Liberation of Nova Spera Session 7

CawklesGM	IT IS THE @(!_@#(#(@!!^&...
	CawklesGM	The pit tumbles further into the ground until the darkness pools towards the bottom. Omnious silohouttes flit about the mouth of the pit, staring down wordlessly at the writhing things at the bottom. You are down there, with the maggots, the filth, the snails, the dirt; your limbs do not obey you. All you can do is lie back and watch as the shapes flit about. They begin to heave objects forward, their ephemeral shadow-limbs wrapping around the indistinct figures in their grasp. With a great thrust, they throw the figure down. It's a corpse, a putrid thing black with decay and buzzing with the maddening voice of millions of flies. Then another corpse comes into the pit. Then another. Then another. Soon enough, your senses are overwhelmed by the fetor of decay as the corpses pile up in a gory stew of decaying organs and squirming insects. You're terrified. You want to escape. You can't. Give in. It's easier that way. The blood will flow whether you want it to or not. Your delusional adherence to decency will get you nowhere.
	CawklesGM	The figures bring out one last corpse, heaving the bloated thing in. It lands right on your face, its black flesh pressing against yours nose to nose. It's head the countenance of death, lip-less, eyeless, toothless..the ultimate fate of all living things. Snails and maggots pore out from its distended belly, their writhing forms rubbing mucous and rot across your bare flesh. The stench is overpowering, sharp and unable to be ignored. You close your eyes, trying to picture a place away from here, but a voice brings you back. The corpse on top of you, mangled and unrecognizable, starts talking through a throat so rotted its voice is a death rattle. But you know who is talking to you. You are intimate with its voice. It is the voice of your comrade, your closest ally. As it's mouth opens up to speak, drips of bodily fluid and infant vermin spill forth onto your face.
	CawklesGM	"It's all a lie," The corpse says. "There is no God-Emperor. You die and you rot." You scarcely have time to scream before the dead-thing claws into you.
	CawklesGM	.........
	CawklesGM	.....
	CawklesGM	....
	CawklesGM	IT IS THE 41st MILLENNIUM...
	CawklesGM	It has been a day and a half since the fateful encounter in those dinghy old catacombs. The command squad of Brash Platoon sits recumbent in Objective Albrecht, tense, waiting. Yesterday was far too quiet; lots of maneuvering on everybody's parts, not much gain. The window of opportunity is swiftly closing. Soon enough Operation Cutter Red will have to be aborted. The Blazing Trail forces in the city are not designed for a concentrated bout with the Tau. Everybody present knows this, none more than Captain De Frank. He paces around his hastily set up office, nestled in a carpeted and sealed room on the top floor of the tower. The squad can only watch as he flits hither and yon, drifting from his handsome oak desk to one of the many vox units set up against the wall and back to the map table. He scans the map impatiently, his finger rapping against the wood as Snow Squad watches. They are all waiting for Ishmael and Ayala to return from their dig. Hoping (and praying) that they found something of use down in those accursed halls. They better get here soon, too; if the rumbling outside is any indication, fighting seems set to resume.
	CawklesGM	Captain De Frank looks at the Platoon's resident tech priest. "You there, Red Robed One." He barks. "Is the perimeter defenses secure?" This is the fourth time he's asked that. The answer has been the same every time.
	CawklesGM	Muffin yawns, scratching her bare chest. Kahina quietly sips some tea. The silence is pervasive and awkward, interrupted only by the occasional unintelligible warble from the wall-mounted vox units.
	XMB-173	"Should be."
	Roland	stands at attention while waiting.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	scratches the back of his neck as leans against the far wall of the room, arms crossed as he stares off into the distance, not focusing on anything.
	CawklesGM	De Frank rolls his eyes. "Initiated in the great secrets of that 'Machine God' and all you can give me is a 'should be'..." he grumbles. A solid knock hits the door to his office, and his face suddenly brightens. "Enter!" He yells. The portal swings open and in walks Ayala and Ishmael, staggering under the weight of the equipment they brought with them. Ayala groans as she dumps her gear onto the floor. Captain De Frank would be livid at such an affront to his space but he is too ebullient to care. Their return may bring fantastic news. Ayala helps Ishmael wrangle his gear before waving at De Frank. "Hullo Oliver," She says with a smile. "We're back, and boy do we have something for you." She stoops down into the pile and retrieves an object wrapped in cloth. With a stiff, painful gait, she walks over to De Frank and presses it into his hands. "Look at it. Closely."
	Ishmael	        gives a quick salute before walking over as well.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	pushes off the wall and inches closer to de Frank and co. to try and get a closer look at what he's holding. Izem gives Ishmael a nod as he comes closer.
	Ishmael	        answers with a friendly nod of his own.
	CawklesGM	De Frank unwraps the thing. A disturbingly pristine, polished dagger glints in the light of the room. The thing is curved, forged from some blackened steel that does look like anything ever mined from the surface of Nova Spera. Strange, rune like characters adorn its hilt and upon brandishing it, said runes hum as the swift blade effortlessly slices through the air. De Frank regards it with curious eyes, his face lighting up with some sort of...strange exuberance.
