IC II: DH The Purity of Sacrifice

[Haval]

"She is a member of the Raptore clan to whom we have reached a general accord. We can move through their territory unmolested and we receive information from their scouts. She is a smuggler we have hired and who has proven helpful in navigating the Underhive and for information about the Torra and Sabay. She knows about the weapons and the players involved, but not...us", the implication being The Inquisition, "to either her or her clan. We believed that that was better off left to your discretion to divulge, Sir."

Orla will interject there. 'If you're being honest about taking those weapons away from everyone else, who you are doesn't matter that much to me.' Orla was curious, but not enough to push the issue if no one wanted to be open with her. 'As for telling people. I don't think I even know anyone who would care.' She'll watch Ezekial closely, as his opinion was clearly the only one that mattered here.

[Bennosuke]

"This is Orla," she gestured to the other woman.

"She is a member of the Raptore clan to whom we have reached a general accord. We can move through their territory unmolested and we receive information from their scouts. She is a smuggler we have hired and who has proven helpful in navigating the Underhive and for information about the Torra and Sabay. She knows about the weapons and the players involved, but not...us", the implication being The Inquisition, "to either her or her clan. We believed that that was better off left to your discretion to divulge, Sir."

The psyker allowed a pause for whatever came next, from the Interrogator, Orla herself or another of the group.

"Welcome Orla," The Interrogator says, singling out the Underhive ganger. He gives a kind nod of his head, but makes no attempt to shake her hand. But he frowns at the last of Marcella's remarks. Sourly he says, "So you brought her to our... secret base, without explaining exactly who we are or what we do? I will... have to discuss this with my master later." He nods his head disapprovingly before turning his attention back to Orla. "Very well," he says with a sigh, "I do not mean to intimidate you my dear, but I need you to understand what exactly is at stake here. I am going to swear you now to a secrecy of such severity that I am willing to risk your life, as well as the lives of the rest of my... underlings, to make sure it is maintained. Do you understand?" He reaches a hand into the pocket of his robes and retrieves a red rosetta insignia, showing it up to Orla. "I don't expect you to necessarily understand what this is. Within the Imperium, there is an order of individuals tasked with rooting out the deadliest threats and forms of corruption to make sure that humanity as we know it can survive. There are secrets, nay truths too terrible for the masses to understand, and it is our order's business to shield them from these secrets. We are the Inquisition, one of the last lights in this ever darkening galaxy. And you little mouse, have somehow managed to get yourself tangled up in our work. Have the others told you what we are working at?"

[Haval]

'Huh.' Orla will glance briefly towards Marcella for any sign that the younger woman was taking this story seriously. She had heard something of the Inquisition without really understanding the details or even giving it credit. An organisation that was somehow everywhere and nowhere at the same time? She had more or less been told that the others were working for the Adeptus Terra. 'Well I guess if you're lying about that you're in more trouble then I'm ever likely to get into.' She doesn't sound like she thinks they were lying. 'And it would explain a few things.' The psyker and the big offworlder among them.

She'll answer the man's question. 'They told me they're trying to get those weapons out of the Underhive and hopefully off the planet. I've not seen them in use close up but I've heard the stories second hand from someone who did and I trust them. Could still do with getting paid at some point, but I am with you all the way in getting them away from my sisters. Maybe no one should have that sort of thing but the Tora and the Sabay definately shouldn't.'

[BananaPhone]

Marcella


Marc said nothing as she and the others were seemingly chastised by the Interrogator for not telling Orla about who they really were. She didn't make moves to interrupt or quickly explain herself or her fellows actions, she just waited until he was finished. It was easy to forget that underneath Marcella's bubbly and chatty persona was an iron willpower that served as the only barrier between the warp and the materium.

"Rumor spreads like wild-fire in the Underhive and we felt it best not to reveal who we really were to anyone lest word get back to Captain Cassimire and he and his operatives went to ground, which would make tracking them and their weapon imports even more difficult. As you said, secrecy is everything, Sir." Marc stated flatly, careful not to sound either hurriedly explanatory nor snappy and indignant, rather just neutrally offering an explanation.

Perhaps the Interrogator felt differently. But, if the Master required absolute secrecy then Marcella was confident he would side with them in any discussion the interrogator would have.

The psyker then waited as Orla had things explained to her and she gave her honest reactions. Again, she didn't interrupt or try to influence - she just watched.

[bramblefoot]

milo will do the same as marcella, just watch and wait. best to let the scum prove herself in the fire, or perish he thinks to himself

[rax]

Hound simply waits quietly, confident that Orla will pass muster, but equally confident that Ezekiel will see that killing her would cause the alliance with Clan Raptore to disintegrate, thus jeopardizing the investigation.

