Only War: Armoured Fist

[LeSwordfish]

Only War: Armoured Fist


OOC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=14504182)


Mission One: Operation Shatter

It had started raining shortly after they'd made planetfall, and had continued to do so ever since. Thick, sickly yellow droplets splattered on caps and epaulettes, and those tanks forced to wait in the open while a berth was found for them were soon coated with mud.

"At least we don't have to camo-paint her." Harkon, the handler of Nox Noctis Equa, joked, checking the oilcloth tightly stretched over her turret mount. When he dropped down from the turret, yellow mud splattered up his uniform trousers. "You think they'll give us wet-weather gear, or just order us to dry ourselves on enemy lasbolts?"

It had been nearly a month in transit, the massive troopship bellying through the warp along the spinward front, finally emerging in the halo of the Darien system. Darien, they had been informed, was a forge world. Grinding out tools and weapons for generations, the world had been quietly labouring under the yoke of the Adeptus Mechanicus, until the PDF and small guard garrison had declared the planet independent, slaughtered and imprisoned the Mechanicus presence, and set the PDF commander in place as de facto governor. The landers, and the force they carried, were the second wave of the imperium of mankind's response to that.

As they were ordered into one of the cluster of warehouses, they could see the primary forge of the world. From here it looked like a volcano, a mountainous metal shape broken up by the bright red rivulets of actinic outlet pipes. The city around it stretched across much of the continent, and they had deployed onto the northern edge of it. To the south was the forge, and then far beyond that the other imperial army, stalemated in the mudflats and hills around the river basin.

There was the usual organised chaos that accompanied a deployment, with nearly a thousand guardsmen and support staff to be settled in the grimy warehouses. The crew and squad of Nox Noctis Equa- third platoon, second squad- were nearly settled in, when the platoon commander entered, leading a red-robed enginseer behind him.

"At ease, men." Lieutenant Salo offered. "Don't unpack too much. I need you all combat-ready in an hour. We may be a long way from the front, but there's a few targets of opportunity in the area we want to hit before they begin bringing in reinforcements. For now though, make ready, make any requisitions you need, and... well, be ready to move. Mustering point Warehouse three, in an hour."

Seeing a few of the squad casting confused glances at the enginseer, he coughed and apologised. "Sorry. Squad, meet Enginseer Varuck. The Mechanicus can't be here to take back their world themselves, so they've sent us a full complement of cogboys instead. Varuck here is assigned to Nox Noctis Equa." He checked the clipboard he was holding. "One hour, combat-ready, warehouse three. The one with the three on it."

And with that he was gone. For a Mordian, Salo had never been one to stand on ceremony.

[watupwithdat]

Cronyn was sitting on an unloaded crate doing some light maintenance to his sniper rifle, the weather not the best for moving parts. He did not like when equipment malfunctioned if he could do something to avoid it. In this case that was keeping it fairly clean.

An hour? That's not a lot of time to get ready. Not that I should expect anything else. He inspected the enginseer from his position a bit away from the rest of the squad. "Do you do weapons modification?" he asked the cogboy, going straight for the most important thing to ask one of those. He had not had time to have his current weapon customized since he recieved this replacement rifle. The grip needed some minor adjustments and that could be achievable in an hour he figured.

[Caimheul]

The mud and rain appeared to have no affect upon Nathin, but then when one is regularly covered with the blood and guts of his fellow soldiers, what's a little mud? "You kidding? With our luck they'll stick us with bug netting!" he jokes with Harkon shaking his head at the failures of the Munitorum.

The announcement that his squad was getting saddled with a cogboy was greeted with a sigh, babysitting in combat could be heck on a squad, not to mention the presence of a Mechanicus representative would likely put a hamper on looting, but at least field repairs would be easy to come by. "Right, me and Mord are heading over to the quartermasters, start making our faces known. Anyone need anything while we're at it?"

[DrK]

Doyle slid out from under Nox his body liberally coated with mud."Hey gunz. I need the number 6." The near mute and morose gunner looked at him coldly pulling on the lho stick before tossing down the large spanner.

"22000 folk in the regiment and I get stuck with him... Doyle mutters to himself as he slides back under the chimera. Tapping and tightening the loose nut he crawls back out looking happy. "Tight as a Soratias chastity belt Harkon. No problem with the mud now eh."

Seeing the Lt he leaps into an approximation of a salute. An hour sir. Yes sir." Before with a glance at the smirking gunner. You could have warned me!"

As he wipes off some of the mud he glances around at the medic. Not sure I need anything. Think I got everything at the minute."

[RandomLunatic]

"We could always get you dry," Torin said, affectionately patting body of The Help. "Warm, too," he added with a grin and chuckle, and then went back to carefully wiping yellow mud from the flamer's soot and carbon blackened muzzle and igniter.

Looking up at the medic, he said, "Not really. I think I'll go see what the Emperor hasn't provided myself."

[DaedalusMkV]

The Enginseer steps forwards, saluting precisely as Lieutenant Salo introduces him. "I acknowledge the unit assignment and orders, Sir. Omnissiah bless your actions this day." After the officer's departure, he listens quietly to the squad's comments, head cocked at a slight angle as though considering a difficult problem. Like most of his kind, Varruck seems to be more machine than man. His mouth and throat have been replaced by a metallic grille, and the portions of his arms and legs that emerge from the robe seem covered in mechanical grafts, though the majority of his body is obscured. A spindly Mechadendrite emerges from his back, appearing to be carry some sort of small lascutter, or perhaps a miniaturized las-weapon of some sort. The only part of his body that is both unmistakably human and visible are his face and eyes, which observe with cold dispassion. His voice is slightly metallic in tone, though there is a definite biological component to him. Whatever the machine replacing his throat does, it clearly hasn't completely replaced his voice box. "I am fully trained and authorized in all Munitorum-approved modifications to infantry weaponry. I will undertake all efforts necessary to ensure that the equipment of this unit performs at maximum combat potential. Please submit a list of requirements at your earliest convenience along with your weapon and I shall do all that can be done in the allotted time."

In response to Nathin's comment, the Enginseer replies, "I have not yet been issues a Multi-key adapted for this world's Machine Spirits. I would greatly appreciate if you were to submit a requisition form on my behalf while I am engaged in initial maintenance work."

Finally, with what his not entirely sociable mind sees as the necessary social interactions out of the way, the Enginseer turns his attention to the Chimera, quickly inspecting it while clicking to himself, Servitor in tow. When satisfied with the vehicle's condition (not quite pristine, but close enough that he doesn't feel he can benefit it in the time available), he begins to examine the customization requests brought forwards by his new squad-mates.

[RandomLunatic]

Torin's eyes went wide and he snapped up the flamer, clutching it to his chest. "Nuh-uh," he told the Enginseer. "Last time I gave my gun to a cogboy, he broke it. And I caught hell for it. And I'm not falling for it again."

Status
Wounds: 0/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 60[4]
The Help: 6[4]
URGL: 1(Fire)[?/?]
Frag: 2
Krak: 4

[Elricaltovilla]

Corporal Bringer was already unloading his big, beautiful missile launcher and beginning the inspection. It was probably the only part of the Departmento Munitorum's inspection procedures that he felt was worth listening to, but considering his love for large explosions, it was hardly surprising.

"Anybody got a lho-stick I can bum?" he asked as he scratched the permanent stubble that covered his chin. Corporal Bringer was short, stocky and hairy, he usually kept his upper lip covered by a waxed moustache, but the rest of his face could hardly be kept clean shaven for more than a few hours. "Hey, Private Dipstick, gimme a lho-stick." he said to his browbeaten comrade. Private Dipstick, who would probably be forever trapped with that unfortunate moniker, grudgingly supplied one.

[DaedalusMkV]

The Techpriest looks at Torin for a moment, head cocked again. "Maintenance work on all Regimental equipment is to be performed by Mechanicus Adjutants and designated Armoury staff initiated in the lesser mysteries of the Machine Spirits. Troopers are not authorized to perform unlicensed modifications or maintenance work with the exception of simple field maintenance and benedictions. Private Torin should re-examine all relevent regulations as laid out by his Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer before bringing any concerns to Munitorum officials for proper consideration."

[Caimheul]

"I'll see what I can do, might take a bit of doing though. The munitorum seems to be worried we'd commandeer anything that wasn't on fire and nailed down if they gave us a key to the city." Nathin replies to the enginseer's request, flashing the cogboy a quick smile. "Course, if I'm going to do that for you, I'd be mighty appreciative if'n you could incorporate some metals from my old lev into my las pistol while I'm busy filling out forms..."

[watupwithdat]

He did not really expect the cogboy to tell him that he couldn't, it was more a way to quickly get the foot in the door. He'd prefer to have an optimal performance rifle before setting out. Sub-optimal equals less chance of survival or success.

"Here. Customized grip. Specifics on the slip of parchment." he said as he walked up to the enginseer and handed over his fairly new sniper rifle and a bit of paper with modification details he had prepared during the last bit of the transit to the forge world. The only thing he had managed to fix on it already was the stock, but the grip was still not what he wanted. Now he had a chance of getting it fixed too.

"I'll go try get a few things myself in the meanwhile. Hopefully. They never to seem have what you want anyway. Or want to give it to you." Cronyn scoffed a little and left the squad for now, gesturing to Trenn to keep an eye on his weapon while he was gone.

[Caimheul]

"Bloody bureaucrats." Nathin agrees. "Once you learn who to talk to it get a bit easier though."

[RandomLunatic]

"Weren't you listening?" Torin snapped. "I did give it to a cogboy. He's the one that broke it." He muttered something indecipherable and went back to cleaning.

Status
Wounds: 0/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 60[4]
The Help: 6[4]
URGL: 1(Fire)[?/?]
Frag: 2
Krak: 4

[DrK]

The operator looks at the others as they scurry out towards the supply depots and he shrugs. "Hey Gunz. Fancy getting me one them fancy sharp lasguns them fancy boyz have got?"

Gunz looks at him, flicks the lho stick at him and heads off towards the Ninth and the 51st rifles with a crafty look in his eye.


Check for the long las VS ~35 -some rarity [roll0]
Check for a camo-cloak VS ~35 - rarity [roll1]
Check for a red dot sight VS ~35 - rarity[roll2]



Even as they wander off he looks at the chimera stroking the side of the beast gently as he carefully wipes off some of the mud. "Hey there girl. Just you and me eh?"

Just waiting to head off

[LeSwordfish]

The mustering time rolls around, and with their new toys fixed in their webbing, the squad lined up outside warehouse three. The one with the big three stencilled on it.

"Alright, chaps." Salo began. "We're hitting an unusual target today. An archeological dig, in the city suburbs. Tac intel inside the city says that the dig sites are important to the people. Knock only knows why. Knock only knows why heretics do anything. Anyway, we're going in mounted and armed. Sniper cover from the nearby buildings, while the tanks and foot-mobiles clear the place out. Mostly prefab buildings and tents. Likely minimum resistance."

He pauses and clears his throat. "You'll be assigned extra grenades, and those of you with missile launchers should get a couple of special shells. We'll also be giving each squad an auspex. Scan the area a couple of times with this auspex. Not your vehicle-mounted one, this one. Interference, apparently."

"Any questions?"

Mission Assignment rolls: [roll0] vs 25 +10 (Ordinary) -10 (Violent Impasse) +0 (Minor importance)

[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

A few random rolls

Two degrees of success, you recieve a duplicate item. You each receive: 4 firebombs. As a squad you recieve: 2 mysterious Auspexes, four Scatter missiles. These will be given to you after the end of the briefing.

Common Lore (Tech) roll, from anyone who has it, please.

[watupwithdat]

A dig? Cronyn inserted one of the rounds into the open top the sniper rifle clip and expertly pressed it down into the clip with a low clicking sound.

"How open is this dig if we got sniper support from the nearby buildings?" He pressed another round into the clip with his thumb and threw the now full clip to Trenn to carry. He only carried one of the three extra clips on his person.

"I'm assuming we don't have to go underground to clear the place out?" He didn't feel like going underground in a dig site. It cramped his style.

[LeSwordfish]

"Its a surface dig. One-four meters deep, we believe. No tunnels involved."

[DaedalusMkV]

The Techpriest listens through the briefing silently, holding his dataslate in one hand and taking notes on the mission, though it turns out to be simple enough that there was little need for memory aids to begin with. "They defile the mysteries of this world... Do you have one of the Auspexes in question on hand, Lieutenant? I would like to familiarize myself with its Machine Spirits." The tech-priest seems curious, knowing as he does how difficult it can be to actively interfere with such venerable equipment.


Common Lore (Tech) vs 45. [roll0]

I can also give you tech-use and Forbidden Lore (AdMech), if it'll help at all.

[LeSwordfish]

Salo laughs. "You'll get your chance to play with it when it's given out. But there's nothing special. just a signal booster."

[Caimheul]

The squad's medic only half pays attention to the briefing. Regardless of what the mission is, his job essentially boils down to putting the other soldiers back together again, at least enough that they'll live long enough to reach the medical tent. his right hand rests fondly on his newly customized las pistol, the familiar metals newly incorporated into its frame providing him with a reminder of home. "Any word on what kind of weapons the heretics will be shooting at us El Tee?" he asks, in order to prepare for the kinds of wounds likely to result from a hit.

[watupwithdat]

Cronyn hit the bottom of the clip to make sure it was fastened properly in the rifle. "I'm guessing lasguns. Lots of them, Doc." the sniper interjected with, convinced he was being funny. He really wasn't. He gave Trenn a sour stare when the latter didn't laugh.

[RandomLunatic]

"No, that's a good question. What opposition are we expecting?" Not that intel ever got it right, which did make him wonder why he ever bothered asking.

[LeSwordfish]

"Lasguns is the smart money. Some squad support weapons, most likely stubbers or autocannons. Small chance of light armour. Darien was primarily a civilian forge world but reports from the first front suggest that some areas have been retasked as weapons and armour manufacture. We're facing off against the rearguard, but on the first front, they're reporting stormtrooper-grade gear, heavy artillery, and aircraft that we know for a fact weren't on-planet at the rebellion. I'm not going to lie, sooner or later, some of that will find its way over to our end."

"The gear is of comparable grade to stormtrooper gear." Emestos said. A mid-level magos attached to the command squad's chimera, he had stood almost silently besides Salo. "But the lack of the omnissiah's blessing curses them to inferiority." Emestos's forehead was metal, but his lower face was natural, allowing the squad to see his heavy jowls quiver as he spoke; combined with the wing-like cluster of mechandrites bolted to his shoulder blades, he looked like an angel with the face of a bulldog.

"Though i don't know how much that will affect their battlefield use." Salo offered diplomatically.

[Caimheul]

"Right, so likely just standard battlefield horrors." the medic replies, as he double checks his medkit for the usual treatments of las induced burn wounds, and forcibly created holes in limbs and torsos.

[DrK]

Doyle looks at the others and salutes the Lt before turning back to the chimera. Givinger her a stroke he murmurs "I still reckong your auspex is better sweetheart." Hopping he opens up the drivers console and the navigation cogitator. "Lets get going eh?" and suits the action by hitting the ignition and waiting for the rest of the squad and the sarge to embark.

[LeSwordfish]

Salo looked over the platoon and grunted. "I hope everyone's settling with their mechanicus representative well. You're stuck with them, remember." A small chuckle from the crowd, a dissaproving shift of the mechandrites from Emestos. "Collect your gear from the munitorum depot and meet at muster point nine. Primary vox-channel is four-oh-three, secondary is five-two-two. Objective sheets and maps will be given out with the gear, and may the grace of the god-emperor go with you."

A flurry of salutes. Emestos clicked his hands gently into the cog-wheel symbol.

---

The munitorum depot was a pile of crates set up in one of the larger warehouses, manned by an ex-soldier called Quaggs with an augumetic hip, and a group of servitors. Cronyn offered the requisition chit to Quaggs, who passed a scanner over it and grunted, before turning to the servitors and shouting quick instructions to them. Two began hauling heavy crates of clinking fire-bombs packed in plastek over to Nox Noctis Equa and strapped them onto the outside, another dumped a stack of bulbous scatter missiles into private Dipstick's surprised arms.

"Also, the auspex. I guess you'll be wanting this?" Quaggs offered the auspex to Varuck, who took it eagerly.

"There's one of them already in the box." Harkon called from the chimera, where he'd been checking the box of firebombs, but Quaggs had already turned away to shepherd a group of servitors carrying a pallet of autocannon rounds with gleeful disregard for the laws of physics.

Harkon jogged over to Varuck, and compared auspexes. Both were normal size and shape, but the aerials were heavier and chunkier than most, and they seemed to have at one point been painted Mechanicus red. They didn't have the usual dial for changing modes: just the one setting. Varuck turned it on; it took a second to warm up and then the needle lazily scrolled around the face. Whatever it was searching for, it didn't find it: no contacts were reported.

"This one's broken too." Harkon reported, giving it a slap on the side. "Looks like there's something written on the back."

[RandomLunatic]

Eagerly awaiting the box of Fire Bombs, Torin helped open it up. Noticing the somewhat less-than-functional state of the auspexes, he called to mind the usual rule for dealing with Munitorum. On time, done right, and useful. Pick two. Wisely, Torin kept the minor heresy to himself.

"Well, you got any idea what this hunk of..." Torin started to ask the Enginseer, taking one of the Auspexes and holding up the device facing him/it, but trailed off as he noticed the writing on the bottom. The script reminded him of what he saw growing up in the Noble's estates back on Mordian...

[Caimheul]

"Y'all didn't sign a chit for the spare didja? Might be useful having a replacement should something happen ta the other in the field. Course, if'n our dully appointed Adeptus Mechanicus representative took a notion in their head to pop it open in order ta get a better understanding why these fancy gadgets are supposed ta work better than the one on the Nox, I wouldn't say a word. Observing the proper rituals of course." the medic drawls, wondering if such a device has any intrinsic value that would come in handy for bartering later.

[SlyJohnny]

Sergeant Jarren strolls over to his squad as they prepare the Chimera. He's looking a good deal better since the last time you saw him, writhing on an operating table back on the navy ship. He'd been convalescent after a flamer exploded next to him, leaving him screaming and awash in promethium. Now his blue uniform is neatly pressed and cleaned, and his skin doesn't even have burns or scarring; his muscled frame ripples strangely as he moves. He has a massive, two-handed chainsaw slung over his back, of a type you've sometimes seen the more fanatical priests carry in to battle. They tend to charge enemy tanks with it and get awarded medals of valor posthumously. He wasted his time requisitioning that?

He moves over to Wolfe, clapping him on the shoulder. "Doc, I never did thank you for pulling me out of that mess. Couldn't want for a better medic. You're the salt of the damned planet." he says, his distinctive voice ringing out over the bay. His Mordian accent is a curious blend of underhive dialect and the High Gothic he was taught from birth.

He looks out over his men, and nods. "Gentlemen! It's really good to see you're all still here. I was worried I'd be breaking in a bunch of new blood. In the interests of doing this operation with a lot less fire than previous, I'd like Corporal Doyle to crack open the spare auspex, so he can take a look and tell us all what the hell is going on with it, and why Command thinks our normal gear isn't going to cut the mustard."

He glances over, spotting the new tech-priest, and adds, "...After apologizing to it and supplying the necessary prayers and supplications, of course. Perhaps our new tech-priest would like to assist in this... routine inspection, of our issued gear?"

He's staring impassively at the tech-priest, at this new, strange addition to the well-oiled machine that is his squad of trusted allies, not sure what to make of him.

[DrK]

Doyle looks up as the Sarge wanders back over to the squad. His head popping up out of the viewing slit before he nods and potters across. "What's going eh? A new toy?" His lasgun with a gleaming red dot sight on it he leaves beside the cramped driver's seat.


Tech use [roll0] TN 39



Even as he looks at the auspex he glances up at the Sarge and jerks a finger to the "She's fuelled, loaded and ready to rock"

[RandomLunatic]

"Well, unless I miss my guess, the writing says it's a Gieger-Dieter sensor. Whatever the hell it is supposed to detect can't be good for you, since it helpfully adds that readings above 10u are dangerous to people," Torin said.

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck inspects the special Auspex carefully, turning it over in his hands and even checking for an interface port. He is still deep in thought when Torin chimes in with his own analysis. "Indeed. This device is not a standard Auspex. All standard functionality appears to have been stripped crudely from the device and replaced with this Geiger-Dieter apparatus. It will be entirely useless outside of this function." At the Sergeant's suggestion, the Enginseer bristles. "Sergeant, I hope that 'cracking open' the holy implements assigned to you by the Munitorum is not standard practice in this unit. Destructive examination of such a device would be disrespectful in the extreme to the device's Machine Spirit. Any examination of the device would require at least several hours of careful prayer and benediction before careful disassembly and examination." Clearly, Varuck isn't a supporter of any plan that involves hastily pulling apart one of the machines, even as curious as he is regarding how they work. "Regardless, this device is not comparable to our vehicle's Auspex. It is merely specialized in function. I would not suggest relying on this Auspex for any task unrelated to scanning the mission area as ordered."


If any of my Lore skills apply to figuring out what a Geiger-Dieter counter is, I'll give it a shot here. Common Lore (Tech/AdMech) and Forbidden Lore (AdMech) might get me somewhere.
[roll0] vs TN 45

[watupwithdat]

"So they're sending us in to check for whatever it is that thing checks for? Doesn't change much, as someone's still gotta do it. And if that thing says it's 10 or over whatever-it-is-it-checks-for we know to get the hell out of there." Cronyn was at this point eager to just get out there. He had gotten some modifications done to his new rifle, and now he was itching to use it. He hadn't had a kill in forever and it was kinda noticeable.

"As for me, I'm ready to go." the sniper said as he performed a last weapons check, making sure the moving parts worked as they should since the cogboy had played with the rifle.

[Elricaltovilla]

"My missile launcher finger is getting itchy. Can we go kill some heretics already? I want to try out one of those scatter missiles." Corporal Bringer whined.

[SlyJohnny]

Jarren tilts his head at Varuck, scowling a little.

"We've been without a cogboy for a while, now. In the field, we make do with what we have available, and sometimes, the proper supplications go by the wayside." He gestures to the strange auspex. "You may be comfortable with our commanders handing us some strange device we don't recognize and telling us to rely on it, but I'm not going to trust my people's lives to it unless we know it's going to work."

His expression softens a little, and his voice grows less testy, but still threatening. "Look, engiseer, I'm not going to tell you how to perform your trade. And I don't want to make any affronts against my battlegear. You say this thing isn't a danger to us, and you think it'll do what they say it'll do? Then your word is good enough for me. But if you sign off on that thing and it does something it's not supposed to, and one of my men gets hurt, then I will hold you personally responsible."

He gestures to their map. "If these pits are walled off good, we could approach from the west and be almost on top of them before they sighted us with heavy weapons. Stay away from that bottom building with the second floor, but go speeding past, pump autocannon rounds into the windows and give those lower buildings a touch of the flamer. Soften them up before we disembarked and cleared it room by room. We'd be on the move and armored, they'd only have a few points of fire. Depends on where they are, of course. You think you could get a good position on them with the auspex?"

He picks up the map and turns it upside down, trying to get a sense of the elevation of things, whether the people in the southern building would be able to see the Chimera if it used the northern buildings for cover.

[RandomLunatic]

"Hey, these buildings are made of wood," Torin observed. He slipped a Fire Bomb off his webbing and started tossing it to himself. "Nobody said we had to take it intact, did they?"

[LeSwordfish]

Nox Noctis Equa plowed through the city streets.

This close to a forge, run-off chemicals filled the air, enough to taste sharp and gritty. The streets were buried up to waist depth in the same yellow mud-sludge as had fallen from the sky before.

Run-off thought Varuck. Normally it would be cleaned up, but no-one's doing that now, and with the forge at full capacity...

The chemicals had made the city a wasteland. Burns scorched the walls. Some of the flimsier buildings had collapsed in under the weight of the sludge. All the trappings of a normal imperial suburb seemed incongruous and unreal in these conditions: single-storey buildings like stores and shrines looked abruptly cut-off, and taller buildings oddly truncated. Incredibly, people were living in the city still- wood or metal doors over windows slammed shut as Nox Noctis passed. At one point a stone rattled the housing by Montru's lasgun-port, but they didn't see where it came from.

---

Nearly a klick from their destination, they stopped and let Cronyn out. The sniper and his spotter confirmed the chemicals were safe, at least for short periods of time, and began moving to a firing position on foot. As such, they were the first to see the dig site.

From the crenellated rooftop of a deserted imperial church, the two specialists reported back. The dig site was in a park, cleared of chemicals with heavy machinery. A group of low prefab buildings had been set up, next to the deep holes gouged out of the yellow mud, in which vague shapes were still visible. A trio of sentinels patrolled the ground like flightless birds, bulbous flamer tanks hitched to the sides of two of them. There was a buzz of activity, with multiple soldiers carrying crates and bits of machinery into the buildings, watched over by a trio of heavy-weapon teams.

Cronyn voxed back the information and snuggled into cover, setting his rifle to cover as much ground as possible.

---

When the attack fell, it did so like a thunderbolt. For cover, Nox Noctis Equa and her crew took the last part of the journey in the low confines of the basement of a large vehicle depot. They were travelling at the chimera's not inconsiderable full speed when they hit and burst out of the access ramp, clean into the face of the enemy. The soldiery of the enemy never knew what hit them.

