The Great Divide (Dark Heresy IC)

[Destro_Yersul]

Working away at the embedded bullet with the tip of his knife, Samael was able to remove the projectile from the door and tack the candle wick in its place. The bullet had been partially crumpled by the impact, but most of it was still there, and the diamantine penetrator on the tip was entirely intact. Pocketing the bullet for now, the assassin stretched the string to the window. It looked to be at a slight downwards angle, the actual point of impact being a short distance above where the round punched through the window. Checking the angle a few times, Samael looked out the window at the buildings below. They were more of the low housing units used by the general populace, and unless he missed his guess the round would have been fired from somewhere near the fifth one down...

Watching with evident fascination, Nathaniel took a moment to respond. "Ah, yes," he said eventually, tearing his attention away from Samael. "Yes, it was a text she was copying. Should be on her shelf..." Muttering to himself, the priest went to look at the various titles.

"Here it is. It's a collection of old fragments detailing the many reasons we must always be watchful against the great enemy. He who does not maintain vigilance against heresy has failed the Emperor, and himself. It's an excellent reminder of our task in life. Mira was very devout. She kept few if any friends, and preferred to spend her time in the mines preaching truth to the workers."

[UncleWolf]

The Mouse accepts the book graciously. "Do you have the pages she already finished?"

[Destro_Yersul]

"No, actually..." Nathaniel frowns. "I'm not sure where she was keeping them."

[UncleWolf]

She gives a nod after a moment. "Thank you anyways." She almost turns away, but stops herself. "Has she copied any other books in her time here?"

[Destro_Yersul]

"Yes, quite a few. I never asked what she did with them, though. They were all properly respective of the Emperor and supportive of the Imperial Creed and hard work. All good sentiments. I assumed she just felt they needed to be more widely circulated..."

[UncleWolf]

"Would it be possible for you to get a hold of the last book she copied? The one written by her own hand." She asks.

[LCP]

At Nathaniel’s answer to his colleague’s question, Samael looked up from his string.

“Preaching to the workers,” he repeated. “Where might we find the workers she preached to?”

[Destro_Yersul]

"Ah, I'm afraid not. I believe she sent them offworld, with the chartist captains. You see, not many of the, ah, workers can read. So there really wouldn't be much use keeping them here." Nathaniel looked at the shelf again, and then turned to leave the room.

"I'm sorry I can't be mroe help, but I really have a lot of work to be doing. If you need to find the workers you can find them in the mine, or at home when the shifts change. Mira would have talked to most of them, if not all, at some point in her, ah, stay."

[Calimos]

A few more questions before you go brother Nathaniel, and thank you for your assistance this far. Did Mira have any close friendship with any of the resident church's members? Someone who knew her perhaps a bit better than the rest? And did you ever happen to notice anything strange, like someone following her or heard about any problems she might have encountered while preaching in the Mines?

[Destro_Yersul]

"Problems? Ah, she did mention that a few of the miners had, ah, gone missing. Is that a problem? It happens fairly regularly, it's easy to get lost in the mine tunnels I hear, but..." Nathaniel shrugged, spreading his hands. "I'm afraid I don't know. If you'd like to know more about Mira, I can direct you to brother Giskard. He was the closest thing she had to a friend amongst the clergy. You'll find him in, ah, probably his room? Third door that way." Taking a moment to point out the direction, Nathaniel hurried off back to his office.

[goblinpaladin]

Lepidus rubbed his hands together. "Hrrr. Clearly we need to get a list of the personnel living in that hab-cube." He nodded out the window. He glanced at the direction Nathaniel had fled. "And see if any of them were workers to whom she had preached."

[Calimos]

"Well said. And also talk to that brother Giscard, he mentioned. If he was indeed closer to Mira, he might have additional and potential useful information on the situation".

[LCP]

"List of personnel," said Samael, quietly. "Well, that's one way of doing it."

He tightened his gloves, looking out of the window towards the dull grey hab-block.

"Or we could just pay them a visit now."

[goblinpaladin]

Lepidus shook his head. "Unlikely the sniper is still present; may have been the house of sympathisers. Of course, the neighbours may also know something." He paused. "Hrm. Yes- you and I, Samael, shall go and... speak to them. I think. The pysker and the Mouse to Cleric Giscard."

He rubbed his hands together and looked around the room.

