Chapter 6

"Striker Alpha to Inquisitor Thorn" said Raphael into his vox.

"What is it Raphael?" asked Thorn in a bored voice, apparently he had been disturbed.

Raphael simply rolled his eyes and continued "Xenos presence confirmed sir, Dark Eldar, probably a Haemonculus Coven based

on the composition of the units". Thorn breathed out heavily before speaking "Well that doesnt bode well for the crew of

the station, Striker team find the leader of the incursion and kill it. Slay anything else in the way while you are at it".

"Yes sir" said Raphael then turned to the team.

"We have our orders, purge the station". "Any place we should start?" asked Cyiren.

"The control room would be a good place" said Damascus "If I wanted to bring down the station its where I would go".

"Very well" said Raphael "Objections?"

He looked around but there was no dissention. Good.

Striker made their way up the long corridors of the station, the majority of the station was clear except for a few rooms

which were infested with more Wracks. They were tougher than most Dark Eldar the team had fought alongside their own

chapters but were little match against them. After the third such skirmish Striker were covered in blood but it was not

their own. They only encountered Grotesques once more

Raphael kept his head on a swivil, the Dark Eldar were wily beasts and would not be denied their prize. More than once a

beast of the Coven lept at him only to be shot apart by either himself or another member of the team and more than one

Wrack was cut down by his bone-blades in a desperate close combat struggle.

Suddenly the station lurched into movement and started to shift itself. "What the hell?" asked Raphael before looking out

a window. The stabilising engines of the station had been activated.

"Striker Alpha there has been a large power spike, report" shouted a voice. Thorn again.

"The stabilising engines have been activated sir, but not by us." said Raphael, his weapon still raised in case of ambush.

"Damn I was afraid you'd say that. The station's macro cannons are turning towards the planet below." Raphael was confused

"Why would the Dark Eldar use our weaponry? Their own weapons are much more... Oh shit". Raphael knew why they were

doing this, why they were even here. "Damascus, where is the stations power source from here?" he asked urgently.

"Two stories below us" he replied. The stairs were around twenty metres ahead of them. "Get down there, double

time!" Raphael shouted as he broke into a run with the team behind him, Cyiren struggling with his frag-cannon.

"Raphael what is going on?!" shouted Thorn in his ear. Raphael spoke to them all as they bounded down the stairs.

"They want to make it look like we are starting a civil war. If they attacked the people would unite in the planets

defence but this way there is only carnage, plus they wipe out the planets defences in one stroke.

Then they can harvest every bit of misery a conflict like that would cause with ease."

Thorn was silent for a moment then spoke "Shut down the whole station if you have to."

The team was making all haste down the stairs as quickly as they possibly could. Luckily there were no Dark Eldar on the

stairs to delay them but the bulk of their power armour slowed them down slightly. Finally they made it to the floor of

the stations generators but this time there were Dark Eldar guards and stealth was not an option.

"Damascus take down the generators, Striker slay these beasts where they stand!" shouted Raphael before taking a shot at

the nearest Wrack, its head exploding from the rounds detonation. The rest of Striker took postion and fired at will, the

majority of shots making their mark. Cyiren laid down suppressive fire with his frag cannon keeping the Dark Eldar down

while Varkas made the precise shots he was known for. Re-Shan was close behind Damascus as he worked at a panel in the wall.

Raphael however had a different approach as he made his way to the left flank, keeping low as he did. As the first Wracks

made its way to attack the team Raphael made his move. He shot the leading Wrack in the chest then raised himself and shot

another in the arm before he could swing its foul weapon at him. Grabbing the Wrack by the head he threw it over the railing

to its death below.

More Wracks were running towards him, Raphael slid a new magazine into his bolter and breathed out slowly. The familar

recoil of the weapon impacted his shoulder as he fired into his enemy as each Dark Eldar did its best to reach him only to

be cut down. Dark Eldar reenforcements attempted to stop his advance but were halted in turn by overlapping fire from

Cyiren and Varkas.

"Damascus how much longer?!" shouted Cyiren as he reloaded his frag cannon. Damascus was muffled by the panel he was

headfirst in but was still heard over the gunfire "Almost done, just hold out a bit longer". Re-Shan was holding his own

as it was difficult for the Wracks to get to him alive, his chainsword slick with blood.

Suddenly the lights went out and the machinery around them powered down. The emergency lights lit the room with a soft green

light but it was much less bright than before, an advantage the Dark Eldar exploited to the fullest. More were arriving

from the corridors above them, a bad sign.

One Wrack took its opportunity to ambush Raphael from behind as he fired into the reenforcements above. The sickle made

its way past his armour but got stuck. The Wrack tried to swing the other sickle it held into his head but Raphael ducked

under the blow then drove his elbow into the beasts face driving it back. He then struck back by piercing the Wracks chest

with his right arms blade but it didnt appear to feel it, what it did feel however was Raphael slamming it into the floor

and punching it in the throat. A snap of bone emmited making Raphael smile but his delay gave more Wracks to get to him.

Raphael pulled his blade out of the Dark Eldars chest and dived for his combi-flamer. He scooped the weapon of the ground

and kicked the nearest Wrack in the chest driving it back as it struggled to breathe. It was then that Raphael activated

his flamer, their flesh sizzled and blackened as Raphael advanced to incinerate his foe ignoring the pain he felt in

his side.

As the last Dark Eldar flailing pointlessly to extinguish the fire Raphael turned and looked over the side. The Dark Eldar

were retreating but they would be back. Damascus had rejoined the squad having completed his task as they consolidated on

Raphael's position.

The team was more or less fine, Re-Shan had suffered a cut to the left leg but nothing too major. Raphael looked down at

his own wound berating himself for being careless, he grasped the sickles handle and carefully pulled it from his flesh

clenching his teeth as he did so. The poison on the blade hadn't affected him and upon closer inspection before the wound

had closed up the blade had hit a rib preventing further damage.

Raphael gave a silent prayer of thanks to the Emperor dropping the sickle as he did. He then looked around looking for the

route to the control room. Suddenly a voice crackled in his ear and the owner seemed unhappy as always "Striker Alpha

report, now". Raphael took a breath before answering "Station power is down sir, have the stations engines stopped?"

"They have but the rotation speed is still the same you fools!" shouted Thorn in Raphael's ear. Raphael smiled "That wasn't

why I made this decition sir, Damascus shut down the entire power system. Since the Macro-Cannons autoloaders operate

on electricity and they don't have any rounds in the chamber the Dark Eldar can't fire the stations weapons". He nodded

at Damascus in approval who shrugged in reply. The fact the engines were down proved the stations power was off without a

doubt.

There was silence on the other end of the vox for around thirty seconds before Thorn finally said "Continue as ordered"

then shut the vox channel down. Raphael laughed then winced at the wound at his side. His blood was still dripping on the

floor but the wound was starting to seal itself.

Raphael looked up at the team "Onwards to the control room then". Re-Shan looked at him with concern "Brother are you

alright?".

"I am alive Re-Shan that is what matters" said Raphael then led the way to the corridor. "Keep alert brothers, in

exchange for more time we have given our foe an advantage. An ambush is extremely likely".

"Roger that" said Cyiren. The team formed up with Raphael taking the lead, the torches attached to their weapons lighting

the way ahead of them. Raphael looked down at the floor, more blood but this time it was a mix of human and Dark Eldar.

"Apparently one had been wounded and was headed the way of the control room, they must be gathering there" Raphael thought.

He pointed to the corridor that streached in front of them "Re-Shan take point".