Handing over the order to Qin Mo, Creed rose calmly, following Sergeant Kael out of the office toward the secluded chamber where the Inquisitor awaited their private discussion. Qin Mo watched Creed's figure as he departed. Truthfully, he wasn't surprised that Creed was taken for questioning. After all, nearly everyone on Cadia had seen the demons firsthand, and the Inquisitors must be grappling with how to handle both the Cadians and the Tyronians.
"The Empire… the Imperium of Man," Qin Mo murmured, casting his gaze out the window.
The Black Obelisk had diminished the Eye of Terror by half, making the skies above Cadia less nauseatingly purple, a slight relief to Qin Mo's mood. But only slight.
Soon enough, his thoughts drifted back to the Imperium itself—a place almost crafted as the archetypal villain, where heroes seldom receive the honor they deserve, and the Inquisition hammers down mercilessly on any it deems a threat. If Chaos did not exist, Qin Mo would have readily set the Imperium itself as his foremost enemy, its destruction his highest goal. Yet, this ruthlessness was not without cause; the universe's brutality had forged it this way.
Qin Mo understood that, despite the Inquisition's overreach and loathsome presence, it remained a necessary evil. Without its iron grip, dark powers would spread unchecked, manifesting monstrous threats across the Empire.
Among the Inquisitors, there were those like Karamazov, verging on madness, and others like Eisenhorn and Horst, men who tirelessly fought against catastrophes capable of obliterating billions. Though their methods were often extreme, their deeds were essential. Such was the price of survival in this universe.
With Chaos permeating every crevice, reason and moderation had become mere dreams, rarities only possible in Tyronian space. Not because Tyronians were nobler, but because the Tyronian system, protected by a godly presence and a fragment of a Star God, could stabilize its physical reality, resisting the corruption that plagued other realms.
Humanity had struggled in darkness for so long, like a scarred, skittish cat, ready to lash out at any hint of change or threat. The Inquisition remained indispensable for most of the Imperium, but Creed did not deserve to suffer its overreach.
Resolving to act, Qin Mo established communication with the Tyronian command and summoned Gray and Adam.
"The Astral Engine is repaired. We're prepared to return to Tyron whenever you command," Gray presumed this was Qin Mo's intent.
"No, we'll linger on Cadia a few more days. There will likely be a victory celebration. Our absence would be remiss," Qin Mo replied.
"Yes, sir," Gray acknowledged.
"Do naval personnel need to attend?" Adam asked.
After a thoughtful pause, Qin Mo shook his head. "No. All crew members should remain on the ship, prepared to mobilize the moment I issue the order."
...
*Thud, thud, thud.*
*Thud, thud, thud.*
In a shadowy cell within Mirak Fortress, Greyfax sat across from Creed and Kael, reviewing a dossier. For some inexplicable reason, or perhaps as a mere habit, she tapped the heel of her boot against the worn, moldy table between them, a relic of ancient interrogations, now emanating a foul odor.
Greyfax had been reinstated to her rank. Given the chaos of the warp storms, her absence from Imperial records had barely caused a ripple, with her missing status only reported to the Inquisition's higher echelons a few months prior.
"Where are those ancient Space Marines you were with?" Creed asked, lighting a cigar and exhaling a heavy plume of smoke.
"They're in the adjacent cell," Greyfax responded.
"As expected," Creed nodded impassively, taking a deep drag.
Greyfax scrutinized Creed, noting his inhalation. A hardened man indeed, she concluded, as only those with cybernetic modifications typically endured such habits.
"You said you wanted to speak with me alone. So why leave him here?" Creed gestured to Kael.
With a sly smile, Greyfax retorted, "Because I chose to keep him here. Is that an issue?"
Creed gave no answer, recognizing this as her attempt to assert psychological dominance. Every sneer or arrogance she might display was merely part of her seasoned interrogation technique. The true Greyfax, he knew, lay hidden beneath her practiced façade.
"I ask, you answer," Greyfax reclined, propping her legs on the table. "Why did you issue an expulsion order for Inquisitor Bellona during the war?"
"Because that lunatic was here to disrupt, and I expel any disruptive lunatic. Had it been wartime, you'd have faced the same treatment," Creed answered firmly.
"Why did the Tyronians come to Cadia's aid, despite their system being so far removed?" Greyfax inquired further.
"Because Tyronians are human. Simple as that. Even had they refrained, there'd be no shame. At least they don't waste their time instigating trouble."
"During the war, you authorized a scanning permit, remember? The one allowing Tyronian ships and void structures to scan Cadia." Greyfax continued.
"Indeed. That was to identify any latent psykers susceptible to exploitation. Cadia and the Imperial Navy lack the means for such extensive scans," Creed confirmed.
Greyfax ceased her questioning, laying a file before Creed with an enigmatic smile. It was his personal record, noting his past entanglement with warp storms and subsequent misdirection to the Tyronian system. However, it bore no detailed accounts of his experiences.
"This file…" Creed glared at Greyfax, tapping the table with his cigar. "Who authorized you to access it?"
"I wanted to check, so I did. Any objections?" Greyfax asked, nonchalantly.
Kael, unable to contain his indignation, rose and addressed Greyfax, barely concealing his anger. "If you're so curious about Tyronians, why not interrogate the Tyronian Lord directly? Are you merely hiding behind evasions or too cowardly to confront him? Or do you fear he'd respond to your inquiries with a laser?"
At Kael's words, Creed's expression changed.
Greyfax, still smiling, dismissed the remark with a shrug. "Why wouldn't I question this so-called Tyronian Lord? Why would I fear lasers? Is the Tyronian sector not part of the Imperium? Is its Lord an enemy? Or… do you perhaps know something I don't?"
"Enough," Creed shot Kael a stern glance. "The Tyronians have nothing to do with this conversation. Why mention them?"