Arbites Strike Team (DH1) IC

[Kaptin Keen]

It's a long and complicated process of interviews and tests and background check-ups and more interviews. You get the feeling that getting into the Arbites is only slightly less difficult than getting into the Astartes.

Eventually, you are brought before the Judge. He is a man of massive stature - sure, he's wearing power armor, but still - old but still strong and vital, with a gaze of pure, tempered steel, and a voice to put the fear of the God-Emperor into the guilty, and the innocent alike.

He gives you your badges and seals, and that's the end of the ceremony. You have managed to secure a position on an Adeptus Arbites Strike Team. Specialists on each your field, you bring necessary skills in either investigation - or the confrontation that will assuredly follow. You will be given a ship, a mission, and the authority to see it through.

What this means is that, while you cannot necessarily rely on the cooperation of local authorities, you have unlimited warrant to do as you see necessary. If you shoot a planetary governor during an arrest, and he was guilty, no one will bad an eye lash. If he was innocent, you may find yourself investigating the worst backwaters of the Imperium for the rest of your lives - but you will not be tried, or punished (otherwise).

One the one hand, there are weeks of orientation, instruction, onboarding, basic training, outfitting - on the other, just 10 minutes after the end of the ceremony, your shuttle lifts off, taking you into orbit, where The Gavel, your new home, awaits, to take you to your first operation.

It's a simple one. The local request for aid reads:


FROM: Iron Fist Enforcement and Security Agency, Inc. (Private License and Contract Number: AS44562d3/Q39001)
TO: Officio Adeptus Arbites, Sector HQ, Presiding Judge Harlan Gallagher

Lord Judge,

I write you at great personal risk, without the knowledge of my superiors, and in direct disobedience of explicit orders.

The mining colony of United Bounty, Excavation XII, on the asteroid Weber (designation DD44112) in the Cravius system has been troubled by sedition and cultist activity for years. Recently, according to every official statistic, the problem has been reduced basically to nothing. Violent incidents and other suspicious activity has continued to rise, but arrests and convictions have plummeted.

Recently, a squad of loyal enforcers brought in two prisoners, and followed due process. We received orders from command to release the prisoners immediately, on account of false charges.

Something very wrong is going on, and we need someone from the outside - someone incorruptible - to sort it out.

Please send immediate assistance. I fear this whole outpost is at risk.

SIGNED: XXX

There is a note attached at the end, from the judge:

Go in guns blazing if you feel you must. Be warned that we have no confirmation here - one way or the other. Trust no one. Resolve the issue. Report back via Astropath when done.

Sure. Simple.

[DrK]

Trooper Plex

Aboard the Gavel Plex reads the mission briefing nodding a curt thanks to the rating who had been at the auspex array and received the message. Heading from the communications room he heads down the secondary command chamber and activities the ancient logis systems within and activates the holo display. Typing into the array he searches for details in the Adeptus adminstratum records on Cravius system asteroid DD44112.

Sitting on one of the chairs he pulls out a lho stick and lights it, savouring the taste and blowing a clean smoke ring that floats around the glow lamp dangling form the ceiling. As the rest of the team enters he nods a greeting. "Orders. Possible sedition and corruption on an Asteroid mining colony." Feeling a thrumming beneath his feet and a slight gravity pull he steadies himself on the console, "I guess the bridge crew have the co-ordinates then." Shivering he grimaces, "Emperor shield us from the perils of the Warp."

With the orders in hand he waits for the cogitator to display any pertinent information on Asteroid DD44112.


Common Lore (Imperium) [roll0] TN 34

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
Source of information? Suspected extent, and nature of the corruption?

[LairdMaon]

"Blessings, comrades, blessings." Priest De'Lion stumbles in and half-lurches to a high backed chair. "Forgive me, I just can't seem to get my feet in the void of space."

[dojango]

When Penny boarded the Gavel and made her way to the ship's Mechanicus enclave, she found them unwelcoming, insufferably arrogant, and prone to treating the Arbites like delicate and annoying cargo. It reminded her so much of home! Through cajoling, whining, and occasionally crying, she managed to convince the chief Magos to assign her a luxurious 14.7 cubic meters of workspace/living quarters just abaft of vent-pump 17. Which was quite sweet of him... the smell of poorly recirc'd air was just like the air she grew up with! At any rate, when she heard that they had a new mission, she headed over to the briefing room. "Misuse of mining equipment is a very serious crime... that stuff's worth more than any of make in a million years... possibly two..." When the priest walks in, she smiles at him. "Don't step on the cracks between the deckplates, padre. That's where the grav fields overlap."

[Kaptin Keen]

Trooper Plex

Aboard the Gavel Plex reads the mission briefing nodding a curt thanks to the rating who had been at the auspex array and received the message. Heading from the communications room he heads down the secondary command chamber and activities the ancient logis systems within and activates the holo display. Typing into the array he searches for details in the Adeptus adminstratum records on Cravius system asteroid DD44112.

Sitting on one of the chairs he pulls out a lho stick and lights it, savouring the taste and blowing a clean smoke ring that floats around the glow lamp dangling form the ceiling. As the rest of the team enters he nods a greeting. "Orders. Possible sedition and corruption on an Asteroid mining colony." Feeling a thrumming beneath his feet and a slight gravity pull he steadies himself on the console, "I guess the bridge crew have the co-ordinates then." Shivering he grimaces, "Emperor shield us from the perils of the Warp."

With the orders in hand he waits for the cogitator to display any pertinent information on Asteroid DD44112.


Common Lore (Imperium) [roll0] TN 34



The cogitator hums and clicks for a while, then spits out a nice, pristine slate of data, detailing anything revealed in the latest census. Population 132.935, primary exports metal alloys, rare earths, promethium additives, and 'volatiles'. There's a list of active corporations too - the colony is owned by Cerberus Mining Corporation, but Cerberus employs others for a variety of things: Iron Fist for security, HAPPY/HEALTHY/WHOLESOME for catering, recycling and life support, Your Crap, Our Hands for cleaning and sanitation, and so on.


Let me know if there's anything specific you're interested in, that I haven't covered.



Phil Vega
Source of information? Suspected extent, and nature of the corruption?

Source of information: Unknown, anonymous
Suspected extent: Asteroid Weber is 3,8% above the sector average for number of seditious or heretical indicents per 10.000 capita. High enough for concern, but not outright alarm. Inquisition has visited Weber twice in the past decade, and found few, disorganised and underfunded cells - which have been eradicated.
Nature of corruption: Desperation leads men astray, but there have been found no rogue psykers or signs of sorcery, which serves to limit the potential damage. Let the mind be a fortress, it gates closed and barred against the enemy.

[LairdMaon]

"I'll try to keep that in mind, priestess. And perhaps you will describe what these cracks you speak of look like?" The priest looks over the missive and his face turns grave, "I don't believe we should go in 'guns blazing' as we are told we can. That's a powerful risk of killing the victims. What do we know about the victims at this time?"

[Kaptin Keen]

After some deliberation, the cogitator spits out piles of information about past victims.

The crimes go back decades, but according to the reports, stopped recently. However, certain patterns emerge to dedicated scrutiny:

There is a particular place - Shaft 51 - which is never mentioned. However, at least half the incidents take place close to it. Any concerted effort on the behalf of investigators would have revealed this, so it seems it might be a deliberate omission.

The remaining incidents show another pattern: It seems, so long as the the incident didn't happen close to Shaft 51, there's a clear overrepresentation of management personnel being hit.

The majority of 'incidents' are particularly horrid murders.


Someone might roll a succesfully to investigate (any applicable skill is fine) at -30 to get ... the fine print.

Remember you have Fate to spend.

[DrK]

Trooper Plex

Plex studies the reports over the next few weeks as the Gavel plunges into the outer system before transiting to warp. As previously the shift to warp left Plex pale, sweating and vomiting. Even though he knew the Red Robes Priests of the MEchanicus swore on their cogs that the geller field was impenetrable he couldn't hepl but feel watched, shadows scurrying at the edge of his vision and scratching of things in the ducts... He breathed a sigh of relief and paused at the Shrine to the God Emperor when they transited back to real space leaving a prayer wafer amidst the hundreds of others left by the thankful crew.

With only a few days left before they reached their destination he focused his efforts on the pattern of killings around Shaft 51 and the nature of the victims


Scrutiny [roll0] TN 28
Logic (untrained) [roll1] TN 17



Without much in the way of luck he also spent time on the firing range cleaning and practicing with his pistol and the heavy arbites shotgun getting the hang of both. Looking at the likley way things would go he requistioned some of the black coloured Arbite Carapace to keep him safe before submitting a request for other minor materials to one of the countless robed Adminstratum clerks that thronged the ship. Having to complete the requisition requests in triplicate wasn't the most enjoyable but it passed the time.



Multikey
Magnacles
Clip harness and spool wire
Repirator
Stun grenades

[dojango]

Penny took a copy of the station's report down to her quarters, along with a map of the station and some colored string. There was something hidden here, she could feel it...

[roll0] v. 21 Logic -30

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega considers the list of incidents. The others would consider the more mundane angles, he looks for any patterns that might correspond to occult activity. He takes a particular interest in the middle management murders, and the particular methods of execution, and location.

Scholastic Lore [Occult] [roll0] (44)
Forbidden Lore [Psykers] [roll1] (44)

[Kaptin Keen]

Penny took a copy of the station's report down to her quarters, along with a map of the station and some colored string. There was something hidden here, she could feel it...

[roll0] v. 21 Logic -30


Well look at you, right on the money - well done, that's exactly what I was looking for.

Still, none of you spent Fate. It refreshes constantly - never save it.


It is Penny who spots it.

It's not easy - there is a lot of data to go through. Decades of reports and arrests, hundreds of incidents, victims and suspects. But if you keep everything straight in your head, then you can see it. One name. One man, one signature that repeats over and over. You can follow this man's career as he rises through the ranks, from a lowly scribe somewhere deep in the colony Administratum - to recently being promoted Colony Overseer, the closest to a governor a tiny mining colony ever gets.

That name is Anton Vordekamp. Colony Overseer Anton Vordekamp.

There's nothing in the evidence to suggest he's responsible for the killings. But he's certainly the one who has diverted attention away from Shaft 51, and he has signed off on a lot of documents denying access to information, closing investigations, and so on.

[dojango]

A few hours, four pots of recaf later. Penny shouts excitedly, "I've got it! Yes! Take that, maintenance log three!" There is no response. Which is not surprising, since she's alone in her quarters with only a partially-assembled servitor for company. Eventually, making sure her theory is sound, she reports back to the other Arbites. "Ya see here? The boss of the colony's been trying to keep things quiet. But any clerk worth his dataslate is gonna try and cover his exhaust port... and sure enough, lookit these reports. 'Closed per policy'. 'Closed per current directive'. 'Closed per SOP'. Someone's been telling them to close these investigations out, and they don't want to take the blame for it... who's been setting the policy, yeah? If we look at the meeting minutes for the past seventeen operation councils..." she goes on for some time, pointing out all the inconsistencies in the paperwork.

[Kaptin Keen]

It is two weeks of warp travel. It's not bad, as warp travel goes. Sure, shadows on the walls seem menacing, the light seems off somehow, there are strange sounds when awake, and weird nightmares when asleep - but all in all, this is a peaceful trip through the warp. Perhaps quiet before the storm.

On arrival, sensors reach out across the system, mapping planets and asteroids, establishing contact with outposts, Imperial traffic control, and so on. Your navigator plots a course for Weber, and engages main plasma engines. It'll be another couple of days to get there.

The system has seven inhabited colonies. Weber, obviously, isn't the primary one. That dubious honor goes to Coal, a scalding hot planet close to the sun, but just barely inside what might be considered the 'habitable zone'.


In case you're interested:

Three planets show habitation, but only one - Coal - has a breathable atmosphere. The remaining 4 habitations are 3 asteroids and one space station.

The space station is a combined trade and transit hub, and Imperial outpost. It has a tiny complement of minor Imperial vessels - frigates, corvettes, system ships.

Weber is a large asteroid. It has a small spaceport, large topside facilities, and endless warrens of subterranean tunnels and chambers. It is a composite affair: What is mined here is metal and rare compounds - but the asteroid is riddled with pockets of volatile gasses. These are also mine ... but carefully.

[boj0]

Jarn was mostly keeping to himself during the trip, ship travel never sat well with him, not that he would voice that concern. When it is announced that they are approaching their destination he will meet up with the rest of the team to go over the briefing.
Between his distance from the squad the slicked back hair and groomed mustache that marks him as spending far too much time as a pleasure world liason, and his habit of lazily sipping recaf while leaning against walls, he easily comes across as unlikable.

[DrK]

Trooper Plex

Plex looks over the data as the excited Penny explains her find. Plex claps her on the back, "Impressive work Penny. Emperor be praised. I had missed that connection. But..." he pauses, a hand resting on the gun at "What do we do with that information?" Glancing around the room he looks to the rest of the team for their opinion. "It looks like the Mine Governer is involved, the law is probably compromised as well. Shall we investigate the shaft?"

He glances around, considering the options between the full carapace or a more subtle mesh vest underneath the trench coat. "Do we go in subtle or hard with the investigation? But keep away from Vordekamp until we have additional evidence?"

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

"I am very impressed, Sister Penny. Vordekamp sounds like quite the character. Would it be wise to speak to him as we begin our investigation? Could be worth it for getting a feel for his immediate environment " He turns to regard Patrol Officer Plex, "I think we can take for granted that this will come to armed conflict. I'm wondering if I can gain your assistance in requisitioning more appropriate gear."

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega enjoyed the ship voyage, it was like a slice of home.
I think that depends on the welcoming party. If we get a clerk, subtle. If we get an ambush, hard. And if no one shows up, we head straight for the shaft before the governor notices we are here.

[Kaptin Keen]

Eventually, the tiny traffic tower at Weber spaceport hails you:

This is Weber control calling ship on approach. Please state your identity and reason for visiting.

[dojango]

"One final thought before we say hello... we could always claim to be a Mechanicus inspection team takin' a look at the mining equipment, makin' sure inspection protocols are carried out. Very subtle. I know that the bossman frowns on subtlety... blah blah, you are the fist of the emperor, Pensacola, not some two-bit throne agents skulking around, so you need to go in straight-backed and proud, blah blah... but on the other hand, he's not here, is he?" she says, making a chattering hand speak in a deep voice, like that of the judge.

[boj0]

"A subtle approach is often prudent, however I can't say I'd make a good Mechanicus agent; and a bluff that easily seen through will immediately put the suspects on the defensive and send guilty parties hiding. If we are to scatter roaches, I'd prefer to do it from the start and put the screws to those left in the light, at least until we find out who is actually guilty."

[Janwin]

Having finally finished her repairs and maintenance work on the Cyber-mastiff technically dubbed "Rho-Epsilon-Xeta-314", or "Rex", Fenria finally joins the others on the bridge of the small Arbites vessel with the robotic hound at her side.

Dressed in the red robes of the Adeptus Mechanicus which cover her flack jacket, she probably could pass for a tech adept. The shotgun and the presence of the others, however, would be unusual.

"I must agree; you would make a poor agent of the Cult of Mars. We may not have the opportunity for subtlety in this investigation; it is unlikely that these colonies have many visitors, let alone visitors wishing to snoop around. Thus, it may be most prudent to simply begin our investigation by looking exactly where it seems people do not want people to look."

[Kaptin Keen]

Inbound ship. Please respond, or our fully automated defence turrets will assume you have hostile intentions, and open fire.

The voice of the traffic tower Controller - previously bored - now has taken on a slight edge.

[dojango]

"Fine, fine. I always like meetin' new people, let's say hello to these chaps." She flips on the comm channel. "Hey there! This is special Arbite task force ship The Gavel! Since firing on an Arbite ship is treason, I'm pretty sure that threatening to fire on an Arbites ship is, ya know, light treason! So cool yer jets and set up a dockin' bay and an official reception for us, wouldya?"

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

The priest busies himself cleaning up the amasec he'd been drinking from the wall where it sprayed.
From his nose.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega frowns at the disparagement of the judge but keeps his mouth shut.

Once the decision has been made, and the com off.

Perhaps a more serious tone would be appropriate if we are providing true credentials. It would not do to have faith in the Arbites diminished.

[DrK]

Trooper Plex

The trooper grins slightly at the casual tone on the response. "Aye, thrones sake, that'll scare them." He nods and sends their ships code and identity to the Weber Space Defence control.

"Aye, I agree with you Fenria. We should arrive as the fist of the Empire. We are Arbites, upholders of Imperial Law. They can assist us or face the Emperor's justice.

[Kaptin Keen]

Hey - you only had to say it.

Arbites Task Force ship, The Gavel, please proceed to docking bay 2. Refuel and refit services are available at nominal fees. Be sure to visit the Arcade on level 4 of the colony, for all your shopping needs.

I have notified station management and security of your arrival.

Once proper identification is supplied, the tower acts pretty much as any privately run traffic control would.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

"Trooper Plex, do you think you'd be willing to help me out with requisitions? I'd rather not be the weak link due to the equipment I carry."

[boj0]

"I figured a man of your vocation would declare we need naught but faith and will; however I'm partial to dispensing justice with 10 gauge shells. "

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

"The Emperor protects from many hazards, yes. He loves those who ease that burden as well, particularly if they intend to garner greater hazards."

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega is moved to awkwardly ask
Would you be willing to help me find some armor as well?

[DrK]

Trooper Plex

Trooper Plex nods to the others, "Aye sure. I know they say Gavel is a small ship but still a maze of plasteel. I found the armoury on the trip so I'll show you down" He joins the others heading down to the armoury to collect shotguns, traditional black carapace armour and a solid looking shock maul.


Can we get some form of manacles?


Hanging the helmet from his waist he looks around, "Ready to see what this mining station holds?" he offer to the rest of the team as he trots back upstairs and slowly makes his way to the airlock. With a heavy trench coat over the carapace body armour and a shotgun slung over his shoulder he and the rest of the team no doubt present a grim picture!

