For Liberty, Unity, Purity and the Minitor Sector

[t⊗theark]

Lorenzo nodded,
"Be sure that the best of Nergal's scions keep her, we have both been decended from Dark Eldar and eldar births are... complicated." Lorenzo hopped onto the bike behind the cultist and beckoned Pest to hang on. They sped off to a Koservitch camp, the flag of the union flying high while troopers stood guard along side recently arrived Khorne Beserkers and Raptors- combat specialist Spacemarines from the Cardinal Rage and Black Word warbands, as well as more space marines space marines from the Ice Drakes and Golden Ram chapter. They were moving out as Lorenzo upon the cultist's bike entered the camp, zooming passed them in rhinos and chimeras.

The cultist lead him to the physician's tent where a bloated Sorcerer or Nurgle stood, from his belt hanging elixirs, potions and medicines amongst medical tooks and surgical equipment. His hands where elbow high in blood and his face looked fatigued after long hours of keeping the walking dead breathing.
"You are Lorenzo Puopolo? You look far younger than I would have expected. Wolf hybrids reach maturity quickly, you look barely 18."
"I am he Physician," Lorenzo bowed in respect, "I am distantly disended from Half Eldar."
"How interesting. Your name is well known, Lord Commisar Risharx has spoken well of the long service of 'Puppy'. It should be I bowing to you." The doctor dipped , leaning on his staff which was atopped with an icon of Nergal.
"What is the status of the girl, physician?" Lorenzo said, clearly impatient with the formalities.
"She is yet to be attended to, hald eldar births can be complicated. Please, let us tend to your wound this night. You may see her tomorrow whence you have recovered from your battle. Even you Berserkers need rest and food before battle."

He was shown to a tent where several nurses examined him for cuts and sprains, using magic to heal his wounds which appeared to fester and rot before healing him. He was given food and a bed and was assured that he would he would be returned to the bulk of the army where he would be charged with a new Storm Strooper squad to command.

That night, many of the soldiers that had moved out that morning were rushed back, paper thin plastic discs and shining silk like wire embedded into their bodies and armour. Survivors were babbling about Them and the coalition being attacked when they fought over a position that had been the sight of an ancient civilization's Tomb complex by ghosts faster that the eye could see, walking among them were living statues. Lorenzo poked his head out of his tent to hear one man stutter about the Coalition Forces collecting technology from lifeless robotic skeletons when phantom women who sang a deathly, ghostly scream came out of no where to tear the men to pieces. Metal corpses? Phantoms in the fog? This couldn't be the Crusade's work.

[Yuno]

Complicated was an excellent word to describe Vierna. She's sat quietly in the tent hugging her stomach and being brought plenty of food and water until the Sun fell. But by then she'd lost her patience and dared to venture out of the tent although it required much limping and holding herself up on a spear she'd found in the tent. She hobbled to the flap and lifted it.

The guards posted moved to block her path. "You aren't to leave until the Sorcerer returns. He is speaking with others now. Turn around."

"I'm not in his command. I'm a mercenary without a unit and unlikely to get paid sitting here. You can't hold me here."

"We can do anything we want in that case. Since you have nobody to speak for you as commander. Turn around and go back inside now."

Vierna's instincts to fight and grow angry were fast. She was used to moving fast but her body was still weakened from the wound to her leg and she stumbled as she moved forward to hit the man. Somewhat unluckily, the other guard caught her midfall in his arms.
"Stop being foolish. You aren't in any condition to fight us. Do you want to hurt your baby?" He dragged her back in as he admonished her and then lifted her back onto the cot. "He'll be in when he has a moment. Until then just sit there and rest."

Although she hated the two men's tones, she miserably had to agree she had nothing she could do. So she sat glaring until the Scion from earlier returned.

