"I'm sorry, but this bolter has had it, I'd need tools and some replacement parts to fix it up again.
We'll have to wait until we are either back at base, or see if we can swipe some parts somewhere."
Jermaie takes back the broken bolter and nods his thanks to Cormaeg. "Don' worry 'bout it. Was a hunk of junk anyways.
Jermaie then gratefully accepts Cort's boltgun. HE finally cracks a smile. "Thanks, mate. Can't say how much I 'preciate it. I'll do my best not to get this one wrecked again."
Jermaie then engrosses himself in removing his red-dot sight from his old bolter and putting it on Cort's, fine-tuning the sites to his liking as well while Erik plunges the truck further into the dark jungle.
Survival {48 = 48 perception}: 1d100 ⇒ 39
Wikvaya directs Eirik do drive routes most lightly to find them a cave system. The vehicle, even in it's poor state or repair is well able for off road conditions. It takes just over 4 hours to find a cave large enough to hide the vehicle.
As the squad continues, Garion attempts to rest whilst conversing in hushed tones with Wikavya regarding the Xenos they just saw. Though the man seems to know much, perhaps even too much, Garion does not mention it, merely consulting and combining their info to attempt to gather what facts they can regarding this unknown enemy.
2 Degrees of Success.
"Ugh...crashing from a combat high, not a good thing, especially not since we didn't manage to sleep all that much.
My head is throbbing and I got a metallic taste in my mouth.
Is this normal?
...
...
I wish we could have made them pay more for what they did..."
"Yeah," Jermaie says to Cormaeg, dismounting from the truck. "So do I."
Jermaie takes his borrowed bolter and scouts the surrounding area, looking to get a lay of the land as well as searching for clues of any enemies or inimical wildlife nearby.
Cort will stop and set up next to Harmon as he gets some needed rest.
Of all the major alien Races of the Galaxy, the Enigmatic Eldar are the most alike to humans in physical terms. They are a pirate race, preying on the weak and helpless they positively delight in causing needless pain.
Eldar are sly and cunning beyond measure, but frail of body and mind. The brittleness of their bodies will allow you to break them with a few swipes of your lasgun. The weakness of their minds will cause them to often break and run after suffering a single casualty.
Eldar are most dangerous when they have the element of surprise, for without it they cannot hope to triumph over the righteous. Therefore troopers should remain ever vigilant. Neglecting patrol duties, failing to post sentries, forgetting prayers, and other such moral failings can allow the cowardly xenos to extend their vile influence.
Jermaie will find the region to be harsh and mountainous. A wicked cold wind is constantly blowing. Plant life is rare and animal life is even rarer. Hunting food here will be tough, and it is a long trek to the nearest forrest
"We're resting," Wikvaya says, his tone brooking no arguments. "We have enough supplies to last us until we are all healed."
"I am all for resting, as long as we have the time.
I don't fancy standing in front of a firing squad at the end of all this."
Cormaeg shakes his head and sighs, deeply exhausted from todays events.
As he rubs his temples to try and ease the headache pounding his brain, he reflects that it was so much easier being just a hunter.
Not much for Cort to do, other than keep watch and practice with his bow. Well that and brood.
Jermaie, for the most part, remains darkly quiet. He rarely speaks except to answer questions and follow orders. He allows Wikvaya to heal him but insists he was the least injured (even if this was not the case) and that he should have his wounds looked to last.
He spends the week hunting what little game he can find in the nearby forrest. He's normally the first to participate in watch duty, using stimm if he has to to prevent falling asleep on watch again.
Jermaie's attempts at finding any game, however, are fruitless.
At the end of the week, if Garion's feeling better, Jermaie goes to see him. He sits down next to the injured man, looking dour. He drops he borrowed boltgun and sword at the tent's entrance.
"If you're gonna execute me, jus' do it," he says. "I can't hold it against ya', not really. I know it's what ya do and I failed. Back on Heghland, when I was with me company of freeriders, we tried ta stick to a kind of code. Ya' protect your brothers and ya' protect ya' sisters. You do at or ya die trying. None of us who survived felt like we betrayed 'em, except I did."
"I fell asleep on watch. I used this damn machine!" He throws his commbead on the ground at his feat. "And I got Narine and the others killed. It's what you commissars do. You execute the unfaithful to the Emperor. You execute the unworthy and the coward. And you execute the failures. So enough waiting. Jus' do it."
When Eirik finishes repairing the vehicle, after 3 days in the cave, it very much looks like it has been patched together but it runs smoothly.
Wikvaya spends all his time treating the wounded.
If he fails, none of his patients improve beyond their natural rate of healing. Further, he must choose a number of patients under his care equal to his Degrees of Failure, starting with the most gravely injured (first from among those who are Critically Damaged, then those who are Heavily Damaged, and then finally those who are only Lightly Damaged). Each of these patients must make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or suffer one point of Damage per Degree of Failure, not reduced my Armour or Toughness. If this results in any Critical Damage, the patient dies.
Garion spends the week recovering, but once his strength is back, he gladly takes shifts at the watch. He also shares what he knows about the Eldar with the squad, and works to keep morale up, focusing on the positive side of things. When Jermaie comes and speaks with him...
