Rogue Trader - Footfall

[Lt. Commander Zarkov]

[For continuity flow, I'm assuming Malachi approaches Zarkov after the end of the conversation with Praetus.]

Du Preste walked away from Navigator Praetus, leaving the senior navigator with a tense expression on his face - two of his eyes blazing with barely-subdued fury. Then, as if remembering his station, he adjusted his cap and calmed down, although he kept staring at the other navigator's back as he moved away.

"Yes, Zarkov," Praetus said not looking at the man. "They attribute my navigation skills to the survival of the Invictus Aeterna. I would not like to be so immodest. But neither am I modest enough to refuse your offer. I would be happy to discuss things in depth with you . . . .out of earshot. I have a favour to ask of you."

Although Zarkov felt some surprise at being asked a favour from a noble such as Praetus, his face remained a mask.

"Of course, Comrade Navigator. What would you ask of me?"

[Injerian Praetus II]

Navigator Praetus fondled his gun conspicuously, looking at it with a grin. "Sorry," he said softly, "I cannot avoid handling this priceless weapon. It was handed to me by the Novator - my father. But, despite its monetary and personal worth, one must understand that it is a weapon first and always."

The senior navigator placed a hand on Zarkov's shoulder, and looked into his eyes as he continued. "They just have to be used for the good of its owner. Sometimes they do bad things, only for good things to happen. The blessed Emperor teaches us that, Zarkov.

"You," he said meaningfully, "understand the use of weapons. And I understand your problems."

[Montresor]

Certain members of the crew still milling about on the Bridge, or going about their duties begin to watch Praetus and Zarkov with curiosity. The Navigator's hand on the Lieutenant Commander's shoulder looks out of place, jarring.

[Lt. Commander Zarkov]

"You," he said meaningfully, "understand the use of weapons. And I understand your problems."

"There is no arguing with the barrel of a gun." Zarkov recited. He lowered his voice. "We have an understanding, Navigator. Perhaps it would be better to continue this discussion in private however. If you would meet me outside my quarters in half an hour, we will finish this over a glass of amasec."

Metanus and Malachi part ways, with Malachi hurriedly rushing towards Zarkov.

"Zarkov, when you have a moment."

Zarkov had just finished addressing Praetus when he heard the voice, and turned towards the speaker with some trepidation. But it was only Malachi, the trusted emissary from the Mechanicus. Zarkov bowed slightly. Another face he had yet to commend in person. Malachi had achieved an almost messianic presence in Zarkov's mind after his actions in the passage.

"Yes, venerated Explorator. I am at your service."

[Injerian Praetus II]

"Of course," the navigator said with a slight tilt of his head, "I look forward to that amasec." He then turned around and saw the techpriest. Without even acknowledging the explorator, he strode away to his own quarters.

[Malachi]

"Yes, venerated Explorator. I am at your service."

"We're off to a good start, then."

Malachi's hand rests on Zarkov's shoulder, with the other hand signaling a more private part of the assembly.

Please refer to the PM.

[Lt. Commander Zarkov]

Zarkov walked with Malachi to a more private area of the bridge, closer to the Servitor pits, where no ratings lingered. He listened to Malachi's words with growing interest and concern.

"I can see you're a busy man... the belle of the ball, perhaps?

Zarkov gave Malachi a humourless smirk at this comment. He had had no intention of going to the ball on the Battlecruiser, let alone to Footfall itself. He had instead intended to spend his time in dock evaluating the crew of the Invictus, to see how far their morale had slumped. Now, however, he was torn.

As Malachi heads off, he turns back.

"Oh, one other thing. I'm not very good at Mechanicus politics, or politics in general. Metanus wishes for me to keep this in strictest confidence. I imagine he'd want you to do the same."

Zarkov nodded silently, watching Malachi leave. A thousand thoughts turned in his mind. Du Preste was momentarily forgotten.

