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Even if the Skitarii had strange manners, chemical smells and odd appearances the surviving party members were pretty reticent on separating. Their miraculous apparition and Kroot massacre had impressed your team and also gave them the chance to get many trophies that guaranteed their future evacuation. Besides, you didn’t needed to be a Magos Logician to know that taking different paths would greatly cripple the survival chances of both parties, but especially of the one you were part of, as it had fewer members and was inferior armored.

Still, by the time the Charonisian sun appeared from the horizon they were long gone. Their cold heartiness, apathy and general social incompetence made them leave without a goodbye. The last surviving mercenary even wondered to himself if it had been a dream. It seemed that losing all her friends and being the last one made her feel out of touch with reality, her eyes looked kind of empty, as if she could look at something but not really see it. Before marching Karelia scanned her frail mind and apparently saw a collapsing psyche that was becoming slowly degenerating into a possible schizophrenia.

Without a word the Inquisitress coiled the merc’s arms and legs using some invisible telekinetic tentacles. The rest of the crewsmen knew what they had to do. They got in line and in unison raised their autoguns, waiting for the order. You were unable to act, the hooded Ogryn stopped you blocking your path with its strong body, you looked up at him and then saw Juliannus’s helmeted face under the crude hood and scarf. Your surprise for this revelation was suddenly cut by the sound of several guns firing at once, Karelia only needed a weak nod and then the maddened mercenary was blown to bits.

>>40449204
Her loss was incredibly exasperating for you. Not because of her, you didn’t even knew her name, it was because with every loss your team was closer to becoming an easier prey against the Kroot.

With the entire group inside the transports your team headed north, in the search of more Sweeping Claws with the intention of deterring the Mantle’s plans of planetary escape. Their scheme was flawed and doomed to fail but you still knew that those foul and primitive aliens would never listen to your logical arguments and they would wrongly believe that you want to trick them.

Somehow the Mantler Kroot knew that humanity required psykers for space travel, what they didn’t know is that not every psyker is apt for such a job, only a special breed called Navigators are the ones that can do so. Even if the Kroot managed to hijack a ship they would surely never be able to leave this doomed system.

Their unwinnable quest still posed a threat thought, even if the Imperium at large wasn’t really in danger from what was developing right now the rest of persons and colonists of this system were in danger of being hunted down. The Mantle had to be stopped before it became way too much of a threat.

You prayed to the Emperor that the point of no return hadn’t been reached yet; if the Kroot had managed to get enough psykers and warriors then it was your race the one that was doomed to fail.

>>40449223
>>40449223
The planet seemed full of animal and floral life but at the same time dead, there were no Kroot in sight, an all the indications of life that you found were skeletons of all origins covered in moss or dirt and a few indications of battle like small crater holes or destroyed chimeras invaded by plant life. As you scanned the area around with your rifle in hand and sitting in the opened top hatch you were called from below, soon a crewsman jumped out and told you that it was his turn to look for enemies.

Down below you sat inside and found the vehicle eerily empty. What was supposed to be a squat interior designed with having the most transport capacity and restricting personal space in mind now looked really empty and spacious. That sight even gave you a little bit of agoraphobia, making your hands shiver slightly.

Still, it was your turn to relax and rest. What should you do?

>Try to contact with Karelia to discuss the plans.
>Try to contact with Juliannus to ask why its motives for his participation.
>Check the different equipment around. Wurgen, your weapons, the Chimera itself...
>Try to talk and bond with the driver. You might learn how to pilot the vehicle.
>Write in.

>>40449252
>>Try to talk and bond with the driver. You might learn how to pilot the vehicle.
If we have a time after
>Try to contact with Karelia to discuss the plans.

Although if we can drive a complicated omega drill, a chimaera transport which is piss easy to drive shouldn't take long.

>>40449283
Backing this.
Exams go well Axsisel?

>>40449252
>Try to contact with Karelia to discuss the plans.
>Try to contact with Juliannus to ask why its motives for his participation.
as a space marine he should be able to offer sound advice.

>>40449283
>Although if we can drive a complicated omega drill, a chimaera transport which is piss easy to drive shouldn't take long.
True, besides all those drivers were given a quick course.

>>40449347
>Exams go well Axsisel?
Still don't know. I'll get know grades in a couple of weeks.

>>40449283
>Try to talk and bond with the driver. You might learn how to pilot the vehicle.

You got into co-pilot seat, for this particular transport this seat was designated to a gunner that had could control a weapon like a flamer and if it was really lucky get assigned with the shooting of a bolter weapon.

The driver was a mature looking woman, probably on her fifties, she had some wrinkles but still her hair looked colorful and natural, it was all black and there wasn't a single grey hair, her eyes were bright and vibrant too, just like some people seem to age faster she somehow maintained herself younger.

"Greetings Chimera Driver." You saluted her.

"Greetings Techpriest." She playfully answered kind of mocking your cold mechanical voice. It seemed that unlike the rest of the team she really respected you, on the other hand she was maybe trying to maintain a humorous tone to not shatter mentally and being spared of summary execution under Karelia's command. Honestly, knowing that she could read all your thoughts at all times and knowing that deviating from what she considers sane carried an unavoidable death seemed to be extremely exhausting.

"C-can you teach me how to drive the vehicle?"

She seemed surprised of your ignorance about vehicle driving. Specially because you were the person that repaired the third vehicle that was found in the distance.

"Why do you want to know? I mean. I know that your creed wants to get as much knowledge as possible but even I know that hoarding skills that will never be used in the future is a waste."

You relaxed on your seat and leaned back.

"It can be useful, who knows if in the future there will be a time were I will have to drive one. Besides...surrounded by all those cables, pipes and machinery makes me feel nested and safe. Outside there is nothing but endless mountains and forests. The interior of this chimera protects me not only with its hull, but also its essence."

>>40449790

Opening yourself and being so honest was hard for you, emotions were secondary for other techpriests and for the people of outside the cult understanding your personal views.

"I know what you talk about. I used to patrol the different corridors, it was a pretty safe yet intense job. Most of the times we only had to run after some slackers or ratlings that were running with after a heist of cheap trinkets. Having spent all my life roaming those same corridors makes me feel completely out of place. Looking at the indicators and such of the Chimera somewhat reminds me of home..."

