Blood Moon IC - Chapter 2

Egill raises his hands slowly as the weapon is drawn. The pistol didn't concern him when his very mind is a weapon.

"Hey now. As my priest says we've just here observing the er, Omnissah's practices. I was eager to learn so persuaded him that it couldn't possibly wait until morning. There's no malfunction just my fleshy brain and my inquisitive nature getting the better of me."

Egill tried to remain relaxed and passive but he was no natural born liar. "Why don't we just return to our cell, no need to wake up your boss eh?"

T

The woman stands stock still, appearing to consider your request.

"Yous are trouble." The woman adjusts her grip on the weapon. "Give me reason to make exception...fast."

Spoiler:

Sent from Topic'it App

Felyx's hands remained at his sides. "You are to pulling a gun for us on the Omnissiah's sacred grounds and you are to questioning my computing powers? I am believing you are needing of diagnostics. I am gifted for running this."

Felyx looked curiously at the woman. He genuinely wanted to run diagnostics on her.

"We were only paying our respects and giving appreciation to the Omminsah, you're going to wakt your boss up for that? Tell him in the morning if you must but interrupting his err... evening re-calibrations seems extreme."

Egill had no idea what he was talking about, but he was prepared to turn to violence in a moment.

The left side of her face only smiles. The right side stays stock still, creating a bizarre, crooked expression.

"No, the Magos is preoccupied with more important business than dealing with delinquent guests. I will return you to your quarters immediately, and the Magos will be informed of your breach of curfew. You will remain in your quarters until further notice, or punitive measures will be employed."

The woman gestures toward the door with her weapon. "Proceed at once. I will follow."

Egill had had enough of the subterfuge, the Emperor demanded retribution and despite any hard evidence his probing of the warp and what he'd seen placed the blame firmly on those in charge in the complex.

These was no chance he was being a prisoner here than he was already and if they could take the priest quickly they could stuff her in a vent perhaps and no one would be any wiser.

The slight nervousness he had about using his warp powers when the barrier was so thin were swept aside. Lightning suddenly sparked around Egills hand which immediately leapt out towards the priestess.

Spotting the sparks around Egill's hand with lightning reflexes, the priest reacts much faster than you would have thought possible based on her prior lackadaisical movements. Her las pistol fires with a sharp crack and a blinding light, hitting Egill in the chest and knocking him prone.

In attack position before Egill even hits the floor, Felyx brings the man-catcher down fast and hard on her augmented frame despite her awkward attempt to dodge. Though she thrashes against the webbing, she's no match for the reinforced net. With a few tugs of the mancatcher, it is clear that she is not going anywhere without outside assistance.

Bright blue lightning bolts leap from Egill's hands as he topples backwards, coursing across her body and inducing violent shudders along with a pained, distorted screech in binary.

Felyx levers the mancatcher up at an angle to force the priestess down to her knees.

+++Heretek! You would defile this holy site of the Omnissiah by bringing weapons against a fellow follower and potential convert?+++ He screeched at her struggling form.

"Egil, be taking to her weapon that she does not to firing on us again. Being injured are you?"

The priestess does not respond to Felyx, appearing to ignore his outcry. She does, however, begin speaking in techna-lingua, apparently over a cranially-implanted vox. The half-smile, half-limp expression appears on her face once again accompanied by a dead look in her eye.

+++Initiate dilation immediately Initiate dilation immediately INITIATE DILATION IMMEDIATELY INITIATE DILATION IMMEDIATELY INITIATE DILATION IMMEDIATELY INITIATE DILATION IMMEDIATELY INITIATE DILATION IMMEDIATELY INITIATE DILATION IMMEDIATELY...+++

The distorted bursts of binary communication increase in intensity and volume as she repeats the phrase over and over again...

Egill angrily gets to his feet rubbing his chest, that had hurt. He couldn't understand what the thing was saying but it was obviously repeating something and it was getting louder. An alarm?

Felyx wanted Egill to disarm the priest, but Egill wasn't listening. The heretic had attacked an Inquisitorial agent and its alarm was getting louder. There was only one option...