"The guards mentioned you tried to leave. Please don't do that. You are weak yet. Lay still and let me look at you."
"Get away from me. I don't want your help."
"Look I could let them in here and then strip you against your will. But I know you are a proud woman. I've heard your story now. So hold still and let me have a look to see if you and your baby are healthy."
She leered at him through the whole process of him poking her belly and muttering to Nurgle. When he finally finished he stood up.
"That scar on your chest. How did you get it."
"Torture."
"What kind?"
"The kind where they stick needles in a line down your chest hitting major organs and then run an electric current through it while they pump you full of regeneration chemicals."
"How long did you go through that."
She only looked at him until he left her.

[Esiphas]

An'yra walked to the camp with Toran. After an initial struggle getting past a sceptical guard at the gate, The pair found a Cultist Servant and told him to inform Lorenzo they had returned. Then, An'yra took Toran to a large campfire. Sitting next to him, she began preparing some food from her own supplies. "I know you are new to this whole scene, but you probably won't want to eat the food they have here. Here. Eat this." She handed him a bowl full of some sort of meaty stew. "It's not perfect, but its warm, and you won't catch pox eating it..." An'yra took her helmet off and picked her own bowl up. "Hopefully I'm not that bad of a cook." She said with a light smile.

[daboss]

Toran took the food with a smile, but he did not feel comfortable here. Between spoonfuls of the stew, he watched cultists glance his was in a less-than-friendly manner. He nervously looked back towards An'yra. "I am not sure I should be here," He said in a low voice, "I am, or was, an imperial currently in chaos-controlled territory. Besides, if they come after me, who says they will not kill you too." Toran looked straight into An'yra's eyes. "I don't want any harm to come upon you. I probably should have told you this before, but I love you. Promise me that if they come to kill me, that you will run. Do not turn back. If i will be able to escape, I will find you."

[mantisstalker]

Pest walked into the camp later than the others as even though he had come in with the werewolf he had gone back out to help clean up the remains of the sisters. As he walked he looked unusually solemn taking off his gas mask and goggles before storing them in a small sac and pulling down his hood revealing how young he actually was. It was a stark comparison to the bird masked crazy the others saw before.

As he walked Pest muttered a little to himself but in a place like this it wasn't uncommon and was about to head off and find the werewolf again when he spotted the Imperial and the Tau. He stopped blinking before walking towards them lurking a bit to the side as they finished their conversation. When the Imperial stopped speaking he walked in and promptly squatted down next to them looking at the trooper.

"How romantic." He said with the twitch of a smile but otherwise did nothing. He looked at their blank looks and realized that they had never seen him without his mask off. "C'mon guys. Its me!" He made a gesture that looked like a bird beak with one hand. When they didn't respond he rolled his eyes and carried on.

"Anyways, I have a gift for you Romeo, it should help with all these deranged corrupted mutants trying to kill you..." And with that Pest pulled out a spare uniform that looked identical to his apart from it wasn't sown together from dozens of different sets. Just as he was about to hand it over however he pulled it back. "It come at a condition however. I need you to look after something for me... And you can't tell anyone. Especially not me. No Yam would go nuts, but I just need you to look after it. No more." It might have been a bit of a confusing explanation but Pest didn't seem to care instead he just crouched there looking at them with a look in his eye that made it apparent this was a different person then the one they had seen slaughter dozens of men.

[Esiphas]

An'yra stared at Toran for a moment or two, her blueish cheeks turning light, almost white. "You... You love me..." She said, very quietly. Her mind flashed to her sister, and the human she had fallen in love with. Looking back up to Toran, she gave him a nervous smile. "You love me." She repeated, before she threw her arms around him and kissed him full on the lips, not caring who was looking. Or at least, she thought so,not ill Pest spoke. An'yra jumped a little releasing Toran from her grip, her cheeks Snow White as she blushed furiously. Once pest was done talking, she stared at him in silence, curious about his sudden personality hange, and his willingness to help.

[Yuno]

Finally able to rest, Vierna lay back on the cot provided her hands on her swollen stomach. The Scion had told her before leaving that he couldn't really be certain how far along she was because she'd refused to reveal the race of the father. He'd yelled at her and even come close to physical violence, but none of it had shaken her resolved face. Even he must be feeling a bit ridiculous to shout at a woman who'd survived the things she had.

