[Mission 1] Let Nothing Remain

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- There will be Cut scenes scattered throughout the game, which I will use to tell the story or set the stage, etc. Of course, regardless of Cut scene content you will be unable to act during them. They will be described by the [CUT SCENE] and [/CUT SCENE] tags.

[CUT SCENE]
The mining facility had a simple enough layout. It was arranged like a wheel, with spokes and rings. There are four landing pads, attached to a common warehouse that extend together from the outermost ring. That ring is the maintenance ring. It is connected to the Habitat ring on the inside. Inside the habitat ring is the command centre. From the command centre is mine access.

Your thunderhawk lands on one of the landing pads. Your kill-team proceeds into the common warehouse to set the first of the demolition charges.

The team had entered the facility quickly, with the apothecary leading by his auspex. The machine led them from one critical point to another, and after setting a remote charge at each, the team pushed forward. The landing area and cargo warehouses had been cleared easily and rigged with explosives. The next area to check was the habitation area.

The first sign of something being amiss was the bodies. There were dozens of them, of a smattering of different kinds. There were servitors, obvious labourates and menials, and more than a few humans in uniform - probably soldiers in the private employ of the Rogue Trader. The death wounds on all were similar. Deep puncture wounds, in some cases dozens of them. Blood slicked the floor.

It was the Storm Warden who perished first, carefully scouting not far ahead of the Kill Team. He was cautiously staying within eye sight, and easy bolter range. It should not have been difficult to retrieve him from a deadly situation, but moments after it began it was over. The assault marine, chainsword and bolt pistol at the ready, stepped past a series of ventilation shafts. The shafts exploded in a storm of purple shard...things. They were about the size of a small dog each, but they raced with alarming speed on twelve mechanical legs. Monofilament mandibles were used to devastating effect as they swarmed the doomed marine and literally covered him in their foul xenos bodies. The chainsword and pistol did nothing for that poor brother, so he dropped them and grabbed for grenades. It was a lost cause already, as mandibles slid through his armour with alarming ease. He primed the bombs, two grenades in each hand. Before he could finish an exclamation to the Emperor his body crumpled and the frag grenades detonated, blowing shards of crystals across the room. The shards weren't entirely destroyed, but the remainder proved easy enough for flame and bolt to destroy utterly.

The Apothecary collected the fallen brother's gene-seed, and the Kill Team continued on, leaving the habs and heading in long corridors towards the mine control room, the mining tunnels, and the maintenance area.

It was the Ultramarine who perished next, though not at small cost. His treachery became apparent when he unleashed his flamer upon the Apothecary, very nearly missing you in the cone of flame. He was unresponsive to commands and showed no recognition of ever having been a space marine in his mind. Then the Ultramarine suddenly stopped, blinked, and dropped his weapon. With a cry of dismay he described having some malevolent presence enter his mind, take up his weapon and harm his friend. He begged for his life to be ended in atonement.

Then his eyes went blank, he reached for the chainsword that was mag-locked to his armour and he leapt to the attack, engaging you with furious blows. In that moment of briefest confusion, bolter fire cracked out, and the Ultramarine shuddered, slumping to the ground. Sanity returned to his eyes, and the Apothecary limped over.

"You shall have your atonement," the Apothecary said, "For I grant you the Emperor's Peace." And with that, the Ultramarine was no more. The Apothecary retrieved his gene-seed, used his medical skills to fix himself up, and the two of you continued on, entering the maintenance area.

In the maintenance area the Auspex began to reflect signs of life. There were two groups of life signs, one numbering about eight, and the other a group of sixteen. According to the cartograph, the sixteen were huddled in a storage area near the mines central control. The group of eight was moving directly towards the mining tunnels. The Kill Team would intersect their path in a few minutes.

Expecting the Rogue Trader, or at least his agents, the Dark Eldar took you by surprise, and the Apothecary fell, though he did not die alone. The first hail of shards dropped him to his knees, but his bolter came up and the two of you returned fire.

