Ghost in the Machine (IC)

The rounds punch into Rook's leg. Hit. Hit. As the fire comes in, it moves up. The last shot hits him in the abdomen. Bam.

Spoiler:

One of the attackers beyond still burned and thrashed. Rook could hear and see the flames, of course, but he was starting to smell it now. It smelled off - rotten. Not what one who had smelled burning flesh would have expected.

His return fire was something to marvel at, however. He went to suppress; a tactically smart move to begin with, his luck turned for the better as two of his rounds caught his would-be killer in the chest and neck. There is a spurt of arterial blood as it goes flying backwards into a heap.

There is the sounds of a scuttle nearby and Rook remembers that Kaylith was still in the fight...

[IC is Open, but Rook cannot currently see Kaylith or her attacker]

Spoiler:

After seeing the success of his last salvo, snapping shots into the darkness, Rook blew the vapour emitting from the end of the hellpistol's barrel and handed it up to Jacjonson. The mechadendrite whipped forward and snatched it from his hand almost aggressively, taking Rook aback for a moment. He stepped out from the room quickly to get eyes on Kaylith. The fire from the burning mutant lit the room in dim, dancing light. His eyes scanned the room looking for his companion. Reload and check the area, friend. There may be more of these creatures about, Rook said to the merchant as he vaulted the table. He stooped down and scooped up the Heavy weapon of the flaming mutant. It would help them in the future. He looked again for Kaylith hoping he could help her in the fight

Rook picks up a heavy stubber from the flaming mutant. It looks more or less standard, if not a much older variant; however, the barrel had been cut down at the halfway point. In addition, a shoulder strap of canvas ran from the receiver to the end of the butt-stock. Rook could see that the weapon had been customized for fighting - or massacre - in the cramped conditions of the under-port. Searching the body, he found one additional box of ammunition.

Spoiler:

The Pawn Broker stands and coughs a couple times before spitting out a healthy chunk of phlem. No blood, which was a good sign. He nodded at Rook, clearly not too proud to think that Rook was ordering him about. After all, they had just survived a gunfight against a common enemy together.

Reminder what he looks like:

"Da fukk was dat, bra? Who dey comin' into my place wit' dat heat like dat? Dead what dey get! Dead what dey had comin', mudda fukkas." He spit again and reloaded his twin autopistols. Quickly, he checked to see if any of his men had made it, but sighed and closed the eyes of their corpses.

A figure stepped out into the dim lighting. Kaylith. The long, thin sword was in her hand as she wiped brackish blood off of it with a bar towel. As the red emergency lighting finally kicked on, Rook could see a headless corpse some meters behind her laying in a pool of growing blood. The last mutant was down.

The beauty sheathed her sword from a previously unseen scabbard upside down on her back, nodded at the merchant, and then looked to Rook.

"Well, it looks like I found my story, Rook Malakai."

Rook slung the the shoulder strap over his neck so the weapon hung diagonally across his body. After his sub-optimal firefight with the hellpistol, he felt ready for anything with the squad weapon in his hands now. He raised his eyebrows at Kaylith when she appeared You really are fascinating, for a woman. He motioned to another of the bodies with the muzzle of the stubber. Are they why you're here or just an unlucky coincidence? He paused for a moment to examine the body before looking over his shoulder at the trader. How many entrances are there to this place? Do any of them lead to the street level again? We should move in case more come to link up with this group. Do you have a safe place we can go to to catch our breath and devise a plan, friend? Rook looked back at Kaylith, Any idea why they would be cleaning out an underground bar like this, with weapons like this? He held up the stubber again. This is far too organised for a mere rabble of mutants, and look at their mutations. They all follow a similar pattern, like a breed.

Kaylith bristled slightly at Rook's surprising sexist remark. "Judging by how we both fared, I'd say I am fascinating for both 'a woman' and a tech priest. If we get out of this, perhaps I can teach you how to shoot."

She ignored entirely his question about if they were why she was here or not. Instead, she walked over to check on the downed patrons. There were a few moans and groans, but the majority were dead.

