In a dark office in a dark corridor in a dark portion of the Temple of Rephidim, a lone unicorn Inquisitrix tends to her daily duties in her newly renovated office. Adding some plants, and some burning incense has spruced up the place a bit … though the plants have to be rotated out each day so that they can get some sunlight – of which there is none at this level.

The room is lit only by the candles and by some low-burning lamps. The torches have proven too unreliable, burning out suddenly and giving off too much smoke to be bearable, since there isn't as much circulation in this room as in the corridor.

A crow-like Korv waddles into the room, leaving the door open behind him. After all, it lets the room cool off a bit from the lamps. "*KAW*! Inquisitrix! Arch Inquisitor Majoris Caesar Moffat is up to no good, I tell you. He had his slave snooping about in here yesterday!"

Turtle looks up from her work, wearing the same frown she had been giving the papers for hours now. She casually puts down her writing instrument, and stretches her cramped hand as she asks casually, "Oh really? And why should that concern me?"

The crow caws annoyedly, then says, "That Moffat. He is always trying to dig up dirt on everyone. As if he hasn't enough filth of his own." The crow grumps. "In any case, the slave touched nothing. I saw to that." He waddles across the room. "Oh yes! I forgot. A Technopriest is being sent over to look at the lighting, to see about getting it working. And they're working on the air ducts as well."

Turtle shows no pleasure, but her voice betrays her, "Very good. I will be most relieved" She watches the crow a bit longer, then speaks again concerning Moffat, "So you are accusing him of gathering information… perhaps for future blackmail?" She looks thoughtfully down at her desk again.

Sylva appears in the doorway, with the trademark leather utility belt that marks her profession as a technopriest. Another Aeonian, she looks around the dark room before settling her eyes on the crow. "Korjel, what in whoever's name are you doing in here?"

The crow squawks! "Korjel? I'm afraid you've made a mistake. My name is Neekto." He bows. "I am an acolyte of the Priesthood, assigned to assist Inquisitrix Turtle, recently returned from Aelfhem Outpost."

Aside, to Turtle, the crow puts up a wing, and squawk-whispers, "And as for your suggestion – Yes, that's EXACTLY what he's up to."

Sylva walks in, setting down a small red box on a chair. "Whatever. You all look alike to me." She looks about. "Especially with how dark it is in here." She looks straight past Korjel. Or Neekto. Whatever his name is, looking toward this new Inquisitrix. "Turtle, eh?" She peers a little closer in the darkness – another Aeonian. Well, well.

Turtle stands up from her desk, very interested to find another unicorn standing in the doorway. She looks back, and nods to Neekto, before walking around toward the technopriest.

Turtle nods her head. "That is correct."

Turtle's eyes narrow as she looks the unicorn over. She smiles slightly. "Well, perhaps you can fix this darkness problem?"

Sylva nods lightly to the Inquisitrix. "Nice to meet you. Name's Sylva. Yes… now I can see why the complaint." She smiles slightly. "Shouldn't be any problem. Just give me some room."

Sylva removes the box from a chair and places it squarely on top of the Inquisitrix's desk, the contents clattering. She moves the chair underneath a fixture and climbs on top of it, hooves precariously balanced. She takes out an odd looking dagger-like tool from her belt and begins work. "So, you been here long, uh, Turtle?"

The crow caws, then waddles across the room to a recessed corner to sort some paperwork.

Turtle returns to her desk, rather reluctantly, considering the papers still cluttering the top.

"Not very," Turtle sighs. She watches Sylva work absently. "I'm finding out just what a major difference three hundred years can make"

Turtle adds, "In myself, not just my surroundings.

after saying that, and then goes back to her work, seemingly totally immersed again in it.

Sylva bats away some cables that dangle aimlessly from the ceiling as she removes a large cover. She starts in on the socket. "Well, here's your problem, all this here is burnt out. Don't worry about it, easy fix. And 300 years? I seem to have trouble with the changes a few months make." She gets down off the chair, and, after opening her wooden box, rummages around for the parts she needs. "Did you know this used to be an Arch Inquisitor's office? There was a learning helmet in here and everything." She climbs back up on the chair, tinkering with the fixture again.

