<div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/6/6e/Deathwatch-art6.png)</div>Watch Fortress Erioch, Briefing room Tertius, 23:00<br/><br/>Arriving at the briefing room at the scheduled hour, the members of Kill Team Invicta would be greeted by the familiar appearance of Watch Captain Brand Mac Lir.<br/><br/>"Brothers." The basso burr of his voice echoed from the walls of the chamber, as he gestured towards the hololith in the center of the room. Invoking the machine spirit to wakefulness, it lit up to display a slightly grainy image, the irregular proportions easily recognisable as characteristic of a space hulk.<br/><br/>"The Harbinger of Desolation," he announced, gesturing towards it with one power armoured gauntlet. "It has not been seen in the Reach for some seven decades, and was discovered by a patrol in the Arnatis system, just outside of the Black Reef. At the request of our Mechanicum allies, Kill Team Augusta conducted an initial purge and sweep three months ago. They were able to secure a route for the Mechanicum forces to reach their target, a vessel near the centre of the hulk." His finger passed through the insubstantial image, causing a slight flicker, and indicated a strange vessel silhoette whose size appeared to exceed even that of an Emperor Class battleship.<br/><br/>"It was their belief that this vessel was human, at least as old as the Great Crusade, and possibly even pre-Imperium." He paused to look around at the team. "If correct, then even heavily damaged the potential information that could be retrieved from it could be literally priceless to them."<br/><br/><div align="center">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/8/8d/Harbinger_of_Desolation.jpg)</div><br/>"We know that they were able to reach their destination with acceptable losses, and began to conduct a systematic examination of the vessel. After missing three scheduled check ins, a force of Skitari was dispatched to determine why. This recording is all that they were able to transmit before contact with them was also lost."<br/><br/>From the vox caster built into the hololith a static-laced transmission began to play.<br/><br/>+++ INCOMING TRANSMISSION +++<br/><br/>...ator team be...<br/>...rbinger of des...on...<br/>...reque...<br/>...peat, requesting ur...<br/>...ties rising...<br/>...Magos...<br/>...iron. They ar...<br/>...ve deus mechanic...<br/>...<br/>...<br/><br/>+++ TRANSMISSION TERMINATED AT SOURCE +++<br/><br/>"Magos Kanto, the ranking member of the Mechanicum on station evaluated the situation as being beyond the capability of his remaining forces, and returned to Erioch to request additional Death Watch assistance. You will be returning with him to the Harbinger, his vessel due to complete resupply in two hours."<br/><br/>From the briefing table nearby he lifted an oath parchment, sealed with the Deathwatch insignia on the red wax. "Kill Team Invicta, you will board the Harbinger of Desolation, and make your way to the vessel at its heart. You will determine the fate of both the initial Mechanicum explorator team, and the Skitari that were sent to locate them. Should they have been lost, you will exact vengeance upon their slayers, and deal with any further threats as you judge necessary."<br/><br/>He stepped forward, holding up the oath parchment. "Kill Team Invicta, do you accept your role in this matter? Do you swear this Oath of Moment upon your honour, to bring this mission to a successful conclusion whatever threats you encounter? Do you pledge to do honour to the Deathwatch, to your chapter, and to Him on Earth?"<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Mission Objectives</div><div class="spoiler_body"><strong>Primary Objectives: </strong><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li>Determine the fate of the Explorator team.</li><li>Exact vengeance upon their slayers if they are lost.</li><li>Deal with any further threats as appropriate.</li></ul><strong>Secondary Objectives: </strong><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li>Determine the fate of the Skitari force.</li><li>Exact vengeance upon their slayers if they are lost.</li></ul><strong>Tertitary Objectives: </strong><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li>Return any useful data or devices to the Mechanicum</li></ul></div></div>