The Sin of Pride IC

[Starbin]

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Heresy check was for information about the war cry they used. Based on the attack roll, (9) that's a leg shot, right?

[Starbin]

Lor smiled, taking aim at one of the uninjured men. "Three little monkey's, jumping down the hall .... hmm, hmm, hmm, and shot his eyeball ...hmm, hmmm, hmmm and the medic said, no more monkey's jumping down the hall .."

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Half aim, shot (TN 82): (1d100)[52]
Damage: (1d10+3)[10] = 22I, Pen 5, Head

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Extra Rolls, if necessary
Accuracy (Dam: (2d10)[10][9](19))
RF (To hit: (1d100)[66], Dam: (3d10)[2][8][9](19)

If I've done the math right, anytime you roll for damage, a 10 is a chance at RF (including accuracy damage). So the total should be 22 (Normal + accuracy + RF success)

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Gabriel listened to the fire from around the corner and glanced at Holt. "Do you wish us to provide assistance to your acolytes? My last attempt to provide aid seemed to ... unsettle them."

[Tome]

Lilitas

"Grenades come out of my pay packet Lor. If you want to use one on these dregs, you're paying" Lilitas grumbles over the vox as they wait.

The bloodlust temporarily out of her system, or at least somewhat subdued after her lacklustre performance previously, the Guardswoman takes cover with the rest of the acolytes. Her thoughts turn from the cost of munitions, to her lousy pay, to why she was even assigned to this duty. The distraction this causes, and the few additional seconds this permits the Heretics to live, infuriates her. "Die in the name of the Emperor and His holy Ordos, heretic scum!" Lilitas screams, fresh with rage as she unloads a stream of hellbolts into the oncoming bodies. She has a body-count to build today, and stewing over her assignment won't help - her duty is only to serve and to kill, not to question where and why.

Idly, she notes the orders to leave one alive for questioning, and squeezes the trigger that little bit harder. Ah well, there are reinforcements coming, they can capture one of those instead.

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Full-Auto into the heretics. Assuming she gets multiple hits, she'll allocate them between the two surviving ones.

BS 66 (46 Base + 20 Full-Auto) VS (1d100)[86]
Damage: (1d10+3)[9], Pen 4
(1d10+3)[12], Pen 4
(1d10+3)[4], Pen 4
(1d10+3)[13], Pen 4
(1d10+3)[6], Pen 4
(1d10+3)[12], Pen 4

EDIT *Sigh* And I used to be able to roll so well too.

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Victris

The Master Enginseer, once more cowering behind the sturdiest piece of cover he can find, overhears the warcry as gears of a metaphorical sort start turning in his head.

"Oh dear".

The vox flickers into life. "Try to take as many alive as possible, particularly any hereteks we may encounter. Failing that, please avoid damaging the bodies too extensively. I may be able to extract information from any intact augmetics". He sincerely hopes his suspicions are wrong.

[Starbin]

"Try to take as many alive as possible, particularly any hereteks we may encounter. Failing that, please try to avoid damaging the bodies. I may be able to extract information from any intact augmetics".

Gabriel nodded sagely. "Very we'll - no flamer.". From his waist, he pulled free a well made chainsword. "Looks like close work today, my friends. By any means authorized, yes?"

[DrK]

THe subtle crack of Lor's rifle leaves another of the guardsmen tumbling limply to the ground as their head explodes in a vast gout of blood splattering the corridor.

The heavy tramping of the reinforcements and more metallic tread of an augmented heretek almost rounding the corridor some 30m away...

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Filler post! Until then there 's only a couple of guys left to take the brunt of Praetus and Markus's shots...

[Caimheul]

Praetus

"Feth, more incoming! Might be time to break out the grenades soon Sarge!" Praetus broadcasts over the din of battle as he squeezes off a las bolt in the direction of the nearest heretic.

