Arbites Strike Team (DH1) IC

[Burden King]

Pulling himself out of his own thoughts he addressed his colleague “Aye, indeed we have. As much as can be expected given the resources. Your work, in particular, has been invaluable.” He cast his gaze over the halls, ”I am just anxious to see what these new agents bear in-store...”

“Oh, don’t sell yourself short Sar. Sure we haven’t needed to really put on the power fist, but it’s only cause you’re here I’m sure whoever is doing this hasn’t tried to take us out yet. Nosy as we are.“ Xanthia offered, convinces that she’d probably would have disappeared one night and been left to burn on the surface. It’s what she would have done, wait until night fall, kill the nosy Administratum agent, chopped her up, then left her pieces to burn in various places.

Though, she mused, that whole mind set might be due to all the novels and biographies she had read while in the Schola. About rough and noble Arbites bringing the Emeperor’s fist down on criminals, about various criminal organizations and how they went about covering their tracks. Maybe she had dug too deep, but now that she was an adept For the Adeptus Arbites, it all worked out in its own way.

“As for our new comrades, well...“

Spoiler: I’m doing adept stuff!

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I’m gonna roll to see if I’ve read up on the team before they’ve shown up, including perhaps the mission before this one.

Intelligence is 44

Common lore (Administratum)+10)(Using this to get access to their files and perhaps their dossier? That, or just get knowledge of the roaming Arbite squad program in general) (1d100)[93]

Fellowship is 32
Inquiry (if this is more appropriate to this check, I possess Peer (Administratum)
(1d100)[76]

[Kaptin Keen]

Spoiler: OOC

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In the dark and terrible future of the 41st millenium, information travels only as fast as the next void ship - there is no interstellar hypernet to bring data quickly from point A to point B. Well, except by Psychic Choir, and our little squad isn't important enough for that.

So basically, the most updated information is onboard The Gavel. That's not to say it's unavailable to you - but you didn't roll well enough to get anything that's basically above your paygrade.

The information you get is that the team was dispatched to an asteroid mining operation to investigate disturbances and the disappearance of several employees. The matter was resolved, and several ranking officials removed from service. Large parts of the file have been redacted. The reasons for the redaction are redacted.

The team consist of a tech priest, and Sanctioned psyker, and a priest - although the latter seems to be sitting this current mission out.

On the general nature of Arbites Strike Teams, they are dispatched to systems without a permanent Arbites prescence to investigate breaches of Imperial Law. They have substantial leeway in how they get the job done - without having the total sanction of the Inquisition for instance. Local authorities are expected to cooperate fully - but in the case of corrupt authorities (which is often where breaches of Imperial Law arise) such cooperation is dubious at best. In such cases, the Arbites do have full authority to intervene in any manner deemed necessary - although obviously, they are not geared for planetary conquest.

[Burden King]

Spoiler: OOC

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In the dark and terrible future of the 41st millenium, information travels only as fast as the next void ship - there is no interstellar hypernet to bring data quickly from point A to point B. Well, except by Psychic Choir, and our little squad isn't important enough for that.

So basically, the most updated information is onboard The Gavel. That's not to say it's unavailable to you - but you didn't roll well enough to get anything that's basically above your paygrade.

The information you get is that the team was dispatched to an asteroid mining operation to investigate disturbances and the disappearance of several employees. The matter was resolved, and several ranking officials removed from service. Large parts of the file have been redacted. The reasons for the redaction are redacted.

The team consist of a tech priest, and Sanctioned psyker, and a priest - although the latter seems to be sitting this current mission out.

On the general nature of Arbites Strike Teams, they are dispatched to systems without a permanent Arbites prescence to investigate breaches of Imperial Law. They have substantial leeway in how they get the job done - without having the total sanction of the Inquisition for instance. Local authorities are expected to cooperate fully - but in the case of corrupt authorities (which is often where breaches of Imperial Law arise) such cooperation is dubious at best. In such cases, the Arbites do have full authority to intervene in any manner deemed necessary - although obviously, they are not geared for planetary conquest.

