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 [:: Inloading Data-Packet; Lt. Tomas Foley :: ]

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    The swirling darkness churns before Tomas as he feels weightless and floating within an endless void, the embrace of unawareness and unconsciousness eddy about him like waves upon the shore, gently rolling over him bereft of his worries or cares.  Such was interrupted as a sensation crawled across his body as he felt his fingers twitch reflexively, cold pinpricks of dull throbbing pain wash across his back.

    With his senses resolving around him Tomas could vaguely feel the gentle cool of the evening air upon his form, his breath drawing in the chilling air, feeling it tinge his core with a dull chilled tone. His nostrils catch the scent of faint smoldering embers, burning away dutifully as the air was thick with a noxious scent of superheated alloy. Faintly the world’s ambiance returned, the dull ping and creak of cooling metals all around him, as he blearily opened his eyes. 

    At first his gaze was merely awash with colors, bright starbursts of light and color that forced him to shut his eyes, turning away his gaze till the unclear and indistinct image resolved itself.  He seemed to have remained where he was seated, far near the end of the pod with his crash harness still locked about him. 

His eyes move about, taking in the slowly focusing scene about him, before he spies the figure of Ran seated opposite him. Slowly as her form resolved into view, he was forced to blink several times as he tried to focus on her, as something of her had changed.

    Nestled among her golden hair, stood forth two tall vulpine ears, twitching impatiently as she watched over the unconscious form of the Lieutenant. She was no longer garbed in her armored glove, nay twas something more akin a lengthy flowing dress of soft azure and pristine whites. The form of Ran was sitting among a throng of long bushy tails, the colors not dissimilar to that of her hair, his darting eyes easily catching sight of no less than nine of these bushy vulpine tails. The way the faint moon light gleamed from her overly keen gaze left him uneasy, a churning of discomfort within his gut as he felt he was being spied upon by a predator far more adept at blending with it's prey than he’d ever have suspected. 

    Tomas mutely watches as Ran rises from her seated position, leaning over to take hold of his face, peering down at him and into his eyes, her own unerring gaze shimmering faintly from the faint moonlight ebbing through the broken hatchway beside them. She leans back, and with blinding speed, soundly brings her palm against the Lieutenant’s face with a solid smack to his face.

Tomas is jolted awake by the spreading fire across his face, he leaps up against his harness and gives an angered shout of pain, before settling back down into his seat. His sorely aching frame protests as he shakes his head staring agitatedly at Ran as she remains apologetic, hands up placatingly.

Most curiously however, the tails and ears were strangely absent now that his focus and awareness had returned to him, a strange sight that struck him uneasily none the less, as Ran speaks up in a worried tone.

“Sorry Lieutenant, I was worried you had suffered some form of disorientation, your eyes held a strange look to them, are you feeling well?”

Tomas rises, unlatching his crash harness, all while rubbing his face and the smarting mark left by her strike.

“Hell, you could have just shook me. But aye, I am somewhat well, what happened? Did we manage to make it planetside in one piece? Or are you here to ferry me to the Emperor’s side?”

Ran gives a sly grin, rising from her seated position to move to the savior pod’s hatchway, indicating towards Foley and the upper portion of the pod. 

“Not yet Lieutenant, I volunteered to stay behind and see if you were going to awaken from the comatose stupor you were trapped within. The other two, Gamma and Viktor are searching out the area, trying to find any other savior pods that came down in our general area. From what I understand, Gamma made mention that she has some sort of track on a vox unit that would let us call for aid from the transport ships that managed to escape our vessel.” 

Groggily he rises to his boots, placing a hand on his head to steady the wobbling world, before his gaze falls once more on Ran, backlit by the moonlight with that uneasy shimmer to her eyes once more. 

“Aye, so I am assuming that everyone else got out well enough? No injuries for the other two or yourself?” 

Ran merely shakes her head,

“None it would seem, Gamma reported minor inconveniences to her frame, and Viktor whined about not having proper food supplies, but I feel we will be fine. I am familiar with this realm and can guide you and the others to sources of supply.” 

She offers him a steady hand as they both depart the pod, the battered and smoking form of  which has come to rest in a muddy creek. Around them slopped stout muddy embankments on either side, looming hung high overhead. 

The towering trees' dense canopy barely contained the bright silver light from the lunar body that hung over the muddy gully they found himself in. With a shaky hand he clasps Ran’s hand and hauls himself from the savior pods wreck, all whilst scanning the length of the creek, trying to come to terms with the uneasy peace the scene contrasted with the mangled pod’s wreck.

