//------------------------------// // Skitarii // Story: The Descent into Madness // by FenrisianBrony //------------------------------// Applejack Applejack turned her helmet over in her hooves, inspecting the blue surface, checking that none of the dents in it were anything more than cosmetic. Satisfied that the helmets integrity hadn’t been compromised she placed it with the rest of the checked armour and glanced outside. They had occupied one of the human barracks, their gear taken away for disposal or study by the Earth Caste, allowing Applejack and the others to have a place to rest their heads for the night. Outside the sun was already setting fast, those chosen for the first watch activating large spotlights to keep the perimeter secure from the counter attack that would surely come. No one was looking forward to the reprisals that were sure to come, the forces arrayed against them unnerving even the hardiest of Fire Warriors. “You going to check the armour again, or is seven times enough?” Hurnak asked, looking up from the datapad he had been studying. “Never hurts to be too careful, Sugarcube,” Applejack smirked, before picking up her own datapad. “Maybe ya should check yer weapon too, might make you shoot straight.” They had been issued while they had all been in stasis, giving more details on the Imperial military forces that they were likely going to be facing, ranging from their standard combat strategies to the known weak points in their vehicles. So far they had only encountered regular Imperial Guard, not Mechanicus Tech Guard, but they could still be out there, along with a host of others. One in particular made Applejack shudder every time she looked at it; titans. The datapad had allowed her to finally know what had attacked her on Styro, a Reaver-Class titan, but it also made her realise that the titan she saw was nowhere the largest class, dwarfed by the Warlord and Imperator-Class. Worse still, there was a Legion stationed on this world, and even though it was believed to be a small one, it was more than enough to bring back memories of being buried alive. “Applejack.” Ala’s voice caught Applejack’s attention, and she looked up at the squad commander. “Yes, Shas’Ui?” “First watch is about to come to an end, start getting your armour on, Freynat should be coming back soon, and I won’t see two of my squad being late for duty. Valnoth, you’re up as well.” Nodding, Applejack began to buckle her armour on, ignoring the slightly musky smell of sweat that now clung to it, leaving her rifle till last. As was standard for Tau doctrine, two members of every squad in the cadre would be placed on guard at any one time, meaning the perimeter was always guarded, but if something did happen, an entire squad wouldn’t be out of commission. Applejack wasn’t sure if the system worked perfectly, but she was not about to question it, lest she have another lecture from Freynat about the Greater Good. As if she had heard Applejack’s thoughts, Freynat turned a corner, almost walking straight into Applejack, the pair grinding to a halt, momentarily confused by the sudden appearance of one another, before Applejack regained her composure. “All quiet out there?” she asked, ignoring how easily she was just startled. “There is no sign of anyone coming to attack us if that is what you are asking,” Freynat replied. “We did have some deserters from the Imperial Forces stationed here return, surrendering themselves to the Greater Good.” “Turncoats?” Applejack asked, genuinely surprised. “I thought that y’all said that the humans hated non-humans.” “They do, but sometimes their blindness is cured and they turn to us,” Valnoth shrugged. “And that’s allowed?” “Not for me to say,” Freynat shrugged. “I just round them up when they come in. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to get some rest before tomorrow.” Applejack nodded as Freynat disappeared into the room, before exiting the building, emerging into the cool night, glancing up at the moon and smiling, momentarily thinking of Luna, before looking around for other Fire Warriors on patrol. It didn’t take her long to find some, and she made a bee line for them, each one getting their orders from a Crisis suited Shas’El. “You are the two from Shas’Ui Ala’s squad?” he asked, the battlesuits speakers causing his voice to sound mechanical, but still conveying emotion. “We are, Shas’El.” “Good, then that means we are back up to a full contingent of watchful eyes,” the Shas’El gestured towards the far side of the base, where the perimeter wall faced the nearest city. “Take up positions on the south east wall, if an attack comes, it is likely to come from there.” “Yes, Shas’El,” Valnoth nodded. “For the Greater Good,” he placed a fist to his chest piece. “For the Greater Good,” Applejack and Valnoth both responded without a second’s pause, before turning and quickly making their way to the wall, looking out at the city beyond. For the first time, Applejack managed to get a good look at what human civilisation looked like in this universe, and she let out an involuntary gasp as the sheer size of what they were fighting against hit her. Buildings spread across the landscape as far as she could see, ranging from small rectangular buildings to massive towers that pierced the clouds. Applejack wasn’t sure if they continued up into the atmosphere, but she wouldn’t say that it was impossible for a building on earth to end in space. Smoke clogged the sky around the towering structure, spewed forth from thousands of factories and manufactorums that characterised the Forge World. “It’s an interesting sight, is it not?” Valnoth asked, gesturing towards the city. “Yep, that it is,” Applejack nodded slowly. “Them humans certainly know how to build things big.” “Yes, it is a characteristic of their race,” Valnoth chuckled softly. “What they lack in technical expertise, they certainly make up for in tenacity, and sheer numbers.” “Yer sound like ya admire them,” Applejack pointed