New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Page 7 of 50 FirstFirst 123456789101112131415161732 ... LastLast
Results 181 to 210 of 1475
  1. - Top - End - #181
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    As Hannabel starts to pull back, Macharius opens the top hatch. Those damnable Smokers have robbed me of the chance to take on Moore personally. I suppose striking them down will suffice. For the Emperor!

    With a roar, the jet-pack's engine kicks in, bearing Macharius aloft. He crashes into the roof of the Hellhound like a bolt from the heavens. His golden armor gleams as he opens the hatch. Repent, heretics! For your doom is nigh! The power armor's speakers amplify his voice to a terrifying boom as he pauses momentarily before driving his power sword into the chest of the hapless Smoker.

    Spoiler: OOC
    Show
    Most rolls in OOC, but forgot damage. [roll] 1d10+11, pen 5[/roll]

  2. - Top - End - #182
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Leon's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Newcastle, Australia
    Gender
    Male2Female

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Quote Originally Posted by rax View Post
    "The Hellhound is our secondary target, Magos," Hannabel answers through gritted teeth. "Once the Russ is out of the way, we can sit outside the Hellhound's range and blast her with our autocannon!"
    ++You know if we can capture it i could turn it into a Bane Wolf reasonably easily++
    Thankyou to NEOPhyte for the Techpriest Engiseer
    Spoiler
    Show

    Current PC's
    Ravia Del'Karro (Magos Biologis Errant)
    Katarina (Ordo Malleus Interrogator)
    Emberly (Fire Elemental former Chef)

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike_G View Post
    Just play the character you want to play. Don't feel the need to squeeze every point out of the build.
    Quote Originally Posted by Max_Killjoy View Post
    take this virtual +1.
    Peril Planet

  3. - Top - End - #183
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Destro_Yersul's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    sector ZZ9 plural-z alpha
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Race Day

    With the stubgunners dead, Felidae turned her attention to one of the few remaining targets she knew her bolter could hurt. Explosive shells shredded the driver's compartment on the Smoker Sentinel, the walker toppling to the ground driverless moments later. The Hellhound and Chimera sped past, leaving Moore's blazing tank in the dust. Easing back on the throttle, Hannabel gave them some distance and poured fire into the vulnerable rear armour on the Russ. Ravia added bolter fire to the fusillade, but the Russ soldiered onwards, seemingly oblivious to the horrendous amount of damage it was taking. The turret was no longer turning to track targets, and the fire was spreading rapidly. Even as they watched, an explosion ripped through the side, shredding the tracks and sending bits of armour scything through the air. The Leman Russ ground to a halt, and Hannabel was forced to swerve as the Salamander shot past it. The Smokers and their Hellhound had put Moore out of the race.

    But it was Macharius' crew that would see him out of the fight, permanently. The Aquila that Hannabel had called in finally arrived, swooping low over the race track, its own autocannon chattering. A hail of shells shredded the tank's rear armour and touched off the ammunition supply. A wave of heat washed over the Salamander's passenger compartment as Moore and his tank were consumed in an enormous fireball, the thunderous explosion rocking the sturdy scout vehicle. Up ahead, Hannabel could see the rocky fields that marked the second stretch of the course. They would need to make up some ground, now that the battlecannon was out of the way, but it would be dangerous with all of the boulders in their way.

    Not that boulders were stopping the others. The Hellhound sideswiped one, rocking up on its tracks as the turret rotated around to the rear. The Rusters in their Chimera were hot on the Hellhound's heels, the multilaser spitting death as they rounded a rocky outcropping the size of a small hab. It was poorly aimed, more volume of fire than anything else, but the gunner could hardly miss a target the size of the Hellhound. The Inferno cannon answered, a gout of burning fuel obscuring the Chimera from view for a few moments - but the sturdy transport emerged more or less unscathed. Then Macharius descended, his jump pack carrying him on wings of fire, to crash into the Hellhound's roof. With servo-enhanced strength, the Rogue Trader tore the upper hatch from its mountings, reaching down to skewer the unfortunate crewman just inside with his power sword. It wasn't quite a killing thrust, though, the driver doing his best to shake Macharius from the roof. As long as he was up there, the tank's weaponry couldn't touch him, but it was going to be a challenge to maintain footing.

    Up ahead, Maximillian Stone was giving the remaining two bikers a run for it. The Veluminaries made their vehicles dance, weaving in and out of the rocks, laughing as they flew forwards. The black Interceptor, though, charged forwards, V8 engine roaring. One biker was forced to swing wide in order to avoid the groundcar's charge, clipping a rock and swaying, but staying up. The other biker was less fortunate, and the car smashed into them full on, sending bike and rider spinning away.

    Infiltrators

    Locating the door control mechanisms was easy, if you knew where to look, and the Rings found them without too much trouble. Unfortunately, the room was occupied, and the two Rings didn't have quite the same luck slipping back out as they had slipping in. The Immortan on the control station turned at an inconvenient moment, and the options for Kip and Kimmet were attack, or abort. If they acted quickly, perhaps they could silence the target before he had a chance to sound the alarm.

