Maggots in the Meat, part 3 - Night of Fire

by DM B  

 

Timestamp: 6.845.997.M41

Location: Acreage, Josian Reach, Calixis Sector

Situation: The proverbial hi-ex shell just hit the equally proverbial foxhole

Body: And after that things started moving really quickly. Haxtes was having a short rest when the Maiden informed those planetside of two things. One; the pretenders Queens were readying two large infantry armies for what could only be a major assault on Orlankan. Two; Castilas and Jebediah headed down in the other shuttle earlier in the day, making for Emperor's Island - to more fully investigate the leads you have on Aristarchus.

Its late in the evening before Haxtes gets going again. First he has a chat with Castilas. He has hit gold on the first try. After chatting a bit with the Port Wardens and the officials over at the Imperial Port Authority they headed back to the shuttle, only to come under attack by some local goons. They were well armed, well trained, and highly motivated - they were DYING to get off the planet. They spared the leader, one Mr. Krass - Jebediah shot out his knees so he wasn't going anywhere, so they decided to invite him to a little interrogation session. Haxtes would like to go himself, but can't find the time. It later turns out the man - and his cronies - is genuine Serrated Query! Unfortunately he's too well conditioned to get to talk in so short a time, there is something odd about him - he really really afraid, and not of the interrogator or for his lost soul. He's afraid some something else and trying to run away from it. But you do not know that then. That information becomes available only after the Night of Fire is over.

Haxtes gets in touch with the First Minister again. Despite a very nice demonstration aboard a boat and Maxi's little gathering of gun-loving peers there has been no development thus far. The orbital pics of enemy armies - perhaps 50.000 men - mustering not in the distance, but on the same damned island Orlankan is on, prompts a quick response. You finally get to meet with Prince Orcan XIII. He's young and arrogant, as expected, but not terminally stupid. There is a fancy meal and an even more fancy concert by eight lovely young women. And then the contract is agreed to.  Five thousand stub rifles and ammo. As well as some basic training - that will be Maxi's job. The first 5.000 guns are brought down from orbit (to be paid for in gold and jewels, as donated by the rich of the city). The 10.000 remaining guns are made ready for sale to whomever will be offering to pay the most. Perhaps an orbital strike or two can be sold to the highest bidder...

By nightfall, however, the situation has changed radically. The Maiden has left orbit to investigate a massive warp footprint that the auspex arrays has picked up. Something truly massive has entered the system and is heading for Acreage. Then the guns start firing. Not the locally produced mortars, but Imperial issue artillery rounds. It seems that Orlankan isn't the only importer of guns!

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Categories: Adventures, Chapter 1 - In the Service, Adventure 1.4 - Maggots in the Meat
 09/05/10 07:57:26 pm,

