Imperator Non Inridetur

[qechua]

Akadia followed Gaius down into the basement, noting his slow pace as he descended. She hoped he would at least try to get some rest tonight, although given what he had been through during the day, that might be difficult. Walking over to the interrogation group, she looks at the man sat down. Pulling a small box over and sitting down on it beside him, she spoke barely loud enough to be heard by the Arbites and the strange feral woman who surrounded them.

"We are not that different, you and I. We both have our pre-conceptions about each other and I'd hazard a guess that they are both wrong. First impressions have a habit of doing that, jading a view of someone to a single crucial moments of interaction. My first impression of you is that you are a man who was quite happy to kill many innocent people to prove a point, and you presumably think I'm some kind of Arbite attachment with some specialist knowledge or tactic. While I can't prove to you the latter isn't true, you didn't fight or run when the Arbitors came to the dock. This wasn't some random act of violence, this was a deliberate act, one which you helped with despite knowing the consequences, because you believe the act justified the outcome. That outcome is why I think we are not so different, since I think we are here doing the things we do because of a single dead man. A man named Hastus vel Doren the fourth, whose death I've been investigating at the request of his family back on Quaddis."

Giving a slight pause, Akadia leaned in closer, lowering her voice further to the point where she hoped the others couldn't hear it clearly.

"Personally, I'd like to be done with this station, it's only a matter of time before I catch a bullet from some trigger happy Arbite or starve because of some Mechanicus nutjob who thinks food is an optional extra for humans. Unfortunately, this whole thing is more complex than a simple rubber stamp of Industrial Accident. I need solid answers that I can take to the family, answers which might actually affect a real change on this station given their power. I think you are the kind of man who has some of those answers, and I'd like to talk to without having these, erm, minders watching over us."

Spoiler: Roll ze dice

Show

Try for a Charm (1d100)[39] against base Charm of 36

[LeSwordfish]

Waiting until Tern's friend had left him, and with one eye always on the lookout for Lars, Annie beckoned the young man over.

"You saw 'im, then?"

She pulled a crumpled picture of Quint out of her briefing documents and held it up to him. "Did 'e look like this? Afore 'e went all oogly?"

[runestone]

Absentmindedly, Gaius watches the cloth fiber waving in the air currents, and it takes him a moment to realize the significance of what he sees. When it finally sinks in, he reaches for his hammer, and calls out softly to his allies above "Could one of you come down here for moment, I need a hand."

Then he opens the box to make sure that it doesn't hide any surprises and proceeds to investigate the air vent above, stacking boxes to reach the ceiling.

[ArcturusV]

Haka smiled, seeing that the robed man, and the Arbiter girl seemed to have a Good Arbiter Bad Enforcer thing going at the moment. A ploy that even a feral worlder knew the general nature of. One scares a beast, the other treats it, and it goes right into the trap you want.

She stood slowly and made her way to the basement as the Holy Roller called out for help, gesturing discretely for Rookie Red Shirt Kal to come along with them. She descended the steps to see the Priest stacking up boxes, ashamed that her night adjusted eyes apparently missed such an obvious sign that even the half dead on his feet bone tired priest spotted it over her.

She went to help stabilize the boxes, or catch Gaius if he took a spill off of 'em as he looked into the vent. She didn't say anything, not wanting to ruin his hearing or draw his attention away from what might be a vital clue.

[Vexing]

Spoiler: Weyland's Gate, The Frisky Felid

Show

Basement
The opened box revealed nothing more than another torn fiber, but any disappointment from such a small clue was bound to evaporate at their next discovery. Peering into the vent from atop his makeshift ladder, Gaius could all but feel the guiding hand of the Emperor gentle pushing him on. A torn rag lay in the far back of the shaft prior to an L-shaped turn, and beyond that...pale fingertips, lying barely in view of the priest's straining, swimming vision. Despite the noise of the boxes, the digits remained utterly still.

The next few minutes were a frenzy of activity; Kal, Haka, and the weary priest soon wrenched the vent cover from out of its sockets and finagled a way to push the more slender of the trio (Gaius, unfortunately) into the cramped opening. The attempt took several minutes, but soon cold flesh is in the hiver's grasp and the truth becomes readily apparent as the body is dragged out after him.

The man is dead, body lying limply where it was set on the floor. His shoulder is a bright crimson bloom amongst the forest of rags and flowing bandages he's wrapped himself in; underneath, he wears a common laborer's jerkin and work breeches, as well as thick-soled boots. The man's face is an impassive death mask, strikingly calm. It's as if he simply chose to go to sleep until the pain would disappear. Kal is speechless with excitement, trading wide-eyed glances with Gaius and Haka as he checks the terrorist's (missing) pulse. "...Here the whole time. Emperor, sir, but you have the best of luck! Interrogator! We've got him!"

Barroom
"...I'll answer some questions if the damned witch gets off my back. Can you do that much?" Sweating visibly in barely contained fear, Arreus focuses his gaze entirely on Akadia, hoping to stir some pity. "Don't know if I've got any answers for you."

The split second prior to another backhanded slap about to land on Arreus' bony cheek, an excited voice echoes from below. "Interrogator! We've got him!" Pausing mid-swing, the woman glances over to the basement entrance and begins to stride towards the stairs. "Ask him anything you like. He's going to rot for this either way", she remarked offhandedly, perhaps purposefully ensuring that the tied man could hear her every word.

