Sin of Pride - Dark Heresy

[DrK]

The office of 1st Lt. Ellorian Solarii is larger than one might expect for a mere Lieutenant. Tables with vellum rosters of the crew lie open on 2 sides of the room. Red lines through some mark them as dead, blue lies as query "Impure" and gold lines for thos promoted or otherwise noteworthy in a positive manner.

The rest of the space was filled with visual displays flickering from hidden pict recorders in the quiet spaces of the ship. Here a massive crowd in gun battery 8 watching 3 men in a pit fight. There down in the depths of the engine room six young women standing outside a series of unused storage chambers, a massive queue of voidsmen awaiting their turn, in the depths of the sewage reclaimation system a shadowy shape flashes past the recorder, a long tentacle on its neck...

As the acolytes were ushered in she looked up from her desk. It was clear what her profession was. Dressed in a sheer black bodyglove, a set of well used carapace armour on a stand in the corner. She had bone white hair cut short framing a severe middle aged face with grey pale eyes. A shock maul lay on the desk and a combat shogun hung from the beak of massive Aquilla that decorated the wall behind her.

Gentlemen. She began. I am not sure where you fall in the chain of command and I do not like that. But I have been ordered to use you to help with my problem. You will also be accompanied by a squad of ship's enforcers. She motions to the 6 hard faced, black visored shotgun toting armoured figures standing to attention at the back of the room. "We have lost some people in the torpedo tubes. There is a sealed section around Tube 17 taht may be infested with creatures that shouldn't be there. You have been volunteered to investigate and deal with the problem. Any questions?

[rb780nm]

"Nah, Ah rekon Ah'm good. We go in there and we shoot anything what ain't us or th' enforcers," the craggy looking hiver with an unlit pipe clamped between his teeth said.

"D'y' wan' any alive? Fer questioning mebee?" He asks, as an afterthought as he checks the loads in his Specter, putting two clips of regular and one of manstoppers into the wide loading slot of the imposing weapon.

[Caimheul]

"Ma'am, do we have any idea as to the nature of the creatures?Are they muties or simply people who have gone feral?" The man who asks these questions is fairly large, and wearing combat carapace armour holding the helmet under his right arm. His shoulder pads display the symbol for the Adeptus Arbites, betraying his previous profession hinted at further by the riot shield carried on his back and shock maul and combat shotgun he carries. The bolo knife carried next to the maul seems mildly out of place for one of his profession, it's well worn sheath emblazoned with the I and scales of the Arbites. His features are rather plain, except for a furrow cut across his cheek.

[DrK]

.

"D'y' wan' any alive? Fer questioning mebee?".

The grim looking women looks at the roughly dressed man. "I see no reason to grant them anything but the Emperor's Mercy. Were it not for the damage systems I would flush thwhole sectio ino the void.

"Ma'am, do we have any idea as to the nature of the creatures?Are they muties or simply people who have gone feral?".

She smiles at a fellow ex-Arbite. I suspect most are mutants or heretics taht abound in ships where the walls are thin and geller field fails. However if you see one in charge that appears as a missionary maybe capture him for Master Holt to interrogate. Any mutants are to be purged.

[Intro]

Iacton Drake

The pallid, rail-thin psyker has no questions for the lieutenant so he simply shrugs in answer to her question and goes over the weapons at his disposal - both the pistol holstered at his hip as well as his abilities to manipulate the Warp. The latter weapons were best avoided when in the midst of Warp travel, but could help to track down their quarry if it came to that.

[phiris]

Metanovia Jezail

Her mission clear, and a clear-cut mission at that, Metanovia preferred to remain silent. She disliked the woman the moment she spoke, worsened by her tone, though that might've been due to void travel, something that had always made her feel uneasy. Staring at the officer at attention, her gaze broke only after her fellow Arbite's question was answered, checking her shotgun before stating We shall deliver them unto the Emperor and they shall know his wrath

[Starbin]

Lor

Lor stood near the back of the group, leaning against the wall. His shabby clothes marked him as a hiver, but the others knew that he he had little love for the world of technology ... aside from weapons. As he listened to the Solarii and the others talk, he wondered who had specifically placed them on this path. Was it the Lord Inquisitor? Or delegated down to one of the higher ranking acolytes?

He almost smiled at the lieutenant's dislike of their 'status.' He knew people like her wanted to control everything around them, and were bothered when the pieces didn't fit into the puzzle. Oh well, she'd get over it.

Watching her reations to the others was also telling - she gave Marcus the standard stuck-up sneer, while she lapped up Herran's kowtowing. Figured.