“It seems we’ll be working with a follower of the Machine god, a psyker given sanction by the Emperor, and possibly a priest of the Emperor’s word. They’ve come from a recent mission that ended in success, so they must be skilled and experienced working with one another.“ Xanthia explained, going over what little information she had managed to gather from the various avenues and file repositories in such a short amount of time.

[dojango]

Penny picked up her backpack from the overhead compartment. She'd tried on the offered leather armor (too smelly) and chain mail (too heavy) and settled on the body glove, concealed beneath her flowing red Mechanicus robes. Which also covered her mechadendrites, although the robes did have the traditional hidden slits on the back that allowed her to sneak them out so she could use them. She'd taken the sword to the armorer to have it honed to a molecular edge, and had the flintlock pistol on her belt. Delightfully primitive, but the gunpowder might prove useful. Still, in her backpack, wrapped up in her spare robes, she'd hidden her las pistol, auspex, glow globe and data-slate. And a couple of demo charges. She had no intention of attempting this investigation with one mechadendrite tied behind her back!

Quickly meeting up with the other arbites agents, she quickly shakes hands and introduces herself. "Hey there! Good to meet some new colleagues! You can call me Penny! Boy, what a world, eh? Was hoping there'd be more, ya know, brooding forests and pretty castles.
Doesn't seem very feudal without it? Maybe we'll at least see some knights in shiny armor though. So, you found anything interesting so far?
I reckon they're sneaking the stuff through here. Might try and snoop around a bit before we leave the spaceport, to see if we can get any ideas about how they're doin' it."

[LairdMaon]

Sar Dukar collects his travel kit from the overhead compartment, letting his bare fingers find their families grip on the grox-leather handles. His other hand absently checks the status of his pain tools before, slightly more reluctantly, checking on his murder tools. A deep sigh escapes him as, yet again, he realizes that his choice to avoid killing is likely to disappoint someone. "Oh well. Time to get to work.", he mutters.

He does visibly perk up when he lays his eyes on the two officers awaiting them. His bag drops to the floor as he hones in on the guardsman with arms outstretched. For the moment, he's even forgotten the plague doctor mask firmly strapped around his face. With no further warning to anyone, he wraps his arms around the man who appears his equal in height, if not weight.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
I am putting my bet on secret spaceport. Basic corruption with a single point of entry seems like it would be easy to find the leak. Perhaps our new data-wizard will be able to shed some light.

[Burden King]

Quickly meeting up with the other arbites agents, she quickly shakes hands and introduces herself. "Hey there! Good to meet some new colleagues! You can call me Penny! Boy, what a world, eh? Was hoping there'd be more, ya know, brooding forests and pretty castles.
Doesn't seem very feudal without it? Maybe we'll at least see some knights in shiny armor though. So, you found anything interesting so far?
I reckon they're sneaking the stuff through here. Might try and snoop around a bit before we leave the spaceport, to see if we can get any ideas about how they're doin' it."

When she saw the first agent approach her, she was ready for the common arrogance and distance commonly shown by the Adeptus Mechanicus, a shield of both logic and sense of entitlement that once you got through you’ed be able to find some relatable quirk that made them human despite all the augments.

When Penny started their meeting with energy and a bright aura, Xanthia was almost shock to the point of forgetting how to speak, but the shaking of her hand shook her back into focus as she smiled “And it’s great to finally meet you Tech Preistess Penny, I’m looking forward to working with you on the case. Oh, trust me I was expecting the same thing, you hear about feudal worlds and about knights and such and can’t help but imagine those ancient tales of chivalry in the primitive ages, but no sadly this world is a bit to advanced for that. Though, they have some great Cafées I think put to shame what you’ll find on a world with a proper tech level. Simple primitive touches I’d say.“ Xanthia said, before watching the other agents approach.

She let out a surprised laugh when Sar Dukar suddenly embraced Sad Rukad, stifling it to avoid embarrassing her partner “Oh my, it seems you are quite popular already Sar.“ she teased, wondering the reasons behind such a sudden display.