Spoiler: Platform Trifectus, Shuttle Docks

Show

The disturbed Tern shrank back from Quint's grainy, mono-chromatic visage; it might even have been comical, if the boy didn't seem about to piss himself in genuine terror. "Y-Yes! That's him, but I swear I already told the Arbites everything! I went to fetch them the moment we saw him use his sorcery, and they took care of him!" Hopelessly staring at the deck plating, his shoes, the fringes of Annie's coat, anything but at the woman's eyes, he mutters and whines piteously under his breath. "They caught him and took his body to be...spaced, I think, at the death-shrine. God-Emperor save and protect us, I hope so!! The daemon must return to the void, far from our home."

[LeSwordfish]

"It's alright!" Annie said, placatory. "I just knew the bloke, way back when. Ta, though. Now, scram."

She returned to her sitting and musing, and briefly wondered if she should pray. She didn't know any prayers, though, not for the dead, so she took a moment to remember Quint, before shrugging and returning to scanning the crowd.

[qechua]

Watching the Arbite leave the room and head down stairs, Akadia turned back to Arreus and looked into his eyes. Something in her clicked that she could trust him. She couldn't explain it, even to herself, it was simply that feeling she'd not felt for some time. She stood, moved around to his front and lowered herself down to a squat, balancing precariously on her toes. She moved her head forward, feeling her feet working overtime to hold her balance, and after checking once more the Arbite was gone, spoke with a near whisper.

"If you want to escape, I'm not exactly in a position to stop you. You aren't tied to the chair, what's left of that door certainly isn't going to impede you and the only reason not to run just left the room. All I ask is that you make it look convincing that you overpowered me, and all I want to know is what this whole plan leads to. Presuming Hastus was a spark of discontent, why are you doing this, what do you hope to gain and what are the next steps?"

Desparately fighting the urge to stand up and better prepare for getting hit in the head, Akadia was pretty sure whe wasn't going to like what came next. All she hoped was that it would be worth it, and that her instinct to trust him hadn't led her astray.

[runestone]

Grateful that he had brought his glow globe with him into the confined space above the storage room, Gaius takes a moment to search the body and the surrounding area before dragging it back to the others. By Haka's description, the man had been alive and reasonably well a little earlier, so what had killed him in such a short amount of time? Was it his wounds or something else?

Trying to turn to get a better view of his surroundings, Gaius freezes as his hand accidentally brushes against the small metal tube in his pocket, the one he had taken from the unfortunate spy. Gaius was certain that the spy had know what was coming when he saw the bandaged man. He had known that his allies would see him dead rather than captive. Perhaps they had actually expected him to take his own life, using violence only when he failed to live up to some strange pact. Perhaps the tube was filled with poison. Perhaps the bandaged man was more true to his ideals than the other one had been. If so, there might be similar container somewhere near the body. Gaius' eyes dart about in the weak light from the glow globe, searching for anything the bandaged man might have hidden before he died.

Who were these people? Giving your life for the greater good, for the glory of the Emperor, there could be nothing more blissful, nothing more glorious. But this? Sabotaging the food supply and throwing bombs at crowds, how can they believe that the Emperor condones such behavior? He sits still for a while, alone with the corpse and lost in thought until he remembers that the others are expecting him below.

It's not easy to drag a corpse, especially not under these circumstances, and Gaius's brow is cowered in sweat by the time he manages to get the body back to the opening.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Gaius will search the area around the body, looking for a container similar to the one he found on jacket guy and checking whether the bomber might had stashed something in the air vents before he died.

Search/awareness (not sure which is appropriate, PER 40, trained awareness, fatigued): (1d100)[82]

Considering the time span, I think it's a little early for the body to be cold, but I'm thinking that's artistic license rather than a clue.

[ArcturusV]

As Gaius started to pull the body back, Haka was there to pick up the slack on the other end. Using her strength and leverage to help reel in Gaius like a hooked Puba, and with him the corpse that he was bringing of Bandage Man, helping to drag and lower the corpse to the floor as needed when he finally appeared, nice and careful like to preserve the 'kill' of the Priest... or whatever had happened.

It wouldn't take Haka too long to recognize the corpse. She had helped track him after the brawl. Had given him a rather nasty shot to the arm during the brawl. And that was the first place that she looked on the corpse, studying where she had shot him earlier as she knelt next to the body. Did the shot kill him through a loss of vital spirits? It wasn't unheard of. A good possibility to rule out if nothing else.

"Likely the other voice I heard. Hard to say now. But whoever had been here, arrived recently, not 5 minutes before we came here Kal. The Voice was identified as an injured man, too injured to go to a 'meeting'." She pointed out the wound, "Where I shot him during the brawl, as he tried to gun down one of the God-Emperor's Shepherds, one like yourself," she added. "Likely will match the bandage I gave The Shepherds after the brawl, as a means to help track him. Unlikely Vulture Man upstairs did this directly, but possible."

She frowned a bit, pondering something of her own. "Vulture man had strange meat..." After all, there was no 'grox' on her world, it was strange to her. She had no reason to question it, after all the various people she had seen among the stars ate lots of weird stuff. But she wondered how twisted the man was. If the 'grox' wasn't a corpse to be disposed of. If the next 'grox' was going to be this man.

Spoiler: Mechanics!

Show

There's no real rules for Cause of Death that I can find. It is probably Medicae, which is an Advanced skill I don't have...

.... BUUUUUUUT... I do have Rite of Passage, which considering it deals with Blood Loss and such, means I should at least be aware of/know the dangers of even relatively small wounds left untreated to bleed out. And might understand that as it's applied to people before "Oh, Feral Hunter Jim got sliced and he seemed fine. Got right up and kept fighting... then he died 20 minutes later. All his blood drained out". Well, ideas, theories.

