[BC] The Blackest Heart (Part II) (IC)

[Necronaut]

Ukalegon

 

Ukalegon stiffened at the Huntmaster’s order, that he flee with the psyker while the other remained behind to waylay a xenos assassin or a daemon, or both. He silently regarded Desann Baraduk for a few moments, a man equally ruthless and cruel, but also clearly driven by duty, or perhaps a healthy fear of punishment by their dark master, or perhaps both. He was also clearly a formidable warrior, but there were limits. In any event, he evidently still harboured some sense of honour, no matter how twisted, within his breast, and Ukalegon knew all too well what was being asked of him, and what the Huntmaster was prepared to commit in service of the Tyrant.

 

After a few tense moments, Ukalegon’s shoulders slumped slightly, finally accepting what Huron’s chosen man had told him. It seemed there was honour amongst thieves and renegades after all. Perhaps there was more to the Tyrant's dark empire and his servants than Ukalegon could have guessed.

 

At last he nodded and let out a held breath and scooped up the fragile form of Atesh wrapped in Baraduk’s tabard.

 

+By your will. Fight well. I will hold the shuttle for as long as I dare.+

 

He turned to leave with the human, and the turbofans of his jump pack came to life with a keening wail, as if Ukalegon’s armour itself lamented the sacrifice of this fellow renegade, and his armoured tail lashed back and forth reflecting his inner conflict at abandoning a comrade.

 

+If we do not meet again, I swear I will return with Incario to recover your effects and legacy, whether he likes it or not. Your sacrifice will be honoured.+

 

The roar of his jump pack approached a deafening din as he prepared to launch himself and Atesh down the corridor and he tapped his melta pistol against his helm in salute.

 

+Leave us something to find, if you can.+

 

 

OOC: @FabiusV4lcoran I'm happy to take turns and trade/share tolls between us, if you like. I'll lead us off.

 

Challenging Operate (Aeronautica) Test #1

Ag51 + 10 (Trained) = 61

D100: 25; 4 DoS

Edited February 21 by Necronaut

[FabiusV4lcoran]

Atesh Sapik

 

Atesh gratefully wrapped himself up in the loincloth as though it were a robe.  As he inhaled to say his thanks, the other Astartes...the Blessed one...picked him up as though he were an infant.  Atesh looked back and forth between the two while they discussed, relegating his indignation to memory for use as fuel in future rites.  If one was always frustrated, one could usually work the other realm.

 

Atesh breathed in again to thank the Lord for his cloth, but again did not have a chance to speak.

 

+If we do not meet again, I swear I will return with Incario to recover your effects and legacy, whether he likes it or not. Your sacrifice will be honoured.+

 

As he and the Blessed Astartes took off, Sapik thanked the Gods that nobody could hear him screaming in terror over the roar of the jump packs.

Edited February 20 by FabiusV4lcoran

[Mazer Rackham]

GM: OOC @FabiusV4lcoran and @Necronaut just to clarify my post above - you can BOTH make tests in your Narrative Rounds. Fab, look for what you can do when you think you want to have a crack - this is an attempt to give you a bit more meat on your bones here, as you've been hauled around a lot (nature of this segment, I'm afraid).

 

Edited February 20 by Mazer Rackham

[FabiusV4lcoran]

OOC:  I will; I just figured that this segment was mostly narration and I'm enjoying flexing those muscles.  Anyone can roll the click-clacks, but I'm really enjoying trying to keeping up with y'all's caliber of writing.  Please feel free to prompt me if I'm not click-clacking enough tho.

Edited February 20 by FabiusV4lcoran

[Mazer Rackham]

Desann Baraduk:

 

He watched the Lamenter and Warlock go in a rush of jetwash and screeching. He was unsure if the mortal was terrified or thrilled. Either way mattered not. He maglocked the shotgun and drew both Soulshear and Sunbolt, igniting the ancient plasma pistol's inner coils. Golden light eked into the darkness, casting four shadows on the walls, deck, and ceiling.

