Inside the starport, a heavy silence fell as everyone watched the Conqueror-class cruiser slowly berth alongside the docking bay. The expressions of those gathered were grim.
The Hive World Governor, representatives from various noble houses, and officials from the Inquisition and the Adeptus Arbites were all present. After all, the intent of these newcomers—whether they were friendly or hostile—was a matter of life and death. Armand stood at the very front of the line with his power-armored personal guard, his eyes fixed intensely on the heavy alloy hatch.
With the hiss of hydraulic pistons, the hatch slowly ground open. Everyone's breath hitched for a moment. Emerging from the ship was a squad of highly disciplined soldiers clad in black power armor and wielding heavy firearms. They marched with perfect, synchronized strides, lining the walkway to create a path.
Then, the residents of Leopes saw the figure at the end of that path. A man in a grey military greatcoat with a determined face stepped down the ramp. He scanned the crowd with an indifferent gaze before offering a friendly smile. Following closely behind him was a tall figure shrouded in a long robe.
Everyone was struck by the man's youth. Armand looked at Alexei with a complex expression; the last time they met, he had held the position of power. Now, the roles were reversed. Moreover, he looked at the soldiers in black power armor and their weaponry—they were distinctly different from his own guards, looking far more... refined.
"Aiur is definitely more than just a possessor of an STC template..."
The man led a few soldiers to stand before them. The crowd stepped forward, and Heinrich saluted Alexei , introducing himself.
But to the surprise of everyone present, Alexei did not return the salute immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze toward another middle-aged man in the crowd. "May I ask this gentleman's name?"
Heinrich's smile froze on his face. The middle-aged man was clearly caught off guard by the attention, a trace of panic flitting across his features. Nonetheless, he stepped forward, bowed, and said, "I am the Patriarch of House Schneider. You are most welcome to Leopes."
Alexei said nothing. He simply walked up to him until they were standing face-to-face—so close the Patriarch could hear Alexei's heavy, rhythmic breathing. As Alexei's smile vanished, replaced by a cold, hollow stare, the onlookers were left utterly bewildered.
"Aaargh!!!"
A scream accompanied the sickening sound of bone shattering. Alexei kicked out, snapping the Patriarch's knee and sending him collapsing to the ground in agony. A moment later, the screaming stopped abruptly. He reached down, gripped the man's throat, and hoisted him into the air.
"You—" The Governor of Leopes recoiled in terror, but before he could speak, Alexei gave a violent wrench. He tore the Patriarch's head clean off his shoulders. Blood sprayed everywhere. The crowd panicked, fleeing from the Aiur Governor who had just committed an act of sudden, inexplicable violence.
Armand's guards raised their weapons, aiming at the Aiur Governor. However, Alexei and his soldiers remained perfectly calm, making no further moves. He dropped the headless body to the ground and tossed the head toward the crowd.
A sickly sweet scent filled their nostrils. It was only then that they realized the blood was a vibrant pinkish-purple—definitely not the blood of a normal human.
Alexei smiled again, flicking the blood from his hands. He offered a polite, apologetic bow to the terrified group. "My apologies, gentlemen. I assume none of you wish to have a minion of Chaos lurking among us."
Heinrich's expression shifted several times before he stepped forward again with a deeply conflicted look. He composed himself and looked at the smiling man before him, as if the slaughter had never happened.
"Regarding the Patriarch of House Schneider... I am deeply sorry. We had no idea that a once-loyal servant of the Empire had fallen to Chaos," Heinrich said, bowing his head.
"The appearance of one cockroach usually means the room is already full of them," Alexei said meaningfully, looking at the Governor. "I suggest you purge the rest of that family." He then looked toward a man in the crowd wearing the vestments of the Inquisition, who was staring at the corpse and severed head with a dark, grim expression.
As Heinrich struggled to find words, Alexei spoke again. "Could you show us to the lounge, Excellency?" he asked with his usual affability.
"Of course, of course. Please, follow me." Heinrich immediately stepped aside and gestured for them to follow. Alexei nodded and led the tall, robed figure toward the spires.
Armand watched the Aiur Governor's departing back and sighed softly. The man hadn't looked at him once, acting as if he didn't even exist. It seemed he would have to seek the man out personally; he still remembered the long-term partnership they had established.
He had underestimated Aiur multiple times. Now he realized that in these turbulent times, they might be the only power capable of helping the Cape family reach new heights.
Alexei listened to the Governor respectfully recount the history of Leopes, his face wearing its habitual smile. His earlier display of force had successfully seized the initiative; beside him, the silent Kaidel would handle the next step.
The spires of Leopes were crowded with luxurious Gothic architecture. Soaring steeples and massive, vibrant stained-glass windows depicting Imperial epics gave the entire area an air of divine piety under the sun.
The group walked up steps made of white marble that shimmered faintly in the bright daylight. They were headed for the reception hall of the main palace.
A breeze carried the sounds of chanting from a nearby Ecclesiarchy cathedral. It felt like a paradise on earth, but the scene at the starport had confirmed to Alexei that the claws of Chaos were already reaching behind this facade.
Suddenly, Alexei stopped. He looked at a tall, pure-white tower standing prominently among the surrounding Gothic structures. "What is that?" he asked Heinrich.
"That is the Astrological Tower, built by House Watson," Heinrich explained. "They have always excelled at using psychic powers to predict the future through the stars. However, since that rift tore the sky open, they rarely visit the tower anymore."
An astrological tower, psychic powers, and future sight. Alexei narrowed his eyes. "Interesting."
He resumed his pace behind Heinrich. He had a premonition that this campaign on Leopes was going to be very entertaining.