Xeno

[Killermoose]

Hey guys! This is my first peice of writing on this forum, so be nice

No, feel free to rip it to shreds, the more I learn the better it'll get. I'm not going to mention much about it now, as much of it is supposed to remain hidden. I don't know much about Arbites, so feel free to correct me! Now, enjoy!

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Xeno


Prologue



Lights flickered high above Phatone. Deep blues, bright yellows and sickly pinks contrasted deeply with the dark night sky, providing a source of wonder and intrigue to the planets inhabitants. None of them knew the horrors that lay ahead.

+++++++++++

Gunfire. Bright las blasts are clearly seen in the training ground of the Arbites precinct. Heretics, traitors to the glorious Imperium of Man try to force their way into the building that is the centre of operations for the cities law enforcement. Caught unawares, the Arbites are confused, and find it difficult to mount a counter-attack. Only now, after a vital ten minutes of violent conflict are they manning the heavy-bolter turrets in the windows. Brutal fire cuts swathes though the traitor’s ranks, causing them to dive for cover. Unfortunately for the Arbites the heavy weapons are quickly suppressed, annihilated by the grenades of the enemy.

Inside the HQ complex any Arbiters not pouring fire into the training ground or guarding the prisons are listening to the sergeant of the premier Shock Troop squad, the elite of the Arbites. Dregar Voston is a charismatic man and the soldiers around him are filled with awe. Quickly he briefs them on the proposed plan, and as they put on their combat gear he sees a terrified young man at the back, barely out of training. He approaches him, whispers a few comforting words into his ear, and then turns back to the rest. The young mans face is flushed with determination, and he looks towards the door with anger clearly visible in his eyes. Uttering a final prayer to the Emperor, Dregar charges out of the door, the other Arbites following.

There is a mighty explosion outside in the training ground, and after it come pouring the relief force of the Arbites. The young man is the last out, his lasgun administering the righteous fury of the Emperor to the gathered heritics. Caught off guard the traitors are scattered, their attack broken. As the young man delights in the sensation of battle he fails to notice the grenade fall at his feet. Out of nowhere Dregar Voston bounds into him, knocking him to the floor. The blast is terrific, and slowly the young mans vision fades to black, the last image in his mind the face of his rescuer.

+++++++++++

Lucas awoke in caked in dried sweat. Panting, he thought back to the day in which he lost his leg. The heretic attack in the city of Farcelle had come unannounced, bursting into the Arbites precinct and creating a feverish maelstrom of combat. They had finally been driven back by the brilliant plans of Dregar Voston.

Lucas dwelled on the man that had saved his life. This man was his role model, the man who he one day aspired to be. The loss of Lucas’s leg had meant that he could not join the planet’s fabled Imperial Guard regiment, the ‘Phatone Fanatics’, and had been forced to stay in his home city of Farcelle. All over the galaxy the Fanatics were thought of as the epitome of Guard fighting units, their tenacity, ingenuity and quick thinking making them one of the most sought after regiments for campaigns. All Lucas had ever wanted to be was a member of the Fanatics, but the fact that he only had one organic leg and one substandard bionic had quickly put him out of recruiting range.

Dregar Voston changed everything. He fast tracked Lucas through the Arbite ranks, and when Voston became Arbites General for Phatone, Lucas was made the sergeant of a Shock Troop squad. These units were the best the Arbites had to offer, and saw a lot of action. Under the tutelage of Voston Lucas became the finest squad leader in Phatone since Voston himself. Not that Lucas saw himself as that.

Tired, the dream still sapping at his energy, Lucas rolled over and went back to sleep. Uterrly oblivious of the events unfolding high above.

+++++++++++

In the slums of Farcelle a pale pink pod descended. Landing with a crash in one of the allies, it woke up a sleeping man on the street. Slowly he got to his feet, and went to investigate, disappearing out of sight. A scuttling sound preceded his anguished yells, and for a few seconds there was a gurgling noise, emanating from his throat. After a few minutes the man half fell into view, and stumbled from side to side, as if unsure of his footing. After a few seconds of steadying himself, he set off down the street.

