The Eternal War, Session 26

Session Start: Sat Dec 01 19:09:31 2012
Session Ident: #eternalwar
03[19:09] * Now talking in #eternalwar
03[19:27] * Krystaphoani is now known as Narcisa
03[19:27] * Nyx (chatzilla@sux-984AB3D.washdc.fios.verizon.net) has joined #eternalwar
03[19:40] * Plex (CelestialD@sux-FDA3A910.dsl.klmzmi.sbcglobal.net) has joined #eternalwar
03[19:52] * Six-Jay (IceChat77@sux-EB4DB6A6.dhcp.aldl.mi.charter.com) has joined #eternalwar
01[19:58] <Staffen> The retreat from Trojus was rushed. No sooner were you on the gunship than it took off, leaving fozens of traitor-Guardsmen behind. By any counts however, it seems most of the renegade Astartes escaped, and more than a few corpses had been brought back aboard the traitors' vessel as well. After that initial flight off of Trojus, the situation became eerily familiar to those who remain from the Cell's formation: you were pushed off through a hangar, down stark, dim buttressed halls that seem to at least promise the vessel carrying you from here is originally of Imperial design.
01[19:58] <Staffen> You were dragged several decks down to a holding area and then searched, stripped of equipment and armor, and pushed into individual, solitary cells.  The doors are sealed and locked - Narcisa is led off elsewhere while Nyx and Plex are taken deeper into the ward.
06[19:59] * Nyx hangs limply, mouth silently making prayers, and eyes clenched shut
01[19:59] <Staffen> Time has begun to lose meaning. The only track of time available to you becomes the arrival of meals every few hours. There is always an armed Space Marine in unpainted armor and warning stripes present at feeding time.
06[20:01] * Petrus spends his time peering out of his cell watching
06[20:01] * Six-Jay although weakened attempts to do his best to communicate with the others, tapping on the walls of his cell.
06[20:03] * Six-Jay is actually not doing that, in fact he wakes up in some form of horror-infirmary.
06[20:04] * Six-Jay has a large selection of medicae equipment hooked up to him and is not actually doing much of anything at the moment besides hopeing he hasent been infected by some chaos taint.
06[20:07] * Six-Jay after a while six-jay attempts to look around and see if anything could possibly be used as a weapon so that he could go down fighitng his captors.
06[20:11] * Petrus spends his time talking at the guards asking if he can upgrade his room to a suite
06[20:11] * Six-Jay realizes afer a few moments that the half formed plan in his hazy mind will of course not worked, because he's strapped to the operating table in his cell.
06[20:13] * Six-Jay begins tapping at the wall that he can reach despite his position, concentraiting as much on trying to make the message clear as trying to keep his mind from clouding up from discomfort, pain or lonliness. He raps slow steady message on the wall with his knuckles. "Six, alive, anyone else?"
06[20:20] * Petrus taps back
[20:21] <Petrus> "Petrus, alive"
06[20:23] * Six-Jay taps back after a moment. "Others?"
[20:24] <Petrus> "No idea"
06[20:33] * Petrus taps "equipment?"
06[20:33] * Six-Jay responds. "No. Attached. Medical."
06[20:39] * Petrus taps "How Injured?"
06[20:40] * Six-Jay taps. "Not Dead."
06[20:44] * Petrus taps "limbs missing?"
06[20:45] * Six-Jay "No. Cant. See. Chest. Wound."
06[20:46] * Petrus "Mobile?"
06[20:47] * Six-Jay responds quickly. "No. You?"
06[20:48] * Petrus "Yes"
06[20:48] * Six-Jay "Ideas?"
[20:49] <Petrus> "None, thinking"
06[20:50] * Petrus "Best, option, gather, more, intel"
06[20:51] * Six-Jay does not respond for several moments. "Awknowleged."
06[20:57] * Petrus "guards?"
06[20:57] * Six-Jay "None in cell."
06[21:00] * Petrus "Outside?"
06[21:00] * Six-Jay "Unknown."
06[21:30] * Petrus bangs on his cell door "Bellhop! I wish to know why my Masseuse has not shown up again for the 5th day in a row."
01[21:31] <Staffen> There is no answer to Petrus's demands.
[21:32] <Petrus> "That's it let me talk to your manager right away!"
