... And High Water

Skuld releases the breath she had held when her sensors had picked up the roof-top team. She messages Alanah:

To: Alanah < Seraph Sniper >
From: Skuld < Still the Tek Grrrl >

I thank you, Alanah. I had thought for certain that we were going to see father Ōðinn in Valhöll. Since it seems that we'll miss the ever-flowing mead of that hall, let me buy for you a pint when we finish here. Or twenty, as suits you. Takk.

Her next message is to Dahlia.

To: Dahlia < Black Magic Woman >
From: Skuld < the Tek Grrrl >

Vennine, we are heading into the tunnel. We shall look for a central support structure, and unleash our ersatz fire ship against it. Please have your spirits scout ahead of us, and report to us what defenses await us, as well as where we can find such a structure.

Sleipnir's ballista launcher turns and targets the post for the metal beam blocking the entrance to the tunnel and fire at it, removing the obstacle.

(OOC: Since we're out of combat, I've not rolled that last bit. If you need a roll for it, let me know, Phantom)

The barrier bursts under the rocket's blast, the iron beam falling without support, crushing the wounded guard beneath. Sleipnir leaps forward, jumping a bit as it's wheels pass over the beam, and speeds down into the darkness of the tunnel.

Inside, Skuld networks her comm with Sleipnir's sensors. She begins scanning the tunnel with Sleipnir's sensors, using the ultra-wide-band radar to feed her an indepth picture of the tunnel. She posts the results in an open file that she formats as a map, which she watches in a window before her eyes.

Sensor Test:

Sensor 2 + Clearsight 6 = 8 =0 hits

Skuld's mission was a resounding success, the supply tunnel had been blown to kingdom come and another of Ria's lieutenants was dead. This would have normally brought a smile to the entire Cleric, except that her partner had been trapped inside of the astral realm. Dahlia body was limp from the assault the enemies spirits had on her, the small army of ghostly things had assualted her mind, leaving the soul and the flesh separated for who only knew how long.

Skuld's van had carried Dahlia back to the Cleric's chapel, where almost the entire assembly had arrived to welcome back the team of hopeful saviors. Instead they each morned the lose of what the team had already suffered. too many deaths for what started out as a simple mission. "Though we wander through the valley and shadow of death we shall fear no evil. For thou have friends who are willing to stand by yourside till what ever end may come, amen."

Alexander Korben, the dwarf who now served as the acting leader for the organization, led the prayers for the team in as many religions and languages as was none to the Cleric, and since they turned no one away, it was many. But thankfully not too long as the Matron was still captured by her sister Ria. "Lady Skuld, you have once again returned victorious, albeit with a heavy cost. You once again stand alone to face what maybe the end for the Cleric. As such I can no longer ask of you anything more., I would only ask more of a full member to the Cleric. So we welcome you with open arms, Sister Skuld." The entire assembliage rose for the woman, and they welcomed her with the usual chant. "We shall follow you who protects us, from now to the here after, whatever may come." And Alexanders voice would not be far from behind. "And I shall lead you who saved me, Amen."

Alexander waved to the Guards at the door as the new team was allowed to enter the main chapel and meet the Cleric, including Skuld. "I've decidedd that instead of refreshing you with already experienced team members, that I would give you one to lead yourself. Please make sure to fill them in on the specifics and feel free to ask me any questions as per usual Sister Skuld." The motley crew of runners had just arrived not moments earlier, and were now whisked into an accompaniment of almost hundreds of people, none the least of which seemed worried that they might cause them harm.

((Alrighty folks, game on... again. Post in quick so we can get going.))

