Sea of Stars - IC III

[PotatoGolem]

Indeed! Macharius leads her in, gesturing broadly. One of my favorite places on this ship, this. Lovely for looking out into the void to see what opportunities lurk among the stars. Boundless potential, infinite riches, countless worlds to bring to the Emperor's light, all stretched out across the galaxy...

He turns back. Ah, but I haven't amde all the introductions! My apologies. Navigator Primus Castermire and Magos-Explorator Del'Karro.

[Leon]

Hearing her name Ravia will perk up from idle data sifting

++Greetings++

[Blarghy]

Lost in his bitter self-pity on the second tier walkway, Echo took a moment to turn away from the stars and look back down at the floor of the dome. Alia's entourage was unfortunate but not shocking...until he saw Logitor Archanos. The Navigator's heart sank even further. He had not expected their enemy to bring a Tech-Priest.

Omnissiah, am I not tested and punished enough? Now I may have to be party to this sin too? I suppose that the murder of one Magos is nothing compared to harboring the Abominable Intelligence, but the pain still cuts sharp. I can only hope that they are a Heretek in league with the Stalker--not that I am in much of a position to judge. Or perhaps they'll kill me. That would be kind.

So, Kennoch stared for another moment, his face hidden in his glittering helmet, until he gave Alia a stiff bow. He then twisted back to face the void. Navigators weren't known for their gregariousness, of course.

Meanwhile, his cloaked bodyguards hugged tightly against the outer shell of the dome beside him with patient discipline; higher up on the top tiers, the officer Rings had moved out of sight too, lurking in the dark until either gunfire or the Captain's shout would bring them running.

[Destro_Yersul]

Alia looked up at the Navigator, and over to Ravia, and subtly inclined her head to each.

"Boundless potential," she said, stepping over the threshold and into the room. "A fine way to look at it. So many dreams die, out there in the vastness of space. But so many are made, as well. The potential is there, and all you need to do is reach out and take it."

She turned to face Macharius. "What is it you want, Lord-Captain? We have much to offer each other, I am sure."

[PotatoGolem]

Macharius barks a short laugh.How refreshingly direct. I shall do you the same courtesy. Answers, to start. I know who you are, of course, and much of how you operate. What I don't know is why. So, Lady Kindjal, why? Why the Stalker? He sounds as cheerful and calm as ever, as if it was a perfectly ordinary question.

[Haval]

Anika makes a brief coughing noise before she recovers. 'Well I was thinking about starting with the offer, but I am quite curious about that as well.' She'll glance towards Alia's retinue, 'Or would you prefer to talk about this in private?'

[Destro_Yersul]

"Hardly the venue I'd pick for a private discussion," Alia remarked, casting another look around the dome. "Maybe that was the point? Why is a complicated question in any case, no matter the subject."

For their part, her retinue were mostly hanging back, and either pretending not to have heard Macharius or, in the case of Archanos and Isaiah, possibly genuinely oblivious. The techpriest had split off from the group and was pacing the perimeter of the dome, peering with interest at the triforium. The scribe was huddled in a group with his assistants, gesturing with his auto-quill and muttering at the slate he was carrying. Or two of his assistants, anyways. The third had taken over the work of transcribing the meeting. Alia waved at him to stop writing, for now.

"You're familiar with attending to the needs of a house, I'm sure. Auntie is getting on in her years, and not as physically capable as she once was. Everything I have done, I have done for the preservation of me and mine, and our continued prosperity."

She let it hang there, waiting to see what Macharius would say.

[PotatoGolem]

A worthwhile goal, and one I am rather familiar with. Macharius nods. Although the path you chose does expose your house to quite a lot of risk for uncertain gain. I imagine it started with enemies of your house?

[Haval]

'Does that imply that your aunt was once the sort of person who would have been similarly active in defending her house's interests? If so she certainly managed to keep that quiet.'

[Destro_Yersul]

"Enemies, people who owed us, people whose removal would be... advantageous. It's just business." Alia shrugged. "Auntie's quite good at avoiding scandal, as I'm sure you're aware if you've done as much research as you say. Can you see how creating a mythos around something allows it to take on a life of its own, create degrees of separation? Whatever proof there might be, it's just circumstantial enough to wiggle out of if necessary. But naturally, we'd rather it not come to that. So, what do you want?"

[rax]

"Analysis of the causes of death suggest something more than business, milady. Are you claiming the brutality of the killings was no more than a cover? Because they rather suggest a killer driven by fear, rage and lack of control," Hannabel added coolly.

[Haval]

To answer Alia's question, 'Isn't getting to know someone we're in business in reason enough? For various reasons I am very curious about you.'

