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Battle against tyranids strains was always hard fought and hard won. More so when civilians had been in the line of fire. Squad Valdek had been first to respond and among the last to leave. Evacuating as many of the populace as they could while accounting for any gene stealers.. but they had succeeded, and the world burned to deny the splinter fleet a feeding grounds.
Valdek had suffered notable damage. Both to his limbs and torso. Armor ripped open where a lictor had tried to get the drop on them, and melted outright in others when they had been forced into melee.
Brel himself wasn’t doing too much better, having instinctively taken the blast from an aberrant and joined Valdek in fighting other horrors off when even Alyxanders shield and width weren’t enough. One of his leg sparking with each step and threatening to give while movement in his mechanical arm had been limited, pressure lines severed though they had long sense stopped leaking fluid.
In short order they both somehow ended up in Brel’s room. Perhaps due to soft bullying on Valdek’s part, or maybe for the need of privacy after being amongst their squad mates for so long.
Needless to say, Brel was at least glad his leg had waited until he was in his room before it gave.
“Oh!”
Valdek was swift to catch and support Brel, the techmarine wincing a little when the action pulled on freshly closed wounds. “Easy. Where do you want to sit?”
A huff of static left brel then, eyeing his work bench before deciding that wouldn’t be enough space. “Just set me on the floor and bring my tools down?”
Valdek considered the request, “Will you be comfortable?”
“... No, but there’s no room anywhere else for the both of us.”
Valdek paused, looking at Brel who returned the stare. It was obvious Brel wouldn’t change his mind however from the set of his eyes.. so Valdek relented.
“Alright.”
Carefully he eased down into a crouch, compensating for Brel's bad leg as his other folded neatly until the techmarine was sitting on the floor.
“You know where my tools are?”
“Aye, brother I know.”
“Good.. can you bring them over and help me out of this armor?”
Valdek couldn’t help a warm little chuckle, leaning to tap their heads together for a moment. “Aye. I can.”
A few minutes later saw tools around them and the tech marines armor squared away a little stool slid over as a prop while Valdek started working at repairing Brel's arm.
“How’s your side?”
Brel grunted softly at the question, “Wasn’t deep thankfully, but Sepheran looked like he swallowed a lemon when looking it over.”
“That’s because he cares.” Valdek rumbled softly, pausing for a moment when he pulled what could have been a bone shard from around a joint, gently manipulating the others arm to test the movement after. “I’m surprised you had as much movement left in this arm as you did. It’s a testament to your knowledge of the craft.”
Eyes crinkled at that statement, “Aye? Thank you.”
A comfortable silence settled after that, filled with the gentle click of a wrench or hiss of a torch as Valdek finished repairing the Techmarines arm.
Yet before he could move on to the others leg, Brel gently tugged Valdek around and made him sit. “Let me get you fixed. My leg can wait.”
“Are you sure?”
“Valdek.”
Whatever protest the captain was going to have died at the others stern if gentle tone. Picking up clearly on the notes of affection there.
As always, he shifted to allow the other to connect to one of his neural ports to receive a better read out on the damages.. but Brel silently refused the offer as he always did. Seemingly already knowing what was damaged where without being told. Though whether it was from his capabilities as a techmarine or just because Brel knew his systems almost as well as he knew his own he couldn’t say.