Upper Spire of Hive Sibellus two months following the failed assassination/capture of Magos Caerivus

Inquisitor Sand sat in the private open air booth looking out at the layer of greyish white clouds below. Even this high, the pollution was starting to have its toll and it would not be long before even these clouds were permanently black and foul smelling. The booth was elegant and richly decorated, as was expected from an establishment that catered to the rich and elite. The rose-colored marble surfaced table with rare Teek chairs, small finely-crafted reliefs of various Imperial iconography and a richly colorful painting depicting Saint Drusus marching in victory amongst a cheering crowd of millions following the pacification of the Calixis Sector were just some of the expensive decorations that pleasured the eyes. Sand took another sip from his glass of wine as his visitor entered the booth and took a seat.

“I see you’re drinking Golden Tokay,” Inquisitor Srax-Rhame said nodding with approval at the bottle of Quaddis-made vintage sitting on Sand’s table. “You know that it’s said that some vintages from Quaddis are so perfect that their mere taste…”

“Is enough to kill a man with pleasure" Sand cut off Srax-Rhame by finishing the saying. “Yes, yes, we’ve all heard that by now and its getting a little old.”

“Just cause the saying is old doesn’t mean it’s not true,” Srax-Rhame replied as he pored himself a glass of the vintage.

Nearby, his bodyguard, the Moritat assassin Esme Blackheart, stepped back toward the booth’s wall and almost seemed to blend in inconspicuously with the surroundings. A technique used no doubt to avoid detection but still be within range to defend her master. A dark-colored armored bodyglove covered her small lithe body and from her matching mask, her black eyes studied Sand’s bodyguard, Red, whose appearance and stance was in direct contrast to Esme. The massive armored Crusader made no attempt to hide out of sight, but prominently stood near his master to defend him if necessary.

“I heard the assassination of Caerivus was a failure. My sources tell me your Interrogator, Quint, was on scene but he allowed Caerivus to escape.” Srax-Rhame cocked an eyebrow, “Is this true?”

“Your sources are correct. Caerivus did escape, with the assistance of Quint and some of my acolytes but they were able to recover some of Redole’s lost research, as well as find out what Caerivus is doing for the Logicians.”

“Gramen, I can’t help but voice my disappointment. You and I both know the danger that the Logicians pose. Whatever intentions they have with Redole’s research will not have the Imperium’s best interests in mind. And to allow a traitor, a heretic like Caerivus, with access to Inquisition secrets go free is unacceptable. How many do we now have to silence because of Caerivus’ operation on Spectoris? How many has he involved- these mercenaries that he hired- the Steel Savages? The Organicists from the Adeptus Mechanicus?”

“The Steel Savages are not a concern. I have credible information from my sources that their operation with Caerivus and the ensuing firefight they had with the Organicist forces sent to intercept Caerivus’ salvage operation has sealed their fate. The Organicists don’t know what, if anything, was brought up from Redole’s underwater lab but they do know that Captain Liam and his Steel Savages were responsible for defying their authority and that alone will ensure their termination and cease their operations on Spectoris.”

“That may be true, but regardless, I have sent resources to deal with any surviving Steel Savages and to pick up Caerivus’ trail- a trail that should have ended with the hands of your men strangling the life out of that traitor.”

“Quint chose a proper course of action given the circumstances. Caerivus is alive yes, but now we have an opportunity- an avenue of investigation that until now has been closed for some time. How long has it been since we’ve had a potential path to an Iron Techtrarch? Ten, twenty, years? Aren’t you tired of eating little fish in the pond Srax-Rhame?”

Srax-Rhame did not immediately reply but took a drink from his glass and pondered as he enjoyed the taste of the wine. “You know, my sources also tell me that your man Quint is a Logician agent- a double agent like Caerivus.”

“He is indeed, but this was done with my approval to work towards my…our goals.”

“I’m sure by now, Caerivus has told his superiors of Quint’s allegiance to the Inquisition.”

“Let him. They may think that Quint is a traitor to their organization or perhaps they may think they have someone they can exploit in ours. In any case, I will have Quint take precautions. He understands the danger and has accepted the potential consequences.”

“Has he now? There are not many outside of the Ecclessiarchy and the Adeptus Astartes so eager to throw their lives to the winds of fate.”

Sand did not respond immediately, but stared at a passing cherub flying past spraying a pleasant-scented fragrance from a dangling incense orb. “All of us choose to make sacrifices of a sort for what we believe in” he said momentarily lost in thought.

Srax-Rhame continued, “So the specimen recovered from Redole’s lab, it’s like the others we know of?”

“My preliminary research of the documents recovered by my team and their descriptions of the specimen appear to indicate yes.”

“And now they have another specimen. That makes at least two that we know of in their possession. We have only been able to retrieve the one after all these years. Speaking of our specimen, what has your and Faust’s research on it uncovered?”

Sand again did not respond immediately but drank the last of the wine in his glass.

• GM’s Note: This mission was ran with modifications from “The Eternal Tide" adventure by Andrea Gausman. It can be found on the Fantasy Flight Games website “here”