Ethernauts

The Ultramarines have discovered the charred remains of a Battle Brother on a hulk. The Inquisition send in a low level Inquisitor for what they think is a basic murder case. However the corpse shows traces of xeno DNA and several high ranking Marines are less that co-operative. Could it be the Genestealer menace has infiltrated even the Emperor’s finest?

• Fate – The Kraken (Underestimation/Recognition)
• Virtue – The Hulk (Danger)
• Fault – The Astropath reversed (Isolation)
• Past – The Chaplain (Valour)
• Present – The Alien reversed (Cessation)
• Future – The Imperium reversed (Want)

Scene 1 – Arrival on the Ultima

The Retinue are dispatched from Sandvaste to the Imperial Battle Barge Ultima, currently waiting near the Hulk designated Hades.

Sandvaste is a desert world of no great significance to the Imperium. They would not even bother with a base there except for the fact that the local population make for excellent Imperial Guardsmen. The harsh climate instils discipline and self reliance in the men and the Imperial Cult has met with much success amongst their religious caste.

The Battle Barge Ultima is a huge transport for the Ultramarines Chapter of the Space Marine Legions. This ancient and venerated craft has seen many battles and known many commanders. Currently a full company, plus it’s support staff, are using Ultima as a base of operations to explore and cleanse the Space Hulk Hades.

The journey from Sandvaste takes 3 days and upon docking the Retinue are met by Brother Bartholomew. The Ultramarine is courteous without necessarily being friendly. However he feels he is duty bound to answer any questions the Inquisitor may have and as such is as honest as possible. It seems the corpse of a Battle Brother has been found on Hades, what is strange is that he cannot be accounted for in the list of reported casualties.

The corpse could not initially be retrieved but samples have been taken (as well as his progenoid glands) by a Apothecary. The medic, Brother Vaul, has recently returned to Ultima and is available for questioning.

Scene 2 – The Medic

Brother Vaul is recently returned from a mission on Hades. He is currently recuperating from massive blood loss, having had to give 3 transfusions on the mission to his Battle Brothers. The fighting was particularly harsh and although the mission was successful two Marines died (Brothers Maximus and Severnus). Brother Vaul is saddened he could not save them, but at least their progenoid glands were collected and brought back to the Chapter. In return 50 cultists met their end.

Brother Vaul is also open with the Inquisitor, however he is actually quite glad to see the Retinue as the details of his previous discovery are clearly bothering him.

The corpse was discovered on the mission before the open he has just returned from and Brother Vaul comments on the unusual events so far. For instance a Sergeant actually ordered Vaul to leave the corpse behind, after the progenoids were harvested as was proper. But there were no imminent threats to have dictated such a course of action. Vaul is a thinking man and took samples from the corpse just in case. He hasn’t examined them himself but the Chirurgeons of the Chapter are examining them as he speaks

The Retinue can continue to question Vaul for a short while. He will answer truthfully and fully, knowing the Inquisitior has the Emperor’s blessing. The mission itself was a simple sweep and destroy, meant to clear out a section of the Hulk for later exploration. The marines faced cultists for the most part, although at one stage they faced what might have been a daemon. Brother Vaul however feels it was probably a mutant of some kind as the squad had little difficulty in dispatching it.

Brother Vaul can only tell the Retinue so much. The key really lies within the samples he brought back, and he will say so. Once the questioning has gone on for long enough an alarm klaxon sounds: Hades has fired on Ultima. The ship shakes and heaves under the explosive force of the missiles, throwing the crew around like rag dolls, but after the initial chaos dies down it soon becomes apparent that no more volleys are incoming. Whoever launched the missiles must still be on the Hades but for now their ammunition is depleted.

The damage is done however – the samples were destroyed in the attack, along with the Chirurgeon assigned to them. The only option now is to re-enter the hulk and retrieve the actual body. Vaul can provide the Retinue with the exact location of the corpse, which should have survived at least this long due to it still being in its powered armour.

Fortunately the Ultramarine Captain is already planning to return to the Hades. If one volley can be launched on the Ultima it is more than possible that another might follow. Captain Athos begins an immediate insertion action in order to track down any nearby launchers or torpedo tubes on the Hades and disable them.

Scene 3 – Briefing Room

Captain Athos is assembling his troops in the boarding room. The Ultima has pulled closer to the Hades to reduce the number of firing arcs it falls into, meaning they can board by means of a docking claw. With him he has gathering three Sergeants and their squads. Squad Primus is the Terminator contingent, lead by Sergeant Marcus. Squad Secundus is a Tactical Squad lead by Sergeant Malleus. Squad Tertius is an Assault Squad comprised of younger marines lead by Sergeant Hydras.

Athos himself is a younger Captain, clearly looking to make a name for himself by serving the Emperor as best he can. When the Retinue arrive he is briefing the squads whilst they prepare their equipment for battle. Athos will salute the Inquisitor and immediately acknowledge his authority. Malleus and Marcus will remain impassive throughout the exchange, whilst Hydras will merely scowl.

The battle plan as it stands is to board the Hades near where the last boarding action was fought. Standing orders are to perform a brisk recon of the area with regard to establishing a forward command area before the Ultramarines begin cleansing he hulk. The Terminators will patrol closer to the docking claw due to their slower speed. The Tactical Squad will move quickly through the out reaches of their target area, and the Assault Squad will explore further afield and act as early warning. As Athos speaks a holomap of the area is projected into the room and may be downloaded to any suitable receptacle.

