After reviewing the available intelligence, Grey couldn't yet draw a direct connection to the Inquisition. However, both he and Anruida shared the same suspicion, whether or not there was concrete evidence, this had Inquisition written all over it.
This all traced back to an event from a standard Talon year ago.
As the Talon System rapidly developed, a rogue trader had arrived to do business. Word of Talon's prosperity soon spread, attracting more and more rogue traders looking to profit.
If one could transport Ogryns or other much-needed resources into the system, they could trade them for an equivalent value in power armor.
Naturally, this drew the attention of the Ordo Hereticus.
Now, a cruiser from the Inquisition loomed at the Mandeville Point of the Talon System. Though a nearby void bastion and Admiral Adam's fleet had intercepted it, preventing direct entry, it didn't mean the Inquisition couldn't find other ways to conduct their investigation.
"They probably infiltrated as crew members aboard passing ships," Anruida muttered, nudging a corpse with his boot. "Talon isn't fully self-sufficient. Our resource demands are enormous. Merchant vessels from neighboring systems dock regularly to offload cargo, which creates opportunities for infiltrators to slip through."
"Sounds plausible," Grey nodded in agreement.
Not long ago, Qin Mo had sent a ship to establish contact with Talon's neighboring system. It turned out to be an unlucky star system, thirteen planets, but only one barely habitable. Strangely enough, despite its harsh conditions, the system produced vast amounts of starch, feeding countless Imperial subjects in the region.
"But why go through all this trouble just to kidnap a single recruit?" Grey frowned, his expression hidden beneath his helmet.
Anruida remained silent for a long moment, considering the possibilities before finally offering a plausible theory.
"If I remember correctly, theDepartmento Munitorumhas a standing order. Any individual found harboring a known Warp-tainted entity, an unsanctioned psyker, a witch, or a mutant, and any soldier who fails to report such an incident, shall be publicly flogged, have their eyes gouged out, and be hanged."
He let the words hang in the air before adding, "And the planetary governor's 'miraculous' abilities, lightning, fire, all that, have long been the talk of the system... We never reported the governor's powers to the Munitorum. If the Inquisition or some other faction wanted to dig into him, grabbing a recruit for interrogation would be an excellent place to start."
Grey listened carefully. His first instinct was skepticism, but after a moment of thought, he had to admit, it made sense.
"Let's report this," Anruida said. "Send everything we know, including our deductions."
"I agree," Grey nodded.
Mandeville Point, Talon System
Aboard the Inquisitorial vessel, twoInquisitorssat at a long table within the bridge, reviewing the extensive files on the Talon System.
The ship had remained at the Mandeville Point for weeks now, locked in a silent stalemate against the orbital defenses of Talon, its void bastions bristling with macrocannons and lance batteries. Even here, at the system's edge, the latent energy of the anomalous weaponry flickered like distant storm clouds, an ever-present reminder of why they had come.
They only looked up when the doors to the strategium hissed opened, their gazes locking onto the figure stepping inside.
Technically, they weren't colleagues. Even the two seated Inquisitors weren't exactly allies, each belonged to one of the three major Ordos of the Inquisition.
Ordo Hereticus,formally known as the Order of the Hammer, tasked with purging heresy and witchcraft. They command the Sisters of Battle and specialize in rooting out treachery within the Imperium itself.
Ordo Xenos,the Order of the Outward Shield, dedicated to combating alien threats and monitoring Imperial contact with non-human species.
Ordo Malleus,the Order of the Sacred Hammer, focused on eradicating demonic corruption.
All three of them were stillInterrogators, effectively acolytes in the Inquisition's hierarchy, lacking the authority to command military forces. Otherwise, they wouldn't be stuck at the Mandeville Point, blocked by Talon's defenses, they would've already launched an assault, leading Adeptus Astartes, Grey Knights, and Sisters of Battle into war.
Instead, they were left to scheme in the shadows.
"How did your little plan go?"
"I should clarify, I don't care," one of them said dryly. "But since we're currently 'collaborators,' Rena, I have the right to be informed as a neutral observer. Consider it a professional courtesy."
The two seated Inquisitors turned their attention to Rena, the woman who had just entered.
Rena didn't answer immediately. She first walked over to the table, propped her feet up, and leaned back in her chair, taking a moment to rest.
Only after a brief silence did she finally speak.
"It failed," she admitted, her tone tinged with frustration. "I spent months sneaking a thousand operatives into the Underhive, and now they're all dead. Probably all dead, anyway. I wasn't able to confirm, but I do know that when I last spoke to that fool Sael, he was in the middle of being slaughtered by Talon's elite guards."
To the other two Inquisitors, this wasn't entirely bad news.
"You know what I love most about your Ordo Hereticus?" one of them remarked, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Your honesty."
"Frankly, it's good that you failed," the other added. "If you had succeeded, we'd already be at war."
Rena shot them a glare, annoyance flashing in her eyes. She wasn't about to waste energy arguing, though, instead, she focused on analyzing the situation.
Ever since they'd arrived to investigate the anomalies in the Talon System, these two had been nothing but deadweight. They spent their time gathering information while constantly undercutting and ridiculing her efforts.
But Rena didn't think they were fools. There were no fools in the Inquisition. It was more likely that these two represented competing factions within the Inquisition, or even within the Imperium itself, each holding differing opinions on Talon's status.
The three major Ordos were fragmented into countless minor factions, each with their own agendas.
Rena could even imagine what was happening on Holy Terra right now. Somewhere, in a shadowed chamber of marble and gold, powerful figures were locked in intense debate, vying to dictate the Imperium's official stance on the Talon System. Once a victor emerged, that faction would send their Inquisitorial representatives, backed by the authority of the High Lords and the Ecclesiarchy, to enforce their will.
And if the whispers were true, there were those among the Adeptus Mechanicus who had taken an unhealthy interest in Talon's technological anomalies, something that rarely boded well for the worlds in question.
And that would mark the true beginning of Talon's reckoning.
But Rena had no intention of waiting.
"Don't you think this system is strange?" she asked, frowning. "They use unknown teleportation technology. They don't even have a Mechanicus enclave overseeing their industry. And we don't even know if they're still loyal to the Emperor."
Both Inquisitors glanced up at her, unimpressed.
"We should issue a formal demand," Rena declared coldly. "Summon this so-called Lord of Talon to our vessel for questioning."
One of the Inquisitors stood up and walked to the viewport, gesturing toward the nearly completed void bastion and warships beyond.
"If you can personally march past that blockade, infiltrate the Underhive, and deliver the summons to this 'Lord of Talon'…"
He turned back to Rena, smirking.
"…then when you return, we'll jointly recommend you for promotion to Lord Inquisitor."