+++6.676.985.M41+++
+++Port Aquila, Subsector Ossibus, Sector Askellon, Segmentus Obscurus+++
+++Spear of Justice - Hall of Dogma+++

A thin wisp of white vapor rose up from the mug in front of him. The tea hadn't helped to order his thoughts. Even though Bilan had done a good job and the prisoner had answered Lars' questions, the arbite still felt that he had even more questions than before. He had gone to the Hall of Dogma aboard the Spear, hoping to find an answer there, surrounded by books and scrolls and a few cogitators. Like many a ship serving the Adeptus Arbites, the Spear had a small library where Arbites could come to look for answers about Imperial law and regulations. Most of the time the room was empty, save the few adepts running it, since most questions about Imperial law are more easily answered with a boltgun and a shock maul. However, Lars had the feeling he'd missed something. Somehow the prisoner believed he already knew why the Fabricator had threwn in his lot with the heretics. And it must have had something to do with Fyrran.

Lars tried to visualize what happened with Fyrran and what he had told him, before he was dispatched. The techpriest had been batshit crazy. After being restored - at least some parts of him - Lars had enjoyed the moment when Fyrran had been trying to move around, helplessly trying to figure out what had happened to his mechadendrites. The interrogation had gone less than smooth though. Physical punishment seemed to have no effect on Fyrran and since the man was crazy, mental pressure hadn't been the solution either. The interrogation had gone on for days. Days of ranting, hysterical laughter - Lars still got the creeps of the crazy motion and sound Fyrran discharged when he seemed to be laughing - and silence. The blank slab of iron showed no emotions, revealed no clues about the truthfulness of whatever Fyrran had said. Finally, one of the techpriest of the Spear had volunteered to use a MIU to access the data in Fyrran's brain. It had not gone well for the techpriest, but at least they had extracted another name, place and date. Which had led them to their current prisoner.

'So what am I missing? You got the next link in the chain here in custody. Think Akira.'

"Everything alright sir?" Lars looked up, only to find trooper Walter Willis standing across his table. Lars had told Willis that his quick thinking and his luck had earned him a bit more attention. His knack for survival was a quality essential for a member of the Adeptus Arbites. As a result of this extra attention, trooper Willis was hard at work, trying to master the departments of the Arbites and getting a hold on the Lex Imperialis. Lars was sure that his tutorship was of a quality far below the lessons of Frank Horrigan, but one had to use the means at hand. Another much needed quality in an arbite.

'Just so, Akira. Because if you're in this crap, you should have no qualms about putting in others as well. Fragger.'

Lars grinned and looked up at Willis. "Quite alright Willis. Quite alright. It's just that I can't seem to solve this riddle. What about you? Are you making progress?" "I'm not so sure, sir. There is just so much... reading to do. Give me a shotgun and a club any day of the week, but these books, they are killing me... Sir." he added, a bit late, but Lars' face showed he didn't mind. "When we're alone, you can call me Lars if you want to. When you meet the judge, he'll tell you the same. And if you meet the judge, you better show that know the difference between the justified and unjustified parley-procedures. I don't want you to embarass me in front of him." Lars could see how the introduction with the judge, wasn't something Willis was particularly looking forward to. Especially not if it meant that his knowledge of the law would be under scrutiny. "No sir. Erhm, Lars. It's just the sheer amount of history. I wouldn't mind learning about the law, but what good is it to know how the law has changed from century to century?" Lars laughed at that as he had felt exactly the same way when Horrigan had gone through the trouble of enlightening him about the finer judicial discussions of the High Marshalls from a few centuries ago. Still, he wouldn't let the younger man of the hook so easily. "Belloran always says that without the glowglobe of history, we're peering into a dark future Willis. And he seems to be right most of the..."

'Frak. That's it. Fyrran's history. I've only been looking at his last assignment and his contacts with the Lord Fabricator and our prisoner, when I should have been looking at his entire past. Where did he come from? And who did he meet before?'

"Lars. You okay?" Willis disturbed Lars' train of thoughs and made him focus again. "Excellent Willis. Excellent. Continue with your study. Don't skip the parts about history. Belloran is right you know." Lars stood up and left the slightly dumbfounded Willis at the table. He checked his chrono. If you followed shiptime it was already late at night.

'No rest for the just, Akira. And no sleep in this case.'