[Company Master Corvus]

Wow, that was a great read! Very clever, good vocabulary and above all, gripping story. Only problems were a few spelling errors, but who cares?

[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

Good descriptions, and a good story so far!

[Killermoose]

Thanks guys! Hopefully I should have another part up tonight! You comments are really appreciated, its always nice to see someone's interested!

[Company Master Corvus]

I can't wait!Oh, and if you want, you could check out my story. Though yours is better i think.

[Killermoose]

I just had a look! It's very nice to see some DA in a story for once! I hope Cypher gets his ass handed to him!

[Company Master Corvus]

Originally Posted by Killermoose

I just had a look! It's very nice to see some DA in a story for once! I hope Cypher gets his ass handed to him!

Hahahaha, you said it!

[Killermoose]

Xeno

Chapter 1- A day in the life

‘Lathor, Baxter, on me. Naemor and Remik, you two have grenades primed and ready for use, and the rest of you, keep us covered. HQ, this is Mortius, we’re going in.’

Lucas advanced slowly towards the old workshop, its grimy exterior and kicked in door signifying it was no longer in use. Dropping his bolter to his side he broke into a quick jog, with Lathor and Baxter close behind, ready to engage hostiles on a moments notice. Reaching the battered old door, Lucas signalled to Naemor and Remik to throw in their smoke grenades, which they did readily. As smoke started to pour into the dirty building, Lucas blew apart the door in a hail of bolter rounds, and immediately the rest of the squad opened fire.

Lucas couldn’t afford to take any chances in this operation. They were dealing with narcotic dealers here, a sick and twisted group of people bent on flooding the city of Farcelle with drugs that would bring ruin to its people, all in the interest of making a profit. Still, they were a determined group of individuals, and would be prepared to sell their lives dearly. So he was taking extra precautions.

He rolled into the building, coming to a stop behind a work table. His eyes peering up just above its flat surface, he could make out the form of the barricade the law breakers had hastily piled across the frame of the door leading to the next room. Hearing their dramatic entry, the law breakers had dived for cover, and were now well dug in. As the rest of his squad got into position he opened fire again, intent on making some of the perpetrators shift, if only a little. Sure enough, one dived forward at the sound of the shots, and Lathor opened fire. A fantastic marksman, Lathor was one of the best shots with a bolter Lucas knew. The dealer was didn’t stand a chance. He was cut down immediately, the special Executioner rounds in Lathor’s bolter finding its mark.

‘Frag!’ shouted Lucas, as he flung a grenade over the barricade. Before the explosion was even heard he and his squad had already activated their Power Mauls, ready to charge in and subdue the hostiles. As one they surged forward, as the grenade blast through the enemy into disarray, leaping over the barricade with ease. The law breakers managed to fire off two shots each; the thick black carapace the Shock Troops wore easily stopping the puny las blasts.

Then Shock squad Mortius was upon them. Power Mauls were dangerous weapons indeed, but if handled in the right way, they were often useful for capturing enemies untrained in the art of combat. Lucas swung his Maul left and right, a small grin slipping onto his face as he heard the sound of bones breaking under his attack. The rest of the squad followed suit, the hostiles yelling out in pain as their soft flesh was pounded relentlessly, unable to fight back. The evil men were going to be made to pay for their vile trade.

Suddenly there was a shout, and Lucas turned to see more enemies running out of the door. Quickly incapacitating their opponents, they turned to meet the new threat. The hostiles now looked far more thug-like, probably recruited on some poverty-stricken street. The dealers obviously didn’t think they would be fighting the Arbites finest. Bolters were quickly drawn, and Lucas gave the order to open fire. The Thugs fell to the ground quickly, some managing to let off a few rounds which went wide before collapsing to the floor with a strangled yell.

Within seconds the firefight was over, and Lucas turned back to the remaining men, notable from their appearance to be the dealers themselves. As a few regained consciousness he brought out handcuffs, snapping them into place on the dealers damaged arms.

