Liberation of Nova Spera Session 12

	CawklesGM	It starts. That distinct smell, that horrid smell, the kind that the nose only notices when the body is not being shot at. The stench of battle. The scent of powder, blood, and bile that mingle together so that the stomach of the warrior might curdle and wretch. Snow Squad is almost thankful to be on their way, stepping over the black clad corpses blanketing the ground, on their way to meet up with their mad Tech-Priest and find their way to that Rawa Kadan fastness that holds their prize. What stands between them? Nearly five kilometers of difficult terrain, all encroaching darkness, and murderous zealots. As the squad strikes further out onto the road, away from the twinkling star that is the friendly village of Da Singh. Figures flit about the chief's house on the hill;
	CawklesGM	looks like the scouts are already absconding with their wounded. It's better this way; at this point in the operation, they'd probably just get in the way. Indeed, numbers would be suffocating if in those tight valleys and trails that snake across the parched and arid landscape. Progress is relatively quick, but a chill wind senses all present with a sense of foreboding...
	CawklesGM	"I'm assuming you gentlemen have a plan," Maurice says, strutting to the front of the group. "Because I sure as shit don't. In fact, dare I say, we are up shit creek."
	Ishmael	        "We kinda need to find the place first..."
	CawklesGM	Muffin spits on the ground. "Yeh ob lil' feth..." Snow Squad makes it farther down the dirt track, slithering into a tight valley flanked by two sizable hills.
	CawklesGM	"Walk and think, then." Maurice says, flashing a little practiced grin.
	Ishmael	        "How much juice do we need?"
	CawklesGM	"We're to meet up with Master Soren," Cynthia states, tapping at a data pad. "We're to meet up with him at a crossroads the locals like to call 'Pact Cross'. From there we'll be well on our way."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"The plan, or at least what we've cobbled together, is we'll hit this FOB your team and the Tech-Priest found get a lorry filled with fuel and hit the village again. Fill up the Aquila and a make a "hot" extraction."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	rubs his sleep deprived eyes as he follows along, behind Maurice.
	Ace_Nerat	"All we gotta do is pinch some fuel, shouldn't be too hard."
	Ishmael	        "Pretty much..."
	Ace_Nerat	"We've faced worse and came through."
	CawklesGM	Jurdik scoffs. "Barely. I don't fancy our chances. Maybe your faith in that Throne idiot is making you think dumb."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"I'm just worried more about the Aquila, and whether or not our comrades made it far enough away that they won't face the consequences of our renewed attack on the village." And many other things, he thinks to himself with a frown.
	Roland	        "Hopefully if we find a good vehicle when we arrive, would make the trip back a lot easier."
	CawklesGM	Abbass takes a lho from his pack and pops it into his mouth...before a gasp immediately has it tumble to the ground. He points a finger at ahead of the group. "Guys. Look."
	Roland	        "The Aquila should be fine, as long as the pilots keep it locked up tight."
	Ishmael	        looks at whatever Abbass has pointed out.
	CawklesGM	Ahead of the group is a gutted caravan of refugees. A wrecked lorry. Several dead grox, buzzing with flies and maggots. Burned out wagon trains stretching a decent half kilometer down the road. Bloodstains. Oh, God-Emperor, the blood stains...
	CawklesGM	But wait a second. Where are the human corpses?
	Ishmael	        "What..."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	[Bazir] "What in Ashura's name?"
	CawklesGM	Maurice shakes his head, walking up to the wrecked truck at the front and tapping it with his cane. At closer inspection, the ground is littered with shafts of filed bone. Some of these missiles are sticking out of grox corpses, like demented pin cushions.
	CawklesGM	Muffin takes one look at the scene and quickly continues forward. "Neh wenna steck rown tah seh oo didda tis."
	Ishmael	        starts to scan around. "Alright people... keep moving and keep your eyes open."
	Roland	        "My god, what happened here?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"A massacre, nothing special it seems."
	CawklesGM	"Devil's work," Abbass states. The baying of feral grox echo throughout the night. It's so unnaturally still and silent out here, the noise nearly causes all present to wet themselves. Ahead of the group, at the back of the caravan, is the group's rendezvous. Pact Cross. A shrouded figure in moldering robes sits serenely at the center, his face shrouded by the cowl of his robe.
