Inside the Inquisition Headquarters' conference room, the Inquisitor Grand Master and the Grand Inquisitors of various orders had gathered once more, awaiting Alex's arrival.
"Although your journey was arduous, the matter is urgent, so I will dispense with the pleasantries." The Grand Master raised his hand, signaling the attendant to withdraw. The heavy metal door slowly closed behind Alex, emitting a dull rumble.
"Regarding the report you submitted, the Star Sector Tribunal has reviewed it and we attach great importance to it." His gaze swept over the twelve Grand Inquisitors seated around the circular conference table: "The Star Sector Tribunal is also making preparations according to the requirements you put forth."
The Grand Master's voice suddenly grew more solemn: "But I still want to ask, how confident are you about this matter? Or rather, is this the revelation and task given to you by the Emperor?"
Alex calmly walked towards the conference table and leisurely took his seat in the high-backed chair reserved for him.
"If you believe it is, then it is." His voice was calm, and his eyes showed no ripple of emotion, displaying no fear despite facing a group of Grand Inquisitors.
This attitude immediately caused a stir. The Grand Inquisitor in the third seat to the left slammed his hand on the table, the metal gauntlet striking the solid wood surface with a grating sound.
"Watch your attitude!" The stern-faced middle-aged Inquisitor snapped, the medals on his chest rising and falling with his agitated breathing: "What do you mean, 'if you believe it is, then it is'? Explain yourself! This is the Inquisition, not your Rostov!"
Alex tilted his head slightly, a faint, almost imperceptible sneer playing on his lips. He unhurriedly adjusted the silver buttons on his cuffs, as if the tense atmosphere before him had nothing to do with him.
"Inquisitor," his voice remained infuriatingly calm: "The Emperor indeed has a task for me, and the report I submitted is indeed part of this sacred mission."
At this point, he suddenly looked up, his sharp gaze piercing the questioner.
"But you say this is my task?" A contemptuous scoff was particularly jarring in the silent hall: "You can believe it is, but if you think this is my task, then it is not."
These enigmatic words plunged the entire Inquisition Hall into a brief silence. The candlelight flickered slightly in the air, casting shifting shadows.
The Grand Inquisitors present exchanged meaningful glances; some frowned in thought, some looked displeased, but all of them understood the deeper meaning in Alex's words.
Although displeased with Alex's disrespectful attitude, the Grand Inquisitors did not dwell on the matter, but instead asked Alex: "Then what exactly is the task His Majesty the Saint has given you?"
"This concerns Imperial secrets, so it would be better for you all..." At this point, Alex looked at the Inquisitors before him with a slightly playful gaze: "...not to know. After all, if you happen to know something you shouldn't, the consequences could be very severe."
"Whether it should not be known, we will judge for ourselves. The Inquisition inherently deals with Imperial secrets; we have the right to know certain things," the Inquisitor Grand Master said, his tone still gentle but his attitude very firm.
Facing the Inquisitor Grand Master's words, Alex merely smiled and casually asked: "Then do you know about the Second Empire?"
"The Second Empire? Are you referring to the Twin Empires incident of M35?" one Grand Inquisitor asked, bringing up a rebellion that was very serious for the Imperium.
The so-called Twin Empires incident refers to an unprecedented rebellion that erupted during M35.
It even led to the complete decline of Holy Terra's authority, forcing the Imperial Star Districts into a long period of autonomy, while the Pacification Star District directly declared independence from Imperial rule, establishing a "Second Empire" on Nova Terra, a dire situation.
This incident lasted for nine centuries, until M36, when Holy Terra gradually quelled the rebellion through blood and fire, re-establishing the absolute authority of the High Lords of Terra.
During this period, not only did fierce political confrontation and military conflict erupt between Nova Terra's regime in the Pacification Star District and Holy Terra's orthodox faction in the Segmentum Solar, but even the Ecclesiarchy itself fell into schism. Different factions of clergy declared each other heretics and engaged in a bloody religious civil war.
This chaotic situation further led to other Imperial Star Districts adopting a wait-and-see attitude, with some worlds even directly declaring independence, completely breaking away from Imperial rule.
Even more terrifying, in this galaxy-spanning rebellion, even the previously relatively stable Adeptus Mechanicus was not spared.
The Mars orthodox faction and the Tech-heretic faction supporting Nova Terra erupted in fierce conflict, and the "Moirae Schism" broke out within the Mechanicus orders, leading to countless Forge Worlds being reduced to ruins and precious STC technology being permanently lost in this civil war.
It can be said that the Twin Empires incident was the most serious civil war the Imperium faced since the Great Rebellion of Horus; it not only shook the foundations of Imperial rule but also nearly pushed human civilization to the brink of destruction.
This catastrophe rendered all efforts of reconstruction made by the Imperium in the several millennia after the Great Rebellion futile. Countless worlds were scorched by war, and trillions of lives were massacred.
It was only after this incident that the Imperial High Lords truly realized the importance of ideological control.
The Ecclesiarchy seized this opportunity to fully control the Imperial faith system and gradually established a religious hegemony covering the entire galaxy, and this extreme ruling machine ultimately gave rise to the bloody tyranny of Goge Vandire.
Although the Age of Apostasy is far more famous than the Twin Empires incident, when comparing the Age of Apostasy, which lasted only seventy years, with this nine-hundred-year galaxy-wide civil war, the former is truly insignificant in terms of both scale and destructiveness.
"Although Nova Terra could also be called the Second Empire, that's not what I'm referring to." Alex glanced at the Grand Inquisitor. Knowing about the Twin Empires incident proved that the Inquisition indeed knew many secrets, but they clearly didn't know the true small secret that could shake the entire Imperium.
Seeing that the Grand Inquisitor still wanted to say something, Alex waved his hand and said: "Alright, I'm sure you don't know what Second Empire I'm talking about. If you really did know, another Great Rebellion of the Imperium would be imminent.
Compared to that, why don't you all focus on the crisis we face right now? If this trouble isn't resolved, the entire Mariupol Sector will be engulfed in war, or even destroyed."
Although the Grand Inquisitor who mentioned the Twin Empires incident still wanted to say more, the Inquisitor Grand Master stopped him from speaking further.
After all, they were only the Star Sector Tribunal, not the Holy Terra Inquisition Headquarters. Some major events clearly involving the entire Imperium were not something they could participate in or interfere with.
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