[Garrius Amphael]

'I only have a few small matters of business to discuss and then, if I am no longer needed, I will see about my own affairs. First, now is the time you may want to consider seeking other business opportunities which may coincide with the Endeavour. The Consortium only asks that you keep the strictest confidence, and that you do not delay our overal business. Second, I would like to know how long you intend to stay in Footfall? I assume that resupplying and repairs are all we are here for? And, third, I will ask that, just before we depart, you send your chief navigator to me, so that I might divulge the location of our first destination - Prethian'.

Garrius nodded as Menz spoke.

"Yes our visit will be brief, a period better measured in days rather than weeks I should imagine. I will see to it that Lord Praetus sees you before we depart. Now if you will excuse me."

Turning to leave, Garrius stops, contemplating for a moment, before turning back to Menz.

"As I am sure you saw, I have been invited to a ball. I was thinking, perhaps as a sign of good will and my commitment to a long and prosperous business partnership with you and yours, if one of your party would like to accompany me? Perhaps the young noble of yours, Gabriel? No doubt he would enjoy such a thing. What say you on the matter?"

[Drak-Kung]

"I can certainly select someone to accompany you personally. However, given the lack of knowledge concerning the perils here, I would offer to discreetly shadow you and your escort. Obviously, I'll not be able to follow everywhere, but a strong backup within close proximity would be advisable, I think."

[Andrea Chan-Gauthier]

"That would be excellent, Chief. But, I hope I wouldn't be keeping you from your other duties, though. It seems a waste to keep you tied up following me around negotiating with merchants, on the off chance something dangerous happens."

[Montresor]

"As I am sure you saw, I have been invited to a ball. I was thinking, perhaps as a sign of good will and my commitment to a long and prosperous business partnership with you and yours, if one of your party would like to accompany me? Perhaps the young noble of yours, Gabriel? No doubt he would enjoy such a thing. What say you on the matter?"

'The offer is most generous'. Menz turns to Gabriel. 'Would you accept this?'

Gabriel bows slightly and displays a light smile. 'Of course. I give you my thanks, Amphael. This is indeed an honour. Cyrus Deltael is not only a succesful Rogue Trader in the Koronus, he is also reckoned as being somewhere amongst the top five hundred most wealthy people in Segmentum Obscurus. His seneschal's introduction, if anything, was modest. I look forward to accompanying you to this Masque'.

[Garrius Amphael]

Gabriel bows slightly and displays a light smile. 'Of course. I give you my thanks, Amphael. This is indeed an honour. Cyrus Deltael is not only a succesful Rogue Trader in the Koronus, he is also reckoned as being somewhere amongst the top five hundred most wealthy people in Segmentum Obscurus. His seneschal's introduction, if anything, was modest. I look forward to accompanying you to this Masque'.

Garrius nodded his approval.

"Good, I shall look forward to your company on this outing. I must admit, my military career has kept me far away from these parts and my own knowledge of Cyras Deltael is somewhat limited. Perhaps you can fill me in more when we make way to this masque. Until then I shall take my leave."

Garrius started to leave the bridge, stopping for a moment to speak with Sterr The Unborn. Montresor knows of the message Garrius is sending He then made his way to his quarters.

Finding Le Vatch, he sent for the heads of all the clans. It was time to hear from the crew.

OOC Garrius will send for the heads of all the clans before they have a chance to leave the vessel on leave. He will have another lunch put on for them in his garden. I will refrain from posting until this meeting takes place.

[Andrea Chan-Gauthier]

Andrea heads for the Cargo Bay. "Lieutenant Travic. May I ask a small favor of you?"

The Lieutenant glanced up at Andrea, glanced down at the cards in his hand, and put them face-down at the table. "I fold, anyway." he told those around the table with him. "Yes, Madam Seneschal, what can I do for you?"

"Lieutenant, I wish to make a request of the [Eternals], but I find that I do not know to whom I should address my request. I know I'd seen quite a few people in your cargo bay wearing their colors. Do you think you could recommend me to someone who can be of assistance?"

