Delphias watched as the shuttle bearing the Inquisitorial seal slowly landed on the platform. A boarding ramp to the rear dropped down, revealing a young-looking woman heavy armor. By her side was a taller man with the look of a guard veteran, as well as two hulking inquisitorial crusaders. The Arbitrator mentally lowered his opinion of her martial prowress. With that much hired help she couldn't be that great in a fight. Delphias strode towards the pair as the walked down the ramp.
"Welcome to Byzantium, Inquisitor." He reached out to shake her hand. His hand was trembling. "Things are not going well. I think we have big problems. Warp problems."
Malachi Zakur held out the cloak with Simone's psychic hood. The hexagramic wards shimmered and made the nondescript fabric shine. The Inquisitor took it and settled it around her shoulders. After the strange dream and the felling of foreboding it had left in her, she welcomed the comforting weight of the warded fabric.
She was wearing her full armor for the meet on Byzantium. Malachi had insisted and, frankly, though Simone preferred to dress simply, she hadn't argued this time. Her armor was light, almost just flex armor, in a dull bronze color. Runes and filigree were etched on in a deep cobalt blue. Her psychic hood completed her outfit as she wore no helmet. Sander and Lukas, her Inquisitional Stormtroopers met her and Malachi as they exited the ship.
"Warp?" she said the frown returning, wrinkling her forehead. She couldn't help but think of her dream and she shuddered. Malachi saw and moved a little closer to her. She shook her head and focused on Fedarsi. "Why do you say warp? What has happened here?"
Delphias laughed, but it was forced. "I think that's what you're here to find out. I don't pretend to understand your kind. I just know that something here is very, very wrong, and it is beyond my ability to handle." He looked the woman in the eyes. "I have reason to believe that there is an active cult on Byzantium that is manipulating the warp. In my experience, that means chaos."
Simone bristled a bit at his comment on 'her kind'. But reminded herself that a little righteous fear was a good thing. She nodded crisply, "Fine then, it is a good thing you have requested our help." she motioned for her soldiers to follow her, "I assume you have made arrangements for work space I require?" She moved out forcing Fedarsi to keep up. "Have you any suspects or likely parties?"
Fedarsi almost gagged. He looked thoughtfully at the matte-black repressor tank parked behind them. He gestured at it.
"There, M'lady, is your office, transport, and vox-center. It'll hold your retinue and me and Gorson, and has a military vox-caster in the forward compartment." The Inquisitor looked less than pleased. Delphias smiled. "Now, Inquisitor, the Mk.VII Repressor makes a fine command vehicle. I myself have overseen several investigations and prosecutions from the turret of this very tank. As for suspects... suffice to say that we have not made much headway." He would give her the prisoners later, but for all he knew they could just be gangers.
Simone was rather unimpressed as she surveyed the tank. She sighed, the Emperor tested and tried those he loves, she reminded herself. "This will do," She turned and gave Fedarsi an arch look, "for now." She walked briskly towards their transportation. "Now, I will require all you records on any rogue psykers you may have encountered in say ...the last three years. Especially any who are still at large." She ticked the points off on her fingers. "Also I will need a Sage, I will leave that selection to you." She said as if it were a privilege she were granting. She stopped short and looked Fedarsi square in the eye, "This will be resolved Interrogator Fedarsi. You have my word on that."
Delphias nodded. Inwardly, he wasn't suprised by the inquisitor's attitude. It was exactly what he was expecting and she didn't disappoint. He turned to Gorson. "I'm sure my second-in-command can find you a sage. Somewhere. In the meantime, I believe we have several psyker files at District command. If you'll come this way," He gestured back at the repressor. "we can get started." As he started towards the repressor, he stopped for a moment and turned to face Godschilde. "I would ask, Inquisitor, that you stay near your guards or my men. Accidents can happen...even to the best of us." Without another word he turned and got in the driver's compartment of the tank. Gorson followed close behind, and after the Inquisitor and retinue climbed aboard, they sped off into the evening light.
The repressor sped along the back roads of the hive, with Delphias attempting to bring the Inquisitor up to speed...
