Ovrlooking the data, the woman nods. "Three targets. All potentially high-value. How do you want to do this? I assume you know more about the situation and the targets than we likely do."
"The xenos are likely in highest concentration far from prying eyes. The location out at sea is the one we will directly attend to. The reason we had considered reaching out to you was your coming to blows with another noble house could attract little suspicion if a suitable cover story was concocted. Any forces moving towards the ocean target should not bear your heraldry to avoid the connection."
Perhaps we hit the land based locations, swiftly... cutting off communications. Then, speed to our underwater quarry. There is strength in numbers and what we learn from each target could halp with the next.
Almost humming, as if to carry a tune, "Burn the land and boil the sea... you can't take the sky from me..."
Studying the schematics the, she sneered. "Alamar. We've fought there house before. Most of there strength was broken by the Blessed Inquisition's Stormtroopers. I heard there was even a half-squad of Astrates present when some of there property was cleansed, although I have no idea if that is true or not. There house soldiers have not recovered, so they should be easy prey." Santiano nodded slightly in agreement.
"We should be able to help with the PDF base, too. I know a commander that should give me a writ to force them to stand down for inspection. We'll just shoot anyone who refuses. Do you need transport to this undersea target? The depth suggests it might be challenging, heavy weapons will certainly be a no go." she checked a slate. "I have no idea what is there, however. We have no record of anything in that area, legitmiate or not."
Transport and a small force... whomever you can spare. Insertion and extraction.
If there are those who seek glory, they are welcome. But, whoever comes needs understand that they will take orders from us.
"Fast transport and choice troops. That's the idea."
"A small squad and a transport. I think we can supply those in a day or so. Is there anything else you will need?" The woman looked around the table.
"Armoured void suite and explosives. In case things get out of hand.
Oh and detox in case there's drugs, which there will be"
"Do you have access to an astropath. The scale and depth of the corruption is significantly greater than anticipated. Bringing one with us would have drawn undue attention."
The woman rubbed her mouth in consideration. "Void suits and an astropath are simple enough. We have our own ships, after all. I'm not sure if one can be sent to help you, although I certainly understand your wish - the Eldar are said to be witches of the highest order. De-Tox should be possible too, although only one each." She paused. "I'm not sure I would recommend explosives in such an environment, even with void suits."
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The meeting concluded, the acolytes went back to there lodging with a comm channel to commune with there new partners, so they could prepare.
A few hours later they recieve a message that the preparations are complete, and transport arrives at the nearest landing pad to the Hotel to take them to there vessel. The underwater vessel is the Chimera of the sea, by the look of it - a rounded prow and sides being the only real concession to the hydrodynamics that it needs to deal with and a heavy set of of impellers to the rear. It looks like it would probably survive swimming through lava, but it should get the job done. Just not with elegance.
A small squad of 10 soldiers with only small house patches on there armour to signify there allegiance. The lasguns they carry do not look at all like Munitorum standard, and there armour seems more than Flak as well. Each has a heavy helmet with a rebreather on or nearby. One with a small additional patch that probably denotes the squad's officer nods at the acolytes as they approach the submersible.
A set of small lockers by the troops hold the gear you asked for.
It was good to be back in his flak armour with a clear target to assault. He knew the situation would become complicated before too long. He expected to use his deathlight most often but the longlas might have moments to bring it to bear. His trusted sword at his hip would doubtless be drawn before it was done.
The seargent moved up to you all, and nodded respectfully. "Heard you're the folks we need to talk to about what we're doing. We've been told we're hunting xenos. We've fought Orcs and Genestealers before. Is it either of those before?"
"No. They're Eldar, not as fast as genestealer but still quite fast. They're nowhere near as a resilient as an ork but their weapons are more advanced. Some of their ranged weapons shoot thin spikes of crystal, they pack quite a punch." Lothar reveals some of the armour to reveal the wound at his shoulder.
"I didn't have my full combat gear at the time. They're nimble but focusing fire tends to put an end to them. Easier to put down than an ork if you can get a good hit. Like all xenos they are cowards by nature and will do their best to avoid your wrath."
"We did encounter one that was slippery, seemed to move about the shadows, have one or two focus lamp packs on it while the rest finish it off. It might be slippery but a few las bolts will finish it off."
