Dark Heresy - Wisdom is the beginning of fear.

[Capntastic]

"Hey," Mik said to Crisis. "I thought I told you to stop makin' a mess."

He then decided to leave it alone, shrugged, and looked around while Cryvus spoke, trying to figure out what he meant.

[Jak Snide]

Julius gave Cryvus an glance, muttering something under his breath before speaking to the others as a whole.

"So, we gonna make a move or what?"

[Capntastic]

"Sure thing. Hey, the coppers seem to like hangin' 'round the market. We should head there again; maybe scare up some breakfast. I'm sure we'll run into some in no time flat."

[Jak Snide]

The group made ready to leave the apartment, Cryvus making a point of suggesting they remove any traces of their presence from the hab to the best of their abilities and bar the door behind them to keep out prying eyes. Once that was done the group descended down into the streets again, noting the general flow of people towards the North West. It was hardly a thousands strong Mid-Hive rush, but there were more people out than there had been the previous evening and they were all heading in the same direction.

The route to the Enforcer Station lead past the Worker's Union and through the market, and the group found themselves moving alongside a good few members of the populace.

(Crisis and Mikolas:

Spoiler:

Not everyone is moving in this direction. A number of people, looking even worse off than the rest of the populace, are heading South-West from the Worker's Union.

)

Just as they enter the Southern end of the market, Mikolas catching sight of a particularly tasty treat, they hear a burst of auto-fire from the West, over by the rail transit station. It's replaced a moment later by a clamour and the thunder of several hundred feet moving at once, the combination turning several worried heads.

(Edit: Since Zero suggested it, the map now tracks the position of the group and their recent movement. The aquila icon is the acolytes, in case it wasn't obvious)

[Capntastic]

"Wha-hoah! Somethin's up!" Mik shouted over his shoulder, as he began bounding towards the epicenter of autofire and panic.

[Kelne]

Cryvus moved somewhat more cautiously in Mikolas's wake, keeping an eye out for cover in case any of that fire wound up directed his way. Even if this was just another turf war between rival gangs, bullets didn't differentiate between targets.

His hurried pace didn't seem to impede the usual muttering at all.

[NamagomiMk0]

Crisis' palm met his face audibly--weren't they here to investigate what was causing those things to appear? Regardless, it would be treason to leave the rest of the group just like that if a firefight were to break out...and that would be worse than just about anything else an Acolyte could do.

Loading and readying his rifle, the masculine-feminine voidborn advanced more slowly to where Mik and Cryvus went off to, attempting to stay in cover and in shadows for the most part in the meantime...

[pd Rydia]

Oh dear. Not only were they not returning the samples, apparently, but they were now running headlong into another fight. It would be really nice to eventually have a minute to stop and explain his reasoning to people, rather than having them be led around by an nut who played with cards in ways that didn't look entirely in line with the worship of the emperor, but it would have to wait. Gunner prepared his laspistol, and hoped that he'd be a bit mroe effective this time round.

[Jak Snide]

The group moved through the market quickly, noting a mass of bodies moving swiftly away from the station and lapping around the market. Emerging from the market they got an idea of what had happened.

Across the square they could make out the still dispersing crowd in front of the transit station. The platform itself was free of activity, save for maybe a dozen figures garbed in green. Enforcers, apparently out in some force.

(Xerxes:

Spoiler:

You don't think anyone's been shot yet, the gunfire from before probably being warning shots. If any hivers were bleeding out on the ground the crowd would be running alot more quickly, or lynching the Enforcers. Or both.

Mikolas:

Spoiler:

Hey, that big tunnel to the North has been sealed shut.

)

[Kelne]

Cryvus hastened to catch up with Mikolas, laying a hand firmly upon his shoulder, "We must be cautious," he said sternly, "Confrontation does not serve our purpose."

It seemed Cryvus was back to making sense again. For now, at least.

[Justice Augustus]

Xerxes hurries along with the others, though less urgently. Crowd dispersal was part of the core training of the Arbites, and while firing into the air was usually quite effective, it had a lot of risks of backfiring as well.

"Look guys, I don't know why y'all keep trying to be some sort of hero, but we can't keep rushing around at every little disturbance. This is a hive, for the Emperor's sake! Do you know how many rumbles there are on an hourly basis? Mission first, sightseeing later, a'ight? They're probably just getting the gees and esses moving. That's grumblers and stumblers, ya dig? A group of those can block an entire walkway if ya let 'em. Or worse, they can sow discontent in the masses, and then ya got a problem."

