Deathwatch: Murderers in Black (IC Thread)

[Machine God]

Asterius:

 

With a dextrous hunters leap, he leapt to his feet atop the operating slab. Ready to answer the threat with his arms spread wide, his fingers like claws and his teeth bared he gave a roar of challenge. Well he would have if his throat wasn't half full phlegm and medical fluid, it was more of a hawking spit against the foe.

 

The foe that wasn't there!

 

He looked around the Apothecarion as he unplugged torn leads from his plug sockets. No there was no sign of his armour he guessed that it had probably been sent to the forge, it would only have been in the way whilst he slept anyway. Calming somewhat he gave the sign of the aquila in benediction to the frightened medicae serfs and he left, tearing down a green screen curtain for a loincloth as he did so.

 

 

How long did I sleep? Know not, nor care!

 

Here now, back to avenge Squad Lucifer!

 

 

 

He heard on the wind the whispers of a new Watch-Sergeant with a brace of Inquisitors and new squad applicants, so hastened to the Forge. Purposefully he strode through the Armoury and nearly walked through two new Astartes who were conversing.

 

"Please excuse me!" Asterius said with a laugh. "Son of Dorn and" Asterius inhaled a deep lungful of air "a Son of the Great Khan!"

 

"So you" Asterius pointed at Gerhardt "are here to surrender your warplate to the forge-serfs for The Black. Whilst you Marauder are here to requisition an Attack Bike."

 

"Asterius is my name, Squad Lucifer!" Asterius said. "We can of course catch up after you have sworn in. Please carry on chatting, the forge-serfs will however be quite busy re-uniting me with my armour!"

 

 

 

"To be Hunted!" Asterius said at the entrance to the Forge.

 

"That is the mark of the Xenos!" Came the counter answer.

 

 

Asterius entered the Forge and talked to the forge-serfs about his armour.

 

"Lord Asterius, it is good to see you fully healed. Your armour however was in very bad shape, it is a wonder of the Omnissiah that it bore you back to Bulwark at all." Said the head serf taking Asterius over to a pile of armour arranged around a stand. 

 

"Whatever energy blast was that caught you, it ruined your jet pack. The jet pack shielded your power plant, but an errant power surge pretty much fried the torso power couplings. When we unplugged you the front torso couplings were found to be fused and unresponsive. Your armour is as you know of the Mark Five variant, the power plant has been repaired as well as the helmet, arms and legs. We did find a solution for the front torso armour problem, but we thought that it would be best to talk to you first."

 

The serf brought over another piece of armour draped in a cloth, which Asterius guessed was a front torso.

 

"From examining the old front torso we found out that it was a repaired piece of Corvus plate with added exterior power couplings. We didn't manage to locate any new Corvus plate that would integrate with the Machine Spirit of your armour. However we did manage to find this which does" said the head serf drawing away the cloth to reveal a front torso of Mk VII.

 

Asterius physically recoiled and then after a few moments he managed to calm down.

 

"If it fits and integrates then it is to be, But Lose the Aquilla!" Stressed Asterius. "My armour is as Ares in Thrace. It is bloodthirsty war held in chains. Scour away the Aquilla, place another plate of armour over the scoured plate and bolt it on with bonding studs!"

 

"Yes, Lord Asterius" squeaked the head serf in fright. "It shall be done right away."

 

"I will wait and watch you do it" said Asterius. "You will then affix my armour to me, so that I might leave!"

 

 

 

Edited March 16 by Machine God
Hit in back not front

[Necronaut]

Gerhardt

 

His humours felt out of balance, but he was able to maintain his composure seeing his quarry observe a ritual greeting familiar to much of the Imperium. He inclined his head and offered a stiff bow in return to the Mantis Warrior, keeping a hand on the hilt of the sword at his hip.

 

“Well met, Azadth of the Mantis Warriors. I came to take the measure of a man I might be called to serve alongside, who I might stand back-to-back with in the heat of battle. Would–”

 

There was a sudden outburst and a freshly sutured and shorn astartes clad in naught but his breechclout stormed into the armoury. He offered a boisterous greeting to both Gerhardt and Azadth, but scarcely left them any opportunity to respond before moving on deeper into the forge-complex. Gerhardt gave him a polite nod of greeting and acknowledgement but little else before the bare warrior was gone, bellowing at the serfs and tech-thralls about his armour. 

 

He turned back to the Mantis Warrior who was looking at him somewhat expectantly. Both appeared somewhat taken aback by the new arrival, no doubt a survivor of Kill-Team Lucifer. His right eye spasmed briefly, his pique getting the better of him. 

 

“Find me in the training cages when you have requisitioned war-plate of your own, should they have any. Show me you can handle that blade of yours."

Edited March 14 by Necronaut
Sorry for the delay!

[A.T.]

