Sea of Stars - IC

[PotatoGolem]

Macharius looks at Ravia blankly for a moment. With all due respect, Magos, I'm not particularly keen on bringing an alien containment system onto my ship. Especially since we have no idea how it works, or what parts are essential to keeping said xenos contained. However, we're in no particular rush- if you want to study this room for a while, the marines will be here for security. We'll be busy removing the art and curiosities from the city for sale for the next few weeks anyway. And trying to find whatever causes those damn storms.

He turns to the astropath. Pytho, two questions. One, did we ever get a reply from Admiral Beckenmatt or the Holy Ordos? Two, does the vile beast seem to know what this room is about?

[Kaptin Keen]

.. maybe ask him if the - seed, if that's what it is - is still viable? If they could begin rebuilding their race from here.

[rax]

"Yeah, I'm with the Lord Commander on this one, Magos. No alien gribblies on the Manticore's Sting unless we know they're really, really dead or really, really friendly," Hannabel replies to Ravia. "Of course, there's always the Talon..." she mumbles with an innocent look.

[Leon]

++The Sting does not have the facilities to handle the interesting and exotic, the Talon however does++

[Haval]

Me? I mostly just shoot things.

Anika is distracted by the room, but will reply calmly without looking, 'That was for the alien tech's benefit.'

She is peering at the alien shapes. 'Well it doesn't look like there's anything alive in there. On the other hand, she says gesturing at Felidae, 'we have the technology to keep someone alive for a very long time. Whose to say they didn't.'

'I think it's probably better to know for sure about these things. Perhaps there are more of them buried around here somewhere and they're only waiting to be woken up.'

[Destro_Yersul]

"Even at the speed of Astropathic communication, a reply could be days or weeks in coming," Pytho said. "We'll have no way of knowing until it arrives. As for the xenos..." he gestured tiredly at the creature, which was emitting a sort of gurgling warble and rocking from side to side. Its shackles clinked as it walked, shuffling around the room and reaching up to paw disconsolately at the frozen pods.

"Does it look like it thinks they'll ever wake up?"

Ravia double-checked the auspex readings, walking around the room and aiming the device at each of the intact pods. Eventually, the Magos was satisfied that enough remained to try thawing one in the field. The best tool they had on hand for that was still the flamers, and once again the group backed off while the specialists did their work, turning the weapons to low burn and sweeping the hissing gout of flame from the barrel back and forth over the target. The walls scorched and blackened, soot accumulating on the surface of the membrane. At first, nothing happened beyond the water on the surface hissing into steam. Then, they heard a low whistle, just on the edge of notice and barely audible over the flamer. It built in pitch, like a kettle with a stopped pressure valve.

Then, the pod popped, bursting with a wet squelch and spilling foul-smelling slime over the floor. The marine with the flamer cursed, stumbling backwards to avoid the torrent of bubbling effluvia. There was a body inside, a xenos similar to the one they had captured, but taller and more graceful in aspect. Where their captive was gangly and hunched, this xenos was sleek, its skin smoother, less leathery. It looked much like the statues they had found lining the hall - even shattered and broken, there had been something that set them apart from the current occupants of the planet.

Bending to examine the dead xenos, Anika noticed a complex gill structure running up its neck and along the sides of its head. The living xenos had a similar structure, but there it was vestigial and poorly developed, while here it looked very functional.

[rax]

"Say, Pytho? Do you think you could get the xenos to tell you why they attacked us when we landed? We hadn't done anything but walk around when they went for the marines, so why the hostility?"

[Haval]

'What they used to look like. Sad really.'

[Kaptin Keen]

Think we could ressuscitate one of them? Maybe they're not even dead, if revived properly, like after stasis?

Would we want to if we could?

[Destro_Yersul]

"The marines did crash-land on top of their... nest? Warren? I'm not sure what term applies." Father Ornstein offered. "I don't think that was the only reason, though."

