Seraphs of the Emperor’s Judgment

Chapter 89: Inquisitor Angelica

But just as Soshyan had anticipated, the events on Cetis would indeed not end so easily.

Trouble found him thirteen hours after he returned to the Starfire.

The hydraulic doors to Soshyan's private meeting room hissed before opening. Strangely, the person outside did not enter immediately.

She stood by the door, her hand resting on the frame.

"Revered Chapter Master, may I come in?"

"You may, Inquisitor."

"Pardon my intrusion then."

This young woman revealed a warm smile, but given her identity, Soshyan would not mistake this smile for friendliness.

The Imperial Inquisition: the Emperor's tireless, watchful eyes.

As an entirely independent organization with authority superseding even the Chancellery of the Estate Imperium, the Inquisition wielded immense power.Because the Inquisition's duties included monitoring and policing the operations of other Imperial institutions, the Inquisition itself answered only to the Emperor.

Aside from the Emperor Himself, no one could evade the Inquisition's scrutiny. This power was known as the Inquisitorial Mandate, or the Inquisitorial Rosette.

Similarly, aside from the Ecclesiarchy (which was still bound by external Imperial decrees), the Inquisition was the only fully independent organization within the Imperium.

Unlike the bloated and cumbersome Imperial institutions under the leadership of the Chancellery of the Estate Imperium, the Inquisition was a uniquely autonomous organization that answered only to itself.

The Inquisition utilized Inquisitorial Fortresses scattered across the four corners of the Imperium as their bases of operation. The function of a standard Inquisitor was to investigate and deal with all potential threats to the Imperium and humanity.

In the eyes of the Inquisition, there were many types of potential threats, including the threat of xenos invasion.

However, the consensus among the majority of Inquisitors was that the greatest threats stemmed from corruption and disloyalty within the Imperium, as well as unsanctioned psykers. In addition, mutants constituted a massive internal threat, representing a persistent contamination of the human genome.

Generally speaking, the Inquisition's purview was boundless: xenos conspiracies, unsanctioned psykers, political corruption, and the incompetence of ruling bodies all fell within their jurisdiction.

If necessary, Inquisitors possessed the authority to requisition aid from any Imperial institution or servant.

Even the High Lords of Terra could not refuse an Inquisitor's command without exceptionally good reason.

For the most part, even the Space Marines and the Adeptus Mechanicus had to obey their orders.

However, experienced Inquisitors were careful and cautious; they would request the aid of Space Marines and try their utmost to avoid antagonizing them.

In order to fulfill the Inquisition's functions, Inquisitors needed to circumvent the dogmatic bureaucratic constraints of the vast majority of Imperial departments, remaining one step ahead to swiftly and effectively resolve problems.

Therefore, there were no hierarchies or departments within the Inquisition; every Inquisitor was independent. Authority within the Inquisition was determined by only two things: reputation and influence.

Seniority itself did not demonstrate an Inquisitor's authority, but most Inquisitors would heed the warnings of their elders and seek guidance from more experienced peers.

According to the notification, this woman, Angelica, was a newly promoted Inquisitor currently operating in the Draconis Sector who had swiftly learned of the tragedy on Cetis.

Thus, naturally, she sought out the one who caused it.

Yet she had indeed come alone, seemingly unconcerned about her own safety.

As she entered the private room, her thick high heels tapped lightly against the metal floor, emitting a crisp clacking sound.

This woman appeared tall, though not exceptionally so—merely taller than the majority of women Soshyan had seen. She ought to be around 1.8 meters tall.

Her physique was elegant but not frail, possessing an unusual beauty of strength.

Her pitch-black hair was very similar to Soshyan's, but as soft and smooth as satin, woven into tiny braids that fell all the way to her shoulders.

Her skin was a healthy white, like an ice cliff in the dead of winter, rather than the pallor of a consumptive.

Upon that delicate face rested a pair of eyes so blue they were unsettling. Soshyan could only find one thing to compare them to: ice crystals falling from the sky in the dead of winter.

From this, he deduced that her artificial irises were likely made of crystal, for they looked like glass dyed azure by the night sky.

Furthermore, he knew that those eyes, or at least one of them, must also be artificial.

Although the exquisite craftsmanship made them appear almost seamless, Soshyan could hear the minute clicking sounds emanating from her face as she used the bionic lens to take pictures.

Angelica wore a uniform and jacket typical of many Imperial Inquisitors, yet it still retained some traces of her origins—five bronze throwing knives hung at her hip, their blades stained with green.

Evidently, she likely came from a relatively primitive world.

A Needler Pistol was also tucked into her waist. Every inch of its silhouette showcased the craftsmanship behind it: a Master Artisan of exceptional skill had engraved the runes of the Adeptus Mechanicus onto the surface of its black iron alloy.

