Warhammer 40,000: Stavrakis- The Hunt For Valakt

Confrontation

Lex was screaming. She screamed unceasingly. She was still screaming when the shroud faded and I found her. She immediately shut her mouth as the influx of stimulus slammed into her brain. She stood unblinking as she processed the sudden influx of information. A coalescing dark shape revealed itself to be a Librarian of the Raven Guard chapter.

"Lex!" I hissed impatiently. I shook her gently "We don't have time for this!" She blinked. Her head pivoted gently from side to side.

"W-What happened?" She whispered. "I saw a flock of Gargoyles and then..."

The form of the librarian finally took on reality and crumpled loudly to the dirt. She snapped at the sound, and shoved me away from her.

"Me and my landing team saw a bright flash from over the last hill." I said

"When we got near, all we saw was an empty field and then you and him," I pointed at the Astartes "materialised out of nowhere."

Lex knelt next to the Astartes Librarian. She began checking what little vital signs he might be exhibiting.

"Valakt... I think it was him." She muttered, pre-occupied with the Librarian. "Come on Lorax, you can do better than that."

The Librarian was alive, that much I could see. His great chest was heaving with heavy breathing, but he was non-responsive. Kalanaar knelt beside them, and extended his mind.

"He is psychically fatigued." He explained a moment later. "The Shroud he used had to be convincing to fool Valakt." That confirmed it was him. Damn that heretic.

"Can he move? Or be moved?" I snapped, feeling phantom jaws nip at my back. I hated being here. The pained screeching of Gargoyles dying coincided too perfectly.

"Gro'Kna is having all the fun. Let's move!" I shouted, turning away. Lorax's body jerked around until he was more or less standing upright.

"Someone. Please help support him." Kalanaar grunted, his mind enveloping the comatose Raven Guard's form. Aurora and Lex both took some of the weight under each arm. I looked around. The air was filled with tiny psyk-reactive ribbons. They flowed through the entire spectrum of visible colour into colours barely recognizable. I focussed on only one. My objective. I was close. I fancied I could almost smell his rancid blood running out. I saw a distant figure crest a hill far in the distance as I moved out. Squinting, I made out the shape of Gro'Kna. He was trying to signal us. I reached around and brought my rifle to bear, setting the sight on Gro'Kna. 

  "He's got footprints. Small band, maybe twelve. The hills get sparse from here on out apparently." I told the others. I did not have a group as large. It was Lex, Kalanaar, Senver, Lorax, Aurora and myself and Gro'Kna. Hopefully the Librarian would come around soon. I signalled back at him. I had a plan. At the end of that thought was another: "What is Valakt's plan?" 

Valakt kicked the remains of a Gargoyle off of his arm. He was furious. The Tyranids should not have attacked him this close! They had never come this close ever! The large circular hatch of the compound was barred, locked, secured and yet... Valakt knew, somehow, that it wouldn't hold him back. Tarrying while on the doorstep could have been fatal, but it was over now. They shouldn't have attacked him! Two of his thralls were dead. Not that he cared, but the numbers mattered. He looked around. The surrounding terrain and skies were clear. He cursed. The Synapse exclusion zone was always clear. His remaining thralls milled about aimlessly.

"You three!" He snapped. They shuffled over obediently. "Stand rearguard. Shoot anything that moves. A few hundred meters." They shuffled away obediently. He could see his objective in front of him. He motioned to another four.