Author Topic: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)  (Read 59510 times)

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Offline LordPsycho

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #150 on: November 04, 2013, 11:06:36 PM »
Quote
Junius. "If the Tarot led you to us Inquisitor; to what purpose?"
Quote from: LordPsycho
At this precise moment, Maegon's micro-bead sizzles when he receives a message from Nemus on their secured frequency.

"To bring you my help and get your help, by the Emperor's Will. A battle is raging outside Kasr hemshin, near a ship belonging to the abhorred Children of Fulgrim. I just learn that the Relictors are also implied."
Quote from: DM B
The Justicar gives you a short nod. "Perhaps. We are on the hunt for Relictors. Perhaps your presence here is meant to lead us back to onto their trail..."

His voice trails off as a fifth Grey Knight - is there no end of them? - steps into view. Despite the thin air and biting cold he goes without a helmet, instead relying on a re-breather mask to supply his triple lungs with oxygenated air. Could he have lost it in battle? Or does he go without on purpose?

Junius: "Master Aquilus..."

Aquilus, using a mental sending even you can pick up: "Site Gamma has gone live. Class II warp incursion in progress. Get your men ready; we jump for Spire 12, level 697, north quadrant in fifteen seconds." Addressing you directly. "Inquisitor: If the Tarot guided you once, let it do it twice."

You watch as the Knights move as one, deftly checking themselves and each other as they hurtle towards the edge of a hive-side balcony. Aquilus is second last to go, followed by a heavy-weapons operator you hadn't spotted before - he must have been on-station on the balcony. Six Knights all told. Soon they are just little specks falling quickly down and away...

...with a start you realize what their target it. The site of the sorcerous incident your felt earlier in the neighboring spire.

Maegon utters a mental sigh of relief. He's still alive.

The Grey Knights haven't discovered my secrets.
Or did they ? And thought I was a lesser evil ?...

This "Master Aquilus"... Another powerful player in the game.


The Inquisitor decides to tour the mansion that housed the Knights.
Just in case.

Quote from: DM B
Six Grey Knights come in hard in Spire 12. Their jump units fire at the last possible instant - enough to cushion the fall, but not long enough for the enemy to react. Six seconds later the remaining thralls and cultists have been hacked to bloody bits by the fearsome force weapons wielded by the knights. Not a single shot is fired.

"Master: Anomaly contained, but the warp focus has escaped us..."

Maegon raises the head from the book and smile.
In the neighboring Spire, the Grey Knights severed several life strings in a few seconds.
Sweet melody...

He closes the book and leaves the library.
No work of interest can be found here.

Another disturbance in the Immaterium draws his attention.
The Ship...

Quote
Usher finds Azrael just as he is setting up a narrow-beam communications link with which to try and contact the Scouts.
"Is this really urgent, I am rather in the middle of something?"

"I felt I should tell you that the Relictors are excommunicate traitoris"

Azrael turned to regard Usher with a somewhat quizzical and bemused expression.  When he repaired Usher's vox unit he installed a small relay such that, provided he was within a reasonable distance, he would hear any communications between Usher and the Inquisitor's forces in the Hive.  As such he actually already knew why Usher was here, but he wasn't going to let Usher know that.

"I fail to see what that has to do with anything"

"They are traitors and heretics and knowingly aiding a traitor is to become one," responded Usher, a little taken aback.

Azrael's expression turned to amused and he raised an eyebrow, "Really Usher I would not have expected you to be so naive.  Who exactly on this planet do you think has not been branded a traitor or a heretic by someone?  I strongly suspect that though he may not admit it you, your Inquisitor is probably regarded as such by some people.  I also doubt very much that he had anything to do with you coming to me did he?"

"No, the Inquisitor did not ask me to see you, but how dare you suggest that he is a traitor!"

"I did not suggest that Inquisitor Maegon is a traitor, I suggested that some people most likely consider him to be, I am not among them.  These Relictors are most likely in the same situation, I have little time for the lackeys of Chaos, but these Marines do not look like Chaos-worshippers to me.  And even if they were, in the present situation we can't be too picky about temporary allies," Azrael looked somewhat pointedly at Usher as he said the word 'temporary', "Feel free to talk to the Inquisitor about it later, but I feel that he will agree with me."