Phil Vega
I am putting my bet on secret spaceport. Basic corruption with a single point of entry seems like it would be easy to find the leak. Perhaps our new data-wizard will be able to shed some light.

When the third agent spoke, Xanthia was impressed at both their immediate take on the situation as well as being called a Data-Wizard. Accepting this new job title with Gusto, Xanthia the mighty Data-Wizard of The imperium, got down to brass tacks “An astute Observation my friend, however I held a similar belief prior to my investigation. During our two weeks here, me and my partner have discovered some details that make such a scenario less likely, leading me to believe that perhaps there is something grander at work then low corruption. However, I don’t feel it wise to speak of what I have out in the open, especially here in the enclave. The walls and their ears after all. So, I suggest we spend some time to enjoy sweet sweet technology, enjoy the clean lines of Hab construction, have our fill of recycled air and water, before taking the next train back to Undertopia.” she said, he face falling a bit as she listed off the things she would miss as they returned to the more primitive settlement of the colony.

“Plus...all my notes are written in pen and paper, instead of conveniently on my much missed Data slate.“

[TankLaser007]

Sar had been lost in reverie for a moment, only brief, Xanthia's words had reminded him of their early days at Schola, his mind had reeled back almost two decades, then he came crashing back to reality as the strike team arrived, yes, a red pries, Penny was it a bit different from those he had encountered tending to the armoured corps and artillery, they usually lacked any signs of normal emotion made extracting information from them via "traditional" methods almost useless.

Straight to the point, gent, perhaps an officer? He had the bearing of a man of discipline, and then he was ambushed by an overly amorous anomaly, "Whao, there mate" he said pushing the masked man away. "Perhaps a bit of gravity sickness..." he looked questioningly towards the others.

[LairdMaon]

Stepping back a pace, the assassin reaches a hand up and opens a clasp on his mask. "You voice has changed in these years, but it is very welcome. Your face, too, while it's so close to the one I see in the mirror, is marred but not beyond recognition." The mask comes away to show Sar Rakud's face, minus the scarring. At the same moment he raises his other hand to show a tattoo on his palm bearing their unique family crest. "Brother."

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega at the mention of potentially greater levels of conspiracy. He goes silent for a few moments, while checks the area for influence.

Spoiler: OOC

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Psycognicence (1d100)[49] DC 46

Will spend a fate point to re-roll if fails

Spoiler: If first one fails

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(1d10)[7] (Charmed)
(1d100)[70]

[dojango]

"Miss Cleia said the stuff's goin' thru the spaceport here. Said there weren't any evidence of another space facility. Course, she could be lying... was thinking we could figure out how much stuff goes through the main spaceport, and then tally up everything that's mined an' used on planet so we could have an idea of how much stuff is goin' astray."

She watches as the two brothers reconnect. "Aww, I bet the Judge planned it that way. He always seemed like he was a softie sometimes."

[Kaptin Keen]

With the introductions completed, you really might just as well head on down to the train. It's almost a full days ride to Undertopia, so there's no reason to talk here, when you can talk there just as well.

The train is overwhelmingly huge. Even with the reputed cleverness and mechanical prowess of the locals, you feel it's likely some corners were cut with the construction of this train. It's easily a couple of kilometers long, three stories tall, and the steam engine pulling the whole thing dwarfs even a baneblade battle tank.

It has relatively little room for passengers - but what it has is spacious, luxurious and elegant - polished hardwood, hand-stitched leather, gleaming brass and crystal glass. Liveried attendandts stand by to wait on you. You get a cabin each, and soon convene in the dining car, where food and drink are served.

The attendants here are part of the Administratum staff, and as such know about all your crazy offworld tech. But when you pull into Undertopia, that's another story.

Spoiler: OOC

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It's almost inconceivable that a launch to orbit could go undetected - or that a void craft could enter orbit to meet it, all undetected. Almost.

The immaterium of this planet seems almost entirely pristine. A world untouched by psykers or any discernible type of psychic turmoil.