	CawklesGM	Muffin gently thumbs her chains axe out of its leather sling. "Fet wolkie, ded a 'ead."
	Ishmael	        takes a knee and aims his rifle.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	shoulders his lascarbine.
	CawklesGM	Snow Squad tenses. Maurice looks at the group and points his cane at the man. "That your guy? I mean he looks crazy and robe-y enough."
	Roland	        readies his rifle.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	+Soren?+
	Ishmael	        "I don't think so... you might want to stay back."
	CawklesGM	Maurice nods. The robed man laughs, a hoarse chuckle that is all too familiar...
	CawklesGM	"It's a-coming, it's a-coming, and now it's a-here. Can you believe it? You all made it far. Farther than we thought. Honestly, I'm impressed. The Dark finagling does not touch thee."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	tenses, his finger wraps around the  trigger of his weapon.
	Ishmael	        raises a hand. "How are you even here? Now?"
	Roland	        "Oh boy, its him again."
	Ace_Nerat	"Not you again."
	CawklesGM	He looks up, a grey and white beard tumbling off his face, his one good eye twinkling with malicious glee. "I have me ways, boy. I move in ways that false gods can't understand. Come here, sit, let us talk. We stand upon the cross roads. Say, Son of Ashura, what do you know about cross roads?"
	CawklesGM	He points his bony finger at Ishmael.
	Ishmael	        "I know I can cross them? Besides that, lots of weird deals are rumored to happen in them. The unnatural kind."
	Ishmael	        "Is that what you are getting at?"
	CawklesGM	"Astute, yes. I am here to offer you a deal. Another deal, rather. One perhaps similiar to the one your leader denied. An exchange of goods. I see the sinful things that swirl in your hearts...Murder is on thy minds. Murder is my specialty. I am willing to offer the services of myself and my peers, in your quest to acquisition your blood price. In exchange, I only ask for the rights to the bodies of the slain. This is fair, yes?" The man gargles on phlegm, spitting out the green thing into the center of the crossroad. "Or maybe..Or maybe you want something else. I smell a man who has killed and it weighs heavily upon him. Beneath the smile of Manat, no death need be permanent...if he is willing to pay."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Deal? What deal?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"What deal did my brothers and sisters deny with you, stranger?"
	CawklesGM	"Weapon for weapon. An exchange. I needed their arms to deny the urges and fight my lord when he deigns to return, but I was denied. You have labored under my disfavor ever since, yes?"
	Ishmael	"Well, as far as I'm concerned... I'd rather not take another bargain..."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	furrows his brow in thought, and then shivers, he scratches idly at the remaining bandages on his body from that red-tinged night weeks ago.
	Roland	"Who is this man you speak of?"
	CawklesGM	The man shrugs. "Your lord says no deal, so no deal there shall be. Oh well, I wish thee the best of luck on your death-quest, then. Hark, your ally approaches!" The man's bony finger points towards the darkness, where a shadowy figure of billowing robes approaches slowly.
	XMB-173 	"Good news, everyone!"
	XMB-173 	"I have found fuel!"
	Roland  	"Yeah, Pounder told us."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Safe journeys to you old man."
	Ishmael 	sighs and lowers his rifle. "We've heard..."
	CawklesGM	Maurice clasps his hands. "Finally! Good fucking news. Lead the way, red man. This old man is creeping me out...and he smells like rot. Throne Emperor man, take a bath!"
	XMB-173 	"Very well, follow me."
	CawklesGM	The old man merely chuckles as his bony limbs lift him off the ground. He watches the procession pass, his eyes staring at each and every Snow Squad member. As Maurice passes, his black grin stretches across his face and he whispers something to the man. Maurice turns pale and speeds the man on his way with his cane before jogging to rejoin his toadies. He looks particularly ashen and distant.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"How many enemies are we going to be dealing with, Soren?"
	Ishmael 	"What was that, Rose?"
	XMB-173 	"A lot."
	Roland  	"Any transportation we can steal?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"I see."
	CawklesGM	The path towards the FOB is mostly clear from then on out. Lots of broken terrain, small rivers, and emptiness. The only evidence of habitation are the occasional footprint crossing the tracks and game trails your force use. Where are the Rawa? Weren't they encircling your position?