Awareness test from Cronyn please.

[RandomLunatic]

Torin spent most of the ride absorbed with his new toy, practicing loading and unloading the grenade launcher. He was slow and clumsy at first, but anybody paying attention would notice he had gotten pretty proficient by the end of the ride.

The only break was when a rock clattered against the Equa's hull, which brought Torin to his feet in a flash, Lasgun out the firing port and probing for the offender. After a moment, with no target presenting itself, he scowled, sat down, and went back to practicing with the launcher.
0
Torin was all too ready to go as the Chimera ground to a halt, springing to his feet and leaping out even before the boarding ramp had lowered to the ground. In a single move, he grabbed a grenade from his webbing and hurled it over the bolter crew into the building, yelling "Catch!" in lieu of the accepted "Frag out!" He pressed up against the wall, vaguely aware of Natalia right beside him, waiting for the tell-tale wet crump of detonation.

Then he surged towards the door, Lasgun ready to finish off any that survived the murderous hail of shrapnel.

I apologize for the somewhat generalized nature of the moves, since
I do not know exactly where I am going to be ending up.

Turn 1:
Order Comrade to Keep Cohesion (Half) and Ranged Volley (Half)
Half: Dismount
Free: Draw Frag Grenade (Quick Draw!)
Half: Hurl Frag into building. Desired aim point is the top-right corner of the space occupied by the Bolter team.
[roll0] versus 47+10 (Single) + 5 (Volley) + 10 (Inspire)
Scatter [roll1] meters in direction [roll2]
[roll3] damage, RF(ies) [roll4]
EDIT: +4 for Get 'Em and replace 4 with 5 DoS for 18 damage.

Turn 2:
Order Comrade to Keep Cohesion (Half) and Ranged Volley (Half)
Half: Move towards doorway.
Half: Semi-auto anybody still alive on Overcharge. Extra hits will be spread around to other targets.
[roll5] vs 47 + 5 (Volley) + 30 (point-blank assumed) + 10 (Inspire)
Shot 1 [roll6] damage RF [roll7] +4 for Get 'Em
Shot 2 [roll8] damage RF [roll9] +4 for Get 'Em
Shot 3 [roll10] damage RF [roll11]

Status
Wounds: 0/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 54[4]
The Help: 6[4]
URGL: (Fire)
Fire Bomb: 8
Frag: 1
Krak: 4

Natalia: Uninjured

[watupwithdat]

Cronyn and Trenn had taken a prone position on the roof of the imperial church some 60 meters to the southeast of the chimera's planned assault point, from where he had most of the camp in his scope except the western sentinel he had spotted previously and the two furthest buildings on the same side. He figured those buildings the chimera and his squad could handle as they charged in.

The sentinels outfitted with flamers he didn't worry about seeing as their arc of fire was far out of his range, and he mentally prepared a priority list of targets while waiting for the sound of his squad arriving at the park. The long-las, if managing to spot Cronyn, was a liability so that was rather important to take out. Counter-sniping was a good practice any day. The autocannon at the upper window did not have facing towards the chimera's entry point, but it was heavy fire power and therefore an issue. The heavy bolter team at the center building could spray his general area and potentially get a lucky hit, and that he'd not want.

"Spotter Trenn. High priority: Left building, upper window, autocannon. Center building, heavy weapons team. Center building, upper window, long-las. Note their positions for fast acquisition." Trenn's magnoculars swayed over the park as he quickly traced the fastest ways to acquire the targets when called out.

"First target, Long-las. Updated readouts if applicable." Cronyn said. Counter-sniping was the first task of business for today. He relished to pick off other snipers, though this one not very hidden. Perhaps that meant there was something there he could not see. He quickly checked some likely positions with his scope, but saw nothing hidden.

"Range 88 meters, south winds 2 m/s." was Trenn's readout.

Miniscule winds to account for. Good. he thought. "Update me if the winds change. Silence until then." he said, and waited for his squad. They were inbound. He could hear them to his left.

And there was the unmistakable sound of a chimera crashing through some objects, into the camp. Under the cover of that sound he gentle squeezed the trigger of his sniper rifle, the crosshairs lined up at the long-las users head. There was no reason to not go for the fast and sure kill. It was likely the other traitors would not know he had been taken out.

Comrade: Full Action Aim

Full Action: Called Shot (Head)

Weapon Range: 200m
Target: Long-las user in window.

[roll0] vs 108 (48 +10 Accurate, +24 Aim , -10 Called Shot, +5 Custom Grip, +10 Short Range, +30 Unaware target)
3 DoS

[roll1]

Accurate damage
2 DoS: +[roll2]
[S]4 DoS: +[roll3]

Total damage: 18 I, Pen 3, to the head.

[SlyJohnny]

"Evasive pattern approach. Squad, stand by to disembark. Autocannon, centre on target, account for elevation. Fire through cover. Three rounds rapid!"

Jarren intones, as he has many times before. He sounds alert, but unruffled. It's like a drill to him. A sense of familiarity settles over the well-disciplined Mordians as they fire the vehicle's weapons or deploy.

"Driver, report all movements of the sentinel with the multilaser until ordered otherwise. Who is on the flamer?"

Jarren runs a hand along the blade of his new eviscerator, staring at the door of the chimera with anticipation.

Inspire command test vs 73 [roll0] (I assume I'm at +30 to Inspire my own squad of boisterous, enthusiastic professionals, but maybe Inspire rolls are all Challenging at +0? Not clear on this point.) If successful SUCCESS, regardless of previous question; everyone is at +10 to their rolls until my next turn. :)

Get Them! Command test vs 43 [roll1] If successful SUCCESS; everyone whose comrade uses Ranged Volley or Close Quarters gets +4 damage to all their successful attacks until my next turn.

These bonuses applies to everyone except Varuck and Cronyn, and Varuck, too, if he elects to delay until my turn. If Varuck does not delay, he will receive it next round before my turn, in any event.

[DaedalusMkV]

After noting that the unit's Chimera has no assigned gunner, Varuck takes up the seat in the Autocannon's turret mounting, interfacing himself with the vehicle's Machine Spirit and taking direct control via his Mind Impulse Unit, negating the need to resort to such crude measures as using the physical controls at all. His Mechadendrite barely fits in the enclosed area, folded back against his side, but he shows no reaction to the likely uncomfortable pose. "Confirmed, Sergeant. Targetting the enemy walker, automatic fire." He snaps off a response to Jarren's order, having waited for a battle-plan before opening fire on his own. With a quick mental nudge he retargets the Chimera's Autocannon to the visible enemy Sentinel and opens fire, the Autocannon beginning to spit heavy-calibre shells at his target.


I will delay until after the Sergeant, since it doesn't really cost us anything and it would be in-character for Varuck to wait for orders.

Half-action to Aim at the Sentinel, then fire at it Semi-automatic. Technically I could use my Servitor to make a Volley attack to boost my BS for this, but that doesn't make any sense to me so I'm not going to do it.

BS Test: [roll0] vs 37+10(MIU)+10(Aim)+10(Inspire)+10(Hulking)+10(With in half range of the Autocannon) (TN 87).

Damage 1 (1 DOS): [roll1] +8, (22 Damage) Pen 6
Damage 2 (3 DOS): [roll2] +8, (22 Damage) Pen 6
Damage 3 (5 DOS): [roll3] +8, (17 Damage) Pen 6

Edit: 5 Degrees of Success, all shots hit the target. Sadly, no Righteous Fury. In fact, those are some seriously sub-standard Damage rolls... I hope that we're hitting them on the side or these aren't as well armoured as real Sentinels, or that was pathetically ineffective.

[Caimheul]

"Remember, no heroics. I don't want ta have to carry all my damn equipment myself." Doc mutters to his corpsman before the back ramp of the chimera falls open. More concerned with moving into the building than hitting a target, the medic lets loose a spray of fire in the general direction of the enemy in the first floor of the building the squad is moving towards.



Comrade: Half action Keep Cohesion + Half Action Ranged Volley

Doc:
Half action move, half action semi-auto

[roll0] TN 91 (36 + 5 Ranged Volley + 10 Short Range + 10 Inspire + 30 Surprise round)

Damage 1: [roll1] +4
Damage 2: [roll2] +4?
To the body
Damage 3: [roll3]
So one Two hits, One of which causes a Critical hit effect!

[DrK]

Doyle floors the accelerator as the sprawling dig site hoves into view and floors the accelator as the Nox lurches forward grinding over the semi toxid hardened sludge that dominates the lanscape here.

As the building rapdily gets closer to him he calls over the vox... "Dismount in 5..... 3....2....1... Opening" before he punches the ramp open button.

As the squad begins to disengage he nods across at the heavy flamer operating. Man by the building. Straight ahead. Waste him!"


Drive chimera and stop in the shadow of the SW building. Keeping the nose of the chimera tucked in to not gte a flank shot from the Eastern sentinels.

Gunner comrade fires Heavy flamer at building in front of us and the people we can just see.



Gunz looks across from the heavy flamer controls a look of satisfication as he views the grenade launcher armed man and his colleague in the flimsy building some 20m ahead.... THe massive rolling cloud of promethium rolls over them engulfing them and the business in a vast cloud of savage roaring flames.


Heavy flamer damage [roll0] PEN 4

[SlyJohnny]

Jarren smiles, giving the engiseer a slap on the shoulder (or whatever part he can actually reach) as he passes the ladder to the turret. "Fine shooting, Varuck! Fine shooting. Give him another burst. Refocus aim. Check autoloader is clear. Fire for effect!" says.

He gesturing to the older, silent soldier who lingers at his side, motioning him out. Rory grunts in acknowledgement, checks the safety on his lasgun. He looks pensive, but grim and determined.

"We are deploying, people. Standard-order firing drill Kappa. Watch the windows. Maintain squad coherency." he intones, even as the soldiers in front of him are already spilling out of the chimera.

"Cronyn, do you have eyes on the enemy autocannon? Tell us when they reposition. Corporal Bringer, think you can put a missile into that upper building with the grenade launcher? We don't want any nasty surprises from him."

Jarren exits the Chimera slowly, looking around to check the squads formation. Rory follows him, lasgun sweeping this way and that.

Inspire command test vs 73 [roll0] (I assume I'm at +30 to Inspire my own squad of boisterous, enthusiastic professionals, but maybe Inspire rolls are all Challenging at +0? Not clear on this point.) If successful, everyone is at +10 to their rolls on our second turn (the first "real", non-surprise round) until my next turn.

Get Them! Command test vs 43 [roll1] If successful, everyone whose comrade uses Ranged Volley or Close Quarters gets +4 damage to all their successful attacks on our second turn (the first "real", non-surprise round) until my next turn.

Applies to everyone except Cronyn.

[watupwithdat]

"Impact right temple, penetrating hit. Seems incapacitated for out for the moment, might need a finishing shot later." Trenn reported as Cronyn was handling the recoil expertly and regaining his bearings through the telescopic sight.

"That's fine. Acquire autocannon." he said as he swayed his rifle over a bit to the left, and found the autocannon wielder in his scope, awaiting targetting information.

"85 meters. 3 m/s southwest wind." his spotter said, and Cronyn needed not adjust from his previous shot. He squeezed off another shot shot at a target's head, intending to not need more.

Then the question from his sergeant came in. "Got him in my scope now, sarge."

Comrade: Full Action Aim

Full Action: Called Shot (Head)

Weapon Range: 200m
Target: Autocannon operator

[roll0] vs 107/87 (48 +10 Accurate, +24 Aim [Spotter], -10 Called Shot, +5 Custom Grip, +10 Short Range, +30 Unaware target?)

4 DoS if the target is unaware (which I believe he is, even though it's not a surprise round anymore: I don't think he knows there's a sniper shooting at him, but I suppose he gets an awareness test to notice that from the previous shot with the -20 to notice at only half range as per the Silencer write-up?), 2 DoS otherwise.

[roll1]

Accurate damage
2 DoS: +[roll2]
4 DoS: +[roll3]

If target unaware: Total damage: 21 I, Pen 3, to the head
If target not unaware: Total damage: 13 I, Pen 3, to the head

[LeSwordfish]

The first shot of the second front hit PDF trooper Jennek Varls in the temple, and blew a fist-sized chunk of of his flak helmet and head away. Varls had been inspecting the dig sites but staggered backward, screaming in pain, bleeding profusely, his heels drumming on the tin roof of the building he stood atop. All hell broke loose.

Even as the chimera drove forward, Mothru, Natalia, Wolfe, and Mord stormed down the ramp. Perfect combat drill took over, Natalia and Mord laying down focussed storms of firepower as Mothru unshipped a grenade and rolled it smartly through the doorway. Half the front of the building was blown out in a storm of splinters and blood-mist. The gunner and loader of the heavy bolter were flayed, and writhed screaming until Wolfe, firing from the hip, made the first two kills of the Second Front. The interior of the building was a swirling mess of debris and chem-dust.

Doyle rammed the Chimera forward as Varuck brought the autocannon to bear. Heavy-calibre rounds tore the nearest Sentinel, shattering the glass canopy and blowing - if Varuck was any expert, and he thought he was- the left Hydraulic rocitor out, gusting boiling water over the driver. Below him, Gunz laughed as he washed the next building down. At least one human torch blundered screaming from the door, ammo-packs cooking off in violent flashes across his chest.

Operation Shatter had begun.

[DrK]

Doyle smiles at the carnage as he see the building to his right explode in a hail of grenade and las fire. The flames washing over the building and the sentinel toppling sideways trailing smoke and oil also made him feel happy.

"Nox moving. Advance 6m. Turret gunner to ware any armour. Waste em Magos..."

Suiting actions to words the the chimera grumbles forward slightly, the long tracks swivelling to rotate the chimera down the wreckage of the street. Looking out he can see a few enemy soldiers scattered about and what he thinks is the shadow of an enemy sentinel at the corner...


I'll move ~3m forward and then rotate to keep my front armour facing down the street.
-- Can the turret see the Sentinel at the edge of the far corner?


Seeing the barrel of the heavy bolter poking from the building a few metres away he points to Gunz. "Toast those mother f*ck*rs." Again Gunz complies happily, the glow of his lho stick a poor cousin to the wall of flame that enguls the building and the heavy bolter team...



Toast the building again and the heavy bolter team.
Damage [roll0] PEN 4

[DaedalusMkV]

The Tech-priest clicks his mechanical voice-box at the damage inflicted on the enemy Sentinel. Not quite sufficient, but there's little he can do about the vagaries of fortune. "Acknowledged, driver. Adjusting aim." His response is precise as he adjusts for the Chimera's movement and triggers another burst from the vehicle's Autocannon, aiming to put the first enemy vehicle out of commission permanently.


Half Action Aim, then Semi-Auto Burst targetting the damaged Sentinel.

BS Test: [roll0] vs TN 88 (38+10(MIU)+10(Aim)+10(Half Range)+20(Massive target)+10(Sarge)-10(Moved)

Damage 1: [roll1]+8, Pen 6.
Damage 2 (3 DOS): [roll2]+8, Pen 6.
Damage 3 (5 DOS): [roll3]+8, Pen 6.

Edit: 5 DOS. All shots hit to the Hull. Enemy Sentinel goes kablooey in a big way.

[Caimheul]

"By the Golden Throne, clear the ground floor!" the medic yells as he continues advancing while firing.

Comrade: Keep Cohesion (Half), Ranged Volley (Half)
Half action move into ground floor
Half action semi auto on nearest living target [roll0] TN 51/61/71/81 Depending on the state of the target (36 + 5 Ranged Voley + 10 Short Range + 10 Inspire + 20 if Stunned -10 if Prone)
[roll1] If RF [roll2]
At BEST one hit. *sigh*
[roll3] if RF [roll4]
[roll5] if RF [roll6]


Status:

Wounds: 10/10
Critical Damage: 0
Fatigue: 0/3
Lasgun: 57/60 Current Power pack
Spare: 3/3
Laspistol: 30/30
Spare: 1/1


Comrade (Mord):
Uninjured

[LeSwordfish]

Even as the seperatists sluggishly began to react, the drilling and discipline of the Mordians continued to take a toll on them. Leaving his first target writhing and staggering, blood staining his mustard-yellow armour, Cronyn swept across and slammed a round into the neck of the Autocannon's gunner, who writhed in pain. His loader dragged him and the heavy gun back into cover- or, at least, what he thought was cover...

---

Below, Montru leapt up onto the deck of the building. The interior had been an office of some kind, perhaps, but the furniture had been reduced to matchwood and papers were swirling, leaving burning traces in the dust. For good measure Montru and Wolfe both swept the building with lasfire, and were forced to duck back as a secondary explosion rocked the office on its foundations. The building creaked ominously- by the look of it at least one supporting joist had been blown out. The heavy support beam that held up the roof certainly seemed to be deeply cracked...

---

Doyle nosed the chimera carefully around the edge of the building as Gunz swept the flamer across the building ahead again. Glass in the windows shattered from the heat, paint peeled, and the unfortunate target of both blasts of flame staggered from the building to collapse in front of the chimera's tracks. Gunz cursed as the seperatist armed with the chunky grenade launcher dodged the flames, as Varuck opened fire again on the sentinel. The driver had barely fixed the pipe-leak before a round larger than his thumb had penetrated the power-pack of the multilaser and detonated with enough force to atomise the walker and tear chunks out of the buildings and ground around it.

Stone fragments the size of fists rained down on the chimera. Heavy bolter rounds swatted past the turret, and Markus' eye was drawn inevitably to the pair of walkers gamely stumbling towards them, pilot lights glittering on their flame weapons, heavy black tanks bouncing on their backs.

[watupwithdat]

"Got him in the neck, sir. Not fatal. Adjust elevation." Trenn said, barely audible due to a large explosion on the other side of the camp buildings, as Cronyn found his target in the scope again following an unusually untamed recoil of his high-powered rifle. This time he did not go for the head though, and instead lined up a shot for centre body mass and quickly pulled the trigger to take his target out.

"Autocannon dealt with, sarge. Just one of 'em are gonna have issues handling that thing." Cronyn voxed over the communication channel as he shifted his sights over to the right again, not realising the building could be crashing down soon anyway.

"Sniper status?" he asked Trenn, considering taking out one of the sentinels before they could fire at the chimera instead of finishing off the reeling long-las operator.


Comrade: Full Action Aim

Half Action: Standard Attack

Weapon Range: 200m
Target: Autocannon

[roll0] vs 107 (48 +10 Accurate, +24 Aim , +10 Standard Attack, +5 Custom Grip, +10 Short Range)

Damage: [roll1]
[S]ZH: [roll2]

Accurate damage
2 DoS: +[roll3]
4 DoS: +[roll4]

Total damage: 17 I, Pen 3, to the right leg.

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck allows himself a moment of satisfaction as his target lights up and detonates in a rush of fire and force. "Target eliminated. 0% chance of survival." As the enemy's second set of Sentinels rounds the corner into line of sight of his turret, the Enginseer refocuses on them. "New target acquired. Engaging enemy Walkers." Once again he triggers his Mind Impulse Unit, operating the vehicle's Autocannon more like an extension of his body than a proper weapon, settles the targetting matrix on the front Sentinel, then triggers another hail of deadly armour-piercing shells.


Once again, Aim and trigger a Semi-Auto burst at the lead Heavy Flamer Sent-equivalent. I'm not sure if I'll have Sarge's boost this turn, but if he does choose to use it add +10 to the following.

BS Test: [roll0] vs TN 87 (37+10(MIU)+10(Half Range)+10(Aim)+20(Massive Target)

Damage 1: [roll1] plus 8, Pen 6
Damage 2 (3 DOS): [roll2] plus 8, Pen 6
Damage 3 (5 DOS): [roll3] plus 8, Pen 6

Edit: 7 DOS, every attack hits. Increasing the 5 on the first attack to a 7, attack 1 is also Righteous Fury and deals 12 points of Damage to the Sentinel's SI. Attack 2 deals 3 Damage. Attack 3 deals 9. Total Critical Damage is 1d5, then 6. Rolling the Righteous Fury result in the OOC.

Edit: First, the crewman takes 1d10+6 Impact Damage and a level of Fatigue from the Righteous Fury ripping apart the cockpit, then it explodes a little bit causing an additional 1d10+6 Explosive damage to the crewman, another level of Fatigue and he must take an Ag test or catch fire. The Sentinel is now on fire.

[DrK]

Swivelling the small drivers view screen Doyle saw the two walkers begun to move towards him. "Enginseer. Walkers appro...." Even as he speaks over the chimera comm link the Nox shakes slightly as the turret barks and the massive shells leave fire and smoke pouring out the sentinel's cockpit.

Activating the squad wide microbead he speaks loudly hoping the assault team or sniper can hear him. "Advancing towards enemy walkers. Nox needs cover from that autocannon. Possibly escapee through rear of burning building."

After he speaks he shouts across to Gunz - "Full pressure to promtheium burners... roast em' all Gunz. Let 'em burn in the Emperors Holy barbeque" Gunz continues t spray liquid fire everywhere coating the front of another building with dripping fire before shifting fire to soak both walkers and the hapless man behind them in a rain of liquid fire.



Turn 45 degree right and drive ~ 15m/square down the centre of the street.
Then fire the Heavy flamer. With its full 30m range we'll be aiming to get the heavy bolter team but I think that the spray burst should also cover both sentinels and also the guy standing behind the second one. 30m is a hell of a fire spray!

- Damage [roll0] PEN 4against the enemies

[Caimheul]

"Me and Torin'll make sure that autocannon can't be used any more." Wolfe responds to the driver. Switching off his microbead, he yells over at Torin. "Take too fraking long ta get to the top floor, let's bring the house down. We can take cover in tha rubble."

Comrade: Half action maintain cohesion
Full action move to the south east, basically trying to maintain formation with Torin

[RandomLunatic]

"And how are we-" Torin started to ask, but trailed off as he spotted the cracked support. "Right," he said as a smile spread a cross his face. "Shoot that!" he told Natalia, and as the lasgun spoke, Torin unhooked a krak grenade from his webbing and and hurled it into an undamaged portion of the same beam in a single whipcrack motion. Then he started running away from the doomed structure. "Going down!" he yelled.

Order Comrade to Keep Cohesion and Ranged Volley
Free: Draw Krak Grenade
Half: Throw at damaged beam. [roll0] versus 48+10 (standard) + 10 (going to aim it at some point within Short Range) + 5 (Volley)
[rollv=2d10]+4, Pen 6. RF [roll1]
Half: Move SE away from the building.

Status
Wounds: 0/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 54[4]
The Help: 6[4]
URGL: (Fire)
Fire Bomb: 8
Frag: 1
Krak: 3

Natalia: Uninjured

[SlyJohnny]

"Yes! Perfect deployment, men! Keep the fire on! Burn, you worthless traitors! BURN!"

Jarren moves to the bottom-right corner of the building, motioning Rory to follow him and revving his eviscerator's power core. The dancing promethium flames reflect in his eyes and illuminate his face. For a second, his twisted grin leers out, and draws himself up and seems to loom, daemonic and crazed, before the flame flickers back and he just looks grim and determined. A trick of the light.


Get Them! Command test vs 43 [roll0] If successful, everyone whose comrade uses Ranged Volley or Close Quarters gets +4 damage to all their successful attacks until my next turn.

Frenzy this round, after Get Them! attempt.

[LeSwordfish]

Even as Cronyn's shot shattered the leg and ended the life of the autocannon operator, Montru hurled another grenade, slamming a Krak into the supports of the building. The detonation shredded the flakboard and sheet-metal construction, and with a screech of tearing metal the walls began to collapse outwards. One broke over the chimera, and Wolfe and Montru had to dive away as several tons of shattering wood fell towards them.

A chunk of corrugated metal nearly as long as a bayonet pinwheeled out of the wreckage, missing Natalia's face by a hands breadth and slamming into Montru's leg just above the knee- the flak armour stopped it, mostly, but he still had to grunt in pain as it dug into his leg.

---

Ignoring the wreckage Doyle hurled the chimera forward, sending sheets of corrugated iron scattering. Jarren leapt out of the back, and jogged towards the other footsloggers, eviscerator buzzing.

Markus's shooting proved true again, but this time it was Gunz who did the damage, sweeping the flamer across in an arc that seemingly encompassed the whole battlefield. The first sentinel was caught in the inferno, and the stressed fuel tank, already damaged, went up in a sheet of flame. Doyle shielded his eyes from the glare through the viewpoint; Harkon, manning the auspexes, grinned.

"Multiple targets down. One sentinel killed, one burned to frak. To the left, more contacts approaching- sek, he's got a laun-"

The Krak grenade slammed heavily against the skirts of Nox Noctis and exploded. The armour seemed unpenetrated, but the heavy tank shifted on her tracks and Doyle, Gunz, and Harkon were thrown down. Harkon was standing and took the worst of it, slamming heavily against an ammo-case, spitting out teeth. In the turret, Markus grimaced as the MIU threw the machine's pain into him: it felt like he'd been shot in the arm, so much that he was almost sure if he looked, he'd see a welt or bruise.

[SlyJohnny]

Something about the flames has stirred something inside Jarren, and he dashes forward, breaking formation with his squad.

