<Magos Artisan Xi-Lomax Zeth> <Three hours before commiting to the colonization effort> <Aboard Reckoning Hour> "Indeed Admiral..."spoke Magos,as he climbed the steps to the Tockman`s Command Throne,humble in his posture to the fault,as if a beggar. "...this ship is one of the decent examples that Astra Basilikon can offer."nodding he waved with his other had to the aide that Admiral called "Iota". "No need dear...I am afraid I am not bound to be long here aboard this vessel." Turning to the display before him,Magos stood beside Admiral,watching his form from under his hood,as if finding something interesting in it. "Coincidence?That depends on from where you are seeing such coincidence Admiral.I am no warrior nor have I experience in such bloody business..."added Magos while a smile as he pointed with his cane to the monitor that appraised visual on the renegade vessel "...but after my too long-a life,i`ve found that each coincidence is an opportunity."turning away he climbed down,his escort waiting for him eagerly,nervous as a litter of puppies waiting for their mother to feed them. "When you find yourself in need of my help,do not shy away Admiral.Please advise all technical matters with Executor Saul."spoke Magos with a nod to Tockman as he left,his retinue trailing behind him. @Mechiaus <Two hours before commiting to the colonization effort> <Hymn of Forging> The tang of incense lay heavy in the air,as preparations were made.Various Litanies on all channels could be heard in the ship and as Magos sat in his Command Throne,he found it rather mesmerizing.One of the rare moments that Machine God allows to one to reflect upon the sanctity of the current moment. Sadly...such reverie was quickly broken as a score of Adepts from various cadres approached,all demanding a digi-print on their data-slates before they commit to the effort they prepared for so long. Working his way,one sign at the time with his stylus,Magos winced as noosphere bleed more data.This time,direct communication. Protector sent a noospheric message ++" Magos Xi-Lomax, I have encountered an oddity on Ven I: Freshly made crater, yet I am unsure if it was caused by an unexpected meteor strike or something else."++ The Skitarius was going to remain with Renald unless new orders from either Renald or Xi-Lomax told her to leave them and carry out other orders. That earned him a curious quirk of an eyebrow as he eased back in the Throne,musing and compiling the known data about the moon. ++"Protector,investigate the matter.Take what Tech-Guard you have with you and scout it out.I want pict-feeds.Treat anything close to it with extreme prejudice.As for you Adept Renald...yes.Meeting with Freeblade and move out with all due haste.++ @Maleth @seabass <Now> <Tus Primaris,Evergreen Sanctum> A beautiful ravine,streaked in shades of blooming green and brown lay in the basis of one of the biggest mountain peaks on the planet.Harakoni are known for their aptitude for extreme heights and this only seemed fitting as an encampment for such a regiment. Evergreen Sanctum It was a clear summer day but that was hardly unusual for this planet and its...unique ecosystem. What was unusual were the colonists that came here.They came with masses of soliders and well-oiled grinding threads of their super-heavy tanks.Petro-chem engines of myraid machines churning as they unleashed black smoke in the atmosphere.Already these...colonists...wall themselves in the protective confines of their encampments,watchtowers and patrols a regularity as strange birds of metal streaked the sky in amazing patterns on a regular basis. These strangers know what they are doing,despite their carelessness for the world and its natural...equilibrium.Their every step an already determined piece in a doctrina that has seen ten thousand years of galactic,never-ending war and triumphed. Yet...nothing could prepare this maiden of a world for the thing that was to come.A thing that not only seek to colonize it,but to shape it to the will of its masters.To shape it or to see it destroyed.They did not care for its balance,for they will make one of their own. Above the pristine blue sky three streaks of fire,moved across the sky as if falling stars.While the flames got bigger and bigger,impeccable and unstoppable in their path.Hundreds of smaller shards blazed before the tri-stars,infinitly smaller in both size and shape. A sonic boom-echoed and swarms of smaller ships trailed on wings of fire and smoke,descending on a pre-determined landing area,cleared priorly by the Guard. As the small transports descended,trees in the viscinity shook madly,as the jet-stream from the transport engines arrested their fatal descent. Small figures jumped out of the ship,before the later even landed,welcoming on their feet in unison,scanning the area,spreading out in wide arch on the borders of the cleared,plain and forest. Moments later,some of the transports landed,belching forth its inhuman cargo as Kataphron Destroyers came forth followed by legion of various servitors,mindless,obedient,yet of sigular purpose as each and every moved