out. “Admire? Respect? Maybe even envy in some respects,” Valnoth corrected. “I’ve have fought them numerous times, each time feels like a failure on everyone’s part. One side is desperate to fight at every turn, and the other is more than willing to aggressively defend themselves.” “Which one is which though?” Applejack murmured. “That’s the spirit,” Valnoth laughed. “Warriors though we may be, we fight for peace, and every time we fire our weapons, we have failed in some respect. Doesn’t mean we don’t fire them though, we leave those decisions up to the might of the Ethereals and the Greater Good. It is our task to carry their light forth.” Applejack smiled beneath her helmet, Valnoth’s attitude comforting her that others in the cadre saw killing as a last resort, rather than the first option. She realised she hadn’t actually talked to Valnoth that much since joining the squad, and made a mental note to rectify that. “What are you thinking underneath that helmet, Applejack?” Valnoth asked, when Applejack’s silenced stretched towards a minutes. “What?” Applejack shook her head. “Oh, ah’m sorry, ah was just thinkin’, must have got lost in mah own thoughts.” “You should be more careful,” Valnoth chuckled. “I’m sure someone like yourself could get lost for quite a while inside…” Valnoth stopped short, suddenly looking out into the desert, gripping his rifle slightly tighter. Applejack turned her gaze towards the city as well, her helmets systems enhancing various parts as she looked at them, trying to figure out what Valnoth was looking at. “What is it?” she hissed, before gasping. A massive titan appeared from one of the huge buildings in the city, its size evident even over the great distance between them and it. It was larger than the one on Styro, matching her datapads entry on a Warlord-Class. Suddenly, a wave of sound physically hit her, a terrifying, bestial war horn sounding out from the titan. Applejack was about to cry out for reinforcements, to warn the others of what would soon be upon them, before Valnoth placed a hand on her back. “Wait, I do not believe we have to worry about this one.” True to Valnoth’s word, the Titan slowly began to turn its side towards them, beginning to stride off. More titans appeared from the hangers, until there were eleven in all, the small Warhounds roving ahead of the main group, while the Reavers formed up around the Warlord like pilot fish around a shark. “Where are they going?” Applejack breathed softly, awestruck by the display of power arrayed before her. “Our main attack force was tasked with eliminating Factorum Secondus to clear the way to Factorum Primus, I believe that it’s in that direction,” Valnoth replied after a moment’s thought. “They’re going to be in for a long night,” Applejack murmured. “Ah’ve seen what one of those things can do, let alone eleven.” “Let’s just be thankful that they haven’t decided to march on us, obviously we’re not a big enough threat to warrant their god machines, which is good. We have precious little air support as it is. I just hope the Cadre’s holding Factorum Secondus can hold out against that amount of firepower.” “If the Greater Good wills it,” the Crisis suited Shas’El startled both of them as he stopped behind them. “Any sign of movement towards us?” “None,” Applejack shook her head. “The only movement so far has been their titans marching off, but they’re not coming this way.” “Unless the swing around,” the Shas’El pointed out. “I want you two to keep an eye on them, if any of them look like they’re turning, place us high alert. We will need time to scramble a response.” “Aye, Shas’El,” Valnoth nodded. “Come on, Applejack, we best keep an eye on the titans.” Applejack nodded, her and Valnoth slowly walking around the perimeter of the base, making sure to keep the convoy of titans in their sights at all times. They were slowly getting further and further away, and it wouldn’t be long until they were lost from sight, before one of the Warhounds dropped back. “Is it just me or is that one slowing down?” Valnoth asked, craning his neck to get a better view. “Maybe it’s broken down?” Applejack suggested. “Maybe, but I think we should be ready, just in case.” Valnoth muttered. “Go and find the Shas’El, let him know.” Applejack nodded, giving the titan one last glance, before freezing as it turned, bounding back towards them, moving far faster than anything its size had any right to. In a matter of moments, it had covered a quarter of the distance between them, its war horn blaring, and while it wasn’t quite as loud or as terrifying as the Warlords, it was still enough to freeze the blood in Applejack’s veins. “Sound tha alarm!” Valnoth roared, grabbing Applejack’s hoof and pulling her along, breaking her from her stupor. “Go to the Shas’El, he’ll give out orders, I’m going to wake alert others.” Applejack didn’t need to reply as Valnoth headed towards the centre of the camp, other guards already scrambling as they either heard Valnoth’s warning or saw the titan approaching. Skidding to a halt in front of the Shas’El, she took a second to catch her breath, before giving a stuttering report. “A…A Warhound has turned around and is coming straight for us, it will be on us in minutes.” “Are there any others?” the Shas’El asked, his voice remaining calm. “Not that I saw,” Applejack shook her head. “The others are still heading for Factorum Secondus.” “I must alert the Air Caste, if we can scramble Barracuda’s we may be able to eliminate it,” the Shas’El announced. “Everyone else is to load onto the Manta’s, we may lose the base but the cadre will survive. Return to your squad, now.” As he finished speaking, the Shas’El took to the skies on a tongue of blue fire, leaving Applejack to turn and head back towards her barracks, only to stop as she heard a large amount of heavy footsteps. She had learnt what Tau sounded like when they walked and ran, and even knew what Kroot and Demiurg footfalls sounded like, and these weren’t them. These