If it applies? Would probably be an Int Test as that's what Rite of Passage is:

(1d100)[10] vs 31 Intelligence, and conditional modifiers as appropriate. This is all spitballing here anyway.

[Vexing]

Spoiler: Weyland's Gate, The Frisky Felid

Show

Basement
With his head reeling from a lack of sleep, food, and the day's long exertions, the only reason Gaius failed to miss the vial in the dead man's palm was because it rolled from his limp grasp as the body was pulled. Slender and opaque, matte-grey metal, a perfect twin to the one in his pocket--there was a faint smudge of wax stuck to the side of the open top, and a few grains of harshly white powder remaining in the tube. As the tube was too tight to allow a more invasive search of the Bandaged Man, he had to be dragged into the basement proper for a closer look.

With the aid of excitable Kal and the dour Haka, one little wonder after another was produced from the corpse. Two more crude looking nail bombs were removed from his back pockets and promptly confiscated by Kal ("critical evidence", he hissed); yet another handmade firearm with a handful of bullets; a knife that clearly has a mono-edge, as it slices through the edge of the dead man's cloak effortlessly; three thin metal strips that, according to Kal, are cognomens; and finally, a small leather bag containing a scant few Thrones in silvered square bits. Other than these and the patchwork cloak and clothing, the only thing that turned up was the expected arrow charm tucked beneath his bloodstained jerkin.

Clanging boots on the stairway behind the trio announced the Interrogator's arrival, and her hiss of irritation seemed to chill the room by a few more degrees. "Damn. Dead lawbreakers are harder to make talk", she fumes, clapping a hand on Kal's shoulder. "Show me what all you've turned up. The others should be here any moment now; after you've reported, go secure the perimeter with them."

As the Arbite opened his mouth to respond, a metallic crash echoed from above. Footsteps pounded on the deck plating for several seconds, growing fainter, a scream echoed...and two faraway gunshots rang out clearly.

Barroom
Shivering with adrenaline and fear, Arreus hovers between his only two choices, the internal struggle clear on his face. For a single heart-stopping moment, the Interrogator turns to look over her shoulder, as if reconsidering her decision to leave Akadia alone with the suspect. But, in the end, she descends the stairway into the storage locker.

Finally sparked by the Arbite's absence, Arreus lunged forward, face mere centimeters from Akadia's inquisitive expression. "The Martyr sparked revolution--not dissent. We're freeing the Emperor's faithful." The man's eyes were wide, flecks of his spittle landing on her cheeks from proximity. "The truth lies on Station CED-7; the arrows point the way to the Martyr.

"I'm so sorry, gel. The Emperor Protects."

It almost made up for the sudden smashing of his magnacles over her temple, and the kick to her solar plexus as he made his break for the door. Almost.

Curled up on the floor in agony, Akadia was only dimly aware of other sounds pushing against the noise of her own panting and the blood rushing in her ears. Distant shouts, a scream, and two definitive gunshots. The Arbites had arrived right on time, it seemed, and Arreus paid the price.

Spoiler: Platform Trifectus, Shuttle Docks

Show

'The crowd' proved to be singularly boring, as before, without even the momentary distraction of another Tern-like fearmonger. It had almost been a half hour by Terran standard before she noticed a brown-cloaked figure sitting on the floor next to her, back against the nearby wall. When her gaze tracked over to him, a bony, ink-stained finger sketched a crude arrow in the air. It had to be Lars; despite the voluminous cloak, what little she could make out of the build suggested it was the same scribe. That, and his treating their rendezvous like a scene out of a bad Inquisition Penthrift Dreadful all but confirmed it was him.

When she moved closer, the adept whispered quietly enough to cause her strain in the listening. "You showed up. I hope you do not falter; if you intend to follow me, everything will change for you, and your 'task'. I await some friends; they shouldn't be long."

[LeSwordfish]

"If this is some kind of trap..." Annie began, and then clicked her fingers. Too fast for the eye to track, her pistol was in her hand, hidden by her body from the bulk of the crowds. "You won't get out of it neither, savvy?"

She spun the pistol around her finger and sheathed it.

[Vexing]

Spoiler: Platform Trifectus, Shuttle Docks

Show

"I have no reason to trap you. You're coming willingly, after all; you're skilled, you posses knowledge, and you seem willing to learn. I'm not hoping to kill you, scummer; I pray that you will be converted, that the divine agency of our cause will resonate within your breast as it does mine, and that you will see our movement for what it is--a crusade."

[ArcturusV]

Haka pokes the Dead Man a little, feeling his chilled body. Far too chill. What did the Vulture Man call it? "Freezer Burn"?

It still bothered her. She wondered what this man would taste like with an application of Fire, but figured that the Arbiters at the very least wouldn't like her testing that theory. Still, had to mention it.

"The man here cooked strange meat. I thought there was no more meat here. The hunting and gathering slim on this place. People disappear. Strange meat appears. Cold damaged like this man..."

Why mention it? Maybe reports of the "cultist" being a Cannibal Chef would help sway things. Maybe it was another charge to tack onto this cult that would prompt the arbiters to take it seriously. Maybe it would release her to openly hunt HERESY in the name of the God-Emperor here? After all, criminal conspirators were one thing... Cannibals were HERESY on a whole different level...

Her head snapped up when she heard the noise upstairs. Not running to check at first, not wanting to startle the Arbiters, but looking to them for a sign that no one would freak out if she ran off.

