We must drag them all into the unforgiving gaze of the Emperor and scourge them in his divine name Bolus mutters but says no more.
"Well, sir, be it far from me to suggest how to blow any form of machinery sky high without it involving a Baneblade, but, and McVyger and Anatoly can correct me, could we somehow cause a sort of feedback-loop-thing with those giant power cables that makes the whole place go into a, whatchamacallit, meltdown?"
The amount of explosives heavily depends on the amount of ceiling you want to collapse and how much time and effort you can bring to bear when placing them. If you can place the explosives only superficially you will need several times more than if you can drill holes into the stone and place them within.
The fractured nature of the stone indicate a rather fragile stone so it should be rather easy to bring it down.
Makeshift, directed charged from tank shells can be manufactured using additional metal casing. This would require several minutes per shell if you two would work together with the help of others. Directed charges would be a compromise between the two former variants. More effective than superficial planted explosives but still less effective than placing omni-directional charges in a drilled hole.
This is hard to make a guess, since its nit your prime field of knowledge. But you know that energy circuits are rather fragile against overloading or rapidly changing currents. A real enginseer will certainly know about this better.
Using reverse logic from the Mechanicus approved maintenance rites, you'd guess that rapidly switching from drawing from and sending power to the network would cause a feedback loop in the circuit, resulting in a meltdown in the power core with catastrophic consequences if not quickly shut down.
At least, that would work with an imperial circuit and power source.
To accomplish, you would need simultaneous access to two major endpoints of the circuit, both end must be capable of applying energy into the network as well as drawing huge amounts out of it. This could be achieved by connecting one of the vehicles to it.
As the others bring up the power source, Anatoly begins tapping on the data slate, comparing power calculations to the size of the cables coming out of the Rokk, and using what he learned while being forced to work for the TekBoy. He does not realize that he is occasionally letting loose with short bursts or binary chatter as he works.
"A feedback-loop in the power core of the rock itself?
That'd be an...impressive explosion if it worked.
How big would that be? I'm thinking it sounds a bit like it would be a suicide mission.
For the emperor of course."
Liam leans back and considers it, it would certainly qualify as "going out in a blaze of glory".
Was that what he wanted though? At the moment, he wasn't so sure.
As the others bring up the power source, Anatoly begins tapping on the data slate, comparing power calculations to the size of the cables coming out of the Rokk, and using what he learned while being forced to work for the TekBoy. He does not realize that he is occasionally letting loose with short bursts or binary chatter as he works.
Anatoly looks up from the data slate, "If we can get two power feeds to rapidly switch from drawing power to injecting power back into the Ork systems, it should create destructive resonance in power supply. This would work rather quickly even with Imperial systems. Ork systems are .. more fragile and also more .. forgiving of small irregularities .. than Imperial power systems, therefore time estimate is impossible. However, Ork power systems are also more volatile, and resulting cascade should be .. spectacular."
A few more calculations and he nods again, more to himself than to anyone else, "Chimera power plant should be sufficient to create harmonic, but it will require both Margret and Fist to be successful."
[B] In order to pull this off were gonna need a distraction. A big one. I suggest we take plan B and make it part of plan A, if I may, commissar, sir. If we collapse the overhang using remote charges it should get most of 'em to look that way. Then we slip into the two nearest large capacity terminals, and boom.
"I'm thinking about this, Specialist. The thing is we're not going to slip in Margret that easily. Let's not talk about the Fist. But we might not even have to go in that far, depending on where those cables are running. Lets ask the forward Troops about this.
Enginseer, try contacting them via the same encoding they used. Message: 'Considering 2 options. Option 1 is borrow them by collapsing the canyon on them. Will only delay but buys time for the push on Ork artillery. Option 2 is overload and explode the Rokk but requires access to 2 different power cables by a vehicle each. Please try to spot power cables running very far or to easily accessible locations.'"
It takes some time, but then two messages arrive in quick succession, one from HQ, the other from the second half of the Battlegroup.
+++ Good work, praise to the Omnissiah. Fist and Angelus hidden in natural cave along the highway. Have passed bikez workshop in forward cave on our way in, see previously attached map. Should be easy to reach from your position.
Another two big nodes appear to be near our location, where the highway descends down to the rokk, but those are in the midst of the Orks.
Maybe some more nodes in the previously uncovered sideways of the canyon.
