To The Last Man [RP Thread]

Falkirk's gaze wandered up to the soldier who had just entered his quarters. Apparently he had some form of news in regards to Lieutenant Fernz, curiously his eyes narrowed on the man. He was in full Krieg regalia, so his face was hidden underneath the gas mask and he wondered who precisely this man was.

"What's your name? News about Fernz, what's going on?" It was true, Lieutenant Fernz had been acting rather peculiarly recently, but he had to question the man who had just randomly walked into his quarters citing a juniour officer for what could be a serious infraction. He set his hands behind his back, taking a deep breath he played through recent events that Fernz had been involved with recently. The officer had been odd, but perhaps he was just a bit power hungry. He couldn't imagine the man actually doing anything out of line...

or could he?

Horus threw his half-finished cigarette to the ground as he approached the Commissar and what-was-his-name-again. Behind him his squad carried along Cald, who was pleading for mercy like a baby. "Hey boss! We got somebody who wants to talk to you" Horus yelled.

Sandara watched as a figure exited the camp, probably one of the soldiers. He looked stressed and eager to leave. But why should she care? Maybe some of the few cooks in the fort had cooked something edibill. With that thought in mind Sandara headed for the next fire.

Falkirk was appalled. His quarters had been taken over it seemed by a group of rowdy troopers. They were laughing and taunting another trooper who was whimpering in fear in their grasps. So much for a quiet afternoon. He thought briskly, he turned now to face the man named Horus once more.

"Ah, Sergeant Horus, we meet again it seems." He stiffened a little as the troopers shoved a pitiful looking soldier in front of him. Confusued, he stared at the whimpering body for another moment and then cocked an eyebrow, lifting his gaze up to meet Horus', "Sergeant, what is this all about?"

"This little scumbag was trying to involve Rallbie in a little accident involving several barrels of ammunition burying Rallbie under them. Also he keeps on stuttering something about Fernz. However, we could not find the second suspect." Horus said, then lit himself another cigarette, knowing that it would displease the Commissar.

Sandara had arrived around one of the cooks fires, which was surrounded by other soldiers. But they quickly departed after spotting the assassin, knowing her customs on the battlefield all to well.

Rallbie? Rallbie was dead. The Commissar's lean face was stern and emotionless, he stared hard at Sergeant Horus who lit a cigarette in his own private quarters. The mentioning of Fernz however brought him back to attention, and he realised that there was indeed something more going on then he had previously imagined. The soldier was burying his head in his arms, rocking back and forth slowly and he wondered just what precisely had happened with this trooper.

"What's his name?" His gaze looked down upon the pitiful looking trooper, "What's your name dammit? If what Horus is saying is true, you've got quite a bit of an explanation to be working up right now." His knuckles grew white as his fists clenched tightly. As if battling the Orks wasn't enough, his own men seemed to be falling apart mentally, now perhaps going after each other. Emperor damn this planet, damn this mission, if he didn't die here he never would.

Briskly, his eyes caught those of every soldier in the room, he scanned them, searching deep within them but found nothing, he was no psyker but he could read people fairly well. The only people in here it seemed that had any idea what was going on was Sergeant Horus and Corporal Kagmar. Hestin Falkirk hesitated a moment before speaking up,

"Does anyone have any idea where Lieutenant Fernz is right now?"

"Yes sir." replied Kagmar "After I saw him talk to Cald he headed to the officers quaters"

Falkirk nodded at the Corporal. "Right then, we need to confront Fernz and figure out just what is going on, however," He turned his gaze back down to the cowering trooper, "I still want a word from this one." His hand rested on the hand grip of his bolt pistol. He had no intentions of pulling the thing out and firing, merely to act as a form of intimidation tactic. He grinned inwardly, being a Commissar was hard work but it did allow for a bit of 'entertainment'.

The metal was cool on pistol and his hand felt its rough yet smooth texture, it had killed many enemies of the Imperium in its time and its job was not over yet. If Fernz was planning something that would hinder or harm any of his men, he wouldn't be afraid to use it on him too.

Horus went straight for the officers quarters with his men, eager to show Fernz the way to Falkirk.