Without much considering the consequences and not much caring anyway Egill draws his sword and impales the tech priest, driving the big sword through its chest roughly where the heart should be.

Blood splatters across Felyx's face as the massive blade slices through the priestesses torso. The screeching outburst gets garbled and drops several octaves in pitch briefly before cutting out entirely. The priestess slumps backwards, held propped up only by Egill's sword, her mouth agape with a lifeless expression. She convulses before ceasing movement altogether.

Alistair and Marius carefully check their corners, watch for any movement, and listen for any guards as they proceed down the hallway in the sound of the noise. Much to Alistair's chagrin, Donna walks boldly in front, a grin on her face. In a brief moment's time, they reach the shrine room where Egill has just shish-kabobbed the priestess.

Felyx's auspex beeps. There's movement downstairs...and in several rooms upstairs. Looks like the priestess woke up half the facility before she croaked...

Felyx stared as the body slumped. He made no outward expression of grief or surprise. The tech-priestess dying was one of many outcomes he had anticipated, but now he had to see what he could gain from this turn of events.

He pulled his auspex from his belt and handed it to Egil. "Beeps equals bad." He props his man catcher against the shrine of the Omnissiah and moves to plug himself into the tech priestess. There was a chance she had valuable intelligence pertaining to their mission stored in her memory bank.

Egill jerks his sword from the corpse and then places the point on the floor so he can use it to lean against.

"To answer your other question, yeah I'm injured. I ain't about to keel over though." He clutches at his chest in pain. "At least not until I've granted the Emperors blessing to a few more of these heretics eh."

Taking the auspex Egill stares at the screen for a moment.

"You better be quick, we need to prepare for a fight."

As Egill watches the auspex, he notices something unusual. The blip in the basement is heading elsewhere...away from the facility. Off map, even.

Meanwhile, the blips on the ground floor are not moving much. No movement outside rooms, side for maybe standing in doorways.

Felyx gasps as he comes back to reality -Oh, there's go gravity-. As his head swam, his arms felt heavy, he felt as though he would vomit -Mom's spaghetti-

He shook his head and stood. Oooohhhh she most is definitelys beings the heretek. Good to died. Good to died."

He can't quite translate what he had seen yet, and as they were separated from the others, he would have to repeat it anyway. So he just shook it off. And kept shaking. The headache lingered something terrible. Whatever came of it, however, he would embrace. -The beat goes on duhduhdum da dum...-

He used the Heretek's clean portion of robe to wipe the blood from his face and bent down to retrieve her weapon. Aside from the knowledge in her brain which was now his, he would take her possessions.

[She have anything else? GIMME DAT LOOT BBY]

Alistair paused at the door of the shrine, somewhat unconsciously unwilling to enter the heart of the Cult Mechanicus. Scanning the room as much as he can from the door, Alistair then looks to the two team members in the shrine.

"Situation Report." His curt tone was muffled by his rebreather. While waiting for an answer, he turns to watch the hallway.

Egill was about to show Felyx the weird behaviour of the blips although as the metal man stepped away from body he didn't look all together with it, it was probably just as well Alistair showed up at the door.

Egill steps away from the body so it can be more clearly seen "One heretic down. She attacked us." There were quite a few blanks there but it was the truth. "As she died she raised the alarm." Egill shows the auspex screen to Alistair "movement isn't what I expected, one has moved perhaps out of the complex and the rest after initial movement are stationary. I think they have set up a defensive perimetre."


"Is Marius with you, I've been shot?"

Donna taps the chainsword against her shoulder with a look of disdain on her face.

"'Ow come yew be doin awl tha killing round 'ere?"

She sensed now was the as good a time for any. When Maurius begins his ministration she slinks back into a shadow and takes out one of her precious vials of Slaught.
This would make her quicker and more alert. It seemed like as good a time as any.

She lift the vial to her nose and inhales the contents in a single, large inhalation.

