[Rogue Trader] Into the Void (IC)

[Dekana]

The Abundus/12f subsystem. A chaotic dance of 66 stellar bodies orbiting the gas giant Abundus/12f, or orbiting each other, creating unstable gravity fields and dangerous tidal forces that would drive any pilot to tears. The rest of the Egaria Abundus system is comparatively uninteresting, with five other barren planets and a weak sun. No, it is at 12f and its cosmic ballet of satellites that profit - and danger - can be found.

---

It was a few weeks ago, when Mercuria was still in port at Footfall. Alexandra had heard from a local contact that the Kasballica Mission would potentially have work for her captain. As a group specialized in the cold trade of xeno artifacts, they could naturally pay well. After some digging around, Alexandra set up a meeting between Lady Captain Vess and an agent of the mission.

Apparently, the Kasballica Mission was running a xenoarchaeological expedition on planet Egaria Omega in the Egari Abundus/12 system. However, the expedition had thus far failed to pay dividends, and the Mission was getting anxious for results. As the Mission lacked the resources to venture out into the Expanse on its own, they were interesting in hiring a group - Lady Vess's group - to visit the expedition and find out why it had yet to deliver any results. The offered reward was simple enough: a stake in the expedition. The expedition hadn't produced results yet, but when the xeno artifacts did start flowing, they were sure to fetch a good price.

The agent of the Mission furnished Lady Vess with a letter of introduction to give to the site's overseer. It identified her as a partner with a share in the enterprise, and that she should be treated with respect. Not having any other promising leads for well-paying work, Lady Vess only had one answer to give...

---

Mercuria, Bridge
Abundus 12f is about to have one more satellite added to its ranks. Mercuria is only a day away from arriving, and 12f is growing ever larger in the bridge's viewing portal. Now that Egaria Omega is within range of the auspex, the senior officers have gathered on the bridge to receive briefings about the planet. Among those present, are:

Diana Korvayn, an informal underhiver from a bombed-out world, and the ship's pilot. Abundus 12f is about to give her a navigating challenge unique in perhaps the entire Expanse.
Savonarole, a faithful minister of the Emperor's will - but with a few vices of his own.
Calvun Devorac, the Astropath Prime, and one even more messed up in the head than normal.
Alexandra Varnischov, the ship's paranoid spymaster with an eye for profit.
Donan, a tau on a ship of Imperials, but now trusted enough to be put in charge of Mercuria's weapons.
Alaric Lacarde, an explorator with... unusual... allegiances given the prestigious First Officer position.
And of course, Lady-Captain Ruth Vess, the high-born Rogue Trader with an empire to build (or reclaim from her conniving relatives).

Welcome to Into the Void!

As indicated above, you've got some work to do at an expedition site on Egaria Omega. You've still got a day until you arrive though - plenty of time to introduce yourselves and ask for further information about the planet, the Kasballica Mission, or anything else you'd like.

Good luck everyone!

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Ruth stands in the middle of the bridge, she wears fine but formal clothes and has her blonde hair pinned up as usual. No extensive decoration, just a hairpin with the symbol of her house in it. Her gloves match her blue with black clothes and you can see she is in a good mood. She has been lately, but with the day, she could get to work on this promising job getting closer, Ruth has grown more enthousiastic over the last few days. Making port at Footfall certainly turned out to be profitable, but traveling so long, just waiting to get to the point to actually be able to do something was something she didn't like very much.

Everyone was here so she could start and give the official debrieving. Most of the crew members already knew something was coming, but it was necessary to speak everything through in a more official way to make sure everyone knows what is expected of him/her.

"Thank you all for coming, most of you know the good news already. She smiles and glances over at Sha'draig and Diana. "Miss Varnischov has made arrangements to meet with an agent of the Kasballica Missio." When in a meeting like this Ruth felt it was important to keep up formalities. When playing cards she was Ruth or Lady Ruth, on the bridge she was the Lady Captain. Also the other way around her officers should be treated according to their function and station.

"The Mission is digging up xeno artifacts on the planet Egaria Omega in the Egari Abundus/12 system where we currently are now. She smiles knowing this information is more than obvious. She points at the viewing portal. "We are now a day away from reaching it."

If the meeting turns out well, we will have a profitable job on our hands again. The Mission is anxious for results and we will use our expertise to make sure they do. The better results we get, the more profit we get from the job, so it is of utmost importance we know what to do and do it right.

Ruth look at each of you to include you all in the conversation.

"We have a day to prepare for the meeting with this agent, which should be more than enough. The purpose of our gathering today is to discuss what would be the best course of action as well regarding the meeting as the job itself once negotiations about the contract are made."

She then waits for any of you to speak your mind about the upcoming job.

[blacklight101]

Diana Korvayn, Bridge

"Empra's Balls, those grav wells are gonna be hell on Nav systems. Seriously almost seventy contacts?" Diana points at a small cluster near the left side of the map. "This batch looks like nothin' good. I hope that's not where we're goin'." She pauses for a moment and digs in her unbuttoned longcoat, pulling out a near empty pack of lho sticks, lights one and takes a nice long drag.

Lady Yasha said I had a touch for this piloting deal, this will prove it or put the lie to it. She starts running some figures in her head, estimating stable orbits and any intersections with the many bodies in orbit. This sure was a hellhole as far as grav wells went. "Either way, I think me and the Coggies can get some stable paths mapped in a few hours. We should be able to scab along between worlds in the low points no bigs, right?" The question was half directed to Alaric, half to everyone else.

Still a day out though, so that's a good bit of downtime until her next shift too. There may well be some drinking when her shift is up too. May as well before a grav-hell like this one, hopefully no hangovers this time. She could remember fairly clearly the last time that happened, it was all she could do to keep her head- and the ship- from spinning.

[ArcturusV]

Alaric Lecarde

The man held a small Chrono in his hand, flipped open, ancient gearings ticking away in steady, precise measurements of time as guilded and finely wrought hands marked the passage. His eyes were locked onto it, following each and every second as it passed until he finally snapped the watch shut, and made a signal to the Helmsman on Duty, marking the end of their sublight burn and the course correction. The timing was, not as precise as he wished, but it was good enough at this point, the human aspect was always a factor, and in the end he preferred the human aspect more than the precision of cold servitors after all.

Standing on his feet, in his blue robes, the only visible marking of his status as an Omnissian being the modification of his neck and lower face to the cold steel of the Mechanicus, he turned towards the Lady-Captain. His eyes were overlaying data about her, small habits he had picked up, favored phrases and idioms, her typical lax level of protocol being noted, among a dizzying array of other things that flashed instantly through his mind.

"Stage Three Burn finished. Augurs are clear, vector looks good, we should arrive on time with little trouble," Alaric reported in to the Captain. The man stood with his arms clasped behind his back, standing tall and looking over the bridge with a Command presence. While the Lady-Captain was busy with the meeting, he was taking the Watch. He looked comfortable in the role, no doubt in his posture, his eyes were attentive and responsive, rather than glazing over in boredom at the long shift. There was a definite sense that he was aware of all the myriad displays on the bridge and the actions of the bridge crew, even if he said nothing.

"If I may add, in the current situation we have minimal intelligence on the tactical situation on target. It is not unheard of for myriad dangers from the brutish Greenskins to populous rebellion to have taken place. We should increase the drilling over the next two shifts of battle crew, and make sure to give them the third shift in downtime so they are at peak efficiency for any battle. We can use the information provided about the target, and our current augur scans to stage more situational appropriate drills."

The man hardly seemed to move as he added in that bit to the Lady-Captain's meeting, but there was little doubt that he was actually paying attention even as he attended to his duties.

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Although Ruth was used to the way Diana spoke and didn't pay much attention to her physical appearance, even when going to a meeting like this, it amused her in a way and always made her shake her head smiling.

"Yes Miss Korvayn I have all the confidence you will manage. she added to Alarics short analyzation of the voyage through this hellhole.

She nods at Alaric and turns to Sha the tau overseeing the weaponry. "Mister Lacarde has a point. We should be ready on all fronts in case we hit some unexpected trouble, I trust you will make sure our offensive system is up and running and in perfect condition as far as that is possible within a full day?"

Ruth looks at the others, not pressing they have to say something but showing she is interrested in their opinion on the matter.

[Yarn]

The woman some people referred to as ‘Friend’, out of habit, let her eyes wander attentively over the bridge and its crew. They all knew of her involvement now, something a low, unreasonable voice in the back of her head claimed was a bad, dangerous, thing. The remaining parts of her was satisfied with being pleased. She locked her hands behind her back, underneath the robe-like garments covering most of her uniform.

“True, we’ve got nothing on the problem. Could be hell down there. Fortunately, the situation has provided us with some leverage …”

In a way, she was out of her element. Far away from the cesspit she grew up in, getting ready to be involved in a situation which would decidedly not be solved with keen knowledge of the politics of the latter or extensive contacts. She had the feeling.

“There are a few things the merry society that is the Kasballica hates, the most prominent one being bad investments. The second one being the people who’re responsible for making ‘em. The boss down there is likely to …”

‘**** his pants out of pure joy.’ The short woman cleared her throat before she continued speaking with her distinct accent.

“ … Be very compliant once he realise you’re his chance to look like half the failure he really is when laying off his next report. We’re all he’s getting. If there’s a bargain to be made, you’ll shred him.”

Yes, the woman most people referred to as 'Alexandra' had the feeling. Danger. Excitement. The feeling of opportunity.

[blacklight101]

Diana Korvayn

Come on now Diana, at least show some attention to protocol. She needed to admonish herself a bit, this being a briefing and all.

"Thank you, Lady-Captain. My best hope is to find a LaGrange Stability Point in this area, it should keep the grav-tides from tearing us apart. The second and fourth moons look like the worst part of the grav-shadow around Egaria otherwise, but this many bodies makes it pretty deceptive." At least this holo-map was far better then the one on the Bounty, it still worked. Well, most of the time. Another long drag on the lho

Egaria Abundus/12, somehow I don't think i'll forget this place. At least not quickly.

[ArcturusV]

"Mistress Rand," Alaric snapped off to one of the Yeoman on the bridge, resulting in the well trained crewman snapping to attention, "Pass a message over person to person vox to all department officers to prepare for simulated battle drills in 15 standard minutes. In the event of a real attack, shipwide vox will inform them of Weapon Status upgrade to Stage II."

He waited for Yeoman Rand to finish noting down the orders, and scurry off to do her duties before turning to the Master of Etherics, "Pull up current Augur Data for the target location to feed into duty stations. Let us start off with Scenario 3-B, Insurrection, with hostile human elements and ground based defensive systems that need to be pacified with minimal damage to surface infrastructure."

"Mistress Rand, inform the Gunnery Chiefs that the station with the best marksmanship will receive doubled ration markers for the day, compliments of the First Officer." He didn't need to add that she needed to inform the rest of such a change in routine, the woman should be competent enough at her job to know that already.

Now to the Master-of-Arms he turned his attention, little more than just a slight turning of his head to indicate the officer, "Instruct your men that for First Shift they will conduct simulated actions to repel boarders. Second shift, with more detailed Augurs of the surface, will be given over to simulated assault against the target."

All orders given in a calm, commanding manner. No arguments over what was 'logical', no mysticism about Machine Spirits, and so forth. To those that knew Tech-Priests well, it was probably unusual how calmly and effectively he related his commands, speaking in even tones and with a touch of humanity and personality through the face grill that marked him as a Tech-Priest. To those who served longer with Alaric like Mistress Rand? All just business as usual.

[Donan]

Sha'draig is sat at the gunnery station, but his attention is on the Captain, Ruth holding his focus. After all, there's currently nothing to shoot at. In theory, at least.

The blue skinned Tau is wearing his armour sans helmet, which is set by his console. The markings of the Tau Empire have been removed from it and replaced by the heraldry of House Vess. Dark, braided hair swings lazily in the hair as he considers before speaking up himself.

"Do we have confirmation that there is truly a worthwhile site here, and indications on exactly which race once called this planet home?" He peers at the view screen, lips pursed. "I wonder if they still survive, elsewhere." Not that it mattered to them now and it was more a personal wandering, his face turning back to Ruth. "I am not well versed in such things, though I have done some retrieval in the past. And not just because of the numerous objects looking to flatten us against their bulk. I'm sure our pilot can get us through without the ship being crushed." He nods to Diana. "This is an excellent place to plan an ambush and conceal a number of small vessels.

I would advise making all efforts to contact the site as soon as we can, before we get too close."

He considers Alaric quietly as he asked another to see to the Gunnery Chiefs. Nothing was said, but a clear note was made.

Ruth is saluted smartly. "Aye Lady Captain. I'll ensure all our weapon systems and defensive countermeasures are operating at full capacity."

He also sends a brief note down to the cargo hold, to prep the Land Skimmer for zero atmosphere work. They may not need it, but then again, they may.

[Tigger]

In a way, this felt just like home. Not that he had been the most implicated of his brothers in the family business, but he knew what was going on and had been part of several meetings with similar agendas back in the day.

What was strange is that he should not have felt at ease like this. Wasn't he wearing the cassock of the missionary? He should not be having flashbacks of his days as Salvatore Gronqui. He was Savonarole now, a pious servant of the Emperor.

Nevertheless, he remembered what Abbot Bresch had told him when presenting him with his current position. The Abbot knew about Savonarole's past, and told him that it was because of that he had been chosen to become the Confessor on the Mercuria: sending a shrine world devout, the Abbot said, would have been useless. Out there, in the fringes of the Imperium, some flexibility with Imperial standards had to be expected, and Savonarole would have to accept to live in the gray while keeping alert for signs that he had crossed into the black.

He felt pretty confident that the current situation was in the gray category. Sure, they were going to meet with borderline criminals that dealt in Xeno artefacts. But, by now, he knew the terms of the Vess Warrant of Trade almost by heart, and the commerce of Xeno objects was within the rights given to the Rogue Trader. Strange as what would have been heresy anywhere else in the Imperium was considered acceptable here. Still, he would have to remain vigilant.

In the mean time, he might as well try to prove himself useful and search his memory for anything that could help them in this endeavor.


So, I am looking for information on the Kasballica Mission and the Egaria Abundus system. My lores are mainly religion-related, so I don't know what I can hope to know about this (did a Saint live or die in the system, for example? Or rumors of heresy among the Mission?).
Forbidden Lore (Heresy) [roll0] TN 51
Scholastic Lore (Imperial Creed) [roll1] TN 51
Common Lore (Imperium) [roll2] TN 51
Common Lore (Imperial Creed) [roll3] TN 61

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Ruth looks content with the quick and compitent reaction of her crew. The first officer didn't hesitate for a moment to pass down the orders to make sure all battleforces would be ready for combat if there was to happen such an unfortunate event. The way he gave the orders was pleasant and to the point and he did exactly know what to do. Ruth nods satisfied. It seemed all the military preperations would be taken care of. Also the Master Helmswoman would know what to do, although Ruth had no doubt Diana was more than able to manoeuver through this dangerous system without this debreifing, still for the formality that was also taken care of. Now only rested the meeting and the job.

"Miss Varnischov, what do we know about this agent we are meeting? Before we engage into conversation it is good to know what we are dealing with."

[Dekana]

As the discussion is ongoing, an ensign at the auspex scanner cogitator ferries over a dataslate to Diana.

The latest readings on the 12f subsystem are in. The information is almost overwhelming, but some alarming data can be picked out.

First, larger asteroids have been observed to be at nearly stationary positions, caught in the Lagrange point between two of the moons, only to suddenly and violently be thrust away. The auspex reader's best guess is that the chaotic movement of the 66 planetoids are causing swift changes in gravity. Not even the Lagrange points would be safe for Mercuria. One option would be to leave Mercuria at high anchor above the worst of the subsystem's chaos and take a shuttle craft over to Egaria Omega; a tiny vessel would be able to avoid any problems with ease.

Second, the high amount of planets and gravity fields is creating countless blind spots in the sensors. Augury data is hopelessly incomplete; an ork armada might as well be hiding out behind one of the moons for all the auspex can tell. Sensors cannot be relied on inside the subsystem.


"Mistress Rand," Alaric snapped off to one of the Yeoman on the bridge, resulting in the well trained crewman snapping to attention, "Pass a message over person to person vox to all department officers to prepare for simulated battle drills in 15 standard minutes. In the event of a real attack, shipwide vox will inform them of Weapon Status upgrade to Stage II."

He waited for Yeoman Rand to finish noting down the orders, and scurry off to do her duties before turning to the Master of Etherics, "Pull up current Augur Data for the target location to feed into duty stations. Let us start off with Scenario 3-B, Insurrection, with hostile human elements and ground based defensive systems that need to be pacified with minimal damage to surface infrastructure."

"Mistress Rand, inform the Gunnery Chiefs that the station with the best marksmanship will receive doubled ration markers for the day, compliments of the First Officer." He didn't need to add that she needed to inform the rest of such a change in routine, the woman should be competent enough at her job to know that already.

Now to the Master-of-Arms he turned his attention, little more than just a slight turning of his head to indicate the officer, "Instruct your men that for First Shift they will conduct simulated actions to repel boarders. Second shift, with more detailed Augurs of the surface, will be given over to simulated assault against the target."

All orders given in a calm, commanding manner. No arguments over what was 'logical', no mysticism about Machine Spirits, and so forth. To those that knew Tech-Priests well, it was probably unusual how calmly and effectively he related his commands, speaking in even tones and with a touch of humanity and personality through the face grill that marked him as a Tech-Priest. To those who served longer with Alaric like Mistress Rand? All just business as usual.

The section chiefs acknowledge their orders swiftly and with a professionalism matching, or at least trying to match, Alaric's.

The Master of Etherics responds, "Sir, we have identified Egaria Omega from among the many planets. I have an early report on the terrain. The target is arid and windswept, most of its suface dominated by wind-scoured plains and twisted mountain ranges. The skies are choked with airborne dust with areas of heavy storms. The atmosphere appears breathable, but would likely not be survivable inside one of the storms." He then looks to Sha'draig and comments, "The expedition site has not been pinpointed yet; the mess of gravity fields is playing havoc with the auspex, and we're frankly lucky to have any readings at all."


