IC II: DH The Purity of Sacrifice

[Bennosuke]

Ser Drimmle's eyes go wide for just a moment at Marcella's words. But then every muscle in the man's face appears to clench, his lids closing to create a glare, his lips pulled back to reveal gritted teeth. "My life has already become a living hell," he hisses, the malice in his eyes stoked now when he looks down at his foot for just a moment. Returning his gaze to Marcella's he adds, "Your lot have seen to that."

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

The Psyker maintained her expression, but couldn't help but sigh in resigntaion through her nose. You could bring a horse to water, but you couldn't make it drink.

"Fine. Before we leave I will put you to sleep. It'll be your choice if you wake up or not."

She then closed and opened the fingers of her waiting hand in a 'gimmie' gesture to the signed document.

Should Drimmle hand it over, Marc will move down the stairway towards the guardsman, holding her left hand up as if to halt him from advancing any further. Silently, she placed the signed document on the flat railing, before taking several steps back to allow the mercenary to retrieve and verify the form - in a way that did not put him within arms reach of her.

Looking over at Serellia, Marc pursed her lips.

"Sorry about that whole..." she tapped her temple, offering a half-apologetic shrug, before looking back at the guardsman.

"We all good?"

[Bennosuke]

Without a reply, Ser Drimmle lets go of Marcella's lapel and rips the document out of her hand. He reaches into his pocket with a wince to withdraw a small but ornate pen which he uses to sign the scroll. "I'll still need to provide an official seal and make the electronic transfer," he says gruffly.

When Marcella departs to retrieve the necessary items downstairs the three Star Guard part out of her way. Serellia stares at her coldly and replies, "What? Like it is just business?" She scowls at Marcella, crossing her arms over her chest.

But the older woman grabs the sleeve of Marcella's robe and says, "I believe one of your friends took something that belongs to me. I would like it returned to me before we wash our hands of today." She is of course referring to the shock maul that Father Milo had taken.

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

Uneasy about having to go down the full flight of stairs to a room on the first floor, but trusting her other acolytes to have her back, Marc descended the flight of stairs and peered at the three.

When Marcella departs to retrieve the necessary items downstairs the three Star Guard part out of her way. Serellia stares at her coldly and replies, "What? Like it is just business?" She scowls at Marcella, crossing her arms over her chest.

The Psyker looked back at the woman and offered another half-shrug, "Yeah...", before her body was halted in its trajectory. The older woman, the clear leader of the trio and probably the whole troupe, reached out to hold marc by the sleeve and demand something from her.

Peering about, drawing her face around to stare at the older woman with a flat, unimpressed expression, Marcella fed a sliver of her mind through the channel she had established when she had scanned the area earlier.

'Touch me again, and you will spend the rest of your life as a drooling imbecile...' her mental voice forked into the back of the older womans head, as Marc yanked her arm free, her eyes peering at the Star Guard leader with an eerie, empty gaze that seemed to be considering something beyond flesh and tissue.

But, she did look up and over at Arl with a 'can you get it from Milo?' look on her face, along with an accompanying shrug.

Turning around, Marc moved off into the room directed by Drimmle to retrieve his seal and electronic transfer. Once she had found them, she brought them back, ascended the stairs and returned them to the downed noble.

"Here," she said simply, holding both out for him like a child who had dutifully retrieved an item at a parents request.

[Bennosuke]

The old woman makes no show of offense or surprise when Marcella wrenches her arm free, and says nothing in reply. She keeps a steady glare on the psyker as she passes, her lips pulled thin in a scowl.

(OOC: Will let Arl and Milo play that one out I guess)

By the time Marcella returns with the necessary equipment, it is clear that the three Star Guard are very uncomfortable. All eyes follow the psyker back up the stairs to Ser Drimmle. When Marcella presses the requested items into his hands, Ser Drimmle accepts them. But before making any attempt to heat wax or perform his duty, Ser Drimmle says firmly, "You promise," to Marcella. Then he deftly goes about completing the transaction. Placing the data slate on the floor, Ser Drimmle clutches the wax-sealed document with one hand, and the candle he had used to heat the wax with the other; the tip of the parchment dangerously close to the flickering red tongue of flame. To Marcella he repeats himself, "You promised. Now! Do it now, or I will burn this scroll."

Halfway up the stairs, The Guardsman shouts, "Do it! Do whatever he asks!" The man is red in the face, tight muscles bulging in his massive neck.

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

Marcella mostly ignored the Star Guard's dirty looks, giving them just side-eye treatment as she returned and ascended the stairs.

When Drimmle finally drew himself close to signing the document, he then made his ultimatum demand. Exhaling softly, pursing her lips, "I promise that I will put you to sleep before we leave. If you want to wake up or not, will be up to you," she repeated, only now adding the crucial 'I promise' element.

