[/ooc]1dos right? I am rather rusty! Prepare to Repel Borders! +15 to any opposed command tests I have to make against enemy boarders [/ooc]
Issuing a string of orders into his vox unit Pyros stands the ship's armsmen to arms, posting them to prearranged areas of the ship and listening to reports coming back.
With the ship on full alert and battle ready you do detect a a faint hint of a ship, most likely running silently and within weapons range. It could have fired on you but it didn't. Ulrichs keen perception saved you from any possible surprises. You receive a Vox transmission confirming its the Dark Tide with instructions to rendezvous and begin transfer of personnel and equipment.
As soon as the Dark Tide's identity is confirmed, Valens begins directing orders to his subordinates. All enginarium staff bound for the Dark Tide will be ready, like a well-oiled mechanism.
+++Message received Dark Tide. Proceeding to rendezvous co-ordinates now. Emperor guide you,+++ Lucian transmits. "Helm, lay in a course for the rendezvous. Officer of the deck, prepare flight decks for cargo transfer," he calls out, confident in his abilities to manage the ship. He turns to Ulrich, concerned about remaining stationary while the shuttles and lighters start to move between the ships.
"Brother Hammern, I want your augury crews to remain vigilant while we're transferring. We'll be vulnerable, as will the Dark Tide, and I don't want us caught unawares if something arrives in-system."
"Course is set, Captain Vartas."
Activating the vox bead of his armour, he switches channel to that of the hangar crew - while gently changing course of the massive void ship.
"Master Holgarth, prepare the Thunderhawk 'Dark Rapier' for take-off.
I will pilot it personally."
+++Message received Dark Tide. Proceeding to rendezvous co-ordinates now. Emperor guide you,+++ Lucian transmits. "Helm, lay in a course for the rendezvous. Officer of the deck, prepare flight decks for cargo transfer," he calls out, confident in his abilities to manage the ship. He turns to Ulrich, concerned about remaining stationary while the shuttles and lighters start to move between the ships.
"Brother Hammern, I want your augury crews to remain vigilant while we're transferring. We'll be vulnerable, as will the Dark Tide, and I don't want us caught unawares if something arrives in-system."
"We will stand watch over the transfer. No threat will approach undetected, Brother Vartas."
"The transfer will proceed with maximum efficiency, Brother Vartas.", Valens adds solemnly.
As the two ships meet and transfer begins the command staff wishes you all farewell and congratulates you on a job well done. The transfer takes a day and it's uneventful, with the kill team the last to depart on their personnel Thunder hawk the Dark Rapier. As you finally get a first hand view of the Dark Tide is magnificent and underwhelming, the larger ship with hidden bays and weapon systems looks much non threatening than you know it to be... Atleast according to the specs you've researched.
Upon docking it is a busy scene of men and servitors hard at work organizing and directing new crew and supplies. One thing that was not given was a layout of the internals, the security clearance too high for anyone not aboard.
As you exit you are greeted by a large Black shield Marine clad in terminator armor and a power flail hanging by his side. He welcomed you aboard and strangely salutes you and recognizes you instantly as equals. He nods to a subordinate accompanying him and the team receives a transmission with access codes and are handed dataslates containing a detailed layout of the ship interior, which is confusing to say the least once you have a chance to look at it and decipher the mazes of the the ships interior.
I am Knight Warden Alric. Welcome aboard brothers. We are to rendezvous at Watch Station Sigma and meet Inquisitor Ramseus, she is urgently awaiting our arrival... Shall we head to the bridge and prepare for departure? The command staff and navigators are awaiting your instruction. The ship is yours.
Returning Alric's salute, Pyros is quick to speak. "Greetings Knight Warden, I am Brother Pyros, although I am guessing you have already been briefed about us all. It will be good to finally assume the roles we have been training for, so please lead on, we can study the ship once we have met it's lead officers."
Valens looks at the figure appraisingly.
While Pyros speaks, he uses his internal auger array to examine the Knight-Warden and his armour, using his MIU to continually fine-tune the more exotic functions of the cybernetic.
After Pyros, he speaks himself.
"Brother Knight-Warden. I am Valens Kovac. I would ascertain the state of the Dark Tide's machine spirits and attending personnel as soon as possible."
Alric greets Brother Pyros in a different manner, imperceptible to the others, as a fellow Dead Station Vigilant. While you have not met personally, you have heard his name mentioned.
Earlier
During the thunderhawk flight over to the Dark Tide, Valens has both time and opportunity to closely examine all of his killteam brothers. And then he sees something that definitely catches his interest.
Without changing his tone of voice, he turns his head to face Xing.
"Brother-Librarian Xing, has the killteam retrieved any items from potentially corrupted sources?"
Xing and Valens had not much contact on route to the dark tide and was unsure of the sudden questioning directed at him. I am sure we have all retrieved potentially corrupted items in our service to the Emporer... I myself have come across a great number, as I am sure you have, given your particular specialty.
[b] Later onboard Dark Tide[\b]
Xing emerges with the squad and greets the Knight Warden,admiring his humbleness and the respect he shows to the kill team. While his black shield armor is intriguing, he pays it no more thought and sets his mind to learning more about the ship and the people he will be working with.
