Chapter 119: Chapter 16 Part 4
Chapter 16: Tenuous pacts
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Part 4
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Eres Badlands
Kronus
As far as the Aeldari could see, there were dark dunes. Only an odd piece of weathered rock jutted out of the desert, not yet ground down to fine dust. This was a dead and desolate place. It had been this way for a long time. The Ranger could feel it in his bones.
It was a bad place, and he wondered if it was just because the demon buried below the dunes. Only hard trained patience, worthy of his rank, kept Rohan from demanding a status update. That in itself told him much. This forsaken place was playing with his nerves. Besides, it wasn't like he would be the first to know if the Warlock finally found the prison.
There were only a handful of Aeldari in this part of the continent. Rohan, the Warlock doing his thing, and the Grav tank crew. The last group were the best off, enjoying the relative comfort of the sealing machine.
The small band of Aeldari was alone, surrounded by silent Yungir, no Necron, Drones, and the odd human patrol. Rohan had to remind himself how he thought about either group. Even hinting that the latter were mere beasts, and the former still slaves of the C'tan, could lead to otherwise avoidable issues. Achieving more than he already had was a very long and tricky shot, one Rohan felt compelled to make. He still got his fellow Aeldari out of the potential blast radius, leaving him with barely any support.
At any rate, it was going to be worth it. No matter what happened from now on, his troops were where they could do the most – back home. Or on the way there anyway.
The question plaguing Rohan was simple – how did he derail the alliance between humans and Necrons? He knew how not to. Providing them with a target to unite again was what got them into this disaster. He wasn't going to make them target him.
Rohan thought about spreading strife. Attempting to play upon the humans' hatred about everything different might have worked. If Taldeer didn't ensure they would trust one of their kind even less than usual. Staging a false attack to get the allies to fight each other might have worked, in another time and place. Here, the human leaders had the disturbing ability to be reasonable and see beyond the dogma they were raised on.
The Necrons were as bad if not worse. They also had the whole contingent covered with surveillance devices. Rohan didn't trust what little warp sorcery he had in his possession against the scrutiny arrayed against them. Perhaps someone like Eldrad might have had the skills and cunning to pull off something sneaky and underhanded enough to work.
Rohan wasn't the ancient Farseer.
The Ranger kept looking over the desolate desert. His eyes automatically scanned for the tiniest sign of trouble and found nothing.
Perhaps that was the answer? Do nothing? The humans were self-destructive at the best of times. How would the rest of their kind react to the news of an alliance with the Necrons of all beings in the galaxy? There might be something to this idea. Not only because following through with it didn't require a pointless suicide, but because the humans were self-destructive crude creatures.
The more Rohan thought about it, the more he found the prospect enticing. At worst, he might have to stay around and bind his time to drive a blade through the alliance's heart. Meanwhile, the humans and Necrons alike would be useful for at least one more thing – seeing the destruction of another daemon.
And that was a topic Rohan was doing his best not to dwell upon. The destruction of warp beasts was nothing new. Many powerful Aeldari Warlocks and Farseers could smite down the less powerful monsters for good under the right circumstances. Some weapons could bring the end to almost any neverborn, though those were exceedingly rare these days.
What Rohan found disturbing was the possibility to see the process industrialized by the alliance. That should have been a good thing if the tools necessary couldn't as easily cripple his people.
Those Necron Pylons were an extreme threat and not only because how they made it almost impossible to draw power from the Sea of Souls. It was the moments of peace Rohan felt under their influence that made him shy from thinking about them. Because, if he let himself dwell upon it, it could easily grow into an obsession.
And so, Rohan the Ranger sat on top of a tank, gloomy pondering dark thoughts until his Warlock acquaintance finally succeeded.
"I've got it!" The older man exclaimed and jumped on his feet, from where he sat cross-legged on the hot sand. "It was protected by some impressively powerful and vile sorcery, but I got it now!" The Warlock crooned. He even shook his fist in the air, in a great show of emotion.
On a closer look, Rohan could perceive all the energy thumping through the Warlock. More than it was safe for anyone of their ability and experience to channel.
The Warlock let the power go with visible strain and regret, and looked at Rohan.