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Half action aim
(1d100)[34] TN 57 (27 + 10 Red dot + 10 short range+10 Aim)
Accuracy damage jic: (1d10)[1] (1d10)[4]
Damage: (1d10+3)[8]

[rb780nm]

Makradon unleashes another burst upon the remaining enemy.

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FA (1d100)[81] vs 52+20(FA)+10(range) = 82
(1d10+3)[6]
(1d10+3)[11]
(1d10+3)[4]
(1d10+3)[6]
(1d10+3)[12]
(1d10+3)[7]
(1d10+3)[12]
(1d10+3)[6]
(1d10+3)[10]
(1d10+3)[13]

[DrK]

Even as the hail of fire from Praetus and Markus keeps the other two ducked down into cover the voice of the Brontian oficer echoes around the corner. "Heretics. You have wrongly invaded an Imperial Station and you shall be killed for your crimes. YOu've got until the count of 5 before we kill you."

To all the acolytes in the corridor they can hear some murmured prayers of the Emperor and a few whispered commands form the officer as the Brontians around the corner prepare to charge.

[Caimheul]

Praetus

Praetus's confused look is hidden behind the full face mask of his helmet. "CEASE FIRE! ALL INQUISITORIAL FORCES CEASE FIRE! he bellows through the speakers on the shields he and the adept are holding. "Respectfully sir, what the GRAK is going on here?! This is the first time I've heard heretics beseech the Emperor in a dire situation!" he demands of Master Holt.

Master Holt

"I certainly expect to find out. Be watchful for betrayal." Master Holt responds.

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Right... so do we a) have a way to directly contact the Inquisitor, or b) have a means of identifying ourselves as Inquisitorial agents?

[DrK]

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You can communicate with the Sin of Pride but maybe not the Inquisitor Lord- depends if he is seclusion or not.

As for ID you have all of the standard dog tags and stuff for being crew members but no official Inquisitorial Rosettetes or seals or things like that

[bluntpencil]

"I freakin' knew it..." mutters Lorenzo.

The Inquisition was known for purging loyalists...

[Starbin]

Lor cursed to himself. "Fething ****e!" Over their private line, he mutters to Praetus, "In for a penny, right P? These bastards didn't care when they let loose on us before ... I betcha their chaos!" He continued to watch the corridor, sure that things were going to keep getting uglier ...

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Gabriel raised a hand, careful not to touch the Master of Whispers (having heard before the man had issues with personal space). "Let us not be so quick to judge this situation, Master Holt. I applaud your acolytes fervor in this matter, and concern over fratricide, least we waist valuable resources for the Emperor's fight. However, the battle cries used thus far by the Brontians do not match what our files have recorded. The Longknives tend to favor a loud whooping, in honor of the viscious birds of prey from their home planet, as opposed to the cry of "For the Omnissah" we previously heard.

We could very well be dealing with men deluded by their leadership, or men who have been corrupted but still retain their knowledge of Imperial protocals. Perhaps a request for parlay, citing the appropriate codex and volume appropriate for such situations may be in order?"

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So, Gabriel doesn't trust these dudes, but that doesn't mean that the men are bad. Of course, he'll burn the entirety of the planet if he is unable to determine how far the betrayal runs, just to make sure none of the guilty escape! What say we throw down some lore skills to see if we know anything about why this might be happening ... or if we noted anything else odd. PS - didn't they shoot at our ship?

CL: Imperial Creed (TN 44) or SL: Imperial Creed (TN34) (1d100)[32]
Anything else? Of course, it may be necessary to Charm the leadership into coming out for a parlay ... TN60: (1d100)[89]

[bluntpencil]

"This was why I was recommending caution during our earlier xeno-purges. There is faulty intelligence somewhere. We need to find out who's responsible after the Brontians are dead...

...We are still killing them, right?"

It takes all of Lorenzo's willpower not to say "I told you so". He doesn't trust anyone around him, especially those in positions of power. Something just isn't right with the Sin of Pride at all...

...and when the preacher speaks to the Master of Whispers, Lorenzo offers a little bit of information.

