for anyone who missed my crappy guy the first time round
rules are at the bottom for those who are too lazy to read)
OPERATIVE 34-A
A secret legacy
During the great crusade, the emperor?s mighty forces swept away all that stood before them. Any race, human or xenos, that opposed the god-emperor were cut down by his unstoppable legions. The space marines were super human enforcers of this fledgling imperium, effortlessly brushing aside entire civilisations as though they were nothing, accompanied by the first imperial armies as well as the mighty titan legions with the recapture of mars. This sledgehammer force was dominating and absolute.
But there were those that sought to usurp his holy rule, to cut him down when his attention was elsewhere, many enemies put plans in motion to stop the emperor at every turn.
None of these plans came to fruition, indeed the emperor himself never became aware of a single treacherous servant out to cut his throat in his sleep, or a trusted ally about to stab him in the back, for he had friends in the shadows.
Unbeknownst to him a group of fanatically loyal individuals had formed a secret organisation that?s sole purpose was to kill the emperor?s enemies by whatever means necessary without the emperor?s knowledge, for these servants felt themselves unworthy of his divine praise. For the longest time this organisation quietly and efficiently slaughtered many foes, all the while experimenting with unconventional tactics and procedures in an effort to turn a human into a lethal killing machine. As the assassins grew in number and skill they realised that it would be impossible to stay in the shadows forever.
The Assassins made themselves known to their leader and he was pleased with the fine work they had done, impressed with not only the quantity and quality of their work, but with their ability to remain entirely covert, even from him. He gave the organisation an honoured place in the imperium as well as a fitting new title: The Officio Assassinorum.
By the end of the era known as the great crusade, the six major assassin temples had been established, each one absolute masters of their chosen method of death bringing, whether it be long range sniping or close up melee combat. The names of callidus, eversor, vindicare, venenum, vanus and culexus were immortalised forever. The enemies of the empire knew they could never be safe, they would always have a reason to fear the darkness for the shadows may conceal the blade of a vengeful assassin.
Our story starts when the officio assassinorum was still young, before its procedures had been standardised and many experiments were still being undertaken using equipment and skills from the dark age of technology.
Extracts from Sgt Clayton?s mission log on Gradius 2:
Security level: Gamma black
Mission type: Search and Destroy/Capture
Overview: 1x platoon of stormtroopers are to covertly insert into sector G-7D of target planet and patrol East for 5 days until reaching p.u.p (pick up point) Delta, approximately 30km East of Drop zone. The platoon is to conduct a search of the area. The purpose of this operation is the location and capture of Rogue Inquisitor Jenai Abraxas. All other personnel in her company are considered hostile and should be exterminated with extreme predjudice.
Thought for the day: The outcome justifies the deed.
SGT CLAYTON 45639671, 3 PLATOON A COY
137th STORM TROOPER REGIMENT
After receiving instructions from Inquisitor Fellon, my platoon learnt that we would be performing a five day search and destroy mission along the Planets equator, the target is a Heretical Inquisitor going by the name of Jenai Abraxas that intel has suggested is operating in the area. My men geared up for Jungle terrain, taking extra water purification tablets as well as hot weather fatigues and boots in order for hot weather ops. Personally I am grateful for the opportunity to hunt down the treacherous scum and terminating them and have offered my thanks to our lord in my prayers, ave imperator!
Day 1: 1800
We made planetfall at 0600 and have been marching all day, the terrain isn?t too difficult, standard jungle fare without anything remarkable and as a result we have made rapid progress across the sector. At 1254 we came across the remains of an encampment which looks like it was abandoned in a hurry, trooper Murphy picked up a faint trail leading from the camp which we followed until now. Sunset is in about half an hour so we are about to set up camp for the night. I don?t know what it is but something don?t feel right about this place, I?m feeling an enormous sense of foreboding, I pray I?m wrong.
The emperor protects.
Day 2: 0645
At first light it became apparent that trooper Cuthran had gone missing, we carried out a quick perimeter patrol but we have found no sign of him, all his kit and weapons have gone without a trace, If I find that damn deserter I?ll execute the fragger without hesitation! We are moving out in five so I will report later.
1631: About 10 minutes ago Corporal Alex pointed out that we are marching in a vast loop, suggesting to me that we?re being led into a trap. My point man Murphy just spotted something man-shaped up ahead for a split second, someone dressed all in black. We?re gonna lay up in ambush and see what happens, no way I?m leading my boys into a death trap.
Day 3: 0700
Two more men disappeared last night, even though we all stayed awake on sentry all night with booby traps out on trip wires, nobody noticed two men disappear. I?m now thinking Cuthran didn?t desert, Corporal Alex and trooper Reklow have gone in exactly the same way, someone?s playing games with us.