Glancing over at Drake, he shivered subconsciously. The guy also walked around like he didn't give a frag, but there was just something about him that gave Lor pause. Dangerous in ways that the others weren't.

He looked down at his pack, having brought his equipment with, just in case they were told to head down immediately. The pistols were on his hips, covered by the loose-fitting rags he had on, and the knife was in his boot. Both swords and the rifle were tied to the pack, awaiting the details that would suggest the best tools for this trip. So far, it sounded like a seek and destroy, and nothing said destroy like a chainsword and bullet to the head.

Should be fun.

[Intro]

Iacton Drake

Iacton sighs as Jezail's piety brings itself strongly to the fore. Oh, he had as much faith in the Emperor as any man - he had set foot on blessed Terra itself, after all - but that faith tended more towards the practical. If one truly believed the Emperor's eyes were upon them, would they really need to make engage in all the ceremony and aggrandizement?

He figured he might as well make use of time available to them, and pulls and lights a lho-stick, directing the plume of fragrant smoke at the recirc vents overhead. That done, he rubs at his slightly-bloodshot eyes with his unoccupied hand - he'd been asleep when the summons had come and he'd much rather have kept it that way, wondering why their team had drawn the job instead of the ship's armsmen.

[Tome]

Sergeant Lilitas

Lilitas stands stiffly at attention as the Lieutenant addresses them, as she always does when someone of superior rank is present.

How about 'Why the frack am I here anyway?' she bites back as the LT opens the floor to questions. Nah. No point even asking, it's not like it'd make any difference. Instead, she simply replies "No questions, ma'am" and tries to keep the growl out of her voice. The sooner this briefing is over, the sooner she can go do her job. Which, at this current point in time, seems to be hunting mutants and heretics in the bowels of an inquisitorial cruiser.

She does a mental check of her equipment as she waits for the others to finish their questions. Laspistol: Right holster, checked three hours ago. Chainsword: Left holster, checked yesterday morning. Grenade Launcher: On back, checked yesterday morning, additional grenades in pack. Lasgun: In hand, checked within the last five minutes. Fists: Still attached, still a bit sore from clocking that ******* at the bar. Did he have an steel jawbone or something?

[Caimheul]

Praetus Herran

"Reminds me of busting up riots back on Malfi." Praetus turns to address his fellow acolytes,"For those of you less familiar with such a situation, this normally means combat in close quarters with desperate people and or mutants. As long as we keep our heads and stay close enough to support each other, we should make it out just fine. If we have to split up, we should try to make sure each group has at least one commbead. When were you intending to send in the enforcer squads ma'am, and what frequencies have we been authorized to use?" This last he addresses to the Lt. His time in the Arbites had taught him it never hurt to be polite to authority figures, especially those in charge of your backup. People sometimes delayed slightly in sending aid to those they didn't like. Besides, an Arbites had enough enemies externally on Malfi, creating more internally was suicide, at the very least career-wise.

[DrK]

"No questions, ma'am"

At the answer Lt. Solarii smles slightly before shooting Iacton a hard stare as he dirties her room with the Lho stick. At Praetus's words she nods however. "Solid advice Master Herran. She soots the others a look. "You would do well listen to his one. You are authorised to use 996-998mhz on the microbeads. I will be listening n as well should you need back-up. Punitive Enforcement Team Daedulus here she gestures the low IQ high violence quotient drones at the back of the room WIll be you support. You can deploy them as you wish. You will obey he Acolytes will you not?. She fills with word acolyte with as much contempt as he can mention, but the Enforcer Team still salute arms crashing off armoured chests.
SIR, YES SIR. SUFFER NOT THE MUTANT TO LIVE

She looks back to the team, satisfied with the Enforcerment Team's answer. f there are no further questions then you are free to leave. Head down deck 12b, section 6, beam 6, bulkhead 2. You can speak with the Chief Warrant for Torpedo Section 16 and he can show you to the ealed off section.

[Intro]

Iacton Drake

As the lieutenant gives him a black look, Iacton just smiles back widely, giving the appearance of being oblivious to her ire - or perhaps just relishing it. There was definitely something to be said for not falling neatly "within the chain of command." He fiddles for a bit with his micro-bead, setting it to the assigned frequency, mentally working out the best way to work their way through the massive ship to reach the indicated bulkhead.

