Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 434 A Little Interlude on the Road
The slower the writing on the data board became, the more nervous and uneasy the attendee felt.

"You're so amazing, you'll definitely be able to complete the mission!" Remy's clear voice echoed under the metal dome of the starport. She stood with her hands on her hips and a bright smile on her face.

As one of the few remaining nuns who could still speak, she generously expressed her support for her companions through her voice.

The silent nuns around them all turned their heads, and warm smiles appeared on the half of their faces exposed under their visors and on their unconcealed faces.

Their eyes held both curiosity about their unfamiliar companions and genuine goodwill and encouragement.

Although the nuns were unable to speak, their slight nods and encouraging words in sign language conveyed silent blessings.

Despite coming from different demon-hunting orders, these young female warriors have forged a special bond during their time on this shared voyage.

No need for excessive verbal communication or deliberate attempts to become close; as long as they know they are both nuns of silence bearing the same mission, this precious friendship will naturally grow.

Perhaps in the near future, they will sacrifice themselves in a battle against heretics; perhaps after this separation, they will never have the chance to meet again.

But at this moment, in this busy starport berth, there truly exists a pure and sincere friendship among these dozen or so girls dressed in Vatin armor.

Even though they know so little about each other, and may not even remember each other's names clearly.

"Thank you for your kind words. I hope I can complete the mission quickly. See you later!" Xi Dejia carefully put the data tablet into the storage bag at her waist, her slender fingers tracing words of farewell in the air.

This sincere emotion seemed to touch every nun present.

The nuns at the berth began to say goodbye to each other, some speaking words of blessing in clear voices, others expressing their sentiments with skillful gestures.

Several older nuns even took the initiative to embrace the young apprentices, their hard armor clanging against each other with a crisp sound.

After the farewell ceremony, the nuns boarded their respective vehicles to their destinations, according to their assigned tasks.

They embarked on their journey alone or in twos and threes, just as they had when they first set out on this trip, heading once again to the unknown battlefield.

This time, however, they were no longer inexperienced newcomers, but warriors shouldering mission and responsibility.

Xi Dejia was perhaps the luckiest. When she arrived at the designated berth in Star Harbor with her simple luggage, she was surprised to find the cabin door of the Thunderhawk gunship open, and Governor Chen Xi was sitting in the cabin reviewing data panels.

Chen Xi noticed her arrival, looked up, gave her a friendly smile, and waved to her: "You've come at the right time, we're about to set off."

His voice was gentle and steady, a stark contrast to the cold hardness of the surrounding metal bulkheads.

After Xi Dejia boarded the gunship, Chen Xi put the data panel aside and began to explain the mission details: "The planet you are going to is one of the alien territories conquered by the Rostov Expedition over the past few years. At that time, the expeditionary force and an alien civilization called the Space Necromancers fought a fierce war there."

At this point, Chen Xi's expression turned serious: "The traitorous psionicist you are about to face, and his company, were once members of the expeditionary force."

They witnessed the annihilation of their allied forces on the battlefield, and were themselves trapped in enemy lines, unable to escape.

At this point, his voice lowered, as if he were mourning the dead and feeling heartbroken for these traitors: "In the abyss of despair, they cried out to evil gods they should not have prayed to."

But then a flicker of disgust crossed Chen Xi's eyes: "And so they fell, transforming from loyal warriors of the empire into repulsive, chaotic traitors, utterly abandoning their former honor and beliefs."

He looked at Xi Dejia and solemnly said to her, "Your mission is to behead that traitorous psionicist. My main purpose for this trip is to inspect the colony's development. After you complete your mission, we can then consider how to eliminate the pollution these traitors have caused to the planet."

Xi Dejia listened attentively, his eyes revealing understanding.

Her slender fingers traced an elegant gesture in the air: "Does the governor need to handle this kind of thing personally?"

Chen Xi chuckled and shook his head: "No need. I usually delegate these kinds of matters to my subordinates. But this time I plan to inspect all the new colonies, and the planet you're going to happens to be the first stop."

Chen Xi could understand sign language, so he didn't need an extra translator or a data panel to communicate. Xi Dejia nodded in understanding, then quietly sat down to the side and took out his beloved electromagnetic crossbow from his bag.

Her slender fingers gently traced every wear mark on the crossbow, as if caressing the wounds of an old friend.

Although the weapon she assembled by hand was simple, every part was the result of her hard work.

For a moment, only the slight clanging of metal parts remained in the cabin—the sound of Sidja skillfully disassembling and inspecting the crossbow, and the low hum of the engine warming up.

Her focused expression made it seem as if the entire world consisted only of this weapon, and she even unconsciously softened her breathing.

Although she acquired the brand-new Vatin armor and a sharp battle sword, she still preferred the electromagnetic crossbow that had been with her for many years.

The rough grip had long been worn into a curve that fit her palm, and the trigger pull was adjusted to be just right.

This weapon gave her a sense of security that no other weapon or equipment could provide, like a trusted old comrade-in-arms.

"Electromagnetic acceleration crossbow? It looks quite worn!" Chen Xi's voice suddenly broke the silence. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze falling on the weapon in Xi Dejia's hand: "Should I have a priest from the Mechanic Church give it some maintenance and upkeep?"

This crossbow has indeed been through many hardships – most of the paint on the crossbow body has peeled off, the bow arms are covered with tiny scratches, and even the electromagnetic acceleration rails show obvious signs of wear.

To the cult of mechanics, such a heavily worn weapon might already be displeased with the machine spirit.

"Is this okay?" Xi Dejia asked uncertainly in sign language, her finger movements slightly hesitant.

She subconsciously touched the money pouch at her waist, which contained only a few meager coins: "I don't have much money, and I can't afford the maintenance fees for the mechanic priest."

“I’ll pay for it, you don’t need to worry.” Chen Xi’s voice was gentle but firm. He gave Xi Dejia a kind smile and said, “I will have my best mechanical sage maintain this crossbow for you.”

"Thank you!" Xi Dejia's eyes lit up. She earnestly expressed her gratitude in sign language, her movements more forceful than usual, as if this could convey even more of her feelings.

Chen Xi smiled and nodded, then turned and gestured for Olivia, who was standing to the side, to come forward and inspect the electromagnetic crossbow.

He brought Olivia along on this inspection tour, partly because he hoped to hear the mechanical sage's professional advice on colony development during the long interstellar journey.

Chen Xi knew that military strength alone was not enough to expand colonies on the edge of the empire's territory; technical experts like Olivia were also needed.

On the other hand, Chen Xi also pinned his hopes on Olivia's terraforming technology for those barren and desolate planets in the sub-sector.

Over the past decade, her achievements on Rostov-II have been remarkable. When Chen Xi first arrived, it was a reddish-brown desert. Now, although it is far from being lush and green, the planet's surface is at least dotted with green vegetation.

The entire planet is gradually transforming from a lifeless reddish-brown to a vibrant yellowish-green, and the ecological environment is steadily improving.

This success story gave Chen Xi hope.

He planned to extend Olivia's technology to more colonies to improve their living conditions.

Of course, the construction of colonies inevitably leads to ecological damage, but Chen Xi believes that this is precisely why environmental transformation needs to be emphasized – “choosing the lesser of two evils” is his motto.

Destruction is inevitable, but we must not give up on governance because of it.

Because it causes pollution, it is all the more important to pay attention to subsequent environmental restoration and protection.

Therefore, despite Olivia's reluctance to leave her laboratory, Chen Xi dragged her out and embarked on this long colonial inspection tour together.

Sidja's dilapidated electromagnetic crossbow unexpectedly became a minor incident during the journey.

(End of this chapter)