A slightly smaller Mess

Hera: "Ah... Maybe you should ask the astartes, when they return?"

Tyren: "He's a psyker? And i assume your mind is harder than mine."

They run onto a ledge, rough rockcrete. Even through powered armour, they can feel the heat blasting up from within. One of the geothermal vents which keep the city warm. Chains hang from the wall, cut halfway, and from the floor, over the ledge's precipice. Over the edge, they see their brothers. The "Floor" of the vent, is in fact an uneven surface, perforated by innumerable tunnels leading down, some as small as a fist, others, large enough to swallow a baneblade whole. Atop a short hill, their brothers stand, back to back. Boarding shields held in a wall, fire blazing down, as hybrid and purestrain alike assail their position from among the steaming vents. Raeven himself, is not to be seen, neither the patriarch.

Anne: maybe... good idea ma'am.

Lyanna: I mean, what did he see then?

on Noctis' signal, the marines form up on the ledge, and open fire into the mass of xenos

Charles: I wasn't exactly planning to come across you.

Hera: "Entire company of smiths. I reckon they'll figure it out with a good head scratch."

Tyren: "I don't know exactly how it works. He can see thoughts at the very least. Perhaps my mind lingered."

The barrage is effective, but also draws return, and the attention of the xenos. Purestrains begin to scale the walls, and hybrid, hiding in the less active of the vents, return fire. A ragged cheer comes from the beleaguered warriors.

Anne: *chuckles* yeah, good shout

Lyanna grins just a little "On what?"

the return fire is fairly ineffective, as those scaling the walls are picked off with ease, with no cover from the bolt shells coming their way

Charles: you have no idea how busy I am.

hera reclines in her chair, and breathes out deeply. "So... you two just come here to check on little old me? orrr...?"

Tyren looks at her, and says, flatly. "I have no idea what you're talking about." His right eye lens winks out, then lights again.

Vox contact is established from the defenders, a voice noctis has not heard. +Brother, your appearance is timely.+

Anne:...*looks at mac*

Lyanna: I'm sure I'll find out later.

+My apologies, brother. We would have been here sooner, but the Magus gave us some trouble.+

Charles: i know.

Charles: I'm trying to think of what to do with you.

Mac: "...Pretty much that. Really. That and bein fuckin bored."

Tyren: "Memories you already know, i believe, if i remember correctly, you were there."

+Nonsense brother! You arrived just as the excitement started.+

Anne: yeah, I get on with you guy better than the scions.

Lyanna: oh I remember/.

Noctis: *chuckles* +I suppose so. Where is the captain?+

Charles: or none of those things.

mac: "That and the scions are cuuuunt..*looking at hera.* .ssss."

*raised eyebrow*

Mac: "Toy soldiers, you know the drill."

Tyren laughs, once, a deep rumbling chuckle. "Good memories."

+He, in his wisdom, pursued our quarry. Down the biggest hole.+

Anne: Chard isn't. He's a good man.

Lyanna: Been a while since we had some fun together...

+Roger that. Za'thun and my men will support you here. I will support the captain+

Mac: "Aye, he seems likely. But, yknow, luce n mute got into a fight not so long ago."

Tyren: "It may be our last chance... for a long while, at least."

+Watch yourself lieutenant. That patriarch is big. and i mean, big.+

Anne: hm?

Lyanna: best make sure I don't need to again for a while eh? *grin widens*

+I'll do my best+ *after telling za'thun the plan, he leaps down the ledge, landing near the other salamanders, and on top of a purestrain*

Charles: maybe

Mac: "Some prat started on luce. Mute was in the postcode."

Hera: "And that means someone got broke'd" She smirks.

Tyren looks up at the wall behind them. "He probably has cameras in here... you know." His voice insinuates a smirk.

His weight crushes the xeno, and Za'thun informs the others. Ter'San assumes command.

Anne: sounds about right.

Lyanna: I can deal with that. *bites lip*

Drawing his power sword, Noctis shoots and cuts his way through the xenos, heading for the tunnel*

Mac: "Just goes to show there's prats everywhere i guess."

Hera: "Still, had to make a show of discipline, confined mute and luce to quarters for a bit, had a talking to with the prat in question."

Tyren looks down the lecture theatre at the door, then back at lyanna. "Upstairs?"

The tunnel itself, is belching forth billowing clouds of sulfurous smoke, the heat warding the xenos away from it.

Anne: makes sense.

"Upstairs"

Noctis advances into the tunnel

Mac: "Anyway... hows... everyone else?"

