The barrel of Sayeeda's plasma rifle shimmered as the heat of the barrel distorted the air around it. A high rate of fire burned barrels out quickly but a new barrel was a cheap price to pay for survival. The Xenos lapped forward like a wave of angry chitin, snapping at the heels of the retreating Knights.

"Well it seems she wants to pay you a visit," Sayeeda said dryly as she slotted a fresh magazine into her weapon. The thing was deceptively fast, its long legs gave it the appearance of lumbering but the vast strides meant that it covered alot of ground. It crunched through its own troops with no concern for the casualties it caused, crushing its smaller brethren beneath vast clawlike feet. THere was a sudden sound like a giant cat vommiting and black ooze gouted forth at firehose presure. The mass of reeking substance caught one of the fleeing Knights mid jump and he tumbled to the earth, screaming and tearing at his helmet. The creatures washed over him without a pause.

The milita broke and ran with cries of terror. Many of them simply through their weapons to the ground and bolted. Sayeeda supposed she couldn't really blame them but her contempt for untrained militias, already well substantiated by experience grew a measure.

"Make for the ship!" she screamed over the chaos, her voice peircing and commanding. The best she could hope for was to give some order to the rout.

"Captain, my men inform me that they will have completed loading by the time we reach the ship," Astador's voice informed her over her mastoid radio. He sounded tight, but in control. That might well be true but even if so they wouldn't be able to get aboard and lift before the lumbering behemoth reached it.

"Roger that, we will fall back and meet you at the ship," she replied. They had to find away to side track the giant.

"Be ready," Sayeeda said to Neil and sighted at the creature carefully. One of the creatures eyes flash heated to steam as the plasma rifle cracked, and it whipped its head around in anger and confusion. Junebug stood and snapped the bipod shut as the thing turned its remaining baleful eye upon her.

"Time we got the hell out of here," she said mildly and turned and bolted without another word. The main swarm seemed to be content to pursue the retreating Knights as they, by previous agreement, made a long looping curve back towards the ship, giving the civilians the maximum amount of time to get on board. The monstrosity however, had another target in mind. Rather than fleeing towards the ship Sayeeda and Neil fled south into the increasingly rugged and broken terrain to the south east of the settlement. Sayeeda turned twice and fired aimed shots into the creature but it still gained at a prodigious rate.

"Captain I..." Neil said dubiously.

"Don't worry I have a plan," she said pointing an out stretched finger at a narrow ravine a few dozen yards ahead of them. The thing was less than fifty meters behind them now and gaining quickly. Branches slapped at Sayeeda as she unhooked a smoke grenade from her belt and hurled it infront of her. It sputtered dark black smoke almost immediately as the chemical accelerants kicked into gear.

"Jump!" she commanded as they reached the newly formed smoke bank. Both captain and pilot leaped over the three meter ravine with ease but the pursuing creature, half blind and with the smoke to content with was not so lucky. Sayeeda and Neil managed to scramble up over some dark granite boulders when the thing hit the ravine, its left leg finding nothing but empty air as it cleared the smoke. It half dropped into the ravine but its momentum carried it forward, smashing its legs and waist against the rock wall of the raving with a spine chilling snap and pop. The thing thrashed the edge of the ravine with its arms crumbling hundred of kilos of dirt and rock.

Neil leaped forward and leveled his flamer, pouring a long blast into the things face as it snapped and spat in impotent frustration, The chitin burned and ran like wax, the other eye bursting like a dirty soap bubble under the onslaught.

"Bet you wish you got the chance to do THAT to your step mother," Sayeeda declared, a hint of satisfaction in her voice for a rare change.

[@POOHEAD189]