Behind Enemy Lines Act II

[Lord Jacobus]

The lights were dimmed, the ship in its night cycle. After being rescued, the survivors of STU-512, along with Cpt. Nathanial had been transported from the Atrum Templum battle barge, to an Inquisitorial Black ship high polar orbit over Moracre. There they trained, training more intense and demanding then any they had gone through before. The young Moracren officer joined them in their training, his new replacement arm a piece of master engineering.

They now slept, alone, tired and exhausted after the most intense training day yet. Suddenly, the ship rocked violently, throwing them from their bunks. the PA system Crackled "General Quarters, General Quarters, Crew to battle stations, repeat Crew to battle stations, Senior officer's to the bridge, this is not a drill repeat, this is not a drill, AVE IMPERATOR!!" the normal lights dimmed and faded as another explosion shuddered through the deck. The red glow of the combat lighting came on.

The door smoothly opened and a trooper in a black robe with a red "I" over his carapace armour ran in. His Hellgun was on with the safety off and the rifle clutched to his chest. "Sir's... The Inquisitor wants us, come on" he yelled, dashing back out the door and then up the door.

In an observation room, a few feet from the main bridge, Inquisitor Baraburus watched the scene before him. A Tau fleet of large proportions had emerged from the warp and immediately began to attack. The Inquisitors retribution had taken a damaging blast before Captain Neverus had been able to raise the shields. The surface of the black ship was left with a large crater the spewed dieing flames. The shot had hit one of the psy holding bays, a third of the ships harvest gone, the souls shrieking into the warp. It was not a good sign. He turned to his apprentice "What do you think of this move by the tau my dear?" he smiled.

[Jarhead_JR.]

Grater slammed into the deck and shot back up. "Not again." He groaned flashing back to the crash landing they had from before. He looked about the bay looking for someone to order him about. Natural instinct he figuered.

"SERGEANT!" He called trying to think of the first person he could. The first person was actually their former medic. What he wouldnt have given to hear her voice again saying he was fine to get a hold of himself. He took a deep breath looking about one more time.

[Rai-Rai]

A rather large lump started to form on the back of a bookish looking man's head as he rubbed it painfully. Everything was a blur to him as he groped around in what might as well be complete darkness for all he knew. His hands mapped the floor, coming across the stack of dataslates and the portable lamp he was using to read before the ship shook like a slaaneshi cultist's car on prom night. After several seconds of fervent searching, he eventually came across his trademark pair of coke-bottle glasses. The entire world came into view once more as he fitted his spectacles back onto his thin framed face. He blinked slightly and regained his composure, gathering his books into a neat pile and placed them back onto his bunk.

Another explosion rocked the ship once more, knocking Sera's books out of order once more, as the dim lighting was replaced with the red warning lights, and an announcement from the PA system echoed through the halls.A black robed man suddenly burst into the room with a concerned look upon his face. "Sir's... The Inquisitor wants us, come on" Seras let out a deep sigh as he began to strap in the torso section of his crapace armor, "What is it this time? Another psycher get possessed, or did Sergent Briggs lose his life savings at tarot cards again?" He finished buckling the back of his chest and began strapping on his boots.

[Seraphim]

Amaranth braced herself as the ship lurched, and winced as the psychic shockwave of the psyker's deaths hit her. She didn't need to look out the window or at the damage displays to see where the ship had been hit. Goosebumps spread over her arms and she shivered like someone had put an ice cube down the back of her bodyglove. The sensation faded quickly, and she looked out over the newly arrived Tau fleet with pale green eyes. They flickered back and forth as they took in the strength and movements of the xenos ships.

She looked up at her master. "I find it interesting that they move against us rather than the rest of the fleet, which is the more obvious threat. Perhaps they know what this ship is. I have read that we are quite the bogeyman to the xenos." She smiled and pushed a lock of dark red hair out of her face. "Fear is a weakness of the mind, and it could cause them to act rashly and ignore the larger threat."

[Shiva]

