Rogue Trader - Tempestus Epoch (IC)

[Donan]

The sirens wail in terror as the Imperial Falcon spins through the void in a spin that appears slow, but is actually of a pace rapid enough to cause the artificial gravity to fail in patches throughout the vessel. Inertia dashes many hapless crewmen against the bulkheads of the wounded starship and tech priests quail as it scrams out its pain through electrical discharges and burnt out conduits.

Worse is the fact that while they have managed to escape the sudden Warp storm by re entering reality, many demons cling to existence and hunt living, warm blooded prey. Terror spreads like wildfire and crew losses continue to rise.

Decide where you're most likely to be in the ship at this point and I'll run from there. Morale is currently at 78, and population is at 84. The Geller Field is currently not operable and your engines are damaged, meaning you can only move at half speed. A -20 piloting test can get the ship back under control, and a -30 command test will help subdue the spread of panic. (These are two suggestions, and feel free to ad your own. :smallsmile: )

[dojango]

Felix Salazar

Felix was sitting at a console in control room 7-G. The old room had been taken over by the helmsmen's office, and maintenance logs and fuel usage reports were piled high on every surface. In theory, it was the Master Helmsman's job to review them, but he had fobbed it off on Felix, while he and the second helmsman swapped war stories about their time in the navy. Felix suddenly paused from reading the one of the logs. getoutgetougetoutgetoutgetout screamed a voice in the back of Felix's head. Never had his hunches been so strong or insistent. He bolted upright. "I gotta use the head," he blurted out as he ran for the door. He walked down the hall about a dozen paces when the dreaded 'Gellar Field Failure' alarm went on. Milliseconds later, the 'Ship out of control' alarm started blaring as well. The voidsman's worst nightmare. Flickers of thought raced through Felix's head. Visions of gravplate failures, of mistakes leading to hull breaches or reactor implosions... his mistakes. Visions of the bloody paste that had been his superiors... Suddenly, a clear image of him running down the hallway appeared. Felix suddenly knew that his path was set.

Felix ran down the hallway. Pictures of former ship's officers and their wives lined the hall; they began weeping blood as he ran past them. Echoes of himself seemed to bounce off into infinity. The visions were confused, he no longer could see his course; but into the auxiliary command room he ran. Thank the emperor the grav plates there were working. Ratings were panicking as he ran past them to one of the control consoles. His earlier visions faded away, and only his long-honed instincts kicked in. Quickly firing off thrusters to counteract the ship's momentum he slowly managed to bring the spinning ship under control. He grabbed his combead and voxed up to the bridge. "Reroute helm control to this console. Am taking the helm; the master and the second helmsman are dead."

[Donan]

Felix Salazar

A secondary helm room

Ship's systems stir and clunk as the order is relayed and acted upon, the controls humming to life under Felix's hands. Despite his deft touch, they feel sluggish as multiple thrusters fail under the strain, but he's handled worse ships then this one and he manages to check its tumbling motion as he fights for some control. Behind him, terrified ratings mange to get into some semblance of order as gravity becomes less volatile, but the strain was still immerse and across the room there's a scream as a control panel explodes in a gout of electricity and flame, tossing the crewman there aside in a tangle of burnt limbs the luckless man slumped lifeless on the floor as the fire that sparked tastes the air hungrily.

Arkhat Koo
Ship's corridors

The Kroot bursts from its chambers and into hell as crewmen run screaming back and forth. Some are trying to put up a token resistance, but are being overrun as a monstrous hound dashes among them, baying in a mix of delight and bloodlust. A line of three brave souls is bowled over the woman in the middle has just enough time to gasp before jaws sever her head. The hound is easily twice the size of kroot hounds and bulges with muscle and terrible fangs, an iron, spiked collar taut around its neck. Blood droops from its maw as it steps forward in inevitable fashion.

You're at -10 to willpower tests, but your action is first.