Tomas is given pause however, as he casts a wary look once more to Ran, her words and strange tranquility in this alien land, unsettling him.

“Familiar with this world? How so? Is your home similar to this one or something?”

Ran gingerly leads him from the wreck, the pair of them moving down the shallow stream, their boots splashing quietly as they stroll forth in search of their compatriots.

“I have lived on and travelled this realm and it's roads for quite some time, my Mistress has a large hand in governing it’s affairs. We are most fortunate to have found ourselves here”

Tomas pauses, his boot steps kicking up the loose creek bed as he gazes upward, unfamiliar with the stars and their alignment in the sky. His gaze slowly settles on Ran as she moves off further down the stream.

Something clearly isn’t adding up here, she seems a bit too in touch with what's around her, in addition what was that I saw in the pod? Something is toying with me, I just can’t put my finger on it. 

“So, what are the basics of this world, anything I need to keep an eye out for?”

The pair haul themselves up the earthen rise, Ran leaning down to offer Tomas a hand as she pulls him to her side, indicating into the densely packed forest before them.

“Yes, there are particular oddities that exist, ones it would be apt to familiarize yourself with. The most dangerous, to your and your men, is that of the Youkai. A creature that appears in the guise of man, but bears oddities that mark them as different from humanity, not to mention their ability to conjure powers and bend them to their will. This place was forged as a sanctuary for them, a haven of sorts in which they could shelter.”

Tomas shoots her a quizzical look, moving alongside her as the pair start their walk into the forest, the dull wind causing the timber to groan softly.

“Not sure I follow, are you saying that there is a creature in this world that can take the shape of humans? Are you implying they are psykers? This world’s atmosphere is breathable and seems fairly verdant, this could have been a budding human colony, are these Youkai a threat to the wider sector?” 

Moving past a sizable fallen tree trunk, Ran spares him a glance, a stoic look upon her face forewarning her reply.

“They are beings, a type of animus, that found an anchor in this world, a strange relic from mankind's past. They pose no threat to your Imperium or the galaxy at large, they merely remain within this realm, content to be left to their own devices.  Psyker, as you say, is an incorrect description. As their powers are not drawn directly from the Immaterial, nor are their souls bound to such. They are as much a part of this world as the trees and natural life around us.”

Ran flashes him a smile, clearly trying to put him at ease, but the gesture leaves him modestly unsettled as he mulls over her words as she continues.

 “As for humans? There are those that exist here, they dwell in primitive communes, somewhat more insular and backwater than anything you're used to. There is a mutualism between the Youkai and the humans, they need one another to continue their existence in this realm and as such, peace is maintained. ”

Tomas puzzles for a moment, eyes narrowing, something not adding up with this explanation.

“ Something just doesn’t sit right with me, why would a colony ever need anything less than pure strain humans to survive?  It boggles the mind to know that someone could harbor sympathies for creatures that impersonate the human form.”

Ran casts him a glance, a sudden tinge of anger or perhaps disappointment ready in her voice, she does however maintain her trek with the Lieutenant in tow.

“The Youkai here are not as you say, they fall squarely within Imperial defined designations as abhumans, as they grow reliant on humanity for their survival and melded to better acclimate to such..  As time moved on, the Youkai who came to dwell with humanity have begun to take on human traits even reflecting such with their own appearance. As your Commodore said, human lives are a currency, for the Emperor. That includes abhumans in equal measure, as even their works can bring glory to your Master on Earth. Waste not, want not is how I see this.”

Slowing to a halt, Tomas gingerly reaches forth, ensnaring the crook of her elbow, as he wheels her around. Internally he warred with the concepts,  he felt a mix of disgust at the more lax concept of humanity Ran was suggesting, as it contrasted with several core tenants of the Imperial Creed. 

Yet at the same time he personally harbored no real personal loathing for abhuman creatures, as Bulgraff’s regiment had made liberal use of Orgyn auxiliaries during the war on Ichorus V. Their strength and steadfast loyalty had saved entire fronts from collapse. He softens his tone as he inclines his head to her once more, 

“Alright, I’ll give you that one, it just doesn’t sit right with me. I mean the Imperial law is fairly unambiguous on it's definition of humanity and what deviances are condoned. Though, I suppose I would be remiss to discredit the honor I’ve seen abhumans win for His glory as well.”

He searches her face, while gently loosening the grip on her arm as she stands by, his own mind flashing back to what he half remembered from the pod, the odd ability she displayed on the ship. 