    Anika

    Anika's broadcast prompted a flurry of restated worries on the open channel. The knowledge that the starship hanging over their heads did indeed have guns, and could indeed shoot them was clearly a distressing concept for many of the Immortans. None of them tried to vox her, however - possibly they weren't sure how. They also didn't stop running from the compound. Anika was recieving updates on the Race progress as well, and it seemed like Moore was not long for the world. If she wanted to be sure, of course, she could always try some target practice.
    I used to do LP's. Currently archived here:

    My Youtube Channel

    The rest of my Sig:
    Spoiler
    Show
    Avatar by Vael

    My Games:
    The Great Divide Dark Heresy - Finished
    They All Uprose Dark Heresy - Finished
    Dead in the Water Dark Heresy - Finished
    House of Glass Dark Heresy - Deceased

    We All Fall Down Dark Heresy - Finished

    Sea of Stars Rogue Trader - Ongoing

  4. - Top - End - #184
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

    Join Date
    Apr 2010

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Infiltrators

    The two men shared a quick glance and a grimace, reaching the same conclusion simultaneously. They weren't about to run or surrender. It was a shame; killing hardly troubled them, especially some pawn of a heretic warlord, but this wouldn't be necessary if they'd been a bit quicker or quieter. Merely as a matter of professionalism, they'd have preferred to slip in and out unnoticed altogether.

    But, that ship having sailed, they lunged forward in a classic maneuver of their guild. Kimmet took the lead, mono-falchion swinging high for a powerful downward strike, but in truth he was mostly a distraction. His partner came in from the side and pivoted on one heel, graceful as a dancer, to hopefully behead the Immortan with a horizontal sweep.

    Spoiler: OOC
    Show
    Weapon Skill:(1d100)[9]
    "It was a GOOD plan, just completely impossible."

    ~ Sophistemon

  5. - Top - End - #185
    Ettin in the Playground
    Join Date
    May 2017

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Anika sighed. Did she need to explain how their vox worked? It was like dealing with children. She'll continue anyway, 'I notice some of you appear to have business in the city. I recommend you keep the God-Emperor's Peace so as not to make me upset. I'll see if I can demonstrate what that might look like.'

    Either they were deserting or Moore had some contingency plan. She would prefer to work out which it was before doing something she might regret later. She'll ask the Sting to keep an eye on what the Immortans seemed to be doing in the city to see if there was any sign of combat. She'll also ask them to find the nearest mountain that they could target. Ideally she wanted a large explosion that would go off somewhere that was visible to most of the city.

    Spoiler: ooc
    Show

    Haven't actually established where Anika is, but it's probably at the Mechanicus compound, so if there's explosions or gunfire happening she might be able to hear it.

    Targeting military vehicles would be stage 2

    Long shot Intimidate test for the dialogue
    vs. Str 30 /2 (+10 for Etiquette if being the Imperium's representative works here)
    (1d100)[37]

    Tech-Use to work out what the Immortans are doing by listening to vox chatter.
    vs. Int 53
    (1d100)[50]



  6. - Top - End - #186
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Leon's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Newcastle, Australia
    Gender
    Male2Female

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    ++Now to catch some bikes and see how they toast++
    Thankyou to NEOPhyte for the Techpriest Engiseer
    Spoiler
    Show

    Current PC's
    Ravia Del'Karro (Magos Biologis Errant)
    Katarina (Ordo Malleus Interrogator)
    Emberly (Fire Elemental former Chef)

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike_G View Post
    Just play the character you want to play. Don't feel the need to squeeze every point out of the build.
    Quote Originally Posted by Max_Killjoy View Post
    take this virtual +1.
    Peril Planet

  7. - Top - End - #187
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    "Nice of you to show up, Vulture One! What were you doing up there, taking a nap?" Hannabel harangues the Aquila's crew. "New target! There's a couple of bikes up ahead - one of them looks like it's still up. Make it go away, please. Also, priority message for Lady Vanhal - tell her that unless he has a body double, Clanlord Moore is now riding in Valhalla. Got that?"

    Her transmission complete, Hannabel hits the accelerator and flips the switch to the supercharger. "Everyone hold on to something! We've got lost ground to make up!" Accelerating to max speed, she screeches past the burning hulk of the Russ, straight for the rocky stretch.

    OOC: Taking a full action to move triple speed (Tactical Manoeuvring action).
    Last edited by rax; 2020-01-21 at 12:46 PM.

  8. - Top - End - #188
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Destro_Yersul's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    sector ZZ9 plural-z alpha
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Race Day

    The Hellhound driver swerved back and forth, trying his best to throw Macharius from the tank. The Rogue Trader managed to get a second stab in, catching his target in the chest and felling the man, before he was hurled from the roof of the vehicle and forced to re-engage his jump pack to avoid plowing into the ground. Turbines screaming, he managed to pull out of the fall just in time to see the Inferno cannon fire, a jet of blazing fuel washing over the Chimera that rode hot on the Hellhound's heels. The Ruster's driver knew his business, though, slamming one of the tracks into reverse and slewing the Chimera sideways, and out of the path of the fire. The multilaser turret came around, pumping high-energy laser fire into the back of the Hellhound nearly point-blank. The volley shredded the Hellhound's turret, tearing it from its mounting and sending the wrecked cannon spinning through the air. The final shot clipped the Inferno cannon's fuel tank, and the Hellhound vanished in an enormous fireball. The two gunners bailed out, clothes on fire, as the flaming wreck of the tank continued forwards under its own momentum. The Chimera surged forwards, slamming the wreckage out of its path and grinding the two unfortunate Smokers into the dust beneath its treads.

    Up ahead, Max Stone fought for the lead with the two Lumes. The leader's bike wobbled and smashed into the side of his car, before the dazed rider managed to regain control. It was enough for Max to pull ahead, pistons hammering, engine roaring, as his passenger leaned out the window and took aim at the biker. Macharius' Aquila swept overhead, the wash of its engines throwing up a plume of dust.

    "Apologies, Commander Shanx," the pilot voxed. "This bird's only so fast, and I didn't want them to know what we were planning, so I waited till I heard your call to lift off. I'll make it up to you, though."

