Chapter Text
Chapter Thirty Four
Solarite
Azerith was getting oh so tired of assassination attempts. This was the fourth this mega cycle she thought as she dragged hmmm what was his name? Oh it didn't matter she dragged him by his one remaining leathery wing.
“Disgusting choice really.” She spat at the beaten Scourge before hurling him from the top of her aviary and watching him go screaming towards the base of the large room. The thump of his impact drew out many of her Scourge from their quarters that dotted the inside of the tower. Solarite Azerith swooped down past her watching subordinates and landed next to the pile of meat.
“I am becoming quite vexed with these doomed attempts to usurp me!” The Solarite called up through the vox grill in her red streaked mask. “How many more fools must I send to the maw of She Who Thirsts before you brainless lot understand!” She finished before calling over a cowering slave.
“Yes my mistress.” It whimpered at her taloned feet.
“Clean this trash up and feed it to the others of your kind.” She cruelly ordered before taking flight and climbing back to the apex of the space where her chambers were perched. She landed on the railing and lept into her room before sealing the hatch and engaging the expensive built in force field. It had taken a large share of her earnings from the previous two raids to afford it. And somehow that moron had managed to get past it. She huffed at the mess and jammed the button that would call her two personal slaves to the room.
“What a vecking mess.” She complained as she nimbly stepped through the spilled meal and severed wing before letting herself fall onto the padded piece of furniture beyond. Just when she began to relax behind her mask the communicator on her wrist sounded. Anger at the interruption flashed across her features before she saw the rune of the Archon. Azerith closed the message and stood just as her hatch alarm chimed. She approached it seeing the two Mon-keigh slaves in the small monitor mounted beside the hatch. The two cowarded before her after all it was well known how she got after assassination attempts.
“You two whelps clean up this mess whilst I am away and check the force field for defects. I expect it to be done by the time I return.” Azerith spat out in their filthy language.
“Yes my lady.” They spoke in unison before she walked through them and began her journey to the Archons chambers.
It was as disgustingly opulent and sad*stic as any who bore his rank. The large space was dominated with stolen art of various races. Azerith wrinkled her nose at the disgusting depictions of the lower races. She could not imagine how any of her kind could find any beauty in the works of the Mon-keigh, there art stirred nothing in her. The Scourge was approached by one of the Archons' many slaves. Azerith looked at the barely clothed man with detached disdain. The sight did remind her of how relieved she was that the Archons' tastes were far from her.
“The master will see you now Solarite.” The broken Aeldari spoke. She did not dignify it with a response. She passed him and emerged into the Archons office. Izraqir stood by a shielded window fully armored and flanked by two of his Incubi.
“You summoned me, my lord.” She said smoothly with a bow of the head. The Archon looked over his shoulder at her for a moment before returning his gaze out the window.
“Take this to the lord of The Dying Breath Solarite.” He ordered as another slave handed her a message tube.
“Of course my lord, I will proceed there directly.” The Scourge remarked before snatching the tube. Izraqir laughed at the response.
“It amuses me to hear a feral killer like you speak so formally. Now carry out your function.” He mused. Azerith bowed again before leaving the Archon's presence. It was strange to her that Izraqir did not strike as much fear into her as he probably should. Azerith remembered how terrified Vhalnor made her feel when she had the misfortune of meeting him. Perhaps she had become numb to it by now or maybe she just felt more secure in her position. It did not matter in the end she supposed after all The Kabal of the Curved Blade would eventually fall like all the others and she planned on being long gone by then.
Azerith had to admire the tenacity of Archon Yh'voi and The Kabal of the Dying Breath. They began as the battered scraps of The Bleeding Shadow and their allies looking to put on a doomed last stand. A joke really or that's what everyone in The Curved Blade thought until the extermination turned into a three mega cycle war. Eventually the cost outweighed the gain and Izraqir granted them amnesty; he even offered an alliance. It was theatrics. Both groups knew that once one side thought they could take the other the war would resume. And that suited the newly minted Solarite just fine. There was something about Commerrite warfare that entranced her. It was so raw, so brutal a true spectacle of Khaine! There were no arbitrary limits imposed on her, no War Mask to don, no Laetien to object to how she chose to kill an opponent. It was liberating. And it proved to her that the paths were a lie. Azerith had engaged in more slaughter than any Exarch could ever dream of yet her mind was still her own and she could partake in more leisurely activities after even still being soaked in blood. Perhaps the Drukhari were the true kin as they claimed. The Scourge thought as she began her dive towards The Dying Breaths Spire.
