Investigation

The flight back to the Sisterhood starts out quietly. Some of you were injured greatly and you have PDF scouts with you who are dealing with their captivity in Xenos hands. There will be a reckoning but, not quite yet. First you’ll need to get permission and access and then you’ll need to gather evidence. This begins your investigation.

It does not take long before you are able to return. The Aquilla Lander arrives, and the PDF forces are taken to the infirmary where they will be treated and prayed over. The rest of the group is brought to Reliquant Superior Maria Grace.

The woman in charge is in her office, it is a spartan place, just a desk, files, and cogitator. There are only to bits of excess. The first, is the stained-glass window where Saint Celestine stands in her full glory. The sunlight coming through that window highlights Celestine's halo. The second, bit of excess is a delicate ceramic of Saint Kodachi inlaid with gold. The Reliquant Superior is only one step removed from Cannoness and she could, if she wanted, have far more resplendent things yet, she just has the two.

She gestures to an ancient holo-screen table. There upon the table an image begins to appear. A woman in full Inquisitorial robes stands and looks at you and Maria Grace. "I am Inquisitor Selina of the Rose. I am here at the request of the Reliquant Superior to hear the evidence you bring before me and, if I deem it worthwhile, to imbue you with full Inquisitorial power in my name."

The Inquisitor listens to Cassia and when the report is complete she makes a decision. "Have the tech priest send the data encrypted to me. In the meantime I am giving you authority to investigate this matter. Authorization Selena alpha three ten beta gamma seven five." There is a hum from the device she’s showing on and a few moments later a signet ring pops out.

"Reliquant Superior hand the ring to your sisters who will act with my authority. They are allowed in any location, to search any they need, find the evidence and bring the traitors to justice."

The Reliquant Superior holds the ring and slowly hands it to Cassia. "Cassia you will lead the investigation. If it comes to battle for any reason I expect you to heed to Jurgena’s lead on that. Jurgena, keep her safe and upon your life do not allow this ring in anyone else’s hand"

The Inquititor shakes her head. "Nothing else Sister. May the Emperor’s light guide you." She fades from the hologram.

The Reliquant Superior nods and says, "If you need the order call. We will be ready to arrest any who needs to be. For The Emperor!"

Knowing that is when you should take your leave you exit and find a place to plan your next action. Who will go where and ask what questions. Bigby knows people in low places and can visit them for information. Krondo has contacts with Cogs working for the aristocracy. The Sisters can easily get a meeting with the same aristocrats and ask pertinent questions.

Getting meetings with the Governor's inner circle is very easy once you tell them who you are and who you. The first person you're able to get to meet you is the Minister of Agriculture. She is Lady Isobel Rhinance and her office is absolutely gorgeous. It overlooks miles of farms with machines chugging along various plots.

Isobel has long black hair and blue eyes, she wears a gown worth a fortune, and she is clearly not happy with her governor. "Production has been down some percentage the last few quarters due to continuing lost workers. I've spoken numerous times with the Minister of Labor and he continues to evade my calls. When I bring it up in council it is as if the Governor does not care. If we slip another percent the next grain shipment will be below our taxation rate!"

Once in the main city Bigby departs to speak with some of his own contacts. His friend Paul Sealrat is a rattling in charge of the sewer swimmers. Paul speaks with Bigby saying, "You look look for Xeno? We have have pieces of equipment found in sewers. Come come, preists say this just junk but Paul knows it important important."

Isobel smiles and says, "Thank you kindly sister. You humble me with your words and the deeds of your order are well known and appreciated as well. As for the missing we’ve had a number of workers who had to be brought up to speed on the harvesters. There’s always some every year but, the last five to ten has been worse. I’ll have my tech priest speak with yours about it. Perhaps in the meantime you might like some tea?"

She tries to escort the sisters to a tea setting where she focuses on her interest in the Sisterhood. Apparently she is the second daughter and had briefly been in training when her brother perished in an air car accident. She was pulled from scholia and brought here. Even so she’s a very devoted follower of the Emperor and has a high opinion of the Sisterhood.

A tech priest comes in to speak with Krondo. She introduces herself as Sarah-813 and the binaric speech is fast and the information he provides shows a distinct increase year over year in new workers needed for the fields. The statistics don’t lie, something is decreasing to total number of workers in the fields and drawing population from the cities with a slowly increasing lack of full harvests. Krondo can see very well that within a year the world won’t be able to make tithe and feed everyone in the system.

Bigby finds himself swimming through sewage. It’s not pleasant but, after the swim he’s in a small storage space filled with black market goods. Paul shows him some broken weapons that are clearly Drukhari.

OOC: Persuasion roll to Sarah-813

Lady Isobel is usually a wily sort of woman, if you had been anyone else, you'd have likely gotten a run around with her sophisticated words. As it stands you just end up answering various questions about the local order that any devout might have. Indeed, you find yourselves time and again trying to turn the conversation away from the Adeptas Sororitas and to your main goal. It seems Lady Isobel just can not get enough stories, details, and whatever she can about your order. You almost get the feeling that if the Adeptas Sororitas did not worship the Emperor she wouldn't care about him at all.

