Eldar Side Stories (Between the Batreps)

[kyrolon]

Vialia listened to the sound of the ship about her as the Anthelion rode the solar rays of Tiorl secundus toward the near moon sized hulk ahead of them. Her visions had brough them to this, and Vralis had already landed with his spirithost. The reports she had received from him did not bode well. Now she was going to try and force a landing in a new location in an attempt to get a planethead established.

"Farseer, we near the drop point," Danar spoke from the doorway. He was one of her youngest Warlocks, and had yet to see battle.

"Thank you, Danar. I will be sending in advance units first. We will not be in the first wave."

She smiled to herself at the mixed emotions of regret and relief that flowed from the young warlock.

"Danar? Send a message to Spiritseer Vralis that we will support his next attack, and please communicate with Autarch Gaerin as well. We will be needing additional forces."

"As you wish, Farseer."

Vialia went back to her meditations once Danar had left. Casting the runes before her she focused on the possible twists and turns of destiny that made up the future here in the Tiorl system. Her mind cleared as much as possible, she strained to see through the shadows. Her pulse slowed and her mind cast for the skeins of fate. There was nothing there to grasp however, as the strands flowed through her mental grasp as if they were coated with oil. The shadows closed about her visions once again. It was useless. The Tyranids were too close for her to see more than a few moments into the future.

Danar strode in once again, and she sensed his distress.

"Farseer, we have received word from Autarch Gaerin. The forces sent to the face of the seventh planet were repelled. They were ambushed by the humans and we took heavy losses. In your absence Farseer Jaheris has launched a full scale attack on the world with the forces under his command."

"He WHAT?!" She blurted, the anger in her voice echoing from the Anthelion's wraithbone hull.

"He has taken one of the other escorts and is landing his troops already."

Vialia centered herself once more. She ran through her options and came to a quick decision.

"Thank you, Danar. I will be on the bridge shortly and will be contacting as many other craftworlders as I can. We must become more organized or the lesser races will overwhelm us piecemeal."

Vialia gathered her thoughts and put together her plan. Now she only needed some luck in finding those to put it into practice.

Players Post Script: Any Eldar players wishing to help please go to the Eldar board and locate the thread labeled Organization.

[kyrolon]

Vialia stepped off of the boarding ramp of the Vampire Assault transport onto the surface of the immense space hulk. The air was thin and crisp and the dark void of space above made the stars and planets of the Tiorl system stand out in crystal clarity. Her warlock apprentices followed behind her scanning the landscape carefully for any threats, singing spears and witchblades poised to strike at any lingering Tyranid biomorphs.

Yarien, the leader of the Striking Scorpions who had led the attack to secure the landing site, inclined his head in respect as his squad spread out to cover the area and support her Warlocks.

"You have done well here, Exarch."

"Thank you, Farseer. Their resistance was fierce, but relatively light. I sent the functional walkers out to scout the surrounding terrain. The whole area is covered with these shards of dark crystalline material."

The Exarch handed her a piece of crystal material that was similar in appearance to obsidian. She extended her senses toward it, and a sense of something ancient and lingering filled her with a sense of dread.

"Did you find anything else?"

"There are also veins of the living metal found in the ships of the Necrontyr. Our scans are not able to penetrate deep enough to ascertain the size of the deposits. They may or may not be entire ships captured within the hulk. We simply cannot tell without exploring within."

"Within?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Farseer. The hulk is pockmarked with caves and fissures. We believe there are more of the Tyranids waking below even as we speak. I sent Ularath's squad to use their Fusion Bombs to seal as many entrances as they can in the immediate area so we will be as secure as we can."

"Very good. You may return to your duties, Exarch."

Vialia scanned the landscape around the area as another Vampire landed in the spot her transport had vacated. Warp gates were being set up to allow direct transfer of infantry from the ships to the ground via the webway. She looked up at the sound of grav engines as a vyper squadron hummed by. In the distance a pair of Fire Prisms carried out a perimeter sweep.

She weighed the glassy stone in her hand. She needed to find a place for some quiet meditation to see if she could determine a clear path. She turned to look at her Warlocks.

"Attend me."

They moved off into one of the patches of what passed as trees here. She sat cross legged on the ground tracing a protective rune about herself as the Warlocks took up position about her. She removed her seer runes and set them to spinning in the air about her. The future was a very mutable thing, filled with twists and turns. It was a maze to make any sense of it, but she put her mind to it anyway.

Scenes flashed before her. In some she led her forces to ruin, but died knowing a great deed had been accomplished, in others she failed utterly and Alaitoc burned for her failure, while in more visions she saw a successful campaign, but the death of Iyanden. At the heart of every vision were the Tyranids and the Black Crystal Ship. More than ever she focused her determination on that single object and bent her will to it. Unconsciously she reached into her belt pouch and added the piece of black crystal to the whirling pattern of runes stones about her.

The pain was sudden and intense, like someone had pierced her skull with a shuriken. The runes dropped to the ground, inert stones once again. Her Warlocks, having felt her psychic gasp turned to aid her. Danar was there, grasping her arm to help her to her feet.

"Farseer! Vialia! Are you alright."

She knew then that she must have frightened him, for he rarely called her by name anymore.

"I will be fine, Danar," she gave him a small smile for his efforts. "It was just a little bit of an overwhelming trance. That is all."

Another of her Warlocks handed her the stones that had been gathered from the ground, including the crystal shard. She looked at the crystal wondering what mysteries it held. It could be that they were as dark as the crystal itself. When she had time she needed to communicate with Vralis and the other Farseers.