Hera: "Mute and luce are fine i think. Bandit's... i cant read bandit. Hakken is loving life. And.... jacks been acting a bit weird. More than usual weird."

*Thus, things may or may not occur.*

He can't see into the smoke, even his infared sight simply sees a wall of brightness.

Anne:...*has gone pale again*

*ermergerd*

with no other option, he keeps moving, his motion tracker active

Hera: "You... alright?" *Looking at anne.*

reverberating off the walls, he hears the sounds of a struggle. Curses said through gritted teeth, and inhuman grunts.

Anne: Jack's being wierd..er is...my fault

he picks up the pace

Hera: "Your fault? How've you broken my psychopath?" She says this in a jokey tone, and laughs after saying it.

From the smoke, a pair of figures, locked in a grapple, burst into the small circle of sight noctis has, where the smoke is thin enough to see. Raeven, his Cattaphractii armour torn and rent, and the patriarch, bleeding and battered.

Anne looks at mac, not sure how to explain it

Noctis, not wanting to give himself away before he gets a blow in, approaches with speed, blade ready to strike

Mac: "Don't look at me, i aint got shit."

When he draws near, rae is atop the creature, raining down blows with his left fist. His right, with two crackling claws extended from it, is being held back by the xeno's hands.

Anne: I've..got... feelings for him...and I was stupid enough to tell him.

with it distracted, Noctis charges the beast, shoulder first

Hera: "huh. Yeah that'd do it. Tell the menalist you're in love with him."

This provides ample distraction. However, it provides it to both parties. Raeven manages to get the claws on his right hand into the beast's side, but it punches its into his abdomen.

she sighs and looks at her feet

with this moment, noctis slashes, his power sword removing one of the beast's arms

Hera: "Well, whats done is done. He'll get over it... Will you?"

It roars. An utterly inhuman, yet horrifyingly human, sound of pain. A concussive wave of psychic force hits noctis, and flings him away. With Raeven still somewhat reeling from the blades pushed into his abdomen, another hand's claws are punched into his right arm's armpit. An involuntary grunt of pain escapes raevens mouth

Anne: maybe.

Righting himself, Noctis fires into the creature as he charges again

Charles: not sure yet

Hera: "Well, that'll have to do. But, i assume it goes without saying. Jack really aint the type"

As he charges, he sees something that shakes him to his very core. The xeno has stood, and holds raeven up, even as he tears the craclking claws out of it, and plunges them back in, the stench of ozone overpowering the sulphurous stink as the powerfield ionises the creatures caustic ichor. He pummels its side with his gauntleted left fist, for all the good it does. seemingly impervious to the onslaught, it rams its final arm, now it has lost one thanks to noctis, into raeven's stomach, below the waist. and pulls. With a roar of agony, the captain's spine cracks, and his legs are almost torn from his body.

Anne: I figured.

Angered, Noctis, again using the captain's 'distraction' of the beast to his advantage, manages to get a moment to plunge his sword deep into its chest

Hera: "He's a proper psychopath."

Mac: "Aye. You'd have had better luck with hakken"

The beast continues to writhe and screech. But it is evident its time is limited, its focus firmly on killing Raeven as a last act. The final flailngs manage to further separate his legs from his torso. Leaving but a thin few strips of muscle and skin attaching the two disperate halves by the time they fall together.

Anne: I...know...fuck I knew before i said anything.

Noctis, pulling his blade from its ribs, makes for another strike, this time aiming to remove the creature's head entirely

Hera: "Loose lips sink ships." She shrugs unsympathetically.

The beast's head is cut from its shoulders, dropping to the rough stone floor with a wet slap. Raeven is dropped unceremoniously.

".............Ow..."

Anne doesn't reply

Noctis rushes to the captain's side

hera stretches and yawns. The tattoo's on her skin distorting. "Well. I could murder another nap."

He is on his back, the beast's claws still inside his flesh. The rent in his abdomen is grousome, intestine slowly oosing out onto the rough stone.

Anne: want us to sod off?

Noctis: *does his best to get the tyranid off of the captain's body* +Ingran, I need you down here right now, understood?+

Hera: "You can doss here if you like. more beds than i can sleep in at once."

Raeven's voice butts in on the vox. +Belay that.... See to... *he coughs, violently, retching.* I shall be fine.+ With herculean effort, the captain pushes himself up on one arm, such that he can see noctis' eye to eye. "Do not.... question me now..."

anne:...I.,...might make sure jack's okay

Noctis:...*helps him up*