Deathwatch: Sons of Jericho IC
Game Master Rookseye

The Orpheus Salient
Aurum, The Shining Plains
300.817.M41
Hour 22 System Sidereal Time

Brother Bjorn sniffs at the air, one hand pawing across the rough ground where the horn of the escarpment projects over the canyon below, searching for signs of the creature's passage.

Brother Bjorn, please attempt a Challenging [+0] Tracking skill test.

Tracking (TN: 45): 1d100 ⇒ 84

Bjorn attempts to keep the trail, but the quarry is cunning and able to elude his grasp.

The Horizon's Pride, War Room Black
291.817.M41
Hour 23, Ship's Time

With the pertinent information transmitted to the helmet displays of his fellow Astartes, Brother Emeric allows the other members of the Kill-team to digest this new information for a minute or so before he asks further questions of the rogue trader. Instead he poses a query to the new Ambassador-Militant:

"Brigadier-General, did you have the honor of serving with any of my fellow Black Templars in the Cellebos Warzone? What word do you bring?"

"I did not have the privilege of serving with them directly on Vanity, Brother Emeric, but my regiment was assigned to the same theater of operations. I did have the honor of meeting Brother Richter of your chapter, seconded to the Deathwatch, like yourself, during the purging of some cult activity on Karlack at the outset of the Crusade."

Heth fairly beams with the pride and distinction that such an encounter and the associated name-dropping allows him, and Brother Emeric must remind himself how the martial tradition of the Imperial Guard is steeped in politics as much as the effective prosecution of war itself. Besides, it is the rare guardsman, grunt or officer, that is not awestruck by a meeting with one of the Emperor's Angels of Death.

Satisfied the others have had ample time to review his transmission to them, he presses on with Lan.

"Captain Lan, what was the nature of your travels to Samech? Additional: the ore-hauler Shoulder of Stepatikos is of particular interest to the Deathwatch. Do you have information you can share regarding this vessel?"

Lan is clearly a man who is rarely wrong-footed, and he regains his composure quickly following Brother Emeric's unexpectedly pointed questions, perhaps realizing how the techmarine came upon such information so quickly (a glance at the data-jack speaks volumes). He is honest and to the point. Watching him, Brother Vex and Brother Syne are fairly convinced he has nothing further to hide.

"It was dictated by the Inquisition, from the Tower of Brass itself, that we conduct long-range scans of the navigable Warp routes skirting the Hadex Anomaly near Samech. Very little of our sensoria sweeps yielded anything at all. The severity of the radiation band surrounding that blighted swath of the salient is nearly impossible to penetrate. At our nearest approach to the system's core we detected the ship; an ancient ore hauler, once part of the crusade's Explorator contingent, lost nearly two-score sidereal years ago. Much of what I researched is classified even to my clearances, so there is very little further I was able to add to my report on the matter to the Holy Ordo. I cannot say I am surprised that the Deathwatch searches for this ship as well."

After hearing replies on these matters I then state: "Data scouring reveals the death of an engiseer, apparently murdered by one of your crew, Captain Lan. Since the crime is against the Omnissiah's own, I would be remiss if I did not assist investigations. With your leave Brother-Librarian Vex will also accompany us for he and I each have certain skills with regard to... information extraction."

If the first line of questioning took Diaz Lan a little off guard, this follow-up by the techmarine is answered with the aplomb of a man who is quick on his feet when faced with surprises. It is clear he expected the subsequent query and was ready to answer as soon as the words were articulated through Brother Emeric's vox.

"Although this is an internal matter, I must admit that the convenience of a learned devotee of the Omnissiah suddenly being at hand is a welcome development. I will not dispute that my crewman is responsible for the death of one of the Machine God's faithful servants and I would be grateful for your assistance---and that of Brother Vex---in getting to the root of what precipitated such an act. Although my master-at-arms has conducted only the most cursory of interviews, his preliminary report emphasizes Kohl Bennex's insistent refutation that the act was anything but self-defense. I cannot fathom a reason why Enginseer Kreth would make an attempt on this crewman's life, as they had no prior interactions to the best of anyone else's knowledge. He is currently in the ship's brig on the detention level, I will take you there if you wish. I will stand by any punishment you wish to mete out as a duly recognized servant of the Adeptus Mechanicus should it be necessary."

He glances around the war room, looking at the other Battle-Brothers.

"If there are no further questions of myself or the Ambassador-Militant, I will have my seneschal escort the remainder of your Kill-team to the Armory, and from there to your chambers so that you may take your rest."