Usher looked slightly distraught, but acquiesced and turned and walked away.

While walking back to his men, the Caporal thinks about what the Magos said.

He's right... Nobody on Cadia survived the horrors of recent years by remaining pure as snow...
The Inquisitor... His strange rituals, could they ?...


Maegon explores the upper Hive, examining the tracks of the Grey Knights and searching for blessed or damned items.

There isn't much in the way of blessed or damned items, but there is a bit of mundane gear to be found. Your men could potentially ascend all the way up here and retrieve it, but you're not sure it will be worth the effort. Better to have them focus on what you found on the lower levels - more gear for less effort.

Dawn arrives early high up in the hive spire; the night rains have scoured the skies reasonably clear once again and the rays of the sun are able to pierce the remaining cloud cover with enough intensity to bathe the ruined hive in a multitude of red-tinged colours. The view form the hive-balcony is spectacular.

Taking stock of the situation you conclude that the powerful orbital communicator is the most interesting item. You've managed to access it using your Rosette's clearance codes. You've listened only briefly, but you've picked up multiple signals, some coming from the hive, others from the wastelands - and a few scraps filtering down from orbit. Would that you were better at this or had a savant or vox-servitor at hand.

Other than that you've located a crate of mundane bolter ammo, and some spare parts for power armour sub-systems. There are also some tools laying about that could come in handy for a tech-priest.

Maegon is satisfied with his discoveries.
All the time, he stayed in contact with Nemus, who stayed in contact with Usher.
The Interrogator was impressed by the story of the meeting between the Inquisitor and the Grey Knights.

"Listen to news from Caporal Usher and tell him about the orbital communicator. But don't give him information about the Grey Knights."

"Master ?"

"My last Tarot reading told me so."

Nemus doesn't need to ask more, he has full confidence in the judgment and foresight of his Master.

"We found a family, seven hungry civilians, hidden in an abandoned Schola. They survived with the reserves of the canteen, now empty...The father was the deputy director, while the mother was an art teacher. We are not sure that the five teenagers are their children, but it's all the same now. The group comprised thirteen children five years ago, but the diseases and malnutrition..."

"I understand. Treat them well."

Maegon goes out on the balcony, thinking about how to use the communicator at best. He can not reach full performance without a savant or a tech-priest, but he is almost certain that he can broadcast a message through the Hive.

From the balcony, he looks at the Ship through the augmentics eyes of his helmet. He sees forms moving around, but can not distinguish their identities.

The Inquisitor draws an imaginary circle on the ground and sits in, then lights a psycho-stimulant herb pipe. For an hour, he spits smoke to the clouds and thoughts through the Immaterium. Dreamers will make strange dreams before dawn breaks.

Exhausted, he falls asleep here.

Quote
Dawn has come. The violence has ended, both inside and outside the ship.

In the hive Maegon has found quite a bit of supplies. It will take his elites days to bring it all down to a breathable level, but once that has been accomplished he'll have advanced to Resources: 1 (meaning he'll a stockpile of stuff that will last for a while).

Maegon keeps sleeping, dreaming, smiling and shivering.

Meanwhile, the Stormtroopers take turns to recover the equipment that he discovered, while Nemus and Jethro supervise the civilians securing the base of operation.

Quote
Azrael inquires of Usher whether he had heard anything from the Inquisitor or his men in the hive.  In particular when he had slept for a while earlier (the first time he had in some time, Mechanicus implants are quite useful for keeping one going beyond the limits of normal human endurance, though nowhere near as effective as a Space Marine's symbiotes), he had a somewhat odd dream involving Maegon.  Of course Azrael still has the bug in Usher's vox unit, but this doesn't work when he is asleep.

"The Inquisitor found a powerful orbital communicator in the heights of the hive ! However, he won't be able to operate it alone..."



