Sea of Stars - IC

[Haval]

'I take it this Adept Junius' wasn't the type to take to theft purely for the money? If he was we might be able to tell where he's going. There's supposed to be all sorts of places in the Expanse where you can pass on stolen property.'

[Destro_Yersul]

+++I will prepare the list. The description of all projects may take longer. There was much in progress here+++ The Magos stomped off into the shuttle, his voxcoder emitting periodic bursts of binary static. Ravia recognised this as the Mechanicus equivalent of muttering under one's breath.

"I don't think it would be just for the money," Venture said. "That may be part of it, of course, but Junius was a junior adept. Headstrong, eager for advancement. The money may have been secondary to the ideas. With the research we were doing passed off as his own, he'd be able to jumpstart a career."

---

The shuttle returned to the Sting with the Mechanicus contingent aboard. While it was on the way, the Magos returned with his list of personnel. It read more like a set of serial numbers than a roster, each of the Skitarii having a designation instead of a name. Surprisingly, Junius was the only adept missing; the other four were all Skitarii, presumably taken as personal bodyguards.

As they reached orbit, the Formative Divine hailed them. "You up for a spot of pirate hunting, Lord Captain?" Commander Tam asked over the vox link. If she was annoyed at the delay while Macharius and his team searched for the Mechanicus, she didn't show it. The prospect of taking out a few pirates was enough to put a spring in any officer's step, Macharius knew from his academy days. "The Navigator thinks he's identified warp wake from several small vessels leaving system together. We can follow them, find out where they're hiding. And then blast them all to hell," she added, with undisguised glee.

[Haval]

'Then if it's about the science I'd like to know where Adept Junius got his mercenaries and their ship from. It's not as if those things grow on trees. Are they someone he has to pay off or does he have allies who also had an interest in everything he stole?' Heresy was all very well, but Anika could hardly support murdering raiders who attacked those who were doing scientific research.

[rax]

"If we can prevent Commander Tam from blasting them all to the great beyond, we might be able to ask them ourselves. Seems likely enough that the ships her Navigator's tracking are our raiders, wouldn't you say, yer ladyship?"

[PotatoGolem]

Macharius takes to the vox. Splendid, splendid! Let us be off then. Your large ships can warp in first and draw their attention. We'll follow and hit them from behind, try to cripple their ships. The Sting shall launch a boarding action of their flagship as soon as we're able. By the Emperor's will, we should be able to take some of their commanders alive to discover what's behind this attack on the Mechanicus.

[Destro_Yersul]

The ships jumped to warp together, with the Swords taking point. The system they jumped into was almost completely empty, just a single small star, red and cold, and a large debris field orbiting it in a lazy circle. One of the large asteroids, though, was occupied. A space station had been built up in and around it, steel girders and hab blocks sprouting from its surface like angular parasites. Two small raiders were docked there, ships of no particular design or pattern. Another was stationed near where they exited, escorting a battle-scarred Turbulent heavy frigate. The Navy fired their engines immediately, powering in towards the patrol ships and opening fire as they went. Most of the shots went wide, the two patrol ships scrambling to turn and meet this new threat. Fire from the raider lanced across the void, impacting across the prow of one of the Swords and striking sparks from its armour. The return fire was vicious, sunsear lasers slamming into the raider. Its armour held, but one of the shots connected with its augur towers, shattering sensor masts and sending shards of delicate equipment spinning into the void. The raider sped off, firing blindly back at the Sword that had wounded it, but all of the shots went wide.

Macharius had a good opening, sweeping in behind the Navy. In the distance, he could see the two raiders attached to the station breaking off, disconnecting gangways and fuel tubes, cables and umbilicals retracting into the station's core. Their engines ignited, and the raiders sped forwards to join the battle...

[Kaptin Keen]

Felidae will scramble without any further deliberation, relying on vox to coordinate: Yo Macharius - do we board their flag, or the station, or both?