As said, the journey will take most of a day, meaning you'll get to experience the violence of dawn. There are also three stops along the way, where automated water stations refill the tank of the engine. Other than that, it's an uninterrupted ride.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
Still Insufficiently secure? Perhaps you can brief us about the colony as we travel?

[Burden King]

Phil Vega
Still Insufficiently secure? Perhaps you can brief us about the colony as we travel?

Xanthia settled into the train cabin, making room where she could as the massive masterpiece of Feudal technology moved from the station. She adored the technology on the planet, so effecient and capable despite how little it needed from beyond the world. Sure, it could be better, but it was by far more impressive to her that such a machine could be powered by mere steam then a similar sized behemoth of war powered by whatever arcane machine that acted as its heart.

She looked around their cabin, making sure the attendants were far from them, before settling and speaking “yes, I’m afraid the enclave may be the least secure place to speak of our findings. Somewhere in the enclave, as the Tech priestess suggested, is a back door allowing the excess crystal to be shipped off world. I’m not sure how, but I have a meeting set up in Undertopia, near the clockwork guild’s main hall, with someone claiming to have knowledge of where this door is. ” she explained, before pulling out some notes she had for the steam train she had gathered.

“However, we must find more than just the exit, but the path leading to it. This train is the only way to the enclave, and attempting a surface excursion with such volitile cargo would be impossible without technology out side the grasp of this planets populations. So I have two working theories. One: The excess crystal is transported to the pumping stations, and loaded onto the train when it stops to replenish its reservoir. It would allow them to load large quantities of Crystal without anyone noticing, save for the enclave where it likely is being expected.

Two: The excess crystal is being loaded in Undertopia with the rest, and the numbers are just being changed. This is a bit more likely, but also much easier to discover. All one would need to do is pay close attention to the collection and shipping of crystals, compare production rates of mines, collaborate with the various guilds, and also be present in the enclave to watch for any alteration of documents or reports at that end. So easier, if you had plenty of adepts and time.” she exaplined, double checking all her notes.

Spoiler: Common lore roll

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Common Lore (Administratum) to see if I have anything on the schematics or design of this train. Any knowledge I could use to navigate it and investigate it.
Int is 44, and I have peer Administratum
(1d100)[5]

Inquiry for asking question if this is more appropriate
Fel is 32
(1d100)[68]

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega
How do we know the material is making it off world? Is it possible the excess is being stored or used for nefarious purposes on world?

[LairdMaon]

From his seat by the window, the man-hunter adds, "Do we have a timetable of when and how often these hidden shipments are happening? A pattern would make this much easier."

[dojango]

"They said it was turnin' up in unsanctioned hands out there. In the wide universe. Didn't ask where, cause they probably wouldn't tell us. Findin' out how much the excess is might be useful, but findin' out whose behind it is even better. Cause then we can just beat the information outta them. I suspect our future is gonna contain a lotta sitting around outside train stations watching for weird shipments."

[Burden King]

"They said it was turnin' up in unsanctioned hands out there. In the wide universe. Didn't ask where, cause they probably wouldn't tell us. Findin' out how much the excess is might be useful, but findin' out whose behind it is even better. Cause then we can just beat the information outta them. I suspect our future is gonna contain a lotta sitting around outside train stations watching for weird shipments."

“I know isn’t it exciting? Stakes outs, waiting for the perp to slip up, lots of recaf, endless spreadsheet. Oh it’ll be like the stories about those Arbite partners, risking their lives to uphold the law. Oh this will be fun.” she said with a clap of her hands, already jotting down notes and imagining finding a break in the case.

[Kaptin Keen]

Spoiler: OOC: The Case Notes

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I'll just answer a few open questions in this form: What's already known or assumed to be known about the case:

The crystals have shown up in the hands of xenos and recidivists. Not large amounts, but this is a very potent explosive, and not something the Imperium is willing to share.

There is no known pattern for the shipments. All the really hard evidence is found off-world. However, the train is regular as clockwork.

It crystals are being moved off-world by the supply shuttle. That's almost beyond doubt. The question is how? And ... it's also almost beyond doubt that someone at the Enclave is involved.

