Several minutes ago, somewhere within Deck C, and surrounded by collapsed storage containers which spilled their contents, were five moving figures - each one crouched to avoid detection by whatever caused the constant noises around them. Luckily, even though most of the lights had been broken, the area still had power, so there was little chance of them losing their way.

“Hurry up! Come on!” A massive man with sharp, long ears whispered harshly, while gesturing with his burly right arm. He was quite visibly wounded, but instead of flesh and bone, the torn-up skin all over his body revealed a chrome chassis. His security uniform was in a similarly bad condition. The remaining people were two red-eyed young men in civilian-attire wielding sharpened batons, an older woman in orange uniform with a shotgun, and a long-eared teenager with a knife.

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” The teenager asked before raising his head slightly to scan the surrounding area.

“Yeah.” The burly man nodded, before pointing towards a half-opened bulkhead in the distance. “Through there, it'll only be a few minutes more until the Loading Docks. Number 8 for you and miss, Number 7 for you two, and Number 2 for me. Any final questions?”

Union, Imperial, and Federation. Though the burly man wasn't exactly sure, he believed that this group was the only one filled with such members. Honestly, it made him proud.

“We're in the final stretch now. But, before we go our separate ways. Thank you… we couldn't have made it with any one of us missing.”

Every single one of them smiled at the sappiness, before one of the young men asked. “What happened to all that hardarse act from earlier?”

“I'm amazed you remembered that word after I only said it once.” Perhaps if they were safer, they would've started laughing. Instead, they nodded to each other. “Alright, let's get out here.”

“Wait, Adam, get down.” The woman suddenly cut in. “You hear that?”

It took them a second, but they did. Footsteps coming from the direction they were headed to. Then, they hear the chittering quiet down. Their looks immediately turned into relief, once they confirmed heavy, but characteristically boot-like thuds.

“Things just get better and better, huh?” The teenager grinned from ear to ear and rose to his feet. “Hey, we're right here!”

“Oi!”

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The news that the ship was running out of air, and the knowledge that it was because of Guila, shook the Count far more than his reaction might have suggested and it made him quicken his running pace.

He only needed one glance to know the current locations of the surviving noblemen, and many of them, along with the survivors they guarded, were not moving as quickly as he wished they did. Quite a few groups were also still in the process of gathering necessary supplies and although those groups were better equipped, they also had to venture farther in and make the return trip with the cargo.

Then, the report of parasitization added to the headache. However, this news was a lot easier to respond to. He already knew what he needed to do; nothing. The news would never leave his lips. He and Captain were of one mind in that regard,

‘Stilll... this is all because we didn’t bring enough Centurions.’ He lamented as he turned another corner.

Centurion.

Separate from a military rank, it was a highly sought out position amongst the lower nobility and civilians. One could be general or a private, old or young, but once they accept that boon, they all receive the same prestige. That being, the High Nobility's most trusted and most powerful soldiers.

Not only was it the highest paying combat-related job, but it was also the most popular, even more so than the Count himself. To much of the population, they were the true heroes of the war; donning distinct exoskeletons and powered-suits, as they charged into the thick of battle and returned with victory for the Empire.

Cinema regarding them had even reached the Federation core worlds and some were widely received by the population.

However, there were a few conditions in order to become one. First, only men were chosen, and once they were, they had to undergo sterilization before further genetic modification could begin. This process entailed receiving the Emperor's blood, and having their body further altered to enhance their combat capabilities. This made them stronger, faster and even smarter than almost any other soldier.

However, there was an even more distinguished group, formed only of the most loyal, capable and distinguished Centurions.

They were the Praetorians. Chosen by the High Nobility directly, to serve as their hands and feet.

Although ascending to the rank is voluntary, not a single one has refused yet. Despite the fact that they lose their salaries and can no longer advance their military ranks. Because it was a chance to become nobility.

“... I'll contact you again soon, Captain.” With that said, the Count cut his connection with the bridge. It was only then that he took a good long look at the corpse pieces scattered throughout the area.

“Lord Commander, I count 4 males, one female, all torn apart and minimally consumed.” A combat uniformed man reported. His name was Dao and his official military rank was Corporal, though more significantly, he was one of the Count's Praetorians.

“You think that means something, don't you?” The Count asked, before being receiving a bent and bloodied shotgun. Dao then bowed his head before answering.

“Well, it's strange that they left the corpses behind. Normally the insects drag them away, whether they're dead or alive.”

In any other military, such an attitude would’ve been seen as disrespectful, and he'd have been reprimanded for speaking informally. Not to mention for passing a bloodied weapon. Then again, both of them were drenched with blood, sweat, and insect guts, but regardless, a nobleman's relationship with his Praetorian guard was unique.