"Respectfully, your worshipfulness, Bront is a Hive World. Those from the centre of a Hive are unlikely to have ever seen a bird, and, being from an urban centre, will very likely be familiar with the Machine Cult. Yes, the bird calls may be a tradition in the Brontian Longknives, but it doesn't negate other possibilities in the slightest."

[DrK]

As Gabriel speaks out requesting a parlay he is met with a brief burst of mechanoid static - the binary chatter utterly confusing to all save Victris. The string of beeps and bops tranlsating roughly to "Human. Follow your orders. Kill the followers of the Dark Gods"

A harsh human voice replying to the unseen source of the binary. "Are you sure Magos?" and short angrily pitched burst of static that translate dby Victris replies as "Now you fool".

Even as the echo of Gabriel's demands are fading in the corridor - the bodies of a half dozen Brontians lying still in a vast pool of spreading congealing blood the officer shouts out loudly. His voice carrying strongly down the corridor - "We are the Longknives with 3 centuries of proud service. We don't deal with chaos scum" - the ominous click click of troopers "locking and loading" following

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You know there is still ~10 guardsman, an officer and a tech priest round the corner from the posse that Lor saw approaching on the pict recorder

[Tome]

Victris

This is one of those times when Victris wishes he were wrong. Regrettably, reality is not so kind.

No doubt whatever is impersonating a Magos - a crime in it's own right - has had ample time to spread lies across this planet. Hopefully Gabriel will assist him in defusing things, for he has neither the Confessor's talent for oratory nor a wish to see good men die.

"If I may?" he replies in Binary, providing his own translation to the other officers present over the vox, "I could not help but notice that you were just addressed as 'human', implying that the speaker considered themselves something else. Who, pray tell, do you receive your orders from? For they are not Mechanicus - we who serve the Emperor-As-Omnissiah are still fundamentally human, no matter how much of our flesh we may replace with blessed augmetics".

"Please, something is wrong here and I have no desire to see more lives lost than necessary. Let us talk, there is no is no need for bloodshed among servants of the Emperor".

Attached to his last translation to the Master of Whispers is a second message, a request for... intervention. "Master Holt, if one of your acolytes so happens to be of a suitably subtle persuasion, please have them discreetly silence whatever is impersonating a tech-priest".

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Logic 89 VS (1d100)[31]
Charm 20 VS (1d100)[83]

Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) 79 VS (1d100)[55]
Common Lore (Machine Cult) 79 VS (1d100)[67]

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Lilitas

The guardswoman, meanwhile, is slowly becoming (even more) impatient. She has heretics to kill, can't they just stop talking so she can start shooting already.

[Starbin]

Gabriel raised his voice, speaking to the Brontian's again. "We who serve the Inquisition, respect loyalty to the Emperor, and applaud your decision to not deal with Chaos scum. However, let the record show that we are not xenos, traitors, nor mutants. Let the record also show that I, Gabriel Mandalkan, obediant missionary of the Emperor, and loyal Confessor to Lord Inquisitor Tiberius Theocles, do hereby state that you are officially offered parlay. Should you choose to accept the parlay, you will be given the opportunity to prove your purity and loyalty to the Throne. Should your loyalty, or pureness of mind, body and soul ever be in question, the only mercy you will recieve is a quick death. If you choose not to accept the white flag of truce for this purpose within five seconds, your entire unit will be marked and exterminated.

Your time starts now."

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Is this a Charm (TN 60), Intimidate (TN 40)or Command (TN 40)check? I think Gabriel is being extremely nice and understanding, but the Brontians may not see it that way.

Regardless, here's the roll: (1d100)[25]

(Here's hoping I fail, he says something snarky, and we kill them all with a clean conscious).

EDIT ... Awww ... looks like the roll was successful, no matter what skill was used.

[DrK]

The officer around the corner pauses before shouting back. "Advance and be recognised".

