[DH1e] The Damocles Contingency (RPG IC)

[A.T.]

Falk:

 

Falk crossed the sign of the aquila, this time not of habit but to aid in concealing his true anger lest he blurt out those things that need not be shared here.

 

"There are no coincidences today Provost, not until this affair is settled."

[Trokair]

Bardas

 

"Tech-Sentry Bardas, you are well aware of the nature of your brethren, and their aggressive stance on sovereignty. We must proceed with more caution there. I will require harder proof of meddling to appease the Fabricator General of Damocles. Or, at least a bigger stick."

 

The little spherical speaker that was his voice issued a hard to define sound, part static part distorted something, then you both realise that it was a chuckle.

 

+Indeed, when we were first convened for this investigation I also cited the Treaty of Olympus Mons. However I know my duty to the Omnissiah and in times like these all faithful must work towards the greater good.+

 

As they got up to head to the cell block to interview their trapped colleagues Bardas turned Provost Haldane and added thoughtfully.

 

+Your bigger stick may well need to be wielded by a higher authority from another system entirely.+

 

As the young Judge reported the fate of Secundus Bardas quietly, almost to himself concluded:

 

+or even Sol.+

[Mazer Rackham]

The Hall of Judgement:

 

Haldane nods, shaking himself free of the mind-shattering connotations of this news. He repays Falk's sign with one of his own. "Then pray, we must see this affair settled quickly."

 

He sets off down the stairs again, a little more push in his step. "Come, see to the prisoners. The morgue is close by as well. Do you wish to inspect the victim?"

[Trokair]

Bardas

 

+With your leave, I will inspect victims, while you interview the detainees.+ Nodding with a gesture of respect.  +Arbitrator Falk, Provost Haldane+

 

+Some directions and a pass would be helpful.+ He added with a hint of contrition after a few steps.

[Mazer Rackham]

The Halls of Judgement:

 

"Follow the yellow line, Sentinel," Haldane gestures to the foot of the wall, just above the metal skirting board, where three lines run in sequence, with the yellow splitting off at the next landing ad carrying onward into clinical white tiles.

 

"Your biometric clearances have been uploaded to the systems whilst you rested. SOP."

 

Haldane carries on downstairs with Falk, to meet the Custodian Judge, who immediately rears to attention. He places his hands on his belt, gripping a single heavy, aurumite link which secures several rings of keys. The link is engraved with repeating Arbites Sigils. At Haldane's indication, he goes to the door and opens it.

 

Through the corridor of glazed green ceramic tiles on the walls, and bare, pale grey plascrete floor, sit a suite of three cells, with windowed apertures. Within, linger your comrades, looking a little worse for wear. Through the glass in Nicios' room, an exercise square is being cleared of ruffians by a couple of Custodians.

 

Bardas:

 

The yellow line beckons to an array of rooms ripe with counterseptic and medicinal autoclave heat. Intellicams track your progress without sounding the alarm, and as you approach the fourth room, the spill of water into a basin greets you. An Adeptus Arbites Medicae turns around from washing his his hands; a small augmetic in his skull replaces one of his eyes, and an augur array hovers on a circlet orbit around the scarlet lens staring from his left socket. His gown is white, but spattered with dried fluids.

 

His features are bronzed, almost swarthy, and he carries the faux-jovial, inscrutable face of an ancient Terrran Cathayan.

 

He dries his hands on a towel, before dropping into a laundry bin, and fixing his smile.

 

"Hail, adept. I am Verispex Surgeon Yshing.  How might I aid you?"

[Lysimachus]

Reynard:

 

Reynard opened his eyes at the sound of more visitors. Falk, and another Arbitrator.

 

Finally.

 

He stood up, walked to the bars. He ignored the prison garb they had put him in. No true Throne Agent would allow such to weaken their authority or bearing.

 

"Well met, Falk. We went to talk to Aldario, just like we agreed. Found our Sororitas friend waiting for us and she helped us get an audience. But it turned out Aldario is a psyker - I suspect maybe even the 'Dark Sister' the Magisters warned you about? The witch jumped Valk… the Prioress… and her guards attacked us. We were holding our own, barely, then the cavalry arrived…" his tone was scathing, "...and for some reason decided to lock us up instead."

 

Reynard looked blackly at the Arbites beside Falk.

