The emblem of the Inquisition blazed with piercing intensity, radiating an invisible aura of intimidation.
Everyone knew what it meant.
Those terrifying beings were about to descend upon this planet.
"I can only hope the situation isn't too serious..." The planetary governor felt numb all over.
An incident like this had occurred on his planet, so he naturally bore an undeniable share of the responsibility.
If he had been a governor in the old Imperium, a protest or rebellion on his planet would hardly have mattered.
As long as he paid the Planetary Tithe, no one would care even if the rebels turned the entire world upside down.
Even if those rebels overthrew the planetary governor and installed themselves as the new rulers, the Imperium would not have cared.
All that mattered was that the new rulers continued paying the tithe.
But in the new Imperium, a planetary governor bore direct responsibility for the world under his jurisdiction. If anything went wrong, he could be held accountable, arrested, or even placed on trial.
During a period of total war, such accountability became even stricter!
"O Savior, I have failed your teachings and expectations!"
At that moment, the planetary governor felt that his future was utterly bleak. Trembling from head to toe, he wondered how he would explain everything to the Inquisitor when they arrived.
After an incident like this, the Inquisitor would undoubtedly conduct a comprehensive investigation. There was a good chance they would uncover many other issues in the process.
If any regulations had been violated and he had concealed the matter instead of reporting it, his punishment would become even more severe.
Therefore, he chose to confess everything in exchange for leniency.
Although the governor was trembling and overwhelmed with despair, he still maintained his composure and dignity.
He personally hurried to the scene and dealt with the relevant issues.
This incident involved xenos-related heresy as well as loyalty to the Imperium and the Savior. There could be no negligence whatsoever.
Before long, every heretic involved, whether dead or alive, had been taken into custody.
Even the severely wounded received medical treatment.
Fortunately, the unexpected incident had caused little damage or loss of life, preventing it from being classified as a major event.
After arriving, the Inquisitor investigated the entire affair but found no evidence of xenos involvement.
The heretics simply possessed warped beliefs. Lingering traces of T'au-worshipping ideology had driven them to demean their own humanity and identify with the xenos.
"My lord Inquisitor, I failed in my duties to this planet. I did not treat the Supreme Directive with the seriousness it deserved, nor did I carry out the necessary public education.
"I have failed the Savior's teachings and the Imperial citizens of this world. I am willing to confess every problem under my administration..."
With reddened eyes, the planetary governor confessed everything to the Inquisitor, including several instances of dereliction of duty.
His only saving grace was that none of those failings amounted to an actual crime.
In the end, the governor was stripped of every position he held and demoted in citizenship grade. His career within the Imperial administrative system was effectively over.
This was already an extremely lenient punishment.
After all, the governor had indeed neglected his duties, and his poor administration had allowed heretical and seditious activity to emerge on his planet.
Such incidents were relatively rare throughout the Imperium.
Furthermore, the Imperium was now at war.
Fortunately, the incident had not caused significant casualties or losses. Otherwise, the governor would have faced a much harsher punishment.
He might have been sentenced to penal labor or simply condemned to death.
Similar protests and opposition movements appeared sporadically throughout the Imperium, drawing the attention of the Imperial Court's Department of State Affairs and Propaganda Department.
They strengthened their patrols and oversight to prevent such incidents from interfering with humanity's war against the Necrons.
The heretics arrested on this planet also received appropriate sentences.
Of course, the Imperium now exercised a degree of restraint when carrying out executions.
Most of the offenders would be allowed to live. They were sent to undeveloped frontier regions for penal labor, where they would contribute to the Imperium without compensation.
Their ringleaders and the principal members who had assaulted Imperial citizens were not even given the opportunity to serve through penal labor.
"Since you people consider yourselves champions of peace, the Imperium will grant you an opportunity to prove it," the Inquisitor said after learning about the beliefs of the ringleaders and their principal followers.
He passed a special sentence.
These criminals would be transported to the war zone and serve as humanity's envoys, tasked with persuading the Necrons to surrender.
Once the war began, the Inquisition would launch these "peace advocates" into Necron territory.
