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1235

"Scan it, and be quick about it. This thing came here for a reason, I doubt it's planning to walk across the wilderness."

"Hey, I can joke whenever I want... so BLAH!"

1235

"Here." Karibi said, handing the auspex over to the tech-priest.

1235

Haxta nodded and accepted the auspex respectfully. She brought her left index finger to the device's data port, the iris of her electro-graft opening to plug into the port. Haxta's eyes went dull and glassy, unseeing. The auspex screen began to flicker rapidly, and the device emitted a series of low key bleeps.

After a moment the light returned to Haxta's eyes, and she carefully handed the auspex back. "There is a large power source, the kind capable of powering a surface to orbit craft, as well as weapon signatures. Also there several smaller readings about the large one, positioned on the ceiling, though I am uncertain as to what they are."

Lighthawk wrote: "Also there several smaller readings about the large one, positioned on the ceiling, though I am uncertain as to what they are."

Enrick punched the deck plate. "Damn! More then likely they're defensive emplacements. This thing has really thought this out. We need to get there NOW!"

1235 Day Three:

As Haxta completes her scan, the earth over the structure starts to vibrate and with a thunderous roar, explodes outwards. From the massive plume of dust and detritus your party can see an old model surface to space shuttle rising out of the hole, though it's covered in rust and organic material is fused into it's surface, it is clearly operational. As the party looks on in horror, the Valkyrie makes a steep turn away and a vox speaker in the crew compartment blares out, "it's turning on us Interrogator. We're picking up a weapons lock!"

Enrick howled over the vox. "OPEN FIRE AND CALL THE OTHER GUNSHIP! NOW!"

1235 Day Three:

As the gunship banks away, the two door gunners tumble from the craft, having forgotten to secure their restraints. Nurk only manages to stay on board by wrapping a massive arm around a support holding up the seats.

1235 Day Three:

Haxta grips her restraints in a white knuckle grip, and tries to supress certain memories of the trip down on the lighter.

Enrick gripped his restraints and pulled himself up to the gunner's position. "Frak this! Frak all of this! I get stuck with a squad full of angry midgets and a gunship with a crew not fit to be servitors!" Grabbing the controls and angling the heavy bolters towards the oncoming craft. "And frak you you piece of shit!"

1235

"By the Emperor!" Phebia howled as the Valkyrie banked hard and the gunners tumbled away. Gripping the supports in the ceiling she took the other bolter across from Enrick and strapped in. "Fire damn it!"

Enrick worked at the weapon. Only to find it was jammed. "What the hell is wrong with this craft!? We need to shoot the techs if we live through this!"

As Enrick finds that his weapon is jammed, the pilot completes his bank around the obsolete shuttle and you find your gunship facing the craft's side head on.

1235, day 3

Seeing Enrick trying futilely to fire the jammed bolter, Haxta released her restraints, heedless of the wide open doors and the wild motion of the craft. Half walking, half sliding across the deck, she just barely managed to snag the bolter stand to halt her momentum before it carried her out the back.

"Apologies for the haste," she spoke to the weapon, before pulling her laspistol out, flipping it around to grasp by the barrel, and slamming the butt against the side of the bolter. With a metallic THUNK! the heavy weapon spat out the jammed bolter round, which was caught by the wind and went whipping away outside.

1235 Day 3

Phebia wrenched the bolter around as quickly as she could. In her training they'd only given the novice's a cursory explanation of the heavier weapons, saving the real training on them for full sisters. The controls of the heavy weapon were unfamiliar but rather simple to figure out. She heard Enrick curse his jammed weapon and figured the pilot did as well as he pivoted the ship to let her bring her gun to bear. Shoving the spade trigger into the back of the bolter it roared. The first few shots whipped in front of the shuttle but she quickly got it under control and raked the side of the other craft. Many of her shots pinged harmless off its hide but to her delight at least one pierced the cockpit and coated the viewports with ichor and another pair found a weak spot over the engines.

With a titanic roar the back port quarter of the shuttle exploded. The shuttle listed drunkenly to port and nosed into the ground where it exploded in a fireball.