[Kaptin Keen]

The ship has several types, in near-infinite supply. From zip solutions, over hardened steel, to straitjackets, and so on. There are explosive collars.

[Kaptin Keen]

It is a tense last few minutes as the Gavel decelerates towards the docking bay. Great pillars of atomic fire slow the ship to an elegant halt, touching down with barely a tremor. Seems your pilot has been practicing. You sit there a little while, while ground crew work to secure the ship, connect refuelling lines and so on.

Then it's time to disembark. The main airlock cycles, the ramp descends, and you step off board.

A small group of officials are gathered to greet you: Some type of administrator in an expensive corporate suit, a couple of lower ranked officials, and four armed and armored guards, sporting void-capable autorifles and standard flak armor.

The man in the expensive suit speaks up:

Welcome to Weber, Arbites. Your arrival is unexpected, but agents of the Imperium are always received with open arms. May I inquire as to your business here? We will of course provide anything we're capable of.


Roll any rolls you feel appropriate.

The dock you're in is predictably huge - built to receive ships larger than the Gavel by orders of magnitude. There are people working, doing all manner of tasks - also some lounging in the back, among cargo crates and machinery.

If you want measurements ... well, just think huge. Obviously, the truly enormous chartist vessels don't dock, as such - but fleets of giant transports are still used to haul cargo from planetside to the ships holds. Giant transports that are still tiny beside their chartist motherships.

There is a small cluster of electric cars to transport you from the dock to the colony proper.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega's eyes scan across the officials, particularly their clothes an emblems. Then he take a few moments to listens to the ambient psionic noise. He is mildly distracted by the hasily donned armor.I need to practice wearing this more, until it becomes a second skin.


Awareness [roll0] Base 41
Common Lore [Imperium] [roll1] Base 44

Psycognicience [roll2] Base 41

[dojango]

Penny grabs a shock maul and some 'official arbites carapace armor' from the ship's lockers. She forgoes the traditional shotgun for her trusty las carbine. Using chemical propellent and bits of metal? So uncivilized. But she gathers her things and goes to meet the others in the docking bay. To the man in the fancy coat, she says, "I tell ya. I like the cut of your jib. Jib is an old Mechanicus word for jacket, did you know? You got a nice jacket. And I figure, a man with a jacket that fancy knows why we're here, he just doesn't want to admit it. At least, not in public. So why don't we go somewhere private and you can tell us all about why we're here, eh?"

[Kaptin Keen]

The man in the expensive suit looks annoyed at the impolite reply - but determined, none the less.

Like I said: We will provide whatever we can. You need simply ask. If you prefer a private setting, we can of course provide you with that.

His four guards for their part look tense, alert.


Awareness: Well, here's the thing. You guys are standing outside your landed space ship, pretty exposed. The men opposite you have cover in the form of blast barriers - meant to direct the engine fire away from the facilities. And those men in the background? Well, you cannot see, but there are a few really choice sniper positions back there.

So if this was an ambush, it would be a good one.

CL, Imperium: This type of greeting is nothing out of the ordinary, nor is the docking space anything other than bog standard. If you had to guess, the man doing the talking is assistant to the Colony Administrator.

Psyniscience: You don't even really need to open your mind to the immaterium - you can feel it even without trying. There is something here, maybe not something so discreet as an 'entity' - but the ether is thick with activity. You've felt something slightly similar, once, when you visited an Adeptus Astra Telepathica Choir. Many minds, somehow connected.

[DrK]

Trooper Plex

Plex pauses, eyes scanning the area as he opens the air lock, trying not to show surprise at the massive size of the hangar bay. He knew that they must be massive but experiencing it is another thing entirely. He nods to the man in the suit with a curt greeting. "I am Trooper Plex. Your identity please?" He advances towards the man, a hand outstretched to see the man's identity chit...
"We are here to investigate some irregularities. Your co operation is expected. Please have hab quarters and ground transport made available." His voice was hard and flat, in contrast to Penny's more relaxed tone.

[Kaptin Keen]

My name is Garven Baal, I'm assistant Colonial Manager.

Quarters and transportation will of course be made available. We've taken the liberty of booking rooms at the Weber Arms, the finest logding on the colony. If you'd like something more .. 'official' .. we can find quarters at the local barracks, but you'll be more comfortable at the hotel, certainly.

Is there anything else I can assist you with?

The man seems relieved that someone is being at least civil, and also gives of an honest vibe of wanting to help.

[Janwin]

Following Plex is Fenria, a set of Arbites carapace showing somewhat under the red robes of the Adeptus Mechanicus. At her heel is her large mechanical hound, appearing to be obedient and perfectly trained--though in reality it's simply good programming.

As they walk out into the hangar, she slowly scans the area with her eyes. The cyber-mastiff also performs a scan of the area--a not very subtle thing since she had uploaded the "Vanes Out" Alpha command to her companion before departing the vessel, which meant that in addition to its glowing eyes, its "ears" (in reality a sound sensor and an auspex receiver) were up and swiveling constantly.

She turns her attention to Penny briefly, and quietly lets out a series of chirps, trills and warbles--each representing an audio conversion of binary code.

[I]"Unit designated Pensacola 43b, we should allow official representative of Arbites to communicate with non-Cult of Mars personnel. It ensures a higher likelihood of positive results from interaction due to authority wielded by office."

Fenria's Awareness Test: [roll0] vs TN 59 (69 if Heightened Senses (Smell) applies) (Awareness 39, using Hound's Auspex with Pack Hunter)
Tech-Use Test: [roll1] vs TN 55 to use Auspex to spot things like nearby bio-signs that may not be spotted by human senses (up to 50m)

Hound's Awareness Test: [roll2] vs TN 85 (95 if Heightened Senses (Smell) applies) (Awareness 55, +10 from "Vanes Out" Alpha command, +20 from Auspex)

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

"If no one objects, I think I'd prefer to stay in the barracks." The priest nods his bare head to the assistant colony manager, I was never all that comfortable surrounded by niceties. Monastery life taught me flexibility. And may I tax your hospitality just a step further by requesting a tour of your shrines?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Priest Dan De'Lion

"If no one objects, I think I'd prefer to stay in the barracks." The priest nods his bare head to the assistant colony manager, I was never all that comfortable surrounded by niceties. Monastery life taught me flexibility. And may I tax your hospitality just a step further by requesting a tour of your shrines?"

Your choice of accomodation is entirely up to you. I would recommend you all agree though - the hotel and the barracks are not adjacent by any means.

There is only one large shrine, which you're welcome to visit. Otherwise, the spiritual needs of the workforce are met by autoshrines located at all major intersections.


Following Plex is Fenria, a set of Arbites carapace showing somewhat under the red robes of the Adeptus Mechanicus. At her heel is her large mechanical hound, appearing to be obedient and perfectly trained--though in reality it's simply good programming.

As they walk out into the hangar, she slowly scans the area with her eyes. The cyber-mastiff also performs a scan of the area--a not very subtle thing since she had uploaded the "Vanes Out" Alpha command to her companion before departing the vessel, which meant that in addition to its glowing eyes, its "ears" (in reality a sound sensor and an auspex receiver) were up and swiveling constantly.

She turns her attention to Penny briefly, and quietly lets out a series of chirps, trills and warbles--each representing an audio conversion of binary code.

[I]"Unit designated Pensacola 43b, we should allow official representative of Arbites to communicate with non-Cult of Mars personnel. It ensures a higher likelihood of positive results from interaction due to authority wielded by office."

Fenria's Awareness Test: [roll0] vs TN 59 (69 if Heightened Senses (Smell) applies) (Awareness 39, using Hound's Auspex with Pack Hunter)
Tech-Use Test: [roll1] vs TN 55 to use Auspex to spot things like nearby bio-signs that may not be spotted by human senses (up to 50m)

Hound's Awareness Test: [roll2] vs TN 85 (95 if Heightened Senses (Smell) applies) (Awareness 55, +10 from "Vanes Out" Alpha command, +20 from Auspex)


Auspex range is .... almost entirely irrelevant in this space. The furthest corners of the dock are more than 1000m away. But inside range, there is nothing hidden or out-of-sight.

[boj0]

Jarn immediately gets an itch in the back of his skull when offered the hotel room, his time on Serena, a pleasure world, flashed in his memory; wonderful weather, excellent food, complete and utter boredom.

"We'll take the barracks, you see, being offered unofficial lodging could be considered a push for...bias in our findings; and we can have none of that."

[Kaptin Keen]

Barracks it shall be then. If you'll kindly step aboard these transports, they will take you straight there.

Without further ado, you board the ground cars, and they zoom along on autopilot. Travel in this part of the colony (the parts that's on the surface of the asteroid) is through armaglass tunnels. There doesn't seem to be particularly many of these - if you had to guess, they're laid out in a criss-cross pattern, providing surface access to all the topside colony sectors.

As the spaceport fades in the background, you quickly approach the 'city' proper. While on a much smaller scale, it imitates the concentric rings of true hive cities. Soon, it's towers surround you, and the ground car stops at a typically blocky, gothic Imperial building: The Barracks.

Here dwell the local enforcers, local PDF, and various branches of private security have offices here too.

You are assigned rooms on level 42. It seems this level has been out of use for a while. It's squeaky clean, yet ghostly empty.


The assistant admin went in a different transport, to another location, so you're on your own. You can reach him by vox, of course.

The rooms you've been given are predictably sparse, with bunk beds and footlockers.

[dojango]

Penny replies to Fenia and says, in Low Gothic, "We're all arbites now!"

When they get to the barracks, Penny shouts, "Top bunk!" and climbs up. Reclining on the bunk, she says, "What say we tell them we need a few hours of rest, and we sneak out? Take a look at this mystery shaft ourselves?"

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega managed to hold his tongue until they were alone again.
Before we continue, you should know there is something deeply unnatural on the station. I felt it the moment we came out of the ship. It might be a bunch of psykers, or perhaps something Xeno.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

Dan addresses Phil and Penny with a solemn demeanor, "I think, then, a sneak into the facility might be very wise. I'll begin prayers and supplications for our success and safety."

[DrK]

Plex

Plex nods to the others, "I agree. If we inform the Colonial SDF that we are investigating the location of the one of the more recent murders - but one near Shaft51, we can then travel there openly" he nods to the others, "Then as you say we can assess if we are under surveillance and move to Shaft 51 to investigate what we suspect to be the true source of the problmes here." He glances at the psyker, "Master Vega. If you detect anything unatural please warn us all immediately."

Letting one of the others inform the barracks command of the need for a ground car he checks the magazines of the shotgun and then pats the reassuring weight of the handcannon on his belt and checks that the shock maul is fully charged.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
Sounds like a plan.

He goes over to the priest.
May I join you?

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

"Of course, Phil. The Emperor welcomes the voices of all of his children. Even those of you who are, hm, differently blessed." Dan puts on a beatific smile and begins a quiet prayer such that none outside the room may hear it.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega does his best to replicate Priest De'Lion. This guy is way nicer than the ship's chapline

[dojango]

Penny made the sign of the cog and recited one of the simple psalms of the Mechanicus. "The Omnissiah speaketh unto the enduser, and sayeth, 'have you tried turning it off and then turning it on again?' and the enduser did, and it was good." Climbing down from her bed, she turned to the others and says, "Great! Come up with some excuse to get us driving around. Maybe tell em' were getting some food or summat. Be nice to see what flavors of nutrient paste they serve at the cafeteria."

[Kaptin Keen]

Getting a groundcar is but a moments work. You call Garven, and he provides you with the activation code for one of the lightly armored patrol units in the barracks garage. When you inform him of your intention of investigating the site of a past murder - near, but not suspiciously near Shaft 51 - he commends your efforts, and sends over data relevant to that crime.

The surface area of the colony is almost entirely the realm of corporate arcologies, high-price housing, Imperial installations - and so on. Workers obviously live underground, and when you head into the tunnels that honeycomb the asteroid, it's quickly clear that their warrens are less luxurious and spacious than the above-ground areas.

A quick recon reveals that there seems to be no way to reach Shaft 51. The area around it are all one-way streets, roadblocks and guarded checkpoints.


I wanted to get this out of the way, so you're not surprised by it later on:

This asteroid has a gravitational pull, at the surface, of around 0.1G. Gravplates compensate for that, everywhere gravplates seem sensible - so for all intents and purposes, the populated parts of the colony have 1G gravity.

Mining shafts, however, do not - and are not at the surface. Hence, they won't have much in the way of gravity.

This, in a way, is a good thing. Your patrol vehicle is designed to be able to get around everywhere, so it's equipped with a small anti-grav engine, allowing a rather sedate flightspeed.

If you leave the vehicle in a low-grav area, you will be at a significant disadvantage.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

Dan looks over the list of obstacles preventing a sneaky approach to the shaft and shakes his head. "I think they were prepared for inspection by external sources."

[dojango]

"Psh. Obstacles are for other people. Let's see if we can find a maintenance tunnel in. There's always a way for a clever coggirl to get where she's going. Penny sidles over to find a maintenance terminal or something and tries to coax the machine spirits to reveal some of the secrets of the local Mars priests. There's always a maintenance shaft so they can carry out their rituals without having to answer a lot of annoying questions like 'where are you going', and 'do you really need that many high explosives' and 'why does that servitor look like ol' Jim?'

[roll0] v. 51. Tech use to download local Mechanicus schematics that might be more informative... or to see if there's any maintenance access to the shaft that aren't on the normal map.

[Kaptin Keen]

Penny quickly locates an access node, connects her mind to the machine spirit, and gets to work.

It's not easy. Security is tight, and there are many little hoops to jump through - but eventually, she's succesful, hopefully without triggering any alarms. The path is simple, and well out of sight. You can enter a warehouse to the 'east' (actually, it's spinward), climb through some ventilation shafts, pass through a service tunnel, enter an abandoned processing plant on the other side of the roadblock - and from there, it's a straight path into Shaft 51.


Lemme know if there are any special precautions you want to take - or other actions you want to perform along the way.

It will take you a couple of hours to get there.

[DrK]

Plex

Plex grins at claps Penny on the shoulder, "Good work. Now we can begin to investigate properly." He pulls out a glow lamp and carefully shines it ahead of them holding by the barrel of his combat shotgun as he carefully watches the path ahead through the narrow ducts. He speaks out to the group at large, "Better than the tunnels of Volg where I was raised. Less toxic sludge in these tunnels."

He is happy to follow Penny as she guides them through the underground cave of plasteel and wires watchful for trouble.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega keeps tabs on the immaterium, he does not one of those nodes sneaking up on us.

[Kaptin Keen]

Phil Vega keeps tabs on the immaterium, he does not one of those nodes sneaking up on us.


Whatever it is that permeates the immaterium of this place, it's stronger here. But ... to get any real information - you'll need to roll Psyniscience =)

There isn't a set difficulty. Better rolls get more information.

[Janwin]

As the group moves along, Fenria maintains her alert vigilance with the aid of Rex. While the plant may appear abandoned, only a thorough search might reveal if it was used by others with similar intent as themselves, and so Fenria and Rex begin a basic search pattern to locate any evidence of others having been there recently.

Fenria Awareness: [roll0] vs TN 59 (69 if Heightened Senses (Smell) applies) (Base 39 + 20 (Auspex from Rex))
Tech-Use Test: [roll1] vs TN 55 to use Auspex to spot things not visible to human senses (50m radius as they go)

Rex Awareness: [roll2] vs TN 85 (95 if Heightened Senses (Smell) applies) (Base 55 + 10 ("Vanes Out" Alpha) + 20 (Auspex))
Free Re-Roll from Olfactory Auger Array if needed: [roll3]

-----

Fenria Tracking: [roll4] vs TN 55 (65 if Heightened Senses (Smell) applies) (Base 45 + 10 from Pack Hunter)

Rex Tracking: [roll5] vs TN 40 (50 if Heightened Senses (Smell) applies) (Base 40)

[Kaptin Keen]

The patterns in the immaterium are subtle - but readable to an expert. There are tendrils, writhing through the ether like snakes, or tentacles. Something is spreading it's influence telepathically across the colony and that something is clearly in Shaft 51.



The processing plant has been used for storage - the signs are everywhere. For one thing, discarded packaging is strewn everywhere. But more interestingly, some sort of warp-reactive material has been transported out of Shaft 51, and something organic has been transported in: People.

The processing plant has been used for storage - but there has been a steady stream of comings and goings in the tunnel right outside.

Oops, edit: I had miscalculated slightly. The tech use result is good enough to reveal another detail: The tunnel outside is rigged with a multitude of sensors and alarms. Defeating them would be difficult. There might be a way around them. Or the time for stealth might be past.

[Janwin]

As the team moves through the plant, Fenria raises a fist in a signal to halt.

She quietly says, "Do not enter the tunnel leading to the shaft. It appears to be rigged with sensors and alarms, and I am not certain we can bypass them. Additionally, my scans indicate...the transport of people into the shaft, and some form of warp-reactive material being transported out. It seems to be a steady conveyance of material."

She then moves to take cover inside the plant where she might observe the tunnel hopefully without being seen if any transports move through while they are there.

"I recommend that we make communication with our vessel in orbit to instruct it to intercept anyone attempting to leave this colony, particularly due to the involvement of warp entities. It may be time to leave subtlety behind, and such may cause the perpetrators to attempt to flee the planet."

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
Whatever is down there, is definitely at the center of the telepathic web. I can sense its slithering influence reaching out into the colony.

Given that the colony governor is clearly under its sway, along with an unknown quantity or quality of others, I think we are going to need more backup to quarantine and purge this colony.

[boj0]

Jarn has a severe look of disgust on his face, "Subtlety is out then," he double checks the ammo for his shotgun, "I believe it is time to cut the head off a snake."