	CawklesGM	"God-Emperor, he's right..." He mutters. "You have earned your pay, Miss Hoglah. Did you find anything else of note?" Ayala turns to her colleague and nods. "Ish found a sequence of pictograms in the hidden shrine that we found this little darling artefact in. He recorded them for your viewing pleasure. They depict the Shadows that blow across the dunes in the greatest detail we've seen yet.
	CawklesGM	As you can see," She says picking up the sketches and showing them to all assembled. "This time the shadows are definite figures. Note the pointy heads and chitin-like exterior." She shows how the figures, descending from sky-ships, do battle against the robed Warriors of Light, dragging some away into parts unknown. De Frank nods enthusiastically. "He's definitely right. Miss Hoglah, see your way to the bottom floor please. I need to do...things." His demeanor is suddenly much more severe as he practically shoves the woman out, her protests a mere squeak. Her glasses tumble from her face as she pushed out the door. Her last words are "I STILL HAVE MORE-" before the slam of the portal drowns her out completely. He adjusts his uniform and walks back to his desk. "Snow Squad, ATTEN-SHUN!"
	CawklesGM	Jurdik, Kahina, Issam, Bartleby, Abbass, and all the other comrades of Snow Squad quickly file into line. All their faces looks puzzled...and sour.
	Ishmael	        stands to attention after a small but noticeable moment of displeasure at the way his colleague was treated.
	Roland	        falls into line at attention.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	falls in line at the end, standing to attention.
	XMB-173	        adjusts his posture into something vaguely resembling the rest of the squad's.
	CawklesGM	"Alright," De Frank begins, taking a seat at his desk. "These discoveries change things. I have a mission for Brash Platoon. You were supposed to defend this position whilst today's assault went underway, but now I require your considerable skills to...acquire some things for me. North of here, about five kilometers away, is a worker's hab on the Goldbar and Co Manufactorum grounds. We have known it to be a Cohort safe house for some time. Master Rashingh," He turns to Ishmael. "You will take Snow Squad, Rattle Squad, and Welder Squad and go to this house. 'Deal' with all of those inside. Those who show you the most trouble...capture them. Alive. And bring them back to me. Lt. Kassem and Sergeant Nerat will see your strike force out and conduct the defense while you are gone. Do I make myself understood?"
	CawklesGM	Muffin groans audibly. "Meh haff tah steh, ten? Wuh piddly shite tis is..." She mutters
	CawklesGM	"PFC Muffin..." De Frank mutters, a rising anger in his voice. The woman shuts her mouth.
	Ishmael	        nods. "Just to be sure. We are to clear out a safe house and capture anyone of note?"
	Roland	        "Sir, Yes Sir." Roland say as he salutes.
	Ishmael	        "Sir, we can always use an extra lasgun."
	Ishmael	        "Also, does this have to do with a certain employer?"
	CawklesGM	"Anyone who causes a *problem*," He says with a wink. "But other than that, yes, you are correct. And you may take anyone you-" He pauses at Ishmael's question. He stands up and walks over to the officer, putting his hand on his shoulder in an oddly fatherly way. "Yes. This is for that. Mr. Rose also wanted me to inform you that you should keep yourself available in the near future. He may have a job for you."
	CawklesGM	"And," he continues, "This mission you are engaging in right now is of the utmost important. Reports seems to indicate that you are...soft, Master Rashingh. I trust you'll see this mission through and take care of the safe house."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz audibly groans.
	Ishmael	        "Got i- is there a problem, Izem?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Nothing at all, sir." Izem gives Ish a knowing look.
	Ishmael	        nods. "Very well. Anyways, understood, sir."
	Roland	        stands there somewhat uncomfortably because of what De Frank said.
	Ishmael	        "Right, we are moving out. Snow squad, get ready to move in fifteen."
	CawklesGM	De Frank nods. "Alright dis-" He is interrupted by the door being thrown open. Young Tali struts in, looking heartier than ever, a bundle of papers underneath her arm. She salutes Captain de Frank. "Captain," the little girl says with cool military confidence, a smirk on her face. "We received three fire orders, but until those ammo shipments come in we can only do one." De Frank scratches his head. "Tell the Master of Ordnance, young lady." Tali squeaks and turns to Ishmael, taking her fire orders out from underneath her arms.
	Ishmael	        quickly takes the papers and examines each order.
	CawklesGM	"Alright Mr. Rashingh, we got one from the 23rd Armored Calvary requesting a fire mission to destroy a cohort AT position so they can relieve a pinned down EoD team...one from a Red Guard commando team asking for a screen to cover their assault of a Cohort rocket position...and...and..." She scratches her head looking at the last fire order. "This is all garbled. All numbers and stuff. I can't read it."
	XMB-173	        "May I take a look?"
	Ishmael	        hands it over to XMB while also taking a look. "Let us see."
	Ishmael	        rushes over to the map
	XMB-173	        "Coordinates. A very accurate fire order. Too bad there's no other information."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	rounds up his gear in the mean time.
	Roland	        goes to gather his gear.
