Topic: Dark Stars Game thread IC

[Gankom]

Desmonds interest flares again, although he tries to stay rational with it. "They certainly didn't seem up to negotiations when they attacked us just recently. Do you have any method to send them a message and request a meeting?So we're not stumbling into their lair or another ambush."

[Xathrodox86]

"Do we know who their leaders are? In my unit we had a saying about cutting of the head of a fenks-wyrm and its body will die" Bane chuckles grimly.

[Captain Dob Van Dwi]

@Gankom:

"They attacked you outright?" Malik says slightly alarmed "What happened? What did you do, did you kill one of them?"

***

@Xath:

"No I am afraid that their leaders are scattered about the ship. We know that there are at least 5 of them, two seem to be in the upper command structure but thats it" Garruss remaks

"In the Imperial Navy officers ranks are often hereditary, perhaps they folow a simlar ethos? If so that means that they have throughly infiltrated the command structure of the ship. We could use that to our advantage" Petrus whipers to you 

[Xathrodox86]

"Are you suggesting that a bunch of heretics have successfully infiltrated the high echelons of Master Hassarian's ship?" Bane looks incredulous at the man. "This is a very serious accusation. Do you have anything to back it up?" he speaks with a heavy rasp, then turns towards Petrus. "How do you plan we do that?" asks Icarus. "Whom can we trust? Ricker?"

[Gankom]

"We came across someone murdering one of the tech priests. Doing a real number when it came to cutting them up. My security comrades out there attempted to stop him, but after the murderer attempted to flee he was gunned down by mistake. It was soon after that we ran into that a much larger, more heavily armed force." Desmond considers the woman carefully. He wants to make sure she's showing the proper loyalty to the ship and all.

"It's vital that we attempt to defuse the situation. Before Commander Bane back there, or the cult, is forced into more open conflict. It would be a sin against the Emperor to waste valuable resources. So tell me, how can we find them and arrange a meeting?"

[Captain Dob Van Dwi]

@Xath:

"Well let's think about it for a moment" Petrus says "If we can find these officers, none of them would want their secret exposed now would they?"

He clears his throat and goes on

"From the basic info we know they seem to have a great respect for the Captain of the ship. Perhaps we can force then in to negotiations if we capture one of the officers and bring them to Hassarian?"

***

@ Gankom:
"You... you killed one of them?" Malik asks aghast. She springs from her desk and grabs her coat, which is not to different from yours, brown with silver trim, rather than gold.

"We need to act fast then" she starts she reaches in to her desk and removes an cut down shotgun, which she stuffs under her coat "We need to talk with one of my observers"

She takes your hand and rushes out the door, pulling you along.

[Xathrodox86]

"Aye, that is a good plan. However finding these scoundrels will not be an easy task. Any ideas hoiw we could do this?" asks Bane, with a heavy wheeze. "I don't want to endanger the captain in any way, nor do I want to bring chaos to the bridge" he adds, with a slight scowl.

[Gankom]

Desmond will follow the woman where ever she plans on going, but he keeps track of if their heading to or away from where they originally came from.

[Captain Dob Van Dwi]

@Xath

"Nothing says that we have to be on the Bridge Master Bane. Matter of fact it would be better if it were in a cargo hold or somthing. Draws less attention" Petrus says quietly

"As for the captain's safety, I'm sure that he would be safe, he can handle himself I think. If his fighting skils are not enough reassure you, we will be there as well, at least that's the way I have it planned out anyway" 
***

@Gankom

Observation (Per) role-42 fail
Intel role-83 fail

Within the darkness it is impossible to tell where you are going. Eventually Malik leads you to a whip thin, man with a bald head and dark skin, odd considering that there is no sunlight down here. You realize that soot and oils are painted accross his flesh, giving him camouflage.