[dojango]

Penny spends some time grumbling about the security systems before saying, "Warp stuff and xeno stuff? That's, like, double illegal. I can try to disable the alarms... but even if they do go off, ya know what? We got badges, we're the arbites. As the judge says, 'We are the law. This is not a trite saying, Penny, it is an indisputable fact.'" she says, gruffly, "And the governor is certainly guilty o' something, we just need to figure if it is malice or incompetence. Although I guess the sentence is the same, so it don't really matter."

[DrK]

Plex

Shotgun in hand Plex peers down the shaft and nods to the others. "Aye, we need o intercept any vessls that try to leave, we can contact the Gavel and ask the to send a message asking for reinforcments if we think there are a multitude of ships trying to leave." He looks at Penny, "Can you disable the sensors? Best we try and observe for as long as possible. Accusing a colony governer is no small thing. Evidence helps support the weight of law our badges are balanced on."

Glancing down there he looks to Phil. "Can you test to make sure we are not influenced by this witch craft?"

[Janwin]

Fenria keys up the encrypted communication array located in the wrist of her Arbites carapace armour and radios up to the Gavel.

"Gavel, Gamma-49. Be advised: intercept any craft leaving facility. If vessels surpassing your ability to intercept attempt to leave, reinforcements may be necessary."

[dojango]

Penny pulls a couple of tools out of a pouch and quickly unscrews a random panel in the walls. She starts tinkering with the wires behind it. "This one is probably the pict-recorders, this one is probably the alarms, this one is probably the motion auspex... or maybe it's the cable. Ah well, yank it anyway."

[roll0] v. 51 to shut off alarms.

[Kaptin Keen]

Penny almost get's everything right. Almost - but not quite. She get's the wires right, she rewires everything correctly, it's just one tiny detail that derails it all - there's an added security feature: If more than one of the redundant systems (video, audio, motion) are disconnected at the same time, the alarm automatically goes off.

However, while Penny is certain the alarm is triggered - no claxons blare, no hidden auto-turrets drop from the ceilings. Basically, nothing happens. So it's a silent alarm. Precisely what that means ... no one knows. Yet. You feel fairly certain that mystery will soon resolve itself.

[dojango]

"Great! All done! I think we should get moving, things might get a little ploin-shaped here very soon! Lead the way to the spooky stuff!"

[DrK]

Plex

As no alarms blare and nothing happens Plex braces to leap for cover or otherwise be shot at. As nothing happens he shrugs and waves forward. "Come on then, lets head onwards. The law waits for no man." Hugging the wall and moving from cover to cover Plex begins to creep down the tunnel towards all the storage containers.



Conceal [roll0] TN 17!

[Kaptin Keen]

It quickly becomes clear that sneaking isn't a viable avenue. It's a good long way to the entry of the tunnel - where the guards were - but you can hear, and soon enough see, hectic activity down there. Orders are shouted, men run from a side door into the tunnel - and inside of two minutes, a larger gate opens, and an armored vehicle rolls into the tunnel. Flanked by running guards, it begins to roll towards your position.


You're 200 meters from where the guards are. And you have time before things get really dicey.

There are four guards, two on each side of the APC, and at least two inside - a driver, and a gunner (manning a pintle mounted heavy stubber). Not an easy fight, if you chose that path - but not an impossible one either.

On the other hand, Shaft 51 is just 100 meters away. The downside is that you don't actually know what you'll find there.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

"Children of the Emperor's Law, let us move boldly and with His authority." Priest De'Lion says quietly before standing up and walking directly toward the APC. As he approaches, he raises his hands as though ready to give benediction.

There should be plenty of distance between De'Lion and the guards for other folks to act before he is close enough to speak to them.

[Kaptin Keen]

It's a good distance still, and the tunnel isn't exactly well lit - you sense a moment of hesitation among the approaching guards, and a search light switches on, scanning (thus far) unsuccesfully down the corridor. You hear cries, muffled by distance and possibly rebreathers, of 'hey, someone's there' and 'did you guys see something'.

You can also hear the sound of the engine - apparently a promethium guzzler.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega directing his response to Plex
No, nothing so concrete. I can sense it seems to be leaving us alone for now though.

[dojango]

"Cheese it, the cops! Wait, no, we're the cops. Let's ditch these guys! They probably don't know anything, we can arrest them later for getting in our way," Penny whispers loudly, while backing up in the direction of Shaft 51.

[DrK]

Plex

The Trooper nods to De'Lion joining him in the open as he approaches the oncoming Patrol, making sure to sweep the coat aside so that the arbite symbol on his chest is clearly visible. He looks to the priest, a glimmer of nervousness, "One way of testing their loyalty cleric..."

He readies himself if they open fire to push De'Lion into the rubble at the edge of the tunnel and dive for cover himself

[Kaptin Keen]

As the group is slightly undecided - some moving for Shaft 51, others moving towards the oncoming guards - the APC rolls closer, and eventually the searchlight catches sight of Dan and Plex. The APC grinds to a halt, the guards on either side kneel down, and raise their rifles, not firing but getting ready.

A loudhailer barks: CITIZENS! YOU HAVE ENTERED A RESTRICTED AREA - STAND DOWN IMMEDIATELY, LIE DOWN WITH YOUR HANDS UPON YOUR HEADS, AND PREPARE TO BE ESCORTED OUT!

You are still at more than 100 meters range. Dan and Plex are caught in the light, but could fairly easily dodge into cover on either side of the tunnel.

[boj0]

"This certainly is not going well...", Jarn sighs to himself as he draws his shotgun and begins moving up the side of the tunnel.
Knowing that he needs to draw attention away from the priest, and keep it away from the techs and psyker, he shouts ahead. "CITIZENS, THIS IS REGULATOR OCTUS OF THE ADEPTUS ARBITES. STAND DOWN AS INTERFERENCE WITH AN ON DUTY ARBITER IS SUBJECT TO SEVERE PUNISHMENT!"

[Janwin]

If only to add additional weight to the words of those claiming to be Arbites, Fenria strides out with them bedecked in her Arbites carapace armor and Adeptus Mechanicus robes, with the cybernetic hound by her side. Her pump action shotgun is held in her hands, but lowered to not be threatening to the troopers by the APC.

[Kaptin Keen]

The loudhailer promptly replies:

WE WERE WARNED A GROUP OF IMPOSTERS MIGHT TRY TO IMPERSONATE ADEPTUS ARBITES. THE PENALTY FOR SUCH HEINOUS CRIMES IS EXCRUCIATION FOLLOWED BY DEATH BY FIRING SQUAD. I'LL GIVE YOU A MOMENT TO CONSIDER IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR STATEMENT!

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
Seeing that it is about to begin, he takes cover and begins to focus.

Invocation Test: [roll0] TN 53

[Janwin]

Fenria shouts back down the hallway, "SINCE YOU APPARENTLY KNOW THE LAW SO WELL, WHAT DOES THE LEX IMPERIALIS SAY ABOUT THREATENING AND INTERFERING WITH ARBITRATORS THE ADEPTUS ARBITES? CONSIDER OUR ARMOR AND EQUIPMENT, AND WE WILL GIVE -YOU- A MOMENT TO RECONSIDER YOUR STATEMENT BEFORE CONSIDERING IT AS EVIDENCE AGAINST YOU."

Fenria continues to stride down the hallway toward the APC and squad of guardsmen, ready to duck into cover if necessary. Cowering would not do, however, as only the Adeptus Arbites would be so certain of their authority as to walk toward the barrel of a gun as though they own the place. The cyber-mastiff, a clear symbol of the Adeptus Arbites continues to stride along beside her.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

The holy man continues walking toward the armed men with his arms spread. Raising his voice to a level he hopes will be heard, he calls out, "Beloved children of Him who sits atop the Golden Throne! I pray that you hold a moment and think upon your orders! What proof have you been supplied by your superiors that the individuals before you are imposters? What proof would you require to sate your suspicions? Do not be so hasty that you turn the greater attention of our illustrious officio upon your heads!"

[DrK]

Plex

Plex mistseps, stunned by the brazen accusation of the local colony defence force. His eyes narrow, and he steps forward with Penny, a summary shouted command. "Stand down of suffer the Law's Final Judgement."


[roll0] TN 31


he stands to be beside the priest as they contine advancing unflinching in the face of the lowered weapons

[Kaptin Keen]

The engine of the APC patrol vehicle turns off, and the driver steps out. Even in the dim light, he's clearly a sergeant. He has the enlarged left shoulderpad traditional for Arbites - and enforcers of any rank. He's in better armor than the guards, and carries a hand cannon and some form of baton, possibly another sign of rank, possibly some form of shock or even power weapon.

Do you have any proof of your identities, Arbites? I'm not about to ask my men to fire upon Imperial officials - but I'm also not about to disobey a direct orders on your say-so.

[DrK]

Plex

Plex nods to the Sgt as he hops out of the vehicle. "Wisdom can be found in caution." Plex offers as a platitude before advancing towards the Sgt beside the vehicle. As he walks forwards he is careful to keep the hand on the shotgun levelled down so the heavy barrel is facing the ground.

"I am reaching for my identity slate" he announces to the troops as he reaches the front of the APC. Reaching (slowly) into his coat he pulls out his heavy Aquilla embossed Arbite identity badge. "Run the check, you will see we are who say we are." Looking at the area, "Why is this area under lock down?"

[Kaptin Keen]

The sergeant scans the ID, and immediately get's a green light. He orders his men to stand down, then answers Plex's question:

We're just grunts, sir - they tell us what to do, but not why. There's some occasional traffic in and out, I don't know what that's about either. And then .. um, occasionally, we're ordered off our post.

[Janwin]

"Who gives you your orders? Particularly, those to leave your post and those to alert you of possible Arbites impersonators?"

[Kaptin Keen]

"Who gives you your orders? Particularly, those to leave your post and those to alert you of possible Arbites impersonators?"

Duty rosters and day-to-day assignments are issued by Captain Brant, sir.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega is briefly surprised that they managed to handle this without a firefight, and moves to join the ones at the fore.

[dojango]

Penny popped out from the shadows where she was hiding and strode confidentlyish towards the security patrol. She certainly wasn't keeping close to anything she could dive behind as cover, that was just a coincidence. Since nobody shot at her by the time she stood in front of the patrol, she flashed her arbites badge and said, "Pensacola 43b, Arbites-Mechanicus liaison. Fine work, lads. Now, keep in mind, they wouldn't send us out here for a couple of traffic tickets, yeah? Maybe there's nothing going on and this is just a waste of everybody's time. But maybe not and there'll be some big changes around here. A chance for promotions and pay raises for those that play ball with the Arbites, yeah? So why dontcha get on that vox of yours and tell them that it's a false alarm. Maybe just some warp-spiders chewing on the wires or summat."

[Kaptin Keen]

The captain grabs the mouthpiece from their APC, and makes the call:

Control, this is unit 4-1 detailed to the Shaft 51 entry. False alarm - we triggered this one ourselves, sorry. It was the new kid. He went to get donuts, but turned left instead of right, towards the shaft rather than away from it.

From the other side of the vehicle, you hear someone mutter 'hey!'

Yea, we were always dumb recruits at one point. We'll keep our eyes peeled, Control.

He hangs the radio back up, and turns back to you.

You're going into the shaft next? You'll need a flier. There are some pods down by the entry, but those ... well, see, I think there's something down there, and the pods are just utility skimmers, they don't offer a lot of protection. But you'll need some mode of transportation, because the 51 is ... like, real deep. Runs for miles it does.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

De'Lion waves the other guards to come talk with him. As they approach, he asks, "Blessed guardians of this facility, you hear more here than we have. What rumors have you heard concerning this shaft, designated 51?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Well ... I'm not sure what to tell you. I haven't heard any rumors, but I've made observations. Every once in a while, a medicae transport will carry someone in there. Not sure why. I have a theory, though. I think maybe they've found some sort of monster down that shaft, and they feed it people. You know - sane, like. People already all but dead, kept alive by just the machines. Right? It's propably never going to go on the Corporate brochure front page, but if it keeps the rest of us safe, yea?

Oh, and there's a special branch of corporate security - they've inventionally called them Special Branch - who are the only ones in or out.

Not much else I can tell you.

[DrK]

Plex

Trooper Plex nods to the lead guard. "These special security forces, are they in your command chain? Who do they report to?". At the description of people being fed to something his eyes narrow, a fleeting thought with the similarity of the necessary and glorious sacrifice of the 10 thousands souls per day to keep the most glorious Emperor of Mankind alive. But this, this was not like, this was a cruel mockery of that and could not be tolerated.

He looks at the man, "Please escort us to the entrance to the shaft and help us procure a skimmer?"

[Kaptin Keen]

The Special Branch do not take orders from anyone I know of. I'm sure there's someone - but ... just not anyone I've ever met. The Board?

I don't know about a skimmer. I know some of our patrol vehicles come equipped with a .. um .. an 'adequate' antigrav engine, for just this sort of purpose. But otherwise, I don't have access to anything, and most of our gear is like this baby, he pats the APC on it's flank, your average, run-of-the-mill promethium guzzler. They're not bad, and they have a heavy mount - but they don't fly none.


As you may recall - you have the type of patrol vehicle which flies. Sedately.

There is no doubt that real skimmers exist on the colony. But you're not sure where to find them. However, you'd be in your good rights to requisition one.

[Janwin]

"We can utilize our patrol craft if we can get it in here discretely. No use sending a broadcast indicating a false alarm if numerous eyes can then witness an Arbites craft come into the tunnel."

She then turns to the Captain, "What sort of equipment do the forces of the Special Branch carry?"

[Kaptin Keen]

"We can utilize our patrol craft if we can get it in here discretely. No use sending a broadcast indicating a false alarm if numerous eyes can then witness an Arbites craft come into the tunnel."

She then turns to the Captain, "What sort of equipment do the forces of the Special Branch carry?"

We can get your transport past the alarms and so on, no problem - you just get it, we'll reroute security for the time it takes you to pass.

The Special Branch .. well to be totally honest, I'm not sure what their gear is. Carapace armor, like yours I guess. Some sort of fancy looking las carbines. They're not really approachable, and they don't let us play with their toys.

[dojango]

"Well, I reckon that's interestin' theory. Of course, feeding workers to xeno monstrosities is illegal unless they've got a permit, and we din't see one on file. So it ain't been cleared, like. If it's just a matter of missing paperwork, that's fine, but we gotta check it out. Here, let's go get our car and we'll check it out."

[boj0]

"This Special Branch - do they have any set schedule? Any specific times or places we would be likely to find them?" Jarn's gears are turning and he's contemplating if it would be worth it to get them to show up here for...advanced interrogation.

[Kaptin Keen]

As far as I can tell, there's no system to it. Could be two a week, then nothing for a month.

You just drive on in - we'll handle the alarms.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

"Just a thought from a man woefully lacking in tactical training, what if one of us intentionally triggered some alarm designed to draw out this special branch. They arrive to investigate, discover whoever set off the alarm, and descend upon that person, only to discover that they are then surrounded by an Adeptus Arbites task force and Throne-loyal guardsmen?" The priest adjusts his armor, "I humbly volunteer myself as the bait."

[dojango]

"Why don't we find out what they're guilty of first? You know the judge likes evidence first, then execution, then trial."

[DrK]

Plex

Plex looks at the his allies, "Not good that lack of chain of command. We should press on with all haste. If we trigger the alarms these fine fellows can cancel them." He looks at the APC, "Can you fellows give us a ride back to our skimmer to let us fly down this shaft witout gravity plating. I hate zero-gee"

[Kaptin Keen]

It's the work of a few moments to drive to where your patrol vehicle is parked, and back to the entry to Shaft 51.

Large steel gates - essentially a very large airlock - open to reveal a massive chamber, with the actual mining shaft leading off at an odd angle. This is where, at some point in the past, a drilling crawler was assembled, and begun the tast of carving out the mining shaft. In principle, that crawler may still be down there somewhere.

The chamber is zero g, but not entirely so. Confusingly, various surfaces on the walls of the chamber have been fitted with grav plates. In other words, there are storage areas full of crates, materials, supplies, tools and so on - on the walls and ceilings, as well as immediately inside the gates, where a number of mining pods are stored. There are charge stations for 12 pods, but only 10 are present. Each pod would accomodate 6 men.

The shaft dwindles into the distance - you cannot see the end of it, it must be miles deep.


I hope the room is adequately described. It's of no particular shape - blobish - with an entry at the airlock gates, and the shaft leading off. The random angle is because the colony is oriented towards the surface of the asteroid, while the shaft goes off lenghtwise through the asteroid at it's longest point. I hope that makes sense.

The shaft is easily large enough to roll a baneblade tank down - in other words, the mining crawler that made it is a very, very large piece of equipment. It is lit (the shaft, not the crawler) at intervals. Not well lit, the pods have flood lights for when good lighting is needed. There's air here, but not high quality. The airlocks are there in case of loss of atmosphere, obviously.

Ask, if clarification is needed =)

[dojango]

"Well, I suppose we ain't here for the sheer industrial archaeology of it all. Although it is interesting. Know a few lads who are real keen on heavy mining equipment.
Suppose we could send a few pictures back if we see a real antique tunneler. Who wants to drive? I call las carbine!"

[DrK]

Plex

Plex looks down the massive shaft with a look of apprehension. He pauses to don his helment and scans the area carefully before nodding to the others. "Best be getting on with it. Throne be praised lets hope we don't fall." He nudges the controls on the skimmer and begins to take them into the massive yawning shaft in the asteroid.

He looks back at the psyker with them, "Will you keep yourself aware of our surroundings. If you feel any witchcraft sing uot."

[Kaptin Keen]

There is something truly frightening about flying down the huge, dark, empty and silent tunnel. Here and there, smaller side tunnels branch off, where promising veins have been mined. At each of these, there is a small construction - like a shed - bolted to the tunnel wall, presumably for storage purposes. The crawler does, after all, only really travel on way.

