So here we have Sons of Dorn, by Chris Roberson. IT wsa an okay novel.. it reminded me alot of 'Space Marine' in some ways. You had that 'humans turned into Space Marines' where we follow the process. Except that it focuses more on the scout phase of things and the events leading up to being a Marine. Which is rather different as Space Marine stories go, and is noteworthy for that. Story wise its nothing great but not exactly horrible either - you have 3 candidates formign a sort of triad, there's the same rivalries you get as in Space Marine, etc. Its strong poitns as a book are more in covering/explaining the 'creation process' aspect of Space Marines than anything, explaining the Fists and how they work, and generally the interactions between the three protagonists and their comrades.
This will also be a single update, whcih means that if Mr Counter does not make more IF novels this will also be probably one of the smallest threads I've ever done for a series
Page 8
I can't quite wrap my mind around what is sillier, a name that must have come right out of a CS Goto novel, or the idea that the Imperial Fists are really masochistic samurai analogues now.Surpassed in the Chapter’s estimation only by Primarch Rogal Dorn himself, Rhetoricus had near the end of his life distilled all he knew of combat and conquest, of weapons and warriors. In the resulting work, The Book of Five Spheres, Rhetoricus detailed the strengths and limitations of all of the potential weapons in a warrior’s arsenal, but reserved his greatest praise for the sword, which he considered the most perfect close-combat weapon ever devised by the mind of man.
PAge 9
Oh those wacky Tau. Imagine Brightsword trying to explain how this was 'For the Greater Good.'...full weight of the tau forces led by Commander Brightsword fell on Nimbosa before the Imperium’s forces had arrived. Not a single human colonist survived the assault, down to the youngest child.
Page 11
Ah it wasn't a small colony either. FOR THE GREATER GOOD!First he had failed to avert the tau offensive, and as a result he considered the death of the human colonists in their millions as his responsibility, and his alone.
PAge 13
I think this is supposed to explain why they are a fleet based chapter and make them out to be more of free-thinking, thoughtful types. But they're not Descended from Guilliman, so it clearly failsThe Chapter followed the wishes of Primarch Rogal Dorn, who had famously said that he desired “recruits, not vassals”, and who had wanted nothing of the responsibilities that came with having a home world to maintain. Instead, the Imperial Fists recruited from any number of inhabited planetary systems, visiting them in turn every few generations.
PAge 84
Linguistic implants and hypno conditioning on the strike cruiser teach the Fist all the languages of the planet.None of the three Triandrians could understand one another, but it hardly mattered. Captain Taelos was fully versed in all the languages of Triandr, thanks to linguistic implants via hypno-conditioning onboard the Imperial Fist strike cruiser Capulus while still en route to the planet.
Page 86
They expect to get a few possible canidates from a thousand from this planet alone. Ouch. Of course not all will die, just many of the,It would seem a successful cull,” Taelos said, his gaze scanning the battlefield, and his battle-brothers escorting young warriors in small groups to the gunships.
“Nearly two thousand, at last count,” Sergeant Hilts replied.
“Good,” Taelos answered. “With luck, perhaps a few of them will survive the trials.”
Hilts nodded in reply. “We should get a few neophytes out of this crop, I would expect. And maybe some of them will even make it to battle-brother.”
Page 93
"weeks and months" of examinations, which was preceded by preliminary scanning by the recruiters via auspex, culling the recruits of a dozen worlds. I will admit, this sounds better than some of the other practices I've read of (EG Blood Ravens in Goto's DoW novels.)The captain and the other Imperial Fists who had gone on the recruiting mission to the surface of Triandr had performed preliminary physical examinations by auspex, as they had on more than a dozen worlds before, returning to the strike cruiser only with those candidates who fit the physical profile. But the examinations which the Apothecary would employ in the coming weeks and months would be considerably more robust, and could potentially find defects and incompatibilities undetectable by a standard auspex.
Page 94
Physical/genetic parameters of the potential recruits, and why they need to recruit so young and be selective...the aspirants selected from the planet below were all young men between the ages of ten and fourteen years, all of suitable phenotype and morphology. Any potentials who had been beyond the age of fourteen had been left behind, deemed as already too fully grown for the successful administration of an Astartes’ implants, which required that the recipient’s body still be in the process of development. And while an auspex could do a basic scan of tissue compatibility, there was the possibility of variation on the genetic level that could still result in implanted organs failing to develop properly, which could only be identified in cellular-level examination in a fully equipped Apothecarion.
