Evervigilant 64

<Vigilant_GM> IT IS THE 41ST MILLENNIUM...
<Vigilant_GM> The winds pick up again, forming the beginnings of a sand storm across the wastes. The metallic mask of the man standing before you reflects the distorted sunlight to the East. "134 dead, 208 wounded" Colonel Gelt reports.
* Baird looks up at the impassive metal mask of Colonel Gelt. "How many purged?"
<Vigilant_GM> "Medicae staff were not tasked with those details. Estimates during engagement place the totality of the enemy at 300 souls. No survivors."
* Velam records the facts as they are presented, his thirst for knowledge ever present. "Hmmmmmm."
<Baird> "Save for the officer I trust."
<Vigilant_GM> "The objective was secured, as reported," he nods.
<Baird> "Excellent, well done Colonel. Escort him to my ship, have my staff show you the holding area."
<Vigilant_GM> "Sir, if I may," he pauses for a moment.
* Baird gestures towards the Janissary. "What is it Colonel?"
<Vigilant_GM> "What is the status of the crusade?"
<Vigilant_GM> "Privileged information, Colonel. Your reassignment is of the highest priority," Mortem takes over, having reached your rendezvous with unnerving subtlety.
<Vigilant_GM> "Yes... sir." Gelt says, the dead eyes of his mask undoubtedly fixated on Mortem's rosette.
* Baird nods in agreement with the Inquisitor. "As you were Colonel."
<Vigilant_GM> With a salute, Gelt takes his leave.
<Baird> +Sister how're things progressing with the pilgrims?+
<Sister_Thesse> +The Seer resides in a make shift chapel under the canyon. Apparently, there a network of caves under the canyon.+
<Baird> +Are there markers or anything to guide us to the Seer once inside?+
<Sister_Thesse> +The old man knows the path.+
* Karpath sits in the cockpit, reading over flight data from the air battle.
<Baird> +Have Zim retrieve the information from the old man, Sister Meryl.+
<Davos> +Aye sir.+
* Davos attempts to read the mind of the old man.
<Vigilant_GM> Fighting the sensation of his mind being invaded, the elderman tenses up and shakes his head while muttering a prayer of warding.
<Davos> +I have a vision of the path we must take.+
<Davos> +The path will be filled with temptation and horrors.+
<Baird> +But you know the path?+
<Davos> +We will need to proceed through the canyons to find a cave and he will be there.+
<Baird> +Understood, well done.+
<Davos> +Thank you sir.+
<Vigilant_GM> "What you have found here is more significant than a single zealot conspirator," Mortem speaks. "That pit of corruption is evidence sufficient to condemn the entire governing class. Find the link."
<Vigilant_GM> +Sir, we have received the enemy officer+ Orsen calls in from outside the cutter.
<Baird> "It will be done. My team has discovered the location of this...'Seer'. I'll question the officer of the opposition and find who hired them. Between the two we should be able to pinpoint who's involved, Emperor willing."
* Velam just continues to record what he hears and sees, sure to sift out the useful stuff later. He gives a polite nod in confirmation to the Inquisitor.
<Baird> +I'm on my way Colonel.+ "By your leave Inquisitor."
<Vigilant_GM> "Report your findings to Mordecai," he says with a nod.
* Baird nods. "I shall." turning from the Inquisitor the Interrogator makes his aboard the cutter towards the captured officer.
<Vigilant_GM> The man strapped into the seat wears a well trimmed uniform. He is precise in his own personal grooming, and remains steely-eyes without saying a word to his captors.
<Baird> +Zim, Almarax, Tabarius, meet me at the holding cell aboard the cutter. We have work to do.+
* Almarax heads to the holding cell, ready for potentially grisly work.
<Davos> +Aye sir.+
* Davos heads over.
* Velam shows up after he finishes collecting some data. "As requested, my lord."
<Baird> "Zim, Tabarius you'll assist me. Almarax be on standby in case the officer attempts anything." Baird keys the lock sequence on the holding cell, opening the door.
<Davos> "Yes sir."
* Almarax crosses his arms across his chest, his various mechanical implements twitching and jerking behind him.
<Velam> "Of course, I am well versed in this..."
<Davos> "The work begins."
* Baird unrolls the excruciator kit and sets to work on the captured officer with assistance from Davos and Velam.
<Baird> Baird employs a variety of techniques against the officer ranging from pulling off nails, small doses of saline water injected into his veins, small cuts in the webbing between fingers and toes, and waterboarding.
<Baird> "Tell us who hired you and why you attacked us."
<Vigilant_GM> Breaking his expressionless streak, he scoffs with contempt at this first question, even as he understands the potential consequences for doing so.
<Vigilant_GM> "You interfere with our operation and ask who we are, and why you are fired upon?"
<Vigilant_GM> "You Guljians really are a mindless brutish lot," he adds, shifting in his seat to look at one of the patches on his tunic.
<Vigilant_GM> "House Val-Duss, of true Junian nobility, and the reason why your house will burn to ash for your interference."
* Baird sighs and shakes his head while reaching down ripping off the patch. "I didn't ask who you were." Baird casually backhands the man. "I asked who sent you after us and why." Baird tilts his head back yanks open his mouth and grips a tooth with a pair of pliers and pulls sharply, ripping the tooth out in a spurt of blood. "Now let's try again."
<Vigilant_GM> Grunting, he spits out a wad of blood.