Maegon finally wakes up. It was a long time he did not sleep so much, but he still feels so exhausted...
He walks a bit on the balcony then sits again to read his Tarot.

The Reaper.
Eleven of Discordia. The Soulless.
Ace of Mandatio. The Savage.
Five of Excuteria. The Captain.
The Chariot.


Holy Throne... The metallic Xenos will attack the Ship once more !

Maegon takes his cards and rises precipitously.
Shadows of three dark fighters are visible above the clouds.



Usher receives a new message via his com-device.

"Emperor protects..."

He runs as fast as possible.

"Magos ! We'll be under attack soon !"

Azrael already knows.
« Last Edit: November 04, 2013, 11:15:00 PM by LordPsycho »
"Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a thousand battles without disaster." Sun Tzu

"No campaign plan survives first contact with the enemy" C. von Clausewitz

"You are a ghost, a figure that stands between light and dark, trapped amid the grey." Malcador the Sigillite

Offline Lurk Skywalker

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #151 on: November 04, 2013, 11:44:35 PM »
Outside the voidship

Roldar notices with a wry smile the destruction of the crawling probe. Space Wolves always had an innerving ability to smell out such ploys. The reminiscence of the days when his Chapter was part of the larger holy body of the loyalist Astartes passes fugitively through the sout's mind. Gone are the days when agents from the Officio Assassinorum were training him. Suddenly Roldar's meditation is interrupted by his sense of a crispation of the Magos and following the Magos' gaze skywards, his enhanced oil binoculars help him distinguish flying shapes approaching at great velocity.

Gone is, for now, the pull to investigate the renegade Space Wolf and his pack.

Offline Dragon Lord

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #152 on: November 05, 2013, 12:21:17 AM »
Quote
"The Inquisitor found a powerful orbital communicator in the heights of the hive ! However, he won't be able to operate it alone..."
A most interesting find, Azrael would certainly be able to allow it to be utilised to it's full potential.


Quote
"Magos ! We'll be under attack soon !"

Azrael already knows.

"Fething hell," Azrael breathed under his breath, "Those damnable Xenos have atrocious timing."

Azrael thinks for a split second.  They could melt away into the ruins and try and avoid attracting the attention of the Xenos fighters.  That would almost certainly work and save the warbands any loses, but the fighters would still be free to attack the ship.  They didn't have any weapons that could really do anything against fast aircraft, the Marines bolters might be able to do some damage, but not enough and it would only draw attention to them.  The only weaponry nearby capable of posing a serious threat to the fighters were the defensive turrets of the ship.  Some of them were damaged in the first attack of the Xenos and in the crash, but Azrael had studied them and there were still a good number left.  He did not know the crew situation inside however, and a Mechanicum adept would be far better able to coordinate the fire control than any of the human crew...

Then he remembered the orbital communicator, it would be difficult, and he would have to talk Maegon through it, but it was just possible that they might be able to use it to attract the attention of something else, a ship in orbit perhaps, on to the fighters to take them out...

In the meantime the rest of the warbands needed to move, either into the ship or disperse.  Between the Nar-Ghosts, Hrothgar's band, Roldar and his scouts, Usher, and the new recruits they had gathered from the survivors of the previous assault on the ship there were well over 100 people in the ruins.  Far too many to get through the maintenance hatch in time, even if Azrael resorted to breaching charges rather than hacking into the controls, no they would have to scatter while he tried to assist Maegon with the orbital communicator and hope the ship's crew could deal enough damage with the turrets themselves.

Azrael immediately started shouting orders at the Nar-Ghosts to disperse and take cover as deep in the ruins as they could get.

"Everyone, get out of sight as fast as you can!  Sam," he called to the servitor, "to me!"

Derryck had had an uneasy sensation even before Azrael had started yelling and quickly started directing the dispersal of the camp, covering up as many traces of their presence as he could at the same time.

Azrael nearly bowled Usher over and just for a second Usher got a glimpse of just how terrifying a Mechanicum adept can be in a combat situation.
"Usher, I need to contact the Inquisitor immediately, you may come with me if you wish, but I need your vox unit at once!"