She got somewhat teary, you completely understood her.

"O-oh by the way-" She suddenly said, trying to change the subject to avoid completely crying. "-my name is Phirra."

You extended your metallic hand and shook her hand.

"A pleasure, I am Heracor."

The next hour continued with her sharing the recording disk that she grabbed during the quick course that she received of vehicle driving. She also explained you of some tricks and other details that she had learned on her own during this week.

"So, we have mountains on the left and plains on the north, you want to drive? It's not like you will crash us at any time."

Somewhat shaky you nodded and after a quick stop exchanged places, sitting into the warm seat and feeling the power of the powerful engine surrounding and responding to your actions as you pushed the accelerator.

>>40449809
>Try to contact with Karelia to discuss the plans.
After driving for about half an hour you felt more relaxed and so did the rest of the crewsmen inside with you. You got the vox-talkie and connected with Karelia's Chimera.

++Chimera 02 to Chimera 01. Techpriest Heracor Nahive requesting direct channel with Inquisitress Karelia.++

After a while you were given an answer.

>+Chimera 01 to Chimera 02. Request Granted.++
>+Karelia here. What do you want now Skitarius?++

++I want to know if you have already devised a plan for our current situation.++

>+We have two captured Sweeping Claws, once they become conscious again we will interrogate them until they give us the location of their tribes. We will then send them with the message of our arrival and the offer of a truce against the Mantle.++
>+It is a suicide but our best chance. If they don't accept then my survival will become priority. If I manage to leave this planet I will be able to call for reinforcements.

You wondered why she didn't asked for a premature subtraction now, she could surely do it. Maybe she was hoping to end this uprising before it reached the Charonisian public so the name of Nalasha didn't ended stained and Karelia didn't ended feeling worse with herself. She had an incredible victim complex with the Governess.

>Ask for more details of the plan ( Write in )
>Accept the plan, it is risky but could work.
>Reject the plan, there has to be another way.
>Write in.

>>40449825
>Ask for more details of the plan ( Write in )
>Is it wise to send them ahead of time? Perhaps keeping them as living hostages will give us a better chance of conversation. It is possible the foul xenos will not hesitate to attack us upon sight if we do not have them.

>>40449825
At the end of the last thread didn't Karelia say that we would meet with the governess and plan a full-scale assault on the kroot? Or was that only a final solution if the sweeping claws reject our offer?

>>40449920
>Or was that only a final solution if the sweeping claws reject our offer?

You have to know your enemy first anon. Full scale attack is something that has to be done has a last resort because casualties might be really high and those guardsmen that are on the planet are planned to be tithe after all. If many die they won't be able to pay it and suffer incredibly.

>>40449825
>Ask for more details of the plan ( Write in )
Their "temple" is a crashed ship isn't it? Why are you exposing yourself to danger needlessly?

>>40449969
Orbital bombardment then. You yourself said the system has a small fleet.

>>40450010
We would need to extract the high-ranked men planetside, but otherwise I also support suggesting the bombardment.

>>40450212
Well I was thinking more like having guys find their pop clusters relay the coordinates and bomb those, not the whole planet. Bombardment =\= exterimnatus

>>40449908
>Ask for more details of the plan ( Write in )


++Is it wise to send them ahead of time? Perhaps keeping them as living hostages will give us a better chance of conversation. It is possible the foul xenos will not hesitate to attack us upon sight if we do not have them.++

>+I have thought of that possibility too. They will not be reticent to cooperate with us. I will try to insert a psyker bug on their feeble minds that will give me any hint of treason and also their positions at all time, some of the team will also use the vehicles to scout the area in the search of hidden enemies and traps.++

>+In case they accept a meeting to prove that we are not meaning any harm only Juliannus, you and I will enter in their grounds, while the rest will stay outside.++

++It's a suicide.++

>+It's a possible sacrifice that I am willing to take. I know how much you hate the idea but if it works we will be able to have their air superiority and aid an also get intel of the Mantle's positions instead of having to find them on our own.++

>+Dying is not what worries me most, right now we have to find were do those Kroot from the mantle stored all those warp attuned carnivore shamans.++

>+If uncontrolled they can get out of control and unleash a force that nobody on this backwater system could face and fight.++

>+We NEED the Sweeping Claw's help because they know were the Mantle is and probably also were do they keep their psyker kin.

>>40450322
++Their "temple" is a crashed ship isn't it? Why are you exposing yourself to danger needlessly?++

>+Au Contraire. That ship is another reason in my advantage. I don't know about Kroot engineering but if it is armed we will be able to have a great advantage if we manage to use it to fight the uprising Kroot tribe.++

You gripped the controls of the Chimera so strong that your hand started to make painful metal grinding sounds. You thought that the plan wasn't only incredibly stupid but also suicidal. Honestly what was crossing Karelia's mind was something that you didn't understood.

Even if it resulted in a severe punishment you were ready to yell at her and be completely honest with them but before you were able to speak the radio started spewing static and then an alien voice started to sound.

>͝͡CO̷͢͠M͏E,͟ ̡͠C͘͟ÓM̵҉͜È̶̀,I̵҉͠ ̷̧̢͠҉H́͞͡҉À̛V̀́̀͠͡É̵ ̸̶̨͞T̴̡̀͢H͜͜҉Į̢́͜͢N̷̸̨G̢̕̕͠S͜͟ ͏T̶̴̕͟͝O̶̢ ̧̕S̴͜E̡͜͞͝L̷͏̴̨͝L̶҉͏̡̀...

You tracked the strange signal and found its origin at about 200 meters to the east. The voice repeated over and over as if it were a prerecorded message, it sounded strange and even inhuman, it could have been caused by the distortion thought.

>Try to erase that radio interception and continue discussing about the plan with Karelia.
>Stop and investigate, it could be some other team in the need of help.
>Talk with Juliannus and ask what he thinks about it.
>You cannot go against a member of the Inquisition, give the controls back to Phirra and try to rest.
>Write in.

>>40450344
>>Talk with Juliannus and ask what he thinks about it.
If he agrees
>Stop and investigate, it could be some other team in the need of help.
Or something that needs to be dealt with.