"It's not," Pytho said. "They're fiercely defensive. See everything they don't recognise as threatening, to them or the generators or both." The astropath pointed at the dead xenos. "Obviously whatever happened here changed them, made them adapt. You found evidence suggesting civil war earlier, right?"

[Haval]

Think we could ressuscitate one of them? Maybe they're not even dead, if revived properly, like after stasis?

Would we want to if we could?

Anika will think about that for a second imagining the precautions she would probably need to take. 'Perhaps not. Even though I would be very interested in hearing if such a creature was willing to talk to us.'

"The astropath pointed at the dead xenos. "Obviously whatever happened here changed them, made them adapt. You found evidence suggesting civil war earlier, right?"

'And they're expecting their old enemy to show up again at some point? In fairness we would react the same way if Xenos somehow made it to Scintilla.'

[Kaptin Keen]

Frankly we don't know what side these guys are on - I don't think it's wise to just assume they're the 'good guys'. That's part of the reason I'd like to find an officer. I'd really like to ask someone in command whether they want the tentacly guys to return, or not.

[Leon]

++The side they are on is not ours++

[Kaptin Keen]

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, though. If they're fighting the Yu'Vath, I'm willing to cut them a good deal of slack, despite being vile xeno scum. Less so if they're allied with the Yu'Vath.

[PotatoGolem]

Have the two of you gone mad? Macharius snaps sharply at Felidae and Anika. What you suggest is heresy of the highest order. It is the sacred duty of mankind to exterminate xenos. Bringing them back from the dead is an affront to everything the Imperium stands for. The yu'vath are dead, defeated by holy humanity. These xenos are dead as well, and so they shall remain.

I'm not opposed to learning what we can from their degenerate descendants, but there is a line somewhere. Reviving a dead xenos race clearly crosses it. He considers Ravia's words. Yes, I suppose the Talon would work. We'd have to put safety precautions in place, but it is equipped for the task.

[Kaptin Keen]

But commander, I heard someone mention that there is a scale - running from heresy to profitability - and this planet is woefully unattractive for human habitation in it's present shape, and we can only guess at it's natural state, without the generators.

So maybe the best - most profitable - way to exploit this planet is to let the xenos have it, and trade with them.

Felidae smiles brilliantly at Macharius, before turning back to examining the wall and trying to make her suit's objectionable auspex work for her.

[rax]

Hannabel stares open-mouthed at Felidae for a second as she speaks. She thinks! The walking gun can think!

"With all due respect, Lord Commander, I agree with Felidae. There is much we don't know about this place yet, and the resources of House Absalom are not unlimited. It would certainly be easier to learn about the dangers and riches of this planet if we manage to get on speaking terms with these xenos. We could kill them all and loot what's left of their cities and warrens, but if our initial surveys are correct, there may be many, many more of them. Wiping them could require a major campaign, with all the risks that entails. A temporary truce or alliance of convenience might give us access to the most profitable resources and trade goods this planet has to offer without wasting a single charge pack. And if there is some Yu'Vath devilry hidden beneath the ice, then these xenos may be our best chance of identifying and destroying it."

[Haval]

Anika will try to defend herself a little. Macharius wasn't the first person she'd heard accusations like that from. 'Well assuming Ravia isn't actually capable of resurrecting the dead it is a moot point. But even if she was I wouldn't advocate doing anything without taking every precaution. Besides, it is not as if the Imperium has not had occasional reason to find common cause with Xenos in extremity. The alliance with Eldar pirates in the Gothic War for one example, but it is quite different from trusting anything they have to say. They are all 'bad guys' ultimately. Unfortunately some, like the Yu'vath, are far worse then others.'

She will resist the temptation to grin at Felidae's contribution.

[Leon]

++No, but i know people who are interested in that field, not that it actually works.....yet++

[Destro_Yersul]

'And they're expecting their old enemy to show up again at some point? In fairness we would react the same way if Xenos somehow made it to Scintilla.'

