Dedicate loyalty to the good empire

Chapter 412: The Star Torch Dims...

Taylor's uneasiness has never stopped since he entered Octavius. The reason is simple, because the void here is terrifyingly quiet.

To be precise, there is no sound in the void at all. There is no air and no medium to transmit information.

Taylor was referring to the traces of beacons and star maps. Those things can not only receive information from within the empire, but also serve as receivers of the most basic electromagnetic signals and psychic signals.

Even in areas not controlled by the Empire, the galaxy is quite crowded, and many radio signals are blurred because they are too far away from the receiving point.

But to be honest, those ghost radio waves usually float randomly in the universe, and in many cases humans can find a lot of information from other races or former imperial warships.

But now, the receiver was as quiet as if it was asleep. It wouldn't matter if it was only for one warship, but the six warships in Taylor's hands were now silent.

He said uneasily. "There's an old Catachan saying."

"That's where the quiet is most dangerous."

"Because predators are always quiet, anticipating their prey."

The Inquisitor nodded in approval. "That's quite true. The silence in this sector is almost incomprehensible."

"I've never seen anything like it."

Now the captain cursed. "By the Emperor!"

"Investigate it quickly!"

Taylor asked. "What's going on?"

The young man replied, "The Astronomican has gone out!"

Taylor and the judge said in unison. "Impossible!"

This is almost the worst case scenario. The Astronomican did not completely go out even during the years when the Great Rift was opened. The last time this happened was during Horus's birthday celebration.

It is almost a common understanding that the extinction of the Astronomican represents the destruction of human civilization.

The lit Astronomican represents a beacon of navigation, direction, and the Emperor and Terra.

If it wasn't the almost impossible event that the Emperor suddenly passed away, then the only possibility was that Terra exploded, which was even more impossible.

Taylor said calmly, "Keep the news secret. We can't let the ordinary crew know we're lost."

"Secondly, this situation is definitely not that the Emperor has abandoned us, or that something is wrong on Terra."

Then, as if to comfort himself, Taylor looked at the supply list for a while, and said immediately after confirming that the food and fuel in it were enough for them to last for two years.

"Call all the technical backbones here, as well as the psykers, especially the navigators and astropaths. We don't need the main astropath. Bring everyone who can move here!"

The first mate in charge asked uncertainly. "Including the greenskins?"

He had a beautiful brown beard and a short, heavy build, looking like a tank.

It is said that he once tore apart three invading Chaos Pirates with his bare hands. Some people suspected that his ancestors had special bloodline, while others believed that he had undergone some mutation.

And Taylor said. "Aren't they part of our group?"

The first mate said. "The Mechanicus and those greenskins who desecrated the machines of God are also a bit..."

"Conflict?" he said uncertainly, even a little timidly to be precise.

Taylor said dissatisfiedly. "You're so big and strong, and you're afraid of this? Those oil men can do whatever they want. I never serve them!"

"Bring them here!"

The first mate said, "Yes!"

This meeting was held under such difficult circumstances. A long table was now placed on the bridge, and the most intelligent people in the entire empire sat here. From the Imperial Inquisitor to the top psykers, from the Imperial Mechanical Magos to the most powerful warship commanders.

Opposite them was a group of greenskins, a Chaos Wizard and Taylor.

A group of people stared at each other.

It's simply because the Mechanicus sages don't allow those things to be served on the table, while the Inquisitors and regular psykers can smell the stench of the Chaos Gods on the bodies of the cultist girls.

Overall, this meeting was terrible. Everyone frowned, as if the other party owed them 2.58 million.

After all, the most knowledgeable people also mean the most old-fashioned and the most arrogant. If we want them to bow their heads and cooperate with those weird things, and cooperate with those aliens and heretics who taint the knowledge of the empire, it would be better to kill them!
Taylor was also infected by this atmosphere and said unhappily, "Enough!"

"We need answers, to resolve matters for the Emperor, not to stare at each other. The Emperor is above..."

But an Imperial Mechanicus Magos serving on an Imperial warship said in his slightly binary accent.

"1001, Messiah, 10111000110..."

Taylor was speechless. "I don't understand, sir."

"If you can't clean up your computing cache, I'll have to declare you off the table for today's meeting."

A nearby sage replied in a voice thick with electronic hum. "Sorry, he was once attacked by a malicious virus, which caused his processor to fail. I will now relay his opinion."

"Greenskins, all deserve to die!"

Taylor sighed. "It's really straightforward. I don't mind it."

"But we need an answer, and that is we need to get out of here without the Astronomican."

"This is almost impossible, but we need alternatives. Without relying on Chaos Psionics and Greenskins, I am not optimistic about this."

The Sages and traditional Imperial psykers were completely at a loss to understand such a request.

All Taylor could say was, "Now, die or obey me."

“Try to cooperate!”

Having said that, the mechanical sages were already preparing to leave. They did not intend to listen to anyone except the God of All Machines.

The attitudes of those psykers were similar. After all, allowing the minions of Chaos to board the ship was already giving face to Guilliman and Taylor, let alone cooperating with her?
But it was Taylor and the judge who broke the deadlock.

When Miss Nova shouted, "Stop!" and picked up her Inquisition rosette, it represented the power of execution first and inquiry later, and also represented the Inquisitor's right.

All the Mechanicus and psykers stopped, and Taylor also said.

"That's fine. I didn't want to resort to violence and power, but there's nothing I can do now."

"Then I will explain the situation clearly now."

"I'm not here to beg you."

"I'm here to demand an end to this. I command you to devise a way to replace the Astronomican's light before anyone realizes the ship is drifting in disorder!"

Having said that, Taylor clapped his hands, and ten Skadi soldiers and a group of greenskins came out, holding weapons, wearing military uniforms, and looking menacing.

Taylor said. "You can either let the soldiers lead you, or you can agree to walk shoulder to shoulder with those fart monsters, green researchers, and cult ladies. It's your choice."

At this moment, under the threat of their lives, they could only put aside their pride and take up the Chaos Knowledge they looked down upon...

And Taylor has always known this.

That means if you have the gun in your hand, your words will have effect!

(End of this chapter)