[Caimheul]

Praetus Herran

Praetus sets his armour's commbead to the allocated frequency before settling his helmet on his head, ignoring Iacton's usual disregard for authority, and thankful for the fact that the built in respirator filters out the stench of the lho stick.
"Anyone forget anything in their quarters or are we set to go?" his helmet causes his voice to take on a tinny quality,

[rb780nm]

"All good 'ere," responds Markus on the same frequency.

[phiris]

Metanovia Jezail

Metanovia relished Iacton's disobedience, though herself would never engage in such disrespect. Nodding slightly to the lieutenant she set her microbead before turning. Lets move her voice crackling across the frequency

[DrK]

Its a long walk down through miles of deck plating and narrow tubes and conduit filled corridors to get to the Torpedo section at the prow of the ship. You know above you lie the first rank of torpedo tubes. As you get to the sealed off sectionyou can see group of voidsmen and a lone red robed tech priest waiting for you along with about a dozen security enforcers.

The techpriest looks at you all with inscrutable eyes hidden behind crude photo visors and a rebreather mask. "I have placated the machine spirits that lie on this seal. I can release it when you are ready.

The cief warrnt officer nearby, a towering brute some 7ft high with rangy long arms smothered in tatoos looks at you. Good luck to you. Emperor protect. We've had 16 go missing in the past 3 days and the Clan don't sleep without a gun or wrench handy. Shadows in the vents and all that. He motions to recirc vents above and the mass of wiring and conduits thta project from the crudely unsealed bulkhead.

[Intro]

Iacton Drake

"Lovely," Iacton comments to no one in particular, sadly discarding the end of his lho-stick in order to fit his own photo-visor and rebreather over his face. Then he shakes his head and vigorously scratches at his greasy hair for a moment, trying to shake away a bit of the delicious feeling that the mild narcotic had left him with, figuring that it was not the proper sensation to take with him into the dark places of the ship - at least not if he wanted to come back out of them.

[rb780nm]

"Go ahead," Markus grunts. "Techfather," he adds hastily as he remembers where he is and who he.s talking to.

Once the door is open, Markus looks at the others, then turns towards the opening.

Pulling the cowl of his xenomesh armor as far forward over his face as he could, Markus flicked off his gun's safety and stepped into the corridor, looking for any sign of trouble.

--

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Awareness check (1d100)[33] vs 39 +10 (+10 Heightened Sight).

[Tome]

Lilitas momentarily gives a sadistic grin at the warrant officer's assessment. "Sounds like my kind of fight" she mutters, sliding her own photo-visor into place. The rebreather hangs on it's straps for now. Maybe this assignment won't be so bad after all she muses to herself, the Emperor's enemies to kill, the brass seem mostly competent, no supply issues and, of course, not a bloody trench in sight. What more could a gal ask for? Bigger things to shoot, I guess.

Hefting her Lasgun, she steps into a good position to cover the corridor beyond the bulkhead, on the off chance that there's something horrible standing on the other side. Not that there ever is, much to her disappointment, but there's always hope. "I'm ready here, let's get to work".

[Intro]

Iacton Drake

Before stepping through, Iacton wonders why he was here - surely his painstakingly-acquired knowledge of mankind's various enemy's could be put to more relevant uses than this. Just after crossing the bulkhead line, he steps to the side pulls an icon of the Emperor from a pouch on his webbing - while he had enjoyed provoking the lieutenant, he did have some circumspection - and murmurs a benediction in His name, the psy-reactive circuitry glowing slightly as he concentrates on just allowing the slightest trickle of Warp energy to slip into his mind.

It was so much easier to do it on a ship already traveling in the Warp, with the Immaterium held at bay only by the ship's Gellar field instead of a break between realities, and he has to resist the urge to just drink it all in. In a moment, he has brought the Warp energy under the command of his will and, though his eyes are closed, he can still sense the presence of his team and the guards behind them, their minds flickering like flames in his mind.

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Well, let's start using psychic powers! Always a good idea!

I'll roll Invocation until I succeed (which I would do in a round or two, needing a 63), then put one die towards Sense Presence (TN7)

Sense Presence
Threshold: 7
Focus Time: Half Action
Sustained: Yes
Range: 50m (see text)
Reaching out with your mind, you get a vague inkling of other life forms within range. You automatically detect all living creatures in the area. Walls in excess of 1 metre thick block this power.
Overbleed: For every 5 points by which you exceed the Threshold, you extend the Range by an additional 10 metres.

(1d10+11)[17]

So, a 6. No Warp Phenomena, and he can detect living creatures out to 70m, barring thick walls.

