Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 679 The Debate on the Inner Ring

After an oppressive silence that seemed to stretch on for what felt like an eternity, High Master Azrael finally raised his hands, which had been clasped together on the stone table. This subtle movement broke the stalemate and instantly drew the attention of everyone present.

“Your Honor,” his voice was lower than before, carrying a thoughtful caution, “the clues you have presented… do indeed reveal some connections that cannot be ignored.”

He did not make a decision immediately, but instead cast his gaze upon his colleagues on either side, his eyes like probes, seemingly weighing the scales of each Grand Master's heart. Then he said, "Please leave Helm's Hall with your entourage for now, so that I may discuss this with my colleagues in the Inner Circle."

Chen Xi nodded slightly with a calm expression, offering no objection. He then turned and, together with the cloaked attendant, left the magnificent hall. The heavy, fine gold doors slowly closed behind them, separating the hall from the outside world.

Almost the instant the latch was pulled down, the long-suppressed debate in the Helm's Hall erupted like a flood breaking through a dam.

"A connection?" Deathwing's Archmage Belial was the first to challenge, his broad shoulders tense, his voice filled with undisguised suspicion and almost instinctive disgust. "Azrael, we're facing a sandcastle built of 'possibilities' and 'maybes'! A mere Inquisitor, relying on files of unknown origin, graffiti in alien lairs, and the 'feelings' of a psyker, expects us to open the archives we've guarded for ten thousand years?" He slammed his fist on the stone table, making a dull thud. "For ten thousand years, we've relied on silence and perseverance, not the whispers of outsiders!"

Chief Think Tank Ezekiel immediately raised his hand, seemingly trying to calm the agitated emotions. His voice was faster, carrying a scholarly calmness and analytical desire: "Calm down, Beria. But undeniably, his analysis of the attackers' modus operandi closely matches our recent records at the edge of the Caliban Nebula. The enemy is fully aware of our defensive weaknesses. To deny this threat would be truly reckless." His gaze was sharp, focusing more on the logical chain than on emotions.

“Even if there is a threat!” Belial roared back, veins bulging on his forehead. “It should be purified by the Inquisition itself! Introduce it to the Inquisition? Have you forgotten the lesson of Balduk III? A ‘curious’ Inquisitor almost exposed our centuries-long covert operations! We can’t afford to pay that price a second time!” Behind his anger was an almost obsessive protection of secrets, deeply rooted in Deathwing’s duty.

“Times have changed, Belial.” Ravenwing Grandmaster Samuel joined the debate, his voice carrying the expansiveness characteristic of a battlefield commander, yet also a barely perceptible longing. “Abaddon’s Black Legion is ravaging the galaxy. If… if the Inquisitor’s perception of the Primarch’s return is even one ten-thousandth as true,” his voice trembled almost imperceptibly at the mention of “Father,” revealing a deep-seated expectation, “would our own stagnation become a sin hindering Father’s awakening?”

"Allies? The Inquisition are allies?" Belial scoffed, his face filled with distrust. "They are the Empire's hounds, sniffing out 'truth,' while our survival depends on 'secrets'! If we give them access to the files, who can guarantee they won't piece together those... past events we absolutely don't want outsiders to know?" He practically gritted his teeth as he spoke the last few words, his gaze sweeping over each of his colleagues present, hinting at those deeply buried taboos.

“Perhaps,” Ezekiel spoke again, his tone softening as he tried to find a middle ground, “we can regard him as a double-edged sword that needs to be handled with care. We can utilize his intelligence, but impose the strictest restrictions and surveillance to keep the risks to a minimum.”

“A sword will cut its wielder!” Beria insisted, his patience clearly waning. “I see no awe in his eyes, only inquiry… and an unsettling certainty. He probably knows far more than he says. It’s a test, even a provocation!”

High Master Azrael listened silently, as still as a rock, his gaze shifting between the heated words, unfathomable, as if weighing the weight behind each utterance. The atmosphere in the hall was almost frozen, until the debate subsided and all eyes turned to him, each person being watched unconsciously straightening their back, awaiting the final judgment.

“Enough.” Azrael’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was like a cold, iron curtain, instantly ending all argument with unquestionable authority. “The Inner Circle’s duty is to weigh the pros and cons and make the necessary choices for the Chapter’s survival, no matter how difficult.” His words were followed by a heavy silence. He paused briefly, his gaze slowly sweeping across the faces of each Grand Master, finally settling on the tightly closed door. He nodded slightly to the Inner Circle monks standing to the side. The monks acknowledged his command, turned, and walked steadily toward the door, slowly opening it.

Soon, Chen Xi and his entourage reappeared at the entrance, stepping back into the solemn atmosphere of the Helm's Hall. They stood in their previous positions, Chen Xi's gaze calmly meeting that of the Supreme Grand Master behind the stone table, awaiting his announcement.

Azrael took a deep breath, his tone shifting to a solemn and cautious one, and formally announced the decision regarding the inner ring.

“Your Honor,” he began, using extremely formal language, “the external threats you have pointed out, and the possibility of them exploiting our weaknesses, are indeed a long-standing focus of the Inner Circle. The attacker analysis you provided matches our internal records. The Inner Circle acknowledges this.”

He shifted his tone slightly, speaking cautiously: "As for the connection between the ancient prophecy of the Primarch's return and the recent anomalies... this matter concerns the Chapter's most fundamental beliefs and hopes, and its truth or falsehood is not something outsiders can easily judge. Its impact also far exceeds the scope of this meeting. The Inner Circle will make its own assessment."

“However,” he continued, displaying a pragmatic approach after careful consideration, “given the value of the intelligence you obtained from the Genestealers’ lair, and taking into account the Imperial resources you can mobilize as an Inquisitor… the Inner Circle has decided to grant you limited trust and corresponding authority.”

“You can consult some of the non-core historical records in the archives under the supervision of Ezekiel, the chief think tank director,” he said, glancing at the director, who calmly nodded in response. “These records mainly concern star maps before the destruction of the Caliban and information on extinct alien races. This may provide some background for your ‘puzzle.’”

"At the same time, you need to report all the details of the 'psychic echoes' you perceived to Grand Master Xijie in detail so that we can analyze and verify them."

"In addition, you may participate to a limited extent in the briefings on unusual border incidents chaired by the 3rd Company Commander, but you shall not have access to specific deployments or internal action plans. All your activities will be strictly confined to the designated area and you will be accompanied by a member assigned by the inner circle throughout."

Finally, his gaze turned extremely grave, but his warning tone was more of a stern reminder than a blatant threat: "Your Excellency, this is the greatest concession the Inner Circle can make under the current circumstances. Please remember that any overstepping of boundaries, any attempt to explore secrets that should not be touched, regardless of the initial intention, will be considered the most serious act of hostility. In 'The Rock,' we have the right and the determination to eliminate any element that threatens the core interests of the Chapter by necessary means. I hope you understand the boundaries here."

Chen Xi felt a little more at ease. He knew that he had finally pried open a crack in this eternally impenetrable wall. The road ahead was certainly fraught with limitations and fraught with danger, but this was precisely the first necessary step in his plan to get closer to the deeply buried secret.

(End of this chapter)