This thought was responsible for the smile on her face as she rubbed her stomach trying to remember how long ago it had been since she'd escaped them - him. It was hard to say, she hadn't really had all her marbles when she'd first made a break for it. It could have been 3 months ago. It could have been closer to 7. She smiled and patted her stomach her smile broadening as she felt several kicks answer the slight pressure. "Someday soon me and you baby we aren't going to be here. We'll make it somewhere far away from this. I'll have enough money to take care of us both forever. And they'll never find us. He'll never get us." She began to hum slightly at this which eventually turned into a whispered singing. It wasn't long after that she fell asleep.
________________________________

She woke up the next day with the worst foot ache of her life. She grimaced as she sat up rubbing her hair and looked at her wounded leg which was also throbbing with pain and looked down at swollen feet. She patted her stomach. "We couldn't this the easy way this morning could we. This must be payback for the blood loss yesterday." She stood up to find another Scion, this one female standing quietly in the corner.

Vierna glared at her. "You people have no sense of privacy."
"Apologies. I was waiting for you so that we could get you cleaned up before you meet Lorenzo and the head Sorcerer. Don't take this the wrong way but you look like (please do not swear)."
Vierna let out a full throated laugh before standing up. "And where is it that I'm going to fix that? This is a war torn planet. Not an island resort." The woman grinned at her. "Cold oasis water. Fresh from a night of freezing cold not warmed that much by the sun." Vierna glared in response to this as she was taken several stumble filled yards to the oasis spoken of and allowed to bathe.

She climbed out her teeth chattering as the woman offered her clothing and armor back. She pulled them on before tying her newly brushed hair back again. She sighed at the woman who was preparing to leave. "What is this all about. Why are you all so uptight about the fact I'm knocked up?"

The woman turned back to her, "Because. We think the Kabal wants you. And we think they'll give a lot to have you. And we think that's because your child must be special. And if it is special to them. It might be special to us." Vierna felt cold at these words for the first time that morning.

[daboss]

Toran did not expect that. Not at all. It took him half a second to realize what was happening and put his arms around An'yra. He knew that she liked him, but he did not see that coming. Even worse was the arrival of Pest. At the most awkward time. As usual. Still, An'yra's reaction was funny to watch. Even though Toran felt his own fact grow red, the pure embarrassment in An'yra's expression was priceless. He fought to hold back a smile as he turned to face Pest. The uniform he offered seemed a gift of good will, but the proposal was odd. Still, perhaps Pest was actually trying to protect them and their new love, or he was just trying to serve his own interests. Toran gave a glance towards An'yra's before heading off to try on his new uniform.

Toran came back to the campfire wearing the new koservitch union uniform. Night was beginning to fall, so Toran approached An'yra's carefully in case she was asleep. She was still awake, but only just. Slowly, he placed one of his emergency blankets over her. Slowly, he sat down beside her, eventually falling asleep.

[Esiphas]

An'yra had changed out of her Combat Armour, which lay next to her drone a few feet away. She smiled softly as Toran lay next to her, and sipped and rm around him before kissing him on the lips. "Night..." She murmured before falling asleep with her head on his chest.

Waking the next morning, she sat up, yawned a bit., then looked down at where Toran was sleeping next to her. Smiling, she leant over him and gave him a quick Kiss on the nose. "morning, sleepyhead. We'd better get up." she left him there as he stirred, and began to pull on her over clothes, which basically consisted of a jumpsuit. Following that, a good amount of her armour went on, but not all of it, the remainder being packed up and stored on the drone. "Are you okay Toran?"

