Ancient Hunter
Chapter 50

It was over for now. I couldn’t stay here my quarters were no longer safe. I was tempted to light up my comms to see what attacked me but I didn’t have that luxury of time. I passed what was left of the door marvelling at the damage. I took a quick glance at the shadow on the floor in the darkness and exited out into the corridor. I glanced left and right my hands gripping hard on the hilt of my sword. A figure lay on the floor illuminated by the emergency lighting. For a horrifying I thought it was Jervic. It was too tall I edged closer to the figure in full combat armour. The bodies limbs and head twisted at impossible angles. Close by lay the remains of a Coil Assault Gun damaged beyond repair. On the wall above the body were marks of something smashed against the wall. Streaks on the wall as bullets ricocheted off it further down were mute testimony that the Marine had tried to defend himself. I was certain the body was that on a male. What shocked me the most was that I never heard a sound. I checked my comms it was still showing no signal. I had no way of knowing what was going on. I was on my own while I stood there I debated which direction to go. I knew I had to keep moving. There was enough light to see I had been splattered with a dark ichor. It wasn’t blood it didn’t have that taste when it splattered over my lips. I took a decision and headed towards the bridge passing a bulkhead torn part like it was paper. It reminded me of the passage to the Joining Pool the door there had been torn apart. I had supposed that had been explosives. It never occurred to me that something with great strength had done that.

I continued down the corridor. Creeping past broken bulkheads my hand gripping tightly on the hilt of my sword. I was fearful to let it go. Now I was out of immediate danger my fear levels started to rise. I was frightened that I’d freeze like some rabbit in the headlights and that would be the end of me. I walked on alert for sounds. Ahead of me was an intersection I slowed as I approached it. I edged up to the corner and peered in the direction I could hear the sound from. In the gloom of the emergency lighting was the figure of a Marine in combat armour dragging himself across the floor. Abandoning caution I rushed over to him.

“Please don’t kill me!” he pleaded. He had a strong Imperial accent. Not as pronounced as mine but still standing out.

I thought I looked bad but I wasn’t that bad. “What type of idiot do you take me for?”

I replied using USE or Universal Standard English. What the Confeds called Terran.

The Marine gasped. He was wearing his helmet so I could see his expression but I could guess what it showed. The TCA or as I called it the Alliance was the co-operation between the Empire and the Confederacy to stop the Rhosani threat.

Looking at the Marine I needed information. With the comms out I needed a report. I hated to do it but I needed to know what was happening.

“What happened Marine?”

“Attack, injured, weapons useless, it wouldn’t die.” His words came out in spurts I could hear the pain in them.

I regretted my questioning. The Marine needed help and I wasn’t doing that. Before I could ask him more he slumped to the floor. I panicked for a second before getting hold of myself. I checked the diagnostic panel on the sleeve of his armour. A holo appeared above the panel showing an image of the Marine. I noted a lot of red sections. It looked as if the Marine had taken a lot of hits. It was a miracle that he was still moving. Calling for aid was impossible with the comms down. I glanced around seeking an answer. Luck was with me I was on a former Imperial ship. I spotted the signs for an aid station. I guessed that this was where the injured Marine was trying to get to. Emblazoned on the door was the aid sign in both USE the language of the Empire and in Galactic the Confeds used. It showed the blood drop symbol of the Confederacy and the Red Cross and Crescent of the Empire. Next to it was a string of numbers. Beside the cabinet door, which was big enough to walk in was a glass panel. In side that was a lever.

Operating the door required a manual opening. Just the thing when there was no power or emergency lighting as there was now. I broke the glass by hitting it with the pommel of my sword and pulled the lever. Pulling the lever did two things it opened the door and sent an alert to a central station. The good thing was the alert was on a cabled system independent of the comms. What ever was affecting the comms wouldn’t affect this that was my hope. I opened the door and peered inside. The aid cabinet had it own lighting system and was an alcove large enough to fit one person. It gave more illumination than the emergency lights outside. I quickly scanned what the station contained. My eyes fixed on the medkit, which was as wide as my forearm and a thick as my hand. Below it was a set of fire extinguishers. Next to the medkit was the oddity of oddities a fire axe, with an axe blade on one side and pick on the other. I pulled the medkit off the wall and opened it. Good it contained the stimpacks I needed. I pulled out the hypo injector and pushed a vial into it. I turned back to the Marine.