Immediately her senses were on fire, her nose burned but the burn felt good, too good.
Yes, it had been too long since she had felt so good, so alert and reactive. It was as if before she had been a slug.

When she sees a good moment she steps out from the shadows as if she never went there to begin with.

"Wheah we goin now? Times-a-wasting ya lumps."

The party grows tense as footsteps are heard coming down the hallway. Before anyone has time to fire off a shot, the scruffy-man who sought help from you in your quarters slips into the room. Obviously intimidated by Donna, he slinks over behind Alistair and glances around anxiously at the rest of the party.

He whispers to Alistair in a voice that he clearly thinks is too quiet for anyone else to hear, but is quite audible. "Why...why is a guardsmen travelling with these lunatics?"

"New friend you are to having?" Felyx asked as he ruffled around in the Tech Priestess' belongings. He takes the pistol. It would be good against anything more heavily armored than them... which was basically everything.

Felyx walks over to the tech priest calmly, the man catcher in one hand and the pistol in the other. He smiles that dead-eyed smile of his and proceeds in techna-lingua.

+++There are too many malfunctions to the glorious machinations of the cog in this den of liars, blasphemers, and thieves. I will have your name, rank, and mission on this base. You will follow that with any intelligence useful to us ---your saviors---. Failure to comply will result in immediate termination.+++

The pistol tapped involuntarily at his side. As Servitor followed the rest of the team in the room, he had it position itself just behind the man.

He smiled calmly and waited.

Iron and Metal wrote:

+++There are too many malfunctions to the glorious machinations of the cog in this den of liars, blasphemers, and thieves. I will have your name, rank, and mission on this base. You will follow that with any intelligence useful to us ---your saviors---. Failure to comply will result in immediate termination.+++

The man glances at Alistair, then around at the rest of the party as Felyx speaks. He looks confused and nervous - more than a little fidgety. He raises his voice to speak more loudly, but still quietly, with Felyx.

+++Apologies, my techna-lingua is not good all. Name be Malik Feindt. Only slave. Know not many. Work for Magos, work for Zuriel. Someone taking slaves and acolytes. Making pain. Plot big.+++

The man shifts uncomfortably, glancing over his shoulder at the servitor.

The man smiles grimly.

+++Slave cheaper than servitor. Servitor take time. Money. Easier take convict....convict like Malik.
Someone in charge here hurting "expendables." Hear screams and cries. Make big plan. Know not all. But bad, bad plan. Suspect they have plan with hole in sky.+++

The man shivers.

+++Please....no hurt Malik. You not of them, no? Are you? Are you? Malik no trust cogmen no more.+++

an aside:

Marius surveyed the scene. The bleeding corpse of the tech-priestess on the floor, the blistered patch of flesh on Egil's chest; a quick skirmish, fortunately in their favor.

"The throne protects," he mumbled to himself. His medicae training quickly overtook his surprise, and he strode towards Egil, checking the pockets of his vest for burn salve. "An efficient kill, Egil, you're quite good with that blade. Fortunately, your adversary was far less talented with her own weapon. Be still, let me have a look at that."

Medicae Check:

As he applied the dressings to Egil's wound, he spoke with a forced air of casualness.

"Soooo... I take it we can drop the air of subtlety now. What have you all discovered? Do we have an idea as to the source of the evil infecting this place?

---

The triage of las-burns was probably the most common procedure Marius had encountered; the ubiquity of such weapons and his guard-standard training had seen to that. He could practically mend such wounds in his sleep, and his mind wandered as he spread the burn salve gingerly across Egil's chest. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Donna sidle out of view and, with a delicate caution he didn't think possible out of the hiver, raised and inhaled deeply from a small vial. A chill of excitement ran down the medicae's spine; there were myriad drugs that lower-hive residents were likely to imbibe, but few were inhalants that would require such delicate handling. Onslaught - or "slaught" in IG lingo - was a potent combat drug, capable of turning mild-mannered infantrymen into crazed assault-specialists. Donna's irritable nature and desire to brawl suddenly made perfect sense.