Spoiler: OOC

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Do we roll initiative individually? Meh, here goes: (1d10+4)[14]

[rax]

"Sir! Recommend we leave the Navy to deal with the frigate and focus fire to take down the wounded raider before their friends get here. And we need to shield the Talon - she's still damaged from when we took her," Hannabel rattles off her advice.

"Etherics! Can I get a scan on the lead raider decoupling from the station - I want to know what's coming our way. And someone get me a target lock on our prey! Magos Ravia, anything you can do to get the machine spirits on side would be much appreciated!"

OOC
Hannabel is suggesting the following:
A PC with the Scrutiny skill should attempt the Focused Augury Extended Action on the first raider to leave the station. Alternately, default to NPC crew.
A PC with the Scrutiny skill should attempt the Lock on Target Extended Action on the blinded raider. Alternately, default to NPC crew.
Ravia should attempt the Aid the Machine Spirit Extended Action to boost the Sting's Detection bonus. Naturally, this should be done before attempting either of the two preceding Actions.

Hannabel will then fire at the blinded raider. I'll roll in the OOC thread once the above Actions are complete or it's clear that no one is going to attempt them.

[Haval]

Anika is at her accustomed place by the augury station. 'What are the chances we can manage this while leaving someone alive to question? I suppose there's always the chance they'll surrender if they start losing.' At Hannabel's suggestion she'll adjust the augury to focus on one of the raiders.

Spoiler: ooc

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I'll try Focus Augury after Leon's on.

See ooc

[Leon]

++Blessed Machine, we beseech your aid++

Spoiler

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Aid the Machine Spirit Tech Use Test TN 83 (d100)[57]

I think that's 2 DoS for a total of +15

++Yes, the Talon need to be protected. the laboratory and other elements are important++
++That Turbulent would be a nice prize++

[PotatoGolem]

The blind raider's not much of a threat, Hannabel- the Navy can certainly handle one weakened foe. The two Navy ships can hold their own for a moment while we deal with this impetuous fellow.

Sting, Talon, focus fire on the raider headed our way. Now that Anika has a lock, try to hit power or shields, cripple their ability to fight back. Once they're weak, we can board them.

Gunners! Put your backs into it! The Emperor smiles on us as we strike down these heretics!

Spoiler: OOC

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Put Your Backs Into It!, targeting whoever's shooting. Also using Inspiring Leader on them.

(1d100)[95] vs 112

EDIT: not enough to affect two components, but the lead gunner gets +15 BS.

[Destro_Yersul]

With a start, Anika realised that she recognised this place, from a description she'd heard once on an information gathering mission. She'd been on Footfall, and had overheard some of the locals talking about Captain Misson's attempts to start a free colony outside of Imperial space. Nobody knew where he'd put it, but they knew about his outposts. These were scattered across the expanse, each a lonely asteroid station in an otherwise uninhabited system. She'd heard other things, whispers than each of the outposts held a piece of the chart to reach Misson's colony, that each was defended by a small fleet of brigands and privateers, answering only to themselves... and to anyone bold enough to seek their services. Of all the wealth paid to these pirates, some was siphoned off to their distant leader, to swell the coffers of his hidden palace.

A thundering boom shook the Doctor back to reality, the deck shaking beneath her as the Manticore's Sting sailed through a withering hail of fire. She registered hits on the Talon, but their own ship was miraculously untouched. With Hannabel manning the guns, and Macharius' admonitions to the crew, their own return fire was perfectly on target, slamming into the smaller ship facing them. The first salvo of missiles collapsed their shields, the second and third chewing through armour in a series of explosions. Pinpoint-accurate laser fire raked the stern, igniting oxygen and slagging equipment. When the shooting stopped, the ship was just as blind as its companion.

The Raider that had been shot by the Navy peeled away from the fighting, engines burning hot as it accelerated towards the edge of the system. It was followed by the one the Sting had just crippled. For a moment, it looked like this second ship would escape easily, but then fire bloomed from its side and the light of the engines dimmed. Explosions rocked the vessel, its drives blown from being pushed too hard. Their element of surprise was long gone, and this fight was about to turn into a slugfest, but the effective loss of two opponents had tilted the odds in their favour.