"Analysis of the causes of death suggest something more than business, milady. Are you claiming the brutality of the killings was no more than a cover? Because they rather suggest a killer driven by fear, rage and lack of control," Hannabel added coolly.

'Well quite.' Anika agrees. 'I feel like there ought to be easier and less extravegant ways to act as an assassin. Not that I've had personal experience mind. Surely there are professionals that you could have hired for that sort of thing? How long have you been doing this anyway?'

[Destro_Yersul]

"Do your people make it a habit to speak out of turn, Lord Captain? It's one thing from Dr. Vanhal, of course, her family is known and respected, but I can't say I've ever heard of any House.. Shanx, was it? No matter." She waved a hand.

"Smoke and mirrors, as always. The fewer people who know the whole truth, the better. While Scintilla has a plentiful supply of muscle for hire, I've always thought the best way to make sure something's done right is to do it yourself. Then the only trick is maintaining enough plausible deniability to disavow anything that comes to light. I'm quite curious myself, by the way, as to how you learned as much as you did. I take it that underhive explosion not long ago was somehow involved?"

[Haval]

'She's with me.' Anika responds absently without bothering to explain. 'We have our own advisors just as you have yours.'

She'll answer the other point, 'Well we had our suspicions before that. I recently acquired a device from my good friend Sebastian Winterscale that helped me out in sifting through the data. You really just need to ask it the right questions. Eventually it gave me a shortlist of names and a possible motivation. Something to do parties I think it was? I'm glad to hear that there seems to be more to it then that.'

[PotatoGolem]

Those who've earned it. Macharius responds levelly. The Expanse is littered with the bones of Traders who stood on ceremony with their advisors. Mistress Shanx's instincts have saved my life before. I don't pay her for her silence.

He chuckles. You also underestimate the resourcefulness of those who know their lives are likely at an end. Or perhaps the honor of scoundrels? Suffice to say, old Thule made sure that some very interesting picts and videos made their way to the right people.

[Blarghy]

It was Alia's casual disregard that galled Kennoch the most. He suspected that it was at least partially tactical, but nonetheless, he simmered as he listened to her dismiss their accusation. Not the claim itself, but the idea that revealing the truth might be more than an inconvenience. This assassin and her house had murdered her way through the upper crust of a sector capital, harbored a xeno and enlisted hereteks to manage her grim work, came here to speak with the crew that successfully investigated her crimes on their own ship, and now she practically scoffed at them. Such arrogance nearly made the Navigator forget that she was deadly enough to afford the confidence. Echo put his gloves on the balcony railing, platinum plates clinking softly, and glared down at her.

"Circumstantial circumstantial. Plausible deniability plausible. Scandal sandal scandal. Just just...business business just business." He growled her words back to her, his youthful voice crackling with the older and more intense tones. "Your bloody game bloody for power power brought terror terror to your fellow nobles your fellow. Suspicion to Etula Hax suspicion Hax and inconvenience to to the Lord Sector himself Lord Lord Sector. Shame to the authorities shame who pursued you pursued. Ruin to the Houses ruin of your victims victims. Do you think do you they will be they will so concerned with concerned the rule of law law rule of law as to insist upon insist ironclad proof proof? You have demonstrated you have what one can accomplish one can with a sharp edge sharp and a strong arm strong in the dark dark dark dark. You have humiliated you have powerful people powerful. Are you so certain are you they will accept accept your clever words clever and be content be to murmur rumors rumors at your parties your parties? Are you so certain certain so certain the line of Hax Hax Hax Hax will forgive forgive and forget forget?"

Spoiler

Show

Kennoch's getting a little better at not going full fire and brimstone. Hopefully this is a subtle threat, by his standards. My goal is to shake Alia's confidence a bit and make her more open to giving the rest of you the full truth (assuming her motives really aren't just so straightforward as she claims).

Wasn't there something unusual about how the victims were killed? I think Ravia determined it was with a farming implement, unless I'm mistaken.

Intimidate (57--unless you're kind enough to agree that this is Int-based, in which case, it's 71): (1d100)[37]

[Destro_Yersul]

Alia conceded Macharius' point regarding Hannabel with a nod. "Should have been more thorough cleaning up after Thule, I suppose, but it does illustrate nicely why we decided to keep so much of it in-house."

Then she looked up at Echo, and for the first time during the meeting looked a little off-balance. It was quickly submerged behind her calm facade, but the Navigator's peculiar way of speaking, if nothing else, seemed to be getting to her just a little.