Skuld's face was ashen, the mascara around her eyes streaked, dark rivulets running down the white of her cheeks to touch the edges of her black-painted lips. She had stood throughout the entire ceremony, her armor and clothes covered in blood and grime, her submachine gun slung over one shoulder. She had stared at Dahlia's body as the woman was placed in state, her eyes seeming to stare through the young mage to some distant place only she could see. The conspicuous absence of the other runners, the boys, was felt by her as only a strange feeling of something missing.
She hears the Clerics members as they induct her into their little church, and hears goodman Korben as he makes his pledges... and then gives the reigns over to her. She stares down into his eyes, her own the color of the sky before a thunderstorm. "Takk." Her voice is flat, the word without inflection, her face without expression, and she turns on her heel and walks over to the pulpit.
Skuld pulls the HK from her shoulder, and places it on top of the pulpit. She then reaches to her side, pulling back the straps that secured her armor vest and removes the constricting piece of kevlar. She lets it fall to her feet. She then strips off the armor pieces covering her arms, legs, and abdomen, and let them all fall to the floor. The wound on her side is obvious, a slow seep of blood still escaping the hole left by the bullets which had nearly killed her, dark red against the pale flesh that could be seen through the ragged gap in her shirt. Alanah had saved her life, but the damage was a reminder of how close it had been. Other bullet holes are obvious, and blood, some wet and some dry, cakes the dark fabric of her halter top.
She slowly turns and leans against the pulpit, one arm wrapped around her stomach, clutching at the wound, the other propped on the edge of the pulpit itself. A few stray locks of her hair, which hung down to her waist and was as matted with grime as the rest of her, falls across her face, obscuring her bloodshot eyes as she watches the runners now coming into the room.

Kali is the first of the newcomers to slip through the door, and she pauses for a moment to peer around at the large gathering. With a slight florish, she heads between the pews to the front of the area. The florish causes her floor length cloak to flare slightly, but not much (it clearly weights more then cloth can account for - armor plated perhaps?). Its brilliant red length is covered with an intricate geometric patern in gold (or maybe its gold length is covered with a pattern in red - its hard to tell) and it has no arms, so while it is only bound at the neck, it conceals her entire body. However, at least one thing she wears underneath it is clear, as the click of siletto heels echo on the floor. However, what really draws attention his her head. Her face is somewhat plain, but her deep blue skin, covered with gold nano-tat which matches her cloak (or once again, gold skin, blue tat, hard to tell) certainly stands out in a crowd and she boasts a third eye in the middle of her forehead, clearly cybered, as are her regular eyes.

Her light steps, bright joyous colors, and dance-like movements seem almost obscense against the backdrop of grief in the church, but her voice is somber enough. "I understand things have been rough for this group of late. You have my sympathy. Sill, I'm hear now and I expect I'll be able to help turn things around."

OOC: GAH! Character sheet vanished... actually, I think I accidentally copied over it while working on another character... I'll get her reconstructed tonight. I remember most of it. But in the meantime, she isn't in the character thread if you go looking for her, just so no-one is supprised...

EDIT: Kay, she's rebuilt. I know I didn't match it identically - there are a couple of things I couldn't remember and at least one I changed on purposed. But she's close enough.

The next to walk in is a young Chinese man of medium-small build, dressed in an odd garment: something like a tan long coat with wide sleeves that splits into front and back flaps once it reaches the waist, with loose-fitting white pants underneath. He takes in the sight of the crowded church evenly and calmly, barely raising an eyebrow at Kali's ostentatious appearence. What does draw a reaction, however, is the sight of Skuld in her bloodstained halter top, bone-weary and surrounded with bloodstained bits of armor. He has a medkit out in a split second, and deftly weaves his way through the dense crowd in scarcely more time than that. He is ascending the steps of the pulpit and unrolling a bandage when Skuld puts up a hand.

"Later."

The man opens his mouth to object- then closes it, warned by something in Skuld's expression. Stepping down from the pulpit and rolling the bandage back up, he straightens up and clears his throat.

"Call me Tao. I've been hired to provide some backup: by the looks of things, I'm in the right place. Please finish the briefing quickly, so that I may treat this woman."

Skuld's grey eyes looked over the two runners who had walked into the Cleric. The exotic blue woman, and the Asian with the instincts of a medic. She stared hard at each of them, trying to divine something about the individuals themselves. After a time, she closed he eyes, shutting out the world. She had never been able to read people. She only truly felt comfortable with the matrix acting as a buffer between herself and social interaction. She had been surprised when this run began and those around her had drawn her out, made her... but that was past. Dead, and now buried.
She looked over at where Dahlia had been lain. Her body had now been removed, but Skuld could still see her... could see her though Sleipnir's internal camera, lying on the seat next to her rigger's cocoon. She had looked asleep, her body completely relaxed. And then she had convulsed, every tendon in her body drawing tight, the eyes opening to show rolling whites, her mouth open in a silent scream. And then, nothing. The tension had flowed out of her, and she had looked as she had before. Except that she did not breath, her heart did not beat.
Skuld had been raised to believe that a death in battle was glorious, that it was the greatest thing that a person could aspire to in life. She had seen that auvirði Iceblade meet a warrior's end at the hands of the Phantom, and she had felt nothing save a certain pang of envy. After all, even one such as Iceblade could attain Valhalla if there was enough courage in him. But with Dahlia... to have one's soul ripped from one's body; was there even an afterlife possible under those conditions?
"Ōðinn taka þu till Valhöll, systr. I'll take me your wereguild from Ria's own worthless skin."

