Chapter 160 Going around in circles, meeting old friends
Relying on the Emperor's blessing.
Calvin's meeting with Elder Richelieu went very smoothly. This former Gray Knight Grand Master, who was born in a high-ranking noble of Terra, has a graceful demeanor. Even if he is in a holy coffin made of adamantine, he cannot stop his gentle words and plainness. wisdom.
Again relying on the Emperor for protection.
Our respected Lord of the Hall of Victory, Lord Templar Gallagher, did not open his mouth.
So fortunately, there were not many twists and turns on the return journey.
Calvin and his new ship, the battleship Indomitable Will, and the hundreds of thousands of Tindaros Legionnaires on board, successfully arrived at Titan, the home planet in the Sun Star Domain.
To Calvin's surprise, the Sword of Oath seemed to be more important than he imagined.
In a rare move, more than half of the Chapter's senior leaders attended the ceremony, and representatives of the Inquisition in the Sun Sector also attended.
The Supreme Grand Master Walden even threatened that within the next half century, the Gray Knights fighting abroad would be transferred in turn to return to participate in the ceremony.
This was a major ceremony that Calvin had seen in his life. Except for his own induction ceremony that year, he had never seen an event that was taken more seriously.
This doubt was raised later in a separate meeting with Grand Master Walden, but no answer was received.
The old man just patted Calvin on the shoulder and said that the time had not come yet, and sent him back.
The trip to the Imperial Palace of Terra was only briefly mentioned in this meeting and not discussed much.
The opinion of the Grand Master was surprisingly consistent with Calvin himself:
Before obtaining the corresponding identity, all trips to Terra will be temporarily shelved.
What they don't lack is time, and they will never rashly put themselves in the public eye before the time is right.
Calvin did not stay too long on Titan. Shortly after participating in the ceremony of witnessing the Sword of Oath, he and his battleship Unyielding Will led the other two strike cruisers that returned to change defenses and embarked on the return journey.
Compared with when we came, there were many new people on the returning ship.
In addition to half a company of Gray Knights, Captain Nicholas of the Forbidden Army Shield Guards who had completed his debriefing and a full 2,000 members of the Psychic Chorus from the Inquisition were pure guests.
The purpose of the former goes without saying. Except for Calvin himself, everyone around him has already adapted to this group of "golden pendants" following Calvin's itinerary;
The purpose of the latter is of great significance, because after nearly fifty years of continuous construction, the Titan II fortress complex project in the Federman system is finally nearing completion.
When all personnel are trained and weapons and equipment are in place, the only remaining project is the exclusive prayer ritual of the Holy Hammer Order - Dimensional Mist - which is not yet in place.
That's right, it's the shield that the Imperial Prime Minister Malcador originally set up for Titan, that huge spell that targets the planet.
This is the largest spell ever created by mankind. Apart from the Emperor himself, only the Imperial hero recognized by the Emperor himself - Malcador with the Demon Pattern has the ability to cast it.
The huge psychic fog will permanently cover the planet-level range, cutting off all exploration and prophecy spells, and also placing the planet outside the long river of time.
It was under the protection of this great power that the original Gray Knights Chapter escaped the influence of the Great Rebellion for thousands of years, and then went through thousands of years of training to become an army.
What kind of wisdom this is, future generations are amazed by it every time they talk about it. This is such a powerful force that it daunts the imagination of latecomers.
Of course, the Spell Tribunal at this level does not have the ability to copy. At least the reflux and acceleration of time are areas that are absolutely beyond the reach of current mortals.
After looking through the information left by Malcador himself, the Holy Hammer Order could only rely on thousands of times the manpower to try to complete the first half of this spell.
Just this, it was done reluctantly.
On the way back, the Indomitable Will did not choose a super long-distance jump. This was due to Titan's tight human resources considerations.
Since there was no rush to return, Calvin chose to drive slowly along the ancient subspace route between the Sun Star Domain and the Storm Star Domain.
During this period, the Indomitable Will, which has clearly announced its existence, will unconditionally respond to the request for help from every area under the jurisdiction of the Holy Hammer Order it passes through.
This is also a touring expedition that will effectively utilize the human resources of the Indomitable Will to ensure the smooth flow of this waterway.