	XMB-173 	"Trucks, yes."
	XMB-173 	"Full of promethium."
	CawklesGM	Maurice turns to Ishmael, and looks at the Master of Ordinance with a harried glance. "He said he met an old...'friend' of mine. The kind of friend you know, hope, and wish are dead."
	Roland  	"Well that will make getting out of there some what easier."
	CawklesGM	Abbass pumps his fist. "Fuel on wheels. These bastards are making it too easy."
	Ishmael 	"Anything we could help with?"
	Roland  	"Thats if we can get to the truck and drive it out of there without alerting the entire base Abbass.
	CawklesGM	"We've got it under control, Roland. We've done nutty shit like this so many times I think we're incapable of losing at this point." Abbass relights another lho. Muffin shakes her head ruefully. "O'er confi biggast enmee, roight necks tuh tah klep an' me mum. Geddy ya 'ead outta ya oss Abby."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Think the Aaftab were bluffing about their encirclement?"
	Roland  	"So this is a sneaking mission right?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"If we can keep it that way."
	CawklesGM	"It wouldn't surprise me," Jurdik says. "For priding themselves so much on piety and honesty, they are a bunch of barbaric snakes. Also...get down. I think we're about here."
	Roland  	gets down as the move forward.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	shakes his head at that before crouching.
	CawklesGM	And he's right. Reaching the pinnacle of the rocky hill, it's slope drops down into a depression in which the FOB sits. A sprawling complex of mud, stone, and ferrocrete, the FOB is drenched with lights... and gruesome decorations. It's a square affair with a central courtyard crawling with mill troops, men, women, and children...as well as two doughty looking trucks with gigantic fuel tanks.
	CawklesGM	On the outside, there are more patrolling troops, outlier buildings (with patrolling sentries on the roof), and something that the reports neglected to mention...a Leman Russ Battle Tank sitting at the entrance.
	Roland  	"Well, look at what we got here, a bloody tank."
	Roland  	"So who wants to steal it?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	curses under his breath.
	CawklesGM	"Feck me asssssss....!" Muffin says, shaking her head, crawling on the ground. She squeaks as the gravel rubs against her chest. Near the top, Pounder and his boys are laying flat on their bellies, watching the comings and goings of the base. This place hardly seems welcoming...between the crucifixes bearing skeletons dotting the landscape, and spikes with heads sticking on them standing mute vigil, this place looks positively hellish. As Snow Squad approaches, they see a flood of women and children file towards the entrance, near the flanks of the Leman Russ. Demure, stoic, and clad in body hiding robes, these women wait silently with children hanging off their arms. They await the arrival of the squad of Rawa Kadan fighters marching up the road...
	CawklesGM	Pounder waves everybody over. His sharpshooter, Chuka, is watching the procession through the scope of her modified hellgun. Hush, the heavy bolter man, and Venkman, the Plasma gunner, chuckle as Snow Squad crawl over. They probably take exception to their crawling technique.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"So I take it you don't have any ideas on how we approach this?" Izem whispers to everyone after crawling to the stormtroopers.
	Roland  	"I say we sneak in, take the tank and use it as a distraction, then have the others steal the trucks."
	CawklesGM	Maurice, not wanting to get his uniform dirty, crawls over with reluctance. His busty secretary, accustomed to desk work, takes to the crawling with even less enthusiasm. She constantly flicks bits of dirt and grime out of her precisely styled brown hair.
	XMB-173 	"I could rig something to explode if you can sneak me inside."
	XMB-173 	"Hell, I could even rig some explosives to my chest and detonate them, and survive."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Like a shaped charge?"
	CawklesGM	Maurice mulls the issue over. He swears when he sees the tank. "That's supposed to be 450km north of here. How the fuck did it get down here? Ah, nevermind..."
	CawklesGM	"I sold these assholes their weapons. I can try to smuggle you boys inside. See what we can do from in there."
	Roland  	"True, though  was thinking of using the tank itself as the distraction, that's if we can get inside."
	XMB-173 	"Yes."
	Roland  	looks at Maurice, "You really think you can do that?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Soren could be the distraction for you to get the tank, to further distract them from getting the fuel truck?"