[The Glyphstone]

Arkhat Koo had been sleeping, and was still somewhat fuzzy-headed from being thrown into the wall of its chambers - but the scent of battle had quickly cleared the haze. There was prey aboard the ship, enemies that threatened the Kindred of its paymaster, and it was oathbound by contract to protect them as well. Brownish-green skin faded to hull-metal grey as it ghosted through the corridors, following the screams, until the turn of a corner revealed a nightmarish hound. Prey.

From its slow stalk, Arkhat's coiled muscles fired and hurled it through the air at its foe, screeching a Kroot war-cry, and as it flew the psycho-active suit it wore responded. A dozen Arkhat Koos assaulted the Flesh Hound, attacking it from all angles with every one of them apparently the 'true' Arkhat. Eleven phantom blades sunk into the demon's flesh without effect - and one struck true with the full strength of its wielder.

Charge action, hits vs WS45.
[roll0], Pen 0. .....Oooh,
Extra 8 damage if the RF check I rolled OOC confirms.

Active Holo-Field will give a -20 penalty for its counter-attacks.

[Genth]

When the catastrophe happened, Arma Magnus was, where else, in one of the muster rooms, overseeing an exercise by the ship's security crew in constructing quick barricades in urban situations. "Move faster, you half-witted slugs! If a heretic managed to get their hands on real weapons, do you want to be caught doing your NAILS?!" The aim of the exercise was to foster cooperation and the ability to build things that would actually work - far too often, soldiers thought that building was civvie work. They might not be able to even approach the Holy Imperial Fists, but for their part, Arma Magnus was going to be damn sure they could build a barricade.

Which is now why he is under a pile of metal and boxes, the ship's sudden imposition of inertia slamming him against a wall and burying him in light building materials.

"The field must have fallen! Magnus is dead! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DI-"*THOOOM!!!*

A rating starts to babble, panicking, before a large, purple blob of highly charged energy envelops him, burning through the light training clothes, the man crumpling to the ground.

"I. STILL. LIVE!!" Magnus yells, throwing off the boxes, a look of fury on his features "And COWARDICE will be punished appropriately! WARGEAR. NOW!!!" he yells at the 'soldiers', grabbing his thick, bucket-like helmet from a nearby bench and sinking it down onto his head. He stomps across the room to a vox-console, and, using the code hardwired into his MIU, opens up a shipwide channel, his voice blaring out over the alarms, gravelly and imposing.

"THIS IS COMMANDER ARMA MAGNUS. ALL VOIDSMEN TO YOUR POSITIONS. NOW! SECURITY, FORM TEAMS, PUT ON YOUR WARGEAR AND PATROL THE CORRIDORS. NO TEAM SMALLER THAN 20 MEN! IF YOU HAVE THEM, GET YOUR HEAVY ORDINANCE. CONTACT PROTOCOL IS TO CALL IN ON STANDARD STAGGERED TIMELINES FROM END OF MESSAGE. YOU WILL REPORT TO LIEUTENANT ASTER. AND ALL OF YOU REMEMBER. PANIC GETS YOUR COMRADES KILLED. THEREFORE ANYONE FOUND TO BE PANICKING WILL BE CONSIDERED A TRAITOR AND A DANGER AND WILL. BE. EXECUTED. COMMANDER ARMA MAGNUS OUT."

He turns to the others in the room, pointing to a tall, thin woman, clearly a voidborn by her demeanour. "Lieutenant Aster. Stay on that vox-console, keep in touch with all security teams, and push pertinent information to me through my Unit. Red team!" he says, speaking to one half of the training group "You are with me, the others stay here and protect the Lieutenant. Barricade the doors once I have left" And with that, he leads the Red Team out into the ship, hoping to make a beeline for the Bridge where he might be able to better control the situation.

[Entelechy]

Duckie, as the humans called "him", had been deep in contemplation when the Gellar field failed. Of course, to an outside, it probably just looked as if he were napping draped across Keira's shoulder, as he is won't to do.

<<To be redundant, this is bad>> he said to Keira through the MIU. He briefly opened himself to the warp to prepare for the dangers ahead, while trying to remember if any useful procedure for a situation such as this existed.


