Liberation of Nova Spera Session 4

	CawklesGM	The weight of solemnity has spread itself unevenly among those assembled on the roof of Snow Squad's hideout. Under the blanket of twinkling stars, Sergeant Ziida and her Cunts have scrapped together whatever burnable materials they could scrounge to create a poor man's catafalque. It is against al-Isman tradition to use such base materials to honor the remains of warrior, but as usual necessity has trumped ideal. All present bears torches; the flickering tongues of flame dance wildy in the foul salty wind that blows across Qalyat tonight, its thick stench drenched with the smell of blood and the sound of gunfire. Normally, the call to prayer would resound across the city. Tonight, however, the only ritual being enacted is that of violence. The sounds of distance discord, the aggregate anger of oppressed peoples, provide an inappropriate sussurus to the ceremony about to take place. From behind the assembled men, Kahina emerges from the hatch that leads to the roof. She wears her stone face, holding her contempt for those who are grieving. They probably do not know that it is a sin to weep for a dead kinwoman. She takes a place beside the pyre-to-be, laying her hands upon the covered corpse of Malika and staring down the two present squads. She shifts her gaze to Manat, that silver consort of Al-Qaum, and watches it as it hangs in the sky with a deceptive serenity. An ugly red stain has started to creep across its rocky surface, an unheard of occurrence...and a dire omen. Kahina clears her throat. "I ask for silence now, for the ceremony shall begin." As the senior Al-Isman present, Kahina has deigned to officiate the funeral of her deceased kinswoman. According to Ziida, a traditional Al-Isman funeral is what Malika would have wanted.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	stands stock-still, torch burning in his left hand, his other, hanging at his side.
	Ishmael	        respectfully remains quiet.
	Rajh_Tara	remains silent.
		CawklesGM	Kahina begins, chanting a sing-song in the tongue of her people, Qom, the war tongue. She then shifts into low gothic. "As Amm rises, so must it set. As day breaks, so must it be broken. The cycles of life and nature wash away time. It cannot wash away memory. Memory is stone. Stone is eternal. The deeds we do in life are our memory for these we leave behind. An imprint of what we are and we were. Do not weep for the dead. Remember. Do not mourn the fallen. Act. Do not drown your sorrows. Uplift. As we consign this one to the sky, so that it may rise and ride the chariot of the sun back to the realm of the God-Emperor, speak her deeds so that she might be remembered from now until forever. Imperator Reqbah." And with that, Ziida and her comrades form a procession and pass in front of the pyre, throwing their torches upon the thing. The catafalque instantly leaps into flames, the dancing inferno consuming the covered corpse with long fingers of fire.
	CawklesGM	"Father would be proud," Ziida mutters quielty.
	Ace_Nerat	is standing with a torch in one hand and smoking a Lho stick in the other
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	throws his torch onto the fire, following the Cunts example. He then gives a silent prayer to the departed soldier.
	Ishmael	waits for his turn and respectfully adds his torch to the fire.
	CawklesGM	Muffin, Issam, Jurdik, and Abbass toss their torches into the growing column of flame. Their faces are blank. The sight of the dead stirs odd things within them now.
	Roland	        keeps quiet and throws his torch onto the fire as well.
	Ace_Nerat	tosses his torch and returns downstairs
	Rajh_Tara	is the last to throw his torch into the fire..
	Ace_Nerat	+Muff, got that hot water yet?+
	Roland	leaves as well
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	finds something to sit on nearby and stares into the fire, contemplating his role in her death.
	CawklesGM	Ziida stares at the fire, the light glistening off some moisture on her face. Her and her squad stay on the roof, silently contemplating the flames and the memories they once shared with the woman before them.
	Rajh_Tara	sits on the mattress and looks at the fire as well.
	CawklesGM	Ziida, a weak smile on her face, lays her hand gently on Izem. A tacit gesture of gratitude.
	Roland	sits near the hole in the wall.
	Ishmael	stays upstairs, staying quiet. He does occasionally look off to the neighboring streets and buildings, however.
	CawklesGM	But events do not stop. Even for the dead. As Roland enters the latrine/hole-in-the-wall, he finds that Muffin has beaten him downstairs...and has wasted no time taking a dip in the tub she dragged in there. "Seh anyting net, rolly?"
	Roland	keeps looking out over the city, "No, nothing at the moment."
	XMB-173	        walks out of the improvised armory
	XMB-173	        "Good news everyone!"
	Ace_Nerat	"WHAT THE FIERY FECK ARE YOU DOING IN MY TUB?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	taps her hand gently to show he appreciates it. Though he still regrets that he couldn't do more.
	XMB-173	        "I have successfully converted this pulse rifle; it can be used by human hands now!"
	CawklesGM	The dowdy Ashuran district *should* be quiet this time of night...but just as Manat has grown a great red wound, so has the city. The fire on the roof is not the only flame burning tonight...little winking lights flare in the distance, accompanying the subtle din of angry mobs.
	Ishmael	        rushes to grab the squad's magnoculars.
	CawklesGM	Muffin shrugs, flashing her impish grin. "Ya dendu getty in seh me tek tah toonity tah fressin up o' bet...ya cannae git in wit meh eef ya went."
	Ace_Nerat	"I'll only get in with you to drown you, now get out."
	Roland	        continues to watch over the city even with Ace and Muffin there.
	CawklesGM	As the squad files into the room, the heat rises perceptibly. The garbage, flotsam, and jetsam and seems to get in the way at the most inopportune times...
	XMB-173	        wanders around the safe-house to find any squaddies that might be interested in his breakthrough, finding Ace.
	CawklesGM	Muffin gives a wry grin and shakes her head. "Meh inna 'ere ferss."
	XMB-173	        "Good news, Ace! I converted this pulse rifle!"
	CawklesGM	Muffin looks up at the tech priest. "Keel! Ken me 'ave eet?"
	Ace_Nerat	turns to the ironman "Give it to someone who can shoot it."
	CawklesGM	"MEH!" She squeaks. "MEH!"
	Ace_Nerat	"Bad idea muff muff."
	XMB-173	        "I would sooner hand this to a grox."
	Ace_Nerat	"Might be a better shot."
	XMB-173	        turns 180 degrees and finds the rest of the squad
	Roland	        listening to the conversation between XMB and Ace while looking over the city
	Ace_Nerat	now forcibly removes muffin from the tub
	XMB-173	        "Roland? Ishmael? Anyone want this pulse rifle?"
	CawklesGM	Kahina wanders into the room. She looks at her unconscious son...and balls her fists. Issam brushes by her and dives into the cache room, rejoining his sergeant. He is giving his report to HQ at the moment.
	Roland	        "Have you only modified one XMB?"
	XMB-173	        glances at the Sergeant "I would appreciate it if you ignored our recent acquisition. And my existence."
	Ishmael	is too busy looking around to answer.
	CawklesGM	XMB's servitor mindlessly wanders in, drooling and blankly cleaning debris from walkways.
	XMB-173	        "So far. They have been resisting."
	XMB-173	        "I should have the rest done in a week or so."