"Do we have confirmation that there is truly a worthwhile site here, and indications on exactly which race once called this planet home?" He peers at the view screen, lips pursed. "I wonder if they still survive, elsewhere." Not that it mattered to them now and it was more a personal wandering, his face turning back to Ruth. "I am not well versed in such things, though I have done some retrieval in the past. And not just because of the numerous objects looking to flatten us against their bulk."

Egaria Omega falls under the Writ of Claim of the Winterscale domain, but that has not stopped numerous parties attempting to exploit the riches that many claim lays waiting beneath its wastes.

Over the centuries, countless adventurers have lost their lives on Egaria Omega, drawn there by the lure of the Cold Trade. Few have ever returned, and those that have rant and rave about voices on the storm, their every waking moment haunted by the dreams of a long dead xenos race. Very few descriptions of the world are to be found, and certainly none of them are reliable, meaning that any expedition seeking to gain a foothold on Egaria Omega will be forced to rely on its own resources, or else heed the words of madmen.

Aside from the sheer danger of the place, the only thing that accounts seem to agree on is the fact that an Egarian maze city is to be found upon the world, situated atop a wide, tall plateau that straddles Egaria Omega's equator. Descriptions of this place tell of gleaming white slabs of an unknown rock rearing from the dust clouds, with but a single entrance leading inside. Of the city's interior, no reliable account exists at all, for those few to have emerged from that portal have been blasted of their sanity.

You know some common information about the Kasballica Mission and the Egaria Abundus system, but no real specifics. The Mission trades in xeno artefacts, and the Egaria system is known to have some artefacts in it.

You do know from your knowledge of the Imperium that, while Lady Vess may have relative impunity to trade in xeno artefacts, the Mission certainly does not. Whoever you meet on Egaria Omega, they're not likely to be in good favour with Imperial Law. They might even come to the attention of Inquisitorial assassins someday.


"Miss Varnischov, what do we know about this agent we are meeting? Before we engage into conversation it is good to know what we are dealing with."

Unfortunately, the Kasballica Mission representative on Footfall was not very generous with information (either because he didn't know himself, or because you weren't "need to know"). You're coming to Egaria Omega with nothing more than the co-ordinates of the expedition dig site and the letter of introduction.

Feel free to introduce and describe the ship's NPCs by the way, as ArcuturusV did with Yeomen Rand. I've detailed all the officers for a ship in the past, and it's a lot of work, hehe. I'm happy to delegate. Of course, I'll describe the various NPCs if the need arises or if someone wants to interact personally with them.

I also have resisted describing the interior of the bridge thus far in case Ruth wanted to personalize it. :smallwink:

Regarding skill tests (especially lore): rather than asking everyone to make a skill test and then waiting to see if anyone made it, I will often put the results of a successful test in a spoiler block. The idea is that you only look inside the spoiler block if you make the test. This is a time-saving measure. (I don't particularly mind if you look inside the spoiler blocks even if you fail or don't make the test, but your character shouldn't then act on the information). If one character makes the test and wants to share the information, they can either do so in character or simply say something like "I share what I know with the party (see the above spoiler block)."

[Donan]

Sha'draig's instincts, honed in battle and warfare training, stirred. Again, the location seemed perfect for an ambush, both in the void and on the ground or the planet's atmosphere. The site itself, managing that was his area, but ensuring the welfare of the ship and crew against potential military threats clearly was. "Evaluate the strength of those storms and the general atmosphere Master of Ethertics. Can a shuttle with an auspex installed manage to survive in them?" Better to study the planet and its landscape with, if possible.

[ArcturusV]

Alaric nodded at the response from Etherics, "You have 8 hours to improve that situation Mister Tellos." No need to give a threat, though the expectations were clearly there in his voice. He let out a heavy breath, and his head tilted up to look at the arched ceiling of the bridge, his eyes seeming to flick over a few of the carvings there on the cathedral style flying buttresses that were so common in Imperial Design. "If need be, consult with the Navigator's Tower. They may have detected eddies in the Warp representing the presence or arrival of other ships recently."

It was a long shot, but worth considering, rarely did things with the Warp work out so well, particularly since Time had no meaning in that nightmare realm, from what he understood of conversations with both Witches like the Astropaths, or Navigators in his tenure aboard ships and having to deal with their particular issues.

He reached into his pocket, flipping open his old style Chrono once more, looking at the passage of time, waiting until that 15 minute mark passed. Snapping the chrono closed he told his Yeoman, "Mistress Rand, open a shipwide Vox Channel."

Taking a slow breath, and waiting for the gesture marking that he was online, stated, "All crewmen of First and Second Rotation to General Quarters. Battle Discipline, prepare for Close Battle." With a gesture he signaled for the Vox transmission to be cut. Department heads should all know by now that it was just a drill. General crewmen didn't need to know more than to report to their stations and follow directions. "Mister Tellos, feed simulated data to the cogitators of the Gunnery Chiefs, close battle against two Ork Kruizers. Lets give our crew a little rude awakening." You couldn't see a smile, but you definitely could hear it in his voice as he passed the orders. It was definitely a Pants to be Darkened scenario for the crew, and would give the gunners plenty of targets and practice on focusing their fire for maximum effect, both in warding off Ork Fighta-Bombas and keeping the larger vessels at bay. With the conditions around the Gas Giant, they were unlikely to see targets coming until they were in close range, as per the scenario. Every shot counted if the crew was to live through it.

Inclining his head towards the Tau, Alaric added, "Records will be kept for you to review, unless you wish to partake now. It is important your on station gunners get free fire control experience. You won't always be here to calculate for them after all," he explained to the Tau, not a threat, merely a statement of fact, knowing that operations within the Dynasty often saw ranking officers away from post for one reason or another. The crew had to be able to fend for themselves when it mattered.

[Donan]

"Of course, First Officer." He nods. "However, with your leave I will coordinate the drill. It may be more effective for the management of the command structure."

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Ruth nods confirming Sha's question
"Yes it would. I will need mister Lacarde to prepare for the meeting."

She doesn't really say it, but she thinks it might not be wise to have a tau at the negotiation table. Although she is used to him and doesn't see him as a xeno so much after these years, bringing a xeno might make the negotiations harder.

[Tigger]

Having gathered all he knew about the Cold Trade and the Mission, Savonarole approached Ruth Vess and drew her attention. He did not know a lot about the operation of a voidship, and it involved mathematics different from the ones involved in some of his past experiences (counting cards, calculating odds, bookmaking and other dubious pastimes).

"Lady Captain, I would feel that I am not doing my duty towards you and the Emperor if I did not raise an issue of which you are obviously already aware. Even though, you, as the holder of a Warrant of Trade, are permitted to deal in Xeno artefacts, our potential business partner is operating outside of the Lex Imperialis. I know that the reach of the Arbites in the expanse is almost null, but there is always the risk that the Holy Inquisition would dispatch agents against the Kasballica Mission's operation, which might have unfortunate consequences for the standing of the Dynasty."

He pauses for effet, and then adds: "However, Lady Captain, I feel that you could use our legal standing to your advantage in our negotiations with the Mission. As long as it operates independently, the Mission is at risk. But should the expedition on Egaria Omega be placed under the patronage of the Vess Dynasty, they would be in a much better position should the Inquisition investigate their activities. And so would we, as admitting that we are equal partners with them in this expedition is tantamount to admitting that we are partners with known criminals. Depending on the situation on the surface, for example if the Inquisition is already investigating, which would explain the lack of results from the expedition, this line of reasoning might even prove useful sooner rather than later."

[Arutha]

Calvun, looking distracted until now, suddenly stood up from his seat at the bridge.

Captain, do you know if the excavation party has an astropath or other method of long range telepathy? if so, it may be wise to inform them of our purpose here. And they may be able to tell us of save routes through the grav swells.

It was only after he had finished speaking that the bridge crew realized that his had not actually spoken. His telepathy was a normal occurrence for most of the old hand bridge crew, and aside from a few mutters they went back to monitoring their stations.

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Ruth turns to Savonarole and listens as he speaks. When he mentions the inquisition her face hardens for a bit and she presses her lips together. It was clear she wasn't very fond of the institution which held almost absolute power in the imperium, although the imperial creed was something she respected, most of the time just not to get in trouble. She unconsciously makes a fist and squeezes her other hand around it and nods.
"That certainly sounds like something we have to consider. We wouldn't want to give them an excuse to confiscate those precious wares, now do we? If miss Varnischov explained to me correctly, and she always does, the payment of the job will be a stake in the expedition. Howmuch and hwat that will look like is yet to be agreed on in the meeting."

Ruth smiles at Savonarole, happy he explicitly mentioned her dynasty and the wellfare of it.

"Legal standards... yes of course. Would you be able to look into the regulations so that if we have to defend our aquisition we have the proper legal rights to do so. Please give me something by tonight so I can read it through. This will help working up a proposition with the right leverage if need be."

A moment Ruth looks Calvun and hears his voice without seeing his mouth move. She tilts her head a bit to the side, not that it annoyed her, it was something you just never quite get used to, hear a voice that is not your own talking to yourself.

"Not that I am aware of Devorac, we have only minimal intelligence about the actual employer or the middleman for that matter. We will have to see when we encounter them for the first time as you will be able to spot one if one was is present, am I right?"

Ruth stands tall "So military officers are informed and our forces are ready when we will reach orbit. Offensive and defensive systems will be in top condition" She looks from Alaric and Sha to Diana "Voidsmen an women know what lies ahead and will make sure we will reach our destination safely." Her view goes to Savonarole "By tonight I will get the necessary documents to see if patronage by me personally would be wise."
"For the rest we lack the information to get detaield about the Kasballica Mission or our contact. Does anyone has something to add a tthis point?"

[Donan]

Sha'dreig nods sharply and turns his attention to the simulation making sure to be ready to shut it down at a moment's notice if need be. Ork Kruisers will do just fine, given their liking for close quarters. At a distance the Mercuria has a clear advantage over its enemies, but that's less so when enemy vessels are nearer.

And his caution over the many hiding places around them remains. "Simulation running. I'll observe and judge the results from here."

He listens to the discussions after that, but keeps quiet for most of it. He's here for tactical advice and support, protection, and of course, managing the ship's weaponry and defences.

"Other then recommending a shuttle be placed in the atmosphere for more intense scans, nothing at this time Lady Captain. I've given orders for the Speeder to be prepared for planetside in case we need it, and I'll ensure we're ready to react to any potential, exterior threat."

He eyed Calvun, the man becoming, once again, a worry. The Tau had no pyskers of their own, and it was an unknown experience. More, there were a lot of things in his head the scarred soldier preferred stay there.

[blacklight101]

Staring thoughtfully at the dataslate she was given, Diana looks through several of the charts of the worlds, somewhat displeased with the conditions. "Lady-Captain, it looks like we could scab through a potential keyhole between these moons and drop the shuttle at low orbit. Then, we can back this big beauty off to high anchor and try to ride the grav-tides. Worst bit seems right here, before the third transfer point. Mercuria should nurse us through it no bigs, she's a good ol' bird from what i've seen."

Diana hoped she was right. The Lady Yasha's recommendation couldn't have been given lightly, she just hoped she lives up to all the hype. She was a decent pilot, sure, but this was a navigational hellhole. She takes another long drag on the lho stick and stubs it out on the conveniently located ashtray. "Well, unless we can figure a better route, this might be as good as she gets. Empra willing, no big mess once we get in-system."

It was stuffy in the briefing room like normal, and without thinking about it, Diana tosses her longcoat over the back of a nearby chair, not worried about being reduced to a tanktop. Her braid had come a bit undone through the shift and briefing, and she was quickly tightening it back up. She must cut quite the figure in a tank top, slightly baggy cargo pants, heavy black boots, and a slightly undone braid.

[ArcturusV]

Telepathy, Alaric gathered as Ruth answered a question from the Astropath that no one else seemed to hear. The very thought bothered him more than he would ever let on. For obvious reasons of course, though ones he never shared with anyone else. The mind was a sacred place, the most private of sanctums where one could truly be themselves, free from the shackles imposed on them by others. To know that even your mind might be monitored...

... well there was a reason he always had his Bolter and Axe when the Astropaths were around.

"I would point out, Lady-Captain," Alaric stated calmly, "That while many of your crewmen are commanding presences in their own right, and may have significant information to offer towards any peaceful negotiations, that you carefully consider who you actually take to such a meeting. Approaching with too many, particular ones as well equipped as ourselves with an obvious militant, dangerous profile, would put negotiators on edge. As well several of your officers are..." he paused, as if trying to find a more diplomatic way to say what was on his mind, "... of less experience and skill in such heavy matters." His eyes flicked over towards the other Command Crew gathered at the table with Lady Vess, and even the Captain herself. While all had a certain level of charisma and competence that was needed to obtain a command position in a militaristic atmosphere like a void ship... they had a blind spot. Mostly the fact that there was a blind spot, they were not trained for delicate negotiations and how to read their opposite number, only able to grasp the most basic of cues, as his Implants noted, recalling several instances where he blatantly and obviously have deceived them in the past.

"I would recommend you take yourself, and two others to the actual meeting, and have the others conduct security and reconnaissance in the meantime. Information they might discover and pass over our Micro-beads could be key in Negotiations. And of course, they can continue to advise in their areas of expertise over the comms. Significantly if things proceed to a more dire circumstance... well there will be a few of us outside of the trap, ready to effect a rescue," again, that sense that despite the fact you couldn't see any such gesture, that there was a definite smile in his voice by both the tone and the way his eyes looked.

[Dekana]

Sha'draig's instincts, honed in battle and warfare training, stirred. Again, the location seemed perfect for an ambush, both in the void and on the ground or the planet's atmosphere. The site itself, managing that was his area, but ensuring the welfare of the ship and crew against potential military threats clearly was. "Evaluate the strength of those storms and the general atmosphere Master of Ethertics. Can a shuttle with an auspex installed manage to survive in them?" Better to study the planet and its landscape with, if possible.

"Fly into a dust storm? I don't envy the pilot, but the close-range scans would be helpful."

Actually, as the Master of Ordnance, I believe the shuttles fall under your jurisdiction.

A quick vox call to one of the shuttle pilots will give you the sense that he'd rather skirt around the storms than actually go inside one. No sense risking the shuttle unnecessarily.


Alaric nodded at the response from Etherics, "You have 8 hours to improve that situation Mister Tellos." No need to give a threat, though the expectations were clearly there in his voice. He let out a heavy breath, and his head tilted up to look at the arched ceiling of the bridge, his eyes seeming to flick over a few of the carvings there on the cathedral style flying buttresses that were so common in Imperial Design. "If need be, consult with the Navigator's Tower. They may have detected eddies in the Warp representing the presence or arrival of other ships recently."

"Understood, sir. I'll have another report for you as soon as we learn more."

You could always try sending a telepathic message toward the planet and seeing if you get a response.

The alarms for General Quarters can now be be faintly heard sounding outside the bridge.

I feel like something has been lost in translation. The deal was to go to the expedition site and find out why they haven't produced results yet. Negotiation for rewards should be done at Footfall (and doesn't have to be detailed in depth - it's represented by an increase in Profit Factor).

[Donan]

"It doesn't actually need to enter a storm, simply the atmosphere." Sha'draig notes with a nod. "But if it becomes trapped in one, it's not an immediate death sentence."

And pilots, sensible ones at least, know to avoid storms." He taps the vox. "Prep shuttle number three, make sure its auspex is operational. I want a pilot and auspex reader ready to launch in it within the hour."

Order given he nods to Ruth. "If you agree Lady Captain, we can make the shuttle drop Helmswoman Korvayn recommended. And, thank you." He nods to Diana for her announcement of how best to drop the shuttle. If Ruth says no to the suggestion of a shuttle taking scans, no harm is done. The drill will be a good check of how well organized the shuttle crews are.

[Tigger]

"Of course, Mylady, I will draw up a preliminary summary of my views on this."


From: Confessor Savonarole
To: Lady Captain Ruth Vess
Subject: Legal framework for our relationship with the Kasballica Mission

Current situation:

- The Kasballica Mission has the personnel and the know-how to obtain and trade in xeno artefacts, but lacks legal ground to do so.

- The Warrant of Trade of the Vess Dynasty allows its holder and her associates to obtain, hold, use and trade xeno artefacts.

- The Vess Dynasty lacks resources to put together a significant Cold Trade business at this point.

Proposition:

- Using the associates provisions of the Vess Warrant of Trade to offer legal protection to the operations of the Kasballica Mission in which the Vess Dynasty has a stake.

Possible obstacles:

- Case law in relation to the associates provisions shall have to be further researched in order to establish the criteria under which someone can be considered an associate of the Vess Dynasty.

- Specific provisions shall have to be drafted in order to provide for control of the Kasballica Mission's operations under the licence provided by the Vess Dynasty.

- The creation of a special entity at least nominally distinct from the Kasballica Mission might contribute to insulate us from charges of association with known criminals.

Recommendations:

- Contact a lawyer specialized in Warrants of Trade and Cold Trade matters to evaluate further the feasability of the above proposition.


While thinking about how he would put together his proposition to Lady Vess, Savonarole was, once again, disturbed by the telepathic message of the Astropath. This was always disturbing to him, as his thoughts were not always focused on what would be expected of a man of the cloth. Nevertheless, his few conversations with the man up to now had proven that he was a profoundly devout man, and Savonarole knew he could trust him to support him if and when he saw an opportunity to align the objectives of the Vess Dynasty with those of the Ecclesiarchy.

Otherwise, the bridge was teeming with activity. His foray into Imperial Law, while based on rudiments of knowledge that were not nearly sufficient to be entirely useful, had made him seem somewhat useful, but he now once again a spectator. Not that he minded, as no one expected him to give orders or make suggestions in relation to ship operations. Nevertheless, his ignorance of such matters was sometimes a hindrance, especially when voidsmen came to him during Church events and started going on and on about their work and its importance to the ship. He sure was glad to have recruited Bolton as his secretary: the old priest had become too old to be able to assure services, but he had been a great help in getting to know the Mercuria and its inhabitants.

