Chapter 87: Omega in the T'au Empire, Part II
Since it was an academic exchange, it naturally couldn't be limited to just the apprentices. The teachers who taught the students were the main targets of the exchange. But after a few attempts to communicate with the teachers, Omega discovered that he had been played by the T'au. This made him very angry.
"These blue-skins have no intention of a proper exchange. With the level of those teachers, what kind of exchange can there be?" Omega's cowlick stood on end as he complained to Rhea and the others.
"Isn't the academic exchange just a pretext?" The cog-girl, as always, was clueless. She pointed out that Omega had forgotten their true purpose, which made his expression very awkward. The atmosphere with the T'au had been so harmonious that he had almost forgotten that he was actually in the "villain camp" in the T'au Empire. No matter how much of a show the Ethereals put on, it was impossible for them to let him get close to any confidential technology.
Feeling that his sincerity had been in vain, Omega grumbled, "Hmph, you hypocritical, self-righteous xenos. You're all just talk."
Paul then said, "Boss, I've communicated with the xenos teachers at the academy, and I think it's been okay. Although their theories are very blasphemous, there are some merits to them." The others also nodded in agreement, which made Omega feel a little bitter. Was he supposed to tell his friends, "Your level is too low. I, Omega, look down on you"?
During his time in O'nyl, although Omega had collected a lot of T'au technology, the one thing he had really wanted had always been out of his reach: the T'au's advanced battlesuits. This had put his "Orthodox Human Gundam Project" on hold. He had originally thought he could steal it this time. According to his original plan, after building a good relationship, he could, with his "tutor" status, openly watch the Fire Caste's battlesuit training. At that point, it would be like a mouse in a granary, for him to... heh heh heh.
He had gotten the "tutor" status, but when he had asked to see some more advanced courses, the answer had been "no." At first, Omega had thought the T'au were just being wary of him, but after using a few tricks, he had discovered that there really were none.
After some more inquiries, Omega had learned that the T'au Empire not only had five castes, but also six ranks: Sa'al, La, Ui, Vre, El, and O. Each T'au was only allowed to do what their rank permitted. The Sa'al rank referred to apprentices who had not yet entered society. These people had to stay in school and study, and there was no set time for a Sa'al to be promoted. It depended on the apprentice's own level, which was similar to the apprentices of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
An increase in rank also brought an increase in power. A Ui-rank Fire Caste could only pilot a battlesuit or be a Fire Warrior team leader, while an O-rank could command an entire army. The lowest-ranking Ethereal could only manage a settlement, while the highest could manage an entire star system.
There was no one in the entire academy city who was qualified to pilot an advanced battlesuit, and the "Gundams" Omega was dreaming of were even more impossible. To put it bluntly, the T'au had given him a green light all the way to this place, and they weren't afraid that he could steal any high-end technology. His role was just to be a cover for Inquisitor Fenni.
This result could not possibly have pleased Omega, who had spent a lot of effort to raise his reputation. He no longer wanted to stay here. He wanted to go back to O'nyl and use the cog-heads' traditional methods of exchange to get results.
"Inquisitor Fenni, what is your progress?" Omega asked, having sought out the Inquisitor.
"Still in negotiations. What is it?"
"Can't you hurry it up? Countless soldiers are sacrificing themselves on the front lines every moment. I don't think the T'au have any sincerity."
Fenni frowned at Omega's words. She could tell that he wanted to run. The negotiations had just reached a critical point. She could not allow him to drop the ball at a time like this. She said to Omega sternly, "Magos Omega, patience is very important right now. You understand, right?"
The little cog-head said nothing. He also understood that this was a warning. Because of the height difference, he gave the Inquisitor a few eye-rolls from below, and then left in a huff.
Omega, who deeply felt that agreeing to this mission was like shooting himself in the foot, was now very helpless. He couldn't steal, and he couldn't leave. Every day, he had to act as a cover for this annoying woman and take her to the academy city with him. Many of the black-hearted cog-heads had secretly approached him, saying that as long as he nodded, they could make Fenni "die of an illness." Omega had ignored them. It was not wise to make a move against someone who had a handwritten order from Guilliman. To fall out now would be to get nothing but a chicken-fly-egg-break. He also didn't want to become a person who trifled with human life. The Inquisitor, whom he only saw a few times a day, had been replaced by the "fly."
What he hated even more was that almost every day, a Water Caste T'au would come to him to discuss the Greater Good. He had no interest at all in this "Greater Galactic Co-Prosperity Sphere" of these galactic "little fools." But these most talkative of the T'au were like flies that he couldn't get rid of. And Omega couldn't just get tough. He was already annoyed, and now he was even more so.
"How do you guys usually put up with them?" Omega complained to the Earth Caste T'au beside him.
The Earth Caste teacher shrugged. "They don't like to talk to us."
"They think you're slow-witted, right? Do the Water Caste also not like to communicate with the Fire Caste?"
"Heh heh, the Fire Caste would beat them up. They have a good relationship with the Air Caste. They cooperate the best. One is in charge of flying the ship, the other is in charge of opening their mouths," the Earth Caste teacher said with a laugh.
"It's not that I hate your Greater Good. It's just that hearing it every day is a little unbearable," Omega explained, so as not to ruin the image he had worked so hard to build.
