Vex Chronicles 4: Zeal

Grand prayer

Factory-City-2, grand prayer site, plaza of pilgrims

"Out of the way!" Jubelius shoved another pilgrim roughly aside.

Angry protests followed the sergeant's squad. But all that counted was the containers on the other side of the sea of people. The stacked up containers that made up the castle of metal contained the backup life support.

Gerrisat's skitarii swam in the slipstream of squad Jubelius, their weapons at the ready. But Jubelius couldn't see Hakkar's squad. However knowing the other sergeant, Hakkar would have somehow found a faster path to the target.

Gerrisat's words returned to the sergeant. Yep, there was clearly the marking of a female gender on the skitarii with the plasma caliver. Her name was Aliz-2, if Jubelius remembered correctly.

"I can see at least 6, no 7 men at site," came Hakkar's voice over the micro-bead. "Security gear and armed. They guard the two stairs leading up."

Jubelius smirked. Hakkar had found a quick path.

"No time to be fancy," Jubelius sent back. "We'll be there in a few minutes. You take the farther steps, my squad the other. We're flash our badges. And if they don't give us entrance, we'll light up our guns."

Jubelius pressed on through the crowd. Speakers had begun to bellow prayers into the masses. The invitation to join the opening ceremony. There wasn't much time left. And the charge against the entrances only slowed down the squad's advance.

The masses finally parted and the squad stared at the container castle. Three levels of stacked building containers with a central one on the roof where the strutted up air vents joined into.

The guards immediately saw the armed troopers march at them. And they didn't even gave Jubelius the chance to flash the crest of an imperial agent. They opened fire.

Factory-City-2, grand prayer site, backup life support

"Shit," she squeezed through gritted teeth.

She reached to the comm console, her eyes still glued to the monitor that showed the imperial soldier in carapace armor. She could feel it in her blood that they knew.

"Don't hesitate," she voxed to her loyal men. "Open fire. Let blood flow!"

She grabbed the two men left and right of her. And before those nonbelievers could even speak up, their heads cracked open on the table. She bit her own lips hard enough that blood flowed. But the pain kept back her desire to go down and join the slaughter.

Her finger rested on the button. She had a mission. She had to wait for the signal to pump the dust in.

Factory-City-2, grand prayer site, plaza of pilgrims

Sanriza had dropped to the ground the moment the shots had reached for them. Laser lances burned through the air above her back. Beside her Caupius grunted as he was hit. But the carapace held.

The pilgrims weren't as lucky. Stray shots went into the masses and panic spread, causing even more to die under frantic boots. They had to end it fast.

"Flush them out," Jubelius ordered. "Fast attack."

One of the three defenders went down as the troopers opened fire. The other two dove into cover behind metal battlements. But they were not enough. Sanriza pressed the trigger and flames licked over the barricades. This was the firepower of a true imperial flamer. Vermin-Ex's was nothing compared to this.