Chapter 5.4 - Frantic Disembowlment - IC

You approach the cordoned off sections of the soulsmear.

Unlike the rest of the ship, this area was siphoned off with autoturrets and kill servitors programmed to hose down anything that moves with mountains of bullets. As such, it was impossible to keep the area secured for too long, as the genestealers would always find a way to bypass the security measures, but it would take time. And that kind of time they would not have with the return of Draco.

The empty halls were ominously silent. No movement or noise was to be heard, save for the Steady beeping of Dario's auspex which he held in a one handed grip.

"Nadda' on mah reader. No'yet an'ways." He chimes in as he leads you deeper into the area.

"Could be deepah in dis area. Anywhere d'ju guys wanna start?" he asks.

The area cordoned off was crew quarters once. There were dozens, perhaps even a hundred bunk rooms with 10-12 bunks in them. As such, there would also be more common areas such as a cafeterium, a gymnasium, small armory's for the crew, chapels of faith, ect.

The only question was where to start?

"Cafeterium is a good starting point - has the most potential to contain biomaterial if they are injured. Dario, any of sections in the cordoned off zone require a battle helm?"

As always, he preferred to fight with the air on his face. But if some sections had no atmosphere, or radioactive fallout, or otherwise, he would need to don his helmet.

He kept his immaculate Hesh-bolter at the low ready and looked at the assembled Marines, two of whom he knew very well. It was the newcomers who his eyes lingered on for a moment longer. Even though they had just fought through hell and back together, he felt as though he knew next to nothing about the Black Templar - and even less about the Destroyer.

"Who wants to take point?" he asked with a sparkle of excitement in his eye.

"I'll take the point." Bleda really wanted to undo his shame from the first mission, and what better way than the plunge into the thick of it?

Bleda tries to keep his face calm but there should be a hint of urgency in his voice.

Albrechts annoyance was hidden by his helm, Bleda had beaten him to it. He didn't plan on letting him have all the glory though "I will take Bleda's six. I am still keen to see evidence of my brothers skill at arms, which I am sure he is also keen to display."

The Black Templar was without his crusader shield which had been returned to the armoury, so in its place he held his chainsword which made a fine pairing with his ancient power axe.

He was also concerned about Lucius' choice of fighting without a helm but only because of the foe they faced "Brother Lucius' you know more about the Tyranids I am sure than any here, but are considering the genestealers ability to implant their eggs... into the gullet? A helm might be wise."

Dario confirmed a no with the shake of his head. "Nah, 'is got air here. We consid-ahed ventin de atmosphere, but dese crttahs ha' been known to survive such things."

Lucius nodded at Dario and regarded Albrecht. He considered the question for a moment and then smiled warmly.

"Genestealers infect hosts with one goal: reproduction. That feat would be impossible with any one of us for obvious reasons. Their victims are female and go on to have standard gestation periods for their species - be it human, eldar, or other. In that regard, we don't have to worry. But the genestealers sent to this ship will more than likely be specialized hunter-killers or meant to go-to-ground as a means for the Hive Mind to track us."

He kept the grin on his face and quipped, "Though I do appreciate your concern for my potential impregnation."

Back in his power armour, Hydrako felt freer than he had in a long time. He was fine to let the others bicker over who would take the lead. He would follow from the back to watch for ambush there. I will bring up the rear and watch our backs, he whispered. He also had his helmet off as per usual. If there were no atmospheric issues then he would not need to wear it. His teeth began grinding and self sharpening as they walked. His chainsword and chainaxe out and ready to feed.

"As long as you don't get in my way, brother, you'll have plenty to see." Bleda shots back to Albrecht.

Seraphan walks up to kill team - helmet in place. He had checked his bolt pistol and the chainsword held in his right hand and the exsanguinator on his left gauntlet.

"I would not waste my time with these two Albrecht - I truly believe they view it as ab affront to the Emperor when the environmental conditions force them to wear helmets."

"If I had it my way, I would be out of my power armor and stark naked to make this at least somewhat challenging. Then again, I wouldn't want to make Albrecht blush, or you jealous. he says with an ever widening grin to Seraphan.

"Good to have you on the hunt, brother-apothecary. You're just in time - apparently Bleda is going to give us a demonstration in melee combat."

With the men assembled, Lucius falls into his default command mode even though none had appointed him.

"All right, Draco, eyes up and ears open. The filth most likely already know we are here."

"I think males can also be pregnanted. Even so brother while your courage is in no doubt wearing your helm is always advisable in combat."