Murder.

Marius had never seen the effects of the drug in the field, he had merely heard whispered myths. He made note to carefully observe the hiver's capabilities as they continued their mission; he wanted to know if the production of such a potent substance was something worth adding to his pharmaceutical expertise...

He cleared his throat, returning his attention to his work so as not to give anything away. "Wherever it is, we'd best get there quickly. I'm sure the longer we dally the more likely the vile heretics will evade us."

+++As long as Malik listens and assists us, he will not be harmed. We are not like them. Hereteks deserve death. As do traitors. You are on our team now, Malik. Think on that. What room did you come from? What was in there?+++

Felyx kept facing Malik, but had Servitor back off a bit to ease the frightened man's nerves. He responded to Marius without breaking his gaze.

"Many good newses. Good news one: we are alive. Good news two: the heretek died. There being bad newses. Bad news one: Heretek gave directive before being dead. "Initiate Dilation" was said. Upon directive, person or persons leave station - move to dig site. Dead heretek carry tainted sacred oils. Filth."

He paused, allowing the others to take it in before continuing. "This Malik Feindt. He is being slave. Many slave taken by Magos Zuriel. Called 'expendables.' Magos experimenting to them. Torturing. Abusing. Killing. Don't know for why. Many die. All signs is pointing to dig site."

As much as he needed to move to the dig site, he wasn't done on the base. The lower levels needed to be explored. There would be answers to questions there and intelligence gathering greatly boosted their chances of victory.

"Plan is surely to running off to dig site, yes? Eventually, have to. Are lower levels here - she came from one. Area Malik came from. Must check - gathering intelligences, finding answers, clearing hereteks to our backs."

Egill smiled his thanks to Marius and waited patiently as he was tended. Trying to be the man and not wince to much at the sting of the antiseptic fluids, which he was mostly successful with.

When Felyx finally started speaking Terran again Egill paid attention. The metal man seemed to want to gather intelligence but that took time. Also 'Initiate Dilation' sounded like something they might want to stop. He'd also confirmed someone was heading off to the dig site as confirmed by the auspex scanner.

Speed seemed to be of the essence.

"If all that be true then perhaps we should jump in the transport and head to the dig site now?"

Iron and Metal wrote:

+++As long as Malik listens and assists us, he will not be harmed. We are not like them. Hereteks deserve death. As do traitors. You are on our team now, Malik. Think on that. What room did you come from? What was in there?+++

+++My thank. Glad Malik of team. Walk of bedroom - sleeping room. Bed, clothes, Maliks items.+++

Malik relaxed slightly, although he kept glancing at the door...the man was clearly deeply disturbed.

Sent from Topic'it App

Alistair nodded as Egil gave his report.

"Looks like someone doesn't want to be around us." Although the smile wasn't visible, Alistair's apparent amusement was audible. Well this went from bad to worse Alistair mused Keep the team together and happy. And for most of these idiots, that means killing things  Taking a breath, Alistair once again forced a light tone.

"Keep eyes sharp and check corners, we're in hostile territory now."

At this, Alistair turns to the scared man to answer his question.

"Why am I here? The Emperor demands it. Through him, all things are possible, even dealing with this lot."

-- --

Alistair look at Felyx as he threatens their new follower. before looking back to the corridors outside the door.  As the unintelligible conversation finishes, Alistair turns back to Malik.

"Alright. So, I understand you don't know why, but what were you asked to do?"

Looking back to the group;

"Well, there's two lines of thought here. One is that leaving the only real shelter we have filled with hostiles behind us isn't a great idea, and thus we should clear the lower levels before moving on, resupply then move on to the dig site. On the other hand, letting a runner forewarn or escape to the dig site is not beneficial, gives them time to prepare or find a way off this rock. Can we lock up the base so no one gets in or out?"

Theoretical wrote:

"Alright. So, I understand you don't know why, but what were you asked to do?"