"Two. Da one you two came in, an' da one dem fukkas come in." He gestured to the entrance Rook and Kaylith came in and then to the opposite side of the bazaar where the mutants had entered. "Dey both get to that streets eventually. Anyway, yeah, I got a place. We gotta go da way dey come in, but its not far. It off the main track too. Gonna lock up den we can move."

With that, he made his way into the room behind his table to start putting things away and make ready to shut it.

Kaylith made her way back, no indicator that she had come across any survivors. "This was a clear-and-control job. They hit with the intention to wipe out everyone - extreme prejudice, and it is not a coincidence the attack came just as the lights went out. This was a coordinated effort. The weapons looks old, but effective. Maybe old stockpile? Black market. Been planning for some time I would say. And here? Don't know. It's a gathering place for a lot of the lower levelers. They obviously wanted to control it for some reason." She shrugged.

"If they wanted to control it, then we need to be moving. More will be coming is my guess."

She took another bottle of amasec and put it into the small pack on her back as well as another bar towel and made her way to the far door, opposite the one the duo had entered.

Spoiler:

In his obtuse manner, and being generally unable to read social cues, Rook missed acidic tone in Kaylith's reply and looked at his hell pistol hovering still in the mechadendrite's grip. Yes, sorry about that. I'm unsure why my hand and eye linkages weren't translating to combat. I may indeed take you up on that training offer. He reached up with a free hand, letting the sling take the weight of the stubber, and jerked the weapon from Jacjonson before tucking it away in his robes.

Rook nodded to the big man, Good idea. If we deny them this avenue, it may help us later. Or, it may help slow them down when they finally try to track us.

Rook followed Kayliths lead and grabbed another bottle of amasec as well. After seeing how well the makeshift incendiary worked on the mutant, then it may help to have as many as possible in the future. He then walked back to the counter and jumped over to find the beeping he had heard when things went ploin-shaped. I agree with your assessment Kaylith. We need to move and find somewhere safe. I have a squad of comrades in the level above that were on a mission. We could try and link up with them? He spoke to her conversationally with his back towards her as he looked for the source of the beeping. Where are you? he hissed to himself.

Kaylith's elegance seemed to blend well with her knowledge of what just happened. Her hair, for the intensity of the fight that had just taken place, had stayed up and and more or less perfect. The green scarf that held it up was still in place, and her heavy coat still hug tightly to her frame.

She seemed to have noticed a rip in it and pouted slightly. She nodded when Rook mentioned his squad. "I would say that a squad of battle hardened Guardsmen would be helpful given our current situation. If we can get to the level we just came from, perhaps we can make contact."

It was as good a plan as any. The Pawn Broker had reloaded and was just about to lock his shop door when Rook went inside. He didn't say much given their recent experiences. Inside, Rook quickly found the only object that could have been making the noise. It was a hefty piece of obviously Imperial equipment, bulky as it was, with a handle, trigger, and screen to the right of the boxy central unit.

Spoiler:

+++

The Pawn Broker, whose name it turned out was Poo-Beya, led the duo through the tunnels from where the mutants had come. Thankfully, there was no immediate sign of them. Poo-Beya made some turns, at one point descending a ladder only to ascend again a few blocks down. Eventually you make it to a solitary living hab.

"Less peepo' aroun' mean less theft' means I don't have to cap anyone's ass on the reg," he says as they enter. Inside, the conditions were comfortable by any standard. Plush sitting arrangements, a small dry bar, and even a pict-viewer in the corner. A small cat seemed to be guarding the place, only easing up when Poo-Beya walked in.

"Make yo'selfs at home. I know I will." He moved off to his room and emerged with a fresh shirt, covering the autopistols on his waist.

Quote :

At this point, it's totally up to you how you want to proceed. Don't forget to add the two new pieces of equipment to your PC sheet. This last one you can call "Beeper" until you find out more about it.

