Chapter 292: Impacts on All Sides
The situation of Count Cassius von Gresham himself saw some changes.
Inquisitor Karras had initially detained him on the grounds of "gross negligence in management, highly suspicious," and was prepared to conduct a deep investigation, which usually meant a grim outlook.
However, just as Karras was about to initiate formal interrogation, a direct communication arrived from the Departmento Munitorum of the Segmentum Solar.
The communicator was an official from the Munitorum; his rank wasn't the highest, but the weight of the institution he represented was sufficient.
The other party's wording was formal but the intent was clear, pointing out that Count Gresham's factory had a long-term, stable record of supplying quality-compliant generic components to the Sector Defense Force. Its production volume and quality were highly ranked in the surrounding areas, making it crucial for maintaining the local military supply chain.
The Munitorum provided relevant procurement records and quality certifications, and "reminded" the Inquisitor that, at a time when the Imperium faced multiple threats, ensuring the stability of critical military-industrial capacity was no less important than purging individual heretics.
In the name of the Munitorum, they provided a sort of endorsement for Count Gresham's "loyalty," implying his involvement was more "regulatory negligence" rather than "active participation," and suggested fines, enhanced supervision, and loyalty audits as the primary means of handling it.
Inquisitor Karras understood the balance of power between the various departments of the Imperium.
For the Munitorum to step forward personally to protect someone indicated that Count Gresham indeed had value in military-industrial production; pushing hard would yield no benefits.
After confirming that the Count himself indeed knew little about the Chaos cult growing within the factory, and that his past loyalty record had no obvious issues, Karras took the opportunity to accept the Munitorum's proposal.
Ultimately, Count Gresham was released but received a severe warning and a massive fine, which was directly allocated to the Inquisition's "Purification Operation" funds.
He kept his title and most of his assets, but his factory was placed under the supervision of a regulatory committee jointly formed by the Munitorum and the Inquisition for a period of no less than fifty years.
Regarding this outcome, Count Gresham already felt fortunate. He understood he had retrieved his life from the gaps of a game between two powerful Imperial departments, and at the same time, he realized more clearly that his control over his territory was not a monolithic block.
He became more careful, even somewhat overly vigilant, and began to initiate a thorough internal audit of all assets under his name.
The Adeptus Arbites of Vesta Prima, on the other hand, appeared quite passive throughout the entire incident.
They were the initial discoverers and handlers, but after the Inquisition's forceful intervention, they were completely marginalized.
Their efforts to maintain order and conventional law enforcement procedures appeared powerless before the Inquisition's principle of "purification first."
The hard-fought battles and casualties of Proctor Atkins and his men were merely mentioned briefly in the Inquisition's macroscopic report.
The high-level officials of the local Adeptus Arbites were dissatisfied with the Inquisition's overreach and final handling methods, but they were powerless to change anything.
All they could do was compile the complete process of the incident—including the Inquisition's actions, the Munitorum's role, the Count's outcome, etc.—into a detailed report and submit it through internal Arbites channels.
This report would eventually reach the Adeptus Arbites headquarters on Holy Terra. It might be archived, or it might be brought up in some future power considerations, but in the short term, it could not change any status quo.
After handling the main affairs on Vesta Prima and confirming the purification was nearing its end and monitoring mechanisms had been activated, Inquisitor Karras Walker did not linger.
He handed the remaining specific work over to his deputy, and taking a squad of capable Tempestus Scion guards, as well as that Imperial Fists Astartes warrior who remained silent but brought a sense of security, he boarded an Inquisition escort frigate.
The warship's engines activated, breaking free from the Hive World's orbit and adjusting its heading, aiming straight for the Forge World Nexum.
He held very earnest expectations for the upcoming meeting with Magos Ryo, and for that power armor known as the "Iron Guard."
The Forge World of Nexum remained shrouded in its usual industrial smog and continuous roar.
Inside Ryo's private laboratory, however, there was a different kind of quiet, focused on precision work.
He had just received an encrypted message from the Vesta Prima system monitoring station, confirming that Inquisitor Karras's warship had entered the system and was expected to arrive at the starport soon.
Ryo's crimson optical lenses shifted from the information interface to the holographic projection displaying the "Iron Guard" prototype's structural diagram and performance optimization plans on one side of the laboratory.
Cooperation with the Inquisition was a step outside his plans, but a highly valuable one.
This would not only bring precious actual combat data and potential resources but, more importantly, it opened a direct channel to the core armed forces of the Imperium.
He called for Ignis and instructed her: "Inquisitor Karras Walker will be visiting soon. Prepare Analysis Room 7 and corresponding reception; elevate access to 'Important Guest' level.
"Retrieve non-core technical data of the 'Iron Guard' project that can be displayed externally, including the compatibility list of modular weapon interfaces and basic maintenance procedures, and notify the Fabricator Locum of this matter."
"Command confirmed, Lord Magos," Ignis responded flatly, immediately issuing a series of preparation commands through the data link.
Several Servo-skulls altered their hovering routes, moving toward Analysis Room 7.
Ryo's massive body adjusted its posture slightly before the console; a mechanical tentacle subconsciously moved a little in the air.
He was not worried that the Inquisition's visit would bring trouble. On the contrary, he saw this as an opportunity to showcase technical strength and expand his influence.
The key lay in grasping the measure of the display.
Ryo understood that Inquisitor Karras's personal order was just a starting point.
He needed to fully demonstrate the tactical value of the "Iron Guard" during the meeting—not only its firepower and protection surpassing conventional equipment, but also its high survival rate and mission adaptability in complex environments.
He wanted to make the Inquisitor clearly realize that equipping the "Iron Guard" could significantly reduce the combat attrition of elite units executing high-risk purification missions, which held an irreplaceable attraction for the Inquisition.
Only in this way could he push the faction behind him, and even higher-level institutions, to issue larger-scale orders, thereby paving the way to open markets in other departments like the Imperial Guard.
His logic core rapidly simulated the meeting scenarios.
He prepared detailed combat data comparisons, highlighting the "Iron Guard's" outstanding performance in various actual combat environments.
For potential questions regarding costs, maintenance, etc., he had also prepared persuasive response plans.
Every display segment revolved around one core: to convince the Inquisition that a large-scale deployment of the "Iron Guard" was a necessary and urgent investment.
He was well aware of potential interference.
This would not come from the Inquisition, but from within the Mechanicus itself.
The Mars headquarters might exert pressure on the grounds of technical review or production standards, attempting to share the results; other Forge Worlds, seeing the orders and influence brought by the "Iron Guard," would inevitably compete through political lobbying or launching competing products.
He had to rely on the "Iron Guard's" solid technical advantages and the direct supply-and-demand relationship established with the Inquisition to cope with these expected internal competitions.
Outside the laboratory, the behemoth of the Forge World was still roaring.
Inside the laboratory, a meeting concerning future orders and the internal landscape was about to begin.
Ryo waited quietly, his crimson optical lenses shining steadily, calmly evaluating the impending encounter.
(End of Chapter)