For the second time in the same cycle she stood before an Archon of Commorragh. Yh'voi approached her from the far end of the skybridge as the Scourge perched on the rail.
“Hand it over.” He ordered with no preamble. Azerith unhooked the message tube and tossed it to the tattooed man. The former ganger caught it and tore the thing open, dumping the contents. The Solarite watched as the Archon scanned the message. He turned to his Trueborn and consulted them in hushed tones. She of course could hear every word. The group agreed and the Archon turned to her.
“A generous invitation but I must decline your lords offer.” Yh'voi said with a wicked grin. “I wish him luck in Realspace.” He finished tossing the tube back to her.
“A shame. This raid promises to be quite lucrative.” The Solarite replied. He laughed at that.
“Then your lord should have nothing to worry about.” Yh'voi said as Azerith let herself fall backwards off the railing. She twisted in the air and let the thermal currents catch her wings and bring her high into the poisoned skies.
The Scourge wandered the halls of the Kabals Spire after delivering the disappointing reply to her impassive lord. Azerith of course knew why Izraqir had offered for The Dying Breath to join them on the raid. If it went poorly they would suffer as much as The Curved Blade now there was a very real opportunity for them to attack on their return. But only if the raid failed she thought as she entered the large hall where the Kabalites trained. She haughtily made her way through the training lessers quickly finding the two she was looking for. Sybarite Vrasqe stood with his arms crossed as he observed the several dueling Kabalites on the mats before him.
“Not the worst group I've seen in here.” Azerith greeted as she joined the Sybarite.
“Such high praise.” He deadpanned watching Derhina sweep the legs out from one of the combatants before brutally smashing her knee into his skull.
“So I'm guessing you've heard that we are going on a raid soon.” Azerith said, dodging left to avoid the flying body of another Kabalite.
“I have.” Vrasqe replied as Derhina lept down in front of them allowing a new trio to enter the ring.
“Well look who decided to grace us with her majestic presence.” The Wych mocked. Azerith chuckled and extended her furled wings.
“It is important to keep up your spirits. Who knows maybe one day you will be able to ascend like I have.” The Scourge shot back. The other Drukhari shrugged her shoulders and rolled her neck.
“I'd prefer to keep my skeletal structure intact.” The Wych replied earnestly. Azerith folded her hands behind her back and took a moment to observe the hundreds of Kabalites in the hall.
“Pathetic.” She said unknowingly aloud. Vrasqe scoffed at the utterance.
“Not up to your exacting standards? Go join The Obsidian Rose if you want perfect.” The Sybarite chastised. The Scourge would if she could but Azerith doubted they would take her, to them she was nothing.
“You have both left samples of yourselves with Zerahira correct?” She asked.
“Yes we have left a piece with your flesh crafter friend but I do not see how you could afford to resurrect us.” Derhina said. Azerith patted her shoulder as she began to leave.
“I won't need to pay, I simply need to ask. She has a soft spot for me I believe.” She said heading for the Haemonculus in question after all she was late.
Azerith watched as the red clad game piece ripped apart her blue clad piece. Zerahira leaned back tilting her expressionless face. The Scourge hunched over the board. It was foolish to think that the Haemonculus would not have seen through that ruse. She was going to lose, there was no stopping it now but she could go down swinging at least. Azerith keyed her move and watched as the piece styled after an Archon darted forward and cut down two of the red clad Kabalites. Zerahira chuckled at the move.
“You never know when to quit, do you?” The masked woman asked as she quickly responded with a devastating move of her own. Azerith watched the attack with disinterest; she had yet to beat her in their hundreds of games.
“I'll catch you on an off cycle eventually.” The Scourge sang back, making another pointless move. Zerahira chuckled before ending the game with a complex coup de grace.
“You are improving.” The Haemonculus started before calling over a Wrack to remove the board. “How are things in your aviary?” She asked. Azerith let out a long breath and rested her head in a hand.
“I would have had close to twenty Scourge had I not been forced to kill six over the past few mega cycles.” The Solarite complained. Zerahira tilted her helmeted head.
“Six?” She asked.