Spoiler:

IC to come

Spoiler:

Rook scooped up the unusual piece of tech and worked it over in his hands. Jacjonson swung over his shoulder and began peering at machine, switching angles to also get a better "look" at the thing. Rook batted the mechadendrite back a bit to give him some more space to examine the screen and trigger. Trying the trigger, he saw the pulses go out mirroring that of an auspex type machine. His milky eyes gleamed at that and his breathe quickened as he thought of what this could do. He needed more tools and workspace to have a proper look however. He attached it to his webbing belt under his robes and patted the Amsec bottle hidden there as well. With the, there would be much more potential for experimentation and modification in his future.

He walked out of the room and smiled at Kaylith, I'm going to apologise for my...friends now. They are Bastards

+++

When they entered the dealer's home, Rook took a seat on a couch. A sit down felt nice on his biological legs. He looked at Kaylith's sword and examined it from a distance as it hung on her hip. That is an impressive weapon. What kind of blade is that?

When the big man came back, Rook looked up at him and asked, Will you come with us? We're are going to find my squad, and we could use another body. Especially one with such...superb sub-dermal implants. his mind cast back to the fight and his thoughts became a little more jealous as he remembered the salvo the dealer had withstood while his own cover was penetrated so consistently. He needed another upgrade after this mission. it had been too long since his last. It may be safer with us than staying here.

Spoiler:

Kaylith smiled. "Noticed that, did you? It was a gift from my late brother." She pulled back her elegant coat, revealing an athletic, ivory thigh under her dress that had fallen back. Beneath the dress and attached to her leg was the pommel of a sword. There was no blade that Rook could see.

If there is any visible confusion, she simply says, "It is bad luck to unsheathe this blade only to re-sheathe it dry." She chuckles and reattaches it to her thigh.

Kaylith's Sword:

As she covers herself once again, Poo-Beya walked in. He considered Rook's words for a moment, but ultimately shook his head.

"Nah, bra. Someone gotta rally the people down here. I maybe sell to them, but dat don' mean dey aren't my bruddas an' sistas. Dey need protection an' vengeance now. Gotta call in some favors, but I get it done. But if you lookin' to go back up, I can get you there. If you lookin' to stay down here, dats OK too."

Spoiler:

Late brother? How did he expire? Again, like a grox in a porcelain shop, Rook missed the finer points of social cues and ignored the standard "I'm sorry for your loss" remark to charged straight into the next line of questioning. Sometimes he forgot his manners when dealing with non-enlightened humans. He leaned forward to examine the pommel attached to her leg, completely ignoring the fact that her thigh was exposed and that would usually get other men excited. He grinned at her when she reattached it without drawing the blade to show him. Of course, I understand. It performed well in our last encounter, so I would hate to bring ill machinations on our next. He leaned back then and worked back through his memory banks to see if he could identify it and pull up some data.

Rook understood where the dealer was coming from. It may even help them up top if the underhivers were working to keep the mutants off-step below at the same time. That's a good reason. Rallying those down here may even help to split the efforts of the mutants and diminish their effectiveness. They were clearly hoping to knock the underhivers out quickly with an attack like that on the bar, but they won't be expecting a counter attack. Can you get in touch with your network easily? We're looking to get back up top to my squad, but I doubt they will be where I left them. They were at the Gammorah 6 bar. Do you know it?

Spoiler:

Kaylith didn't break her stride. "Pursuing a story he shouldn't have been." She smiled, not coyly, and with a slight sadness in her eyes.

As he examined the blade, he couldn't quite place it. There was a good chance it was of a make that he had not encountered nor come across in his studies thus far. Like an onion, more and more layers of this woman were being revealed and yet telling very little.


Poo-Beya nodded. "Let's see, shouldn' be a problem." He went back into another room and came out about five minutes later. "Sumtin' up wit' the long-range signals. All fuzzy on most frequencies, an' some jus' straight out. But, the homies run on local, short range vox. Couple utha spots got hit too. Look."

He pulled out a data slate with a rudimentary digtal map of your current sector of Port Wander. He showed where you were, and then would scroll an press down on areas that had been hit. They came up in red when he put pressure on the slate.

The pattern was clear once Kaylith asked the obvious "what are these areas" question.