"I have to admit that my concern over any specific missing serfs was limited at the beginning. As they grew you will find that I have over the last year filed numerous complaints with Minister of Labor. I can also direct you to the communities most affected by the disappearances. Perhaps they would be more amenable to speaking to you as the few agents I have sent all received cold shoulders. So, I have done my job but, someone above me does not care about the lost workers."

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Sara-813 shows Krondo a map of the locations where the most laborers have gone missing. She has missed the biggest issue, one that Krondo can immediately see. The disappearances are all arranged in lines and circles, like say a ship landing and jet bikes zooming out to pick up their prey. She's not quite willing to go further but Krondo picks up some interesting imbeded code within her cogitators and there follows a moment where he must deal with malignant code.

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Bigby vomits from the horrible stench and Paul just laughs a few moments. "Give it a few times and you'll forget about it. Thi stuff here? Some is from the undercity, the rarest stuff came in from the farms. Folks don't want to be seen with xeno tech but, they know it has value. It gets sold to a wandering merchant who in turn sells it to me. I in turn get it to a contact who sells to the rich upper city folk. They love this stuff and it beats the hell out of selling fake heretical stuff."

Bigby recognizes the black market for what it is. Paul is a fence and likely has some friends who buy from the farms, sell to him, then he sells to the rich. What he's showing is the stuff that doesn't work anymore. When asked about where he mentions three main areas of late. Bigby will be able to put that together with the others and find the same pattern they have with the missing bodies.

When sister Cassia mentions the Arbites the Lady looks concerned saying, "Honestly I have been doing all in my power to avoid the Arbites and ensure my part in this affair is protected. They will not care if peasants are missing but, they will care if we miss the tithe. I would rather not call them down and have them decide fault without fully ensuring my name is not on their list."

The Adeptas Arbites will root out corruption but, their primary task is to ensure Imperial Tithes continue to flow. Considering that her ministry is the most relevant to the tithe of grain she would be top of their list for replacement and her fear is valid. That said, If she can get it on record that she’s not corrupt and has been following the law then they are less likely to come down on her in the end. It’s very politically savvy of her if not the absolute best option.

Lady Isobel sees the disappointment on Cassia’s face and fall to her knees before her. "Oh sister! My humble apologies and deepest regret. I should have realized my sins sooner and will provide all the information I can. You must also be told that Lord Newton, who is in charge of the Planetary Defense Force. Does not want or desire this information to go further."

She pleads, "I should have told you earlier but, my fear of his reaction kept me from doing so. You have enlightened me and now I know I must make myself right in the eyes of The Emperor and in yours as well. I will do anything you request."

She does her best to give you the information she has. However most of it is within Sarah-813’s cogitator and memory. Thankfully Krondo is easily able to withstand the malicious code fragment from Sarah-813 and has locations where serfs went missing.

As for Lord Newton himself he is not taking calls right now.

Sarah-813 is hosting the code but it doesn’t originate with her. Indeed, it is highly likely, that every tech priest on the planet has been affected. Someone, likely the Minister of the military, planted this code and let it run through the planet. They clearly wanted to ensure the data stayed out of anyone’s hands.

You head out to the fields, here there are acre after acre of fields with the peasants responsible for running huge machinery that will water, fertilize, then harvest crops. The housing and villages are set underground so that it doesn’t affect the arable land. A small staircase takes you down closest to the center point of disappearances. You head down about forty feet of stairs and exit into a small central area with a fountain and small shrine to the emperor.

The few people down here stop when they see you arrive and then slowly come towards you. Three women with babes on their backs have pulled them into their arms presenting them to you as they kneel.

The children are fine but, a blessing of the emperor bestowed by an Adeptas Sororitas is truly welcome. The shrine is well maintained and it is not long before one of the locals comes close. He’s wearing the symbols of the low levels of the Eclisiarchy. He seems happy to see you, the visage of someone who has had their prayers answered is on his face.

"Work goes well. Would it be appropriate to suggest you’re here because we lost people from our fine village? If that is the case good Sister and Tech-priest, then I can show you evidence that was collected and kept here in this shrine."

He introduces himself, "Caius Marcellus minor functionary of the Eclisiarchy. It is my duty to perform the prayers and rituals in this village and also man a plow when needed." Its clear he’s worked the machines that water and care for the plants quite often.

He opens the shrine and shows you items you’ve seen. Drukhari weapons or more the results of them, tiny needles and monofilament wires. "We found them after we lost folks. Emperor save us we lost twenty in the last two years. All gone from the fields with only broken machines and this to show for it"

Caius Marcellus responds, "They would not burn. I hoped that under the blessed eye of the emperor they would be rendered safe until such time that my duties allowed me to report to my superiors."

It is very likely they have no promethium or anything that might burn the objects and a low level member of the Eclisiarchy isn’t going to be allowed to just leave his post and tromp all the way to the capital. He’s doing the best he can with limited resources.

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