Leaving 20 September until 30 October. Going to be a shitty time in the field. Probably going to be a week after that before I even think about writing again.
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8 yrs ago
Going on exercise as of 19 September. Not sure if I am going for 3 or 6 weeks...
8 yrs ago
Vacation time! Will try to keep posting, but can't guarantee anything, please be patient.
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8 yrs ago
RIP in peace, Bauble. We barely knew ye...
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Bio
ATTENTION: Course is over! Whoop! Whoop! I have no fucking clue what the fuck is going on. Posting speed and availability is subject to change without notice, and I won't have internet when my vacation ends, which is tomorrow... Thank you, have a nice day!
Kevin jumped on helping Zara immediately when she agreed to let him patch her up. The sooner she was healed, the better. He didn't know how quickly vampires put themselves back together, but he supposed they would find out. It didn't take long to clean out the wound, get the bleeding stopped, and wrapped up. And soon enough the contractor was scanning about for a good direction. He had his heads-up-display pointing him in the right direction, but he was more concerned with cover than going the right way.
He decided to head directly toward their objective. It didn't take them out of their way, from a technical standpoint, and while they wouldn't actually be able to follow the straight line all the way to their destination, at least this way they wouldn't wind up off course if it turned out that there was no cover this way. Then, thanks to his map, the soldier found them a good spot even as they started moving. Then he groaned when he realized how far they would have to go. It was good to be out of the danger zone, but he was exhausted after so much fighting.
"Smoke 'em if you got 'em" he encouraged. "We've got forty-five minutes of walking ahead of us. It's going to be dark when we make camp, I think. Probably going to have to go the cuddle route to stay warm." he wasn't sure he liked the idea any more than Zara would, but it would be easier than trying to do much of anything in the dark. Mostly he was concerned that, as a relative stranger, his companion would insist on some weird cuddling technique that would make sleeping difficult. They both needed to be well-rested if they wanted to survive the next few days. "Feel free to eat on the way, too. Not usually a good idea, but the sooner we get settled and start resting, the better." then he realized what he'd said, and chuckled. "I guess you already ate, eh?" he chuckled some more and pulled out some snacks. Making a meal out of them wasn't the best, but it was better than nothing, and he wasn't going to try and cook tonight...
Hazard supported the woman next to him as best he could, firing the last of his ammunition into the tide of greenskins as quickly as he could, as if that could stem the endless flow of roaring destruction. It didn't help. It didn't even slow them down. His best placed shots only made room for more Orks to rush through the gap. And that was it. The guardswoman next to him fired off her last round, and they were going to die. So he shifted the arm he had braced around her lower, so he could pick her up. His other hand dropped his revolver and whipped out his massive combat knife. "RAIDERS LEAD THE WAY!!!" he roared, trying his best to rush headlong into death. Except that the Ork in front of them got its head turned into pink mist by a well-placed shot from a heavy stubber, and then the pair of them fell onto its corpse, the grenadier having tripped over the suddenly downed greenskin. He saw, from his position sprawled across the Ork, what appeared to be an entire battalion of Deathkorps soldiers walking calmly into the fray. They were also grenadiers, by the look of them, their lasguns blazing fiercely, and their support weapons roaring death at the horde in front of them.
He sighed, not sure how he felt about this untimely victory. If the reinforcements could have waited just another instant, he likely would have secured a place in Valhalla. As it was, he supposed victory would have to do in its stead. Then he realized that his new friend was crying tears of joy, and chuckled, giving her a reassuring squeeze as he helped her to her feet. "Who wants to live forever, anyway?" he grumbled, gently prying the laspistol from her hand, and holstering it. Then he made sure he had any kit he cared about, and turned toward the barely-there aid station. "Let's see if there's anyone around who can patch you up." he suggested, wondering if they were going to leave the woman behind. She had the grit required to keep fighting, but without cybernetics, she was going to end up going home, or dying. He didn't think she deserved to die in a losing battle, either, but the Iceman supposed he had no control over that.