	CawklesGM	Maurice shakes his head. "Or we can take some advantage of what's going on right now. Look." You look. The soldierly procession has reached the waiting horde of women and children, and dozens of the women are dropping to the floor, wailing and crying alongside their children. Pounder chuckles as the returning soldiers talk to more and more of the women.
	CawklesGM	"Look like they're telling the wives of the men ya'll killed and what you did." Pounder smirks. "Their day's just gonna get worse from here, eh?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Shut the fuck up Ra'iib, they may be our enemy but they're still human." Izem visibly glares at the man.
	CawklesGM	"How cute," Chuka says through her thick accent. "Brat, you better shake that feeling now."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	clicks his tongue in rage. [Bazir] "Can't believe these assholes."
	CawklesGM	Muffin scratches her chin, thinking. "Ay, theesa milly men yeh? Mebbe tay ainnae seen no wom inna yers or sumting. Mebbe...MEBBE..."
	CawklesGM	Jurdik sighs. "Muffin, I think this is one of the few situations in which your BJs WON'T help us."
	CawklesGM	"Yeh ser?"
	CawklesGM	"Yes Muffin, I'm sure."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"That won't work Muffin...Aaftab are too traditional for the likes of you."
	CawklesGM	Muffin fumes. "TAH LOIKZ OF MEH? WEH YOO TRYNA SEH BOYO?! YOO TRYNA COLL MEH A SLOOT?!"
	CawklesGM	"Muffin, be quiet! Throne Emperor!" Abbass says, punching her side.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	covers her mouth. "Can we discuss this later? After we're done not getting shot."
	CawklesGM	Maurice sighs as XMB's servitor burbles some machine code. The mourning at the front of compound continues as the Leman Russ's turret scans the surrounding area. Upon closer inspection, the tank is covered with tapestries, devotional iconography...and skulls.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Now, what if we get your boys to flank from the right, down the creak, hit that big gun, use it to blow the tank and then we steal a truck and leg it?"
	XMB-173 	inspects the skulls with his magnoculars. Are they Imperial, or some kind of heretical motif?
	CawklesGM	Hush, the heavy bolter man, heaves his heavy weapon into his heavily muscled arms and begins to strike off down the hill. Sergeant Pounder looks like he's going to shout as his subordinate, but trusts his judgement and crawls after him. Most of his soldiers do the same. Chuka stays on the hill, her metal head scanning for targets with her rifle.
	Roland  	"Well looks like their patrols are disorganized, looks like they don't really expect any trouble."
	Roland  	"Also the tank commander is an older man."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"We can use that to our advantage. Hmmm."
	Roland  	"Though we can always just take out the turret of the tank, then it won't be able to fight back."
	CawklesGM	"That sounds solid, but it'll probably raise tons of hell." Maurice says, teasing idea in his head. "We could bide our time."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Sounds good, while you do that the rest of us will start firing on the blocks of infantry, we'll make it appear as a much bigger force that we really are. Especially if we can get the rest of you guys," he motions to the stormtroopers, "firing at them in different places."
	Roland  	"I'm going to need a heavy weapon then."
	Ace_Nerat	"Maybe I could try and smash it." he says, breaking his silence, indicating the tank
	Roland  	looks at Ace, "If you want to die."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Aren't you better at smashing people?"
	Ace_Nerat	shrugs.
	CawklesGM	"Muh boss kin smash anyting," Muffin asserts with some pride.
	Roland  	"Except a tank."
	CawklesGM	"'Speshy a tank," Muffins says. Abbass rolls his eyes. Out the corner of your eye, you see the Storm trooper squad crawling in the water...
	Ace_Nerat	claps muffin on the back
	Ace_Nerat	"You know it!"
	Roland  	takes the rocket launcher and moves into positioning.
	Rajh_Tara  	hides behind cover.
	CawklesGM	As the storm trooper squad crawls into the basin, a lumen globe suddenly alights on the eastern sentry building. It lingers for a moment...and then...
	CawklesGM	[Qom]"CONTACT! CONTAAAACT! IN THE RIVER! BROTHERS, TO ARMS!"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	[Bazir] "Shit!"
