Fighting with Faith- Forty-fifth Entry

As briefed in the brief but harrowing journey in the Chimera Transport, Benlian immediately recognised the place he was in. It looked bigger then he thought, a circular chamber, stretching to unseen corners. Squad Bel entered from doorway 8. To their right and left, doorways 7 to 9 lined the circular walls. Both doorways nearer to Squad Bel were opened, ushering similar squads cautious of Asat Guardsmen through.

High, elongated walls arched overhead, ending in a focal point on the ceiling where a pillar of glassteel extended downwards, ending in a buttressed and crenellated base. The pillar had a viscous, unknown liquid flowing through it, shifting and sifting through unidentifiable objects within.

Wait, or are the object not mere objects- but organisms? Benlian thought to himself.

A howl emanated from behind, snapping Benlian out of his ponderous moment.

More howls ensued, followed by a detonation that swallowed the cries of the Carnifexes and shook the walls about them.

“Consider them obsolete.” Kennil mused from behind, casting his eyes around the eerily empty Generatorium. Save for the light green hue that was cast all over the chamber from within the swirling pillar, the only light sources were control panels that dotted the various levels of the base of the pillar.

Suddenly, the lights of the control panels went out.

Benlian felt a moment of dispositional discomfort; as though he was falling through empty space as his gaze fell upon the only light source that was the enigmatic looking pillar. The contents within it swirled and dance, nearly coaxing Benlian to move his limbs in response.

Nearly.

“Visors shut. Night-vision tuned to zero point five setting. Seek cover behind the silos ahead.” Benlian immediately blurted out, studying his surroundings as he sought cover behind the silos and hurried after his squad. His vision, slightly enhanced now, could make out the other side of the chamber.

Was it figures running along the walls- or mere flickering of shadows?

Damn, Benlian thought as he leaned against a silo. The cool surface of it licked his skin, but was ignored by a sudden booming knock coming from behind. It vibrated the hull of the silo he was leaning on, its echo seemingly excessively loud in the silent darkness.

“Sorry.” murmured Arthelp as he stooped down beside Benlian. “Just checking for those organisms.”

No one answered, both glad and saddened at the same time. Glad, knowing that Arthelp had risked his life to secure everyone’s safety by knocking on the silo.

Saddened, by recalling how Marcum had been slain.

Benlian glanced around, sighting more squads of Guardsmen trickling into the chamber. They took positions around the chamber, behind silos and above platforms.

Squad Captains were hand signaling each other, confirming sightings of enemy units at the opposite side of the chamber. Heavy support units lumbered into position, similar to Lent and his counterpart as they deployed their heavy machine gun, covering a particular field with another squad’s heavy weapons team several metres away.

Suddenly, as though at the commencement of a great show in a great theater, the pillars disappeared. Or at least, the green, luminescent liquid lost its radiance as it turned black.

Fortunately, for the Guardsmen, their visors served its purpose well. Although made to shield their eyes from over radiation, it also served as a night-vision, optical enhancer tool.

To their dismay, a wall of black figures swarmed their vision of green through their visors.

Benlian could see scuttling creatures, leaping on limbs that bore immeasurable strength and agility. Robed and hooded cultists milled about, whilst shambling hordes of mutants streamed into the chamber.

“Holy Emperor of Terra…” Arthelp whispered beside Benlian.

Two lithe figures strode through the seething throng beneath them. Indeed, there were beneath them in every aspect. The Hive Mind had seen to testify that fact.

Master Cultist Barnel took a moment to admire his army. At least a few hundreds of cultists had made it, along with nearly all of their assigned broods. Cultist bowed their heads in awe as they shuffled wordlessly pass, paving a way through the crowd.

Praise the Hive Mind.

The mutants, despicable even in his sight, gaped idiotically at Barnel rudely, their simple rotted brains not able to comprehend respect as Barnel glared back at them.

Never mind, Barnel thought, more cannon fodder for the slaughter.

The duo reached the control panel which regulated lighting within the chamber.

“Masssterr...” Kaweit had reconciled with him before. “Do we strike from the veil of darkness or in the light?”

Barnel had considered this long before hand. “Kaweit, the Hive Mind has been known to drive a human insane and full of fear simply by revealing her forces to him. They fear us. They call us abominations. Creatures of their worse nightmare. Monsters. That is what we shall be.”

Kaweit had absorbed his wise master’s words in silence, nodding his head in reverent respect as he deciphered the answer.

Kaweit flicked the switch, bathing the chamber in white, dazzling light as both his and the enemy’s forces flinched at the sudden intrusion of light rays into their weak retinas.

Weak, incompetent beings. Barnel mused to himself as he eyed the arrayed Guardsmen before him hungrily.

They will still serve the Hive Mind well… he thought again, lifting his head high to let loose a wild laughter, echoing off even from the distant chamber walls.

Several hundred metres away from Barnel and Kaweit, in complete darkness, Starut sat perched atop a Biovore. He liked this particular one; tame yet strong. Starut decided to name it Tob.

Starut was eager for the fight to start. He knew it was part of the plan, but was not ready for the waiting.

Tob gurgled and looked up, along with many others as the lights flickered back on.

Starut cursed to himself as he shielded his eyes in time to avoid the worse of the glare.

“Master’s balls.” Shaolsen cursed as he was not quick enough. He sat down, rubbing his palms over his tortured eyelids as the Biovores and Starut watched on emphatically.

A Biovore belched, as though giving a light chuckle.

Starut hopped off Tob and squinted, looking across the Generatorium.

Wonder if Bel Squad is amongst them… Starut thought.

Would be good. I would like to skin them alive.

As though sensing his thoughts, a wild, raucous laughter drifted from afar. It was unmistakably Master Barnel’s. Starut’s spirit lifted, glad that the leader was here amongst them.

Yet again goaded by an unseen force, the Biovores lumbered off, heading behind the cover of a massive collapsed beam. Tyranid forces and mutant bands began advancing as well, thousands of creatures scuttling off to the Guardsmen lines, eager to kill.

Cultists followed calmly in their wake, well aware of the fate of many of them.

Starut’s face broke into a smile.

Now’s the time.