Rising Tempest - Deathwatch [IC]

[Toxic Mind]

The Battle-brothers of the Deathwatch have little time for rest, and since your seconding to this prestigious, if secretive, organization, the same could be said for each of you. Having spent your time in the trenches of the Jericho Reach, literally and metaphorically, the once-strange quirks of a kill-team comprised of members of 5 different chapters of the Adeptus Astartes no longer registers to you. In the fires of battle, you have learned all that you need to know, that each brother who stands beside you would give their life for one another, and to bring honor to his name and chapter.

Your summons comes from the Watch Commander himself, and there is little time enough to put on ceremonial armor before reporting to the briefing theatre. Yet the orders mentioned no need for battle gear, and so none is worn.

As you arrive at the theatre, you notice three prominent face among the many servitors and serfs that maintain the room. The first, naturally, is Watch Commander Modrigael, an august person among the Deathwatch, but well known as a fair leader, and known to you, if only as the commander who once presided over your own oaths before the Omega Vault. The second and third are in conversation, an Imperial Guard general and a Watch Captain bearing the markings of both the Crimson Fists, and an Apothecary.

"Brothers, this is General Othram, a representative of Lord a Commander Ebongrave, and Watch Captain de Dominova." The Commander speaks softly, allowing time for the General, awed by so many Astartes, to make deferential greetings, though the Watch Captain merely nods, and it seems that he is sizing you up with his curiously pale eyes.

Without any further delay, the Watch Captain begins. "Brothers, I have asked General Othram here as a witness to events on the Fortress World of Spite. My auguries and reports of allied agents have all pointed to Tau agents operating within the Iron Collar on the Fortress world of Spite. It is my belief that the Tau have found a foothold among not only the populace, but perhaps even within the Imperial military forces stationed there. I cannot impress upon you enough the gravity of the situation. Spite stands as the Canis Salient's closest bastion to the Warp Gate the Imperial forces have been utilizing to cross into the Jericho Reach, and if the zeros are allowed to access it, the consequences would be dire. The prospect of a stable route to the other end of the Imperium would prompt the Tau to send countless reinforcements to the Reach, forces that even we would have very little chance against. Due to the nature of this threat, I am seconding you to Watch Captain de Dominova, who is well learned in matters of xenos and their ways. You will report to him and follow his orders as you would mine. Now General, if you would begin." With that, the Commander gestures to the general, and takes his seat.

The General stands, nervously shuffling through papers, and in a tremulous voice begins, obviously uncomfortable under the eyes of so many Space Marines. "Esteemed Wrriors, I thank you for granting me and audience. Over the last four months, several key officers on Spite have been murdered. If these assassinations within our own Fortress world were not enough, a recent attempt on the Lord Commander himself nearly succeeded. We have discovered through interrogations that this is not simply the work of sympathizers, but actual Tau agents working on the planet. We have no idea how the creatures managed to sneak onto our world, but now that they are thee they pose a serious danger to the entire Achilus Crusade. On behalf of the Lord Commander, I humbly thank you for you interest in this matter. I fear the strength of the Adeptus Astartes is the only thing capable of cleansing our planet of this threat. Finished, the General sits, visibly relieved to be done with speaking, for now.

Lastly, Watch Captain de Dominova stands, and adresses the Kill Team, his voice surprisingly soft for such a man, his pale eyes unwavering in conviction. "Brothers, I am honored to take command of your Kill-team. I have reviewed your records and found you all to be Brothers both reliable and steady, whatever your past faults. On your mission, you must be both swift and discreet, for the issues at play here are extremely sensitive to both the Imperial Guard and the Ordo Xenos. Stay alert and observant, and bring me any Tau-related information, no matter how small or seemingly inconsequential. There is more to this than meets the eye, and together we will reach the bottom of it."

As the Watch Captain finishes, the Commander takes his leave, officially handing you over to de Dominova. Your new Watch Captain stays standing to field any questions you may have.

[bluntpencil]

"A question, Captain de Dominova..." begins Romeo, once they are away from prying ears.

"We are to investigate an attack on one Lord Commander Ebongrave, correct? Is he not the last officer in the Crusade that we should furnish with assistance? He has had almost as many men killed as the Xenos themselves, after all."

He looks to his fellows in his Kill-Team. He knows that the Space Wolf, who had been at Armageddon, would support his line of inquiry, at least.


Charm check to not cause offence, if this is a possibility.

[roll0] TN 65 for no helmet

[Toxic Mind]

"I respect your fervor, Brother Romeo, but how the Lord Commander chooses to discipline his men is less our concern than the Xenos that plague this world. He is a powerful man, and not to be lightly offended." Captain de Dominova purses his lips for a moment, the motion whitening his already sallow skin. "Your mission, however, takes precedence to the concerns of the Lord Commander. If you must use assets that he disapproves of, you must do so. But understand that a political knife in the back can often be far more deadly than a real one."

[Adamusa]

Zachariel glances toward Brother Romeo as he speaks, listening.

+++Consensus: Lord Commander Ebongrave exceeds average statistics for disciplinary termination.+++ He states mechanically.

Inwardly he feels that the Lord Commander's methods are irrelevant to the mission at hand, but wisely keeps this to himself as he knows several of his brothers will not agree.

Instead, he turns to the Watch-Captain.

+++Query: Empirical data on quantity of Tau agents must be discerned. Are there any survivors of Tau assassination attempts?+++

[Revanus]

Lokir nods his head, his shaggy grey hair flopping about. Bearing his fangs in a feral grin, he claps his battle-brother on the shoulder.

"Aye. A coward of a man, hiding in a cave and chasing down his insecurity with flagons of fear. How flattered he must be that the attempt on his ever-so-valuable person has leapfrogged the attention of not only the Adeptus Arbites, but the Imperial Guard, and even the lower offices of the Inquisition, only to fall at the feet of the Deathwatch."

Lokir turns to Captain de Dominova, smiling a bit more respectfully.

"I am not much for politics, and my skillset lies far afield of...sleuthing. My fingers need not move to count the number of arrests I have made, and the brother spirits of my missile launcher have solved no murders where they were not already the culprit. If it was the Allfather's purpose to craft the finest legions of private investigators the universe has ever seen, then we Space Wolves may have missed the mark."

The smile fades.

"Yet, unskilled though I am in such matters, surely if a Deathwatch Kill-Team is being called on, the matters at play are far more grave than insult to one man's insecure ego. Where the Deathwatch steps, dire battles loom."

Lokir bows his head to the Watch Captain.

"What sort of foul threat do we truly face, Watch Captain?"

[ArcturusV]

Novus had seen that look countless times. Even his enhanced mind could not remember how many times he had entered a room, strode onto a battlefield, or was called into some chamber to see a Guardsman staring at him with awe, and perhaps a tremble of righteous fear. He also had seen just as many times, himself leaving to smiles, prayers, and laughs, the fear and awe forgotten as bonds were forged in battle and victory, over long, hard campaigns against the Enemies of the Imperium and both sides saving the other dozens of times.

He did not underestimate the Imperial Guard. He didn't look down on their officers. As he approached the Watch Commander along with the rest of the team, he even snapped the General a crisp, clean salute in the best traditions of the Imperial Guard, with Parade Ground Perfection drilled into his astartes body, and when the salute was returned, offering the officer a smile that barely showed the flash of white teeth behind his lips.

Standing at ease, he listened as reports came in, nodding a little as he picked up the key details. A new commander, a Crimson Fist Apothecary. It was the first time he had served with a Son of Dorn, he had little idea of what to expect from them, though their stoic defiance, and their defenses against the Green tides of the WAAAAAAGH! were known to him. A bond they may have shared, for Vulkan himself had made his name in the crusades, fighting the vast WAAAAAGH!s of the greenskins that had been bypassed by more glory hungry legions such as Rouboute's.

It'd be nice to be back with the people of the Imperial Guard and the normal citizens. The Serfs of the Deathwatch, and their servitors, were poor company. He found the ways of his Battle-Brothers strange, and not at all as comforting as others might. He missed days of song and the inspiration of fear and faith that was seen so much more keenly in the men he served with his body and soul. People who wouldn't know or really understand his own dishonors either.

"We all serve in our own ways, Cousin Lokir," Novus finally spoke. He seemed to have the least knowledge of this figure that everyone held in contempt. Not that he was surprised, he found most Battle-Brothers of other chapters seemed to hold all other Imperial Forces in contempt on some level after all. And usually not the ones who should, such as the Adeptus Mechanicus, those traitorous maggots.

"And you'd be surprised, how much investigating is done in the Alehouse, with a keg of the world's finest flowing like a river, with old warriors swapping tales of past glories," he offered the Space Wolf with a reassuring smile, figuring that such an 'investigation' would well suit a Son of Russ.

[Toxic Mind]

The Watch Captain turns first to Zachariel. "The Tau are an insidious foe, with all the capacity for stealth and subterfuge to be expected of followers of their insidious creed. Fortunately, Lord General Reila Vann managed to survive the attempt on her life, detecting and subduing a sabatoguer that sought to crash her Valkyrie."

To Lokir, he turns a stern glance. "Perhaps I have been too hasty in my decision to share my own personal thoughts. The Lord Commander is not your concern, nor are his methods your issue unless they impact you mission directly. The Tau are the real threat here, and they are absolutely capable of routing the Achilus Crusade with a decisive victory on Spite. You would not be sent if the Watch Commander and the Deathwatch auguries did not believe that you were necessary." His tone tells in no uncertain terms that such discussions are now at an end, at least in his presence.

Lastly, he turns to the newest member of the Kill-Team, Novus. "Brother Magdela is correct. You each have your own set of skills, and you were chosen for this mission because I believe you can succeed in it, together."

The Watch Captain straightens. "Collect your gear and report to the Ultima Ratio for translation to Spite. Any further questions can be directed to me once you are aboard. In addition, General Othram asked me to inform you that he will be available for your questions aboard the ship." With a nod, de Dominova dismisses you, heading back into Erinoch.

[Go ahead and post your first 'Squad Discussion' if you'd like one - Official Mission Objectives will be up shortly as well as the continuation]

[bluntpencil]

"The auguries must be dire indeed if it is we, as opposed to an Ordo Xenos cell, that have been called upon," muses the priest.

"I suspect that investigation may be but a fraction of what is to be required of us."

He smiles, just a little, before stating,

"Of course, our duty is to the people of Spite, who fight against the Tau, and I'm sure that each of us will serve these stalwart souls most honourably."

It's left unsaid that their duty isn't to the tyrannical Ebongrave.

[Adamusa]

As the Watch Captain speaks, Zachariel examines every piece of information and commits it to his memory coils. The Mechanicus never delete anything. As the Captain leaves, he quickly reviews the information at hand as well as his knowledge of the Tau, then turns to Romeo.

+++Statement: Tau assassination attempts on planetary leadership indicative of tactics used in other engagements. Probability of threat escalation, 95%.+++ His voice is flat and has a faint mechanical buzz, yet he somehow manages to inject an ounce of urgency into it.

+++Suggestion: After confirming chain of command and requisitioning sacred wargear, we should not delay.+++

[Revanus]

Lokir nods to the Blood Angel and returns his smile.

"Well said, brother. It is not always easy to read the strands of fate, yet a glance at our kill-team and mission loadout speaks volumes about what lies ahead. One does not bring a Soundstrike Launcher to a dinner party...usually."

Lokir casually scratches at his beard, his power armor glove disappearing into a dense white forest. His eyes stray to the Dark Angel, eyes crinkling slightly at the Techmarine's odd pattern of speech.

"Indeed. It is no small matter to aim an axe at the head of the planetary government--even if the head is ugly. If we can shed any light upon the nature of the assassination, or the depth to which the enemy has infiltrated loyalist ranks, it will be a worthy hunt."

[ArcturusV]

"Clearly you've never been to the right kind of dinner parties," Novus offered Lokir with a short little laugh. Looking at the others he pondered the question though that the gathered marines really represented. The Wolves and the Obsidian Death were both known for their service to the Imperium, the good will they built with the common man and being somewhat approachable for Angels of Death. The others? Dark Angels and Blood Angels, not so much. He expected the typical Astartes scorn towards 'mere mortals' from them. Not a good fit for an operation among friendly units. It was a confusing split to be certain. Especially for a mission of this type, where loyal help from locals was more vital to success than a bolt shell.

Nor did he know why his Cousins seemed so riled up about the local governance. It mattered little though. It wasn't his mission and he figured he would spend more time interacting with local arbiters, guardsmen, and laborers than the planetary governor. It was just the nature of how such missions really went after all. You had to get shoulder deep into the people and the dank places, not the shining palaces and poncy nobility. He wasn't there as some security detail that would have to shadow the man either.

He frowned a little, considering the question of command. He had the seniority in these matters, or so he figured with his usual operations. But they wouldn't follow him. Not if they had heard of Vanity and the shame there. He was careful not to meet their eye for too long, unable to stand it. The Dark Angel couldn't be trusted, not just for the reputation of his chapter, but for his ties to the Adeptus Mechanicus. That alone screamed disaster, and he resolved to speak up if it looked like such a thing was going to happen. The Blood Angel seemed particularly vocal against this local lord. A personal conflict that could cloud his judgement, and if the two did have history might lead to the Governor obstructing them. While no Governor was a match for the might of an Astartes... they could cause quite a lot of difficulties if they had a mind for it. And the Space Wolf? He seemed a decent choice, though professed his own lack of experience in the operations. But at the very least his chapter bore a good reputation, and he seemed a likeable enough fellow to perhaps not cause serious issues politically. The least of the bad choices perhaps.

[Bitter]

"I know little of Lord Commander Ebongrave and I don't know the manner in which he aggravates some of you," says Kerubiel, speaking up from the silence he's maintained as he stalks alongside the others. "But whatever we might do try try and make the situation better, the mission must come first."

"I have little opinion of whether Ebongrave is worthy of his command, but if he is as paranoid as you say then if he learns of such opinions then he may not hesitate to work against us and make our mission that much harder. I've had more than one mission where the opportunity to battle back the xenos and bring honour on my chapter was stymied by self-serving generals and corrupt bureaucrats. "

Kerubiel's face twists, as if the idea of a warrior being held back from battle by politics and red tape is anathema to him. His hand moves to a combat knife out of instinct at his flash of rage, his palm momentarily caressing the hilt. Then a moment later it is gone and Kerubiel is once again focused.

"Have any of you had experience with the Tau? I've fought them in battle, of course, but haven't experienced their attempts at subverting and corrupting the Imperium from within before and would like to know what to expect."

[bluntpencil]

"My experience would suggest that, whilst the Tau themselves may be present, our most common foes will be allegedly loyal Imperial citizens," offers Romeo.

"They make false promises, offering freedom from tyranny to populations who believe themselves to be oppressed. Spite is a planet on which the populace are oppressed.

There is an irony in it. The people are oppressed because the Lord Commander fears sympathy for the Xenos. His tyranny then causes sympathy for the Xenos."

Romeo pauses for a moment,

"One thing puzzles me, though. From where I stand, the Lord Commander is a gift to the damned Tau. Strategically, it makes no sense for them to directly attempt an assassination. If they were to leave him be, their philosophical expansion would only increase - they want to expand, they do not truly care for the people of Spite.

Therefore, the only point at which they would assassinate the governor, would be if they already had the support of the vast majority of the populace... unless, of course, there is another reason."

He then looks down at Kerubiel's blade, raising an eyebrow. He says nothing, but for such to be noted by a Sanguinary Priest says something.

"We need to determine motivation, as well as eliminating the vile aliens.

I believe that each of us must bring with us different methods of bringing such information together, be it following the scent of the foe, making use of arcane surveillance machines, stalking the suspicious in the night, or relying upon the omophagea."

After mentioning the omophagea, he again glances at Kerubiel, hoping that his message is clear - there is a time and place for such.

[Bitter]

Kerubiel shrugs, his massive shoulder pauldrons rising as he does so.

"The Tau could have any one of a dozen reasons for attempting to assassinate the Lord Commander. They could expect the leadership crisis of him dying would be of greater benefit to them then the status quo. It could have been designed to fail to encourage his paranoia even further. It might have been Imperial traitors acting without orders, fed enough Tau propaganda they were spurred on to act even when it wasn't on their master's order or to their benefit. Or it might not have been them attempting to assassinate it at all. The Jericho Reach is home to many plots and I'm sure more than just the Tau want to see a personage as senior as Ebongrave."

As he speaks, Kerubiel's tone is that of someone bored and chiming in because it is expected of him rather than being truly engaged in the conversation.

"Either way, the planet and the plots it contains are a hundred trillion miles away. Not much we can know until we get there and see what awaits us."

There is a moment of silence as Kerubiel minds drifts towards topics he has more enthusiasm for.

"I'll need a power weapon, I think, in case they've smuggled in any of their powered suits. A flamer too, to burn through the chaff in close quarters."

[Toxic Mind]

All too quickly, a chapter serf comes to collect you, bearing mission details from Watch Captain De Dominova. Even as the serf hands them to you, he motions to follow him, and leads you to the hanger where the Ultima Ratio awaits you. For the sake of the security of Erinoch, General Othram has been confined to his quarters on the ship. As you board, he awaits, having heard none of the previous conversations you may have had.

"Esteemed warriors, it is my honor to accompany you back to Spite, and will gladly answer any of your questions. "
Othram welcomes you again, and seems almost eager to talk about the situation on Spite, his excitement outweighing his awkwardness.

[OOC - Ask Away from Othram, if you have any for de Dominova, they will be encoded and sent as you make the translation to Spite]

Primary: Uncover any Tau agents and their mission on Spite, and stop them.
Secondary: Locate any traitors under Ebongrave's command who are involved with the plot and learn what they know.
Secondary: Locate any Tau sympathisers involved with the plot and learn what they know.
Tertiary: Prevent civil unrest on Spite from threatening the planet's security further.
Tertiary: Avoid making an enemy of the notoriously unstable Lord Commander.

[Bitter]

Boarding the Ultima Ratio with his wargear, Kerubiel approaches General Othram and takes a seat near him. He didn't need to sit for his own comfort, but people generally found it easier without one of the Adeptus Astartes looming over them.

"These assassination attempts that you mentioned," he says, his voice deep and impassive. "What exactly happened? You mentioned there have been several including one against Lord Commander Ebongrave and Watch Captain de Dominova said there was another which was stopped and where the perpetrator was captured."

[Adamusa]

As the kill-team embark the Ultima Ratio, Zachariel reviews the mission objectives, filing them away in his memory coils, ordered by priority. Upon hearing Kerubiel speaking, he looks up from his dataslate to listen.

+++Addendum: Current status of assassin will assist in investigation. Details requested, time, method, security, activity of officer at time of death where applicable.+++ He states, as the Blood Angel finishes his question.

[Toxic Mind]

"Hmm yes, the assassinations. Most troubling. It began with Colonel Iedelus, found dead in his quarters. His death was originally ruled a suicide, as his death was caused by a discharge of his own sidearm. However, in light of later events, he has been counted among those targeted. Secondly, the Lord General Vann's pilot was replaced with a sabatoguer who attempted escape to kidnap her. Fortunately, she overpowered him. He was taken to Sepulchre Sigma [the prison/interrogation wing] for questioning. Lastly, General Coltenn was taken from his Chimera, the crew all killed. Coltenn, it seem,s bit into his anti-captur capsule rather than be taken alive. A brave soldier, and a good man. He deserved better.

All this culminated in the attempt on the Lord Commander. The identity of the sniper is still unknown. If the Lord Commander were killed, there are none who could take his place. Honored Astartes, believe me when I say that it is only Ebongrave's will that binds the Crusade together, no matter his methods."

General Othram pauses only a moment before turning around. "Your Watch Captain mentioned a prior mission. He told me that you met with some success in defeating a great menace to the Reach. Could you share some details of this? Obviously not the classified version. I understand well the value of secrecy."
[OOC - the nature of your previous mission and its details are yours. I will roll with whatever.]

[ArcturusV]

The chapter serfs bothered him in the Watch Station, though it took him a while to recognize why at first. It was all so sterile, so distant. They seemed to appear from the shadows to deliver nothing more than absolutely required, and disappear back into the shadows to be out of sight, and out of mind of the Astartes. It only served to heighten the sense of isolation he felt.

He recognized eventually, why this was probably so. Most chapters were used to the bonds of their own Brothers. It was their only socialization and their only contacts beyond the needs of the mission. Here in the Watch Fortress they were almost guaranteed to be away from the Chapter Cult and the brotherhood it fostered. They might have sought out the familiar relationships they had with their own chapter serfs to fill the gap missing in their life, and thus the serfs were kept separate to rob them of that connection.

It was all about forcing those Marines within the Deathwatch to lean upon the other marines of the deathwatch as their new brothers.

For Novus though? He felt little connection with the Marines. He would try, it was the honor of his chapter, and if he failed here, it was not just his own name that would be remembered in dishonor and failure. Most here had likely never met one of the few members of the Obsidian Death, or heard of their exploits. Like Battle-Brother Ramirez Zek, I had to be aggressive to establish my right to be here, and the respect of my cousins from distant chapters. Maybe it would be easier if other Sons of Vulkan were here, perhaps they would understand the isolation from the men that kept us grounded.

Signalling to the Deathwatch Serf before he completely disappeared, Novus added, "See to it that my gear is transferred to our vessel," with the added blessing, "May Vulkan's scales protect you," said with the reverence that many across the Imperium would say 'ave Imperator'. He figured he Serf had some way to make his request known to the vast army of unseen serfs in the station, and that his gearing would be awaiting him when he got there.



On board the ship, he once again gave the General a crisp, Imperial Guard style salute, to help put the man at ease and as a mark of respect to his service. While the others started to question the General, he stood with a smile of his face and a soft look about his eyes. He seemed calm and relaxed, even as he stood, as if he could have done it for days on end without issue. Which of course wasn't too far from the truth unless The Flaw jumped him.

"I must confess that I know little of the planet that we are to land on, or the brave defenders who hold the line there. Perhaps you could take an hour to fill me in on the details of the forces garrisoned there? Their traditions, saints, doctrines, commanders, and heroes? Likely at some point I will find myself working alongside these men and women, and I would like to know them before that moment."

[Adamusa]

Zachariel commits the information to memory as the General explains the situation behind the murders, each piece filed away in the vast storage banks that made up his mind. As Brother Novus begins to ask questions, Zachariel begins to listen... before dismissing them as irrelevant and turning to his weapon. The Ragefire-pattern Plasma Gun nestles in his hands.

He runs his hands over the ancient weapon, murmuring prayers to the Omnissiah, soothing the machine-spirit and preparing it for the field. He speaks so quietly with his flesh-voice that only the keen ears of the Space Wolf would be able to pick out the almost loving tones in his speech as he goes over the necessary prayers. The gun sits calmly in his grasp, the plasma coils dark and cold as the weapon's warrior spirit slumbers.

[Revanus]

Prior to being called down to the shuttle bay, Lokir took his time to go through his pre-battle rituals.

His trusty Thunderbolt pattern missile launcher was brought down from its honored pedestal. its exhaust port, barrel cap, and missile extraction claw had all been worked and shaped by the Iron Priests in deep bronze to resemble snarling wolf heads--mouths agape and red-jeweled eyes twinkling with hunger. The attached suspensor is equally artful, showing a saga of warriors and wolves on the hunt for Fenrisian elk across its winding, circular surface.

A finely crafted power sword was picked out, with runic totems running along the flat of the blade etched in red gold. An equally well-maintained Asaheim-pattern bolter was drawn from the storage lockers, its black receiver inlaid with a side view of a stalking wolf in silvered metal. His Icetooth bolt pistol, by contrast, is plain and well-worn, though the tuft of brown fur dangling from the grip is in good condition. Lokir glances approvingly at his bolter, bolt pistol, and power sword--the proper tools of a Grey Hunter.

After gathering his equipment, Lokir brings out a heavy black cauldron. He sets a fire on the floor of his sleeping chambers, the flames licking at the ferrocrete stones, and begins to brew a strange, milky white liquid from mysterious powders and substances. Singing and humming all the while, Lokir stirs the cauldron. When the milky liquid begins to roil, Lokir draws out his combat knife and drags the blade across his left palm--the thin rivulets of Fenrisian blood drip down into the cauldron and instantly turns the liquid to a deep crimson.

-----

Lokir arrives at shuttle bay with time to spare. The muzzle of his Fenris-Pattern Wolf Helm looks as though it has been coated in a thick layer of blood. The wolves of his Thunderstrike missile launcher have been given a similar treatment, their hungry mouths glistening in red. Lokir's face is also stained, deep red streaks trailing down across both eyes and staining large portions of his braided beard. Finally, the silvered pauldron of the Deathwatch has been given a uniquely Fenrisian paint treatment--the =I= of the Inquisition and various inscriptions overshadowed by a large, free-hand rendering of the Bloodied Hunter--its feral ears cocked for the slightest sound of prey and maw dripping in red lifeblood.

-----

Lokir eyes the General calmly. He doesn't volunteer any information about their past work.

"In addition, what is the current tactical situation upon the planet? Is there an active Tau invasion force or presence? If so, what is their composition, and to what extent have they established control over the planet's surface? Additionally, what types of resistance might we expect upon landing on Spite, if any? Must we pass over battle lines?"

Lokir twirls one of his braids thoughtfully, while his other hand taps at his gauntlet. "Maps both planetary and local would be helpful, to help acquaint us with our surroundings. A hunter should know his grounds."

Lokir's tapping, though seemingly innocuous, effectively sends an encrypted message to the Watch Captain.

<What are the parameters for use of force?>

[Bitter]

"Out last mission was on a Hive World busy fighting off the Tyranids," says Kerubiel, answering the question without going into detail such as which world it was. "One of the major cities had managed to rid itself of its infestation and needed to send reinforcements to a still-beleaguered neighbour some few hundred miles away through terrain that was dangerous even before it was infested with xeno. We guided a convoy of several thousand soldiers though a variety of dangers and got them safely to their destination where we aided them in cleansing the city."

Well we mostly in safety, he admitted to himself mentally, remembering many deaths along the way. It would not serve morale to make such admissions though.

