House of Glass (Dark Heresy IC)

[Destro_Yersul]

House of Glass
Chapter One: Gathering Storms

OOC Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?504936-House-of-Glass-(Dark-Heresy-OOC))

For three months, nobody had told them where they were going. They were told when to get off, and which ship to get on next, as they wound their way away from Landunder on voidship after voidship. They were treated with respect, deference even, but whenever they asked about their destination, the crew would shut their mouths and shake their heads. Perhaps even they didn't know. "Scintilla" was the answer they finally got, from the steward of the ship that broke from the warp above the sector capital on the last day of their journey.

"Just got the word, this is where you get off." He told them, standing and looking out at the world hanging below. They were in the starboard viewing room, waiting for the ship to recieve orbit priority from the central shipping authority. "They'll have a shuttle up for you in an hour or two. I wouldn't want to keep them waiting, if I were you."

An hour later, one frantic hour spent grabbing their equipment and rushing for the shuttlebays, they were met by a woman in a jet-black flight uniform. The sleeve, where normally there would have been an Imperial Navy patch, or something to signify the ship she belonged to, was blank. She wore fine black gloves and stood ramrod straight, watching as they carried their things over towards her shuttle. This was a sleek black affair, nothing like the clunky Arvus and even a step above the navy Aquila. It bore no markings, and the narrow viewing slit on the front end had barely enough space for the pilot to look out of. From inside, there would be no way for the passengers to see where they were going. Fortunately, they found, the inside was well set out. The seats had been upholstered with actual leather, the metal decking painted, the storage compartments all with working hinges and latches. This was a vehicle that was carefully maintained. When it took off, the engines were a dull roar in the background, the noise dulled by thick armour plating and noice-cancelling technology to the point where, for the first time on a shuttle, they could hear each other speak. The flight was comfortable, and not overly long. Only once did the pilot speak to them over the shuttle's comm system, asking them to check under the seats. Here they found equipment, things that they had ordered but not yet recieved, and an odd little device with the Imperial Aquila on one side, and the sigil of the Inquisition on the other.

Soon, the shuttle had landed, the engines powering down. As they stepped out, they caught a whiff of salty polluted air as the massive gates at the far end of the landing bay rumbled shut with a clang. There were no windows, no stray cables, none of the usual shuffling about of servitors and personnel they had come to associate with landing ports. The floors were marble, the pillars along the walls more reminiscint of a cathedral than a shuttle bay. Yet the cavernous space was filled with shuttles, each apparently stamped from the same unmarked black mould that theirs had come from. It was quiet too, which was odd, only the buzz of the lumen-strips above breaking the silence. The pilot departed without another word, walking quickly away from them towards a door in one wall. They were not left alone, however. A bald adept was approaching, accompanied by a pair of servo skulls. He stopped a short distance away, checked his dataslate, and looked up to smile at them.

"Hello, hello. Glad to see you've all arrived. Don't suppose they told you much about this before you got here? Typical, of course. Please, follow me."

The skulls buzzed at them, one one of the sort that kept notes, its auto-quill clicking away as the adept talked, a roll of paper steadily extending further downwards from its jaw as the text scrolled along. The other was a combat skull, its eye sockets fitted with targetting arrays and the muzzle of a large-calibre pistol protruding from its mouth.

"Bit short notice, all this," the adept told them as they walked. He was leading them through a veritable maze of passages, each with many branching paths or closed doors along its side. The closed doors featured stamped metal numbers, but no other indication of what was behind them. "You're some of the last to get in, we're not expecting too many more. Only three month's notice, there weren't too many who could make it, and Lord Caiden of course declined to attend. The Lady Valle will tell you everything, it's not really my place to explain."

Finally they reached their destination, and the adept ushered them into a small waiting room, filled with chairs and a low table. They were not the only ones there. Three others were in the room. There was a pair of men sitting together, one wearing a heavy flakcloth greatcoat and a wide-brimmed hat, off which hung a number of purity seals. He was smoking a lho stick, the hand he was holding it in covered in a black glove. His other hand was bare, and rested on the butt of a holstered revolver. Many other guns were placed in holsters about his person, their grips facing outwards for easy access. Annie spotted the grip of a small holdout poking out above the top of one heavily reinforced boot. The man he was with wore black Ecclesiarchy robes and carried a whiplike scoriada at his waist. Opposite that was a chainsword, and on the chair next to him was a flamer, its pilot light presently unlit. His hair was grey, his hairline receding, and he wore a pendant of an Inquisitorial I, with a skull halfway up it. An Interrogator. The third person in the room was a woman. Opposite the door they had come in were a set of double doors, made from hardwood and undoubtedly worth a fortune. They were, presently, closed, and the acolytes got the distinct impression that the people already in the room were waiting for them to be opened.

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella checked her data slate to see if the summons to this meeting included a list of participants. Finding none, she decided not to wait around. In principle, common decorum allowed her to wait for others to come to her - her station all but demanded it, but on the other hand these other two were unknown factors.

The two who'd just come in, however, carrying their own bags and looking like they'd been rushed here straight from their flight, were almost certainly commoners. Regardless, she approached these two first, thus letting the other two know her name and station well in advance.

Good afternoon, gentlefolk, I take it you've also been summoned by the Lady Valle? I'm Lady Phaella d'Windermere, from Malfi - pleased to make your acquaintance. She extended her hand, looking - perhaps unsuccesfully - to strike a cordial tone with the lower classes. Don't worry about the titles, Lady Phaella will do.

Phaella is a striking figure, supremely confident despite her youth, expensively groomed, dressed in the slightly pompous manner of the Malfian nobility - a lock of pink hair deliberately, jauntily protruding under her white powdered wig. There is an overt absense of weaponry about her person, sending a signal of both trust in her host and a lack of threat to the other guests.

[UncleWolf]

One of the people arriving was a shorter woman, fairly slim but with an athletic look to her, stares at the offered hand before giving a tired shake of her head. The shoulder length curly brown locks on her head only covered half of it, with the other half shaved clean for the MIU ports implanted in her skull. The redness from her continually rubbing at the new implants had finally faded after she'd gotten herself to stop that nervous tick, allowing the pink scar tissue time to rest and continue to heal. Normally she'd be wearing her robes over her white armored bodyglove, but for the purposes of the meeting, she felt that it was more polite not to hide under such. Along a similar chain of thought, she wore her weapons openly. A Civitas Laspistol on her right hip, a Puritan-14 on her left, and a very well taken care of Vanaheim sits in its sling on her back beneath a shield seeming to be made of stained glass.

She'd be a pretty woman if she tried, but the Saboteur did not, and she looked even more tired than usual. Her companions will likely have noted that her sleeping is usually interrupted by nightmares even though she kept such worries to herself. Perhaps that was why she had decided to stay armed despite the security of their passage.

Once in the room and after she shakes her head at the offered hand, she sets down her heavy pack and leans against a wall to wait. "Always with the waiting..." She mutters grimly as she looks down at the device they had been given.



Common Lore(Tech) to try and see what the device is: [roll0]vs60

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella, completely unfazed by the deliberate rudeness, simply turns to the other newcomer, again extending her hand, smiling a dazzling smile as she says pleased to meet you, sir - is your friend mute, mayhap?

[Artemis97]

The next person into the room was Joss Falkenrath. The feudal worlder was tall, dressed in a mesh combat cloak. The hilt of a longsword protruded from a gap in the fabric. Strapped across his back was an honest to goodness longbow and a quiver full of arrows. Tucked into his boot was a heavily engraved knife, a lage purity seal stuck to the hilt. Held in one hand was an impressive looking halberd, a blackwing halberd, obsidian like blades forming impossibly sharp feathers. Shaggy black hair fell down past his ears, framing a face with large cat-like eyes. A scarf, heavily embroiadered with a hunting scene, including a stag and songbirds, wrapped around his lower face, obscuring his expression.

The assassin looked Lady Phaella up and down, measuring her, calculating. Behind the scarf he frowned, but it showed in those exotic eyes. Another noble. Wonderful. And she was unarmed? or only apparently unarmed? She could be dangerous indeed, either way.

He took the extended hand and shook it, roughly. "Hello." He rasps.

[Kaptin Keen]

Well, it seems conversations with these two animals shall be decidedly one sided affairs. No matter, I'm sure they're useful in their way, or they most certainly wouldn't be here, Phaella thinks to herself. Out loud she says: And is there a name to go along with ... all this, she indicates the profusion of weapons and other accountrements, or shall I simply call you 'wildman'?

This last joke is accompanied with her most practised, bright smile.

[LeSwordfish]

There was a sharp cackle of laughter and another woman entered the room. She was not tall but was wirily built and every bit as wild as Joss, with her hair short-cropped and uncontrolled. Her clothes were scruffy and patched - a waistcoat, shirt, and the lower half of a body glove, worn over massive, heavy boots. All of the skin visible on her arms and neck was tattooed, scarred, or both - twin rings of bolt shells around her wrists, and a pair of revolvers on her chest were the most notable. In contrast to Phaella, she was ostentatiously armed - a massive bolt pistol had pride of place on one hip, a revolver on the other. A light stubber was cinched tight on her back on a strap, and she appeared to have been delayed by shoving a tiny hold-out pistol deeper into her boot. "Wildman! That's a good..."

Upon seeing Phaella, she paused, and gave the noble a long evaluating look. "Huh. Wig an' all, eh? Crikey, this place's even worse'n I thought."

[Kaptin Keen]

Again, Phaella meets the newcomer with both friendliess - even if slightly tainted by a small, most likely unconscious tone of condecension - and politeness:

Well, mode of dress is situational, wouldn't you agree. Summoned by one of the highest ranking members of the inquisition in this sector, I don't intend to show up looking like an urchin. Then, of course, there is the question of who I represent in this. Finally, there is the question of simple fashion, something I admit I engage in slightly less hesitantly than many of my peers.

Lady Phaella d'Windermere, again, she extends her hand, pleased to meet you. And you might be?

[LeSwordfish]

"Annie Lee." Annie said, not accepting the proffered hand. "Urchin."

She turned to Joss and Mouse. "So the highest 'f authorities, aye? Lord Inquisitor 'imself? This ain't about Titus muckin' about with souls, this is a big deal."

[Kaptin Keen]

Charmed, miss Lee, Phaella responds before finally approaching the two last people in the room, once more introducing herself and asking politely to their names and backgrounds.

[Artemis97]

"It's Joss." The assassin growls out. "Not 'wildman'" He clearly wasn't amused by the joke.

He looks to Annie. "Could it be about RA? I think that would be serious enough to call such a meeting."

[LeSwordfish]

"Rogue 'Quisiter? P'raps. They took us seriously, then?" Annie seemed frankly surprised by this development. "We might 'ave to talk ter them about it. Standin' up in front've all them important people..." There was a worrying glint in her eye.

[Destro_Yersul]

The answer came from the man in the hat. "That's what it's about, alright. Your Lady Valle's gone done and called a conclave." Annie recognised the accent: he was a Metallican, as well. "Apologies. As the lady points out, I ain't introduced myself. I'm Tychon, an' this here is Father, ah, Interrogator Drake. We're here representing Inquisitor Al-Subaii, though I think we ain't sticking around long." He coughed.

[Kaptin Keen]

"It's Joss." The assassin growls out. "Not 'wildman'" He clearly wasn't amused by the joke.[/COLOR]"

Oh, I meant no disrespect. There truly is something slightly bestial about you, but - in the best way. Nice to meet you, Joss. You three know each other. Would I be correct to assume you're part of the personal retinue of one of the inquisitors involved?

[Artemis97]

"We're acolytes for Inquisitor Valle." Joss explains. "We're the reason we're all here, I think." They had discovered RA's identity afterall.

[Kaptin Keen]

I am here at the request of Inquisitor Stone. I've yet to receive any briefing, so I have don't quite know what to expect yet.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Don't reckon we'll have long to wait," Tychon said, with a nod towards the door.

Footsteps could be heard from the other side, heavy and clanking. Soon the door opened, and the impassive deathmask of Inquisitor Valle greeted the acolytes. "Good," she said, the synthesized voice sounding just a little off, as always. "You have arrived. Enter." The mask vanished back behind the door as the Inquisitor stomped away.

Interrogator Drake stood, picking up his flamer and tucking the weapon under one arm. Tychon stood with him. "Time to go hear tell what the big guns have to say," the gunslinger said. "Ladies first, course."

[LeSwordfish]

Annie had seemed far more interested by the other, rather less powdered acolytes, and had nodded a greeting to the other gunslinger, before the knock on the door. After Valle had left, Annie made a bow of staggering obsequiousness and indicated for Phaella to lead them out of the room.

"Al'Subaai's Ordo Xenos, en't he?" She asked Mouse, en route. "Maybe this **** ain't our fault after all. Nothin' ter do with xenos."

[Kaptin Keen]

With a wide, ironic smile at Annie's display, Phaella gladly sweeps in front, taking the opportunity to also introduce herself to Valle.

[Artemis97]

Joss follows the ladies into the next room and posts himself by the door, feeling a bit more comfortable with his back to the wall and out of the social limelight.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse starts to walk forward into the room when beckoned, but she pauses for a moment and gestures for the other women to go before her out of courtesy. Such niceties were almost always lost upon the Adept, but she understood the gesture was meant to be respectful. Regardless of her desire to be left to her own devices, allowing others to go before you was at least a polite thing to do.

Besides, if it were a trap Annie and the new Lady might be able to buy her a bit of extra time by being between her and whatever or whomever lay in wait on the other side of the door.

[Destro_Yersul]

Tychon shrugged. "Ordo Xenos ain't never stopped us from running up against crazy men."

The room behind the door was an office, but it was a rather transient sort, devoid of character imparted by the occupant. It had a desk, a shelf, an assortment of gently humming machines and a single overhead lamp that didn't quite illuminate the corners. Inquisitor Valle was standing, absent the reinforced chair required to bear her weight, while another man had taken the seat behind the desk. There were other chairs, obviously meant for them, and dragged out from some corner of wherever they were that didn't include cushions. Tychon elected to stand as well, taking up station beside the door.

The man behind the desk appeared middle-aged, with a few day's worth of stubble and short hair that was going grey at the temples. He had a narrow, angular sort of face and deep set eyes that made him look like he was permanently suspicious of everything. In one hand he had a lit cigar, the smoke curling up towards the ceiling.

"Good afternoon," he said. "I am Lord Inquisitor Argus Stone. I've been speaking with Lady Valle, who of course you already know." He waved a hand at Valle as he spoke, some of the ash from his cigar dropping to land on the floor. Valle inclined her head, servos in her neck whirring as she did so.

"She's quite intent on proceeding with the charges against Inquisitor Arcturos. You, naturally, feature heavily in her accumulated evidence file. You also worked with the Inquisitor during your mission on Landunder, if I have it right? I'd like to hear your impressions of him. Please, keep it concise. Our time is valuable. Oh, and don't worry, Phaella, I'll get to the reason you're here in a moment."

Behind the Acolytes, Interrogator Drake cleared his throat politely. Valle turned her head to look at him. "Lord Inquisitor," she said.

Stone nodded. "Go ahead, Interrogator."

"Apologies, my Lord," Tauron said. "Our business here is short, and I wanted to get it out of the way as fast as possible." He turned to Valle, his voice strong and clear. His former occupation as a preacher was obvious, and going off the tone he used for presenting a rather formal speech, his more fiery sermons must have been something to behold. "Inquisitor Al-Subaii sends his regards, and regrets that he is presently unable to attend the conclave of Inquisitors. He wishes to make it known that under more normal circumstances he would have made every effort to attend, but his current condition precludes the attempt. He will follow the proceedings with interest, and sincerely hopes that the conclave will come to the proper decision."

His speech finished, the Interrogator bowed and left the office. Tychon followed after him.

With the pair gone, Stone fixed his attention back on the acolytes. "Your turn."

[Kaptin Keen]

At the mention of her name, Phaella nods - some might consider it a small bow - politely acknowledging her mention, without rudely interupting.

[Artemis97]

"He was... nice." Joss begins. "Professional."

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella gives a small cough, and remarks to Joss ... that sounded like a brush-off to me, under her breath.

[LeSwordfish]

"Proper fancy-like." Annie said. "Knew about food an' the paintings."

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella inclines her head slightly towards Annie - who has exhibited the greatest tendency towards verbal communication - and whispers I believe he's waiting for your impressions on Inquisitor Arcturos?

[UncleWolf]

Mouse will take a seat, arranging it into the middle as she frowns and thinks over her experiences. Unlike the others, she was obviously considering her answer a little more deeply. After she sits down, she sets the device she'd picked up next to her and her pack and puts her hands in her lap to look at the one who asked the question. "The Inquisitor was...keen. Very much so. I believe from the moment he'd stepped into Landunder he knew precisely what was going on, where, and how. He'd had several agents already in place, including in the Arbites to grant him access to their evidence records without their knowledge, and a well known magistrate in his pocket to impress upon the locals the importance of legalities. He used the Magistrate to such an extent with us and was thus able to either discover or confirm that we were indeed working within the employ of the Inquisition." Mouse admits with a frown as she pulls out one of her dataslates and leans over to offer it to her Mistress.