To suit his words the officer along with two of his troopers slowly comes creeping out around the corner some 30m away. Looking cautiouslya round him and with some sadness at the massacred forms of his fallen kinsmen. His face hardening slightly into a grim mask.

"If you wish to speak then come forth and speak with me".

[Caimheul]

Master Holt
"Agreed. Expect the Brontians to resume hostilities once their puppet master dies... Unless we can sway them here. Do the transmissions you are detecting indicate the puppet master's location?" Holt discretely whispers to the tech-priest. "Praetus, Sargent, provide the cleric with an honour guard. Beware of betrayal. Lor keep your eyes peeled for any... thing appearing to be a tech-priest."

Praetus

"Roger that sir." Praetus responds, prepared to provide the cleric with cover.

[Starbin]

Gabriel stepped forward, lavendar eyes hard as stone and his face an impassive mask. Across his back was a gigantic hammer, carved with sigils and runes of Imperial prayers and cants. In one hand, he carried a well-made chainsword, in the other he held a censure with incense. The aquila pendant on his chest shined, the emergency lights flashing off of the polished surface.

He inclined his head slightly towards the officer, then spoke. "An excellent decision, but least you misunderstand this parlay, let me be clear. I am here on behalf of the Lord Inquisitor Theocles; not at your beck and call. You are here to prove to me that you have not reneged on your oaths to the Emperor. If I am dissatisfied, the lives of you and your men are forfeit. This should not be anything you do not already expect.

Explain your attack on our ship, as well as the failure to adhere to standard communication protocols for the last 1.7 years. Additionally, I require an explanation of why your Magus is currently directing the use of Imperial Guard troops, contrary to Imperial Codices and Standards."

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Lor acknowledged the transmission with a single click, then a thought percolated up. "P, to be clear, am I to deal with the tech priest, or simply target him?"

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Be specific, Bob! Else you'll end up with a Mechanicus Deadicus.

[Caimheul]

Praetus

The former riot trooper sub-vocalizes his response to the assassin. "Don't ask me, I don't know what Holt's on about. Go with targeting and notifying Holt when you see the tech-priest. Can always kill him later if that causes you to miss the shot."

[DrK]

The Longknife Officer makes the sign of the Aquilla as Gabriel approaches. A short salute - "Captain Orvus Trask. 4th Company, 12 Battalion." He looks slightly confused. "The Magos informed us that the attackers were servants of the Ruinous Gods. Heretics that had stolen a proud Imperial Vessel and been commiting great piracy. A vessel with a heart of darkness and a great evil lying at its heart."

He glances over his shoulder to presumably somewhere where the heretic is lurking and is clearly scared of something as he scratches at his neck slightly and Gabriel can see a small cybernetic implant there. Even as a nasty suspicion blooms there is a binary chatter that echoes loudly in the hallways -- "Those who stand against the true path of metal and the Omnissah are as nothing." --

With a strangled scream the officer falls as sparks and hissing ligntning crackle and pop from the implant. More screams from the guardsmen unseen and those standing by the officers join the chorus as over a dozen men writhe screaming as their implants send KILL signals deep into their neurons overloading joints and mental pathways as they cooks and die in an extruciatingly painful way. The heavy clump of a heavy metallic form retreating from around teh corner dimly heard over the death screams...

[Caimheul]

Praetus

His instincts from years as an arbitrator taking over, Praetus moves to pursue the fleeing heretek, yelling as he does so "AFTER HIM!"

[bluntpencil]

As soon as Lorenzo notices the implant, and then hears the officer scream, he moves quickly, in an attempt to save the man. He was a dupe, but a loyal dupe, and only doing his duty after all.

He wraps cloth around his hands, to prevent electrical current passing through him, and attempts to deactivate the implant with his own electro graft...

It was unlikely to work, but, thankfully, at least, his electro graft didn't have a 'Kill Lorenzo' function.

