Introductions

Josam took a moment amid the teaming shanty market and closed his eyes. He allowed his other senses to take in the sensations of being out from under the hive again. The heat from the hive factories created an ever present breeze coming off the wastes, and today it was almost refreshing. The breeze and the sensation of empty space all around brought a calmness he could almost taste.

As he opened his eyes he realized that Urartu and the rest of his fellow nomads didn’t bother to wait for him. They had moved across the market and were negotiating with a local weapons dealer who had several firearms on display. Of particular interest to the group was a heavy machine gun.

“Your prices are insane!” Urartu spewed, his voicing carrying over the crowed. No one cared. Such outbursts were common place on market days. “Come on. This piece of Goliath slag can’t be worth more than 80 credits.”

“I can see that you have an eye for quality my friend,” the obviously over weight guilder said, his breathing labored beneath his respirator. “Now here is a fine specimen. Quality such as only House Van Saar can produce. This little toy can sustain 600 rounds per minute, ammunition is contained in interchangeable magazines containing 200 rounds each, no need to maintain those clumsy ammunition belts – ideal for the conditions you and your fellows deal with here in the wastes. The barrel is air cooled and of the highest quality, an integral bipod for a stable firing platform, and a mount for any number of optical sights – for a slightly higher fee of course. I will even throw in this harness for ease of movement.”

Josam could see that the guilder was pushing as hard as he might to get Urartu to bite. Ishik whispered something in the leader’s ear, and the negotiations began in earnest.

“Hello again my sniper friend.” Josam turned and saw the slim guilder who sold him his visor not three day cycles ago. “I trust your little… endeavor was profitable.”

“We were moderately successful, yes. And have you passed along my message to your ‘friends’, that they have recruited themselves a sniper?”

“Of course, of course, come along and we can meet them now if you wish.”

Josam looked back towards Urartu, “in a minute. I’ll meet you at your stall in fifteen minutes.” Glancing back to the guilder to make eye contact, he moved to meet up with his compatriots.

“Now who is offering up pieces of slag in trade?” The guilder said looking over Ishik’s lasgun. “Twelve credits, not a pinch more.”

“Done,“ Urartu replied reaching down and picking up the Van Saar heavy stubber. Ishik reached under his trench coat and produced the group’s money pouch. “Shuvah, pick up that ammo crate.”

“Hey Boss, I need to see a man about some archeo. Can you spare me for a time?”

Urartu turned and looked Josam in the eyes. Glancing down at his chest Urartu thought for a moment. “Very well, we’ll be around till the next shift cycle. If you you’re not back by then, we’ll be at the old stompin’ grounds.”

“I’ll meet you there then.” And with that Josam turned to leave. As the other Nomads moved off Urartu called after him.

“Forgot something, wait up,” He called after him. “You’re not getting any ideas of leaving the ‘Soldiers’, are you?”

Josam turned around. “No boss. I just want to take care of some personal business. When I was half dead out there, you took me in, I’m not going to strike out on my own, at least not without telling you first. I’ll see you in a day cycle or two.”

“Keep your head down and your eyes open Josam.”

Without turning to look back Josam replied, “will do boss.”

The rest of the way to the guilder’s stall Josam focused his thoughts on the next few hours. Since Urartu took him in the nomads had been his constant companions. Even though that was the reason he had set out from Sulfur Falls, it felt good to be among the shanties again. Even so, the nomads had given him a sense of purpose, a part of a family. When Urartu had entrusted him to be his clan’s sniper he had swelled with pride. In a sense Urartu was saying that he trusted him to watch his new family’s back, and he had never let them down. So what was he doing now?

‘Those who follow me are my brothers and sister.’

Josam slowed his pace and looked around. There was no one near him. No one was even looking in his direction. ‘But Urartu has been like a father to me,’ Josam replied to himself.

‘Once you have entered into my family I will never forsake you.’

‘Who… or what, are you?’

‘I am the one who knows you better than you know yourself.’

Josam grunted to himself. ‘I can’t believe I am having a conversation with myself.’


As he approached the guilder’s small tent he paused, looked around as if to see if anyone else had heard the conversation, shook his head and stepped inside.