	Ishmael	        "Let's see what they want down..."
	CawklesGM	De Frank whistles at Roland. "Before you leave, trooper, I got a message for you from base." He presses a piece of parchment into his hand.
	Ishmael	        "Too vague... give the Red Guards their screen. And thank you, Tali."
	CawklesGM	Tali beams. "My pleasure, Master Rashingh." She bids a hasty exit. Jurdik smiles gently. "Good girl," he smirks. "Developing a healthy love of explosives at such a young age."
	Ishmael	        "Well, that'll keep her away from the thick of it at least."
	Roland	        takes the parchment from De Frank and salutes him before making his leave.
	XMB-173	        "Most excellent. I am certain young women such as herself will be instrumental in the regrowth of this planet's society once the occupiers have been removed."
	Ishmael	        "Muff, grab Rattle and Welder for me, will you?"
	Ishmael	        "Anyways..." He then looks at De Frank. "Anything else, Sir?"
	Roland	        makes his way to his bunk. He sits down and opens the parchment and reads over it.
	Roland	        finishes reading the note and smiles, he then puts the parchment away in his pocket.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	slides over to XMB and gets his attention with a tap on the shoulder.
	CawklesGM	Muffin salutes, smiling a goofy grin. "Yessar yessar, meh semble tah chapz sah weh kin git doon to tah nookleer sub fer some piddly widdly!"
	Roland	        gathers up all his gear a readies to head out.
	Ishmael	        gulps and makes for the door. "Sometimes I think she doesn't even understand herself..."
	XMB-173	        "Yes, Izem?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	unholsters his Boog Ranger Pistol and hands it to him. "How hard would it be for you to make ammunition for this?"
	XMB-173	        "Not at all. I'd just need some brass, lead, copper, and phosphorus for the primers. Match-heads would work."
	XMB-173	        "Brass can be acquired from spent shells or even lipstick tubes, lead and copper are all over the place here."
	XMB-173	        "Bit of an odd caliber, but I can handle it."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"I've heard the Boog Rangers make a variety of round for this that packs a bigger punch, enough so that it renders many armors like scroll-paper to water. I assume you'd be able to make those as well?"
	XMB-173	        "Of course. Though I'd make them faster if you could provide an example of the round, so that I know what they're made of."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"I'm afraid I have none at the moment. Hence why I asked. The Quartermaster back at the Argos told me he's been having problems acquiring any, given the increase in activity."
        XMB-173	        "One will do."
	XMB-173	        "Or you could ask for a copy of the schematics."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Guess I'll need to find one somehow then," Izem sighs.
	CawklesGM	It takes only minutes to get the squads assembled outside Objective Albrecht. Amm is high in the sky; the Qalyatan Noon is boiling hot, and this far into the city there is a no sea breeze to cool one down. The stark ugliness of the city is laid bare; warfare has turned the Tareb gate district into a burning crater. A thick pall of smoke gathers deeper in the city, and the sound of battle thunders in the distance. Ziida and her cunts wait impatiently outside; Sergeant Roxy and her squad assembled quickly as well. Private Samsara waves with enthusiasm as Snow Squad approaches. "Hi!" She beams. Ziida slaps her upside the head, eliciting a dark chuckle from Jain.
	CawklesGM	Sergeant Ace Nerat is down there already, wrangling the two undisciplined squads.
	CawklesGM	Abbass clciks his tongue. "Doing a mission with Jain again? Hoo boy. [Bazir] God-Emperor Help us."
	Roland	        once outside, he walks over to Izem.
	Ishmael	        nods and salutes at the squads. "Alright, we have a job to do for the good captain. We are to assault a Cohort safe house and capture anyone that seems particularly troublesome."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	[Bazir] "Ace will get her sent back soon enough."
	Roland	        "Izem, Ishmael, may I speak with you two for a moment."
	Ishmael	        looks at Roland and approaches. "What's the matter?"
	CawklesGM	Sergeant Ziida smiles. "Sounds good," she says. Sergeant Roxy puts on an air of faux hauteur, not responding.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	looks to Ish before shrugging and turns to Roland.
	CawklesGM	For a solider, Sergeant Roxy doesn't look like one; a middle aged woman coated in gaudy make up, she looks like she stopped out of a brothel rather than a barracks.
	Roland	        waves them to come closer.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	Izem moves closer towards Roland.
	Roland	says    to them quietly, "What De Frank said about this being a mission for Mr. Rose is a lie, I don't know who this mission is really for, but he is lying about it."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"He's shifty enough for me to believe that. Dwelling on it won't really help though..."
	Ishmael	        "Well... I suppose we'll find out on the way. If we see anything off we'll reconsider. That sounds agreeable?"
	Roland	        "I would suggest we approach this mission with a lot of caution."
	Ishmael	        "Don't we always?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"I hope so." [Bazir] "I really hope so."
