Though the distance is short, Erkan takes aim through his red dot scope on the horrific monstrosity before him. "The Emperor is my strength, with his blessing I shall not falter."
Letting his breath escape his lungs, Erkan firmly squeezes the trigger.
Filled with righteous fury at his own weakness Praetus leaps at his foe, pushing off with his good knee, with no regard for his own safety.
The blade slashes at the torso
Damage 16 Pen2
'Honour the craft of death, Only the Emperor is higher in our devotion'
Heironymous attempts to blast at the Traitor Marine once more, emitting a metallic scream as he pulls the trigger.
With it's armour breached by the skilled blade of Praetus and the Krak grenade, the towering giant could not defend again the assault from the acoyltes combined might. The monster was cut through the middle, many of the rounds bouncing off the rear of the tormented armour and deflected back into its own corpse to wreak further havok.
With a burbling noise the creature murmured, "Ex...quis...ite..." and cocked its weapon again, the damaged bolter shell ejecting as it raised the gun. For a moment the finger tightened on the trigger...but the creature's arm wavered, then dropped. Its already cloudly eyes drooped and theb thing slumped to one side, apparently dead on its feet.
Not buying it.
Not yet moving from cover, Vasyl aims for the things' head and squeezes the trigger.
The corpse fell as the shot rang out, and didn't move.
That's more like it.
"Okay, I'm *pretty* sure that's dead now.", Vasyl says, stepping out of cover with his Armageddon. He moves up to one side of the door to the east.
He gestures to the door.
Praetus quickly moves to clean his blade lest the traitors blood etch the blade. Once his weapon is clean he begins to wrap his injured knee.
He looks at the fallen bolter for a time until Vasyl speaks, he stands moves to the door and looks to Brother Vaughan for guidance.
Heironymous checks the fallen servitors for any useful weaponry or supplies before moving to the next door as well.
The only weapon that could be salvaged - with some work - is a massive two handed power axe.
The door to the East is marked 'Armoury'. There is a complicated locking mechanism, which has been entirely torn out. It looks like the door will swing open at a touch.
Erkan looks down at the corpse of the fallen marine. It would be an impressive sight, were it not for the horror of its physical corruption and the truth of its eternal betrayal. This was the great folly of Man, to be enticed by Chaos...
Erkan hit his mag release, and traded out the hotshot pack for the overcharge pack he had previously had in the longlas.
"The Emperor, blessed be His name, has deemed us strong enough to face this traitor and end its blasphemous existence. Now, we need to push forward. Brother Magos, what is it we seek for you to reestablish control of the equipment of this facility? We could certainly check this this armoury, but it could easily be a distraction from our actual task. What say you, priest of Mars?"
Suddenly noticing the great deal of blood issuing forth from Praetus' wounds, Erkan grabs him and helps him over to the wall. Looking to the others, "is anyone capable of offering some treatment to Brother Kytos' extensive wounds?"
Damn. That's a big gash.
Vasyl shakes his head.
"Not for that much rupture. We need to press on to the reactor and soon."
"That is a no on the treatment side of things. Just let me think a moment as to what our next step must be, while you deal with his wounds as best you can."
You probably have time to check the armoury. Without a lock it won't take long to check.
The armoury isn't that big.
With this realisation, Vasyl smoothly moves into the armoury and begins searching it for retrievable gear.
Better quality loot than home I hope.
After checking his leg Praetus stands and says "The bleeding is superficial, and nothing is broken, I am ready to continue in His Name"
He steps into the armoury looking for any blades
The armoury was partially emptied in the Skitari's rush to arm themselves, but there were a few items of note remaining. Most of them seemed to be personal projects of the staff members that were either being built or modified, but they would serve.
- A Fury Laspistol
- A Good Quality Long Las with Ammo Selector
- A Mono Bastard Sword
- A Carapace Armour Helmet
- A Compact Assault Lasgun
- A Carnadon Pistol
Unfortunately, the stock of heavier armaments was mostly emptied, including the grenades.
Still, there were two other unusual items of note. One was a disposable Missle Launcher loaded with a Krak missle. The second was a strange set of armour that appeared to made of highly polished bones. Lumiem markings ran across the surface in finie, intricate writtings.
Erkan looks around the armoury, taking stock of the several items remaining. He turns to the others, scanning the lot.
"Magos Bahrenfahrer, these are the halls of your people, and it would be only fitting for you to take the first armament. Might I recommend this assault lasgun, it would allow you to lay down heavy fire in a rather light frame, and not be as unwieldy or troubling as that shotgun appears in your hands. Likewise, that helmet should help to keep your keen mind safely on your shoulders."
Having noticed the many blades, and total lack of firearms in Praetus' possessions, Erkan holds aloft for him the hefty hand and a half sword. "Master Kyros, a mighty blade is sharpest in devout hands."
He turns next to the street tough Zima, lifting the expertly crafted Carnadon heavy pistol and racking its slide. "An exquisite piece, with decidedly more punch than that autopistol you have. Put it to good use."
Corporal Von Bismarck, have you need for a newer longlas? The adapted mag ports would allow multiple different charge packs to be pre-loaded. Also, have you any skill with a tredd-fether such as this?" He holds aloft the single use missile launcher. "My training never delved into such things, though I would be loathe to leave behind such a potentially mighty tool... the Emperor, blessed be His name, clearly placed this here for a reason."
"Arbite Laedram, you had mentioned before difficulty with that laspistol. Sadly, there is little here I think you would be skilled in the use of."
Turning back to the techpriest, "Magos, can you make any sense of this armour? It appears to be made of some kind... of bone?"