"There might be some traitors working with them, show them no mercy."
"They're working with the knife ears. They don't deserve any mercy." His troops didn't seem to object, but it was noticeable they started rummaging for more light emitting devices before heading to the vessel.
The submersible was not the most elegant vessel, and the bulky ship slipped along the bottom with the occasional clunk! as the ocean's topography fails to withstand the hull.
It takes a couple of hours to reach the target, and the boat's slow approach along the bottom becomes even slower, more careful, trying to maintain as low a profile as possible. The reason becomes clear as the trooper navigating announced, "Target on viewer," and a image flickers into view on the screen.
Its clearly a ship, an elegant, sleek vessel whose lines seemed almost marred by the hook-like protrusion on the hull, yet even they seem to flow from the craft. It's nestled into the gap between large rocks, largely hidden from easy scans - passive scans wouldn't even notice it if they didn't know what to look for, and where. There seems to be some damage on the rear, but it's hard to make out from this angle.
The commander of the squad surveys the ship. "Explains why we didn't know of any facility here. Any idea about key points to strike? I'd hate to be on that thing if it can fly." One of his squad grunts agreement at that idea.
"They are xenos, cowards by nature they fear the wrath of the righteous. I've never fought this design but their vessels are frail in comparison to our own using foul technology to evade attacks rather than relying on armour to protect them. The damage to the rear might make it harder for them to use it normally."
"The damaged area might be an easier point of entry, I can widen any gaps with a krak grenade or two."
It's a smaller vessel, by starship standards - under a kilometer long. Lothar knows enough to know that the ship won't be crewed to Imperial standards, as the Eldar lacks humanity's numbers.
The squad leader looked at the vessel. "Well, the reason we're in this lump of a ship is she's a salvage tug. She can cut her way through the flimsy Xeno hull in under a minute, and create a breach for us to enter here. If we go for the damage section probably even less."
"Don't let the size fool you, Eldar vessels are sparsely populated compared to an Imperial ship. Unless anyone else has a clearer location to go for the breached section would be best both for speed and it's at one end of the vessel which should mean it will take longer for some of the crew to muster some kind of defence against us."
Can we use the rocks... a cave in? Wedge the damned thing?
And, an alternate interpretation - one end is damaged, that means the other end is fully operational. Perhaps we hurt them there, and cripple them completely.
As our ship makes a frontal assault, the boarding team breaches from what we presume is the damaged rear.
She wonders what those around her will think.
The scan moves to the rock. "High ferrite concentrations in the rocks. We could probably blast enough down to bury them, given enough time and explosives, but it'll take a lot of both. I don't think we can pull it off before they notice us, and that ship has to have some kind of point defences. As to a two-pronged assault, it has merit."
"Throwing them off balance could be of benefit. I'm not familiar with this vessels weapons load out but given the size of the xenos vessel it should not be underestimated."
"Perhaps I can be of some help. I can try to read the Emperors Tarot and divine his will in this situation, though I will require, him, to be far away from me" Lazerus says gesturing at Afan
"Do whatever you must, I will just be over here breathing." Afan smiled at the man, a dark hole in the very fabric of the universe only the witch could truly see.
We're blessed differently, God-Emperor's design... Come, let's give him some more space. Brother, Afan.
Jene takes on a protective mien, making eye contact with the troopers. Not a word...
Lazerus laid the tarot on the deck as the crew moved back, to give him word. Several made the sign of the Aquila before the deck, the symbol of the Emperor's guiding hand on His Imperium as the pschoactive crystal wafers were laid out. The cards were arranged, and Lazerus began.
The Harlequin was the first, but the image was different. Darker. It's armour a black-ish purple. Clearly, this one spoke of the tainted Eldar on the ship.
The Candle was the second. It clarified the Eldar's place - the engines.
The Dishonoured Scion was next, a surprise. Perhaps one of the noble fools the Eldar has lured into a partnership was present?
The Silver Door was fourth. An airlock, or choke point? Somewhere important, that was where the Scio was located.
The cards had spoken. The bulk of the Eldar crew were near the engines, trying to repair them most likely. Somewhere aboard was an imperial Lord, near a vital passage of some kind.