[t⊗theark]

Lorenzo was getting restless. He was fit for battle now, his blood lust was hardly contained. He was fit for battle now, he was sitting here while other's fight for their cause. Now deep into the night, he heard the sounds of battler roar closer. The utterance of unholy spells and the din of sonic weaponry meant the Coalition of the Free were pushing back, the light of the explosions littered the horizon just over the crest of the distant ridge. A new wave of Koservitch Union Predator Destructors, Leman Russ Conquerors and Decmiator Daemon Engines trundled by, stopping at the out post briefly to resupply before going off to reinforce the line. Lorenzo had gone days without food or true sleep however, and gave into his weariness.

The next day, Lorenzo jolted up by the scream of a falling shell. The inevitable boom got him right out of his bed. He donned his battle gear within 30 seconds, charging out of his tent with his chain axe revving he looked around, looking around prepared for battle drawing the attention of other soldiers. The physician approached him to calm him down,
"Berzerker Puopolo, do not fret. The Coalition has resorted to longer ranged bombardments after they were pushed back by a recent armoured counter attack. That has been the 3rd stray shell this hour."
"Squad or not I shall now return to battle!"
"Please Veteran, you shall return to battle by the morrow, we assembled severeal surviving storm troopers for you to lead. I request verification that you know the expectant Half Eldar, it turns out that she may have direct links with the Commorites themselves."
"I had thought she had ties to the Kabal of the Wraith Kind."
"Yes, a Dark Eldar Archon may have fathered her child"


Lorenzo was brought to one of the medical tents again, coming to one of the rooms where Vierna laid.
"I am affiliated with her Physician"
"And you deem her trust worthy?"
"I have no reason to question her character as of yet."
"It will take me to call upon all of the knowledge I have of Nergal's greatness, the gestation of half eldar is unpredictable to say the least" Lorenzo approached her, asking
"Are you okay? Did this not earn mention?"

(ooc- Namine, shove some of your next post in here, I'm flexible.)

---

Lorenzo was brought out to be introduced to his new charge by General Rexed, a goat man hybrid. This would be his 4th squad he had commanded. The role of a storm berzerker saw dangerous positions, those who were considered elite enough to be selected were thought to see their career end soon for the glory of the gods. Lorenzo was commended for being a survivor, the blood he has spilt in revenge of his daughter to regain his honour has stained the very fate of his soul.
"We have an important covert mission for these storm troopers to go behind enemy lines. A Valkyrie is in waiting to make a grav-chute drop onto a position where we think Pauline Randeth will be situated tomorrow"
"The Coalition's Leader is here?"
"Yes, and she'll be bringing a daemonic cohort with her. You'll be one of 6 squads and will be accompanied by 3 Spacemarine units from The Black Word including a Holy Sorcerer who wishes to summon the Angelic Host of Bloodthirster Zeandrath."
"Why tomorrow?" snapped Lorenzo, risking a charge of insubordination, "The source should be able to pinpoint where she is now! My family should be living in a sector without that filth as soon as possible"
"You should be proud of Kharneth's fury but that is for tomorrow. We strike when we judge the Crusade attacks Coalition worlds. Distracted and resources stretched thin, we should be able to take the head off the snake while our imperial enemies deal with the serpent's body surrounding and constricting it...."

Lorenzo's attention was divided some what as he thought he saw Toran and the Tau. Imperial forces have penetrated the camp.
"General! I must interrupt to inform that-"

"ALL IS DUST!"
Dreadclaw Drop pods hammered from the sky before Lorenzo could expose them. The war cry came as a loud whisper from space marines who bore the Golden Ram's insignia but were other wise adorned in Tzeentchian amour - The Rubric Marines. Along side them were insane Space marines that proudly wore garish jewelry and fabrics, wielding the strange sonic weaponry the Coalition had learned to manufacture. As the attackers mowed down the ill prepared personnel, Lorenzo chaged towards the fight he carved, taking pot shots with his hot shot las pistol, but the rubric marines seems all but immune from the armour piercing damage. One of the Noise marines shrilled,
"No need to fight us, hear the sweet song of Slaanesh!" The cacophony was so loud, Lorenzo could he it in his bones. He was knocked to the ground, fading in and out of consciousness as the slaughter was cut very short indeed.

