Nergal

The gate fell and for the first time, Invicta could see them. The faint outline of humanoid shapes danced in the darkness. The flood lights within the shuttle sparked, casting their painful light through the green fog and illuminating the abyss.   They opened fire and, one by one, the sin eaters fell. Every wound sent blue sludge flying across walls, ceilings, and floors. The spores lingered in the air for a time, falling to the ground when as they moved to the next section of the vessel.   The ghosts fled from the exile's might until they had nowhere left to go. Invicta hunted them down, killing without mercy and with great prejudice. Their screams echoed down the halls, accompanied by mad yelping and laughter.   They screeched as the fog entered their bodies through the wounds, burning them from the inside out. Invicta refused to shoot the head for that very reason. She wanted them to suffer, to experience her pain a thousand times over.   Room after room, they worked their way through the vessel. When they neared what looked to be engineering, they were met with something new, something that fought back.   Invicta entered where they maintained the engines, two massive machines, turbines that spun wildly as the ship drifted in space. The creatures here were different. They were visible and humanoid, their blood red carapace shimmering the light back as the exiles navigated the shadows.   They were fast, silent, and Invicta took exception to that. She turned and the beam from the light on her rifle fell on the cardinal's shell. She fired, but it dodged to the right before the rounds connected. It lunged forward and jabbed its knifelike fingers toward her. She caught the arm, and used the momentum to throw the creature stumbling past her and down to the ground.   She aimed, fired, and moved on to help her crew. She reached for her chest and pulled a smoke grenade from a belt wrapped over her shoulder. She pulled the pin and dropped it where she stood. Green gas burst from the container as she pulled the pin from another, tossing as far as she could.   Invicta aimed at the sight of red as a cardinal lunged for Victoria. The rounds connected, passing through the faceless head. The cardinal took a lazy step forward, then fell, its body twitching.   The gas worked, the chlorine mingling with the wounds of those still alive. Invicta watched as they writhed in pain, the cardinals screaming in a low roar.   She smiled and knew the entity could hear her. She called out, screaming every word and cackling with glee, "I'm quivering in anticipation, demon. what else do you have to show me?"   She heard the sound of tiny footsteps from a corner where the ceiling met the wall. She turned and raised her rifle. Three small creatures clung to a grate, a vent shaft that likely spanned the entire vessel.   They were small, like children. Like the others, they were humanoid, but walked on four legs. Their faces were identical, depicting the face of a sleeping child as if carved from stone. Two of them were cautious, ready to dart into the vent, to safety. The third looked more curious than anything else.     Invicta felt a sudden urge to look away. She had an unsettling thought that left her feeling sick.   The creature slowly crawled down the wall, approaching Invicta with fascination.   Invicta whimpered as its hands reached out, each with seven fingers. "Amber?"

The UEN Nergal

The attendants

The hand gripped her grenade belt and tore it free, scampering down the hall only to stop and look back the way a dog would when keeping something away from its owner.   Victoria whispered, "Be careful. Even if it was her, it isn't anymore."   Invicta followed without hesitation. The creature playfully danced along the walls, dangling the belt just out of reach and pulling it away if Invicta dared to reach for it.   The echoes of gunfire traveled throughout the ship, Invicta herself having to take out more than a few as she followed the creature.   The creature crawled through a doorway, stepping over the top to avoid touching the floor. Invicta rushed into the room beyond, an open expanse packed with bodies. The bodies hung from large racks, the front of each opened up to reveal the empty space inside.   They were suits waiting for a brain, the biomass gathered far outweighing the number of humans the sin eaters could get ahold of.   She looked straight up and saw the creature inching its way across the ceiling. She followed and found herself in familiar territory. The creature led her through the processing room where the brains are harvested. It led her to the massive throne room where the entity waited.   It was only then that Invicta realized what was actually happening. Excluding Gibraltar, she was alone, separated from anyone who could help. She wasn't worried. The plan remained unchanged.   Invicta watched the creature as it dropped the belt in front of the entity. The sphere rippled, the sound of static filling the room as if it was trying to speak.   Invicta ignored it. "Do you remember me?"   The static erupted from the sphere, louder than before.   Invicta smiled, "Good."   The static came again and she could almost make out the words. "Go," and "leave."   "Leave? You're joking. I'm not leaving until every last one of them is dead." She paused and looked around. They were alone. Why would they be alone? "You've taken everything from me. It's only right if I do the same to you."   The static came again. The word was like blasphemy, relished in how much the word hurt to hear, "Am...ber...lee."   Invicta screamed and fired into the pool. The rounds made contact, several drops of black liquid falling from the sphere's mass. The liquid trailed away and floated back up to reunite with the whole, the rounds left cold and useless on the ground behind them.   Gibraltar tapped the side of her helmet. She reached up and it nestled itself into her hand. "I knew I couldn't kill you. That's okay, though." She held Gibraltar out to the sphere. "I brought friends this time. Gibraltar tells me you've met before…"