User:Sev40/A Scent of Blasphemy

The Spectre raced out off the metal ramp, just missing the massive explosion as the gargantuan heretic ship exploded. To Sev, the explosion seemed to be larger and longer-lasting than expected, until the transport's smoldering corpse revealed a massive beam of light coming from the sky - the glassing of the planet was happening quicker than he was told. Activating the alien vehicle's boost drive, he sped towards the evacuation point.

"The gods' will has almost been done, brothers! The gods have been impressed by our performance today." Sev shouts with pride to his longtime friends in the back of the vehicle. He was surprised when there was silence. ''They're usually more talkative than this. They've been like this the entire battle''.

Finally, Zule 'Wattinree spoke up, without enthusiasm. "Yes, they may be proud of our achievements today."

The word 'may' stung Sev's pride, making him shift uncomfortably. "Are the gods' not just, Zule? How can we not be rewarded for our actions here?"

"It feels strange how quickly the Hierarchs declared the humans heretics, does it not?"

What is he getting at. Sev deliberately made a sharp turn, allowing him to subtly glimpse at his passengers. Zule's body was shaking wildly, even considering the suddenness of the turn, and Khan was lost deep in thought, paying no attention to what was happening. "Skip the holy riddles, old friend: why are you distrusting the truthful scriptures?"

Through the background noise of the glassing and the Spectre's boost drive, he could only barely hear Zule give a sigh. "The humans we have fought before, they weren't the cowards we saw on Osaamsacri. No, Sev, even there, many of them defended their homes like the great warriors of old - how are they the cowards that have stolen and defiled the will of the ancients?"