[runestone]

Back in the storage room, Gaius starts unwrapping the dead man's bandages, curious to see what they might be hiding and wondering whether the skin underneath will be as unnaturally cold as the man's hands, but he has hardly begun, when the sounds alert him to the struggle above. Without thinking or waiting for the others, he rushes headlong up the stairs, desperately hoping that the heretics haven't claimed the life of another of his companions.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Gaius will rush to Akadia's side once he is up there, but I'm stopping here to give qechua a chance to describe Akadia's injuries and reaction.

[qechua]

For what seemed like an eternity, Akadia lay motionless on the floor, her head separated from the cold metal plates by her hands which had apparently interjected themselves by instincts she didn't know worked that fast. She couldn't think, her head filled with a mass of unconcious thought brought on by the assault. The scene was almost peaceful, and was only interrupted by the pair of gunshots and smashing of boot-on-floor which heralded the approach and arrival of at least 1 person from downstairs. The sound near deafened her, and prompted her to at least try to get herself upright so she could make sure she was safe. Sluggishly rolling herself over and lifting herself up, Akadia found herself on all fours, staring straight at the floor where her head had just been. She couldn't see any blood, although she wasn't sure how much any of her senses could be trusted. The throbbing pain in her head was being rapidly supplemented by her inability to breathe any more than a handful of air without her entire abdomen protesting. Jsut as she began to reach for the chair where Arreus had been sat, her right arm buckled under the stress of her weight, and she fell, rolling herself automatically to lay on her back. She lay still once more, staring at the ceiling as the sound of her laboured breathing resonated through her ears, and the back of her head felt the movement of what seemed like every inhabitant of the station rattle through the floor.

[runestone]

Fearing the worst. Gaius rushes to Akadia's side and kneels on the dirty floor. "Don't worry, you're safe. I think they got him. I'll go check."

Gaius makes his way to the door, but it soon becomes clear that nothing can be done to save the barkeep who has been shot outside. With a sigh, he returns to the bar and finds an unmarked bottle and a reasonably clean glass which he brings back to Akadia. "I wish I could offer you something better." He sits down on the floor besides Akadia, offering her a glass. "We found the bomber in the vents downstairs. He's dead. It looks like he took poison to avoid capture. That's why Kal called the interrogator down there, but what was she thinking leaving you alone like that? He could have killed you! Now both heretics are dead and we have nothing."

Spoiler: OoC

Show

I took the liberty of assuming that Gaius can see Arreus' body from the door to keep things moving.

[qechua]

Akadia lay still as Gaius came the first time, her head still swimming as he said something before running off. Returning a few moments later, she still couldn't rightly understand what he was saying, but after being offered some water (or certainly, what looked like water) she figured out the important part. Slowly heaving herself back onto her elbows, she paused, took a deep breath, and finished the colossal task of sitting upright, gravity causing her to hunch forward slightly. It had only been a minute or two since hitting the floor, but her lung capacity was already slowly returning, albeit under protest. Managing to hold herself along side Gaius, she took the glass and had a small sip before placing the glass on the ground. Placing her hand on the temple which had recieved the blow, she winced as she contacted it, but was relieved to see only a small-ish streak of blood on her palm. Certainly nothing life threatening, the sight of blood acted to focus her mind again, and she turned to Gaius, his face still showing concern for her.

"Thanks for the concern, I think I'm alright, although I'm not sure I'll think that tomorrow morning." Taking a breath, her lungs still not working as they should, she continued "We haven't got nothing, but I can't talk here, they'll ruin everything." Another brief pause as Akadia moved to change the conversation "Is there a chair around somewhere? This floor isn't exactly the most comfortable."

[runestone]

Gaius draws up a chair, and offers a hand to support Akadia. "It doesn't look so bad, I think you're going to be all right."

[Vexing]

Spoiler: Weyland's Gate, The Frisky Felid

Show

Gradually, things begin to settle in. The two rookie Arbites who caught sight of the unfortunate Arreus enter the Felid to check on Akadia, offering what aid they can in getting her into a chair and examining her bruises. Mere minutes pass before a full squad has the area well and truly locked down; the body of the late barkeep is covered in a tarp and cordoned off; the Interrogator and the luckless Kal assist in bringing the body of the bomber to the ground floor, leaving it lying limp on one of the tables; by the time Investigator Yosuun arrives, tired looking and irritated, the vast majority of the groundwork has been finished. The rest of the squad not holding the perimeter is slowly going over the establishment with a fine-toothed comb, leaving the Acolytes to their own devices. At first, the older officer's eyes light with pleasure as he realizes the identity of one of the bodies. However...

After hearing the initial reports from both Kal and the Interrogator, Yosuun scowls darkly. "It's against protocol to leave the side of a prisoner, for any reason. Unacceptable; a corpse can't provide us with any further information directly." Wilting only slightly under his ire, the woman nods and straightens her shoulders as he continues. "When we finish up here, I'll submit a report for official disciplinary action, and likewise have a B3-N sent to Scintilla. I expect you to comport yourself with the dignity and sense of purpose appropriate to the Arbites. You're an officer of the Lex, not a simple bloodhound or hunter-for-hire. I trust I'm understood."

"Sir!"

Turning slowly to regard Kal, who shrank from the Investigator's gaze noticeably, he took a more contemplative tone. "I'm...reasonably impressed with your performance, Junior Officer Kal. Given your earlier violation of bunking protocol, this reflects surprisingly well on your ability to follow orders and assess the situation. Your current punishment may well be revised; I'm sure you wouldn't object to sleeping in the barracks again. I'll be watching you."

