Counterpoint 1 Counterpoint COUNTERPOINT S. J. STUART 2 Counterpoint Story and original characters copyright © 2013 Sebastian Stuart First published online via AdvancedTauTactica.com and Eastern-Empire.com December 2013. Apart from any use permitted by Sebastian Stuart, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the Intellectual Property owner, Games Workshop. This publication cannot be sold. All intellectual property with regards Warhammer 40,000, Tau, Imperium and related concepts and descriptions remain copyright © Games Workshop 2013, no claim intended. All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Typeset and edited by Sebastian Stuart with corrections by Elliot Harwell and Zac Soden. www.eastern-empire.com 3 Counterpoint With thanks to the Advanced Tau Tactica Community Patiently waiting for me to complete Counterpoint. & Elliot, Tim, and Zac, for wading through the final draft. Counterpoint, First Edition Published January 2013. 4 Counterpoint CHAPTER ONE The trio of musicians crafted a sonorous ambiance with effortless movement; their music filtering among restaurant patrons as each table spoke softly among themselves. Either locked in trivial conversation, business discussion or in Damian's case, blatant flirting, “You often bring your dates here?” Aeryn spoke critically, yet softened the remark with a smile. Her hazel eyes darted him a look, awaiting his response while placing a serviette across the lap of her remarkable evening dress. Damian just smiled, offering up a derisive shrug of surrender and flashed a smile, “The food is great, and I don’t like to eat alone” “Mmmm” she offered, clearly half convinced, her eyes observing a waiter make his way toward their table. The man announced himself with careful interruption, “Evening sir, your menus. I truly recommend the seasonal game bird, the evening special” The waiter began to offer up more verbal selections, but Damian gave him a purposeful glance. “Very good, I shall return when you wish to order,” a polite smile and he retreated. “You eat here often?!” as soon as the waiter was out of earshot, Aeryn let her face show measure of light shock while she reviewed the menu. “Yes, good food has a price” 5 Counterpoint “You’re telling me.” she glanced up with a hidden smile, “I now see why you often have company” Damian’s renewed grin abruptly turned quizzical, the PDA nestled within his evening jacket vibrating for attention. He made an apologetic grimace, then left to take the call outside. Aeryn smiled with a small shrug, aware of the sudden demands of office for her dinner date. Damian wore a casual grey suit with light blue shirt underneath, tailored to his athletic physique expertly. Each piece had been selected by his aide and pseudo fashion consultant in her efforts to bring out his blue eyes for tonight’s date; his scruff of short brown hair complimented the effect, the cut suggested by his aide also. Stepping outside he paused momentarily to dodge a passer-by, adjusting the jacket against the cool night air, then reviewed the PDA screen- Janice? He tapped the accept call icon. “Yah, Hi-what’s wrong?” the call was unexpected and on his private line, already he was concerned. “Damian, another community has been attacked” “Rebels?” he questioned after a pause. “Looks like it, the local Militia are heading into the hills already and we’ve,” Janice affected her own sobering pause, “we lost track of Hector and his assistant” “They’re not in the compound?” “No, they had several food deliveries in the late afternoon. We thought they had stopped for dinner with the Sheppards’ but they contacted us once news about the attack spread” Damian considered the situation for a long moment then replied, 6 Counterpoint “Have Maeter to take a security detail out, I’ll be there in nine hours” “Look we can handle it Damian, we need you in Capital if this escalates” Janice countered. “I have people here for that Janice, I’ll be there-” Damian flicked his wrist and read the chrono on the PDA, “just after dawn, eight or so.” Janice relented with another pause, “Okay.” Damian could picture her lolling into a trademark hand on hip pose as she added, “Look, make yourself useful then. Lift out some more medical gear, we’re going to get cleaned out tonight” He smiled at her manner; so immediately pragmatic. “Right, done, see you soon” he replied. “Okay, see you in the morning” Damian rapped the edge of the PDA lightly on his lips. This was the fourth community hit during the harvest season; the rebels were definitely getting bolder. A thought dawned and in a moment he was on another call, “Hello, I’m calling to speak with the Ambassador, ” he requested with authority and obvious familiarity. “Evening sir, the Ambassador is unavailable tonight” spoke an unfamiliar voice. Calming