"My full report of the events is on there, Inquisitor Valle, and while it has some suppositions in it, I firmly believe that it is likely that Inquisitor Remus Arcturos knew full well of our arrival and was able to not only be the one to initiate contact on his own terms, but to manipulate and guide us to work for his agenda instead of our own. Indeed, it wasn't until after the incursion of a warp entity, its destruction, and the immolation of everything I could find that was used in a ritual for it that we even realized that he might be the suspect we were looking for." After that she pauses for a moment, looking unsure and uncomfortable, but continuing.

"He was perfectly polite and cordial, even open to an extent that someone in your line of work might be, but truthfully all I can think of is that he seemed far too comfortable. Being around him is like being around a bright light you can't help but stare at. It is right in front of you, but blinding. For all the time we were around him, I was incapable of fathoming many, if any of the mechinations he was a part of."

Once more, she pauses. "My apologies, I know you said concise, but a proper impression cannot be smelted down into just a single phrase."

[Kaptin Keen]

Miss Mouse, if you don't mind - am I to understand from what you say that Remus Arcturos was the one responsible for summoning this warp entity you mentioned?

[LeSwordfish]

"Oh, the magistrate was workin' with 'Im?" Anne said quietly. "Should've shot the bugger like I wanted, then."

[Destro_Yersul]

Valle leaned forwards, picking up the dataslate and skimming through it. After a moment, she found what she was looking for, flipped the device off, and slipped it into her robes. "No, he did not summon it. He was fighting it. This heresy, at least, cannot be placed on him."

Stone steepled his fingers, looking thoughtful. "Professional, competent. He would have to be, to have hidden his side projects for so long. Probably a byproduct of his background, but then Inquisitors tend to be a secretive lot, by nature." He frowned. "I can't pretend I like it. I'll have a copy of that report on my desk later, Lady Valle."

Turning his attention back to the assembled group, he went on. "Well then, I thank you for your impressions on the subject. Some were shorter than I might like, but I did ask for brevity. I suppose you have questions. Perhaps I can head off the most pressing. You are in the Tricorn Palace, the headquarters of Inquisition activity for this sector. Seeing the inside of this place with any hope of walking back out some time later is a privilege that very few experience, so I suggest you enjoy it. You are here because of the evidence you have spent several, I am told, eventful deployments gathering against Inquisitor Arcturos. Inquisitor Valle has formally denounced Arcturos, and a Conclave has been called to hear the evidence against him, which you, as witnesses, will be helping to present. You will be quartered here for the duration of the Conclave."

He paused to see what impression, if any, his statements had made. "Any further questions?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella straightens up, and replies:

I have a few, I guess.

For one: Has there been any response from Arcturos to these accusations?

Will there be any formal defence of Arcturos?

Finally - being neither witness nor conclave member - perhaps you can clarify my own role in the proceedings?

[Artemis97]

Joss shook his head. For his part, he had no questions. The Inquisitor's proclamation that few who came here ever left was worrying, but they had done nothing wrong. Still, this could be a dangerous place. Arcturos surely had agents here, in the heart of the Imperial Inquisition.

[UncleWolf]

"I have one question, and one concern or request if I may ask." Mouse admits after a moment of thought. "The former first. When will we know when a decision has been reached? I assume we will be told, but there is a difference between waiting a week and waiting several months. I will wait however long it takes of course but it will help settle our minds to know a general timeline." She points out.

"As for the latter...given the serious nature of the conversation and ruling, and given our own role in this, I sincerely hope that special considerations will be given to the security of Lady Inquisitor Valle." She says, giving a quick glance to her Mistress before looking back towards the others. "Given my impression of the man, I would not find it a too distant leap in logic to believe he will have measures in place for such an event regardless of whether or not he is truly guilty. Even here in the legendary Tricorn Palace, I feel the need to press upon the importance of security. If nothing else, I would very much like it if we were given an area between our Mistress and the general..." She pauses for a moment, frowning before scowling in disgust at a lack of an appropriate word. "public" She finishes, knowing that it was a truly inadequate word for this place, but hoping that it gets the point across. "to room in. I would not like to think anything will happen while we are here, but caution is likely most welcome among all of us."

[Kaptin Keen]

... so - that's why everyone arrives at a business occasion geared for war: You're expecting assassins behind every fake palmtree and tapestry. Hm. I suppose if one's opposition is a rival inquisitor, such precautions might be wise. I shall take this to heart.

By Phaella's facial expression, it's clear she's relieved there is some explanation for the arms and armor. Even if that explanation is the possible death lurking in every shadow.

[LeSwordfish]

"Has 'e been told 'e's on trial?" Anne asked. "Like I think the buggers guilty, don't get me wrong? But are we asking 'I'm what 'e did? Or are we keepin' a secret that we know what 'e did?"

She had decided to keep speculation regarding Phaella''s place at the conclave and whether the wig was heresy to herself, in deference to the presence of the Lord Inquisitor.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Answers, then," said Lord Inquisitor Stone. "Phaella, you've been patient thus far, so you first. I'm appending you to cell Sigma for the duration of the Conclave. You've got some experience with investigation, and your counsel will, I expect, be useful."

"On the subject of proceedings, there's a general order to things. Valle will present her case against Arcturos. Evidence will be heard, and then Arcturos will present his defence, assuming he is here. If he's not here, guilt is assumed. He knows this, and he has a brief outline of the case against him with which to work on his side of things before he arrives. Anyways, after all that, the other Inquisitors present will go into debate. The time this will take is not expected to be more than a week or two, though..." he turned to Valle. "How long did it take them to render a verdict on Inquisitor Ghalenkast, again? Two hundred years?"

"A long time," said Valle. "This should be much shorter."

"Indeed. As to security, your concern is noted. Inquisitor Valle's security is her own matter, but I'm sure some arrangements could be made in terms of living quarters, at the very least. It would be remiss of me to assure you that nobody has ever been assassinated at one of these. These are Inquisitors we're talking about here. Politics sometimes happens on the edge of a blade."

[Kaptin Keen]

I think considerable security can be found in presenting an unthreatening posture. Despite my Lord Stone's evaluation of security, I fail to see why I should be a target. For now, I shall remain without arms and armor.

Cell Sigma I assume refers to these gentle folk, Phaella indicates Joss, Mouse and Annie, I look forward to getting better acquainted with you all. And I hope you will be able to benefit from my experience as an investigator.

I feel like asking, too: I realise this is the Inquisition head quarters. Is there anything to do here except wait or review the case files?

[Destro_Yersul]

"You'll have access to all the unrestricted sections of the Palace," Stone said. "And plenty of time to do whatever you like, when you aren't giving evidence."

The Lord Inquisitor stood, slowly walking around the desk towards the door. "That's everything from me, though Valle may wish to speak with you further. If you have no other questions for me, I have a lot of work to be getting to."

[Artemis97]

Joss steps aside to allow the inquisitor to pass, bowing his head in deference.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse stands up when the Lord Inquisitor does, being polite, and she gives a deep bow. "Thank you, Lord." She says sincerely. She'll wait until the Lord Inquisitor leaves before turning to Inquisitor Valle and bowing her head to her with her hands clasped in front of her. "My Lady, I apologize for our failings during the mission and accept responsibility for them." She says grimly, truly believing there had been several issues the group had flubbed greatly. "We should have been more vigilant."

[LeSwordfish]

Annie didn't bow exactly, but dipped her head in a vaguely deferential gesture as the Lord Inquisitor left.

[Thragka]

Before the Lord Inquisitor reached the door, it opened of its own accord. A gaunt and ugly figure stood in the frame. Enoch had decided to turn up.

After a moment, the psyker seemed to recognise the awkwardness of the situation. He slid into the room, treating Stone to a deep and deferential vow. He said nothing - which was not surprising to the rest of Cell Sigma. For reasons known only to himself, he had disactivated the vox-caster embedded in his throat after they left Landunder. The other Acolytes suspected it had something to do with Annie; though he had shied away from most social interactions while they had been in transit over the past several months, it had quickly become clear that he was going out of his way to avoid her in particular.

He looked around the room. With Joss, he made eye contact, and in those bulging eyes was a sense of desperation. To Mouse, he twitched his head. At Phaella, he cocked an eyebrow. Then he approached Valle. Several paces away, in a fluid motion, he began to bow, and then dropped to a knee. With a deft flick of the wrist, he slid his sword from its scabbard, and laid it, hilt first, on the floor before her.

After a few moment's silence, Enoch collected himself, retrieved his sword, and went to stand silently in Joss's shadow.

[Destro_Yersul]

Valle acknowledged Mouse and Enoch with a nod, servos whirring, and stomped over behind the desk. She remained standing, placing her hands on the desk and leaning forwards. Wood creaked as the Inquisitor put weight on it, her impassive deathmask face just watching them, for the moment. After a moment she straightened up, brushing past Mouse's apology first.

"Apology not required. Your actions helped save Landunder and locate Arcturos. Your focus should be on what happens now." Valle's voice was always a little jarring, but the words delivered in mechanical monotone because there were no voice samples of her saying them in life were always the worst. "During the proceedings you may run into the other Inquisitors. I am not forbidding you from speaking to them. Far from it. Talk to everyone, find out what they want, and which way their sympathies lie. Make sure to watch yourselves. This place is dangerous, in ways few other places are."

[Artemis97]

Joss nodded to Enoch when he took up a position beside the assassin. Poor little psyker was really spooked by their last mission, or he'd really lost his nerve when it came to talking to Annie. The feudalworlder quietly wished him luck in that endeavor.

"Lady Valle," Joss rasped in a low tone, "is Inquisitor Arcturos here? Will his acolytes attempt to disrupt things in any way?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella watched the awkwardness between Enoch and Annie with a look of very slight amusement. At Joss' words, she lights up with genuine cheer, remarking that if they're here, it's propably too much to hope for that he sent them here to help us, right? Then, after a moment of consideration, she adds ... but, it might be worth probing the depth of their loyalty. If Arcturos is going down, are they really willing to go down with him?

She turns to Inquisitor Valle:

Two pertinent questions, m'Lady.

First, should opportunity arise, would you be willing to extend your help to any of Arcturos' acolytes, if they testify against him?

Second, I imagine the leaders of the Inquisition have some of the most powerful cogitation engines known to man or Emperor. I should like access to such a terminal, it can only prove helpful when sorting through the data. Can this be arranged?

[Destro_Yersul]

"He has arrived. Almost everyone has brought a retinue along, and I would not expect Arcturos to act differently. What they will do while here is another matter. You may look into that. Sanctions taken against acolytes are up to Lord Inquisitor Argus Stone." Pistons hissed as Valle leaned back from the desk. "No arrangements for cogitators are necessary. Terminal access is available on levels six through twelve. Portable units are available from the Inquisition Quartermaster."

[Artemis97]

Behind his embroidered scarf, Joss frowns. If Inquisitor Arcturos and his cadre were already here, they had the advantage. They would have had more time to prepare the playing field for their benefit. It put the odds against them, but the assassin had worked with such odds before.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse frowns. "How long ago did he and his acolytes arrive?" She asks. "If it has been a few days or longer, then it likely supports my thoughts that he knew precisely why we were in Landunder since he returned here with all expedience using a ship far faster than our own. It is either that or the Warp Currents simply favored him, but despite our own moderate pace we didn't stall or commit any undue delays. Either way, he surely knew the charges being levied against him or at the very least suspected."

[Destro_Yersul]

"He was informed." Valle said simply. "It is standard practice to transmit details of an accusation such as this to the accused, so that they may prepare their defence. Astropathic communication is more reliable over short distances, and I levelled my charge as soon as I recieved your report. He arrived yesterday."

Despite the majority of this being a blanket statement of facts, and Valle's voice being rather incapable of conveying emotion, the acolytes got the distinct impression that their Inquisitor was displeased with the standard practice. Perhaps it was body language, as much as that applied to Valle's body of steel and pistons, but they couldn't help thinking Valle would have much preferred to ambush Arcturos with the charges.

[Kaptin Keen]

They're here, eh? I feel like I should go meet them, though maybe that's not proper form. Not to mention illegal, possibly? However, if there are records on the members of his retinue, I should very much like to go look them up.

With your permission, Lady Valle?

[Destro_Yersul]

"Officially, no sanctions have yet occured." This was another thing that Valle sounded rather less than pleased about. "You are free to speak with who you choose while you are here. This includes the accused and his associates. There are, of course, also records. Of nearly everyone. I will authorise access of all the unclassified ones."

[Artemis97]

Joss frowns slightly, wondering precisely what was in those records. Records he couldn't read. He almost wished he had tried to kill the Inquisitor when he had the chance, even if it would have certainly cost him his life. Death was simpler than paperwork.

[Kaptin Keen]

In that case, I shall depart for the cogitator banks - unless there was anything else?

Does anyone feel like joining - or should I just print out a couple of data slates for everyone?

If there are more items on the agenda, Phaella will hear everyone out before going anywhere, of course. But otherwise she will go drum up any and all information she can on .... well ....


Phaella would like to know what data is available on the Inquisitors - Valle, Stone, Arcturos - and any of their retinue currently on Scintilla. Obviously I'm not asking you to provide me with the full details, suffice it to say that, if such information is in the banks and available, and if it becomes relevant, Phaella will have it on a data slate somewhere.

Anything obviously useful I'd like to know. Otherwise it's just ... common practice. Read up on the opposition (and there are no real friends, only potential enemies), and be prepared.

Oh, and if possible, Phaella would also like to sign out a portable cogitator. That's a free bonus right there =)

Also, I expect everyone to read this despite the 'DM only' - you crooks! :p

[LeSwordfish]

"Aye, whatever." Anne said, waving a hand dismissively. "Listen, where can yeh get food round here? Proper nice food, right, like what we had on Landunder."

At the others' look, Annie shrugged. "It ain't fer me. Can you imagine Arcturos eatin' recyc crap?"

"Does 'e know it was us that ratted 'im out?"

[Destro_Yersul]

"He may not. Look into it." Something clicked and whirred as Valle turned and headed for the door. "Speak to the commissary for food."

Phaella
A quick trip to the quartermaster later, and Phaella had a portable cogitator unit, finished in matte black. It came with an access token for the local archives, and after finding a quiet corner she started digging through the records. A lot of it was classified, locked behind requests for authorisation. Some of what wasn't she already knew, from her time working for Stone. One thing that was immediately useful was the list of acolytes and retainers that every Inquisitor had in their personal retinue. Arcturos had brought four with him, two of them Malfian bountry hunters. Magda was ex-Arbites, dishonourably discharged after a long string of transgressions mostly involving getting into fights. Bronn was Guard, but retired. The other two were Amos, a noted authority on a wide variety of subjects - Predominantly Xenos, but with a side in Imperial Law - and Morbent, whose records were the most tightly locked off. All Phaella could find on him was his name, and a list of all the weapons he had declared upon arrival. It was a long list.

Valle had Cell Sigma, of course, and someone designated Mechanicus, name of Cognos, that Phaella hadn't met. The records said it was a woman (could you even tell with techpriests? Did they care?) from the Lathes. A note on the Inquisition file mentioned they were an assassin for the Lords Dragon. Valle must have pulled a few strings to have them along.

Stone's list was the longest, and included a veritable army of adepts and researchers, scriveners, subscriveners, legal counsel and one assigned squad of Inquisitorial Stormtroopers.

You need to return the cogitator once the Conclave is over, but for now it's signed out under your name.

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella spent an afternoon (if that's the appropriate time) happily compiling data on the opposition. She made a half-hearted attempt to circumvent security - she didn't hold much hope that her limited skills would suffice, nor that security here of all places would be sloppy. Regardless, it couldn't hurt to see if she could use her past Legate authority, play on her connection with Stone or Valle, or maybe dig up some old government fart who owed her a favor or two.


Various rolls:
Tech use: [roll0] vs 36, to find any holes in security, back doors, or possibly a copy of a document that is classified, but incorrectly stored by Valle or Stone. Such things happen. Not really counting on this though.

Then, writing polite letters to system administrators, government officials, nobles, anyone who might be able to either grant even slightly better access - or simply provide information Phaella doesn't have. Going with:
Inquiry: [roll1] vs 66 (skilled +20, +10 additional for peer - peer most likely doesn't apply to a sysadmin (or is he technically government?!)).

Finally, just because why not:
Knowledge (adeptus Arbites): [roll2] vs 36 - do I know anything more about Magda, and/or can I come up with some arbites way of securing higher access?

Edit: Oh, bless me, RNGeesus.


Once all the proper work is done, letters sent, archives scoured, people squeezed and so on, she goes in search of the others. She has any information she's manage to find ready on data slates for everyone.

Also, she's likely famished.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse's first step is to go into the assigned rooms and take a good look over of her own(or shared room if that's the case) in order to try and find any sort of security devices, both defensive and intrusive. She is definitely looking for any vox or pict devices. Once she's done, no matter the result, she will begin unpacking her bags before looking for a place she could tap in with her MIU and sort through whatever "public" files there are that she can access on Remus' "Thin Man". He hadn't been at the final dinner the two groups had had together.



Awareness Test: [roll0] vs 62

[Artemis97]

Joss will follow after Mouse to the rooms assigned to them and assist in finding devices hidden there. He was concerned they might be ambushed before they could secure their quarters, and keeps alert at the doors.

Once things are secured, and if Mouse needs no other assistance, Joss will head for the cafeteria, keeping an eye out for allies or enemies.


Awareness 1d100 vs 32+10

[LeSwordfish]

Annie accompanied Joss to the canteen, chattering idly away as she did so.

