Big Bang Burger Bar

It begins.....


Summoned by servitor skulls from different parts of the sprawling teaming metropolis of  Vorres city the capitol of the of the planet Vorres Prime to the huge spire like sub sector Ministorium building you rive and are as usual guided past the great ceremonial entrance of this cathedral to bureaucracy to an almost invisible side door. Entering the door warded by a uniformed flunky the Skull leads you deep into the building through long grey corridors past rooms with benches full of scribes and drone like clerks working at cogitators to a small chamber dusty and smelling of long unuse.

Empty apart from a few chairs which would seem more at home on the battle field than in such an august building and a Pict presentation screen hanging on a decoration on the far wall. The Servitors take up positions like the heads of guardian gargoyles and the door opens once more to admit a light gun servitor unit and  and a gaunt man in middle years who is dressed in the faded robes of a Senior clerk.

Greetings he says in a metallic mechanical voice, speaking from a vocoder unit in his chest not from his mouth please identify yourselves for the record, and you notice both the Servitors have started to record.

over to you

Mordecai marches into the briefing room takes a seat after adjusting his dress sword and prepares to listen polity to the briefing whilst rather wishing again that the inquisition had not pulled him off the troop transport six months ago. he will look up and acknowledge any one else who comes in 

Quintos would enter shortly after Mordecai muttering softly to himself as he took a seat. Nodding towards him in acknowledgment, an imperial guard? Turning towards the man who entered, eyeing the servitors for a moment before speaking up. "You can call me Quintos." He wasn't even entirely sure that was his real name, but it's what he could give. Wearing a decent quality robe covering any equipment he may be holding.

The Briefing officer Gestures and the Pict screen flickers into life he seems a little irritated as if he was expecting some one else.

Here we have your mission he says as the mission summery replaces the image of the inquisitional ][

Display Data (http://www.bigbangburgerbar.co.uk/Forum/index.php?topic=800.msg2671#msg2671)

A teenage girl enters the room, looking rushed and harried.  She's holding a patched up munitorum ready bag that has seen better days that seems to be overflowing due to being poorly packed.  She's attempting and failing to stuff the contents in by force. (hyperlink to her description here (http://www.bigbangburgerbar.co.uk/Forum/index.php?topic=781.0))

"Sir!" she snaps a smart salute at the briefing officer, allowing what seems to be a lascutter to slowly slide out of the bag.

Heading off the briefing officer's raised left eyebrow and annoyed look she blurts out "I grabbed my ready-bag when I was summoned for the briefing, sir, and I was detained for a search by the guard due to the explosives that set off the ward auspex...." the lascutter sags out of the bag. She is oblivious, so is the briefing officer.  You watch in helpless fascination, wondering if it will clatter to the floor.  You think to mention something but the briefing officer speaks.

"That's no excuse, Acolyte, grenades are permitted by the ward auspex" the vocoder rasps, somehow managing to convey his annoyance even through the normally flat vocoder. His frown deepens.

"It was..uh" the lascutter makes it's escape, clattering loudly on the floor, she winces "...a melta bomb, sir...then I had to repack my bag..." A bright crimson blush works it way up her face.

"A melta bomb? I see."  the vocoder on his chest intones. The briefing officer's face is unreadable, but he is no longer frowning.  There might be the twitch of a smile starting.  There is a rasp of static from the vocoder - at first you think it might be malfunctioning - no,no, it was a sigh "I suppose I must re-do the briefing presentation, then."

"Not necessary, sir, I can download it from the servitor recording to my dataslate, sir."  The briefing officer nods his assent. The girl, looking close to shedding tears of relief, crawls under the table to get her lascutter. "Please state your name for the record," he requests.

A muffled response, undecipherable. She reappears, triumphantly grasping the lascutter, and wipes the dust off of her knees, and then off her hands by wiping them on her ready bag.

"Ynes Kultrayn,"she spells it out" Y-N-E-S K-U-L-T-R-A-Y-N, Electro-Priest, rank Acoloyte." The briefing officer's lips twitch upwards again.

