Arbites Strike Team (DH1) IC

[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.

Spoiler: And so ...

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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]

Spoiler: Player

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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.

Spoiler: ooc

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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

Spoiler: OOC

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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 (2d10)[2][10](12)
(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.

Spoiler

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(1d10+3)[4] for initiative. tech use (1d100)[52] v. 51 to take control of the elevator, FP if needed: (1d100)[36]

.

[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.

Spoiler: OOC

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Initiative, Enemies: (1d10+3)[13] They move as a group. After all, the Special Branch are remote controlled by Cognatus.

Special Branch 1:
BS: (1d100)[51] vs. 60 (firing at Phil)
Damage: (1d10+4)[13] Pen 3

Special Branch 2:
BS: (1d100)[97] vs. 60 (firing at Penny)
Damage: (1d10+4)[8] 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: (1d100)[77] 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.

Spoiler: ooc

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To Hit (1d100)[69] vs WS 33
To Hurt (1d10+2)[7]
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.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Cognatus:
Las pistol 'dendrite used in melee, WS: (1d100)[78] vs. 35
Damage: [roll]1d10+2[/roll]

SB1: Las riflke, BS: (1d100)[1] vs. 60
Damage: [roll]1d10+4[/roll] pen 3

SB2: Las riflke, BS: (1d100)[23] vs. 60
Damage: [roll]1d10+4[/roll] 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!"

Spoiler

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(1d100)[69] v. 55, dmg 1 (1d10+2)[3] dmg 2 (1d10+2)[11] 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.

Spoiler: ooc

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Good rolls only, God-Emperor! I'm looking at you!
All Out Attack
(1d100)[56] vs WS 53 (33+20)
(1d10+2)[3], 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.

Spoiler: Stuff

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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.

Spoiler: OOC

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Psycognicience (1d100)[14]

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.

Spoiler

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(1d100)[26] v. 51[/roll] 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?'

Spoiler: OOC

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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.