How can we bring down the Ceiling on them? Maybe use this as a distraction for the advance and following retreat?
Did you try to contact HQ for airstrike or orbital bombardment? Seems like the ideal target for them, doesn't it? +++
Brazer reads through the HQ message quickly after decoding it, snorting.
"Yeah ... nope.
They're worried, hah yeah you don't say.
Orbital Engagement on the other side of the planet's hemisphere still ongoing, yeah yeah, when ya raelly need 'em spaceys for once ...
Oh and the flyboys are pretty beat-up as well.
'ey can send us a Mauradeur wing in a couple of hours ... likely.
'ey actually wrote likely!
'ats that supposed ta mean, 's obvious, isn't it?
We're on our own. 'gain!"
"Enginseer Dashkov, another message to the forward team. Brief, military explanation why the airstrike and bombardment are no good. Next up MacVyger, instructions on how to collapse the overhang. Append to Dashkovs message.
Try to instruct them how to collapse the overhang only on the rokk and manufactorum, preferably sealing their entrance to the canyon and ask them to check if it is possible. We'll check out the side tunnels for nodes.
If it IS possible and we DO find nodes in the side tunnels we can bury the little xenos sinkhole and drive up the vehicles without much danger - then overload it through the cables still running into it."
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Step 4
Profit(Dead Xenos, heroic, possibly not dead Guardsmen)
[/ooc]
Anatoly nods and sends the requested data back down the canyon, indicating when the Commissar should enter the encryption codes.
As the messages are in transit, Anatoly looks back to the Commissar and Ensign Brazer, "Sir, using collapse as distraction presents possible complication. There is possibility collapsing stone may sever power coupling to remote locations. There is also smaller but still statistically significant possibility that collapsing stone may damage but not sever power couplings. In which case reaction to harmonic will be less predictable."
This time the reply from the forward troopers is much more quickly.
+++ Confirm impossible airstrike, damn it though.
We lack any trained demolition experts, so rigging up explosives by ourselves directly contradicts several guard regulations. Not to mention we have no demo-charges in the first place, only grenades and tank rounds.
We can shoot the ceiling with the Fists' battlecannon though. Does this suffice? +++
Several tank rounds should at least cause a localized rock fall.
Enough for a more or less severe distraction, but nothing apocalyptic for the Ork camp, let alone the Rokk.
A major rock slide before starting the power feedback attack, might cause some or even the majority of energy links to get severed.
The more links are getting severed, the more robust the system as a whole will get, thus making a catastrophic meltdown less likely.
<-- I super know this
They've got good points. We need to keep as many draws on the power going as possible. I'm also worried about the report from the main gun. If nearby troops register that they'll get swarmed. I still recommend remote charges to make a little slide. We'll need as many eyes away from us as humanly possible. Then again, if time's not an option, a few tank rounds is better than nothing as long as they don't stay put after they fire.
"Well, I was trying to find a safer option for us on this but far be it for me to disuade brave soldiers of the imperium from heroically sneaking into the enemy camp in loud vehicles with a minimum of a distraction.
Alright Enginseer I've heard everyones votes on this so make sure the forward Troops know where to place those shots to cause a proper slide. The distraction is to be executed on 3 short, 3 long, 3 short beep signals as issued by micro beads signal button on a frequency of your choosing. And make sure we can send on this via bead to Margrets vox caster relay."
And I guess that is how to make the men feel like they choose the dangerous assignment themselves. Gotta remember that in the future.
"Trooper Thantus, as the only one left with proper stealth skills you'll have to scout ahead despite the Medics recommendation. Make sure to do this well, the Emperor still has need for your service. And I'm sure you like your limbs where they are. Margret won't be too far behind you tho if things go wrong.
We're moving into the canyon as soon as the forward troops signal readyness to start the distraction."
After making sure every participant has understand his or her part of the plan, Aurius leads the way into the tunnel, some dozen meters ahead of the Chimera, followed by the Sentinel as a rearguard.
As soon as you entered the 'Canyon' and 'silence' drops over the group, you recognize an ongoing sound echoing from deeper down the canyon. It's a distorted, composed sound that does not allow one to filter out any details. It is about as loud as a normal conversation out here, but it steadily grows as you head deeper down the canyon.
As the sound slowly grows louder, your senses start to filter out a couple of sounds out of the cacophony.
There is the ringing of metalworking mixed in, no doubt about that.