In that previous mission there was a large Tyrannid creature that Kerubiel had been particularly proud of his ability to defeat in close combat on that mission, it's hooked claws acidic tendrils proving a mighty challenge. However the Deathwatch was secretive and information about xenos should not be given freely. Kerubiel wasn't even sure how such an ordinary human would feel if he was told about such things, pride in how a soldier of humanity had performed or terror that such creatures existed.

"We cannot say much more," he says, "And as you say there is value in secrecy."

"I'd be interested in hearing what you think of Lord Commander Ebongrave, as well as senior members of his command staff and anyone else of importance. They are the targets of the assassinations so it seems likely we'll need to speak with them."

[Adamusa]

The memories of the Kill-Team's previous mission flash through Zachariel's mind as Kerubiel speaks. It was a tough mission, he thought, especially due to the Guardsmen having an unfortunate tendency of dying.

+++Statement: Mission accomplished with acceptable fatality levels. Xenos confirmed purged.+++ he crackles, before returning to his wargear.

[Toxic Mind]

Othram falls into the military clip easily, talking about familiar ground now. Despite his earlier hesitancy, it is easy to see the kind of man Othram is, an effective commander and, perhaps most oddly, a good man.

"Arch-confessor Quadicus oversees the Imperial Faith on Spite. He sees the Tau as an ideological threat, rather than a military one. We both know how foolish an idea this is."

The man wipes his brow at Lokir's question. "Merely Tau sympathisers, Emperor willing. Foolish men strayed from their proper faith by promises of easy lives. Spite is ours, and despite the events involving the Silent Pilgrim, it remains ours. Once these xeno-loving fools are rooted out, we can return to the proper task, the Crusade."

At Kerubiel's inquiry, he perks up considerably. "The Lord Commander is a hard man, of a surety. But he is the backbone of the Crusade, and there are none who could replace him. But the longer this hunt goes on and the traitors remain free, the higher the toll on the innocent will be." He pauses for a moment befor continuing. "Lord General Vann served with the Lord a Militant Achilus himself. You will likely meet her when we land. She escaped her assassination attempt, and is one of Lord Ebongrave's most trusted officers."

"Tyranids, you say? Haven't had many of their kind out here, mostly just the Tau. I will say the men always seem frightened by the thought of Tyranids. Nasty buggers. But they die just the same to Imperial Las. I have heard that they become emboldened by the mere presence of larger creatures. Did you meet any of those?"

[bluntpencil]

Romeo lets a small smile creep onto his face as he says,

"'Larger' is a matter of perspective, General."

Nevertheless, he does nod, indicating that, of course, the Deathwatch slew some of the larger, synapse creatures. It's something of a given. They wouldn't have been required unless there were synapse creatures or Genestealers needing killed, after all.

"Time permitting, during our journey, I shall endeavour to tell you the details for which your clearance allows. I believe that a General should be fully aware of the foes we face in the Reach."

He then raises a finger, having realised something he believes important,

"We were led to believe that the Tau themselves, or those in their direct employ, made the attempts on the lives of the Crusade command, as opposed to disaffected Imperial citizens, yet you now draw the fog of war over this belief.

Is it possible that these attacks were made by our own people, without alien assistance? Was the trigger, so to speak, pulled by a four-fingered hand, or by a five-fingered one?"

From what the General said, it seems that traitors attempted to kill Lord Commander Ebongrave. It is a surprise to Romeo that this hasn't happened sooner. It is also a surprise to him that the Deathwatch, the best Xenos-hunters in the whole Galaxy, have been brought in for what very likely doesn't have direct alien involvement.

[Toxic Mind]

"Forgive me, I misspoke. There is no Tau invasion force, but we have confirmed from those few members of the Sympathisers that we have capture and interrogated that some Tau have indeed been smuggled onto the planet. Their numbers are unknown, but we do not believe they represent an invasion force, but rather a tactical strike team. None the less, they represent a very real threat." The General says apologetically.

[OOC - My bad, I mistyped. There are confirmed reports of Tau Lifeforms.]

[ArcturusV]

"I find it quite surprising myself. You would think with the Duty Rotations through Spite, and the influx of guardsmen and Astartes coming in through Spite, that there would be enough of an Imperial Presence, and many, many Veterans against the Tau, who would be capable of handling this."

There was no blatant disrespect in his voice, perhaps a note of concern for the skill of the Tau Strike Team if they effectively had managed to infiltrate a world that was chock full of veteran guardsmen and marines either returning for Rest and Refit from the Frontlines, or on their way out. Traffic would be high and would have given them a decent chance at smuggling aboard one of the countless cargo lifts that had to be coming to and leaving the planet constantly... but the odds of them remaining covert and hidden seemed ludicrous.

Perhaps they had help. But it was Novus's experience that veteran guardsmen had nothing but hatred for the Xenos. The rookies might be different, but the veterans had seen Tau Pulse weapons cut down their brothers, their friends, and their squad mates without pity or remorse. They had shed blood and lost everything fighting against them. That was not the sort of man who typically caved to the whispered lies of the Alien.

However it was unlikely for new recruits to be assisting the Tau, as that didn't give them appropriate access to Spite, as the new recruits would be coming from the wrong direction to have picked up Tau Allies. Unless the Tau have already bypassed Spite, and if that was the case, the mission here was a failure before it even started.

That meant, most likely that they were dealing with either Alien Witchcraft, which had corrupted the minds of men against their will, or they were dealing with people who had long been corrupted by the horrors they had faced in the Crusade, and had fully lost their minds to the point where even the blatant lies of the Xenos seemed like spun silk wrapped around them.

"Has there been a recent influx of Guardsmen who have needed the services of the Confessors?" he asked carefully, if it was in fact the deranged and the mad, they were likely to be thrown towards the priests to absolve their minds of Heresy and proscribe purifications. While they might not have worked, that could give them a place to start looking for those who had so lost it to forget their duties to the Imperium.

[Bitter]

Kerubiel's face suddenly tightens in concentration, something General Othram has said suddenly striking him.

"Hold," he says, raising a hand and indicating for the General to pause in what's he's saying. Kerubiel himself isn't entirely sure what he's grasped, his subconscious mind having struck something and it taking his concious mind a few moments more to put it all together.

"We were told General Vann's attacker tried to crash their transport, that they they were an assassin as you just said. I missed it at first, but a few moments before that you described it as a kidnapping. What happened there? Explain."

And what does that mean about the other supposed assassinations. Someone taking a suicide pill and killed by their own gun. Were they meant to be killed or kidnappings gone wrong or was someone trying to make a killing look like something else?

Kerubiel disliked this. In warfare if there was something hidden, an ambush or a trap, then you would find out about it in quick order. None of this furtive digging around asking questions and trying to find hidden subtleties. He always saw such things as more the work of Inquisitors rather than the Deathwatch.

[ArcturusV]

Standard Raid doctrine, Novus thought to himself and his own tactical expertise. Your first goal on a raid was to extract your target. Be it prisoners, munitions, or sacred relics and so forth. Your secondary goal is the denial of the enemy, to destroy whatever it was you sought to take, rather than let it fall into the hands of your enemy. It had made sense to him, and he had not thought to question it.

Yet another example of his own blindness. If he were a Son of Dorn he was sure his cell would be coated in the blood of castigation for his narrow sighted failure in that regard. Fortunately or not, he was a Son of Vulkan, and this meant merely that they was yet another flaw to be burned out by stoic resolve and reforged on the Anvil of War.

[Revanus]

Lokir's eyes narrow as he focuses on the General.

"Have Imperial forces encountered any actual Tau on the planet? Or just reports of Tau, extracted under interrogation? Additionally, what would you estimate are the numbers of Tau sympathizers on the planet--are there any pockets of particular fervor or actual battlegroups being fielded?"

Lokir continues to twirl a crimson-dyed braid between power-armored fingers.

"Do you have any intel about larger strategic goals that the Tau might be pursuing? What type of operational objectives might a Tau strike force be looking to achieve?"

Lowering his hands, Lokir dons his Wolf Helm. The lenses of the helmet glow fierce yellow as the Auto-Senses come online.

Lokir continues to wait expectantly for a coded cypher response from the Watch Captain regarding the rules of engagement and bounds of permissible force to be used on this mission.

Switching the vox over to Deathwatch encryption, Lokir subvocalizes a statement in the cant of Deathwatch ciphers to his squadmates. To the General, it might sound as though he is quietly growling.

<I see three paths before us. The first is that this Tau Strike Force is a harbinger for an impending greater invasion, and these assassinations are meant to sow chaos in the twilight before the slaughtermake begins in earnest.

The second is that the Tau--sensing weakness on Spite-- seek to lop off the head of the planetary government, incapacitating and exposing the entire planet's soft belly with a relatively minor expenditure of effort and resources.

The third is that there is no Tau threat, and the planet is currently experienced a homegrown power struggle. Perhaps the Lord Commander is experiencing an insurrection and losing his grip on power. Perhaps the Lord Commander is attempting a purge, and sowing a false narrative of Xenos presence to distract from an attempt to thin political opposition.

In any event, all should be on their guard from the moment we land. The Deathwatch must not be a notch on another's victory belt--be they Xenos or traitor. We may face an ambush from unexpected sources.>

[bluntpencil]

Also in the process of gearing up, Romeo clicks his Diagnostor Helm into position and waits for it to seal against atmosphere before quietly responding to Lokir via their helms' microbeads. He holds up a hand, showing four fingers.

"It's entirely possible that the Tau are present for unknown reasons, and that the assassination attempts had little, or nothing, to do with them. Our priority, of course, is defeating the Tau."

Again, what is unsaid is more important than what is said. Romeo is prioritising the defeat of any Tau plans, as opposed to protecting the Lord Commander.

He then activates the voice-projector on his helm, so that the General can hear him.

"General, I would be most pleased to hear your tales of war, against the Tau and others. One could not have risen to such a rank without having earned it, after all. I expect that you could provide, even we Angels of Death, most welcome advice and guidance."


Charm check to get the General on side
[roll0] TN 60 or higher

[Adamusa]

Zachariel, having finished the ministrations over his plasma gun, turns to the rest of his wargear. As Lokir lays out his suspicions over the vox, he evaluates the likelihood of each probability. He realises that they currently have no concrete evidence that Tau are behind the attacks, thus any predictions he makes are likely to be incorrect.

<+++Opinion: Current status of possible Tau threat unknown. Data insufficient to provide satisfactory predictions as to enemy intentions.+++> Zachariel subvocalises into the comm-net. He pauses for a moment.

<+++Addendum: Imperial infighting unlikely, but possible. Suggestion: Trust no Imperial personnel until exact planetary situation determined.+++> he states, almost as an afterthought. His piece said, he returns to the proper blessing of his wargear, this time going over his trusted Godwyn-pattern Bolter.

[Bitter]

Hearing the chatter of vox communication, Kerubiel reaches down and picks up his helm. Unlike the others it is not a normal Astartes helm, instead displaying a black lifelike face surrounded by a star-like halo. As he places the helm on his head, lightning crackles behind the masks eyes and sparks of golden aetheric energy crackle over the mask surface.

<The Watch Commander told us Tau are at work> says Kerubiel privately over their vox channel. <There may be other forces at work like Crusade politics, but if he and Watch Captain de Dominova believe there are Tau then there are almost certainly Tau involved. They tend not to send us on idle chases.>

[bluntpencil]

"Agreed," responds Romeo to the Blood Angel on the Kill-Team channel.

He always dislikes seeing a Blood Angel wearing black. It is the colour of their Death Company. At least his own Chapter's Death Company wears white, so painting his armour in Deathwatch black isn't so bad a prospect.

"The Tau are very probably present. However, according to those requesting our assistance, and the evidence which we have, they are not the assassins, and may or may not be involved in said assassination attempts."

[Bitter]

Kerubiel wants to shake his head to disagree with what has been said, but such a move would seem strange to their passenger when he couldn't hear the conversation.

<General Othram has seemed most certain that this is a plot of the Tau and those humans turned to Tau purpose and I haven't heard him mention anything to the contrary. Our presence would scarcely be needed otherwise. I am open to other possibilities of who has conducted these attacks,> he says, specifically not saying 'assassination', <and that we may find evidence showing us it was not the Tau, but for the moment I don't see the evidence or the requests you speak of.>

[bluntpencil]

"The General explicitly stated that it was not the Tau that attacked, but Tau sympathisers. The Lord Commander, whom the General appears to trust, is known for seeing Tau involvement everywhere, without even the slightest scrap of evidence.

It's very possible that the Tau and their supporters are two separate entities, a twisted mirror of how Ecclesiarchy zealots might act without Imperial direction.

Regardless, we shall get to the bottom of this - the physical presence of the Xenos is an escalation of conflict which does demand our involvement in defeating their plans.

We have been ordered to stop the Tau, not attempted assassins. If they are the assassins, we have been ordered to stop the assassins by default. If they are not the assassins, the attempted assassinations are interesting, but only tangentially related to the mission."


Romeo doesn't believe that the Tau's primary aim is the removal of the Lord Commander. He worries that there may be something else in play.

He speaks openly, for all to hear,

"Is there anything on Spite, which the Xenos might wish to steal, or sabotage? Exterminatus-grade weaponry? Objects of religious significance to their client species?


Forbidden Lore: Xenos
[roll0]
Common Lore: Deathwatch
[roll1]

Both succeed, at a TN of 52, to know if there is anything of interest to aliens on planet, which may be known to the Deathwatch.

[Bitter]

<I don't know what has passed between you and this Lord Ebongrave, but your words are a maelstrom.>

<You say Ebongrave sees Tau conspiracies everywhere without any evidence yet our own Watch Commander has said he has multiple sources of evidence showing the Tau are subverting Ebongrave's rule, not to mention the evidence and attacks Othram speaks of.>

<On the other hand you say those requesting our assistance and the evidence we have indicate the Tau may not be involved in the assassination, yet they have said no such thing and there is no evidence.>

This time Kerubiel does shake his head.

<It is possible that many things are occurring that we do not know about here but the possibility it is an Eldar plot, which is conceivable, does not mean there is evidence of it being an Eldar plot. While like I said there may be more forces at work, so far every single source has told us this is the Tau. If you know more then share it with the rest of us, but I truly can't see the meaning of your claims otherwise.>

Kerubiel sighs into his vox.

<This is why I dislike investigations. Battle is much nobler. Purer in intent.>

[Adamusa]

Zachariel listens to the back-and-forth debate about whether or not the Tau are actually there. He sighs inwardly at the pointless discussion. Regardless of what the Watch Commander has said, they don't have the evidence to prove that it IS a Tau plot, not just yet anyway. His mind flashes through the probabilities once again and arrives at the same conclusion as last time.

<+++Interjection: Debate about originator of hostilities, irrelevant. Current situation, Imperial world at risk from potential xenos threat. Empirical data required to eliminate conspiracy theory before any objective argument can be made.+++> he voxes back at them, slightly irritated that he has had to continually interrupt the ministrations of his wargear to explain facts.

[bluntpencil]

"It is common knowledge, Brother. It is known by all who have served in the Canis Salient. The General himself stated, not a minute ago, that it was humans who attempted to slay the Lord Commander, and that there is evidence of Tau presence, which, I'm sure we agree, are not the same thing.

Furthermore, a position of logic..."

He turns his helmet ever so slightly in the direction of the Tech-Marine,

"...would demand that positive statements require evidence, not negatives. The Lord Commander has had an attempt made on his life. We can assume this to be true. The evidence, comes with the current assumption that the Tau are responsible, due to the involvement of Xenophilic traitors.

My assertion, based on the well-documented track record of the Lord Commander, of which I will direct you to the relevant transcripts and datafiles, is that this is always the assumption he, and very possibly, by extension, his headquarters, incorrectly makes."

He folds his arms, before ending,

"I do not deny the presence of the Xenos. That much appears to be near-certain. My point is that, should they not be responsible for said attacks, the Xenos still remain our number one priority, as opposed to Crusade politics."

He nods to Zachariel, indicating his agreement that the aliens are, in fact, the target of their mission.

[Adamusa]

Zachariel nods his agreement.

<+++Consensus: Purging of xenos filth, highest priority. All other concerns secondary.+++>

The Techmarine lowers his head once more and begins muttering a prayer over his boltgun, just audible enough to be heard.

"The Omnissiah knows all, comprehends all. Comprehension is the key to all things. Understanding is the true path to comprehension. Life is directed motion, the spirit is the spark of life. Holy machine, blessed are thee in the sight of the Omnissiah. Blessed are thy workings in the art of death. Praise the Omnissiah and venerate his immortal soul. Smite down his enemies and protect his loyal servants."

[Bitter]

Speaking over vox once again, Kerubiel is glad that Othram is unable to hear the Astartes.

<Perhaps one of us misspeaks or mishears. As I understood it, it was not that you claimed humans conducted the attacks, but that you said Tau may not be involved in the attacks at all and that you had the words of those that summoned us and evidence to support this. It was not just that Lord Ebongrave carries our purges, but that he does so with no evidence.>

<We are of like mind in wanting to see our mission complete and the xenos dead, but it was just minutes ago that the Watch Captain had to speak words of caution when we seemed too focused on the Lord Commander and now you seem to make statements that seem somewhat wild. Let this rest and see what we come across when we reach Spite. One way or another will know the truth by the time our mission ends.>

[Revanus]

Lokir smiles slightly as Zachariel backs up his initial position. Today, the Lion trails behind the Wolf.

As Romeo and Kerubiel exchange words, Lokir does not shift his head, but his eyes track between the two.

<Let us keep an open mind and pursue our quarry as true hunters. The Lord Commander may be known to be too eager to execute the innocent in his exercise of power--nevertheless, it is the Allfather's will that every pack have an alpha.

Let us root out the Tau, and preserve Imperial rule from threat--be it from within or without. If the Tau are planning a planetary invasion, the planet must be alert and vigilant--not wracked with internecine power squabbles.

Provided Brother Romeo agrees that our goals shall involve both a persecution of the Tau and--as necessary--a safeguarding of Imperial rule on planet, I think he is best suited to lead our Kill-Team on this mission.>

[Adamusa]

Zachariel glances up from his boltgun as Lokir's voice comes over the vox, his words echoing Zachariel's own thoughts on the matter.

<+++Affirmation: Statistically, Brother Romeo is the ideal candidate for Kill-Team leader.+++>

[ArcturusV]

Novus had no knowledge of what transpired in the team, but he knew something was. The way the bodies were positioned, the quick little turns and glances at each other. For a veteran Battle-Brother, it was easy to figure out that the power armored bodies were transmitting vox data to one another, and he had hoped that whatever secret information they sought to convey, probably suspicions about him or the general, maybe their hatred of this planet of Spite they were going to, was not being picked up by anyone else nearby who might have a device.

Novus was excluded, he wasn't sure if it was purposeful or not, by the fact that he didn't wear his battle plate at the moment. He had the serfs of the Deathwatch transfer his gear to his chamber on this vessel, but he walked around without his power armor still, wearing a sleeveless chalice in a dark green color, and simplistic black pants, bare of feet as he met with his Team and the General. It was a strange thing perhaps to others, that he be without his armor aboard a vessel that could come under attack at any time, for such is the fickle nature of void travel and warp translations, but it made sense to him. They were not called to battle yet. And while his armor was new, he trusted no Tech-Priest to maintain it, or Omnissian bound marine to touch it. It made for a fickle beast of a Machine Spirit, without the finer ministrations of a trained ritualist, and having been separated from his chapter's trusted serfs and marines trained in such matters. He didn't like to wear it when not required by battle, to allow the Machine Spirit time to recover on its own until it could once again find its way into safe hands.

He took a seat to the right of the general, and thus bringing a terrible scar into view, where many years ago the beast had nearly taken his arm as he earned his honors. Only the worst of the scars that were showing, he was a Battle-Brother, and had served his time in War just like any other, skin marked with impacts from heretical bolters, las burns that had pierced his armor, blades and xenos talons that ripped through him, the ragged scars of Choppa work, all there. Nothing too unusual for a Space Marine, but probably something odd for the General.

"You asked for a story," Novus said softly to the General, as the others quietly conversed on their voxes, taking the attention away from the Kill-Team most likely plotting out if they should space the General as a potential traitor or not, "I think I have one for you."

Nodding to the General a bit, he settled back in his chair, and his head tilted back to look at the ceiling as he recalled the distant past.

"I am Obsidian Death, a small chapter, who guards against a Warpstorm and several subsectors being consumed by the WAAAAAAAGHS! of the Greenskins, and the occasional raids of the Eldar." The mention of the aliens filled his voice with an utter, and complete, contempt, "As well as minor xenos, The Rak'Gol, the Styrix, many you probably never have heard of, and never will again. Abominations all, never let any of them fool you with humanistic guises or professions of peaceful trade and contact."

"There was a small planet named Verisa VI, out in the distant Koronus Expanse. Settled by some Rogue Trader, who had found ancient technology from Man's distant past. Subdued the local tribesmen into her grunt labor, and had started excavating relics that would make the Tech-Priests of Mars salivate at just the mere mention of it." He offered a smile to the General at the image, and his eyes flicked over quickly towards the Tech-Marine of the Dark Angels.

"We got a call of a hostile invasion. The Rogue Trader's Dynasty in question had done me several favors in the past you see, helping me get to where I needed to go to purge the Alien and protect His subjects. My Brothers and I gathered our men, and brokering a deal with the Imperial Naval Frigate Saint Fletcher, quickly made the journey to Verisa VI."

"When we got there, we found a fleet already in orbit. Explorators of the Omnissiah. I saw the wreck of the Poisoned Lucre, the Rogue Trader's personal vessel, being pried and cut apart by one of the Explorator vessels in a salvage operation, and Astropathic calls from the planet's surface continuing to beg for assistance, with the ciphers of the Dynasty."

"The Explorators warned us off by pict-cast, that this world was under the rule of the Adepta Mechanicus, sovereign lands of Mars, and we had no right to be there. That the planet was to be purged of hereteks."

"The... I believe he was an 'arch magos', had on him a plasma pistol I recognized as belonging to the Rogue Trader. As true and virtuous a soul as I had known, spreading the Emperor's glory on her own crusade throughout the Expanse. And belted to his hip. She would have never given it up willingly, it being so much a part of who she was, as the Chapter Trappings of my Cousins," he waved to the Kill team, but quickly pointed to the general, "Or the Regimental Standard would be to you."

"So I answered his Pict-Cast with a salvo from our macrobatteries. The fury of our assault took the Adeptus Mechanicus by surprise. They had not counted on a single frigate to dare attack a fleet of 5 ships, several much larger than the frigate. Before they even knew what was happening, in the best traditions of Lord Solar Maccharius," he paused to quote, "A war is easily won when your enemy does not know they are fighting," and gave the General a smile again, "we rammed their ship. Most of the Crimson Guards were down on the planet, subjugating the populace."

"Like titans of myth, my brothers and I charged with Imperial Guardsmen and Naval Security through the ship, putting down those who fought against us, capturing those who rightly surrendered before the Emperor. In 20 minutes, the ship was ours. I had taken the brig myself, fighting off several of the half machine Skiitari and their Combat Servitors," he pointed to one of the scars, a las burm from the look of it on his left foot, and something the General would likely be surprised didn't fall off form the wound based on the scar. "I lead the assault myself, using my armored bulk to protect the Guardsmen who fought alongside me as they subdued the Heretics with Emperor inspired assaults, and effected the rescue of the Lady-Captain myself, ripping the cell door off and chucking it down the corridor."

"From there, it was a mop up operation. The Arch-Magos taken prisoner. His own guns turned on the Explorator fleet. The guardsmen and my Brother marines raining down on the colonies of that world to liberate it street by street. Mass surrenders from the Tech-Priests. A grateful populace, but far too many killed. The Tech-Priests had burned down the Chapel of Saint Drusus, half the population put to death..." his smile was gone, and he shook his head. "... if our vessel was faster perhaps, or if I had prioritized the ground assault over the void battle..." his head hung slightly as doubt overcame him even with the story that he thought was going to be bright and lively to recall. A thrilling void combat, almost literally rescuing a princess... even if said princess was a ruthless rogue trader who was more than capable of staring down daemons and plasma pistoling their faces off with a roar of defiance and a litany of the Emperor on her lips...

"... it is hard to say, what drives a man to Heresy. Only that it comes more easily to some than others. Those who have seen too much of the horrors of war perhaps. Or those who's faith is weak," he didn't add 'like the ominissians' though he clearly thought it. "But for every man who falls to such weakness and greed... many more stand strong."

[Revanus]

Lokir watches as Novus takes a seat with the General and proceeds to regale him with a tale of past glories. The old wolf is equal parts amused and annoyed. On the one hand, he appreciates the storytelling impulse in the lad, along with his sociable instincts.

On the other hand...Novus was underdressed. Lokir could appreciate the bravery and valor of braving battle helmless, or facing a foe without cowering behind ceramite. Yet, the dangers of the black void and constant risk of unexpected combat meant that Novus' lack of armor was not brave, but error.

Someone should get that whelp properly dressed!

Calmly, Lokir heads over to the table.

"Ah! We've a saying on Fenris: A man who will entertain at tableside is a man worth feeding. Brother Novus...do allow an Old Wolf his rightful place at the table. I'll be sure to earn my storytelling keep in your stead, as you get yourself properly arrayed for battle."

With that, Lokir claps an armored gauntlet down on Novus' shoulder. Friendly, if a bit on the hard side.

[ArcturusV]

It was a strange thing, to hear Lokir say 'brother' to him. The proper term for an Astartes from another chapter was "Cousin", and Novus wondered if the use of "Brother" was to draw him into the fold of the Deathwatch as a unifying chapter for all here, if it was some attempt to reaffirm the bond between Vulkan and Russ, or if it was merely in acknolwedgement of him hailing for another chapter that had a similar mandate, guarding the Screaming Vortex, rather than the Eye of Terror. Or if it was just a slip of an old tongue and his mind was back with his Wolves, imagining some young Assault Marine who looked similar to Novus.

