Black Crusade: Heralds of Damnation [IC]

[Brox]

There is no need to shout down the good Lieutenant, Brother. He defends Arkadus. I am certain he is doing the best he can considering the circumstances.

"I see your "sentimentality" is boundless, so by way of an explanation I'll offer this lesson. In the game of Domination there are two keys. The first is the "Kiss". It is the mother's caress, the embrace of a lover, the salute of a subordinate and the praise of a superior. It raises the spirit and lightens the mood.

The second is the Lash. It is the sharp rebuke, the slash of a knife, the sword that pierces the heart.

Each key unlocks a layer of the heart to the discerning eye. Too much of the Kiss and subordinate considers him or herself a co-equal in power. Eventually the subordinate will have designs of ambition and you will find your own power diminished. Especially here.

Too much of the Lash and your subordinate will grow to hate you and plot your demise.

But if you dole out both, in the right mixture, then your pawn will strive ever to make you happy, and you will find yourself with a willing and pliable servant.

The successful Dominator will ever be watchful for cues that tip the hand of the subordinate to what motivates. When you Lash, you must offer the means of succor that ameliorates the pain. When you Kiss, you must deal the small hurt to cause your pawn to come back and strive to be more attentive.

Be watchful for these lessons Legionnaire, they play out openly every day...

Argus turns from the Legionnaire and takes a seat, kicking his feet up on the edge of the holo-table. He will not remove his helmet, but when he takes off his gloves, you see his hands are slim and delicate, with long painted nails. The skin is preternaturally smooth, a pale shade of mauve, and seems to blur occasionally. He draws out a dataslate and picks at it indifferently, occasionally looking around the room at the rest of the assembled.

[Col.Straken]

Mordechai rolled his blind eyes at the arguments rocking back and forth, though none could see his body language was quite obvious. "Using a shuttle would be the smartest move, but as far as I am aware, we would still need a valid Ident code else they will just shoot the shuttle down."

[Elurindel]

Slathissin bristles, having taken umbrage with the insult leveled at him. "I am VIII Legion! You question my ability to become one with the dark that raised me?" he turns his jet-black eyes on Mordechai. "We would not be making an legitimate entry. We would fire off from the ship we are in, power down and wait for momentum to carry our un-powered shuttle into the station's hull. Before it impacts, we jump out and clamber on the hull until we find a valid entry point. Failing that, we cut one out."

[Emperor Ing]

I have no reason to doubt your ability. Sevanix replies, as calm as ever to the Night Lord, even if his arrogance chafes his psyche. I simply question your method of insertion. A boarding torpedo would attract far more attention than either of us would like. Certainly more than enough to raise alarm.

Indeed I suspect your talents will prove invaluable very quickly.

Be watchful for these lessons Legionnaire, they play out openly every day...

Such is the reason for my sentimentality. Force is not virtue.

[BananaPhone]

Amara

"These codes you speak of - I stray from certainty to guess that they are a form of Imperial identification transmissions, yes?" the Eldar spoke to Mordachei. Human technology and astro-procedures were areas in which she lacked a great deal of knowledge.

"Could a forgery be created in their absence? Or are there cases in which Indent codes are not an immediate priority, say for derelict shuttles?"

[Brox]

Such is the reason for my sentimentality. Force is not virtue.

"Ah but force is a means to power, and power is the goal of all here. It's purpose may be ascendancy, rulership, or simply a means unto itself. Honestly, the "why" matters little when the "how" is much more exhilarating and visceral. Learn this now lest you discover later...you are either a tool, to the one who wields the tool. Which are you Astartes? Consider it a rhetorical execise"

to the rest:

"I find myself favoring the xenos idea..."

after a pause, Argus tilts his head slightly to the left and says:

"You all realize...I have no idea who you are at all, nor why you are here? My manners have left me...You may call me Argus Voct, Sensate Disciple of the Dark Prince, and Confessor Second Class of the Voice of Pain. I am a psyker, and Seeker of Experience; and I am pleased to make your acquaintance"

[Emperor Ing]

Of course! The Terminator-Sorcerer replies, slightly embarassed by his own lack of etiquette. I am Sevanix, Sorcerer of the Thousand Sons. Not the Black Legion. He looks down at his Black Legion terminator armor. He really should make finding some gold and blue paint, as well as some tools to bolt on icons to Tzeentch onto the armor and remove those Chaos Undivided stars, an objective on this mission. Certainly it would be awkward if he ever ran into any actual Black Legion members. By the will of Tzeentch I seek liberation for all who call men, not the Gods, their Master.

