Port of Call - Revelations

by DM B  

Timestamp: 7.277.996.M41

Location: Free trader vessel Maiden of Golgenna, K4 V 'OCG-001671A' system, 10 AU out

Situation: Aboard the Maiden of Golgenna, entering the inner system of unexplored orange main sequence star 'OCG-001671A'

Body: Nearly ten days have passed since your last status meeting with Xerza. Ten days of steady deceleration, slowing the Maiden to a relative crawl. Your still hurtling through space at a speed of several thousand kilometers per second, but compared to your earlier velocity that is nothing. At 10AU (by comparison Saturn is 9.5 AU, or about 80 light-minutes, from Sol) you've still got a way to go. It will take four more days of braking and course-alterations before you intersect the orbit of your intended target, whose orbital speed around its parent star is no more than 20 km/s - a measly 72.000 km/h.

Vern has spent most of his waking hours pouring over the data gathered by the ship's augur-arrays. Not only has he gotten a lot more data in the form of broadcasts from the planet, but he's also been able to gather additional information on local space using grav-auspexes and spatial prognosticators. As an old Rogue Trader the Maiden sports quite a bit of advanced detection gear, even if some of it has been removed or is no longer properly maintained.

His findings indicate that the planet you're heading towards is a rocky core world with a mass close to 1 Earth standard (which should give a surface gravity of around 1G), with ample hydrosphere and a breathable (if slightly polluted) atmosphere. It's located at approximately .7 AU from its sun, putting it within the life zone of the slightly-cooler-than-Sol star.  The planet has one very large moon in a relatively low and irregular orbit; a moon tidally locked to its parent and massive enough to cause a significant tidal pull (the planet's coastal areas are most likely uninhabitable due to violent flood tides).

From intercepted transmissions Vern has discerned that the locals call their home 'Corax Secundus' - it being the second planet from the sun. Corax is of course the name of the Primarch of the Raven Guard Legion, but like all the other Primarch names 'Corax' is extremely popular throughout the Imperium. Just look at yourselves - both Haxtes and Maxi are named after Primarchs! Most likely the system was named in the Primarch's honor, or someone bearing his name got credited with its discovery and/or settlement. Vern can recall 217 other worlds/moons/habitats that contain 'Corax' as part of their names...

There is also civilization down there, and most likely industry since the planet seems technologically advanced - perhaps up to Imperial standards. Industry could account for atmospheric pollution or it could be a natural feature, since Corax appears to be more geologically active than average (Vern suggests tidal forces exerted by the big moon might be responsible). From what Vern can tell the planet is inhabited by rogue humans. They seem to be aware of the existence of the Imperium - they even speak a dialect of Low Gothic - but are apparently content to exist outside the protection offered by Terra. There are indication that the planet my be host to a divergent religion (i.e. not dedicated to the God-Emperor), and that may be the reason they avoid Imperial entanglements. But its too early to tell with any certainty if the religion is heretical beyond simply failing to recognize the Master of Mankind.

Vern has also picked out what appears to be some voidship activity. He's counted six probable warp-jump footprints over the course of the last two weeks, and has added another three confirmed over the course of the last three days. The probables were too far away to classify, but the confirmed one were close enough - two mid-sized STC-compliant cargo vessels and one multi-million-tonnes craft of possible xenos manufacture. The cargo vessels were jumping away, but the xenos vessel was entering the system. Probably location for the xenos - in high orbit above Corax Secundus.

Starting 24 hours ago changes in atmospheric composition (increased ash and dust levels), as well as unexplainable gamma spikes, indicates that the planet has been subjected to a series of high-yield atomic strikes. This is all well and good - but there is another catch too. Augur telemetry gathered over the past six hours has shown that an unidentified vessel is maneuvering away from Corax to intercept you. Confirmation of its class and origin just came through - it is 95% probable an Ork raider-class vessel, massing in at less than half a million tonnes, far smaller than the xenos vessel Vern picked up earlier.

