-----
Upon reviewing your current detachment orders the tech-priest will immediately provide you with access to download any and all data available. You spend roughly three hours there sifting through the complete blueprint data for the entire hive looking for the relevent bluepints and maintenance updates, transfering them to your dataslate as you go. When you are finished you have as close to an accurate collectiion of maps as possible, accurate up to eight years ago since that is the last time machine cult personnel were in that area for maintenance. .
Is there anything else your looking for or into here or returning?
-----
It has been a while since the three left to investigate the Brood's territory and Jacques is feeling quite anxious. HIs anxiety not helped by the adept sitting there coolating and referencing the piles of data strewn about the floor
Octus will once again lay down suppressing fire on the gangers.
BS (37-20=17)
Skrag! Knew I was going to want the rifle since I didn't bring it.
-----
Upon reviewing your current detachment orders the tech-priest will immediately provide you with access to download any and all data available. You spend roughly three hours there sifting through the complete blueprint data for the entire hive looking for the relevent bluepints and maintenance updates, transfering them to your dataslate as you go. When you are finished you have as close to an accurate collectiion of maps as possible, accurate up to eight years ago since that is the last time machine cult personnel were in that area for maintenance. .
Is there anything else your looking for or into here or returning?-----
It has been a while since the three left to investigate the Brood's territory and Jacques is feeling quite anxious. HIs anxiety not helped by the adept sitting there coolating and referencing the piles of data strewn about the floor
Occus will also query the system for any anomalous power drain fluctuations centred on our sewer section, fluctuations that appear to be within norm but in light of chaos cults' presence may help pinpoint an hq or central living area.
Jacques is anxious. It has been hours since contact was last had with Nebdel, Octus and JT. He leans against the wall opposite Jastilus, checking his cronometer with a nervous glance every few minutes. He has previously restrained himself from trying to contact the group via microbead, figuring the group was in no poisition to relay back their position, but now the time is past due. His anxieties are not helped by the precocious young man practically enveloped in his work, hardly noticing his agitation.
Finally, Jacques can't take it anymore and presses the microbead attached to his ear.
"Equus to Saladaris, report. What is your situation?!"
Literacy:
Trade: Copyist:
Jastilus periodically makes inarticulate grunts and sighs of exasperation. Occasionally he flips a sheet of paper across the table, letting it land randomly wherever it may.
Some of this is barely useable! Where was this found, and which slack-jawed jackanape thought to put blessed pen to sacred parchment and scribble such garbage????AUUUGH!
JT lined up the three dot sight on the next brood member and pinned back the trigger on his Orthlak Mark IV pistol causing it to spit forth the second half of its magazine.
BS47+20
Before the last of the brass rain has tinkled to the ground JT brings the gun towards his chest angling it to make his combat reload. The motion angles the engraving of the slide to where it is easily read BROTHERS IN ARMS gleams back at him. "Heh, Yeap it looks like we are alright."
The microbead crackles to life and JT responds, "made contact with three, one down, one wounded, all friendlies still drawing breath, but some have taken hits. Praise the Emporer we are standing fast and doing his will."
Literacy: Int: 53 4 degrees of success on the re-roll!
Looking carefully at the page recently discarded, the way it landed and its orientation, Jastilus cocks his head slightly to the side. He reaches across the table and slowly draws the page to himself, eyes flicking left to right.
Tricky bastards. They thought to confound the casual observer. Well...they'll have to do much better to impede the all-seeing eyes of the Inquisition!
Tiring of the fight, Octus lays down a withering spray of fire from his autopistol causing the two remaining to duck and hide behind cover. Seeing the effects of Octus' shots J.T. continues to stand defiant and unloads a full burst at the one hiding behind the mailbox but all of his shots ping and thud futily at against its thin metal frame. Nebdel can't help but shake his head at the other two firing round after round throughout the street as he carefully sights down his barrel and puts another black blast mark right into the gang member hiding behind the mailbox, burning a large portion of his head and taking his ear off cleanly. The ganger behind the car fires off a wild shot at J.T. but doesn't pull himself out of the cover enough to even take aim and the shot go wide hitting a street lamp farther down. The one behind the mailbox shakes terribly then rushes out of the flimsy cover of the mailbox and runs back down the strret towards the entrance to the sewars, stopping and ducking behind the corner of the building half way there.