"The majority of the crew in near the engines making repair. There's a Imperial near a vital passage of some kind. Either way I think we should avoid the engines as our entry point. Maybe try near the front where the bridge should be"
"Thin their numbers before they rally then. This Imperial could be a prisoner or a traitor. Best to capture them alive in that case. Near the bridge sounds suitable."
"Do you want all of us at the bridge, or do you still want us to strike the engines?" the commander asked.
"I think it might be best if potentially ... heretical material is kept as far away from these armsmen as possible. The noble could complicate their loyalty. Best if they're sent towards more ideologically simple foes like the Eldar in the engines" Lazerus whispers to the rest of the squad
Waits and listens, knowing they will soon join battle.
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The leader of the little squad nodded, and relayed orders. The stout craft began to slide through the water towards the prow of the strnaded Eldar vessel, a sinister protrustion of overlappy but thin armour plates. "There, dead centre on the plate," the pilot murmured as the vessel drifted closer. "Auspex says the two below it meets there, so when we cut throught the top layer we punch directly in."
The ship latched on with a judder and immediately the sound of the arcane might of the Adpetus Mechanicus tearing through the Eldar armour began screaming below the deck. Over the the top the leader shouted, "Two minutes! After that we need to detach and head for the rear before they organize! No plug in the hole, so if you're still in that section make sure your breathers are on!"
A massive shud! sounded below the vessel and a small airlock opened down into the alien vessel.
Callidia checks her weapons one last time before dropping down into the vessel below them, searching for any threats.
Lothar had his photo contacts in and his rebreather in place. With the deathlight lasgun in hand he strode into the airlock with grim determination and recited the Warrior's Prayer of Battle clearly and with confidence.
"I offer my life to the Emperor, I pray that He accepts it.
I offer my strength to the Emperor, I pray that he redresses it.
I offer my blood to the Emperor, I pray that it quenches His thirst.
I offer my body on the altar of the battlefield, I pray He grants me a noble death.
I pray for His protection, as I offer all that I am."
May our actions and sacrifice be known. Or as we used to say and more simply... Ready or not... here we come!
"The Emperor be with you. 1.50!" The commander turns back to the cockpit and watches the instruments as you move into the corridor below.
The corridor is smooth, one piece, with no rivets or plates of any kind, giving it the feeling of charcoal coloured bones illuminated by strips of light, turning the dull grey into black shadow at various intervals. The corridor curved away in the shape of the hull, towards the bridge's most likely location and the other towards the middle.
Lothar kept his lamp pack off for now mounted off his shoulder... but had brought it in case one of the shadow bound ones was here. "Remember concentrate fire when we spot a target." He moved towards the bridge.
The acolytes began to hunt through the corridors of the ship, following the clearest path towards the bridge...
Lothar is confident he is moving in the right direction... but he might not be taking the best route.
Navigation is not one of Sister Doranis' strengths. She is well aware of this as memories of her embarassing performance at the Schola creep back into her thoughts. So she does now what she did then and whispers a prayer for the guidance of the Emperor that they will find where they need to be.
"Lets find the traitor noble first"
The Furies: The Psyker is thrown to the ground by unseen hands and thrashes about for a few moments as
winds howl about within metres of him, lifting up light objects and forcing those in the area to make
Agility Tests or be blown down.
Vasyl takes note of every movement as he screws the silencer onto the muzzle of his Orthlack, then of reloading his Armageddon. The hiver does not bother to change out of his current clothing and cloak. He feels the weight of his bolo blade, hidden away, and his medicae kit, obvious and easily accessed by others.
The options are ready.
As Vasyl continues to check over his gear, he listens to Lothar addressing the house troops.
Good. They shouldn't crack too easily.
He checks his phot contacts then affixes his gas mask to his face.
Let's see how this goes.
********************************
Vasyl steps into the strangely slick corridors, Armageddon out and ready for brutal room clearance duty-
-then invisible hands claw at him, knocking him to the ground!
Damn.
The winds howled through the corridor, forcing the acolytes to scatter for what meager cover the corridor can provide. The winds gather what they can from the walls - small plates that fit seamlessly with the walls were torn away, lighting strips pulled by gasping telekentic winds and the like - and formed an arrow pointing down one corridor. It was clearly away from the bridge, which Callidia felt quite certain was down the corridor you were following.