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

[Lysimachus]

Hagga:

 

“Specifications of that cutter, range, and time for any of them to reach us. Are they a threat to this ship?”

 

Hagga ground his teeth. Yet again they were being thrown off course before they could even start their mission. He was getting flaming irritated.

 

“And how haven’t we seen them before this? Can I hope that we won’t have the rest of their Patrol Group - cruisers and battleships and all, I imagine! - breathing down our necks without a little more warning?”

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Hagga:

 

The projected craft light up on the hololith, and at once the game is up. They look to be of very old design, retired ex-navy and intra-system craft, with scant a weapon battery between them besides the bombers, who seem to be the real danger.

 

'They could have easily coasted on low power through the shoals, sir. Some of the asteroids are large enough to generate a gravity well,' one of the augurmen advises, 'they could have used gravitic impulsion to approach on obscured trajectories.'

 

'Fusion-drive propelled craft, travelling through exceptionally dangerous shifting sands of asteroid banks on a wing and a prayer, chancing their arm,' one of the helm-pit crew says, softly, shaking her head.

 

Plotted course trajectories prove some daring and skill of these ramshackle pirates, as well as a deep understanding of the asteroid field. It is apparent that they are a pirate shoal, plucking the odd minnow and darting in for a significantly opportune upgrade.

 

+I demand to speak to your commanding officer,+ the vox message is loud on the bridge. +I am...Lieutenant Grenn of the Imperial Navy.+

 

One good volley will likely kill them all.

 

Edited March 17 by Mazer Rackham

[Machine God]

Kraggan

 

He hit the the android that had tried to attack Ukalegon.

 

A solid hit. 

 

 

 

(Half Action) Standard Attack WS41 = 41. Result: 36, Pass 1DoS. 

Fallen Magos Power Axe: 2D10+4 E Pen 6. 
9 +9 +4 = 22 Damage

 

(Half Action) Move. 

 

 

 

Then he followed Ukalegon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 17 by Machine God
Tidy-up

[Lysimachus]

Hagga:

 

Hagga laughed out loud. They had guts, at least, and a certain level of low cunning.

 

++Well, ‘Lieutenant’, you have earned my full attention at any rate, though you might regret it. I am Hagga Rykaz, Reave-Champion* of the Red Corsairs. We are here to collect the Raider docked at Juno. If you wish to scavenge the station after we are gone, feel free… but I think we might be able to offer you something… better? If you wish to discuss it, we can do so after we have collected our property. Until then, if any of your seven little vessels move into anything even close to an attack vector, I will obliterate you all.++

 

 

 

OOC: I'm not sure if a roll of any kind is required here? Command? Intimidate? (I'm not sure how the latter would work from ship to ship… Could use Str as representative of vessel power?) Anyway, will edit in if needed?

*Also, Reave-Champion is just a rank I've made up. Hagga is not claiming command over any of the other PCs. If he was, I'd have said Reave-Captain! But he is both a Reaver and Champion Archetype, so…?

 

 

 

 

Edited March 17 by Lysimachus

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Obadiah:

 

Obi's helmet comm chirped at him as Ukalegon went over the siderail and literally fell into the path they wanted to take.

 

+ Over the railing, following the Lamenter! + he voxed, then vaulted the rail and landed lightly -- for an Astartes -- next to Ukalegon.  He saw the lighted directional, and compared it to the layout he was seeing displayed by his HUD.  He blinked in confusion; something was wrong because the two directionals were not lining up.

 

Spoiler

Navigation (Surface) Test

 

Int 43 + 10 (Easy) = 53

Roll: 82.  Fail, 2x DoF.

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Hagga:

 

'I, uh, yes. That is, uh, most satisfactory Captain, er, Champion,' Lieutenant Grenn replies, gruffing to a semblance of authority when he applies the honorific.

 

'Most satisfactory?' another man's voice keems in the background, 'what is he, your dad?'

 

'You sound like your sister on one of her benders,' Grenn replies to the needle. 'And most of the crew knows how that goes.'

 

'Oh, really? Mnuh, mnuh most satisfactory...'

 

'Shut your mouth, or I'll stove your head in!'

 

'Oh? You come here and say that, tough guy!'

 

'You know, I think I will!'

 

The comms line remains open as sounds of violence and richly foul language accompany the trading of blows.

[Xin Ceithan]

Rakash

 

In the wake of the stygian, Rakash felt a grin spread over his face as some of the  built up tension fell away. He laughed inside his helmet and then offered Hagga another, if more playful, salute.

 

+++ Well played,my Lord. I am both blessed and pleased to be serving under your cunning leadership, Reaver-Champion+++

Edited March 17 by Xin Ceithan
Got confused with the ranks. Someone send me the recent Codex…

[A.T.]

