As they moved "I am Alpharius, Alpha Legion Stealth Squad" Jack replied. This was the first time Jack said anything about his name even for his partner Makroth. In the few verifiable, recorded instances of contact every Astartes in the legion refers to himself as Alpharius to outsiders, regardless of his actual identity, this fact makes it incredibly difficult to venerate heroes within the ranks of the Alpha Legion. Not that it would be particularly easy without the secrecy of the individual Astartes identities - the Legion's combat doctrine is one of supreme covertness and clandestine operations.
"We will flank and frag them. If you really know the ship, lead to the bridge and show me rooms through which we can make unexpected openings for them, brother"
They exited a lift.
As they walked towards their destination, the Iron Warrior exhaled a deep breath and said ''I am Makroth, former sergeant of squad Mangonel from the 7th Grand company.'' He spoke without looking at any of his companions. He didn't say anything else, and it seemed like he was lost within his own thoughts, thinking of battles long gone. Under his helm, he smiled. It was not a smile brought forth from memories of pleasant times. No, it was more a smile brought forth from memories of slaughter and death.
Just as alarm sounded again.
"You hear that Ben?"
"Yeah, John, we should totally go and defend the bridge. After all, it may be our chance to escape this forsaken ship. Though, if somebody is that near and dangerous, we may die."
"It is better than serve in here for life, after the overthrow in bridge. Some crewmen have begun mutating and that could only mean bad." The two, took their auto guns and went to the door. They felt that something is coming, but weren't sure. They just hoped they would get alive from this mess. Their walk was suddenly disturbed, by sounds from the ventilation system. Something was coming and judging by the metal grating sounds, it did not sound friendly. The guards readied their guns at the vents, but suddenly the sound stopped. What happened next, the duo won't remember ever again. With a high pitched screech the ground opened under their feet and they fell to the barbed meat grinder. With that ending, somebody continued to pass over the vents with felt haste as the very survival was dependent on that.
"Defenses in place, sir" reported 3CPO.
"Good." muttered the captain as he loaded his bolter, bolt by bolt. If this defense won't hold, he will need to deal with those intruders himself. It was a mistake, the night lord marine disagreed with him and the resulting fight brought unnecessary crew losses.
The conversing marines appeared amusing to Acastus, who determined to watch them. Momentarily bemused after the revelation of the ship's past ownership, the Son was still manufacturing a way as to how the new guest could be used to obtain leverage in the oncoming negotiations. Mêlée à trois, it was not likely to grow into, but he would still have to take the role of a kingmaker.
An almost silent chuckle was produced by the psyker when veterans hardened by Chaos and the Long War started to make acquaintances. Not fearing the bad manners being uncovered, as the sound of air crackling into the hues of blue and purple, both spectral and not, his presence caused, was louder still, Acastus relented, 'And my name is Acastus. I reckon that you were perceptive enough to notice that I am a sorcerer, and I am glad you did'. The words masked his unsuccesful attempt to delude so-called 'Alpharius' into a more cordial attitude with psychic powers.
'Monsieur Tarves, you mentioned something about disrupting the lighting to our advantage. Do you have something specific on your mind?'
Tarves spun to face the Sorcerer, his movements surprisingly fluid for one weighed down by augmentations and extra armour platings such as he, and nodded.
"oh indeed I do," He chortled and rubbed his hands on axe with all the care of a lover "first call, I retake some of the ship systems and try to turn them against these foul cretin, we smash in and in the confusion butcher them where they stand..."
He stopped caressing his axe and tensed.
"I see fate playing a hand here, after I was done with this disaster I had intended to start a Warband. Is it not fate that I see before me three warriors also in need of purpose, maybe once this is over we can discuss this further, but know I would pledge myself and my vessel if you where agreeable" Tarves nodded to the others "if we are going to action my plan we need a terminal, so we may need to divert slightly. Are we doing this?"
Jack carefully moved further and looked at both ends of the corridors. Then, everybody advanced to the right side where the corridor ended in a T type cross-section. Instantaneously he peeked to both sides. As expected, trenches had been made. Moreover, much more serious opposition defended the way. Jack licked his lips and grinned. Finally some real opposition to deal with and Jack already thought about some devious plan to solve it like all Alpha marines do - devastating attack at the enemy's weakest moment and place.
"We need to disrupt their eyesight for this line to brake, Tarves. Though, there will be more and they may manage to turn supplementary power sources. During the blind time, somebody could sneak and throw a bag of rigged grenades, which I can make"
Tarves nodded, appreciating that like most Alpha legionaries this one was a fan of subtlety, that would be our best asset in this.
