The agents returned to the shrine just in time for the following ceremony. The people of the camp allowed them to pass through without incident, giving them a wide berth. A fearsome reputation is sometimes quite handy![1]
The Water Bringers also let them into the shrine, but not before a short talk with their assumed leader, called "the Preacher". He asked for their word that, should everything prove alright, Martika will not be harmed and they will leave her there. The agents acquiesced, and they were led inside.
The shrine was full of Water Bringers - both armed thugs and civilians. The agents noticed that buckets and barrels were placed all around the statues. Soon, Saint Martika - a nondescript woman in her 40s, with a shaved head tattooed all over - took the stage, watched over by her fateful bodyguard, the ogryn Grond. She started praying, and soon her voice resonated all over the shrine. As the prayer reached its crescendo, the congregation yelled and water started flowing from all the statues' hands. The crowd ran for more buckets, while other soaked up the excess with rags.
The agents set themselves to investigate. Palmulata recognized the psalm, and saw nothing wrong with it. Thrakus covered the front gate, and accepted a lho-stick offered by one the guards. Tass covered the back gate, while inspecting the statues for hidden pipes - he found none. Warder engaged in observing warp-phenomena, and his squadmates saw him cover his eyes.[2]
After the ceremony, the agents inspected the supposed Saint herself. She seemed to be a kind woman, who spent time with her congregation and had a word of encouragement for all. She approached Palmulata and remarked on her shining faith. Tass asked her about the miracles, and she seemed sincere; he also asked about in the congregation, and people seemed to genuinely believe.
Finally, as the civilians left, Warder laid in with the truth: Martika is an uninitiated psyker, and she will be taken away. The Saint collapsed, crying, denying that she would be a witch. Enraged, the Preacher ordered his men to attack.
The ogryn advanced on Warder, but Thrakus jumped in to take the hit - a glancing blow turned into a critical hit! Grond bloodied the scout with his rusty fishhook to the face, then threw him aside.
The gangers closed in, firing autoguns and laying in with scavenged equipment. The agents responded in kind, but not with deadly force. Thrakus punched the Ogryn, while Palmulata broke arms and legs, fighting bare handed.
Warder carried the day, psychically Compelling first Martika, then the Preacher himself to stop the violence. Thrakus helped by standing in the middle of the melee, shouting them into standing down.
The gangers did stop, and the ogryn listened to the Saint as well. Saint no more, she was escorted to the fishing village, while the people of the refugee camp looked on in sad disbelief.
There, the ogryn refused to get into the transport craft[3], but the party refused to let the situation escalate. All's well that ends well: they convinced Grond to stay with Rashida and serve the Emperor.
Martika was taken to the nearest city, where the archbishop took her in, and rewarded the agents with extra large purity seals, functioning as Symbols of Authority in the name of the Ecclesiarchy.
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