Session 13
Write-up by Jason (jymmijamz)
Game – Rogue Trader
(Run by) GM – Chris
Altius (Astropath Transcendent) – Jason (jymmijamz)
Victris (Navigator) – Will
Admiral Winter (Lord Captain) – Tanya
Gnothics Sexxophin (Explorator Tech Priest) – NightUlf (Darren)
Chapter 13
Two alien craft rapidly approach, riding the solar winds, getting ever closer. Weapons are being loaded, boarding parties getting ready the xenos, in their own way, wishing each other luck for the fourth coming fight. Blood will be shed.
Shiroijin turns to his superior. “I understand your concerns, but I have duties to attend to. If I do not finish them within the next three hours, the ships efficiency will drop to ninety seven point five percent.” Gnophics tries to convince Shiroijin that ignoring his duty is the right thing to do, but the senior tech priest is have none of it. “I will listen to your words at this time, but be mindful that I have recorded this conversation. When we return to Imperial space I will be sending a full report to Mars. In it I will outline your insistence that I against the precepts, as detailed in the Omnissiah’s most revered manuals.” With that Shiroijin hands Gnophics his data-slate and heads over and plug himself into a nest of cables.
As soon as Gnophics is sure that his underling is unconscious, he disconnects him and carries the comatose form down to his inner sanctum, securing him behind a stasis field. While he is there, Gnophics heads in to check on the skull. But everything is as it was when the skull was first placed in the room, no flashing lights, and no strange crystal formations. Stepping over to the cognitor bank, he runs through the latest images on the pic-corders data crystal. The images on the crystal show Gnophics entering the room and plugging himself into the skull. Suddenly darkness passes over the screen. As the darkness clears, the images show Gnophics disconnecting and leaving the room. As the door closes behind him, the crystals on the walls, crumble to the floor and the lights go out in the skulls eyes. Recording this new information in his log, Gnophics leaves his sanctum.
Marcus and Victris arrive at Altius’ chambers. Marcus raises his hand, about to drum the butt of his pistol against the door, but pauses and turns to his colleague. “Sir, Victris how do you wish to play this one?” Victris gives the seneschal a long look before answering. “It you do the talking to begin with… um.” Marcus frowns. “Are you sure? You have worked more closely with him than I. He may open up to you.” Victris nods and with that Marcus slams his pistol butt against the door. “Altius are you there.” There is no replay, so he tries again. But there is still no response. “I think we may need to breach the door.”
Victris lay’s a restraining hand on the seneschal’s arm. “Wait let me try something.” Victris lifts his bandana revealing his third eye, using his free hand to shield Marcus from its effects, focuses on the sealed chambers just beyond the door. But can get no sense of what is going on. Suddenly, with no sign of activity, the usually manual doors open of their own volition. Inside Altius is deep in meditation.
The two senior crewmen cautiously enter the room. Marcus calls out to the entranced Astropath. “Altius wakeup man, we need to speak with you.” For emphasis, he hammers he pistol butt against the edge of a nearby table. Finally hearing the commotion, Altius starts to come around. “What? Oh it’s you. What do you want?” Marcus looks to Victris to take the lead. The Navigator squats down in front of the still sitting Astropath. “Are you aware of any activity by the ruinous powers aboard this ship?” Altius looks at him, considering his reply carefully. “As far as I am aware there is no sign of warp activity aboard the Boadicea’s Wrath.” Insure what he had just heard, Victris looks at him sharply. “You said aboard the Boadicea’s Wrath. Does that mean there is something outside the ship?”
Altius looks up at Victris. “Well, there is a hulking great entity on the ice planet.” In the background Marcus makes a show of removing the clip from his pistol, then takes his time loading a strange looking round into the chamber, making sure to catch Altius’ eye as he does so. “May I make a suggestion? When asked a question, don’t just give the obvious answer, answer the essence of the question as well.” Swallowing hard the Astropath looks from Marcus to Victris. “Okay, so as far as I am aware, there is a hulking great entity on the ice planet sending out a shit load of psychic disturbance. “So, let me reiterate.” Victris says, stands and wanders over to the seneschal. “You haven’t felt any warp activity on the ship, because as far as you can tell there is an entity out there, sending out so much warp static that it is overloading your witch powers.” Altius shrugs. “Well I wouldn’t go quite that far, but essentially yes.” Marcus finally holsters his pistol. “Right, we are all senior officers here. I can’t order you to do anything.” Pausing Marcus rests his hand on his hip holster. “We have some people to talk to; it would be an idea to have some more information for us when we return.”
