The ferocious screams of psychotic marines riveted the city to the core, the bolters went off by the hundreds, and the missile launchers lay waste to entire crowds. Dashing through the back alleys of the city, I managed to get to the Space Port, but was horrified to find it in ruins; all space-worthy vehicles had been destroyed. Grabbing a small skimmer, I piloted it through deserted streets back to the city center, picking up anyone, other than marines, that I saw along the way.
I brought the skimmer to rest in another back alley, deciding to keep it hidden for we may need it again. I looked around, and spotted a ladder to the rooftops, a quickly grabbed it, then hauled myself up the rungs, seven stories. I looked up towards the sky, wondering why it was taking so long to land troops, and the brilliant flashes of light told me why. While we down on the planet were getting slaughtered, the Tau in orbit were being hit by attack ship after attack ship. A magnificent, incandescent detonation dominated my view of the night sky battle, and I prayed it was of the enemy.
I crept from roof to roof, careful to keep my head down. After about four city blocks, I came upon and answer to my prayers of a weapon, two Imperial Guardsmen snipers were prone, keeping a watch on the wide street below.
I crept up behind them, and covered my Fire Caste Patch with my jacket. When I was out of their arms reach, I tapped each on the shoulder, and both spun around with lightning-like reaction. Expecting to see the face of a Tau, they saw mine, human as theirs.
Grumbling and with a look of shock on their faces, they asked, ‘who the bloody hell are you?’
‘Recon, I was the forerunner, called in the landing’ I lied.
Grunting, they returned to their weapons, ‘I thought they sent a Marine, not guardsman…’
Shrugging I replied, ‘Musta been a typo.’
Moving my hand over the unaware guardsman’s neck, I jabbed my thumb into the soft cartilage at the base of his skull, knocking him out, quickly doing the same to the other. Quickly stripping the men of all weapons and clothes, I left only their undergarments. I also tore pieces of their clothes off and tied them up, stowing their guns in my rucksack. The barrels of the sniper rifles stuck out a little, but it wasn’t too hindering.
Finding my way back to the Speeder, I found most the people I picked up still there, hiding when I came down, Guardsmen uniforms draped over my shoulder. Grinning, I told the Tau my nefarious plan. They quickly agreed to my plan, allowing me to put stun-cuffs on their wrists, and loading into the skimmer.
Driving the skimmer through the city, I ran into almost no marines, until I came just before my destination. The oversized human with his gleaming orange and grey armour stopped me in the road.
‘Where do you plan on taking these… vermin, guardsman?’ the marine asked
Brining my hat lower over my head, I replied,’ they are supposed resistance leaders; I’m taking them to the holding cells for questioning, and possibly some torture.’
The marine let out a machine-sounding laugh, which sounded more like a dying mule, wheezing with bad asthma through a harmonica, and let me go through, planting an imperial Double eagle on the skimmer with a brand attached to his glove.
Groaning, once out of earshot, about the mark, I brought the speeding skimmer to the city’s detention center, my destination.
I unloaded the skimmer and brought the Tau into the prison complex. Sleeping at the curator’s desk was a guardsman, and I quickly grabbed some tranquilizers and gave him a few, sure to keep him sleeping. I also grabbed the pass card. Jogging down the corridor of sealed doors, the names of the contents flashed by;T’dlk’esprem, T’ucr’is, J’yne, the names went on and on, until I found what I was looking for.