Vex Chronicles 2: Outbreak

Prepare to board

Eredius III, orbit, aboard Aes Cognis

Vex hadn't lied. It had been more than tight in the inquisitor's own gunship with Jubelius and his squad cramped into the Minerva's Spear. But Jubelius had insisted to come along. He had a lot of death to avenge.

When sergeant Jubelius stepped down the ramp he was happy to finally have some space. He had taken one of the heavy weapon's teams from Hakkar's squad with him. Trooper Gertra and her ammo carrier Riadus had somehow managed to get heavy stubber and ammunition in with the others.

Trooper Caupius and his machete had survived the slaughterhouse of the maglev. And his deadly skills with a knife would be a blessing in close quarters of the station station. Trooper Kalitco was with them for his medical skills. And two other's from squad Usmantis had joined with meltaguns, troopers Laius and Malone, if Hakkar wasn't mistaken. And the other three spots had been filled up with survivors of squad Jubelius' troopers.

The space marines of the Void Hunters stood there in stoic silence. But Jubelius had no idea if they mocked the weak 'normals' behind their sealed helmets on private comm channels... The imperial heroes were a book with a lot of seals for the sergeant.

Jubelius had never seen them in action. All he knew was the stories of godlike beings that dominated the battlefield. And now he would march into war beside them. And he would do so on a space station. The space marines had sealed suits, the drop troopers only rebreathers... A vacuum breach and this would be a quick end for the joined squad.

All they got was a short break to refuel and rearm the gunship. The inquisitor had removed his faceless mask. And to the sergeant's surprise, Vex looked very much human. He wasn't the grim faced bastard that he had expected the inquisitor to be. The man was tired, had rings underneath his eyes from lack of sleep. He looked a lot less heroic and grim without his mask...

"The Minerva's Spear is ready and waiting." Kressman nodded towards the gunship. "And your... xenos experiment is already aboard. I again have to complaint. Giving her a weapon is bad. Psykers and xenos..."

"I apprezziate... zze gezzture." Hasthia threw a glance at the grumpy veteran while managing to look miffed.

The scalie stood there in pieces from Kressman's spare carapace armor. The only armor that remotely fit the muscular and broad frame of the lizard woman. But she had refused to replace her staff and her pipe pistol with another armament. At least she had an additional laspistol on her hips.

"Madman... out of your... armor," Hasthia suddenly demanded.

"What?" Vex looked at the brutish lizard woman in confusion.

"Undrezz... Healerzz orderzz..." Her guttural voice was demanding. Hasthia was clearly a woman that did not asked but commanded. And with her scarred muscles and her demanding aura, only few would have rebuffed her demands.

Vex was visibly perplex. And when Hasthia clumsily tried to peel him put of his armor he patted her hand away.

"You are... strezzed... You need... relief."

"Yes, you do," Sill joined in. Her voice was jesting. But there was honest worry in it as well.

And before Vex even understood what had happening he was peeled out of his light power armor by both. "What are you two doing?"

"Relaxing you," Sill looked at Hasthia and back to Vex. "Apparently. But you don't look relaxed..."

Jubelius could see that the inquisitor was about to object again, when clawed hands got to work and massaged his shoulders and neck. And by the Emperor, it looked as if Hasthia knew what she was doing. How could those brutish paws be so gentle?