Omoc

 

More arrived, even in the vast halls they made their presence known carelessly and without regard for the order of things. A challenge perhaps, an old debt of the Maelstrom wars. A test of arms was one of the few things not restricted by the edicts of secrecy amongst the uninitiated and soon enough the would by rule put aside the debts of their chapters until their duty to the Deathwatch was complete.

 

Omoc advanced on the armoury hearing other footsteps as he did. He had no words to speak but it would reflect poorly upon his name to skulk in the shadows.

[Mazer Rackham]

Azadth:

 

Like a confluence of streams, all taken from different beginnings, the waters flowed together, many things happening at once. It was wise to go with the flow. Should a man not bend like a bough in the grip of the Nine Winds, that he does not break in the gale? It was so.

 

His eyebrows lifted at the moniker of 'Marauder' tossed at him, causing a small pause. A mote of confusion, in that even though this conspicuous brother had likely heard his introduction to the Templar, perhaps he had mistaken him for the Second Founding Chapter of the same name, given how remote Ootheca and the Endymion Cluster were. Then again, it could have been a bluff greeting from any of the Outriders of Chogoris. Azadth wondered if the bold Space Marine was well acquainted with the offspring of the Khan of Khans.

 

His familiarity with the serfs and how they interacted with him by name proved twice-over he was the Light-bringer's sole survivor, which would then follow he knew of Brother Gort, the Dark Hunter. Ah. Interesting. By such little fates did the truth unravel.

 

Azadth merely offered Asterius another polite bow and aquila, and again to the following arrival, a scorpion-marked warrior in grey, who kept his peace, in contrast to both Asterius and Gerhardt, but nonetheless announced his presence with a form and meaningful step.

 

EDIT:

Brother Gerhardt offered him the challenge of the blade, albeit with a wrothful bent. Azadth realised it was more at the interruption, and took the invite as it was, the opportunity to speak as Astartes spoke, as warriors conversed. Knowing humour through action.

 

'It is merely a farming tool,' he replied, spreading his hands apologetically before cupping them back together. 'But I would be honoured. I shall find you there, should fate not intervene.'

 

As the two parted ways, a brace of Deathwatch Chapter serfs approached the Mantis Warrior, and bowed. The taller of the trio cleared his throat, and spoke.

 

'My lord...we have arranged harness for you, but...do not have your livery for transfer.'

 

Azadth smiled. Despite his Chapter providing the Marine, they could ill-afford to supply any equipment. However, since he was requisitioning paint for his cell anyway, the opportunity to embellish his warplate was welcome, another tradition to bring to this place, to this mission, to put on the garb of the hunter.

 

'I will assist you. Lead on.'

 

+++++++++++

 

The serfs and armour-wrights knew their business well, for the fit was perfect. A suit of Mk VI Corvus plate, sterile of any markings or decoration, but rich in history of service. Sleek, lighter than his own mismatched Mk V, this was an agile warrior in it's own right, war-spirit keen and willing. The right pauldron had the iconography of Ootheca by his own hand, using the armoury lithographer tools to make it perfect.

 

He strode out in the battle raiment of sable and quicksilver

 

 

 

Edited March 14 by Mazer Rackham
Cleanup

[Necronaut]

Gerhardt

 

As he turned to leave the armourium, Gerhardt noticed a new arrival waiting in the wings. He nodded respectfully at the Red Scorpion and briefly introduced himself before pressing on. He had other business to attend to… 

 

+++

 

Alone in his cell he knelt before the small window, his brow furrowed and eyes shut against the waning light. He had the cross guard of Drachenhauer pressed against his forehead, his bare hands gripping naked adamantine steel with such force that rivulets of rapidly coagulating blood ran partway down the length of the blade, drying before they reached the tip.

 

He could almost hear it again, his holy purpose in this desolate place. His lips silently mouthed prayers and mantras of war and detestation, hardening his mind against the horrors of the galaxy. He could almost… 

 

Ah, there it was. His features split into a rictus of crazed fervor as he listened to the Voice. 

 

+++

 

In the strategium, Gerhardt swore his Apocryphon Oath with grim solemnity. To swear an oath was a grave undertaking for a Black Templar; the honour of the Eternal Crusade and his own personal honour as a warrior were placed on the line with his words, his promise to exterminate the xenos threat, to loyally serve the Inquisition during his vigil. He had drawn his sword and held it aloft in the way of his brothers while he spoke the words, binding himself to his new masters and… brothers. No blood-brothers were these; those who surrounded him were to be more akin to the knights of ancient legend, who swore their fealty to a liege lord or the head of a chivalric order, bound only by their bonds of service and fraternal spirit.

 

When he returned his great blade to its scabbard, he took the time to surreptitiously study Watch-Captain Skaayn, respectfully awaiting what he or the inquisitors in the chamber had to say.

