>>61348092Everything that walked Clavessa Secundus was far too strong to be downed by a mere service piece, but it was more for the guardsman than the local flora and fauna. Given the parasitic nature of the planet's inhabitants, and the speed at which such developments could cause irreparable, fatal damage, sometimes it was just better to put the afflicted down. Sergeant Adiam had done it many times before; all it really took was a steady, well placed shot between the eyes.
They trusted him to do it when the time came. Not if, but when. It was an inevitability unless you somehow managed to land one of the cushier administration jobs, save for working directly with the Magos. It was an unfortunate law of the wild on Clavessa; all things succumb to the cycle.
Herkmann continued to look around, the others all following suit. Nothing yet. Crimson's noises died down as the wood surrounding grew quiet, everything as still as before they had arrived. So it was back to trekking through the wild to find Desporez.
"This research better be worth it," said Private Irwin, slinging his lascannon back over his shoulder to start walking again. "Ain't any kind of fucking place I want to be at nigh-"
He stopped abruptly, then clutched the side of his head. "Emp- preserv-" he choked out, falling forward onto the soil, which had began to steadily shift to a more purple hue. On the back of his leg, clutching to him with four large, claw-like appendages, was a small, carapaced creature.
Herkmann nearly wretched at the sight of it feeding, the shuddering and chittering of the creature upsetting to any who were not yet incredibly used to the planet's weird biological customs. Sergeant Adiam simply shot it, and whistled. Crimson was upon it in seconds, entangling it with its tongue. It writhed at first, but soon it as well succumbed, falling still.
After Crimson had fed and they erased it with their lascannons, there was a flash. When it ended, Private Irwin stood back up.