[Bennosuke]

'Huh.' Orla will glance briefly towards Marcella for any sign that the younger woman was taking this story seriously. She had heard something of the Inquisition without really understanding the details or even giving it credit. An organisation that was somehow everywhere and nowhere at the same time? She had more or less been told that the others were working for the Adeptus Terra. 'Well I guess if you're lying about that you're in more trouble then I'm ever likely to get into.' She doesn't sound like she thinks they were lying. 'And it would explain a few things.' The psyker and the big offworlder among them.

Interrogator Ezekiel's grand and almost threatening demeanor disintegrates for a moment at this, as he allows himself a small smirk. He hears Orla out further, and when she mentions having not seen the weapons up close he replies, "I would hope not." Orla had of course heard what happened to her Ria, her former clanmate who had secreted away the weapons from the battlegrounds and apparently been driven to insanity. She had been found in the midhive, rumor had it, ranting and raving and completely out of her mind. At getting payed he smirks again and replies, "Well, if you prove useful, and loyal, we can look into that." He raises a gloved hand to vainly study the fabric for a moment, then says, "And by the way, my name is Ezekiel, and I am an Interrogator. You can refer to me by this title. I... WE serve my master, Inquisitor Zarkov, who *sigh* both you and Father Milo will need to be introduced to at some point."

[bramblefoot]

milo makes the sign of the aquilla, and whispers to orla "told you we work for big fish. you better not tell your underhive buddies"

[Haval]

He raises a gloved hand to vainly study the fabric for a moment, then says, "And by the way, my name is Ezekiel, and I am an Interrogator. You can refer to me by this title. I... WE serve my master, Inquisitor Zarkov, who *sigh* both you and Father Milo will need to be introduced to at some point."

'Right.' Orla wondered if she could put that off for as long as possible. 'Is your boss even on Helius?'

To Milo equally quietly, 'Not buddies, family.' She'll do her best not to snap in front of the Interrogator. 'But given threats have been made, I tend to feel like that takes the choice out of my hands.' Just as long as no one gave her a reason to reconsider that decision.

[Wyndeward]

Hound looks at the proffered cigars with distaste. "I do not partake of such, no matter their provenance. They serve only to increase the likelihood of you being afflicted with terminal illnesses."

To Arl
Observing the interplay between Milo and Marcella, Hound leans over to Arl and whispers: "I believe the priest is attempting to form some sort of bond beyond the collegial with her. I calculate a very low chance of success, however. Is this also how it's done on your home world?"

Arl politely demurs the offer of a cigar. "A hunter shouldn't leave a lingering trail behind them, lest they become the hunted."

He then leaned over and spoke the Hound in a whisper.

"Not usually... a good suitor is generally judged on their abilities, men as hunters, women as healers and weapon-makers, that sort of thing. The elders also seek the guidance of the Emperor in these matters, but that is usually in usual cases."

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

Marc remained quiet and attentive, her large, warm brown eyes watching the exchange with interest.

[Bennosuke]

'Right.' Orla wondered if she could put that off for as long as possible. 'Is your boss even on Helius?'

The Interrogator tips his head to the side, and raises a hand to scratch at his stubbly chin. He replies, "Let's just say that's 'need to know only' information," and grins a little wider.

Turning to the others (OOC: feel free to continue chatting), Ezekiel will eventually say, "I trust you all will be able to show our newest recruit around the compound. We can debrief in a little bit.. unless there is something we must discuss now. Orla, please make yourself at home... or as much as you can with these meager accommodations." It was hard to tell if he was being sincere at this.

(OOC: Will allow for some brief responses before wrapping things up here)

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

Marc shared a glance towards the others, before speaking up again, her voice soft.

"We seek approval for arresting or...dealing with Lord Drimmle, and acquiring from him a signed confession, names of his co-conspirators and, if possible, all records he has on his involvement in this smuggling operation."

[bramblefoot]

milo will agree with marcella, his face set into a stony mask. "cant have a heretic prowling the spire, 'specially not one of his reach and power" he says, cracking his knuckles. each pop sounds like a gunshot in the silent room.

[Haval]

Orla just nods at the Interrogator's need to know point. It meant that the Inquisitor could be somewhere else in this building for all she knew.

'I get a room?'

[Bennosuke]

Marc shared a glance towards the others, before speaking up again, her voice soft.

"We seek approval for arresting or...dealing with Lord Drimmle, and acquiring from him a signed confession, names of his co-conspirators and, if possible, all records he has on his involvement in this smuggling operation."

