Elizabeth frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Well,” Hilsa begaourning serious, “our methods are pletely different. As Battle Sisters, we froid daemons head-on. Our job is simple—elimihe threat. Evidence? Judgments? That’s not our . But you, as an Inquisitor, have a different role. You work in the shadows, gathering evidence, making decisions, and passing judgment. It’s not about pulling the trigger anymore—it’s about uanding when and why to do it. It’s a totally different mi.”

  "Indeed, it makes sense. As, there is no other way. It seems I’ll have to put aside matters in the Eastern Fringe for now. That Kayvaan is very lucky."

  "Lucky? That’s hard to say. Sister, you probably don’t know the full scope of our operatio, do you?"

  "A big operation? What do you mean? Tell me!"

  "No problem. Sister, since you’re about to be officially appointed soon, it’s fine if I tell you first. The operation’s focus is on the Eastern Fringe."

  "The Eastern Fringe?"

  "Yes, the Eastern Fringe."

  Hilsa id out everything she khe Inquisition is gearing up for a massive operation in the Eastern Frihe task forcludes twelve inquisitors, sixty-eight Interrogators and their attendants, and twiments of battle sisters. This formidable group will be sent to the Eastern Frio establish trol.

  It seems that with ret stability across the Empire, the Inquisition has freed up some resources. Naturally, the higher-ups aren’t going to let their forces sit idle. The leaders decided it was time t the Eastern Fringe uhe Inquisition’s authority. While the long-term goal is to secure the regioirely for the Emperor, the immediate focus will be on exploration, groundwork, and ying the foundation for future expansion.

  The first step is establishing three onasteries in the Eastern Frihese monasteries will serve as the Inquisition’s bases in the region, and future operations will revolve around them. After hearing this, Elizabeth didn’t linger. She quickly got Hilsa’s address, exged goodbyes, and rushed back to the court to verify the information.

  "Yes, the operation is real, and you’re part of it. The detailed briefing aed dots have already beeo you. Wait, what? You didn’t receive any notice?" Elizabeth’s superior, Randall Jonde, frowned. With his round fad an almost jovial sparkle in his eyes, he looked like a harmless middle-aged man. But anyone who knew him uood his reputation as a ing and ruthless strategist.

  Randall grumbled, "Holy, it’s been three days sihe notices were sent out! What are those Administratum doing? Anyway, there’s also a surprise for you in this mission."

  "I already know," Elizabeth replied. "I ran into Hilsa earlier and heard about it from her. But I ’t shake this uneasy feeling about the mission. If it’s just about building monastry, why send so many inquisitors? And why such a small bat team?"

  "It’s not just about building monastery," Randall said, suddenly serious.. “If it were, we’d leave it to the Meicus. This mission is about waging war—a war in the shadows.”

  "A secret war? Against who?"

  "A year ago, an inquisitor was killed in the Eastern Fringe," Randall expined. "His body was mutited—cut into over a hundred pieces. The response from the region was swift, but it wasn’t enough. Fourteen more inquisitors have died there sihen. We’ve pletely lost trol, particurly the outermost territories. This mission is desigo reestablish Imperial authority.”Elizabeth frowned. “Who is responsible?”

  “The Eldar,” Randall replied, his voice cold. “Rangers, specifically from Aitoc. They’re shadow-walkers—masters of stealth and assassination. An army is useless against them. This operation will focus on log their base and eliminating their presence. Capture and interrogation are sedary objectives.”

  The Eldar are a mysterious and dangerous alien race. In the cold and ruthless gaxy, they are just one of the many threats humanity faces. "Do all Eldar rangers act alone?" Elizabeth asked, frowning.

  "No one knows for sure. We’ll figure that out whe there. The Eldar are an enigma, and we know very little about them. Hopefully, this operation will ge that."

  The retionship between the Eldar and the Imperium is one of tenuous coexistend frequent flict. On rare occasions, they have fought alongside humans to face mutual threats, such as Chaos incursions or rampaging Ork hordes. But they’re far from allies. Battles between humans and the Eldar are frequent, and trust is ent.

  The Eldar resemble humans at first gall, slender, with elegant faces and fwless, pale skin. But a closer look reveals their pointed ears, inhumanly graceful movements, araordinary skill. In bat, their agility and swiftness make them terrifying oppos.

  Randall tinued, "They are cold, calg, and utterly ruthless. They view humanity as little more than a tool or an obstacle to their survival. Trusting them is a fool’s game."

  The Empire's disdain for the Eldar runs deep. If given the ce, the Imperium would gdly wipe them from existence, for humanity alone should rule the gaxy. The Eldar are seen as unreliable at best—potential sves for the mines or spes for museums, nothing more. Yet, the reality is far less straightforward. The Empire has no clear way to deal with the Eldar, for they don't live os. Instead, they inhabit enormous, drifting vessels known as Craftworlds.

  These Craftworlds are colossal ships that float in the endless void, far removed from the warmth of stars or ps. Their smooth towers rise into the dark, their domes gazing out into the infinite emptiness of space. Without the light of a star to illumihem, the task of finding even one Craftworld is nearly impossible. The gaxy is simply too vast, the void too deep. Finding an Eldar Craftworld is not just like searg for a needle in a haystack—it’s thousands of times harder, a task even the gods might fail to aplish. “Where am I supposed to be stationed?” Elizabeth asked, her tone as serious as ever.

  Randall sighed, ping the bridge of his nose. “You’re so impatient. ’t you wait until the formal orders arrive?”

  Elizabeth's frown deepened, but Randall tinued before she could voice her obje. “Very well. Let’s review the data,” he said, unrolling a cracked and faded star map onto the table. With a gaued finger, he traced the edge of the Imperium’s holdings and tapped a shadowed region. “It’s somewhere in the Eastern Fringe. Beyond reliable Astropathic reach.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed at the map, her lips thinning in disapproval. “This? This isn’t a map—it’s a relic. How do you expeyoo navigate this?”

  Randall shrugged. “The information is what it is, The Eastern Fringe has always been a patchwork of half-truths and guesswork. The true frontier of the Empire. Yeah, the map’s a bit outdated—updating it is part of your job. Your mission is tied to the new lord assighere, a guy named Kayvaan or something. You reviewed him retly, didn’t you?”

  “Ah, I remember now,” Elizabeth said, her mohtening. “It’s all part of the Emperrand pn. Evil will eventually face divine judgment.”

  “Exactly. To be specific, this Kayvaan guy is what we call a ‘lighthouse.’ His position is critical—he’s to lead a new Space Marine chapter and govern three system. He’s expected to fend off weaker enemies on his own and at least hold his ground against tougher ones. Your job is to shadow him, keep a safe distance, a back. Help him when necessary, but don’t make it obvious. You’re the ‘eye,’ watg from the shadows. The Inquisition will cover any expenses, so don’t be stingy.”

  Elizabeth blinked in disbelief. “Help him? I’m supposed to help a Space Marine chapter? Isn’t that overkill for a ‘lighthouse’?”

  Randall smirked. “There’s more to this thahe eye, but you don’t o know all the details. Just do your job. And remember the protocol—if you enter something you ’t handle, retreat immediately. Protect the information first, then yourself. Got it?”

  “Yes, I uand.”

  “Good. Now go prepare.”