Chapter 157: The Sector Integration Plan

…

System 12, Planet 3, Hive World.

In the dim study of his estate, Governor Oder sat beside a guest from the Inquisition, watching a series of recordings. There were five in total, each eerily similar, differing only in location and faces. In each video, a Watchman would appear abruptly before the governor of a planet and, with cold precision, declare his mission and his authority.

"In the name of the Tyrone Overlord, I hereby sentence you to death," the Watchman intoned, unwavering.

Simple, stark, and without pretense. Each recording followed the same ruthless path: after the decree, the Watchman would end the life of the planetary governor, always in a public space filled with crowds. In one backwater agricultural world, they even left drones equipped with holo-projectors to fly about, broadcasting the entire ordeal to the inhabitants.

"This is absurd. I thought Tyrone would at least show some subtlety—an assassination, maybe, something discreet. But this? Killing people in broad daylight, without even leaving a proper corpse…" Oder muttered, casting a perplexed look at Inquisitor Aaron seated beside him.

Aaron's own expression mirrored Oder's unease. Such blatant, unsubtle removals had gone beyond even his expectations, and perhaps beyond the Inquisition's higher ranks.

After a long pause, Aaron finally remarked with a dry expression, "When the throne sits so far above us, one can't expect swift intervention, can we?"

"You're saying Tyrone won't be held accountable by the Empire for this?" Oder's gaze shifted to the Watchman on the screen, clearly referencing Qin Mo.

Aaron smiled slightly and responded, "Why do you think I'm here, sitting next to you?"

Oder exhaled in silent relief, nodding to himself. Aaron had made his identity and purpose clear enough, and Oder trusted him implicitly.

Aaron had arrived in Tyrone's neighboring sectors after the departure of Horst and three other Inquisitors. Learning from his predecessors, he had approached Tyrone from a covert vantage, carefully biding his time. Those within these sectors who paid attention to recent developments knew Tyrone was seeking to extend its grasp beyond its borders. Aaron's assignment was straightforward: disrupt the Tyrone Overlord's plans wherever possible. 

Still, while Oder understood Aaron's mission, he couldn't quite grasp the true scope of the Inquisition's intentions. Finally, in a roundabout way, he asked, "Inquisitor Aaron, can you tell me who sent you?"

"Lord Karamazov," Aaron answered without hesitation.

"Ah." Enlightened, Oder tilted his chin up, nodding repeatedly. "That explains much."

Oder's knowledge of the Inquisition was limited, but he knew the stories. He had heard names like Horst, and Karamazov—a fierce opponent of the state religion—was a name that carried weight.

Seeing Oder's apparent sense of reassurance, Aaron thought for a moment before cautioning, "When I received my orders, I was explicitly told to thwart Tyrone's plans for regional consolidation, yet under no circumstances am I to provoke open conflict."

"I understand, Inquisitor Aaron, I understand," Oder interjected, cutting off the warning. "I can feign compliance in countless ways, but I fear Tyrone's overlord will take the same ruthless approach with me that he's shown to others."

Aaron raised a hand, motioning for silence, then reassured him. "Your life will not be taken by another's hand. For protection, I offer you…" He hesitated to list all of his forces, opting to reveal only part of his strength: "Ten warriors of the Minotaur Legion. Their bond with the High Lord runs deep, as you know."

Oder's face relaxed, and he leaned back, closing his eyes, his mind already working on the next move.

After a pause, he shared his plan. "I'll feign allegiance for now, then send a letter to other governors who oppose integration. We can find a safe place to meet and deliberate. There's no future in fighting alone."

"A wise decision," Aaron replied, nodding.

…

Three days later.

While the Watchmen busied themselves clearing obstacles in the path of Tyrone's regional integration, Qin Mo was engrossed in the most critical step of his plan.

In the depths of his sanctuary, he oversaw the mass production of intelligent beings, shaping their bodies from living metal, covering them in a layer of synthetic skin.

These artificial creations were called Stone-Men, bearing the same name as the human-made bio-mechanical constructs of humanity's golden age. Within the Tyrone sector, the Stone-Men, like their ancient counterparts, would wield both administrative and military power.

For those governors compliant with Tyrone's integration plan, the Stone-Men would be allies, loyal stewards entrusted with managing all affairs, great and small. For the dissenters, they would assume the role of new governors, replacing the old regime.

Qin Mo's meticulous work was interrupted by Grey, who entered quietly. Seeing Qin Mo busy, he waited silently.

"These creations will transform each of the sector's fifty-five worlds into mirrors of Tyrone," Qin Mo murmured, focused on manipulating the metal to form Stone-Men bodies.

Grey considered this and remarked, "So, our military strength and productivity will increase tenfold?"

"Tenfold?" Qin Mo laughed, nearly exhilarated. "More like fifty! We're not adding Tyrone's power to Tyrone's power; we're multiplying it. This isn't simple arithmetic."

Grey nodded, though his thoughts remained collected. He had another matter to report. "A certain governor, Oder, has been quietly purchasing military supplies meant as aid to other sectors. Because of his prior cooperative stance, neither I nor the other Watchmen have yet targeted him."

"His prior stance was agreeable. But what prompted you to suspect him of double-dealing?" Qin Mo asked.

Grey withdrew a letter and a few photographs, presenting them to Qin Mo. "From a governor we recently executed, we recovered a note detailing the purchase of armaments, though it doesn't conclusively incriminate Oder. He could merely be buying arms for security. Nevertheless, I went to investigate his Hive World."

The letter indeed confirmed an arms purchase. But the photographs revealed something far more intriguing.

One of the images depicted a plain-looking, bald man dressed in coarse robes, a figure of little apparent significance. Yet, this "commoner" was actively positioning ten Astartes throughout a manor's grounds.

These Astartes bore the unmistakable insignia of the Minotaur Legion—a bull's head on their power armor.

Qin Mo sighed, reviewing the letter and the photos, wearied by the implications. After a moment's reflection, he spoke decisively. "Had this been back when we first rose from the Underhive, I might have bargained with these people. But now, I have neither the time nor patience for that."

Grey nodded and turned to depart. "Give me two hours."