Page 94
the mental aspects of Space Marine recruiting and training - they indoctrinate them into the language and test to make sure they are receptive to other hypnotic techniques.As important as physical compatibility was in an aspirant, mental suitability was of equal importance, if not greater. Of the implants, the catalepsean node and occulobe could only develop to a fully functional condition under the stimulus of hypnotic suggestion. If the recruit’s mind proved to be resistant to hypno-conditioning, there would be no point in proceeding. Fortunately, among the first procedures performed on the aspirants upon their arrival to the strike cruiser was the force-teaching of Imperial Gothic by means of hypno-casques, and if the aspirant emerged from the process still unable to speak and comprehend the Imperium’s common tongue, it was a sure indicator that the more sophisticated hypnotic techniques employed in implantation would likewise fail.
Page 113
A dozen out of close to a thousand. That's better than "a few" I guess, but not by much, since this is only the beginning of things...a final Triandrian youth was escorted to them, leaving their number at an even dozen.
Page 127
Failed recruits who don't die will become serfs and eventually (if worthy) servitors. Yay efficiency?“This one no longer belongs among you. He is not now worthy to wear the gold armour of the Imperial Fists, nor will he ever be. Instead, he is to be reduced in status to a Chapter serf, and banished to the bowels of this strike cruiser. There he will tend her engines for the rest of his natural life, and if the Techmarine so wills it perhaps he will continue to serve the ship and Chapter as a servitor even after death claims him.”
Page 131
As many as a hundred from the 12 or thirteen worlds recruited from. or 100 out of 12-13 thousand or so, if the recruitment numbers were similar.When the twelve Triandrian aspirants entered through the now-opened door, there were already several dozen youths inside, perhaps as many as a hundred.
Page 147-148
Basically it can get so intense they're driven mad. The Pain Glove of course was a throwback to Ian Watson's space marine novel. Rather amazing its held through all these ages, considering it (like most things in tha tnovel) was meant to be a joke.It was a gibbet, a roughly cubical scaffolding of metal rods, from which was suspended what appeared at first glance to be a representation of the flayed skin of a grown man. With legs and arms and torso fabricated of a transparent material threaded with a network of needle-thin silvery wires, it lacked only a head and the tops of the shoulders to make it fully man-shaped.
"The pain glove" the Chaplain continued with an increased degree of reverence in hisvoice. "is an all-encompassing tunic of electrofibres suspended in a steel gibbet. These electrofibres interact directly with the nerves of the supplicant's flesh, sending excruciating pain signals ot the brain without causing any physical harm to the body itslef. The stimulation produces the same sensations as being burned allive, but with no actual damage being done... to the flesh, at least. The supplicant is kept conscious throughout the process, while waves of pain wash over him, but there are limits to the body's ability to process such intense sensations of pain, whether real or simulated."
Page 157
The recruits have weeks of indoctrination and force-fed information from the hypno-casques as well as other lessons. Note the learning of "basic concepts" like science and biology and cosmology nad such, which is used as a basis fro the more formal instruction delivered by the marines.Taloc’s head ached with the glut of information that had been forced into him over the previous weeks, both the knowledge that had been implanted by frequent sessions under the hypno-casque, and the lessons he had received verbally at the hands of the Chaplain, captain and sergeants. The knowledge gained through the former—basic concepts of science and technology and biology and interstellar cosmology and more implanted directly into his subconscious—had allowed him to better grasp the substance of the latter—histories of primarch and Chapter and the Imperium, introductory surveys on the nature of humanity’s variegated enemies—but still Taloc found it difficult to digest all that he had been taught.
Page 168
12 out of 100 or so. In other words to this point 1 out of 1000 recruits or so survived.There were only twelve aspirants now, their number winnowed from the hundred or so of a month or more ago to the dozen deemed most suitable to continue with the initiation process.
Page 180
The Black Carapace. Oddly this implies that the main difference physically/mentally between an Astartes and a Scout is having the carapace and acessing power armor. PHysically, mentally, etc they could be just as strong/durable.The neophytes would remain Scouts until the time that they had at last proven their valour and skill on the field of battle, at which point they would be marked out for the seventeenth and final implantation procedure.
Page 180
Years worth of mental/psychological conditioning, chemical and genetic conditioning, physical conditioning, and outright brainwashing to maximize and control the efffects of their development.Four long years of hypno-conditioning to aid them in weathering the emotional fluctuations as their bodies struggled to integrate and initiate their new organs. Long years of chemical treatments to aid the body’s acceptance of the implanted organs, while the implants were constantly monitored for any sign of imbalance or corrupt development. Four years of physical training to stimulate the implants and test their effectiveness, and of indoctrination in the hypnomat and hypno-casque to train their minds to function at peak efficiency, learning to control their sensory and nervous systems to degrees unthinkable by normal humans.
Page 183
Example of the Spcae Marine healing factor in action.....had bruised Jean-Robur to the bone.