 

+A Great One comes. Are you ready, old friend?+ he asked the eviscerator.

 

Baraduk rolled Ukalegon's words over in his mind, smiled at them.

 

If only Daon could see us now. He always said I would meet a bad end.

 

The walls bled, and Soulshear screamed, dragging him forward to war. He filled all three lungs, set vox to maximum.

 

+FOR THE TYRANT!+

[Lysimachus]

Hagga:

 

The room stabilised again, for a few moments at least, and the Executioner slowly got his feet under him once more. He looked around the chamber, eyes first seeking out the enemy, but there was no sign of it. Had the idiot beast brought about its own demise, without harming any of the Corsairs?

 

Eska was fine, rising to her feet and shaking rock dust that appeared white from her dark fur. There was Obadiah, sheltering in the doorway of the southern portal. Varne was… wait, where was Varne?!

 

“Eska, vestiga!” he hissed, moving carefully towards where he thought the Doom Eagle had been standing.

 

Awareness test:

OOC @Iron Father Ferrum: I think Obadiah has the best Perception of the 3 of us, but Hagga and Eska do both have Awareness Skill so could provide 2 Assists for +20 if you want to do the roll? Or we can each roll separately?

 

 

Edited February 20 by Lysimachus

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Obadiah:

 

Obi waved some of the dust out of his face as he got his feet under him again.  There was Hagga and his mutt, their silhouettes clear in the rapidly settling cloud, but no sign of the Abominant.  Well.  Something went right.

 

Then Hagga hissed at the dog, and they moved up to a giant pile of stone where Varne had been standing.  Varne

 

Obadiah slung Fate's Eye and scrabbled to the pile, voxing, +Varne!  Can you hear me?+  He started pulling at the loose shale, checking for any hint of where the Doom Eagle had been buried.  +Hagga, do yo see him?+

 

Spoiler

Perception Test

 

Per 42 + 20 (2x Aid Actions) + 10 (Autosenses) + 10 (Heightened Senses, Sight) - 20 (Hard Difficulty) = 62

Roll: 43.  Pass, 2x DoS.

 

[Lysimachus]

Hagga:

 

“Not yet,” Rykaz grunted back, lifting aside a large chunk of stone and carefully placing it back on the deck. He didn't want to cause any further rockfalls.

 

Wait, was that a flash of silver he could see in the gap between those boulders? He took hold of one of them and heaved it upwards, but with his arms filled he couldn't see what had been lying beneath its bulk.

 

“Is that him?”

 

 

OOC: I'm assuming because we all assisted in the Per roll, that was the first narrative Round done? So actually uncovering is the second Round? Apologies, I don't want to jump ahead?

 

Edited February 21 by Lysimachus

[Mazer Rackham]

GM: OOC, yes, the narrative rounds were for everyone to post in sequence, then it goes around again, but it doesn't really matter - shovel away, and we'll assume we've moved into NR 2 for each group.

[Necronaut]

Ukalegon

 

They flew through Brimstone. In sorrow. In shame.

 

Ukalegon had never particularly fought alongside Desann Baraduk before, but the man was a former Maelstrom Warder, and now he was taking the dark secret of the Lamenters and Ukalegon more specifically, presumably, to his grave. He might have felt some measure of relief were it not so disgraceful that he should have to leave a brother-in-arms behind.

 

But those were his orders. This broken mortal that he cradled with one arm, swaddled like an infant, was deemed to be more valuable than the life of Desann Baraduk. His memory would be honored, for whatever that was worth. A death in battle seemed a worthwhile compromise, and aligned well with his former chapter’s words.

 

Ukalegon could only hope the Huntmaster would find a way out, even while the asteroid redoubt’s ancient gravitic engines, now compromised, slowly tore the place apart.

 

OOC:

@FabiusV4lcoran feel free to start dropping your posts and rolls in. Sorry if I misled you with my previous post.

