"Brother Solar, there is nothing more we can do here. We must proceed with haste to the crash site."
"Very well. Brothers let us move on."
"What is our new destination, Brother Solar?
"The crash site as Brother Calculus suggests"
As Kill-team Vindicta gains their tactical spacing moving away from the Security Bunker. The keen senses of the Marines recognize the jagged scar the crash has left the scorched black earth. The once mighty machine, the spear shaped Kestrel class interplanetary lighter lies shattered against a bank of earth. Despite the ruin of the wreckage, its is apparent that this ships reactor and fuel lines did not rupture on impact for otherwise there would be nothing left here but a glowing crater. The door in the rear armored prow compartment hang open where their emergency explosive bolts have been loosed for the occupants to escape, but there is no sign of them or any other life.
Raziel did not hang back and instead hurried towards the inert hulk, stepping through the open door into the prow compartment.
Quintus followed the Blood Angel, his bolter at the ready.
Inside the wreckage, your search reveals that four crewman, including the pilot, died on impact, their bodies left where they died. Several servitors were also either pulverized or shredded in the central hold as the shuttle started to come apart. In the control compartment, various post crash modifications have been made to the shuttle's broadcast vox system.
Raziel looked around. "This does not appear to be standard. Brother Calculus, I believe you will wish to see this," he said. He searched for a way further into the wreckage.
"I believe that the magos made these modifications. But for what purpose?"
After studying the rig, Brother Calculus has determined that it has been excellently repurposed to boost its signal strength, and properly anointed with the rites of extreme unction of the Cult of Mechanicus. It is doubtlessly the source of Magos Vyakai's last transmission, an act that appears to have irretrievably burned it out in the process. Strangely enough the power on board the wreck was properly shut down before it was abandoned.
"The magos was here. Can anyone see any tracks?
Brother Solar will search the rest of the ship quickly.
Then organise site security, making sure no-one is standing out in the open and we have eyes on all aproaches.
Interesting work here... his eyes gaze over the interior of the ship, he looks out from the cockpit to see what the magos would have seen from there and any other view points.Perhaps he would take shelter in the building that is closest and most defensible that he could see from here?
"We know the magos was reciently in the main refining facility. Perhaps he is still there. Without further information, I believe we chould search there next." Solar responds to the Salamander
"Borthers Lanius, Raziel do you wish to sweep the structure to the south while we finish up here, and meet us on route to the refinery. We should be able to cover you from here with our bolters."
Lanius was still absorbing Quintus's advice as Brother Solar's suggestion came through. He paused to point out the correct tracks for his brethren, and made sure they could follow the logic behind it.
Then he looked south, towards the other structure and east to the coms uplink, which supposedly had a pair of servitors guarding it.
"Need a defensible extraction point."
"Why, Brother Lanius? What have you found?" Calculus sends over the vox.
After adjusting the filters of his auspex, Brother Calculus manages to detect trace of amount of augmented bio matter trailing away from the wreckage.
"I have his spoor."
Calculus follows the direction of the flow of bio matter leading away from the wreckage.
Raziel nodded to Solar's orders and as soon as he was clear of the wreckage, engaged his jump pack to fly to the southern structure.
Brother Quintus's keen eye pick up the trail of the Magos and surviving members of the shuttle craft. The trail leads away from the craft to a gathering of boulders. Amidst the rocks, there are signs of an ambush. There you discover the still sparking and juddering body of a combat servitor, two dead naval crewman, and a shattered servo-skull. There are also two bodies of dead hormagaunts, one turned partly to fused ash from a melta blast. There is no sign of the Magos. A few drip-splatter of blackish blood lead away from the fight, but soon stop.
Raziel reached the southern structure and began to sweep it, his bolt pistol and chainsword ready.
You manage to draw the sound clip of the last few seconds of an apparent ambush. The death screams of the navalmen, the vicious snarls of the Gaunts, and the rushing wave of a melta are the only recognizable sounds.
"This servitor's systems are too far gone. There are no residual data that can be accessed."
[ooc]I'm confused. Do I need to roll a second Tracking test?
As Brother Raziel's boots touch the ground after his short hop, he begins to search the blazing ruin of the Secondary Refining Facility. The great wreck of the complex is engulfed an inferno. Scattered around the area are the bodies of Imperial citizens who fled for their lives. The ferocity of their assailants, exceeds that which the Marine has seen so far. There is also the tell-tale signs of both Gaunts and something much larger. However, there appears to be no sign of the Magos or his datacore.
After some thought, Raziel determines that the driving beast of the Gaunt horde was most likely a designation: "Warrior" breed of Tyranid. However something seemed different about this encounter. The damage done to both the bodies and the structure alludes to a more advanced form...
Both of the Battle Brothers searching the dying trail of the Magos, find nothing. The trail has seemed to have gone cold. From what you can determine Marines, is that the Magos most like found the most sheltered and secure spot. You quickly narrow that down to either the Workers' Bunkhouse or the Central Control.
Most of this world is already in ruins. I can understand now why this enemy is named the great Devourer.
Brother Lanius took up positions once again on the flank, and started heading towards the bunkhouse, slipping into the shadows. There were still uncleared positions behind him, which bothered him no end, but this was a mission on the clock- perfect sweeping techniques could wait.