with a task at hand.The forest nearby was already burning in controled infernos as it was set alight by promethium. Some of the servitors,their umbilical cords tied together,carried precious cargo,spiling it over the terrain at designated locations by their cruel Taskmasters.Hills and other imperfections in the ground were quickly liquified by the smokless promethium,the later solidifying in matter of moments. Techpriests,their robes of deep red and bone-white color,vocoder blocks on their long staves,boomed in various techno-arcane languages to the planet itself,declaring to the world its new masters. OOC:Witness the glory of the Omnissiah! One of the Skitarius dragged a naked human by a collar around its neck,pistol in the Tech-Guard`s arm,his robe rust-red,quite at odds compared with his Techpriestian lords.The man kicked and screamed as he vomited irregulary,not a single hair on its body.There was a mark across his chest,etched in iron and flame. Servitude Imperpituis. Deeming the position fit,Tech-guard pulled up his pistol to the man`s forehead blaring between Low and High Gothic behind his mechanical mask.His voice was carried by the implanted vocoder-blocks in the area: "You are now pure.Deus est Machina!" and the gun fired. As the three larger transports catched up with its smaller kin,it was visible as they approached,that they were not transports at all,but drop-ships.Drop-ships seen only when apocalyptic might of Collegia Titanica was required. Three Harbringer-class drop-ships landed,their gargantual engines arresting the fall as they screamed in plasmatic fury.The metal hull of these Titan-carriers protested against such violence,and they groaned,creaking with old age. When the billowing clouds of choking smoke parted,massive doors slammed open,pouring forth a mechanical host of human and replicae alike,myraid of form and purpose. Second Harbringer unleashed its cargo,huge,two six-legged Domitar-class walkers,each rivaling the size of a Warhound God-Machine,walked out followed by coven Enginseers as they sang the songs of Ignition and Supplication,waking the ancient machines once again.As they walked over the hewn-flat terrain,they belched forth grey matter that was quickly made perfectly flat by laser-levelers of spider-like servitors. Ferrocrete. As the landing platform took shape,third Habringer opened up,and servitors quickly swarmed over its belly,like vultures around a carcass.Quickly they towed away,carried and dragged various building materials,built in high orbit above the planet. Portable Augur-towers were set,cadre of Genetors,Biologists and Xenobiologists already marked an area with a ping-beacon,the area stil charred by the remains of the forest that was there just few minutes ago. Massive,quadruped auto-hoist cranes were being assembled and feared Cybernetica prepared its Surveillance-Automata sending them into the wilds,unleashed as hounds by its Datasmith,hungry for new data. Amid the sprawling encampment/construction area,amid such buzzing site of activity,an elegant craft emerged.Sleek of design and graceful in its flight as it toyed with the laws of nature with its contra-gravity engines,levitating toward the Guard encampment that is was being threatened to be consumed by the infectious activity these new invaders spread. As the elegant craft came near the front gates of of the Guard encampment,it slowly decended,slowly shutting its engines down. Ancient Ornithopters...its schematas lost to time as Omnissiah found us unworthy. As the ornate doors of the craft opened,Magos Artisan stepped forth,his robe stark red with streaks of bone-white.Hooded he sniffed burning promethium that lay heavily in the air,sparing a glance toward the site where one of the Harbringers was lifting off,going back to the mothership for more supplies,manpower and techno-arcane wonders of the Machine God. As he stepped forth to the Guardsmen infront of the gate,he spoke over the cacophony of sounds coming from the landing site: "General (@TechCaptain ) is expecting me."spoke Magos as he turned to a particulary enthusiastic pair of Techpriests that came from ornithopters one Transmechanic another an Artisan.One clad in rust-red robes with a cog-symbol emblazoned on the trim of its robe,while the other had the orange-bone-white robe with a hand that held a hammer,grafted to its chest. "Yes...yes.All in due...no...no...yes.There.Triangulate the towers.I want long-rang augur-sweeps and noospheric coverage before the sun sets."spoke Magos as he pointed to a data-slate Transmechanic was holding. "No..Adept.East side,facing the mountain.Shield the temoporary encampent from the high-speed wins.We need work-force able to sleep after work.Yes...tell BioAlchem Cadre that it will be ready by late afternoon."smoke dismissingly Magos as he waved away Artisan. Behind him was a Skitarius,crusted blood and brain-matter still staining his armor.His robe hailing from Mars,while that of his master,from Lucius.Judging from the markings on his robe,the Skitarius was belonging to One hundred and twenty-seventh Maniple of Martian Tech-Guard.