Regardless, he gave a solemn nod to Lokir, reprimanded in his own way for the failure to live up to the expectations of the others. He knew the Machine Spirits of his armor would groan at a long deployment being worn not only through warp travel, but also through a planetary campaign without the proper maintenance rites being performed. But his mark was already tarnished, and he wouldn't suffer further dishonor by failing to correct himself at what was an, admittedly light, reprimand from a veteran Marine his senior.

Standing he made his way to his cell, to conduct what rites of maintenance and awakening he could, and don the Battle-Plate of the Astartes once again. His mind still filled with his own doubts and questions as he went about the ritualistic tasks. No serfs to assist him in the donning, no brothers from the Obsidian Death to oversee his rites. He closed the armor about him, and said a silent prayer to Vulkan and the Emperor for guidance and strength in the coming trials.

A half hour later, he returned to the chamber, wearing his plate. The cloak of the Razorback donned underneath the Camoleoline cloak he wore for his task as a Kill-Marine. Bolters holstered and ready for action, painted in the Black of the Deathwatch. Well, the matte black of his Chapter really, he hadn't had to paint it when adopting service into the Deathwatch, already bearing their colors. The Skull in Profile on his right shoulder pauldron. His helmet was clipped his back, bearing his open face to the General and the others.

[Toxic Mind]

Fear not brothers, for the Astropathic Light of Wifi has found me in the darkest corners of this strange new land.

——————————————————————————————

Othram nods for a moment, taking in each question in turn, before answering. "There is little evidence of Tau lifeforms that we have detected, but their sympathizer networks has escalated its conflict against The Imperial Forces. Honored warriors, when you see the damage the Silent Pilgrim did to the planet, you will understand that these Xenos-loving filth are not to be idly trifled with. I have seen many battlefields, laden with corpses so think the ground could not be seen, and the devastation they wrought in that attack..." He shudders momentarily. "It nearly destroyed the entire continent."

"The details of Lord General Reila Vann come from her own account. On a routine survey of planetary repairs, her pilot was replaced with another guardsman impersonator, a member of the so called "Vengence Sept". The Lord General noticed that they were taking an altered route. When he realized he was discovered, the pilot attempted to crash their Valkyrie craft. Fortunately, such is her skill that Lord General Vann subdued her erstwhile pilot and regained control of her craft. Thus she suspects that the intent was kidnapping, but the end result was assassination, no matter the prior intent. You will have an opportunity to speak with her once we reach Spite, however."
Othram pauses for a moment, as if hesitant to speak, then decides that such a mention, while less than appropriate, is neccesary. "The Lord Commander has a tendency to see corruption and sedition around every corner, but I assure you that this threat is very real. I have seen the bodies of the other two officers myself. They may be ruled as suicides, but I am most certain their hands were forced."

Othram listens intently to Novus' story, gasping at the heresy of the Magos, and nodding appreciatingly at the heretics receiving the commupance they deserved. He shakes his head sadly at the fate of the civilians. "Your devotion to the men in your service is commendable, Lord Novus, and a mark of great pride to your chapter. I too have shown great care for the guardsmen under my command, though such action has left me with a rather sour nickname among the other command staff." He shrugs halfheartedly at the revelation, as if it long since ceased troubling him.

"As for those among the Imperial Guard... You will see the Four Pillars Camp as we fly into the city. Former Colonel Septimus Straine is there, along with a hundred thousand men who defected. They are being held awaiting trial. You may wish to speak with him as well. Perhaps you can talk some sense into the man. That camp is a powder keg, one we can little afford with a Xenos threat looming." he sighs, more at the prospect of lost lives than at the bother of the situation.

Regardless of the story, the General seems to regard each of you highly, even the reticent techmarine. He rises then, saying. "We should be reaching Spite momentarily. I will check with the pilots." It went without saying that he was taciturnity giving the Astartes an opportunity to speak without his presence.

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

The response from de Dominova was slow in coming, but reached the Astartes before Spite none the less.

<You are authorized to use any and all means to bring the traitors to justice. Your jurisdiction extends where you wish it, but maintaining a good relationship with the Lord a Commander may make your job much easier. Do what must be done to root out this Xenos threat.>

The knowledge of the Deathwatch provides you with no clues, and perhaps more telling, there seems to be no reason why the Tau should have any interested in a target such as Spite, beyond the obvious military applications.

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

True to Othram's word, the Ultima Ratio quickly drops out of the warp and into realspace. Othram and the Astartes are ferried to the Iron Gaze, the lag ship of the Imerial Navy battle group. As they land aboard the ship, the Captain, a man named Essiter, meets them. He escorts Othram to his posh officer's quarters, and personally escorts the marines to their ascetic cells. For secrecy, Essiter is the only contact you will have aboard the Iron Gaze, and soon enough, you will be transported to Spite. There is some time to collect yourselves, and talk to Captain Essiter, should you wish...

[bluntpencil]

"General Othram, there are open defectors to the Xenos down there? How were they captured? Why were they taken alive?"

Romeo is obviously disgusted at this turn of events. Attempting to slay a tyrannical governor was one thing, but turning cloak, and joining the aliens? That was beyond the pale.

Still, the Sanguinary Priest maintains his composure, then continues, sighing,

"The two 'suicides'. It is imperative that we have access to their remains. Their corpses may be our best source of evidence."

He doesn't mention that eating a small portion of them will be used to reveal what happened...

[Toxic Mind]

Othram looks horrified at the misunderstanding. "They have not joined the Tau. Straine and his men refused to obey the Lord Commander's orders, a most grave offense, but they have not resorted to heresy. Had that been the case, they indeed would have been executed on the spot. Straine is an honorable man, who cares deeply for him men. He has given no cause for executions, but I fear that this detante will not last long."

"The scenes of the attack and the bodies will be made available to you, though we have performed our own investigation as well."

[I may need a quick refresher on the flesh eating aspect so I know what to give you (in OOC). I brought only the AP book, not my CRB]

[bluntpencil]

Romeo quietly takes this information into account, saving it for later.

He speaks up when the Astartes are alone in their cell block, wanting to take their Oath immediately, so that they are focused upon the tasks at hand.

"I would like to thank Brother Lokir for his belief in my ability to lead this mission, but I think that others do not believe this to be true."

He removes his helm, and pointedly looks at Kerubiel, obviously having taken offence at the previous disrespect shown,

"Therefore, I shall step aside, and place my vote for Brother Kerubiel, in spite of my outranking him, as I agree with his position that politics are beneath us, and that my own experience of command in the Reach may, therefore, jeopardise the mission."

He steps back, head lowered, allowing the junior scion of Sanguinius to accept command, should he wish it.

[Revanus]

Lokir nods as the General describes the situation on the ground.

"What percentage of the local forces are the 100,000 men who are being held? Is there any chance the General might be reconciled back into the fold, or have he and his army taken actions befitting the Allfather's Wrath?"
------
After Novus heads back to his quarters to get some proper clothes on, Lokir turns to the General with a nod.

The runt's face seemed confused by Lokir's honorific. For his part, the Long Fang refused to die among anyone less than his brothers. His Kill-Team was now his adoptive pack--the Marines around him might be the last faces he saw. To him, the bonds of battle could forge kinship just as much as those of their geneseed--a man who would fight and die beside him was a man Lokir considered a Battle Brother.

"I suppose I owe you a story, General."

Lokir reaches back to pat his ornate missile launcher.

"Those of us who have seen battle well know the hand of fate lies across all our strings. Sometimes, though, the hands of our ancestors play a part."

The old Long Fang leans forward, his Wolf Helm's eyes gleaming and snout glistening with the red.

"I've a secret to share with ye. As great a warrior as I am...Lola here is the real brains of the operation...ain't ya, Girl?"

The missile launcher does not say anything.

"Aye...'tis true. She has proven it time and again. One of my finest kills came solely at her hands--though I was given the credit. We were fighting Xenos of...a particularly nasty type. The murdermake was lengthy, and Lola and I had already watered the grasses with the vile blood of many smaller Xenos swarms. However, the enemy host was fearsomely arrayed--onto the battlefield trode a Carnife...Big Beasty. He was a nasty bugger, so I had Lola chamber a Krak round and drew a bead on the abomination's skull. The trigger found its way home...and nothing happened. A jam, I thinked to meself. Quickly I tilted the missile tube backwards--hoping to clear the breach before it sent both me and Lola to the Great Feast in the Sky.

In fact, Lola simply knew better. The minute her muzzle reached the sky, Lola loosed her vengeance. Up and up the missile sailed, almost to greet the Stars themselves. But slowly, the Earthforce had its way, and the missile began to descend. With a mighty scream, the missile plummeted down, nary more than a swift blur. My eyes tracked it true--as did those of my brothers. The enemy Carni---Big Beasty, meanwhile, had worked itself into a fearsome charge, heading for our Command Rhino. That is, until Lola's krak missile pulverized its head with its explosive force and the wrath of the Sky itself. Such an awesome display of skill and firepower sent the enemy army reeling, and served to rally my battle brothers to even greater heights. At the victory feast, my battle brothers celebrated my tremendous kill...but me and my squadmates knew to whom the glory truly belonged. Lola drank enough Fenrisian ale that night to drown a Kraken...and she deserved every last drop."

Lokir again pats his missile launcher affectionately, scratching behind one of the bronze wolf head's ears.

[ArcturusV]

Earlier:

He had to ask, and with a jovial smile on his face before he left, he turned to the general and spoke, "And what is that nickname?" He lingered long enough for an answer, and either nodded in respect or let out a hearty laugh as appropriate.

Now:

Novus cared little for the discussion of Leadership. He had been on his own for most of his life as an Astartes. He could count on one hand the number of times he actually fought together in a squad with his brothers in the Obsidian Death, or in service to the Deathwatch or the Crusade in the Reach. He was used to operating on his own, or rather with a few Guardsmen, Serfs, Inquisitorial Acolytes, Rogue Trader crewmen, or similar such persons. He doubted this mission would be any different, that he'd find most of his time spent with the guardsmen and administrators of the planet rather than his Cousins in tight ranks and impeccable order.

The whole thing sat ill with him. Not just the fact that he was serving with other marines, but they seemed to have... baggage. Old wounds that were clouding their judgement in terms of this situation. Or split loyalties, in the case of the Tech-Marine and his likely devotion to the Mechanicus rather than the Imperium. A man could not serve two masters, and while they sometimes moved in concert, to Novus Mars and Terra were two different Masters, with their own goals and concerns that often came into conflict.

The Blood Angel had seemed quiet, well, he didn't know how much or what he said over the Vox Casting session earlier. But it at least gave a blank slate.

And the Wolf. He could at least be trusted as a Son of Russ. They were well known for being honest, forthright, and simple in their ways. He was old and seasoned well, showed an even temper so far. If there was one person here who reminded him of the times his chapter gathered back in the fleet, to feast, share, and honor the fallen, it was Lokir. He just didn't know if it was his own desire to fill that missing void, or if it was truly a good replacement, or if it was just a distraction from the dull ache that was his own black mark he carried.

He started pacing a little in the cell, not used to being cooped up on a ship. Normally he did his tours through vessels he was on, reminded the Ratings of the Emperor's presence, steeled their resolves, got to know the armsmen he would be fighting alongside in battle when it came. Trained them in how to take down anything from Ork Pirates to Traitor Marines.

Being stuck here, in a tiny cell, with no contact except these people he had so little in common with...

Well, he was pacing like a caged beast for a reason.

[Toxic Mind]

"A small number, our forces within the City number close to 500,000, though they are spread across. Still, if Straine and his men attacked even the smallest portion... They would be slaughtered. Straine knows this. He remains peaceful. Ebongrave will never allow Straine to take command again. He and his men would need a pardon from the Lord a Militant himself to survive this." Othram says this almost sadly.

To Novus, he smiles weakly. "Soft. I am soft." Such a nickname was well and truly an insult, and likely one given to him not by the rank and file, but by other officers.

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

Now

Captain Essiter guides you each to your cells. "Welcome aboard the Iron Gaze, Lord Astartes. If you have need of aught before we reach Spite, you need but ask me."

[Do remember that you are aboard the Iron Gaze now. Captain Essiter is available for you, but if you have nothing to ask him, we can move on once you select a leader and Oath.]

[Adamusa]

Zachariel frowns as he hears Lokir describing how he fed his missile launcher ale; such a thing was not generally conducive to the machine spirit's wellbeing... yet he supposed that as the Wolves followed their own path, so too did their wargear. Perhaps the Iron Priests of the Chapter had some unusual procedures. It was worth investigating, he mused, if only to further his own knowledge and thus aid his battle-brothers further.

As the Captain of the Iron Gaze directs them to their habitation cells, Zachariel offers his assistance.

+++Statement: Captain Essiter, if you require the services of the Adeptus Mechanicus to assist your ship in any way, my knowledge is at your disposal until we reach Spite.+++ he crackles, never one to pass on a chance to work on some of the largest and most holy machines ever built.

[ArcturusV]

Novus kept pacing, as the emissary of the ship came and offered his services. His gazed turned over to the man, and there was a clear amount of pent up energy in his face beyond just his pacing and the noises his power armor made tromping around and whirring with the movements of the Machine Spirit.

"While we are here, I would like the chance to perform my duties," he told Essiter as he stopped pacing and turned to face the Naval Officer. "It would be a good opportunity, as long as I am here, to help train your Security forces in some Anti-Xenos operations and tactics. That is if you're schedule permits. It could prove useful to both of us."

[Toxic Mind]

To the Techmarine, he bows his head gratefully, but declines. "The Iron Gaze has sat here, a guard for Ebongrave's paranoia, rather than taking the fight to the Tau. Should you wish to examine her engines, I can have them cleared to maintain your secrecy." The captain does seem rather bitter about the lack of combat, and of Ebongrave. Perhaps he believes himself beyond repercussion, or that he has not yet truly learned of Ebongrave's response to insult.

"Much as I would enjoy that, Lord Astartes, I have been told that your arrival is to be kept secret from the crew. To allow you to train them would violate that secrecy. Besides, I came with much of my crew from the Belial, in the Acheros Salient. We fought against boarders both heretic, daemon, and other servants of the False Gods. These Tau are nothing before them." His derision of the Xenos is obvious, and his commendations give truth to his statement of success against the forces of Chaos.

[bluntpencil]

"Your crew have bested the daemonic in close quarters? I'm truly sorry that I cannot pay respects to such heroes personally."

Romeo is impressed. Daemonic incursions are something that even Astartes consider traumatic ordeals.

"And you have my sympathies for being 'promoted' to such a position, Captain. I, of course, wish you, and your men, the opportunities for glory that you so rightly deserve."

It seems that Essiter is quite willing to criticise the Lord Commander openly in front of Adeptus Astartes. Perhaps he might know more?


Charm check, hoping to loosen up the Captain re: Ebongrave [roll0]

[Adamusa]

Zachariel nods, having expected a response of the sort.

+++Confirmation: I will attend to the machine spirits and attempt to speed our journey. Time is of the essence.+++

[ArcturusV]

Novus quirked up an eyebrow at the boast of the Captain, relating to the Tau. "The Alien is an entirely different threat from the Daemonic, Captain. I would warn you against hubris in that manner. If you remain blind to the threat, even the low cunning of the Ork can find you wanting and weak. In particular you must train in tighter anti-infiltration tactics, and assault tactics to properly deal with the Tau, they are not a force you want to sit back and fire salvos of autogun and las fire at, such as the Daemon and their whelps." None of this came in the tone of a reprimand, merely the guidance of a man who spent most of his life fighting xenos. It was his duty after all, to learn about the Alien in the Deathwatch, and to spread that information to the Imperium's defenders. Perhaps not the chief of duties he faced as a Kill-Team member in the Deathwatch, but definitely one of them.

"Redoubled close quarters drills with your hand weapons and bayonets would not be remiss. Remember that the Tau are slow to arms, and a few simple feints can leave them wide open to the finishing blow in close quarters. Similarly you are larger and stronger, and can physically dominate them down to the ground for the killing strike."

It felt good to be at least as minorly useful as that. It put a smile back on Novus's face and stopped his pacing. "Soon enough perhaps we will see our fair share of blueskin blood."

[Toxic Mind]

"The Lord Commander" even the title sounded derisive, "sees the Tau around every corner. He is a coward, who hides behind his fortress rather than taking the fight to the enemy. He would not last an instant against the heretics of the Acheros Salient. This crusade would be better off without him." The acid in his voice is obvious. The Captain is a man of action, not of passive defense.

To Novus, he smiles. "I am far more used to seeing the Tau iced in the Void than aboard my ship, but I shall take your advice into account."

To the Techmarine, he hands a datapad, with a route marked along it. "This route is cleared to the engines. If you follow it, we will both maintain our honor."

[Revanus]

Lokir does not shift his gaze towards the Captain, but his sharp ears miss nothing.

With his distinctive low growl, Lokir subvocalizes to the rest of the squad.

<If the Lord Commander has lost such respect that even senior officers freely abuse him, we may be stepping into a powder keg. Brother Romeo...you've established a rapport. Perhaps inquire of the good Captain just how widely such beliefs about the Lord Commander are held?>

[bluntpencil]

Romeo responds, through their private communications, to the Space Wolf in clipped, Deathwatch cant.

"Chalice tackling. Pack optics six."

It means, roughly, that he, Chalice, is 'attacking' or 'engaging' and dealing with the problem as suggested, followed by a request for the Kill-Team to watch his back.

Romeo continues, thinking that the old wolf is a better investigator than he lets on, it seems. He removes his helm, giving a human face to their interaction.

"I must commend your bravery and honesty, Captain Essiter. I've heard of officers being shot for saying much less of the 'Lord Commander'. Has this changed?"

The tone in which he says 'Lord Commander' implies that he doesn't truly recognise Ebongrave's authority.

[ArcturusV]

Novus barely refrained from shaking his head at this. He doubted the others would care for his opinion on the matter, he was lesser in their eyes after all. But all of this double talk, insurrection and paranoia was bound to lead to trouble. He was used to dealing with Rogue Traders, planetary governors, Inquisitors, and the like. He knew well how such a powerful figure could make life difficulty for an Astartes. And he knew well that many times the people whispering encouragements to voice your opinion were in fact the same ones letting those figures know of your opinion. It all smelled of a trap to him, one that likely would result in unnecessary hardships.

Nothing about this situation sat well with him. Secrecy with the crew was unusual to him, ever before had he openly worked with those he traveled with. Oh he might not have let them in on the particulars of his mission details, but he didn't hide from their presence, and did lend them his strength and knowledge. The paranoia being fed by Essiter and Romeo. Sedition spreading already. True they held no particular fealty to the Lord Commander... but they all served the same cause. Essiter rubbed him the wrong way. Cocky and brash, the sort of behavior you see in Heretics, rather than humble servants of the Imperium. Hungry for battle for the sake of his own glory, rather than battle for the cause of the Emperor and Mankind. It would not have been hard to imagine the man taking his ship to the services of the Ruinous powers. Particularly with their exposure to Chaos, and professed ability to beat off Daemons handily.

His tension was fairly clear, and he wished he had at least asked for a distraction earlier. Perhaps a data-slate with maps of the world so he could spend time planning. Room to train with Bolt and Blade and work out all these concerns in the meditative arts of battle. Or at the very least a table for Regicide and maybe a good game with the Space Wolf...

Instead he was stuck here, listening to the brink of madness and treason being plotted. Either that of the Captain, or that of his own Team. It didn't sit right with him.

[Adamusa]

Zachariel takes the offered datapad as the rest of the group continue speaking to the Captain. The route is fairly straightforward and he recognises the standard patterns of the ship's hallways. With the route committed to mind, he hands the pad back to Essiter and turns to leave.

As he does so, he catches sight of Novus. The marine seems uneasy, though Zachariel can't figure out why. Instead, he steps closer to him and lowers the volume on his embedded vox modulator.

+++Statement: You are troubled, Brother Novus. We are all brothers here, speak your mind. All have a voice in the Kill-Team.+++

[ArcturusV]

Novus glances over towards Zachariel, and there is a hard set on his jaw as he glances upon the Mechanicus markings of the Tech-Marine, an instinctual disgust filtered through his gene-seed and the deep seeded chapter rites of the Obsidian Death. That hard set remains for only a moment however, passing for something more somber and retrospective in his appearance.

He spoke softly, so his voice wouldn't disturb the conversation between Romeo and the Captain, though it was not a hushed whisper, and even the Captain would likely be able to hear it, if he strained his ears to do so. "I have my doubts," he confessed. Perhaps not much of a confession. It was likely they all knew he was here on an act of penance. "And I see in others the blind hubris that lead me here." He did as well. The surety of others, their locked in preconceived notions and superiority. The complete dismissal of others, such as General "Soft" who had urged them that this Lord Commander Ebongrave was necessary to the Imperium's efforts, even as they plotted ways to circumvent his rule. It reminded him so much of how he considered the Relic a mere token of affection, nothing to care for. How he dismissed the warnings of his Cousin Marines and focused only on what he thought was right. And the massive failures and shame he experienced because of it.

"I do not care for scurrying in secrecy, and plotting of this nature. Nor the hunger for glory from the captain, rather than the desire for service." He said not what he was really thinking, that such behavior, hunger for glory, conspiracy, secrecy, these were the acts of Heretics in the making. Even Inquisitors, conspiratorial and secret as they were, lacked that component of self glorification that would have propelled them into the arms of Heresy.

"Does this not feel wrong to you? To be a ship with regular contact with Chaos and hungers for battle? Who professes that Naval security has easily handled Daemonic incursions? That we are to avoid contact with men who are our sacred charge? Why? For the sake of security? Ratings do not disembark onto planets, who would they know to tell of our presence, much less understand our mission?"

"Does it not feel like we are set on a dark path already? Maybe I see things through the tint of my own shame. Maybe others are blinded by their own glory. I cannot say. Only that I am uneasy." His eyed flicked towards the Captain, to see his reaction to these words, if he even paid attention to them and wasn't swept up in the conversation with Romeo.

"We are the Astartes. Meant for the Anvil of War, bulwark of the Imperium against all dangers. I do not mind covert missions, I have undertaken more than a few since I earned my battle-plate... but does it not seem we are focused on the wrong foot here?"

[Adamusa]

Zachariel listens intently as Novus speaks, processing his words and filtering them through the endless corridors that made up his mind. He understood the Kill-Marine all too well; the shame of the Unforgiven was one that gnawed at all of the Sons of the Lion, even those usually untouched by emotion like he was. In a rare moment of verbosity, he switches to his flesh-voice.

"Your concerns are quite valid, Brother Novus," he says quietly, his lilting voice an unusual sound from one so heavily modified.

"However, those who serve the Emperor face our foes just as we do, though in different ways," he says, then pauses for a moment before continuing. "Your worry that these men are changed by their experience in fighting the forces of Chaos is one that every faithful servant feels, yet I ask you this: do you think they would be allowed to serve for as long as they have if they were truly touched by Chaos?"

His gaze rests upon Novus as the question hangs in the air.

"As to why they hunger for glory, there is a simple explanation for that. Recall the words of Malcador the Sigillite. "A warrior without war is no warrior at all." These men wish to fight because they are born and trained to do so. Would you not feel the same way, were you kept on the Watch-Station and never deployed?" Zachariel asks, watching Novus's face carefully in case a thought appeared that he might spot.

"Finally brother, remember this. We are warriors of the Emperor and ours is not to question our duty, only to fulfill it. I agree that this investigation is best suited to an Inquisitorial cell, but if it leads us to uncover the Tau plot, then we will do what we must. The matter of the Lord Commander and whatever state he is in can be resolved after we have completed our objective. As for our secrecy... there are many secrets that must be preserved, and if any of the ship's crewmembers are Tau sympathisers, allowing them to know we are arriving will only make our mission that much harder."

[ArcturusV]

"I think if they were tainted, the Watch may have sent us to handle such a thing as we can," Novus pointed out. "There is no reason to believe that such an objective of opportunity might have been assigned." It had made sense to Novus, it could have very well been that this ship had not yet been declared 'clean' and the Watch expected them to handle it if it came up. After all, they may be a chamber of the Ordos Xenos, but no heresies before an agent of the Inquisition was to be ignored. "Or find them innocent as need be."

He sighed a bit heavily at the reminder of the Watch Station. He did expect at one point to fulfill his penance in such a fashion. Being assigned to menial tasks in the Librarium or Relic Vaults of the Station, or in the training of Marines. It would have been a fitting punishment, considering the nature of his failure. Either that or being sent off on a hopeless mission to achieve penance in death, such as being sent to banish the warp rifts in the Jericho Reach somehow or to topple the entire Tau Empire, or some other insane mark that no one expected him to actually hit, only to cause mass casualties among the Enemy as he sought to.

"If they have split loyalties here... we should find it now. Root it out and put it to flame. Nothing is accomplished by leaving one of the Emperor's ships in the hands of Heretics, Tau or Chaos. It only makes it more likely for them to cause trouble for us later on." He did shake his head a little, not sure if he was really speaking out of sound strategy, or if he was speaking out of a desire for atonement through duty. "I doubt all here are tainted, if there is any. But I do not like leaving the enemy at my back."

[Adamusa]

"If that were the case, we would have been assigned to it," Zachariel replies, his gaze never wavering. Novus made sense, in a way. It was nigh-impossible to fight the scions of Chaos and come out of it unchanged; rather it was HOW the warrior changed that affected they way they would be dealt with.

"You are correct in that we should screen them for the taint, yet that would break our mission parameters in maintaining our secrecy. If Watch-Captain de Dominova wished us to investigate any spark of heresy aboard the vessel, he would surely have informed us of such. As it is, it would be best to focus upon our primary objective for the time being. The Tau are a greater threat than any potential heretics aboard the ship, for the moment."

Even though the mission was paramount, Zachariel reflected, it was indeed possible that there could be heretics aboard the Iron Gaze. His however was not to question the orders they had been given, merely to carry them out. Such was the burden they all carried; even for an Astartes, one of the Emperor's Chosen, they could not do everything.

"I suggest you put it out of mind for the time being. If such a situation occurs, we will respond as necessary. I am headed to the engine room to attempt to speed our journey; if you require me to attend to your wargear for the upcoming mission, I will do so. I sense the machine spirits in your armour are... disquieted." he offers, attempting to gain his brother's trust for the mission ahead. The Kill-team's effectiveness was multiplied by how well they worked together, and if there was any fragmentation, they would all be affected.