Using a normal strength Precision Telekinesis (70).
[roll0]


and making a Forbidden Lore (Warp) test (50)
[roll1]

[Sgt. Suitable]

The sirens work their way into Maximirs core like a slow ripple effect. He doesn't react immediately but when he looks down he sees the blood flowing from the senschals throat.
The whole ship was in bloody chaos. Somehow this deep crisis made him feel extremely calm.
He cleans his blade on the mans collar and walks up to his throne. He sits down and listens to Arma Magnus conveying orders. When the man is done Maximir locks eyes with Keira as he opens up his own channels. His voice booms through the ship but carries a remarkable calm quality.

"Ladies and gentlemen. This is Maximir Marrilian Thrax, your captain. Do not despair as you do not stand alone.
This is where we show the warp our true colors and this is where we find out if we have a future amongst the stars. The choice is yours, ladies and gentlemen of the imperial Falcon.. Are we void? Or are we mankind!"
His voice picks up in intensity
"Do you wash away like insects? Or do you take a stand!?
Whatever the outcome today, I will have you know it was my honor having each and every one of you with me. It is because of you that I am proud of where I sit today. And I for one will not budge. Frack the warp. Bring it. Show me my nightmares so I may conquer them! Maximir Thrax out. I love you all."

[Donan]

Arma Magnus

Suddenly more terrified of Arma's dreadful figure and rage then the troubles plaguing the afflicted vessel, the ratings and armsmen and women scuttle about into a semblance of order. Lieutenant Astar salutes sharply, her strident voice sounding out.

"You heard him you bilge rats! Stations, stations! You two, the door, get this damned room secure. Someone, clear out that.."

Her voice trails off into the distance as the First Officer exit with a good dozen men and women. A trial b fire, this was going to be. And it didn't take long to start.

The group made its way down a corridor fill of damaged cables and hissing wires, a bulkhead door sat just ahead. Acing smoothly, three men moved to it, working on manually opening it. As it slid open, however,, the stench of blood and adrenaline flowed through, along with the vast roar of a thousand Xeno throats. "By the Emper.." That's all one of the menn by the door gets out before a dart streaks through and takes him in the neck. He gurgles, grasping at his skin as his eyes bulge and he struggles to get air, sinking to his knees in distress.

Through the narrow gap, Arma can see a younger version of himself, locked in battle against a Dark Eldar woman, wielding the same needles that are causing a slow death for the hapless rating.

Felix Salazar

Wisely scaning the augur array, Felix immediately finds a concern. They're drifting, albeit with more control then before, on the edge of the Catageo system and slowly heading for the three world therein. However, from the perspective of those worlds, an unknown vessel has just been spat out by a Warp storm. One badly damaged and heading straight for them.

Which is likely why the two Imperial Navy Iconoclast class destroyers are heading their way.

Keira, 'Duckie' and Maximir

A series of confirmations come through on the Captain's orders, most, but not all, of his immediate underlings reporting in. "Lord Captain, we could use you on the bridge!"

[Genth]

Magnus' eyes narrow, and his lips pull back in fury as he sees the Dark Eldar woman. "All of you, FIRE NOW! IN THE GOD-EMPEROR'S NAME!" he roars, lifting his arm up and letting loose a barrage of plasma as his soldiers are ordered to let loose a volley of las-fire.

[dojango]

Felix Salazar

As the augury data began to flow across his screen, he saw that they were not in immediate danger of crashing into a planet, although the two Navy destroyers on an intercept course towards them might not realize that. Grabbing his vox set once again, he sent a message one what he hoped was the Lord-Captain's private line. "My Lord, this is acting helmsman Felix Salazar. I am bringing the ship back under control so that we won't crash into anything, but there are two Navy vessels approaching us. They may fear that we are out of control and on an impact course towards one of the planets; perhaps they may be able to render some assistance?" His duty to warn the Captain discharged, Felix looked around the room. The acrid smoke from the overloaded console was beginning to be annoying. "Damnation, why haven't you dirt-suckers put that out. Grab a fire extinguisher and give me a hand here!" He yelled at the panicking ratings. Thinking quickly, he unslung his heavy cloak and threw it over the burning console to try and smother the flames. Then he drew his mono-sword, wrapped his sleeve around the hilt, and tried to cut the cables leading to the console to de-power it.

