Dark Heresy: The Syndicate

[Sionnach Glic]

1637

Marco Karibi strode briskly into the rapidly filling room, a mug of recaf in his hand. He'd developed quite a taste for the stuff since the end of his last expedition.

He cast an eye across the occupants of the room, carefully inspecting each of his old comrades. There was the Sister of Battle, Phebia, looking as ready for a fight as always even in these secure hallways. He noted the more ornate clothing she was sporting this time, deducing that she must have achieved a promotion of some sort. Exactly what, he couldn't tell. He'd never found good cause to study such orders in any detail, and hadn't any particular interest in starting.

The psyker, Trask, looked much the same as Karibi remembered. The Adept cast his mind back to the last day of the mission, where Trask had inadvertantly come quite close to shoving a proverbial wrench into one of Marco's hastily constructed plans. As it was, the Adept had still managed to leave the planet in posession of the Xenos leader's weapon and a number of data-slates. Thankfully, Trask seemed to have forgotten about the devices as they had left the wretched dirtball of a planet. Karibi felt it had been quite a feat of ingenuity to smuggle the artifacts back to Heterairea Lexis, and the College leaders had been delighted to get their hands on such rare and unique technologies. Marco wondered vaguely if he'd get the chance to find more such artifacts on this upcoming expedition. He'd certainly be on the lookout for such oppertunities. A few more gifts for the College laboratories, and his swift rise through the pecking order would be almost assured.

He was initialy quite surprised to see the only other occupant of the room that he recognised, Haxta, sporting a pair of mechadendrites. He quickly realised that, much like himself, she had likely proven herself "worthy" in the eyes of her superiors, thus gaining the supposed honour of having such devices attatched to her. He watched the movement of the devices for a moment, intrigued by their surprisingly fluid movements. He could imagine a number of excellent uses such devices could be put to.....were it not for the AdMech's arrogant assumption that they alone were ordained to dictate what technologies were released to the populace of the Imperium.

A religious fanatic, a psyker, and a tech-hoarder. He mused. Sounds almost like the beginning to a bad joke.

Deciding that the psyker would offer the most pleasant conversation of the currently assembled group he wandered over to Trask, pausing briefly to give a courteous nod to Phebia.

"Good afternoon, Milo." He said, raising his mug in greeting. "I trust the last few months have treated you well?"

[Tyyr]

1636

"Thank you," Phebia said to Trask then nodded to Haxta. "What brings you to our little group," she asked Arl.

[Aaron]

1636 Day One:

+++I have been assigned to take the place of your former comrade, the noble Guardsmen. He has been to deal with another matter. I will provide some extra firepower as well as serve as the eyes and ears of our master.+++

[Tyyr]

1637

Phebia raised an eyebrow at that. "Does the Inquisitor have some reason to question our dedication?"

[Aaron]

1637:

+++I do not know, I merely follow the orders given to me.+++

[Lighthawk]

1637 Day 1

Haxta turned her head to regard Arl, her own thoughts running along the same lines as Phebia's at his statement of being the Inquisitor's eyes and ears. Her electronic eye however remained where it had paused on Milo and Marco. The Adept had noticed her, and then ignored her, purposefully she was certain.

[Aaron]

1637 Day One:

+++Greetings Adept. If no one has any objection we will commence the briefing and we can fill the details in for your late comrade en-route.+++

[Lighthawk]

1637 day 1

"I have none," Haxta answered curtly.

[Mikey]

1637, Day One

"I trust the last few months have treated you well?"

Milo raised his own gup in return. "Well?" he laughed humorlessly, as he distractedly rubbed the brand on his temple. "Let's say, rather... productively. And you seem-" he was cut off by the mechanical tone of Arl's voice.

"+++Greetings Adept. If no one has any objection we will commence the briefing and we can fill the details in for your late comrade en-route.+++"

"No time like the present, as they say," Milo responded.

[Aaron]

1638 Day One:

Arl leans forward and presses a stud on the holo controls and begins while waiting for it to warm up and power on.

+++From what information was recovered from the incident on Iocanthos the Inquisition believes that the Slaugth you encountered may have arrived on planet by way of an Amaranthine Syndicate affiliated freighter, whose previous port of call was the ocean world Spectoris. Our job is to determine whether or not this is true and hopefully discover whether this was an isolated incident or the tip of something more sinister.+++

Arl pauses as the holo flickers into life, projecting the image of a completely ordinary bulk cargo transport.

+++This is the Totondi, our transport for the duration of the mission. It will provide us with ready made cover if it becomes necessary, as a trade Captain and his retinue.+++

[Lighthawk]

1638 Day One:

Haxta regarded the transport with poorly concealed contempt...or what would have been poorly concealed, if her face was not hidden by hood, helm, and mask. She had grown up on a warship of the navy, a heavily armed and armored beast that held its own fierce pride. By comparison, the transport was completely lackluster.

"Where do we start?" she asked. "With the freighter, or at Spectoris?"

[Aaron]

1638 Day One:

+++We do not know the location of the freighter, so we shall start at Spectoris. With luck and some help from the Emperor, or the Omnissiah if you prefer we shall succeed.+++

[Mikey]

1639, Day One

Milo spoke up. "Are we to rendezvous with the Totondi here? And, more importantly, is there suspicion of the Amaranthine working with the Slaugth knowingly and willingly?"

[Aaron]

1639 Day One:

+++She is at grav anchor a short distance from this station, a quick journey by shuttle. There is suspicion, yes but not much more then that Mr. Trask. The information we have is somewhat incomplete and only partially decoded, so I am told.+++

[Mikey]

1639, Day One

"Hmm," Trask murmured thoughtfully. "At some point I should like to see this evidence. Ah well... 'ours is not to wonder why...'"