Ulrich removes his helmet as he steps onto the Dark Tide, having worn it while crossing the void as he always does. He tucks it under his arm and accepts the data slate. His manner is, as usual, more reserved than the typical Space Wolf. He returns the salute with few words, "Knight-Warden, greetings."
5dos
Recognising the simple differences in greeting, Pyros returns it with the appropriate subtleties of gesture. His mind flickers back through all his memories, before grasping firmly onto the files he had read with Knight Warden Alric featuring in them.
Maxim moves in slowly behind his companions, that last of the kill-team to step out into the Dark Tide. His eyes rapidly scan the hold around him, ending on the brother adorned in Terminator armour before them. It was an impressive sight to behold, one he still was getting used to in his years with the Deathwatch. Knight Warden Alric, you do us a great honour with your presence. I am Talon Brother Maxim Ashvayne. If we are expected on the bridge, then let us not tarry any longer."
Earlier
Valens maintains his tone of voice and gaze.
"Certainly. I have trained extensively in how to detect them, understand them, and normally destroy or contain them."
Now
Valens speaks again to Alric:
"Knight-Warden, please lead us to the bridge with alacrity."
Powering down the Dark Rapier and dutifully performing the after-flight checks, Chaplain Deleos follows a few moment behind Maxim.
The ferocious machine spirit of his armour emits a low, feral moaning as it scans the black shield terminator before the Blood Angel.
Another Brother who lost everything - and continues his duty despite.
A simple nod, the sign of the Aquila and the warriors grasp is enough for the Chaplain to greet the black shield.
He knows full well, that the brother marine would eventually find his way to the Chaplain in personal matters of faith and soul.
Then would be enough time to get the other known better.
Lucian steps up to greet Alric, holding out his hand towards the towering figure in Terminator Armour. "Greetings Brother. I am Lucian Vartas, and it seems that I am the new commander of this vessel." He takes the proffered dataslate and peruses the schematics quickly, starting to assimilate the layout and capabilities of the Dark Tide with speed.
"As my brothers say, please lead us to the bridge. We don't want to keep the inquisitor waiting."
Alric guides the team to the bridge, leading and twisting through the maze like corridors of the ship. There are more servitors aboard than your previous ship.
Arriving at the bridge, its a master piece in itself to behold, The stations more ancient than anything you've witnessed yet, with wires and chords running everywhere, its obvious some things are still being finished, with tech priests working diligently and so focused they hardly notice the team entering the bridge.
Senior officers stand to salute and inteuduce themselves, offering to guide you in the transition to your leadership roles aboard, nothing but sincerity, sincerity, and respect.
A larger figure approaches, head partially covered, hiding his 3rd eye, the navigator of the ship.
Welcome, the Dark Tide is still under renovations, but shes ready, even if it's not as beautiful as you'd imagined... I am Navigator Tommaz... Unfortunately the arrival of your ship is later than I had hoped for, our course will carry us close to a warp storm, but I do not fear or doubt my ability to navigate... Though it is not my decision, I must inform you that we can go around it and avoid any additional risk of warp travel, but not without adding substantial travel time.. Possibly months by my estimates, but difficult to accurately determine givem the nature of of the immaterium.
Lucian nods in greeting at the Navigator, but refrains from offering his hand knowing how many of his breed are wary or disdainful of physical contact.
"Tell me more of this warp storm. How close might we have to pass it and what dangers might it present?"
Valens is quite good at not expressing emotion, but internally he does feel excitement and not a little reverence at the sheer antiquity of the technology available.
He offers the precise amount of respect owed to each officer according to their rank, station, and obvious accolades.
"Greetings, Navigator Tommaz. The Dark Tide clearly contains technology of great provenance, and I would examine it all more closely for greater utility. Given your expertise on the matter, what are the risks of nearing the warp storm compared to the additional time spent lingering in the warp on a longer journey?"
Ulrich steps into the etherics command station to begin familiarizing himself with it and with his immediate subordinates. He does spare a nod of respect to the Navigator, but unless he is addressed directly, he keeps his attention on his station.
It could be that our journey is unaffected by the storm, it could be possible to ride the edges and hasten our journey... But their is always an inherent risk to warp travel that that is slightly elevated and we could be thrown off course, pulled out of the warp, or still arrive later than anticipated... I believe the ship can handle it and I'm confident in my sight.
There are no Crusade veterans that you recognize on the bridge and no one of great renown that you might have heard of. But you have only encountered a small percentage of the crew and their might be someone yet that you are familiar with Valens.
"Then I defer to your expertise Navigator," Lucian says, confident in Tommaz's assessment of the risks posed by the warp storm. "Our mission is critical so if you believe that the dangers posed by our proximity to the warp storm can be managed by your skills and the quality of this vessel then I would rather chart that course than waste time going around it."
At the navigator's reply, Valens says to Tommaz:
"And I will defer to the judgement of Brother-Keeper Vartas. May the Emperor guide you effectively."
He then seeks his station and his direct subordinates. If that is on the bridge, he will remain. If it is in the enginarium or elsewhere, he will depart.
The navigator make appropriate adjustments and informs the crew with the ship entering the warp as soon as all is transported.
1100 = 1100
1100 = 1100
1100 = 1100
1100 = 1100
Deleos works concentrated en lieu with the Navigator to maneuver the huge vessel to the exact right entry point - at the right angle and relative speed.
The controll station feels different than the previous ones and they take up all of his attention.