The Orpheus Salient
Aurum, The Shining Plains
300.817.M41
Hour 22 System Sidereal Time

Tracking test unsuccessful.

Brother Bjorn grunts in consternation. Searching the loose, gravelly scree yields nothing tangible to mark the creature's passage to his eyes, which is a rarity given his expertise. He begins to make a wide circuit of this side of the canyon looking for any tell-tale indications that this predator---for surely it is such for the degree of stealth it has already exhibited---may still be lurking in the vicinity.

Although he does not find track or spoor, a quarter kilometer from the ledge he comes across the tracks of a lone human, by the shape and spacing in the tracks, one of the Caele's warriors. Given the thickly-clotted trail of blood that runs parallel to the tracks, the man is grievously injured. They continue off to the west, moving at haste despite the apparent severity of the injury, as if the man was fleeing for his life.

Just let me know your intentions, Brother Bjorn, the trail is a simple one to follow if you choose.

Growling and baring teeth in self-frustration at having lost the trail, Bjorn quickly changes to the bloodied smear that was left by one of the warriors. Curious and wary with tooth in hand he stalks along it, keeping low and ready for explosive response.

The Orpheus Salient
Aurum, The Shining Plains
300.817.M41
Hour 22 System Sidereal Time

Angered with himself for losing the beast's trail, Brother Bjorn elects instead to follow the trail of what may well have been one of the thing's victims. Clutching his fang tightly, he stalks, low to the ground, loping up and down the craggy peaks and declivities along the escarpment, moving to the west with purpose.

The trail is easy enough to follow, and soon it is academic when he encounters the first ropy coil of the man's viscera, discarded, purple-red and weeping where the man's path led him through a dense cluster of thorny bramble-bushes. The blood is fresher here, and the Space Wolf holds it to his nose, inhaling deeply, locking in the unfortunate warrior's scent.

Picking a path through the spiky brush proves difficult, his armor making faint scraping sounds as the thorns click and snap against him when he claws his way through, until finally emerging on the other side.

The blood is much wetter here and he follows it up another small, sloping shelf of rock, pausing at the top when he looks down into the craggy hollow below. A wide, bowl-shaped depression tops the node of peak he has ascended, and the trail ends inside it, just before a long, diagonal patch of black, far darker than the night around it. It marks a low overhang and the gash of a cave below it, cut from the far wall of the hollow, draped in more of the brambly overgrowth.

The Horizon's Pride, Ship's Brig, Detention Block C-3
291.817.M41
Hour 24, Ship's Time

Brother's Emeric and Vex follow Diaz Lan from the war room as the rest of the Kill-team files away along the hallway in the opposite direction, following Lan's seneschal, Veyoris Akioh, toward the sealed Deathwatch armory.

The journey to the brig is a relatively quick one, and the trio navigate the regally wide corridors of their current deck before descending upon a near-silent lift system several levels and emerging in Detention Block C-3. Lan passes through the primary guardpost with a commanding wave of one hand, acknowledging the salutes of his house guard warden's as a heavy wall of bars slides open to either side of a much narrower corridor.
The Astartes must turn their larger bodies slightly to one side to follow, and their walk ends before a sealed bulkhead door, marked with the Low Gothic numeral '112'.

Lan opens it with a cursory wave of a short command wand, and pushes his way in without preamble. Two more house guards stand at attention within the room, combat shotguns at parade rest. They salute as well, and Lan dismisses them. They file out silently, leaving the techmarine, librarian, and rogue trader alone with a haggard looking voidborn with pallid skin and fearful, staring black eyes. He is restrained by ankles and wrists to an excoriation chair, but does not appear injured or harmed, merely hunched and exhausted.

The man is obviously terrified of the ship's captain, but this is as nothing when he finally lays eyes upon the Astartes accompanying him. He lets out a low whimper that sounds utterly inconsolable, squinting shut his eyes and hiding his face as if this impotent gesture will make his worst nightmare disappear.

Diaz Lan gestures with one hand to the man rather dismissively, as if unsure on how best to facilitate an introduction under such circumstances, or embarrassed that the man seems likely to soon wet himself.

"Kohl Bennex. Ship's Cook, Second Class."

"Greetings Kohl Bennex. I am Librarian Vex of the Death Watch. I am hear to bear witness to your testimony."

"My compatriot is Tech Marine Brother Emeric."

I let the titles explain enough for themselves.

"Brother if you would be kind enough to question Kohl Bennex. I would wish to observe."

I would like to use Telepathy to see what the man see's as Emeric asks his questions.