	XMB-173	        "Keep in mind that I've never actually done that before."
	Roland	        "Ill take it for now then."
	Roland	        gets up and heads over to XMB
	Ace_Nerat	drags muffin out of the tub by her hair
	XMB-173	        "Certainly."
	Ishmael	        walks down and heads to the entrance to the 'latrine'. "Hey, temp-boss? Riots might be happening soon. Might want to have someone watching with magnoculars from topside and have some extra guards down..."
	XMB-173	        hands the pulse rifle to him
	XMB-173	        shows him how the controls work
	XMB-173	        "And remember, just thump the stock if it acts up."
	Ace_Nerat	"That's a good idea." he says as he removes his clothing "I'm putting you in charge of that.' he finishes before slipping into the tub
	CawklesGM	Muffin yelps, her wet form squirming on the floor like a beached fish. She jiggles around a little before regaining her foothold. She refuses to wear shirts, so half of what you see is of no surprise. The other half, though...
	Roland	        "Thanks will do, though it will still take time for me to get use to it."
	Ishmael	        tries to help her up. "Thanks, boss... Muffin, we are on guard duty, get dressed."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	stands up with a sigh. He gives the Cunts a final nod before heading back down.
	CawklesGM	Muffin scratches her criminally unhygienic nethers, wandering out of the latrine humming to herself nonchantly. She wrestles on her clothes.
	Ace_Nerat	sighs as he slides down into the tub and relaxes.
	Ishmael	heads off to the largest concentration of people. "I need a volunteer to help watch the entrance for the night."
	CawklesGM	Some semblance of peace begins to settle over the hideout...but then Abu begins to stir. He is laid near Jain; his jostling disturbs the wounded woman, eliciting a groan from her.
	Rajh_Tara	"Sure."
	Ace_Nerat	begins to remove the coating of blood that has accumulated on him
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	As Izem is heading into the main-room he notices Abu stir, and rushes over to him, and then to Jain. He calms her form with a minor injection of pain-killers and then calls Kahina over. Her son was in for one helluva dressing down.
	Ishmael	takes the magnoculars and heads back up after sending Muffin down.
	CawklesGM	Kahina, relaxing, sees this event occurring. She instantly shoots to her feet and drags the boy out of bed, her harsh mother tongue pouring from her mouth. The boy, a plucky little youth, stout and strong...fights back.
	Rajh_Tara	stands around the entrance of the building and observing the commotion.
	Roland	spends some time looking over the Pulse Rifle.
	CawklesGM	The two wrestle, a violent verbal exchange going between them. He says something, and a look of pure horror streaches across what you can see of her face. She slaps the boy across the face, hard. Abu, in response, brings a knee up to her gut.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	clicks his tongue in pity. [Bazir] Emperor above.
	XMB-173	        watches the fight with a faint air of amusement
	Ace_Nerat	finishes up and gets dressed, feeling much better. Then heads downstairs
	Roland	        looks over at Kahina, "What the fuck are you two doing."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	moves to restrain Abu.
	Rajh_Tara	starts humming a Mahdi folk song.
	CawklesGM	She doubles over. He shoves his finger towards her wounded shoulder, and she screeches, cliping his jaw with her fist. Abu winds up a counter attack before being dragged clear by Izem.
	Ace_Nerat	sees the brawl and sighs
	CawklesGM	"FETH YOU! You bitch! I shoulda shot you dead!"
	Ace_Nerat	"I'll give you three seconds to cut that shit out before I step in."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	he holds him a choke-hold, though not intending to choke him.
	CawklesGM	Abbass clicks his tongue. "Quite the mouth on that kid."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	[Bazir] No fecking kidding.
	CawklesGM	Issam emerges from the cache room. "Whoa," He sputters.
	Rajh_Tara	off-tune softly sings the chorus "Mother, Saint Ashura..."
	Ace_Nerat	"One...."
	CawklesGM	"Shaban almight-!" Kahina swears, looking livid beyond reason. She looks like she has half a mind to hit him again. "How DARE you!"
	Ace_Nerat	"Two..."
	CawklesGM	"You just left me! You fethin' left me with that-!" He shuts up instantly. An uncomfortable silence falls across the room.
	Ace_Nerat	walks towards the kid and crouches  in front of him
	Ace_Nerat	"From now on, you will only speak when spoken to, get me?"
	CawklesGM	Issam clears his throat. The boy nods reluctantly, biting his tongue. His adolescent face is twisted by impotent anger and self-righteous fury.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Sir, how about I just take him outside and we can have him and Kahina reconcile, yeah?" He asks while shaking the boy slightly, still holding a firm grip over him.
	CawklesGM	"U-u-uh..." Issam croaks. "G-g-guys..."
	Ace_Nerat	"Ishmael, how are we looking?"
	CawklesGM	Jurdik brushes next to XMB, sharing with him a detached amusement of the drama.
	Roland	        looks over at Issam.
	Ace_Nerat	"you do that Doc." me then turns to Issam "What is it boy?"
	XMB-173	        turns to Jurdik "5 thrones says the woman beats the boy next time they fight."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Kahina?" Izem motions with his head to outside, before dragging the angry teen away.
	CawklesGM	"Lt. Abra'am was just on the horn. H-h-he...he uh..." Issam looks pale, and is obsessively itching his flesh. "We're being ordered back to the Argo. T-tonight. Emergency debrief. They want the wounded w-w-woman and that suit of armor we took off that...you know...dude."
	CawklesGM	Jurdik chuckles. "14 thrones say he's gonna hold a grudge and fuck her up when he's a lil' bigger..." Kahina shoots a rude glare at the pair before going outside at Izem's behest.
	Ace_Nerat	"Well, let's move out."
	Roland	        nods and gets gathers his things.
	CawklesGM	Abbass and Jurdik groan audibly, gathering their things. Issam bites his lips. "T-t-they...they also want that land car back. And those pulse rifles."
	CawklesGM	"Emperor all mighty, the pair...will they steal our clothes next?!"
	Roland	        "Well then, guess I'm not going to be using this."
	CawklesGM	"Just the way it works, Abbass." Jurdik chuckles. "The price of support."
	Ace_Nerat	"Hide a rifle then, we can keep at least one."
	Ishmael	        sighs as he walks down. "We going back?"
	XMB-173	        "Neither of us are likely to survive that long, insurgent."
	XMB-173	        "I'll hide a rifle."
	Roland	        hands XMB the Pulse Rifle.
	Ace_Nerat	"Alright, how close are the Tau Ishmael?"
	XMB-173	        takes the pulse rifle and disassembles it into components
	CawklesGM	To Ishmael's perception, the Tau are slowly edging across the districts. They're storming into the Tareb Gate district, and the Gothic District...but the advance into the Ashuran district is slow. Careful. Calculated.
	Ishmael	        "Well... seems they are being slow and careful. Steady, though. Specially in this district. I say they'll come looking here."
	Ishmael	        radios that stuff too.
	Rajh_Tara	+They might be searching houses.+
	Roland	        steps over the hole in the wall
	Ishmael	        "I say we could shove most of the stuff in the groundcar and take it along. Hide what we can't the basement under junk or something?"