Since they were so fond of urging others to reflect upon their actions, they could be strapped to enormous loudspeakers and sent to convince the warmongering Necrons to surrender and reconsider their behavior.
Whatever the Necron xenos ultimately did to them was none of the Inquisition's concern.
It would simply be the fate they deserved.
"No! You can't do this!"
"This is a mistake! The xenos will tear us apart!"
"We... we want penal labor instead!"
The middle-aged man and the other principal members of the movement immediately turned pale when they heard the sentence.
They had long since calmed down and understood what it meant. Falling into the hands of the Necrons might be an even more miserable fate than immediate death.
Unfortunately, they no longer had the right to choose.
They could only accept the judgment passed upon them.
Some of the criminals burst into tears, bitterly regretting their decision to participate in such heretical activities.
Their planet was nowhere near the war zone and had not suffered from unrest. Even during total war, their lives would not have been in danger.
Barring some unexpected disaster, they could have lived out their entire lives in peace and stability.
The Inquisitor ignored them and turned to leave.
As he departed, he sighed with emotion.
"The Imperium has enjoyed peace for only a short while, yet some people have already forgotten humanity's circumstances and the cruelty of war..."
It was a development worthy of vigilance.
The Imperial Court and the Inquisition were already formulating measures to address the problem and preparing a new campaign of cautionary education.
If such ideas were allowed to spread unchecked, then one day these fools might even demand that humanity disband its armies.
"Perhaps this is a conspiracy or intervention by the Changer of Ways, quietly corrupting the Imperium from within..."
That was what the Inquisitor suspected.
The Imperium's territories had remained secure for so long that many people no longer realized humanity was still under constant assault and corruption from xenos and heretics.
This was especially true of the incursions launched by Chaos from the Warp.
Humanity's armies and specialist forces simply eliminated most threats before ordinary people ever became aware of them.
That was exactly what the Imperium's warriors and guardians hoped to accomplish. They wanted to keep such dangers far away from the lives of ordinary humans.
In reality, the Adeptus Astartes and Grey Knights were being deployed more frequently than ever before.
Now that the Imperium had grown stronger, it could protect more places and strive to perform even better.
Naturally, this resulted in more military operations.
However, the beginning of total war had exposed several underlying problems, and the relevant strategies would be adjusted accordingly.
At the very least, Imperial propaganda would report more frequently on xenos and heretical threats, as well as the sacrifices made by humanity's warriors.
The people needed to understand more clearly what was truly happening.
Although the Inquisitor departed after resolving the heresy case, the repercussions of the incident continued to spread.
"Waaah! Those damned human heretics have brought disaster upon us loyal xenos!"
When the Supreme Ethereal and the elders learned what had happened, they felt numb all over. They had never imagined that the incident could somehow implicate the T'au.
They wanted nothing more than to strangle those T'au-obsessed humans before the affair damaged the Imperial Court's opinion of loyal xenos like themselves.
How could they not be terrified?
The glorious armies of the Imperium were stationed across every T'au world. The T'au had already become a vassal species of the Imperium and served as auxiliaries to its military.
More importantly, every current member of the T'au leadership had graduated from the Loyalist Academy and was unwaveringly devoted to the Imperium.
If anyone showed even the slightest sign of heresy or rebellion, the other T'au would unite against them before the Imperium even had a chance to intervene.
Furthermore, this was a period of total war. The T'au could not display any behavior that might interfere with the Imperium's grand strategy.
They needed to show even greater devotion to the Greater Greater Good.
Double the loyalty!
"O Savior, we must hurry to Dawn City!"
The Supreme Ethereal and the elders did not hesitate.
Strictly speaking, the incident had little to do with them. Even so, they gathered local delicacies as gifts and hurried to the Imperial Court to apologize.
They had several former classmates from the Loyalist Academy working in the Department of State Affairs. Perhaps those connections could put in a good word for them.
No matter what, they could not allow the T'au to be falsely accused.
They were loyal!
"The T'au had absolutely nothing to do with this heretical rebellion! We are loyal to the Greater Greater Good and to the great Savior!"