	CawklesGM	Kahina looks at the huddling crowd. "Care to fill us in, gentlemen?" She says, annoyed. The other two squads, likewise, putter about impatiently. No doubt the constant parade of explosions is setting them on edge. A trio of whistling shells fly overhead, almost deafening in their report. Moments later, there are three earth shaking explosions. The motion almost makes one feel sick.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	nods at both Ish and Roland before falling back in with the squad. He then leans over to Kahina before saying, [Qom] "De Frank is not being truthful, the snake that he is. Our assignment isn't as it seems according to our resident sharp-shooter."
	Ace_Nerat	Walks up to the crowd with a smile, Armed with his powerfist and powermaul dangling from his belt
	Ace_Nerat	"Hello ladies."
	Roland	        falls back in with the squad next to Abbass.
	Ace_Nerat	gives a sharp glance to Ziida
	Ishmael	        sighs and rolls his eyes before turning around. "Master Sargeant."
	Ace_Nerat	"Looks like De Frank is at it again, but what can we do? We are just lowly foot soldiers." he chuckles
	CawklesGM	Ziida respectuflly nods at the master sergeant whilst Jain stews in nervous rage. Kahina nods at Izem. [Qom]"Ra'iib dog. We should put his head on a pike."
	Roland	        looks over at Ziida's squad and looks at Jain, In the back of his mind, the events that happened at the manufactorum a day and a half ago.
	CawklesGM	Jurdik scoffs. [Qom]"That's too honorable, kinwoman. Crucifixation seems more appropriate."
	Roland	        whispers to Abbass, "Hey, make sure to keep your guard up today, no telling what we will encounter."
	CawklesGM	Abbass looks at Roland askance. "Same as always then, huh brother?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	nods slowly, not entirely agreeing on such barbaric methods.
	Roland	        "I would say to keep your guard up more then usual."
	Ace_Nerat	"Wonder what Hellhole we will walk into today."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"What do you mean, MSgt? We're already here." Izem chuckles darkly at that.
	Ace_Nerat	"Hey, at least we aren't getting shot at yet."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Yes sir."
	CawklesGM	And with that, the assembled squads move towards their objective. Ziida's cunts are on point; Jain gives everybody present a terse warning about the Cohort's love of IEDs...and grox traps. Such warnings make the walk all the more nerve wracking as the assembled host slowly advances into the Tareb gate dsitrict. The bombed out warzone looks nigh uninhabitable, yet scores of civilians are still about. their haggard look, turgid with fear, speaks of their desperation. They have nowhere to go. Everywhere they run, they find only more terror and chaos. The fighting is intense, causing you all to huddle and shuffle quickly through the streets. Las and plasma fire echo between the mutilated buildings and piles of rubble. The rockets that once streamed through the sky, however, do not appear; looks like that Red Guard Commando team did their job. As the squad steals away into a maze of alleyways on the way to their objective, something seems off...
	CawklesGM	Jain is moving forward beside Roland, fearlessly advancing until Roland spots something hiding a pile of trash before them...
	Roland	        grabs Jain and pulls her away from the grox trap.
	CawklesGM 	She cries out in terror, fruitlessly batting at Roland, whose touch she finds repulsive. It's only until she sees the glinting metal in the pile does she breath a sigh of relief. "Good work, ra'iib." She says in a...disturbing monotone.
	Ishmael	        looks at the pair as he approaches, rifle at the ready. "What's going on here?"
	Roland	        "You're welcome." Roland says back to Jain.
	Roland	        points out the metal object hidden in the pile of trash to Ishmael.
	Ace_Nerat	"We should take that with us."
	Ishmael	        "At the very least neutralize it..."
	CawklesGM	Ziida walks over, takes a metal pole lying nearby, and jams it into the center. The trap snaps closed around the pole. She wrenches the thing out. "Good thinking, Master Sergeant."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	follows along, his lascarbine comfortable in his grip. "Good eye, Roland."
	Roland	        "Thanks Izem, that was a close one."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"A little too close...." Izem eye's Jain's bionic leg before looking away and moving up.
	CawklesGM	Muffin snorts.
	CawklesGM	"Meh weesh tah chikky cannae seen tah ting an' loss 'er otter leg. Dum beetch..."
	Ishmael	        "Good eye, Roland... you'll be on point from here on out."
	CawklesGM	Jain whips around. "Say that to my face you whore."
	Roland	        "Hey you two calm down now."
	Ace_Nerat	"Don't make me gag both of you."
	Roland	        steps between both Jain and Muffin.
	Ishmael	        turns to the two arguing squadmates. "You two, cool it!"
	CawklesGM	Muffin walks up to Jain, a smug smile on her face. "Me seh taht yoo shuldie looz ya odder hoof ya deek 'ead betch moh fokken tosspaht CUNT."
	XMB-173	        watches the exchange with an air of amusement. Not that anyone in the squad can tell.
	Ishmael	        grabs Muffin and pulls her away.
	Roland	        again gets between Jain and Muffin.
	Ace_Nerat	"Jain, back off before I have to send you home."
	CawklesGM	"Yeh LOOKI!" Muffin sneers. "Teez boyos dunn wanna meh tah keek yer reer...yeht. Tay 'ate ya, ya kno! Tay wenna seh ya DED, cunt!"