"Dey hittin' crossroads, junctions, main areas of where we gather'n'travel. Look like dey makin' a perimeter. Good news fo' yuh friends at Gammorah 6 though. Look."

He zoomed out effortlessly and his perimeter theory held true. The areas hit had formed a semi-circle blocking access to the more central areas of Port Wander. He pointed to a green spot, Gammorah 6, that was well outside of the perimeter.

"...If dats where dey are, bruh. Homies on the vox sayin' some shit went down at the club, but not like dis mutant shit. Arbites shootout. Some bad characters run dat place - not a surprise, jus' surprised it finally went down. But maybe I shouldn't be. Bad news comes in threes. Here," he said as he pointed to another location.

"Apparently dis where the muties are holdin' up. Set up shop in some mid-hiver hotel called 'The Westin.'"

From his limited scan and lack of motile inspection, Rook was unable to dredge anything from his memcoils. Putting it from his mind, he finally caught the look on Kaylith's face. I'm. apologies. muchly.He sighed awkwardly when the words came out incorrectly and started again. I'm sorry for his death, and your loss. I'm sorry for the loss of his unique data signature. May he be at the Emperor's side in grace. He wasn't entirely sure how the afterlife worked with the Emperor, but he gave it his best estimation anyway with his condolences.

Rook looked at the circle on the map and just knew they would end up needing to go into it. A thought struck him. I can calculate with high certainty that my squad will want to see this from a more...personal level. He pulled out a connection cable as Jacjonson appeared from out of his robes holding his data slate. May I duplicate this map onto my own slate? Another thought struck him as the download took place. If we were to come back down and find the source of this insurrection, we may need help piercing the perimeter. Would you be willing to help us break through?

Poo-Beya's last statement drew in a sharp breath from Rook. We were just at the Weston before coming down into the bar. He gave Kaylith a questioning look, but knew it was pointless to ask. He'd get nothing out of her. This is excellent information. If we find my squad, we could go back and strike from within. I dare say they won't be expecting an attack from below.

Kaylith's smile turned sincere as she nodded first at Rook's initial apology and then giggled slightly at his expense.

"I do appreciate those kind words, Rook Malakai. I'm sure if he finds himself at the Emperor's side, he will be shocked." She laughed a bit at her own joke before regarding 7th Squad's Tech-Priest once more. "You know, I have heard that when one joins the ranks of the Tech Priests they lose a lot of their humanity, but so far that hasn't been my experience, regardless of your lack of social graces. Intent is all I am concerned with, and I believe your intentions are pure."

Poo-Beya listened, scratching at his chin as Rook spoke. He nodded when Rook asked to copy the data down.

"Afta that groxshit at the bazaar, I am ready to take them all on by myself; count me in. I still gotta see how many of the homies I can wrangle up, though. Don' expec' an' army if you come back through. Lotta people gonna be stayin' put an' protectin' their own shit right now."

His eyes widened slightly at the revelation that they had only just been at the Westin. "Emperor's Holy Tits, bra. You fuckin' get around! That or bad luck follow you like stink on shit."

Rook looked at Kaylith aghast after her kind words. Don't accuse me of such things! he chided. After a moment he laughed a single bark, Thank you Lady Kaylith. You would be the only person in a very long time to view me in such a way. Others see me as a swindler or a crook. Alas, your words are appreciated and recorded in my mem-coils.

Poo-Bea, any extra weapons you can bring to a fight like this, the better. How may I contact you if we need to coordinate with you? Rook laughed again at the dealer's consternation, My friend, you have no idea...

Once they were all set with future planning, Rook moved towards the door. Thank you for your help Poo-Bea. I hope you find the vengeance you seek for the carnage at the bar, and I pray to the Omnissiah that we meet again. He held out his hand, bade him farewell and went outside to find their way to the streets above.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Poo-Beya snapped his fingers as if realizing something and moved off to his room only to return again. "Call me on dis short range if you close enough. Should still work even though the main vox lines are down. And dis, dis is called a 'backpack.' You put shit in it when you run outta hands to carry shit." He tossed both to Rook as he started laughing.