"Perhaps Farsight and those heretical rebels still harbor treacherous ambitions. They may be trying to sabotage the relationship between the T'au and our Imperium!"
Facing the Minister of State Affairs and the senior Inquisitor sent to investigate, the Supreme Ethereal and the elders spoke with aggrieved indignation.
They desperately explained that they had nothing to do with the incident and begged the glorious human armies to locate and eradicate the T'au traitors.
Farsight and his rebels had completely broken away from the T'au more than two centuries ago. They had hidden along the galaxy's fringes and established new Enclaves.
They had not been seen since.
Fortunately, the senior Inquisitor's investigation confirmed that the T'au had not been involved. The matter was not pursued any further.
The T'au leadership was merely ordered to submit a written self-criticism, after which the case was closed.
Of course, punishment was not the only outcome of the incident. Several loyal individuals involved also received rewards.
The enforcers who had swiftly suppressed the heretics and wielded their batons with admirable force were rewarded and promoted.
Even the public-spirited Imperial citizens who joined the fight received honorary commendations.
This was especially true of Myron, the conglomerate employee who had thrown the first kick.
Not only did he receive an official Imperial commendation, a Heroic Citizen Certificate, and a reward in credits, but he was also praised by his agricultural machinery conglomerate and named a model employee.
"Y-you're saying I've been promoted to team leader? And I can transfer to the new line of business?"
Myron stared at the corporate notice in disbelief, barely able to contain his excitement.
Coming from an ordinary frontier planet to this prosperous region and securing a position in the conglomerate had already seemed like an extraordinary blessing.
Countless people born within the local sector dreamed of joining the conglomerate. Simply wearing its emblem in public was enough to earn the respect of others.
Now, despite having worked there for only a short time, Myron had already been promoted to team leader.
He had thought he would need to work for at least another ten years before such an opportunity arose.
Instead, all he had done was kick a heretic, and he had received honors and opportunities beyond his wildest dreams.
His salary would rise considerably, allowing his family to move into better corporate housing. The new division would also offer many more opportunities for advancement.
His family had just welcomed their third child, and he had been worrying about how to increase his income and ease their financial burden.
Now every problem had been solved at once.
"Praise the great Savior! What incredible favor he has shown me!"
Myron stood there in a daze, his head buzzing. He could only attribute everything to the Savior's protection.
How else could such incredible fortune have fallen straight into his lap?
"This total war represents an excellent opportunity for our conglomerate to grow. It will also create many new positions.
"Work hard, and you're certain to have a bright future."
The supervisor patted Myron on the shoulder. He already regarded the young man as one of his trusted subordinates.
This young fellow from a frontier system was honest, hardworking, and no less courageous than anyone else.
The more the supervisor observed him, the more satisfied he became.
If Myron had not already started a family, the supervisor might even have introduced him to his own daughter.
Thinking about his daughter gave the man a headache.
She was no longer young, yet she refused to take a position in the conglomerate. Instead, she traveled throughout Imperial territory with a group of civilian exploration teams.
She claimed that she wanted to become some kind of psy-net streamer. It was apparently a new profession, although her father did not understand it very well.
Now that war had begun, all he could do was urge her to stay as far away from the war zones as possible.
A mechanical roar suddenly came from outside.
The supervisor and Myron walked onto the office terrace.
Below them stretched the factory floor. Waves of air heated to several hundred degrees surged upward before being repelled by a protective field.
This was a foundry workshop filled with furnaces hundreds of meters tall and massive conveyor belts. Enormous gears, still glowing red after being forged, emerged one after another.
Through the clouds of steam and smoke, workers could be seen operating machinery that transported the gears and controlled the furnaces.
The gears were four or five meters in diameter, yet they were merely components for large agricultural machines.
That alone revealed the astonishing size of the completed vehicles.
These enormous agricultural machines were designed to level entire mountain ranges, creating plains one after another. They were equally effective at cultivating even the hardest ground.
The large agricultural machines produced by the Dowa Agricultural Machinery Conglomerate were highly popular among agricultural worlds and held a considerable share of the market.