“ I just have to know, back on the ship. The whole eye shimmer thing, and when I was still partially out of it back there in the pod, Are you one of these… “ He trails off as he stares at her face, the look in her eyes almost imploring him not to continue this line of inquiry for their sake. Inwardly he relents, playing the diplomat as he shifts the topic as a mercy to her. “... Alright, I just need to know you on our side, through and through. We are a team now, aye? If I am going to watch your back, I need to know you have got mine.”

For several long moments Ran watches him, her lips quivering, her face betraying the presence of secrets she seemed to be keeping from him. Her eyes dart to and fro as she clearly mulls over her wordless thoughts. She resolves herself and reaches over to slap a firm clasp on Tomas’s shoulder guard, a half smile on her face.

“As I said Lieutenant, I will see you and your compatriots to safety. My word is my oath, and I am never one to shirk from a promise. I shall count myself as one among your number till our task is complete, to whatever end.”

    Tomas flashes her a mirrored half grin, miming the action as they clasped one another's shoulders as equals bound by their respective oaths. There were far too many questions left hanging as thus far she had remained elusive of his inquiries. However, he knew full well that he didn’t have the luxury of squandering friendly faces in this strange and alien realm. 

He raises a hand, words on his lips before his Vox hisses sharply and suddenly. The static laced voice of Viktor ebbing over the comm-network.

    “Oi! Lieutenant? Are you alive yet? If you can hear me, make your way southeast of the savior pod, we have located what looks to be an abandoned encampment. Gamma is trying to get a vox-caster unit up and running, over.”

    With a firm nod to Ran, Tomas quickly keys up his vox bead, responding with a relieved tone, pleased to hear the boisterous voice of the Voids-men once more.

    “Copy that Viktor, I am up and mobile, in route to your position. Have you seen anything yet? Anything out of the ordinary?” 

    The vox crackles with a static laced hiss, as Viktor’s voice waivers slightly, an uneasy present and permeating his tone.

    “Uhh, aye Lieutenant, there is movement on the edge of the glade, can’t pin down what it is. Viktor is not really interested in climbing in bushes to find out either, he was born on a spaceship, big plants freak him out already.  Also Gamma has been babbling some nonsense about the strange trees that surround this area, but to Viktor, all trees are strange. Would be nice for you to tell her to calm down and stop being so jumpy.”

    Tomas exchanges a look with Ran, who mirrors his own look of concern as she listens in with her own vox-bead, wordlessly the two pick up their pace as he queues up his vox again. 

    “She is a Skitarii Viktor, she is picking up on something you aren’t registering, the clockwork soldiers don’t just get jumpy because of nerves. We are on route, just get that vox-caster up and working, or move it if you can. Keep your head on a swivel, Foley out.”

    The pair of them pick up their pace, as they blaze through the dense foliage and underbrush that slowed and bloated their trail. Ran had honed in on the path the searching party had taken and guides Tomas across winding dirt paths that twist and turn, as she leads them with all haste to the outer edge of the aforementioned glade. 

    The duo’s progress halted as they came to rest in a shallow depression along the leading edge of a fairly wide clearing. The open area before them was crudely cleared, dense foliage hanging heavily around the outermost edge of the tall grass that easily stood to the waist and higher. 

Far overhead the midnight sky was blotted out by conical alien structures that appeared like vast silver spikes, each of them bearing gnarled pale branches that stretched overhead, forming an imposing veil over the glade below. The moon’s indistinct silver-light from on high filtering down in soft beams that barely allowed for one with unaugmented vision make out the estranged stone-like composition of these many alien spires that rose far overhead in a dense clutch in this otherwise normal temperate forest.

Standing off on the far edge from Tomas and Ran, were the forms of Gamma and Viktor. The Skitarii was knelt down, rapidly working to repair a sizable and heavy squad-vox array that bore terrible damage to it's outer frame. All while Viktor played protector to Gamma, watching the glades edge with his heavy suits hissing, inbuilt luminators sweeping to and fro, rotor cannon at the ready.

As Tomas rose slightly from the slight depression that he and Ran were sheltering in, he found themself thrown down into the mud. As he casts his gaze indignantly back, he finds Ran laying atop his back, miming an order for him to remain silent. She indicates to the far side of the glade, her head lowered to the Lieutenant’s ear as she replies in a terse and whispered warning. 

“Stay down! They are being hunted. If we don’t approach this carefully we too will find ourselves targeted.”

Tomas growls softly, lifting his helmeted head up enough to push Ran back slightly, allowing him to get a good look at the direction she was indicating. His eyes failed to make out any shapes or movement in the deep shadows.

“What in His name, are you talking about? There isn’t anything over there, I can’t see anything but shadow and shrub.”