"Filthy traitors! You think you can just abandon your duty and escape the Emperor's retribution? YOU THINK WRONG, YOU FRAGGIN' HERETICS, YOU THINK WRONG!" he roars. His body is arched low to the ground as he dashes, trying to use the burning building in front of him as cover for his approach, but that's the only concession he's making towards sanity or self-preservation.

Adjutant Rory was huddled down in the rubble beside him, and looks up in alarm as the sergeant leaps out of cover and sprints towards the general direction of the enemy. The older soldier was carefully sighting down his lasgun, but abandons it as he takes off after his squad leader.

"Sir? Sir, what are you doing? Get your damn fool head down before some sniper takes it off, Sergeant!" He barks, running after Jarren and aiming to tackle him.


Get Them! Command test vs 23 [roll0] If successful, everyone whose comrade uses Ranged Volley or Close Quarters gets +4 damage to all their successful attacks until my next turn.

Running up towards the burnt building, trying to use it as cover. Enemy at -20 BS and +20 WS to hit me due to run action; I'm not sure if the ruined building or the blaze provides any kind of cover or concealment.

[watupwithdat]

Whoever was on the flamer had gotten some lucky shots off, considering the destruction in the camp right about now. Cronyn most likely did not have to finish off the long las operator with that blast.

The squad's sniper had to mentally update his priority list seeing as most on it was dead following the large blast. The right flank had been largely untouched, simple guardsmen with las weaponry had been there. He swayed his sights right to check them.

"New personnel incoming from above chimera sir! I see a melta!" Trenn more or less shouted in his ear after the loud series of explosions. "91 meters melta! 90!"

"Sh-" was all Cronyn had time to say as he arced his rifle left and quickly lined it up above the chimera to cover it from its flank. He quickly acquired the melta-wielding traitor in his sights. If that melta has time to go off on the chimera, it could very likely do some damage considering the close range. He needed to take him down, fast. The possibility of a high damage headshot was his best bet. With minor adjustment he squeezed off a round at the advancing melta user.

Comrade: Full Action Aim

Full Action: Called Shot (Head)

Weapon Range: 200m
Target: Melta user closest to chimera

[roll0] vs 87 (48 +10 Accurate, +24 Aim , -10 Called Shot, +5 Custom Grip, +10 Short Range)

Damage: [roll1]
[S]ZH: [roll2]

Accurate damage
2 DoS: +[roll3]
4 DoS: +[roll4]

Total damage: 16 I, Pen 3, to the head.

-30 to evade the shot if the melta guy can't see Cronyn.

[DrK]

"Frack me!" The profanity erupting Doyle loudly over the vox net even as the multiple explosions tore through the street ahead as the sentinels erupted in colossal chain fireballs.

THe chimera shaking under the impact of the grenade threw him off balance for a second but as he regripped the steering yokes the Nox didn't feel off balance or damaged. On the vox net he barked a request, a request that increased in urgency as the external feeds picked up the melta trooper and the onrushing posse of enemy that Harkon had noticed. " Grenade trooper buskwacked us. He's got some friends including one with a hot gun. Someone waste 'em before he cooks us."

Jamming back the left tracks and ramming hard forward on the right he spun the Nox on its axis before jamming her into reverse sliding between a thin wall the crumbling ruins of the destroyed building. THe thick soke and explosions creating a vision of hell through the thin viewing slit...

On the private channel within the chimera's armoured shell. "Gunz, enginseer, waste those mother frakkers." Gunz, still silent, lights another lho stick off the last one as the chain smoking gunner continues to lay down fire. This time a wall of fire pouring down the street covering all 4 of the advancing enemy. A particular focus on the melta trooper giving him special attention...


Rotate 90 degree to the left and reverse ~7-10m
Heavy Flamer straight North wasting all 4 of the enemy
Damage [roll0] PEN

Grenade launcher dodge [roll1] -if hit does he catch fire [roll2]
Melta dodge [roll3] -if hit does he catch fire [roll4]
trooper 1 dodge [roll5] -if hit does he catch fire [roll6]
trooper 2 dodge [roll7] -if hit does he catch fire [roll8]

[RandomLunatic]

"HahaAHH!" Torin said as a piece of shrapnel punched through his armor, bringing him to a knee. Gritting his teeth and growling, he pushed himself upright and limped towards the settling remains, leaning against a snapped pillar for support. As the squad's Chimera reversed, he saw him-a lone secessionist standing out in the open. Shouldering his lasgun, Torin started cranking off shots-nothing helped a bad mood quite like spreading it around.

Going to wait for the Chimera DrK to move the Chimera before taking my turn.
Order Comrade to Keep Cohesion and Hail Of Fire.
Half: Move NE into the ruins.
Half: Semi-auto that lone guy up just NE of the big explosion so he does not feel left out. On overcharge.
[roll0] versus 47+10 (Short range)
[roll1] Pen 0. RF [roll2]. Replace roll with DoS for 7 damage Pen 0.
[roll3] Pen 0. RF [roll4]
[roll5] Pen 0. RF [roll6]
And, hit or miss, he must roll a WP +0 for [roll7]

Status
Wounds: 3/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 48[4]
The Help: 6[4]
URGL: (Fire)
Fire Bomb: 8
Frag: 1
Krak: 3

Natalia: Uninjured

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck would have grimaced as the Krak grenade detonated against his armoured steed's hull, if he were physically capable of such, but he quickly recovers and turns his focus from the burning husks of the enemy's ruined Walkers and quickly notes the presence of the enemy special weapons moving to attack the Nox Noctis Equa. He quickly sights on the targets then triggers another burst of armour-piercing shells, sweeping across the enemy formation in an attempt to eliminate as many of them as he possibly can.


Aim, then Semi-Auto Burst. First targetting the Melta trooper. Any extra hits will be allocated to one of the other nearby enemies, though I don't expect as many of them as I was managing against the Sentinels.

BS Test: [roll0] vs TN 58 (38+10(Half Range)+10(Aim)+10(MIU)-10(Vehicle moved at combat speed). Yeah, that's nowhere near as good as before... Oh well, not much to do about it.

Damage 1: [roll1] plus 8, Pen 6 (If Righteous Fury, [roll2])
Damage 2 (3 DOS): [roll3] plus 8, Pen 6 (If Righteous Fury, [roll4])
Damage 1 (5 DOS): [roll5] plus 8, Pen 6 ((If Righteous Fury, [roll6])

Edit: full-on failure. Oh well, fingers crossed that between them Cronyn and Gunz took down the melta-guy.

[Caimheul]

"Bah, if you're still standing, it's only a flesh wound!" Wolfe calls out to Torin as he moves in the general direction of the wounded guardsman, snapping a shot off at one of the traitors.

Comrade: Maintain Cohesion and Hail of Fire
Half action move into the ruins
Half action single shot at same target as RandomLunatic
[roll0] TN 56 (36 +10 + 10 Short range)
[roll1] RF jic: [roll2]

Status:
Wounds: 10/10
Critical Damage: 0
Fatigue: 0/3
Lasgun: 53/60 Current Power pack
Spare: 3/3
Laspistol: 30/30
Spare: 1/1

[LeSwordfish]

Even as the melta-trooper raised and sighted down his deadly weapon, a hard-round from Cronyn smashed into his visor and he dropped to his knees, scrabbling at a shattered jaw. Into him and his companions slammed all the fury of an Imperial APC in the prime of her power: when the flames had cleared one man was a screaming torch, and another was down and burning. Of the meltagunner and his volatile cargo there was no sign, but a patch of ground fused into black glass.

---

Jarren slammed against the last scrap of unburnt building, fury roiling through him. The second it took him to check where the nearest foe was was long enough for one of them to get a bead on him, and he was forced to dodge as a heavy spray of sizzling lasrounds showered through the building, knocking cardboard and wood boxes off tables and into the inferno. One of the enemy reinforcements had escaped the flames, and was slamming las-rounds into the building around him and Rory at an alarming rate.

---

Montu and Wolfe both darted forward into the wreckage, snapping off shots at one of the further seperatists. He staggered, so obviously one of them had scored a hit, but it seemed not to be fatal as he regained balance and ducked into the cover of the east-most office building. Montru slipped into the cover of a wrecked flight of stairs, and was just lining up another shot when the railing over his head shattered, dousing him in splinters. Two more hard-rounds had thumped into the cover before he ascertained their source: obviously someone from upstairs had survived the fall and was taking shots from partially hidden under the rubble. Collapsing through an exploding building hadn't done anything for their aim, it seemed.

[Caimheul]

"We drop a building on you, and you don't even have the decency to die?" Wofle shouts as he and Mord lay down suppressing fire on the survivor of the autocannon team.

Comrade: Maintain Cohesion, Hail of Fire
Suppressing fire forces anyone in the "target area" to take a -10 WP test or become pinned.
[roll0] TN 31 (36 +10 Short Range +5 Hail of Fire -20 Supressing Fire)
[roll1] RF [roll2] +4 for order = 11
[roll3] RF [roll4]
[roll5] RF [roll6]

Okay... so single shot misses but pray and spray worked? O.o

[watupwithdat]

It had been hard to miss the melta trooper exploding before getting a shot off. Whoever was operating the flamer on the chimera had been fast enough to finish him off after Cronyn's shot took the traitor down to his knees. The list of enemy combatants became smaller and smaller in a short period of time, the flames and chain explosions causing quite some mayhem.

"Priority target?" Cronyn asked his spotter, who was more likely to get a quicker overview of the camp with his magnoculars and therefore what could be the highest risk to his squad there. The remnants of the traitors around the chimera was probably not a priority, he thought.

"Twelve o'clock, right side building. 87 meters." Trenn had spotted one of the troopers taking cover from the las barrage from someone. Cronyn found the visibile parts of the traitor in his scope, only the head and the arm reliable targets. He found the head in his crosshairs, exhaled and pulled the trigger.


Comrade: Full Action Aim

Full Action: Called Shot (Head)

Weapon Range: 200m
Target: traitor taking cover at the middle right building

[roll0] vs 87 (48 +10 Accurate, +24 Aim , -10 Called Shot, +5 Custom Grip, +10 Short Range)

Damage: [S][roll1] Replacing with 3 DoS for 7 damage.
ZH: [roll2]

Accurate damage
2 DoS: +[roll3]
4 DoS: +[roll4]

Total damage: 14 I, Pen 3, to the head.

[SlyJohnny]

"Yes! Ahahaha! Forward, men! Do not allow the enemy to flank or disengage! DIE, traitors! DIE, DIE!" Jarren shouts into his vox-link. He turns to Rory. "Adjutant, on me! Affix bayonet, we close with the enemy!"

"Sergeant, we're too far ahead of the squad and we're being shot at! Stay in cover until the rest of our fireteam can reach us! Sergeant? Sarge- damnation!" Rory curses, as Jarren rises and goes racing forward towards the man who shot at him. The older trooper starts after him, disregarding the order to ready his bayonet. He tries to tackle the man the sergeant is charging, before the idiot gets himself shot.

Jarren rounds the corner of the building and runs screaming towards the gunman, aiming to cut him neatly in half.


Get Them! Command test vs 23 [roll0] If successful, everyone whose comrade uses Ranged Volley or Close Quarters gets +4 damage to all their successful attacks until my next turn.

Comrade Order: Close Quarters

Charging melee attack, [roll1] vs 78 or 88 (+20 Charge, +10 Ganging Up, +10 or 20 Double Team. Does my comrade also have Double Team as part of the bonus talents for our Regiment? If so, it's TN 88.)

[roll2] +4 R damage (dropping lowest), Pen 9, Razor-Sharp, Tearing.
Three or more Degrees of Success doubles Pen when resolving the hit. Bleh! A miserable failure on all counts.

[DrK]

The dead piling up around the Nox is an encouraging sight. Even more so as the melta toting trooper just explodes from the head shot and the wall of flame that consumes him.

"Doyle to squad, moving to support the sarge. He's looking awfully lonely." Depressing the clutch he slowly chugs forward ~12m. "Man you know what to do." he mutters to gunz and again the vast gout of fire reaches out to consume the grenade launcher. "Bets leave that other gyu for the sarge eh?"


Move 10m forward and toast the grenade launcher
damage [roll0] Pen 4
- dodge [roll1] if hit does he catch fire [roll2]

[RandomLunatic]

Torin ducked behind the ruined staircase as shots started crashing into the wood around him. Then the bulets let up as Wolfe and Mord started laying down suppressing fire from the other side, and Torin started picking his way through the rubble towards the source of the shots, Natalia behind him. "Check fire, check fire, I've got the frakker," he hissed into the Vox and then leaped on the half-buried soldier with bayonet and steel-toed boots.

Order Comrade to Keep Cohesion and CQB.

Full: Charge the guy in the rubble.
[roll0] vs 32 +20 (Charge) + 10 (Target Prone) + 20 (CQB + Double Team) - 10 (Rough Terrain) + 10 (Try and take Higher Ground if possible-should be easy enough in rubble)
[roll1] Primitive (8), Pen 0, RF [roll2]

Status
Wounds: 3/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 48[4]
The Help: 6[4]
URGL: (Fire)
Fire Bomb: 8
Frag: 1
Krak: 3

Natalia: Uninjured

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck scans the battlefield, both with the Chimera's Auspex and through his own field of view from the vehicle's turret. Noting no more active heavy weapons, vehicles or anti-tank specialists he ceases fire with the vehicle's heavy turret, allowing its quickly-heating barrel to begin to cool down. "All enemy hard targets neutralized. Continued use of this weapon wastes resources. Engaging with personal weaponry." With a burst of willpower from his MIU he disengages from the Chimera's turret systems and orders his Servitor to begin manning one of the vehicle's fire ports, then pops the turret's hatch, climbs up enough to get a view of the battlefield and opens fire on the enemy with his Lasgun, Mechadendrite maneuvring independently to engage a separate target.


Comrade: Half action to Ranged Volley. That's it.

Varuck: Pop the hatch on the Chimera, then Aim at the in-cover lasgunner who fired at the Sergeant and fire a Single Shot in Overload mode as a Half Action, then fire my Weapon Mechadendrite as a Reaction against any target still standing at that point, prioritizing the Grenadier.

BS targetting Trooper 1: [roll0] vs TN 78 (38+10(Aim)+10(Half Range)+5(Ranged Volley)+5(Customized Grip)+10(Single Shot))

Damage: [roll1], Pen 2. Righteous Fury: [roll2]

Edit: Hit, but to a covered location. Still, probably doing at least a bit of damage since it's just wood giving him cover, and that means the Righteous Fury applies.

Mechadendrite:
BS Test: [roll3] vs TN 53 (38+10(MIU)+5(Ranged Volley)) -Outright miss.
Damage: [roll4], Pen 0. Righteous Fury: [roll5]

Yeah, the mechadendrite isn't all that great. But Varuck is pathetic at Dodging, so eh.

[LeSwordfish]

As Varuck raised himself from the Chimera's hatch, he was unaware of the separatist trooper leaning around the corner of the further building, taking careful aim with his autogun. The trooper aligned his crosshairs with the red hood, breathed in...

...and was slammed back against the wood behind him by a careful shot to the side of the head by Cronyn, dazed, spitting teeth, blood pouring from his mouth.

---

The seperatist behind the building sidestepped Varuck's sizzling las-shot, which detonated heavily against the rock behind him. He was left off-balance however, as Jarren and Rory fell upon him like a thunderbolt. To his credit he did remarkably well, twisting to avoid Rory's tackle and placing a careful stab with his bayonet, a chunky machined shard of plastek. The Eviscerator was far too heavy to parry with, so Jarren neatly dodged- the careful strike whiffed through empty air, and panic grew on the soldiers face as he realised the madman he was facing, his lasgun shifting to a defensive posture, gripped in two hands to parry the heavy attacks.

---

Wolfe's shots sizzling the air around him, Montru leapt, bayonet driven before him, onto the autocannon operator in the rubble. His bayonet shattered the leg of the operator who screamed and writhed, and crawled desperately back, trying to take his feet. Montru stabbed in again, and the operator's head cracked against a slab of rubble, leaving him dazed and screaming.

[SlyJohnny]

Jarren grins with amusement and mild admiration as the enemy bayonet catches on his heavy blue flak uniform, failing to penetrate.

"Does you credit, trooper. But not much more." As Rory attempts to take a step back and bring his lasrifle to bear on the target, Jarren takes advantage of the soldier's preoccupation with this other threat to recklessly sweep the heavy chain blade upwards, slicing through the soldier's armpit and up through to his other shoulder.


Get Them! Command test vs 23 [roll0] If successful, everyone whose comrade uses Ranged Volley or Close Quarters gets +4 damage to all their successful attacks until my next turn.

Comrade Order: Close Quarters

All-out attack, [roll1] vs 98 (+30 AoA, +10 Ganging Up, +10 Double Team). Cannot dodge or parry this turn.

[roll2] +4 R damage (dropping lowest), Pen 9, Razor-Sharp, Tearing.
Three or more Degrees of Success doubles Pen when resolving the hit. Oh come ON! Really? Are we sure the Emperor's not actually on this dude's side?

[watupwithdat]

Cronyn didn't need Trenn to see that it was a clean hit to the head.

"He ain't dead yet, sir. Just on the ground. Adjust for elevation." Trenn said as Cronyn was looking for some other target to shoot.

"Tough buggers these ones." he squad sniper said and found the fallen traitor in his scope again to finish him off. The shot was harder to make now, but he did not care. There was nothing else to shoot at the moment.


Comrade: Full Action Aim

Half Action: Standard Attack

Weapon Range: 200m
Target: guy at building, shouldn't be in cover to cronyn as to the rest as the building's not between them on the map

[roll0] vs 97 (48 +10 Accurate, +24 Aim , +10 Standard Attack, +5 Custom Grip, +10 Short Range, -10 prone)

Damage: [roll1]
[S]ZH: [roll2]

Accurate damage
2 DoS: +[roll3]
4 DoS: +[roll4]

Total damage: 8 I, Pen 3, to the body

[RandomLunatic]

"Well, well, well," Torin said, smiling as he advanced on his one-legged opponent. "Disarmed-AND dis-legged! Ahhahaha! Any last words?" he asked. Then he jammed his bayonet into the man, saying, "Too bad, I don't care!"

Order comrade to Keep Cohesion and CQB

Half: Stab him.
[roll] versus 32 + 20 (CQB + Double Team) + 20 (Stunned) + 10 (Standard) - 10 (Terrain)
[roll0] damage, Prim 8, Pen 0.
Half: Move NE towards the Chimera.

Status
Wounds: 3/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 48[4]
The Help: 6[4]
URGL: (Fire)
Fire Bomb: 8
Frag: 1
Krak: 3

Natalia: Uninjured

[DrK]

Doyle merely watches the chaos all around him and sits patiently in the tank. Getting on the link he cautiously asks "Any other targets or are we getting pretty clear?"

As he does so he slowly drives forward another 5m rotating to face the grenadier and letting Gunz give the full burst. "Driver to turret, Anything?"


Damage [roll0] PEn 4

Dodge [roll1] cactch fire [roll2]

[Caimheul]

Wolfe groans as he advances. "Really Torin? Killing him isn't bad enough?" "Oh, c'mon Doc, we all deal with stress differently." Mord chimes in while keeping up.

Comrade: Half action Maintain Cohesion

Don't think I can reach the blighter with the jammed pistol with a charge action (12 meters)... or at least not without an agility test in which case, full action move towards the melee "combat"

However if I CAN reach without an agility test:
Comrade: Half action Close Quarters
Charge: [roll0] TN 59 (24 +20 Charge + 5 Close Quarters + 10 Outnumbering 2:1)
Damage: [roll1] Primitive (7) (Improvised weapon, rifle butt)

Okay... I vote we take him prisoner and try to learn their ability to avoid melee damage...

[RandomLunatic]

"I don't make fun of your hobbies," Torin shot back. "Gee guys, you think there's enough people involved in this?" "Nope! Plenty of heretic to go around."

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck hesitates as the Sergeant hurls himself into close combat with his heretic target, unwilling to risk taking a shot into a chaotic melee fight. Scanning around himself and seeing no other active targets, the Enginseer simply levels his rifle and takes aim in the event that the melee breaks up or the heretic attempts to flee. "Turret to driver, one active combatant engaged in melee combat with squad leader. No other active targets."


Half Aim then Cover Trooper 1. If he retreats out of combat, Varuck will shoot him in single-shot Overcharge mode.

BS: [roll0] vs TN 73
Damage: [roll1], Pen 2.

[LeSwordfish]

Cronyn's final shot struck the seperatist trooper neatly through the heart. Blood spurted from him in a powerful arc, and he slowly fell face-down in the dust, and lay there in a spreading pool of viscera. Across in the collapsed building Montru and Wolfe fell upon the autocannon operator, slamming their bayonets into him again and again, until his body stopped twitching and scrabbling at the rubble. Arterial spray covered their uniforms.

---

As Doyle nosed the chimera around the corner, Wolfe attempted to line up a shot with the frantic melee. It was difficult: the three combatants whirled and struck, sparks flying as Jarren's eviscerator slammed against the desperate defence from the lasgun.

The separatist with the lasgun was thin and wiry, and fast too. Every attack Jarren or Rory could make was blocked in a whirlwind of blows. He sneered as he worked, somehow managing to turn the heavy eviscerator aside each attack it made. His lasgun's butt threw aside the eviscerator and he kicked out hard at Jarren's arm, attempting to knock it from his hand. Jarren avoided the disarming attack, but only by stepping backward and off balance, and his full-on attack left him unable to defend as the lasgun came slamming in again, throwing him sprawling. He needed to twist awkwardly in order to avoid slicing his own head off.

Above him, Rory and the separatist were still clashing, bayonet to bayonet, sparks striking. The separatist twisted Rory sideways, but the grizzled veteran stood firm and broke the lock, sweeping back around with a sharp, textbook one-two, throwing a scarring strike across the separatist's face. Rory forced the attack, driving his opponent back in a flurry of blows.

Behind them, Gunz triggered the flamer again- gusts of heat and fire raged past, catching the still burning grenadier and wracking him with explosions as his hard-round ammo cooked off. The shockwave staggered the two combatants, and Rory was forced to swing his lasgun out to counterbalance himself from falling. The separatist recovered first, and, his slashed face grinning through a mask of blood, dived and rolled away from the combat, throwing himself forward into a sprint away from the combat. Wolfe took his shot, but the overcharged round missed, blowing a crater in the ground behind him.

[Caimheul]

"Well, collapsing a building on him may not have worked but I don't know many people what can live with their brains outside their bodies," the medic says as he wipes the brain matter off of the butt of his rifle on a clean portion of the fresh corpse. "Anyone see any targets? Otherwise, we got any wounded?" he says over the commbead as he scans the area for any threats, or barring that, any recoverable equipment.

Awareness: [roll0] TN 40

[SlyJohnny]

Jarren howls in frustration and anger he stumbles onto his back. As the trooper turns away to retreat, Jarren makes one last-ditch attempt to slice him with the Eviscerator, swinging it above him and aiming to catch his fleeing opponent with the edge of the elongated blade.

If he runs out of melee combat without having taken a full action to Disengage, I think I get a free attack against him: I'm still "engaged in melee combat" for the purposes of other penalties, even if I'm knocked down. Though I do get -10 to hit for being knocked down. I'm not sure if this is a standard attack made at +10 or not. It's also possible that the Disengage move and the free attack thing doesn't exist in Only War the way it does in DH, and I can't check my books right now- can someone verify?

Free attack, [roll0] vs 58 or 68 (-10 Knocked Down, +10 Ganging Up, +10 Double Team, +10 Standard Attack?). Cannot dodge or parry this turn.

[roll1] +4 R damage (dropping lowest), Pen 9, Razor-Sharp, Tearing.
Three or more Degrees of Success doubles Pen when resolving the hit.

Will wait to see results of this before I post this rounds action.

[SlyJohnny]

"FILTH! TRAITOROUS FILTH! YOU CAN'T RUN FROM ME!" Jarren shouts. Rory reaches down, grabbing Jarren's arm and hauling him upright. Jarren shoves him roughly aside, sending him reeling. "Get out of my way, damn you!" he barks at his adjutant. Holding the eviscerator in one hand, his other arm reaches for his holster, drawing his sidearm and flicking the safety off with his thumb.


Get Them! Command test vs 23 [roll0] If successful, Success; everyone whose comrade uses Ranged Volley or Close Quarters gets +4 damage to all their successful attacks until my next turn.

Half action stand, half action ready weapon.

Those useless, amazing damage rolls from my free attack are clearly the dice gods taunting me. I really would've liked to have hit him with a 24 damage Pen 9 rending attack. It would have made me happy. But alas, it is not to be.

[watupwithdat]

"Kill confirmed." the less than bright spotter said as the traitor laid face down in a pool of his own blood.

Cronyn raised his head and looked out over the camp, trying to spot any hostile alive to shoot. He was disappointed over the fact that he could not. But he could hear there was some more fighting going on. Must be behind or inside those buildings. he thought to himself.

"See anyone?" he asked Trenn who was weaving his magnoculars left and right.

"None, sir." his spotter replied. "Only some fightin' somewhere at 10 o'clock, but I'm unable to see 'em."

