"This, my Lord Inquisitor, is the world we wait for our next transport. It is a "free" world - it has stayed out of the Imperial light and the Imperial truth for years and years. But has recently paid the price for their treason and heretical ways."

"It would seem they received a fitting punishment for their lack of faith in the Emperor." Still surveying the valley below through her binoculars: "I see ample signs of interaction with the Imperium. So not a lost colony, but a world that willingly stayed out of the light...if only they would realize the folly of their ways before something like this has to happen...but that great blackened pit yonder seems to harbor some form of ancient structure. A lost colony after all? Or a lost colony resettled by rogue elements fleeing Imperial justice perhaps? In my youth I helped bring back such a world." There is some activity in the ruined city below. A cunningly concealed communications array comes to life, indicating that a ship has arrived above Corax. Is it the Maiden, or another vessel? You've been here the better part of two weeks with this little coterie of Inquisitors and whatnot. Lord Skane of course, representing the Cabal, along with half a dozen aides. Inquisitor Oregis of the Malleus; he's not a psyker, but he's got an impressive suit of power armour, not fully a terminator suit, but clearly something special. He's alone save for two servitors; one to service his suit and another floating skull-thing that part scout, part sniper, and part library. The oddball is the foreign one. Inquisitor Ravenor of the Scarus Conclave, Ordo Xenos division. Oddball because he's a psyker and because he travels around in a big floating armored life-support capsule. Not stepped out of it once. You've learned that he an Tancred were on speaking terms - no surprise there really. He's brought along thee agents of his own; they seem capable enough. Having Silon follow him around 24/7 seemed...impractical. So instead of looking foolish you settled for having this Ravenor fellow promise to behave. And to your knowledge he has behaved. They have all behaved. No funny tracking or comms gear. You psychic trickery. Trusting them is out of the question of course. But it's always good when people behave. Saves you having to make a lesson for them.

Haxtes dont trust them at all, he assumes that betrayal will come, but what can he do but wait to strike first would make him a bad host.

A few hours later one of the Maiden's heavy landers drop through the clouds and set down at what used to the spaceport. People and servitor suddenly appear from nowhere to greet the ships. That's what it looks like to the untrained eye anyway - Hatxes has seen them long time ago. The survivors. There are always survivors. Haxtes would know. He's one of them. From what he's seen thus far he has concluded there is quite the little community here - wisely perhaps they've chosen not to rebuild but use the devastation as a cloak to hide beneath. Cunning. Cunning heretics. Time to go though. Time to make contact and have transport arranged. Then go down and pick up the stasis capsule. The real one is already on board of course, but they don't need to know that...

"That lander looks like it has room for us all, lets go down and arrange transport, charming as this hole is it is not our destination - but we do draw near."

Inquisitor Oregis cold not agree more. He's had about enough of this extended field trip. A few hours later... It's all being arranged. No flashing the ]I[ this time - even Oregis is covered up beneath his massive grey robe, looking like some obese adept of the Administratum with his two servitors in tow. Ravenor's coffin bears no symbols, not does his men. Skane and her crew look like warriors, nothing more or less. A fine band indeed. You're boarding the lander when something odd happens. A smaller Aquila, another of the Maiden's little birds, drop down a distance away and some people get out. Ship-people. But that's not the odd part. The odd is she. Your sister. You look at each other for but a moment, but you both know. There is a spark of psychic energy between you that says it all. Psyker to psyker. Brother to sister. Hello. Then she's gone and you're boarding the lander. Your sister. Last seen whoring for the occupiers. Or was it the the defenders? You don't remember. Not important. You though her long dead.

When in the company of such a fine selection of witches all things from the past that can take ones mind from the task at hand is important. Haxtes raise hes psy defence using hes pain glove and focus hes mind on blood and slaughterer IF he`s being read or influenced that will make it harder for them. As for the whore it was long time ago, another life even. She made her way as a servant, friend to the occupiers, that is her choice, her life. If my elder brother the RT has employed her to entertain the crew being the weak hearthed fool that he is that`s not really Haxtes business.