At the end of the fire fight the apothecary lay dying, but of the Dark Eldar, only one had escaped. The apothecary pressed into your hands his reductor, whispering, "the machine spirit knows what to do," before he died. Clumsily you collected his gene-seed.
[/CUT SCENE]

OOC-You are now alone in the mining facility. Protecting the reductor with the gene-seed is a bonus objective. If you can get that back to Erioch = more Renown.

You may retrieve 1 weapon and any other items from the fallen that you desire, except the Diagnosticator Helmet and the Narthecium. I recommend the Cartograph. After that there is 1 Dark Eldar and 16 other life signs in this facility.

[Legendary]

IC:
Palus, now alone began the chant learned on Mars, speaking barely above a whisper. "The emperor of mankind protects. His weapons are the tools of the Omnissiah. I am the tool that shall deliver swift death of the Omnissiah for the emperor." Over and over as he completed the task of stripping his brothers of their weapons to complete the mission, he repeated those words.

He collected the reductor, attaching it to his power armour holster loop. He swapped his chain sword for one with a dipole mag lock. He attached the flamer to his spare weapons loop. He applied the sacred unguents to his old friend, the most trusted tool of the Omnissiah, his bolter. He picked up the cartograph and fasted it to his servo-arm base (and so the cartograph would not suffer impact) so as to be able to look at it while running if required. The explosives, including the spare the assault marine has brought he gathered in a bag he found in the facility.

Standing, Palus re-oriented himself. They had killed 16 purple crystalline Xenos, and it appeared as though 16 remained. 7 of the 8 dark eldar were terminated. This meant 17 Xenos to be concerned about. 3 locations remained to have explosives planted. Fortunately the other marines had equipped the explosives with a remote charge detonator and had wired the existing explosives, as Palus himself had little knoweldge about demolitions.

He plotted a path, where he would plant explosives whilst terminating any resistance along the way. It was a straight shot from where he stood in the corridor between maintenance and the habitat ring. He would travel through habitat control, and place explosives on the support beams within the ring. He would then proceed to main control, placing explosives near supports and ensure the ceiling collapse would bury computer systems and the lift control, along with the lift entrance. He would then proceed into the mine itself, purging Xenos along the way to see if the rogue trader lived and plant remaining explosives in the mine entrances.

With this plan in mind he proceeded on his path, being conscious of his surroundings and planning to take by surprise Xenos along the way using his integrated Auspex.

OOC:
May I know the orientation and distance of the xenos and sizes if that's allowed? Are they on my plotted path? What do I need to roll? I shall not make an effort to be stealthy, but rather be quick. Did I notice the smaller life forms were more affected by flamer rather than bolter? Are they ignoring armour?

Assume I proceed along the path laid out until a complication arises or new information presents itself.

[GoldenThrone]

OOC: some clarification: the xenos who killed the Storm Warden did not register on any Auspex. The sixteen signatures you have reading are not the escaped xenos. They are huddled in a storage room, and as you have identified the Dark Eldar you may assume they are neither dark eldar or crystalline xenos.

The dog-sized xenos are not identifiable on the auspex. The Dark Eldar is miving at a pace that shows he intends to beat you to the control hub. His course may intersect yours there.

The xenos were penetrating armour but not with the ease of a power weapon. Their resistance to flame and shell was dufficult to ascertain given the speed if tge encounter.

I assume you intend to advance through the hab ring to control, setting charges along the way. Are you intending to beat the Dark Eldar there?

[Legendary]

Yes. In addition, I have decided the 16 figures are imperial citizens. Here is my order of importance, taking actions according to what I gauge as most important:

1. Beat Dark Eldar to the control hub. Kill them.
2. Kill Xenos between here and there.
3. Plant mines above surface.
4. Rescue 16 imperial citizens from the storage room. Instruct them to flee to their ship and wait for me or mine explosions.
5. Plant mines below surface.