"As for you three," Yosuun added in a clipped tone, his expansive gesture sweeping Haka, Gaius, and Akadia into the conversation, "I don't like it when the same faces continue to crop up again and again. Twice may be coincidence, but three times is conspiracy. For you two at least", index finger selecting the priest and the adept, "I'm going to require a report in full. Your death cult associate is likewise under suspicion, if only for the obvious reasons." White teeth flashing in an unexpected grin, the older man folded his arms behind his back sharply. "To that end, I'm going to kill two Grox with one bolt. If you intend to be helpful, then you most certainly will do so!"

"Even a junior priest still commands respect, presumably. You, boy, will take your laborer companion and the warrior-woman and report to Platform Trifectus with both of these bodies. No delays. There's a mortuary shrine there tended to by one of your own, and I would be interested in what she has to say about these two bodies. An autopsy may well reveal what sort of poison was used, and while I don't recognize the bomber's face...perhaps a further identification of his cognomen using the funerary-cogitator will turn up something more concrete. Once you receive your report, return to me on the Gate--no excuses."

"As added insurance, I'll send Officers Henai and Key to accompany you." An eyebrow lifted as he regarded the room, the two named officers ceasing their part in the search and standing to attention. "...And Junior Officer Kal. I expect them to keep you safe, especially from yourselves. Key witnesses often choose to wander off at the most inappropriate times. You will take the last shuttle bound for Trifectus, and impress upon its operator the necessity of your return trip regardless of the hour."

"Any objections?" His hand, as if by accident, came to rest gently on the handle of his shock maul as he finished his speech. Kal looked like someone had just walked over his grave.

Spoiler: Platform Trifectus, Shuttle Docks

Show

Over the next half hour, Annie and her zealous guide were joined by a motley crew of laborers, men and women ranging from simple tradesmen, repair-operators, and the ubiquitous vat-workers. Careful to stay spaced apart in small groups from Lars and the gunslinger, the only clue to their allegiance was the arrow charms they wore and the slight nods of recognition from the seated Adept. By the time the last straggler arrived, a great bear of a man answering to 'Garret', the assemblage had grown to almost a full score. Standing slowly, Lars placed a hand on Annie's shoulder and whispered: "Follow me, closely. Do as I do." Releasing her and trotting into one of the entrance tunnels, he never looked behind to ensure that she was following. Like migrating birds, the smaller groups fell in behind the two at respectable distances, never completely out of sight.

The twisted paths that Lars trod would easily have been overlooked by a casual observer. Dead ends between hab blocks were revealed to have loose plates leading into narrow halls, access grates were lifted at times only to be replaced by the last in line. It might remind Annie of her crawling trek through the hidden space from Hastus' hab; the whole of the trip seemed to take place in a hidden world of hissing pipes, flickering glow-globes, and rusted metal arteries pushing stale air into the more populated sections of the station. Occasionally, a ratty dwelling chiseled into the wall would slip into view. More rarely, another pilgrim would creep out from a duct or side passage to join the group wordlessly, accepted without suspicion. Those in tow seemed as if they'd taken the journey a thousand times before, muttering to each other casually as they marched. Descending into Trifectus, the atmosphere grew ever hotter and far more still, the solid thrumming of vital engines pulsing at bone depth in each body.

Only one event stood out due to its unearthly weirdness. At a small chasm created by a ruptured line of plating, dropping deep into the dark, a lone servitor loped along on some forgotten assignment. With a welding torch replacing its right arm and long blades all along the left, its skeletal framework lunging near the group in the poor lighting might remind one uncomfortably of old stories of demons inhabiting the true underworld of hives and great cities alike, where no mortal foot had trod for centuries. Red eyes peering through the gloom and sizing up the group, its bladed arm twitching slightly, it appeared as if the pilgrimage might be at an early end. Lars, however, simply closed his eyes and made the sign of the Aquila, taking a few nervous steps forward toward the beast.

And his faith was rewarded. The servitor's eyes flickered gently, as its head shuddered and jerked in a all-too-human mockery of confusion. Passing it slowly, Lars gently dropped his hands and gestured for the rest to follow him. The mechanical beast simply crouched, its tics continuing as scores of feet passed it by. With the passage of the last worker, it whirred gently, straightened, and rushed back off to its task. The chasm was forded in due time by a handmade gantry overlooked by an arrow-charm toting sentry, who clasped Lars forearm in welcome. Immediately beyond it, through an ancient airlock door, lay their destination: a massive chamber stretched before Annie, its ribbed ceiling reminiscent of a planetbound cathedral. The harsh tang of ozone filled her lungs even as a deep vibration from the floor beneath her rattled her teeth. With the unbearable heat, it was clear that they were somewhere near one of the platform's fusion cores. Streaming from other entrances, more Arrow-Cultists filed into the space, assembling in the center around a small platform lovingly constructed of scrap metal. Red warning panels and yellow hazard strips continually flashed, warning of the twin dangers of Rads and Coolant Expulsion, providing precious little light to see by.

"Wish you'd stayed behind?", Lars murmured, removing his hood. "The Speaker will arrive soon."

[LeSwordfish]

"Am I secret guest or honored visitor or main course?" Annie asked, taking in the crowd. Against any situation she couldn't fight, she got edgy, and here was a particularly nasty one. She found herself dearly wishing she had an arrow charm of her own, especially after how the servitor had reacted, and to make herself feel better she crossed her arms over her chest, feeling the butts of her pistols through the unfamiliar material of the jacket.

[runestone]

Gaius greets the Invesitgator with the Aquila and a bow "Ave Imperator. I live to serve, and I am happy to help in any way I can."