You get back aboard the Maiden. Calling it ‘home’ is going a bit too far. But it’s more home than most places. This time you don’t get your usual quarters though; instead you end up in a newly reopened area - it’s low on creature comforts, but it’s spacious and has the basics needed to sustain human life. And its private. The stasis pod pickup is arranged as well. One pod and its guards. The pod is brought to your area and then you are left alone, as per your instructions to the ship’s master. The price you’re paying for privacy is outrageous - good to know that the Thrones go straight back into your own pockets... The Maiden seems to be in a good mood and everything proceeds smoothly. The cadre is also working well together. Jarra and Silon have been with you all along. Ignace and Odessa have guarded the fake pod - the one with the slave girl you purchased in it. Venus is around, which seems to agree with the Maiden - their relationship has been...strange...ever since the incident. Only Maxi and Vern are absent - Maxi on Baraspine and Vern on Quaddis with Xerza. The rest of the Maiden’s crew are also around, but you don’t have to interact with them. You did notice quite a few new faces when you prowled the hulls the other night cycle. Clearly Jax has been recruiting. The Maiden has also recruited a few more good men; you saw several additional crew with MIUs screwed into their heads. Jax is keeping a low profile himself - a wise move. No need for them to see the resemblance between you and connect the dots. You thoughts wander back to Baraspine and your departure. The Commodore insisted that you form a convoy with on of the tin-cans (OOC: slang for destroyers) and the Q-ship. He was certain of the presence of xenos raiders in-system, hidden from view by heretical technoarcana. A convoy would protect the Maiden - and hopefully draw out the attacker. It had worked. The Maiden had survived - unharmed - and the xenos had attacked. The rest of the convoy hadn’t been as lucky, nor had the xenos. It struck as you were heading out-system. Too far away to call for help, but too deep in-system to translate into the warp. A perfect ambush. Jax after-action report reminded you of your previous brush with the Eldar. The can out of nothing with a ship not much bigger than the Maiden - but obviously more powerful. The tin-can died within moments, lanced to death with frightening power and precision. The Maiden had taken cover behind the Q-ship as it opened up. Although no true warship the Q-ship was half again the size of a heavy cruiser - and with little in the way of defensive measures it had more broadside batteries than most battleships. Hitting the little alien fucker was nearly impossible of course - they could barely track him at all, let alone lock onto him. But the sheer VOLUME of fire the Q-ship put out was so huge they could not miss if they could keep the enemy in the envelope long enough. And here the Eldar had made a grievous mistake. Thinking you easy prey they had simply matched vectors and gone of a total kill, rather than a safer intersection strike that could have allowed some of you to escape. With matching vectors even the Eldar vessel would take a while to break off. And the Q-ship just kept blazing away...scoring several hits...and with each hit they were able to refine their targeting solution. So that even as the Eldar pulled slowly away their fire became more and more accurate, starting to actually cause damage to the frail alien craft. The Commodore would be proud of his men. Two minutes into the engagement the xenos changed their tactics - they were not going to get away unharmed - reversing their course change and directing all available power to lances. That’s when it became all too clear what the limitations of a Q-ship are. Weak shields, no armour. They can soak damage by size alone, but sooner or later critical components will get hurt. And hurt they got. The Eldar lances cut right into the heart of the Q-ship and stated probing for its vitals. The warp drive, the solar generator, the enginarium, the primary cogitator banks, the bridge...the loss of any of those would leave the Q-ship crippled. Even as the Q-ship was brutally stabbed to death the Sprint Trader Maiden of Golgenna swept over the bow of the Q-ship. For one long second both her demi-lances fired continuously at full power, aiming for that spot in space and time where the Eldar craft would be. Enough power to destroy a city of millions bored itself into the alien ship. No amount of xenos technology could keep it all at bay. Even as the lights aboard the Maiden flickered and died from power starvation the halls and corridors of the enemy vessel were filled with deadly energy. A few moments later the xenos blew apart in a glorious explosion that would have rivaled the fireworks at Ascension Day on many an Imperial world. There was no time for celebration. Now was the time to let the Maiden show the meaning of the word Sprint Freighter. More enemy vessels would undoubtedly come, like sharks sensing blood in the water. the Q-ship was already doomed. It would never get across the warp threshold now. All you could do was salute the sailors aboard and be on your way.

The price you’re paying for privacy is outrageous - good to know that the Thrones go straight back into your own pockets... - our guest has to pay :-) so we make nice profit (a small payback for giving all to Globus) It would never get across the warp threshold now. All you could do was salute the sailors aboard and be on your way. - Its well know that dying when your duty is done is a great reward in it self. So we can rest knowing that the sailors on the q ship died happy.

Your quarters are conveniently located near and unused cargo lock. Beyond the lock lies one of the Maiden's cargo spheres - or there should have been had you not lost it fighting the orcs over Corax. Now only the cold void lies beyond... Skane starts the process by interviewing the girl. But she doesn't get all that much - the girl remembers nothing of her past beyond the point you rescued her. And Skane carefully avoids asking compromising questions about the Haegum - as agreed. But otherwise she answers truthfully about herself and her so-called 'powers'. It takes a full day. Skane declares her past as non-heretical, save her survival in the charnel pit - a crime for which she has already been cleared by the Malleus... Next is Oregis. He may be a hammer of the daemons but he's also a scholar. A savant-scholar of Archaos. Same as Vern. He is very meticulous. And some of the question seem wildly unconnected, but in the end there is always an angle. His two servitors conduct a number of scans and examinations - Eisha endures with stoic grace. He's at it for two days. Oregis declares her to be a low-power psyker, a passive-receptive telepath with psychometic traits. Her power seems to have grown from immaterial to faintly traceable, which is why the previous Malleus that examined her found nothing. She must either be handed to the Black Ships or taken into the custody of the Inquisition. That bit really isn't a problem...

Ravenor, representing the Ordo Xenos is last. He's at it for three days. There is never a sound from his coffin. He's using his own telepathic powers to speak directly to the girl. You're a bit annoyed at first really - until you notice that it bothers Oregis a whole lot. Oh how he would have liked to listen in at their conversations. Eisha, the Maiden, she draws for Ravenor a great many pictures. Alien vistas, many eldar, monsters and daemons. Oregis in content again - now he has something to look at. You sense his greatest weakness; that need to analyze and understand. A poor trait for a hammer perhaps.

Ravenor, using his mind to touch upon yours: +May I speak with you privately Haxtes?+

+It concerns the girl. She is not what they seek, this secret brotherhood of the Conclave Calixis. They will leave her be and honor your bargain. But she is still important and of great concern to the Ordo Xenos.+

+you may + The Maiden is taken "down " planet side. All securety measures stay in place for now. Its not that Haxtes dont trust them , he just cant make him self trust them.

Life has taught you well, my distrustful apprentice! Do I understand you correctly if you stick the girl back into her stasis-capsule and send her back down to the surface of Corax Secundus? But do you actually send her or do you hide her on baord and send down the slave girl in her place? --- +Thank you.+ That's a first. An Inquisitor saying 'thank you', even when it's just being polite... +The girl is a much more potent psyker than the Malleus thinks. Her gifts are much as he describes them, but they are at least two orders of magntitude greater than what his instruments are able to measure.+ +Her powers are, however, non-standard. Oregis is used to dealing with men and daemons, but her gifts run towards the alien... ...simply put she is not quite as human the gene-scans would have her. I am not saying she is a xenos - what I am saying is that her soul touches upon the warp in a fashion unlike the vast majority of psykers.+

We follow the plan, goes down and returns in stasis. That's a first. An Inquisitor saying 'thank you', even when it's just being polite... - nope; the cretin wants something, then they are know for saying and doing what it takes to get it even sinking as low as to be polite. +Thank you for that information, I will be sure to pass it on word for word to my mistress the next time I stand inn her presence+

+I hope I will have the chance to meet this Mistress of yours and discus the situation with her. I plan of staying a while in the Calixis sector. The local Ordo Xenos has need of my particular skills it would seem. Same as Scarus Sector has need of one Soldevan of the Calixian conclave.+ +If all goes well I may even have the opportunity to attend her ceremony of recognition. I was told that the Conclave has recently decided to elevate her to Inquisitor rank. A grand and solemn moment indeed.+ +In the meantime you would do well to continue your vigilance. The Eldar have, as you may have gathered, marked this girl as one of their own lost brethren. She is an 'old soul' to them - an Eldar hero of old, reborn. Unfortunately reborn into a human body. We have had a few such incidents in Scarus...and I have come to believe we are only scratching the surface of the problem. That is not to say that the Eldar are correct. But they believe they are, and that is all that matters to them.+ +Goodbye Interrogator Haxtes. May the God-Emperor shield your soul and steady you hands.+

+I will inform my mistress of your desire to meet her and have discussions with her regarding this. I live in faith that my mistress will appreciate the great honor she is receiving from the God-Emperor and her own peers in the Most Holy Ordos.+ +What the Xeno scum believe is of no matter; if they come for her Emperor willing I will kill them, others come for her it's the same - they die. I will take your advice and keep vigilant.+ +Goodbye Inquisitor, may the Emperor keep his light on you at all times. The Emperor protects.+

Ravenor's coffin floats away. Oregis approaches: "I still think my colleague, the esteemed Inquisitor Ahmazzi, erred on the side of leniency when he did not seize the girl on Sepheris. But his judgment will not be called into question. I will present my findings to the Conclave, but I cannot see that it will act upon them. If there is a reaction it might constitute a grant of additional security assets or some such. Good day Interrogator Guilliman."

"Good day to you, Inquisitor"

Lord Inquisitor Skane: "The Cabal will be as satisfied as can be - some will grumble, but the fact remains; the girl may have a certain significance - but she dos not directly relate to the Cabal's agenda..." She ponders for a moment, then continues: "When you hunt for something as elusive and dangerous as we do you are bound to catch things that aren't really your primary prey. Then you have to decide; do I top to examine this new animal I've just brought down, or do I leave and continue my hunt? We must do both. We cannot deviate, yet we must also examine everything, lest some clue of our real prey elude us." "But enough of that. The Conclave has agreed to your demands. Xerza will be made an Inquisitor and the Haegum turned over to her. It won't make her or Tancred's little project any more popular - but then again, you're not trying to win a pageant, are you? I'm also naming you Interrogator by authority of Lord Caidin - just in case Xerza is displeased with your performance. Xerza must drag her ass back to the Tricorn and present herself to the Concave for her promotion to take effect and Globus to be relieved as steward."

"If the cabal is happy then I.m sure the Throne is happy. The hunt is ever on - only the prey differs. I will drop you off where you need to go. Then I'll go and inform Inquisitor Xerza of her elevation, and my betrayal of her orders. She will accept her promotion with happiness in time - but will understandably be sad to learn that she will not win the pageant. " "Thank you for the promotion, the fruits of hard work and dedication is always nice to receive."

"Indeed. And you are such an eager and dedicated man Haxtes. It is good that the God-Emperor didn't make you two meters tall - or you would have been completely insufferable." "If you do not mind I will have a signal sent to a stand-by vessel and have it meet us here. If you prefer you can dump us on the planet and leave before the ship arrives."

"He did nearly make me 2 meters tall, but that is a different story. I hardly think I can be more insufferable, but I will work on it." "Do feel free to signal your vessel, I'll have a shuttle send you over."

A psychic signal is transmitted. Ravenor is no astropath, so he can't communicate across the great void, but he can apparently manage to send a simple signal (no doubt boosted by all sorts of psi-tech hidden inside his coffin). It will take their ship some time to reach you, so that means you have some time to kill. Let me know if you want to do anything special. --- Haxtes manages to catch up with Jax. He learns that the Maiden was trailed by what Jax thinks was Eldar vessels on at least two occasions. But the Maiden is fast and clever and was able to evade on both counts. "The last time we were not that lucky: A trio of eldar raiders caught us short of the Vaxanide jump threshold - we were forced to go there for supplies and maintenance - and things looked grim. We were surprised that the Eldar didn't take us down outright - instead they tried intimidating us. It suddenly dawned on me why we were attacked on those previous occasions; they were merely stalking us, hounding us while they called up reinforcements. Their intent was boarding."

Haxtes will be very careful until they are of the ship, keeping a eye on hes guests.

The honored servants of the God-Emperor finally leaves the Maiden and departs in their own vessel. You are safe for now (comparatively speaking of course).

Time too go to the mistress and inform her of her new title ( and Haxtes promotion for betraying her ) hope she gets mad, a mad Xerza is.... interesting.

A mad INQUISITOR Xerza mind you. Answerable only to the God-Emperor himself (in theory at least). You sure this was a good idea? :-) You should make it back to an Imperial world with a functioning astropathic choir. Send out word to the Haegum network and have it update you - you've been out of touch for a while and you need to be briefed on events - and Xerza's current location. Baring any more Eldar attacks that is...

You sure this was a good idea? :-)- >If Haxtes only did smart things he might have considered an other career and not be here now would he ? Then we set a course for a imperial planet and make contact.

Perfectly valid point: There are few careers more likely to get your into really nasty trouble... Sepheris Secundus is the closest major world. And it's a place of fond memories - and you have a few contacts there. So why not.

Sounds good, Haxtes gets hes dear brother to make speed for Sepheris Secundus. After he dines with hes brother to get a update on the maiden and her dealings when Haxtes has been busy with Imperial maters.

Jax gives you as detailed a report as you want (the wicked ways of the Inquisition seems to have gotten into you head - you're getting more and more focused on the little details ;-) Most of the stuff he tells you isn't important in this context - but you file it away anyway for processing by Haegum savants. The important bit is about the girl Eisha and the Eldar's interrest in her. As previously stated thet have been trailing the Maiden for quite some time, and only the valiant efforts of the Lord Governor of Vaxanide and something called 'the Deathwatch' saved the vessel when the xenos ambushed her inside that system. Jax doesn't know WHY they are looking for her, but everything makes sense (to him at least): From the eldar presence on Baraspine to their later activities. So he'd very much like for the girl to be gone from his ship thank you...he's finding it hard to be a rogue trader and servant of the Holy Ordos while being chased by xenos :-)

" Oh my dear brother pray tell me whom said that life is easy ?.. But we will be out of your hair soon, as soon as I know where my mistress is you can bring us there and we will part ways for now "

Jax: "Mistress Xerza is, as far as I know, still on Quaddis where we left her many months ago. I've had no messages indicating otherwise. On the other hand, unless she has need of my service I don't think she would bother to inform me." He smiles at his own joke. "Our resident astropath is only grade three and no Inquisition sanctioned, but I can use him to relay a message through the Sepherian choir if you'd like. Send out some commercial messages with embedded codes for Haegum agents. Not sure if it would gain us anything, but I could try."

" Yes do that for now, Our agent will answer or the mistress will"

Two weeks later you get a reply. It's a copy of message, six weeks old by now, from a Haegum astropath - Gilgaed - stationed on Malfi to headquarters on Baraspine. He's had some sort of permonition and/or call from Messinus, your head astropath (who is with Xerza). There has been trouble. Xerza has disappeared, the team scattered or elminiated and Messinus is on the run. Assistance required. Gilgaed has forwarded the message then confirmed assistance request. Agents Jeb and Parsifal responding. Seeing those two names on the transcript Haxtes is sure this will not be easy...

The maiden makes speed for last known contact, Haxtes sends a msg to Maximilian to meet them there: code choir rising.

The Maiden leaves orbit around Sepheris Secundus, weaving her way between massive macrohaulers before boosting outsystem. Destination: The paradise world Quaddis, the playground of the rich and mighty. A vessel like the Maiden, running all out and pushing the jump limit could make it in less than a week. It's not far.

You enter warp space just outside the bloated blue-purple form of Sepheris Quartus and it's complex ting system. It is a most fortunate time to leave the system - when you arrive the warp was filled with turbulence, now an unusual dead calm approaches. But you get out ahead of it and experience slow, but steady progress towards Quaddis. Jax suggests, for the safety of the ship and everyone on board: Shooting the girl. Putting her back in stasis. or if that's not possible, leave her on Quaddis (or some other world of your choice).

" Stasis is possible if she wants to take a nap dear brother, shooting seems a bit extreme, but if you insist I`l start shooting from the top on down"

Jax: "Well, maybe shooting is extreme, but it's preferable to everyone getting shot by xenos! I don't know if stasis will work...they probably know the ship too well by now. We're all doomed!" He pours you some amasec. "What I was getting at was that I think the girl should be kept out of the hands of the xenos. If for no other reason that they want her. Filthy creatures."

" Keep her out of there hands then with your ship and your life, thats the best idea you have had your whole life, it even shows backbone and that becomes you brother dear"

Jax, sighing: "Well, the crew would probably have taken offense. Even though she keeps most to herself they seem to have taken a liking to her. I hear they call her 'the Maiden of Golgenna' these days. I've tried explaining that it's the name of the SHIP, but alas, they are dimwitted the lot of them."

" Special ship and special girl are you not lucky to have both with you on your travels?"

"Indeed. Fits nicely along with a very special brother, a special secret master, and so forth. It's been a few very intense years - and I'm guessing the years to come will bring more of the same. The curse of living in interresting times. Good day Interrogator, I shall go see to the bridge. We should be coming out of warp soon, and I've like to be there when we're hailed by Quaddis System Authority."

Jax, looking a bit embarrased: "One more thing. I may have gone and done something stupid, heretical even...in the Vaxanide system, when we were ambushed...had it not been for the aid of local ships and this 'Deathwatch' they would have had us. Well, the Eldar was chased away - and then we were hailed. One Inquisitor Renthor hailed us and demanded to inspect the ship. I tried to worm my way out of it, but he had an Astartes ship backing him up. So we greeted him in the bay. I put on my best Interrogator Haxtes show - knowing that the Warrant would not hold him at bay I felt I had no choice. Impersonating the Holy Ordos is a heresy, or so I hear. He tried outranking me, but I deflected his attempts, by refering to Xerza and her standing with the Conclave at the moment. He folded quickly after that - claimed to have been away on Inquisiton affairs down in Finial sector, didn't know about current affairs, yada yada. Got him off the ship and that was that. I did a little checking around after that. Turns out he was an Interrogator under Rykehuss - your dead Inquisitor from the mines of Sepheris Secundus. Might have gone a bit differently if that Marine Chaplain that accompanied the Inquisitor had called my bluff. He spoke to me briefly as they were leaving: "Send the regards of the Green Knights to you Master. Chaplain Ivanov says this."

Your brother has of course impersonated you before - but not by lying to an Inquisitor. There is a difference...for those that think such things matter.

I`m sure the throne will forgive him, come to think of it the representative of the throne Haxtes forgives him :-)