"Better ask what I wasn't asked to do. Mop the floors. Haul equipment. Fix servitors. Shovel snow. Whatever menial work the Masters' order me to do, in the name of the glorious Omnissiah. Trust me, you didn't miss out on anything fun. Little slow lately, though. They're preoccupied with something, no other reason why they're not breathing down my neck to clean up Xavier's puke in the mess room...bastard never does it himself..."

Malik squints at Alistair.

"And by the way - who the feth are you people? And don't give me that line about surveying, no one here believed you in the first place."

"Who do you think we are? And why do you think we're here?"

Alistair leaned towards the man, awaiting a response.

Theoretical wrote:

"Who do you think we are? And why do you think we're here?"

Alistair leaned towards the man, awaiting a response.

Malik holds his hand to his chest in an exaggerated romantic fashion.

"Oh, I think you're a veeeery handsome knight in shining armor, here to save Malik the half-dead convict from his cruuuuel guards....will you be taking me to your castle, my liege?"

His face cracks into a wide grin, revealing a broken tooth.

Alistair leaned back in confusion. Gone was the man who had been cowering in fear at his predicament, and in his place, another madman.

"Then you would be wrong." Turning to Felyx, he asks openly. "Do you have any more use for this individual? My patience is wearing thin."

Donna taps Malik on the shoulder, and then points to Alistair when she has his attention.

"'e's jus a small puppy 'e is."

The smile fades from Malik's face. He bites his lip.

"Sorry. Was only tryin' to lighten the mood, but timing never was my strong suit, I can tell you that. One thing I've learned, hard to face down a miserable death on a shithole planet without a sense of humor. Thought a guardsmen, of all people, might understand that..." The man sighs, scratching the side of his head and looking around the room before continuing.

"I need outta here. I don't like it, but you're my best bet. Can't help but be a little skeptical about some shady maniacs who came all the way out here to the arse end of nowhere, it's only natural to wonder about their intentions....could be taking me to another labor camp or have designs to turn me into corpse starch, fer'all I know. But...anything's gotta be better than here."

Malik shuddered, clearly perturbed by his thoughts. He raised an eyebrow, indicating a new thought had crossed his mind.

"Say, you're not running some sorta con here, are you?" His face brightens up. "I could help with that, ya know. I can hotwire a car, pick locks, fly most vessels alright...and not a bad shot with a las, either." He smiles "charmingly."

+++We are your best bet. You have come to the conclusion of what we are all on your own. Nothing else matters.+++

After giving him the techna-lingua equivalent of "don't fething worry about who we are, son," Felyx considered Allistair's question.

"No more having the informations than he providing now. Hotwire good. Anti-security good. Pilot good. Advise against to arming him until proving himself."

Felyx took a few steps back now that the situation was in hand and he knew the others had Malik under control. He walked back to the Tech Priestess' body. Without any pretense he turns and asks Allistair:

"Are you to having very sharp blade? Need to borrowing."

Having finished his triage on Egil,  Marius lazily leaned against the nearest wall, listening in on the strategizing. In the back of his mind, he was keeping track of the time, doing his best to observe any outward changes in Donna's physiological responses. Breathing, normal. Perspiration? Negative. Pupil dilation? Constricted within reason for lighting. Diagnosis: either the myths are exactly that, or subject has developed extraordinary tolerance.

He lost focus, however, upon listening to the queer fellow, Malik, who had finally calmed enough to engage them in real conversation. Marius felt a smile creeping onto his face; he could not help but like the man. Malik smacked of a hive-born grifter, like many Marius had associated with in his former life; the exaggerated platitudes, the gallows humor, incessant griping of their unfair lot in life... it was almost comforting. One of the few things I miss about Snope's, he mused. Marius fished a pack of lho-sticks from his pocket, lighting one for himself before meandering over to Malik.

Marius proffered the pack of lhos with an expectant nod.

---

At Malik's inquiry about the "con" they might be running, Marius chuckled and put an arm around the man's shoulders, relaxing into his old hiver slang. "Nawt da sorta fing one oughta ask new mates, ey? Ya struck me a bit mo' savvy den dat, Mal'. Rule numbah one: if dey ain't askin', no tellin'. For all youz know ya coulda been fessin' up ta criminal 'havior in front o'  tha law!"