    The pilot put the Aquila through a textbook turn, spinning the craft around and triggering the nose gun. A trail of impacts sticthed across the sand, intersecting with the second Veluminary bike as it pulled away from max stone. The autocannon tore the lighter vehicle to shreds, sending it spinning end over end before smashing into a boulder. One of the wheels came loose, bouncing off into the desert as the Salamander sped past.

    "Canyon up ahead," came the vox call, the pilot's voice triumphant. "Last one's yours, commander. I'll see you on the other side."

    Infiltrators

    Against a more prepared opponent, or executed with less skill, the maneuver may not have worked. Here and now, it functioned beautifully, beheading the Immortan before he could even reach for his sidearm. The would now need to move fast, though, before the murder was discovered and the alarm properly sounded. The body could be hidden, but the spray of blood across the control console would be more difficult to conceal, and the Rings would need to remain close to ensure the gates stayed open.

    Meanwhile, the others had crossed the grounds, slipping into the palace through the incomplete wing. The layout was unfamiliar, but this close in, they ought to be able to lock in on vox signals and triangulate their target's location. The risk of detection was unfortunately also much greater, as the palace was by no means empty.

    Spoiler: OOC
    Show
    Roll Concealment at -10, and Tech-Use at +10.


    Anika

    A suitable mountain was easy to locate, though the challenge was making sure no stray shots would strike the city. Orbital bombardments were never exactly precise, but there was only so much margin of error. Once a target had been located, the Sting fired the Sunsear Lasers. A column of brilliant energy descended from the heavens, blasting the top of the mountain and searing the air. A rumble like distant thunder swept across the city.

    All of the transmissions across the vox she was listening in on ceased abruptly. Moments later, one of the Immortans, finally, found a vox and broadcast to Anika across a general frequency.

    "Listen, uh, we're.. we're not planning anything, here. It's just we had some guys watching the starting gun, and we thought if we were in the city, your flyer might have a hard time picking us off?"
    I used to do LP's. Currently archived here:

    My Youtube Channel

    The rest of my Sig:
    Spoiler
    Show
    Avatar by Vael

    My Games:
    The Great Divide Dark Heresy - Finished
    They All Uprose Dark Heresy - Finished
    Dead in the Water Dark Heresy - Finished
    House of Glass Dark Heresy - Deceased

    We All Fall Down Dark Heresy - Finished

    Sea of Stars Rogue Trader - Ongoing

  9. - Top - End - #189
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

    Join Date
    Apr 2010

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Infiltrators

    Kip and Kimmet relaxed, momentarily relieved. This problem wasn't fully solved yet, but if nothing else, they'd delayed discovery. Shame about all the blood, though.

    Don't suppose you brought a sponge, Kimmet signed with a lift of an eyebrow, more out of habit than secrecy, given that no one was left to hear them.

    Kip smiled dryly. Just grab his legs and let's find somewhere to hide him.

    Then the floor shuddered, causing them to drop back to defensive poses out of instinct. What just exploded, they wondered?

    Outside, Isund was probably the only one in a position to see the beam of light crash down and carve apart a nearby mountain. His face turned white as his beard. The next few moments stretched by unbearably slowly, but he gradually realized that whatever that was about, it apparently didn't directly involve his team. Maybe it was part of the race, in which case, he felt glad to be well away from it.

    The last team froze when in place when the tremor ran past them, dust shifting down from the unfinished ceiling. Lorl and Zelle turned to one another in surprise. That's not us, is it? Zelle asked. Can't be. The boys don't have anything that powerful. Not even if we used all our grenades together. Unless they detonated a fuel depot or something...

    They couldn't very well go back outside to ask for an update, so, the puzzled ladies continued forward. So long as other people were causing all the noise, that should only make their jobs easier.

    Spoiler: OOC
    Show
    Concealment: (1d100)[43]
    Tech-Use: (1d100)[18]

    The forums. So slow. Hope this lets me post.
    "It was a GOOD plan, just completely impossible."

    ~ Sophistemon

  10. - Top - End - #190
    Ettin in the Playground
    Join Date
    May 2017

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Anika will briefly vox the others first, 'Please ignore the lance strike. If it's a problem I suppose we can talk about my command privileges later.' They probably had better things to worry about.

    To the voice on the vox, 'I believe our flyer is busy, but if you are being honest then you ought to have nothing to worry about. May I ask what is the basis of your loyalty to Moore?'

  11. - Top - End - #191
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Capital show, my dear! Just capital. I didn't like that mountain much anyway. Macharius flares his jetpack and lands back in the Salamander. Well then, chums, this is shaping up quite nicely, isn't it? Full speed ahead, Hannabel. I have every confidence in your ability to to get us through in one piece.

    He flips his vox to speak to Bruce and Max. Nice shooting, Clanlords. Now that the two heathens have fallen, the time is nigh for the servants of the Emperor to take their rightful place. That last lunatic shouldn't be too much trouble. And if she is, the Aquila hasn't run out of shells yet. My apologies for not warning you about the orbital bombardment, by the by- some of my crew are quite fond of shows of overwhelming force, hoho!

  12. - Top - End - #192
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Leon's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Newcastle, Australia
    Gender
    Male2Female

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    With not much to do currently as a Heavy Flamer in a vehicle race was useless outside of the brief close range that had happened at the start Ravia watched the scenery go by and thought of the path that had brought her here to this point, racing a motley collection of vehicles through the desert for the right to claim leadership.