And though his implant-augmented metabolism had quickly repaired the damage, knitting broken blood vessels and restoring vigour to the impacted flesh, Jean-Robur could still feel the impact of each and every strike...
Page 189
Then again, Soul Drinkers scouts in a group of several couldn't overwhelm a Crimson Fists Space Marine. Maybe it is something that varies form Chapter to Chapter. Or it may just be a further indicator of how inept the Soul Drinkers are overall.Though the muscles of the Scouts’ augmented and engineered bodies were nearly the equal of Hilts’ own, at least in theory, they lacked his expertise and experience, his agility and his innate speed. The fact that he could cover a span of six paces before Taloc could complete two should have come as no surprise to any of them.
Either way, we get at least another poenential distinction between Marines and Scouts.
Page 192-193
Totally unpowered, in other words. AGain something to contrast with Soul Drinker scouts, whose carapace was "semi powered"Instead, the Scout armour was simpler, more light-weight and quieter in movement, with a greater freedom of motion, but in exchange not nearly so formidable and durable. Formed of thick plates of carapace armour that were capable of stopping a slug projectile, the armour offered no motive power or strength enhancement, and perhaps as importantly left the wearer’s head bare and unarmoured.
You also have to wonder at the obvious lack of head protection. Its not like scouting woudl totally forbid any sort of headgear, it just would make total enclosure undesirable.
Page 197
Yes. Thta's a Chaplain with a Force sword. Lo Chang showed upi in Space Marine as well IIRC...Librarian Franz Grenstein and Chaplain Lo Chang emerged into view side-by-side. Both Librarian and Chaplain wore force swords in scabbards slung at their waists.
PAge 205
An ocean of black gold ripe for the plundering by the Imperium.The sluggish sea which stretched out to the eastern horizon was not water, but instead a vast ocean of black oil, which surged and slurped audibly against the rocky shore—once the planet had supported an ecosystem of zooplankton and algae, at least, but what life there had been had been reduced to petrochem.
Page 208
The situation and conditions on Vernalis. The interesting thing is implication of Imperial terraforming, although it might refer to some earlier time (DAoT perhaps). The orbital elevators and station are interesting too....the mineral wealth of Vernalis was found in the massive oceans of oil that rested on her surface. Settled by Imperial colonists some millennia before, Vernalis was a world entirely dependent on the rest of the Imperium to survive. Though rich beyond the dreams of avarice in theory, given the all-but-endless supply of petrochem that could be leeched off her surface, Vernalis was in practice lacking in virtually all of those things necessary to sustain human life.
Other than a breathable atmosphere, engendered on the planet by early terraforming efforts, and a comfortably standard gravity, everything else on Vernalis had to be brought in via warp from other planetary systems. Food, water, raw materials and so forth—all arrived as regular as a heartbeat at the orbital stations that perched in geosynchronous orbit atop towering orbital elevators. And the refined product of the planet’s innumerous refineries climbed those same orbital elevators, to be loaded in the cargo holds of the visiting craft as soon as the delivered goods had been unloaded. Then the craft delivered the refined petrochem to the neighbouring systems, to be dispersed and disseminated, and a short while later the craft returned with more necessities, sundries and the occasional luxury item to Vernalis.
We also get an indicator of the interdependence and economic situation of the Imperium
Page 212
...the grainy visual images which had accompanied the radio transmissions that had been intercepted a few light-days out from Vernalis by a passing ship of the Imperial Fleet, who had then relayed the information astropathically to the Imperial authorities[/quote]
I'm not sure what a starship was doing a few light days out from a system, since there would be nothing out there and they should be able to emerge from the warp closer.
Page 216
Oh dear. Yet another case where a starship emerges from the warp in close orbit around a planet. If this keeps up I may not be able to use my "edg eof the system" assumptions anymoreUpon emerging from the warp in the skies above Vernalis, the strike cruiser Titus had been able to confirm via orbital reconnaissance that the population centres near the planet’s north pole had been deserted, and that the refineries appeared to be running in fully automated modes, crewed by servitors but without any human staff in place.
PAge 221-222
Habitation on planet and major transportation.The majority of the inhabitants resided in a bare handful of hab-domes near the north pole, with a small but functional spaceport situated nearby.
...
..the only major arteries being the tram lines that connected the hives to one another..
PAge 222
This suggests the population is maybe in the hundreds of thousands or millions. Note the non soldier PDF defences - orbital guns, surface guns, and all crewed by servitors.Vernalis had, as any Imperial world was required to do, raised a Planetary Defence Force. However, the most recent reports received by the Imperial authorities were that the Vernalis PDF was a relatively small force, a thousand or so infantry at best.
