The Deathwatch: The black line in space, humanity's first and best line of defense against the ever-encroaching threat of the Xenos, whether mankind knows it or not. The best of the superhuman Adeptus Astartes make their ranks, and with a licence to kill that is very Yes, we go where larger armies cannot, and shoot everything that mortal men should not know.
Kill Team Six is comprised of:
Ultramarines Lexicanum Solomon -- The team Librarian. Very shiny armor, has he ever been in a fight? Favors a bolter and a force-sword.
Iron Hands Courras -- The team Devastator, narrator, and bearer of his beloved Heavy Bolter, Erlund.
Raven Guard Inigo van H**m -- A tactical marine with a flowery accent, prettiest man on the team. Self-proclaimed teen idol.
Space Wolves Asmund -- A handsomely-rugged ginger giant of a tactical marine, with flowing hair.
Today's mission takes us to a refinery on Tantalus, a dying resource world on the edge of the Castobel system. Our objective: Recover the data core of a Mechanicus Magus, Xardos Vaiakai, who was downed and crashed on this rock. He survived and set a message to repeat to call us for help.
Optionally, we can recover the Magus. He's rather important to the war effort. It would be best if we did.
Complicating this simple milk run, and necessitating the deployment of Kill Team Six, is the Tyranid hive fleet dangling overhead, a mere 5 hours away.
This is a 30 Req mission. I pick a spare box of metal storm, a fire selector, 3 frag grenades, and a dose of recusitex. We take the oath of Knowledge, to screw tyranids with +10 to attack.
We go in hot, hitting the earth with drop-pods, and pile out, all ready to kick ass. There's nothing for us to kick straight away though -- there's nothing but pre-dead corpses.
We've touched down next to the crashed shuttle, in the middle of the operational area. It'll take us about an hour to cross the width of the facility at normal speed. We decide to check out the shuttle first, and then move on to the bunker beyond, the Magos' likely hiding place.
We don't move very far before we hear an earsplitting screech, and we're beset by winged biological creatures -- shrikes!
One spits some stuff at Asmund, narrowly missing him. Inigo retaliates with a blistering spray of fire, grieviously mauling it.
Solomon breaks out his sniper rifle, and... misses. I jog forward, and pop one in the uninjured Shrike.
It takes a swing back at me, and just barely misses. Asmund rushes in with his chainsword with no luck. Inigo goes missing. Solomon engages my target with his sword, and I smell ozone.
I try and put 3 rounds into it with the pistol. Two connect for 14 and 23 damage.
Asmund has another go, but nothing gets through the carapace. The shrikes try and fail to maul us.
Solomon rams his sword into the throat of the creature and with a flash of energy, cooks it dead from the inside.
I lean across him, and pop caps into the last living Shrike, shredding it.
With combat over, we move on to the shuttle. Once a mighty machine, the Kestrel-class lighter is shattered against the earth, back broken and hull split like paper. Despite the wreckage, the engine and fuel lines did not rupture... because it's still here, and not a crater. No signs of life.
Inside are four crewmember corpses. There's what's left of servitors. In the cargo bay, a jury rigged vox sits. Solomon figures it's boosting it's signal. Burnt out, but properly anointed with the proper rites and ungents. A mechanicus was here.
Not far away, Asmund finds the sparking body of a busted servitor. Correction: Half a servitor. Also two eviscerated crewmembers, a busted servoskull, and a couple of Hormagaunts. Blackish blood trails off to the north, a train depot of some sort. To the east, a small compound. We decide to search the compound first, as it's on the way.
As we get closer, we hear las-fire. Humans. There's an overturned landhauler of impressive size. Atop it, guardsmen in a firing position, with one leader standing tall amongst them with a big hat. We sprint to the fight and rescue.
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