Edited March 16 by Necronaut
Placeholder filled

[Lysimachus]

Scene 3. Past… and future.

 

With your oaths sworn, Inquisitor Kine steps forward. Now that you are officially bound under his authority, he seems slightly more willing to share information.

 

“You all understand why you are here,” he begins without preamble, speaking in clipped, haughty tones. “Your predecessors were killed and you must take up their duty. But you have not been told what happened to them.”

 

Kine's manner suggests that this is a matter of little importance, perhaps even a waste of his time, that having such information makes no difference to your obligation to fight - or die - at his command.

 

“Over recent months, there has been a problem in local Sectors with a band of Ork pirates that have been carrying out raids along Imperial shipping lines. A small flotilla of looted vessels, identified as being commanded by ‘Kaptin’ Grubgob Warpzagga, a Deathskull ‘Freeboota’. Perhaps two months ago, we were asked to assist by Segmentum Naval Command, and Watch-Sergeant Traxaes immediately began preparations for his unit to hunt down these filthy xenos pirates. However… less than two days after receiving that request, we also received a very brief astropathic distress message from a Geo-Explorator Cadre operating on Dorghra VII.”

 

The Inquisitor begins to pace up and down, first one side of his face, then the other, lit by the brilliant green of the hololith that stands at the heart of the dark chamber.

 

“They were conducting surveys beneath the planet's surface for the potential mining of key geological deposits. A temporary settlement had been set up beside a natural cave system that the Explorators were using  to carry out their tests. The distress message was rerouted to us here because in it the miners claimed that they were under attack by something not of human origin.”

 

“The message cut off before they could reveal any more about what it was. Any further attempts to contact the Explorator settlement failed. Watch-Sergeant Traxaes felt obliged to respond to both threats, and split his unit up accordingly. A Combat squad under Codicier Jarek took our Rapid Strike Vessel, the Supremacy of Man, supported by several platoons of our Storm Troopers. They joined a Naval patrol group to hunt Warpzagga's fleet. At the same time, I sent Interrogator Aykawa along with the Watch-Sergeant and the other half of Kill-Team Lucifer to investigate Dorghra VII aboard my personal star clipper, the Needle. Interrogator Aykawa,” the Inquisitor gestures to the younger man, “can explain what they found in a moment.”

 

“It took almost two weeks, but eventually the Supremacy found Warpzagga's flagship, an Ork ‘Kill-krooza'. As you would expect, the Xenos were quite happy to fight. Their vessel was too heavily armoured to destroy in ship-to-ship combat, so our forces boarded via torpedo and Shark assault boats, with the intention of sabotaging its engines and destroying it from within.”

 

“One moment the squad were progressing from their ingress point towards their target, the engineerium. The next,” he frowns “...the entire vessel died. The Supremacy’s augurs picked up a sudden series of explosions progressing throughout the hull that culminated in the main reactor going up. There was no time to even warn Jarek or his men. We have no indication of what caused the explosions, but given the ramshackle nature of Ork ships, we believe it was a chain reaction started by damage occurring during the fighting, or even simply poor maintenance. A tragedy, but at least the Astartes had the pleasure of taking their enemy with them.”

 

Kine shakes his head, but it seems closer to… exasperation… than sorrow?

 

“Frankly, it was poor timing, but the matter is now closed. It concerns me far less than what happened in the Dorghra system. Aykawa?”

 

The young Interrogator coughs. He seems slightly uncomfortable with his superior's casual dismissal of the deaths of five heroes, but when he steps forward his voice is firm and his description is clear and concise.

 

“Yes, my Lord. It took thirteen days to reach Dorghra VII. We received no response from the settlement on approach, and found it empty when the Sabre landed. There were signs of damage to the structures, but no bodies. We moved on to investigate the test site, and then entered the cave system.”

 

He pauses.

 

“It was pitch black, apart from our stablights, and it all happened too fast, faster than I could track. One moment we were advancing down the main shaft, the next Sergeant Traxaes had been hit. Some sort of energy weapon. I saw him… disintegrate… before my eyes. Brother Alberon was hit a fraction of a second later. We retreated under fire. I barely saw a glimpse of our attackers, a flash of silver in the dark… Your brethren guarded me. Brother Asterius,” he nods gratefully to the Black Shield, “got me back aboard the gunship, although he was seriously injured. We escaped to the Needle, but it is a courier, not a warship, and has few troops and limited weapons aboard. I ordered interdiction markers dropped, placing a total ban on anyone entering the system, and we returned to Alucar to report back.”

 

Kine interrupts, his voice finally showing something approaching real emotion - urgency.

 

“We need to go back to Dorghra. We do not know what the enemy was, but it wiped out a full Mechanicus Explorator Cadre, and then a demi-squad of Astartes in a matter of minutes. We must investigate and clearly identify this threat. If possible, destroy it. Failing that, an appropriate Imperial response can be assembled and tasked with the annihilation of this enemy.”