"Etula Hax was a convenient deflection for a time, it's true. Last I checked she has been cleared of suspicion, an act for which you no doubt have the gratitude of the Governor. While Marius Hax has been increasingly paranoid of late, no one from the palace was ever targeted directly, and his family is now above question, thanks in no small part to your efforts. Making you even more valuable as allies, as I'm sure you're aware. Nobody below the governor can afford to move against my house directly, and even his position is tenuous enough that he'd think hard about doing it first."

[rax]

"Perhaps, or perhaps you are overestimating the strength of your position. Lord Hax's position will be far less tenuous if he is able to provide the grieving families among the nobility with the identity of the killer. We can provide him with that information. And of course there are powers out there who will not look kindly upon your house consorting with xenos - especially a Jokaero. You are aware, of course, that your aunt has been investigated for dabbling in tech heresy before? Do you imagine that the Magos Juris will look mercifully upon her a second time? Whom do you think she will sacrifice then to safeguard her continued existence?" Hannabel said.

[Haval]

Anika narrows her eyes at Echo's interjection but otherwise doesn't respond.

"Nobody below the governor can afford to move against my house directly, and even his position is tenuous enough that he'd think hard about doing it first."

After Hannabal speaks Anika will add, 'And I'm sure the Ordo would be interested in hearing that you consider yourself beyond consequences.' In her experience even the most sociopathic criminals at least took the Inquisition seriously. 'It would certainly be interesting to check. I've always wondered what Lord Caidin is like in person. Although my understanding of the Inquisition is that there is an equal chance that if they ever found out about you they might just offer you a job.'

'I believe we were just talking about apex predators on the way here, but if you're not scared of the Inquisition I would invite you to consider your future. We found out about what you've being doing on the side. What are the chances that someone else will at some point? Are you that confident that you can be this successful at hiding yourself forever? Or are you perhaps planning to retire the Stalker very soon? Or should I ask how important it might be to your aunt that you continue as long as she wants? How much of all this was her idea in the first place?'

[PotatoGolem]

Macharius sips his amasec placidly, watching the conversation play out for a moment in silence.

[Destro_Yersul]

"Perhaps, or perhaps you are overestimating the strength of your position. Lord Hax's position will be far less tenuous if he is able to provide the grieving families among the nobility with the identity of the killer. We can provide him with that information. And of course there are powers out there who will not look kindly upon your house consorting with xenos - especially a Jokaero. You are aware, of course, that your aunt has been investigated for dabbling in tech heresy before? Do you imagine that the Magos Juris will look mercifully upon her a second time? Whom do you think she will sacrifice then to safeguard her continued existence?" Hannabel said.

Alia listened to Hannabel's points with interest, but left them mostly unanswered. "The Jokaero is long since gone, and the crime of owning xenos-modified technology is... well, flexible enough, and in the case of the Jokaero specifically they're so useful that the Inquisition has never successfully eradicated them. As long as nobody found the suit, I think it would go unremarked."

After Hannabal speaks Anika will add, 'And I'm sure the Ordo would be interested in hearing that you consider yourself beyond consequences.' In her experience even the most sociopathic criminals at least took the Inquisition seriously. 'It would certainly be interesting to check. I've always wondered what Lord Caidin is like in person. Although my understanding of the Inquisition is that there is an equal chance that if they ever found out about you they might just offer you a job.'

'I believe we were just talking about apex predators on the way here, but if you're not scared of the Inquisition I would invite you to consider your future. We found out about what you've being doing on the side. What are the chances that someone else will at some point? Are you that confident that you can be this successful at hiding yourself forever? Or are you perhaps planning to retire the Stalker very soon? Or should I ask how important it might be to your aunt that you continue as long as she wants? How much of all this was her idea in the first place?'

"By the sounds of things, you mostly found out about it through Thule, but his lab is gone. The chance of hiding is good, though perhaps not forever. We may have to change tactics." Alia sighed, "All that to say, of course, that I am considering the future. I've asked you what you're after twice now. You've laid out your case, we all know where we stand. What's your offer?"

[Leon]

"The Jokaero is long since gone"

++That is a disappointment++

[Haval]

To Ravia, 'We can always get more Jokaeros.'

Alia listened to Hannabel's points with interest, but left them mostly unanswered. "The Jokaero is long since gone, and the crime of owning xenos-modified technology is... well, flexible enough, and in the case of the Jokaero specifically they're so useful that the Inquisition has never successfully eradicated them. As long as nobody found the suit, I think it would go unremarked."

Anika will watch Alia levelly. 'Are you sure about that? The Jokaero appeared to still be alive at the party. Assuming you don't have a spare. Are you sure your aunt is being entirely honest with you?'