 

"I am reliably informed that the witness statement that put us here has now been retracted, officer."

[A.T.]

Falk:

 

Reynards opening words made his position clear, disregarding whatever tact the Absolom had intended by placing them here. Turning to the Provost, "you believed that there was a connection, look again at the man before you". Pausing for barely a moment, "This is one hunted by Kraevus Aldario. Pulll the logs of the public pict announcements made by the Secundus and identify those officers from the 2nd segment appeal that stand at his side, his capture and interrogation of the man Lecriox makes him one of scant few in this hive who would have known the location and importance of the warehouse."

 

He hadn't spotted it at the time and for that he cursed himself, but the governess and secundus both had ties to the mercenaries in this and the doctored footage. Were they and Canthus alligned or was it the blind chasing the blind...

 

"I was personally tasked with delivering him into the service of the Prioress two days ago."

[Mazer Rackham]

The Cellblock:

 

Haldane straightens at Reynard's heat, letting it wash over him whilst Falk reports. "We can pull those logs. It appears we are going to be very busy. I can tell you that none of that came through the Halls of Judgement. The Secundus is doing this on his own. Even with his resources, significant technical competence would be required to omit us entirely."

 

He pauses, before finally turning his head to regard Reynard with a flare of temper. "I might not know the intricacies of your arrest, but the incident report is no secret. If not for the cavalry, as you put it, you would have been splattered all over the pricy wallpaper, and lying next to the Holy Prioress in the morgue."

 

"Custodian! Release these men to Arbitrator Falke's stewardship. You may all use our refectory on level three if you require nourishment. All your equipment is in the sub-armoury on level two. Your...illegal weapons will be surrendered." He looks at Falk.

[Machine God]

Kerr Restal:

 

Things in the Tapioca moved, happened.

 

Sick things, My things.

 

Mis-Feed compounded slipping into dirty puddles

 

Flowers with scarves

 

Friends an obtuse Subject...

 

 

Negligence, the art of a sloppy practice.

 

Awake and observant on an unconscious level he was still aware of his surroundings.

 

 

I love things I see as much as

 

 

They love me.

 

 

His tools had been taken from him, but he was aware that he had been released and he would get his pets back.

 

 

You give me Alibi

 

 

You whet my Appetite!

Edited February 13, 2023 by Machine God
Not yet gone to the Armoury.

[A.T.]

Falk:

 

"Competence perhaps but an indelible mark against his name, even if cleared here the message will still be stored in local databanks and the memories of countless witnesses, perhaps even recorded indirectly be security picts. Evidence enough for the Praefector if he needs it, if your surveillance has been compromised Kraevus must be located with all prejudice."

 

He watched the custodian approach the cell, sparing Reynard a stern glance to hopefully dissuade any further needling of the provost.

 

"Ensure that their release is logged under redacted ident until the Absolom can be informed in person as Kraevus will have access to the records and through him any that are aligned with him in this deception. We can discuss matters of the armoury on the way, I intend to run Greyson and his men to ground the next time we meet."

[Lysimachus]

Reynard:

 

"Just a moment, officer. If you are aware of the 'incident' in Aldario's throne room, then you will already be aware of this, yes?"

 

The Inquisitorial electoo flashed in the gloomy cell. Reynard was sick of playing games with fools getting in the way of the job they'd been given to do. Fools who were apparently blind to obvious facts, and who also didn't actually seem to care about the lives of the simple Hivers that had been taken. In fact, he was getting downright angry.

 

"Your Praefector declared this icon a forgery and us as heretics and traitors. On what basis? I want its authority verified. I would assume that should be a simple task here within a Precinct of the Arbites?"

 

"For if it is a facsimile - which I admit I wondered myself when it was forced upon me a few days ago - my colleagues and I have been utterly duped. In which case, surely your first target should be identifying and hunting down the forgers that engaged our services? For they certainly know more about what is happening on Damocles than any of you seem to!"

 

"If, on the other hand, the electoo I carry is not a fake, then I am exactly what I have said. A representative of the Most Holy Inquisition... one who has risked his life multiple times to save your entire bloody Hive. In which case, I will have some damned respect and cooperation!"