In other words, there is little enough to work with on-planet. You do have an informant, and Xanthia's guess that the water stations could be involved. And the guilds are the prime suspect, in part because only they seem to have the ability to pull something like this off - and in part because they are the ones handling the crystals. Anyone else would need to steal them first, on top of everything else.

Spoiler: The train

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The train is an adaption of an old Mars Pattern fusion powered land transport. There are enough similarities to be sure, but too many deviations for the original schematics to be much use. And anyways, almost all large scale construction is subject to some customisation.

Asking the attendants yields annoyingly vague answers: Yes, the train is riddled with cubbyholes, crawlspaces and compartments, there are hideyholes everywhere - but everywagon is weighed individually before departure. Not even a rock mouse could stow away. But then of course, if someone was to rip out part of the train, and replace that weight with contraband. But that would be very difficult to do, since it would be noisy and time consuming and require access to the train, which no one has.

[dojango]

Penny flags down a train attendant and says brightly, "Oh man, aren't trains the coolest? Just a miracle of technology and style. Can I get a tour of the train? Is there someone on board who actually knows something about how these things run? Maybe see the locomotive, meet the engineers, watch the water towers do their thing? That would be really amazingly awesome if I could do that!"

Spoiler

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(1d100)[95] v. 20 to charm my way for a tour, and then maybe (1d100)[23] v. 51 to logic how the stuff might be smuggled abroad the train. Unfortunatelyit looks like she managed to grievously insult the conductor...

[Kaptin Keen]

The attendant gives the sort of tired look that seems to signal the compounded weariness of a thousand thousand generations of service personnel. For a moment, staring into his eyes, Penny hears the questions echo through time and space:

Can I get this in red?
No onions on mine please.
Yes of course I checked that it's connected and switched on!
I want to speak to your manager!!

Then he replies, in a voice as polite and cordial as you please: Ma'am, the train is easily a mile and more long, and the great majority is empty cargo holds. I'm afraid it's dreadfully uninteresting - also, I must regretfully inform you that I don't have the time.

Penny will have to work with logic alone. The train runs across a wildly hostile planet, into closed facilities on either end of the track. Weight is checked at both ends, and must match accurately down to fractions of a gram. Personnel is checked vigorously. There are few ways to beat this.

If someone had access to the weigh-in, they could doctor the numbers. But that would still require getting crystals into the loading facility, and out of it at the opposite end.
As Penny already thought of, there are the water stations, but those are automatic, and don't have any crystals.
Someone could have gutted part of the train, and replaced it's weight with crystals. But this is the least likely scenario. It would require access, the work of removing parts of the train, the luck of no one finding out, access at both ends.

Frankly, it's a little strange how this is happening.

[Burden King]

Xanthia sighed, trying to figure out a way to search the entire train, with as little effort on her own part as possible, as per tradition in the Administratum. She then sighed “Well, unless we are able to find a means to search the entire water station, which may require use stopping the train and causing a massive disruption in the planets infrastructure and may even cause issue with the tithe, which I think is against imperial law.”

She leaned back in her seat, deciding to wait for the final stop so she could lead the group to the contact.

[dojango]

Defeated by the attendant's rudeness, Penny settles back in her seat and pulls out a battered paperback book she'd 'borrowed' from the Gavel's library. The book is titled, "The Duke of Longwood" and has a picture of a shirtless man wearing a knight's helm on it, holding a young lady in billowing gown. They are in front of a fancy castle in the woods. Penny orders a few more things from the attendant, and as they leave, does not leave a tip.

[Kaptin Keen]

One long train ride later, you arrive at Undertopia. The train deposits you at the platform of what appears to be a combined underground fortress/trainstation/loading dock. At the Enclave end of the line, the facility was high tech, with sleek servitors rolling soundlessly on rubber tires - on this end it's a noisy, steamy place full of the clanking of heavy machinery, sweaty workmen, and local enforcers in mail armor carrying truncheons, crossbows and heavy lanterns. These lawmen are called the TG - short for Tunnel Guard - and are carefully selected for loyalty and faith in the Sky God. They are famously incorruptible.