"By the sounds of things, you mostly found out about it through Thule, but his lab is gone. The chance of hiding is good, though perhaps not forever. We may have to change tactics." Alia sighed, "All that to say, of course, that I am considering the future. I've asked you what you're after twice now. You've laid out your case, we all know where we stand. What's your offer?"

'Well at least you're thinking ahead. You're rightfully very confident in your own abilities but nothing lasts forever.' And getting to the point. 'I wanted offer you a chance to get out of here if you wanted to take it. There are certainly more interesting places to spend your time in then Scintilla. You're going to inherit regardless so I was wondering if you'd appreciate putting some distance between you and your aunt?'

[Destro_Yersul]

Anika will watch Alia levelly. 'Are you sure about that? The Jokaero appeared to still be alive at the party. Assuming you don't have a spare. Are you sure your aunt is being entirely honest with you?'

"You were there. I don't think anyone saw you leave the party, apart from the one audience, so I assume you'd some sort of auspex or scanner with you? Clever. Auntie should probably have thought of that, but since she didn't, I can only assume she did indeed move it somewhere without telling me. One wonders what other secrets she might be hiding from me." Anika detected a hint of amusement to her tone. These sorts of games were common enough amongst the nobility, and every house had its secrets. Sometimes even from itself.

'Well at least you're thinking ahead. You're rightfully very confident in your own abilities but nothing lasts forever.' And getting to the point. 'I wanted offer you a chance to get out of here if you wanted to take it. There are certainly more interesting places to spend your time in then Scintilla. You're going to inherit regardless so I was wondering if you'd appreciate putting some distance between you and your aunt?'

"An interesting question," Alia said, "and a potentially interesting solution. Board your ship, remove myself from the situation, let the Stalker fade away, and return to claim my right later? Hide somewhere in the Expanse, or did you have a destination in mind? Moreover, what would I owe you for this opportunity? Scintilla may not be the most interesting place in the sector, but it does carry with it certain luxuries I've become accustomed to."

[PotatoGolem]

The problem, Lady Kindjal, is that your explanation does not ring entirely true. It leaves several... conspicuous gaps, shall we say. The use of a hollow tine as a murder implement, for instance. Or the increasing violence and savagery of the kills as of late. If we are to do business together, I will need a more full explanation. Macharius is firm, although not heated.

Now, assuming that we can clear matters up, that leaves us with a central question. Namely, what can you offer me for my assistance that Lord Hax and the other nobility can't?

[Haval]

"You were there. I don't think anyone saw you leave the party, apart from the one audience, so I assume you'd some sort of auspex or scanner with you?"

'I never leave home without it. Although it took me a while to work out what I was looking at'

"An interesting question," Alia said, "and a potentially interesting solution. Board your ship, remove myself from the situation, let the Stalker fade away, and return to claim my right later? Hide somewhere in the Expanse, or did you have a destination in mind? Moreover, what would I owe you for this opportunity? Scintilla may not be the most interesting place in the sector, but it does carry with it certain luxuries I've become accustomed to."

'Well I'm sure we have a map of the Expanse somewhere. You're welcome to make a suggestion. And if you're thinking about money I'd say that, if you haven't already, you ought to get used to managing your own funds outside of your families control. I am speaking from personal experience.'

The problem, Lady Kindjal, is that your explanation does not ring entirely true. It leaves several... conspicuous gaps, shall we say. The use of a hollow tine as a murder implement, for instance. Or the increasing violence and savagery of the kills as of late. If we are to do business together, I will need a more full explanation. Macharius is firm, although not heated.

'Yes, I was wondering about that. Are you perhaps a gardener in private?' Anika will gesture towards Macharius, 'Macharius of course has the final say here. So I would think about answering him.'

[Destro_Yersul]

The problem, Lady Kindjal, is that your explanation does not ring entirely true. It leaves several... conspicuous gaps, shall we say. The use of a hollow tine as a murder implement, for instance. Or the increasing violence and savagery of the kills as of late. If we are to do business together, I will need a more full explanation. Macharius is firm, although not heated.

Now, assuming that we can clear matters up, that leaves us with a central question. Namely, what can you offer me for my assistance that Lord Hax and the other nobility can't?

'Well I'm sure we have a map of the Expanse somewhere. You're welcome to make a suggestion. And if you're thinking about money I'd say that, if you haven't already, you ought to get used to managing your own funds outside of your families control. I am speaking from personal experience.'

'Yes, I was wondering about that. Are you perhaps a gardener in private?' Anika will gesture towards Macharius, 'Macharius of course has the final say here. So I would think about answering him.'

