Codex Literatus: Mjorn Explorator Landing(Comments Welcomed)

[TechCaptain]

A sudden burst of lighting erupts in the orbit of an unnamed planet in the Ishtar fringe of the Segmentum Ultima. The mighty prows of the Mechanicus Cruisers Bronze Expanse and Steel of Invention bursts out of the warp. Seconds later the rest of it's supporting fleet with the escorts in a spherical formation around the vulnerable transports burst out from the warp. An aging Archmagos of Mjorn would rise from his command chair his massive amount of bionics assisting the aging man along with a cane being held by what remains of his right arm. He addressees the bridge crew "We have arrived at the coordinates indicated by the rumors. If there is some truth to these words upon this lowly rock will be a vault of artifacts dating back to possibly even before the Dark age of technology and a map leading to an undamaged STC. By the Omnissiah's will we shall find this vault and crush anything that dares to stand our way on this most holy of quests!" He looks to one of the communications officers "Instruct the escorts to break formation and to begin mapping out the surface of the planet and instruct the transports to ready drop-ships to land on the surface and begin to send out survey teams."

"Yes lord!" The communications officer salutes and instructs the vox operators to send the orders to the ships. The transports of the fleet each ready a Devourer dropship for landing equipping them with long range scanning equipment and loading building supplies into them so permanent outposts can be made after the initial landing. The majority of their passengers are aspiring Tech priests that volunteered to take part in the expedition though some Skitarii Rangers and battle servitors are also being sent down to protect the outposts and the would be explorers during their expeditions into the alien wilds. The inquisitorial representative and his routine are also being sent down at their own request. The personnel being sent down have been assembled in the main bay of the transport for a quick briefing before launch.

The ship's captain would walk up to a raised platform in front of the assembled passengers. "Your dropship has been assigned to land near a large purple gash in the north west side of the planet. Orbital imaging has suggested this is some kind of sea though the reason to it's strange coloration is currently unknown." An image would be brought up on a large screen that was moved there for the briefing.

"To be precise the landing point will be here in the large plain that separates this sea from the planet's North Pole. Our main objective will be to track down the whereabouts of the vault containing the artifacts through any means necessary. If studying either the North Pole or the sea could lead to finding the vault you may do so and remember any and all Xenos must be catalogued but you have full authorization to exterminate anything if they pose a threat to the operation. Are there any questions before you are sent off?"

"Initial scans and orbital imaging have found several signs of large flora and fauna but have found no signs of advanced civilization either they are underground or life on this planet hasn't evolved to that point. As always caution is advised even the most simple of creatures can kill a man and if scans are correct this planet is in no short supply of beasts. Are there any other questions?"

The Inquisitor revealed his presence among the mass of Mechanicus acolytes having transferred over for this briefing. He quickly asked a questions about the survey teams and how they plan to be transported around when landed.

The captain was somewhat startled by the inquisitor revealing himself. He had been told the inquisitor would be sent down from his ship but he had net seen him until now. "Ye.. Yes lord the survey teams will be sent out upon landing and be given a modified Taurus that has had the weapon and ammo stores replaced with seats for passengers. The fleet will be on stand by and continually scan the planet and anything with in it's orbit like it's two moons."

A communications officer would walk up to the Captain and whisper something to him and run back to the bridge. "Very well I have just been informed that you must be sent down immediately. Please proceed to the boarding ramps leading to the top floor of the dropship the servitors will be loaded into the vehicle bay." With that the rows of assorted soldiers and tech priests move into the dropship which filled relatively quickly do to it being mostly filled with building materials and supplies rather than troops like it would normally be under other circumstances. Maneuvering thrusters lift the ship up and out of the bay and past an enormous air lock and into the void through the few view ports the planet took up the entirety of the view.

The intercom would spark to life "Prepare for atmospheric entry." The safety bars on the seats and the mag locks in the cargo bay would activate holding everything and everyone down. The view ports were quickly covered by a protective blast panel that came down from above it. From the outside it looked as if the ship was spewing flames from it's fins as the shear force of friction blackened the belly of the ship. The planet's atmosphere was thicker than expected this made maneuvering difficult for the lumbering ship as it seemingly plummeted towards the ground. Until the pilots activated it's thrusters slowing it down almost immediately if it weren't for the safety bars every single passenger would have been thrown from their seats.

Using their new means of control the pilots steered the beast of a dropship towards where the plains meet the purple sea. With a final blast from their forward facing maneuvering thrusters they where able to stop their forward momentum and ease the ship into a large clearing now devoid of wild life as they were scared off due to the amount of noise coming from the ship. With the push of a button the landing gear unfold from their shielded compartments and touch the alien red soil. Once it was confirmed the landing gear had made contact the pilots cut the engines and released the shaft bars and mag locks.

