Torin smiled softly, pleased by her willingness to see things from his perspective. He paused, thinking over his answer, before speaking again.<br/><br/>"Willpower, I suppose. I can't much explain it. I was a Guardsman for ten years - I saw a lot of things that I shouldn't have, and I killed most of them. I'll admit - my faith was shaken. How could a benevolent God-Emperor allow such things to exist, and to occur? I believe in the Emperor, and I believe in His power, and in His majesty . . . but if he's really out there, watching over humanity, then he's either blind, ignorant, or cruel. Call it heresy, if you must, but for all the love I have for the Emperor, I recognise that He does nothing to protect us, or to protect His realm. It's up to His mere servants, such as you and I, to maintain order and stability within the Imperium . . . and, honestly, we're hanging on by the skin of our teeth." He replied, perhaps sounding bleaker than he should have. He was straying into dangerous territory now, and he was, admittedly, probing the Sister to see exactly what opinions she would tolerate, and what went over the line.<br/><br/>"I suppose I remain loyal both because, without people like me, the Imperium would collapse like a house of cards, and because it's all I know. To descend into madness and bow to the dark whispers of Chaos . . . the idea chills me. I can't help but feel that I'm here, with the Captain, serving as an instrument of the Emperor's will, a blunt instrument with which to further His will, whether he wants it furthered or not." He finished, tactfully avoiding his intimate awareness of just what the Rogue Trader did in her spare time, and the means by which she continued her 'exotic' existence.<br/><br/>Torin shrugged, looking up at the Sister for her reaction, and privately hoping that she wouldn't see fit to accuse him of heresy.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>