Albrecht gives a bulky shrug in his power armour "One to many bumps to head I'd wager" he replies to Seraphan.

As Lucius continues to boast Albrecht will turn back to the Blood Angel "One to many blows to the head" he repeats.

The Black Templar activates the stud on both his weapons; the power axe crackles to life while his chainsword lets out a throaty growl as he gives it a test. He was ready.

Finally he turns to Bleda "After you, Destroyer." Albrecht gestures onwards with his axe.

"Much easier to put you back together here than waiting for you to come back in pieces Lucius."

Seraphan smiles beneath his helm and nods solemnly to the Black Templar "Interesting theory - I will make sure to check for permenant damage the next time I examine him"

Seraphan natural aa breathing drops into his place in the formation in the middle and prepares to move out.

"Of course, how could it be otherwise?" Bleda takes the lead.

You move through the silent corridors of the soulsmear. The errieness and quietness of the ship brings to your mind memories and the mortis thule, albeit without catastrophic structural damage.

Occasionally you pass signs of fighting. Las shots scorched the paint in places. More ominous was the blood that has laid in areas. Always the larger puddles had been scraped from the starting point in a myriad of directions as if the bodies had been carried off.

Dario moves ahead with the bolter in one hand and the auspex in the other. It chimed rhythmically, but gave no indications that there was anything nearby.

"Stupid t'ing. 'is built to find weak points in fortifications. Not so good at tracking life forms."

You make it the the cafeterium. It was a disheveled mess, Chairs and tables were not where they should have been, ripped from their mounting in the floor by sheer force and tossed about like couch cushions. There was clearly a fight here, but it was long gone. Blood splatters and las bolts line the room. It was a large room, Five hundered men could fit here and eat in piece---now something else had cut those same men to pieces and eaten them.

Hydrako's nostrils flared as they approached the cafeteria. He had to wait for the group to filter into the room before he could survey the room. There was blood everywhere, but one particular trace caught his attention. It was still flowing...He scanned the ceiling with those cold eyes, until he found what he was looking for. He walked over to an exit duct and studied it for a moment. Suddenly, his chainaxe roared to life and he hacked at the thin metal. Two blows tore a rent in the metal which squealed and ripped wider from the inside. Suddenly, the from the hole spilled several bodies and a multitude of body parts, accompanied by a shower of blood. Hydrako knelt down to look over the pile. This looks like a larder for the creatures roaming this section. He pushed the parts around with his axe, looking for signs of feeding. He found chew marks, and parts where larger muscles had been stripped. We should use this as bait. If we find other stores like this, we should neutralise them to draw the xenos out. Did anyone bring a flamer?

"We can rig the pile with a handful of frag grenades and take up ambush positions." Lucius shakes his head when asked about the flamer.

He takes three of the seven frag grenades from his belt and make ready to rig them.

Spoiler:

Hydrako clicked his tongue at the lack of a flamer in the squad, an interesting feat given his dentition. Without a flamer, simply blowing up this pile makes it easier for them to eat. he looked back at the group over his shoulder, less chewing. He looked up at the ducting, scanning to see where it led. The bodies looked to be stored there from the inside rather than being forced in from below, which made him think they could use the ducts as a highway to flank or get past them after they swept an area. We should cut access off to these if we can. I imagine that they are able to travel inside them, reaching areas we clear after we move on.

Lucius looked at Hydrako as though he grew a second head.

“Their eating is what would trigger the detonation. That’s what makes it a trap, brother.”

Perhaps Hydrako had taken a blow to the head; he’d have to see Seraphan.

Sent from Topic'it App

[make it a +50 demo test]

Lucius begins to mine the bodies, much to Hydrako's insistence that it was unnecessary.

As he does so, the siege auspex chimed in alarm, Dario studied it......
"I got a contact. Close.....not inside de room tho."

He turns to Bleda, "Ju got any special warp spawned tracking powers in dat noggin bruhda?"

"I am afraid my arts do not include something like that." Bleda bitterly admits. Another oppertunity lost.

Hydrako stood up and jerked his head as if shaking away a terrible dream. Of course that's what you meant. Apologies, Brother. There is blood in the water and prey nearby. Saying nothing else, he began to sweep the room with his senses once more, looking for the source Dario had picked up.

Here goes nothing:

Lucius nodded to Hydrako. While Astartes required less sleep than a mortal, he wondered when the last time Hydrako - or any of them for that matter - had gotten their required rest.

He finished rigging the body parts and looked at the team.

"Feast is rigged. Take up positions in the back of the room, there and there. Dario, cut the lights to the room. Let's go."