 

Challenging Operate (Aeronautica) Test #2

Ag51 + 10 (Trained) = 61

D100: 87; 2 DoF

[FabiusV4lcoran]

 

Atesh Sapik:

 

Atesh was coldly aware of every facet of his existence.  The velocity of the station's recycled air against his face, the roar of the Astartes mutant's furnace speeding them along, the firm yet tolerable grip of the giant cradling him.  All of these facts existed, and he also recognized the fact that his abilities with the crystal underworld would probably serve to help the Astartes steer and find our way from this mess.

 

Unfortunately for Atesh and Ukalegon, this coldly hyperaware consciousness was locked under a hatch with 37 layers of screaming terror blocking off access.  The only time Atesh had managed to stop screaming so far was when he was inhaling for more screams.

 

Spoiler

OOC:

My turn for sorries; I missed the post guiding my rolls.  I lose track where we are in the thread between posts and try to skim to where I left off.  Working on it!

 

Routine Psyniscience Check Round 2

Per43 + 10 (Routine) = 51

D100: 65; 1 DoF

 

 

 

Edited February 22 by FabiusV4lcoran

[Mazer Rackham]

Ukalegon and Atesh:

 

The misdirection is tolerable, but the speed proves an essential counter. You rocket down tighter and tighter channels, realising the tunnels are not shallowing in width from varying construction tolerances, but from compression. The tunnels are squeezing shut behind you, reminiscent of a tube of repair cement being flattened to provide the rich aeroreactive gruel to seal up gouges in the plate.

 

You both erupt from a pressure duct a short plummet above the gantries where the Krokodils are loading.

 

Amazingly, there is a warrior leading a giant tortoise, and Ukalegon may recognise the human renegade soldier Tarh Teshub, and his esoteric mount and minion, Mithra. He is hurrying the beast up a gangramp, tempting it with a bough of caveweed.

 

Other Armsmen move with purpose, carrying weapon crates, tool-racks and anything else portable.

 

None are immediately recognisable, but the statuesque frame of the Sorcerer, Cyrandras Rakash and the Smiling human demagogue, Crux'As are also striding towards one of the...unique transports.

 

GM: Gentlemen, your journey, for now - ends here. You may narrate your meetings with the other PC's, or boarding the Krokodil if you so choose.

 

Edited February 22 by Mazer Rackham

[FabiusV4lcoran]

Atesh Sapik

 

As Ukalegon set Atesh down, he looked around and saw the smiling man next to another demigod near the vehicles.  He made note of which vehicle the smiling man entered, remembering who the Crow had mentioned.  He quickly scanned and did not immediately notice a man with two heads, but the quadruped with a monstrous domed shell was interesting.

 

He remembered himself and decided he should thank the Blessed One before they took offense.

"My thanks for the rescue, Lord.  Is there anything I can assist with?"

Edited February 22 by FabiusV4lcoran

[Necronaut]

Ukalegon

 

Ukalegon holstered his melta pistol as he set his charge down in relative safety and cast about for any of the other astartes under Hagga’s command, including Hagga, but none save for the sorcerer were immediately present. Atesh offered him thanks for the conveyance to safety, and knowing the mortal had been scared out of his wits for the entire flight, Ukalegon canted his helm in acceptance of the praise and wryly replied, “I am no lord, Atesh Sapik. You can help by not concentrating upon anything or calling upon your... powers... anytime soon. Find a place on a transport and rest.”

 

He watched Tarh coaxing his massive testudine companion up the ramp of a krokodil and voxed Hagga, +Hagga, I am in the shuttle bay. What is your situation? The entire place is collapsing!+

Edited February 22 by Necronaut

[Mazer Rackham]

The Shuttle Bay:

 

The gantries begin to collapse. For a moment there is no immediate reason as to why this should be, but the uppermost and lowest of the docking platforms are merely 'snipped' from the walls. It is from looking at the walls you gain the clue. The walls are moving, closing down on one another in the manner of a vice or trash compactor. The movement is so smooth the metal doesn't even spark or shriek. The tolerances are amazingly fine and utterly consistent.