1015: my worst fears have now been confirmed, we just came across Cuthran?s body propped up against a tree missing it?s arms and legs, I?m beginning to think this *female dog* we?re hunting may be in line with darker forces, I hate to think what, we?re moving on in our sweep. May the Emperor guide our shots.
1800: We marched all day and found nothing. Nothing at all, my men are eager to get their revenge for our dead comrades and so am I. We?re all tired but can?t afford to sleep, and are about to set up another ambush for the night.
2015: We came under attack about half an hour ago. One man from what I could tell, it was hard to make out even with night scopes but it looked like our black clad man from yesterday. The Bastard took out four more of my men, all of the platoons special weapons and now it?s too dark to risk going back for them. His accuracy with that gun is frightening, it sounds a bit like my bolt pistol whatever it is. We decimated the jungle with our return fire, I don?t think we hit nothing. We?ve regrouped and we?re ready for him, no matter how good he is he?s still only one man.
Day 4: 0045
Trooper Murphy here, everyone?s dead but me, slaughtered by that monster out there. He was watching us from the start, picking us off, we never had a chance. I watched him decapitate the Sarge before we even realised he was here, his sword and that damn gun killing all my comrades. I don?t even think we hit anything. I?m sitting here alone in the dark, I can hear him out there, he wants me to hear him I know it. The tyranids on Piscina didn?t scare me half as much as what I?m feeling now. I hope this is worth it Inquisitor Fellon, where?s the emperor now?
File ends.
Project Alpha
The most controversial of these many experiments was the long forgotten Alpha project. The idea was to create a new breed of killer from the ground up, everything from genetics, nano technology and augmetics down to weapons, uniform and equipment was thought out as part of one whole. The Creators wanted to create the perfect assassin.
Using advanced technologies long since lost, the creators built a human being molecule by molecule, subtly manipulating his D.N.A to create the best possible human ever born. He would never age past his prime, he would be stronger, faster and smarter than any other man, he would be harder to hurt and would heal quicker as well as being immune to practically all disease. He would be perfect, and all this was before they enhanced him.
Nano technology meant that his strength would increase to equal that of a space marine due to the millions of machines augmenting his muscles. Millions more flowed around inside his blood, healing wounds in seconds that would kill a lesser man, allowing skin to knit together and body parts to regrow. Advanced cybernetics gave him an incredibly tough titanium alloy endo skeletal structure as well as night vision filters for his eyes, allowing him to see in a wide number of different light spectrums perfectly.
Perhaps most importantly of all, lobo-chips were installed into his brain to heighten awareness and reflexes, allowing the assassin to make complex decisions in a nano-second. This also meant that combat training could be ?hard wired? into his psyche, meaning his skills would always be instinct, they would never get dull no matter how long he went without combat.
These lobo-chips are still in use today, the Eversor assassins all have a set installed. However, their full potential is never to be realised as the Eversor?s creators only use them in the crudest sense to make the assassins uncontrollable maniacs.
A lot of the Alpha?s equipment also survived in some form or another in today?s organisation. His armoured body suit was the basis for the streamlined synskin worn by today?s assassins and his recon pack was refined into the Eversor?s sentinel array. Also, his weapons were the first examples of the exitus family of weapons, originally consisting of a pistol, sub-machine gun and long rifle. Eventually the s.m.g was dropped as the Vindicare temple became more specialised and no longer required a short to medium range assault weapon.
After extensive testing and combat experience, the Alpha was deemed a success and the creators begun to construct a number of copies. Only fifty had been completed by the time the Horus Heresy broke out across the imperium. With stretched resources and personnel, the officio assassinorum could no longer afford to carry out the long and laborious process of creating the Alphas so had to scrap the project and simplify its techniques.
Despite the rave reports pushing for immediate Alpha deployment, the experiments were not a complete success. The assassin?s were practically uncontrollable on the ground, they were utterly ruthless and would kill absolutely everything in their way to their objective, sometimes wildly deviating from their mission path to slaughter some isolated village or encampment, whatever they deemed as heretical or traitorous. Out of combat they found it difficult to communicate due to their extremely high intelligence, humans seemed slow and dim-witted to them. This form of isolation at first caused frustration, then extreme depression. They were also the source of a strange phenomenon. Whenever a psyker was placed within the same general vicinity as an Alpha, the psyker would gibber uncontrollably and commonly attempt to harm himself or escape the room. However the Alphas were undeniably good at their job and did not fail a single mission in their evaluation period, so the decision was made to keep them as they would be invaluable in the coming troubles.
Numbered 1-A through 50-A, the Alphas deployed across the galaxy on a number of extremely dangerous missions. Eventually their numbers dwindled as they were always used in the most deadly operations with almost impossible objectives, and by the end of the heresy only 12 remained. Over zealous, psychotic murderers seen by some as a liability to the organisation?s integrity, the Alphas existence was shunned by the higher echelons of the Officio Assassinorum. They remaining Alphas continued their service to the Emperor after the Heresy, being absorbed into whatever temple suited their particular preferences regarding styles of assassination, always being sent on suicide missions thought to be impossible to complete.