[Wyndeward]

Arl leaned back against the wall, next to the door, staring at the bizarre tableau.

"You'd think he'd have learned by now."

[Haval]

Orla will give Marcella a brief questioning look at her threat but is otherwise distracted. She certainly won't object.

She will grimace at the mention of the Shock Maul as it's not hard to anticipate where that's going. 'I take it something like that isn't the sort of thing you can just pick up for cheap from a local arms dealer?' Perhaps she could suggest them some names.

[bramblefoot]

milo will consider for a second, eyeballing the star guards weapons and armor this might be worth a pretty penny, but then again, i dont wanna end up in the boneyard

he'll toss the shock staff over, and say not a word

[Bennosuke]

The Guardsman moves up the stairs to meet Milo and retrieve the shock maul. He gives the Father a hard glare but says nothing.

[Haval]

Orla will let out a careful breath as Milo handed over the maul. To Milo, 'You know, you can get most things if you know the right people. Assuming you have the thrones.'

[rax]

Hound observes the scene in silence. The thought crosses his mind that he could just blow the deranged banker's brains out, but given the mess Drimmle has already made of the whole deal, he decides to let Marcella deal with the matter. Besides, if Drimmle does make good on his threat, he can always shoot him then.

[bramblefoot]

Orla will let out a careful breath as Milo handed over the maul. To Milo, 'You know, you can get most things if you know the right people. Assuming you have the thrones.'

milo stares icily at the guardsmans retreating back "there are many ways to acquire things" he says to orla "one is to buy, the others are beg borrow, requisition or steal from corpses" he cracks a small mirthless grin "im not the spire brat i once was. ive learned how to do stuff that my younger self would gawk at"

[Bennosuke]

When Drimmle finally drew himself close to signing the document, he then made his ultimatum demand. Exhaling softly, pursing her lips, "I promise that I will put you to sleep before we leave. If you want to wake up or not, will be up to you," she repeated, only now adding the crucial 'I promise' element.

Ser Drimmle's hands begin to tremble, causing the flaming tongue of the candle to waver dangerously close to the scroll. The sound of the man's teeth grinding echoes softly in the cavernous balcony. His cold eyes study Marcella's for along moment, and then with a deep exhale, Ser Drimmle drops the candle away, his neck collapsing to bow his head; chin touching chest. He pushes the scroll into Marcella's hands and says, "Just, when this is done, just kill me." Anyone who gets down low enough to see up into Ser Drimmle's face can see the soft stream of tears creating a shine across his cheeks.

The Star Guard watch with curiosity, the guardsman seeming particularly tense over the whole affair. He marches to the top of the stairs, and with gun ready says, "Give it to me. Give me the scroll!"

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

The psyker watched with a not unsympathetic eye as Drimmle handed over the scroll, along with a re-iteration of his request that she terminate his life at the end of this deliberation.

The Star Guard watch with curiosity, the guardsman seeming particularly tense over the whole affair. He marches to the top of the stairs, and with gun ready says, "Give it to me. Give me the scroll!"

Resisting the urge to snap at the man, Marc drew herself up to standing at her full, though shorter height, before turning to face the Star Guard and extending her gloved hand forward to offer the scroll. As she stood up, Marc visibly flinched slightly and inhaled through her teeth as a stinging pain jabbed across her chest from the two burned pock-marks where two las-pistol beams had struck her earlier, creased from her movement.

"Now go. And a reminder that all recordings of this affair on your servers are to be wiped."

Marc then moved her eyes down to look at the older woman below.

"I'll know if you haven't..."

[Haval]

milo stares icily at the guardsmans retreating back "there are many ways to acquire things" he says to orla "one is to buy, the others are beg borrow, requisition or steal from corpses" he cracks a small mirthless grin "im not the spire brat i once was. ive learned how to do stuff that my younger self would gawk at"

Orla shrugged, 'I get it. But if you can find an easier way to get what you want.' Orla pauses to think of something expensive, 'Whatever that stick costs it's not like it's a spaceship is it.'

[Bennosuke]

The Ex-Guardsman snatches the scroll from Marcella's hand greedily, almost tearing the parchment in his haste. With his other hand, he still keeps one of his pistols raised. He starts backing up, to the top of the stairwell, and grins at Marcella's remark. "Sorry mam', but we never agreed to that," he says with a chuckle, "and we couldn't even if we wanted to. Above my paygrade." He makes sure to keep the the pistol drawn on Marcella, and standing where he is ahead of the rest of his group, it would be impossible to keep a weapon trained on him and the others. It would even be impossible to pivot the heavy bolter around without taking it off its brace, to bear on him. Still grinning he says, "And don't you go thinking about any of your witch powers. Look, I don't know who you all are, and I don't want to. If you want to access our database of security footage, you'll have to take it up our office. Ain't nothing we can help you with."

