The golden hour approaches in the Deep Desert. The arid desert stretches in all directions but one, where the imposing Magistrate's Keep stretches deep into the orange-red sky. Beyond this, the city of Al Raqis - it's ornate towers reaching up from the horizon like claws. I look out into the hazy vista from a cave up in the mountains. Jasmine Moonshade, First Adherent of the Jadeist Congregation, hands me binoculars and through the eye pieces she points out buildings of interest. The Court. The Sinisterhood. Further east, a steady stream of starships, she describes them as akin to fireflies at dusk, bring with them goods and passengers from a thousand different worlds to the port of Splintered Rock.
Jasmine is still young and excitable and speaks with such exuberance. She wants to tell me everything and so quickly - she jumps from description to description barely pausing for breath. Her hair is dark, dyed from it's natural white and her skintone is more like the Araxians. I later found out she underwent several painful procedures to maintain this temporary pigmentation change - but she looks radiant. However the suns will still burn her albino skin and even now, I can see the rashes forming on her arms and face.
For months members of Jasmine's inner circle have been in Al Raqis. Learning the lay of the land. Forming relationships. Even Jasmine herself - she masquerades as a wandering minstrel, frequenting the bar and the city streets. She tells me she has taken the name of Thea Dherent (she enjoyed the word play) and plays the lute so naturally, as she demonstrates after our meal. Her voice was so clear and sweet. She was never the same after her voice was damaged but oh, what a joy it was to hear her back then.
She tells me that she has been identifying her "rogues gallery" - the great, the powerful, the just and the easily corrupted. Plebians are largely invisible in Al Raqis, she tells me, which suits our purpose of surveillance. And so surveil we did, undetected and invisible through their own hubris. We are like the Trojan Horse, she says, they spend so much time looking at the stars for threats, they will never see us coming. I sense regret in her young voice - she is conflicted between her belief to our cause and the eye-opening possibilities of life outside the Congregation.
Days later, we sit outside the Magistrates's Court. We are on the roof of the housing unit across the courtyard. We have been joined by Taryn, a prominent member of Jasmine's inner circle and Desert Born outcast. This is the powerbase of Magistrate Joan Al Jofar, she explains spitting the words venomously, that Al Jofar is the ruler of her Great House and de-facto ruler of Al Raqis. We understand that the Landsraat will convene this evening and the major players will be in force. Taryn points out various individuals, all major figures on Araxes. Two Orion's. One is Auryn Sapuer, the Orion Advocate. The other is Barbosa. They were recently engaged in a power struggle. Sapuer won out. They seem to exchange harsh words and Barbosa leaves. Both marked for continued surveillance.
Next up is the Desert Born leader, Reiko. Fierce but fair - and no great friend of the Imperium. Taryn clearly admired the Desert Born, naturally as they were her own kind. Potential ally, suggests Taryn. Jasmine isn't so sure.
Ariadne follows. Jasmine has already identified the Reverend Mother as a potential threat. Jasmine thinks the Sinisterhood may be responsible in some way for Jade's murder but Taryn disagrees. Jasmine insists that a Jade Rabbit be sent "when the time is right". I question what that means but the arrival of Lily halts my progress. This strange creature seems overly friendly and approaches everyone she sees. For a moment, I'm sure she stares right at us but continues energetically into the court. (I understand that Lily would eventually spot Jasmine on a later incursion, mistaking the Adherent for Musaii Moonkill)
Jasmine wants to go in. Taryn advises against it. Too much of a risk. Jasmine responds that there is no risk - the Congregation are still unknown to all but the Desert Born who are unlikely to identify or even suspect Inspirtu activity outside of Evangeline province. No, Jasmine decides - if Calina Tereshenko is in there, she wants to see her. Jasmine and Taryn argue - there is a time and place for that. Taryn eventually wins out - Jasmine is still young and pliable and has not yet developed the hardness that will characterise her reign. Regardless, Taryn tell us she has secured plans of the court building and secured the key code to enter the Magistrate's office from a Jadeist sympathiser who cleans the building. We agree that outing the Magistrate as a potential suspect in Jade Moonkill's murder will ignite revolution.
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