One by one these elite killers fell, all dying alone on some far flung world or another, until none remained and the legacy of the Alphas was forgotten, all records of this highly secretive Project expunged from the Officio Assassinorum?s records forever.
In the year 937.M41 rogue trader vessel ?Carma Deus? came across a small, unmarked black pod drifting while transiting a trade route North of the Halo stars. After bringing it onboard, initial scan showed that the heavily damaged vessel contained a life form held in stasis, and was probably an escape pod from a larger craft of ancient imperial design.
Intrigued by his natural curiosity, the rogue trader ordered the pod opened in haste as he desperately wanted to know what was inside this historical relic.
The pod was entirely black, it?s smooth surface pitted and scarred by thousands of years of minor debris impacts. Across the lower portion of the craft there was also evidence of laser scarring. The pod was covered in barely visible intricately detailed runes, thousand of them painstakingly carved into the surface by some long dead serf, their meanings unknown.
?There are no visible external controls, manual or otherwise that would allow entry to the pod.? Dave, the ships short, constantly flustered chief technician said impatiently as his eyes glanced over the pict viewer in the cargo annex room. Techs on rogue trader ships were often trained by ex enginseers or techpriests but generally lacked the religious beliefs of the machine cult, taking a more practical view of their machinery. This was a necessity on a self sufficient vessel that would be travelling alone for months or years without any available support. Indeed, the entire crews of trader ships often held a no-
bs outlook on life, which was greatly frowned upon whenever they were in the company of any more zealous imperial citizens.
?Well blow the fragging doors off then! I want to get inside that pod and I don?t give a flying grox gak how you do it!? Carmen Seal retorted angrily.
Born of imperial nobility, the Rogue trader was remarkably down to earth as far as noble dignitary went but he still hated anyone not doing exactly what he told them.
?It?s not as simple as that boss, we could risk destroying who or whatever?s in the thing.?
This argument went on for another couple of minutes before a calm voice silenced them both in a second.
?I can open it for you.? Surrithen, the ship?s astropath had appeared behind them, . He leaned over Dave?s shoulder and pointed at the barely visible detailing on the pod?s hull.
?this is a psychic lock.? He went on to explain as all three men huddled round the pict viewer.
?I?ve seen one of these before on an Adeptus Astartes craft. These runes will activate when they receive a specific psychic code, which is the only way of opening them.?
Carmen asked him exactly how he knew the code that opened the pod, and Surrithen went on.
?I don?t. However, this is designed to respond to a specific message received from many light years away. If you put me in the same room as this pod, I can hit it with concentrated psychic energy which should overload the matrix and open it.?
?simple as that huh?? Dave muttered. Surrithen nodded, a grin on his face showing his obvious satisfaction at outsmarting the blunts.
?well get on with it then.?
Carmen Said loudly with a wave of his arm.
The strain could be seen on the psyker?s face as he stood facing the battered escape pod, eyes held tightly shut and teeth clenched. Carmen stood beside him, with ten of his crew fanned out behind him training combat shotguns on the pod. Traces of quicksilver flitted about the room as the air took an unreal quality about it, everyone inside could feel the psychic energy around them making the hairs on their necks stand on end. Nothing happened for an agonising minute until, one by one the runes began to glow. Carmen?s face split into a hungry grin as the runes grew brighter and brighter until with a loud crack, aeons old servos kicked into life. The entire front of the pod shot out a couple of inches, allowing gasses from the disengaging stasis unit to vent with a loud hiss. As this happened the psychic energies evaporated instantly, Surrithen fell back onto the floor unconscious as though he had been physically hit and a sense of uneasiness filled everyone in the room.
Crewmen tightened fingers on triggers and shuffled uncomfortably as they waited for something to happen. With the gasses expelled, the ancient pod?s front portion swung out to one side, revealing a dark interior, large enough to contain 2 men, or perhaps one man plus extensive supplies.
Operative 34-A had woken instantly, his enhanced body not suffering from the drowsiness that accompanies humans as they wake. Initial reports flickered across his vision, air composition, dimensions of the room he was in, locations and types of other life forms in the immediate vicinity categorised and sorted into target priority. Immediately on his guard, 34-A ventured outside to scout the area, the pod had opened without him receiving mission instructions so it must be an emergency. The pod fed him information that his ship had experienced a contact shortly after leaving the previous mission area and had had to jettison the escape pod. He had been drifting in stasis ever since, but the unusual part was the time frame. The pod told him that this all happened nearly ten thousand years ago.
