On the other side, at the Adeptus Mechanicus camp.
Archmagos Cawl stared intently at the holographic projection emitted by a Servo-Skull. A massive stream of data scrolled past like a waterfall, yet he absorbed it with lightning speed.
Augmented by the most cutting-edge human technologies, his brain—with a processing speed comparable to a super-sized Cogitator—began to whir, analyzing every piece of data one by one.
Soon, Cawl reached a satisfying conclusion.
According to various data points detected by precision sensors, the current excavation drill was not far from the anomalous signal. With just a bit more time, the gates of this xenos ruin would swing open for him, and the true exploration mission would begin.
The engineering progress thus far had far exceeded Archmagos Cawl's best expectations.
This was because the most significant potential variable had, surprisingly, caused no interference with the excavation project.
At this moment, that Chaos strike cruiser—which had caused Cawl much concern since he had left without sufficient armaments—had yet to make any specific moves.
It didn't behave like a normal Chaos Warband at all; it simply remained stationary. After all this time, the Augur found that it had only moved a very short distance.
This rendered the cloaking and camouflage measures Cawl had just prepared quite useless.
Realizing this, the habitually bold Cawl immediately decided to cancel all camouflage for the camp and continue the survey at full power.
As it turned out, this was the right decision.
At that moment, Cawl's massive frame slowly turned as a Communicator-Priest approached his side.
Even as a Dominus Archmagos whose body was almost entirely replaced by machinery, Cawl could not do everything personally. This Communicator-Priest was the Tech-Priest responsible for helping him maintain contact with the fleet in orbit.
**What is it?**
The two followers of the Omnissiah connected via a thought-network in a manner imperceptible to outsiders.
**Report: 78.2 Terran seconds ago, the Cogitator on the cruiser received an identification code from that suspected Chaos strike cruiser.**
The Communicator-Priest's cold and precise description came through the thought-network.
**The identification code has a corresponding record in the Mars databases; it belongs to the Inquisition.**
An Inquisitor's identification code?
The identification code of every Inquisitor who bore the Rosette was a unique mark, directly representing their identity and their nearly infinite authority.
But it appeared on a strike cruiser with a record of rebellion?
This confusing combination sent Cawl into deep thought.
However, it wasn't entirely impossible.
After all, the Inquisition dealt with the enemies of the Imperium year-round. Over time, the more one understands the enemy, the more corruption and fall follow like a shadow; many renegade Inquisitors were born this way.
As the saying goes: the Ordo Malleus summons demons, the Ordo Hereticus breeds heretics, and the Ordo Xenos consorts with aliens. This was long since nothing to be surprised about.
But what surprised Cawl even more was yet to come.
**According to your private database records, this identification code belongs to Ordo Malleus Inquisitor Sibylla Barrios. The most recent searchable contact record was twenty-four Terran years ago.**
Huh?
Although Cawl often accidentally deleted very important knowledge while purging redundant data—resulting in countless lost records—he still had an impression of such a significant figure.
An Alpha-level Psyker was already extremely rare, and those with a will strong enough to pass the inhuman trials of the Inquisition were rarer still.
Cawl's previous interactions with this Inquisitor had been quite pleasant. He even felt she was a rare normal person among Inquisitors, and had even made an exception to gift her a small item based on his latest research to help her suppress her overly powerful psychic strength.
Could it be that she had fallen too?
With a hint of doubt, Cawl pondered for a moment, and after letting the personality fragments in his mind debate for a while, he made a decision.
**Activate the stealth technological relics at full power. Once the cruiser's safety is guaranteed, send a communication call to them. Tell Inquisitor Barrios to come to these coordinates alone to meet us. If she brings a large entourage or if Warp teleportation is detected, treat them as hostile immediately.**
**Objection: This will cause unnecessary risk, potentially increasing the risk index of us suffering an attack by approximately 75.5%.**
The Communicator-Priest expressed its opinion.
**Do as I say.**
After simulating the forces he currently commanded and his backup plans in his mind once more, Cawl insisted.
**...Do you need to calculate further? According to my calculations, such a risk is completely uncontrollable...**
**No need. I am Belisarius Cawl.**
Cawl answered with conviction...
"Is it really Belisarius Cawl?"
Aboard the strike cruiser, Adam, who was seated upon the Captains Throne and connected to the machine spirit, opened his eyes with a subtle expression.
He had to admit, this situation suited his intentions perfectly.
Because the vast majority of Adeptus Mechanicus Sages were nothing more than cold, heartless machines; 'inhuman' was a literal description for them, not an emotional insult.
For example, there was once an Adeptus Mechanicus Magos who, in front of an Astra Militarum general, suggested processing the corpses of the general's fallen soldiers into corpse-starch to supply his own Skitarii.
When the general insulted him as a "cold and heartless machine," the Sage's reaction was:
"According to measurements, 16.23% of my body still consists of organic components, therefore calling me a machine is inaccurate. Furthermore, my status within the Cult is far from comparable to the Pure Machine, the Omnissiah. I express my gratitude for your flattering error in calling me a machine."
However, Belisarius Cawl was a complete outlier among the many Sages of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
As an Archmagos of the Adeptus Mechanicus who had survived from ten thousand years ago until now, the humanity he retained was even more intact than that of many younger Sages.
Moreover, Adam actually knew quite a few of his little secrets, making it incredibly convenient to deal with him.
It's just that... Adam looked with confusion at Sibylla, who was standing to the side.
"You knew Archmagos Cawl before?"
"Yes, we had contact during a previous operation."
Sibylla didn't quite understand Adam's meaning, but she nodded in response.
Well, that wasn't surprising.
Before a certain blue man woke up, Archmagos Cawl's style of conduct was indeed incredibly low-profile.
After all, if the major things he was doing were ever leaked, it would be enough to push him into the position of a heretical rebel second only to Horus Lupercal.
Finishing his thoughts, Adam immediately ordered.
"In that case, you should make the trip."