolt pistol. The man keeled over, and fell down the stairs, Tristan following close.
The acolyte found the man holding his bleeding, flesh torn, leg with a look of wonder. "This is most painful!"
Tristan attempted to beat the man with the butt of his pistol, but the now paling heretic leaned back in a lucky dodge. "Why do you not use the powerful pistol to shoot me again?"
"Just shut up!" Tristan ordered, swinging wildly.
Vendrigoth floated down the stairs, and promptly grabbed the man with his mechadendrites. Tristan beat the man unconscious shortly after. The acolytes agreed to meet downstairs, as it seemed something was amiss. Vendrigoth descended through the hole he had made coming up. Tristan proceeded to get lost wandering the upper floors of the manor.
Being the curious scum that he is, Tristan began searching the various rooms for more things of value - what he found was that many of the windowsills had small, brass tubes facing outdoors on them. What at first appeared to be a tiny, glass lens turned out to be a very small, tame shoggoth. Lacking anything more sophisticated than an asupex scanner, Tristan thought it prudent to go about gathering the tubes for later research.
Vendrigoth took the old man downstairs and made his way towards where he believed the garage to be. To his great delight several squads of mercenaries had posted outside of the manor, guns through the force shield. They opened fire. There were no survivors.
Between Vendrigoth's advanced weaponry and nearly impenetrable armor there was little the mercs could hope to do. Tristan, hearing the disturbance gave assistance from the floor above. It wasn't long before the mercenaries scattered - but Vendrigoth would have nothing of it. He hopped in the model-T and ran down each one he could.
While the Magos was having his fun, Tristan wandered downstairs to the group of dead mercenaries that the two of them had first encountered upon invading the mansion. Tristan found a man still mostly intact, made sure no one was looking and bit into his neck, full on vampire style. After drinking enough to satisfy his vile urge, he wiped himself clean and did his best to banish the event from memory.
The two acolytes met up soon after, and Tristan shoved a stick of stimm into the old man. "That is most invigorating! My leg hurts much less now. What is that called?" This man was obviously the mind-swapped Yith they had been searching for.
"Where are your chambers?" Tristan asked, dryly.
"2nd floor." The man smiled. "Perhaps I may have more of that product?"
"Perhaps. Vendrigoth, find the servitor." Tristan went to investigate the xeno's chamber.
Vendrigoth held the man aloft as they moved through the manor in a "tell me your secrets, xeno scum" sort of way. Finally, the two of them came to the dining room, where Vendrigoth noticed that the crystals that made up the chandelier were oddly composed. "Tell me the secrets of this room."
The old xeno pondered for a moment. "I'm afraid you cannot access it. There is a device that is needed to operate the method of transit to the laboratory."
"Where is this device?" Vendrigoth demanded.
"I destroyed mine." The man smiled, still very... enthusiastic due to stimm.
"What in particular is required to activate this transportation device?" Vendrigoth's monotone, mechanical voice somehow hinted at his building irritation.
"You must shoot the large center crystal with a temperature of fifty-one degrees Celsius."
Vendrigoth drew his laspistol, opened it up and crossed a few wires, by passing the safety encoding. In no time, the skilled technologist had modified his laspistol into a non-lethal heat ray.
"You appear to be very skilled for your kind. Even for a tech-priest, I would assume." The odd xeno commented.
Vendrigoth shot the crystal, and lights danced upon the chandelier. The dining room table and chairs slid out of the way and the floor opened up as a lift ascended from below.
The Magos-Errant contacted Tristan over his micro-bead, letting him know about the secret elevatus he had discovered. Tristan let him know that the old man was apparently living in his closet.
The Magos and his prisoner descended into the bright laboratory below. The walls lined with thousands of crystals of varying sizes. Upon the dozens of dissection tables were the heads of four dead tech-priests. "Your comrades would not listen to reason. They would not tell me anything before I finished my experiments." The old man said candidly.
The micro-bead wasn't functioning, and it would be best if both acolytes were investigating the xeno laboratory. "How I operate the elevatus. I wish to ascend once more."
"You must press my hands against those crystals so that I may operate them in sequence." The xeno gestured, attempting to lure the Magos into his foul trap.
"You think me a fool?" Vendrigoth boomed. "Tell me the real combination, or you will be the next creature dissected in this laboratory!"
"Very well - those are the two crystals that must be operated there. But they will not work for you, as you do not possess the biotic materials required to operate it."
Vendrigoth willed his mechanical eyes to narrow. Deciding that the xeno would not so foolishly attempt to lie to him again, he placed the old man against the crystals.
The xeno's usual odd expression resumed. "You know there is a lot I can do from here." He gloated. "You really shouldn't have let me do this."
Vendrigoth glared with a hate so rare in tech-priests.
"Where is Mars?" The xeno pondered.
"I cannot tell you where Mars is, should it exist."
Vendrigoth computed the possible answers. "If I give you information regarding the existence or non-existence of Mars then I will receive information regarding the Yith and their actions on Amon-Psi."