Lars walked straight to the cabin of the chief adept of the Spear. "Scholar Firellis. Get up! I need your expertise now!" Lars yelled, banging on the steel cabin door of the chief adept. After a few minutes of continued hammering on the door, Firellis appeared at the door, his annoyance and weariness of being waked so late, both equally visible. "Get dressed Firellis. I've got a job for you and I need you to do it now." Lars said, unyielding. "Ah, but... enforcer Akira. This will have to wait till tomorrow." the adept tried, perhaps hoping to save the better part of a night's rest. But the arbite was unrelenting. "No time to waste Firellis. I need to know this as soon as possible." Cursing and mumbling under his breath, Firellis got dressed and followed Lars back to the Hall of Dogma. There, Lars showed him the footage of the interrogation of Fyrran.

"Firellis. I need you to reconstruct Fyrran's history. Where he came from, why he wore that weird armour and what this symbol," Lars pointed at the modified Mechanicus symbol, "means. I'll tell the captain to head for the nearest hiveworld so that you can collaborate your findings with a Mechanicus temple. If you can send a message ahead before we go into transit, that would be optimal. So get a move on and start serving the Emperor!" From the look on Firellis' face, Lars could tell that not everybody aboard the Spear shared his enthusiasm for justice.

'But Firellis' attitude isn't important, Akira. As long as you are enthusiastic enough to beat some sense of duty in them.'

+++6.780.985.M41+++
+++Asteroid field Mars 747-5, Subsector Ossibus, Sector Askellon, Segmentus Obscurus+++
+++Spear of Justice - Shuttle bay alfa+++

"So, this is goodbye then?" the prisoner said with the same shrill voice as always, a half smile on his face. "...Yes..." Lars had to admit, but it was clear to the other man it wasn't a wholehearted reply. "I told you so, didn't I?" the other man's smile grew bigger. "...Yes... Yes, you did." Lars had to admit again. "Pouting, are we? I didn't think I'd see you do that." Lars supposed he would have to endure the prisoner's mocking, and he wasn't about to lower himself to curses and namecalling. But he allowed himself one small retort. "Perhaps we'll meet again. If the Emperor allows it. I won't be standing aside that time." The mocking smile disappeared from the other man's face. Somehow, for some reason Lars couldn't fathom, the man turned serious, as if Lars had just read Imperial tarot cards and had cast a new destiny for the man. "You believe my faith to have turned? How curious... Perhaps one day..." Lars couldn't resist. "One day what? Spill it." The thoughtful expression on the prisoner's face remained. "Perhaps one day you'll experience this from the other side." "How so?" Lars replied and this time the prisoner was willing to talk. "All power corrupts. Don't think you're immune to it and don't think you don't own it." Despite himself, Lars had hoped for a meaningful answer, but now it seemed silly to expect that. The prisoner had been heady, every step of the way. Why whould that be different now. Lars cursed himself for playing along.

"Phuh. Back to mocking me. That's growing a bit old, don't you think?" It was a weak comeback, but at least it was something. There wasn't much Lars could do at this point. the prisoner didn't relent though. "Oh, but this time it wasn't mockery. This time it was sound advice. What goes up, must come down. It is not only true for gravity, but also for ambition. And aren't you ambitious." Lars tried to dismiss the man. He could see how the discussion would be cut short before long. "My only ambition is to serve." His response only provoked another wide grin from the prisoner. "And so you will Akira. So you will. And in serving you will advance. You'll think that ambition has nothing to do with it. That you have only been rewarded for your duty. It will happen. And after it has happened, you'll see." Lars bit one last time. "What?" "You'll see the same thing I'm seeing now. Perhaps we'll meet again there. I hope we do."

Before the conversation could continue any further, Lars had to stand at attention, while the prisoner beside him snarled. An old man in long chique robes had been approaching Lars and the prisoner and had finally come close enough to greet. The man was almost bald, only having a few grey strings of hair at the base of his skull, fluttering behind him in the air as he walked. Brown spots marred his face and his back was crooked by his old age. His right leg was a bionic replacement and it seemed that the thing was more powerful than his remaining, biological leg, even though the thing has seen better times. All these observations would point at an old, frail man, but the eyes that were staring at Lars from under thick, bristly eyebrows made sure Lars didn't treat him like that. In his wake, a small section of soldiers followed. They could have been Imperial Guard, but their cuirasses didn't show the doubleheaded eagle. Instead a golden I was engraved on their heavy armour and the weaponry they were carrying, put the regular lasgun of the average guardsman to shame.