That's how to put out an electrical fire while I'm waiting for those useless ratings to grab fire-extinguishers. Let's see, Trade-voidfarer to see if I'm successful? [roll0] v. 41 + whatever modifier is appropriate. Don't have command or anything, so hopefully they will decide to give me a hand?

[Donan]

Arkhat Koo

The Kroot's aim, practised on numerous battlefields and tight quarters fight, proved true. As the monstrous creature lunged for it, the avian dodged agilely to the side, the gleaming blade it bore slammed into the creature''s back. It parted flesh and slipped between two of the scales guarding the demon from harm.

As burning blood splashed to the deck, its head snapped around in blind fury, jaws grasping for the Kroot's concealed form but it was relative child's play to deflect the blow with the wedge of a sword.

Stumbling back, the hound screamed out in apparent terror as fires burst from under it skin and rapidly enveloped it. The collar around its neck sank into its skin, and Arkhat Koo witnessed the creature tangled in a moment of agonising punishment for its failures before it was torn from reality, leaving only the stench of fire and blood behind it.

Along with several bodies.

The crew nervously began to regroup, though, keeping a safe distance form the blood splattered Kroot.

[Sgt. Suitable]

Maximir walks towards the bridge while he listens to the helmsmans report. "Acknowledged, acting helmsman. Do what you do best. Emperor be with you." He says, hoping this one is particularly capable.

When he walks onto the bridge he immediatly requests communication channels with the two vessels heading their way while pacing over the bridge collecting data and taking in all possible information.

[The Glyphstone]

Grey eyes regarded the crew coldly, even as the holo-suit again started to blur and shimmer to mask itself against the flat metal of the corridor. "Ressssume your dutiessss, men of Kindred Thrax. Elsssse they will not be the lasssst to die."

Again invisible save for a faint ripple of light in the air, the Kroot set off once more down the passages of the ship. Hunting the creatures that were infesting it was an indulgence - but it had a mission, and a duty; no number of lowly crew members being spared could balance the death of the Rogue Trader, should it occur, and so Arkhat Koo headed for the bridge, where it would be most likely to find its employer. If any demons remained along its path, it would either dispatch them swiftly, or avoid engagement and allow them to evaporate of their own accord due to lack of suitable prey.

[Donan]

Arma Magnus


Several shots strike the Xeno as fire is opened and she stumbles back, her agility failing amongst so many weapons. However, a stray shot hits home in the arm of the younger Magnus and a memory triggers.

He remembered this fight. He remembered shots opening and the resulting chaos that had aided his escape during his travels. He also remembered the shot that had lodge in his arm, adding another of numerous scars. Around Magnus, a sibilant voice whispers.

"See what gifts I offer.."

The scene seems to blur and he's suddenly fully back in the ship corridor, any trace of the Dark Eldar arena gone. Around him, frightened ratings cringe, several making the sign of the Aquila over the scene they'd just been witness to.

[Genth]

Reflexively, Arma Magnus grasps his left arm with the right, cold metal clinking against thick ceramite armor. Beneath, he feels the twinge of his flesh-arm where that scar lies, and a prickle of energy moves through his nerves, excitement mingled with distaste and the hatred of old memories. He strides forwards, placing his right hand on the door frame and wrenches it open with his bionic limb.

Gets +10 from using his bionic limb, so starting at vs55, kinda assuming it's not that hard a test. [roll0]
Even at a +10 roll, that still makes it

Before moving through, he looks across at the Red team, and his eyes move to each soldier individually for a moment. "The Emperor protects, soldiers. The immaterium may try to trick our senses, but we are only weak if we allow ourselves to be ruled by them." He steps through the door, motioning for the others to follow. "We are humanity. We are stronger than our enemies." he growls, this time more to himself.