One need only look at the similarly dark red-colored veins that ran across both of their burly bodies.

Each Praetorian, once selected, is given pieces of their Lord's genetic data, corresponding to certain evolutionary traits that were desirable for each specific House. For the Dahl, it was their resilience and stamina, made possible by their highly efficient circulatory system. This not only included their cardiovascular system, but also their lymph and gland functions. These traits also contributed to their wound healing capability and all-around better physiology.

Out of the 97 men whorp were his brothers in blood, The Count had brought his best 26, along with Hiiro, to be his security force. But, in just a few hours, he had lost five of them. Three of which died while trying to protect him. It was a loss that he’d not seen since the height of the war.

However, he did not show it upon his expression. Instead he kept his mind on the situation, before turning to his two other Praetorians; Ling and Aiguo, who had gone down a nearby route to check the situation.

“What did you find?”

“A similar sight, Lord Commander.” Ling answered with a bow. “Roughly 16 bodies in gruesome shape, however we deduce that the damage was… actually done by tearing them apart, rather than cutting them with a large blade.”

The Count raised his eyebrows at such an answer, but Aiguo then continued to give their findings.

“We also found bootprints, Lord Commander. It was not from the murdered survivors, since it was also present in the fresher blood puddles. However, we can’t figure out a motive for why someone would be lying in wait to kill evacuees.”

“Of course, you can’t… you’re of sane mind.” Dao interjected before he received the shotgun from the Count once more, and then discarded it with a clatter. Dao was clearly more senior than the other two, and even the Count. Though, he was actually chosen later. Still, such things didn’t actually matter since they just laughed it off.

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Even the Count had a side-grin instead of his usual aloof expression..

This was not the first time they had encountered madmen, there were many of the sort during the war. Whether it was their fellow countrymen, drunk with power and bloodthirst, or Federation soldiers that succumbed to their augments. So much so, that they'd been numbed and none of them could even think to mourn the lost souls. The Count especially.

Instead…

“We’ll wait for this killer to appear before continuing on.” The Count commanded, before turning to Ling. “You’re certain he hasn’t left, right?”

“Yes, Lord Commander. The boot prints end suddenly in various areas, but they repeatedly come from the same direction.” He pointed towards a half-opened bulkhead, which also led towards the evacuation area. “So the only possibility I can think of is that he retreats through the vents above, then attacks from over there. Again, I can't figure out why.”

“It could just be showmanship.” The Count became aloof once more, before turning his gaze upwards.

He and his men had run out of Plasma Pistol ammo, quite a long while ago. But Ling and Dao were able to scavenge a gunpowder rifle and pistol. Along with 3 magazine’s worth of rounds each. Meanwhile Aiguo wielded a crowbar. However, because of how big they were, the weapons were actually too small for their build.

They had to remove the trigger guards and the crowbar was more like a baton. Meanwhile, the Count clenched his blackened knuckles. This was a “Lost Dominion Tech” weapon unique to the Dahl’s, and had passed down from the first Count. Blood nanites.

They had no armor besides their tattered, drenched uniforms and suits, and frankly, they were exhausted. After all, they’d gone from the Command Deck, through Deck B, and finally through Deck C, traversing a distance of roughly 70 miles, in just a few hours.

However, there was anticipation in the air. Especially once they took notice of just how the containers had been arranged. It was practically a square Arena, around 20 meters across on each side.

Their tension plateaued for the next few minutes, until they heard heavy steps coming from the direction of the Loading Docks. They all turned towards the half-opened bulkhead, however, what greeted them was far from anything that they had imagined.

It looked like a man, wearing denim pants and boots, but its hunchbacked body was a hideous amalgamation of flesh and the insects that they’d been fighting. In fact, there were even thick, long hairs which pierced through its pants. It reminded the Count of the early results of Vatgrown production, when the animal features were far too prominent and caused all sorts of malformations throughout the body.

They could still make out the man’s face, middle aged, with brown hair and black compound eyes, but there was a set of palps arising from inside his mouth and stretching his cheeks out to the side. Most of his teeth had fallen out, and there were mandibles visible right past it. Parts of his skin had been replaced by leathery integument, and there were unnatural growths all over. But there was no symmetry between the left and right halves of its body. Some parts of it even had exposed greenish gray flesh, oozing with mucus and other bodily fluids which soaked into his tainted attire.

Its left arm was mostly flesh, but with long, thick spines, or hairs, and ended with tapered chitin on its five fingertips. While its right arm was much larger, covered in thick chitin, and ended in an oversized, fused chitin fist. Then, there was its front, covered primarily in semi-translucent brown chitin, which allowed them a glimpse into its internal organs.