Skuld opens her eyes, and speaks to the two runners before her. "To take the money of the Cleric is to take you an oath. It is to take you Death's own hand and hold it close. Our enemy is... skuddsikre. She has ice of the blackest sort all about her. She hides in her fortress like an edderkopf in her web. She... smiles at us as we come to her like flies." Skuld's face had changed as she spoke, the emotionless mask which she had worn before falling away as each word left her throat. Now her features were a mummer's mask of rage, her lips thin and grey, hey eyes slitted and filled with thunder. On the podium, the hand she supported herself on was white-knuckled, four long scratches left on the wood veneer as her fingers had drawn up. She spits the next words, "I swear on my blood, on my name, that I shall hear me Ria's last breath before I go to Father Ōðinn." The phrase had the ring of a curse to it.
Skuld took a shaking breath in, closing her eyes as she did so. When she opened them, she looked directly at Kali, her voice tight. "Do not think you that our prey is no predator." She pushed herself off the podium, letting the hand around her wound fall to her side as she did so. "Of the original band set again' her, only I remain. The dead at her feet, sterk warriors all, want not for company." She turned her gaze to Tao. "There shall be much blood spilt, e'er the day is done and we jack out. Do no concern yourself with it overly much." Her say done, she leans back against podium, a pained look passing over her features as she did so.
"Ria has hacked us again and again. She tried to geek us all when this war began, but lacked the strength. She has since contented her with picking us off like geese in a lake. She lets us die as we chase her, laughing over her shoulder at our pains." Skuld's eyes tighten again. "I devised the plan we followed when last we set 'gainst her. I suggested we hack her from multiple nodes at once, make her spend her cycles trying to fend us off. Make her mad, make her loose focus... that was my plan." She sighs, and her eyes sweep across the two again. "Again, I was the only one make it back." She looks to Korben. "Dahlia died in mine own care. We succeeded in our mission, but lost the battle still." She looks to Korben. "The boys... we sent against Ria's base itself, to let Ria feel her that she was not safe in her own lands. I do not know of what has happened to them, but goodma -Bror Korben must have the tale of it." She lets herself slide down until she is sitting on the floor in front of them. "I would ask him that he tells us now of what has happened to them."

Alexander let a long sigh from his lungs, his shoulders slumped as he searched for the words on what he must tell them. "The longest journeys begin with a single step. Dahlia as far as we all know is still stuck in the astral realm, her body is still technically alive, but she has no soul, no mind. As for the Gentlemen, our overhead searches showed that they had demolished Ria's supply base, and even disrupted her deliveries for quite some time, but we have not heard hide nor hair of The gentlemen or of Anton Levevich, we are going to continue searching for them, but for now we have to deal with what we know. Matron is still in Ria's main base, and It is our intention to use her disruption in supplies to our best advantage."

Alexander stepped down from the stage, his dwarf body was pint sized compared to the rest of yours, but his blue eyes betrayed a deeper wisdom, a knowledge that could oly be gained through experience. "What I have planned for your mission is fairly simple, as a matter of fact, if it goes well. It should lead us directly to Matron." He took a deep breath as he leaned back against the stage, looking for a moment to size up her reaction. "We have intel on a second supply route, this one is no where near as busy as her primary, it is less guarded, and it has plenty of blind corners for you to steal one of her delivery trucks to infiltrate her base." Alexander pulled up a map over view of Ria's base, and the second supply line. "If you can do a smash and grab of one of her vehicles, it would give all of us instant access to her base. We actually are currently setting up a temporary warehouse on a side road so you can pull the vehicle in and make any modifications you would need." Alexander seemed a little up beat about this mission, hopefully because it seemed fairly simple. "The pay is comenserate with previous missions, ¥25,000 a piece. Now Lady Skuld, you see that we have simply taken your digital idea and brought it to the physical realm, her base is currently running on half of it's normal supplies, her troops will be hungry and tired. Hopefully this should make her life even worse. Any questions?"