"Stands ter reason, right? 'E 'as to eat sometime, and 'e won't eat no bad food. An', like, there 'as ter be good food around somewhere."

[Artemis97]

"I hope you're right. Unless he gets his food sent to his rooms, we should have a good chance of spotting him, or at least one of his acolytes." Joss agrees.

[Kaptin Keen]

((Meeting up with the others - hopefully))

Meeting the rest of the team in whatever eatery we manage to find each other at, Phaella greets the others and offers them what information she's been able to glean from the data stores and cogitators banks, either on a freshly printed data slate, or for direct transfer.

Should the culinary level be up to her usual standards, she'll be pleasantly surprised, and compliment accordingly. Otherwise, she will brave the cuisine with the stoic expression of a guardsman standing sentry in the cold wind and rain.

((Retiring to her room at some later point))

When Phaella finally gets to her quarters, she does quite the opposite of her compatriots: Expecting - even hoping - that the room is bugged, she picks up a voxcorder, clicks it on, and begins an entirely imaginary journal entry for the day:

Day one, trial of Inquisitor Arcturos.

First impressions: The case is solid, the evidence against Acrturos is impressive. Valle seems to have taken the prudent path of submitting enough evidence to get a trial, but has also kept enough 'new evidence' in her sleeve to secure a conviction. Unless he has some impressive legal dodges up his sleeve, it looks bad for Arcturos.

I met the rest of Valles team. They are solid. Experienced, talented, competent - each with their quirks, but I couldn't ask for a better set of skills and insights on my side. Or Valles side, really.

On the other hand, I was able to dig up some interesting details on our opposition. It took a bit of wrangling, both in terms of tech and people, but ... dear Emperor, Arcturos certainly doesn't mind having a ... a somewhat colorful range of adepts. Obviously, with my background as Arbitrator, that raises an eyebrow, but on the other hand ... here, Phaella fakes looking over her notes to gather her thoughts before continuing, on the other hand they certainly are a hands-on, get-things-done group of people.

I considered finding a way to meet them, but ... it just doesn't seem proper. I know it's not against court regulations here. weird. Be that as it may, I'd feel uncomfortable facing any potential conflict of interest.

Phaella tilts her head a bit, as if considering - or trying to remember some detail - then adds, changing her tone from 'journal-entry' to 'note-to-self'.

I saw balconies on the 43rd floor. I think - weather permitting - that I'll go there tomorrow and review some of the new details Valle brought with her.


First of all: Sorry for the wall of text, exhaustingly long post.

Second, I hope what I'm doing is obvious: If there is someone listening/watching, they'll hopefully be concerned that 'more evidence' has been 'retained'. Also, a small test to see if anyone comes to the balcony on 43rd the next day.

Finally, Phaella wants to reinforce the image of someone unthreatening. Someone who might perhaps be a useful fool.

[Destro_Yersul]

Mouse and Joss

The rooms assigned to the group were near Valle's, though next to them rather than in front of them. There was a large common room, a bathroom, and four dorm-style bedrooms with a desk and bed each. The common room had a couch, a vid player, a table and a small kitchen area. Phaella had been given a single room nearby. Mouse had noticed a lot of picters on their way over, and set about systematically stripping the suite looking for detection equipment. She found a microphone in a potted plastic plant, and there were a pair of rather obvious picters covering the common areas. She couldn't find anything in the individual bedrooms, but after turning up another couple of vox pickups it was becoming increasingly clear that the more shared spaces were very well covered by Inquisition surveillance.

Sifting through files, Mouse found out precisely two things about Arcturos' thin friend: His name was Morbent, and he owned an astounding array of weaponry. There was a lengthy list of everything he'd brought with him on the trip here, and it included a sniper rifle, numerous knives, a sword, a number of holdouts... it went on. Apart from that, there was nothing on the man. No history prior to joining the Inquisition, no unclassified mission records... everything he had ever done was locked behind Inquisitorial encryption.

Joss and Annie

Leaving the rooms behind, the assassin and the gunslinger made for the commissary. The halls got busier as they got closer to the Tricorn's more active areas, and by the standards of the palace the mess hall was positively bustling. It was a long, wide area, filled with tables and benches of black marble. The pillars supporting the room were picked out in gilded detail, and each table was fitted with a privacy field generator. Some of these were active, fuzzy cones of opaque light obscuring the features and conversations of the people under them. Here and there servo skulls buzzed past on some errand or other. There was a short lineup for the main serving area, and a number of glass-fronted refridgeration units containing individually packaged food. A glance around at some of the tables told them that this was not by any means the greatest fare in the world, but it was of a higher quality than most would get. It also looked like there were some different service tiers going on. Functionaries and quill-pushers got the worst food, which was still decent. Acolytes could take that, but also had access to some of the fridges. The best was only open to Inquisitors. A small amount of money paid would get you a higher tier of access, but it wouldn't have surprised Annie if most of the time, people stuck with what they got.

Speaking of Inquisitors, Joss noticed that one of the people in the line rather stood out. Instead of simple robes, like the rest, the tall woman wore a black and gold dress and corset, over a black bodyglove. She was also armed, an ancient shotgun with an actual wooden stock hanging from a strap over her shoulder, and a long-handled warhammer hanging from a hook near her waist. She had short-cropped, greying hair, and would have looked rather a lot like a Sister of Battle, were she wearing power armour.

Phaella

Phaella couldn't find any backdoors or ways around security, but she hadn't expected to - the Inquisition was generally too paranoid for that. Instead, she sent off a handful of polite requests to Administratum contacts, and was rewarded with a generous data dump of unclassified, mostly tedious, and above-all thorough set of information on each of Arcturos' acolytes. She came out of it with full service records for Magda and Bronn, education records, previous postings and a set of academic papers big enough to fill its own dataslate for Amos, and a notable absense of anything on Morbent. Arcturos' last associate was as close to a ghost as anyone in the Imperium could reasonably hope to get. Cognos came pretty close as well, with most everything about them being locked behind either Inquisition or Mechanicus authorisation codes, but at least they had a name and a history leading up to whatever it was they were doing now.

While waiting for the responses, Phaella was also able to get a good bit of thinking done regarding Magda. It wasn't mentioned on any of the official records, but her discharge had happened at about the same time as Lord Marshal Goreman's ascent to office. She might well have been one of those caught up in the Lord Marshal's famous purges of his organisation. Nothing she'd done had technically warranted execution, but there was a lot that Goreman wouldn't have liked.



Phaella had been granted a suite to herself, perhaps in recognition of her connections to Inquisitor Stone, perhaps some other reason. Whatever the case, she had a small area to herself. Later, returning to the area after her bout of data-hunting, she found a dataslate left on a chair. It had a gene-print reader, and opened when she swiped a finger across it. Inside was a message from Lord Inquisitor Stone.

Keep an eye on Sigma. I agreed to Valle's accusations because they might have some merit, but there could also still be a reasonable explanation for the actions of Inquisitor Arcturos. My primary concern here is a just solution to the Conclave. Anything underhanded, I want to hear about it before it becomes a problem.

It goes without saying that you should delete this once you've read it. Geneprints are secure enough, but I'd rather you took no chances.

-Stone

[Kaptin Keen]

((Assuming Phaella manages to find Joss and Annie at the eatery))

As Joss and Annie are finishing their meal, Phaella finally makes it there, picks something at random - eyes it speculatively, as if to say 'what were you before you became ... whatever this is?!' - and goes to join the other two.

Hi, she begins, and chows down heartily despite the sub-par quality of the fare, I dug through the computers - and called in a few favors - and I've updated files on Arcturos' team if you'd like. She hands then a slate each. Nothing wildly spectacular, but knowledge is ammunition, right.

Things they've done, places they've been. If you need stuff like their weapons training and preferences, I bet it's in there.

There isn't anything that can obviously be used against them. Magda's dishonorable discharge coincides with Lord Marshall Goreman's purges, and maybe there's some leverage there, but it'll warrant some further digging.

As she continues to efficiently reduce the food to nothing, she smiles and adds if there's any kind of info that you'd consider valuable, let me know. I'm quite handy at that sort of thing.

[Artemis97]

Joss watched the inquisitor for a moment, wondering if he recognized her from somewhere. A real wooden stock on a weapon was rare and expensive in the space faring realms, and spoke to her skill with it. No novice would invest so much into a weapon.

Joss nods politely to Phaella when she approaches and accepts the dataslate. He turns it over in his hands for a moment, before handing it back. Such tech was less than useless in his hands, unless he used it to bash someone over the head. The feudal worlder couldn't read, though he offers no explanation.

"Their weapon skills would be useful. I want to know what we're up against." Joss says, before frowning in confusion. "Who are Magda and Lord Marshal Goreman?" He didn't know any of the acolytes names.

[Kaptin Keen]

Doing quick mental sums, Phaella picks up the discarded slate, presses a button and says:

Switch to voice command.

Call up weapons training, Magda.

Read aloud.

She places the slate on the table as it begins running down the various weapons Magda is registrered with, and her proficiency with each. She smiles at Joss, adding off-hand:

It's all in there. Or, if you find something that isn't, let me know. If I had a middle name, it might as well be 'digging for stuff'.

She smiles at the big man, politely avoiding any hint that he might not be entirely comfortable with the device.


Dataslates can do that, right? The Year 42000 tablet can do what an ipad can do, right? Or at least, the high quality stuff found at Tricorne Palace can ... right?

Otherwise, I'll edit my post and hang my head in shame.

[Destro_Yersul]

The slates Phaella had chosen were of rather high quality, and had some basic lexical functionality built in. As the slate rattled off the list of Magda's arbites training in a robotic monotone that only loosely cared about rules of pronunciation, Joss noticed that the Inquisitor with the shotgun had managed to work her way out of the line and was walking through the room with a tray, looking for somewhere to sit.

[Artemis97]

Joss frowns at the dataslate, not at all liking how it was now jabbering away at him in what could barely be called Low Gothic. He would have to toy with that more later, but for the moment, he mutters to the others.

"Let's make a friend."

The assassin decides before sliding over to make room at the table and waving to get the Inquisitor's attention.

[LeSwordfish]

"Well, don't be too keen." Annie muttered, busying herself with a bread roll. "An shut that thing up 'afore someone figgers out what we're up to."

[Kaptin Keen]

Looking more than a little startled, Phaella smiles at Annie and replies:

... you think they don't know? Give them a little credit, Arcturos isn't likely to have hired complete incompetents. Right now, at some other table, they are discussing what they've found out about us, I guarantee it.

She does however stop the slate from babbling on.

Eyes asparkle, she then raises her voice - slightly, just enough - and adds:

Don't worry, though. I've found far more interesting things than weapons training.

[LeSwordfish]

"Yeah, but we don't know, do we, because they 'ent getting a machine to shout it fer the entire room."

[Kaptin Keen]

Annie thinks to herself: Either he doesn't trust me - or he doesn't know why I'm doing this. Or both. Propably both.

Taking more care not to be easily overheard, observed or otherwise surveilled against, Phaella add:

There is a privacy field on our table. Quite likely, they can read our lips - and I'm sure the Inquisition can listen through their own scrambling - but that slate isn't saying anything we have a need to keep secret. Yes, I have a bunch on info on Arcturos' team, and I assure you they have the same on us.

That isn't the secret stuff. That's just doing our jobs.

And secrets are boring. Really. Secrets are much less useful than careful information management.

It's when we consider their information management too, that the game becomes really fun. Say, my source for Magda's weapons. Did he do me a favor? Or did he do Magda a favor?

[UncleWolf]

Once she's done her research and finds the microphone and picters, Mouse pours herself a glass of water before dumping the microphone into it. If it requires her ripping out a cable, she'll do so. Hopefully that'd give whomever was listening in some serious feedback issues for a bit. This is promptly followed by her waving at the picters, but she leaves those undamaged.

Afterwards she puts away her gear, leaving her in armor and with her shotgun on her back. The Adept wastes no time in leaving the suite, locking it if possible, and heading to Inquisitor Valle's quarters if she can find them. She had a few questions she needed to ask, privately if possible.

[Destro_Yersul]

Mouse

Inquisitor Valle's rooms were near their own, though the Inquisitor had been given a single suite rather than the dorm setup the acolytes had. Mouse knocked, and was answered a few moments later by a mechanical voice from a vox grille to the left of the door. "Who is it?"

Others

The Inquisitor Joss had waved to joined the table a few moments after Phaella had finished talking, placing her tray on the table and sitting down. "Good evening," she said. "Don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you yet. Adrianna Helm, Ordo Malleus."

Up close, the Inquisitor looked younger, though Annie spotted a few of the tell-tale signs of Juvenat treatments. It would be hard to say how old she actually was.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse

"It is Mouse, my Lady Inquisitor." The Adept responds. "I had a few queries I would like to ask of you if you have a moment. They concern the matter at hand." She adds before removing her finger from the vox button to wait for her Inquisitor's response.

[Artemis97]

Others

"I am Joss Falkenrath, and this is Annie Lee. We're Acolytes of Inquisitor Valle." Joss introduces them. "And this is lady Phaella, who works for Inquisitor Stone."

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella nods her thanks at Joss for the introduction, and at the Inquisitor, before adding: A pleasure to meet you, Inquisitor Helm. I've heard much about you - you cast a long shadow, so to speak.

As a matter of fact, I'm slightly unsure if I work for Stone or Valle. Since I was assigned by Stone, to Valle, at the very least for the duration of this trial, I suppose for the time being I actually work for her.

She gives a crooked little smile, as if to say 'pfft - right?!'

[Destro_Yersul]

Mouse

There was a short pause, and then the door unlocked and Valle opened it. "Come in. What is on your mind?"

Others

"You are here for the conclave, then," Inquisitor Helm said. "Well, me too. How is Inquisitor Stone, by the way? Haven't spoken to him in some time."

[UncleWolf]

Mouse

Mouse will pause for just a moment before entering the room, suddenly realizing that this could be a rather large transgression. Even so, she was invited in, so enter she does. Once she's in, she'll take a look around and search for a seat near her Inquisitor. If it is just herself and Inquisitor Valle, she'll start voicing her concerns. "My Lady, as I was unpacking, I could not help but wonder how this all began. I understand I am not privy to many of the details, however I am forced to consider if this all feels too...convenient. Simple. I realize that the missions we have been on haven't been simple, and as loathe as I am to trust a "gut feeling" as my associates may call it over logic, there is a sense of unease I feel in regards to this entire situation."

[Kaptin Keen]

"You are here for the conclave, then," Inquisitor Helm said. "Well, me too. How is Inquisitor Stone, by the way? Haven't spoken to him in some time."

Phaella is cautious in answering this question. A puritan would most obviously side with Valle against Arcturos - but what if there should be a conflict of interests? What if Arcturos meant to use xenos tech to fight the daemon?

Regardless, there is a certain safety in ignorance:

If you'll pardon my pun, Inquisitor Helm - Inquisitor Stone is a rock. It's not like the Inquisitor and I are deep confidantes, so I cannot entirely vouch for every aspect of his life, but professionally he's solid as bedrock.

She has the good grace to give a crooked little smile at the sheer awfulness of her joke.

Have you had the time to review the case yet - come to any conclusions thus far?

[Artemis97]

Joss sits and listens, nodding to the inquisitor's question. They were indeed here for the conclave.

[Destro_Yersul]

Mouse

"Convenient?" Valle closed the door behind mouse, and stomped over to a chair to sit down. It must have been one of her own, if it was reinforced enough to hold the weight of her cybernetics. "Explain. I do not see the reasoning."

It was as much an order as a request, but Mouse knew that wasn't anything unusual from their Inquisitor.

Others
The pun earned a chuckle from Helm. "That sounds like him, alright. Though, I assure you, I wasn't questioning his competence. I've looked the case over a little, but I want to hear both sides of the argument before I draw any conclusions. Valle only gave a brief outline in the call to the Conclave, so we've not got all of the evidence yet."

[Kaptin Keen]

The simple remark from Helm triggers a cascade of considerations for Phaella.

So ... fishing for information. You're really here to try and find out which side to back. I bet you'd have come over even if Joss hadn't called you. Oh, how to play this?!

Mind racing, Phaella replies: Obviously I cannot give you any solid information - that's for Valle to present, at the conclave. But I've reviewed the files, and .. well, between you and me, I believe Inquisitor Arcturos should focus providing reasons for his transgressions - rather than plead innocence. Looking for leniency looks more promising than looking for acquittal, as far as I can see.

Confession, with solid reasoning for why it was necessary, would be how I'd advise the good Inquisitor, were I his legal council.

Worried she might be overplaying her hand, she choses to gamble on the fact that Helm is pretty strict in her convictions herself. but who knows - she could be here at Arcturos' request. Stranger alliances have seen the light of day.

[Destro_Yersul]

"An interesting viewpoint." Helm said. "Though it's difficult to imagine a justification that would be accepted. As I understand it, Arcturos is accused of some very serious actions."

