Fortunately Fortissimus was spared the volume of Lanius' laugh by his power armour, just one of the many reasons he saw fit to often wear his helmet. The way Lanius seemed to quickly flip from one emotion to another was certainly not lost on him just as it wouldn't be to anyone with functioning eyes and ears. But now his time had come to depart as the elevator reached his destination at last. "Yes, farewell for now Lanius. Perhaps we'll meet again before returning to the bridge." With that, he made his way out of the elevator, only just outwalking the closing doors.

Fortissimus immediately started in the direction of the human who seemed to be in charge of providing weapons and ammunition, arriving just in time to hear that the Night Lord that was already there seemed to be getting rather annoyed that he wasn't allowed frag grenades. "It does certainly seem like he did." Fortissimus said as he came up behind the Night Lord, "It may have something to do with the fact he's not supposed to and that, given where we are he knows you can't and won't do anything about it... at least if you want to walk out of here as anything other than a bolt filled hunk of meat. But I only came here for a bolt pistol and as much ammunition as I could hope to carry so what do I know?" If he weren't wearing his helm the deadpan tone with which Fortissimus delivered his words would have been betrayed by what would commonly be described as a shit eating grin as he leant on the desk. "Though if you wanted you could just ask for a bottle full of promethium and a rag. The weapon of a truly desperate individual but not a grenade per say..." He simply stood silently once he was finished, casting glances at the mortal and the Astartes to gauge their reactions, his grin remaining on his face all the while.

@BruticusTheGoreHound

As Fortissimus tore away from his company, Lanius remained on the elevator.With a puzzling look on his face, Baron waged the words traded, as well as what he will do next.The stoic mortal that was Captain Laurana came to his mind again, quite suddenly.

As the mechanisms behind the elevator clunked with hard bangs of massive cogs and pistons, seeking to raise its passangers slowly upwards, Lanius turned to the runebank in the corner.The mortal was still there, and it seems by its frantic operation of the keys on it, the man did not knew how to operate it.

Amused by the staggering ignorance, Lanius approached the bank, and with a whizz of his well oiled power-armor he came before the masked man.The man had a look of a stray dog given a good beating - his battle regalia in tatters, his physique humble and scarred.He had the look of a downtrotten warrior that was cast out after his use was spent.For a moment, Baron wondered whenever operating the elevator was his sole duty, which somehow he performed with unforgivable laxity.

"You..." Lanius spoke, his voice stomach-lurching to the speaker in the arching absence of his rather melodic and boyish tone "take us to the strata with the personal chambers."

At first Solithar was surprised to hear another voice in. Of course it would be an Astarte, the other mortals probably dare not look upon him let alone speak to him.

"You obviously haven't dealt with the VIII Legion before... Can't isn't something we have in our vocabulary..."

Solithar chuckled at the mention of using a tank of promethium and a rag as a improvised explosive device. It had been a while since he'd had to employ... Unconventional tactics...

"You seem like a nice kid, so I'm not going to take your skull have it adorn my armour. Considered that a warning, Cousin."

With that Solithar took his Bolt rounds and left checking how much time he left till being needed on the bridge.

"Sorry, Milord," The man said with a frown and a shrug of his shoulders - he clearly seemed quite calm despite having numerous Astartes who could tear through the bars and snap his neck, "But as said - ammunition is all I can offer, and meagre human weaponry like autoguns or lasguns. If you already have yerself a bolt pistol though, I'd be more than happy t' oblige to givin ya two clips of bolts for it."

Kooru sat happily in place, his knife at work, digging into the casing of the lasgun's side, slowly, but surely carving the lettering to his name, a signature he'd been taught long ago. His folks had always said that there was an importance in knowings one's name, and though he maintained an illiterate state overall, he could at the very least display who he was when called upon. However, a scent would begin to overcome him, a sense of power in the air, as the man felt very much like a rodent in the gaze of a hawk at this time. A shadow would fall upon him, as from where he sat, he'd slowly look up and realize his fears would be confirmed. With a tone and stance that very much conveyed a sense of irritation, atleast as far as he could discern, the angelic being had returned, demanding his service once more.

Mumbling thanks towards the lordly being, he'd bow his head, and swiftly scramble back to his feet, looking to complete the task granted to him. Leaving his lasgun upon the floor of the elevator compartment, he'd gaze back towards the elevator control panel, already, panic spreading through him. Confound it, how he cursed his luck at never mastering the subtle art of the letters and their organization. His hands already trembling, would flex as he looked to try and deduct which level exactly a "Strata with personal chambers" would be located upon.