“Yes six, I had another fool try and kill me this morning.” Azerith explained. The Haemonculus began going on about how Wracks were far more fit for purpose than Aeldari with their minds still intact as the Scourge began to think about the upcoming raid. She wasn't combat starved, in fact she had been engaged in more combat in the last few Mega cycles than her entire time on The Void Reaver. But she still wanted more. She had learned through the whispering in the upper Spire that they were hitting a human world. That was unsurprising the Mon-keigh Imperium seemed to taint every corner of the galaxy. They were easy prey. A pair of right hands waved in front of her face drawing her out of the trance.
“Such a wandering mind you have Azerith.” Zerahira commented as her body rose into the air. “I am afraid I will have to end our visit here for I have much work to do.” The transfigured Drukhari said before floating off to one of the many slabs.
“Same time next cycle?” Azerith asked as she stood and flexed her wings.
“Of course!” The Haemonculus called over her shoulder as the Scourge left.
Her quarters were clean to a satisfactory level Azerith thought as she entered. She upholstered her Splinter Pistol and placed it on her low table ready to use at a moment's notice before unhooking the straps of her Ghostplate armor and tossing it onto one of her chairs.
“I should really get a stand for that.” Azerith mused as she stepped out of her flight suit. The Scourge shook out her newly freed wings before entering the cramped fresher. She looked at her visage. It would have been shocking to her a few years ago. Her eyes had darkened around their emerald cores. It was a striking juxtaposition to her pallid skin. She reached up and traced one of the semi permanent crimson lines down from an eye to her cheek. She could see the faint hint of veins under the skin. There was almost nothing left of her old appearance.
“Good.” She said aloud. Before striking the rune that would activate the flow of water.
Archon Izraqir finally finished with his over aggrandizing speech and started with the plan.
“Our target is this world, the Mon-keigh call it Santril. The miserable place is newly founded and poorly defended. Ripe for the taking.” The Archon started as the world in question spun lazily above them. “This will be a lightning strike. Our warriors will fully engage the words defenders whilst Haemonculus Zerahira and her pets gather the population to fill our holds. Once they are at capacity we will disengage and return. I wish for this to be done quickly and without loss.” Izraqir explained to his officers. Azerith watched as Dracon Khzudjk stepped forward and began a more in depth explanation.
“The Mon-keigh have yet to discover the Webway Gate hidden long ago on this world; from there we will strike.” She began as the location lit up on the globe. “We will be attacking this prefabricated settlement close to the gate. Its defenses are laughable with the exception of the anti aircraft array.” The Dracon continued. Azerith paid close attention to the Skyfire Cannons mounted to walls and around the governmental building of the small settlement.
“Solarite Azerith will strike from the sky first and assault the command and control center here to silence the cannons.” The Scourge in question snapped her gaze to the Kabals leaders.
“Something to say mercenary?” Archon Izraqir asked.
“If I may, would it not be more efficient to overwhelm the defenses with cheap Hellions and Reavers before my Murder descends.” She boldly asked. The Scourge felt the gaze of the Sybarites in the room fall on her as Izraqir answered.
“If you do not have the confidence in your ability to accomplish this simple task then why do I employ you?” He asked coldly. Azerith tensed under the scrutiny.
“I have full confidence in my ability to accomplish this task but a little extra assurance is always welcome.” She said diplomatically.
“I have no time to go scrounging for gangers. I have assigned this task and you will accomplish it or suffer at my hand!” The Archon threatened. Azeriths rebuttal died in her throat as she spotted Zerahira masked head shake.
“As you command my lord.” The Solarite acquiesced . The Dracon continued to explain how the raid would play out. It was dreadfully unimaginative, she thought. This plan could have been thought up by a dim witted Arackia!
Azerith kneeled in her small quarters aboard the Kabals flagship and prayed to Khaine. This raid would rely on its quick brutality and what was the harm in appeasing the bloody handed god. The words Verith had taught her spilled out of her lips uncomfortably. The Scourge used the smoldering anger she felt for the Archons' plan to grow it until it was a raging inferno in her soul. Azerith tempered the fire, forcing it to bend to her will. She opened her baleful eyes, leapt up and howled. Some habits were hard to break the former Banshee thought as she looked over her Venom Blade and Shard Carbine. Satisfied with her gear the Solarite left for the hanger.