 

“We received astropathic messages from both forces relaying their losses around six weeks ago, and immediately sent out the call for assistance to all Astartes Chapters within range. The Needle arrived back thirteen days later. The Supremacy was heavily damaged during the battle with the Ork cruiser, and had to limp home. It re-entered the Alucar system only a few days ago, but has already begun undergoing repairs. I am informed they will be finished within eighteen days. You have that long to complete your Watch indoctrination and learn to fight together. Then we return to Dorghra VII.”

 

Asterius:

As Aykawa speaks, the details of your first mission for the Deathwatch are returning. It was with one of the combat squads of Kill-Team Lucifer, the investigation of the Explorator outpost at Dorghra VII. Watch-Sergeant Traxaes was in command, along with Techmarine Alberon, and the Tactical brethren Cassius and Incario.

 

As the squad advanced into the caves with Interrogator Aykawa in their midst, the Watch-Sergeant ordered you to act as a rearguard. A strange tactic and somewhat insulting to one trained and equipped to fight as an assault trooper, but you could guess at the… reasons… for his choice. But you obeyed, determined to serve humbly and well, to earn your squadmates trust.

 

You do not know exactly what happened within, though Aykawa's account fits with your recollections. The mines were dark. Something attacked. At the rear, you never saw them clearly - but you saw the effects of their energy beams. Traxaes was killed, then Alberon. Aykawa ordered a retreat. You grabbed the Interrogator and jumped back to the maw of the Iron Sabre with him in your arms, intending to return and aid the others. However, at that moment, another energy blast struck you from behind. Fortunately for you, it was at greater range so seemingly lacking some of its destructive power. You were still seriously injured. Even as you collapsed, you could hear Aykawa ordering the gunship’s pilots to flee. Perhaps you would have argued, insisted that you fight and die in the Emperor's name beside your new brethren, but instead darkness took you… (and then you didn't know any more until Amaras awakened you from your Sus-an coma back in the Apothecarion!)

 

 

 

OOC: So, if anyone has any questions for the Inquisitor you can ask them now… though of course at this point there may be more questions than answers!

 

 

 

Edited March 15 by Lysimachus

[A.T.]

Omoc

 

Omoc turned his gaze towards Asterius expecting a more complete report, but none was forthcoming. Turning back to the inquisitor, "what of the weapon impacts, do they match any recorded pattern?"

 

The reluctance to simply bombard the planet was understandable, to know the nature of xenos lurking within Imperial space might lead to the location of further incursions and they had yet to rule out a threat of more human origin. The witch and the tech-heretic posed just as great a threat as any xenos might.

[Mike Zulu]

Zidemi:

Given his late arrival to the Bulwark, Zidemi had rushed his way through the fortress to the Strategium, fearing he was keeping the others waiting. The labyrinthine passages were not an issue for Zidemi, for there were enough binary-speaking servitors and servo-skulls to provide succinct directions to his destination. Given his haste, he did not have a chance to introduce himself to the other Astartes or serfs, or to visit the vigil in the Chapel; that was have to wait until after.

 

Nevertheless, Zidemi’s fear of being tardy was unfounded, as he had arrived just in time to take the Apocryphon Oath, which he proudly recited alongside the other Astartes attendees. After the Oath-taking, Inquisitor Kine and Interrogator Aykawa presented their briefing on the Dorghra incident to the newly-fledged Kill Team. The description of the strange weapon descriptions and the unexplained loss of both Astartes and Mechanicus units were both disturbing and perplexing. It was clear that more data was required to form a hypothesis on what kind of threat they were dealing with.

 

Another Astartes, bearing a panoply of grey and yellow with a red insectoid on his pauldron, was the first to inquire. He was also curious about the weapon discharges. Zidemi took the opportunity after his fellow Kill-Team member to ask Inquisitor Kine:

“Did the Adeptus Mechanicus provide any data on the incident that befell their Cadre? If so, has this data been reviewed?”

 

OOC: Zidemi will be polite and wait for Omoc’s question to be answered first before asking his own.

Edited March 29 by Mike Zulu

[Urauloth]

Váfri

 

An oath was a grave thing. He had known that swearing it would be part of his duty here, but it was impossible to shake off a lingering unease at being oathbound to any entity outside the Vlka Fenryka. Could the Watch even truly appreciate what it meant to take a oath from a sky warrior of Russ?

That was, he decided, for them to prove to him in the coming days, and not a matter to allow himself to be distracted by.