[Calimos]

"Alright, this way we could potentially uncover more clues in less time. Take care out there. When we're done, meet outside the cathedral? We should also keep in mind that we need to locate a place to spend our night and possibly use as our HQ as long as we'll be involved in this assignment".

With that, Severus beckons for Mouse to follow him, as he's heading to brother Giskard's room.
"Let's hope he has noticed anything strange or knows something that can set us on the right course to uncover the perpetrators behind the murder of Mira".

[goblinpaladin]

Lepidus paused in his looking about and nodded. "Yes. And act before word of our presence spreads."

[huyche]

Thirtyseven reasoned that his presence might prove advantageous if he follows the former security officer and the other, well-dressed man outside, to check the location where the shot at the woman was supposedly taken from.

They could potentially meet unwanted opposition and in that case he will nip it in the bud.

Furthermore, past conversation with the priest filled him with suspicion that the man knew more than had imparted. The woman and the psyker need to exercise caution. Grenadier noted a possibility he might have to come to aid them at a signal via the micro-bead.

He acknowledged the threat coming from the local rabble was negligible, but if the local authorities were involved they could meet something that will prove to be a more formidable obstacle to inquisitorial investigation.

[UncleWolf]

The Mouse nods, not saying anything lest she let slip her displeasure about being lumped in with the psyker, and follows him, searching for a quiet place as they go.

[Calimos]

Severus kept his hood down, as they walked in the cathedral's corridors. At some point, he turned to the adept that was walking with him to Giskard's room. The young lady seemed quite perceptive and fast to point out that they might be the subject of possible surveillance or eavesdropping while inside the temple and seemed quite serious.

Truth be told, after their first talk in the shuttle, they had probably started on the wrong foot. Him being a psyker of course wouldn't help at that, his curse tended to discomfort people around him and his void-born origins made him even more detached in the eyes of others who were born upon the millions of planet accross the length and breadth of blessed Imperium of Man.

But when put together with others serving the Holy Ordos of Inquisition, it would be not only in his best interest, but also to the best interest of the assignment itself to be properly cooperative and kind towards the rest of his companions. Or at least try to.

"Ms. White", he said, turning to her, his voice low, almost whispering. "I believe I have been unnecessarily abrupt on our first meeting, for that you have my sincere apologies. You see, bearing the terrible burden of being a psyker, sometimes puts a shadow over my soul and that tends to overspill in my behaviour as well. Going to sleep and waking up from nightmares night after night, hating your very self and wishing that your service to the Emperor will one day cleanse your soul is something that tends to have that effect.

My sole desire apart from serving the Inquisition dilligently on this matter is to cooperate properly and effectively with all of you and thus I was inclined to apologise.

To the matter at hand. So far what is your estimation of our situation? Hopefully this brother Giskard may know more about Mira that could perhaps shed additional light to the situation. I'll follow standard civilian questioning practice, without violence or its threat, unless we discern that he's actively trying to hide something from us that may be of importance. Would you have any suggestions?"

[UncleWolf]

The Mouse lets the psyker speak his piece. "I do not care who or what you are. What I care about, is that you keep it under control." She tells him. "Do that, and we'll get along fine."

After a moment, she pulls out the paper she took and offers it to him. "Don't say anything, just tell me if you see what I see."

[Calimos]

Severus nodded to the adept's words. She had that serious and cold demeanour but she was radiating an aura of professionalism. And that was good.

Then he saw the paper, she handed to him, and read it carefully. At first, he made the common mistake to read it normally and made nothing of it, but then his reading pattern shifted, looking for anything odd or out of place. Ms. White was right. There was a hidden message from Mira in that page, hidden in the distinctly inked letters. And judging from what Nathaniel said about her sending copies of religious books off world via chartist captains, this was probably her covert way of reporting her findings to Inquisitor Valle.

He turned to her, and nodded in affirmation.

[Destro_Yersul]

Taking their leave of Mira's room, the group split up. Lepidus, Samael and the Guardsman from Krieg headed for the stairs, while the Mouse and the Psyker went to find Brother Giskard. After just a moment, both groups were out of sight of the other.

Severus and Mouse:

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Pausing outside the door they had been told was Giskard's, the two spent a moment looking over the paper Mira had been working on. Once it was safely hidden away again, they knocked on the door. It was answered after a moment by a short man wearing a plain white robe. A Ministorum pendant hung from his neck beside a pair of tarnished Imperial dog-tags, and his left shoulder looked oddly bigger than his right. He peered up at them through watery eyes and blinked slowly. "May I help you?"