You stop and run the auxspex at each of these side tunnels. All are silent, and seem to have been so for a long, long time. You don't know when this asteroid was first mined, but it has to have been in the ancient past some time. The Imperium is old.

As you progress down the tunnel, every once in a while, there is a tiny blip on the auspex. It's so weak a signal, at first you take it to be nothing - some type of background radiation, echo, ghost signal, something. But as you go deeper, it get's more frequent. You try to analyse the data, but filter it in various ways, but you get nothing. Sometimes there's a hint of movement, sometimes a hint of heat signature, but nothing definitive.

You fly on. The patrol vehicle flies at a sedate 40km pr hour.


I'd like a roll of Tech Use from whoever is manning the Auspex, and Perception from everyone else.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
Of course. and Phil goes back to monitoring the Immaterium.

Psycognicience [roll0] (Base 41)

[dojango]

Penny pulls out the auspex controls and starts fiddling with the knobs. Adjust the frequency, enhance. Enhance. Reset the limiter. Omnissiah-damned piece of junk. She hit the blessed reset switch. And again. "Cheap piece of junk. Can't cut through the interference. But maybe we can pick up some muzak."

[roll0] v. 51

[Janwin]

While Penny utilizes the auspex built in to their patrolcraft, Fenria manipulates the Auspex built into her cyber-mastiff.

Fenria: Tech Use [roll0] vs TN 55
Rex: Perception [roll1] vs TN 55 (Dark Sight)

[Kaptin Keen]

Through valiant effort and determination, Penny eventually picks up some muzak. It's tinny and distorted, coming through God-Emperer only knows how many kilometers of rock. It sounds like an executive elevator, propably one of the posh spires topside.

Meanwhile, Rex starts barking - or the mechanical equivalent, a burst of static somewhat reminiscent of barking.


You may as well roll initiative. Anyone who manages to roll a succesful Perception check get's to react ... well, faster.

[DrK]

Plex

Plex sitting aboard the skimmer eyes the passageways with a worrying look, feeling reassured by the heavy plates of the carapace armour and the weight of the arbite badge on his chest and the massive shotgun cradled on his lap. As the asupex picks ip some music he grunts in wry amusment, a wry "Going down" whispered under his breath as he continues to scan for danger.



Awareness [roll0] TN 28
Initaitive [roll1]

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

Dan gazes out the windows of the machine they all travel in. Who ever would have thought that the young holy man could have seen such sights? If only his Bishop could see how far he'd traveled! Nevermind that Dan had broken the Bishop's left leg before the Arbites could land their shotgun shells in his torso. Ah well, follow the God-Emperor and lead a blessed life. Betray him and have everything you lived for destroyed and die under a hail of buckshot.


Perception, TN34
[roll0]

Initiative
[roll1]

[dojango]

Once she finds the muzak, Penny sighs and stares out the skimmer window, idly looking for anything unusual. Perhaps some unused mining equipment... or maybe some explosives! Penny's been hoping to get a chance to tinker with those...

[roll0] v. 31, [roll1] for initiative.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega mumbles prayers to the emperor unconsciously as he scans the ethereum


Awareness [roll0] Base 41

Initiative: [roll1]

[Kaptin Keen]

It's so fast, you have only the barest sliver of a moment to react.

One moment everything is cool, there is no danger, you're coasting along peacefully and it might almost as well be a summer afternoon on a pleasant garden world. Well, maybe not quite that.

The nest, the walls of the tunnel come alive. Where seconds ago there was nothing, you suddenly see sleek, black bodies - vaguely humanoid, four limbs tipped by razor steel scythes. They cling effortlessly to the walls as they charge up to speed, then leap at your flimsy patrol vehicle.

They appear to have no ranged ability, but their scythe-like claws easily penetrate the thin armor, and with great determination, they set about working their way to the soft, vulnerable bodies within.


It's like they break stealth or something - like they have camouflage skin, and some ability to hide or even stop their biosigns from the auspex.

As you see them up close, there is some vestige of twisted humanity to them - their faces seem a tortured, broken mockery of humans, their bodies .. well, they are double-jointed, walking as easily up-side-down as right side up. They've been made quarupeds, but their belly buttons are distinctly human.

Combat works like this: There is no surprise round - but if you rolled less than:

Initiative: [roll0]

You go last.

If you failed the perception test, you get a -20 on attack rolls, as you have but a 10th of a second to aim.

They are point blank - or even melee range if you like.

Their main target is the vehicle (for now), and they carve through it like wet paper.

[Kaptin Keen]

Go Plex!! Only one to roll decent initiative.

I forgot to mention in my post: You see 6 of them.

[DrK]

Plex

Plex spins around raising the shotgun as the walls come alive with weird mutant creatures. He glances back, "lock and load, take no prisoners, For the Emperor!" and raises the shotgun at the closest creature as it lands on the bonnet of the skimmer and lets fire, the blast of the combat shotgun deafening in the tunnels.



Wounds 11 / 11 Armour 5 (all) TB 4
Combat shotgun Semi Auto [roll0] TN 39 +10 semi auto +30 point blank = 79
(79) 0 DoS: [roll1] PEN 0
(59) 2 DoS: [roll2] PEN 0
(59) 2 DoS: [roll3] PEN 0 (scatter)
(39) 4 DoS: [roll4] PEN 0
(39) 4 DoS: [roll5] PEN 0 (scatter)
(19) 6 DoS: [roll6] PEN 0 (scatter)

Any RF checks as needed [roll7] as needed with extra damage [roll8] as needed

Dodge check if attacked [roll9] TN 32

[Janwin]

As Rex starts emitting its feedback screech akin to barking, Fenria reflexively reaches for her shotgun.

Awareness: [roll0] vs TN 59 (+20 Auspex, Dark Sight)
Initiative: [roll1]

[dojango]

"Hullghasts! With knives for hands! That's, uh, wow, look at them chop through metal. That's, uh, illegal, I think? You're under arrest!" her voice rising to a shout. She pulls out her shock maul and switches it to 'extreme prejudice' and attempts to knock one of the creatures off the side of the skim-pod.


[roll0] v. 33, [roll1]

[Kaptin Keen]

Demonstrating truly heroic reactionspeed and accuracy, Plex spots the enemies as they leap, fires from the hip, and obliterates two of the twisted monstrocities before they even reach the vehicle. They are torn limb from limb, and drift every which way in the zero G environment.

Four land on the vehicle, and immediately set to tearing it to shreds. The thin armor yields easily to what appears to be mono blades - with obvious risks to anyone still inside the vehicle.


On a RF, the attacks land on a random person inside the vehicle. Otherwise, I can inform you that the vehicle has 2 points of armor and 25 wounds. Losing it will not be ideal. Also, without it they thingies will attack you instead of it. On the upside, any RF damage is applied to you squishy meat bags, not your ride.

Thingy 1:
Attack 1: [roll0] vs 40 (+20 for all-out-attack, +10 for allies in melee)
Attack 2: [roll1] vs 40 (+20 for all-out-attack, +10 for allies in melee)
Damage 1: [roll2] pen 3
Damage 1: [roll3] pen 3

Thingy 2:
Attack 1: [roll4] vs 40 (+20 for all-out-attack, +10 for allies in melee)
Attack 2: [roll5] vs 40 (+20 for all-out-attack, +10 for allies in melee)
Damage 1: [roll6] pen 3
Damage 1: [roll7] pen 3

Thingy 3:
Attack 1: [roll8] vs 40 (+20 for all-out-attack, +10 for allies in melee)
Attack 2: [roll9] vs 40 (+20 for all-out-attack, +10 for allies in melee)
Damage 1: [roll10] pen 3
Damage 1: [roll11] pen 3

Thingy 4:
Attack 1: [roll12] vs 40 (+20 for all-out-attack, +10 for allies in melee)
Attack 2: [roll13] vs 40 (+20 for all-out-attack, +10 for allies in melee)
Damage 1: [roll14] pen 3
Damage 1: [roll15] pen 3

RF checks and damage for everyone:
Check 1: [roll16]
Check 2: [roll17]
Check 3: [roll18]
Check 4: [roll19]

Bonus damage:
D10: [roll20]
D10: [roll21]
D10: [roll22]

Beasties carve through 22 of 25 wounds in one round. Not ... ideal.


Once the things land on the vehicle, Penny swings her shock maul into the hideous, half-human face of one, chastising it with the Omnissiah's holy lightning - and incidentally also knocking it off, sending it drifting in the neglible gravity.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

Without a word, Dan steps up and swings his shock maul at one of the three foul creatures.


WS Target 33
[roll0]
Damage (Impact)
[roll1]

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega releases a psychic surge in an attempt to halt their foes progress.


Invoke Spasms, base 7, overbleed 5 get an additional target.
[roll0]
+5 = 17, 3 of the 4 need to test will.

[Kaptin Keen]

Will test 1: [roll0] vs 35
Will test 2: [roll1] vs 35
Will test 3: [roll2] vs 35


Decisive action before the emperor ends the fight as quickly as it started. Phil sends spasms through three of the beasts, and Dan knocks the last one off the vehicle - resulting in all the remaining attackers being helpless, drifting and easily picked off with aimed shots.

Your vehicle has survived, but is in bad shape. Most worrisome is a smell of burnt electronics - but diagnostics indicate all systems are in working order.

With all attackers down, you can get a closer look at the remains. They are somewhat like servitors - or perhaps rather reverse servitors. They are bio-mechanical constructs, gengineered, altered and reshaped. They were human once, though, and horrifying thought their tortures are, the worst has to be that part of them must know .. what they were, and what they've become.


Some on the spot repairs may be possible. It's a Hard Tech Use roll, and won't magically restore armor or anything, but it will fix the vehicle up to a stable state.

Anyone with a keen interest in bio-mechanics may examine the dead enemies closer.

Also ... roll for Psyniscience.

[DrK]

Plex

Plex pauses, thumbing fresh shells into the massive smoking shotgun. Looking at the skimmer he shakes his head sadly. "Odd they hated the skimemr so much. But better that than us." He nods at the wall of the shaft."Shall we land and allow Penny to see if she can do some repairs before we continye further."

Looking about he scans the area, shotgun held ready.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega smiles.
Sounds like a plan


Psyniscience: [roll0] Base 41

Re-roll if needed with fate point [roll1]
Charmed if needed to reroll [roll2]

[dojango]

Once the skimmer lands, Penny leaps out amd and begins trying to patch up the battered vehicle. The crazy gravity doesn't phase her a bit, being used to void-repairs in the vastness of space. She whistles one of the muzak tunes as she tinkers.

Finally she says, "Now this is good, dependable Martian craftsmanship. Solidly made from the finest, cheapest materials available. No unnecessary frills or features." She finished wrapping some of the engine parts together with her trusty roll of Dependable Utility Connective Tape, grade 3. She puts a few pieces across the gaping rents in the hull of the vehicle as well. "Fun fact! It's not the places we got hit we haveta worry about now, since we know there's nothing vital there!"

[roll0] v. 31

[Kaptin Keen]

The immaterium is disturbed and polluted here. Purple tendrils writhe through the nether. There is a prescence further on, and it's not far now. Malign and powerful, it warps the world around it.

And you know it's coming.

You needn't spend Fate - this is not hard to detect. However, a better roll would have revealed more.



Penny deftly repairs the vehicle, restoring some of it's structure, and patching up it's flimsy armor. While it still isn't particularly suited for hard combat, it'll certainly fly.

You patch it up to 15 wounds. It is battered, but in full operational condition.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega's smile suddenly drops.
We have a warpy big and nasty incoming. I think it might be reacting to my previous activity.
He draws his laz-pistol and takes a proper firing stance in the direction of the warp entity.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

The priest sheaths his shock maul and makes the sign of the aquila before his chest. "Praise be unto Thee, oh God-Emperor of Mankind! Guide our strikes as we combat this accursed blight upon Your peoples!" He then reaches for his shock maul with his right hand and his shotgun pistol with his left. He faces the direction that Vega is aiming down and prepares for otherworldly company.

[dojango]

Penny pulled out her las-carbine and took cover behind the skimmer, pointing the gun in every direction. Then she said, "Er, which way is it coming from?"

[Kaptin Keen]

The mining shaft stretches in both directions beyond the limit of sight - quiet, dark except for pools of light at long intervals, nothing moves, not even the air.

Nothing seems to be coming for you - just now. Eventually, you get back in the patrol vehicle, and move on.

Even the limited speed of the patrol vehicle is enough to quickly show, that you're nearing the end of Shaft 51. This is not because the end of the tunnel reveals itself as such - rather, the intermittent pools of light on the tunnel wall end. Ahead of you lies only darkness. It is as total as darkness can possibly get, underground in the depths of the void.

You edge closer, inching along at minimal speed. The floodlights of the patrol vehicle pan across tunnel walls to reveal that Shaft 51 emerges into some other, vast space. You spot the crawler that drilled the shaft, tumbled to one side, some 100 feet down the inside wall of the .. whatever it is.

Of the cave - as you assume it is - you can tell precious little. It seems far larger than the range of your measly floodlights.

Something is here, though. You need no psychic ability to feel that. It's like a pressure at the temples, like a stroke waiting to happen. Although the darkness is absolute, still you feel like something is moving - just beyond sight.


Auspex can reveal much that light cannot - someone roll Tech Use to see how much.

Also, any other rolls you feel you'd like to make. I dunno, maybe to assess the mining crawler, psyniscience, whatever.

And finally - please roll a Will test.

[DrK]

Plex

As they enter the vast void Plex looks about. "Maybe they dug too deep? The troubles here maybe more xeno in origin than simple heresy." He stares into the blackness seeking anything in the shapes lit up by the thin beams of light as he cradles the shotgun. The pressure at his temples, the feeling of dread and malignant terror surrounding him leaving him cold and clammy.



Awareness [roll0] TN 28
WP test [roll1] TN 34

[Kaptin Keen]

The pressure at the temples become a throbbing headache. Plex hears whispers - but they are not threats, or rambling madness, or shrieks of hate and anger.

They are soothing, kind.

We need not be enemies, Trooper Plex, they cajole, I bear no ill will towards you or anyone, I want merely to leave this place. Please, if you help me, I can help you.


The headache and whispers are distracting, giving a -10 on all tests that require concentration. However, as the whispers seep into Plex's mind, Plex gains a sense of where they are coming from (succesful Awareness).


Plex, wincing at the pain and shaking his head to clear his thoughts, points - down, and to the 'west'.

Over there, that way, he says, whatever this is, it's over there.

Where he points is just darkness, nothing to be seen there or anywhere else. But he seems sure of it.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega shouts into the distance
You will not have me. I deny you. and begins chanting prayers to the Emperor



I will back fill what Phil after seeing the results of:

Psyniscience [roll0] Base 41

Willpower [roll1] Base 53
If it fails, spend fate point to re-roll [roll2]
Charmed [roll3]

Any better idea on what we are dealing with?
Scholastic Lore [Occult] [roll4] Base 44

[Kaptin Keen]

The psychic backwash is like white noise, this close, blocking out any attemps to gain any insight.

What it is you're up against is hard to tell. Maybe if someone had taken a closer look at the dead things that assaulted the patrol vehicle, they might have given some clues [insert mildly disapproving GM scowl].

Phil steels his will against the psychic noise and sensory assault, and keeps his cool about him.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion


Will test, target 41
[roll0]

[dojango]

Penny tried to ignore the weird psyker stuff, usually demons. Not her job. It was just something out there, staring at her. Watching. Waiting. She looked around with her mundane eyes. Realizing the futility, she started up with the auspex again to discern clues from the inky blackness. At first she only picks up the muzak, but she quickly turns it off. "Not now," she whispers.

[roll0] v. 51

[Kaptin Keen]

Penny mans the auspex, which has little care for darkness. The sensor array lances out, and quickly a 3d mapping of the cave appears on-screen. It's huge, more than a kilometer long, a jagged rift torn into the asteroid. Also, it's open to the void - or would be, except some substance unknown to the auspex seems to have sealed off the opening.

There is also a huge, artificial shape here. In fact, it's right where Plex pointed. Oblong, oval - made from the same unknown material as what covers the opening to this cave. The closest match the auspex can come up with ... is silk.


Really needs to roll Will. It's to resist the psychic susurrus.

Here, allow me: Will [roll0] vs 39

[DrK]

Plex

Plex shakes his head, trying to clear the voices before looking the direction he felt pulled. "That way. Emperor protect, something is down there." He clutches the Arbite shield badge for strength before sliding the action on the shotgun with a loud clatter of plasteel. "Lets go and see what this thing desires."

[Kaptin Keen]

You small vessel speeds (such as it is) towards the shape revealed by the auspex. To all the world, it appears to be a starship-sized cocoon. When you get close enough for visual contact, you sweep search lights across it, tiny dots of light dancing across literal acres of what really seems to be .. silk. It is disturbingly organic, very very large, entirely alien. It also appears damaged, but repaired.

Searching the entire thing in this way would take hours, but Plex has a pretty good feeling where to go. Down, near the borrom of the cave, towards the entrance.

Once you get there, you see what very clearly resembles some sort of proboscis, extending from the skin of the cocoon to the floor (or wall, since there's really no discernible gravity here) of the cave. The floor is littered with dead insects, like scarabs - many, many thousands. The mass of husks extends a ways towards the entrance.

Beside the husks - looking entirely out of place - are a little C of tables piled with equipment, crates, data slates, cogitators and the like. There is a speeder parked next to it.


I just want to paint the full picture, so you have a chance to know what you're looking at. The entrance I mention is a massive rift in the asteroid, not the tunnel you came from. This has been sealed in silk, presumably by the small scarabs. Small, of course, is a relative term - they are larger than dogs, but smaller than men.

What you face appears to be some sort of organic - possibly living - space craft.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

The laughter starts slowly and quietly. It's a deep belly laugh, and it eventually culminates with the priest in tears and gasping for breath. "That is, cough, so powerfully bad! How many laws, gasp, have they broken at a minimum?!"

