“I bet you have” sneered Tiope as she pulled the trigger of her plasma pistol hidden behind the table, the super-heated shot passing through and incinerating the Void-born bounty hunter who had followed her to the bar. “ Sorry about the mess” she said offhandly to the Barman as she got up and left, she really did need to pay the money back to Jabra. The Squat Crime Boss had paid good money to the Erinyes to negotiate and ensure safe transfer of a large shipment from the Ash Wastes Escher fortress of the Sneering Skull, but once Tiope had been alerted by one of her gangers with an inside line as to what the shipment actually consisted of she knew she had to have if for herself, the recent trouble with the Enforcers a useful cover. She'd have to get the girls out pushing Chems harder. “Annassa,” shouted a high voice as Tiope exited the bar. Tiope turned to see Areto running up to her, she raised a silent, well plucked eyebrow at the Little Sister. “The Guilders have announced a meet at the Crystal-less compound, you’re needed to moot with the other gang leaders imminently” Areto reported. “Scab” muttered Tiope, “this will not go well, back to the nest, find everyone and have them meet me there.

“I have a bad feeling about this” muttered Derinoe as the Escher approached the moot site. Movement on high towers to both sides of their approached betrayed the early arrival of the other gangs. Tiope motioned for her Sisters to take up positions to secure an easy (and probably needed) exit. As she strode forward she saw a shadow move to her right. Raising her plasma pistol towards the potential threat, she relaxed slightly but not totally as she saw Naomi of the Wayward Sisters approach. “Sister” greeted Naomi as Tiope came within earshot, “Sister” replied Tiope, lowering her weapon as she saw Naomi’s lethal swords were sheathed. “The truce of the Crones Council holds does it not?” asked Naomi, “It does” confirmed Tiope, unsure of what her Sister Queen was suggesting. “Then we are to your right” Naomi declared with a gleam in her eye, which confirmed Tiope’s earlier suspicions that the moot would not go well, but at least they might have some allies of convenience on this day.

“And I’ll not have some jumped up, half armoured, security guard telling me what to do” Tiope heard a gruff voice announce as she arrived at the moot site, a heavily armoured Squat already squaring up to one of the local Enforcers. “I’d rather be half armoured than half sized” retorted the Enforcer as Tiope glanced around. Other than Naomi and the arguing duo, no else seemed apparent, although she could swear the Venators on the gantries in front of her were the same they had pushed back from the Toll bridges. “Say half sized again” said the Squat grimly as he hefted his Power Hammer. “Half sized, half witted and half-hearted if you’re anything like that skulking coward Grimron who daren’t even show his face” leered the Enforcer, answering Tiope’s question about the Venator presence. “That’ll do it” muttered Naomi as the Squat let out a roar of anger and swung his Hammer at the Enforcer. Tiope ducked as the Enforcer took the hit on his shield and sprinted back to her waiting Sisters. “ERINYES READY” screamed Tiope as she dived into cover, lasgun shots falling around her. Her Sisters reacted immediately, Derinoe rushing forward to coat first the Venators who were lining up a shot on Naomi, and then the armoured bulk of the still screaming Squat with choking, blinding Gas. She heard Lady Augusta muttering to herself about ‘low born charlatans’ as her Boltgun seized once again, before switching to her alternate. A booming staccato of Heavy Stubber fire lanced out and rocked the structure she sheltered in, blood dripping down from the roof demonstrating its effectiveness. “Go Areto” signalled Tiope to the Juve, who dashed to bottom of the tower that housed the heavy gun that was now pounding the gantries inhabited by the Venators. She saw her potential ally Naomi cut down a fleeing Grimron, before grenades drove her to cover as the Venators started a fighting retreat. She exchanged fire with some Enforcers as she saw the Squats turn and begin lumbering away. Redirecting Areto to flank the Enforcer leader, she signalled her gang to concentrate fire on the rest of his squad, half wondering what would happen if it were just her and Naomi. As she started to signal to her gang to reposition in case of any sudden and inevitable betrayal, an Escher speciality, she saw Areto try to take on the Enforcer leader. While Areto had the speed and got the drop on the bulky male, his constitution was took much even for the potent toxins on her laced dagger and he knocked her down with a shove from his shield. Before he could take advantage of the wounded Juve, however he turned and started to bellow at the rest of his Squad, who had decided in his absence to beat. a hasty retreat. Almost alone on the field Tiope locked eyes across the now bloodied moot site with Naomi, who in turn sheathed her swords and began to back gently away. Tiope lowered her lasgun and motioned her sisters to do the same, content to share the field rather than break the Council of Crones directive. Especially with what she was about to do…

“Shoot her” screaming the docks Loadmaster, desperately holding onto his gatekeeper, as the vicious creature that had somehow kicked open its magnetic locks tried to drag him into the cage. Around him his crew lashed with shock mauls and whips, all to no avail as the monster gorged itself. “Shoot her” he screamed again trying to reach for his own combat shotgun. As a scummer stepped up with shotgun levelled, the Loadmaster turned to pulled his man free as the gun roared but instead of the dying whelps of the beast silence prevailed, only broken by a strange rattling noise. He turned back and looked up at a tall Escher Queen, resplendent in a green robes and bright feathered headdress, one hand holding the smoking shotgun up into the air and the other shaking a strange curio of bones, daggers and mechandrites. The beast had stopped moving and was transfixed, its glowing eyes locked on the Queens through the cage. “Follow” she ordered and turned to walk away. The beast padded out of the cage, its full size shocking the Loadmaster. Warm gore dripped into his face as its massive blooded talons swept over him, its middle set of arms locked around the legs and entrails of a fresh corpse. He looked down to see he was holding only half a gatekeeper, the beast having ripped him clean apart. “First all them Ogryns, then that weird Doc, now this” muttered the Loadmaster as he stood and dusted himself “I’ve got to get off this damn job, Oi, you, yeah you, want to be the new gatekeeper?”