Work Text:
The man in front of him, slumping in the chair and wearing a stained voidsman-at-arms uniform, lolls his head slightly, breathing heavily. Heinrix has been trying to get the information out of this person for the past thirty minutes, but the Interrogator is beginning to suspect that maybe this voidrat knows nothing after all. He heard rumors about some sort of attempt to sabotage the new Rogue Trader and while he’s still not particularly fond of Vera, Heinrix, however, has an obligation to the Imperium and the Lord Captain of the vessel he’s currently stationed on.
“Try thinking a little harder.” He keeps his voice calm and levelled but the air around the psyker begins to drop in temperature and the man moans.
Crewman doesn’t even try to get up anymore. In the beginning Heinrix thought he will have to tie the man up in some way, but the sight of his rosette was enough to make the behind of this worker become firmly glued to the seat.
“Master Interrogator, I really don’t know anything.” Undercurrent of a sob is too easy to notice and Heinrix lets out a small sigh, knowing not only through his powers, but also just from experience that this man doesn’t have much left in him. “I just want to go back to my family, please…”
He knew that picking a day of Sanguinalia most likely will paint the Interrogator in even colder light that he is perceived in just for being a member of the Most Holy Ordos, but Heinrix never bothered to employ mercy on occasions that most others distinguish unsuitable for such actions. If anything, it’s a perfect chance to get more information out of whoever is getting questioned because just like this man, they think of their families, they think of hope rather than sorrow.
“You will tell me who are the people trying to sabotage the vox channels. Now.” The air almost crackles and Heinrix extends a hand, blueish glow surrounding his gloved fingers when he harvests the fount of his biomancy powers. It churns the guts inside of him, but the feeling is so familiar that it can be easily ignored, forgotten like a background hum of the voidship.
The voidsman moans again and then his back arches with strain because Interrogator decides to affect muscles surrounding the lungs, making the man incapable of inhaling more than a fraction.
“Please…”
Footsteps. Heinrix hears them even before the door slides open with a hiss but doesn’t stop. Whoever decided to interrupt him might as well end up in a chair next to this poor soul, who is whining under sensations of his body not belonging to him anymore. At least for the time being.
More footsteps until they stop a reasonable distance behind Heinrix and then a voice that he recognizes well enough already.
“Master van Calox, can I ask what you are doing to this voidsman?” Vera’s calm tone still cuts sharply through the groans of the interrogatee and with mild annoyance Heinrix lowers his hand, the icy air beginning to disperse immediately, and turns to the woman.
“Von Valancius, I have suspicion that your vox channels have fallen under the plot of sabotage. This man right here appears to have a lead or knowledge that is integral in stopping such plot.” Heinrix eyes the former Astra Militarum officer, seeing her disciplined stance and unwavering look in the dark eyes that lock on his. There’s no judgement there, no shock at finding him utilizing not only the power of his rosette but also those of his biomancy, and he’s relieved that at least he won’t have to listen to a barrage of hysterical screaming about how he cannot do one thing or another. Too many such cases, ignorant of the duty he’s performing, not seeing the bigger picture.
“A plot to sabotage?” Craning her neck, Vera casts a calm glance to the man behind Heinrix and then back to him. “And what is proof of this that led you to interrogating one of my people?”
“Lord Captain, please, mercy, I don’t know anything I-“ The man, now free from the torturous powers that were affecting him, immediately starts babbling and Heinrix’s jaw tightens, but he says nothing. To his relief, Vera rises her hand the barrage of pleas stops immediately.
“If Interrogator van Calox thinks that you might be culpable in some plot against me, then I will not stop him from performing his duty to the Golden Throne.” She says calmly and it surprises Heinrix somewhat, until he remembers how equally calmly Vera ignored arguments from Werserian and the Magos before launching Exterminatus on the planet beyond salvation.
“Much appreciated, Vera. But… how did you find me?” Heinrix casts a quick glance to the voidman behind him when he hears a desperate but resigned sigh, effectively silencing the suspect, but Vera comes closer and when she stands by his elbow, looking at the one who may or may not know whatever is going on with the treasonous conspiracy against her, clasping her hands behind her in a military fashion, she gives Heinrix a smirk.
“Vigdis informed me that there has been rumors about one esteemed member of the Inquisition sequestered with some terrified crewman. I thought you might be doing something more fun than this, given it’s Sanguinalia, but I should’ve expected that a man like you knows little of what it is to have fun and relax.”
