EVENT - The Schism of Mars

[Talonair]

Excellent

[Talonair]

Part two of the Death of Innocence on the Glory of Summer

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+++Directive: Activate Unit Mu-22... Unit Mu-22 Activating+++ Air once again filled Mu-22's augmetic lungs as it was brought out of stasis. Diagnostics scrolled in Mu-22's vision as its companions were slowly rousing. Carefully emerging from the hidden and shielded compartment amongst the cargo transported to the Glory of Summer it had made its hiding place, Mu-22 spent a moment to study its surroundings. A massive cargo deck, the vast space easily wide and tall enough to fit a warship, and many times longer, few personnel were active here thanks to the on-going battle with the Scrapcode infection unleashed on the ship. Mu-22's sweep terminated, confirming Mu-21, the Alpha of this unit of Thanos, before watching another mech-assassin slip soundlessly from concealment, and Mu-22 felt a tremour of primal fear despite its heavily altered mind as the other assassin emerged fully. A tall, slender figure, moving in a sickeningly fluid manner, wielding a scythe larger than any Astartes; a Thanos Prime Assassin, Theta-04. The other Thanos Mech-Assassins silently assembled nearby, numbering five in total; the Prime made six. ++Operation: Begin++
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Within the raging storm that the data-web of the Glory of Summer had become, progress was being made in battling back the ravages of the Scrapcode. Already further spread had been stopped, and overrun systems were slowly being cleansed. Mortera turned her attention away from the dozen Tech-Priests whose brains were destroyed by the Djinn-virus, momentarily observing the virtual avatar of Archmagos Mhal. In this domain, the Machine Touched appeared as something divine, an angelic being of sacred equation and soothing code. Wherever he focussed his attention, data-banks were purged of infection and damage was repaired at nigh-impossible speed, as if his mere presense was anathema to the ravages of this attack. Mortera refocussed her efforts, her resolve strengthened, unaware of the lethal danger that had awoken in the hold of her ship.
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The unfortunate Tech-Priest never saw it coming. Tech-Wright Samson Reichs had gone to investigate an auspex shadow in the depths of the cargo hold, concerned the attack had awoken some transported war machine. Mu-23's data-probe put an end to the Wright's investigations, flash-frying the priest's brain as his cranial augmetics overheated catastrophically. With the body concealed in a container, the assassins crept onwards through the hold. ++Exit located. Caution: Myrmidon guards++ Mu-22 chattered over the heavily encrypted and hidden vox-link, highlighting the pair of Myrmidons standing watch at the selected exit.

++24, lure one out. 21 and 22, eliminate the one that remains at the door. 23 and 25, kill the one that investigates++ The order from Theta-04 came with a series of directions, signaling the avenues of approach selected by the Prime. Mu-24 wove through the half-stowed cargo containers, bypassing twitching servitors, before coming to a halt by a stack of metal crates. One push toppled the pile, crashing to the ground. The Myrmidon guards immediately focussed on the disturbance, activating power axes as their weapons swivelled around. After a moment's discussion, one began cautiously advancing towards the toppled crates, his fellow scanning around cautiously.

"Sweeping the area." The Myrmidon at the door swept around with his implanted augur array, unaware of the two mech-assassins silently scaling the wall above him, their armour foiling the augur's attempts at detection. Mu-22 waited patiently until the other Myrmidon strayed into the kill-zone prepared by 23 and 25, before dropping soundlessly. Deftly landing on the Myrmidon's back, he drove his Vibro-sword deep into the guard's chest cavity, pulping his heart and lungs before the warrior-priest could react. The second Myrmidon turned immediately at the disturbance, beginning to shout a warning over the Noosphere. His attempts were swiftly terminated, as 25's thrown Haywire bomb detonated mere centimetres from the Myrmidon's head, termianting the Noospheric communication and blinding him in a dazzling flash of light, leaving him helpless as 23 attacked, his lashing vibro-whip catching around his neck, ripping the head free in a shower of gore.