Xerxes:

 

An controlled withdraw but not a fast one or ordered one. "I would advise more haste". There was no attempt at bounding overwatch, each Astartes moved only as quickly as their personal kill instinct permitted. The problem was not the servitors before them but any force that might be amassing in their path.

 

Run/double move to catch up as required to be neither frontmost nor rear-most individual of the group

 

Black Crusade doesn't grant partial moves during semi-auto so Xerxes will need to keep hustling and perhaps look into the hip-shooting talent in the future...

[Mazer Rackham]

Platform Juno:

 

As the landing party runs, they drag the dead servitors behind them, a living zipper pulling metal teeth to pinch and bite sensitive flesh.

[Machine God]

Kraggan

 

++They're following us and attracting more. When we get to the Ship, you'll have to deal with them as Xerxes and I will be busy++

 

 

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Dredge, Bridge:

 

0220Hrs, Zulu.

 

Nothing is happening, the bridge is quiet, and the stars are still, eerily winking in the crepuscular gleaming green of the emerald sun.

 

All is in order, everyone nervously waiting to hear the word launching them into the black to this new ship as a prize.

 

Nice and quiet.

 

The gentle hum of the deck plates, the rattle of bulkheads held in by too few sleeper bolts. The odd creak of stressed plasteel superstructure.

 

Nothing. Nothing happening at all.

[BadgersinHills]

Acchiersum Mourn

 

His blade strikes out even as the servitor clumsily attacks him, a steel serpent, a weapon no longer but an extension of his deadly intent.

 

Spoiler

Half action: Standard Attack

 

D100: 55

 

WS = 53 + 10 (Standard Attack) + 10 (Aim) = 73, hit with 2DoS

 

Power sword: D10 + 6 E, Pen 6

 

D10: 7 + 6 = 13 + 8 = 21 damage

 

Half action: Move to join the group.

 

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Mourn:

 

The undead helot likely served no real purpose in life. What grandeur would it have known, and now in death, it cannot even appreciate the teachings of the sword-form which cuts it down.

 

A waste of effort, perhaps, but a necessary one. After all, grace does not always require appreciation - the thing sometimes proves for its own satisfaction.

 

Dredge, Bridge:

 

0235Hrs Zulu.

 

A red warning light starts blinking on the manoeuvring thruster station. It is accompanied by a shrill tone.

 

'Collision alarm, threat minoris,' explains a steersman. He bashes it a couple of times, and the light goes off. 'Does it reg'lar, sir. Fault in the proximity augur. No trouble.'

 

Indeed he tells the truth. The gentle quiet descends again and continues.

[Lysimachus]

Hagga:

 

Hagga didn't like it. Something felt… off. Time to move.

 

++Deckmaster Imjin, start sending our first shuttles over. By the time we're across that gap, they should be ready to take us in. I'll be down to the hangar bay in ten minutes, leave me a space on whatever is leaving then.++

 

He turned to look around the bridge crew before he left.

 

“Keep your eyes and ears open for any sign of interlopers. If those pirates out there make a single move towards our shuttles, destroy them immediately. Eska, veni.”

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

The Dredge:

 

The flights lift, and landing struts up, they turn for the void.

 

The Wasp remains, with enough space to carry a handful of strugs.

[A.T.]

Xerxes (Dredge):

 

As quiet as the ship was those en-route to the hanger could not miss the contingent of menials bearing the mark of the forge positioned in close guard around a service lighter. It would seem that the earlier vox-message from the tech adept had triggered at least some response... though what kind of 'quarantine' would provoke flight rather than lockdown?

[Mazer Rackham]

Platform Juno:

 

The small minnows launched by the Dredge approach the Iconoclast Destroyer, carefully evading random debris scatter and meandering boulders the size of macrocannon barrels. Each rocky fist is more than capable of pranging a ship to send it careening off into the sunset for the next ten-thousand years. For their part, the pirates under the command of Lieutenant Grenn keep their peace, the latter apologising for any boorish misunderstandings through a puffy cheek, black eye, and split lip.

 

A tense hush continues on the Dredge, but no further alarms sound. The hololith charts progress, augurs ping, and sensoria suites pulse with regular bleat.

[Lord_Ikka]

Crux'as

 

"Champion Hagga, I will go along with the next flight of crew, unless I am needed here. I don't think that these pirates will be amiable to my entries to join us, nor would I trust them given our lack of...human resources at the moment."

 

Crux'as cared not whether he was transported by the Dredge or this new destroyer they were about to embark on- ships were just a means to get him to minds and bodies that he could influence. 

[FabiusV4lcoran]

Atesh Sapik

 

Atesh blinked himself into consciousness waiting in line to join the shuttle to Bounty.  He had changed into his outfit only recently so as to avoid hygiene issues, as he knew smelling of the Plague One would be a dead giveaway for a medical worker.

 

He had his gear in his rucksack and was absentmindedly scanning the hangar bay for any familiar faces, finding none.