He pointed to positions far away with cover from tables and counters. The position hopefully would give them overarching fields of fire with no exits to their backs. Whatever prey was out there would be drawn to all the fresh blood and would hopefully take the bait.

Lucius moved to his position and waited.

Dario cuts the lights as told, and you take your positions in the room.

The only light was from sources such as the auspex that put a sinister green glow on Dario's helmet.
---is Creepin in....--- he voxes.

The ducts rattle and shakes, testing the small frame they suspend from as the creature stalks in.

Just a little further.....

---Anudda contact comin---

A little more....

Hydrako took up a position amongst a pile of overturned benches. With both melee weapons in hand, it was clear he intended to act as a screening force in case the xenos charged them. As he crouched down to break up his silhouette, he virtually disappeared in the gloom.

Albrecht hunkers down near Hydrako, he wasn't about to let the shark take all the glory. Axe and chainsword where at the ready his fingers hovering over the activation runes. He hoped there were many foes to slay.

In his thoughts he recants the litany of hate, over and over...

Lucius had his weapon gently set atop a large serving counter. One eye was behind the advanced scope and the other he kept open to survey the area in front of him.

He took a deep breath, subconsciously kicking his third lung into action so that he could hold that breath for as long as he needed. He was completely silent. He was anxious for a kill.

Dario keeps tabs on the other contact over the vox.

--Is gettin closah. twenny, fifteen, its by the door--

While he did that, the duct moved as the genestealer crept ever closer.

SMASH!

All eyes turn to Albrect, who had just stepped on a ceramic plate and shattered it underfoot.

Things jumped into action too fast, the genestealer in the ducts abruptly turned and ran the way he came. There was a chance you could shoot him before he gets away, and there was the one outside the door to consider....




Serephan was the quickest to act, he takes aim at the movement in the ducts. He only had one shot to clip it before it got out of the cafeterium. He fores and the bolt round blows a large hole in the side of the duct, but there was no blood, no squeals of pain, and no signs that he hit it.

Seeing the Genestealer up in the duct moving out of Bleda's field of fire there was little left to do, to harm the elusive creature, Bleda moves to engage the Genestealer by the door before it to can make its escape. But exiting the door Bleda find himself the engaged target and falls over by the Genestealer's flurry of attacks. The genestealer must've known that you would charge out the door. It had been ready and waiting. the purestrain rips and Tears at Bleda, scoring gouge after gouge. One particularity nasty cut rends hallowed ceramite and the carapace beneath. A deep, deep tear is opened in Bleda's gut and some intestine begins to spill out.

Albrecht moved in behind Bleda so saw how quickly the genestealer took him apart. Was the librarian trying to hard, Albrecht was far from impressed. Still he was a fellow Astartes, a brother and needed saving. Albrecht would relish this.
The Templar pushes in and imposes himself as best he could between the witch and the xeno, his axe cuts in at the genestealers side.
The axe bisects the four armed monstrosity in twain. It falls in two dead lumps at Albrect's feet.
Praise be.

The crash from the big Templar caused everything to erupt at once. The Destroyer Librarian took off after the signal out in the hall, and from the smell and sound of it had met a prepared foe waiting on the other side. As Albrecht bolted to support him, Hydrako made for the ducting. If their quarry was still moving down the system, he should be able to hear which direction it went so they could follow. The ambush had failed spectacularly, but they would still have a decent idea of which way to go to find more of the xenos. He stood next to the bait pile and listened intently for the sound of clawed feet on the light alu-ducting, even the sharpening of his teeth stopped while he listened.
Hydrako clearly hears the echoing of the beast as it scurries away. Finding it exactly in a maze of ductworks would prove more.....troubling.

Dario studies his auspex as Albrect moves to assist Bleda and Hydrako moves to the duct.
It chimes, and the green glow looms on his face in the dark room.
After a second, the genestealer disappears from the limited range of his scope.
"He gone. Headed amidships. We best be headed after. Now dat he's de last one he'el try and hide somewhere wehre we can' find'em"

Lucius Moves out of the cefeterium, stepping past Bleda and Serephan. He spared a look towards the librarian, he had a grevious wound to his mid-torso, but if any could fix him up it would the Sanguinary Priest. In the corridor again, he could easily hear the Genestealer as it scrambled down the ducts.
"Its headed down that way." He informs the others. He then looks to Dario, "Whats in that directions?"

Dario looks and then tells him.
"Dats a manufactorum area......"