"Hmph. The moment you spot someone, give me a range. Keep me updated on wind if it changes." Cronyn said and looked around with his scope. His trigger-finger was itching. He wanted to shoot more. Just waiting for some poor sod running between a building, or something.

Comrade: Full Action Aim

Half Action: Delay: Standard Attack

Weapon Range: 200m
Target: Any hostile that comes into his view will be shot with a Delayed Standard Attack

[roll0] vs 107 [87 if target is running] (48 +10 Accurate, +24 Aim [Spotter], +10 Standard Attack, +5 Custom Grip, +10 Short Range)

Damage: [roll1]
ZH: [roll2]

Accurate damage
2 DoS: +[roll3]
4 DoS: +[roll4]

Total damage: 26 I, Pen 3, to the right leg

[DrK]

The last of the enemy fled from the sarge and Doyle and Gunz both smiled at each feeling a job well done as the grenadier exploded in front of them. we'll have to give the girl a clean. Body parts and smoke will stain.

Sitting in the chimera he rotates to face the dig site in case of mote enemies seems clear. Orders? We cracking out them special auspexes?

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck grunts again as his shot goes wide, the final enemy combatant knocking his squad leader down and running away. Once again he orders his Servitor to lay down a hail of fire from its implanted weaponry, then takes careful aim again before letting loose with a barrage of semi-automatic lasbolt fire, hoping that volume of fire will make up for the heretic's seemingly inexhaustible evasive ability.


Comrade: Ranged Volley

Varuck: Half action Aim, then make a Semi-Auto burst on the lasgun's normal fire rate. Let's hope this finally works... Well, assuming that I can still see him after he moves 3m. If not, set up the same action as an Overwatch effect when he does come into view.
BS Test: [roll0] vs TN 68 (38+10(Aim)+10(Half Range)+5(Custom Grip)+5(Ranged Volley)
Damage 1: [roll1], RF: [roll2]
Damage 2 (3 DOS): [roll3], RF: [roll4]
Damage 3 (5 DOS): [roll5], RF: [roll6]

Edit: 4 DOS. Shot 1 and 2 hit, shot 2 is Righteous Fury. Dodge or die, silly Trooper 1, dodge or die.

45 Shots remaining in this Lasgun Charge Pack.

[LeSwordfish]

As Jarren scrambled to his feet, Varuck took aim and loosed a high-power lasbolt that scorched the air over the targets shoulder and threw up dust from the ground. The separatist kept running. Fifteen meters from the cover of the low buildings.

One by one the grenades on the burning body of the grenadier exploded. The air filled with flak. Jarren and Rory's uniform was pitted all down the side by tiny tears. The separatist stumbled into the corner of the building, but kept his feet and kept running. Ten meters.

Five meters from the cover, a shot from Cronyn passed through the separatist's right leg. It blew the knee to red mist, and sent the lower leg spiralling off by itself. The separatist fell sprawling and remained down.

Over on the other side of the battlefield a figure emerged from one of the digs and started to run for the cover. It was a worker, dressed in stained coveralls loose to the waist. He got less than ten paces before twisting his ankle on a rock and falling flat out on his face.

"Aaaaah, nooo!" He squealed. "Don'thurtmedon'thurtme! I surrender!"

He seemed completely unaware of how far away the nearest imperials were.

[RandomLunatic]

"Oh, don't worry, I'll get you some wounded," Torin said. Seeing Varuck unbutton to fire at something behind the building, he ran the other way to flank whatever he was shooting at.

Order Comrade to Keep Cohesion and CQB

Full: Run around to the bottom left corner of the SE bulding.

Status
Wounds: 3/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 48[4]
The Help: 6[4]
URGL: (Fire)
Fire Bomb: 8
Frag: 1
Krak: 3

Natalia: Uninjured

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck scans the battlefield for a moment, looking for any more sign of hostiles, even as the frightened worker surrenders. After ten or fifteen seconds pass without any trace of further enemy presence the Enginseer blinks, resets his internal threat analysis to a much lower level and takes the opportunity to eject the partially-depleted Charge Pack from his Lasgun, replacing it reverently with one of his reserve packs and placing it in one of the many pouches secreted underneath his red robes, to be recharged upon return to base. "Driver, no further hostiles detected. Now commencing scan of target area, as per mission parameters. Your performance was exemplary." Wriggling down from the turret and closing the top hatch behind him involves a fair bit of grunting and clattering of augmetics on metal, but eventually the Enginseer returns to the Chimera's troop compartment, undertaking an active scan with the vehicle's Auspex to ensure that there are no more surprises in the region before disembarking with the issued Geiger-Dieter sensor and making a sweep with that. As much as he itches to minister to the Chimera's machine spirit after the jarring grenade impact earlier, completion of the mission objectives must come first.


Tech-use to use the Chimera's Auspex: [roll0] vs TN 65
Tech-use to use the Geiger-Dieter sensor, if required: [roll1] vs TN 55 (65 if MIU-enabled)

[SlyJohnny]

Jarren yells with frustration at having his vengeance denied him. He considers racing over to savage the body anyway, but instead, he races over to the worker, snarling through gritted teeth, spittle flying everywhere, and kicks him hard in the side.

"On your feet! Get up! I said GET UP, scum!"

[roll0] vs 48. Unarmed attack vs worker, [roll1] plus strength bonus of 4 from memory, right?

[DrK]

Doyle silently bangs fists in celebration with Gunz. thank you magos.. Slowly engaging the drive he trundles forward in the chimera towards the pits.
Eyes sharp for anymore. I think we got them all. Hey, dismount a fetch that longlas.. Pausing near the pits he opens the rest gate allowing Gunz to dismout and snag the long las from the downed sniper.

[watupwithdat]

As Cronyn saw his sergeant race across the camp towards one of the pits, he assumed they had dealt with the ones he couldn't see.

"No hostiles visible from my location." he voxed to the rest of his squad. "Remaining at my position until area is secured, and no one gettin' you in the back. Bet ya wouldn't like that." He did not know if more would come crash the party. If there was, he'd most likely be the first one to see them from his elevated position.

"Be vigilant for any unknowns moving about." Cronyn told Trenn, and checked his ammo count.

[RandomLunatic]

"Man, I didn't even get to use The Help," Torin grumped, then turned around to the collapsed building to see what he could dig out of the wreck. Luxuries in a footlocker, valuables from the fallen, or possibly even one of the heavy weapons, if they survived the destruction.

Status
Wounds: 3/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 48[4]
The Help: 6[4]
URGL: (Fire)
Fire Bomb: 8
Frag: 1
Krak: 3

Natalia: Uninjured

[Caimheul]

"Well maybe one of these guys ain't as dead as they seem. Mord, cover me while I see what we can reclaim from this mess. We might have better luck in one of more intact buildings though." the medic says as he turns to loot the corpses of those caught in the collapsed building for anything useful.

Awareness test (Searching): [roll0] TN 40

[LeSwordfish]

The worker curled even tighter into a sniveling ball as Jarren kicked him. He clawed at the dirt and pulled himself away from the blows, scrambling to his feet and cowering away from the burly sargeant.

"Don'thurtmeohthronedon'tkillme" he whimpered. He seemed to have soiled himself.

Should you want to Interrogate or Intimidate him take a +30 to your roll.

Across the ruined park, Gunz returned carrying the blackened remains of a long-las. Doyle scraped the charcoal off it: it was cheap, mass-produced, with a stock of heavy wire and a body of plastek, now partially melted. As far as he could tell, it could be repaired though.

Neither Torin nor Natalia had as much luck. Most of the buildings had been destroyed. One was still blazing merrily away. From the looks of things, the buildings had been mostly empty. Some gear could be scavenged up, though.

Stuff found:
8 Lasgun power packs
Two autopistols, with two clips each.
Multiple sets of environment gear, rubberised cloth. They have very obvious seperatist symbols on them, however.
Three combat knives, heavy and mass-produced, each a single block of dull metal.
A standard medi-kit, hanging on a nail.

Passing the awareness test
It took Wolfe a moment to notice it, but when he did it came quite suddenly.

There was nothing here.

The buildings and their occupants, sure. Lots of trestle tables and boxes of documents, but... nothing that suggested it was a working site. No crates of objects dug up, or even empty crates. There were spades and digging tools around, but the size of the larger holes would have needed heavy machinery, which seemed to be missing.

Tyre tracks lead away from the site. The rain had partially reased them, but not completely. Wolfe estimated they'd left less than a few hours before, heading westward toward the city center.

Now what did that mean?

Surrounded by screens, Varuck easily manipulated the two auspexes. The Chimera's auspex indicated nothing unusual. Varuck clicked through the various settings. Nothing that he couldn't instantly dismiss as normal.

The Gieger-Dieter sensor remained as enigmatic as ever. Tiny flickers of contacts appeared, 0.1 and 0.15u, but usually they were gone by the time the dial swept around again.

[Caimheul]

The field medic is taken aback for a moment, before speaking up into his micro bead. "Hey, anyone else notice how empty this place is? I don't see any signs of whatever they were dogging up here. Looks like they found whatever they were looking for and headed west inta tha city. Heavy digging machinery's gone too. Must a been the rearguard we caught."

[SlyJohnny]

Jarren calms himself, breathing heavily. He taps his voxbead.

"Excellent job, everyone. Solid deployment! You are the best damn squad in the best damn platoon in the toughest regiment this drekhole planet has ever seen. Wolfe, do we have wounded?"

He frowns as he listens to the medic's report, "You're right. Frek, all this effort... we should assume enemy reinforcements are on route. We're leaving soon. Grab anything of value, tend to our wounded. Doyle, get on the vox to command; make sure to mention how heavy the resistance was, and that we are still combat effective. Cronyn, excellent work- the site is secure now. Can you reposition to watch for any kind of reaction force? Don't want to get surprised the same way these idiots did."

Jarren grabs the worker by the scruff of his neck, and hauls him towards the chimera, before slamming him hard against the side of it.

"Alright, you snivelling coward. The only thing I hate worse than a traitor is a traitor who doesn't even have the guts to pick up a weapon. You are going to answer my questions, or I am going to cut both your legs from under you and watch you bleed to death in the mud."

Jarren revs up the eviscerator, sliding it close to the man's pants leg, letting it kiss the fabric. He moves his face close, his eyes wide, his fetid breath right under the man's nostrils.

"How are the rebels planning to defend this city? What armoured companies are currently deployed to the front? What is your name and rank? What is the purpose of this dig site? Do you have support coming in from off-world? What did they find here? What is the nearest allied unit to this location, and what is their force composition? Where did the rest of your unit go?"

Jarren rattles off questions rapidly, almost too fast for the man to hear, mixing stragetic questions the man couldn't possibly know the answer to with more basic questions about the dig.

"ANSWER ME! I could gut you right here against this IFV and noone would ever even question my decision! Is there even any reason I shouldn't do it right now?!"

Intimidate [roll0] 78 minus whatever the penalty for not having the skill is.

[DrK]

Doyle looks up as the dull thud of the worker being slammed against the chimera. He rolls his eyes staring at Gunz and both frown at where the thud was. "I don't mind the abuse Gunz. But I wish the sarge would not dent the ride." Gunz smirks slightly before chain lighting another lho stick. "Hey man. Just drive. Ask no questions make no waves. We only got 6 years and 4 months till our 10 is up. Head down, guns hot. Only way to survive."

Doyle looks at his gunner rolling his eyes before perking up at the transmission from the medic. "driver to squad. Do we know what direction the enemy were heading in? Shall we pursue?"

Looking at the long las he smiles slightly. THe magos had been pleased with the driving and he'd certainly been pleased with Tech Priest's shooting. Maybe he would do his Mechanicus thing and help get the long las rigged up right. Better than the torch light the regiment had issued them with.

[LeSwordfish]

The worker screams a little more as Jarren slams him against the Chimera. "I don't know man i really don't, i'm just a worker, i just dig the ground, i used to be a builder. Willem Wiggs, man, i'm a builder don't hurt me."

One hand darts out and he points westward, past the center of the city to the forge far away. "They took all the soldiers that way when the imperials came. There's nobody left here man just little squads and spare crap tanks and people who can't move cos of the chemicals in the outlands. This city isn't defended but i really wouldn't know. I don't know about off-world or armour or anything i'm really just a builder oh throne don't hurt me."

"We were digging, we were digging. We weren't told what we were looking for. A man would come and scan the ground and tell us where to dig and we'd dig. Anything we found- old bits of junk, machinery, sometimes soldier stuff, we gave to the boss and I don't know what happened then."

"This morning the guy who did the scanning came back. He talked to the boss and then they loaded the gear up and drove off. They mentioned site three or something, i don't know. I was just left here to help the rearguard pack up."

As far as Jarren could tell, the man was telling all of the truth he knew.

He might be able to answer more specific questions, but this guy isn't high enough up the ladder for anything he didn't see with his own eyes.

[SlyJohnny]

Jarren slams him against the Chimera again. Not because he thinks Willem needs more abuse to talk, mostly just because the man disgusts him and its fun.

"Soldier stuff? Ohhh, you better get more specific then that, Willem, or I'm gonna carve me off a piece! How many soldiers left with the truck? What vehicles? What did this guy look like?"

Once those questions are answered, Jarren hands the man off to Rory and tells him to shoot him if he tries anything. He taps his vox-bead. "Anyone not tending or receiving medical aid or securing our flanks, go sifting through those documents. See if you can find any mention of a 'site three', or its location."

He heads back into the Chimera, and gets on the vox.

"This is Sergeant Jarren of second squad, to platoon HQ. We have secured the target. There was an infantry squad here with three sentinels and heavy AT support, multiple weapons teams. We were outnumbered and outgunned, but all combatants are down, with no casualties our side. Praise the Emperor.

However, there's nothing left here. Vehicle tracks lead further into city. We have one prisoner- indentured worker type- who claims the main body packed up and left for a "site three" this morning. Second squad awaits further orders. Over."

[Caimheul]

"Minor injuries at worst Sarge, nothing worth bandaging just yet. Tracks look ta head off in a westerly direction, might be a good idea ta ask the civvie how many of them headed off, and in what kinda vehicles." The medic adds while examining the tracks closer.

Survival (Tracking): [roll0] TN 20 (Per 40 - 20 Untrained)

[LeSwordfish]

"He was little and skinny. Dark hair. Had a bionic eye. I don't think he was a soldier, he was too small to be a soldier. I don't know how many exactly. Two groups, maybe ten or fifteen or something. They had two tanks- one like this"-he indicated Nox Noctis- "but without the top, like it was open, and a walker. The heavy machinery went with them too but that was just diggers."

He yelped slightly as he was handed off to Rory, but seemed to be only happier to be away from the whirring blade.

Wolfe's inspection of the tracks seemed to confirm the man's comments. One chimera-chassis. Several bits of heavy machinery. And a walker. From the look of it the walker was significantly larger and heavier than a sentinel though.

[Caimheul]

"Yup, looks like at at least one Chimera chassis, and some kind of walker, Sarge. Footprints look ta be bigger and deeper than a Sentinel... Enginseer, any idea what coulda made them?" the medic says as he heads to look through the piles of paperwork, keeping alert of his surroundings as he did so.

If I have the chance to look over the paper work: [roll0] Linguistics (Low Gothic) TN 50

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck finishes his sweep of the area, then returns to the Chimera. "Sergeant, the mission-assigned sensor system is mostly registering clean. Assessment is that there are no radiation-emmitting objects currently present at this site." The Enginseer examines the site again, Servitor standing impassively a few feet behind him. "I would like to request permission to examine the enemy's equipment, unless there is a more important task. If nothing else, I may be able to determine if anything is salvagable for future combat operations."


Assuming permission is given, Varuck will make a Tech-use test to sift through the enemy's equipment. If any of it looks like it could be modified into something properly pleasing to the Machine Spirits and the Omnissiah, Varuck will use Trade (Armourer) to do so, or put aside to do the same at a later date. Anything which is too corrupt to ever properly resemble an Imperial weapon will be piled up to be destroyed.

Being rather strict as these things go, Varuck will refuse to allow anyone to use a dodgy weapon. As such, anything that can't be modified to make the proper obeisances will be destroyed. That goes for ammo too, though I doubt they're using non-standard ammo all things considered.

Tech-use: [roll0] vs 55
Trade (armourer): [roll1] vs 45 plus any appropriate modifiers.

[RandomLunatic]

Torin ambled out of the wreckage towards the Chimera. The looting had been poor today-any of the good stuff had been burnt to a crisp or blown up. "Hey," he said to Varuck as he passed. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out the pistols that had been the only thing he got of Operation Shatter so far. "You think you can say a few Ave Omnissiahs or whatever you guys do for these?"

Taking the autopistols and ammo.

[watupwithdat]

Cronyn nor Trenn could notice any unknown or hostile movement coming from any direction of the camp. If they couldn't seem them from this position, it was unlikely there'd be any surprises either. The camp was more or less abandoned, and they struck them fast and hard enough that the attack being reported was unlikely.

"<No movement on the horizon, sarge. Relocating towards your position for regrouping.>" he voxed before folding in the bipod of his rifle and getting up.

"Keep your eyes open in case of." He didn't really need to tell Trenn, but he did it anyway.

I guess using the "<text>"-format for vox communication makes it clearer? We could decide on a standardized way of noting that it's over a communication channel so everyone's doing the same thing.

[Caimheul]

Wolfe jabs his finger down at map, onto the x marked 3. "That's probably it." he says, switching on his micro-bead <"Sarge, looks like site three is at Grid reference 884 626. Hope our lads up there ain't bit off more than they can chew.">

[SlyJohnny]

Jarren smiles. "Good job, Wolfe. I know who to go to the next time I need to make someone fill out a report for me."

Jarren taps on the 'transmit' rune again.

"Ah, command, further to last: we've recovered enemy tactical maps that indicate a location of this site three, coordinates to follow: 884 626, repeat, that's grid reference 884 626. As that location would appear to have been reinforced recently, the squad sent to raid that site might be biting off more than they can chew. My team is intact and can move to assist if needed. Second squad awaits orders."

[LeSwordfish]

"Platoon HQ, we're reading you Jarren. Good job. All other units, report."

"Squad one, slow but steady progress. Flushing them out."

"Squad three, site's been abandoned. Checking over the equipment we found. Ready to move out as ordered."

Then squad four, the ones sent to site three. "Squad four. Uh, we've got a significant number of hostiles here. Requesting backup. In addition we've no way to stop them making a run for it, so requesting support with that."

There was a pause, and then Salo returned to the line. "Alright. Squad one, as you were. Squads two and three, move to reinforce four. Three and command, move along attack vector five-three, hit them from behind. Two, take position on the arteria, vector six-two, prepare to hold them off if they run. Received?"

Behind Jarren, Varuck continued to fix up the equipment. The autopistols and medikit seemed to be of imperial standard, but the power packs were poor quality, mass-produced quickly and cheaply. They could pass muster as imperial, though it hurt Varuck's professional pride to admit it. The long-las needed a replacement secondary lens, and Varuck didn't have one on him.

Basically just getting any questions and a confirmation that you're moving out.

The arteria is about seven miles away, and should take ten minutes or so to reach.

The medikit and autopistols are good. The power packs make a lasgun Poor-Quality while being used, and cannot be fired on overcharge. The long-las, take another Trade (Armourer) roll when back at base.

[Caimheul]

Wolfe starts muttering to himself regarding the unfairness of the "reward" of more paperwork for finding the information they needed. "Right," he snaps as he packs up the captured map and other paperwork. "Don't forget the spare med-pack, never know how long it will take command to issue replacement bandages." he orders his corpsman. "Don't worry I got it." Mord replies as the two hurry to the Nox.

[SlyJohnny]

Jarren taps his voxbead again.

"Alright people, everyone back in the Noctis, double time. Third squad's in trouble. We need to go help the rest of the platoon, and set up a roadblock to cut off the enemies path of retreat. Sooner we get going, the longer we'll have to dig in. Wolfe, if you bring that map along, you and me can make a plan on route to the arterial."

He heads outside, gesturing for Rory and the prisoner to enter.

"We're embarking. And you, you little puke, I wasn't given any instructions on how to deal with you. So as much as it disgusts me, you might yet make it out of this alive. If you sit very still and quietly and do exactly as you're told from now on, you'll probably be assigned as a laborer to headquarters. Like what you've been doing now, but you can send for your family, you'll receive better food, you'll be on the winning side, and you'll probably escape justice for your crimes against the Emperor of Mankind and his servants. You can't say fairer then that, can you?"

Jarren finds the arteria they're supposed to go to on a map, and points it out.

"Now, what's here? This road between this bit and that bit? What's the construction like?"

[LeSwordfish]

"It's big, concrete. Raised up above the city, like on a bridge. Pretty much the only way in or out of the industrial district. Goes past close to some of the smaller manufactorums."

Wiggs got into the chimera happily enough. The prospect of a job seemed to have calmed him down, and he seemed to hold little genuine fear of the guardsmen now that nobody was pointing an industrial saw at his chest.

So a motorway flyover sort of thing.

Attacking it directly would be possible, but difficult.

[SlyJohnny]

"Is it clear, or are there abandoned vehicles or debris along it? What kind of manufactoriums?" Jarren asks. His mind is obviously leaning towards where they could get sandbags and barrels, or their equivalents, on short notice.

[watupwithdat]

As they were discussing the location on the map Cronyn and Trenn came jogging into the camp. As they closed to the chimera the jog turned into brisk walking and finally casual walking up to the vehicle and the rest of the squad.

"Think fast." Cronyn said before he threw his sniper rifle to Trenn who awkwardly caught it, and then embarked the chimera, followed by Trenn.

"Who's that? Why ain't he a traitor corpse?" the sniper asked, when he saw the laborer they had captured as he was on his way down the vantage point he had used.

[RandomLunatic]

"Damn. I wish that autocannon hadn't been crushed in the collapse," Torin muttered as the new orders came in. He climbed onto the Chimera and stuffed the new guns and their ammo into his rucksack, which was still jammed in the turret bustle.

"Not worth the ammo," He said indifferently in response to Trenn's inquiry, favoring a leg slightly as he jumped off the Noctis's back and entered the troop compartment.

[DrK]

Doyle looked about as the rest of the squad trooped back into the Nox. Listening intently he nodded at the Sarge's words befoe engaging the gears.

Tracks spinning the heavy chimera lurched forward, Doyle glancing around to his fellow squad members. "Don't let that raitor bleed in here. Take me days to clean the stench out."

As he races West towards the flyover he looks about towards the big sarge. "We taking the main road Sarge? We can get there faster and don't let our boys get so pounded. Not many going to notice one chimera racing down. Spread a bit of dirt and dust on her and she won't even look like herself?"

[SlyJohnny]

Jarren gestures to the worker. "Willem here is a righteous servant of the Emperor. He didn't fulfill his duty of fighting the insurrection tooth and nail. But surely this was because he was misled, and confused. Now that his liberators have arrived, he has realized the error of his ways and is assisting the Emperor's fighting men with a smile on his lips and song in his heart." he drawls.

He turns nods to Doyle. "Yes, main road. Sneaking around on side roads could be just as dangerous as going straight there, for all we know. We'll see what kind of camouflage we can scrape up for the Noctis once we get there... Emperor willing, it'll be a whole mess of scrap vehicles and grime, and we can make ourselves a solid little roadblock where they won't even see the Chimera until it's too late."

He glances between Doyle and the tech priest. "You two have any towing cables or the like? Or think you could scrounge up the same? Lascutters will be good for cutting small bits of cover, but it'd be nice to drag something heavy to make a wall."

[LeSwordfish]

"The arteria's been abandoned. They've cleared most of the bits of scrap away, but there are plenty of burnt-out vehicles and bits around it."

"Here"- he indicated on the map -"There are plenty of buildings around the road. But most of the rest of the way it's not overlooked."

"We've got a tow rope in one of these cases." Harkon interjected.

[SlyJohnny]

Jarren nods. "Alright. We've got this. Cronyn, Trenn, pick a nice spot, and we'll drop you off. The rest of you... this should be a shooting gallery, but let's try to stay concealed until they're all but on top of us."

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck spends a few moments inspecting the retrieved weapons before passing the pistol back to Torrin. "The Autopistol is fine. It was likely manufactured before the rebellion began. These Charge Packs are of exceptionally poor manufacture..." He makes a quiet electronic grinding sound, which might have been a disdainful sniff were the Techpriest capable of articulating such a noise. "As is to be expected from Hereteks. I would not suggest using them, bar as a last resort. This Long-Las is in unacceptably poor condition. I will not allow it to be used until this can be rectified." Unwilling to budge on this point, Varuck hands the sniper weapon to his Servitor, which places it inside of a bolted-on storage locker.

After taking a few moments to assure himself that the Chimera suffered no lasting damage from the Krak grenade impact earlier, Varuck returns to the Chimera and listen's to Sergeant Jarren's orders. "I shall return to manning our steed's turret weapon, if it please the Omnissiah. If we face enemy armour again, I shall endeavor to eliminate it with the utmost efficiency." He makes no comment about the captive civilian; clearly the man is not one of the Hereteks running the revolution, and as the squad's assigned technological advisor he has no authority regarding other prisoners of war.

[watupwithdat]

"Somewhere elevated preferably. I can't see crap from some ditch beside a road, sarge." He looked at the map. "I'm guessing it doesn't show elevation or how tall buildings are. Very helpful." Cronyn scoffed.