The Chaos Space marines were distracted by a a building that had faded in from nowhere. Enigmatic metallic corpses had appeared with rifles that shot emerald lightening. The battle moves away as the Attacking space marines turned their fire to the strange, new threat. This must be the Crusade somehow, Lorenzo thought, as the bodies that were brought low repaired them selves until several rounds of inferno bolts kept them down, but by that point they simple disappeared in a flash of green light. The Rubric and noise marines charged off, leaving what Koservitch men in the camp who survived be, towards the black pyramid atoppped with a green crystal. There were cries from the slaughtered Space marines, Lorenzo thought that as soon as this new strange weapon from the Imperium had done with them, they would move onto the Koservitch camp. however, the android soldiers simply faded out without a word, the building disappearing into thin air.

Lorenzo's rent body laid limp in the mud, his murdered general by his side. He had not believed what he just saw. What sorcery did the imperium have to make these metalic soldiers? Why did they rescue the Union members from this attack? Perhaps Toran was an ally.

---

Flying vehicles shimmered in and out of sight in the distance as if they had been a moment too late. They were dark eldar vehicles, but with a different design. The slender phantoms seemed to watch them still, stones in their chests glowing slightly. They too moved on.

[mantisstalker]

They could tell Pest was reluctant to give Toran the uniform without them first agreeing to help him but didn't say a word as the trooper took the cloths. When he had walked away to change Pest turned to the Tau "I take it you agree to help then... I'll bring you the object later when I have a chance to fetch it." And with that he stood and walked into the night. It didn't take long for him to find a quiet corner and curl up. The night passed in a blur of motion and smells as Pest stared up at the stars listening carefully to the secrets whispered in his sleep. He might have hated the creature but he could be helpful sometimes...

Pest watched the slow rise of the sun and didn't move even as the shells began to fall until the corrupted Golden Rams attacked. Slowly standing up he started to head away from the fighting. He had things to do after all and the longer that thing was asleep the longer he had to do them.

[daboss]

Toran was awoke by a quick kiss from An'yra. Drowsily, he began to pull himself together and get his bearings. He was in the Koservitch camp. He was by he burned-out campfire with An'yra. She ha already packed up the armor she was not using onto the drone by the time he had managed to grab his lasgun and rub the last remnants of sleep out of his eyes. Toran turned as An'yra asked if he was ok. Toran walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek. "I am fine, given the location where we stayed the night. I should not have slept in this armor though--". Toran was cut off by he slamming of chaos drop-pods into the fort. Ostentatiously armored marines disembarked and began opening at everything in sight. "C'mon An'yra, lets go!" Toran shouted over the din. The both ran away from the fort, occasionally turning to fire lasgun and pulse rife at the coalition troops.

Suddenly, emerald arcs of energy shot past Toran's head. "(Please do not swear)!" Toran exalaimed as a shot arced close enough to leave black scorch marks on the side of his face. Whatever these new opponents were, they were no allies of the coalition. Eventually, Toran and An'yra reached a area of thin woods, but they were far enough away from the battle. Both collapsed as the adrenaline from the run began to wear off. Toran held An'yra close as the thunder if distant explosions faded and eventually stopped.

[Yuno]

Vierna had sat in her clothing and armor arms folded as the Scion Woman spoke at her.

"Who is the father of your child."
Vierna didn't even look at her, just hummed and rubbed her stomach in a way that was intended to irritate the Scion.
"How long have you been pregnant."
"Do you speak their language."
Vierna nodded at this and then returned to humming.
"Why did you leave them? What made you want to escape."
Vierna looked up and sneered" The greater glory of Nurglitch of course."
That earned her the woman striding forward hand raised. As her hand was about to connect with Vierna's face she found herself tumbling into the sand on which the tent stood. Vierna had lost patience with the woman that was clear. She moved forward lifting her up by the ridiculous robes she wore and her voice was a cold whisper.
"I don't care to answer those questions to your Sorcerer, and I especially don't intend to answer them to you. Where is Lorenzo?"