"I believe so. It's likely they know nothing of the Imperium, and have no idea that the Yu'vath are dead." Pytho coughed. "I think that the remnants here were on the anti-Yu'vath side of the civil war. They're the only faction left on the planet, or at least our friend there can't recall any conflicts with other beings like himself. If the planet was frozen to defeat the pro-Yu'vath side, then it clearly worked. Why keep it frozen after that? That, and their evident hostility towards anything unfamiliar, suggests they expect the return of hostile entities to come from offworld."

[rax]

"So then maybe they thought we were harbingers of that return when we came flying out of the storm," Hannabel suggests. "Maybe they're just too degenerate to remember what the Yu'Vath looked like? It's not like the murals give us much of an idea."

[Haval]

++No, but i know people who are interested in that field, not that it actually works.....yet++

'I don't doubt it.'

"Maybe they're just too degenerate to remember what the Yu'Vath looked like? It's not like the murals give us much of an idea."

'They had different forms. History seems clear on that at least. Plus whatever using the warp as a power source does to you. I'm assuming that if we see one we'll know.'

"I believe so. It's likely they know nothing of the Imperium, and have no idea that the Yu'vath are dead." Pytho coughed. "I think that the remnants here were on the anti-Yu'vath side of the civil war. They're the only faction left on the planet, or at least our friend there can't recall any conflicts with other beings like himself. If the planet was frozen to defeat the pro-Yu'vath side, then it clearly worked. Why keep it frozen after that? That, and their evident hostility towards anything unfamiliar, suggests they expect the return of hostile entities to come from offworld."

'Their war must have been traumatic indeed if they still react like that to visitors after all this time. In that case I wonder if they have any idea where their enemies went? For that matter, are they even aware enough to understand that there are other planets then this one?'

[Destro_Yersul]

"Quite possibly not. They seem to have had advanced technology, but we haven't seen anything to suggest they had void-capable ships." Pytho said.

"Are we ready to move on?" The officer who had been leading the Xenos around pointed at it. "This thing is starting to get on my nerves, and this place doesn't help. Some of the men are getting jumpy. I'll detail some people to strip the building and secure everything for transfer to the Talon, if that's what the Magos wants."

[Leon]

++Carefully and if you have any doubts Vox me++
++Next sensor spot is this way++ Ravia starts to head in the next direction

[Destro_Yersul]

The other entrance to the room with all the pods turned out to be a shortcut to the next site, passing through narrow alleys between buildings and breaking off in several different directions os it did so. The aliens had done a lot of digging, over the years, but many of the buildings themselves were still filled with ice. They walked past grand plazas and frozen halls, and found the next site in the middle of what looked like it had been a barracks of sorts. Alcoves filled with ice, each big enough to hold about one xenos, lined the walls. Next to each was a line of carven symbols, and a small cabinet. The floor was littered with frozen detritus, though few bones. The walls were largely untouched by the marks of gunfire, this room bearing few signs of combat. Another room near the back held weapon racks, a small handful of xenos rifles still remaining; all the pistols were gone, the tactical switch to tunnel fighting having apparently caused the xenos to forgo larger weaponry.

Spoiler: OOC

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Anyone who wants to look for anything good among the many items strewn around should roll Search.

[rax]

"Oooh, pretty, pretty guns!" Hannabel exclaims, making a bee line for the weapon racks. Picking up one of the rifles, she begins to inspect it with an acquisitive eye. Satisfied that it won't immediately go off, she then takes a minute to check through the cabinets in the room.

Spoiler: Search

Show

Since she doesn't have Search trained, I'll spend a Fate Point to give myself a +10 boost on the test.
(1d100)[76] vs. 28 (Per 37/2 = 18+10)...sigh. The dice roller doesn't like me ATM...