-----
The only power anomalies are located in an automated sewage treatment plant down in the bowels of the sewer system
-----
Jacques only gets static in response, realizing afterwards that they are probably too far for the micro-beads to communicate with. The vox termial, if linked to their frequency can send them a message but they would have no way of responding. Jastilus continues to process the reports
Skrag! And now one is going to get away because I didn't bring my rifle! Skrag! I hate it when that happens...
Nebdel takes a half action aim at at the brood gunman that is still fairly close. Then shoots it.
"Tag the runner! We can't let these bastards get away!" Octus shifts into a kneeling position, arms extended and one eye closed as he takes careful aim at the fleeing target. With a squeeze a single shot errupts from the pistol's muzzle.
BS (37+10-10=37)
Damage:
Damage:
JT fires another 6 rounds off from the Orthlak MKIV sending a hornets nest of hollow point bullets screaming towards the fleeing ganger, "Yeah get some! How you like that! Orthlak MKIV, when you simply, absolutely, have to kill every ganger in the rubble pile, accept no substitutes!"
BS47+20-10=57 or more if a mutant because of Hatred feat.
Jacques grabs his microbead from his ear and nearly pitches it to the floor in a fit of rage. "Oh frag this! In my days in the arbites we never left a team in the dark with no means of ensuring backup. Those were the rules throne-damn it!"
Jacques turns and starts picking up his equipment, his two laspistols placed in the armpit holsters concealed under his arbites jacket, leaving his shotgun on the floor near Voct where he is sitting.
"If you don't mind getting up from your paper castle, I need you try and send a message through the vox terminal on the same band of our microbeads to the rest of our team. Tell them Jacques is moving close to their position and trying to reinitialize radio contact. Keep your microbead handy; I'll message back to you their situation."
Jacques exits the safe-house and starts moving int he general direction of the sewer entrance where the rest of the team were investigating. He continuously chimes his microbead hoping for a response as he moves closer to their position.
Having achieved his objective at the Biologus facility, Occux disengages from the terminal and without an acknowledgment leaves the data tomb.
He then walks to the transit location and catches the transport back to the safehouse
*Sigh* Very well. When you return, please knock thrice and then again twice otherwise you will find out rather quickly if you have allergic reactions to high velocity lead.
Jastilus sullenly pulls himself upright and shuffles to the vox-caster. Picking up the receiver, he thumbs the key.
Voct to Saladaris, do you read me? Equus is moving to your position. I say again, Equus is enroute to your position. Do you read me, over?
I will slide the vox-caster near to the table, sit down and resume working. I will draw my pistol and set it on the table, hammer cocked and ready. I will re-set my chrono to every 15 minutes for a single chime and every hour for a double chime. For every single chime I will re-try the vox unless I get a response. For every hour I will refresh my cup of 'kaff and stretch and check the door.
I have very few vices, but if you find any lho, please bring me a packet. Good luck, Emperor protects.
I will give him the sign of the aquilla
Jacques, before he leaves, reaches into his jacket pocket and removes the pack of lho, passing it to Voct. He returns the sign of the aquilla. Not like I've had much use for the things these days anyway. Emperor protects.
Spotting the ganger flee caused Octus to change tactics as he carefully draws a bead on his target and fires a single round that bursts into the stone of the building he is cowering behind and still hits him. Then J.T. not wanting to let him escape and warn his buddies unloads into him sending a shower of rock dust as his bullets tear apart the flimsy stone he hides behind, when the dust settles you can see his leg sticking out from behind the wall slowly inching out of sight and a pool of blood forming. The last one in sight stays huddled behind the the car but moves just enough to expose part of his right leg which Nebdel expertly puts a las hole into. Near paniced the ganger behind the car unloads a busrt of fire from his gun and the emperor dosn't seem to be smiling on J.T. as two of the three rounds connect. The first round shattering a large portion of his flak helmet's forehead guard and the second round punching straight through the side and out the back .
Body
Body + Body
Right Leg
Occux the machine cult can arrange to have to dropped off rather than paying for transit.
-----
Jacques will arrive too late to help finish the fight but is moving as quick as he can to get within range.
-----
Jastilus has completely run outta caf by now and theres none to make in the safe house either but thankfully you now have access to a different vice.
Skrate hises over the microbead to Julian.
Julian get down behind cover. We will finish off thisdiseased boil.
Then he yells to the brood gunman.
You can't run away anymore with that hole in your leg. Surrender and you just might live.
But he doesn't stop shooting.
"Frag! Time to pop smoke escape and evade. Cover me!"