The overall situation of the Sun Star Territory is better than that of other territories of the empire, which is also the meaning of the title.
After all, as the core ruling area of the empire, Terra has an absolute leadership relationship with all the major star areas in the Sun Star Territory. Under strong centralized management, most problems can be solved before they spread.
Moreover, the maneuvering power here is also the best among the major star regions of the empire - the main fleet of the Imperial Navy, one of the permanent seats in the Imperial Council of High Lords, cruises among these star regions.
The defense power of these star regions is also much stronger than that of the empire's borders. At least half of the powerful legions of the Astra Militarum, headed by the Ministry of Military Affairs, are permanently stationed in planetary worlds along transportation thoroughfares.
The first half of the Indomitable Will's voyage seemed uneventful against this background, until it reached the edge of the Segmentum Sol, the famous hive world of Necromunda adjacent to the Segmentum Pacifica.
This industrial world has long since withered, due to no other reason than the depletion of nearby mining resources.
Of course there are still ores in distant places, but the high transportation costs become the last straw for this world.
Fortunately, the location here is special. As the busiest transportation hub in the entire solar system, the famous star port-Eye of the Moon is located above Necromunda's orbit.
The endless tariffs here have also become the source of most of the revenue that can sustain this industrial world.
Necromunda had many problems in its heyday, and as the economy declined, these problems became more acute.
Whether it is the rampant contraband trade associated with the proliferation of gangs or the endless emergence of cult organizations, the local legal departments are overwhelmed.
Because of its dangerous location, the Inquisition has been paying close attention to this place, but fortunately it has been relatively peaceful for centuries.
This is a very lucky thing, because today, when the hive nobles are completely ruined, the only reason why the law and order here can still be maintained is because the local legal department is dedicated enough (cowardly).
Under the reports they sent to the Inquisition, which were shocking three times a day, most incidents were dealt with before they happened.
This is also the reason why the tribunal in this incident went against the norm of being bloated and showed rare efficiency.
The established processing process was initiated. Under the initial recruitment of the Inquisition Order, nuns from the nearest state religion were transferred here to deal with this seemingly small and harmless cult organization with the attitude of a lion fighting a rabbit.
Everything seemed so smooth, at least that's what Calvin thought when he checked the relevant newspapers.
But unfortunately, this optimistic mood did not last long, just until Calvin and his fleet passed by here and received a local signal for help.
"What do you think?"
Calvin held the request for help report in his hand and looked at the subordinates around him.
"Support! Send someone immediately!"
This is Tariq's usual style. If you can talk nonsense, you will never hear a meaningful word from his mouth.
Calvin ignored his words and looked across his seat to the seat behind him, which was the seat of Syndraco Girontius, one of the Arbiters of the Gray Knights team who had recently joined the Titan II sequence.
"It is recommended to send a small team to deal with it and try not to delay the fleet's schedule."
Calm and thoughtful advice came from the mouth of this senior arbiter. This was the advice Calvin wanted to hear.
"That's it. You and your team will go to deal with this matter. The fleet will stay in the star area and wait for you for three days. Is there any problem?"
Calvin asked him, also testing the arbiter's ability.
"no problem!"
Syndraco stood up and walked out without looking back.
"Then what happens next..."
Before Calvin could finish speaking on the topic just now, the alarm on the bridge and a large red dot updated in real time on the holographic projection blocked his speech.
"Your Majesty the Emperor!"
Everyone was also shocked by the large pollution signs that lit up instantly. If these were confirmed, this would definitely be the largest chaotic pollution event in the Solar Star Territory in the past century.
"Nurgle's son? Where is the Inquisition? What are they doing?"
Calvin looked at the familiar three-ring symbol in the upper right corner of the planet where the mark was lit, touched the stubble on his chin and said.
Before he finished speaking, the voice of Ms. Hemarlan, the astropath, entered the bridge:
"Your Excellency, Commander, the Tribunal is requesting access to communications."
"allow!"
A burst of snowflakes flashed, and the screen with the black ship symbol of the Inquisition cut into the background. A young and familiar figure unexpectedly appeared in front of Calvin.
"Antonov? Why are you here?" Calvin asked in surprise.