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
Time to collect what we came for and leave I think.

[dojango]

Penny mentally tries to recall the specifics of the Lex Imperium. "Let's see, keepin' xeno monsters without a permit, not confessing when approached by authorities, resisting arrest, failure to purge, an' unlawful abandonment of Mechanicus property. And that's just what I see now. Looks like there's our suspect, let's go make the arrest and/or execution."

[DrK]

Plex

"Emperor protect!" Plex murmurs, his mind barely able to take in the full horror of the scene. He jumps down from their speed cautiously and approaches the parked one, hoping to see no security locks on it. Looking at the piles of dead xeno husks he glances back to the others, face grim. "Ordos Job here! Grab a husk, I'll grab the slates then we should retreat to the Gavel". He heads to the work tables and stats grabbing any available data slates or other storage devices that may have any information on the colossal xeno monstrosity!

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

Dan picks up a carapace and gets it stowed away. When he returns, it's with more of a grimace than a smile.

[Kaptin Keen]

The speeder is a simple utility model, lacking even the rudimentary armor of the patrol vehicle. It is, however, actually designed for flight, and can perform a far more impressive turn of speed. Also, it seats 8 plus a pilot, and has a cargo compartment as well.

There are piles of equipment, cogitators and data slates - but it all fits neatly into empty crates left around, and those empty crates fit neatly into the speeder.

The husk is all but weightless (I mean, in zero G, it's actually weightless - but it also has very little mass), dry and brittle. In life, it was a fairly horrifying critter with far too many legs, mandibles and multi-faceted eyes. In death, it is as inert and hopeless as all dead things.

You are very close to the source of the psychic disturbance here. The whispers are insistent, overpowering. I harbor you no ill will, it insists, but I need your help leaving this place.


If you failed the first Will test, this is where it get's tricky. You need to roll again, and on a failure - you feel you really should go see if you can help the entity calling for help.

If you happen to have a Charm on your character sheet, that yields a +10 bonus to the roll. Other trinkets of faith also apply. And no cheating - if you go back and add one now before rolling, the God-Emperor will know! His Wrath will be great, his Justice swift and absolute! =)

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion


Will test, target 41
[roll0]
I have a Charm (skull).

[dojango]

Penny stared at the thing in the darkness. It was just a starship. A home. A new gift? She started walking towards it. "Wow! This is pretty cool! Hey, you there!
What are these awful people doing to you? Where's the on button for this thing!?"

[Kaptin Keen]

The proboscis-slash-gangplank beckons invitingly. It's just a few meters from where the tables are. Looking closer, you realise it's lighted - little globes on the wall providing a soft sort of halflight.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

"Penny! Child, come back to us! That's obvious xeno heresy! And parked illegally, to boot!" Dan calls out. He reaches a hand out to the the Martian Priestess of Technology.

[Kaptin Keen]

It also looks quite a lot like a lamprey - or a cross between a lamprey and some deep-sea dwelling, bioluminescent type of fish. The lights inside it's maw glide slowly backwards, pulsing and undulating.

It doesn't actually look like the opening itself is dangerous. But it's certainly alien, and scary.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega attempts to restrain Penny
Fight it. Do not become an accomplice.


Str Check?
[roll0] Base 26

[dojango]

The others grab Penny, and she tries to take a few more steps before being stopped. "C'mon, what's the worst that could happen? It seems OK... We should go collect evidence..."

Got an epic fail on the will test, by the way...

[Kaptin Keen]

Despite her feeble protests, you drag Penny - along with the data slates and cogitators - back to the speeder. It's the work of a few minutes to get everything ready, and then you're off. The speeder easily accelerates to ten times the speed of your patrol vehicle, and blasts down Shaft 51, back towards the colony. The kilometers long tunnel flashes by in moments.

As you fly past the gates and into the access tunnel, you immediately spot flashing emergency lights, and what appears to be a road block - about where your friendly collaborators had their baracks.


You can tell even at a glance that this is likely the famous Special Branch, come to arrest their seditious colleagues. You have just a sliver of a moment to decide how to proceed, before they notice you. That is, unless you want them to notice you.

You cannot really see what's going on. There are shadows moving, blurred and confused by the flashing lights. Your auspex could tell you more, but you don't really have time - and auspex is an active sensor, so theirs will pick up your attempt to scan them. That is, if they have one - of course.

[DrK]

Plex

Plex, shivered, the thing in the shaft had been alien, a xeno of vile influence. The whispering in his mind had been so seductive he shuddered now, vowing to spend some time in the chapel when he got back to the Gavel. Seeing the trouble ahead he looked to the others. "Slow here down, turn into another tunnel. Best to remain unobtrusive. It is imperative we return to the Gavel and seek assistance for such a huge xeno thing." What he doesn't say is the obvious "its well above our pay grade".

Seeing the barracks and trouble he shrugs, "They'll have to fend for themselves. Emperor will shield the innocent."

[dojango]

"What other assistance do we need? I say we just go to the bossman's office, beat a confession outta him, and then work our way down the ladder. Figure out who's been mistreating that poor beastie down there."

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
Obviously the xeno needs to be destroyed. We will need the ship for that.

[Kaptin Keen]

Had your craft been going full tilt, the roar of the engines would instantly have given you away. As it is, you kill the headlights and quickly swing into the abandoned storage space through which you entered, and park the transport there.

Sure, you could have confronted the Special Branch, and possibly kept intel about yourselves from them - but on what grounds. The guards who helped you were obviously betraying the trust of their superiors and the rule of the local Imperial representatives, and the Special Branch officers are making an entirely legal and legitimate arrest. Lex Imperialis - justice has been served!

From here though, you can bypass the guards and security just as you did coming in, and make your way back on foot. Or commandeer a vehicle somewhere.


Seriously tho - what's the plan from here?

[dojango]

"Alright, then, we'll vox the ship and tell the Tech-priests to tap into the station's comms. Figure out what they're up to. Maybe have a couple of crews do an EVA back at the exit of that mining shaft to see what they can see. Meanwhile, let's go to the station manager's office and arrest him and seize all his files so'z we can figure out precisely whose guilty.
It' be a shame to waste a perfectly good mining station over this."

[Kaptin Keen]

It takes no more than a quick call to the Mechanicus shrine on-board the Gavel to gain full access to the station comms network. Minutes later, your own vox is fed a steady stream of vox chatter - stuff the station clearly thinks is secret. It's pretty clear the colony administration has branded you as imposters - fake Arbites sent to infiltrate the station. It's also clear that you've been accused of attacking an innocent guard station near Shaft 51, and gunning down the enforcers there.

The Special Branch have their own channel, and their comms are invariably brief, businesslike and militaristic.

The channel reserved for the ordinary law enforcement personnel is more confused, buzzing with questions concerning credentials, and asking for clear orders and directives.


It will take the Gavel a little time to lift off and travel around the asteriod. Also, there are still station defences. Not that The Gavel might not be a match for those - but it's a consideration. Said consideration might be worded as 'if the Gavel has the firepower to destroy the asteroid, and the colony has the firepower to destroy the Gavel - what then is the wisest course of action, and from where would a wise man chose to watch, once the sparks start flying?!'

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

"Forgive my impertinence, brothers, but I feel we should shut down this Special Force before we do anything else. They appear to be a significant paramilitary unit with the upper level support to kill at whim and pin it on whomever they choose." He quickly returns to his quieter position leaning against a strut.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
The xeno must be destroyed, but perhaps we should press the guard into our service, and cease the colony defenses so that they will not interfer with the xeno's destruction.

[DrK]

Plex

Plex looks at the others and nods in agreement. "Shall we ask the Gavel to launch and withdraw and we can try and take care of these special traitors. The most important thing is to get the Gavel launched and safe to support any Ordos interdiction." He looks to the others and if the agree voxes the Gavel to ask them to launch and withdraw to a safe location within the system.

Checking the load on the shotgun he nods. "Lets see if we can shut down this place, if we deactivate the defence systems then the safety of the Gavel is assured."

[dojango]

Penny looks around and says, "I know we're supposed to be invincible agents of retribution and all that, but perhaps we can go talk to the Mechanicus enclave on this station. Their loyalties are to the machine spirits of the station itself, and they may be willing to help us in exchange for not using our ship to bombard the station into custody."

[Kaptin Keen]

The Mechanicus enclave isn't big, but it's impressive none the less. It's actually almost a separate colony, a tall arcology standing off the main surface city. It is both temple to the Machine God, home and quarters for the tech priests and their menial slaves, and production facility, churning out most of the tech and machinery the colony needs - among other things, the massive crawler-tunnelers that dug Shaft 51.

To get there you need either void suits or a void vehicle.

You sneak back from Shaft 51 the way you came in, going through service tunnels and disused spaces, until you arrive back at the patrol vehicle. It remains where you left it, and seems to not have been found. Luckily, you parked it discreetly.

When you enter it, however, you see a small note stuck to the windshield. It reads:


BE CAREFUL - THEY WATCH AND MONITOR EVERYTHING!

The streets are patrolled by both enforcers and Special Branch, but with a bit of cleverness and awareness, you should be able to navigate the colony without being spotted.


Any sort of Navigation skill, Tracking, or the like may be rolled to avoid detection. Drive (ground or air, as applicable*) will serve to shake off pursuit if you're spotted. Awareness may be used as a reroll if spotted - sort of to see them before they see you.

Let me know how you want to proceed. A few rolls will get you safely to the Mechanicus enclave.

[dojango]

Penny picks up the note and shows it to the others. "Looks like we still got friends here! It's good to have friends. We should head to the Mechanicus enclave and get some more friends! Who wants to drive? I never quite learnt the trick of it."

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

"I suppose I'll take the wheel." The priest moves to the pilot's seat. "Next stop, the front door." He kicks the transmission into gear and grinds forward. "Hold on to your faith!"

[Kaptin Keen]

You skillfully maneuver through the colony, avoiding patrols and dodging traffic jams, until you roll through the outer airlock of the Mechanicus enclave. Beyond is a docking area (or parking lot, if you will), and a grand entry hall where numerous servitors roll busily to and fro. You are approached by a servo skull - a protocol model - which bobs softly before you, and intones in a voice entirely artificial:

++ GREETINGS AND WELCOME, ADEPTUS ARBITES AGENTS ++
++ HOW MAY THE ADEPTUS MECHANICUS ASSIST YOU ON THIS CYCLE ++

[dojango]

"Hey! All blessings to the Omnissiah! I hope you are keeping up his sacred tools and rites! Because it concerns me that some of his sacred machinery seems to be moldering in a forgotten tomb next to some weird xeno thing! Anyway, can we talk to the Magos in charge to find out why this station is a den of heresy and iniquity and how you plan to help us remove it?" says Penny.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

The large man of the cloth takes a position flanking Penny's right side. His hands remain clasped in front of his, giving him the appearance of a patient man.

[Kaptin Keen]

The skull floats a moment, clicking and buzzing sounds issuing as it's cogitator spins.

++ PROCESSING - PLEASE STAND BY ++

For a little while, it seems to be chattering to itself as it processes the input it received.

++ INFORMATION DISSEMINATED -- ORDERS RECEIVED ++
++ A CONFERENCE ROOM HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR YOU -- PLEASE FOLLOW THIS UNIT -- CHIEF ENGINSEER COGNATUS SHALL JOIN US FORTHWITH ++

The skull flots off, trailing a tail of printout, towards a bank of elevators.

[dojango]

"Yes! We're in!" Penny punches De'Lion's arm in a friendly manner and then winces as she hits his armor. "Just let me do the talking, eh? We all know that the Emperor is the one true avatar of the Omnissiah, but let's not get too involved in theology with them and focus on getting them helping us arrest these law-breakers. If we need it, I guess you can be the bad Arbite this time, OK?" With that, she marches forward, following the bobbing skull as it led them into the facility.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

Dan De'Lion follows Penny closely, failing to hide the humor in his eyes and the smile on his lips. Perhaps he'll pull her side later on and commend her for her faith and her efforts at bringing them closer together.

[Kaptin Keen]

You enter the elevator, and it ascends the arcology swiftly. It rides the outside of the building, and offers a view of the rest of the colony to one side, and the massive construction yards to the other. Various things seem to be taking shape in those yards - one looks like a lance battery, another could be an automated tug. There's a couple of fliers under construction, sturdy work craft for the mines.

You also see one of the giant crawlers that carve out the main tunnels of the mining colony. Possibly it's a replacement until the one you saw below can be recovered.

As you reach the top, the little servo skull bobs along a corridor and up some stairs into a large, vaulted space. You are at the very tip of the arcology. All around you see the colony, the asteroid, and the cold, hard void of space. It is a round room, with massive beams along the wall. A holo projector fills the center of the room, with rows of chairs surrounding it. Along the wall to the north are cabinets with all manner of paraphernalia for refreshments and other luxuries during meetings. Opposite, south, are shelves with data slates, pict and voice recorders, and more.

The tech priest - presumably the ranking enginseer of the colony - enters via another opening, a separate elevator straight to this room. With him are two guards, obviously cybernetically enhanced.

Enginseer Cognatus is a tall and imposing man. Draped in the red robes of the mechanicus, with mechadendrites held close to his body, and his face studded with sensor arrays, a rebreather and various whirring lneses. He is very tall, almost enough to make you wonder if he was a small man, once, before.

When he speaks, it's not in the droning monotone you've come to expect. Rather, it's like he has penetrated the mechanicus style, and punched through to the other side. His voice is beautiful, like a chorus of angels:

Welcome, agents. Little NX-415 here, he reaches out a 'dendrite to pat the servo skull informs me my colony is a 'den of heresy and iniquity'. I'm surprised, of course, but those are serious words to start a conversation with.

Please, tell me what you've been able to uncover.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega nods and stays 2 steps behind Penny on her left.
He keeps his mind on the immaterium, any compromised priests could prove to be very problematic.

Psycognicience: [roll0] Base 41

[Kaptin Keen]

The Ether is strange here. It's hard to say precisely how (ie. you rolled too low), it's kinda mesh like? The two guards are visibly connected to strands of psionic power.

[dojango]

"Blessins' to the Omnissiah," says Penny, making the sign of the cog. She pulls out one of the spare parts she carries with and fiddles with it like a rosary. "You seen yon mining crawler? Such a fine piece of work, and so useful. Valuable. On its broad treads the empire of Mars is built. And yet I saw one with my own eyes, moldering at the bottom of an empty shaft! Unattended! Unsanctified! The machine spirit was forsaken by its caretakers! I don't know why it was left alone to rot down there, but I suspect it has to do something with that creepy xeno thing lurking at the bottom of the shaft! It was very creepy. Like," she waves her hands around vaguely, "You know. Illegally creepy. So, these mining executives are hiding something. And they wanted to arrest us! We're the Arbites! We do the arresting! So you can see we're at an impasse here. So I thought, maybe our friends with the Mechanicus might help out, because, you know, if these station guys aren't stopped we might haveta have our ship shoot first and ask questions never! Which would be a big waste of our sacred Mechanicus resources!"

[Kaptin Keen]

As Penny speaks, a creeping realisation sends shivers down everyone's spines. Those two guards flanking Cognatus are almost certainly those Special Branch types you've heard of. And a certain logic asserts itself, right on the heels of that realisation: It was a giant Mechanicus crawler that dug into the cavern below. It was the Mechanicus who found the alien ship.

And quite possible ... it was the Mechanicus who were curious about what secrets, what tech, what opportunities and possibilities it would open.

Opposite you all, Cognatus gestures in a friendly way with his 'dendrites, and replies in his gorgeous, sing-song voice:

Thank you, Arbites. Obviously, we're aware of the stranded crawler below, and we're working on putting together a recovery mission. It hasn't been our top priority, as it is quite labor intensive, and we have others like it.

We are also, obviously, aware of the xenos artifact. It's fascinating, no? Did you step inside? Part space ship, part living organism, part hatchery. And each creature that lived abord that ship was a mix of machine and organic. I would say impossibly advanced, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. We've learned so much from it. Created such wonders. These, for instance, he indicates the Special Branch operatives, a new form of skitarii, enhanced in every way, with improved tactical awareness, broad spectrum sensory inplants - they even feel the immaterium. They respond to my very thoughts!

As he speaks, you hear the elevator behind you begin to descend.


You should propably roll for initiative.

You are on opposite sides of the room, with the holo projection table between you. There are rows of chairs which would provide somewhat crappy cover, and columns along the circumference which will provide excellent cover. The holo table itself is also sufficient cover, and might block line of sight if turned on.

The Special Branch guys have nasty, efficient looking las carbines. Cognatus is pointing several 'dendrites your way, in a way that suggests they are capable of .. well something.

Winning initiative means getting to act before they reach cover. Remember Fate is a renewable ressource.

[LairdMaon]

Okay, everything's going fine. Yeah. Uh-huh. Good.

Wait.

Wut.

[Explitive Deleted]


Priest Dan De'Lion

The priest steps in front of his team, bringing his shield up to guard against the heretek and his minions. He braces the guardian steel against his shock maul and triggers the Exterminator to flare at their foes.


Screw the Initiative roll, I just used 1 of my 2 Fate points to get a 10. That's Initiative 13.
Step to the front of the party.
Shield up.
Exterminator at the bad guys.
Eat FWOOSH!

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
Oh $hit

Will also spend a fate point on initiative. (13)
Note that I am willing to delay a count if needed to prevent the specials from dropping before our priests's attack.


Focus Power on power Spasms [roll0]
(Power cannot fail to go off, but the amount of ppl effected and the test depend on the roll)
(+5 = 17, 2 levels overbleed: Target both the special operatives, +Increase the difficulty by one degree)
On failure they fall, and accidentally shoot nearest target, which based on how stuff is described is either each other or the Mago.

[dojango]

Penny's eyes open wide in surprise but she recovers quickly, at least once the priest boldly sets the nearest ones aflame. "You have the right to make a full confession!" she shouts as the cleaning flame heads towards them. "I suggest you do it quickly!" With that, she runs over to where the elevator behind is moving and tries to override the controls so that more reinforcements can't come from behind.

