Timestamp: 7.429.996.M41

Location: Aboard the Maiden of Golgenna, holding in high orbit above planet Sepheris Secundus, Golgenna Reach

Situation: Gathering intelligence on the situation in the Sepheris Secundus system.

Body: Nearly four months (Terran standard) have passed since the formal reception aboard the Ignorance is Bliss. Nearly four months since your old selves died, and you were reborn as Acolytes in the service of the Inquisition. Four months quite unlike any you've experienced before - training with the Astartes, a rogue machine intelligence, space battles, xenos, lost worlds, war, and more. You really do feel like you've left your old lives behind and become something different.

You should have arrived in the Scintilla system three months ago, to undergo screening and training, but as you remember Xerza diverted towards the world of Sepheris Secundus in response to an astropathic distress call begging aid from the Imperium; citing a massive heretical uprising among the serfs of the Gorgonid Mine as the reason.

OOC: See separate post for Vern's general brief on Sepheris Secundus.

Using Venus, Vern and Inquisition encryption protocols you manage to get some real-time data, and you've given a situation-specific brief...but it's fairly...brief (sic):

The Gorgonid Mine, which alone accounts for 10% of Sepheris Secundus' Gross Planetary Product, is still in a state of martial law. The 97th Scintillan Guard division has been deployed in the lower reaches of the open-face parts of the mine, with Navy elements flying air cover for them. According to Vern nothing like that has ever happened before - the Royal Scourges are usually more than capable of putting down serf uprisings.

Xerza is unwilling to make any assumptions regarding the situation. Firstly the distress call was not very detailed, just calling for aid in putting down the insurrection (so that the Imperial Tithe can be met). Secondly you are three months late, and the situation seems to have changed for better or worse. And thirdly Xerza doesn't want to look the fool in front of other parties that may have responded to the call.

So a period of intelligence gathering is called for:

Maxi will travel down to the Solitarum, the Arbites compound located beneath Icenholm, and make contact with whomever is command there and learn more about the ongoing situation. The Arbites will know the details of what has transpired - it is after all their primary duty to ensure the flow of the tithe and crack down on heretics and witches.

Haxtes will sky-drop out of the lander into the lower reaches of the mine, assume the identity of a Imperial Guard officer - a Colonel of Logistics, attached to the Divisional Staff of the Guard division. A uniform is provided and Anna helps put the finishing touches on the disguise (apparently she knows her way around Imperial officers). He'll learn what he can of their operations and report back.

Meanwhile Jax and Anna will go down to Icenholm, posing as a Rogue Trader and his companion (not so difficult since that's what they are). Odessa, Ignace and Jarra go along as bodyguards, with Silon, Venus, and Vern acting the parts of pilot, tech-priest, and savant respectively (shocker). Odessa has seniority ;-)

Xerza remains aboard the Maiden to coordinate the operation while awaiting the opportune moment to make her presence known.