[LeSwordfish]

Once they'd got onto the Arteria, they found it sloped steeply upwards. Soon they were driving along at rooftop height of the manufactorums and office buildings around them. They could see the mountains stretch to the east, the ever-present hump of the forges to the west.

"Low air temperature. High chemical percentage." Harkon reported. "Guess there's a lot of wind above the city proper." Wiggs nodded in agreement.

As they headed into the main factory district, the buildings rose even higher around them. The wind died down, as did the chemicals, but there was still a perceptible feeling of height- the buildings around them were, in many cases, over a hundred meters tall.

The imbued knowledge of the Tactica Imperia as his guide, Jarren selected a location and ordered Doyle to bring the chimera in behind a pile of rubble. Several members of the squad disembarked. Jarren, Rory and Harkon began dragging the debris into a rough barricade form while Wolfe, Montru, Cronyn and their team sprinted across the road towards the building from which they had been ordered to fire. A wood plank lead from the roadway to a rickety metal fire escape on the side of their chosen building. Wolfe and Montru took it with their usual Mordian surefootedness, but Trenn, the last one to cross, slipped. Cronyn was forced to wrap one arm around the escape's rail and throw his other arm back to the unlucky spotter- there was a brief, heartstopping moment as the two men dangled above a hundred meters of empty air, before Cronyn wrenched the other man more firmly onto the railing. Trenn muttered an apology, but the sniper team was now behind the other two pairs.

Wolfe and Mord pressed on into the building. It was dark in there, and dust hang heavily in the air. The upper level of some great manufactorum, a long row of air exchangers ran along the buildings spine- long abandoned, the familiar smell of purification chemicals hung around them. Flicking his lasgun's light back and forth in prepared combat drill, Wolfe lead Mord over to the nearest window and crouched below the lip, readying his lasgun on the sill.

Montru and Natalia instead scrambled up the fire escape. The metal swayed and creaked under their boots, but held until they reached the top. Montru darted along the slabs of metal the roof was made of, readying his trusty las and grenades as he ducked into the low wall that ran around the roof's edge. Behind him, Bringer ducked into the space, launcher ready, private Dipstick following with a long scatter missile in his arms.

---

Down on the road, Harkon turned back to Jarren, an armload of scrap for barricades ready.

"You hear something?" He asked. "Like..."

A bolt round hit the scrap. Shards of metal fountained off in all directions as Harkon was staggered back violently. More guns were opening up, and Jarren dived back toward the chimera as bolt rounds tore up the scrap piles around them and stitched holes in the roadway. A pair of vehicles, judging by size Salamanders, were storming toward them out of the dust. Figures in masks and hazard suits were following behind, firing wildly inaccurate bursts of auto and lasfire. The convoy had arrived.

[SlyJohnny]

Jarren curses violently as rounds slam into the cover of the incomplete barricade. He takes cover, yelling at Rory to do the same.

"Damnation! We loused it up! Squad, return fire! Noctis autocannon, lay down suppressing fire, slow their advance. Anti armor elements, concentrate your fire on the lead Salamander. Cronyn, treat the salamander gunners or anyone with a launcher as priority targets."

Get Them! test [roll0] vs 43 for +4 damage when comrades use volley or CQB on rolls that occur after my turn, until my next turn. So if the guys ahead of my initative don't get it this round, they will before my turn on the next :)

Inspire Command test: [roll1] vs TN 73 for +10 on all rolls that occur after my turn, until my next turn. So if the guys ahead of my initative don't get it this round, they will the next.

[RandomLunatic]

"Roger that," Torin said into the Vox bead. "Whatta shock," he remarked, seeing the convoy come into view. "That idiot worker was totally wrong about the enemy's equipment.

"Not that I mind terribly. Gimmie some cover, willya?," he said, lining up the grenade launcher with the leading Salamander. "Boys and their toys."

Order Comrade to Hail Of Fire and Ranged Volley

Delay until after Jerren goes to benefit from the leadership.

Half: Aim
Half: Shoot Salamander #2 with Fire Bomb. Desired impact point is over the Salamander's rear deck.
[roll0] vs 46 + 10 (Aim) + 5 (Volley) + 30 (Enormous Target) + 10 (Inspire) -20 (Untrained)
Scatter [roll1] meters in direction [roll2]
[roll3] E Damage, Pen 6, RF [roll4]

My research indicates only two of the Salamander's crew are exposed, the commander and comm tech, so I am only going to roll their avoidance rolls.
Commander rolls [roll5] to avoid blast and [roll6] to avoid catching fire.
Comm tech rolls [roll7] to avoid blast and [roll8] to not catch fire.
Driver rolls [roll9] to avoid Salamander catching fire.

Any footsloggers caught in the blast must not only roll agility to avoid it and catching fire, but a challenging WP test for Pinning.

Status
Wounds: 3/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 48[4]
The Help: 6[4]
URGL: ( )
Fire Bomb: 7
Frag: 1
Krak: 3

Natalia: Uninjured

[Caimheul]

"Frack! Pin them down!" Wolfe yells as he and his corpsman open fire at the distant targets, not so much seeking to wound them as slow them down.

Am not delaying my action as not really trying to inflict wounds so much this round. Comrade: Maintain Cohesion, Ranged Volley

Suppressive fire! I believe the dismounted infantry would be within a 45 degree arc of Wolfe's current position? If so, declaring the "kill zone" to include all of them/as many as possible. Anyone in that area will have to take a -10 Pinning test
[roll0] TN 21 (36 -20 Suppressive Fire +5 Ranged Volley +0 Range)

[roll1] E
[roll2] E
[roll3] E


Status:
Wounds: 10/10
Critical Damage: 0
Fatigue: 0/3
Lasgun: 51/60 Current Power pack
Spare: 3/3
Laspistol: 30/30
Spare: 1/1

Comrade (Mord):
Uninjured

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck reintegrates himself with the Chimera's turret-mounted weaponry, bracing himself as best he can against the turret's seat, which isn't quite intended for a Techpriest's modified physique, though the Enginseer never stoops so low as to admit his discomfort. As the vehicle takes its place and the enemy comes into view, he immediately begins calling out his targets. "Enemy vehicles, range 60. Two Salamander chasses, armament unknown. Engaging target." Once again he settles into the familiar rhythm, settling the turret's electronic sights on the centre of his target and sending forth bursts of heavy armour-piercing shells with mechanical precision.


Comrade does nothing, since I still feel using an Autogun to Volley with an Autocannon is silly.

Half-action Aim, then fire a Semi-auto burst at the enemy Salamander on the left. Hopefully, this turns out as well as it did against the enemy Sentinels... Not delaying, so Varuck will get Jarren's bonus next turn. Man, I just realized how ineffectual Autocannon fire is going to be against a Chimera's front armour of 35...

BS Test: [roll0] vs TN 88 (38+10(MIU)+10(Half Range)+20(Size)+10(Aim))

Damage 1: [roll1] plus 8, Pen 6. Righteous Fury: [roll2] (1 increases to 9, still no damage)
Damage 2 (3 DOS): [roll3] plus 8, Pen 6. Righteous Fury: [roll4] (3 SI Damage)
Damage 3 (5 DOS): [roll5] plus 8, Pen 6. Righteous Fury: [roll6] (No Damage)

28 rounds remaining in Autocannon magazine.

Edit: 9 DOS. Still do virtually diddly. I think I may have underestimated how tough vehicles are in Only War... Oh well, time to fish for Righteous Fury...

[watupwithdat]

Cronyn and Trenn hadn't as much as gotten to and setup at the place they had found in a part of tall building with a blown out outer wall before the bolt shots started booming and raining down over the squad below. Not having the time he'd prefer to survey the surrounding area, Cronyn was much slower to react and find things in his scope.

As soon as he actually found the leading salamander the orders came in over the vox. Being open-topped vehicles helped in taking them out, the sniper rifle not exactly being a weapon of high penetration against hard targets.

"Leading vehicle?" he asked Trenn.

"205 meters. 5 meter/s northeastern wind. Recommending gunnery target."

"Of course you do." Cronyn replied, lining up a shot on the commander of the tank as Trenn feared he would — like usual.


Comrade: Full Action Aim

Full Action: Called Shot

Weapon Range: 200m
Target: Commander of leading salamander

[roll0] vs 107 (48 +10 Accurate, +24 Aim , -10 Called Shot, +5 Custom Grip, +30 Massive)

Damage: [roll1]
[S]ZH: [roll2]

Accurate damage
2 DoS: +[roll3]
4 DoS: +[roll4]

Total damage: 17 I, Pen 3, to the body

[LeSwordfish]

The ambushers firepower broke over the convoy like a wave. Between them Cronyn and Varuck dented and shattered the first salamander, slamming the tank commander onto his back and blasting deep gashes in the track guards. It kept coming, fast, unstoppable. Montru grinned as a wash of fire crested over the first vehicle, but frowned as it failed to damage the sturdy tank. From the look of things the commander was unhurt too, but the comms operator was staggering, blazing like a satisfying human torch. One of the infantry had been lit up too- sprinting, screaming, he slammed into the rail of the arteria and fell into the gap between the carriageways. It was a long drop to the ground below. One down.

Wolfe sprayed the infantry with las-rounds. Most dived for cover, taking up positions below the lip of the arteria wall or behind the larger chunks of debris. One, Wolfe spotted, nearly dropped his heavy launcher tube, but grabbed it and dragged it with him behind his burnt out cargo-4. Some were more composed than the others. Firepower began to pour back at the figures on the roof. Most seemed not to have spotted Wolfe,a fact he intended to make them regret.

[RandomLunatic]

Torin barely had time to register disappointment at the results before return fire started coming in, driving him and Natalia down below the wall. As he huddled behind the wall, Torin heard, over the impact of bullets and pop of lasers, the distinctive growl of the overcharged engine of the Salamanders getting louder, closer. Rolling onto his side, he carefully pushed himself up so he could peer over the parapet with one eye while exposing a minimum of head. Sure enough, the two vehicles were screaming onwards, with only the one man on fire. Mocking him.

But drawing closer. With a practiced move, he unclipped The Help from his back. Balancing the weapon on the wall top just ahead of the promethium tank, he yelled, "I SAID BURN, DAMN YOU! BURN IN HELL!" and washed down the two vehicles in promethium.

Comrade is Pinned.

Free: Draw The Help.
Half: Shoot the Salamanders. At this range, the spread should be enough to hit them both easily, and I do not think there is anything else close enough to hit.
No roll, just [roll0], RF [roll1]

Commander #1 [roll2] and tries not to catch fire [roll3]
Vox-Operator #1 [roll4] and tries not to catch fire [roll5]
Driver #1 [roll6] to not catch fire.

Commander #2 [roll7] and tries not to catch fire [roll8]
Vox-Operator #2 [roll9] and is already on fire.
Driver #1 [roll10] to not catch fire.

Finally, is in cover, so unpinning is +30. [roll11]

Status
Wounds: 3/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 48[4]
The Help: 5[4]
URGL: ( )
Fire Bomb: 7
Frag: 1
Krak: 3

Natalia: Uninjured, Pinned

[Caimheul]

Upon spotting the heavy launcher, Wolfe responded calmly, his training taking over. "Nox, launcher behind cargo-4, repeat cargo-4," he enunciates, trusting in the squad's micro beads to cut through the sounds of battle as he lines up a shot.

Comrade: Maintain Cohesion, Ranged Volley
Free action: Overload Mode +2 Dam +2 Pen, Unreliable
Half action: Aim at enemy Wolfe saw pick up the launcher
Half action: Fire!
[roll0] TN 71 (36 + 5 Ranged Volley +10 Single Shot +10 Half Action Aim +10 Inspire!)
Damage: [roll1] + 6 (4 for Ranged Volley, 2 for Overload)
Body, 14 Energy Damage, Pen 2. I'm hoping at least some of it makes it through the cover, armour, and toughness!


Status:
Wounds: 10/10
Critical Damage: 0
Fatigue: 0/3
Lasgun: 47/60 Current Power pack
Spare: 3/3
Laspistol: 30/30
Spare: 1/1

Comrade (Mord):
Uninjured

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck waits a moment, observing the results of his first volley, then clicks to himself. "All shots on target. Damage negligible. Adjusting targetting." The efficient, toneless words carry few hints of whatever reaction he may have felt at seeing the near total lack of effect his attack had on the enemy vehicle. Taking a moment, the Enginseer calls to mind schematics for the Chimera class of vehicles, deducing that the Hereteks have not had time to make drastic changes to its chassis, then retargets the vehicle's Autocannon and unleashes another burst of fire.


All right, Comrade will spend a half action to Ranged Volley. Then Varuck will Aim and make another Semi-auto Burst at the same target vehicle. Now benefitting from Jarren's bonuses.

BS Test: [roll0] vs TN 98 (38+10(MIU)+10(Aim)+10(Half Range)+20(Size Massive)+10(Inspire))
Damage 1: [roll1] plus 12, Pen 8. Righteous Fury: [roll2] (4 SI Damage)
Damage 2: [roll3] plus 12, Pen 8. Righteous Fury: [roll4] (9 SI Damage)
Damage 3: [roll5] plus 12, Pen 8. Righteous Fury: [roll6] (6 SI Damage)


25 rounds remain in Autocannon magazine.
Edit: 5 DOS. All attacks hit, 1 on first roll replaced with 5. The enemy has no Turret, so the hits land on the Hull.

[watupwithdat]

With the commander of the first vehicle most likely taken out of commision for the moment Cronyn's attentions drew to the other salamander.

"The other vehicle. Metrics?"

"220 meters. No change in winds. And I hope you know that the shot wasn't a kill..." Trenn replied somewhat dryly.

"Hmph." the sniper scuffed at the imputence. He felt more like shooting another commander than using another round to secure a kill on a vehicle that's taking the brunt of the assault cannon damage.

Cronyn aimed at the other traitor he identified as the commander of the vehicle and squeezed off a round.

Comrade: Full Action Aim

Full Action: Called Shot

Weapon Range: 200m (no penalty for range)
Target: commander of the other salamander

[roll0] vs 108

Damage: [roll1]
RF: [roll2]

Accurate damage
2 DoS: +[roll3]
4 DoS: +[roll4]

Total damage: 25 I, Pen 3, to the right leg (somehow :smalltongue:)

[LeSwordfish]

Like the fury of the emperor himself, Montru's flamer swept over the advancing tanks. Two of the occupants were burned to cinders, screaming and writing like human torches. The flame washed at the further salamander at the same time as the heavy cannon atop Nox Noctis shattered the armor plates on it's front. The unseen driver twisted his steed desperately, somehow shielding the now unprotected front from the worst of the flame.

Atop the building, Cronyn placed a round through the glass of the salamander's gunshield, crazing it with cracks, and into the leg of the tank's commander. The force of the shot spun the man around, before he fell backward from the cabin, hitting the road with a crunch. He didn't get up.

In the shade of the building, Wolfe frowned as the overcharge shot met it's mark, but punching through the vehicle and the grenadier's armour robbed it of its power, and though he stumbled, he returned to his feet and darted forward into the cover of the concrete wall in the middle of the arteria, The shot seemed to impair his aim though, as the hasty missile went spiralling harmlessly away. Some of the other infantry were moving too, darting up between cover, some daring to lean out long enough to join the fusillade shattering the brick parapet of the squad's cover.

[RandomLunatic]

"Hey, how about some cover fire here?" Torin asked as another wave of fire hammered at his position. "Alright, alright," Natalia scowled, scuttling forward to remove herself from the line of fire of soldiers firing at Torin's position. While waiting, he slung The Help over his back and readied another grenade. The engines below were getting louder, and the damn things refused to ignite. "Ready? NOW!" Peering over the edge, he measured his throw and pitched the bomb right towards the more heavily damaged of the two Salamanders. "Krak out!" he called as it sailed towards the ground.

Order comrade to move north 3 meters and Ranged Volley

Free: Un-ready Flamer.
Free: Draw Krak grenade.
Half: Aim.
Half: Throw at Sally #1.
[roll0] versus 46 + 10 (aim) + 10 (standard) + 5(Volley)+ 30 (Massive target). Possibly at -10 for range if the thing is totally in the far left lane, otherwise at medium (+0) range.
[roll1] for [roll2] meters.
[roll3] +4 Damage, Pen 6, RF [roll4]


Status
Wounds: 3/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 48[4]
The Help: 5[4]
URGL: ( )
Fire Bomb: 7
Frag: 1
Krak: 2

Natalia: Uninjured

[DrK]

Inside the chimera Doyle watched the scene impassively as cannon rounds, las and grenade fire began to build up. Looking at the approaching enemy he muttered a quick shout to Doyle. Almost in range, get ready to toast them.

Before going back to waiting, hands gripped white on the drive units.

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck continues his volleys of Autocannon fire, pouring fire into the already damaged vehicle in an effort to finally put it out of commission.


When you do the same thing three or four times in a row, you start to run out of new things to say, really. This time without the Sarge's damage bonus, but the enemy's armour is dropped to compensate.

Same actions as last time. Let's do this.

BS Test: [roll0] vs TN 98 (38+10(MIU)+10(Aim)+10(Range)+10(Command)+20(Size)

Damage 1: [roll1] plus 8, Pen 6. Righteous Fury: [roll2]
Damage 2 (3 DOS): [roll3] plus 8, Pen 6. Righteous Fury: [roll4]
Damage 3 ( 5 DOS): [roll5] plus 8, Pen 6. Righteous Fury: [roll6]

25 rounds remaining in the Autocannon drum.

[watupwithdat]

As the commander literally flew out of the tank from his shot, Cronyn felt a sense of satisfaction.

"See that? That's how you do it." he arrogantly boasted to Trenn.

"Yes yes, you're 'da bomb' sir." Trenn replied unconvinvingly.

"Hmph." The sniper quickly surveyed the battlefield. He couldn't decide on what his next target was. Then a rocket impacted, probably way off its intended target. A traitor with a launcher was a valid target, he thought. His job was kinda to "support", anyway.

Half Action: Aim
Half Action: Standard Attack

Weapon Range: 200m
Target: launcher trooper

[roll0] vs 85 (48 +10 Accurate, +12 Aim, +10 Standard Attack, +5 Custom Grip)

Damage: [roll1]
RF: [roll2]

Accurate damage
2 DoS: +[roll3]
4 DoS: +[roll4]

Total damage: 16 I, Pen 3, to the right arm

[Caimheul]

"By the Emperor, that was lucky. Feth, no shot on the fatherless scum. Well... let's try to slow the rest of these traitors down. Sniper'll take care of him." Wolfe muses as he switches his lasgun into semi-auto, low power, angry that the one foe was able to get a missile launched.

Comrade: Maintain Cohesion, Ranged Volley
Full action: Suppressing fire! As many infantry as I can get in the angle
[roll0] TN 31 (36 -20 Suppressing fire +5 Ranged Volley +10 Range?)
[roll1] RF: [roll2]
[roll3] RF: [roll4]
[roll5] RF: [roll6]

[LeSwordfish]

The sustained volleys of autocannon fire were now hitting the leading salamander hard. Whole chunks of the punished front armour were shearing off. Something exploded behind the front and the heavy bolter mounted in the armour sheared off and was dragged beneath the tracks. The driver seemed to be frantically twisting his vehicle, hoping to dodge the worst of the shots, but on the narrow raised road, he had nowhere to dodge. The other salamander was having greater luck: although it came perilously close to hurling itself into the void, it dodged one of Montru's krak grenades and gunned its engines towards the exit.

Below, in the building, Wolfe poured low-power shots across the street. Those heretics not already hidden dived for cover- one stood his ground, however, snapping off a shot at Cronyn- the sniper dodged effortlessly, and returned fire. As the man with the missile launcher rose to aim again, the heavy sniper round blew his arm into ribbons of flesh and he fell to the ground screaming.

[Caimheul]

"Keep pouring it on!" Wolfe shouts encouragement to Mord, heartened by the sight of most of the enemy infantry seeking cover.

Companion: Maintain Cohesion, Ranged Volley
Full action Suppressing Fire!
[roll0] TN 31 (36 -20 Suppressing Fire +5 Ranged Volley +10 Range)
[roll1] RF: [roll2]
[roll3] RF: [roll4]
[roll5] RF: [roll6]
Fitting maximum number of enemy infantry in the arc, am assuming this counts as them being shot at regarding the recovery from the first pin if this doesn't pin them again?


Status:
Wounds: 10/10
Critical Damage: 0
Fatigue: 0/3
Lasgun: 41/60 Current Power pack
Spare: 3/3
Laspistol: 30/30
Spare: 1/1

Comrade (Mord):
Uninjured

[RandomLunatic]

"Damnit," Montru muttered as his bomb blew a pothole in the roadway. "Krak out!" he called again as he sent another bomb on its way.

Order Comrade to Take Cover.

Free: Draw Krak grenade.
Half: Aim.
Half: Throw at Sally #1.
[roll0] versus 46 + 10 (aim) + 10 (standard) + 10 (Inspiration)+ 30 (Massive target).

[roll1] +4 Damage, Pen 6, RF [roll4]


Status
Wounds: 3/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 48[4]
The Help: 5[4]
URGL: ( )
Fire Bomb: 7
Frag: 1
Krak: 1

Natalia: Uninjured

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck takes a moment to observe the results of his continued volleys of armour-piercing shells. "First target crippled; threat level minoris. Retargetting weapon." Putting the swift, emotionless report to action he brings the Chimera's turret-mounted weapon to bare on the second target, which is quickly closing the distance, then resumes his hail of fire as soon as the Autocannon's barrel finishes cooling. The techpriest shows no signs of stress despite the enemy being nearly upon them; these enemies have clearly been routed by the superior might of the Emperor's forcess, and the Omnissiah's guns will make short work of them as they flee.


Comrade: Half Action Ranged Volley. That is all.

Varuck: Half Action Aim, then Semi-Auto Burst targetting Salamander 2. I'm not sure if Jarren's first Order succeeded; if it did, add 5 to the following TN.

BS Test: [roll0] vs TN 93 (38+10(MIU)+10(Short Range)+10(Aim)+20(Size)+5(Ranged Volley)

Damage 1: [roll1] plus 12 (Replace 4 with 7 DOS for 34 Damage), Pen 6. Righteous Fury: [roll2] (5 SI Damage, Gas Leak Critical effect)
Damage 2: [roll3] plus 12, Pen 6. Righteous Fury: [roll4]
Damage 3: [roll5] plus 12, Pen 6. Righteous Fury: [roll6]

22 rounds remaining in the Autocannon drum.

Edit: 7 DOS. All shots hit, result is Turret which results in Hull hits against a Salamander. The first hit hits hard, the other two fluff and bounce off hopelessly. 5 on 3d10 is a rather spectacularly bad result... Only a 1% chance of seeing a number that low or lower.

[watupwithdat]

The shot was most likely a killing one. Without saying anything Cronyn moved on to his next target next to his last one, holding his breath and squeezing off a another round. His first miss of the day. He was disappointed.

"I guess you don't want my help eh?" Trenn scoffed at him.

"Very funny." he replied after the remark of his spotter.

Half Action: Aim
Half Action: Standard Attack

Weapon Range: 200m
Target: another traitor on the ground who doesn't look too banged up.

[roll0] vs 85 (48 +10 Accurate, +12 Aim [Spotter], +10 Standard Attack, +5 Custom Grip)

Damage: [roll1]
RF: [roll2]

Accurate damage
2 DoS: +[roll3]
4 DoS: +[roll4]

Total damage: ? I, Pen 3, to the ?

[LeSwordfish]

As the speeding vehicles bore down on the imperial position, Sargeant Jarren leapt from the back of Nox Noctis and charged towards the Salamander on the other carriageway. His massive eviscerator slung low, like a sabre, he poised, waiting for it to reach him, before striking out in a powerful swing, dragging the heavy chainblade along the speeding tank's flank, like a bullfighter of legend. The teeth bit deep, tearing a gouge along the side. Gases vented and wires spooled out of the salamander as it pressed on, as if it had been gutted.

"Take that!" Jarren roared, raising his blade in victory. "You heretic sons of..."
"Sir, get DOWN." Rory reached his superior, and dived to knock Jarren out of the line of fire.

The lasbolt, fired by one of the soldiers cowering in the rubble, hit Jarren milliseconds before Rory did. Rory bowled his superior down onto the roadway, but it was too late; smoke already trickling from a crater blasted in the sargeant's chest.

"Medic!" He shouted. "Medic!"

---

Varuck kept firing, methodically and carefully shredding the front armour of the salamander that Jarren had passed. Montru aimed a Krak Grenade at the other, more damaged vehicle, and it bounced into the front cavity, now more hole than armour. The krak grenade blew out the whole front of the tank, and brought it to a grinding halt, smoke billowing from the ruined hull.

[RandomLunatic]

Torin drew the last of the so-called anti-tank grenades from his webbing and sent it on its way. "Last krak out!"

Order Comrade to Ranged Volley.

Free: Draw Krak grenade.
Half: Aim.
Half: Throw at Sally #2.
[roll0] versus 46 + 10 (aim) + 10 (standard) + 5 (Volley)+ 30 (Massive target).

