Pens waits patiently for her next assignment. No one would stay her hand once the time to repair this system was at hand. Slowly her hands flexed in the long remembered patterns of control mechanism relief valve release, soon it would be time to replace another control rod and refill the oil reserves... if she was still there.
Daxio's steady flying brings the shuttle down safely.
It lands right outside the fringe of the storage complexes, with room by a completed grain silo and a construction site for another.
The newer site is covered with crude wood and metal scaffolding, packed with labourers. Who are now almost all gawking at the metal conveyance which has landed nearby.
One of their supervisors on the ground level is walking purposefully towards the shuttle, wearing the robes of the Sodality.
Two titheguard realise what is going on, then jog to catch up with the supervisor. Though they have not quite managed that by the time he stops ten metres from the shuttle and calls:
"Whom has landed? This is a construction site!"
"It is I Ven of House Targot envoy of His Enduring Light. You will direct me to the nearest landing spot and see to it that a man if my station is properly greeted there."
The grey-robed supervisor is momentarily taken aback when faced with Ven's command, then replies:
"Of course, *Lord* Targot."
The man waves his arm in a vague south-easterly direction.
"You will find the spaceport that away. Now, *Lord* Targot, be on your way."
The pair of tithe-guard now flank the overseer. Three more can be seen ringing the construction site. Much farther away, other titheguard are dotted around the storage facilities.
Then...a light breeze shifts, so that you are all downwind from the storage areas. The smell of rotting grain may be new to some of the cell but it is foul nonetheless.
This man is a lot less deferential to nobility than you are used to, even in the Imperial Guard.
Faced with a noble title, this man is not being especially deferential to Ven.
Faced with a noble title and what might be a voidship, this man is seemingly unphased and blase.
"Thank you"
To the others once the ramp is closed.
"I think we're in trouble. That man should have been much more deferential. Lets approach this cautiously, eye's peeled and weapons loaded"
"Would it be best if I instructed them on the proper respect one should show one who represents the Emperor's ruling elite?" Pens looked down on the field at the overseer, staring at the man blankly as she spoke. "They waste the food stuffs they have in plenty, and they have forgotten their place. If a piece is broken it must be replaced." She spoke in the same slow monotone that she reported every other thought in, something about that made the statement even more menacing.
Daxio had dismounted the craft still in his duster coat and light gear. When the overseer dismissively directed Ven elsewhere he was caught offguard. As the Guardsman quickly led them back to the lander, Daxio glanced back in the direction of those silos. He knew that smell, people often tried to sell spoiled food on his homeworld.
Back onboard, he hears his comrades' words. "hmm, guessin' yer roight, don't know teh many nobles meself, figure maybe da's 'ow dey speak teh each udder 'ere. Bu' I do know da' grain smelled roight foul, gone teh waste long ago. An' da's no roight."
Turning to his charge, he thought to himself 'The twist makes sense, but we have to wait.'. "Pen, 'old yer anger. We need teh find de 'ead 'oncho o' dis conspir'cy. Den yeh can crush 'im, an' all 'is lackeys. Fer deh Emp'ror!"
"I agree, now is not the time for violence. We need a target first.
Pens can you use your .. gifts to scan the city as we fly over? I want to know if we're facing any others like you.
Xipil does this shuttle have a vox unit? If it does can you use it to listen into their comn traffic. I'd like to hear what their talking about.
And above all else remember this, we are doing the Emperors work and His hand will guide us to victory"
"Maybe."
The cell, having discussed their concerns, remain in the shuttle and take off. It is clear that each warehousethey can see, complete or no, has several titheguard protecting it.
Daxio is in the position of being piloting the sole shuttle over an Imperial city, his course currently set for the direction indicated for the starport. No vox challenges or questions him.
Xipil goes to work with the vox unit provided by the authority of Lieutenant Ostellian even as Pens begins to extend his unnatural perception outwards.
Both rapidly find most interesting results.
************************************************************************
Xipil informs the rest of the cell that there are a handful of transmissions, likely from relatively low-powered vox units. He is able to swiftly break the weak encryption and can make out fragments of communications:
"...starport..." "...Lord Talbot?.." "...Peyton is early..." "...GET THERE NOW..."
There is a pirate captain called Wyler 'Reaper' Peyton, who has been reported to operate out of the Thule and Rubicon sub-sectors. He commands a raider titled 'The Scarlet Shrike' with some skill. Peyton has proven difficult to bring to battle.