"Acknowledged, Brother Librarian."

I take a step forward, letting my mag-boots clang loudly on the metal floor. "Kohl Bennex. Ship's Cook. Second Class. You stand accused for murdering Engiseer Kreth, minion of the Omnissiah and property of the Mechanicum. Data-share demanded: recount that which transpired in the servitor repair bay."

Looking down at the simpering wretch I wish to verify he is what he appears to be, taking an auspex reading with special attention to olfactory and biochemical analysis. Does his body produce the sweat and his pulse race in such a way as to match the fear that one would expect from a lowly cook in the presence of Astartes?

Tech-Use 50, 1d100 ⇒ 83

Taking in the vista for a few moments, Bjorn is still wary. Picking up a sizeable rock from his side he throws it to clatter near to the cave and hunkers down to see if his senses pick up any response to the noise...
Awareness (TN=50): 1d100 ⇒ 10

The Horizon's Pride, Ship's Brig, Detention Block C-3
291.817.M41
Hour 24, Ship's Time

"Acknowledged, Brother Librarian."

I take a step forward, letting my mag-boots clang loudly on the metal floor. "Kohl Bennex. Ship's Cook. Second Class. You stand accused for murdering Engiseer Kreth, minion of the Omnissiah and property of the Mechanicum. Data-share demanded: recount that which transpired in the servitor repair bay."

Looking down at the simpering wretch I wish to verify he is what he appears to be, taking an auspex reading with special attention to olfactory and biochemical analysis. Does his body produce the sweat and his pulse race in such a way as to match the fear that one would expect from a lowly cook in the presence of Astartes?

The cowering voidborn cannot mask his fearful awe of the Astartes, and despite some interference received on Brother Emeric's auspex, probably as a result of the confined metal-walled cell, all of the readings confirm what can be plainly seen. An imprisoned man in a state of abject terror regarding his predicament.

Brother Emeric, please attempt an Interrogation skill test, you may apply the Assistance bonus for Brother Vex, consider the test Routine [+20] instead of Ordinary [+10] and apply one additional degree of success if you succeed for the Librarian's aid.

The Orpheus Salient
Aurum, The Shining Plains
300.817.M41
Hour 22 System Sidereal Time

Taking in the vista for a few moments, Bjorn is still wary. Picking up a sizable rock from his side he throws it to clatter near to the cave and hunkers down to see if his senses pick up any response to the noise...

Finding a chunk of thick of sedimentary stone, Brother Bjorn conceals himself and hefts it up and over into the depression near the cave, the resounding echo of rock on rock piercing the still night air.

Awareness test successful by multiple degrees.

Listening intently, he hears the unmistakable sound of a furtive scraping, as if leather on gritty stone, followed by a very human groan of hissing pain.

When we are in the armoury, and only the Deathwatch inside.

"The Rogue Trader is hiding something. It is not about the mission, but It makes wonder why he would do that, considering the admissions he has already made.

Modified Interrogation Roll 70, 1d100 ⇒ 75

The subject appears to be in a state of abject terror, unable to respond. We may have to take alternative measures.

Bjorn pauses a moment, playing over his mission as well as curiosity and coming to a quick decision. This warrior could draw the beast into the open, the trail was clear and easily followed... and the death of the Caele was acceptable given the chance for further information. He measures the ground and likely lines of fire and approach before setting himself in waiting and controlling his breathing down to a barely noticeable sussurant hiss as he waits...

Tactics (Recon and Stealth-Int): (TN=45) 1d100 ⇒ 15
Concealment (Agi): (TN=55) 1d100 ⇒ 63

Perhaps other assistance would be helpful. Need to settle this pathetic creature before we can properly question him.

Via internal vox:

<<Apothecary Syne. Report to the detention deck.>>

I transmit a schematic map to guide him to our location.

Eli gives the techmarine a curt reply.

<<I am on my way, there are supplies I must first retrieve for my examinations.>>

The Horizon's Pride, Deathwatch Armory, Primary Aft Secure Hold
291.817.M41
Hour 24, Ship's Time

Lan's seneschal, the fastidious man known as Veyoris Akioh, silently leads the rest of Kill-team Umbra through the main spinal corridor on the same deck that houses Lan's quarters and the war room, before descending on one of the aft lift hubs to the primary aft secure hold.

Once in the vast, echoiing hold, the Battle-Brothers follow the functionary through a massive cargo vault, and then through progressively smaller and smaller storage areas whose contents appear to grow incrementally more and more valuable. Each vault door is only accessible by one of several ward-keys in the seneschal's possession, valid biometric interfacing, or a combination of both.