"Enforcer Akira?" a nasal voice said. "Master Caligula the twenteeth, I presume?" Lars replied. "Yes. Here are the documents for transfer. Would you care to investigate?" The man pulled out two vella with several red wax seals that were showing the same symbol as the one on the soldier's chests: a skulled I. The symbol that would send fear through any Emperor fearing citizen.

'What is he playing at, Akira? Does he think you doubt him after he has showed up with his big Retribution-class battleship, his vanguard of mindscrubbed soldiers and this pompous entree. Or are you tricking me, fragger?'

Lars accepted the documents and started reading them carefully and conscientiously. Apparently this was the correct decision. He could see a small but satisfied smile on Caligula's face, before it disappeared again after the facade of presumptuousness. Lars passed the documents to the man standing at his left. "Willis. This seems to be in order. Hand over the transcripts of all conversations and interrogations to the good master here." Caligula gracefully accepted the pile of papers from Willis. The trooper had done his best to bring a bit of order in the dossier, but Caligula just passed it on to one of his stooges.

"Let's proceed with the transfer, shall we?" the old man continued. Without another sign or signal two of the elite soldiers moved to the prisoner and lifted him from his feet, each one holding the man under an armpit. Without effort, they started walking back to the shuttle parked a bit further away.

As soon as he got carried away, the prisoner started yelling. "I told you Akira. I told you, neither you, nor your master would have anything to say in this matter. Hahahaha." The manic laughter continued till the man was carried inside the shuttle. Master Caligula didn't look up when the man broke out laughing and kept his eyes focused on Lars. "That was quite... unpleasant" he finally said, when the prisoner had disappeared into the shuttle.

Lars had tried to keep his feelings hidden during the transfer, but somehow the man must have guessed his thoughts, or perhaps Lars still had a thing or two to learn about keeping his game face on. "Don't worry enforcer. This man will not escape his due punishment. In fact, you can rest assured that whatever punishment you had in mind, my master will double it." Lars only nodded in reply to this. "So. I thank you for your cooperation enforcer. The Inquistion of Holy Terra salutes the efforts of the Adeptus Arbites. Please be so good to bring over my regards to judge Belloran." "I will master Caligula. May the Emperor watch over you." Lars answered, managing to declench his jaws and perhaps hide his frustration about the course of events. "And you enforcer, and you... Men. Dismissed."

In one crisp movement the rest of the squad turned 180 degrees and started marching back to the shuttle. Master Caligula turned slightly to the right to give an almost inperceivable nod to trooper Willis and with a whining noise coming from his right leg, he then turned away too to set course for his shuttle.

Half an hour later, Lars and Willis were standing on the observation platform of the Spear, looking at the powerful battleship Furnace of Wrath. The current location of their former prisoner. "That's it then." said Willis. Lars could clearly hear the disappointment in his voice. "Yes Willis. But cheer up. Judge Belloran will most certainly have another target for us." "I'm sure Lars, but this... This leaves a sour feeling, you know." Lars remained silent at that, not willing to reinforce those feelings. After a while, Willis saluted and left Lars to his thoughts.

'It sure does feel sour Willis. Very sour indeed to let someone else leave with our prey, without justification or guarantee of justice. I wonder if he knew all along.'

+++6.835.985.M41+++
+++In transit, Sector Askellon, Segmentus Obscurus+++
+++The Unwanting Revenge - Belloran's quarters+++

The office looked the same as he last left it. The paintings of the predecessors of the judge were still hanging in place. The large wooden desk still dominated the entire room and stacks of dataslates were piled up on the table in front of the comfortable leather bench Lars was sitting in. They showed the dedication to order Lars had come to expect from the judge's assistant, Frank. In the corner of the room, the liquor cabinet was opened and all the exquisite bottles of amasec, dryké and what not, were neatly filed next to the different kinds of glasses that went with each bottle. After a while, Lars noticed that the judge's chair was a new model. Undoubtedly there was a story behind the replacement, probably involving the judge busy impersonating something or someone with a bit too much enthusiasm. Lars smiled. It was good to be back.