As the rest of the warband went to ground and out of sight, Azrael took Sam higher up into one of the ruins, it was out of sight from above, but vulnerable if a stray shot came their way.  It was necessary though if he was to maintain a strong vox link to Maegon.

Offline DM B

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #153 on: November 05, 2013, 09:26:04 AM »

With a swift nod, he ignites his powerful jet-pack and propels himself, Tower of Silence thrust forward and chainsaw sword screaming on Xerxzes. The Locum Lector taps the power of the Orb to shield the other Astartes from the waves emanating from Xerxzes.


Xerxzes meets your attack with the preternatural skill of a veteran of the long war. He deflects your chainsword blow...uses your own momentum to flank you...and in the fraction of a second - too short a time for any mortal warrior to have struck - that you are vulnerable he slips under the Tower with his jagged knife and pierces the weekly armoured armpit of your power armour.

The blade goes deep enough to puncture your primary heart. In itself this is a very serious injury, even for an Astartes. You won't die - you have a secondary heart just for this purpose - and as long as you're in your suit, pumped up on combat drugs you can keep fighting. You'll need medical care later on...which can become problematic as you've no apothecary amongst you.

The physical injury is severe, but you're used to pain. All marines are. But this, this is different. This is like having a piece of your soul cut out of you. It is a pain not of the body, but something deeper. Something you're ill prepared to resist.

You're barely able to ward of a decapitating blow from his chainsword. The Towers saves your life, seeming to move of its own volition. As the teeth of Xerxzes chainsword bites into the shield you realize that it is no ordinary weapon, but a blade infused with the power of Chaos. Again the Tower saves your life, for no ordinary substance would have resisted the daemonic blade quite to readily.

You are desperately out of your league.

Thanks to the Locum the rest of the marines snap out of their hypnotized condition, their minds groggy and confused (but rapidly recovering).


Just as the Lector moves, Lulianna and completes the spells to draw forth the Grey Knights, as the green warpfire steaks towards Xerxzes and the open Enginarium door seeking the sky beyond. Just as Luliana collapses to the ground from her undertaking, Nouri dives towards the green warpfire thrusting his hand into it.  The pain is indescribable as is the sickening smell of burning flesh.  As the fire wash over his hand, it is transmuted into razor sharp crystal shards that streak towards Xerzxes.

The shards hit Xerxzes with full force, interrupting his unrelenting assault on Lector Lexander, thereby saving the Relictor's life.
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Offline LordPsycho

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #154 on: November 05, 2013, 10:21:22 AM »
Azrael nearly bowled Usher over and just for a second Usher got a glimpse of just how terrifying a Mechanicum adept can be in a combat situation.
"Usher, I need to contact the Inquisitor immediately, you may come with me if you wish, but I need your vox unit at once!"

As the rest of the warband went to ground and out of sight, Azrael took Sam higher up into one of the ruins, it was out of sight from above, but vulnerable if a stray shot came their way.  It was necessary though if he was to maintain a strong vox link to Maegon.

Looking at the sky with a worried look, Usher and his four men run after Azrael and Sam. The fighters are still high, but this is a question of minutes before they attack...

"Understood ! Interrogator, please ask Inquisitor Solemnys to reach the communicator ! Magos Kane takes the vox unit."

Usher gives the transmitter to Azrael.

"Caporal ! Roman fell and injured his ankle !"

"Habem, Tonk, carry him and follow us !"
"Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a thousand battles without disaster." Sun Tzu

"No campaign plan survives first contact with the enemy" C. von Clausewitz

"You are a ghost, a figure that stands between light and dark, trapped amid the grey." Malcador the Sigillite

Offline Lurk Skywalker

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #155 on: November 05, 2013, 10:51:57 AM »
The pain is nothing like the Lector ever felt and through a haze he perceives that his arm is moved by the Tower of Silence as it deflects the blows of the Fallen Astartes. Suddenly the Lector is brought to his senses by another sharp and burning pain shooting through his forearm all the way to his head. The languor infused by the pain and a feeling of emptiness is dispelled as the Tower's claws pierce the power armor and bite the forearm of the Lector, as a bird of prey would have done with the unprotected hand of a falconer in ages long gone.