    Spoiler: Destro
    Show

    It certainly wasn't anything she would have expected back in the early days, although had the genetic engineering experiment borne more favorable fruit and not been so abruptly terminated a different life as a warp guide may have loomed, that had been the plan the Elders had announced to replace the corrupt and domineering navis's stranglehold on interstellar shipping. When it was successful all Del'Karro would be able to fulfill the role of guiding a ship to its destination. The expectation was that the young-bloods born with it inherent would be the best but with the knowledge and Techno-Arcane support all would be able eventually.

    She doesn’t care to remember much of her early life, it was looking back on it rather bland until the Decree of Knowledge was implemented. It certainly revolutionized her way of life, the scholum became a place of interest and place to willfully attend rather than avoid and compete with the other heirs for tidbits of the exotic

    Intensive study of the ways of the machine had become house doctrine and eventually held more interest for Ravia than the family goal. Its true that that goal still permeates her thoughts and motivations but now for her own interests as there is much potential within the warp and bio-science. Achieving a stable mix of the two however is a much more delicate and difficult outcome, flesh is inherently weak and the Warp inherently corrupts anything it touches or even beheld as the corruption of the navis holds.

    Unknown as to what was the catalyst for the end of the program and the start of the purge it had come as a shock to the Del’Karro’s to have all their holdings raided seemingly in a single swoop, fragmentary as communication was at the best of times. By virtue of being Minor Nobles, the House was spared the worst aside from the upper echelons who had been vanished (“I”) and rest were shackled to the cult for subtitle punishment. It was for the most part indentured servitude which when you are used to a life of relative freedom a chafing experience, more so when your world had broadened by the dark knowledge not commonly available to the general plebeian of Imperial society. How the church would have reacted had they know the true extent of the knowledge she had.. well actually its fairly obvious what the flame happy idiots would have done.

    A moment of luck was all that was needed to get onto the ship, she had been tasked with fulfilling a delivery of votive candles to a pilgrim ship that was in layover before heading out to the edge of the expanse and once inside had assumed the air of a Tech adept and worked her way to engineering to discover that it was mostly attended to by lay adepts who knew little more than how to manage the servitors and smattering of fallen priests who knew more about the cult than the Omnisiah, such is the travesty of church shipping.

    After thoroughly subverting the lay adepts of the pilgrim ship “Light of the Saint” to a much darker knowledge base Ravia took the opportunity to leave that wretched ship at Port Wander. Bureaucracy makes the world stagnate and on a new station with not much to her name life was hard and often she fell in with the lesser beings under the main concourses who had need of tech expertise and no questions asked.

    Eventually however questions were asked after she had accessed a power duct and not left the scene before a maintenance adept had arrived for routine pray and service. Leaving out the dark and storied parts she had filled in her captors about her history as an aspirant brought low by the machinations of the Ecclesiarchy. Starting as the lowest Tech-aspirant on the station over the years she had at least managed to make some upwardly diagonal advancement to being an actual Tech Priest, which is when the trouble started again as her desire to learn the darker secrets started to abrade the more puritan staff of the Temple Shrine on Wander. It earned her the Errant title and a posting out into the asteroids and flagged for posting to a Trader should one be in need of a Magos.
    Thankyou to NEOPhyte for the Techpriest Engiseer
    Spoiler
    Show

    Current PC's
    Ravia Del'Karro (Magos Biologis Errant)
    Katarina (Ordo Malleus Interrogator)
    Emberly (Fire Elemental former Chef)

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike_G View Post
    Just play the character you want to play. Don't feel the need to squeeze every point out of the build.
    Quote Originally Posted by Max_Killjoy View Post
    take this virtual +1.
    Peril Planet

  13. - Top - End - #193
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Destro_Yersul's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    sector ZZ9 plural-z alpha
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Race Day

    Hannabel picked off the last biker, catching them with a burst from the autocannon. The bike exploded in a fireball, just as the entrance to the underground section of the course loomed ahead. The pilot of the Aquila pulled off above, as the remaining racers shot into the caverns. Visibility dropped almost immediately, and Hannabel got the distinct impression that this place would be a nightmare to navigate if anyone was still shooting at them. As it was, the vox was cut off from outside, but they could still hold a conversation with the other racers.

    "Glad I'm on your side, then," Bruce said. The Chimera was the largest of the vehicles remaining, and was forced to slow a little to navigate the caves. "How're we going to do this?"

    "It won't be too unusual to see nobody down coming out of the caves," Max said. "Normally it's bad enough just driving through. But people might get suspicious if none of us shoot at each other during the final leg."

    Infiltrators

    Negotiating the inside of the palace was made easier by auspex. That combined with some old blueprints, and a solid sense of direction in enclosed spaces, kept the Rings moving. They saw few people inside, and were able - barely, to slip past those they did encounter. Their target was in a room that had been done up as a sort of war room, or command room, with an old table at the center for maps and shelves filled with rolls of parchment around the walls.

    Spoiler: OOC
    Show
    One last roll. WS, this time.


    Anika

    "Same as everyone's. He's the strongest. Or.. was, I guess. We'll have to pick a new leader now."
    I used to do LP's. Currently archived here:

    My Youtube Channel

    The rest of my Sig:
    Spoiler
    Show
    Avatar by Vael

    My Games:
    The Great Divide Dark Heresy - Finished
    They All Uprose Dark Heresy - Finished
    Dead in the Water Dark Heresy - Finished
    House of Glass Dark Heresy - Deceased

    We All Fall Down Dark Heresy - Finished

    Sea of Stars Rogue Trader - Ongoing

  14. - Top - End - #194
    Banned
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Denmark
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Does it really matter if they're suspicious? You can't seriously tell me fixing is something new, that we just brought to this planet.

    Regardless, I can miss like a pro. And if you want to make a show of it, feel free to lean out the window and fire some shots back at us - I'm sure our armor will stand up to it.

