IC II: DH The Purity of Sacrifice

[Haval]

Orla knew better then to turn towards the watchers. This sort of thing she understood. 'So do we lose them or try to find out who they're working for?'

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

"I can...nab one, as we go into the back alleys? Get him to come with us peaceably. Then we could find out who they are and who they're working for?" she offered the group.

[bramblefoot]

Marcella

"I can...nab one, as we go into the back alleys? Get him to come with us peaceably. Then we could find out who they are and who they're working for?" she offered the group.

"i approve of that idea" milo subvocalizes. "nab him, interrogate him, and dispose of him"

to marcella "after were finished with him, you think you can give him an aneurysm so hes toast on a bun?"

[Haval]

'And if they notice one of their mates wandering off? Although if they aren't organised enough to be working as a group they deserve to get their head messed with.'

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

"Anything I could do in that capacity is...messy. It's best you or Arl take care of it," Marcella uttered to Milo, her face remaining forward as the group continued to walk, pretending as if they had not yet spotted their observers.

"If they're that organised then they all know about us already, so we're the ones missing out on the intel of who they are and who they work for if we don't act."

[Wyndeward]

Act II Scene iii

'Necessity overcomes morality. Never without regret. Never without shame. Yet even immoral victory must outweigh moral defeat. The victor will have a chance to atone if conscience demands. The vanquished lose any such opportunity.' -Roboute Guilliman.

Following a much needed albeit short interval of rest and recovery at the compound, the acolytes reassemble. Orla had found the chance to settle herself at the new location, though everything was moving rather fast. After briefly debriefing with The Interrogator, the acolytes depart for the upper hive, again traveling by railcar. However exotic it was for Orla to travel to the midhive, both the trip and the destination of this time were like nothing Orla had ever seen. Never in her life had she seen so much bright unfiltered sunlight. The sky was a radiant blue this high above the black polluted cloud bank that hung below. Never before had Orla not been cold. Though the others just seemed to be done shivering, Orla could feel her skin practically tickled with sweat. And the air was so clean, it's very lack of toxic fume stink was its own perfume. She found herself stopping regularly once off the oh so clean railcar to stare wide eyed at the massive marble statues, the majestic and lavishly designed architecture. It all seemed out of a child's fairy tale; this seemed the closest thing to heaven on earth that she had ever seen.

Robed (hopefully) in their Credit Guilder disguises (Orla has one too), the acolytes make their way through the spacious and well manicured streets as dusk settled on the city.

(OOC: Please describe what gear you are bringing and remember that anything beyond side arms and basic armor may be hard to conceal. I will also ask for a Perception check from whomever is willing to roll)

(OOC: Arl will have his stub automatics concealed under his cloak.)

Arl looked about, keeping a wary eye for trouble.

(1d100)[76]

[bramblefoot]

Marcella

"Anything I could do in that capacity is...messy. It's best you or Arl take care of it," Marcella uttered to Milo, her face remaining forward as the group continued to walk, pretending as if they had not yet spotted their observers.

"If they're that organised then they all know about us already, so we're the ones missing out on the intel of who they are and who they work for if we don't act."

"understood" milo chirps. "play it cool, and if push comes to shove, violence does breed violence" he sighs "i miss my flak jacket"

[rax]

"I can...nab one, as we go into the back alleys? Get him to come with us peaceably. Then we could find out who they are and who they're working for?" she offered the group.

"Are you able to read their thoughts discreetly while we remain here out in the open and go about our business? That would have the advantage of not revealing to them that they have been detected," Hound pointed out.

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

Marc pursed her lips at the question, then shook her head gently.

"Not discretely," she answered. "It would take all of my focus, I'd have to stop in the street and concentrate; and they'd know I was attempting scan them."

[Haval]

Orla replies quietly, 'If they know you can do that and they know what to look for I'd say we might have other problems.'

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

Marcella kept facing forward, her shorter stature allowing her to blend in with the taller males of their group and giving her leeway to talk a touch more, quietly.

"They shouldn't; I couldn't do it last time."

[Haval]

Marcella kept facing forward, her shorter stature allowing her to blend in with the taller males of their group and giving her leeway to talk a touch more, quietly.

"They shouldn't; I couldn't do it last time."

'Then hopefully that makes things easier.' Orla replied. She is suddenly curious what would happen if these were the sort of people who might try to arrest them rather then try to kill them. Was it simply a matter of calling the boss in that situation?

[rax]

Marc pursed her lips at the question, then shook her head gently.

"Not discretely," she answered. "It would take all of my focus, I'd have to stop in the street and concentrate; and they'd know I was attempting scan them."

"Well then, "nabbing" one of them or luring them into a side street seems like the next best option. Does your "nabbing" allow the victim to move naturally, or will his colleagues be able to observe unusual movement patterns or other behaviour?"

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

"Well then, "nabbing" one of them or luring them into a side street seems like the next best option. Does your "nabbing" allow the victim to move naturally, or will his colleagues be able to observe unusual movement patterns or other behaviour?"