	CawklesGM	The Tau's advance into the territory is slow because the Tau ARE doing searches...randomly. Columns of three vehciles, each with dozens of fire warriors, are marching down streets in staggered patterns searching buildings at random. They breach and clear each with practiced discipline. It's hard to see because of the dark, but you see clearly that these tau are not like the others. Their armor is a blood red, with green detailing and rank marks.
	Roland	        +Looks like they are searching, they got several vehicles and dozens of fire warriors.+
	Roland	        +Also they are wearing blood red armor.+
	Ace_Nerat	"What Ishmael said, I want everyone working."
	Ishmael	        rolls his eyes. If this is his brand of leadership, he might as well be leading himself.
	Ace_Nerat	"Load the guns and that Fancy armour into the groundcar ready for departure, move the rest to the basement."
	CawklesGM	Muffin, Jurdik, and Abbass get busy. Issam ducks back in with his sergeant, who will stay behind with Ziida's squad. With this new mission, Kahina's reconciliation with her son needs to wait. She trots over to Jain and beckons Izem over. "Help me take her down."
	CawklesGM	Abu folds his arms and stares daggers at his mom. "...can we take him back as well?"
	Ishmael	        takes some time from moving cargo to load up a krak rocket into his launcher.
	Roland	        helps Ace with moving the stuff.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Yes, and hopefully he'll stay this time." Izem starts making Jain ready to leave. While doing so he looks at Abu and gives him a pointed stare. "Cooperate Abu, don't make me have to restrain you again."
	CawklesGM	Muffin hums a jaunty little tune as her and Jurdik load what they can't take into the basement. Doof and another squad member from downstairs helps, speeding up the process considerably. In 10 minutes, it is done.
	Rajh_Tara	sees people moving in and out of the building and starts to investigate.
	Rajh_Tara	realizes what is happening and starts helping.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	With Kahina's help, Izem loads Jain into the ground car, he keeps a drip hooked up to the side, and straps her into a stable position in the back.
	XMB-173	hides his lascarbine under his robes
	Rajh_Tara	starts hiding the armor and the rifles in the ground car.
	CawklesGM	Kahina secures the woman. Abu totters by, and secures himself as well. Several words beg to escape from Kahina's lips, but she holds her tongue whilst her superior is present. The rest of the squad moves outside, bearing their armaments and armor. Several onlookers stare daggers at the squad as they go about their business. "Death to all like you!" One screeches. Another older man hisses
	CawklesGM	pithy curses. "People like you is why this city has been forsaken," He mutters.
	Ishmael	        stays quiet, holding his rifle tight in his hands.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	[Bazir] Cowards, they don't bother to fight against our shared oppressor.
	XMB-173	        gives the filthy peasants a disdainful look
	XMB-173	        "Fucking plebs", he mutters under his breath
	CawklesGM	You hear an argument echo down from the towering the tops of the hab blocks. The sickly light of Manat bathes the city in a stale light, laying bare all the ugliness beneath. The smell of sewage has gotten even stronger now, and...and...
	CawklesGM	Is that a figure watching you from the shadows?
	CawklesGM	And that window...
	CawklesGM	A light went on. You think you see a silhouette appear in it, then vanish as soon as you spy it.
	Ishmael	        keeps his eyes open.
	CawklesGM	The squad finishes loading and assembles around the landcar. Muffin scratches her chin. "awite...'ow weena weh duh tis?"
	Ishmael	        "We move...?"
	CawklesGM	Kahina rolls her eye. Jurdik scratches his beard and waits...he's nervous. So is Abbass.
	XMB-173	        "We should probably find another abandoned place. Preferably a warehouse."
	Rajh_Tara	"That's not a bad idea."
	CawklesGM	XMB's servitor grunts a long code of techna-lingua, using the sacred lines of system reporting.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Why not head to the Argo?
	CawklesGM	Kahina nods. "We have been commanded to do so."
	CawklesGM	"I dunno," Jurdik growls. "This metal man might be onto something. Look around us. Somethin' ain't right..."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"All the more reason to go to ground at HQ."
	Ishmael	        "That something might be why we are being called. I wouldn't want to be cut off if things start popping off."
	CawklesGM	From out the building, Tali and her brother Iqbal walk and watch. The pretty little girl looks like she's in a foul mood, clutching her head painfully. Iqbal seems much cheerier; he smiles and waves.
	Ishmael	        "Hey, Izem... think you could take a quick look at her...?"
	Rajh_Tara	gets in the driver's seat.
	Rajh_Tara	+So are we moving or what?+
	Ace_Nerat	"Move out."
	Roland	        boards the land car
	CawklesGM	Jain has settled quite nicely in her securing. She's staring to groan. And then...
	CawklesGM	"W-whar...where we going?" Words! She's speaking!
	CawklesGM	Muffin, Jurdik, And Abbass climb in. Kahina takes the farthest seat she can away from her son, sitting shotgun.
	Ace_Nerat	"To the Argo, taking you to a better aid station."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"I'll have to look at her later, Ish." Izem then straps in next to Jain.
	Ishmael	        "We are going to get you patched up."
	CawklesGM	The groundcar roars off. Iqbal waves goodbye, and Tali wanders inside. Even here, yu can hear her complain of a nasty headache...
	Ace_Nerat	"So Ish, know anything about this moon thing?"
	Ishmael	        "I know a fair bit. Nothing on this, though... Got a bad feeling about it."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	checks over his patient as they shoot down the road. Careful to keep her from bumping about in the interior of the car.
	Ace_Nerat	"Cultists, Tau, I should find the next Boat off this planet."
	Rajh_Tara	[Mahd] "Fucking whiteys..."
	CawklesGM	The squad must be glad they have a landcar. What they roll by looks...unpleasant. The maze of habs have taken a decidedly terrifying turn. Furtive figures crouch in the darkness, gleaming eyes staring you down as your land car rolls past. Angry mobs have formed, walking about and chanting, having shouting matches with rival groups. Manat watches all of this with unholy malice, grinning as
	CawklesGM	blood unravels what vestige of civility is left in Qalyat...
	Roland	        sits there quietly
	Ishmael	        listens in on some of the chants.
	XMB-173	        "I'm surprised there are so few servitors in this city."
	CawklesGM	The groundcar makes a tight left turn into a street. Rajh brakes suddenly, throwing the landcar forward violently. Jain cries out in pain. The forward movement has been arrested by a large crowd forming in the middle of a road, the object of their protest evidently in the intersection before you. "WE WON'T BE STRANGERS IN OUR OWN LAND!" One shouts, the others screaming their approval. "DOWN WITH TAU! DOWN WITH TAU! DOWN WITH TAU! DOWN WITH TAU!" Even with the crowd, you can clearly see what's before you. A Tau checkpoint. A sizable one.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	tries to keep Jain stable. [Bazir] "Damnation!"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Could you please not do that, Rajh?"
	Rajh_Tara	"Sorry, the crowd kinda got in the way."
	Roland	        "We should find another way around," Roland says look out at the crowd and the Tau checkpoint.