	Ishmael	        rushes to try and put his hand on Muffin's mouth mid sentence.
	Roland	        looks at Muffin "Shut the fuck up Muffin and save it for later."
	CawklesGM	Jain listens to her superior officers and figures it would make a better point to act like an adult. She marches on. Ziida rolls her eyes. "But a muzzle on that Boog, Ace," She says coldly. She pushes her squad forward.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	pinches the bridge of his nose. [Bazir] "Ridiculous."
	CawklesGM	Kahina joins XMB in his amusement.
	Ace_Nerat	"Muffin, to me, and one more word and I'll skin you."
	CawklesGM	"Metal man, you must believe us enfleshed creatures are an odd bunch, hm?" Kahina says. "I am starting to agree with your view."
	Ace_Nerat	"Continue moving."
	Roland	        turns and continues onward.
	CawklesGM	Muffin glares, spits, and continues moving.
	Ishmael	        moves along with Muffin. "Muff... please try to keep such words to yourself. At least out on the field, please. Something like that can get us all killed."
	CawklesGM	"'avin' a cray cunt onna feel iz wot gun' git us kilt, Ish." The squad keeps moving. Sergeant Roxy, taking the rear, can only guess what just occurred. She shrugs, lights a lho, and keeps moving...
	Ishmael	        whispers back. "I know, I know. But until we can get her put in rear echelon duty, we need to make the best of our hand. You understand, right?"
	XMB-173	        "To be honest, I see most of my former brethren in the same light."
	XMB-173	        "Both groups are extremes on the spectrum of emotion."
	XMB-173	        "One suppresses their emotions even when they would be required for maximum efficiency, the other does the opposite."
	XMB-173	        "I am still adamant that the stunted woman is irrevocably insane, however."
	Rajh_Tara	uncloaks behind the squad and follows.
	Ishmael	        looks at Rajh. "Where did you come from?"
	CawklesGM	Kahina tilts her head at XMB's response. Country bumpkins from backwater planets seem to be wholly ignorant of the ways of the Imperium. No matter; conversation ceases as the objective nears in sight. It looks like your small team has successfully slipped past the worst of the fighting. The manufactorum complex is massive; far larger than the manufactorums on the outskirts of the district.
	CawklesGM	The towering ten story tall building once produced bullets for the famed boog pistol in the millions. Now, it is a gutted ruin. The equally large hab blocks in the complex are equally destitute and unfortunate looking. These habs look more like barracks than proper housing but clearly maximum space was in mind when creating these buildings. The northeastern building, according to your briefing, is the safehouse. It's noon so nobody is above ground. The windows, shorn of their glass, stare ominously at the approaching squad...
	XMB-173	        "What a quaint little manufactora."
	Rajh_Tara	[Mahdi] "From behind?"
	CawklesGM	Roxy and Ziida direct their squads to the fore, arms raised. They slowly advance to the bottom floor of the hab...
	CawklesGM	+First floor clear+ Ziida reports, the sound of crunching glass audible over vox. +Second Floor clear, boys~+ Roxy coos over the vox.
	Ace_Nerat	"Move in squad."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	does so appraising how the floor looks as he enters.
	Roland	        nodes and moves in to the building, setting his Triplex Pattern Lasgun to burst mode.
	Ishmael	        moves in.
	Rajh_Tara	readies his Pulse Rifle and follows.
	XMB-173_	gets his staff out and follows
	CawklesGM	Snow Squad enters quietly. The bottom floor looks like a reception/office space, its once parchment laden desks turned over, scorched, or otherwise destroyed. The floor is littered with insects, broken glass, shredded parchment...memories of a better time lying destroyed upon the floor. A pack of wild canids, combing through the ruins, flee at the approach of the squad as they search the first floor for what they seek. It doesn't take long; a concealed staircase in the maintenance room, covered by both a chained up door and some charred carpets.
	CawklesGM	Jurdik huffs and picks up the padlock, yanking against the chain. "They're definitely down there," he grunts.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Sounds like a job for our metal comrade."
	XMB-173	        "Give me a moment."
	Ishmael	        raises a hand.
	Ishmael	        tries to listen in through the doors
	XMB-173	produces a small multitool, flips through it, then inserts one of the things into the lock. He jiggles it for a moment, then stops when the lock goes /click/,
	XMB-173	        "Done."
	CawklesGM	Abbass' jaw drops. "You just picked that lock in 3 seconds flat..! Impressive, brother!"
	Ishmael	        "Shhhh."
	XMB-173	        "It's just a four-tumbler mechanism. Completely mechanical, at that."
	CawklesGM	Despite intervening materials, one cannot hide the sound of near a hundred people squatting in a basement. It sounds like the typical goings on of a squatter camp: chatter, laughter, weeping. The distinct smell of cooked meat wafts through the door as well.
	Ishmael	        "Doesn't sound like cohort...aim down people. Rajh, you get to scout ahead." He then tries to slowly  and quietly open the door.
	Rajh_Tara	nods in agreement and heads through the door.
	Rajh_Tara	equips his cloak and sneaks in.
	Roland	        readies up by the door.
