Fear Incarnate

March of Steel and Hate

"The world is tearing itself apart. Somehow the psychic reservoir is leaking out and devastating the local ecosystem." Plinghe handed Vandrok a dataslate, Vandrok cleared away debris on the screen and peered at it. "I am no fool Plinghe, I understand this but what is its point? Won't the psychic energy leaking out taint the world alone?" Vandrok tossed the slate back, Plinghe let it fall. "Not if we cannot reach the planet before all the psychic energy leaks out. We won't be able to corrupt Etheria if it is destroyed." Plinghe's matter of fact tone frustrated Vandrok, He stood and stared off into the distance for a minute. "Push the fleet's engines to the limit, we need to reach that planet." Vandrok said softly, Plinghe blanched under his helm. "Lord the engines moan too loud, they may soon give o-" Vandrok cut him off with a bolt of pain. Plinghe's mechanical parts turned against him. Becoming conduits of Vandrok's power. "I don't care. Do it." Vandrok released Plinghe, and the techmarine kneeled for a minute before nodding and hobbling away. Vandrok cursed and sat back on his throne, not since the days of the Heresy had he faced such constant obstacles. 

Innoak drove in with the fury of a long dead angel behind him. His sword flashed and danced off of the psychic will of the daemon. The daemon roared and its own baroque mutations and weapons flashed out. Innoak let a blow from a large claw rebound off of his sword before unleashing a blast of lightning. The battle of wills manifested in the still unconscious Entrapta no doubt jarred her already messy thoughts. It was evident when the nature of their battlefield changed. Manifestations of Entrapta's confusion and fear clouded Innoak and his opponent. The daemon roared and smashed a curved sword on the walls of her mind, Innoak took the reprieve gratefully. Clashing against a greater daemon, even if not manifested fully, was an arduous task. "Weak mortal mind. I would rather tear this fleshling to pieces." It growled, swaying in monstrous movements. "Not on my watch daemon, you have preyed on the minds of humanity too long." The daemon laughed, a claw raking along Entrapta's shuddering mind. "What will you do then? Banish me? You can do no such thing, too weak." Innoak considered that and raised his sword, it flickered and disappeared. "I have been fighting with an arm behind my back. I forget we are not in the material world. I think you do too." The daemon ceased walking, instead simply dancing it profane performance in place. It considered this. Then it laughed, the sound making Innoak even more infuriated. "I am far more intelligent than a mere human, more powerful than even your vaunted Grey Knights. There is nothing you can do to me." Thats what you would like to think. Innoak thought, the daemon continued it monologue and Innoak enacted his strategy. He had very little time. 

Entrapta? Entrapta! 

I-Innoak? Where are you?

It is difficult to explain, I need a favor from you.

O-Of course! What is it! Do I need to build something new?

No. I need you to imagine.

W-What?

Imagine there is a worm within your brain, I need you to imagine it in a cage.

I can't do that!

Yes you can, it is your mind. One of the strongest I have seen in a long time. 

I can try...but no promises.

Unacceptable, I will require a promise.

O-Ok, promise.

You have my sincerest thanks Entrapta.

Innoak cut contact with her, and just as the daemon finished its self aggrandizing exchange. A massive metal cage began to descend from the sky, the daemon hissed and tried to move but found itself rooted to the spot. Innoak's gloves began to slowly grow a sheet of frost, his eyes burned and his teeth ground hard enough to crack. But he held onto that slippery warp-spawn for all his strength. Long enough for the cage to fall upon it, a cage created by Entrapta's enormous imagination. Innoak let out a gasp as his knees gave way, his strength had been ebbing away this entire fight. He doubted he could last longer after that display.  Fine job Entrapta. Innoak could hear even his psychic voice was weak, but he pushed on anyway. Crush the worm. He ordered. Are you sure? I still don't understand. Innoak let his anger get the best of him. NOW! He snapped, immediately the cage flickered. And Innoak noticed his mistake. Apologies, this ordeal has been taxing. It took Entrapta a moment, soon though the bars of the cage began to close in on the trapped daemon. He watched as it was slowly crushed, once its remains slowly dissipated from Entrapta's mind Innoak withdrew to the material realm. 