"Oh? What does Magos Omega think of the Greater Good?" the Earth Caste T'au asked curiously.
"Well, it's beautiful, but unrealistic. Although many weak xenos are attached to you, there is an irreconcilable contradiction between you and them."
"What is that contradiction?"
"They will never be able to identify as T'au. At most, they are supporters of the Greater Good, because supporting the Greater Good brings them benefits." Omega paused and then continued, "The T'au Empire is too small to maintain a high-welfare society at home while fighting a war of attrition on the front lines. So your tactics emphasize precision strikes, mobility, reconnaissance, and individual initiative. You disdain to use the simple and crude tactics of the Imperium of Man, partly because your national strength cannot afford it. Once you can no longer provide enough benefits to feed your client races, what do you think will happen?"
The Earth Caste teacher did not answer Omega's question in the end. But he passed this conversation on to the chief planner of the Earth Caste on Bork'an—Fio'o.
As Inquisitor Fenni had said, intelligence about Omega had long been on the desks of the T'au high command. For such a special human genius, the T'au would not just throw him into an academy city and ignore him. In fact, five or six out of ten of the T'au who had been friendly to Omega were agents. Their purpose in contacting him was to gather intelligence. The Earth Caste teacher who had a good relationship with Omega had been sent by this Chief Fio'o.
"What do you think of this Magos Omega?" Fio'o asked.
The Earth Caste agent thought for a moment. "This Magos Omega should know many secrets of the Imperium of Man. At the same time, he does not seem to hold the deep-seated hostility towards us that other humans do. In fact, in my conversations with him, I could feel his approval of us."
"Oh? Does he have any intention of joining the Greater Good?"
"No. This Magos Omega, as he said, thinks the Greater Good is just a dream."
"Alright, I understand. You continue to have contact with him."
"Acknowledged, Chief Fio'o."
After the Earth Caste agent had left, Fio'o listened to the recording of the conversation between Omega and the agent over and over again. As an O-rank T'au, his status allowed him to do many things and to have access to more confidential information. This information made him no longer blindly worship the Greater Good like an ordinary T'au. Omega's words reminded Fio'o of the fact that the commander of the Fourth Fleet had purged the auxiliary race soldiers in his fleet after escaping from the warp. Although the Ethereals had tried their best to suppress the news, for Fio'o, this suppression was useless. On the contrary, it made him feel that there was a secret hidden within.
"T'au'va," Fio'o muttered to himself. He decided to meet with this Magos Omega in person.
Omega sized up the little old T'au who had appeared out of nowhere. He didn't know what the other party wanted with him, but he didn't want to get involved in the T'au's affairs at all.
"Chief Fio'o, why have you suddenly sought me out? I'll tell you, I'm just a scholar here for an exchange. I don't want to get involved in your T'au Empire's own affairs."
"I want to make a deal with you," Fio'o replied.
Hearing this, Omega immediately perked up. He liked businessmen. He quickly gestured for his honored guest to sit down. Omega rubbed his hands together. "I wonder what Chief Fio'o wants to trade?"
"Tell me the truth about those creatures in the warp."
Fio'o had tried to learn about such things through the shamans of the client races, but their mystical answers did not satisfy him. He believed that a tech-savvy clergyman like Omega was the most suitable person to understand this kind of intelligence.
Hearing the T'au's words, Omega's eyes darted around. He wanted to raise the price. He decided to make the matter as big as possible, to sell it for a good price. "This involves the foundation of the Adeptus Mechanicus. I cannot bear the responsibility."
"Don't use such excuses to raise the price. Your compatriots have already used this trick to death. Name your price."
Hearing this, Omega's smiling face immediately fell. He thought to himself, You dead xenos! Who is a compatriot with those heretics? You dead heretics! What have you all been doing?!
Omega, whose thoughts had been seen through and who was still unwilling to give up, said, "Chief Fio'o, I imagine you have also asked others for answers, right?"
"Yes."
"And their answers did not satisfy you?"
Seeing Fio'o's silence, Omega was overjoyed. He continued, "The intelligence about those things in the warp is not something an ordinary person can access. Even those heretek Tech-Priests you have contacted before are not worthy to know. You have come to me, so you must already know my identity. That's why you have come here to try your luck, right? Then tell me, a truth that only the high command of the Adeptus Mechanicus is allowed to know, a successor to a Forge World, what will you use as a price to satisfy me?"
"I know the true purpose of your coming here," the Chief said, staring into Omega's eyes.
Err... Fenni, oh, Fenni! With your professional level, what kind of Inquisitor are you? You're leaking like a sieve! Omega's resentment towards the Inquisitor grew even deeper. This woman had not only wasted his ship and his time, but she was also hindering him from making "money."
Seeing Fio'o's determined look, Omega could only say, "A clear price, a clear product."
"Fine."
Omega followed Fio'o to a hidden room. The two of them sat down, face to face, looking at each other without expression. After a period of silence, Omega suddenly said, "Chief Fio'o, can I see the goods first?"
Fio'o threw out a data-slate in annoyance. Omega checked it with his own device. It was indeed a part of the data for an advanced battlesuit—the XV9 "Hazard" battlesuit.
"This is not complete."
"If your answer satisfies me, I will give you the rest. On the condition that you satisfy me."
"I will be sure to tell you everything I know, without holding anything back."