Kali shrugs, looking sympathetic but unconcerned by the litany of death. "To dance the dance of life is to dance upon the great wheel itself for its heart is a dance of time. A missed step may mean destruction, but the dance always is always one of destruction in the end, no matter how skilled the dancer. It cannot be otherwise - no creation without destruction, no death without life. I am in."

Pausing, the gunslinger takes a moment to look around at those gathered. She suspected they could be trusted to try... but could they be trusted to produce a success? That was the important question and she was far less certain of that answer. Still... to win one must risk. "Might I suggest two strikes, if possible? We have a Cleric team hit one of her truck's a long way from base - far enough out to minimize her ability to send support to it and so minimize the risk to the strike team. In fact, hitting two of them would be better still. But the Cleric team or teams strike not to capture - but to destroy. Meanwhile, we hit and capture the truck closest to the base. The confustion from the other attacks should help cover our primary strike and they should be eager to get our truck safely into the cover of the base, helping us slide swifty through their security."

Skuld sighed when Korben told her that Dahlia wasn't dead. At least, not completely. She hadn't been able to find the woman's pulse, but that didn't mean anything. She'd not really known what she was doing when she checked the woman, only miming what she had seen medics do before. It was a relief, but a muted one. Dahlia was still lost, her soul somewhere that no-one could reach.

Skuld listened as the exotic woman, Kali, put her hand in. The woman acted like she didn't scare easily, which as all to the good. Still, Skuld realized that she must not have managed to convey exactly how dangerous their enemy was.
She shook her head as the woman finished her plan. "Nay. Splitting our strength cost us too much last time." She pauses, then smiles at the woman. "But you have the right of it, to my mind. A distraction would better our chances 'gainst Ria. We need not send our people to accomplish this. Leave it to me. Give to me some time before we leave, and I shall ensure that Ria's eyes shall have many demands upon them when we try our hack." As she had spoken a spark had entered her eyes, a glimmer that spoke of some savage joy. For the first time since coming back to the run, Skuld found herself thinking on something other than loss and revenge.
She grinned as she thought, her teeth showing white beneath her black lipstick. "Bror Korben, if you can give me coordinates where Ria's supply line runs, I shall make certain that the local authorities have good cause to take interest in the place. When they do, that would be the best time to make our move. We can take us our prey, and return to Ria under the pretense of fleeing from the 'Star. With luck, they will be so distracted that they will not pay over much attention to us when we come to the base."

Tao sat back and quietly absorbed the remarkable briefing. It was a great deal to take in- he was expecting to meet a group of knuckle-dragging criminals and be asked to participate in some sordid legbreaking or theft. Instead, an impressively theatrical tale of vendetta unfolded before him- one that would have a fair claim on being called epic. Skuld impressed him favorably, proving intelligent and magnetic: Kali simply puzzled him, the striking contrast of her red-on-gold coat with her blue skin and her frankly bizzare statement about the 'dance of life' almost causing him to miss the fact that she moved like a snake. Sensing that the discussion is moving too quickly for him- moving to a specific battle plan with fundamental questions unanswered- he leans forward.

"Wait. You ask me to join a sworn brotherhood dedicated to the destruction of a deadly enemy. This is no small thing, and I want some questions answered before I decide to join you.
This Ria- she has fortresses, trained soldiers, military hardware. How? Where does all that power come from?"

Skuld had nearly forgotten the Asian man in his earth-toned cloak. Her eyes moved to him, no longer grey but a pale blue now. She nodded her head when he had finished speaking, making his demand for more information before committing. She took a moment, letting her head lean back to rest against the veneer of the podium, her eyes staring into the artful vaulting of the ceiling. Finally, she lets her attention come back to Tao and says, "Sann, 'tis a good question. I've spent cycles searching out what it is that Ria has, but not from whence it came. To be fair, mine attempts to track info on the slitch have had the seeming of chasing a dream, or a shadow. She has no trail which I can search out, no history beyond the point wherein she attacked us." Her eyes fade again to grey. "And it has been give to me that there are no secrets on the 'trix which may long cover them theirselves from mine sight." She takes a breath, then lets her head turn in Korben's direction. "Bror Korben has turned up information on whence comes her supplies, but I have heard me not the source of her power or wealth."

Alexander would lean back and ponder the asian man's questions for a moment, "How did Ria get her army and fortress? We honestly don't know. Matron and I spent most of our entire lives gathering various members and building The Cleric from the ground up. We can only assume that she has done the same. At the moment, we don't have enough active members that can assist you in attacking twice, but I believe Sister Skuld can easily supply you with more than enough firepower."