++Guards dispatched, continue the operation++

[Talonair]

Mu-22 slipped into the corridor beyond the cargo deck, scanning the corridor before signalling the all-clear. Theta-04 stepped soundlessly next to him. ++The mag-lev station is in this direction.++ A pip appeared in Mu-22's vision, showing the location of the station. ++It will not be long before the bodies are discovered, move swiftly.++ The Thanos Prime stalked off ahead, the rest of the assassins following in his wake. Coming to a corner, Theta-04 signalled them to halt, peering around the bend with a coiling augmetic tipped with an optic device. ++Skitarii Decontaminators, ten. No specialist weaponry, the Alpha wields a power pick.++ A mercy; A rad-cleanser or similar in these conditions would be utterly lethal. ++Strike on zero.++ A count-down appeared in Mu-22's vision as the Thanos prepared a haywire bomb, tossing it around the corner on one. The cries of alarm from the Skitarii were cut short, their vox systems overloaded by the bomb as they were blinded by the flash. The Thanos assassins struck an instant later.

Mu-22 was on his target in a heartbeat, his blade sinking deep into the Skitarii's chest as his data-probe stabbed another in the side, stilling their augmetic heart with a pulse of scrap code. Theta-04 singled out the Skitarii Alpha, bringing his scythe in a wide arc for his head. The Alpha barely recovered in time, knocking the strike aside with his pick. Theta-04 spun, following the momentum of his swing and bringing a leg around low, sweeping the Skitarri's legs out from under him before bisecting him with the scythe blade as he fell, the vibrations pulverising his armour as surely as his organs. The rest of the Skitarii were eliminated in similarily swift fashion, Mu-23 shattering one's spine with their vibro-whip, Mu-24 and 25 making bloody work with their axes whilst Mu-21 stoved in a ribcage with his stave, the spherical pole ends crackling with electricity.

++Mu-22, activate the mag-lev carriage. Take us to the bridge.++ Theta-04 was already boarding the carriage as the last Skitarii fell to the blood-soaked deck. Stepping onto the carriage, Mu-22's data-probe forcibly interfaced with the control console. The machine-spirits of the carriage resisted the djinn-attack, snuffed out one by one before finally capitulating, the carriage haltingly sliding from the station to hurtle along the track. The assassins crouched, hunkering below the level of the carriage's windows to avoid detection by any monitoring the tracks. Theta-04 once again extended his optical augmetic, peering through the windows and broadcasting what he saw to the rest of the assassins. They passed above the training deck, a cavernous space currently occupied by the Knights of the Spectris Lancaea. One of the titans was convulsing, its machine-spirit raging against the massive scrap code attack, two other Knights attempting to restrain the war machine. The assassins shrank back fractionally from the Thanos Prime as he bled perverse satisfaction at the sight.

The carriage slid to a halt precisely fifty metres before the massive, irising portal to the Glory of Summer's bridge; A metal gateway etched with blessed code and sacred binary, forming Saint Fibonacci's sequence. Lining the way to the gateway and extending back along the tracks many dozens of metres were monolithic statues of famous members of the Mechanicum and other fabled scientists, many of whose names had long been forgotten, remembered instead by the names of their discoveries. Amongst the more recent statues stood the likeness of Arkhan Land, scowling down upon the assassins as if in disapproval of their very existance. The Thanos assassins soundlessly advanced to the gateway, Theta-04 stopping before them to examine the gateway. ++Too thick for melta bombs. Assist me, we will force the door.++ Data-probes lashed out, piercing data-nodes and coils of wire, scrap-code flooding the systems of the gateway. Machine spirits howled in defiance as they were subverted and destroyed, and within seconds the gateway began to iris open, moments before the frame around the portal exploded in a shower of blinding sparks and screaming, rogue data.