"Master Pyke, this is Corlin, he is one of my many trusted crewmates and one of my observers"

"How do you do Master?" he asks in a very quiet voice 

[Xathrodox86]

"I would think that such shady buisness would occur in one of the hangars or in the bowels of the engineering section" Bane muses, while adjusting valves on his archaic rebreather. "As for Lord Hassarian - I am oath sworn to protect him, and tis I shall do, until my last breath" he adds, his ice glinting coldly in the artificial light. Bane takes a glance towards Petrus. "What do you have in mind? Tell me about that plan of yours".

[Gankom]

"Well aren't we just diving into intrigue here." Desmond replies drily. "I am Desmond Pyke, Seneschal to the Lord-Captain. We're here looking into the cult known as the Hand. We had a bit of a skirmish with them. What can you add to the picture?"

[Captain Dob Van Dwi]

@Xath:

"Well that's the hard part. We are going to have to draw them out and capture an... officer? They seemingly use a standard ranking system so it seems likely that by using one of these captured officers that we could set up a meeting or infiltrate one of their... what should we call them, companies?"

He shakes his head

"Regardless, that may mean a fight. That means House Troops, we should draw them from the upper decks where The Hand has less influence. No use having a leak after all. Perhaps Master Pyke will come back with more info"
***

@Gankom:

"Depends on what ye want to know, there is a lot me and my fellow Observers 'ave gleaned" the man says "You must be in a hurry so ask away"

[Darknight]

"Are you hearing this, Wil?" Bechensale asked in a harsh whisper.

"Umm-hmm," the Void Master murmured affirmatively.

"What do you think of it?" she demanded.

Ricker chuckled. "Oh, Katie, Katie, my sweet summer child. You don't get to my position by thinking about things. That's why I have you."

"I think it's going to be a bloody disaster."

"You had to think to come up with that?"

Bechensale's sculptural face kinked and her eyes narrowed, but there was a smile lurking at the edge of her lips. "If you weren't such a handsome son-of-a-bitch . . ." she muttered.

[Xathrodox86]

Bane loosk suitable irritated. "We don't have time for that "infiltration" nonsense. Let's just find out where they are, bring a shit ton of our troops and maybe a few cog boys, with their automata, and hit those bastards like the mail fist of Rogal Dorn himself" he rasps, visibly pissed off. "Ricker!" Icarus barks to his vox system, "can't you run a full scan or something. I'm not a bloody spy master, or some kind of infiltration specialist. We don't have time for this crap" he finishes, with barely controlled rage.

[Darknight]

"I have one of my headaches coming . . ." Ricker murmured.

"I definitely won't have one tonight," offered Bechensale helpfully.

"Tonight is not know, regretfully. Mister Bane," the Void Master said, pressing down on the communications rune, "I assure you that we are doing everything we can to locate the Hand. Might I remind you that your presence in the lower decks is, in fact, the 'full scan' we are running. As you have been told, the Hand has clearly infiltrated the crew of the ship. Now, I realize that you do not have time for such nonsense, but they clearly do - and have likely spent years if not decades of it making sure they are infiltrated. In this context, that word means 'they look just like everyone else unless you look really hard'. You are my 'full scan', Mister Bane. If I had a servoskull or scrying auspex which would locate the hand, I assure you I would have sent it and kept your charming presence on the bridge where I would have encouraged you to amuse me with a spirited rendition of 'Three Little Maids From The Progenium Are We' with you taking the contralto part."

"I sing a mean soprano, Mister Bane," Bechensale put in.

[Xathrodox86]

"Whatever the hell that means" mutters Icarus to himself. "Right then, change of plans. You!" he adresses Garruss. "Give me the most possible location of their meetings, drinking places, hell - even a latrine that they'd most likely use. We need a start, something that we can use to launch our investigation and try to..." he clears his throat "infiltrate their ranks". The word "infiltrate" had been said with a healthy ammount of disgust.

[Gankom]

Desmond rubs his head for a moment. "Yes a very big hurry. My comrades are ready to rip the ship apart for this Hand. I need to know everything. Starting with how we can contact them and negotiate a meeting. We need to know where and who their officers and leaders are. Lord-Captain Hassarian runs this ship, and I will not see resources such as theirs wasted, but we are all losing patience with this matter. If we don't settle this with them now, peacefully, then it will end very poorly indeed."

