--- An hour previously ---
The room had once been a chapel, as was hinted by the high vaulted ceiling and exquisitely stern imagery of the God-Emperor’s sons. Now it seemed more like a hunting lodge, with hardwood furnishings and a push carpet along the floor. Several dozen xenos artifacts, undoubtedly trophy-relics of a long career, decorated the interior on plinths or behind stasis fields. More than a few actually were xenos, stuffed and mounted on the walls. The space was commanded by a large wooden desk and high-backed leather chair, both of which were surrounded by faintly glowing cogitator screens.
“Lord Sidonis.” Sapphira addressed the figure behind the desk, with a differential curtsey. Lord Inquisitor Immanuel Sidonis was the most dangerous individual she had ever met. His unassuming and weathered features did not betray that fact. With silvered hair and short beard, Sidonis appeared more like a scholar with his spectacles, perched as he was behind a large tome. The small rosette of a senior Inquisitor, which was pinned to the lapel of his elegant smoking jacket, was enough to dispel that false illusion.
“Sister Sapphira. Please, take a seat.” Sidonis acknowledged her with a nod, and gestured invitingly. “While you were on Venatora, I commissioned Archmagos Brunswick as my new primary explicator.” The Inquisitor arched a knowing eyebrow as Sapphira sat down. “No doubt you would approve of Nathaniel’s replacement.”
“Not that you need my approval, or explain where you were.” Sapphira politely differed, before she answered with a slight nod. “But I do, my lord.”
“Wonderful.” Sidonis replied, and looked at her expectantly. “Now, Sister, I believe you have a report for me.”
“Yes, my lord.” Sapphira answered, and handed her file over to Sidonis. “My summary; which includes the purity checks on assets Kally Sonder, Marcus Black, Kelly Black, and Vincent Nyl. I have uploaded the complete file, as well as my full report on the Venatora incident, into your personal data archive.”
“You found them to be pure,” Sidonis immediately noted, with a mild frown and note of surprise, “even though most of them had primary exposure to Subject Omega-Omicron?” The Inquisitor glanced up at her over his spectacles. “Sister Sapphira, you are aware of what Lucius Pembroke was by then end?”
“That I am, Lord Sidonis, at least so far as I can accept and understand such a profane concept.” Sapphira reflexively made the aquila as she spoke. “But no, after several months of close examination I found no evidence of taint. The non-purity concerns I do have about Kally, Marcus, Kelly, and Vincent have been individually noted in the sections beneath. While some have issues that are more worrisome than others, overall I have no doubt they will be capable agents.” Sapphira frowned contemplatively. “And perhaps some of them will rise even further.”
“I see.” He intoned heavily, and leaned back in his chair. Sidonis studied the Sister appraisingly, with fingers pressed together in a steeple as he posed a question. “Has your objectivity about the Makita survivors been compromised?”
“Absolutely not!” She snapped quickly, with an almost offended expression. That look quickly vanished as Sidonis neutrally stared at her, silent and unmoving. Sapphira fidgeted uncomfortably as she bowed her head and promptly offered an apology. “Lord Sidonis, please forgive my tone and my continued impertinence. But I must ask you, is my work not to your satisfaction?”
“My opinion is quite the opposite, Sister. You know I had to inquire.” Sidonis replied, and shifted so he could continue to read the document. “I see you have assessed the other agents on the Venatora mission. That was not part of your assignment.”
“No, my lord, it was not.” Sapphira acknowledged, and glanced back up at the Inquisitor. “However, I am obligated to act and report on concerns as necessary. I take my responsibilities as a Sororita and Inquisitorial asset very seriously.”
“That diligence is precisely why I chose you, Sister Sapphira, and you have not disappointed me in the slightest.” Sidonis archly replied as he then continued to read on. One of the Inquisitor’s brows raised slowly as his eyes narrowed fractionally. “Although I am surprised you included a self-assessment…where you indicate possible exposure to the ruinous powers?” Sidonis folded his arms over the report and leaned in, with a curious expression on his wizened face. “Well that’s no good. Would you care to elaborate further?”
“I should have died on Venatora, my lord. The final replicant had me dead to rights, a headshot.” Sapphira recalled, and her posture and affect immediately became very tired. There was a notable strain in her voice. “The sain-” She winced and corrected herself. “Pardon, rather, my servo skull interceded and took the fatal shot for me. He…I mean it, was destroyed and I was wounded yet mission capable. After the immediate threats had been dealt with, Agent Nyl…informed me that he knew the truth of my attendant. I investigated his allegations, and I found evidence that corroborates his story.” Sapphira paused as she struggled to manage the words, as Sidonis patiently waited with the same curious expression. “Saint Lehner was a real Guardsman, whom Vincent Nyl did serve with, that has never officially beatified. Inquisitor Rask was unable to conclusively determine the source of his supposed miracle. Although there was definite residual taint aboard the Governor Seydlitz, as the Inquisitor had to euthanize over a hundred and fifty passengers and crew.”
“My esteemed colleague had the compromised executed, as is proper and as you have noted.” The Inquisitor replied, as he removed his spectacles and placed them on the desk. Sidonis interlocked his fingers and directly regarded her. “Sister Sapphira, did you believe that your assistant-familiar was an Imperial saint, graced by the God-Emperor’s divinity to aid His soldiers in their time of need?”
“Yes, my lord. I genuinely believed.” Sapphira quietly responded, with palpable shame for that fact.
“You are hardly alone in that regard, Sister.” Sidonis rationalized, and started to illustrate his point. “First his regiment, then the planets they helped liberate, followed by the planets their veterans settle on. Factor in decades of trade between those planets and the wider Imperium? Potentially billions of faithful have been exposed to his miracle.” Sidonis nodded knowingly, and continued his impromptu lecture. “Faith is no abstract concept. Faith is tangible. Faith is power. You believed in corporal Lehner’s divinity, and only the God-Emperor alone knows how many others do. Whether or not your familiar was the real Nicolas Lehner, I cannot say. But the fact you believed that it was Saint Lehner?” Sidonis reclined back and contemplatively stroked his beard. “Perhaps that genuine belief made it a conduit for a genuine miracle to happen, regardless of what the original truly may or may not have been. How interesting.”
“I-” Sapphira started, quite uncertain of how to process the Inquisitor’s words. “I have no idea what to say to that, my lord.”
“I suggest you thank the God-Emperor, and all His saints, for your good fortune to still be here.” Sidonis concluded, with a definitive edge, as he leaned over to squint at one of the cogitator screens. “Now, Sister Sapphira, you look like a woman in desperate need of need productive work.” Sidonis picked up a stylus and wrote onto a notepad. “Alia is forming a retinue at my direction, and I do believe that you could be of use there.”
“I am ready to serve, Lord Sidonis.” Sapphira affirmed with an intent nod, as she stood and accepted the slip of vellum. The Inquisitor gave her an encouraging pat on the hand and smile as he did so. Still unable to find her words, Sapphira could only nod her appreciation and thanks to him.
“Most excellent. Go with the God-Emperor, Sister Sapphira.” Sidonis offered his benediction, and watched the Sister depart from his office. His warm smile dropped away once the thick oak door closed. Lord Inquisitor Immanuel Sidonis picked up the Sister’s report, and crumpled it in his fists with a deep scowl of frustrated annoyance.
--- Presently ---
Sapphira froze momentarily in the conference room threshold, quite surprised with what she saw. The Sister had expected Interrogator Machairi and a collection of her chosen agents, but not the Venatora mission team. It had been months since she had seen most of them in anything more than passing or at a distance, and yet here they all were; Kally, Vincent, Remus, Kelly, Marcus, Lia, and Adept Vizkop. Everyone was present except Doctor L’Hoace, and of course John Shere. Sapphira blinked and rallied from the unanticipated circumstances to make her introduction.
“Interrogator Machairi,” Sapphira addressed the regal woman at the head of the table with a respectful nod. “Lord Sidonis has assigned me to your team, if you would have me.”
"I would, Sister Sapphira." Machairi answered, linking her thumbs across her chest and signing the aquila towards the grey-clad sister before letting her hands fall to rest on the table.
Sapphira returned the gesture, and kept it as she nodded respectfully to the confessor by the Interrogator’s side. She offered a polite smile to everyone else and promptly took a seat as the Interrogator began her briefing. For the most part Sapphira was content to quietly soak in the details and review the information packet. The Sister could not quite hide her disapproval when she heard Machairi’s subtle contempt for Schafer. Javid had spoken ill of his opposite in her presence, and Sapphira had been just as disapproving of him in those moments.
After the confessor spoke, Sapphira finally interjected. “To build off that last point, the two of us will attract attention. While that could be a valuable asset in Illyrium or the Enclave, out in the Uru axis it could be a dangerous liability.” Sapphira said, and gestured to the unsubtle tattoo on her face. “The axis is also divided between the Solar and Sept. While both are violently resistant to the Imperial Creed, it’s also plausible there could be sectarian violence in the region as well.”
Bookmarks