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Tech Use (1d100)[68]

[Tome]

The tech priest rushes forwards as the man collapses, combi-tool and mechadendrites going to work as he tries to disable the implant before it cooks the man alive. He will not allow good men to die by a traitor's hand, not if he can do anything to stop it. His augur array whirrs, attempting to isolate the signal controlling the implants, and his mechadendrites busy themselves on his own vox unit, tweaking it to emit a counter signal. He can save these men, he knows it, if only he can make the machine spirits hear his voice before it is too late.

"DO NOT LET THAT HERETEK ESCAPE!" Victris bellows his orders, not quite caring at the moment whether or not he actually has the authority to command the acolytes and troops. He has had quite enough of tech heretics - killing all these loyal men is the final insult to the name of the mechanicus, and he will not allow them to sully it's reputation further. "Capture him alive if possible, or at least with the body intact. I need to find out exactly what sort of heresy we're dealing with here" he adds over the vox.

Out of the corner of his eye, he notices an adept - one of Holt's acolytes no doubt - also attempting to disable one of the guardsman's implants. A certain report comes to mind, and he resolves to have a talk with that adept when this is over. If he insists on regularly dabbling in the ways of the machine spirits, he will learn how to do so properly. Before he overloads his electro-graft and frys his own nervous system, preferably.

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Tech Use 109 (Base 89 + Combi-Tool 10 + Utility Mechadendrite 10) VS (1d100)[15]

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Lilitas hears orders bellowed and obeys without hesitation.

Finally, the pointless babbling has stopped. Not even the following request for live capture can dull her enthusiasm as she storms after the heretek. The spasming guardsmen don't even register to her - she's meant for taking lives, not saving them, which makes that somebody else's problem.

"YOU HEARD HIM! AFTER THE HERETEK!".

[DrK]

Lorenzo sprints forward kneeling by the twitching and choking officer. Blood leeching from his eyes, ears and mouth as the kill chip sets his body on a date with death. Lornezo's electro graft registering the shock and neural damage but no obvious way to prevent it.

His worries are interrupted by a chatter of harsh binary as the snake like limbs of Victris lift the officer and tear the kill chip out while sending a large charge through his his body to reset his arresetd heart. The mechandrites crushing the kill chip into tiny shards and a faint groan and rise of the chest a hint of life still within the Brontian Officer.

Even as that drama plays out and the rest of the guardsmen drop and scream and writhe in the death throes Praetus and Lilitias race after the heretek's heavy footfalls. As they round the corner they can see the metallic creature some 40m away - a large sealed lift door in fornt of him as he the runs flicker suggesting the lift is approaching... THe red robes firgure turns, glittering blue cybernetics in a masked face with beweaponed mechandrites and an intergreated gun of some kind fused with his arm complete the magos as he prepares to fire...

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40m away - you had to run 30m to get to the corner and he was a little back so the speeds are ~ the same.

Initiative (1d10+6)[16].... take down the magos if you dare!

[Starbin]

Lor blinked at the sudden death of the Brontian's a momentary pang of guilt at how quickly they had killed the men earlier. But he quickly shoved that to the side, rationalizing that if they had been purer, this wouldn't be an issue. Hell, P had almost been turned - but that's what good mates were for.

The call to kill broke him out of his reverie, and while the others took off before him, he easily caught and passed the heavily encumbered ex-guardswoman, arbitor and adept. As they arounded the corner, he saw the figure that was their target, waiting for a lift.

Sliding to a halt, Lor braced himself up against the wall and took aim. With practiced ease, he held his breath, slowed depressed the trigger and waited for the boom.

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Initiative: (1d10+10)[18], Move: 5m
Okay, assuming Lor can catch up and fire, he will aim and fire ... at the lift controls! If he can't shoot the controls, then the weapon! If not the weapon, then ... the HEAD!