So I will avoid any objective that interferes below the level above it. That includes avoiding crystal Xenos if necessary.

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- one note - there is only 1 Dark Eldar here. The other 7 died before the Apothecary succumbed to his wounds. Trust me, you are happy there is only 1.

I will also assume your Cartograph and Auger Array are linked together, producing an Auspex-fed self-updating map of the area. I only assume that because you probably didn't know it could be done, else you would have already set it up.

IC-
You make good time through the hab ring. The Dark Eldar, you notice, is moving fast -- faster than any human could, and faster than a great many Space Marines could. But he is now going the long way around, meaning you have the shortest path to the control ring. You arrive there, with full minutes to spare, passing the humans locked in their supply room along the way.

OOC- preparations to meet the Dark Eldar? I also assume you have not set charges and will double back to do that as you placed priority on killing this guy.

[Legendary]

OOC - can I roll something to figure out what I know about dark Eldar? Can you describe the room setup with movable objects and entrances?

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- roll Forbidden Lore: Xenos.

I was going to describe the scene but it was late and I knew youd ask anyway.

IC- The control room is approximately 20 feet in diameter. It is a circular room, the edges of which are lined with consoles that still function. There are five doors placed at equal intervals throughout, with one door being considerably larger than the others. This is likely the access to the mine shaft. As fir moveable items, there are a few chairs. Nothing truly substantial. Unless you count the bodies. There must be 60 corpses in the chamber. Some exhibit needle-like puncture injuries that remind you of the Storm Wardens death. Others show signs of being bludgeoned to death. Still others look as though they perished at the point of a standard issue lasgun. More have body oarts missing, incinerated judging by the melt exhibited by their gear.

As you consider your options you notice that the life signs in the storage room drops from 16 to 14.

[Legendary]

I turn, move to the storage door and kick it down.

Xenos roll: 44

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- here is what you know about Dark Eldar. They live as raiders, taking people and things quickly by using the Webway to make lightning fast insertions and withdraws. They orefer ambushes but when forced to fight can be ferocious. They do not idly appear places.

To kick down the door roll Strength. If you are kicking use your own value.

[Legendary]

Palus allowed his servo-arm to breach the doorway to preserve his own action if required (Strength 75 x2 un-natural, roll of 42) and readied his bolter. The arm lashed out and cracked against the metal and stone framework, bursting it off its hinges, and it clattered to the floor. That is when he saw the contents of the room. [I hope that's how it happens]

[GoldenThrone]

The door, you discover, is heavily reinforced bunker-grade duracrete laced with adamantine--oddly heavy duty for a mine storage door. Your servo arm manages to penetrate it and gain purchase, but you arent able to rip it down yet. In hindsight perhaps using your multikey would have been simpler...

OOC- roll perception (+20 for enhanced senses and wearing helmet).
Extended action: strength check to rip door down.

[Legendary]

Roll perception: 22
Extended strength: 3

[GoldenThrone]

Inside the room (over the tortured squeal of warping metal you hear an authoritative voice shout orders.

"Brace! Firing positions! Two lines! Set weapons to full auto!"

Before I resolve your strength, you may react to this new information.

[Legendary]

"If you are loyal to the imperium of man do not be alarmed. I am a space marine. Is one among you Master Kharos?"

I will not cease ripping off the door.

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- one more strength check to get that door.

IC- your servo arm flexes and whines with a quiet hum, but as innocent as its noise is, the result is anything but tame. The door rips and buckles, twisting as it is ripped out of its track. It is quite an impressive door, and you admit a skilled craftsman must have made it.

You, however, are considersbly more impressive than the door. Despite all that you cannot hear any response to your queru over the ripping metal.

[Legendary]

I repeat my message, raising the volume through my vox. I also maintain awareness of the proximity of the dark eldar.

Final roll: natural 1.

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- the only beings you are really responsible for killing are Xenos threats. Anything else is up to you, though there will be consequences if you start killing all the wrong people.

