Having dealt with the Ecclesiarchy's affairs, Alex immediately rushed to the Inquisition Black Ship.
This was not the same Black Ship he had been on before, but the Inquisitor on board was the same one Alex had met previously.
"Inquisitor, have you switched ships again?" Alex asked playfully, though his underlying meaning was to inquire about his purpose.
Although the Inquisitor's arrival had helped Rostov II overcome its difficulties, Alex did not believe that an Inquisitor arriving with an Inquisition Black Ship would be a good thing.
However, the Inquisitor merely spread his hands and said, "This isn't my ship; it's yours! I'm here to deliver your ship."
"What? My ship?" Alex was stunned for a moment, but then he remembered what he had said last time: the Star Sector Tribunal had not only promoted him but also allocated a cruiser to him.
"Yes, your ship," the Inquisitor affirmed with a nod, then explained, "After I reported your situation here to the Star Sector Inquisition Conference, it was decided after discussion to change the cruiser allocated to you to a Black Ship, and to assign a Deathwatch squad to accompany you.
On a side note, Captain Titus of the Ultramarines, whom you asked me to find for you, is currently in this squad.
His situation is quite complex; the Inquisitor who arrested him was confirmed to have fallen, and he and other Space Marines were secretly imprisoned by that Inquisitor for nearly a century.
Although they have been released now, they have not cleared themselves of the suspicion of disloyalty, so they cannot return to their original Chapter.
This matter shouldn't have involved us, but due to your request, these Space Marines were brought over by us; they have been inducted into Deathwatch service, and five of them now form a combat squad under your command."
As the Inquisitor spoke, he handed a thick file to Alex.
Alex took the file and looked at the archives of these Space Marines inside, surprised, "Good heavens, this Inquisitor really isn't afraid of offending people! He didn't miss a single one of the nine founding Chapters. Does he really think the Inquisition can do whatever it wants?"
It was no wonder Alex was surprised; the file in his hand showed that the Space Marines arrested by that Inquisitor came from the Ultramarines, Space Wolves, Salamanders, Dark Angels, and Blood Angels, among other founding Chapters; it could be said that not a single one of the nine founding Chapters was missed.
It could be said that if this list were released, it would certainly cause a political storm.
However, this matter could be big or small; ultimately, it depended on whether this was the will of the Inquisition or the personal actions of that Inquisitor.
As for the relationship between the Inquisition and the Space Marines, it is actually a very delicate topic.
At least so far, the nine founding Chapters have not caused trouble for the Inquisition over this matter, even if they truly knew about it.
"You and I are both Inquisitors; we both understand that some people always cross necessary lines, don't we?" The Inquisitor shrugged, then said to Alex, "Anyway, I've brought you the people you wanted, and these people, along with this trouble, are now yours. How you choose to deal with them is your business."
"Alright, I understand. I'll handle this matter." Alex didn't dwell on it. These ten Space Marines were indeed a bother, but not so much that he found it difficult to handle.
Ultimately, the Inquisition is one of the most powerful departments in the Imperium, while the Space Marines are a military organization that has been severely marginalized in Terra's political circles, viewed with disdain by the High Lords of Terra, and carries a political stain.
Before the return of the Gene-Seed Primarchs, the Space Marines, due to their past history with the Great Rebellion, had always been marginalized by the High Lords of Terra and targeted by the Inquisition.
If they did not want to be seen as openly rebelling against the Imperium, general Space Marine Chapters did not have the option of defying the Inquisition.
As for the founding Chapters, their political influence was indeed enough to allow them to confront the Inquisition, but under normal circumstances, the nine founding Chapters would not engage in direct conflict with the Inquisition simply because one or two individuals were investigated or arrested by the Inquisition.
Even the seemingly most reckless Space Wolves, apart from the 'Month of Shame' incident where the Inquisition truly rode roughshod over them, rarely engaged in real combat with the Inquisition.
Therefore, even if these Space Marines came from the nine founding Chapters, Alex did not believe this was a difficult matter to handle, and the Mariupol Sector Star Sector Tribunal also held the same view.
Otherwise, this matter would not be a benefit but a problem.
This did not align with the Star Sector Inquisition Conference's desire to gain more 'loyalty' shares from Alex.
Although when this matter was submitted to the Star Sector Inquisition Conference, someone suggested using it to pressure Alex, and then, when he clashed with the Space Marines, the Star Sector Inquisition Conference would step in to save the situation, thereby gaining more 'loyalty' shares, this proposal was ultimately rejected.
It wasn't that they didn't want to do that, but rather that the nine founding Chapters were unlikely to cause trouble over this matter.
Moreover, they couldn't figure out whether Alex simply wanted to get the people out or had other motives.
Having taken command of this squad of Space Marines, now part of Deathwatch, Alex, accompanied by the Inquisitor, toured the Inquisition Black Ship, understanding the situation of the ship that would soon belong to him.
"The Inquisition Black Ship, as a special type of strike cruiser, is basically no different from the strike cruisers used by Space Marines, except for some facilities on board that are more suited to the Inquisition's usage habits," the Inquisitor explained as they walked, his tone not without envy: "Your Black Ship was built during M38, an old meritorious ship with two thousand years of history.
Its loyal machine spirit is so experienced that it can fight a naval battle on its own without needing your command.
The ship's crew families have served this ship for over ten centuries, and their inherited positions and experience have formed a unique culture of their own, with everyone proud to serve this ship.
The entire ship was just reclaimed from its previous Inquisitor and underwent a major overhaul before being delivered to you.
The Auger Array and engines on board are ancient technological artifacts found by a previous Inquisitor who used it, and the Macro cannons and lances are also ancient creations from M38, with greater power and faster firing rates than currently common Macro cannons and lances.
Considering your operational needs, the Star Sector Inquisition Conference has specially assigned you a Astropath Choir and a navigation team, both highly experienced, which you can use with confidence."
"Sounds like a great ship. Is there anything else I need to pay special attention to?" Alex was very satisfied with the ship, but he always felt that the Inquisitor seemed to have left something unsaid.
Subsequently, the Inquisitor's words confirmed his suspicion: "Yes, there's one more thing, and that is, there's a Black Cell on the ship, managed by a Silent Sister."
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.