Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 427 The Expansion of the Silent Nun

Intergalactic travel, especially on reliable ships equipped with professional navigators and powerful Geller fields, is so expensive that it's often beyond the reach of ordinary people even after a lifetime of effort.

For the vast majority of ordinary people who have never set foot in the void, the value of a ticket far exceeds the wealth accumulated by their family over ten generations.

The Empire's starships, especially those capable of safely traversing the warp, are rare treasures in themselves.

Most transport ships and merchant ships that travel between stars often lack proper navigators or strong Geller force field protection.

They either crawl slowly at sublight speed in the real universe, taking decades to complete a journey; or they risk making short jumps on the surface of the subspace, which, although not requiring them to venture into the dangerous depths of the subspace and having lower requirements for navigators, is extremely risky.

Without the protection of the Geller Field, any creature on a ship exposed to the warp would be torn apart and devoured by warp demons in an instant.

Of course, the extremely lucky ones might survive.

However, if the Silent Sisters were on board... the situation would be quite the opposite.

Faced with these untouchables who are naturally able to suppress the power of the Warp, perhaps we should pray that the monsters and demons of the Warp will slow down their killing spree.

After all, there are very few beings who, like Primarch Magnus, could still wreak havoc with their powerful physique even after their psychic powers were suppressed by Sister Silent.

Even a demon prince could suffer greatly under the silent nun's empty energy field.

However, as an untouchable being, the Silent Sisters are themselves beings rejected and feared by ordinary humans.

The empty, powerless field they emit isolates the soul from the subspace. For ordinary people, close contact can cause intense physical discomfort and even spiritual pain and weakness. The long-term consequences of exposure are unimaginable.

Fortunately, the rigorously trained Sister Silent was able to control the intensity of her force field, preventing harm to others.

Therefore, Chen Xi readily agreed to Sister Silent's request for assistance: "I will arrange for ships to pick them up immediately. Several fast frigates in the sub-sector fleet have just finished maintenance and can carry out this mission immediately."

He paused briefly, then added, "Tell them to prepare their necessary personal belongings; a convoy will be there to pick them up soon. Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

“Yes, Your Honor.” Sister Silent continued gesturing with her fingers in front of her chest, and the sign language interpreter immediately relayed, “I contacted not only the two cults willing to relocate, but also, through some special means, six cults located in three adjacent star sectors.”

She went on to explain in detail: "While three of the religious groups had no intention of relocating, they also expressed a strong desire to cooperate."

Their monastery buildings are relatively well-preserved and can still maintain basic operations.

These religious orders are willing to send members to serve you in accordance with ancient service contracts, in exchange for the weapons, medical supplies, and training facilities you provide.

The translator paused, conveying a more complex message: "But I must tell you that these cults that remain in place are in equally difficult circumstances."

The Octavian Order's water purification system had been broken for two years, forcing the sisters to rely on rainwater collectors for sustenance; the Marta Order's training grounds had been requisitioned by the local planetary governor, forcing them to conduct combat training in catacombs; the youngest Veronica Order even had to accept 'sponsorship' from the local merchant guild in exchange for serving as a guard of honor at festival celebrations in exchange for food rations.

"Based on my consultations with the heads of the various orders," Sister Silent's gesture became more solemn, "each order is expected to send one or two experienced full nuns, as well as two or three apprentices who have completed basic training, to serve here."

The Octavian Order has promised to send their best anti-psychic tactics instructors, on the condition that you provide a water recycling and purification system.

Her fingers suddenly trembled slightly, conveying a rare emotional fluctuation: "I am very sorry, Your Honor. The various cults are stretched thin in terms of both manpower and resources, and this is the most support they can provide. In particular, there have been reliable reports recently that the Terra Highlord Council is rebuilding the Silent Sisters' Force. Although several cults have not yet received conscription orders, they are taking stock of their weapons and equipment in preparation, so they cannot send any more personnel."

"I understand, that's not a problem." Chen Xi nodded slightly, her gentle attitude conveying understanding.

He noticed that the translator specifically emphasized the detail of "reliable information," which meant that the Silent Sisters might have confirmed the movements of the Imperial high command through special channels.

Such intelligence is far more valuable than the support from several religious orders.

He quickly calculated in his mind: if each cooperating order sent personnel to the maximum extent, then in the end, he could get reinforcements of six full nuns and nine apprentices.

With the addition of the two migrating religious orders that will soon be received, the total force will reach thirteen full nuns and fourteen apprentices.

While this size is insufficient to form a complete combat sequence, it is more than enough to serve as a special operations unit.

Supporting these scattered Silent Sisters was just a side move he had made, and the fact that he had gained this much was an unexpected bonus. So why would he care about the number of people?

These devout warriors may not be eloquent, but their keen perception of chaotic pollution will become an important part of the early warning system.

Even with a limited number of people coming, there are still three to five full-fledged nuns of silence and more than ten apprentices.

Chen Xi had already outlined the deployment plan in his mind: experienced nuns would be assigned to various key hub worlds, while apprentices would be incorporated into rapid response teams.

This configuration ensures both the defensive strength of key areas and the maintenance of sufficient mobile forces.

In Chen Xi's plan, the biggest threat to the sub-sector in the future will undoubtedly be the surge in chaotic pollution that will inevitably occur after the opening of the Great Rift.

At that time, the warp storm will cut off regular communications, and the demon invasion will break out from multiple points.

The Silent Sisters are experts in dealing with such threats and an indispensable safety valve.

Their empty energy field can not only suppress the mutations of psionicists, but also temporarily stabilize the subspace rifts in local areas.

With them in charge, many potential disasters can be averted.

For example, summoning rituals of cults can be nipped in the bud before they are completed, and unexpectedly awakened psionicists can be properly dealt with.

More importantly, their very existence can deter potential corruptors—under the gaze of the untouchables, no secret connection with chaos can be hidden.

History has already proven this point—when Wolf King Lemanrus destroyed Prospero, it was the Silent Sisters and the Imperial Guard who joined forces to slaughter countless wizards of the Sons Legion; in the future Battle of Lion's Gate, the Empire also relied on their tacit cooperation with the Imperial Guard to repel the eighty-eight Bloodlust Legions under Khorne's command.

This new addition of the Silent Sisters is undoubtedly a godsend for him.

"Then," Chen Xi finally confirmed, "how will the members of these cults that are willing to provide manpower come over? Do I need to send someone to pick them up as well?"

(End of this chapter)