Skuld's face splits into a grin with far too many teeth at Korben's remark, her eyes dancing with a devilish light.

Kali matches Skuds grin with a feral one of her own. "Her plan seems a sound one, and an improvment on my own. All that remains, I believe, is to see how quickly we can implement it." The blue-skins woman suddenly bursts into a bubble of delighted laughter. "I do believe, between Skud, what you have told us of this Ria, and my own abilities, we shall soon prove to the world once and for all that the female of the species really is more deadly then the male!"

Skuld chuckles at Kali's statement, then grabs her side as her wound makes itself felt once again. She grimaces for a moment, then her smile reasserts itself as she leans back against the podium. "Certes, grrrl power all the way, ja?" A bit of the animal showing in her grin again, Skuld adds, "But mayhap I should introduce you to mine brothers some good day. Vikingar men are perchance somewhat deadlier than those you have known."

She looks over to Tao, her grin turning less aggressive and asks of the man, "I fear me that we have little more info for you to DL. Our foe is fearsome, and you may turn us down if you wish it. 'T'would rather you take you your leave freely now, than to join with doubt in your heart." She leans her head back and says, "Either way, I would have this meet done with. I am sore tired, and would take me rest before I attempt the 'trix before our battle."

Alexander clears his throat, taking a glance at the two ladies. "Before you to start some sort of riot on your own, need I remind that 50 percent of your team is male?" Taking a moment to see if they would catch on... "Yes i'm afraid I maybe getting old, but I'll be joining you on this mission, Matron Sarah does mean a lot to me, and I want to see her returned to The Cleric. For this mission we will be meeting at a particular curve in the road that forces the convoys to slow down or go over a cliff, this will give us a near perfect choke point to catch a vehicle. But her next convoy isn't for another 9 hours, our temporary base should be set up by that point, but for now I would suggest you familiarize yourself with each others skills, because this will not be easy." Alex would crack his neck and turn from the group to begin heading downstairs. "Sister Skuld, Your equipment should be repaired shortly. Could you do me a favor and show them to the Garage and the Equipment Room. Feel free to pick out something new for yourself as well."

((Yes folks, it's pre-hell raising reward time, This means you can get 1 item you want that's 25F or under in all of the shadowrun books. If you need something that isn't in the books, PM me and I'll see what I can do. Remember to choose wisely and happy hunting.))

"Certes." Skuld stands up, supporting herself with one arm against the podium as she did so. She starts to bend over to grab some of her gear, but stops when he side makes itself felt again. She tries to turn the grimace that the pain brought into something of a grin, but was only marginally successful. She picks up the HK and slings it across her un-hurt left side, but leaves the armor where it lies. She motions for the new-comers to follow her, then passes through one of the doors at the back, leading the way down into the corridors of the Cleric. She stops before one of the doors and looks over her shoulder. Mischief playing in her eyes she swings the door open and motions grandiloquently with an outstretched arm.
"Help yourselves."
The room beyond is filled with various weapons, from small arms to drones. Various sundry pieces of techno-mongery are evident, from personal comms to old decks. Magical goods can be seen, talisma and melee weapons in racks and containers. "You have you your pick of what is here gathered. We can effect alterations is needed, and may call upon our black-market connections to procure us anything which you might not find here."

Skuld had watched for a moment, remembering how she had felt when she first entered this room. At the thought, Edder crawls out around her shoulder, and she moves a hand up to stroke his metal carapace. The movement causes her to wince, and she recalls her wound. "Take you what most attracts your eye, though remember you are given only one item to take. I must tend me to other matters. We shall meet again upstairs."
She walks out into the hallway, and makes her way to the infirmary.

