As a formal Inquisitor of the Tribunal, Bellona could not be expelled by anyone, even if that person held the title of Cadia's Supreme Commander. Yet, given the wartime status, a single report from Creed stating that she posed a threat to the Imperium's security would invite immediate scrutiny from her own peers.
Suppressing her frustration, Bellona nodded and took her leave. "Supreme Commander, Lord of Taron… farewell."
Bellona turned and exited the office but cast a final glance back at Qin Mo as she crossed the threshold. His gaze was cold, scrutinizing her. She gave him a small smile. "I had thought you were a man open to new ideas and advancements. Clearly, I was mistaken."
"Embracing progress and courting death are two very different matters," Qin Mo replied.
Bellona gave a humorless chuckle, then disappeared through the doorway, her apprentice and aides falling in step beside her. Her apprentice, a male psyker, shot a pointed glance at Qin Mo as they departed.
Qin Mo had long since forgotten the apprentice's name, but he remembered his reputation—this was a man capable of probing another's memory multiple times within a day, someone ruthless enough to even explore the minds of powerful Untouchables, whose resistance was far greater than any mere psyker. Leaving such people to wander near Cadia would undoubtedly lead to trouble.
"I don't believe her methods are feasible either, yet there's no denying the exponential rise in psykers here. Without intervention, they could spiral out of control before the arrival of the Black Ships," Creed observed, his cigar held firmly between his fingers.
"Indeed," Qin Mo replied, understanding all too well the danger psykers posed. "The psykers on Cadia must be purged. I have a method."
Creed knew this cleansing was necessary but was unsure how to proceed. If it were a standard military force, he'd feel confident in his oversight, yet Cadia was a fortress world. The diversity of humanity displayed itself in full measure on such a scale; for every brave soldier willing to die for the Imperium, there was a deserter hiding in the shadows. Cadia produced fewer deserters than most, but even here, one or two in a billion could slip through—and if any among them were psykers, they'd be impossible to track.
"The Celestial Engine can deploy a scanning array capable of detecting all life on this planet," Qin Mo proposed.
Creed's eyes brightened.
"However, there are two issues," Qin Mo continued. "The first is how we handle the psykers once detected. We have two choices: exile them, or allow the Celestial Engine's drones to eliminate them. You must choose."
The light in Creed's eyes dimmed as his head sank, the cigar clutched tightly in his fingers. Many of these emerging psykers were likely members of the Assault Forces, warriors who had once fought for the future of humankind. Could he really eliminate them all?
Yet if they were exiled, capturing and transporting them out of Cadia—especially with their numbers increasing—would require weeks, even with Taron's fleet assisting.
The choice was agonizingly clear.
"I choose the latter," Creed resolved, his voice low. "As Supreme Commander, I bear responsibility for the greater good."
"Very well. Then, the second issue," Qin Mo said, raising his gaze to the looming form of the Celestial Engine, blocking half the sky. "The scanning array will lay bare everything on Cadia—every person, every structure, every weapon. Nothing will remain unseen."
Creed understood the implications. Cadia's fortress world status made it a high-security military zone; no member of the Imperial Navy, not even the Cadia Fleet itself, could authorize such a scan without clearance. The security was intended to prevent insurrection in this vital territory. Imagine if the Vorskan forces had such complete knowledge of Cadia's strongholds.
Granting Qin Mo this access carried undeniable risks, ones for which Creed would be held accountable. After only a moment's deliberation, he pulled out a quill and parchment. "So long as this brings us victory, I'll bear any cost. I authorize this scan under my name."
Qin Mo watched as Creed quickly penned the formal order, his expression unreadable. After a moment's pause, Qin Mo asked, "You don't fear that I might exploit this information for ulterior motives?"
Creed faltered briefly. It was true—if Taron's forces gained precise knowledge of Cadia's defenses, their teleportation technology could be devastatingly effective in the event of a sudden assault. But he quickly dismissed the thought, continuing to sign the documents.
"Many in the Imperium's Navy and Astra Militarum doubt you, and every hour I receive petitions urging your withdrawal from the system," he remarked. "But I trust you. Most Cadians trust you."
"When the men and women of Cadia look up from their trenches and strongholds, and they see Taron's distinctive ships above, they feel it—they know that this is their reinforcements."
Creed completed the documents, retaining one copy and offering the other to Qin Mo. In the event of an inquiry, this document would serve as his shield. Yet Qin Mo declined the paper, sending a silent command through the Celestial Engine.
"Scan Cadia. Cleanse the psykers."
The scanning waves swiftly spread across Cadia, sending a prickling energy through the hair of every Cadian. Soon, all worlds within the system were similarly analyzed, every psyker's presence marked. There were only seventy in total, yet the number increased steadily with time.
The minor Eye of Terror within the system was more than just a portal—it leaked energy that infused each world, catalyzing the emergence of psykers. Swarms of drones poured forth from the Celestial Engine, coalescing into dark clouds that descended upon Cadia.
These drones separated as they neared their targets, seeking out every marked psyker. Rather than executing them with explosive force, the drones teleported their quarry with swift precision. Souls vanished into the depths of the warp, leaving bodies untouched, while those who resisted faced the drones' weaponry without mercy.