"...And six months ago a squad of arbites lead by Interregator Alexandra apprehended two rogue pskyers, gamma level, being sold in an underhive slave auction." Delphias winced as the APC jerked, slamming his head into the ceiling and he tried to continue. "The transcripts from their interrogations was extensive, as you can see. I believe we still have one of them in the cells waiting to be picked up by the inquisition." Again, he paused as the heavy cogitator loaded up new documents and pict files. "Then, of course, there's this bunch. We took them captives in a raid earlier today."
Simone nodded quietly as she scanned the information, her icy blue eyes darting back and forth. It was a bit hard to concentrate as the Tank jostled them roughly. Sander, the taller of her two Stormtroopers, looked positively miserable as he hunched almost in half. She had to repress a smile when Fedarsi knocked his head when the APC hit a particularly big bump.
She focused on the newest bunch of suspects more intently. If anyone had a connection to the Warp Portal, it was likely to be one of these. However this kind of Chaos activity would bring most of the unrighteous and lost souls out of the woodwork. It would be a good opportunity to bring a large number of lost back into the Holy Emperor's loving embrace.
She looked up at Fedarsi and fixed his violet eyes with hers. "Interrogator, " She made her voice soft and friendly, "the man you are seeking, this Judge Scaevola. What sort of man is he?" She was deliberately assuming that the man was still alive.
"Lucius was not a shining example of Imperial servantry. He drank more than he should, smoked everything that came in a pipe, and had the worst discipline in the force." Delphias said, idlely removing his augmetic eye's lense and cleaning it. "Yet for all that he was one of the most effective persecutors we have. I don't know. If he could kick the joy-girls out of his bed and get to work he had enough natural talent to make it work. And by the Emperor he knew it!" He laughed. "You know, I don't even know where he crawled up from. He joined before I did, and was a Judge by the time I reached sargent. Emperor knows who sponsored him for promotion. He almost never worked with a squad. I don't think anyone could stand him."
Gorson leaned in from the driver's seat, speaking to Delphias. "Do you remember that one day he showed up to range practice blitzed out of his mind and almost shot three cadets in the..." He trailed off, remembering the Inquisitor and seeing Delphias's glare. Gorson corrected quickly. "Scaevola was a fine operative with a history of serious discipline problems." He slid back the divider and disappeared.
She listened with interest as the Arbites described the missing Judge. They seemed to be stressing how debauched this man was. She carefully kept her expression neutral. An unhappy thought came to her and she turned it over in her mind before she said anything else. "So, he was certainly 'enjoying' life." She leaned forward giving the conversation an air of conspiracy. "How does that jibe with his quick rise within your ranks, Fedarsi?" She was taking a chance, she knew, using his name so soon. But she hoped he had relaxed a little during his recollections of Scaevola.
Delphias leaned back in his seat. He probably shouldn't be telling her this, but there was something about her words that just made him want to let go of his constantly guarded demeanor.
"You have to understand, Inquisitor- can I call you Simone?" He continued, "You have to understand, Lucius had a mind like a cogitator and the skills of a kasrkin. He would just look at the data-sheets and have a lead." Gorson chimed in again.
"And he was almost never wrong. It was scary. Add to that the fact that I don't think there were many as good in a firefight, and the ones that were didn't stay with us for long once the guard noticed them. Lucuis was wild enough to stay with us."
Delphias sat up suddenly. "That reminds me, Inquisitor. You'll need to get back to the Hall and interrogate the cultist who says her name is Aulus, she seems to be the leader. Her pre-interrogation questioning file is in your dataslate."
Simone sat back as the formerly taciturn Arbite suddenly opened up. He even presumed to ask for her first name! A shiver of sensation trickled down her spine. A small feathering of pain blossomed in her head. She shivered, and rubbed her hands together as if she were cold. "Of course, Interrogator Fedarsi, I am eager to get this situation resolved." She leaned back as the tank ran rough shod towards the base. There would be time to ask Fedarsi more about his Judge. A Judge who might have fallen from the grace of the Emperor and into the clutches of Chaos.