[ArcturusV]

"Search your memory, cousin," Novus reminded Zachariel. "We were ordered to seek out any taint," in fact, that's exactly what the Watch Commander said was their primary mission goal, to eliminate any sign of taint where they found it. "And never did they say we were to avoid all contact with others." It was only this Captain himself who had said anything about avoiding contact with the crew. The Watch Commander himself uttered no such thing, said secrecy of their mission was key... but not that isolation was key. In fact Isolation was contrary to their actual mission parameters.

He lowered his voice to keep the Captain from hearing this, "A vessel in orbit, with its augurs and vox communications would be ideal in keeping a covert strike team from avoiding counter insurgency actions. Is it not worth at least taking a look around? If they are loyal, there is nothing to fear for them knowing of our presence. They will know little if any of our mission on the planet. If they are not loyal..."

[Adamusa]

Zachariel frowns and switches back to his vox-modulator.

+++Correction: Primary objective, uncover any Tau agents on Spite and stop them. Secondary objectives, locate any traitors under Ebongrave's command, and locate any Tau sympathisers. Tertiary objectives, prevent civil unrest and avoid hostility with Lord Commander Ebongrave.+++ he grates.

+++Observation: No mission objectives pertain to the taint of Chaos.+++ he notes, recalling the objectives from the vast databank that made up his memory.

+++Suggestion: Potential heresy pertaining to warp-taint to be considered as Tertiary sub-objective. Requesting use of Iron Gaze ship augurs to assist in ground operations, tactical idea.+++

[bluntpencil]

Meanwhile, Romeo, funnily enough, is doing exactly as Novus thinks they should - he's attempting to work out if Essiter can be trusted. He's attempting to get in the Captain's god graces for two reasons:

If he's loyal, it's good to have friends in such places.

If his loyalties are elsewhere, well, he might just let something important slip, and the Sanguinary Priest doesn't want to miss that.


Do note that if loyal Imperials are in a position where they are questioning the leadership of their superiors, for better or worse, they will generally look to Romeo to lead them instead (Aura of Leadership).

"Perhaps more valuable that this is the affect this Mark has on those who are not Space Marines, who will instinctively see the BattleBrother as the ranking Imperial commander if out of touch (or doubting the leadership) of their own officers. The GM can use this as both a benefi t and a hindrance as Imperium troops look expectantly to the Battle-Brother for orders in the chaos of battle. "

[Toxic Mind]

"Do not misunderstand. I keep you isolated to keep the secrecy of you mission, as your Watch Captain informed me was neccesary. My ship's augurs detected your transport, but I had that scrubbed from the record. I am a loyal servant of the Imperium. I do what needs to be done to ensure the success of the Crusade, and the protection of the worlds within the Emperor's light, and the reclaimation or destruction of those without it."

The Captain turns to Brother Romeo. "As Lord Astartes, your authority is greater than en the Lord Commander, in truth. He is an inept commander and a coward, and he needs to be replaced by another, more suited to the position."

[bluntpencil]

"I wouldn't claim to outrank a Lord Commander, Captain - we Adeptus Astartes of the Deathwatch are not rulers, we are mere knights errant engaged in a protracted war against the alien.

Still, I do find this of interest - the Crusade having adequate leadership is of grave import to the Deathwatch.

Which commanders could replace the Lord Commander? General Orthram has gained something of a bad reputation with some of the officers, after all.

Do any of his Astra Militarum subordinates appear more suited to the role? Or what of the Planetary, and Orbital, Defence Forces?"

Romeo doesn't mention the Imperial Navy as having potential replacements for Lord Commander Ebongrave, but he intentionally mentions Orbital Defence Forces, as well as PDF, in order to lead the Captain into talking about the Navy.

[Toxic Mind]

"Othram is an able commander, despite his nickname. He cares a great deal for his men, a different form of weakness, for he is unwilling to send them into the fires of certain death to achieve greater goals. I have also had some time to speak with Lord General Vann, and find her to be an able commander, and far better suited than the coward Ebongrave. She has the conviction Othram lacks, a fact I am sure you too will see when you meet her. I am newly promoted to the Iron Gaze from the Belial. I have no interest in the commanding of a crusade, if that is what you imply. Still, this Crusade needs better leadership." He smiles wryly at the thought.

Meanwhile, in the Engine Room, Zachariel gazes with a kind of pleasure on the archeotech engines of the Iron Gaze. They are old, likely created before even the Horus Heresy, and their machine spirit just as ancient, and versed in war.

[bluntpencil]

"Interesting. Thank you, Captain, you have been most helpful."

Romeo scratches General Vann off the list of potential suspects, providing that the remains of her attacker clear out - she could have simply murdered her pilot to make it look like she wasn't behind the attacks on Ebongrave. That does seem unlikely, though, but it's not impossible.

The lack of attacks on Othram are surprising to the Angel Encarmine. Maybe that wasn't the case, maybe he had been attacked, but Romeo thinks that it bears looking into.

[Adamusa]

As he enters the engine room, Zachariel gazes in reverence at the mighty engines that power the ship. The buzz of ancient power is palpable; so much so that he can almost taste the energy coursing through the machines. He steps to one of them and gently caresses the relic of a bygone age. He closes his eyes and hums in time with the engine's pulsing, litanies for the maintenance of machines scrolling through his mind as he searches for the most appropriate.

Two spring to mind: the Catechism of the Autoculus of Mars, and the Prima Incubatorta.

Zachariel unclips his combi-tool from his belt and goes to work, carefully accessing the machine ports through both the tool and his electro-grafts as he softly chants in his flesh-voice.

"Toll the Great Bell once, pull the lever forward to engage the piston and pump. Toll the Great Bell twice, with push of button fire the engine and spark turbine into life. Toll the Great Bell thrice, and sing praise to the god of all machines..."

The first catechism complete, he inspects his work. It appears to be going well, as the machine hums contentedly. He senses the desire of the machine to bring death to the enemies of the Emperor, and begins his second incantation to prepare it for any fight it might encounter.

"The will of the Emperor is done, as the blood of the slain is laid upon you, so may you lay the enemy's blood at the feet of the Emperor. Lay blood at the Emperor's feet. As the rune of protection is inscribed upon you, so may the litanies of protection ward your soul. May your soul be guarded from impurity as the warriors within you guide your weapons, may you in your turn, guide their lives. Stand true against the trials of war, in praise of the Omnissiah." he finishes, making a warding sign over the machine and carefully finishing his ministrations.

Rolling for Tech-Use to try and improve the engines so we get to Spite faster, as well as see if I can entreat the machine spirit to assist us when we're on the ground, provided Captain Essiter is willing.
[roll0] TN 90, 60 INT, +10 Electro Graft, +10 Talented (Tech-Use), +10 Combi-Tool

[Toxic Mind]

The Iron Gaze will remember that

[Revanus]

Again, Lokir's heightened senses miss nothing. His low growls take on a slightly sharper note.

<Summer's Blasted Blood! Keep your opinions to vox channels and your voices down! Don't broadcast to half the ship your personal cares and doubts. Word travels.

Worse, a true hunter never lets his hand slip. You don't chase prey by blundering through a forest and screaming about how sharp your arrows are. Don't talk about weakness in full voice, don't cast doubt on our mission, don't talk about purging a ship we are currently traveling on and relying upon for safe passage--especially when the ship is far afield of our objectives. AND DON'T DO ANY OF THESE THINGS WITHIN EAR SHOT OF THE MANGY CAPTAIN!>

The last statement sounds almost like a bark. Still, Space Wolves growl to themselves, right?

The growling continues, but softer.

<Keep to vox for mission chatter. If you have doubts about the ship, put it in the after-action report or pass a note to the Watch Captain. If anyone talks about our mission in public again, I'll cut out their tongues with a rusty knife and enjoy a nice pre-battle feast.>

[Toxic Mind]

After some time, the Iron Gaze reaches Spite. The Captain sends you a box message and instructions to reach the hanger, the route of which naturally has been cleared. You reach the hanger in short order, your gear and weapons having already been loaded onto a non-description lander, the better to keep yourselves inconspicuous as possible. Othram is waiting for you, and salutes his greeting before entering the lander. So too is Essiter, who sees your ship off himself, promising that should any of you have need of the Iron Gaze, you need only send a message, and you will be welcome aboard.

The shuttle takes off and ferries you to the surface. For the first time, you can see fully the area known as the Black Zone, and the massive scar which Othram informs you is known as the Sorrow.

The Black Zone is immense, a fortress standing in the distance, who's spires stretch nearly into the clouds. Surrounding it, a vast military complex, many kilometers across, spreads across the land. Sturdy, fortified walls ring the complex, though many sections appear to have only recently been repaired from extreme damage. Tiny figures scurry about a multitude of tasks within the compound, and the walls swarm with labourers.

Far to the South, you can see the hive-city of Javar Prime, and the Sorrow, a massive scar on the planet's surface. Despite the distance between them, the Sorrow seems to indicate the method by which the Black Zone has incurred so much damage.

Your lander touches down at a private landing pad in the Achilus Bastion within the Black Zone, and when the doors open, none other than Lord Commander Ebongrave himself stands there in full military dress. Othram is the first to exist, turning and introducing his Lord Commander. "Honored Astartes, this is the Lord Commander Sebiascor Ebongrave." Othram stands to the side and falls silent.

Ebongrave approaches and gives a deep nod, his decorum perfect. "You honor us with your presence," he turns to regard Othram, a look of suspicion and chastisement on his face, "though I did not think things were so far gone we could not handle them ourselves."

With that, Ebongrave turns and leads you into the Achilian Bastion and to the adamantine lift that accesses his bunker. You notice that the hallway is decorated with portraits of space marines engaged in battle, primarily against Tyranids foes. Obviously, the Emperor's favored sons are always victorious. One in particular depicts a winged angel smiling a massive Tyranid beast. The angel bears a bronzed wolf's head. It seems that Othram paid attention to your stories.

Once past the lift, two door locks, automated sentries, and anther redundent security systems, you reach Ebongrave's office. The Lord Commander welcomes you in, and sits. "Honored Astartes. You have been called to Spite, and while I will freely admit I personally do not see the need for your presence, I will not squander what resources the Emperor gives me. What can I assist you with?"

Anyone who has Lore: Common (War) can make a check to learn more about Spite and Ebongrave's fortress

Unless you are specifically trying to get him to reveal a secret, or bringing a subject he would hate, assume Ebongrave will freely answer your questions. You are, after all, space marines.

[bluntpencil]

"We all go where the Emperor demands our presence, even if it does seem unwarranted to ourselves," offers Romeo by way of agreement.

"I am sure my battle-brothers have a number of questions, but if I may, I would like to know a number of things.

Firstly - do you believe that there are Xenos currently on Spite? If so, how many? Might we have access to the intelligence relating to them?

Do said Xenos, either on Spite or otherwise, have connections, or support, on Spite? Might we have access to intelligence relating to them, too?

I would also request that we be granted access to the crime scenes, and the perpetrators, be they living or dead, as well as the personal records of the victims, intended victims, and the assassins, and would-be assassins, themselves.

Hopefully such details will lead us into the fires of battle against the hated Xenos most swiftly."

Romeo doesn't try to bait the Lord Commander, and doesn't bring up Essiter's insults. He tries to get the intelligence needed for the mission, although he expects that it may be tainted with bias - hence his asking for physical intelligence reports, as opposed to his general opinion.

[Adamusa]

As he takes in the sights of Spite, Zachariel muses on the situation. The Lord Commander seemed to have proven the rumours about him true; there was an abundance of security, most of it incredibly obvious. As Romeo lists off some demands, Zachariel chimes in.

+++Query: Requesting list of planetary assets available during investigation. Any and all assistance will expedite xenos purging routines.+++

[ArcturusV]

Novus clasps his right hand to his chest plate, and kneels in a knightly fashion of fealty and honor to the Lord Ebongrave, head bowed deeply. Such a display cost him nothing after all, but he knew that with powerful figures, Arch-Bishops, Rogue Traders, Governors, Generals, Nobles, such a display could go a long way to putting their mind at ease and smoothing out relations he feared would turn sour fast, based on past encounters with the team so far.

"It is an honor Lord Commander Ebongrave, General Othram has spoke highly of you," again, he knew that a moment of basic manners could save them days of trouble later on, and giving a nudge towards a loyal subordinate couldn't hurt either. No need to lie, as that was all clearly true, and is honest timber came through.

He gave the Lord a moment to recognize his position, before standing up again, looking Ebongrave in the eye with a gaze of respect for his position written on his face.

"I have little doubt of your capability in this manner, as you have proven yourself capable time and time again, as the Crusade throws its worst at you. But... as you have said, why should we squander the opportunities that are given to us? We are here now, and while our mission is our own, a man of your import clearly has a few things he wouldn't mind having taken off his desk. Consider me a facilitator here for your troubles." His eyes glinted a bit, and a faint smile came to his face, as if he had just had a random stroke of genius.

"In fact, I have heard you have recently had an unfortunate problem with a Guardsman unit. It would serve both our needs, perhaps, if you could clear things with your organization for my brothers and I to render judgement on behalf of the Emperor to this issue. It frees your hands for more pressing matters, and it may shed some light on our mission."

[Revanus]

Lokir did not assent to have his gear loaded into the lander. As such, his weapons, ammo, and supplies remained on his person throughout the course of transit.

If the sight of a warpaint-splattered Space Marine in a wolf helm drew any unwanted stares, they also had the privilege to glimpse Lola's bronzed canine fury and her explosive cubs.

Still, Lokir is well-acquainted with the challenges of lugging his gear into enclosed spaces, and manages the transit with a fair amount of grace and efficiency.

In the hallway, Lokir smiles beneath his helm as he notes the large, winged angel with the wolf's head and sizeable...missile rack.

"Good Girl..." Lokir mutters as he strides past, giving his prized wargear an affectionate pat.

----

In the Lord Commander's chambers, Lokir casts a sharp eye about the room--scanning for threats or useful details.

In response to the Lord Commander's observation and Romeo's exchange, Lokir allows a smile despite himself. That makes three of us...

"If ever the need for the Deathwatch seems readily apparent...you've taken a cruel turn down one of Fate's nastiest trails. Better to douse a spark, lest the forest be set ablaze."

[Toxic Mind]

Ebongrave leans anxiously over his desk at Romeo's questions. "I have no reports of confirmed Tau life forms on Spite, but perhaps the Inquisition knows better than I. If there are Tau, they were brought here by their human allies, a group of sympathisers that call themselves the Vengence Sept." The disgust on Ebongrave's face is obvious. "This 'Sept' is surely responsible for the recent assassinations and attempts, clearly in a play to destabilize the Canis Salient leadership. I suspect they may have allies within even the Black Zone, a prospect most worrisome."

Ebongrave nods to the third inquiry. "Lord General Vann will be your liason on-world, and First Sergeant Veight your liason to the line troops, should you need him. The Lord General speaks with my authority, and can get you what you need. Naturally, you will have a chance to meet her and receive her account in person. The bodies of the deceased officers are stored here, and you are welcome to examine them. Transport can be arranged to take you to the sites of their assassinations, should you require it. As for the assassins... They have been taken to Sepulchre Sigma. I will inform the security there that you have clearance to meet with them."

To Techmarine Zachariel, he fields the question by drawing out a data-slate, and passing it over. The data slate details two places of interest outside the Black Zone, the first being Complex 10-5, which provides the Black Zone with most of its materials. The second being Javar Prime, a city state lorded over by Prefect Adon Lynx. Javar Prime was once home to extensive mining operations for liquid minerals, and hit my the Sorrow almost to the point of destruction, though it survived, barely. Javar Prime boasts a considerable spaceport as well.

At Novus' display, the Lord Commander seems, if anything, uncomfortable. He is used to such devotion from the rank and file, but from an Astartes, it is as foreign as a Tyranid dancing troupe. Still, as Novus asks his question, Ebongrave's eyes glint. "The Four Pillars Camp. Home to the traitor Septimus Straine and a hundred thousand of my troops that he led to defection. A breeding ground for sedition and treason. Of a surety, they mean to attempt a coup. A laughable prospect, of course, but the taxing of our troops in such a way is hardly a pleasing outcome. Still, it would deal with Straine... Permanently." The Lord Commander looks up again at Novus. "I leave this matter in your hand. Mine are tied by the Lord Militant, Straine apparently made some impression long ago that saves his life now. But were you to dispense justice and restore order, none would question its validity." There is no uncertainty about what for. the Lord Commander believes justice should take.

At that moment, a woman enters Ebongrave's office, and sharply salutes to all in attendance. She is a muscular woman, with an angular face and pure white hair. "Lord Commander." She says as way of greeting, then turns to the battle brothers. "Lord Astartes, I am Lord General Reila Vann, at your service. I will be outside when you are finished with the Lord Commander." She salutes again and leaves, shutting the door behind her.

[Adamusa]

Zachariel reviews the dataslate, taking in the information it contains. It seems... less than he was expecting. Perhaps he wasn't quite clear enough.

+++Clarification: Requesting list of assets available, including but not limited to equipment, supplies, vehicles, surveillance, et cetera.+++ he crackles, letting no hint of emotion through his monotone voice.

[Toxic Mind]

"If the Imperial Army can provide it, we have it. Valkyrie and Chimera for transport, Tanks for support... We even have a Baneblade. The military might of Spite is at your disposal. You need only call for it. Though I suspect you shall have little need. As I said, Lord General Vann speaks with my voice. She can requisition anything you need."

[Adamusa]

Zachariel nods mechanically and commits the information to his databanks. They would certainly need to requisition vehicles to move around, and the holy warmachines of the Guard might come in useful if the Tau were here in greater force than expected. He resolved to speak to the two officers that Ebongrave had mentioned, to see if there was anything they might also be able to assist with.

[bluntpencil]

"Thank you for your time, Lord Commander. We shall file our requests with the Lord General, and allow you to plan your next assault on the Tau."

Romeo offers a curt nod, and leaves, with the intent of speaking to General Vann.

"'tis a rare Astra Militarum officer who has learned how to fly an aeronautical craft, Lord General. I should like to hear that tale, some time."

Romeo smiles, just a little, and introduces himself,

"I am Brother Romeo, Sanguinary Priest of both the Angels Encarmine and the Deathwatch. I believe that you are to be our point of contact for this... investigation."

He says the word 'investigation' with more than a little disdain. It's obvious that basically everyone seems to think that the Ordo Xenos would be better at handling this than they.

[Revanus]

Lokir politely inclines his head toward the Lord Commander, thanking him wordlessly for his help and hospitality.

He next directs his attention to the General. For now, he is content to let others play at social niceties, though his sharp eyes and keen nose study her form. Still, he gives her a nod of greeting.

[Toxic Mind]

"I suspect, Astartes Romeo, that if you are investigating the assassinations, you will hear that story soon enough. As I said before, I am Lord General Reila Vann, but General Vann will do just fine when we are alone." The Lord General walks slowly, moving you towards the landing pad. The walk is long, and gives you plenty of time to talk. "What can I assist you with?"

[Adamusa]

As the group leave, trailing after General Vann, Zachariel reviews the information at hand. Currently there isn't any proof that Tau are behind the assassinations, except what's been gained from the questioning of the prisoner. That kind of information should always be suspect, considering that people would say anything to get torture to stop, or if they were brainwashed... he glances towards the General.

+++Query: Requesting location of holding cell containing captured Tau sympathiser. Secondary Query: Who is the senior tech-priest on Spite?+++

[bluntpencil]

Speaking to the General, Romeo is quick to get to the point,

"Who do you believe are behind these attacks? I, personally, do not want to waste my time hunting those disloyal to the Lord Commander. Slaying Xenos is my business, not quashing dissent for those who refuse to trust their subordinates."

He is up front about finding the request for the Deathwatch's presence to be, quite frankly, a complete waste of Imperial resources.

Of course, this is considered on his part. There are individuals who stand to gain a lot if the Lord Commander is murdered, herself included. However, she was attacked too (unless it was staged), so is likely not responsible. She might know more about the Soft General, though.

He reveals his impatience, and distaste for the mission, and the whole situation, in an attempt to get her to reveal more.

[Toxic Mind]

To Zachariel, she speaks as she walks. "The prisoner who attempted my life has been taken to Sepulchre Sigma. I can arrange transport there if you'd like, though Colonel Iedelus died in his quarters here, so that may be the closest option if you intend to pursue the assassinations first. If you seek the Engiseer of highest authority, the man you want is Engiseer Aesoph. Last I heard, he was in the eastern section of Javar Prime."

When Romeo first speaks, she stops him mid-sentence. "I am certain that the Vengence Sept are behind these attacks. As to their purpose? The most obvious is destabilizing our command structure." At Romeo's observation, her step falters for an instant. No human eye could have caught it, but to a space marine, it was as obvious as if she had fallen on her face. "The Lord Commander's leadership does not meet with your full approval, then? Please, speak your mind, Lord Astartes." Interestingly enough, there is no condemnation in her voice, only question.

[ArcturusV]

Novus gave the Lord Commander Ebongrave one last nod of recognition, and one to "General Soft" as he turned to leave with the rest. He walked in silence at first, pondering the things that were going on. It was a fine mess they were in, and unlike the others he didn't see it as beneath him to be here. His time was about penance and humility, he accepted what he was told, and tried to accomplish things above and beyond the requirements, in the spirit of his Lord, Vulkan.

More questions of the Lord Commander, more conspiracies. He let out a heavy breath through his nostrils, the sole sign of displeasure and yet again going down this road with everyone that they ran into. He was used to the line of thinking, such conspiracies were common among nobles, rogue traders, inquisitors, governors, but it was still strange to see such a thing from a cousin Astartes.

He gave Cousin Romeo plenty of time to answer General Vaan, not speaking up and interrupting the line of questioning, he himself curious just how far this grudge was going to go, and if it went from simple distaste for this man, into outright Heresy and Sedition. True, they were not part of the Astra Militia Command, or the Administratum. Still it seemed, unsettling, to be plotting against the Emperor's chosen servants, as he was certain that the Lord Commander could not have achieved that position without the favor of the Emperor in some form or another. He had ways to watch the Imperium, and ways to make his displeasure known, from the legendary Storm of the Emperor's Wrath, to the Imperial Tarot that we drew guidance from.

"It is likely my duties will see me on Spite for at least a few days," Novus told General Vaan, "Is there an operator you would trust to my disposal, as well as proper quarters where I might rest and meditate? It would be far more convenient for all involved if you could merely assign such things, instead of me requesting each trip individually." If he could get a driver and a Chimera, or perhaps a pilot and some lander at his disposal for the duration, that should make things a lot easier.

[Adamusa]

As the General answers his question, Zachariel opens up a vox channel to the Kill-Team.

<+++Suggestion: Order of priority, first priority to investigate assassination scene. Second priority to interrogate Tau sympathiser.+++> he buzzes, placing the two leads in order of proximity. It made sense to check the closest scene first; the longer they left that, the more time someone had to remove any evidence. As he finishes his message, he waits patiently for the thoughts of the rest of the team.

[Toxic Mind]

"Of course, Lord Astartes. I can have a pilot and driver assigned to you personally. If you wish to explore any sites, you need only ask of them, and they will take you and any of your Kill-Team as needed." Vann says to Novus before she keys her vox and relays the order. "We have provided lodging within the Black Zone for each of you. If you visit Javar Prime, I am sure the Prefect will provide for you there. If not, simply visit the Ebon Cosh outpost. They will accommodate you."

[bluntpencil]

Romeo would grit his teeth if he wasn't in the presence of a potential threat. His hearts accelerate slightly, as if entering combat, an imagined taste of iron on his tongue. The assassin, alive? That was not what he was hoping for!

His face does not reveal this inner struggle, instead smiling, giving something of a slight joke at Ebongrave's expense, in order to make clear his thoughts quite clear, but without explicitly stating anything,

"If I were a Guardsman, I would fear for my life if I were to voice such an, admittedly rather orthodox, opinion."

The fact that her assassin still lives is a problem. The omophagea would not assist here, unless they were to commit murder (still an option, of course, but a distasteful one). Why didn't the Watch Commander send Librarians instead of this motley crew?!

He blinks, consciously slowing the beat of his hearts, allowing the bloodthirst to become more patient, a patient hunger for battle, one of a hidden huntsman, waiting for the right time to ambush his prey, his senses on full alert, waiting for just the right moment to allow this tension to explode into action.

[Toxic Mind]

The Lord General smiles. It seems that the joke did not go unnoticed, nor unremarked. Still, she seems hesitant to continue here, so far into Ebongrave's seat of power. Perhaps if brought up later, away from the Achilian Bastion, she might be more willing to speak what was on her mind? "Indeed. The rank and file would rightly fear to voice such opinions. And fear is a powerful motivator, provided that it is fear in others, and not fear in one's own heart." With this bit of perhaps not so cryptic wisdom, she falls silent on the matter.

"Have you decided which place you would like to visit first? I can order any number of transports as needed."

[bluntpencil]

"If the good General would give our Kill-Team a moment to confer, we shall decide."

He looks to the others, and places his helm back on his head, checking his exsanguinator and pistol, as if preparing for a flight on a Valkyrie.

The Diagnostor Helm quickly seals, the eyes glowing green, and he, with the external vox shut off, quickly rhymes off what is going on, in Deathwatch code, indicating that he believes that there are hidden enemies on all sides, and requests that the Kill-Team suggest which location to hit first.

"Chalice virus clock. Beg grid?"

[ArcturusV]

Novus gave a smile to the General, and giving Lokir a clap on his pauldron asked one more question for the lady, "And as I am sure my fellow here and I would be interested in, I would be remiss not to ask about where on this planet the ale flows like water and the old warriors trade tales of valor and the young whelps contest to prove their bravery," a fairly complex and flowery way perhaps to ask for the local taverns that served the Guardsmen on Spite. Any planet with this many warriors though had to have one, someone would want to drink. And with this many people here there was a chance there was even something good enough to satisfy the demands of the Space Wolf. Well, at least the minimal demands of the Space Wolf, he doubted anything would compare to Fenrisian Ale.

