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

[Mazer Rackham]

Bounty:

 

Xerxes:

Grenz acknowledges your response with a quirk of binharic interest.

 

+Specify: High value persons (?) Fabricatorii (?/) Acquisition agents (?) welcome. Depot reserves sufficient. Surplus preferred.+

 

Atesh:

 

You explode through a small herb garden, wrecking all the tall plants, and, reeking of mint, sloe and a myriad of other things which might make you attractive to Pterasquirrels, you vault the dry-stone, chest-high wall and bolt through long grasses towards the forests at the rear of the hospital. Angry shouts chase your steps, as sirens cut the air.

 

GM: Make a Routine (+10) Evasion Test, or an Opposed Stealth Test with +20 due to cover.

 

Razor - Bridge:

 

Jaina Maribor looks across, easily finding the prowling, pragmatic Obadiah.

 

'Sir,' she almost bawls, her voice raised against the ruckus you can hear in your auto-senses from twenty feet hence, 'the Ion storm is making things go wild. I'm reading oddball transmission signals coming from inside the ship. I...I don't understand it.'

 

'What have you got, Jaina?' Davin Urkash, senior augurman chimes in.

 

'Very low frequency, twenty-one kilohertz.'

 

'Got it, shall I run a scan, sir?' he asks Obadiah.

 

Edited April 5 by Mazer Rackham

[A.T.]

Xerxes:

 

"+Acquisition+"  Was there a hint of ambition here? Imperial history was replete with records of techpriests that carried no more true agency than the servitors they attended, of skill and knowledge beyond the reach of all but a few put to task for centuries upon the sole purpose of ensuring the minor tribute of some backwater world did not vary with the passing of time.

 

The mechanicus would have called it logical to pursue such goals but he had come to know the truth of it, that their jealous grip on the Imperiums technology strangled even themselves in refusal to train menials to such simple tasks that their betters might pursue goals of actual value.

 

"+Ambition+"  He ventured the word. As seeming envoy of a rogue trader it could mean many things and the assumption of depot master would reveal much.

[Mazer Rackham]

Bounty - Xerxes:

 

Grenz's facial implants seem to oscillate a fraction at the dialogue. In a human face, it would be the elevation of an eyebrow. Clade-to-clade provided for directness a pure human could never match. An intimacy through binharic.

 

It could still be garlanded with lies and deceit, but when that was expected amongst a priesthood of hoarders; of secrets, of technology, of techniques, it wasn't just wise to expect circumvention, but necessary.

 

Humans did not expect to be lied to - Adepts did not expect to be told the truth.

 

+Relegated. Acquisition = expansion. Manifold minions = progress.+

 

The Depot Master takes a cue from your inflections. It could be an admission, or merely written off as a situation report.

[Lord_Ikka]

Crux'as

 

"That sounds doable my Lady." 

 

Crux'as didn't look at or mention the unconscious woman, but kept his eyes locked onto Karelia's.

 

"I will travel to the Vale myself to make contact with your man there to see what he needs, then go back to my employers. I don't think it will be too difficult to supply some arms and gear to those unsatisfied with their stations, though we may need to acquire some supplies from more local sources. Of course, to remove any doubt that House Jerall or yourselves were involved, we will be able to remove those men most easily traced- after all, pirates can come from anywhere."

 

He leans forward, eyes bright. "Tell me, do you know anything about the local armories of the PDF?"

[Mazer Rackham]

Bounty - Crux'as:

 

'I have a reliable man who does. He is exceptionally resourceful and has provided us with much information. He is nearby. Do you wish me to summon him?'

[Lord_Ikka]

Crux'as

 

"Very much so."

 

Looking at the passed-out sister, he raised an eyebrow, "Would you like to remove your sister, or is she most comfortable on the table?"

[Machine God]

Kraggan

 

++Hagga have you or the Armsmen teams found any resistance? From the checking against the logs versus the amount of people that we have in the hold, there is a variance of about a dozen unaccounted for. Varne dealt with one of them initially++

 

He talked to 'The Heart-eater' whilst he worked on the first explosive device, it was no distraction for one of the True Flesh. 

 

 

 

 

INT54 +20 (Tech Use - Experienced) +10 (Combi-Tool) +10 (Assist) +0 (Challenging) = 94. Result: 04, Pass 9DoS

 

 

 

++First Device on Hub Charlie, set and primed++

 

 

He and Varne had made good steady progress via line to Hub C. 

The first device was set and they returned to the central hub. 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 6 by Machine God
Setting First Charge

[Mazer Rackham]

Bounty - Crux'as:

 

'Your concern pleases me, sir.' Karelia smiles, a wicked light to the corners of her mouth at the discomfort her sister will endure when she wakes. 'Yet, ignore her, Master Bardum, she imbibed, she can take the pleasure and the pain of her foibles.'

 

She clicks her bejewelled wrist-cuff and after a few heartbeats, an immaculate footman attends. The latter ignores the now gently snoring noblewoman.

 

'My lady?'

 

'Summon Master Tyro, please.'