	Ishmael	        hits the street, his chest catching a chest high safety wall that knocks the air out of him. He takes a moment to get back on his feet. "Ugh... this hurts..."
	CawklesGM	Jurdik leaps from the land car, helping his comrade to his feet.
	Rajh_Tara	yells to Ishmael [Mahdi] "Oh, shit. Are you okay?"
	Ishmael	        winces and groans, holding his chest. "Y-yeah... just need some air. And for you to learn to drive..." He jokes.
	CawklesGM	The check point before you is swarming with tau. A concrete bunker sits near the center, and you see a lead tau gesture at your landcar. A heretical xenos battlesuit, terrible in its technological puissance, twists its head with a liquid movement towards your squad.
	CawklesGM	The ornery crowd turns to your landcar. They bang on your hood. "XENOS LOVERS!" they cry
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	clicks his tongue in worry. "Oh man...."
	CawklesGM	A tau squad filters out from the bunker towards the center, guns raised. The two tau and their pathfinder ally huddling near the crates keep their guns raised as well, shouting in tau.
	CawklesGM	[Tau]"Disperse! Led the car through! That's an order!"
	Ishmael	        whispers to his squad. "They took interest in us..."
	Rajh_Tara	honks the horn at the angry mob.
	Ishmael	        grips his chest tighter, feigning to be more wounded than he currently is.
	Ace_Nerat	keeps up a calm facade
	CawklesGM	The squad and his shas'ui keep their discipline up, and expertly dispersing the crowd with the noise of their rifles. THe crowd, though angry, are not suicidal. They disperse with curses. A couple of stones are hurled their way, but they keep their cool.
	CawklesGM	The crowd parts, giving the landcar a way through.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	hops out of the car and get's Ish up and back to the car.
	Ishmael	        stumbles back onto the groundcar.
	Roland	        remains quiet and calm.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	makes himself look busy, as if he were checking over Jain's body.
	CawklesGM	The squad tenses up considerably. If Muffin bited her lip any harder she would chew her lip clean off.
	Ishmael	        weakly smiles at the approaching Tau.
	CawklesGM	The Shas'ui, with his white helmet and desert camo, approaches the landcar. He takes off his helmet, and a wrinkled blue face greets you. It's hard to tell Tau apart, but this one seems very distinct; a scar across his left eye and a long braid at the back of his head speaks of a long service. His face contorts unnaturally as he forces a smile.
	CawklesGM	"Greetings, work-brothers," He says in perfect low gothic. His accent is impeccable. "Quite the evening, hm?"
	CawklesGM	The angry crowd is unified in its chants now. "TRAITORS! TRAITORS! TRAITORS! TRAITORS!"
	CawklesGM	The Tau continues. "I'm going to have to ask all of you to step out of your vehicle. Routine inspection."
	Ishmael	        responds in [Tau]"I think this might make things easier. At least for us. Listen, I got wounded here, myself included. We need to reach a hospital for the Greater Good."
	Ace_Nerat	nods and steps out of the groundcar
	XMB-173	        has his utility mechadendrite covertly hold his knife, making it ready to quickly stab the tau if necessary
	CawklesGM	The battlesuit glides over to where you are all standing. A long, glowing rifle attached to its wrist crackles with ominous energy. His other limb seems to have some kind of weapon, an orange tank sticking out of it. Fuel?
	CawklesGM 	Abbass lazes back in his chair, smiling. He doesn't seem concerned at all.
	CawklesGM	The shas'ui tries to smile. [Tau]"Ahhhh...I see. I see. Well then, work-brother, I must-"
	CawklesGM	He pauses as his shas'la begins gesticulating at the land car. [Tau]"Sir, there is a suspicious individual there."
	CawklesGM	The shas'ui turns around and looks at what he's pointing at. He sees XMB.
	Ishmael	        [Tau]"Suspicious?"
	CawklesGM	The shas'ui's voice hardens. "I need you all to step out of the landcar."
	CawklesGM	"Hands where I can see them."
	Rajh_Tara	steps out of car.
	Roland 	        steps out of the land car.
	XMB-173	        looks to the boss
	XMB-173	        shrugs and steps out, keeping his hands clear, but mechadendrite hidden
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	jumps out of the car, keeping his hands up, he glances at Jain again before he looks to the Tau NCO.
	Ishmael	        raises his hands and steps out. [Tau]"Sure, sure. Listen, that man helped us with the young lady. She lost a leg in a work accident."
	CawklesGM	Abbass, Muffin, Kahina, and Jurdik step out of the car. Shas'la immediately stride up and start patting them down. Muffin squeaks.
	CawklesGM	"Eeeeehhh, boyos, me enly loik humie deck."
	CawklesGM	She laughs. The tau gives her an odd look.
	Ace_Nerat	"Muffin, shut it."
	CawklesGM	The Shas'ui bites his lip, thinking about the situation. [tau]"If that's the case, then this should go quickly. Men: Search them."
	Rajh_Tara	[Mahdi] "I guess she's not interested in their greater goods?"
	Ishmael	        lets himself be searched. [Tau]"Careful with the poor girl, okay? She's lost a lot of blood, I think."
	CawklesGM	The tau searching goes smoothly. A Tau drone hoves by, and its inscrutable lens flashing...like a camera shutter.
	CawklesGM	Then the Shas'ui moves to XMB.
	CawklesGM	"Remove the robe."
	XMB-173	        disrobes, revealing that much of his torso is covered in metal, and tubes are coming out of his chest into his throat and mouth. He retracts his mechadendrite as far back as possible
	XMB-173	        "This is utterly demeaning."
	CawklesGM	Kahina holds her breath. A shas'la moves towards the land car. [Tau]"You there! Boy! Out!"
	Ishmael	        recoils at the sights hidden beneath the robe.
	Ace_Nerat	sighs
	CawklesGM	Abu folds his arms, and stumbles out of the landcar...
	Ace_Nerat	"Remember boy, no words."
	CawklesGM	The Shas'ui eyes the tech-priest up and down. He thumbs something in his ear. [Tau]"Silent Stalker, this is Checkpoint Fal'Shala. We got a possible here. Advise?"
	CawklesGM	The crowd keeps chanting, furious.
	Ishmael	        looks at him curiously and concerned.
	XMB-173	        glares at the Shas'ui "May I put my robe back on?"
	CawklesGM	The Tau listens. [Tau]"Roger, Ui'Oshi out."
	Ishmael	        [Tau]"What seems to be the problem? Is helping one's fellow work-brothers and sisters a crime now? He's a... what's the word... overseer? In our workspace. He had a pretty bad accident a few years ago."
	CawklesGM	In the mean time, Abu barely complies with what the Tau is doing.
	CawklesGM	The Tau rattles his crouch, searing for something loose. He kicks the tau in the shin. "Fuck off!"
	Ishmael	        "Hey, hey hey!"
	Ishmael	        tries to stand between the Tau and Abu.
	CawklesGM	The assembled tau raise their rifles. The Shas'ui does the same, pointing it right at Ishmaels face.