himself at being stymied, he pressed on, “Tell him Damian Marshall is calling” “He has requested not to be disturbed” the operator insisted. “Damian Marshall, tell him my name” 7 Counterpoint “Please hold” the operator relented with a curt reply, shortly replaced by irritating muzak. Damian glanced about himself patiently; thankfully no one seemed interested in his conversation. He spied Aeryn giving him a look from inside the warmly lit restaurant. She frowned at his return gaze, realising something was wrong; abruptly a voice in his ear caused Damian to look away. “Lord Marshall!” a slightly classical, accented voice erupted from the PDA. “Ambassador, thank you for answering my call” “My apologies, my aide has not learned all our private callers yet; he is newly arrived” “Ah, no matter your Excellency. Look, there’s been another community attacked tonight, mid-afternoon Karapesh time” “This is no good, your fourth correct?” “Yes. I need your help. We have people missing on the ground” “Definitely no good, I will discuss it with my military attaché. Shall I contact you in an hour?” Damian smiled for the first time since walking out of the restaurant, “Thank you Ambassador, my family has always found support in your office” “Think nothing of it between our peoples, Talk with you soon” “Good, I’m making arrangements to fly there right now, so you will reach me on the move” “You are your father’s son, not one to wait about” 8 Counterpoint Damian didn’t reply. The evident pause made the Ambassador realised he had erred on a sensitive topic, “All right Damian, talk soon” the Ambassador added hastily. “Talk then your Excellency” Damian quit the call, slipping the PDA into his jacket while reaching for the fob to his coupe. “What’s wrong?” Aeryn asked, coming up behind him as she left the restaurant. “One of our projects got attacked tonight” She was taken aback, stopping midway through affixing a shawl about her shoulders. “You need to go?” she quickly surmised. “Yes, but first let me-” he made for the door. “No, I’ve seen to that” she smiled lightly. “Thanks Aeryn, sorry about this“ She gave him a look that dismissed his apology as unnecessary, considering. “Let me drop you off at your flat, it’s on my way” he offered. “Way? You’re north side yes?” Damian nodded, “Yes, but I will be going direct to Capital airfield” “Oh..” she took that in with a smile, “I’ll take you up on that ride then” Damian smirked then made for the parking bays, “Come on, let’s get you home” Minutes later he pulled up outside Aeryn’s apartment block, easing the coupe to the curb. 9 Counterpoint He spoke up as she exited, “Thanks for tonight, even if it was brief” “You’re welcome and hey, be safe” she smiled bowing to look through the passenger doorframe. “Of course” he smiled. “-because you owe me dinner” she winked. Damian pursed his lips at being had, “I am now aware of your true desires! Mercenary” he retorted. Aeryn leaned back with a smile. “Night Damian” she waved lightly. “Night” She turned away seeking a keycard in her small clip purse while Damian looked down the road, checked his mirrors and gave her one last look when she arrived at her doorway. Smiling to himself, he guided the coupe down the street, quickly gathering speed. “Garmin” he summoned the man via an inbuilt autodial. A couple of chimes later the pilot, who had clearly been woken up, accepted the phone call, “Yarh?” “It’s Damian, we need to get to the Projects. There has been another attack” A sharp intake of breath heralded a rapid rustling of sheets, “I’ll see you at the jet in twenty minutes?” came a much more lively reply. “Already on my way” “Hurmm, Janice request those medical kits we stored?” “Yah, all of them, just me tonight so load her up” 10 Counterpoint “Right, see you shortly” Signing off the call, Damian increased the power band and shot out of the city circuit onto the southern road system, readily ignoring the speed limits while moving between cruising traffic. The ambient roadway lights quickly became a strobing blur as he drove hard for the airfield. “It’s done, you will have several medical support units from our military join you on the afternoon of your arrival” “Best news all night Ambassador, thank you” Damian replied, one hand hoisting a med-kit into the slim business jet. “Think nothing of it, I am of a mind it is high time someone acted on these raiders” “I agree” The Ambassador continued, “Your contact will be an understudy of mine, she will expect your call to initiate our aid officially” “Superb, well, I have to finish loading here then I’m airborne for the next seven hours” “Understood,” the Ambassador paused, “Safe flight” “Are we starting a field hospital down there?” Garmin grunted as he slotted another kit in place, observing Damian put the PDA away.