The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

Chapter 34: Positioning to Strike

A slow breath in and out as he focused on the disassembled Shiva on the silk cloth in front of him. Then he reached out and took hold of the first piece.

This was it. What he had been waiting for ever since stepping off that plane nearly a month ago. The opportunity to directly strike at the enemies of Ventru. And, not coincidentally, the enemies of all Vampire kind. Finally he would have the chance to spill blood and let it grow cold on the uncaring ground as he slaughtered his enemies and broke their Houses and Clans beneath his boots.

Snik. The first piece fitted smoothly into the second piece and the weapon's power cell came silently online, sending a dance of lights over its indicators.

Yes, the chance to strike at their enemies. But it had come with a cost. Traitors within the Qos Viran, High Lords of prominent Houses turning their backs on the Conclave and actively hunting down liliths. Slavers capturing and trafficking in liliths that had been weaponized against not only their future owners, but their rescuers as well. Schisms between the Conclave and the Council of the Night, along with a traitor on the council triggering a purge against Ventru. A traitor in a Ventru High House. The loss of his commander and mentor.

So much loss, it was hard to keep track of it all. So much innocent vampire blood shed by the human White Flame faction, and the Hand. There was much to account for.

Snik. The third piece fit into place and he reached for the magazine, filled to capacity with micro-ceramic rounds.

All that, he now had to push into the background. This strike needed his absolute focus. He couldn't afford even the slightest sliver of emotion to touch his battle calm. No thought of Fiadh, or Dru, or even Mara, who carried his heir. As far as he was concerned, they never existed. The only thing that existed now was war.

Snik. The magazine locked into place, completing the Shiva's assembly. Everything that the traitor had access to, would be standing between the Wolf Pack and the Council of the Night. The Hand, loyalist nestari, and a multitude of White Flame operators, just to name the obvious pieces. Which was good; he wouldn't need to hunt through the Nocturnum to kill them all.

Time to make them all dead!

"Hunter, make the call," Lash said as he pulled on his fatigues after sealing his neuron armor. He then holstered his Shiva and reached for his backpack.

"Acknowledged, Lord Commander," the base's AI smoothly replied. Then, in a much louder voice that echoed through the entire facility:

"By order of the Lord Commander of the Qos Viran, all special operations assets are ordered to your transports," the AI said over the intercom. "I repeat, all special operations assets to your transports. Wheels up in ten minutes."

The Nighthawk's rotors began to smoothly spin up as Lash walked towards it, his backpack over his shoulder. Already in his armor and equipment, his weapons attached to readiness harnesses, the big vampire was ready for combat. There was the sound of boots running over the deck behind him. Then Truk was falling in on his right and Narcist on his left, both fully equipped and ready for fight, the two silently pacing him.

They didn't need to greet each other, or even talk. They knew what they were there for. The time for talking was past. Now ... Now was the time to shed blood!

The big vampire didn't have to look over his shoulder to see the rest of his team. He knew they were there, ready to fight. He could feel their desire to fight, their blood lust. Good. In a couple of hours they would have all the fighting and all the blood they could handle.

With silent determination the Wolf Pack marched up the access ramp into the back of the Nighthawk. As they did, Lash looked across the flight deck to spot the two Nighthawks that would carry Naryan and her Force Recon to Varos Ejzhaka, where they would use a separate secret entrance to enter the vampiric capital and make their way to the Nocturnum to establish entry from the roof.