Not that the fight was out of the enemy yet. The two Navy frigates flanked the Turbulent, firing hundreds of shots into each side of the sturdy old ship. Void shields flickered and died, the Navy's guns hammering the pirate flagship, but the Turbulent class had a reputation for toughness and luck for a reason; it weathered the storm, its armour scored and pitted, but unbreached, and opened up in return. High density penetrator shells hammered the Divine's shields, smashing through its armour and opening the hull to void. They were followed moments later by warheads that detonated into blossoms of fire across the hull, inflicting significant damage to the Navy ship. The band of raiders whipped past them, banking sharply to come back around for another pass. In front was open void, and a clear path to the station, but behind were many enemies, and both the Divine and the Talon having taken hits with little given in return.

[Haval]

With the battle largely happening outside of Anika's control, she has time to think. 'I thought those star patterns looked familiar. They're supposed to be working for some Captain somewhere out here who lives off their piracy. They don't seem like the type to be eager to fight to the death.' She'll adjust the augur to plot a firing solution on the undamaged raider. 'Although I'd imagine they'll need to be convinced of that first.'

'I assume you'll want to shoot that one at some point?'

Spoiler: ooc

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Going to try Lock on Target on the undamaged raider without a Tech-Use bonus
vs. Per 43 (+20 Sting's Detection)
(1d100)[12]

[rax]

"I reckon we do, yer ladyship. I don't want to be burning for the station with that dirty bugger out there sniffing my behind. At this range, even a Throne-forsaken pirate can hit our sweet spot with a battery of Sunsears," Hannabel replies grimly.

"Lord Commander! I suggest we turn as soon as possible to bring our dorsal turrets to bear! Magos, we're going to be torturing our thrusters something fierce when we turn. Any help the machine spirits can offer... well, tell 'em I'll rub 'em down personally with blessed oils if it helps. Gunners! If you miss on this pass, you'll be doing marksmanship drills for a month straight, mark my words!" She glances over at Macharius, waiting for him to approve her orders.

OOC
Hannabel is suggesting the following:
Ravia should attempt the Aid the Machine Spirit Extended Action to boost the Sting's Manoeuvrability.
NPC crew execute the Adjust Bearing Action. This will cut down the distance we must move before making our 90 degree turn. This is a Challenging (+0) manoeuvre, but the crew only has 30 skill, so we need every bonus we can get on the roll.

Whether or not Adjust Bearing is successful, Hannabel will fire the Sunsears at the undamaged raider once we've turned. Since the lasers are in the dorsal mount, they can target all firing arcs except Aft, which I assume will enable the Sting to shoot at the raider. I'll roll for shooting in the OOC thread.

[PotatoGolem]

A wise suggestion. Helmsman! Bring the ship around. Gunners! Fire on that raider! Talon, focus all your firepower on that raider. Bring it down, in the name of the Emperor!

OOC

Inspiring Leader on the maneuver,

[roll[1d100[/roll] vs 112 for Put You Backs Into It!

[Destro_Yersul]

Anika plotted a firing solution, and Hannabel gave the order. The Sting's gunners were still working frantically to reload the missile tubes, but the lasers were ready, lancing out and striking the raider. Volley after volley hammered its shields, until they overloaded and collapsed. Anika registered a light hit across the raider's stern, but the collapsed shields did not come back on; they must have hit something important. The other two raiders kept running, the one with the damaged engines limping along, while the Navy frigates bored on past the Turbulent and came around, firing as they went. The movement must have thrown off their aim, though, because nothing connected.

Across the void, massive gunports were cranked open, the barrels of multiple macrocannon batteries appearing across the flank of the space station. Seconds later they belched fire, a hail of shells streaking through empty space. It was long range, but their aim was good; multiple impacts shook the Manticore's Sting, joined moments later by fire from the shieldless raider. The bridge rumbled, the crew feeling every hit in their teeth, but when the shields snapped back on Anika's screens showed no damage; their armour had held, but it was a reminder that the battle was far from over. The Turbulent banked sharply, spitting shells towards the Navy and scoring a few glancing hits, and ended its turn with its prow facing back towards the station.