It was only once he sought to move the woman, that he realized she had little hope of getting anywhere, even supported by him. The battle continued to rage behind them as he scooped the badly injured woman up. A string of poorly-aimed tracer rounds ripped just overhead as a heavy stubber tried to find its mark after being reloaded. It got back on target without killing anyone, but Felix didn't seem to notice. The greenskins had turned from their assault on the fortifications, and were now breaking themselves on the wall of firepower generated by the more important regiments.
"Let's get you patched up, eh? You'll be up and killin' again in no ti-" he was cut off by a bellow from what had to be a senior NCO.
"Corporal Hazard!" he spun to look who it was, just in time for the Warrant Officer calling his name to realize what he was up to. "Go! Do your thing!" the man insisted a little more quietly. The junior NCO made a note to go speak with the man once his new friend was in better hands. Lucky for them, the only people at the aid station were wandering around, obviously shell-shocked and not sure what to do. He set Ninke down on an empty cot, and then slapped the nearest medical officer as hard as his tired shoulders could manage.
"Wake the fuck up! You've got casualties everywhere! Triage! And fuckin' help this woman!" he knew she was likely all the way at the bottom of the list for triage, but she'd earned it, he figured. He didn't have time to stick around and help though. Instead he tossed the woman a wave and rushed off to see what his supervisor wanted. "Warrant?" he sounded off, rushing over to the man.
"Captain!" the senior NCO growled, catching the attention of a Brontian captain who'd been doing Emperor-knew-what to a nearby corpse. Both enlisted men tossed the officer a salute before they continued. "Corporal Hazard. For your supreme leadership skills and work under pressure. And because probably half of us are dead, I hearby promote you to Sergeant." the much larger senior NCO declared curtly. Then Hazard saluted the captain once more, and the officer was handed a badge with three chevrons and three skulls on it. He then handed it to the Iceman, who pocketed it. He wasn't putting a rank on, not now, on a battlefield. "Congratulations, Hazard. Don't fuck it up." the Warrant Officer said with a grin. Then Felix shook the hands of both men, the enlisted men saluted the Captain once more, and they all went back to their duties. It was over in under a minute, and now Hazard, having jumped multiple ranks, had to try and organize what was left of the 3003rd's grenadiers. He did what any good senior NCO would do, and started screaming for his junior NCOs to find out what the hell was going on...
Gender: Born Male, Identifies as an Attack Helicopter. Prefers Male Pronouns.
Race: Is The Ad-Mech a race? Cyborg I guess?
Appearance: The red robes of the Mechanicum do their best to shroud much of his form in mystery. Unfortunately, the once-brilliant trappings of the tech-priest have fallen into great disrepair. The deep crimson has been faded and stained to nearly brown, the cogs embroidered in gold along every hem hang in tatters. His sleeves and the bottom hem of the robe are ragged beyond repair. Not that their wearer seems to care at all. His robe also fails to hide the hunchback that seems to plague so many tech-priests, though he seems to fight valiantly and constantly to stand straight. Faint glows can occasionally be seen peeking through the sheer fabric, depending on the lighting. At least a half-dozen mechadendrites seem to have free reign, slithering in and out as needed, always polished brightly, and one much larger servo-arm always looms over his left shoulder. None of his remaining flesh is visible. Any part of him that appears from the confines of his robe is always polished to the point of being uncomfortably shiny for those around him. Every single component of him appears to have been chrome plated, and his more exquisite parts are lovingly inlaid with an intricate mesh of golden cogs. A third eye sits in the exact centre of his forehead. He often strives to keep it hidden, but seems more concerned with keeping its purpose a tight secret. It, and his left eye seem to always be the same colour, while his right eye seems to change colours independently, and more frequently. The only obvious weapon he carries is the symbol of his office, a metre-long chrome-plated staff that ends in a very heavy-looking symbol of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Surrounding the symbol completely is a wicked blade, and closer examination would reveal that whole device appears to be of one-piece construction, minus the decorations, that was then attached to the shaft. The whole head of the staff crackles with energy, as if it is designed to pull double-duty as both power axe and maul.