  15. - Top - End - #195
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    "How attached are you to that car of yours?" Hannabel asks Max. "I could accidentally flatten it in here with my little tank - no shooting involved and no risk of casualties."

  16. - Top - End - #196
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

    Join Date
    Apr 2010

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Mindful of any guards or passing patrols, the two women crept into position. If they were fortunate enough to find the lieutenant alone, they hoped to finish this quickly, quietly, and without raising an alarm. Lorl would prefer a proper fight, but there would be others, she was sure.

    Spoiler
    Show
    WS: (1d100)[95]
    "It was a GOOD plan, just completely impossible."

    ~ Sophistemon

  17. - Top - End - #197
    Ettin in the Playground
    Join Date
    May 2017

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Quote Originally Posted by Destro_Yersul View Post
    Race Day
    "Same as everyone's. He's the strongest. Or.. was, I guess. We'll have to pick a new leader now."
    'Then may I suggest that you can all do better. Or was Moore actually a decent lord for all that?'

  18. - Top - End - #198
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    A show of legitimate competition may be appropriate, however. Wouldn't want the locals to get too restive. Tell me, how are they likely to react if we are openly allied? Would they respect the savvy and wisdom of forging an alliance and aligning yourself with a greater power, or would it cause insurrection and backsliding?

    If the latter, I think Hannabel is right. Max can "crash" his car in here, make it look like it spun out of control. Our Salamander is father than the Chimera, is it not? We'll go out ahead with a sizeable lead, and we can ineffectually fire potshots at each other that happen not to hit anything vital. Creating some distance makes the misses more believable.

  19. - Top - End - #199
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Leon's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Newcastle, Australia
    Gender
    Male2Female

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    ++With respect to the spirits involved i should be able to augment our exhaust to appear damaged in short order++
    Thankyou to NEOPhyte for the Techpriest Engiseer
    Spoiler
    Show

    Current PC's
    Ravia Del'Karro (Magos Biologis Errant)
    Katarina (Ordo Malleus Interrogator)
    Emberly (Fire Elemental former Chef)

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike_G View Post
    Just play the character you want to play. Don't feel the need to squeeze every point out of the build.
    Quote Originally Posted by Max_Killjoy View Post
    take this virtual +1.
    Peril Planet

  20. - Top - End - #200
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Destro_Yersul's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    sector ZZ9 plural-z alpha
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Race Day

    "Hard to fix a race when everyone's in it for themselves," Max said as they rounded a large stalagmite. "And this car is one of a kind. Let's shoot for repairable damage only on mine. We can sacrifice the one with the harpoons."

    "I'd like to stick to a minimum on open alliances," Bruce said. The Chimera was the largest vehicle left, and was having a little difficulty manouevring through the caverns. He was slowly falling behind the Salamander. "Though giving you a big lead should be believable enough... There might be some complaining, about upsetting the order of things if nothing else. We're already breaking ground here."

    "Think we've got a plan, then. I'll 'crash' in here. Our harpooner will try to keep pace, and you can 'destroy' it once you get out of the caverns. Then just open up your lead and fire a few potshots back and forth with Bruce. All agreed?"

    Anika

    "It'll be up to the lieutenants to decide that one. Once Moore's confirmed dead..." the voice lowered, and there was some static as the vox was adjusted. "You got a private channel?"

    Infiltrators

    Moore's man was not alone, but the primary other occupant of the room was a secondary target; two birds, one stone. Easy enough. Until they made their move: Slipping into the room, they skirted the edges and approached the targets simultaneously. Lori took hers down first, and the soft thump of the body hitting the floor was enough to cause the other man to turn, spinning away from the attack he hadn't seen coming by virtue of timing and fortune alone. He shouted in surprise, scrambling away from the assassins and going for his weapons. In the echoing stone palace, the shout would carry. The alarm would be well and truly raised, this time.
    I used to do LP's. Currently archived here:

    My Youtube Channel

    The rest of my Sig:
    Spoiler
    Show
    Avatar by Vael

    My Games:
    The Great Divide Dark Heresy - Finished
    They All Uprose Dark Heresy - Finished
    Dead in the Water Dark Heresy - Finished
    House of Glass Dark Heresy - Deceased

    We All Fall Down Dark Heresy - Finished

    Sea of Stars Rogue Trader - Ongoing

  21. - Top - End - #201
    Ettin in the Playground
    Join Date
    May 2017

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    'I do.' Anika will pass on the code for her microbead.

  22. - Top - End - #202
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Hannabel shrugs behind the controls of the Salamander. "Suit yourself, Maxie boy, but crashing your escort car out in the open seems like pointless drama. Better to do it in here where no one can see what we're up to. If I have to do it outside, don't reckon on anyone walking away from the wreck."

  23. - Top - End - #203
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Destro_Yersul's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    sector ZZ9 plural-z alpha
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Race Day

    "Drama is the point. Gives the spectators something to focus on, makes it a little more convincing for you and Bruce to miss each other in the race to the finish. Fire a bunch of shots in front of the car, kick up a load of dust, my men can jam the pedals and bail. We're coming up on the end of the caverns soon, so get ready to move."

    Max let his own car drop back as he spoke, looking for a good spot to 'crash.' The sacrificial car kept pace, a short distance behind the Salamander. The autocannon couldn't track backwards, which left the potshots up to Felidae.

    Anika

    The one Anika was talking to must have passed it on, or others had been listening in. The channel she gave out was shortly host to a significant number of Immortans. The one she had been speaking to kept talking, apparently serving as the spokesman.

