ACTIVE Plot Thread- Hab 11-817 "Hall of Virtue"

[Commissar Holt]

Holt listens attentively, nodding every now and then. "A hard tale. It demonstrates that you are resourceful and independent. Good."

Holt watches Hera closely again, looking for the details of her reactions and her facial expressions as she speaks. His expression is strange. He moves little, listens closely, all his energy and intent focused on Hera's every word, motion, and expression. His eye implant whirrs, expands and contracts as she talks, as if it, too, is somehow listening. Under it all, the low, deadening humm of the stummer creates a strange pressure in the room, as if you were in a sealed environment, or climbing a mountain, building pressure in your ears.

"Please, elaborate on the nature of your relationship with the PDF, in the past, and today. I'd also like to know more of your relations with your current comrades, in and outside your regiment. And of course, you cannot possibly leave me ignorant of that enticing clue as to the nature of your own name," he says, with a slight smile.

[TheRedauthar]

Hera gives a weak smile, averting her gaze and breaking eye contact, “I guess I did bring it up.”

Again, her hand raises to the back of her neck, though she resists the urge to rub her ears, wishing the pressure would pop already.

“To be truthful, I didn’t enlist in the PDF, nor was I recruited, at least not more by official means.”

There’s shame on her face to admit it aloud, though internally she isn’t aware it it was because of admitting to not enlisting to a commissar, or because of how her recruitment happened.

“My friends and I were celebrating graduation. It got a little wild. I remember drinking for the first time. I drank a lot. Probably too much. There was someone who I talked to. I thought we were hitting it off. It was a facade.”

“Sometime during the party I passed out. I woke up to a PDF DI chewing me out for oversleeping. I had ‘enlisted’ in the PDF under the name Hera Donovan. I was sore and hungover, and the DI had no interest that I was not Hera. She thought I was just trying to get out of training. She took it out on me and the other recruits. The other recruits didn’t take to kindly to it. Let’s just say I considered it lucky that one of the officer thought my driving was good enough for them and pulled me away from most of the squad’s operations.”

She makes eye contact with Holt again, “When the Imperial Guard destroyed the old capital all record of me before the PDF was erased. My real name is Alya Talus, but truthfully, I couldn’t prove it. And even if I could, I’m just a nobody, just a kid who happened to be in the right place to replace Hera at the wrong time.”

She shrugs, “Well, maybe. I don’t really know if Hera ever existed or not.”

“As for your question,” she shakes her head, “I didn’t have any real comrades in the PDF. I disliked from day one. They didn’t even include me in their defection plans. From what I gathered they thought my loyalty to the officers would keep me in line. Since my direct superiors were only interested in their own glory, it wasn’t hard not to be loyal to them.”

“As for the Guard...I think Specialist Savin and I got along fine. Guardsman Hawke invited me to go drinking sometime. I think the red-haired pretty boy...uh...Vayne, I think he flirted with me but I’m not sure. I also might have given Commissar Yorke a concussion when I tried to save his life.”

She taps her fingers lightly against each other in thought, “Since I haven’t been fully reassigned yet, I’m still the only one in my squad. I’ve sorta been turning my squad reports to Captain Perry or just leaving them in your Junior Commissar’s box. That’s about it.”

[Commissar Holt]

[TheRedauthar]

A small smile forms on Hera’s face. Alya and Hera don’t always have to buck heads. Every now and again…

“No skin off my nose,” she shakes her head, “Flirting and romance is what got me into trouble in the first place. For the time being, casual flirting is as far as it goes with me.”

She quietly listens to Holt, feeling a bit proud at her accomplishments despite her predicament. She not sure where he’s going with it though, specifically when he brings up looking for a spy. Then one word causes it all to make sense.

“C-counterintelligence?” she is barely able to choke the word out. Gah! He’s good! He builds up your confidence and then, pow, you’re on counterintelligence duty!

Despite a bit of color draining from her face, she manages to keep her smile, “L-like weeding out spies and traitors or giving the enemy false information?”

[Commissar Holt]

"Precisely," Holt says, "And at this stage of the war, absolutely critical to our efforts."

He lifts the targeting lens and examines it. "This is Merovech property, indeed. But was it stolen? Sold? Did a Merovech bring it there? Did a Merovech bring it to that meeting? Was that Merovech working independently? Were they ordered to do so? Are they simply trying to acquire illegal technology, to flip it? Why this particular machine, which behaved so oddly?"

Holt looks at Hera for her reaction. "One tiny piece that begets so many questions. But they all boil down to one question. Is Rogue Trader Maximillian in collusion with our enemy?"

Holt hands Hera the lens again. "I'm sure you can understand the need for further investigation, and further information. If we were to act on assumption based on a single piece of evidence, we would reveal our hand, and what we know, to the enemy." Holt pauses, as if hesitating to divulge anything further, but then decides to speak his mind. "If that enemy is the Rogue Trader, then it is imperative that we move forward with as much information as possible. For if this is the case, then our enemy outnumbers us, controls the aerial and orbital theaters, and has their hands on our supply line. In a battle like this, intelligence may be the only advantage we have."

"You understand," Holt says slowly, "That I would not ask this of you if it were not critical to the war effort, for it is dangerous work. But you have the potential to exceed the worth of a tank battalion, with only an open ear and a clever mind."

[TheRedauthar]

Hera’s mind races. Internally Alya and Hera argue over the benefits and consequences of agreeing or disagreeing, but she ignores both of them.

Surviving the war is the main focal point here. That’s her main goal. That said, survival isn’t just staying alive…

“Right. I-I can do that,” despite her inner protests, she’s surprised to hear herself say it, Hera agrees, “If we are outgunned, outnumbered, we might as well be the ones to outsmart the enemy, right?”