The Yith mulled it over. "This is acceptable."
"Mars did at one time exist." Said the Magos, speaking in half-truths.
"Interesting, this is valuable information. Your comrades were not as forthcoming as you, tech-priest." The xeno looked candidly towards the severed heads not far away.
"First you are to tell me about the function of the wire device." Vendrigoth demanded.
"Very well - the device has many purposes, one of which is to create perpetual energy." The xeno happily explained.
"What do you mean? How is that possible?" Vendrigoth gripped the xeno tighter, the old man in turn grasped the crystals with more conviction.
"When energy is exposed to the device it is multiplied." The xeno continued. "It also stores data, much like what you call 'cognators'. There are other uses to the device as well."
"How do I make use of this technology?" Vendrigoth boomed jealously.
"You lack the biotic parts needed to make it work. You must be of the flesh."
Vendrigoth fumed. "Tell me what the Yith are doing here."
"We have come to this time and place to study humanity before its turning point."
Behind Vendrigoth's cold, metal facade was a sharp mind scrambling to calculate the enormity of what the xeno had uttered.
The xeno continued. "We are drawn to Amon-Psi particularly because the Old Race was once here."
"They are much older than the Eldar or the Orks. We have traveled back to the days of them, but were repelled from their society."
"Tell me why the Eldar are here, xeno."
"The Eldar and the Old Race did battle, long ago. One of their craft worlds was defeated and the Old Race kept an artifact of the Eldar. I do not know anything specific, but the Eldar fear that you humans will fight the Yith. That is why they seek to slay us."
"Why do the Eldar think this?"
"I cannot say." The xeno paused. "But they are destroying the cities of the Old Race whenever they can."
"Your mind remains pure of any implants and technology. If you are so inquisitive, tech-priest, why not visit our library?" The xeno offered.
The Magos paused. "Tell me how I get to this library."
"You must exchange minds with one of ours." The lure of the Yith mind swap suddenly became clear. "Our library contains information from all of time, you could learn anything while you are there. Not to mention contribute as you see fit."
Vendrigoth considered. "And what will happen to my body in the mean time?"
"A Yith will inhabit your mind and control your body until you return. They will experience life as you do."
"How long will I be in the library?"
"Typically the exchange lasts a decade."
Vendrigoth thought in silence for a long time. A library of infinite knowledge? The information in there is greater than could ever be gathered in a conventional lifetime. The secrets needed to put an end to the psykers he hated so deeply, the fate of himself no, the whole sector could be written there. The power to be gained was unimaginable. But the cost? His body would be desecrated by a foul, psychic xeno. For a decade. By the time Vendrigoth returned his body would likely be destroyed or hunted by the Inquisition. No amount of knowledge could ever change that fact.
"I have made my decision." The Magos cursed at himself. "I cannot allow my body to be taken for so long."
"A pity." The Yith calmly and swiftly twisted the pair of crystals. And then shattered the calm with frantic screaming. "Who are you? Where am I? I've been shot! This hurts so much! What's going on?"
Vendrigoth paid little heed to the mortal man, now free of his alien domination. Instead he focused on the energy building up between the crystals on the walls. The lightning traveled with incredible speed - producing a whirring sound as it passed effortlessly through the crystals. Vendrigoth had to get out of here.
"Tristan! Get out of the house! NOW!" The Magos shouted through the vox-caster.
The vox-caster's powerful signal was able to penetrate whatever technology was at work in the xeno's laboratory. Tristan shoved the books he was gathering in the attic into his pack with haste. The young acolyte grabbed a pile of rope and quickly attached it to a chest longer and wider than the fifth story window.
Meanwhile, Vendrigoth flew up the elevatus shaft - the man in his mechadentrides kicking and screaming the whole way. The Magos powered on his amplified bulk-head cutters and tore a hole into the metal ceiling, breaking through as fast as he could. Vendrigoth knew there was no escape - he wrapped himself in the thick metal sheet and braced for the coming explosion.
Back in the attic, Tristan gripped the rope tightly and booked it for the window. In another lifetime the cataclysmic explosion would have vaporized his body while he was in mid-air. However, the Emperor was watching closely that day.
Tristan leaped out the window, aiming for the Model-T the now dead mercenaries moved out of the manor. As the ground erupted beneath the yard below the car was propelled upwards a good dozen feet. The chest hit the window, stopping Tristan from free falling the whole way down. Letting go of the rope, Tristan landed in the car and strapped in for the ride.
The explosion rocked the manor one floor at a time, until it burst in one final, earthshaking boom. Gripping the steering wheel for his life, Tristan endured every bounce and flip as the car rolled into the country side. Landing all wheels down a good hundred meters away from the house, Tristan opened his eyes to find he was unscathed in a vehicle that was little more than a steering wheel, engine, and four tires.
What remained of the manor was nothing but rubble. Tristan looked on, wondering if Vendrigoth could have survived. Reality suddenly distorted around the ruins. Three armored, insect-like warriors materialized from the controlled rifts in reality. Tristan threw on his trusty cameoline cloak and watched.