WS 42+Rng (10)+Aim(+10)+Acc(10)+Red-dot(10) - TN82: (1d100)[2]
Damage: (1d10+3)[5]=16I / Pen 5 / to controls or weapon or head.
Acc damage (if required): (2d10)[2][9](11)

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Gabriel watched impassively as the men fell screaming to the kill-switch from the traitorous magos. As the troops rushed forward, he, too, ran, pulling free his weapon as he approached the corner.

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Initiative: (1d10+4)[9], move 4m
Not sure when the good confessor will arrive, but he will either use the Hvy Flamer or Assault stubber. Depends on the situation.

[DrK]

Lor. Catlike is the first toskid to a halt at the corner, the first shot from his gun slamming into the transporter controls shattering them. Releasing a burst of enraged binary from the heretek.

Runs glitter up and down the heetek's arms as the weapon reaches full power and a blaze of indigo las lights burn and sear the air around Lor... The air crackling and shimmering around the vile heretek.

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Everyone can arrive aroud the corner "now" and take your actions.

Semi-auto with Lathe Lasrifle Shoot (1d100)[89] TN 76
Hit 1 Damage (1d10+5)[9] Or (1d10+5)[14] PEN 2
Hit 2 Damage (1d10+5)[13] Or (1d10+5)[7] PEN 2

Edit: Lor has such a charmed life

[Starbin]

Reaching the corner, Gabriel considered using his flamer, but apparently they needed this heretek alive. He reached back and pulled forth the stubber one of the minions had been carrying and took aim at the magos.

"For sins against the Emperor, your life is forfeit. Surrender quickly and at least your death will be quick."

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Normally, the confessor would give his enemy a chance to actually surrender, but Gabriel figures that he needs an exclamation point on his offer ... so he'll shoot. It usually improves the results for similar future offers Besides, what are the chances he accidentally kills this guy, right?

Attack (WS37+Rng(10)+Full-Auto(20) - TN 67): (1d100)[8]
Damage 1: (1d10+5)[6] = 6I, Pen 3, Leg
Damage 2: (1d10+5)[12] = 12I, Pen 3, Leg
Damage 3: (1d10+5)[10] = 10I, Pen 3, Body
Damage 4: (1d10+5)[8] = 8I, Pen 3, Arm
Damage 5: (1d10+5)[12] = 12I, Pen 3, Head
Damage 6: (1d10+5)[14] = 14I, Pen 3, Body
Dam 7: (1d10+5)[6] = 6I, Pen 3, Body
Dam 8: (1d10+5)[7] = 7I, Pen 3, Body
Dam 9: (1d10+5)[6] = 6I, Pen 3, Body
Dam 10: (1d10+5)[13] = 13I, Pen 3, Body
Dam 11: (1d10+5)[8] = 8I, Pen 3, Body
Dam 12: (1d10+5)[12] = 12I, Pen 3, Body

Well ... damn.

[Tome]

Lilitas skids to a halt right behind Lor, levelling her hellgun at the heretek. She grins as she notes the assassin cut off his escape. Guess that means I owe him a drink now, huh?

She doesn't waste time opening fire, her gun roaring in concert with the Confessor's. An intact body will do, so she sees no need to let the heretic live a moment longer.

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Full Auto
BS 66 VS (1d100)[76]

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Victris catches the unconscious, but now living, man with his mechadendrites. If he could, he would have saved them all. But even this, one life saved among all this death, gives him solace.

And rage, for those he could not help. He will not allow these hereteks to pervert the Omnissiah's blessings for senseless slaughter like this! "Medicae! See that this man lives" he calls, passing the officer to one of the accompanying enforcers.

"You, Adept Bianco. Come with me" he orders the remaining acolyte as he stalks off after the heretek, recalling the name from a report of minor tech-heresy that crossed his desk. With any luck the other acolytes will have finished apprehending the imposter behind this. If not... well, he'll see if he can't remember something about how to actually shoot his bolter.

[bluntpencil]

Bianco follows the Magos, even though he's pretty sure he's outwith the tech-priest's chain of command. No point arguing with the bolter-armed fellow that just ordered you around, anyway.