Then again, he was still having a hard time with some of the peculiarities of his new position. The blue-skinned xeno, in particular, was a constant source of worry for him. He would have to talk with it at some point, at the very least to show his willingness to foster goodwill among the associates of Lady Vess.

[Yarn]

Alexandra shivered as the astropaths message echoed in her mind. Emperor’s beard, she hated witchcraft. “I agree, first officer. They get who’s holding the aces anyway, with this beauty in orbit.” She motioned towards the surrounding bridge.

“Speaking of, Lady-captain … I think the sods dirt-side will be more impressed with our heavy weapons rather than our heavy paperwork.” The mistress of whispers continued without a trace of sarcasm. “The Kasballica as an organisation may be interested in long-term business relations with legal benefits though: they’re the new thing, the latest news and constantly expanding. If not, we could always try to motivate them.” She smiled slyly. “While the rest of us would like nothing more than the imperial justice to be all-encompassing, they may be less impressed with its reach. However, if the arbites suddenly would be interested in their activities, who knows?”
There was an hint of self-satisfaction in her voice as she pulled out a data-slate from her robes.

“Now, about the situation at hand. Our employer is content with leaving us in the dark in regards to even the most basic parameters of the mission, I’m not.” Her fingers danced over the small screen and a holographic projector mounted in a table flickered to life, showing planet with almost completely smooth surface. “It’s only a dud, containing only the verified information - as you can see, almost nothing. What we do know is that the Winterscale dynasty has a writ of claim on the system and that the lovely planet we’re venturing to has the reputation of a gilded death-trap. There’s been numerous expeditions sent here by others, hunting for what is claimed to be -figuratively- stacks thrones.” She rolled her shoulders uncomfortably. The next part was pure drivel. Well, a few years ago she would have discarded it as such anyway. “Few have returned, and none that I know of did so successfully. There’s a lot of tall vodismen tales circulating. Classic stuff. Voices in the wind. Life-like nightmares. Disappearances. Boogeymen in every shadow. Probably just spacers getting the jitters from venturing dirt-side on an uninhabited world. Anyway… “

Alexandra collected herself, and tried to not think about how a younger version of herself pressed herself tightly against the branch of the tree, trying not to breathe, trying not to be seen, trying not to listen to the hellish whispers piercing her mi… ‘bloody hell, get a hold of yourself.’ With a small shrug, she continued.

“Word has it that the only major structure is a maze-city, supposedly located somewhere along the equator at a plateau. Guess that’s where the xenos stored their stacks ‘o thrones.” She added dryly as a line traced around the model of the planet. “If the Kasballica have sent an expedition, that’s probably what they’re digging into.“ The woman was unconsciously massaging her left hand in a rather nervous manner.“You can see a few areas of interest here.” She pointed at a few highlights. “Places with higher probability to contain something. It’s all based on hearsay and incomplete maps, so we may be better of ignoring ‘em.” She turned to look at the others, done with her short lecture.

[Donan]

"If the stories of this place, and its maps and recorded information are so scanty, I would feel far better ignoring them all." Sha'draig speaks up in agreement. "The shuttle can provide far more reliable, accurate readings of the surface area, though it's unlikely we could map the ruins from the surface. As for ll these stories of ghosts and unseen threats.."

Once, he would have shrugged it off completely, but he'd learned the universe was not the safe, easy to understand place the Empire would prefer.

"There may be truth to them. Fears and stories would make it worse but this place may be guarded with dangerous, unknown technology. Perhaps even technology, First Officer, to interest you, should it exist."

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

The Lady-Captain listens to all the valuable imput of her staff.

"Scanning the planet is a very good idea." She nods at Sha. "Once we are close enough..." she turns to Diana "...We'll get a shuttle in place and gather the necessary information before we go in ourselves." She turns back to Sha "Proceed with the shuttles, master Vra'elo."

"About going in. Since we have so little information on the matter I want the entire staff to be there and ready to pop in at any second things would go south. That means our team of representitives will be present at the meeting itself, Mister Lacarde, Miss Varnischov, Mister Savonarole and myself. The rest will receive instructions, once we have gathered enough intel to know what would be the best way to handle the situation at hand."

She pauses a bit to see if anyone has something to say, then continues.

"Now remains only waiting untill we get to our destination. Make sure everything we discussed is in place ASAP and we will meet again once we are in orbid so we can set everyhing we set up today in motion. After these things are arranged, have the rest of the day off and take some rest, I'll have the bridge. We will be busy enough once we get in orbit and I want you all in good shape once we do."

The more serious look fades away from her face, which makes clear the official meeting is over.

"You're dismissed." Formalities...

Ruth sits down and keeps her eye on the viewing portal. This planet has something mysterious about it. WHo is the agent they're giong to meet. Of course she understands they want to keep a low profile, but leeting her do so much effort to find things out by herself, which she definatly will, only raises the feeling things are not as they shuold be. Extrmee precautions are taking, things might be taken the wrong way, she dealt with that before... She thinks back about the time she first met Alexandra... definatly not wise to not show any kind of trust with leaving the other side in the dark like that. She is lucky with such a competent crew, their council in situatiations like this is a necessaty.


Ruth would do this as well actually, both because she probably had some rest earlier and she is quite fit and that she likes to actually give you some time for yourself before we will dive into this adventure. But also for OOC reasons, I don't have much time to post tomorrow and sunday and it will give you the chance to RP without having to focus on me. You can RP together and we can continue with the serious stuff on monday. I hope that works for you :) That's okay right, Dekana?

[Dekana]

Ruth would do this as well actually, both because she probably had some rest earlier and she is quite fit and that she likes to actually give you some time for yourself before we will dive into this adventure. But also for OOC reasons, I don't have much time to post tomorrow and sunday and it will give you the chance to RP without having to focus on me. You can RP together and we can continue with the serious stuff on monday. I hope that works for you :) That's okay right, Dekana?


Sounds good to me.

[blacklight101]

With the meeting over Diana lights up a fresh lho stick, picks up her longcoat and the dataslate, and starts to walk back to her quarters to study the dataslate and its totally frakked gravwells. She was going to need a drink after trying to figure out a semi-stable route through this mess. The third transfer point was going to be the worst by the looks of it, but she might be able to figure out a short-term LaGrange or at least how to slingshot through those moons. The LaGrange was risky as anything if the charts were correct, but if they hit it right...

Diana started to walk across the Bridge and grabbed Ensign Johns lightly by the collar, just enough to get his attention. "Swing by when you're off shift, I have some charts you might want to see. Get Sirc if you see him on the way, he has a head for figuring routes too." With that, she heads off.

Back at her quarters, Diana tosses her longcoat on her bunk and sits down at a small table and starts studying the dataslate intensively, looking for any good routes that she hadn't seen yet. Taking a break after a few moments, she gets up and pours herself two fingers of rhazvod and gets back to studying.



feel free to interrupt me at any point between the briefing room and my quarters. I was just trying to get some stuff down real quick after work today. Always the chance to grab a drink too, and Diana (I'm sure) won't mind the company.

[ArcturusV]

Alaric added as the meeting was breaking up, and people were scattering back to wherever they wished to spend their time, "I suggest you take Second Rotation as a Rest period. I will take third rotation as a rest period, as normal. Make sure you are fresh for the surface of the planet we we arrive there." No need to explain of course that the reason he was taking third rotation rather than second off was so that one command officer would be awake and alert just in case some random emergency popped up during second rotation, ready to respond fluidly to whatever happened, as it happened.

"Mistress Rand, please schedule a meeting with Quartermaster Adept Higgins during the end of Second Rotation for the others, and near the end of Third Rotation for myself," he figured that as they got more details on the planet, people might want more specialized gear. Be it just simple protective gearing form the elements of the planet, to more specialized gear, and setting up an appointment for that need would be prudent.

With that bit of minor business taken care of he turned his gaze forward again, looking outwards into the void and at the distant mark they were burning towards, standing as still as a statue on deck, never sitting in the Command Throne.

[Donan]

"Lady Captain." He nods formally, standing and saluting. "I'll go and do that now, make sure there's no unexpected trouble to crop up." With the shuttles in mind, he departs, donning his helmet as he goes.

Under that, his skin and non human features are mostly hidden, and at casual glance, he won't produce a mob to lynch him. Still, he's wary as he makes his way down to the shuttle bay, walking onto the loading bay where the Land Speeder is stored along with a number of transport shuttles. "Situation?" He asks clearly as he nears the shuttle being prepared for launch.

[Yarn]

“Lady-captain.”
Alexandra acknowledged the orders in a strictly formal fashion before making her way off the bridge with hurried steps. A single day, then she’d be down at an uninhabited xeno-world with deadly reputation. A deadly reputation sprung from the lively imagination of the less intellectually endowed. Yes, that what she said that other time as well. The woman most people referred to as ‘Alexandra’ could feel a nervous smile creeping over her face. The feeling of opportunity was everywhere now.

***

A woman stared into a mirror. Around her was the extravagant quarters of an officer. Everything was neatly sorted. Her shoes and uniforms were placed in symmetrical patterns. The small decorations were placed in geometrical formations. Alexandra Varnischov looked back from the smooth glas-surface. A almost inaudible hissing sound could be heard. Another woman looked back from the glas. Prettier, with smoother features. Some would most likely find the transformation to be deeply unnerving. Shifting cheekbones, the nose elongating and eyes growing wider. The woman only felt warmth settle inside her. The feeling of safety. The low, whirring sound again. She could feel it propagating through her bones, mixed with the tingling pain. A third woman looked back, and by the emperor’s nethers, she had work to do. She slid into a sparsely adorned uniform, before making the other preparations. Minutes later, a woman slid out from Alexandra’s quarters and carefully locked the door behind her. There was always work to be done somewhere, now more than ever.

I'm busy tomorrow, but will be back on sunday. Alexandra is around, doing important stuff. Or just drinking amasec incognito. Who knows?

[Donan]

Engineering work was something Sha'draig had developed a liking for quite some years, though it hadn't been a focus he could effectively follow in the Empire's rigid caste system and was also not an overly frequent staple of mercenary life past. It hadn't been until he'd first met Ruth Vess, a good number of years ago, that he'd found chance to put his talents in that field to full use.

For a little over a hour, he joined the work in preparing a number of shuttles for deployment, the first set with an auspex system and cogitator to record and map the planet's surface and any energy signatures. The second was adapted to carry the Land Speeder and heavy duty clamps were set in the cargo hold to hold the vehicle in place. Finally, two others were unmodified, but were checked to ensure they were ready for launch and to carry people and supplies to the surface.

Satisfied, and content with the progress of the ship to ship drills that were being run he ensured his microbead was open in case anyone needed to contact him and began threading his way towards Diana's quarters. The work had been too hot for armour and he was now wearing a somewhat marked tunic and other simple clothing, his braids collected to keep them out of the way while he'd worked.

He's tired enough from the work and relaxed enough by the same, that the stiff formality he holds to on the bridge is somewhat faded. Which is why his knock on her door is joined by a "Korvayn?" rather then her first name or title.

[Dekana]

Diana hears a knock at her cabin door. "It's me. Sirc's here too." Ensign Johns.

The pair of them walk inside. Johns strolls in casually, glancing around the cabin, his hands in his pockets. He's around the same age as Diana, maybe a few years older, with black hair cut much too short. Specialist Sirc is far younger - not more than a teenager - but he's got a good eye for reading navigational maps, and that was enough to get him promoted. Sirc maintains a straight posture as if he were still on duty.

Ensign Johns points at Diana's half-full (empty?) glass. "The charts must be even worse than I thought..."

A little while later, Sha'draig comes knocking as well.

One of the cargo holds has been converted into a makeshift shuttle bay, the craft and land speeder positioned precariously beside huge shipping containers. For a smaller frigate like Mercuria, this is about as good as it gets.

A voidborn woman with pure white hair is kneeling next to an open access panel on the shuttle's exterior. Sha'draig knows her simply as Ivessa - with no rank attached to her name. She's the chief pilot for the ship's few small craft, and she answers directly to him.

"Sha'draig," she acknowledges. "I'm just checking the auspex one last time before we head out. The techie is already inside checking the readings."

Ivessa begins closing up the panel door. Not looking at Sha'draig, she asks, "Did you want to sit in on the flight?"


(I'm assuming you don't join the flight, but this dialogue can happen before you head on over to Diana's cabin)

The mock encounter with the orks proceeds according to the established scenario, the engine room reporting ready for varying levels of simulated thrust, gun crews practicing pushing the laser batteries into place, and detailed power readouts being reported for the lance. The wargame is still well-underway as one of Mercuria's shuttles separates from the frigate and begins its approach toward Egaria Omega.

[blacklight101]

Getting up at the knock, Diana greets Johns and Sirc. "Hey guys, here's a copy of the slate. And, yes, it's just as bad as it looks. Sixty six bodies in orbit, chaotic patterns, multiple shifting grav wells and we need to find a semi-stable point for high anchor around here." she taps on the slate very close to their destination. "Should be a fun couple of hours, yeah? Have a seat, let's get cracking on this. I'll get you guys drinks if you want one." Johns and Sirc both take the offer of a drink and they begin to discuss orbital patterns and potential hazards of the first transfer point.

Johns speaks up after a few moments. "No wonder you have a drink for this." He shakes his head, takes a drink, and goes back to leaning over his dataslate. Sirc agreed not long after. It looked like it would be a long evening of studying charts. Sirc spoke up after about twenty minutes of scratching around with a pencil and parchment "At least the secondary looks easier than this one. I think third is going to be the worst too, otherwise."

After nearly an hour, they have the first transfer point ironed out with a secondary route in case some of the bigger asteroids don't move the way they might expect them to. There was another knock at the door and a "Korvayn?" not long after. "Well, this seems to be a popular place tonight." She sets her dataslate down for a moment and answers the door.

As the doors open, there is a slight haze of lho that the scrubbers can't seem to deal with. "Oh, hey Sha. Come on in. At least if you have time to. We're just looking over the routes for this hellhole. If you want, grab a seat on my bunk, I know it's crowded with four of us in here. What's happening?" She motions with a thumb pointed over her shoulder with the mention of a seat. Sirc and Johns were at the small table with several charts laid out, taking up the whole thing. The bunk wasn't much better, but it was serviceable. "Drink? I have amasec and rhazvod if you'd care for one."

[Donan]

The Tau shakes his head, braids moving lightly in the motion of it. "No. I can trust you to not fly head on into a storm without me looking over your shoulder." His tone is settled enough that it's hard to tell if he's making a joke or being literal. Sha'draig offers across a dataslate. "Current weather patterns and what predictions we've been able to piece together on storm movements. Find as stable an area of sky as you can."

This is Ivessa's field and she knows it well enough for him to ask. "Any concerns of your own?"


He nods to Diana, lightly stepping into the room and moving through the haze of lho-smoke, a hand casually wafting some away from his face. "I'll make sure to not be getting in your way then, but as you're taking us through, I'd like to spot what I can of chances for someone to slip in behind us." He's made do with far worse seats in the past then a bunk in a crowded room and settles onto it without complaint.

"Ivessa tells me the shuttle will be good to go, it's just you telling her the best launch point now." Ivessa being the ship's main shuttle pilot. He nods simply, but not in unfriendly manner to the other two in the cabin. "Crewmen." He's not expecting a problem, but heading off the possibility at the pass with a reminder of his rank is best. "Try the rhazvod then, it's not one I know. So long as it doesn't knock me out and I can still shoot in a straight line."

[blacklight101]

Making room for Sha'draig to come in, Diana heads towards her cabinet to fetch another glass and drink. This was one of the times she was happy she picked up a set of six glasses. "The rhazvod's not a bad batch. Might actually be Vostroyan, if I remember right. Burns good on the way down too. And don't worry about shooting straight, unless you have a couple glasses of it. Or if you're as much a lightweight as you used to be. " Diana laughs and pours some of the clear liquid into a glass and passes it over.

"As for the shuttle, you come in at third transfer, the bad one. We're banking on either a temporary LaGrange forming here," she taps on the heavily scribbled-on parchment on the table, "or a slightly higher pass away from this moon, but that might mean a rough shuttle ride and a drop into a storm, and I know we don't want that. First and second transfers are getting us to the world, third is anchor point for shuttle drop, but with these moons and big ferrous asteroids," Diana indicates a small cluster around Egaria, "it's proving quite hard to figure. Might be able to slingshot the shuttle around this big boy though, but that's up to Ivessa."

Lighting another lho stick just before shift bell, Diana gives a quick "Yup, later." to the departing Sirc, who gave a quick goodbye before heading towards his bridge shift and grabs a chart he was scribbling on and gives it a quick look. "Ivessa will like this, then. Bit of a mess, but has a good half dozen potential drop points condition dependent. What do you think?"

[Donan]

"You've all had a number of years to corrupt me." He notes quietly with a slight chuckle, inspecting the glass before taking a light sip. "I don't recall ever being easily bought down by your drinks, however." Verbal jostling aside, it had been a shock the first time. Tau weren't always as sturdy as humans and their drinks were.. well, they were supposed to knock someone out. He often wondered if they were a tamed weapon of war, albeit an unusually slow one. Coughing lightly as the liquid burned its way down his throat he rose his glass slightly in a gesture Ruth had taught him long ago and drank a little more down.

He didn't fully understand everything Diana was saying about the launch and the issues with it, but he was responsible for the shuttles and not turning one of them and everyone on it into an artificial meteorite. Stop thinking this is an Air Caste duty. It doesn't work that way here. "You'd need to define LeGrange for me. I'll put you in touch with Ivessa if need be, but we've space to tell her the plans before we drop the shuttle. She's keen on avoiding storms herself, which I certainly understand."

Sha'draig takes the offered charts, looking them over. "Nothing is going to be ideal in a jumble like this. If you were the one piloting the shuttle, which of the drop points would you rather be taking? There look to be a few that avoid the worst of the gravity wells, unless an asteroid creeps up on the shuttle. I'll make sure short term weapons are ready to deflect anything that our scans have missed. Anything we've not seen should be small enough to divert with a well aimed shot."

So saying, the man who would be taking said shot had another, slightly larger gulp from his glass. Ivessa might not be enthused if she was witness to that scene.