Explaining the purpose of their visit got them an invitation inside, to a room almost as devoid of ornamentation as Mira's. The shelf, desk and cot were all the same, though Giskard's many candles had been lit, warming the room and filling it with the vague scent of incense. The primary difference was a regicide board sitting half set up on the desk, and the addition of an extra chair. "Tragedy," Giskard said, bidding them to sit on the chairs. He himself took a seat on the bed, resting his hands on his knees. The left was steel, thin cables running up his sleeve from the articulated joints. "It was terrible, for her to be taken like that. The Emperor calls us all back sometime, I suppose, though I do wish hers hadn't been so soon. Tell me, what is it you need to know?"

Lepidus, Samael and Thirtyseven:

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Passing Nathaniel in his office on the way out, the group left the cathedral and walked the short distance around to the side. Back in the streets the wind was whistling around the buildings, and the acolytes were once again made thankful for the cold weather gear with which they had been provided. Passing the end of the building, Samael looked back up at the towering building. He found Mira's window and turned his gaze back to the town, pocking out the building the holes had lined up with. The group approached slowly, the snow crunching beneath their feet as they neared the door to the unit. This one was two levels high and consisted of what appeared to be four seperate dwellings, with the ones on the upper level accessed by a stone staircase leading up to a wooden balcony.

A glance at the numbered plates told them that this was building 53, units 1-4. Unit one was top left, Unit four bottom right. All the doors were closed, though none appeared to have any sort of locking mechanism on them, either because the owners were too poor or because they had nothing to steal.

[LCP]

"Four units," said Samael. "One each, and we can do the last one together. You two take the downstairs pair, and I'll look upstairs, hm?"

[Calimos]

"Tragedy indeed brother Giskard. Mira's death was untimely and unfortunate. And since we are here investigating the circumstances which led to her demise, we were wondering if there were any problems Mira had during her stay here. We heard that you were somewhat closer to her than other members of the clergy in this cathedral and perhaps you could shed some additional light in the case, regarding her activities and uncovering who could have wanted to harm her.

Did she ever mention having problems while preaching to the mine-workers?
Did you ever accompany her in any of her ventures among the workers?
Did you notice any strange individual following her?"


Normal questioning procedures. Agree with the subject and show that you see things from his point of view. Thus a better communication path is established. Then proceed with initial questions. And then throw an off question, to detach the subject's mind from the initial subject and let his concentration lax, ever so slightly, to allow perhaps for an unwanted revelation. Then use the outcome of the seemingly unrelated question to continue the questioning from that point on, utilizing it as necessary.
The words of Interrogator Xanthis echoed in Severus' head, as he aked his questions. His advice on extracting information from non-hostile subjects who are initially presumed to be cooperative, could prove quite useful in this case.

Severus looks at brother Giskard, his face deadly serious and concerned, his eyes resting upon his worn imperial dot-tags and his augmentic hand.

"As a sidenote, and excuse me if i'm obtrusive, have you ever served the Emperor in another capacity than being a member of the Ministorum? Your dog-tags and steel hand wound indicate thus."

Maybe he had served with the Imperial Guard before being assigned in Telleran Prime's Cathedral. And if so, he could prove a considerable asset in their effort to uncover the local cult activity, thought Severus, awaiting his answer

[huyche]

The guardsman carefully glanced around, looking for any signs that they are being observed.

Satisfied, he turned and faced his two companions, giving them an intense stare concealed behind the mask yet very evident, expectant of action on their part.

"Four units," said Samael. "One each, and we can do the last one together. You two take the downstairs pair, and I'll look upstairs, hm?"

Thirtyseven considered it and judged that each man's personal combat power was more than enough for the task at hand.
He nodded slightly and motioned with the end of his weapon to proceed with the suggested course of action. If someone in the squad meets unexpected resistance, he will signal a request for assistance to others.

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After Samael and Lepidus begin moving towards their chosen apartments, Thirtyseven will take one final glance about and enter the dwelling #1.

[UncleWolf]

The Mouse looks around, quiet for a moment as she analyzes the place, mostly looking for loose pages of text.

After looking, she turns back to the man with a slightly apologetic look. "I do not wish to bombard you with more questions, but there are a couple I'd like to ask as well. Did she entrust you with any of her work?" She asks, reaching over towards the Regicide set. She keeps herself from actually touching it though. "And I know it seems quite personal, but necessary to ask. Were you two physical?"