There is a pirate captain called Wyler 'Reaper' Peyton, pillaging worlds in the Thule and Rubicon sub-sectors. He commands a raider titled 'The Scarlet Shrike' and a fierce crew.
Wyler 'Reaper' Peyton is an independent operator and runs his vessel as undisputed captain. His main income source is piracy in the Thule and Rubicon sub-sectors but he has a sideline in smuggling and has been known to dabble in the Faceless Trade.
************************************************************************
Pens senses psychic activity in the city of Recompense. Flares here and there, and a greater concentration in one direction.
************************************************************************
Xipil momentarily pauses in his ministrations to the machine spirit before continuing and stating. "The name Peyton likely refers to Wyler 'Reaper' Peyton. I read a erport on him, he is an independent operator running his vessel as undisputed captain. His main area of income is piracy in the Thule and Rubicon sub-sectors but he is no stranger to smuggling mundane items and has been known to trade in Xenos objects."
”Well, looks like they’re gonna try to kill us. Spread out, ten meter intervals.” She said, now resting her hammer on her shoulder.
"Mutant can you change your appearance to look like this Peyton?
Daxio grimaces at the sound of that name. "Eh, feckin' Reaper, 'ey? Dat pirate's been up teh trouble in a couple sectors. Likes teh run, radder dan foight. Seems dis Talbot's got a friend in 'im."
Daxio continues the flyer on course toward the starport, having been given no alternate direction from any of his allies. With several minutes to spare, he removes his pilot's jack and switches into his armsmen's uniform and armor. They are expecting trouble, and the quartermaster of a Rogue Trader would likely be escorted by a military presence anyway.
"Shall we engage in subterfuge?" From inside his robe Xipil produces a hand cannon and checks it over.
As the shuttle nears the landing site, it is clear that a few squads of Tithe-guard and a handful of grey-robed overseers have assembled, not far from a landing pad with the number "1"...out of ten.
There are 15 tithe-guard, armed as the others you have seen, with shock mauls, bolas, and decrepit flak armour. The three overseers, if they are armed at all, surely only have concealed hand weapons or pistols.
These people look flustered. They are also out in the open.
You are quite certain that there are no sniper rifles or missile launchers visible in the vicinity of the starport.
A crackling vox communication comes in:
"Shuttle, this is Recompense Starport. Please land at pad one. Copy?"
To the vox.
"We copy"
To the squad
"This seems like a lot.Anyone spot any weapons?"
Ven attaches his stun grenades to this combat vest
"Feck, now das a welk'min' par'y. Don' look teh much loik dey wanna talk wit us. Prolly go' som'tin', bu' I'm flyin' roight now. Anyone else?"
Daxio turns the flyer toward Starport 1, slowing the engines and bringing it in for a landing.
"I would need to know how this pirate looks to attempt such a ploy."
"Should I be arming for combat?"
”I’d be ready. And no sudden moves either. We came here to talk, right? Otherwise walking in would be stupid as can be.”
As the landing feet for the flyer touch the pad, Daxio cuts the engines, allowing their last thrusts of power to ease the craft into its resting position. Powering down the other systems, Daxio stands and grabs the lever to release the boarding ramp. Turning to the Guardsmen, "Well, Dargo', ye ready? Den le's do dis."
Pulling the lever, he takes up position at Targot's right rear, his shotgun slung across his chest in the low ready, as was the norm when on duty.
Xipil notes to the cell that the group on the landing pad seem both flustered and out in the open, bereft of cover.
The shuttle lands. The three overseers are in front, looking expectant.
"I could fifteen tithe guard in poor quality flak armour with mauls and bolas. The others have at best concealed weapons of a small nature." Xipil added as an afterthought while the noise of the ramp whiring downwards would make him impossible to hear from those outside.
As he advanced down the ramp Tech Priest Xipil's torquise robes rippled in the wind, a black cog rimmed hemlines showed his loyalty to the Machine Cult. His judgemental gaze held very real disdain. Whether working for a smuggler or for official business his thoughts of the locals were the same, unimpressed. He turned back towards the with a look that spoke volumes but mostly You better speak with them or they'll get offended.
The overseers wait ten metres from the bottom of the ramp, with the line of titheguard another five metres behind them.
The middle oversser speaks up, clearly irritated:
"What exactly are you playing at!? You aren't meant to fly a shuttle into Recompense!"
"And you aren't meant to try and short change us. Next time your shipments is light the boss won't send a shuttle. Now how are you going to make it up to us?"
