After half a Terra day had passed, David arrived at the Lower Hive, having traveled a great distance, and immediately headed for the frontlines to negotiate. To show his sincerity, David came without a guard, carrying only his psy-brain cat, and walked towards the First Legion alone.
Seeing David approach, Grey, who had been on standby, rose to meet him. When they stood face to face, David studied Grey, surprised to find that the power armor he wore was something unseen across the entire Empire. How could this man have acquired the ability to produce such armor after a trip to the Lower Hive?
David's gaze drifted past Grey to the soldiers behind him, all similarly clad in power armor. The source of Grey's armor now seemed trivial compared to this sight.
"Are you their leader?" David asked, assuming Grey to be the real commander of the First Legion. Grey remained silent.
Two seconds later, a rift appeared before David, from which a man emerged. "Qin Mo," he introduced himself, his gaze fixed upon David.
David, slightly displeased by the lack of formal greeting, chose not to dwell on it. "David. I am honored to offer my name to the devoted followers of the God-Emperor."
Qin Mo studied David, noting his attire marked him as a member of the state religion in Talon Hive. This man must be at least a century or two old, his body riddled with signs of augmetic implants, and a black metal cylinder attached to his chest likely served as a life-support device.
At that moment, Qin Mo recalled the prophecy shared by Mimic—that the first person he would meet would be a follower of a heretic god. To others, the Emperor might indeed be seen as such, proving the prophecy accurate.
As Qin Mo examined David, the old man was appraising him in turn, noting the young man's arrogance, visible in both expression and demeanor. As a servant of the church, David could see that Qin Mo was not, in truth, a devout follower of the God-Emperor, though he wisely kept this observation to himself.
"Whom do you represent?" Qin Mo asked.
"The Hive and the Church," David replied calmly.
"Let's talk." Qin Mo turned and began walking towards the base. As they walked side by side, Qin Mo kept his eyes on David. David, meanwhile, gently stroked the psy-brain cat in his arms. The creature, deeply linked to its master, remained in a peaceful slumber, clearly unaffected by fear or anxiety, which proved David's inner calm. He was certain he wouldn't be killed here, nor did he believe these survivors from the Lower Hive had any intention of inciting rebellion. But that was only his belief.
When they reached the base, Qin Mo and David sat on two chairs brought over by soldiers, and the negotiations began.
"Poor souls," David began, surveying the gathered troops. "What have you endured in the depths of the Hive?"
"A war," Qin Mo answered tersely, offering no further explanation. He then stated his conditions, "My people must be allowed free movement in the Lower Hive. They must be permitted to meet with their families, take them away if they choose, and purchase and transport supplies."
David listened in silence until Qin Mo had finished. A puzzled look crossed his face. "Take their families? Are you planning to return to the Lower Hive?"
"Yes," Qin Mo nodded.
David didn't respond immediately, lowering his head in thought. The entire Hive's leverage over the First Legion rested in their families. If they were allowed to take them back to the Lower Hive, that leverage would be gone. If they then chose to launch a full-scale reprisal, there would be nothing to stop them. But if he refused...
His thoughts interrupted, David raised his head and stared intently at Qin Mo, trying to probe his mind with psychic energy, seeking to uncover his true intentions and discern if war was indeed on the horizon. His psy-brain cat, now awake, joined him in this effort, its eyes fixed on Qin Mo.
After nearly a minute of probing, David found nothing, and then turned his attention to Grey, with the same result. Both wore power armor that had anti-psyker defenses. This realization astonished David—these men no longer seemed like refugees from the Lower Hive, but rather like visitors from some advanced, alien world.
"Speak," Qin Mo demanded, eyes locked on David. "Do you agree or not?"
"Agreed," David nodded.
"Good. The first negotiation is complete," Qin Mo said, clearly pleased, and promptly rose to leave.
Hearing this, David realized that Qin Mo had only presented the first condition. More demands would follow. To avoid being cornered, David knew, the best course of action might be war—to label these men traitors and eliminate them.
Yet, David, once a soldier himself, knew too well what such a battle with Qin Mo would entail.
As Qin Mo turned to leave, David, struck by a sudden question, called out, "You fought so hard to escape from the Lower Hive with these soldiers. Why send them back? Merely to use them as pawns in your pursuit of ambition?"
Qin Mo paused, turning to face him. "I will grant my soldiers the freedom to choose. They may bring their families to the Lower Hive or remain here. I will not force anyone to return."
David, more perplexed than ever, asked, "Aren't you afraid they'll all choose to stay?"
Qin Mo simply smiled. His body was soon enveloped in a shield, and he vanished.
David's confusion and unease deepened. The situation was slipping from his control. In extreme cases, he might need to summon the Inquisition to Talon Hive. But Talon was merely one of countless worlds in the Empire, and after the planetary governor sold off its laser rifle and Centaur troop carrier production lines, the Hive had become even more insignificant. Without sufficient evidence, it would be difficult to involve the Inquisition.
Perhaps a summons under the Church's name would be more effective.
"Leave," Grey gestured toward Barrett and his men.
"Oh, alright." David nodded and turned to depart.
As he walked away, the psy-brain cat in his arms suddenly stirred. David soothed the creature, then took a small canister from his robes and offered it to the cat. The psy-brain cat, able to use psychic power, levitated the contents of the canister into its mouth and began chewing excitedly.
Grey, observing from the side, watched in fascination as the creature fed. The food, however, was revolting—a fat, white grub.
"That thing's cute enough, but its food is disgusting," Grey muttered over the comms.
"Who knows how that old man managed to raise his psy-brain cat on bugs," Anreida replied. "The ones I've seen don't eat anything like that."