Rogue Trader - Exodus

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Lt. Commander Zarkov
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Location: En route to Prethian, Koronus Expanse, Segmentum Obscurus. 816.M41

Post by Lt. Commander Zarkov »

Montresor wrote:[You passed your recognition test for the man's rank - I'll edit that. However, both of you failed on all three intimidation tests, all modifiers considered]

A tense silence hangs over the scene. Labourers look at one another in unease, obviously startled and confused at the talk of Mechanicus power and interests, but the Sergeant holds firm. He allows a short silence before grinning.

'What are doing causing a dangerous toxin to pour into the ventillation? If this is Mechanicus business, why'd you not say so down below? And if you really are Battlefleet Calixis, you're outside of the Imperium and outside of your law. This goods lift belongs to Moriah Heale - a Sacred Warrant holder, and you've just gone against someone who holds the power of a High Lord of Terra out here. Drop your weapons. If you're telling the truth, we'll sort this out soon enough. Don't drop 'em, and we'll sort this out right in the here and now'.
[If there is any other similar cover available, take it, otherwise step back into the lift.]

Zarkov, not one to negotiate at the best of times, and realising the futility of the situation, resorted to what he knew best. He threw the primed Mechanicus frag grenade towards the enemy, watching it sail in a high arc through the air as he drew his bolt pistol, firing at the sergeant from cover.

[Move to cover/Standard Attack:Grenade. Quick draw, 1/2 action Aim/fire from cover.]
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Malachi
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Post by Malachi »

Following Zarkov's lead, Malachi also heads for cover, firing his boltgun as he does.

Single shot at the Sgt. from my boltgun as a free action. If I'm within 3m of cover, I'll use my other half action to aim. Otherwise, just fire a round, then full action move 6m to cover.
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Post by Montresor »

[Since Zarkov did not specify that he had a grenade ready, he acted last. Everyone else diced as normal, with the soldiers getting off the first shots. Malachi then fired, and Zarkov threw the grenade (no skill required for throwing). Both Malachi and Zarkov are fatigued so, despite the -10, they still succeeded. Zarkov rolled a 35! Someone got a righteous fury]

As Zarkov pulls a grenade from his belt, the soldiers open fire. Las blasts pour into the narrow confines of the goods lift, glancing off crates, send sparks and smoke through the air. Two blasts sear into Zarkov, while one cuts across Malachi's shoulder.

[Zarkov takes 2 Wounds; Malachi takes 3]

Malchi's boltgun tears through the din, a bolt racing for the sergeant. Crimson mist and thick gobs of gore and blood-smacked armour fly through the air. The sergeant falls back, anguished surprise on his lifeless face. An instant later, there is a deafening blast. Metal buckles and fragments, turning cover into thick shards of shrapnel, and sending men flying. Zarkov's grenade has found its mark, killing, maiming, and causing men to dive for cover.

[I can't believe your luck. Though it's not over. I'm not saying how many were put out of the fight by the grenade but, now is the chance for you to run past the barricade, should you wish to take it. There's enough of a hole to make a dash. You could basically head left, right, or straight ahead - though you are not sure which direction leads to the shuttle. There are all sorts of shuttles and larger transport vessels moored here, and countless workers and so on]
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"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.

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Malachi
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Post by Malachi »

Malachi sets off, in an attempt to run through confusion to find his way to the shuttle, all the while keeping an eye out for the symbol of the Mechanicus, and the signs of shuttle launch. His familiar makes its way in front, scanning for heat signatures coming from engine exhausts.
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Lt. Commander Zarkov
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Location: En route to Prethian, Koronus Expanse, Segmentum Obscurus. 816.M41

Post by Lt. Commander Zarkov »

Zarkov followed, saying a prayer to the Mechanicus as he stepped over the fallen soldiers bodies. Some were still writhing, stunned by the blast. The forge-world grenade had worked better than expected. We should be dead...clearly the Omnissiah smiles upon us, he thought. Dropping a smoke grenade to cover their escape route, he follows behind the tech-priest, his movement hampered by his bionic leg. He quickly lags behind, careful not to fall.

