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Post by Julius Quintus on Mar 22, 2009 21:23:10 GMT
Julius arrived in the gymnasium just as a pair of chapter serfs were removing the broken remains of a combat servitor from the practice ring. The Sargeant ignored the menials as he went about setting up his 'briefing'.
Moving to the control lecturn in the corner. Julius typed in his access code to wake the consoles machine spirit from its slumber and programmed the rooms systems to provide an obstacle course. Barricades and obstacles rose from the floor and extended from the walls forming a ring of simple hazards around the perimeter of the room for the squad to negotiate whilst they recieved their briefing.
Julius didn't believe in making anything easy for his neophytes. The life of an Astartes warrior was hard and it was his job to make sure the scout novices were properly prepared.
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Andrus Taranius
Brother
Scout Novice
"Minatur innocentibus qui parcit nocentibus"- He threatens the innocent who spares the guilty!
Posts: 59
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Post by Andrus Taranius on Mar 22, 2009 22:25:44 GMT
Andrus Taranius entered the room for the second time today. The Chaplain had given him a three day fasting penance for his lapses. He saw his grizzled sergeant standing at the control lecturn, glowering at him as he entered. As the first one there he was the only one to get disapproving from him, he sometimes almost hated the bastard. His training regimes were tougher than most battle brothers, he had heard. The obstacle course in front of him was not as difficult as the last one but it still looked challenging. He knew he should not attempt the course until the rest of his brethren arrived but he was already calculating the best course through it, based on the external signs. So he assumed the normal standing position that was expected of him and waited.
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Magnus Calpurnius
Veteran
Scout Novice
To admit defeat is to blaspheme against the Emperor.
Posts: 140
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Post by Magnus Calpurnius on Mar 22, 2009 22:27:21 GMT
Entering the gymnasium, Magnus realised Taranius had beat him there. "Sergeant." He said, nodding to the senior officer. "Might I ask why we have been called?"
As he awaited the sergeants reply, he took a look round the room. Magnus hadn't spent a lot of time in the gym, he preffered the firing range or combat rooms for his training. The room was large, and had a course set up around the edge, he was starting to get a good idea of what he'd be doing for the next hour or so.
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Post by Rallus Zenodius on Mar 22, 2009 23:35:24 GMT
(OOC: Andrus please scale down your avatar. Also you might want to place lines between your paragraphs for an easier read. Cheers ) Rallus Zenodius had been pleased with his briefing. The sergeants had asked good questions and the little intel that was available at present would not deter them from doing their best. Such actions were a comfort for a leader. The Chaplain was on his rounds and Rallus was surprised that he had not attended the briefing. No doubt Captain Antonius had already set the wheels in motion for their part in this mission. It was with that that he stepped through the bulkhead to the main atrium of the training facility of the ship. Taking a left he followed the corridors, passing serfs and servitors going about their daily business. After a few seconds of mental navigation he found the gym. With a smile he realised that he too was new to the Deliverance and despite its small size it was a rat’s nest of bulkheads, gangways and corridors. Wiping his face of all emotion he stepped forward through the door and watched as the scout master and his scouts assembled for what looked like a briefing. Quintus was a hard task master and would be briefing them as they exerted themselves, testing and exercising their capacity to think clearly under physical strain. There was a reason why Julius was considered by most to be one of the best scout masters, if not the best. Rallus had it on good authority that this was his final mission before his invitation to join the Chapter’s veterans in the first company, should it prove successful. Rallus had expressed concerned that they would lose Julius to the first company. However, Captain Antonius was confident that he would remain with the fourth. It was as the scout-novices assembled and awaited the address by Quintus that Rallus stepped to the side, keeping near the doorway, out of the way. He almost felt naked without his power armour but he was loathe to wake the machine spirit in his armour without necessity. His eyes swept across the gymnasium and he watched as the Chapter’s future was put into their paces. Zenodius couldn’t help but remember his days as a scout aboard the Proditor Nex. There had been briefings incorporated with exercise back then and there would be for centuries to come. It was pleasing to see that the Chapter’s discipline carried on strong. He was sure that if Chaplain Perphius was present he would be singing the scout master’s praises.
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Post by Julius Quintus on Mar 23, 2009 6:09:57 GMT
Julius turned to face his squad as you they filed into the training room. He surveyed them gravely with his one good eye. Hopefully they would all make it back from this deployment. His gaze flickered briefly to Force Commander Zenodius standing, un-noticed by the novices, in the shadows and he nodded almost imperceptably to his commander before returning his eye to his neophytes
"Sergeant" piped up Scout Calpurnius "Might I ask why we have been called?
"You might indeed boy" replied Julius with a frown "If you didn't here the words 'Mission Briefing' in my message". He ran a stern glare over the assembled neophytes.