 

He had taken an immediate dislike to Leopold Kine. There was so much authority stuffed into the man's small mortal frame - such a haughty bearing for something so essentially frail. It made him think of a rat wearing a crown. The possibility that his reaction might be rooted in a cultural mistrust of the Inquisition more than any honest appraisal of Kine himself wasn't something Váfri took the time to consider.
Still, even if he didn't care for the Inquisitor's presence, he did like what he had to say. The chance to face an unknown and dangerous enemy was exactly what he had been hoping for when he left for Alucar, and the foe on Dorghra sounded like a true challenge.

 

A few of the other Astartes had begun to ask questions, and he pitched in with his own.

"The Orks. You say Jarek destroyed their flagship. What of the rest of their fleet? Are they still active? Might they get in our way?"

[Lysimachus]

Omoc: Aykawa shrugs.

 

“In my estimation, the damage was caused by energy weapons, but I cannot even say that much for certain. When we found no sign of either witnesses or enemies at the settlement, Sergeant Traxaes was inclined to press forward into the caves, so our examination was… brief.”

 

He grins bleakly.

 

“When we left, we were in an even greater hurry.”

 

 

Zidemi: Inquisitor Kine shakes his head.

 

“As Explorators, they were operating quite some distance from the nearest Mechanicus stronghold. Alucar is closer, so the distress call came to us first. Our Astropaths then sent a message to the Fabricator-General of their Forge World, who was willing to turn the investigation over to the Ordo Xenos. She provided a manifest of their assets on Dorghra VII. The group was relatively small; a half dozen Magi, perhaps a score of Servitors and Tech-Thralls, and a single Maniple of Skitarii units. But as yet, no full investigation into their disappearance has taken place.”

 

“When we return to Dorghra, we will be more thorough. Your unit will be supported by two platoons of our Storm Troopers, and a team of Ordo Xenos Agents and Tech-Adepts under my personal command. All of the evidence will be carefully examined.”

 

 

Vafri: Kine turns to answer. He sniffs, clearly dismissive of the threat posed by the Orks.

 

“The Supremacy and the Navy patrol engaged and destroyed a small flotilla of looted vessels. They were fewer than the reports we received suggested... but in my experience fear exaggerates the size of any foe. The Kill-krooza was the largest of their ships, and bore Grubgob Warpzagga's glyphs. He would certainly have been aboard. I believe we can safely dismiss them as a danger, and focus on Dorghra.”

 

 

[Machine God]

Asterius:

 

Let them judge when we are all oath-brothers.

 

When he had finally been clad in his armour, he had left the Armourium by another door and retired to the chapel to pray. He had stayed apart from the newcomers until the oath in the Strategium, yet even here he had stood apart until after the Inquisitor's Brief showing only his Deathwatch colours.

 

"Omoc from what I saw in my rear-guard position the blasts were powerful and I should know, I have taken Lascannon blasts before!" Asterius answered, turning about to face the squad.

 

Not as a strutting peacock, but as a war battered combatant Asterius showed his mettle to the squad. Bearing a battered suit of Mark Five 'Heresy' Armour a mass of bonding studs and additional armour plate, it looks like Asterius has been chewed up and spat out by the galaxy and yet still stands. Yet what stands out is that he wears no chapter heraldry on his right shoulder, just a blacked out shield!

 

"The medicae staff said that the rad scouring from the blast were non-imperial, but that could just be guesswork. From the strength I would say titan-grade, yet we were in a cavern system."

 

Asterius smacked his right fist into the palm of his left gauntlet. "I'm all for going back to avenge my brothers, but we must strategise!"

 

"Which of you will be Watch Sergeant?"

 

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Azadth:

 

The Oath-swearing was steeped in ritual and drama, which was fitting for this place. All hearths had their own ebb and warmth, and here it was duty that burned brightly. Or, perhaps with a sidelong glance at the Inquisitor, ambition. He did not like the casual way in which the loss of Astartes was so dismissed. He didn't have to like the man, though, merely be civil, obey and serve.

 

Azadth considered the death of the Orks. A Kill Krooza was a large beast indeed, but not the largest, and if the Imperial Navy had encountered so much trouble, it was a wonder they could smite the infestation down with one lucky blow. The Glimmering Shoals were plagued with Greenskins vomited out by the Maelstrom, and such tides of filth were hard to stem, firefighting one pocket only for another to rise. One day he hoped the Sky Khan would see fit to choke the lesion that blighted the skies of Endymion, with the gauntlets of his warriors.

 

He frowned at the thought of raider ships, packed with spoiling xenos beasts, and the fortuitous engagement which destroyed these pirates. It had happened before, he allowed. Still, although destiny was set, the means were not, at least until the hour was revealed, and so he made a mental note to secure some frag rounds to make the fateful moment as painful as possible.

 

He studied his comrades as the conversation swooped back and forth, some of their lineages he knew. The Templars, the Wolves of Space - those he'd met when serving alongside the Hetmen of Chogoris on secondment when the Rites of Blooding were interrupted by the call for war. The Salamander he knew by Chapter reputation, but not experience. The others he knew not. He supposed this was the reason any Mantis Warriors were sent, to tell the Imperium that they existed in their isolated pocket of stars.

