On the Run - A Warhammer 40k Fanfiction

Part I - A Difficult Choice

The engagement on this world's awakened Necron Host has failed, yet my brothers-and-sisters-in-arms fail to see it. Our first attempt failed to repel them, now a rally at these mon-keigh ruins for a last attempt to eliminate them, but we lack the numbers. Not even a well planned attack on them like this will save us from the soulless machines. They are remorseless. I have a strong desire to leave, flee to save my own life to fight another day. Whilst the others would not listen to me about it, and my warning of the situation. They say I lack courage, hmph! I am just the only one who sees the lack of hope in the last stand with our numbers so few against the terrible Necrons. My Aeldari kin are blind to the truth, and it troubles me deeply.

I left my post with the utmost silence on the eve of the battle to come for the best chance of escape. Our ancient foes were near, I could not linger much longer. I came across an underpass, a tunnel that still seemed stable despite the stone rubble around it and inside. With the ruined human buildings around me, the dirt and filth on it made me not want to stay. Wherever it leads must be superior than dying on false hope. I slowly made my way through it, yet the tight interior gave me a feeling of claustrophobia. My uneasy feeling was not put at ease as I could feel the movements of the battle I abandoned, the screams of my kin, weapons firing from both sides. The sounds of battle. Was I wrong in leaving my kin to die? But they would not listen to me, called me a coward and used my relative younger age than the rest against me as if I was a stupid child not knowing the best. No! I had to keep going.

I gripped the hilt of my banshee power sword and pulled it out from the scabbard. The feeling in my hand made me gain a bit of composure and confidence. Suddenly I saw at the corner of my vision a metallic claw come out and lash out at me from the corner of the exit as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief from it being over. It cut me at the side of my stomach, right through my synthetic bodysuit and through the armour plates there. I instinctively cut at it with my banshee power sword, removing its metallic arm from its skeletal form. The pain I felt from the wound I let fuel my strength in my attacks. Right up to the metallic abomination showing its soulless self! With a parry of its other claw of death I found an opening and cut its head. With a thud, the machine fell on the tunnel-floor along with its slim skeletal head. The terrible green magic that awoke it slowly left the skeleton and disappeared along the winds. Argh, but now I felt the full effect of the pain on the side of my stomach. Similar to a nasty insect bite, the area burned. I could not linger around here though, and so putting my other hand around the area, letting my cold glove help ease the warm fire on my wound, I ran out of the tunnel. Still holding my sword. For some reason I could not stop myself from shedding a few tears as I did. Now alone what was I to do with none to guide me?

I had to see what happened and if my kin survived and repelled the attack if my possibility was correct or not. I could see a small tall cliff made from the rubble and rock from the destroyed mon-keigh buildings around one of its mostly quiet streets. I tried my best to climb atop it to witness the battle, I had to!

Upon that collection of debris I saw the battle. I saw my brothers-and-sisters in arms turning to ash as the giant black and green monoliths and warriors of the Necron host eliminated my kin. I felt my heart stop as my knees felt weak of regret. I returned my blade to its scabbard as I wanted to take my mask off. With a tear that released from the bottom of my eye I hardly breathed. I felt powerless as I felt my stomach fall.

As I brushed away my tears I felt an urge to leave before being possibly spotted. The sight was too terrible for me to bear. I put on my banshee-mask and slided down the back of the pile of rubble. Now I was alone, and had to find a way off this doomed world with the Necrons now having awakened and beaten back my kin.

I wanted quickly to get some cover and went inside one of the buildings, but as I was about to enter the ruined mon-keigh building I could see ships from above, they were flying a bit closer now and I could identify them. They were not Aeldari, but mon-keigh. The Imperium of Man must have received reinforcements! Those look like support vessels. While at first I felt annoyed, I later felt frustration. For if I wanted to escape this city to get into the outside woods, I would need the proper direction. I'll need a human who knows the ins and outs of this settlement. I just need to find out where I can locate any. I must reach one before the awakened Necrons destroy them all, making my situation in this war-plagued world all the more difficult. I only hope they will be compliant, in whatever way I can try and make it so.

The sun slowly went down as I wandered through the streets quietly, being alert as to not walk into any dangerous situation. The burning wound I was dealing with was no help. I have a medkit but I would not want to waste it in case I receive something worse and can't go on. But it sure was an annoyance. The still burning embers of wood were the only light except for the faint moonlight that could shine through the bad weather above.

The dark made me feel a bit more at ease wandering in the night as my mask made it a bit easier to see in the shadow than with naked eyes. But I can not shake the feeling I was being followed, as if someone- or something else was treading in my footsteps. It made my stomach feel uneasy, made me grip the hilt of my banshee power blade tighter by my hip. Being wounded is certainly making things worse. Whenever I went to investigate from where I expected it was from, there was nothing. I gave nothing away from my approach so they, or it can't have seen me approach and left so swiftly.

Then my keen senses could see the sounds of lasguns being fired not too far from me, screams and the sounds of the bloodthirsty and primitive Orks yelling. Seems the barbaric Orks that I, and my kin sabotaged earlier still remain against the Imperial Guard garrison. I looked up but saw no stars, the fumes and dust had hidden them above it. Without much moonlight this night will be darker than most. Perhaps good for me, or not.

I keep walking in the rubble of a city, but I hear distant footsteps, or something making noise behind me. I am starting to believe I am simply hearing things that are not there from my own fear. Whatever it is, I hope it will be there next. So that I may cut it to pieces!

As I made my way closer in vicinity to where the Imperial Guardsmen were, it got quiet. I wandered up a few broken stairs, and leaped and climbed the areas that were too broken to traverse. At last I saw it, up on high ground I hid behind a broken stone pillar that prior likely held up the roof as I looked downwards, I could count six, maybe seven still alive. There was one bunker amongst the various fortifications of sandbags and barbed wire. Many splashes of blood decorated the dirty ground of various debris of rock and stone along with the many Ork and smaller greenskin corpses.

But as I was looking I could hear something again behind me. Was hard to hide my frown as I turned around and pulled my banshee power blade out of its scabbard, holding it in both hands. I took a look around sharply but just at the moment where I got distracted by the burning wound again pinching my side and took a step to the side, my wound that was slowly healing with a glance at it, a black and green metallic monstrosity with three legs, similar in look to that of a spider ran at me with great speed. Its head had the shape of a thin skeleton head but with green soulless eyes. It knocked me back harshly against my chest, catching me off-guard and I fell out from the top of that ruined building. I could feel a metallic shaft that stood out from the side of the building hitting my mask before I fell hard to the ground on my back. My mask felt badly battered as its visor for me to see through broke. I immediately removed it and tried to get some fresh air. It felt like I received a concussion on the back of my head from the fall. My back and shoulders hurt and felt bruised despite my synthetic bodysuit with armour plates. All over my body it hurt except for the bottom of my feet.