 

It is when a 20-tonne plasteel crate is caught in an alcove and crushed into tinfoil confetti, the message is underscored.

 

Nothing - nothing - is going to stop these jaws closing.

 

It is then a giant iris begins to open in the wall which nestles between the decks, an ever decreasing circle of panels shuffling under each other in ammonite swirl, the perfection of it distracting from the giant, glassy oculus that reminds all present of a laser-focusing lens.

 

It begins to glow with dull emerald light.

[Lysimachus]

Hagga:

 

Hagga shifted another rock to one side, and his vox buzzed. He heard Ukalegon's voice, scratchy from the poor signal but just about audible.

 

++Varne took half a mountain to the head, digging him out.++ he replied. ++On our way in a few seconds.++

 

He wasn't sure where they were in relation to the hangar, or if they even had a clear path anymore.

 

++If you need to go, go. No doubt we can find our own way to the surface of this accursed rock, and you can pick us up from there.++

 

If the way out was gone, there was no point in the others waiting and dying too.

[Xin Ceithan]

Cyrandras Rakash

 

The Shuttle Bay

 

“Move, you Void Scum!”

 

Rakash’s voice roared  through the bay, though even amplified through his helmet’s  vox gril, he  struggled to be heard, the sound oddly distorted by the undulating gravity and debris around them.  He had taken up position on the ramp of one the Crocodiles which conveniently provided both a rallying point and escape option all in one. 

 

The Sorcerer had tried to impose some order after their arrival, focussing on the now rather than allowing his mind and senses being dragged back to the strange experience of their passage. He’d tried to prioritize on equipment that might be useful on the Dredge - as well as using the opportunity to have the menials pack up a few smaller boxes of Blackstone for more personal reasons.

 

Mostly though, he was focussing on  …people.  There were still a few among Brimstone’s crew whose skills might prove useful in expanding their pitiful compliment on the Dredge and all but the smallest voidcraft were ever hungry for scores of menial labour. 
 

Also, it was a lot easier to stack  people into their meager assembly of available voidcraft under the current circumstances. People who might even feel some sense of gratitude being saved from certain death by their new Corsair overlords. 

 

If they could save some of them. But were they were increasingly running out of time and available craft already…

 

Cyrandras cast a glance at the glow  emanating from the wall. 
 

Apparently, they were also increasingly running out of shuttle bay….

 

He sighed heavily, then directed some of the armed mortals  to shift their defensive positions accordingly.

 

”Move it! If you want off this rock, make yourself useful!” 

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

All Players:

 

+All callsigns, this is Dredge. We are monitoring six drive signatures, one of them Capital, on incoming vectors. Orders?+

[Mojake]

Varne

 

Spoiler

Toughness Roll: 48, target: 33 (1 DoF)

Iron Jaw Roll: 38, target: 43 (1 DoS)

 

Damage: 19 - 8 (Tb) - 10 (Body Armour - Enhanced Ceramite) = 1

 

Vox Roll: 55 (failure)

 

OoC: Not sure on the correct way to apply Iron Jaw here. The talent reads like it kicks in when you trigger the stunned effect, and implies it's just a straight roll, so my interpretation is that I make the initial penalty roll, trigger stun, then roll IJ without penalty to ignore. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Varne grunts as enough rock to crush a tank drives him into the floor. The sharp pain as an oblique armour panel splinters and bites through his flesh causes him to bare his teeth. Straining to shift the burden, he pushes with all of his transhuman might but to no avail. His right arm pinned to his missile launcher and his left extended and crushed, he attempts to kick free, barely feeling the tonnes of ferrocrete inching even a little.

 

+ Brothers, I am pinned! +

 

Several long seconds of static answer his call. 