[blacklight101]

Listening to Sha'draig's concerns, Diana tried to think of the easiest way to explain a LaGrange point. "Well, with all these grav wells acting against each other, sometimes they act against one another and create some surprisingly stable routes, but some bad surprises too when they break up. Like if a bar of iron was suspended in the air between two or three magnets and one of the magnets shuts off or moves, the iron won't stay where you put it. We think there will be a stability area around the primary or secondary drop point that should last less than an hour, and if we miss that window, the third, fourth, and fifth points are in more stable areas past these larger asteroids."

Diana thinks for a moment about the point she would take the shuttle out. "Since it's a tight run to the LaGrange as it is, second point operates with a slightly longer window. We have a handful of routes marked for the shuttle and Mercuria if things don't go as planned, so third or later might be best. Stability points around here don't seem to last more than an hour or two as it is, so the Lady-Captain may have thoughts on the route as well. If you don't mind a slightly rough drop, third and fourth would fit the bill but run the risk of those storms."

"It's a risk any way we cut it, but If we play it safe on the way in, third drop point would be your best shot at getting down without a scratch. At least as few as possible, since that stability point might have broken up. Just the risk of smaller asteroids any time after the first drop point, and first is only a 'go' if we have a tight run out to begin with, and even then..."

Diana sighs and takes a drink, finishing what little she had left. It's been a long couple hours since the briefing pouring over charts, but she enjoyed the work even if it was a load of stress. "If I missed something, let me know. There's a lot of stuff on those charts and these scab routes take a lot of figuring."

[Tigger]

Coming out of the meeting with Lady Ruth, Savonarole was smiling at the idea of going planetside. Not that he did not like the Mercuria. On the contrary, he felt better than he had in years since he had become in charge of the Creed aboard the ship, and the lessons learned at the Seminary were taking all their meaning now that he was applying them.

On a ship more than anywhere els, the Church was not just in charge of organizing offices. It was in charge of keeping the minds of every voidsman sane, and quite a lot went into that. He had created clubs for just about anything: regicide, sports, reading war novels, history of the Imperium, philatelia, etc. He had written plays based on the life of saints. He had approached the Lady Captain about a variety of issues raised by the crew, from the fate of children whose parents died in work-related accidents to the duration of break time. It was sometimes difficult to see where his duties ended, and he had become conscious that the Ecclesiarchy was the voice of the little man who felt his direct superior did not hear their complaints. This had sometimes meant arguing with Alaric, but he felt they were coming to an understanding.

Nevertheless, he sometimes felt as if this was not as exalting as what he had hoped when he had signed up for this. He knew he was doing good work, but he wanted to do great things. Also, the need to keep up appearances on the ship to earn the respect of the priests and the crew had meant that he had not been able to have a lot of fun (even though card games with the Rogue Trader and co was starting to get entertaining now that he was more at ease with them).

Reaching his quarters, he asked Bolton to follow him in his study: "As you know, I'll be off the ship for a few days, and I'll leave the day-to-day work to you. You have my agenda so you know what needs to be done. Be sure to convey to every person you see that I am sorry I was not able to be there." Bolton nods and Savonarole continues: "Also, please pick one of the sextons to come with me on the ground. I don't know if the workers below have a local priest and I would like to do what I can for these poor souls while I am down there."

This would do quite nicely. Now that the necessary preparations were in motion, his time was pretty much free. Maybe he could start working on his sermon to the digsite workers.

So I suppose Trade (Remembrancer) is what I would use to draft a sermon. To actually do the sermon, Charm would be my go-to skill, so I don't know, maybe I can earn a bonus to the Charm roll by preparing in advance? Really, Dekana, your call.
Trade (Remembrancer) [roll0] TN 51

[Donan]

He nods, taking another drink himself to finish the glass. "I'll recommend the third drop point to Ivessa then, and we'll go with that if she agrees. And thank you, that's going to be important information at the point." He's silent a moment before speaking again. "We need to take one of them, as you say, we're at risk however we decide, but the third point gives us time to monitor and adapt to anything before we launch. We should also be close enough to provide fire support.

If the worst happens and the shuttle loses control, it'll take us time to plot any sort of rescue and I doubt we'll be in a position to do that in time to stop it crashing. I need to talk to the quartermaster, have it stocked with grav chutes and altitude suits if possible. I doubt the atmosphere's pleasant, but if they survive reaching the ground, it's breathable."

Obviously, that only works if they bail out in the atmosphere, if the shuttle hits the atmosphere at an uncontrolled angle. well, jumping out will do them no good there. But as he doesn't see a way to give them survival odds in such a situation, he doesn't mention it. Ivessa knows the dangers and is a capable pilot.

Sha'draig looks to the charts once more. "I'll follow your experience and recommendations."

[blacklight101]

"Sounds like we have a plan then. We'll hammer out the math for the third and fourth drops in case we need a secondary point. Should have you a slightly expanded chart in a few hours, Johns can run it by when we're done. That ok, Johns?" Diana gets up and pours herself and Johns a bit more rhazvod. "Want some more, Sha?"

"Yeah, that's not a problem. It's pretty close to my quarters." He accepts his drink and finishes most of it in one swallow, coughing just a touch as it goes down. "Damn, you officers get good alcohol."

Diana sets the bottle on the table in case there was demand for more. She sits back down and leans lazily against the wall for a few seconds, watching the smoke curl off the end of the lho stick that was between two fingers, then taking a good long drag. She thought about playing some cards in the common room later after they finished with the charts. "Oh, nearly forgot! Keep an eye on the cluster of small asteroids between third and fourth when the stability point breaks up, Mercuria's shields can handle them, but the shuttle can't if the gravity goes all wrong on us."

[Donan]

"It seems a notable boon.." He murmurs to John's comment on alcohol, nodding to the man as he leaves. "I'll work on firing solutions then, prepare for any cover the shuttle might need. Do you want me to send Ivessa your way?" He sets his glass down, standing. "I'll pay some heed to the firing solutions then, and thank you for the charts and the drinks. This should prove to be an interesting time, even before we locate the site."

He considers, looking back her way. "Doubly so if both of us are among those hunting through an ancient tomb." Something about that unnerves him, though maybe it's just part of the superstition about this place.

[blacklight101]

"Sure, send her my way. I'll give her the info she needs. Sounds like I might see you on the surface, too. Should be a fun ride." As Sha leaves, Diana goes back to studying the charts and making notes.

[Donan]

"I'd say kill count, but it's unlikely there'll be anything there to kill." He notes dryly as he leaves, starting his way back towards the cramped shuttle bay.

[Dekana]

A few hours pass. The exercise against the ork kroozer winds down, the ratings on C battery having scored the fastest reload times. No major problems were reported during the exercise, thankfully enough. The ship must still be in good shape after its recent resupply at Footfall. Quartermaster Higgens also outfits the officers who plan to go to the surface with void suits, lanterns, and whatever else they might find necessary that is in the ship's stores.

The shuttle is picked up on sensors returning to Mercuria. After it docks, the pilot, Ivessa, comes to the bridge with her report.

"Captain," she nods in respect. "I dropped in close to the co-ordinates for that maze city as I could get. There's some structure there alright, poking through the dust haze. The skies above the plateau are clear, though I observed thick storms to the north and west of the site. I couldn't make out the dig site at ground level, but the auspex picked it up. It looks like there's a walled perimeter with a few small habs and a landing pad. The dig site is sandwiched right between the edge of the plateau and the maze city, so we'd have to land the shuttle right inside the site."

"The situation in the subsystem is about as bad as reported; there's a mess of asteroids flying off in all directions at random, bounced around by the gravity fields. They were easy to avoid in the shuttle, but a big ship like Mercuria would be in trouble."

I mentioned it in an earlier post but didn't make it as clear as I could. Leaving the ship at "high anchor" above the subsystem means like an hour or two away from Egaria Omega, so the frigate wouldn't be immediately available if you needed it for support. The shuttle can pass through the subsystem safely either way, so the choice is if you want to risk Mercuria or not.

Let me know when you want to go down to the planet (well, if you still plan to).

[Donan]

Noting some recommendations down in various files, Sha'draig tasks Gunnery Chief Williams of C battery to observe any ratings he feels have earned consideration for promotion. They won't be seriously considered until after an authentic battle, but it'll give him an idea of who to keep an eye on.

He salutes Ivessa on her entry to the bridge, but doesn't interrupt as he listens for Ruth's response to her findings.

[Yarn]

Alexandra liked Hamilton. He was like a cog in a oiled machinery, predictable and useful. Safe. The feeling was unlikely to be mutual. On ships of sufficient size, such as Mercuria, people like him always existed. Or in any other modern civilization for that matter. In short, he was one of the people who provided the low-class population with things outside regulation. Alcohol. Exotic trinkets and such. Maybe even weapons. Since Alexandra reasoned that his kind would always exist, they had an understanding. She did not crack down on him and he kept his business within her regulations, as well as kept his eyes peeled for undue competition. The latter benefited them both, after all. And if the mistress of whispers would find something she did not like on board -heavy drugs, weapons in the wrong hands or such- she knew where to go to get either the word on who sold it or someone to hold accountable. He existed at her mercy, and indirectly on her payroll, an arrangement which suited her perfectly.
“You’re certain?”
Alexandra said dispassionately while massaging her left hand.
“Seen me share of them addicts over the years. Aint no mistakin’ it.” An oppressive silence filled the already cramped room, somehow making it seem even more claustrophobic. She let out a long sigh.
“I’ll want a full report when I get back, should be a few days. Only prior knowledge and your own speculations and musings, such as they are. You do not touch this ‘til I’m back.” The heavy-set man across the table threw up his hand in a mock-salutation.
“Sure, captain.”
“Keep up the good work Hamilton.” Alexandra fired a well-practiced smile. “I’ll find them. To think someone would have the nerve…” She continued with a lot less warmth in her voice while buttoning up the unkept uniform, which sported a significant lack of stripes. A few moments later she was once again venturing through the corridors of the lower decks, this time on her way to her quarters.

***

Someone had gotten their dirty paws on obscura. Of all things! Obscura! Maybe a single, isolated event. Or someone starting a new business. A business she did not, under any circumstances, want on her ship. Nothing good ever came from that stuff, save for the person who sold it. Well, not this time. She’d make sure of that. As if she didn’t have enough things to think about. She studied herself in the mirror. Alexandra Varnischov, dressed in her neat uniform and high-quality clothes looked back. She shook her head, before leaving her quarters once more, heading for the bridge.

[Arutha]

Calvun had spent the last half hour confirming protocols with the other astropaths, such as who would be in charge when he was ground side (Astropath Nought, because she had seniority), what they were to do in case of an outside signal (send a copy of it to him, and then give a copy to the acting captain), and other, even more routine pieces of administration. He was extremely bored, and as he strolled towards the bridge, he saw mistress Alexandra looking, to his eye at least, mildly annoyed. He almost thought to ask if he could help with anything, as his gift had come in handy in more than a few cases. But he knew that she would ask if she needed him.

[ArcturusV]

Quiet hours and long on competence. That was how Alaric liked his watches on deck. When he was on the bridge he kept things quiet. Chatter from him was minimal, orders directly to the point. There was humanity to his tone, sometimes joy, sometimes anger, he was hardly just a machine that could so easily be replaced by a Cogitator Spirit though.

As they approached the target, he handed over watch to the Lady-Captain and reviewed the results of the drills, signing off on reward vouchers for Battery C's Ratings. Doubled Rations didn't sound like much... but he knew it would stimulate the economy of the ship, it was a luxury that would be traded and bartered for, and it had the benefit of showing that their skills and fervor did not go unnoticed and unrewarded, always good for ship morale. And a little excess in their lives and luxury would never hurt, even as minor a pleasure as just being able to eat your fill rather than your rationed necessity was.

As he walked back to his quarters, Mistress Rand followed him, Data-Slate at the ready in case some last minute order came down form Alaric. But the Explorator, for good or for ill, didn't seem very talkative tonight. He spared her just a glance over his shoulder, his eyes distant as he looked upon her. It was a hard expression to read with the Mechanicus issued face grill taking over the lower face.

"You're dismissed, consider yourself on leave until my return from the surface." Alaric nodded towards her, and not even waiting for an answer continued to walk off towards his quarters, leaving the Yeoman with another luxury... an abundance of free time. There was no telling how long the mission on the surface would take.

As the Mercuria made its final approach to the Site, Alaric was laying in his bed. His quarters were oddly opulent for a Tech-Priest. It was actually decorated, and not just bare walls. It had no utilitarian work stations, where other Explorators on other vessels might have had their personal quarters little more than a cubicle with an outlet to plug into and barely enough room to stand with some tube to extract biological waste product and another to dispense biological feedstock, or might have been a miniature Manufactorium filled with half finished projects and appeased Machine Spirits... his quarters looked more like what you'd expect out of a Rogue Trader.

The man collected art, not just massive paintings of landscapes, battles, and portraits, but also objects like vases, statues, and busts. Small tokens were displayed prominently in his quarters on his "I Love Me" wall, awards from the Adeptus Mechanicus were absent, but you saw badges and medals that looked like everything from Imperial Naval issue traditions to commendations from Planetary Governors. He had a rich, dark wooden desk sitting before his I Love Me wall, where he conducted his official and private business meetings as First Officer and as Alaric Lecarde. Silken curtains cordoned off his private section of the quarters from the business and museum side, his bed a large, plush affair, the quarters colored in every shade of blue, and scented with soft incenses that smelled less of Sacred Machine Oil and more of woods and spices.

Alaric lay in his bed, dozing lightly, and spending some time staring at the ceiling. He intended to be fresh when the planetfall happened, just as he told the others. He dreamed of Angels, and forgot about the drudgery of the day.

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

The moment Alaric would take the first rotation on deck Ruth left the bridge as the last, leaving Alaric in charge.

The first shift Ruth spends in her quarters. She spends her time with the necessary paperwork and when it is done stretches her arms above her head and yawns. No-one was here to see it, otherwise she would never have done that. The paperwork is moved to the side and she takes out her dataslate.

SPESS CHESS appears in neon letters on the small screen. She goes to menu and with a heedless chuckle she presses the difficulty 'Deathwish' and starts playing. She is no mastemind prodigy but still enjoys the mental challenge and is able to beat the highscore of 25 minutes from R.T. Vess by 20 seconds. With a satisfied smile she stands up and walks through her room. She decorated it nicely, alot of blue black and gold, the colors of the Vess Family. A portrait of her father and mother hangs on the wall. A happy young couple with a broadly smiling preteen in the middle. They look like an average happy family apart from the very fine clothes and the uniform her father is wearing which indicates his high status. As if they were real people she smiles at her mother and wishes her goodnight.

She takes of her captains uniform and steps in the shower before getting into bed.

***************

An hour before the bell preludes the third shift rotation Ruth wakes up and spends her time with make-up. She takes her fine clothes (a Blue/brown dress that is a bit gothic, elegant but also emits authority, yet very stylish). It wears the symbol of her house on the right side of her chest. She pins up her hair and decorates it with a subtle brown flower made of fabric. She looks in the mirror. Her face twitches and she and he frowns irritated by this annoying habbit. Without looking for puts on her gloves and ties them tight around her wrist with a matching ribbon, Emprah forbid they would get off for ehatever reason.

Her personal alarm lets her know she is needed on the bridge.

She enters the bridge nods at the crewman saluting her and sits down in her captainchair. She just sits there and oversees all the activities on the bridge. She nods when they bring in the exercise reports, just a small smile and a quick nod when she hears the message. Something is on her mind though this would probably be the worst time to overthink it. As their destinations gets bigger and bigger on the viewing portal and the shuttle is launched, Ruth remains in her chair, mostly just staring to the viewing portal

When pilot Ivessa reports back to her she almost startles

"Very good, please remain here untill the staff is present and make the report again."

"Yeoman Johanson, please make sure Miss Korvayne, Varnischov, Mister Lacarde, Devorac, Savonarole and master Vra'elo report to the bridge within thirty minutes."

When they come on the bridge one by one she makes use of the situation to ask how they are doing if everything worked out and if they had a good rest then lets Ivessa redo her report.

Ruth looks around.

"Does anyone object to leaving Mercuria in highanchor and we go go down?" She waits for anyone to respond.

"Anything else before we get down? We will go down there with the seven of us and the additional techincal and military support. If anyone has something to bring up something, now is the time."

[blacklight101]

Diana woke up about an hour before the briefing. Had this been a normal shift starting, she would have donned her customary longcoat, but today might be a day for combat. Drop was in about two hours- give or take- so best to show up prepared.

First on was the Flak Armor, then the power sword in the sheath on her back, the bolt pistol on her hip, and the autopistol stowed under her left shoulder. She checked ammunition in all her clips, her stash of lho, and to clip her helmet to part of the web harness. She was no diplomat, so she may as well go to look tough. She lit her first lho of the day on her way out.

A Yeoman came not too long after to get her for last briefing before the shuttle trip down, and she checked some of her gear one more time and left for the bridge. "Lady-Captain, the Mercuria is prepared to rest at high anchor after the shuttle drop. Johns, Sirc, and I are hoping our reports were accurate enough for Ivessa and had enough warning, I'm eager to hear it. Ready for drop otherwise."

[Donan]

Sha'draig nodded to Ruth on her greeting, glad for her attention. Far too many human captains seemed to care nothing for their crews past their own ambitions. She was an exception. Even if he wasn't to attend the meeting himself he had reminded himself to ensure his armour (and he fully planned on going down in armour) was cleaned and polished to high degree, and that his helmet was ready to conceal his non human features.

"No objections, Lady Captain. The Mercuria would be far safer at high anchor while we investigate. I do recommend however, that we land another shuttle out of detection range of the dig site. If we need another fast means off the planet, that shuttle would be able to provide it. He taps on a data slate, checking some numbers. "I'd need to make sure there's room on a single shuttle for everyone we're taking to the surface..."

How many people would you say a single shuttle could hold?

[Tigger]

Well, he was not really feeling inspired for his sermon, at the moment, so he might just as well go back to the bridge as everything else was ready. Sexton Berlat was accompanying him to the surface and had gathered everything they would need for the service. He had put his flak armor beneath his cassock and his chainsword was at his side. He would be surprised if the Carofiglio had tracked him down here, but you never knew.