	CawklesGM	"ON THE GROUND! NOW!"
	XMB-173	        puts his robe back on
	Rajh_Tara	yells [Mahdi] "THE TAU ARE TRYING TO RAPE OUR CHILDREN!"
	CawklesGM	The assembled Tau do the same, joining the chorus of noise, ordering in their own tongue compliance. The Battlesuit's looming presence intimidates all of you.
	Ishmael	        slowly gets on his knees. "You going to shoot me for nothing? Want to start a ri-" He opens his eyes widely at the words in Mahdi.
	CawklesGM	The Shas'ui produces a zip tie and forces Ishmael to the ground, securing his wrists. [Tau]"I'm sorry work-brother....but it's safer this way."
	Ace_Nerat	"THEY ARE TRYING TO RAPE OUR BOY, WE NEED SOME HELP AGAINST THE FILTHY XENO, LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR."
	Ishmael	        stares at Ace as he's secured. "Fine... just take me away. But please get the girl to a hospital. I don't know what the fuck is up with these guys."
	CawklesGM	Muffin screeches as well. "TAY TRYNA FELL MEH! WEENNA GIT MEH TEETS!"
	CawklesGM	The crowd, incensed, needs little excuse to surge forward in a rolling mass of anger. With torches, knives, and other implements risen, they charge! "IMPERATOR REQBAAAAH" The war cry erupts from the crowd!
	Ace_Nerat	runs over and cuts Ishmael free.
	XMB-173	        glares at the Shas'ui and mutters something in Techna Lengua. His servitor advances at the Tau. At the same time, a mechadendrite holding a knif quickly flicks out from the recesses of his robe and slashes the Tau across the face.
	CawklesGM	Abbass, taking advantage of the confusion, dives for the car. With a practiced motion, he grabs a chainsword and a lascarbine. He throws the carbine to Rajh, and the chainsword to Ace.
	CawklesGM	The Tau screams in pain, a flow of bluish blood runs down his cheek!
	Roland	        turns the car and grabs his flamer and readies it.
	Ishmael	        crawls towards the car, trying to look as a scared bystander who was in the wrong groundcar at the wrong time.
	Rajh_Tara	fires into the formation with the las carbine and shoots three tau soldiers in the head.
	CawklesGM	Three corpses fall to the ground, nary a gurgle emitting from their foul corpse
	XMB-173	        completely ignores the thrown gun for a moment, then he picks up the gun and slashes at the Tau again
	XMB-173	        "You disgusting Xenos! The torment you will suffer for humiliating me will know no end!" He intones through his bodily loud-hailer.
	XMB-173	        "I WILL PEEL BACK YOUR SKINS AND USE THEM TO TAN MY ROBE! YOUR SKULLS WILL BECOME LATRINES!"
	CawklesGM	Muffin rushes into combat alongside Ace, XMB, and his servitor. She isn't armed; That doesn't concern her in the slightest. The Tau flee in fear, XMB's parting taunt sending them on their way even faster!
	Ace_Nerat 	passes the boog knife to muffin.
	Roland	        advances towards the pathfinder and the two fire warriors with his flamer and opens fire, one dodges while another fire warrior and the pathfinder is hit by the flames.
	CawklesGM	The battlesuit levels its flamer and a gout of flame erupts from its nozzle!
	Ishmael	        quickly produces his rocket launcher and fires a barely aimed rocket in the battlesuit's direction!
	CawklesGM	Muffin screeches. The sound she emits is bone chilling, a hoarse, animal cry of agony as a sheet of flame covers her in burning liquid. XMB's servitor emits an odd noise.
        Izem_abn_Anaruz	screams in agony, as his body is engulfed in fire. He has never felt such pain before in his life.
	CawklesGM	Kahina watches in helpless horror as her superior is consumed in fire. "IZEM! IZEEEM!"
	Ishmael	        The rocket goes off-course! Striking a building behind the battlesuit.
	Rajh_Tara	grabs a pulse rifle off a Tau corpse and fires the Rifle. He misses completely.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	drops to the ground in desperation and rolls around, trying to put out the fire.
	Ace_Nerat	swings his chainsword at the battlesuit, but it jumps out the way
	XMB-173	        keeps screaming as he sprays his lascarbine at the filthy xenos.
	Roland	        moves up the the battle suit and opens fire with the flamer setting it on fire
	Ishmael	        sighs and reloads the fucking launcher
	CawklesGM	Off to the west, the crowd is furious; they are ripping apart the Tau in an orgy of bloody violence. Manat, in the sky, seems to grow even more red...just a trick of the light, it seems.
	Rajh_Tara	moves to try and position himself to get a better shot at the Battle suit. He misses again.
	CawklesGM	Kahina's battle with the flames consuming Izem continues, with little success.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	continues to scream in agony, his howls of pain growing shrilly.
	Ace_Nerat	is engulfed in fury, he brings his full might onto the battlesuit's arm, smashing it to pieces and  ruptures the fuel-line.
	Roland	        runs over to Izem and put the fire out.
	Ishmael	        takes aim and fired another rocket.
	Roland	        puts the fire out on Izem with the help of Abbass and Kahina.
	CawklesGM	The Krak missile flies through the air, and for a moment all seems silent; and then there is a great crash.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	groans appreciatively.
	Rajh_Tara	uses his las carbine to shoot the drone down.
	CawklesGM       When the dust settles, where once there was a battlesuit there is a puddle of armor, gore, and siizling armor points.
	Ace_Nerat	"YOU FECKER."
	Ace_Nerat	smashes the suit with his chainsword again and again, raging
	Rajh_Tara	"Ace, wounded. NOW!"
	Ace_Nerat	disregards Rajh
	Rajh_Tara	rushes toward the medic.
	CawklesGM	The crowd, triumphant, streams to the center. Chanting. "IMPERATOR REQBAH! IMPERATOR REQBAH! IMPERATOR REQBAH!"
	Ace_Nerat	runs over to muffin to check on her.
	Ishmael	        gets to work on preparing the groundcar to keep moving.
	Roland	        looks over at the crowd cheering before helping put Izem into the car.
	Rajh_Tara	starts to load the injured medic into the car.
	XMB-173	        broadcasts "IMPERATOR REQBAH!" using his built-in loud-hailer
	CawklesGM	Muffin is singed pretty badly. Her left side is a sizzling ruin, her neck is a charred and scarred. She smiles weakly at her superior. "Meh..meh gud...jess lil' cukked issal"
	Rajh_Tara	+Everyone to the car.+
	Rajh_Tara	+We are getting the fuck out of here.+
	Ace_Nerat	picks her up like a baby and carries her to the car.
	CawklesGM	Kahina does everything she can to help Izem. "Stay with me, Izem! Be strong! Strong like a warrior!"
        CawklesGM	She sounds almost pleading.
	XMB-173	        picks up a pulse rifle and boards the truck with his servitor.
	CawklesGM	Then you notice something...where is Abu?
	Roland	        checks under the car for Abu
	Ishmael	        looks back. "Is everyone on board?!"
	Rajh_Tara	gets in the driver's seat.