[roll1] +4 Damage, Pen 6, RF [roll2]


Status
Wounds: 3/11
Fatigue: 0/3
Other: N/A

Ammo
Lasgun: 48[4]
The Help: 5[4]
URGL: ( )
Fire Bomb: 7
Frag: 1
Krak: 0

Natalia: Uninjured

[Caimheul]

"By the bloody Throne." Wolfe mutters under his breath as Rory's cry is broadcast through the microbead. "Cover me!" he broadcasts to the squad as a general request, as he vaults the window and runs towards the downed sergeant ignoring the danger inherient in such an action and trusting his comrades to keep the enemy otherwise occupied. Mord following close behind, loosing the occasional lasbolt.

Comrade: Maintain cohesion, Ranged volley just for flavour.
Full action Run! Enemies get -20 BS +20 WS, moving either 24 meters or adjacent to the Sergeant, whichever is lower.

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck observes almost dispassionately as his volley of slugs inflicts minimal damage on his target. Perhaps the Hereteks have modified the structure of these vehicles in some manner to make them more resilient? No matter. As he prepares to fire again he observes the Sergeant's attack, noting the severe wound inflicted on him. "Driver, note casualties. Observe caution in that area." The Tech-priest warns mechanically as he triggers another burst of Autocannon fire.


Same as usual, now with no Sergeant buffs. Since I'm not sure if we're hitting front or side armour now, I won't make assumptions on actual damage results.

BS Test: [roll0] vs 93 (nothing has changed from last round)

Damage 1: [roll1], Pen 6. Righteous Fury: [roll2]
Damage 2: [roll3], Pen 6. Righteous Fury: [roll4]
Damage 3: [roll5], Pen 6. Righteous Fury: [roll6]
19 rounds remain in Autocannon drum.
Remind me again why anyone fires these things on anything but semi-auto?

Edit: No damage whatsoever to front armour, 13 SI Damage if it hit the side. *Sigh*

[LeSwordfish]

The autocannon's devastating fire continued to shatter along the flank of the foremost salamander. With the damage from Jarren's eviscerator- now dropped, fallen into the gap between the carriageways- some vital part of the salamander's engine had been struck. There was a great shearing of metal, and the rightmost track snapped, causing the salamander to veer sharply sideways- the prow of the tank crashed through the concrete wall of the arteria, and the driver only just managed to halt the vehicle in time to prevent it tipping into the void below.

The infantry seemed to be pulling back. The fierce volleys of fire from the building was denting their spirit, and as the trooper with the launcher messily bled his life out, they began retreating, putting out lacklustre volleys of fire as they did so. One attempted to jump to the building, and fell with a long scream. another tripped, and took a hard round from Cronyn in the back of the neck. Before long the carriageway was clear, nothing left but the burning bodies and the dead salamanders.

[RandomLunatic]

"There they go," Torin said sadly, slamming a fire bomb into the grenade launcher's empty chamber and heading down to the street. "Alright, let's secure those Salmander crews. Nat? Nat?" Looking around, he saw Natalia over where the Sargent fell. "Is he gonna make it?" she was asking Morde.

Torin shrugged and fixed his bayonet. "More loot for me." Walking towards the nearer of the two Salamanders, he said into his vox bead, "Hey Doyle, bring the Nox over here, willya? Let's drag this thing back on the road before it falls off."

[DaedalusMkV]

Varruck blinks, then stares at the shredded enemy vehicle for a moment to confirm that it's finished. "All enemy vehicles neutralized. Enemy forces in full retreat. Will continue firing to increase casualties; commence recovery operations now." Putting the words to action, the Enginseer retargets his optics on the fleeing infantry and begins firing precision shots at the fleeing men, hoping to put a few of them down and guarantee the rest don't try to come back for another go. "Note command element casualties. Recommend contacting headquarters for further orders."


Sending Single Shots at the retreating rebels until they are no longer in line of sight. This is likely to be at least a couple of rounds of shooting, so I'll just post up a bunch here. Aim then Single Shot in each case, using Ranged Volley to boost accuracy. Technically the fight is already over, but let's see if Varuck can't bag a few cowardly heretics while they run.

BS 1: [roll0] vs TN 83 (38+10(MIU)+10(Half Range)+10(Aim)+10(Single Shot)+5(Ranged Volley)
Damage 1: [roll1], Pen 6. Righteous fury shouldn't come into play, but if it does: [roll2]
BS 2: [roll3] vs TN 83 (38+10(MIU)+10(Half Range)+10(Aim)+10(Single Shot)+5(Ranged Volley)
Damage 2: [roll4], Pen 6. Righteous fury: [roll5]
BS 3: [roll6] vs TN 83 (38+10(MIU)+10(Half Range)+10(Aim)+10(Single Shot)+5(Ranged Volley)
Damage 3: [roll7], Pen 6. Righteous fury: [roll8]
BS 4: [roll9] vs TN 83 (38+10(MIU)+10(Half Range)+10(Aim)+10(Single Shot)+5(Ranged Volley)
Damage 1: [roll10], Pen 6. Righteous fury: [roll11]

This leaves 15 rounds in the first drum.

Edit: All shots hit. All shots except the last are guaranteed kills against a Flak Armoured human if they go un-Dodged. The last is merely likely a kill, since it's technically possible for someone to have enough Wounds to reduce that damage to merely crippling Critical effects.

[Caimheul]

Wolfe begins packing gauze and salve into the sergeant's wound, careful to avoid disturbing the flak armour plates which have now fused with his flesh. "Rory. RORY! Get on the horn, contact command, report in. Let them know we have a man down, chest wound, needs a proper surgery stat. GO!" he bellows at the stunned trooper, flicking on his microbead with a flick of his chin, he continues barking orders as he furiously works to stabilize the sergea.... his patient. "Cronyn, Trenn, start prepping for evac. Varruck, keep us covered. Doyle, get ready to move out. Torin, if I have my way we ain't sticking around long so gather supplies up double quick. Nat, Morde, quit gawking and give him a hand, on the bounce, MOVE! And so help me Sarge don't you DARE die and leave in charge!"

[watupwithdat]

"The hell? Sarge down?" Cronyn exclaimed after hearing Wolfe on the bead. He squeezed off a few rounds into various retreating traitors, not really aiming, just to get his frustration over the situation out.

"Maybe we should start moving now, as Wolfe said." Trenn objected as Cronyn's rifle rained random death.

"Crap. Yeah. Fine." he said and shouldered his rifle. Now they had to climb down, and it wasn't overly safe.

[LeSwordfish]

(Presuming people follow Wolfe's orders.)

Varuck's autocannon fire continued, slaughtering the enemy troops as they ran. When the barrel finally quieted, plinking gently as it cooled down, any survivors had crossed the peak of the arteria's arch and were beyond hitting.

Doyle followed Torin's orders, negotiating Nox Noctis into position. Harkon threw a line to Torin, who clinched it tightly onto the back bar of the Salamander.

"Not sure hauling it's the best idea." He commented. "See that box?" Sure enough, there was a heavy wooden crate strapped to the salamander, above the cabin. Well, partially strapped. One of the straps had been damaged in the firefight, and the crate was precariously balanced, hanging over the gap. "We move this thing too much and that goes over the edge."

"Why's that important?" Doyle asked.

"It's got the same symbol on it as the sensor things we were given." He was right.

---
As Cronyn and Trenn made their way toward the ground, the staircase swayed alarmingly. Apparently, it had taken a hit during the combat, and had even less structural integrity than before. Bringer, ahead of them, slipped and was forced to grab a support stanchion to save himself. Legs dangling over the edge, the burly soldier unshipped his missile pack and threw it unceremonially onto the roadway. Getting down without suffering the same fate would require placing one's feet very carefully.

Agility test from Cronyn, please. Alternatively, you can just drop to the roadway- It's eight meters below your current position.

---

Wolfe worked frantically at Jarren's wound. It was, thankfully, large but not messy, and although Jarren was drifting in and out of conciousness now it was unlikely he wouldn't survive.

Rory wordlessly held out the vox-horn toward Wolfe. The old soldier seemed unwilling to speak himself.

"Jarren?" It was Salo. "We're cleaning up here. No sign of whatever it is they were searching for. They were certainly keen on getting that convoy away, so check it over."

[RandomLunatic]

"Hey Varuck, we're gonna need your servitor and one of those weird auspexes they issued us out here on the double," Torin said into his bead, backing away from the Salamander.

[Caimheul]

Wolfe roughly grabs the vox horn out of Rory's grasp with one slightly bloody hand. "Make yourself useful and keep pressure here, he says, waiting to move his other hand until the trooper is properly positioned. "El-Tee, this is Medicae Wolfe. Jarren took one to the chest, he's stabilized but could use a trip to the field hospital. We'll search the convoy and keep you informed, sir."
Wolfe switches over to his microbead "Sarge is stabilized. Apparently the traitors were mighty concerned about this convoy getting away. What didja find Torin? Mord, get the vox off of Rory and lets see what the fuss is about." With his patient stable, Wolfe moves off to investigate what Torin has turned up, tiredly wiping his face with one bloody hand, unconcerned by the streaks left behind.

[DaedalusMkV]

Hearing Torin's call, the Enginseer once again wiggles out of the turret to the sound of metal clunking and scraping against metal, then tromps to the passenger compartment of the Chimera to collect his Servitor on the way to the wrecked Salamander. As he approaches he reaches into his robes to withdraw the small, specialized Auspex and begins fiddling with its nobs and dials. "Please stand back from the artefact until scans are complete." He instructs calmly in his tinny voice as he waves Torin and Doyle off. Once the area is cleared of potential sources of interference, Varuck begins sweeping both enemy vehicles with his device.


Tech-use, if necessary: [roll0] vs TN 55

[RandomLunatic]

Torin did not need to be told-he was already backing away from the Salamander like it was poisonous, which was quite possibly the case.

He was sheltering behind the bulk of the squad's transport when Wolfe approached. "One of the boxes on that Salamander there has the same funny marks on it as those Auspexes they gave us. The cogboy's scanning it now."

[LeSwordfish]

Varuck
The sensor lit up with a definite contact, in exactly the region of the crate. A little number by it read "6U"- Higher than any Varuck had seen before, but nowhere near the 10U "hazardous" level.

Varucks servitor paced out of the chimera. Montru looked at its mass, and the distance over the edge the salamander dangled. He made a mental calculation, and didn't like the result.

[RandomLunatic]

Torin looked at the servitor, the perched Salamander, back at the servitor, then up at the assorted tow cables draped on the Chimera, all sorts of improvised schemes dancing through his head.

None of which seemed worth it. He was not going to go out and get himself splattered on the ground for a box that might itself kill him. Not when there were easier pickings to be had. He searched around for the second of the two modified auspexes the squad had been issued, and with the device in hand, advanced on the other Salamander, watching the screen carefully.

Hooray laziness!

[roll0] versus 27 (INT) - 20 (untrained)

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck gestures to the crate. "That object is certainly producing radiation of the sort that this device was designed to detect, though it is not a harmful quantity." Turning to his Servitor, he lets loose a barrage of strange staticky clicking, ordering it to retrieve the object. Complying, Iota unit 24601 climbs atop the ponderous enemy vehicle and reaches for the crate, mindlessly complying with orders. While Varuck is always loathe to risk the Omnissiah's blessed machinery, if the Hereteks want whatever is in that crate so badly, and Imperial Command is interested in whatever it is, then risks must be taken to secure it.

[LeSwordfish]

The servitor took several attempts to climb onto the salamander, and several more to climb onto the track guard. It shuffled along, arms extended, twitching like a bird as it made micro-adjustments to its balance.

The salamander abruptly shifted. Over the vox they heard Doyle swear as Nox Noctis moved slightly too, and he gunned the engine gently to keep it in position. The servitor, however, was thrown off balance, and frantically tried to regain it.

Servitor agility test, vs 20+10 difficulty. [roll0]

So, no, then.

It over-compensated drastically, falling backwards over the cupola of the salamander and into the crew bay, with a noise like a well-appointed mess hall going over a cliff. Harkon winced in sympathy.

[Caimheul]

Wolfe watches the proceedings and winces at the servitor's ill fated attempt to reach the package. "Feth. Alright, looks like we might have to resort to the old fashioned way of doing things. Any ideas as to rigging a harness? At the very worst we might be able to do something with our blankets and some of the cabling from the Nox. Mord, see if we have enough cable to connect to the Nox and reach the box. Enginseer, I think it might be best for your servitor to remain where it is, or move as far forward in the crew compartment as possible to serve as a counter-weight. Additionally, I'd appreciate your assistance in the creation of a harness, would rather have something of this sort blessed by member of the Adeptus Mechanicus since my life is gonna be on the end of the line. Unless you have a better idea of course." the medic asks hopefully, as he starts removing his heavy kit, reverently setting his med-kit and lasgun off to one side.

[DaedalusMkV]

The Enginseer flinches as his Servitor stubles over the unstable vehicle. "Very well, I will do what I can with the materials available. It would seem that this is more efficient than simply allowing Unit-Iota to continue..."


Tech-use to make a harness: [roll0] vs TN 85 (45+10+30)

[Caimheul]

Wolfe dons the makeshift harness tentatively, tugging on each of the straps, before checking the connection to the most stable looking connection point in the area. "Let's get this over with. Mord, Varuck, make sure I don't fall too far. This better bloody well be worth it." the last he mutters as he makes his way to the precariously perched Salamander. By the Throne, I've lost it. Emperor protect.

[watupwithdat]

Cronyn and Trenn made it down safetly after their escapades far up in the building complex. Why do I always have to use such high vantage points... he thought to himself. Someday he'd get himself killed trying to get to a vantage point. He needed to get his hands on one of those grapel line kits.

[Caimheul]

Wolfe being crawling up the salamander, cautiously approaching the dangerously perched crate.

Agility: [roll0] TN 40

[LeSwordfish]

Torin's scan of the second salamander brought up nothing. He did, however, find an anomaly- one of the corpses had a bulky bionic eye, much like the description of the site's leader they had got from their prisoner.

Wolfe helped the servitor down off the salamander's back, and began crawling along the armoured track guard. The rain made the surface slippery, and twice Wolfe's hands skidded away from under him. One time his cap-brim was all that saved him from knocking his teeth out against a row of rivets.

The Salamander shifted again as he crossed the midway, and the angle became even steeper. Wolfe slipped again, this time losing his grip and dropping sharply towards the void. He could see the rain falling past him, and the chemical sludge below rippling gently as fragments of rockcrete dropped into it. They seemed to fall for an awfully long time.

One of his hands caught on the lip of the gunshield, sharp metal slicing his palm. He scrabbled for a better grip as the salamander shifted again, now at nearly a forty-five degree angle.

Doyle's voice crackled over the microbead. "The winch is straining, Sar- Wolfe. That thing's going to slip any second."

The box was still there, miraculously. It had a pair of rope handles, one of which had hooked itself around the hinge over the salamander's viewport. Supporting his weight with a braced foot and his uncut hand, Wolfe leaned down as far as he could. His fingertips were inches from the box handle...

Up above, the rest of the squad braced themselves as best they could on the wet roadway. The angle of the salamander was such that they could now not see how Wolfe was doing. The cable twanged and strummed with the tension.

"She's going!" Harkon yelled. "Nathin, get out of there!"

With a sound like a cannon shot, the cable holding the two vehicles together snapped. Wolfe let go of the gunshield and lunged for the box, cathcing it by the handle as it slipped off the hinge. Desperately, he kicked away from the salamander as it fell, his swing taking him just far enough to roll off the side of the massive vehicle as it toppled past him, trailing the snapped end of the cable. The huge shape rushed past, close enough to nearly eviscerate him on the damage from Jarren's sword-

-and then was gone. It turned over three times as it fell, and belched a gout of flame up the facade of the building when it landed. The makeshift harness dug into his ribs, and the box, heavy enough to be solid metal, tugged painfully at his sliced hand. But he was alive.

He took several deep breaths as the rest of the squad hauled him back onto the roadway.

[RandomLunatic]

"Hey, look at that eye. You think we bagged the boss?" "Why speculate? Go drag that civvie over here and make sure.

"What are you waiting for? Go!" Torin added, giving Nat a light shove towards the Noctis. Once alone in the Salamander, he started going through the pockets of the deceased...

[roll0] versus 32 (PER) - 20 (Untrained) for looting the corpses

[Caimheul]

After setting the mysterious crate in a safe location near the Nox Noctis Equa Wolfe quickly grabs his gear from where he stowed it. "Alrights lads and lass, let's grab everything not nailed down, destroy what we can't take, and get the feth out of here. Keep your eyes open, we don't need any more casualties!" He announces to the squad via microbead. "Mord help me move the Sarge into the Nox. Better do it now while we have a chance to breathe." he says moving towards his patient. "And then I guess I better report in," the medic says with a sigh. After moving his patient into the rear of the Chimera with a minimum of fuss, Wolfe grabs the vox horn to report in again. "This is Second Squad. We might have found something, and it looks like it might be important. Orders sir?"

[LeSwordfish]

"Stand tight." Salo ordered. "We're done here. Prepare to head back to base."

"That's him." Wiggs confirmed. "That's the bastard."

He kicked the body. It slowly slumped over onto its side. It seemed to make an end to the battle.

Alright, end of chapter one. Well, more or less. Stick a Awareness roll in the OOC and i'll tell you what loot you can find.


Mission Two: Operation Shield

Everyone but Varuck
It was perhaps a month after the battle on the arteria. Most of that time had been spent consolidating the area around the landing zone. Fortifications and entrenchments had been erected, the tall sniping towers the Tallahan preferred sprouted from the taller buildings, and concrete roadways had been laid after the third afv had become bogged down in the mud. The weather had heated up slightly, and the permanent chemical sludge had partially dried into cracked yellow mud.

They even managed some leave. It was nearly at the end of this, as they returned to the base through the narrow streets of the area of the city declared a cleared zone, that they nearly ran straight into Salo. He was standing with the Colonel, of all people, and a trio of soldiers who had the slightly haunted look of people who didn't really want to be fraternising with their superiors.

Montru scrutinised the group as they approached. Colonel Fford was barely known to most of the common soldiers- tall, straight-backed, heavy moustached, with an augumetic leg and a knot of scar tissue instead of a right eye. He was talking loudly and earnestly to Salo and the other three soldiers- a woman in a stormtrooper's uniform, and a pair of dog soldiers who might have been a lascannon team.

"Speak of the devil!" Salo announced, indicating the squad. "Here's three-two now. Or, most of them."
"Ah!" Fford pronounced. "Is it now?" He extended a wiry hand and shook with each member of the squad. "How excellent to meet you, what. The smoothest attack the regiment's performed in years, apparently. Keep that up and you'll be well on the way to a commendation."
"I was just discussing the transfers with the colonel." Salo said. "We've got another mission lined up for you, and we need you at full strength."
"And I'm happy to say I've accepted them. This is corporal Chelduck and corporal Delveccio. They'll be with you while Bringer is on charges. In addition, stormtrooper-ah- Nostra? Is that right? She'll be joining you."
"We've got another mission lined up for you, and we need you at full strength." Salo was conspiratorial.
"Terrible shame about what's-his-name, eh?"
"Exactly. Jarren won't be returning to you for some time, I'm afraid. His adjutant has requested a transfer from active duties, and we've accepted it. Which means that, well. Congratulations, Sargeant Wolfe."

Varuck Only
Emestos looked even more hangdog than usual when Varuck met him in his office. There wasn't much flesh showing, and Varuck was by no means an expert at expressions, but Emestos appeared tired.

The box from the arteria was on the desk in front of him. A small black device was inside, surrounded by a tangle of wires. Some of the wires seemed to be shifting uneasily.

"Enginseer." Emestos's voice was slower than usual too. "Thank you for meeting me here." He indicated the contents of the box. "It's even worse than I thought. Do you know what this is? It's a vortex bomb."

He sat down heavily. "We thought they might be searching for them, but we never thought there were any left."

OOC: Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) at -20 to know what one is.

[Caimheul]

A field promotion AND a tougher assignment. Great. By the Throne, this is what we get for being competent... Wolfe groans inwardly. "Thank you sir. Will we be receiving our orders at a later time or is this the briefing sirs?" the newly minted Sergeant asks, hoping the squad keeps their inappropriate comments to a minimum in front of the Colonel.

[RandomLunatic]

"Just doing our duty, sir," Torin said as he accepted the Colonel's handshake.

"Hey, congrats," he said to Wolfe as he got a promoted, giving him a slap on the back, ...sir."

[Starbin]

The lascannon team came to attention and flashed salutes to the group as the brass introduced them. Returning to rest, they watched their new unit closely, wondering what the score was.

At the battlefield promotion, Kora raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Stevie. The look said it all - What the frag was up with this squad? At least this Wolfe seemed to be focused on the mission ... but whether that was a change for the group, or same sh*& different day remained to be seen. Either way, she was going to wait for the officers to leave before she said anything.

Smirking, she thought Time enough for introductions and insubordination later ... Seeing the smirk out of the corner of his eye, Stevie rolled his eyes and inwardly groaned. Not again ...

Kora is a tall, well-built woman. In uniform, she strikes the professional appearance the Iron Guard is known for. However, if one looked beneath her dress uniform, you would see an extremely well-built, chiseled body of muscle. Her brunette hair is pulled back into a bun. Blue eyes peer out from her wheel cap, usually twinkling from some joke, while her mouth is currently in a slightly sardonic smirk. Her pale skin is typical for a native of the World of Eternal Night, almost alabaster in color.

Kinda looks like this (http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130210224409/warhammer40k/images/thumb/8/8f/Mordian_Iron_Guard_female_trooper_2.jpg/190px-Mordian_Iron_Guard_female_trooper_2.jpg)

[Major Kiaslu]

The Stormtrooper nodded when the Colonel brought her name up, speaking quietly in agreement. "Quite correct, sir, thank you." Of course, the Colonel could pronounce her name however he damn well chose, but when someone like that got your name right, least you could do was thank him for it.

Noalis seemed a little strange on first glace: she'd clearly taken the trouble to scrub up for the briefing: her light-grey armor seemed clean and undented: the helmet seeming newly issued, and her gaze was focused on the squad, but she seemed... absent, somehow. She saluted the newly minted Sargent Wolfe upon the announcement of his new rank, smiling politely, though not speaking yet. The Trooper was keeping her thoughts to herself for now, apparently

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck stands uncomortably, staring at the strange device as he wracks both his brain and his internal memory storage devices for information and comes up short. Whatever this 'Vortex Bomb' is, it must be arcane indeed to escape the strict training regimen of an Enginseer of the Adeptus Mechanicus. He peers closely at the device, resisting the urge to more closely inspect it in an effort to divine its purpose, and responds in the chittering, highly efficient speech unique to Tech-priests. "No, I fear I have not been briefed on weapons designated (Vortex Bombs) to date, Magos. However, I must conclude, based on pre-existing knowledge of the means used to detect the so-designated device that it is somehow connected to Warp energies?" The query is more of an educated guess than anything, an attempt to gain favour with the Magos by showing initiative. "If the Blasphemers want these devices, they must be denied in the name of the Omnissiah. Direct my actions, that I may work more efficiently in imitation of His perfection."

[LeSwordfish]

Everyone but Varuck
Salo shrugs. "The whole platoon's involved, so it's all over the base. We might as well brief you now."
Fford pulled a crumpled sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it over. "This is the simple tactical map of the zone. We've taken and are fortifying staging ground beta. The mission is an escort. We're transferring a platoon of artillery from here to Macquarie- apparently it's got a better angle or something, and the cadians have requested an escort. One platoon from us- you'll be taking the rearguard- one from the Tallahan. Defend the treads to Macquarie, let them get their bombardment in, and escort them back home. Should be perhaps a two-day job."

The Map
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/13673854/RPG/Armoured%20Fist/campaign/campaign_mission1.png

Varuck
"A vortex bomb is similar to a vortex grenade, but on a far wider scale. Warp-resonant materials open a small hole into the immaterium, and then a standard charge-usually nuclear- is detonated on the threshold. The net result is to rip open the immaterium over a wide area, many kilometres across, which usually decays further. The ultimate weapon of mass destruction. Lost technology."

He stood up, his mechandrites shifting, and stretched.

"In the dark age of technology, Darien was where the technology was developed. For such a parochial world it was a staggering breakthrough. They guarded it jealously. No plans were ever permitted to leave the world. The method to manufacture the technology was lost, as the Dark Age ended. It was thought that multiple bombs remained on Darien, but it was never proven. Searches were undertaken, but no traces were found. Until now. The separatists have done in months what we couldn't in centuries. Omnissiah only knows how many others they've dug up. Or what they plan to do with them."

He gave Varuck a long stare. "You are completely dedicated to the cause of the machine god? I have a task for you, and I need to know you can be trusted with it."

[RandomLunatic]

Great. Two days with the pretty, spoiled rich brats. At least he was not on point.

"What opposition is active in the area, sir?"

[Caimheul]

Wolfe examines the map, analysing it for possible choke points, ambush sites, and alternate routes should they prove necessary.

"For that matter sir, are we being issued any specialized equipment for this mission sir?" The equipment being issued was often a good indicator of the expected difficulties that the Munitorum expected one to face... not that this was any guarantee the equipment would actually be useful once in the field.