"A warrior of the Astartes will spend his life fighting in service to the Emperor to protect and expand His realm. During battle you will often receive new tactical information and mission updates and you must be able to assimalate this data even whilst fighting for your lives. To simulate this I will deliver your pre-mission briefing whilst you conduct your physical training rites. You will now begin circuits of this obstacle course and continue until I order a halt. You may ask questions but you will not stop or slow down whilst doing so."
Julius paused to look directlly at Magnus
"Scout Calpurnius will complete this excersise wearing a 25lb weight belt around each limb as penance for his inattention to my orders... Begin!"
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Magnus Calpurnius
Veteran
Scout Novice
To admit defeat is to blaspheme against the Emperor.
Posts: 140
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Post by Magnus Calpurnius on Mar 23, 2009 14:50:50 GMT
"Of course sergeant." Magnus said, as he attached the weights. "I had meant to ask what the mission was. I will accept my penance and phrase my questions better in future." He finished, as he set off on the course.
The weights were heavy, and coupled with his lack of adrenaline were making the going tough. At least the course itself wasn't too bad, his upbringing had put him through tougher courses. He could see another of the scouts was having a little more trouble with it, but as a deathworlder Magnus had never had much trouble with physical exercise, if you couldn't run fast and for a long time, you were a dead man, as his brother had found out when they were kids.
That had been a terrible day, but he had no time to dwell on it, he couldn't allow himself to lose his concentration again, not with the scout sergeant watching him so closely.
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Post by Lucas Raziel on Mar 23, 2009 18:52:31 GMT
Lucas ran around the course, jumping over an oncoming barrier. Lucas smiled to himself. Scout Calpurnius had made a fool of himself. Lucas knew Magnus to be a fine scout, but Sergeant Julius wasn't letting any scout off lightly. Lucas quickly traversed up the climbing net, and jump to the bottom. He shot the targets, and Ran to the end of the course. Lucas started the course again, and waited for the Sergeant to start the mission briefing.
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Andrus Taranius
Brother
Scout Novice
"Minatur innocentibus qui parcit nocentibus"- He threatens the innocent who spares the guilty!
Posts: 59
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Post by Andrus Taranius on Mar 23, 2009 20:28:07 GMT
Andrus had to run, his starting position had aligned him with a gun servitor who started firing at him. He ducked under the firing arc and was soon out of range, the climbing wall was easily traversed but the balance beam over the pit was more difficult. The beam was slippery rubbed in some sort of oil, as his first step slipped, Andrus used his hands to grab onto the beam and walked the distance on them. His sergeant started talking as he was past the beam and Andrus had to concentrate since he was trying to hold on to some balancing bars, his hands slick with oil.
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Post by Julius Quintus on Mar 24, 2009 0:15:58 GMT
Under Julius's stern gaze the Neophytes jumped, crawled, ducked and dived their way through the obstacle course. Their armour and enhanced constitutions allowed them to negotiate hazards which would easily injure or kill an ordinary man.
The dangerous nature of the obstacles made in very noisy. motorised blades and saws rattled and buzzed as they described pre-programed arcs. Servitors blasted away at the rapidly moving scouts with stinging simmunition rounds. Julius tapped his vox-link to link himself in with every member of the squad and began his briefing.
"The Deliverance is currently in the Euralion Sub-sector. 3 hours ago we translated back into real-space on the edge of the Lirdian system. Lirdian 3 is a technologically advanced world which is currently gripped by insurrection. It is not known whether the ruinous powers are behind the uprising or not but a task force of three Imperial Guard regiments is en-route along with an investigation team from the Ordos Malleus and will arrive within the week. In order to properly deploy these new forces it is essential that we capture the planets main Space Port."
"We are currently moving in-system at flank speed and should be in orbit over Lirdian 3 in 72 hours. At that time, the 4th company will deploy in support of elements of the 123rd Vandian Grenadiers already in action on the planets surface."
"Our unit along with the 1st Tactical squad have been designated Strike Group Alpha. Under the command of Force Commander Zenodius, we will deploy by Thunderhawk a short way south of the planets main spaceport. We will then sweep north, covertly clearing an approach route in the spaceport for our brothers in the Tactical Squad. Once at the space port we will provide supporting fire while our brothers storm the main buildings and hold them against any counterattack until a garrisoning force of Vandian Grenadiers can by emplaced as a permanent defence force."
Julius paused for a moment to watch the scouts finish their second circuit of the obstacle course. Calpurnius, he noted with a little pride, was the first to complete the second circuit despite the extra weight he was carrying.
"Questions?"
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Magnus Calpurnius
Veteran
Scout Novice
To admit defeat is to blaspheme against the Emperor.