Of course it was Toliman, he should’ve guessed, but then Heinrix’s brows furrow at her words and he affixes her dark eyes with a serious look.
“With all due respect, Vera, you cannot expect me to ignore possible mutiny brewing right under your nose just because it’s some sort of occasion. Traitors and heretics do not take days off.”
“Then I suppose I shouldn’t expect another love token from you. Pity.” With a sigh she looks down at the voidsman who is clearly trying not to show how surprised he is to be in the presence of such conversation.
Heinrix sputters for a moment, completely taken by surprise, and he turns to the Lord Captain, demanding her full attention.
“Vera! How many times I have to tell you that it was not a love token, it was a gift from Lord Inquisitor that you inherited because of your predecessor passing under unfortunate circumstances!” Van Calox keeps his voice partially hushed, as if the man just a mere meter away can’t hear every single syllable coming out of the Interrogator’s mouth.
“Of course.” Vera concedes with grace and a smile, then waves her hand at the voidsman. “Go for now, but keep in mind that if Master van Calox wants to question you again, he is doing so with my permission.”
Heinrix’s expression sours, but he doesn’t protest, knowing that while on her voidship he still has to obey most of her orders, even if they make little sense to him. The moment voidsman rises to his weak feet, pouring gratitude towards the Lord Captain until she dismisses him again, Heinrix already imagines at least twenty scenarios of how things will go wrong in case he was right that this suspect knows something. Interrogator prays to the Emperor that this isn’t the case after all.
“You don’t seem concerned at all that your communication channels could be compromised.” With one hand Heinrix absentmindedly touches his auspex, then the holstered gun, watching Vera glance at the chair, seat of which bears some strange moisture. Did the man… piss himself? Wouldn’t be the first. Heinrix simply sighs.
“Oh, like you have them compromised?” Vera turns to Heinrix again, her hands still clasped behind her but there’s a twitch in the corner of woman’s lips, like she’s trying to hide a smirk that threatens to emerge any moment.
“I don’t-“
“Oh please, Heinrix, do you think I am blind on my own vessel?” She rises an eyebrow and for a moment Heinrix falls silent, considering his words, measuring them carefully.
“I have inspected the integrity of your vox channels, that is correct.”
“Toliman was very concerned with you poking around.” Vera smiles at last, but even to Heinrix the smile appears to be one of amusement and not mockery or spite.
He does not know Lord Captain as the most cheerful woman around, thank the Emperor, but maybe even she is affected by the celebration. He saw the crewmen hanging decorations and Heinrix is confident he also heard old odes to Sanguinius being played through some sort of beat-up speaker, clearly done by the men themselves rather than being authorized by Vera.
“According to some, Toliman herself can be scarcely trusted.” The Interrogator pauses, then switches weight from one foot to another. “Vera, I need you to understand that I’m just trying to do my duty.”
“I know.” She keeps the easy smile on her face and glances at the soiled seat. “Didn’t have to make the poor man ruin the chair.” Then, almost abruptly, the Lord Captain turns on her heel and begins walking out of the chamber. “Come with me, if you may?” Vera doesn’t even look back and Heinrix hesitates for a moment, a tinniest of frowns furrowing his brows, but with a deep and hardly concealed sigh the man follows.
For a while there’s only footsteps echoing off the steel hull corridors, her’s a little lighter, the heels of Vera’s shoes making a slightly sharper sound compared to Heinrix’s own boots that make dull, heavy thuds on the metal flooring.
While walking, Heinrix thinks of the voidsman he was interrogating, the possible sabotage of the vox channels, the report that he will need to write and send out later tonight, not to mention another such report that Inquisitor Lord is expecting from his right-hand man.
But something catches his attention – the sounds coming from somewhere nearby. Voices, chatter, a gathering? And then Heinrix realizes he’s hearing the odes again, this time they are crystal clear, without the crackling that the ship’s crew made them have because of the old machine they played theirs on. The choir sings the words that the man soon begins to make out, High Gothic, of course, and his suspicion rises.
“Vera…” After being ignored, Heinrix hurries his steps and joins the Lord Captain at her side. She doesn’t seem perturbed even in the slightest. “Vera, where are we going?” The Interrogator glances at her face, trying to read her motives but all he sees is a relaxed face and a small, easy smile on her lips.
“Don’t fret, Heinrix, you’ll like it.”
He very much doubts so, but remains quiet and when the corridor leads to the door of the main hall, he can already guess perfectly what is awaiting for him.
