''Why such hostility, brother?'' Acastus attempted to deflect the legionnaire's interrogation with a taunting calmness in his voice, while continuing his barrage. A few more bolts flew past the marines forcing most of the opposition into retreat, killing yet more of the rabble, as well as scorching their supervisor. ''I only wish to find a single item here'', the sorcerer continued, strolling forward as the battle raged on, ''It most likely lies beyond your interests, but I may be willing share its secrets with you, assuming that your assistance is provided''.
''Quit your yapping you two, and get back to killing! We still need to destroy the leader of this rabbel.'' Makroth snapped back at Acastus.
The Leader of the horde of cultist continued to move forward with a fanatical determination, despite the loss of his minions.
Makroth and Jack likewise moved onward, closing in with their enemy.
The sorcerer's fountain of fiery death appears to calm as he walks towards where the fighting is about to erupt, preparing to pour out another series of projectiles.
Acastus has noticed that one of the charging warriors wore the colours of the Alpha Legion. Dangerous opponents and invaluable allies, presence of one of them could be an enormous issue if not handled properly.
The other one, clad in armour of grey and yellow, seemed to be a lot less concerned with the appearance of a new side in this conflict, lending more of his attention to what was left of the zealots.
"See about that, we will, sorcerer. " remarked Jack back to Acastus and continued.
"Time is the luxury we have not and for now we may fight as brothers do"
The last word was almost unheard as Jack's bolt gun continued his aim and spray song (BS 50, +0 semi, +10 aim, +10 short range; roll 92. missed). However, the distraction from talking affected his accuracy and bolts flew past zealot corporal making holes in walls. That made him angry. Nonetheless, the alarm change did not bring any good news either. They were seen through, though judging by the relayed commands, they were near the bridge. Good. Almost on time. A wide angry grin scorched his face.
Renegades ran towards enemy zealot while shouting "Blood for the blood god!". Makroth too, moved steadily as marines do. Zealot answered with the same determination and ran into Makroth for close fighting. His mutations greatly improved his body, thought brought unnecessary body changes. The zealousness and sharpness of teeth could be seen in his face by Makroth.
Acastus continued to go forth, resuming to rain his missiles on the remaining enemy. However, it seemed that none of the sorcerous bolts hit where it would hurt, and the adversary remained unscathed.
Renegades finally reached zealot corporal.
"Let usssh have a sss-sh-lice of you!" hissed corporal zealot and slashed straight through Makroth, who did not dodge fast enough. The corporal had his skills perfected through several wars during serving for imperium time and he made sure, the strange fat scum would feel it. Makroth really felt it, though, he was a chaos space marine, a chosen of the gods. He will drain every drop of blood from this zealot scum.
A huge shadow seemed to detach itself from the door way and step into the corridor. Its armour was the colour of midnight trimmed with red and its armour seemed to have lightning arcing through the very surface of the armour, only a close inspection would reveal this to be trick of the light. the figure struck an imposing figure with its bat winged helm and large blade like horns of dark ivory framing its helm. Combined with the large metal tendrils coiling and uncoiling from behind his shoulder the shadow had an aspect like some deamon from the darkest hells. Hover for the moment it seemed to be unnoticed.
'These blasted skum, how dare they take my ship from me' Tarves thought to himself as he begun to move towards the source of the noise 'Maybe I can use these intruders to reclaim my ship and destroy these degenerates'
Tarves pulled out his axe, a mockery of the traditional cog of the Adeptus Mechanicus, instead of the clean cog teeth, the axe had several viscous eviscerating barbs and covered in constantly shifting Dark Technomagic runes, soon it would taste blood... soon....
The fleeing cultist leftovers finally exited the corridor.
"Come and let my swords adamantite teeth taste your flesh!" With great fury, Makroth let his legion chainsword saw into the corporal's guts and opened a rent in his body. Such a merciless attack ripped a large patch of skin from the corporal's torso, leaving him gasping in pain and dizzy. What less could you expect from genetically engineered killing machine? Without mutations, the zealot would not survive such attack and even now, he was near death.
Tarves skulked up to boxes and took a look at the chaos, just in time to see a what appeared to be a very strange and chaotic brawl under way, seeing a group clearly not from the ship and surrounding and taking apart a leader from the cult. Tarves grinned like a mad man and drew his bolt pistol and sighted the hapless leader type in his sights.
"Get off my ship you motherless bovine lover!" he bellowed in a thick Nostarman accent and fired.
His shot ripped through the victims arm, causing the limb to fly of in a shower of scarlet, before lodging in the chest cavity and exploding, causing the target to burst coating everyone nearby with a liberal shower of gore.
Tarves stepped out, bolt pistol trained on the obvious threat of the sorcerer, growling
"Now that is over you lot can let me know what brings you to my ship?" Tarves addressed "I mean, I could use your help clearing it of these vermin, but somehow I doubt you are the good Samaritan types"
Again, all of the sudden, a new marine appeared in front of them and payed precise bolt loads into corporal. From what appeared, it looked like one of the infamous Night Lord chaos marines. What was more interesting, he claimed ownership of this voidship. It seemed he too, was fooled by Jack's careful disguises and directed his questions to the sorcerer. At this, time Jack was glad he made some sort of an agreement with sorcerer to fight together. It was time to remove their disguises, so Jack and Makroth with clean gestures ripped apart their huge clothes. Two legionnaire power armours irradiated their colors and made the presence of additional space marines unmistakable.
"Unconfined vermin seems to have already claimed this ship ownership, night brother. So, we are here to claim it for our cause and if you share it, then Samaritan we are. Though, enemies are already fortifying the bridge and we have no time to waste." Jack answered and readied his boltgun in case this marine was going to be a false help.
Makroth spread his giant bat like wings, stretching them out. ''It's good to be out of those cramped costumes of yours, brother. When do we get to slaugther some more scum?''
Tarves growled but lowered his weapon, he was no fool. He couldn't claim back his ship without the help of these intruders. Still it grated.
"I am no ones brother.You are scavengers here to pick my ships bones clean or do you have another prize in mind?" Tarves paused while he mulled this over "Hmm, how about this, I will aid you in whatever task brings you here. I am no fool and I know you are to few to hope to hold this ship yourselves. So you are here for something else no? aid me in being rid of these cultists and I will aid you..."
Tarves points in the direction of the bridge and beckoned the others.
"The bridge is that way, shall we move onward..."
''Hold it right there, black eyes. If this is your ship, how come your not a slave to the abominations like the rest of the crew?'' Makroth asked, while running his thumb up and down his chainswords trigger mechanism.
"Have some patience, brother. The former owner of this infested voidship will lead us to the bridge." Jack grinned but with a serious voice poured his words to flow further.
"And as for now, we share the cause to secure this ship from xenos and scum. We will decide what will happen later, because we are on the race with possible other boarders, which may not be that kind of Samaritans you or we want." Jack saw, that the night lord marine, was quite unhappy with guests in this ship, though he was alone and needed help. Jack and Makroth needed help too.
"Lets move then." with that, marines and renegades quickly moved to the pointed direction.
Tarves laughed off the insult from the Iron Warrior, a sinister sounding thing that had more in common with a deathrattle than what was normally recognised as a laugh.
"That's the spirit," He laughed some more "We seem to have got off on the wrong foot, my name is Tarves Val'keer, Warpsmith of the 3rd Company, back when we had companies anyway"
He sighed and looked around at this motley band,
"Your plan is a frontal assault?" he stopped leading for a second "have you thought about alternative options, say like dropping in from above and taking them from an angle they don't expect? maybe turn of the lights at the same time?"