Arriving on the bridge, Savonarole could see that he was a bit early. He went to stand near Calvun and asked him: "Astropath Calvun, I understand you are going to the surface too. I will be glad to have at my side such a holy man as yourself, one who had the honor to kneel before the God-Emperor himself."

[ArcturusV]

If it was another time, another place, someone might have been intimidated. A figure in blue robes that hung open in the front, revealing the carapace armored figure of death. A large bolt gun carried in a guard position across the chest as he marched down the hallway. Two floating skulls trailing behind him on either side, flying in lazy, bobbing and weaving patterns. A heavy one handed axe hanging openly by a loop on his belt, ready for quick retrieval and ready to split skulls.

As he walked towards the bridge, armsmen snapped to attention at his passing, and Alaric Lecarde gave them a slight nod of recognition. Ratings scrambled and bowed out of his way, and he never broke his stride until he returned to the bridge. He was fresh faced, bright eyed, smelling faintly of soap and incense. When he entered the bridge, he was clearly ready for War, yet immaculately dressed and presentable for peace as well. "Captain," he intoned in clipped, formal tones as a greeting, using her rank as Officer on Watch rather than Lady-Captain, Bearer of the Warrant, etc. Not a mark of disrespect, just a different formality.

"We should make sure that the emergency stores on the shuttle are fully stocked. With the weather down there it is entirely possible that we may not be able to return to the ship as soon as we wish, and will have to ride out a day or two as the worst of a storm passes. Beyond that, I am as ready as can be, ma'am."

[Yarn]

“ … Good luck, agent Ylva.” Alexandra finished the message over the vox. With her responsibilities delegated, her daily duties would be taken care of. In theory anyway. If she could trust anyone else to do her job properly, they’d have her position. With these thoughts mixed with the latest troubles brewing in the lower decks, she almost missed Calvun down the corridor. She wiped the growing scowl off her face (she wasn’t sure it made any difference though). “Master Calvun. Good to see a friendly face.” She found the astropath’s face to be many things, ‘friendly’ was not on top of the list. The man’s abilities unnerved her a great deal, useful as they were. “I was just thinking about you, I may need to employ your services once we get back from …” The microbead sparked to life and Yeoman Johanson’s voice relayed the captain’s orders. Alexandra stole a glance at her chrono and cursed silently. “Well, now is really not the time. I will see you at the briefing at the bridge.” The woman turned around and hurried back to her quarters, her mood decreasing further as she calculated exactly how few minutes she had left before she was supposed to report to the lady-captain.

***

29 minutes and 31 seconds later, Alexandra entered the bridge and joined the others. She was dressed in her usual robes of subdued colors, wearing a skin-tight pitch-black synskin underneath (hood not pulled up). A inferno-pistol, ammunition, a multikey and a folded cameleoline cloak were strapped to her legs, waist and back. The only weapon clearly discernible on her person was a boltgun strapped to her back on top of her robes. “Nothing, lady-captain.” All that was left was to go and see for yourself.

[Donan]

Sha'draig nods to Alaric. "If possible, with extra supplies, both food and medical. The dig site could have been cut off from any sort of resupply and it could work for earning extra gratitude. Regarding the shuttles. If we take 5 armsmen with us as a honor guard and Helmswoman Diana pilots the shuttle with someone else in the co-pilot's chair, we'd have room on the second shuttle for us all should we lose the first for any reason."

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Ruth hears all the things said and nods at everyone who has something to say to make sure they know she values their input.

"Mistress Ylva, Korvayne and Master Vra'elo. You are in charge of preparing both shuttles. Mister Lacarde, I trust you will make sure to leave the bridge in capable hands the moment we leave also page me. Mister Devorac, It will be a long shot, but I still want our astropaths to be available to pick up any messages when we are in trouble. I know it might not be possible, but I want to have every option open to us. We leave in one hour."

With that She nods to let everyone know they are dismissed.

"Savonarole, a moment?" She smiles and nudges over to a quiet place where they can talk in private.


The air of authority fades away as you are together in private. She even might seem a little shy now the barrier of rank and status is no longer in effect to create a proffesional distance between the two. "Sav, you said I can always come to you for advice. You know I have done alot of dealings, but this time i have a bad feeling about it. Something tells me it will go horribly wrong. It is probably silly... It's just, I don't know. I do fear for our lifes. Maybe it is this horrible place and having to go out there on that hellhole planet without proper backup from Mercuria. I know I normally don't ask for this. Can you maybe help me pray? Not knowing anything makes me anxious, not having the situation under controll.

Ruth waits for your repsonse, she is pretty close to you, maybe because the situation asks for it, maybe because she doesn't want anyone to hear what she tells you.



I know everyone is pretty much ready, but this is maybe a good time to discuss what/who exactly we take with us down there?

[roll0] to make sure Ylva does a good job. Nah I just want to roll:smallyuk:
EDIT: Ok I have a high FEL, but not that high... why do I dig my owrn grave? :smallconfused:

[Tigger]

Moments like this reminded him why he felt a sense of kinship towards Ruth Vess. Just like him, people did not take her for a pious person at first sight: she was ruthless in her pursuit of wordly ambitions, she was a great card player and consorts with a xeno on a daily basis. But sometimes, without any warning, she would come to him and ask him to help her find some guidance through prayer. He was not sure he was the best person to light her way through the darkness, but, with His help, he would become that person.

Looking at the Lady Captain with a pensive smile, he invites her to kneel with him. "God-Emperor of Mankind, we pledge once again our eternal devotion to you. We ask only that you show us what is needed of us and that you give us the strength to do your will. On this day, we travel to a place where the cursed xeno used to dwell, but there is no fear in our hearts, only faith in the safety you grant to the souls of those who have placed all hope in You. The Emperor Protects."

Savonarole closes his eyes, bows his head and clears his mind of any thoughts for a few seconds. He then turns towards Ruth, smiles once again and says: "Do not fear anything, and remember that the Emperor never asks for more than we can give him."

I'm gonna roll to inspire Ruth, with whatever benefits that might seem appropriate to Dekana.

[roll0] TN 63 (Charm, Mefonte's Orthodoxy)

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Ruth simply follows Savonerole and also kneels listening to him speak. it was something she hadn't done in a while, and even though she had no clear need for prayers or saw herself as above these superstitious practices, it somehow eased her mind. Was it the voice of Savonerole or the actual grace of the Emperor that did this, she wasn't sure. For her religion was a tool to use, something to move people to your bidding. A means to accomplish political earhtly goals, yet there was something nice and warm about it.

Ruth, making sure no one is paying direct attention to her, smiles warmly at the holy man. He was quite a figure, on the one hand so devoted to the spiritual world, on the other hand like her.

"Thank you, I feel better, let's hope we return here so we can do this again."\

[blacklight101]

"Of course, Lady-Captain. Shuttle will be ready to rock after a quick preflight." She stays for the quick prayer and she jogs off to the shuttle bay to do a quick-and-dirty preflight. Ivessa's checklist is still sitting in the pilot's chair with about a dozen things marked off to save a little time on takeoff.

She slings the power sword off her back and straps it beside the chair so it was more comfortable to fit. Strapping on her flight helmet and running through the instrumentation checks, part of her mind was still running through flight paths and debris trajectories.

After a few minutes, the preflight was finished and she opened a vox channel to the Captain. "+Lady-Captain, shuttles one and two are ready. Ready to leave at your order.+" after the vox shuts off, Diana lights a lho stick and settles in to wait the few minutes until everyone is ready.

[Donan]

"Korvayne, Ivessa." Sha'draig walked into the shuttle bay, his voice a torch distorted through the helmet he now wore. After leaving the bridge he'd visited his quarters for a final, personal prepation and was now fully clad in hi trade mark armour, pulse pistol on his hip and his matching rifle across his back To those experienced with Imperial technology, his weapons might cause suspicion, but it didn't seem likely he'd spent much time interacting with anyone at the dig site.

He left the two pilots to their work, knowing all he'd do if he tried to help would be to get in the way, and focused instead on double checking their supplies were full and up to date. He'd also sent for a four man squad to join them, adding a note to come in dress (but still functional) armour to appear as a honour guard. If things went as desired, that's all they'd be, but he'd rather be ready for any nasty surprises then caught off guard by them.

"It'll be tight quarters, at least in the first shuttle. Enjoy your space Ivessa, unless you need to get us out."

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

+"Thank you Diana"+ Over vox she for smoe reason never felt the need to be so formal. She changes the Vox to Sha's frequence. +"Sha if everyone is in place including the honour guard and our provisions, we're good to go. Rest will be there in fifteen minutes"+

Ruth walked to the shuttlebay ready to ascend to the surface of the planning, wondering what awaits her and her crew there.

[Donan]

++Acknowledged.++ The faintest of pauses. ++Ruth. Everything will be ready by that point.++

Answer given, Sha'draig moved to settle next to the shuttle, giving his equipment one last check. Whatever the situation, he remained of the mindset that he was responsible for the protection of those going to the surface and had no intention to get caught short by any issue easily avoided.

[Yarn]

Alexandra arrived to the shuttle with a few minutes to spare, now dressed only in her synskin and a cameleoline cloak. The latter gave her a semblance of modesty and most onlookers a headache due to the annoying visual effects created by the fabric. After a quite scan of the area, she found a place to her liking. Leaning against a few crates in the vicinity of the shuttle, overlooking the last preparations in general and Sha's meticulously work in particular.

[Dekana]

The shuttle quickly becomes cramped as it fills with the seven senior officers and honor guard of four armsmen, everyone loaded down with weapons and armor. The armsmen were selected for their experience fighting planetside, two of them being veterans of the Imperial Guard. The most senior of them is one Sergeant Corris, a narrow faced man with a five-o'-clock shadow of stubble.

In the cockpit, the vox unit is alive with chatter from the bridge. The cargo bays have to be emptied, the outer doors opened, and coordination made between Diana's and Ivessa's shuttles. Finally, a message comes in directed at Diana.

"+You are cleared for launch, Imperious. May the Emperor protect and watch over you.+"

Diana fires up the engines and takes Imperious out through the open cargo bay door. Ivessa's shuttle follows shortly behind (out of view from the cockpit, although the two pilots keep in touch over the vox). Mercuria quickly becomes a speck in the distance as the two shuttles speed on toward Egaria Omega.

What a mess this subsystem is. Even having the coordinates of the destination, picking out Egaria Omega from the other 65 planets is a headache. Diana has to put all her focus on avoiding space debris and avoiding the gravity wells while Calvun is left to navigate from the co-pilot's chair. It is a tense 45 minutes, but nothing disastrous happens.

The flight is relatively calm, but it is punctuated with a few brief moments of severe turbulence as the shuttle passes through changing gravity fields. Egaria Omega steadily grows larger and larger through the cockpit window as Imperious nears, the planet's mountainous terrain and stormy atmosphere becoming plain to see. Diana takes the shuttle gradually down through the atmosphere until she is about over the dig site. As Ivessa previously reported, the area is clear of storms. Ground level is partly obscured by a haze of dust, but the maze city is now easily seen. A towering curtain wall surrounds the city, jutting up through the haze along with the structures inside.

The dig site gradually comes into focus through the haze as the shuttle descends toward it. The site is at the edge of the plateau and is positioned in front of the only opening in the maze city's wall. It is surrounded by a perimeter defense line - a raised walkway with gun emplacements every 50 meters. Various hab shelters are visible from above, as are several large pits in the ground (presumably the "dig" parts of the site).

Here's a map of the dig site. You don't know which shelter is which yet, so please ignore some of those labels.

http://s10.postimg.org/ewvg65hbb/dig_site_map.png

Since the dig site is right on the edge of the plateau and is bordered by the maze city, there isn't really any other place to land. There's no way to walk to the site without scaling the plateau walls. Not having any other place to set down, Diana takes the shuttle down onto the landing pad right inside the dig site. The shuttle jolts slightly as it makes contact with the ground, and the engine roar fades away as Diana powers them down. The shuttle door opens and Imperious's occupants begin filing out, the armsmen being the first to disembark.

Ivessa remains in flight for now as she searches for a safe, discreet location to touch down.

Egaria Omega is a windswept hellhole of a planet, but no one ever got rich in the Expanse without visiting a few hellholes. The instant you set foot on the world, a cold wind blows right through you. But something more than cold assaults you. You instantly feel that you should not be here, as if you are intruding on lands long ago claimed by something far older than the human race. Echoes whisper on the wind, but beyond hearing, sending a chill not just through your body, but through your very soul.

There are several individuals immediately visible in the site, some manning the defensive perimeter, some milling around the hab shelters to the north. In addition, three well-armed men are walking toward you. They bear hellguns and wear flak armor with carapace chest plates. However, they are assuming a neutral stance with their weapons merely held at the ready (rather than pointed at you).

[Donan]

Sha'draig says nothing. He's not down here to talk and that job falls to others. He's kept quiet in the shuttle, personally disliking the cramped conditions in a raft making a rough descent and making sure to keep his mouth firmly clamped shut. At least the helmet had stopped any of the others from reading his expressions even if they might have been unable to make them out.

The fire caste are meant to walk the earth, not the skies.

His xeno soul, less vibrant for psychic impressions then humans is less touched by the alien feel of the landscape, but even he can sense it. They're intruders on an ancient empire that is dead, but not, it seems, completely gone. Little wonder so many to this world saw and felt dangers. If things are well, an ill feeling is where it begins and ends.

But the three armed men approaching are the more immediate concern and with a pair of hand gestures, he forms the four armsmen into an arrow head, defensive formation between the approaching guards and the main party, with himself at the tip of the spear.

Their stance is reflected, weapons are drawn and ready, but not aimed as he waits for them to approach. Hellguns. That effectively negates the defences of his armour, but flak and carapace wouldn't stop his own shots. It will cause potential issues for the Sergeant and his squad however.

[Tigger]

Sexton Berlat was not the most dignified member of the Ecclesiarchy on the Mercuria. In fact, he was very much like the caricature of a sexton in satirical novels on the Imperial Creed: a fat man full of superstitions with the red nose of the casual alcoholic. Nevertheless, men like him were the ones doing the ground work, and he needed someone to assist him in setting up mass.

Having muttered a few prayers during the turbulences to steady himself, Savonarole felt better once the shuttle touched ground. But the feeling was not a lasting one. This place was not meant for mankind, and, for the first time in his life, he understood in the core of his being why the xeno should be purged from the galaxy. Peace was impossible with beings so alien and there was no hope of ever finding a way to live peacefully with them. If it had been left to him, they would have glassed this world from orbit.

But it had not been left to him. They were not here to destroy all traces of the xeno. They were here to assist people who were pillaging their remains. He could not imagine what living on this world for several months could have done to the souls of these poor saps. He was now certain that bringing them the light of the Emperor was his sacred duty. He just hoped he was not too late.

[Arutha]

The ride was not pleasant, that was certain. To many gravity wells, to many worlds spinning and whirling, a tangled mess. But, as they were here, rogue traders in all their glory, it was the emperors tangled mess.

When they landed, Calvun shuddered as he felt the chill wind on his soul. He had felt such a thing before, but only a few times, and the fact that at least a few others felt it was... Unpleasant. "The emperor protects" he muttered, making the sign of the Aquila.
making a Psyniscience roll to see if there are any warpy things near by
[roll0] under 32

Seeing the armored figures, Calvun sent a quick missive to the rest of the party. "A warm welcome, I see" he thought, and his gift carried it to the rest of his group.
making an invocation test in case of need for psyk power in the near future
[roll1] under 59

[ArcturusV]

Alaric didn't seem to be bothered, not by the chill winds, or by the strange aura in the air. Some might chalk it up to his Mechanicus Implants and his training as a Tech-Priest, belonging to the Omnissiah and having a certainty of his Soul that was common to the Priesthood, wrapped into the Quest for Knowledge and the certainty of right and wrong.

Or it might be because it was very, homey, to him. His homeworld, unseen by any here, was such a place. Graced by the Xenos before man walked upon it. Visited by the Angels regularly, where the True Faith was not Machine or Emperor, but that of truly magnificent creatures that walked the world, not just myths, tapestries, altars and statues of some unimaginably distant figure that they would never see. The digging up of Xenos Artifacts he knew well, such pits were as familiar to him as a Forge Lathe was to most Tech-Priests.

But outwardly, he seemed passive, his bolter held casually, his robes fluttering out almost like a cape behind him in the cold breeze. The Tau and his goon squad taking up a shielding position, and the Lady-Captain still here, everyone waiting for her to open up communications with the locals. "Offer them water from our supplies, and ask to speak to their supervisor," Alaric very quietly hinted towards Ruth. "Dusty conditions and the heat of working in armor will have dehydrated them, and water would be a rare resource in such a place. It is likely to diffuse this situation and engender the guards to you." He made sure the volume on his vox-grille was low enough no one else should hear, much less the guards outside. No lip reading of the impassive metal plate of his lower face either. It would allow Ruth to take his advice into consideration, and not appear as a weak figurehead if she followed it, as none would know he even gave it.

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Dispite the winds that chilled her to the bone she couldn't supress a grin when Alaric opted the option about offering them water. She understood it was probably a good move, but the idea of offering the other party, which were her business partners in this valuable and delicate negotiation, seemed so... silly. Also offering water to three guards would not to professional in this situation acoording to ehr judgement. They were just guards and it was not her responsibility they were looked after. Maybe it was her being accustomed to a very refined lifestyle that water seemed weird, maybe her decadence or incapability to actually place herself in someone elses shoes who's life was so extremely different than hers.

Ruth did not see the situation at all as heated, in fact she was surprized they only sent three guards at a shuttle that landed in the midst of their digsite.

Still close to the others and within their protective range she steps forward and nods at the three persons with respect. However they seemed just like guards, still politeness and respect was needed.

"I am Lady-Captain Ruth Theresia Vess. Thank you for your warm welcome. Although the words might be taken in a sarcastic way, she does not say them at all in that manner, but rather serious and well-meant. her face is neutral. This is business to her and she would act accordingly.

