Crone World - Part 10

Nodding to his command, both Reymalden and Tulley sprang into action; with the Hospitalier charging towards the downed Ork, while the corporal snuck to the other side of the ship and took aim at the last remaining threat. 

A shell whined past Captain Holm on his left.  He turned to the attacking Ork, pointed to it with his sword, and then made a cutting gesture across his throat.  His opponent reacted to his display with some unintelligible grunts.  With grim determination, Holm raised his pistol and took aim at his faraway target.  The Ork responded in kind, raising its weapon to take aim at him once more.

As luck would have it, Holm squeezed the trigger nearly at the same time as Tulley pulled his.  The Ork’s abdomen exploded in a profuse spray of blood, while the lasbolt nailed the brute in the center of the head, knocking it onto its side.  With some time bought, Holm glanced over to the last known location of the Hospitalier.  He hoped that he would not have to disentangle the priest from a situation too big for him to handle.

To his surprise, he saw that Reymalden had holstered his weapons and was hunched over the downed Ork, busily doing something to the creature.  After a few moments, it became apparent to Holm what he was doing.  He was tying the Ork up in chains that it itself must have carried.  Holm smiled at Reymalden’s resourcefulness.  They needed workers, what better worker could they have than a muscle-bound Ork?  Following the priest’s lead, Holm ran back towards the ship, intent on capturing the other two.

 “Corporal!  Don’t kill him!” he yelled to Tulley as the Guardsman took aim at the downed Ork.

The order came too late, the air hissed as Tulley fired his Lasgun and the Ork’s head disintegrated into unrecognizable chunks of flesh and bone.  Tulley flinched as he looked at his commanding officer, a pained grimace covered the corporal’s face.

“Sorry, sir,” he said in a reconciliatory tone.  The captain shook his head in disgust as he sheathed his sword.

“Never mind that, corporal.  Let’s get back aboard and see if the leader’s still alive.  Rogue Trader Velstrak will have his precious workers yet!” Holm replied and began climbing.  Tulley soon followed, slinging his Lasgun onto his shoulder.   When they reached the top they found that the Ork was still alive, although with the quantity of its blood that smeared the deck the captain would have never believed it.  It was vainly trying to get into a sitting position, only to have its uninjured arm lose purchase in the gore, causing it to fall back onto the deck.

“What are these things made out of?!” Holm said as he snapped off a shot with his pistol.  Blood welled out of the Ork’s chest and it lowed like a sick bovine.

“Hate and spite, it seems,” Tulley said as he fired his unslung Lasgun at the still moving alien.  His shot blasted through the metal plating covering its groin and the monster roared in anguish.  The last attack appeared to take the Ork’s will to fight.  It lay there, stunned, moaning in distress.  “It’s not looking too frisky, sir.  Now what?”

“Keep your weapon trained on him while I bind him,” Holm said, using his new arm to effortlessly flip the hapless greenskin onto its stomach.  Pulling a set of crude restraints off the Ork’s belt, Holm summarily restrained it in short order.  When the beast regained its senses, it tried to free itself, but to no avail.

Holm placed his boot squarely in the middle of the Ork’s back as he flashed a smile to the corporal.  “Velstrak wanted workers, he didn’t specify the species.”

+++EST 7352LOGNAV-HES DEATH SPIRAL+++

+++Journal Date: ETAC Day 4

+++Author: Trader Jil Velstrak +++

+++Thought for the Day: Beware the Mutant, the Alien, the Heretic+++

My evening’s repast was rudely interrupted by Captain Holm and his entourage as they returned from yet another excursion.  They were singing, off-key I might add, some brainless ditty they picked up on their tour on Cadia.  As if that was not the worst, the buffoons brought Orks back to the camp! Is Holm mad??  I asked him, “What are you doing?  Why did you bring these things back to my ship?”

The petulant man responded that since I requested workers, he merely followed my orders and brought them to me.  Before I could reply, he further stated that I did not request a specific species and that if I was not satisfied with them, he would cut them lose then and there.  Orks are belligerent, recalcitrant and overall chuckleheaded creatures, but I knew better than to release them.  So, the two new “guests” of the Spiral are relaxing in the brig.  Once they realize that assisting us will ensure their freedom, or so they believe, they will have no alternative other than spending their remaining days behind bars.

The only real “good” news is that the Tech-Hospitalier found yet another Lyth to add to our coffers.  He is now breathlessly discussing the find with Youvesti and they plan to incorporate the new addition into the configuration on the ship.  They requested a delay to our take off attempt, so I have given them another day in order for their calculations and litanies to be completed.

I will pray doubly hard to the Emperor tonight, for I hope that our attempt to escape tomorrow will be successful and that the nigricant stench of Ork can be cleansed from the brig after we are finished with them.