He shook Rook's hand with the pressure of a vice grip. "It's all good, bra. You stuck aroun' an' shed blood with me. Can't ask fo' more din dat in a homie. Kill as many as you can. I try an do the same here."

He put on a black hooded sweatshirt as everyone was starting to make ready to go. "I can get you started in the righ' direction, dependin' on where you wanna go."


+++
Short-Range Vox & Backpack added to inventory.

I thank you, Rook said as he shook hands with the dealer, perhaps for the first and last time. This will be beneficial. And the carryall sack will be a good addition also. robe pockets are inadequate now. Since this cordon seems to be around the Westin, I think we should go there and see what we can achieve. We have greatly upgraded our ordinance output now. He absent-mindedly stroked the top of the stubber as it hung across his body from the shoulder strap. Can you send us in that direction?

"Yah. No prollem. Les'go." The big man checked the monitors in his hab once more to make sure the coast was clear and then led the duo out. He had given Rook a cursory point to let the Tech Priest know which direction they would move in. When they got to the first junction he stopped.

"Dis whole sublevel is on the map. I put the Westin on it in green. It should be easy enough to follow. This is all more or less a big grid anyways." Poo-Beya waited for them to get out of sight before turning and returning the way he came.

+++

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

When they were left on their own, Rook began stroking the stubber again as he thought about their next move. Infiltrating the Westin was a given. If that was where the insurgents were coming from, he had to believe that they would be the only ones with the knowledge or ability to do anything about it. He looked over at Kaylith for a moment, the red back up lighting shadowing her face in ways that hadn't caught his eye in a long time.

The back-up lighting. If the power was off down here, it would most certainly be off in the level above them. This whole section was most likely offline which meant that resistence up top would be hampered by the dark too. He slapped the top of the stubber suddenly as his mind finally found a tehnical fix to a technical problem. We should try and find the generator for the lighting in this section. It will help us find our way and aid those above us also. He slung the stubber so that it was resting down along his back with the barrel pointing at the ground, and then pulled out the scanner he had found. Muttering an incantation of awakening, he gave the trigger a pull and poked at the screen in three quick jabs, before adjusting the dial on the main body. Satified that he had done everything correctly, he moved forward. Keep your eyes open for an input jack. I could use it to trace the connection back to the power source.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

There is a faint beep as the a semi-circle of light emits outward on the display. So far, nothing comes back as having been detected. Satisfied (and assuming Rook looks at his map), the data pad map reveals a very likely area for a generator to be house. Rook is confident he can get them there in about twenty minutes if the path remains the same.

Rook looked at the map after doing a few pulses with the scanner. Ahh, here we are. he said, pointing to an area on the map and showing Kaylith. I believe this area will house a generator that we can attempt to re-awaken. I calculate that it will take us 21.33422 minutes to reach. He gestured to the tunnel ahead. Your skills in close combat are superior to my own. Would you like to lead the way? If we come upon something at a distance, I can put enough shot on the target in these close confines to surely hit something. He grinned at the awkward joke, referring to his poor form in the last battle.

Following behind his companion, Rook would intermittently sling the stubber and check the scanner for any signals. He was confident that it would give them enough time to prepare if it came back with a reading.

"Now I can't tell if you're being as logical as possible, or if you just want to stare at my backside, Rook." Kaylith joked back as she moved to lead the way.

"So, that's the plan? We 'reawaken' this machine, get the lights on, but then what? I'll admit, the curiosity of trying to figure out what these mutants are up to is driving the journalist in me, but we may be in over our heads here."

Spoiler:

+++

The route was simple enough to follow. Sure enough, they were on a grid just as Poo-Beya said. Even with the twists and turns, Rook's map kept them well on track. Or, at least he thought it did. Twenty two minutes later, Rook and Kaylith stood in an empty room wondering if they had taken a wrong step.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

I'm sorry for you if the types you must deal with put you under that kind of scrutiny. Rook said before addressing the topic of depth. I believe we can be victorious if we use the layout of the building ot our advantage. I may be able to link into the port's schematics and find the floor plan of the Westin to give us the advantage. The proper use of choke points, traps and incendiaries may just mean we can nullify the mutant's advantage in numbers. However, he paused for effect as he considered his next words, probably some of the hardest he has had to speak since giving up RICTUS. If you feel, in your professional opinion that we cannot prevail. I will...defer and find a way to break through the cordon and get us back to my squad.

