[MISSION 2] Briefing

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- several things for this mission: first, your ammunition is as follows: 7 full clips (28 shots) and on clip of 27 shots (I assumed that you would not waste kraken ammo on executing the Dark Eldar) of normal ammo, 18 shots of Kraken ammo. You still have 3 frag and 3 krak grenades.

On the order of healing: for every day of bedrest (I will expand this to include peaceful contemplation in one of the vessels chapels) you recover your toughness bonus in wounds. So one day of relaxing and you are healed completely. If you want to do other things on that day you will only heal 1 wound. If you wish to use the ships medical facilities, you need to roll to try and get healed, and the max you will be able to get is 8.

This briefing will be a little longer than the last one and will involve a fair amount of roleplay.

IC-
Vanity's Revenge was a majestic ship, 1600 meters long and powerful looking. It was built like a city in space, and boasted a crew of 22,000 individuals. Of those 22,000 some 15,000 were monotask servitors. Many of the rest were menials, meaning they were cheap labour. Only about 2,000 were skilled labour, and less than half of those were trained soldiers.

En route to the Revenge on the gun cutter, the Astropath had attempted to make contact with the Deathwatch cruiser that had dropped you off. They had received the vox transmission with the destruction of your Thunderhawk and had moved on.

It was not long until the Revenge had picked up the cutter. You are given a brief tour, shown to a room that is fit for you, and given access to one of the ships chapels. Things went underway smoothly.

On your second day of warp travel, however, things got a little rougher. A klaxon summons you, now fully healed to the bridge. On the bridge you see Master Kharos and the ships Void Master (OOC- Void Master is the captain of the vessel. On board his word is absolute law, even to supersede Kharos. His expertise is the function and control of the ship) engaged in an intense discussion. The Void Master turns and gives orders, shutting down the ships warp drive and bringing the vessel back into real space.

[GoldenThrone]

Kharos fades away from the action, as the Void Master begins giving more orders.

"Arm the dorsal macrobattery! Power to the prow lance! Helm, bring us starboard 60 degrees with a 30 degree yaw! Charge the void shields!"

It is not long before you realize what has caused the excitement. Its a raider of spme sort, smaller than the Revenge. Kharos has come up beaide you. "We detected them in the warp. If they had fired on ua there reaulta would have been catastrophic.'

To be continued

[GoldenThrone]

Continuation:

The raiders, a slightly smaller vessel, came out of the Warp above and behind Kharos' vessel. They immediately opened a vox channel.

"Attention! We demand your unconditional surrender! Power down your weapons and prepare to be boarded, or we will use lethal force!"

The Void Master looks at Kharos. "They are mounting double ventral macrocannons. In a firefight, even if we score the first hit they will likely overwhelm us."

"We do not have the man power to fend off a full scale boarding attempt," Kharos adds. "We are not close enough to any other vessels to get aid either."

Aleksandre appeared on the bridge during the discussion. "If we employ the Device it may save us the battle."

"But the Device is untested," Kharos said. "And if it fails we may as well commit to full battle." Kharos looks at you. "What do you think is our best course of action, milord?"

[Legendary]

"What is the device? Though I suppose it matters little - if it fails we will be overwhelmed and die, if we surrender likely they will kill the wealthy and warrior among us. So it should be deployed regardless.

"The only other course would be a distraction boarding party sent to then. That however, would be a suicide mission."

OOC- is the raider ship humans?

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- it appears to be imperial design, meaning it is either renegade navy or a rogue trader who operates outside the law.

[GoldenThrone]

Aleksandre seems pleased to have your attention. "The Device is a heavily modified servitor that serves as the form for a powerful machine spirit. Its purpose is to use an MIU to interface with another machine spirit and overwhelm it, causing failure in the associated machine. We would deploy it at their life support system. The servitor body is enhanced to survive in the Void, including full lung replacement and mind shielding. We would mount a jump pack on it, and it would be so small there detection auspex would never see it."

There is not much time, and with your consent the device is deployed. Just after it leaves the ship, the vox crackles to life.

"We have been heneroys with time, Rogue Trader! Your choice is made for you!"

"They are going to full macrocannon arm!" called an unknown.

"All speed forward! Pitch nintey degrees! Yaw around!" The Void Master moved his ship quickly, though the frigate was so large that it was slow to move. "Gun decks, prepare full broadside!"

"Incoming macro volley!"

The entire ship shook under the barrage as guns the size of buildings battered the Void shields.

"Dorsal battery, return fire!"

For a few minutes it seemed the ships were evenly matched, trading blow for blow. But the strain on the Void Masters face was evident. All they needed was a little more time for the device to function.