[Kaptin Keen]

Well, the inquisition doesn't deal in trivial matters. I agree of course - but if Arcturos doesn't have weighty reasons for his actions, I suppose the only other avenue is ... escape. I've seen the evidence, I don't really see how he could convince everyone it's all a misunderstanding.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


Mouse nods and takes her seat, frowning slightly out of thought rather than concern. "As I was unpacking and searching for taps within our suite - which included a microphone, by the way - I started to ask myself questions that will be raised when Remus refutes the case against him. Some of which I cannot seem to answer. The first, and most important question I suppose, is how did this case against him get started? What was it that raises suspicions in the first place? Oddly enough, when we shared dinner, he seemed to speak highly of you. I initially cast such attitude aside as him trying to befriend us, but when I ponder upon another of his actions, I cannot help but begin to wonder." Mouse explains, still frowning as she leans forward slightly.

"Maybe I am merely starting to doubt my judgment for I admit I still cannot help but be shaken by the ritual we stopped and the spectres I had seen, but I must ask. Would someone guilty have been so eager to return to the Palace to face not just his judgment, but the judgment of his acolytes?" She asks. "I am not familiar with such matters, nor am I excusing any heresy he may have committed, but it seems odd that a Guilty man would be so hasty in his return. Either he truly believes he is innocent and has proof of such, or he has plans that require him to be here. Neither prospect is pleasing to me, My Lady, for that means either we are looking at the wrong person, or we are playing into his hand. In the case of the former, is it at all possible this is being used as a distraction from a true culprit?"

[Destro_Yersul]

Mouse

"The Inquisition watches even its own," Valle said, in regards to the information about the microphone. "I shall answer your questions. What raised suspicions was your investigations into MIRA. Then there was the small matter of KLYBO. Your message before you returned was the final piece. I then had a name to put to the initials behind those first two incidents, and I have not been idle in the time between that time and now."

"In terms of the conclave, I think you misunderstand. He must return. To avoid the call is to confess guilt. To have any hope of turning our accusations, he must be present to defend himself."

Others

"People have tried to shoot their way out of these before. It generally goes poorly. If he tries to escape, it will be before the verdict even lands."

[Artemis97]

"We should keep an eye on him." Joss growls out.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


"I was not on Klybo, so perhaps that is why I am currently unable to piece together everything to my satisfaction, but Mistress, I do have a question to ask of you." Mouse says, looking up at her Inquisitor's eyes or optics, whatever she has to see through. "You know him better than I, but does Remus seem like a man who would be without a plan or be unable to cover himself adequately? Guilty or Innocent, I gather the sense that he is not a man that takes blind chances nor does things without thinking them through quite a ways. So, with this in mind, I would like your permission to come at this from another angle on the chance that we have indeed been mislead or have missed something. Perhaps it might even prove his Guilt beyond a doubt." Mouse explains.

"I would like to try and prove his innocence while everyone else tries to prove his guilt."

Mouse pauses after saying that, frowning at how it sounds. "Let me explain. If I were to work with Remus under the assumption that we were all mislead, that would likely give rise to new evidence and accounts that would either solidify our case against him or prove beyond a doubt that he was not our quarry. Either way we benefit. The worst case scenario for myself is that I vanish or get killed, in which case he's proven himself the traitor we believe him to be. I may hold myself in high regard but if my life serves to root out Heresy in such a fashion, it is as The Omnissiah wills it."

[Destro_Yersul]

Mouse

Valle's eyes were... disconcerting. The mask appeared to have nothing where they should be, its own eyes sculpted shut. But then, nothing said that optics needed to be placed there, given the extend of the Inquisitor's reconstruction. She probably didn't have proper optic nerves anymore, no need to connect the cybernetics to them, but then how did she see? It took Mouse a moment to notice the glint of the lenses mounted on either side of the Inquisitor's neck, half hidden under the edges of the mask. Valle waited some time before answering, the blank mask fixed on Mouse the whole time.

"He is a man who is never without a plan of some sort. I do not know him as well as some, but I have spent a great deal of time reading his file. He is very careful, and he does not like to take a personal hand in things. If he does, it is because something has forced his hand."

There was another long pause as the Inquisitor considered Mouse's request. "You have permission to speak with him. Gather what you can from him. I have no doubt he is our man. He will protest innocence. Claim he had reasons. The seeds of Heresy rest within the minds of reasonable men." Not for the first time, Mouse got the impression that Valle would be a lot easier to read if her voice was able to carry any emotion.

Others

"Of course we should. Goes without saying." Helm paused for a mouthful. "Have you met any of the other Inquisitors yet?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Actually, obvious as it may be, I like to have a slightly less obvious play up my sleeve, thinks Phaella to herself - but not knowing whether or not to trust Helm, she just adds:

Speaking only for myself, I've met you, Valle and Stone. Oh, and um, the envoys of Inquisitor Al-Subaii. Having never met the man himself, I can only guess - but it sounded to me like his message was 'you guys sort this one out without me, ok - thanks bye!'

[LeSwordfish]

"E knows 'e can trust us." Annie said absently. In truth, she was more than a little impressed by this inquisitor, and felt the need to demonstrate her competence. This she did by sucking the gravy off a grubby finger, and prodding at Phaella's dataslate. "I weren't with these folks when they was investigatin' R.A, but 'e's got a bit of a 'istry, you get me?"

"You might know this. Any folks goin' ter bat fer Arcturos? Like, 'as 'e got any friends or allies round 'ere?"

[Artemis97]

Joss has nothing to add at the moment, so simply sits, listening and taking bites of his food.

[Destro_Yersul]

Not Mouse

"I hadn't heard about Al-Subaii. Though, I think he's in recovery, so makes sense he isn't coming." Helm abandoned this line of thought without further comment, in favour of answering Annie's question.

"I could make a few guesses, but I don't know anything for sure. Inquisitor Valdemar might, unless he thinks Arcturos is certain to lose. Inquisitor Carthus almost certainly won't, he's got ties to your Lady Valle. Stanford probably won't either. It's so hard to call these things, though, precisely because of all the politics behind the scenes. Often, who wins is a matter of personal support more than actual guilt. On the other hand, I somehow doubt Lord Stone has much patience for popularity contests."

[Kaptin Keen]

So Valdemar is the one to push, considers Phaella, barring the notion that Helm is lying, of course. This warrants looking into. Excellent. Idle hands do the devils work.

I would wager it takes rather a lot of personal connections and politics to get out of undeniable guilt though. At least, it seems like hard evidence should ultimately outweigh connections - though I realise that's not always the case.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


"If he is a man who prefers to keep his distance, then his hand was forced in Landunder." Mouse points out with a small frown. "He lead that mission personally so perhaps something else is going on there that we did not know. As serious of a threat as that warp entity was, surely he didn't need to see to it personally unless it was a far greater threat than we were lead to believe or he didn't trust his acolytes to take care of it fully. Or he had another agenda entirely and it was coincidental. Either way, I will try to find out what drew him there and why." She explains as she stands before smoothing out her pants.

"I believe telling him the truth might be the best course of action. Explain that I am there to attempt to prove his innocence when my colleagues are there to prove the opposite. He will likely get suspicious, but I think it is an offer that he might take depending on how much he feels like his back is against the wall."

[Destro_Yersul]

Mouse

"Learning what drew him out on LANDUNDER would be an excellent start," Valle admitted. "Though I do not think he would tell you. You are looking to play a dangerous game. Then again, so are we all."

Inquisitor Valle turned away, clanking heavily across the floor. "Suppose you are successful. What would you do then?"

Not Mouse

"It does," Helm said. "But undeniable guilt is hard to come by. Almost everyone is guilty of something, and almost everyone has two ways to justify it. A conclave is closer to a debate than a trial."

[Kaptin Keen]

So, a very ... democratic notion of justice, then. Interesting.

Lady Helm, it's been a pleasure, but I believe I shall have to excuse myself. There are still many things to do today.

Phaella turns to the others, Perhaps we can adjurn until this evening. I'd like to meet quite briefly, if only to ... compare notes, that sort of thing. Say just before we turn in for the night.

Whether the others agree, she will then politely excuse herself, and return to her research. Target, Valdemar and his crew.

[LeSwordfish]

"Worth goin' an chattin' with Valdemar?" Annie asked Joss. "Might know summat we don't, might be we can make 'im stay outer it." Unusually for Annie, this last was not delivered with foreboding: threatening an inquisitor in front of a roomful of inquisitors was beyond even her taste for violence.

[Artemis97]

Joss nods. "It sounds like a plan. At the very least we'll learn where he sits on the subject." The assassin rose from his seat and gave a short bow to the Inquisitor. "Lady Helm, if you'll excuse us. We will take our leave."

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


"Successful in dragging out more information to prove his guilt, or perhaps finding someone else is at fault?" She asks, wishing for clarification before shaking her head. "In either case, attempt to return to you and expound upon what I have garnered. If I vanish, then that simply clarifies his guilt in the matter and there will be another charge against his name." Mouse adds with a small smile. "To be perfectly fair, Mistress, even with the danger of this I feel that it is far more within my realm of work than it was dealing with the Warp Entity and the ritual back on Landunder." She admits before giving the Inquisitor a deep bow.

"Before I leave, what should I tell the others, My Lady?"

[Destro_Yersul]

Not Mouse

"Has to be," Helm said. "Part of debate is that both sides are presented, which affords a valuable opportunity for those present. Sometimes we learn what the other side thinks like. Sometimes we are prevented from making an error. Either way, it's not an opportunity to be missed." As the acolytes rose, the Inquisitor nodded farewell.

"Take care. Perhaps we'll speak later."

Phaella

Back to the archives it was, and the return to trawling through mountains of records. Phaella rapidly discovered that the rumours and things she'd heard had been right - there were a LOT of expunged sections on Valdemar's service records. Almost everything from his time as an Arbitrator on Sinophia was gone, including the chunk of time encompassing the end of his service to the Arbites and the start of his service to the Inquisition. Here and there, Phaella found references to that time in other records, and ocassionally the name 'Haarlock.' THAT one threw up immediate access denied - insufficient clearance warnings if she tried to follow up.

Valdemar's career as an interrogator was perhaps the most open. He'd been trained by +REDACTED+, but all the details of the cases he'd handled were there for the looking. The entry log said he'd brought three others with him to the Tricorn, but their names were unlisted.

if you want to find more, tell me what you're doing and make a roll you think appropriate.

Joss and Annie

Wanting to talk to Valdemar was one thing, but the first order of business would have to be finding him. They were able to get a pict of him easy enough, just a matter of asking an archivist, but the Tricorn was a big place.

How are you going to try and find him? If you just want to ask around, roll Inquiry.

Mouse

"At finding there is another to blame." Inquisitor Valle looked down towards the floor. "Nothing here is simple." She said, the volume on her voice modulator dropping suddenly. "Suppose you vanish. I add this to the list of his crimes, and we proceed. This is the least complex outcome, which costs one acolyte and gains little. If you succeed, it means there is another force at work. This information is valuable. All information has a price. Here, the price is that we lose face. The fact that I give you permission to proceed is, if anything, an expression of how unlikely I find it that you will succeed at exonerating him."

The Inquisitor's voice came back to normal volume. "Tell them whatever you wish. Even the truth, if you think that is wise."

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella - predictably - goes to the archives again. Perfectly at home surrounded by cogitators, the buzz of data stacks and the scribbling of autolecterns, she settles down to do what she does best: Worrying at the bone like a hungry hound.

Having already tested the security of the Tricorn data security, going that avenue again would be folly. So if official records are unavailable, who else might know something about a dirty arbitrator?

Well, well well.

Start with arrests. Run a search for all arrests made by Valdemar, or Haarlock. Then sort out all the irrelevant small stuff - isolate cases against those who might have fought back somehow, or cases about big things, lots of thrones, or forbidden tech, or suspected cultism, or similar.

Now, two avenues are open:

First: These suspects, convicts, criminals. Are any still alive, are their where-abouts known - are any even potentially held here, at the Tricorne?
Second: How about any other officers on those cases - might they be found, and what might they have to say about Valdemar/Haarlock.

And the work is not done. If the initial seach turns up anyone interesting - then she needs to dig up something compromising on them, some angle, some way to exert pressure. Sure, normal interrogation might be enough. Bu having an ace up the sleeve never hurt, right.


Rolls for all of the above might include:
Inquiry: [roll0] vs 56 - to find someone to interrogate
Interrogation: [roll1] vs 52 - to pry the truth out of them
Tech use: [roll2] vs 36 - to make the cogitators do their job
CL, Arbites: [roll3] vs 36 - a basic knowledge of methods and procedures can't hurt
Charm: [roll4] vs 36 - after all, there might be someone who isn't in the target segment for base interrogation

You never know what might be dug up - but I imagine Phaella in a cell, somewhere deep under the Tricorne, promising some poor fool either freedom or a lenient sentence in return for all he knows about the good old duo of Valdemar and Haarlock.

Supposing Haarlock was ever an arbitrator - that's pure guesswork.

Edit: Those are some pretty decent rolls there.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


"If telling the truth causes them to scurry away or block me, then we will have an even more definitive answer than we already do." Mouse says with a small smile. "Though I should have clarified. I meant what do we tell your other acolytes? Should I do this without their knowledge or with it? I can see merits to both choices. One means we can work together, but in keeping separate we can attempt to keep our investigations pure and unblemished from bias with one another."

[Destro_Yersul]

Phaella

Haarlock didn't seem to have any arrests made, which was strange, if he was an arbitrator. A little extra digging around in the stacks, off behind the cogitators where the physical records were kept, seemed to be in order. The cogitator lookup was proving to be somewhat uncooperative, so it took some time, but eventually Phaella tracked down some older records that referenced the name. Solomon Haarlock had been one of the Rogue Traders involved in the sector's initial founding, ages ago. The last listed scion of the line was Erasmus, who had conducted a singularly bloody purge of every other Haarlock descendant before vanishing. Anything and everything since those early records were locked behind clearance codes higher than Phaella had access to, but she did find a reference amongst their holdings to a place on Sinophia called Haarlock's Folly. It had apparently been converted into a precinct for the Adeptus Arbites of that world.

That left Valdemar's record. A very large number of suspects in his cases had ended up deceased, though that wasn't necessarily unusual. Standard Arbites practices included a lot of sanctioned field executions. None of the living were here at the Tricorn. None of Valdemar's former colleagues were, either... except.. Phaella had to track down some assistance, but with a small team of scribes to help run cross-checks, she was able to confirm that one of the palace's current complement of Stormtroopers, a woman named Weaver, had been on a handful of deployments with him during his time as an interrogator. Sgt. Weaver would be easy enough to find, but a Storm Trooper would require a different tack than a standard interrogation.

Can you give me a list of questions you'd like to ask?

Annie and Joss

Joss caught a lucky break with the first person they asked for directions: A passing adept happened to be in charge of temporary room assignments for the Conclave, and once he heard who they were was happy to give them the location of Valdemar's quarters. The Inquisitor had requested rooms down near the end of one of the Palace's more secluded hallways. The traffic of scribes and off-duty troopers, already sparse within the Tricorn's echoing hallways, thinned to a trickle as the two acolytes approached the Inquisitor's rooms. The door was shut and locked.

Mouse

"That is what I meant. You came here alone. Do you believe you cannot trust the rest of the cell? Or do you wish, simply, to avoid distracting them? Think on it. I leave the answer to you."

[UncleWolf]

Mouse



Mouse stays silent for a moment, considering her choices and her response. "I trust my cell to do what they think is best in the pursuit of Inquisitor Remus' guilt. The Arbites I do not trust simply because they are an unknown to me. However much I trust the others though, they have a tendency to be...loud. I will start this on my own and depending on my findings or lack of them, I will read them into it." It was as careful of a response that she could devise, but it amounted to her believing that while her teammates meant the best, sometimes they were a bit bumbling in her opinion. "Perhaps in their attention grabbing nature, Remus and his acolytes will be distracted enough to let something slip. By your leave." She finishes, giving her deep bow once again. If dismissed, she'll head directly to Inquisitor Remus' quarters.

[Kaptin Keen]

Any interrogation, especially one that's exploratorive, looking to dig up information rather than confirm suspicion, is an iterary proces.

Phaella isn't the type to push hard without having very solid leverage. And since she had nothing on the Storm Trooper, that wasn't the way to go. Instead, she'd have to build rapport with the sargeant, sniff out how she felt about Valdemar, then dig into what she knows about him.

Now, worst case, she really likes Valdemar. If that's the case, leverage will be necessary.

Best case, she hates him, and will willingly divulge anything she knows.

Or she might be afraid of him, in which case Phaella needs to build assurance she can offer protection. And she happens to be officially working for the Lord Inquisitor, so that should work. Hopefully.

Thus, questions of the style:

Initial:
How well do you know Valdemar?
What do you think of his methods?
Do you have any knowledge of his many ... infractions?

Moving on to:
Did he ever mention the name Haarlock? How about Sinophia? Haarlocks Folly?
Were there areas he displayed particular interest in - xenos, for instance?

Rounding out with:
Did anything in particular strike you as off about Valdemar? Did he have any particular friends or enemies?

Rolls:
Inquiry: [roll0] vs. 66 (digging up information - also about Weaver, to find something to use, maybe to win her sympathy?)
Interrogation: [roll1] vs. 62 (soft interrogation, but still the right skill for it, I figure)
Scrutiny: [roll2] vs. 57 (to read Sgt. Weaver, navigate around her opinions, fears, whatever)
Charm: [roll3] vs. 36 (weak skill, but it can't hurt, right? Trying to win her over)

So many rolls. Here goes nothing.

Edit: Yech. I'll go jump off a bridge.

[LeSwordfish]

Annie rapped firmly on the door. "Wotcher. Inquisiter? You got a momen'?"