Ran indicates onces more, drawing his attention to one of the tall silver spires. Just beyond it in the shadow of a considerably large clump of the dull greens of the brush, he spied a flash of stark white cloth like hue that shifted. He narrows his gaze as he watches the movement slowly slide it's way forward, to the outermost limit of the glade. Viktor had yet to spy it as he swept his thrumming luminator beams over the strange structures. His focus was so caught up in the strange alien growth, he failed to notice as a slight figure skulked from the brush to his right in his blind spot. 

Tomas watches as the slight figure slides into view, appearing human from this distance. Their attire was a simple white blouse, paired with a dull azure bloomer, all whilst veiled in a black cloak that half obscured their slight form. From what he could make out from the messy short cropped mop of beryl hair, the figures' facial features belied a delicate feminine shape, for all intents she seemed human, save for two dull black antennae that twitched from her head. Strangely though, the slowly approaching figure seemed to be followed diligently by a gently floating clutch of small faintly glowing insects that dance in her trail.

Foley, spares a glance back to Ran, confusion plain at her reaction to such an unassuming figure, his tone low.

“Yeah? It's just a little girl with bugs, I don’t suspect a native would be too familiar with Imperial agents here, so she is checking them out. Is this really what you got worked up over?”

Ran stares down at him, that familiar shimmer ebbing in her eyes as she locks her gaze solely on the slight figure that stalked towards Viktor.

“No Lieutenant, that is a Youkai. I told you that they appear as humans. This one is a minor one, though we must not underestimate their ability, it more than likely is investigating it's territory as we must have landed in it's hunting grounds. If we leave it will pose us no threat, not with me in your company.”

Before Tomas could respond, his gaze is drawn to the crouched form of Gamma, the Skitarii’s head glances aside and catches sight of the slight figure creeping up on Viktor. In one clear movement, she rises from her kneeling state, her galvanic rifle snatched from its resting place beside her and leveled at the small figure, her synthetic voice hissing a flat warning.

“Alert: Unknown contact has breached our overwatch: Any closer and you will be designated as hostile. Termination will follow. Identify yourself and state your intent.”

Viktor visibly flinches and snaps his whirring weapon’s aim to target the small figure, who merely comes to a halt. Sparing a glance between the two  as the little girl seemed unable or unwilling to comprehend the mortal danger she is in. She ceases moving and speaks up to the pair, her curious words caught by Viktor’s unintendedly open vox channel and relayed directly into Ran and Tomas’ vox-beads, 

“Oh? Did I scare you? Huh, how strange. What are you two? I don’t recognize you or the funny things you're carrying. Are you…. Perhaps humans, not from around these parts?”

Viktor toggles the spin-up of his rotor-cannon, the whirring barrels slowing and coming to a stop, yet he doesn’t quite lower the weapon just yet.

“Eh? What is a little girl doing so far from the village? Are there other humans here in this world? We are from a large ship that fell from the sky, we are trying to find our friends! I am Viktor, this is Gamma, we are loyal soldiers of the Emperor of Earth! Come to rescue your people!”

Gamma curtly speaks up once more, a tinge of agitation in her voice as she scolds Viktor.

“Tactical Error: Do not advise the unidentified figure as to the status of our unit or our goals. We are at risk of revealing sensitive information. Unidentified abhuman: Identify yourself or be terminated.”

The slight figure between them spares a look over between them both, the gentle swarm of faintly glowing fire-flies now gently ebbing over Viktor and Gamma as she speaks up with a still brewing look of curiosity in her tone.

“Oooo, so you're lost and humans from the outside! Today is my lucky day! Oh? Me? I am called Wriggle…” She adopts a haughty tone as she provides a scoffing laugh, as if speaking to uneducated swine. However her act doesn’t come across as she had planned, appearing like a smug child bragging. “... Wriggle Nightbug, master of all things insect! I hope you both are ready to pay dearly for your trespassing! I don't suffer thieves lightly!” 

Gamma spares a glance to Viktor, then levels her galvanic rifle at the haughty girl, her tone even in warning as she nods towards the heavy vox-caster laid up against the conical tree-like structure.

“Situation Update: We were unaware of this location's importance to you, we will withdraw with our vox caster and leave you to your own devices. We have no use for you or your bugs. Insects are a frivolous unnecessity.”

Viktor meets Gamma’s gaze, his open visor allowing several of the buzzing fire-flies to drift about into his face. He brushes them away, fighting back a sneeze as he speaks up once more.