"Me and my crew are here to speak with the person overseeing this operation. He or she was so kind to not reveal who it is we will actually be talking to, but I like to meet this agent and not be kept in suspense any longer."

She talks commanding, but not at all unfriendly. She simply states the facts. Her position is simple; she wants in, but also wants to make clear she already went halfway and it was time for the second party to do the same.


[roll0] vs 50.
I am not sure if this is the right roll, but I think it is since I want to at least make sure that I am seeing myself in much higher rank as those guards and am able to demand things. I got the air of Authority so the roll can affect multiple targets. If they fall under the group: Mercantile I get a +10 to my roll from my Peer Talent. If you see this as a formal situation or one involving high authority (I think the first rather than the second) I gain another +10 from Etiquettes.

[Dekana]

You do not detect any warpy things nearby, and you are unable to clear your mind effectively. Those whispers on the wind must have gotten to you. [-1 psy rating for the next round, but we're in narrative time so there's no effect.]

As an aside, the typical Tau fire warrior helmet doesn't give a clear view of its wearer's face, so I'll treat most people you meet as not knowing for sure that you're a xeno, unless you make it clear of course. The armor itself is obviously of xeno-make, but there are at least some humans who wear Tau armor too (not just gue'vesa, but mercenaries and rich explorers too).

All three guards are well-built and do not betray any fear of the larger group they are meeting. The one in the middle tilts his head to look past Sha'draig, ignoring him entirely, to get a look at Ruth.

"I dunno what you mean by 'suspense,' but I already sent a man to get Overseer Leerus. He should be on his way now. Just wait here a minute... M'am." He adds the last word as an afterthought, perhaps deciding that returning some courtesy to Ruth would be appropriate.

The guards remain firmly where they are for the time being. Looking around the camp, you all can see that there is in fact quite a lot of activity around the pits and on the defensive perimeter. The sound of many pickaxes and heavy equipment can be heard from the pits (although you can't see inside from this angle), and there are several dozen more guards immediately visible either on the wall or scattered around the camp. There are even a couple of servitors milling about near the northern hab shelters. At a quick glance, and guessing from the noises coming from the pits, there must be several hundred people in this camp.

Shortly after, a large, powerful, and rather imposing looking man walks up to the group. He wears an impressive-looking military uniform that nobody recognizes as being from any particular service branch or world. He speaks in a booming voice, much louder than needed.

"What's going on? Who are you people? State your business immediately."

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/Dagginz/leerus.png

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

For a moment it looks Ruth wants to introduce herself, but then she nods at Alaric to do the honors. Sometimes it had a better inpact to let someone else introduce the actual one in charge. It is a tactic which Alaric is used to in situations like this.

Ruth crosses her arms and looks at the man, not at al impressed by his loud voice. Apparently the man had to compensate for lacking actually authority. A sign of weakness. A miniscul smile appeared on Ruth face, that for others would only look like a polite smile.

[Donan]

There are some advantages to wearing a sealed helmet, not least the concealment of his features. Sha'draig activated its internal micro bead with a faint twitch of his head, speaking so only his allies could hear.

++It is strange, their defenses. This world is dead, but they're prepared for a threat from the ground, not the air. Is this a standard Imperial measure to take?++ If it was, then he could relax a hair, but if not, it was another element that didn't feel quite right.

He meanwhile assessed tactical threats. Given how many they faced, the ideal response to an attack was to withdraw under defensive fire and launch. The apparent lack of anti air capacity made that option far more feasible. They certainly couldn't win a protracted battle with their resources.

[blacklight101]

Well, at least the day didn't start with guns pointed at me. That would have been too much like Lacristy again. Diana shuts down the shuttle and steps out after the rest of them, making sure to keep her hands close- but not agressively close- to her guns. Her power sword wouldnt do much good at this range.

++Standard or not, they have us dead to rights down here. Must be one hell of a threat with Hellguns and Bolters.++ It was a quick transmission to Sha on her way to the group. She hoped it was just the potential value of the artefacts and not some xenos that made them fortify this heavily.

++Lady-Captain, if we need to leave quickly, I left
Imperious on standby. Auto-shutdown in one hour, but she's ready to bolt if this gets hairy.++

[Yarn]

Alexandra stood a few feet clear of Ruth, scanning their surroundings and paying little mind to Leerus and his men. She didn’t like what she saw one bit, a feeling that was in no way remedied by the creeping sensation of something watching - or by the comparably puny weight of the boltgun in her hands, for that matter. It quickly became evident that they were outgunned and that the operations of the site seemed to progress, which was exactly what she did not like. If they had firepower and were still digging, why the blazes hadn’t they started delivering precious cargo? You didn’t need to be an expert in the trade to notice that the buildings next to the camp were of xeno origin. Was the overseer playing the kasballica? Where would that put them? Nervously massaging her left hand, she used her ‘knack’ as she called it to, well, without a better word for it ‘smell’ the surroundings.


Psyniscience: [roll0] vs 37

[Dekana]

Your psychic sniffing does not turn up any interesting smells, with the exception of Calvun whose pungent odor is like gouda left in the sun for... [wait, where was I going with this metaphor]

(OOC: I didn't realize Alexandra was trained in psyniscience. That's kind of awesome, hehe.)

[ArcturusV]

Kouhei Alaric to the rescue, it was a working relationship that he knew well the rhythms of, the junior officer allowed to be more vocal and heated, while the senpai was calm and controlled, speaking only when things threatened to get out of hand. Taking a large step forward, not to pass by the Tau and his goon squad, but to make his presence known as a speaker by the movement he stood tall in his non-standard (for a Tech-Priest) blue robes fluttering in the breeze, his carapace armor covering him, and the bolt gun held at the ready across his hips.

"You address the party of Lady-Captain Ruth Vess, Lord of the Mercuria, Warrant Bearer of the Vess Dynasty, honored by the High Lords of Terra and possessed of the Right and Mandate to bring the light of the Emperor to the long lost worlds of the Galaxy, free to go where she wishes, and deal with the Heretic, the Xenos, and Man as she sees fit in her calling."

It was hard to read Alaric's expression, due to the metal covering the lower half of his face, but his eyes were hard set, his stance was imposing, his voice loud and clear, cutting through the wind and the ambient noises of pickaxes and worker peasants with unquestioned power. His Implants were quickly cataloging information about the figure, details of his uniform and gear, the layout of the defensive bulwarks, the accent to his Gothic, and all of this was being filed away, cross reference and connections being made at the speed of ancient cogitators working in perfect unison, adding new information to his visual overlay as it was discovered.

"And we have come at the behest of your distant masters, to oversee the site, and provide what help you may need to once again meet your quotas," direct, and to the point, but unless his mark was incorrect, he believed that was the right way to proceed. Some people needed the politeness, the lies, and the double speak of nobles, others needed the harsh, direct tone of militant command, and others needed the fear of the Angels put into them. His tone was clearly not of the Double Speak, but whether it was to be Militant, or Intimidating, well, that was up to the interpretation of the listener.

Well, I do have the Total Recall talent where others don't so I have a chance of knowing anything about anything. That going to come into play with the man?

Deceive roll to obsfucate the intention behind his words, even as the words themselves are very direct: [roll0] vs 38 Fellowship, +0 Deceive Training, Baseline Mark before Conditional Modifiers of 38.

Scrutiny Check to get a read on the officer and his tells, reading his mood: [roll1] vs 38 Perception, +0 Scrutiny Trained, Baseline Mark before Conditional Modifiers of 38.

[Tigger]

Savonarole was always surprised at Alacarde's ability to turn his phrases in such a way that, even though you felt he had said nothing but the truth, you knew something was a bit off about his words. It was a strange skill for a tech-priest to have acquired, but clearly a useful one. Nevertheless, he felt he could help defuse the situation further.

"My son, do not fear the Rogue Trader standing before you, for she is the proxy of the Emperor. Just like He did during the Great Crusade, before He ascended to the Golden Throne, she brings to the forsaken profane help and sacred salvation. Do not treat such gifts with suspicion, for suspicion towards the envoys of the God-Emperor shall only lead you to Treachery and Heresy."


Charm [roll0] TN 63 (53 baseline + Mefonte's Orthodoxy)

[Dekana]

"You address the party of Lady-Captain Ruth Vess, Lord of the Mercuria, Warrant Bearer of the Vess Dynasty, honored by the High Lords of Terra and possessed of the Right and Mandate to bring the light of the Emperor to the long lost worlds of the Galaxy, free to go where she wishes, and deal with the Heretic, the Xenos, and Man as she sees fit in her calling."

...

"And we have come at the behest of your distant masters, to oversee the site, and provide what help you may need to once again meet your quotas," direct, and to the point, but unless his mark was incorrect, he believed that was the right way to proceed. Some people needed the politeness, the lies, and the double speak of nobles, others needed the harsh, direct tone of militant command, and others needed the fear of the Angels put into them. His tone was clearly not of the Double Speak, but whether it was to be Militant, or Intimidating, well, that was up to the interpretation of the listener.

Well, I do have the Total Recall talent where others don't so I have a chance of knowing anything about anything. That going to come into play with the man?

Deceive roll to obsfucate the intention behind his words, even as the words themselves are very direct: [roll0] vs 38 Fellowship, +0 Deceive Training, Baseline Mark before Conditional Modifiers of 38.

Scrutiny Check to get a read on the officer and his tells, reading his mood: [roll1] vs 38 Perception, +0 Scrutiny Trained, Baseline Mark before Conditional Modifiers of 38.

"Rogue Trader Vess, huh?" The large man looks back and forth from Vess to Alaric as if making up his mind about something. When he next speaks, it is in not quite as loud and confrontational a voice. "Well, welcome to Egaria Omega. I'm Overseer Leerus, and this is my dig site. No offense to your captain, but I'm not in the business of trusting strangers who land in the middle of my camp. How do I know you're not just a group of thieves?"

Hmmm... it's a good deceive roll, but I don't think you needed to make it. Alaric isn't lying about anything, and it doesn't seem like he needs to mislead anyone about his true intentions since he's speaking so plainly.

As for total recall, it's for minor details and facts, right? Alaric could know that Overseer Leerus's uniform isn't one found in any guard or PDF force he's ever heard of. Leerus probably just made up the uniform himself to look impressive.
I need to figure out how to handle that feat a little better; if it's trivial information, I would usually tell it to the party anyway without the need of a talent or skill check.

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Ruth sigs and slowly moves her hand to her inside pocket not to cause any confusion that she is taking out a letter and not something that is meant to kill guardsmen.

Wihtout a word she hands it to Alaric so he can hand it to the Overseer. Again just gesture to show her importance.

[Dekana]

OOC: I'll assume Alaric hands over the letter of introduction to the overseer since I don't see him refusing his captain, and I want to keep the game moving. Sorry to godmode your character, ArcturusV. :smallwink:

Alaric transfers the letter of introduction from Vess's hands to Leerus's.

Overseer Leerus reads the letter straight away, his expression growing darker as he comes to the end. He stuffs the letter into a coat pocket and then looks back to Ruth.

"It seems the Mission isn't happy with our progress, but I suppose it is better they decided to send rogue trader 'assistance' than effect a... change in leadership. Anyway, it wouldn't be like a group of thieves to bring a holy man along." He glances at Savonarole.

"Very well, Lady-Captain Vess. I suppose I can show you around the site: give you a sense of how we're operating. We have a primary dig site and three secondary pits. Then there are the shelters for the workers, a work area for our xenoarchaelogists, and of course the defense line. Can't take any chances this deep in the expanse. Where do you want to start?"

There are also some other structures in the camp that Leerus hasn't pointed out, including a large hab shelter to the west with two transport vehicles - chimeras - in front of it. Another pair of smaller shelters are next to the large one.

[Donan]

As the arrangements and letter are hashed out and turned over, Sha'draig turns his attention away from that part of it, leaving it to those more experienced in such a field as he considers the landscape. It's a hefty force, and again, he's struck by how strong their ground capability is compared to their anti air. So he watches with experienced eyes, noting their troop movements, equipment, the general manner of guards and troops and watching for any signs of other out of place elements.

[Dekana]

Sha'draig's keen eyes - and technology-assisted tau helmet - pick out many interesting details about the camp's security. Guards are stationed in front of some of the buildings, including the ones to the west and several of the hab shelters to the north. The defense line takes the form of a raised walkway, reinforced with flak board revetments. A pair of guards are patrolling across the walkway, while the gun towers placed every fifty meters are manned by either two or three guards each.

The doors to the maze city are wide open. Sha'draig spots a third chimera near the portal into the city, although that one appears to have a thrown track. All three chimeras each have a single heavy bolter mounted in its front section.

Finally, the heavy bolters on the defense line are mounted on pivots such that they could be turned to face inside the camp (or perhaps toward the maze city's entrance).

[Donan]

After brief consideration, Sha'draig opens a private channel to Ruth.

"Their defences appear to be aimed at the outside, but there are hints they've concerns about a threat from the buried city itself and thy can quickly redirect their bolters to target the entrance. There's also a damaged Chimera tank near the entrance to the city. Coupled with weak or no anti air defence, and I worry there's yet more our contacts have seen fit to hide."

[Arutha]

Given the strange nature of the letter, Calvin is going to scan the overseer when he reads it.

Can we just assume that enough time passes for me to use a successful invocation test? If not I'll roll for it separately.


Invocation test if needed [roll0] under 59

Opposed will power test [roll1] 59- 20 for silent reading, +5 for fettered power level one, plus an additional 5 if the indication test goes off.

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Ruth seems content with the new attitude of the overseer.

"So it seems." She holds out her hand nudging at the coatpocket of Leerus a sign she wants the letter back that cannot easily be ignored.*"I indeed hope such a change won't be necessary... Please start what would give us the most insight in how things go around here... What about the main digsite?" Ruth says taking the lead in the conversation as well in where they want to go. She says it with a friendly but professional smile.

If Leerus indeed agrees to start there she nods suggestively to Sha, making sure he knows that she heard him and understood what he said. She cannot activly talk about it since she will be walking next to Leerus at all times making sure she is with him at the head of the group and not behind him.

"So, overseer Leerus. How long have you been overseeing this project and when did you sign your contract with the Mission?" Ruth just talks a bit with Leerus, to get to know him a little, his position here and what his relations are with The Mission itself.



* [roll0] vs. 50

[Donan]

Sha'draig speaks up quietly, his voice now audible to all, including the Overseer. "With your leave Lady Captain, I'll check the site's security, to ensure your safety remains in place here."

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Ruth nods at Sha, not even considering to consult overseer Leerus about this. She is now in charge of the dig site, at least that is how she sees it.

[Dekana]

Overseer Leerus notices Ruth nudging at his coat pocket and is bewildered at first, but he then shrugs and gives the crumpled letter back to her without a word.

"To the dig site then."

Leerus turns his back to the party and then begins walking toward the main pit in the center of the camp. He also waves to a guard near the pit who then starts toward the group. Leerus keeps up the conversation while walking, only occasionally turning his head back to see Ruth.

"I've been in charge of this expedition since the start about a year ago, but I've been in the employ of the Kasballica Mission for much longer. This isn't my first xeno dig, you see. Quite the contrary, I've had many successes here in the Expanse. I suppose you could say I was picked to head up this particular expedition by reputation alone."

The guard Leerus waved at arrives in front of the group. He is a compact, muscular, and scar-covered man, equipped similarly to the other guards but with a fine looking hellpistol and a power sword. "Trouble, boss?"

Leerus answers, "Not at all, Captain. The Mission has just seen fit to send us some visitors is all. Lady-Captain, this is Captain Brent, the commander of my guards. Captain Brent, meet Lady-Captain Vess."

"M'am," Captain Brent says very simply.

Leerus continues. "Captain Brent, I will be showing the Lady-Captain' and her team around the camp. See to it the workers keep to their tasks and don't bother us."

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

"Captain." Ruth greets. She doesn't spend too much time on him, although takes a good look so she will remember the face, although the heavily scarred man won't be hard to distinguish from others she figures.

[Donan]

Nodding back to Ruth, the Tau peels off rom the main group, leaving the four guards with them, but ensuring to stay in line of sight as he heads for the damaged Chimera nearer the entrance as the first port of call. He's quite keen to see whether the thrown tread is just from rough terrain or possible battle damage. He also watches for anyone nearby it, in case a conversation is called for. He's well aware that many here will be less then fond of his kind, but the fact they're digging pup Xenos artifacts might mute that somewhat.

[Yarn]

Alexandra pulled off a stiff salutation in Ruth’s direction as Sha split from the group “Ma’am” and followed half a pace behind the Tau, attempting to act natural. She very much doubted that whatever the overseer was going to show them was going to be what they were looking for. Her keen eyes scanned the surroundings as she started devising a plan.

[blacklight101]

Not much Diana could do in matters of diplomacy, so with a few others peeling from the group, she did the same. A quick detour back to the shuttle close to a hab or two wouldn't be too suspicious in her mind. Especially if she spotted something interesting.


perception [roll0]


Reaching the shuttle, Diana keys the back hatch open and busies herself fiddling with a few of the cabinets with emergency supplies in them, but keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. She makes sure her weapons stay in easy reach along with a few of the heavier ones from off the ship. She always had at least a pair of shotguns in any shuttle she flew. Best way to deal with unexpected guests.

[ArcturusV]

It was all pretty familiar to Alaric, the gun emplacements, workers keeping out of sight, the tour that wasn't really a tour. It was as if the last several decades never happened, and he was reliving some past event that had his implants working in overtime, and his body following along as Lady Vess's honor guard/aide de camp as the others split off to do their own things. His mind remembered the way things were, how they were to be overthrown, how, given time, he was sure he could flip this entire encampment. Particularly if they ended up stuck here for any extended period of time. Details were noted about the local commander, his second, the guards, the walls, the vehicles and habs, his implants ticking off the flood of information for later use.

His faux uniform and behavior suggested a desire for advancement, that his own admission of being a 'specialist' in such excavations seemed to bar him from. Ambition was always a useful tool, and if he perhaps dreamed some day of moving beyond mere campsites and excavations, to a position of power and respect, perhaps administering a minor colony or a mark of true authority on some holding of the dynasty's, that would be additional leverage to be used for later.