Xerxes looks over at the Enforcers again, trying to count their numbers. "If the local boys are out in force, they aint gonna be as easily humoured as the pair before. Strength in numbers means they'll shoot first if they think we're causing trouble. Of course, if there's a lot of them out here, there aint gonna be many back at their station..."

[Capntastic]

"Hey," Mik spoke, turning to the portion of the group who caught up to him. "We needed to find some coppers, and we did. Now we just gotta worry about, uh, initiatin' conversatin'."

[Jak Snide]

Xerxes took a head count; exactly twelve of them spaced out evenly along the platform, blocking access to the rail car. Their short-pattern autoguns were unslung and held ready, occasionally being brandished at clumps of hivers who weren't dispersing fast enough.

One of the men passing by, less phased than most and with pot marked skin, shouted to the group. "Don't bother, they've got the division on lockdown" he yelled before continuing on, striking up a conversation with the person next to him.

[Justice Augustus]

"Lockdown, huh?" Perhaps that meant that the group had not been the only one to receive unwanted guests in the night. A series of murders, assaults, and gunfights would indeed lead to a quarantine situation. It was possible the local boys were actually doing something right for once. "I stick by my idea. The militia know someting's up. I say we head to their HQ and see if we can't share some knowledge."

[Kelne]

Cryvus nodded, "Have we a cover story as to why we need to know?" he asked. Identifying themselves as agents of the Inquisition would of course get them all the cooperation they might require, but it could also attract attention. And attention was not something they wanted.

[Capntastic]

"Huh. Yeah, we could head over I guess. Dunno what we'd say, but it's better than standin' around I guess."

[Jak Snide]

The acolytes bore north, cutting through the crowd until they stood before a squat rockcrete pillbox those rose up three stories. The viewpoints were shuttered, yet the front door hung ever so slightly ajar, possibly indicating a swift departure. They let themselves in cautiously and were unchallenged. The place was deserted and silent, save for some snoring coming from further in.

[Kelne]

Snoring? Snoring?! Cryvus continued into the building. That snoring had better not be coming from whoever was on duty at the front desk. Falling asleep on the job was not proper service to the Emperor.

[Jak Snide]

Cryvus stormed through the Station, swiftly finding the source of the traitorous noise; an scruffy looking man in a dark green uniform lay slumped across his desk, spit pooling beneath his mouth. He looked a far cry from the Enforcers they'd encountered in the market and, more disturbingly, if the sign on his desk was anything to go by he was the man in charge here: Warden Locan.

[Kelne]

Cryvus's attitude to this discovery was best described as righteous indignation. Striding up to the desk, he bellowed in the man's face, "What are you doing sleeping on the job, you worthless little maggot? Don't you know there's a war on?!"

Very definite shades of his formative years coming to the fore here. Drill-Lieutennant Vyers would no doubt be proud. Well, maybe not. Vyers would most likely advocate spacing the worthless creature. Alas, there were no airlocks this far downhive.

[Jak Snide]

The man jerks awake, sitting bolt upright and recedes into his seat in shock.

"W..who the frak are you!?" he stammers.

[Kelne]

If possible, Cryvus looked even more enraged. "And obscura?" he shouted, still at full volume, "While engaged in His business?! I ought to turn you over to the Arbites right now!"

How such a creature had managed to rise to the position of Warden was beyond Cryvus. Even his suspicion that their adversary might have contacts within the local enforcers hadn't prepared him for such blatant corruption.

[Justice Augustus]

Xerxes steps forward, and gently lays a hand on Cryvus' shoulder. He nods at him, "At ease, we'll do this by the book." With a smooth, calm movement he pulls out his Arbitrator ID, and leans on the desk. "I think ya know what this represents, Warden. Now, I'll expect yer full cooperation with my investigation into this district. Can I assume that I'll have access to everything I need? I'd hate for my investigation to have to become...internal."

[Kelne]

Cryvus subsided somewhat, though he continued to glower balefully at Locan. There was no muttering now. Locan had his full and undivided attention.

[Jak Snide]

The man was pretty much drenched in sweat now. His pointed, almost ratty features were contorted into an expression of abject terror, and a short mop of greased black hair now glistening with moisture. He slowly nodded in compliance.

[Kelne]

Cryvus was somewhat satisfied. They had the Warden's cooperation (for whatever that was worth), even if justice had not been served. "And kick the habit, warden," he said sternly, at a more reasonable volume, "The Emperor is not as forgiving as we are."