	Ace_Nerat 	"Bloody hell."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"You may want to tell your comrades to leg it, we should probably start now, eh?"
	Roland  	+Ready when you are.+
	CawklesGM Maurice swears as the harsh shrill the klaxon howls in the base. He begins to slide down the hill with his secretary, towards the low wall...
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	slides down to one of the low walls as well, making ready.
	Roland  	readies the rocket launcher.
	Rajh_Tara	sneaks to Ace's position.
	CawklesGM	As the klaxons blare and the yells of soldiers fill the air, Abbass pats Roland on the shoulder. "Fire true, brother!" He screams over the din.
	Roland  	time begins to slow down as Roland pulls the trigger, the rocket exits the launcher and makes it way to the Leman Russ hitting it on the turret.
	XMB-173 	starts blaring a slightly distorted version of a popular prayer song's mp3 he downloaded at the base.
	CawklesGM	The missile launches, streaking across the darkness like an incandescent star of destruction. It slams forcefully against the turret; soon after, a smoke round launched by Jurdik hits the metal beast square in the turret. The screams of the rawa sound more panicked now!
	CawklesGM	Rajh the Red Guard pops out of his hiding place, gunning down two surprised Rawa Kadan before they even raise their rifles. The women and children at the entrance trample one another in a panic as the attack starts.
	CawklesGM	Izem lays down a hail of suppressing fire on the Rawa; they began to regain their composure, and seem to be readying a counter attack...
	CawklesGM	Rajh, drawing on his training and expertise, squeezes off two more shots; two more twitching corpses hit the floor, dead before they even realize they're shot.
	CawklesGM	The Leman Russ surges forward, enraged by the indignation of the attack! First it's lascanon coughs, flying over Rajh's shoulder. Then one of its Heavy bolters opens up, missing the bralwer completely. The other, however, finds its mark...
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	turns towards the Leman Russ, and time seems to slow to a crawl, a very heavy crawl. His thoughts however still fly as fast as lightning. A memory of his father flashes, then his mother as his eyes align with one of the sponson turrets. He sees a flash, then two, then three.... [Bazir] "Emperor-"
	CawklesGM	A fusiliade of heavy bolter shells fly towards the unsuspecting Izem Abn Anaruz, tearing into him like the fists of an angry god. The bolts rip through him, riddling his body with explosive shrapnel. A fist sized explosion then rips into the man's left arm, tearing it clean off. The look of shock, horror, and pain crosses his face as the black waves of agony drag him into the darkness, an attempt to tear the lease of his life out of his tenacious grip...
	CawklesGM	"IZEEEEM!" Muffin screams, pointing at the man who just went down. The storm troopers rush forward, attacking the leman russ with some success...but the Rawa keep coming!
	Rajh_Tara	"By the Emperor."
	Roland  	A shot from the Earth shaker cannon hits behind Roland and Abbass, "Shit."
	CawklesGM	Off on the east flank, the storm trooper squad catches an intense hail of fire; four figures hit the floor. Maurice swears loudly, keeping his head down as heads to Izem's position.
	CawklesGM	Ace scrambles away from the bloody Rawa troop and leaps onto the Leman Russ! Muffin huffs after him, her chest heaving with exertion as she lugs all her gear on her back.
	Rajh_Tara	dodges the heavy bolter shots.
	CawklesGM	The battle canon roars as its shell slams into Roland. For a moment, the world stands still and fear reigns. Fearlessly diving on his comrade, Roland saves Abbass from the worst of the damage. But Roland is not so lucky. The exploding shrapnel turn his right arm into a a nonexistent gory mess. He manages to get one missile off, but his wounds stagger his shot and cause him to miss. He stumbles down, his buddy Abbass trying to keep him conscious despite suffering nasty wounds himself.
	Roland  	"Goddamn it" Roland says in a lot of pain after firing the missile.
	CawklesGM	"CHYORT!" Chuka Screams, babbling some Vonayan curses as she shoulders her rifle and takes aim at the earthshaker canon at the compound. Enraged by the deaths of her comrades, she blows the shell out of one of the loader's hands. The entire platform goes up in fire!
	XMB-173  	"YOUR MACHINE SPIRITS TURN AGAINST YOU, FOR THEY SEE THEIR TRUE SPIRITUAL LIEGE! SURRENDER NOW, INFIDELS!"