The Maiden IS armed, but its not a warship, and at any rate many of its offensive/defensive systems have been sold off or been deactivated to save on maintenance. What you've got are some point defense batteries and decent void shields; the only offensive weapon system still operation being four drone-ships. If you try to fight it it will blow you out of existence long before you even get within weapons range.

None of you know much about Orks except by reputation; big, stupid, and warlike. Dangerous in big mobs, but easily slain by the valiant defenders of the Imperium. So surely you can get out of this one, no?

Views: views
Categories: Adventures, Chapter 0 - Prelude, Adventure 0.2 - Port of Call
 11. Dec 2009 15:39:21,

23 comments

Comment from:
After this information is known, Haxtes starts to gather supplies and ammo, basic med and survival kits, a few he stash round the ship, in betwen hull plates and air ducts, in case of boarding. He stocks up on the items he need for his utility belt, making sure it now contains navigational aids, food and water for a few days in case of crash landing. He uses the quiet evening time to pilfer files on orks from Vern. He then reads up on the xeno, if they die so easy why do they still pose a threat to Terra? That is on of the questions Haxtes wants answers to.
11. Dec 2009 @ 16:39
Comment from:
Silon explains: If both ships continue on their present course and acceleration curves, you'll come within weapons range in about 16 hours and be a cloud of cooling debris half an hour later. That's obviously not a very good option. So instead you'll turn the ship around and start accelerating again; not away from Corax, but towards it. To prevent you from getting away the ork ship will need to speed up to, and your combined speed when you finally turn directly to meet it, will be high enough to cut the engagement time to a maximum of ten minutes. Given the Maiden's speed, defensive turrets and good void shields, Silon THINKS you an survive that. IF you are lucky. Once past the ork it cannot reengage you unless you allow it to, because of its poorer acceleration. Unless the enemy has fighter craft that is, in which case he'll launch them an you're all fucked. The big problem here is that this gives you too much speed to orbit Corax; you'll simply shoot past it with no chance of stopping. Besides you need to break away from the orks sensors anyway, so its been decided that you'll leave the Maiden on aboard a lander. The Maiden will slingshot around Corax' great moon, pick up additional speed, take a trip around the sun, and then come back, real stealthy like. As it goes past the moon you drop out with the lander, use the moon's gravity to BRAKE you speed, and then head for Corax' surface. When Ignace points out that maybe you should just call it a day and take your chances in the warp, because this is the most suicidal plan he's ever heard, Xerza shakes her head and says: "No. The Tarot tells, consistently, that the future of the Maiden is to be found on Corax. There is something we need to find there that will allow of to triumph; all other future paths lead to damnation, sooner or later. So dangerous it is. But we are Throne agents, and we will prevail." (hooo-ahhh!)
13. Dec 2009 @ 15:43
Comment from:
Later, busy preparing for the coming fight, Haxtes finds time to speak a little with Vern (Xerza has already given you a short general brief on orks, confirming that they are dumb, but brave in large numbers, and quite hard to kill). Vern laughs a little before answering; "They don't die easily at all. They are damned dangerous. That's what they are. Extremely cunning when it comes to fighting - not intelligent like a human, just cunning, able to make the best out of the situation. They are very hard to kill, and they know no fear, or pain, or care one iota about hardship or the loss of their comrades. They live only to fight and they do it well. Their equipment is crude compared to Imperial issue gear. Big and inefficient. Loud and prone to faults, for they care not for any machine spirits. But it is durable and simple and rugged. Besides, they are damned good at stealing and copying Imperial grea. So don't underestimate them. They are not so dumb as you think, nor so primitive as the Imperium wants you to believe; they build voidships, their leaders have power fields to protect them from snipers, and their elite units employ powered armor, chainblades and bolters. They are brutes, but they are not savages. If they have a weakness its their tendency to mob up, for one ork alone is not threat. Another possible weakness is their faith in their leaders. Killing a leader will often result in infighting as their struggle to elect a new leader - unless there is fighting going on, in which case they'll kill you first and then pick a leader. In my years with the Guard and the Navy I've come into contact with them on occasion - they are not common in Calixis, but neither are they completely unknown. In Scarus sector they are more common, and its the spinward regions along the Periphery and the Marches that see the most orks. If you want I can tell you more, but that is most academia. How they procreate, their society, that sort of thing.