The Eldar looked about the ruins for a moment. One of them, even better equipped than the other two made some gestures around the ruins. Their leader and his right hand man opened holes in reality and stepped through them, leaving but one xeno alone to investigate.
From what Inquisitor Viad had told the acolytes these white armored Eldar appeared to be Warp Spiders. Very dangerous - known to kill space marines she said. But if Vendrigoth were still alive in there he wouldn't stand a chance so heavily injured against such a xeno.
Tristan knew what he had to do.
He flung off the cloak, placed his lie detector in his pack, and put on his sunglasses. Tristan started the car. The Emperor was watching this moment - he knew it - and there was no disappointing the Emperor. Tristan gunned it towards the warp spider.
It was as if the xeno didn't really believe someone would be so reckless enough to charge it with a vehicle. The xeno turned slowly to see what was happening. Car. Move. Car! Move! The xeno dodged out of the way just in time. Tristan slammed on the breaks and turned the car around for a second charge. The Eldar shot at the Model-T. Tristan swerved to avoid the flying mono-blades and shot back with his bolt pistol.
The Eldar dodged the shells effortlessly. Tristan abused the car's wheel, turning the long side of the vehicle to hit the warp spider. The xeno took to the air, dodging over it in a beautiful arc. Tristan picked up speed and came around for another assault.
The warp spider made a short teleport for a better shot at the acolyte, but it was in vain. As fate would have it, the jump was a mishap and the Eldar came back to reality to find a support beam melded with part of his arm. Tristan made the best of this opportunity, slamming into the foul xeno with the right side of his car. The Eldar struggled to regain his feet. Tristan attempted to break for another turn, but the car had given up on its short, desperate struggle. Tristan drove into the forest against his will, careful not to hit any trees. Gritting his teeth, the acolyte managed to turn around and safely reach the meadow once again.
The Eldar was well wounded, the car was on its last legs. The breaks were broken, but the accelerator still worked! Tristan gunned it towards the Eldar. Beneath that insect-like helmet surely the xeno's eyes grew wide. The warp spider took a few more shots with his rifle. Tristan managed to dodge the shots once again, and landed his last few bolt shells in the Eldar's chest.
Unable to break, Tristan took a long turn with the Model-T, and grabbed his second bolt-pistol. He charged the eldar once more, who dived out of the way landing ungracefully in the dirt. From that position the warp spider aimed his rifle at just the right location - hitting the gas tank of the car.
Tristan could smell the fumes. He grabbed his pack, slashed the seat belt with his witch-lance and bailed. The Model-T continued into the forest without him. Within a few seconds the vehicle hit a tree and burst into flames.
Tristan stood, bolt-pistol in one hand, witch-lance in the right silhouetted by the fires. The Eldar drew his blade, and rose from the ground. The broken armor from the bolt shots fell off, revealing a small, bleeding wound. Both warriors aimed their guns, ready for the real fight ahead.
Without warning, the Eldar began making a series of fast-paced, small jumps through the warp. Tristan shot at the Eldar, but his bullets were easily dodged. The warp spider landed in melee, swinging his blade in a beautiful arc. Tristan blocked with his witch-lance and counter attacked, but by the time his weapon finished its swing the Eldar had vanished.
He's gone invisible. Tristan thought. Sheathing his witch-lance, Tristan drew forth the xeno-grenade given to him by Inquisitor Viad on Wayne. The acolyte primed it without hesitation. "If you slay me now, the grenade will take you with it!"
A mono-blade flew over Tristan's shoulder. Clearly the Eldar had retreated to the forest. Two can play at that game. Tristan deactivated his xeno-grenade and deployed a smoke screen. He went prone just before a shot flew straight overhead, right where he was standing. Tristan donned his camo cloak and inched forward, bolt pistol in hand. The Eldar was crouched behind the shattered remains of a bathtub not far away.
Tristan squeeze the trigger sending a flurry of bolt shells into the hole he had made before. The Eldar put his hand over his heart and nodded slightly, almost as if to acknowledge a fight well done. The bolts exploded, shredding the Eldar's torso and killing him unquestionably.
Tristan breathed a sigh of relief and examined the body. Most of the armor was still in tact, as were the weapons. The face behind the helmet was much more human than he had anticipated - though it was much thinner than most men he had laid eyes upon.
Some of the rubble began to shudder. Before Tristan could do anything to help Vendrigoth burst from the ground below, looking beat to hell. Of course knowing the Magos, he'd be better by tomorrow.
"Vendrigoth, help me carry this warp-spider." Tristan greeted.
The two, broken and bleeding acolytes limped to the nearest house where Tristan "borrowed" a beat up truck to drive back to Baydin.
"So..." Tristan muttered as they drove into the rising sun. "I guess I killed a warp spider."
"I turned down infinite knowledge."
"Oh." The awkward silence permeated. "Okay. What's next?"
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