Secret War: The Annihilation Plague (Part 2)

Chapter 5

Arlathan cursed yet again as he sliced through yet another vine with his monomolecular enhanced sword. He ignored concerned the look of Delan Tathe, who walked alongside him and used his inactive power sword far more effectively, because of course, he did. Arlathan had to remind himself constantly Tathe was a swordmaster who'd been practising since he was old enough to speak, but it still got to him.

Everything about the damned Commissar got to him...in all honesty.

Arlathan glanced over his shoulder to the line of Stormtroopers and Throne Agents following him and Tathe. There was Karmen, in her full power armour including her helm, then sergeant Kollath, young Vex Carpompter who led four Stormtroopers who hauled his cogitator container between them. After them was Halsin, and watching the rear alongside five Stormtroopers was Torris. Twenty more Stormtroopers were held in reserve in the dropship they'd left at the LZ about twelve kilometres behind them. Ulysses was their designated pilot, which had been a bit of an existential crisis for Darrance; much to everyone's amusement, Darrance was happy he was on the field than waiting for the call as a pilot. But he was also torn on being replaced by his supposed rival, especially after Enandra had learned of his incredible piloting back on Sarkeath. Honestly, Arlathan would much rather have Darrance with him on the surface. As much as Ulysses was an excellent warrior with his dual bolt pistols, Darrance's abilities as a fighter, infiltrator and assassin far exceeded Ulysses. Arlathan would've more than wanted Hayden on the team; his skill-set far exceeded any other agents in their organisation in its diversity, but alas, a-frigging-las.

Arlathan had taken the lead along with Delan "frigging" Tathe, besides the four scouts invisible ahead, because he was supposed to be the leader. Still, by frig, he was struggling through the damned jungle, and everyone knew despite how much he tried to hide it. He was born and raised on a Hive world; this was most definitely not his element. He also felt naked; upon his ascendency to the rank of Interrogator, Enandra had gifted him his own set of power armour, he was forced to leave it back in the dropship and wear a black bodyglove beneath his pilgrim's robes. Privately, Arlathan disagreed with Enandra putting him in charge instead of Attelus, the main reason being that damned Space Marine Kalakor, who Attelus had somehow earned his friendship and respect. Arlathan didn't have that privilege, and Kalakor wasn't subtle about his disdain when he spoke down to Arlathan. He just hoped the Space Marine wouldn't cause any problems.

Arlathan slashed his way a few more metres, taking his anger out on the underbrush instead of who he wanted to take it out on.

Then he came almost face-to-face with the Velrosian scout, Dellenger, causing Arlathan to cry out and jump back.

'Oh, God-Emperor! Damn it, warn me next time you do that! Frig.'

'My apologies,' said Dellenger, but he didn't seem to mean it. 'It's getting dark...sir, but we have found a good place for us to set up camp.'

'"Good place", meaning a less-shit place, right?'

Dellenger shrugged in his annoyingly non-committal way. 'We've had worse, haven't we...Delan?'

'It's true,' said Tathe. 'I remember back on Cirlia, fifteen years back when we fought the Orks, we had to sleep on a ledge hanging over a half a kilometre drop in the middle of a sandstorm. Our only protection our sleeping bags. The ledge was only half a metre wide so that we couldn't set up tents, and we had to sleep in single file, several hundred of us. It was in a valley about two kilometres wide, and the Orks held the other side and were taking potshots at us the entire night. Emperor only knew how they knew we were there. We eventually had snipers set up in nests we dugout in the cliff face above us, despite the fear it might cause a rock collapse. But they may as well have been spitting into the wind. We lost troopers Rellit and Torl and sergeant Issla due to lucky shots that night.'