After Skuld visited the Medical ward, a summons from Alexander would be sent to her rather cozy new quarters in the massive city that was The Cleric. She walked down several corridors, feeling rather more whole than before now that she had been mended and rested a bit, to find Alexander's personal workshop, buried deep within the complex.
She made a sound as she entered the room and saw him standing against a work bench with his hands busy playing upon an electronic do-dad that had little to no use yet. His face and robes were covered in various amounts of grime, even his workbench was cluttered and very disorganized, unusual for such a strange man.
"Sister Skuld, you've had a rough time handling Sleipner, so we've decided to give our savior Sister a bit of a gift." Skuld watched him reach forward and flip a switch on the wall, turning on the rest of the lights to the surprisingly cavernous room, although what laid in the center was truly a thing of beauty.
A very tall and brutish looking truck sat silently, like one of the Jötnar from legend, painted to a mirror finish black, with chrome bars and highly polished rims. The electronic signals from the vehicle began to almost hit Skuld like waves on an ocean, impressing upon her awakened mind a consciousness that was incredibly odd and familiar at the same time.
"We've upgraded Sleipner to a true warhorse." Seeing her raised eyebrow, he replied with a smug grin, "Yes i looked up the name. You've got a TaTa Hot Spur, but that is essentially just the shell of the machine. What we've done makes it that much more personal for you. She has smart tires with the appropriate engine modifications to not effect performance, and an offroad suspension. She's got a military rating 10 concealed armor, a re-enforced frame for ramming."
"Because no War Horse should ever be without a few toys, 4 Ares MP-LMG's in internal flexible remote operated turrets, two forward facing, two rear facing." As he mentioned each gun they rolled out of their personal pockets within the body of the machine, one in turn, as if it were showing off for her. A small grin spread over Alexanders lips as he continued, "We've also given her a main weapon, a GM Light Cannon, for your heavy work." With the mention of that particular wonder of chaos, death, and destruction, a scorpion tail-like device sprang from a currently uncovered bed of the vehicle, spinning the cannon in all directions and pointing in as many as it could.
"We've also moved your drone racks for your other pets: your flying drone sits behind the driver seat, while your walker sits behind the front passenger seat. We've moved your smaller rack to the left rear side of the bed, and left the rear seat on the right, just in case you want passengers. Each weapon has been upgraded to 250 rounds of Ex-Explosive rounds, 25 rounds for the cannon. Each drone has also been topped off with similar armaments.
"Because we felt you did such a good job with the sensors on the previous model, we moved them all directly to this one, but there was a problem in the transfer of all the hardware. It seams a little AI had followed you off of your previous mission and inserted itself in the hardware, it was causing all sorts of havoc for us until I mentioned your name in passing, then it settled right down and behaved itself while we finished the upgrades."
As Skuld walked towards the beast, it roared to life, the engine revving louder and louder, like a great beast from nordic legend, the massive amount of torque from the engine would lift the front end, like an animal trying to intimidate you. With a soft quivering hand she gently pressed her palm against the machine and it instantly settled down. It even felt like it was.... purring. Like a great horse welcoming it's mistress. "I think he likes you Sister, What do you think?"
Skuld grinned, her black-painted lips curling back around her white teeth. Her fingers played along Sleipnir's surfaces, the long nails gently drawing along the vehicle's clear-coat, teasing the beast. "...Anzvíti gott, Bror Korben. Ah, little Sleipnir..." She pressed herself against the vehicle, he cheek laying against the black finish while her fingers played up one side and down the other. The engine revved, the black SUV thrumming under her. "You know your mistress, ja?"
She took a step back, and turned to look at Korben. She doesn't say anything, but the look on her face speaks volumes. She's practically beaming, her face split wide by a genuine smile, he eyes twinkling amongst her smeared mascara.

She had walked up to the main hall afterwards, setting in at her customary position on the front pew, her head thrown back against the hardwood of the back, staring at the artful design of the ceiling. Her reverie was broken when the entranceway doors were thrown open... and in walked two figures, one of them decidedly familiar.
Skuld shut her eyes tight, a tight smile on her face, and said a prayer of thanks to the Norns.

Skuld laughed at the inimitable runner's manner remained as un-shakeable as she remembered. After all, they'd met when he had fallen through the roof tracking one of their lost number, and conducted his entrance interview into the team while at a not-so-metaphorical gun-point.
"I thought me that you were lost to us, min venn. Our numbers... are much reduced these days. Dahlia is comatose, and you are the only one of our other group who has come back to us." Her face grows serious as she speaks, but her gaze is steady as she looks him in the eyes.

Kali grins cheerfully at the newcomer. "So, the morned rise from the dead. An aspesious begining to out next strike I believe. I'm called Kali, and am one of the members of the new team. The current plan is to slip into Ria's headquarters via one of her supply vans."

Skuld nods to Kali, then turns back to Deathwatch. "But what of you, chummer? What did happen during your end of the run?" She sits on the arm of a pew as she asks, holding her hands in her lap as she regards the man.