<Vigilant_GM> "Are Desoleans naturally dense? This has nothing to do with you..." he spits out again. "Did your close up look at the shriekers not register?" he tries to scoff again, but the pain turns it into yet another sharp grunt of pain.
<Baird> "With one breath you claim we interfere. The next you claim we have nothing to do with this. I  see these techniques will have no effect on you. So I'll give you another chance before things become more..extreme. Who set you upon us. And why?"
<Vigilant_GM> "The purge had nothing to do with you. Your arrival was an interference, and your knowledge of the pits the reason why you will die. Lord Val-Duss will bring your pathetic exiled branch to extinction, just like your father."
<Baird> "Zim." Baird taps his temple a few times "Find out if he's telling the truth."
* Davos attempts to read the man's mind, but hit's a roadblock.
<Davos> "Can't get a read on him."
<Vigilant_GM> "Think for a moment, you fool. Do you believe I marched the battalion for days into the wastes, to happen upon your landing zone?" Through a cough, he manages laughter.
<Vigilant_GM> An unnerving howl cuts through the winds outside. It is spine-chilling.
<Vigilant_GM> The prisoner turns his head in the direction of the pits at this.
<Velam> "His.....disdain of us is quite deep, Lord Guljian."
* Claire goes to check on Sister Thesse and the Pilgrims
<Baird> "That much is clear. But how truthful were his words."
* Sister_Thesse waiting and watching the pilgrims.
<Claire> "How is everyone Meryl?"
<Sister_Thesse> "Shaken about the attack."
<Sister_Thesse> "But their faith is still strong."
<Velam> "He holds no lies as I can tell in what he's told us." Velam sighs before reviewing his notes. He comes closer to Baird before whispering. "I sense no lie in his words. His hate for us is as strong as the Janissary's zeal for their crusade."
<Baird> "Strange...but noted Tabarius." Baird draws his carnodon and with a loud report shoots the officer through the head.
<Baird> +Sister, it is time to deal with the pilgrims. It brings me no joy, but there are to be no witnesses.+
<Vigilant_GM> "Strong indeed, Sister. He delivered you to us in our time of need," one of the pilgrim women says with a humble nod.
* Karpath hears the shot coming from down the hall. "Hope they are going to clean that up and didn't make a hole in the ship." he says to himself.
* Sister_Thesse says to Claire "our master has a task for me to do."
* Claire nods to her after hearing the message and leaves uttering a sentence
<Claire> "Emperor Guide you."
<Vigilant_GM> "Is there a task in which we can assist you, Sister?"
<Sister_Thesse> "My children, the task is something I must do on my own. You must make your way back home."
<Vigilant_GM> "Home? But how? There is a sand storm, and we have no provisions. Surely, this great beast of yours can take us to safety?"
<Sister_Thesse> "We do have other beasts that will guide you to safety. However, this vessel is needed elsewhere."
<Vigilant_GM> "Very well, Sister. Emperor be with you," she says, leading the other pilgrims off the cutter.
* Sister_Thesse observes thes pilgrims leave the Gun cutter. Once they are out of hearing distance, She uses her microbead ++Colonel Gelt, This is confessor Meryl. Traitors are escaping our Guncutter. Kill them all.++
<Vigilant_GM> ++As you command, Confessor.++
<Vigilant_GM> Several seconds later, you hear the snap of a massed las-volley.
<Sister_Thesse> ++The Emperor Protects, Colonel.++
<Vigilant_GM> The disturbances grow in strength, Interrogator.
* Sister_Thesse suffering at the thought of killing innocence is the name of the Undying Emperor. She enters her room in the guncutter. She collapes on the bed and starts to softly cry.
<Vigilant_GM> As he communicates this, Mordecai enters the room where the prisoner's corpse sits slumped over, blood draining from the wounds inflicted during interrogation.
<Baird> Understood Mordecai
<Vigilant_GM> "My eyes are yours," Mordecai says under his breath to no one in particular before his body snaps back into a stiff, curved posture. As his spine straightens out somewhat and his eyes level, he speaks, though it is not his voice.
<Vigilant_GM> "What have you found?"
* Baird turns towards Mordecai-but-not-Mordecai. "House Val-Duss is involved. Specifically the Lord of the house. He said our arrival was an 'interference' and that because we knew of the pits we had to die. It seems the House is involved with this mass of unsanctioned filth. They had most likely launched this operation to dispose of the evidence."
<Baird> "My intent is to gear everyone up and find the Seer. They seem to be at the heart of this given their location within the canyon."
<Baird> "Though my concern is lack of protection against that much untrained, unfettered warp energy."
<Vigilant_GM> "The Proxy High Minister using his cousin to cover for his sins. Innocence from Charlotta Anastasia's government is damningly unlikely."
<Baird> "I agree. With luck our hunt for the Seer will reveal the truth of what the government is up to our here."
<Vigilant_GM> "Risks will be necessary. Pursue this as far as it goes, Thomas. Extraordinary evidence, and extraordinary force, both will be necessary if this runs as deep as I suspect."
* Baird nods. "I expected as much. The mercenaries and Jannisaries will provide the latter. My team will provide the former. We will set out immediately."
<Vigilant_GM> "Mordecai will return to my service. The strength of his curse will be pivotal in my next destination. With the Emperor's mercy, my return to Juno will be timely. To the contrary," Mordecai's body rests for a moment. "Know that Cordius-Primus will be an asset sorely missed."
<Baird> "I understand, your faith in us will not be misplaced Inquisitor. The Emperor Protects."
<Vigilant_GM> Mordecai breaks from his trance, seemingly exhausted.