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Post by halonachos on May 24, 2016 2:16:56 GMT
"What are you..." Nathanial scowled behind his mask and turned his head to see what he was waving at, "Oh." Well they had gotten out of there in a hurry seeing as though there was a fire and none of them seemed to have wanted to die a slow and agonizing death. He moved closer to one of the shafts and looked to see how far they would let them travel, everything seemed to be in good repair and no doubt there would be markings for the non-servitor workers to follow. Still, a manufactorum also had a power plant that could be used against a foe of great numbers... he'd have to maybe do some convincing later on the way.
He watched the figure stand near the crash site, it looked feminine "May want to hurry, fire and machines don't mix very well." he said loudly and then made an exploding gesture with his hands.
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coolyo294
Iconic
Slayer of Demons
Posts: 1,169
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Post by coolyo294 on May 24, 2016 4:02:01 GMT
Korina hustled over to the other survivors. It was good that their were some fellow imperials to help her complete her mission. Without wasting a moment she held out her signet and introduced herself.
"My name is Interrogator Korina Roeddor, formerly in service to Inquisitor Victoria Thrace who perished in the crash. Did any of you happen to recover a black box and an Inquisitorial rosette from the Valkyrie? It is imperative that they be handed over to me. And I expect your full cooperation in aiding their return to Imperial High Command."
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Post by halonachos on May 24, 2016 5:29:42 GMT
"A black box, yes ma'am." Nathanial replied as courteously as possible given the situation and produced the box and the icon for the Interrogator to take, "May I add that it is an honor to serve the Inquisition this day." and snapped to attention after she took the items. He thought about it, that sounded rather forced but as an interrogator she was probably used to hearing people say things that sounded like they were forced. "I am Nathanial Yorck, at your service. The fellow with the flamer states that he goes by Rook, the guardsman with the sniper rifle has not stated a designation but she is Vostroyan or Valhallan by accent so that is what we are currently working with. Outside are Orks with guns, that is what we are currently working against."
He continued to stand at attention while the din of an Ork warband grew outside. "I think it's best we leave now. Shaft looks to be in good shape. Maybe shoot a few power junctions on the servo arms near the doors, make them collapse a bit to block a path in?"
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Post by Lord Harrab on May 24, 2016 8:22:13 GMT
"This Toy Solider is not like the ones I've seen before." Said a Valhallan voice suddenly from six inches from Rook's spine, he had not heard her footsteps on the rubble strewn floor. Balalalaika had already swapped out the drained power cell for a standard one, the drained hotshot secured in her pack because hey, you never knew, she might get opportunity to recharge it, and turned her attention to the taller fame trooper, seeing his expression she elaborated. "He strikes me as... incomplete. perhaps due to the lack of his original squad around him. I understand they do not replace combat losses due to the cohesion the Glory Boys earn during their training being irreplaceable. But who knows? perhaps he is just damaged." Her eyes raked his uniform, saw his rank pins and she gave a tight smile. "You are Corporal? Bad luck Comrade, for i am Sergeant and that places you at bottom of our little unit's totem pole. Not that i expect it to matter in the long run. We will both die on the Orders of Officers" The Sniper began to pat her pockets as the newly awoken arrival and apparent leader of their band retrieved the box from the Storm trooper, muttering curses to herself until she pulled a battered and almost empty box of lho sticks from a thigh pocket. Her satisfaction was short lived however, as it contained only two of the little white cylinders and after placing one between her lips proffered the pack, her sharp gaze now back on the Inquisitorial contingent.
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Post by halonachos on May 24, 2016 15:44:16 GMT
Nathanial was getting impatient, he didn't like just waiting around for someone to say something although he could tell that the other two were having a conversation and one started smoking a lho stick "If you want those things to kill you and not become like a doll getting it's appendages ripped out by some unruly child then I suggest we move, now.". He made sure his landing area would be clear and then hopped down into the depression, it got darker further on but a flashlight would do wonders to the darkness. Nathanial began a purposeful walk into the stretching corridor, the shadows soon approaching.
