The Great Price (Game Thread)

[cross_grave]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

"Using Imperial Creed as a front... Despicable." Markus leveled a glare at the corpse. "If that was the case here, then perhaps this was exactly what he deserved." Any further comments, however, were cut off by the vox transmission. As he listened to it, the Arbite could swear he began to feel a coming headache. "This better not be what I think it is..." He sighed. "Well, let us return quickly. If our mysterious friends left in such a hurry, we should not waste time either."

 

[Caulder]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

"I am in agreement with the Arbite. We must move with all haste if we are to keep up with our quarry." Drake says, his vox speaker crackling near the end of his sentence, the last word barely discernible among the static, though he didn't seem to notice. "If I may make an observation. It is unlikely a Deathwatch will separate himself from his contingent so easily." his speaker says, once more the last word garbled somewhat from the static that occurs near the end of his sentence.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Mallia inwardly concurred that the use of a Creed as a front for illegal activity was deplorable, and yet, it was the basis of the Ordo Hereticus' existence. In an age where diviners were able to scan the mind of an operative and know in an instant who he works for and what sins he has committed against the Imperium, it meant that ultimately all heretics and criminals of actual threat to Ministratum were likely to work through fronts - manipulate fools and dupes into furthering the goals of the heretics without ever knowing the true reason why they were raising the market prices here or muscling in on warehouse territory there. It did not lessen her furor against heresy, but she tempered her emotions with reality. These were the methods of the enemy, and this was nothing particularly new.

Of far greater concern, she thought, was the presence of a xenos genestealer, out in the open. The entire spaceport would need to be swept with imperial guard units, if not the Adeptus Astartes themselves.

But that was no longer her problem. The acolytes were leaving. Their task here apparently done. She looked at the tech priest, mildly tempted to roll her eyes at his comment, but instead simply took it in stride.

"I merely relay the request of the Primaris, who speaks for the Lord Marshal and our Lord Inquisitor. However unlikely the Deathwatch are to abide by the Ecclesiarchy's request is a matter for the Space Marines to determine, and not for us to speculate."

 

[lurker]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Seraph gave a quiet huff through her teeth, but said nothing. The irony of the Imperium's high religious zealotry hiding it's own targets is not lost on her, though she thinks it is best she doesn't mention it in present company.

"It's comforting that the weapon may have been used by the proper owner, but we still have nothing but circumstantial evidence to that. It certainly wasn't the priest's escort by any rate. Still, if we are being recalled, we must make haste."

Much like the comments relating to the religious background of the dead man, she didn't remark on the request about the marine being asked to get brought up with them. Again, the issues with the Inquisition and Space Marines were lightly known to her, but she dared not argue with a direct order from either of them.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

The Marine sighed at Mallia's first comment, before making another vox-call. "Brother Zahariel, bring the Rhino around. We need to get the cell back to the spaceport in a hurry. As well as play interference, since it sounds as if that one Inquisitor may be on her way back down here."

A brief pause at Mallia's second question, then he added. "And if you can, have the name of that splinter sect ready. They have asked about it."

Finishing the discussion with his contact, the Astarte stood, addressing the group. "As for finding Brother Kenshin, that will not be an issue. I am he. From my own briefing about this situation, I can tell you that they have requested my presence is to stay at the spaceport and prevent Inquisitor Solaria from interfering with your tasks... Which she will attempt, if she can."

 

[cross_grave]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

"We are most thankful for you assistance, my lord." Markus expressed his gratitude. The Astartes was a very helpful one, despite the fact he was ranked quite a few steps higher than them, being one of the Emperor's Chosen. "And if I may ask... Why would Inquisitor Solaria attempt to interfere?" This puzzled him a bit. "We've been told she can be a bit... Rough, but surely not to the point of interrupting the Inquisitions own operations?"

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

"Perhaps not all Inquisitors agree with one another's methods," Mallia surmised in response to Markus' question.

Given that this Inquisitor Solaria's reputation preceded her, it seemed prudent that the group get to the spaceport ahead of her, and be on a craft heading back to rendezvous with their superiors. Otherwise they would be in for a longer stay on this rioting planet.