The whispers in the Lector's head, which had became more audible since the initial intrusion of Gaius the Sane, seem to become more focused and concentrated, almost in an understandable chorus of feminine voices.

In a moment, the Lector seizes upon the hesitation of Xerxzes, as he is hit by the shards, and howling the Relictors' battle cry, he lunges aims a thrusting blow in the pelvis area of the armor, where the various hard plates of lower abdomen, hips protectors and upper legs meet.

The other Astartes start recovering and aim their weapons at the entrance, should any other minions try to interfere in the duel between the fallen and the excommunicated Astartes.


Offline Stonecrown Coster/MB (Rune)

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #156 on: November 05, 2013, 11:09:25 AM »
For the longest time Gaius continues to stand still, his eyes closed and seemingly oblivious to the fighting around him. Within his mind, he feeds on the confusion and anger in the room, drawing it in. Directing his attention towards the warp core for a few seconds, he focuses on the entity inside. "It seems the dice have been cast, daemon. Needless to say, if we fail in bringing down this grandon of Fulgrim, your existence is as doomed as ours. Do not stand idly by as these companions of ours waste their lives, but lend me your strenght instead.

He does not wait for the daemons response, instead he inhales deeply and opens his eyes. Where bloodshot blue eyes used to look out, there is only whiteness now. The air around Gaius is resonating with energy as he focuses on Xerxes, throwing all his might into a psychic blow that would shatter both mind and body of any normal human being. But the grandson of Fulgrim is far more powerful than any "normal" human being. Though Gaius' blow slams hard into both his physical and mental defenses, he barely loses momentum as he continues his onslaught towards the Lector.

With clenched teeth Gaius continues to batter on the walls of the old marine. Little by little, he feels Xerxes give way to his blows. Inside Gaius' head, voices are cheering him on. Then his target turns to look at him, if only for a second. The first blow sends Gaius to his knees. The second sends him flying across the room. His mental walls stand firm, barely, but his body crashes hard into the structure surrounding the warp core. Through the metal he can sense the daemon inside the core. The pain is excruciating as he forces himself to stand, leaning heavily on the warp core. Any time now, daemon. Lend me the power to bring this foe down, or I will rip the ship apart around us!. As Gaius gathers his power once more, sounds of moving metal can be heard in the ceiling and walls around them.
"Send this gift to Count Gladanil... Tell him to buy himself something pretty".

Offline DM B

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #157 on: November 05, 2013, 12:49:15 PM »
Lexander is able to score a hit upon Xerxzes, adamantium teeth chewing into his abdominal armour. If only you had a little more time...if you only could have maintained the pressure long enough to bore though into his guts! But you don't have time. The enemy gives you none, moving faster than any foe you've yet had to face. His chaos blade smashes into yours, cutting right through it an ruining it beyond the power of any tech-priest to repair.

Unknown to Lexander Gaius begins his mental assault...slowing down the enemy just enough for Laxander to desperately dodge his next few blows. Its only two seconds worth of breathing space, but in that brief time the rest of the Relictors get their act together and swarm Xerxzes...the first to reach him is aware with a backhanded strike that cuts his head clean off, despite the armour protecting him. Then seven more marines surround the enemy, hacking away with whatever melee weapons they possess...

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Offline DM B

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #158 on: November 05, 2013, 12:55:41 PM »

With clenched teeth Gaius continues to batter on the walls of the old marine. Little by little, he feels Xerxes give way to his blows. Inside Gaius' head, voices are cheering him on. Then his target turns to look at him, if only for a second. The first blow sends Gaius to his knees. The second sends him flying across the room. His mental walls stand firm, barely, but his body crashes hard into the structure surrounding the warp core. Through the metal he can sense the daemon inside the core. The pain is excruciating as he forces himself to stand, leaning heavily on the warp core. Any time now, daemon. Lend me the power to bring this foe down, or I will rip the ship apart around us!. As Gaius gathers his power once more, sounds of moving metal can be heard in the ceiling and walls around them.