[Donan]

Felix Salazar

Felix managed to slow the fire down by cutting the cables, but his coat went up in flames almost immediately and the fire grew as thick smoke began to fill the room. Spurred on by the heat, the floor around it started to buckle slightly and sweat was think on the faces of many a rating. A whirring sound sounded as a tech priest moved into view, having been roused from his thoughts by the growing blaze. "Vacate. Oxygen will be removed in two minutes, twenty seven seconds."

The Bridge.

Arkhat, Maximir, Arma and 'Duckie' reached the bridge at roughly the same moment, panels blaring numerous alerts from fire damage, failing weapons, radiation and attacks, though the latter were slowly falling under control as the Warp taint began to fade and armsmen became more organized. Keira had remained in the lower decks to try and coordinate efforts there, Duckie 'passed off' to a rather bemused looking lieutenant, who'd be far less comfortable if he knew the true nature of the creature around his neck and shoulders.

After a moment, the communication by the Captain was answered and a woman's face formed, the pips at her collar showing her to be a Naval Captain. Her hair was grey and tied back in a severe bun, showcasing a lined face that spoke of limited rejuvenant treatments.

"Unknown vessel. Power down and prepare for boarding, or be destroyed in the name of His Imperial Navy."

As greetings went, it was a relatively friendly one.

[dojango]

Felix Salazar

"Alright, lads, you heard the cogboy. We're evacuating this room, head to your secondary muster stations and they'll tell you what to do next," Felix shouted to the ratings. He then voxed up to the helm station at the bridge, where one of the more competent midshipmen was (hopefully) standing by for orders. "Midshipman !N'goro, take the helm while I report to the bridge. You've been training for this, just follow the Lord-Captain's commands, and don't crash into any other ships. I'll be at the bridge as soon as possible to take over." With that, put on his re-breather to protect himself from the smoke, and did one last sweep to make sure there were no wounded lost in the smoke, and then he followed the last of the ratings and the cogboy out of the room.

Once clear, he broke into a run towards the bridge. Hopefully the damned bloody tears were the only warp manifestations in his area. But just in case, he checked his bolt pistol. The emperor protects, but a Ceres-pattern bolter certainly helps out.

[The Glyphstone]

Rippling onto the bridge, Arkhat takes a quick look over the situation, including the current approach of the Navy cruisers and the chaotic state of the bridge itself, then moves forward and to the side a bit, taking up a protective posture close to the Rogue Trader while remaining out of view of the Captain's pict-recorder that would be broadcasting to the other ship.

[Sgt. Suitable]

Maximir eyes the screens and his eyes flicker over the data as he answers coolly.

"This is Maximir Marrilian Thrax identifying the havoc class merchant raider The Imperial Falcon. We require immediate assistance. I repeat, this is Maximir Marrilian Thrax and we are in distress. We acknowledge your boarding attempt and will comply. Just.. Hurry."

[Genth]

Magnus stormed into the bridge, flanked by his team of soldiers, who form up along the wall as he moves towards his traditional post, standing to the left of the Lord Captain, watching over the bridge officers with a glare and a sneer. He places his left hand on the console and glances down at the screen, a report of the ship's systems flashing at him. "Commander Arma Magnus taking oversight of combat personnel. Keep me informed, Lieutenant Aster." he growls before finally turning to acknowledge Maximir, an oversight that, while technically correct in a crisis situation, is likely very intentional, knowing the Commander. "My Lord, by all reports we are regaining control of the ship. I request permission to send an honor guard for our.. visitors." He looks over to an Engiseer, and catches their attention. "Can you give us a recommendation for them to board, Engiseer? Best location would be close to the bridge."

[Donan]

"Identifying structural intact docking ports and shuttle bays." The enginseer rattles off, before producing a number. "Shuttle bay BX-Y6 Beta is recommended. Distance to bridge, 150 metres by major corridor. Warning. Fire hazard detected in corridor. Fire suppression advised."

