Whispers on the Wind
Gunther braced himself against the bulkhead as the craft visibly shook. “What the hell was that?” he shouted, as he unsteadily made his way the last few metres to the command deck. The shock waves from whatever had just passed them had meant that it was close, very close. “Sir, unidentified energy source, just flew across our bow Sir” replied the officer on watch. “Can you bring it up on the holoscreen Lieutenant?” “Bringing up visuals now Sir.” An image slowly formed on the holoscreen in front of Captain Gunther, and took his breath away. The outline of a Chaos Infidel Class Raider swept slowly across the holoscreen. “Get the Astropath, we must warn command.” Where there was one of those ships, there would be more, and the Splendum system could ill afford an invasion right now. A scrambling sound caught Gunther’s ear, turning to face the source of the noise, Captain Gunther received his second surprise of the day. The beast looming over him was a creature taken straight out of nightmares. Bright red skin, the colour of blood covered a lithe yet muscular body, an elongated head with two curved horns rising from it topped the beast, its mouth open in a snarl, with sharp fangs and a slithering wet tongue. In one hand it held a wicked sword upraised ready to strike. Gunther only had moments to take all of this in before his head toppled to the floor, his neck oozing blood as his body joined his head in a bloody heap.
***
A naval combat team stood ready at the airlock waiting to enter, as the Swiftsure docked on automatic pilot. All attempts to raise the ship had so far been unsuccessful, and manual communication with the crew on board had had no success either. The combat team took their positions preparing for the worst. The scene that greeted them when the airlocks finally opened was nothing like what they expected; blood and gore covered every part of the corridor from floors to ceiling. There were no signs of distinguishable bodies of any of the 200 crew that had been onboard when the ship first departed from the space docks on its long range patrol.
Gunther braced himself against the bulkhead as the craft visibly shook. “What the hell was that?” he shouted, as he unsteadily made his way the last few metres to the command deck. The shock waves from whatever had just passed them had meant that it was close, very close. “Sir, unidentified energy source, just flew across our bow Sir” replied the officer on watch. “Can you bring it up on the holoscreen Lieutenant?” “Bringing up visuals now Sir.” An image slowly formed on the holoscreen in front of Captain Gunther, and took his breath away. The outline of a Chaos Infidel Class Raider swept slowly across the holoscreen. “Get the Astropath, we must warn command.” Where there was one of those ships, there would be more, and the Splendum system could ill afford an invasion right now. A scrambling sound caught Gunther’s ear, turning to face the source of the noise, Captain Gunther received his second surprise of the day. The beast looming over him was a creature taken straight out of nightmares. Bright red skin, the colour of blood covered a lithe yet muscular body, an elongated head with two curved horns rising from it topped the beast, its mouth open in a snarl, with sharp fangs and a slithering wet tongue. In one hand it held a wicked sword upraised ready to strike. Gunther only had moments to take all of this in before his head toppled to the floor, his neck oozing blood as his body joined his head in a bloody heap.
***
A naval combat team stood ready at the airlock waiting to enter, as the Swiftsure docked on automatic pilot. All attempts to raise the ship had so far been unsuccessful, and manual communication with the crew on board had had no success either. The combat team took their positions preparing for the worst. The scene that greeted them when the airlocks finally opened was nothing like what they expected; blood and gore covered every part of the corridor from floors to ceiling. There were no signs of distinguishable bodies of any of the 200 crew that had been onboard when the ship first departed from the space docks on its long range patrol.
I haven't got an exact date yet for when the book will be finished, but I can guarantee that it will be before the end of August.
~ Eltnot.
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