“Sniper, this is Dirke of house Van Saar,” the Guilder said as Josam’s visor quickly adjusted to the new light levels within the tent. The man that the guilder had introduced him to stood a hand taller then him, carried a bolt pistol upon his left hip and a hefty war hammer hanging from his right. He was obviously a hive dweller as he sported a thick patch of hair on his chin and around his mouth. Instead of a respirator he wore a set of nose plugs connected to a canister on his back. Ignoring the man’s extended hand Josam met his eyes and nodded a greeting.

“The name’s Josam. I am from house Catallus,” Josam paused for this to sink in, and the man slowly lowered his hand never disengaging his eyes. “The guilder here…”

“Since we are introducing one another, I am Guilder Zendo,” the slim man interrupted.

“Zendo here tells me you are searching for the services of a sniper.”

“Indeed I am. My team has been sent to hunt down and eliminate, by any means necessary, a certain Delaque spy that goes by the name of Urai. He has been known to haunt the fringes of the hive alongside the exterior walls. As such it is difficult to approach his gang’s known haunts, and we have been tasked for stealth. Zendo here tells me you are known for your ability to reach out and touch people with that long rifle of yours.”

Josam glanced at the guilder who allowed a brief grin crease his face. “He’s too kind, but I can indeed take care of this issue for you. Zendo tells me my pay is to be some tech.”

“Has he?” It was now Dirke’s turn to glance at the guilder. Well, we can meet that; however, I first want to see you in action. If your skills match your reputation, then we can work out the specifics.”

There was something that struck Josam wrong about that last sentence. Too much left to interpretation. And not from his point of view either. “Well, you won’t be disappointed.” Josam re-engaged the man’s eyes. ‘And you best not cross me, lest my crosshairs seek you out.’

The Hunted

Josam had never witnessed anyone dry heaving without making a sound, but there was Ishik double over on his hands and knees. When the latest round of spasms subsided and the “Ghost Soldiers” specialists could breath again Josam crouched down next to him.

“You think you can make the raid?” He asked ensuring not to lose his balance so close to the sick man.

“Sure… sure, I ca…” and he doubled over again with spasms threatening to bring his toes up through his nostrils.

Josam stood up, rifle cradled in his arms. “We’re too close, and we can’t wait any longer. Ishik, you stay here amongst the shadows and keep low. We won’t be long.”

Ishik nodded his head feebly and managed to get back into a seated position where he then placed his stub pistol in his lap.

Josam signaled for the others to move out. Without another look back the nomads prepared themselves for the task at hand. As he walked away he silently admired the fact that Ishik, despite his obvious discomfort, was able to keep quiet and ensure the nomads kept the initiative.

Without another word between them An-Nur took Shuvah the juve with him. The plan was for the pair to make their way across the ruined industrial zone and free their leader, Urartu. He had made it easy for them to track him through the twisted tunnels and alleyways that his captors had dragged him so the tall gantry where their new found enemy had put him was easy to pick out. It was Josam’s job to cover their advance and take out any guards that noticed them.

As Josam settled into his hide he adjusted his scope out of habit. The ranges that he would be engaging his targets here within the hive were much shorter than he was used to out amongst the wastes of Necromunda. Scanning his surroundings his visor picked up the heat signatures of only three sentries, one of whom was practically right on top of Urartu. There was no way for him to signal the other two so he alternated his attention primarily on the other two.

An-Nur and Shuvah were half way across the floor of the dome when they stopped their slow advance. One of the guards was looking their way so Josam sighted in on the man. After a few breaths he turned and walked away and the nomads resumed their advance. Once the sentry had turned away the pair focused on something at their knee level briefly, then with some exaggerated movements continued on their way.

Without any more close calls An-Nur and Shuvah managed to get to the floor just below the last guard between them and their intended target. Shuvah did not wait for An-Nur to signal the assault and launched himself up the ladder and assailed the lone defender before An-Nur could follow.

The juve’s blows failed to land upon his intended victim. Instead the man began shouting at the top of his lungs that he was being attacked. An-Nur was upon him, and unlike Shuvah’s failed assault, he landed two hits, but failed to dispatch their opponent.

Josam wasted no time in focusing on the next nearest guard who was already taking aim in the direction of the combatants. ‘Relax, breath, squeeze’… the Long Rifle jumped as it launched its lethal projectile. The cross hairs settle right back on their target. The round impacted upon the arm just below his left shoulder and the man was down in obvious pain. ‘Frak, that should have been a kill shot,’ Josam thought to himself. Still, the hooded man was no longer a part of the equation that was playing out in the dome in front of him.