The concerns of the camp seemed to be on overseeing the workers, and quieting rebellions, very security minded. He doubted the Overseer here was in fact any sort of Xenos Scholar, nor did he think there were many around. The camp seemed to lack the sort of space required for it, only a smaller workspace stated for the Xenos Scholars, likely more about classification of relics, rather than actual study of them.

There did however seem to be one major factor that was missing from the camp. Discretely he turned his vox low to the equivalent of a whisper, and leaning in close to Lady Vess, stated, "There seems to be a distinct lack of storage facilities for off world shipments here." At least nothing that was marked out so far. Maybe it was kept in the dig sites, though that seemed unwise and prone to logistical nightmares. There should have been a warehouse or storehouse of some kind near the landing pad... if they were actually interested in shipping things off world.

[Dekana]

The main group heading to the dig site reaches the outer ring of the primary pit. It is roughly circular, some forty meters deep and twenty in diameter. Access to the bottom is by way of gantries lining its walls, which have grown from temporary walkways to something more substantial as the excavations have continued. The sight inside the pit is somewhat unsettling, but unfortunately common in this harsh Imperium: dozens of shabbily dressed workers are working the walls with picks or hauling large amounts of waste soil and heavy equipment around. They are clearly malnourished, and many have poor quality prosthetic limbs. The waste soil is transported out of the excavation by way of a crane, its bucket filled by the toil of the workers.

Deep at the bottom of the pit are about five of the xenoarchaeologists, distinguishable by their better attire, physical condition, and the datapads they carry. More guards are present as well, watching with grim faces over the workers.

Captain Brent splits off temporarily to organize some of the guards into a squad. They then clear aside the workers so as to keep them a respectful distance away from the Rogue Trader's group. The attitude between the workers and the guards seems tense, with some of the workers feigning deafness to the point that the guards shove them aside. Brent also issues orders to about five more guards; they leave the pit and head in different directions across the camp.

Overseer Leerus explains the operations of the pit as he stands at the outer rim - it's all rather boring and what you would expect from an excavation. The workers mine at the edges of the pit, growing it wider and deeper over time. Waste soil is removed via crane. Any artefacts are appraised by the xenoarchaelogists and transferred to a storage shed next to Leerus's own shelter. He makes no mention of the workers' poor condition or the apparent tension.

You walk toward the maze city entrance and the disabled chimera. The curtain wall of the maze city rises sharply into the sky, casting deep, sharp-edged shadows over the dig. A faint path leads from the dig to the only opening in the wall, a 50 meter tall gate with two massive doors that have frozen part-way open. There is no obvious means to open or shut the doors, and they do not even seem to have hinges.

The chimera is equipped with dozer blades and is stopped near a large pile of dirt. It looks as if the vehicle was being used like a bulldozer to move heavy loads of dirts.

There are no guards near the maze city - just being near it sends a chill down your spine (less so for Sha'draig). However, you do notice a guard behind you shadowing your movements and keeping an eye on you.

There doesn't appear to be any signs of battle damage on the chimera. It likely threw its track from going over rough terrain, or simply from being used to push a heavier load than it could handle.

As you walk past a heavy servitor carrying waste to a large heap of soil, rock, and rubbish, you spot something out of place in the pile. It appears to be some form of crudely constructed and battered augmetics.

[The item can be identified with either a Difficult (-10) Forbidden Lore (Xenos) or Very Hard (-30) Common Lore (Tech) test.]

The workers moving around the camp are poorly dressed in somewhat ragged clothes. They are not well fed, and they give the guards a disdainful look when they come too close. Servitors mindlessly carry out support work, moving heavy objects or dangerously sharp pieces of rock. Guards are ever-present in the site, and patrols in groups of two are common.

The guards do not have uniforms as such, but they are all rather well equipped with either hellguns or heavy stubbers, carapace chest pieces, and personal survival equipment. The guards also come in a wide range of skin tones and facial structure, making you suspect they come from different worlds, or at least vastly different locations from the same world. The vast majority of the guards are men, as are all of the workers.

Three guards stand before of the building with the chimeras parked in front. You also spot the red robes of a tech priest as he walks into the building. There are some people at the shelter habs to the north, a mix of guards, workers, and servitors.

You make it to the shuttle unmolested. You don't spot anything particularly out of ordinary, but you take note that the landing pad has facilities for refueling and basic maintenance. There are no other shuttles present - it doesn't look like the camp even has any.

[Donan]

Sha'draig nods lightly to Alexandra after taking a closer look at the Chimera. It doesn't suggest anything more then potential carelessness given the thrown track and the use it's been put to. The gate is approached warily and he tries to pinpoint the exact cause of his unease without success. All the same, the Tau feels more comfortable not drawing any closer to it unless he ends up having to.

He also conceals a wince at the sight of the servitor. How can anyone learn from a crime if that's a punishment? Again, the Imperium's refusal to use AI baffles him, but he knows better then to bring it up.

[Dekana]

You need to roll and succeed on the tech use or awareness tests to see what is inside those spoiler blocks. :smallbiggrin:

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Ruth explicitly waits untill the workers are pushed aside before she comes any closer. Sure, their condition is piteous, but she is not really looking forward to get stabbed in the gut by some poor bastard who has nothing to loose and wants to abreact his anger by killing some prestigeous woman.

She listens interrested to whatthe overseer has to tell, it might be boring but even when someone or something does not interrest you, Ruth was taught how important it is to at least let them think you are interrested. A matter of etiquettes as it were.

"It seems like they are working hard and we got them under control. We got guards, and experts on the treasure we are digging up." She uses the word 'we' on purpose but without stressing it. "What do you think is it that causes the lack of progress, overseer Leerus? By the look of this, it looks like a ordinary digsite and I do not see any problems that stand out. But, you have been on the project for a year now, you have a better overview of the progress as a whole."

Ruth more of less functions like the person talking with Leerus and bonding a bit with him. It is also to keep him occupied with her as much as she can so you can do your own thing as you are doing now eithout Leerus actually keeping an eye on you (at least that's the idea...)


vs 30
[roll=Inquiry]id100 Messed up the roll. See the OOC

[Yarn]

This was it. Alexandra could feel the chills running down her spine as they closed in to the intimidating doors. Enmity, danger and infinite possibilities. Within reach and forever beyond comprehension. For a moment, she almost forgot their mission and could only walk closer to the immense monument, feeling perverse fascination as the cold hands of fear tightened their grip around her. Probably just nerves. She shuddered. Yeah. Something else would be crazy. A clear sign that she was mentally well that. The fact that she knew it would be crazy to feel something which wasn’t here, and to be fascinated by it. Which she wasn’t -wouldn’t- be, even if there was something to feel.

She walked up to Sha, consciously turning her back towards their not-so-subtle shadow. “‘Tis could be bad.” She whispered while gazing towards the great doors and pointing. “Have you ever seen anything like this? Wouldn’t want to be the poor sod to go in there first, eh? Wonder if they’ve sent em in yet?” She continued by making a show of examining the dirt-piles and surroundings, without really looking. “I’d bet you half a bottle that we’d get a good idea of what they’re doing or not doing -They should point their damn guns this way instead, gives me the creeps.- if we got a look inside that monster of a hab down west.” She paused and shook her head. “Crazy. Don know though, ‘s pretty open an’ unless there’s a baggy set of clothes around, I’m a bit over-equipped in order to blend in.“ She continued, not solely referring to her clothing and armor, while starting to walk around the Chimera, as if interested. “an’ we got a friend looking out for us, but that doesn’t have to be a problem.”

[Donan]

Ah, the advantages of an internal vox. He nods at Alexandra, turning his attention to the doors once more and taking a half step towards them. "Not a thing I've seen before, no, new experience for me as well." ++Need a distraction?++ "I can understand why everyone's digging up outside and not gong in the city itself." +Make it a full bottle. And of what?++

[Yarn]

“Bah, half-measures. They may as well dance with the demon if they had the guts to invite it in the first place. ‘Old captain’s respite’ 8 years. Goes well with the misery of this pile of rock.” She started circling the vehicle, barely keeping within line of sight of the guard following them. “A distraction would be a start. Why don’t you have a word with our accomplice, I’m sure he’s starved for a good conversation. I could have a look around meanwhile.”

[Donan]

He nods to Alexandra and turns to head for their guard with a nod of greeting, gesturing to the Chimera. "Three of them, and all for digging? Do you know when this one might be running again, or are you in need of supplies or parts? I might be able to offer some help in that regard, if you've any tech priests to cater to it?" He lets his gaze move to the city. "..Anyone dared to have gone inside yet..?"

[Dekana]

"I suppose it's the location more than anything," Overseer Leerus answers. "The Mission has sent expeditions inside the city in the past - and they all ended in disaster. This time, they sent me to dig just outside the walls. And to be fair, we are turning up bits of xeno artefacts - just not the valuable type. You could ask one of the archaelogists down there, but all I know is the white shards we dig up won't sell for anything. I also set up the three secondary pits, just in case we've been digging in a bad spot, but no luck there either."

The inquiry roll will turn up some information, although it takes some time for it to work (the book says 1 hour). I'll get you the results in the next post or two while you're poking around at the dig site.

You separate from Sha'draig while he approaches the guard who was tailing you. The guard walks away for a little awhile to keep his distance, but eventually he stops so he can try to keep an eye on both of you. Sha'draig has him tied down in conversation for the moment.

You part ways with Alexandra and start toward the guard that was tailing you. He walks away from you to keep his distance, but when it's clear you and Alexandra are separating, he stops where he is. He waits for you to approach, occasionally glancing toward your companion.

"The two tech priests are inside the garage, along with most of their lay-technicians, sir. The priests won't talk to you though; they don't talk to anyone."

He doesn't answer the other questions, apparently not much for small talk.

[Donan]

I have what Sha'draig would say once he reaches the guard, or would he stay quiet for that opening?

[Dekana]

Yeah, he'll let you speak first.

[Donan]

"I'll bite my lip on asking them then, or it'll cause bad feelings in several areas."

Sha'draig gestures towards the gates, looking to the guard in an effort to get him to open up on it, though what he's really doing is trying to distract the man so he stops looking for Alexandra. "I have been wondering. Why is everyone digging outside here, and not in there? Has anyone entered that place before?" The Tau muses quietly, checking the guard's reaction as best he can. Human faces are still a bit of a mystery to him at times, however.

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

"I see. Overseer Leerus, I's like to talk with one of the archaelogists and with one or two workers, in private. Can you arrange a place for us to do that? I won't be needing any protection, I have my own guards with me. I'd like tos peak with them without any authority present they know. Nothing personal, I'd lust like to get a clear idea without them feeling, pressured." Ruth smirks when making the jokes about pressured laborors. She expect Leerus to find it amusing and is not said in an offensive way. She knows as well that you have to keep workers in line or they will just start revolts or worse.

[Tigger]

Savonarole had kept quiet for quite some time, letting Lady Ruth assume her rightful place in the negotiations. Nevertheless, he felt that it was time for him to voice his own concerns about the dig.

"Overseer Leerus, I was wondering if any member of the Imperial Creed are present to assure the services for your workers. If not, I would appreciate your cooperation in providing me with a place to celebrate mass and giving time off for your workers so that they can come and pray. Also, if a private place could be provided for those who want to confess, I am sure they would appreciate the opportunity to lay down their burdens."

[Dekana]

Overseer Leerus frowns at Ruth's request to meet with the workers, but he eventually nods. "Of course; anything I can do to assist. I'll send some of the workers to meet you after you're done with the archaeologists. Go ahead into the pit, and I'll set up the meeting. Ma'am." He motions toward a gantry leading down into the bottom of the pit.


Savonarole had kept quiet for quite some time, letting Lady Ruth assume her rightful place in the negotiations. Nevertheless, he felt that it was time for him to voice his own concerns about the dig.

"Overseer Leerus, I was wondering if any member of the Imperial Creed are present to assure the services for your workers. If not, I would appreciate your cooperation in providing me with a place to celebrate mass and giving time off for your workers so that they can come and pray. Also, if a private place could be provided for those who want to confess, I am sure they would appreciate the opportunity to lay down their burdens."

"I'm afraid we do not, Father. I don't suppose any of my men have had the benefit of attending mass since they came to this blasted world. It can be easy to forget that the Emperor watches over us even so deep in the void..." Before continuing, the Overseer glowers at the closest worker and his ragged appearance. "No doubt many of them have sins to confess to. I'll be happy to give them a chance to repent. Let's see... I can arrange time for worship at the end of the second shift tonight, after the men have their dinner. The third shift workers can attend your sermon in the morning, if you're willing to give it twice. We don't have any empty hab shelters here, but I'll check around for an area you can use as a confessional."

The guard is obviously trying to look past you toward Alexandra, but he doesn't make the effort to actually move around for a better view. Your mention of the maze-city gets his attention.

"Yeah, a few previous expeditions went in there. You'll stay away from that accursed place if you've got any sense. Word around the camp is it's haunted."

The human's facial expression is hard to read, but you recognize a look of concern and / or fear.

[Donan]

Nodding seriously, he acknowledges that. "We're paid to fight and to pull our weight, but it's hard to spend coin if you're dead." Whether the man's a mercenary or former soldier, he believes the adage may be equally true.

Looking towards the city once more then back to his slightly reluctant talking partner, he asks the million throne question.

"How many came back out?"

[blacklight101]

With no equipment left to check in the shuttle after a little while, Diana climbs to the front and runs a quick diagnostic routine and checks a few of the few systems that don't require a full power run. Truth be told, she was just stalling for a bit before finding part of her group again.

Stepping out of the shuttle and locking it up, Diana sets off towards the excavation pit, for lack of a better direction to go. Surely one of them would want to take a look at the dig site from the top. She lights a lho stick on the way.

[Yarn]

Alexandra keeps an eye on Sha and the guard while attempting to appear busy with inspecting the great doors and the guard perimeter. After a while, she walks around the chimera (or another suitable obstacle), waits for a while and then attempts to put another obstacle between her and the guard. Her movements are not particularly hurried, she looks like she’s moving about with a set goal - she just happens to have things between herself and her former shadow. Unless stopped, she approaches the south-western hab and attempts to -without being too obvious about it- see if there’re any dedicated or makeshift entrances to the building save the main entrance with the guards.

She is attempting to move across camp without raising suspicion rather than avoiding every form of attention. So no crouching or splinter-cell stuff going on, unless you think it would be reasonable. I'm dedicating a "Sneak"/agility roll for this. She has both silent move and concealment trained, with a +10 to silent move (if you think the synskin helps in this situation) or a + 30 on concealment (if you think that the synskin and cameleoline cloak stacks and helps in this situation). These bonuses are not included in the target number below. I'm also rolling a fellowship to "act" in the proper way (if you think that is more reasonable that rolling for sneakiness). And I'm also rolling a perception roll, to have a look at the south-western hab and see if someone is tailing her or has noticed her.

Sneak/agility: [roll0] TN 47
Fellowship: [roll1] TN 47
Perception: [roll2] TN 37

[Tigger]

He should not have been surprised. Things were always this way. People who led comfortable lives in civilized worlds could not walk five minutes without finding a shrine, even though they hardly need the support of the Emperor. And poor souls such as these, alone in the dark marches of the galaxy, were left alone without even a priest. It was hard to think, at moments like this, of any work that would be more important than this one.

"Thank you for your help, my son. I will gladly celebrate mass two times."

Savonarole turns to Berlat and tells him to find a way to organize the service as well as possible considering the fact that there is no place of worship around them. He then throws a glance towards the Lady Captain, and gives her a knowing smile, wondering if she has understood that the confessions will allow him to gather information about the dig and what is happening here.

[ArcturusV]

White Shards... white shards...

It was a vague thing to be certain. But worth examining. There was always an off chance that the Angels had been here as well, and perhaps left one of their creations. Maybe something would be familiar to me. At the very least observing and filing away such data for later on could prove fruitful. I doubted that anything the workers would say would be all that interesting. Certainly they would cull the workers for 'appropriate' candidates before the meeting, people with high loyalty who would tell whatever story that they wanted to relay to the Lady Vess. Fruitless and pointless. Even if they spilled something, it was likely to result in the execution of the worker, and likely a trap sprung.

Avoiding the city seemed... foolish. The danger was clear, indeed. But that was also where the successful hauls were likely to be. Likely some traps from the former occupants remained, or traps created by a lack of maintenance and the ravages of time. Perhaps even something lurked in there. Perhaps something to ask the witchbreed on the ship, if they sensed the echos of the supernatural influence from the city.

I observed, and I followed, my body and my servo skulls a shadow that trailed behind Lady Vess, remaining impassive and letting her lead as she wished.

[Dekana]

"If you believe the rumors, only a few, and they all came out madmen" the guard says, again giving only a short, direct answer.

You arrive at the edge of the dig site, not quite rejoining the group yet; it looks like everyone else has moved a little deeper into the pit as the Overseer conducts his tour. The attention of the guards are all focused either on the Lady-Captain, or on keeping the workers away from her. You seem to have escaped notice for the moment. It only takes a moment.

Nearby, a group of three workers are using pickaxes to mine out the rock wall. They are dirty, sweating heavily, and dressed in ragged clothes - good, honest workers for the emperor, no doubt... One of them sets down his axe and looks at you. "Psst! Hey, Missus, you got a minute to talk? We need your help here..." He keeps his voice down as much as he can, careful not to attract the attention of the guards.

You manage to elude the guard's observation as you pass behind the chimera and a few large piles of soil. You scout around the exterior of the large building, careful to stay out of the line of sight of the guards standing watch at its main entrance. Some luck is involved as well, as you have to count on the guards stationed on the wall to not suddenly turn toward your direction.

Unfortunately, there are no side entrances. You hear the the sound of metal clanking on metal from inside. The smaller hab shelters just north of the large one also have guards posted in front - more guards, actually.

OOC: With no disguise, and considering the situation of a camp of people stuck together for a year, I don't see how you could hide the fact that you're an outsider. You don't run into anyone though, so I won't use the Fellowship roll (either Deceive or Disguise, I'm not sure which it would be).

