LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 64: Fury
Kayvaan tapped the small auspex terminal on his wrist, connecting to the Sky-Eye orbital relay system. "We use the four Adeptus Mechanicus surveillance satellites orbiting the planet. Let's take a look at the aerial view of Fort Gallan… Oh, perfect timing. Elizabeth and her team just landed. Look at that resolution. It's clear as day."
The display revealed a live feed of the area. Kayvaan zoomed in, scanning the surroundings. Kayvaan never expected to actually find something. He was fully aware of who the other party was. A skilled sniper could blend into their surroundings using the simplest tools. Unless someone specifically looked for them, they would walk right past without noticing the well-camouflaged figure. And these weren't just snipers—these were Eldar Rangers, masters of stealth and secrecy.
Spotting a Ranger hiding in the jungle through an orbiting satellite was about as likely as hitting the jackpot in a hive-world lottery. Kayvaan's attempt wasn't out of genuine belief he'd succeed; it was more of a teaching exercise for Darius. He wanted the young man to learn how to utilize the unit's equipment effectively and creatively. "Hmm, this is strange," Kayvaan said, squinting at the monitor. "Darius, do you see it too?"
"I see it, Captain. The image is clear," Darius replied, his enhanced goggles displaying the same feed from the Sky-Eye relay. "But… are they fighting? And who are they fighting?"
The Rangers themselves weren't visible in the high-altitude footage, but their sniper rifle shots left a telltale sign: brilliant blue energy trails slicing through the air. Each shot left behind a glowing streak of light that lingered briefly in the jungle's dense canopy. It was strange enough that the Eldar Rangers were engaging in combat while keeping the Imperial Guard pinned down at Fort Gallan, but stranger still was the question of who—or what—they were fighting in the depths of the jungle.
Even more bizarre, the energy trails didn't seem to be aimed at some external enemy. The trajectories suggested the Rangers were firing at… each other? "I don't get it. What are these xenos thinking?" Kayvaan muttered. "Alright, let's take a closer look. But this means I won't have time to babysit you, Darius."
Kayvaan quickly marked a random point deep in the jungle on the map, far from Fort Gallan, and turned to Darius. "Here's the deal. This is your one-month jungle survival training. Your goal is to reach this point in thirty days. The coordinates are already loaded into your map. The Valkyrie will be there to pick you up at the end. If you're not there by then, they'll leave without you. So don't be late."
Without waiting for a reply, Kayvaan activated the timer and said, "Start now. This channel is closed, and the team is disbanded. I've got work to do." With that, Kayvaan vanished into the jungle, leaving Darius standing alone.
Back at the fortress, Elizabeth was fuming. Kayvaan had completely disregarded the original plan and gone off on his own. Her angry voice crackled through the vox-link for a full hour, cycling through every insult she could think of. She started with questioning Kayvaan's intelligence, moved on to speculating about his mother's lineage—whether she was part Ork or something worse—and finally settled on accusing him of heresy against the God-Emperor himself.
The original plan had been straightforward. Kayvaan and Darius were supposed to disembark halfway to scout while Elizabeth and her team continued to Fort Gallan. Once Kayvaan reached the designated position, Elizabeth would lead the defense forces out of the fortress in a charge against the hidden Rangers.
Of course, the charge wasn't expected to succeed. With no clear knowledge of the Rangers' positions, it would be a suicide mission. Everyone knew that. But the Guardsmen's deaths wouldn't be in vain.
The energy trails left by the Eldar weapons would reveal the Rangers' approximate locations. Even the greenest recruits could spot the glowing streaks through the air. Using the Guardsmen as bait, Kayvaan could then pinpoint the Rangers' hiding spots and take them out with tranq-rounds, capturing them alive.
It was a simple, practical plan with a strong chance of success. In sniper-versus-sniper combat, the winner is usually the one who spots and takes the first shot. The plan positioned Kayvaan in the perfect place to remain unseen and strike first.
If everything had gone smoothly, Kayvaan would have captured the Rangers, securing the Fort Gallan. Elizabeth would deliver the prisoners to higher command, earning recognition for her leadership and potentially securing a return to her rightful place in the Imperium. It was a win-win situation.
But now, thanks to Kayvaan's impromptu decision, everything was thrown off course. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Elizabeth barked over the vox-link. "Do you even care about the mission? What the Eldar are doing out there has nothing to do with us!"
Kayvaan's voice came back, calm but tinged with curiosity. "Drink some water and relax, Elizabeth. But seriously, aren't you even a little curious? Why are the Eldar doing this? Suppressing Fort Gallan while fighting in the jungle? And it looks like they're fighting among themselves. That's not normal. I thought you'd want to know why."
"I'm really not interested at all, and frankly, I suggest you don't get curious either," Inquisitor Elizabeth said bluntly. "This kind of curiosity will get you killed sooner or later. If we need answers, we'll extract them from prisoners. Under the care of the Inquisition, they'll confess everything, no matter how much they wish to keep it buried. What you're doing now? It's futile. Besides, understanding what the Eldar want or why they do what they do? Irrelevant. Our orders are clear: capture as many as possible, purge the rest, and scour their stain from this world entirely."
Kayvaan's voice remained calm but resolute. "They're killing each other. There has to be a reason."
Elizabeth scoffed. "Maybe it's just their twisted culture, like how we cleanse our weapons after battle. Or perhaps they're naturally drawn to slaughter. The Eldar are deceitful, scheming, and entirely devoid of honor. They cannot be trusted, and nothing they do should surprise us."
"Come on, we both know this isn't normal," Kayvaan countered, unyielding.
Elizabeth's tone sharpened, her frustration unmistakable. "By the Throne, Kayvaan, they're xenos. Foul abominations. How can you expect anything but deceit and treachery from creatures born outside the Emperor's light? Their very existence is a stain upon the galaxy.
Kayvaan didn't flinch. "I'll figure out why they're doing this," he said firmly. "And just to remind you—this isn't a suggestion. Elizabeth, who's in command of this operation?"
Elizabeth's jaw tightened, her voice dripping with venom as she ground out the truth. "You are."
This had been decided long before the campaign began. In matters of war, there could only be one authority. Despite her strong disapproval of Kayvaan's methods, Elizabeth had no choice but to follow his orders. For now. "Good," Kayvaan said with audible smugness. "Then here's my next order: shut up. I've had enough of your complaining. You're worse than a hive-world crone."
Elizabeth's fury erupted. With a roar of frustration, she slammed the communicator, the device splintering under her fist. The link cut, just as Kayvaan had expected. In the fortress command room, Deputy Captain Marlborough froze mid-sip, his coffee nearly spilling as he bore unwilling witness to the argument. The tension in the air was stifling, and the man felt trapped in the blast radius of two giants at war.