It was then that the Sorcerer and Lorenzo entered the tent. She dropped the Scion in response to this. The woman in a flurry of shamed rage burst from the tent yelling at the Sorcerer "Good Luck"

By then, Vierna had reseated herself and was studying her shapely fingernails. As Lorenzo approached she stood up bowing in respect.
"I am fine. But I wish to leave this place and rejoin the battle efforts. I want my sword and fan back too."

The Sorcerer stepped forward. "I'm afraid that is out of the question. You are with child."

Vierna glared hard "I hadn't noticed, I thought it was my diet."

The Sorcerer rubbed the back of his head clearly feeling she was impossible to deal with. "Look perhaps if you answered our questions regarding the child's father and how long you'd been pregnant we could come to an arrangement."

Vierna clearly wasn't swayed. "You're wondering if you can strike a deal with him if you return me and the sword I took from him. Well you probably could. And if you're wondering what my child is worth. I don't know. I haven't asked the Gods lately if I'm especially special in pregnancy. But I would sooner kill myself and this child then go anywhere near the Kabal again."

She folded her arms at this and nobody standing in that room thought she was bluffing. "I follow Lorenzo. You can try to keep me here, But I suspect you have more troubles on your hands then just another pregnant woman. So good luck."

Then Lorenzo interrupted as the Sorcerer turned holding Vierna's weapons from a cultist. She took them with a barely polite nod as the Sorcerer left leaving it to Lorenzo to convince her not to fight. They both stared hard at each other. He could see she had the unbreakable will in this regard but her face softened. "Lorenzo, I know little of who you are. But one of the Scions told me you once had a family. If you did then I am not asking you as a soldier to let me go. I'm asking you as a mother. These people don't care about me or my child. And neither will the Kabal. Please, I only want to leave this place." She moved to walk past him slowly giving him the option to stop her but believing he would not.
__________________________________________________________

She was well away from the camp, headed for the same woods that Toran and Any'ra had when the attack began. She managed to duck down and only witness it. Her mind told her keep running. But she knew Lorenzo was down there somewhere. He'd let her go. She owed him. So she began the quick paced run back to the camp. As she moved she couldn't help but think how lucky she was that she hadn't been at camp. If she'd been there she might be dead right now. She reached the camp and began to look over the survivors eventually spotting Lorenzo she moved to him. "Are you okay?" she moved to help him sit up. "Come on, we can't stay here. Whatever that was might strike again."

[Esiphas]

An'yra held Toran as tigh as she could, her eyes wie with fear. "Those weapons... Metal creatures. They can't be here... They can't..." She shuddered, looking around. "Are... There any nearby? Any we can see? We don't want those things anywhere near us, if they are what I think they are." After reassuring herself they were safe, An'yra began putting the rest of her armour back on. "We need to find Lorenzo. I know you don trust him, but he's a damn sight better than an of the other Leaders, and we need to I form someone that these things are here. Otherwise they'll kill us all."

[t⊗theark]

Lorenzo, sore all over, heaved himself up. He looked upon his General, his bones splintered and organs ruptured from the sonic weaponry. Why Lorenzo had not suffered a similar fate he did not know. Perhaps he was chosen of Kharneth? The things he saw in this war seemed to show more happening than it first seemed. No, what was important was the fate of mankind. The Union must conquer over the oppressive Imperium and the heretical Coalition.

He looked up at Vierna
"I'm alright, somehow. Take what supplied you can. If we are where I think we are than there is a ruined city called Calidonia a day's walk east from here. Fighting between us the and Coalition has burned there many a time, but last I heard it was in the hands of the damned Crusade! Salvage what supplied we have here, he should make off. We can find shelter there for your child, it's not safe - Tyranid Genestealers, Savage Orks, Hrud Broods and Daemonic beings are its new residence since the denizens of Calidonia either fled or were slaughtered."