After they leave, the fuming Astropath Transcendent settles back, slowly, into a meditative state. Once again he is assailed by the sense of love and joy. Only now he can tell it is definitely coming from the ice planet, but not from the entity and its influence is spreading throughout the ship.
Meanwhile Marcus and Victris head off to interrogate the riotous crewmembers in the ship holding cells. Whilst Marcus is questioning the restrained individuals, Victris uses his third eye to identify any that may be under the influence of chaos.
Altius, calling upon the Astropathic choir for support, delves deeper into the psychic disturbance. It soon becomes clear that the disturbance is definitely warp based and demonic in origin. The overbearing feeling is one of plague.
Victris turns to Marcus. “If he talks you can have this one, if not. Well I’m going to have to gut him myself.” The crewman looks frantically from one officer to the other. “No no, I am not really part of this. I just shared communal hugs and stuff. The one you want are…” and with that he reels off a list of crewmembers. As he finally winds down, Marcus steps up behind the man. “Is that everyone, now you aren’t keeping anything from us are you?” “Yes. Um, I mean no. No I am not keeping anything back.” Marcus pulls his pistol, and in one fluid motion plants it on the back of the man’s head and blows his brains across the cells floor. “Good.”
Altius pulls his mind back to the confines of the ship, and sweeping it over the crew, notices a few who are showing signs of slight latent psychic powers. Focusing more intently on those minds showing a spark of witch power, Altius attempts to locate anyone using this latent power for more than just winning a few more hands of cards then is statistically probable. He finds small groups throughout the ship, which have around one in three using psychic powers. Focusing in on Victris, Altius connects directly with the other sanctioned warp touched officer. Once the connection is made he passes on his findings. With Altius’ aid Marcus and Victris stride purposely along gothic styled corridors, inlaid with marble and filigreed fretwork from target rich area to target rich area.
The final victim is a member of the cult of the navigator. “What of this one?” Marcus asks, turning to the navigator. Victris looks into the man’s pleading eyes. “He’s clean.” The seneschal turns to the cowering man. “It looks like it’s your lucky day. You have been declared clean.” “Thank you, oh thank you most noble sires.” Marcus rests his hand on the man’s shoulder, and turning to Victris, shots the man dead. “He forgot truth is no proof of innocence.” Victris shrugs. Marcus gives him an evil grin. “Right answer.” As Marcus leaves, the navigator decides he will need to keep a close eye on the seneschal.
The final tally is in excess of two thousand souls.
Meanwhile Gnophics is being pestered by reports of strange goings on all over the ship. Doors opening and closing on their own, systems switching on and off seemingly at a whim. As he tries to get to the bottom of the mystery he is approached by Joshua, who is looking for Shiroijin. “I had to isolate him. He was behaving in a way that was a threat to the ship.” Joshua, who knowing his colleague better than most, can’t believe what he is hearing and flies into a rage. “That’s crap, and you know it.” He screams. As his rant continues, three tech priests enter the room. “Statement… breach of protocols. Statement… suggested course of action… Restraint…” Gnophics looks from the three to Joshua. “Yes, permission granted.” Two of the priests grab Joshua’s arms, whilst the third injects him with a clear fluid. “No, it’s him you need to restrain. He has… Um, he has done something to…. Ah, something to… to.” As his pleading subsides, Joshua slumps unconscious to the floor. The three, lift the slumbering form and leave the room.
As they leave a cyber-cherubim floats down from the ceiling. As it drops down in front of the Explorator Tech Priest, its chest plate opens, revealing a vox-caster. “Please identify who you are voting for in the upcoming ecclesiarchal elections. Gnophics hesitates. “No answer forth coming. Here is a list of candidates to aid memory. Canon Julius, Deacon Dionysus, Arch Deacon Tygeriun, Canon Archlight and Baptist John.” Giving the list some thought, Gnophics realises that there were five names, but he is aware that there should only be four. “I will give my answer at the appropriate time.” He tells the hovering childlike form. “Thank you for your answer. Please except this humble cherub as a symbol of our gratitude.”
At that moment Lylith’s voice comes over the ship wide vox. “All hands prepare for combat. Weapons crews to their stations, prepare to repel boarders. Xenos craft now thirty minutes out and closing.”
GAMING TALES 