"I have a request, Investigator. Or two, actually. I have been ordered by Father Scharff to tend the shrine here on the Gate. Twice now, I've neglected that duty by leaving my post, and I ask that you post someone to watch over the shrine while I'm gone." He looks down, and involuntarily wets his lips at the thought of the people who died in the riot. "The ... the man I tried to apprehend earlier today was watching the shrine, and his companions might return." Pulling himself together, Gaius continues. "The Father also ordered me to report to him on Primus at the end of the cycle, and I would be grateful if he could be informed that I've been delayed. He must have heard about the riot by now, and assume he is expecting a report as soon as possible."

Spoiler: OoC

Show

I'm ready to be moved along. Gaius is going to give in and take a nap on the shuttle unless something interesting happens.

[qechua]

Akadia sat patiently as Yosuun enacted his great plan, her head panicing slightly as Yosuun mentioned they were headed to Trifectus on the last shuttle. She couldn't risk being seen with the Arbites lest Lars saw her and assumed the worst. She needed an excuse, but was unlikely to get one out of Yosuun. Despite not being an Arbite, Akadia figured that this was an order, and not following that order would end up with incarceration. After Yosuun finished, Akadia responded, holding her tongue as best she could

"No objections, but given my condition, could I get a proper bandage for my head and some kind of walking support? I'm not exactly as tough as you guys and I don't want to slow you down."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

If the Arbites have already administered some kind of bandage, then disregard that request

[ArcturusV]

No one had deigned to try to disarm her yet, or slap those shiny restraints on her either. Haka took it as a good sign, if nothing else, as the Arbiters went through their thing. Poisons, bodies, reprimands, some string of characters that had no meaning to her being sent to some figure she likewise didn't know. What she did understand, was that they were being told to go somewhere with some people. And that the Chief Shepherd there was going to thump them if they said anything else.

It wasn't the most endearing invite to a hunt that she had ever had. Then again, her belly was full, blood had been spilled recently, the Emperor's work done, and the Shepherds seemed to have things wrapping up. It put her in a good mood, and put a little smile on her face, her body shifting her weight onto her right foot. Never moving towards her weapons even as the guy made his little "or else..." gesture.

"Three times," she corrected the Head Shepherd when he asked for objections. She gestured towards the dead "bomber", "I shot him in defense of a Shepherd during the fight. The wound was less than lethal, designed to stop him, rather than kill. However he executed the Shepherd anyway. Then I brought you the bandage man's mark. Then found his hiding spot. That is three times, not two."

And as long as the Chief Shepherd was here, she also added, "I heard Vulture Man and Dead Man talking, is why I signaled for the Shepherds," she gestured to the Barkeep and the Bomber in term, then to Kal. "Vulture Man said they were leaving by Ship, not Shuttle. There is a meeting happening. Dead Man was of minor importance to it. They were planning on fleeing after 'lights out', and skipping the meeting. When I went to signal you all, Dead Man seemed alive, and planning on escape."

Information dump done. If the Shepherds were going to keep her sidelined, they damned well better be able to do the job themselves. Plus the Fancy Robed Priest seemed to be suggesting it was time to dump information.

That done, she quickly kneeled and flashed the Aquila, with a practiced ease that suggested it was ritualistic for her. With a simplistic, probably not what was intended, movement she grabbed the left leg of Vulture Man in her right hand, and the right leg of Dead Man in her left, and got ready to drag the Kills to whatever Trophy Maker they were being sent to.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

And that's a good to go for me as well.

[Vexing]

Spoiler: Weylands Gate, The Frisky Felid

Show

Yosuun digested the information slowly, hand reaching back up to run along his neatly trimmed beard in contemplation. "Troubling. That's more than we had to go on, at first. Did the happen to let anything about this meeting's location slip? And if they intended to leave in a voidship..." His eyes narrowed, the faint spark of suspicion lighting in their depths. "Never mind. If you had heard more, you'd share it." He traded looks with the Interrogator before turning back to Gaius and Akadia. With a wave of his hand, he gently dismissed both of their concerns. "Schaff can come talk with me about it if he's got his rosary in a twist", and then to follow his casual blasphemy with callousness, "and you're just bruised, Miss. If you feel like you'll pitch over, lean on Kal; if you can't walk, of course, I'd be more than happy to provide a space for you in our offices."

His gaze settled on the void-born clerk. "Well? Assuming there are no further objections, hop to it. Time is precious. I'm going to roust the rest of the officers on the Gate and establish contact with our fellows on the three primary stations. These new leads may just be the break we need. You're dismissed."

Spoiler: Platform Trifectus

Show

Spoiler: Mortuarium

Show

The three Arbites quickly rushed the Acolytes from the Felid, as the Investigator began to rally his forces. The officers holding the perimeter looked at the group almost pityingly as the bodies were carried past. The trip passed in a wearying blur; the shuttle was effectively commandeered by the presence of the Arbites and the corpses, the wide-eyed pilot easily impressed with the importance of your errand. The few laborers present were corralled off-board, not that they'd been overly anxious to share space with such gruesome cargo. Arriving at Trifectus, the pilot was sworn to service, silence, and patience; with him waiting on your return, deck plating is pounded earnestly towards the Mortuarium. None move to bar your path along the emptied alleys and inside the cramped access tunnels, and before long, the faux-stone of the death-shrine's doors hover in view. A guard servitor calmly looks the officers over through incense haze as they quickly push their way inside the entrance, the candlelight and cold air causing more than a few shivers. Fanning out, Kal was left behind to watch the door as the bodies were taken in the room immediately on the left--wherein a familiar figure in disheveled Ecclesiarchy robes was asleep face-down on one of four metal tables, perched uncomfortably on a stool in her slumber. Two of the remaining three tables already have corpses, one of them an unfamiliar hab-worker, and the other...Quint, skin pale and throat bearing an ugly slash like a leering mouth. Something seems slightly distasteful about the psyker's limp form, enough to provoke crawling skin and faint nausea. A inactive servo-skull sits alongside Anna.