>>40450344
>Tell Karelia that you have detected a highly suspect signal that is like the work of mantle tribe, ask her whether we should detour.
It's either an ambush, an actual trader or a landmine.
>Cheer up
It's sounding like we might get a chance to play with xeno tech and better still we can do so on Karelia's orders, rather than being a heretek

>>40450344
>Talk with Juliannus and ask what he thinks about it.
By 'it' I mean the plan of the Inquisitor.

Also, the captured kroot were shapers right? Would they not know where the mantle bases are? If they do we could skip the negotiating part, and skip to bombing.

>>40450464
>Also, the captured kroot were shapers right? Would they not know where the mantle bases are? If they do we could skip the negotiating part, and skip to bombing.

They were two shapers from the Sweeping Claws, they might or might now know the location of the Mantle bases but still chances are that they lie and send you to some trap or empty location.

>>40450555
Can we try to tell them the same thing we would at their base? Chances are that if they don't accept and tell the truth, their greater gathering wouldn't either, as shapers are quite high-ranked.

>>40450344
>Stop and investigate, it could be some other team in the need of help.
I wanna see this!
Also FUCK YEAH! HERETEK QUEST!

>>40450344
>Talk with Juliannus and ask what he thinks about it.

You tried to aisle the intruder signal and establish contact with Juliannus internal vox channel that was inside his helmet. After carefully driving and exchanging channels at the same time you manage to contact with him.

++Sire, what do you believe of the Inquisitress plans?++

>+Humans are pretty weak unless they are heavily armored or in great numbers. In our current situation we lack both of those.++

>+Allying with xenos races to fight a common foe while dubious is something that has been done in the past. In this occasion I think that it is more heavily encouraged to do so because if we succeed we will be able to convince some aliens to fight members of their own race, thus it is a double win.++

>+I think that our chances aren't as small as you might believe; the Kroot are a member known for their mercenary status and ease to contract and besides their already formed hatred for the Mantle will make getting their aid easier.

>+Probably your technical mind didn't saw that our small group will have more functions than delivering a simple message and arranging a temporal alliance.

>+Karelia will surely be instigating and weakening the minds of the Sweeping Claw shapers to turn them into our favor, I will not only act as the main warrior and defender but also add some intimidating factor, I will be the biggest and strongest of them all, this will be more enhanced with the fact that the bodies of that particular Kroot tribe is lithe and more fragile to allow flight. You could also gather notes and information about their ship and defenses, you will be also the scribe and spy.

>+During our meeting with the Sweeping Claws I will be recording and storing the coordinates of their bases, if everything goes awry we will be able to send those and be able to unleash orbital torpedoes to obliterate everything.

>>40450344
>Stop and investigate, it could be some other team in the need of help.

>>40451046

>+Should we fail and end killing this planet then the rest of the Orbital habitations and planets surely wouldn't be able to pay their tithe, and thus be punished by maybe turning them into prisons or having all the population turned into work slaves and being directed to one of the major Adeptus, probably the Ministorium.

You were speechless. He seemed to be pretty ok with the idea of dying and having an entire system suffering if that meant killing the xenos foe. He was truly a great warrior completely devoted to the Imperium.

>Tell Karelia that you have detected a highly suspect signal that is like the work of mantle tribe, ask her whether we should detour.

You exchanged channels and once again connected with the Inquisitress.

++Miss. We are receiving some kind of intruder signal from about 150 meters away. It could be another team asking for help.++

>+Yes, we are receiving it too. Is there anything you can do to discern if it is a trap or not?++

++I could send Wurgen maybe...++

You weren't very convinced to do so. You had already lost one precious servoskull and Wurgen was even more valuable. It was an Astartes crafted present after all.

>>40451061

>+Do it.++

You squirmed in fear and with a whimper ordered a crewsman to open the top hatch and programmed Wurgen to walk into the source of the signal. On the top right corner of your HUD a small summary of its situation appeared, it only showed its distance, speed, ammo and status.

After about ten minutes the ammo count descended a couple of numbers and then the status was updated from "ACTIVE" to "DEACTIVATED". Wurgen wasn't killed but something or someone had managed to turn it off.

ROLL 1d100
>Try to connect with Wurgen and reactivate it remotely. See from its eyes and discover what attacked it.
90 or more to succeed.
>Tell Karelia of the situation and urge her to drive all the team towards it to discover what happened.
80 or more to succeed.
>Ask for permission to retrieve the Skull on your own but don't tell that it was attacked.
70 or more to succeed.
>There is no time to lose and that is obviously a trap. Ignore it and continue advancing.
>Write in.

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>40451075
>Ask for permission to retrieve the Skull on your own but don't tell that it was attacked.

No tech spirit left behind!

Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>40451075
>Try to connect with Wurgen and reactivate it remotely. See from its eyes and discover what attacked it.

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>40451075
>>Try to connect with Wurgen and reactivate it remotely. See from its eyes and discover what attacked it.

>>40451120
>>40451157
nice

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>40451075
>Try to connect with Wurgen and reactivate it remotely. See from its eyes and discover what attacked it.

>>40451075
>Try to connect with Wurgen and reactivate it remotely. See from its eyes and discover what attacked it.

The coverage is terrible, the mountains divert the signal and there is barely any satellite or repeater to hook into but still your mind somehow manages to connect with Wurgen's and awaken it from its slumber.

//...REBOOTING...//

Your eyes suddenly look with a blue hue, the eyes of Wurgen are now your own oculus. In front of you lies a terribly hunched and deformed Kroot that tries to cover itself with some ragged clothing and looted pieces of flak and ceramite armor. It seems to be inside some kind of Imperial vehicle that has been invaded by arboreal life.

"UGUH! WHAT? IT SHOULDA HAVE GOTTEN YOU INTO SLEEP! COMME HERE! I WANT TO SELL YOU!"