She turns towards the other team members at the table as if seeing them for the first time. Recognizing Mordecai's military dress, she salutes him with her now clean free hand, and nods to Quintos.  Still blushing, she takes her seat at the table, and another seat for her bag.  She pulls a dataslate from the bag and extends an electro-graft dataprobe from her right index finger and inserts it into a port in the left spine, studiously avoiding eye contact.

The Briefing officer mumbles something almost inaudible possibly a prayer to the god emperor  before clearing his throat loudly.

"Shall we continue? now we are all here"

he says before the image on the pict screen again dissolves, Resolving then  into a description of the station its role and capacity's backed up by Augur data from the Frigate Son of Thunders recent visit  

 Display Data (http://www.bigbangburgerbar.co.uk/Forum/index.php?topic=800.msg2675#msg2675)

Then continues onto the command and other significant personnel of the station. With the Briefing officer dryly drawing attention to the details he considers significant.

 Display Data (http://www.bigbangburgerbar.co.uk/Forum/index.php?topic=800.msg2679#msg2679)

Mordecai saw the beautiful child enter the room and wondered quite who she might be as she seemed so incongruous in a naval ratings uniform  let alone in an inquisition briefing room.

At the mention of Melta bomb he tautened his hand going to the very workman like officers broadsword the only weapon he had with him ready to strike. That tension passed when he saw the girl blush like one of his dress obsessed sisters as she repacked her bag and he relaxed and slipped back into paying semi attention to the briefing. He was he mused to himself glad he had not had to strike the newcomer down.

Ynes is making notations in her dataslate.


Perhaps House D'vion has friends in the Inquisition?


Already busted down from shipmaster by the House for getting caught?  This does seem to be a demotion


Brought in by House D'vion and no record = fabricated background.


More very suspect background info.


Double check that case record!  Check for anybody involved that might have been nabbed for taking bribes later.


Probably legitimate - any Vorres Adept chairwarmer is going to have a load of official records - but see possible Inquisition friends above.  Check for fingerprints of records manipulation - rule nothing out - assume records manipulated by highest authority. Another unspectacular record?  Either a coincidental pattern or an unimaginative adept on a record scrub


Okay, so maybe our records just aren't that great. Still, trust no one.


A drooling inbred noble and his handlers.  With this broad-vox then either his handlers aren't competent - or they are and are aware, maybe even behind this.  There might be something to this psy-phenomena.  Reminder to request psy-tracker enhanced augur skull servitor and blessed weapons/ammo.


Sloppy=we can nab him as an informant by planting evidence.


Anybody that far from here is up to no good.  Shock maul him and dump him in cold storage for later questioning, no messing around with this one. Frag collar at least.  Reminder to requisition a neural whip or shock maul and frag collar.  Maybe a shock blaster is available?

After the briefing, Ynes asks the question.

"By super heavy metals, did that mean things like lead and uranium?"

The briefing officer directs his gaze at Ynes Kultrayn "Sanctonite if you wish to serve the emperor long though the office of his holly ordos then you would do well not to be late or ask irrelevant questions & especially not do both within such a short space of time"

"Does any one have any pertinent questions?" he scowls

Mordecai dosent react but slots this man ( the briefing officer) into the the position of jumped up servant. As for himself whist he has learned better than to ask questions of such men. However he considers no question irrelevant if it might elicit  information which would stop you getting killed pointlessly, true in the field, so why not in the inquisition? 

"I see"
The briefing officer says with a snide tone and a half smile as he produces three lightweight and very inferior quality Data slates from his robes glancing at them he passes one to each of you in turn starting with Mordecai and finishing with Ynes

"these are your individual task allocations"

"any questions, none good I will leave you to make arrangements the servo skulls will see you out"

Display Data (http://www.bigbangburgerbar.co.uk/Forum/index.php?topic=801.0)



He turns to go

Mordecai takes the data slate without a word he could read that later he though as he was certain he would get no useful answers out of the briefing officer

Quintos would grab the data-slate and glance it over fairly quickly before standing to leave. Glancing over at Ynes and nodding slightly before turning to head out.