With a short laugh he fastened his helmet casually, securing the seal and giving him a chance to respond to Romeo in private behind the mask. A bit rude perhaps, and he doubted that the General wasn't smart enough to figure out what was going on... but maybe the distraction of such an 'unusual' request would distract attention.

He didn't know the ciphers that the Priest was using, it was so much gibberish to him. But there was a clear question in it. He imagined someone who was apparently as paranoid as Romeo and the others suggested as the Lord General Ebongrave would have the machine spirits to pick up on the vox link transmissions. So he spoke plainly, and left it up to the others to use what they knew of him and his chapter to guess what he meant.

"I intend to follow through on what I had promised Lord Ebongrave."

He had a plan, but was uncomfortable with the fallout that might occur with broadcasting his thoughts in the clear.

[bluntpencil]

Novus should have spent his time aboard the Iron Gaze learning the ciphers, thinks Romeo.

Then again, he had to admit that was his own responsibility, as the assigned Sergeant. He should have realised that Novus would not be acting within group parameters, and would very possibly be unaware of the Kill-Team's codes. He would know better next time.

"You believe that we should speak to Colonel Straine first? I would know your train of thought, Brother Novus, so that we do not appear dishonest in our intent to the people of Spite.

We, unfortunately, have multiple suspects already, including said Colonel."

[ArcturusV]

Novus replied without missing a beat, "I promised to render judgement. I did not promise what that judgement would be. I have no way of knowing if he is merely combat fatigued, as happens among the Guard, if there is a deeper cause, or merely a clash of personalities between him and his superiors. In any case, there are 100,000 men of the Emperor doing nothing at this moment. Resolving this issue either would free up security assets for counter-insurgency operations and further security for key figures." After all, how much men and equipment was being tied up to watch over that camp of 100,000? A lot apparently, from what he had gathered so far.

"If he is tainted, perhaps by our targets, then it is a valuable lead as well as a chance to quell a major threat before the fact. If, and I believe this to be more than likely, he is merely traumatized by events in the Crusade or similar to others here have personal issues with certain figures... then his innocence can be declared, his self protected, and those men can be put back to the Emperor's cause."

[bluntpencil]

"Understood. Agreed.

Unless there is strong opposition in this matter, we should go there first."

Romeo sees the Obsidian Death's point - one hundred thousand men just sitting around is a huge problem, that probably needs dealt with.

[Adamusa]

Zachariel listens to the back and forth conversation between Romeo and Novus. Logistically, having that many Guardsmen sat around was a nightmare. They might well prove useful in the long run, however. He keys his vox.

<+++Irritated Reminder: Release of Guardsmen not quantified in primary objectives. Personal opinion, examine scene of assassination due to proximity.+++> he crackles. His point is that the former General's office is the closest of all the current leads, thus it would make sense for them to investigate that first rather than going in circles.

[bluntpencil]

"Noted, and understood.

Vote on first location: Crime scene or the location of Colonel Straine.

I shall cast only the deciding vote, in the event of a tie."

Romeo sees the merit in Zacharael's point, but wants the decision made quickly.

[ArcturusV]

"Addendum," Novus pointed out, trying to adopt the mannerisms of the Tech-Marine's speech in hopes that it would help him assimilate things, "Location of possible Xenos Threat, Primarus Objective. Imperial Assets removed from cordon duty against fellow Guardsmen, and release of Guardsmen increases security assets on planet. Supposition, increased Imperial Presence on planet increases probabilities of hostile forces detected, and limits their ability to act freely."

"We should free the Guardsmen, either with the Emperor's Mercy to the would Traitors and releasing their jailors to active duty, or in ascertaining the innocence of the regiment."

[Adamusa]

Zachariel tilts his head slightly as Novus attempts to copy his speech patterns. Was he mocking him? The tone of voice didn't suggest it, but it was always a probability. As always with those unversed in Mechanicus cant, his brother marine's message made little sense. Initially he appeared to be agreeing with Zachariel's statement that the objective was to uncover xenos activity... then every following sentence contradicted that.

It made sense that increasing the amount of Guardsmen available would hinder xenos activity, but that depended entirely on where they were deployed, as well as how well lead they were. It was all worth consideration, yet the more time they spent debating, the less time they spent actually working towards the mission.

<+++Suggestion: Split kill-team to cover multiple objectives. Statistically, rapid completion of objectives leads to expedited xenos purge.+++> he suggests, by way of compromise.

<+++Statement: If compromise accepted, I will attend to the assassination scene. If request granted, I will need a brother to accompany me.+++>

[bluntpencil]

"I do not believe that splitting up is wise at all, Brothers. They make us more vulnerable targets to Stealth suits and other such tricks.

I do not doubt the resolve of any of you, but an Astartes' strength comes not from his bolter, but from his Brothers.

Furthermore, the time saved would be minimal, as one location is en route to the other."

Romeo obviously prefers that they stick together.


OOC: I'm really opposed to splitting the party, for OOC reasons. It has a terrible habit of slowing things down dramatically.

IC, it makes sense, but OOC it's a major pain in the ass.

[Adamusa]

Zachariel simply nods his acceptance of the Sergeant's decision and begins configuring the auspex built into his bionic eye. It would require a few changes in order to scan for smaller details and they would no doubt need it to examine the scene of the assassination fully. Assuming his brothers saw sense and went that way, of course.

[Revanus]

Lokir inclines his head slightly to acknowledge Novus' attempt at comraderie. Silly lad, but his hearts are in the right place.

Returning to his trademark low growl, Lokir departs from the pack.

<I suggest we visit the Assassin while he still lives and remains in custody. The murdermake scene is static, while resolving the fate of an army of 100,000 is no small task--and unlikely to be concluded with speed.

If enemy forces lurk, depriving us of a source of intel will be high on their priority. It would be my primary concern, were our roles reversed.>

[bluntpencil]

"Very wise words - a wisdom born of experience, I'd wager.

I would, therefore, urge the Kill-Team to come to a decision in short order."

Romeo is impressed with the Space Wolf's temperament. From what he knew in the past, Space Wolves were known for recklessness, at least in their youth.

This one had either survived for so long because he was smarter than that or, as Romeo suspected, he had learned the hard way.

[Adamusa]

As Lokir speaks his piece, Zachariel sighs. It seems he's outvoted. Well, at least the Wolf wants to investigate first, rather than chase after unruly Guardsmen.

<+++Statement: Since it appears I am outnumbered, I will concur with Brother Lokir and suggest that we interrogate the assassin first.+++> he grates through the vox.
Whilst the prisoner may well yield some information, it's also possible he knows nothing at all. Still, that's something they'll find out soon enough. At least he has a chance to put the skills he learned from working under an Interrogator-Chaplain to use.

<+++Addendum: If necessary, I can conduct the questioning. I have some skill in the area.+++> he notes, with a small amount of satisfaction.

[Toxic Mind]

"I will prep the Valkyrie for Sepulchre Sigma. I will accompany you, for now. The Sepulchre guards are Ebon Cosh, and very distrusting of outsiders. However, if you would prefer me stay, I can attend to other tasks you might require here?" Reila Vann says, attempting to gauge reactions among the kill-team. She does not seem particularly worried by either prospect, though her gaze falls more on Romeo than any other.

[bluntpencil]

"Other tasks such as...?" says Romeo, curiously.

He has never had a General follow his orders before, even though people do tend to look to him for leadership and guidance.

[Revanus]

Lokir does his usual growling.

<I see no reason not to bring her along. She will be safer in our custody, and she can help guide us as a useful source of intel and authority. She knows far more about these woods than we do.

We should be wary of the assassin possessing some form of xenos suicide-measure or hidden weapon such as might endanger the General--and perhaps keep her outside of the actual interrogation chambers--but I believe the boons of her joining us outweigh the thorns.>

[Adamusa]

Zachariel nods his assent at Lokir's words. Not only would they be able to question the General about affairs too sensitive to be mentioned in the Achilus Bastion, she would provide a link back to the Bastion itself in case they required long-range vox transmission. Furthermore, if she WAS involved in the xenos affairs, unlikely as it seemed, they would have a close eye on her.

<+++Confirmation: Having the General accompany us is wise. There are many benefits to this course of action.+++>

[Toxic Mind]

"Whatever you need. I have been released from my normal duties to attend to you on this world. If I am not serving your will, I would be watching vid-Picts in my office."

[Revanus]

Lokir ***** his head slightly at the mention of the Ebon Cosh.

<The Ebon Cosh...the name rings familiar. They are Ebongrave's personal guard. Answerable only to him.>

[ArcturusV]

"Planetary Defense Forces," Novus added over the vox link, as their actual description and duties more closely matched that of a PDF than a guard unit (Including loyalty to the local governor, rather than to the Imperium as a whole), "Likely a bit better trained and equipped than most. May be sketchy if they are being designated as a Guardsman unit, drawing resources from the Munitorium unjustly." He didn't say this with any disdain or accusation, mostly to remind them that despite them being a PDF, they might be better equipped than most, geared with proper armor and weapons compared to usually the more ceremonial uniforms of a PDF and their equipment geared more towards crude stub weapons or primitive melee weaponry. Meaning anything from unit champions who might be skilled with a power blade to cut through their ceramite armor, or heavy ordinance such as a lascannon. A good reminder not to screw around with them if they can help it or make their general dislike of their Commander public knowledge.

Taking off his helmet once more, he gave the General an open faced smile, "Well if it is not too much of an imposition, it would be nice to have you with us," he said calmly enough. He cracked a wider grin at General Vann, and added with a light tone, "Besides, General Soft did get me quite curious to hear a few tales of your exploits." Using the other general's nickname to ease the tension in the relationship, and figuring if he could get her talking, that maybe she'd share some details about things on Spite, and her Assassination in particular, that didn't make it to the Adepts and the Records. Most warriors had those details that lived only in their minds after all.

[Toxic Mind]

Reila Vann returns in short order. "Your transport Valkyrie is ready, Lord Astartes. For the sake of secrecy - I know your Deathwatch prefers the shadows over their operations - I will pilot it myself. I am also rather wary of pilots lately." There is a wry smile at her own joke. It seems that the Lord General is not without a sense of humor, albeit a rathe macabre one. She speaks to Novus as she walks. "So Othram has told you his nickname. It is one he has rather embraced, and it is, sadly enoug, deserved." There is no condemnation or pleasure at a possible rival scorned. "He is an able commander, well beloved by his men, but he could never lead the Crusade, a fact he well knows. He has not the stomach to send men to their deaths. He is a good man, Astartes Novus, but the Canis Salient kills good men faster than all others."

Baring any change of plans, the Lord General leads you to the landing platform, and the Valkyrie transport waiting to take you to Sepulchre Sigma. She boards the craft and take the pilot's seat, running through the pre-flight checklist quickly and surely. "I was a Valkyrie pilot long ago, in another life. When Lord Militant Achilus came, he took me from behind the control stick and made me a commander of my own wing. The rest is the Emperor's own grace." She says conversationally as she finishes her prep and the Valkyrie lifts off the ground. "The flight will take a few hours. It would be days over the mountains on the ground." Vann lets the silence stand. She seems comfortable with it, but open to conversation.

[Adamusa]

As the Kill-Team board, Zachariel inspects the interior of the Valkyrie. It seems to be in good shape, and is well-maintained. He nods with approval; evidently the Mechanicus adepts here are no slouches. As it glides smoothly into the air, he asks a question.

+++Query: How many prisoners are currently held at Sepulchre Sigma?+++

[Revanus]

Lokir laughs sharply, almost a bark.

"Days over the mountains? So, in other words...don't crash."

With a quick subvocalization:

<As much as I might like a multi-day jaunt through the woods, we should let the Watch Captain know our intended location and general heading, in case we go down and require a rescue Valkyrie to continue our journey. A grim turn of mind, perhaps--but this would not be my first Valkyrie crash.>

[bluntpencil]

Romeo nods, then transmits a ciphered message to Captain de Dominova, with a short update on the situation.

He then activates his diagnostor helm, checking his Kill-Team for any potential ailments. Of course, he finds nothing, but does lean in to whisper to Novus, more for his dignity than to keep a secret.

"Brother, when did you last sleep? I can provide depressants to assist in such, should it be needed."

[Toxic Mind]

At her controls, Reila Vann doesn't turn from the viewport, though you can see a smirk tug at the scars on her face at Lokir's comment. "There are hundreds of prisoners in the Sepulchre, though I suspect the true number is likely known only to the Warden and the Lord Commander. It is not a place that people return from."

[ArcturusV]

How much did Romeo know? Novus kept his face blank as the Apothecary Here! whispered to him, knowing that most likely the other Astartes with their enhanced senses, in particular Brother Lokir, for he well knew the sharp senses of Russ's Sons, would most likely hear. It was just to keep the General out of the loop.

It was not something he advertised if he could help it. Mutation and Flaws were likely to be seen as weaknesses to be Purged, among more hard liners. Some people he worked with had known, mostly because they either saw it happened or he was on extended operations with them and had to tell them so they would know to cover him should the worst happen. But on top of his massive pile of shame and dishonor it wasn't something he was keen to share with the other, nobler exemplars of the Emperor's Wrath riding in the valkyrie with them.

"I'm not tired," Novus replied in that same whisper to Romeo, though of course failing to actually answer the question of when he last succumbed to his weakness. He knew he was in danger, but probably not for a while yet. Having awoken last 8 days ago. As long as the mission was as quick and easy as the others seemed to want, he'd likely be back on the Watch Station, checking on stasis fields in the Reliquary before he succumbed once more. Though it was always impossible to say with certainty.

[bluntpencil]

"As a Deathwatch Apothecary, 'tis my sworn duty to accommodate for the... unique traits... of every Chapter, Brother Novus."

He nods towards the Long Fang, whose very fangs proves his point somewhat.

Deathwatch Apothecaries are in an odd position, it's true. They inevitably must come into secret knowledge regarding the biology of other Chapters, secrets often guarded very jealously against outsiders, in order to be able to look after their patients.

Therefore, they must swear oaths of secrecy. Romeo would not be revealing anything of the Space Wolves' Canis Helix to his fellow Sanguinary Priests. Other Apothecaries would need to ignore the curses found within the scions of Sanguinius, or at least not mention them to outsiders.

All this being said, nobody has actually fully informed Romeo of the status of the Obsidian Death. He's not had time to fully go into the scans of Brother Novus.

It's more indicative of Romeo's particular character regarding his patients that he's asking - having spent some time travelling together, he notes the likes of meals taken, time spent sleeping, exercise, and similar.

Romeo's instinct would be to put the lack of sleep down to a penance detail unique to the Obsidian Death - a psychological insomnia, probably linked to Chapter rituals. Abnormal, certainly, but he's heard of stranger amongst the Deathwatch. A strange, cultural and psychological, trait of a Chapter, as opposed to a genetic one. In truth, his own Chapter's psychology was likely considered more unusual.

[Revanus]

Lokir finds a seat near the General towards the cockpit. Quietly, he asks a question.

"General--what is your take on the situation with the Colonel's soldiers? And how would you see it resolved?"

[Toxic Mind]

The Lord General's face becomes hard. "I have served with Septimus Straine for many years. He is an honorable man, and an excellent soldier. I say this so that you understand that I know the man, and do not speak lightly." The Lord General speaks with authority, and no hesitation. "Straine and his defectors represent a very real threat to the security of Spite. We cannot allow leniency, else other units in far more strenuous fronts might decide that such actions ar in their favor." She sighs, and spares a glance back at Lokir. "Othram would grant them mercy. I know we cannot afford such luxuries. I sympathize with Straine and his plight... But I can see no other options."

She checks the headings at the controls. "We will arrive at the Sepulchre in a few minutes."

[Adamusa]

Zachariel listens to the General's words, automatically storing them away in his memory coils. It seemed that the majority of the planet's officers did not share Othram's view of Straine. Certainly not in regards to his fate, as it was. Mentally, he begins reviewing the interrogation techniques he learned under the command of Chaplain Vargas. He might well need them when they reached the prisoner.

[ArcturusV]

He was loathe to admit weakness, even with the needling of Romeo. He was already a failure twice over, for failing his mission on Vanity, and losing the Relicblade, given to him by a grateful population. He was proud of his chapter, as any Battle-Brother likely was proud of their own. The Obsidian Death was a young chapter, but its victories were to be proud of, and its struggles titanic in their own way, their survival in the face of the odds something he was far from ashamed of.

But he knew he was already considered the least of the Brothers here. Shamed, the outsider who had joined their Kill-Team. Here on punishment rather than because of his own accomplishments and capabilities. How do you, knowing all that, admit even further weakness to the others? That your Machine Spirits protested over lacking full rituals from his Tech-Marine brothers, that your were prone to succumbing to weakness when it most mattered, lacking the gifts of the Gene-Seed?

Defeat was something he hadn't really tasted before. It all wore heavily on him, and his power armor felt more like a cage, reminding him of his failures than a knight's armor that projected strength.

He tried to ignore Romeo, and putting on a pleasant tone he didn't really feel, spoke up to the General, "You know, now that we have some time until we arrive, feel like swapping some stories? I must admit I am curious about the details of your battle against the Tau Assassin Pilot. I'm sure it is quite a tale, and that there's a few of those details you kept to yourself for the telling."

[Toxic Mind]

As you crest another mountain, the Sepulchre lies before you. From a distance, Sepulchre a Sigma is majestic. Bad-reliefs of battle climb the steep valley walls, and statues of saints and war heroes crowd its many winding paths. It is a still, dead place with mist coiling between the magnificent tombs. Not until you set forth on the valley floor, the Vakyrie making an easy landing, do you smell the overtone of blood and hear the wails echoing faintly between every rock. The sound has no source; it is constant as wind or tide—seeming to rise from the stone itself like the ghostly voices of the buried dead.

The Sepulchre, like its name, is organized into crypts. "Welcome to the Sepulchre." Reila Vann says without fanfare. "Shall I come with you, Lord Astartes, or would you prefer to conduct this interrogation on your own? I shall tell you my story on the trip back, Astartes Novus. This is not the place, I am afraid."

Regardless of your answer, a few moments later and officer emerges from a nearby crypt. He bears no rank or unit marking on his uniform. "Lord General Vann, Lord Astartes. You are here for Prisoner UL1374-12-beta, yes? The pilot?"his voice is a sibilant hiss.

He turns, and keys the entry code to the Sepulchre in a cleverly hidden panel on the wall. The machine spirit in the mechanism yields willingly. Whether by intent or accident, the officer's body shields the code from your sight. As the officer enters, he speaks of the Prisoner. "UL1374 has not given us even his name. He speaks only in grunts and curses. He will break, of course. They all break."

The officer leads you down a series of corridors. The interior of the Sepulchre is a maze of twists and turns, and the smell of blood is far more pronounced, the faint moans unending. After a number of turns and staircases that would have a normal man hopelessly lost, but that only provided a mental acuity challenge to Space Marines, you reach a marble tomb. It is small and empty save for a lidless coffin. The smooth floors — decorated with reaper carvings — show smears of old blood.

The prisoner is emaciated and despite his cleanly bandaged wounds, he twitches constantly from the nerve damage of repeated interrogations. The officer unlocks the door and steps back. "The interrogation is yours, Lords. We ask only that you do not kill the prisoner."

[Adamusa]

Zachariel studies the prisoner from just outside the door. His enhance eyesight picks out the man's twitching and he frowns. The methods they used here were obviously crude, nothing like the Interrogator-Chaplain's. He opens up the Kill-Team's vox channel and beeps into it.

<+++Suggestion: Prisoner appears to have been crudely tortured. To avoid further torture and to expedite information extraction, I suggest that I be allowed to interrogate him.+++>

[Revanus]

To the General, whilst flying:

"What effect will the execution of 100,000 guardsmen have on the strength of the Guard on this planet? Additionally, what will be the effect on morale, and the local populace? Is it possible that mass execution may inflame the wound of rebellion--spreading it like wildfire--rather than cauterizing it?"

---
Current:

<We should have the General join us, but we should keep her outside the interrogation room. If there is a secure location for monitering, some should observe from there and guard her, while others turn the screws.

Brother Zachariel--feel free to turn the screws.>

[bluntpencil]

Romeo nods to the others, allowing them to perform their roles without saying a word. He enters the interrogation room with Zachariel,

"I shall ensure that he is ready," he says, running a diagnostic on the 'patient'.

He doesn't much care if the assassin is uncomfortable, but he wants to make sure that he's capable of withstanding an interrogation.


[roll0] Medicae

[Toxic Mind]

"Men should serve and die out of love for the Emperor, Astartes Lokir. But if they will not serve faithfully out of love, then they must at least fear the consequences of cowardice. If Straine and his men were executed, it would be seen as the appropriate response to insurrection. However, there may be another path, one that would allow Straine and his men to regain somewhat of their lost honor, to die in service to the Emperor, and maintain discipline all the same. But it is not a path that the Lord Commander would take." The thought is left hanging in the air that a different Lord Commander might choose such a path.

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

Romeo's diagnostic reveals that the patient, despite the neurological damage, is in good health. His body can withstand a great deal more. His mind... such things are always uncertain.

The Lord General follows you into the Sepulchre, and waits for instructions on what you would like her to do.

[Enter at will]

[Adamusa]

As Romeo's diagnostic comes up clear, Zachariel begins preparations for his interrogation. He moves around to the side of the prisoner, removes something from his belt and places it behind the man, making sure it's obvious that he's done so. Then, he moves back around and looms over the immobile prisoner, his eye-lenses glowing crimson.

+++Statement:+++ he crackles, adding a low bass undertone to his voice to project the required menace. +++You will answer everything I ask you about the Tau, or I will use the device I have placed behind you. Be assured, the results will not be pleasant.+++

[roll0] TN 62 - WP 42, Interrogation +20

[Adamusa]

Spending a fate point to reroll because this is important damnit.
[roll0] TN 62

[Toxic Mind]

The man's eyes open as Zachariel walks in. The expression of awe is one familiar to all of the Emperor's Space Marines, but to Zachariel, who rarely had contact with guardsmen forces, let alone average citizens of the Imperium, it gives him pause. To find a man convicted of heresy so enraptured by the Emperor's angels of death was strange indeed.

The man nods once. "You are honorable, Lord Astartes, I know this to be true. You can end my suffering here, one way or another. What is it you want to know?"

It is now very clear why the man in front of you is so hard to break - he is prepared, perhaps, to die for his beliefs. His eyes widen at the device. It is also abundantly clear that he believes Zachariel will use it, whatever it may be.

[Adamusa]

Zachariel pauses for a moment, uncertain. Usually it takes slightly longer for prisoners to break... but perhaps heretics touched by the darker powers were more resilient than these ones. It was of no consequence, as the prisoner was ready to talk.

+++Query: We know the Tau are here on Spite, what is their objective?+++

[Toxic Mind]

"I do not know their final objective. Whatever it is, they believe it will turn the tide of the war in the Canis Salient." The prisoner looks down, and then back up, as if he has made some decision. "I know more. But I want something in return. Those of the Sepulchre make false promises, but you are noble, you are Astartes. If you say you will do something, you will see it done, I know it. If you will trade information for favors, I will tell you everything I know." His eyes are full of desperation, but also of a hardness and purity of will.

[Adamusa]

As the prisoner speaks, Zachariel files every word away in his memory coils: everything had a purpose. As the man asks for his favour, Zachariel raises an eyebrow, though this is obscured by his helmet.

+++Suspicion: Why would we grant any favour to one who has forsaken the Emperor? Tell me that, heretic.+++

[Toxic Mind]

"Because like I do, you must see the Lord Commander as a fool and a madman. I did what I am accused of, but it was his madness that drove me to the Sept. And because I have information you need. Because I will not ask you to forsake your vows, or turn from your mission." There is a timbre of desperation in his voice.

[Adamusa]

Zachariel studies the man intently. He cannot detect any hint of perfidy in the prisoner's speech, but all the same, it paid to double-check. He glances towards Romeo and twitches his head towards the prisoner, his meaning plain.

[bluntpencil]

Romeo raises an eyebrow hidden by his helmet. He slowly whispers, on a closed vox frequency, in very measured tone,

He gives Zachariel the go-ahead,

"Tell him that you will acquiesce to his demands, on the condition that they do not violate your honour as an Adeptus Astartes."

That should give Zachariel enough leeway, surely. If he asked anything beyond ensuring that his family remained reasonably well-fed, the Dark Angel could, very honourably, not grant the prisoner's wishes.

[Adamusa]

Zachariel nods, then turns back to the prisoner.

+++Statement: Your request will be met, providing that it does not contravene our honour as Astartes.+++

[Toxic Mind]

The man sighs in relief. "You have my gratitude, then, even if it is without meaning to one such as youself. I did not lie, when I said I did not know what the Tau's purpose is on Spite. I do know that I was ordered to capture Lord General Vann alive, and only to kill her if there as no other option. What more do you wish to know?"

[Adamusa]

+++Probing Question: Where are your fellow traitors, the Vengeance Sept, located?+++ Zachariel buzzes, noting that the prisoner has not yet made his demand.

[Toxic Mind]

"In the depths of Javar Prime, in a place called Coldman's conduit." The man does not hesitate even for a moment. "As for my price - my brother has been led astray by the Sept as I was. I want him safe, free from repercussions, and warned of the coming fire. You can reach him, Lord Astartes. He will turn back to the Emperor's Light, I am sure of it." The man seems sure that this will not violate the honor of the Astartes, but he waits for an affirmative before answering any more questions.

[ArcturusV]

Novus had taken up the job of keeping an eye out on General Vaan, and keeping her close by to be monitored, and spoken too as needed. His vox link was open, listening to the interrogation going on, though he didn't let it register on his face. Taking the General to a nearby space (Commandeer a break room or something if there is one available?), he gestured for her to take a seat, poured himself and her a cup of recaf, and sat down.

He was drinking slowly, not really tasting what he was certain was going to be subpar, near toxic sludge that was served in places like this. Still he was used to it, he was certain that any active duty general would be used to it as well, Munitorium Grade Recaf, rated unfit for even Xenos Beast use, but cleared for the Guard.