	CawklesGM	Abu peers out from underneath. He looks terrified. "Are...are they gone?"
	Roland	        "Yes, get in now."
	Ishmael	        "Yes! Now get on the car, please!"
	XMB-173	        "Imperator Reqbah," he says to himself.
	XMB-173	        "I like that phrase."
	XMB-173	        "What does it mean?"
	Ishmael	        "Don't start with that shit. Not now. Can we get going?"
	CawklesGM	Abu scurries to the car. Kahina continues to help Izem, hoisting a pain killing drip over her comrade.
	Roland	        hangs off the side of the car.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	suddenly grabs Kahina's arm in a vice-like grip.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Make....it-it....stop.
	Rajh_Tara	"Mother Ashura help us."
	XMB-173	        turns to his servitor and attends to its damage
	Ishmael	        sighs as he tries to breathe and calm down. "Jurdik, when you can, hand me my rifle, will you?"
	Ace_Nerat	is still holding muffin, staring straight forward.
	CawklesGM	Abbass takes a look at the wounded medic as the landcar speeds off. You see the raging crowd behind you. They have fallen upon the sole survivor: the Shas'ui. Ui'Oshi can only sputter and throw up as the angry crowd begins to force a pole through him. His hoarse agony can be heard even over the chanting crowd; the process will take up to an hour. The pole will only stop once it goes through his mouth. Those of you familiar with traditional Mahdi punishments know that he will remain alive and impaled for days.
	CawklesGM	Jurdik throws Ishmael his rifle, shooting a concerned look at the medic but shrugs it off.
	XMB-173	        opens a window and gives the crowd a thumbs up as we speed off
	Ishmael	        tries to aim and take a mercy shot at the Shas'ui on the way out.
	XMB-173	        "Ishmael, what are you doing?"
	CawklesGM	Kahina wants to lay her hand upon her comrade, reassuringly; But she knows that her touch will only bring agony to his burnt flesh. She tries to keep the drip steady, the numbness within her gone. You can see genuine concern on her face. "You are a warrior," She says. "Fight through the pain!
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	visibly relaxes as he feels the pain ebb away from the painkillers. [Bazir] "I got too close, and was burned for it, Ashura help me."
	CawklesGM	Abu climbs over and tries to help his mother keep the equipment in place. He digs some ointment out from his mother's medkit; with a held up hand she stays his hand.
	Ishmael	        doesn't answer as the lasbolt pierces through what was left of his armour. He hopes he hit in the right spot as he sees the xeno fall limp, lifeless. "What I hope my adversaries do to me if I find myself in a situation like that. Professional courtesy."
	XMB-173	        "That was a disgusting xenos occupier."
	XMB-173	        "And he forced me to disrobe and show my augments for all to see!"
	XMB-173	        "Do you have any idea how demeaning that is?"
	Ishmael	        "Do you have any idea how demeaning and painful THAT is?"
	XMB-173	        "It is illegal in Imperial worlds! He deserved that fate!"
	Ishmael	        "You want one too, tin man?"
	CawklesGM	Muffin sighs. The chaos behind you fades, joining the rest of pounding noises of the night. You swear, YOU SWEAR, you hear somebody laughing in the distance.
	Roland	        looks at Izem from the outside, seeing all the burn marks over him, he has a short flash back to his day's in the imperial guard.
	Rajh_Tara	"Enough."
	Ishmael	        mutters to himself. [Mahdi]"Maybe I should've stayed in that damned camp..."
	XMB-173	        glares at Ishmael
	Rajh_Tara	"Madar Chod."
	Ace_Nerat	"Silence."
	XMB-173	        turns back to his servitor
	Rajh_Tara	lights a lho stick while driving.
	CawklesGM	And silence reigns. The drab ferrocrete of the Ashuran district transforms into a crush of steel and decrepitude. The docks. Home. You don't feel safe here, though; the cosntant rumble of gunfire upsets your nerves and frays your sanity. These streets are empty; even with the seeming fever in the air, only fools and gangers linger here at night. Fighting is endemic; tonight, it's more like warfare. Still, your senses dull and you settle into something resembling peace, until...
	CawklesGM	"It's a-a coming..! It's a-a coming..! Ho ho, they said I was crazy. Yes yes they did! But look...It's a-a coming."
	Ace_Nerat	"STOP THE CAR."
	Ishmael	        tries to find the source of the voice, his rifle at the ready in case of any sort of trick.
	CawklesGM	That ranting. Coming from in front of an abandoned storefront before you. You recognize it.
	Rajh_Tara	gently hits the break.
	CawklesGM	A hunched over old Al-Isman, his mangy white beard hanging limply from his chin, his one good eye leering violently. The car screeches to a halt.
	Ace_Nerat	grabs two las carbines and exits the vehicle
	Roland	        gets off the car and follows Ace.
	Rajh_Tara	"Those better not be mine."
	Ishmael	        grabs his carbine and exits after Ace. "Hey you! What do you know of this?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Wh-Why have....we stopped?" Izem asks through clenched teeth.
	CawklesGM	Kahina looks over at the old man. "A bedlamite, Izem. They stopped for a bedlamite." She sneers, disgusted.
	Rajh_Tara	"Shh... Doc got some rest."
	Ace_Nerat	places both the lascarbines in front of the man "Please forgive us."
	CawklesGM	The old man looks up, confused. He has a toothy grin, a knowing grin. He pushes the carbine away from him.
	CawklesGM	"Why are you giving me this, young man?"
	Ace_Nerat	"We robbed you before and regretted it."
	Ishmael	        almost speaks up but stays quiet for now.
	CawklesGM	"Oh. Oh! You're the folks I dun' tricked good. That flashing light in that alleyway...hoo. Spooked plenty of people slipping away when it goes out." He seems oddly lucid.
	CawklesGM	"But...but I'm afraid your regret will continue. 'Tis the way of things. Curses don't go away that easy."
	Ishmael	        "Nice trick that... listen... mind telling me about what's wrong with the moon?"
	Ace_Nerat	sighs, leaves the guns, and returns to the car
	CawklesGM	"Easy easy easy...that's all you ra'iib want. Easy. YOU!" He points as Ishmael. "The moon! Tell me, do you remember the tale of Shuruk?"
	CawklesGM	The man weaves his fingers between his ratty beard. Kahina frowns, as does Jurdik.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"Bedlamite?" Izem then chuckles and soon regrets it. He then tries to keep himself very still.
	CawklesGM	"The Tale of Shuruk: Shuruk was a young mother. Waajidah in descendent." He does not let Ishmael have a word in edgewise, and continues...
	Roland	        stands there next to Ishmael.
	Ishmael	        listens for the time being, ocasionally looking around for any danger.
	CawklesGM	"Her son, a mighty warrior, fell sick after one of Niassi's generals stuck him with a poisoned arrow. Shuruk made a deal, to save her son; the creature only asked for one thing. Her family sword. She refused,  got cursed. It was only after sacrificing her son that the curse was lifted. Interesting, huh?"
	CawklesGM	The old man titters wildy. "Her young son. Just a babe."