 

'At your will, my lady.'

 

It takes ten minutes of small talk about the weather, the situation in the fields, the woeful irrigation, and from this room, the increasing pall of smoke burning into the sky. Her ladyship seems quite exited and urbane about it all, and it gives the impression that she could have been discussing scandal with the Bishop's maid, a group of washerwomen, or the local village hedge-weaver. She presses you over nothing, demand no commitments, what has been said is good enough.

 

The door swings open, and in steps a man in an exceptionally well groomed uniform. His face doesn't match the immediate look, though, and his eyes are shrewd, piercing. He gauges the room first, before settling on her ladyship, then her sister, then you.

 

GM: You may make a Difficult (-10) Psyniscience Test.

[Lord_Ikka]

Crux'as

Spoiler

Psyniscience Test

Target- 37 - 10 = 27

Roll - 55

Result = Fail, 2 DoF. 

Crux'as nods to the new arrival.

[Mazer Rackham]

Bounty - Crux'as:

 

Perhaps it is the faint whiff of Obscura, maybe the distractions of the young woman slumbering in her drug-addled dreams, or maybe the off-putting surroundings, but you discern no more of this man than what your eyes tell you.

 

However, his bearing is obviously trained, either by some organised force, or maybe the sharp edge of street fighting, for as he crosses the inlaid marble floor, his feet do not disturb the copious rugs, nor do his highly polished boots squeak. He bows over her ladyship's hand, before gently kissing the proffered knuckle.

 

'Master Tyro. I would like you to speak to our ally about the current...dispositions of the local armed forces. I believe he can help us.'

 

At this, a fire lights in his eyes. 'Indeed? Then I will take advantage of your company, dear Karelia.'

 

She pouts a little at his familiarity, but she can hardly hide the blush his intimacy stirs. She shuffles a little on her seat, and it seems the discovery of boys is a family trait.

 

GM: I'm going to cut to it here and say you lads have a chat. Essentially you get the following:

• The PDF is reasonably armed and trained. Common Quality lasguns maintained at the barracks, light artillery pieces, integrated mechanised support. Leadership is good and well-liked, lots of veteran officers.
• PDF Armoury is a reinforced bunker just a stone's throw from the Arbites HQ, which watches over it, and keeps away pilferers who fancy a bigger weapon than a single-barrelled shotgun.
• Armoury is guarded by PDF squad with veterans and a trusted officer. However, one of the officers is currently in debt up to his eyeballs due to a gambling problem, and the PDF commander is up to his jodhpurs in a noble daughter's knicker drawer. The scandal is an open secret, however, the same PDF commander has been seen visiting one of his subordinates and mixing his socks with hers in a morning rush to parade. This is not known widely.

GM: If you want to try and query Tyro himself, this will take some Fellowship Tests. Let me know if you want to do this, and what things you want to probe on. Other queries about your operational tasks can be asked as normal.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Obadiah:

 

He had been standing stock still -- except for his eyes; those had been sweeping back and forth across the hololith, drinking in every detail on display -- when the crew informed him of the rogue transmission.

 

"Yes, full scan," he said.  "Are you able to isolate the point of origin?"  If it was one of the people they'd brought on board from the station, harsh measures would follow.

[Mazer Rackham]

Razor - Bridge:

 

'Aye sir,' he replies, turning to his pit crew. 'Full scan.' 

 

In answer to your other question, he casts the reply over his shoulder as he works. 'No sir, VHF is causing a lot of after-transmission resonance. It will take some time. We could go faster, but we might miss the real signal.'

 

'This is making me deaf,' Jaina complains, setting her headset behind her ears so she can still pick up signals, but not so close to her sensitive eardrums.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Obadiah:

 

"Do we have live vid-feeds from whatever chamber we stuck the new arrivals in?" he asked.  

[Mazer Rackham]

Razor - Bridge:

 

The vid feeds come online as requested. The derrick workers are sitting or standing around, looking forlorn, playing cards, trying to keep kids from crying. They're doing nothing they shouldn't be.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Obadiah:

 

He frowns at the vid-feed, then opens a vox channel to the boarding team.  +We have an errant transmission from within the Razor's Edge.  The platform crew isn't doing anything untowards, but we haven't identified the source yet.  Keep your head on a swivel.+

[Machine God]

Kraggan

 

++Is there any knowledge of which point of origin the Station Crew come from? ++

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lysimachus]

Hagga:

 

 

++Nothing over here, Magos. Maybe in the Hab Block?++

 

Then Obadiah voxed. If Hagga hadn't been wearing his helm, he would have spat over the side of the bridge between the Hub and Block B.

 

Bloody hellfire. So much for a nice easy job.

 

++Understood. We're almost back. Could anyone have snuck aboard while we've been docked?++

 

The missing crew? But he couldn't see how. The docking tubes had been guarded at all times.

 

++Maybe we've got another stowaway? If Thiann managed to find a place to hide, maybe Strabo left someone else aboard to keep an eye on us?++

 

 

 

Edited April 6 by Lysimachus

[Machine God]

Kraggan

 

Varne was good to have around, to provide cover against attack whilst he wrestled with the Machine Spirit of explosive charge and to offer assistance. 