He pats the man on the shoulder. "Jus' keep ya head down an' help us fine our way 'round, hear?"

MmmTasteIt wrote:

At Malik's inquiry about the "con" they might be running, Marius chuckled and put an arm around the man's shoulders, relaxing into his old hiver slang. "Nawt da sorta fing one oughta ask new mates, ey? Ya struck me a bit mo' savvy den dat, Mal'. Rule numbah one: if dey ain't askin', no tellin'. For all youz know ya coulda been fessin' up ta criminal 'havior in front o'  tha law!"

He pats the man on the shoulder. "Jus' keep ya head down an' help us fine our way 'round, hear?"

Frowning at the group, Malik's face becomes less hard at the sight of the lhos.

"Emprah, how I've missed these. Thanks, mate. You're alright." Still eyeing Marius guardedly, he pulls out a stick and rests it comfortably between his lips. Malik produces a jet lighter and methodically lights the tip. He takes a long drag, closing his eyes and holding the smoke in for several seconds before exhaling. He is clearly savoring the head rush.

"Well, now that you've perked me up. My rule number one is, If someones going to kill you, or worse yet, hang you out to dry on a planet full of sadistic cogheads, you show 'em yer worth more alive. Follow that hot tip and ya might stay alive in this place as long as old Malik..." Languidly, he taps the side of his head.

"B'sides, I know the law when I see it. And they don't look much like that." Malik chuckles and gestures nonchalantly toward Donna before taking another puff of his lho stick.

Damiel had kept quiet most of the night. His wounds made him less than willing to go exploring, and he decided it better that he try and sleep off the injuries as much as possible. Of course, that didn't last long enough at all, and he was awoken by the alarm raised by the Heretek. He sluggishly rose from the bunk and collected his gear, donning his armor, but keeping the rosette out of sight.

He lagged behind the team a few meters, the short distance would afford them some ease to his condition, and he could serve some purpose as a rear guard and observer. As the scene before them evolved, and Malik's true colors showed, Damiel realized he could be of alarming use given their current position. He slipped a hand into the case on his belt, and unfurled the explosive collar. Walking close up behind the convict, Damiel held the collar out in one hand...

And wrapped the arm around him just like Marius did, the inactive collar dangling from his clenched fist. Malik would be the first outside their team to hear Damiel's voice. "I like you. You can be on our side. See, my number one rule is, don't betray the people in power, they're I probably the ones that'll kill ya. Also, isn't it weird when a con artist can't recognize a better con artist?" He said, flailing the collar off toward Donna. Damiel hung on his words for just the wrong amount of time, his attempted hiver accent coming off more offensive than inaccurate. He punctuated his short speech with a greasy cackle before replacing the explosive collar on his belt.

"Alright, we've got to roll to the dig site. I don't know what in the Throne 'Dilation' is, but if it's something they want, it can't be good. Given the weakness of the veil here, I can only assume the worst. Not only that, but I can't imagine those Hereteks are planning to stay in their rooms for too much longer. What's our plan?"

Murcurie wrote:

And wrapped the arm around him just like Marius did, the inactive collar dangling from his clenched fist. Malik would be the first outside their team to hear Damiel's voice. "I like you. You can be on our side. See, my number one rule is, don't betray the people in power, they're I probably the ones that'll kill ya. Also, isn't it weird when a con artist can't recognize a better con artist?" He said, flailing the collar off toward Donna. Damiel hung on his words for just the wrong amount of time, his attempted hiver accent coming off more offensive than inaccurate. He punctuated his short speech with a greasy cackle before replacing the explosive collar on his belt.

"Alright, we've got to roll to the dig site. I don't know what in the Throne 'Dilation' is, but if it's something they want, it can't be good. Given the weakness of the veil here, I can only assume the worst. Not only that, but I can't imagine those Hereteks are planning to stay in their rooms for too much longer. What's our plan?"

