In his name... Act 1.1 [Dark Heresy - For the Emperor!]

[Ebon_Arbiter]

Torrian "Thor" Severus


Torrian looks to the other acolytes, his eyes full of determination and rises up. He proceeds to get the datapad from Inquisitor Thorn and bows slightly, making the sign of aquila over his chest.


"The Emperor protects my Lord. I trust that He will help us throughout this mission and grant us the wisdom to discern the signs of heretics, the faith to guard our souls and the fiery determination to see this case to the end."


Then he turns towards the other acolytes.


"Sister Flavia, lady Devi. I will withdraw to my safehouse and prepare for our assignment. If you need anything regarding organising our course of action, acquiring equipment or making some last-minute preparations i can offer you my safehouse as a place of common gathering to lay our plans and get ready before our departure".

 

[Norts]

Bowing to the Inquisitor and making the sign of the aquila, Flavia dismisses herself from the Inquisitor's office. As she goes, she says to Torrian, "Your offer is admirable, arbiter. When I have finished my prayers I will see you there."

 

[Crocodile]

The Inquisitor watches you go, the halls of the Tricorn are solemn and dark as always. They also are full of activity with patrolling guards and the movement of people going about their daily business. It was a privilege to even be allowed access to this huge structure within which the power of the Inquisition was made quite material. It was easy enough for agents with permission to get into and out of the facility so long as they were escorted.

 

[Ebon_Arbiter]

Torrian "Thor" Severus


Torrian leaves the Tricorn palace, nonetheless impressed by its architecture and oppressiveness, after all not even the Adeptus Arbites headquarters are that imposing and menacing, a pure expression of the Imperium's power, the Inquisition's vigilance and a constant reminder of it to all who might consider going against it.


Maybe, one day, if the Emperor deems him worthy, and he survives the multitude of dangers threatening the Imperium's integrity, he will come again in that building, to serve again perhaps from an elevated station. He pushes though these thoughts quickly from his mind, keeping only his duty to the Emperor and Mankind as a whole. There's work to be done and he must get ready.


Torrian goes to a nearby temple of the Ministorum, speaks for a while to one of the priest-confessors, prays for guidance and safety and then continues his way. The local headquarters of the Divisio Immorallis is his next stop. Torrian checks the files in the archives and talks a bit to some of his colleagues and superiors from his time in the Divisio, trying to find out if Machenko Dynasty's activities in Hive Tarsus were ever brought under the attention of the Divisio and if there is any pertinent information on the person he'll be investigating. Any prior records or otherwise accessible information that could give him and his companions an edge on this case, before moving to Hive Tarsus.


When he's done with it, he checks if any of his colleagues is currently in assignment in Hive Tarsus, in order to have another trusted person to turn to in case the situation demands it and things go more dangerous than expected or in case some emergency happens.


After that, Torrian leaves for his safehouse. A decent hab-block, somewhere in Hive Sibellus, Torrian used it as his house after his induction to the Inquisition. Simple but relatively clean and with reinforced doors and windows for added security, plus a secret weapon stash he made below the floor. Torrian locks the door, puts the data-slate handed to him by the Inquisitor to his safe and then goes to have a shower. It is refreshing, making Torrian wish that as the water takes away the dust from his flesh, it would be great if it could also erase certain memories of past years that still prevent him from having a decent sleep at night.


The water gets warmer, (at least living in the capital of the sector has a few more privileges), the better to warm his flesh and heart. Maybe, sometime in the future, his heart will learn to push all that aside, or maybe he'll find eventually a lady that will understand him and stand by his side. But he fears that his line of duty will probably deny him that. For this is usually the fate and destiny, for those few who decided to leave behind their tiny self centered world and take up the eternal vigilance, the unending service, expecting no rewards, no medals, no official recognition, but merely the satisfaction that their actions gave the Imperium one more day of existence.


Damn it, Torrian thinks, always getting all sentimental and nostalgic before missions. I need to get a grip and not let any of these cloud my thoughts.


He finishes his shower, wears his clean uniform and painstakingly clears his weapons and gear, preparing as best as possible for the upcoming mission. When he finishes, he prepares something to eat and then waits some more in case any of his future companions will pass from his house.

 

[Khadavla]

The ebony haired damsel met Thor at his safe house when he adjourned from the shower, having made an effort to get acess to the kitchens and prepare tea and a light snack from whatever was available. By dusk standards, she was hardly the most matronly of sorts, but given a half functional kitchen and some ingredients she could present a home cooked meal beyond the dreams of most hive born by simple virtue of the fundamental transmuations performed with spices and heat applied to meat, grains, and vegtables.


She had her pay in a bundle and a few printouts on the available purchases from the planet.


"Thank you for the chance too speak with you here, Thor. Your courtesy earlier touched my heart." She gave a bow with her fist between her breasts.


"I prefer not to be too openly known by my trade when on the job. If you are too enter under the cover of a trade factol, perhaps I could travel as your escort, equiping myself with a few more knives of the dangerous and easily concealable variety.


"Alternativly, I could travel as a second gaurd and dress the part, aquiring a sword for my hip. My firearm will sufice for the roll."

 

[Ebon_Arbiter]

Torrian "Thor" Severus


Torrian seems to enjoy the food quite a lot. It was quite some time since he last had anything resembling its quality, since living alone hadn't much improved his cooking skills. What Devi had done with the meal looked like a lost art to him. Come to think of it, even though he could crack some of the most famous unsolved cases in the planet, he still couldn't cook anything close to decent.