Unless anyone stops them, the Star Guard will attempt to leave, keeping their weapons trained on the Acolytes as they back down the stairs and out of the building.

[Wyndeward]

The Ex-Guardsman snatches the scroll from Marcella's hand greedily, almost tearing the parchment in his haste. With his other hand, he still keeps one of his pistols raised. He starts backing up, to the top of the stairwell, and grins at Marcella's remark. "Sorry mam', but we never agreed to that," he says with a chuckle, "and we couldn't even if we wanted to. Above my paygrade." He makes sure to keep the the pistol drawn on Marcella, and standing where he is ahead of the rest of his group, it would be impossible to keep a weapon trained on him and the others. It would even be impossible to pivot the heavy bolter around without taking it off its brace, to bear on him. Still grinning he says, "And don't you go thinking about any of your witch powers. Look, I don't know who you all are, and I don't want to. If you want to access our database of security footage, you'll have to take it up our office. Ain't nothing we can help you with."

Unless anyone stops them, the Star Guard will attempt to leave, keeping their weapons trained on the Acolytes as they back down the stairs and out of the building.

Arl clears his throat from his position by the entrance behind the security folks, his stub automatic at full extension, aiming for the ex-Guardsman's head.

"First, at least point the pistol in another direction... it is *rude* to point. Second, *IF* we have to come down to the home office, your won't like it, you supervisor won't like it... hell, the folks who actually own the business won't like it."

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

Marcella listened to what Arl said and nodded once he finished, her soft voice drifting down from the second story.

"I don't understand your recalcitrance. The big, big guy?" she held her hand up a couple of feed above her head - Trask.

"And the woman he was with?"

"Employment of and association with mutants is heresy. The authorities will purge your entire company and its whole pay-role, including you three. And the only evidence connecting you to them, is sitting on the databases in your headquarters, and you want to keep it...?"

Marcella allowed a pregnant pause to linger in the air for a moment, before shrugging with visible confusion.

"Sounds stupid, but, okay."

[bramblefoot]

milo cracks a grin "hey if you wanna be liquidated by the big boys, be my guest. ill pour out a dram for you at the pyre" he chuckles mirthlessly

[Bennosuke]

Arl clears his throat from his position by the entrance behind the security folks, his stub automatic at full extension, aiming for the ex-Guardsman's head.

"First, at least point the pistol in another direction... it is *rude* to point. Second, *IF* we have to come down to the home office, your won't like it, you supervisor won't like it... hell, the folks who actually own the business won't like it."

Neither the Ex-Guardsman nor his companion seem phased by Arl. The guardsman even chuckles and replies, "Honestly, that's not my problem." He keeps his weapons ready.

Marcella listened to what Arl said and nodded once he finished, her soft voice drifting down from the second story.

"I don't understand your recalcitrance. The big, big guy?" she held her hand up a couple of feed above her head - Trask.

"And the woman he was with?"

"Employment of and association with mutants is heresy. The authorities will purge your entire company and its whole pay-role, including you three. And the only evidence connecting you to them, is sitting on the databases in your headquarters, and you want to keep it...?"

Marcella allowed a pregnant pause to linger in the air for a moment, before shrugging with visible confusion.

"Sounds stupid, but, okay."

By now the group have backed up all the way down the stairs. Again, it is the Guardsman who speaks, "It hasn't been a problem so far. I think you're confusin' the grunts for the generals. And ain't that the pot calling the klag black, Wytch?" He chuckles again, but goes so far to stop to spit on the ground. Yellow mucous splats against the cream marble floor.

milo cracks a grin "hey if you wanna be liquidated by the big boys, be my guest. ill pour out a dram for you at the pyre" he chuckles mirthlessly

"Be my guest," but this time it is the old woman who calls back, as the three are slipping out the front door, leaving he acolytes inside.

Upstairs, Ser Drimmle crawls on his knees to Marcella, his teeth clenched, a noise escaping him like a deflating zeppelin. He grabs the tail of her robes and says, "Now. Like you promised. Please let this all just end." The man's grey hair has gone wild, his face still slick with tears.

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

By now the group have backed up all the way down the stairs. Again, it is the Guardsman who speaks, "It hasn't been a problem so far. I think you're confusin' the grunts for the generals. And ain't that the pot calling the klag black, Wytch?" He chuckles again, but goes so far to stop to spit on the ground. Yellow mucous splats against the cream marble floor.

The Psyker, for a moment, looked visibly sad, before exhaling, smiling politely and nodding.

"Well in that case...I'll be seeing you again, real soon."

Upstairs, Ser Drimmle crawls on his knees to Marcella, his teeth clenched, a noise escaping him like a deflating zeppelin. He grabs the tail of her robes and says, "Now. Like you promised. Please let this all just end." The man's grey hair has gone wild, his face still slick with tears.