[Destro_Yersul]

Mouse

Leaving Inquisitor Valle's quarters, and armed with a set of directions, Mouse headed for the rooms occupied by Inquisitor Arcturos. It seemed as though Remus had gone for a single apartment for himself, and another single spare. Probably for his team, if he'd brought more than the two they'd met previously. Knocking on the door to Arcturos' quarters brought silence, and then footsteps. When the door opened, though, it wasn't the Inquisitor, but rather the black-armoured bodyguard from Landunder.

"Funny seeing you here," she said, and Mouse realised that might be the first time she'd ever heard the woman's voice. "What do you want?"

Phaella

Phaella found Sergeant Weaver in the barracks, engaged in weapon maintenance. The storm trooper was in combat fatigues but no armour, the carapace evidently stowed away when she was off duty rotation. She barely looked up at Phaella once, but the whole time they were talking there was the distinct impression of being watched. Weaver seemed like a very dangerous individual. As was proper, given her position, of course. Her answers were given in short sentences. Not friendly, but not hostile either. Indifferent seemed likely.

"You want to know about Inquisitor Valdemar? Yeah, I worked with him a couple of times. Always a bit shifty, him, like he was hiding something. Maybe he was. Never looked into his record."

"Methods are a bit heavy handed, maybe. Not unusual. When I was with him he favoured field interrogations. No dragging people back for questioning. Get what you can where you are, then executions."

"No. Never looked into his record, and He didn't talk much."

"Sinophia's where he's from, right? Drekhole of a world, you ask me. Not as bad as Fenksworld, but still pretty bad." For the first time since the start of the interview, Weaver looked up. "I wasn't around for the Haarlock business. Heard about it down the chain, y'know? Not from Valdemar, either. He wouldn't talk about it. If you want details about that, you'd be better off asking an Inquisitor with high enough clearance to see them. Haarlock's folly, though, that I know. It was part of the old Rogue Trader holdings, ended up converted into a precinct. I heard they found some frakking nasty crap up in the attic, but again, no details."

"Not Xenos, generally. He didn't have much time for the aliens. I'd heard he ran off investigating the old Night Cult legends, but those have only ever been legends. Not surprised he didn't find anything."

"As for what's off about him, where to start? He's a twitchy paranoid bastard. Sleeps with a gun at hand, double locks all his doors, won't stay alone in a room with anybody. Got a top line tox-sniffer from somewhere, still has somebody taste all his food. Can't have friends because he keeps everyone at arm's length. Once you're used to the muttering it's not that bad, though."

Technically I believe a soft interrogation, questions only and no intimidation, would fall under Inquiry. I'll bundle the questions into your first roll.

Annie and Joss

The door didn't open. Instead, they heard shuffling up behind it, and someone's voice filtered through a vox amplifier. Despite the clicks and pops of the vox, and the fact they were listening through a door, it was easy enough to make out.

"Maybe. Who's asking?"

[LeSwordfish]

Annie paused for thought. "Annie Lee, an' -" what was Joss's surname again? "- an' associate. We're 'ere regardin the trial'f Inquisitor Arcturos. 'pparently you knew'im, we wanted ter 'ave a chat."

Even when Annie was trying not to be menacing, her accent undermined that.

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella is starting to get the impression of a very driven individual - maybe driven by his own motivations, maybe those of another - who is bordering on outright insanity. So that's interesting.

One question seems relevant to ask: What was the Haarlock business, precisely? It seems likely Weaver won't answer however.

New lines of inquiry are opened, however: Look into rogue traders associated with Haarlocks Folly, look into the Night Cult, find an inquisitor to ask about ... all of the above, basically.

Then, if anything even remotely solid emerges, correlate with whatever the rest of the team knows. Is Arcturos' heresy related to the Night Cult, maybe?

Something to ponder when Phaella meets up with the others.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


Mouse isn't too terribly surprised when Remus isn't the one to answer the door. In fact, she'd be surprised if he were here at all for the moment. Even so, she inclines her head respectfully. "I am here to help prove your Lord's innocence. Some of us still like to believe in the best of humanity. Before you ask, yes, my Mistress knows I am here."

[Artemis97]

"We would greatly appreciate it." Joss adds, trying to be helpful.

[Destro_Yersul]

Mouse

"That so?" The bodyguard stared at her for a while. "Lost cause, believing in the best of humanity. Works out here, I guess."

She shrugged. "You want to come in, then?"

Phaella

Weaver either didn't know, or wouldn't say, so it was back to the research. Armed with a few more specific queries, Phaella was able to make better headway. Haarlock's Folly had been owned, appropriately enough, by the Haarlock Dynasty of Rogue Traders. Erasmus Haarlock, last of the line, had vanished after hunting down and killing ever other member of the line, leaving behind estates on dozens of worlds. A lot of the specifics were still locked off, but from tidbits here and there, it looked like there had been something really, really bad going on. Eventually, Phaella had to just go find an Inquisitor to ask, having run into yet another stack of heavily sealed files. The easiest one to get to was probably Lord Stone, though if she didn't want to bother him she could try for someone else.

In the meantime, she dug up what she could find on the Night Cult. There were a few scraps of old texts, referencing the Emperor Revenant. A copy of a work on the Transfiguration of St. Drusus, with scribblings in the margins. The broad body of evidence suggested that the Night Cult was a death cult of some sort, a spectral congregation of the damned that stood guard over the forgotten graves of those fallen in the God-Emperor's service. They prepared for the final battle against the forces of Chaos, when the Emperor would rise from the golden throne and raise the dead for his army in a second great crusade. This was all old, though, very old, compiled from scattered legends across half the sector. It was officially proscribed by the Ecclesiarchy, but the broad body of evidence suggested that the cult did not, and had never, actually existed. A lot of the literature she found had been penned or filed by Inquisitor Valdemar.

Joss and Annie

"You would, would you? Hm. Suppose you want to come in, too?" Annie thought she caught a hint of suspicion in the voice, even over the vox. "You're armed? Of course you are, hm. Well, let me see here..."

They heard clacking, like the keys of a cogitator being worked rapidly. Nearby, something mechanical hummed softly. "Yes, yes, I see who you are. Annie Lee and Joss Falkenrath. Gunmetal and Acreage. Odd pair, you two. Hm. Alright, you can come in, but keep your hands where I can see 'em."

With a click, the door unlocked. Nobody opened it, though, and after a moment it seemed it would stay that way.

The apartment was dimly lit, all of the luminators turned to their lowest setting. In an alcove off to the side stood a robed attendant, hood drooping low over their face. The Inquisitor himself was nowhere to be seen, but his voice crackled from a vox unit sitting on a low table in the center of the room. "Come in, then. Haven't got all day, have we? And close the door behind you."

There were chairs by the table, and a stack of books and papers next to the vox unit. The glint of a picter lens shone from the upper corner of the room, half-hidden behind a tall plastic plant. Heavy doors, shut tight, led from this room to other areas of the apartment. Each had a red indicator light on its handle; they were locked.

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella needs to speak with both Valdemar and Stone - but first, she needs to speak with the rest of the team.

Obviously she politely thanks the storm trooper, Weaver, for her assistance. Then she returns to her room, where she intends to once again do a little song-and-dance for the (suspected) audience.

The basic assumption is this: Anyone who can place or access surveillance in her room can also track her search history on the Inquisition cogitators and data stacks. So the basic research is known - but the conclusions are not.

She mumbles happily to herself as she jots down notes on a data slate:

Further searches turned up mainly dead-ends. Something called the ... Cult of Night, which seems to be entirely mythical. Searched for a backdoor to Valdemars past - among his past arrests - but unsuccesfully. All I found was one storm trooper Weaver, but she was mostly uninformative.

Also found that Haarlock was some old rogue trader. There was some sort of altercation, and then Erasmus - last of the line - disappeared. I must assume he died, and his line with him.

I'll do more work tomorrow. Hoping for fair weather.

Note to self: If the Haarlock family is gone - last member dead - what happened to all their holdings? Did they revert to the Imperium, were they bought by other families .... or what?

[Artemis97]

Joss slowly pushed open the door and, keeping his hands about chest height, came inside. He glanced up at the picter unit, before turning his attentions to the robed person. "Ah.... Well met. May we have a seat?"

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Annie

"Sit." The voice crackled from the vox speaker on the table. The robed person didn't move.

"And don't mind the attendants. They're useful, but they're not me and so I doubt you came to talk to them."

[LeSwordfish]

Annie sat, uneasily, resisting the urge to express her opinion of Valdemar's sanity with some expressive hand gestures. "Nice place yer got here."

She cleared her throat. "Aright then. 'Ow long 'ave you an' Inquisiter Arcturos known each other?"

[Artemis97]

Joss sits next to Annie and keeps his hands in his lap, outside his armored cloak and thus away from the weapons he wore beneath. He'll let Annie do the talking, and keeps an eye on the attendant.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


"I never said it was a good idea to believe in it." Mouse admits as she unbuckles her belt with the two pistols she's carrying around in order to offer it to her. "I would like to, yes. Though it is perfectly understandable if you would prefer me to be unarmed. Is the Inquisitor in?"

[Destro_Yersul]

Mouse

"He should be back soon." The woman took the gunbelt and put it on a side table, out of easy reach. She stood next to it, facing Mouse, and waited. The silence, if Mouse didn't break it, stretched on.

Soon, the door mechanism clicked and Inquisitor Arcturos entered. He looked much like he had when they had left him on Landunder. "Ah," he said, when he saw the adept waiting for him. "Took the message to heart, then, after all. Or at least, I assume that's why you're here? It's not like Valle to send somebody to gloat."

Joss and Annie

"Some time, some time. Why?"

If Annie was any judge, the voice's owner knew perfectly well why they were asking, but wanted to hear them say it.

[LeSwordfish]

Annie shrugged, suspecting that Valdemar could see them as well as hear them. "As you know, 'e's under investigation. We figgered as an' old friend of 'is, you'd be the one who knew most about 'im. Whether 'e could 'ave done, or would 'ave done, what they said 'e's done."

[Artemis97]

Joss shifted his gaze to the pict recorder in the corner of the room and nodded in agreement with Annie.

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Annie

"I'm sure there are others who know him better than me." The voice said. "Still, I'm the one you came to. But you'll have to be a little more specific. He could have done many things, just like you could have done many things. With any number of justifications for them, no doubt. Suppose I think you're chasing shadows, well, people chase shadows all the time, don't they?"

[LeSwordfish]

Annie and Joss
"Well yeah, 'f course 'e has closer friends." Annie said idly. "Thats why yer gettin' us. Monkeys' steadve the organ grinders. But yer name came up in the paperwork so, 'ere we are."

"You ain't been told what e's done? Illegally researchin' xenos. Seditin' and treasin' an' heresy. If you want ter be like "well we all do that" then maybe don't do that at 'is trial, aye?"

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


"Hello, Inquisitor. In part, yes. That is why I am here." Mouse says, finally breaking her silence as she'd have just let it drag on instead. "Though while my Mistress hasn't sent someone to gloat, she does understand that I am here and why." She explains. "I do not believe she cares for the thought of possibly being in error on these claims, but she has agreed to allow my assistance to be extended in attempting to prove them false. The question is, of course, whether you wish my help and to explain everything to me, or not. If the latter, well, then I shall not attempt to waste anyone's time more than I have."

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Annie

"Paperwork, paperwork.." the voice muttered. "Yes, well. Did I say we all do that? Hm? No, no I don't believe I did. But we've yet to see what your Lady Valle classifies as all of those things, and how that's to be interpreted. That's the sticking point. So, how about you let me in on what you're saying he's done, and then I can pass some judgement."

Mouse

"How interesting," Arcturos said, hanging up his coat and moving to his small kitchen. "Can I offer you something to drink?" He asked, taking down a bottle and a glass for himself and pouring. "This is something of a curious position we find ourselves in. But for your actions, I imagine none of us would be here, and yet, here you are offering to plead my case. Aren't you also part of the opposing side's case? Though, unless I miss my guess..." he shrugged. "Never mind, that. Let's assume I accept for now. What did you have in mind?"

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


"Warm water would be fine, thank you." Mouse says, still not caring for anything alcoholic or more stimulating than ReCaff. She chooses to let his unfinished comment go, but she purses her lips in thought. "I suppose we should start with the beginning of things. The reason I am willing to give you a chance is because I find that perhaps some of this feels too convenient for my liking, nor do I consider you a man who would be caught so off guard by this." She explains before looking up at him from her seat. "So I shall be frank even though I do not expect to get much of a response. What is your plan, my lord?" She asks respectfully. "Surely you have one, innocent or otherwise. I do not expect that you'd return here without either an escape plan in mind or proof that you are indeed innocent of the crimes being presented. To save time, I won't ask for details on the former as you would never say, but I do wonder about the latter. What is your proof? If it is verifiable and solid enough, then perhaps we can put this entire ordeal behind us far faster than we would dare hope."

[LeSwordfish]

Joss and Annie
Annie hesitated, not least because she had only skim-read the briefing. "Funnelin' 'is money ter unsavery causes, shall we say. Xeno-research an' heretechical stuff. Surprised yer didn't know, really."

She threw that last sentence out casually. Go on, take the bait...

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Annie

"I saw the same missive you did, I'm sure. I'm aware of the basic outline. Details is what I'm after, Miss Lee. There's a thousand kinds of heresy out there."

Mouse

"Water, then." The Inquisitor gave Mouse a glass of water and took a seat, folding an arm across his chest. "There's a saying in the Inquisition; 'Innocence proves nothing.' Did Inquisitor Valle explain the purpose of the conclave? I'll do my best to fill in the gaps, if that would help. This isn't like anything the Arbites would dream up. It's maybe a little like what the Mechanicus goes through, but I can't say I'm privy to the details of what a Magos typically talks about, so I don't know that for sure. The conclave is politics, simply. One Inquisitor thinks another has passed beyond the pale, and wants to jockey for position, or favour, or what have you. It's true enough that launching one requires a good deal of evidence gathering, but the result isn't just about fact."

He paused, swirling his glass and taking a sip. "Think about how many things you've seen in your work that would justify execution for an average Imperial citizen. I'm sure there's a few. One at least that I was there for."

[LeSwordfish]

Joss and Annie
Annie resisted the urge to curse, as her carefully dangled hook was ignored. "Oh? Well, does it seem like 'quister Arcturos is capable of what it says in the missive, then?"

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


"I am familiar with the proverb." Mouse says, taking a sip of her water. "And even if this is more political than criminal, something has still occurred that is far more serious than simply jockeying for favor for an occasion like this to be summoned." She points out. "And perhaps the nature of this is political, but if it is, I do not believe my Mistress would be the one to turn it into such. You may know her greater than I, but I have not come to view her as a political animal or someone who seeks favor. I'm fairly certain she couldn't care less about how others really view her at all, despite her expensive body, provided they remain effective and don't get in her way." She adds as she sets her water aside for a moment.

"But as I said, something has indeed happened and regardless of the reasons why this event was called, you are here to defend yourself. Before, you seemed to allude to my Mistress and you being compatriots, perhaps even friends, before. What happened to drive you two apart? If there is bad blood tainting this investigation, then it would be best to clear the waters before they get even bloodier."

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Annie

"Capable? Capable of what? Heresy? As I said, that's rather general. You're probably capable of heresy, if it were the right kind. Again, I'd be able to provide a better answer if you were a little more specific."

Mouse

"No, you're right on that. The Lady Valle is often very straightforward in her beliefs. It's something I rather respect her for, and is decidedly less than common in the Inquisition. Nevertheless, she stands to lose a great deal of clout should the case swing my way rather than hers. Not just from the Inquisition, either." The Inquisitor paused to look at Mouse for a moment. He seemed to be searching for something in her expression.

"You noted her rather expensive augmetics. She's in quite deep with the Mechanicus, and a number of the things she's accusing me of involve xenos technology. That could be at the heart of this. Valle has always been rather hardline, but after the incident, and her rebuilding, she got even more set in her beliefs. She's not the same person as she used to be. Now, we never moved in exactly the same circles, but I believed that there was healthy respect between us. If she feels I've betrayed the Inquisition's ideals, or those of the Mechanicus, I'd not be surprised she's so vehement."

[Artemis97]

"Let's start at the begining." Joss suggests. "He is accused of financing Xenos research conducted by a rogue Magos of the Mechanicus. I believe he has the means to do this, but does he have motive?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Split the party too hard? It seems everyone went off on their own and never got back =)

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


"I would not think it would be a simple matter of slighting the Mechanicus to draw her ire. We both know that there are many Mechanicus who would wish someone executed for not issuing the right rites before a person can relieve themselves. She feels more reasonable than that." Mouse points out, not above taking shots at those she readily affiliates herself with. "As you've just admitted, she would not do this without considering the consequences one way or the other. The question is, however, what did you do that was perceived to be so great a threat or heresy as to draw even her into a Conclave?" Mouse asks, looking over at the Inquisitor in genuine curiosity. "You have seen the charges lain against you and yours, including the one about Xenos technology. You will be forced to explain your actions regardless, but you may as well start with someone who is not likely to fly into a rage or draw a gun in anger." Mouse points out.