	Ace_Nerat	gets ready to breach and clear.
	XMB-173	        gets ready.
	CawklesGM	As Rajh slowly creeps down the staircase, he sees the gargantuan basement that once probably housed enough food to feed the entire hab complex. Now it's cleared out, sparkling with lumen lamps that reveal the tent city that has taken residence down there. The Divine Cohort Colors are all over the place; White and Blue banners, tents, and streamers adorn the space, clearing up any doubts about this place's purpose. But the Divine Cohort is nowhere to be seen; just men and women, young and old. Children of all ages run about, trying to play as best they can in such a cramped space. Their parents constantly try and hush them, but to no avail; their laughter joins the rest of the hustle and bustle of the camp. God-Emperor...there must be over a hundred refugees down here!
	Rajh_Tara	heads back to the squad.
	CawklesGM	Kahina stares at Rajh expectantly, as does the rest of the squad.
	CawklesGM	"Seh?" Muffin whispers.
	Rajh_Tara	"Well..."
	Roland	        looks at Rajh
	Rajh_Tara	"It's Cohort, but it looks like they are mostly refugees."
	Ishmael	        "Mostly?"
	Rajh_Tara	"Didn't see any guards, but I can't confirm for sure."
	Ace_Nerat	"Well then, let's round them up."
	Ishmael	        "Alright, I'll go take a look."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"So civvies, Raj?"
	Ishmael	        "I say we just get them to move away if they are civies."
	Rajh_Tara	"Yep."
	Ace_Nerat	opens the hatch and enters the basement
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"I doubt they'd just leave, Ish."
	Roland	        "We should be careful."
	CawklesGM	Sergeant Ziida bursts into the room, curious about the commotion. Jurdik fills the woman in, and she nods gravely. "I'll call it in, ask De Frank if our orders stand." She says
	Ishmael	        follows. "Worth a try, I say."
	Rajh_Tara	"They might have some soldiers hiding with the civies."
	Ishmael	        stops and looks at Ziida. "Sounds good. If there are, those are the ones we capture."
	CawklesGM	Ziida nods and goes on her way to call in. Then...there is a great cry. Ace swaggers in with Muffin, their forms immediately panicking the assembled masses. The tent city is suddenly churned into a terrible mess of ruined tents and screaming figures. Several of the smaller children are trampled underneath the feet of adults as the panicked herd of people rush to the far end of the tent city, trying to close ranks and enjoy safety in numbers. Several shouts are heard as the mass retreats.
	CawklesGM	"WHO ARE THEY? ARE WE UNDER ATTACK?!" One asks; another confirms as much. These people are Blazing Trail, and are here to kill them all no doubt.
	Ace_Nerat	+Metal man, I need you.+
	CawklesGM	The crying of children, the wailing of women, the screaming of men; the whirlwind of noise is near defeaning. Trampled children squirm on the ground painfully, their bloody and broken forms weakly trying to make it to safety.
	Roland	        wraps his Chameleoline Cloak around him goes down the stairs as well.
	Rajh_Tara	equips his cloak and follows behind Roland.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Emperor's breath Ace." Izem sighs as he follows him down.
	Ishmael	        rushes down. "HEY, HEY, HEY! WE ARE HERE TO GET YOU FOLKS AWAY FROM HERE. Just leave in an orderly fashion and lets us perform some quick inspections!"
	CawklesGM	In the mean time, Ziida returns from her little trip outside to contact De Frank. She's pale as a ghost.
	CawklesGM	As Ishmael rushes down, Ziida taps Ishmael on the shoulder. She whispers to him. "De Frank wants us to heard them a block down to an empty courtyard of dirt. He wants us to...he wants us to dig a hole."
	Ishmael	        whispers back. "We'll dig his hole, then. I'll fill it with an earthshaker or two."
	Ishmael	        "He better have fun looking for bodies after that."
	XMB-173	        "Wait, so what are we doing, then?"
	XMB-173	        clangs down to Ace.
	XMB-173	        "Yes?"
	CawklesGM	"...These people are aiding the enemy Ishmael," She rationalizes. "They are not civilians."
	Ace_Nerat	"Is there any way I can use your loudhailer?"
	XMB-173	        "They are a resource being used by the enemy. We could use them."
	XMB-173	        "And yes."
	XMB-173	        hands Ace a microphone.
	Ace_Nerat	clears his throat before speaking.
	Ishmael	        "Hey, would you like them to kill our noncombatants for wearing our colours?"
	Ishmael	        "I wouldn't."
	Ace_Nerat	+We demand that you surrender any weapons you have and get on your knees, and resistance will be met with force.+ He says calmly
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	a look of horror is plastered on Izem's face as he makes it to the bottom of the staircase.
	Roland	        sets up half way down the stairs in overwatch
	Rajh_Tara	shadows Roland.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	immediately runs over to the trampled children, doing what he can to help them. [Bazir] "Madness, absolute madness."
	XMB-173	        just watches the civilians
	XMB-173	        "Ace, remind me what the civilian's opinion of the Imperium is, again?"
	Ishmael	        takes a few steps into the room, hands raised.