"Chapter Master of the Astral Knights, Soshian Alexei."

The female Inquisitor leaned against the wooden desk—which was massively oversized compared to what a normal human would use—and said in an informal tone:

"Did the landowners of Cetis anger you that much?"

"Not entirely, Inquisitor. I merely dispensed a minor punishment, that is all."

This Inquisitor wasn't even wearing her armor. Beneath her jacket was only a one-piece jumpsuit and a pair of tall boots, showcasing the flexibility and tautness of her physique.

But the augmentations of a Space Marine had long since excised the capacity to feel physical desires; Soshyan felt nothing but confusion.

When had the Imperium's Inquisitors become so undignified?

Angelica swept her gaze around the meeting room and immediately pointed at the parchment scroll hanging on the wall.

"Forgive my presumption, but what is that?"

Soshyan glanced at it. It was a work he had completed with his own hands—the parchment bore a detailed record of the names of the battle-brothers who died on the World Engine, as well as those who fell on the orbital station.

It was written in the language of the homeworld from Soshyan's memories. This was a cipher with no corresponding phonetics, meaning Angelica could not read it.

"They are private records."

Soshyan had no intention of explaining.

"They are written very elegantly, but they look like a roster..."

Angelica's finger hesitated.

"Those are the names of the battle-brothers who died fighting on the World Engine. Inquisitor Angelica, is there anything I can help you with?"

Hearing Soshyan's somewhat impatient tone, Angelica raised her eyebrows and let out a sigh through her teeth.

"I returned from Cetis less than twenty minutes ago. A thorough inspection of this world's administrative institutions is currently underway. Those traces of corruption will soon be scoured clean."

Soshyan said nothing.

The Inquisitor stared at the Astartes' expressionless face and smiled.

"What happened down there must have disgusted you, didn't it?"

Once again, Soshyan said nothing.

Angelica shifted her hip away from the edge of the desk and walked step-by-step to Soshyan's side, observing him from a much closer distance.

"Did such things not happen on the world you were born on, before you became an Astartes?"

This time, Soshyan smiled helplessly and replied:

"You ought to know that you shouldn't ask an Astartes about his past, Inquisitor."

The woman's smile turned into a grin. Her snow-white teeth paired with those bright eyes were indeed enough to move the hearts of most mortals.

"Perhaps I do know, or perhaps I simply enjoy this kind of wordplay."

"A game. I should have guessed."

She chose to ignore Soshyan's dry tone.

"When a new Governor arrives, he will rebuild the planetary government's administrative system. The unwarranted murder of Imperial citizens, even slaves, will be considered a crime."

This was nothing out of the ordinary, but what Soshyan was curious about was why the other party was doing this, and he understood even less why she chose to tell him all of this.

"Inquisitor, I am not interested in the details of your bureaucratic restructuring. I am certain you have a clear reason for being here."

Angelica leaned her upper body in, leaving only a fist's breadth of distance between them, and whispered softly:

"Chapter Master Soshyan, do you not find it strange?"

"What?"

"Why did the Sector Governor, the Departmento Justitiae, and the Departmento Munitorum all take no action after the rebellion occurred, simply allowing the situation to deteriorate? In the few months since the rebellion broke out, millions of people have lost their lives. Among them were landowners, Serfs, as well as those veteran freeholders."

Soshyan gave no reply.

"Because after so many years of peace, Volistad's population has violently swelled to three times what it was twenty years ago, yet its food production capacity has not seen a significant proportional increase. The newly added production has largely been consumed by the surplus population itself."

She recounted an incredibly cruel truth in a relaxed tone.

"With arable land becoming increasingly scarce, the Departmento Munitorum couldn't settle the veterans, the Chancellery couldn't collect the projected crop tithes, and the Planetary Governor was bearing ever-mounting pressure from the landowners. Contradictions piled up on all fronts."

At this point, Soshyan had already guessed what she was going to say next.

"This rebellion was an excellent opportunity. A portion of the landowners and grain merchants would be eliminated, a portion of the veteran freeholders would be eliminated, and even more Serfs, aside from those who destroyed themselves, would be arrested by the Departmento Justitiae on charges of rioting... Next year, after the landowners divvy up their neighbors' land, production will increase, and the collection of the crop tithes won't be affected. The Departmento Munitorum will have more land to settle retired officers and soldiers, and the Departmento Justitiae will obtain shipload after shipload of prisoners to be shipped off to penal mines."

Angelica clapped her hands together lightly.

"All sides reaped a harvest; no one suffered any losses."

"Except those who died."

(End of Chapter)