Cycling the action on his shotgun intentionally audibly, Daxio steps up alongside, but just slightly behind, Ven. A harsh sneer comes across his face, and his voice takes on a menacing tone. "Ye tink we ain' seen som'ne try the skim us 'fore? Deh Reaper ain' pleased, no, no' a' all... Are ye deh one been muckin' i' up?! Or is it yer boss, is it 'e? Where is 'e, roight now? Oi, we cudd use a few fools teh make an example of..."
The overseer is taken aback for a moment and then replies to Targot, clearly irate:
"Light? Light!? Someone on *your* end is clearly responsible - *if* that is even the case. And keep your man civil! This is *precisely* why your boss agreed to take shipments *far* away from Recompense. The harvest-fathering-*navy* is above us and you try this stunt!? Unbelievable!"
The man looks set to launch into another tirade...
The speaker seems entirely genuine in his outrage.
The other two overseers seem both more annoyed than concerned.
[b]"We will go over everything and clarify where the fault lies. Engaging in combat now could lead to the loss of useful data. We should identify the core of the problem and eliminate that wherever that may be."[/v]
"Prove it wasn't you. I know you keep records, let me see them"
The speaker chokes back a biting retort, faced with the cell's request.
"Very well! Autocarriages will be arriving shortly, and all of you are getting in. We are not showing you *entrepreneurs* off to the entire Harvest-Father-blessed-city! We will go to the Sodality Prime Offices and you will see the records for yourselves!"
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Valdear was beyond lost. Her skills lay in survivalist skills, sneaking through forests and crushing ork skulls. Being unarmed when it came to duels of wits, she instead kept her eyes peeled for more physical threats.
A shudder went through Xipil... after seeing the boat he was loathe to see the neglect the autocarriage would have undergone. He had to resolve to restrain himself, once the larger problem was dealt with order could be restructured here. The machine spirits of this world had suffered greatly due to the incompetence of the locals. It was subpar even by the standards of the uninitiated of the Imperium.
A pair of black autocarriages emerge into view, their huge engines exposed and visible in front. The front tyres appear to be solid rubber while the rear pair appear to have been acquired from agricultural vehicles. Each has a driver in grey uniforms, of a lighter shade of grey than the overseers' robes.
They pull up near the group. The lead overseer gestures to his juniors, and they both jog over to exchange quick words with the respective drivers.
"Half in the back, half in the other, with us in the front. We are leaving for the Prime Offices - sharp!"
The lead overseer gestures to the cars as tithe-guards open the passenger doors for the junior overseers, as well as the the rear doors.
"If your group would enter into the rear of the autocarriages, you will all be conveyed to the Sodality Prime Offices without delay."
Xipil moves towards the autocarriages. Before entering he pauses looking the vehicle over- likely with some dismay- but makes sure to check and see if the vehicle is meant to contain people carried in the rear.
Pens looked on impassively, unimpressed with the current situation. The entities massive form rivaling that of an unarmored astartes or young ogryn. "These do not seem meant to carry me."
As far as Xipil can tell, while the arrangment is inelegant, it seems quite functional - even elegant in places where the remaining original bodywork has not needed repairs.
The rear seems a little tight but with some squeezing, three might fit, if not necessarily comfortably.
The overseer sees Pens and blinks.
He waves over a titheguard sergeant with a visible vox unit, not nearly as concealable as a microbead.
He urgently tells the sergeant something, and the sergeant relays it through said vox unit.
Another twenty minutes pass, and a rumbling truck turns the corner and approaches, belching smoke. It sets down near the cars.
The overseer gestures to Pens and then to the truck's rear, which is being summarily lowered as a ramp.
"This will have to do." Xipil embarks into the vehicle. He prepares to keep track of the settlement and the route as they travel.
"Sufficient. Pens climbs into the back of the truck and stares out at the scenery.
Daxio follows Pens up into the back of the truck for a moment, "Keep an eye ou' fer truble, I don' trus' dis lo'. Don' ac' if ye don' 'ave teh, bu' if'n goes sideways, rain 'ell."
Hopping down out of the truckbed, he moves over to the autocarraige with Xipil and slides in beside him, his shotgun slow low still across his chest.
”If they wanted us dead they could of done it already. But yeah. I’m ready if sht goes down.” Valdear said, making herself comfortable.
Pens enjoys the feeling of being so closed to rugged steel again, the utilitarian nature of the vehicle spoke to its internal need to be useful.