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"Myrmidons, to arms!" Magos Militant Jagrus turned to face the suddenly opening and howling gateway. "Defend Archmagos Nagathiir!" The Myrmidon Custos formed a cresent around the gateway, their axes crackling to life as their weapons cycled, training on the opening iris. Archmagos Reductor Discut slithered next to Jagrus, giving a simple binary acknowledgement as his own arsenal of weaponry stirred. Then the world suddenly went white as the gateway frame detonated, the blinding flash forcing Jagrus to reboot his augmetic eyes. His vision had only just cleared before his assailant was upon him; a tall, slender figure with a sneer full of metal teeth, wielding a scythe, the blade a blurr as it vibrated. Instinct alone saved him, the head of his axe knocking aside the first swing, his attacker following through with a vicious kick to his hip that almost wrenched the bone out of the socket. Jagrus grunted in pain, chem-shunts flooding his system with combat drugs as he brought his axe around in a diagonal swing as his plamsa-fusil fired. The assassin pre-empted the shot, ducking low before redirecting the attack with the haft of its scythe, lashing out with another kick. Jagrus stopped the kick with his left shield, before pushing back against the assassin's leg with the shield, attempting to unbalance them. The assassin deftly regained their balace, ducking past the follow-up axe swing. Jagrus blocked the overhead scythe swing with his two shields, the blade gouging a deep rent into one before the assassin wheeled away, creating distance before its next attack.

Jagrus was dimly aware of his Myrmidons fighting on, the one to his right brought down by a pair of the assassins whilst the one to his left was forced to fight blind, her augmetic eyes burnt out by scrap code, relying on the optic systems on the bridge. Even Archmagos Discut was occupied, engaged with their Alpha, wielding a stave crackling with energy. Jagrus couldn't devote any of his focus on directing his Myrmidons, the assassin before him needing all his attention. His implanted cogitator returned a chilling calculation as the assassin attacked once again; an estimated nineteen percent change of survival. Jagrus swept his axe around in a broad defensive pattern, foiling the assassin's assault as the Myrmidon to his left was killed, her assailant sinking their blade into her neck, destroying her brain stem, falling to the deck. The assassin leapt over her twitching corpse, intent on reaching the command throne, upon which sat the unconscious form of Mortera. Jagrus shoved back against the scythe-wielding killer with his shields before turning, swinging his axe wide. The wild attack caught the bounding assassin in the side, crushing ribs and organs and sending him hurtling into a bulkhead. Jagrus quickly turned to face the scythe-wielder again, in time to see the blade sink deep into his chest, the vibrating blade turning his armour to dust as it reduced his organs to paste. Jagrus coughed, a spray of blood flying from the grill that had long ago replaced his mouth as his axe fell from his shaking hands. Jagrus stared into the face of his killer, the assassin leering at him triumphantly, before pain exploded for a second time in his chest, a spike piercing through his back and into the assassin's ribs. The last thing Jagrus saw was the assassin's face twist into an ugly mask of shock, before everything fell away...

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Archmagos Discut considered the assassin before him as little more than an insect that needed to be eradicated, albiet a frustratingly evasive one. The assassin had already injured him, the arcing stave thrust into his side, burning what little flesh remained there and burning out several internal systems. The injury did little to slow him, however, a wild lash of his whip-like augmetic forcing the enemy Alpha onto the defensive before it made a fatal mistake, falling for Discut's feint, the true attack sudden and vicious, striking the Alpha's head from their shoulders in a single swing of his axe. Discut turned to see Jagrus hurl another assassin across the bridge. He was too slow to stop the fatal blow, but the death of the Myrmidon provided Discut the opening he needed. He struck like a viper, the spike of his Chisel piercing the Myrmidon's flesh, emerging from his chest and finally striking the assassin, the murderer reeling back in shock and pain.

Discut didn't give the assassin the chance to recover, closing in on his target. The desperate swing was battered aside by his Chisel, his lashing whip-coil taking the assassins' hands off at the wrists, the scythe clattering to the deck before Discut's axe swung, disembowling the target. They staggered back, howling in agony before an implant within their chest detonated, reducing the assassin to a cloud of gore and scattered augmetics. Their leader slain, the remaining assassins quickly fell, one managing to flee out the sparking gateway. Discut considered them for a moment, before raising his phosphex blaster and firing. The canister detonated against the assassin's back, covering him in green flames as they shrieked, eaten away by the inferno until nothing remained but ash and guttering green fire. ++Attention, this is Archmagos Discut.++ Discut wasted no time in broadcasting over the ship's vox-net. ++An assassination attempt on Archmagos Nagathiir has been thwarted. All military units are ordered to alert state Sigma-five. Myrmidon Cohorts Omega-06 and Epsilon-12, reinforce the bridge. Phosphex clean-up detail to the bridge.++ He turned to face the scattered non-combative tech-priests on the bridge. "Return to your stations!"