After Sandara had eaten her bowl of soup, she dozed off once more.

"Sergeant Horus!" Hestin Falkirk called after the soldier as he stormed out of the room with his men behind him. Angrily he looked over at Kagmar, "Take this soldier," He nodded indicating Cald, "And follow me."

He set off after Horus who was weaving in and out of the traffic that was the daily ruckus in company command. His men fanned out, they were searching for something, but what? His hand never left his bolt pistol and he fingered it gently underneath his cloak, if this was some sort of trap he was going to be ready for it. He didn't look back, but hoped that Kagmar was behind him, at this point he wasn't really sure who he could trust but knew that the Corporal would follow him to his death if need be.

Horus turned down another hallway and Falkirk swore, he was nearly running now to catchup with the Sergeant and his men. Other officers and guards look curiously as the Commissar fluidly moved his way through the crowds of people, something was going on and he as going to get to the bottom of it.

As Horus reached the officers quarters he called out: "Come out Fernz, we want to talk to you!" As no answer came he ordered his men to fan out, ignoring the irritated officers.

Sandara rolled to her left, still asleep.

Lieutenant Blin stood overseeing the dismantling of the Ork cannon that had been brought into the base. His blonde hair was slicked backwards and a narrow scar coursed across the side of his cheek, all thanks to some damn Orkish sharpnel that had jettisoned into his body.

"Things are going smoothly sir, no sign of any foreign bodies." A young Guardsmen said, a dataslate in his hands and he cheerfully walked back down towards the dismantling process. Blin was pleased, the crew was moving at a great pace and things seemed to be going fairly well in the small hanger. On the far side of the room he noticed a few men step into the area, he cocked his head, this was supposed to be restricted and only the Commissar would have direct access inside, who was this? He wearily set his data slate on the shelf and walked down to meet the group who had entered, as he began his descent however he froze,

"Nobody move." The voice was cool and crisp and it had a tinge of lightning in it. The charging of lasguns sounded and the rasp platting of leather boots on the hard metal floor rebounded off the hanger walls.

"Where is Lieutenant Blin?" His voice struck out again, Blin ducked behind some crates trying to match the voice with a body but none came to mind... it sounded almost daemonic.

"N-no idea, s-s-sir." The young Guardsmen who had just spoken with him sounded fearful, laughter followed by another strange sound, was that clicking? Suddenly a shot rang out across the hanger and loud thud of a body dropping.

"I'm not playing any games here, where is Lieutenant Blin?"

"I am here." Blin stood up, his body was brisk and straight backed, he stared hard and wide, he knew that face, it was...

The group that had entered the hanger opened fire on the workers, las shots scraped into their bodies and they were cut down to pieces. Blin tried to make a run back to the cover of the crates but a sharp stinging sensation coursed in his guts and he fell over gasping for air. A boot kicked him over, the same familiar face...
it raised a bolt pistol directly at him and smiled, pulling the trigger. All Blin saw now was nothingness.
----

The Commissar had grown extremely frustrated with this, he had no idea what was going on and had no lost Sergeant Horus, his men seemed to have disappeared across the crowd. "Kagmar! Corporal Kagmar! Where the hell are you?" He roared out, the hallway was packed full of bodies, what was going on? He pressed onwards, finally reaching a break in the tide of human flesh and moved towards the side of one of the adjacent rooms, his eyes scanned the crowd looking for signs of Kagmar or any of Horus' men but he found none. Frustrated, the Commissar made a rough push through the mass of people and wound up on the other side towards a hallway that led to an underground passage and further to an exit to the above ground. He turned now, "Corporal Kagmar!" He called out again, he hoped the damned soldier had heard him.

"I am here Sir!" Kagmar replied "There is no sign of Fernz"
Kagmar thought a moment, where could Fernz be. His face went pale.
"Sir we must get down to the cannon Leitenant Blin is in Grave danger!"

Horus grabbed Kagmars shoulder. "He's nowhere to be seen and his squad is gone too. What now?"

Sandara grumbled in her sleep.

"The Cannon?" It all came back to him. The Ork cannon had been left under the overwatch of Blin, but why were the two troopers so ancy about getting there? "Right, Horus, get your squad together and meet us outside the hanger, Kagmar your with me. Let's keep this as quiet as possible."