were heavy, slamming down in perfect synchrony. Not even the most well drilled Tau could do that, and Applejack was again frozen in fear as a trio of…things walked around the corner. They were big, easily as big as the Space Marines she had seen on Styro. Unlike them though, these were fusions of flesh and metal, their muscles bulging, before pistols and gears took over. Their arms ended in various vicious looking weapons, each one sporting a ranged weapon of some sort, as well as horrific close combat swords, claws and fists. Applejack immediately thought of the servitors she had seen before, but these were different. They did not look like they were tortured souls, or that they were mind controlled automatons, these were fully aware, living creatures. “Target acquired,” the lead one growled, its voice was grating and robotic, but it had a savage undertone to it. “Moving to apprehend.” Applejack turned to run, before something slammed into her. It didn’t hurt as much as it wrapped around her hind leg, before suddenly coming alive, electricity coursing through her leg. That part did hurt. Applejack screamed as the power surged through her leg, all her muscles seizing up for a split second, sending her sprawling to the floor. She could feel her heart beating erratically as the three creatures approached her, her hind legs kicking out as the electricity continued to shock her. All of her armours systems were going haywire, flashing and glaring, threatening to blind Applejack, before going dark, the lens allowing her to still see, but not much else. “Target apprehended,” the lead one spoke, the one who had fired the electrical cable leaning down to pick her up, tossing her over its shoulder like she was a sack of potatoes. “Returning to base. All units, eliminate this base, purge the xenos. Praise the Omnissiah.” “P-P-Ple…ase,” Applejack managed, her teeth chattering and her tongue barely obeying her instructions. The creatures didn’t respond, striding through the base with an air of indifference to the fact that they were in the middle of an enemy stronghold. Soon, Applejack knew why they acted like they did, any Tau coming across them being cut down without a seconds thought, their gun arms nearly deafening Applejack each time they fired, making her thankful that her helmets sound-dampening filters still worked without power. The trio of creatures headed towards the perimeter wall that Applejack had first been stationed on, passing by more of their kind as they slowly and methodically advanced into the base, silencing all that opposed them. As they reached the parapet, they stepped off as casually as if they had stepped out from a vehicle, uncaring about the ten meter drop. Applejack screamed as they fell, scrunching her eyes tightly shut as her cries reverberated around her sealed helmet, painfully assaulting her already sensitive eardrums. The next thing she knew she was hitting the ground, bouncing as she was dropped. Her first instinct was to run, and she managed to make it halfway to her hooves before electricity slammed into her body once again, forcing another scream from her lips, her tongue going fully numb as the surge subsided, rendering her mute, save for a few unintelligible moans. “Careful, please,” a soft, nasal voice chastised the creature, the figure it belonged to moving into view. “We do not wish to damage the specimen too much before we can examine it.” The new speaker was definitely more human than the creatures it spoke to, but it was by no means unaltered. Metallic implants covered a good portion of its face and hands, the rest of its body obscured by flowing red robes, bearing the cog symbol of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Two large metal arms protruded from its back, one ending in a vicious looking drill, while the other ended in a clamp, both moving slightly, as if of their own free will. Other metal protrusions moved around the humans body, encircling it and loving down to point at Applejack. Even in her current state, Applejack guessed that this was one of the human tech priests, and tried to squirm away from it as it bent down towards her, only for a foot of one of the warrior creatures to be placed on her back, holding her still. It wasn’t pushing down hard enough to seriously hurt her, but it still made her cry out once again. The tech priest glared at the creature, a screeching static emerging from a speaker built into its throat, before it spoke again. “I told you to be careful.” Turning its attention towards her, the Tech Priest spoke again. “I wonder, can the creature understand us?” “It was exhibiting knowledge of low gothic, in an attempt to plea for mercy,” the lead creature spoke. “From it’s reaction to our electro-whips we believe it is organic in nature.” “Remove it’s helmet,” the Tech Priest ordered, Applejack’s helmet being ripped off almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth. “Hmm, yes, definitely organic. I will sedate it, and then transfer it to the Magos Biologis crawler.” “Yes, Secutor,” the lead creature nodded, an needle emerging from one of the Tech Priests limbs and sliding into Applejack’s neck, causing her to wince and moan, the green liquid within disappearing as it was pushed into her blood. Applejack could feel her body growing weaker, the electro-whip being withdrawn from her leg as she rolled onto her back, casting her eyes up at the sky. She as just in time to see one of the two Manta’s at the base take flight, its weapons firing at unseen targets and its shields glowing bright, before it shot upwards, disappearing from sight, passing a pair of Barracuda’s as they headed towards the base. “Order your Skitarii to eliminate all remaining opposition, our war engine will re-join the march on Factorum Secondus,” the Tech Priest ordered, looking down at Applejack. “We have what we came for.” The last thing Applejack remembered was being picked up once more, before the drugs overwhelmed her system and her world went black.