[Elurindel]

Slathissin shakes his head. These people were testing his patience.
"We would cut engines and all power systems once we were en route to the station. We would appear on their sensors as little more than a piece of space debris. Before they realise what's happening we'll be aboard. We are, after all, Space Marines. We would be unworthy of the name if we were not capable of such an insertion." he explains. "As for introductions, I am Slathissin, from the Nostramo and of the Night Lords Legion, such as it was."

[BananaPhone]

Amara

"My pseudonym is Amara. That is all the designation I require, for now."

[ArcturusV]

Talan Micon and his Boyz

No one had really addressed him, or even considered his ideas for the most part. No one was paying attention to him as they chattered on, going about plans that were becoming overly complex and quite silly to be honest. Crashing a ship on board the station in order to take over the bridge so that they could get Ident Codes to sneak a shuttle onto the station? That seemed to be where the line of thinking was going. Talan's wings stretched out in a slight gesture of annoyance. His ego was bruised by the behavior, and he could feel Helki and Silias worming up to him, already preparing to whisper their encouragement and praises to him, to help soothe his wounds as they tended to do, both physical and spiritual. He cut them off however with a short gesture.

All in all, the man and his "boyz" were an odd looking crew. Five "men", depending on how you counted "men". Talan himself, decked out in black powered armor, similar to the Sorcerous Fatboy, but lacking the icons of devotion and the copious amount of Chaos Spoors. His armor sprouted wings from his back, armored pinions spread behind him. "Lord Talan Micon... as the bulky one said, don't let the color fool ya. I ain't with that armless loser and his boys. Got my own empire I'm carvin' out with a bit more success than he's ever had."

Where others had powerful weapons, or wicked blades, he was decked out in "cruder" weapons, a wicked, belt fed heavy stubber for him which he carried in his hands with practiced ease. At his belt a true work of art, a Las Pistol fit for a noble, and on the opposite hip, Talan's Chainsword, similarly well crafted by what could only have been a Master Heretek. Everything this man wore just screamed out that it was the best someone could find, from his well appointed black armor, customized for what seemed to be living wings, to the simple, brutal heavy stubber which had been adorned with the finest scroll work and forged in methods that proved it's craftsmanship as both weapon and art.

He nodded over to his Boyz, "Duke Talbot," he introduced what looked like a feral, mutated man, but one who wore flak armor of an Arbiter, and seemed to have a standard issue shock maul. He seemed a broken beast, keeping at Talan's heels like a loyal guard dog.

"Helki," he gestured to the female of the group, along with her unsettling, glowing eyes and the chill air coming off of her. She barely nodded at the group when she was introduced, closely holding her Autogun, one of a pair.

"Silias," he gestured to the other member of the pair, also decked out in the armor of an Arbiter, and with an Autogun that seemed to be an exact match of Helki's, customized work to be sure.

"... and Walker," he gestured to the large, portly Xenos with the thick skin, wearing cast off and heavily scavenged and 'tinkered' with Flak Armor.

All told, they looked like they belonged together, each of them was familiar with one another's company, keeping an eye out for Talan. Not that such meagerly equipped and armed forces would seem to stand a chance against something like a Renegade Psyker, but there was little chance that they would try.

"And if I may suggest, usually the simple solution works the best. We need Ident codes? Well... take 'em." He smiled, not that anyone could see it under the helmet, "Someone is going to have to go planetside to deal with the Astropaths. Shouldn't be too much of a bother for them to swing by the spaceport, find some lighter and steal their codes. Bonus if it's a lighter that is expected to take supplies to the station too. Things don't need to be a big hoopla... you keep **** simple, it gets done. That's what a good, successful pirate and criminal does. Save the complex and the brutish for when things start to go to ****..."

[Col.Straken]

Mordechai liked this Talan guy, he had a tactical mind while Mordechai didn't. But he knew what was a good idea and just plain crazy, he wanted to avoid a fight. He moved over towards Talan and his crew and extended a hand, "Mordechai, former Astropath of the Imperium, though that bag of bones on a rusty chair didn't appeal to me. I'm liking the sound of getting Ident Codes from a ship on the surface would be easy enough. Though if we do that we might as well just take the ship, I suggested the Ident's to get us onto the planet or station undetected." he shrugged "If we don't have any codes I could try and fake them, but seems like a shot in the dark really."