"Master, the void shields are destabilizing!"

At that moment the ship ricked tremendously, as the shield no longer protected them, and the pounding intensified for a minute before suddenly stopping.

"Augurs show no signs of life in the raider!"

There was a brief cheer before the Void Master ordered a course for Erioch. As the heading was calculated, an alarm went off.

"Master, there is a problem in the Gellar field generator!"

"Halt warpspace!" the master bellowed. "Aleksandre, whats the status of tge Gellar generator?"

Aleksandre plugged into a terminal on the bridge. "It is repairable, but I will need at least a day, and I can't do it in a void."

[GoldenThrone]

"The nearest world that suits our needs is Cariss. It's an Imperial world, little more than an agri-settlement," Kharos flipped a few switches, altering the display he was looking at. "Total population less than a billion souls. Tithe rate is nominal..." he muttered. "Should do fine. Void Master, set course for Cariss! I have selected coordinates."

Vanity's Revenge wheeled about, heading for Cariss. Once the vessel go to speed the trip was a matter of hours.

"We need to petition for the right to land," Kharos mused. "Planetary governors can refuse landing rights on basis of suspected piracy and there is little we could do to counter him. The easiest way is to project an uncounterable petition.

"Lord Maframe, your presence at the petition would be most appreciated. With a Space Marine, and particular a member of the Deathwatch along, our petition is guaranteed to be granted.

"We should take a cutter down too. These things always work better in person."

--OOC: the following is written assuming you consent to travel with Kharos to petition the governor--

The trip down in the cutter was quick, and the local port authority approved the cutter for landing almost immediately, then stood far distant, but still within line of sight, to watch your terrible majesty as you disembarked from the ship. You and Kharos make your way to the Governor's palace directly. Your presence dramatically reduces the wait time Kharos might have faced on his own.

Both of you are escorted before the Governor, though the escorts keep a healthy distance from you.

"Speak," the governor commands simply.

"Lord Governor Sarthol," Kharos begins. "We seek permission to land a frigate on Cariss to enact repairs to our Gellar Field generator. As soon as our repairs are complete we will leave, in order to return Lord Maframe to Watch Fortress Erioch. We have no other business here."

OOC-
Is there anything you would like to add to sway the Governor? I reccommend a diplomatic approach.

[Legendary]

Governor, we wish not to disturb your peaceful planet. We only wish to repair and return my to my noble duty of protecting humanity from fortress Erioch.

[GoldenThrone]

Sarthol leans forward in his chair, and you are impressed by the aura of authority he carries.

"Permission granted. I believe the North Quarter drydock has room for a Frigate, though the Port Authority will know more. And Master Kharos," obviously an aide had given the governor names, "I expect you will remember Cariss on your trading voyages, yes?"

"Of course, Lord Governor."

Both of you turn to leave, when the governor says, "Milord Maframe, a moment if you please?"

[Legendary]

"Of course Governor. What do you need?"

[GoldenThrone]

Sarthol gets up from his chair and comes over to you. "Over the last three weeks there has been a rash of dissapearances. Let me elaborate. There is a contagion here that has, thus far, affected about 30 people. It is a wasting disease, and causes a slow atrophy of muscle mass until the individual cannot move. Death comes from asphyxiation as the afflicted eventually lack the strength to breathe.

About 20 of the afflicted have vanished from their beds right befotr the disease would have taken them. My enforcers (ooc- planetary police) are stumped. To further complicate matters a quartet of Arbites (ooc- police for the whole imperoum who have the authority to prosecute, charge, and execute anyone. Including you) arrived and took over the investigation.

"You are here only for a day, but perhaps you may uncover something that was missed."

[Legendary]

Of course my lord. I will stay until this is resolved. Can you have someone escort me to the most recent victims' place of rest?

[GoldenThrone]

OOC- you want the cemetery?

IC- "I also recomend going to the enforcer compound. Examining their investigation details may indicate where they went wrong, or it might shed some light on the situation."

[Legendary]

'Excellent. I'll go right away'.

I keep an eye out for Arbites (OOC: I assume they are like inquisitors. Iron hand's are famous with Inquisitors for flying in the face of interrogation and investigation. I already dislike these punks) and if they approach I will keep my stature.

I visit the enforcer compound first, then the two longest infected living victims.

[GoldenThrone]

Briefing concluded. You have 1 objective (solve the disappearances). You may nominate further objectives as the mission circumstances change (you can add objectives throughout the mission). Simply add them to this thread. When I dish out exp at the end I will refer to the list of objectives here.

[GoldenThrone]

One other final note: you have all the gear you left the previous mission with, including the cartograph and flamer.

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