The holy Inquisitorial palace of Thracian Primaris was about as bleak as the planet it rested on. Its vast towers and spikes that protruded from its walls had a very intimidating aire about them and made the structure seem ancient and looming. Its black walls and the many holy markings and rosettes that lined them further gave the place a dark feel.

The interior was no much better. Even now as I stood in the office of one of the Inquisitions highest officials the large, dark walls and overhanging roof with its moody mural invoked a sense of claustrophobia in me and with it, a feeling of fear. It was the first time I had met the High lord of the Ordo Xenos and the environment of the palace was doing nothing to help my nerves.

I stood there, with Endor at my side and Hasaphant proudly standing in front of us watching Lord Rorken as he descended from his rather eccentric looking throne centred in the middle of his office.

"Ahh Hasaphant my old friend!" He exclaimed, raising his hands high in the air in some gesture of praise.

"It is good to see you my lord." He replied courteously, taking a bow.

"Please, please. There is no need for such formalities here." Rorken dismissed the gesture with a wave of his hand.

"I see you have brought your two pupils along with you, as requested."

"Of course Lord Rorken. These are Junior Interrogators Endor and Eisenhorn. I must say they have been quite apprehensive of this meeting."

"Really?" Rorken queried rhetorically.

"Tell me interrogators, has your master revealed to you the purpose of this audience?"

"No sir." I and Endor replied, in unison.

"Well, I suppose it is down to me then? You have been summoned before me today at your master's request. It's his personal opinion that you both are ready to attain the titles, rank and responsibilities of fully fledged Inquisitors."

I was dumbfounded. I had known that my promotion to Inquisitor status was not long in coming for a while, however the suddenness of this news robbed me of speech.

Noticing our shock, Rorken continued.

"However as you know this promotion is ultimately down to myself. As head of the Ordo the final decision is down to me."

Hasaphant looked on at us smiling. This explained the secrecy then. He'd always been a sly old dog.

"And after relaying and cross-checking all your files and mission reports under Hasaphant, and considering the many long years of training he has given you, it would be my honour to except you into this Ordo."

My heart skipped a beat.

"But. . ."

It sank again.

". . . Under the advisement of my fellow colleagues and peers, I have been told to grant you this honour only after one final test and achievement has been accomplished by both of you."

He proceeded to dig around in his robe pocket. His hand pulled out two dataslates and handed them to us.

"I believe you both have a lack of field experience still. This is why I have delegated you this small matter that has come to the Ordos attention."

I pressed the scrolling rune on the dataslate, speed reading its contents.

"We are to be travelling to Gossamire?" Endor enquired.

"Yes. We sent Inquisitor Stavley there several months ago. A simple matter that required the Inquisitions attention. Several strange energy read outs and signals had been detected by the Small Imperial outpost there. He was to investigate." Rorken revealed.

"So why are we to go there?" I asked. This was all very strange and unorthodox. Why send two junior Interrogators to some rimward system like Gossamire? It was remote, out of the way, I couldn't imagine anything even remotely worthy of the attention of the Inquisition there, and Lord Rorkens synopsis of the situation was a little vague.

I tried to read Hasaphants reaction, but he simply looked on at the exchange, unphased.

Rorken turned to me. "We haven't had a report off him since he left. You both are to investigate."

"That seems like nothing unusual sir. Quite often Inquisitors operate solo for many months without informing the main body of the Inquisition." I continued to probe.

Rorken seemed to ponder this for quite some time. He then simply replied.

"There are some things that cannot be taught Eisenhorn. Go to Hubris, Investigate these events and. . ." He paused. "Expect the un-expected."

It seemed a rather mysterious reply. Things didn't add up, but I was in no position to further probe and question a Lord Inquisitors orders. I hoped Hasaphant would make things more clear.

"We will undertake this task with the utmost speed and dedication my lord." Endor stated.

"Excellent!" Rorken proclaimed, clapping his hands together enthusiastically.

"I'm sure you will not fail." He smiled the smile of a man who knows more than he's telling.

"Now if you would excuse me and your master. There are things that need to be discussed."

"Of course sir." I said as I turned and exited the room, Endor close behind me. I turned to face him outside, he gave me a quizzical look that told me he to felt that information was being kept from us.

"Is it just me or do things not add up?" I asked him.

"Of course they don't Gregor. From what I've heard Inquisitor Stavely's a staunchly Radical bastard at the best of times. It's not unlike their type to not be heard by the Ordo for many a month."

" True. . ." I agreed half-heartedly. "But something's not right with it, and Rorken knows it."

"He just won't tell us what." Endor deduced.

"There's only one way to find out."

"Off to Gossamire it is then." He said in the sort of tone that betrayed his obvious loathsomeness for the place.