"We'll both walk a bit slower...at a leisurely pace," she smiled bashfully.

[bramblefoot]

"when you get him, we need to make this fast and quick" milo says "the longer we dally, the longer they have to find out one of their own is missing, and the longer they have to warn drimmle"

he shrugs. "body disposal was never one of the things they taught in the priesthood, but certain household chems do the same thing"

[Haval]

"when you get him, we need to make this fast and quick" milo says "the longer we dally, the longer they have to find out one of their own is missing, and the longer they have to warn drimmle"

he shrugs. "body disposal was never one of the things they taught in the priesthood, but certain household chems do the same thing"

Orla shrugged, 'Is there a river up here.' How would that even work? But she wouldn't discount the possibility. 'Or toss him over the edge if we're close enough.'

[Bennosuke]

Hound picks up on the monitoring as well, catching on a little bit behind Marcella. Arl doesn't pick up on much. Marcella begins to lead the group across the street, toward an alley that sits between a lavish apartment building of obsidian colored glass, and "small" exotic grocery of polished marble and gold. As she does, she catches the eye of the nearest observer, a woman with a heavily lined face, dressed in a showy pink day gown and pushing baby's pram. The woman's face spasms as Marcella exerts her telepathic will over the spy. As the acolytes wander into the alley, the woman stumbles in line behind them, pushing the pram, following Marcella and the others as far as the psyker wills it.

************************************************** ****************

Earlier

Arl was back at the Commissar's Tavern, tucked far back into a booth in the pungent depths of dreary drinking hole. He had managed to quickly befriend a one of the line workers at Station Tollares; a cow eyed stick of a man with skin the color of his rheumy eyes. He looked like a void-born, twitched like a void-born, and smelled of spaceships. He'd said he'd been working at Station Tollares for nearly four decades, and had worked cleaning crew on almost every ship that had come in and out of the hive at one point or another. He wasn't supposed to talk about what he'd seen, guild secrecy or something, but that had been about three drinks ago. Now Pip was in his cups and slurring his words bad. With any luck, he knew something about this Mercutio, or the Rogue Trader he worked for.

[bramblefoot]

as milo sees the pram, his face cracks into a sadistic grin. "good spot to conceal a weapon, or a frag grenade" he says. "push comes to shove, stick a frag in there and roll it off to its destination. as the preacher says in death, the emperor knows his own"

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

Marc inhaled as she felt a part of her consciousness slither into the mind of the woman - like sticking her hand into a jar within which was a pillow to suppress beneath her strength. Whoever the woman was, she was no longer in control as her mind was compressed and Marcella's will filled itself into the mental gap left behind, seizing control of the apparatus of the womans nervous system and compelling her forward again to silently follow the acolytes down a side alley, and then around a corner into a backstreet, all safe from view as the towering, ornately decorated buildings around them stood silently.

"Frisk her..." Marcella offered quietly to anyone who wished to do so, the presence of a pram not swaying the psyker much as the lines on the womans face marked her as too old for offspring anyway.

Wasting no time, the telepath willed the woman to come into their purview, where she took off her thin-skinned, black glove and pressed her bare palm against her forehead and her fingers against her scalp, like an grasping spider - her consciousness pouring through to drill even deeper to reveal what secrets this agent knew...

[Haval]

Orla will move away from the others to find a doorway or darkened area in the alleyway where she could surprise anyone who might decide to follow the woman into the alleyway. Better to be safe then sorry.

Spoiler: ooc

Show

Stealth vs. Ag 44 (Stealth +10)
(1d100)[45]

Awareness vs. Per 39 (Awareness +10)
(1d100)[7]

[bramblefoot]

milo will casually pat the woman down and relieve her of her microbead if she has one. after that, he'll search the baby carrier, and see if there is anything in there

search roll TN 11
(1d100)[80]

milo is really not seeing much today is he?

[Wyndeward]

Earlier

Arl was back at the Commissar's Tavern, tucked far back into a booth in the pungent depths of dreary drinking hole. He had managed to quickly befriend a one of the line workers at Station Tollares; a cow eyed stick of a man with skin the color of his rheumy eyes. He looked like a void-born, twitched like a void-born, and smelled of spaceships. He'd said he'd been working at Station Tollares for nearly four decades, and had worked cleaning crew on almost every ship that had come in and out of the hive at one point or another. He wasn't supposed to talk about what he'd seen, guild secrecy or something, but that had been about three drinks ago. Now Pip was in his cups and slurring his words bad. With any luck, he knew something about this Mercutio, or the Rogue Trader he worked for.

Arl signaled for another round for each of them, letting Pip take first choice as was his custom.

"It must be something to see, all those ships... cargos from Emperor knows where! Arl said, in his best wistful voice.

[Wyndeward]

Orla will move away from the others to find a doorway or darkened area in the alleyway where she could surprise anyone who might decide to follow the woman into the alleyway. Better to be safe then sorry.