He had his doubts whether Locan would follow the instruction, but he had been warned. If he chose not to heed that warning, Cryvus was certain there would be consequences sooner or later.

From here on, Xerxes could do the talking. This was his department, after all. Cryvus would be filling the somewhat unusual role of lurking menace in the background. He wondered if the others had even registered on the man yet.

[Justice Augustus]

"Firstly, I'd like to know why yer men are blocking access to the transit station. Secondly, we have had reports of numerous disappearances in this area. I will need all the information on this matter, and details of yer ongoing investigations." Xerxes stares the man directly in the eye, unblinking. "Yer on thin ice, sumpsucker, and I aint full of patience."

[Jak Snide]

The man's disposition changed from one of fear to one of exhaustion and depression as he leaned forward onto the desk, arms propping his head up as hands gripped his head.

"Hive quake warning, that's what we were told to say. And there haven't been any investigations. Been going on for a month now and we haven't done shit."

He looked up, staring Xerxes right in the eye, but not as an act of defiance. This was a confession. "You can guess why, can't you?"

[Justice Augustus]

"I can guess, but I want to hear it from your lips, in your words." He stands up straight now, adopting a slightly less harsh stance in an attempt to increase his appearance of authority and control. "Tell me. Tell me everything."

[Jak Snide]

"We've been bought out... or I have, at least. The others are dead. That lot out there? They're mercs, stone cold and brought in by her. What choice did I have? It was either play along or end up kissing the 'crete, or worse. You've seen them, you know what they are! What would you have done?!"

[Capntastic]

Through the interrogation, Mik just stood full height with his arms crossed, looking stern and such. His associates would sort things out, surely. Besides, they probably knew more about this sort of business better than him.

But what sort of overwatered git pays their mercs to shoot into the air for no reason?

[Kelne]

Cryvus continued to look grim. Worse than he could have imagined. With the sector on lockdown (for whatever reason they chose to present to the outside hive) nobody would be getting in or out until events had run their course. Cryvus doubted that the course of events would be bright for anyone caught inside, and breaking in would not be pleasant when the authorities were finally compelled to take action.

Nevertheless, he remained silent for now. The worst might have been confirmed, but the questioning was still in the hands of Xerxes.

[Justice Augustus]

"What would I have done? What would I have done? You are a citizen of the Imperium of the God Emperor of Mankind, and as such you are beholden to its laws! And with that responsibility come the privlege of his glorious protection. The arbites, the PDF, the guard, even the noble Adeptus Astartes are there to protect each of the Emperor's beloved children, even one who has fallen as much as you." Xerxes slams his hand down on the desk, leaning forward until he was barely a foot away from the man before him. "Redeem yourself, not in my eyes, not in your own eyes, but in his eyes. Tell me where she is. Tell me how many of them there are. Walk in his blessed eyesight once more."

[Capntastic]

Mik too adjusted his stance to tilt forward, and followed up Xerxes' stunning speech with a well placed "Yeah!" and a glower.

[Besyanteo]

Gunner simply did his best to not to detract from the mood Xerxes had going. The man's experiences were obviously better tailored to this situation, and stepping in was only goign to fuck it up.

[Jak Snide]

Whether it was the apeal to his sense of duty or the sheer force of them, Xerxes' words hit the Warden like a tonne of bricks, his voice rising as he spat words out as fast as he could.

"She's at the Alms House! She and hers took it over a month back. Throne knows how many of the things she's got, I never went upstairs. Don't want to go upstairs! She's inhuman!"

[Justice Augustus]

Xerxes slams his fist down on the desk again. "Details, man! I need details! Give me numbers, give me facts! If we're going to save this hive we need information!"

[Capntastic]

Mik angled forward even more and added his own mighty fist to the table pounding, roaring "Yeah!"

[Jak Snide]

While still wracked with fear, Locan managed to collect himself enough to say something useful.

"I...uh...she can't have more than a dozen stashed up there, sends them out in pairs at night. Been getting four missing people a night these days. She's got a man called Moran, he runs the Alms House, makes sure the beggars get their slop every day. He's got the key."

(Crisis, Gunner:

Spoiler:

Glancing back the way you came, you catch the sight of something dart back around the corner.

)

[Justice Augustus]

Xerxes stands tall, and crosses his arms. "Right, can you get a message to your regional commander, or any other forces at all?"