"Oh you noticed that, did you? Congratulations are probably in order, you're the first to have done so." Alia smiled briefly, and a little sadly. "I am fond of flowers, I admit. Originally, that was supposed to be a calling card of sorts, but nobody mentioned it. Possibly I erred a little too far on the side of obscurity. And possibly I went overboard establishing the myth of the Stalker, but I did need people to fear the guise even after it was retired. What use is a bogeyman nobody fears? Still, I may have done too much. This was not my first choice of career when I arrived on Scintilla, you know."

She sighed, and then straightened, abruptly back to businesslike. "Now, to what I can offer you.. I'd like to establish first that my absconding aboard your ship was your idea, not mine. While I'm happy to buy your assistance, all I need to buy is your silence. The question is simply what to offer to a man who can already acquire just about anything. Money is far too simple. Alliance is something you could get from anyone, though few are as wealthy as House Kindjal. Access to the pies we've got our fingers in? Preferential trade deals? If you insist on a physical reward, I'm sure I could dig something interesting out of the family vaults to offer you, or perhaps your Magos would like access to our notes and records on the Jokaero?"

Alia glanced at Ravia as she spoke. "She did seem quite interested, a moment ago. Really, I think that line of thought is among the best I have to offer. We have access to many secrets aside from our own. Can you think of anyone you would like to buy some leverage on?"

[Haval]

"This was not my first choice of career when I arrived on Scintilla, you know."

'And what was your first choice of career?' Anika asks in honest curiosity.

She sighed, and then straightened, abruptly back to businesslike. "Now, to what I can offer you.. I'd like to establish first that my absconding aboard your ship was your idea, not mine. While I'm happy to buy your assistance, all I need to buy is your silence. The question is simply what to offer to a man who can already acquire just about anything. Money is far too simple. Alliance is something you could get from anyone, though few are as wealthy as House Kindjal. Access to the pies we've got our fingers in? Preferential trade deals? If you insist on a physical reward, I'm sure I could dig something interesting out of the family vaults to offer you, or perhaps your Magos would like access to our notes and records on the Jokaero?"

As for the other point. 'Meaning your aunt might be unhappy with you if you left? Well from what I've heard I don't have much of a problem with her being mad at me. As long as we can avoid giving any impression that we're holding you against your will.'

Anika will glance at Macharius when the matter of a reward came up. 'I'm sure we can work something out, and leverage is always useful. Personally I am happy enough to create some distance between the Stalker and my parents.'

[PotatoGolem]

When you retired? At what point would that be?

And a further question. What was the point of these "pilgrims" who were to be brought on our ships? Merely a diversion?

He chuckles ruefully. Alas, most of my foes operate outside the sector or are already enemies of the Imperium. Leverage in the Expanse is... more direct, and usually involves macrocannons. But if your information is as good as you say, surely you would know who are enemies are. Who might you have useful leverage over?

The other question, of course, is what you will do if we strike a deal and you remain on Scintilla. The Stalker is a destabilizing influence.

[Destro_Yersul]

'And what was your first choice of career?' Anika asks in honest curiosity.

"Ah yes, you made yours a reality, didn't you? Well, quiet study wasn't for me either, but when I was younger I wanted to be a Fleet Admiral."

As for the other point. 'Meaning your aunt might be unhappy with you if you left? Well from what I've heard I don't have much of a problem with her being mad at me. As long as we can avoid giving any impression that we're holding you against your will.'

Anika will glance at Macharius when the matter of a reward came up. 'I'm sure we can work something out, and leverage is always useful. Personally I am happy enough to create some distance between the Stalker and my parents.'

"Meaning I'm happy enough to stay here, if you have too many concerns about taking me on board. Absconding was not my plan."

When you retired? At what point would that be?

And a further question. What was the point of these "pilgrims" who were to be brought on our ships? Merely a diversion?

He chuckles ruefully. Alas, most of my foes operate outside the sector or are already enemies of the Imperium. Leverage in the Expanse is... more direct, and usually involves macrocannons. But if your information is as good as you say, surely you would know who are enemies are. Who might you have useful leverage over?

The other question, of course, is what you will do if we strike a deal and you remain on Scintilla. The Stalker is a destabilizing influence.

"Sooner rather than later, now that the evidence is out there. You want the Stalker gone for good, we can make retirement part of our deal," Alia said.

"As to the pilgrims, I'm not sure. You would have to ask my Aunt, she made the arrangements. You've seen the rosters, yes? Anyone in there who isn't a pilgrim? Since you're asking, I would guess there is, in which case I would guess that maybe they're being sent to find something in the Expanse."