	CawklesGM	Pounder gives XMB a hearty slap on his shoulder. "SHUT UP AND GET IN THOSE FETHIN' TRUCKS, NOW! FUCKIN' NOW!"
	Rajh_Tara	guns down the soldiers firing at Ace.
	CawklesGM	The woman and children seem to be streaming out of the back entrance of the base, fleeing what they think to be a major attack. Certainly it sounds like one; all the explosions are bone rattling and terrifying.
	Roland  	looks at Abbass, he coughs up some blood, "If I die today, take my gun and kill them all."
	CawklesGM	Ace leaps and bounds up the tank, punching a hole clean through the hatch and taking the the tank commander by the collar of his robe as he leaps inside, laying about the Leman Russ crew with his power fist.
	CawklesGM	...The tank driver panics at the sound, and he can scarecely hear the pitiful screams and crunching bones as he runs over the squad right behnd him. Muffin, on the side of the tank, nearly wretches at the horrific site of blood and bone.
	Roland  	takes at shot at the other sniper.
	CawklesGM	Muffin brandishes her chain axe on the onrushing horde of Rawa Kadan. She tries to fight valiantly but disappears under a sworm of gun butts and bayonets. "ACE 'ELP! 'E-E'ELP! BOSS SEFF MEH!" She sounds like she's weeping, spitting out teeth and blood as the animals lay about her. Her pitiful screams soon become groans and then whimpers, before becoming silence.
	CawklesGM	Jurdik looks like he's on the verge of tears. "MUFF! GODDAMIT, MUFF! MUFFFFFF!"
	Rajh_Tara	fires at the soldiers attacking Muffin, killing 3 of them.
	CawklesGM	Ace, flying into a blood frenzy at the sound of Muffin's screaming, snaps the neck of the tank commander like a child breaks a twig. The driver fares no better, bunched into a bloody red pulp by the enraged man. The sponson gunners, terrified, simply cower at their stations and desperately try to escape. Ace lets them leap off the tank and off into the darkness, screaming their head off.
	CawklesGM	Muffin's tormenting continue their abuse of her, tearing her clothes and beating her sensless.
	Rajh_Tara	runs to Izem to check on him.
	Roland  	with the help of Abbass, gets up from his position, and sees the Rawa running, he has Abbass take him to the tank.
	Rajh_Tara	+Everyone to the Tank. We are taking that bitch.+
	Rajh_Tara	brings Izem's unconscious body to the Tank.
	CawklesGM	Ace clambers out of the tank, a mountain of muscle and rage, boltered in the blood of the evil men who attacked so many of his brothers. He see the soldiers attacking his comrade as he exits. Despite being fired upon, those animals are still tearing at her, ripping her clothes to shreds. They seek to sate themselves upon her. Ace does not tolerate this for a moment. Leaping down the tank, thudding against the ground like a peal of thunder, he smashes the unsuspecting soldiers to paste. The shattering of bone, the spraying of blood, and wet gory sounds of pulverized flesh swim together in a violent opera of retibution. The deaths of Rawa Kadan soldiers are painful, drawn out, and agonizing. They would have regretted their actions if they were alive (and whole) to understand them.
	XMB-173 	+The trucks are ready to be returned.+
	Roland  	with the help of Abbass, Roland gets up on the tank and enters the main gunners seat.
	CawklesGM	With gentle care, he lifts the battered woman off the ground. She's a mess of bruises, gashes, welts, and lumps. She's swollen up to two times her size, her mouth a bloody mess, every last tooth in her mouth smashed from her face. her left eye hangs lazilyf rom her face from its nerve, somehow still attached despite the violence. All she can do is wheeze and moan in insensate pain. Ace gently spirits her into the tank. The two lorries drive behind the Leman Russ, Maurice and Chuka rush down the hillside, Cynthia lagging behind.
	CawklesGM	"God Emperor almighty!" Maurice sighs.'I thought we were down for! Snoggered! Thank goodness we're still alive! I'm glad we-" He spots the brutalized bodies of Izem, Roland, and Muffin. Abbass's arm is a bloody mess, his face wincing in pain.  he turns pale.