His mind would be working on overdrive, his eyes racing about, brow slowly glazing over with sweat, as he wrestled with this task of herculean mental might. His gaze dashing about, first across the panel, studying the strange symbols over and over again, then slowly shifting back to the glory of the angel, never directly fixing his gaze upon it. His mind still cowed when he tried to process the sheer volume of the situation, thus, he simply tried to ignore it. Looking back over the elevator, he looked for a sign, a means of salvation, whispering a prayer to the Solar King in his own world's tongue, feeling tears forming at the corner of his eyes.

Wait...

Wait!

His eyes, looking up for a saving miracle, locked onto something, strange symbols located above the doorway of the elevator compartment. Swiftly, an idea forming in his ramshackled mind, his eyes rapidly moved back towards the console before him, scanning over it. No, no, no, no, wait! Yes! He found a matching symbol, exactly the same in it's look, and designation. He considered it, brain throbbing with effort as he came to a conclusion, that the symbols display when he was on this floor, for the one at the top of the compartment on display would shift with each stop on the travel, had a link with those listed on the console before him. Now, if only he could recall the floor he'd been on when he started. Kooru had a mind for recalling small things, a nursery rhyme sung to him at the age of three, the memory of Old Man Henlaigh being trampled by a grox at the age of ten, how his eyes popped with the stomp of a big foot.

Concentrating, he tried to think back to when he first got on, what did the symbol look like. He felt the weight of the angel's gaze upon him, causing his panic to rise with every passing moment. Oh Solar King divine, what would he do if he failed here? Oh how he craved the soothing taste of meat, the supple feel of flesh parting in hi-

WAIT!

Yes! The memory of his food brought him back, recalling as he sat down when he first arrived in the elevator itself, pulling his meal from his pocket. He recalled looking at his surroundings, briefly taking them in, before his eyes idly wander by the display in the upper part of the compartment. A series of symbols manifested in his mind, as he pressed his shaking fingers to his temples, visualizing it. He had it, he thought he did atleast, as his eyes raced across the console, looking to see if his memory had a match.

THERE IT WAS!

Jubilation and glee spread through him as Kooru pressed the button on the console, that unknowingly marked the floor that housed the personal chambers for those invited to this affair hosted by the Vindicators. Waiting a moment, as the elevator's gears began to grind and groan, Kooru would await judgement from the divine arbiter behind him, praying his efforts had not been in vain.

@Vlayden
With great curiosity, Stakh inclined her head. "Earn your position, but not through murder? Skills in flight and combat? And this is supposed to prevent incompetence? You're odd creatures, Ship-Master. But then I've learned from different masters." With a strangely diplomatical shrug, the Steel-Shaman conceded this point. She wouldn't understand them, not yet at least, and she had better things to do than to start debates with the hornless. However, Stakh saw it fitting to add "I'm no threat", just in case.

@GobMaw_HellSmasha
"The Dark Gods' guidance", Stakh replied to the talking metal box with the remarkable stench of unholy devotion upon it. The beastwoman had never seen a dreadnought before, and was honestly somewhat confounded with this device holding a dark paladin. With careful steps, she approached it, circling the thing. His words stroked her ego, however, and hubris encroached onto her voice. "The Steel-Shaman is with you and your Captain. Dark champion of Ghurog, Bestigor of the Ghost Hide, and a crusader of the true gods. And what're you? I've never seen something like you. Is this armour? Or a container?"

@dx144

Fortissimus barely held back a laugh from Solithar's threat as the other Astartes walked away. "Oh believe me, you must have a very interesting definition of what a 'kid' is for if you saw under this helm you would find no impudent child!" He yelled out before turning back to the human at the desk.

@Vlayden

Upon hearing that he was unable to provide him with a weapon the grin immediately disappeared from Fortissimus' face and he let out an exasperated sigh though to be honest the annoyance was caused more by the man's incorrect use of terminology rather than the bad news. He'd left his own pistol back in his chambers and had only really come here in the hopes that he could simply get another with his extra ammunition to ensure a shorter trip. "Fine then, give me some of those... Also, there wouldn't happen to be another elevator nearby, would there?"

The gusto and enthusiasm with which the disorderly mortal worked to make his requests a reality, amused Lanius and he graced the mortal with a genuine smile followed by an amused chuckle that was overly polite in its execution.Indeed, they have reached the appropriate floor, and Baron disembarked without a word onto the familiar decking, his ceramite boots denting the well-throdden strata. (@BruticusTheGoreHound )

Short walking later he neared the doors to the chambers he paid.Already infront of the chambers some of his thralls and adorers welcomed him with zealous enthusiasm, eager for his attentions.

They all started either as slaves or friends from various walks of life, but once Lanius showed them the ecstasy of life and exuberance of his company, their individuality was losing itself a tiny bit each time in the act of gratitude toward him.Gratitude that slowly grew into worship as the time went by, slowly losing friends and gaining worshipers.It was rather an unstoppable process in-terms with the current human condition.

In truth, Lanius was quite lonely, despite the vibrant entourage around him.

