Aubrey spins and draws his laspistol in one smooth move.
"Can I help you, Miss?"
The figure stands still when you draw your pistol on her and she slowly raises her hands. You can't make out her features due to the dark hooded cloak but her voice is silky soft.
"My master would like to have a discussion with you Sergeant Aubrey Knight, Private Chopper and Cringeworth Filthington."
"Who is your Master, and why would I want to have a discussion with him?"
"You have really caused a ruckus in the Hive for only being here a day. My master is a very powerful man and it would be in your best interest to meet with him."
"A ruckus? That wasn't a ruckus. That was a Tuesday. If you want to see a ruckus, wait till Friday night."
Aubrey lowers the pistol, but doesn't holster it yet.
"Show me your face. I like to look a person in the eye before deciding if I'm going to trust them, or not."
She slowly pulls the hood back from her head. She is a young, very attractive yet pale woman with long straight black hair. She wears no makeup and sports a small scar on her neck which looks like might have been a knife cut of some sort.
She shows no emotion on her face as she looks between the three of you.
"So shall we?"
"I can speak for Chopper and myself. Mr. Filthington is his own man. We'll follow you. I suspect this will lead to profit in one form or another. Take us to your master."
Aubrey secures his weapon and nods to Chopper. The big mutant shrugs and grunts his agreement and they follow the woman.
Cw raises and eyebrow at the beauty and immediately inquires
"Whoa how'd you get that scar doll?"
"Battle with some of the lesser beings of this universe."
She leads you through the hive after about 30 minutes you come to a non descriptive building and enter. Inside you see a few other beings in the room.
Leaning against a wall a tall man with a long dark jacket and brim hat stands with his arms crossed. He has the look of someone who has seen many battles with 2 pistols holstered at his side. Sitting at a desk across from you if a stocky built man also wearing a long dark jacket. His hair is cropped short with many scars across his face. Dangling from his neck is a chain with something surprising attached to it. The sigil of the Inquisition.
He speaks with a deep voice. "Please be seated we have much to discuss."
Aubrey sizes up each person in the room before taking a seat. He double-checks the safety of his lasgun before leaning it across his legs in a fashion that, while not aimed at anyone, would allow him to bring the gun online quickly in a combat situation. Chopper stood behind him and to his left. The action was so automatic that it seemed almost natural, but it was purely tactical.
"The young lady didn't mention that her master was an esteemed member of the Inquisition. I would have worn my dress uniform."
"It was under my orders she not reveal who we are as I'm sure you know we need to remain a secret to the majority of the Imperium to perform our duties."
He pause a moment and looks between the three of you and then continues.
"You three have recently come into contact with an item which concerns the inquisition and there appear to many more like them in the hive. We have been investigating the trade of such items. There are many dangers to mankind and this one I believe is a grave situation that requires the intervention of our Ordos. This is why I have summoned you here. You three are being conscripted into my cell here since you have already had first hand contact with such an item."
"Well, people who can have entire systems destroyed at a whim tend to scare good, decent folks. You know who I am, which means you know my record in service to the Imperium. I know what this means, but for the less initiated among us, you might want to explain what 'conscription' really means."
Aubrey looks at Cringeworth. A small smile touches his lips that doesn't get anywhere near his eyes.
"I'll help ya out this time, mate. We do this or we won't leave this room alive. Even if we killed everyone here, this entire Hive would be burning within the week. This is gonna be dirty work. Little profit, less thanks. Welcome to the real war."
Aubrey turns his attention back to the Inquisitor.
"What kind of support will we have, and what are the parameters of our little treasure hunt?"
During this conversation, Aubrey switched fluidly between military and hood rat so seamlessly that he seemed to have multiple personalities. It was an eerie sight to anyone who realized what was going on. Chopper, on the other hand, looked between Aubrey and the Inquisitor with something akin to utter confusion.
"Thanks for the explanation mate, but what I am not understanding is if they know we were in contact with it why not present themselves earlier when we had it? Ahhh I knew that thing was trouble should have put a bullet in their heads when I had the chance. What does that thing do? How has it come to this?"
cw fires off a barrage of question working himself into a frenzy going from a standing position to bending down wrapping both arms around his knees rocking a little
"Good questions but none I will answer. The only thing you need to know is you work for me now. My agents will provide you with intel and assignments and you will carry them out. For now go rest you have had a long day we will be in contact with you in the morning for your first assignment."
He sits back in hair chair and the woman motions for you three to leave by opening the door.
"Ahh, there's the Inquisitorial arrogance that I've come to know and loathe. See you in the morning, your lordship."
Aubrey turned and left the room, signaling Chopper to follow along.
You both retire to wherever your tired bodies call home. In the early AM there is a knock at both your locations to meet at a specific location at a very specific time where you both arrive roughly around the same time. Across the road you see the familiar female figure in black and she approaches the three of you.
"There are increasing reports of horrible deaths within the hive's upper levels, with odd items of possible xenos or archaeotech nature found with each corpse. Their fellow nobles have related these were preceded with bouts of erratic and troublesome behavior, and worry that a hive noble named Lans Gulijan has exhibited many of the same behaviors."
"You are tasked with the Emperor's Work; to investigate the deaths and possible connections to any illicit artifacts, determine if they are potential dangers of a wider nature, and terminate their distribution. Recover and contain any items uncovered, lest they corrupt others."
"Do not fail the Emperor and Mankind."
With that she turns fast and moves away into the hive disappearing into the crowds.
"Gee, thanks."
Aubrey turns to Cringeworth.
"Well, how do we find this Lans Gulijan?"
"First things first we must search the pleasure houses through and through that would probably be our best way to find answers "
cw scratchs his beard
"We could rough up some locals, bribe some folks"
CW the name sounds very familiar to you. You may have a person that would know where to find this Lan's person.
"I have heard this name before so I may know a guy that can tell us how to reach our target"
"Lead the way."
CW leads the three of you through the Hive until he comes to a shady looking place. He does some strange knock on the door obviously some underhive code to tell it's an acquaintance on the other side to let them in.
A big man opens the door, looks down at CW and grunts.
"She don't want to see you little man go away!"