The bulk of the planetary defence rested on the servitor-governed systems, consisting of station-to-ship batteries on the orbital stations and ground-to-air batteries at strategic locations on the planet’s surface.
Page 223
The planet seems to rely greatly on automation of its facilities and defenses, especially the defences. Batteres and the master controls perhpas were void shielded.However, it appeared that none of the automated refineries had sustained any significant damage...
...
The ground-to-air batteries of the automated planetary defences, finally, were intact, and appeared to be fully functional. Each of them was protected by an all-but-impenetrable void shield, each with its own independent generator. Crewed entirely by servitors and with all the defence systems governed by the master controls in the mountain stronghold on the western hemisphere, there were no human crew onsite who might run scared and abandon their posts. So long as the void shields were not deactivated, the batteries were virtually indestructible from any ground-based attack, and had enough firepower to knock any air-based approach out of the sky before an aerial assault could be launched.
Page 231-232
The Chaos enhanced Roaring blades, devotees of Slaanesh, are extremely resilient to Scout bolter fire - hell even their armour (rather miarculously) seems to deflect bolter shots. Although we dont know what kind of armor they wear...skeletal figure who might once have been a woman, took two shots to the chest...
...
A third shot seared into the Roaring Blade’s shoulder...
...
Though the Roaring Blade wore ragged battle-armour which had deflected some of Jean-Robur’s shots, at least one of the three bolts that Jean-Robur had fired had bored into the Roaring Blade’s flesh itself. But even with one of its arms blown away below the elbow, the injury was not slowing the Roaring Blade down—if anything, it seemed to draw strength from the injuries, even pleasure.
Page 234
Yes, that would explain why they were resistant to Space Marine gunfire. And it would be right in line with what Fabius Bile might do. Or at least some Emperor's Children dickhead like him.It was believed by Imperial intelligence that the nervous systems of the Roaring Blades had been altered by their masters in the Emperor’s Children, so that their bodies now reacted in the same way to pain that a normal human body reacted to adrenaline. As a result, if a Roaring Blade received injuries on the field of battle, even fatal ones, they would actually be strengthened as a result, becoming ever more ferocious and deadly, right up to the point when they finally collapsed from their wounds.
Page 235
Bolter fire blowing off limbs, possibly blowing apart or blowing massive holes in heads... and the Blades keep coming on. One has to admire Chaos' facility for bestowing unnatural resilience on their minions.But as the Roaring Blades ploughed ahead despite the first shots of bolt-fire which exploded in arms and heads and chests like red blossoms..
...
For every Roaring Blade who was dropped by a direct shot from a bolt pistol to the head, or left incapable of advancing when well-placed bolt-fire blew their legs out from under them, there were five more who charged on, ignoring the gaping wounds in their trunks and arms.
Page 239
The Blade in question had been described as a "large", bull like man" - so we get a good example of what a monoblade in the hands of a Scout can do.It would have taken two cuts for a normal blade to sever the Roaring Blade’s head from his shoulder, perhaps three; but like the combat blades wielded by his brothers, Zatori’s sword possessed a monomolecular edge, and sliced easily through the enemy’s neck in a single stroke.
Page 243-244
Its curious why the progenoids have two different rates of maturation. I dont get why or dont know if it's ever been explained.He was a neophyte, Scout s’Tonan of the Imperial Fists. Within five years one of his progenoid glands would be mature, followed in another five by the other. But if Taloc were to die before those initial five years had passed, the line of zygotes implanted within him would die as well, and the Chapter would be robbed not only of Taloc’s future service as a battle-brother, but of the service of all those who would have arisen from his gene-seed in future years.
Page 244
This may or may not imply it blew out the back of his skull, or it may just mean the shot punched straight through leaving a narrow hole. Lasguns do both after all. Either way it would probably mean single to double digit kj or thereabouts, so I suppose it doesnt matter tremendously sayve in how many single/double digit kilojoules we're talking.Then in the next instant a sizzling blast of las-fire lanced right through the Vulpes Scout’s right eye, punching out the back of his skull.
It is also worth noting that many of the lasweapons we see often tend to run out of ammo after a few shots, and are noted to generlaly be ancient and poorly maintained weapons, meaning the effects would be a lower limit performance in any case (for various reasons.)
Page 250
We see yet again the benefits of Emperor's Children tinkering - the individual guardsmen can come close to or equal a neophyte Scout Marine - int erms of raw strength at least. Although what it costs them in temrs of physical damage and loss of endurance they suffer... then again since when has that stoppped CSM? Altho7ugh one would think that they'd have run out of Roaring Blades by this point.Jean-Robur could feel the Roaring Blade’s increased strength, as the scarecrow’s tweaked nervous system pumped adrenaline and endorphins in response to the free-bleeding shoulder wound. In another instant, the scarecrow’s strength might be even greater.