The mandible and bifurcated tongue of the creature barely made him able to speak a crude version that resembled Low-Gothic. The xenos abomination grabbed a strange boxy machine and aimed it to Wurgen. Now that you were in control of its double grav engine you quickly made your way out of the vehicle and returned to your position without coming back. When the servoskull touched with your forehead a link was formed and returned each mind to their respective bodies. It seemed that whatever that boxy weapon was it was able to temporally disable Wurgen's sacred circuits imprints, it was surely a electromagnetic pulse weapon of some sort. Such a device was completely out of the Kroot's technological reach but still...if they had an spaceship then maybe you were underestimating their skills.

>>40451455

That strange Kroot was surely a member of the Unbound, a tribeless Kroot that was exiled for several reasons, in this case undesired mutations. Probably that Unbound found some tech from other parties and hoarded it, maybe to sell it to desperate hunters or power hungry Kroot.

You, as a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus were obliged to investigate anything that could be related with Imperial technology. This Kroot foe could be more dangerous than you believed but still the risk of confronting it could end being rewarding and give your weakened team a power edge that desperately requires.

>Inform Karelia of the situation. Try to meet the Kroot peacefully and see its wares, maybe it can even help your team into finding the Sweeping Claws.
>Inform Karelia of the situation. Devise a plan to attack the mutant alien. During the attack some of its wares might become damaged but the loot might be bigger.
>Do not Inform Karelia and continue with your way. There is not time to lose.
>Write in.

>>40451474
>Inform Karelia of the situation. Try to meet the Kroot peacefully and see its wares, maybe it can even help your team into finding the Sweeping Claws.

>>40451474
>Inform Karelia of the situation. Try to meet the Kroot peacefully and see its wares, maybe it can even help your team into finding the Sweeping Claws.

>>40451474
>>Inform Karelia of the situation. Devise a plan to attack the mutant alien. During the attack some of its wares might become damaged but the loot might be bigger.
We need to know what they have and if they've been having someone feed them tech.

>>40451514
Agreed
>shopping time
Box shaped guns sounds awfully tauish... We need to confirm the threat before eliminating it and possibly ruining our chances of tracing his supplies

Brb. Gonna get a little dinner break. See you guys in 10 minutes. I'm going to go with >>40451514

>>40451474
>Inform Karelia of the situation. Try to meet the Kroot peacefully and see its wares, maybe it can even help your team into finding the Sweeping Claws.
Xeno's will have an affinity with their own tech and Karelia wants us to get the ship defenses turned on the mantle. Bringing this unbound with us alive might be useful to this end.

>>40451474
>Inform Karelia of the situation. Try to meet the Kroot peacefully and see its wares, maybe it can even help your team into finding the Sweeping Claws.

You shared the recording of what you saw while possesing Wurgen with Juliannus and Karelia. Both had some pict-screens inside their helmets and thus nobody else was startled by what was depicted on it. Then a private three channel conversation was started.

++What should we do Miss?++

You asked.+

>>It seems to be well armed but still its body is way too deformed for engaging in combat++

Added Karelia.

<<Do not undervalue the mutant for its body its a mystery of nature and genetics and its appearance is nothing but a shroud of its abilities.++

Answered Juliannus.

>>40452427

>>We have to burn the impurities, we cannot make exception because those mutations have appeared on alien psyches.++

<<Indeed, but still we are only armed with eight men carrying shotguns, the other two ogryns and me carry ripper guns, Heracor carries several weapons but most are of short range and you are weaponless.++

<<We know that this particular Unbound is able to use technology to some degree, having some traps should be expected but still if he's a merchant of some short then killing possible client goes against your wishes, once again this could be nothing but a facade and be a trap to lure possible members of both Kroot and the Human race to be trapped and later devoured.++

<<In my opinion Heracor, a crewsman and an Ogryn and me should go and check it out. If it is a merchant then Heracor will be able to investigate the technology and maybe inform us of their use and status. ++
<<In case it is a trap the Ogryn, Crewsman and Heracor will give suppression fire while I get closer to engage in close combat where my chances of killing are greatly increased. I think that if this happens there will be casualties, but they will still be under the acceptable threshold.

Juliannus seemed to know how to convince people to do his will, you kind of saw the little speech tricks that he used to do so like not saying what that casualty threshold was, if you knew it then you might have rejected the plan and you couldn't be substituted...

Ten minutes later you were driving the Chimera with Juliannus and the female Ogryn Nala on the backseat while the other gunner was sitting next to you, trying to get away as much as possible from Nala's natural stench. It was pretty incredible how well she was taking the travel having in count how claustrophobic its kin are. Maybe she's holding her fear and tears as much as she can to impress you in a desperate attempt to catch your attention and make you fall in love with her.

>>40452445
As you got closer you saw a crashed Aquila Lander that had a tree grown from its forcefully ripped cockpit. From the inside there were some candles made from what smelled and seemed like lemons or a similar citrus fruit and it was all covered with Imperial icons and also Kroot totems.

The Aquila Landers were used to transport important personnel, surely some unlucky rich and noble hunter tried to land or take of in there was was hunted down. It was of a crimson and black color and had an autocannon in the nose that was starting to show the signs of rust and lack of care.

As soon as you stopped the vehicle a noise came from some vox speakers and the Autocannon slowly turned until it aimed at your direction.

"FRIEND OR FOE!?"

"Friend!" Answered Juliannus without a doubt imitating some kind of mentally challenged voice to further impersonate and act as a dumb Ogryn, the gunner on the seat next to you looked at him and growled as if he were saying "Shut the fuck up and don't ever talk again you imbecile!"

From the interior of the vehicle the deformed Kroot that I saw before made its appearance, it walked hunched and had some of the characteristic spines that grew on their bodies so developed and big that messed with his balance.

"WELCOME TO KROTOW'S TECH NEST!"

>Ask about his merchandise.
>Ask about the crashed ship and himself.
>Ask about the other tribes (Choose between Sweeping Claws, The Mantle, Rockborn & The Unbound)
>Aim your gun at him and ask why he attacked your servoskull.
>Write in.

>>40452473
>>Ask about his merchandise.

>>40452473
>Ask about his merchandise.
Ask what tech he has, and how much he understands of it.

>>40452473
>Ask about his merchandise.

>>40452473
>Ask about his merchandise.
>Ask about the crashed ship and himself.

>>40452473
>>Aim your gun at him and ask why he attacked your servoskull.