JT scrabbled for cover while fighting off the darkness that threatened to over take him.
Running for a suitable foxhole JT chuckles. The Commisar would approve of me standing my ground like that, but this is going to me killed!
As Occux sits on the Biologus transport the huge city flying by the window, he keys his microbead and says "Saladris, Occux Niil requesting sitrep. "
"I want that f&@%ing shooter on the ground! I'll turn you into a f@%$ing recyclable material if I don't see that thing outta' your damned hand in two Emperor f&&!ing seconds!"
"No way you'll just shoot me anyways." he replies to Octus as J.T. finally dives behind cover trying to shake himself out of whatever possessed him to stand out in the open during a gun fight. As Nebdel tries to get the ganger to surrender he pops off another carefully aimed shot finishes what his last shot started, severing the man's leg in bloody fashion as the man dies quickly from bleeding out from his stump. You can hear screaming and yelling from farther down the street now that the sounds of your guns have stopped. There's no-one else anywhere within sight on the street below and the sounds of many people running away.
-----
Several minutes after Jacques leaves to give aid he hears barely on his bead Occux's voice but it is too garbled from static, probably due to distance, to make out what he said. Jastilus hears the message clearly through his own bead and it is still five minutes before his next scheduled transmission.
Niil this is Voct, sanctuary has no contact with Saladaris cell. Equus is enroute to Saladaris cell for sitrep. Niil, what is your location, over?
"Can you guys see that other guy I shredded? It looked like he might try to crawl off. Ow, f}#k! Hey let's snatch up their guns and ammo and loot em real quick! In all that reading did anyone see a calling card that we can do to frame it on another gang? Sh!t this hurts! Ah man, Jacques is gonna be pissed."
JT mimics the former Arbiters voice, "What did you whipper snappers-guys do here?! Shoot first- shoot later- shoot some more! And then when everyone was dead think about asking a question or two?! Why back in my academy in the 39th millennia we learned . . . Blah blah blah blah---ouch!
Agreed, hide is blown. Octus cove me while I quickly check the bodies and the walking wounded makes his way down. Then we'll dash.
Nebdel scrambles down to ensure the bodies are just that... bodies. He takes a hurried glance to see and campare the markings. Then rifles through their gear. He doesn't take time to examine any of the gear right now. He is just snatching up anything loose to examine later.
Ok, we need to dash. Not immediately home though. Need some quiet to make sure there is nothing to track or listen in any of this gear. We also need to circle and back enough to ensure there is no one following us.
Voct to Saladaris, Voct to Saladaris, come in. Equus enroute to your location. I say again, Equus enroute to your location. Confirm?
Hearing the new voice on the microbead channel, Occux concludes the the individual was a new member if the team, a replacement for the recently departed imperial psyker. Proper identification of the individual ,Voct ,will have to wait until arrival at the warehouse.
"Wait, maybe we should grab a body and plant it in rival territory?"
Unfortunately, we are not prepared for that. We have no rug, bag, or box to conceal it in. And running through town with a dead body could attract more attention than we are prepared to deal with.
If you can think of a quick way to get it out of here covertly, I'm all for it.
"Remember the briefing? They are ultra violent when attacked. We can leave em here. They got waxed in their home turf that'll cause em to kick up dust for sure."
Jacques continues down the seemingly deserted back alleys and underpasses of the hive street, moving continuously towards the point where the group was supposed to be performing a surveillance operation.
He continuously pipes into his microbead. "Saladaris, this is Equus, do you read me? What is your situation?"
Stepping out of the Biologus transport, Occux nods in acknowledgement of the pilots efficiency; he lifts off the moment Occux's foot left the access port.
Red robes flapping in the transport's exhaust, Occux's enhanced outline is occasionally revealed as the fabric pressed against his implants. He slowly scans the vicinity for any observers.
Satisfied in the continued desertion of the neighbourhood, Occux walks to the safe-house door and keys the entrance code.
Entering, Occux flips the safety of his las-pistol but leaves it holstered for the moment. Arriving at the doorway to the common room he stops and
observes the man sorting through the police records.
"Occux Niil, Adeptus Mechanicus. State your full name and affiliation. Prepare identifying credentials for inspection."
>BLAM!<
*That* was a warning. My next will penetrate your skull. State your name and your business here and pray to the Emperor that I am the merciful sort!