 

The players here spoke their parts, each to their ordained place. He had nothing further to add, and so his mask was silent.

 

Asterius filled the immediate gap with a query for who should take the mantle of command. Azadth felt no pull. The music of the spheres did not invite him to dance. If so, it would change the tune at the right time.

[Lysimachus]

Asterius: Watch-Captain Skaayn, who has remained silent until now throughout the briefing, lets out a harsh bark of laughter.

 

“Strategize all you want, Black Shield,” he continues, voice low and hard, “but don't get ahead of yourself. Your new squadmates need to go through their indoctrination and training first. Then we'll know if any of you have what it takes to be Watch-Sergeant.”

 

His tone, like that of every officer who has ever been given new troops to instruct, suggests that he has his doubts.

 

[Machine God]

Asterius: 

 

"My apologies Watch-Captain Skaayn, of course you are correct. Please excuse my response as the exuberance of an Assault Marine." Asterius replied contritely, offering a small bow with his right fist held to his chest. 

 

 

 

Edited March 16 by Machine God
Spelling

[Necronaut]

Gerhardt

 

Presently the inquisitor lord spoke, detailing the tragedy that befell Kill-Team Lucifer. Though the librarian was a fellow son of Dorn, Gerhardt felt little more than disgust and shame when the death of the warrior and his demi-squad were recounted, and the subsequent tale of the mysterious and unidentified xenos species that all but eliminated the remainder of the Kill-Team was most disturbing.

 

However, the demise of the witch Jerek and his battle-brothers sorely troubled him, as did the Inquisitor Lord’s casual dismissal of their deaths. He had personally put known heretics to the torch and reveled in their pain as their sins were burned away, but the Executioner was descended from the lineage of Rogal Dorn, and had sworn the same oaths as him. Conflicting emotions and borderline heretical thoughts fought for supremacy under the surface of Gerhardt’s impassive façade. The Black Templar thought he might have to excuse himself, but he remembered the words of Chaplain Cormac, silencing the noise behind his eyes by repeating the litany of the Black Templars in his mind.

 

No pity. No remorse. No fear. No pity. No remorse. No fear. No…

 

The Inquisitor Lord’s story of the orks and the timing of their demise had aroused his suspicions; it was a matter he would investigate further at another time for the good of Dorn’s progeny. 

 

The mention of Brother Asterius, a Black Shield by the lack of chapter livery upon his right shoulder, a grave sign of dishonour and worse amongst the Adeptus Astartes, renewed his growing furor. Could he truly be called to serve alongside such a rogue, one little better than a hired thug? He looked on in barely veiled contempt at the warrior who would sully this gathering of brave and honourable knights of the realm with his presence, his supposed heroism in saving the human Aykawa notwithstanding.

 

Eventually he spoke, wishing to weigh the words of what some of the others had said first. Holding his crusader helm in one gauntlet, he gestured at the hololithic display with the other.

 

“What auguries have the Mechanicus surveyors taken of the location of the incident? Surely their seismic data would reveal something of what lurks beneath the surface of this charnel house.”

Edited March 16 by Necronaut

[Lysimachus]

Gerhardt: Kine frowns.

 

“The Needle took orbital picter images of the settlement and mine entrance at ground level. Those can be made available when we are planning our insertion. However… scans below the surface are unavailable. Apparently, heavy elements within the planetary crust render our augurs ineffective. It was the presence of these rare elements - Plumbum, Hydrargyrum, Aurum, Arsenicum, among many others - that first drew the Explorators’ interest to Dorghra VII. An Auspex should still operate, and be able to map out the cave system interior, but will obviously need to be taken within to do so.”

 

 

[Mike Zulu]

Zidemi:

The interfering elements in Dorghra’s crust would certainly be a problem for auspexes and augars. Zidemi pondered how he might best beseech an auspex’s machine spirit to best overcome the interference. It was something he will need to investigate later, once he accessed the Bulwark’s Forge.

He was compelled to comment, to no-one in particular: “Plumbum is particularly effective at blocking the high-energy spectra that an auspex emits as its function. However, with the right rituals, a portable auspex may be able to penetrate this interference.”

 

OOC: To explain my Techmarine’s technobabble, lead (plumbum) is effective at blocking X-rays (high-energy spectra).

 

The lack of available data on Dorghra was bothersome, but Zidemi took it as it was. They were clearly dealing with a threat of Dorghra that was both unknown to the Imperium and intent on not being discovered. But the pursuit of knowledge knows no obstacles, no matter what this xenos threat (assuming it is xenos at all) may believe otherwise. Zidemi was confident that with time, this threat would be unveiled, thoroughly studied, and subsequently destroyed. 

