"Sir, the other party has sent a visual communication request. Should we accept it?" the captain asked cautiously, his voice breaking the frozen air on the bridge.
Herbert's mind underwent an extremely intense internal struggle.
Connect? If these Space Wolves confirmed he was indeed an Inquisitor, would they just directly use melta bombs for a boarding assault?
Don't connect? But would these persistent Space Wolves give up just like that? That was clearly impossible. Their warships had far superior firepower, and refusing communication would only be seen as a provocation.
Finally, Herbert's taut jaw relaxed slightly, and he ordered in an almost inaudible voice: "Connect it."
The signal was established, and the moment both parties' faces appeared on the screen, Herbert heard a crude cheer from the other ship's bridge.
"Brother Knor, you guessed right! It really is an Inquisitor!"
"Ha! I can smell the stench on these guys even across the vacuum!"
"It's settled then, I get an extra share of tonight's roasted meat!"
Herbert's anger surged like a volcano. These rude, barbaric space marines clearly had no respect. From their words, it seemed they had even placed a bet on his identity?
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his churning rage, and spoke in a cold, formal tone: "I am Inquisitor Herbert Hernampode of the Order of the Holy Hammer. I hope you can explain why you suddenly stopped my vessel…"
"Hernampode," the other party rudely interrupted him, calling him by his first name. The scarred and bearded face on the screen leaned closer, a pair of sharp eyes seeming to penetrate the screen, "What are you doing here, skulking around?"
"First, I am not skulking around," Herbert corrected, suppressing his anger and enunciating each word, "All my actions are under the glorious light of the God-Emperor, open and above board. Second, before asking questions, at least introduce yourself first. That is basic politeness!"
"Haha…" The other party scoffed twice, even spitting to the side without hesitation, "I am Krona Longfang."
Krona paused, a malicious glint in his beast-like eyes. He grinned, revealing a provocative smile: "I've introduced myself now, how about it, polite enough? In return, shouldn't you invite us to your ship for a visit?"
"Impossible!"
Herbert's emotions instantly spiraled out of control; his voice even cracked from agitation. Invite these wolves of Fenris onto his ship? He would be found dead in his bedroom bed tonight, the cause of death possibly being "accidentally" cut in half by a chainsword!
On the communication screen, Krona Longfang's scarred face showed a playful smile.
"'Impossible'?" He repeated slowly, as if savoring the word, "That's not polite, Hernampode. Could it be… that your ship is hiding something unspeakable?"
"That is a baseless accusation!" Herbert retorted loudly, clearly very angry at the statement, "Accusing a loyal Inquisitor of potential corruption is a very serious act! I have destroyed countless cultist strongholds in the past, saving dozens of worlds in the Emperor's name!"
"Alright, alright." Krona rudely interrupted Herbert again. He listlessly extended a thick finger and began picking his nose, as if Herbert's impassioned self-defense was just annoying noise. "So, Hernampode, what exactly are you doing here, skulking around?"
These words, however, were like a bucket of ice water, instantly calming Herbert down. His Inquisitor duties demanded that he regain his composure. He resumed his Inquisitor demeanor, answering coldly: "I am going to Perditia. That planet was once a major taxpayer in this sector, but it has been cut off from the Imperium for thirty years. I am going there to re-establish its connection with the Imperium and to check for any potential rebellion… Unlike you, I have duties to perform!"
This was Herbert subtly mocking the Space Wolves' laxity and lack of discipline.
Krona clearly understood, but he didn't care. In fact, judging by his expression, he didn't feel ashamed, but rather proud, and he laughed gleefully: "Hahaha, well, Mister Hernampode, you are a very busy man."
"Yes, I am very busy," Herbert said coldly. "If you have nothing further, please clear the way."
"No, we suddenly have something to do." The smile on Krona's face vanished, replaced by an undeniable determination. He flicked away what he had picked from his nose and stared at Herbert with his wolf-like eyes, "We intend to go to Perditia to quell any potential rebellion or xenos invasion there."
At these words, Herbert's heart sank completely.
He understood. These Space Wolves were targeting him. Perhaps there were still Imperial Navy patrol vessels in the surrounding airspace, so they couldn't use force. They intended to use the pretext of "escort" to go with him to Perditia. Once they reached that isolated place, cut off for thirty years, where the Emperor was far away, there would be many more opportunities to maneuver.
Herbert wondered, if he were not an Inquisitor of the Order of the Holy Hammer, but rather of the Ordo Hereticus, which specializes in heretics, or the Ordo Xenos, which deals with xenos, would these Space Wolves not be so persistent… The Order of the Holy Hammer, the Ordo Malleus. Their duty is to hunt humanity's deepest fear—daemons from the warp. This work makes them paranoid, suspicious, and also grants them knowledge of many forbidden things, which makes them a dangerous and unpredictable group in the eyes of all Imperial factions.
As for the Space Wolves, they harbored a deep hatred for the entire Order of the Holy Hammer due to the past event of the 'Month of Shame.'
However, Herbert did not regret his choice to become an Inquisitor of the Order of the Holy Hammer. Regardless, someone had to do the work of cleansing Chaos corruption; it wasn't something that couldn't be done just because people disliked and hated it.
"Alright," Herbert said, "I have no reason to object to more forces joining me on Perditia… But I still believe this is a serious waste of resources; you should go to places where there are clear, large-scale rebellions."