Editing The Tribunal

This story is part of the community effort on the [[Emperor's Nightmare]] chapter. (by SC Guy)
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Lazerus stalked through the darkened forest, keeping low, black laquered bolter clutched close to his armoured chest. Behind him, though he could not hear it, he knew his men were formed upon either side of him, each careful, each straining their enhanced senses to the limit. A status report was unnecessary, as radio silence had to be maintained...Their prey could probably hear something like vox static, even within the dark purple helmets of the Nightmares.

Every tree seemed to shake, like an attacker concealing themselves. Every rustle and sigh of wind around them felt like the jaws of some perfectly slulpted ambush. It was maddening, the very reason why only the best Secundus operatives were selected for the elite search and destroy squads designated only as "The Tribunal". Lazerus' armour stood out amongst the darkness of Secundus' colours, a stoney grey livelry adorning the suit with the bronze decorations upon his helmet, the signature of the Night Owls.

They had been creeping through the deserted forest for several hours now, feeling their way through the moonless night with a resigned determination, and a weight in their gut. One of their dreamless brethren, Sergeant Elistav of the third company, had broken free from his bonds and taken refuge upon this planet some three months ago. He had slaughtered whole towns, believing them to be enemy outposts in his lunacy, and now the planetary capital had started suffering losses from the madman. It had to stop, and for that The Tribunal was necessary.

It then dawned on Lazerus that it had been more than just a few hours since they began. Though the darkness and the strain of the task swallowed the time, it must have been at least six hours. frowning and standing up straight, he turned to signal to his men.

Darkness greeted him. His squadmates were nowhere to be seen. How was that possible, if there had been battle he would have heard it, and they were Secundus operatives, getting lost was hardly a problem. His close cropped hair stood on end as he glanced around the area. It was all the same, tall, branchless trees and cloying blackness surrounded the Night Owl. Cursing inwardly, he shouldered his boltgun while he made to retrieve his signal flare.

The next thing he felt was pain. Something battered into Lazerus' side with the force of a hurricane, lifting the Astartes clean off his feet and slamming into a tree hard. Before he could even cry out in pain his assailant was upon him, a ragged giant of a man, throwing a maddened flurry of strikes which Lazerus felt even behind the protection of his power armour. Growling, he tried to punch at his attacker, but to his dismay the attacker melted before him, stepping out of the way of the strike with a grace unheard of for something of his stature. This was what he had come to hunt. This was the most dangerous prey, from all the many hundreds of battles Lazerus had participated in, the rogue sleepless were the one he found it hard to kill...Emotionally and physically.

He felt his helmet clasps being tugged off, and his autosenses vanished as it was tugged off and thrown contemptuously aside. Blow after blow landed, numbing Lazerus with their intensity and speed, he dropped, even his engineered constitution failing against this madman. Ceasing his assault, Elistav stepped back and folded his arms. His gaze was contemptuous as it was insane, merely the shell of the noble Sergeant he had been, fouled by mania and his Chapter's own curse.

"You should have brought an army, traitorous filth. I will see this world cleansed of your taint or die trying!" Lurching forward Lazerus tried to sink his combat knife into his enemy's thigh, but the Sleepless had seen his arm tense before he had even moved and once more Lazerus was on his back reeling from a quicksilver kick to the face. Elistav sneered, placing his boot on his would-be hunter's neck.

"For the Emperor and for Icelus I sign your death warrant, mongrel. May you never reach your blasphemous gods." Raising his foot, he tosses his head back and laughed. It was a deranged giggle more than anything, a mirror to a mind ravaged by the darkness of waking life for too long.

"May the Emperor have Mercy on your soul, Dreamless One." With a roar the muzzle of his bolt pistol spoke, the rocket propelled shell embedding itself in Elistav's chest. He froze, looking momentarily dazed and confused. Then he fell.

Lurching to his feet, Lazerus pointed the pistol at his prey's face. The Sleepless squirmed on the ground, hands upon the ruin of his chest, his eyes wide and...Peaceful

"...Thank you, Brother...Do it. Grant me my rest and let me be done with this mockery of a life." With a grim nod Lazerus took a deep breath. steeling his trigger finger.

"Dream, Brother Elistav..." Then he pulled the trigger. Not once, not twice, the barrel spoke until the pistol's clip clicked empty. You could never be too sure with Sleepless.

"Dream..."

[[Category:Emperor's Nightmare]]