	CawklesGM	The horde does not budge. Kahina joins Ziida in her protests. "Ishmael," Kahina says dogging his steps. "Our enemy would gladly slay our civilians. By not doing the same we are sending a message. We are soft. We are weak. The people we cannot take will just set up a new safe house, from which our enemies will find succour and launch new attacks to kill our brothers." She glares at her superior officer. [Qom]"Maybe De Frank was right about you."
	Ace_Nerat	"Meh."
	XMB-173	        "A shame. Otherwise, we could have potentially used my presence here to rally them."
	Roland	        whispers to Rajh, "You see anything thing?"
	CawklesGM	The civilains fearfully avoid the Blazing Trail members. Even the trampled children, screaming and in pain, fight Izem's touch with tiny flailing limbs. The tension is rising quite quickly inside this room. Sergeant Roxy trots down with her squad to investigate, and upon seeing the scene immediately raise their lasguns at the crowd.
	Ace_Nerat	"Well, I think you're too foreign friend."
	Rajh_Tara	"Nothing really."
	Ace_Nerat	clears his throat again before using the loudhailer again
	Ishmael	        "Hey, as far as I care. This could be us doing De Frank's personal dirty laundry on-top of everything else. So for now, I'll stick to what I said. Lower your weapons!" He orders at the squad.
	Ace_Nerat	+Last warning, on your knees, or die.+
	Ishmael	        raises his hands and steps out. "Fuck this."
	Roland	        facepalms.
	Rajh_Tara	[Mahdi} "What the fuck is wrong with him?"
	Ishmael	        +I ain't pulling the trigger. I'm just calling a barrage. Everyone out.+
	Roland	        +Hold It+
	XMB-173	        "Are you De Frank's minion, then?"
	Ishmael	        +30 seconds. In or out.+
	XMB-173	        "I thought this cause was for the liberation of the world's humans, not the agenda of some two-bit meatbag officer."
	CawklesGM	Well Ace's attempt at diplomacy begins to fail miserably. At the barked order to surrender or die, the crowd (scared beyond measure now) realizes the grim truth of their situation. Like a cornered animal lashing out one more time, the assembled crowd pushes the children to the back and begin to advance forward. Roxy's squad raises their weapons...as do most of the Snow Squad comrades.
	Ace_Nerat	+I'd watch yourself mate, killing comrades isn't approved of.+
	XMB-173	        "I never said anything about turning on you."
	CawklesGM	"STEP!" Muffin shouts. "STEP ROIGHT THER!" They aren't listening. They continue to march. The comrades begin backing up.
	Ishmael	        +10... 9...+
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	The frustration Izem feels is almost unbearable, they're just children he keeps telling himself, but they won't cooperate. [Bazir] "Shit, cooperate with me, dammit." A tumble of curses amble out of him as he tries, feebly, to work.
	XMB-173	        "Do as you will. I refuse to kill fellow humans, unless in self-defense."
	XMB-173	        turns on his heels and clangs out.
	Rajh_Tara	starts softly praying as he points his gun.
	Ace_Nerat	+If they get too close, open fire.+ he says and runs after Ishmael.
	CawklesGM	A man in the front row begins to draw a knife. Those around him do the same, producing whatever pathetic weapon they have on them. Beat up old pistols, ruffle buts, knives, shanks, chains...they look terrified, desperate. They continue to march.
	Ishmael	        +Everyone up! Last warning!+
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	looks up.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Shit."
	Rajh_Tara	+Run, Doctor. Run.+
	Roland	        keeps his sights on the people.
	CawklesGM	A woman with a length of chain pushes forward. "Get AWAY from him!" She hisses at Izem.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Shit shit shit shit shit shit SHIT SHIT SHIT." Izem falls on his ass, and tries to scrabble away back to his squad. He was so engrossed in trying to help he hadn't been paying attention to the crucial happenings around him.
	CawklesGM	Kahina watches as Izem scurries away. "GET OUT OF THERE!" She screams to her comrade. The crowd is not marching now. They're running. Charging, rather.
	CawklesGM	Sergeant Roxy has seen enough. her and her squad on the stair case open fire.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	runs as if a pack of demons were on his tail.
	Ishmael	        closes his eyes at the sound of lasgun discharges. "Ace, your stun grenades."
	Ace_Nerat	"What, so you can throw them at your own squad?" he says coldly
	Ishmael	        "Give me the grenades or a lot of people will die. Ours and theirs. NOW HAND THEM OVER!"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	Once he reaches the staircase, he bounds up it, taking two steps at a time. In his haste he slips at the second to last step and cracks his knee against the lip. He hisses in pain but manages to reach the top before sitting down.
	Ace_Nerat	turns and charges down the stairs.
	Ishmael	        curses and rushes down, stun grenades in hand and ready to launch at the crowd.
	CawklesGM	Shining las bolts rain from the staircase and into the crowd. The crowd falters, then melts; the front row buckles instantly. The sound of hoarse screams and the smell of burnt flesh fills the air as a torrent of blood and sizzling flesh begins to coat the floor of the former tent city. THe torrent of fire does not cease; more and more die with each volley.