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* post roll count doesn't match database

[goblinpaladin]

Lepidus chewed at his lower lip, glancing between Samael and the burly, silent guardsman. "Yes- fine." We should not be individualised. This is a bad, bad idea.

[Destro_Yersul]

Severus and Mouse:

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"Oh, no, no, nothing like that. Strictly professional." Rocking back slightly on his cot, Giskard gestured to the half-set game board on his desk. "We played regicide, and she was really quite talented. An excellent tactician. Do you play? It's a fascinating game. We talked quite a lot over that board, there..."

Shaking his head, the cleric looked up at them. "I apologise if I digress. Mira never took me along to see the workers, but I wasn't allowed to go out amongst them." Holding up his metal hand, his sleeve slipped back, revealing the pistons and cables snaking up the length of the limb. "They have no access to augmetics. It would have disrupted their work to see mine, or so I was told when I came here. I'm a clerical functionary." The hand whirred as he pointed at the desk. "I handle paperwork. None of Mira's, though. She kept all of her writings close, until they could be distributed to the chartist ships and sent to other worlds. Problems, though... let me think..."

Standing up from the cot, Giskard stepped over to the regicide board and stared down at the pieces. Smiling suddenly, he shifted one of the pieces on the opposite side of the board and tipped over the Emperor on his side. "Yes, there were problems. The group of miners she preached to was always getting smaller, she told me, and there had been increased inspections by the Baron's guards. She wasn't sure where they went, but nobody saw them once they had gone. The Baron's men never turned up anything. People go missing in those mines all the time, but never this frequently. Do you suppose that had something to do with...?"

Leaving the sentence unfinished, he looked over at the two sitting in his room. "And don't worry about any intrusion, I may say. I have few enough people to talk to as it is." Sitting back down himself, he raised his good hand to fumble with the dog-tags.

"Corporal. Fifty-first Brontian Longknives. Can't fire a lasgun with only one arm, and the Guard wasn't about to pay to get me a new one. I joined the Ministorum instead."

Lepidus, Samael and Thirtyseven:

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Splitting up further, the group each took a door. Leaving Unit #1 as the one most likely to be the source of the shot, Samael headed next door to #2 while Thirtyseven and Lepidus took #3 and #4 respectively. Opening their chosen unit, each stepped inside.

Unit #2, Samael:

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A quick check of the inside revealed that this unit had likely not been lived in for some time. The fireplace was empty and cold, old ashes strewn across the floor by wind rattling down the thin stone chimney pipe. The furniture was simple, a low stone table and stone stools, one of which rested on its side. There was only the one room, and if it had ever contained any beds they had vanished along with the last occupant. The only thing of any value left here was the iron pot left upturned in one corner.

Unit #3, Thirtyseven:

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The door swung open to reveal a single-room dwelling, with the light provided by the gap through the door and a small fire crackling in the fireplace. Sitting on stone chairs around a thick slab of a table were three people, two men and a woman, each of them looking at the Krieger as if he was the single most terrifying thing they had ever seen. It was the man who spoke first, rising from his thin looking meal and kneeling respectfully. "Down on your knees, Alicia." he said, looking over at the woman. She followed his example, as did the third, who looked as though he was considerably younger than the man who had spoken first.

Looking up at the guardsman, they appeared to be waiting for instruction.

Unit #4, Lepidus:

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The lone occupant of Unit Four was leaning against the far wall, his eyes closed. Underneath him was an extremely tattered and uncomfortable looking grey blanket, and he opened one eye as Lepidus stepped through his door. The stone table in the center of the single room was cracked, and only one stone chair had been pushed up against it. Closing his eye again, the old man spoke with a curiously rasping voice.

"Yer from th'Baron? Wha' do yer want?"

[goblinpaladin]

Lepidus

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The security enforcer stepped smoothly into the room, carefully watching the sparse contents for any sign of others. He looked at the greybeard and jerked his head to the ground. "You will tell me about yourself. Name. Position. Time you have lived here. What do you know about the others who dwell in this hab-cube?"

[LCP]

Samael

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Abandoned, unlocked. As far as vantage points for an urban sniper went, this was pretty good. Pity it was on the wrong side of the building.

Idly scanning his surroundings, Samael strolled over to the iron pot and turned it over, to see if there was anything interesting underneath. Then, still moving as quietly as a cat, he moved to the wall, pressing his ear against it to see if he could hear anything from the adjacent unit.