+++

This is not correct? Rook said as they stood in the empty room. By my calculations there should be a large generator in the middle of this space. He walked to the middle of the room and gestured down at the floor with two flat bladed hands, here

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

"Well, we will have to play it by ear, but I trust your judgement. You've kept us alive well enough so far."

When they got to the empty room, she furrowed her brow and looked pouty for a moment. "This one is on you to figure out, my friend," she smiled with a sigh of a laugh as she moved back out in the corridor.

Spoiler:

Rook looked at the map again while he was alone in the empty room and made muttering noises. A moment later and he slowly turned the map up the other way, of course...he said sourly. He walked out and pointed down the hall. A little further back there on our right. Apologies

Spoiler:

Kaylith smiled. It was warm and reassuring. For all the communication in the world to get across, that little smile said, "I know you'll get us where we need to go." She turned in the direction he pointed, and once again led the way, listening carefully for instruction from 7th squad's Enginseer.

Spoiler:

They walk for another ten minutes or so. Looking at the map, Rook knows they are about five minutes from the junction they need to be in.

From his hip, Rook hears a very faint beep.

Spoiler:

Rook heard the little beep and froze. If the scanner was picking something up...They could be walking into a trap. Freeze! Rook hissed. He fumbled in his robes and produced the scanner. The white light from the screen illuminated his face as he checked the readout. I'm getting a reading from the scanner. I think something is up ahead. Ready yourself. Once he was certain of the distance ahead the reading was coming back from, Rook tucked the tool away and slung the stubber forward. Move carefully. We might have the upperhand and surprise them.

Rook followed in Kaylith's footprints, covering her with the stubber as they moved forward slowly

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

According to Rook's map, the generator room was another fifty meters ahead. Multiple avenues all converged on that one room; Rook determined that this was because the machine spirits within the generator sent power to multiple areas of this part of the station. Many avenues meant that its power spread out in many directions.

The room itself was octagonal in shape. It was from this room that his scanner had sent back the reading of life. One blip at first, then two more. Three total standing inside that room. It was impossible to tell their orientation or if they knew the two were coming, but there were definitely three figures inside the room that Rook needed to be...

I've got three signatures coming from that room. I cannot tell which approaches into the generator room they are guarding, but they are grouped together. There are eight entrances into the room, which means we have a greater likelihood of flanking them if we split up. If you approach the door that we will meet in this tunnel, I will find another that is at 90 degrees to it. This puts us safely out of each other's firing line, and splits their attention. I will wait for you to fire first, before I cover the area in standard solid projectile shot. If you give me 15 minutes, that will give me enough time to double back and find another tunnel that leads to this room again. I won't fire until I hear you, so this all rests on your keeping time. The combination of surprise, superior firepower, and flanking positions will see us victorious. He began stroking the gun again. It was a poor substitute for SOLARIUS, but it was keeping his cogitation unit occupied, away from the separation topic. What are your thoughts?

"Well," said Kaylith with a bit of an "uh oh" look that was somehow both disarming and otherworldly beautiful, "'Start firing' is a bit of a problem. I have my sword and the molotov... and that's about it. Could toss a bottle if I get eyes on them, but lighting it will give me away... could also damage the machine you're so eager to turn back on." She smiles as she whispers at the last part.

Rook reached into his robes and pulled out the hell pistol. This will do for the job. He handed it to her and paused as he considered the damage to the machine. You should save the incendiary in case you need to make an escape. If I am not in position by the time you start firing, and my own fire doesn't add to yours then you should fall back to the room we came from. Unless...It may be easier if you take the map and find another access tunnel to fire from. That reduces the risk of our timing being incorrect and me missing your opening salvo. Would this action be better?