It's not before long when Lars' musings got disturbed. With a bit too much force the door was thrown open and Arthur Belloran marched in, a big smile on his face, giving Lars a mock salute as he immediately walked over to the desk. "Ah, enforcer Akira. Good to see you, old chap. It has been a while, but I heard you did well." Lars didn't reply to this.

'How can you think we did well.'

As Lars didn't answer the judge's chearful invitation to debrief, Belloran looked up from his desk and studied Lars's face. "Well. It seems you aren't univocally agreeing with me. What is it man? Spit it out!" Lars hesitated. Perhaps he should review his opinion as Belloran seemed happy with the outcome.

"Did you join the Adepta Sororitas and took a sacred vow of silence while you were away Akira? Enough of this pondering man. Speak up!" the judge followed up, as Lars didn't answer as quickly as he wanted. "Well judge, I..." Lars commenced, only to be interrupted immediately. "Aaargh! Akira. You have been working with those overzealous, stick in the arse-uptight, hierarchy-worshipping... eh... ladies! It's Arthur here, chap. Remember? Your buddy who you can talk to." Lars blushed. There wasn't a hair on his head that thought about the Adepta Sororitas like that. Just to call them like that seemed like heresy. "Yes Arthur. I remember. I just can't understand why you are so happy with the end result of my mission." Immediately the judge leaned forward. "How so? You did the job." Lars insisted. "On the contrary Arthur. Just when I was making progress, the Inquisition swoops in and takes away my last lead to get you your information." Belloran leaned back again and put his hands together, carefully matching all fingers. Lars was sure he did so to strike the impression of being thoughful. Something the judge failed strikingly. "Ah. I see old chap. It hurts your ego that they're running with all the glory, is that it? Well, let me tell you..." Now Lars really was annoyed. And since he had gotten permission to talk freely, he pushed his point. "No Arthur. That's not it. I'm not in it for the honour or the spoils of the victor. But you gave me a mission. To find out about Yara Musondo and his connection with the Fabricator. Moreover, you also asked me to follow up on any leads that could point us to the brains behind this operation. When the Inquisition showed up, they practically crippled my investigation. So, I'm on a dead end. That's what I came to report here. I've failed you."

Belloran stood up and walked over to the liquor cabinet. He seemed to have calmed down a bit, now that Lars had told him what had been bothering him. He poured two glasses of amasec and took one over to Lars. "Now, now, old chap. Before I say anything else. I think you've been doing an exemplary job. You tracked down Musondo - not the easiest job for a rookie - took over his ship - with some casualties, I'll admit, but still, you managed to take over his HQ - and you followed up on all the leads you had, uncovering what the bait has been for bringing in the Fabricator in this mess." "But." Lars tried to interrupt. "No buts Akira." the judge continued, "Uncovering that Fyrran had served under the Fabricator and had also visited a class-C quaranteened planet, while finding out about an illegal explorator fleet, has been a massive success. I'm sure the Mechanicus from this subsector is still reeling from your discoveries. Hehehe. Serves those selfrighteous buggers right, no?" "But the prisoner..." Lars tried again. "Ah yes, I'm sure you would have loved to get to the bottom of that." Belloran said with a well-meant smile, "Unfortunately for you, your request for information on Fyrran and the data you sent about your prisoner, made some alarms go off. Suddenly, I'm called of my hunt to trap the admiral by some illustrous inquisitor who tells me he has unfinished business with your prisoner. Mate, let me tell you. When the guys from the big I come knocking on your door, you smile, nod gently and give them what they want. I'm pretty sure that whatever you had in mind with your detainee... They've doubled the pain and have squeezed him for maximum result. A lot better than we would have done anyway. Be glad you've been able to help out the big guys. I'm not saying we're small fish ourselves exactly, but those guys are playing in another league entirely. Let me tell you about what happened at world's end about a decade ago. I was..."

And with that the judge had launched himself in yet another story. However Lars couldn't shake the feeling that even though the judge was satisfied with his performance and he claimed the Imperium profited more with this ending, he could have done more. It is only when Frank Horrigan entered the room, shaking his head as he saw the judge manhandling his chair once more, Lars' attention was directed elsewhere. Frank was holding a detailed and frail looking model of an Imperial ship in his hands. When Belloran looked up, he exclaimed: "Ah, look at it, splendid, splendid! Lars, may I introduce you to your next mission!"