Spoiler: ooc

Show

Stealth vs. Ag 44 (Stealth +10)
(1d100)[21]

Awareness vs. Per 39 (Awareness +10)
(1d100)[21]

Arl took up a similar position at the other end of the alleyway, keeping an eye peeled for anyone suspicious.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

(1d100)[21] for Stealth against a 51 (Agility of 41, Stealth+10)

(1d100)[21] for Awareness against a 50 (Perception of 40, Awareness+10)

[rax]

Hound observes the proceeding silently, waiting for the results of Marcella's mind games.

[Bennosuke]

Following Marcella's command, Milo steps forward and attempts to frisk the woman. Perhaps it is his chaste upbringing that leads to The Father's discomfort in thoroughly exploring the many layers of her frilly pink dress, but after a quick pat down, Father Milo backs off empty handed.

With her ungloved hand on the woman's temple, Marcella begins to delve into the woman's subconscious, while the poor spy can only look into her eyes, glare, and grit her teeth. The woman's mind is a wall of resistance, and at first Marcella struggles to even start her power, but after a few more moments she can feel the woman's mind giving way, bit by bit. The woman moans, and blood begins to dribble out of the front of her mouth, after she accidentally bites her tongue. Deeper and deeper Marcella delves, as time trickles by.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Marcella is able to access information on a subconscious level. However, her Dominate power has to be re-activated every 10 rounds, and as per the sustained powers rules! It will have taken time to walk into the alley and frisk the woman, plus the mind scan takes place over 5 rounds itself. So I will give Marcella the time to ask three questions that would apply to the subconscious level, before her Dominate power slips. She can maintain it with another power roll, per page 164, and have free access to continue delving the spy's mind... however, also see below.

While Milo and Marcella are working, both Arl and Orla take point near the entrance of alley, hiding while also taking watch. Not long after they take their positions, they are both able to witness from cover as three undercover agents begin to converge on the alley. The three move with sudden purpose. One is a tall and thin man in a red frock coat; a regal looking rapier and a las pistol visible at his belt. The second looks like an ex-guardsman, shaved head and all muscle. He's dressed in upperhive finery as well, though the costume just doesn't fit him, and he's reaching into his overjacket for some sort of weapon as he gets closer. The third is an older looking woman, whom you would never have noticed was too fit for an upperhiver, if she wasn't approaching with murder in her dark eyes. She is walking with the assistance of a bejewled golden cane, but a closer look (achieved by both characters) reveals it to likely be some sort of shock weapon.

(OOC: Well, this should be fun)

[Wyndeward]

While Milo and Marcella are working, both Arl and Orla take point near the entrance of alley, hiding while also taking watch. Not long after they take their positions, they are both able to witness from cover as three undercover agents begin to converge on the alley. The three move with sudden purpose. One is a tall and thin man in a red frock coat; a regal looking rapier and a las pistol visible at his belt. The second looks like an ex-guardsman, shaved head and all muscle. He's dressed in upperhive finery as well, though the costume just doesn't fit him, and he's reaching into his overjacket for some sort of weapon as he gets closer. The third is an older looking woman, whom you would never have noticed was too fit for an upperhiver, if she wasn't approaching with murder in her dark eyes. She is walking with the assistance of a bejewled golden cane, but a closer look (achieved by both characters) reveals it to likely be some sort of shock weapon.

(OOC: Well, this should be fun)

Arl mutters a brief prayer to the Emperor and clicks off the safety of one of his stub automatics and begins lining up a shot on the face of the rapier-wielding popinjay from concealment.

[Haval]

Orla is unhappy to have been proven right. She will slide her hand cannon out of her robes to join the knife she's already carrying in her other hand. She has no idea if Arl is paying attention but if he can see her from where she's hiding she'll mouth Wait towards him. If you really had to shoot someone it was always better to do it from behind while they were distracted.

Spoiler: ooc

Show

I assume we're standing in slightly different points as it would make it easier to hide.

Waiting to see how this plays out.

[bramblefoot]

milo will coolly snap the spys wrists, so should she come out of her trance and try anything, her wrists will be compound fractured. he then pulls his orthlack from his belt, and takes cover on the bend of the wall

"after you're finished with her, put a hole in her brainpan" he subvocalizes to marcella

milo will half move, half aim down the corridor

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

The telepath's eyes were closed, her lips pursed as she held her hand against the womans head. The Psyker had never sustained two powers before, particularly two that were as demanding as this: controlling someones mind completely and scanning it at the same time. Maintaining her apprehension over the other womans faculties and body, Marcella continued to sift through her psyche, plunging deeper and deeper as the world of the spy flashed around her as she searched for those crucial details...

[rax]

Hound notes Arl and Orla's activity and draws his own silenced pistol in response. "Company coming?" he asks, while looking around for a convenient place to take cover.

@bramblefoot
Maybe you should check with Bennosuke whether breaking the prisoner's wrists will give her a new chance to resist Marcella's powers. There's no need to make this more difficult than it has to be.