 

The device had been set at the end of the arm linking the Central Hub with Hub C. 

 

 

 

INT54 +20 (Tech Use - Experienced) +10 (Combi-Tool) +10 (Assist) +0 (Challenging) = 94. Result: 05, Pass 8DoS

 

 

 

++Device 2, set and primed. Now heading to Hub Alpha++

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 6 by Machine God
Device 2

[A.T.]

Xerxes:

 

Xerxes turned his gaze across the mechanicus holdings here. Meagre indeed. "+Expansion requires investment. Investment requires return+"

 

Greed. No doubt at some point an official of the administratum had calculated the value of produce here against the cost of its transport through the stars, and from that the value of each and every step. How many laborers, how many servitors, an endless array of unyielding barriers that weighed progress against demands of the next thousand generations.

 

Simple greed, the alure of a client that operated within a shorter timespan. "+Site assessment required+"

[FabiusV4lcoran]

'Atesh:  

 

Atesh cared not for the cries behind him, nor notice the scents.  He only had eyes for what was in front, and his mind existed only to flee.

 

18 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

 

 

Atesh:

 

You explode through a small herb garden, wrecking all the tall plants, and, reeking of mint, sloe and a myriad of other things which might make you attractive to Pterasquirrels, you vault the dry-stone, chest-high wall and bolt through long grasses towards the forests at the rear of the hospital. Angry shouts chase your steps, as sirens cut the air.

 

GM: Make a Routine (+10) Evasion Test, or an Opposed Stealth Test with +20 due to cover.

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

Evasion Test

Roll:  79

Ag 34 + Routine (10)=44

3 DoF 

[Mazer Rackham]

Bounty:

 

Xerxes:

 

Grenz nods. +Compliance. Egress permitted. Survey, compile, conclude.+

 

The workshop itself has three sheds. It carries twelve servitors who labour over routine tasks with farming plant. Some of the machinery, as you would expect, is substantial, but agrarian equipment seldom does multiple jobs, and therefore this machine which appears to be a crop harvester has seen several rotations more than would normally be expected. It also appears from a cursory glance that other machines sit idle, and are being cannibalised.

 

There is sign of some alteration here, and direction for better work than is currently required. Clever use of parts to replace filters, a canny bypass here and there to usurp a sticky piston. That sort of thing. The workshop itself is not in any way, shape or form - formidable.

 

Atesh:

 

The bolt tears into your right shoulder - any higher and it would have been your head. Despite the cover from the plants, and the fact you were running, whatever shot at you is not befuddled. Some manner of advanced sensor, or perhaps witchery, albeit unlikely.

 

Right Arm: 10 Damage, AP 4

Reduce by Toughness Bonus.

 

Edited April 6 by Mazer Rackham

[FabiusV4lcoran]

Atesh Sapik

 

Spoiler

Doc'ed; 8 damage added to sheet; 5 wounds remaining; I believe I did that right.  If you wouldn't mind double-checking me (and I'd like to double check with you on alignment too as that confused me) I'd appreciate it.

 

The round knocked Atesh to the ground.  His face smacking the ground cut through his confused fug, and he rolled to the side and scrambled deeper into the grass.

[Mazer Rackham]

Bounty:

 

Atesh:

 

Voices float to you from a middling distance, twenty-plus metres.

 

+I can't hear him any longer.+ One female voice, distorted by vox.

 

'Maybe you killed him?' another woman asks. Younger.

 

+I hit him, I know that,' the first voice corrects. 'I'll wait here; secure the front, and get me some backup. Alert the Arbites.+

 

'Yes, Sister.'

 

Lightly shod feet crunch gravel as the Battle Sister's companion does as the warrior bids. Then there is silence.

 

Battle Sister Per Test:

D100: Fail, 3 DoF.

 

 

Edited April 6 by Mazer Rackham

[A.T.]

Xerxes:

 

An existence wasted, an executioners mercy. Xerxes moved to categorise the servitor workforce looking for any indication of a second, an adept that might notice the departure of the old master.

 

There was little indication that the pict recorders were controlled here for better and for worse but every precaution must be taken against discovery, the slow pulse of the auspex, assessment of the augmetics of the target, the response protocols of those servitors here.

 

Comms would have to be blocked, if only for a moment...

[Machine God]

Kraggan

 

Very careful use of the fixed line enabled them to cross into Hub A. Even for one of the True Flesh the grubby sight of the Xenos corpses was repellant. 

 

Perhaps that was what put him off his craft. 

 

 

 

 

 

INT54 +20 (Tech Use - Experienced) +10 (Combi-Tool) +10 (Assist) +0 (Challenging) = 94. Result: 95, Infamy Point re-roll : 45, Pass 4DoS

 

 

 

 

++Demolition Charge in Hub Alpha set and primed. Now returning to the Central Hub++

 

 

 

Edited April 6 by Machine God
Charge 3