The briefing officer sweeps out ahead of you and is quickly lost in the warren of the Administratium building your escorting servo skulls move to take point and lead you back outside.

Please feel free to discuss things plans etc here whilst I set up the next Game areas

Mordecai turns to his rather unlikely companions and says

"well lads what did you make of all that then?"

Ynes ponders, unconsciously nibbling on the data probe extended from her right index finger. Her lipstick is unblemished from it- either she has permanent lipstick tattoos or top-notch brand makeup.  She removes it to speak. "Oh! Wait here, please, I'll be right back.  I need to pick up my explosives."  She returns, this time lost in a rust-red Mechanicus flakrobe, somewhat wrinkly, and opened in the front.  Apparently she needed to make space in her suboptimally packed bag for her returned munitions.

"It seems to be the kind of case normally below the Inquisition's notice, sir.  We're only involved due to the Arbites passing this to us, because they don't want to have to arrest a well-connected Ecclesiarch.  I have a hunch there's something to it though; by the profile on the Ecclesiarch's handlers they seemed competent. Either he slipped this one past them or they're behind the broad-vox.  I think they might be behind it." she ponders.

"Total speculation, but since this wasn't passed to the Ordo Herecticus for some reason - which should have been the obvious Ordo from a political point of view due to their link with the Ecclesiarchy and the probability of a rogue psyker if the phenomena is real...I think House D'vion's extraordinary success with keeping their dealings private might be due to a friend in the Inquisition itself.  Want to guess which Ordo?" she smirks, detaching the laspistol and holster from her shoulder holster through a clever modular catch. The bolt pistol goes in its place. "Possible shady activities explains why the System Governor - I guess would be Reeks?  If he's not on station then the Station Governor would be Dylion I suppose -hasn't reported anything.  Maybe they're busy trying to figure out how to deal with it themselves before they have to permanently shut down or move whatever they're up to that they want to remain secret," she opines.

"If that is true and our master is aware of it, the question is - does he want us to get dirt on D'vion to score points with a Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor?  Or does our master just not know who exactly their friend is, and he's just flushing a squiggchopper down the loo to see what comes out the other end?"  Noticing your incomprehension of the slang she blushes slightly and explains "On the hulk we would get squiggs in the pipes, we'd take this chain-knife contraption just the size of the pipe and flush it....anyway, if we cause a ruckus at the station then he can find out who complains or pulls strings about it and follow the trail back." Tools - and the lascutter that earlier nearly made its escape from her pack -- go onto various pockets and rings around the outside of the robe.  The holstered laspistol and punch-knife are now strapped to her right forearm. "It's possible he's hoping we'll either be killed or make a serious discovery if the operation there is important enough for them to need the time to move or cover it up. This would give him free reign to do a full invasive investigation of House D'vion.  The formal investigation or finding out whatever they're up to there - either way a win for our master."  You're a little taken aback by one so young sounding so cynical and full of realpolitik.  She loads up the loops in her shoulder holster with grenades from her ready bag as she speaks, definitely showing awareness that the danger isn't just academic.

"Our best chance of success might be to take a page from House D'vion - plausible deniability because of 'rogue agents'.  The more of a loose cannon we seem, the more likely they will be to use their contact to pull strings.  He can't just threaten official pressure if we're obviously rogue.  I suggest we ask the Son of Thunder to actually leave the system, too.  We're more likely to draw them out then - I don't see how the Son of Thunder won't be located - they could have a top notch completely hidden passive sensor grid with 100% coverage if they have mining operations all over that system.  On that note I think we should park the Naval assault company in full view right in the landing bays, and take control of the port landing defense arrays.  Mess up their transhipment schedules, make their lower-level guys who have more to lose than gain get nervous and more likely to come to us or make a mistake.  Otherwise I think they'll try to politely ignore us or 'handle' us - lets make sure they must deal with us directly." She closes the robe's now double breasted front, the snaps and buckles forming the right side of a two-headed eagle, the hood now up but still open enough to grab a grenade. "Cause a short-term problem for them that their string-pulling can't fix." she grins, her face now all shadow except for her crimson lips. Then frowns "This all assumes there are no Astropaths there.  I assume there aren't, or the Ecclesiarch would have sent his message that way." Ynes stops and smiles self-consciously. She's pulled out a sailor's small plasteel rotgut flask from her pack, a dud bolter round permanently embedded in its center.  She stuffs it under the double breast of her robe, right over her heart. "All your call, of course, sir, and just speculation."  She folds her arms inside of her robes. "I'm going to do a quick weapons check, don't be alarmed." Almost faster than the eye can catch, her bolt pistol appears in her left hand, muzzle politely pointed toward the ground, then it is passed to her right. The same deft move and the laspistol appears.  The laspistol looks jury-rigged for full auto, a modification usually seen used by hive gangers or some PDF troopers.  You know most orthodox tech-priests consider that disrespect to the machine spirit.  It disappears into her robe again. Now the dagger.  She readjusts her holsters.  Again, the quick draw routine. Satisfied, she concludes, all weapons re-concealed.
 
"Sir, permission to look into whether Kepler Mores - the Adept from Vorres prime that married into House D'vion - was doing records scrubbing for House D'vion here on Vorres prime - and then probably rewarded for it," Ynes asks Mordecai "He was broke, right?  Reeks D'vion's 'misidentification' defense for his illegal duel charge just seems too good to be true, and just the sort of thing someone with the ability to modify cognem records could create.  I'll need to see those records in person to be sure - I want to hand check any original records."

OOC: If given leave to investigate Ynes will arrange to have her Inquisition credentials sent to the wrong Administratum archive building, but still be in their system.  The idea here is to limit the ability of anybody to stall her to exactly zero - she'll show up at the 'right' archive 'plex, and then refer the secretary/gatekeeper to the credentials already in the system, acting all angry and impatient at the mix-up of them being sent elsewhere.  No chance for a last minute sprint for the shredder as she barges her way in then :)  In that case she should have the bolt pistol in full view outside the robe.

"all good points very good points, though I hope on the emperors mercy that this is not political"

Mordecai hates political if he wanted that he could of stayed on Ghent and not joined the guard when his father offered another regiment to the glory of the Emperor god

" I think the inquisition wants to get some dirt on D'vion and is at the point of using any opportunity no mater how thin to do so. So my argument is we go and do the job laid out but assume the D'vion are up to things they would rather we not find out about and will be hostile no matter what they seem on the surface, so we keep our eyes  peeled and ears flaping"

"Send the support away, I see your point but I am in to minds about agreeing with you and I don't want to go in heavy unless we can pull the rogue agent stunt successfully. The D'vion have clout and lots of it sufficient that the inquisition is cautious about going in heavy"

 

Ynes gazes into Mordecai's red eyes, seemingly lost for a second.  Then she asks "Are those Ultima pattern photo-contacts, sir?"

"Erm yes perceptive of you"

Scratching the back of his head he'd look to Ynes as she rambled on. "Despite being the talker you've made plenty of good points. Albeit cynical ones. I'm here to assist, so i'll leave it to you two to take the lead." He wasn't much of a talker, and far from a leader. He spoke only when needed, and with any luck would be fairly good at keeping them out of too much trouble if there was a rogue psyker running around.

"well we have the briefing which to be honest tell us at best not enough about our target" Mordecai says scrolling through the text on the screen of the data pad

"not nearly enough,  and since they seem to have put me in charge  I say lets go with Ynes plan, you have the time you need to do your data mining and the rest of us can go and trawl through the inquisitional achieves to see what psychic phenomena have been reported out on the fringe?" Mordecai draws breath.

" Emperor willing that will give us a better idea what we might be up against or could be up against".