"Thank you for the honour of coming here young lady. And apologies, for in the cooking department i'm a lousy host indeed. It was a great meal that you prepared, with such exquisite flavor that i had to taste for years. As for our future assignment, i think that perhaps it would be safer to travel as my escort, in order to attrat less attention, to your "special" capabilities that is, which may very well provide you with an additional edge, that of surprise, in case things go wrong and we're called upon to defend ourselves. You know, most people tend to pay attention to the outside of an individual and when they'll see a pretty young lady as yourself, they won't even think of the possibility that you are a lethal weapon in the Emperor's service, therefore giving us an advantage over them. Regarding your disguise, if there's anything you'll need, like extra clothes or something, just let me know and we'll see what we can acquire.


Now, since you came here and we've got some time into our hands till tomorrow or till sister Flavia comes, is there anythng you'd wish to know about me, about my past or anything that would create a better bond of trust between us? Myself, i work better when i know a little about my colleagues and since we'll be on this mission for some time, given that we need to pursue our investigation with care and not rush things, i'd like to ask you, if this is ok with you of course - i'd hate to invade a lady's privacy or forgo my usual discretion at others' personal matters - a few things regarding your life, habits etc so that i know better of you and become a more appropriate companion for the mission awaiting us".

 

[Khadavla]

Devi didn't hold back a sincere glow at the meal she'd managed too put together from some sirloin tips she'd found in the back of the cold-box, a few old onions and potatoes, and a mix of herbs and spices.


"A trifle, Mr. Severus, merely a trifle. If you were a guest in my father's wagon on Dusk, mother and I would welcome you with a proper meal. Cooking is an art not to be left in the hands of servitors or mimic ed by assembly line manufacture."


Too the accepted proposal that she pose as his escort, Devi smiled softly. "I see we understand each other perfectly. It's going to be a pleasure to work with you."


"We Dusk folk are a sturdy breed, and I accounted a strong girl among my peers. Away from my home, where people work as much with machines as with their bodies, I have to work very hard to draw attention away from the fact that I may well be every bit as strong as Sister Flavia. A pretty dress, demure smile, and sincere emotions can go a long way in that reguard, so I haven't developed the stoic reserve that is so professional in the rolls the emperor charges us with."


"By all means, sir, tell me more of yourself, and ask anything you'd like about me."

 

[Ebon_Arbiter]

Torrian "Thor" Severus


Torrian gets up, pours amasec into a couple of glasses, offering one to Devi and taking the other himself, then sits again comfortably, looking directly into her eyes.


"So, you'd like to listen to my story. Very well, let's begin. While i wasn't born on a world of natural harshness such as Dusk - yes your homeworld tends to have quite a reputation - but my birthplace isn't exactly considered friendly on any account. I'm from Fenksworld in general and Volg Hive in particular. This slimy hole of a hive, teeming with human masses, rife with corruption, harshness, cruelty, oppression and crime. Oh yes, crime, organised and un-organised. Even the local arbites were considered a criminal group, albeit more decently organized and maintaining a facade of legality at least in most cases. Truth is that they were mostly corrupt and cruel, doing little to deliver those responsible to justice, but more than happy to crush any rebellions or riots in a moment's notice.


After that, it shouldn't be a surprise for you to hear that i ended up as a member in one of the local gangs, making slowly and hesitantly my first steps in Volg's underworld society".


Torrian gets up, removes his clothes above the waist, revealing a muscular torso, with scars and tattoes indentifying him as a senior member of one of Volg's most notorious gangs. Also, visible on his broad shoulders are the tatoos of an aquilla and an arbites insignia.


"As you see, i still bear the marks upon my flesh. Marks that serve as a constant reminder of my troubled past and of what my possible end would be had i not come into the Emperor's guiding light. This happened after some years in the gang, during one of the worst gang war in the history of Volg Hive. I guess that our leader must have really pissed the other gangs too much, for they didn't simply resort to the usual hit and run tactics. No, they prepared something far more elaborate for our gang's demise. They sent an infiltrator who entered our gang and gained our leader's trust, and then proceeded to slowly but methodically eliminate us from the inside. I think this was what disgusted me and i vouched to escape that hellhole and that way of life for good. The opportunity presented itself when i was informed that a high ranking member of the Adeptus Arbites would come to Volg Hive from offworld, in order to cleanse the corrupt precincts and establish a war on crime. I met him under the guise of an informant and volunteered to help him destroy the most dangerous hive gangs. As a matter of fact our plans went quite well and after a long period we succeeded. Then he made me an offer to follow him and join the Arbites myself, a chance that i gladly took and entered the Emperor's service.


From that point on, i delved into a while new world, keeping the Emperor's justice, receiving specialized training, learning the various imperial laws, conducting field work etc. Truth is i mostly enjoyed the investigation part of my work, even though i was more than capable to hold my own in the face of danger. After all, growing up on Volg Hive tends to have that effect on people. It was after some years, following my involvement to certain "strange" crimes that almost took the sanity out of my colleagues, that i was recruited into a more secret department of the Adeptus Arbites, the so-called Divisio Immorallis, and served in its HQ in Scintilla, till the Inquisition took notice of me and inducted me in the ranks of its acolytes.


So, that's my story. This is supposed to be my first serious investigation in the service of the Holy Ordos and i want to make sure that we're as best prepared as possible".





Torrian stops speaking, takes a few more sips of his amasec and his look turns again on his companion, that young lady across the room, with the silky black hair and the amazingly concealed lethality of a trained imperial operative.


"Anything more you'd wish to know, or perhaps another drink", he asks with a smile in his face, "by the way it's good to get these things off my chest once in a while, thank you for being such a good listener".