Spoiler:

Kaylith took the hell pistol, examined it for a moment, shrugged and nodded. "This will work." She shakes her head when he mentions taking the auspex. It was clear she had no idea how to work it and learning now, at this critical juncture, wasn't something she was willing to do.

She made ready to set her Chrono - a thing piece of elegant design on her wrist. "Just make sure you are shooting in 15."

Spoiler:

Rook nodded at her then. You can expect me to be there ahead of time. He gave her a pat on the shoulder, and turned and left the way they had come.

His pace was speedy, yet unhurried. He found his way back to the nearest junction and then turned left. His goal was to cross over one the next tunnel's path and find the one after. This would put him on the right path that would come out at 90 degree from Kaylith's. As he walked, he intermittently checked both the scanner and the map to make sure he did not go off course. When he came close to his destination, he swung the stubber up from behind his back and into the ready position.

Rook finds the tunnel easily. He gets into position some 15 meters from the entrance to the room. It was roughly the same distance he had left Kaylith. While it meant their field of vision was low, it also was the closest they could get without potentially tipping off those inside the room that they were there.

From here, Rook could see the profiles of two of the figures. He and Kaylith definitely had the drop on them. They were just standing around and appeared to be talking to the third who was out of sight for Rook. In the dark at this distance, they were just silhouettes. They could very well be more mutants. They could also be three underhivers.

Rook looked at the watch. There was about one minute left. He could move forward and confirm these were enemies, or hold steady and stick to the plan...

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

IC to come

Spoiler:

IC
Suddenly seeing the silhouettes in the room made Rook doubt is decision. What if they were Imperials trying to fix the generator. Flashbacks of his time spent on Hervara, unknowingly killing loyalists clouded his memcoils for a moment. The Omnissiah would damn him for making that mistake again. He decided to break with the plan and try something else. If it didn't work, Kaylith would be the new flanking fire and take out those she could before things broke down further.

Drawing in a deep breath he shouted. Drop your weapons and identify yourselves. We have all access points cut off. You're surrounded

He hoped using battle cant would let the potential Imperials know that he was with a friendly Imperial "force" also, if nothing else.

The figures immediately turn to face the direction of Rook's tunnel. There isn't even a moment where Rook thinks his plan might of worked. He is immediately met with gunfire as the bodies in the room move to cover.

Three shots come from the center of the room. From the report alone, Rook knows that they are autogun rounds, but they are well off the mark. There is a second or two delay as one of the figures moves to cover near the entrance to Rook's tunnel and then the booming report of a shotgun. The single blast was exceptionally loud in the confines of the tunnel, but the Omnissiah was looking over Rook as both shots miss completely.

Spoiler:

+++
Kaylith - 14a, 15m from Generator Room
Mutant 1 - 14b; legs in cover (generator AP
Mutant 2 - 10; legs in cover (corridor AP 6)
Mutant 3 - 9; out of sight
Rook - ?

Spoiler:

IC
Rook had expected his words to fall on deaf ears. At least this way he wasn't likely to be shooting at Imperial allies. As the bullets began ripping down the corridor towards him, he leaned forward slightly to account for the bucking that would come from the weapon and squeezed the trigger. The cut down stubber began chugging methodically and unleashed a torrent of lead in an arc back down the corridor. His goal wasn't to hit anything, but merely keep their heads down while Kaylith circled for the kill.

Spoiler:

...and keep their heads down, Rook did. Immediately they duck back into and behind whatever cover they had.

Round 2

From 90 degrees to Rook's tunnel, flashes of searing red light burn through the dark. Two in quick succession fly right behind the center of the room and out of sight. Rook cannot hear or see if they connect, but Kaylith had enough time to line up her shots very well, despite the dark.

Rook's suppression worked, but the cover the enemies were immediately able to get behind worked in their favor. Two shots rang out in Kaylith's direction, and another blast came down the hallway toward Rook. Again, both attacks miss their marks...

Of the third figure, there is no movement.