>>40452473
>Ask about his merchandise.

"Ogryn. Come with me."

Nala raised her head clearly excited but Juliannus stood up first and stopped her on her tracks. Outside of the Chimera you were able to hear her crying and the desperate and angry whimper of the poor crewsman that continued inside with her.

"Juliannus, your help there is vital, there is a great chance of finding xenotech and your centuries of experience could help identifying weapons that are unknown to me."

He simply nodded and walked in a normal pace next to you while you had to stride to keep his rhythm. Soon the Astartes and you were inside the Lander. Inside there was all kind of merchandise, from rocket launcher missiles to movies or lava-lamps.

"WELCOME WELCOME! IS THERE ANYTHING OF YOUR TASTES?"

It was obvious that Krotow while knowing how to operate some of that technology didn't truly understood its value and thus kept it all together without any kind of order or control. The backside of the aircraft was completely crammed with all kind of junk were something valuable could be found.

"PEOPLE FROM THE STARS WANT TO RECOVER THEIR STUFF YES?"

The deformed alien grabbed a mold covered wood toy and showed it to us.

"STUFF FALLS AND KROTOW RECOVERS!"

Still, none of it appeared to have an alien origin.

"Explain were have you got all of this xeno scum." You asked pretty mad from seeing so many badly maintained technology.

Krotow simply laughed with a rasp and tumorous snark and got what seemed like a small magnetic disk, he introduced it inside cogitator and soon the vox casters started to reproduce a past recording.

++MAYDAY MAYDAY. OUR SHIP MERCHANT SHIP "SAINT CATALINIA" HAS GOTTEN WAY TOO DAMAGED DURING SYSTEM ENTRANCE. I REPEAT MAYDAY. WE HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE ENGINES!++

Then another voice made its appearance.

+This is the Defense Commander of the Prima Majoris Orbital Station, change your route or you will make collision point in eta minus ten minutes. +

>>40453022
++DEFENSE COMMANDER WE HAVE LOST CONTROL MAYDAY. I REPEAT WE HAVE LOST CONTROL++

+Last chance Saint Catalinia. Divert your route or face the consequences.++

++EMPEROR SAVE US.++

The next ten minutes were full of sounds of screams and explosions. It seemed that the defense station to avoid having the merchant ship crashing with the orbital station and suffering uncountable casualties decided to open fire to divert the route with the explosions or maybe turn the ship into debris small enough to not cause any harm. Any way it seemed that some of the contents of the ship fell in there and their containers were sturdy enough to having survived the crash.

"I HAZ MORE! FROM TIME TO TIME A SHIP CRASHES OR SOMETHING, THEY RARELY FALL IN THERE AND MOST TIMES BEFORE THEY DO THEY ARE SHOOT DOWN INTO SMALL BITS, MOST KROOTS IGNORE THOSE GIFTS FROM THE SKY AND LET THE GROUND DEVOUR THEM. I DON'T. THEY ARE MY PRESENTS FOR YOU AND OTHER KROOT!"

ROLL 1d100.
>Try to find the weapon he used with Wurgen and other defenses that it might have.
>Try to find something valuable among its contents.
>This mutant doesn't only loots and steals glorious human technology but also finds some kind of entertainment or even pleasure in doing so. Attack him.
>Write in.

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>40453047
>Try to find something valuable among its contents.

>>40453047
That makes it stolen tech and not heretical tech, thats good I guess... ish?

Rolled 63 (1d100)

>>40453047
>Try to find something valuable among its contents.

Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>40453047
>Try to find something valuable among its contents.
>Have you any devices that you have created yourself xeno?

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>40453047
>>Try to find the weapon he used with Wurgen and other defenses that it might have.

>0
A damaged flash grenade. It explodes stunning you. The Kroot thinks that you wanted to attack him and engages in combat.
>1-10
Some strange yet edible meat ( Food for 1 day )
>11-20
Some stale Ready-to-Eat meals. ( Food for 2 day )
>21-30
Some Fresh MRE ( Food for 3 days )
>31-40
A half empty medpack
>41-50
A usable medpack
>51-60
Spare ammunition
>61-70
>Ammunition for all the weapons
>71-80
Specialist working tools ( Improve the Weapon, Armor and Chimeras )
>81-90
Chainsword
>91-99
Powersword
>100
LAVA LAMP

>>40453283
And the highest roll is 80
>Specialist working tools ( Improve the Weapon, Armor and Chimeras )

We will be able to repair stuff even further without having to get a work table!

>>40453283
what about fuel for the 3rd chimara?

>>40453392
It isn't included because I doubt that a fuel deposit can fall from space into a planet without exploding during the descend. But still...there is a vehicle around whose fuel might be subtracted, right?

>>40453434
Like the airships?

>>40453047
After roaming across all the strange yet useless devices that he had stolen you ended finding a tool belt with the Mechanicus insignia written in gold letters across the black leather surface. Inside there were still some strange tools that perfectly adapted to your grip and seemed to be able to be adapted for your dendrites. While unclean they were still in perfect condition and were thus totally usable.

"How much for this?"

You asked him with some rage in your words.

"PRETTY BELT, NICE BELT BUT HEAVY BELT YOU WANT BELT?"

By the Emperor, even if he knew Low-Gothic the way he spoke made you feel really mad and increased your urges to punch him until he shut up.

"Yes. I want this belt."

"IT IS YOURS FOR YOUR TWO MEATS."

What. Your two trophies? You were really lucky of getting them and the chance of subtracting another two body parts might not appear in the close future. It had been a week already after all.

>>40453792
"Have you any devices that you have created yourself xeno?"

"WHAT YOU WANT KROOT RIFLES? BUT HUMAN LASER LASER IS BETTER!"

"Answer my question, spawn."

"HEHEHEH!" He laughed nervously before turning away to search. After a while he returned with two weapons, one seemed to be a cannon that was built from a broken microwave, this device was surely the one that destabilized Wurgen, the other was a rifle of his build that had been horribly fused with both Kroot and Human technology.

If there was something that you had learned from the purge of the Frigate was that fire cleansed the mutations and the impure.