 

"Perhaps you can tell me, what is the charge for ignoring the Inquisitorial Rosette, Provost? Maybe you and your Praefector should be the ones in these cells? Or reassigned to a Penal Legion? Or maybe you want to open this door and go get the items your idiot troopers took from me - clothes, weapons, every single thing down to the last half-Throne - and bring them here immediately, because I will take with me whatever damn weapon I please if I think it will assist me in fulfilling the responsibilities that have been thrust upon me by a higher authority than yours!"

 

He paused, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to slow, cold calmness.

 

"Does that not seem like a logical and reasonable suggestion, officer? If  the electoo is fake, we will all know and you can act towards me accordingly. If it is not, you can do as you are damn well told."

 

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

The Cellblock:

 

"The weight of evidence against Kraevus Aldario does not concern me, Falke, just how he's done it, as you say."

 

The Custodian opens the cell doors and salutes, as Haldane turns to walk back upstairs. "Remain connected to the emergency frequency. I will contact you if we manage to pin any of these bastards down. It is strange, is it not? How the chaos erupted at so significant a moment?"

 

He begins to move towards the stairs when Reynard erupts, and Haldane stands there, staring at the holographic sigil for a very long time, and when he responds his voice is utterly flat.

 

"What co-operation do you want, Acolyte? What do you want us to do?"

Edited February 9, 2023 by Mazer Rackham

[Lord_Ikka]

Nicios

 

"Calm yourself Reynard. The Arbites were simply doing their duty by taking possible assassins into custody."

 

Nicios' voice was conciliatory, but shifted as his gaze moved to the Arbites commander. 

 

"The lack of timely verification of our Inquisitorial remit is troubling however. I trust that it will be concluded quickly, and all of our equipment returned if it is indeed verified. Even if it turns out we were misled, I will be using the authority of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica to investigate and deal with the unsanctioned psyker activity that we have winessed."

 

By the end of his words, Nicios' tone had moved back to the completely bland one of a life-long bureaucrat, though his eyes burned with a fervent ire.

 

[Machine God]

Kerr Restal:

 

Words heard by The Weasel and the Witch and all the Princelings, the Falc!

 

 

He moved upon being released gracefully, coming to a position of height.

 

 

 

My things, My pets

 

 

 

 

He gave a wink to The Weasel

 

 

 

 

My Pretty Things!

 

 

 

 

Kerr Restal showed off his hands, showing everyone about him their mortality!

 

 

 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Machine God
Got rid of Bold

[Mazer Rackham]

The Cellblock:

 

Official meets official as Haldane responds into the tense silence. "It is only troubling to me, Adept. The Praefector has not explained himself to me, and it is not my place to guess against him. My supposition is you're all in secure, singular containment to protect you, and keep you under the radar from enemies who have been haunting you. I have already explained our facilities are open to you, and your possessions are safely stored for retrieval at your convenience."

 

Haldane dons his helmet, his face the barely animated visage of the Imperial Law, the silvered visor slowly rotating until it reflected Reynard's face. "The Praefector Absolom is no fool," he continues, "why else would he have buried you under ridiculous charges, or heeded the nonsense of a drug-addled noble idiot claiming you are false agents? What maniac would claim such a thing? What lunatic would believe it? It was likely the tip-off which precipitated the action."

 

"Plainly, the arrest was likely a sham."

 

He hasn't raised his voice, not once.

 

"Regardless, that is past. I await your orders, Acolyte."

 

Reynard is fairly steamed, and if anyone wants to continue trying to talk him down, it's going to require a Difficult (-10) Fellowship Test (Charm, or Deceive if you have it). Intimidate can be attempted without penalty, but of course, this will be Opposed by Reynard's (fiery!) Willpower.

 

The Arbitrators will follow any directions given after this point, due to your authority.

Edited February 10, 2023 by Mazer Rackham

[Lysimachus]

Reynard:

 

Reynard sighed. The fatigue was getting to him, more than he'd realised. He sat back on the hard cot, nodded in acceptance of Nicios' rebuke and replied tiredly to Haldane's question.

 

"Maybe he should have told us that. I simply want what I have requested, Provost. Verification, one way or the other. Assuming it goes the right way,  our kit returned and you helping us rather than hindering us."

 

"Personally, I've never much cared about the noble-born fools up in their Spires, on any planet, or about your kind and your precious 'laws'. Or, for that matter, about the damn Inquisition and its games. But, as I've already been stuck with the job, I think I'd quite like to stop the people of Primus getting annihilated like those poor bastards in Secundus and Tertius."