As she broke eye contact, the feeling snapped off like the flick of a switch. Delphias felt a familiar weight returning and he scowled at himself mentally. That would teach him to be polite. "Of course, Inquisitor. I'll vox ahead and notify High Judge Turpon of your imminent arrival. You should find the prisoner ready for interrogation when-"
Delphias was suddenly interrupted by a violent jolt as the tank slewed to a halt and threw all of the passengers around. "Gorson! What the hell are you doing up there?" shouted Delphias. Gorson poked his weedy face back into the troop-bay. "Delphias, that's rocket fire!"
Delphias swore and dove for the weapons locker beneath his feet. He grabbed a stubby shotgun and quickly donned his carapace armor.
He looked over at the two veteran guardsmen. "You two, you're with me. Gorson, get the Inquisitor back to the Hall." Quickly the three men dove out of the tank and into the street. The sound of gunfire filled the APC and was quickly shut off as the troop-hatch closed again.
"Don't worry, Inquisitor. Delphias and the guards will be fine. Just fine." Switching off the tank's intercom, Gorson didn't know who he was trying to convince...
Some time before...Somewhere else...
Dahlia stood in the center of a massive chamber, her hair had been pulled out from the braid and lay in a mass of unruly curls about her shoulders. It was so dark she couldn't see her hand if she held it to the tip of her nose. She could feel the cold concrete beneath the soft soles of her boots, and despite herself she squirmed; toes curling and stretching in her boots. She was not alone.
Suddenly a spotlight cut through the darkness, Dahlia was nearly blinded as her eyes were forced to readjust. She could make out a looming ivory pedestal, atop it sat three shadowy figures. Their ominous silhouettes were enough to make her heart stop, her eyes were averted the moment a voice broke the silence.
"Dahlia, Apprentice assassin of the Callidus Temple, kneel before the Council of the Triumvarate."
Falling gracefully to her right knee the young woman brought her hands and gently crossed them over her left thigh. She bowed her head with respect, a curtain of ebony falling forward to obscure her face, which had been drained of all color. Her heart was thudding against her chest, surely they could hear it. Taking a deep breath she forced herself to be calm, at an unsettling rate her heart was slowed; she would not shame herself any further.
A second voice, feminine but stern spoke next, "Do you know why you have been called before the Triumverate, apprentice?"
Her head lifted a fraction of an inch; slowly she ground out the words as if she were sickened by them. "I have acted without restraint, my conduct with Apprentice Yula, unacceptable." She fought the urge to bite her lip, she felt as if she were about to be scolded like a little child. In comparison to such talent, she was.
The first voice spoke again, "We have reviewed your file. Your skills are impressive. Combat capabilities, sensitivity to Polymorphine, all marked at the top of your class..."
"But you lack discipline," The second voice said.
"Self-control," A third voice rang out. "An operative of the Officio Assassinorum must be in control of every situation..."
The first voice continued, "If you are not in control of yourself, how can you be expected to control others?"
Somewhere within the catacombs of her mind Hema stirred, she scoffed and tried to wrestle free; to regain control. A painful sensation began to prickle at the base of Dahlias skull as she silenced Hema. Control would belong the voice of reason, it must. Swallowing softly she took the criticism and remained silent as long as she could. The inner struggle seemed to stop, but as she opened her mouth her voice was a bit different, smoother, like black silk. "I am in control."
"Are you?" The second voice asked.
"Or perhaps which of you is more appropriate..." The third added.
At a gesture from the first, the other two silenced. The first voice continued, "You will be expected to spend a long time under deep cover. Posing in another's identity, sometimes one not even human. We must be sure you are psychologically equipped to handle that, Apprentice."
She was somewhat startled at the Triumvarate questioned which of herselves was best, but she knew she had the skills demanded of her. Hema snarled, a volt of pain shot through Dahlia's skull as her eyes began to rise, crawling slowly up the steps of the pedestal. "I have been trained to serve the Holy Emperor. I am more than capable of rising to the occasion. I have given my very soul to the cause and shall not waver in my devotion." Fingernails pricked the fabric of her second skin. Her voice was kept soft, respectful, but determined none the less. "I have trained myself to handle any ordeal psychologically, be assured of that."
