"Knowing that the cival unrest was rising in the hives, Lord Vetinari sent in his agents to help guide his would be xenos slayers. 9 highly trained agent were sent into the belly of the beast to hunt down information on the 100 eyes. Only 3 made it out. One of these three agents is being escorted by the Reavers. It will be a great embarrassment to them if they can't deliver him safely uphive."
Talen Courtois read the message aloud to the assembled crew over their breakfast of grox-meat with sump-croc eggs (a rare delicacy on a world where most food was made from processed corpse protein).
"This is not right" said the Seneschal eventually.
"Agreed" barked the Sarge. "We can't afford to make an enemy of Vetinari".
Moonface clicked and whirred quietly in the corner. Lyra, who had learnt to understand him to some extent, raised her eyebrow and smiled at him.
"Agreed" barked the Sarge. "We can't afford to make an enemy of Vetinari".
Moonface clicked and whirred quietly in the corner. Lyra, who had learnt to understand him to some extent, raised her eyebrow and smiled at him.
Qaros Nebir, usually silent, now spoke up, his voice muffled through the re-breather he had to wear in standard Imperial environments.
"Let us be clear. No-one wishes to kill an agent of Lord Vetinari. But if we can prevent the Reavers from escorting him safely, it is to our advantage."
Boruss, Mary and Two Swords nodded in assent. Nebir spoke rarely, but his opinion was respected.
"Very well then" said the Seneschal, reluctantly. "Let's move out".
*****
The Reavers, despite being badly outnumbered, took the early advantage, trying to maneuver around the Pirates' positions. Harkathnut's crew had set themselves up around a Tech-Bazaar, with the intention of intimidating the locals into selling them some weaponry on the cheap once the fight was done.
The Reavers' toxin weapons took a brutal toll on the crew, with Mary and the Sarge falling to needle rifles, and Karith Ryt being humiliated when he was dropped from a platform by a long rifle shot, falling to the ground and blacking out, taking no further part in the fight.
Eventually though, the Pirates hemmed the Reavers in, and the tide turned when Arthur "Two Swords" Jackson pulled off a long charge to take down one of their masked, black-armoured opponents, delivering a brutal coup-de-grace before diving for cover in the face of a storm of retaliatory fire.
 |
| Debonn Kalusett |
As they met the defensive line, the Reavers took more casualties and soon fled the field, leaving the agent alone to suffer his fate in the depths of the hive.
As the surviving Reavers melted away into the shadows, Debonn Kalusett radioed the Seneschal.
"I have a bead on the agent. He is alone now. Do I take the shot?"
The Seneschal paused, and switched his comm-link so the others couldn't hear
"Let him be. We have enough enemies down here already. Let the Hivers decide his fate".
And so the crew took up positions around the Tech-Bazaar, ready to move out once the area was secured. The Reavers were humiliated for now, but they would be back soon without doubt.
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