“Do not get caught by that big arm.” Dao said, figuring that it likely pinned its victims before eviscerating them. Whatever it was, didn't matter. What did was how they planned to kill it, and so, Dao aimed his rifle at its head.

But, the problem was that they could see reflective metal bits embedded all over its carapace and leathery skin. There were even scorch streaks all over its bigger arm, presumably from a laser weapon, and a broken oscillator blade embedded into its side.

The creature’s palps moved wildly, then it tilted its head at the four, before fluids sputtered out of its mouth.

“It's trying to threaten us.” Ling added, having already aimed a shot at its beating heart-like organ.

“We're quite lucky it wasn't an Imperial.” Aiguo continued. The creature was certainly comparable to them in size, but the original person was clearly smaller. An Imperial turned bug man, especially if they had gene upgrades, was not something they'd rather deal with in their current state.

“Fire.”

There was no way for the creature to react to bullets, and its head was blown back by the large caliber rifle. The pistol bullets also did their job causing it to take a step back. But it reacted right after being struck and used its massive arm as a shield to tank the following shots.

However, they didn't stop firing.

“We time our reloads!” Dal yelled out. while Ling nodded and responded with; “7 shots left!”

Meanwhile, Aiguo and the Count circled around the firefight.

They figured that because bullets failed to pierce through it already, they needed something bigger. Which was where the crowbar came into play. The Count was going to restrain it's large arm, while Aiguo would shank it repeatedly.

However; “Shit!” As soon as Ling and Dao's cover fire stopped so that they didn't hit them too, the bugman charged forwards.

It moved far faster than any of them thought it could, given its build. But both of their gunmen managed to dodge with time to spare, leaping to either side.

Now they had it boxed in. Ling and Aiguo to its left. Dao and the Count to its right. But it was not the best formation, since the possible crossfire meant that their hands were tied. So, instead, they discarded the guns, and equipped bloodied, but sharpened polymer batons.

The Count moved first, once again trying to grab its larger arm, while Aiguo followed right behind him. Whereas Ling circled around to bait its claw from the side, and Dao charged at it from the front.

Just then, the creature's head twisted a full 180 degrees, catching the Count off guard before it threw a backhand sweep. He tried to block it by raising both forearms to his face and received the hit by turning on his heel. But it’s massive, heavy arm, moved with uncharacteristically high speed, and landed with a meaty thud, throwing him several feet sideways.

This dissuaded Aiguo from taking point, since it could just sweep him with its arm too. But, Ling took his chance and swooped in, grabbed it's clawed arm by the biceps, and repeatedly stabbed into it's meaty, thin-chitined armpit. His idea was to dismember the thing. But even after the fourth deep stab, it was still able to control its claw, and it clenched onto Ling's side.

He roared in pain, but he didn't flinch and he kept stabbing into it over and over again.

Then, just as the thing was about to slam him with the other, much larger arm as well, Aiguo came in and grabbed it's forearm with both arms. Then, Dao grabbed its bicep as well, and proceeded to stab into its armpit too.

‘Eight… Nine!’ Ling growled as blood seeped out of his gritted teeth, but he didn't stop. It was then that the thing's head turned to face him and he was overcome by fear. Its claws were still digging even deeper.

With every attack he made, he felt his life draining away.

That changed when he saw a tall dark shadowrun over to him. The Count had arrived at the opposite side of the arm. He grabbed it and held the limb underneath his armpit, then he used his other hand to pry it's limb away from Ling. Yes, it did cause more damage to Ling's guts when doing so. But, he just needed to stop it from cutting up his spine.

The Praetorian knew this and he grinned maniacally with his reinvigorated stabs. There was nothing to worry about, beyond killing the thing, since the Count himself was watching his back.

Crack, crack, the claw's chitin began to give up under the stress of its internal meat pushing it one way, and the Count pulling it the other. But then, it loosened, and they heard a dry thud. The heavy arm had been completely severed, and the creature had seemingly lost control of itself.

They'd won.

However, it swooped onto the Count and bit a massive chunk off of his exposed trapezius!

“Argh!” He roared in pain, while its extra weight caused him to let go of the creature's arm. Ling didn’t have the strength left to keep his grip on it, either.

Before Aiguo and Dao could reach the creature, it leapt off of the Count's back and fled deeper into Deck C, far faster than any of them could catch it.

However, they didn't plan on following anyway.

“I'll help the Count!” Dao yelled. “You grab Ling!” Then he yelled into the comms. “Lieutenant Kim, we need medics and an escort!”