"Okay I am going to head to a terminal and wrench control back, do any of you wanna come and keep me company" Tarves gave a chuckle "Or shall i take some of tha chaff?"
"I'm busy with the guards here. Others can support you" Jack muttered as he was rooting around in his back pack for his demolition kit. "Guards, give me some grenades"
The front two guards shuffled forward and handed their standard grenades, which looked like fragile green eggs in the hands of the marine.
Little did Jack know, that these may as well have been eggs for all there structural integrity, his powerful hands proving to much for the grenades and a slight tick that had developed in his left gauntlet, not enough to normally be noticed would cause disaster. His massive hands crushed the detonator on the jury rigged explosive device, like a serpent of Old Terra forewarning her attack a minute hissing could be heard escaping from the device. For a simple mortal this would be their last memory, but Jack was a space marine with more than one millennium of hard earned experience and on this occasion having a Lyman's Ear proved quite helpful, after all it gave the ability to consciously filter out and greatly enhance certain sounds many times over the capabilities of normal human hearing. Jack heard the warning triggers "tick", "tack" and just before "toe" he dropped the device and barrelled into the opposite wall of the corridor. Looking back he saw the resulting combined explosion had turned most of the renegade guards into a thick layer of still smoking detritus, but somehow three had survived.
Jack was embarrassed at this and felt the need to save face.
"Can't you even acquire proper equipment, you worms! Trifle with me again and I will end you!" Jack roared at the leftover renegades.
Elsewhere
"Yes sir an explosion and some sort of bellowing." the mercenary sergeant reported over the vox.
"well don't just stand there, the enemy is upon you, You have your orders sergeant and I expect them to be carried out"
"Overwatch protocol men! The enemy is here do not let them past!" the mercenary sergeant blared the order to his men.
Tarves, looked back and let out a bellowing laugh, before remembering he was meant to be being stealthy, he drew Acastus's eye and beckoned him to follow.
"I think it might be safer if you came with me Mr Acastus" Tarves moved, not waiting to see if he was followed "plus we shouldn't split up to much"
Tarves dashed round the corner, all pretence at stealth abandoned after the explosion, His form remarkably fast even for a geneforged being like himself. His graceful dash took him down to the Junction, simply swinging a left here and to the end of the corridor would get him to the terminal that he needed.
As he looked down the corridor he noted a group he saw what at first look appeared to be a group of 10 mercenaries, but on a closer inspection where different in appearance, they where a dishevelled and nervous looking rabble. Tarves bellowed an incoherent roar of murder at these poor unfortunates and they lost all sense of cohesion and prostrated themselves before him... well all bar one.
"Dark One, we are here to serve" This one, braver than most mortals, was one of the few who had remained loyal to the Night Lord. "we heard that you where wreaking vengeance upon those who wronged you, so we have risen up all over the ship to fight, what you see before you is the best of us."
" Sterntraut Günzenthal, my faithful servant, you have done well." It cost Tarves nothing to be grateful to his servant, and a happy servant was a loyal one. " you have sent a lot of people to there death Günzenthal, but better they die than fall to the taint of these... creatures."
"split yourselves, Günzenthal and 4 others with me the rest of you head up and support my brethren, they will be happy for the support."
mechadendrites raised over the terminal like a spider waiting to strike, they suddenly blurred into action hitting in streams of code and keystrokes, within second he had the systems under his control.
He voxed ahead.
"Systems are mine and I have reinforcements heading to your position, human chaff I am afraid. We will move from this position and commence assault, on your mark"
With that the lighting started to drop and the temperature also began to plummet, making it hard to see and causing the bitter cold to penetrate the very being of those on this floor, at least for the normal mortals. Finally Tarves spun round his axe and gently tapped the blade to the terminal, its dark technosorcery arced from the axe to the terminal, and then through the systems and locked it down, it would take one of his own ilk to get this working again.
"Acknowledged, brother Tarves. Hopefully they will have proper explosives." Jack responded and drew his legion frag grenade from the depths of his great backpack. He can't allow the embarrassment fall on his shoulders again, so he turned on his full brain capacity. Eggs not, Astartes grade grenade were. That he can prime. Though, it would not be enough for those scum in trenches. With a help from those local ship renegades, they could manage a good explosives sack for warming up first line of defense. After all, the temperatures were already dropping to the chills. Jack grinned and boomed orders.
"Prime a sack of grenades, soldiers!"