If they were going to split into taking the Station and the planet at the same time, Mordechai knew where he wanted to be. Behind Talan and his men.

[Elurindel]

"Your suggestion has some merit." Slathissin admitted to Talan. "However, it rests on attempting to find a single shuttle we know belongs to the space station on that world down there when we are on silent running, and then getting down to that world and stealing it, hoping the shuttle has enough room for us, and getting the correct clearance procedures from the shuttle's pilot. I am not saying my plan is more sound, just that they both carry their own set of risks."

[ArcturusV]

Talan shook his head slowly, "Nah, wasn't thinking of stealing the shuttle itself. Thing is? You steal information, no one knows until after you already used it. Not like they look in their cogitators and suddenly see something missing. You steal a shuttle? Anyone with two licks of brains knows it's missing, people make reports, might not get off the planet before they know what's what."

"I was thinkin' more like this," he said as he started to pace, an old habit from his arbiter briefings, "Someone, including one of you mind talking boys, goes planet side. Hitting a station with a blindly fired shuttle, crashing aboard and trying to sneak in? That was kinda out there. Making a quiet landing when you have an entire planet to work with? Hell pirates and smugglers do it all the time. We go hit up the spaceport, don't need one particular shuttle, just something with legit codes. Mind Talking boy sends you all a message with his voodoo... then you take off from here with your codes. I mean if it's a supply shuttle, hey, bonus. But long as it's one known to work in system? Should be fine."

"Then the Mind Talker and his buddies go off to cave in some Astropath skulls, nice and simple."

[Elurindel]

The Night Lord stroked his chin. "Perhaps. The only issue I see is that it will be easier to detect a shuttle making planetfall. Unless you're pplaning to jump out after you've burned through the atmosphere with grav-chutes and the like."

[Brox]

>Clap Clap Clap<

"I do so like a bit of intrigue! Talan I believe I like your idea best of all! Of course, we'll need a pilot to fly the lighter. Could we lure out a recovery lighter out away from the port? Maybe with a distress call? Perhaps take a lighter from our docks, take it out and shut down all but life support. Make a distress call, then take a free ride? Once there our best assassins hunt the astropath, while the rest head to the orbital substation"

Perhaps scouring the vox transmissions from our recent foray with the Dreams of Agony will reveal a small enough Imperial craft that we could use their codes as our own...

[BananaPhone]

Amara


"Do as you will to retrieve whatever means necessary to board the station and neutralise its threat of alerting the greater Imperial fleet to our presence." Amara chimed in, her melodic voice a refreshment from the guttural sound of marines and humans.

"But, though my understanding of human procedure is shamefully thin, would not landing on the planet require passing by the very station that we seek to cripple? A small shuttle emerging on its own from space and trying to land on the planet would surely be scanned for identification at most, and be a target for suspicion at best?"

What she wouldn't give to have access to Webway technology right now...

[Col.Straken]

Mordechai nods as he listens, "Makes sense, can't report what you don't know is missing. I'd rather go ground side than storming a Station, can't say my skills lie in tactics and killing." taking back his hand hoping no-one noticed that it had been ignored Mordechai shrugs and stays stood near Talan.

[ArcturusV]

Talan shrugged at Amara, "We're a lazy lot, particularly when it comes to things like that. A system with a thriving colony, and a station probably has a lot of orbital traffic. Lighters are small enough that it'd probably take a directed Augur scan to spot it in the void, which they have no reason to make. Odds are there's a lot of traffic in the system as is, people going about prospecting moons and asteroid clusters, traffic to and from the defense station, other craft that may be in orbit like Charterist Captains and Free Traders. If this system is important enough to warrant a full defense station... it's got enough traffic they ain't gonna mess about with checking out every little shuttle going to and fro. Oh, big feth off warship or potential raider, yeah..."

He smiled, unseen again and let out a little snort of a laugh, "Trust in laziness and boredom, it's more inevitable than death, bet you right now there's some guy sitting at the Augur Array, bored out of his mind, not paying attention, probably chattering away with a fellow ensign or planning out his next leave, barely paying attention to his routine job that has been exactly the same for countless cycles."

