Inquisitor Naaman kept to the shadows, again wishing he had not left his retinue behind. While one man moves more stealthily than twelve, the company would have been good.
His reinforcements were close, he could sense it and knew that it would only take a few seconds for him to send the psychic signal calling them to his aid… the problem was, would he have a few seconds.
He was glad for his Power Armour, while it did not lend itself to stealth, the protection offered would keep him alive though most of what the enemy could throw at him.
His informants had alerted him to the invaision several months ago… and invaision that despite his Death Cult Assassins missions, despite his wheeling and dealing with the various miltant forces present in this sector, in the entire Varcan Cluster itself for that matter, the only forces he had available were his own.
Silently he chuckled, shaking his head. There were at any time several million Guardsmen in the Varcan Cluster, beyond that the Blood Angels & Space Wolves had battle barges operating in the cluster to help with the upheaval caused by the disappearance of the Sons of the Lion. Of all those forces, millions of men, hundreds of Space Marines it came down to the Inquisitions forces, and barely thirty champions of the Inquisition to stave off the initial strike of this invading army.
An invading army that he had been able to find very little information on. As soon as his agents got near to the source of the attack they would die, disappear or go mad. Someone, or something had put a lot of effort in to keeping it quiet. The Agri world of Falin was not an insignificant world, yet neither was it one of vital strategic importance. It would certainly provide a good staging ground for further attacks into the Varcan Cluster, but an attack here didn’t make sense. With so many attacks elsewhere in the Cluster many Garrison worlds of import were undermanned, or their defences already severely weakened making them prime targets.
All his life Naaman had never liked it when something didn’t add up, and it normally meant that he had missed something, or that his enemy had out smarted him. Neither of these things were ideas that Naaman liked to entertain.
The ruins he sheltered in provided a little cover, and the three Servo Skulls would give as much notice as he needed through the neural link. In addition to helping his reinforcements arrive.
He just wished he knew, he daren’t reach out with his mind, leaving himself open for an retaliation would be required soon enough, but alerting them to his presence could not happen until it was absolutely necessary.
A muffled sound behind him, the scraping of something on rubble. Suddenly acutely aware of his surroundings Naaman realised he was not alone. It could just be the enemy scouts moving forward, but this was not a remotely ideal route for them from where they landed, nor was it a location with a good vantage point, precisely why Naaman had chosen it. That left only one possibility.
Steeling himself, Naaman opened his mind and sent the signal out, informing his allies that the time was nigh. The scouts would not be far ahead of the main force, not in this type of attack. Just as he sent the signal, his neural link informed him that one of his Servo Skulls had detected movement, a lot of movement.
Silently he pulled his Bolt Pistol out, and drew his Force Sword, he could sense them now, still he did not know what they were. It didn’t matter now, whatever they were he would find them and kill them… or they would kill him. His reinforcements were on their way. Moving along the wall he heard more signs of movement, movement on the other side of this wall. A doorway was just ahead which would allow him to surprise them he hope.
Moving faster now, he neared the Doorway, hopefully the sudden sound would put them off, at the doorway he leapt through with a cry leaving his lips of;
“For the God Emperor!”
His reinforcements were close, he could sense it and knew that it would only take a few seconds for him to send the psychic signal calling them to his aid… the problem was, would he have a few seconds.
He was glad for his Power Armour, while it did not lend itself to stealth, the protection offered would keep him alive though most of what the enemy could throw at him.
His informants had alerted him to the invaision several months ago… and invaision that despite his Death Cult Assassins missions, despite his wheeling and dealing with the various miltant forces present in this sector, in the entire Varcan Cluster itself for that matter, the only forces he had available were his own.
Silently he chuckled, shaking his head. There were at any time several million Guardsmen in the Varcan Cluster, beyond that the Blood Angels & Space Wolves had battle barges operating in the cluster to help with the upheaval caused by the disappearance of the Sons of the Lion. Of all those forces, millions of men, hundreds of Space Marines it came down to the Inquisitions forces, and barely thirty champions of the Inquisition to stave off the initial strike of this invading army.
An invading army that he had been able to find very little information on. As soon as his agents got near to the source of the attack they would die, disappear or go mad. Someone, or something had put a lot of effort in to keeping it quiet. The Agri world of Falin was not an insignificant world, yet neither was it one of vital strategic importance. It would certainly provide a good staging ground for further attacks into the Varcan Cluster, but an attack here didn’t make sense. With so many attacks elsewhere in the Cluster many Garrison worlds of import were undermanned, or their defences already severely weakened making them prime targets.
All his life Naaman had never liked it when something didn’t add up, and it normally meant that he had missed something, or that his enemy had out smarted him. Neither of these things were ideas that Naaman liked to entertain.
The ruins he sheltered in provided a little cover, and the three Servo Skulls would give as much notice as he needed through the neural link. In addition to helping his reinforcements arrive.
He just wished he knew, he daren’t reach out with his mind, leaving himself open for an retaliation would be required soon enough, but alerting them to his presence could not happen until it was absolutely necessary.
A muffled sound behind him, the scraping of something on rubble. Suddenly acutely aware of his surroundings Naaman realised he was not alone. It could just be the enemy scouts moving forward, but this was not a remotely ideal route for them from where they landed, nor was it a location with a good vantage point, precisely why Naaman had chosen it. That left only one possibility.
Steeling himself, Naaman opened his mind and sent the signal out, informing his allies that the time was nigh. The scouts would not be far ahead of the main force, not in this type of attack. Just as he sent the signal, his neural link informed him that one of his Servo Skulls had detected movement, a lot of movement.
Silently he pulled his Bolt Pistol out, and drew his Force Sword, he could sense them now, still he did not know what they were. It didn’t matter now, whatever they were he would find them and kill them… or they would kill him. His reinforcements were on their way. Moving along the wall he heard more signs of movement, movement on the other side of this wall. A doorway was just ahead which would allow him to surprise them he hope.
Moving faster now, he neared the Doorway, hopefully the sudden sound would put them off, at the doorway he leapt through with a cry leaving his lips of;
“For the God Emperor!”
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