"She is a risk," The second voice spoke.
"A flawed weapon may strike errant and endanger the wielder," The third said.
"Perhaps, but is anything perfect?" The first replied. "A test."
The second voice assented, "Yes, we test the weapon before utilizing it on the battlefield."
The third sighed, "Very well, Are you ready for this test Apprentice Dahlia?"
A flawed risk?! Hema was chomping at the bit. Dahlia cooed silently, Will you not help to prove them wrong? Hema forced the dark eyes to crawl up to the feet of the three figures, to chance a piercing gaze. Talk of a test brought the competitive spirit nearer the front lines. "I will submit to any test. And I will pass." The last few words were low again, dangerously bordering on defiance.
"We expect nothing less," The third voice said flatly.
"Very well," The first voice said. "We have an assignment for you. It is a delicate assignment, espionage, not wetwork."
"That means subtlety, rather than killing," The second said dryly.
A light sensation tickled at her stomach, excitement? Hema was pleased, would have been moreso at the thought of wetwork, but beggers can't be choosers. The pain was subsiding as she nestled back into her little haven. Dahlia was unable to refrain from stiffening as the second of the Triumverate chimed in. "I will take the utmost care and precaution to see to it. What is this test of an assignment?"
"We have an investigation that needs to be undertaken," The first stated. "A little over five years ago, the Callidus Temple lost an operative under...mysterious circumstance. Also lost was an Eversor assassin, both during the Thunderfall campaign on Kali V."
The third continued the tale, "Our operative, 'Tigerlilly', was assigned to the retinue of an Inquisitor named Gaius Romulus Saevitiae. Somehow, rather against Inquisitional charter, he also tasked Morgan Shax of the Eversor temple."
"Records of the final events on Kali V are sketchy at best," The second chimed in. "We do not find the explanations wholly satisfactory."
"We believe the truth has been withheld from us," The first spoke again. "There are few who could know what truly happened there. One of these individuals is Canoness Katherine of the Order of Saint Magdalena."
"We have received information she has left Pentateuch in haste, with a small bodyguard. She is traveling to Byzantium, the home planet of none other than the late Inquisitor Saevitiae."
"This cannot be a coincidence," The third said, tossing a datachip to Dahlia. "Study the case file. Go to Byzantium. Find the truth of what happened on Kali V, particularly what happened to Tigerlilly and Morgan Shax."
Now...on Byzantium
Hema was sulking; her heart had leapt at the thought of wetwork, but had settled begrudgingly with the truth of an investigation. Pale fingers pressed the data chip into her palm as Dahlia nestled into a stiff chair; the data chip was inserted into a special slot on the side of a tiny computer. Suddenly a holo-screen flickered to life, glowing ominously in the dimly lit room.
Rolling her eyes over the data, both halves remained in silence; spine ridged in the chair, a stoic expression fell over her. Never before having been privy to such data, even Dahlia found the situation surrounded in questions, almost excited, she drank in the information. The Assassin called Tigerlilly was one of her own, one of the most secretive order in the Emperor's arsenal.
Inquisitor Savitiae, the poor bastard, had been martyred to one of the greater daemons of Slaanesh. A shiver ran down her spine as a terrible picture tugged at the back of her imagination. The daemon had been dispatched by the freshly titled, Canoness Katherine. Alas, even the Eversor Assassin; Shax had been lost to the daemons; but what of Tigerlilly? Had her fate been like those of the others battling in the campaign? Or had it been far worse?
Sometime later, Dahlia blinked slowly, she had read every bit of information there was on the end of the Thunderfall campaign. The Triumverate had been correct, for official records they had holes the size of craters in them. "It would appear we have got our work cut out for us…." She murmured. Ejecting the data chip, Dahlia stepped away from the computer and shook her head. We will begin with the Canoness. Let's air the dirty laundry...