Meanwhile, Raynor was not idle. He had to create a solid, impeccable alibi for himself—one that could withstand the cold, analytical scrutiny of an Astartes.
A simple "I was sleeping" or "I was in my office" was too fragile. His alibi had to be a long-term commitment, a task that required a genuine investment of time and effort, carried a legitimate degree of risk, and fit perfectly within his official duties.
The opportunity presented itself in an almost ironic fashion: a "Chaos Cult" began to emerge quietly from the depths of District 7. In the squalid, desperate lower levels of a Hive City, it was not uncommon for the hopeless to be lured by the warp's whispers.
Normally, such heresy fell under the jurisdiction of the Adeptus Arbites or the Ecclesiarchy. Theoretically, as an "Abnormal Creature Inspector," Raynor shouldn't have been involved, nor should he have bothered Cassius, who was a scalpel intended specifically for the xenos threat.
However, Raynor's "prestige" among the lower classes played an unexpected role. Since taking office—originally with the impure motive of hiding Sarah—he had objectively improved the lives of the locals. With the help of the Iron Anvil Society, he had eliminated gangs that oppressed the populace.
When Cassius's squad arrived, Raynor always managed to lead his patrol to "guard" the perimeter, preventing xenos stragglers from harming civilians (even if his true goal was packing biomass "takeout" for Sarah).
Furthermore, he frequently distributed synthetic protein blocks, clean filter cartridges, and inexpensive painkillers—items Sarah considered beneath her, sourced from the black market or "confiscated" shipments.
Raynor might have been a pragmatist, but it was impossible for him to remain entirely unmoved. Born into a wealthy and influential family in his past life, he possessed an innate, if buried, compassion for the underprivileged.
In the crushing misery of the Hive, these small acts of kindness were amplified a thousand times. To the impoverished masses, Inspector Raynor Corwana was a rare figure: approachable, pragmatic, and possessed of a benevolence unseen in other aloof bureaucrats.
While his primary motivations remained egoistic, his actions genuinely benefited the people. His word carried more weight in the Seventh District than the decrees of the Planetary Governor. Thus, when this new cult began recruiting and holding unsettling secret gatherings, the people didn't choose their usual silence. They passed the word to "Lord Raynor," the only authority they trusted.
Raynor didn't let this golden opportunity slip. He immediately treated the matter with "utmost gravity," personally leading an in-depth investigation and a resolute crackdown on the heretical force. He led a hand-picked patrol of tight-lipped former Anvil Society members into the most chaotic corners of District 7.
They visited the families of the missing and investigated suspected ritual sites. They even conducted small-scale raids, successfully "wiping out" peripheral cult cells and turning in crude chaotic symbols as evidence.
Throughout the process, Raynor performed his role dutifully, projecting the image of a man burdened by a worried mission. He deliberately made the investigation appear tedious and slow. He reported progress to his superiors frequently, complaining about the cunning of the cultists and emphasizing the need for a stable rear environment.
All of this was to create a specific impression on Cassius: Inspector Raynor was preoccupied with a challenging, long-term internal security matter that left him no time for anything else.
Raynor didn't worry about whether Cassius was watching. He knew the bald Sergeant was monitoring him. But what Cassius saw was a mortal bureaucrat whose energy was being consumed by a mundane heretical threat—a collaborator who was physically and mentally unable to intervene in the distant xenos extermination. It was the perfect smoke bomb.
Things unfolded exactly as Raynor predicted. After clearing out several small Genestealer hideouts provided by Raynor, Cassius's team began to notice the trail of "bread crumbs" Raynor had left behind.
The squad's Tech-Priest fed battle locations, pheromone patterns, and psychic wave decay curves into the logic-engines. The resulting analysis strongly suggested the existence of a "regional high-level command node." The coordinates identified in the report coincided perfectly with the direction Raynor had vaguely pointed to weeks prior.
Cassius did not hesitate. Eliminating high-value targets aligned with the cold logic of the Iron Hands. He didn't inform Raynor of the specific coordinates, but issued a general order to prepare for a "major cleanup operation."
The target was the fault-line stronghold where the Genestealer Magus resided.
Raynor expressed his "sincere regret" that he was currently tracking key Chaos cultists who might have ties to the area, rendering him unable to provide external support. Instead, he promised to ensure the order and safety of the surrounding residential zones.
Cassius made no comment. To him, the presence or absence of a mortal inspector had no bearing on the outcome of a battle.