Rogue Trader: The Hand of Fortune

[Cynical Cat]

"Understood Lord-Captain," said Clayvore. "If the enemy strongly contests the hanger we are to make him pay the blood-price for and then withdraw. Should we draw power from the lighters to power the bay systems?"

[Hotfoot]

"If you think it will aid in the defense, I will trust your judgement sergeant. Otherwise I would rather be silent so as to avoid raising the dead, or their killers," Ravion nodded. A good leader knew when to trust the judgement of his sergeants, and Clayvore was no fool. If he thought restoring power would help, it most likely would. It still didn't change the fact that the situation was putting Ravion on edge. He had seen some terrible things in the past and he was in no hurry to see them again.

[White Haven]

Graylen aids in the survey of the derelict lighters until the call to fall back to their own transport comes over the vox network. He passes the Lady Navigator the storage slate from his own pict recorder with an inclined head, then makes his way back with the others.

"My lord captain," his gravelled voice sounds over the vox network, "We could try entering through the breaches themselves. They may bypass the Maze, and what lies beyond them will almost certainly tell us more of what happened here." A hollow chuckle echoes his words, followed by a simple comment, "After all, if we're to board away from the docking bays, it'd be a shame to cut new holes in our prize when someone else has already done the job."

[Vehrec]

"A capital suggestion. But if I may be so bold, I would suggest a further amendment to your plan." Vir paused before punging into the depths of analogy. "The ship's bridge is like a man's brain, but the brain can not function if it does not receive power delivered from the heart. And this ship's heart does not yet beat. The engineering compartments were breached in whatever last battle this ship fought. We could gain access through that breach, assess the condition of the ship's reactor, and possibly activate it. Even if our limited resources that we have brought with us make such an act impossible, it is likely that the tech-adepts who formerly inhabited those spaces would have had at least partial maps of the ship. We could then use that information to speed our way to the bridge. In any event, we will need to secure those spaces eventually, so it would only change the ordering of the events." Setting his power axe on the floor, Vir leaned forward on it as he finished. "It is your choice of course. You are the Captain."

[frigidmagi]

Volran headed into the lighter keeping his eyes open. This was very odd.

[Hotfoot]

"I appreciate the thought Vir, but I believe we can activate the systems we need with our current equipment. We will make Engineering our next priority, don't worry, you'll get your chance to marvel at her workings, I promise." Ravion smiled as he got on the lifter. Once more on the frequency to his retinue, "Load up, we have things to do." When all were ready, the captain looked around, waiting for any developments before lifting off.

[Cynical Cat]

The men and women boarded the lighter. Nothing untoward happened. The ship remained dead. The pilot touched the controls and disengaged the magnetics. A low powered thruster pulse raised the lighter up and then another pulse sent it coasting out of the bay.

"Maneuvering toward the bridge tower, as ordered," said the pilot. The lighter rose up the side of the ship and coasted slowly towards the rear. Before them were command spires, although they would have to guess which was which. Just in front of them were the armoured, engraved panes of the observation domes.

[Someshta]

Acknowledging Ravion's command Goodwinne took up a position amid a group of troops in the hangar. He had his bolt pistol in hand but he didn't bother checking it except to make sure the safety was on. He was instead focusing on searching for any of the creatures that the navigator had found evidence of. As the lighter coasted out of the hangar and off on its way to one of the holes in the hull of the ship Goodwinne sighed inwardly in disappointment at not being on it. He suspected it would continue to stay quiet here in the hangar, but nevertheless Goodwinne intended to remain vigilant. His duty was clear and it didn't matter whether he liked it or not.

[Cynical Cat]

Besides various hull breaching brute force options, there was a hole about fifty meters from the command spires and an airlock not far from the observation dome.

[Hotfoot]

"Let's get close to the breach. We should take a closer look at it anyway, get a better idea of what damaged this fine ship."

[Cynical Cat]

The lighter cruised closer to the breach. The fifty meter diameter hole's edges were torn outward. It would take a huge amount of destructive power to tear a breach that large through meters of some of the toughest armour humanity could forge.

Closer examination revealed the wound to be shallow and most of the damage confined to the hull and exterior regions of the ship.

[White Haven]

"Something on its way out..." Graylen murmurs to himself, triggering his vox out of reflex rather than intent. After a long pause reflecting and mulling over possibilities, he speaks up again with a short request, "Can we get some light on the breach? I'd like to see whether it's burned or not."

[Cynical Cat]

The lighter's external lights flare and brilliant beams probe the gash. Some of the armour is scorched and blackened.

[Vehrec]

Vir hummed and then spoke slightly too loudly for it to be considered speaking to himself. "It is possible that the source may have been internal or from a boarding party's melta bombs. However, one must not forget alternatives such as bombs or macrocannon shells which might have penetrated the armor and then detonated. Lances however, we may forget, at least in this case. Whatever the case may be this is superficial damage, easily repaired or patched."

[Hotfoot]

Ravion nodded and motioned to the group on the lighter. "Right then, I think that's enough looking around. Let's see what treats are in store for us up here." With that, he pointed towards the exit of the lighter and gave the order for the pilot to bring them in close to the ship.

[fgalkin]

Berenice readied checked her weapon, and smiled. "This ought to be...different."

---------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Cynical Cat]

"Lord Captain?" asked the pilot. "Where do you want me to dock?"

[White Haven]

Weapons. Bolters - recoil. Swords - impractical in a vacuum. Directed energy weapons...that's more like it. Graylen draws the compact melta pistol and heads towards the boarding hatch with a last glance out the viewport at the wounded hull.

"So, lock or breach?"

[Hotfoot]

"Let's enter the breach, see what we can find on our way in. It's also a sure exit if we need to leave in a hurry."

[Cynical Cat]

The gash is large enough for the lighter to enter and touch down on one of the exposed decks. The wound didn't extend any deeper into the ship. Magnetic clamps secure the landing gear to the deck. "Hard vacuum and freezing cold outside, according to auspex readings," said the pilot. "Soundings suggest there is a little atmo on the other side of the bulkheads. Too thin to breath and too damn cold, but it means there should be working 'locks sealing the wounds."

[Hotfoot]

"Right then, let's get moving men." Ravion motioned for the armsmen that had come with to enter first, followed by his more heavily armed and armored retinue. He would enter last, having no great desire to face whatever was on this ship alone.

[Cynical Cat]

The armsmen deployed into the long gallery, securing both ends. "Sir," said Sergeant Khan. "We have secured the landing site. There are branches leading into other corridors off both ends. Awaiting your orders."

[Hotfoot]

"Let's head for the bridge, gentlemen," Ravion used his best judgement to guide him towards the bridge. Not likely easy with tenebro maze, but at least here there was less of a chance of getting catastrophically lost.

[rhoenix]

Accompanying the new Captain and the others as they made their way into the large starship, Magnus cast his senses outward to feel for any...unexpected surprised from the Warp.

[Cynical Cat]

The bridge was probably toward the rear of the ship, so Ravion headed that way. At the first branch of the corridor, Ravion Karakan directed his men inward, deeper in the ship because they were at the edge and the bridge towers sprouted from the middle.

It seemed to work out, at least in the short term. There was a sharp turn, a short section of corridor, and then another turn. At the end of the corridor was an closed hatch. The armsmen examined it. "It's dogged and locked down, but we should be able to force it with minimal damage."

They get to work. Several minutes later there is a soft gust of escaping air and the hatch is open.