 

Perhaps I should've listened to Watch-Sergeant Kertus all those years ago, maybe heavy bolters are the better weapon for clo- No! I will not be cowed by ghosts into fielding lesser armaments!

Edited February 23 by Mojake

[Mazer Rackham]

GM OOC: Iron Jaw - for now roll with what you've got, and we'll look at it better in the wrap up. 

[Necronaut]

Ukalegon

 

The voice of the Dredge’s communications officer crackled in Ukalegon’s helm. He snarled at a knot of menials bearing supplies to hurry to the nearest transport and voxed back, +This is Ukalegon. Hagga is predisposed. Bring the Dredge as close to Brimstone as you can – transports are leaving now. Prepare to run. And get me the sig idents and estimated arrival time on those ships! Now!+

 

Ukalegon turned towards Cyrandras with a large wave of his arm and voxed him directly, +Cyrandras, get out of here! I will wait for as long as I can for Hagga. Take command of the Dredge!+

 

The roof shook above him and he ran for the nearest krokodil and broadcast on a general use frequency, +Cast off, you fools, cast off! Make for the Dredge and await orders!+

 

Upon reaching the krokodil, Ukalegon poked his helm inside and barked at the pilots, +Listen here! We are going to wait for Hagga and the other two astartes for as long as humanly possible. If either of you lift off before I give the order, I’ll gut you with my bare hands and wear your skin!+

 

+Hagga, hurry! Unidentified vessels inbound! One capital ship. I am waiting with the last transport!+

Edited February 23 by Necronaut

[Xin Ceithan]

Cyrandras Rakash

 

+++ Dredge. Rakash. Can you give us an ETA on those vessels? +++

 

This just keeps getting better and better …

 

He swore under his breath, switching to the squad vox.

 

+++ Corsairs! Any chance  getting to the shuttle bay  in time? ++++

[Mazer Rackham]

The Shuttle Bay:

 

The mighty xenos-metal jaws drop to disturbingly close proximity and stop with a smooth, complete arrest. The oculus extends two metres, and a cylindrical promontory slides forth, smoothing against the narrow jaws. Static begins to bite at the edges of every transmission, crackling in strange patterns which vex the ear and mind both.

 

The Krokodils as commanded by Ukalegon cast off, and hurriedly make for the giant blast doors, opening quickly to suck out all atmosphere out of the flight bay. As they get closer, the doors are shattered completely, crushed, torn and ragged by semi-circular arches converging, to marry into a perfect circle. The gap is sufficient to allow the carry vessels to escape, and behind them, you can see the silver-green light reflecting from the Dredge as it moves tantalisingly closer.

 

Dredge replies in turn to you as the questions reach them.

 

The helm officer replies to the Lamenter. +Compliance, lord! Initiating vector for close support. Burn underway from thrusters. Bays are open and secure.+

 

On a different circuit, Rakash gets his...answer. +Incoming vessels are approximately ten minutes away. Drive signatures inconclusive - too much interference.+

[Lysimachus]

Hagga:

 

Hagga swore under his breath at Ukalegon's message.

 

For 's sake. Cursed... we're all cursed...

 

Barzani lifted the last boulder from where it pinned the Doom Eagle. Hagga reached down and grabbed hold of Varne's collar, dragging him up to a sitting position.  The handle of the proteus launcher was still gripped tightly in his fist. Hagga gave a gentle slap against his pauldron.

 

"Nabor? You alive in there?" he grunted. "No more time. We need to go, now. Eska, veni."

 

Without any further word, the Executioner turned and hurried towards the only viable exit, closely followed by the hound. He'd done what he could to assist. Now it was in the other Marine's hands to save himself.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mojake]

Varne

 

"Nabor? You alive in there?"

 

"Barely a scratch," he responded, clambering to his feet with the Executioner's help. "Burn me when I die. Entombment isn't for me."

 

Giving Obadiah a nod as he straightened, Varne turned and ran after Hagga, a cloak of dust cascading from his shoulders.