"Oh, it's you! Dear Lord Calvin!" The young man at the source of the communication signal was equally surprised, but he was more surprised to see Rumu who was like a family member.
"I didn't know you had left until I returned to Titan. I already know about your mentor. I'm sorry."
Calvin remembered the details of the young man's whereabouts when he asked him about it. He had been accepted as a disciple by another inquisitor of the same faction as Lyudmila, and he should be on duty in the distant Pacific Star Territory at this time.
"Thank you for your concern."
Antonov's head lowered slightly. It was obvious that the excommunication of his former mentor was not a good memory.
Fortunately, he still remembered his mission and quickly cleared away his negative emotions. He raised his head and said to Calvin:
"My mentor, Judge Shcherbakova, and I passed by here on the way to the Pacific Star Territory. While performing a routine investigation mission, I received a request for help from the local legal department..."
"Oh, so you were the one who started the initial alarm here?"
Calvin asked with some surprise, and everyone present also exchanged looks with each other after hearing this sentence.
It's a good start and means they get first-hand information from the young man.
"Yes, at the time I thought it was because the Ministry of Justice was over-stressed again. But during a routine check, I found traces of sacrilegious rituals..."
"Where?" Calvin asked.
"It's in Necromunda's lower nest. The entire lower nest has been cleaned by the Battle Sisters, so we don't think it is the source of the pollution."
"This is difficult to handle..." Calvin looked at the other party, "What is the judgment of the Inquisition?"
"Existing information indicates that it should be a merchant ship sailing from the Storm Star Territory on the Eye of the Moon. After checking with the local food trading list, it was confirmed that it corresponds to these planets."
"Storm Star Territory! Are you sure? Where is the specific starting point?"
Calvin couldn't sit still now. The matters here could actually be handled by the local troops of the Tribunal. If he wanted to participate, he was just fulfilling his obligations.
But if the source of this pollution is the Storm Star Territory where he is located, then his top priority is to rush back there as soon as possible and reinforce the already stretched mobile strength of the Holy Hammer Order there!
"Orps sector." Antonov said.
Calvin was speechless until now. It is true that sometimes things must happen in life. After all the twists and turns, Calvin still cannot avoid this trip to Orpheus...
After recovering, Calvin bid farewell to Antonov.
After leaving two squads of Gray Knights and a strike cruiser to deal with local matters and asking them to follow later, he ordered the entire fleet to search for the Manzeville Point of the system nearby, and began an ultra-long-distance jump to the Tempest Star Field. preparation work.
The preparations for the fleet were completed within a few hours, and the entire fleet also sent out the final communication signal before entering subspace.
During this period, Calvin maximized the efficiency of administrative and diplomatic work. In addition to sending a notification to the elder Richelieu on the distant Titan II to prepare for war, he also sent Nicholas, the envoy of the imperial army who had just returned to him. go out.
The diplomatic attributes of this imperial emissary, who has been self-taught in medicine for a long time due to his frailty and asthma since he was a child, and who likes to make potions for himself, have been exploited to the extreme.
All the mobile forces at the border of the Sun Star Territory and the Storm Star Territory were not spared, and they were all plundered by him as an envoy of the Throne Court.
So when Calvin officially arrived on Titan II and began to prepare for war, the size of the fleet arriving behind him had already exceeded everyone's expectations...
While the Indomitable Will was sailing in subspace, Calvin was still making advance preparations for the upcoming war.
"I said sledgehammer..." A joking voice came from behind the desk in the office, making Nicholas tremble with fear.
Ever since Calvin knew about the unique combat aesthetics of this Imperial Guard Captain, he had asked him to give up the typical weapons used by most Imperial Guards and choose the powerful and heavy war hammer.
His name for the Forbidden Army Captain became this weird one...
"Please respect yourself, Lord Calvin, I have my own name, Nicholas Gilgamesh Win Alexander..."
"Stop! Stop it!"
Calvin instantly stopped the imperial guard's musings and ended this long program with the same name as the dish.
He looked at the golden-armored guard who was very tired under his driving with some humor, and said to him:
"If you have time, tell me about the things in the palace. By the way, tell me about the current situation of our sacred Emperor..."
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