Page 252
Half dozen bolt pistols "evaporate" a single head. Literlaly or figuratively, make up your own mind.The last of the Roaring Blades fell in a hail of bolt-fire, as half-a-dozen Scouts turned their bolt pistols on it at once, hitting it with so many rounds that the wretch’s head evaporated.
Page 252
Like I said, these are hardly high quality, top of the line lasweapons, and certainly not well maintained...Hilts paused to inspect one of the fallen enemy’s lasrifles, and it was revealed that the firearm was an antique that’d had only enough charge in its power cells for two or three shots before it was completely drained. The lasrifle was of use now only as a cudgel or club, its usefulness as a ranged weapon completely lost.
Page 257
A week to leave the system and engter the warp to travel elsewhere."The bulk of the enemy forces appear to have left the planet more than a week ago.."
Page 257
implication - not much time has passed for the SCouts since the initial message was received - a handful of days, certianly less than a week.“they had no way of letting anyone know. They apparently sent out radio signals that are even now only a few light-days away, if anyone was in the path of the signal to receive it.”
Page 257-258
An imperial colony "a few light years" from Vernalis under attack by the EC CSM forces and their minions. Implies travelling at least a few ly (more probably 10 or so LY) in a matter of days.“I believe that…” Lysander began, and then raised a gauntleted finger for silence as his head tilted almost imperceptibly to one side. He paused for a brief instant, listening to a closed-channel vox, and then nodded.
..
“The Titus signals that they have received astropathic communication from the planet Quernum, an Imperial colony a few light years from here. Quernum reports that they are under attack by Chaotic forces, whose orbital vessels match the composition and variety of the craft scanned by the Vernalian defence systems.”
Not bad for non-navigator vessels
Page 277
By itself the blockhouse isnt much quote-wise. But it will be useful later so I'm actually just setting things up at this point.A blockhouse of metal and stone marked the join between the pipeline and the mountain itself, with a variety of access panels dotted here and there, and a pair of large metal hatches, one opening to the west and one to the east
...
An Astartes in power armour would likely be able to break through into the blockhouse’s interior with only a few moments effort by pounding on the seam between hatch and stone with his gauntleted fists..
Page 280
It seems standard Imperial procedure to have override codes to the planetary defences of an Imperial planet, although modifications (or hacking) can overcome this. (although I'm betting doing so gets you in deep shit with the Imperium)The refugee leaders had doubted that even Imperial default override codes would suffice, given the modifications made to the system since its installation long years before..
Page 285
I guess this is an indicator that "Imperial worlds" are more sophisitcated (on average) than most feral or feudal worlds, tech wise. Of course this isnt neccesarily saying much (I mean we could be takling anything from early nineteen hundreds to hundreds of years beyond modern time by the context)...it was not until he went to live among the Imperial Fists that he learned that his home world was less populated and considerably less technologically advanced than was typical for Imperial worlds..
Some sources also make distinctions between "Imperial" and "Imperial aligned" worlds - basically member worlds and client states/colonies/protectorates of a lesser status. The "member worlds" coiuld all be high tech and sophisticated and generally more consistent, while the colonies/protectorates/client states can be of a much greater diversity (and less importance/status.) Hell, the AdMech and Space Marine territories are independent and probably also contribute to that variation.
PAge 289
Implies the auspex has a range of kilometre or so, at least as far as mapping goes...Jean-Robur held his auspex up and took a full spectrum of readings. “It continues at a slightly elevated grade for at least a kilometre or more before turning,”
Page 291
A pair of hunter killer missiles shoot down a Thunderhawk. To be fair, I remember HK missiles being able to carry a variety of warheads (Krak, melta, etc.) so we dont know what kind of warhead it could be.But before Derex could even respond, the hunter-killer anti-aircraft missile struck home. The charge exploded on contact, blowing a hole clean through the front glacis armour plate shielding the flight deck.
...
It was only then that the veteran-sergeant caught a glimpse of the charred stub of a neck atop the pilot’s unmoving shoulders, and Scout Grigor slumped over the monitoring station.
...
At that moment, the second hunter-killer antiaircraft missile struck the Thunderhawk high on its rear flank, managing to punch a hole through not only the armour-plated hull but the heavy shielding beneath that contained the gunship’s fusion reactor.
Page 299
Indication of the riskiness in using plasma weapons. Whether it literally boils the scout or not up for debate - hell it could be implied vaporization even. Of course even if it does literally vaporize (and that is a possible interpretation) that could be a fully charged plasma weapon, which has however many shots in it it might have (10-20 or more perhaps) so the "per shot" output would be considerably less (single or double digits or less, depending on if we go with boil or vaporize. IF we assume it means just blowing him apart in a really fine way, the gun might carry single digit MJ totally and have, for example, high kj range shots.)“You’ll need to watch the build-up inside the coils,”
...