Peering around slowly, the two Arbites traded looks, and then turned towards Gaius. It was his jurisdiction, ever so technically.

Spoiler: Meeting Chamber

Show

"At best? You are uninitiated. How you choose to respond to the truth of our mission will answer the rest of your question. Or whether you may leave at all." Lars mouth twists in disgust at her last comment. "We're not cannibals, hiver. Behave yourself."

As if on cue, the low rumble of the crowd immediately silenced itself. The hush spread over the assembled people like a slow wave, even as a small path was opened directly to its center. A hooded figure and two attendants, who had seemingly materialized from one of the many entrances, slowly plodded along the path. A great many laborers reached out to touch the sleeves or train of the center figure's long cloak in reverence. When the trio finally reached the podium, the middle figure gestured with a voluminous sleeve for its two guards to take positions flanking the metal stand, even as it climbed above the crowd.

Her hood was thrown back--and it was a woman, pale of skin and hair, another station native--with all the drama appropriate to such a clandestine meeting. Her eyes swept across the room, her chin dipping slowly in an approving nod. "Sisters! Brothers! Your faith is evident by the dangers and trials you have braved to meet with us here, in the very hour of our most dire need." She paused, as if mentally preparing herself or allowing a moment for the crowd to compose themselves.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I don't figure that Annie will necessarily interrupt or draw attention to herself, but I didn't want to launch into the speech without giving you an opportunity to respond to Lars or ready/prepare an action. Just let me know if I can carry on.

[LeSwordfish]

Annie tapped her microbead quickly- it seemed that Akadia wouldn't be joining them, annoyingly. "Oi. Anyone listening?"

As the speaker ascended the podium, Annie settled in to listen to them talk, biting back a retort to Lars.

OOC: Aside from checking the microbeads now others are on the same station, nothing. No readied actions- In a crowd this big, things have to be pretty bad for Annie to start shooting.

[qechua]

The trip to Trifectus had been uneventful, and had allowed Akadia's mind to slow again. The long day of study and stress had severely sapped her strength, and her recent incident certainly hadn't helped matters. She remained concious and alert, but during the trip from Waylands Gate she had found herself thinking more and more about the comfortable seats and beds she had been able to make use of before this whole business. Before she knew it, they had docked at Trifectus, and Akadia was relieved to not see Annie, Lars or any kind of waiting crowd. At least their little funeral precession wouldn't endanger any cover stories they had spun. After this, the walk to their destination turned into a drudge.

Her arrival at the Mortuarium made efforts to wake her again, but the cool air and the dull slabs and metal did little to stimulate her mind. That changed on seeing Quint, Akadia's eyes widening as she took a sharp breath, her ribs reminding her that she was still hurt. As with Tirantine, she had not been particularly close to Quint, but numbers didn't lie. Two of their party were dead, a third arrested and a fourth presumably in the hornets nest of conspirators and cultists. For their efforts, they'd gotten a bit of information and some death cultist (whom Akadia was keeping distance from). She let out a small sigh, the rest lost in the cold air, and joined the Arbites in looking to Gaius for direction.

[runestone]

In spite of the unpleasant thought of the infinite emptiness outside the shuttle, Gaius had nodded off on the ride. Not that it had done him much good, and his feet still felt impossibly heavy as the strange funerary procession made its way to the Mortuarium.

Seeing Quint lying dead on the slab, Gaius shivers involuntarily. Not because it's Quint. Not because another of his allies has died. Not because of the ghastly wound. No, it's something else. In fact, his mind can't seem to connect the body to the old man he had parted with in the Shrine. It's strange how different a person can seem in death. Strange how the shell is instantly recognizable as empty. Strange how something undefinably seems to linger in the eyes of this one. Finally, he pulls his eyes away from the inexplicably fascinating and repulsive corpse only to notice that the others seem to be waiting for him. He straightens up, and takes a step forward, making the aquila towards the sleeping Anna."Novice Tragger, we bring two deceased enemies of the Emperor. Investigator Yosuun wants then examined immediately, and we are here to assist. One of them seems to have taken poison."

Guessing that the two arbiters would rather be anywhere but here, Gaius turns to them, attempting to take command of the situation. "Thank you for escorting us safely to this holy place. The coming investigations are delicate, and it is important that the Novice isn't distracted unduly, so we need as few people in the room as possible, but recruit Kal was present when the body of the bomber was recovered, and I'm sure Novice Tragger will want to know what he saw. Could you please relieve him and send him in here?"

[ArcturusV]

Haka had been working as the "pack mule" as needed, hauling the corpses, and seemingly quite ill at ease as they entered the Moratorium. It wasn't just the shuttle ride, or yet more tunnels full of metal, or even the presence of dead bodies. If anything on the ride over she had seemed more than comfortable with the dead bodies, part and parcel of who and what she was it seemed. On the ride over she had even been playing with her knife, wondering if the Shepherds would let her properly dedicate the dead to the Emperor on the shuttle.

But in this place, she seemed clearly uneasy as they walked through the fake stone tunnels, and came to the small workspace of the Holy Hooker. She recognized Quint momentarily, though that was all that happened. No response to it, no outward recognition. A quick kill, judging from the wound across the neck. Possible a sacrifice for failure? Could be. It wasn't like people such as her did not take their own lives in such a manner when failing magnificently before the Emperor.

She made herself ready to plop up the bodies where they needed to go, hulking out as she was likely the strongest one here. The people on the station always seemed to be frail of muscle. She wondered idly at how they survived events with such weakness.