She watched as her Scourge filtered in. The Solarite tapped her talon irritably at their disorganization; they were certainly no Aspect Warriors she thought.
“Displeased my Solarite?” Trazadove said as she nudged her with a wing. Azerith turned to look into the other Scourges' mad eyes.
“What gave it away my erratic comrade.” She answered rhetorically. Her subordinate cackled wildly in response.
“The tap of your talons, the twitch of your wing and the gaze as deadly as Darklight you just fixed me with!” Trazadove laughed back. Azerith ignored her. At last the rest of her troops arrived. They bowed their heads in deference one by one as they lined up. At least they learned respect quickly enough after a few examples.
“Finally!” She huffed out irritably. “You all know our task now let's get it done.” She ordered simply before boarding a Raider at the front of the hanger. She looked back at the rest of the raiding force mounting up in the vast hangar.
“Alert us the moment your task is complete!” Dracon Khzudjk called over the roar of engines. The Solarite inclined her head before commanding the Helmsman to take them out.
The lightning wash of the Webway Gate still wreathed the Kabals vessel as the lone Raider shot out of its maw. Azerith could see the walled settlement in the distance approaching quickly.
“You're sure we'll be able to slip through?!” One of her Murder questioned. The Solarite laughed.
“It will be a short raid indeed if we can't!” She called back. She tapped her talon against the deck as the Raider blasted over the wall at full speed. For a fleeting moment she could see a pair of Imperial soldiers looking up at them dumbfounded.
“If they haven't managed to lock us yet they won't!” Azerith started readying her carbine. “Helmsman take us right over the target building!” She ordered over their communications link. He acknowledged and banked the transport towards its destination. The Scourge climbed out onto the hull in preparation for their jump.
“Deploy!” The Solarite ordered. As one the Murder extended their wings and caught the wind. Azerith gracefully spun in the air before diving down at the armored bunker atop the largest hill of the settlement. Given time the industrious little Mon-keigh would build that structure up until it scraped the atmosphere. Or at least their descents will she thought. The automated defenses finally awoke and quad barreled cannons swung up to begin filling the skies with stitching tracer fire. The group of Scourge broke formation jinking to avoid the clumsy but powerful fire. Trazadove fired several beams of Darklight from her Blaster and sent one of the emplacements into the air carried by the force of its own underground ammo stores detonating. The blast took several Imperial troopers with it.
“First blood!” The red winged Scourge called out as she rolled in the air to avoid another volley of cannon fire.
“Do the rest of you need it spelled out! Kill the cannons!” Azerith ordered as they continued their dive. The beams of Darklight were finally joined by sizzling balls of anti energy from Haywire Blasters and the sun beams of Heat Lances, one by one the cannons died in flame or drooped pathetically after being drained of power. But the defense reaped their own bloody tally. Just as Azerith took aim at an officer shouting orders the bat winged Scourge beside her erupted in a burst of gore. Splinters of armor and bone peppered the Solarite as she tucked her wings and accelerated. The moment before impact she extended them again and landed on the tips of her talons amongst the scrambling Mon-keigh. They were stunned for a moment before the Officer broke their trance with a string of clumsy orders. The adrenaline dispensers mounted to her back hissed as she charged towards the leader. The first swing of her Venom Blade cut across the necks of three soldiers before they could level their weapons. The next pair at least managed to snap off a few poorly aimed shots before they too suffered the same fate. The lasers popped and sizzled across her Ghostplate harmlessly. She came face to face with her target. The man's hat was blown from his head as one of her flight passed low over him. He drew a plain sword and took up what Azerith guessed was the Imperial's idea of a fighting stance. She caught the swinging grip of her carbine and leveled the well balanced weapon on his legs one handed.
“Pathetic.” She spat in the mongrel language before firing into the officers knees. The Mon-keigh howled before toppling as he began gurgling through a mouth filling with foam.
“No dual Solarite?” A warrior by the name of Kaebros chided.
“Even if he was worthy of meeting me blade to blade we have no time.” Azerith explained. “Now get those doors open!” She continued before spraying another group with hypersonic shards from her carbine.
“It would be quicker to blow them open!” Trazadove said as she landed beside them taking aim at the bulkhead. The Solarite forced her barrel down.
“I would prefer to keep them intact to seal behind us!” She ordered the over eager Scourge. Trazadove growled.