[Rising Chaos]

Sevanix
Searching through your memories you attempt to determine the length and average makeup of an Imperial ident signal. After a minute or two of thinking you are able to piece together a fairly impressive looking twenty-five digit sequence that looks similar to ident codes you've seen in the past. You're fairly certain that the sequence will appear Imperial in nature, but you're not too sure about what class and/or make the ship would be considered.

As you sit around the chamber talking the vox crackles and Akardus's voice comes through the other end.
"My lords, the first batch of probes have transmitted information back to us. It appears that the planet's colony is slightly larger than standard Imperial size, the scans have reported multiple high profile buildings that we believe would be a barracks, armoury, spaceport, and astopathica building. We're adding the maps and picts to your holoprojector now. We have also detected what looks to be an administratum building and ecclisiarchy temple. The colony is protected by a standard 30ft ferrocrete wall and has mounted hydra batteries every dozen meters or so.
We've also detected multiple pockets of human settlements across the planet's surface, mostly located near water sources, though there is one large gathering in the northern hemisphere with no discernable water source. Picts come in blurry but these settlements seem to be using a much lower standard of technology.
Finally according to our auspex in approximatly an hour the atmosphere of this gas giant will undergo a massive series of electromagnetic storms. This will generate a significant energy release that should mask your presence nicely should you decide to launch your assault then. We currently have a six desecrated Aquilla Landers ready for your use, or should you wish a more stealthy approach we have three Arvus Lighters that are in fairly good condition, though the aquilla's and signs of Corpse God worship have been removed.
I'll leave you to assign your compacts and mission leaders, please vox me if you require anything further."

As he finishes speaking a servitor wheels into the room carrying a large tray of lightly scented sweet tea, small decanters of recaf and a plate of biscuits and preserved meats. Apparently Argus's demands were heeded.

[Emperor Ing]

Attempting to land during such a storm would be a dangerous, but entirely probable approach. In any event, I have imperial Ident Codes we could use. There is no guarantee that what I have thought up will match our vessel designation, but it should function for long enough for us to enter without arousing suspicion. Hopefully, by "desecrated" the Landers aren't covered in such icons to the True Gods that any Imperial citizen with even the slightest modicum of faith in the Corpse Tyrant would immediately recognize it as "heretical." Sevanix honestly would not mind at all if it were a pristine Aquila lander fit for an Ecclesiarchial Arch-Cardinal.

Then there was the conondrum of the aquafers. Obvious strategic vulnerabilities. Were Sevanix a Nurglite he might contaminate the water, or were he Slanneshi he might fill it with hallucinogens, yet he in good faith cannot justify seizing control of it without being prepared to cut off its supply.

[BananaPhone]

Amara


"Are you able to test your codes to ascertain what type of vessel they would correspond to?" the Eldar asked.

"Because from the reconnaissance we have just been given, any attempt at secretive penetration must remain that way: I doubt one shuttle would be able to rescind itself back into orbit with those defensive measures arrayed against it."

[Emperor Ing]

Thank you, sir. Sevanix says to the servitor. Although he knows it's pointless to offer servitors courtesy, it is a habit he developed from his efforts to improve his own etiquette. He gingerly lifts a plate of meat on hands of invisible force up to him as he removed his gold and blue helmet. Underneath were the rather soft features of a surprisingly ordinary looking man, violet eyes shone with benevolence (and some sorcerous power.) The only thing that really seemed to mark him as different is the rather pronounced canines jutting from his upper jaw that evoke the image of the vampyr of pre-Terran myth.

Insertion is our primary concern. Our extraction will depend on our success groundside, certainly. It would not hurt to set up a contigency by readying to sabotage the Hydra batteries on-command should our plans fail. Nontheless, I am curious as well regarding how my code might be received. He opens a vox channel to the bridge. Hello Officer Akardus. I was wondering if I could test an Imperial Ident Code I have against the databanks of the Voice of Pain, if such a function is present on the ship. When Akardus confirms this is possible, Sevanix relays his code to the officer.

Spoiler

Show

I'm having flashbacks to a previous game where Sevanix did the exact same thing and rolled a 100

Mind over Matter test target 91 to do as described, fettered.
(1d100)[16]

[Brox]

Argus will fill a plate with biscuits and meat, and a glass with tea, and another cup of recaf, but I'll leave it alone.

