NU & the Iwi: Back to your Roots

[Norgeras]

Sturmheim, Neu Uburzis, 31. 8. 2023


Viktor went through the checklist one last time. Toothbrush, Clothes, Phone, Charger and Papers. The small house still felt empty with only him and his Dog living here, but it was home. He flipped his Passport around, an additional line in there said Ngati Porou as if it should mean something to him. Maybe it was time to change that as well, his flight to Hunter’s Bay was waiting, it would take some days in the Airship to reach.


Viktor walked over to the mirror, straightening his Uniform and staring at the man opposing him. There it was, the nose, the eyes. Almost as if his Grandfather was looking at him, it made him queasy. He hunted people like that, people that constantly tried to hide in Neu Uburzis due to their laxer laws. Of course they never understood that the Empire did not tolerate being used as Criminal Perverts hidey-hole. He sniffed them out for a living, part of the Police Ops that exfiltrated Sex Criminals back to their home countries. He had joined the Police track of the Academy after his grandfather's death. Did he feel responsible? No, but he felt like it would give the old man some peace knowing he tried to honor the man he was at the end of his life. Maybe it would help his soul find peace.


“Ready for a vacation, Bloodhound?” his Superior greeted him at the Airfield with a stack of Papers: “I’ll fly with the Mother, you are on the other Ship with the child. Rendezvous with the Iwi officials in the Hunter’s Bay Police Station.” His superior stopped for a moment: “Are you really sure you want to go there?”


Viktor groaned hearing this nickname. A year in action and fifteen arrests had earned him the title by some Journalists, purposely referencing his grandfather's involvement with the Hellhounds:


“No, I am not sure. But the boy needs an escort and if they have Questions about the details of the arrest it’s better I am there.” Viktor paused, glancing over his shoulder back to the Terminal: “I delayed facing my own history long enough. Once it’s done I'll have a short trip through the Commonwealth, hence why you’ll have to look after my dog until then.”


“Afraid to call him by name when the press could hear?” the man smirked at him: “He’ll be fine with his siblings. Don’t worry, Cerberus will be well cared for. Now I'll have to deal with a woman who kidnaps her own child to live with a known and registered criminal.”


Viktor cut him off and walked onto the Airship, this was about to be a very long trip.


Hunter's Bay Airport, Commonwealth of the Iwi, 3.8.2023


Viktor ‘Bloodhound’ Schneider stood at the same door his grandfather entered five years ago, the Hunter’s Bay Airport police station. Passing through, he walked to the reception, handing over his passport:


"Kriminaloberkommissar Schneider. I have an escortee for you, and should be expected. May I hand him over to the Father?”

[BenOfTheIwi]

 Ariki Kahurangi had been an officer in the Commonwealths Police Force for ten years now. Meeting a foreign officer, even one that apparently was connected to an Iwi, at the airport was not his idea of utilising his skills however having recently annoyed his commanding officer by forgetting a deadline for some paperwork he sensed he was now going to get a few duties that were perhaps less about catching the criminals of Hunter's Bay. He accepted his fate and had arrived at the airport flashing his credentials and heading through to the airports own police station deep within the corridors not seen by passengers. He looked at the clock, he was early and so sat with the desk sergeant he had time for a quick cup of tea and chat about the rugby before Viktor arrived. With the arrival Ariki was informed his expected visitor was en route through the various checkpoints and ushured through the lines that made up things such as customs and passport control.

As Viktor introduced himself Ariki examined the paperwork and then spoke. "You'll need to follow me, we need a signature" he lifted a barrier in the desk and allowed Viktor and his escortee to come through, a brief walk down the corridor and into a room the boy was reunited with his father, "I need you to sign this." He handed the man the paperwork, "It says that the boy was handed over in one piece essentially" The man signed it and passed it back to Ariki who then handed it to Viktor, "Now I just need you to sign to say you've seen the boy handed back." He waited for Viktor and then the two police men left the room. "So officer is there anything else we can be doing for you while you're here?"

[Norgeras]

Viktor scribbled his signature and took a look at the documents for a moments, pausing at the name of the man opposing him:


"Kahurangi, huh?" he muttered to himself: "Is that a common name?" he asked the officer as he went through his papers.


It was a little weird. He recalled two people with that name. One was the son a man hunting, not unlike him, criminals that escaped justice. The Wingert boy, well not much of a boy anymore, had told him about the Matariki in 2017 where he witnessed the ceremony. He had been talking about the Iwi with him after his grandfather had been killed. The other Time he recalled that name was the woman who got arrested for aiding the Seleucid. Ranga, Ranga something? His Grandfather had mentioned recognizing someone at those protests back then.


Viktor had read the reports and his Grandfathers testimony several times over the years, well at least the public records he got his hands on, that did remind him though, he had work to do right now:


"If you want to have the guy, all we need is proof he knew about the mother disclosing taking the boy out of country illegally. He currently is arrested but would walk free if we don't get any evidence. Trust me, we'd pack him up nice for you and pin a bow to his head if you can get us something. Even if you guys don't want him, proof would be appreciated. We could at least send him packing back to his own home country."