Escorted into the chamber, soft touches following him,caressing him across the power-armor along with soothing words to balance his humors (if such a thing was possible).With a corner of his eye, next to the monstrous divan where he usually spent most of his time went not perfecting the art of blade-wielding, he found the tangled mess of limbs and entetwined bodies in exactly the same shape he left them in.Shuddering sighs and gasps of deepest pleasures escaped the many lips,miasma of narcotics and hallucinogens poisons thick around them, all the more magnified by the Baron`s senses.He smiled with a predatory glee, showing his peerless white teeth.

"So...how are the newcomers, Stilgar?" he queried to the man next to him that seemed to have the most wit about him at the given moment.
"Fine!" the ebony-skinned man exclaimed, his charcoal-black complexion matching that of his ever-black mood.His left eye twitched and silent words passed over his thick lips, adding with a bit more composture: "They will be initiated by the end of the diurnal cycle."

"Good...good!Do not let them linger too long on the soft pleasures.Give them my mark before the day`s end." Baron added with a soft voice as he picked up the golden and purple helmet from the rack.Passing his gauntled fingers over the fine texture of his modified Mark VIII helmet, Lanius couldn't help but marvel at the level of artistry and care for detail that went into its construction.No wonder...it was part of an officer`s garb by the Flawless Host, and Lanius killed its prevous owner, taking the helmet as a trophy (then with a head still within it) and adding a sickening degree of opulence to it.

Two golden leafs (one at each side) cupped fowards each with tiny columns of glyphs inscribed with immaculate care of a zealot upon it.The leafs were most narrow at his neck joint and widest at their peaks, giving the feeling of wings, slowly swept forward.The vox-grille of the helmet was glistening with polished bronze embossed with tiny lines of pale platinum.As he picked up his helmet, the tiny series of glyphs pulsed at irregular intervals and with different intensities of a pink glow, making them vivid on the golden surface.Unpredictable.Impulsive.Eager.

"Are we to go to battle soon?" Stilgar said with unrestrained excitement in his voice and Baron listened, his eyes fixed on the helmet.Some of the thralls went aroud him, fixing and adjusting vials of various colors and inscriptions on them to his power-pack.The power-armor bio-chemical treatment systems kicked in, already introducing new drugs and poisons into his body.
His body shivered.

With a toying grin and mischievous look on his face, he donned the beautiful helmet "Soon Stilgar.Very soon.Wait for my signal!" His voice laden with myriad emotions.Instead of deadening his tone of voice, the helmet amplified them, sending stronger emotional feedbacks.Monotone tone was simply not possible to voice.

Stilgar`s eye twitched, his face twisted insctictevly slapping with incredibly force a man next to him, sending the slave into the corner.With clenched teeth and bloodshot eyes the dark-skinned man added, aggression and pleading interchangeable in his voice: "Please...please!Do not keep us...waiting!"

Moans and Stilgar`s pleading permeated the air as the later was slowly pulled back by others, their eyes wide,some even frothing liquid from their orfices, pulling Stilgar to the floor their desires of the moment heightened by the voice of their master, unable to contain themselves any longer.

@Vlayden
Lanius chuckled, the feminine giggle sounded like the throaty gurgle of utter abandon from the augmiters of his helmet.Leaving his entourage to their merritment and feastivities he left his sensual palace, the doors closing behind him with a hiss of compressed air, as Silver Baron made his way to the bridge.

Heros sighed, a sigh that seemed to release pent up pain and sorrow in one, silent, sound. He stood up, his power armor humming as his joints creaked, how long has his power armor served him for? He examined the multiple scorch marks, the multiple penetration points showering his armor. He mag-locked his gladius to his thigh, and slung the combi-bolter on his shoulder 'This would do' he thinks to himself before slowly placing his helmet on his head, the hiss of his neck plate magnetically sealing the helmet.

"'nfortunately, not - the elevator only takes a moment to get t' each floor, so don' worry about wastin' yer time." The man said, going to sit himself back down out of sight, re-arranging the numerous ammo mags.

@Casavay - The Captain merely hummed in response, nodding in agreement. "I never saw you as one; merely a guest upon the Ship, until we are to return to the Capital. From there, I have little idea on whether we'd need once more or not; my own duties will have me scouting the Imperial Worlds in question, most certainly before the bulk of the force is ready to join."

@High_Adept_Zeth
As the Astartes came into the room, the captain mentally groaned - Oh dear lord, he's back... She thought to herself; fortunately, her exterior showed no signs of weakness nor disdain, remaining as cool-headed as ever. "Ah. You've returned; is there something else you'd wish to discuss before the Sorcerer returns?" She asked, tilting her chin up ever so slightly out of courtesy.
Best to keep her posture upright, rather than Slouched and lazy, after all.