[Kaptin Keen]

Felidae has seen too many barracks to be truly impressed with this. Seen one - seen all. She pokes about a bit, not really interested in the alien guns (her old boltgun is doing such sterling work, after all), but she'll check to see if some sort of grenade or similar rolled under one of the bunks - which aren't bunks, cause what use would a fish have for a feather bed?

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d100)[63] - I suppose it's half perception, meaning ... vs 15. Good luck with that, Felidae ol' gal =)

[PotatoGolem]

Macharius appears mollified by his crew's explanation. Ah yes, of course dealing with currently-living xenos is quite another thing. It's the Rogue Trader's sacred duty, after all, to deal with the vile xenos to increase the profit of all mankind. Through exploitation and trade they may yet serve a useful purpose, what? Though we would obviously prefer to exterminate all xenos, it is our holy burden to trade with them instead for the good of all. These degenerates might hold some value yet, so I have no objection to holding off on exterminating them until we see if they can be made useful.

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

Macharius gives the room a cursory once-over, then calls for Almagor, Murphy, and the marines. Search this place thoroughly. See if there's anything useful or valuable.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Search (1d100)[25] vs 17

Almagor/Murphy search (1d100)[56] vs 60 if they have it trained, 35 if not (Macharius' +10 bonus)

[Haval]

'I assume this is where their guns came from' Anika mutters looking at the rifles. 'Do you think any of them still work?'

If this was at least in part an armoury there ought to be more then just weapons lying around. She will look through the detritus for anything that looks interesting or for anything that looks like portable xenos technology, however broken it might be now.

The symbols were more interesting to her, and she will call down her servo-skull to have a go at reading them.

She will also peer inside the alcoves themselves. 'Do fish need to sleep too?'

Spoiler

Show

Search failed in the ooc


Is the writing at all similar to what she saw on Kadath
Scrutiny vs. Per 43
(1d100)[25]

Speak Language (use the servo-skull to treat it as a basic skill)
vs. Int 53 /2 - 27
(1d100)[25]

Scrutiny to look for any sign that the alcoves aren't just a bed
vs. Per 43
(1d100)[14]

Forbidden Lore (Xenos) on the alcoves
vs. Int 53
(1d100)[91]

[Destro_Yersul]

The weapons were of the xenos' preferred coral-like material, and appeared very similar to the pistols they had encountered earlier. They did use small crystals as ammunition, but Anika confirmed that these were not Yu'Vath shards, just regular crystalline minerals. The alcoves looked appropriately proportioned for fishlike aliens to sleep in, and Pytho confirmed that they did need to sleep. The cabinets proved to contain very little of interest, beyond a few scattered bits of shell and other small personal objects. They had space for a locking mechanism, but appeared to have been broken. Probably they'd been looted at the same time as the rest of the place. Similarly, there was little on the floors that wasn't debris or pieces of shattered coral. There were a handful of smashed objects that might have been technology, containing odd fibrous filaments holding their pieces together. Anika chipped one out of the ice and set to work on the symbols. As best she could tell, they were nameplates; each piece of carving had find grooves around it where it had been set into the wall. They were also completely unlike the Kadath inscriptions - further evidence that this had been a race originally independant of Yu'Vath influence.

They were about to leave for the next site, none of their searches having turned up anything useful, when Macharius noticed something strange about the back wall, near the door to the weapon chamber. Part of it was very slightly depressed, next to invisible unless the light hit it at just the right angle. Leaning against it, he found it gave a little. Pushing harder, there was initial resistance, then it vanished with a pop and the wall swung inwards to reveal a small and curiously ice-free chamber. On one wall was a stone grill and what looked like a pumping mechanism, and in the middle of the floor was a smoking piece of xenos machinery. Ravia examined it and declared it was a small field generator, and had probably been screening the contents of the chamber. Evidently it had overloaded when Macharius opened the door. The only other thing in the room was a shelf, on which rested a chunk of dense silicate data-storage medium and a xenos device with a slot for it, the power source for which had long since died.