Deep, vibrating humming of powerful engines can be made out as well.
It doesn't take you long to reach the first sideway, marked on your map with a question mark: this one was not searched further by the other team.
You can understand why: it appears totally uninteresting. No obvious tracks, let alone cables or something similar can be seen entering or leaving the side-route. In addition, it does not appear to be crafted after all, more like a natural tunnel or maybe dug out by animals, but not by machine. It is just too irregular and turns and twists seemingly at random. It is quite broad (about ten meter) but quite low (only three meter high), making accessing it with the Chimera impossible.
Pressing on, or checking out the sideway on foot?
"It looks natural, but chances are low. This canyon does not exist long
enough - it was torn by the Rokk. Only chance of it being natural is if it
existed before the canyon inside the ground.
Enginseer, can you give me anything on the relative time of the walls were cut
out of the stone inside and outside the cavern?"
I hear their foul metalworking, yea even from here. Aided by blasphemous engines! The abominations call out to be scourged from existence!
As you take up covering positions during the first stop, you can make out two more, quite distinctive sounds.
The first is a very faint scuddling sound down the tunnel/sideway you just reached as the others are discussing whether to check out or pass on. It sounds like something (most likely an animal of some kind) is moving somewhere deep down the tunnel.
The second is the unmistakable voices of Orks mixed into the cacophony. Its still far off, constant (so they are whether closing in nor moving away) but way to distorted to understand anything. If your ears are any judge, they origin somewhere to the west-north-west, so not exactly from the bulk of the camp.
The Commissar sighs.
"I was waiting for this since the forward Troops warned us about the patrols. We don't have room to hide the chimera here. We're going for the next tunnel to let them pass.
Aurius inside with us, no use being stealthy if we drive straight into them because we didn't make it into the tunnel in time. MacVyger give us the best stealth to speed ratio you can come up with.
Man the weapons. I want one gun trained at this tunnel as we go, 2 forward and one above us.
You have permission to open fire at will but keep in mind not being noticed would be better for our continued well survival"
Praise be the emperor, I also hear a scuttling sound within the tunnel. Like some animal moving deep inside. And West north West of us I hear the foul voice of orcs speaking to each other. Bouls informs the rest making a sign of the Aquila to thank the Emperor for allowing him to detect such faint noises.
"Animal... lets note that down as a possible distraction if we herd it into the canyon towards the Orks.
West north west... That should be where the bikes have been marked on the map the forward troops left us. Damn if they are close enough for you to hear then we'll have to a lot more on the stealthy side after all going for the empty cave to store the chimera. Advance as before. Keep the weapons manned.
Good work hearing that, Father. Probably saved us from running into the bikers."
Anatoly directs the Auspex at the side tunnel, scanning it for the faint signs that might betray its age.
The scan reveals a stark difference of the rock directly at the edge of the tunnel and those deeper down.
The rock near the edge is high compressed and has undergone several chemical-mineral changes due to high temperature and pollution effect.
Another interesting scan result, indicates that the tunnel more or less follows the weakest points of the surrounding geology, which somewhat explains the non-linear route of the tunnel.
Perhaps the tunnel is a work of the Emperor, providing us with a hidden route forward Commissar!
The tunnel was likely burrowed by a highly adapted creature used to burrowing through more or less solid stone.
The fact that it follows the weakest points in the rock indicate either a well-honed instinct or a mediocre amount of intelligence.
The stark difference between edge stone and those deeper down the tunnel is as close to a proof as possible, that the tunnel is older than the canyon.
It is likely, that the tunnel had once run on through the area that now is part of the 'canyon'.
"As much as I wish this to be true, Father, We will need the Chimera once we locate the power nodes. I don't think him on earth would overlook that need if he was the one who provided this route.
It might provide a useful sideroute deeper into the canyon to scout further once we hid the chimera. The Enginseer will probably be able to give us a probability for that by the time we have the choice."
- 2 DoS
MacVyger puts in into gear and tries to match the vibrations he feels from the ungodly noise the orcs are making to better mask the engine's higher RPM just before a shift.
By my mind that tunnel was dug before the trench, sir. Otherwise you'd see a change in the tunnel rock too. Those beasties must be some kind of tough if they eat through rock AND survive a Rokk falling on their heads.
Stealth is trained with agi 32 but unless i get some bonuses or the orks are hilariously oblivious, thats barely a fail.