A voice inside your head: "Yes little one, let me in and I will finish the spawn of Fulgrim for you..."

A second Relictor goes down, his leg hacked off above the knee. Blows fall like rain upon Xerzes, but however hard or well they strike they cannot seem to finish him. A third Relictor is taken out of the fight as an obsidian blade flies past his guard and punches right through his visor and into his brain.

The voice is gone, replaced by an all-encompassing darkness that weighs heavily upon your soul, pushing all that is you down into a tiny corner of your mind. Were it not for your considerable strength of will and psychic prowess you would have been obliterated forever - now you are merely a prisoner inside your own possessed mind.

The warp core falls eerily silent as the thing that was once Gaius steps forward, tall and proud. "Xerxzes," it says. "We meet again in the flesh at long last."
« Last Edit: November 05, 2013, 12:57:46 PM by DM B »
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Offline DM B

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #159 on: November 05, 2013, 01:04:31 PM »
Outside

The three xenos craft come in low and fast to give any defensive turrets minimum chance of firing for effect. Fortunately for you it means that their strafing run is equally brief; a torrent of energy bolts the strikes with the force of lascannons pepper the ruins and the ship's hull, without doing much damage to anything.

The xenos, however, are not so fortunate. One turret scores a string of hits - Azral can call the guidance of the Machine God, but to the rest of the watchers it's just plain luck - on of of the fighters, leaving wounded and streaming black smoke. After that they dare not come so close again; instead the two undamaged craft land somewhere in the hills beyond your view.
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Offline Lurk Skywalker

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #160 on: November 05, 2013, 02:43:14 PM »
Outside the voidship

At the time when Gaius approaches Fulgrim's spawn, Roldar's communicator picks suddenly a fragment of screamed order which he identifies as coming from the Locum Lector to Astartes Eldhron. It takes only a few moments for the Scout to approach Magos Kane:

"Magos Kane, the stakes for the voidship are only getting higher and a struggle is taking place on-board as we speak. We will now pick-up your offer to let us in through a hatch in the hull. I do believe that your skills would be required if we are to try and seize partial or total control of the voidship. TWe are offering to escort you and whoever of your retinue is willing to join."

Offline Dragon Lord

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #161 on: November 05, 2013, 07:16:58 PM »
Quote
"Magos Kane, the stakes for the voidship are only getting higher and a struggle is taking place on-board as we speak. We will now pick-up your offer to let us in through a hatch in the hull. I do believe that your skills would be required if we are to try and seize partial or total control of the voidship. TWe are offering to escort you and whoever of your retinue is willing to join."
Azrael sighed slightly and muttered under his breath, "Unfortunately having six arms does not enable me to be in two places at once."

Then louder, to Roldar he responds, "I understand, however the remaining two Xenos fighters are still operational and I do not like the idea of being attacked from the rear or them calling in reinforcements.  Find Derryck, he can show you the maintenance hatch and assist with placing breaching charges.  With luck anyone on the ship who notices the blast will assume it was damage from the Xenos attack.  I must finish my work with Inquisitor Maegon on the orbital communicator.  I will join you once that is done and you have secured a foothold in the ship."

Just as Roldar turns to go, Azrael holds out 2 small oddly designed communicators, "Here, these are linked to my own frequency.  Give one to Hrothgar.  Once the orbital communicator is fully operational it will be able to act as a relay so that we can communicate inside the ship."

As the Relictor heads back towards the ship Azrael sends a quick message to Lukas, "Have your snipers fan out into the ruins and watch all approaches.  I want to know if anything from those Xenos craft makes its way toward the ship."

He then turns back to vox unit, which he has partially dismantled and linked into his own communication array [OOC: the same one he used to contact the Scouts earlier] and Sam's systems.