9 comments

Comment from:
As the day wanes Maxi hurriedly teaches a handful of good men how to use the guns. Then they try to teach their knowledge on to their units. It's not much, but its better than nothing. Fortunately the locals aren't complete barbarians. They know what a gun is, how to aim and how to pull a trigger. And they are keeping to their unit drills - fire by volley and all that. It's just that they will be fighting with a couple hundred times more firepower. With gun-drills done Maxi oversees the construction of field fortifications - trenches and foxholes actually. They are dug in the marshy ground outside the walls, facing the sky-mills. It is here the enemy will strike. And it is here that one brigade of Orlankan's finest will be waiting for them... The night is not a quiet one. Cindar cats - the xenos cats have been identified by Venus - are about in the city in numbers. One group makes for the Grand Royal. One group led by an injured cat with a score to settle. It doesn't quite work that way - Haxtes has his own score to settle and this time the bolt shells strike true and the power blade cuts cleanly. Elsewhere in the city gun-armed sentries do as well as they can - hundreds are killed or maimed...but it could have been much worse had it not been for Haxtes' warning and automatic weapons. And the God-Emperor of course. Throughout the whole ordeal the temples are open, hymns are sung, bells are tolled and prayers are offered. Good Emperor-fearing folk they are the citizens of Orlankan. Enemy gunfire kills hundreds more and set part of the city on fire, but it's clear there are not Imperial gunners manning the guns. Just local lads that can barely operate them. The rate of fire is low, accuracy is abysmal, and only contact fused hi-ex is used. Maiden sends through a fain vox-call. The object in question is a multi-billion ton space hulk. It's on a trajectory towards Acreage (it will destroy the ecosphere of the planet if it hits). And its transmitting some sort of Inquisition transponder code... Dawn breaks...
09/05/10 @ 20:35
Comment from:
Ten thousand brave men of Orlankan are arrayed before the walls, a brave gesture against the fifty thousand that are marching against the city. They come across the wet grass, long column between the silent sky-mills. Then the regroup into battle lines before resuming their march. A final barrage of enemy artillery leaves a thousand men dead or injured, screaming for mercy or relief from the pain. Then, at the 200 yard mark five thousand stub rifles open up at the advancing columns. The carnage is horrendous. Made even worse by momentum. The enemy formations just continue to march forward, dying as they come. It takes them too long to understand what is happening. Far too long. By the time realization dawns it is too late. The Orlankan regulars advances with bayonets fixes, passing through lanes in the trenches to fall upon the tattered remnants of the Queens' armies. Smoke from blackpowder weapons shroud the battlefield and you can see no more - only hear the screams of the dying and the thunder of gunfire. 'Colonel Guilliman' surveys the scene from behind the walls of stone fort. The Prince is with him, as are his senior officers. Yes, there will definitely be more arms purchases... Out beyond the walls the stubber-armed men remain in their trenches and holes. Only Maxi ventures out. There is something out there, something hidden, something foul, something not part of this battle. He shudders and returns to the lines. There is nothing he can do about it at this juncture.
09/05/10 @ 21:05
Comment from:
Seems like this thread has become a bit stub so I'll re-open it. Maxi meant it best to stay on planet to keep up appearance. Fulfilling the trade agreement and implementing new cargo to buyer. "WALKING UP AND DOWN THE SQUARE!!!" He is fully aware on the possible Armageddon by "space-hulk-collision" But he is confident that he would be evacuated in due time or that he will survive 72 hours after impact thus giving enough time to pick him up after impact. Since he's ]I[ singular he will only try contacting the maiden (Rouge Trader Jax) every three hours and keep vox-off between. After impact minus 4 hours he will be constantly on vox. OOC: Monty Python reference. I'm sorry. NO I'm not.
09/08/10 @ 19:31
Comment from:
The locals do not know about the impending doom from above. A good thing since they have more than enough doom already on the planet. Everything goes pretty much as planned, except that the locals get a bit concerned about the plague thing. So once again the collection of valuable bits for the gun payment starts lagging behind. At impact minus four - that would be around noon on the day AFTER the battle, i.e. on the day the plague breaks out - Maxi listens in at the vox. He doesn't hear much at first, but eventually he picks up a great deal of static. Around impact minus zero it become obvious you're not going to be destroyed after all, you just get to watch some spectacular shooting stars as bits of the hulk burn in the atmosphere. If Maxi bothers he can use some simple binocs to watch the large piece of hulk sail by just a few hundred clicks above. Somewhat later you pick up Jeb's transmission. It's very faint and distorted, but you're boosting the signal through the parked shuttle so you're able to just make out the contents.
09/08/10 @ 19:41
Comment from:
Jeb's transmission received. Maxi prepares his equipment for evacuation. He links his own vox to the larger "long-range-vox-unit". If any signal is recived he'll notice it. In short Maxi stays in put ready.
09/08/10 @ 19:53
Comment from:
There are no more messages - its the same one, repeating every five minutes. It gets fainter with each repetition, but the background static is also reducing, so you're able to keep the signal locked. Logic dictates that the Maiden is moving AWAY from the planet, not towards it to pick you up. Odd.
09/08/10 @ 20:03
Comment from:
You could take the shuttle up into orbit and have a look around. Or maybe those buggers out at Emperor's Island can tell you what their auspexes are picking up.
09/08/10 @ 20:07
Comment from:
IIRC, the shuttle left with Haxtes so Maxi has none. Either way, Maxi has no intention to leave planet without any vessel in orbit. OOC: If GM prefer. We can adjust this thread to time line and end it. The plague thing are more of Maxi's interest. He'll seek Lt. Rabalias for more information.
09/08/10 @ 20:31
Comment from:
Shuttle went up, then came back down. Need to have somewhere to stash the loot :) Part 4 of Maggots and Part 4 of Shades happen at the same time, so you go see Lt. Rabailias - if he's alive.
09/08/10 @ 20:44


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