 

Zidemi was intrigued by the challenges presented before him, but he could not ignore the tension in the chamber. The Watch-Captain’s use of the term “Black Shield” to refer to Asterius implied a strained relationship between the two seasoned Deathwatch members, something the Salamander Techmarine was familiar with in his own Chapter. Despite the rebuke by the Watch-Captain, Zidemi was intent on a more diplomatic introduction, seeing a common cause between himself and Asterius. 

 

After a pause in questioning, he turns to Asterius and says: “Asterius, I would be honoured to join you on this mission. One of my own Brothers was among the fallen, and I am intent on honouring his service, both as a son of Vulkan and a warrior of the Deathwatch. Together, we can we do the same for all of your lost Brothers.”

 

OOC: Again, Zidemi will not interrupt any questions to the inquisitor, and will wait for an appropriate pause or step aside to converse with Asterius.

Edited March 29 by Mike Zulu

[Lord_Ikka]

Moridyn

 

"Will there be any naval support available for the mission? A lance bombardment may be useful."

 

The Star Phantoms valued heavy firepower, using targeted bombardments and heavy weapons to harass and destroy enemies. Whether or not that would be useful here was anyone's idea. 

 

Moridyn looked around, taking in the various Astartes. He knew some of the liveries; the barbaric Space Wolves, the pious and self-righteous Black Templars, and even the deadly Mantis Warriors. Others he did not but it did not matter. He would watch and observe, learn about his new brothers during battle. 

[Machine God]

Asterius:

 

"Thank you for the kind words Brother Zidemi" replied Asterius.

 

"I will of course fight with you to avenge my fallen Brothers of Kill-Team Lucifer. I am a Servant of the Emperor and the Deathwatch is my Chapter!" 

 

 

 

[Lysimachus]

Moridyn: The Raptor waves a hand towards the Watch Adepts that control the central hololith. After a moment, the display changes to show three dimensional models of two Imperial ships.

 

“Our naval assets.”

 

One is a typical slab-sided Astartes vessel. A Light Cruiser, brutish and powerful, though it appears to have been modified somewhat from the standard pattern you would be familiar with.

 

“The Supremacy of Man,” Skaayn utters respectfully. “Variant of the Vanguard-class Strike Cruiser. Note how the troop transport capacity and deployment options have been reduced. Even with a full Astartes complement aboard, she'll only deploy a Demi-Company at most. However, the space gained has been used to improve weapons payload - macrobatteries, torpedoes and a bombardment cannon - and enhance warp drive efficiency and plasma drive output. Augurs are likewise improved, and she carries additional supplies for long range recon.”

 

In short, the Supremacy is ideally suited for supporting Deathwatch combat operations.

 

Inquisitor Kine then gestures to the other ship. There is more affection in his voice than you have heard at any point thus far in the briefing.

 

“The Needle.”

 

This vessel is similarly well named, but entirely different to the thuggish cruiser. Much smaller, an elegant dart with a long, sloping prow that narrows to a seemingly razor-sharp point. Most of the ship’s frame is given over to powerful engines.

 

“She could get us back to Dorghra faster, but I am inclined to wait for the repairs to the Supremacy to be completed. I suspect we may need its strength."

 

 

Edited March 17 by Lysimachus

[Urauloth]

Váfri

 

He might have felt the tiniest inlking of disappointment to hear that there was no chance or running into any Orks en route to Doghra - he quite liked running into Orks, after all - but his attention was immediately captured when the hololith changed to display the Deathwatch ships.

 

Skaayn was, he felt, understating the fact that the Supremacy had undergone modifications. The Vanguard-class Úlfhvatr, one of the fastest ships in Wolf Lord Harek's fleet, had been his pack's hearth on many campaigns, and while he was not the most technichally minded individual, he was certainly familiar with the class. The vessel on the hololith display almost looked like a new class of cruiser altogether. It was better armed than Úlfhvatr, and, though he didn't much like the idea of admitting it, it also looked significantly faster.

Had they really achieved all this just by sacrificing carrying capacity? Briefly he wondered what the power requirements of the upgraded systems were like, and how they were being satisfied. He then imagined how tedious it would be to have this explained to him in a droning Martian monotone, and decided he didn't really care how it worked. He was just eager to get aboard and see firsthand how the ship performed.

 

While he expected formal introductions would come later, he took note of some of the other Astartes attending the briefing. The term "Blackshield," as he understood it, referred to one who had forsworn his chapter and heraldry - this was inexplicable to Váfri, who had only heard of the practice by way of distant rumours of the past. He had no idea what to expect from such a warrior at all. The only example of heraldry being obscured he could call to mind - that of the Thirteenth Stone - created an uneasy association. Was this warrior cursed in some way?