“As long as they open soon I've yet to slick my blade.” She complained as the last bit of resistance was cleared from their immediate area. Azerith looked over her gathered warriors while Kaebros worked on the primitive locking mechanism. Only two casualties, not bad for a suicidal attack.
“I've got it!” He called as the large slabs began to roll back.
“Enlighten them.” Azerith ordered a Scourge who quickly hurled a bandolier of Plasma Grenades through the widening gap. She heard screams followed by the ripping explosions.
“Slaughter them all!” The Solarite howled as they poured in. It was indeed a slaughter. Azerith did not know how many she killed; it all blended together in a crimson tinted haze. It was exhilarating, raw and honest. But she remembered herself and forced her mind out of the blood filled fugue. Kaebros had the good sense to seal the doors behind them as they penetrated deep into the complex.
“Looks like the operations center.” He said as they approached the large banks of computers and skull faced screens.
“Indeed.” Azerith replied before she began picking her way through the corpses to find the master key. Flipping over the third body she found it.
“Take this and enter it into the main console there.” She ordered Kaebros. Her time on The Void Reaver had made her intimately familiar with the technology of their favored prey. She watched him maneuver through the orgy of violence and do as he was told.
“Reliable as always.” She complained before selecting the cannon arrays on the screen in front of her and powering them down. Not stopping there the Scourge redirected a critical amount of power to their reserves, hopefully in their desperation to reignite them they would miss her little trap.
“Dracon Khzudjk the way is clear you may begin your assault.” The Solarite reported with the mechanical precision of an Aspect Warrior.
“Then let the harvest begin!” The Dracon responded before severing the link.
Azerith laughed at the satisfaction that dripped from the words. She had been on other raids during her time as a slave and they all made this one look pathetic by comparison. The yield of this raid would be at most a few thousand. The Sculptor would throw more slaves into a vat of acid for no other reason that it amused him. This Kabal was pathetic. Azerith watched as the Scourge under her command became bored with their play things and looked to the monitors. The Solarite smiled as her trap was sprung one by one the wall guns were brought back online only to disappear in a flash of energy or cooking off munitions.
“Your work.” Kaebros asked as he joined her at the console. She tore her eyes from the sight of Trazadove skinning a helpless adept and turned to the more sane subordinate.
“It was. We should have total control over the skies now.” She purred quite content with herself. What would have happened if the Archon had sent anyone other than her to accomplish this task. The defenses were brought back online before the first Raider had screamed over the walls. They would have been ripped apart. It astonished her how incompetent the plan really was. She and Laetien had always spent cycles planning out their raids making sure it was perfect in every way. For him it was to assure low casualties, for her it was an obsession. Azerith had always strived for perfection from her earliest artworks to her latest kill. This sloppy haphazard raid infuriated her.
“Solarite, should we join the battle?” Kaebros asked her with a nudge of a wing. She shook herself out of the reprieve and looked to her nine remaining Scourge.
“Of course Kaebros. Can't let the low born have all the fun.” Azerith replied. Trazadove cackled at the order and was the first one out.
Battle was a strong word Azerith thought as she executed another diving attack on a Mon-keigh soldier atop the wall. Her blade slid through the woman's neck sending out a spray of arterial blood as she passed. “Unsatisfying.” She mused hovering above the slaughter.
“If you want satisfaction, come and join me!” Trazadove answered over the open channel. Azerith hadn't intended to broadcast her complaint but she took the frenzied Scourges offer spinning in the air and powering towards her subordinates position.
The Solarite landed on the large statue in the middle of the square. Below her she could see the breaking line of Imperials flooding back across the square towards her chased by a wave of blue clad Kabalites. At the center Azerith spotted the red winged Scourge. Her armor now matched her crimson feathers as she ripped into the soldiers and civilians alike with frenzied glee. The Solarite secured the carbine to her hip and drew the dripping Venom Blade again before launching herself into the midst of the fleeing Mon-keigh. She couldn't help but fall into old habits with her blade work. The blows resembled the lightning strikes of a Banshee. She joined with Trazadove and the Kabalites as they forced the survivors into a large stepaled building at the other end of the square. The Solarite flicked more blood from her dripping blade and gave the Sybarite a side eyed glare through her mask.