"Hrm. That would probably be Morduchai over there. He just won that hand of cards you made me miss. Thanks for that, by the way... I was bluffing. He's the spokesman for the clan who work here in the Cargo Bay. I'm not sure he can speak for all of them, but he can start up any conversation you need."

Andrea follows Travic back to the table, and Travic introduced them after the hand is won. "Morduchai, I'd like you to meet the Lady Andrea Chan-Gauthier, also Seneschal Majoris of the ship."

[Montresor]

Zarkov nodded silently, watching Malachi leave. A thousand thoughts turned in his mind. Du Preste was momentarily forgotten.

[For the purposes of keeping the pace, I'll move Zarkov along to the meeting with Praetus. Sorry if that wasn't what you wanted, it just seemed the logical juncture]

Lieutenant Commander Zarkov's quarters are dimly lit and quiet. Only the sound of glasses clinking as Zarkov takes them from a cabinet to where he and the Navigator are seated. Captain Trulitch, still attending to matters on the Bridge, is not presently in the quarters.

[Montresor]

"Morduchai, I'd like you to meet the Lady Andrea Chan-Gauthier, also Seneschal Majoris of the ship."

Morduchai has a pronounced facial twitch, which seems to bother him every minute or so. A purplish birth-mark stains the same side of his face that is wracked with the tick. The unfirtunate habit, and uncomfortable presence, has only aided his skill at cards.

Morduchai sniffs in a vast plug of phlegm, wipes his hand upon his work clothes, and enthusiastically shakes the hand of the less than enthusiastic Andrea. 'A pleasure marm. Does me a good turn to be talkin' t' the 'ighest and mightiest. What's yer needs?'

[Montresor]

OOC Garrius will send for the heads of all the clans before they have a chance to leave the vessel on leave. He will have another lunch put on for them in his garden. I will refrain from posting until this meeting takes place.

[Some hours later, at lunch]

Garrius sits at the head of a table, set to one corner of his beautific gardens. A fountain, depicting a stylised version of the Amphael insignia carved in stone cascades water. Birds flit in the trees nearby.

The calm surrounds are at odds with the delegation gathered at the lunch. Half a dozen heads of the major clans are seated about the table. Lady Kahrmyna sits at the seat opposite Garrius, and her stony silence is the cue all other delegates follow. Even Enginseer Adjent, the representative of the Lowers, seems ill at ease.

[Montresor]

"I'll be waiting for your reply at the airlock."

[I'll assume that you meant the main access lock to the the asteroid the Invictus is moored to]

Frustrated by the eager throng of off-duty officers making their way to explore Footfall, Malachi decides to take an alternate route to the exit point. Unfamiliar with much of the ship's layout, he often pauses to ask for directions.

His path takes him along service tunnels and down access wells. At one point, he has to traverse a narrow manually operated elevator that no longer seems capable of stopping, except at its base and summit.

Finding himself in quiet corridors, his urge to explore is stifled by the need to make his way to the designated rendezvous point with Zarkov. Passing along silent rooms, he sees storage spaces converted into living quarters for some of the ratings, and a central heating generator being used to dry work clothes and blankets.

Graffiti is etched or painted into some of the walls and doors. Much of it seems to be in trash-speak and dialects unknown to the Explorator. One piece strikes him as particularly curious - a word is painted over a ventillation grate, written in High Gothic. Malachi's lack of knowledge of the language means that he is unsure what it says, though he thinks he has seen the phrase enough times to know that it was common-place enough to have infiltrated Low Gothic. Malachi is certain the graffiti reads: ASCEND.

[Nothing else of note will happen or be observed and, a few minutes later, Malachi will be waiting at the main access lock. It is open, and the interior of the dock can be seen. Officers off-duty leave the Invictus in a steady stream]

[Garrius Amphael]

Garrius sat quietly, letting himself enjoy the meal. Succulent meat so tender it nearly fell apart as he cut into it. The wine was good too. Not his best, but good enough for the lower company he kept.

