Boarding

*SLAM*

The boarding pod's hatch is blasted away as the opening mechanism kicks in. In teams of two, the Vostroyans begin to sweep the floors. You embark on the main route to the VIP Quarters, followed by Ri'ven and Marika.

Sporadic fighting breaks out as pockets of resistance are encountered and burned out. Occasionally you register some cries, muffled by the Station's Alarm sirenas, silenced by immediate las cracks.

Two minutes into the raid your party encounters two thugs setting up an improvised barricade. The first dies standing, victim to Ri'ven's expert marksmanship. The second is barely able to comprehend his comrade's demise, as you sever him through at the hip. His eyes follow you shortly with a dumbstruck expression as your group rushes on.

The next crossway isn't that easy. Your group gets pinned by fire from a heavy stubber. Only with the help of vostroyan elements are you able to neutralise the gunner. Your mood darkens. You are already 20 minutes into the raid and still no sign of Kirchner.

"Where the heck is my Camera Uplink?"

A Vostroyan Com. officer sprints to your side, holding a data slate: "Patching through inquisitor, Subject located in designated area."

"Then why aren't we there yet?"

"Colonel Namib ordered us to fortify the bridge before proceeding."

"Bullshit! Tell your ranking officer i want his arse in that sector in two minutes, or he'll be breathing hard vacuum before this day ends!"

The officer hastily babbles some phrases into his vox, but you are already past him.

Racing down the corridors, you come along merchant's barracks, hastily abandoned by their owners. A young Tau child gazes at you with an empty expression as you race past her. You hear a lasgun crack. The Vostroyans are catching up.

A half naked, obscenely tatooed female, obviously a whore living in some of the barracks is too slow to make way for you.

A short blink.

Her Body slams into the wall.

Finally you come to stand before the access hatch to the VIP quarters. You step back.

"Marika?"

"On it." Numerous mechandrites slide out of her robes, invading the lock's coding mechanism. The console gives a few stutters of tortured binary as Algorithms of Submittance **** the Machine spirit into obedience.

"Done!"

You give a curt nod to Ri'ven and the Vostroyan Sergeant.

"Kill the hired guns. But don't kill Kirchner. On my mark.... GO!"

All Hell breaks lose as the Vostroyans storm through the opening hatch, screaming. A couple of men looking like mercenaries are felled by lucky shots before the rest opens fire. Bullets patter of Vostroyan Carapace armor as the room is sweept with bayonetts. The first two Vostroyans in the room go down with point blank shots to the abdomen but the Rest overwhelms the mercenaries by sheer manpower.

You step into the room. Entrails are hanging from the walls, the wounded mercenaries are silenced with mercy shots. No Kirchner. Your eyes fall onto wall cupboard.

"Open it."

Three Vostroyans drag the half naked, messy form of Marius Kirchner into artificial light. Apparently, he had been asleep until recently. They drag another figure out of the cupboard. The screaming, thrashing, naked form looks like a hive ganger, each time her arms slash at the soldiers restraining her, her marvellous breasts swing in the opposite direction.

Not so asleep then, eh?

Savouring the moment, you tower before Kirchner's hunched form, the Inquisitorial rosette proudly at your chest.

"Marius Kirchner, you are a convicted xenophile and heretic. And we are going to have a long conversation."

Your fist forestalls his response.