The words on the data slate grew slower and slower, revealing Siddhga's inner trepidation and unease.
"You're so amazing, you can definitely complete the mission!" Reimu Le's clear voice echoed under the Starport's metal dome, her hands on her hips, a brilliant smile on her face.
As one of the few Sisters of Silences who could still speak, she unreservedly expressed her support for her companion with her voice.
The surrounding Sisters of Silences all turned their heads, and warm smiles appeared on the half-faces visible beneath their visors and on their uncovered faces.
Their eyes held both curiosity for their unfamiliar companion and sincere goodwill and encouragement.
Although several official Sisters could not speak, their slight nods and the encouraging words they signed conveyed silent blessings.
Despite coming from different Hunter Demon Orders, these young female warriors had forged a special bond during their shared journey.
No extensive verbal communication or deliberate closeness was needed; as long as they knew they were all Sisters of Silences bearing the same mission, this precious friendship naturally blossomed.
Perhaps in the near future, they would sacrifice themselves in a battle against heretics; perhaps after this separation, they would never have the chance to reunite.
But at this moment, at this busy Starport berth, a pure and genuine friendship existed among these dozen or so young girls in Vartine Armor.
Even if their understanding of each other was still so limited, and they might not even remember each other's names clearly.
"May your words bring good fortune; I hope I can complete the mission quickly. We'll see each other again!" Siddhga carefully placed the data slate into the pouch at her waist, her slender fingers tracing a farewell in the air.
This genuine emotion seemed to affect every Sister present.
The Sisters of Silences at the berth began to bid each other farewell; some spoke blessings in clear voices, while others expressed their feelings with skilled gestures.
Several older official Sisters even embraced the younger apprentices, their hard armor clanking softly as it collided.
After the farewell ceremony, the Sisters, according to their assigned tasks, boarded their respective transports to their destinations.
Some embarked on their journeys alone, others went in pairs or trios, just as they had when they first started this journey, once again heading towards the unknown battlefield.
Only this time, they were no longer greenhorns but warriors bearing mission and responsibility.
Siddhga was perhaps the luckiest; when she arrived at the designated Starport berth with her simple luggage, she unexpectedly found the Thunderhawk Gunship's hatch open, and Governor Chen Xi was sitting inside, reading a data slate.
Alex noticed her arrival, looked up, and gave a friendly smile, waving to her: "Just in time, we're about to depart."
His voice was gentle and steady, a stark contrast to the cold hardness of the surrounding metal bulkheads.
Once Siddhga boarded the gunship, Alex put the data slate aside and began to explain the mission details: "The planet you are going to is one of the alien territories conquered by the Rostov Expedition in the past few years, where the Expeditionary Force and an alien civilization called Necrons engaged in a fierce war."
At this point, Alex's expression became serious: "The traitor Psyker you are facing and his company were once part of the Expeditionary Force.
They witnessed their comrades wiped out on the battlefield and were themselves trapped behind enemy lines, unable to escape."
Here, his voice deepened slightly, as if mourning the fallen and grieving for these traitors: "In the abyss of despair, they cried out to an evil god they should not have prayed to."
But then a hint of disgust flashed in Alex's eyes: "And so they fell, transforming from loyal warriors of the Imperium into nauseating Chaos traitors, completely abandoning their former honor and faith."
He looked at Siddhga and solemnly told her: "Your mission is to behead that traitor Psyker. My main purpose for this trip is to inspect the progress of colony construction. After you complete your mission, we will then consider how to eliminate the pollution these traitors have caused to the planet."
Siddhga listened intently, a look of understanding in her eyes.
Her slender fingers traced elegant gestures in the air: "Does the Governor need to personally handle such matters?"
Alex chuckled lightly and shook his head: "Not at all, I usually entrust such matters to my subordinates. But this time I plan to inspect all new colonies, and the planet you are going to happens to be the first stop."
Alex could understand sign language, so there was no need for an extra translator or a data slate for communication.
Siddhga nodded in understanding, then sat quietly to the side, taking out her beloved electromagnetic crossbow from her luggage.
Her slender fingers gently traced every worn mark on the crossbow's body, as if caressing an old friend's scars.
Although this weapon, which she had assembled herself, was crude, every component was infused with her heart and soul.
For a moment, only the faint clinking of metal parts remained in the cabin—the sound of Siddhga skillfully disassembling and inspecting the crossbow, and the low hum of the engine warming up.
Her focused expression made it seem as if the entire world consisted only of this weapon; she even unconsciously softened her breathing.
Although she had received brand new Vartine Armor and a sharp greatsword, she still preferred this electromagnetic crossbow that had been with her for many years.
The rough grip had long since worn into a curve that fit her palm, and the trigger's pull had been adjusted just right.
This weapon gave her a sense of security that no other weapon or equipment could, like a trusted old comrade.
"An electromagnetic acceleration crossbow? It looks quite worn!" Alex's voice suddenly broke the silence; he leaned forward slightly, his gaze falling on the weapon in Siddhga's hand: "Would you like me to have an Adeptus Mechanicus Priest service and maintain it for you?"
This crossbow had indeed seen better days—the paint on the body was mostly peeled off, the bow limbs were covered with small scratches, and even the electromagnetic acceleration rail showed obvious signs of wear.
In the eyes of the Adeptus Mechanicus, such a heavily worn weapon might have already displeased its machine spirit.
"Is that possible?" Siddhga inquired uncertainly with sign language, her finger movements slightly hesitant.
She instinctively touched the money pouch at her waist, which only contained a few pitiful coins: "I don't have much money; I can't afford the Tech-Priest's maintenance fees."
"I'll pay for it; you don't need to worry," Alex's voice was gentle and firm, and he gave Siddhga a kind smile: "I will have my best Adeptus Mechanicus Sage maintain your crossbow."
"Thank you!" Siddhga's eyes lit up. She expressed her gratitude earnestly through sign language, her movements more forceful than usual, as if to convey more sincerity.
Alex smiled and nodded, then turned and motioned for Ovilia, who was standing nearby, to come forward and inspect the electromagnetic crossbow.
He had specifically brought Ovilia on this inspection trip, partly hoping to hear the Mechanical Sage's professional opinions on colonial development during the long interstellar journey.
Alex knew that establishing colonies on the edge of Imperial territory required more than just military power; it also needed technical experts like Ovilia.
On the other hand, Alex also placed his hopes on Ovilia's transformation technology for the barren and desolate planets within the Sub-Sector.
Over ten years, her achievements on Rostov II were remarkable—when Alex first arrived, it was a reddish-brown Gobi desert, but now, while far from lush and green, at least the planet's surface was dotted with specks of green vegetation.
The entire planet was gradually transforming from a lifeless reddish-brown to a vibrant yellowish-green, with its ecosystem steadily improving.
This success story gave Alex hope.
He planned to extend Ovilia's technology to more colonies, improving their living environments.
Of course, colonial construction would inevitably lead to ecological damage, but Alex believed this precisely necessitated greater attention to environmental transformation—"choosing the lesser of two evils" was his creed.
Destruction was unavoidable, but that was no reason to abandon governance.
Precisely because it would cause pollution, it was even more important to focus on subsequent environmental restoration and protection.
Therefore, despite Ovilia's extreme reluctance to leave her laboratory, Alex still "dragged" her out to embark on this long colonial inspection tour.
And Siddhga's old electromagnetic crossbow unexpectedly became a small interlude during the journey.
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