Vera walks in first and gets cheerfully greeted by those gathered. She strolls towards the middle of the room, chatting up Abelard and Sister Argenta who are both in great spirits judging by their smiles, but Heinrix lingers by the door, observing. Tables are covered with food and refreshments, decorations appropriate for the occasion hang everywhere, the music is playing. A proper Sanguinalia celebration. Heinrix doesn’t remember when was the last time he saw such set up for the occasion.
Feeling mildly uncomfortable, the agent looks around, his mind still lingering on the voidsman and the possible sabotage and when he notices Toliman keeping to herself to the side from the main body of the party, Heinrix starts in her direction, but Vera appears right in front of him and stops him, forcing a drink into the man’s hand.
“What-“
“You need to relax too, Heinrix.” She says with confident calmness in her voice and Heinrix looks down at the glass in his hand, immediately smelling that’s it’s the warm wine with spices he’s holding. With a slight frown he tries to return the glass but Vera just rises an eyebrow, not moving a muscle to take it back and Heinrix quickly gives up.
“I’m concerned that you are not more alarmed by the information we spoke about.” Heinrix looks around and beyond Vera, clearly trying to find a surface to put the unwanted glass upon.
“Do you think you’re the only person to follow up sabotage leads?” With one step slightly to the side, Vera manages to catch Heinrix’s wandering gaze with her eyes and his jaw clenches slightly.
“I suppose not, but as the only currently present agent of the Golden Throne on your vessel, it is my duty-“
“To have some fun.” Vera interrupts, a smile on her face is a tad mischievous but Heinrix can’t be sure if he’s reading it correctly.
“Fun.” The man echoes the word like it’s a curse of an ancient civilization and Vera’s smile becomes just a fraction wider.
“Fun.” She nods and when Heinrix sighs, resigning to being stuck here for the rest of the evening, Vera dips a hand into her long overcoat and rummages in the pocket.
“I suppose… If Lord Captain insists that I stay and ensure her safety during these festivities, then I won’t deny her request.” Forming it as another duty to perform makes Heinrix feel more at ease, but it’s like Vera is not even listening.
Soon she takes out a palm-size dark blue box, in color of her heraldry, and weights it in her hand. Heinrix’s eyes curiously glance at the object then they rise to the woman’s face.
“And what is that?” The tone of voice he uses sounds stern, as if he’s expecting some sort of xenos artifact lunge out of the small container at him, or maybe at the Rogue Trader herself, and start slaughtering everyone. Color red would fit the Sanguinalia, Heinrix grimly thinks to himself.
“That… is something for you.” Vera weights the box in her palm again, watching Heinrix’s eyes follow the travel of the item and then she offers it to him.
“For me.” Not a question, not really, more like a suspicious disbelief on his part and the Interrogator delays moving to take it. “And what is it that you deemed necessary to give to me, Vera?”
Guarded, cautious and in no small amount suspicious, Heinrix almost forgets the glass in his hand while his mind reels with thousands of possibilities of what could be in the box. He doesn’t know Vera, not well at least, and despite her redeeming quality of making the right decisions, decisions that align with the Imperium’s values, Heinrix would be a fool to trust this woman just yet. Too many times he has seen people with perfect outward appearances become rotten to the core. Somehow the music in the background praising Sanguinius just makes the idea more eerie.
“Lord Captain!” Someone in the crowd tries to get Vera’s attention but she entirely ignores it, watching Heinrix’s face that betrays no emotion and waiting for him to take the gift that she carefully picked. Partially a joke, partially an attempt to make him feel more welcome aboard her vessel, the former soldier can barely keep her smile down, knowing that the ever-so-cautious Interrogator will accept her offering one way or another. Not many can refuse a rogue trader, especially when all she’s doing is giving a gift.
Slowly, just as Vera guessed, Heinrix rises one gloved hand and hesitates for a moment longer before taking the box and bringing it closer to himself. Another pause, his eyes dart from her to the item now resting between his fingers and with a tired sigh that expresses his capitulation, he thumbs open the box.
At first Heinrix just looks down, then rises an eyebrow and with a skeptical look affixes Vera’s eyes with his own.
“This has to be a joke.” He says and Vera finally breaks into a smile with a short, melodic chuckle.
“I know you haven’t been on my vessel for long yet, but I figured I will return the love token you have given me before.” There’s a mischievous spark in the woman’s eyes and Heinrix frowns, but she notices a faintest blush color Heinrix’s cheekbones with lightest shade of pink, barely noticeable.