‘You men are charged with distributing the narcotic L-Z25, and are therefore breaking the Emperor’s holy law. For this I arrest you in the name of the Adeptus Arbites, as is the power given to me by the ruling body of Phatone. I remind you that you have the right to remain silent, but anything you say can and will be used against you in your trials. May the Emperor forgive your souls, for I am certain Phatone will not.’

With that squad Mortius hauled the broken men to their feet and shoved them out of the building, where the Emperor’s justice was ready and waiting to be administered.

Just as he was leaving, Baxter, who was in the process of examing the dead bodies, yelled out in suprise.

'Hey, sarge? You're gonna want to see this!'

[Stubber]

Nice work...I'm looking forward to finding out what Baxtor found.

[Company Master Corvus]

Agh, even better!

[Killermoose]

Bigger update this time guys! Sorry it took so long! Also, gotta little link in with 'The Hunt for the Fallen' in there for you Corvus!


Xeno


Chapter 2- A lead

Lucas stared at the thug through the thick glass of an interrogation room, quickly converted to deal with a dead test subject. Baxter had found a strange occurrence notable in three of the hired henchmen that had fallen from bolt rounds. They all had an extended ribcage, almost fusing together to created a tough wall of bone on their chests. On one they had started to push their way through, forming the beginnings of an exoskeleton. All of the thugs also had what looked like the beginnings of arms on their backs, small and weedy compared to the real things, like a sapling compared to an oak. Their eyes had a green tinge to them, clearly visible now that their eyes were open and staring. Around them the members of a Verispex Squad probed their dead bodies, hoping to find out exactly what had done this to them. These forensics would find something useful, of that he was sure. In the meantime, he would have to take matters into his own hands.

‘Baxter, you got a good look at the individuals. Do you think that any drug side affects could have caused this?’ Lucas asked, sure that this was the member of his team to ask about it.

Baxter was a rogue and a scoundrel, the sort of man that handed out substances that were frowned upon by the higher ups at a knockdown price. Before Lucas had recruited him for his Shock Troop squad he had been dealing in things that were expressly forbidden, and would have got him summarily executed if he was found out. If it was illegal, the chances were he’d be making a profit off of it. He had been with the Arbites for many years, yet had never progressed further than a standard member until Lucas had found him. This was mostly down to his cocky manner and shady activities, but also that many of his squad leaders hadn’t liked the fact that he had been arresting law breakers before they had left training. Lucas had immediately seen grim determination present in him, and how useful the old veteran could be to his squad. He had started to set him straight, but then no-one really knew what Baxter did with his spare time to confirm it.

‘I wouldn’t say so sergeant’ Baxter replied, breaking Lucas out of his thoughts. ‘This isn’t the sort of thing that drugs could do to you, especially not L-Z25. That and most narcotics on this planet only side affect is a painful death, and judging by the fact that these hired thugs were able to train a lasgun on us would pretty much confirm they weren’t suffering from that.’

Baxter’s jovial comment put Lucas’s mind in gear. Hired thugs. The dealers would have taken note of where they recruited these thugs. If he could find out where they were hired, then he could find out what had happened to them.

‘Baxter, come with me. We’re off to speak to those dealers.’

+++++++++++

White seemed to be everywhere in the interrogation room. Put in place by the Chasteners, it made it hard to distinguish between the ceiling, the floor, and the walls, attempting to confuse and disorientate the prisoner. Something that seemed to be working at this moment in time. The dealer’s sweat was pouring down his face in thick rivulets, and his eyes darted to and from Lucas, Baxter, and the officer in charge of interrogation, the Chastener.

These men were renowned for their many ways of making someone confess, ways that often caused monumental physical pain. The more unlucky prisoners were tortured mentally; reduced to insane wrecks which would say anything they were asked. The weedy man in front of them already seemed to be halfway broken, obviously starting to crack under what he had endured.