    "Right. Moore had a couple of lieutenants, and they'll probably make a bid for leadership with him out of the way. But you already proved you've got the biggest guns in town, and we heard that broadcast from earlier. So.. you still accepting volunteers? We can see which way the wind is blowing."
    I used to do LP's. Currently archived here:

    My Youtube Channel

    The rest of my Sig:
    Spoiler
    Show
    Avatar by Vael

    My Games:
    The Great Divide Dark Heresy - Finished
    They All Uprose Dark Heresy - Finished
    Dead in the Water Dark Heresy - Finished
    House of Glass Dark Heresy - Deceased

    We All Fall Down Dark Heresy - Finished

    Sea of Stars Rogue Trader - Ongoing

  24. - Top - End - #204
    Banned
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Denmark
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Felidae - trusting to her aim - decided to make a number of convincing ricochets, hitting the car at a flat angle that would produce sparks and noise and propably a little damage, but nothing that would risk destroying it and killing Max by accident.

    Spoiler: OOC
    Show

    BS: (1d100)[49] vs. (it's been so long, I wonder if I get this right) BS65, Full Auto +20, totalt of 85, not counting range.

    Hopefully, no damage will be needed, but regardless:
    Damage: (1d10+5)[9] or (1d10+5)[11]
    Damage: (1d10+5)[11] or (1d10+5)[6]
    Damage: (1d10+5)[10] or (1d10+5)[9]
    Damage: (1d10+5)[8] or (1d10+5)[15]
    Damage: (1d10+5)[12] or (1d10+5)[11]

    Reroll in case the above isn't enough to avoid killing Max: (1d100)[87]

  25. - Top - End - #205
    Ettin in the Playground
    Join Date
    May 2017

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    'Then I have to wonder if any of you have good reason not to want to hang around here with the planet under new management? No matter though. It's ultimately up to the Captain, but I'm sure we can find a place for you...or else we can drop you off somewhere if you wish.'

  26. - Top - End - #206
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

    Join Date
    Apr 2010

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Infiltrators

    Zelle shot her partner a look of frustration, feeling that Lorl's enthusiasm caused her to move too quickly instead of acting in unison. The other woman's eyes were wide and full of wicked energy; she grinned murderously at the remaining lieutenant and sheathed her bloodstained falchion, swinging up her shotgun instead. Why not? They were past the point of silence anyway.

    Presumably being closer to their target, Zelle pursued him and kept swinging. They had come too far not to finish what they started.
    "It was a GOOD plan, just completely impossible."

    ~ Sophistemon

  27. - Top - End - #207
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Destro_Yersul's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    sector ZZ9 plural-z alpha
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Race Day

    Somewhere behind the Salamander, the group heard an echoing bang as Max swerved his car into the cavern wall. There was no way to tell visually how bad it was, but the vox kept working, and Max assured them he'd be alright. The group sped through the rest of the caverns, Hannabel putting the sturdy little scout vehicle expertly through its paces as she fought to pull as far ahead as possible from the others. As they shot from the caves into the baking desert sunlight, she saw that she hadn't managed to widen their lead that much... over the Interceptors' second car. Felidae turned, and opened up with her storm bolter; bolt shells threw up dust and sparks, the shots carefully placed to shred the hood and body without actually doing much damage. In response, the car swerved wildly, smoke spewing from under the hood, and plowed into a sand dune. Through the dust, Felidae thought she saw two men rolling across the sand, bailing from the car at the last possible moment.

    There was no time to worry about them, though. A group of men with heavy weapons was set up on the ridge overhead. Hannabel could see them taking aim, pointing the heavy barrels of rocket launchers and stubguns down at the racers. It was a good distance, and they'd need to be accurate, but a direct hit could cripple the drives and throw the whole plan out the window. They never had the chance to fire, though. Macharius spoke a few words into the vox, and a pair of Absalom shuttles shrieked overhead, dropping down nearly on top of the ambush and disgorging squads of marines. The crack of firearms discharge echoed across the desert, the marines carrying the day with ruthless efficiency.

    Up ahead, not far now, Hannabel could see the finish line. Behind her, Ravia was doing something in the engine compartment. Shots from the Chimera's multilaser burst around them, and when one came close, the Salamander bouncing and jostling from the near-miss, Ravia flipped a switch and the exhaust pipes started belching thick black smoke. Hannabel felt the engine's power drop, just a hair, thanks to whatever the techpriest had done, but it wouldn't have mattered even had Bruce tried to catch up. The Salamander crossed the finish line, and the Rusters rolled to a stop beside them shortly after.

    Infiltrators

    Stealth was out the window, but at close range it was near impossible to miss, and the shotgun got the job done. The corpse dropped to the floor, and the Rings fled the scene. All across the palace, the alarm was being raised. The men at the gates heard the noise, and had them open by the time the assassination team arrived. It hadn't been a clean op, but it had been a successful one, and the whole group made it back to the drop point for the shuttle to pick them up.

    Anika

    "We'll take our chances. This might be a bad place to be a former Immortan pretty shortly."
    I used to do LP's. Currently archived here:

    My Youtube Channel

    The rest of my Sig:
    Spoiler
    Show
    Avatar by Vael

    My Games:
    The Great Divide Dark Heresy - Finished
    They All Uprose Dark Heresy - Finished
    Dead in the Water Dark Heresy - Finished
    House of Glass Dark Heresy - Deceased

    We All Fall Down Dark Heresy - Finished

    Sea of Stars Rogue Trader - Ongoing

  28. - Top - End - #208
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

    Join Date
    Apr 2010

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Kennoch stood expectantly as the shuttle's rear door hissed open and lowered to let his team in. He was comforted to see all five returned, apparently in good condition too, although the specks of blood on Kip's chin and Lorl's visible excitement caught his attention. They filed in; as the engines roared to life, Isund briefed his master. Surrounded by Rings fresh from battle, their mix of emotions, the smell of copper--it dredged up an old memory from deep in the nobleman's mind.