	CawklesGM	"Let's haull ass. Right now. We need to get these guys back to the Mentirosa or else they're not long for these world. Go. Go. GO!" Maurice speeds Chuka along, slapping her in her butt with his cane. In mere moments everybody is loaded up and speeds away back to the village. The ride back is fraught with decompression, as everybody falls apart. Depiste being able to recover the bodies of his comrades, Pounder is driven into a black state of mind, punching the steering wheel of his lorry with rage as he reflects on his failure to keep his long time comrades alive. Chuka, hanging off the side of one of the lorries, is silent. Scanning the wildernress, she is mute in her despair.
	Roland  	sits there in the main gun of the tank ready to use it if necessary, but the pain is slowly getting to him as they make there way back to the village.
	CawklesGM	The three vehicles role into Da Singh Village. It is completely deserted; it looks like the scouts got away. The tarp covered Aquila is still present, the two pilots silently smoking lho with De Frank, who is still bound. As they see the vehicles roll up, They instantly leap to their feet, tearing the trap off the Aquila and getting it ready for fuelling. They do so with practiced skill. De Frank whistles as he sees the Russ roll up...but his mirth is instantly squashed as he sees the casualties. He shakes his head.
	Ace_Nerat	A black cloud of anger hangs over Ace, If eyes could kill his would.
	Ace_Nerat	"I.Will.Kill.Them."
	CawklesGM	"Hit that man with some stimm," De Frank says to one of the pilots. Used to taking orders, they comply, sticking the vial into the medic. Standing up, still bound, De Frank watches as the medic regains consciousness. "What happened, Anaruz?"
	Roland  	exits the main gun of the tank with Abbass and makes his way over to the Aquila.
	CawklesGM	Jurdik spits. "We got fucked up, no that'd you care, corpse worshipping asshole."
	CawklesGM	He storms into the back of the aquila.
	CawklesGM	De Frank ignores the man, staring at the medic on his litter.
	Roland  	With Abbass help, he board the Aquila and sits across from De Frank.
	Rajh_Tara	sticks a lho-Stick in his mouth.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	goes to rub his head with both hands, he fainly notes that one hand is missing, he looks over.....
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	His mouth tries to move and does, but no sound comes out.
	Roland  	"So, someone want to disable the tank?
	Ace_Nerat	stands firm, staring back with enraged eyes
	CawklesGM	Several figures in mute red robes with runic stylings stand some distance away. Ace's stare does not shift that at all. They simply watch.
	CawklesGM	De Frank, that baby faced cad, frowns. "Forget it, Anaruz. Rest."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Wha-what, what, WHAT!?"
	CawklesGM	The captain tries to lay a reassuring hand on Izem...but remember he is completely bound.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	His shock quickly turns to anger for a split second, and he kicks De Frank in the face.
	Rajh_Tara	starts murmuring prayers with a lho-stick in his mouth.
	Ace_Nerat	then turns to the tank, his rage boiling over and he smashes the hull with his power fist again and again, he keeps mounding away till he is drenched in sweat. If you look close enough you might be just think that there is a little more than sweat running down his face
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"WE NEARLY ALL DIED GETTING FUEL YOU PRICK!"
	CawklesGM	Maurice, Cynthia, Chuka, and Pounder all enter the Aquila. They whistle as they walk in on Izem kicking De Frank, who bowls over and spits a ball of blood.
	Roland  	looks over at Izem, "IZEM, Not now, your not the only one who lost something."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	He takes a seat, heavily. And holds his head, or tries to.
	Rajh_Tara	"[Low Gothic] Fuck this [Mahdi] day of increasing bullshit."
	Ace_Nerat	storms over to Izem.
	Ace_Nerat	"FIX HER." He says menacingly.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	Izem looks up at Ace. "What?"
	Ace_Nerat	"FIX.HER." he stretches a quivering finger towards where muffin rests.
	Ace_Nerat	"Or...or tell me how I can help..." he says, trailing off.