01[21:32] <Staffen> No answer.
[21:33] <Petrus> "When I get out of this place I am going to write a review that will make this place be blown out of the void!"
01[21:41] <Staffen> The guard remain silent, almost as if nobody was actually at the door.
01[22:18] <Staffen> Eventually, somewhere along the voyage, the group is brought back together in the hangar bay where they first were put down in. Crews hurriedly push cargo aboard the gunship.
06[22:19] * Plex takes stock of the rest of the cell.
01[22:19] <Staffen> Through the bay's void shield you can see the hulls of dozens of vessels. A flight of sleak fighters silently flashes past.
01[22:20] <Staffen> An Iron Warrior in enormous armor comes forward, accenting each step with a tap of the tall staff he wields. Sierck is close by him.
01[22:21] <Staffen> "The Warsmith awaits," the Chaos Marine announces. "Sierck? Is the craft prepared?"
06[22:22] * Six-Jay looks like he wants to lunge ang tear the Heretek apart with his bare hands, still loyal to his masters final orders.
06[22:22] * Plex holds a hand in front of the tense guardsman.
01[22:23] <Staffen> "Yes, Technomancer," Magos Sierck says, clasping his hands together beneath the sleeves of his robes. "Their belongings are being put aboard now."
01[22:23] <Staffen> He looks to you all, as if expecting a reaction, and smiles.
06[22:24] * Plex gives none beyond a return stare. Again.
[22:24] <Six-Jay> "I am going to see your pieces melted down for scrap you junk-heap." Six-jay hisses at the Magos.
01[22:25] <Staffen> "A mouth on this one," the Iron Warrior remarks. "Vok did not want his presence. Perhaps we should have let him bleed out?"
06[22:26] * Six-Jay glares at the Iron Warrior, but quickly turns his eyes back on the Magos. "More of a courtesy than I gave your traitor brethren Legionaire."
[22:27] <Plex> "Did you come here to gloat, then, or are you to be our escort?" she says to Xavier.
06[22:27] * Petrus looks at the traitor astartes "Finally! Someone who looks like they're in charge, I'm sure you have some excuse for why my masseuse never showed up."
01[22:28] <Staffen> The other Astartes present turn their heads at this, but the Technomancer simply laughs. "Dravek was incompetent anyway. If it wasn't you it would have been some less valid Imperial agent. Get them aboard the craft now, please."
06[22:28] * @Narcisa simply stays quiet, hands clasped behind her back, one over the other.
01[22:28] <Staffen> You are all pushed along to the gunship.
06[22:30] * Plex walks just fast enough to avoid needing...prodding.
06[22:30] * Six-Jay has to be shoved quite a bit.
06[22:31] * Petrus strides allong looking down at the heretics trying to prode him along
06[22:33] * @Narcisa follows along!
01[22:33] <Staffen> You are buckled into seats, and within a few minutes the craft is off. Sierck sits closest to the exit, and Technomancer Xavier opts to stand, in want of a proper seat, at the rear. There are no less than four Iron Warriors aboard as well.
01[22:36] <Staffen> The passenger compartment is silent for the most part. At one point, Sierck gets out of his seat and begins to tamper with a panel. "Let's see... I think it was this one..."
06[22:36] * Six-Jay tenses up, testing his buckles.
01[22:37] <Staffen> Suddenly, the glossy black hull behind the seats illuminates. You can see outside the craft.
01[22:39] <Staffen> The fleet orbits a blue planet to-port. The number of ships visible on either side is astounding.
06[22:39] * Six-Jay tries to see if he can make out any of the shapes of the ships, searching for Imperial sillohettes.
01[22:42] <Staffen> Sierck presses a rune on the panel, and a hololithic screen appears. He wags his finger through one section of the hologram, and at the fore of the compartment another display appears:
06[22:42] * Petrus looks at one of the traitor astartes "Wake me when we land."
06[22:42] * Six-Jay curses under his breath and resolves instead to count as many of the vessels as he can, wishing that he could save the images in his mind like some savants he had known on the off chance he escaped.
01[22:45] <Staffen> Ahead of the vessel looms a long, silvery shape, glinting in the light of the local sun. It looks almost like a jagged knife calmly positioned in the void. Close by are a group of warships that are easily dwarfed by it.