Scene 4 – Boarding the Hades

Squad Primus is the first through the breech, their Terminator Armour being almost impervious to the various las-weapons encountered by previous Marines on the hulk. However the corridors are quiet and no resistance is met, a fact which causes mild annoyance amongst the Marines.

The three squads enter the hulk and split up as directed. Captain Athos remains with the Retinue (unless they wish otherwise, in which case he takes command of Squad Secundus).

Inside this section of the hulk must have once been an Imperial ship. Damaged Imperial imagery is still visible on some wall sections, along with newer sections and more disturbing images. Clearly a Chaos cult has been here at some point. Flickering lighting still remains in the ceiling, though it does more to obfuscate than illuminate.

After a short while the Marines find the Cultists. Squad Tertius will report targets and open fire. Almost immediately their comms will go silent. Athos will order Squad Primus to move up and will take Squad Secundus (and or the Retinue as appropriate) to investigate. If the Retinue are with the Captain they will find themselves ambushed in what must have been an old engine room. Massive machines force the Squads to split up in order to manoeuvre, lest they find themselves fighting in columns. The ambush is sprung by humans and what appear to be mutants wearing Flak armour with las-guns and autoguns. Some have the Star of Chaos dimly visible on their armour. Of Squad Tertius there is no sign.

If the Retinue are not with Athos they receive a communication from him during the ambush. If they are fast enough they can get to them in time, but the result of the encounter is much the same.

The fight goes badly, surprisingly so in fact considering the combatants. It is hard to keep track of each other in the mess of machinery and barricades the enemy have set up. One by one the Marines of Squad Secundus are killed until only the Retinue and Captain Athos remain. Then Athos receives a communication from Sergeant Marcus, a short clipped message (“…been ambushed…all gone…“) before the line goes dead. Athos turns to the Retinue to tell them this before unseen arms reach out from the darkness behind him and he is dragged away.

The Retinue are now presumable out-numbered and out-gunned. A retreat to the Ultima is the only real option, and they will be hounded along the way. Ultimately they are successful and make it back to the boarding claw where they are met by a full combat squad standing guard duty on the entrance. The squad tell the Retinue to take cover as reinforcements are brought into the boarding room.

Scene 5 – Back on the Ultima

However the expected counter attack fails to materialise. Indeed in a surprising turn Squad Tertius, clearly battle damaged, appear through the claw. The duty Sergeant orders the claw closed, but before the mechanism completes its cycle the intruder alert is sounded. Something has made it through the claw.

Captain Portus (Commander of the Ultima) orders quarantine and seals of the boarding section from the rest of the ship. Over the comms he orders the duty Sergeant (Decimus) to take command and destroy the intruder. Of course the Retinue can decide to take matters into their own hands or assist the Marines as they see fit.

The boarding section comprises the claw, it’s deployment room, two guard rooms to either side, an armoury, an apothecary, and a brig. All adjoin a main corridor and are linked by various air vents and drainage tunnels.

The search takes a little while because of the nooks and crannys. The Marines (both the combat squad and Squad Tertius) will be stoically silent and intensely focussed on finding the intruder, something a sensitive individual might read more into.

However the hunters are in for a surprise when one of Squad Tertius calls out over the comms. Rushing to his location the Retinue and the Marines find him dead, his neck snapped. The Retinue can examine the corpse if they like but this will seem to make the Marines present nervous (both squads). Unless the Retinue take the corpse to the apothecary and perform an in-depth autopsy however the dead Marine appears to be just that.

Unless the Retinue decide to act the search is continued. Eventually the intruder is found and it turns out to be Sergeant Marcus, missing his armour, his legs, some of his chest, and a good chunk of his jaw. In fact it is only the amazing design of the Space Marine secondary organs that is keeping him alive. He expires shortly after seeing the Retinue, either managing to mumble “Not human” (or something similar) or a psychic character reads his mind before his death.

Scene 6 – The Final Confrontation

By now the Retinue should have enough information to realise something is up. How much they realise will be based on the questions previously asked.

The truth of the matter is that with the development of the Broodlord the Genestealer advanced forces have begun a more complex infiltration plot. Using DNA drawn from the Tyrant Guards they have begun reproducing with captured Chaos Marines (Tyranids being mostly immune to the deprivations of Chaos) until they have produced Hybrids that can pass for Marines. Lead by a Magus (disguised as a Librarian) they have been carefully infiltrating the Ultima by replacing various new recruits, Squad Tertius and the combat squad being prime examples.

When the game is up the Hybrid Marines level their weapons at the party and a furious scrabbling sound begins from the other side of the board claw blast doors. Purestrain Genestealers have arrived. How the party get out of the fix is very much up to them. They will need to get information through to the Commander of the Ultima to warn him about the Hybrids, and more importantly they must escape to make their findings known to the Inquisition. In all the Retinue faces 10 Hybrid Marines and a number of Purestrain Genestealers that join the battle later. If the party find this no challenge then the Broodlord and/or the Magus Librarian can also turn up to silence them.

Epilogue

Assuming they survive the Retinue return to Sandvaste. Ordo Xenos debriefs them and collects what information they have. If any specimens were taken by the Retinue they are to be handed over to the Ordos for further study. It is concluded no shame falls upon the Ultramarine Chapter itself as no Marine was actually involved in the plot.