"The walls separating the Sea of Souls from this rock are becoming stronger with each passing moment. And the light of the Human Emperor keeps the Neverborn at bay." The Warlock explained."I didn't risk our souls in order to get it done faster." He sniffed in disdain.
"That's a relief. Lead the way."
The Warlock pointed north and jumped on the tank. A moment later, they raced low above the dunes, and a swarm of Necron drones formed above them.
The Warlock led them to a nondescript part of the desert. The only difference was that there were a few more ground down rocks sticking out of the sand than average.
"It's right there." The Warlock pointed forward.
"Are you sure, Aeldari?" A deep mechanical voice came from all around them and the face of a Necron materialized from thin air beside them.
"I know what I'm talking about. I can clearly see the site." The Warlock focused on the empty patch of desert, and his hand fell upon the hilt of his blade. "The prison's entrance has been breached and not too long ago."
"If you want to commit a glorified suicide, be my guests. Otherwise, stand by. Deployment of containment forces is underway."
Rohan didn't feel like dying today but kept that thought to himself.
"We'll wait." That was all he said.
Soon, many Necron forces teleported in, including a number of their large hover transports carrying Pylons.
"Inquisitor Veil and his Pariah child will be en route soon. Do not make any threatening gestures their way, or you will be annihilated." The Necron announced.
Rohan didn't need more than a glance to conclude that the forces surrounding his position were more interested in containing the Aeldari than fighting anything that might come out of the prison.
The distressing factor was the Necrons didn't lack forces to throw at the neverborn either because more and more kept coming. He was sure that by the time the humans arrived, ancient death machines would cover the desert.
In this case, Rohan would have very much preferred to be wrong.
As if that wasn't bad enough, soon the humans arrived on board a large, noisy, and undoubtedly smelly, red transport that roared through the air before landing nearby. Ten of their Space Marines walked out, backed by a pair of small Necrons. Only then the Inquisitor made his way out, and Rohan stared. The insane human wore armor craft in the visage of the Necrons themselves, wielded one of their swords, and to make things worse, the Inquisitor had a shield proclaiming their friendship!
The Yungir and their Necron slaves didn't have friends! Even free from their Star Gods, the Necrons were little better than the neverborn! Did they subvert the local humans? Was this the grave threat Eldrad foresee?!
The Inquisitor turned his head towards the Aeldari. Then Rohan saw that even the human wore a helmet-shaped in the form of a Necron head. That human was lost, that much Rohan was certain of now.
The Ranger used all his training to calm himself down in the face of the enemy. This wasn't the time for foolish actions. He couldn't follow in Taldeer's footsteps. Doom awaited at the end of that path.
The world froze. Walls slammed down, reinforcing reality itself and pushing back the Sea of Souls. The constant connection with She-Who-Thirsts nearly withered, and her ravenous presence felt so far away as if it was only a half-forgotten nightmare.
Rohan was vaguely aware that the Necron Pylons pulsed with power and glowed green from the strain. He saw the Warlock stumble and fall to his knees, likely in relief.
The humans and Necrons alike ignored them and marched through. Rohan focused on the mission at hand. He could now see where the entrance hid. He could see a few larger boulders that weren't there a moment ago, and between them was a crudely dug out tunnel.
Necron Warriors, Human Astartes, and the Inquisitor marched inside heedless of what they could find. Rohan gathered everything he was and pushed through the peace attempting to overwhelm him with its alluring promise.
The ancient enemy let him pass by, though a group of them fell in formation around him. They could cut him down at a moment's notice.
Rohan kept walking and gripped his rifle so hard his fingers ached. He followed the impossible allies inside, through darkness, blood, and fallen corpses, until they reached a ritual chamber full of bloodless corpses.
"That's the place all right." The Inquisitor's voice sounded distorted and machine-like. Almost like a Necron's. "Where is the bloody Daemon?!"
Rohan wasn't sure if he should be happy, cry in relief or curse his luck.
He was even less sure why he agreed to accompany the Humans to their city. For that manner, it was a mystery why he later ended attending a crude and particularly boring ceremony carried out by the red-robed technology worshipers.
Oh, right. At that point, Rohan would have done almost anything to keep the peace and quiet surrounding his soul.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone