# Forum > Play-by-Post Games > Ongoing Games (In-Character) >  Sea of Stars - IC III

## Destro_Yersul

*Sea of Stars
+++Episode 8 - Continued+++*
OOC Thread

"Full of brilliant observations," Etula deadpanned. "Yes, I'd love for the rumourmongering to stop." 

Then she frowned, eyeing Macharius suspiciously. "More to you than meets the eye though, I wager. They've been indiscriminate, whoever it is. Now they could be doing that to throw off suspicion, but if suspicion's the goal, that wouldn't make sense. It also wouldn't make sense if eliminating political opponents is the goal. As many of them have been Uncle's allies as not. It's probably not politics, which makes my position a lot more complicated, now doesn't it?"

Etula sighed, and slowly started pacing. "All right, fine. Now I'm frakking intrigued, you interfering bastards. If not politics, what could they want? The targets are seemingly random, the only constant is that they don't hit the palace, where security is much tighter. The only person I've seen that's been even close to as paranoid about security as Uncle is our dear hostess this evening. The guards are one thing, the security systems she's put into this place must have cost a fortune or two. She's always been a bit funny about dying though, she's put it off about as long as she can with rejuvenats, so it's on brand. Bad location for the ancestral estate to sit, right now."

Suddenly, she stopped walking. "What if it's access? The palace is out on the end of that huge bridge, at the top of a rock spire. Sure, there's elevators, and smaller bridges, but everything's watched constantly. There's no way to approach without being seen unless you can fly. The Stalker's got wings, we've all been assuming they can fly, but nobody has heard anything as loud as a jump pack, grav generators are too big.. maybe they're for gliding."

*Spoiler: Anika Only*
Show

The Kindjal heiress promised to pass on Anika's regards, and moved away through the crowd. Left to her own devices for the moment, Anika had time to look around at the artwork. There were a lot of portraits, mostly of women. The Kindjals through the ages didn't seem to possess a strong family resemblance, but there were things here and there that certainly reminded her of Hannabel. It could have just been because she was looking for it, of course. Hannabel had claimed no relations, which would be unusual if she didn't expect there to be something, right? Anika came away from the experience with an appreciation for the skill of the Kindjal's chosen portrait artists, but no concrete evidence of anything.


*Spoiler: Ravia Only*
Show

The gold standard for human augmentation was, of course, the Astartes, but without access to the process that made them, and starting with the sad lot of criminals she'd had pulled from Scintilla's prisons, she wasn't likely to get close to that. Not yet. They'd been treated poorly enough in prison that the general health level wasn't good, but Ravia was able to pick out a few of the more robust specimens with ease, and to assign the rest of her test subjects an enhanced nutrition regimen that would at least see them restored to regular levels of functionality before too long. 

The simplest enhancements would be the addition of some vat muscle. The medicae decks were equipped to produce that as medical replacements, given enough base materials. Growing a sufficient quantity would, of course, take time. In the meantime, she knew of a number of interesting substances which could enhance combat performance. Perhaps a modification of the Lostok Augmentation Process? Easy enough to do, and it removed the need to source or build injector implants. Could she perhaps stimulate bone growth? The main material required was calcium, plenty of that to be had. Or... no, best to stay simple, for now.

((OOC: Pick one to start with. Bone density, combat drug glands, or vat muscle))

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## Haval

> "Full of brilliant observations," Etula deadpanned.


'Don't get me started.' Anika replies still grinning. 'For instance, I would say that it would be better for everyone if the Stalker turned out to be human, but I'm not going to rule out the possibility that it isn't. The Ordos don't seem to be involved with the investigation yet but it would explain a lot.'




> Etula sighed, and slowly started pacing. "All right, fine. Now I'm frakking intrigued, you interfering bastards. If not politics, what could they want? The targets are seemingly random, the only constant is that they don't hit the palace, where security is much tighter. The only person I've seen that's been even close to as paranoid about security as Uncle is our dear hostess this evening. The guards are one thing, the security systems she's put into this place must have cost a fortune or two. She's always been a bit funny about dying though, she's put it off about as long as she can with rejuvenats, so it's on brand. Bad location for the ancestral estate to sit, right now."


'About our hostess. Have you met her? It's not a name I remember from my childhood. I might as well be honest in admitting that we came here tonight to speak to you as much as for the party.'




> Suddenly, she stopped walking. "What if it's access? The palace is out on the end of that huge bridge, at the top of a rock spire. Sure, there's elevators, and smaller bridges, but everything's watched constantly. There's no way to approach without being seen unless you can fly. The Stalker's got wings, we've all been assuming they can fly, but nobody has heard anything as loud as a jump pack, grav generators are too big.. maybe they're for gliding."


Anika takes that on board, 'Seems an easy way to fall to your death if you don't know what you're doing. There used to be a trend for bored highborn children to visit the lower levels of the Hive to amuse themselves. What are the chances that someone's been throwing themselves off the Spire in the same spirit?'

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## Destro_Yersul

> 'Don't get me started.' Anika replies still grinning. 'For instance, I would say that it would be better for everyone if the Stalker turned out to be human, but I'm not going to rule out the possibility that it isn't. The Ordos don't seem to be involved with the investigation yet but it would explain a lot.'


"Always been partial to Occam's Razor," Etula said. "Simplest is best. Is there any reason to suspect the Stalker isn't human? Until there is, assume it's not."




> 'About our hostess. Have you met her? It's not a name I remember from my childhood. I might as well be honest in admitting that we came here tonight to speak to you as much as for the party.'


"I've met Lady Kindjal once or twice, but I don't know her well. She's been around forever."




> Anika takes that on board, 'Seems an easy way to fall to your death if you don't know what you're doing. There used to be a trend for bored highborn children to visit the lower levels of the Hive to amuse themselves. What are the chances that someone's been throwing themselves off the Spire in the same spirit?'


"Stalker seems to know what they're doing. Bored highborn children have taken up trying to hunt them, with limited success, so idiots finding inventive ways to get themselves killed is still a thing."

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## Leon

*Spoiler: Destro*
Show



++Not point having this fail due to structural weakness, we need a solid foundation to build from++

Bone density enhancements ahoy

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## Haval

Anika waves away the Occam's Razor comment, 'You're probably right, but it couldn't hurt to be prepared.' 

On Lady Kindjal, 'Then you've spent more time around her then I have. I've heard that she's a bit of a recluse these days. How did she strike you as a person? Someone who has been around that long might be interesting to talk to.'

For the rest, 'I suppose we could talk to those sort of people at some point, but I don't expect them to manage any better then the commissariat has. Where do the young highborn hang out these days?'

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## PotatoGolem

> *Sea of Stars
> +++Episode 8 - Continued+++*
> OOC Thread
> 
> "Full of brilliant observations," Etula deadpanned. "Yes, I'd love for the rumourmongering to stop." 
> 
> Then she frowned, eyeing Macharius suspiciously. "More to you than meets the eye though, I wager. They've been indiscriminate, whoever it is. Now they could be doing that to throw off suspicion, but if suspicion's the goal, that wouldn't make sense. It also wouldn't make sense if eliminating political opponents is the goal. As many of them have been Uncle's allies as not. It's probably not politics, which makes my position a lot more complicated, now doesn't it?"
> 
> Etula sighed, and slowly started pacing. "All right, fine. Now I'm frakking intrigued, you interfering bastards. If not politics, what could they want? The targets are seemingly random, the only constant is that they don't hit the palace, where security is much tighter. The only person I've seen that's been even close to as paranoid about security as Uncle is our dear hostess this evening. The guards are one thing, the security systems she's put into this place must have cost a fortune or two. She's always been a bit funny about dying though, she's put it off about as long as she can with rejuvenats, so it's on brand. Bad location for the ancestral estate to sit, right now."
> ...


Macharius grins roguishly. More than a foppish dilettante mostly concerned with showing off to other fops, you mean? Perhaps I haven't survived the Expanse purely based on luck, hoho!

He continues talking in that same bright tone, smiling widely, looking for all the world like he's merely spinning idle tales or engaging in polite flirting, though keeping his voice low enough to be just indistinct out of their little group. Not random, I don't think. The Stalker has been getting better over time. Quicker, cleaner, more surgical. Without the blood and gore you'd expect if this was a pleasure killer. What if they're looking for something? I agree that they may well be human, but wayward humans have an unfortunate tendency to serve darker masters. Were any of the victims known or rumored to have any sort of... collections? Officially, of course, no one has xenos or heretical artifacts, but in my experience such collectors are rather common among the bored and wealthy. 

He roars with laughter again, plucking a pastry off the table.

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## Haval

> He continues talking in that same bright tone, smiling widely, looking for all the world like he's merely spinning idle tales or engaging in polite flirting, though keeping his voice low enough to be just indistinct out of their little group. Not random, I don't think. The Stalker has been getting better over time. Quicker, cleaner, more surgical. Without the blood and gore you'd expect if this was a pleasure killer. What if they're looking for something? I agree that they may well be human, but wayward humans have an unfortunate tendency to serve darker masters. Were any of the victims known or rumored to have any sort of... collections? Officially, of course, no one has xenos or heretical artifacts, but in my experience such collectors are rather common among the bored and wealthy.


'I admit I hadn't even considered that. If anyone in the families of the victims had that sort of reputation then it shouldn't be that hard to find out.' Anika will look into that when she's out of the party.

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## Destro_Yersul

> On Lady Kindjal, 'Then you've spent more time around her then I have. I've heard that she's a bit of a recluse these days. How did she strike you as a person? Someone who has been around that long might be interesting to talk to.'


"Driven, if you wanted me to pick a good word. I'm not about to speak ill of her," Etula said. Not here, being the implication. It wasn't exactly a private setting, for all that Macharius' prevarications were working to disguise their activities. "She gets what she wants. She's still giving audiences here and there, but I think she's realised there's only so far you can stretch a lifetime."




> For the rest, 'I suppose we could talk to those sort of people at some point, but I don't expect them to manage any better then the commissariat has. Where do the young highborn hang out these days?'


Etula blew off the question. "Underfoot, mostly. I wouldn't bother. Half of them are so inbred they can't tell their arse from an Ogryn."




> Macharius grins roguishly. More than a foppish dilettante mostly concerned with showing off to other fops, you mean? Perhaps I haven't survived the Expanse purely based on luck, hoho!
> 
> He continues talking in that same bright tone, smiling widely, looking for all the world like he's merely spinning idle tales or engaging in polite flirting, though keeping his voice low enough to be just indistinct out of their little group. Not random, I don't think. The Stalker has been getting better over time. Quicker, cleaner, more surgical. Without the blood and gore you'd expect if this was a pleasure killer. What if they're looking for something? I agree that they may well be human, but wayward humans have an unfortunate tendency to serve darker masters. Were any of the victims known or rumored to have any sort of... collections? Officially, of course, no one has xenos or heretical artifacts, but in my experience such collectors are rather common among the bored and wealthy. 
> 
> He roars with laughter again, plucking a pastry off the table.


"Point taken." Etula favoured Macharius with half a smile, which was the most positive emotion they'd seen from her thus far. "I can't decide if uncle would like you or hate you, but he certainly wouldn't trust you. For a few reasons. Xenos artifacts, hah. If you asked him that, he'd probably think you were trying to drum up a list of potential buyers, or that you were concerned about a market collapse in the wake of all these possible clients running down the curtains. But no. As far as I'm aware, that's not part of the pattern. If there even is a pattern. The only common factor so far is that all of the dead were highborn." 

From the way she said this last, it was clear she was sure her awareness didn't stretch all that far. Part of being the surly and taciturn subject of the swirling rumour mill was that people were less inclined to share any other parts of it with you.




> *Spoiler: Destro*
> Show
> 
> 
> 
> ++Not point having this fail due to structural weakness, we need a solid foundation to build from++
> 
> Bone density enhancements ahoy


*Spoiler: Ravia Only*
Show

Bone density would have been easier starting from younger subjects, who still had growing to do. Ravia was fairly certain that was why Astartes Novitiates were taken so young, and anyways there were a number of interesting papers on genetic conditions stemming from excess growth hormone during developmental stages. At the moment she was somewhat lacking the appropriate subjects, however, and would have to make do. The men she had were done growing normally, and a different approach would be required. She was fairly certain she could develop a formula to induce microfractures in the bone, combined with a drug regimen to stimulate healing. Alongside appropriate calcium supplements and sufficient time, it would take advantage of the body's natural processes to greatly increase overall bone strength. The bones wouldn't change size or shape, in theory, just become a good deal stronger. While she was at it, she might as well try implanting a few reinforcement struts in key locations. Overall this was going to be an incredibly painful process, but the medicae decks were stocked with plenty of painkillers. And some Morphia-V, in case anything stronger was needed. 

((OOC: Roll Trade (Chymist) to whip up a drug regimen, and Medicae to administer it without killing anybody))

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## Haval

'Oh I would never speak ill of anyone.' Anika replies. She could always ask again when they weren't inside the Kindjal's manor. Lady Hax's response to the second point was not entirely unexpected, 'I suppose I could track down some Hetaireia students if I have to, but I think I should try to use my time on Scintilla effectively.'

Anika will glance at Macharius to see if he had anything more to add. 'I think when we're finished here we need to keep watch on as many of the high points of the Sibellus as we can. If we can't catch the Stalker in the act perhaps we can make some educated guesses about where they might have started from. I'm fairly confident we can manage to throw more resources at the problem then the Commissariat has anyway. Regardless of whether this pans out or not I would like to exchange contact details Lady Hax. I'm hardly likely to bother you for favours once we're back in the Expanse, but in the meantime, feel free to contact us about anything you want to add.'

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Because it's possible that Etula doesn't know, Inquiry test conducted at a later date to ask the Commissariat about the possibility of a pattern to the killings about involvement with Forbidden stuff of whatever kind
vs. Fel 47 (+10 Etiquette)
(1d100)[*6*]

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## PotatoGolem

Macharius winks. Best I don't ask him then, hoho! Unfortunate. I do believe Anika is right- we should focus on the high points of the spires. Are there any that are above everywhere the attacks have been so far? We could start trying to run down a lair.

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## Destro_Yersul

"The hive goes quite high, but assuming limited range based on the palace remaining exempt, they probably aren't climbing the highest spires. Lots of the estates have towers though, including this one. Do you have the manpower to post watch on everything tall enough to work as a jumping off point?"

Regardless of the answer to that question, it was obvious there wasn't a great deal more to be learned from Lady Hax. She parted with her contact information somewhat reluctantly, it seemed to Anika, assuring them that she could be reached at the palace most days. 

Anika made a mental note to ask the Commissariat about forbidden items when she returned to their lodgings - it later turned out that the same level of thoroughness or paranoia which inspired the outings with the borrowed psyker had led to other inquiries as well. It hadn't led to any leads on the stalker, though a number of unrelated nobility had very expesnive collections quietly siezed, and at least one who wasn't important enough to possess a degree of fortification against censure had been publically executed. It hadn't helped Hax's popularity, but this was an area over which the Inquisition tended to loom ominously, and none had been willing to risk _that_ sort of attention by protesting in an overly loud fashion.

The rest of the party was pleasant enough (and Macharius hadn't been exaggerating about the quality of the food), and as they mingled and chatted with this eminence or that, Anika noticed that one of the previously shut doors had been opened, if barred by velvet rope, and periodically someone would be admitted under escort and returned to the party after a brief absense. As the night was winding down, a guard approached and bowed stiffly. "The Lady Kindjal requests your attendance in her audience chamber."

*Spoiler: Ravia Only*
Show

The first set of mixtures Ravia tried was a horrible failure. The result was aggressive and volatile bone growth, and the test subject she had given it to expired messily. She corrected a few ratios, and administered the drugs to another test group. This time was a little more successful, though still not perfect - the final mixture would require some refining. She took notes. This group, however, might still be useful for later. A few of them had sprouted spurs and things, from their arms or otherwise, but the growth in bone mass was within tolerances and demonstrated an increase in both strength and density. They would unfortunately never be able to pass as human unless she did something about the growths, but all great science had to start somewhere. 

((OOC: You can continue refining this process, or accept bone spurs and minor deformity and move on))

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## Haval

> "The hive goes quite high, but assuming limited range based on the palace remaining exempt, they probably aren't climbing the highest spires. Lots of the estates have towers though, including this one. Do you have the manpower to post watch on everything tall enough to work as a jumping off point?"


'More then most. The _Sting_ isn't even that large but it's still a spaceship. I suspect throwing resources at the problem might at least turn something up.'

For the rest of the evening Anika will take the opportunity to explore whatever parts of the house that the guests are allowed into and will otherwise chat to anyone that she has more then a passing acquaintance with. They aren't neccessarily friends but sometimes it was good to catch up on current events. If she's not always sticking close to Macharius she will borrow a Praetorian.

To the guard, 'I would be happy to. May I ask why though? I was under the impression that the Lady of the House was unlikely to be accepting visitors.'

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## Leon

*Spoiler: Destro*
Show


++Ugh, well we all start somewhere++

The next batch being better but still would cause questions to be asked so would have to be refined until at a stage where questions wouldn't slow or stop progress, they would be a useful if situational occurrence and could be worked with but for the greater sum a better solution would be needed.

Chymistry Tn 63 (1d100)[*12*]

If needed
Medicae Tn 83 (1d100)[*85*]

Those with the Spurs would be kept close and employed as needed under the auspices of Bodyguard's, still had a weapon to test after all and in due time have the spurs reinforced and weaponized if possible, any that proved to be unworkable would just feed her hobby

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## Destro_Yersul

> To the guard, 'I would be happy to. May I ask why though? I was under the impression that the Lady of the House was unlikely to be accepting visitors.'


The guard looked uncomfortable. "Not my place to question my Lady's decisions. She's been granting limited audiences to a small number of the guests, and your names are on her list."


*Spoiler: Ravia Only*
Show

Looking over her data and reviewing the results, Ravia was able to find a few areas to make major improvements. Obviously the dosages had been off on a number of the things she had introduced, and would need to be fine-tuned. The third batch of drugs she tried showed much more promising results. Even in adults it increased density significantly while also increasing mass, and she expected that in more optimal subjects it would be more successful still. She kept the subjects under observation, and none of them developed obvious spurs or deformities. This lot was, so far, the winners. She filed away the details of what she had prepared, organised her notes on the bone growth formulae, and set about weaponising the more viable of the failed subjects. These experiments had, however, occupied a significant length of time. There would be more to come, of course, once they left Scintilla. Warp travel left plenty of time for all manner of activities. 

((OOC: Done for now. More later))

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## Haval

'Then lead the way.'

Assuming Macharius was coming with her, Anika will mutter 'be careful' in high gothic while he was in earshot.

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## PotatoGolem

Macharius brightens up. Splendid! We are of course delighted to be invited. It is a great honor. Lead on!

He chuckles to Anika at her comment before replying in quite High Gothic. When am I not?

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## Destro_Yersul

The guard led them through a doorway cordoned off by ropes, and down several branching paths. The estate was a maze on the inside, but their guide seemed to know where he was going. He pushed open a heavy wooden door, and gestured them into a dimly lit chamber draped in heavy curtains. The decor was all done in deep, rich tones of red and purple. A stick of incense smouldered in a burner on a small end table, and there were a few chairs scattered around the near half of the room. The far end was taken up by a massive four-poster, the drapes at the foot drawn aside. Barely visible in the darkness within, a slight figure reclined, half buried under mounds of expensive blankets and silk-encased pillows. 

"Good evening," the Lady said, in a voice thin and cracked. A gloved hand emerged from the bed, turning up the wick on an oil lamp placed next to the table. The flame sputtered and strengthened, sending flickering shadows across the walls. The hand withdrew. "I trust you are enjoying the festivities. Would that I could attend in a greater capacity."

"Still, I can at least grant a few audiences. I am not dead yet, whatever my detractors might say." The voice carried a hard edge to it. Even bedridden, here was a woman who was used to getting her way. "Suppose you're wondering why I've asked for you, hmm? You're new here. Recently come to Scintilla, I understand, from the distant reaches of the Expanse. I wanted to take your measure personally."

She lapsed into expectant silence, clearly waiting for Macharius to make some sort of introduction.

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## Leon

*Spoiler: Destro*
Show



++Progress, will see how these ones develop for now++

After making sure that the special subjects were well supplied with entertainment and nutrition feeds until she could attend to there advancement again she seccured the facility with a person encode and went off to see about the training progress of the Cohort, soon it would be time to pick specialties for them

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## Haval

> He chuckles to Anika at her comment before replying in quite High Gothic. When am I not?


At that Anika only looks worried. On the way to the audience she will visibly pay attention to the route the guard leads them down even as she lets Macharius take the lead.

In the room, 'Good evening Lady Kindjal.' Anika will let Macharius explain what they were doing here but will add, 'We have come a long way to get here but I am here in part to see my Mother if you can credit it. I grew up not far from here.' 

*Spoiler*
Show


If there's anything to notice in Lady Kindjal's room
Awareness +10 or Scrutiny
vs. Per 43
(1d100)[*79*]

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## PotatoGolem

Macharius bows respectfully. Thank you for gracing us with an audience, my Lady. I am Lord-Captain Macharius Absalom, in service of the Imperium and of Him on Terra. You are correct, we spend most of our time in the Expanse, bringing the Emperor's Light to the dark reaches of the galaxy. Still, one longs for civilization at times. And for investments that are somewhat less...precarious than those in the Expanse. And, of course, there is the matter of tithes and obligations. No matter how far we may go, we must return and show our fealty to Mankind. 

He gestures to Anika. Lady Anika Vanhal, my seneschal. Brilliant and perceptive, as a seneschal should be. And a native of Scintilla, though many years gone exploring.

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## Destro_Yersul

"Lady Vanhal. I have heard of your family, of course. The Absaloms, though... not for some time. I trust the family fortunes are recovering well under your care, Lord Captain?" The lady coughed, a deep forceful sound for one so old and frail. She adjusted her position in the bed, drawing further into the shadows. 

"A pious, upstanding young man such as yourself deserves proper success. I have been wondering if you might undertake a small contract on my estate's behalf, when you return to the Expanse?"

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## Haval

'I can't see why we'd say no. What would you need us to do?' Anika's tone is neutral verging on cold. If she doesn't see anything obviously interesting in the room she will watch Lady Kindjal as best as she can through the curtains on her bed.

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## PotatoGolem

Quite well, if I say so myself. The Emperor provides for his servants, after all. What might we assist you with? Macharius' tone is warmer, though he's careful not to agree to anything at this point.

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## Destro_Yersul

"I am going to be sponsoring a group of pilgrims and missionaries. As the end of my life approaches, I fear I have not always done my best for the Emperor, and I wish to amend the situation before I go to meet Him. There is no shortage of supplicants to the cause, of course, but ships willing to brave the Koronus passage are a much scarcer commodity. All you would need to do is find space for them, and deliver them to Footfall. I can make other arrangements for them from there."

