Victory Pointless

The Black Council convened in an artificial sub-dimension they reserved for such meetings.  One by one portals slid open and the Crypteks of the council shuffled, floated and slithered to their appointed places.  Arch-Cryptek Chronomancer Klotophis.  Technomancer Najakh. Plasmancer Nukhuhm.  Psychomancer Khrane.  Geomancer Rhupt.

“Honoured colleagues,”  Klotophis began, “I thank you for joining me on such short notice.  Unfortunately there has been a development which necessitates moving up our timescales.  The Praetorians have become a factor.”

“Praetorians?” Nukhuhm leaned forwards.  “I thought we had… neutralised Executioner Thatop?”

“Thatop is not the problem,” Klotophis replied.  “The… charming Lady Farreskh has contacted them.  They are on their way.”

There was a sudden burst of static on interstitial channels, the Cryptek equivalent of alarmed hubbub.

“But… but…” Najakh protested.  “Our claim to this world is not legal!  Access to the ancient laboratories is forbidden by Triarchal decree!  If the Praetorians discover what we are trying to do… If they suspect we had something to do with Thatop…”

“Yes, thank you, Najakh,” Klotophis said, curtly.  “These thoughts had occurred to me.  Hence the need for increased expediency in our search.  I will contact our alien ‘allies’ and instruct them to [REDACTED UNTIL END OF PHASE].”

“Why did Lady Farreskh summon the Praetorians?” Asked Krahne.

“I may have neglected to inform Her Majesty of all of the… implications of our mission here.” Klotophis admitted.  “She believes they will side with her in our current dispute and grant her the regency.”

“Will they?”

Klotophis shrugged.  “Who can say?  The codes are… open to interpretation.  But I don’t think we can take that chance at this crucial juncture, and her Ladyship’s constant interruptions are becoming tiresome.  It is time she was dealt with.”

“You mean to assassinate her?” Rhupt tilted her head.  “One of our own…?”

“Lest you forget, King Shakha was ‘one of our own’,” Klotophis snapped.  “He still died at my feet, choking on poisoned wine.  Lord Barrakhad was the better choice of ruler at the time, as we all agreed.  It was for the good of the dynasty.  So is this.  Besides, she is not one of us – not really – she is a Thokt interloper brought here for a purpose that is now obsolete.”

Rhupt lifted a hand, palm out.  “You mistake me, colleague – my concerns are practical.  We are a house of assassins for hire – I have no qualms on that front, but as we all know it is no simple thing to permanently kill a Necron Royal and our usual methods will be easily recognised.”

“If we are discovered…” Khrane warned, “We cannot expect the Phaeron’s apathy to extend to the murder of his own consort.  Or if we try and fail…” He glanced meaningfully at the empty place that had once belonged to Biomancer Yetop.

“It is a calculated risk, as is our larger enterprise,” said Klotophis.  “But we shall not be discovered, because we shall not do the deed.  Thanks in no small part to Her Ladyship’s intransigence we are forced now to take a shortcut through territory controlled by the Tau.  I shall give Lady Farreskh the honour of leading the vanguard to break through their – heavily fortified – lines.  Sadly at that same time the Reaper of Eternity will come under attack from… oh let’s say an Ork Kroozer, forcing it to adjust position to a higher orbit where a solar flare will pass between the ship and the planet’s surface, causing interference which will – for a short period – disrupt the exact phasic channel reserved for Her Eminence’s recall.  And, through sheer coincidence, the fallback systems will be offline due to regularly scheduled canoptek maintenance.  Is that not so, Najakh?”

“Er… I…” The Technomancer spluttered for a moment.  “Yes.  Yes, it is.”

“The Tau will destroy her body, and her engrams will be lost to the ether.”  Klotophis concluded.  “A great tragedy, caused by a confluence of events impossible to foresee, even to an expert Chronomancer such as myself.  A chilling reminder to us all not to take our immortality for granted.”  He looked at each of his fellow Crypteks in turn.  “I take it the council is in full agreement?”

***

Farreskh hooked the blade of her Voidscythe into the armour panel of the Tau battlesuit and pulled, dragging out a huge rent in the machine’s side.  The Flayed Ones seized the opportunity immediately, clawing their way up to the opening and forcing their way inside.  One emerged a few moments later, fresh patches of blue skin added to its panoply of rotting flesh.

She shooed the disgusting creatures away and they bounded off in search of fresh prey, paying no mind to those of their fellows blasted apart by the hail of incoming fire as they broke cover.

She set her sight back to the ridgeline ahead of her – their goal.  “Form up.  Advance.”

A warning cartouche popped up in the corner of her vision, advising of some loss of connection with the ship.  She ignored it.

Plasma bolts whizzed and burst around them as they pressed on.  These weapons, while crude by Necron standards, were surprisingly effective.  A Lychguard fell.  Another.  They advanced.  A few Tau soldiers stood in their way.  The Lychguard cut them down without breaking stride.

Churned mud sucked at their feet.  They advanced more slowly now.  More Tau appeared, surrounding them on three sides, pouring fire towards them.  Farreskh swore.  They’d walked right into a killbox.  Lychguard started to fall more quickly, even their Dispersion Shields being overwhelmed by the volume of fire.  Though they rose again it was not fast enough.

A new line of battlesuits appeared over the ridge and the hail intensified.

More fell.  More.  Now only one Lychguard remained, placing himself between Farreskh and this new threat, bracing his shield against the onslaught.  “My… Lady…” He grunted.  The shield was starting to flicker in and out of reality as it was overwhelmed.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, channelling power through him into the shield.  “You are an extension of my will, soldier,” she told him.  “You shall not fail.”

“Yes… Lady…”

With her other hand she raised a resurrection orb.  Purple lightning lashed the ground.  Battered Lychguard raised themselves out of the mud, picking up their fallen shields.

Fresh fire flew from behind and for a picosecond she thought they had been fully surrounded.  Then she saw Glokht, the Hexmark, coming up behind them.  His six arms moved and fired in an intricate dance, picking off Tau one by one.

“Do not fear, Your Majesty.  My Lord has charged me with your protection.”

“I fear nothing, Master Glokht,” she replied.  “But I thank you for your aid and will commend you to my husband.  If my word still counts for anything with him.”

“It does.  Advance and I will provide covering fire.”

“ONWARDS!”

The Lychguard pounded up the hill, mud falling away.  They smashed into the line of battle suits, hacking them apart with reborn ferocity.

The last one turned to escape but Glokht traced a neat line of enmitic rounds down its spine and the suit collapsed, power severed.

“Ah, Your Majesty.” Klotophis stepped out of the shadows.  He seemed as surprised to see her as she was to see him.  “I… see you made it.  How fortunate.” It seemed for a moment almost as though he was about to lower his staff in her direction, but a glance at Glokht and her resurgent Lychguard and he fell still.

“How did you get here?” She demanded.

He flicked the Veil of Darkness that hung from his scrawny shoulders like a shadow made solid.  “I teleported,” he said, simply.  “I always did despise walking.”

+Nachmund Gauntlet Strike Force Crusade Battle+

Mission: The Gauntlet

Forces: Necrons (Awakened Dynasty) vs Tau

Result: Necron Victory, 11:5