Finally, the Kill-team arrives in a narrow, trapezoidally-shaped hold coated in a thin layer of dust, and suffused with the cold of the void itself leeching through the ship's thick bulkhead. A tall, wide doorway, affixed with the unmistakable seal of the Deathwatch in chipped and pitted iron stands just before the very aft-most segment of the Horizon's Pride

Veyoris Akioh steps politely aside, gesturing toward the door.

"A sample of your blessed gene-seed and the requisite ciphers of opening will allows you entry, honored Astartes. I will await your return in the adjoining hold to escort you to your chambers. Take all the time you require."

Brother Quintus waits for the man to depart, and approaches the door. Removing one of his gauntlets, he opens the hinged faceplate on the lower jaw of the iconic skull, and slides one thick finger into the slot provided. A sting in the end of his finger is followed by a hollow, mechanical voice, uttering a stentorian request for the Tarsis cipher, which thankfully is known to the Ultramarine. The door opens with a squeal of tired servos, revealing the armory beyond.

Stepping into the room, Kill-team Umbra finds a small armory, lined with several tall racks of carefully organized and assiduously packed armaments and equipment. It is far from expansive in its inventory or quantity, but it is stocked as well or better than some of the lesser Watch Station listening posts the brothers have encountered.

As they begin to examine its contents, Brother Eli receives a transmission from Brother Emeric, now on the detention level. Acknowledging the Black Templar, he begins to systematically scour the Armory for the equipment he seeks.

Eli, just let me know what you are looking for, and I'll let you know if it is available.

"The Rogue Trader is hiding something. It is not about the mission, but it makes me wonder why he would do that, considering the admissions he has already made."

Brother Hrothgar laughs heartily as he roots through an armored case containing tightly-packed Hellfire rounds.

"What more could he be hiding, Quintus? Truly, you are beginning to sound as troubled and paranoid as one of---(he looks pointedly to Brother Eli's back, thick eyebrows raised dubiously)---them."

The Horizon's Pride, Ship's Brig, Detention Block C-3
291.817.M41
Hour 24, Ship's Time

Kohl Bennex begans to whimper and writhe under the unforgiving stares of his interrogators, a torrent of frantic tears running down his face. He stares blankly at some space in the middle distance, or at the Astarte's feet, refusing to make eye contact.

"I beg you! I beg you! Mercy, please! I never meant to hurt him, please, oh please, spare my miserable life!"

He breaks down, blubbering, snot dripping from his long nose. He tries in vain to shrink into the restraint chair and will himself invisible, altogether collapsing into a piteous state.

The Orpheus Salient
Aurum, The Shining Plains
300.817.M41
Hour 22 System Sidereal Time

Brother Bjorn becomes a convincing part of the dark and treacherous mountain terrain, folding himself into the environment almost effortlessly. The pragmatism that brings him to what some would perceive as a callous decision is made without any sentiment or worry for the eventual fate of the Caele's man. Even if the obvious indicators in the man's bloody trail didn't speak of a near certain outcome, he would have followed the directives of his mission; avoiding contact with the natives of Aurum.

Tactics: Recon and Stealth skill test is successful.

Going prone on the downwind edge of the declivity, with clear firing salients, he sets about watching, his hunter's instincts attuned to a preternatural level, hearing the scurrying of the small, nocturnal rock lizards as they scavenge about for food, seeing the gentle movement of wispy smoke in the night sky above as it passes overhead, well away from the bonfire.

He waits, knowing that such prey will eventually draw forth the beast he so briefly spied at the edge of the warrior's camp.

Brother Bjorn, please attempt an Awareness test.

"I am wondering what the Omega Vault wants from us. The Dark Angels love their secrets, but that does not mean that those secrets are not important. Unless it affects us, the Rogue Trader's secrets are his to keep. After we collect what we are going to use on the mission, Let us get food and drink before preparing for our task. Unless you have other orders, Brother Leader Caledonii."

Awareness (TN=50): 1d100 ⇒ 16

Bjorn adds his bolt pistol to left hand while his right is still clutched around his fang in reversed grip. Breathing is controlled to the point of almost nothingness and he lies poised with tensed muscles waiting to strike. The blessings of Leman Russ' genes are put to good use as the predator awaits the predator...

"Kohl Bennex, please be calm. We are merely here to learn."

Since we are in the warp I will attempt a fettered test to Inspire Kohl Bennex to remove his fear. He is no good to us in his current state.

Psychic Test (1d100=46)