The room didn't have much in terms of interesting things to look at, but nor was it especially easy to make out the Lady in the dim lighting. An ornamental statue of a saint had been placed on a small table, next to a closed shrine. There was a fair bit of dust on it.

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## PotatoGolem

Well then, that should be manageable. A deed done in service of the Emperor redounds to the blessing of all involved, as Saint Octavio Minor said. How many pilgrims are we talking about?

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## Haval

'I take it Footfall is the starting point to their pilgrimage? I can't quite think what a group of pilgrims would want to visit in a place like that.' Anika is practical. 'How good are these pilgrims at looking after themselves? I'd say there are a fair few unsavoury types on Footfall who might exploit the unwary or worse.'


*Spoiler*
Show



Edit - Posted in the wrong thread so I'll build a post around it. 

I didn't realise there was a ground based Star Wars game now. That's some good work for getting it finished quickly.

-----

If Anika knows the Saint. Maybe she anticipates Macharius asking

Scholastic Lore (Archaic or Legend)
vs. Int 53
(1d100)[*6*]

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## Destro_Yersul

"Not many at all, for a voidship. A hundred or so. They'll be starting at the Macrostatue of the Emperor in Footfall, and making a circuit of the expanse from there, such as they can. I only expect you to carry them for the first part of the journey, through the Maw. They will handle themselves from there. I believe a handful of them are retired Imperial Guardsmen, so they should be able to take care of themselves well enough."

Macharius didn't know this particular saint, but Anika did. It was Rybel Gorth, the Watcher in the Dark. An unusual choice, perhaps, but a recognised one.

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## Haval

Anika looks to Macharius, 'I'm...sure we can manage that. That statue is certainly worth a visit. Is anyone in charge of these pilgrims? Feel free to have them contact me at your earliest convenience.'

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## PotatoGolem

Well, that wont be a problem at all. And the Guardsmen should be used to void travel, so they can comfort the others. We would be glad to assist them in their service to the Emperor.

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## Destro_Yersul

"Excellent. I am most pleased we were able to come to an arrangement." The figure in bed coughed. "Would you kindly alert the guards to fetch the next guests on your way out?"

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## Haval

Anika will leave the room before Macharius does. Outside she looks conflicted about something but will deliver the message to Lady Kindjal's people. She will also ask the guard for the name of whoever was in charge of Lady Kindjal's affairs on the basis that she should compare notes about the pilgrimage.

As soon as she's out of earshot of any of the household staff she will speak to Macharius in a low voice. 'I'd like to believe that I'm wrong but we may have a problem. Outside of our host's odd taste in Saints what is your opinion of her?'

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## PotatoGolem

Agreed. This seems like a surprisingly simple task, and we are certainly not the only ship that traverses the Maw. I expect there's more to this than meets the eye. Have your people look into these pilgrims' backgrounds. And I'd be very interested in how she's making arrangements for travel in the Expanse. Why is getting them there all she needs our held with?

I'm not entirely sure what to make of her myself. She seems diminished, but that may be an act. It's odd that she stayed so hidden.

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## Haval

> Agreed. This seems like a surprisingly simple task, and we are certainly not the only ship that traverses the Maw. I expect there's more to this than meets the eye. Have your people look into these pilgrims' backgrounds. And I'd be very interested in how she's making arrangements for travel in the Expanse. Why is getting them there all she needs our held with?
> 
> I'm not entirely sure what to make of her myself. She seems diminished, but that may be an act. It's odd that she stayed so hidden.


'I'd expect she's a little vain. It's not entirely unusual. It's not like there are that many people of her generation that are still around for me to ask about what she looked like when she was younger.'

'Perhaps she intends for these pilgrims to make their own way on the other side. It's good enough for the Mendicant Orders after all, but someone who lives in a house like this doesn't suggest that kind of piety to me.' Anika doesn't look like she believes it. 'I didn't feel like I could honestly refuse her request, but you realise we can always change our mind before we leave Scintilla. If not, I'm sure they'll appreciate  the stop at the Witch World that we're due to make along the way.'

'If anyone knows anything useful about the people Lady Kindjal is sending on this pilgrimage it would be my friends in the lower hive, and even though it's been a while since I've been back here, I would like to believe they still like me more then they like her.' There was one more thing that Anika really looks uncomfortable bringing up in public. 'You realise this isn't of academic interest? I would say that anyone trying anything on board the _Sting_ would regret it anyway. Now...after recent events, I am certain of it.'

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Research at some pont after Anika leaves the Kindjal party

Anika is going to send Theresa to look for information on Lady Kindjal when she was younger. I presume there's some kind of records office in the Lucid Palace. Ideally she could find a picture as well. She'd do it herself but the other matter is more pressing.

Still trying to talk to the Kindjal Seneschal about the pilgrimage officially. Unofficially going to make some inquiries with the Kasballica if they know the kind of people who are the muscle for the pilgrimage. Are they dangerous mercenary types basically.

Inquiry test vs. Fel 47 (+10 Peer Underworld)
(1d100)[*52*]

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Anika*

The Kindjal household steward was, Anika was told, the person in charge of organising the pilgrims, in conjuction with a handful of minor Ministorum functionaries. The Steward would be the person Anika would need to talk to, though. As of the night of the party they were quite busy, but before she left for the night Anika was able to get a tentative passenger manifest. With pilgrims it was always possible a few more would attach themselves to the group, or a few would leave, opting for a different transportation arrangement. 

With Theresa dispatched on a research mission, Anika set about putting out feelers to some of her old contacts. A few of the people she once knew were no longer oprating, likely because they had been killed, either by the Arbites or a rival, who could say. The ones that were still around remembered her, and sent along a few details free of charge. Anika suspected this was because they didn't care about the pilgrims very much - the former guardsmen had indeed served in the Imperial Guard, and a few of them had been Frateris Militia, which was about what you'd expect. They weren't mercenaries, at least as far as the Kasballica knew.

When Theresa returned, it was with a pile of notes collected from the records offices and archives, as well as a few old broadsheet articles. Lady Kindjal had been alive for a very long time, and had collected her share of news. A few of these had picts attached, though not of especially high quality. The family resemblance to her great niece was certainly there, though. She had borne a striking resemblance to the heiress back when she herself was a young woman.

----------


## Haval

*Later*

Anika will pass on her findings to Macharius. In private she looks worried. 'That is better then I expected, but to be honest, it still doesn't fill me with confidence. The Frateris Militia aren't the sort of people that you can talk out of acting as they please. If we give them a lift perhaps it's better to assume the worst regardless. On the _Sting_, anything short of confining them to quarters ought to be easy to justify.' Anika is going to make sure the others are aware of Lady Kindjal's request.

Anika appreciates Theresa's efforts but had not quite found what she was looking for. She will go so far as to start a file on the Kindjal's though.

----------


## Leon

*Spoiler: Destro*
Show



To Assembled Cohorts
++Soon your classification exams will commence and your new specialties will be chosen++
++Your work no matter where you are destined is for the betterment of the Adeptus, the Imperium and the Absaloms++

++Once your specialties have been selected you will be given a new branch of of intensive skill upgrades to better suit++
++Now you will each have fifteen minutes to appraise me of your current aptitudes and learning processes achieved thus far++

The process was expected to highlight what Unit was likely to be best suited to the tasks at hand and while she did expect most to be better suited for the Shipyards she still hope to have a core set to work alongside her in the other matter, it needing more finesse and decorum

----------


## PotatoGolem

It should be relatively easy to confine them to their quarters and a shrine. They're being transported as pilgrims, not combat advisors or sightseers. There's no reason they should be allowed free run of the ship. And for the Guard veterans, that should be what they're used to. I don't believe Guardsmen are normally allowed to wander Navy ships as they wish. Bad for morale, can lead to inter-service brawls, that sort of thing.

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Spoiler: Ravia Only*
Show

Unsurprisingly, most of the Lathemasters - at least going by their aptitude scores - were best suited for the shipyards and other mechanically intensive labour tasks. They would be an asset to Port Davis, especially in the smooth operation of the space station's core systems. Ravia had enough of them to disperse to the shipyards and still be useful, while also retaining a few select individuals to act as her own assistants. 

For these, the best option was selecting those who scored highly on loyalty, creativity, AND stoicism. There weren't many individuals who hit all three criteria, but there were a few. Five, in fact, enough for a half-sized fireteam. Their leader was a male Lathemaster named Azgit, one of the quieter ones, who mostly kept to his own counsel but seemed to carry respect from the others. When it was his turn to explain what he was good at, he grumbled a few lines about chymistry and basic medicae skills and left it at that.

----------


## Haval

> It should be relatively easy to confine them to their quarters and a shrine. They're being transported as pilgrims, not combat advisors or sightseers. There's no reason they should be allowed free run of the ship. And for the Guard veterans, that should be what they're used to. I don't believe Guardsmen are normally allowed to wander Navy ships as they wish. Bad for morale, can lead to inter-service brawls, that sort of thing.


'That depends on them doing what they're told of course. As long as we're prepared.' Anika looks worried.

*Party*

If nothing gets in her way Anika will snoop a little. Looking at other people's books was a habit whether or not she knew the owner, but if she didn't find anything interesting she'll try and investigate the areas of the house that weren't supposed to be accessible to the guests. She'd didn't think she'd be able to sneak past the guards even when she was younger so she'll try and talk her way through. With a drink still in hand Anika will ask one of them if they could direct her to the nearest bathroom. Regrettably there seemed to be a lot of guests here tonight and she would have to queue otherwise to use the toilet.

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Deceive vs. Fel 47 (+10 Etiquette)
(1d100)[*90*]
probably better that this failed

*Spoiler: Destro only*
Show


This is a fishing expedition and it's dependent on the guards letting Anika through anyway. She doesn't trust Lady Kindjal but doesn't know enough to know what she should be looking for so I thought I'd throw an Awareness roll at the problem while Anika is in her house.

Awareness vs. Per 43 (Awareness +10) (+20 if she has a chance to use her Auspex where no one else is around)
(1d100)[*60*]

And if she gets to use the auspex, Tech Use vs. Int 53 
(1d100)[*14*]






*Pilgrimage Preparations*

At some point after the party Anika will call the _Sting_ to inform her subordinates that they would have guests for the return journey. She'll look to prepare quarters in the ship that are at a relative distance from anywhere important. She'll also ask the crew to keep an eye on the Kindjal pilgrims for the whole journey.

*Stalker Investigations*

Anika will do what she can to investigate any leads on the Stalker. She will rope in Theresa, Macharius or anyone else who might be around to assist her.

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Going to try and roll to follow up on some things while I'm trying to catch everything

Are there any specific details that can be understood by looking at autopsy reports of the Stalker's victims.
See https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...postcount=1455

Scrutiny vs. Per 43
(1d100)[*60*]

And from a post of Rax
https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...9&postcount=90

No idea how to work out motive from first principles. At best we can maybe discern it from other things.

But otherwise, is there a pattern from all available records to how the Stalker seems to get inside the premises of the victims. Do they deactivate everything, do they use brute force or is it unclear how the Stalker gets inside in the first place
Scrutiny vs. Per 43
(1d100)[*72*]

Logis Prophesying
Given the social circles that each of the victims moved in, can the connections of subsequent victims be anticipated? Ideally Anika is trying to create a red string board to look for patterns.
vs. Int 53 (might be a vague question)
(1d100)[*7*] 





*Spoiler: Destro only*
Show


Research

Hannabal's revalations had made Anika interested in following up on everything she knew about the Kindjals while they were still on Scintilla. Mother had mentioned a tangentiable association with Tech Heresy. Anika will make inquiries with the Commissariat to see if they could tell her some of the details.

ooc - Lead I realised I didn't follow up on
https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...postcount=1455

Inquiry vs. Fel 47 (+10 Etiquette?) 
(1d100)[*73*]

And I should check if the servo skull network mentioned here went anywhere
https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...1&postcount=93

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Anika*
*Party*

Anika wasn't able to bluff her way through the guards, who politely but firmly told her that if lining up was necessary, then that's what she'd have to do. The rest of the mansion was closed to guests, and there were a large number of washrooms in the available areas, so it wasn't like the wait would be long. It did, however, give her an excuse to duck into one of them and try her auspex, which spit out some very strange readings indeed. There were a lot of biosigns in the area, which was to be expected, but for whatever reason the device couldn't determine the precise number of them, and kept warning of xenological biosigns mixed in with the human ones.

*Investigations*

Scouring autopsy reports seemed like the sort of thing Theresa would be useful for. She'd proven efficient at collating data before. 

While she was working on that, Anika dug through everything else she could regarding the crimes. The Stalker's mode of access wasn't clear - usually, nothing had been brute forced, but security systems had failed to activate. They probably had some technological help, something that could fool the usual motion detectors and pict recorders, built into the suit, but there was still the matter of physical locks. A multikey, perhaps? There were a lot of ways a skilled infiltrator could get through Imperial security systems, and Anika couldn't be sure what the Stalker was doing, and turned to her logis device looking for answers. She fed it all the information she had on the current victims, and started building a conspiracy wall. The information she'd given the machine wasn't perfect, and the question was vague, but it kept generating connections. Almost too many of them to follow. The victims had all been nobility, had all been socially active, regularly attended events outside their own homes, regularly hosted events within their own homes... the list went on and on. Ultimately, it did seem to be focusing on the social interaction aspects of the victims, though - it kept paring out the possibility of servant changes and other activities, and suggesting that it all came down to parties.

Theresa returned while Anika was checking the skull network to see if surveillance had turned up anything. The skulls had scattered throughout the hive, hovering around at roof height, and there were a lot of feeds to go through. The rooftops of Scintilla weren't very active, so it was mostly boring viewing - Anika caught a lot of rodents, couriers, other skulls, and lovers' trysts. She had also got some better images of the Stalker, from the cameras within their target area. It was still impossible to make out features - the Stalker appeared to be wearing some sort of hood, or a mask, but they were certainly a woman. Sleight build, acrobatic. About the right size to be Etula, but.. perhaps not at the right time. The skull picters applied large timestamps to their picts, if Etula's whereabouts could be confirmed during the timestamps where the Stalker appreared, then the person in the photos couldn't possibly be her. 

"Death by blood loss, most of them," Theresa reported, when Anika had a moment. "Multiple stab wounds, punctured organs. Some had defensive-style injuries on their arms, some didn't. Rate of death varies. Some were faster, some bled out. Head injuries on all of them, with enough force to puncture the skull. Some of these were post-mortem, which is a little unusual. No other post mortem injuries were recorded."

----------


## Haval

*Party*

Did the Kindjals have xenos pets? If so they didn't seem interested in showing them off. While hiding in the washroom Anika will make an effort to identify and locate the xenos signals.

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Going to see if I can get more information
Forbidden Lore (Xenos) vs. Int 53 (+10 Talented FL Xenos)
(1d100)[*20*]

Scrutiny vs. Per 43
(1d100)[*23*]




*Investigations*

The connection of the murdered to the parties they had attended seemed to just raise more questions. Anika was quite willing to believe that the Stalker's motive might turn out to be something as petty as one noble being shown up by a another over the wine or the enertainment at another's party. She will start drawing links between the victims to see if there was any attendee at a particular party that hadn't yet been visited by the Stalker.

To Theresa, 'Hopefully there weren't too many picts. I don't think I could be paying anyone enough to look at images of dead bodies for work.' She wasn't a psychologist but the manner in which the victims were killed seemed to suggest a disturbed individual rather then a calculating assassin. Assuming it wasn't literally a servitor of some sort. Inflicting wounds after death seemed to sit oddly with the Stalker's technological prowess. 

*Ravia*

At some point Anika is going to go find Ravia to make use of her expertise. 'I'm working on a theory, although I seem to be barely sleeping lately so feel free to let me know if I'm not making sense.' Anika has a dataslate full of evidence with her. 'Whoever this Stalker person is the most interesting thing about them is the tech that they seem to be using. Picking locks is nothing. I could do it myself with the right tools. Deleting yourself from any local pict recorders is something else entirely. But the other devices are surely still working. If the Stalker is going in and deleting the data what are the chances that they leave something behind? And frankly if we know how the Stalker is disabling everyone's tech perhaps we could close whatever loophole they use to do it. I feel like the Commissariat ought to have their own Tech Priests for this sort of thing, but perhaps the Mechanicus only lends out their more incompetent members for this sort of work.'

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Going to try and borrow Ravia's Tech-Use to see if the Stalker leaves a trace of itself behind in the cameras. Maybe it's like a Recycle Bin  :Small Smile: 

Anika can give +10 if its needed




*Spoiler: Destro & Rax only*
Show


At some point after the Kindjal party Anika will find a moment to call Hannabel in private.

'Getting straight to the point. Your _friend_ has given us a contract. We've been asked to ferry a group of a hundred or so pilgrims to Footfall when we return through the Maw. I don't think they're all heavily armed but some of them certainly seem to be former Guard. Supposedly they're intending to mount a lovely tour of some notable sites in the Expanse starting with the statue of the Emperor in Footfall.' Anika will pause for a second to see how badly Hannabel takes it. 'If you hadn't told me what you did I might have believed she was sincere.'

'I did consider trying to talk Macharius out of agreeing to it, but then I feel like I would have needed to explain what the problem was. The good news is that I would say there's no reason to think they know anything about your actual location. If they know where you and intend to come for you on the ship I'd like to think they would have brought more men with them. But if you don't want to spend the journey to Footfall in your quarters I think we need to confer. Assuming you'd not rather we go to Macharius about this?'

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Destro & Haval*
Show

"A pilgrimage? Well she's either up to something or she really is desperate for redemption," Hannabel sighs. "You're right though - even if she's somehow found out where I am, it's unlikely that all the pilgrims are her agents and it ought to be extremely difficult to get me off the ship even if a smaller group manages to pick me out and corner me somewhere. Perhaps I should wear a cowbell from now on, so you can hear me coming and start worrying if you don't?" she chuckles. 

"But...the mission is to deliver the pilgrims to Footfall? Wasn't that where you said you'd spotted me when you called the number on the bounty posting?"

----------


## Haval

*Spoiler: Destro and Rax*
Show


'I will consider holding you to that. Perhaps with some sort of tracking device.' Anika replies also chuckling. 'But yes, the story was I had seen someone matching your description in the _Ogyrn's Head_ on Footfall. If that is where they're going I don't think it would be that difficult to keep an eye on them.'

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

"Well, if you're trying to track someone down and the trail's gone cold, sending your hunters to the last place the quarry was spotted is the natural thing to do. I imagine they'll start asking around if they can't turn up any leads at the _Ogryn's Head_, and it's possible someone else will remember seeing me on Footfall. I'd hate to have to dodge the Countess' hunters every time we dock there," Hannabel muses.

"We can't really do anything about them until we get to Footfall anyway. If these ex-Guardsmen _are_ the Countess' agents, then they'll probably be meek little lambs as long as they're posing as pilgrims. Short of spacing the lot of them on the way to Footfall, I think we'll have to wait for them to break cover. Once we know who they are, we can deal with them without raising too much suspicion - Footfall's a dangerous place, after all."

"As a bonus, we might pull that off without worrying the Lord Commander's pretty little head..."

----------


## Haval

*Spoiler: Destro and Rax*
Show


'Then I wonder how easy it would be to plant evidence that you had set off for somewhere more scenic. Perhaps Ork territory or the Rifts of Hecaton. How enthusiastic do you think they might be to follow you out that far?'

'The idea of engineering some sort of accident had occured to me. Who knows, perhaps the trip through the Maw might resolve the problem for us. Have you heard the stories about the world Kennoch wants us to stop at?'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Party*

The signals weren't any sort of reading Anika recognised, which ruled out almost all of the more common exotic xenos pets, and a lot of the uncommon ones. This was something else, something new or at least very rare, and it was... strange, to say the least. There would have been trouble enough pinpointing it with thick walls and all manner of electrical wiring around, some of it very old, but on top of that there seemed to be something about the signal that Anika couldn't quite compensate for. Sometimes, the auspex would spit out an error message and just stop seeing it... whatever_ it_ was. Anika was out of time, though. Another guest had started knocking on the door insistently. 

*Investigations*

"You see worse downhive Landunder," Theresa said. "Autopsies are very clean compared to the Render clan."

She paused. "If you're offering me a raise though, I wouldn't turn it down."

Working the party angle, Anika couldn't single out anyone. Not everyone who had been to a party had been targeted, nor even all those who had hosted them. Though.. the ones who hosted and hadn't been attacked mostly had homes within the Lucid palace, and nobody from there had been targetted at all. If the hypothesis about accessibility was correct, and you eliminated that group... then it wasn't attending parties, it was hosting them. 

+++

Later, Anika had Ravia check the devices, and the Magos found that things hadn't been deleted. Everything the cameras had recorded was there. There was a loop region, though. For about an hour, right when the murders were happening, the picters and audio snoopers had simply recorded the previous hour's worth of footage again. It was easy to miss, if you weren't going through with a fine-toothed comb, and Ravia confirmed that it was possible to pre-set a cogitator to perform the necessary data manipulations, but the talk got very technical very quickly, and the short answer was that very few people had the acumen to do that. Which meant the Stalker had probably outsourced.

----------


## Leon

++There are sadly misbegotten wretch's that manipulate the Holy Tech for nefarious means outside of our purview for the right or wrong price++
++They may have trained as Laypeople under our adepts, do as much as we are we cant do everything everywhere most often++

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

"I suppose we won't know until we try. It's worth a shot at least," Hannabel answers with a smile.

"The Witch-cursed World? Only bad stuff - nothing to see or do there, but sometimes derelict ships turn up with no crew and no way of telling where they went to. Why does Kennoch want us to go there?"

----------


## Haval

*Party*

Anika will make a mental note to investigate whether her auspex was actually working correctly but knew that that probably wasn't the problem. Without neccessarily even knowing that she was curious about it, something was evidently capable of hiding from an auspex scan. _What the hell are the Kindjals up to?_

After letting the other woman into the stall she will go so far as to briefly vox Macharius. 'There's something odd going on here. Keep an eye out.' She will head in the general direction of the signal just in case it was inside the area that the guests were free to move through.

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Awareness +10 vs. Per 43
(1d100)[*86*]




*Investigations*

To Theresa, 'I'll see what I can do. Up to a point I think I still count as rich. As long as you don't need a personal spaceship I think I should be able to work something out.'

While working through her evidence board Anika is becoming increasingly convinced that the Stalker murders may somehow be tied to some inscrutable point of noble etiquette. If there was some connection to the hosting of parties that she wasn't quite seeing she will try to make some calls among those members of the Scintillan highborn that she was still friendly with. How well regarded were the parties that were hosted by the victims of the Stalker? Did anything stand out about them to someone who might have attended them?

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Inquiry test vs. Fel 47 (+10 Peer Nobility)
(1d100)[*17*]



There was also a second point she could follow here. Other then those able to hide out in the Lucid Palace, were there many members of the Scintillan highborn that were known to be prominent hosts of parties that were still alive? She didn't need the logis device to tell her that anyone of that sort seemed like a likely future victim.

*Ravia*

'Who needs formal training.' Anika replied absently referring to herself. 'You read enough translations of the right texts and you can pick up the basics.' 

On Hereteks, 'My understanding is that Tech Hereteks tend to be either highly motivated laymen (who I can't honestly see having the skills to do this), or the sort of scary and capable types that the entire sector will hear about eventually. I would be quite in favour of letting Macharius deal with the latter sort but I would expect them to be quite able to hide themselves from anyone who might be looking for them.'

Anika will pass Ravia a dataslate containing the collected autopsy reports, 'I don't why you know how the human body works, but it is a gap in my education. I would appreciate you taking a look at this at some point.'

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Leon
See the ooc. Anika needs the help of someone with medicae just in case



*Etula Hax*

Anika will pass on what data she had on the Stalker's movements in the hope that it gave Lady Hax an alibi. 'It's the least I can do after you humoured us at the Kindjal party. I don't expect it to entirely stop the accusations but it might suppress them a bit.'

*Friends in low places*

Anika will make some enquiries if anyone in the Kasballica knew anyone who was capable of hacking the security systems in a house.

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Inquiry vs. Fel 47 (+10 Peer Underworld)
(1d100)[*14*]




*Spoiler: Rax and Destro*
Show


'I think he owes someone a favour. The Telepathica wants someone trustworthy to take a look at the place. Regardless of his reasoning, I wouldn't want those people to be irritated with us by not living up to our end of a bargain.'

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

"True enough," Hannabel agrees. 

"So, besides the Countess suddenly finding religion, did anything else interesting happen at the party? And when do we fill the Lord Commander in on the fact that both the Inquisition and the Adeptus Mechanicus are spying on us?"

----------


## PotatoGolem

*Party*
Curious. We shall have to investigate these "pilgrims" more closely. Wouldn't do to be bringing xenos onboard.

*Investigations*

Macharius considers Anika's findings. Quite the deduction! It would be rather funny if this was all about being snubbed at parties, would it not? A touch macabre, but still rather humorous. I wonder if there's anyone who wasn't invited to those parties who could have had some expectation of going? If you find that some hosts are still alive, see if we can compare guest lists from the surviving hosts and the decedents. 

We may also be able to bait the blighter more easily with this information. Williams! Begin organizing a party. A celebration of House Absalom and Scintilla. He looks rather pleased by the prospect.

----------


## Leon

> *Party*
> 'I don't why you know how the human body works, but it is a gap in my education. I would appreciate you taking a look at this at some point.'


++Certainly++
++It is probably for the best you don't know how I know how it works++

----------


## Haval

*Spoiler: Destro and Rax*
Show


'About that. The auspex picked up something unusual while I was in the bathroom. There was something xenos in the Kindjal household for all that it seemed to be keeping out of sight. I don't suppose you can shed any light on that?'

'As for the other thing, I'm frankly torn between getting Macharius up to the _Sting_ for a quick chat and leaving that until we're leaving here. Whenever we have that conversation I would appreciate you being in the room.'



*Macharius*

'I'll look into it. If that is the Stalker's motivation I'll have no problem handing them over to the Inquisition.'

*Ravia*

'You are probably right.'

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

"You brought your auspex with you when you went to the bathroom? And found a xenos? Are you sure it wasn't something you ate?" Hannabel smirks, trying to keep a straight face.

"I'm not aware that the Countess had any particular fondness for xenos before, but her great goal has always been just to keep on living. I know she used to consort with hereteks - perhaps she's moved on to xenos," Hannabel speculates. "As for the surveillance business, I'll be there when you feel it's safe to broach the matter."

----------


## Haval

*Spoiler: Destro and Rax*
Show


'I feel like you never know when you might need it, and my bag is very spacious.' Anika grins at Hannabel amusement. 'In any case, I have the readings recorded. Just in case we ever want to send it along to the Ordo Xenos and let them tell me what the hell it was.'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Party*

Anika walked around a little, but couldn't easily get the auspex back out where people could see, and didn't notice anything odd in the accessible parts of the estate, which made sense. If there were hidden xenos somewhere about the place, they'd be in the cordoned off parts of the house, not the ones full of guests. 

*Investigations*

Chasing down leads amongst the nobility, Anika got a lot of answers that were perhaps at odds with what she'd expect. None of the parties had been disasters - many had been fairly standard, with nothing special about them, but nothing especially bad, either. Nobody she talked to could remember any consistently terrible interactions, though there was of course the usual set of petty grievances and sniping back and forth, there hadn't been any big scenes. The one place there had been, was at an event thrown by one of the people who lived in the Lucid Palace, and was thus still alive. 

She did find an extremely likely future target, though. One of the habitual party animals, who was still alive, had a house within the confines of the geographic predictions Anika had already made. Ma. Ord. Edmund Hamsha (ret.), formerly of the 134th Scintillan Fusilliers, had yet to be targeted. He had hosted hundreds of events, generally inviting just about everyone who was anyone, but with a special regard for other former military comrades. Many of his guests were also retired guardsmen. 

*Ravia*

Ravia was able to identify the weapon, based on the reports and the description of injuries. Or weapons, rather. There were at least two. The majority of the injuries did come from a sword, likely a double-edged dueling blade similar to the one Etula carried, but by no means unique to her. The peculiar post-mortem head wounds came from a hollow-tine. Normally this was an agricultural implement, useful for caring for large grounds, but it seemed to have been repurposed here for some reason. An ice pick would have been much simpler to acquire and use, and the improvised nature of the object was at odds with the bespoke nature of the rest of the Stalker's gear. 

*Etula*

The timing on the images turned out to be useful. Etula told Anika that on at least one of those instances, her own location could be confirmed by half a dozen others who weren't directly employed by her or her uncle. It might not entirely get rid of the rumours - Anika was correct in thinking that was unlikely - but it did give Governor Hax considerable ammunition to use as denial of his niece's involvement, and in terms of the investigation, it meant she was no longer a suspect. 

*Spoiler: Anika Only*
Show

From her friends at the Kasballica, Anika got back a list of twenty reliable tech-adepts that could be counted on for discretion and quality. Scintilla had plenty of people capable of doing the work that had been required, as was to be expected for a city of its size, but the Kasballica knew who was the best. The list came annotated with recommendations for the top five. Lady Charuv was a noble scion herself, who had engaged with the Kasballica before, and picked up a wide array of technical knowledge through personal study. X-864 was a renegade of the Adeptus Mechanicus, stripped of everything except a designation, who hid amongst the industrial refuse of the lower hive. Delphium Thule aspired to be a techpriest, but had never been formally inducted - he took the famous Magos Thule's name as a form of self-aggrandisement, but by all accounts was quite skilled nonetheless. There was a note on his file saying he'd been hard to contact recently, so maybe try the others first. The Auditor was a mysterious one, who nobody had ever actually seen, as they preferred to work through intermediaries. They had come from Gunpoint a few years ago, and had connections to the underworld there, but beyond those scant details little was known. The final name on the top-five list was Harmon Gex, an extremely secretive techpriest who was, officially, still a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus. He had control over some minor processing station deep in the hive, and was known to have accepted the odd side job. The Kasballica thought it was because he chafed at his own lowly position within the Adeptus.


*Macharius*

Williams was an obediant servant, and began preparations immediately. He was also a man of the dynasty, however, and warned Macharius that it might take some time to put a proper event together, and with recent heavy spending the dynasty's liquid assets were not so great that they could afford to leave the flagship in orbit around Scintilla, not making any money, indefinitely.

----------


## PotatoGolem

I see. Perhaps we are better off attending this other party, then. Williams, we can delay the party until we've caught the AAtalker. Scintilla may foot the bill then, hoho! Macharius himself will make the social circuit, to ensure that his name is mentioned in the right places to get an invite to the party. 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Charm to make a good impression and finagle an invite.(1d100)[*66*] vs 122 (Peer Military or Nobility)

----------


## Haval

*Party*

Anika is on edge but there was only so much she was willing to do to call attention to herself at the moment. She will hang out with Macharius for the rest of the evening.

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Nothing more to add at the party because I don't want to try asking the Kindjal's guards to take Anika to the Xenos.

Anika will pass all this onto Macharius when they aren't in public.



*Investigations*

'At the very least it's worth going to see this Hamsha person to give them a friendly warning.'

*Ravia*

To Ravia, 'How knowledgeable are you about gardening? That does rather sound like the Stalker is taking something after the victims are dead.'

*Everyone*

Over the command channel, 'I may be obliged to do something slightly illegal. I will probably need Ravia to accompany me for moral support. The rest of you are free to come along as long as you promise to dress down.'

----------


## rax

> *Spoiler: Destro and Rax*
> Show
> 
> 
> 'I feel like you never know when you might need it, and my bag is very spacious.' Anika grins at Hannabel amusement. 'In any case, I have the readings recorded. Just in case we ever want to send it along to the Ordo Xenos and let them tell me what the hell it was.'


*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

"Was the trouble that you couldn't get a clear reading or that you couldn't make heads nor tails of it?" Hannabel asks. "Because Galimina and I could take a a look at the readings if it's just a matter of interpreting what you found," she suggests.

----------


## Haval

*Spoiler: Destro & Rax*
Show


'You're welcome to take a look. There's always a chance I could have learnt more if I got closer, but getting out my auspex in public seemed like a bad idea. Whatever it was, it was not something that I'm familar with, which does rule out a lot.'

----------


## PotatoGolem

Macharius walks into Anika's office looking concerned. Anika, old chum, what exactly is going on?

----------


## Haval

Anika is drinking coffee. 'I want to say 'where do I start' but I assume you're talking about my annoucement.' Anika will hand Macharius a notebook. 'Perhaps illegal is an overstatement but it's certainly a grey area.' 

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Macharius can be aware of everything in the Anika only part of Destro's last post.



'I'm working on a theory that, considering the complexity of what the Stalker does when they break in, it seems very likely that they have outsourced their tech expertise to someone else. While it's possible that they might have talked a random tech priest into helping them out, I would tend to believe that most of the Mechanicum wouldn't be that interested in getting involved. That leaves hereteks, and hereteks of the sort that someone might ask for help if you wanted to break into a noble household. My friends in the lower hive passed me a list of those sorts of people. I think we should try having a chat with them.'

----------


## Leon

++Gardening is not a strong area of knowledge i must admit++
++There are easier ways to remove things from a subject than with the tool in question i would hazard so it must be a external reason, to make a point or message?++
++What is the link, such as we know of all these people++

----------


## Haval

> ++Gardening is not a strong area of knowledge i must admit++
> ++There are easier ways to remove things from a subject than with the tool in question i would hazard so it must be a external reason, to make a point or message?++
> ++What is the link, such as we know of all these people++


'You may be right, but if there's a message it doesn't seem to be getting through. Perhaps that the Stalker doesn't care enough about what they take to bother investing in proper surgical tools. For all I know perhaps it's collecting trophies.'

On the links between the victims, 'That they were all Scintillan highborn, were prolific holders of parties, and didn't have a secure enough resisdence to escape the Stalker's attentions.'

----------


## PotatoGolem

Macharius relaxes slightly. That is... less illegal than I had feared. Especially if we're not actually hiring them to do any tech-heresy. I doubt any of them will confess to helping the Stalker, but they're a good start. Maybe they've heard something. I'll try to find less-ostentatious armor somewhere. How much gilding is too much, do you think?

----------


## Haval

Anika shrugs, 'Maybe just bring a cloak.'

----------


## Leon

> How much gilding is too much, do you think?[/COLOR]


++Any amount++

----------


## Blarghy

While the others attended parties and chased down leads, Kennoch kept watch on their lodgings...and brooded.  He thought that waiting for a renowned, deadly killer would occupy his mind, but as time went on without any incident, Kennoch couldn't help but sink back into his anxiety concerning Galimina.  He paced the apartments muttering to himself within his sapphire-encrusted helmet.  Shame and dread chased one another during his waking hours, and in his dreams, a well-dressed servitor joined the old host of Warp horrors.  

_I will report her,_ he swore again and again.  _When the time is right.  Soon.  Soon!  I...I will!_

And even under the best of circumstances, the young Navigator wouldn't enjoy having "just a chat" with any hereteks.  Not unless they were strapped to a torture device and destined for a bullet in the head afterward.  So it was probably for the best that when Anika arranged her meeting, Kennoch was on a shuttle back to the _Sting_ for a conversation with his own criminal.  Sargon might be a loathsome wreck of a man, a living cautionary tale of the Warp's effects, but Echo found him easier to comprehend.  If he took the time to dwell on this, that fact probably should've unsettled him.  

Nonetheless, Kennoch needed to get away for a bit and confess _something_ to _someone_.  If he wasn't ready to sign his own death warrant with the Mechanicus or the Inquisition yet regarding Galimina, then he could at least tell Sargon what he learned from the Astropaths and get the elder's thoughts in return.  

It felt good to escape the atmosphere, leave the dirt behind, and hear all the old familiar sounds of a mechanical environment.  The Rings relaxed slightly too, instantly more comfortable.  Isund stretched and smiled.  "Good to be back home, yes, Lord Castermire?"

Kennoch kept looking out the shuttle window at the approaching _Sting_.  Behind his helmet, he scowled.  _You damned Shrike.  All I wanted was to travel the galaxy with you and serve our captain together, but you had to go and grow a mind for yourself, and now you've condemned us all._  When Isund repeated his comment, Kennoch finally turned to him and managed a simple "Hmm hmm hmm."

The Rings exchanged glances, as they often had these past several weeks, and wondered yet again what was behind their master's strange behavior lately.  

But soon they were aboard, and Kennoch wasted no time hurrying back to his spire.  He took a wide path around the Bridge, having no desire to run into Hannabel--_She hugged it!_--and certainly not her special friend.  Kennoch's odd familiars bounded and flew and jostled one another playfully around him while he stiffly marched to his little fief.  The lower levels of the Navigator's tower were surely busier now, crowded with many of the Rings he'd hired near the Lathes.  Though, few of them probably had the nerve to venture up to the top where Kennoch performed his delicate work, and where he kept his obscene prisoner.  Sargon's ugly presence was the least terrible thing weighing on Echo's mind these days; when he ascended to the upper level and beheld the tank, Kennoch almost felt a bit of...if not relief, then familiarity.  The devil he knew.  

"Tell me tell" he ordered by way of greeting "what you know know you know about the Witch-Cursed World Witch Cursed."

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Macharius*

Macharius did the rounds of the social circuits. Knowing what he did about Edmund, it wasn't especially challenging to figure out who to focus on - old Military types. Macharius' Academy days proved quite useful, and he was certain that if he was still around next time Hamsha hosted an event, he'd be on the guest list. Unfortunately, _when_ that might happen was in question. The Stalker had got the nobility very nervous, and the rate at which social events were held was much lower than it used to be. 

*Echo*

The _Manticore's Sting_ could never have been said to be a pretty ship. Menacing, certainly, in the same sort of way that a shark was menacing. Long and sleek, with too many teeth. As he approached, however, Kennoch couldn't help but feel that the _Sting_ looked just a little bit smug, as well. Pleased to be sitting here, in the heart of Scintilla, without anyone the wiser as to what it carried within its cogitator banks. He was probably imagining it. Still, it was home, and he made it back to the spire without running into Galimina at all. Wherever she was hiding, she was content not to leap out at him, even if she probably knew he was here. 

"Why, young Castermire. I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me," Sargon said, taking his time to get to an answer. Infuriating, really. "Enjoying the planet? I've never had the opportunity to visit Scintilla, but by all accounts it is an interesting place. The Witch-Cursed World? I wonder why you would be looking into that place. Is that why you've been so distressed, or..."

He trailed off, watching Kennoch through the walls of his tank, then sighed as best he could, suspended in liquid. "No, no, it is not a place to make light of. One of the Stations of Passage, through the Maw, a system that for whatever reason keeps the storms at bay and provides a safe haven for travellers. Or safer, in any case, but you already knew that. You've come to me for less general knowledge, of course."

Sargon bobbed up and down in the tank, considering what to say next. "The most memorable thing about it is the sound. Like a swarm of insects, somewhere far away. You can't see the source, not even with our gifts. The astropaths can hear it, too, and it dampens their ability to communicate. It is a benighted place, a frozen, valueless ball of rock and ice. There is nothing of worth there, and no reason to visit, unless... but surely not. Not the Scholastica's commission?"

----------


## Blarghy

A hidden hive of ethereal insects, the symptom or scheme of some Warp madness, no doubt.  Kennoch's skin shivered as he imagined incessant _bzzzzzzzz_ing driving him to frustration over the course of his investigation.  Naturally, that would only be the start of his troubles, if he managed to locate the source.  Hardly a powerful revelation, that; Echo already told Macharius that if the job was simple, someone else would've done it by now.  

Sargon's eerie guesses shouldn't surprise him either, but Echo still frowned.  _He_ was supposed to be asking the questions here.  Sargon was trapped and under his power, completely at Kennoch's mercy.  Yet, that didn't always feel like the case.  

"...Yes yes yes," he confirmed slowly, "I was asked I was about the commission the and my Captain accepted Captain my Captain.  It is repayment it is for their reading their of the augur the augur.  They found they..." He trailed off, stopping himself; he could get to the vision in a moment.  Kennoch reminded himself that Sargon was supposed to satisfy _his_ curiosity, not the other way around.  

"The sound first the sound.  The insects insects.  I assume I normal humans humans cannot hear them cannot?  Clearly a matter clearly of the Warp Warp Warp Warp.  Is anything else known anything known?  Any results any, however imprecise however, from past experiments past or investigations or or or?"

He could've posed those questions to Xiao, but--although he didn't consciously think about it--Kennoch had higher expectations of a useful answer from Sargon.  Another issue that should've probably worried him.

----------


## Haval

*Macharius*

'Hamsha seems like the type who might be able to take care of himself if anyone can. Still, we could always warn him. Just in case.'

*Hereteks*

Through the Kasballica, Anika will attempt to discreetly contact each of the names on the list to see who got back to her first. It wouldn't do to arrange such meetings in public. She will also make some inquiries about Lady Charuv, who was likely to be the one name on the list she could probably find herself.

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Inquiry vs. Fel 47 (+10 Peer)
(1d100)[*43*]

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Echo*

"Yes, a warp phenomena. Most don't hear them." Sargon waved one hand slowly, so as not to upset his balance in the tank. "You've heard about the ghost ships, I imagine. Generally, any vessel that suffers that fate has very little information worth offering, but some can be inferred. The log entries are dated strangely, sometimes from hundreds of years past. I recall one instance of recorded access through an external airlock, from the outside, but regretably the salvage team that found that ship set it back adrift, and no deeper study could be made. Something is there, though. Something that interferes with astropaths, and our gifts, that disrupts the normal passage of time. Something that makes whole crews vanish." 

"I.. really must advise against going there, Castermire. They have scanned that tower, and found no life. I don't know where the astropathic beacon comes from, no one has ever investigated personally, but the sensor scans report there is no living thing there to send it. That, and the buzzing... the world is named cursed for a reason."

*Anika*

House Charuv was known to Anika, and finding the Lady for a chat wouldn't be terribly difficult. She was a minor heir, very low on the totem pole of succession, and unlikely to ever inherit much beyond a regular stipend from the house. Clearly, she'd decided to spend her time on other pursuits. Anika would be able to find her with just a house call, since her status afforded her the ability to do so. For the others, she sent off a few messages, and waited.

----------


## PotatoGolem

> ++Any amount++


Macharius laughs at Ravia's jest. He does switch back to carapace armor and scare up a black cloak to cover the more ostentatious gilded designs. 

Rather incognito, what? I could pass for some anonymous hive heavy in this getup.

He'll go with Anika on her house call, wearing proper attire. At least this inquiry required less skullduggery and stealth.

----------


## Haval

Anika will call upon Lady Charuv unannounced. 'Charuv will likely be the easiest to find so in this case scratch what I said. It's possible she's heard of you Macharius.'

----------


## Blarghy

Kennoch paced while Sargon talked; lately he couldn't help it, thanks to all his nervous energy.  Then, when the older mutant gave his verdict, Kennoch stopped and stared.

"...You advise against it advise," he repeated slowly.  His tone was coldly angry.  "You wanted me you wanted to explore the explore Space Hulk Space.  You encouraged you investigating the Augur the the Augur, when the Mechanicus when wanted it destroyed destroyed.  You you...you you you _were a pirate_ pirate!  But to help to help the Adeptus Telepathica Adeptus is too risky risky too risky for your taste for your?"  He threw up his hands.  "Why would I why be surprised be?"

He sounded a little...sullen?  Small wonder that a heretic--or anyone, really--would hesitate to join in his new expedition, but Sargon's opinion stung him for some reason.  He couldn't admit it, but Kennoch felt judged yet again, as he had when he decided not to board the _Lair of Transgression_.  What right did a Renegade have to shame _him_?  Of course, Kennoch was doing plenty of that to himself already.  In his deepest thoughts, he imagined Sargon's response to learning what the _Sting_ harbored.  What she had become.  When the time came for the Inquisition to storm this ship, would they tell Sargon (probably just before his execution)?  Would he sigh, shake his head, and say that he knew all along that the young Castermire would make this sort of unforgivable blunder?

_I'm still better than you!_ Kennoch raged.  _I know I am!  I...have to be..._

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Lady Charuv*

Starting with the lady was simple enough. Anika called at her home, which was modest by the standards of nobility, and was ushered to a sitting room filled with slightly too much overstuffed furniture. Seated on chairs one would have difficulty extracting oneself from later, and plied with tea served in porcelain cups with kittens painted on them, Anika and Macharius were greeted by a young lady in a frilly dress and powdered wig. To both of them, though, the outfit felt slightly off, like Charuv was putting on appearances and would have been more comfortable in something practical and utilitarian. The dress and wig were what was expected from high society, and she bore them awkwardly, sipping tea slowly and smiling politely as she waited for them to explain the purpose of their visit. 

*Echo*

"You misunderstand me," Sargon said, "By my estimation, the space hulk was considerably safer. Or, at least less of a gamble. What was aboard was largely known, the timeline available was known, and even if a mission aboard had gone awry, the overall threat to the well-being of the ship and her crew was minimal. The Astra Telepathica's bounty has existed for some time now, and has never been claimed. Never. To my knowledge, no-one has even tried."

The mutant sighed, a peculiar sound, when filtered through the fluids in his tank. "Do you imagine that I wish for you to die?"

----------


## Haval

Anika by comparison is making less attempt to dress up. She's only wearing a simple black dress with her Scintillan fusillier greatcoat over the top of it. She'll accept the tea gratefully while only briefly side-eying the decorative kittens.

'Thank you for agreeing to see us so readily Lady Charuv. I assumed with all of the disturbances that the Hive has been having that most people would be against us barging in unannounced. I have to wonder if your at all worried about the Stalker? Presumably you could find rooms in the Lucid Palace if you wanted to?' Anika will be watching Lady Charuv very closely as she got to the point. 

'I was told about you in passing. Do you happen to know who we've been working with lately?'

----------


## Blarghy

Damn Sargon and his logic; Kennoch's eyes flickered back and forth, trying to find a gap in his reasoning.  Had he made the wrong decision by encouraging Macharius to take the contract?  Was he leading them all into danger beyond their ability?  Not that it mattered, if Kennoch reported Galimina.  ...When he reported Galimina.  Yes.  Then again, sending the _Sting_ to a mysterious grave during an honorable mission would solve that problem.

_No.  No.  I must still tell...I suppose the Navy, at Port Wander.  Then why mention this at all to Sargon?  Foolish.  It doesn't matter.  Nothing matters anymore._

Sargon's question was easier to process.  "Don't you don't?" Echo asked softly.  "I took you prisoner took you.  If something happens happens something happens to me me me me, you might escape you might.  Somehow somehow.  Or at least least have your revenge revenge."

----------


## PotatoGolem

Macharius sips his tea with an expression of polite inscrutability. He's letting Anika take the lead here. Subtlety, after all, is her strong suit. As Anika speaks, he watches their hostess closely.

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Charuv*

"It's a concern, of course. I don't think they're about to come around in the middle of the day for a social call, though. Haven't all of the murders been at night?"

The lady hid a small smile behind her teacup. She hadn't reacted overly much, as far as either of them could tell. It was possible she was very good at concealing her emotions. Nobility tended to be, or at least the ones who lasted for any length of time. "I've been a little busy, I'm afraid, so I'm somewhat behind on the latest. Is this _more_ than just a social call, then?"

*Echo*

"Oh yes, I and my tank are highly mobile, and capable of affecting an escape at any moment," Sargon said dryly. 

"And yes, you've captured me. You have not, however, turned me in, and for this and many other reasons I am intrigued. Plus..." he floated closer to the near side of the tank, pressing his webbed hands up against the glass. "Do you have any idea how refreshing it is to finally have another Navis to talk to? Pirates, for all their merits in terms of accepting outcasts from polite society, are only human. They do not, and cannot, understand our path. Our trials. Navigators are the Emperor's chosen, and the fate of the Imperium is ours to bear."

He retreated, swimming a slow circle about the tank. "Some things are more important than being petty."

----------


## Haval

> *Charuv*
> 
> "It's a concern, of course. I don't think they're about to come around in the middle of the day for a social call, though. Haven't all of the murders been at night?"
> 
> The lady hid a small smile behind her teacup. She hadn't reacted overly much, as far as either of them could tell. It was possible she was very good at concealing her emotions. Nobility tended to be, or at least the ones who lasted for any length of time. "I've been a little busy, I'm afraid, so I'm somewhat behind on the latest. Is this _more_ than just a social call, then?"


'I suppose that depends what they want, but I take your point.' Sips tea. 'But no, this isn't a social call. Not that I'm opposed to those but I'm fairly busy at the moment. I've been helping the Commissariat with their investigation.' Anika will hand the Lady a dataslate containing images of the security system from one of the houses that had been visited by the Stalker. 'Can I ask what you make of this?'

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Scrutiny test
vs. Per 43
(1d100)[*66*]

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Charuv*

"Lord Hax's personal bulldogs? Not surprising they've taken an interest, I suppose." The lady flipped through the dataslate, evidently finding it difficult to hide her interest in the subject. "Expensive home security system, I have something similar. But what makes you think I would know anything about it?"

----------


## Haval

'I feel like most people wouldn't be so well informed, so well done you.' Anika smiles. 'I could show you my notes on our ships engines but I feel like I've proven my point. You've had an unusual education, or you've read enough to pick up a few things. Honestly I sympathise. Spire life can be dreadfully boring.'

Anika will put down her tea. 'From what I've heard you've been known to use that education to do the ocasional job. Which means we might no some of the same people. I've been away, so I couldn't say whose likely to still be active. Weaver was the one I used to work with, but there was Dillon and Golic as well. Perhaps Ellis?' Anika will name a few of the Kasballica fixers who she knew to see if Charuv responded to their names being mentioned.

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Charm vs. Fel 47 (+10 Peer Nobility) (+10 if etiquette) (+10 if assistance)
(1d100)[*69*]

----------


## Blarghy

There Sargon went again, casting himself as a loyal agent of humanity, or the version he served, anyway.  Kennoch's inner patriot raged against it.  The old heretic was a manipulative liar, following some plan that would secure his release and doom his captor.  This should be self-evident, mere common sense, and Kennoch would be the worst sort of fool to trust him, even a little.  But...that part of him was tired.  Its shrill voice grew raspy from judging Echo himself for weeks on end.  He could set it aside, just for a little while.  That was alright, wasn't it?  He could briefly join Sargon in feeling refreshed.  Emperor knew Kennoch needed it.  

"...I want to I want help the Astropaths help because they helped me they me," he explained.  "They read the augur augur the augur.  Alessaunder appears Alessaunder Alessaunder Alessaunder to seek Ascension to seek, which is no surprise no for a Champion for of Chaos Chaos Chaos Chaos, and he does he does bargain with powerful Hereteks powerful.  But under his hate under and his greed greed and his pride and is fear fear.  Of a shadow a shadow that approaches us approaches.  He plans to unite he plans humanity against it against.  At least least, the parts that remain remain after his Black Crusade Black Crusade, I assume I.  Surely he is mad surely, but what truths what has he seen seen all the same the same?  What could frighten what could Alessaunder Castermare Alessaunder?"

Kennoch looked away thoughtfully.  A moment later he added, "Before that meeting before, I also learned also that he excavated he a Knight-Titan Knight.  It is probably it is relevant to his deal relevant with Forge Polix Polix Forge Polix.  But I hardly remember hardly when I think think about the shadow shadow the shadow."

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Charuv*

"I used to know someone named Weaver," The lady admitted, speaking slowly. She finished her tea and set the cup and saucer on the table. "I suppose in your line of business, you get to meet all sorts of people. Am I to assume you haven't mentioned any of my potential acqaintances during the investigation, and you are here purely on your own initiative? Men like Weaver and Ellis don't tend to run in commissariat circles."

*Echo*

"A shadow in the warp?" Sargon fell silent, bobbing up and down in his tank and thinking quietly. 

"I cannot think what that would be," he said at last. "But it must be a grave thing, to cause someone like your fallen cousin to fear, or seek further bargains with the ruinous powers. He has excavated a knight-titan, and still fears that the power of such a machine will not be enough? I will consider this." Sargon waved a webbed hand.

"It is not relevant to the cursed world, though, except to explain why you feel indebted to the astropaths. I'd have advised against accepting such a form of payment, had I known, but I did not, and you have made a deal. We must prepare. Alessaunder and his titan engine are a problem for another day. I may have some suggestions as to precautions that can be taken, but... I, naturally, will be unable to carry out much of the work. I cannot leave my tank, and this task requires a degree of physicality."

----------


## Haval

'I don't see any reason to tell the Commissariat everything. Especially about matters that happened over a decade ago. And yes, I am here on my own initiative. I would never dream of making problems for you Lady Charuv. From what I've heard we dabble in some of the same areas, so getting you into trouble over it would be frankly hypocritical of me.' Anika will hold for a moment in case the other woman actually looked panicked. 'I am only interested in the murders, and perhaps in anyone who might be helping the perpetrator.'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Charuv*

"Well, thank the Emperor for small mercies, then," Charuv said. She straightened up, suddenly all business. "If what you want is a hand looking into this, I do have some experience, as you've already guessed. Not a lot of prospects, so you need to find ways to keep occupied. Glad you understand. I can tell you someone's tampered with that thing," she gestured at the slate, "but not what they did to it, unless I got an actual look at the system cogitator. Was that what you were after?"

----------


## PotatoGolem

Macharius sits quietly, observing the conversation. He's well aware that Anika knows more about technology than she strictly should. She's more useful in this negotiation than he is, unusually. Still, it seemed the time for subtlety had passed, so he may as well say _something_. He smiles. That would be quite helpful, Lady Charuv. We can also provide the security footage from the other attacks, in case similar changes have been made to them.

----------


## Haval

'Fresh eyes would be welcome at this point, but I was really interested in any clients, or potential clients, thar you might have had lately. I realise it might be difficult to narrow it down, but have you met anyone recently through your side job that you considered especially unpleasent to be around?"

----------


## Blarghy

He couldn't admit it, but Sargon's promise to think about the mysterious reading brought Kennoch surprising comfort.  Not that it should matter; they would never even make it to the Witch-Cursed World, let alone to face Alessaunder, because Kennoch would confess to the Navy at Port Wander.  Why bother with any schemes?  Maybe...he could record Sargon's ideas and offer them to his interrogators.  That was reasonable.  Someone else could make use of a good plan.  Kennoch relaxed slightly; yes, that's what he would do.  

"What do you what what what have in mind in mind?"

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Charuv*

"No, not me. Not for anything that would have worked on one of those." Charuv pointed at the slate again. "I'm reasonably confident in my skills, but I'm still improving. Mostly do small-time stuff. I don't think I'd be able to make something myself that could interfere with a system like that, but I could take apart someone else's. There's a reason those systems are so expensive. Pretty sure our mutual freinds know a few others more skilled than me. Don't bother with the Auditor, though. I'm sure they could do it, but they always go through a middleman, different people every time, they won't be able to tell you much about other clients as anything more than a set of job requirements."

*Sargon*

"We can place wards and barriers about the ship, especially at the airlocks. Pentagrammic sigils, to protect against incursion by daemonic or other warp-based entities. Protecting the entire vessel would take far too long, and require special knowledge that I don't believe either of us possesses. A few carefully placed wards will have to do." Sargon steepled his fingers, peering at Echo through the smudged glass of the tank. "That will still require specialised knowledge. I know a little, and can instruct you, if you desire. The first step to defeating your enemy is to understand how. The difficulty lies in knowing where the line is, and refusing to cross it. Humans and machines are negotiable, while Chaos can never be trusted. Remember that."

Switching to a less serious tone of voice, he added "Oh, as a second layer, it may also be possible to acquire blessed charms to distribute to the crew. Can't do that ourselves, though, you'll need a priest of the Ministorum to speak the blessings."

----------


## Haval

*Charuv*

'Don't put yourself down. If you were recomended to me I'm sure you are very competent.' Anika is mostly content to believe Charuv though. 'You're welcome to take a look at the footage from the other attacks. Some of it isn't especially pleasant but if you turn up anything interesting I'll see if I can find a way to repay you. People who can do what you do can be useful to know.' Since she had brought it up, 'Whether he's involved or not the Auditor seems like he might be the hardest to get in contact with. What do you know of him?'

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Does Anika trust her? 

Scrutiny vs. Per 43
(1d100)[*29*]

----------


## Blarghy

Kennoch's mouth became very dry.  'Machines are negotiable.'  The critical part of him raged again, seeing this as fresh proof of Sargon's sinister nature, while another side sat up with quiet interest.  

_No,_ he told himself.  It started out firm but then became a whine in his head, pleading with hope not to take hold.  _No, no, no, no, no.  I will not.  I will make the right choice, the hard choice, in Port Wander.  I will.  That is what I will do._

He licked his lips slowly.  After a pause, he nodded at last.  "Protective barriers protective are a good idea good," the young Navigator quietly agreed.  "Could one of one the ship's chaplains ship's create the charms create charms, or will I need will I a high-ranking minister high-ranking?"

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Charuv*

The lady didn't seem to be lying, as far as Anika could tell. It was possible she was just very good at it, but there wasn't a hint of nervousness, or like she was trying to hide something. 

"Competent, yes," she said, "but you'd need a bit more than competent to mess with one of those systems in a way that wouldn't trip any alarms. I'll take a look at what you've got and give you my thoughts when I've finished."

As for the Auditor; "I know very little. Perhaps more than most, but that's still not saying much. I'm not sure if they're a man or a woman, even. I know they came from some planet off in the Hazeroth Abyss, and that they're very, very good at what they do. They were probably Administratum if the name is anything to go by, but it could just be an affectation. I've heard there's some sort of grudge against the Mechanics, but not what it is, or why."

*Sargon*

"The ship's chaplains should be capable, but for high volume they might not be able to produce enough for the entire crew. They'd have time, given the distance, but..." Sargon shrugged. If he had noted signs of Kennoch's internal struggles, he wasn't mentioning them. "We'll still need to procure supplies, things for the barriers, it might be worth seeing if you can get a deal while you're looking."

----------


## Haval

'Unfortunately a grudge against the Mechanicus hardly narrows it down. Whoever they are I wonder if they'd be willing to talk to me.'

----------


## Blarghy

Economics were indeed a concern; Kennoch remembered the notice he'd received not long ago about the dynasty's finances, pushed by recent expenses, some of them his own.  He still felt that if he should spend some Thrones, then any materials that could save the very souls of the crew were a fair priority.  

"What do we need what we need?  I assume you you have a list list a list."

----------


## PotatoGolem

Interesting that they make themselves so hard to find and care so little about the identities of their clients. Are they ever known to turn a job down? How do prospective clients get in touch with them? A skilled...  Macharius politely avoids the word "Heretek," although there's a very slight pause as he finds another word, ...technician who cares nothing for who or what end they are serving seems like the kind of person our quarry would want to use.

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Charuv*

"Just the business," the lady said. "They don't take every job, plenty they've turned down as I hear it. In my opinion, they've got a lot to hide, and probably a lot to lose if people were to find out who they are. There's a whole process to go through if you even want to contact them. If you want someone who will take just about any job, though, you should ask Thule. Our friends mention him? He's been angling for an inroad to the Mechanicus for a while, he'll do anything he thinks will increase his chances."

*Sargon*

"I do, yes. You'll have to take this down, somehow. First, you'll need..."

The list was lengthy, including specific inks, scribing tools, and occult paraphernalia. Plenty of it Echo recognised, but plenty more was new to him, and it seemed like tracking it all down might be a major chore, even on a planet like Scintilla. Sargon was insistent though, that substitutions for certain items weren't acceptable, and the protective wards wouldn't work without them.

----------


## Haval

To Macharius, 'The important thing is that the right sort of person knows that you're a good technician. As for their morality I would say it depends on the individual.' To Lady Charuv, 'Oh Thule's on the list. Have you met him? How do you think he would react to being leant on?'

----------


## Blarghy

Part of Kennoch, the inner scholar-Navis, couldn't help but be a little thrilled to learn new occult secrets from an elder.  His depression kept him from embracing it too much, but he certainly paid close attention as he copied down the list.  He trapped it even further in his memory just by looking at the data-slate screen with his Memorance Implant.  When they finished, he took another look at Sargon in his tank.  

"Well well well," he said vaguely.  "Yes yes.  I will return I when I can when with the materials the with the."  Sargon was unlikely to get a _thank you_ anytime soon.

Back to the Scintillan markets he went.

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Charuv*

"We've met," Charuv said. "I think it would depend how you lean on him. He struck me as someone for whom the carrot would work a great deal better than the stick."

*Echo*

Many of the more common items on Sargon's list were easily available, but the esoteric ones were going to take some digging. Plenty of strange little shops sold things that the broader Imperium considered strange but relatively harmless, or lucky, but most of them were sham items, or insufficiently pure. You could never be sure if the powdered grox bone you were buying wasn't really just chalk.

----------


## Haval

> *Charuv*
> 
> "We've met," Charuv said. "I think it would depend how you lean on him. He struck me as someone for whom the carrot would work a great deal better than the stick."


'Well I assume he's ameanable to bribery. Otherwise Macharius has a very big stick.' If there was nothing else Anika will say her goodbyes. Before leaving she will repeat her hope that Lady Charuv could pass anything along from her assessment of the security footage. 'Otherwise please stay in touch. I feel like women in our position should try to help each other out where we can.'

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Nothing more to add unless Potato does


---------------------

After they leave Lady Charuv's estate Anika will address Macharius, 'I tend to believe that she's not involved, but it strikes me that we can always post a few armsmen to keep watch on the Lady's household. If she looks like she's leaving in a hurry for whatever reason perhaps we could have another chat.'

Afterwards Anika will see which of the names on her list is willing to talk to her next.

----------


## PotatoGolem

Macharius chuckles at the quip. I suppose I do at that. And the resources to offer some rather tempting carrots. Thank you for your time and hospitality, Lady Charuv. He takes his leave with an impeccable bow.

----------------------------------------------------------

Agreed. Pleasant or not, there's no harm in keeping an eye on her. Can you see if your associates will put us in touch with this Thule fellow? Rather speak to him before he gets spooked and runs off, if Lady Charuv lets any details of our little chat slip.

----------


## Haval

> Agreed. Pleasant or not, there's no harm in keeping an eye on her. Can you see if your associates will put us in touch with this Thule fellow? Rather speak to him before he gets spooked and runs off, if Lady Charuv lets any details of our little chat slip.


Anika will look into posting some armsmen somewhere where they could discreetly watch Lady Charuv's household before looking into getting in touch with Thule.

----------


## Blarghy

After the third time he wasted his efforts on not-grox-bone, Kennoch gave up on navigating these esoteric shops on his own.  He didn't particularly want to bring anyone else into his affairs, but it seemed he'd have no choice.  He called for a meeting, primarily with Macharius and Anika.  

"I have been I have making inquires regarding inquiries the Witch-Cursed World Witch Cursed and how we can and how protect ourselves protect while we investigate while we."  He neglected to mention the source of his information.  By innocent forgetfulness, naturally.  

"One of our defenses our should be the be should be mighty power of power the God-Emperor God Emperor Emperor Emperor God-Emperor, of course of.  I believe that that distributing charms blessed charms by the ship's clergy ship's among the crew the crew will provide great benefit will provide.  Our faith faith will protect us protect as it always has as always."

Kennoch nodded a few times to himself, comforted by this certainty.  Then he brought his gloves together with a pause.  "...But furthermore furthermore...  I have prepared prepared more targeted measures more for additional safety for.  I can inscribe I can barriers against Warp-predators Warp Warp Warp at key positions key across the ship across.  Similar to the similar marvelous Warpsbane wards marvelous wards that grace our grace beloved _Terminus_ beloved, although I cannot I cannot recreate such powerful barricades powerful here by myself by myself.  But I am confident I am they will still help they will."  

He folded his hands and drummed his fingers together with metallic clicks.  "Unfortunately unfortunately, I am struggling I am to locate all locate the materials I need materials.  These landbound merchants these are not sympathetic are not to the Void-Born to the or our budget our budget.  Perhaps one of you perhaps could help me help in this regard in this."

----------


## Haval

The details of whatever was going on with the Witch-Cursed World had bothered Anika as well, but she was a little distracted with other business at the moment. 'Do we know if the warp is definately the problem in that place? It's not like there's any records of people coming back to explain what's going on down there.' Anika is curious to know if Echo knows something that she doesn't. 'But it's not like it's an unreasonable thing to think, and I can't see anything wrong with strengthening our defences in principle. What exactly do you need?' Kennoch was a psyker so Anika assumed he knew what he was talking about in this case.

----------


## Blarghy

"The Warp Warp Warp Warp is _a_ factor is," Kennoch confirmed with confidence.  "There is apparently there is a buzzing sound buzzing that only psykers only psykers can detect can.  No one seems no one to know the cause know.  Surely something unpleasant surely.  But we will we discover and eliminate discover eliminate whatever the threat threat happens to be to be to be, for the Astropaths Astropaths the Astropaths and the glory glory of the Emperor Emperor Emperor Emperor."

_Or we would, if we didn't have an abomination lurking on board, and destiny waiting at Port Wander.  But these efforts will help someone else, when we're gone.  So.  Yes._

Echo got lost in thought for a moment, woke back up, and handed Anika his data-slate.  "This is this what I still need still."

----------


## Leon

++Aetheryic Bees mayhap?++

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Anika*

Anika put out some feelers through her contacts, but Thule didn't respond. The Auditor was willing to send a secondary to speak with them, and X-864 was willing to meet directly. Harmon's reply, when it arrived, was an extremely cryptic message, full of demands for assurances they wouldn't show up with any techpriests, and including oddly specific directions printed on a blueprint map of one of the hive sectors near his processing facility. It said he would know when they had arrived, and that failure to appear at the appointed time would be taken as conclusion of any potential business. 

*Echo's Search*

With Anika's assistance to grease the wheels, the search went much more smoothly. One of her Kasballica fixers was able to point her to a seedy midhive shop that carried most of the things on Echo's list, though payment for it turned out to be something of an issue. The shop in question functioned on the barter system entirely, eschewing money in favour of trades. Fortunately Anika was forewarned by her contact, and arrived with produce pulled from the ship's Arboretum, and a handful of spare weapons from the armoury that wouldn't be missed. The last item on the list was a set of Landrian deep-ocean pigment powders, which Anika was able to find in an upspire fine arts store, for a truly ludicrous price. Or, what would have been a truly ludicrous price for most people. Mentioning Macharius' name alongside a not-so-subtle offer to promote the store amongst friends before they left the planet greased the last few wheels, and Echo had everything he needed by the end of the day.

----------


## Haval

*Echo's Search*

Once she's handed over the materials, 'Please let me know if there's any sign it's working as intended.'

*Heretek Chat*

Anika will pass on the responses to Macharius and anyone else who might be present. 'Why do I feel that we're going to have to run down Thule at some point. Other then that I think we're obliged to look into Harmon Gex first. Although there's an outside chance that anyone that paranoid may try to kill us if we upset him.'

----------


## Blarghy

"I am curious I am to know as well know well," Kennoch told Anika, as his bodyguards carried the boxes of materials to the shuttle.  He admitted, "I have never I have done this before this.  We might not know might not if it works if _until_ it works works...or does not does not does not."

He was eager to find out, though.  Echo and his entourage returned back to the _Sting_, to Sargon, so the old mutant could confirm they had what was needed.  "Can we create can we the wards now wards, or must we wait must we if they are temporary temporary?  I suppose suppose I could practice I could for now now now."

*Anika*

And later, after Kennoch had gone, the shuttle returned with less Navis but more Rings.  They were hard to tell apart in their uniforms, opaque void helmets closed even in the safe atmosphere.  Two teams of six approached Anika; one of the two squad captains stepped to the front of the group and lifted their visor.  The slim, androgynous face had skin the color of ash and ice-blue eyes.  

"Lady Vanhal," the Ring said in a whisper voice, "Lord Castermire has placed us at your disposal.  For the matter of the Spire Stalker, or anything else you might need while on Scintilla.  We are ready to move now, if you want, or we can wait at the apartments until you call.  Just say the word, mistress."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Two squads (5 people each) of "Rank and File" Rings with 40 Characteristics, and two "Officers" with 50 Characteristics.  Their gear is listed on Kennoch's sheet under the *Personnel* section.  They'll do what Anika asks for the time being--though of course, they're sure to report what they've seen and done to Echo when they return back to him.

This mostly just for fun.  A little favor from Echo to show that he appreciated the help.  The Praetorians are much better equipped, but if Anika wants some weird assassins in her back pocket too, just in case, then now she's got some.

----------


## Haval

*Kennoch*

Anika is stony-faced at this gift. To the officer who spoke, 'I've never had so many bodyguards before. I will try and find a use for you. What's your name?'

----------


## PotatoGolem

Agreed. The one with the least qualms about what kind of work he does doesn't want to meet with us? Suspicious, at the very least. I would imagine all these people are eager to find new clients, especially ones vetted through your friends.

He chuckles at Harmon Gex's message. Bit of a paranoid nutter, don't you think? We ought to make sure we're wearing sufficient armor. And that we stay out of the line of sniper fire. Perhaps your new Ring friends can scout it out in the days before the meeting, so we at least have a sense of the terrain.

----------


## Haval

> He chuckles at Harmon Gex's message. Bit of a paranoid nutter, don't you think? We ought to make sure we're wearing sufficient armor. And that we stay out of the line of sniper fire. Perhaps your new Ring friends can scout it out in the days before the meeting, so we at least have a sense of the terrain.


'As long as they can be subtle about it. I can't see how Gex noticing them would help us.' Anika will give a questioning look towards the Rings officer at that last part.

----------


## Blarghy

> 'What's your name?'


The Void-Born smiled.  "Wren duCull.  This," they gestured to the other squad leader, a shorter but thicker figure, "is Granos Zophel."  He lifted his visor too, showing Anika sepia-brown skin on a square face.  A vicious scar splayed across his chin, up to a missing chunk from his upper and lower lips, so that he appeared to have a constant half-snarl.

"My lady," he nodded politely.




> 'As long as they can be subtle about it. I can't see how Gex noticing them would help us.' Anika will give a questioning look towards the Rings officer at that last part.


"We can perform this sort of task," Wren confirmed.  "Of course, success is never fully guaranteed, but scouting a meeting site in advance is typically prudent and low-risk.  Identifying possible escape routes or ambush risks isn't so aggressive as, say, hiding surveillance or weaponry.  At least in my experience.  Your associate might have the same idea and notice us, but if this person becomes angry about such a minor precaution, then I would suggest that they might not place a high value on your safety.  Or any value at all.  If there is a trap, I would rather that my team springs it in advance.

"_During_ the meeting, I strongly suggest that you let one team stay with you while the other hides close by.  This deception is more likely to upset your associate if we're caught, but they will very likely be employing the same measures if they can.  I doubt they'll ask for your permission, so why should you be any more charitable?"

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Echo*

Sargon reviewed the items Echo had brought back. "Yes, these will be adequate for our needs. The wards are Temproary, and will weaken with age. They should be done before we begin the trip through the maw at the earliest, but some practice would not go amiss. Make any mistakes now, when it doesn't matter. The hardest part is going to be showing you how to draw the proper sigils without any paper. Or diagrams." He sighed, producing a stream of bubbles that floated slowly towards the top of the tank. 

"Start with the simple ones, I suppose. Get something that can be moved to put these on, these are not the sort of thing you want inscribed in a navigation chamber. Shall we begin?"

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Roll an Int test.


*Harmon*

Anika and Macharius waited while the Rings did their scouting and reported back. When they did, the reason for Gex's directions become clear - the are of the hive he'd directed them to was riddled with traps and security measures, including servitor turrets, and the winding route they'd been given was designed to thread a safe path through the hazards. There were a lot of blind corners and tight spaces down in the bottom of the hive, with very little in terms of clear sight lines, and anyone simple trying to sneak through the area had a very low chance of successfully doing so without running afoul of Gex's paranoia. No doubt he changed the layout of the safe path regularly. He probably also had a few back ways in.

----------


## Haval

To duCull and Zophel, 'In case it needs to be said, no doing anything to get yourself killed and don't try to protect me when it's not absolutely neccessary. I can normally look after myself.'

*Harmon*

Deep sign on hearing of the Ring's scouting, 'Well. I believe the only request was to bring no Tech Priests. There was nothing about bodyguards or being particularly heavily armed. The only question is who goes first?'

----------


## Blarghy

*Sargon*

Kennoch called for stacks of paper and a brazier to burn them in; the warning against permanent markings seemed wise.  He even took off his elegant voidsuit to have clearer vision and manual dexterity without the bulky gloves.  Down to his robes, he sat cross-legged in front of the tank.  

While he worked, now and then Echo looked up at Sargon and pictured this scene in reverse.  Who taught the old mutant these skills, he wondered?  What was Sargon like as a young Navis?  What was he hiding from when he first learned to protect himself with arcane letters and rare powders?  But mostly he wondered, _Is this actually going to work?_

*Spoiler*
Show

Intelligence (51): (1d100)[*84*]


*Harmon*




> To duCull and Zophel, 'In case it needs to be said, no doing anything to get yourself killed and don't try to protect me when it's not absolutely neccessary. I can normally look after myself.'


The officers looked slightly uncomfortable with this, but they both reluctantly nodded.  "As you wish," Wren said softly.  "We serve at your pleasure, of course."




> 'The only question is who goes first?'


"Us, of course," Wren smiled.  "With your permission.  Perhaps a team in front and a team behind, since it appears that your clever associate hasn't left us with many good places to hide anyway."

*Spoiler*
Show

Really, the Praetorians and their good armor should be in the lead, but that isn't for the Rings to say.  They mostly just want to be in front of Anika.  And behind her too, and to the sides.  Like rings do.

----------


## PotatoGolem

Heavily armed and guarded certainly seems like the way to go. I don't adore the idea of walking into what could very obviously be a trap, but this heretek may have useful information. Perhaps a team of Rings out in front to scout ahead stealthily, make sure the path hasn't changed and there's no new traps, followed by us surrounded by the Praetorians and a small squad of armsmen. We don't want to be separated from the heavier guards if a firefight breaks out, and if it really is a trap he's not likely to spring it on what are clearly advance scouts. If he even sees the Rings, that is. Master Wren had a point as well- it's a good idea to have a shadowing team of Rings follow behind. Never want a potential enemy to know of all your forces, after all.

He pauses. What do these hereteks know of us? Is he expecting to meet a Rogue Trader and retinue, some bored noble, or has he just been given your contact information?

----------


## Haval

'Fine' Anika assents to being guarded. 




> He pauses. What do these hereteks know of us? Is he expecting to meet a Rogue Trader and retinue, some bored noble, or has he just been given your contact information?


'I'm not hiding who I am. It might help ensure people care to talk to me at all. If Gex is capable of doing his homework there's every chance he knows who you are Macharius, but I can't guarantee it. Do you think I should call ahead and seek to clarify some things?'

----------


## Leon

++You can tell them that the Magos has no interest in them and wouldn't see them even if we were invited++

----------


## Haval

> ++You can tell them that the Magos has no interest in them and wouldn't see them even if we were invited++


'I will be sure to pass that on. Perhaps he finds you intimidating.'

----------


## Blarghy

The two officers listened quietly, making no comment until invited.




> Perhaps a team of Rings out in front to scout ahead stealthily, make sure the path hasn't changed and there's no new traps, followed by us surrounded by the Praetorians and a small squad of armsmen. We don't want to be separated from the heavier guards if a firefight breaks out, and if it really is a trap he's not likely to spring it on what are clearly advance scouts. If he even sees the Rings, that is. Master Wren had a point as well- it's a good idea to have a shadowing team of Rings follow behind. Never want a potential enemy to know of all your forces, after all.


Wren nodded; they evidently found this sensible.  "You do have a tactical mind, Lord-Commander."

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Echo*

Progress was slow, at first. Sargon floated up near the glass, with his hands folded behind his back, and watched Echo work. He would describe the shape of a rune, let Echo draw it, and make corrections. For some of the more complex forms, he attempted to draw them in the residue clinging to the inside of his tank. The first of these turned out to be backwards, before he corrected himself and drew them all so that Echo would be able to see them the right way around. A finger was not a stylus, though, and scrawling in slime was not conducive to perfect form. And Sargon insisted on perfection. 

"For maximum efficacy," he said, during a slow point in which Echo was having difficulty refining a particularly challenging rune, "these must be absolutely correct. The enemy will seek any little crack it can find to worm its way in, any vulnerability it can exploit. The Imperium is right about that, at least. Draw it again, with a little more curve on that second crossbar."

Eventually, though, Echo began to grasp the runes. Every time he drew one correctly, it would flare to life in his warp-vision before fading until it was just a dim glow. The presence of the warp receded, around them, becoming more distant and harder to make out. It made Echo's eyes hurt, a headache building at his temples the longer they kept at this. Sargon noticed the signs before long.

"Means it's working. Uncomfortable, for those blessed like we are, but necessary." 

*Harmon*

The meeting with Harmon was, when the time came... interesting. The Rings went ahead and behind, with the Praetorians standing at Macharius' side. There had been no change in the layout of the traps, but when they arrived at the meeting place, there was nobody immediately visible, either. The chamber was round, the walls lined with rusted groaning pipes, faded lettering stenciled on their surfaces half buried beneath layers of dust and grime. Several of the nearby bulkheads looked rusted - or in at least one case welded - shut. There was very little light. After a second, a servo-skull detached itself from the gloom near the ceiling and floated down to head height, staring at them with a lens built into its left eye socket. 

"No techpriests, good, good, but you've brought half an Omnissiah-damned army with you. Ask for a meeting, show up with an invasion force, hm?" The voice, crackling and distorted, came from a vox-grille in the skull's mouth. "Strange way of doing business, I think, but who am I to judge? Glad I sent the skull first, though..."

----------


## Haval

*Harmon*

'It's an occupational hazard. They just follow us around for protection. If we were treating this as an invasion we'd have brought more men.' Evidently Gex hadn't looked them up.

'I might ask why you've taken so much of an effort to protect yourself from outsiders, but I can sympathise. A little paranoia in this line of work seems only justified.'

----------


## Blarghy

*Sargon*

Despite the grim subject matter and his distrust of Sargon, this lecture brought Kennoch a rare sort of peace.  He didn't offer any honorifics or forget the nature of their relationship, but the subtleties to his posture became less captor and prisoner, and more pupil and teacher.  He listened patiently.  Studied intently.  This was as it should be, and for a little while, he recaptured a piece of something long denied to him.  Kennoch remembered an apprenticeship cut short.  He remembered _her_.  

*Spoiler: Years Ago*
Show


He still wasn't Echo.  But today--finally--soon--almost--so close--he was very-nearly-just-about-going-to-be a Navigator!  At fifteen, Kennoch received a letter from his grandmother after years of being ignored.  His exile was coming to an end.  The young Navis read her message again and again while he waited, the days passing agonizingly slowly, but still less painful than the fury of dismissal that he'd long endured.   

In his best robes, he hurried through the station.  This was the last afternoon he'd spend aboard; the thought elated him.  Kennoch paused when he passed an observation window overlooking the spacedocks that stretched out like spider legs; attached to one of the piers was the fat little transport that had come to take him to his destiny.  She wasn't much, just a humble merchant ship, ferrying supplies from world to world.  The _Saint's Cup_.  Kennoch didn't mind.  He held no illusions of becoming some famous, daring traveler of new Warp-routes and exotic places never before touched by human feet.  A relatively simple life would suffice, so long as he could perform his duties.  

When he reached the correct loading bay, the station's familiar senior commanders waited to see him off.  Seg-Mirvest wore his usual mesh cloak, but also a blue and white dress uniform underneath with the Castermire colors.  He bowed and smiled.  

"We will miss you, Lord Castermire."  

Kennoch felt that he agreed, although obviously not enough to want to stay.  "Thank you, Seg.  You...you were good.  You've been good.  To me.  You did...a good job."  He shuffled a little uncomfortably.  

"That is kind of you to say, my lord."  

Kennoch made the sign of the Aquila, which Seg returned.  Then on an impulse, he moved closer and offered a warrior's handshake that he'd seen the Rings use.  Seg smiled more genuinely with a spark in his chilly eyes.  He accepted the gesture.  

"Be careful out there, lord.  The galaxy is vicious and unforgiving.  Remember what I taught you."

"Shoot first and once more than I think I need to?" Kennoch grinned.  

"Hah.  Yes, indeed."

Magos Vokim came as a greater surprise.  Kennoch couldn't remember seeing the Tech-Priest outside of his laboratory before today; he'd always felt that the gruff old creature had spawned right out of the machinery to fulfill a need.  But no, here he was, engaged in rare emotional frivolity.  

++Farewell, little Navis,++ Vokim said simply.  

Kennoch's throat tightened a little.  He'd miss Vokim most of all; without his help, Kennoch very likely might not have survived his intolerable house arrest, and the manner of his death would've surely taken many Rings with him in a flash of grotesque Warp-lights.  

"F...fare...well, H-Honored Magos," Kennoch managed.  He sniffed and rubbed his human eye.  "I will remember you.  Always."  

Vokim's head tilted slightly.  A thin hiss of steam issued from somewhere under his red cloak, like a sigh.  ++Very well,++ he replied, as if he'd been tricked into a bargain.  ++I will exempt our encounters from my decennial superfluous data purges.++

Kennoch took a minute to work that out, then beamed happily.  "Thank you, Honored Magos.  For all you've done."  This wasn't the right environment for a daring embrace, but he lightly touched Vokim's cloak in an affectionate gesture.  He took this last look at Seg and Vokim.  None of them expected to meet again.

Then he turned to face the future.  Officials of the _Saint's Cup_ waited to greet him.  One figure quite literally stood out to him, towering over the rest.  She was a very tall, very thin woman in Castermire colors, from her soft slippers to her headband.  

"Hello, nephew," Elizabella, one of his many aunts, welcomed him kindly.  

"Hello, um...my lady," Kennoch returned a bit clumsily.  He wasn't accustomed to another Navis accepting, let alone seeming to enjoy, his presence.  "I, I will...I promise to listen and learn from you faithfully.  To serve you as you serve the Imperium, in...in our sacred duties, to...um..."  He began to stammer and drifted off vaguely.

"It's alright," she assured him.  "I understand.  We will talk more later, privately.  There is much to say, to make up for lost time.  But now, you should speak to our Captain."

The Captain--_his_ Captain now, because Kennoch _had_ a Captain, because he was going to sail, because he was going to be a Navigator!  Emotions roiled through him; he moved his attention to a man in middle-age like Elizabella, but much shorter.  Despite his fairly ordinary appearance, he had the right dignified bearing and natural confidence.  A minor noble from a minor Scintillian family, the sort that many Navis would scoff to join, but to Kennoch, the man might as well be forged from solid gold.  

"Lord-Captain Dawir, sir.  Thank you, sir, so much, for--for agreeing to--I--in your service--I'll--I won't--I won't let you down, sir, I promise, I--"

Dawir chuckled with polite amusement.  "Yes, yes, happy to have you.  Welcome aboard, lad."

Kennoch smiled so brightly that it could shame the sun.  "Yes sir, thank you."  

Elizabella came behind him and put a slender hand on his shoulder.  "Let's go.  I'll show you the tower and introduce you to my other Secundi."  She led him forward, to step foot on a star-ship for the first time in Kennoch's...well.  First time in his memory.  And he couldn't be happier.  After the pain and doubt and bottomless fury he'd struggled to contain, Kennoch could finally experience contentment.  He'd never be renowned among his kin or the larger human populace; no one would erect statues to the Navigator of some little merchant vessel.  But that was fine.  He could be happy with a relatively simple existence, far as Navis standards went.  Kennoch had a place now, a teacher who would cultivate his natural skills, and above all else, he finally had purpose.  He wasn't blind to the dangers of that purpose, but he knew--he could feel it in his heart--that his life had finally turned a corner.  Now he'd become a Navigator, a real Navigator, and everything would be wonderful forever.  The end.

If you listen closely, perhaps you'll hear soft laughter from the deep dark between the stars.


Kennoch rubbed the side of his bald skull, digging at the pain with his fingertips, spreading ink from them to his marble skin in the process.  Black smears and drops already blotched his forehead and the side of his nose.  "I can accept I can pain for a purpose pain purpose," he assured Sargon.  "Will the real wards real be worse be?"  He added half-jokingly, "Are the Astropaths Astropaths down below us below suffering now too suffering without knowing why why why why?"  It was a roundabout way to ask how broad the effects could be.  If psykers could detect the barriers from a distance, then presumably Daemons could too.

*Harmon*

The Rings melted to the room's periphery.  Silent and still, they would wait like gargoyles in the nooks and crannies until either violence arose, or Anika called them into action.

----------


## PotatoGolem

Never can be too careful, of course. Only a fool would show up to a clandestine meeting and take no safety precautions.  I expect it's better for both us us that neither is a fool, what? But I assure you, our men aren't here to start trouble.

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Echo*

"The astropaths are sufficiently distant, for something this small. Locally, the real wards will be significantly more powerful, but that _is_ part of the objective. We cannot cover the whole ship, and so we must sufficiently reinforce points of entry. Hm. Might be wise to see if we can keep the Gellar field active, during our stay. I don't think it would be too much a strain on the generators, but I'm not an expert. Have to ask your Magos."

*Harmon*

"No? Even so, I do believe I'll be remaining hidden, for now. We can talk through the skull easily enough without exposing me to unecessary risk. A little paranoia in my line of work, as you say."

----------


## Haval

*Harmon*

Exactly. I assume that attitude explains your little problem with the Mechanicus. Our Magos sends her regards by the way. May I ask what sort of work you normally do? I would just like to check that I haven't been misinformed.'

----------


## Blarghy

Kennoch could only hope that any Warp-beasts would bother with traditional entrances, and not simply phase through the hull altogether.  All the more reason to follow up on Sargon's advice.  

"I will ask I will," he agreed.  "Even if even the Gellar Field the is a new complication new, the alternative is worse worse.  Little to gain little from conserving power from if we all we die in the process die die die."

----------


## Destro_Yersul

*Harmon*

"Normally, or _normally_, hm? I manage a pumping station. You probably mean the other sort, though. Work for your friends? That sort of thing? Odd little... side jobs, shall we say? I know all about your Magos, I'll have you know."

There was a pause, and a scratching sound like something being shuffled around. "Why have you come to me?"

----------


## Haval

*Harmon*




> "Normally, or _normally_, hm? I manage a pumping station. You probably mean the other sort, though. Work for your friends? That sort of thing? Odd little... side jobs, shall we say? I know all about your Magos, I'll have you know."
> 
> There was a pause, and a scratching sound like something being shuffled around. "Why have you come to me?"


Anika can't help being nosy, 'Is that so? Ravia's never been very forthcoming about her past. But getting to the point, I would like to ask you about any clients you might have had recently. I would add that I don't especially care about the specifics of any of these little jobs. Everyone has to work after all. But if any of these clients were involved in something that might bring attention down on you I presume you would prefer to know about it?'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

"You'd be right, I do prefer to avoid undue attention. Usually easy enough, down here. I haven't had that many recent clients, though. Business is down. If information is all you're after, though, well, easy enough. What are you offering for it?"

----------


## Haval

> "What are you offering for it?"


'Well what do you need? Assuming a job offer isn't enough.' Anika continues. 'As for the information, how much have you heard about the Spire Stalker? I would like to have a word with anyone who might be helping them with technical matters.'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

There was a long pause. Long enough that Anika was beginning to suspect the skull's vox system might have died when Harmon's voice came back, sounding both guarded and intrigued. 

"Money is the generally accepted form of exchange, but... what sort of job offer did you mean? I've heard only what filters down to me, on the Stalker, but there's plenty enough of that."

----------


## PotatoGolem

Macharius chuckles. Money, as they say, makes the galaxy go around, what? Certainly something could be arranged. And my colleague is always looking for useful sorts. WHat sort of information has filtered down to you, as you say?

----------


## Haval

Anika nods in agreement, 'I could always find a use for people who are helpful to me, especially if you have any interest in travel. I take it you didn't bother to look us up before agreeing to meet with us?'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

"I know who you are. Just confirming." Harmon said, a little too quickly. "If you can get me out of this posting and into something a little more engaging, I will tell you everything I know. No need to run through the obvious, yes? Crazed assassin, targeting nobility, wears some sort of enhanced flight suit. That's all public, or close enough. There was some rumour going around that it's Lady Hax, the governor's niece, but personally I don't believe that. She might have the motive but she doesn't have the connections to get the kind of tech the stalker is supposed to have. No contacts in the underworld."

----------


## Haval

'Oh, we're already ruled Lady Hax out. The rumours are as politically motivated as you might expect. More engaging then whatever you do down here shouldn't be that difficult to manage. Even if you don't have anything to tell me that I don't already know. Do you have a superior we need to talk to first?'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

"I can submit the forms myself. Another pawn will be assigned to this station if I leave," Harmon said. "Do you have any suspects? It would need to be someone with very good connections. Based on descriptions and what I've heard of the flight suit, it's almost certainly beyond Imperial ability to make."

----------


## Haval

'Would that imply xenos technology to you? Do you have anything concrete to justify that belief?'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

"Concrete? No. My suspicion is based on experience. It may not be entirely xenostech, just.. modified, or integrated. The Imperium is capable of making synskin bodygloves, and adding wings and glide systems to them wouldn't be that hard, but the more you put into the suit the bigger and bulkier it gets and the more power you need to run it, and the shots that I've seen have too slim a profile for that to be the case. There is at least one species I know of, however, that excels at miniaturisation. Jokaero. If you've run across a digital weapon, you've likely encountered an example of their work."

----------


## Haval

'I can't say I've run into them in person. Aren't they are hirelings of some sort? I suppose that ought to narrow it down. I take it their work isn't something that can easily be taught to humans.'

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Does Anika know much more then the basics on Jokaero
Forbidden Lore (Xenos) vs. Int 53 (+10 Talented FL Xenos)
(1d100)[*97*]

Does Anika know where she might find Jokaero tech or actual Jokaero on Scintilla. 
Common Lore (Underworld) vs. Int 53
(1d100)[*31*]

----------


## Destro_Yersul

"Not any more than you could teach someone to be a psyker. Jokaero skill is somewhat innate. For the suit at least, the Stalker would have needed to find one somewhere, or so I suspect. For their other devices.. well, the current rumour is they've got some means of bypassing security systems. I can think of a few people who could do that sort of work, myself included, but I can also tell you I haven't done anything like that recently."

----------


## PotatoGolem

Interesting. Dont suppose you have any idea where he found a xenos weaponsmith, what? Who else would know how to bypass security systems? And, now that i think about it, would reviewing the altered footage give you any clues as to who he's using?

----------


## Destro_Yersul

"I have no idea where she found a Jokaero. I also don't think altered footage would give me any clues. If you had the device that got used to alter them or mess with the system, maybe. Or a detailled description of how the system got messed with."

----------


## PotatoGolem

Hmmm. Who else do you know who would be capable of altering the footage? And I suppose our next step may be to see who is known to have a Jokaero...

----------


## Haval

To Harmon, 'Come work for us and you're welcome to look at all records of the Stalker. More eyes on them couldn't hurt.'

To Macharius, 'Criminals and members of the nobility presumably. Which doesn't really narrow it down. Or I suppose we could ask the Ordo Xenos. Perhaps they have records.'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

"On a good security system, not many. Or not many that _would,_ in any case. Apart from me, I'm certain The Auditor could do it. You've heard of them? They're probably the best, but Delphium Thule could do it too. Wouldn't bother with anyone else."

"I'll take your job offer, if it's a serious one. Things to do here, to prepare for handover. Where should I go when it's done?"

----------


## PotatoGolem

Macharius nods. That narrows it down. Thank you. DO you know how to get in touch with either of them?

----------


## Destro_Yersul

"I don't have a contact number for the Auditor, but they like using intermediaries. Thule's been hard to reach lately, but he does have a workshop I could point you at, if you want to drop in."

----------


## PotatoGolem

Perhaps busy with an important new client? Macharius smiles grimly. His location would be much appreciated.

----------


## Haval

> "I'll take your job offer, if it's a serious one. Things to do here, to prepare for handover. Where should I go when it's done?"


Anika will pass on her contact details. 'We have temporary apartments on the upper levels. Or I suppose you could come to my families apartments at the palace.'





> "I don't have a contact number for the Auditor, but they like using intermediaries. Thule's been hard to reach lately, but he does have a workshop I could point you at, if you want to drop in."


'About that. Does he take as much care to defend himself as you?'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

"Not last I checked."



The location Harmon had supplied for Thule's workshop was in the underhive, in an area that still had power and easy access to midhive through some disused ventilation shafts. It would be possible to pick through the tangled nest of corridors and fallend buildings that was the surrounding underhive to get there, but it was far easier to drop down the shafts. Easier, of course, did not mean 'safe.' The access ladder built into the side of the shaft was badly rusted, with missing rungs, and looked as though it wouldn't support Anika, let alone any of their entourage. Fortunately someone, probably Thule, had rigged a lift platform fixed to the walls by much sturdier wels, and supported by crossbeams fitted into slots left behind when the support struts for the massive ventilation vans the shaft once held had been removed. The platform was operated by means of a massive mechanical winch, with wires which down the cables to a control panel on the platform.

Unfortunately, the platform was currently on the lower level, twenty meters down from the maintenance gantry they had access to. There didn't seem to be any means of calling it. Beneath the platform, the shaft plunged into inky darkness, past shredded metal mesh and down to who knew what bottom. One of the praetorians kicked a discarded soycaf can off the gantry and listened to the echoes as the can bounced and clanged its way to the bottom. It was at least thirty seconds before the noise finally stopped.

----------


## Haval

Anika will put on her preysense goggles just to see if there was anything producing heat down there. 'It's like he's pulled up his drawbridge behind him. I'll bet this means that he doesn't have a backdoor though.' To Macharius, 'I suppose we could check to see if Thule answers his vox.'

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Auspex tests
Awareness vs. Per 43 (Awareness +10) (Auspex +20)
(1d100)[*82*]

Tech-Use vs. Int 53
(1d100)[*56*]

----------


## Destro_Yersul

The world through the preysense goggles was dark blue, only the other people in the shaft showing up as blobs of warmer red. Even the winch for the lift platform was dark and cold.

----------


## Haval

*Red String Board*

Since the Logis device had raised the party link, Anika has made an effort to collect names that had attended the parties thrown by the various Stalker victims. At the very least it might corroborate something eventually. Obviously the dead could be removed from the list, but otherwise she'll attempt to establish a list of anyone who attended each of the parties. For the most part she would expect the list to consist of various members of the Scintillan nobility so even if the list was quite large there might be a finite number of names. In theory the list could be reduced further for any name that could be confirmed as having an alibi.

*Spoiler*
Show


I reread the thread and made a to do list.

Writing the above in case it's useful to Anika at some point. Obviously it's taking the broad approach and there's no reason to think I'll get anything from it immediately. 



*Edmund Hamsha*

At some point Anika will call Hamsha and see if he was willing to meet with her. If neccessary, she'll lean on her own family connections to the Scintillan Fusilliers to help convince him.

*Thule*

'I can't see anyone alive down there. Which doesn't neccessarily prove anything.' Anika will retrieve her clip harness from her bag. 'I could lower one of you down I suppose. i'd do it myself but on balance I'd rather have someone with armour do it.'

----------


## Blarghy

*Thule*

The Rings waited hopefully for one of the better-armored Praetorians to step forward, but after a moment, Granos Zophel moved to the edge and looked down into the emptiness.  He turned back and volunteered, "I am prepared for this task, Lady Vanhal."

----------


## Destro_Yersul

Secured in the clip harness, Granos dropped slowly from the higher platform to the lower one. One of the Praetorians helped Anika feed the line, and after a few harrowing moments the Ring landed securely lower down. Nothing appeared from the shadows to attack. Activating the lift, the winch struggled to life, humming as it slowly spooled in cable and the attached platform rose up to the higher level. It wasn't large enough to hold everyone in the group, nor did it look sturdy enough to support more than a few at a time. 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

How many trips do you want to do? You can send the lift back up empty, but it'll only hold three people at a time on the way down.

----------


## Haval

> "I am prepared for this task, Lady Vanhal."


'Why thank you.' If there weren't any obvious dangers Anika will descend with any second group so she could have a look around down there.

*Spoiler*
Show


I'm not sure how many people we have total in the group. Anika and presumably Macharius plus some Praetorians and Rings


I don't know if we want to leave a rear guard but I'll leave that for others to decide.

----------


## Destro_Yersul

Anika and two more of the Rings went down first, now that Granos had cleared the immediate vicinity of the lower level. They were followed by the rest of Granos' team of Rings, then Macharius with two of the Praetorians. The others stayed up top as rearguard. The winch creaked and groaned, especially with the heavier groups, but the cable held and nothing obvious broke. 

While the platform was going up for Macharius, Anika got a look around the lower level, while the Rings spread out and melted into the shadows. The maintenance hatch off the side of the ventilation shaft entered into an antechamber of some sort with old rusted pipes hanging from the walls. A sump rat skittered squeaking away into the darkness as Anika approached, but there was no other movement. Battery powered luminators had been attached to the walls, a trail of thin light leading off down the corridor that went to Thule's workshop. Anika spotted a picter attached to the wall, but the power light was dark and the device looked dead. A thick steel door hung loosely from corroded hinges. It probably hadn't been able to close for quite some time.

----------


## Haval

Anika had been prepared to look out for defensive measures like the picter. At worse perhaps there were actual traps here to guard Thule's workshop but from the look of the place she was prepared to believe that Thule wasn't even here.

*Spoiler*
Show


Awareness vs. Per 43 (Awareness +10) (if Auspex +20)
(1d100)[*44*]

----------


## Blarghy

Thule might be--and probably was--gone, even _gone-gone_ in the permanent sense, but the Rings thought that hardly meant this place was safe.  Whatever drove away the original occupant or murdered him might still be around.  To say nothing of leftover traps that weren't set off during the prior assault that seemed to have occurred here.  

While his team spread out, shotguns in hand, Granos drew his mono-falchion and stood by Anika's side.  "If we find the man you're after," he spoke softly, "or whoever broke into his lab, I assume you want them alive for questioning in either case, right, my lady?"  He patted his strait-cape for emphasis.

----------


## Haval

> While his team spread out, shotguns in hand, Granos drew his mono-falchion and stood by Anika's side.  "If we find the man you're after," he spoke softly, "or whoever broke into his lab, I assume you want them alive for questioning in either case, right, my lady?"  He patted his strait-cape for emphasis.


'Yes. Try not to kill anyone who isn't trying to kill you first. Assuming there's anyone here of course.'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

Moving forward, it seemed increasingly likely that there was nobody home. The sump rat had scurried away, no longer registering on Anika's auspex, which wasn't picking up any other life signs either. The first proper sign that something _had_ gone wrong here was spotted by Granos, as he and Anika moved past the hanging door. A trail of dried servofluid on the floor led through a shredded grate on the left, into which a mangled sentry servitor had been shoved. Getting it back out would be difficult, but they didn't have to; another dead machine was slumped behind a stack of crates. Its heavy stubber still had a full magazine. Anika spotted more unpowered picters, and a bundle of cables - neatly sliced through - that helped explain why they were all unpowered. 

Strangely, the door to Thule's workshop didn't seem to have been forced. It was open, but undamaged, its lock disengaged. Easing inside, the group found Thule. Or at least, what was left of him. The shop had been ransacked, drawyers pulled out, papers scattered, screens and dataslates smashed. A Tarantula sentry turret, mounted to the ceiling, had been torn to pieces, its components and ammunition scattered across the room. Thule was lying in a pool of dried blood and torn robes, clearly quite dead. The attack looked like the Stalker victims Anika had seen previously, even at first glance. The tech-adept, who bore few augmentations to make the task more difficult, had been taken to pieces with a blade.

----------


## Haval

For a moment Anika will just exhale as she sees the body. She had seen worse, and it wasn't as if she was unfamilar with the sort of mess that the Stalker tended to leave, but this did have certain implications. 'I'd say someone is clearing up loose ends. Why else would they bother doing this now?' She'll spend a few moments trying to get some light shone around the walls of the workshop just in case the Stalker hadn't quite managed to get around to leaving the area yet. Assuming there's no obvious threat she'll go and inspect the body. To any of the Praetorians or the Rings who might be here (or Ravia for that matter), 'Do any of you happen to have medicae training? It would be nice to have a professional opinion on how long ago this happened.'

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Scrutiny to examine the body vs. Per 43
(1d100)[*98*]

----------


## Blarghy

Granos slowly shook his head, taking in this scene.  "I'm afraid not, Lady Vanhal.  We're more the type to create corpses than study them.  Would you like us to gather the documents and search for any dataslates or cogitators with a bit of life left in them?  Perhaps that would help you learn something."

*Spoiler*
Show

The Rings will carefully look through the lab; they aren't the Tech-y types, but they'll pile up any paperwork for later reading and hunt for machinery that's only mostly-busted, and above all else, any secret passages or compartments.  Let's hope that Thule has a hidden safe with all his incriminating evidence locked away.

Search (40): (1d100)[*61*]

----------


## Haval

'Every squad needs a medic. Perhaps we could work on that at some point.' Anika will help the Rings in gathering together the least broken devices. Breaking a dataslate didn't mean that the data on it was gone.

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Tech-Use to find find anything that Anika can salvage
vs. Int 53
(1d100)[*62*]

----------


## Leon

When the message comes in to come down to the planet again there will be  considerable swearing in binary and she will ask for a shuttle to be readied as she then sets some work group tasks for the the cohort and collects her favorite away servitor.

++I had hoped to be done with this place++

----------


## Haval

> ++I had hoped to be done with this place++


'Working on it. How do we all feel about bullying the Kindjals on the chance that something comes of it? Technically we don't even have to be there if we want to deny being involved.' Anika will say that over the command channel so that everyone can hear.

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Potato hasn't been online since the end of September so there are no other PCs with Anika to talk about this with.

----------


## PotatoGolem

Awfully rude of the blighter to get murdered before talking to us,  what? Interesting that she's  killed her tech-adept though. Clearly, she had no further use for him, but why?

We need as much evidence as possible before going to the Kindjals. What do you have so far? A mis-step could be quite unpleasant for us. It could also scare off the Stalker. Or have her skulking aboutthe ship, which is most improper, hoho! 

Perhaps your friends would be more willing to divulge who they put in touch with Thule now? It is quite rude to murder him after they make the introduction,  after all.

----------


## Haval

> Awfully rude of the blighter to get murdered before talking to us,  what? Interesting that she's  killed her tech-adept though. Clearly, she had no further use for him, but why?
> 
> We need as much evidence as possible before going to the Kindjals. What do you have so far? A mis-step could be quite unpleasant for us. It could also scare off the Stalker. Or have her skulking aboutthe ship, which is most improper, hoho! 
> 
> Perhaps your friends would be more willing to divulge who they put in touch with Thule now? It is quite rude to murder him after they make the introduction,  after all.


'Best guess is that Thule knew who she was. Which makes me curious to know if Thule bothered to keep records of his customers. The Stalker knew enough to cut the power to the cameras but I would be surprised if she stuck around for long enough to check for something that might incriminate her.'

On evidence, 'I feel like the record of a xenos in the woman's house might be enough by itself. I don't know how the Commissariat might feel about it but I can't see them being in favour. But if we don't want to do that purely as a fishing expedition I'd say we need to link the xenos in that woman's house to whatever Cold Trader brought it here in the first place. Unless we're to assume that it's been here for decades I'd say that someone on Scintilla is likely to know what it is and how it got there.'

On talking to the Kasballica, 'I can ask but we may need leverage to get their help. I would like to think though that Thule was useful enough to them that they'd prefer he wasn't murdered. Frankly if the Stalker is killing law abiding criminals whose to say she wouldn't come for one of them at some point?'

----------


## Blarghy

> 'How do we all feel about bullying the Kindjals on the chance that something comes of it? Technically we don't even have to be there if we want to deny being involved.' Anika will say that over the command channel so that everyone can hear.


Kennoch, being out of the loop on these latest developments and knowing nothing about evidence of xenos at the Kindjal estate, had a series of questions first.  Once he was informed, it should come as no surprise that the conservative Navigator was fully on board with bringing the Emperor's justice.  He honestly felt delighted at the opportunity to do the right thing by Imperium tradition; compared to the thorny issue of Galimina, this problem seemed straightforward to him.

"We should not should hesitate to impose hesitate the force of law force law on these corrupt nobles corrupt corrupt corrupt," he replied righteously.  "Even if they even if are not involved are not with the Spire Stalker Stalker Spire Stalker, their guilt is clear guilt.  Without proper permission proper, harboring a xeno harboring is a foul crime foul, and I am sure I am Lord-Governor Hax Hax Hax Hax will permit us permit to deliver justice justice."  Without any trace of irony, he reached down to pet Ms. Rana's furiously-pulsing head, as the lizard scowled at his nearby bodyguards.  

So, apparently Anika wouldn't have to worry about enlisting Echo and his Voidborn regiment if she decided to go that route.

----------


## Destro_Yersul

Digging through the ruins was a time-consuming task, made harder when you weren't sure quite what to look for. Anika grabbed a bunch of slates and things she wasn't sure were still viable, while Echo and the search team he'd conscripted went through the workshop taking a closer look at everything; there were no papers, Thule had lived in an area known for being damp with ironically poor ventilation, and every record he'd kept was electronic. Nor did the body turn up anything useful - Anika knew enough to tell that it was probably done by the Stalker, though the body WAS missing the cranial injury all the others had - she checked.

----------


## Blarghy

Despite managing a little progress, mostly collecting tech for the Magos and Seneschal to examine further, Kennoch didn't feel like he'd accomplished very much.  The cluster of warriors around him were also useful but distracting at the same time.  After a while of this, the frustrated Navis turned and waved them back irritably.  He walked alone deeper into the lab and breathed meditatively.  He didn't open his Warp-eye, but nonetheless expanded his senses, setting his worries aside for a moment to make space for his keen eye for detail.  He moved slowly, casually, letting his instincts pull him along rather than exploring under a strict methodology.  

_What are you hiding?  What ghosts and memories linger in this place?  Surrender your secrets to me..._

----------


## PotatoGolem

Macharius mostly stayed out of the for the search, although he had the Praetorians assist with the search. Shame about his poor record-keeping, what? You would think someone in his line of work would keep files on his employers, in case someone tried to do something like this. 

He thinks for a moment, then grins. Perhaps he did! Perhaps Thule kept secret records, undisturbed in his lab, and his killer didn't find them. And perhaps, in our search, we found them. And perhaps we're going to go to Lord Hax with what we've found, information that would unmask the Stalker and, of course, lead to the ruin of her whole family... He winks at Anika. I imagine the Stalker would be _quite_ upset that we'd found that information. Might make her desperate enough to risk an attack. Or even a parley.

----------


## Haval

> Macharius mostly stayed out of the for the search, although he had the Praetorians assist with the search. Shame about his poor record-keeping, what? You would think someone in his line of work would keep files on his employers, in case someone tried to do something like this. 
> 
> He thinks for a moment, then grins. Perhaps he did! Perhaps Thule kept secret records, undisturbed in his lab, and his killer didn't find them. And perhaps, in our search, we found them. And perhaps we're going to go to Lord Hax with what we've found, information that would unmask the Stalker and, of course, lead to the ruin of her whole family... He winks at Anika. I imagine the Stalker would be _quite_ upset that we'd found that information. Might make her desperate enough to risk an attack. Or even a parley.


'Just because we haven't found it yet doesn't mean there's nothing here. Perhaps Thule needed to organise his lab a little better.' After considering Macharius' plan, 'I'd be willing to try it if you are, and if we make this official it would give you a good excuse to network.'

----------


## Leon

++Well, what ever happened down here Thule wen to pieces over it++
++should have brought a medical mop++

Setting the Servitor to collate Thule particles Ravia will see about assisting with the survey of the chambers

----------


## Destro_Yersul

As they went through the place, something about this particular murder as opposed to the others became clear. This one hadn't been a meticulously planned, carefully orchestrated crime that was intended to be as close to perfect as possible. This one, the Stalker hadn't been worried so much about someone caring enough to do a thorough investigation. This was a smash and grab. In, out, get the job done, tie up the loose ends. 

Unfortunately for the Stalker, this meant that they'd gone through the place in a hurry, broken everything accessible, and not been as rigourous as they might have done. The first breakthrough was Echo noticing that one of the wall panels was inset slightly, and a pipe that ran down it wasn't actually connected to anything. Pulling on that made the whole panel slide open, revealing a ladder. The space at the bottom, which had apparently served as a combination living and monitoring space, was undisturbed. It was lit only by red emergency lighting, and the screens on the walls were unpowered, taken out by the same sabotage that had cut off the cameras, but the datastacks that backed up the recordings were intact. Anika checked the tiny kitchen space, only to find it was mostly just filled with stacks of ration bars. Ravia, though, was able to reroute the power through a secondary line. The emergency lights snapped off, replaced by harsh white flourescence, and the cogitators and screens powered up with a hum. 

Upstairs, the Rings were treated to the same return of power. A black box on the wall, that everyone had previously just taken to be a junction box, lit up. A timer appeared on a small screen, five minutes counting down...

----------


## Haval

Even if there wasn't any countdown down in Thule's panic room, Anika was likely to be alerted by the Rings that were still upstairs. *'Everyone who doesn't know machines start making for the lift.'* Finding this place had been a stroke of luck and she's not entirely willing to give it up yet. To Ravia, 'How are you at defusing explosives?' Anika will look into removing the datastacks as quickly as she could.

----------


## Leon

++Not Confident of any degree of Success++
++I would have better luck in expediting Data removal++

----------


## PotatoGolem

I suppose that's my cue. Praetorians! Fall back, double time! He turns and looks back. Do try not to get yourself killed, Anika. Awfully hard to make new old friends, what? With a chuckle, he ignites his jump pack and leaps away. Once he makes it back to the lift, he starts helping the Praetorians and Rings ascend with his jump pack and power board. He then waits at the top for Anika and Ravia to come back into view.

----------


## Haval

To Ravia, 'I assume it's a matter of finding the right wire to cut, but let's not push our luck then. Come help me with the data stacks. I'm not going to leave anything behind if I can help it.' Anika will do her best to mentally do the count in her head. They would only have so much time to get out of here.

To Macharius, 'I will work on that.'

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Going to leave any roll to Ravia with Anika assisting

----------


## Destro_Yersul

With the careful search operation very rapidly and forcibly turned into a smash-and-grab, the team set about stripping the lab as fast as possible. Several of the rings grabbed armloads of tech and damaged components and ran for the lift, while Granos oversaw the lifting operation on the much heavier datastacks. Unfortunately, there was no way to tell which ones had valuable information on them, and there wasn't time on the countdown to get them all, even with Echo's clever solution to boosting them up the ladder. At the very least, the navigator's implant would give them a perfect reconstruction of the scene as it was. That wouldn't save whatever was hidden on the lost stacks, though. There were simply too many of them, and they needed time to get clear as well, so they couldn't cut it too close to the wire. 

Working quickly, Anika ripped out wires, lugged servers, and piled armloads of material into the makeshift harness. By the time four minutes had passed, she had saved most of the stacks. There was maybe time to grab one more, but she risked cutting it very close on the timer.

----------


## Haval

Anika is fully aware that she's not much of an athlete and will regretfully leave the last the last few datastacks before heading for the elevator. She had no idea how big a bomb Thule had left behind and she had pushed her luck in staying this long.

----------


## Blarghy

Kennoch wasted no time in waddling hastily back to the lift, his voidsuit clanking all the way.  He and his personal guard didn't stop there; once they'd seen the lesser Rings bring their hopefully-useful cargo to safety, the Navis made for a shuttle.  A large explosion in the hive would presumably draw attention from the Arbites, even if they investigated more slowly than they might at the higher levels.  While Echo had full confidence in his Captain's ability to explain this situation to the authorities, he also preferred to hear about it secondhand, back aboard the _Sting_.

----------


## Destro_Yersul

Anika was the last one out. She made it to the platform and started up as a muffled boom echoed through the hall leading to Thule's shop. A wash of dust and grime billowed out of the open doorway. The walls rattled, and the lift creaked and swayed over the drop into the ventilation shaft. It kept rising, but halfway up the winch whirred, clicked, and went dead, the lift jolting to a halt. Anika couldn't quite reach the safety of the upper platform, and the winch was emitting some extremely distressing strained metal sounds.

----------


## PotatoGolem

Macharius springs into action, firing up his pack's thrusters to fly down to Anika and lift her out. He hands her the power board to hold on to as a sort of aerial life preserver as he pulls her to safety. I did tell you not to die, old sport. Falling to your death now would be quite insubordinate, hoho!

----------


## Leon

++A smaller boom than i was expecting but no reason to tarry now++
++Any amount of Boom will drawn unwanted attention even down here++

----------


## Destro_Yersul

The jolt of Macharius landing on the platform was too much for the tormented winch. The whole lift shuddered, and then the winch gave out with a crack and the lift plunged down the shaft. Macharius was able to grab Anika and rocket the pair of them back to safety, leaving the lift just as it began to fall. The echoing rumbles of the bomb detonating were now joined by metallic bangs and shrieks as the platform smashed past the stilled ventilation fan in a shower of sparks and clanged its way down the shaft. 

The walls hadn't stopped shaking, though, and as the rumblings grew more violent it became clear that the bomb must have damaged something structural to this sector, and the weight of the city above was straining to settle. The group made a rapid escape, followed all the way by the sound of thousands of tonnes of metal and ferrocrete settling behind them. 

Only once they were again safe did they have a chance to examine the materials they had taken from the now-buried workshop. The datastacks did indeed prove to contain notes and records of the people Thule had done work for, mostly codified. It would be exceptionally difficult to work out who all had done everything. There were also several video files, probably taken from picters he'd installed around the area, and audio from hidden vox pickups in the shop. Put together, a hidden clue to the stalker's identity was almost certainly here. The trick would be finding it.

----------


## Haval

Anika will spend a few panicked moments looking around for something to hold onto. If neccessary she only needed to hold onto something for long enough for one of the others to come down to get her. Assuming the ceiling wasn't about to collapse on all their heads anyway.

When Macharius arrives she'll wrap both arms around the power board even as the floor collapsed beneath her. 'Whatever would I do without you?'

To Ravia, 'I'm more worried about how much collateral damage we managed to do. But if Thule managed to set his bomb next to anything load bearing I'd say we don't want to be anywhere near the mess.'

As soon as possible Anika will try to get to somewhere where she can investigate the evidence they'd recovered.

*Spoiler*
Show


Tech-Use vs. Int 53
(1d100)[*70*]

----------


## Leon

++Thule likely wished to leave the Hive quaking at his passing++

----------


## Blarghy

Kennoch didn't have the skills for breaking codes and ciphers, but he diligently put himself in charge of audio and video records.  With cords running from the MIU in his skull to a series of dataslates and stacks, and the lens of his Memorance Implant hovering above screen after screen, he tried to piece together some information.  He sorted images of visiting clients by person, referenced the dates to make timelines, and paired the still-shots to their audio files from the vox.  Kennoch made a separate collection with the clearest and most direct picts of each person who came to the lab, plus of course, a pile all its own for any instance of the Stalker.  He used his own data, too--the records from his Memorance Implant--of the entire lab.  By the end of his work, Echo was conscripting junior officers to help him build a to-scale model of Thule's workshop and position simple miniatures of him, his clients, his servitors, and finally his killer, to demonstrate the movements of each person during their encounters, conjoined with their vox records.  The Navigator then presented his findings to the rest of the command staff for further analysis.  

*Spoiler*
Show

Trade (Remembrancer) (51): (1d100)[*97*]

----------


## PotatoGolem

Macharius knows when skills are out of his wheelhouse, and using technology certainly fits that bill. However, what he is good at is telling other people what do do. As such, he directs all non-essential tech-adepts and junior officers to assist the tech team in their work, so as to make the task more manageable.

----------


## Leon

On returning to the ship Ravia will deposit anything she was carrying related to the off ship excursion including the Bucket of Thule and disappear back to what she was doing prior to leaving. She will leave skull on station if anyone wishes to speak with her about anything.

----------


## Haval

Anika will spend some time accessing the recovered datastacks so that she could have all the relevant files in the same place before she passed them onto Echo. There was every chance that some of the data had been corrupted due to the way that they had recovered it and she'll do her best to clean everything up. She would just have to hope that Thule had known what he was doing.

Unfortunately there was a lot of data to work through. To the others, 'I believe that this is why the Administratum exists. Throw enough personnel at a research problem and they'll turn something up eventually. Of course we can't guarantee that the evidence we're looking for is even here.' Anika is well aware of how much of the datastacks she was obliged to leave behind. 'I believe I might take all this back to the _Sting_. Perhaps Hannabel's 'friend' can help us out.' Anika continues her habit of never saying Galimina's name where someone not in the loop might hear about it. 'Failing that I suppose I could see how many Tech Priests I can gather up.'

Before Anika returns to the _Sting_ she will call ahead. 'Hannabel, I think we're turned something up. The Stalker decided that her Heretek associate was better off dead in case he talked to us, but this person liked to record the people he was meeting with. Perhaps our new friend would like to review some of the footage.'

----------


## rax

"Did she now? That _does_ sound interesting," Hannabel replied. "I'm sure our friend will be able to help with that if I explain the urgency of the matter. Hells, I'll dig into it myself if she won't. Going stir crazy up here anyway..."

----------


## Destro_Yersul

Anika did her best to clean things up, but if they were missing or corrupted there was only so much she could do. Even without whatever had been on the missing servers though, there was a lot to go through. Fortunately for Echo's side of the work, everything was time-stamped, so putting it in chronological order was easy, and searching up the most recent recordings turned up a few clean images of the Stalker from before the cameras went down. You couldn't see her face, not entirely, part of it being covered by the suit, but she looked like a younger woman. There was enough for him to put together complete reconstructions of the event, as well. Echo got a pretty good idea of the Stalker's capabilities.. and that gave him some cause for concern. The suit must have enhanced her capabilities far beyond normal. The servitors had been armed with heavy weapons, and there were a handful of bullet holes in the walls, but no blood splatter. She had danced through the gunfire without ever being hit. She had also, as far as he could tell, torn the turret apart manually. There wasn't enough shearing to suggest primarily blade damage, and even the finest sword would have had trouble enough with the armoured turret anyways. 

So, they had a baseline comparison point, some worrying conclusions, and a huge backlog of files to get through. Which was where Anika's trip to orbit came in. Galimina was more than happy to assist, once Hannabel brought the question to her, and was uniquely suited to rapidly assessing data. They armed her with Echo's findings, and set her lose on the stacks. Within the hour, she'd come back with a conclusion. 

"This is your culprit, I am certain," she said, her head pivoting to the smile plate. In her hand, she held up a slate, displaying a recording from the workshop's picters. It showed a woman wearing leathers and furs, and a hood against the damp of the underhive. She was alone, bringing no bodyguards, but walked with a dancer's grace and carried a sword at her hip. Despite this, she seemed ill at ease with her surroundings, unused to descending to the Hive's depths, if she could help it. 

"My facial recognition patterns had some difficulty confirming it, as in the original image located by the Fate-Haunted One her face was much obscured, but I have taken comparisons from multiple angles and scrutinised the smallest details." She switched to a frown, and continued. "I believe, though, that this may complicate matters. The woman in this photo is... influential. If you take this evidence to the Scintillan authorities, they will ask where you got it, and that may implicate me. I wish to remain hidden, for now."

----------


## rax

"Who?! Who is she? You must speak her name!" Hannabel hissed, staring intently at the image.

----------


## Haval

On Scintilla Anika will watch the footage of the Stalker at work. 'That is not someone I want to meet in person. Maybe if Felidae was still with us.'

On the _Sting_ Anika will be in the room with Hannabal and whatever recaff she was able to scrouge up. 'Telling the Commissariat might not be neccessary, but I would be happier knowing why she has been behaving like this. I would be especially happy knowing that she wasn't going to visit one of my family at some point.'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

To Anika, the woman looked oddly familiar, though she couldn't quite place her. The reason why was explained a moment later, when Galimina answered Hannabel's question. 

"Lady Kindjal, the younger. The great-niece from Thracian Primaris? She has attempted to disguise herself using clothing to which she is unaccustomed, but it is her."

----------


## rax

"I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" Hannabel exulted. "The old hag is up to something and this is part of it!" she declared confidently.

----------


## Haval

Anika rubs her eyes at the sight. 'I suppose that explains the auspex readings. The Kindjals have a pet Jokaero in their house to build her tech for her.'

To Hannabel, 'But for what purpose? Is there any chance she's acting for herself? I can't see anyone who does this being the most well adjusted person.'

To Galimina, 'How easy would it be to doctor the evidence and pretend we found this information through Thule? For all everyone knows perhaps Thule had a backup camera.'

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

*OOC:* Hooray! Back to spoilers!  :Small Big Grin: 

"Do you remember I told you that the Countess is a survivor? She's been around a long time - longer than anyone has a right to, really. I don't know this "niece" of hers, but I'll wager that whatever's driving her to kill is tied up with some need of the Countess'," Hannabel replied.

----------


## Destro_Yersul

> To Galimina, 'How easy would it be to doctor the evidence and pretend we found this information through Thule? For all everyone knows perhaps Thule had a backup camera.'


"The concern is primarily the timeline. It is easy to say you got the evidence from Thule's shop - you did, you have the originals, despite a conspicuous smoking crater where the workshop used to be. The activities of the Fate-Haunted One can be replicated if necessary. No. My fear is that a trained investigator will look at the collection of datastacks, and ask how you got through them so quickly. How you found the evidence that was there, amidst a filing system you did not create or understand, without some sort of assistance. Given an unsatisfactory answer, it is my belief that the more suspicious of minds will begin to fill in the blanks for themselves, and they will not like what they find."

----------


## Haval

*Spoiler: Destro and Rax*
Show


'A member of the highborn training a member of their family to be an assassin? It's unusual but not difficult to believe. But it raises the question of what motivates the elder Lady Kindjal in the first place. Unless you have something specific to suggest on that matter?' Anika doesn't really expect an answer and moves on. 'The question is really what we intend to do about it?'

To Galimina, 'And we don't want anyone who knows what they're doing to be looking at us with suspicion. I quite agree. That just means that taking this to the Commissariat isn't really an option. Perhaps I could see if I can talk Macharius into dueling her in a public setting.'

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

"Assassin sounds so cool and professional, but I believe you've observed earlier that the killings weren't quick and clean, but quite savage?" Hannabel answers. "I think this smacks of anger or desperation, rather than cool premeditation. If I was to hazard a guess, I would say the Countess is trying to stave off her inevitable end, and the killings are somehow connected to that."

----------


## Haval

*Spoiler: Rax and Destro*
Show


'You make it sound like the niece is an extension of her aunt's will. What are the chances that she's not? I realise she's the heir but there's only so much bad behaviour that that excuses unless she stands to benefit from it herself.'

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

"I...I don't know for sure that any of my suppositions about the Countess' niece are true," Hannabel admits. "I don't know her, but I do know the Countess - much more than I'd like to," she sighs.

"Lady Vanhal - Anika - does the name Belisarius Cawl mean anything to you?" she asks with sudden intensity.

----------


## Haval

*Spoiler: Rax and Destro only*
Show


Anika has to think for a moment. 'Cawl the Wandering Magos? I've heard it's just a story, or at any rate it seems a little implausible if it's not. He's supposed to be some prominent Tech-Priest from the Scouring who appears in council records in connection with Guilliman, but what he was doing there I couldn't say.' In the case of Cawl Anika preferred to treat what she'd heard with some scepticism. 'The most entertaining part of the story is all the people who show up claiming to be Cawl in later eras. I'm not sure even one of the Mechanicus can live that long but I can't say I've ever been in a position to confirm it. All in all the story is about on the same level as the one about Vulkan still being out there somewhere.' Anika will watch Hannabal with curiousity. 'I really should ask where you heard the name? Or have you been reading historical works without telling me.'

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Obscure enough to be worth a roll

Scholastic Lore (Archaic)
vs. Int 53
(1d100)[*37*]

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

"I once..._worked_...with a..._person_...whose great hero was Belisarius Cawl. He would tell me endless stories of what a great man Cawl was - a great innovator, a _true_ scientist, he said," Hannabel replied in a muted voice. 

"This person worked with the Countess for a very long time. They had a common interest, you see - they both wanted very much to replicate the means by which Cawl is said to have lived far beyond a man's allotted lifetime - far beyond even what augmentations and juvenat treatments allow. Actually, 'interest' is putting it lightly. It was their obsession, the overriding goal in everything they did, and I...I put an end to all that," she confessed.

----------


## Haval

*Spoiler: Rax and Destro*
Show


'I don't have a problem with science but I take it this person's ideas are the kind of thing that the Ordos might have a problem with?' Anika will put down her recaff and move closer. 'And when you say that you put an end to their plans I take it you mean violently? Is this friend of the Countess still alive?'

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

"The Ordos, the Mechanicus, pretty much anyone of an orthodox persuasion," Hannabel replied with an odd little smile. "And no, I have every reason to believe he's dead - very, very dead," she added.

----------


## Haval

*Spoiler: Rax and Destro*
Show


Anika can put two and two together. 'In that case, well done. I sure he deserved it.' She'll briefly smile back.

'This work of the Countess. If she is using her niece to continue her ... research, can you say anything concrete about what they might be doing. If it's as you say I am open to the possibility that the murders are for something unusual.' And to get to the point, 'I believe you obviously, but is there any chance you have any way of proving any of this? I might not be as simple as calling the authorities on the Kindjals but remind me what reason do we have not to leak or fabricate something to encourage the Ordos to pay them a visit at some point in the future. I'm not normally in favour of wishing that upon anyone but ocasionally it's fully justified.'

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

"I suppose the Ordos might be an option this time around, now that it sounds like the Countess is harbouring xenos," Hannabel mused. "But I honestly can't say much about what the Countess is doing now. Whatever is going on, it's different than what I was...part of. The thing I _am_ sure of is that her goals will not have changed and that she doesn't have much time to find an alternative means of prolonging her existence."

----------


## Haval

*Spoiler: Rax and Destro* 
Show


'Well lets hope for her failure then shall we' Anika replied. 'Despite what I said earlier I wonder what would happen if we managed to get the younger Lady Kindjal in a public setting for a chat. Either she's with the Countess or she has views of her own. Whatever else happens it would put an end to this. Regardless, I think we should bring in the others at least on the matter of the footage. I would like to hear their opinions.'

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

"You mean tell them who the killer is? I see no harm in that - the "Fate-haunted One" might object to Galimina proofing his work, but I don't think anyone else in the command crew will care much," Hannabel smiled mischievously. 

"As for getting young Lady Kindjal somewhere we can talk to her, do you think she might agree to come on board the _Sting_? You could offer her a tour of the facilities where the Countess' pilgrims will be staying. You know, as a show of good _faith_ so that the Countess can be assured that her sponsorship is being handled with the respect it deserves," she suggested.

----------


## Haval

*Spoiler: Rax and Destro*
Show


'Well in truth I'm not going to avoid telling Macharius, and Kennoch at least has been helpful recently. That part isn't negotiable. I would like to give you the chance to listen in on any conversation and contribute if you feel like it even if its remotely through a voxlink. Your connection to the Kindjals is of course your own business and I'm not going to be the one to mention it.'

Anika grins a little at the idea of inviting the Stalker. 'I might end up trying that, but I feel like if she falls for it I would lose a little respect for her. Assuming she knows what we've been doing she might smell a rat.'

ooc - Going to open this up to the others before trying anything. If only because Anika might need Macharius to stand behind.

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

"I'll be here, listening," Hannabel answered.

----------


## Haval

Anika will return to Scintilla and arrange to meet Macharius and Kennoch in their rented apartment. A vox channel will be left open so that the others could be kept informed. Anika has taken to smoking, 

'First of all, Hannabal's friend has come through for us.' She will have found some equipment so that she could show the portion of the footage that identified the younger Lady Kindjal. 'I'm sure we would have found this out eventually but it did rather speed things up. If anyone has any reason to doubt the information I would like to point out that we have circumstantial evidence that suggests that the Kindjals are less then trustworthy.' Anika won't elaborate but has already passed on the evidence of the suspected Jokaero in the Kindjal's household. 'The question is what do we want to do about it. Hannabal's friend has pointed out to me that simply passing the footage to the Commissariat raises uncomfortable questions about how we managed to get it so quickly, so we might be obliged to deal with her ourselves. I suppose we could see if we can speak to her alone. Hannabal has already suggested we see if she's willing to come aboard the _Sting_ to oversee business to do with her aunt's contract. I would certainly be interested to see how she might respond, even if she tries to stab me.'

----------


## Blarghy

Mention of Hannabel's "friend" made Kennoch bristle and sink into sullen thoughts for a long moment.  He wondered what the Abominable Intelligence's game was.  Even if--_if!_--her conclusion was accurate, that only meant that Galimina's goals were served by advancing their hunt, which made the Navis quite uncomfortable.  Paranoia swirled around him, looming servitors grinning at this clever trap where he could neither trust the help nor entirely discount it, and behind them all in the dark was Sargon.  _"Machines are negotiable."_

_In Port Wander.  I will.  I will._

Gradually, Echo came back to the present.  "...The Stalker Stalker would not _try_ not and might not bother might to _stab_ to stab."  He produced his own dataslate and cycled through the images of this superhuman assassin ripping apart heavy turrets with nothing but her hands, as she twirled through hails of bullets that could not touch her.  "I think it I think an incredible risk risk risk to be in in the same _hive_ same as this killer killer killer killer, let alone bring bring her aboard the _Sting_ aboard."  

He paused here for a moment; he had the sudden but vague idea to somehow pit Galimina and the Stalker against one another.  A glorious but difficult arrangement that would probably still end with them all dying, but before she crushed his skull like a grape, Kennoch would feel such _relief_.  He filed that away for later consideration.  

"And yes yes, perhaps her strength strength and unholy speed speed is a function function of her suit suit.  Perhaps not perhaps.  Perhaps she would she find a way find way to bring the suit bring without our knowing our knowing.  Who can predict who can the Jokaero's capabilities the?  The Stalker knows knows we pursue her we.  Else why kill Thule why kill?  I do not do not think we will will catch her unaware catch.  If she comes she comes aboard the _Sting_ _Sting_ the _Sting_, it is because it is that is where that is she wants to be wants."

----------


## PotatoGolem

What a shocking and unexpected twist, hoho! The only person holding parties when the Stalker is about is the Stalker and her dear old nan. Especially given Anika's discovery that they own a Jokaero. Still rather unfortunate- she was quite a charming young lady 

He considers Anika's idea. Not a bad plan. She's unlikely to show up in  full xenostech battle armor, as that would publicize that shes the stalker. Perhaps we can negotiate with her then. If not, at least she wont have the element of surprise and will be heavily outnumbered.

He looks at Kennoch. You may be unfortunately right, master navis. Emperor knows what vile sorcery the beasts use. Still, unlike her other victims we know who she is and we are not caught by surprise. It is worth noting as well that she clearly fears discovery, or else she would not have operated in secret for so long. She cannot be so all-powerful as you fear, or she would have no reason to eliminate Thule.

----------


## Haval

Anika will watch Kennoch's reaction without expression. 'Whatever else she is, unless there"s a lot more going on that I'm unaware of, I am not afraid of her. And if it's only the suit that lets her do that perhaps I could take her myself without even Macharius' help.' 

She'll list some options, 'Aboard the _Sting_ I think she'll find it harder then she might expect. For obvious reasons. I'm not enthusiastic about letting her slaughter members of the crew before we bring her down though. I suppose there's always the cargo bay. All we'd need to do is to get her somewhere where we can expose her to vaccum, and ideally not get sucked out into space with her.' 

Alternatively, 'If we try something on the surface perhaps we should have an insurance policy. Either a good crewman with a long las 
or the largest explosive I can fit under my coat. Anything that might slow her down in an emergency.'

Anika will grin at Macharius' reaction, 'And that should probably be worth remembering. I'm not saying every member of the Scintillan Highborn is a murderous killer, but I'm sure its more then just her.' She'll look more serious, 'I can't say I know her as a person but I have reason to believe that the aunt is the real problem here. There's a certain amount of rumours swirling around what she might have been up to in private. That doesn't excuse the niece's murders obviously, but I'm open to the possibility that the aunt might have some kind of hook in her niece. All of which is to say that talking to her first might be quite revealing.'

----------


## Leon

##I'm still not sure as to why this is a concern of ours to deal with outside of perchance getting a look at this Xenostech suit and creator, the creator of course sounds more interesting than its suit but they are others in the Adeptus who would love such a garment to study##

----------


## Haval

'Because morality aside there are people who live here that I would prefer not to be murdered if I can help it. Although keeping them at the Palace might be enough to guarantee that that doesn't happen. If it helps you can have dibs on any technology we might recover from the Stalker.'

----------


## Blarghy

> 'Whatever else she is, unless there"s a lot more going on that I'm unaware of, I am not afraid of her. And if it's only the suit that lets her do that perhaps I could take her myself without even Macharius' help.'


Kennoch blinked slowly, looked down at his dataslate--now depicting an image of the Stalker casually tossing aside a dismembered turret barrel thicker than his arm--looked back at Anika, and blinked again.  

"Lord-Commander Lord Lord-Commander, I have seen I have you crush a Terrorax crush with a single blow single.  I will not will not question your abilities question.  If you believe if you you can defeat her you can you can, or if you if see some value some in negotiation negotiation, I will follow you I will as always always.  But I reiterate but my concern my.  Lord Hax Hax Hax Hax has ample resources ample to perform the perform same calculations as same the Helmsmadam's the...friend friend."  The word stuck in his throat for a moment.  "With Thule's datastacks Thule's, the Scintillian authorities authorities could surely conclude surely this investigation this on their own their own.  They would know they would that our help help made it possible possible.  We risk much risk for the sake the sake of generosity of.  I only hope hope the locals are grateful are."

----------


## rax

The comms crackle briefly as Hannabel interjects from the _Sting_. "_Why_ is she doing it - that's what I want to know. This is not vendetta, this is serial murder, so it's not a common tiff between toffs. The how and the who are now established - it's the why that makes this interesting in the first place. If we turn our evidence over to the Commissariat now, we not only have to explain why we're so sure the Countess' niece is the killer, we'll probably never find out the _why_," she says urgently.

----------


## Haval

Anika doesn't seem overly bothered by the image on Kennoch's dataslate, 'There are worse things then getting disembered. As deaths go it seems rather quick. For comparison perhaps I could see if Ravia has any picts of the Yu'vath construct we encountered. Personally I do not need any help to remember it.' She is certainly exasperated by Kennoch. 'I would prefer to avoid letting Alia Kindjal get the better of me, but at the same time I would be embarrassed to admit to being afraid of her.'

Anika will nod in agreement with the second point though. It was worth answering. 'That's the back up plan if the worst happens. Give the data to someone trustworthy so they can pass it on if they don't hear from us in a specific timeframe. As for why I don't want to simply pass the data on now, perhaps I have spent far too much time on this to leave it alone.' She'll pause for Hannabel's interjection, 'And that. At least by handling this myself I have a chance of finding out what the hell motivated all of this.'

----------


## PotatoGolem

Well then! Macharius claps his hands together. It's settled. We will set up a meeting with Alia Kindjal, and if we must die we will remember Anika prefers dismemberment and Kennoch does not.  He grins and voxes Williams. Williams, send a message to House Kindjal requesting that Lady Alia Kindjal meet with us at the _Sting_to discuss our upcoming joint venture.