[The smoke is dropped almost on top of the dazed soldiers, in such a way that it masks which direction the men are taking through the crowded docking bay. Zarkov runs at 2/3 speed, if thats possible. As in opposed to the standard sprint: 3 times standard move, he runs twice his standard move. This reflects the fact that he is fatigued and doesn't want to fall over; the bionic leg makes fast movement difficult. Hopefully this will reduce the difficulty of the move...]
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Post by Montresor »

Charging through the confusion and carnage, Malachi and Zarkov desperately seek their transportation before the time runs out. Both begin to run while dock-workers and idle ratings stare from behind cover at the destruction left in their wake.

Zarkov's bionic leg creaks mechanically, causing his pace to fall far behind the Explorator's. At the lift, the furious cries of alarm are sounded by the survivors.

'STOP THEM!! SABOTEURS! IMPOSTORS!'

Laser blasts sear past, wide from their mark.

A vox blares throughout the entire dock, echoed by countless loudspeakers in the cavernous interior:

'ARREST THE INTERLOPERS! TERRORISTS! REWARD FOR WHOEVER TAKES THEM DOWN REGARDLESS OF ALLEGIANCE!'

Klaxons blare and emergency lighting casts almost any speck of darkness from the dock. Furtive eyes stare at the fugitives, listening to the message being broadcast. Security teams begin to heft weapons and take aim.

Malachi's servo-skull sights the Mechanicus shuttle, on the other side of the Bay. It's engines are powering up and systems are coming online. Three armsmen give chase, stopping to open fire erratically at the fleeing men.

[Two obvious approaches seem to be open, both traversing over-passes across the vast central bay. The first, which runs nearer to the explorers has the largest concentration of people near to it and, thus, may attract the greater amount of fire. The second is narrower, and is accessible by a steep staircase lit with tottering candelabras. This one has less potential enemies milling about it, though may slow your flight]
"For the love of God, Montresor!"
"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.

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Lt. Commander Zarkov
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Location: En route to Prethian, Koronus Expanse, Segmentum Obscurus. 816.M41

Post by Lt. Commander Zarkov »

[I'm assuming now Zarkov knows the direction of the shuttle, judging from the direction Malachi has been heading (ie the direct route)]

Malachi moved in and out of sight behind dock-workers, forging ahead of the Lieutenant Commander. Zarkov, knowing his mechanical leg would not be able to handle the very steep staircase, continued on the closest path to the shuttle.
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Malachi
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Post by Malachi »

Malachi tells his familiar to move ahead to alert the Mechanicus to wait for their arrival under fire.

Meanwhile, Malachi makes his last run toward the shuttle in the most direct route he can take, keeping a wary eye out for aggressors.

While running, Malachi will use his shoulder mounted bolter to return fire at the nearest attacker as a free action, if he has to roll for initiative for combat.
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Post by Montresor »

[I have decided to test the RT system's more abstract representation rules for this part. Here is how this will work - you both need to make four successes on Agility tests. Theoretically, you have an unlimited number of rolls, though time will eventually run out. You can add bonuses to these (which I will decide the value of) based off the quality of your ideas and posts. Running along the central over-pass as you have decided will draw a lot more fire from opportunists and various security groups. There is some cover on the way, which can help if you divert to use it. You can also return fire, which may suppress or discourage resistance. I would like both of you to describe your actions and intentions, then I will make the relevant rolls. One more thing, I will assume that three consecutive failures leads to capture. The servo-skull will make it regardless]
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"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.

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Post by Malachi »

Seeing the mess ahead of him and Zarkov, Malachi quickly retreats back to him and they both take cover.

Malachi then procures his vial of sacred unguents and begins coating Zarkov's mechanical leg with it while chanting a prayer to the machine spirit within.

After he completes the informal rite, he gets up and points to the nearest piece of cover.

"I'm going to head over there, and lay some cover fire as I go. The unguents will help with your leg, but I'll drag you with me if I have to. Are you with me?"
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Lt. Commander Zarkov
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Post by Lt. Commander Zarkov »

"My brother, I would follow you to the very Eye of Terror itself," Zarkov replies, without a trace of irony. The unguents had begun to take effect. His bionic felt somehow smoother, and had lost its distinctive creak. He wondered how long the Mechanicus blessing would last.

