Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 614 Saint Celestine
Over the next few days, Warren's investigation team was granted permission to conduct limited activities in certain non-core areas of the Karada fortress, based on permits for "technical exchange" and "security inspections".

They immediately began to move like mercury seeping into a crack.

They attempted to bypass the officially arranged reception channels and secretly contact the low-level technical staff and servants within the fortress.

Even some veterans of the Iron Hand, according to intelligence, held reservations about the series of radical reforms following the Primarch's return.

In a narrow, pipe-filled lower maintenance passage, a court member posing as an accompanying engineer tries to strike up a conversation with an elderly mechanic operator who is adjusting a pressure valve.

The servant had cloudy eyes and moved mechanically.

The court members asked him in a leading tone whether any unusual energy spikes had been observed in his area around "that great day".

Or you may hear unusual, mechanical noises, similar to an engine overload.

The servant sluggishly turned its metal head.

It utters incoherent, broken binary prayers for "the Emperor's blessing" and "long live the Primarch."

They are completely unable to provide any useful information.

In a corner of the canteen where staff were changing shifts, another court officer, disguised as a clerk, tried to strike up a conversation with several technical sergeants who had just changed shifts and were eating in silence.

He first praised Medusa's defensive fortifications.

Then, she subtly changed the subject, asking them if they knew anything about Judge Chen Xi's recent daily activities.

And how he usually interacts and makes decisions with Lord Ferrus.

The technical sergeants stopped chewing.

The face covered by part of a metal visor turned to him.

The cold, optical lenses stared at him without any emotion.

After several seconds of silence, one of them simply replied: "Obey the Primarch's will. Execute the command."

Then he stopped paying attention to any questions.

However, they soon realized that Medusa was like a tightly sealed, relentlessly operating giant war machine, making it almost impossible to find a way to attack her.

The vast majority of people here, whether mortals or Astartes, are either as taciturn as cogs and follow instructions to an almost rigid degree.

Or they harbor an almost absolute, deep-seated loyalty and worship for the returning progenitor.

They responded with an instinctive, cold vigilance and rejection to any probing questions or potential malice from outsiders.

Even among the veterans who were considered to have reservations about technological reforms or corps reorganization, their conservatism was mostly due to their adherence to old traditions.

Rather than doubt about Feralus Manus himself or his loyalty.

They also have a strong immunity to and aversion to the provocations of external forces like the courtroom.

The intelligence network deployed by Chen Xi mainly consists of the Ash Knights' internal security system, which is integrated and commanded by Hathor, as well as a number of strictly selected and absolutely loyal Iron Hand monks.

It has already been fully activated and is operating efficiently.

The movements of every member of Warren's team, every contact with unauthorized personnel, and even their low-frequency communications within their living quarters were continuously monitored through various means.

Every informal contact they had with someone, including the time, place, and person, was meticulously recorded.

And it was quickly reported to Chen Xi and Hathor.

Those who were contacted were often given a “friendly” but firm reminder by the security department afterward.

We reiterate the importance of maintaining confidentiality and absolute loyalty to the original genome.

At the same time, Chen Xi's side also quietly launched a countermeasure.

Some carefully crafted, mixed-up false information was subtly and "inadvertently" leaked to the court's informants through a few monitored, seemingly unguarded secondary communication channels or the mouths of certain gossipy grassroots personnel.

For example, there is the superficial rumor that the entire Karada fortress was enveloped in "a warm and dazzling imperial holy golden light" the moment of Feralus's return.

Or exaggerate and distort the normal fluctuations generated during the testing of certain large energy weapons or the startup of engines.

This subtly hinted at a connection to the Return Ritual, cleverly misleading the Inquisition's analysis. Several attempts by Warren's team to gain access to more sensitive areas—such as passages to the Deep Forging Temple or the Energy Core—through ambiguous interpretations of authority were also noted.

They were all cleverly delayed or persuaded to leave by routine security surprise inspections that were "just in time" or by critical equipment maintenance work that was "suddenly" arranged.

This silent yet fierce war of espionage and counter-espionage continues beneath the fortress’s glamorous official facade, in the shadowy corridors, bustling workshops, and crowded residential areas.

Neither side openly broke off relations, maintaining the fragile, tacitly agreed-upon superficial rules within the imperial bureaucracy.

But the competition is everywhere, and every inch of space seems to be filled with invisible gunpowder smoke.

Warren felt unprecedented frustration and anxiety.

What he gets is either useless, garbage information wrapped in piety.

It is either clearly carefully crafted misleading information.

The core secret he craved regarding the truth of the resurrection was kept perfectly safe.

The preliminary analysis of the scan data was frustratingly confusing—it did show anomalies, but could not be definitively identified.

It cannot serve as conclusive evidence to accuse someone of being "heretic" or "inhuman".

This vague sense of uncertainty, on the contrary, deepened his inner suspicions like venom.

He became increasingly convinced that the other party must have used some extremely sophisticated means, beyond the comprehension of the court, to cover up the terrible truth.

Just as Ferrus and Chen Xi's attention was firmly held by the court's investigation team, and Warren was getting impatient with the slow progress, pacing around in circles like a trapped beast in the designated area.

A dazzling golden light, seemingly imbued with the core energy of a star, tore apart the void structure at the edge of the Medusa Galaxy without warning.

There is no navigation signal and no scheduled jump window notification.

A small, magnificent temple ship, seemingly forged from pure gold and faith, named the "Holy Word," escaped from the warp in a way that defied the laws of physics.

Its streamlined hull was completely enveloped in a warm and powerful psionic glow.

The emblem of the Imperial State Religion shone brightly on its stern, like a second star.

The pure, divine energy fluctuations it emitted instantly caused all the detection instruments on the nearby "Fire of Purification" and its escort ships to emit a piercing, chaotic overload hum.

Many sophisticated sensors even temporarily malfunction.

A clear, pleasant female voice, yet imbued with undeniable authority, took over the official communication channel used throughout the Medusa Galaxy.

Its voice seemed to possess a purifying and soothing power, yet it also carried an absolute authority that inspired awe, dispelling all the gloom of conspiracy and treachery.

"Announcement to the Controller of Medusa. I am Saint Celestine, the living Word of the Emperor, the walking embodiment of His will. I request an immediate audience with Inquisitor Chen Xi. Make the necessary arrangements immediately."

This brief yet powerful communication spread like a thunderclap throughout the command chain of the Karada fortress.

The representatives of the state religion stationed in Medusa were initially astonished, then fell into a near-manic ecstasy.

They believed this was undoubtedly a further affirmation and blessing from the Emperor for Medusa and the great miracle of the Primarch's return.

This is a huge victory for the influence of the state religion.

The message was also delivered to Chen Xi, Felus, and Warren, who was still operating in the shadows.

Warren's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

The sudden arrival of the living saint, his radiant manner, and his direct demand to see Chen Xi completely disrupted his plans.

This places him in an extremely awkward and disadvantageous position—before the “miracles” manifested by the living saint, his dark suspicions and secret investigations seem particularly insignificant and laughable.

After her initial surprise, Chen Xi frowned deeply.

Saint Celestine's request to see him by name was far more than a simple "congratulation" or ordinary religious visit.

In the complex and dangerous game of the empire, a piece of unexpected and uncontrollable weight suddenly descended upon the carefully maintained balance in the most dazzling way.

A new storm has suddenly descended, in a more sacred, yet potentially more dangerous and unpredictable form.

(End of this chapter)