 

He was heartened to see a Salamander among the gathering. He had fought alongside the sons of Vulkan once, and knew them to be honourable, if perhaps a little dour. Conversely, he relished the idea of spending time in a Templar's company very little; he had never met one, but from what he knew of them they had a singular excess of the qualities that made Dorn's descendants tiresome to be around. Still, he also knew their reputation on the battlefield spoke for itself, and that would matter most when the time came.

He recognised the silent figure as one of the Mantis Warriors - these were known of on Fenris, though none of his pack had ever met one, and he knew very little about their order himself. The others he didn't recognise at all, and the thought occured to him for the second time that there might be Astartes here representing chapters none of his kind had ever met before. It did not occur to him that anyone present might not recognise his own colours, of course. The Vlka Fenryka were known to all.

[Mazer Rackham]

Azadth:

 

He was reminded of a story of a prince, so enamoured of Aurumquila eggs, he watched the mother bird - a vicious, mighty raptor - about the nest for many days, with jealous eyes. He sent three men up to scare it off, but they only angered the bird, and it pecked out one man's eyes, ripped the throat from a second and tore the third's right arm off. All fell from the mountain and died.

 

The Aurumquila screeched, and refused to move far from its nest, which vexed the prince mightily, and he spat on the efforts of his men for failure, for the eggs contained the feathered menace's offspring and would make a fearsome prize. He sent more men, this time heavily equipped, but even though they got further and fought harder, they were driven away with terrible wounds. The prince put a bounty on the eggs, yet none were brave enough to try again, and the prince feared a mutiny among his men.

 

A notable hunter came, telling how the bird may be led away, and taking a raft of kine-cattle made a mighty commotion of driving them over a mountain pass. The Aurumquila lurched into the air, and sending more men with the hunter to kill the bird if it came close, the prince set out with hired thieves to steal that which was not his in case the bird returned, yet when he got to the nest, he was dismayed, for the other soldiers sent had trampled all the eggs and crushed them.

 

Seeing the prince alone and distracted, the thieves murdered him and stole his jewels, leaving his corpse to fall amongst the other dead men he'd sent.

 

He glanced across at the Watch-Captain, another huge Raptor.

 

How serendipitous.

[A.T.]

Omoc

 

The survivor exaggerated, but perhaps not to disparage those who had fallen. An ambush was an inauspicious way to fall.

 

He wondered too at the call for leadership and looked to each those assembled to weigh their response. Another test perhaps to see if any were over eager, but not even the wolf stepped forward before Skaayn closed the matter.

 

Heavy firepower or not the prospect of hunting these faceless xenos did not concern him but the fate of the second team rankled in its improbability. Bitter experience had taught him to not trust coincidences.

[Mike Zulu]

Zidemi:

He nodded in affirmation at the Black Shield, needing to say nothing more than "Indeed, Brother Asterius." Zidemi was not sure what to make of the stigma surrounding the Black Shield, but had no interest or reason to act on it. As far as he was concerned, Asterius was inducted into this chamber-militant of the Inquistion, just like every other Astartes currently in the Strategium, and as such were all on equal footing.

 

Zidemi quickly pondered the question of leadership of the Kill-Team, as Moridyn made an inquiry about naval assets. It seemed logical that Asterius, sole survivor and longest serving member of Kill-Team Lucifer as of present, would take the position of sergeant. Clearly, Asterius and Skaayn both had other ideas on who would be promoted to that position. What Zidemi was certain of was that it shall not be him. It was not his calling to lead Astartes on the battlefield, for he instead answered the call of the Omnissiah. His skills and talents require him to oversee the chapter's Forge, and the maintenance of armour and wargear.

 

With that in mind, he then turned back to Watch-Captain Skaayn. Zidemi asked, in a more deferential tone this time:
“My Lord, with the loss of Brother Alberon, I assume it will be my duty to take on his responsibilities. I would like to discuss the state of the Armoury, as well as any other facilities, serfs and wargear that will become my charge. If necessary, I can take up station in the Forge immediately should we require anything urgently."
 

Edited March 19 by Mike Zulu
Grammar and clarity

[Lysimachus]

Zidemi: The Watch-Captain nods thoughtfully.

 

“The Forge will indeed be your responsibility, Brother Marax, just as the Apothecarion will be Brother Amaras’. I never served with Brothers Alberon or Vintus, but I am informed they cared for their duties admirably, so you shouldn't find anything too far out of place. Work on the Supremacy is well under way, but the repair crews might benefit from your assistance? Perhaps you can bring that eighteen day estimate down a little, so we can get moving?”

 

He pauses.

 

“However… your indoctrination and training as a Deathwatch unit must come first. As soon as we conclude this briefing, that will be our next task.”

 

The Raptor offers a tight, comradely grin at both Zidemi and Amaras.

 

“But once I'm convinced you still know one end of a bolter from the other, I'll release you both from the full training schedule so that you have time to care for your other duties.”