He found himself inside some sort of cargo area, with 12 men in front of him, one lying prone on the floor. Looking around him he calculated and decided on the best combat strategy taking into account all of the men?s weapons, their physical conditioning and predicted reactions. This took about 0.002 of a second. He looked at the obvious leader, a tall, middle aged man dressed in the garish garb of a highly ranked imperial officer.
A man stepped out to greet them. His entire body minus head and finger tips was covered in a tight fitting matt black body suit which in turn was covered in an array of pouches and weaponry. The man glanced around the room quickly, then stood immobile, his cold grey eyes fixed on Carmen Seal. His face was gaunt and pale with several deep scars running down it, his greying hair cut in a severe military crop. His body looked impossibly muscled under the body suit, as though he was built from granite. The man stood perfectly still, except his fingers which he flexed constantly as muscles underneath his suit twitched unnaturally.
Carmen could not meet his gaze, so he looked down as he tried to speak.
?I am Carmen Seal, Imp? Imperial Trader. We found your pod drif?drifting nearby and we rescued you.? Carmen felt increasingly uncomfortable as the man stared at him, like an invisible force was choking the life out of him.
?lower your weapons, if I intended you harm you would already be dead. You have no need to fear me if you are imperial servants.?
Operative 34-A felt he should play along until he could investigate further, the man who identified himself as Carmen Seal was telling the truth, as all his bio readings showed him to be a genuinely honest, if extremely afraid individual. The very faint humming suggested that they were on a ship in space, so he would have no means of escape anyway. He would bide his time before deciding what to do next.
Without waiting for Carmen?s command the crewmen all immediately lowered their guns and relaxed slightly.
Carmen was beginning to regret picking up this life pod, and he cursed himself for letting his greed get the better of him. Carmen had only felt like this one other time in his life. Early on in his career he was a member of an inquisitor?s retinue, on one particular mission the inquisitor made use of a peculiar looking individual also dressed all in black wearing a large, arcane skull helm.
?Pariah? Carmen whispered under his breath.
The man nodded at him and smiled.
He heard me! Carmen thought. He was definitely regretting this.
Rules:
ELITES:
OPERATIVE 34-A
pts
WS BS S T W I A
Ld SvOperative 34-a 6 5 4 5 3 6 3 10 3+/4+
dodge
Options: operative 34-A has an armoured body suit, advanced recon/sensor pack, exitus s.m.g, combat knife (
ccw), monofilament blade, frag grenades and melta bombs. must be equipped as described below and may not be equipped in any other way.
Special rules:
Independent character: Operative 34-A is an independent character as described on page 50 of the warhammer
40k rulebook except that he cannot ever join or lead a unit.
Fearless: Operative 34-A is an implacable foe and automatically passes all morale, leadership and pinning tests.
Infiltrate: Operative 34-A is an Officio assassinorum operative and is extremely adept at covert operations. Therefore he can infiltrate when the mission allows.
Dodge: Operative 34-A has lightning reflexes and may choose a 4+ invulnerable dodge save instead of his armour.
Wargear:
Armoured body suit: A precursor to the synskin worn by todays assassins, the armoured body suit is a personalised body glove created using the highly advanced technology of the period of 34-A?s construction.
It consists of an under suit filled with a gel like substance composed of millions of reactive polymer particles designed to momentarily stiffen upon impact with projectiles of any kind. This alone is effective enough to stop most small arms, but when combined with the outer Adamantium carapace it becomes equal to a much bulkier suit of power armour. This suit would be too heavy for a normal human to wear unassisted but 34-A?s extremely enhanced physique makes light work of it. The armoured body suit confers a 3+ armour save.
Advanced recon/sensor pack: As well as enhanced lobo-chips increasing the operative?s reflexes tenfold, his comms-unit/battle cogitator enables him to access enemy radio frequencies as well as an array of sensors. Counts as an Auspex and allows operative 34-A to re-roll the distance he can see in night fighting scenarios.
Exitus Sub machine gun: Standard issue for all Alpha grade operatives, the exitus s.m.g was phased out of the Exitus range of weapons as the assassin?s roles became more specialised. The Exitus s.m.g uses the same ammunition and method of delivery as the exitus pistol, making for a lethal short range weapon.
Weapon Range Strength
AP Type
Exitus S.M.G 18? 5 2 Assault2
Monofilament blade: Operative 34-A?s personal blade. Counts as a power weapon with the following rules.
Killing machine: Such is operative 34-A?s skill with his blade, when he charges he may choose to attack in one of two ways.
Bring it on!: When 34-A is vastly outnumbered his strikes become extremely fast, attempting to kill as many enemies in the shortest possible time. Counts as a power weapon but +
D6 attacks instead of one when charging.
Killing blow: When fighting a particularly powerful enemy, 34-A will hold back until he sees an opening in the enemy?s defences before launching his devastating attack. His Blade counts as a powerfist but 34-A may only use his base attacks (3).
After the initial round of combat, the blade counts as a normal power weapon.