The crow looks up on occasion from his work at the precariously balanced unicorn. He silently says a prayer, making the sign of the Star and Anchor across his chest.

Sylva rips out a large chunk of fixture and tosses it down aimlessly. Unfortunately, it lands on the crow's paperwork. It bounces off and onto the ground where it rattles.

"*KAW*!" The crow leaps back, fluttering his wings, sending a couple of loose feathers flying. He lands, clicking his beak and giving the Technopriest an annoyed bird glare.

Turtle seemingly ignores the technopriest's idle talk until she gets to the part about the "Arch Inquisitor". She looks up, her eyebrows quirked at odd angles, "Is that so? Who was he?"

Turtle gives the crown an annoyed, yet amused look.

Sylva looks down at the crow annoyed. "Oh, quit your squawking."

Sylva takes out a strange cylindrical object, and after fiddling it for a bit, it starts to make a high pitched whining noise. Amazingly, some light shines out from the end of it. Sylva behind putting in the new piece of equipment. "Oh, yes. Really high up there too. I think his name was Arch Inquisitor Raphael."

Turtle drops her pen, her look shifting to the other eyebrow. "Is that so? Raphael Melchizedek?"

The crow stays silent, save for the ruffling of papers, but he still occasionally glares balefully when he thinks the Technopriest is not looking.

Sylva puts in a strangely shaped disc in a strangely shaped empty cylinder. She starts screwing in the replacement light with one hand while with the other she shines the light emitting gadget toward Turtle. "The very same. I should know, I helped move that learning helmet out of this office." The light from the gadget slowly fades as the clicking noise stops.

Turtle closes her eyes, remembering the cold black unicorn. After a moment of silent thought, she remembers to reply, "Of course"

The crow caws, "Now don't you worry, Inquisitrix. Those helmets are highly over-rated. Having one of those things would mean they'd be making you process Exiles. They're raving lunatics, I say! Incredibly dangerous. You're far better off not dealing with them at all."

Turtle opens her eyes, giving the crow an annoyed look. "It was not the helmet I was concerned about"

The crow ducks his head under the gaze of the Inquisitrix, and turns quickly, returning to his sorting.

Sylva replaces the cover and gets down off the chair. "You got any fire hazards around here?" She sweeps her gaze around the room quickly. "Don't look like it." She leans out the doorway and shouts, "Treykel! Hit the switch, I'm Done!"

Turtle shakes her head, and goes back to her work, still showing a little annoyance.

A shout down the hall echoes in response, though it can't be made out clearly in the room.

a crackle … then panels in the ceiling begin glowing, filling the room with brilliant light, as if it were open to the sky on a cloudless day.

The lights flicker once, but then return to their steady glow.

Sylva turns around, her ice blue eyes and ivory horn shining in the new indoor light. "Much, much better, I think."

Turtle looks up again. The gold flecks in her eyes sparkle at the light. "Finally"

The crow blinks several times, shielding his eyes with a wing. "*KAW!* It is as good as the offices of the Audit! I hope the Quartermaster doesn't mind… "

Turtle hmmms? looking over at the crow. "Why should he mind?"

The crow shrugs. "Temple politics, Inquisitrix. Well, the Technopriest could tell you something of that… "

Sylva takes off her gloves and wipes some of the sweat off on her robes. They're already grease stained, so what's the difference? She replaces her tool in her belt.

Turtle watches Sylva, hoping maybe she will, but trying not to show it too much.

The crow shrugs and goes back to his work, not having to hold his head so close to the papers now that he can SEE them so much more clearly.

Sylva says, "Well. We in the Technopriesthood have a saying. 'He with the gold gets the grease.' I think you know what that means."

Sylva picks up her toolbox and gets ready to make her way out. "You take care." She smiles at the Inquisitrix. "And nice to meet you." She makes her way out of the room, still smiling.

The crow watches the Technopriest leave, not letting his gaze depart from her until she's through the doorway.

Turtle eyes the other unicorn as she leaves, watching her with singular disinterest. "Of course. And you too."