Secret War: The Annihilation Plague (Part 2)

Chapter 26

Dellenger, Delathasi, and Darrance led the way, and it was when they were a good thirty kilometres from the city that the five Stormtroopers appeared in the underbrush. Their cameleoline armour switched off, showing their black armour and burgundy fatigues. Dellenger had a good idea of their position when they were about fifteen metres away, but he allowed them to believe their concealment was effective, just in case.

One of them approached and redundantly held up a junior rosette.

'We are here on the orders of the Interrogator, sir,' he said through the vox-enhanced grill on his helmet's rebreather.

Dellenger wasn't sure who he was referring to, but Darrance stepped forward.

'Good job...sergeant,' said Darrance, blatantly reading the Stormtrooper's pins. 'The others are only a few minutes behind, and remember, one's a Space Marine of the Raven Guard.'

They all straightened for a second before recovering their discipline with admirable speed. 'The Interrogator neglected to mention that, sir.'

Darrance shrugged and looked over his shoulder. 'I guessed, sergeant, hence why I told you. Where is the ship?'

'About twenty metres behind us, sir,' said the Stormtrooper with a wave of his thumb. 'Be careful. You might walk right into it.'

Darrance snorted. 'Don't you worry about us. You should be more careful about making statements like that, sergeant.'

The Stormtrooper sergeant straightened again. 'I-is that a threat, sir?'

'No, no, just a...recommendation not to underestimate us.'

The sergeant exchanged glances with his colleagues, his bemusement obvious even to Dellenger's eyes. It took him a good few seconds to reply as if choosing his words very carefully.

'I...of course, sir. My apologies. Please bang seven times against the hull, and you'll be let in.'

'Good, thank you,' said Darrance, and they began on, and it wasn't long before Delathasi said.

'You can be such an arsehole.'

'No, Delathasi, remember, I am still your master. So it's still "you can be such an arsehole, master."'

Despite himself, Dellenger couldn't help but laugh alongside Delathasi.

They didn't walk far before Dellenger noticed the slight shimmer through the trees, and he couldn't help but stop in his tracks.

How did Draven get such advanced technology? Dellenger had never seen such an effective cloaking at such a large scale before. Could it be...Xenos?

'Dellenger?' said Delathasi. Both she and Darrance had stopped a few metres ahead and were looking at him.

'Can't you see it?' said Dellenger.

'See...it?' said Darrance. 'You mean the ship?'

Dellenger walked past the assassins and up to the shimmering, then placed a palm against it.

Maybe with this ship, they had a fighting chance? Although, Dellenger had no idea what they could do from here on out.

But that wasn't up to him now, was it? A fact Dellenger was more than grateful for. He thought back to his conversation with Tathe. How the Commissar would have to bear the weight of ordering their friends and comrades to their deaths, as much as Adrassil would miss the countless names and faces, he...

Dellenger shook away the thought: Did he just refer to himself as Adrassil? How long had it been since he did that?

'Uhh, Dellenger,' said Darrance, knocking Dellenger back to reality. He snatched his hand back. 'Are you alright?'