Many of the Imperium's most famous agricultural systems were long-standing customers. The Department of Agriculture had even granted the company an award for excellence in agricultural development.
In truth, the Dowa Agricultural Machinery Conglomerate had originally been a factory on a Forge World specializing in the construction of God-Engine Titans.
The Titans they built were renowned for their durable armor and powerful drive systems.
Later, however, lower-ranked Forge Worlds like theirs were forced to answer the Department of Economic Affairs' call for large-scale industrial restructuring. One factory after another was separated from its parent Forge World and reorganized into new conglomerates.
They began producing greater quantities of civilian machinery and participating in the Imperium's civilian economy, helping drive Imperial prosperity.
After transitioning to agricultural machinery, Dowa carved out an entirely new place for itself in the civilian market.
Even so, the conglomerate never stopped researching new technologies and materials.
Competition within the agricultural machinery market was fierce.
Dowa had to constantly improve its technology to remain competitive. More importantly, the conglomerate had always dreamed of returning to the military industry and once again demonstrating its true capabilities.
After all, how could building agricultural machinery possibly compare to forging God-Engine Titans?
Years ago, Dowa had lost in the Imperium's fierce military procurement competition and had been forced to transition into civilian machinery.
With the declaration of total war, however, the Imperium's demand for armaments had exploded. The existing Forge Worlds could not possibly satisfy that demand on their own.
Naturally, conglomerates like Dowa would receive a share of the work.
They would convert a portion of their civilian production capacity to military manufacturing and supply Forge Worlds with essential components.
"Our bearings and gears are the finest available. Their hardness and durability exceed competing products by 3.5 percent, and we've already won the Department of Military Affairs' procurement bid," the supervisor said.
His voice was brimming with confidence.
"If we handle this contract properly, we can pursue even greater opportunities.
"For example, we could establish our own assembly facility for a new Dowa-pattern God-Engine Titan. The conglomerate's board of directors has already approved the project.
"We'll use our own core bearings, gears, and proprietary technologies, then purchase the other necessary components. That will allow us to assemble the most cost-effective Titan on the market and drive the price down.
"The Department of Military Affairs and the Legions will be fighting to place orders with us..."
Now that the Imperium had entered total war, the economic authorities were also preparing reforms to the industrial system.
The Dowa Agricultural Machinery Conglomerate could already foresee that the Imperium would need far more war machines on the battlefield and that its losses would be extremely high.
God-Engine Titans would become standard deployment units in large-scale warfare. Whenever a path needed to be cleared, the Imperium might simply drop an entire batch of them onto the battlefield.
In short, Imperial demand for Titans would be enormous. Existing production capacity would almost certainly leave a gap in supply.
If Dowa could truly reduce the price of God-Engine Titans, its highly cost-effective models would inevitably become popular military products.
Even Legions that had never intended to field Titans might decide to order a batch and test them.
More importantly, as the conglomerate's operations expanded, the status of those working in its new divisions would rise alongside it.
Myron and the supervisor envisioned the future, both clearly sensing that the Imperium now possessed a vitality unlike anything they had ever witnessed before.
This might be the greatest opportunity of their entire careers.
Yet neither of them allowed themselves to grow complacent. Instead, they became even more serious about their work.
The Dowa Agricultural Machinery Conglomerate was not the only organization competing for this opportunity.
Nearly every qualified conglomerate, corporation, and Forge World within Imperial territory would employ its own methods to participate in this competition.
Even companies originally dedicated to civilian industries would divert part of their production capacity to the war effort.
The sheer number of conglomerates and the scale of their combined production were staggering.
Competition would become even fiercer, and those who failed in this new arms and technology race would inevitably be eliminated.
Across the entire Imperium, mechanical factories had begun operating at full capacity.
Their furnaces blazed!
Meanwhile, inside a mechanical factory on the Forge World of Vanaheim...
At some unknown point, the flames that had once burned within the factory's furnaces had gone out.
Dust now covered everything.
The entire facility showed signs of decline and decay.
(End of Chapter)
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