Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 574 The Judge's Charges
Mariupol District Court Headquarters, Circular Conference Room.

Inside the cold, circular conference hall, a massive, adamant gold table gleamed with a dark luster, its surface as smooth as the frozen River Styx.

The air was thick and heavy, almost suffocating, with only the suppressed breathing of the judges and the low, continuous hum of the Thinkers' array forming a monotonous background sound.

Judge Qasim Warren stood upright in the dock, his body taut like a bowstring about to snap, his eyes burning with an almost insane, obsessive flame.

He waved the data tablet in his hand forcefully, his hoarse voice tearing through the heavy air with excitement. Each accusation was like a heavy metal block slamming onto the adamantite table, producing a dull and heart-pounding echo.

“Betrayal! Utter betrayal!” Warren’s voice pierced the silence, carrying a metallic scraping quality. “Governor Chen Xi of Rostov, and that heretic Olegana of the Mechanicus! Their so-called psionic field stabilization technology was obtained by sacrificing the souls of innocent people to the Abomination Intelligence! The evidence is irrefutable!”

He abruptly projected meticulously edited footage into the air: the indistinct figures of Deathwatch and Mechanic at the entrance to the ancient ruins, a scan of the unsettling non-Euclidean structure of the Watcher's core sphere, an analysis of the eerie energy peaks captured at the moment of the transaction, and a deliberately selected summary of eyewitness testimonies emphasizing only the "heretical contact" part.

He attempted to use this seemingly cold and solid chain of evidence to completely nail Chen Xi to the pillar of shame for heresy.

"Behold the source of this filth!" Warren's finger jabbed fiercely at the twisted geometric lines in the core structural diagram, his spittle almost splattering across the long table. "Inhuman creations! Ironclad proof of abhorrent intelligence! They dared to make a deal with this filth from the abyss, binding the knights of the Empire, the Emperor's loyal warriors, to this evil technology!"

"This behavior seriously violates the absolute prohibition on heretical technology in the Imperial Decree and the purity maxims of the Mechanical Codex, and constitutes an unforgivable and heinous crime!"

He took a deep breath, his voice suddenly rising, filled with a doomsday-like fervor, "Although the acquired technology 'Psionic Stabilization Field' has not yet shown any obvious signs of contamination, its source is inherently corrupt and contains unpredictable catastrophic risks! The entire Rostov subsector has become a huge source of instability because of this technology and that containment object 'Black Rock Cage-7'!"

"I strongly recommend that the surveillance level be immediately raised to 'Purification' level, and that headquarters be authorized to formulate and prepare a final purification plan at the 'Extinction Order' level! This is blasphemy against the will of the Om Messiah! To collud with the Abomination Intelligence is a sin deserving of death! It must be eradicated!"

Inside the conference hall, the judges' reactions were as subtle and varied as the intricate power structure of the empire.

The Grand Inquisitor, responsible for assessing alien technology, was an old man with white hair and beard, and cloudy eyes that seemed like dusty glass. His withered fingers unconsciously twirled the tribunal eagle emblem on his chest.

He frowned, his cloudy eyes fixed on the perplexing structural data projected on the screen. Finally, he slowly and heavily shook his head, his dry voice filled with deep doubt: "The evidence... its direction... is clear. But its nature... is too special, too... abnormal. This... is beyond the scope of the existing technological theology of my Mariupol sector."

He paused, as if each word had taken immense effort, "It requires... the Martian Forging Council, or... the High Sages of the Terra Forging Council... to make the final decision."

He skillfully and unequivocally passed this hot potato to a higher, more distant, and more authoritative level, his words clearly expressing reservations about the actual effectiveness of Warren's chain of evidence. Several senior judges, closely connected to the Department of Military Affairs and dressed in crisp, dark uniforms, exchanged knowing, sharp glances.

One of them, with a face as resolute as a rock, pounded his knuckles heavily on the spread-out frontline battle report, producing a dull, drum-like sound.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was as powerful as a warhammer pounding the ground, pressing directly towards Warren: "Inquisitor Warren, take your eyes off the data panel! Look at this battle report! Look at those cold numbers and blood-stained maps! The Necromancer Dynasty's metal frenzy is right before our eyes! The pressure from the direction of the Cardian Gate has never lessened! Once the Rostov defense line collapses, the northern gateway to the entire Mariupol star system will be completely wide open!"

His gaze swept across the entire area, carrying an undeniable sense of urgency. "Governor Chen Xi's expeditionary force is currently the only bulwark capable of holding back that torrent of metal on this front! Are you going to personally destroy this Great Wall at this critical juncture?!"

The other turned slightly to face Warren, his voice low yet clear as a blade scraping against bone: "Don't forget, the person you're accusing right now is the supreme commander who commands thousands of Imperial Angels and millions of Astral Army soldiers, fighting valiantly on the front lines to maintain the defenses! Can you bear the immense responsibility for any hasty or reckless actions that could trigger internal strife and cause the collapse of the defenses?!"

Their stance was naked and brutal—the survival of the front lines trumped all accusations of procedural justice.

Many eyes, while Warren was giving his impassioned speech, had already quietly shifted to the encrypted copy of Chen Xi's document on the table, which was marked with the conspicuous "Lord Inquisitor of the Religious Order of Exile" authority mark.

Those gazes contained doubt and scrutiny, but at a deeper level, there was a natural awe of the authority of the lord's judges personally granted by the emperor, and a potential tacit approval of the commanders who were on the complex front lines and shouldered the heavy responsibility of the empire's survival, exercising their discretionary power in extreme circumstances.

When Warren passionately demanded that the Sector Headquarters immediately authorize sanctions, more than one Grand Inquisitor leaned back slightly in his high-backed chair, which was carved with an image of imperial majesty, his hands folded in front of him, revealing a silent but clear disapproval. His gaze was either lowered as he examined the documents or turned away to avoid Warren's scorching stare.

Finally, the presiding judge, a middle-aged man with a calm and composed face but sharp eyes like a hawk, tapped the table lightly but with undeniable authority with his fingers covered by cold, fine gold hand guards.

That steady voice, like a hammer blow that brought the final sound, instantly suppressed the aftershocks of Warren's impassioned words: "Judge Warren," his voice was calm yet carried immense power, "Your loyalty to your duty and your fervent defense of the Empire's purity are acknowledged by Headquarters. The seriousness of the charges you have leveled cannot be ignored by anyone."

He surveyed the room, his sharp gaze sweeping over every face—whether solemn, thoughtful, or anxious. "However, procedure is justice, and procedure is the cornerstone upon which the Empire has stood for millennia. Such Imperial-level matters concerning serious charges and extermination plans must, according to the Internal Code of the Tribunal and the Edicts of Holy Terra, be decided by the Starfield Headquarters and even by the Supreme Lords of Holy Terra. Or at the very least, they must be subject to a thorough, independent, and comprehensive process of cross-examination and evidence verification by the Headquarters Special Investigation Committee."

He paused deliberately, emphasizing his words, his gaze fixed on Warren again, carrying an unquestionable authority: "At this stage, it is merely information transmission and preliminary risk assessment. Inquisitor Warren's report and the attached evidence have been officially recorded and archived by headquarters. Headquarters will carefully consider all key factors, including the frontline situation, technical risks, and... commander's authority, and strictly handle subsequent matters in accordance with regulations."

These words clearly and unmistakably pressed Warren's fanatical sword, which he longed to wield immediately, firmly onto the tedious, lengthy, yet insurmountable millstone of the process.

(End of this chapter)