 

[lurker]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Seraph gave a chuckle at the Psyker's remarks. "The Inquisition can be a very competitive sect of the Imperium. I would not be surprised if this current scrape is over a simple conflicting of methods or minor dispute. Unfortunately, it could also very well serve as yet another distraction to our operation..."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

The psyker merely shrugged. Her knowledge of the true workings of the Holy Ordos and the Ecclesiarchy were sketchy at best. Like most acolytes, actual knowledge of the aggression between different Inquisitors, and indeed, the division of the Holy Ordos into various factions such as the Puritans and Radicals, was not in her knowledge base. Up to this point, the primary area of Mallia's interests had come in the form of not letting her head explode, or summoning the interest of various warp entities to her as though she were bloody chum in shark infested waters. The way the Battle Sister laughed about this, it seemed as though she had some familiarity with all this. Odd, given she seemed to be dressed as a rank and file grunt.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

"If we can get your cell to the spaceport and heading back to the cruiser in orbit without you having to meet the inquisitor herself, consider yourselves blessed. Or lucky, if you prefer that." Kenshin paused here as a vehicle's motor could be heard at this point. Soon a Rhino bearing similar colors to the bulk of his armor, including the same version of the Inquisition's seal, arrived and lowered its loading door. Kenshin gestured for them to get in. "Calling the inquisitor and her personality caustic and abrasive might be the... diplomatic way of putting things."

The marine driving the Rhino lacked the ornate skull-on-cross left pauldron that was on Kenshin's armor. Instead, it was the silver Inquisition insignia that was on Kenshin's right. That marine's right pauldron bore the same shield-and-bolt design that was on one of Kenshin's kneepads. Sitting in one of the passenger spots was a third marine, one who had the same pauldrons as Kenshin, although his kneepad, barely visible underneath a bone-white robe, bore a green background with a white sword pointing downward bordered by wings. In addition, this marine's helmet was patterned to resemble a skull. His attention was drawn away from the scroll he was writing on, only briefly, by the cell getting onboard.

Kenshin himself took the gunner's seat, adding, "To the spaceport, Brother, swiftly." Once the door was closed, the marine driving set the Rhino in motion, heading for the spaceport.

Once in motion, the skull-helmed Marine spoke. "The information will be ready when we arrive there."

Kenshin nodded. "I am sure these acolytes of the Inquisition will appreciate your work, Brother Zahariel."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Mallia stepped into the rhino transport and took a seat in the APC, awaiting the quick drive to the starport. She was not surprised by the description of the inquisitor. The Ordos took in all kinds of personalities, but none of them lacked for force of will. Those of a more Puritan mindset were insufferable to those within the Schola Psykana. They only suffered psyker's existence because the Imperium would fall without the guild of the Astropaths and the Navigator families. The sad thing was, Mallia didn't blame some of these Puritans for their views. An unsanctioned psyker - a witch - must not be suffered to remain unproven. For those who had experienced the wild whims of the Empyrean without guidance, it was only a matter of time until unacceptable levels of corruption crept in.

In Mallia's opinion, a relatively low percentage of nascent psykers were worthy of the gift, and its accompanying burden. But for those who were, for those who were walking the path of duty to the Emperor, she truly wished that the Puritanical inquisitors would back the warp off and leave the willworkers to their thankless work.

The description of this Inquisitor impressed upon her the desire to avoid meeting her entirely. She did not want to be singled out by an angry Amalathian, or worse... a Redemptionist.

"Thank you Brothers Kenshin... Zahariel."

 

[cross_grave]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Markus also took hit place within the transport, bowing his head slightly in a show of respect to the Astartes. "Thank you, my lords." He sat down in an open space, keeping to himself as he mused on the words of brother Kenshin. He did not wish to meet with the Inquisitor either. He had heard what kind of havoc some of them could cause. While zealous pursuit of heresy and lawbreakers was something he approved of wholeheartedly, he was not too happy about the "friendly fire" some of them supposedly engaged in. Hopefully the space marine would take care of things in case the cell's luck would prove to be bad. Though Argent had to admit that he was a bit curious - was there a specific reason why brother Kenshin was chosen to assist in the matter?

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

In short order, the transport made it back to the spaceport, and luck was with the cell. There were no signs that the inbound Inquisitor had arrived. Before the cell could depart, however, the Chaplain held out the now-finished scroll he had been working on. "Here. This contains the pertenent details on that sect one of you had requested. You should probably show it to the inquisitor you serve as well."