From the train, you travel to a guesthouse - called The Foundry - where you're lodged in spacious and reasonably luxurious rooms.

The formalities taken care of, you have just a couple of hours before meeting the informant. You are near Deepfounder Plaza, so scouting the area would be an obvious priority. Also, you have near-total access to what archives the planet has - although the local Enforcer HQ is a good 20 minutes away by steam tram.

[Burden King]

(Is it cool if I roll to see if my character knows anything about the meeting area?)

[Kaptin Keen]

Deepfounder Plaza is some 300' by 160' in size, with double rows of wide pillars lining the sides - so that 40' along each side of the plaza is pillared, but a 80x300 space in the middle is wide open beneath the high, vaulted ceiling. The ceiling is gloriously painted with scenes of Imperial glory, somewhat colored by local tradition: There are no bolters or power swords, no power armors. Rather, there are quite a few knights in plate armor, and more lances and pikes and more snow than you'd usually see.

Among the pillared spaces along the sides are cafées and restaurants - too numerous to mention. Seated at a table near an eastward exit, in the shadows beneath a pillar, sits your contact - recognizable by his dress and a fresh flower on his lapel, something of a rarity on this world. He is an older, gruff looking man, closely cropped grey beard and hair. He wears the clothing and tatoos of Stout Malletman.

As he sees you approach, he gestures vaguely for you to sit.

[dojango]

"Oh, wow! The sights! The sounds! The smells! The other smells!" Penny takes it all in with the dazed look of a voidfarer in the bustle of the big city. She wants to take pictures of the knights and the frescoes, but remembers that she can't in public. Maybe later? Too late, the others are heading for the contact. Penny follows behind and takes a seat near the malletman. "Wow! Let's get to the important stuff. What's good here to eat?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Spoiler: OOC - skill rolls

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Common Lore, Imperium: The meeting place - that is, Deepfounder Plaza - is basically the 'grand plaza' found on many colonies, in selfcongratulatory celebration of the founding of the colony. It has statues of the founders, of Imperial Saints, and of the Sky God.

Obviously, you cannot have a colony without some inkling about space travel and technology beyond the humble steam engine. However, such miracles of the Sky God are kept in the realm of legend.

Time has converted this place from it's intended purpose (to host parades and celebrations) into what it is now - a place to dine and relax. You can get most everything here you could in other places, but .. well, it's made without sunlight, in caves, so at best it's hydroponic .. at worst, it's some sort of fungal derivative.

Awareness: The crowd seems normal, a mix of men and women, rich and poor, rough and genteel.

[Novabomb]

Phil Vega says nothing, and keeps an eye out.

Spoiler: OOC

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Awareness (1d100)[12] (Base 56)
Psycognicience (1d100)[7] (Base 46)

[Kaptin Keen]

Spoiler: OOC - Awareness roll

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... is good.

You arrive just as things are about to get hot. You contact has the air of someone nervous - but oblivious. He doesn't know about the three thugs at neighboring tables, waiting to jump him. He's even less aware of the fourth goon in the shadows with a crossbow. As the quartet sees you approach and realise who you must be, they snap into action. They draw implements of stabbing, and move towards you - one of them holds something in his offhand. Something crystaline. The crossbowman in the back takes aim at your informant.

You may roll initiative. No matter the outcome of initiative, none of you will be fast enough to stop the crossbowman (who may miss, however) - but ... Phil, who rolled such a nice Awareness roll does have the option of leaping in front of the informant, saving him but at the risk of getting hit himself.

As for the battlefield: I don't much do maps, but this one is somewhat complicated, so I'll try to give you the general idea.

Link to a sort of map. Hope it works.

You approach from the south. You can tip over tables for cover if you like. There's a bunch of random bystanders (20+) who will make an incredible mess of things. There is also a bartender, a young man of the sort who tends bars across the Imperium of Man, and a waitress.

Their Initiative: (1d10+2)[12]