"Mighty Emperor, spread Your divine light to protect me from the darkness." he recited out loud before he clicked on the flashlight attached to his hellgun. "The Emperor is our guiding light, a beacon of hope for humanity in a galaxy of darkness. As we serve him he is our greatest servant. As we pray to him, his thoughts are only for us. And in the dark when shadows threaten, the Emperor is with us, in spirit and in fact." he continued his walk, the harsh light radiating from his gun illuminating the grey path ahead. He waited to hear the sounds of footsteps behind him, either way he was sure that this would be the best exit or the best hope of taking as many Orks with him as possible. He couldn't help but curse how monotone everything was, grey or black with the occasional idol for the Omnissiah worshipped by the Techpriests cults. He wouldn't feel quite as bad blowing those up as he would an actual shrine to the Emperor, then again he was also sure that plenty of the planets that faced exterminates had a few shrines on them.
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Post by Warork on May 24, 2016 17:31:09 GMT
Oh just what I needed...more Inquisition shit.
Rook thought this ruefully to himself as he adjusted his helmet. He was still sitting with his back to the conveyor unit he had been hiding behind for cover. He watched the newcomer meet with the stormtrooper from a stone's throw away and was just beginning to listen for the telltale signs of any more approaching orks when a voice next to him nearly made him jump out of his skin.
Throne of Earth that woman is quiet. He mused, sagging with relief after the startle. He sat in silence as she made observations about the stormtrooper. Rook grunted.
"Yeah well, he ain't no ordinary glory boy either. He's one of them shady inquisition types so he's bound to be at least half barmy....and now we gotta follow him."
Rook caught the sniper eyeing him out of the corner of his vision. He was surprised how uncomfortable the look made him feel. He'd been inspected by some of the most uptight drill sergeants this side of the segmentum but this was different. She had marksman eyes...like her pupils were drilling into him to find some sort of weakness to exploit.
Or maybe he was just paranoid...sometimes it was hard to tell.
"Bottom of the pile, huh?" He said with no fanfare whatsoever as he finally got to his feet. "What else is new?"
The sniper was definitely on the money with how the brass loved to throw their guardsmen into the meatgrinder though. That opinion, more than anything, singled her out as a trooper that had been around the block before.
So she was a veteran then. Well at least they were both in the same boat now. Before Rook could say much else there was a small carton with one remaining lho stick being offered to him. With a nod, he simply took the stick and dug into one of his fatigue uniform pockets until he found a lighter and flicked it open with the easy grace only a seasoned smoker could hope to achieve.
"Rule one of the guard...always have a light." He said almost to himself as he lit the sniper's lho stick and then his own before putting the lighter back in his pocket. "Either that or don't piss off the Commissar. Can never remember which is more important."
His troubles seemed to vanish for just an instant in a cloud of exhaled smoke...but even this little moment of respite was short lived as the ever grating voice of the stormtrooper nagged at them to get a move on.
For a moment Rook was half tempted to let the Stormtrooper go about his merry way underground while he himself made a break for the way the orks had come in...He was sure if nothing else the orks would be less annoying than this asshole.
"For throne's sake keep yer fuckin codpiece on." Rook grumbled as he hefted his lascarbine and started making his way over to where the trooper had lowered himself into some hole or other, he half looked back to the sergeant as he went. "No rest for the wicked, eh?"
Getting over to the hole, Rook could hear the voice of the trooper making loud benedictions to the Emperor. Despite himself, he chuckled and just shook his head.
"Get a load of Captain Imperium here." He said as he slung his las and hefted out his flamer from his rucksack in its place, flipping on the pilot light in one fluid motion. "Oh boy, tunnels...my favorite." He said flippantly. Rook nodded to the group's new addition with a half amused, half resigned expression. He took one last drag on his lho stick and exhaled another cloud of smoke before tossing the stick's remnants away.
"One express elevator to hell...goin down!"
He hopped lightly, his form disappearing into the dark chasm below. A couple silent moments passed before his voice rose again to those left on the surface.
"Come on in guys, water's fine!"
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Post by halonachos on May 24, 2016 18:59:52 GMT
He heard the trooper's remarks, kept his hellgun and light aimed ahead with his right hand and reached into his pack with his left. He pulled out the dull colored Primer and thumbed through it's pages, finally stopping on his desired passages.
"Disrespect towards an officer, Article IG 3645/67k: Any soldier who behaves himself with disrespect, in word or action, to an officer or anyone of higher rank will be shot. Failure to salute an officer, Article IG 3678/47k: Any soldier who fails to salute a passing officer or anyone of higher rank shall be flogged," he flipped some more pages, "Not showing devotion to the Emperor, Article 0493/67k: Any soldier who neglects to make benediction to the Emperor, or who willfully ignores set timetables of worship to venerate the Immortal Emperor will be sent to a penal battalion." he snapped the book shut with his hand and placed in back into it's rightful place amongst his kit. "However, I'm not a Commissar so I cannot levy judgement. Just know that these are the rules that separate fine soldiers of the Imperium from unruly Orks or those cursed mutants and damned traitors. Or do you just find it funny to mock those faithful to the Emperor, that would be rather silly seeing as though I would assume that you are amongst that number."