Initiative:

Serephan - 15 -
Genestealer 1 - 15 -
Bleda - 14 -
Albrect - 14 -
Hydrako - 10 -
Genestealer 2 - 10 - DEAD
Dario - 8 -
Lucius - 7 -

Round 2

You follow the direction of the fleeing Genestealer. It easily outpaced you, but could not escape from you completely. It lead you into a shipboard manufactorum. Catwalks and cranes zig-zag at different levels to the ceiling.
he heat was intense. This place was used to build whatever components the ship would need to repair itself and make it to a port if she was crippled. Servitors milled about, keeping the machineworks active for when the area could be crewed again. Should such an area be switched off, it would take a week at least to reactivate.
5 Large boilers were spaced out among the catwalks and mounted cranes, heat waves clearly visible from the molten metal inside them. Along one wall was stacks of 5 meter long ingots of raw material, ready for use.


Albrecht checks above as he moved into the large chamber, there were many places to hide in the manufactorium but he made sure there was nothing going to drop on his head as he entered. He didn't want to embarrass himself like Bleda. The fool librarian should learn his limits. Smiling to himself Albrecht confidently strides forward, weapons ready daring the xeno's to attack.

Hydrako stalked into the manufactorum area after Albrecht. He scanned the area and the ceilings much like the Templar, watching for another ambush. His senses stretched out, and his weapons were ready, but he was unable to detect anything from the creature they had scared away.

Dario moved in, spreading out. He held out his siege auspex like a beacon, or perhaps a divining rod. It chimed, but the readings were practically useless.
The servitors keeping the furnaces hot were rendering the motion sensors useless, the heat meant that any heat signature readings were blatantly masked.
"Dis is a gud place for ouah frien' to hide no? E's gotta be heah somewheah"

Lucius moved towards Albrect, helmetless as ever. The heat caused beads of sweat to trickle down his tatooed face. Unlike the sons of Dorn, Lucius would rely on his own senses and his gut instinct.
So far they were failing him.......




Genestealer 1 - 15 -
Albrect - 14 -
Hydrako - 10 -
Genestealer 2 - 10 - DEAD
Dario - 8 -
Lucius - 7 -

Above, in the shadows cast by overlapping catwalks and suspended girders, lurks the genestealer. It watches from a deep shadow and awaits a prime moment to strike and fade. Perhaps they would split up soon? Its instinctual knowledge of such matters told the four-limbed creature that they would soon split apart to cover ground, and that would be the opportune time to strike.

Albrecht pauses for a moment as he takes in the chamber in more detail. It was large and there were many places to hide, they needed to cover more ground.
"Brothers, I'll go left. Suggest you cover centre and right."
The Templar moves to the left of the chamber as he moves down it, his auto-senses try to pierce every potential hiding place.

Hydrako nods at the Templar and stalks down the centre of the forge lines with weapons in hand. His senses were on edges trying to pick the beast out from all the others noises.

Dario notices how the group had split up right away, tactical's on one side and assault brothers headed the other way. He shakes his head, some people were just born to segregate.
"C'mon Lu. Head right." He moioned with his bolter. Before he took more than a score of steps, something on the auspe caught his eye.
"Deah he is!" he warns as he brings up his bolter and fires a single round into the catwalks above.
The bolt was as well placed as any round the Imperial fist had ever loosed, but the genestealer was well prepared for this. It nimbly avoids the round.

Lucius turned as Dario called out. In his peripheral vision he noted where the Imperial Fist's weapon was trained, and moved his with a blinding speed to follow. The genestealer evaded the first shots at him, but Lucius' weapon was leading the creature by a hair in front of its head when he squeezed his trigger.
All three bolts erupt within its head, neck, and chest. The catwalk it hid upon was covered in ichor as Lucius called out.
"All clear, Draco! Good work. Let's sweep the area for anymore we might have missed. Seraphan, see to Bleda immediately."
He had noticed the segregation as well and called out a final command. "I know you sword-swingers like being close and personal, but try and spread the love for strategy's sake. Albrecht and Hydrako separate and get on me and Dario."



Genestealer 1 - 15 -
Albrect - 14 -
Hydrako - 10 -
Genestealer 2 - 10 - DEAD
Dario - 8 -
Lucius - 7 -

The rest of the day, Draco spends sweeping the quarantined area for anymore genestealers. The work was tedious and unnecessary. From what the internal sensors could detect, there were only 2 xenos lifeforms total and your sweep concurred with those findings.

Bleda's frantic disembowelment was rather severe, but with Serephan's ministrations, he would be up and running again before the Soulsmear would exit the warp for the survey mission, then it was off to Arkhas....