“Well get these doors open!” She ordered. He acted quickly maneuvering his special weapons gunners into position. “Kill the warriors but leave the civilians for the Wracks to take.” She layed out to the blood mad Kabalites before signaling for the doors to be destroyed. The weak material blasted inward in a shower of sparks and splinters. Azerith spun out of the threshold as thick beams of energy shot out. Several of the charging Kabalites were not as fast. She watched with fascination as the beams seared through the warriors.
“Trazadove with me!” The Solarite ordered before taking to the air and climbing onto the structure's roof. Her fellow Scourge quickly joined her.
“What's the plan?” She asked. Azerith walked along the roof before stopping above where she believed the fire was coming from.
“Fire a few bursts directly down from here.” The Solarite explained before stepping back. Her Blaster-armed subordinate obeyed, sending a half dozen beams of Darklight through the roof. The las fire stopped. She broke into the Kabalites communications channel and ordered the charge.
“You may go as well.” She told the over eager Scourge beside her. Trazadove dropped the Blaster and drew her twin blades before dropping through the hole. Azerith did not follow. She had no more appetite for unsatisfying slaughter.
Azerith watched from the deck of a retreating Raider as the Imperial reinforcements finally began swarming the burning settlement. She looked at her band of Scourge lazing about the transport. Eight of the twelve had survived the raid including Kaebros and Trazadove. The Solarite huffed in annoyance. The raid had more than sated one hungering pit in her soul but its twin still cried out for true combat. The slaughter of those useless defenseless animals did nothing to snuff out the fires of Khaine still burning within her. Azerith thought back to her first taste of war on the planet Madrigal. It seemed so long ago now. That battle had been fought with discipline and precision, a truly exemplary showing of superiority but this was just sloppy slaughter. Perhaps she should go join another Corsair vessel. Their Raider slipped into the warships hanger and Azerith jumped down. She forced her way through the throngs of celebrating Kabalites and their whimpering prizes on her way to her quarters.
The Spire was gripped by debaucherous celebration. Azerith had given up trying to rest in her room; the music from the festivities penetrated even the secluded aviary. She needed to make herself known anyway. The Solarite had paid her respects to the Archon and received her backhanded commendation for a job well done.
“The raid would have been dead on arrival if not for my warriors!” She complained to Vrasqe and Derhina. The three relaxed in one of the Spire's many halls surrounded by other lowly Kabalites. Azerith caught Vrasqe rolling his eyes before being scolded by Derhina who was currently working on sealing a wound that split his face from right brow to left chin.
“What do you want Azerith an elevation to Dracon.” He deadpanned before the Wych on his lap forced him still his movements again.
“She's just angry that her usual method of sleeping her way to the top isn't working here. From what I gather our new lord prefers the company of more robust partners.” Derhina mocked. Azerith bristled at the insinuation and turned on the pair puffing out her wings as she did.
“You dare accuse me of that!” The Solarite spat back. The Wych laughed at the reaction.
“Tell me I'm wrong lover of the weakling kin!” She responded pressing her luck. The Scourge forced herself to relax back into the lush pillows she rested upon before continuing.
“My position on The Void Reaver was earned.” She argued.
“Oh please you were elevated because Laetien fancied you.” Derhina started before turning to face her. “Do you miss it? The gentle embrace of an Asuryani around you telling you that you are not like the other Drukhari oh no your special do you-” She was stopped by a firm grip from Vrasqe on her arm. He could see that Azerith was about to boil over. The Scourge sat back in silence as her two friends looked on. One with vicious mockery and the other fear. Then she began to laugh. How could she not? It was just so funny! Derhina was absolutely right and now she was going to die for it! The moment Azeriths claws closed around the insolent Wyches throat a shuddering vibration that did not emanate from the thrumming beats shot through the Spire. It stilled the Scourge's claws and the Wyches blade an instant before they proved lethal.
“That was a blast striking the Spire.” Azerith spoke as she released Derhinas throat. Before the two could even stand a dozen more detonations shook the room breaking more of the revelers out of their reprieve.
“We're under attack!” Vrasqe roared as he rose, grabbing his Shredder in the process. The culprit was obvious before the message came spilling through the Spires speakers. The Kabal of the Dying Breath was taking its shot. Azerith began keying her comms unit as the Sybarites around her rallied their squads.