The intercom sparked up again "Landing successful you may get up and walk around, once comfortable head outside and group up with your assigned survey team or guard patrol. Before anyone asks yes the air is breathable readings show the atmosphere actually has a high oxygen percentage and gravity is slightly lower than Terran gravity but it is not really noticeable unless your bionics are overly sensitive. Good hunting and Omnissiah watch over you."

The crimson courier shuttle touched down in the immediate proximity of the makeshift landing field springing up almost organically around the dropships. The loading ramp descended with a muted hiss of hydraulics. A quartet of crimson robed Tech Guard marched down the ramp fist. Their brass skull masks denoting them as Martian Protectors, the noble Forge Guards of Mars. They swiftly proved the area secure to a satisfactory standard.

The whirring of servos heralded the descent of their illustrious charge. A Magos-Errant scuttled down the ramp on his brass-gilded stilt legs like a predatory arachnid. His optics scanned the noosphere in the area and locked on the to the signatures of the rest of the team. They were already boarding transports, to his immediate displeasure.

[Command: Follow]

The Magos-Errant spat in a hasty binaric burst. His guards followed their impatient master in earnest, barely managing to keep up with his fevered pace. The salamander transports were already starting up, their combustion engines revving up to speed.

All were full save the last transport in line, which had but one occupant. The fact that he would have to share a transport with a servant did not improve his mood. None the less, he scuttled inside and found a place to secure himself. He activated the mag-locks in his stilt-legs to secure him to the transport deck plates.

The Magos-Errant paid no mind, as it was barely above a servitor in sentience as it was. Instead he reached out through the noosphere to his intended contact. Opening a heavily encrypted channel, he extended a greeting to the Magos-Explorator.

[Acknowledgement: Greetings my Lady Magos. I am the Magos-Errant of this expedition. You no doubt received the data package from my superiors, and as such know why I am here. My Masters hold the Archmagos in high regard. He has done much to further our cause. Let us hope you live up to his expectations]

His cant was formal, but with an undercurrent of expected skepticism. Wright was untested. She no doubt understood that the Magos-Errant was as much a useful asset, as he was insurance.

Much hinged on their success. The leaders of the Xenarite Cults expected much from this expedition, if their sources were indeed correct about the supposed Vault. The presence of the Inquisition complicated this however. No doubt they were aware of the Magos-Errant' presence. The Ordo Machinum were ever vigilant in that regard.

No matter. They had no evidence to doubt his loyalties, but there would be suspicions. There always were.

If Adam Clarke or any of his Inquisitorial lackeys obstructed his objectives, they would be removed . . .

Edited May 4, 2022 by TechCaptain

[TechCaptain]

I would love input as where to take this story as I am piddling off with a bit of writer's block.

[TechCaptain]

So I am going to link this Battle Report

 to this story. I am still working out how. Roughly where I want to go is the Magos Errant and Lady Magos Explorator (They need names.) are talking about a young Technoarcheologist who is assigned at the edge of their sector. They are to meet up with him as the likely point of the vault. Then zoom focus on him and his getting pushed off the ruins by the Chaos Knights. From there his battered forces are on the run. The Inquisitorial representative trying to take control, the Skitarii Marshall/Alpha being mad that his advice is subject to review by this non combat archeologist. And everything is going bad. The situation worsens when the fallback shelter they had marked from orbital scans turns out that is really an Iron Warriors outpost. Failing again they are on the run running low on ammo and in need of repairs. Scans apparently were wrong about who and what was down here. Now the desperate forces need to link up to a comms relay or reinforcements before the main landing forces get ambushed. 

[TechCaptain]

Here is a maybe continuance of the story from just before the battle. 

Sotal smiled to himself as he quietly approached Raddam.  The Technoarchelogist was in deep conversation with his Senior Skitarii. It's not because everything was going well that he could take pleasure in the moment. Soft whirring of servos and clicking sounds were barely perceptible as the Skitarii worked in silence. The Skitarii were moving to their pre-designated positions with the assurance of their bionics, giving them precise understanding of their commander’s intent.

 

Now standing behind the Techpriest, Raddam gestured to Sotal to abort but he knew there was no stopping him. Clapping a gauntleted hand on the techpriest's shoulder, his grin was replaced by a frown. 

 

'How are the preparations coming along,' asked Sotal.

 

The Techpriest jumped in surprise and his hand reached for his pistol but recovered quickly. As quickly as Raddam recovered his muted emotions processed something he had no experience in how to deal with. So stunned by his expression, even Sotal could read through the augmentations that Raddam was more surprised than he should be. Tilting his head to look over his shoulder, the three of them watched as Colossal Knights appeared from behind a partial building in the distance. Immediately the Skitarii in the Supporting Dunecrawler and their Knight Escort Fired with all they had to destroy the first shell of Heresy as the symbols on the carapaces identified them as the worst possible contact they could have. That was when everyone noticed a much bigger Carapace. It was a rival full Chaos Knight. The speed of the attack was astonishing as it charged forth.