The youth sits behind a low table, with a vox-caster to his right. Neatly organized papers are stacked on the table. He has blond hair a thin, almost gaunt frame, and a well-used stub revolver pointing at you. There is an empty cup on the table, and a tin collecting the ashes of a still-burning lho-stick. The acrid smell of gunpowder mixes with the fragrant scent of lho.
Seemingly unperturbed by the "warning shot", Occux's emotionless eyes regard the precipitous man in front of him "My name and affiliation have been stated. I act with the full weight of the Imperial Inquisition, your presence within this safe-house indicates that that status has also been granted to your person....confirm."
My credentials may be found on *this* datapad...
Jastilus places the datapad on the far edge of the table (nearer to you).
Advance...SLOWLY...and pick up the pad
You note that the barrel remains centered on you.
Picking up the 'pad and deftly calling it into action, you find the notice from your Master, and the letter of introduction (on my character sheet).
After reading the pad you look up and find the gun that had been pointed at you is now stowed away. While you were reading Jastilus has risen to his feet and has extended his hand in the common (but to your eyes, largely unnecessary) greeting.
Very sorry for the shot, sir. Jastilus Voct, Archivist; at your service!
A sheepish half-smile threatens to crease Jastilus' face.
Occux considers the hand extended toward him for a moment, then grips it with his own, circuited hand. A quick squeeze and then he releases the grip. Retreating into his robes, his hand returns with his own identification. Presenting it to Voct, Occux says " My credentials...apologies are irrelevant, you were exercising due caution in the service of the Emperor. .
His eyes then travel to the table, scanning the piles of paper Jastilus has made. "Your skills as an Archivist were needed, Jastilus Voct. Jules Equus obtained copious documentation on the cultists victims, but the data is scattered and ill-kept."
Jastilus takes the identification and examines it. After handing it back, he scratches the back of his head lightly.
I concur. Trooper Equus was not very discerning with his search. I suspect he thought quantity was of more importance than quality. It is indeed fortuitous that I was assigned here.
Unbidden, Jastilus strokes the wispy trails of hair on his chin.
Since I've arrived I've been able to collate the data into a useable format. It is not quite complete yet, but perhaps it may lend us some much-needed perspective in our search. I've broken the disparate reports into categories by gang affiliation first, then placed each stack in chronological order. Quite a task. Have you examined any of the information yet? And if so, have you made any preliminary deductions?
While speaking Jastilus moves back behind the table and hooks the lead line for the autoquill back to the power supply and sets the type-set panel in front of his chest, resting his left hand lightly over the many keys. After getting set, he picks up the next sheet of parchment and looks it over while picking up his quill and dipping it lightly in the ink flask.
Occux says My preliminary analyses revealed a number of salient points....
-The murders are patterned after the map of star systems, order of murders follows date of system settlement - analysis provided the area under scrutiny as next in pattern
-The gang call themselves "The illumiated of the Brood" but people just call them "The Brood"
-There seem to be three tiers within the gang; The Blessed who reports indicate are the ruling or leadership group. The family, which are those accepted and full members. The Chattle, non-members and hangers on that haven't earn the right to join
-More so than other gangs, the Brood seems to only act at night unless in defence of their territory
-They are known to drag off the dead, both theirs and others, back into the sewers
-The are using the sewers as a means of travelling throughout their territory unseen which has caused several attempts by rival gangs to fail
-It is believed that the gang is using an old waste processing plant as their stronghold but any attempt to verify, through servitor, cyberskull or manned missions have ended in failure and an unacceptable loss of resources
-The gang appears peaceful to residents and 'non-combatants' in their territory but exhibit hyper aggressive tendencies when threatened
"In addition, I recently made use of the closest Mechanicus facility and obtained detailed schematics of the sewer sub-levels, as well as information on anomalous power drains. However, though my skills have obtained success from my personal dataslate; a more puissant cogitation device will be needed. "
Very impressive! Judging by the fact that you just came from a Mechanicus outpost, you are suggesting that we might find better information "on location", I presume. That might make such a search superfluous, but still necessary to finalize a complete report, correct?
In regard to the killings, I think it would be important to intercept and disrupt their next murder. I'm sure you agree that interrupting any possible dark rituals take precedent over a simple raid on their holding(s). I can also infer that you have already calculated where and when the next killing will occur.
Am I to understand that the rest of the cell went ahead to scout the next murder site to scout it out and determine optimal kill zones? Does it appear as if the cult is reaching the end of their ritual? If not, how many more killings can we expect? Have we scouted previous murder sites? If so, what; if any, salient details were discovered? Any secondary or tertiary details? Has Equus written any preliminary reports yet, and if so, where are they?