"I think we can mobilize the large contingent to the north to rise up and seize encampments that hold the water. This can serve as a distraction for us to get inside. Maybe draw out some of the Imperial forces from the spaceport. From there we slip into the 'port, restock at the armoury and seize the Astropaths. There will be no call for reinforcements to oppose a simple uprising..."

[ArcturusV]

Talan waved off the servitor, not hungry at the moment, though Walker and Duke Talbot both grabbed up a little morsel to wolf down, in the case of Talbot, or slowly peck and chew at in the case of Walker.

"Two things," Talan chimed in, "One, you're presuming that these Feral Humans will be receptive to your leadership and willing to go to war on no more than a say so on your part, which I kinda doubt, you don't strike me as some great leader that Feral Men flock to on sight. I don't think we got time for anything longer than that, we got to get this mission done before some random ship comes by for Resupply and spots a strange vessel on the way in. Two, even if you staged an uprising what would that accomplish? Yeah it might draw some PDF troopers away from the main city, if they even care which they might not, but it also puts them on Alert because something unusual is happening. Rather than have an enemy napping we have an enemy suspicious and on guard."

"Rather keep this as quiet as possible until it's too damned late for anyone to do anything about it."

He then turned to the blinded Psyker, "... also I'll need a moment of your time later for a personal matter, make sure you have a block of it cleared out before we leave for this little raid."

[Brox]

Talan waved off the servitor, not hungry at the moment, though Walker and Duke Talbot both grabbed up a little morsel to wolf down, in the case of Talbot, or slowly peck and chew at in the case of Walker.

"Two things," Talan chimed in, "One, you're presuming that these Feral Humans will be receptive to your leadership and willing to go to war on no more than a say so on your part, which I kinda doubt, you don't strike me as some great leader that Feral Men flock to on sight. I don't think we got time for anything longer than that, we got to get this mission done before some random ship comes by for Resupply and spots a strange vessel on the way in. Two, even if you staged an uprising what would that accomplish? Yeah it might draw some PDF troopers away from the main city, if they even care which they might not, but it also puts them on Alert because something unusual is happening. Rather than have an enemy napping we have an enemy suspicious and on guard."

"Rather keep this as quiet as possible until it's too damned late for anyone to do anything about it."

He then turned to the blinded Psyker, "... also I'll need a moment of your time later for a personal matter, make sure you have a block of it cleared out before we leave for this little raid."

Hahaha, my dear boy...I wasn't volunteering, I was providing additional suggestions. Puerile insults aside... I would put forth the idea that YOU recruit them.

[Emperor Ing]

One cannot guarantee your uprising will not attract too much attention. He gives his own reply to Argus. Nevertheless, such a distraction may be worth keeping in mind if you cannot infiltrate through other means. I trust you enough to use your best judgment.

I put forward that we will need to make an attack on the Administratum centers in a coordinated attack. We should seek to remain in communication and strike at once for this means. Regretfully, my own astrotelepathy abilities are wanting, so we should seek other means, unless Mordechai can read my mind with his astrotelepathy so as to permit a reply to his broadcast.

[Col.Straken]

Mordechai felt like he may have been making himself a little too much the centre of attention. He shrugged, "I'm not sure what good I could be, but sure we can talk before we set off."

Looking to Sevanix, "Reading minds wasn't something I ever really managed, reading the strands of my own fate I can do. Receive and decode an Astrpathic message I can do, send my own encoded message I can do. Since I had these damned sigils branded into my skin my abilities have been stifled."

[Emperor Ing]

Sevanix shakes his head in sympathy. What the Corpse Tyrant's slaves do to those whose only crime was to be born with extraordinary and wondrous talent is repulsive. Very well, we should seek to obtain a vox-caster for both our groups before we leave.

[Col.Straken]

Mordechai smiles, remembering the image which burnt the sight from his eyes. "The corpse is no tyrant, it is just corroding bones in tarnished armour, placed precariously atop a once golden throne which has fallen into disrepair. The tyrants are the ones the pretend he is a god, if he was, why would he need that rotting body?"

[Emperor Ing]

Sevanix nods A fair point, however he was not always a rotting corpse. One should direct the question of the dear Emperor's tyranny to the prinarch Lorgar, whose homeworld was obliterated because of a difference of opinion between the two, whether or not the still-living Emperor was a tyrant. Indeed, those who commit atrocities in the name of the Corpse Tyrant are tyrants themselves, but I cannot, in good faith, disregard the crimes of the Emperor as well.