“And even if it doesn’t blow back,” Scout Sandor put in, standing a respectful distance from the weapon, almost as if it would fire of its own accord and boil him to a fine mist, “the housing assembly is going to get hot.”
PAge 301
More on the plasma weapons. Note the "photohydrogen" magic stuff and the variable size flask/clip.Plasma weapons of any kind were somewhat rare, even among the Adeptus Astartes, but the Scouts of the Imperial Fists had been rated on all of the ranged weapons in the Chapter’s armoury as a matter of course. This particular plasma gun was of a somewhat different pattern than that upon which Zatori and the others had trained, though, and the detachable plasma flasks it employed were considerably larger. As a result of the greater quantity of the photohydrogen fuel available for the weapon’s plasma reaction, it could be fired for a much longer span of time than a typical plasma gun without requiring refuelling; however, it shared with all plasma weapons the need to allow the core to cool between shots, or else the tremendous heat given off by the reaction would not sufficiently dissipate, and in short order the unit would overheat and, ultimately, explode.
PAge 302
We dont know how big the outcropping is anyhow, so don't ask. The more itneresting bits are the comments on velocity (far faster than a bolter but slower than a lasgun shot, which means anywhere from hypervelocity to relativistic) and that the plasma bolt has both explosive and thermal effects (like a minautre nuclear bomb, I suppose)Zatori sighted along the back of the weapon at a random outcropping atop a rocky hill several hundred metres away to the south-east.
...
Holding his breath to steady his aim, he depressed the firing stud on the grip.
Zatori’s pupils contracted rapidly as the blindingly bright bolt of plasma lanced out of the weapon’s barrel. Though not as fast as bursts from a lasgun, plasma bolts had a far greater muzzle velocity than the bolts fired by a bolt pistol or bolter, closing the distance from weapon to target in the merest fraction of an instant.
The rock outcropping vanished in a flash of searing heat and explosive shock, sending a puff of atomised flint into the air, a small black cloud that lingered a few metres over the ground.
Page 306
Discussion of the means of defense designers in protecting antenna (comms arrays I asusme.)The architects of the Bastion had known that an external antenna on the outer skin of the mountain would be vulnerable to attack by ground or aerial elements, and the cost in power-consumption of a force-field to shield such an antenna made protecting it from such an attack unfeasible. Which is how they hit upon the notion of burying the antenna.
...
The skein of metal and machinery was threaded through nearly the entire surface of the mountain, only a few metres beneath the outer skin. And though the resulting signal strength was only a mere fraction of what an antenna of that size could effect in the open air, the broadcast array was more than powerful enough to reach the overlapping network of relay links which dotted the western hemisphere and rebroadcast the data on to the rest of the planet’s surface.
Page 313
Taelos' magnoculars have infrared capability.. implied to be "multi-spectrum" though.But with magnoculars set to view far into the infrared end of the spectrum, Captain Taelos was able to see clearly the column of dust approaching the mountain Bastion from the south-east.
Page 318
I dont remember why I quoted this, but I think it was to show that the piepliens near the blockhouse were also a danger and needed blocking off.A Roaring Blade with a lascutter and unobstructed access could make short work of one of the hatches, and once within the blockhouse could gain entry into the Bastion itself in a relatively short amount of time. And the three side-by-side pipes of the pipeline themselves were likewise a vulnerable spot, as they were wide enough in diameter for even a Noise Marine in full armour to traverse; if the enemy were to somehow breach the pipes further out in the grey desert unnoticed, they could march unseen right into the heart of the Bastion.
Page 319
Meltagun melting enough rock over an unknown period (But without needing a recharge it would seem) to cover the entire blochouse (which is big enough to allow entry for Space MArines at least)He was already busy, firing blasts from his melta gun at the slope above the blockhouse, gradually turning the corpse-flesh grey flint and shale of the mountain’s skin into white-hot molten slag. When Taloc gave the word, Fulgencio would cut a channel from this molten rock down to where Taloc and Jedrek now stood, and the slag would pour down the channel to engulf the blockhouse completely.
...
...ready to signal Fulgencio to send the cascade of molten slag pouring down over the blockhouse.
Page 324
effect of the aforementioned plasma gun.The blindingly bright bolt of plasma shot through the open air, narrowly missing the Noise Marine but completely disintegrating the head and shoulders of a Roaring Blade standing a metre or so to the left.