Common Lore (War) if that does any good...: [roll0] TN 50

[DaedalusMkV]

The Enginseer stares at nothing for a moment, processing this surprising data input and reevaluating the situation based on the new information. "Such secrets must not be allowed to fall into the hands of Outsiders. Only the followers of the Omnissiah must be initiated into the grand secrets of the Machine Spirits." His eyes, still flesh-and-blood for the moment, gleam with fevered intensity. "And if we can study these weapons, divine their secrets and rebuild the knowledge of their workings... Such an opportunity can not be wasted." The enforced dispassion of Techna Lingua's Binary chatter does little to hide Varuck's excitement. No true disciple of the Omnissiah could remain dispassionate where such a grand discovery was on the line. "I will do whatever must be done for the glory of the Omnissiah and the Mechanicum. Speak my mission and I will carry it out or die in the attempt."

[LeSwordfish]

The squad
"Anti-sand clothing and scanners. The dry weather means that some of the out-road areas have a penchant for dust storms."
"As for opposition..." Salo and Fford shared a significant look. "Unknown. We're pretty sure that the bulk of the enemy forces are in the forge itself, but the dust cover means that the orbital scans we'd normally use can't confirm that troop movements haven't been happening."
"The bright side is that the first front hasn't been reporting any lessening of troops, so the significant troop redeployment we'd been fearing seems not to be happening."

Varuck
"Should you find any more of these devices, you are to bring them to me. No mention of them should be made to the guardsmen. If you must, say they are mere theological curiosities. It is imperative that the high command of the guard do not realise the existence of the devices, or their importance."
Emestos shook his head slowly. "This is an internal Mechanicus matter. Am I making myself clear?"

[RandomLunatic]

And sand in his boots. Terrific.

"So when do we leave?"

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck nods his head in agreement. "Such secrets are not meant for outsiders to begin with. If weapons such as these need be used, it must be done with the greatest deliberation by those initiated in the mysteries of the Machine. I will not spreak a word of this to any who do not bear the sigil of the Mechanicus."

[Lycan 01]

Corporal Nathan Doyle's triumphant return to his unit was turning out to be a lot less triumphant than he'd expected. Thanks to some Administratum dumbassery, he'd been given a reassignment, only to then be reassigned right back into his old unit. Which wasn't a bad thing - he was delighted to be heading back to his comrades and beloved Nox. The ever morose and taciturn Gunz was also tagging along, and though he continued to exude an aura of dour apathy, Doyle had seen the chainsmoking trooper crack a smirk when they received their newest "assignment."

Unfortunately, Doyle and Gunz seemed to have returned at a delightfully inopportune time. Two CO's on deck, along with three new troopers. And worst of all, somebody just mentioned sand.

As an operator in the Imperial Guard, Doyle knew a thing or two about sand and vehicles, and how badly they got along.

"Sand and dust storms, eh?" he casually asks as he approaches the unit, setting his kits and knapsack down so he can snap off a proper salute to the officers. "That stuff's murder on an engine. Guess that's why they sent me back over here," he muses with a shrug. "How long 'til we move out, Sirs?" Doyle was hoping he'd have time to give the Nox a proper tune up, and ensure the sensitive parts were properly shielded or weather-proofed.

[Caimheul]

Wolfe stands at attention, glad that so far the squad hasn't said anything too untoward. He'd hate to have to go into battle short handed, they already had new blood to break in. At this batch didn't seem to include any fifteeners, but hopefully the tin soldier wasn't too full of herself. The medic/sergeant hopes this briefing will be over soon so the squad can start prep for the upcoming mission. Even if the enemy didn't hit them on the way to the destination, the dust clouds and artillery strikes would probably let them know something was up. This was going to be two days of explosions, blood, death, and all the other wonderful things that accompany protecting holding a temporary position and a fighting retreat. "Are their any friendly forces at Macquarie, or prepared defences, sirs?" Wolfe asks, clinging to the slim hope that they wouldn't be completely on their own.

[Starbin]

Kora stood at rest, one eyebrow raised at the familiarity these men seemed to have around the Colonel. She wasn't used to the higher ups giving two carps about her thoughts, but obviously they had earned some leeway.

Didn't really matter to her ... she wouldn't be the one on KP. If Wolfe was worth a sh#%, he'd give them a look at the map later and ask for inputs. Or he'd have a plan and not need their inputs. No matter either way ... she could wait to find out how his was gonna play out.

[LeSwordfish]

"Forty-eight hours, give or take. We want you ready to go asap, though. Atmospherics say there could be a break in the storms any minute, and we damn well plan to take advantage of it, what."
"As for prepared defences, none. But a few squads have scouted it and come back clear."

Fford stepped back and surveyed the group. "A fine body of guardsmen. Any further questions?"

Varuck
"Very much so, enginseer, very much so." Emestos made the sign of the cogwheel: Varuck instinctively mirrored it. "Very good. Go now, enginseer. Tell no-one, remember."

[watupwithdat]

Cronyn had taken a seat a good amount of meters back from the rest of the squad, not really feeling too bothered with the briefing. He knew what his job was. Finding stuff in his sights and shooting it dead. Preferably with a single shot, though that was too rare for his tastes.

Atleast the new faces was somewhat interesting, most likely because they were women, though up-tight as Mordian guardswomen were. He flushed the thoughts from his mind, trying to straighten himself up to perhaps get a look at whatever map they were looking at.

[Caimheul]

"No sirs. If you'll excuse us I'd like to get the new troopers settled in and begin preperations." Wolfe says formally, waiting for the brass to leave so he can drop the stuffed shirt act.

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck arrives late, just as the mission briefing nears its end, striding along hurriedly as his Augmetics click and whir to keep up. He salutes the Colonel and Lieutenant precisely, as is appropriate for an Enginseer attached to the Guard. "My appologies, sirs. I was delayed by Mechanicus business. Sergeant Wolfe, my congratulations on your promotion." As with the salute, congratulations on the promotion of a ranking non-commissioned officer are a mandatory element of protocol. Though he has missed the majority of the briefing, Varuck is not worried; the Sergeant will inform him of any necessary details later. For now the Tech-priest simply stands silently, waiting for any further instruction.

[Major Kiaslu]

The Stormtrooper, Noalis, smiled at Sargent Wolfe's final words, nodding politely to her new CO. She was starting to get a positive feel for the squad and understood why the Colonel was being so loose with them. These men knew what they were doing. They asked the right questions, thought things through, and were going to play it by the book. They might not be Progenium trained, but that hadn't exactly done her any favours, had it?

She turned back to the two senior officers at that, waiting for confirmation of dismissal. This wasn't her regiment yet, but she was starting to feel more welcome here than she had on her last attachment.

[Caimheul]

Once the brass finally departs, the newly minted sergeant's demeanor changes slightly., loosing a fair bit of its formal edge, spitting as he mumbles something about being made chaplain next. "Alright, you lot, lets get you kit on the Nox and then let's get a better look at this map. The brass are making it sound like a bloody milk run, which is almost guaranteed to mean this op is fethed six ways from Emperor's day. We all need to be prepared for when the grox excrement hits the fan."

[Major Kiaslu]

Kaitlyn nodded to her new Sargent without hesitation, turning immediately to heft up the bag of gear behind her and make towards the Chimera, commenting as she did so. "If it was an easy job, they wouldn't have sent an experienced squad, correct? And it'd probably be on a different world too."

Probably a different sector at that. Once her gear was stowed, the Stormtrooper returned towards the group, a quiet curiosity on her face. She'd drilled in basic Chimera protocol of course, but she'd spent most of her service running and ducking through city streets. This assignment promised to be something... different. Most likely simply dangerous in a different way, but still different.

[Caimheul]

Wolfe chuckles slight at the Stormtroopers comment Huh, maybe they aren't such a stuck up lot after all, or we just got lucky. he thinks, thanking the Emperor for small favours. "Well at least the least the long hours of boredom proceeding the mission going to the warp in a hand basket will give us a chance to get you lot at least a basic outline of how things work."

[Starbin]

Once the officers left, Kora let out a grunt and turned to punch a laughing Stan in the arm, practically knocking him over. "Next time you want to bust a$$ while the Colonel is here, do it downwind from mean, fragger!" Grabbing her kit, she threw one of the packs into Stan's chest, staggering him back again as he continued to chuckle. "Sorry, must have been that grox stew I had ... whew, you're right, that IS bad!" The others probably got a slight whiff of what Delveccio was brewing ... and it wasn't pleasant.

Kora walked over and hefted the huge lascannon onto her shoulder. In response to Wolfe's comments, she snorted. "At least this outfit gets issued a fan ... last squad, they just threw grox sh&$ at us and made us wave our arms real fast.

So Sarge, after we get settled, what next?"

[Caimheul]

"Well, it ain't much fun trying to clean it out of an engine block, as Doyle will be all to happy to tell you. Right now, the plan is to get you lot settled in and ready to move out whenever, then try to figure out how the feth to increase our odds of survival on this jaunt into hell. After that, grab whatever equipment you think might come in handy. Speaking of which, here, Wolfe says handing an auspex to Varuck. "Took a while, but luckily I caught the quartermaster on a good day. Any chance you can share what I almost died retrieving?" He inquires.

[Major Kiaslu]

The banter between Kora and Stan left Kaitlyn cracking a slight grin, remembering happier times for a few moments. They were good moments though, enough to bring the Stormtrooper a little closer to the duo that'd been standing beside her this whole time, and the squad along with them. She lent against the Chimera as Wolfe spoke, seemingly daydreaming for a while, before returning to reality with the Sargent's final words, humming to herself. "The Tallarn have been scouting the region, and they know this type of terrain. Might be worth someone talking with their scouts, see if they've got any more direct information to share."

She tapped her fingers against her knee, an old habit born of trying to concentrate whilst wearing carapace. "Better yet, you might try and have a word with one of their officers, see about seconding someone non-vital to your command for this mission?" It was advice straight out of the Tactica, and Kaitlyn paused for a second to consider it a second time before nodding, it seemed reasonable. "I don't know if they'd agree to that, but it couldn't hurt to ask, could it? And getting a spotter who knows the desert seems like Imperial providence." She glanced around the group, wondering if any of them actually had past experience with such things. Hard to tell, really.

There isn't really a system for what Kaitlyn's suggesting, I think.... I'm considering Deathwatch, which allows characters to requisition services from other bodies in addition to wargear. Was thinking of it as a potential Requisition roll, but it's your call, Sword.

[Caimheul]

Wolfe looks thoughtful for a moment. "Talking it over with them sounds like a smart move, get a first hand account of what it's like out there. As far as getting someone seconded though, ha, might as well ask for a space marine to accompany us. I swear they're born with a stick up their noble behinds. Have to go through channels for even chance of that happening. Luckily they're on vanguard, while lowly born should feel honoured to eat their dirt the whole way there and back."

[Lycan 01]

Doyle snaps off another salute to the COs as they disengage from the conversation and take their leave. When the newly minted Sergeant mentions him in regards to feces and fans, the Corporal can't help but smirk lightly. "Grox sh!t in the engine block? Nasty business. Gets all up in the valves and manifolds, and a right bitch to clean. Not how I like to spend my day," Doyle says with a flippant shrug. Gunz just scowls. Seems he's not fond of such vivid metaphors, or the trouble they represent.

"But seriously now, unless there are any complaints, I'm gonna start lookin' the Nox over and try to weather-proof her. Basic tune up, make sure all the gasgets and manifolds are secure, properly oiled up, nothing loose or easily gunked up. Sand is nasty business for an engine, ain't that right Sparky?" Doyle says with a nod to Varuck, flashing a playful smile to show he means no insult with the nickname. "Mind givin' me a hand or mechadendrite with the fixin' and the Rites?"

[Starbin]

Stan finished stowing his and Kora's gear on the Nox, then wandered over to Kaitlyn. Leaning over, he whispered in a conspiratorial manner, "You know, that's a great idea. If you decide to go chat with the scouts, I'll walk over with you. Or if you just wanna talk tactics, let me know ... " He winked as he leaned back against the Chimera, smiling suavely.

Kora found a secure spot for the lascannon, ensuring it wouldn't take any damage when they rolled out. She walked out and caught Stan making moves on the Stormtrooper. Snorting, she walked over and nudged Stan and glanced down. "Hey, how'd this get here?" He looked down and saw Kora's hand making the symbol of a circle against her thigh.

"Fuggin' a ..." Kora grinned and socked him in the arm. Then, as she wiped his armed, she said sweetly, "Why don't you wait until our first mission before you try and get into the nice stormtrooper's carapace pants?"

Stan grumbled and walked over to some of the other guys, many of whom were already laughing. Kora shook her head in apology to Kaitlyn. "Stan's okay, but he's like a rutting grox when it comes to women. Rolled up paper's usually work, but I sometimes go with an ammo clip." Smiling, she put out her hand. "Name's Kora Cheldruk, though some of my old unit called me KC. Well, they called me a lot of things, but that was one of the nicer ones."

Figure there should be a moment for some girl bonding ... before it gets all serious :smallsmile:

PS - not sure if the reference will cross international borders, but the thing Kora was doing with Stan is called the 'circle game.' It's childish and silly, but very common in high school sports in the US, especially in testosterone dominated lockers (aka most American football teams). Lots of little rules, but the main point is if you make a circle with your thumb and forefinger and get the other guy to look at it, you get to punch him in the shoulder. One of the variants means you have to wipe it off to show there's no hard feelings, or you get socked back. If he break the circle with his finger before you open your hand, he gets to sock you ... if you trap his finger in a break attempt, you get to sock him ...

Did I mention it was silly and childish? :smallbiggrin:

[RandomLunatic]

"Better dust then heretic las fire," Torin observed. "Of course, then it's going to fall on us to come in and clean up the spoiled brats' mess. Like always." He scowled.

"You know what would make this a lot more pleasant? Filter plugs, or respirators. And plenty of spares, so we aren't choking to death the whole way."

[Caimheul]

"Might have better luck looking for filter plugs, haven't had any luck locating respirators right now. Bloody things seem to be rarer than gold." Wolfe complains.

[Major Kiaslu]

The trooper, who'd looked a little uncomprehending at Stan's initial approach, laughed at Kora's lunge and the fellow corporal's retreat. Her focus had been on Wolfe, rather than the rest of the squad. She took the offered hand, pausing a little before nodding and responding a little hesitantly. "Kaitlyn. Kat. Call me Kat."

Trooper Noalis shook her head, nerves starting to show a little more clearly at the more personal interaction coming from Kora. "Sorry, I'm probably a little weird to talk to. Schola upbringing and everything. I kinda... miss things, sometimes. Though I still got what he was leading up to, on the tone if nothing else." The trooper chuckled, leaning back against the Nox as she continued to reminisce a little, those fears starting slowly to fade. "Would've been a Sororitas, but could never recite the Creed if you paid me a thousand Gelt. So went to the Guard instead."

She briefly tapped the butt of her hellgun, grinning at her newfound sister in arms. Kat took a deep breath, before asking a question of her ow. "So, are you and Stan with the regiment? Or did you end up like me, shuffled in from outside?"

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck watches the socialization with ill-concealed confusion. He's never really understood why most of humanity seems obsessed with sharing pointless discussions of inconsequential topics and talking about inefficient feelings when they could be communing with the Machine Spirits or working towards blessed perfection. But, perhaps that is why he is an initiate of the Mechanicus and they are not. When Wolfe hands him the Auspex, Varuck takes it gratefully and clicks mechanically to himself. "Excellent. The object we retrieved from the rebels is an ancient relic of the Mechanicus, dating back to before the Great Crusade. Only an initiate of the Omnissiah could truly appreciate its value, I suppose, but allowing the rebels to claim it would be... Unforgivable." If he still possessed the ability to spit, Varuck likely would at this point. "It is a good thing we still possess the Geiger-Dieter device, as I have been informed more such relics may be hidden on this world. I cannot overstate the value of the relics to my order; such Archaeotech could lead to wondrous rediscoveries which will benefit all."


To Doyle, his reply is quite simple. "Yes. It would be more efficient to collaborate on such modifications. Inform me when you are ready to commence."

Finally, with regards to the discussion of Respirators, the Enginseer interjects with a suggestion of his own. "Perhaps, should you be interested, I can arrange for the implantation of a respiration unit. They are much more comfortable than external apparati, and as they are integrated into one's respiratory system much more difficult to circumvent."

[Caimheul]

Wolfe tries his best to take the tech-priest's offer as it was intended. "Well, I can't say that wouldn't be mighty convenient, but I'm afraid I can't afford the down time right now. Us flesh and blood types don't bounce back as quickly as you do from that kind of surgery. Besides, I'm a might attached to my body parts and prefer to hang on to them as long as I can," he replies respectfully, itching to pry more regarding the nature of the Mechanicus relic.

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck emits a strange noise, something halfway between a sigh and the buzzing of an overworked power conduit. "Oh, yes, immediate implantation is out of the question. We would need to arrange it for down-time between operations. But, if you are unwilling to undertake such Augmentations, I suppose there is nothing to be done about it." The Enginseer doesn't seem terribly disappointed; he is likely well used to others ignoring his offers of voluntary Augmentations.

[Starbin]

"So, are you and Stan with the regiment? Or did you end up like me, shuffled in from outside?"

Kora nodded. "Good to meetcha, Kat. Yeah, we're new as that welt on Stan's arm. We were with the Anti-Tank teams, until word came down they needed the best and brightest. Apparently the req forms got mixed up, cuz you got us."

Watching the interaction between the Sarge and the Cogboy, she nodded toward them. "So, new Sarge, new heavy weapons, new Stormtrooper ... d'ya think these guys are bad luck, or just hitting a rough patch?"

Kora glanced up worriedly at the sun, shaking her head. "Never get used to all this space. I'd rather have hab over my head than this. Even some cloud cover ... feel like I'm gonna fraggin' fly off ..."

[Major Kiaslu]

Kaitlyn was silent for a second at Kora's question before chuckling, very slightly, under her breath. "Bad luck, if you ask the Gundurites I was with before. They got me sent over here."

The Stormtrooper didn't seem willing to elabourate on that. Instead, she followed Kora's gaze up towards the sky, sighing slightly. "I get what you mean, and I grew up drilling outside. Last month or so, we've had runs, jumps, multi-level combats..." Kat shook her head, as if banishing the memories from her mind. "Some of the fighting's been... stressful. Glad to have someone to talk to, really. Here's hoping get more time for it later, over a little Amasec."

The last won a grin from Trooper Noalis. Focus drifting back towards the squad, however, she noted Varruck's offer to Wolfe. The talk of respiration units brought back the smell of acrid smoke in her mouth, gasping for breath as her squad passed above a major vent. The prospect of not having to deal with such things again was... enticing, to put it mildly. Standing upright, Kat raised an arm in the direction of the Cogboy "Enginseer, if it's not an impertinence, and you or I can fill out the requisite requisition forms, I'd be happy to attempt such an operation once we're on downtime again."

Offer made, the Stormtrooper walked a little closer to the techpriest, somewhat unsure of herself, but trying to smile and sound friendly. "I'm a little surprised that such things might be available, but I understand how... erratic, the Munitorium can be on occasion. I have no past history with cybernetics, but if you believe such a procedure to be safe?..." She shrugged, looking towards Varuck inquisitively, honestly curious. She knew of Tech Priests academically of course, but hadn't encountered a true Enginseer before this point: her former squad had mostly maintained their own gear.

[Starbin]

Kora raised her hands in mock supposition. "Well, I normally don't drink ... but I wouldn't want you to have to finish a bottle of amasec all on your own ..."

The conversation finished for a bit, Kora sauntered over to and saluted Wolf, ignoring the talk about implants for a moment, since the joke was entirely too easy. "Heyo, boss, Trooper Cheldruk here. Go by Kora or KC. Trooper Delveccio is my assist ... goes by Stan or Fughole, depending on how long I have to wait for a reload. Heard you had some need for the big guns before, so that's why we're here. We've got a couple of confirmed kills running with the AT boys - hopefully we can bring the same kind of love to our enemies with your squad."

[Lycan 01]

Doyle moseys over to the Chimera, and begins looking the Nox over. "I'm ready to begin tunin' her up soon as possible. Just give the order Sarge." The Corporal turns to look back and grin at Sergeant Wolfe. "Gratz on the new rank pins, by the way."

In regards to implants, Doyle gives a sheepish smile. "Hey, thanks for the offer, but I'd prefer to keep my natural systems. It'd be harder to smell the fumes and knows what's wrong with the engines if I've got an augmetic respiratory system, soooooo gonna have to put up with the frailties of the mortal coil for the glory of the Emperor, I'm afraid," he quips. "Gunz, though, will probably need a set of robo-lungs if he keeps hittin' the lho sticks like clockwork."

Gunz gives his comrade an even stare, and takes a long, almost defiant drag of his current lho stick.

[RandomLunatic]

Enemies tried hard enough to cut pieces out of Torin, he had no intention of letting the cogboys have a crack at it. He arched an eyebrow as the new Stormtrooper walked over and volunteered. Given the way they were supposed to be machine-like implements of His Will or something like that, there was probably a joke to be made, but Torin could not quite articulate it into a punchline, so he let it slide.

"Hey there," he said to the other new arrival, offering his hand. "I'm Torin, or 'Trooper Montru' if you want to be all formal. This here's Nat, and we're the assault team. Or at least, we were..." he added, looking again at the Stormtrooper.

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck seems somewhat surprised when the new Stormtrooper squadmember makes her request. He clearly wasn't expecting to be taken up on his offer. "Oh, such things might not be available on request to most soldiers, but I can make arrangements. There is no danger in Augmentation, at least when it is done voluntarily rather than rushed by necessity. Every Enginseer possesses much more extensive implantation than simple respiration units, you know. I will be pleased to begin the proper applications process as soon as an opportunity presents itself." He withdraws his data-slate, making a note of this information for himself. "I will make some of the requisite literature available to you for your perusal. Truly, I am surprised that the Stormtrooper Corps does not make heavier use of Augmentation as it is; Mechanicus Skitarii owe much of their own legendary combat effectiveness to judicious use of mechanical aids. I myself enjoy several integrated protective implants which vastly improve my combat longevity."

[Caimheul]

Wolfe isn't overly surprised the storm trooper is willing to undergo such an operation, having a permanently attached respirator IS a good way to always be prepared for a gas attack after all. "Yeah, not much more dangerous medically speaking than any other procedure involving the replacement of half your face with mechanical parts, just make sure you don't get a cheap one or you'll hiss with every breath. Although I'm sure Vareck could hook you up." He adds from a lay medical perspective before mentally putting on his sergeant "hat" and turning to Kora. "Sorry 'bout that. Dunno if you caught it, but I'm also the squad's medic. Corp... I mean Sergeant Medicae Nathin Wolfe. Private Mord Eberstark is my corpsman and adjutant. Sarge when you need Sergeant things, and Doc or Medic! when you need a patch job. Don't confuse the two or I'm liable to just order you to heal rather than stitch your guts back in." he says dryly a slight smirk on his face. "Our last heavy and loader team got caught breaking about three to four different regulations, so do me a favour and don't get caught. Sounds like you've got your fifteen in at least, so I'll make an effort to remember your names. Had much of a chance at shooting that cannon from a moving platform? Sounds like we're going to be doing a fair bit of runnin' an' gunnin' on this next op."

Fifteen here refers to the average lifespan of a replacement trooper in the IG: fifteen hours.

[Starbin]

Kora nodded. "Basic tactics requires qualifications in stationary shooting, scoot and shoot procedures, as well as firing from mobile platforms. Of course our last action was dug in, so it's been a couple of months."

She looked at the Chimera appraisingly. "Of course, depending on how you like your buggie outfitted, we might be able to repurpose one of the pintles ..." She glanced back at Wolfe, "... but you might want to leave inspection of the upper hull to the troops." Grinning, she saluted, intent on checking the top of the Chimera for opportunities for mounting the lascannon.

As she made her way over, she waved at Stan, who came over. "Hey there." Glancing back, she saw another of the squad coming over. "I'm Torin, or 'Trooper Montru' if you want to be all formal. This here's Nat, and we're the assault team. Or at least, we were..."

Reaching out, Kora shook his hand. "Heyo, Torin ... Nat. Troopers Cheldruk and Devleccio here." Stan waved. "Call me Kora or KC. That's Stan."

Stan smirked. "Last squad called her Sunshine ... cuz she's just so cheery!" Kora rolled her eyes. "Whatever ... they were jealous cuz a girl was firing the big gun. Boys, don't let any of these local bi*(hes tell you different ... size DOES matter."

Grinning widely, she looked around the squad. "So what kind of meat-grinder did you guys hit? Looks like a lot of change in the group ..."

[Major Kiaslu]

Kaitlyn didn't seem to notice the staring from Torin, or Wolfe's mildly sarcastic tone at the safe nature of removing half one's face. Instead, she simply nodded to Varuck. "It varies. Some regiments forswear them, some do indeed try to model themselves after the Skitarii. The results from what I've seen aren't entirely conclusive in either direction, though if you want, I'd be happy to debate the point later in more depth. It's fairly interesting, and we covered the matter in the Schola."

She kept the techpriest's gaze for a second, as though trying to recall something, before the gregarious gunner talking to the group made the Stormtrooper shake her head in self-irritation, muttering under her breath. "I should've probably introduced myself to the group as a whole, shouldn't I? Not just Kora, the other new arrival."