[phiris]

Metanovia Jezail

After the hiver entered, Jezail followed, chambering a shell and delighting as the distinctive sound reverberated down the halls, scanning for movement

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Awareness v 44: (1d100)[6]

what is the onomatopoeia? chhh-chingkk? you get the picture.

[DrK]

Stepping into th access door of the Torpedo tube. some would say not wise! THe Tech priest had watched you all with suspicion as he anointed the door with sacred oils muttered some prayers in Binary and finally using a reliquiator had burned through the last part of the seal.

Inside stale air tinged with steel, oil and the sweet stench of death has assailed you all. The tube itself was a smooth length of admantine ome 200m long and ~12m in diamater. Oily puddles soiled the floor of the tube in a pool about 15cm deep and dull red status lights signified the tube offline. About 60m away, just lit by the lights of the entry team there is some sort of blockage with twisted metal and rifts of ceramite. The enforcer team followed you in, all 6 of them with heavy carapace, shotguns and visors. The lead one looks at the party , deferring to Metanovia, Glow lamps of visors, the question becomes salient as the tech priest begins to seal the 2m thick heavy access panel.

Iacton

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As he stepped into the tube, controlling the cruhing flow of the warp from outside the geller field life senses of the ship's crew were cut off as the door sealed behind them, more worryingly other life forms began to form, vagu bubbles of life tinged with the black blot of heresy. He could detect 4 some 60m ahead where piles of rubble and a crack in the tubemarred the smooth ceramite.

Metanovia

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As you step into the tube rebreather and photovisors lighting up the darkness turns to a flickering field of greys. 62m away you can see the smooth circuitry imbedded walls of the tubes was riven with a cracks and piles of twisted metal. Behind the metal shadows twitched, head shapes joined with long metallic barrels.

The CLANG of the access hatch behind you is obviously the result they've been waiting for as panel shutting is immediatly drowned out by the harsh echoing and booming stacatto chatter of autoguns!



OOC

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The tube is 12m diamater thta gives you about a slope 6m usable width before you're hanging on the ceiling. There are ridges of metal that jut out slightly lie a snake's ribs every 10m in the tube.
You're 62m away from a pile of twisted metal behind which 4 humands oiare firing.

[Intro]

Iacton Drake

"Four of 'em," Iacton calls out, unshipping his long-las and sighting in on a target with slightly more-than-merely-mortal precision, the energy of the Warp outside the Gellar field still filling him. But suddenly distracted as he was, he lets the veil weaken just slightly, and ghostly apparitions fill the air around him for a moment before winking back out of sight.

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Initiative: (If necessary) (1d10+3)[4]

Free Action: Ready long-las (Quick Draw talent)

Half Action: Unnatural Aim psychic power (TN 8), 1 die

(1d10+6)[15]

Half Action: Aim

[rb780nm]

"Ack'," Markus calls as he scurries forwards to find some cover.

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Half move forwards to find some cover
If necessary, full move to get to cover, otherwise, delay to return fire when I catch sight of the bad guys

[Starbin]

Lor

Lor listened to Herran's advice, but almost rolled his eyes at the lieutenant's response. Get a room already ... The moment was quickly lost as Solarii continued to show her distaste for the acolytes. He almost responded, but bit his tongue before sharing his thoughts.

Perhaps there will be an opportunity for the good lieutenant to gain an audience with the Lord Inquisitor, to discuss her attitude ... Of course, given that Lor had never met the man, the chance of setting up such a meeting was as likely as sprouting wings.

At least the group wasted little time making their way to the tubes. Lor readied himself before they entered the barred section, ensuring his contacts adjusted and his weapons were ready. He waited until everyone had stepped through, then followed, cautiously.

The clang of the access point shutting was immediately lost amid the staccato of automatic fire as three shadowy figures let loose from down the tube. Growling to himself, Lor dropped down quickly, moving to the side and raising his rifle. At least we have targets ...

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Initiative: (1d10+8)[14] (Lightning Reflexes)
Free Action: Ready Hunting rifle (Quick Draw)
Full Action: Aim
WP Save: (1d100)[37] vs 24 (uh oh)

[Tome]

Paranoia pays off sometimes. Lilitas merely has to step to the side to sequester herself behind one of the ridges in the wall of the tunnel as the bullets start to fly. "No sense in wasting resources here" she mutters to herself, dismissing the option of breaking out the grenade launcher, before bellowing her opinion on the tactical situation at the other Acolytes. "Markus! Suppressive fire! Iacton! Lor! Scope 'em and drop 'em! Every idiot who only brought a g'damned shotgun! You get to run towards the bullets!".