Personality: Lucius is a relentless, power-hungry tech-priest, displaying a remarkable whimsy for a mechanical being. The chrome-plated tech-priest is often fervent in his desires, and unscrupulous in his methods. The only thing that seems to speak through this fog of haste, hate, and power-lust is loyalty. While often regarded as insane by those who have met him only in passing, anyone caring to build trust with the tech-priest will find their own goals added to his list of things to achieve, assuming they can survive and tolerate his company long enough to be inducted into his inner circle. Surprisingly warm and friendly despite his cold chrome shell, many assume he makes it his goal to confuse others, and he's never argued that point. Those he considers friends have often found themselves left with great rewards after he's taken off once more in pursuit of his destiny. He is a nearly-recovered sufferer of "The Flesh Is Weak Syndrome", only in that he has nearly resolved the issue by removing his weakness.
History: Lucius Chroam wasn't born, or grown, into the Mechanicum like most people often assume. He was born to parents who'd spent most of their lives dodging servitor-hood on a Mechanicus Munitions Manufactory-Ship. He spent much of his childhood doing the same, until, with the help of an explosion, he managed to con his way into the position of tech-acolyte. From there he spent his time assisting a low-level enginseer, and soaking up all the knowledge he could. That low-level enginseer got himself promoted up to mid-level enginseer, and Lucius just kept on assisting him. Until another explosion saw fit to get him promoted again. The two of them were deployed to recover a Leman Russ that had gotten itself thoroughly stuck during an assault. Someone had clearly forgotten to tell the enemy that they'd been routed, however, as an artillery shell dropped right on top of the tank before they could get it out. The explosion killed the enginseer and scattered bits of him all over the place. Lucius was a good deal luckier, and sustained perfectly repairable wounds, assuming he got to medical attention quickly. However his actions showed no determination to reach such a service. Instead, he gathered up the more important pieces of his former supervisor, and even managed to see that the remains of the Leman Russ got pulled free. A very surprised group of Guardsmen arrived in a Chimera just in time for the acolyte to demand that they hook up the tow-chains he'd attached to the wrecked tank, to their vehicle, and attempt to pull it free and drag it back to its spot in the motorpool. He then passed out, but his orders got followed, and he woke up in the care of the Mechanicum.
The scene he woke to was right out of nightmare his parents had planted in his brain, except that nothing was rusty or grinding or unpleasant, and he couldn't feel any pain. Indeed, once he stopped panicking, he realized even his memories were intact. Everything was also very notably shiny and covered in chrome. The sickeningly clean stench of medical grade disinfectant filled his nostrils, and a gentle whirring was the only sound that even registered in his ears once he stopped freaking out. The medical machines operating on him were replacing his damaged limbs with metal ones, and fitting him with everything he'd need to operate as a brand new low-level enginseer. His actions, along with the records from his former supervisor, had earned him a promotion, and an acolyte of his own. But once the excitement subsided, and tedium set it, his new station wasn't nearly enough for Chroam. He drew the questionable connection between explosions and advancement, and soon found himself driven by a combination of chrome and destruction.
This combination was surprisingly effective. And while he was hesitant to stoop to all-out sabotage, it wasn't hard to let the projects others were working on break, while his own succeeded wildly. Eventually, he did stoop to sabotage, but he was always meticulous when it came to such competition. Eventually, the remarkably bad luck of his colleagues paid off, and he was dropped off on Gryphonne IV to help with the construction of Vortex Missiles. It was here that his true passion was ignited, though the tech-priest didn't stay long, even as he advanced at blistering speed, he plotted to have himself transferred to Graia. Even that planet, with its great engines of war couldn't slake Lucius' lust for knowledge and power, however, and after loading all he could onto his internal cogitators for later study, he abandoned his post once more.
This time, however, accusations of techno-heresy followed, and he soon found himself drifting from place to place, seeking employment only to further his own goals, casually dodging suspicions at the same time. During his drifting, those accusations of techno-heresy became steadily truer. At first, he justified it. It was all for the advancement of mankind. Everyone used slightly radical methods from time to time. It was just a shortcut. That was all. He didn't even realize a point when he no longer bothered to justify some of his experiments. Things most tech-priests wouldn't have considered were almost normal to Chroam.