Ezekiel's grin dissolves rather quickly, and he sucks on the side of his cheek for a moment before replying. "Hmmm... I'm afraid that's probably a no," he says raising both hands palm up, "this is still a clandestine operation. Disappearing a wealthy and important member of society, or Emperor forbid, publicly performing some sort of arrest, is going to draw too much attention and raise too many questions. As it is, I am a little uncomfortable with how this team has engaged him to begin with. If he at all decides to betray us, we could be significantly compromised." He shakes his head, taking a moment to regain his composure, as his voice had been raising during the reply. In a forced but hushed voice he continues, "To be honest, he has the resources to have you tracked, and to hire all sorts of nasties who could come after us. I have already begun looking into a backup headquarters, though I fear that the options have all been even less accommodating then what we have now."

Orla just nods at the Interrogator's need to know point. It meant that the Inquisitor could be somewhere else in this building for all she knew.

'I get a room?'

The question returns a grin to The Interrogator's face. With a sigh he says, "Yes little mouse, we will find you a room."

[rax]

"An element of risk is present in all field operations," Hound reminds Ezekiel. "Once we had committed to interrogating Drimmle's underling, the clock was already ticking on confronting him in some fashion. It is possible that he has since summoned up the courage to betray us, but if he has, I would have assumed that his superiors would have been more proactive in hunting us down or - as you say - even raiding the safe house. In any case, we will not know the true state of affairs until we confront him again, and this time we will have an advantage in finding the truth thanks to Acolyte Marcella's new powers."

"Should we find that we have walked into a trap, we will naturally do our duty and end our lives if there is any chance of us being caught and interrogated," he adds.

[bramblefoot]

milos face betrays no expression of his feelings, but inside, hes seething. and here i was hoping i could thwack him across the face he thinks to himself. patience father a voice chimes in his head, sounding like him, but slightly off good things come to those who wait

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

Marcella didn't want to accept the Interrogators initial assessment of staying away from Drimmle, though she stood there, quiet and passive-expressioned as he told the group of his position: the man was not to be encroached upon. He was wealthy, a minor noble and going after him could rock the political boat, particularly if a public arrest was involved.

The Psyker wondered, however, if this wasn't too passive an approach. They knew the weapons were being imported. They knew that Drimmle was the financier of the operation and was the front for a higher, more powerful noble. He was the lynchpin in the entire operation that kept the Sabay and Tora working together with his money, shielded his higher ups and likely paid Captain Casimirre his money. Not only that, but Marcella remembered how terrified he had been of the Inquisitorial Rosary - he knew the reputation of this organisation. She found the idea that a man as cowardly as Drimmle would openly attack agents of the Inquisition as unlikely.

It seemed though that Hound was of a similar mind. Originally consigning herself to just accepting her superiors directive, even if she didn't agree with them, she listened to Hound and found herself agreeing with what he said.

"I agree with Acolyte Hound, Sir," Marcella chimed in gently.

"I have felt those weapons, what they are: they are of a heretical and warp-based origin and construction. Two months ago all we knew was that the ganger Ria was found babbling incoherently. Now, we have mapped a conspiracy across every layer of the hive to import heretical weapons of warp-based construction whose mere presence drives individuals mad. Lord Drimmle is the financier, and he is a front man for Lord Durchess. The longer we allow this to continue, the greater the risk for every soul in this Hive, Sir."

[Haval]

Orla, who has never had a room to herself in her life, looks deeply impressed.

Hound's last point will force her to pay attention to the other's conversation. 'Hang on, you'll have to pay me a lot more first to get me to agree to that. Besides, the trick is to not be in a mess like that in the first place. What's this about new powers anyway?'

[bramblefoot]

milo nods with marcella "tis better to knit then permit" he says, making the sign of the aquilla. "you gotta seal the breaches, even if it means making tough decisions. doubt leads to hesitation, and hesitation leads to inaction" he looks interrogator ezekiel in the eyes, and says quietly "please interrogator, we need to deal with this. between you and me, id hate to see this get out of hand and spoil your promotion chances"

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

Marc's eyes will side-look to Orla for a second before returning to Interrogator Ezekiel.

'The interrogation I performed on the juves; learning everything they've ever known. I will repeat the process on Drimmle. Such an option was not available last time we met,' the Psyker's telepathic voice gently slid into Orla's mind, as if she were talking softly right into her ears, while the Psyker's focus remained forward on the Interrogator.

[Haval]

'The interrogation I performed on the juves; learning everything they've ever known. I will repeat the process on Drimmle. Such an option was not available last time we met,' the Psyker's telepathic voice gently slid into Orla's mind, as if she were talking softly right into her ears, while the Psyker's focus remained forward on the Interrogator.