At the sudden jolt of the ship, Iris woke instantly and grabbed for the side of her bunk as she fell to the floor. "Well, feth......", she breathed with an irritated sigh.
Rubbing a sore elbow, she turned her head as someone in the doorway yelled "Sir's... The Inquisitor wants us, come on." Knowing better than to keep an Inquisitor waiting, she picked herself up and dusted herself off. Gotta move....these Inquisitor types aren't always the most patient lot, she thought to herself.
Glancing down toward the bed where her feet had been, she caught the form of her Cyberdog, Justice - his bright blue eyes shining questioningly back a her; his ears like radar twitching back and fourth at every sound. Slyly she grinned, " How the hell did you stay put while I ended up on the deck?" In response, she heard the distinctive thumping of his tail against the matress. The sarcasm was thick in her voice. "Smart arse dog."
Justice grumbled, a mixture of a whine and a growl.
Iris grinned, "Hey, no backtalking. I'm not in the mood today." She glanced around the room, the red glow giving her surroundings an erie feel. Suddenly, another blast rocked the ship. She braced herself until the impact subsided then nodded to Justice, "Go on...off with you."
Justice leaped from his place on the bunk and landed without a sound on the floor. There he stood, watching Iris intently as she strapped on her armor, grabbed her gear and began hastily holstering her weapons.
As she finished, sliding her twin Power Mauls into the holsters on the sides of her hips, she quickly crouched in front of Justice and took his giant head into her hands. Looking each other squarely in the eyes, silent communication seemed to flow between them. Finally Justice grumbled, his blue eyes flashing as he lifted his head and gently licked Iris' face. With a laugh she scratched behind his ear. "Alright.....I'd say that's enough sentiment for now. Let's go see what kind of trouble we can get into."
Justice barked, a deep booming sound, and quickly followed Iris toward the door.

[Rai-Rai]

Seras finished buckling his boots and reached for his gloves, finding them slid under his bunk after the previous explosion. He slid them on his hands snugly and opened his personal lockbox. The familiar scent of parchment and cloth wafted out of the trunk, the source being a stack of old-looking books and neatly folded and ironed fatigues. He picked up two folded cloaks and hefted them in each hand, glaring at them stoicallym seemingly oblivious to the red lights and warning sirens. He placed them on the bed and unfolded them carefully, setting out two elaborately crafted red and blue cloaks. He crossed his arms and turned to officer Grater.

"...red or blue? Red is intimidating, but blue is imposing. What do you think?" Seras spoke calmly as if it were a routine training exercise.

[The Emperor's Penguin]

Captain Nathaniel Gawin woke with a start as he was thrown from his bunk, hitting the floor hard and wincing at the pain that came from where his new bionic arm was grafted just above the elbow. The thing was a work of art, he knew, and was finely made and perfectly responsive to his neurological inpulses, even so more than his real arm. This meant that it took some getting used to and it was a few days until he could judge distances accurately enough with it. It still pained him, though, but the medicae had informed him that it would stop in due time.

"Sir's... The Inquisitor wants us, come on"

It took him a moment to register what was happening but as he noticed the trooper and the red lighting he new the ship was at general quarters. "Frak!" he saw, quickly pushing himself to his feet and grabbing his weapon belt, buckling it round his waist and drawing his battered old boltpistol in one fluid movement augmented by his new arm. His sword had been destroyed by the same bolter shell that had made him need this arm, and he regretted its loss, no matter how finely made the replacement provided by the inquisitor was.
He looked around seeing the rest of the motley collection of troopers and shouted "Squad! To me!" before making his way out the door.

[Shiva]

As Iris slipped past the other troopers toward the shout of her new Captain, she happened to overhear a conversation between two of her new comrads.

"...red or blue? Red is intimidating, but blue is imposing. What do you think?"

Oh, this is just too easy, Iris thought to herself. Before her brain could stop the words from leaving her lips she stopped, looked Seras up and down and said, as straightfaced as she could keep herself. "Well mate...I hate to be the one to break it to you, but since you seem neither intimidating nor imposing, I don't think it really matters, now does it?"
She held eye contact with him for a moment, keeping as serious a face as she could muster. Finally, unable to contain herself, she broke into a jovial laugh. Slapping Seras on the shoulder she said, between giggles, "Only joking, mate! Please, take no offense! In all honesty, I think the red...it just seems to fit you better." Glancing down to Justice she said, "What do you think? Red or Blue?"
Justice whined lightly and pointed the tip of his nose toward the blue cloak.
With a groan, Iris shook her head. "Oh come off it. The only reason you like the blue is because it matches your eyes!" Turning back to Seras, she lowered her voice to barely a whisper. "Don't listen to him...he hasn't got a lick of fashon sense." She winked. "Trust me...go with the red."
With a final laugh, Iris called Justice on and headed toward the Captain and the door. Let them think I'm crazy, Iris thought to herself. If I'm gonna be stuck on this fething mission, I sure as hell am going to enjoy myself while I can!

[Rai-Rai]

Seras winced slightly as he felt his comrade's playful slaps hit his shoulder armor, loosening his glasses from the bridge of his nose. He dusted off where she hit him and straightened his spectacles. He straightened him up as tall as he could, (which was a full two inches shorter than Iris), and stared at her blankly.

"First off, don't touch me. Second, I'm far more intimidating than a giddy little juvie who asks her dog for fashion advice."