‘Where did you recruit those men?’ Lucas asked, the authority in his voice letting the prisoner know this was a question that had to be answered.
The dealer let out a pitiful moan and murmured for a little, his unwillingness to co-operate springing the Chastener into action. He grabbed the man by his hair and pulled his face close to his, the deep red eyes set into his bone-coloured helmet digging into the pitiful dealer’s soul.

‘You will answer the sergeant, do you understand, worm? Or I will personally introduce you to types of punishment you could scarcely imagine.’

The dealer’s eyes visibly widened and sweat poured down his face at twice the speed, the Chastener’s remark obviously having the desired effect.

‘O–o-k, we f-f-found them on 57th street, i-in the n-n-north-west slum s-section-n of Farcelle. I sw-swear we d-didn’t see anything wrong with –t-them w-when they w-were recruited.’

Lucas spat at the dealer, then nodded to the Chastener and walked out the door of the interrogation room with Baxter quickly following.

+++++++++++

Dregar Voston was an imposing man, his greying hair matching the colour of the short beard on his chin. He inspired courage and a feeling of duty in everyone he met, and because of this was an obvious leader of men. He had started off as a lowly recruit from a poor family and had worked his ways up the ranks, and finally, after 25 years of fighting, had become an Arbites General. This meant that he was widely respected by the men underneath him, and reviled by the superiors above him. These men were from the upper classes of society, and viewed anyone from the underprivileged parts of Farcelle as little more than servants to do their bidding.

There seemed to be a natural bond between Voston and Lucas, who had been friends since Lucas’s joining of the Arbites when he was 17. Lucas had lost a good friend at that time, Corvus, who had been recruited by the Dark Angels chapter, and it seemed to Lucas to be the work of the Emperor that he had met such a good man to help him along. Voston had taught Lucas all he knew, and was solely responsible for Lucas achieving the rank of Shock Troop sergeant.

‘Lucas! Good to see you again! What brings you here, my lad?’ Dregar asked, his fatherly tone recognisable straight away.

‘Sir, I need permission to investigate the activities of the drug-dealers further. Some of the men they recruited seem to display some sort of contamination, and my squad and I would like to get to the bottom of it.’

‘Ah yes, I remember seeing them in the interrogation room. Good work on finding them! Well, permission is granted, I suppose. I mean, how could I refuse you?’
Immediately Lucas’s face took on a small smile, realising he would be able to continue this further.

‘However, there is one condition.' Voston continued. 'I am afraid that the powers-that-be require me and an Arbitrator Detective to accompany you.’
Lucas’s smile faded straight away, his disappointment visible.

‘Well, at least you will be there to keep whoever he is in check.’ Lucas replied, overcoming his slight worries.

Vostons face sagged, the weight of what he had to say dragging him down.
‘That’s the problem. It’s got to be Dravitz who comes, Lucas. I’m sorry.'

[Killermoose]

Er, bump? Should have the next part up soon (for anyone who's actually reading this!)

[Baron Spikey]

Its been good so far dont let me down now

[Stubber]

It's going good so far anyway.
Keep up the work.

[Cagarner]

I have only just read this story, and I really like it. I can see it turning into a good story.

hmm, I wander why they dont like Dravitz?

Nice work!

+Rep

[Killermoose]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the comments! I hope to have the next part up soon, when a little shall be revealed...

[Killermoose]

Right, I'm going to try and get some more done on this story. However, I think I may write the majority of it on word, and then post it up, rather than writing each chapter and then posting it. This could mean there won't be any updates for a while, but I'm working on it!

[hairyyahoo]

good tale moose. don't see much written about the arbites, what with inquisitors and marines being much more glorious. nice to see the bobbies on the beat!

[Taggerung]

keep on going, this stuff is great!

[Killermoose]

Ok, I think as holiday boredom is setting in, I'll write another part tomorrow. And as I'm going on holiday for 2 weeks on Saturday, I may just get a chance to sit down with pen and paper and draft a few more parts for it. Just to give me something to do...

[Inquisitor Rosenadel]

bump

More, more!