An official meeting should make it rather less likely that she comes in full battle regalia. Or, if she does, make it clear she means trouble before she gets on board. In the meantime, we shall take necessary precautions. I want dead man's switches set up and ready should we drop out of contact for too long. Perhaps a copy of the data here with the captain of the _Sting_ and at least one copy with off-ship associates. The bankers of House Krin came highly recommended, are we are clients now. Unless anyone has other suggestions?

We also want more immediate precautions. I want platoons of marines ready to burst in at a moment's notice if they hear sounds of combat. She's a formidable combatant, but a hundred lasguns is still a hundred lasguns. Anything else? He looks to the command staff for suggestions.

----------


## Haval

Anika will grin and roll her eyes at Macharius' comment but will not otherwise respond to it.

To the rest, 'I would like to think House Krin can be relied on not to look at the data too early as long as we're paying them. Whoever we use I suggest we retrieve the data before we leave.' On plans, 'Would having a meeting in the shuttlebay be a little too obvious about our intentions? Having the threat of being sucked out into space hanging over her might help keep her polite. Otherwise, do we have a room on the _Sting_ that's large enough that we can post actual snipers, and armsmen who can shoot well enough to do the job honestly?'

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


If it needs to be said, Anika is immune to fear (1) on the basis of insanity. Feel like her response should be a little dismissive because of it.

----------


## Destro_Yersul

Williams set to work immediately, drawing up invitations for Alia Kindjal to visit the _Manticore's Sting_ and tour the facilities where the pilgrims would be staying. Anika put together an information package, with appropriate dead man's switches to set off delivery if anyone on the crew happened to die. House Krin seemed a logical choice, and they were assured confidentiality on behalf of the banking house when the "secure materials" were deposited. Macharius set about directing the ship's many armsmen. The ship wasn't equipped with properly large reception rooms, but outside of the shuttle bays there were at least two facilities large enough to prepare a proper ambush: The observation dome, with its armourplas view of the open void above; or the arboretum, and its winding pathways and abundant foliage. 

Each of the three options came with its own benefits and drawbacks, of course. The dome was largely open, an arena ringed by balconies with plenty of places for snipers to hide, but no cover on ground level where the meeting would take place. The shuttle bays were similar, carrying the added threat of hard vaccuum on the other side of their reinforced doors, but there were plenty of avenues of escape, including whatever shuttle she arrived on, and if the Stalker slipped into the maintenance areas, they would be hard pressed to catch her again. The arboretum had limited access points, plenty of cover, and high spaces for snipers, but was closer to the heart of the ship and offered more limited sight lines. They would only have one shot at surprising their adversary.

They would, however, be getting that one shot. Alia agreed to the meeting without overly much delay, and the final wheels were set in motion. As the hour approached, Galimina found Hannabel in her quarters. "Mistress, I am... concerned. I will do what I can to assist, but the Lady is an outsider, and if I am too overt in actions taken against her, she may escape with news of my true nature. That information cannot leave the ship, not yet. I am not prepared. We risk much, allowing enemies to come here."

----------


## rax

"That is why you should be nowhere near the Kindjal woman while she is aboard the ship. This is a matter for us human beings to handle. Only intervene if there's a violent confrontation and it seems that she is about to escape from the _Sting_. I suggest limiting yourself to slowing her down by activating intruder countermeasures along her path in the tenebro-maze. Even a locked door or airlock will buy us some time. You can do that without being near the action, can't you?" Hannabel suggests.

In preparation for Alia Kindjal's arrival, Hannabel has changed into a new outfit: a tight-fitting white bodysuit, decorated with silver thread in circuit board designs. Dainty boots end in steel caps and steel scales are also sewn onto the fingers and knuckles of her elegant gloves. Her features are completely hidden by a deep hood and a skull-like, bone white rebreather that covers her face.

----------


## Haval

Anika will do what she can to prepare. Anyone who might be in the observation dome will be issued with a rebreather in case of emergencies. She would like to think that the dome would be harder to crack but wasn't going to leave anything to chance. On the same basis Anika will gather up a handful of tech priests to get them to weld shut any alternate routes out of the dome even if it was just a maintenance tunnel.

Anika is dressed in her usual greatcoat which has long since been cleaned from the visit to Thule's lab. The coat bulges more then ususal though from the refractor field generator worn at her hip and the handful of xenos explosives that she is now carrying inside various inside pockets. On her belt is her recently acquired inferno pistol and an openly carried shuriken pistol. The xenos device was there more for show as she had yet to work out how to use it.

*Spoiler: Rax and Destro*
Show


At some point before Alia Kindjal's arrival Anika will go speak to Hannabel in private. 

'I assume you would have said something if you had any misgivings about the plan.' Anika sounds concerned. 'I would never suggest that you don't participate if we get into a fight, and you would certainly be more useful then I would be, but ... if you have any personal reasons to want to keep a distance from this woman I would suggest you do so. After what you've told me I'd say you shouldn't have to do anything that you might regret later.'

Ooc - One more bracket. I'd rather timesplit this if possible to not hold everyone else up. This is the 'redacted' alluded to in the ooc thread.

----------


## PotatoGolem

We shall meet her in the observation dome. Williams, let House Kindjal know we shall send a shuttle for Lady Kindjal. One of the nice ones, of course. Can't seat a lady ina  troop transport, even is she is a serial killer, hoho! And give the pilot some inconspicuous phrase to utter on return to alert us to whether she's in the full Stalker suit or not. Prefer not to be surprised by this sort of thing. When she arrives, have the staff show her to the observation dome with all due courtesy. And let's have some proper refreshments and food. Wouldn't want her to think we're bad hosts. 

Macharius prepares to meet her in his golden power armor, polished to a mirror-like gleam. It had the advantage of being extremely showy, and thus formal-wear appropriate, while also offering maximum protection. The thunder hammer and power sword hang at his side, ornate enough to look ceremonial. Almagor and Murphy stand nearby as un-obstrusively as possible for men in full power armor, each holding their meltaguns at attention. The other three Praetorians, after much grumbling, were spread evenly across the observation deck. A full platoon of marines was directed to wait outside the one unsealed entrance, with the Praetorians' old hellguns distributed to the best shots.

----------


## Blarghy

Kennoch reluctantly went ahead to the observation dome and would wait for Alia's arrival, under the pretense of enjoying the view.  He truly did like it here; outside of his spire, this was his favorite part of the ship, to the extent that he continued to stomach the _Sting_ at all.  Familiar stars distracted him very slightly from the heavy matters weighing on his mind, and in any case, this was nicer than the hive where he'd spent the last few weeks.  

He picked a spot on one of the lower balconies, where he could keep the ground level within range of his Hellpistol, and also be seen in his shining voidsuit, as a further distraction from the snipers.  Speaking of, he called for a dozen of his officer Rings to split off from their teams, take up basic lasguns from the armory, and lurk on the higher balconies.  Kennoch's personal bodyguards stayed near him, hunched low, and activated their Cameleoline cloaks.  Their job was primarily to throw themselves heroically in the Stalker's path if she came for the Navigator.  That might buy him a few seconds to reflect on his mistakes, but probably little else.

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Rax and Destro*
Show


At some point before Alia Kindjal's arrival Anika will go speak to Hannabel in private. 

'I assume you would have said something if you had any misgivings about the plan.' Anika sounds concerned. 'I would never suggest that you don't participate if we get into a fight, and you would certainly be more useful then I would be, but ... if you have any personal reasons to want to keep a distance from this woman I would suggest you do so. After what you've told me I'd say you shouldn't have to do anything that you might regret later.'

Ooc - One more bracket. I'd rather timesplit this if possible to not hold everyone else up. This is the 'redacted' alluded to in the ooc thread.



*Spoiler: Destro and Haval*
Show

"It's as good a plan as we can manage, I think, and now that she's coming I'd quite like to get a closer look at her. I'll join the welcoming committee and escort Lady Kindjal to the observation dome. That'll give me some time to take her measure. Once we get to the dome, I'll take my leave and find a spot to wait and watch...and then we'll see how things go," Hannabel replies.

*OOC:* Sorry, I completely missed Haval's spoilered post. 

And since everyone is listing their gear, assume Hannabel has her xenos mesh and conversion field for protection. For weapons, she'll bring her bolt pistol, a shard gun, and her bolo knife. Somewhere convenient in the observation dome she'll stash her combat shield and pulse carbine.

----------


## Haval

*Spoiler: Destro and Rax*
Show


Anika seems unconvinced. 'Right...but if you are set on participating and the worse happens perhaps you should you should let someone else be the one to ...finish her off. Given your mutual connection to the Countess, there is every chance that you might have something in common.'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

"I have control over most of the ship," Galimina told Hannabel. "I can slow her down remotely, and remain hidden myself. I should be present, to defend my crew, but... from what you have told me of this woman, I have concerns over her family's reach should they learn what I am. I will withdraw myself. I am large, and have many places I can hide myself."

Macharius recieved a message back that sending a shuttle to escort the lady would not be necessary - she had her own transportation. Not long after, the ship recieved a hail from a medium-sized gun-cutter on approach, saying that Alia Kindjal and retinue were prepared to board, and requesting clearance for one of the shuttle bays.

----------


## rax

*Spoiler: Haval and Destro*
Show

"It's _because_ of our 'mutual connection' that I should be the one to finish her off, if it comes to that. We may have _lots_ in common, but this ship is my home and its crew my family, and their safety _always_ comes first," Hannabel insisted.

----------


## Haval

On hearing about the Kindjal gun cutter Anika will quietly issue some orders to make sure the crew was properly alerted. Alia and whoever she brought with her wasn't to be considered a threat until they did something to deserve it but it was preferable that the crew was warned.

*Spoiler: Rax and Destro*
Show


'Then lets hope we can talk her out of doing anything unpleasant.'

----------


## PotatoGolem

That is... not ideal.   Macharius starts barking orders. Make sure we have marines stationed along every possible exit between the shuttle bay and the observatory. Seal what doors can be sealed, along with any vents someone could enter. I want vid-feeds of them as soon as they exit the shuttle and every step they take on board the ship. What automated defenses could we set up near the shuttle bay, in case they come looking for a fight?

----------


## rax

"Lord Captain, Lady Alia is of an ancient noble house. It is hardly suspicious for her to be bringing an honour guard of her own. If we do indeed want to talk with her and not simply kill her on sight, we should be careful not to appear hostile from the beginning. However, as she is arriving with an escort, it would not be amiss for you to greet her here with an escort of your own. You could then come to a mutual agreement to proceed to the observation dome with only a symbolic force of guards each. That way you would be showing her the respect due her house while disarming the threat of a large number of potentially hostile fighters roaming the decks of the _Sting_," Hannabel suggested.

----------


## Destro_Yersul

The _Manticore's Sting_ was not a ship that was designed with large shuttle bays, for mobilizing large fleets. It had a number of smaller bays, and limited capacity within them. It had, however, very much been designed with the potential for boarding actions kept firmly in mind. The ship's layout was confusing to those unfamiliar with it, with plenty of dark spaces and narrow passages. This made it easy to defend from hostiles, but also easy to hide in. There were innumerable access points and doors, and the Absalom marines scrambled to cover as many of them as they could with the notice they had. In terms of automated defenses, there was little available. The ship didn't possess large numbers of servitors, nor Tarantula sentry turrets, nor any particular number of servitor-guided weapon emplacements. 

What it did have, was Galimina. Upon Hannabel's advice, the servitor body of the ship's spirit had made itself scarce, but it was always there, and it had access to a staggering array of minor functions, as well as more than a few of the major ones. In a stand-up fight aboard the decks, it would be almost impossible for an invader to take the ship, provided that Galimina remained active and aggressive to them. Coming on board was more of a risk to a hostile party than it might seem at first, but even without knowledge of the vessel's nature, this was the domain of House Absalom. In agreeing to meet here, Lady Alia had taken a significant risk. 

The Kindjal gun-cutter touched down on the deck of the shuttle bay, settling onto its hydraulics with a pneumatic hiss. The pilot had oriented the ship backwards on landing, with the nose of the cutter facing the bay's enormous blast doors, and the rear ramp facing the interior of the ship. The ramp swung open, and the first of the Lady's retinue disembarked. These were big men, in full carapace armour and carrying hellguns, much like the Absalom Praetorians had been armed before Macharius splurged on a few equipment upgrades. They took up positions on either side of the ramp, weapons held across their chests, blank helmet faceplates scanning the bay. One of them waved up the ramp, and a couple of what appeared to be noncombatants emerged next.

Alia's lead scribe, accompanied by three robed and hooded attendants, was a hunched and wizened old man with an array of calculation augmetics and one hand replaced with scribe tines. These he idly tapped at an ever-spooling roll of parchment, the tail of which was gathered up and carried by one of the attendants to prevent its dragging on the floor. Behind him came the Lady Alia, escorted by a pair of footmen in livery, a handmaiden in a flowing dress and powdered wig, and a youngish-looking man in unassuming grey formal wear and goatee, with a pair of swords strapped to his belt. The lady herself was in a voluminous dress, with no sign of the Stalker suit present, though of course it could have been concealed somewhere. Rounding out the party was a grim-faced man in a duster longcoat and broad Metallican hat, a red-robed techpriest type sprouting with twitching mechadendrites, and a priest in a tall hat and white robes, probably Alia's personal confessor. The remainder of the cutter's complement of passengers appeared to have been filled with a squad of house guard troopers armed with shotguns.

----------


## Haval

> "Lord Captain, Lady Alia is of an ancient noble house. It is hardly suspicious for her to be bringing an honour guard of her own. If we do indeed want to talk with her and not simply kill her on sight, we should be careful not to appear hostile from the beginning. However, as she is arriving with an escort, it would not be amiss for you to greet her here with an escort of your own. You could then come to a mutual agreement to proceed to the observation dome with only a symbolic force of guards each. That way you would be showing her the respect due her house while disarming the threat of a large number of potentially hostile fighters roaming the decks of the _Sting_," Hannabel suggested.


'Agreed. If we can't do this aboard the _Sting when can we do it. We just have to be careful to notice if any of them try anything.'_

---------------------------------

Anika will accompany Macharius to the reception of the Kindjal party. As Alia Kindjal was bringing a retinue there wasn't really any reason not to bring hers. She will ask some of the Rings that she had been leant to accompany her on the condition that they hung back enough not to get in the way.

She'll try to watch their opposite numbers if she's missed anything interesting. The threat of the swordsman was obvious and Anika suspected she knew what was under the Metallican's longcoat, so she'll focus on the scribe, the handmaiden and the confessor.

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Scrutiny tests just in case its useful
vs. Per 39

The scribe
(1d100)[*86*]
The Handmaiden
(1d100)[*77*]
The Confessor
(1d100)[*85*]

----------


## PotatoGolem

I suppose you're right. Macharius grumbles. Not that I love the idea of letting her bring a pack of assassins on board my ship. Im supposed to be the one with the assassins, hoho! Still, it is interesting that shes bringing a retinue. Clearly, her... activities are well known in her house. She has no fear of being exposed to them. Step lightly, and prepare a transmission to the authorities explaining that Hose Kindjal attempted to prevent us from uncovering their activities against the other Houses, to be sent along with the other proof if she attacks or we don't check in. 

--------------

Macharius meets the newcomers with two of his Praetorians, only a small squad of armsmen behind them.  An attendant carries his helmet, in a gesture of goodwill. He smiles broadly. Lady Kindjal! So glad you accepted my invitation.  Truly a pleasure to see you again. May I offer you a drink? He waves over a servant with a tray of glasses, taking one for himself.

----------


## rax

Hannabel hovered discreetly behind Macharius and Anika, her features concealed by her hood and the mask of her rebreather. As Alia Kindjal came down the ramp, she watched her every movement, drinking in her appearance and committing everything to memory.

_Who are you?! Where did you come from?!_ she thought, her mind afire with curiosity.


*Spoiler: @Destro*
Show

Hannabel is carefully studying Alia, looking for any visual cues that indicate that she's another homunculus. If she is one, there should be some similarities between her own appearance, Alia's appearance and what how she remembers the Countess.

----------


## Destro_Yersul

Anika was reasonably certain that the scribe and handmaiden were what they appeared to be, and though they almost certainly had weapons, weren't likely to be a huge threat. The confessor was probably trained in combat, most ministorum preachers tended to be, especially adherents to the Drusian version of the Imperial cult popular in Calixis. Anything more specific than that, however, she couldn't pick out just by looking at them. 

"Depends on the drink," Alia said, selecting one of the glasses and sniffing it. "I'll take a ploin juice, no alcohol during business discussions." She smiled. "One of Auntie's rules."

*Spoiler: Hannabel Only*
Show

Alia, to Hannabel, looked strikingly familiar - the spitting image of some of the people she had once known. Her 'sisters,' and of course her own original appearance. However, she had seen images of the Countess when she was younger, and Alia looked a lot like that too. Genetic material showing through? It made sense that people from the same family would look similar, of course, but... was it a little too similar, with Alia? She couldn't say for sure, but was suddenly glad of her rebreather. In all likelihood, the similarities in their own appearances would not have been lost on Alia herself.

----------


## Haval

'Very wise.' Anika nods in agreement. 'Won't you introduce us to your friends Lady Kindjal?'

----------


## PotatoGolem

Macharius chuckles. I suppose that's sensible. Lady Vanhal makes sure I don't overindulge and trade away the fleet, what? He gestures, and a valet offers Alia a glass of ploin juice from a tray. Once she takes a glass, they offer refreshments to her retainers.

Macharius gestures broadly to Alia and her entourage. Welcome to the _Manticore's Sting_, dear guests.

----------


## rax

> *Spoiler: Hannabel Only*
> Show
> 
> Alia, to Hannabel, looked strikingly familiar - the spitting image of some of the people she had once known. Her 'sisters,' and of course her own original appearance. However, she had seen images of the Countess when she was younger, and Alia looked a lot like that too. Genetic material showing through? It made sense that people from the same family would look similar, of course, but... was it a little too similar, with Alia? She couldn't say for sure, but was suddenly glad of her rebreather. In all likelihood, the similarities in their own appearances would not have been lost on Alia herself.


 *Spoiler: @LCP*
Show

*OOC:* Hmm, I'm not sure where to go with this. I seem to recall that when Hannabel dropped heavy hints to Anika to look for family resemblances at the Countess' mansion, she noted no striking similarities between Hannabel and Alia. Plus of course, one would expect the others to note Alia's similarity to Hannabel if there was a strong resemblance. And yet, Hannabel sees these similarities very clearly. 

In your mind, what would it take for someone else to notice the similarity?

----------


## Destro_Yersul

"Of course," the Lady said. "My handmaiden, Agora, and my bodyguard, Quintus." She indicated the swordsman, who bowed. 

"Then my scribe, Isaiah, and his apprentices. He has served my family for many years, and handles much of our bookkeeping. Confessor Victus sees to matters of household faith, and Logitor Archanos is on loan to us from the Mechanicus, of course. Jonus is one of my security experts, a recent hire."

She turned back, apparently having seen no need to bother naming the assorted members of her household guard, or Isaiah's hangers-on. "And what of your party, Lord Captain? Doctor Vanhal I believe I have met, but there are others here to whom I've not yet had the pleasure."

----------


## Haval

Anika will nod politely in response to each introduction but will let Macharius take the lead. Aside from the threats they might represent, she would really like to know what the Kindjal's pet Tech Priest might be capable of discerning about the ship if they had the chance.

Anika does have some introductions to make. 'My secretary, Theresa.' She has brought Theresa with her, although her assistant is under strict instructions to get out of the way if anything violent happens. And there was the handful of Rings that she had asked to accompany her. 'The rest have been told to look after me after that business with the Orks.' Anika doesn't bother to introduce any of the Praetorians and doesn't even look at Hannabal.

----------


## rax

"Shanx, Master Helmsman," Hannabel introduces herself with a regulation Imperial Navy salute.

----------


## PotatoGolem

Ah, yes! Macharius gestures expansively. My seneschal Lady Vanhal, who you have met. Voidmistress Shanx, the master helmsman of my flagship and chief helmsman of the fleet. Commander Almagor, the head of my personal guard, and Praetorian Flannery, one of my veteran guards. Navigator Primus Castermire and Magos Del'Karro await us in the Observatorium. They are... less comfortable in crowds, hoho! Shall we head that way? Rather nicer place for a conversation than a shuttle bay, what? He turns to lead her out.

----------


## Destro_Yersul

Alia nodded assent, and her group followed Macharius' as he led the way through the ship. Alia herself stayed up front, near the rogue trader, looking about with interest as they wended their way through the ship. 

"Your vessel has an unusual layout, compared to others I've travelled on," she observed, as they turned around yet another narrow bend in the corridor. "Quite the maze in here."

----------


## Haval

Anika looks a lot more relaxed then she feels. 'The _Sting's_ previous owners made some interesting modifications. I'd assumed everyone already knew all about our ship. Does this mean that our reputation doesn't preceed us in this case?'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

"Dear Doctor, knowing of a thing and experiencing it firsthand are quite different, as I'm sure you're aware. I do, however, have concerns about the pilgrims being able to effectively locate their quarters." Alia laughed.

----------


## PotatoGolem

Macharius chuckles. It does takw some getting used to. Handy for uninvited guests like orks and pirates though- they never seem to find quarters either, hoho!

----------


## Haval

> "Dear Doctor, knowing of a thing and experiencing it firsthand are quite different, as I'm sure you're aware. I do, however, have concerns about the pilgrims being able to effectively locate their quarters." Alia laughed.


'Oh I'm very aware of that. Maybe assume that everything you've heard about the _Sting_ is probably true' Anika chuckled. 'Anyway, you get used to the layout and it doesn't actually change when your back is turned. I will look into getting some dataslates made with maps.'

----------


## rax

"With all due respect, Doctor, we don't want no pilgrims wandering about and disrupting day-to-day operations. They should keep to their designated quarters and exercise areas. No maps needed if everyone sticks to the rules," Hannabel interjected.

----------


## Haval

'Well there are different types of maps, but you're quite right. I would hope that anyone choosing to take a void journey would have more sense then to go wondering the lower decks of an unfamilar ship. I'm sure we're all heard the stories.'

----------


## Destro_Yersul

"You can, I understand, find all sorts of nasty things in the dark, lightless places of a voidship," Alia said. "They're much like hives, that way, if nothing else. As long as everyone stays to the places they should be, they'll be safe enough."

----------


## PotatoGolem

Indeed! Whole packs of nasty things, at times. The top predators believe themselves to be untouchable, the apex of their domains in darkness. Until the twistcatchers come and bring the light, of course. Then, they must prove themselves useful and non-corrupt or be purged. 

He chuckles. That may also not be so different from a Hive in its own way. We all serve the Emperor, no matter how dangerous or powerful. And for those who forget... He trails off with another chuckle.

----------


## Haval

'Well some people have been known to serve the Emperor in more unusal ways then others.' Anika added.

----------