As the acolytes boarded their transport, their last view of the spaceport would be of Kenshin and Zahariel quietly conversing outside of the Rhino, apparently discussing the spaceport's defenses.

The scroll contained a few details about a sect of the Imperial Creed calling itself "Descending Light". While it seemed mostly aimed at spreading the word with some efforts aimed towards planets of import, the Chaplain noted that some members had been found wanting, either by the Inquisition or, in a small number of cases, himself.

As might be expected, once they were back onboard the cruiser, they were sent quickly in to meet once more with Inquisitor Varnias. "Well, I would like to hear exactly what happened."

 

[lurker]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Seraph had given the Deathwatch soldiers a incline of her head as she too had slid into the Rhino. Not recognizing the standard chapter livery on the pauldrons, she stayed quiet the entire trip, simply letting the information they had learned of and witnessed digest into her mind.

-

Seraph saluted before the Inquisitors when they arrived. "We received information upon the location of the priest from the Brothers in the Deathwatch Company stationed in the area. Unfortunately, before we reached the location a light landing craft jettisoned from the area, and all we found was a corpse of a man and a bolter casing from a Godwyn De'az pattern Bolt weapon." She halted there, expecting the others to wish to chime in on the briefing.

 

[Caulder]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Drake steps aboard the Rhino, chanting in binary cant and seeming lost to the world through the trip.

------

On the way out, he places a hand on the side of the vehicle, his binary cant sounding almost like he was praying before he switches to actual Gothic through his vox speaker. "My thanks to you for your assistance, Astartes. May the Omnissiah watch over you and your Brothers in battle." he says, following the rest of the group until they arrived aboard the cruiser, taking his own spot before the Inquisitors and hunching over, an errant spark running up the side of his Potentia coil. "As the Sister said, we found a decapitated corpse and a Godwyn-De'az pattern bolt shell. Upon closer examination of the corpse, I was able to discern that the decapitation was caused by a bolter round, which led me to the logical conclusion that the corpse, one Trantor of the Imperial Creed, had betrayed the Sisters in some way, leading to his inevitable death." he speaks, his vox speaker fading out as he speaks the last word, and a fine mist spraying from his neck vents, and giving his other teammates the chance to speak.

 

[cross_grave]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

The Arbite spent the trip in silence, speaking up only after the transport arrived at it's destination. Thanking the Astartes for their assistance, he moved on to the debriefing, wondering what the Inquisitor's reaction would be.

"The aforementioned Trantor was a member of the Descending Light." Markus continued where the rest of the cell left off, filling in the details he deemed important enough to warrant attention. "The Astartes themselves have identified the tattoo on the corpse. Shortly after the discovery, but before making visual contact with the Deathwatch, we were ambushed by a xeno, a Tyranid Genestealer. According to the results of a brief examination made by brother Kenshin, the creature belongs to a strain from a faraway world. Somewhere in Jericho Reach, if I recall correctly. We suspect it might have been brought here by someone to cover something up."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Mallia remained silent and let the others make their report, though if called upon to do so, she would relay the facts as she saw them, as well as mention the disturbing presence of what she believed to be psyker or warp activity near the location of the arvus' take off point, shortly before the sudden arrival of the genestealer.

She withheld any subjective opinion on the matter, as that was not her call to make. At this time, she simply wished to be allowed to return to her meditations and prayer until called upon again to serve the Ordos.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Inquisitor Varnias blinked suddenly when Markus mentioned the xeno. "Wait, did I hear that correctly? You said there was a Genestealer present?"

 

[cross_grave]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

"That is correct." Markus confirmed. "It ambushed us while we were investigating the scene of Trantor's death. Fortunately, techpriest Drake felled the creature with an accurate las burst at close range. Brother Kenshin arrived shortly afterwards and personally identified the creature." Argent had a feeling the Inquisitor would not like this bit of news. After all, the presence of such foul xeno was never a good thing.

 

[ShadowWolfSBI]

Re: The Great Price (Game Thread)

Markus' suspicion turned out correct. With a sigh, the Inquisitor placed his hands to his head for a moment, before lowering them, shaking his head. "Alright. I need to consider this for a bit. Leave anything that you might have been given about that sect. If you need it, there's a mess hall a short distance away."