[Donan]

"Do you trust rumours?" Sha'draig asks quietly. "Let me put it this way, my Captain is going to want as much as she can get from this site, and that means the city. If all she's given are rumours, she'll likely ignore them.

Which means there's a very good chance both you and I will end up in that city." He looks toward the large gates once more. "If there's more to it then just rumours however, she might consider other options then having it scouted."

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Knowing they would eventually have to look into the city, she first wanted to get more intell from those who knew best how work was progressing, those wo actually did the work. It might seem foolish to talk to such simple souls who did nothing else than dig the ground and live just an meaningless life. She ventures down the spiral into the pit, trusting her crew to make sure questions would be asked to the right persons.

While they walked and the overseer seemed not to keep a close eye on her, she opened the vox channel to all +"The city is certainly something we have to look into, but first let's see what we can find out here first. I'd like to have a private meeting with everyone later on so we can talk about our approach on this opperation."+



I simply do not have time to write more today. Tomorrow is my test, so in the afternoon I got time to catch up and write a better reply. Just assume Ruth will go along with what you are doing for now. I'm fine with everything.

[blacklight101]

"Well, surely you don't want my help with heavy lifting, petite as I am. Can't say I'm inclined to believe you have any good intentions in mind for me, for that matter. Stay out of arm's reach and we might not have problems here. Out with it." Diana turns towards the miners and places a hand on her bolt pistol in clear warning to the miners not to try anything sneaky. She would hear them out, but only with due caution. Never know, might be a secret xenos artefact in it at the end.

[Yarn]

Alexandra cursed under her breath. Fear of xenos or the workforce kept security tight. Not that she had supposed it would be easy. At least she was rid of her shadow. Or maybe she was now graced with a more subtle and competent adversary, whispered a tiny voice in the back of her head. She gradually slowed down her pace as she took a more direct and open route towards the large hab with guards posted outside. Well, bolters, armor and turrets were useless against the bane of all security measures. The human error. She added some swagger to her gait and assumed a slightly bored expression. Finally she let the twitch mask alter her face just a fraction - her features looked mostly the same, if a bit more feminine. “Hello soldiers.” She pulled a lazy salutation with an ironic smile on her lips. “Is the red robe inside?”

[Dekana]

OOC: Sorry for the delay, everyone. I've been reaaally distracted these last few days.

As you climb down the gantries into the pit, you one of the xenoarchaelogists hard at work slowly walking in circles and staring at a dataslate. She is a middle aged woman who might appear attractive if she paid any attention to her appearance, which she doesn't. Her short-cropped hair and multi-lense auto-spectacles make her look more like an Administratum clerk than a field-researcher.

[Anyone going into the bottom of the pit with Ruth, make an Awareness test.]

The guard is now looking around from side to side - having lost sight of Alexandra - and is not concentrating very much on what you are saying. "Rumors are enough for me. You want to know more, talk to the Overseer. Excuse me."

He starts walking toward the broken down chimera.

The miner who spoke out to you raises both hands up when he sees you touch the bolt pistol. "We don't mean ya any harm, miss. Nothing like that." His unkempt, unshaved appearance doesn't exactly lend him an aura of trust, but he's at least not acting overtly aggressive.

"Thing is, us three have had enough of this damn planet. Hell, lots of the men have. It was bad enough when it was just digging under the beating sun two shifts a day, but after all the recent disappearances, Leerus and the mercs have been treating us worse than dogs. And uh, we heard him say you're working with a Rogue Trader, so we thought maybe your Lady-Captain could give take us with you when you go?"

The other two miners nod in support as the third talks. Occasionally, they look around to make sure no one is watching in.

One of the guards, wearing a helmet with a large visor, looks you up and down. "Hello back, Ma'am. Yeah, the techies are both inside. I'm guessing you're here on a supply run though? You'll want to talk to Klistus if it's about the gear stores - he's inside too. The tech-priests don't say anything. I guess it's your first time here if you don't know."

Looks like word about who Lady-Captain Vess is hasn't spread around the camp yet. To be fair, it's only been a few minutes since you touched down in the shuttle.

[blacklight101]

"Disappearances? A little more info on that and I might be able to get a little pull with my boss. If your story is good, it might mean something down the line. Bird on the pad isfull, but the Lady-Captain may feel some mercies for you and call for another. Never know with her." Diana takes her hand away from her pistol as she starts talking. Maybe a little verbal bribery would get a story out of them with a few little embellishments. Might not make her look like an ass for coming back with nothing from her little 'tidying up' trip. It would be up to the Lady-Captain in any case, so best to hear them out and tell her what's happening down here.

[Donan]

Sha'draig lets him move away, then taps his vox link. ++Mistress of Whispers, I've lost the guard. Your time's limited before they try to find you.++ He muses, then lets his steps direct him towards the city gate. He doesn't plan to enter, but he wants to move into a good angle to get an impression of the internal architecture.

[Yarn]

Alexandra looked at the man with an expression of mild surprise on her face. “Right you are, on all accounts. You sure are attentive.” She let out a small sight and returned to her slightly sardonic way. “Or maybe I’m just that obvious” She continued into the hab (unless the guard stop her).

Her reaction inside depends on what she see. If possible, she attempts to avoid detection/people simply by not moving in their vicinity. If the area is open and someone sees her, she simply continues forward on her quest to meet master Klistus. She doesn’t actively hide as in crouch beneath the desk or crawl in the air vents, she rather circumvents or stay out of sight by not walk around corners where the are people and such. She is mostly scanning the area for other people now, rather than what's inside the hab.

Here are some rolls if needed. If you care to to keep out of sight and detect people before they notice her.

Concealment/silent move: [roll0] TN 47 (77/57 with the cloak and synskin)
Perception: [roll1] TN 37 (she is untrained in awareness though, so that would be 18).

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

"No offworld shipments..." She recited Alarics words. She understood that it was strange for a place where they mined for materials but seemingly not shipped them offworld. Although the fact that they didn't find much would explain it. She thinks for a moment and answers "We will discuss this later, There are some things I'd like to discuss with just us."

Ruth climed down the pit with who was left of the crew, Savonarole, Alaric and Calvun and the six guards. Something made her think that Leerus was someone who could not be trusted. Not that he was scheming agaisnt her or something, but the idea that things didn't work out here and that this situation was aparently going on for a year now and they just called for help now, seemed odd. The city was surely something that needed to be investigated, since it was clear there was something there that was dangerous. From Ruth's experience the hgihest risks often gives the highest rewards, so the city was definatly a place she wanted to go, or at least let someone go who would be maybe more expendable than herself.

"Overseer Leerus. I understand the city is a dangerous place. I would very much like to see anything you have on that place. Scans, expedition reports, whatever is usefull."


She smiles at Savonarole. His devotion to the God Emperor was admirable. A Mass would be nice, certainly good for the workers as well. not only for their inner wellbeing, but also their morale and it might make them more accepting towards the upcoming changes in this place, because there would be some changes, that was for sure. If they wanted to book better results they wouldn't have to just dig deeper, other things would be needed. Things that were not the normal daily routine of digging in the three pits.

"Thank you Overseer Leerus for giving Father Savonarole the oppertunity to bring the light of the Emperor even to the darker places in the universe. These might indeed be the places where He is most needed."

As said earlier is Ruth not a religious person, but insinuating she was, which would actually be logical rather than strange, would maybe suggest a strong connection to the Imperium as a whole. She nods encouraging at Savonarole.

Ruth notices the middleaged woman. When they are close to her she makes a bold move and steps forward away form the protective group around her.

"Hello there, My name is Lady Ruth Vess." She makes a small refined bow as would be expected from a noble woman in an occasion much different than she is in now."Knowing Diana, Ruth is not judgemental when it comes to appearance. Even people who do not spend extented time to make sure they look presentable, do have alot to offer sometimes. "Me and my crew are here to help the Mission get better results. I hope to find out how to get the results that makes us all happy and it would help to get some insight in what you do." Ruth's voice is friendly and charming, there is no need to be commanding in this situation. She has the feeling this woman would be much happier to show her around when approached with kindness.

[Dekana]

"Overseer Leerus. I understand the city is a dangerous place. I would very much like to see anything you have on that place. Scans, expedition reports, whatever is usefull."



Overseer Leerus nods at Ruth's request for the scans. "I won't have much to give you, on account of people dying when they go inside instead of coming back with reports, but I will dig through my records."

"Ya haven't heard? I mean, yeah, I'll tell you what I can if it means getting off this rock," the unshaved miner replies. "It started, oh, about 6 months ago. Us miners started going missing - nobody would see nothin', and there was no sign of fights or anything at all. Just 'poof,' one day they're gone. First it was Stahk, then Veltan, then Darius after that - and that was just the start."

One of the other three workers, this one with a cybernetic leg, pipes in: "Right, the count is in the tens now. At first, we all figured the missing men had had enough of this place and tried to escape somehow, to who knows where. But last month one of the guards up and vanished too, and that really drove the Overseer over the edge. The bastard thinks we had something to do with it, and he's kicked up security so this place is like a prison camp now."

The last miner miner adds, "That grox'll get what's comin' to him if this keeps up. We're men, not servitors with pickaxes!"

The unshaved man continues: "Yeah, and whatever's behind the missing men, it ain't us. If ya ask me, some Imperial assassin got in the camp and is pickin' us off one by one."

The man with the cybernetic leg looks to his buddy. "I'm telling you, it's those tech-priests. Can't trust those lot as far as you can throw them; they don't even believe in the Emperor, not really. I say they're taking the men as spare parts for the servitors."

Finally, the last miner adds in his theory. "Ya'll are nuts. We're right next to a haunted city, and you think a man is the culprit? It's gotta be a xeno monster or something, hiding out in the city and taking the men for its meal."


The initial corridor in the maze-city gives you a sense of insignificance. The passageway rears a hundred meters and more into the air, intersecting with other corridors at sharp angles. The walls also have small openings that you would have to stoop down to get through, but you can't see where they lead without actually going into the city. The walls themselves appear to be glowing slightly to give off light.

As you step into the hab shelter, you immediately realize that the structure is being used as a warehouse and garage. Large crates line the walls, and a central area contains equipment for vehicle repairs. About 15 men are inside, along with several servitors and the 2 tech priests. You are able to avoid notice for the moment as you step behind a row of crates along the wall.

The men are at work on various tasks throughout the building. Most of them are working on a Sentinel Power Lifter, effecting repairs by the looks of it.

You also notice an area sectioned off by a chain-link fence in the back of the shelter. Inside are ammo drums.

[blacklight101]

"Well, then... I'll thank you for the information and I'll tell my Captain as much as you've told me. We'll see if your situation changes by the end of our little visit. Keep faith in the Emperor and it may well." With that, Diana walks off to see Ruth and tell her the news. She just hoped it wasn't some xenos beast or some sort of hunter or assassin. Time would tell. She lights up a lho stick and thinks about what she just heard on her way back.

[Dekana]

The unshaved man says almost sadly, "I guess you can't promise nothing, eh? Well, I hope you can get your captain to agree. We'll work as hard on yer ship as down here in the dirt."

It looks like the Ruth and most (?) of the explorers have moved down into the deepest level of the pit. You walk down the gantries to join them.

[You can make an Awareness test.]

[Donan]

Alright, enough curiosity slaking.

For the next little while, the Tau ambled through the camp on apparently random courses, looking to various buildings, groups of people and the pits they were digging in as he estimated rough numbers of the number of troops they had to hand, their leadership and how professional their troops were, sophisticated equipment not withstanding.

[Dekana]

The xenoarchaeologist jumps when Ruth addresses her, nearly dropping the datapad. "Heavens, you startled me." That's almost an achievement considering the size of the group that approached her. She waits for Ruth to finish her introduction before replying.

"Well, Lady Ruth Vess, I'm Selene Zpha. A pleasure to meet you." She bows politely. "To put it simply, I'm a member of the research team. I catalog any artifacts and appraise them for the Overseer. He keeps the finds, and I keep the data - a more than fair arrangement. Although I'd say my team is rather getting the better side of the bargain at present: everything that's been dug up so far has been worthless junk. The only artifacts even worth mentioning are these" - she extracts a white shard from her pocket (incidentally, there's an image on her datapad showing the same thing). "It's a material not recorded in any Imperial archives, and it appears that the maze-city is constructed from it. These shards have some property to absorb light, but otherwise they're merely curiosities barely worth anything."

"Still, the shards..." Zpha's expression suddenly darkens. She looks around as if to take stock of her surroundings, her gaze lingering on another nearby archaeologist - a gaunt, skeletal man with thinning hair and squinting eyes. "It's... nothing. They're just curious rocks."

(OOC: Zpha happens to be a noble, although she doesn't much look the part in this enviroment. Peer (Nobility) applies to social checks with her.)

During your inspection of the camp's security, you find yourself walking the perimeter defenses. Even from your vantage point on the wall, the low-level haze of red dust makes it hard to see into the distance.

One guard in particular catches your eye - or more accurately, your ear. You pass by him in one of the gun nests as he watches into the distance with a set of magnoculars. He has a lighter build than most of the other men, and he's muttering to himself spookily. "Won't get me... they're out there - in here... voices in the dust..." Even his mate manning the heavy bolter emplacement seems unnerved. He gives the muttering man a disapproving glance, but he says nothing.

[Make a Very Hard (-30) Psyniscience test!]

[Donan]

The Tau stops at that, the Fire Warrior's head canting in troubled thought. If either man truly believed there was a threat in the distance, they'd be reacting differently. A soldier might be on edge in a strange environment, but it would be very rare for him to voice that out loud in such a fashion. Not unless morale was troubling low or something else was out of place.

He stepped their way, falling back into some of the steps he'd used once, long ago no. His measure of command was rusted, but he'd been that once and his voice spoke up clearly. "If you plan to start firing that, some notice would be welcomed." His helmeted head swings between them. "What's the trouble?" That gaze fixes on the muttering man. It depends how long they've worked together, but it would be fairly normal for the second man to cover for his rambling partner if he can. Annoying at times, but the practice also shows a good deal of mutual trust.

[Yarn]

It seemed she had been right again. If things were ever easy or obvious, it usually wasn’t worth much. She gave a brief pause. Yes, she was usually right. And that meant raising the bids would usually pay off. Alexandra walked out from her hiding place and headed towards the closest mechanic. Her movements and expression once again at ease and slightly bored. “You there. I’m looking for a master Klistus. He’s around?”

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Pleasure Miss Zpha.
Seems like a fair bargain indeed, considering the value of the artifacts.

Ruth smirks.
An unknown material can be quite valuable, or am I mistaken? depending of course on the usage of the material. Can you say anything about that, I am sure there is something it is good for?

So how is life aruond here? I assume it is hard but getting at least some results make it alright? I would like to give you more interresting results for your research. Help me to help you so to say.


Ruth just wants information and uses smalltalk to obtain it, although she is seriously interrested in what Selene has to say, it is not a show she puts up.

[roll0] vs 60 (FEL 50 Peer Nobility)

[Dekana]

Zpha makes frequent motions with her hands as she talks, waving them to express surprise, acquiescence, disgust, and so forth.

"You might think an unknown substance would be valuable, but to who? The Imperial bureaucracy has no need for it - the recipes for lasguns and flak armor are well settled. Research of the unknown could easily be called heresy by the small-minded. Luckily, I have a mind and the ability to question, so I can tell you at least a little about the material. First, it is relatively hard - enough so to construct the maze city out of. It is also fragile enough to shatter on impact. I would liken it to a weak concrete that shatters like crystal. Ah, and the interaction with light is interesting. The material absorbs light over the day, storing it like a lasgun charge pack, and then emitting the light over time. It makes for a natural glow-globe... well, heh, if natural is the right word. I've no idea how the shards are constructed."

In response to Ruth's second question: "It's as easy living in a camp full of sweaty workers and over-bearing meat-heads a zillion light years from the Imperium as you'd imagine. I'd love to see some real artifacts, if you have any ideas to make that happen. We've... dug up enough of these shards already." She looks at the one in her hand with disdain.

The man who was muttering to himself jerks around suddenly to face you. He looks half-surprised and half-afraid of your presence.

"Emperor... oh, Emperor, deliver us. He'll watch over us - He watches over us always, even in this place. No voices, no ghosts will take me. I am ready, and the Emperor is with me!"

It seems the man is either crazy or filled with a stronger than usual dose of religious fervor (or both).

(OOC: You can try a Very Hard (-30) Charm or Command Test to calm him down enough to talk to him.)

The crazy man's mate speaks up. "Don't mind Jacob. The sun may have cooked his brain, but he still knows who to aim his rifle at."

Jacob retorts, "I am ready whenever they come. Pray with me brothers, and the Emperor will aid you as well."


The mechanic you approach is about to answer, but he is cut off by another man a few meters away from the sentinel.

"I am Klistus. What business do you have in my gear store? Approach with your requisition or work orders in triplicate."

Klistus speaks in a mechanically-augmented voice similar to that of a tech-priest, although he is missing the other numerous cybernetics and red robes of the Mechanicus Adept.

[Donan]

"Then I'll, leave him in your hands." Sha'draig nods quietly, stepping away and letting both men be as he finds a relatively quiet spot of earth to open his comn.

Savonarole's vox registers a message from Sha'dreig. +Confessor. If you have time to spare, I could use your help.+

[Cilvyn]

Ruth Vess

Ruth frowns trying to hide her disgust when hearing Zpha has to work around sweaty workers all day. It wouldn't be anything she would want. Raised as the highest of higest nobles it is something her mind cannot stand.

Good question. How will we do that, is what we am trying to find out. The maze city sounds interresting, altough I heard it is pretty dangerous there, to say the least.

Ruth looks at the others.

Before we question some of the workers, although hearing miss Zpha I doubt it will give us much new information, I would like to speak the crew and also establish our quarters here. she looks at overseer Leerus I assume we have some accomodation here?

Without really waiting for an answer she opens the vox channel to all

+ Please all report to the main building in about 15 minutes, unless you really need more time, for whatever you are doing, just let me know. + She says it faced away from the rest so the message is as privat as possible. Not in a secret manner, but it's not like you can just hear everything she says.