"So, what do you know about your would be abductor?" Novus asked in a very calm, relaxed voice as he nursed his Recaf and knelt down next to the table, not trusting the flimsy looking chair to hold his power armored bulk, and wanting something more informal in mood than towering over her by standing up straight.

[Adamusa]

Zachariel considers the request of the prisoner. He seemed truthful, and almost regretful of his actions, though one could never be entirely sure. Yet Zachariel knew all too well the desire to redeem a fallen brother; all of those who served in the upper echelons of his Chapter did. He made a snap decision.

+++Statement: We will turn your brother back to the Emperor's Light. Inform us of his location, and his name.+++ he says, conveniently neglecting to mention HOW they will turn him back.

[Toxic Mind]

"His name is Janos Maddred. He runs a medicae clinic in the lower levels of Javar Prime. He joined because I asked him, and because in his clinic he sees the fruits of Ebongrave's madness firsthand."

Another Room - Vann and Novus

"Next to nothing, I'm afraid. He's part of this Vengence Sept, but who he is, or what he hoped to accomplish beyond my death... The interrogators haven't broken him yet." She does not seem overly worried that he might be suffering.

[bluntpencil]

"Find out who his commanding officer is. How deep does this rot go?" suggests Romeo of Zachariel. Surely, this man can't be the only such traitor. He must be working with others.

[ArcturusV]

"Only a matter of time," Novus said, seemingly at ease and not bothered in the least either as he sipped his Recaf. "Pretty rare for a Guardswoman to be a Rated Pilot, much less an officer," he remarked nonchalantly. It did seem odd to him, officers tended to have their own drivers and pilots, didn't 'sully their hands' in that way. And most pilots were Imperial Navy after all, the Guard never touched Aeronautica. "Where did you end up learning?"

[Revanus]

Back in the cockpit:

Lokir nods.

"What path would that be, General?"
---
Lokir joins Novus in keeping a watch on the General, though he keeps his vox channels open and ears sharp to hear the details of the interrogation. His subvocalization growls are muffled beneath the hissing and ticking of the recaf machine.

<Ask by what means he intended to carry out the assassination. Also, inquire as to where he was to take the abducted General. If the assassin knows more about the defenses of Coldman's Conduit, or the armaments of the Tau sympathizers, such information may prove useful.>

[Adamusa]

Zachariel processes the requests and relays them to the prisoner in a barrage of questions.

+++Multiple Queries: Who is the commander of the Vengeance Sept? How did you intend to kill General Vann if you could not capture her? Where were you ordered to take her to? What armaments does the Sept possess?+++

[Toxic Mind]

"The leader is a man named Torvir Artemeon. If I could not capture General Vann, I was to destroy the Valkyrie by crashing it into the ground. There was a secondary site where I could meet my Tau contact. It was well outside Javar Prime. We have mostly stolen las-pistols and a few rifles." The man pauses. "I can give you the last I know. But in return, I want a guarantee. You have given my brother safety, and I will be forever grateful. But when I give you all that I know, I want you to kill me. To ask for my freedom would be too much, I know. But for mercy... Surely that is not beyond reason?"

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

Back in the Cockpit:

Complex 10-5 needs more workers for the machines of war that fuel the Canis Salient. Ebongrave refuses to use what he sees as traitors for anything. Another might be more willing to use the resources provided to them. Straine himself could never serve in the Canis Salient again, but if he were sent to the Acheros Salient, I am certain he would serve with honor, or at least die with it. Vann looks pointedly at Lokir

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

Novus and Vann

"My father died when his Valkyrie crashed because his pilot was hit and no other aboard could pilot the craft. I swore that if I was given the chance, I would not allow the same to happen to me. When I was promoted to General, I requested a detail to teach me how to pilot a Valkyrie, drive a Chimera. Reliance on others breeds weakness. I will never allow myself such weakness." Her face is hard and unyielding.

[Adamusa]

Inwardly, Zachariel is somewhat startled by the unusual request. It wasn't often that a heretic asked to be killed... normally they begged for their lives and swore repentance. Perhaps this one thought himself beyond saving... which happened on occasion, he supposed. He glances at Romeo questioningly, as it isn't a request he intends to grant unless they are all agreed.

[bluntpencil]

Romeo asks a question before granting this wish, for only the truly repentant deserve such mercy,

"Do you wish the Emperor's forgiveness before your death, soldier?"

Of course, Romeo believes that the Emperor's forgiveness needs to be earned, but he doesn't bring that up.

[Revanus]

Lokir's sharp ears pick up the assassin's request.

<Do not grant his request for death. He may be of further use to other parties--either as a source for intel, or perhaps even as a sleeper agent. Additionally, his death may trigger some foul plot or explosive.

If possible, lie and get him to spill his secret. Or extract it from him by pain. But do not execute him.>

[bluntpencil]

On their closed frequency, Romeo responds, using their ciphers, as it's good practice to use them as much as they can,

"Of course. If he wants the Emperor's forgiveness in death, he will earn it - with a deferred execution in a Penal Legion - double agents cannot be trusted.

If he spurns such forgiveness, he shall learn to want it."

[Toxic Mind]

"I want his forgiveness. And then his mercy." The man says to Romeo, though he cannot see him. He doss not seem surprised that others watch. However, he says nothing of information. The man did not resist the interrogation for months by being foolish.

[Adamusa]

Zachariel listens in on the short conversation, then chimes in himself over the closed voxnet.

<+++Statement: Informing him of his sentencing would likely stop him from speaking any further. I shall inform him in a way that does not tell him his time of death.+++> he hums quietly, the sounds inaudible through the ceramite plates of his helmet. As he speaks, he turns back to the prisoner.

+++Acquiescence: On our honour as Astartes, we will ensure that you meet your death.+++

[bluntpencil]

"Earn your forgiveness, soldier. Show the Emperor your contrition. Forgiveness must be earned, and we, truly, wish you to leave this mortal coil with your soul unsullied by sin."

Romeo says this as he steps into view, removing his helmet in front of the prisoner, being the velvet glove to Zachariel's iron fist.


[roll0] Charm TN 65 or higher

[Toxic Mind]

"And how would I earn this forgiveness, Lord Astartes?" The man asks slowly. He doesn't seem completely adverse to the idea, particularly if it gets him out of the Sepulchre.

[bluntpencil]

"First - by telling us all you know.

Second - by doing your duty, as a Guardsman. You will join a Penal Legion. Life will be nasty, and brutish, but mercifully short. And there will be ample opportunity to prove your remorse.

You owe the Emperor a life debt, which can only be repaid in the lives of His enemies, or acting to protect the lives of the faithful."

Romeo still sees this as an execution, albeit a deferred one. He honestly wants to split his skull right now, but his own desires there are irrelevant: he has needed information, and, as an Angel of Death, he doesn't plan on going back on his word.

[ArcturusV]

Novus arched an eyebrow at her last sentiment. He said nothing directly about it, but the look on his face obviously was questioning how someone who believed such a thing in an organization as Gung-Ho as the Imperial Guard. Everything about the very organization as he understood it was about the idea of everyone, millions of bodies, all working together to achieve one singular goal, be it the defense of a world or the destruction of an enemy.

It boded ill for her abilities as a leader and a soldier, if she didn't understand that concept.

Still, he continued on, "So you must have a lot of flight time, right? Seen any combat in the air, or has it been just short hops on Spite?"

[Toxic Mind]

Novus and Vann

"I log flight time when I can, though duty is a harsh mistress, and her call often present. That duty comes first, you understand of course, but I still get some time in the air these days. No combat duty, my place is directing the troops in crushing the enemies of the emperor. Much as I enjoy the air, it is not for me to usurp the order of things in combat. A useful hobby, but nothing beyond that. Duty first, always." Vann does not smile. A statement of purpose, a delaration of self, without fanfare. "But you, Astartes Novus. How do you find your Deathwatch?"

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

The Cell

"If that is the means by which I leave this place, then so be it. You will have what you want."

The man pauses, as if gathering his thoughts. "The Tau spoke of something called Operation Aegis, a long ago Inquisitorial concern on Spite. They have sent not only a Kroot pack, but also a Shas'Vre to find it. Furthermore, they need to capture someone who was part of Aegis alive - like Lord General Vann. We also know of a secret tunnel into the Sepulchre - though I doubt the Sept would use such information simply to rescue me." He falls silent, leaving you with the shock of such revelations.

[ArcturusV]

Inquisition? If he heard right over the vox link. But then all the 'assassinations' were members of the Inquisition? How strange. Oh, not that a general would be part of the Inquisition, service with them, if you survived, seemed to lead you to greater heights in the Imperium. Or at least such was the pattern that Novus had noticed with the contacts he had made over his service. They might have started service as some outcast dreg, but they ended their service buried as a Noble Lord. Such was just the nature of the beast.

His eyes went towards the door behind the General, from which they had entered the break room, right hand drifting down towards his bolt pistol. Again, just the specter of experience with the Inquisition, when something like that got revealed, it was as if the Emperor himself chose to test those who heard, sending them a pitched battle. Just the way the Galaxy worked, Novus didn't question it, he just lived it.

Still speaking casually, even as he prepared to draw his pistol and prepare for a heinous battle, he replied to Vaan, "It serves, as do I. I have no doubt that the things I discover in my Vigil will prove valuable to my Chapter," he did hope to go back home someday, after all. He doubted it would be any time soon. If he was returned in disgrace, washed out of the Deathwatch he would likely be sent on a penance crusade into certain death, the only way to absolve himself of his failures. "The battles against the Swarm Beasts of the Tyranids and the Tau strike me as particularly interesting. Threats we do not face in our normal operations."

[Adamusa]

Zachariel listens intently. The prisoners revelations are somewhat disturbing... if the Tau had knowledge of an Inquisitorial operation on Spite, that pointed to either a traitor within the ranks of the Ordo, or the Tau had managed to steal data. Most likely the latter case, but it never paid to be careless.
He voxes to Lokir.

<+++Suggestion: Question General Vann about Operation Aegis. The prisoner has informed us that she was a part of it, perhaps she will know more.+++>

With his piece said, he turns back to the prisoner.

+++Query: You spoke of a secret tunnel into the Sepulchre. Where is it located?+++

[Toxic Mind]

The man looks up slowly at Zachariel. "The tomb of Hazar Vann."

Novus and Vann

Vann nods, as if the answer was expected. "The Tau are an insidious foe, to be sure. I have spent my entire life fighting their influence on the Reach, and on Spite. We see less of the Tyranid menace in the Canis Salient, but I have heard tales from those contacts I have in the Orpheus Salient. They are a foe to be despised, of a surety." If she notices Novus's motion, she does not remark on it, staying still, her hands far from her weapons, her bearing relaxed.

[Revanus]

Lokir calmly swivels his Wolf Helm towards Vann. His helm's yellow eyes glow sharply in the interior light, radiating with internal power.

"General--tell us about Operation Aegis."

[ArcturusV]

Well that was blunt...

Not that he really expected anything less from Lokir, the nature of the beast indeed in that case. But it was probably not the way he would have gone about broaching the subject. Nor did he actually expect a straight answer even if this was the correct General Vaan, the Inquisition wasn't known for spilling its secrets after all.

Instead he was wondering why the tomb of her father (Or so he presumed) had a secret tunnel leading towards a prison complex. And that suggested it was her father that was involved, not her. Not to mention the circumstances of his death might be more mysterious than a simple combat incident. Aliens, Heretics, and the ghost of a dead Inquisitorial Asset/Agent and the daughter of said agent.

It made sense to him, in the weird way that the Inquisition and Xenos could make sense. The Tau probably only had information on the name of the agent, presumed one "General Vaan" was the same as the other.

He waited for the General to answer, and to see if it was confirming his guess work. If she plead ignorance then it might be time to let the others know of his thoughts.

[Toxic Mind]

Vann's face is stone. It was like watching a bulkhead close on a battleship. "Operation what? I have no idea what you're talking about."

[ArcturusV]

Novus let it slide off him. Must have been another General Vann and a mix up. Apparently Vann was the most common surname on Spite, for one reason or another. Maybe it was the name of a local Imperial Saint or something, there was definitely a distinct possibility in that. Xenos, being the foul, stupid beasts they were, probably couldn't tell one Vann from another Vann, which is why they were never asked to go to Car Shows.

Still, a huge case of mistaken identity, and Inquisitorial work. Fun times and noodle salad. Add in "A literal portal to hell" in the neighborhood and it might feel like home.

"Seems that your assassin may have had a case of mistaken identity," Novus said, smoothing things out from Lokir's bluntness. He got up. wandered a bit, hand straying from the grip of his bolt pistol as he went to grab a box of pastries because, come on, guard break room, and brought it back to the table. His ceramite fingers grabbed one with chocolate icing and sprinkles, causing a strange image of a huge, armored hand bringing a small donut up to a demi-god's face from munching. His other hand nudged the box next to Vann to eat up.

"Seems your name is fairly common on Spite, yes? May not have even been dealing with the right Vann. Foolish Xenos." He shrugged it off with his pauldrons. "Probably just told the assassin to grab Vann or something. Your Assassin just grabbing the most famous one he could get access to figuring that had to be who they were referring to."

"Makes sense to me, as much sense as something as corrupt and foul as the Alien can ever possibly make," there was definite spite in those words, the instinctual hatred for the Alien running strong in Novus, leaving little doubt that there would ever be quarter with the Tau or the traitors who embraced such corruption.

"I do not suppose you would know a Vann that they might have more reason to be interested in."

[Toxic Mind]

"...perhaps" Vann says cautiously. "Though I do not know any other scions of my house still living." Whatever the explanation, she seems glad to be rid of that particular line of questioning.

[ArcturusV]

"Maybe it was your father, or an ancestor who worked on this Operation Aegis. Perhaps this might be the key to the Tau Activity here," Novus offered, "I might have a few contacts that can help illuminate the angle. What about you? Any rumors of the Inquisition sneaking around, major shadow operations that might have drawn Xenos attention?"

He cracked a smile, and finished his donut, "Though I will admit... there is usually something about that word. Almost anytime someone mentions them a fight breaks out. At least in my experience. Quite odd. I somewhat expected a Tau strike unit or some would be martyr to bust in the door and start shooting."

"But all very strange, do you not think? Inquisition, Aegis, Tau, quite a tangled web... I wonder if Inquisitor Gelline is involved in this... a bit outside his realm but very much the sort of mess he often found himself in." He just lightly mused away, and watched the General for any signs of concern or flashes that might have suggested she had an idea of what was going on.

[Revanus]

Lokir subvocalizes back to the other members of the squad.

<No eggs. Risk of oil fire. Scratch the ice?>

The ciphers would hold meaning for the others. "No success. Could be deception. Intimidate?"

[Adamusa]

As Lokir's ciphers process, Zachariel ignores it, allowing Romeo to respond. Instead he picks up the device he laid behind the prisoner's restraints and shows it to him.

It is a pebble.

He deposits the pebble back in his belt and turns his gaze on the man once again.

+++Observation: The mortal mind can imagine terrors far beyond what I can devise. All that is needed is to plant the seed.+++ he explains, with a trace of amusement in his usually monotonous voice.

+++Query: There is one final question. What is your name? It must be given if you are to be sent to a penal legion.+++ he asks, guessing that the man's last name at least is the same as his brother's.

As he waits for the man to respond, Zachariel voxes to Romeo.

<+++Statement: I believe we have learned all we can from this one. Perhaps it would be wise to inform General Vann of our findings... or some of them, at least.+++>

[bluntpencil]

Romeo nods to Zachariel,

"Good work. I'll assist Brother Lokir."

He strides out of the cell, helmet still at his side, and looks General Vann up and down, a sad smile on his face,

"It would not be seen as positive by those in the Crusade's High Command if one were to be seen to be allowing the red tape of classification to hinder the efforts of the Ordo Xenos' militant wing, Lord General. They would be most disappointed to hear that you were as much of a hindrance to the Crusade as the Lord Commander.

I believe the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition, and those higher up the chain of command, would look upon you most favourably if information you provided proved instrumental in the locating, and destroying of high-value Xenos targets - unlike your current superior officer.

Please, do reveal to us what you know of Operation Aegis, and Hazar Vann. Sometimes giving a little information is all that one needs to do in order to be considered a true hero."

He stands in front of her, keeping his distance, appearing as non-threatening as possible when you're an eight foot tall superhuman in power armour.

Rolling Charm [roll0] TN 65

[Toxic Mind]

"Blaise Maddred" the man says, with little more than resignation on his face.

------------------------------------
Lord General Reila Vann is not readily swayed by the same rote given to the rank and file. She knows her worth, to both the Guard, and the Imperium. Still, the mask cracks. The slowly looks down at the chrono attached to her wrist. A beautiful piece, exquisitely carved and maintained. She taps it once, then rotates the finger. The meaning is clear as day. Later. For whatever her reasons, the Lord General has no interest in speaking of it at this moment. The motions are slow, as to not draw attention.

She again says very clearly - "as I told Astartes Novus, I have never heard of Operation Aegis. I will have our scholars look into it when we return to the Black Zone, if you would like."

"As for Hazar Vann, he is an honored ancestor of mine. Two centuries ago, he led Spite in defense of a Chaois Raider fleet. His shrine is located in these same mountains, erected for him in honor of his service to Spite and the Emperor. We Vann's have long served on Spite, Lord Astartes." she makes no mention of tunnels or secret passages.

Vann stands. "Are you ready to depart?"

[roll0]

[bluntpencil]

"Understood, General.

Your would-be kidnapper has been most cooperative. He will serve, for the rest of his short life, in a Penal Legion."

Romeo then looks to his Battle-Brothers. He is unsure if they need to see Colonel Straine at all now, but is still intrigued about one hundred thousand soldiers that aren't doing their jobs fighting aliens.

"I suspect that the Xenos operatives will attempt to exacerbate the situation with Colonel Straine and his men. They may destroy supplies of rations in order to make the troops desperate, for example.

I would suggest that we evaluate that potentially catastrophic situation, before moving on to our next destination."

[Revanus]

Lokir notes General Vann's gesture.

<There may be eyes in the forest.>

Translation: Our conversations may be monitored.

It would explain the General's reluctance to speak openly.

<We have a target. The longer we wait, the longer they have to change the facts on the ground. However, if you want to quash a fifth column before shaking the hornet's nest, it's fine by me. Only real question is whether we have the means to enforce any decision we reach. I don't agree with tossing these guardsmen into factory work. We should not rob them of the honor of death in battle. If loyalty is questionable, the collar should bring them to heel.>

[Toxic Mind]

Vann stands, and heads quickly from the Sepulchre, back to the landing pad to prep the Valkyrie. She says little during the journey back to the ship, responding to inquiries with polite but curt professionalism.

As the hatch doors finally close and the Valkyrie lifts from the ground, she turns, anger written on every line of her face. "I realize that our lives are meaningless to the Emperor's Chosen Sons, but some of us would prefer to die in battle, praising his name, rather than at the hands of a madman's firing squad." The vehemence in the Lord General's voice is barely contained and it is easy to remember that while she may be human, she is the veteran of hundreds of battles, decades of ceaseless war, and highly placed and respected in crusade high command.

"The Eyes of Wrath are everywhere, Lord Astartes, and should the Lord Commander suspect treason, he will not hesitate to act upon it, even if that treason is imagined. Surely you have seen that by now?"

[bluntpencil]

"He is truly a madman, Lord General?

If that is the case, why has the Lord Militant Tetrarchus not removed him from office? Why have you not seen that someone of sound mind commands on Spite?

If it comes to light, twenty years from now, that, yes, the Lord Commander was insane to the point of endangering the Crusade, you would be amongst those held responsible for a major dereliction of duty. Fear for one's life is unlikely to be considered a good enough reason to have done nothing.

Or... perhaps, you haven't done 'nothing', Lord General. Perhaps you have done something.

If you want what is best for the Imperium, I strongly advise complete openness with our, admittedly rather blunt, selves."

Romeo wants the General to prove him right. He knows that the Lord Commander, Ebongrave, is a dangerous monster of an individual, but he wants to hear it from someone else, and wants the others to hear it, too.

[Toxic Mind]

Vann's anger seems to leak out of her, a gradual ebb rather than a flood, but the result still the same. "It is not so simple a mater as you might think, Lord Astartes, to remove one such as he from command. Still, I have doubts. Perhaps you, a Space Marine, can provide me with an opinion I can trust even more than my own. You urged honesty, Lord Astartes. I will not order it from you, but rather, humbly ask for the same, with assurances that no matter your answer, you will have mine. What do you think of the way Spite is run?"

[bluntpencil]

"I remember an old quotation about we Adeptus Astartes, General Vann.

'Give me a hundred Space Marines. Or failing that give me a thousand other troops.'

One hundred thousand 'other troops' - the equivalent, according to Rogal Dorn, of ten thousand Space Marines, ten whole Chapters - are stood down, and, presumably, even more are guarding them, instead of fighting the foes of the Emperor, Lord General.

This is beyond unacceptable, for any currently discernible reason. A waste of lives and resources on a grand scale - and exactly what the Xenos want."

Romeo very obviously disapproves of the Lord Commander, but he wants some more information from the Lord General. She cleared out, as far as he was concerned. True, Maddred had attempted to kidnap her, as opposed to murder her, but he still had orders to terminate her if she didn't comply - she obviously wasn't working with the aliens.

[Toxic Mind]

Vann lets out a relieved sigh. "Then I am not alone. I can't deny that the Tau are a subtle, insidious threat, and that the Canis Salient does need a strong hand. What it does not need is a madman's jealous fist." Vann locks the control stick and faces Romeo directly for a moment. "I have not been idle. His position as Lord Commander is indeed prestigious, but serving as a member of Crusade High Command even more so. There is no love lost between Lord Militant Tetrarchus and the Lord Commander. Such an honor would be one he could not refuse, but could do no real harm to the Crusade. If your team were to recommend him for such an honor, it could be done." She returns to the control stick, and in the distance you can see the Black Zone, a dot on the horizon.

[bluntpencil]

Romeo raises an eyebrow.

That, he did not expect. He stands, his magnetic soles keeping him upright, as he looks at his Battle-Brothers, slightly confused as to why she would wish Ebongrave promoted. Surely that would only make things worse?

[Toxic Mind]

At Romeo's expression and motions, Vann nods, as if the unspoken words had confirmed something she had suspected all along. "This way, Ebongrave is out of the way, your Deathwatch remains in his good graces, perhaps even his favor, and the Lord Militant will not allow him to cause a great deal of harm. There is, however, another way... But it will certainly cause a great deal of strife, and may have repercussions for your organization in the future."

[bluntpencil]

"We are not going to kill the Lord Commander, General Vann," says Romeo flatly.

He doesn't truly thinks she means that, but, to be fair, he does believe that such individuals were a greater threat to the Imperium than many species of Xenos. There were very few individual aliens whose words could stand down one hundred thousand men and women, after all.

[Toxic Mind]

Vann looks at Romeo, a single eyebrow raised. "Playing ignorant does not suit you, Lord Astartes. The Lord Militant Tetrarchus has no love lost for the Lord Commander. At the word of an Astartes team with first-hand experience who mentioned the lapses in security, in discipline, the Lord Militant would have all the ammunition he needs to bury Ebongrave." Vann pauses for a moment. "Metaphorically, of course."

[bluntpencil]

"How would such a statement to the Lord Militant cause strife? What sort of repercussions could it cause? Surely, we would have the gratitude of the Crusade's High Command?"

Romeo is intrigued, this is obviously more to his liking.

[Revanus]

Lokir subvocalizes a statement.

<We are off-track. She has not explained Operation Aegis. And Ebongrave aside, we must first deal with the fate of a hundred thousand obstinate men-at-arms. I suggest we grill her about Aegis, and extract her reaction to transforming Straine's men into a Penal Legion--where they may die in battle. Then, we may decide if we trust her judgement...or loyalty.>

Scrutiny (if permitted)
To judge the truthfulness of Vann's statements in the shuttle:
[roll0] vs. 54(49/2=24 Per+10 Wolf Senses+10 Heightened Senses(Sight/Hearing)+10 Autosenses)

Wolf Senses Reroll: [roll1] vs. 54

[Toxic Mind]

"The Lord Commander is well connected, and even removed from his position, he could still cause strife for your organization. It was a concern I would not leave unvoiced to you. Of course..." whatever she meant to say, she never finished. The Valkyrie flies closer, and Romeo's enhanced vision can make out shapes moving around the Black Zone "...Sweet Throne on Terra, no! We are too late."

The long range auspex clarifies for Vann what the kill team can see now, provided they are wearing their helmet, enhanced vision clarifying the scene.

The Black Zone roils like a violent sea. The waves of rebel soldiers avoid the intact ramparts and pour over and through the most damaged sections. Uniformed Imperial Guardsmen rain las-fire and bullets down on the mob, but it is not enough to stop their number. Within the interior, the fighting is more even. Ebongrave's men have better weapons and armor, but the deserters stay in the tight mazes of rubble, which keeps the fighting close. They strip the equipment and armor from downed soldiers–making it harder to distinguish friend from foe by the minute.

The vox crackles to life. Lord Commander Ebongrave's voice blares angrily from the vox system. "I am glad you have returned, Lord Astartes. I knew it was simply a matter of time before these traitors turned against us. They attacked a patrol, killing them all. I will see them executed, but it seems they would prefer to throw themselves on the guns of my fort instead. I want these traitors ended, Lord Astartes, once and for all."

Vann clicks off the Vox. "Time to make a choice, my Lords. I will support you if you turn against Ebongrave, declaring him unfit for command. Perhaps with both of our support, we might convince the guard to stand down. If you must enter the fight, do so with caution. Straine is devout and honorable to a fault. I suspect the presence of the Vengence Sept in this."

[bluntpencil]

Romeo looks to the others with a grim look on his face.

"My apologies if this seems rash, Brothers."

He activates the engines on his jump pack, which begins to heat up and glow, humming softly.

"Lord General, I believe I can prevent bloodshed. If you would broadcast my personal vox on all channels, I shall show you why we are called 'Angels'..."

---

Assuming she agrees, and hooks him up to the vox, he says "Quickly! Take us right above the centre of trouble. Kill-Team - magnetise."