	CawklesGM	"Crazy, right? Well, there's some food for thy mind. Now leave me, I'm old and tired and I must contain my strength. The hateful year is coming."
	Ishmael	        nods and makes his way back to the groundcar. "Right... Grotesquely so. Anyways, take one of those carbines... the streets are dangerous tonight."
	Roland	        looks at the old man, before heading back to the car
	CawklesGM	"Goodbye! He shall return! IT'S A-A COMING!"
	CawklesGM	The groundcar leaves the old man behind in its dust. You roll by a bare wall, filled with graffiti. The phrase, "NIASSI IS COMING" Features prominently.
	CawklesGM	And a short distance away, your groundcar rolls around a corner and reaches shore. The ferrocrete lip juts out for kilometers, lined with fenced off dockyards, mighty cranes, and even mightier vessels. Floodlights, lumen casters, and other light sources bathe the light with a heavenly glow. There is not a shadow in sight as you approach the dockyards. There is ...excited chatter erupting from the docks, not violent but casual. It sounds like business as usual. This seems to be a place of peace. The landcar jockeys in traffic for a couple of minutes before arriving before a gargantuan steel gate. From the gatehouse, a guard in a drab thaw'bae emerges. He waves your groundcar down, approaching. "Welcome to the Imperator Argosy. What's your business with this shipping interest, m'lords?" The bazir smiles politely.
	Ace_Nerat	"Reporting for briefing, and we have wounded."
	Rajh_Tara	"We have several in critical condition."
	Ace_Nerat	"Tau battlesuit burns, we need to move quick."
	CawklesGM	The man's pleasant demeanour drops suddenly. "Bring the landcar into warehouse C. Don't make a show." He skitters into the gatehouse, and with a titanic groan the steel door slides open. Before you, you see a secondary defence line of sand bags and lascarbine-armed men, and beyond that...a veritible tent city. Thousands of refugees are going about their evening business, squatting around
	CawklesGM	the square warehouses. Severl ships lay docked at the dock, steel beasts crawling with men, women, and children. In the center of this expansive plant, a palacial central building stands with sweeping minarets and domes. Indira Ult Aazi's manse. Excessive... but interesting. The land car rolls through, passing a sign that reads "SANCTIONED REFUGEE CENTER" in Low Gothic, Qom, Mahdi, and Tau.
	CawklesGM	A short distance later, the land car slips into an open warehouse. The massive door slowly closes behind you. Several empty cargo containers are scattered about. A figure emerges from one, beckoning your land car.
	CawklesGM	The figure is dressed in guard armor...and red. "Snow Squad I presume? I'm Corporal Alep. I understand you have wounded?"
	Roland	        dismounts for the car
	Ace_Nerat	"Corprol Nerat, we have burn victims from a Tau battlesuit."
	CawklesGM	"Fuuuuck..." Alepp grabs two stretchers he left next to them and kicks them towards the squad. "Load them up."
	CawklesGM 	Kahina prepares one quickly, motioning for her son to grab the other end. She gently puts Izem onto it. "Are you okay, Izem?" She asks, checking his vitals. "We're almost through."
	Roland	        helps Izem out of the car and onto one of the stretchers.
	Ace_Nerat	loads muffin into the next one.
	CawklesGM	Muffin grumbles. "Meh gud bess...meh kin wolk..."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	is dazed and confused, for so long it's not true. He has a hard time focusing on anything as he's currently enjoying not being in pain.
	CawklesGM	Abbass clicks his tongue. "Muff, you're so doped up I doubt you could find your ass cheeks, let alone walk."
	CawklesGM	"Yeh...issa fel gud teh."
	Rajh_Tara	grabs the pulse rifles and storm trooper armor out of the car.
	Roland	        helps get Jain on her stretcher and out of the car.
	CawklesGM	The squad, bearing stretchers, files into the loading crate. Corporal Alepp seals the door to the thing. Jurdik looks around. "Uh...corporal. How are we gonna-" The floor rumbles, buckles, and begins to descend.
	CawklesGM	A chuckle rises from Abbass' mouth. "How cloak and dagger."
	CawklesGM	The hidden elevator descends quite a distance before opening up into a concrete hallway. You're guessing this is the medevac entrance, because as soon as you emerge you hear screaming, hollering, begging, and desperate prayers. Medicae personnel, dressed in whites and reds, scurry about, carrying stretchers and gurneys all about. The septic smell is overwhelming, as is the stale bright-light. You can't take in all the sensory input as a flood of medicae personnel come and take the stretchers. They spirit away the wounded, dragging them through the hallways, past all sorts of motivational posters and propaganda items that do nothing to uplift the spirits of those consigned here. The stretchers are brought into an ancilliary room. The rest of the squad is stopped by the nurses; the wounded disappear behind cloth barriers and quarantine pockets. All they can do is pray, and hope their allies are in good hands...
	CawklesGM	SEVERAL HOURS LATER...
	CawklesGM	The confusion of your arrival has finally settled down. Snow Squad is recumbent with their wounded comrades, sitting in a recovery ward with Kahina, Izem, Jain, and other wounded souls. Another squad is there as well, doing the same thing; giving succour to their wounded. XMB and Ishmael were dragged away right quick; the rest were forced to sit out, waiting for their comrades to leave the operation room. Now that that is over, they wait.
	CawklesGM	The room is peaceful; the drab ferrocrete is hardly comoforting but the peace, quiet, and security of this sprawling underground base cannot be understated. Here, there is no danger; the decompression of constant vigilance is setting in. The squad sits around, milling about, chatting, doing nothing. Kahina sits by Izem's bedside, contantly monitering his vitals. Muffin, Jurdik, and Abbass are in an intense game of Grimba.
	CawklesGM	Jain...jain suffers silently, and alone.
	Ace_Nerat	paces the room
	CawklesGM	Muffin scratches her bandages. "Wassip Ace?"
	Ace_Nerat	"I want to know what's next, but they make me wait."
	Roland	gets up from where he is sitting and goes over to we Jain is laying.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	is currently reading an old book, it looks like it's been leafed through dozens of times. From time to time, he looks over at Kahina before returning to his book.
	CawklesGM	"Just enjoy the peace, man. We've earned it." Jurdik sighs. His luck hasn't been that great.
	CawklesGM	"I only enjoy Lho sticks and women."
	CawklesGM	Kahina puts her hand to Izem's head. "Your feverish. Must be a side affect of the surginarium rituals. Try and get some rest, Izem."
	CawklesGM	Roland takes a seat next to Jain's bed, so that she is not alone.
	CawklesGM	Rajh_Tara heads toward the mess hall to look for any other off duty Red Guard members.
	CawklesGM	Muffin snorts. "Beeeelllsheeet, bess. Ya ate wimin."
	CawklesGM	Jain turns her head and weakly smiles at Roland. "H-hey...hullo...I, uh.." She still looks a little woozy.
	CawklesGM	Roland looks at Jain, "Hello there."
	Ace_Nerat	"No Muffin, I just don't want to tap that."
	Roland	        "How are you feeling?" Roland says to Jain.