You raised your Phosphor Blast Pistol and shoot him at point blank, he didn't had any chance of avoiding it. Soon his face and mouth was filled with luminous phospex that burnt him to the core, to accelerate the process you used your dendrite flamers until the xeno was nothing more than a charred body.

After that the water sprinkles of the ship activated and covered you two in water.

>+Karelia here. What was that light? We have one hour before night time, we should get moving, I have been observing some Sweeping Claws flying above us, If we follow them we might reach their bases.++

>Spend one hour searching in the crashed ship for tech.
>Spend one hour looking in the ship if there is anything that can be saved.
>Spend one hour looking in the ship for any hint of the other races. This Kroot might have had relations with the other three races after all.
>Leave the ship and return to the Chimeras, the closer you follow those flying Kroot the least chances there are of loosing their trace.
>Convince Karelia of not following them and spend the night on the ship, working on analyzing it. ( This option lets him do the first three but loses track of the Sweeping Claws )
>Write in.

>>40453821
>Leave the ship and return to the Chimeras, the closer you follow those flying Kroot the least chances there are of loosing their trace.
We've given it a once over already, let's just get back on with the mission now that we've determined the kroot to be useless in our endeavours. Sticking around is just wasting time.

>>40453821
>Convince Karelia of not following them and spend the night on the ship, working on analyzing it.

We already have 2 shapers that can tell us where their base is, no need to follow the others.

>>40453821
>>Convince Karelia of not following them and spend the night on the ship, working on analyzing it. ( This option lets him do the first three but loses track of the Sweeping Claws )
We have two shapers she can pluck the secrets from their head.

>>40453915
>>40453958
Sure, but what do we hope to find here that's relevant to our efforts to meet the sweeping claws, ally with them and murderise the mantle?

>>40453821
>>Spend one hour searching in the crashed ship for tech.

>>40453821
>Convince Karelia of not following them and spend the night on the ship, working on analyzing it.

++Karelia, there is plenty of objects in there. I am sure we will be able to restock all our needs and also get more equipment that we require, we are running pretty low on personnel...++

There was a dead silence in until she confirmed and accepted your viewpoint. During that time Juliannus simply got himself into his set of rags and spare pieces of visible armor and returned to the Chimera babbling and grunting like Ogryns usually do. You didn't returned to the vehicle because there wasn't anything for you in there but still you had to accompany the marine and open the door for him to make everything more convincing. You would have wanted to ask Nala for help to make her feel useful and valuable for once but deeply you knew that she would be more of a nuisance and just gave her a sympathetic glare and closed the door. The poor gunner urged you to let you out, he was all sweaty and red and seemed that his body barely could take her stench anymore. Still you ordered him to stay inside, without any leader Nala would end panicking and it would be for worse.

It wasn't until thirty minutes later that the other two chimeras managed to reach your position and he was given permission to leave the interior of the transport. He just breathe loudly the fresh hair of the exterior and then puked before falling unconscious.

During all that time you spent inside the ship looking for anything valuable. Some of the systems were still alive and there was plenty of water and promethium in its deposits. The water was somewhat stale but it could be purified with some tablets and the promethium while specially designed for aircrafts could be used for the chimeras if some specific litanies were sung, some special marks were drawn on the exhaust and the engines and a piece of the original vehicle was entered inside the vehicle.

>>40454634
The group divided in five parts. One went into the search of food or animals to eat, the second team looked for technology that could be useful in the hunt, the third team gathered the fuel and water, the fourth team helped making beds and digging latrines and the last team helped you with the ritual of fuel acceptation.

At the end of the day the three chimeras had the symbols drawn and a great large Aquila Lander screw hidden inside. Your team had managed to hunt tasty animals and the personnel that stood inside searching managed to found ammunition, food and medpacks. You managed to activate the electrical circuitry and illuminate the interior of the crashed vehicle with a dim electrical light that while weak made us feel at home for how artificial it felt. That night we all slept inside the cold metal floors and still slept better than ever.

The next morning before leaving I tried to mentally connect with the Lander and while it accepted me what my eyes saw inside its cyberspace was heartbreaking. There were no archives nor registries and most files were corrupted. That aircraft had reached its time to die. It was empty and there was no chance of repairing it. To honor its services to the Imperium you started igniting it in several points at the same. By the time your team had managed to leave the aircraft behind it was already a fireball. A phoenix that would someday be reborn.

>START OF NEW DAY
++DAY 8 OF 14++
++CURRENT TIME: 10:00 ++
++TIME LEFT UNTIL END OF THE DAY: 17 HOURS 00 MINUTES ++
++TIME LEFT UNTIL NIGHT: 9 HOURS 00 MINUTES ++

++SURVIVORS:
>Leader:
+Karelia ( Wounded )
>Adepts:
+Heracor ( Unwounded )
>Bodyguards:
+8 Crewsmen armed with Flak armor, communicators and combat shotguns. ( Unwounded )
+3 Ogryins with Ripper Guns. ( Unwounded )

++CASUALTIES SO FAR:
+7 Crewsmen
+5 Mercenaries
+2 Ogryn
+About 131 Kroot
+Others: Morti

>>40454664
You searched across the radio but there wasn't anybody near, only endless static that was starting to drove you mad. There were several persons to talk with but still all those were from outside of the cult and thus felt like complete strangers and ignorant to you. The nostalgia of being surrounded of metal corridors, catwalks, chemical smells and steam releasing vents hit you hard. So far the interior of the Chimera was enough to make you feel calm but right now it looked like a Coffin. You were used to the gargantuan dimensions of the Forges and the Cruiser and in comparison this transport felt incredibly small. Looking outside was both a blessing and a curse, it was ample enough to kind of remind you to the massive warehouses you were used to but still it wasn't the environment you wanted, looking at the endless forests and mountains gave you that familiar sensation of feeling small but once your brain understood that instead of walls and corridors you were surrounded with trees and hills that familiarity and nice sensation turned into a nightmare. What use had such a great space if it was so badly used!?

Your desperation groans and other strange sounds made the other team members around you feel uneasy and nervous, to the point of asking you to stop to change of vehicle.

Honestly at the end of the week if it wasn't some Kroot the one that killed you then it would be the stress.