”Understood sir.”
And the Stormtrooper hops out to start scouting out ahead of thr group
With information about the tunnel being shared, Aurius quickly takes a look around the caverns lip but has no real desire to enter it and explore. While he was good at killing the sentient enemies of man, wild animals were another thing what with their unpredictability and all. So, he just waited for the order; mainly hoping that the Commissar would order them forward.
While he was competent at stealth, he wasnt necesarily fond of it since it usually meant going on missions that turned into suicide runs once you got discovered. Oh well, at least the chimera, sentinel and others werent too far behind.
MacVyger has an idea. Sir, were going to need to make tracks as soon as we have this thing on a detonation course. I have no idea what the blast radius will look like, but I'm willing to bet that those caves will be better than running like scared rabbits over open ground. We should keep them in mind as a possible retreat point.
"Hmmph! He had better return in one piece. I hate to see my good work being spoiled over a blunder THIS late in the game."
Liam crosses his arms over his chest and looks remarkably petulant.
"We will keep them in mind, specialist, but I'd rather prefer to get out of this in one of the vehicles. The hive is still far off and HQ won't be pleased to waste troops on a pickup mission.
Medic, you seem to be under a missconception. Your live as a guardsman has only just begun. This is very very far from 'late in the game' of any kind. And as much as the Emperor needs every one of his guardsmen complaining will do nothing to improve Trooper Thantus' chance of survival. Use your eyes and lasgun to that end."
After a kilometer in, Aurius sends the defined 'hold' signal (two clicks).
You have two caves in sight, the first one (on your right) about two hundred and the other (left) one three hundred meters in front of you.
The right one is silent and dark, the left one ... Is noise, bright lit and the unmistakable sound of running engines and Ork shouting echoing from within.
Quickly moving into cover of the canyon walls you observe the left one carefully.
You don't have to wait long, before an Ork bike comes barreling out, bucking wildly like a wild animal under the fully opened throttle, before racing down deeper down the canyon. It jumps, as it crosses the thick cabling running into the cave.
Exhaling your fear of discovery, you ...
... Check out the caves?
Carefully you sprint from cover to cover, slowly approaching the right cave. You need to use your goggle to see one bit in here. There are tracks on the ground. From tracked vehicles. All Ork vehicles you met so far did use wheels, so this seems to be the cave were the other group had hid their vehicles at some time. It is quite large with several sub-caves, filled with (mostly broken) stalactites that does not appear to be made by Orks but natural.
Noy wanting to spend to much time in there, you head back, just in time to see the Ork bikke (is it the same one? Hard to tell) return, its driver hooting joyfully as he speeds into the ork occupied cave with neck breaking speed.
You use the turmoil to sneak closer to the Ork-Cave.
It seems to make a turn to the north, opening up into the actual cave. You can see several bikkez, Orks milling around them. The scene is back-lit by fire and even over this distance you can feel heat brizzling out of the cave and a semi-regular beating of metal on metal. Maybe they have a forge or something similar in there?
You cannot make out any actual guard watching the cave entrance or the canyon itself.
... report back (how)?
While you nervously wait for the Storm Trooper to report back, another tight, encrypted message is received by Margret's vox.
This time, it is addressed at the priest!
+++ Beloved Father, we are asking for your advice.
Our creed and your words are demand us to kill these foul Xenos on sight, not hide from them!
The Lieutenant, Emperor be my witness, fears an open engagement with this breed!
First voices reach my ear, to deprive him and attack the Xenos from this, marvelous, elevated position the Emperor guided us to!
As his voice in this forsaken wilderness, will you support this action?
It will help the men to know that their actions are approved by the voice of the Emperor and they are acting to his will!
Reply on channel 476, encoded with St. Jonn 34,6.
A loyal servant of the God Emperor. +++
Seeing the unmistakable sign of life and machinery inside of a cave, before he goes any further and potentially pushes his luck, Aurius attempts to make his way some distance back from the source of noise and light before trying to, at the very least, ping the sentinel over the vox that there is danger ahead and that they should use their more mobile platform to get the message of "Possible orks ahead, will attempt to get a better view before regrouping" back to the rest of the Squad.
After a few nervous seconds, a whisper in your com-beads rises just barely above audible levels.
"Longleg transmitting on minimum-power.
Sneak-Trooper reports contact.