13. Dec 2009 @ 16:03
Comment from:
Xerza's brief on orks (she's fought them on occasion, but claims not to be an expert) contains the following: Orks are somewhat taller than humans, but with a stooped posture that makes them appear somewhat shorter. They have longer arms arms than would a human of equal size. Orks are as strong as an equivalent-sized human, but since most orks are significantly heavier than the average human (around 100 kilos) an ork is about as strong as a very well-muscled and big human. Orks are a LOT tougher than humans though. They cannot easily be dispatched, except by hi-power hits to the head. Even then kills cannot be assured; there are numerous accounts of orks surviving head wounds that would have been fatal in a human. Ork nervous system is quite a bit different from a human one. For one they do not feel any pain. None at all. You can cut of an arm and they won't feel it. If a human didn't feel pain it would be a problem - he'd soon injure himself. Same with orks actually, but they can take minor injuries without any adverse effects. So orks can fight on with arms cut of, with twenty autogun rounds in their bodies. Until they are dead dead dead they can keep fighting. There are even accounts of orks having their heads cut of, and then continuing to hack wildly for up to half a minute before finally dropping dead (much like a beheaded chicken, only more dangerous ;) Orks are social creatures and work best in groups where there is a defined hierearchy. A few orks together are easily startled or chased away, but members of a larger group can be as fearless as the Adeptus Astartes. Good to know - not only don't they feel pain and seem near-impossible to kill, but they are fearless too! Killing ork leaders (they are generally bigger than the line troops, so should be easy to spot) will confuse a mob. If not directly engaged in a firefight, the mob will loose focus as it spends energy determining a new leader. The mob might even fracture, splitting into smaller mobs. If under fire the orks will continue fighting (albeit less effectively) and deal with the leadership issues later. Snipers are very valuable against orks. Haxtes with his long-las at max power and Odessa using explosive arrow-heads. With clean head-hits you should be able to take out even ork leaders. Snipers are doubly effective since a single long-range shot won't send the orks into a fighting frenzy; they'll stop what they are doing and reorganize. Ork weapons are crude and ineffective, but deadly enough. Most orks use rifle-type guns firing hi-caliber solid ammunition. Not very elegant, but deadly enough. Many orks also have revolvers as sidearms and invariably carry around one or more melee weapon. Ork leaders use bolter-equivalents and chain-weapons. Both crudely made, but deadly. Most orks wear only light armor; equivalent of a bullet-proof vest and a splinter-poof helmet. Their natural durability more than compensates for their lack of armor. Orks are also scavengers, so expect to find human or even xenos gear in their hands.
13. Dec 2009 @ 21:53
Comment from:
Well in short cut of the head and the body starts a fight with itself :) Haxtes spends some time shooting in his long-las, and reading up on the details on the orks.
13. Dec 2009 @ 22:39
Comment from:
You have time to calibrate your equipment and soot a little with the las; the spine corridor with the bulkhead doors open makes for a fine shooting range. You also read over Xerza's brief on the orks, including the attachments that includes so tactical advice, anatomical schematics, that sort of thing. The rest of the time you help out with readying the shuttle and stowing gear; you'll be pulling max acceleration this time, and objects no properly stowed will go flying. You don't have time to secure everything, but at least you can take the important bits and the key areas. While working on this you have time to hear Vern speak a little more about the orks; seems he's spent quite a bit of time with orks in his lifetime. ...more later...
14. Dec 2009 @ 08:58
Comment from:
Meanwhile the two voidships - the Maiden and the ork raider - rush towards each other. The Maiden picking up speed and altering its vector several times, forcing the ork to accelerate if it is to have any chance of interception. The original 16 hours pass very quickly indeed; one speed increases the time to engagement drops faster and faster. Ere long you have to assume your battle stations; the things not yet secured will just have to be left as they are. Xerza is in the navi-dome. Silon is on the bridge with Captain Jax. Vern is with the medicae-servitor in the med-bay. Venus is in the energarium. The rest of the crew at their assigned posts. Leaving Maxi, Haxtes, Jarra, Odessa and Ignace to act as security troopers. You've got a dozen crew to help you, but that's not really enough - properly defending the ship would require hundreds of men. Orks have a penchant for boarding action; if at all possible they will seek to place boarding crews aboard, slaughter the crew, and seize the vessel for their own use. So the chances of seeing orks soon is very real. You've got four areas that need covering; the energarium, the spine corridor, the bridge, and the launch bay. Xerza has the bridge - she right next to it in the navi-dome, Odessa and Ignace are best employed to cover the engineering section. But that still leaves a lot of ship for Maxi, Jarra, Haxtes and the troopers to cover....ideas?
14. Dec 2009 @ 09:30
Comment from:
Haxtes set up in the launch bay, in the a good sniping spot near the roof, with access to the other parts of the ship.
14. Dec 2009 @ 11:26
Comment from:
In the lanch bay. Is it possible to jury rig some of the landing craft so their thrust/exhaust could be fixed in directions and creating kill-areas and chocking points. (They would be blown up by the invaders but they would buy time and take some of them with them. And by choking I mean forcing the orcs togehter.)
14. Dec 2009 @ 12:25
Comment from:
When Haxtes thinks it over the launch bay seems a bit crowded, he sets up in the bridgeward portion of the spine corridor; right where he and Venus got ambushed by servitors during the captain's madness event. From here he can deny access to the bridge, while still having rapid access to most of the ship. EDITED BY GM
14. Dec 2009 @ 13:44
Comment from:
Right, Haxtes tells Jax to divide the troopers in (four) teams of three. Team 1: Bridge, commanded by Xerza (or Silon in her absence, if she's playing cards, playing with her self etc). Orders hold bride, when we know where the orks have landed and moved far away from the ork raider, THEN they can support other teams if needed. Team 2: Energarium, commanded by Odessa and Ignace, in that order since Ignace flips out if Odessa gets hurt, he can't take over from her, just in case they ask. Orders hold Energarium, when we know where the orks have landed and moved far away from the ork raider, THEN they can support other teams if needed. Team 3: Poo-Lice, hangar bay, this is were the orks will come in its the easy entry, and well, orks are not that smart. Troops and Maxi will make effort in holding them in the bay until reinforcements come and handle the orks (main doors sealed so there will be no running away, the hit squad will enter on top floor or via air ducts). IF the orks by some divine miracle don't hit the bay first YOU will wait until the Maiden is out of range, and THEN move out (vox Venus and she will undo the door seals) and support the nearest team tangling with orks. Hit squad: Jarra, Haxtes(bolter brigade) and the 3 best\most armored\armed of the troopers. Orders will hold spine, when orks hit somewhere other than spine move in and use other team as anvil drawing orks in and act as hammer smashing against other team. If by some divine miracle the orks hit the spine hold them until we are out of range and act as anvil for the other teams. If Jarra, Jax and Ignace/Odessa agree, Haxtes takes the plan to our leader for approval. If she approves then Haxtes would be grateful a relay long time if she can vox the orders to all or make a nice public event of it, the main thing is that the orders are heard and understood by all.
14. Dec 2009 @ 17:52
Comment from:
A small note to the last post: If maiden is up to it, her job will be to hinder ork movement, and taking out strong points by venting the air from the compartments where that's possible. She'll also keep the bride up to speed on ork movement. The bride will inform the teams.
14. Dec 2009 @ 19:14
Comment from:
You have to be careful on the launch deck. First of all things have to be stowed in preparation for the battle, or things will fly around once you start emergency maneuvers. And there is too much flammable and/or explosive materials here...not to mention that you don't want the lander your leaving aboard damaged...quite tricky...but you try as best you can. You also have one other asset; seven operational combat servitors. Four of the multi-las/chain-blade variant, and thee of the shotgun/neutral whip version. The former is dangerous to employ in the launch bay - stay multi-las fire could cause terrible damage. At the same time they could be a tremendous asset IF the orks really come through the bey. The shotgun servitors fire flechette ammo (unless you want to give them something else) and can deploy safely in the bay.
14. Dec 2009 @ 19:17
Comment from:
A small NOTE? Very good :) The Maiden will cooperate any way she can; she does NOT want to fall into ork hands!!! If she can block access, report on movement, hinder or harm the attackers, then she will. Needless to say all the crew has been given arms and whatever armor you could conjure up. That includes the 1/3 that's enslaved by the ship. So if the orks attack a position, the crew will defend. But you're already way too many crew short, so try not to loose many more. Otherwise you won't be able to run the ship even if you win somehow.
14. Dec 2009 @ 19:23
Comment from:
Shotgun servitors can station in the bay, one multi laser in bridge and energarium, and the final two can join hit squad. If hit squad needs to leave the spine then the servitors can keep the orks out until the other teams can redeploy. Part of the whole split into teams plan is that its not written in stone that the orks will only enter at on place.
14. Dec 2009 @ 19:25
Comment from:
Here is a very rough layout of the ship, from fore to aft: Command section (bridge, nav-sanctum ++) Bridge-ward spine strong-point Long spine section Central spine strong-point (Destroyed spine section) Engine-ward spine strong-point Energarium ----- The spine itself is about five hundred meters long, but sectioned of by a number of bulkheads. In addition there are three strongpoints; one fore, one middle, and one aft. The fore one allows access to command deck. The aft one (on the other side of the destroyed corridor section) leads to the energarium. The central one controls the primary access-ways between decks (i.e. up and down). The 'spine' is several things; its a big corridor you can walk through, but beneath and around it are many ducts and utility feeds. Hence the word 'spine', since it is the main feed for almost everything. The launch bays (plus repair shops, stores, and hangars) are located in the lower decks, aft.
14. Dec 2009 @ 19:38
Comment from:
Also, don't forget the secondary (or utility) spine. It runs through the lower decks, starting somewhere below the energarium, passing by the launch area, and moving forward to the crew section (just past the central spine strong-point). The utility spine is not a corridor as such, but rather a huge cargo hauler (like a light railway) with a walkway at the side. The utility spine is four decks below the main spine.
14. Dec 2009 @ 19:41
Comment from:
(if you don't get the basic layout I can explain more - or maybe do like a drawing if its really confusing)
14. Dec 2009 @ 19:43
Comment from:
Its clear. Our starting locations with comments: Command section (bridge, nav-sanctum ++) - Team 1 Bridge-ward spine strong-point - Servitor (shotgun) Long spine section - Servitor (laser) Central spine strong-point - Team Hit squad (easy movement up/down) (Destroyed spine section) Engine-ward spine strong-point - Servitor (laser) Energarium - Team 2 The launch bays - Team 3 + 2 shotgun servitors The utility spine : Maiden keeps orks out w/2 laser servitors. This will be used as the main movement for hit squad to avoid the broken parts of the spine.
14. Dec 2009 @ 19:51
Comment from:
See you own post above; I tried to count the 7 servitors (that seemed to have been moved a little). Is this correct the way I've listed it? I.e. the Hit squad has not attached servitors, but there are now 2 in the utility spine? If I could suggest anything it would be moving the lone laser servitor somewhere; to the central strong-point for example. Its useless just sitting in the corridor.
14. Dec 2009 @ 20:04
Comment from:
Ok- the list looks good now, just move the corridor servitor to the central and we have a plan to present to the god of gamblers :)
14. Dec 2009 @ 20:08
Comment from:
The god of gamblers concurs; the plan is as good as any. But you must move quickly once you know where the orks have landed, don't give them time to spread out and disperse.
14. Dec 2009 @ 20:48
Comment from:
Thread ended.
14. Dec 2009 @ 20:51


Form is loading...