	CawklesGM	Abbass chuckles. Muffin looks aghast. "Laddiez kelt tah git a pess o' tis! Me trowin' meself a' yeh shuldy beh uh dell. Enly uh foo woodent tek meh."
	CawklesGM 	Jurdik chuckles. "True enough."
	CawklesGM	Abbass looks sideways at Jurdik, and then at Muffin. "You can't be serious."
	CawklesGM	Jain coughs. "Bad."
	CawklesGM	The pain in her voice, it runs deep.
	CawklesGM	Kahina, in the mean time, continues to fret over her charge, checking bandages and applying ointment to exposed surfaces to reduce pain.
	Ace_Nerat	"Are you actually offended?"
	Roland	        "Well, I'm no medic but I would say you cant be worse then Izem is right now, though I hope his recovery goes well."
	CawklesGM	Jain looks at the stump of her leg, and then back at Roland. She glares at him.
	CawklesGM	Muffin snorts. "Woll, wen menfelk er roun' meh tis leng tay yoozly tryna benh meh ober a' sum poyn. Ya dunny sem tah evin 'sidder eet."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	[Bazir] "Never thought I'd see such a woman of stone fret over me."
	CawklesGM	"What did you say?" Kahina seals his bandages. "Stop moving, it's ruining your bandages."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	he shuts his book and lets it sit in his lap, before giving Kahina a small smile. "It's nothing, nothing at all."
	Ace_Nerat	"I'm more concerned about not dying at the moment. But if it makes you feel better I'll screw you after the war." he chuckles
	Roland	        feels embarrass by Jain's glare after realizing his mistake, "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."
	CawklesGM	Kahina glares from her one good eye. "Fool man..."
	Roland	        "I guess I've not been thinking straight the last few hours."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	chuckles. "A fool enough not to take cover, yes."
	CawklesGM	Abbass guffaws, and Muffin blushes. "Oill 'old yah tah tat, boss. Poot uh beb in meh er sumfing. Stert a lil' fam."
	CawklesGM	Jain nods. Both of you went through harrowing experiences, and she understands that sometimes things get strange in the fog of war.
	Roland	        sits there in silence for a few moments.
	CawklesGM	Any thought of solemnity, however, is drowned out by Jurdik's barking laughter. "Muffin! A mother. If that happens, then clearly miracles are possible. And if miracles are possible...well me and that old fart on the golden throne got some talkin' to do."
	CawklesGM	Kahina nods. "Don't put yourself in danger, Izem. You're valuable. Your skills are invaluable to us."
	Ace_Nerat	goes and checks on Izem
	Roland	        "Well at least someone is having a good time right now."
	CawklesGM	Muffin, in the meantime, bats Jurdiks shoulder. "Meh kedden! Meh kedden!"
	Ace_Nerat	"How is our healer doing?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"I may be, but I still have a role in this squad." He says to Kahina, before turning to Ace. "Better, but not by much, Corporal."
	Ace_Nerat	"Well I'm putting you on house arrest per say, don't wanna put any extra strain on you."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	looks at himself and then back to Ace. "Hah, it's not as if I'm going anywhere."
	Ace_Nerat	"Here I am trying to be supportive and you mock me." he chuckles back
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	shrugs very carefully. "Just stating facts, Mister Nerat."
	Roland	        continues to sit there next to Jain's bed.
	CawklesGM	A figure enters the room, an older man, of noble bearing but a tired look in his eys. His light brown skin is mottled by wrinkles, developing spots...stress has taken his toll on him. He is still gentlemanly, and kind in bearing. His neatly trimed, salt and pepper beard hugs his face, joined with his full set of hair. His medicae robes are immaculate; recently changed no doubt. He smiles gently as he sees all those before him.
        CawklesGM	Dr. Zakum abn-Jin. Izem's father...sort of. He walks into the room, and all present twist to look at him before returning to their business. The good doctor walks over to the foot of Izem's bed. "Give my boy some air!" He chortles.
	Ace_Nerat	returns to the card game and jumps in.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	[Bazir] "Hello Father." Izem sits a little straighter in his bed, his face seems warmer, a small smile forming on his lips, as his only current family stands before him.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	"I'm sorry to say I couldn't keep my promise of coming back unscathed." Izem comments with a sad chuckle.
	CawklesGM	Dr.Zakum frowns. [Bazir]"I didn't expect you to. Damn the brass..."
	CawklesGM	He stoops over Izem, observing his condition. "He's fine," Kahina says. Dr. Zakum smiles. "I know you are good at your job, Miss Shaban, but please, let me work."
	CawklesGM	The doctor is done quickly. [Bazir]"I'm still trying to convince Sophia to let you back into the clinic. She's rather adamant about having a medic with Snow squad, you know. Especially considering how famous you all are getting."
	Ace_Nerat	"You're all pisspoor at this game, I win."
	CawklesGM	Muffin spits. "Ya chett."
	Ace_Nerat	"Prove it."
	CawklesGM	Abbass shakes his head, pushing his ante (a pack of lho) towards Ace.
	CawklesGM	"Meh see sum kerds in ya slev."
	Ace_Nerat	"Do I need to remove my clothes?"
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	[Bazir] "I think it's too far gone for me to return, at least not yet. Who am I to return here while my comrades are suffering and dying out there."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	clenches his fists.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	[Bazir] "I saw a woman die in my hands, Father, she died, and I was hepless. That never happened here, never under my care."
	CawklesGM	"For the love of that non-exsiting pice of shit Emperor, please no." Jurdik scowls as he hands Ace a bottle of Boog
	Ace_Nerat	"Keep that to yerself mate."
	Roland 	        laughs as the scene unfold before him.
	Ace_Nerat	stands and takes a swig of the boog before spitting it out.
	Ace_Nerat	"This shit is terrible."
	Ace_Nerat	ventures over to where the docter is working.
	CawklesGM	Dr. Zakum looks severe. [Bazir]"Don't go down that road, son. Don't. It's hard to articulate...but I've been at this business for a long time. You will come to realize, more and more, that so much is out of your hands. Sometimes, the only thing standing between a patient and the God-Emperor is pure chance. Don't beat yourself up over it. Your a combat medic, not a clinic doctor. There is only so much you can do."
	Ace_Nerat	"You'd better not take my medic away Doc, he is part of the family now."
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	holds back his tears as he continues to clench his fists, he feels extreme pain by doing this, but presses on. [Bazir] "It is hard, Father, but I will try to take your words to heart."
	CawklesGM	Dr. Zakum chuckles. "He's been away for mere days and he's already a brother of yours? Combat never ceases to amaze me in how it glues humans together."
	Ace_Nerat	"Well, nearly dying every second really brings people together."
	CawklesGM	The doctor turns back to his surrogate son. [Bazir]"Please do. For your sake. You've...you've lost so much already. It would be a crying shame if you lost yourself."
	CawklesGM	"Amin", Muffin affirms, dealing a new hand of Grimba.
	Izem_abn_Anaruz	sucks in a shaky breath before looking Zakum in the eyes, [Bazir] "I shall, Father, I shall."