Warhammer: In the Name of Ashes

"The City of Divine Grace on the main continent and institutions in various settlements on the subcontinent have settled in. This is the situation for the time being. The local council is allocating manpower, and there are also two black ships in the direction of Terra carrying a group of trainee judges who have completed training. Heading towards Ophelia.”

In the core area of ​​the City of Divine Grace, in Calvin's temporary office, three Grand Inquisitors were reporting in front of Calvin on matters and progress regarding the establishment of Ophelia's observation agency.

Ophelia, who has just passed by a real large-scale Chaos pollution, seems to be calm now, but it is the most dangerous and vulnerable moment in the eyes of the Inquisition.

Calvin's "redemption" of this planet allowed it to escape disaster, but its population of tens of billions and its special position within the Empire's state church still made the Inquisition sufficiently wary of this planet to send out an over-the-top order. staff are permanently stationed. There is a sense of taking root and settling down here.

And this is indeed the true intention of Calvin and the Inquisition.

Because Ophelia was previously the capital of the Storm Star Territory and was also the de facto capital of the Empire’s state religion. The power of the state religion here is deeply entrenched and irreversible after thousands of years of management.

With a host of Battle Sisters and more than two Chapters of the Astartes stationed there, even the most targeted Orders of Rebellion in the Inquisition had no good reason to establish a large institution.

The business structure of the Inquisition in the Tempest Domain can only maintain an existential function. The lack of eyes in the political center often makes their intelligence fall behind others, and their work in the entire star field naturally falls into passivity.

But today's Ophelia is different from the past. Calvin's attack on the Chaos Demon forced the state church to accept his kindness.

During the time window when Calvin has not yet left and the new supreme administrator is not yet stable in power, it is the perfect time for the Inquisition to take root in this special planet.

There are also considerations in this regard for Ophelia's over-standard personnel support. During the time when the state church cannot turn around, try to increase the number of personnel here as much as possible. By creating a fait accompli, we can follow the existing practices in future personnel numbers. .

And "convention", a magic weapon that prevails among all the bureaucracy-ridden institutions in the empire, will then become a weapon that makes the state religion helpless and can only pinch its nose and accept the reality.

The three people's report on the personnel arrangements on Ophelia was conducted under this background.

As a soul from a nation with enough "historical precipitation", Calvin turned a blind eye to this and acquiesced in the small transgressions secretly committed by these judges.

"Father..." The office door was gently pushed open by Calvin's adjutant, Alan Janus, and Calvin's eyes shifted, waiting for Alan's statement.

"Baka has received our subpoena, and the Astropath has sent a reply. Admiral of the Star Territory Navy, High Lord General Samar Tai, expressed his understanding and respect for your arrangement. The new escort fleet has set off and will be 25 standard terra will arrive in Ophelia later.”

Allen finished reading the official document in his hand and waited for Calvin's reaction.

"Call back, thank you Admiral High Lord for your understanding, but the fleet does not have to meet me in Ophelia. Our fleet is about to set sail back to Terra. If conditions permit, please escort the fleet to arrive in the Hollison V sector on the 25th. Fedman Galaxy, complete the rendezvous with our fleet."

"yes."

After watching Allen's figure disappear outside the office of his temporary residence, Calvin turned his head and continued the discussion.

"I have no objection to the staffing of the settlement, but my opinion is to make two more backups for the orbital observation station and the emergency signal station. The corresponding configuration of the astropaths and automatic beacons is also the same..."

Calvin's last ten days of temporary stay on Ophelia 7 were spent in such intensive preparation and coordination work. During this period, except for the new Holy See Clarence who insisted on coming to pay his respects every day, only the leader of the Battle Sisters had visited.

Calvin personally received the latter on his visit and had a long conversation with him.

In his eyes, these mortal armed forces, which were under the dual jurisdiction of the Inquisition and the State Church, were also rare and powerful troops.

Their internal cleansing effect in the past records of the Inquisition was an effect that Calvin was happy to see. In his future plans for the Gray Knights, he also does not plan to get too involved in this work.

This is a job that only the Battle Sisters are suitable for, because the purge within the team is naturally of a sensitive political nature, and if the word Astartes, which the Empire has been guarding against, is introduced, the already complicated situation will become even more confusing. .

What is mortal is for mortal, and what is Astartes is for Astartes.

Calvin had enough understanding of this "unspoken rule" implicit in the imperial political ecology, and naturally respected it enough.

The Sisters of Battle left satisfied with Calvin's friendly attitude and clear support. In the latter's last days on Ophelia 7, only two Astartes chapters among the local leaders did not show enough respect for him.

Calvin had anticipated this and had no intention of taking this invisible offense to heart.

He could understand the concerns of the two Astartes Captains, especially since both came from the background of the founding Chapter.

Calvin's identity was not just a thrill for them, but a far-reaching political investment.

The influence of the founding chapters is so wide-ranging. In the context that the Empire has expanded the chapter nearly 30 times in accordance with the Codex Astartes, the interests involved in any founding chapter are not limited to the planet where it is located. within the area.

They are now like a deep-rooted tree. On the basis of deep integration with local forces, they also more or less influence the derived secondary war groups and more local forces.

Their stance had lost its original purity, and it was not just the duties and mission of the Astartes that were taken into consideration.

In fact, today, thousands of years after Dorne and Guilliman fell silent, their warbands no longer look like their original legions.

Calvin also understands this situation, so he has no interest in fighting for the complex positions of these war groups that affect the whole body.

The scope of duties of the Gray Knights originally had little overlap with these traditional Astartes; not all the Inquisition and the Astartes Chapters had established friendly diplomacy.

Like the Inquisition, he only had a basic respect for the current Astartes and treated their relationship with each other in a cold manner. It was not a prudent choice on his part after careful consideration.

Ten days passed by in a flash, and when the matters aboard Ophelia 7 came to an end, Calvin no longer had any purpose to stay here.

As the plasma engines of the Angel of Punishment in orbit began roaring again, thunderhawks descended like rain on the tarmac of the City of Divine Grace.

Under the watchful eyes of the imperial state church and the farewell procession of high-ranking officers, Calvin and the accompanying Honor Guard finally embarked on their return journey.

Update, no need to ask for votes. My face already hurts and I’m afraid of being hit, hahaha.