	Ishmael	        uses his grenades in a last ditch effort.
	CawklesGM	The cries of agony are terrifying, mind breaking, bone-chilling; some children that sought of the safety of the back of the crowd now rush forward, tears streaming down their face and howls of pain on their lips. They rush to the broken forms of their parents, their relatives, their caretakers; they hold their bodies, fruitlessly trying to coax life from their broken forms.
	CawklesGM	The grenades find their mark. The squad's firing is not abated by the grenade toss; the crowd, however, is dropped instantly. The crowd of people stumble around blindly, moaning in terror and confusion. Their wretched suffering does not last long; Roxy's squad pours fire into many of the wretches, their forms transfixed by the lances of light. They drop stone dead. A woman, shorn of her legs and shot through the throat, screams soundlessly in pain the likes of which no sane man should experience. By the Emperor, it's a blood bath. The screaming dead, the dying wounded, the crying children, it's like the chorus of the damned playing right in front of this contingent of brash platoon.
	Roland	        +HOLD YOUR FIRE!+ Roland yells into the comm.
	CawklesGM	Roxy sees the stumbling crowd and motions for her squad to cease fire. She lets out a triumphant woop. "Hahahaha, showed thos fucks!" She exults. She goes for a high five from one of her comrades, but their haunted look tells her of her delusional assesment of the situation.
	Roland	        begins to relaxes a bit, "Damn it, this day just went to shit."
	CawklesGM	The crowd is in shambles. About thirty of the near one hundred remains, mostly children, women, and the injured. They mill about the dead, still stunned from the grenade and insensate with pain. Many weep over the corpses of former husbands, brothers, lovers, and sisters. Sergeant Ziida and her squad, hearing the fire, rush down the stairs...and are aghast at what they see.
	Rajh_Tara	"Yep."
	Rajh_Tara	"It could have gotten worse."
	Roland	        "Yes, but I think we are making some bad decisions here."
	CawklesGM	Ziida sees the price of her opinions. "Aghast" Is too weak a word to describe the sheer horror that stretches across her countenance. These really aren't combatants...these are civilians. Jain seems unphased, but the rest of the squad shares her shock.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Yeah, we're already in a hellhole all right," Izem reflects on what he said earlier.
	Ace_Nerat	seeing Ishmael throw a grenade at his comrades, powers up CUPCAKE and bashes it into him. Knocking him unconscious.
	CawklesGM	Jurdik swings to Ace, horrofied. "NERAT WHAT THE FUCK?!"
	Ace_Nerat	+Holy Fucking Emperor that went to shite.+
	Roland	        looks over at ace and just stares at him.
	CawklesGM	Muffin spits. "heh tryna stoon nade atta Rogzee."
	Ace_Nerat	"Those are comrades he just endangered."
	Rajh_Tara	[Mahdi] "I'm surrounded by white idiots."
	CawklesGM	Abbass, his immaculate hair all frizzled and dirty, sighs. "What are we-...What are we going to do with all of these people?"
	Ace_Nerat	"Can we wrangle these people up somehow?"
	Rajh_Tara	"This time without threats."
	CawklesGM	Jain walks towards the crowd. The woman with a shot throat and torn legs is still writhing in agony. She presses her boot against the woman's chest, pressing her flat against the ground. She levels her lascarbine at the woman's head and cooks her brains.
	Roland	        gets up and walks down the stairs.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	+Ace, someone needs to call this in.+
	Roland	        walks over towards the crowd next to Jain as he looks at all the dead and wounded people.
	Ace_Nerat	+Ziida, can you call this mess in?+
	Rajh_Tara	drags Ishmael's unconscious body.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	walks back down the stairs, just enough to see the carnage. He takes a seat on the steps.
	CawklesGM	+...yes+ She says grimly. A moment later she returns on the vox. +He told me to congratulate you and remind you that-+ She swallows hard, clearly disgusted with herself. +-that you should bring those still alive back.+
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	takes off his helmet and dashes it against the staircase. [Bazir] "Fuck that arkwrighter piece of shit. Fuck him! Why don't you fucking come down here and do your own Emperor-forsaken work."
	Roland	        looks around at all the dead, "Damn this just isn't our week is it."
	CawklesGM	Abbaass glumly nods. "I guess one can say that, Roland." He shakes his head and makes his way upstairs. Roxy's squad descends, finishing off the wounding, wrangling those still alive.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	Izem continues his frenzy of rage while ascending back up the stairs, a stream of Bazir, Qom and Low Gothic curses streaming out of his mad form.
	Rajh_Tara	[Mahdi] "By the mother saint, you are heavy."
	Rajh_Tara	yells "A little help?"
	Roland	        walks over to help Rajh with Ishmael.
	Rajh_Tara	"Thanks."
	Roland	        "No problem."
	CawklesGM	The dreary little column makes its way up the stairs, silent like the entourage of a catafalque. They emerge into the boiling, crisp noon air chilled to the bone. No one talks. No one jokes. Many light a reasurring stick of lho, an anchor in this mad reality they have found themselves.