She feels a bit nauseous, but she manages to keep it down. Who knows what the Xenos will do if they win. The stories have always been enough to keep me away. And even if the Rogue Trader has his own agenda that isn’t with the xenos, it could still be traitorous. And if he does glass us from orbit…

“So, what do we do first then?” she snaps back to the present with a slight shudder.

[Commissar Holt]

Holt pulls an object from his top desk drawer. It is an aquila on a chain, a simple device, worn on the edges, scratched here and there. Holt presses the open eye of the double-headed eagle, and it chirps an affirmative. He presses the eye again, then slides the aquila across his desk.

"First, take this. It will allow you to notify me that you need to speak with me. Approaching me directly will arouse suspicion. Trigger it, and I will be in contact within a day."

Holt's eye scans Hera, watching her nervousness, gauging it, testing her. He takes pauses every time he talks, to watch, and listen, and learn your tells.

"Second, you must begin to put on a bit of a show. In the presence of Merovechs, at least, you must feign disillusionment in the Guard, express interest in subjects the Merovechs find engaging, display a mercenary willingness to do whatever it takes to indulge your greed. In short, you must become an obvious target for them to seek out for bribes, sedition and other treachery."

Holt clears his throat. "Then, simply watch attentively, and repeat what they say and do to me. If I require further action of you, we will address it when it comes to it. For now, just watch and listen. If you feel they have sussed your intentions, speak to me as soon as you can. Is that all clear?"

[TheRedauthar]

Hera listens intently as she gently picks up the aquila. She knew this was crazy, this was borderline insane. Her odds of survival were diminishing.

And yet, this still felt like the best course of action. Sure the risks were high, but the rewards seemed far better.

"You can count on me," she finally says, before remembering who she's talking to, "Uh..sir!"

She slips the aquila under her uniform for the time being, "Just one final concern. I figure this will stay mostly under wraps, on a need to know basis. But if I'm going to act more disillusioned, I may raise the suspicion of some of the other guardsman or Commissars. If they start investigating into me or asking questions, what should I say or do to dissuade them?"

[Commissar Holt]

Holt nods. "Do not concern yourself with the Commissars, I will see that they do not interfere. As for your comrades, if they make inquiries into your change in behavior, explain that your near-death experience in the hab has shaken you, and nothing seems the same. If they press you further, send them to myself or Commissar Yorke. We will handle them from there."

Holt regards you, without the wide-eyed analytical look he's had for the past few minutes. He seems, at last, content. "Make no mistake, Lance Corporal, you put yourself into an uncomfortable, potentially dangerous position. I commend you for the sacrifice you are making for your comrades. I understand that this is new for you, it is uncomfortable, and potentially isolating. If you have concerns, bring them to me. But above all else, be watchful, and bring yourself closer to the enemy. That is the only way we will survive this."

When you look up at him, his expression is grave and pained.

[TheRedauthar]

Survival…

“I...I understand sir,” she gives a bittersweet smile, albeit a weak one, “I’m used to being isolated.”

This is suicidal, stupid even! You can’t really agree to do this!

Her inner fears berate her choice, but deep down she knows this is the best chance. She doesn’t want to admit it, but she knows life will never go back to the way they were before her ‘enlistment’.

But if the guard win…if she can be a valuable soldier, a valuable tool for the Emperor…. things could get better. If she only lives to the end of the conflict, she’ll be just shipped off to another planet, to another war. If she’s valuable to Holt, though, there’s the chance she won’t be on the front lines. An aide, agent, heck even if she’s assigned to rebuild the PDF.

In the short term, this was risky. Beyond risky. Beyond foolish. But in the long term…

Hera could survive. Alya could survive.

She stands, “I apologize in advance for the foul things you’ll probably hear about my morale, but I won’t let you down. Whatever secrets our ...friends… are hiding, I’ll find them.”

[Commissar Holt]

Holt composes himself, and nods.

"Very well. As details concerning your mission emerge, I will repeat them. In the meantime, make no sudden changes to your behavior, but slowly make your way closer to your target, and be vigilant. As our operation progresses, I may put you into contact with other agents, or, you may continue alone. In either case, be sure to contact me only through that transmitter. If you openly approach me, or other members of the Commissariat, and watching eyes see you, you may compromise yourself."

Holt looks at Hera, long and hard, looking old, his good eye narrowed. "I will leave you with something an Inquisitor once told me. Intelligence duty is a lonely burden. Every word you speak will be a lie, every action you take will be tainted by deceit. Few, if any, will know that your actions serve our Imperium. No one will see the sacrifices you make."

Holt stands. "But the Emperor sees you. And that is enough."

He salutes.

[TheRedauthar]

Hera returns the salute. Part of her wants to to scream, another part wants to run and hide.

But a small part of her beams with pride. Against all odds it wins out.

A ballad enters her mind, feeling it to be appropriate, she quotes it for the commissar, "Whatever happens, we have got
The Emperor’s blessing. They have not."

[Commissar Holt]

Holt laughs, long and hard, the exhaustion of his day catching up to him. He has a tear in his good eye when he finally stops.

"Very good, Lance Corporal. Thank you. You are dismissed."

As you turn and walk away, he leaves you with, "Good hunting."

[[And scene! Of course you may leave a response to holt or ask any other questions.

Remember when I said this plot thread would be short? Womp womp.

Unless you wanna keep rp'ing in holts office for another 30 pages, TheRedauthar.

They could talk about recaff strains?]]

[TheRedauthar]

Hera nods and heads out, hoping she's ready for whatever is to come her way....

[[Bam. Good. Cut the check.

I'm good. Have a few updates now for Hera's character page and I'm ready for the next big adventure.]]