Occux blinks at the rapid fire questions, pauses a moment then speaks.
"Your questions are very perceptive. My analyses revealed the appoximate location of the next murder, but we were not in time to prevent it. Some clues were obtained:
-Murderer used attack with warp signature, unregistered psyker most likely, autopsy by imperial psyker revealed destruction of victims soul
-The next murder will not happen for at least 27 days..approximate location also determined
-The Brood see themselves as a church trying to enlighten the nearby to the true word and are fighting to protect that and the 'innocent' that have yet to see the light. But for a church they are VERY secretive about their worship and people must prove themselves to even get a chance to join because the brood will not risk allowing an unbeliever into their midst
The others left to perform a reconnoitre of one of the sewer access points, and if given the opportunity to gather information on the Brood."
Unfortunate that we were not able to save the lost soul. Fortunately, they have opened themselves up to full-scale persecution for the use of unsanctioned psykers. And the destruction of not just an Imperial subject, but moreso their soul.
Mind you, I know that declaring a War of Faith would just cause the dragon to hide his head. I suspect there may be a hand manipulating the psyker puppet. We have 26 days to root out the head and then slay the body.
I think we should check the next site and develop that site to our advantage. Perhaps collecting one or more worshipers and put them to the Question as well. At the bare minimum we may be able to determine whether there is an intrinsic moral threat. We may need to find an Ecclesiastical representative sympathetic to our cause for a comparative study.
Your thoughts?
"This Brood, as they call it, labels itself a church, placing it firmly in the realm of the apostate. A comparative Ecclesiastical study may be irrelevant given the presence of mutants and unregistered psykers in their midst, if not their leadership. An assay of the possible next crime scene has been discussed, but discarded for now in favour of additional information gathering on the activities and complement of our foe. Your proposals have merit, when the others return we should explore them at length."
Occux then turns to look at his dataslate, when he notices the crate that had been delivered. Walking over to investigate he discovers the cogitator within.
Standing still for a moment, he nods, then lifts the cogitator from the crate and places it on a nearby table. He then places his hands upon the cogitator and allows his dendritic implants to interface. After a few moments he disengages one of his hands, removes his dataslate from his robes and allows the datastream to move from dataslate to cogitator. He is quite motionless for some time.
As Nebdel scurries down to the towo bodies directly below and Octus maintains Overwatch the wounded J.T. makes his way slowly through the broken building. Stopping before entering the street He can see a hubub of activity starting in an alley much farther away. Several men and women armed with anything from knives and cudgels to autoguns and shotguns are milling about looking around and waiting anxiously. Mere moments later the sewer grate in the centre of the street slides open and a hooded head peers out carefully before climbing out. This man is wearing some form of leather armour over a dark hoodie and has a large, viciously serrated sword held loosely in his hand dragging it out of the sewer. He is then followed by two others that are dressed like him but carrying lasguns. These men are obviously in charge as the group milling about settles down and listens to them avidly.
Nebdel quickly collects any loose belongings on the two corpses stuffing them in his pockets and in his waist band. When he starts moving to check the third man, the one that tried to run he picks up Jastilus' vox transmission again followed quickly by Jacques. As he moves to round the corner though he stops, having heard a Commotion around the corner and farther away. He can make out talking but can't hear what's being said until one voice cries out, "Hey look, there he is!" Instinctively ducking for fear that you've been spotted before realizing that the ones talking must have just seen the corpse and are heading your way.
Octus can hear commotions coming from several locations out of sight, nothing on this street yet but they are getting closer.
"I hear bad things boys, let's get out of here, yesterday-like." Octus' voice betrays a subtle undertone of panic as it's beamed through the microbeeds of his comrades. "Jacques, we f%~!ed up and I think shit's about ta' get real. I doubt I gotta' tell you this but be careful. We're gettin' the f@%+ outta' here." With that he slides a new magazine into his pistol and hurriedly scurries back towards the exit.
Agreed, this was not the plan. Dash for it.
Since Jaques is wounded, Nebdel stays behind him and is prepared to start a diversion if necessary.
But other than that he is moving as fast as he can to clear the area. We can go to ground later.
"Yeah, if we had a heavy stubber we could mow em down, but we are shot up and pistols vs lasguns is a bad match up, let's leg it!"