This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/WegianWarrior on 2026-02-19 20:43:51+00:00.
Josh peered around the bend in the wide corridor, jerking back milliseconds before a burst of heavy bolts tore into the wall, turning the plasteel into so much slag.
“Looks like a full platoon of Heavy Stormers,” he remarked casually in interlingua, “nothing we can’t handle.”
Jake rolled his eyes, glancing over the two octals of eager Omphis that clustered against the wall behind him and Josh. The diminutive aliens chattered excitedly, holding onto looted rifles longer than they were.
“Stormers? In close quarters?” he said, before dropping into English, "Stormers? Tanj… we’re gonna die, ain’t we?”
“Relax,” Josh replied, keeping his voice light so their recent allies wouldn’t get suspicious, “we’ve done okay so far. Besides, Stormers are too heavy to fight well in close quarters. The heavy armor bogs them down.”
Another volley of bolts hammered into the remains of the wall, turning the slagged plasteel into dust that billowed down the corridor.
“We won’t make it to close quarters if they keep up the volume of fire,” Jake complained as he checked the charge of the light rifle he carried, “but at least we won’t have to explain why we’re here.”
“Thank Gods for that,” Josh said, coughing from the dust, before continuing in Interlingua, “we rush them — they won’t know what hit them!”
The Omphis squealed in excitement. Josh held up a hand… waiting as the third cluster of heavy bolts atomized what was left of the wall. Even before the shockwave had passed he rushed forward, followed by Jake and the bouncing Omphis.
Some chaotic seconds later Josh was leaning against an overturned heavy bolter, watching as the last of the Stormers were pinned down by his diminutive allies. Jake only shook his head as the survivors were tied up.
“That,” Jake commented in English, “should not have worked.”
“Neither should anything else we have done so far,” Josh replied as he straightened up, “but we can’t stop now. We’re out of options.”
He smiled as the Omphis gathered around him and Jake, half of them having abandoned the rifles and instead were dragging a still functional heavy bolter. Several of them had tried donning armor stripped of the dead Stormers, several sizes too large for them.
“Well done, bravely done!” Josh praised in Interlingua, “We are so close to the throne room! Just through that door!”
“And what do you plan on doing then,” Jake asked in English as the chattering Omphis heaved the small artillery piece towards the imposing door, “kill everyone?”
“You know there is no plan,” Josh said as he grinned lopsidedly, “but the choice is either depose the Emperor, neutralise the remaining Guard, overthrow the government, and… well... win this thing, or…”
“Or what?” Jake asked as he took up position next to the door, “what are the options Josh?”
“Exactly,” Josh said as he smiled at the overly excited Omphis tending to the heavy bolter, “either we win, or we have to explain how we started a slave rebellion, wiped out most of the Imperial Guard, and flooded the Palace Garden because we misunderstood what the custom officer asked for.”
Jake thought for a second, then nodded.
“Victory it is then.”
“Victory is the best option,” Josh agreed as he kicked the door in and shifted to Interlingua, “Forward brave… er.. braves! Victory is ours!”