"After all, I am unarmed and here to listen to whatever you have to say. Though I do feel that I should mention that I do not believe my opinion matters at all in this case. I am simply here for the facts of the issues at hand and if those facts sway people one way or another, then so be it. As disrespectful as it is to simply demand however, I feel like I must." She pauses for a moment, taking a sip of the warm water once again before looking over at the Inquisitor once more.

"Are you guilty of the charges laid out?"

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Annie

"Well, Xenos research, rogue magos... Means, yes. Certainly. Inquisitors have means beyond most. Motive depends on what was being researched, and why. What was the Magos doing?"

Mouse

"Nothing so simple as a slight, no, but pedantry is at the core of it. The Credo Omnissiah forbids a great many things. Amongst those things is, as noted, the use, study, etc etc of Xenos technology. This doesn't stop many of the Mechanicus from engaging in it, of course, but when they do get discovered they're usually censured at best. I simply feel this is a foolhardy stance, and that there is nothing inherently wrong with many Xenos inventions. You've seen my sword." The blade was still at his side, its hilt still wrapped in cloth to hide its nature. Arcturos sighed.

"I believe I shall answer your question with one of my own. When the law is unjust, what does that say about the allegedly guilty?"

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


"I cannot claim to be an Arbitrator, but the law is the law. Just or unjust or otherwise." Mouse points out before looking up at the Inquisitor from her seat. "But as I learned rather quickly, those of us who work for the Inquisition have a certain amount of discretion when it comes to following the norms of society and the judicial system. Provided, of course, that we can justify ourselves." She adds, giving the sword a particularly meaningful glance.

[LeSwordfish]

Annie looked to Joss for confirmation: the feral worlder bore the scars of that encounter, which she hadn't been at.

[Artemis97]

Joss actually hadn't been there for that particular adventure either, and the feudal worlder wracks his brain to recall what the others had told him about the encounter.

"He had been creating genetically altered monstrosities. His experiments were funded by Inquisitor Remus Arcturos."

[Destro_Yersul]

Mouse

"Well, there it is. Justifying it. I believe I can do that, if nothing else. I assure you that the entire time my motive has been the betterment and protection of humanity, as is my duty."

Joss and Annie

"Allegedly." The voice carried a hint of amusement. It wasn't immediately obvious why. "Genetically engineered monstrocities certainly sound like heresy. I don't suppose you know what they were for? I'll have to go dig up whatever got saved from that mission in the archives. I'm sure I can find it, since Valle was helpful enough to attach file numbers to the missive." There was a pause, followed by some humming and the sound of a quill scratching. After a moment or two, the voice came back.

"I notice you're still there. Do you know what they were for? It'd save me a trip."

[LeSwordfish]

Joss and Annie
"Archives?" Annie mouthed at Joss.

[Artemis97]

Joss shakes his head and shrugs. Probably some secret Inquisitorial archive. "I... don't." He admits to the Inquisitor. "We... could go there for you, if you'd like?" The assassin offers.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


"I see." Mouse states, finishing her last sip of water before setting the glass on the table. "I thank you for the water, Inquisitor, but I think that perhaps it is best that I go. I may not have gotten the answers I wished for, but I have learned quite a lot for the time being. It has been a most informative meeting, but should either yourself or your acolytes wish to speak with me, I am certain you'll find a way to get a message to me." She says, standing up and giving a small bow to Remus. "Unless there is something else you wish to tell me, I shall take my leave."

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Annie

"No, that's fine." The speaker fell silent, and it seemed like the interview was over, for now.

Mouse

"Nothing for the moment." Mouse left without incident, though she did catch the bodyguard watching her as the door to the apartment shut behind her.

Everyone

The day was drawing to a close by the time the group met back up, at least according to the chronometers mounted around the place. The palace didn't have much in the way of windows, so day was rather a nebulous thing, here.

[LeSwordfish]

Annie seemed bad-tempered even by her own standards. "E' din't have nuffink useful ter say, and 'e weren't even listnin' enough fer us ter make 'im turn on 'is buddy. 'E did mention, like, archives, though. Do we know about them?"

[Artemis97]

Joss shook his head. "No, but the inquisitor might. We shall have to ask Lady Valle on the morrow. It's getting late now." The feudal worlder sighed, missing the sunsets from Acreage. There were times when the forest was so thick, you couldn't see the sun through the trees, but you could still feel it, in the way the air cooled, and how the animals reacted. There were no such cues here in the hive world.

"We should see what the others have discovered." He suggests, turning back towards their quarters.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse

When Mouse arrives back at her quarters, the others might find her looking thoughtful as she wanders back and forth the rooms in thought. "Do be careful. We might be under observation still." She remarks whenever the others have all gathered. "I destroyed one microphone, but it would be best if we are careful regardless." She adds before heading to her room to pull out the privacy field she had requisitioned for such times as this. She'll take however long she needs to in order to turn it on and activate it. Only when it activates will she seem to relax in the slightest.

[Kaptin Keen]

Arriving trailing long sheets of fax and piles of data slates, Phaela looks about as if shocked: Observation? You really think so? She smiles at the others, hoping this will discreetely convey the fact that she isn't actually that naive.


It's been so long that I only now noticed that Phaella was lost in the mythweaver crash. I shall have to remake her =(

[LeSwordfish]

Annie glowered suspiciously into the corners of the room, as if expecting to spot with squinted eyes what Mouse had not managed with technology. "pparently there's information bout the past missions 'gainst Arcturos in the archives. Reckon someone should go dig'em up."

[Kaptin Keen]

I've been digging all day - so there's hope I have it with me already. Otherwise ... I guess it's back to more digging.

[Destro_Yersul]

As it happened, Phaella hadn't pulled the old mission records personally, but one of the helpful scribes she'd called in favours with had though to append them to the dossier just as a reference point. All the unclassified information - or, unclassified by the Inquisition's standards - was there.

The first mission, detailling the investigation into the death of Mira, had been largely preserved. There was mention of recovered notes from the Magos' lab being earmarked for shipment to Prol, but not yet sent. Whatever difficulty had occupied the scribes there was evidently not done with yet. The notes themselves were not included, but someone had thought to scribble in the margins - there was a conversation log in the archives dealling with the debate over the notes. It hadn't been attached either, but shouldn't be anywhere near as hard to get at as the notes themselves would be.

The Klybo mission record had been heavily editted. What remained was a point form list of references and basic facts; data recovered, RA implicated, Klybo itself now under quarantine.

[LeSwordfish]

"Looks like the conversation's the next place ter look then." Annie said. "An' them notes... they ain't been sent ter prol yet (I 'eard their 'ead scribe went crazy an' some magos bugger set 'er on fire). Does that mean they're 'ere?"

[Artemis97]

"If they are, that would be extremely fortunate for us." Joss rasps. "We should get our hands on them before Arcturos' people think to."

[Kaptin Keen]

I could go have a stab at this - knowing precisely what to look for is always helpful. But in case they turn out to be beyond my reach, do we have a backup plan ready? Do we know - and trust, crucially - anyone with better clearance than I can wrangle?

[LeSwordfish]

"'Er in Gold?" Annie asked. "Mind you, there ain't much you can't wrangle if yer good enough at it."

[Kaptin Keen]

I'm quite good, I would hazard to say - technically in the region below tech priests, but then I have ways of socially infiltrating a system that aren't generally available to them. However, this isn't exactly a low security installation we're at. My attempts have been thwarted about half the time.

[Destro_Yersul]

The notes had, according to the brief mention they were afforded, been locked up in one of the secure vaults. Where the secure vault was did not bear saying, apparently, but it was safe to assume it was somewhere in the Tricorn. The palace was huge, and the acolytes hadn't seen anywhere near even half of it. It was, however, getting somewhat late. First thing in the morning, then...



The next day didn't exactly dawn, here in the windowless confines of their rooms in the Tricorn, but the various chronometers informed them that it was indeed morning. Nobody had brought breakfast, so it seemed like they'd be at the mercy of the commissary again as far as food was concerned.

[Artemis97]

Grumbling about 'days' on hiveworlds, Joss makes his way to the commissary again, looking for something that resembled breakfast, and perhaps some conversation.

[Destro_Yersul]

Breakfast, for the commissary, seemed to involve a great deal of baked goods. There were rolls and buns of all varieties, a number of things made from potatoes, and assorted fruit, though it was by no means fresh. Tinned, looked like. The trials of living on a hive world, even for the Inquisition. It was still early, and the place was mostly empty. There were a handful of low level functionaries scattered about, and two men who stuck out a great deal, having a conversation with each other. One was wearing a uniform from some guard regiment or other, with a captain's epaulets. The other was dressed in a deep red suit with a white silk cravat, and brass cufflinks. He had a high fur collar, an aquila lapel pin, and looked frankly absurd, like a magistrate from a holo-drama. Presently, he and the captain were engaged in a lively discussion. Joss caught snatches of it as he got closer.

"...don't like it," the Captain was saying. "He'll have something up his sleeve."

"Won't save him," the Magistrate said, cheerfully. "I've been digging through the archives, looking for transcripts. You know how many renegades have tried to pull something at a conclave? seven hundred thirty one. Nearly all of them, just Ghalenkast and Ferai that didn't..."

[Artemis97]

Joss piled a tray high with food, especially with fruit, a rare treat these days. He wished for some sort of meat to complete his meal, but realized that, like the fruit, it would not be fresh. He missed hunting. The conversation caught his attention, and the assassin's wild eyes darted to take in the participants. A guard captain and... perhaps another inquisitor, by his dress? No Rosette was visible. Perhaps he was simply high ranking. Probably nobility. Bah.

Stepping closer, Joss spoke up, his voice rasping. "Excuse me, I could not help but overhear. You were discussing Inquisitor Arcturos? I'm Joss Falkenrath, one of Lady Inquisitor Valle's acolytes."

[Kaptin Keen]

Going by the assumption that one thing was as good - or bad - as any other, Phaella selected what seemed the most nutritious, and brought her plate to a table. She tried signalling Joss to 'bring them over to eat with us' - but hand signs can be a tricky affair.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Ah, one of Valle's lot, are you? You'd be with Sigma, then, unless she's got another bunch of you squirreled away in here." The man in the flamboyant outfit smiled. "I'm Inquisitor Carthus, and this dour chap is Inquisitor Stanford."

Stanford 'hrmphed' by means of introduction. Looking closer at his uniform, Joss saw that he did indeed have a small rosette pinned to his chest, where an array of medals would probably go if this was his dress uniform. It wasn't, though. By the looks of things, this was a standard combat uniform.

Carthus went on. "We were just talking about Arcturos, as it happens. I'm legal counsel for the Lady Valle's side of things."

[Artemis97]

"Ah, good." A smile touched Joss' wild eyes. "Could I perhaps convince you to join us for breakfast, to discuss a few things?" He indicated where Lady Phaella and, presumably, the others, were sitting.

"We've been trying to do our best to form a case, maybe you could send us in the right direction? We were interested in the archives."

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella smiles at the two.

Pleased to meet you both, honored Inquisitors. And so you Carthus are legal counsel for Lady Valle - what is your role, Inquisitor Stanford?

[Destro_Yersul]

"I've been through a lot of the archives already," Carthus said. "What was it in particular that interested you? There's a good chance I've already found it."

"Morale support," Stanford half smiled. "To be honest, I've not got a specific role. I just find myself predisposed towards Valle's side of the argument, from what I've heard of it." He paused, frowning at Phaella. "Have we met? I swear I've seen you somewhere before."

[Artemis97]

"We were looking for the Magos' notes from Sapheris Secundus. Particularly the purprose of his twisted research." Joss supplies.

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella racks her memory for the name Stanford. Let me know if I need to roll something.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse

Mouse, having found herself in a good bed for the first time in ages, awoke well after the others even if they might have tried to awaken her by force. It would have been a risky proposition at best considering she sleeps with a loaded shotgun cradled next to her head, but such are the sleeping habits of acolytes who live so long.

After getting dressed, she doesn't head to the commissary, figuring she'd just eat a corpse starch ration or the like later. No, first she had something important to relay to her Inquisitor from her meeting with her counterpart the evening before.

It is only a few moments after she gets dressed that she makes her way back towards Inquisitor's Valle's room, and unless something happens, she'll knock and announce her presence and desire to go within to make a small report.

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and co.

"Ah, the notes. I think I saw them in there." Carthus frowned. "I didn't look at them in detail, since outside of existing they had little bearing on the case. Do you need clearance for them? I could arrange it if you don't already have it."

Stanford's uniform wasn't just a front. Phaella remembered who he was, and their previous meeting. He'd been a Guard Captain on Tranch, last time she'd seen him. He'd probably been inducted after the war ended, spent a few years rising up through a retinue. In terms of age he was a lot younger than Carthus, though on appearances alone he looked older.

Mouse

Mouse was admitted without delay. She found Valle standing, reading through a stack of parchment. The Inquisitor put them down when her acolyte entered, and Mouse caught a glimpse of the contents: it looked like a prepared speech, probably the one she was set to deliver to the Conclave.

"Report."

[Artemis97]

"I don't know." Joss admits. "We were going to go searching for them today, but breakfast, first." He holds up a pastry to illustrate and pulls down his elaborately embroidered scarf to take a bite. This reveals a network of old, but nasty, burn scars on the assassin's face. Chewing, he thinks for a moment, before asking. "Wouldn't the notes lead to a motive? Whatever was being researched had to have been at Inquisitor Arcturos' behest."

[Destro_Yersul]

"Possibly, but without knowing Arcturos' specific orders it'd be circumstantial. We know that the Magos was conducting heretical research, and we know that Arcturos was funding him. We don't know what the Inquisitor's specific orders were. I do think it's a good idea to look, but my own time has been occupied."

[Kaptin Keen]

Wait - where'd my post go?!


Phaella does mental gymnastics trying to remember Stanfords connections, affiliations and alliances at the Tranch debacle. Is it a good or a bad idea to remind him where we met?!

[Destro_Yersul]

It probably wouldn't be that bad, as far as Phaella could tell. Stanford had been a career soldier then, while her family's involvement had focused on intrigue and political maneuvering. Maybe best to not go into too many details. He'd probably lost comrades in that war.

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella furrows her brow for a moment, the lights up as she recalls.

I think it was Captain Stanford, back then. Presumably you don't remember all the legal council - but you propably recall the mess that was the Tranch war. Lots of good guardsmen were wasted in that war, and I was the one they put in charge of sorting out the political responsibility for that.

Might as well forge ahead. It's not that Phaella has any undue attachment to honesty for honesty's sake - but chances are a guard captain who was actually there would more or less agree with Phaella's angle on the whole Tranch affair.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse

Mouse instantly goes into her report, going over every little detail of her conversation with the other Inquisitor. She doesn't leave out any shred that she can remember, even if it paints her in a possibly poor light. At the end however, she frowns and looks up at her Mistress. "If I may add, I gathered the sense that he plans on possibly using your connections with the Mechanicus against you." She says. "He voiced the concern that you were different before you gained your new body and I assume that he believed it was a subtle attempt to sow a bit of doubt to your objectivity in this situation. I have not been privy to trials like this before, but I know how people outside of the Mechanicus think towards those of us who serve in and alongside it. He might very well find a few sympathetic ears if he continues on such a line of thought and suggestion."

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Co.

"It would have been Captain, then, yes." Stanford nodded, his expression clearing. "That must have been where I'd seen you. Are you working in the same capacity here?"

Mouse

"That could be." Valle's expressionless mask was impossible to read. "Many Inquisitors do not like the Mechanicus' secrecy. I will notify Carthus to include this in his searches. I must be prepared with counterarguments. What do you plan to do now?"

[Artemis97]

"All the more reason we should look into it." Joss decides. "You would grant us access to the archives?" He rasps, hopeful.

[Kaptin Keen]

Well - yes and no. I have a head for investigation and law, which is obviously why I've been assigned to both cases.

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Co.

"After my own heart," said Carthus, with a glance at Phaella. "Yes, I can arrange archive access for you. Give me a moment, I'll vox the archivist, ask them to fetch up the files from the whole Magos business."

The Inquisitor rose from the table, leaving them temporarily alone with Stanford. Stanford watched Carthus go, then turned his attention back to Phaella and Joss. "Don't suppose you've got any contingency plans laid out, in case our friend Arcturos tries to pull something? Carthus isn't worried, but he's always been a quill-pusher when it comes to it. I respect him, of course, just... not in a fight, if you know what I'm saying. You..." he jabbed a stubby finger at Joss "...look more like the sort that can handle a scrap."

[LeSwordfish]

"Our contingency plan is, if 'e tries anythin', we shoot'im." Annie said cheerfully. "Or, like, I shoot'im, Joss stabs'im, an' Phaella bores'im to death."

"You think it's likely 'e'll kick off?" she asked. "Like, is that what usually 'appens?"

[Artemis97]

Joss smiled a bit at the compliment, but after some thoughtful chewing, he frowns. "I can handle myself in a fight, but if we don't have the advantage over the Inquisitor and his cadre, I don't think I will last long." The assassin had seen Arcturos go toe-to-toe with a daemon, and while he had stood by his side in that fight, he did not relish the idea of fighting the man.

[Kaptin Keen]

Not being counted among the combat capable is a tiny, secret triumph for Phaella. While doing her best to look as if she's trying not to show annoyance at this dismissal of her abilities - in reality she's suppressing a smile at being underestimated.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse

"That could be." Valle's expressionless mask was impossible to read. "Many Inquisitors do not like the Mechanicus' secrecy. I will notify Carthus to include this in his searches. I must be prepared with counterarguments. What do you plan to do now?"