Page 325-326
Using the meltagun to keep the temperature of the molten rock "white hot" - which isn't an easy figure to derive but we might figure at least 1500-3000K as per here and the specific heat of rock (nevermind melting point) we're probably talking many many megajoules per k (a good 2-4 at least - at white hot it probably is BOILING) The Energy expended in total is going to be well into the gigajoules range evne if it was a single ton of rock heated, and we're probably talking tens if not hundreds of tons (to cover the blockhouse anyhow) so we're talking probably hundreds of GJ easily total, at least....both of them signalled readiness to Scout Fulgencio, who was keeping careful watch on the growing pool of molten slag that he had melted behind a small damming ridge a few dozen metres higher up the mountain’s slope.
Taloc could hear the sizzle and pop of the liquid rock as it sizzled impossibly hot only a short distance away, but only barely, the sounds of the battle which was only now beginning around the wide curve of the mountain now growing louder with each passing instant. Even if the enemy didn’t know about the pipeline and blockhouse, it was only a matter of time before they sent scouting parties to surround the mountain to search for other points of entrance less well defended than the barricaded main hatch.
Fulgencio fired the melta gun at the low ridge which dammed the pool of molten slag, and the searing white-hot liquid began to flow sluggishly down the slope towards the ruined blockhouse. To make sure that the molten rock did not begin to cool and solidify en route, Fulgencio continued to fire blasts from the melta gun into the pool above, ensuring that it remained at the highest possible temperature.
As the molten slag began to pour over the blockhouse...
Now bear in mind that the numbers are approximations of the TOTAL energy expenditure by the meltagun, not a "per shot" basis. We dont know much about the number of shots or settings used, and meltaguns like all 40K weapons have variable settings. But its telling that meltaguns can eaisly discharge large amounts of energy like that. Hell I can be off by orders of magnitude and this is still damn impressive (lets say only a few hundred megajoules were actually expended. This can still mean meltaguns pump out single or double digit MJ per shot at LEAST, and that is still damn impressive for a heavy weapon.)
Page 335
Noise marine weaponry - good at shattering and exploding things, but they don't do it immediately.Zatori couldn’t hear the next sonic blast, but he could feel it, vibrating through the ledge beneath him and up his arms and legs.
Sandor stood for a moment like he’d forgotten what he was about to say, a somewhat perplexed expression on his face. Then he began to shake back and forth, slight vibrations from his head and arms to begin with, then wider and wider movements of his neck and torso, until finally his entire body was vibrating like a pearl of water dropped onto a hot skillet. Sandor turned to Zatori for a brief, agonised moment, a confused look on his face, and then his eyes rolled up in his head as torrents of blood burst from his ears on either side. Then, as his body slumped to the ground, Sandor’s eyes burst from his skull, splattering in all directions.
Hell considering they've fragged tanks with their weapons a Space Marine isnt all that surprising.
Page 337
Talk of using a melta gun to melt shut tunnel entrances big enough to admit passges of Space marines. Again hard to really reliably calc, but even a 10 cm thick, 3 m x 1 m wide "tunnel" would require many hundreds of kilos of rock melted in a short period of time (a "few blasts")Jean-Robur and Rhomec had scavenged junked equipment and machine parts from the same storage bays that Scout Zatori and his team had drawn the equipment which had gone into making the barricades before the main hatch.
...
If they hadn’t been worried about the stability of the chambers and tunnels above they would have simply turned the entirety of each tunnel mouth to molten rock with a melta gun...
....
But Veteran-Sergeant Hilts had determined that demolition charges or melting large quantities of the mountain’s underpinnings might serve to jeopardise the safety of those who sheltered in the chambers overhead, and had instead ordered Jean-Robur and Rhomec to cram the mouths of the passages with machinery and debris, creating impassable barricades.
..
Jean-Robur would have preferred to melt the barricades of debris into solid masses with a few blasts from a melta gun...
PAge 351
Plasma bolt blows apart noise Marine's head, at least part of it....the blindingly bright plasma bolt lanced right into the Noise Marine’s forehead, blowing the fevered remains of his warp-addled brain out the other side of his skull.
page 353
This time the plasma bolts merely inflict severe burning on the Roaring blades (searing) - if we take that to mean third degree burns a single bolt might be putting out 1-2 MJ or thereabouts (third degree flash burning assumed over most/all of the body) Another burns through (non explosively) the neck of a nother guardsmen and injurs a Noise Marine. Seems ot suggest the plasma weapon might have variable outputs and/or settings (thermal or explosive.)A bolt of searing white lanced out of the plasma gun at the Noise Marine, glancing off his breastplate. Then another cut through the Roaring Blade in the vanguard, the bolt continuing on and searing through the Roaring Blade behind him. As the two burned Traitor Guards fell, Zatori let off another plasma bolt at the Roaring Blade directly in front of the Noise Marine, calculating that it would do the same; the bolt seared clean through the neck of the Roaring Blade and still had enough potency to burn through the greaves on the Noise Marine’s left leg.