Viktor stretched his arms: "Guys a horny idiot if you ask me. I'd really rather not have to let him go. My superior should be here soon in half an hour or so, with the second Escortee. He can handle any other paperwork."


Grabbing a pamphlet out of his own bag he looked at it: "Though, since you might know. I got some mandatory vacation and intend to educate myself on the occupation. There's a particular memorial side for a camp here in hunter's bay i'd like to visit after i check into my hotel. What's the best way to reach there? Taxi or Public Transport?" 


Viktor took a second to notice he had dropped a small copy of his grandfather's mugshot from his purse, scooping it back up only after it was out for a couple moments.

[BenOfTheIwi]

Ngāti Porou Iwi

Kahurangi had looked at the mans passport as he entered, Ngāti Porou Iwi it had said. By the looks of him the officer didn't appear to have much Maori in him but ties of blood where ties of blood no matter how diluted. It was strange then that the man seemed so clueless when it came to Maori names, perhaps he was one of a number of adoptees that seemed to have sprung up over the past few years largely for political reasons, Morelanders, Cenneg, even Achkaerin royals could count themselves as part of Iwi's these days. "Kahurangi is one of those names thats common as it can appear as either a personal name or a family name. It also helps that its genderless. In your language it would literally mean sky blue and usually is given to people born on clear days, I guess our ancestors line must have been born on a sunny day." He shrugged. "Viktor though, not much of a Maori name, you never taken one?" he enquired. For a while it had been in vogue for those adopted into Iwi's who weren't foreign nobles to take on Maori names.

Ariki had spotted the dropped photo and at a glance the figure looked somewhat familiar but he was unable to place it, in this job he saw so many people they tended to merge after a while and so he didn't think to much of it. By now the young boy was ready to leave with his father. Ariki stopped and had a conversation with them. "Because of the nature of the allegation we will be carrying out a series of regular visits, unannounced of course." Ariki reached into his shirt pocket and removed a card. "If you leave your Iwi's marae you will need to inform us." It had been hard to believe that the boys mother had tried to remove him from his father's Iwi back into her own grand-parents. It had seen her take him to rugby one morning and then less than 24 hours later he was in Neu Urburzis, it was quiet a bizarre place to have gone too. "So is there much of a Maori community in Neu Urburzis?" Ariki enquired beginning to try and ponder the case from his side. "After all you're apparently Maori and out of all the places on Mundus the West of Aranye seems a rather odd place for a Maori mother to run to? Being of both worlds you'll likely gauge its appeal?"

[Norgeras]

Viktor had to chew his lip a little when asked if he never took a Maori name:


"I have a bit of difficult history with that part of my heritage." he finally said: "In the end, i joined the task force to catch Predators precisely because of it."


He listened again and shook his head: "I'm not sure if you didn't read the brief, it hasn't been forwarded to you or an idiot on my side didn't send it yet, but the Maori have little to do on why she went there, Neu Uburzis everything." he groaned and looked around, making sure the father and son had left: "you better sit down for this then."


Viktor quickly fiddled through the files he had brought and where still on the table, grabbing a couple sheets out before pointing at marked passages:


"You see here?" he pointed at some logged E-Mails and some Online Posts that had been printed out: "We're not sure if she wanted to get with the guy herself, too. But she clearly wanted him, excuse me being blunt, inside her boy. I suggest the boy might need counseling for along time, and the Father to carefully be questioned if she might have done something before. Likely the chance she wanted a Separation because he didn't play along."


Viktor rubbed his temples: "I'm part of a Taskforce to find and extradite mostly guys that come to Neu Uburzis thinking our, in some cases, laxer laws allow them to do whatever. I've had a busy year already and this was not the first, but in my opinion the most vile woman so far. Do yourself a favor and don't read through all her texts."


Viktor shifted uncomfortably on his chair, taking with strangers that weren't colleagues was difficult. Hells, most of his Office used to be in the same school as him. It made talking about the people they hunted easier when it was among peers.


"Trust me, the public judicial beatings can be a great spot to catch some guys on my list, they just can't help themselves when it comes to seeing someone suffer." he looked around, shaking his head again: "I hope we made it in time, we caught them at the Train station on their way to his house. Our government really, really, really doesn't like being used as a hideout." He filched through the files again, taking out another two pages: "The guy has been silent, and as i mentioned before, we couldn't proof he knew she had kidnapped her son yet. Also he had ten different Passports, we don't know where he's really from, either. If you want him, go ahead. Castration sounds lovely for him, and i know for a fact that's on the list in the Commonwealth."


Viktor took a break and pinched his Nose bridge: "But yeah, my Supervisors said i need some time off from these sort of Criminals, might as well tackle my own history. Hence i booked some time off here. Apparently my Grandmother died in that camp i mentioned earlier. I'm one fourth Maori, the other fourth is Seleucid. Half Uburzian. I think you get the Picture."