Prokov stared into the murk of his lager, lost in a world unto his own only, again, to be wrenched back to the now, this time by the sound of a siren, as men rushed around him, picking up weapons and shouting orders, Prokov moved at his own pace, not rushing he finished the last of his lager and walked into the sunshine that barley heated the planet. Prokov pulled on gloves as he walked through the half melted snow. As Prokov finally swung up into Betty he looked around to see what could be the matter. It soon became evident and Prokov showed his first signs of worry, speeding down towards the base where three Necron Destroyers, there skimming flyers moving them closer by the second to the home of the 39th Guards Rifle Company. Prokov moved to out flank the quickly approaching skimmers as three lascannon teams opened fire, the loud crack and boom of the weapons made the ground shake. One destroyer was hit and corkscrewed into the ground but not before the lascannons where lost in a tornado of flames.
Prokov, keeping out of sight as best he could, turned a corner and saw the last two Destroyers disappear past him, Prokov pulled out behind them, risking being hit by friendly fire, he aimed his autocannon and held down the trigger, flame spat from the muzzle, the rounds glanced the side of one of the Destroyers, crippling it but not destroying it. Prokov cursed in the process he alerted the destroyers to his position, they now turned on him. Prokov franticly fired the autocannon. The rounds flew high first. Soon energy blasts where zipping around him. Prokov’s fire found it’s mark destroying the crippled skimmer in a fire ball. Prokov turned the sights onto the second skimmer that was getting rapidly closer. Prokov methodically pressed the trigger and… nothing. Prokov quickly checked his displays and to his horror saw the ‘Gun Jammed’ message flashing at him. There was only seconds till the Destroy was at a range it couldn’t miss, Prokov quickly unstrapped himself and opened the hatch of his Sentinel but it was to late. His world erupted into a flash of light, Prokov hit the dirt as his ears rang with the explosion. His eyes saw nothing but black and the sound of the ringing wouldn’t go away.
‘So is this what death is like,’ Prokov thought to himself, then a sharp bolt of pain ran up his leg. Prokov cowered into the foetal position. Death sure isn’t as peaceful as he was led to believe, the pain didn’t go away but soon the blackness and the ringing started to abate. Prokov rolled onto his back and saw a blob looking down on him, slowly it came into focus as the head of Mickey.
‘No time for napping now soldier, we gotta get this place cleaned up!’ the Major said in his always jovial way.
A medic came into view as Prokov adjusted his position. The medic worked silently on Prokov’s calf that had a large piece of metal sticking in it. The Sentinel Pilot grimaced at the sight and looked back at the Major.
‘What the beslubber happened?’ he asked his back arching as a bolt of pain flowed up his spine.
‘That was bloody heroic what you did, Sergei but stupid too. That Destroyer just about had the drop on you. I managed to get a lucky shot in, god knows what I hit but whatever it was became flames instantly. Unfortunately the explosion also knocked you out of Betty.’ Mickey whipped a soot covered hand over his furrowed brow.
‘Betty! How is she?’ the pain from Prokov’s leg seemed gone as his worry for the machine he shared his life with took over.
Mickey chuckled, ‘She’s a lot better than you that’s for sure, she has a few dents and a bit of scratched paint, but that is already being seen to. Now you get better my friend,’ the Major turned and nodded at the medic, Prokov felt a prick in his arm and a warm feeling as the aesthetic took over him, his world slowly drifted to black again, this time though one of tranquillity.