 

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Well, that's the first part of the document I lost. Approximately 1,500 words. Having to rewrite almost word for word this much material (~8,000 words in all) because of a corrupted file is demoralising let me tell you

[simison]

I wince when I read that this was only a fraction of the original work lost. It's an impressive size as it is right now. The only thing I'm struggling with is imagining the combatants themselves. I'm still not very familiar with Mechanicum combat units, so it's like imagining mostly vague humanoids swinging the more familiar weapons. Other than that, it's very interesting. 

[Talonair]

What would you recommend I do to make the combat more... easy to visualise I guess

[bluntblade]

I did start a thread about that fanfic. I'd add reactions to blows, injuries - make it tangible above all else.

[Talonair]

Alright, I'll focus a little more on that in future

[simison]

For me, it would be sprinkling a few descriptors about what each person looks like here and there, since not all Mechanicum members have the standard number of limbs.

[Talonair]

Fair enough! I may come back and edit this scene

[bluntblade]

Is there a particularly important forge that Clan Barinthus and the Bears could seize? Made a start on a battle scene, with Odyssalas loosely leading the attack.

[Talonair]

There would be a lot in the Ring of Iron I would imagine if you want to write a battle in orbit. Otherwise, the space elevators would be vital objectives. Lots of locations here http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Mars There's also the forge-temple for the Thanos mech-assassins I've created, if we want to pit Astartes vs mech-assassins

[Talonair]

Also, gravity on Mars is just over a third as strong as on Earth if we want to do anything with that

[bluntblade]

This'll be on the surface. Apart from anything else, I reckon it'll take Odyssalas and Anath's lot several months to get back from Untara

[bluntblade]

Is the Schism detailed in any of the Black Books?

 

I'm also wondering about Icarion's intentions for Mars. Should he have a force there (perhaps including whatever Legion watches over the Mausoleum from Templar, guarded by the Word Bearers in canon), or should he exploit Mars as a distraction and simply try to wring as much havoc and plunder out of the conflict as possible?

[Talonair]

The Schism isn't detailed yet, but FW have confirmed one will cover it. It might be book 8 actually...

 

As for plunder, as far as I can tell Istvaan 3 and the Schism happen almost at the same time, the Death of Innocence coming slightly before it, not sure if that changes things

[MikhalLeNoir]

So if fw releases the schism of mars, will we just add our things on their template or will we make something totally unique?

[Talonair]

Well, given that our version of the Schism ends very differently I imagine ours will be unique. For one, Magma city wouldn't be quite as much of a focal point. With the Abyssii in orbit the space elevators and the Ring of Iron would be much more crucial

[bluntblade]

Starting positions will be similar.

[simison]

Yeah, I think the Schism starts in the exact same way. The only difference is that the Abyssii is also fighting in the shipyard, which gives the Loyalist an early advantage up there. But neither the Abyssii or the Warmaster can affect the surface until Magma City is put to siege.

 

Which, when I think about it, means that Adept Zeth and Maximal still die in the end. Zeth is assassinated, and even if Alex knew about it beforehand, he wouldn't have the strength to intervene after the stunt he pulls with the Imperator titan. Maximal can't be reached in time, so he still detonates his domain. So, no techno-renaissance for the Mechanicum.

[bluntblade]

Could the Halcyon Wardens under Ruel make much difference? Besides evacuating Land and other VIPs and enduring copious amounts of snark in the ensuing chase.

[simison]

I though the Wardens landed on Mars after the Warmaster's stunt with the titan?

[bluntblade]

I dunno. I figure they'd be there ASAP - maybe a few days after the initial breakout?

[Sigismund229]

And then drip in forces as they arrived in system? There'd be no better way to ensure max HW losses. They should deploy only after a decent number have been gathered, 40,000+ maybe

[Talonair]

They could gather at Luna and then move to Mars. Use the moon as a screen to prevent getting shot at by Martian platforms, torpedos etc

[bluntblade]

Ruel's... Millennial? would probably number quite a few, especially if he takes some of Alex's companies.