Upsetting an individual with a flamer who was behind you was most likely not entirely tactically sound, but if worst came to worst he had the moral high ground and a rightful seat next to the Golden Throne. Besides, there was an Interrogator present and one would think that everyone who knew what an Interrogator was would act in better accordance to the Ecclesiarch's teachings and the Imperial cult as a whole.
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Post by Darko on May 25, 2016 11:43:24 GMT
Once all four of the survivors had absconded into the tunnel, they illuminated the darkness with the few flashlights and lighters they possessed. Unfortunately, this barely pierced the darkness, leaving them drowned in the unknown in either direction. They walked for a short time, exchanged some brief small talk before Nathaniel halted in his track, fist raised to signal the others to stop.
"I hear something," he reported. "Sounds like voices - this way."
He turned down a side tunnel and the others apprehensively followed.
"Who put toy soldier in charge?" Balalaika complained.
Rook shrugged. "It's not like we have a better plan right now."
Bringing up the rear, Korina stayed alert for threats - both without and within. She observed her new companions, learning their mannerisms. For an agent of the Inquisition, knowledge could be gleaned from the smallest inflection or unconscious gesture, and knowledge is power.
The four of them cautiously walked down the tunnel, the sound of the voices growing ever louder. There was more light at the end of the tunnel, so they picked up the pace.
Once they reached the end, they took a moment to examine their new surroundings. They were high up, with a rusty staircase embedded in the stone wall next to them. Below, what appeared to be about fifty or sixty people in rags were gathered in a large chamber. There were many small shacks by the walls, however in the middle was something quite different - a statue. Though it was blatantly as ancient as the tunnels they stood in due to the faded details, it was undeniably an effigy to the God-Emperor. The people below were praying, with a three-armed preacher leading the sermon. Wait, a three-armed preacher? Korina took a double-take at all of the people gathered below the statue. She squinted, and realised most, if not all, sported some kind of mutation, ranging from minor flesh corruption to grotesque malformations. The preacher continued to speak, his words far from eloquent in his gutteral Low Gothic accent, and yet there was an undeniable fervour in his tone.
"Huh. I didn't expect that," said Rook, a single eyebrow raised. "Looks like we can either go down there and out through one of the tunnels on the far side, or head back the way we came and take our chances in the dark."
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Post by halonachos on May 30, 2016 19:32:51 GMT
"On any other day this would have just made our jobs easier, however I don't believe we have the proper time to devote to this distraction." Nathanial said with a sigh, "I do believe the Orks coming through will deal with them though, so we should probably sneak along the perimeter of their camp and make note of this location. Should they survive the local arbites might have to come back here to deal with this rather unfortunate group. To think that devotion is tainted by their unclean forms, oh well that can be purified." he looked at the staircase, no doubt it had been there for many years and neglected in it's care for just as long. He put one foot on the step and tested it's load bearing capabilities, there were many ways to die in a battlefield but falling would probably be one of the most humiliating ones.
"Watch your step, try to spread out the weight so we don't overload a section and we'll get to the ground safely. As for them, well I would imagine that they're more afraid of us than we are of them."
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Post by Lord Harrab on May 31, 2016 2:14:33 GMT
Balalaika shared a knowing glance with Rook, Glory Boy had dreams of a black greatcoat and scarlet sash it seemed, then turned away and shouldered her long las, panning it across this underground chamber and using the magnification to better see the shrine, the mob around it, and the shanty town itself. The mutants disgusted her, but she was far too jaded to let it show, and she took some measure of comfort for the fact that they did at least show proper devotion to the Throne as her narrow view of them panned slowly across the icon, and not the clockwork one the Forge World adepts honored. She mapped out a route through the shanty from her elevated position, a wide circular path that would avoid the congregation, then moved past the others on ghost-like feet, rifle held ready to be raised and the cold calculating look back in her eyes. "Follow and be quiet." she said to the rest, and lead the way down the rickety stairs, her movements light and alert for any sign of danger.
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