Zarkov looked for an opportune place along the route to throw a blind grenade, where it would cause the most confusion and allow them to cover the most ground unmolested. Spotting what looked to be the largest section of open ground on their route, Zarkov resolved to save the grenade until they reached the gap. His bolt pistol already drawn, he began firing on the closest aggressor. "Move, now!"

[The gap Zarkov sees will take 2 turns of unhindered movement for him to reach, although he will be able to throw the grenade after one turn of movement (GMs discretion of course, just an outline), Zarkov spends his first turn laying down covering fire from behind a bulkhead with his bolt pistol (semi auto), at the closest, most aggressive adversaries he sees. He will then move from cover to cover, hopefully with Malachi covering, and throw the grenade when he is in range, masking their passage.]
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Post by Montresor »

Zarkov and Malachi rush from cover to cover, providing fire for each other to advance under. Their bolts tear at crates and vast supply cables, causing most of their potential opposition to dive for cover. Autoguns answer their barrage, and laser blasts dog them from behind. When Zarkov closes enough distance, he hurls his blind grenade. A flash blurs the sight of everyone in its vicinity, scrambling vision enhancers and disrupting bionics. In the confusion, the two race to the shuttle.

Dashing over the overpass they come face to face with that a large group of security men who have assembled behind makeshift barricades to arrest their progress. With no way back the explorers have little choice but to consider surrender. Their mission at its premature conclusion, their spirits falter.

Heavy bolter fire booms throughout the dock, and barricades are ripped to shrapnel by a deluge of shots. Men dive for cover, while a couple are cast aside by explosive rounds. The guns of the Mechanicus’s shuttle have opened fire, clearing the way for the explorers. Wasting no time, both men rush towards the shuttle, almost diving into its interior. An instant later, the shuttle is racing towards the dock’s exit, clearing the asteroid and hurtling into the void that surrounds Footfall.

[You have both used a clip of ammo]
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"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.

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Post by Montresor »

Delta-X-7 chokes on the throng of its inhabitants who surge and converge on the docks in a final bid for exodus. Scores of system ships ferry overloaded cargo holds of people for exorbitant profits. Yet crowds more wait in the futile hope of flight from the impending invasion. Two transport vessels, each a kilometre long and scarred with the marks of numerous engagements, lurk in orbit of the asteroid; predatory creatures of man’s making skulking to disgorge their armies for the kill.

A lone shuttle penetrates a tiny cave dock, barely hollowed from the asteroid’s rock, landing in a darkened interior. Cables cling to every surface, and grinning gargoyles and stone tech-priests hold lumen globes and dripping braziers. Servitors toil in the darkness, lifelessly shifting materials and tending to the machine-spirits in the sacred refuge.

Within the hold of the Mechanicus Lander, Zarkov and Malachi are addressed by the enginseer pilot, an adept who has remained silent until now.

###Open the vault cog to the tunnels above by striking upon the digi-panel, inscribing in the manner “1-1-8-9-1”. Turn the vault lock against the clock, and the Machine Spirit will respond to you. Above you will find the tunnels leading to the Gardens, where the debased worshippers and indulgers of flesh harvest their intoxicants. Trust to your holy bolters, and to the parts of you which are not flesh. Be wary, and at ill-ease. This way will not be open to you again###
"For the love of God, Montresor!"
"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.

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Post by Malachi »

"Thanks for your help back there. You saved both our lives."

Zarkov, Malachi, and his familiar exit the shuttle, and Zarkov feels a hand fall on his shoulder.

"Wait. Let me take a look at that leg before we go any further. We can't have this cause us anymore problems in future."

Malachi scans for any servitors who might help him find spare parts or assist with the repairs....