 

He wondered what the astartes were doing to honor the Gods right now, and hoped that he would be able to bring a fraction of the glory to his own name.

[Mazer Rackham]

GM OOC: Haven't had any notes from anyone, and no placeholder, and we're nearly into Sunday, so here's the move forward.

 

Platform Juno:

 

You lose the hunting foes after several long minutes of hurried trekking. The passageways are devoid of enemies, as the strange course of your navigation has split them. You can hear them trundling aimlessly within the murk, strange clanking trundle of treads which will be polished smooth over time, until the machines fall apart through lack of care of every kind. The dock is eerie with vacant spaces, haunted only by shadow and the scattered detritus of previous human habitation. Of those poor mining workers, and their overseers, there is no sign beyond the slash of blood on a wall, floor or arterial lash on the ceilings. Yet the bodies have vanished into aether.

 

There is nothing more to kill here. Time to leave.

 

The dock to the newly named 'Razor's Edge' yields to basic opening commands input by Ukalegon as he taps the runes of unsealing.

 

A long docking tunnel connects the ship to the mining platform, which is similarly devoid of corpses or machines. It is a straightforward run to the main hull, pitted with age and micrometeorite bombardment. The boarding gangramp is sufficient to allow two of you - even the broad Marines - to pass abreast through the chute. When you enter the main personnel airlock alcove, it is a simple throw of the two broad levers by Astartes biceps to crack the door open.

 

Within, the deck is in limited power lighting. The hull rings with empty echo from a lack of crew, but the construction is solid, a vast improvement on the sheer neglect forced upon the Dredge. The decks are well-signed, with the paint lines only vaguely faded and leading forward and upwards. The airlock closes behind you with a solid clatter of sealing bolts and hermetic clamps. The environment is stale, but breathable, if a little on the cool side. The scent of Silver-root, the incense of cleansing and warding threads the decks as you pass them - the ship to all intents and purposes looks as though the crew just upped and left in the middle of the watch.

 

Reaching the bridge, it is clear that the ship is heavily automated in the deep decks, around the engineerium and weapons batteries. A hololith turns slowly in the middle of the command deck, which highlights the systems are all nominal, except for the torpedo bay - which has been replaced with a landing bay showing two Arvus Lighters docked, and room for another two voidcraft. It is a simple matter to activate the ship and begin the process of clearing all moorings, since the servitor skeleton crew are monoslaved to this task. These latter helots are in superior condition, and it is easily determined whatever madness infested the platform, it does not exist in the vessel, perhaps insulated by the main power being offline.

 

The crews from the Dredge come into the hangar bay, and the Krokodils ferry back to bring in more, plus whatever equipment might be found. It takes six hours of continuous operation to merely get the First Shift Bridge Crew installed and ready, but when they are, things go a lot smoother. More mortal crew, tools, equipment, munitions, and the first-line staff like Iscario all bed in to the new hull, going into the nooks and crannies which have been occupied by hundreds if no thousands of similar huddling humans have occupied before them.

 

The Dredge moves backwards, keeping its guns trained on the pirate fleet like a protective hen-mother, and the Razor takes flight, slipping away from the hard dock, and moving once more into the draught of the void. The hours pass and the embarkation continues, the cross-decking without end as supplies are hoarded in either hull's hold. A full half a day onwards, and the task is finally completed to some semblance of readiness. If the ships had to crash dive or enter combat, they would now have a good chance of surviving.

 

Once all is in order, the team of renegades stand within the confines of the command deck, either the bridge proper or the ready-rooms attached, with a single Krokodil, the Wasp, and the Lighters aboard. When you pass the outer marker, and ease away from the asteroid field, a signal begins to chatter an alarm at the comms pulpit.

 

Jaina, looking significantly refreshed from the trials of cross-decking, keys the vox-only rune and you hear the dulcet tones of Seneschal Strabo.

 

+Factor Crux'as, I've received the auto-beacon signal you've left Juno. I hope all went well with the handover?+ he doesn't wait for you to respond. +You will find several items of import in the secure hold.+

 

GM OOC: As per OOC, he describes the casket, Drukhari bodies, guns etc.

 

+We would suggest during your assault you leave the xenos weapons and corpses in the wreckage of the platform in Kataris, they are close enough to a raiding lane that it would appear quite...appropriate. The more...'evidence' you leave the more persuasive it will be the Drukhari are the agressor.+

 

GM: Obviously we can move into conversations regarding any stuff, etc, plus shouting and screaming in the OOC as per.

[FabiusV4lcoran]

Atesh Sapik

 

Atesh stood among the mortal renegades, maintaining a respectful distance from any Astartes.  He was practicing how quietly he could maneuver his beak within the faux breathing apparatus over the lower half of his face, while listening to the vox announcement.  Anyone standing near enough might notice his absent-minded attempt to mimic the complex, foreign name after Strabo.

