09-27-2017, 01:06 PM
Brother Gaius reeled backwards, his runes flaring an indignant red as the electricity coursed over his ceramite armor. The Space marine grit his teeth and planted his stance, weathering the storm demon’s barrage of desperation with the discipline of the Empire’s will. His flesh charred and cracked as the dying demoness poured all of her remaining power into the attack. Acrid smoke started to hiss from between the cracks. The last of her energy spent, Ash sank down, hand reflexively going to the massive blade still wedged in her gut. The Space marine stood immobile, the hilt of the sword dropping from his hand as Ash fell backwards.
The suit of armor stood resolutely above her for a moment, its colors vivid against the blank whiteness of the isolation verse, then the space marine toppled forward with a loud crash, the bulk of the armor coming down on her right leg. She let out a yell of pain, struggling to prop herself up on her elbows as spots started to swim in her vision.
“Are you really that easily finished? So disappointing.” the demoness coughed weakly, blood trailing from her mouth. Her leg was quite effectively pinned under the armor’s weight, getting away from this situation wasn’t going to be simple.
The whiteness of the isolation verse started to fade, slivers of the outside world starting to peak through. Ash leaned her head to the side, trying to catch sight of the other imperial soldiers who had accompanied the space marine. The casino had been more or less emptied, aside from a few stragglers, the only occupant seemed to be the owner of the establishment, discussing in earnest with the squadron’s commanding officer. The man would almost have to be Higgs.
There was a sharp pain in her abdomen, that jerked Ash’s attention back to her present situation. The Ultramarine had planted an armored fist on the hilt of the blade, and was using it as leverage to force himself back up. Ash cried out in pain as the Space marine staggered up onto his knees.
“By… the Emperor’s will.” Came the unsteady voice of Brother Gaius through the marine’s Vox-caster “I banish you… Demon!” the Space marine lurched forward, one hand clutching a purple etched disk that he slammed onto the demoness’s forehead. A circle of black lines shot out of the ground around her, pulling the prime into the floor and out of sight.
The Isolation verse faded, exposing the battlefield to the casino at large. Brother Gaius Astopheles lay face down on the floor, his sword gone with the demoness and his bolter discarded nearby. Imperial stormtroopers swept into the area, two moving to check on the unmoving ultramarine. The Squadron commander turned away from Harlan Higgs to get a report. The casino owner had proved entirely unhelpful as to the blacklisted prime’s intentions, if he had any idea why she had returned he was too good at evading the questions to let any information away.
“Report!” the squadron commander ordered.
“The target has been exterminated sir. Brother Gaius is unresponsive and his condition diagnostics are way in the red. We’re going to need evac. STAT if he’s gonna have any chance of making it out of this.”
“Understood, get the cleanup detail down here to profile any possible connections the prime was trying to contact.”
Harlan Higgs just watched, a slightly baffled and well-intentioned grin on his face. He stayed benevolently useless and out of the way as the Imperial troops asked a few more questions. Finally, thankfully, the soldiers seemed to be wrapping up their investigation. Higgs allowed himself a slight moment of satisfaction. The imperials either hadn’t found any information on his activities or his current plans weren’t enough at odds with the system to be crushed just yet.
One didn’t get around the Empire by sheer force. You had to learn to play their games better than they did.
The suit of armor stood resolutely above her for a moment, its colors vivid against the blank whiteness of the isolation verse, then the space marine toppled forward with a loud crash, the bulk of the armor coming down on her right leg. She let out a yell of pain, struggling to prop herself up on her elbows as spots started to swim in her vision.
“Are you really that easily finished? So disappointing.” the demoness coughed weakly, blood trailing from her mouth. Her leg was quite effectively pinned under the armor’s weight, getting away from this situation wasn’t going to be simple.
The whiteness of the isolation verse started to fade, slivers of the outside world starting to peak through. Ash leaned her head to the side, trying to catch sight of the other imperial soldiers who had accompanied the space marine. The casino had been more or less emptied, aside from a few stragglers, the only occupant seemed to be the owner of the establishment, discussing in earnest with the squadron’s commanding officer. The man would almost have to be Higgs.
There was a sharp pain in her abdomen, that jerked Ash’s attention back to her present situation. The Ultramarine had planted an armored fist on the hilt of the blade, and was using it as leverage to force himself back up. Ash cried out in pain as the Space marine staggered up onto his knees.
“By… the Emperor’s will.” Came the unsteady voice of Brother Gaius through the marine’s Vox-caster “I banish you… Demon!” the Space marine lurched forward, one hand clutching a purple etched disk that he slammed onto the demoness’s forehead. A circle of black lines shot out of the ground around her, pulling the prime into the floor and out of sight.
The Isolation verse faded, exposing the battlefield to the casino at large. Brother Gaius Astopheles lay face down on the floor, his sword gone with the demoness and his bolter discarded nearby. Imperial stormtroopers swept into the area, two moving to check on the unmoving ultramarine. The Squadron commander turned away from Harlan Higgs to get a report. The casino owner had proved entirely unhelpful as to the blacklisted prime’s intentions, if he had any idea why she had returned he was too good at evading the questions to let any information away.
“Report!” the squadron commander ordered.
“The target has been exterminated sir. Brother Gaius is unresponsive and his condition diagnostics are way in the red. We’re going to need evac. STAT if he’s gonna have any chance of making it out of this.”
“Understood, get the cleanup detail down here to profile any possible connections the prime was trying to contact.”
Harlan Higgs just watched, a slightly baffled and well-intentioned grin on his face. He stayed benevolently useless and out of the way as the Imperial troops asked a few more questions. Finally, thankfully, the soldiers seemed to be wrapping up their investigation. Higgs allowed himself a slight moment of satisfaction. The imperials either hadn’t found any information on his activities or his current plans weren’t enough at odds with the system to be crushed just yet.
One didn’t get around the Empire by sheer force. You had to learn to play their games better than they did.
Quote:Ash has been banished, and will respawn into the Underverse. Apologies for the delay in rendering a verdict.
Harlan hasn’t done anything high-profile enough for the Empire to mess with him, though you are now in their database as a potential connection to a black-listed prime. Nothing was proven so there won’t be any direct consequences.
Ash and Harlan are no longer engaged in a storyteller situation, and may resume posting as they wish in their new locations.