[roll0] for initiative. tech use [roll1] v. 51 to take control of the elevator, FP if needed: [roll2].

[Kaptin Keen]

Cognatus is still monologuing when Dan suddenly leaps into action - everyone is surprised as a roaring sheet of holy, cleansing flame douses the miscreants, burning away their sin along with their flesh and bone. The range is perfectly judged, as at max range, the arc of flame just barely covers all three enemies.

One Special Branch - to the right of Cognatus - manages to leap clear of the fire. The other two are enveloped, sizzling, crackling and smelling of bacon.

Then Phil focuses his mind upon the immaterium, locates the nerve endings of the two Special Branch operatives, and wracks them. Both jump, involuntarily discharging their las carbines - both hitting Cognatus, but inflicting neglible damage - then sprawl on the floor.

For her part, Penny quickly interfaces with the elevator, and stops it dead. No reinforcements will be coming from that direction.

Once the initial surprise abates, the Special Branch get up into the best cover they can find, and each has time to squeese off a single shot. Cognatus moves behind the holo projection table, using one of his four 'dendrites to draw a bead on Dan.


Initiative, Enemies: [roll0] They move as a group. After all, the Special Branch are remote controlled by Cognatus.

Special Branch 1:
BS: [roll1] vs. 60 (firing at Phil)
Damage: [roll2] Pen 3

Special Branch 2:
BS: [roll3] vs. 60 (firing at Penny)
Damage: [roll4] Pen 3

Cognatus fires a red tracking laser at Dan. I nice, sustained beam. It seems to do no harm. Propably everything is fine.
Cognatus, BS: [roll5] vs. 70

[dojango]

Penny quickly disables the elevator controls and pumps her fist. Then a las blast hits the wall a foot beside her, and she jumps and scuttles behind cover while pulling out her las carbine. Later, she describes it to disinterested crewmembers as a fluid, graceful movement, and hopefully the others don't contradict her.

[LairdMaon]

Angry Priest Dan De'Lion

De'Lion tromps to the fallen magos' side, palming an exterminator into his shield hand. He takes a small fraction of a moment to study the cyborg before laying into him with his shock maul.


To Hit [roll0] vs WS 33
To Hurt [roll1]
Shocking

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega stifles a cry as his arm is nearly taken off.
He takes cover and draws his laz pistol with his other hand.

[Kaptin Keen]

Enginseer Cognatus had not expected to suddenly be in melee combat. Quite visibly, he's poorly equipped for it - even if his mechanical features are poorly suited to convey his shock at suddenly physically assaulted. Reflecting his surprise, the two Special Branch reposition to face Dan, discharging their las rifles at the priest. At the same time, Cognatus turns his 'dendrites against the same target.


Cognatus:
Las pistol 'dendrite used in melee, WS: vs. 35
Damage: [roll]1d10+2

SB1: Las riflke, BS: vs. 60
Damage: [roll]1d10+4 pen 3

SB2: Las riflke, BS: vs. 60
Damage: [roll]1d10+4 pen 3

Dear Emperor!! Ok, reposting rolls in OOC.

[dojango]

"Heretek!" shouts Penny at the Magos as she brings her las-carbine to bear on him. Quickly firing off two shots, she mumbles the litany of unaimed shots. "Omnissiah, take the wheel!"

[roll0] v. 55, dmg 1 [roll1] dmg 2 [roll2] used a FP and got 2 degrees of success, so both those shots hit the magos. I reckon the first gets soaked but the second might scratch the chrome on his grill.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

The shots to his skull and his arm did nothing to quell the fighting spirit of the cleric. Indeed with a grunt of pain your rears back and swings once more on the magos before him.


Good rolls only, God-Emperor! I'm looking at you!
All Out Attack
[roll0] vs WS 53 (33+20)
[roll1], Shocking
Can't Parry or Dodge this turn.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega strains his psychic might against the skull in the ceiling to no avail.

[Kaptin Keen]

Phil does his utmost to crush the heretek magos under the very symbol of the Mechanicus cult - and while such justice would have been appropriate, the telekinetic force isn't enough to tear the heavy ornament from it's moorings.

Penny fires, and her las blast impacts the enemy, drawing ... well, not blood, but leaking lubricants. And then Dan swings mightily with shock maul, connects right in the center mass with a solid thunk - and not least, a crackling discharge of energy. The magos shudders and jerks, roaring white noise, and falls down.

Most satisfactorily, the two Special Branch troopers grip the sides of their heads and scream in unison - then also fall.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

In his fervor, the priest turns the fallen magos over, exposing the places it's mechadenrites connect to it's back. With a grim grin, he brings the shock maul down on these locations repeatedly.

"I don't know what these do, but I am sure you don't need them anymore!"

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega runs over, grabs one of the guards rifles, and puts a shot in his face.

[dojango]

Penny uses her las carbine to knock off the other guard's helmet off and then shoots him in the head. "Tech Heresy, assaultin' an officer, conspiracy, failure to fill out proper research paperwork... I'd say you got off easy," she lectures to the bodies. "Everyone alright? Probably gota few more arrests before the night is done."

[Kaptin Keen]

The rifle is a very satisfying piece of hardware, a sleek, powerful weapon: A crusade pattern lasgun from the D'laku forges in the Lathe system. It's discharge immediately inflicts damage beyond what even a magos would be able to survive or repair.

The Special Branch, meanwhile, squirm and shudder and moan in pain. Precisely what state they'll be in if and when they recover is unclear.

You have a dead magos, two modified skitarii, and an elevator holding .. well, you know not what. On the other hand, there's the magos' private elevator on the other side of the auditorium. Maybe that leads somewhere useful.


The SB each have a d'laku hellgun, a less-impressive-but-still nice sidearm (a standard laspistol with slightly improved charge packs, giving +1 damage, and 1 pen). They have tons of additional gear, but it's built into them, and needs a surgeon to remove.

Cognatus has a very interesting array of built-in gear. He also has a sort of baton which he never drew, and a sidearm - a best quality SP revolver of some type. Not one you've seen before. I'll give you stats for it if anyone wants to use it. (frankly I couldn't find it right now =)

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega

After "collecting evidence" <read looting>, he attempts to determine if there was some mechanic receiver for the psionic influence in the special branch. Hopefully there should be some residue from where the connection overloaded.


Psycognicience [roll0]

If he finds something, he will attempt to take it with him (Not letting it touch his bare skin).

[Kaptin Keen]

As Phil tunes his mind to the nether, the neat latticework that existed before has vanished - instead, the empyrean is back to it's usual, chaotic self. Regardless, it's easy to trace the sliver of warp active material embedded in the brains of the Special Branch operatives. With the burn holes from recent execution, it's even moderately less gory and traumatizing than it would usually have been - you can just stick a pair of tweezers in there, and jerk the offending matter right out.

On inspection, it seems weirdly alive. Sure, it's just a sharp, triangular piece of metal with surface engravings that look like circuitry - but it also seems to have 'grown', sending tendrils like roots into the brain, becoming one with it's host.

[dojango]

Penny quickly takes a look at Dan's wounds. She binds them up so that they aren't leaking quite as much blood, although real healing will require rest. She moves over to Phil, and sees the bizarre things he's pulled from the men's brains. Penny says, "Put em on' the ground, I'm gonna 'catalog' the evidence." She picks up her las carbine and blasts the two illegal mind-worms as soon as Phil's clear.

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

De'Lion fingers the neural whip while he receives the bandaging. "His personal quarters will have to be examined and demolished to prevent another from stepping in and continuing where he left off. Techpriestess, what would it take to destroy the xeno craft?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Having executed the guilty perpetrators and collected the available evidence, all that remains is to take elevator down to the 'lair of the dragon'.

Unlike the fairly straightforward business elevator you took first, Cognatus' personal lift is richly decorated, with gold fittings, plush carpet, and a voice operated cogitator rather than simple buttons. Also, no muzak.

It's but a moments work for Penny to access the elevator and make it run - despite it being voice coded to Cognatus. It has only three stops: Cognatus' personal suite, the lobby, and a private vehicle bay.

Going to the private suite first, you find spacious rooms brimming with every luxury. There is a master bedroom, guest rooms, dining room, dressing rooms and bathrooms - it seems barely possible for any one man to require so much space. But more importantly there are workshops, laboratories, cogitator banks, dedicated servitor assistants, storage rooms, a couple of cryo tubes, freezers - and so on.

Sadly, you find no self destruct device, which might have come in handy.

Also - when first entering, you encounter two more Special Branch, struggling to regain their feet but no less stunned than those at the top of the spire. You dispatch them summarily.

[dojango]

Penny turns to Dan and points at the metallic smear on the floor. "How do we destroy it? With good ol' Mars-blessed Imperial technology." They enter the elevator, and Penny continues. "You remember that holo-vid, 'Commissar Baxton and the Xeno-Monstrosity'? Came out a few years back?" Penny adopts a serious face and holds up a finger-bolt pistol. "Nuke it from orbit. If that doesn't work, nuke it again. Course this time, we're not danger close like the Commissar was in that movie. Remember how he hid in a food storage locker to escape the bombardment?" She chuckled at that. "The only thing that worries me is that mining crawler down in the shaft. It's an ancient, valuable, piece of machinery." They leave the elevator. She pauses to shoot one of the stunned Special Branch troopers in the head. He drops, motionless. "It's irreplaceable. sacred. The Omnissiah would not appreciate it if we didn't at least make an attempt to recover it. Perhaps we can remotely order it to crawl back up the shaft, and then hit it with the macro-cannons?"

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

"Forgive my ignorance, Techpriestess, but why could we not drive the crawler back to our pick-up location and have it, and us, recovered. Saves us all from potential destruction and you get another relic to caretake."

[dojango]

"Because I ain't going within 10 klicks of that horrible xeno thing again unless the Omnissiah herself jumps up and orders me to."

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
Wouldn't any weapons powerful enough to include the crawler in the radius risk catastrophic damage to the colony? Don't you think ship bound laz fire should be enough to destoy the infestation? In fact wasn't our purpose in coming here to free up the Gavel to do that?

While he is here he takes the time to focus his power to heal his arm.

[Kaptin Keen]

Speaking of - one of the many consoles in Cognatus' private chambers looks suspiciously like a secondary command and control terminal for the colony defense batteries.

[dojango]

Penny looks around at the Magos's decadent apartment. Someone as arrogant as him would no doubt have all sorts of secondary control systems here so that he could do his work privately, instead of crammed in with hundreds of his comrades. Shameful. She stepped over the bodies of one of the Special Branch soldiers and said, "Zap their brains, would you? Just to be safe," and started trying to access the cogitator systems.

v. 51 First, going to try to use the Magos's systems to order a stand-down of the security teams in the Mechanicus district, as well as reversing the orders designating us as imposters. Then we'll start looking for records of what the heck he's been doing and who his accomplices are so we can take care of them. Finally, yes, we'll deactivate the colony's defenses so our ship isn't in danger.

[Kaptin Keen]

It's quickly clear Cognatus could control most of the colony directly here, from his private suite. You've already come to think of it as his lair.

With direct access, it's the work of moments to call of any alarms, redact any warrants for your arrest, and to lock out the primary defence control at the actual colonial administration head quarters. While you're at it, you check the evidence you brought from the cave, and correlate it with what you find here in Cognatus' lair.

The timeline is fairly simple, and logbogs from the site confirm:

The crawler broke through the wall into the cave. Auspex should have detected it, but the alien craft was blocking it.

The crew of the crawler made an initial probe into the craft. It's clear they initially had clear goals of finding structural weaknesses, so they could destroy it, and inform the Ordo Xenos. This quickly changed though. Soon, there are log entries about the 'wondrous alien technology' and about the 'manifold opportunities it presents'.

It's not long until Cognatus himself becomes involved. He goes in with firm will and hellfire, and comes back out convinced that the craft must be examined, catalogued and documented, and it's technology exploited and adapted. He has various schemes for how existing tech can be improved - first off, skitarii, which can be grown or modified, mentally remote controlled, and so on.

But there is something much less obvious, but perhaps far more troubling.

Every now and again, there is a brief reference to some minor request directly from the alien craft. Materials and even living human subjects delivered directly into one of it's bays. These requests seem to have passed right through all everything, free of any checks, or even the slightest concern as to what the ship wants with them.

It's like no one ever stopped to ask 'say, alien ship, why do you want four living humans?'


Just to be clear:
Technically, you can control most of the colony from here - down to individual airlocks. You have access to vast surveillance. You can order the skitarii (there aren't that many) and the PDF (mostly the enforcers you already know of). It's not a given that they'll obey. You can also contact your ship.

As far as the colony goes, you've 'won', so to speak. The colony administrator is direcly implicated and subject to arrest, prosecution and potentially execution, and he may not come willingly.

You have no idea what's going on with the xeno ship, though.

[dojango]

Penny reads off some of the information to the others and sends it over to their dataslates. Afterwards she says to the others, "Hey guys, so huddle time? Definitely leaning on the side of just blasting the area and bein' done with it. Phil, you're the expert on, you know, weird stuff, any reason why that won't work? And, uh, should we take that weird stuff into account when passing sentences? I know that bein' under the influence of weird xeno crap isn't a complete defense, but we can at least consider it, you know? Was it a spiritual failing do you think, Dan? Certainly the Magos shoulda known better."

[LairdMaon]

Priest Dan De'Lion

"I saw how quickly the craft took hold of even you, Techpriestess, and I will not doubt your dedication to your cult. No," he shakes his head sagely, "I believe it's the very nature of the craft's construction that it infiltrates the mind and seduces with it's unholy wonders. Indeed, I feel our final report should be shared to the Adeptus Astartes and the Imperial Guard lest either stumble on such an artefact unawares of it's corrupting influence." As he spoke, he absently fondled the heavy cables of the neural whip.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
There is no reason blowing the crap out of it shouldn't work.
You seem to be fine now that we are outside its immediate sphere of influence. Certainly leadership are not deserving of consideration. For anyone else they may be a small consideration, it will be case by case dependent. Section 433.5546, governs mitigation clauses for mental manipulation.

[dojango]

Penny winces as the others mention her... failure of will... but rallies after a moment. She flips on the comms array and says, "Hey, Gavel? Come in, Gavel. We've just arrested the Chief Magos for light treason and resistin' arrest, and we're, uh, gonna need an orbital bombardment to help clean things out a bit. How long would take to get a firing solution on [COORDINATES]? Thanks, a million, Special Arbite Squad out."

[Kaptin Keen]

There is a slight hizz of static, but the late Cognatus' gear is top shelf:

Away team, communication received. Preparations for ignition are two hours - time to target, fifteen minutes. Destruction of target estimated at 0,012 milliseconds. Longer if substantially shielded or armored. Is significant resistance expected? Over.

[dojango]

"Ah. That is a good question. I'll, uh, disable the station defenses so you won't have to worry about that, but maybe make sure the ship is a good distance away?
And uh, it's kind of classified, but tell three-eyes and no-eyes to be on the look out for anything weird, yeah? I mean, over?"

She turns to the others and says, "OK, we're gonna have 50 megatonnes of explosive justice delivered in two hours or so. Suppose we should warn everyone on the station to maybe stow their breakables and find shelter beforehand? Also maybe we should, uh, requisition one of the Cognatus's private crafts so we can be elsewhere? Lemme finish going thru these notes to see who else is involved, we'll have them arrested after the bombardment is over. Or maybe let them go with a warning? Also I guess we gotta appoint a new Cognatus. Someone who wasn't involved in all this."

Penny will start flipping through the evidence again, looking for names or identification numbers of anyone else involved in the illegal experiments. Once she's got a list of names, she'll transmit them to the Gavel, just so there's a record...

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
Aside from closing off the shaft env side, the less the civilians know the better. After the xeno is dealt with, Gavel being on overwatch should be sufficient incentive to ensure compliance. Let the local security forces know they have been commanderred.

[Kaptin Keen]

Cognatus' notes are exhaustive and precise. A few of the civilian administrators gleefully joined in the fun, seeing 'significant financial and industrial prospects in this new technology and it's possible applications.' Everyone is named, and there's even a nice list of contributions in terms of funding and manpower.

Furthermore, it seems another tech priest, designated simply 4nt0n, is currently incarcerated below the Mechanicus enclave, awaiting execution of sentence (dismantlement, recycling and servitor-fication) for opposing the march of progress, apparently.


You're basically done on the colony - the level of involvement you want is up to you: You have all the names and all the evidence.

All that remains is the alien ship.

[dojango]

Penny switches the comms over to a station-wide broadcast and starts broadcasting on all channels. Even the muzak channel. "Hey everybody! Arbites Tech-Inspector Pensacola 43b here, just got some important news to pass along here. Chief Engiseer Cognatus has been convicted of resisting arrest and other crimes, which are classified. So by authority of the Adeptus Arbites, he's been permanently relieved of duty and we're appointing 4nt0n as new Chief Engiseer. So let's all give 4nt0n a round of applause in hopes of a long and hopefully crime-free tenure, OK?" She pauses for a moment to clap. "Next on the agenda, is, let's see. We're going to do some light orbital bombardment for reasons that are also classified, so let's have everyone try to get as far away from Shaft 51 as possible, and also maybe batten down some of the hatches and stuff, OK? I'm locking everyone out of the station defenses for a little while so don't try anything funny. I will know if you try to access it without permission, and we will be filing charges against anyone that tries, so don't do it, OK? Tampering with Official Arbites Investigations is a pretty serious offense, you know? Finally, last on the agenda, I'm sending over a list of names of people who've been tried and convicted of various crimes, I'll want station security to bring them or their remains over to main landing facility for sentencing once we're done with the orbital bombardment dealie. Am putting the Sergeant from Unit 4-1 in charge of it, so defer to him, OK? And if he wants to use the opportunity to settle a few scores too, that's cool. He seems like a good chap. Keep in mind that these crimes are classified, so if anyone of them tries to tell you about it, be sure to carry out the sentence for revealing classified information as quickly as possible, OK? And if anyone has any questions or concerns about what we're doing here, please be sure to forward your name, living quarters location, and station ID number to station security and they'll be sure to take care of you. Thanks for your help in this matter, and I think that's all, unless our priest here wants to fire off a quick sermon or maybe a prayer to the Emperor to see if he'll forgive you?"