Seras straightened his glasses once more, more out of habit than necessity, and grabbed his blue cloak and threw it over his shoulders, fastening it at the chest. He adjusted it slightly and checked the rest of his gear, equipping his belt with his usual field supplies and personal effects, and making sure his fatigues were in uniform order with the utmost precision.

With everything in order, he walked towards the door, nodding to Iris as he passed, then stopped for a brief second. He took a step back and examined her for a second, then reached out and adjusted the collar of her uniform.

"All uniforms must be in proper order at all times." He said nonchalantly, nodding to her and passing through the door towards the inquisitors office at a quick pace.

[Shiva]

Iris held a look of mild amusement as Seras straightened her collar. Smiling slyly, but with a twinkle of respect in her eye, she spoke to Justice as she watched Seras' departing form. "Hmmm....," she said, crossing her arms. "Nice. I think I like him already."
In response, Justice laid his ears flat against his head and growled.
"Quiet you," Iris snapped. "Come on....Play time's over. We've got work to do."

[The Emperor's Penguin]

Nathaniel stopped in his tracks when he realised the rest of the group had barely made it to the door, and even a couple of them were having a discussion about what colour garmnents they should wear! He shook his head; being aboard this ship was making him irritable and edgy, he knew. Since he homeworld was constantly plagued by war he had never had chance to leave it and even so he would have preferred to be able to stare his death in the face instead of being blasted uncaringly into the cold void at any moment. Even so, the ship was at general quarters and they should be reporting to the inquisitor.

"By Saint Katherine's pasty arse... Get a move on!" he shouted down the corrider, giving Seras a glare as he came through the doorway. He knew he should try to be a bit more friendly to the rest of the squad, but since his own command on Moracre had been mercilessly cut to pieces by the forces of Chaos he's had trouble warming to the new lot, though the now familiar faces of the Storm Troopers helped a bit.

[Lord Jacobus]

"A most interesting deduction, and I am inclined to agree with you" He smiled proudly before turning to the comm unit built into the wall be his shoulders. "Captain, Inform the rest of the fleet that they are to drive a state through the xenos battle lines, I want them to Break their Back captain, out" He turned back to his apprentice. "Now... were is my retinue... they should have been here by now, I derely hope they wernt killed in the first salvo..." He sighed and watched the massive capitol ships of the imperial fleet, surrounded by their escorts anf fighters, drive straigh into the Tau. Their weapons blazing like the holy flames of tera as they spat death and destruction all around.

[Jarhead_JR.]

Simon looked about getting his bearings. His mind could only snap back to when his sergeang had screamed at him and their medic for running when not told to. He wasnt about to start running becuase a bunch of people he didnt know were telling him to. He brushed the dust off his uniform. Helooked at the others as they were casually picking out garments and what not. He felt discraced in some way.

[HoundofOrion]

Druss woke with the first shudder of the ship, grogily he wondered where he was for a second, pawing at his bedclothes for some sort of reassuring sign of familiarity. When the second explosion rocked the ship and Druss was unceremoniusly thrown from his bunk onto the deck he remembered where he was, and how tired and sore he was.

He had always been the proffessional soldier, but the current training cycle so soon after their ordeal on the planet was severely testing his ability to be as proffessional as he had always been before.

Stretching on the deck Druss shook off most of the mind fog he had woken up in just in time to catch the last of the Stormtroopers breathless orders.

"You've got to be kidding me. Unless we're getting boarded I'd rather go back to bed laddie."

But the man was already gone. With nothing better to do McDunn threw his bedding back onto the bed that they had came from after they followed him to the deck and began to get dressed, first in the new robes he had been issued, then the armour. All the pieces had been selected by him as they were exactly what he wanted.

As he slipped the last item on, his new helm, yet another explosion shook the room and Druss' head slammed into a badly placed upper bunk on one of the bulkheads, causing him to see stars, which in turn caused him to let rip with all the foul language he could muster as he grabbed his weapons and stormed through the hatchway, knocking down two crew members as he went. Druss' mood was a black one indeed.

[Rai-Rai]

A stream of colorful, if not inventive, curses rushed from Seras, mirroring that of the disgruntled sergeant. Out of nowhere, someone had blindsighted him, knocking him onto his slim ass and sending his glasses sprawling across the floor. He groped across the hall blindly for them, finding them a few feet to the left and under the boot of his fellow officer. Seras picked up what remained of the frames and held them up to his face. Blurry.

"...Fantastic." Seras grumbled under his breath and stood up, dusting off his slightly rumpled uniform, straightening it up as best he could.

Seras reached into his coat pocket where he kept his spare lenses, finding it oddly empty. He rubbed his temples rather annoyed as he realized he had left his spares in his room, a rare and rather embarrassing mistake.

He sighed and stumbled back down the hall towards what he hoped was towards his room, placing his hand against the wall for balance.