“How many times I have to tell you it was no love token!” He hisses the words rather than saying them, ever aware of being part of the celebrating crowd.
“Of course, I meant the gift that the Inquisition so kindly presented to me.”
Vera keeps smiling and Heinrix sighs again, his desire to assert the truth and Lord Captain’s clear attempt at making him lose his composure, has the Interrogator stuck between annoyance and personal appreciation that she, at the very least, doesn’t seem to be scared of him, or unnerved by his presence. However, the breastpin that is in the box, one of the von Valancius crest, seems both humorous and mocking at the same time.
“You are aware I cannot wear this, correct?” Thumbing the lid down, Heinrix briefly glances around to see if anyone’s watching and thankfully he is assured that no one is, besides a serf or two who are ready to serve Vera at a moment’s notice. Then he pockets the box and quickly sips from the glass that he nearly put aside, but now feels grateful for, because suddenly the Interrogator’s mouth feels dry.
“I’m aware, but you can have it as a souvenir, if you wish.” Vera pauses, her smile becoming more relaxed and natural than the mischievous one she was adorning until now. “And if you remain on my vessel for longer, who knows, maybe you will need to bear both the Inquisition’s rosette and the crest of my dynasty.”
“That’s easy for you to say, but I will never-“
“You can just say thank you to me.” Vera prompts, cutting off Heinrix’s speech of insistence that she is sure would turn into a barrage of excuses she does not want or need to hear right now. Just seeing Heinrix’s expression, one of confusion and hardly disguised shy discomfort, is enough of a reward to the rogue trader already.
Heinrix clenches his jaw for a moment, then clears his throat and with his cheeks gaining one darker shade of pink, finally bows his head with utter grace and gratitude.
“Thank you, Vera.”
“See, it wasn’t that hard.” She smiles to him and when Heinrix looks at the woman again, he finally smiles too.
“It wasn’t, but you truly know how to put me on a spot and clearly enjoy doing so.” There’s something akin to friendly warmth in Interrogator’s eyes and it’s the first time Vera is sure that he showed such emotion. The fact alone makes her smile a little wider.
“I’m doing it for your benefit. Even you need to relax sometimes. And have fun.” With a gesture of her hand, the Lord Captain indicates those gathered for the celebration: her retinue and first officers, people she can call friends and those she enjoys working with. “You should learn from them.”
And Vera did come to look for him, so that she could fetch Heinrix for the occasion. At the thought the man’s shoulders lose some of the stiffness and he sighs, running a gloved hand over his hair.
“I suppose… it’s a small chance someone will try to assassinate you tonight.”
Vera knows that this is as close to admission that he’s if not happy to be here, then at least enjoying being included that she will get, and the rogue trader simply nods, tasting victory on her tongue.
“Very small indeed. And with all my officers here – someone attempting it would be a complete fool. So enjoy your time, relax, drink more wine, it’s wonderful.” She nods to Heinrix and he can’t help but smile a little more.
“I will try.” He nods in affirmation and Vera, hearing someone call for her attention again, nods to Heinrix.
“See you around, try not to slip away. I’ll notice.”
With that she departs, leaving the Interrogator standing in relative solitude, glass in hand and the little gift box feeling much heavier in his pocket than it actually is, reminding him of unexpected kindness that is probably a bigger gift than Vera realizes. He watches her walk up to a group of people, a serf quickly presenting Lord Captain with her own drink and as Heinrix lifts a glass to his lips, a servo skull zooms overhead, blasting the words of praises to Sanguinius.
“For the Imperium! For von Valancius! For Sanguinius and his noble sacrifice! For the Emperor!”
Heinrix chuckles to himself and drinks some of the sweet tasting wine, noticing that Cassia is moving through the crowd towards him, her smile infectious. He glances at Vera again and she catches his look, giving a small, almost unnoticeable nod and he returns it with one of his own, just before the Lady Navigator reaches him.
“Master van Calox, we haven’t finished our discussion about the book I mentioned to you before. Would you have the time?” She asks kindly and finally Heinrix looks away from Vera to Cassia with a nod, realizing that he is strangely starting to enjoy the festivities. Thanks to Vera and her kindness.
It’s good to be seen as human and not just an agent, feared and despised. Praise Sanguinius and the Emperor, it feels good to be welcome.
Praise indeed.
