"You are appologising to me?" Ortega asked. We were sitting across from each other in the Administratum annex. Ortega had been returned his weapons and equipment though he hadn't yet been permitted to leave. Two Caledonians stood by the door, leaning on heavy power glaives. I wondered, if it came down to it, if they would be able to defeat an armed and armored Ortega. Not that it would matter, a mental intrustion was like a chink in a suit of armor. As strong as the Arbites mental training was, now I had gotten in once, I could do it again. I sensed that Ortega knew it too and it wasn't disposing him well towards me.

"I have been directed to do so," I admitted. Ortega snorted.

"You will forgive me for feeling that is less than sincere," the Arbite responded.

"I will," I agreed. Our eyes locked over the table for long moments, then Ortega nodded, his posture softening ever so slightly. I suspect that Arbites were rendered constituionally unable to relax as mere mortals understood it.

"We are taught to trust not to trust, I suppose I shouldn't complain too much when you don't trust me," he admitted. 

"I followed up on your suspcions," he said after a moment. "One of our tech priests has gone missing."

"How did you know about those suspicions?" I asked. He shrugged his shoulders, the slightest tick at the corner of his mouth betraying the fact that he was pleased to have gotten ahead of me.

"I had the advantage of knowing that I wasn't a traitor, that assassin had to come from somewhere," Ortega responded with a touch of acid. I nodded and touched my vox bead but before I could speak the door opened. Lazarus and Hadrian entered, the Skitarii pushing the wheel chair. I turned and offered a slight bow and Ortega stiffened to something approaching a millitary brace.

"My Lord," I said formally. Hadrian nodded to me.

"Be seated," Hadrian directed and Ortega and I took seats at oppisite sides of the long table. Clara entered from another entrance dressed in an armored body glove. She glanced between Hadrian and I, looking uncomfortable. It was a shame that she had to watch what I had done, I wondered if I had irreperabley damaged our relationship. I had needed a chevalier to carry a weapon.

"The time has come to to put our cards on the table. Emmaline?" Hadrian directed. I stood up.

"We came here in pursuit of a heretical cult operating on the feral world of Havenos," I explained, ommiting to mention the Inquisitorial connection. If Hadrian wanted to drop that bomb, I would leave it to him.

"We determined they were sourcing materials from here and... well you saw what happened when we followed up that lead. They sent an assassin to close the loop so we know they are aware of us. We have since learned that his name was Jogar Carden, working for a group called the Under Council." 

Ortega sat forward, his investigative insticts banishing his discomfort with the situation.

"How did you learn this," Ortega asked, frowning at the sudden tense silence which fell over the assembled group.

"We have means," I said after a moment, causing Ortega to blink in confusion. He glanced around the room of closed faces then shrugged, a tectonic motion in his armor.

"I have heard of Carden, he is... was, a pro with dozens of confirmed kills," Ortega admitted, "I suspect that if he wasn't working on the fly you wouldn't have taken him down, pskyer tricks or no."

"And the Under Council?" Hadrian pressed.

"I've heard rumors," Ortega admitted, "they operate deep in the underhive, far beyond the reach of local enforcers. Control of the lower areas of the hive is almost entirely in hands of gangers and worse. You would need an Astartes squad to shoot your way in."