OK, cool, lock them out of the station defenses, turn over the mechanicus control to 4nt0n and the station security over to that sergeant we talked to earlier, if he's still alive, and then we'll head on out in one of the Magos's private spacecraft. Suppose Dan De'Lion can give them a sermon on the importance of not messing with weird xeno **** too if he wants.

[Kaptin Keen]

After setting the record straight for the colony, proclaiming the new world order, and getting all the guilty taken into custody, the team descends Cognatus' private elevator to his private dock. It holds all manner of craft, among them a small skiff, a fast, agile space craft as easily at home in the void or a planetary surface.

The team reaches the Gavel just as the ship is positioning for it's attack. A single las blast easily does away with the silk-like membrane covering the cave entrance - causing the atmosphere in shaft 51 to rush out in a storm of insta-frozen crystals of water vapour and oxygen.

Then, the bombardment begins - but the instant weapons lock on the alien craft, energy spikes show up on auspex: Reactors come online, shields are activated, and some sort of machinery seems to be building a charge for ... something.


You have a few choices. You can hope the Gavel get's the job done, or you can try to direct it's efforts (you could even come on board to directly fire it's weapons - if you have the BS for it), or you can use the skiff to board the alien craft, to knock out some essential system. Or come up with a fourth action - like ram the skiff into it, or .. something.

You have no idea what thing it is the xeno craft is charging, nor does the crew of the Gavel.

[dojango]

Penny watches the ship's gunners do their work, and when the augur crew reports the strange shield being thrown up, she frowns. "Shoulda know it weren't going to be that easy." An idea comes to her, and she continues, "Hey, you remember that mining crawler I wanted to save? Maybe the Omnissiah has other plans for it... if we can sneak past the foul xeno shields, we could rig the crawler's engines to blow, and crash it into that monster from behind its protections! I bet it'd never see that coming! Unless it can read the future! Or minds! Wait..." Penny disappears for a few moments and returns, her helmet wrapped in shiny reflective insulation foil. "Ready to go?"

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
Down the shaft we go again I guess.

[Kaptin Keen]

It is but the work of a few moments - but it does require a number of things to actually work to succeed. Cognatus' ship is a small, fast, agile craft perfect for the task. It easily swings around the asteroid, past the Gavel and into the cave. Attaching a tether to the crawler is simple. It does, however, require some piloting to slingshot the crawler past the shields and into the xenos craft - and a bit of creative hacking to trigger an overload explosion in the fusion reactor, at the right moment.


Ok - there are various ways to do this.

None of you - far as I can tell - can actually pilot the skiff. For day to day operations, that's fine. There's an autopilot, of course. However, slingshotting heavy mining equipment isn't part of the autopilots programming.

Hence, it will require a Tech Use test to program the autopilot.
Another Tech Use to hack the crawler, and trigger an explosion in the reactor.
And finally, a Demolition check will help increase the damage.

I'd also like an Agility check from someone - for manning the helm. The autopilot still needs someone to be at the controls.

You can assist each other if you like. Remember to spend Fate if you still have it. Good luck =D

[dojango]

Penny starts flipping through the skiff's autopilot programs before settling on a likely-looking one and turning it on. "Buckle up!" she says.

Once they've reached the abandoned crawler, she voxes the ship to hold fire until further notice. She leads the way towards the fallen machine, giving the xeno-thing as wide a berth as possible. She climbs-hops through the microgravity with the practiced ease of one born to the void, and makes her way to the crawler's micro-fusion reactor. She takes a few moments to disable the safety protocols and overload protections, pausing only to wipe away a few tears and to pat the machine reassuringly. "We'll meet again on Mars", she whispers, "And serve mankind once again." Once the others have attached the line to the skiff, she triggers the overload sequence. "We've got about 10 minutes to get clear! Aim it for that spot right there! Airburst! Should send a nice shockwave through the xeno beast a couple times!"

Autopilot roll v. 49 [roll0]
Overload the engines roll v. 49 [roll1]
Demolitions roll v. 39 [roll2]

Last fate point to reroll something if needed [roll3] charmed [roll4]

[Kaptin Keen]

It is not a perfect maneuver - you feel fairly confident it will not be included in pilot education material across the Imperium. It does, however, work after a fashion. You attach the line, trigger an overload in the reactor, and while that is building up to catastrophic levels, make a neat little sling-shot turn with the skiff, releasing the crawler at just the right moment.

It turns end over end, tumbling towards the xenos craft. It does, sadly, explode just an instant too soon. There is no sound in the void, but there is plenty of blinding white light and debris to convince you the explosion is of terrible intensity. It hits the shields of the xenos craft with crushing force. You see the bubble of the shields hold against the force of the explosion for a moment - then collapse.

But a moment is enough. While the shields fail, the armor and hull of the ship survive. Battered, but not quite broken. And meanwhile, the xenos ship is ... doing something. The entire hull shimmers, seems to glow from within with some form of unknowable intensity.

The Gavel fires a broadside, lance batteries punching holes in the flank of the ship-cocoon. And then, with a flash of bluish light - it's gone. You've never seen anything like it, but regardless, you feel it had done enough to repair itself, and managed to activate it's drive and escape.

It's not all bad, though. You've succesfully completed your mission - and made a more than halfway decent attempt at fixing something that really should have been the job of the Ordo Xenos Inquisiton.

All that remains now is to report back to your superiors, and await new orders.


Sorry about the long wait - and the somewhat anti-climactic conclusion.

Initially, I frankly expected you to explore the xenos ship. That would have changed things up somewhat - making things considerably easier later on. And then, obviously, it wouldn't have escaped .. unless you deliberately let it.

Otherwise, that's it for the first mission. And obviously, I hope you're interested in more. Although we might want to look towards recruiting another player, or rebuilding characters to compensate for those we lost initially.

[Kaptin Keen]

It is a lengthy process of setting up new management for the colony, assinging a new magos, cleaning up the messes, tracking down who died or was involuntarily modified to the point where servitorization seems the most merciful outcome.

Thankfully, you don't need to stick around for most of it. You set things in motion, leave the reins in the hands of competent and God-Emperor-fearing folk, and return to The Gavel - for R&R, new orders, and some training. It's important to keep your skills honed, and build new ones when possible.

The captain of the ship informs you that the astropath has received a message calling you to meet a ship - the Void Whisper - at specific coordinates in deep space in the nearby system of Osmundi. It's an uninhabited system, which is slightly odd, but the navigator informs you that it's about halfway between your current position, and the nearest Arbites hub. So maybe someone is meeting you halfway for a priority meeting.


If you so desire, you may have a d'laku hellgun to add to your personal arsenal.

Also, one of the things you picked up from Cognatus' lair was an enhanced battery+discharge coil for your standard shock maul. If you attach this, it will up the charge, making it more likely to affect armored targets - thus giving it +2 armor pen (yes, it's a mono treatment for shock weapons).

The training facilities of The Gavel stand at your disposal for any XP you need to spend uprading your skills.

Let me know anything you want to do during travel - otherwise, I'll skip forward to your arrival in Osmundi.

[Kaptin Keen]

The journey through the warp is uneventful - if any warp travel can ever truly be called that. There are bad dreams, strange sounds and phenomena, but nothing truly threatening or mind-bending.

On arrival, you see precisely why Osmundi is uninhabited. Osmundi is a neutron star - a pulsar, to be exact. The entire system would be black on black, no lightsource except for distant stars, if not for the pulsing beams that sweep outward from the collapsed star. Thankfully, you are nowhere near their arc. You feel vaguely confident the Gavel's shields would be able to withstand such force - but being honest with yourselves, you're not really sure.

The system held nothing but a few barren rocks, planetary remains blasted bare when the sun went nova.

Such systems always had a haunted quality: The surly, angry light of the accretion disk around the pulsar, the swell of background radiation, but something more - a feeling, that this is the future, this is all the universe holds, in the end. Cold, dead rocks, barren of any semblance of life, any chance.

Just minutes after translating into real-space, there was a hail, as a sleek black ship drifted closer: The Void Whisper.

Arbites Ship The Gavel, please confirm identity and transmit current Imperial pass codes. Once verified, prepare to receive a transport of two - Scrivener Maldanis of the Holy Inquisiton, and Marshall Cleia Pavonus of the Adeptus Arbites. Awaiting response.


The term Marshall is one I use for an Arbiter of the rank of Judge, but with no regular seat or jurisdiction. Like the strike force the characters are part of, the Marshall travels where he's needed. A travelling Judge/Gunman. They are famously tough hombres - or, as the case is here, chicas.

[dojango]

Penny had spent a somber few days mourning the loss of the crawler, going over the treatises on demolitions and the sacred rites of detonation. It had embarrassed her to have failed in her attempt to destroy the alien craft. Sure, an all-astropath-bulletin was sent out to have the illegal vehicle be detained and destroyed on sight, but it had seduced so many already... it would not do to have it seduce another reckless world again. But she cheered up almost immediately once the requisition for some extra 'mining' supplies went through... after all, practice makes perfect, and hopefully there would be a chance to practice demolitions on their next mission. If not, well, she'd have to make a chance for it...

After that, she'd had the new mechanicus leader install some new mechadendrites for her. It was about time, she wanted to have the tools close at hand, and having a few extra hands would certainly prove to be quite useful. It was almost with regret that she saw the station dwindle into the distance as they left... after all they had done good deeds there and had only needed to space a few (dozen) people to get the station shipshape again. But after a time, she was eager to get moving again to their next mission. After all, the enemies of the Imperium never stop plotting to harm it, and neither do we! "Wait, that didn't come out right..." she said as the other voidsmen scooted away from her in the cafeteria.

"Don't just sit there! Send the codes! And make ready for our honored guests!" she told the men on the bridge. Then she voxed over to the other ship, "Hey there! Welcome to the hammer of the law, the might fist of justice, the Gavel! How's the judge doing?"

[Kaptin Keen]

There is a curt reply over the vox: Arbites ship The Gavel, be advised the Void Whisper is an inquisition vessel. We collect information, we do not disseminate it. Also, there was no time for shore leave during out brief stay at Arbites HQ.

Soon, a tiny shuttle comes across from the other ship, and when the airlock cycles, two people enter the Gavel: An old man with receding hair, worn robes, and using an autoquill as a walker. At his side hangs an almost aggressively ornate laspistol, but other than that he carries no other weapons, and no armor. He looks very much like someone's kindly old uncle. There is also a look of daunting intelligence in his eyes.

Beside him walks a woman who could easily have stepped right out of a picture - a religious icon, to be exact. Nothing would have seemed out of place if she were an avenging angel, fighting alongside the God-Emperor against the terrors of the galaxy. Her power armor is festooned with honor badges and purity seals. She carries a storm bolter and a massive power sword on her back.

It is the woman who speaks first, but she glances left - to Maldanis, who nods - before proceeding:

Arbitors, we have two items to discuss with you. I should like to brief you on your next assignment, while this uh, old inquisition scribe would like to say a few words about the xenos vessel you encountered.

First thing first:

Next, you're headed Putreo Minoris 7 D - a small moon orbiting a brown dwarf. The colony is ... quite a special case. It's held at a deliberately low level of technological development by the Noble clan whose feifdom it is - because the tithe grade is lower. Legal, although noisome. It is controlled by a number of powerful guilds, who all vie for the favor of the Sky God - the God-Emperor - and his Chosen - the handful of Imperial agents residing in a closed enclave in the polar region of the colony.

The colony has little tech above the level of gaslight and steam. However, and this is a vital point, they mine a type of .. well, the terminology is tricky. See, they mine a 'stable' form of highly explosive crystals, comparable to mercury fulminate. But don't let 'stable' fool you - it's extremely volatile, highly explosive, but just .. slightly less likely to go off in your pocket than a bottle of nitroglycerin.

You will be going in under cover - meaning you will have access only to the types of weaponry the natives do: Muskets, flintlocks - swords, maces. You will be able to wear concealed body gloves, giving you some measure of modern protection to supplement your .. well .. she smiles with a touch of irony your breastplate or chain mail.

What you will be investigating is a breach of trade embargo. That is to say: Only the Imperial agents are allowed to transport anything onto of off the colony. There are signs, however, that someone is doing so regardless. Your task will be to investigate the guilds, and find out who. It's considered certain that at least one of them is involved. No one else has the influence or manpower to do so.

With her piece said, she turns to Maldanis, who speaks in a slightly quavering voice:

Well, Arbitrators, what I have is fairly simple: In failing to stop the xenos vessel, you've allowed a potential threat to roam free within Imperial space. However, we've analysed sensor readings from The Gavel's arrays, and come to this conclusion. He produces several sheets of print from his Autoquill, and waves it vaguely in your faces. there are wild and seemingly random energy spikes right at the moment of activation of the xenos drive system. This has lead us to conclude twofold:

A: The drive was only barely repaired to operational levels, with shielding and containment still dysfunctional. It is estimated that activating the drive in this state most likely has rendered it, once again, inoperable.
B: In such a state, any truly long distance jump would have destroyed not only the drive, but also the vessel. Hence, we estimate it may still be somewhere in the subsector.

We of the Inquisition urge you to keep an open eye. You know how this xenos .. lifeform, ship, whatever .. how it operates. If you see anything suspicious, intervene immediately - do call for Ordos backup, but do not wait for it to arrive. This ship, under full power, may pose a far greater threat than we think.

Now .. any questions?

[dojango]

"Yeah! I gots some questions!" shouts Penny, raising her hand and waving it furiously. "So this crystal thingy! What's the best way to detonate it then! And can we use it to prime another explosive substance? Maybe mix it with night soil or gunpowder? I mean, just asking hypothetically. In case it becomes relevant to the investigation... So. We gots some locals selling this stuff outside of channels. I gots to ask... do you know whose buying and you're trying to figure out whose selling? Or do you wanna find both parties involved? And do you wants a chance to interrogate them, or should we just move directly to sentencing once we got the culprits?"

Turning to the inquisitorial agent she says, "Yeah, I don't thin we seen the last of that horrible xeno thingy. If we see it again, you bet we'll try and carry out the sentence for being an unlicensed xeno. But it's got weird spooky powers, so, uh, might be kinda your job to blow it up? We already done convicted everyone dealing with it. But if it finds another defenseless colony it might try and seduce vulnerable types into carrying out its nefarious schemes again."

[Kaptin Keen]

"Yeah! I gots some questions!" shouts Penny, raising her hand and waving it furiously. "So this crystal thingy! What's the best way to detonate it then! And can we use it to prime another explosive substance? Maybe mix it with night soil or gunpowder? I mean, just asking hypothetically. In case it becomes relevant to the investigation... So. We gots some locals selling this stuff outside of channels. I gots to ask... do you know whose buying and you're trying to figure out whose selling? Or do you wanna find both parties involved? And do you wants a chance to interrogate them, or should we just move directly to sentencing once we got the culprits?"

Amusingly, the crystals are impact detonated. Which makes mining them an interesting passtime. Thankfully, they require quite a bit of a jolt to explode, and before refinement are just a bit more stable.

We have no idea who's selling or how it's getting off planet, but the crystals are all but unique to this planet - at least in the sector - and we've found them for sale in places they really shouldn't be. Interrogation would be nice, yes.


"Yeah, I don't thin we seen the last of that horrible xeno thingy. If we see it again, you bet we'll try and carry out the sentence for being an unlicensed xeno. But it's got weird spooky powers, so, uh, might be kinda your job to blow it up? We already done convicted everyone dealing with it. But if it finds another defenseless colony it might try and seduce vulnerable types into carrying out its nefarious schemes again."

Yes - about that .. there is no available Ordo Xenos forces available at the time being. I'm formally Ordo Hereticus, though as you can plainly see, I'm merely an aging scribe, Marshall Clia gives a snigger at this and I'm not really of such physical capabilities as to face down a xenos vessel singlehandedly.

However, I ask merely that you investigate - and eliminate if possible. Do not risk your lives in vain. If the thing is beyond your powers, call for backup.

[dojango]

Penny thoughtfully rubs her chin with her hand. Her mechadendrites flex and one of them apes the gesture unconsciously. "Are there any priests of Mars on the planet? What do they know about?" She waves her mechadendrites. "Can I bring my dataslate? My electric toothbrush? What about noo-sphere access?" She asks, voice rising in alarm.

[Kaptin Keen]

Cleia gives a sigh of exaperation: No, no, no, no and no.

Or, wait, the second no doesn't work. They know about steam tech, mechanics, gaslight. They have gas for heat and light, steam engines for drills and assorted stuff, mechanics for muskets, lifts, mining trolleys.

It's worth noting that they have very nice alloys which allow them to do stuff their low tech level otherwise would not. A man-portable steam drill for instance is within their capabilities. Also, I should warn you: The crystals are definitely weaponize-able - a spear or crossbow bolt tipped with these crystals are something to be mindful of.

But to answer your question: You can bring whatever you like - but if you're seen using your autobrush it may be cause for civil unrest, diplomatic incidents, and a veritable shotstorm from the Noble cartel if it affects their tithe grade.

I cannot sufficiently stress: Do not reveal to the general populace that they are living in the dark age for no good reason - other than tax evasion.

[dojango]

"Ok, as long as they don't see it..." Penny brightens up a bit. "Ok. Let's think this through. The only legal way on and off the planet is through the Polar spaceport. I assume there's only one for both freight and passengers? So either the stuff is going through there or there's some hidden landing spots. Are there any satellites in orbit that a plucky tech-priestess could take a look at? And the spaceport... the people there must be vaguely aware of the offworld. Is the spaceport run on medieval tech? If so they won't have scanners... that means maybe we could bring some useful gadgets... I mean local laws are cool and all, but they obviously don't apply to us..."