Malik slips away as soon as he spots the explosive collar, a fearful look in his eye. Though he tries to carry a tone of nonchalance, the waver in his voice betrays his fear.

"Sheesh, your coghead friend already threatened me. I got it, I got it, no funny stuff from me." He forces a grim smile. "So you are with the law, eh? I always knew you'd come for me for that parking ticket..."

Having decided to explicitly ignore Malik, his smart-ass mouth a real pain to deal with, Alistair moves over to Felyx.

"I can offer you my combat knife." Alistair gestures towards the knife fastened at the end of his lasgun.

"It might not be what you want. These things usually stab, and there's an edge for cutting, but for precision stuff, you might want to ask Marius for a scalpel."

Felyx takes it and stares at Alistair for a few seconds. "Am thanking to you." His deadpan smile didn't leave his face as he knelt down and turned over the heretek's body.

"Leave before to gathering intelligence, to securing our backs is..."

There is a cracking sound as Alistair's blade finds the base of skull, followed by a grunt of effort and wet dripping as the blade pushed in properly.

"...reckless. Having too many unknowing variables, to rushing off. Stupid."

He grunt again with the effort. This time, he moves the blade a few inches to the left and starts again.

"Enemies on two side, caught under snowstorm, driving at fortif-fortifies enemy shitadel. And what to say of only vehicle off-planets? Our pilot is he being alive? Ah, such good plan. " Felyx's first attempt at sarcasm was a roaring success in his mind.

+++Malik Slave-Ally, what of Norgrim Zuriel? Is he dedicated to the cause of the Magos? What transgressions have you witnessed from him? What has he done to you? What is his role as you may have witnessed in your servitude?+++

With a final grunt of effort, and two slams of the heretek's head on the deck for good measure, Felyx removes her mechanical brain core. It was small enough, no more than an inch long and half as thick. He hands Alistair back the bloody knife, smile again on his face.

"Am thanking to you. You are tactical/strategical mindedness, yes? You decide."

+++

Whenever they decide what to do next, Felyx approaches Marius. "Are you to having a sampling vial or carry device with preser-perserv-persavertives?"

Marius kept his smile up; Malik was sharper than he'd thought, a good sign. He could be a valuable ally.

Awaiting the word from Alistair, he'd begun fiddling with his shotgun. It was his oldest possession, one he'd taken with him from the stinking pits of his birthplace. "Mauler" pattern shotguns were notoriously reliable: solid - if somewhat crude - construction and spacious housing for the few moving parts meant you could drag it through the mud, bludgeon someone unconscious with it, and then still count on it to ratchet shells when things heated up. The fact that it still functioned was nothing short of a miracle, but Marius knew that his limited talents for maintaining it may had reduced it's effectiveness over the years. And given how likely it was to see use in their future, he decided that needed to change.

+++

Marius raised an eyebrow at Felyx's request, eyeing the bloody... thing he'd extracted from the heretek's skull. "I've got some empty vials that housed antiseptic, used in treating our compatriots. I've also got a small flask of alcohol: barely fit for drinking, sadly, but perfect for preserving organic material. I take it you'd like to me to preserve... er... whatever that is, yes? One moment."

He leaned his shotgun against the wall and began fishing out the requested materials. Having assembled the tools for the task, he slipped on a sterile plasfibre glove and extended his hand for the... sample. "It'd be best if I sterilized it, first. I promise to handle it delicately."

He paused.

"And, Felyx, if it's not too much to ask: could you have a look at my weapon while I work on this? It has not received the attention of one of the Omnissiah's chosen in many years, and it would comfort me to know that it is functioning as best it can when we confront these heretics."

+++Understood. Where are his quarters? Where would he normally be located right now?+++

Felyx repeated the info from Malik to the others. "If we can be to turning Norgrim for our cause, he is being the valuable ally - security codes, weapons, knowledge of the intimate sorts he is of having."

He had said enough to let the others discuss amongst themselves. He was confident they would prove themselves to be non-thinkers like so many others he had encountered in his life.