Roll 1d100
>Try to relax, you are strong. You can do it.
>Try to contact with your Skitarii team and see if they can pick you up. You need to be among people of your creed.
>Give the steering wheel to Phyrra and move to a corner, disable your eyes and ears and try to sleep.
>Write in.

Rolled 15 (1d100)

>>40454924
>Give the steering wheel to Phyrra and move to a corner, disable your eyes and ears and try to sleep.

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>40454924
>Give the steering wheel to Phyrra and move to a corner, disable your eyes and ears and try to sleep.

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>40454924
>Try to relax, you are strong. You can do it.
We've seen things that would make a lesser man weep, we can grin and bear our way through this if we try.

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>40454924
>>Give the steering wheel to Phyrra and move to a corner, disable your eyes and ears and try to sleep.
Order them to wake us up if something happens.

>>40454924
>Give the steering wheel to Phyrra and move to a corner, disable your eyes and ears and try to sleep.

"P-phyrra. I'm not feeling well, drive for me."

"I can tell." She said stupidly placing her hand on your metal covered forehead in the vain attempt to know if you had fever.

You tried to gave her a look that denoted how stupid that was but it seemed that she didn't quite understood it, probably because of your lack of expression and how ignorant she seemed. Honestly, you were way too stressed and tired to start explaining her why your forehead would be cold no matter how much fever you had.

"Wake me up if something happens."

You slowly dragged yourself into the backseat and sunk into the cold ground, feeling the metal surfaces against your sides made you feel way more relaxed. Maybe you felt so stressed not only because of the long time you became separated of your people and your comfort zone but also by the fact that you had to neuter and abandon the Aquila, the only place so far that made you felt like home again.

First you disconnected your ears and let your mind only hear white noise and a relaxing static, then you disabled your eyes, leaving all darkened and only the faint semi transparent HUD illuminating the void. Soon the vibration of the vehicle reminded you of your past in the forge world and not long after your mind started to wander off into your personal vault of memories and remembrances.

Thinking about your past made you felt bitter, it was all foggy and strange. There were some vague names and faces but most of them were way too grey to be recognized. Honestly...you felt as if you started to live the time your chip became faulty, you kind of knew that it was the responsible of your state but still found yourself unable to remember why you were so mad. It was all so confusing...Honestly, who were you?

>>40455714

By the time you returned to reality your body was all stiffen and it was night time already. Phyrra looked tired after driving for all day but you thanked her efforts. After standing up some kind of flashbacks of you past hit you hard and then your nose started to bleed. Trying to remember those sudden images only made you hurt and bleed more. Maybe it wasn't that you had flashbacks, maybe it was just that you stood up too fast and your body didn't had time enough to react.

You sneakily cleaned your face of the blood and helped making the camp.

"You have been avoiding contact all day Heracor. I have executed people for less." Said Karelia after catching up with you.

"I'm so sorry Miss. I had to disconnect my ear pieces to take care of something."

She seemed somewhat dubious but still as the Mechanicus was really mysterious with everything they worked on after meditating it for a while she decided to let it pass and not dig anymore.

"One of the Shapers has awakened already. He's still to weak to talk. We doubt that the other might survive, it has fevers and seems like one of his broken limbs is starting to develop gangrene. We also have gotten some trace of the Sweeping Claws. We are close Heracor."

Due to her many layers of clothing and her mask you couldn't see if she was smiling or not but she surely looked happy. The next morning you felt confused about your past but at least your mind kind of wandered off the preoccupation of being in such an hostile and primitive environment.

>START OF NEW DAY
++DAY 9 OF 14++
++CURRENT TIME: 10:00 ++
++TIME LEFT UNTIL END OF THE DAY: 17 HOURS 00 MINUTES ++
++TIME LEFT UNTIL NIGHT: 9 HOURS 00 MINUTES ++

++SURVIVORS:
>Leader:
+Karelia ( Wounded )
>Adepts:
+Heracor ( Unwounded )
>Bodyguards:
+6 Crewsmen armed with Flak armor, communicators and combat shotguns. ( Unwounded )
+3 Ogryins with Ripper Guns. ( Unwounded )

++CASUALTIES SO FAR:
+9 Crewsmen
+5 Mercenaries
+2 Ogryn
+About 131 Kroot
+Others: Morti

>>40455737
By the time we woke up we found ourselves surrounded by Sweeping Claws members it seemed that they were formed by several tribes from the same Kroot subrace, among them there were several groups that were clearly different as the colors they were decorated with or the trinkets they wore were different.

Their numbers reached up into were our eyes could reach, they were surely into the hundreds. The two poor crewsmen that had to make guard were found killed, their bodies maimed violently, they were granted a quick yet gory death.

"You are searching for us, we are searching for you. We need to talk in private. Come with us."

Said a Kroot that looked old and seemed to be the Master Shaper of the entire subrace.

>The Chimeras have the deposit almost full, if we get inside and drive we might run over dozens and leave them behind.
>Do as they say.
>Reject, and say that if they have anything to say that he should do it in front of everybody.
>Write in.

>>40455765
>Ask them to talk to us here, if they need privacy then they must send their brethren away. They need not be concerned for their own safety since being isolated with us here is no different to being isolated with us elsewhere
I don't trust them with our chimeras

>>40455765
>>Ask them to talk to us here, if they need privacy then they must send their brethren away. They need not be concerned for their own safety since being isolated with us here is no different to being isolated with us elsewhere

>>40455765
>>40455855
supporting

>>40455855
this

>>40455765
Some janky stuff is happening to us. I think we're starting to have... feelings. Like, genuine, deep feelings. Or maybe the psychic sister-making machine is starting to really kick in.
>Ask them to talk to us here.

>>40455765
>Ask them to talk to us here, if they need privacy then they must send their brethren away. They need not be concerned for their own safety since being isolated with us here is no different to being isolated with us elsewhere

Once again you opened the three channel chat with Juliannus and Karelia.

++There is no escape.++

<<Couldn't you detect them?++ Asked the Marine.

>>My powers aren't always active, otherwise they might go out of my control and unleash perils of the warp.++

For some reason you kind of distrusted her and believed that the reasons she gave weren't completely honest, what was those perils of the warp she was talking about?