He was back in the hallway, the still smoking hole behind him. The only difference in the present reality was the absence of a dark presence. Innoak noted its disappearance with relief. He allowed himself a quick kneel, a few long deep breaths. And a short prayer before he stood and walked forward to the still unconscious body of Entrapta. She awoke quickly, eyes slow and movements lagging. But the glint in her eye was gone, and the familiar aloofness in her grin was back. "Hi Innoak." She said simply, Innoak just smiled and helped her stand and walk. She was burnt badly, her left pigtail was charred and unmoving. Innoak predicted only a few hours before it might die completely, she would need serious medical assistance. And quickly. "Entrapta. You wouldn't happen to remember where the Horde left my Sword and Pistol. Correct?" Her response was weak but legible. "No, I'm sorry. I wish I did." Innoak placed an hand on his shaved scalp and rubbed the psychic nodes there. They were in desperate need of a proper cleaning, and sometimes emitted a painful psychic feedback from his sword. Which happened to be just the thing he needed. "It is of no matter, I have their location already." Innoak paused, formulating the right words. "It is a far walk, even by vent which I doubt you can navigate now. I can...carry you." Innoak said with a sigh, Entrapta managed a weak laugh. "I always loved piggyback rides." 

"He is down there?" Bunk asked incredulously as he stared at the augur reports from the planet. Acrophysis nodded, Bunk sighed and put the 100th data slate he'd looked at in the past month down. "Alright, I trust you Acrophysis." Bunk said with a tired sigh, he turned to Kranx, the grim Reiver just nodded and walked off. Bunk watched as Acrophysis followed behind the smaller but no less intimidating Kranx. Bunk watched them go before looking around quickly, noticing no deck crew or officers looking at him Bunk let his head droop. A minute of rest, no more. All he allowed himself. "My Lord! my lord?" Bunk snapped up in a flash. Startling the commodore, who nearly dropped her data slate. "Augur reports just showed something new." She presented the dataslate, Bunk looked at it like a man would look at an unfaithful spouse. For her part, the commodore took the hint and read off the report. "Three dozen warp signatures just entered warp space around Etheria. The signature range from escort size all the way up to a grand cruiser size breach." Bunk felt his hearts pump at that, his eyesight cleared in milliseconds and his muscles tensed. 

"Not Imperial I presume?"

"No."

Bunk grimly smiled, he stood suddenly. The rasp of his armor attracting attention from the deck crew. He cleared his throat to attract any stragglers. 

"Roll out macro cannons, charge lances, ready launch bays, alert all armsmen and voidsmen of enemy contact, tell the Scions their time has come, get all defense protocols ready, lower warp shutters, prime augurs, load munitions, roll open the armory, prepare medical bays, sound the horns of war and call the Emperor's servants to battle. We shall be His hammer this day, His righteous spear and indomitable shield. Make ready to face the Great Enemy for your first and perhaps last time. The Emperor Protects."

The commodore next to him made the sign of the aquila and rushed back to her seat, soon enough the vox was alive with her barked orders. Bunk turned to the squad of Intercessors arrayed around the bridge. "Asbir! Keep a demi-squad here, oversee tactical operations in my absence." Veteran Sergeant Asbir pounded a fist on his chest and answered "None are safe from the cold steel of the Emperor, fight well Lieutenant." Bunk turned back to see the majority of the crew all looking at him with wide eyes and hanging jaws. Bunk was about to open his mouth to reprimand them when the stern voice of the Admiral Stavros rang out before him. "You heard the man you maggoty whelps! Battle stations! We've got bugs to squash in the name of His Majesty on Terra!" At the Admiral's commanding voice the crew went into a frenzy of activity, the Admiral sent Bunk a respectful grin. "We can take it from here Lieutenant, get down there and find your boy. We'll show these traitors a real fight." Bunk gave the aged man a nod, knowing full well it might be the last time they spoke. Bunk exited the bridge with the clamor of war and the shrill voice of klaxons following him, 5 Intercessors stamped behind him in formation. They were all as battle starved as he, and showed it openly. Bunk opened a vox link to Kranx. "Please tell me you haven't departed yet." He asked, Kranx's reply came a second later. "Negative, we heard the klaxons and thought we'd wait a bit. Are you to join us?" Bunk felt his hand subconsciously got to the hilt of his sword. The smile of a warrior born crept across his face. 

"You're damn right I am."