+++

He zombie-smiled as Marius produced the vials. "This is being perfection for the times beings." He took an empty vial from Marius and, without sanitizing anything, placed the mechanical brain core into it. He also held out his hand to receive the alcohol flask. He did say he needed it, but clearly it wasn't for this.

He then looks at the shotgun. His smile disintegrated into a sneer of sadness as he saw the state of it.

"I am honor to turning this hid-hidee-hideyus trajedy of tool into being something not horrid. I am thanking to you."

He bows and turns away, his smile gone in a nanosecond as he sized up the tool. He began chanting t0 the Omnissiah under his breath and went to work...

Test?:

MmmTasteIt wrote:

Marius kept his smile up; Malik was sharper than he'd thought, a good sign. He could be a valuable ally.

Marius raised an eyebrow at Felyx's request, eyeing the bloody... thing he'd extracted from the heretek's skull. "I've got some empty vials that housed antiseptic, used in treating our compatriots. I've also got a small flask of alcohol: barely fit for drinking, sadly, but perfect for preserving organic material. I take it you'd like to me to preserve... er... whatever that is, yes? One moment."

Donna smiles mischievously, "Yew silly sod. Why did'in yew tell me yew got some fiuh watuh?"

Still, with the sliught running in her system, she wanted to kill something as soon as possible.
"Cogmun, Oui thought we was gunna play some fist-i-cuffs with some baddies. When can we's be doin that?"

Sylphilis wrote:

Donna smiles mischievously, "Yew silly sod. Why did'in yew tell me yew got some fiuh watuh?"

Marius grinned sheepishly, "It's not my best work. Far from it. If what we run into warrants a stiff drink it'll serve but I wouldn't share it with my worst enemies otherwise."

Her pupils were dilating to pin-pricks: the slaught was rapidly taking effect, by Marius' estimate.

"If I may, Alistair," he stated, abruptly, "I'd like to get moving. We don't need a full plan yet; it'll suffice that we know the first step and we can figure the rest out while we move."

He turned to Malik. "Nogrim is a treasure-trove of valuable information, it seems. Where are his quarters? Even if he isn't there, I'm sure there is more to learn there than here."

As Marius asks to move on, Alistair shrugs.

"I've been waiting for you guys to finish cutting up bodies and talking about drinking alcohol. Although, if you want me to start pushing you guys around, I can certainly start to channel my inner Drill Sarge." Alistair turns on his heel, and starts walking to the door.

"Well, if you're waiting for me to take charge, let's move out. We're going to go through the base. Eliminate all hostiles. Feel free to try and talk to Nogrim, but first priority is our own survival. Donna, take point. Egil, with her. Marius, if we're going to walking into combat, I need you ready to patch people up. Take Felyx and Damiel and form the second rank. I'll go where needed."

Alistair stops at the door, and waves to Donna. "Time to shine."

Egill waits quietly as the others converse and work out what to do next. His sword was still in hand for there were heretics about who deserved the Emperors judgement... which was a bloody death. One and all. Even those who had done nothing but were aware that something was afoot here should be judged. Had they stood idle? He eyed Malik with suspicion.

He stayed quiet because his headache had returned, at first he didn’t really notice the pain behind his eyes. As it grew steadily though the pain he felt slowly began to show on his face. Suddenly it spiked...

“Aargh!” He shouted out, his free hand going to his head as he stumbled.

The pain had rapidly escalated. The warp bled into real space, he could feel it in the direction of the dig site. He fell to his knees, his sword clattering to the floor, both hands clutching at his temple.

“Something... the dig... site...” he manages to spit out “aaaarrrrggghhhhh!”

Marius was by Egil's side in an instant, fumbling for painkillers. Steadying the man as best as he could with one arm, he looked to the rest of the group.

"I guess that settles it. The dig site seems to need our attention immediately."

He struggled to help Egil to his feet, waiting for him to regain balance before offering the pills. "I'd give you something stronger but I don't want to muddle your mind before the danger ahead."