 

"Maybe we can agree on that, at least?"

Edited February 11, 2023 by Lysimachus

[Machine God]

Kerr Restal:

 

 

The Wesel was blowing hard against the system as he was won't.

 

Not helping. We need to go forward into the hive to solve the problem, save Damocles!

 

 

Going forward into the night like a stupid child was not on.

 

Remember the Scourge!

 

 

 

[spoiler}FEL 25 (Deceive) -5 (Ill-Omened) -10 (Difficult) =10.

Result: 10, Pass 0DoS[/spoiler}

 

 

 

He went up and shook The Weasel, looked him in the eye and said:

 

 

"Reynard, you have Worth, calm down!"

 

 

"You are the saviour of Hope!"

 

 

Kerr Restal talked like a wee Juve.

 

 

"I'm the Spy, Mister!"

 

[Mazer Rackham]

The Cellblock:

 

Haldane watches Restal's esoteric encouragement without interruption, before once more addressing Reynard, but his shoulders relax a hair.

 

"The Praefector would have a good motive for obfuscation. Orders without explanation are commonplace for many reasons. Your uncertainty is the purview of those who work in the shadows, and as an Intelligencer, I am not unused to that."

 

"With the law it is much simpler," his voice takes on a slightly warmer tone, "it has been broken, or it has been kept."

 

He turns for the stairs, calling over his shoulder as he ascends. "Contact me when you have deliberated on what you want to do."

 

The lawmen leave to your own devices.

Edited February 10, 2023 by Mazer Rackham

[A.T.]

Falk:

 

Falk stood to one side during the exchange, Arbiter not acolyte and best it remained that way to watching eyes for now, "I will see to these demands personally", he nodded to Haldane, "relay these events in person to the Praefector, I will instruct the tech adept to secure a line of communications and escort the acolytes discreetly away from the building".

 

To the Custodian, "any question or attempt to seek these individuals is to be noted and reported to the Provost."

[Mazer Rackham]

The Cellblock:

 

Haldane nods firmly.

 

The Custodian remains at attention, having not wavered from his posture, although he does lick his lips before replying. "Understood, sir."

[Trokair]

Bardas

 

+ Provost Haldane informed me that all the deceased from the incident in the Governor’s audience chamber are here. Please may I see them.+

 

Bardas hoped that his limited medical experience would help him here, he had only gone as it seemed the logical thing for an investigator to do. There was also that nagging sense of dread, the others had travelled up hive, had they been caught up in this. Was he about to see the corpses of the Fox-kin, the Psyker and the Voider?

Edited February 12, 2023 by Trokair

[Lysimachus]

Reynard:

 

Was it this guard? Perhaps. He certainly looked nervous now.

 

"Haldane. With that in mind, one of your men here allowed De Grassi in to see us. That's how I knew the statement had been retracted. He left a few minutes before you and Falk arrived. You might want to look into that."

 

After the Provost left, Reynard looked to Falk.

 

"Did you and Bardas find out anything useful?"

 

 

Spoiler

OOC: As before, I assume that is sufficient without typing it all out for everyone to learn what everyone else knows.

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Just a quick GM note, a short interaction (as noted in Lysi's OOC) is fine here, since the necessary hard work of drawing a lot of the narrative together has been done. We can just carry on with "I know that you know that I know, so now you know, you know?"

 

Now the group is together, you can plan and carry out stuff.

 

You can assume Haldane has heard the note about De Grassi.

Edited February 12, 2023 by Mazer Rackham

[A.T.]

Falk:

 

"Yes Adept, the evidence we uncovered suggests that he was to be wedded to Governor Magda Aldario, but it would seem that her place was long since taken by her sister Helene. She now faces the charge of treason, does De Grassi stand now at her side?"

 

While it was best not to talk of anything too sensitive in a secure area, treason was not a word thrown around lightly. Turning to the custodian, "this visit, was it logged and recorded?"

 

(Falk will fill in other details in an unmonitored location en-route to Bardas and/or the armoury)

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by A.T.

[Mazer Rackham]

The Cellblock:

 

The Custodian responds immediately. "There are picters throughout the suite, sir, and it is mandatory to sign the visitor's log. With your permission, I will fetch it."

Edited February 12, 2023 by Mazer Rackham