The Commissar set off with Kagmar close behind him, Horus was roaring out orders to his men. Weaving in and out of the confused officers area, the two managed to get there way through to the outside grounds, where men were setting up defensive positions. An eerie silence was over the encampment, the Commissar shivered. "Kagmar, why are we so urgent in getting to Blin? What the hell do you mean he's in grave danger?"

The two kept walking towards the hanger, unaware that a mysterious figure was watching their every move.

"When I overheard Fernz talking he seemed resentful of Bli and wanted him to have "a little accident," Kagmar replied hastily

Horus and his men hurried after the two.

Sandara is still asleep.

The area outside the hanger was deserted, Falkirk's mouth was dry surely Blin had left guards outside? The Commissar was still pondering what Kagmar had said, he knew that Fernz had wanted that command position but to kill a fellow officer? He wasn't sure the Lieutenant was that kind of man.

"Alright, weapons ready... don't shoot unless... well just don't fire until I say so." He drew his own bolt pistol and came about the outside hanger door which seemed to have been busted open. Slowly he came around the corner into the main hanger bay, his mind taking in everything at once. Bodies were scattered all around, the workers most likely, they had all been brutally murdered. By a stack of crates he saw the body, Blin was on his back his head an exploded mess of brain and blood. Hestin Falkirk swore loudly, "Secure the perimeter."

Grimly he walked over to the mans body and bent over, ripping the insigna tags from his chest and biting his lower lip. It seems that Fernz had had the nerve to strike down a comrade, he was going to make sure the man paid. Then something else came to realisation, the cannon, it was gone.

"Kagmar, Horus, we have a problem," He turned to the two who seemed to be looking about in confusion, "The cannon... it's missing." As he turned his head to walk back outside he saw something in the corner of his eyes, a trail of blood. He beckoned his troops to follow him and he led the way, his bolt pistol gripped tightly in his hand ready for anything. The trail of blood led ever onwards leading into a small back room that had once been an office.

On the floor a managled body that had been ripped and torn to such a degree that it was unrecognisable, and on the wall...

The Eight Sided disc of Chaos. Coated in blood.

"O great," Horus sighed "not only that we have to fight those wretched greenskins, but now we have to deal with some crazed traitors too." Suddenly he paused, then he walked over to the shredded soldier. He cursed under his breath and turned to Falkirk and Kagmar: "Gentlemen we are knee-deep in trouble, this man was torn from the inside, not the outside. That can only be the work of a chaos sorcerer. It seems that this betrayal was caused by the work of one of those blasted chaos psykers."

Sandara opened her eyes slowly then closed them again. There were no greenskins to battle and she went to sleep once more.

The Commissar looked down at the mangled corpse and shuddered, he wasn't precisely sure how Horus had reached his conclusion but he knew the man wouldn't lie about something so serious. "It could be anyone." His palm was sweating a bit, he had fought Chaos twice in his career and despised it entirely. He couldn't possibly imagine there to be any Chaos in this sector, hadn't the Imperial forces scanned it?

Outside a claxon sounded, "Orks are returning, dammit!" He waved his hand, "You lads, follow me, we need to get to the bottom of this but first let's deal with some greenskins!" He ran outside the men following in hot pursuit. Outside the troops of the 323rd raced in all directions to man defensive positions, lasguns and heavy bolters, mortars, and other weapons opening up. In the distance the Commissar could make out the incoming shape of a large tide of Orks.

They seemed to be moving around to encompass the encampment, "Funny," The Commissar muttered, "Liked they arrived just on time..." He ran over to the cover of an operations post located just behind the main trench line, the men were firing into the greenskins curiously wondering what they were doing.

"Mortar teams, target the centre of that column!" He yelled out at a vox caster to give the order out, in the meantime he looked over his shoulder, nothing unusual.

--
The figure crouched in its position, scanning over the heads of Imperial soldiers he found his target. Quickly and quietly, he began his descent.

Kagmar Steadied himself as the huge tide of Orks came closer Preparing himself he waited fornthem to come ito range