The Captain nodded sharply before shutting off communication. Given Naval procedures, they had some time before the shuttle of cadets arrived for the initial sweep. (The Navy tried to avoid risking the important people when dealing with potential Chaos tainted ships)

[Entelechy]

Seperated from Keira in the confusion, Duckie hurries to Maximir.

<<Wear me, please,>> he says. He needs a human to offer cover when the Imperial boots hit the deck.

[Sgt. Suitable]

Maximir

Maximir holds out his arm for the creature to jump onto him and find a suitable place between his garments.
"Glad you've decided to join us Magnus. Permission granted." He scans the crew with a quick glance.
"There is a man by the name of Felix Salazar operating as acting helmsman right now. I want him on the bridge asap, if you could be so kind to see to it he gets here as well?"

[Genth]

The Commander nods sharply to Maximir, tapping a few icons on his lectern-display, opening a channel to one of the teams on the vessel. "Mister* Koral, take twenty and head for Shuttle Bay Burn X-Ray Yarrick Six, and escort our naval comrades to the bridge. Straight to the bridge. We will have a sweep plan for them when they arrive, but I don't want them trouncing around the ship with lasguns bared without control. Commander Arma Magnus out." He taps a few more icons. "Lieutenant Doplan, take five and intercept out Voidsman Salazar. He should be.... heading here from Seven Gothic. Be gentle."

Arma Magnus turns to the Lord Captain again, eyes narrowing for a moment at the Lord's 'pet', the brief look of distaste on his face belying his attitude towards the Xenos and growls. Lord Captain. It would be wise to be cautious with the Imperial Navy. They cannot afford to give anybody the benefit of the doubt. I would strongly suggest ordering your... bodyguard." He looks towards Arkhat, "To remain cloaked at all times when the Navy are on board. One glimpse could be an excuse." He glances again at Arkhat, quite differently as he did towards 'Duckie'. There had, over the past voyage, been a grudging, if mostly unsaid respect from the Commander. The Xenos may be a filthy alien polluting his air, but it was fanatically loyal, and, oddly enough, Arma trusted him. "As much as it would be good to keep a competent eye on them.."

Magnus insisted on security personnel following Imperial Guard ranks. Hence the rank above a Lieutenant on board is a Captain. Hence Captain Koral. Naturally, in front of the Lord Captain, calling a mid-ranking officer Captain might be a little... prickly. Hence the tradition of calling Captains 'Mister' while in the presence of the Ship's officer class.

[The Glyphstone]

Arkhat's laughter was a harsh, gutteral clicking, as it re-engaged the mechanisms on its holo-suit and slowly faded away into an empty hole in the air. Its accented Gothic echoed oddly through the suit's baffles, obscuring the exact direction from where it spoke. "It is the foolisssh hunter that makesssss his presence known to the prey before sssstriking. If they offer the Lord Captain no violence, they will never know I am here."

[dojango]

Felix Salazar

It was 300 meters as the void-crow flew from the auxiliary control room to the bridge, but Felix couldn't fly. And most of that was up. At the top of the central stairwell, Felix paused, gasping for breath, when he suddenly noticed 5 naval shotguns pointing at him. He froze. One of the troopers cautiously walked over, lifted up Felix's ID badge and glanced at it. "Follow us, sir," she said as the others lowered their weapons.

When they reached the bridge, Felix gave the snappiest, but quickest salute he could, as he hurried over to the main helm station. "Acting Helmsman Salazar reporting for duty, sir! Move over, midshipman, good work keeping us steady. Let me take over." Felix slid into the master Helmsman's station. Far superior to the crude controls of the secondary stations, this one was a work of art. Screens showing auspex data flickered to life as his MIU connected with the console, the centralized control system linking in with micro-thrusters across the ship. Neural feedback began to spoof his senses, suddenly, the ship's hull was his skin, the ship's auspex his eyes. He began to right himself, restore his balance, and once again wait cautiously as men with guns drawn approached him.