[Kaptin Keen]

Can I board these bastards already?

Spoiler: OOC

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The rules don't say much about boarding - outside of ramming and boarding, which I figure we're not interested in. At least that's what I was able to find. But right now I'm just sitting around, and combat is supposed to be the one thing Felidae excells at.

[rax]

"Of course you can, sweetie! Just run along to the hangar, grab a shuttle and off you go! You can fly a shuttle, right? Because in case you hadn't noticed, we're in the middle of a firefight, and I'm not laying the Sting alongside any of these unfriendlies while some of them are still shooting. Priorities, sweetie - I'm sure you understand," Hannabel replies with a thin smile.

Spoiler: OOC @Kaptain Keen

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We're within 5 VU of at least one target, so we could use the Hit and Run action, but it requires a successful Pilot (Space Craft) to make it aboard, modified by the enemy vessel's Turret Rating. So unless Felidae is a skilled pilot, this has about a 20 percent chance of success. And then you still have to win an opposed Command test to do any damage.

[PotatoGolem]

Macharius stifles a laugh at Hannabel's retort. Patience, Felidae. Once we destroy this raider we'll be boarding the Turbulent. I want their captain alive. And after that, we'll be boarding the station. Don't worry, you'll see plenty of action. With that said, let's finish off this nuisance.

Hannabel, if you would be so kind, destroy this obstreperous gnat. Gunners, fire on the raider. Talon, concentrate fire as well.

Spoiler: OOC

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Inspiring Leader of Hannabel to shoot down the raider. PYBIT (1d100)[21] vs 112.

EDIT: Finally, a good roll! That's enough to give all gun systems of both ships +5 BS, I believe.

[Kaptin Keen]

I could just quickly capture the raider while you whittle down the others? Mutters Felidae - some would say petulantly.

[rax]

"Will do, sir. Helm, bring her around ninety degrees, I want to bring all guns to bear. Yer ladyship, can you get us a fresh target lock? Magos Ravia, will the machine spirits help?"

OOC
Hannabel is suggesting the following:
Ravia attempts Aid the Machine Spirit to boost the Sting's Detection bonus.
Anika then attempts Lock on Target.
We move 5 VU then turn 90 degrees to face the raider.

Hannabel fires all guns at the raider with the damaged shields. I'll roll for shooting in the OOC thread once I know what the bonuses from Lock on Target are.

[Haval]

'I'll do what I can.'

Spoiler: ooc

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Lock on Target
vs. Per 43 (+20 Detection bonus)
(1d100)[5]

These rolls mean I'm going to fail at something important

[Leon]

++The spirit is becoming unruly++ ++Pacification sanctions under way to appease and sooth its rage++

[Destro_Yersul]

With the missiles fully reloaded, the Sting's next salvo was devastating. Without shields to protect it, the pirate raider was a sitting duck for the Absalom guns. Hannabel raked it with lasers, directing missiles into hull breaches even as the lasers opened them. Fire blossomed, the oxygen aboard the doomed ship igniting. It was a perfectly coordinated ballet of destruction, the raider finally blowing apart, a massive explosion splitting the hull in half. The Sting threaded the debris, turning her attention to the Turbulent. The Talon joined in, firing a few opening salvoes that did little more than scratch the paint.

The pirate flagship was facing away from them now, and bearing down on the Sword fighting it. The Formative Divine had turned away, focusing attention on the station now that it was revealed to be armed. Her lasers scored a few good hits, the fire from the pirate base punching a few new holes in return. A lance battery mounted atop the station swivelled into view, a pulse of energy stabbing past the Divine. The vox on the Sting's bridge crackled, Commander Tam's voice exultant.

"Nice shooting, Captain! We'll have this wrapped up in no time."

