173rd day, Year 988, 41st Millennium
"Everything is ready. Hand me the notebook," Omega commanded, crouching in front of Galjax. He gestured to the field medic for the log.
Galjax leaned against the cold metal wall, a broken shadow of a man. Despite his battered state, his eyes remained fixed on his daughter. Fear and desperation flickered in his gaze as he finally surrendered his ideals and his will to save her life.
"Don't try anything clever. Now, tell me: who provided the support? Who were your co-conspirators in this rebellion?" Omega asked, his voice flat and indifferent. His left hand held the notebook and a pen, while his right toyed with a revolver. He kept his eyes on the captive girl, as if ready to turn the weapon on her at any second.
Galjax let out a heavy sigh, falling silent for a moment before finally spilling every secret.
"There were many within the hive sectors who supported us... so many that I cannot remember them all," Galjax whispered, his voice raspy and slurred from a shattered jaw and extensive internal bruising.
"I don't know many of them personally. There were so many nobles... they were the ones who smoothed the way, bringing in the weapons and high-explosive charges. they facilitated the smuggling of those items onto this world," Galjax continued. Omega recorded every word with cold precision, never once looking up at the informant.
Hypotheses swirled in Omega's mind. If heavy weaponry and explosives were indeed being imported from off-world, those behind the scheme possessed far more influence and wealth than he had initially calculated. This made the situation exponentially more dangerous. If every rebel were armed with a plasma weapon, the scale of destruction would be catastrophic. He was now certain there were moles within Hive Kathion—and he was 60% sure they were not servants of the Korvax line.
Typically, political infighting among the nobility involved obstructing rivals or expanding one's own power through proxies like gangs or assassins. While assassinations had become strangely rare since the war, they were usually a common occurrence. The sudden lack of such activity was both a relief and a concern; it was too quiet, too unnatural.
"And who exactly do you recognize as a supporter or facilitator for your rebellion?" Omega asked, his voice devoid of emotion. He looked up, his pale eyes boring into Galjax with a terrifying, heavy pressure.
"I don't remember many... many remained anonymous. But there are a few I recall: Lord Ritus Rist, and a creature... I wasn't sure if it was a xeno or a shriveled mutant with blue skin. It called itself 'Por'el.' It was the one who supplied us with the plasma rifles and heavy explosives. Cough!" Galjax hacked up a spray of blood. Omega nodded slightly, wiping a stray drop of blood from his own face with his hand. He stood up, handed the notebook back to the medic, and considered the information.
Ritus Rist. A noble under the jurisdiction of House Thalric—a house known for its stagnant, inefficient rule and utter lack of oversight. It was the perfect environment for a corrupt noble to thrive. Omega mentally marked the name for termination.
As for the other variable—Por'el. This mysterious entity could be a mutant merchant or a xeno envoy. It didn't matter. He would investigate, uncover their network, and purge every trace of rebellion from Hive Kathion.
"I've told you everything I know... please, don't hurt her. She's just an innocent child; she has nothing to do with this," Galjax pleaded, his voice breaking. His love for his daughter had led him to betray everything. Omega looked at the girl, then back at her father.
"Very well. I am a man of my word," Omega said coldly. In a blurred motion, he drew his revolver and pressed the barrel against Galjax's temple.
BANG!
The shot thundered through the desolate level. Half of Galjax's head vanished as the armor-piercing round detonated inside his skull. Blood and brain matter sprayed across Omega's form.
The girl, gagged and bound, could only watch in mute shock as her father was executed. She couldn't even scream for mercy. She stared at the man who had killed her father with eyes full of hatred and grief, tears streaming down her face as she let out stifled, heart-wrenching sobs.
"Dump the carcass in the waste chute. The rest of you, follow me. We need to have a 'consultation' with the Arbites," Omega ordered his House Guards. He was about to do something incredibly dangerous—second only to the time he had insulted a room full of nobles.
Two guards immediately tossed Galjax's body into the lightless abyss of the chute. The guard holding the girl prepared to throw her in after her father, but Omega stopped him. The girl, trembling with terror, was spared by a sudden miracle.
"The child is irrelevant. Take her back to the orphanage. And see that she is unharmed."