[Vexing]

Spoiler: Mortuarium

Show

Even as officer Henai offered to stand in for Kal and left the chamber, every member of the cell with a functioning microbead heard it crackle into electric life: "Oi...ne listening?" While the signal might be charitably described as choppy, there was a signal. Evidently, Annie was not too far from their current location, or else had gotten hold of a signal booster somewhere amongst the stations. In the background of the transmission, behind surges of static, a great congregation could be faintly heard.

Unaware of the drama playing out over arcane transmission waves, Anna Trager slowly stirred, lifting her head off of her arms and blinking sleepily at the group. Her eyes were red and the skin around them puffy, including the shadows underneath. She may well have fallen asleep...crying? Even as she started, jerking herself to wakefulness, the servo-skull alongside her gently switched on and bobbed up a few inches on its grav-impeller, attentive and ready to serve.

"Who...Gaius?" Her suddenly frightened gaze flicked over the priest and his comrades, hardly noticing Kal as he slipped into the room just behind Akadia. Immediately, she dropped to her knees and put her face to the deck-plating, sobbing out breathless apologies and snatches of prayer. "I could do nothing for him! The arbites brought him in like this! Please, I don't want to die!"

She had clearly missed the group's opening statement, but her reaction was strange enough in itself to bear further question. The girl was absolutely terrified.

Spoiler: Meeting Chamber

Show

"For too long have we slaved here in the darkness, far beyond the gentle warmth of the Emperor's loving eyes. Ours is a sacred task! We gather and refine, render and package--it is thanks to us that the long grasp of our Master on Terra reaches through the inky space between the stars, and that the loyal sons and daughters of his Navy can ply their trade." The speaker's stern face looks over the crowd, as if reaching out to forge a personal connection with every soul present. "But our labor is stifled! Our blood, sweat, and straining backs struggle in vain, for no victory can be won if our laborers starve! The Mechanicus cares not for your souls, nor for their sacred duty! The station is a curiosity to them, the refining and shipping of plasma a mere annoyance! We are worked to death and our spirits rest uneasily--who here has not heard the murmuring of lost loved ones and forgotten friends, whispering to you after lights out? Who among us can say that Mechanicus truly performs their duties when your children cry with empty bellies and your elderly are tossed to the void, unblessed and unshriven?"

"These blasphemies carry the highest cost! Even now, the Emperor's displeasure can be felt. Ancient machines fail and shudder; several platforms have already suffered failure in their machine spirits, lost to the gravity of the very world we harvest. Today on this station, even, a witch wantonly murdered one of our fellows and was only halted from further sorcery by the swift action of our allies in the Adeptus Arbites--it is unfortunate that so few of them heed our sacred call to revolution. And how does the Mechanicus respond to these troubles? They ignore them, and curl inward like a shrinking vat-tuber, preoccupied with knowledge and technology rightly forbidden and fortunately lost! The Staff holds their hearts, and their duty is forgotten!"

"Perverse injustices and outbreaks of damnable Warp Sorcery are only the beginning should we fail to act!" Throwing her arms wide, her voice cracked in her frenzy to be heard. The speaker clearly believed every word, as did all those gathered (Annie excluded?). "We can no longer wait and gather our strength! For every voice we add to our own, the food dwindles and dead eyes of the AdMech draw ever closer to us. They fear that their strength will be broken here, that they will no longer be able to shirk their Emperor-given tasks..."

"Are they right to fear, my sisters, my brothers?!" The resounding shouts and cries filled the chamber with desperate echoes, the crowd rapidly being worked into a mob. "The martyring of your fellows, of the blessed Hastus vel Doren--friend of the common folk--will not go unpunished! Spread the word! Gather your weapons and your cells, prepare yourselves. We will bring justice to Primus by the next cycle, or die in the attempt!" The cheering grows to almost unbearable levels as she lowers her head, perhaps basking in their emotional support, before raising her hands in the Aquila. The crowd quiets at the sign, reverent. "Pray with me, for victory. The Emperor Protects."

The next several minutes are a litany of prayers lead by the speaker, and once they are concluded, she steps down from the podium without another word. One by one, women and men from the crowd take to the podium and share the preparations and manpower they are prepared to coordinate and contribute--homemade firearms constructed off-duty or in forgotten manufactories, stolen laspistols, charge packs cobbled together from glowglobes and lumens. The large man named Garret even takes to the stand, fervently imploring the assembly to prepare firebombs and charms in preparation for a 'demonic assault' that an elderly pilgrim had warned him of; a great many illegal stills are promised to the endeavor before he rejoins the crowd.

As the line of speakers dwindles and the crowd slowly begins to disperse into small groups, Lars reaches out to touch Annie's arm. "Come with me." He strode across to the speaker and her two attendants, keeping his fingertips just inside the crook of the ganger's arm to lead her.

[LeSwordfish]

Surrounded by near-hostile faces, Annie forced herself to show none of the distaste she was feeling. She wouldn't have taken on the Skitarii with the best gunslingers in the infernis backing her up- and these idiots were planning on armed revolution with pop-guns and butter-knives. This was going to be a bloodbath. This was going to be chaos, and almost all of the men and women in this room were going to die.

She moved ahead of Lars as he pulled her- practicality suggested it would be best to be accompanied by Lars as he approached the speaker, but she was damned if she'd be lead by the arm like a society dame at a ball. She did continue clicking her microbead, though- if Primus was about to become a slaughterhouse, her allies would have to know.

How do you stop revolutions mid-flow? Most of her experience was in causing them.