++I am completely against this plan but still I think the moment of going us three into enemy territory is now. To assure the safety of the team and the Chimeras we can ask them to move backwards towards an area were the Sweeping Claws don't feel intimidated by their presence.++

<<They will feel insecure without their leaders...++

Without a word Juliannus left the conversation and exited the Chimera he was in with his hands raised to show he didn't had any weapon on. Then to improve the morale of the rest of the team carefully removed his rags, revealing himself as a demigod immortal warrior of the God Emperor of Mankind. Except Karelia and I the rest of the team became greatly impressed.

"Karelia, Heracor and I will go with the Kroot now. You all should return and await for our return. I assure the protection of those two souls and of your lives. I am an Adeptus Astartes and I promise for everything sacred on this Galaxy that I will be there to protect humans."

Soon after she and I left our vehicles too and the Chimeras started to slowly move away, the winged xenos made backward leaps helped by their powerful wings and let them space to move. Before ten minutes had passed a good chunk of the group had flown away behind the transports to keep an eye on them.

>>40455855
i'll support this.

>>40456724

"Very well" Said the apparently more civilized Kroot elder after the last of the humans had left.

"What are you seeking for Xenos?" Asked Karelia to start the discussion as soon as possible.

"Order, order is what we have and order is what we seek. Right now we have a perfect balance of life and death. Once a year the humans descend from the heavens and hunt us down. They root out the weak and leave behind a feast of corpses to become stronger, then we have an entire year to recover. Both sides win."

As he was explaining he started doing some strange signs with his hands, signs that surely only he and his race understood and maybe made the tale even more emotive and explaining.

"The Rockborn have Strenght, The Mantle has Intelligence and the Sweeping Claws have Movement. Those are our most basic features but under them there are more hidden ones. Just like when you break a bone and find the delicious narrow inside. The Rockborn are sensible, The Mantle is enterprising and we have the soul."

When he said the soul every other Sweeping Claw extended its wings at the same time in a pretty strange and startling act.

"Our soul is the reason we are here. We keep the memory of the firstcomers that descended in the temple and established in there. The other races are sons and daughters of the firstcomers too but we are the ones that keep their spirit and legacy. The Rockborn just want peace, the Mantle just want war. Kroot is a mix of those two. Sweeping Claws want a mix of war and peace."

"If Mantle leaves planet and runs away then humans will descend and fight will become unbalanced, the system will break and instead of an eternity war we will be driven off to extinction."

>>40456749
So that was what worried them. Without the Mantle the annual hunts would end with way too many deaths and they wouldn't be able to recover in less than a year, becoming into an attrition war that they are doomed to lose.

"We also want that. On our own we are not strong enough to face the Mantle and we are worried that their shamans might become uncontrolled. If it all goes too far won't have other option but to bombard the planet and kill thousands of each Kroot race. Your tribe wouldn't had time to recover..." Said Karelia.

The Kroot around seemed to turn kind of aggressive and violent, obviously the idea of dying wasn't of their taste.

"So, will your entire tribe help us out into stopping the Mantle?"

"Indeed...but we first require something..."

"What it is?"

"Him"

His long clawed hand pointed at me.

"He is the Husk. His flesh and heart will be the weapon we need against the Mantle's Shamans. With his flesh we will get a new generation of Husk carnivores, we will call them the Vultures! And they will roam the skies hunting down and eating all the shamans they find!"

File: In 40000ad war was beginning.jpg (192 KB, 569x864)

192 KB JPG

>>40456787
What you say?

>>40456787
Haha! The jokes on you, I'm all skin and bones and MACHINE!

I'm tired so I'll end it for today.

As always 30 minutes of questions, suggestions, critics and such.

Oh btw the 23th of June is my 22th bday so the 24 there won't be a thread. I might gift you all a recording of my voice on vocaroo thanking your support so far. Sorry in advance for shitty english.

>>40456848
I forget, did we not replace our heart as well?
Just imagine if we'd kept the flesh one on our person.
"WE WANT YOUR HEART"
"Sure, I don't need it anymore."

>>40456893
Our entire chest is pretty much organic. We only chanced our lungs. We now have some sort of plastic bags that reject the toxins and shit and have two ports in the ribs from were all the nasty stuff can be removed.

>>40456883
Thanks for running man, You're aces all the way!

>>40456964
Thanks to you for playing!

>>40456941
Ah, that was it, the lungs...
Thanks for running, night

>>40456883
Thanks for running!

File: ThisGuySlapsYourGfsAss.jpg (98 KB, 900x1165)

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>>40456883
Oh, shush up, your English is fine. Happy birthday, man! Happy early birthday, that is. Maybe I'll make do some writefaggotry in celebration next thread. Your quest deserves alot of love.

I wonder what the kroot sniffed on us that made him think we were tasty?

>>40457080
I meant spoken english, my voice is all raspy and I have a deep accent. And thanks for your writing. I bet its fucking awesome!

The one that smelled us was a one of the Kroot that appeared and fucked up the ambush made by the Mantle. At the end only two shapers remained. The shaper of the Mantle got interest in Karelia, the other sniffed Heracor and flew away.

>>40457080
>I wonder what the kroot sniffed on us that made him think we were tasty?
They want out blankness to beat the psychery mantle dudes.

>>40457161
Accents are like buttholes. Everybody has one. Don't sweat on it.

>>40457263
Eh, I guess you are right.

This Kroot arc is having less action than I thought. I promise that the next one will be ded killy

>>40457223
Hah, jokes on them, I doubt they can inherit us seeing our blankness is due to malfunctioning electronics and not any intentional process or biology.

>>40457562
I don't know. It's pretty confusing. We don't know if he's a true blank or its the chip messing with him.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/testarchive.html

Alright. It is uploaded. My summer vacation will start soon so I will try to run on more days and for longer! Good night to you all!

File: fukken xenos.png (253 KB, 500x436)

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>>40457702
I bet it's the chip. Kroot see a lasgun and the first thing they think of is what kind of mutations could let them use one, instead of how to build one.

>>40457785
Fuck:

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=NHQ43

>>40457785
It ain't that late here, but good night Axsisel.