Lure of the Expanse (IC Thread)

"Will they obey the orders of a human?" Elizabeth inquires of Beria. She gives a meaningful look over her shoulder at Johan; she doesn't actually need Kroot guards, but making friends can go a long way. Without actually saying anything, she manages to communicate that the decision is ultimately up to Johan and his honor, in particular whether he would feel insulted.

The House Guard have a very long tradition of dealing with the eccentricities of Rogue Traders and only asking questions in private.

Ardanor opens his mind to the Immaterium, trying to predict any foul play or betrayal from the Kroot.

In the harsh light of Footfall, surrounded by the filth and desperation of void-farers and traders, Ardanor felt a sliver of discomfort settle within him. House Barknek was already regarded with suspicion, and he himself was seen as a figure of dark mystery, even among his own kind. To associate with the Kroot, to be seen as consorting with these alien scavengers, it would only deepen the aura of monstrosity that clung to him. He had always walked a fine line, maintaining a veneer of humanity while hiding the full extent of his nature and abilities. To the common man, he was already an enigma, a creature of the warp in human skin. Associating with the Kroot might tip the balance, solidifying in the minds of others the notion that he was something to be feared, or worse, to be hated.

Yes, Ardanor was afraid of that. In the silent corridors of his thoughts, he recognized that fear, the fear of be seen as more monstrous than he already was perceived to be. But fear was a tool, something to be acknowledged and then used, not something to be shown. His face remained unreadable, his posture serene. He would not allow anyone to see his trepidation. Not now, not ever.

For now, he would remain silent, his thoughts his own, his fears hidden beneath the cold mask of his countenance. Let the others think him impassive, uncaring. The decision would ultimately fall to Elizabeth and Johan. Besides, after the vague glimpses from the Immaterium, the Navigator and Senior Advisor had no useful counsel to add.

"Mistress, although it is good to have friends, you can never be sure about the whims of the xenos mercenaries. I can work with them if you decide to do so, but I am against the notion of using them." Johan wispers to Elizabeth.

"Hmm, I wonder if I could just get a pair as my personal guard.", Arebella looks at Rainsford with her perpetual smirk. "Might get a reaction next time I need to disconcert a bunch of stuffy old men."

Oblivious to the inner world of the Navigator, Elizabeth spares a glance for Johan and Arebella in turn without looking directly at them. She keeps her body facing forward. She nods to acknowledge that she heard and understood Johan; her sister didn't whisper and so didn't need that kind of acknowledgement. Probably. Elizabeth looked at her again, for a fraction of a second, just in case.

Then back to Beria: "We will need an interpreter," she says, "As they do not speak Gothic, even if they understand it. Are you offering your services along with them, Master Beria?"

Arebella quirks her brow at Elizabeth's look. She's amused at the idea of having the Kroot on board, but she's not really invested either way.

Since Elizabeth herself is confident in her ability to blow things up with mind powers, her sister doesn't seem to care that much, and Johan actively does not want the Kroot around and can also strangle a grox to death bare-handed, Elizabeth concludes that hiring the Kroot is a terrible idea.

"Thank them for the offer, Mister Beria, but their services will not be necessary. Captain Rainsford and the Drake House Guard are more than capable of defending us if the need arises."

Also, our Navigator has a warp laser on his forehead.

"Putting up? As a bid for what they're selling, you mean? Ah, I have brought a few things."

Small objects, far more significant than their size would indicate. Soil from the Sanctum Imperialis on Holy Terra. A psychically active knife from the Temple Calix, not a force weapon but still a valuable relic. A strange xenos mask made of something not entirely unlike jade, collected from the hold of a void pirate ship. A galvanized steel pin from an augmentic once used by a Fabricator-Censor of the lost Explorator Fleet Tau-Epsilon Three.

Many people sell things like that, but vanishingly few are genuine. All but the soil from Holy Terra had been collected by her uncle, in preparation to attend a Foretelling auction. The sacred dirt was Elizabeth's contribution; she has a large collection of souvenirs from her time on the Throne World, most completely unremarkable to anyone from Segmentum Solar but of holy significance outside it.

Johan leaves a sigh of relief with the decision of Elizabeth. Although he does not harbour hate for many xenos, unlike other guardsmen, he does not like the Kroot. Too savage and unpredictable. And their cannibalsitic nature makes him nauseous. He follows the others but always giving glances over his back for anything suspicious.