Vasyl picks up the Carnodon, tests its weight, nods to Erkan, and stows it in his many folds and pockets.
Good gun.
"Lothar is probably best suited to using that missle chucker."
Vasyl glances over the bone armour.
Strange. Was it left here by the enemy?
"That armour seems odd to be in a reactor shrine armoury. Is it something left by the enemy?"
Heironymous accepts the lasgun and passes off the shotgun to anyone who wants it. "A valid assessment Brother."
The lumien writing on the armour seems to tell a story, if anyone wishes to read it.
Soon after, the creature stopped appearing. Generations passed, and an Imperial Guard unit recruiting on the world picked up a distress call, and investigated. They found the layer of the beast, with the creature inside, now long dead. The Marine, now little more than a mummy, still held its neck in a death grip.
Such an act of valour and revenge was worthy of remembering. The bones of the Marine were laid to the rest, where as the creatures bones were forged into a sword and armour, blessed by the Temples. How it ended up here remains a mystery.
Seeing that there is luminous writing on the armour, Vasyl reads it swiftly.
Worth retrieving.
"The armour was made to honour a loyal space marine, from the bones of the xenos he slew. It looks blessed, surely worth saving by the Inquisition."
As he speaks, he looks towards Erkan.
Erkan kneels down beside Vasyl and reads the inscribed words as well. At Vasyl's statement, he looks at him, a mixture of surprise and reverence on his face. "Indeed, this is a hallowed relic, honoring the heroic sacrifice of one of the righteous Adeptus Astartes. It most definitely shall be preserved, and delivered unto either the Astartes chapter of the fallen brother, or the Ecclesiarchy for proper reverence."
Erkan collects the pieces of the bone armour, carefully wrapping them in cloth, then stows them in his pack.
"Corporal Von Bismarck, Master Kyros, you have both gotten quite silent. Are these armaments not acceptable to you? I had planned to take this laspistol as backup, should the sustained nature of this conflict deplete me of my solid rounds for my stub pistol. But if it would be preferred by one of you, I am more than open to that."
Praetus looks away from the writing describing a sword forges from the bones of a xenos, in the name of the emperor. He walks over to the weapon rack and hefts the bastard sword, 'Too long, too heavy'
He returns the blade to the rack. "I will stick with the tools I have, they have served me well" He looks at the script one more time before Erkan finishes wrapping them.
"I'll admit I have not had the formal training but I've seen them in operation many times, with the Emperor's blessings I can get the hang of it before long. As for the longlas I would gladly wield it. I would think it wise for you to take the laspistol."
He turns to Bahrenfahrer "I would request you transfer the laser sight from my current one to this one."
No time to waste.
"Let's do this!"
Heironymous entreats the machine spirits as he transfers the sight from Lothar's old las to his new one, then follows Zima forward to the next step of their mission.
Rearmed with some interesting equipment, the Acolytes returned to the room with the displays without troubles. From the display, nothing had changed as yet. Or at least, not by much. The atmospheric processor was working harder, now.
"We should press on to the reactor once more now?" Lothar looks towards Erkan and Bahrenfahrer.
Erkan nods in agreement with Von Bismarck. "Magos Bahrenfahrer, we are at your disposal. Lead on, for only you have the ultimate gifts to save the city in its hour of need."
The eastern corridor doors opened to a long corridor, glass lined cases on either side displaying items sacred to the mechanicus. The door at the end was closed.
Looking from door to tech-priest, Vasyl asks:
"Hier, can you get that open?"
If not, I have a few tricks in mind.
Lothar raises an eyebrow and gives Vasyl a disapproving look. "Speak to the Techpriest with respect, we do not wish to offend the machine spirits, especially at a time like this."
Heironymous hefts his new lasgun and tries the door.
Heironymous says "Be prepared men of the Imperium, I know not what foul heretics await us." before opening the door and looking down his sights into the next room.
"Give me some time, I will attempt to placate the machine spirits."
Vasyl nods at Lothar.
No need to unnecessarily aggravate, not now.
"Tech-priest, I offer my assistance if technomat or rites of opening are required."
The door beeped. Security System is in effect. Verify identity of suffer the Omnissiah's wrath. Metal shutters rolled down across the artefact cases.
This is a problem.
"What do we do now, tech-priest?"
Vasyl asks with sincerity.
Heironymous clearly states his name and identification number "Heironymous Bahrenfahrer X7-23672B-Alpha" and pulls his identification dataslate from somewhere within his metal carapace.
Lothar doesn't say a word but the look he gives Vasyl says it all.
"Confirmed. 01001000 01100001 01101001 01101100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01001111 01101101 01101001 01101110 01110011 01110011 01101001 01100001 01101000 00100111 01110011 00100000 01010111 01101111 01110010 01101011 01110011." The door clicked and slid slowly open.
The edge of Vasyl's lips curl upwards in a slight smile, as he begins to move forward, Armageddon raised to face anything in front of him.
Praetus moves forward, crouched with his sword held close to his body.
The room beyond seemed to be a control room, with a heavy glass wall dominating one entire wall. A number of lecturns stood, although most had been damaged, there Tech-Priest attendants slumped beside them. Beyond was the chamber containing the atmospheric processor. Figures moved around the base.
Vasyl puts a finger to his lips, then points to the left hand side, and makes a walking motion with his fingers.
He then tries to move quietly along the left hand side of the room, using the equipment as concealment and cover where possible.
Lothar readies his longlas but knows he will not be able to move forward quietly so lets Praetus and Vasyl scout out threats in advance of himself and the others.
Following Lothar's lead, Erkan draws down his longlas, taking aim at one of the figures milling about the control chamber while providing cover for his allies scouting ahead.