I carefully removed the Marine’s helmet. His holo panel told me he was unconscious and hovering on the edge of death. I pressed the hypo to the Marine’s neck and pressed the button. The effect was instantaneous and the Marine’s eyes flicked open.

“Thank you,” he groaned.

“Hold still let the stims take effect,” I countered. “What’s your name Marine?” I added.

“Peter, Peter Martin.”

I froze for a second in shock then recovered. I crossed it off as being a mere coincidence. It was a common name in parts of the Empire. I doubted we were related. Mum was into all the genealogy stuff almost as obsessive as the Valkyrie. It was something I would look into when I had the time and that time wasn’t now. I grabbed the axe and passed it to Peter.

“Here this is better than nothing,” I said.

He pushed it away from me. Looking at me than at the axe. “You’ve got to be joking!”

“I’m not joking,” I replied in all seriousness. “It will give you a fighting chance?” From the looks he was giving me I realised that Peter hadn’t the Valkyrie training I had. I abandoned the idea of the axe and bundled him into the aid station alcove. “Stay there. Opening the door to the station will have called for help. I partly closed the door on Peter. I could see his frightened expression. I should have thought through that clearer. Unfortunately time wasn’t on my side. I had to get to the bridge and help Xenai co-ordinate the defences. The axe was a no go so I left on the floor. I doubted any of the Marines were trained in melee weapons an oversight in my opinion.

I headed away from the station it was disorientating in the dim light provided by the emergency lighting. I followed the corridor in the direction I thought the bridge was. I hadn’t gone that far when I heard shouts ahead I seemed a fight was going on. I hurried forward with a cautious haste. Around another intersection I came across a half dozen Marines and crew fighting one of the creatures and losing. There were several more Marines and crew lying on the floor. I sprang into action channelling my inner VHT. The Valkyrie Hair Trigger, that Joyce had said all Valkyrie had. The creature was as tall as a Valkyrie and as broad. It was difficult to make out other details in the dim light.

“Fall back!” I screamed at the top of my voice. Forgetting my fears and throwing caution to the winds I charged going full Valkyrie. In a motion I could believe myself I leapt over the heads of the defenders and attacked. My sword sliced through an arm reaching for one of the Marines.

The sword cut through fresh and bones surprising myself. I struck out again running on auto. My blade lashed out again aiming for the throat, the tip of my sword meeting no resistance. I felt a spray of something across my face as I slid between the creature’s legs. I struck out again with a left and right slash. The creature toppled over effectively hamstrung. I continued without pause and sank my blade into its brains. Immediately it stopped thrashing about. It was dead normality reasserted itself. I leaned against the wall and vomited as the enormity of what I’d done came back to me. The fear of what I’d become threatened to overwhelm me. This wasn’t me I couldn’t be me? I’d become as much as a monster as the creature I’d killed. A quote I remembered came to the fore. “He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster.” I’d often wondered if Fredrick Nietzsche had met the Valkyrie? They seemed to live by his quote. “That which does not kill you makes you stronger.” It was the way the Valkyrie acted. I shuddered at the thought I behaved like a Valkyrie. I suddenly became aware I wasn’t alone here I had an audience. A Marine with a sergeant’s chevrons on the arm of his armour stepped forward.

“Who the heck are you?” he said.

His words brought me back to my senses. “Lieutenant Hunter, I’m with Captain Xenai’s investigation team.”

“You’re that Hunter?” someone said.

I turned to regard the survivors. “Sergeant take the wounded to the nearest Medbay.”

The Sergeant stared at me. “Ma’am?”

“I said fall back to the nearest Medbay.”

The Sergeant responded this time and saluted. “Yes ma’am.”

We gathered the survivors and headed out. Those more able helping those less able. I regretted leaving the dead behind but the living had needs. The Medbay was crowded with wounded when we reached it.

“Sergeant,” I said quietly.

“Ma’am,” he responded with another salute.

“Good work out there.”

“Thanks ma’am.” He knew that my intervention had saved him.

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