Garion looks at Jermaie, his face an impassive mask as the man speaks. Finally, when he finishes, Garion looks down upon the weaponry, then picks up the sword, idly examining it as he responds. As he talks, his face goes from impassive to a more compassionate, almost fatherly look. It shows caring, concern, and perhaps most bewildering of all to Jermaie, pride.
Reaching out, he takes Jermaie by the shoulder, making sure he has the mans full attention as he speaks.
Jermaie...you say that you and yours had a code, a sworn oath to protect each other. Here too, united under the Emperor, Brothers in his grand Guard, do we swear to protect each other. You claim that you failed in your duties, and as such, it is my duty to end your life. I say that there was no failure, and in fact, you did more than can be expected from most men.
We were ambushed, by the vile and cunning Eldar. Frail, weakminded creatures, but vicious and cruel. They knew they stood no chance against the Warriors of the Imperium. They knew in a fair fight, they would be crushed beneath your blade, spitted upon your righteous anger! They knew that Jermaie Dael, my Brother, would crush their Xenos filth beneath his boot! So, what did they do? They used trickery and foul xenos tech to lull you to sleep, to catch us off guard. You did not fail, for what could you have done? We had no way of knowing foul Xenos were awaiting us in these forest, and nothing could have prepared you for your first encounter with them.
I remember my first battle against Xenos. I watched men tremble and quake in fear as I attempted to rally the line. I watched brave and noble men succumb to terror and flee! But you, my brother, did not flee. You did not give in! Using that combead may have given you the briefest of hints that something was wrong, and you did not turn away, but rose to the challenge! When the Xenos attacked, did you quake and tremble? NO! You stood your ground, mastered your fear, and even saved my life Jermaie. No, there is no failure here. You rose above and beyond what most men would have done in this situation, and I would in fact commend you. Your quickness to act not only saved my life, it could have perhaps even saved the Squads. I am proud, my friend, to call you Brother. Now take up your arms, Warrior of the Emperor! You have done no wrong this day. We will mourn for our fallen when the mission is done, but for now their is Righteous Anger and Wrathful Justice to be visited upon the Enemies of Him on Earth, who now may be trafficking with the Foul Xenos! Take your grief, and turn it into a Blade of Hatred, and let us together, you and I, wield it against those who would dare to stand against Brothers in the Emperor's Name!
Jermaie sits enraptured by the Commissar's words, bathing in them like a cleansing rain shower. Jermaie's mood, soured earlier at what he thought were his own personal failures and belief in his imminent execution after the Commissar's survival become alleviated and lightened. A smile, that like the old Jermaie's, even begins to crease his lips.
He lets the Garion finish to the end of his speech. "Ya know," Jermaie says as he stands up, propping himself up on his sword and then holding it pommel first, towards the ground. "Were ya born on Heghland, if ye' were a man of the Craglands, I'd have given up evr'thin' to follow a man like ya.' The Imerium, 'course they 'ave my oath, and one I don' intend to be breaking anytime soon. But it's because of ya', Lord, ya' and the rest of our present comp'ny that I'd never hesitate to lay me life down for ya'. There's that, no formal ceremony. You 'ave the oath of Jermaie, one of few men to get ambushed by the great Dael and yet live to tell the whole sodding tale. Me life for yours, and for the Imperium of man." With that, Jermaie walks off to go about his other duties.
...
When discussing their strategy of how they might go about assaulting the enemy base. "Wha' I think we need, Lords, is some kind of distraction. We may not have enough uniforms. Fine. The smartest of us can get in there and fake their disguises. We scout the place out and I go and find out some way to create a coupa' problems on the other side of the base. Makes security lack on your side as they go to try and fix the problem and gets the rest of us inside easy enough. What's more, we don't make this look some kind of battle, maybe a fire or somethin'. Before they figure anythin's amiss, the rest of us have started raising hell. You lot start making a ruckess and the rest of us start some more noise on the otha' side. Keep 'em confused, ya' know. Kill the bastard general and we steal anotha truck and make it outa thar in style."
Jermaie shrugs. "Jus' an idea, Lords. Distraction. That's how you fight a Dael, you know? Lure it to one side and another. Never let the bastards see from which direction ya' comin'."
Jermaie speaks truthfully, not all of us will be able to use subterfuge to make our way inside. Unfortunately, we need more info about this compound to truly know how to proceed. We need to continue north, and when we get closer, make our way on foot and scout out the premises first. It would be folly to simply drive up and hope we can talk our way past all of them. And let us not forget, our primary goal is to take the General alive, if at all possible.
I am skilled in dealing with others, and believe I should accompany the team that enters the compound. As Jermaie said, the others should create a distraction and prepare an escape. Any other thoughts?
On the morning of the 4th day you all feel the ground start to rumble. You hear the sound of hundreds of vehicles and thousands of marching feet.
wow even Cort is paying attention this morning
Jermaie, Cort and Wikvaya notice that there is also the sound of humming coming from closer.
Garion is busy checking over his gear and attempting to strengthen his leg, and thus notices nothing.
something is closer than that rumble. Get ready!
Cort moves to the wall near the entrance and readies his lasgun.
Cort sees nothing outside the cave that looks out of place. He cannot see down into the vally from his position.
The rumbelling continues.