    Spoiler: Years Ago
    Show
    Not yet Echo, not yet a Navigator, but at least not alone anymore, Kennoch sat on the floor of his lavish, far-too-large apartment suite with his familiar across from him. They played a form of the ancient Knucklebones using beautifully engraved shells. If his adult guards and caretakers found this odd--a mutant and his many-armed mechanical monkey passing their days entertaining one another despite almost sharing a single mind--they kept it to themselves. That kind of silence was a prerequisite for serving the Navis clans, anyway. As far as eccentricities went, Kennoch’s were fairly tame.

    Concerning the game, Kennoch was much slower and clumsier than his friend. He started to huff with frustration by the time the monkey used three hands to snatch up all the shells on a single bounce.

    “You can’t do that,” he protested. “It’s against the rules!”

    Silent thoughts passed between them. Who could say whether it was due to Magos Vokim’s skill, or the nature of their relationship and the way Kennoch treated his pet, that provoked its independence; either way, the creature was already demonstrating an uncommon level of autonomy after their three years together. Now it snickered and looked down at Kennoch’s crossed feet.

    “...No, mine don’t count,” he replied. “And even if they did, the game ends too fast that way. Do it right.”

    They played another round--again, the little Navis was outclassed no matter the regulations--until a soft knock came to the door. A Ring watching from the corner, so quiet that Kennock forgot about her, went to answer it. She returned with a humble bow and a message.

    “Master Seg-Mirvest requests your presence, Lord Castermire.”

    He started to ask why, but the boy was honestly glad for a distraction. Besides, he liked Seg, the leader of their local branch of the guild. Technically he commanded the entire station, although the Tech-Priests had their own hierarchy, and of course, Kennoch himself did as he pleased. Right now he pleased for an excuse to stop losing to his familiar.

    “Mm, alright. Where is he? The training block? Practice was yesterday, but if he wants to, then I guess…”

    Kennock climbed to his feet, followed by his familiar. Quick as its hands might be, six dissimilar limbs and a heavy body of metal and wires made the monkey’s stride awkward and lumbering. Hence, its (rather cruel, Kennoch would eventually realize) name: Mr. Waddle.

    In any event, Kennoch soon realized they weren’t headed toward the training block, nor did his bodyguard bring along his drill clothes. Instead she led him to a wing of the station he rarely visited, and never due to an invitation. The Rings kept the occasional dissident here, administered discipline both within the guild and among the civilians who served them, and...conducted certain business, Kennoch vaguely knew. They didn’t collect many prisoners as a general rule, but sometimes Castermire ships docked to refuel and resupply, and in the process dropped off troublesome crew for punishment and disposal. Or, rarely, a field team returned to base with their target still breathing. Questions came from the point of a hook, or glowing orange iron, or an array of devices as complex as they were unpleasant.

    Despite the reputation, these halls were spotless and eerily quiet. Kennoch and Mr. Waddle unconsciously drew closer together. When their guide at last opened a door to a mostly-bare room containing only Seg-Mirvest, and a glorious mosaic of their golden God-Emperor looking down upon him from the ceiling, Kennoch felt relief. It wouldn’t last.

    Seg had apprenticed under Grandmaster Hatwilde himself. Muscular for a void-born, he had a quiet confidence that made him a good leader, particularly for the task of protecting and preparing Kennoch, who could, with just a careless angry word, prompt the man’s execution at the hands of his own subordinates. He was also a mutant, like many of the Rings: his left ear was twisted into the shape of a half-star, the thin, red skin stretched tightly over edges of cartilage. Seg usually covered it with a helmet to avoid problems from the ignorant land-dwellers, but at home, particularly with Kennoch, he wore it openly. Perhaps he sensed that the Navis took comfort from this sort of honest courage. To call him a father figure was too simplistic; Kennoch always felt keenly aware of the divide between him and the Rings. Still, along with Magos Vokim, master Seg-Mirvest enjoyed respect and even deference that few received from the nobility.

    He started tutoring Kennoch at ten, last year, mainly in the ways of a pistol. Aside from hour after hour at interior shooting ranges, they also ran basic tactical drills, especially emphasising cover. Kennoch didn’t expect to ever use these skills in his life of privilege, but if warp-daemons started crawling from the walls of his tower-sanctum someday, then he’d at least know which end of the gun went bang. Besides, it helped pass the time.

    The veteran Ring bowed. “Lord Castermire. Thank you for joining me.”

    “Um...yes.” Kennoch shuffled from foot to foot, unsure of what else to say. He still wondered why he was here at all, and now that he came closer, something in Seg’s eyes worried him. They were never very warm, but it seemed as though the man’s soul had pulled further back, withdrawn in preparation of a grim necessity.

    “Is this a new lesson?” the Navis asked.

    “Yes. After a fashion, it is. A lesson and a duty.” Seg nodded to the woman who’d brought Kennoch; she turned and left without a word.

    “A...duty?”

    “Yes, Lord Castermire. By virtue of your high birth, you must perform many vital tasks for the good of the Imperium. We all have our roles, granted by the Emperor in His wisdom. Yours is rare and special. Your destiny is to protect us from the decay and heresy that befall isolated worlds, and from the evils that threaten our travel across the galaxy. You know this, of course.”

    “I do?” Nerves and confusion cracked his voice. Kennoch tried again more firmly: “I do.”