PAge 363-364
More indicaton of Scout/Space Marine healing - it would seem that even cuts can re-knit given time, so long as nothing is amputated or outright destroyed (EG no regrowing heads, hands, eyes or fingers if it is cut or burned off or gouged out.)The heretic’s sabre dug into the bare flesh of Zatori’s sword arm at the biceps, in that narrow band of vulnerability between the bottom edge of his shoulder-guard and the protection of the vambrace that covered from elbow to wrist.
Blood sprayed from the fresh wound on Zatori’s right arm before the Larraman cells could seal the gash, and Zatori could feel that the muscles themselves were cut. His grip on the combat blade lessened...
...
In another few moments, perhaps, the flesh and muscles of his right arm would heal sufficiently for him to be able to wield the sword in his right hand...
Page 377
Meltagun "incinerates" the flesh of four Roaring blades in eyeblinks (seconds - although I envison people will argue whether it means the time between eyeblinks - which could be a few seconds or 10+ seconds, or the duration it takes the eye to blink, which is fractions of a second) The fact that moisture vaporises and the flesh burns (at least) is strongly suggestive of tens or hundreds of megajoules being expended, nevermind the near-cremation (although someone might argue that the flesh combusted) And even if we disregard all that, note that the meltablast leaves severe third degree burns on the surroudning blades, which is multiple wide spread third degree burns (still going into many megawatts expended to do that alone. And the 4 blades that already were burned would have suffered at least similar)An instant later, a blast of incredible heat lanced from the muzzle of the melta gun and down the passageway. The weapon itself produced almost no sound as it fired, but Hilts could hear a distinctive hiss as the air through which the blast travelled super-heated to dangerous levels. And when the quartet of Roaring Blades who were rushing towards the defenders with shotguns and lascarbines firing caught the brunt of the blast, Hilts could hear the roar of their bodies’ moisture vaporising instantly. In a matter of eyeblinks the four heretics had been incinerated to little more than blackened bone. And even though the blast did not hit them directly, the crowd of Roaring Blades who had been following close behind the quartet fell to either side with fatal burns, howling in redirected euphoria as they went.
Page 379
Full auto barrage from a Roaring blade lasgun in a very short time (a fraction of a second probably, but no more than a second or two tops given that it was only enough time to shout one word before turning and firing.) and at least 12 lasgun shots fired. Implied ROF from that would be at leasy 6 shots a second, but more probably at least 12/second if not faster (dozens of shots a second, probably)The all-too-alive enemy rose, springing up to a kneeling crouch and firing the lasgun in his hands on full-auto towards the left-hand wall.
“Sergeant!” Fulgencio shouted as he saw the las-fire rain on the wall ahead of him, but in the split-second it took Hilts to swivel and clip the Roaring Blade with rounds from his bolter, it was already too late.
Scout Rhomec had been hit from the side by a welter of las-fire, and if the first shot hadn’t killed him, then the sixth one had, or the twelfth. Though lasguns were not nearly as accurate on full-auto, at such short range the Roaring Blade had been virtually unable to miss his target.
Also certainy that six-12 lasguns shots would definitely kill a Scout Marine, armour or no.
Page 384
Meltagun melting the debris crammed into the wall together into a lump. We dont know if its all metal, or even the mass. We could estimate it but its probably tens or hundreds of kg either way.. and really I shoudlnt have to calc it at this point . Besides what's really interesting the sheer mileage they are getting out of the meltagun here. Even if the guy is changing fuel cells, he can't be carrying that many and since he's the meltagunner he hasn't exactly had time to retreat frm th battlefield to restock (noone has - they're shorthanded as it was.)...Hilts could see the flash of the melta gun firing again and again at the confusion of metal and machinery crammed into the tunnel’s mouth. The makeshift barricade was gradually melted into a solid, irregular lump that filled the mouth of the tunnel from side to side, rendering it all but impassable. But while the work was proceeding apace, it was taking precious time.
Page 385
Yet more melting.They had already sealed up the first of the compromised barricades, with Hilts holding the enemy at bay further up the passageway while Fulgencio repositioned the salvaged machinery in place as best he could and then melted it all into a single plug of slag.
Page 412
[/quote]“At my request, they have been reinforced and enhanced by the Chapter artisans here onboard the Phalanx, rendered suitable as Astartes weapons."
The three main character's old swords from before they were recruited as Space Marines were upgraded into Space Marine close combat weapons. What's interesting is that they can apparently take normal weapons from a primitive world and upgrade them without substantially remaking them.