Orla will try not to look startled. So a psyker just gets progressively weirder until what exactly? Orla figured that it was too late to worry about how much the other woman was capable of knowing about her while she was in her head. She'll turn to Marcella, 'In that case, how close do you need to be to this guy to do that to him? Can you do it without him knowing you're there? Can you do it if he's asleep say? Or if he's in the middle of a crowd? This guy can't stay in his house all the time.'

[bramblefoot]

milo quirks a grin. "marcella may be a psyker and a spitfire, but she has her uses" he says, placing a hand on marcellas shoulder. "after all, im the talker, but if i cant get the info out of someone, just let her apply the mind screws, and we're good as gold"

[Haval]

To Milo, 'Not saying it isn't useful. Maybe you could cheat at cards with a trick like that.'

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

Orla will try not to look startled. So a psyker just gets progressively weirder until what exactly? Orla figured that it was too late to worry about how much the other woman was capable of knowing about her while she was in her head. She'll turn to Marcella, 'In that case, how close do you need to be to this guy to do that to him? Can you do it without him knowing you're there? Can you do it if he's asleep say? Or if he's in the middle of a crowd? This guy can't stay in his house all the time.'

"I need to be relatively close to read his mind and learn everything he's every known. For now. But I'm getting better every day..." Marcella uttered, her tone oddly eerie, as if carrying unknown implications.

"I could reach out and speak to him right now if desired; let him know that we know he has betrayed us, and that he is best off handing himself in," the Psyker said with a jokingly optimistic smirk.

"But I doubt that would happen. All it would do is tip him off to expect us soon."

milo quirks a grin. "marcella may be a psyker and a spitfire, but she has her uses" he says, placing a hand on marcellas shoulder. "after all, im the talker, but if i cant get the info out of someone, just let her apply the mind screws, and we're good as gold"

To Milo, 'Not saying it isn't useful. Maybe you could cheat at cards with a trick like that.'

Marc felt that hand on her shoulder and turned her head to look up at Milo and then over to Orla when she devised a way to make money using her abilities.

The psyker shrugged.

"Just mind control all your opponents to go all in and then fold..."

She then straightened her posture slightly, eyes returning to the Interrogator.

"Not that I condone such...frivolous use of resources, Sir."

[bramblefoot]

milo lets out a short bark of laughter. "marcella, what would the god emperor say to that?" he teases gently. "surely he would think that its a waste of your talent, right?"

[Haval]

"I need to be relatively close to read his mind and learn everything he's every known. For now. But I'm getting better every day..." Marcella uttered, her tone oddly eerie, as if carrying unknown implications.

"I could reach out and speak to him right now if desired; let him know that we know he has betrayed us, and that he is best off handing himself in," the Psyker said with a jokingly optimistic smirk.

"But I doubt that would happen. All it would do is tip him off to expect us soon."

'I was thinking of something sneakier then that. What does this guy do for work anyway? Or is he just rich?'

On the matter of gambling. 'All I'm saying is that there might be a point where it comes in handy to do that. And you said you met Him didn't you. If the Emperor didn't trust you to use that trick properly maybe he would have done something about that at the time.'

[rax]

"Sir Drimmle is a senior operative of the Credit Guild. He handles the Guild's business with House Durchess. He and his team are or were responsible for providing financial support from Lord Durchess to Clan Sabay in return for them retrieving cargo - such as the aforementioned weapons - being delivered to the Underhive by the Rogue Trader Casmirre. Your clan and Clan Tora disrupted the last known transfer, which is when we became involved," Hound very briefly summarizes events for Orla.

[Haval]

"Sir Drimmle is a senior operative of the Credit Guild. He handles the Guild's business with House Durchess. He and his team are or were responsible for providing financial support from Lord Durchess to Clan Sabay in return for them retrieving cargo - such as the aforementioned weapons - being delivered to the Underhive by the Rogue Trader Casmirre. Your clan and Clan Tora disrupted the last known transfer, which is when we became involved," Hound very briefly summarizes events for Orla.

'I know about the criminal stuff.' Orla waves away Hounds comment aimiably. 'I mean that if you're doing things that would make the Emperor mad at you, you might have a regular job and a regular schedule to keep. If you're worried about the Enforcers knowing where your monies coming from you might want to have a front where you pretend to be normal. Obviously hasn't worked for him in this case.' She'll wave towards the Interrogator to imply that the Inquisition knew all about Drimmle. 'But if you don't want to get violent with this guy, maybe you can find a place where he's out and about and Marcella can bump into him in a crowd. Unless you want to try breaking into his house and psychic him while he's asleep.' Orla shrugs, 'Marcella would be the only psyker I've ever met, so I can't say I'm an expert, but if you want to think outside the box....'

Spoiler: ooc

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Have reached the point where Orla's obliged to pay attention to the plot