Looking down at the man near her, Marcella spoke with the gentleness of a nurse in a hospice, "soon. We'll verify those documents, ask any questions and then I'll put you to sleep."

[bramblefoot]

milo puts his hand on marcellas shoulder "close your heart to it" he intones "men must die, so man endures" he'll continue with "its natural some recdivists will not see the emperors light. do not mourn them, for they were forever lost"

[Haval]

After the Star Guard leave Orla looks deeply irritated. To the others, 'Remind me again why we had to stand here and listen to that rather then say ****ing off out the back before they arrived. Normally I don't like violent *******s like that knowing what I look like.'

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

Marc looked over at Milo when the man spoke, but before she could answer it was Orla who posed a question.

"Our business here is not yet finished," she replied, "and the Star Guard willingly employ and associate with mutants. They've got bigger problems coming their way."

[Haval]

Marcella

Marc looked over at Milo when the man spoke, but before she could answer it was Orla who posed a question.

"Our business here is not yet finished," she replied, "and the Star Guard willingly employ and associate with mutants. They've got bigger problems coming their way."

Orla will grumpily mutter something about feeling like there was a time and a place for that but won't comment further. Obviously the Inquisition gave you a certain amount of confidence in yourself.

[Wyndeward]

After the Star Guard leave Orla looks deeply irritated. To the others, 'Remind me again why we had to stand here and listen to that rather then say ****ing off out the back before they arrived. Normally I don't like violent *******s like that knowing what I look like.'

Arl closes the door behind the Star Guard, the air of mocking politeness disappearing as the door closes with an audible click.

"In the grand scheme of things, this was barely a skirmish. You don't waste time on prey that is neither edible or creditable... The former guardsman doesn't realize it, but if he has caught anything, it is a cave bear that he thinks is toothless... if he makes to interfere in our business, he will find he cannot hope to succeed. Don't think like a scavenger, Orla. We're hunters and hunters chase worthy game, not idiots who don't know how far in over their heads they happen to be. They are like rats in a cage, they just don't know it."

[BananaPhone]

Marcella

Looking over at Hound, Marcella spoke, "O is right though. Asking Ser Drimmle any questions about the documents that need answering might be best done so we can leave...."

The Psyker then looked over at the door where the Star Guards departed, before looking back at Hound. "I think I know the best way to deal with them. While you finalize things with Drimmle, I'll call Arbitor Godwyn and tell them about the Star Guards employment of mutants. She and the arbitrators will raid their headquarters and confiscate evidence, including the pict recording databases, and she can hand over todays recording to us, while she gets a shiny medal and promotion for uncovering heresy and corruption in the heart of private security within the Spire. Most of the company and staff will be liquidated, including those three. Should I make the call?"


If Hound approves:

Spoiler

Show

Marc entered the comms number given to the group by the Inquisitor in that initial meeting in what seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Greetings Arbitrator Godwyn..." Marc's soft voice would come over those comms, while her features would have been obscured.

"I am Inquisitorial Acolyte M. Your forwarding of the planetary enforcers interrogation of Clan Raptore member Ria has set in motion an investigation that has been pursued extensively, and has revealed that your concerns were well-founded. The Inquisition, the Imperium and the populace of this spire owe you a debt of gratitude for your thoroughness, ma'am. However, we need to call upon the duty of your unit once again.

The Star Guards. Have you heard of them? We have encountered their agents in the field, and they have, disturbingly, associated with and employed mutants within their ranks, and have done so knowingly. When questioned, they revealed that they have been doing this for some time, and are satisfied with their doing so because they have not been caught. These crimes of heresy are in addition to their obstruction of our investigation. We need you and your arbitrator unit to raid their headquarters and initiate liquidation processes for bodily heresy. Enter, arrest, detain and purge. Seize whatever evidence you can. One pict-recording in particular is of interest, its creation was today, and it should still be within their databases.

Two mutants that we know of that were in their employ were male humanoid known as Trask, and a humanoid female void-born called Shriek. We have their employee identifications and can forward you the information."

[bramblefoot]

milo nods "make the call. they had their chance, and i can laugh at them as they burn" he takes a small slug off of his flask, and will grin "they can run, but they cant hide from the long arm of the inquisition"

[Haval]

Arl closes the door behind the Star Guard, the air of mocking politeness disappearing as the door closes with an audible click.

"In the grand scheme of things, this was barely a skirmish. You don't waste time on prey that is neither edible or creditable... The former guardsman doesn't realize it, but if he has caught anything, it is a cave bear that he thinks is toothless... if he makes to interfere in our business, he will find he cannot hope to succeed. Don't think like a scavenger, Orla. We're hunters and hunters chase worthy game, not idiots who don't know how far in over their heads they happen to be. They are like rats in a cage, they just don't know it."

'Then I probably should get more guns.'

" Should I make the call?"

'You can make the Arbitrators do whatever you want? Sure, sounds fun.'