Dark Heresy: Cell Achates

Status
Not open for further replies.
Perhaps surprisingly, Phillipe stepped forwards. He had no compunctions about taking the oath, he had no sense of loyalty to the world. It's oath wouldn't mean anything more to him than one of Wilhelm's filthy novels. Though he would obey it insofar as it related to the job, the moment he felt it went against the interests of the Golden Throne he would discard any notion they applied.
 
Canto thoughtfully listened to the Seneschal's explanation, making sure to remember her words for future occasions. When they arrived to the Halls, he made sure to walk with vigilance, enjoying the different displays and conversations. He as surprised to find a member of the Mechanicus here - he could not imagine such people would be comfortable away from furnaces and exposed machinery. The new arrivals were quite something, and Canto was not sure if that was for the better or not.

As he looked over the 'merry troupe' in silence, Canto nodded at those who stepped forth. He knew he could not do it. The Omnissiah and The Inquisitor were the only two for whom an oath could ever be sworn by him...
 
Gabriella nodded to Larl and Phillipe before turning to the assembled people. "We gather here today to honor the vision, sacrifice and victory of General Gaius Mucius Scaevola, who with a single act of sacrifice and devotion won the final battle of the Clusian Crusade. We stand here today also to witness these men and women follow in his footsteps. Offworlders they may be, but I have seen in them the same devotion that every Scaevolan grows up knowing. Assembled representatives of the seventeen regiments of the Crusade 2nd​ Army: witness their devotion."

The House Fantz scribe came forward, bringing a parchment to one priest who stepped forward to read it. Gabriella took the opportunity to quickly brief the Acolytes on the proper responses. "Oathtakers," the priest called, "Come forward."

"Do you swear fealty to the Golden Throne of Terra, and to the Emperor who sits upon it Eternal, God and Master of Mankind?"
"We do."
"Declare thy purpose."
Larl and Phillipe responded as Gabriella had coached them, "We swear to faithfully perform our antecedent oath." The Fantz scribe wrote that down upon the parchment.
"Very well." The priest produced a pair of knives and placed them in the hands of the Acolytes. "By whose blood do you swear?"
"Gabriella called out as part of the ritual, "Watch! So you may see how cheap the body is to those with their eye on great glory!"
Together, Larl and Phillipe spoke, "By my blood and the blood of Scaevola, I so swear." They then cut their hands, displaying their wounds to the assembled priests before the scribe brought the parchment forward. Each Acolyte bled a few drops onto it. A pair of House Fantz medics approached from the tanks and began sterilizing and binding their cuts.
"Who shall empower their oaths?"
Lords Ironclaw and Kukasu approached and wordlessly signed the parchment.
"Then this day and every day until thy task be complete, be empowered by the God Emperor and the Hereditary Officers of General Scaevola." With those words, the people began to disperse. Lord Ironclaw rode off through the streets with his fellow riders and Lord Kukasu stepped aboard his palanquin to be borne away from there.

"There. We are finished." Gabiella said. "Next you see your master, inform her that our debt to your organization is settled and that I never want to see her agents again."
 
Quite the oddity, Larl thought whilst they were sterilizing the cut. Why was she so keen on back-talking against the Inquisition? He'd bring it up if he wasn't aware of the fact that his 'charming' personality was closely resembling that of a street cat in the eyes of a hungry bum. He decided to simply reply to her, not pry her to question: "I'll be sure to note that as a quote from you, Gabriella. I wasn't aware you had such a disagreement with our master."
 
The ceremony had been peculiar in its own way, but Canto had just made sure to keep vigilant in case anything suspicious happened. When it was done and people began to retire, he felt a sense perhaps of relief.

It quickly vanished, however, when the previously strict-but-helpful Seneschal declared her intention of never seeing them again. With a frown and crossed arms, Canto would just stare at her for a moment, before saying softly, "The Emperor protects."

Having said so, he'd just turn to the rest of his compatriots, stepping closer to Larl, waiting for the rest to say their parting words...
 
Wilhelm smiled at Gabriella. "You like to live dangerously. I should take you out for a drink sometime." He winked and headed for the track. Taking out his microbead so that it didn't pick up he moved closely to the techpriest and spoke in a hushed whisper. "When we get out of here, I reckon you should check our new gear and microbeads... I think we'd all be more comfortable if you checked to make sure anything we said wasn't transmitted back to Fantz and that none of it had any tracking devices." He paused, "People who are that confident in speaking back to our masters trend towards playing for the other team."
 
"It's just business, and quite frankly, working with your employer is hurting our bottom line. Be sure to tell her that." Gabby said to Larl. To Wilhelm she added, "Though if you're willing to leave business at the door, I hear Khibby's Mess makes a mean Phosphor Bomb." She gave a flirtatious smile before turning back to the House Fantz tanks.​

As the acolytes had no knowledge of the whereabouts of any place suitable to set up for the moment, they turned to asking Imperial Citizens. It took two hours of asking passersby to learn that the western habblocks had plenty of empty rooms for rent, and were renting out habs short-term to travelers. They went there posthaste, arriving half an hour later as evening was setting in.

The Acolytes met with the supervisor of one of the habblocks, who offered them a room for 400 scrip a month. The Acolytes were unsure at first, but the supervisor explained the price was well worth it; as some of the rooms in the habblock were empty, they had to hire some stubjacks, professional thugs, to keep the place clear of vagrants, as well as protect the rooms from break-ins. He assured them that the stubjacks could be trusted, explaining that to steal from their client would destroy their career. The Acolytes agreed to the price and spent the night in their new accommodations.

The next morning they piled their belongings into their Morbanth half track and headed towards the town of Rocha. Their Scaevolan Oath practically sped them through the Gendarme checkpoints along the city border. They drove along several miles of paved road and empty, green fields of grass before turning onto a dirt path, winding through an expansive temperate forest. The deeper they traveled, the foggier the weather became. A few hours of driving later, and they arrived at Rocha, a damp, clustered town, and even though it was almost midday, the fog was growing to be almost claustrophobic.

The Acolytes went to the local Gendarme outpost to inquire about the disappearance of Larrah Vilaro. They asked the man at the front desk to see whoever was in charge. Moments later, a man in olive fatigues stepped out, wearing a Sergeant's chevrons. "What can I do you folks for?"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The proceedings to get their lodging had gone by in some kind of a blur for Canto, regardless of how long it actually took. He couldn't tell exactly why that had been, even while mulling over it in the morning, before heading out. Sometimes life was like that. Working of the Omnissiah no doubt...

While he waited for somebody more versed in the pleasantries of conversation to interact with the man that had just come out, to whom Canto only offered a respectful nod, he made sure to examine his surroundings. A suspicious mind was a healthy mind, after all...
 
The Gendarme Outpost had an air of laxity and a degree of informality. Two gendarmes came in behind the Acolytes and sidestepped their way around the group, wearing damp camouflaged ponchos and lasrifles slung across their shoulders. The Sergeant wore a laspistol at his belt, but no armor. His greying hair and mustache hinted he was in his mid-60s.
 
Larl knew that they needed to get the information about the Larrah Vilaro figure. But the questions had to be formed with silver linen in order to ensure they wouldn't try to inform the rest of the populace of this new group of outsiders, seeking out people whom are mutants, and actively hunting danger. To announce it as casually as possible would be the best course of action, and as thus he speaks: "We've been assigned to look into the disappearance of Larrah Vilaro. We'd like to ask whether or not you'd know much about this disappearance yourself, or if you have information that could lead us to his discovery, or atleast of a body."
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back