Mouse


"I was actually hoping to try and find out more about that blade of his, if I would have your permission to do so." Mouse requests, bowing her head slightly to acknowledge that what she asks is perhaps severe. "He seems to hold it...almost dearly I would venture. Perhaps it might simply be his affection for a weapon, but given its xenos make it would be best if perhaps we learn if there was a deeper meaning behind it. If it has a religious or ceremonial connotation to it, then that would bring further light that perhaps he may have been swayed away from the Imperium's proper path. If nothing else comes of this trial, perhaps we could get it wrested away from his possession and either destroyed or locked away." She explains.

"While I cannot doubt its effectiveness against the warp entity my fellow acolytes and he fought in Landunder, I feel that allowing it to stay within his possession will tarnish his soul. I do not claim to be the most zealous or pious individual that follows the Omnissiah, but even I fear that items of xenos manufacture most likely bear a cost that cannot be calculated in thrones. I understand that Inquisitors are allowed a large degree of freedom when it comes to their duties, but even as he claims that the Mechanicus might hold influence over you, such a blade or its makers could very well have such an influence over him if we are not careful."

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Co.

"You hear Carthus? Everyone tries something, or almost everyone. It doesn't usually work, but the key word there is usually." Stanford gestured with his fork, indicating the group. "Look, I don't know Arcturos personally, but I've heard of him, here and there. This is a man who plans for bloody everything. I picked up two things in the guard; first, plan more than the enemy. Second, your plans are all going to hell, so make contingencies for when they do."

The inquisitor put his utensils down, his food gone. "You've seen him fight, so your estimate is better than mine on that. I agree that we should look for every advantage we can find. Do you know anything about the capability of his subordinates?"

Mouse

"His sword, yes. I saw your report. Xenos equipment is, I admit, not my primary field of study. The Mechanicus teaches that all such items are heresy, which is likely why he hides it." Valle considered for a moment. "Permission granted. I will provide restricted access to archival data. Removal of the sword might prove difficult, but getting it away would severely limit his response options when he loses."

[Artemis97]

Joss thinks back to Landunder and those who he's met. "There's a woman who barely leaves his side, she dresses in black armor. A bodyguard, I presume. There's another man, small unassuming, probably a hiver. Very dangerous, in my estimation. I think he has a psyker working for him as well. I don't believe we met him, though." The assassin frowns. "Lady Phaella, did you do any research into his cadre, yesterday?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella digs out a dataslate, reads for a moment, then says:

They are, respectively, Magda, ex-arbites, Bronn, ex-guardsman, Amos, presumably an adept, and Morbent, on whom I could dig up nothing. I have service records for the first two, academic papers for Amos, and Morbent is basically a clean slate. No data on him other than the name.

It's all detailed on the data slates I gave you yesterday.

Magda was ... notoriously dirty. Dishonorably discharged, and by my estimate dodging actual prosecution and possible execution by the breadth of a hair.

[LeSwordfish]

For the first time in Phaella's presence, Annie looked genuinely impressed. "Bloody 'ell, where'd you dig that up?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella gives the tiniest of smiles. Everywhere, she says, then counts off on her fingers, on-site data,
off-site data, social engineering, extortion, coercion, persuasion, negotiation, haggling.

I'm not happy with it. This is by far the hardest security I've had to try to circumvent, and I've gotten less that I expected. In a way I suppose that's comforting.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Hmm." Stanford listened to the list of acolytes Arcturos had without expression. "None of those sound like psyker, except maybe Morbent. I've got higher access than you do, maybe I'll do some digging of my own. Could also lean on a few old guard friends, get something else on Bronn. There's a lot that doesn't go into service records, things you'd only learn from comrades. They'll talk to me. It is good to hear that the Tricorn's security holds up in the face of..." a glance at Phaella "...rather determined inquiry. I'll forward you what I find, if it's not too heavily classified."

Carthus returned shortly after Stanford finished talking, dropping back into his seat with a satisfied smile. "Made a couple calls," he told them. "The Magos file's been reserved for you, and I've temporarily increased the access on your tokens to viridian. You'll find a few more doors are open, now."

[Artemis97]

"Morbent would be the dangerous little man. Likely an assassin like myself," Joss surmises.

When Carthus returns, the feudal-worlder is surprised by the upgrade to their security clearances. "Thank you, Inquisitor."

[UncleWolf]

Mouse


"Then by your leave, I shall head immediately to the archives and begin research. I do gather the sense that somehow he will squirm out of this conclave, but I will try my hardest to make sure he does so with less than he had before." She swears. If given permission to leave, she'll head to the archives just as she said she would. Even though she heads right to it, she takes a leisurely pace in doing so in order to give her Mistress time to update her security clearance.

When she gets to the archives, she takes her time researching. The saboteur goes through both tomes and electronic databases, starting with a basic search for blue crystal swords of xenos manufacture and following up by refining it with details like the purple oval gems and sigils.

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Co.

"You're probably right," Stanford said, in response to Joss' assessment. "Well. Now that you've got somewhere to be, suppose it's off to the races, eh?"

Feel free to ask more questions/whatever of the Inquisitors here. Otherwise...

Everyone

Leaving the commissary behind, Joss' party headed for the archives. As they got close, they spotted a familiar figure by the door. Mouse, it seemed, had the same idea as them. Both Mouse and the acolytes reached the door at about the same time, entering together. The archivist was hovering around the front desk, clearly waiting for someone.

"You're Valle's party?" He asked. "Inquisitor Carthus voxxed ahead. I've had the materials you requested fetched up, they should be here momentarily. Viewing room Gamma, if you would. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

[Artemis97]

"I don't believe so." Joss rasped. But this was the work for the more wordy members of the team, like Mouse and Lady Phaella, not for 'dumb muscle' like him.

"Perhaps I should try to track down some of Arcturos' acolytes. I feel useless here." He suggests to the others.

[LeSwordfish]

"Need a 'and?" Annie asked. "Not my place either, an' Mousey 'ere don't need bodyguardin'"

[Kaptin Keen]

It might be prudent to stick together at least long enough to figure out a clear next objective. I found, among other things, a number of references to artifact hunters that ... well, to be honest I don't quite know where that might lead, but potentially to whatever it is Arcturos holds. Might be nice to know.

[LeSwordfish]

"'Unting down 'is pals sounds more fun but whatev'r."

[Kaptin Keen]

Well in principle I entirely agree, but once you find them, what are you going to do with them? Small talk about the weather?

[LeSwordfish]

In response, Annie gave Phaella a hard look and gestured at her panoply of pistols.

[Kaptin Keen]

Well yes - obviously. But in this setting, a pre-emptive first strike might not be the most desirable of ideas. I believe it will work better if we have a reason for confrontation, first.

[LeSwordfish]

Annie gestured at the archives. "Get on with it, then."

[Kaptin Keen]

Alright - let's go.

Phaella leads the crew into viewing room Gamma, there to review the new materials made available.


Lemme know if any rolls are required.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse frowns when she sees the others arrive at the same time and her mouth twitches slightly when she's informed they were all given the same room. Her hand reaches out, snagging Joss' clothing however when he tries to leave. "Pardon me." She asks the one who assigned them rooms and such. "I am not certain the others have been cleared for what I have been asked to look into. Is there a way I can have another chamber? I also require this man to be with me. He was witness to what I am looking into."

[Artemis97]

Joss was a little surprised to be pulled aside by Mouse, but didn't object. He wonders what she was investigating that he had been witness to.

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Mouse

Mouse recieved clearance from the archivist for a second viewing room, and immediately set to work, with Joss watching. The room was small, with a single plain metal table in the center. Another door stood opposite the one they had come in, leading deeper into the archives. Beside it was a terminal, activation rune glowing softly, that allowed the occupants to request material from the archive to be delivered by filing servitors. Set into the wall on one side were a pair of matte black cogitator consoles, their casing marked with the sigil of the Inquisition.

While one of the cogitators booted up, Mouse selected a few likely looking volumes from the terminal. They were delivered shortly, the door sliding open to admit a servitor with a stack of books and files held in delicate brass manipulator arms. It deposited them on the table and left. The work was slow going, but with Joss' help - the warrior recognised some of the symbols from the sword - Mouse was able to narrow things down. For one thing, the symbols and runes appeared to be Eldar in origin. Similarly, the purple gemstones were likely spirit stones - the tome containing this information was sealed with many chains, though Mouse's upgraded access token proved sufficient to unlock the tiny maglock holding them shut. Gradually, based on fragmented reports and a handful of sketches, the picture came together; Arcturos' weapon was very likely a power sword of Eldar manufacture. Given the nature of the Eldar, it was possibly psychically reactive in nature, though the Inquisitor himself hadn't demonstrated any psychic abilities that they had seen. One of the digital entires, created by Inquisitor Al-Subaii, noted that the Eldar seemed particularly attached to such weapons, and often went to great lengths to recover them.

Annie and Phaella

Viewing Room Gamma looked like it had been built to standardised specifications. There was a terminal for ordering materials, another door to access the archive proper, and a pair of cogitators for electronic research. In the center of the room was a plain steel table, on which had been placed one rather thick file folder. It was stamped with numerous seals denoting the contents as Proscribed Knowledge, for academic purposes only. The first two pages consisted of nearly identical form statements from the Calixian Inquisition and Mechanicus, detailling all of the very unfortunate things that would happen to anyone who tried putting it from theory to practice.

The remainder of the folder was filled with notes, anatomical drawings, equipment lists and research data. It expounded, in great detail, the process of creating something the author had named Eradicae: genetically-engineered killing machines, created from numerous biological samples taken from Deathworlds located within the Calixis Sector. Though largely fragmentary in nature, the notes suggested that the Magos responsible for creating the things, Moreus, had intended them as frontline war-beasts.

You can roll a few different things. Logic would help you figure out the leaps made in deciding that this was a good idea. Trade (Copyist) would allow for some basic handwriting analysis. Literacy would help decipher any sections written in a particularly illegible manner. I'm open to other suggestions as well.

[Artemis97]

"So... the Eldar are likely searching for this weapon?" Joss frowned behind his scarf. "Should a human be able to wield an Eldar blade? Might it reject them?"

[LeSwordfish]

Annie and Phaella
Annie was not of significant help to Phaella, and before long both women were dearly wishing she had accompanied Joss and Mouse.

"So if we can prove he actually made these things, he's in the cacky?" Annie asked. "Or if we can prove 'e actually planned ter use them? Dint Mousey get messed up by summat like this?"

She tapped the paper. "This Moreus bloke is the Magos they dealt with, right? Not some other bugger we can track down?"

[UncleWolf]

Mouse leans back in her hair after she looks through the general information she and Joss had been able to pick up. "I would not be sure if you had not seen him wield the blade against the warp entity. What concerns me isn't that the Eldar are looking for it, or even the blade itself." She explains before leaning back forward to put her fingertip on a drawing of a soulstone. "It is these. If they are what the name itself implies, then he might have...what? A number of their souls in his literal grasp? Who knows what sort of effects those might inflict upon him." She reasons before sighing and picking up the tomes to look through them again for more in-depth information on the soulstones themselves. "Search for any other drawings like those stones, would you Joss?" Mouse asks as she gets back on task.

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Mouse

More information on the spirit stones was little, and far between. They seemed to be some sort of Eldar soul receptacle, made by the Eldar themselves, but Mouse couldn't find anything that explained why. She found plenty of documentation regarding experiments the Imperium had performed on captured ones, some of which had come from other sectors. Strangely, Eldar sightings in Calixis seemed to be far lower than even in the neighboring Koronus Expanse. The gems themselves were, reportedly, inert even when occupied. Not even trained Psykers had been able to find a way to reach the souls within. That the souls existed had been hotly debated for some time, according to some conversation transcripts Mouse dug up. It was now generally accepted that they did, though again, nothing Mouse could access explained why.

In the end, Mouse was left with a lot of unanswered questions, and the vaguely unsettling feeling that there might be some things no human had answers for.

[Artemis97]

"You think he may be being manipulated by the stones?" Joss asks as he searches. "Is that possible? Would a Psyker be able to detect its influence? Perhaps we can order some sort of test to be done?" The assassin frowns. Inquisitor Arcturos had always seemed in control, but perhaps it was all a facade.

[Kaptin Keen]

It's been so long I only now discovered Phaella is the one character I still haven't recovered since the Myth Weavers crash. I'll roll some rolls, and let Destro guage results. Then I'll get to work recreating our Legate Investigator.


Phaella is nothing but thorough in her work. She starts out by marking the boundaries of her access: What precisely did the inquisitor do? Did he simply move the required files into a folder the team can access - or did he fiddle with access levels directly. The latter is often easier, but might also give unwanted access.

Then she scans through all the material available.

Then she does cross searches.

Then, finally, she sits down to actually comprehend what she's found.


Rolls might include:
Logic: [roll0] Understanding stuff
Tech Use: [roll1] Finding loopholes
Copyist (which I think she actually has(d): [roll2] Analysis, who wrote what, that sort of thing
Maybe some Forbidden Lore (she has cults, mutants, psykers, heresy): [roll3] - I need to check if she had points to buy all of them?!

[UncleWolf]

Joss and Mouse



"There doesn't seem to be much evidence pointing to the possibility of soulstones influencing people, but that is only with the information we have been cleared for. However, given their mysterious nature perhaps it wouldn't be outside of the realm of possibility. Perhaps we can have the conclave issue a detention of Remus until his mental state and stability is determined. It is a long shot, but given the nature of the blade he's carrying I can see a few minds swinging our way. "Just in case", you know?" She says, leaning back in her chair again as she thinks.

"The other potential idea is that we could have the Conclave confiscate the blade. Not to take it away from him as punishment, but because of its potential worth. If souls are indeed inside those stones, and the Eldar try their damnedest to get them back, then what might we get in trade for such an artifact?" She wonders aloud.

[Artemis97]

"Determining his mental state would be a good idea. If he isn't of sound mind, then the trial is pointless." Joss decides. "I don't think trying to trade the blade would go over well. More likely to get us betrayed and people killed by the Eldar."

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Mouse

In all previous accounts they had access to, the Eldar's damnedest was to shoot first. They took these things back by force - but then, nobody had tried to trade one back before. It didn't sound like a good idea, in any case.

Annie and Phaella

As far as Phaella could tell, everything in the folder had been written by the same person, probably Magos Moreus. The problem was mostly that he had been messing around with proscribed xenos specimens and genetic engineering. Whatever the purpose of the eradicae was, their creation was definitely heresy by a strict definition. There hadn't been any attempt to make them smarter, as far as she could tell - there was a lot in here about splicing and engrammatic programming that she didn't understand. She ran a search on Moreus and found that he'd been more or less excommunicated by the Lords Dragon some time ago, for forbidden research. Old habits apparently died hard. About the one thing the notes didn't cover was what he had been making these things for. It said they were a weapon, but it wasn't made clear anywhere precisely who he had intended to give them to.

Arcturos, however, had been providing the financial backing, so he was the logical benefactor. What, then, did the Inquisitor want them for? He'd been an ends-justify-the-means sort on Landunder. Maybe they were intended to fight chaos?

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella looks towards Annie: See all this? Apparently, magos Moreus was ... building some sort of mutant-xenos-super-soldier-thing. Or something - it's actually way outside my field. But he was definitely modifying xenos for use as ... bio weapons? And Arcturos seems to have been footing the bill.

That is ... way outside the limits of what's allowed. I think.

[LeSwordfish]

Annie whistled, with more than a little admiration. "What did 'e want 'em for then? Was 'e plannin' on givin 'em to the guard or... when we met'im 'e was 'untin a daemon. What, was 'e just gonna chuck them at a daemon, see what append?"

She was impressed though. "Can we look at 'I'd service record? Find out why 'e was fundin' this? Was it 'is idea or the magos' idea?"

[UncleWolf]

Mouse and Joss


"Perhaps, but it is still an avenue of approach that we should suggest. Besides, it lets us determine just how much one of these is worth to them. It gives us something to hold over the Xenos in the future if we get another chance." Mouse points out before she starts digging further to try and actually translate the language on the sword into Gothic.
With some luck it'd be something truly unique and telling, perhaps worth enough to have it confiscated from Remus no matter what else happened.

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Mouse

If Mouse knew the language, a translation would have been fairly trivial. As it was, she had to search for some time before she found a lexicon she (barely, as it happened) had clearance for. From there, it was a matter of figuring out what the runes that Joss remembered meant. They got as far as a general impression, flipping through things and asking if that one had been on the sword or not. The runes were, probably, a history of the weapon. Who had made it, where, names of the assorted bearers... none of this was for certain, of course, and they'd need to see the sword again to check. It was a Xenos weapon, of course, and that might be enough for the more puritanical of the Inquisitors present, but it didn't seem likely that it was conclusive on its own.

Annie and Phaella

The Magos' previous work - the work that had got him kicked out of the Mechanicus - had all been on bio-engineering xenos beasts. Based on that, the idea was probably his, and the question became what Arcturos thought they'd be good for. It took some reading between the lines, but it looked like throwing them at daemons to see what happened had been his plan. Most daemons were close-quarters fighters by necessity, and the acid blood could have been an attempt to counter that. It was beyond what most puritans would like, certainly.