IC- the Dark Eldar is closing, but you still have perhaps 2 minutes, which is more than enough time to finish what you are doing and get beck into the control centre.

If there is a reply to your calling, it is again lost as you rip the door out of its tracks with your fully awesome servo-arm.

You are confronted by 14 individuals. Nine of them are double-ranked, front rank kneeling and back rank standing, with lasguns trained on the door. They are dressed in uniform that matches many of the corpses in the facility. They must have heard you, as they don't open fire, but still eye you warily.

There is a tenth uniformed man kneeling on the floor, head bowed, his hands cuffed behind him. You notice two dead uniformed bodies on the floor.

The other four in the room are unique. There is one dressed in man-sized power armour, with a fur cloak and no shortage of ornateness. He is carrying weapons, though they are holstered. One is a sword of some type, the other you identify as a hellgun, though very ancient in its design. Near him is another power armoured individual, this one with a chainsword and a bolter--though you note it is inferior to your Godwyn-pattern bolter. There is also a skinny man, cowled in a hood and wearing a robe. He is entirely unarmed and you cannot see his face. The last individual is also unarmed, and he is clothed in a collection of tools and devices layered so thick that you actually cannot tell what he is wearing. This last one seems more in awe of your presence than the others.

OOC- you may act first, as you were expecting to find humans and they are somewhat surprised still.

[Legendary]

OOC- Am I aware of some sort of imperial rank structure? Are these men obviously rank marked? If I remember correctly technically I'm a superior officer.

IC- "I do not have much time. Tell me what you know of the Xenos and what happened. You have one minute and fifteen seconds. Then I will give you further orders."

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- You exist outside any Imperial rank structure. Your authority over normal humans depends exclusively upon if it is given to you by a human officer. Rogue Traders operate under their own rank structure and are not under the authority of any human military body. Many humans will defer to your orders out of respect fir your experience and genetic proximity to the emperor, but they arent beholden to you. Any direct orders you want to give in this situation need to be backed by a command roll.

I assume you cut him off at one minute fifteen seconds.

IC-The fur-wearing man steps forward, motioning for hismen to lower their weapons. "I am Kharos, Rogue Trader under authority of the High Lords of Terra. We are grateful for your assistance, though I assume from your question that the mine is not cleared of hostiles.

"We landed on a routine goods collection but the mine operators didnt respond to our vox calls. I determined that something was amiss and brought an armed guard of sixty men, plus my bodyguard consisting of my Arch-Militant, Astropath, and Explorator. When we arrived we found the mine devoid of human life with the corpses of my miners scattered about--"

Times up.

[Legendary]

"Thank you Master Kharos. We don't have much time. I am going to destroy this facility. 3 of my brothers have fallen and I will not see us fail, in their honour. You will help me hold the main control room against a Dark Eldar xenos threat then return to pilot your ship. You will wait until I return or you see the facility exploding.

"Move out."

I will position them in a firing rank near a defensible console/panel. Not in the open, not easy to access from every side. I will stand in the obscured side of the room, bolter ready and aimed where the dark Eldar is coming from.

"Quiet. Fire when you see an intruder, not before. The Xenos scum may not appear where I anticipate."

I prepare an aimed shot if he doesn't see us coming.

Command roll: 39

[GoldenThrone]

Command roll

[Legendary]

Command roll

Added to post above.

[GoldenThrone]

"Milord, I suggest an alternate strategy. I will dispatch my explorator and men to protect my lander. Myself, my Arch-Militant, and my Astropath will accompany you. The pincipal Xenos exhibits an alarming array of psychic powers, but my Astropath, by the light of the Emperor, has proven moderately adept at deflecting them."

After that they arrange themselves as per your orders.

[Legendary]

Attack roll: 26. Full automatic, kraken rounds.

[Legendary]

In case you want to resolve damage at the same time, for the maximum of 4 hits on full auto I can get:
10, 5, 9, 3. Yes, those are 2d10. My luck has caught up.

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