06[22:46] * Six-Jay is glareing at Sierck, clearly wishing he could kill the Magos with his mind.
06[22:46] * @Narcisa follows Petrus' example of breaking the silence "Am I the only one honestly surprised by how ... polite some of our captors have been? THese are warp-allied chaos astartes - I never thought I'd live after seeing one, much less hear them speak the word 'please'."
01[22:47] <Staffen> Towards its stern it widens out. A city of towers sprouts from the dorsal section to the stern, along the ridge that forms the edge of its knife-like shape. Long rows of weapons batteries stick out almost anachronistically along its broadside. On the vessel's underside can be seen guns that are far larger than some Navy vessels.
01[22:48] <Staffen> "Goodness," Sierck gasps, "that... is Vok's vessel?"
01[22:50] <Staffen> "I suspect archaeotech," Xavier dryly comments. "It feels to me like its design would be the basis of much of what he constructs. The aesthetic seems to please him."
[22:50] <Six-Jay> "Dont' be so impressed scrap-heap." Six-jay is doing his best to keep his eyes from the ship and a look of nerves from his face. "Big ship's just mean bigger targets for the Imperial Navy's Macro-Batteries."
01[22:51] <Staffen> Sierck gives a single, sharp laugh. "I'm not sure the Navy could handle this thing. Those great big guns on its belly... those are nova cannons."
01[22:51] <Staffen> Almost like an excited child, Sierck hops about, pointing to various features.
[22:52] <Six-Jay> "Those stars out there?" Six-jay snaps back. "There are more ships in the Battlefleet. That thing is a floating target, scrap. Just like you."
01[22:53] <Staffen> "And there -- that's a battery of plasma cannons," the Magos says, rambling, suddenly unconcerned with anything else. "I think I can make out missile ports, and that looks like a row of lances..."
06[22:54] * Six-Jay falls silent as the Magos falls into one of his rants and instead turns his gaze on the nearest Iron Warrior, wondering why he hadent been smashed into the wall quite yet."
01[22:54] <Staffen> "Where," the Magos sighs, "where did he get the funds for this behemoth? It's must be twice the length of the Oberon-class! The Chronos would be only a quarter this thing's length!"
06[22:55] * Plex watches Sierck bandy about, concern growing. Somehow, word had to get back to the Crusade about this...
01[22:56] <Staffen> Sierck continues to rant about the vessel as you come close to it. In proximity you can make out long grooves which house brightly-lit hangars and vertically-oriented turrets.
01[22:58] <Staffen> The gunship puts down in one of the hangars. Sierck shuts off the displays, and readily waits by the door.
06[22:59] * Six-Jay flexes again, glancing around a final time to see if he notes where their equipment is stored as they mentioned before.
01[23:02] <Staffen> The side-door slids open, and the boarding ramp extends. Sierck is the first off, excitedly hopping. His squeals of excitement can be heard.
01[23:02] <Staffen> The Iron Warriors unfasten your bucklings, and motion for you to get off.
06[23:03] * Petrus stands up and yawns
06[23:03] * Six-Jay glances away from their weapons and after Sierck. When he's unbuckled he glances towards the crates behind the Technomancer and seems like he might throw himself at them in a vain hope of getting a weapon but eventually follows after Sierck.
06[23:04] * Plex follows close behind 6J.
01[23:04] <Staffen> One of the Iron Warriors almost violently jabs at Petrus with the muzzle of his boltgun. "Show some respect," he growls. "If you do not straighten yourself out for the Warsmith, I'll make an offering to the Blood God of your steaming neck-stump."
[23:05] <Petrus> "I am certain Vok would not like you killing me, I think he would want that pleasure for himself."
06[23:06] * @Narcisa sighs, "Do not tempt the eight foot tall armor clad psycopaths, Petrus." She follows out of the craft
01[23:06] <Staffen> "The only ones with power over me," the Iron Warrior snarls, "are Mighty Khorne and Warsmith Todt. You are worthless to me."
01[23:06] <Staffen> Xavier eyes the scene, though any expression he has is hidden by his respirator.
01[23:07] <Staffen> The hangar beyond is harshly-lit. It is painful to look around after so long in the gloom of the traitors' vessel.