“Aye, no need for getting angry. Viktor and his friend will leave you and your dirt piles alone, No need to get angry little queen of bugs! Hah! You speak such big talk for little one, make sure you tell your papa and mamma to remind you of manners when speaking to adults, yes?” 

The slight form of Wriggles ripples at their words, her fists balled as she stares angeredly at the pair before them, she jabs a finger towards the vox-caster and half shouts her reply as her agitation visibly mounts.

“You can’t take that! It's my thing! I found it and took it, so it's my property, you all dare to insult me! The nerve you two have! I am not a child, I am a Youkai! If you two keep this up, I am definitely going to end up eating you!”

Viktor gives a lazy laugh, waving her off as he moves to lower his rotor-cannons barrel, a chuckle escaping him as he jerks a thumb towards Wriggle, all whilst Gamma keeps her rifle aimed squarely at the lass’ chest. 

“Bah! Don’t get too worked up there little one, come now Gamma we’ve more important duties to tend to, Tomas will be here soon. We must make sure Vox is working….” He pauses, one of the fireflies drifting in an erratic pattern moves forward to land upon his cheek, the wriggle of its legs agitating his beard causing him to twitch. With a single swift movement, he brings his open palm flat against his face, an audible crack and wet crunch echoing in the now dead silent glade… “ It is really our property, now run along before we have to find parents, yes?”

Wriggle drops any pretense of haughty wordplay, the gently bobbing swarm of fire-flies come to an unnatural halt where they floated, the weight of their combined gaze on Viktor and Gamma visibly unsettling the pair. The only thing offered over by Wriggle was a cold and spiteful malice. Her tone was low, her clenched fists shaking.

“You… You killed that one. You're going to pay for that.”

From Ran and Tomas’ position at the far side of the glade, the duo could make out the form of the trees at Wriggle’s back, shift and move as something gargantuan pushed through the trees and brush, the audible sound of cracking branches like autocannon fire. Without missing a beat, the pair spring to their feet and move into the glad, as Tomas shouts out to Gamma and Viktor, waving them away.

“Viktor! Gamma! Get the Vox-caster and get your arses back here! That thing isn’t a human! We are bugging out now!”

Viktor and Gamma both spare a glance back towards Tomas before the trees ahead of them ripple and crack, a vast form loomed beneath their shade. As the pair slowly start to back away from the enraged form of Wriggle, a pair of lengthy silver-white talons hook themselves on a pair of trees, a carapace of such color shimmering beneath the pale moonlight. 

The creature that hauled itself into the glade, stood easily outsizing even the hulking Leman Russ tank, as it brought itself into the glade upon eight long and hardened legs, their edges keen not unlike blades.  The creature's hardened carapace appeared to be composed of a metallic-organic substance, that bore countless pit-marks and healed wounds not unlike that of what an Astartes bolter and blade could provide. 

The terrifying xeno-creature looms over the quartet, a single pincered claws, reaching down and with an unnatural finesse and care, lightly plucks Wriggle from the field and positions her upon it's back thorax, shielded behind a heavy and wide chitin crest as it affixes it's many eyes upon the group with inhuman malice. 

Tomas slowly herds the group, as Viktor and Gamma join its ranks, his tone is even as the group slowly backs away, weapons raised at the creature. He spares a glance to Ran, who stare on in pale faced shock.

“Uh, Ran if you got a card up your sleeve to talk this Youkai down, now is the time.”

Ran does not break her gaze from the creature, her tone fearful as she manages to shuffle her way back near the group's rear.

“This is no Youkai.”

Gamma levels her galvanic rifle, the thrumming coils hissing as a shrieking bolt of azur light erupts from the arcane weapon, the shot streaming across the distance to impact harmlessly upon the hardened carapace, a tiny furrow in the chitin her sole reward.

The Skitarii visibly flinches at the weapon’s effect, her hands shaking slightly as she speaks up with as much urgency as she could muster in her artificial tone.

“Test Complete: Cross-referencing from Bio-Magos Suu’Van’s data archive: Weapon impact data suggest this entity is one of the same with those that were reported to have destroyed the 140th Expeditionary Fleet on the world of Murder during the Great Crusade.”

Tomas sharply counters,

“Speak in Gothic, Gamma. What is it?”

“Creature designation: Megarachnid hive-guard. Our unit has insufficient fire support to destroy this creature. Advised Course of Action: Withdraw.”

Tomas stares up at the towering creature, it's mandibles flaring open in a shrieking cry as it lumbers towards them, shattering branches as it moves. Without need to provide orders, the quartet briskly turn heel in unison, sprinting forth into the brush as the shrieking creature gives chase to its prey. The hunt was on.