He then grabs the door at the side of the Valkyrie, and drags it open, before leaping out the door.

He drops, head first, before righting himself about fifty metres above the fighting, in plain view of all, hovering above both Straine's and Ebongrave's soldiers.

Now, his voice broadcasting on all channels, he issues a command. They would listen to him after all, for surely this is a child of the Angel? He looks like him, sounds like him, and his words, surely, ring true.

"Soldiers of the Imperium!" he points to both sides, hoping to address them all.

"I am come to ye as an Adeptus Astartes, and an emissary of the Golden Throne, a servant of the Emperor, so hearken unto me!"

He points to Ebongrave's Ebon Cosh, who are hopefully stunned at seeing an honest-to-Terra Angel descending in front of them, and as he speaks, raises his other hand to the sky,

"Stand down! Your foes are out there, in the stars! The Xenos, the heretic, the mutant! They are not here!

These men are your brothers, not your enemy. They are hungry, they are angry, yes, but they are brothers still."

He sweeps his hands out to both gesture to both groups, as he begins to land with his jump pack, preferably on the roof of a tank.

"And you - Straine and your men! These actions only give the Enemy what they want. As an Adeptus Astartes, I, Romeo of the Angels Encarmine and the Deathwatch, swear that you shall be free to slay the foes of the Imperium once again, but only if you lower your weapons immediately!"


[roll0] Command, triggering the Inspired demeanour for +10 (or +20 if you guys think I'm worthy).

Aura of Leadership, and Mighty Lineage should come into play.

Using Descent of Angels to fly.

[Revanus]

Lokir looks around the craft for a clip/drop harness, quickly sliding into it if he finds one. He chuckles, half in horror and half in pride, as Romeo jumps out of the Valkyrie. Space Wolves much preferred their feet on solid ground--only the dumbest youths of the Wolves used jetpacks.

"Well...that's one way to do it."

Slipping back into subvocalization, he mutters the following.

<You've got guts, Romeo. I hope to the Stars this works. But if this fails, our targets must be Straine's men--distasteful as it may be. They are assaulting a seat of Imperial power.>

[Adamusa]

As Romeo hurtles from the Valkyrie, Zachariel unlocks his restraints and strides to the rear of the aircraft. He taps the ramp door controls, setting them to level. As the ramp lowers, he unhooks his plasma gun from the maglock on his back. With a hissed cant of binary, the coils flare into life, wreathing the ancient weapon in eldritch energies.

Zachariel plants himself on the ramp, his magnetised boots preventing him from wobbling. As the vox chatter intensifies, he responds in kind.

<+++Confirmation: If Romeo's attempt fails, we must target the rebels. It cannot be excused.+++>

[ArcturusV]

Politics. That's what this was coming down to. He was used to the idea of the Game of Nobles, he had even participated in a few hands as things went on. He had pondered if he could have used his connections to perhaps get the Regiment assigned a fitting post. A few Rogue Traders owed him a few favors, they wouldn't mind making a profit in both throne gelt and reputation to swing a battle, and might spare the General a worse fate than his Cousins intended.

All that musing though was cut short when he saw a battle going on, his boots clomping over to the door that the Apothecary had leaped out of. He had his camoleoline cloak on, his Stalker Bolter out as the wind whipped through his hair and across his face. "If Tau are involved, they will try to silence Battle-brother Romeo. Eyes open for Counter Sniper Operations," he stated, well used to having to tell others what he was up to. Perhaps a little insulting, the Marines likely already knew, as he was scanning through his Stalker Pattern Bolter's Scop, looking sweeping through the area, focusing on likely sniper nests who seemed to be paying too much undue attention towards Apothecary Romeo, Stalker Bolter ready to cut down the target.

Well, Awareness Test, having a Telescopic Sight should help with Range Penalties to Awareness.

Awareness: [roll0] vs 52 Perception, +20 Awareness Training, +10 Heightened Senses (Sight), no Autosenses because Bare Faced, Baseline Mark before Conditional Modifiers of 82.

[Revanus]

Eying the battlefield below, Lokir decides that it might not be enough to have a single Blood Angel hovering over the battlefield.

No--men did not put down their arms willingly. Not against men. But against monsters...that was a different story.

The Imperial Guardsmen of Colonel Straine should know that a member of the 6th Legion hovered above them. And they should be afraid.

Lokir braces himself against the frame of the door Romeo jumped out and leans back. A looping, blood-curdling shriek erupts from Lokir's muzzle, amplified by his vox and echoing across the battlefield below. It contains all the fury and violence of the feral warriors known by some as The Rout, by others as the Vlka Fenryka, and in whispers as the Emperor's Executioners.

In the Long Fang's unbridled howl, one could hear the fires of Prospero still burning.

Assist to Intimidate Test.

[Toxic Mind]

A few bullets ping off the armor of the Valkyrie, causing damage to nothing but the paint, but they seem to be stray rounds, rather than a deliberate attack. Novus notices a few gun emplacements rotating towards the Valkyrie, but most are focused on the battle in front of them, and all fall silent at Romeo's speech, waiting to see how the tide would turn.

Even through the enhanced sights of the stalker bolter, there was no way to determine oddities, the flow of war was just too chaotic. Pockets of relative calm illuminate general command positions around commissars or deserter captains, but a uniform pause at Romeo's proclimation makes Novus' job next to impossible. Still he watches vigilantly for threats that seem too focused on Romeo.

[Toxic Mind]

Romeo's voice sings across the battlefield as he descends on wings of fire, every bit the scion of Sangiunus, no matter how far removed from the Primarch he might have been.

Zachariel links the vox in Romeo's armor to the vox system of the Black Zone. The machine spirit of the Black Zone is ancient, but before the Techmarine's supplications, it yields control. Now, not only those on the outer walls, but the entirety of the Black Zone can hear the sanguinary priest. The first to yield to his words are the Imperial Guardsmen. Freed from the chaotic shackles of combat, they look around to see men and women that they had served with before, that they had seen act with valor and honor. And they stood down, despite of their fear of Ebongrave.

The Ebon Cosh, however, are not so easily swayed. As Novus watches through his scope, many of their units break for the Achilian Bastion. A few are subdued before they can escape, but most make the safety of the structure, and dissapear inside.

Even as the Guardsmen holster pistols and deactivate las-rifles, the deserter forces look to the sky. At Romeo's words, many break out in smiles and cheering. Weapons, improptu or stolen, lower.

One man, however, is not taken in. Novus watches as he takes a vox-caster from a nearby soldier. "Adeptus Astartes!" His voice bellows across the battlefield, and while it pales next to Romeo's amplified tones, it was loud enough. "Neither I, nor my men, will serve under a madman, no matter what promises you make. We will not surrender just to face execution for our loyalty!"

Vann's voice comes over the com in Romeo's ear, relayed through Kerubiel, the Assault Marine standing near to the cockpit, allowing Vann the temporary use of his comm system. "That is Straine. Astartes Romeo, if you are to take a stand against Ebongrave, now is the time. He will follow you if your stance is made public. I will vox him as well, and lend you my support."

[bluntpencil]

Romeo responds quickly,

"You shan't. Your men shall serve against the Tau, under Lord General Vann, or under another commander, elsewhere. If you are to be executed, the firing squad will need to shoot me first."

Damn it, he thinks. The Ebon Cosh are going to be a problem later. Ebongrave needs to be officially stripped of command, in order to prevent them causing issues.

Regardless of what happens, it seems that the Canis Salient is going to need a lot more Commissars.

[Adamusa]

Zachariel listens to Romeo's passionate speech. The Sanguinary Priest was a powerful orator; that he had known for a while. This was the first time he'd truly seen it in action however. Regardless, there was always the chance that someone might not be swayed. With a thought, he activates the auspex scanners built into his bionic eyes. Man-shapes and weapon images pop up, though unfortunately the auspex's limitations prevent him from seeing too far. He realised that it would be of no help, the zone being as large as it was and swiftly deactivated them. He would need to rely on his autosenses. He quickly glances backwards as Novus speaks, seeing both him and Brother Lokir covering outwards.

His plasma rifle swings to the ready, the link between himself and the weapon providing targeting data; though with the amount of troops in the area, any shot could hardly miss. He scans from side to side, watching over his battle-brother like an angel of justice.

<+++Cipher:+++> he buzzes into the vox, keeping it strictly on the Deathwatch channels <+++Angel high, iron cloak, hawk sight+++>

Loosely translated, it means that the rest of the Kill-Team have Romeo covered, and have good eyes over the battlefield from an elevated position.

[Toxic Mind]

"If an Adeptus Astartes says he will stand between me and the executioner's bullet, than I will walk to that execution knowing that His light is still with me." Colonel Straine makes a series of vox clicks, and across the battlefield, sergeants give stand-down orders.

Vann voxes orders to the Guardsmen, who quickly clear a landing zone. Already you can see the rents torn repairing somewhat, as deserters lend their bodies to clearing the landing zone. As the Valkyrie lands, the deserter ranks part to allow Straine to make his way to the Valkyrie and Romeo, still perched on a Leman Russ tank.

Vann exits her craft and stands beside the rest of the Kill-Team as they await Straine. Straine approaches, and makes the sign of the Aquila with a brief bow to each member of the kill-team. He salutes to Lord General Vann. Then, a grin splits his face. "I will admit, I was surprised to hear you, and not General Othram, standing against the Lord Commander. Ex-Lord Commander, I suppose now.

Vann nods her thanks. "What the hell happened here, Colonel? When I left, the Ebon Cosh were trying to stir up problems, but you had your men well in hand."

A look of anger clouds Straine's face for a moment. "We aren't entirely sure, Lord General. We got reports that a squad had attacked an Ebon Cosh detail and killed them. Before the battle started, we couldn't find any evidence of them. They undoubtably ran during the fighting, if they were ever guard to begin with." Straine's tone makes it obvious that this is the possibility he believes. "What are we going to do about him?"

Vann turns to the kill-team. "Lord Astartes, the choice is yours. We cannot leave the Lord Commander in his position, but the means of breaching the Bastion and reaching him would be up to you. No other unit could hope to defeat his detail and defenses." Without severe casualties, she left unsaid.

[bluntpencil]

"Is it void shielded? Do you have precise coordinates for the Bastion? How vital is this Bastion to the Imperium?" asks Romeo.

"We could pull back troops and give an ultimatum: They hand over Ebongrave, or Captain Essiter bombards their position from orbit with his vessel. It is either that, or our Kill-Team waste precious time attacking - time better spent finding aliens and their supporters."

He looks around, then his eyes widen,

"Wait. Your men did not attack the Ebon Cosh? Damn! You have infiltrators, Colonel. Instruct your men to operate under soft-approach 'Hearts and Minds' doctrine. Exceptions made for obvious Xenos, of course."

The soft-approach was exceptionally rare in the Imperial Guard. Most weren't aware of it, let alone trained for it. A Colonel would likely know, though, that it meant that his men could only fire if fired upon, and only at those individuals who shot them first. A dangerous proposition, but very likely necessary to prevent chaos.

[Toxic Mind]

"The Black Zone is the seat of Imperial Power on Spite, the symbol of resilience and stability on a world shattered by dissent. We could rebuild the fortress, but not the faith of the people." General Vann says, and Straine nods his agreement along with her. "However, if you wished to continue your investigation, we could keep Ebongrave locked in his hole until you return. We cut his communications lines already, so he cannot turn the rest of the populace against us. Perhaps we may even break in and drag him out."

Vann smiles, the last of such gestures the kill-team would see from her. "I don't think I'll be able to fly you around, though."

Despite a thorough check over the next few hours, no sign of the unit that incited the incident can be found, though a few squad report seeing a ragtag group heading north of the battlefield. Whether they remained in the area...

[Adamusa]

+++Suggestion: Keeping Ebongrave locked in his fortress would be wise. We can vox Captain Essiter to make sure that Ebongrave does not try to leave the planet. This is better dealt with by the Crusade's high command.+++ Zachariel notes as he steps from the Valkyrie.

The plasma gun is still powered up; not for nothing are the Dark Angels known for their watchfulness. He scans around the immediate area, but no threat reveals itself. Upon hearing the reports of the group heading northwards, he voxes to the squad.

<+++Observation: The group seen was likely the perpetrators; I suggest we investigate, perhaps my auspex will reveal something.+++>

[bluntpencil]

Romeo nods his agreement,

"Agreed, we leave it until later, although I believe that I personally bear a significant amount of responsibility for apprehending the tyrant."

He then makes a request of Zachariel,

"Can you open communications with Captain de Dominova before we advance? I believe that we should inform him of current developments."

If it's possible to communicate to their superior, Romeo will inform him of what's happened. He'll mention a full-scale battle, which he managed to defuse, but which required that another commander take Ebongrave's place, and that Ebongrave is now under siege. More importantly, he'll inform their Captain of the developments regarding aliens and their sympathisers, and that they are moving to engage them.

Of course, he will do all of this using their Deathwatch code-speak.

[ArcturusV]

The Ebon Cosh had retreated, likely telling the Lord-Commander of their 'betrayal' in supporting a cease fire between the forces gathered here. This boded ill. Oh, he had no doubt that if the Kill-Team put their mind to it, they could put a Bolter in his Brain and kill the man once and for all. But that would cause all sorts of chaos, minus the capital c, and issues. Power vacuums and struggles perhaps between Vann, General Soft, Straine, Crusade High Command... This was going to be a nightmare. And it still left the Tau and their agents here to run amok.

Standing up he jumped out of the Valkyrie to the ground below, staring down Straine for a moment as he approached, "Apothecary Romeo was right earlier," he added with a smile. "Battle-Brother Novus Magdela, Obsidian Death Chapter, Seconded to the Deathwatch, serving His Holy Inquisition," he added as way of introduction, clipping off a short martial salute, his armored fist thumping against his chestplate. "Our enemies are out there. The Daemon, the Heretic, and of course, the Xenos."

He looked around at the faces of the Guardsmen around the place, locking his gaze on any that would dare return it, not condemning them, but letting them see the fire and steel of his Primarch glowing inside of his steady gaze. "I would love to see every man, woman, and child on this world turned to the service of the Imperium. Every manufactorium at full capacity, producing the weapons of war. Every man warlike and proud, as fits the chosen of the Emperor. Smiling faces and soldiers and citizens who know they can and will weather anything, and come out victorious. I would like to see this planet as a gleaming beacon of Imperial Might through which His inexorable armies are sent out to purge this sector of the taint of the Xenos threat."

"But to do that, it is not some insane commander who you need to focus on. Not yet. First, we need to purge the Xenos threat. And while this Lord Commander may be completely insane... I've seen and heard enough to know there is at least a hint of truth in his ramblings about the Tau Infiltrators." He looked over to his Cousins in the Kill-Team, judging if they saw the wisdom in his words. "We need you to do what the Imperial Guard does best. Hold the Line, and Defend the Imperium."

He offered Straine and any other Guardsman who would lock eyes with him a smile. "Once the Flames of Battle have purged the Xenos, then we can reforge this world into a shining beacon. And in order to do that, we need your help."

He smiled wider, and let out a little laugh, "And probably a keg of your finest ale for my friend here," he tossed his head over towards Lokir, knowing a little bit of levity might help ease some tensions and get people a bit more focused and less pants crappingly scared at the thought of Astartes, Storming a Fortified Paranoid Madman's Palace, or the threat of Tau Infiltrators among their ranks.

[Toxic Mind]

<Acknowledged, Kill Team. Will reply with response. Good hunting.> comes the response from the Ultima Ratio.

Vann's meanwhile, motions over a pilot. "Your pilot stands ready, Lord Astartes. You need only give him an assignment, and he will take you there."

Straine makes the sign of the Aquila to Novus. "I firmly hope, for the sake of the Imperium, that your hunt is successful, Lord Novus."

[Revanus]

Lokir observes the arrayed rebels and the interaction between Straine and Vann.

He next subvocalizes his stance, drifting into short ciphers given their unsecure surroundings.

<El vis Press ley release approaching. Quiaff staples rooster mountaintop? Terminus Bolter Chainsword.>

Translation: We will need to induct penal legion soon. Why not promote the Lord Commander? Ultimately, continue with primary mission.

[bluntpencil]

"Chained squid. Hoods inverted. Fifty sacrament crown beg."

They are prevented from doing so, promoting Vann, by ink, or bureaucracy and rules. The deserters are not, in fact, deserters, it seems, to Romeo. However, he suggests that it's possible that they ask Colonel Straine to offer himself up as a sacrifice for his men - have himself alone take the punishment and join a Penal Legion, acting as an inspiration to the men.

[Revanus]

Lokir growls a quick response...pausing midway as he begins to lost patience with the Deathwatch ciphers. The Rout simply used their native tongue--this was a new experience for the Old Wolf.

<Staples rooster actual. Highest mountaintop. 50 sacrament crown...uh...probably not enough.>

He shrugs his shoulders, to excuse the breakdown.

<Uh...boom and zoom?>

Translation: Promote the current Lord Commander (i.e. Ebongrave) to the highest position (war council). Inducting Straine alone probably won't be enough. Let's get moving?

[ArcturusV]

So much gibberish. One of these days he'd have to sit down over a fine pot of Resilian Recaf and learn these codephrases. That is presuming he wasn't banished to a more ignoble duty himself, or that the team, or him, lived long enough to make that a distinct possibility. There seemed too much to do however, handling these men, the rebellion his cousins now fostered against Ebongrave, Inquisition mucking about on Spite who may or may not have them declared Traitorus Excommunicae for their little act of rabble rousing, probably waiting to see if it was successful or not before passing judgement. Tau turncoats and possibly tau striketeams on planet. Just far too much.

He closed his eyes for a long moment, blocking out the noise, for that was all it was, on his vox link, ignoring the mass of people around them, the whine of Valkyrie engines, and remembered his past. The jungles he stormed through to find the Razorback that now was worn over his back. The long fight, the hardship of dragging that carcass back, the pain and terror as he succumbed to his Flaw in his grievous state of being clawed open, arm nearly severed, and knowing he would be helpless for Vulkan knows how long, only able to count on his tenacity and endurance to see him home.

It was a calming moment, that put his mind back in perspective. Just like back then. Stalk towards the beast and slay it, no delay, no subterfuge. Suffer Not the Alien to Live.

"General Vann, I believe I am going to need a ride to your ancestor Hazar's tomb," he told her. They could play whack-a-mole with their other lead, or he could try to go somewhere they might be heading. With the chaos going on here and the focus of everyone on Ebongrave's citadel, it made sense to him. Very much like the Alien to use this secret passage to gain some edge while no one was looking. Break free prisoners, take over a citadel on the planet, create some massive blow to morale as they turned a major landmark into a ruin. He had no idea what. It just felt right.

Or maybe it would give him insight into this Operation Aegis. It made as much sense as anything else.

He looked over towards his Cousins in the Kill-Team, "I take it you wish to deal with Ebongrave quickly, and resolve this mess. I should not require your presence at the tomb, plenty of time for you to dig him out, before I return," he knew they had slightly different priorities, ever since they got this mission the majority of their focus had been on Ebongrave, after all. And he doubted any of them really wanted to follow him on what was admittedly little more than a hunch based on the ramblings of a Heretic.

"May Vulkan give you many hardships," he gave them as a blessing, for it was in those hardships that a true Promethian Warrior was forged, and he had little doubt that they could overcome whatever Ebongrave threw at them.

[Adamusa]

Zachariel frowns slightly as the ciphers filter through. He only just made sense of them, but then he was never particularly well-versed in such things, preferring the language of the machines. He briefly considers what he has to say through ciphers, then sends it over the vox net.

<+++Suggestion: Front headlights, shield eyes, single angel hunting. Boom and zoom.+++> he crackles. Translated, he says that they should continue with their mission, speak to General Vann about Operation Aegis and allow Brother Novus to investigate the tomb and block it up, if necessary. Lastly, he agrees with Lokir; they should get a move on.

[bluntpencil]

Noting that Novus, being a new member of the Kill-Team, isn't aware of their ciphers, Romeo nods and deactivates his communications system. He leans over, and whispers to Novus, indicating that he should switch off his vox.

"In case of emergency, mayday call is 'Ward'."

He then smiles an apology to General Vann for his blatant secrecy, and suggests that she keep Ebongrave contained whilst they get their job done.

"General, or perhaps Lord Commander Apparent, I would suggest that you feed Colonel Straine's men, and do your utmost to keep morale as high as possible for the time being. I believe that our Watch Captain will be updating High Command presently.

Meanwhile, we shall be hunting the Tau. I believe that we should begin by hunting those individuals who disguised themselves as soldiers under the Colonel's command. Of course, we shan't do that until the time is right."

And with that, he stares, very obviously, at the General's watch, indicating that she should reveal the details of Operation Aegis.

He then turns to Colonel Straine, and slowly closes his eyes,

"Colonel, were it not for me, you would now lie dead, having courageously fallen for the freedom and honour of your men. I would speak to you about that, for just a moment, in private."

Romeo is very obviously about to say something to the Colonel which he considers extremely distasteful... at best.

[Toxic Mind]

At the proclimation of Vann as the Lord Commander to be, Straine's eyebrows raise a bit. When Romeo addresses him finally, he makes the sign of the Aquila, and nods. Of course, Lord Astartes. The two walk a distance away from the the others.

Vann nods, and motions over two pilots, giving them orders quickly and efficiently, seconding the first to Novus, and the second to the Kill-Team, with orders to transport them where directed.

As Romeo's conversation with Straine ends, she gestures for the kill-team to follow her away from the battlefield and towards her own personal offices, finally to divulge the much needed information about Operation Aegis.

[bluntpencil]

"Colonel, I am deeply ashamed of the injustices inflicted upon you, and your men, by the alleged representatives of the Imperium here on Spite.

That is why I acted as I did - against the counsel of some of my fellow Astartes.

Those who did take my side believe that your show of defiance, for which I have nought but admiration, demands... consequences.

There are individuals who believe that you, and all of your one hundred thousand men, must be punished for rising against their rightful lords. The virtue and nobility in doing so is irrelevant, they say.

As much as I might protest that your uprising against, whom they do concede is, a tyrant was entirely necessary for uncountable reasons, they argue that your actions... set a precedent for disloyal actions."

Romeo is obviously struggling when speaking to the Colonel. He obviously doesn't want him punished at all. Honestly, he would have him heaped with medals if it was within his power to do so. The man was a hero, as far as the Angel Encarmine was concerned.

"I must ask you, for the sake of your men - to volunteer for sentencing.

I would beg that you volunteer for martyrdom - to personally join a Penal Legion of your choosing...

...in order to prevent a similar sentencing being cast upon your soldiers."


Romeo exhales slowly, struck with immense sorrow over his requests.

"Such a noble gesture from yourself would save your men from the same - assuming that they were lucky enough to earn even that."

[ArcturusV]

Novus went to reboard the Valkyrie, gesturing for the pilot to follow and take up General Vann's old post amid the cogitators and runeboards. I looked over the pilot, making sure he was comfortable interacting with the machine spirits of the Valkyrie, buckling into the co-pilot seat nearby.

"The Tomb of Hazar Vann, do you know it?" he asked suddenly as he stowed his Stalker, and got familiar with the control interfaces near him. While he wasn't rated as a pilot, he was as a gunner, and knew how to run some augur arrays, figuring he could at least chip in in that manner if nothing else. This planet seemed on the verge and he had no illusions that all trips were going to be safe and secure.

Helping appease and awaken what machine spirits he could, he prepped the valkyrie in concert with the pilot for take off, and awaited to see how talkative that the man might be.

[Revanus]

Lokir nods towards Novus before he leaves. The Stalker boler, the instincts...the lad was a hunter. A scout.

Though Lokir's own gut said that a squad should stick together, the Space Wolves are home to some who needed to march to the beat of their own drum. They are veterans who run with a pack of shadows, putting their ears to the ground and clearing a path for the Claws of Russ to rain down from the stars--the Wolf Scouts.

As Novus passes him, Lokir places a hand on his pauldron. He whispers a farewell. The heightened senses of his fellow Space Marines should pick Lokir's words out, though the whisper is near silent to human ears.

"You are a scout. I see it is in your blood. Clear the bramble away and sniff out intel, if such is your hunger. But keep in touch--if you're late for the party, there may not be a seat at the table."

Lokir pauses.

"My chapter is home to the Lone Wolves. It is considered a disgrace if they return home from battle, rather than finding their death among the bodies of their enemies. Perhaps...don't follow their example just yet."

Lokir claps Novus on the shoulder, and turns back to the group. He will follow Vann to her "office."

[Toxic Mind]

Novus - The Tomb of Hazar Vann

As Novus boards his Valkyrie, Kerubiel follows, a silent and passive instrument of death. The assault marine takes his place in the cargo bay, and says nothing further.

As Novus takes a seat in the cockpit, the pilot glances over in surprise, the expression quickly wiped away in a respectful nod. "Lord Astartes. I will take you there now." A model of an Imperial Guardsman, he asks no questions nor does he speculate aloud as to why two Space Marines would wish to visit a centuries-old tomb.

The journey is just as long as before, and as you approach, you can see the edges of the Sepulchre off in the distance. Still, the tomb of Hazar Vann is a fair distance away, hidden within the mountains. The Valkyrie touches down a few meters from the tomb-shrine, and as Novus exits, the pilot powers up the engines. "I have a message from Lord General Vann to the men in the Sepulchre. I won't be long. When you need me, vox."

The Valkyrie lifts off quickly, and streaks away in the direction of the Sepulchre, leaving Novus and Kerubiel alone. "I will examine the surrounding area." The blood angels marine says stoically. It was a statement, and in moments, the assault marine is gone.

Leaving Novus alone, with the shrine-tomb of Hazar Vann looming.

Arc, Please Roll Awareness
[roll0] 65
[roll1] 80

Romeo, Straine - The Battlefield

"That is... far more merciful than I had expected." Straine says slowly, with a fair amount of disbelief. "I will make no secret that I believe any punishment is unjust, but I understand - duty before self. Please tell Lord General Vann that I accept. She will see to the arrangements, I am sure."

Former-Colonel Septimus Straine walks off, head held high, to speak with a few of his officers.