 

"K-hAWR-ee" he coughed quietly.

[Lord_Ikka]

Crux'as

 

The Smiler spoke back to the smooth-talking spokesman. 

 

"That seems imminently reasonable, my friend. While we are indeed grateful for the Razor's Edge, I wonder if we can perhaps reason our way into gaining a few sundry items that would be of use in our venture?"

Spoiler

Charm Test to activate Serpent's Tongue (Gain Peer - Rogue Trader)

Target - 62 - 10 (Strabo's obstinance) = 52

Roll - 44

Result = Pass, No DoS. Crux'as now gains Peer: Rogue Trader for the duration of the session, which will give a +10 Fel to any interactions with RTs (basically it will negate Strabo's natural distrust).

The smile deepened as he projected a confident air to the Seneschal's voice. 

"After all, the easier we accomplish our goal, the quicker your mistress the White Tigress gets what she wants."

 

Spoiler

Fel Test 

Target - 52 + 10 (Peer) - 10 (distrust) = 52

Roll - 25

Result = Pass, 2 DoS

"What say you?" 

[A.T.]

Xerxes:

 

The servitors had proven aggressive but disorganised with little thought but to destruction. Good, as it would make corraling them easier. A task he would undertake yet it was more pressing that this vessel was first cleared.

 

The one named Ukalegon had sought his advise earlier and now seemed time to give it. Seeking out the astartes he made his position clear, "I must inspect this vessel deck by deck for infection. That which you queried earlier was not caused by the carelessness of the tech adept but by a machine curse that follows us though the stars. The systems and servitors of this vessel must be warded against such a plague and for that I would seek to examine those already infected."

 

It would take many hours to prepare the ship, but perhaps no opportunity save now to secure samples from the platform.

[Mazer Rackham]

Crux'as:

 

Strabo's voice mellows into thoughtfulness, with a touch of admiration.

 

+Speculate to accumulate, eh, Factor? Refreshing. Yes, I think stretching ourselves a little to...underwrite our investment is reasonable - to a point of course. What manner of support do you require?+

 

GM: Obviously whatever folks have requested in the OOC, or plan to - it's now by the book, so the numbers there are the ones you'll roll on. Remember that some of you are Forsaken, and have their ability to find stuff - in this case it will be interpreted as the RT's staff misplacing or misinterpreting what has been agreed. Most of the time this will go unnoticed, since, well, RT's buy starships in bulk. Obviously, if the Forsaken dudes get stuff for you, your Infamy suffers, but them's the breaks.

 

Xerxes:

 

GM: You may obtain up to 3 samples of the Machine Curse (a combination of any from any of the following options). These will vary in quality and potency depending on your ability to guard yourself, plus knowledge gleaned from observation.

• Weak Quality - Hard (-20) Tech Use
• Strong Quality - Very Hard (-30) Tech Use
• Origin (Pure) Quality - Arduous (-40) Tech Use

GM: Failure results in the sample being lost. Failure by 4 DoF results in potential compromise, increasingly scaling in likelihood with the Degree of Sample Purity.

Edited March 22 by Mazer Rackham

[Lysimachus]

Hagga:

 

Standing on the bridge of the Iconoclast, Hagga watched as the mortal crew worked to bring the Raider to life. Overall, he was very satisfied. The ship was undoubtedly smaller and weaker, but also much faster, and the difference in quality was huge. A well-sharpened, skillfully wielded knife was surely superior to a rusty, old long sword. The level of automation on the vessel was also pleasing - not as complete as that found aboard an Astartes escort, of course, but enough that it should go some way to compensate for their still low crew numbers.

 

He spoke quietly, addressing the bridge officers and the rest of the crew via the ship's vox.

 

“Well done, men and women of the Razor's Edge. The transfer was handled with skill and efficiency. We now go towards the tasks assigned to us by Lord Huron, blood and the thunder of battle! Remember, indolence or selfishness will be severely punished. But give us all your efforts, the strength of your arms and your hearts, and together we will be victorious! We shall see you well rewarded with plunder and wealth, honours and glory, fear and infamy!”

 

Hagga disconnected the vox and continued to order the officers.

 

“Mr Toulk, plot us a course out towards the Mandeville. Take us past Bounty close enough for the infiltration team to deploy via shuttlecraft. Then, on to Kataris!”

 

He nodded to the negotiator and those who had volunteered to join him planetside.

 

“I suspect the Krokodil wouldn’t be suited to your mission, but you've the choice of the Wasp or one of those new Arvus. I would guess this job for the Tigress won't take more than a week or two, including our travelling time. We will make contact through coded vox when we return to Ithyca.”

 

Finally he grinned wolfishly at the other Astartes, looking at each in turn.

 

“Brothers, we go to war.”