~~ Derelict Ship ~~ + @PorOborosCain The open hangar bays were quickly spotted and the squadron headed inside, landing. No other ships were inside and on second scan, all escape pods had been launched, too. Whoever abandoned this, had probably a good reason about it. The lights started to activate the moment the first pilot opened his cockpit and climbed out of the craft. "Wing-Captain. I suggest we head to the bridge, you heard the admiral. Boarding party will take a while. And it would be better if we find out here is danger to be found and flee, before reinforcements come, yes?" One of the pilots inquired, already having drawn his personal Auto-pistol. ~~ Ven II - Warzone: Anomaly - Scout Force ~~ @Vulpas | @Colapse | @TechCaptain | @Vulpas | @seabass The step from the regular area into the dark side, the shadowzone, the anomaly, whatever it may be called henceforth... Was a heavy one. Each and everyone could feel it, like stepping through a portal that would take one to another realm. And in fact once standing inside, looking back, it all seemed... Matte. Dull. Greyer. Combined with the vox-crackles and difficulty of even near-distance vox and still utmost darkness, only penetrated by flashlights, laser-dots of rifles, and the vehicles spotlights, it became evident. This was nothing of nature, but technology instead. The scout force was not yet met with resistance, but it was smart to expect it. The only signal that actually came through was a distress signal, Imperial origin. (@CommissarGaunt 's location) ~~ Ven II - Warzone: Anomaly - Party Crashers ~~ @CommissarGaunt Those who died instantly on crash were perhaps luckier than the survivors. Who knew what was out there? Where they landed in this anomaly? Interesting enough the gale winds stopped the moment they crashed. Ironic how the weathers worked. There was a bright blue light glowing in the distance, before closing in at a rapid speed and shooting the head off an Enforcer right off. Then the light disappeared. And that was that. An enforcer died from a blue ray of death and laid there now in the snow. Head completely destroyed as it never existed, the rest of the body appearing unharmed. But what good was a man without his head? Few of the Arbites stood there in shock, not knowing what to do, looking and regrouping at their officer, awaiting an order - while in paranoia staring into the unnatural darkness, waiting for more blue lights, hoping to evade them before they would die.
--Earlier-- Hour of Reckoning's Bridge Ready Room- Tus Primaris Standing to meet the General, Alexei salutes in greetings. "Exceptional timing, General. I'd given you at least 5 minutes more. Right, down to the thick of it. A ghost ship has been located in the planet's orbit. It appears damaged or otherwise unable to leave the gravity well. I've sent a survey team to investigate, some of my best. They have reported no signs of life, but that's just the sort of coincidence that gets a man killed. I know this is asking much, with our forces already spread thin, but I request a Guard detail to aid the boarding. We need to find out the origins of that vessel's fate and it could take days to search the vessel with only the men I have on hand. All claims on salvage will of course be negotiated and any damages repaid." The Admiral finished with a light of his pipe. Iona offers tea to the General and those assembled. "Care for a cup while it's hot, General Draken?" "I'd have offered something stronger, but this is all she brings me now. Why I put up with it is anyone's guess." Alexei says in a joking manner. Iona simple continue to smile as she poor drinks. Stopping only when returned to Tockman's side. His cup signifigantly larger than the others. "Keeping you hydrated is a full time job, Sir." OOC: saw the break down forces, wanted to keep dialogue going. Feel free to respond or not. Will move on after this in next post eitherway.
Reckoning Hour - High Orbit over Tus Primaris Strategium Executor Haxx marched into the Operations Room with a look of determination on his face. Though he nodded or greeted the myriad of officers that he recognized, he did not slow his pace until he reached the centre of the chamber. The massive tactical hololith that stood before him was quite the technological marvel. It dominated the operations floor, it's massive imager relays projecting a scaled down representation of the entire system, though at this moment it was zoomed in to display Tus Primaris. The green orb spun lazily on it's axis, festooned with an array of icons representing the approximate positions of the forces deployed across the surface. The troops did not concern Saul, however, for his attention was focused on the blinking red icon of the supposed derelict vessel in low orbit. The yellow icons of Imperial Navy fighters were already docked inside the hanger bay. This concerned Saul immensely. As Saul reached the edge of the display, he accessed the control panel, extending a data-drite from his wrist. He manipulated the view until the derelict vessel was the primary focus. Satisfied, Saul drew the attention of the many officers standing around the display, determining which of them was in charge based on their rank badges. "Commander, who has boarded the vessel so far?" He demanded, his tone reflecting his urgency. "The surviving pilots of Murder Wing, led by Wing-Captain Durhan. They are proceeding to the bridge to ascertain the ship's functional state", the man replied. "Tell them to stop immediately and remain in the hanger bay with their fighters. Under no circumstances are to they leave that area until the full boarding party arrives" Saul ordered, his tone betraying no room for argument. "Furthermore, no one is to touch anything. Not a cogitator. Not a bulkhead manual release. Not even a bloody lumen switch! We can't risk triggering something. A sanctioned Mechanicus Adept must commune with the vessels machine spirit first, only then will it be safe to proceed. Otherwise, the Machine Spirit may become aggressive, providing it is even functional of course." "Let the Admiral and General know immediately. They could be walking into a death trap!