Romeo, Zachariel, Lokir, Vann - The Achilian Bastion

"Other than his bunker, the majority of the Bastion has been re-taken and secured." Lord General Vann says as they walk down the hallway. Already, the signs of brutal close quarter fighting are being purged from the walls and rooms. They reach the Lord General's temporary offices quickly. Like the woman herself, the office is spartan, functional, and little else. She sits in her chair. "Operation Aegis was conceived and executed when I was a Colonel serving under Lord Militant Achilus. Deep underneath the surface of the planet, we found... something. A xenos artifact, resistant to all methods of destruction that we could attempt. So the inquisition ordered it sealed. For this purpose, the Javar Ward was created. A massive gate, DNA coded to those few of us that participated in Aegis. After it was finished, our memories of its location were taken from us, so that if we were ever captured, we could provide only one piece of the puzzle. I suspect that these murders and attempted kidnappings are directly related. After all, both Iedelus and Coltenn were part of the mission, along with myself and Colonel Ligne."

Vann reaches into her desk, and keys a series of command runes. A secret compartment slides seamlessly from the desk. Inside is a data slate. "This slate contains the location of the Javar Ward. However, only the Lord Militant can authorize its opening. Sending a message to him will take time. I could also have the senior tech-priest work on it. Either way, the exact location is lost to us until it is opened. I defer to your expertise."

The Ultima Ratio

As Vann finishes, the Ultima Ratio transmits a message reply from Watch Captain de Dominova. <Situation with Ebongrave regrettable, but necessary. Priority: Determine location and purpose of Tau lifeforms, thwart goals.>

[Adamusa]

Zachariel glances over the dataslate and immediately he can see the truth in the General's words. The encryption is complex, one of the highest ciphers available. It COULD be cracked... but it would take time. Time, he suspected, they had little of. A quick calculation reveals the statistics to him. The Lord Militant would likely have to be contacted astropathically, and it was all too easy to get a message like that lost in the strange flows of the warp, though admittedly he knew only a tiny part of how the Empyrean worked. Using the Tech-Priest to crack it however... that would be much quicker, especially if he applied his own knowledge and skills to the task.

+++Suggestion: We should take the dataslate to the senior tech-priest to resolve it. I can assist him and we should be able to break the encryption, though it may take some time.+++

[Revanus]

Lokir nods to Vann. "Aye."

Then he looks out the window and growls a bit.

<Take it to him, but do it quietly. If the dataslate is that important, we don't want word slipping to rude ears. Then, we strike the location Romeo extracted. It would be good if Novus could rejoin us, but if not, war does not wait for one's trousers.>

[Adamusa]

The wolf's plan made sense, Zachariel thought. No sense giving away the fact that they knew about the Javar Ward, especially if the xenos didn't... though assuming that the xenos didn't was a risk they shouldn't take.

<+++Confirmation: Dataslate should be delivered discreetly in order to prevent any outside influences realising it.+++> he crackles over the vox.

[bluntpencil]

"An alternative:

We entrust the dataslate to Captain de Dominova. I do not believe that the local Martian Priesthood are privy to Deathwatch secrets.

I would also suggest that we move quickly, and attempt to apprehend the agent provocateurs who attacked the Ebon Cosh."

Romeo is wary of outsiders gaining mission critical intelligence if it can be avoided. He also sees an opportunity to terminate or capture heretics, and possibly find other enemies.

[Toxic Mind]

"I worry about the time such a transit would take, Astartes Romeo. The Tau are not known for torpor. Entrust the dataslate to your Captain once it is decrypted if you must, but I can assure you, this is the fastest way to get what you seek."

[Revanus]

Lokir shakes his head.

<You have the wrong scent in your nose, brother. It matters not to our mission whether Ebongrave or Straine fired the first shot in this petty squabble. As the Inquisition is so fond of saying...Innocence Proves Nothing.>

A slight hint of disdain creeps into Lokir's voice when discussing the Inquisition, but it is quickly gone.

<It matters even less to our mission.

We have a Tau location. It is time-sensitive. We should strike it before the opportunity thaws and the lava of summer washes over all.>

[Adamusa]

+++Confirmation: The Tau must be removed first. We can attend to any rebel guardsmen after we have completed our primary objective. Furthermore, if these provocateurs are in league with the Tau, it is likely we will encounter them sooner, rather than later.+++ Zachariel buzzes, in agreement with Lokir.

Romeo was a good leader, true, but it seemed he needed a prod about the main goal of the mission every now and then, or he'd get distracted. Still, Zachariel thought, everyone has flaws. All that mattered at the moment was ejecting the Tau from Spite with a good degree of force. His lips twitched in a thin smile as he realised that, strangely, he was looking forward to a fight. As he muses, something General Vann mentioned earlier flashes back to his mind.

+++Query: General Vann, you mentioned something about the Eyes of Wrath. What are they?+++

[bluntpencil]

Romeo nods,

"We drop in on Maddred now, then.

Lord General Vann, Colonel Straine, ensure that your men are on high alert for actions by agents provocateur. Unless hostiles are wearing Ebon Cosh uniforms, if shots are fired, assume this to be the case, in order to prevent fractures in your forces."

He is glad to get moving, and glad to finally have an actual target.

[Toxic Mind]

Vann turns to Zachariel. "The Eyes of Wrath were Ebongrave's means of spying on everything that happened on Spite. A system of vox-thieves, spy lenses and data sentinels across the entire planet. Obviously a system he is no longer in control of, though we have yet to gain access to it ourselves, beyond shutting him out." At Romeo's request, she nods "Of course. I will have a Valkyrie scrambled for you in a moment. I suspect now that the conflict has mostly died down, the Vengeance Sept won't try anything. Of course, there's still the matter of-"

BWEEE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGloWW0-XkE)

"An attack?!" Vann's face is shocked. "Who would be brazen enough..."

A Guardsman barrels through the door. "Lord General! It's the Tau - they're every-"

His left side of his face vaporizes in a spray of gore as the round passes through his head. The Kroot is through the door before the guardsman even begins to fall, the light still fading from his eyes. Clearly, he did not expect to see three Astartes in the room as well, and a look of shock passes across the savage, alien face. The look disappears a moment later as a mass-reactive bolt round enters the Kroot's skull, plastering the walls with blood and brain matter, some of which splatters across the Kill-team's armor as well.

"Xenos filth" came the epithet from Reila Vann, her bolt pistol still smoking in her hand. Without a moment's pause, she takes charge of the situation, cold emotionless calculation on her face. "They must be after Colonel Ligne. He is out in the courtyard inspecting the troops! Hurry, Space Marines. He can open the Javar Ward! I will coordinate the defense from here. There's a Storm Trooper squad en-route here. Keep the Colonel safe!"

Now, the maze of the Black Zone works against you. The courtyard is at the very heart, and even as you leave Lord General Vann's office, your enhanced hearing can pick up the sounds of conflict echoing all around, the distinctive patterns of las and auto-fire bouncing off the walls. You must navigate the Black Zone to reach Colonel Ligne, before its too late.

To Speed your progress, you can make use of any relevant skills [Such as Survial, or Navigation(Surface)], or any others provided you can justify how they would help. Be warned, however, that every check you make (as a kill-team) counts as a round of combat. You're on a time limit, Space Marines.

[bluntpencil]

Romeo growls, narrowing his eyes as he slams his helm into position, rushing out the door and leaping into the air, flying on wings much like his Primarch. He looks down as he soars over the walls, attempting to find a route for his Battle-Brothers.

Yes. Now they could perform their true duty - tearing the beating hearts from the chests of aliens.

His power axe lights up, a light blue glue playing across its half-moon blade. Its machine spirit was old, and thirsted almost like he did.

[Adamusa]

As the klaxon blares and Romeo takes to the skies, Zachariel snaps his plasma gun into position and powers it up. The coils flare into life with an audible hum, the weapon's spirit ready to do battle. An involuntary snarl flickers across his face at the sight of the xenos. He rumbles out of the room, an engine of destruction at full steam, making his way towards the sound of fighting.

[roll0] TN 60 sans modifiers, +10 from Lokir's assistance, would there be a bonus for Total Recall, considering he'd have memorised the place as he walked through?

[Toxic Mind]

Romeo's jump pack flares to life, and he blasts above the twists and turns of the Black Zone. In his haste, he catches a piece of metal shorn off by the cataclysm of the Silent Pilgrim, sending him spiraling out of control. Romeo manages to grab a nearby ledge and haul himself onto it, affording him a better view of the twists and turns ahead, and off in the distance, he can glimpse the courtyard. It is covered in the haze of smoke from gunfire and explosions, which lights with red flashes of lasfire. The Jump Pack fizzles ominously. It would be unwise to use it until Zachariel or another tech-priest can assess the damage, though it appears to be functioning.

Zachariel leads the ground squad, his mind remembering easily the twists and turns that he has passed, while voxed instructions from Romeo provide him with the information he needs to lead Lokir to the courtyard. Along the way, the two space marines pass bodies, most of them Imperial Guard, but here and there a kroot body lies, pitted with lasfire or autogun rounds.

The Courtyard

As you emerge and regroup in the courtyard, the situation becomes clear. The Kroot, armed with silenced needle rifles, pick off isolated guardsmen. Two stalk Ligne, who, to his credit, has rallied some of the guardsmen and taken cover behind a low wall. It is abundently clear however, that he and his men are outmatched and outgunned. Without the Kill-team's intervention, the Kroot will reach him, and achieve their prize. Very quickly, shots pepper your location as the Kroot, seeing the greater threat, seek to stop you from assisting Ligne. The Colonel is 48 meters away, and even as you watch, a needle round takes one of his men in the head, dropping him instantly.

Ligne is 48m away.
There are an unknown number of Kroot snipers, though you catch glimpses of two closing in on Ligne's position, though there may be more that you cannot see.
To acquire a firing solution, you can make an opposed awareness test.
We are in Round Combat, so post your actions. The Kill-Team has the initiative.

[Revanus]

Bolter and Power Sword leap into Lokir's hands at the sight of the Kroot, but it is not he who claims the glory.

As the xenos' head explodes and showers blood over his armor, Lokir rears back and howls his tribute to the stars, the mighty cry echoing out of the tent. (Assist: +10 to Zachariel's navigate test, due to sonic effect of wolf cry vs. walls. :smallbiggrin:)

He offers a warrior's salute in respect to Vann. "First blood."

He then bounds out of the tent, his loping and energetic gait keeping him at Zachariel's side. His strides resemble that of a much younger Wolf.

Lokir smiles beneath his helm, offering soothing thoughts to his beloved missile launcher.
Don't worry, Lola--your glorytime will come once we find a target worthy of your fury...

Actions:
Free action: Draw Bolter
Free Action: Draw Power Sword
Half/Full Action: Assist to Navigate
Remaining Action: Move

[Adamusa]

With a blink, Zachariel switches on his augurs. The battlefield blooms in colour, revealing bodies and bursts of heat as the guns of the Guard fire. He scans about for a target, his plasma gun at the ready.

[roll0] TN 64, 44 Per, +20 from Augur Array (as Auspex)
Half Action Aim
Half Action Delay, delayed action to take a single shot at the first Kroot he spots.

[Revanus]

Lokir's razor-sharp eyes and nose survey the battlefield--centuries of experience informing his every move. His Wolf Helm allows the outside air to filter through, allowing him to benefit from both instinct and Autosenses--a true hunter's tool.

Spying the two Kroot closing in on the Colonel, he lets loose a quick semi-auto burst while keeping on the move. The Bolter barks three times, and the mass-reactive rounds shriek as they rocket themselves toward the enemies.

Action:
Full-Action: Semi-auto burst +0-->Move 6 meters.
Attack: [roll0] vs. 65 (BS: 55, Short Range +10) (extra hits per 2 DoS)

Hit 1: [roll1] Pen 4
[roll2] Pen 4

Hit 2: [roll3] Pen 4
[roll4] Pen 4

Hit 3: [roll5] Pen 4
[roll6] Pen 4

[Adamusa]

As the two Kroot flash up in his targeters, Zachariel's plasma gun swings to bear. With a bright flash and a crackle of energy, a bolt of plasma hurtles from his weapon towards the closest one.

[roll0] TN 56, 46 BS +10 from Aim.

[bluntpencil]

His autosenses taking life, Romeo's diagnostor helm allows him to see the very veins pumping vile xeno blood through his foes' bodies. He grins behind the helm - it was time for the slaying of foes, to rend them limb from limb.

He swoops down onto the ramparts, his axe connecting with the left arm of an unsuspecting avian alian.

The Angel Encarmine, tearing his axe from his mangled adversary, rushes forward, his jump pack speeding him along. He fires at the next Kroot, yelling to his Battle-Brothers,

"Attack Pattern Dorn!"


Standard with Bolt Pistol at next Kroot. Unsure of Range modifiers, hoping for Point Blank? The extra move from Bolter Assault should help here?

[roll0]
Damage [roll1] or [roll2] Pen 4

Edit: If he can get within Point Blank Range, which he should, that should hit.

[Revanus]

Lokir hears Romeo call out for what was generically known as a Bolter Assault.

Attack Pattern Dorn--what a dumb name. , Lokir thought, idly.

The Wolves of Fenris kept things simple. The tactic was a common staple of The Rout, utilized in everything from drop pod assaults to rhino deployments and violent charges down the ramps of a Land Raider. It was one of the first things you learned as a fresh-nosed Blood Claw. But it was not called "Attack Pattern Dorn."

No--in the tongue of the Vlka Fenryka, it was a short and sweet utterance.

<Aye! Good call! Bounce and Pounce, on the way. Note six tangos spotted on ramparts--thin 'em out!>

With that, Lokir dipped into his deep well of veteran reserve and Fenrisian battle-lust, and took off at a charging bullrush towards the exposed Colonel. His Fenrisian bolter--not one to be left out of the party--discharged a shell towards another unfortunate victim.

Actions:
Free Action: Bolter Assault.
Charge 18 meters to the Colonel. Fire standard attack at nearest living kroot. If Zachariel's target is still alive, shoot there. If there is a second target who is within short distance (50 meters of Lokir) and has not yet been engaged, fire at that one instead.

Attack: [roll0] vs. 65 (55 BS +10 Short Distance)

Hit 1:
[roll1] Pen 4 [1d10+9+2 (Mighty Shot), +2 to crit damage (Crack Shot)]
[roll2] Pen 4 [1d10+9+2 (Mighty Shot), +2 to crit damage (Crack Shot)]

[Adamusa]

Attack Pattern Dorn. Zachariel recognises the name, though he felt it overly complicated for a tactic as simple as the Bolter Assault. Still, it was what it was and there were xenos to kill. With the blurring speed of the Astartes, he takes one hand from his plasma gun, whips his bolter from the maglock and sets off towards the Colonel at a thunderous run, his modulated voice blaring a catechism of hatred.

+++IN THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR AND THE PRIMARCH, DESTROY THE XENOS+++ he bellowed.

As a Kroot popped up to fire, his own gun snaps up with mechanical precision and barks, sending a mass reactive shell hurtling toward the Kroot.

[roll0] TN 56, BS 46 +10 Short Range

[roll1]+5 Pen 5, Tearing. Damage if it hits.

[Toxic Mind]

Lokir is the first to open up, his bolter ripping across the field towards the Kroot on the ground closing towards the Colonel. The bolter barks, reminiscent of its wielder and his chapter. The Kroot ducks quickly at the sound, scrambling for cover, and the second shot goes roaring through the space the xenos had occupied only moments before.

Zachariel has little better luck, as his plasma shot sizzles through the air, the kroot hunter nimbly dodging around the superheated energy.

Romeo throws caution to the winds, igniting the jump pack despite the earlier blow. The Machine Spirit of the jump pack protests, but acquiesces to his demands, roaring to live and hurling him high into the sky. A moment later, he smashes down like a thunderbolt, his axe slashing into the arm of one of the kroot hunters on the ramparts before it can even drop its needle rifle and react. The axe sinks into flesh before, with a dull thud, the power field smashes through bone, tearing the kroot's arm clean off. The xeno dies in a spray of gore. Emboldened by his swift kill, Romeo turns and fires his bolt pistol at the nearest Kroot, rapidly closing the distance for a point-blank shot. The bolt round explodes in the Kroot's shoulder, spraying the area with blood and shards of bone.

Zachariel quickly draws his bolt pistol and fires, but the balance is all wrong, the shot too quick, and it smashes into a piece of rockcrete rubble, pulverizing it instantly.

Lokir, meanwhile, draws in a deep breath and fires at Zachariel's target. Time slows as the charge sends the bolt round from his weapon, and the secondary charge ignites, sending the mass-reactive round howling across the field, literally. If Lokir had any doubt that the All-father smiled on his actions, they were put to rest as the bolt round howls like a Fenrisian wolf, taking the Kroot in the forehead, and reducing his head to a spray of red mist. The truncated body falls limply to the floor. Lokir charges across the battlefield, attempting to close the distance to the Colonel, bringing him 30m away from the trapped officer.

Undeterred by the loss of two of their fellows, the Kroot hunters fade back into the shadows, firing at the Space Marines as they move.


Kroot1: Aim, Shoot -> Lokir
[roll0] vs 70
[roll1] Pen 0 (Add 1d10 for each 2DoS) [12]
Kroot5: Aim, Shoot -> Lokir
[roll2] vs 70
[roll3] Pen 0 (Add 1d10 for each 2DoS) [13]
Kroot6: Aim, Shoot -> Romeo
[roll4] vs 50
[roll5] Pen 0 (Add 1d10 for each 2DoS) [Miss]
Kroot7: Aim, Shoot -> Zachariel
[roll6] vs 70
[roll7] Pen 0 (Add 1d10 for each 2DoS) [6]
Kroot8: Aim, Shoot -> Zachariel
[roll8] vs 70
[roll9] Pen 0 (Add 1d10 for each 2DoS) [Miss]
Kroot4: Ready Monoblades, Attack -> Romeo
[roll10] vs 60
[roll11] Pen 3 [19]

Anyone who takes damage from a needle rifle must make a Challenging (+0) Toughness test or fall unconscious.

Don't forget you can choose which attacks to dodge for those of you that are threatened by more that one (Lokir). Its only one shot, so a successful test dodges all the damage.

[Adamusa]

As his shot fizzles past the nimble Kroot, Zachariel curses. He'd forgotten that such xenos were often agile. It mattered not, he would just have to increase his rate of fire. The Dark Angel stoically stands his ground as two needle rifles spit in his direction. One whickers past, missing him completely. The second bounces harmlessly off the ancient ceramite plating. Several of the Kroot seem to disappear from his auspex readings, giving him pause for a split-second. Deciding it wasn't worth the attention, he flicks up the fire selector on his plasma gun and sends two crackling bolts of plasma towards the singular Kroot that remained in his vision.

[roll0] TN 66, +10 Semi-Auto Burst, +10 Close Range
Damage if applicable:
[roll1] Pen 10 (20 damage)
[roll2] Pen 10 (20 damage)

[Revanus]

Lokir smiles as his target is vaporized in a shower of blood and gore. It is a well-placed shot and a good kill.

<Splash one upon the red snow. Two spotted upon the ramparts. Heading to the objective.>

With that, Lokir leaps forward in a full sprint, dodging debris and weaving through cover to reach the Colonel. He slides to a halt in front of the Colonel, rapidly swapping his Bolter for his Bolt Pistol in the process. The Fenrisian power sword continues to crackle with icy energy, while his yellow lenses and honed senses scan the battlefield for any close combat threat.

He addresses the Colonel quietly, voice carrying just above the immediate din of the battle--but wary of enemy ears.

"Colonel Ligne--take cover behind me. Keep your head down and we'll keep you safe. If you can grab the cloak off my shoulders, do so--then hunker down and find good concealment."

Action: Full Action--Run (Max: 36 Meters) to Colonel. Ideally, provide cover to Colonel with own body. If possible, take nearby cover as well. (-20 BS, +20 WS to hit for enemies)

Free Action: Swap Bolter for Bolt Pistol.

[bluntpencil]

Romeo sidesteps the Kroot's blade with a notable economy of movement, he allows its edge less than a centimetre of air between it and his armour.

His eyes narrow within his helmet, his vengeful side being given the opportunity to vent itself on the foolish Xenos that dared to attempt to harm his charges. He growls as he attempts to end this one as quickly as possibly, hoping to continue the butchery of the others as soon as possible.

The Sanguinary Priest then swings his axe, a calculated explosion of aggression.


[roll0] All Out Attack TN 82
[roll1] Damage

Edit: Unless it dodges, I decapitate it.

[Toxic Mind]

Lokir charges across to find Ligne taking shelter behind a rockcrete wall. "My thanks Lord Astartes. They came out of nowhere." Ligne manages to get out, his voice shaky and weak. You can see a needle round lodged in his leg and his eyes are glassy. He manages to take the cloak and spread it over himself before slumping against the wall. It appears the Colonel will be little able to defend himself. Still, the cover is good here, and Lokir can see the approaching Kroot easier from his position.

The Colonel is now safe, unless you all die. Lokir gains an additional +10 to detect the Kroot (as do all who reach the Colonel's position btw)

Zachariel's shots are spot on, but the wily Kroot hunter manages to dodge around them. Romeo fares little better, despite his close proximity, his axe scything through the air where the kroot was only moments before.

Meanwhile, some of the Kroot, realizing that their needle rounds do little to the armored battle brothers, change tactics.

The Kroot (4) facing Romeo howls angrily and swipes at Romeo with his blades, putting all his effort into the attack.

All Out Attack: [roll0] vs 70
Damage: [roll1]
Furious Assault (2nd Attack): [roll2] vs 70
Damage: [roll3]

Meanwhile, two Kroot scamper across the open ground towards Zachariel (8) and Lokir (1), attempting to quickly and quietly close the distance.

Needle rifle rounds from the other Kroot ping off the ground and the Astartes Armor.

Kroot 5: [roll4] vs 70 Lokir
Kroot 6: [roll5] vs 70 Zachariel
Kroot 7: [roll6] vs 70 Lokir

They are incapable of doing damage to you, but if they hit (and you don't dodge, they realize their weapons are ineffective.

[Adamusa]

Zachariel hisses in frustration as the Kroot effortlessly dodges his plasma bolts. It seemed almost impossible to land a shot, aside from Lokir's bolt round. As he calculates, his augur array growls and flickers with static. A thought clears it, but as the readings stabilise, the Kroot are nowhere to be seen.

He swears an oath that would have earned him a month's penance if one of his own Chapter had heard it and takes off towards the Colonel's position, intending to bunker down with the Wolf of Fenris. After all, if you had someone at your back, nobody could stab you in it.

As he sprints towards Lokir, needle rounds skitter around him, though none touch his armour.

Run to Lokir/Ligne's position, 24m maximum.

[Revanus]

Lokir's sharp eyes pick out the advancing Kroot upon his position. Not so sneaky, this one.

Still, the Colonel's condition is worrysome. He opens up a secure vox channel to the Watch Captain and his brother marines.

<Watch Captain! Requesting immediate med-evac for priority asset, on my position. Time critical--possible xenos poisoning. Dispatch ASAP. Fangs out and weapons free...we have Xenos danger close. Will establish overwatch in meantime.>

With that, Lokir quickly swaps his bolt pistol for his Fenrisian bolter--the wolf charm dancing cheerfully as he lines up a semi-auto burst for the visible Kroot.

Actions:
Free action: Speech
Full Action: Overwatch--Semi Auto. 45 Degree arc on visible enemy. Fire on visible enemy at conclusion of allied PC turn, if allied PC charges Kroot #1, or if enemy takes an action.

[bluntpencil]

The Colonel needs medical attention?

Romeo growls - surely the best way to save his patient is to kill the virus attacking his system? The virus, of course, being the Throne-damned aliens surrounding them.

Yes, now was not the time for medicine and recuperation, it was time for the dance of death.

Again, he unleashes his anger upon the idiot Kroot that thinks it can match a scion of Sanguinius when it comes to bladework.

With a brutal backhand, he hacks into the Xeno's right leg...

All-Out Attack
[roll0]

Damage
[roll1]

After the bolt round hitting this one, should be a kill. Edited to reflect hit location

[Toxic Mind]

Romeo's power axe slices into xenos flesh as the Kroot (4) overextends himself. The dull thump of the power field activating echoes across the battlefield as the Kroot's leg blows off, showering the area in gore and xenos blood. The Kroot screams, an alien, bestial sound before dying.

Lokir's fortune is even better as the Kroot (1) running towards him turns to see Zachariel charging towards the colonel, and fails to notice the bolter pointing at him. The first two shots take the Kroot warrior in the leg almost at the same time, blowing it to bloody shreds and sending the xenos warrior crashing to the ground. Seemingly undetered by the injury, the Kroot begins to drag itself towards Lokir inch by inch, until it reaches down to see a mass reactive round embedded in its chest. Time slows as the bolt round activates, blowing a hole clean through the alien's chest and leaving only ruins of flesh and bone.

Zachariel charges across the landscape, when suddenly a charging Kroot (8) smashes into him. The Kroot's blade is drawn and it swipes at Zachariel.

[roll0] vs 50
[roll1] Pen 3

Meanwhile, another Kroot (6) slips from the walls and moves towards Lokir's position while the remaining Kroot (7) takes a shot at him with its rifle.

Kroot Silent Move (6): [roll2] vs 80
Kroot Concealment (7): [roll3] vs 80
Kroot Shot: [roll4] vs 70
[roll5]

The final Kroot on Romeo's rampart charges him, swinging its blades at the Apothecary.

Charge Move, Attack
[roll6] vs 70
[roll7]

[Revanus]

<Splash two!>
Lokir smiles beneath his helm. It is a good day so far.

The smile fades as Lokir sees a Kroot slam into Zachariel, not five meters from his position. The pack was threatened.

With a feral roar, Lokir launches himself from his outcropping, leaping the distance in one bound and pouncing upon the Kroot warrior. His power sword flashes out, an icy-blue blur.

Actions:
Full Action--CHAAARRGGGEEE!!!
Attack: [roll0] vs. 78 (48 WS+10 Charge+10 Hunter of Aliens+10 Ganging Up)
Damage: [roll1] Pen 6