Spoiler:

+++
Kaylith - 14a, 15m from Generator Room
Mutant 1 - 14b; legs in cover (generator AP Cool
Mutant 2 - 10; legs in cover (corridor AP 6)
Mutant 3 - 9a; out of sight
Rook - 9b

Spoiler:

Rook grinned as he watched the flashes of as beams pass by the end of his tunnel and hit their target. He was 91.5436 percent sure that the flanking maneuver had just claimed its first victim. As the mutant with the shotgun leaned around and fired at him once again, Rook pulled the trigger to douse the area in lead again only to be answered with a *click* as the action in the crude weapon failed. The tunnel Rook was standing in was suddenly very, very exposed...

Spoiler:

Round 3

Another beam of super heated light briefly lights up the room. It fades just as quickly. Either the mutie behind the generator was still kicking, or Kaylith was making damn sure it was down. After a second, the elegant woman confirmed: "He's down! I can't see the others!"

The mutant closest to Rook keeps its upper half poked out, and lines up its shotgun on Rook. Rook has a feeling that this is going to hurt.

Spoiler:

+++
Kaylith - 14a, 15m from Generator Room; engaging enemy behind genny.
Mutant 1 - 14b; legs in cover (generator AP 8 ); DEAD
Mutant 2 - 10; 15m from Rook; legs in cover (corridor AP 6)
Mutant 3 - 9a; out of sight
Rook - 9b

Spoiler:

His surroundings were hemming him in and dodging a shot from a shotgun was going to be nearly impossible. He closed his eyes and felt the damage to his body, almost through an outer body experience.
After the shot, he tried to work the action, but the dud shell was stuck fast and refused to budge. Even after using the knocking action he learnt during his training, nothing happened. His ears picked up Kaylith's call and he answered in return Come inside and look right!

Round 4

Spoiler:

Kaylith yells back, "Moving in!" Perhaps she knew what she was talking about, or perhaps she had seen to many war movies as a kid. There is maybe a three second gap and then Rook hears a burst of fully automatic autogun fire... Had he just directed her to her death??

Tense moments pass and Rook has no immediate answer.

Spoiler:

Rook hardly has time to obsess about it. The mutant in cover, more confident now given Rook's situation, moves out of cover and begins approaching Rook before firing another deadly shot right into the Enginseer.

Spoiler:

There is another burst of automatic fire from inside of the room.

Rook is up

+++
Kaylith - 14a, 15m from Generator Room; engaging enemy behind genny.
Mutant 1 - 14b; legs in cover (generator AP 8 ); DEAD
Mutant 2 - 10; 11m from Rook
Mutant 3 - 9a; overwatch triggered
Rook - 9b; 11m from Mutant; 3 damage

Spoiler:

IC
Kaylith! Rook blurted oiut the call suddenly as he felt another impact from shots. Clenching his and bringing it down hard on the action housing, Rook heard the dud casing loosen. pulling the action savagely, the shell was ejected and replaced with another, more live, more deadly one. Rook locked eyes with the mutant and squeezed the trigger again. A stream of shot erupted from the silent barrel and stitched the mutant, impacting twice against it. Feeling as though he had just been tested by the Omnissiah and found satisfactory, Rook called out to his companion again. Kaylith respond!

Spoiler:

The mutant seemed to move preternaturally fast. Rook should have shot him. But it seemed to anticipate the attack and moved just in the nick of time.

Spoiler:

Round 5

Amid the chaos, Rook thinks he hears the clattering of metal on the grilled floor from inside the room. Then there is a hissing and odd chopping sound. He hasn't time to make sense of it before he hears, "I put him down for being ungentlemanly!"

It takes another couple steps toward Rook, edging closer and closer, before firing again. Again, its aim is on. Rook feels the pellets pepper his chest.

Spoiler:

+++
Kaylith - 14a, somewhere in Generator Room
Mutant 1 - 14b; legs in cover (generator AP 8 ); DEAD
Mutant 2 - 10; 7m from Rook
Mutant 3 - 9a; overwatch triggered; DEAD
Rook - 9b; 11m from Mutant; 6 damage