“All of you snap out of your chosen vice and join me in the fifth hanger!” She ordered across her unit's shared communications channel. “This is not quelled between us Hekatarii if you continue to dredge up that same worn out attack on me you will pay for it! And do not expect a regeneration from Zerahira she owes me a few favors.” The Solarite threatened before sprinting off for the high hanger.
Azerith bounced on her talons with visible excitement. The Dying Breath were tenacious warriors; this battle would surely sate her hunger for true combat! The anticipation grew with every missile or vehicle that passed the hangers shielded maw. Only four of her Scourge had arrived so far, the usual suspects when competent work was to be done Kaebros, Trazadone, Hyfelin, and Qua'zel.
“Enough of this delay we take to the skies now!” The Solarite roared through her helmets vox speakers. Three of the four responded favorably, singing their approval with viscous war chants. Kaebros was the only one who voiced concern.
“Should we not take to the skies at full strength?” He asked understandably. He was right of course but Azerith could not contain her fury any longer.
“To the warp with them we move now!” She shot back before leaping through the shield and extending her wings. She heard the sounds of the four others joining close behind her.
“Down their transports without them their assault and inevitable retreat is doomed!” The Solarite ordered as she beared down on an orbiting Raider filled with black clad warriors. All they saw of their killer was a flash of dark wings before the bundle of grenades exploded tearing the transport in two. Reversing her dive with a gut wrenching snap turn Azerith saw Trazadove down a Venom with a well placed beam from her Blaster. Kaebros and Hyfelin assaulted another, cutting its crew to ribbons with torrents of Splinter fire. It was working but the Solarite could not help but feel disappointed at the sight. They were already chasing their own glory when they should be sticking close to her their leader.
“Form up!” She spat over the link as the adrenaline vials mounted to her back flooded her system with stimulants allowing her to climb back into the aerial melee with nearly the speed of a jetbike. The three at least had the good sense to obey her; they had seen what happened to other uncooperative comrades.
“Where is Qua'zel?!” She questioned the group when they came together. It was answered for her as a Reaver jet bike screamed in and took Hyfelins head off with a blade vein. At the familiar sight. Azerith arched her back avoiding the strike meant for her.
“They probably had something to do with it!” Kaebros answered, firing after the gang of bikers. She saw the trap unfolding before it was sprung. Behind Kaebros and Trazadove approached three Hellions. She shouldered her carbine and cut them down.
“Act not react!” The Solarite chided mirroring Taelions words as she winged over to evade the returning Reavers. Trazadove and Kaebros followed suit, easily outmaneuvering the jet bikes. The three fired into them as they retreated, downing two of their number. Azerith took a moment to observe the swirling combat. The Dying Breath had blundered. The Curved Blade may have taken time to react by once roused they far outnumbered the weakened Kabal.
“This is their end!” The Solarite declared watching the blackened transports fall like rain.
“Then let's terrorize them!” Trazadove suggested. She agreed and the three dove towards the disembarked Kabalites.
The group made swooping attacks on the enemy forces as they attempted to withdraw. Azerith had ventured down on several occasions to meet a Sybarite blade to blade; they had proven to be adequate challenges; one had even managed to score a hit on her with his Power Sword. It was a glancing blow granted but it was the most thrilling part of the battle yet. Had she not deflected the blade it would have severed her leg. In a way she respected The Dying Breaths tenacious attack but it was doomed from the start of course but perhaps if the raid was a failure it could have worked. The Solarite led her Scourge through the criss-crossing sky bridges that led to the Spire firing as they went. Finally as they looped around one of them Azerith found what she was looking for. There in the middle of the bridge were two dueling flashes of light surrounded by their elite guards.
“Looking to claim another Archon's head?!” Kaebros asked as they regarded the scene. Azerith looked back at the two of them.