Placing his glass down, he looked around the table.

"As much as I enjoy eating in silence, this is not why you are all here. Ill cut straight to the thick of it; I hear the crew aren't happy. As representatives of the crew, I would like to hear your opinions on why, and what can be done to remedy this."

[Montresor]

Her dead eyes gaze past the Rogue Trader, but Lady Kahrmyna gestures in his direction, without being so improper as pointing. 'Their has been death amongst the crew. This is always so, and death in service of the ship is welcome, but it is to be expected that death should have a meaning, and be avoidable. Are you aware, Lord-Captain, that several of the messenger children died while carrying out the task you set them. Worse than this . . .'

Lady Kahrmyna trails off deliberately, but Garriot Marl, the boss of the Sustainer Union is impatient that the point be made. 'Several more went missing. Children. The children you put on service. There are thirty or more people altogether who have yet to be accounted for'. Marl is a big man. Short in stature, but solidly built, and somewhat barrel-like. His skin has an unsettling stain from years working with purifying fluids, and much of his hair has fallen free, leaving strange patches and clumps of thick black and grey hair. 'And what for?' he begins again, accusingly. 'There are so many rumours going around. They say that the Lord-Captain was absent during the worst of it, that Zarkov saved us all by piloting through the Storm; that the Senior Navigator recommended we translate from the Warp; that the Seneschal-Majoris had men lined up and shot for trying to get into the Chapel -'

'That's not true . . . not the last part,' Lady Kahrmyna interjects.

Boss Marl doesn't seem to care whether the last point is true or not; he is clearly angered. 'And a rogue psyker killed scores of people, yet noone knows how she stayed undected for so long'.

[Garrius Amphael]

Garrius listened to the crew. It was clear that they were far from happy. He rubbed his eye lids before speaking.

"It is true, I was absent during the storm, and Zarkov commanded the storm in my absence. What you don't know is that I was only absent as I was injured in the storm and was rendered unconscious at the time. I have deliberately kept this from common knowledge as I did not wish to further cause panic during the crisis."

Garrius took a long slow sip of wine.

"As for dropping from the warp, the navigator suggested it as an option, amongst others. And yes, we could have avoided this had we ran like cowards from the warp, much the same that one can hide from a tiger inside a hut. But to do so is to act in fear, something this ship, a warship, was not built to do. Ultimately we overcame the threat, and most lived. The loss of life is regretful but they did not die in vain. I am seeing to it that each and every person life is noted and mentioned in dispatches, and future generations to come shall look upon our child messengers as heros, living and gone. Each one of those brave children shall be rewarded for their sacrifice, and from now on be walking heros amongst the crew of this ship. I shall see to this.

The wych has been seen to. I would like to make it clear, that the undetection of this threat lies on the heads of all. Sitting around the table, you are all fingers on the pulse of this ship. The responsibility does not just lie on the officers of this ship but on the crew, to ensure that such things do not happen. You cannot tell me that people on those hab decks the wych operated on did not know, and the fact that it was not reported is a crime unto itself. However, this is irrelevant, as the wych is no more. I saw to that personally. "

Taking deep breaths, Garrius tried to calm himself. He was angry at these ignorant fools, who expected him to shelter them and care for them like infants.

"As for the missing children, this worries me greatly. Yet again, I must ask, why was this not reported to me? How am I to ensure your safety and protection if you all hide such things from me? I am not a wych capable of reading your minds. You must bring such things to my attention. So, please, inform me of these children and I shall see a search put into effect immediately."

Garrius could feel himself losing his temper here. He tried desperately to calm himself.

"We are, together on this vessel, a crew. I am not your school master, caring for you like children. I require you all to bring such things to my attention so that I can see to them immediately from now on. Now that we have cleared that up, what do you propose I do, to put the crew at ease? What is it you would all like to see done? Hmm?"