Maegon has nearly reached the communicator, and so Azrael starts talking him through how to activate its various functions.  Once the initial activation is complete Maegon will be able to link the pict unit in his armour to it to speed the process.  At the moment Azrael's first priority is to use it to intercept and jam any signals the Xenos craft are sending.

Offline Ohlaak (Alan)

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #162 on: November 05, 2013, 08:24:07 PM »
Inside the Voidship Enginarium

Nouri falls back to the Cabal as his troops train their eyes (and guns) on the Enginarium door.  Nouri calls out to the Thralls with irritation.

"The swords, you fools, quickly," his voice spurring them into action while he points to the chain-swords of the 2 dying and dead Relicators.  Two of the thralls with unsubtle arcane movements quickly summon the might to draws the swords to towards the Cabal circle.  Nouri watches in abject horror and jealously as the daemon overtakes Gaius, while the cabal infuses and annoints the two chainswords with Ruinous might as they slowly hover and circle around them. 

Unable to seal the magic within the circle, Nouri grabs both blades grimacing in pain, and hurls both of them towards the battle with sorcererous might.  The blades lazily spin as they fly through the air before seemingly righting themselves to uncannily fall into the dying space-marine.  As each pierces one of his hearts, his macabre dances ends, and his life-forces seeps into the blades to locking in the Ruinous power that now infuses each blade.

The two sword sit temptingly before Gaius-yet-not-Gaius and the Lector.

With that Nouri begins leading the Cabal in another undertaking far more important that the last few.

Offline LordPsycho

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #163 on: November 05, 2013, 11:03:34 PM »
Heights of Kasr Hemshin

The old Inquisitor stops running in front of the control console of the orbital communicator, breathless under his helmet.

Since Azrael linked the vox unit carried by the Spiders to his own communication array, he is now able to talk directly to Maegon, without Nemus as an intermediate.

Thanks to Azrael, even if the Magos knows few himself, Maegon learned that the xenos fighters landed in the hills and that an epic battle is raging inside the voidship. The agent of the Ordos would like to know more about the Relictors and the mutant Space Wolves - Wulfen... - but that will have to wait.

Maegon describes the communicator structure and the control console to Azrael, who easily recognizes their patterns. Following his instructions, Maegon performs the required rituals to awaken and appease the machine-spirit, then enters specific commands to reactivate the communicator subsystems, check their respective conditions and prepare a message.

"An amber light twinkles ! The antenna is partly damaged... Now, a red light... Encryptor is indicated "missing"... Stolen ? Another red light... Long range communications are unavailable. But short and middle ranges communications should work ! Green lights ! What's next ?"
« Last Edit: November 05, 2013, 11:06:49 PM by LordPsycho »
"Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a thousand battles without disaster." Sun Tzu

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Offline Dragon Lord

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Re: Prelude: Cadian Dawn (IC)
« Reply #164 on: November 05, 2013, 11:25:44 PM »
Quote
"An amber light twinkles ! The antenna is partly damaged... Now, a red light... Encryptor is indicated "missing"... Stolen ? Another red light... Long range communications are unavailable. But short and middle ranges communications should work ! Green lights ! What's next ?"
Azrael considers the state of the orbital communicator.  No long range communications, so no reaching orbit then, but short and mid will be sufficient to cover the area around the ship.  The missing encryptor unit is annoying but not crippling, and it isn't really necessary for basic jamming of the Xenos craft's signals in any case, Azrael will just need to instruct Maegon how to bypass it.  More complex adjustments will be needed to use it for communications and proper interception, but that can be done after the basic jamming is set up.

"You will need to bypass the encryptor unit.  There is a switch next to the indicator for the encryptor unit, switch it and then open the panel above.  Once you have opened the panel remove the board at the far right, then close the panel again and turn the switch back to its previous position."

With the bypass complete Maegon can set the communicator to simply blast static noise across all frequencies except the narrow bands they are using for their own communications.  The Xenos might eventually be able to find the gaps in the noise, but it would take them time, more than sufficient for Azrael to instruct Maegon in the more complex adjustments that would need to be made.