Malachi is going to attempt to do a field repair of Zarkov's leg to try and get it back to original functionality, using whatever parts he can scrounge from around him, with the help of whomever is available to assist.
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Post by Montresor »

[Success on a Tech Use test. Malachi manages to repair the damage done to Zarkov's leg. He would need days and good parts to upgrade the leg from Poor Quality to Ordinary, however]

The servitors toiling in the glow of lumen-globes are silent, dead men going about their duties, serving the Mechanicus in their after-deaths. They are unable to respond to dialogue, except when the commands relate to their work.

While searching the cave-dock, Zarkov manages to find an old map carved into metal, labelling the major branches of the cave network above. The map itself dates to some two hundred years ago, though it could be possible to follow it to the Gardens far above.

[Keep in mind that Malachi and Zarkov both count as Fatigued. They need an hour's decent rest, and they are still covered in sewer-filth]
"For the love of God, Montresor!"
"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.

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Lt. Commander Zarkov
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Post by Lt. Commander Zarkov »

Malachi wrote: Zarkov, Malachi, and his familiar exit the shuttle, and Zarkov feels a hand fall on his shoulder.

"Wait. Let me take a look at that leg before we go any further. We can't have this cause us anymore problems in future."
Zarkov smiled slightly with gratitude. "Thank you Malachi. I had thought it the flesh, not the implant to be weak."

[Zarkov looks at the map and around to find any sources of water/chem showers. He thinks it likely that such facilities would be in the vicinity of the dock, but in this cess-pool of a place, who knows?]

"My brother, we should cleanse ourselves of this filth and lay up for a time. Time is of the essence, but if we are to expect resistance we should seek rest to plan and recover. Perhaps your servo-skull" Zarkov bowed a little to the familiar, "can help us seek the facilities we require?"

[Zarkov and Malachi both search, with the help of the servo-skull and Zarkov's eye.]
Venerate the Immortal Emperor, revere his Holy name. Praise the Omnissiah, for the Machine Spirit protects.



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Post by Malachi »

"Zarkov, now is probably a good time to rest and clean ourselves up."

Malachi heads over to a quiet service corner with a hose, and begins to run some water and clean himself off, before slumping to the floor to recouperate.
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Post by Montresor »

Using the high pressure hoses in the cave, designed to flush spillages into disposal grates, the explorer's clean the filth clinging to their armour - thick gobs of fetid, phlegmatic garbage, are washed clean.

The two rest upon empty crates in the dock, only the sounds of flickering globes and toiling servitors can be heard. The Void, seen from beyond a protective shield stares into the dock like a lidless eye.
"For the love of God, Montresor!"
"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.

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Lt. Commander Zarkov
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Location: En route to Prethian, Koronus Expanse, Segmentum Obscurus. 816.M41

Post by Lt. Commander Zarkov »

Zarkov secretly relished the opportunity to rest, taking the weight of his leg. He leaned over to Malachi, speaking in a low voice. The dock appeared empty of sentient humans, but you could never tell who was listening.

"We should plan our next move, brother. We may need to enlist the help of local gangsters and thugs." He grimaced. "We must do what is necessary to reach your objective, but we cannot trust the scum who live in this...place. Regardless, I shall go where you will." He looked out into the blackness of the void beyond the protective vacuum shield. "Those transports, holding position in close orbit in accordance with Navy assault doctrine...they could deploy at any moment. Their markings...similar to the troops who opposed us in the docking bay. Is this the same Rogue Trader...Heale?"
Venerate the Immortal Emperor, revere his Holy name. Praise the Omnissiah, for the Machine Spirit protects.



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Post by Montresor »

[Although neither player has Common Lore: Rogue Traders, I ruled that Zarkov's trained abilities in Common Lore: Navy and War gave him a bonus to an Intelligence test here. Malachi had no bonus, but rolled very well. Both characters determined that the markings on the transport vessels correspond to Heale's insignia on her armsmen. Zarkov also understands that the transports are marked with common field designations which correspond to regimental groups. If the transports are stocked to capacity, they could hold up to ten or twenty thousand soldiers - an extraodinary and, perhaps, unlikely amount to disperse in such a place]
"For the love of God, Montresor!"
"Yes," I said, "for the love of God!" - Edgar Allan Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.

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