	CawklesGM	The pilots wait for Ace to work out his anger before clambeirng onto the tank and setting it up for self-destruction. They take a shell from the battle canon magazine and plant it at the base of the second fuel lorry. With a little technical know-how, they wired the explosives together until they are all triggered with a remote detonator. They hand said detonator to their master, Maurice Rose. He takes it with some solemnity, and the pilots deattach the fuel line and clamber into their Aquila seats.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	He looks over at her for a moment, to him it's like it stretches forever. He snaps out of it for a moment.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Ah-ah, r-right, just need my k-kit." He fumbles for it.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"I'm....I'
	Rajh_Tara	"Ace, the man is missing an arm."
	CawklesGM	Maurice lays a gentle hand on Izem. "Izem, stop."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"I'm....I'm going to need someone to help me, it's going to be hard to do this without..." He swallows. "Someone just help me.
	Rajh_Tara	"He's in no condition to help."
	Ace_Nerat	"I'm here, lets go."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"How long 'til we reach your ship?"
	Roland  	looks at the floor, "I would help, but..." He looks over at his missing arm. "I am also missing an arm."
	Ace_Nerat	returns to his spot next to muffin, holding her small hand and murmuring quietly.
	CawklesGM	The Aquila rumbles, and begins to screech into the sky. "Fifteen minutes," Maurice says. "You'll be fine. You're friends will be fine. Just rest my friend." Maurice Presses the detonator into Ace's hand. "Do you want to do the honors?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Ah-ah, sorry Roland, I," he laughs darkly and a tears form for a moment, "so did I."
	Ace_Nerat	"All I want..." he says" Is for her to live." But pulls the trigger anyway.
	CawklesGM	Pounder, distant and cold, takes a thick cigar and begins to puff away. No smoking on the aquila? Rules be damned. Maurice himself takes a swig of what's left of the Llewynn 38 and sits next to his Secretary, squeezing her chest absent mindedly.
	Roland  	nods, "I know, Izem, I.... know" he says, feeling all the sadness of the injuries he and his comrades have suffered.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	straps himself in, hardly an easy thing with only one arm.
	Ace_Nerat	"If you die I will fucking kill you." You can hear ace command at muffin.
	Roland  	"Maurice, I failed you, I couldn't save your men or stop us from suffering all these wounds."
	CawklesGM	In the darkness of the night, one more star shines. This star is on the ground, a bright salute to the people of the Chahanda, a reminder of the impression Snow Squad made here today. The Aquila reaches to the sky, steaming towards the now unmolested Mentirosa, spiriting this intrepid squad of Blazing Trail onto a new path, and a new destiny. From here on out, things will change. Things will be different. Forces much more rapcious and evil than mere tau or extremists are set to turn Ghadeer into their own personal playground of destruction. Will Snow Squad be ready? Only time will tell.
	Roland  	"I failed to save my comrads back on Garaban Six against the Tau, and now this."
	CawklesGM	Muffin moans incoherenly, trying to squeeze Ace's hand back, a painful task. Ace can feel how badly broken her hands are.
	CawklesGM	Maurice takes a swig. "Roland, shut the fuck up man. None of this was your fault. OR anybody's fault. Things like this happen. I've been around long enough to know this, so don't you fucking argue with me man. And don't bring up Garaban. I don't even wanna think about that..."
	Rajh    	continues smoking and tries to ignore everyone.
	Roland  	nods, in response to Maurice, he then looks over at Abbass, "So, how are you holding up?"
	CawklesGM	Abbass raises his bloody, ragged arm. "I think the ladies are gonna dig the scar, so I think I'm doing just fine." He tries to force a smile.
	Rajh    	pulls out his worn copy of "Passions of Battle: 2" and starts to read it.
	CawklesGM	Jurdik closes his eyes and seemingly falls asleep, the dust, dirt, blood, and powder about his person making him almost look corpse like in repose.
	Roland  	looks at Abbass's wounds, "Yep, I think they will." He says as he also tries to force a smile.
	CawklesGM	There is a roar, a thud, the silence; the Aquila has returned home. The hatch to the Aquila opens up, and the light is almost blinding. Hands and arms reach into the Aquila, and spirit awaya everybody on board. All are sped as fast as possible into the medicae deck. The world gets fuzzy then, as recumbence and lassittude replaces stress. Despite the horror of the situation, Snow Squad has finally found some measure of peace....for a time at least.
	Ace_Nerat	"Muffin..." he calls out before the darkness takes over.