[Kaptin Keen]

So ... ok. Personally, I don't have a lot of issues with fighting the warp spawn with most things available to us. Who do we go see about this? Arcturos? Valle? .... both?

[Artemis97]

"It seems to just be makers marks. How...conventional." Joss comments with a frown. "At least the runes we have confirm it's an Eldar weapon. Something he shouldn't have."

Unable to think of anything further to investigate about the blade, Joss suggests. "Should we see what the others are up to?"

[LeSwordfish]

So ... ok. Personally, I don't have a lot of issues with fighting the warp spawn with most things available to us. Who do we go see about this? Arcturos? Valle? .... both?

"Can we get a copy'f this? Then we take it to Valle. I mean, like, I'da done the same thing but I ain't on trial 'ere."

[Kaptin Keen]

Absolutely. But ... aren't you curious to hear what Arcturos might have to say in his defense?

I mean, we might hear that at the trial. Look I don't know - I'm new, I believe it's prudent that you make the decision. I'm disposed towards keeping all my options open for as long as possible, which may be a liability in this kind of circumstance. For all we know, that's what Arcturos was doing.

[LeSwordfish]

"I mean yeah I'm curious but I ain't intendin' on tippin' 'im off. You wanna go shove this in 'is face an' ask what 'es plan were, then go ahead but if i were you I'd talk to 'er in gold instead."

[Kaptin Keen]

... no? Not really, but I'm also not warp bent on proving him guilty. I'm mainly interested in the truth. If the truth is he's guilty,
then he should be sentenced. But only then.

But you're right, the decision of right or wrong isn't ours to make. I propose you take our findings to Valle - and I keep digging, see if there's any more to uncover. Agreed?

[UncleWolf]

Mouse and Joss


"Perhaps it is enough..." Mouse says with an uncertain frown before freezing as an idea hits her. "You go on ahead if you wish, but there are three last things I need to look for. Namely the security regulations for willingly and knowingly bringing an undocumented xenos into this facility, the regulations as to the response for possible wireless security taps and/or unintentional sharing of classified information(and the punishments involved), and finally the process as to how a xenos may become an Imperial Citizen, if possible." Mouse rattles off before digging in to try and find all relevant information. The first two should just be in standard security protocol information packets, but the last one was certainly new territory for her.

She had a Plan and it involved smothering Remus in red tape.

[Destro_Yersul]

Joss and Mouse

Regulations were easy to find; If there was one thing the Inquisition had in abundance, it was rules. It was not possible for a Xenos to become a citizen - such a thing was unthinkable to the vast majority of the populace. What was possible was for a Xenos to be sanctioned, though it was a rare service usually only performed at the request of a Rogue Trader or other such highly placed official sponsor. The Xenos in question would recieve a mark in the form of a tattoo, or brand, marking them as allowed to set foot on Imperial worlds and do business with the Imperium, provided their sponsor was present and carried their official identification papers. There was an entire stack of forms, and part of the requirements included an interview with the patron present... but it all had to do with Xenos that were still alive. Whether or not spirit stones counted had, apparently, never come up before. There was also a long list of rules for bringing Xenos - captive or otherwise - into Imperial held facilities. The Inquisition had, at some point, come up with a set of numerous and tedious protocols regarding what Xenos were allowed to see, standards for identification, what counted as sentience, what was to be shot on sight and studied once it was dead... this last category was full of things Mouse had never even heard of. Probably for the best, considering.

She kept looking for a while, but only ever found regulations pertaining to living Xenos. Xenos artifacts and dead Xenos specimens were less heavily regulated, but nobody had seen fit to decide which category spirit stones fell into, at least not officially.

Annie and Phaella

Another brief spate of digging didn't turn up anything more than what they already had, at least in terms of the Xenos creatures Magos Moreus had been breeding. Looking around for other files returned a few of the other extracurricular activities Arcturos had engaged in, though these were all referenced in Valle's call to conclave.

[Kaptin Keen]

Alright ... alright. We've dug as deep as this new access will allow. Let's go see Valle.

[LeSwordfish]

"Makes sense." Annie said. "I'll go check if Mousey an' Joss 'ave anythin' to report."

Heading along to Mouse and Joss' room, Annie rapped her knuckles smartly on the door. "You done with Things Wot Man Woz Not Meant Ter Know in there?"

[Artemis97]

Joss answered the door when Annie knocked.

"I've rendered all the help I can," the assassin reported. "Now Mouse is looking up something to do with security rules and Xenos...I don't quite follow her logic, but I'm sure it will be useful. How did the magos' notes turn out? Anything useful there?"

[LeSwordfish]

"E' was workin' with Magos Moreus - that'd be your old friend, aye? - to build monster-things. E' provided the money an' Moreus ****ed with xeno genes until it were a great big gribbly monster."

[UncleWolf]

After a bit of reading and taking notes, Mouse returns the requested tomes before exiting the chamber to join the others. "I have discovered a variety of ways to make ourselves a complete nuisance, but I have no way of guaranteeing whether or not we will be capable of taking the sword from him. However, I might be able to paint him as incompetent or untrustworthy. That should be enough to turn people away from him in part."

[LeSwordfish]

Annie nodded. "I can help with that, good at smearin'. Incompetent and untrustworthy's what I do best."

[Destro_Yersul]

The acolytes found Valle still in her chambers, looking over a stack of papers. She bid them enter without looking up, clearly expecting them to report while she worked.

[Kaptin Keen]

Feeling uncomfortable for speaking first, Phaella says:

So far we've dug up a lot of details on his team - service records, and so on - and some on Arcturos too. It seems he and Moreus bred some sort of half-xeno monstrosities for use as bio weapons.

I think the others have more, but what some of the information is on here.

She hands over a pile of slates with all the findings she's recorded.

[Artemis97]

Joss stands near the door, guarding it, but does speak up.

"Mouse and I researched the sword Inquisitor Arcturos carries. It's an Eldar weapon bearing something known as Soul Stones. Mouse has plans that could make his life... difficult."

[Destro_Yersul]

"I recall," Valle said, with a glance at the slates. She placed the stack next to her on the desk and continued. "They were bioweapons? I did not see that in the original notes, though it may have been in one of the reports. It does not matter. What he wanted them for is irrelevant, the act of creating them is enough to damn him. It at least explains why he would finance such a thing, though. I shall add the information to my opening statements."

The Inquisitor looked up then, fixing her mask's eyes in the direction of Joss and Mouse. "You have made good use of the extra clearance. Though, I correct you, they are called Spirit Stones. What are the plans you mention?"

[UncleWolf]

Mouse shifts a bit under scrutiny, feeling a bit unsure of her potential plans now that she had to voice them to her superior. "They are not good plans, Mistress. Nor are they likely to get much accomplished in regards to getting that sword taken away except for a possibility to paint Remus as incompetent, dishonest, or untrustworthy." She admits, finally steeling herself somewhat. "The first, and simplest, is that the blade he wields is worth far more than what it appears. I ask, "What is a human soul worth?". I don't want an answer, but keep that in mind for the next question. What do Eldar think their souls are worth? Remus holds several of them in his hands if the research on Spirit Stones are to be believed. That sword is worth far more as a potential bargaining chip or for trade than it is as a weapon or trophy." Mouse explains before pausing a moment when she realizes what she might have implied.

"Not that I would suggest that anyone here has dealings with Xenos or seek them out of course, but I do suggest that they might know where human relics or artifacts or lost technologies may lie. The sword is of course proven to be valuable in its effectiveness in dispatching entities from the Warp." She says, still refraining from calling what was encountered in Landunder a daemon. "Though, I should point out that if he were truly pious, his belief in the God-Emperor should be enough and a Xenos blade should prove no difference." The Saboteur adds carefully, knowing that this was most definitely ground to be tread carefully upon.

After her thought, she almost continues but stops herself as she reaches up to idly rub one of the ports implanted in her skull. "Though that does bring up the query of why an Inquisitor from Ordo Xenos seems to have a past with a possible fell being, even if it is a hostile one. We should check if he ever made a report to Hereticus or Malleus of prior events if possible." She says, making a mental note to do so as well before continuing with her rambling.

"The next idea is...childish perhaps, but could prove to make Remus' life most frustrating with a large pile of distracting paperwork that might just serve to prove him incompetent in the eyes of those who hold procedure and rules in high regard. I highly doubt he had declared that he holds that blade in his possession to anyone that heads the Palace's security, much less that he harbors a multitude of the xenos himself." She explains with a small, if sheepish, smile. "It has not been declared one way or another whether the spirit stones themselves count as a Xenos too. Nor have I found any detailed explanation on how they seem to work. That leaves two choices. Either they ARE Xenos, and should go through the process of Sanctioning(which I imagine would require signatures that would be impossible to retrieve) in order to be allowed within this secure facility or otherwise lawfully employed by the Inquisition...or they are xenos artifacts that harbor souls within through a means we can neither deduce nor detect. They have been declared "safe" it seems, however I could see an argument in sealing them away regardless because I could find no detail on how they were declared safe, or why. Simply that they seem benign to human testing. The last thing we need is someone unknowingly toting about a semi-conscious xenos psyker, or several of them, throughout one of the Imperium's most secure facilities."

After her explanation of her ideas, she settles down a bit and inclines her head a bit out of respect even as she blushes slightly at her rambling. "Ultimately, the best course of action would be to destroy the stones before they leave this place, but that is not for me to decide even if I find myself heavily knowledgeable and opinionated when it comes to matters of security and how to circumvent them."

[LeSwordfish]

Annie, who had grinned gleefully at the prospect of a "childish" option, looked steadily more disappointed as it turned out to be complicated and legal. "You need someone who is also good at destroying stuff to 'elp with the sword, say the word."

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella - visibly impressed with Mouse's cunning - actually giggles and says: Wow - that's wonderfully round-about. I love it.
I ... uh ... while I have no doubt Arcturos' actions are highly illegal, I would like to know his reasons. Unspeakable horrors assail the Imperium,
and I confess some fears as to what might have driven Arcturos to this course of action.

I have a ... kinda-sorta plan for that. I've made every effort to portray myself to our opposition as an incompetent fool. Assuming they bought that -
and assuming they have surveillance of our rooms - they will know where to find me, alone, tomorrow.

Of course, it may very well come to nothing. With your permission, Inquisitor, I'd like to see who comes, and what I might learn.

[Destro_Yersul]

While Mouse made her case, the Inquisitor remained silent. Once the saboteur had finished speaking, she let the words hang in the air for several moments before responding.

"The Eldar," Valle began, "are not to be trusted with anything, bargaining or otherwise. They are perfidious creatures, beholden only to their own ends. Their stones are, perhaps, better declared inert than safe. Much testing has been performed. I do not recall this specific point having been brought up before, but it is not my field. I must research this. Palace Protocols are decidedly more particular about living Xenos than they are about the remains of dead ones. Sanctioning is not something I approve of, and I do not believe it would be appropriate here in any case. Do not pursue that line of thinking." The mask was inscrutible, and the synthesized voice lacked tone, but the order still carried weight.

"It will be brought up. At the very least, his concealing of a Xenos weapon on his person is evidence of heretical tendencies. All will be decided by Conclave, as is the right. The Conclave will convene tomorrow afternoon, and I expect you to attend for my opening argument. Until that time..." she turned her head, the eyes of the mask pointed at Phaella... "pursue what course of action you believe best."

That'll just be Phaella's balcony visit, unless someone else has something they want to do. Let me know, and I'll run that and Phaella's thing, and then we can get out of this intro and into the fun bits.

[LeSwordfish]

"Need a bit of muscle for your sneaky scheme?" Annie asked Phaella?

[Kaptin Keen]

"Need a bit of muscle for your sneaky scheme?" Annie asked Phaella?

Thanks for offering, but the plan kinda calls for being alone. I'm being 'vulnerable'. The quotation marks apparent from her tone, though obviously, I'm literally putting myself at risk. I do doubt, however, they'd try anything physically harmful - since I've made myself seem like a harmless, useful fool.

I hope for either an opening from someone who wants out from Arcturos' gang - someone who thinks I'm safe to approach, easy to use ... or someone who tries to drag information out of me.

Which, by the way, leads me to another detail: If an opportunity for misinformation presents itself - any suggestions what I should say? It's possible we'll manage to throw off their preparation for court if they think we're on an entirely different track.

[UncleWolf]

Mouse bows her head, properly chastised by her Mistress' words. "Of course, My Lady. I won't pursue it further." She says, voice a little quiet. She lets Phaedra speak a bit as she considers her own course of action before speaking up once more to the Inquisitor. "My lady? Is there a way we can check to see if he made any astropath messages to see if he requested any assistance from other Ordos on his way to Landunder? I do feel we need to start asking why he was there hunting such a creature, let alone why he has a history with it. I imagine such transcripts, if any are kept, would be well above any sort of clearance we might obtain however."

[Kaptin Keen]

When the meeting concludes, Phaella will go do her thing, as planned - and as described below. I don't know if everyone is done with the meeting or not, but now I'm getting the feeling that everyone is waiting for me, while I'm waiting for everyone else. This pattern may extend onwards into infinity.

Furthermore, once I've made this post, I will proceed to finally rebuild Phaella's sheet, something I still have not gotten around to deliver on.

I'm unsure, however, if I can even find her original rolls again?! I suppose they must be in the recruitment thread.


Once the meeting with Valle is over, Phaella goes execute her plan for a nice bit of work on the balcony, in the sun. She goes unarmed and unarmored, trusting that she's left the opposition with the impression that she's harmless - someone it would be overreacting to attack, but maybe someone who could be useful.

She brings along an entire pile of slates, carefully groomed to hold surface level intel - stuff that shows she's been looking, and that she's not entirely incompetent, but nothing that reveals how much we've managed to dig up, or what our plans are.

She will put in a couple of hours of work, 'finalising her preparations' for the big trial. She'll bring along coffee.

The very image of innocence, just waiting to be taken advantage of.


How much XP did we have? 4400? Is that way off?

[Destro_Yersul]

"Astropathic communiques are difficult to track, if both the source and destination are unknown." Valle stated. "Any calls he made to the palace could be easily checked, but finding others is less simple. Further, it is the duty of all Inquisitors to seek out and destroy threats to the Imperium. I cannot fault the desire to thwart a daemon, it is Arcturos' other heresies with which I take issue. It is not unusual for Inquisitors to come up against enemies outside the general purview of their Ordo. Multiple examples are on record. Though..." Something inside Valle's body clicked softly, and servos whirred as she shifted. "You do not have clearance for those records." Silence followed, the Inquisitor watching them with empty porcelain eyes. "Dismissed, if there is nothing further."

Phaella Only
The balconies, at first, appeared to be empty. Stepping outside, however, Phaella was not surprised to see someone leaning on the railing to the side, half-watching the archway. It was a man, rather short, wearing an old and rather worn gray suit. He looked a bit like a clerk, the sort found in countless Administratum departments across the Imperium.

"Beautiful view from up here," he said without turning to look at her. Indeed it was quite striking, looking out over Scintilla's broad oceans. It was clear out, a rare day on the capital world, but even if it hadn't been the balcony was equipped with a field generator to keep out weather and, Phaella suspected, prying eyes from below.

[Kaptin Keen]

Phaella has her various data slates, notes and other tools and props in a sling bag over her shoulder. She makes a show of convincing herself everything is safe in there, before joining the stranger at the railing.

It's a wonderful view. I figured it would be - I was planning to do a bit of work here, just go over a few notes. I brought coffee,
but sadly, only one cup. Then, as she retrieves the thermos from her bag, she looks at it - almost as if surprised, or only now remembering, oh wait - the cap serves as a cup, if you want?

Mentally, of course, she's matching the man against her memory: Who is this, now?!

[Destro_Yersul]

Phaella Only
"No, thank you. I prefer to avoid stimulants."

Phaella searched her memory. This man wasn't one of the Inquisitors in her file, and given the location he had to be Inquisition. That made him an acolyte, or a functionary. He had the sort of face that was eminently forgettable, but he did look familiar. Had she seen his pict, recently? He could have been a lot of people, but if she narrowed it down to specifically people known to be on Arcturos' side of the fence, the most likely possibility that emerged is that this was Morbent, Arcturos' mysterious party member of the many many weapons.

[Kaptin Keen]

Oh, thought Phaella. Well, replying on a strategy of seeming harmless does have certain weaknesses, especially against competent opposition who might not be easily fooled. But .. surely, he wont resort to outright murder. Hopefully.

Outwardly unworried, Phaella pours herself a cup, turns her face towards the sun and enjoys it's warmth for a moment.

I'm Phaella, by the way. Recently transferred here from Malfi, to look over the ... legal side of the Valle/Arcturos thing. I almost assume you've heard of it, it seems to be all over this place.

[Destro_Yersul]

Phaella Only

"It rather does, doesn't it? News of the hour, I suppose." The man did not give his own name. "You're from Malfi, then? I know a few people from there."

[Kaptin Keen]

*Gulp!*

Really? Malfi is such an interesting place. Clearly, working as Legate Investigator was a double edged sword - making friends on one side, and enemies on the other. But that really is the Malfian Dance, isn't it?

So who is it you know?

Despite a sudden and unexpected case of the chills, Phaella is utterly calm. Perhaps the calm of a deer caught in the headlights. But calm none the less.

Meanwhile - unarmed - she struggles to formulate a plan, considering that she came unarmed. Perhaps distract him, and tip him off the balcony?!