    “I am glad. And grateful for the burdens your family shoulders. But sadly, the warp is an insidious enemy. It exploits our vulnerabilities even here, in the Materium. Searches for weak hearts and open minds to whisper foul ideas. Other grand organizations safeguard against these sins and outright infiltrations, but the Astartes, Inquisition, and Ministorium can’t be everywhere at once. If only you could live without encountering any such blasphemy, but I think that unlikely. You need to understand the threats we face--and the remedy.”

    The door opened; in came two new Rings, seemingly just back from an operation of some sort. Their simple flax armor was damaged in places, their cloaks had gashes and burns, and one of the assassins wore a field bandage across his arm. Between them, they dragged a badly beaten man. Kennock and Mr. Waddle stepped back without taking their eyes off of the disturbing scene.

    “He led a cell of Chaos worshippers,” Seg explained, his voice soft but chilled. “Right here on this station, on the underdeck. I am ashamed at how long this escaped my attention. Rats have a way of finding hidden nooks to nest, and even as his masters made use of his foolishness, they taught him greater cunning. Digging out their cult proved costly, but the job is done. Now all that remains is to finish cutting away the rot, or else it is bound to spread once again.”

    Kennoch’s first guard returned. She held a fine wooden box in her hands; Kennoch already knew what was in it, and he recoiled and looked silently at Seg.

    The older man nodded. “It is a hard thing, but necessary. You must understand. You must harden your heart, because our enemies will only use your kindness against you. This is not a gentle galaxy, Lord Castermire. If only it were.”

    “Noooo,” the prisoner finally spoke, garbling his words through broken teeth. “No, no, nooo. Didn’t do it. Didn’t do nothin’--I swear. Swear on the Emperor. Swear on my children--”

    One of his captors cuffed the side of his head, hard enough to pitch him to the floor, and then pulled him back to his knees. “I saw what was left of your children,” she snapped furiously, “and if you ask me, this is a kindness.”

    Kennoch stood frozen, one hand clutching Mr. Waddle’s fur. Seg-Mirvest knelt beside him. “She is right, in more ways than she means. This is the Emperor’s mercy, Lord Castermire. This is His holy edict meant to keep the faithful safe from the monsters who walk among us. By taking this beast’s life, we preserve the whole station. By sending him onto judgment, we offer him his only path to salvation. We cannot save his soul ourselves--and we only risk our own, if we fall prey to sympathy.” In a bold move, Seg gently placed his palm on Kennoch’s shoulder. “You must understand.

    The boy of only eleven still remained in place. He breathed in shallow gulps, his two human eyes flickered wildly across the floor, and his warp-eye stung and burned as though from salty tears, and hopefully not some other, nefarious power. After a long silence weighed down the room, Seg rose to his full height. Kennoch heard the rasp of his mono-falchion slipping free of its sheath. He took a graceful step toward the prisoner; this apparent loss of confidence finally jolted Kennoch into action.

    With his shoulders pulled inward as though he hoped to fold in on himself and disappear, he went to his bodyguard and flipped open the box. The pistol laid on a velvet bed; it was a work of art, adorned with milky pearls and lapis lazuli, but its most unique feature was the size. Custom-fitted for a small hand.

    Kennoch did his best to bolster his confidence with holy litanies, first in his mind, then aloud, to drown out the blubbering of his victim. Their competing, disjointed voices went higher and higher as Kennoch marched forward, until he could no longer hear the thundering of his heart. Then, although it was only as loud as a cork popping free from a bottle, the tiny pistol silenced them both.


    Echo shook his head, clearing away cobwebs. He saw that Isund had finished and was expecting a response. "Well done done done done, all of you all you. I will report I will your success your to the captain to the."

    One hand on the wall for balance, he trudged up to the cockpit and voxed Macharius. "Lord-Commander Lord-Commander Lord-Commander. I am pleased I am to report to to the mission was mission a success success. Although our efforts although were not unnoticed were not, at least Moore's ghost Moore's Moore's Moore's will not be lonely will not. Returning now now now."
    "It was a GOOD plan, just completely impossible."

    ~ Sophistemon

  29. - Top - End - #209
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    Macharius lifts off as they cross the finish line, jet pack carrying him up as his armor gleams in the sun. He switches his vox to a global frequency, ordering the Sting to broadcast it planetwide.

    People of Viatrames! By the will of the God-Emperor, I have prevailed. In the name of Him on Terra, I bring light to the darkness and order to chaos. In the name of holy Mankind, I bring peace to the striven and unity to the scattered children of Man. I will lead you into a new era, beyond your petty wars and struggles merely to survive. Rejoice, Viatrames! For too long have you been alone, isolated from the glories of the Imperium and deprived of its instruction. Today begins a new era! I shall reunite you with your lost brothers and sisters among the stars. I shall usher in prosperity previously undreamed-of and give you the tools to protect yourselves from the dangers of this world. I shall guide you on the paths of the most glorious God-Emperor, that you may live eternal in his sight. I call on the defeated clanlords to swear fealty in the name of our most glorious Emperor. Bend knee and serve, and join me in remaking this world. People of Viatrames: do your duty, obey my commands, and trust in the Master of Mankind. A new dawn breaks! For Absalom and the Emperor!

  30. - Top - End - #210
    Ettin in the Playground
    Join Date
    May 2017

    Default Re: Sea of Stars - IC II

    After Macharius' speech, 'Starting as we mean to go on then. I take it everyone is still alive?'

    Anika will make sure she is present as an observer in any meetings with Macharius that take place to set up the new government. In theory the locals ought to be able to sort everything out themselves but this way she could keep herself informed.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •