"You've made the right decision," Abaddon nodded with satisfaction, then turned to his adjutant. "Deliver my last vortex torpedo to *End Times*. Yes, the very last one."
The adjutant instantly obeyed, departing the bridge to arrange transport of the vortex torpedo to Typhus.
Typhus seemed pleased, nodding his helmeted head twice.
"Aren't you worried I might tamper with the torpedo?" Abaddon's tone grew cold. "The moment your *End Times* tries to flee, I could detonate it."
"I doubt you're capable of such treachery. You're no saint, but betraying an ally isn't your style," Typhus replied.
Abaddon simply responded with an ambiguous chuckle, then nodded in agreement.
After discussing the torpedo, Typhus raised a pressing question: "Can we continue the fight?"
Abaddon fell silent, contemplating his answer. Using Blackstone Fortresses to destroy the planet and widen the rift was out of the question. The fortress had taken damage and required repairs.
There were a few cyclone torpedoes available—plundered from an Inquisitor's ship—which could execute an Exterminatus but wouldn't shatter the planet entirely. A bipolar cyclone torpedo would be needed to pulverize it, yet such a weapon was challenging to obtain.
After careful thought, Abaddon concluded that they could not proceed with the battle; nevertheless, outright retreat was unacceptable. They could wait for the right moment.
A warlord who had launched thirteen Black Crusades understood the importance of timing.
"We must wait," Abaddon said, severing the communication.
The moment the call ended, Typhus issued orders to his adjutant, "Send two warlocks to corrupt the vortex torpedo—ensure it's completely under our control. No one else should have the means to detonate it."
…
**On Cadia.**
"The enemy fleet at Ann Lai has been repelled."
A Talon Navy communications officer entered the office, reporting to Creed and Qin Mo the latest battle update.
Creed noticed the officer directed his report towards Qin Mo, a detail which confirmed he could see Qin Mo, while the rest of Cadia's population could not.
"Excellent," Qin Mo nodded approvingly, turning to look at Creed.
Creed appeared pensive. As a general, he often analyzed potential threats as though they belonged to the enemy, probing for weaknesses.
What if an opposing fleet, like Talon Navy's own, used dimension engine-based defensive tactics? Did these maneuvers have any vulnerability?
Creed concluded they were indeed airtight. Even if a scouting vessel was sunk, the main fleet stationed at strategic points would investigate any lost communication.
The only viable counter to Talon Navy's strategy would be to overwhelm them with sheer numbers.
Though Talon Navy was relentless, their opponents were equally tenacious, often as if bewitched to mirror the Talons' resolve.
It was, in the end, gratifying to have such an ally.
With the situation now stabilized, Creed could finally turn his attention to other pressing matters.
"Seven hours ago, an Inquisitor arrived on Cadia," Creed began, watching Qin Mo closely. He was aware of past tensions between Talon and the Inquisition.
But Qin Mo's living metal face remained inscrutable, prompting Creed to continue, "I believe we should meet with her."
"Why?" Qin Mo inquired.
Producing a letter, Creed handed it to Qin Mo. "She sent me this letter, claiming to possess a way to close the rift."
Qin Mo's gaze flickered with recognition as he carefully read the letter. The Inquisitor hadn't disclosed her method, only stating her capability, and signing it simply:
"Bellona?"
Qin Mo set down the letter. "The name rings a bell."
"Do you wish to meet her? She might…react to your appearance," Creed noted cautiously.
"That can be amended visually. Let's meet her," Qin Mo agreed. If she truly could close the rift, Cadia would be secure.
Creed nodded, instructing Kael, his deputy, to extend the invitation.
Bellona had been waiting outside Cadia's High Command, taking less than three minutes to reach the office once Kael summoned her.
As an Inquisitor, she had the right to an audience with the Lord Castellan, yet in wartime, she preferred to make a favorable impression.
"Lord Castellan," Bellona saluted Creed with the Aquila, then offered a formal nod to Qin Mo, "Governor of the Talon Sector."
Creed rose to return the courtesy, while Qin Mo remained impassive.
Bellona didn't begin immediately. Her gaze lingered on Qin Mo, registering him as a young man.
For his part, Qin Mo scrutinized Bellona. She had short white hair, a mole beside her left eye, and a scar at the corner of her mouth.
Something about Bellona was oddly familiar, yet he couldn't place where they'd met before.
"I possess the means to close the rift," she began, addressing Creed. "The rift affects every world in this system. Perhaps you've noticed that Cadia's psykers are on the rise?"
Creed nodded silently, exhaling a plume of smoke.
As Castellan, he not only commanded armies but also managed Cadia's daily affairs. Recently, reports had indeed mentioned an increase in psyker incidents.
"How will you close the rift?" Qin Mo inquired, guessing Bellona might be knowledgeable about Blackstone and intending to activate Cadia's Blackstone Obelisks before Belisarius Cawl could.
"With every illegal psyker we can find," Bellona answered, presenting a vial of liquid and explaining its properties.
The concoction could amplify a psyker's abilities manifold, which could then be harnessed to close the rift. The method was intricate, yet the end result, she assured them, would be effective.
Creed didn't understand psyker workings but looked to Qin Mo's reaction for guidance.
Qin Mo stared at Bellona in shock, finally remembering why she seemed familiar.
Bellona was the kind of Inquisitor determined to close the Great Rift at any cost… If Cadia fell, and the Eye of Terror expanded, she would stop at nothing to prevent it.
And now, here she was on Cadia, eager to enact her wild scheme.
But Bellona's ultimate goal was far more audacious than using a few rogue psykers to seal a minor tear—she aimed to incite riots across multiple sectors, orchestrating her plan amidst the chaos.
"Throw her out!" Qin Mo's voice reverberated through Creed's mind.
Though unsure why Qin Mo reacted so strongly, Creed shared a visceral distrust of this strange Inquisitor.
"By the authority vested in me as Lord Castellan, I hereby expel you," Creed pointed his cigar at Bellona. "During wartime, I have the power, and you must leave Cadia at once!"