Desmond then taps his microbead to open a channel to the others. He has a feeling that Bane might be getting a bit anxious. "Bane, Ricker, I'm moving as fast as I can on this. These fine... folk seem to think these fanatics are not disloyal. They could perhaps be made to serve Hassarian, but we need to try and arrange some kind of meeting. Preferably one that doesn't result is a dead body this time."

[Darknight]

"I must admit to liking the idea of a cargo bay or hangar for the meeting - somewhere that can be immediately opened to the void. I agree with Mister Bane that presenting the Captain himself is far too dangerous. Desmond, Icarus; I am relying on you to locate an individual within the hand with whom we can negotiate - someone they will respect, who can speak for them."

Ricker sat back in his chair and stroked his beard thoughtfully, glancing over at Hassarian playing his game of regicide. "Depending on who this individual is - and how familiar he is with the captain - I will either present myself as Hassarian, or as his designated representative who can speak for him."

"And if we have to vent the compartment, Will?" Bechensale was aghast.

Ricker shrugged. "Then we vent the compartment, Katie."

"You've been listening to those tall-tales the midshipmen spread about you, Will!" she exclaimed. She tapped him on the temple with a long forefinger. "Astropathic transmission from the Throne to Commander Ricker!" she chided. "You can't actually breathe the void!"

"You'd be surprised."

[Xathrodox86]

"That we shall do Ricker" growls Bane. "Petrus! Any idea on how we can actually locate any of these Throne-forsaken heretics? I will not bear the presence of foul traitors on this ship and I will definetly NOT allow them to reamin here any longer!" he croaks with barely contained fury, while fingering the pommel of his sabre.

[Captain Dob Van Dwi]

@Everyone:

Taken aback lightly by your tone and demeanor Petrus steps back slightly 

"Well, it would have to be a place that thy feel safe..." it's almosr as if you see a spark go off behind his eyes

"That's it! So we know that The Hand are totally against human augmentation  right? So they must have a central location that is free of most tech so they can worship no?"

He scratches his chin

"Perhaps a uninhabited deck or maybe a nest of old shipping containers? No that's to obvious..."

He reaches up the combed

"A Mechanics Shrine would be a good place to hide. Right in plain sight"

[Xathrodox86]

Bane looks around the assembled people. "Where is the nearest one?" he asks quietly, a storm brewing behind his eyes.

[Gankom]

Hearing the chatter, and the forming plans, Desmond turns back to Corlin with a new sense of urgency. "It seems matters are snowballing rather quickly. I need whatever information you have on the cult NOW. Do you have any information on their leadership? Or where they might be based? My comrades suspect they might be hiding at or near a Mechanicum shrine. Does your information confirm this?"

[Captain Dob Van Dwi]

@Gankom:

"There is a shrine near here. Although, I have only ever seen it used by the same Enginseers time and again." Corlin responds

He raises an eyebrow

"Enginseer Lek's superior, Phobis uses the Shrine quite a bit. You probably met him when you first came down here, you know the one with the wierd eye augs,  he always likes to get the new comers, oddly friendly of him, being a son of mars and all"   

[Gankom]

"Well that's ominous." Desmond say's cheerfully. "Talk about hiding in plain sight."

He'll quickly vox the others to let them know the theory before continuing. " Well perhaps we should go have a talk with him. Do you have any idea about their numbers? And I asked your mistress this previously, but do you think this cult could be reasoned with?"

[Captain Dob Van Dwi]

@Gankom:


"That would depend on who has the Silver Tounge Master" Corlin says smiling "A brute is unlikely to reason with them. Though they do use honour duels to settle disputes. I supose a brarbarian may come in handy then"

Corlin pauses and seems to zone out for a minute before coming back to reality.

"I supose that The Hand may well have over 1000 members total, but I think no more then handfull are at the shrine at any given time"