A moment later she ducks her head out again, gun barrel first. She picks out one of the muzzle flashes in the distance and lines up a shot. No need to rush, scum like these aren't much of a threat.

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Lilitas is going to use a half-action move to get to cover and take a half-action aim.

Initiative (if needed): (1d10+3)[4]
Willpower test (due to foolish Psyker): 32 vs. (1d100)[86]

[rb780nm]

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Initiative: (1d10+3)[10]

Willpower test (1d100)[19] vs 32+??

[DrK]

Amid the clatter of rounds slamming into the armoured walls of the tube all around you and the shattering of glass you're assailed by spectral figures that stram from Iacton's body clawing at your faces and hands. Lilias and Lor seem particularly affected as do 3 of the enforcers who drop screaming and rolling on the ground.

The other 3 charge forward into the hail of gunfire, bullets striking all around them as they join marcus in the sides of the long tube, one of them grunting and dropping to one knee as a bullet tears a bloody furrow down his left thigh.

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3 fail their will save and go prone
3 advance as a full action heading ~8m up the tub before seeking cover either crouched in the industrial effluent or leaning against the ridge piping beside
They absorb 2 enemy firing action, one of them getting wounded by the innacurate fire.

The gunfire sparks down the tube ricochetin off the walls and striking sparks in the dim light. The only light faint red warning lights and sadly one of the glow lamps illuminating the assualt team dropped by a screaming enforcer.
Over the gunfire from the shadowy figres you hear a deep mocking voice This is our territory. Your kind aren't welcome...

His word are puctuated by more full auto fire spraying down the narrow piping slamming into the metal around Marcus and the sudden white warp lights that course around Iacton. The psyker croched in the tube assialed by a brutally accurate hail of fire that hammered into him.

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Remember its pretty dark so unless you have some sort of night vision your at -20% to shoot at the 4 targets in their cover (covering their body and legs with AP12.

Full auto burst at Iaction: (1d100)[1] -Vs 54 (Dodge (1d100)[24] Vs 32) -damage if needed (1d10+3)[4] (1d10+3)[7] (1d10+3)[5] (1d10+3)[8]

Full auto burst at Marcus: (1d100)[49] -Vs 54 (Dodge (1d100)[14] Vs 49) -damage if needed (1d10+3)[5] (1d10+3)[5] (1d10+3)[11] (1d10+3)[7]

I'll for opt that Marcus is hiding on te left hand side of the tube giving his left arm, left leg and body Cover with AP12

EDIT: results of bad guy shooting

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Iacton: With warp light they peg you brutally!
You dodge 1 head shot, the second does 4 wounds! armour soaking the 2 arm hts and taking 1 more wound (total 5) from the last body shot. Please mak your pinning test.

Markus: You dodge the round that clatter off the bulkheads around you.

Before next round

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Just waiting for our 2 arbites (Caimheul and Phiris) before the next round can begin and we'll adjust to initiative positions.

Sorry Intro- that natural 1 is a killer!

[Caimheul]

Praetus Herran

"Visors only, no lights. Lights give them a target" Praetus rather belatedly informs the enforcers and the other acolytes.

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WP test: (1d100)[52] vs 33
Free action: Ready Naval Shield (Quick Draw)
Full action: Tactical advance, using the shield as cover if nothing else is available. (AP 8)

[DrK]

The fight was messy and getting worse. Metanovia joined the others hugging her twin lasgun to her chest as diver sideways slamming into the cold bank of servo and magnetic accelerator coils that ridges the torpedo tube like some sort of strange metallic monster's ribs.

In front of her outlined by the crackling autogun sparks and richochets she could see 2 enforcers hunched down as the advanced into the storm, one wounded one dropping to a knee to lay down covering fire. Markus the hive scum darting alongside them hugging the tube walls and Praetus deploying his naval riot shield to cover his advance.

Near the access hatch Iacton was bleeding heavily from the head where a rlund had come within mm of ripping out his eyes, the last vestiges of the terrifying warp manifestations still glittering around him, Lilitas and Lor who crouched aiming at the distant barricade. The other 3 enforcers all terrified by the strange apparitions, the centre one on his knees screaming DAEMONS, HE'S UNLEASHED DAEMONS, MY EYES!,

The 4 renegades were crouched behind a massive torn shard of metal still further up the tube... A perfect ambush, one could almost think they knew the enformcement team were coming...

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Lor, Preatus and Marcus to go before the bad guys go again.
Bad guys are ~60 from most of the party, ~50m from the 3 enforcers, Marcus and Praetus who all advanced.