Then one day, the Tau decided that the ship he was on would be better re-purposed to the Greater Good, and a swarm of Kroot mercenaries led by a Fire Warrior strike team tried storming in through the embarkation deck when the ship's officers fell for a dirty trick. It was then, during Lucius' first trial by fire, that the whispers of "heretek" disappeared from the ship's crew. The wandering tech-priest reprogrammed many of the ship's systems remotely. He desperately, and methodically sought out and destroyed the Kroot invaders. Those that didn't get flushed out an airlock found themselves crushed between bulkheads, or cut in half by doors that were supposed to be locked open. The more problematic bands he set on fire or asphyxiated, by cranking open gas valves or overloading auxiliary motors. The worst of them, along with the Tau, he starved to death in the furthest reaches of the ship, tormenting them with machine spirit whispers until they went mad and tore one another to pieces. And considering the surprisingly low number of Imperial casualties, everyone was kind enough to not say anything about the lack of anything technological left on the bodies of the invaders. It was a vicious, last-ditch effort, but it saved far more than the crew had imagined, and while they were still wary of the chrome traveller, they were far more willing to cooperate with him now.
By the time the ship reached its destination, two more assaults had been weathered with the help of Lucius Chroam. The second was a band of teleporting Eldar warriors, led by some sort of psychic. They lasted weeks longer than the Tau, but were eventually defeated. This time he had the cooperation of every armed member of the crew, and managed, again, shockingly low casualties for the Imperials. He just had to work a little harder at shunting his opponents around into the arcs of his assistants. The relief of was short-lived, however, as the final battle started just instants before the ship jumped out of realspace, from the port they'd stopped at to recover from the first two assaults. A small band of Necrons took exception to the Imperial ship, and teleported in from seemingly nowhere. This fight extended their trip by months, and by its end, the ship was down to a skeleton crew and the tech-priest was exhausted, and very little of him remained chrome-plated or shiny. But he had successfully dismantled the Necrons, and anything unusable was flushed out into the void, to be chewed on by daemons.
When they finally reached safe harbour, Lucius was starting to look better, but wanted a short break. He parted ways with the ship, though the captain insisted that he would always be welcome aboard the Grim Resolve. He took some time in port to re-plate his numerous components, and began reading the works of Paracelsus Thule in his spare time. He was inspired, and by the time he hopped on another ship, he was no longer reading in his spare time, but all the time, and he was now well into the research of Decius Abraxas. This time, though, he did a very good job of keeping his techno-heretical thoughts and projects to himself, and even began seeking mostly honest work. With a knack for making things work better than they had previously, he was soon being asked to fix things that weren't broken. But like anything else he'd done for the money, this was unfulfilling work, and he began to seek greater things once more. He moved on to upgrading weapons systems further than anyone had any business doing, but even that only lasted a little while. By the end of his journey, he was making top-dollar for jumping up personal weapons, and had devised a few techno-heretical techniques for boosting the power and energy-efficiency of las-guns and increasing the rate of fire on naval shotguns, that still agreed with the machine spirits. He even took to reloading horrific ammunition in his down time to amass some more spending money. He found himself wishing for someone with a mind like his own, however, someone who lusted for greatness, that they might ply the stars together, and he could show them what true power was. So when he got off at the next port, his first step was seeking out bold adventure, and not the darker corners of the nearby planets...
I might have to go on the second one in May/June, so we should be able to try out your idea after that, or before if you'd rather. Your post is in progress.
[center][u][b]ATTENTION:[/b][/u]
Course is over! Whoop! Whoop!
I have no fucking clue what the fuck is going on.
Posting speed and availability is subject to change without notice, and I won't have internet when my vacation ends, which is tomorrow...
[i]Thank you, have a nice day![/i][/center]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><div class="bb-center"><span class="bb-u"><span class="bb-b">ATTENTION:</span></span> <br>Course is over! Whoop! Whoop!<br>I have no fucking clue what the fuck is going on.<br>Posting speed and availability is subject to change without notice, and I won't have internet when my vacation ends, which is tomorrow... <br><span class="bb-i">Thank you, have a nice day!</span></div></div>