He investigates further. Standby."
Twice during the following wait, you hear the unmistakable sound of an overly loud ork bikke swelling up to a worrying degree, before swelling down again, just as you feared immediate discovery.
Aurius wont overstay his currently-undiscovered welcome and pnce he gets a decent view of whats in the cave will attempt to carefully make his way out. If there were orks, there were squigs and his last run-ins with squigs havent been the best, all things considered, and would very much rather avoid the teeth-balls.
Also, there were a ton of orks nearby and he had no support so he definitely didnt feel like, or very much want to, hang around. He makes a mental note of not having noticed or seen any signs of an energy coupling or equivalent within but them having a ton of bikes just hiding out in a cave...
Bolus responds to the message:
+++ My child
Your creed is one of honour and zeal. However it is a heinous sin to disobey your superiors. Yea it would be akin to disobeying the Master of Mankind himself.
Such an act should only be done in the gravest of circumstances and the clearest evidence of heresy. The patience your Lieutenant is demanding of you does NOT meet that standard. What you propose is CHAOS. Which is a REJECTION of the God Emperor's will!
The Emperor has guided you to a position where you may spy on the filth without raising an alarm. He has guided us to a position from where we may strike at the beasts dark hearts and end their threat once and for all. Working in concert, as befits the best of humanity, we will end their very existence and purge them from the tortured soil which cries out for their extermination!
Should we falter and fail, should our weak flesh not live up to the demands of the Holiest of Holies, then it may be your turn to rain fire on them from where you are. But Remember. We are not a chaotic rabble. We are Iron. We are Law. We are THE HAMMER OF THE EMPEROR only because of our discipline and obedience.
Reflect on the Imperial Hymn. You know me to be a servant of the Emperor. Then Honour me, for you know I speak with his voice.
Reply to this so I may know that you have heeded my words.
Channel 476, encoded with St. Jonn 34,6.
Father Bolus, Ministorum Priest of the God Emperor - Astra Militarum. +++ +++
Bolus sends the message and then seeks an audience with the Commissar Commissar! Word reaches me that the men spying on the foul Rokk chafe at not being allowed to attack the filthy Xenos. Yea to see them burns a fire of rage in the very souls, which is right and proper. But will our plan to.... electric the vehicles to explode them.. take very long? I fear the Lieutenant in charge of the forward team does not know how to channel such zeal.
Liam overhears Bolus comment about zeal, and coming from someone who's burning "zeal" he had himself experienced (in a very painful way), that worried him.
But after the Commissar's words before, he merely made a pained face and tried to think about happier things.
After nervous ten minutes, the Storm Trooper appears around one of the many turns of the Canyon, jogging towards the idling vehicles in a speed that tells you: no immediate danger but important news.
+++ Thank you father.
I will spread your word to the men.
It will calm them, to know we as well as the Lieutenant are still walking on the path of the righteous, despite this ... inactivity.
Your humble child. +++
The Commissar scowls at hearing the Priests news.
"The more time we can give Trooper Thantus the fewer risks he'll have to take while sneaking around trying to find our entrypoints. I do not have enough information yet to say how long this will take. If push comes to shove we can start the distraction early. The whole point of not starting it yet is to lessen the load on the forward troops being engaged.
I'd rather prefer it thought not to compromise the mission due to indiscipline and you may remind the Troopers that I will hold each and every one of them accountable for every single greenskin who escapes and every unnecessary dead guardsman who is not there to fight the enemies foes in the coming battle because they could not sit still.
They would be doing the work of the Emperors enemies. Remind them."
I have already exhorted them to discipline Comissar and I believe they have heeded my words Emperor be praised. Bolus says seriously. They seek to serve him the best they know how. But one must know where the Emperor's tools must be deployed to best serve him. Perhaps their regiment is ill suited to the honourable work of scouting his enemies. They are a flock of wolves and they yearn for a shepherd to direct them, yea, near the front lines with the fire of a litany in their ears and righteous rage in their hearts.
Bolus pauses.
If the Emperor grants us leave to continue fighting in his name after this day then... perhaps I myself would be best wielded by being posted close to them. Zeal with guidance is a glory to Holy Terra. Unguided it can be... otherwise.
Oh really? Someone should teach the father some TRIGGER discipline then.
"When Mr Safety catch is not on, Mr Flamer is not your friend" you know.