06[23:08] * Six-Jay glances back as he hears the ruckus. Then shakes his head and searches for Sierck in the harsh light, if there is nobody beyond the ramp he will begin to make his way towards the Magos.
01[23:13] <Staffen> Sierck is now dancing about the hangar. At the foot of the boarding ramp, however, is another group of Iron Warriors, and to each side of them are cyber-partisans standing at attention. Center of the formation is a single Space Marine of modest height, in the typical unpainted silver of the Iron Warriors.
01[23:13] <Staffen> The golden trim-edges of his pauldrons are shaped like cog-teeth. Snake-like cables whip around behind him. A large claw-like arm sits folded to one side of his power pack. Not unlike Xavier he hides his face with a respirator, and his eyes shine yellow. Thick augmetic lines snake under the crown of his skull.
01[23:13] <Staffen> He places his gauntleted hands on his hip-plates and nods as you disembark.
06[23:14] * Six-Jay stops at the foot of the ramp and stares up at the Iron-clad giants. He says nothing at first but glances to their weapons...
[23:16] <Six-Jay> "This some kind of honor guard? Or is your Warsmith really that frightend of us that he needs two squads to keep us in check?"
01[23:16] <Staffen> Once you are fully offloaded, Xavier taps his staff against the polished decking. "Kneel before Ludwig Todt, by the grace of the Primarch Perturabo - Warsmith of the Fourteenth Grand Company."
[23:17] <Plex> "We will not kneel before traitors and their lickspittles."
06[23:17] * Six-Jay ignores the command and stays standing despite the order, they'll either kill him standing or force him down. His eyes are fierce and determined.
01[23:19] <Staffen> Almost at once two of the Iron Warriors unholster their bolt pistols at point them at Plex and Six-Jay respectively. Todt does not appear interested in this, and simply stares at Petrus before him.
06[23:20] * Petrus grins at the traitor astartes in front of him
06[23:20] * @Narcisa looks at this, the woman almost inching away from the astartes weapons drawna gainst her comrades, look of unease boardering on terror.
01[23:24] <Staffen> The Marines fire. A spray of blood spills over the group. Todt continues to stare at Petrus, unamused.
01[23:24] <Staffen> The Marine on Six-Jay sees he remains alive after the first shot, and fires again, this time dropping the Guardsman.
01[23:25] <Staffen> The blood settles. The smoke off the traitors' pistols fades away.
06[23:26] * Six-Jay as the first bolt hits him the providence of the god-emperor spares him an immediate death and the bolt tears through him, exploding out of his back and throws him forwards as he hits the ground coughing up blood he clutches one hand to his chest and with the other he makes the sign of the aquilla before he's blased a second time and falls still.
01[23:27] <Staffen> Only then does Todt step over to Plex, and kicks her body. "Still alive," he says, almost as if he's happy to hear so. He looks to one of the partisans. "Take her to the wards. Yrtzen Vok will very likely want her facial features intact when he sees her."
01[23:29] <Staffen> The partisans comply, picking up the psyker's body and walking off with it.
06[23:32] * Nyx stares in rage at the traitor Astartes who shot Plex, and falls to the ground in a slump
01[23:36] <Staffen> The Warsmith casually steps over to to Nyx. He clasps his hands before him, and cocks his head at her.
06[23:37] * Nyx 's body is like a fresh corpse, unable to move
06[23:38] * @Narcisa watches Nyx, techpriestess acknowledging the earlier order with movement as she too finally dropped to the ground, herself kneeling however.
01[23:42] <Staffen> "Such compassion," the Warsmith says. He nods at Nyx, and then turns to his assembled group. "Would that all the Emperor's realm were this dedicated - our wars would be but trifles!"
01[23:42] <Staffen> The Iron Warriors laugh together at this.
01[23:46] <Staffen> "I cannot think of a more exemplary welcome to our new, fellow guests," Todt announces, raising his arms to the mess created by the executions. "A mighty payment of respect - to the man who will grant us our path to glory!"
01[23:47] <Staffen> The laughter amongst the Traitor-Marines turns to cheers. They raise fists. "Iron within!"
01[23:48] <Staffen> "Iron," Todt whips his head about, as if breathing in some new scent, "... without."