"Usually I would agree Lefric. But the Admiral is already breathing down my neck. We stay here as ordered." Durhan unholstered his master crafted laspistol he recieved upon promotion. It had seen no use outaide the practice range, and he hoped he did not need it now. "Be on the lookout for automated defenses, use your ships as cover." @PorOborosCain "Admiral Tockman, this is Wing-Captain Durhan Apker. We have disabled the outer defenses and await reinforcements inside the hangar. A perimeter has been set. Over." OOC: Made this post before I saw the one above me. Promise I wasn't making a metagame decision. Was always my intention to stay in the hangar.
Main Force (General) - Hour of Reckoning "Thanks for the offer, Admiral. You have a Battalion of my Spectres and another of Warhawks. They have orders to take lead from the Navy but otherwise maintain their chains of command. " He drank his tea a bit quickly, but it seems he had places to be. "Sorry, to make this short. I have to meet with our Mechanicus allies and I am a bit late. "(@PorOborosCain , @EvicusDasan1 ) Scout Force Tango - Tus Primaris, Evergreen Sanctum "Right this way, Magos" The Guardsman lead him to a part of the clearing that was heavily guarded. It looked to be an entire Landing Field for Valkyries and Motorpool. He lead the Magos to where headquarters were temporarily set up. His superiors, offered the Magos refreshments and anything he needed while he waited. (@High_Adept_Zeth ) Main Force (General) - Tus Primaris, Evergreen Sanctum Shortly after the Magos, made it to the Headquarters as it was, there were more roars of landing vehicles as a Battalion of Artillery landed. They were being offloaded and heading to an area cleared for them. Also while all this motion happen one particular flight over flew the headquarters at a very low altitude. And out jumped a figure in camouflage, and close to the ground jets of fire spewed out slowing his descent as he landed. As soon as his feet touched his ground, he took off his helmet with a big smile. It was obvious he had fun doing that and he missed being in the Warhawks. He walked into the headquarters. " Sorry to keep you waiting, Magos. Got held up deploying some more of my forces." (@High_Adept_Zeth ) Scout Force Victor Alpha - Ven II, Anomaly Lieutenant Mason informed all forces about the distress beacon they are detecting. It decided that they should head to the beacon with caution as no one they knew of was missing but comms were so bad they couldn't be sure. (@Vulpas, @Colapse, @seabass ) " Sir Gale, can you change direction to (Coordinates for distress beacon)." Otherwise all the soldiers were fairly quiet and shivering despite the heaters running do to the haunted feeel they have. No body wanted to voice what could be in their heads and they were the best the Imperium had to offer. Naval Support Group - Tus Primaris, Derelict The Troops started landing in the bay that had already been cleared. Before anybody could say anything the guardsmen swarmed the bay and weapons were pointed at every doorway, hatch, or possible route. The place became very full of determined people. One of the officers made way to the Naval personnel that looked in charged. "I am LTC Holdoff Daggermoon. I am senior for this detachment. Who is in charge for your people and give me a SITREP? Also I got orders from General Draken to wait for some Adepts of Mechanicus. They should be following shortly behind us." (@EvicusDasan1 , @Mechiaus )
"That would be me." Apker said without looking at the officer, as he scanned the hangar for automated turrets. "I would suggest you establish a perimeter so that my men don't have to, seeing as we are not as well suited for this situation as yours are." Durhan spoke as he finally turned to the man. Over his helmets vox he contacted Felto. "I am not gonna lie, being in charge is fun." Durhan chuckled. "I sure hope the cogboys don't show up and just ruin all the fun." Brennith chipped in. "Oh you know they will Bren, you know they will..." The Wing-Captain smiled as he waited for the final wave of reinforcements.
"On it changing my heading towards the Distress beacon. If you have a rhino or chimera with you it maybe good to bring along for subversive or wounded." Gale said as his knight began turning to the distress signal's direction and began heading towards it. Attempting to check other Vox signals for chatter or possibly a distress message he began accessing the vox network looking for the group that was in distress.
Scout Force Victor Alpha - Ven II, Anomaly Lieutenant Mason responded to the Knight's comment." There is not time to call up reserves but the Salvation of Despair should have some extra room for that." He was very respectful but as this mission went on, his confidence grew.
<Ven II> "We move forward towards the distress beacon," Major Berg replied as his men marched in unison next to him. "Knight Gale, you spearhead our advance, my men will be right at your side. Nothing that this world can throw at us can match our resolve. You know our Captain, you know that we will not relent."