Posts: 140
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Post by Magnus Calpurnius on Mar 24, 2009 16:03:23 GMT
"What kind of resistance can we expect sir, just troops or are we expecting heavy armour? And are we taking any specialised equipment?" Magnus said, as he dodged a rapidly descending chainsaw. He didn't like asking multiple questions at once, but he needed to concentrate on the course.
It was about that time that he noticed the force commander standing in the corner. When did he get here? Magnus asked himself, before slowing slightly to avoid some servitor fire. Hopefully the segeant would realise his slowing down was because he wanted to avoid getting shot, and not because he was thinking to hard.
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Post by Julius Quintus on Mar 24, 2009 16:19:38 GMT
"What kind of resistance can we expect sir, just troops or are we expecting heavy armour? And are we taking any specialised equipment?"
Julius nodded at thr question, something similar had come up at the command briefing.
"We're unsure of the exact composition of the enemy forces. We will most certainly be facing rebel PDF troops so enemy armour is a possibility but any we face around the space port will probably be light."
Julius Paused to avoid an errant burst of fire from a survitor whose arc of fire was set a touch to wide.
"That said, the space port will be well supplied with automated defences and the possiblilty of chaostic involvement may mean the presence of members of the traitor legions although that is purely speculation at this point."
Speculation maybe but still worth bearing in mind, the cursed traitors had a habit of turning up at the worst possibly moments and it always paid to be prepared.
"We will be providing covert insertion and fire support so Scouts Taranius and Raziel will be carrying sniper rifles for this mission and Scout Calpurnius will by acting in the support role with a heavy bolter. Calpurnius will also be carrying Stalker silenced rounds for his pistol."
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Post by Lucas Raziel on Mar 24, 2009 16:44:44 GMT
"Excuse me Sergeant, but what Ruinous Power do these rebel PDF worship, if any?" Lucas rolled to avoid a servitor's fire. the bullets harmlessy flew above his head. "And are there any HVTs or rebel leaders which we will have to aim for, as well as supporting the 1st Tactical Squad?"
Lucas noticed that The Force Commander was standing in the corner, his power armour off, viewing the scout. startled, he froze for a second, and had to use all his speed to throw himself out of the way of the servitor's line of fire "Hopefully, no one saw that" Lucas thought as he continued the course
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Post by Julius Quintus on Mar 24, 2009 17:02:43 GMT
"Excuse me Sergeant, but what Ruinous Power do these rebel PDF worship, if any?" called out Raziel. "And are there any HVTs or rebel leaders which we will have to aim for, as well as supporting the 1st Tactical Squad?"
HVTs? The lad placed far to much emphasis on the killing. He didn't seem to understand that killing was simply a by-product of warfare.
"As I said, Scout Raziel." Said Julius "The involvement of the ruinous powers is a possiblilty only. This may simply be the actions of a misguided populace who believe the Lex Imperialis to be too oppressive. You will find as you gain experiance that not everybody has the strength of purpose to serve the Emperor through any hardships. And if those weaker elements gain influence over others they can cause good honest imperial citazens to stray from the true path. When this happens it is our duty to correct them."
"As for 'HVTs' as you put it. We are Astartes, the greatest warriors the galaxy has every known. We are NOT assassins. We engage in righteous battle for the glory of the Emperor and leave the sneaking and sordid backstabbing to the adepts of the Officio Assassinorum"
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Post by Lucas Raziel on Mar 24, 2009 17:12:17 GMT
"I am sorry for my stupidity, Scout Sergeant. My thoughts were clouded. i meant not to insult you sir." said Lucas, shooting down the targets for the third time.
Lucas scolded himself. he didn't want to get on the sergeant's bad side, he could see after all that the sergeant was not taking it easy on the scouts.
"Has any Vantage Points been marked out already, or will we locate them when we reach the planet?"
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Post by Julius Quintus on Mar 24, 2009 17:23:54 GMT
"Has any Vantage Points been marked out already, or will we locate them when we reach the planet?"
Definately a better question, unfortunately Julius had no answer to give for this one.
"We do not know the exact topography of the area yet. All we have are on file are regional survey maps from the last planetary survey 53 standard years ago. We will conduct full topographical scans of our deployment zone when we reach orbit. At that time you will be issued with detailed area maps for study prior to deployment."
The scouts finished their fourth curcuit of the course. That was probably enough thought Julius, time was precious and they still had to conduct afternoon firing rites.
Julius deactivated his comms and raised his voice in a parade ground shout that would be heard by both the scouts and the rooms audio pickup ensuring a prompt shutdown.
"Exercise Complete! Now go to the armoury and draw the weapons I have assigned you for this mission. You have 20 minutes for weapons strip and testing and then I want you in the firing range to zero your sights and conduct firing rites with your new weapons. Dismissed"
Julius turned on his heel and left the training room. He had to prepare his own weapons.
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