As Josam shifted his aim towards the one unengaged sentry he looked to see how things were progressing for An-Nur and the kid. The two men were working well together and the kid was obviously distracting their opponent and before Josam shifted his attention further An-Nur managed to impale the man’s leg with the double bladed knife in his left hand and quickly followed up with a one handed butt stroke of his Assault Rifle in his right. The cowl on the man’s head spun ninety degree throwing blood and spittle wide as he collapsed in a heap.

‘Well done,’ Josam thought to himself.

The sniper’s next target seemed to heed the alert of his last shot. As Josam sighted in on the lone remaining sentry his quarry had managed to get a tangle of pipes and conduits between himself and the sniper. ‘Patience’, he told himself.

Just then several of the sentry’s hooded companions, stirred by the alarm, began to approach from the left. With no clear line of sight to his intended target Josam shifted his position to gain a better angle at the reinforcements.

“Sniper! Atop the lifting platform!” The now concealed foe warned his companions.

One of the men stopped dead in his tracks to try and locate Josam’s hiding place. ‘Perfect’, he said as he smiled to himself. The report of his rifle almost startled him. When the scope returned to where his target should have been Josam saw him disappear off the edge of his line of site. Using the scope to track his new target he noticed a stain of blood on the man’s cowl. The round had apparently had done nothing more than graze him. ‘That should make him a tad more cautious.’

An-Nur, Shuvah, and the now freed Urartu had managed to get down to a gantry that spanned the distance of the factory floor. Although exposed it was the most direct route to make their escape. An-Nur stopped every so often to take aim at targets below.

“Move it!” Josam now shouted. ‘No need for silence now, they are aware of my location by now’, he thought to himself. “Get off that killzone!”

Shuvah and Urartu were moving at full tilt, all the while las-rounds and slug shells danced in the air around them. An-Nur either did not hear his call, or was ignoring him. He shouted something down at the approaching men and loosed another salvo from his rifle. Josam could see a smile appear on his face as he looked over the barrel of his weapon. Seemingly satisfied with the result of his last shot he took off at a run to follow his fellow nomads.

Josam sighted back in on their pursuers and let fly another shot in haste. Although wide it still had the desired result of causing them to think twice about stepping out into the open.

The three nomads were halfway across the gantry now. Seeing that their captive was about to make good his escape the remaining hooded men became emboldened and were stepping from their cover to get better shots as they fled.

‘Relax, breath, squeeze…’ Josam’s shot caught his target in full stride. As he settled the scope back on his new target he could tell he had hit him as he was now sprawled out on the factory floor. But it had not been a solid hit. Before he even stopped sliding he was up and running again, picking up his shotgun as he went.

Only twenty more meters and they could all just disappear back into the shadows and Emperor willing… ‘who do you call on in time of need!?’ That voice again. This time it totally un-nerved him.

“Who…, or wha.. what, are you?” he spoke out loud, looking around. Nothing, the voice did not speak out again.

“A little help here!” An-Nur called out.

Josam turned his attention back to the matter at hand. Several more men had darted out from their cover in pursuit. ‘Just shoot the closest one’, he thought to himself. They were close enough that the targets were now filling his x10 powered scope, their infrared signature well defined.

Josam’s last shot noticeably creased the shoulder of his latest victim causing him to drop to his knees and cease his pursuit. Seeing that his three compatriots had cleared the gantry and were beyond the reach of their pursuers Josam spun around and dropped down the nearest ladder to make good his escape.


An-Nur came up fuming. “You need to get your head out of your…”

“I had them where I wanted them. I can’t shoot them when they are cowering behind cover”, Josam interrupted.

“I don’t like being the bait just so you can put another notch on the stock of your long rifle Josam! Next time just keep ‘em pinned!”

Josam hesitated, trying to think of something to say. Instead he just nodded, “agreed, my apologies.”

‘It’s probably not a good idea to tell them I’m hearing voices in my head’, Josam said to himself.

With the distance gained from getting the high ground in their escape the “Ghost Soldiers” made good their escape, stopping only long enough to pick up Ishik on their way back out into the wastes.