[Kaptin Keen]

Oh, the Administratum are the same tech level as you or I. After all, they maintain a spaceport. And yes, there are orbital sattelites - we're quite certain there are no othe launch or landing sites. It's somehow making it's way through the Enclave.

Also, you're not quite correct. It's all a matter of jurisdictions. Local law applies to local matter, and Imperial law applies to Imperial matters. If local law has a ban on alcohol, we have no special remit to drink ourselves silly in the streets. So while obviously, local authorities owe a great deal of courtesy to Imperial ditto, we're not the Inquisition - we cannot set aside local regulations at will, except where they contradict Imperial law, or where they harm Imperial interests.

[dojango]

"Oh yeah, those greasy little inquisition punks. Uh, no offense," she says to the adept. "Anyhoo, I think I'm ready to go." She picks up one of the flintlock pistols and starts examining it. "So, uh, how do you turn this thing on?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Maldanis smiles at Penny's little blurb, and replies None taken. Somehow the kindly old man manages to fill Penny with a creeping, quiet dread.

The planet doesn't have an actual spaceport - at least, it doesn't have one capable of receiving The Gavel, or even a standard Aquila lander. Instead, the Administratum Enclave sends up their supply shuttle, an aging fusion rocket workhorse with good fuel-to-orbit economy, but very little in the way of comfort or aesthetics. It is, quite possibly, the least inviting void craft you've ever seen. It does, however, bring you safely planetside.

At the Enclave, you're met by two advance agents who have been here a couple of weeks undercover, trying to find heads or tail on the case. They've travelled here by the long and dreary surface train connection to meet you. Respectively, they are Sar Rakud of the Chalised Commisariat and Xanthia, an adept in service to the Adeptus Arbites.


The Administratum Compound - also known as The Enclave - is located in the polar region of the planet. Simply because that's where landing and lifting requires the least amount of fuel. Also, it's conveniently away from prying eyes.

The planet itself is a broken mess. Gravitational forces from the nearby brown dwarf has broken and rebroken the planets surface, creating countless deep cracks in the planets crust. Unsurprisingly, earthquakes are common. The planet surface is pure hell - hundreds of degrees hot during the day, frozen to near zero during the night. But down in the cracks there is a breathable atmosphere, and balmy temperature. Happily, this is also where the mining takes place.

Access to The Enclave is via a single, very long train ride across the blasted topside landscape. It's very hard to imagine how anyone manages to smuggle anything onto the train - but clearly they do.

So. The colony is dominated by four large guilds:

The Stout Malletmen break the ore - they work the mines and bring the crystal to the surface.
The Benign Assembly of Porters and Bearers - their primary duty is logistics and storage.
The Clockwork Guild of Machinists and Tinkerer - build and maintain machines of all kinds.
The Fearless Pyromongers, Chemysts and Arcanists - who refine the ore, and experiment with it in various unsavory ways.

The colony features several large settlements, but the investigation is centered on one: Undertopia, the capital and only direct link to The Enclave.

There are dozens of smaller guilds, and plenty of other work. The four I mentioned are .. you know, the relevant ones. The smaller ones, say Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness Guild of Renovators and Sanitizers, do not have the ability, ambition or connections to pull off anything like this.

[Burden King]

Xanthia took a long, deep breath of the Enclave’s air, and felt a wave of comfort wash away a bit of the homesickness that had developed in her for the past couple weeks. While the air in Undertopia wasn’t horrid, it was stuffy and never to far from the exhaust of the many mining operation of the planet. Not to mention, the humidity from all the steam reliant technology was something she was sure she’d never get used to.

A sigh escaped her lips as she stood waiting one of the main rooms of the enclave, and open space meant to act as a focal point to many connecting halls, for the Arbite team she’d be working with. “Alright Xani, stay professional, stay focused, you’ve had a couple standard weeks to work...you don’t have much to show for it, but you do have that contact. Just play into that, and they’ll know how hard you worked. Definitly didn’t go to that diner next to the clockwork guild head quarters to often...I wonder if I can convinced them to go there at some po-No, focus, the emperors work first, mortal pleasures second.“ she said, clutching her notes and standing at the ready, before anxiously scratching at the deep scar that went from her jaw to the bottom of her eye. It was an old scar, she just scratched it out of nervous habit, the texture calming her as she felt it beneath her nails as it brought her back to Schola.

“They’re goin to think I’m such a rookie...“ she said with a grimace, before looking to Sar Rakkud, briefly imagining what things might have been like if she went down the more martial path of her generation “What do you Think Sar? We’ve done good work right?“

[TankLaser007]

Rakud was happy to be off of that bloody transport. The trip on the train had been nigh unbearable, almost as bad being cooped up in a voidship. In the two weeks here he had begun to acclimate rather well, there was something he found comforting in the simplicity. The lack of the constant whirring and clicking of tech and machine spirits.

You could take the boy out of the Feral World but you couldn’t take the Feral World out of the boy. He was only half listening to Xanthia, his good eye was darting left to right, he felt comfort in the weight of the quiver of arrows at his hip and axe looped through his belt, he did miss his shotgun, but he had quickly taken to the bow, somethings you never forgot.

He was more worried about these incoming agents. The work here had been laboriously slow, glacial even but it was to be expected he imagined. Cases this big were not cracked in a fortnight. These new agents were likely full of fire and enthusiasm not a bad quality but he hoped they brought with them some newfound insights or abilities. Aside from the contact they had made the going was slow.

He noticed the young adept was worrying her scar. She was nervous. What a pair they must make, her action reminded him of his own appearance, he often forgot about it. It had been almost twenty years? The first five had been the worse, especially learning to deal with the loss of his senses.

He unconsciously ran his hand over the bald strip of scar tissue running through his hair, the shivered ear and melted eye, he could almost smell the burned flesh and hear the whimpering of his mother, in the rubble. It was the first and last time he had ever seen weakness from her. He looked at the black haired women next to him. Her scar gave her a sense of character, a nice badge of honour, to wear with pride, of a battle well fought. His was an albatross of shame.

“What do you Think Sar? We’ve done good work right?”

Pulling himself out of his own thoughts he addressed his colleague “Aye, indeed we have. As much as can be expected given the resources. Your work, in particular, has been invaluable.” He cast his gaze over the halls, ”I am just anxious to see what these new agents bear in-store...”

[Kaptin Keen]

The Enclave is well hidden by ice and mountains, and thus can reasonably afford the usual Imperial style of unnecessary size and gloomy grandeur. Seen from the outside, it is a mass of towering square towers whipped by wind and snow - from the inside, it is all marble and dark wood, and tall, narrow arches onto pale blue and white landscape.

There are surprisingly few people here. Other than a few handfuls of Administratum adepts and black clad security forces, most everything is done by quietly efficient servitors. It's clear that, at least here in the Enclave there is some Mechanicus presence.

The room you meet in is like the rest: Tall ceiling, arched windows onto landscape that makes you shiver internally, marble walls with dark hardwood floors and panelling.


The security forces are offworld private sector hired militiamen - they seem the sort of ruthlessly efficient bastards who would justify their price by making sure they fill their 'quota'. They are well equipped, rarely say anything to anyone, and seem alert and on guard, despite this place being almost literally unassailable. Which brings us to the other point:

At this time - at night - there is deep snow outside. It gets quite, quite cold at night here, and the snow outside is frozen atmosphere. However, Osmundi A - the brown dwarf - floods the planet in heat and radiation each dawn, blasting the frozen atmosphere into steam. Dawn is hugely violent, and ... shall we say, by no means survivable unprotected. However, once the atmosphere is defrosted, it gives enough protection from the sub-star to be survivable. The um, radiation should still be considered carefully. Sunbathing is strongly discouraged.

Keep in mind that for all their cleverness, this planet does not produce anything resembling a void suit =)

[Burden King]

Pulling himself out of his own thoughts he addressed his colleague “Aye, indeed we have. As much as can be expected given the resources. Your work, in particular, has been invaluable.” He cast his gaze over the halls, ”I am just anxious to see what these new agents bear in-store...”

“Oh, don’t sell yourself short Sar. Sure we haven’t needed to really put on the power fist, but it’s only cause you’re here I’m sure whoever is doing this hasn’t tried to take us out yet. Nosy as we are.“ Xanthia offered, convinces that she’d probably would have disappeared one night and been left to burn on the surface. It’s what she would have done, wait until night fall, kill the nosy Administratum agent, chopped her up, then left her pieces to burn in various places.

Though, she mused, that whole mind set might be due to all the novels and biographies she had read while in the Schola. About rough and noble Arbites bringing the Emeperor’s fist down on criminals, about various criminal organizations and how they went about covering their tracks. Maybe she had dug too deep, but now that she was an adept For the Adeptus Arbites, it all worked out in its own way.

“As for our new comrades, well...“

I’m gonna roll to see if I’ve read up on the team before they’ve shown up, including perhaps the mission before this one.

Intelligence is 44

Common lore (Administratum)+10)(Using this to get access to their files and perhaps their dossier? That, or just get knowledge of the roaming Arbite squad program in general) [roll0]

Fellowship is 32
Inquiry (if this is more appropriate to this check, I possess Peer (Administratum)
[roll1]

[Kaptin Keen]

In the dark and terrible future of the 41st millenium, information travels only as fast as the next void ship - there is no interstellar hypernet to bring data quickly from point A to point B. Well, except by Psychic Choir, and our little squad isn't important enough for that.

So basically, the most updated information is onboard The Gavel. That's not to say it's unavailable to you - but you didn't roll well enough to get anything that's basically above your paygrade.

The information you get is that the team was dispatched to an asteroid mining operation to investigate disturbances and the disappearance of several employees. The matter was resolved, and several ranking officials removed from service. Large parts of the file have been redacted. The reasons for the redaction are redacted.

The team consist of a tech priest, and Sanctioned psyker, and a priest - although the latter seems to be sitting this current mission out.

On the general nature of Arbites Strike Teams, they are dispatched to systems without a permanent Arbites prescence to investigate breaches of Imperial Law. They have substantial leeway in how they get the job done - without having the total sanction of the Inquisition for instance. Local authorities are expected to cooperate fully - but in the case of corrupt authorities (which is often where breaches of Imperial Law arise) such cooperation is dubious at best. In such cases, the Arbites do have full authority to intervene in any manner deemed necessary - although obviously, they are not geared for planetary conquest.

[Burden King]

In the dark and terrible future of the 41st millenium, information travels only as fast as the next void ship - there is no interstellar hypernet to bring data quickly from point A to point B. Well, except by Psychic Choir, and our little squad isn't important enough for that.

So basically, the most updated information is onboard The Gavel. That's not to say it's unavailable to you - but you didn't roll well enough to get anything that's basically above your paygrade.

The information you get is that the team was dispatched to an asteroid mining operation to investigate disturbances and the disappearance of several employees. The matter was resolved, and several ranking officials removed from service. Large parts of the file have been redacted. The reasons for the redaction are redacted.

The team consist of a tech priest, and Sanctioned psyker, and a priest - although the latter seems to be sitting this current mission out.

On the general nature of Arbites Strike Teams, they are dispatched to systems without a permanent Arbites prescence to investigate breaches of Imperial Law. They have substantial leeway in how they get the job done - without having the total sanction of the Inquisition for instance. Local authorities are expected to cooperate fully - but in the case of corrupt authorities (which is often where breaches of Imperial Law arise) such cooperation is dubious at best. In such cases, the Arbites do have full authority to intervene in any manner deemed necessary - although obviously, they are not geared for planetary conquest.


“It seems we’ll be working with a follower of the Machine god, a psyker given sanction by the Emperor, and possibly a priest of the Emperor’s word. They’ve come from a recent mission that ended in success, so they must be skilled and experienced working with one another.“ Xanthia explained, going over what little information she had managed to gather from the various avenues and file repositories in such a short amount of time.

[dojango]

Penny picked up her backpack from the overhead compartment. She'd tried on the offered leather armor (too smelly) and chain mail (too heavy) and settled on the body glove, concealed beneath her flowing red Mechanicus robes. Which also covered her mechadendrites, although the robes did have the traditional hidden slits on the back that allowed her to sneak them out so she could use them. She'd taken the sword to the armorer to have it honed to a molecular edge, and had the flintlock pistol on her belt. Delightfully primitive, but the gunpowder might prove useful. Still, in her backpack, wrapped up in her spare robes, she'd hidden her las pistol, auspex, glow globe and data-slate. And a couple of demo charges. She had no intention of attempting this investigation with one mechadendrite tied behind her back!

Quickly meeting up with the other arbites agents, she quickly shakes hands and introduces herself. "Hey there! Good to meet some new colleagues! You can call me Penny! Boy, what a world, eh? Was hoping there'd be more, ya know, brooding forests and pretty castles.
Doesn't seem very feudal without it? Maybe we'll at least see some knights in shiny armor though. So, you found anything interesting so far?
I reckon they're sneaking the stuff through here. Might try and snoop around a bit before we leave the spaceport, to see if we can get any ideas about how they're doin' it."

[LairdMaon]

Sar Dukar collects his travel kit from the overhead compartment, letting his bare fingers find their families grip on the grox-leather handles. His other hand absently checks the status of his pain tools before, slightly more reluctantly, checking on his murder tools. A deep sigh escapes him as, yet again, he realizes that his choice to avoid killing is likely to disappoint someone. "Oh well. Time to get to work.", he mutters.

He does visibly perk up when he lays his eyes on the two officers awaiting them. His bag drops to the floor as he hones in on the guardsman with arms outstretched. For the moment, he's even forgotten the plague doctor mask firmly strapped around his face. With no further warning to anyone, he wraps his arms around the man who appears his equal in height, if not weight.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
I am putting my bet on secret spaceport. Basic corruption with a single point of entry seems like it would be easy to find the leak. Perhaps our new data-wizard will be able to shed some light.

[Burden King]

Quickly meeting up with the other arbites agents, she quickly shakes hands and introduces herself. "Hey there! Good to meet some new colleagues! You can call me Penny! Boy, what a world, eh? Was hoping there'd be more, ya know, brooding forests and pretty castles.
Doesn't seem very feudal without it? Maybe we'll at least see some knights in shiny armor though. So, you found anything interesting so far?
I reckon they're sneaking the stuff through here. Might try and snoop around a bit before we leave the spaceport, to see if we can get any ideas about how they're doin' it."
When she saw the first agent approach her, she was ready for the common arrogance and distance commonly shown by the Adeptus Mechanicus, a shield of both logic and sense of entitlement that once you got through you’ed be able to find some relatable quirk that made them human despite all the augments.

When Penny started their meeting with energy and a bright aura, Xanthia was almost shock to the point of forgetting how to speak, but the shaking of her hand shook her back into focus as she smiled “And it’s great to finally meet you Tech Preistess Penny, I’m looking forward to working with you on the case. Oh, trust me I was expecting the same thing, you hear about feudal worlds and about knights and such and can’t help but imagine those ancient tales of chivalry in the primitive ages, but no sadly this world is a bit to advanced for that. Though, they have some great Cafées I think put to shame what you’ll find on a world with a proper tech level. Simple primitive touches I’d say.“ Xanthia said, before watching the other agents approach.

She let out a surprised laugh when Sar Dukar suddenly embraced Sad Rukad, stifling it to avoid embarrassing her partner “Oh my, it seems you are quite popular already Sar.“ she teased, wondering the reasons behind such a sudden display.


Phil Vega
I am putting my bet on secret spaceport. Basic corruption with a single point of entry seems like it would be easy to find the leak. Perhaps our new data-wizard will be able to shed some light.

When the third agent spoke, Xanthia was impressed at both their immediate take on the situation as well as being called a Data-Wizard. Accepting this new job title with Gusto, Xanthia the mighty Data-Wizard of The imperium, got down to brass tacks “An astute Observation my friend, however I held a similar belief prior to my investigation. During our two weeks here, me and my partner have discovered some details that make such a scenario less likely, leading me to believe that perhaps there is something grander at work then low corruption. However, I don’t feel it wise to speak of what I have out in the open, especially here in the enclave. The walls and their ears after all. So, I suggest we spend some time to enjoy sweet sweet technology, enjoy the clean lines of Hab construction, have our fill of recycled air and water, before taking the next train back to Undertopia.” she said, he face falling a bit as she listed off the things she would miss as they returned to the more primitive settlement of the colony.

“Plus...all my notes are written in pen and paper, instead of conveniently on my much missed Data slate.“

[TankLaser007]

Sar had been lost in reverie for a moment, only brief, Xanthia's words had reminded him of their early days at Schola, his mind had reeled back almost two decades, then he came crashing back to reality as the strike team arrived, yes, a red pries, Penny was it a bit different from those he had encountered tending to the armoured corps and artillery, they usually lacked any signs of normal emotion made extracting information from them via "traditional" methods almost useless.

Straight to the point, gent, perhaps an officer? He had the bearing of a man of discipline, and then he was ambushed by an overly amorous anomaly, "Whao, there mate" he said pushing the masked man away. "Perhaps a bit of gravity sickness..." he looked questioningly towards the others.

[LairdMaon]

Stepping back a pace, the assassin reaches a hand up and opens a clasp on his mask. "You voice has changed in these years, but it is very welcome. Your face, too, while it's so close to the one I see in the mirror, is marred but not beyond recognition." The mask comes away to show Sar Rakud's face, minus the scarring. At the same moment he raises his other hand to show a tattoo on his palm bearing their unique family crest. "Brother."

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega at the mention of potentially greater levels of conspiracy. He goes silent for a few moments, while checks the area for influence.

Psycognicence [roll0] DC 46

Will spend a fate point to re-roll if fails

[roll1] (Charmed)
[roll2]