She stepped behind the heavy weapons team, nodding her head as they spoke, and nodding, first to Torin, then to Wolfe, the latter with a wink and gentle grin on her face. "Kaitlyn Noalis, at your service. And for what it's worth, Sargent, I too have run my fifteen. Just about."

[Lycan 01]

Doyle gives a cheery little wave. "Corporal Nathan Doyle. I'm the chauffeur for the squad, and please keep all backseat driving to a minimum," he says with a playful grin. "And this here-" he slaps Gunz on the shoulder, earning a disgruntled glare, "Is Gunz. He burns things. Quite skillfully, I might add." That one actually earns a smirk from the taciturn trooper.

[RandomLunatic]

"Whatever ... they were jealous cuz a girl was firing the big gun. Boys, don't let any of these local bi*(hes tell you different ... size DOES matter."

"But size ain't half as important as how you handle it," Torin retorted. With a flick of the wrist, he tugged The Help free and began an expert demonstration of several of the more difficult weapon drills, the sort that were the bane of boot camp cadets all over Mordian. Ending his impromptu demonstration at port arms, he smiled and said, "And I practice with my equipment every day."

Putting the flamer away, he continued, "It was only sarge that took a bad one. And he lived, but won't fight again. Rory got posted to permanent REMF* duty, while our missile team seems set for transfer to a penal battalion. I told 'em they shouldn't have run that Commissar's undies up the flagpole."

*-REMF=Rear Echelon Motherfrakker, derisive term for non-combat personnel

[Caimheul]

"Glad to hear it trooper." Wolfe replies to Kaitlyn with a grin. "While I'm glad to have you, I'm sorry your stuck with us. Anyway, outside of combat, I'll appreciate your input, as I'm sure you ate, drank, and dreamed about tactics for most of your life. What's your primary area of expertise? I'm sure you'd excel no matter what task I hand you."

[Starbin]

"But size ain't half as important as how you handle it," Torin retorted. With a flick of the wrist, he tugged The Help free and began an expert demonstration of several of the more difficult weapon drills, the sort that were the bane of boot camp cadets all over Mordian. Ending his impromptu demonstration at port arms, he smiled and said, "And I practice with my equipment every day."

Kora laughed aloud when he pulled out the flamer and began waving it around. "Hey look, Stan! It's like a gun, only smaller!". Shaking her head, she grinned at his last comment. "You know, you keep that up and you'll go blind."

Patting Torin on the shoulder as she went to stand with the rest of the squad gathered around Wolfe, she smiled again. "No worries ... the Emperor needs all kinds."

Stan leaned over, winked and in a stage whisper said, "Don't mind her ... It's that time of the month. And been that way for at least a deployment!"

"I heard that, Stan!"

"I know, Sunshine, I know!"

[watupwithdat]

It seemed like the new faces were quite social atleast. Cronyn had sat on his crate quietly, just listening in, learning names and faces. Its good to know faces when you're shooting people from afar. Wouldn't want to accidentally shoot someone you shouldn't—though the loud colors of the Mordian uniform usually prevents that anyway. Kaitlyn, Stan, Kat. He tried to think of what else. Kora? If there was another new name he couldn't remember it. The joys of a short memory.

Trenn had been even further back shuffeling packing and other stuff that Cronyn had tasked him to before. He had even forced the private to clean his rifle for him. Not that it was needed, as Cronyn had done it just a couple of hours ago himself, but he felt Trenn should practice doing it too if he'd want to use his own sniper rifle some day too. In a way, it was a form of grooming.

"I guess I should introduce myself too?" the sniper said, butting in on the conversations the rest had without him. "Cronyn's the name, Sniper's the game." he simply said, feeling content with himself for coming up with a rhyme fairly unintentionally. "That one back there doing menial crap is Trenn." he said and pointed back towards the gear. "He's my spotter. He's the one with the magnoculars, if you're looking for someone to do your bird spotting for you."

[Major Kiaslu]

Kaitlyn tilted her head as she regarded Sniper Crowyn, noting the man. It might be an idea to talk with him later. Face committed to memory, she Sargent, trying to work out a little about the NCO by his baring. Medic, she'd caught that, but what else? She spoke whilst thinking internally, a mild joke to try and diffuse the tension. "Primarily, it's mid-ranged combat. A unique area of expertise, I know." She snorted, before turning her tone entirely serious. "It's mostly been skirmish work since I got here, regular pattern. Run a patrol, enemy shows up, jump for cover, try very hard not to get shot. I got the Tactica hammered into me at the Schola, and can quote it for you if you want, but I'm not that much of an expert."

The trooper took a deep breath, before nodding emphatically to Wolfe, face set, though the ghost of a smile lingered. "Willing to do whatever it takes though. Warp or wind, I'm still a Stormtrooper. If I didn't put my all in, the Munitorium might start thinking we were just a bunch of jumped up rookies in fancy gear. And then where would we be, right?" She winked at the last, grinning a little. She knew how most guardsmen viewed Progea trained Stormtroopers, but Wolfe was being kind. The least she could do was tell a few jokes against herself.

[Caimheul]

Wolfe nods, chuckling slightly at the self deprecating humour. "Fair enough. Mostly due to that fancy equipment, I'll probably stick you with assault missions, with Torin and Nat as back up but that may change depending on the mission. As much as I'd like to spend all day shooting the sh!( should probably go see what the Munitorium has decided to issue us this time. Might get lucky and they misfile something in our favour again. C'mon Mord." Wolfe says as he starts to head towards the Munitorium tent. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, or I'll have your collective behinds!" he yells over his shoulder.

[RandomLunatic]

"Geez, pin some stripes on a guy and suddenly he's no fun anymore," Torin observed.

"Irresponsible as it is to leave you ladies with Stan here, I've got some things to take care of. Bye." With that, he sought out the squad's Enginseer. "Hey Varuck, please tell me you've finished with my lasgun. I'm going to need it real soon."

[DaedalusMkV]

The Enginseer emits the strange electronic sigh again. "Trooper Torin, I completed the requested work two days prior. Your weapon is currently resting at the side of my workbench waiting to be claimed. In addition to the requested modifications, I have also taken the liberty of inscribing the weapon with blessings to the Machine Spirit, as well as a Litany of praise to the Emperor in the interim. You may proceed there and reclaim it now; I am needed to assist Corporal Doyle in modification's to our vehicle's motive systems. I suggest you take advantage of the firing range to adapt to the modifications made to your weapon."

Following Doyle, Varuck spends half of his time overseeing and assisting with the Chimera driver's work on the engine and the other half undertaking a final inspection of the Nox Noctis Equa's weaponry and armour, blessing the vehicle's individual components in anticipation of combat deployment. "Corporal Doyle, I am curious. Where did you receive training in vehicle maintenance? Your ability in this regard exceeds standard regimental training programs."

[LeSwordfish]

In the end it proved to be the full forty-eight hours before the mission began, with Atmospherics reporting ruefully that if anything, the dust clouds had intensified. The convoy lined up on one of the larger roads out of the city, and the squad had a chance to wander it's length, before Salo bawled them out and ordered them back to their own position in the rear.

They were sharing the rearguard with Three-three and three-four, plus a squad of Tallahan. The Tallahan were tall and blonde, with immaculate uniforms and lasguns with stocks of smooth black wood. Montru considered it immensely satisfying that they were forced to ride in a battered chimera by the name of Turpis Excors requisitioned from the Mordian's motor pool.

Slowly, like a monster stirring, the convoy began to move.

---

Out on the roadway, the full force of the dust hit them. Sealed in Nox Noctis with the crew, Varuck fretted about what the abrasive effect would be on the guns- opening the hatch, however, was met with such a cloud of silicates from above and complaints from below that it would have to wait.

Doyle was forced to keep a constant eye on the controls, with the wind and dust strong enough to shuffle Nox Noctis sideways if not properly controlled. They were barely an hour into the journey when one of the elderly vehicles seconded to a Tallahan squad near the front died abruptly, dust so thick in the manifolds smoke could barely escape. Harkon whistled as they passed the abandoned shell.

"There but for the grace of the throne..." he muttered.

---

It was several more hours later that the radio squawked. The convoy had climbed the foothills outside the town, and were now moving on narrower roads, between farmhouses and large houses. Supposedly, there was a good view from here. Nox Noctis was now the second from the back of the convoy, following the Tallahan squad. Well, apparently. The dust was so thick you couldn't see.

Salo's voice crackled oer the radio. "Three-two, this is Salo. Can you get a ping on the damn Tallahan?"

Harkon flicked the auspex. "Nothing."

Salo sighed, it came across as static. "Three-four think they've turned off down a side road, and we've lost contact. Take the left by the big sign, and see if you can't track them down. You're closer, maybe your Vox can pick them up."

[Caimheul]

"Roger that El-Te," Wolfe responds in acknowledgement, before addressing the squad, settling his newly obtained camo cloak on his shoulders. "Alright lads and lasses, looks like we have some lost little babes to lead back into the fold. Enginseer Varuck, I'm sure your abilities would serve us best on the auspex right now. Cronyn, looks like we're going to need you in the turret manning the big gun. Kat, you grab a viewport on the left, I'm on the right, and everyone else, pick a spot and stay on your guard. Sing out if you see anything, hold your fire unless they shoot first, don't need a blue on blue my first mission in charge of you lot."

If anyone disagrees, can change the "orders." Varuck's tech use in my opinion is best utilized on the auspex, Cronyn's the best shot even taking into account Varuck's MIU (by 1 point), and I don't think dropping him off would either do much good or be really possible...

[RandomLunatic]

Base, two days earlier

"Wait, it's been two days?" Torin asked out loud to nobody, having been left standing all alone. "Day-um, that was some party!" He hustled off to reclaim his lasgun and get some acclimation time on the firing range.
0
Present

"Typical highborn," Torin snorted. "Not a damn clue where they're going or how to get there." Taking up position at one of the gun ports, he tried to peer out the absurdly tiny field of view for anything besides blowing sand.

[roll0] versus 32-20 (untrained)

[Starbin]

Kora sat, pouting somewhat. "I thought I had the big gun ...". Stan grinned and patted her shoulder.

[Lycan 01]

Corporal Doyle shrugs, and scoots over a little bit so the Cogboy can oversee his tuning and checking of the engine. "I dunno. Just always had a knack for vehicles and tech. My aptitude scores were good enough to warrant vehicular training, and I'm a fast learner when it comes to wheels and gears. Always liked watching the Enginseers fiddle with the mechanical stuff and do their rites, and they didn't mind sharing what was allowed. Guess I was a nice change of pace from the usual uninterested footslogger. Some of 'em really encouraged me to look into the Mechanicus Adeptus, but eh, I don't really have a head for the philosophical sides of the Priesthood," the Guardsman idly muses with another shrug, as he absentmindedly twirls a wrench between his fingers. "And I'm too laid-back. Ain't got the drive and stuff..." Another shrug, and he begins to fiddle with some valve covers.

It should be noted that as Doyle talks to Varuck, he doesn't retract from his presence or talk to him differently, like most Guardsmen would. He seems to be treating the Enginseer with the same respect (or indifference) he'd treat another soldier or person in general.

-------------------------

Through the wind and over the road, Doyle pilots the Nox to the best of his abilities. "C'mon baby, keep steady for us," he mutters to the Chimera as he wrestles against the buffeting winds, trying to pacify and embolden the no-doubt unsettled Machine Spirit. "Just a little wind and sand, ain't gonna-"

He eyes the broken down Chimera, hamstrung by gunked up manifolds. He frowns a bit, before going back to the task at hand. "Ain't gonna cause us any problems. Just a little wind and sand, nothin' more..."


--------------------------------

When the Tallahan's go missing, Corporal Doyle sighs. "Poncy frakkers can't even drive in a straight line..." he grumbles to himself. Gunz rolls his eyes, sharing his companion's annoyance.

As ordered, Doyle hangs a left at the big sign, once it looms into view. After making the turn, he opens up the Vox link and begins to try to find the wayward transport. "Three-four, this is Three-two, what is your position?" he asks into the vox unit, trying to address the other vehicle in the storm. "I repeat, this is Three-two, what is your potion, Three-four? Over."

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck listens to Doyle's explanation patiently. "A well-reasoned and rational outlook. A place for all, and each in their place, working in harmony to build a perfect machine. You would have made a better Techpriest than you think, Corporal." He continues his work amiably, in a very good mood despite the impending combat mission.

---

Varuck responds quickly to the new Sergeant's orders, taking up Harkon's position. "Confirmed, Sergeant. I will begin active Auspex sweeps until the missing unit has been located." As he begins to interface with the vehicle's sensor suite, the Enginseer wonders if perhaps he should not have spent some effort sanctifying the Tallahan vehicles before departure. Those aging Chimeras were clearly in poor condition, which has led to a degradation of the task force's effective combat strength. Assuring himself that it is no use worrying about events which have aldready transpired, Varuck returns his attention fully to the Auspex display in front of him.


Tech-use for the Chimera's auspex: [roll0] vs TN 65 (55+10(MIU)
Awareness: [roll1] vs TN 39 (9+30(Auspex))


The fact that, not only do I have a poor Per and lack the Awareness Skill, but have neither Per nor Fieldcraft as Aptitudes and thus cannot effectively acquire the Skill or boost my Per is actually rather worrisome. Varuck is quite good at working an Auspex, but any other sort of attempt to be a lookout or trying to find anything more than 50 meters away just isn't something I can expect to work...

Edit: Failed the Tech-use, passed the Awareness? Whut?

[Major Kiaslu]

Kaitlyn took the lookout port as Wolfe indicated, now clad in full carapace bar her helmet. She didn't need to wear more at this point, at least until they were outside and actively engaging someone. She tried to find something to focus on through the maelstrom of dust. It was a somewhat impressive sight, but she didn't have the time to appreciate it with another Chimera to hunt for

[roll0] Awareness, TN 46

[Caimheul]

Wolfe looks out into the swirling sands, in the vain hope that he might catch a glimpse of the missing Chimera. "Mord, scan the vox frequencies for any transmissions, they may be trying to reach the platoon," he says, trying to hedge their bets.

Awareness: [roll0] TN 40

[watupwithdat]

Tallahan scouts getting lost was kinda ironic, though Cronyn wasn't aware that was the word he'd need use to describe the situation. In any case, the weather wasn't really optimal for his sniper rifle. He could barely see his hand in front of his face outside. Lucky he had wanted to try shooting the big gun in the chimera at some point, never actually being in the vehicle during most engagements.

"What sort of ammunition is this thing loaded with anyway?" he asked whoever knew. He had heard some talk about getting rounds for armour, but he wasn't aware if that had actually happened yet.

[Lycan 01]

Corporal Doyle grins lopsidedly when Cronyn asks about bullets. "Oh, y'know, the best type of ammo we could ask for, my friend. The ol' reliable 'standard issue' bullet-y type," he remarks playfully, before resuming his scanning of the surrounding areas.

Gunz quietly mans the flamer, peering from side-to-side through the view finder in an attempt to spot the missing Chimera.



Forgot to check awareness.

Awareness: [roll0] vs 13

Does Guns get to check Awareness to, using my score? If not, let me know, and disregard this next roll.

Gunz Awareness: [roll1] vs 13

[LeSwordfish]

As they accelerated away from the main convoy, uphill, Doyle considered how sharply they'd needed to turn away from the road. Quite a turn to make accidentally.

Sometimes, through the dust, Wolfe caught a glimpse of a chimera's rear running light, but it never seemed to get closer. It was hard to estimate the distance, but at least they were keeping up.

The vox dropped into static quickly. No response was evident from the Tallahan. Over at the auspex, Varuck found that the atmospherics were fouling it completely. Nothing was coming through.

---

And then, they reached a building. All they could see of it as of yet was an archway, easily wide enough to drive Nox Noctis through. The vague shape of a large, ornate building stretched away behind it, similar to a manor house.

The road, such of it they could see under the drifts, lead into the archway, into some kind of large courtyard.

[Starbin]

Kora glanced out one of the side ports with mixed emotions. On the one hand, the storm kept that great open sky from looming over her ... but on the other hand, she couldn't see squat, and they seemed to be chasing a ghost. In the swirling eddies, she thought she caught sight of an archway leading to a courtyard.

"Oh that doesn't look like a perfect kill zone. We'd better rush right into that death trap ASAP!". Stan nodded in mute agreement, a worried look on his face.

[Major Kiaslu]

Kaitlyn's reaction was the natural one for a member of the Guard confronted with something unknown: intense suspicion. The Trooper's hellgun pointed out of the viewport towards the strange shape before them, and Kat didn't look round as she spoke, seemed more puzzled than nervous at the strange shape of the nearby building. "What is this place?"

Still with her gaze fixed down her sights, the Trooper gestured to Varuck in the hope he could confirm or deny her worry. "This is a Forge-World. dedicated to construction in the name of Ominssiah and Emperor. Most buildings are concentrated in the spires and cities, where people work the Manufactorum units. It should be mostly like a Hive World, correct? What is something this elaborate doing out in the middle of nowhere?" And really, was it chance the Tallahan were directed here? Either their brothers had been phenomenally unlucky, they'd fallen under some kind of psyker trickery, or they had just encountered the most deadly point of fighting rebels. Infiltration

[Lycan 01]

Doyle scowls. "This has trap written all over it. I saw the Chimera's tail light a few times in the dust, so their lead on us isn't too terrible. Still... Orders, sir? Want me to try 'em on the vox again, full speed ahead, or just report our findings and inevitably be told to plunge on in to certain death in the name of the Emp'rah?" he asks, flashing a bit of a smirk.

[RandomLunatic]

"Gee, I wonder if they have any vacancies, or if all the rooms are booked by heretics?" Torin wondered out loud.

"Wait," he said in response to Doyle. "Did you see a Chimera's light, or did you just see a light?"

[Caimheul]

"It was definitely a Chimera's running light, unless you think I don't know what one looks like after staring at the damn things for half of the bloody day. Something feels off. Cut the vox, they ain't sending so no reason for us to let them know we're looking for them. Either they have some super secret mission that no-one thought to tell us Mordians about, we've got some deserters on our hands trying to make a run for it, or this lot is up to no good. In any of those cases, I doubt they'd take kindly to being followed. Place like this could be some kind of palace... Might be some tech or treasure inside, if we're lucky at least. Varuck, you see anything on the standard auspex or that fancy one we picked up last mission?" Wolfe asks, mulling over the possibilities.

So is their any inherent risk due to weather in dismounting? I mean, our environmental gear has to be good for SOMETHING...

[DaedalusMkV]

Varuck ponders the situation for a moment. "Such structures would be rare on a Forge World, yes. Larger, more concentrated layouts improve efficiency. It is not impossible that an influential Imperial representative or even a high-ranking adept of the Omnissiah might maintain high-grade quarters for themselves. Given the aparent radicalism of this planet's peoples', it seems a reasonable prospect." He returns to the Auspex, doing all that he can to improve its functionality, but gets nowhere. "No, Sergeant, heavy atmospheric activity is interfering with the Auspex's operation. It wi be largely ineffective while the dust storms persist."

[Major Kiaslu]

"And our friends just happen to stumble onto a high up's former residence?" Kaitlyn shook her head, muttering to herself. "Because they're Highborn, don't you know, probably all members of some ancient society or something."

Sarcasm might be cathartic, but it didn't accomplish much. Kaitlyn replaced her helmet, sealing it into place before looking back to Wolfe. "Either way, our main options are drive in fast or try and scout it out on foot, right, Sarge?" She was stating the obvious, and knew it. Frowning, the Stormtrooper withdraws a pair of magnoculars from around her neck, kneeling at the viewpoint and trying to get the best look at the area in-front of them that she could. If they could make out anything about the courtyard....

[roll0] Awareness, TN 46. Magnoculars don't technically give a bonus, but they seem like they should be helpful here, no? Some have heat seeking installed...:smallwink:

[LeSwordfish]

The courtyard was relatively dust-free- the walls were high. Kaitlin could just about make out the shape of a chimera inside, it's rear ramp lowered. A figure, barely visible, was standing on the ramp, smoking a lho-stick. If it was a psyker trick, it was an unusually mundane one.

Once again, the vox provided no link, the caster fruitlessly searching for a connection.

[Caimheul]

After Kat relays what she has seen, Wolfe nods thoughtfully. "Right then. Something stinks to the golden throne here, and for once it isn't Torin. Cronyn, think you'd be able to hit something in this wind with your rifle? I'm thinking it's 'bout time to do something ill advised..." he trails off before rubbing a hand over his eyes muttering something vaguely sounding like not signing up for this, before continuing on. "Right, Doyle, keep the Nox idling, either we're going to need a quick getaway or to bring down the hammer. Varuck, her guns seem to like you, so I would be honoured if you were to man the turret again. Kora, you going to be better set up on the pintle mount we rigged, or setting up somewhere outside? Cronyn, Kat, Torin, Mord, Nat, Trenn, respirators and goggles on, lets go see what these inbred fethers are up to, unless one of you lot has a better idea?"
OOC:
Right, so "orders" post. Any alternate plans or better suggestions, I'm open to, and can adjust this post or make amendments in future posts.
Edit: Forgot the comrades!

[RandomLunatic]

"Hey!" Torin protested.

"We're all supposed to be on the same side," he pointed out as he checked the fit of his facewear. "If we go up and ask what in the warp is going on, that might get us close enough to subdue him so we got somebody to question."

[Lycan 01]

"Assumin' he ain't bait," Doyle shrugs. "Buildin' like that probably has lots of vantage points. Gettin' in close enough to subdue him will probably put you in a killzone..." the driver muses.

He then turns around in his seat, to look back at the Wolfe. "Hey Sarge, want us to keep the flamer capped for this? It packs a lot of punch, but spewin' flame into a storm pro'ly isn't too tactically sound. May douse a friendly, and it kinda highlights our position in this haze. But eh, I'm just a driver, not a tactician. What's it gonna be, Sir?"

[Caimheul]

"Also might burn up whatever they're willing to risk wandering off in a storm for, let's keep it as a last resort. Right now, I don't trust these frackers. If they're on our side, why in the Emperor's name did they go wanderin' off on their own in the middle of a storm? Nah, they saw an opportunity, and took it. They might be one of the lot that scouted this area, and stashed something expensive in here to pick up later. If they don't want to share, pretty easy for them to just blast us all and claim they never saw us once they rejoin the convoy. Anyone finds our bodies, and 'Oh those poor Mordians musta been ambushed while looking for us.' Munitorium issued lasguns leave the same holes as traitor ones." Wolfe points out, checking the seal on his respirator, taking a few experimental breaths before moving one of the strap. "You worry too much Sarge. That's a good way to get an ulcer." Mord starts as he dons his own mask. "Bah. If I have an ulcer, means I'm still alive." the medic replies.

[Major Kiaslu]

Kaitlyn nodded, helmet now in place and equipment ready on her back. She tapped one of the small globes at her side, speaking to the Sargent with a voice muffled by the respirator. "Recommend we keep smoke grenades in hand, sir? Visibility's already pretty poor. If we're walking into an ambush in the courtyard, that could give us the time to run away again, or at least get back to the nice safe Chimera."

After that, she turned towards the rear ramp, ready to disembark, before glancing to Wolfe a second time briefly, a thought occurring to her. "Also, if we're worried about this place being a killzone, might be an idea for most of the foot-squad to hold at the arch, and a couple to head on in to talk with our friend at the base of 'their' Chimera?" You didn't need to see Kat's face to hear her skepticism, but she'd be remiss if she didn't point out such a possibility. "There's always the off chance that this is legitimate. Somehow. An Inquisitorial Op or something. I wouldn't bet on it, but..."

[Caimheul]

"Fair enough. That was one of the plans I was kicking around actually. Better hope this ISN'T an Inquisitor's mission or the lot of us are likely to end up dead anyway to keep it secret. Congratulations, you've just volunteered to investigate this mess with me Kat. Cronyn, I want you to keep an eye out for other threats, but be ready to take down this look-out if I order it." Wolfe says in reply.

[Major Kiaslu]

Kaitlyn knew better than to cheer at the Sargent's words. This wasn't the best job to voulenteer for. Still, she chuckled and nodded to him, mind briefly reaching back to the not too distant past. Moving into hazardous areas with enemy cover, just you and a partner? Kat tipped Wolfe a salute, before drawing her hellgun, and gesturing to the ramp with it. "Ready when you are, sir."

[Lycan 01]

Doyle and Gunz secure their rebreathers, preparing for the whirlwind of sand that's about to enter the Chimera. Gunz goes back to lounging at the flamer controls, since he won't be needed - hopefully. Doyle thumbs his palm, making the gesture of the Aquila to Sergeant Wolfe and the others. "The Emperor Protects."

And with that, he slaps the button to open the door and drop the ramp.

[watupwithdat]

Cronyn was unclear what exactly the plan was, but as long as he could shoot something he was fairly content, and that seemed to be his position in all this.

"Well—" He looked up to towards the building and the lookout, trying to estimate wind and weather effect on the projectile. "This weather most likely have minimal effect on the munition itself, but it's the visibility that's the issue 'Sarge'." It still felt strange using that title to adress the one who was the simple medic until just recently. "Just gotta whip Trenn into doing his job extra well, or something. Going to need those readings more than usual."