Begin secure transmission...Yellow Security Clearance...Decrypting...Voice, Bio, and Passkey verified
From: Acolyte Ynes Kultrayn, Designation Sigma Three Three
To: Lead Acoloyte Count Mordecai Valeszu, Designation Sigma Three One
CC: Acolyte Quintos Frastus, Designation Sigma Three Two

My Lord,

I found a couple of things that might interest you on my search.  I will speak to you in person soon.  Follow up on one will require astropathic communications, which complicates things.

Ynes

P.S. I am so glad you are both literate.  This kind of thing was so frustrating to do with all of the illiterates I used to have to deal with back home!

Autosignature-
"A suspicious mind is a healthy mind."

End secure transmission.

Ynes departs on her data mining expedition, and sends a Yellow level secure intra-inquisition message and then meets up again in person.  She finds a quiet corner and leans in conspiratorially.  She borrows your dataslates and pre-loads her already written encrypted message and has everybody stand in a huddle.

You read the text as it appears on your dataslate, somewhat bemused at her matter-of-fact distrust of even the Inquisition.

"I found two things of interest.  One was a discrepancy.  The records I found here mentioned wraithbone artifacts that ninkered the keeper's emotions, not Kroot eggs." she types.

"Two, Reeks D'vion's lucky break coincided with Kepler Mores' marriage to his daughter in a ceremony here on Vorres, timewise.  Looks like some benchwarmer here kept screwing up the local to Terran date conversion, though, so I can't be sure of the timing exactly. The dueling incident happened on Dawn, and the original records are all over there on Dawn.  The only way to get a timely message is to have an astropathic request send to an agent on Dawn to have an someone compare the records.  I'd also be asking them to holovid and auspex the originals and ship-courier the data here, as that would be extravagantly expensive to transmit, along with similar contemporary filed records to compare for discrepancies."

"Easiest would be to use the Inquisition's astropaths and agents, but then we can consider our line of inquiry to be on someone's radar if the astropath and or acolyte copies it and passes it on, which she or he most certainly would."

"Do we want to do this on our own?  Or use the Inquisition's resources?  We still don't have a suitably circumspect contact on Dawn, do we?"

"I vote we roll the dice on the Arbites office.  Transmit it to the Intelligencer's office and let them grab an Investigator. We pre-load the transmission with our excuse for using a commercial guild - high priority traffic is crowding out our request, although our status is active mission, active agents, so please be quick.  On second thought, let me go through our records here to find someone recently transferred in to the Dawn Arbitrator's offices.  We'll request them personally.  They're unlikely to have been involved in any corruption or cover-up. I found that the original records for the dueling incident are on Dawn - a copy in the Planetary Administratum building & Dawn Adeptus Arbites archives - the original file/s held in the  police archive, or at local station level.  I want all three checked and scanned/holo-vidded in person by the same agent."

"I could send them a condensed digest of the files here for comparison that would probably run 360 thrones to transmit, with another 120 thrones for the response with the differences noted, if any, then another unknown amount of thrones to relay that response to the Son of Thunder - if we did it via the commercial Guilds. Turn round time for this distance would be 2-3 days Vorres Prime time (25h 15 m standard)."

"I'm sure I could get them to do a 30 day net credit for someone with good credit."

Ynes bats her eyes at Mordecai as he looks up from finishing the dataslate.

NOTE: I edited this a couple of times.

Modecai smiles back

"Ynes" sigh "My father might be rich enough to equip Imperial guard mechanised regiments on a whim, but I am not, indeed I fear I could not afford the price of the Astropath needed to send him a message to ask for it"

"Erm interesting but with potential to have us running round all over the subsector like headless garf. I think we need to sort out the immediate problem the which is on the station where we have a over exited cleric disturbing the Imperial peace at least and then get leave to dig further into D'vion deviousness. With the Emperor grant it evidence from snooping on station"

"Actually, I just realized we can probably nab the ships Astropathic Choir!  Same result....I'm off to find our Arbite."