“Perhaps if our lord Izraqir fails but until then slay the Trueborn.” She ordered calmly before winging over and diving in. She let out a Banshee shriek when she landed atop one of the Trueborn warriors pinning him to the deck. The wail accomplished nothing physically without the Psychic Emitters of her Banshee Mask. However it did surprise the man. She slid her balde across his neck before rolling forward off him carried by her momentum. Springing to her feet the Solarite stood in front of four elite warriors. They each carried a different exotic weapon that they now leveled at her. The man wielding a Splinter Cannon disappeared in a light swallowing flash of Darklight as Trazadove landed beside her. Kaebros sailed over them, showering the remaining three warriors in Splinters. The rain of fire distracted them just long enough for the two grounded Scourge to close the distance. Trazadove had discarded her Blaster and spun into two of them as graceful and vicious as any Hekatarii. Azerith leveled her blade at the leader. He held up his own dripping Venom blade accepting the challenge. The Solarite smiled under her mask as the world closed in around them. The sounds of the clashing Incubi and Archons drifted away as the two circled. Suddenly the tension was broken when she lunged forward propelled by a powerful beat of her wings. She aimed the blade at neck level and was thankful that her opponent managed to deflect the fight ending blow. She spun away from his riposte before lashing out with a kick that caught him in the knee. The warrior grunted as the joint bent backward, sending him to the deck. He had the good sense to pull his pistol and attempted to shoot the approaching assailant but it was too late Azerith smacked the weapon aside with the flat of her balde before thrusting it through his armored chest. She watched his body twitch on her weapon as the toxins flooded his system. The Scourge shuddered at the sensation of triumph as his pain flowed into her. It was nearly a deadly mistake. With the last of his strength the Sybarite drew his dagger and thrust it into her flank. Azeriths eyes snapped open as the pain hit her. Looking down she saw the blade in her to the hilt.
“We go together bitch!” He spat at her as he tried to rip the dagger out to stab her again. She gripped his wrist with her free hand keeping the blade in place. Azerith planted a taloned foot on his chest and wrenched out her blade. Spinning the weapon in her grip the Solarite decapitated him in one quick movement. She let his death grip pull the dagger from her side as he collapsed. She spun and seeing that no one was charging her she retrieved the powerful antidote that Zerahira had given her from its place on her belt. She flipped the cap off with a clawed thumb before jamming the needle into her neck. The Scourge threw it away and grabbed the dangling carbine. Azerith leveled it and took aim at one of the few remaining Dying Breath Incubi. Seeing that Izraqir had it under control she let the pressure off her trigger and flew over to a crashed Raider to observe the duel. She watched the Archon for a moment before looking away, the effects of their flaring Shadow Fields gave her a headache. Instead Azerith looked on at the dueling Incubi. They were magnificent wielding the Aeldari sized Klaives around like they were Wraithbone toys. Among the ranks of the Aspect Warriors of Biel-tan none were more despised than these dark warriors. The Exarchs had always besmirched them as pretenders but watching them fight Azerith realized the real imitators were. She doubted that even Verith could best one of them. All too soon it was over; Izraqirs Incubi had slain their opponents and the Archon himself had prevailed over his foe. Curved Blade warriors gathered around listening to his proclamation of dominance over the sub realm and so on. Azerith didn't really care; she was more interested in the bleeding gash on her side. It was a familiar wound the Scourge thought as she took out a medical injector and filled it with regenerative solvents. It was fascinating to watch them reknit her flesh. If she wanted the scar removed Zerahira would have to see to it but for now the repair was sufficient.
This time she threw herself into the celebrations. The destruction of a Kabal was worthy of it, she thought. It helped that they were tearing apart The Dying Breaths Spire and not their own. And tear it apart they did. The Solarite looked down from her secluded position in the rafters seeing her comrades ripping apart the warriors of The Dying Breath.
“Their name rings more true today than any other.” She said to herself. In time she would venture down and join them or perhaps she would find someone to enjoy more privately. It did not matter for now she was satisfied. Her position in a rising Kabal was secured and that was the best she could ask for.
Azerith let out a breath as she entered her quarters. The victory celebrations had gone on for cycles. She began stripping her bloody armor off and throwing it haphazardly around her space. She would have her slaves clean it later she thought now she just wanted to get out of her flight suit and clean herself. It disgusted her how many of the Dark Kin walked around in filthy jumpsuits and bloody armor. It was distasteful to her unseemly even. Savagery should be reserved for the battlefield; off of it they should resemble the proud race that they were. But what she thought did not matter Archon Izraqir seemed content to allow his warriors to resemble that of the Mon-keigh Imperium.
“No standards.” The Solarite said to herself as she stepped into the column of water. It was unfortunate that half of her number were killed now she would have to recruit more. Perhaps now that The Curved Blade had led a successful raid and defended their territory more competent volunteers would step forward.
