(Respnding to [@Roen])

[b]The Commissar[/b]
[b]Front Landing - Tavern Ground Level[/b]

Behind the rim of her peaked hat, Severina scowled as the knight sealed himself within his plate armour and advanced towards the now-blocked door, stopping short a few paces from her. The armour Roen bore looked both like, and unlike, that of one of the post-human brothers of of the fabled [i]Adeptus Astartes[/i]. the infamous Space Marines of her time; the icons and exact shaping of said plate, however, were clear give-aways she was dealing with a foreigner, even as she heard a slight whine of some power-source in the armour's systems spooling up.

[quote][b]"You’re in my way.”[/b][/quote]

The Commissar made no immediate move to stand aside, unimpressed by the voice that came from (apparently) a vox-mic built in Roen's helm, or by the subsequant, theatrical show of Roen activating and testing his vambrace-mounted talons. Her free hand slipped to the bolt-pistol at her side, ready to draw and fire if the need eventuated.

[quote][b]"Think carefully on your choice. If you choose to fight, if you choose war, it is a path you will not be able to turn from once the first step is taken. It carries with it a terrible price."

"Move aside. I won’t ask you again.”[/b][/quote] 

The Commissar, for the briefest of moments, hestitated with Roen's threat of violence hanging in the air. She carefully weighed up her response, trying to see through the mental trees of choice and consequence she had now embarked on. 

First: [b]if she gave way[/b] and allowed Roen passage. It was clear that Roen would do anything to recover this 'Gabriela', though whether it meant custody for her, death or capture out of sheer enamourment, Raine could not tell. If she did allow the knight to go after her, what was to stop Roen from visiting violence on his quarry? Or - should any patron inside make the same choice Severina did and waylay him - would more people, unaware of why Roen was in hot pursuit of this woman, get themselves in his way to potenially be cut down by Roen?

Second: [b]if Raine opted to stand her ground[/b]. The Commissar's professional pride scoffed at backing down in the face of this man. A Commissar was expected to cleave to the highest standard and ideal of what the Imperium of Man was; part of that was to never shirk, cower or run from a clear threat. Further, Roen's arms and armament were not to be taken purely at face, and Raine did not have anything to go on regarding Roen's capabilities. If she did stay in place, if Roen's attempt to bypass her forced the pair to come to blows, Severina was not  confident that Roen would not be able to best her ... at least, not without the risk of fatal injury.

She was - no matter her arms, no matter her armour or refractor field, not even her own well of faith in the God-Emperor of Mankind - [i]only[/i] human. But she had chosen this path. To waver now would invite disgracing her ideals and invite further harm to others. Yet to fight would attract the fatal attention of the fates.

So, despite the insulting insinuation Roen threw at her that a veteran of the Commissariat didn't know the depths and horrors of war, Severina paced before the door. She kept her eyes firmly locked on Roen, looking for the slightest movement to disembowl or slash at her with his murderous weapons, as she chose a third path to resolve this deadlock:

"Do not mistake me for some glory-hound or naive girl playing at war, [i]sir[/i]." Severina stated flatly to Roen, steel lining every sylable as her boots clunked against the verandah. "I may not have whatever life or life-span you have, but I have [i]known[/i] war as well. Its horrors, the corruption among Man it brings out and the lives of so many I've seen die under my command, or the few I've had to end for failing their duty."

She took a breath, fact now established, before stopping again before the door. 

"This woman I've seen you with." she finally questioned, meeting Roen's crimson visor with her grey, war-weary eyes. "Who is she to you? And does she represent a danger to everyone inside?"