Chapter 9

The Haemonculus was moving quickly across the stations service, its strange limbs propelling it like a demented spider.

Striker was hot on its heels, propelling themselves using any protruding objects to propel themselves with. Damascus and

Varkas tried their best to at least slow the foul creature down but their rounds bounced off a field of dark energy as

it pulled itself from surface to surface, it swiveled and fired the Hexrifle it held as it moved.

It became a test of durability, the power armour of the team members and the shadow field of the Dark Eldar. Slowly but

surely the team started to gain on the foul creature until Raphael finally had a shot and with a strong lurch threw

himself at the Haemonculus as it turned.

It tried to fire at him but Raphael backhanded the rifles barrel aside and swung the bolter at the Haemonculi's face

only for the blow to be intercepted in turn. The Haemonculus grinned with barely contained bloodlust and then spoke

in perfect English.

"You'll have to try much harder than that human" it screeched at him as they grappled in space, bladed arms attempting

to cut into Raphaels flesh as he in turn attempted to pummel his foe. Each blow was met by either armour or shadow

field in the struggle to win. Abandoning his bolter as he did once before Raphael unsheathed his bone-blades and slashed

at the deformed hump on its back where he knew its vital organs would be. Again the shadow field blocked his efforts as

Raphael struggled to remember the details of his enemy and the wargear it used while simutaniously fighting off the Dark

Eldar.

The creature's blows came faster than his but Raphael was physically stronger thanks to his enhancements. The Haemonculi

had a harder time of actually wounding Raphael but the foul creature seemed to be enjoying itself immensely. Raphael

knocked its front arms away then pulled out his bolt pistol and emptied the clip into his foes face, or rather he tried to

with each round reflecting off the shadow field. Cursing Raphael reflecting the Haemonculus's blows as best he could.

"Sargeant we have company down here!" shouted Cyiren. It was then Raphael realised what the sharp cracking sounds he

noticed earlier had been his teams gunfire. "Take care of it! I have a bit of a situation up here myself!" Raphael shouted

back and swung his blade in a counter-blow that finally landed in a long, narrow cut on its chest.

The shadowfield had shorted out at last and Raphael redoubled his efforts to kill it. The spacial battle continued, blow

after blow, metal grating against metal. Raphael swung overhead but the Haemonculus stopped it with the flat of his own

blade and swung its other blade into Raphaels side. The power armour held but not all of the impact was stopped, Raphael

tasted blood in his mouth and snarled in fury. In response he swung his arm severing the limbs holding the hexrifle clean

off and then thrust his arm to stab it in the chest, the Haemonculus dropping its blade in the process.

Raphael struggled to push the blade forward, the Haemonculus manically grinning as he did. The blade inched closer and

closer until it finally it pierced the skin to which the Haemonculus's strength gave out and Raphael plunged the blade

through its body in a spray of blood.

Raphael smiled feeling blood drip from his mouth but the Haemonculus wasn't dead yet, it stared at him and started to

laugh again "You think this is the end, you pus-filled ape? You will be hunted down like a beast and I will be there to

do so. The Masked Sorrow will bring you to me and I will...."

Raphael took that moment to prod its chin with his newly reloaded bolt-pistol and mockingly said "Hold that thought" then

pulled the trigger. The bolt tore through its head and Raphael breathed out in satisfaction. He pulled out the blade he

stuck in his victims chest, placed his foot in its midsection and pushed off so he wouldnt drift away into the coldness of

space.

The team below was surrounded by floating bodies and blood. Each one was breathing heavily as Raphael landed among them.

Each one was covered in blood, the smoke from their gun barrels still slinking away. He looked around at his team and

nodded in approval "Excellent work Striker".