As Axion entered the recharging state, Thien no longer lingered. He simply left Farien to watch over Axion, with the instruction to remain by the automaton's side once the recharge concluded. It was essential that an Astartes be with the machine at all times.
Thien knew well that the identity of the escort was irrelevant; the primary objective was not to intercept Axion but to provide a timely warning. Given the Astartes' own difficulty in tracking Axion's movements, a mortal escort would likely perish without even realizing a threat had materialized.
Leaving the maintenance bay, Thien headed for the Bridge. He needed to communicate with the vessel's highest-ranking officer and finalize an official report. These matters had dragged on for too long.
Even the Black Templars preferred not to deal with the Adeptus Terra's internal bureaucracy. Considering Axion's dubious identity as an ancient mechanical construct, the Inquisition would surely arrive alongside the Adeptus Mechanicus.
If this situation was not handled correctly, his own status as a wrongdoer would be the least of his worries; implicating the entire Chapter would be far more disastrous.
After all, there were historical precedents of entire Chapters being sent on Penitence Crusades due to certain transgressions. Even if no one doubted the Black Templars' loyalty, mistakes still had to be accounted for.
Having concluded a series of tasks, Thien was now forced to visit one of the groups he most despised: the Astropaths.
These intelligence communiqués had to be transmitted through these psyker individuals.
The Black Templars Chapter, almost without exception, held a deep aversion for those who wielded the power of the Warp.
These psykers were a desecration of the Emperor's purity.
Yet, in this chaotic galaxy, travel through the void was impossible without their psychic presence. Whether it was the Astropaths sending messages via the Astronomican, or the Navigators charting courses within the Immaterium, they all utilized this blasphemous energy.
The Black Templars were fiercely opposed to the practice, to the extent that while other Chapters had their own sanctioned psykers, Librarians, the Black Templars had never established such a role.
When Thien left the Astropathic Choir in a state of cold disdain and returned to the temporary staging area, Axion was engaged in a discussion of technical knowledge with Farien.
Axion had initially believed that the passing of tens of thousands of years would have resulted in technological designs so intricate that they would astound him.
Instead, as the two communicated, it seemed technology had not advanced, but had regressed to a much more ancient era, predating the Golden Age itself.
"Ssszzt. Sergeant Thien, we have received a new message. We require your presence on the Bridge to confirm the next course of action."
The sudden communication caused Thien, who was about to sit down for a brief rest, to stride once more toward the Bridge.
In just a few hours, the former signs of battle had been swiftly cleaned.
The central hall before the Bridge had been purged of the wreckage and blood by the Servitors.
Though the deck still emitted a faint stench of gore, the puddles of blood had completely vanished.
Perhaps thinking of the thirty Iron Warriors corpses cleaved in two, Thien's mood inexplicably brightened. He even uttered an unexpected 'Praise the Emperor' as he passed through the hall.
However, the impacts and divots from Bolter rounds and Power Weapons on the compartment walls were a constant reminder of the brutal battle that had taken place.
As the armoured blast doors opened, the figure in black ceramite armour and towering height appeared at the entrance to the Bridge.
"Sergeant Thien, the Imperial Navy command has just forwarded new intelligence. The next phase of the offensive is about to begin. The Indomitable must proceed immediately to its next patrol assignment. We will be maintaining rear-line patrols for logistical stability during this period."
"You and your brothers, the Angels, will likely transfer to another Lunar-class Cruiser, the Scythe, after the next Warp jump, and then board a nearby Battle-Barge."
As a highly independent Chapter, most Black Templars companies were scattered across the galaxy, frequently embarking on various Imperial vessels to participate in the galaxy-spanning wars.
It was common for them to use the Battle-Barges of other Chapters as transit points or even to join missions directly.
Thien knew that many Chapters held reservations about the Black Templars, but this did not prevent them from executing their duties.
All for the glory and Will of the Emperor. All for the Imperium of Man.
Faced with such deployment orders from the Departmento Munitorum, even the Black Templars would not overtly resist.
"I understand. When do we enter the Warp? I shall summon my brothers to prepare. Rest assured, the ancient construct accompanying us will depart with us."
"Thank you for granting us passage aboard your vessel, Captain. May the Emperor preserve you."
The Captain looked at the towering Astartes before him, a conflicted expression on his face.
"Sergeant Thien, besides the order from the Munitorum, there is another directive. That ancient machine-mind cannot depart with you."
Thien paused slightly, then abruptly removed his helm, revealing a young face. Although he did not appear old, his expression was fiercely severe. A silver Service Stud embedded in his forehead, however, confirmed that he was no raw recruit.
While the Imperium did not mandate the implantation of Service Studs, for many warriors, they were marks of honour.
A silver Service Stud represented fifty years of service, and a gold one, a hundred.
Since his ascension to Astartes, Thien had served for nearly seventy years. He had even scheduled the replacement of his silver stud with a gold one upon his centenary.
Decades of service within the Black Templars had taught him that few departments could issue direct orders to his Chapter.
"From whence does this order originate?"
The Captain looked nervously at Thien.
"The Inquisition and the Adeptus Mechanicus."
"A High Inquisitor and their retinues will arrive as soon as the Warp translation is complete to recover the machine and conduct a joint inspection with the Mechanicus personnel."
Thien's eyes narrowed slightly, a trace of disgust on his face.
"The Inquisition. Hmph, one of the parasitic vermin of the Imperium."
"Why are the Mechanicus always involved in matters so distant?"
Thien's expression was saturated with disdain for the Inquisition. The Black Templars were adept not only in combat but also in investigating local corruption. He had personally crushed the skulls of enough Planetary Governors in his decades of service to count on one hand.
This was work that rightfully belonged to the Inquisition!
Though this assumption of authority had subjected the Black Templars Chapter to considerable controversy, it was irrelevant; their background and loyalty were beyond challenge by the Imperium's vermin.
Their parent Chapter, the Imperial Fists, though brought near to total annihilation, had been rebuilt. Even if many of their implanted Gene-Seed stocks did not originate from Rogal Dorn, the foundation and glorious history of the Imperial Fists were beyond reproach.
——————
If you want to read ahead of everyone, go to my pat-reon: pat-re-on.c-om/magnor (remove the hyphen to access normally)