She spoke too soon. The Turbulent had closed with its quarry at last, the guns opening up almost point blank. Massive penetrator shells hammered the Sword, the void shields collapsing. Fire belched from its gunports, lights flickering as the pirates vented their rage on its hull. Chunks of armour melted to slag, breaking off and pinwheeling away, gun barrels the size of tanks twisting and buckling under the onslaught. It was a miracle the ship didn't break apart, a testament to the durability of Imperial engineering. Badly injured, the ship limped forwards, the Turbulent turning to finish it off...

[rax]

"Ouch!" Hannabel observes as the pirate flagship punishes the frigate. "Commander Tam is reckless, sir. Taking the pressure off the enemy like that before the job's done? Lots of good men just died for no reason," she mutters disapprovingly. "The pirates are using some sort of high density penetrators - they're tearing through the Navy boys like a pox through the underdecks, and our armour is wet paper compared to what's on a Sword. I recommend caution - let's get a proper scan of the Turbulent, stay on their six as long as possible, and maintain our distance. Unless they're packing something really exotic, it's a good bet our Sunsears outrange their guns."

OOC
Hannabel is suggesting the following:
Anika attempts Focused Augury (Ravia has already succeeded at Aid the Machine Spirit for +5 to Detection)

*Assuming I've correctly understood our position relative to the Turbulent, we move 5 VU then turn 90 degrees to face the raider. That puts us 9 VU from the pirates, which happens to be max range before penalties for the lasers.*

Macharius adds his bonuses where he thinks it'll do the most good.

Hannabel fires the lasers at the Turbulent after everyone else has resolved their actions.

[Haval]

'This is what comes from fighting fairly. Maybe we can distract them at least.'

Anika will concentrate on adjusting the augury to take a look at the Turbulent and will prepare herself for more return fire.

[PotatoGolem]

Vulcan's breath! Macharius swore at the destruction, almost jumping out of his throne before catching himself and leaning back.

Terribly sorry about that, what. Lost my temper a bit. Helmsman, start bringing the ship around to board. Gunners, rake them with fire first. Let's soften them up. Talon, coordinate fire.

Spoiler: OOC

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Inspiring Leader on the guns. PYBIT: (1d100)[100] vs 112. Edit: +5 to one gun system.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Frak Damn it, you Pirate Bastards! Get out of here, Retaliator. Absalom will help us handle the rest." Commander Tam must have left the channel open. A moment later, she addressed the crew of the Sting. "Captain Absalom. Keep the pressure on their Frigate. We'll keep the Station busy as much as possible."

Responding to orders, the Retaliator sped away from the fight. Fire from the Turbulent chased it until it was just on the edge of range, but fortunately inflicted no serious damage. The frigate would need to spend months in a repair dock to deal with what it had sustained already. The pirates didn't seem interested in giving chase right now, though. The Turbulent kept heading for the station, likely looking to double-team the Divine next. Macharius' ships followed, staying behind her to keep out of the sights on her guns. Talon finally managed to score a few hits, but the Turbulent's heavy armour held. Hannabel did better, punching through in a few places and inflicting light hull damage.

The Turbulent did, however, draw further away from them than expected. They'd need to push the engines a little if they wanted to catch up.

[rax]

"Sir, it looks like we might have damaged their life support, but other than that, we didn't do much more than scratch her paint job. I know you want to end this as quickly as possible, but they're still fighting even though we've killed or driven off all their support ships. I reckon they won't go down easy even if we board them. The missile tubes are reloaded now - I'd like to take another crack at 'em before we go in with cutlasses swinging."

OOC
Hannabel is suggesting the following:
NPC Crew attempts Adjust Speed to move 3 VU from the Turbulent.
Everyone picks an Extended Action to aid either Manoeuvrability or shooting.

Hannabel fires all guns at the Turbulent.

[Haval]

'Maybe they'll see sense and surrender.'

Spoiler: ooc

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Lock on Target vs. Per 43 (+20 Detection)
(1d100)[29]