Attack of the Necron by Cavan Scott

Author:Cavan Scott
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Published: 2019-01-08T10:15:20+00:00

‘It is a Jokaero,’ Mekki said from the door of the escape pod, his voice filled with something approaching awe. ‘I have always wanted to see one.’

‘We can swap places if you want,’ Talen croaked.

‘Please…’ Zelia started, stepping towards the ape. ‘My friend didn’t mean you any harm. We were just scared.’ The Jokaero’s green eyes darted from her to the others. She turned to Mekki. ‘Can it understand me?’

‘According to the magos biologis on Mars, the Jokaero are incredibly intelligent. They are master weaponsmiths, capable of understanding the most complex technology.’

‘Where did it come from?’

‘Does that matter?’ Talen gasped.

‘I doubt it’s from around here,’ said Erasmus. He was looking at their surroundings. They’d landed at the foot of a snow-capped mountain, coming to rest on a steep slope. There was a forest full of weird, almost mushroom-like trees to the north and empty plains to the south. ‘I think they originated on the Throneworld.’

‘On Terra?’ Zelia asked. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Seriously,’ Talen grunted. ‘Can we do this after you’ve got it off me?’

Erasmus took a step nearer the creature. ‘Did you come from the ship? Did you come from the Mercator?’

‘How could he?’ Zelia asked. ‘Surely he couldn’t survive a journey through space?’

The ape only growled in response, a deep animalistic sound.

‘Can you speak?’

‘Who cares?’ snapped Talen.

The Jokaero pushed the ganger deeper into the compacted snow.

With a buzz, Mekki’s servo-sprite flew from the pod. The snarl fell from the Jokaero’s face as it watched the sprite with almost hungry fascination. The tiny robot fluttered down to the ape, settling onto its shoulder, before plunging one of its probe-tipped fingers into one of the Jokaero’s implants.

Both the ape and Mekki gasped in unison. Zelia looked to the Martian. His eyes had closed, his head cocked to the side. The ape’s head was locked in the same position. Were they communicating?

Mekki’s eyes flicked open. ‘It belonged to a family in the spires on Rhal Rata.’

‘Belonged?’ Zelia asked. ‘You mean like a pet?’

The Jokaero growled.

‘More like a slave,’ Mekki told her. ‘It… escaped during the attack and got on board the Mercator.’ He paused, his eyes clouded, as if he was searching memories that weren’t his. ‘He saw us… getting threatened by the Ogryn… and pulled it away.’

‘Ha!’ Zelia laughed. ‘So much for Talen not knowing his own strength.’

‘Oi,’ Talen complained beneath the creature.

‘He leapt onto the escape pod when we launched, protecting himself from the void,’ Mekki continued, his voice cracking. ‘He was so scared. So alone.’ There was another pause, before Mekki added: ‘Flegan-Pala.’

‘What’s that?’ Erasmus asked.

‘His name,’ Mekki replied. ‘His name is Flegan-Pala.’

The Jokaero snorted, nodding in agreement.

‘More like Fleapit!’ Talen jibed.

The Jokaero jumped off him, glaring at the ganger.

‘He does not like you,’ Mekki told Talen.

‘Tell it the feeling’s mutual.’

‘I think it knows that already,’ Zelia said.

‘He…’ Mekki corrected her. ‘Not it.’

The Jokaero scampered forwards, running on his hands and feet. He swept past Zelia to jump up onto the roof of the escape pod and proceeded to pull chunks of plating from the hull.

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