Chapter 175: The Bureau of Celestial Management
Belisarius Cawl had been ordered to establish a brand-new department.
Raven, as the Imperium's Supreme Ruler, had granted him vast authority. He could act freely and mobilize resources, as long as he didn't harm the Imperium's vital interests.
After Cawl took on this responsibility, his first task was naming the new department.
"This director is unbelievably lazy!" Cawl grumbled during a brief break from working like an animal. He'd arrived so excited to accomplish great things, and what did he get?
Forget about having a clear plan, the man hadn't even prepared paper and pen! Even con artists make PowerPoint presentations and rent office space. This guy hadn't even managed that much. He just talked big and left everything else to his subordinates.
'Sigh, Complaints aside, the work still needed doing.'
To choose a good name, Cawl gathered linguists and historians. He asked them to consult old texts and draw inspiration from myths, legends, and historical records. After several days of debate, Cawl finally decided on the Bureau of Celestial Strategic Defence, Offence, and Logistics Management, shortened to the Bureau of Celestial Management.
The Bureau was divided into five specialised divisions.
First was Logistics Support. They would work with the Adeptus Mechanicus, the High Lords of Terra, and other Imperial departments. Their job was getting the weapons, equipment, and political resources the Bureau needed.
Second was Intelligence Gathering. This division used agents whose main task was to infiltrate target universes completely. They would collect information on local customs, regional powers, political conflicts, and other valuable intelligence.
Third was Technical Analysis. Based on information from Intelligence, this department would analyse target universes thoroughly and create detailed strategic plans.
Fourth was the Action Division. They would select elite personnel from across the Imperium for special training and enhancement before sending them to target universes. Their missions included assassinating important figures and eliminating enemy elites, breaking down local resistance before large-scale Imperial invasions.
Fifth was Bureau Security.
The Bureau of Celestial Management operated independently from all existing Imperial departments. Like the Adeptus Custodes, it answered directly to the Emperor and Raven.
"Excellent work, Cawl. Keep it up," Raven said, eating fried nutrient strips while casually flipping through Cawl's report.
He painted grand visions of the future. "The Bureau of Celestial Management is just starting, but it has great potential. Work hard and you'll definitely be rewarded."
Cawl seriously doubted whether Raven had actually read the report.
"The Bureau needs a permanent base," Cawl added. "Given the department's special nature, an independent pocket dimension separate from our universe would be best. This would make operations much more convenient, and if uncontrollable problems arise, we could cut connections quickly to minimise Imperial losses."
"Excellent idea." Raven nodded. "Go find Malcador and tell him it's my order."
Cawl brought up another issue. "There's the matter of Action Division recruitment. The various Legions won't send their elite veterans, and the selection process has stalled."
"Ah, that." Raven ate another strip. "I'll talk to the Big Guy. Military promotion resources will be shifted toward the Bureau of Celestial Management. Anyone who wants to rise to high army ranks must have Bureau experience."
"The Bureau's data system is inadequate and needs more computing power. We should get a stellar-class cogitator." Cawl noted another report.
"Approved. Go find Malcador."
"The Bureau, "
"Granted."
Cawl "..."
"Supported."
Raven "Munch, munch, Oh these are so tasty"
Cawl "..."
Cawl's smile slowly grew wider and wider. Though Raven was lazy, he was simply the perfect boss. No interference, 100% support.
Raven didn't care about Cawl's thoughts. He just kept eating strips and nodding in agreement. Let Malcador handle the reviews. He only needed to approve things. If something went wrong, Cawl and Malcador would take the blame.
'What? Make him admit mistakes? Did they want to be sent to watch ponds?'
A meeting was being held in the Imperial Senate Building. It was an exceptionally grand occasion. Envoys from various sectors, Navigator Houses, Rogue Traders, and Legion representatives all participated. They sat on their floating platforms, waiting for their turns to speak and vote.
Malcador the Sigillite, First Lord of Terra and Imperial Regent, sat on the central high platform. A woman in elaborate robes stood on a nearby platform, presenting her proposal to everyone.
"The Frontier Act is an absolute necessity. It will greatly encourage exploration teams to discover and conquer unknown worlds."
This female councillor wanted to give Rogue Traders more power. She proposed granting them legal pioneering rights. This meant merchants who discovered planets never found by humanity and developed them would gain dominion over those worlds.
Imperial territory grew larger constantly, with countless inhabitants. Even with stellar cogitators' help, ensuring Terra's rule covered the entire Imperium was difficult. Appropriate decentralisation was the best option.
The Frontier Act would maximally encourage Rogue Traders to explore unknown worlds for vast wealth and power actively.
After the councillor finished speaking, the presiding Prime Minister announced the voting session. Thirty minutes later, voting concluded, and thus this bill was passed.
Explorers venturing into space could now gain dominion over planets if they developed uninhabited ones.
The meeting continued for four more hours before a two-hour break. Malcador, escorted by his bodyguards, passed lower-ranking officials and staff heading to his private lounge. Along the way, people constantly tried to speak with Malcador or presented documents, hoping for his signature.
Such things were common everyday. Experts, officials, and military personnel would wait in corridors leading to influential figures' private suites and washrooms.
They did this just to have a few words with the Imperium's powerful or get a casual signature that might solve their problems. Some legislators and Planetary Governors would spend weeks or months waiting for a chance encounter.
Don't think this behaviour was undignified. Those allowed into this Senate Building were also influential figures in their star systems or sectors. They had wealth and status beyond ordinary imagination.
But this was Terra, the Imperium's administrative centre, humanity's birthplace, where power and wealth converged. You could throw a brick here randomly, and it would probably hit several Planetary Governors or sector representatives.
Any powerful person who came here had to learn respect and humility first.
"Lord Sigillite," a voice called.
Malcador's group stopped. The speaker was accompanied by Custodians who blocked their path. Malcador's bodyguards didn't dare treat the Custodians like ordinary petitioners.
Officials and representatives nearby showed surprised expressions. They all looked at the Custodian squad, wondering which important figure who could be guarded by the great Custodians had arrived.
Even in the vast Imperium, only a handful of people could deploy Custodians.
However, they didn't recognise any familiar faces. The Custodians were escorting a young tech-priest with mechanical augmentations. Judging by his robe style and shoulder markings, this seemed unusual.
Malcador was equally surprised.
Belisarius Cawl approached Malcador. "I am Belisarius Cawl, serving Lord Raven. This is the resource requisition document for establishing the Bureau of Celestial Management. It requires your authorisation."
"Lord Raven? The Bureau of Celestial Management?" Malcador frowned.
"Yes, this department was personally established by Raven to address new challenges," Cawl explained. "The department's structure is already planned and complete. It only needs yours, the Lord Sigillite's signature to fill it with personnel and equipment."
Malcador's face showed complete confusion. He understood every word they said, but inside, he was bewildered.
By the Throne! Raven actually thought about working? And even established a department? Were they talking about the same raven here?
That Raven? The lazy Raven? That food-eating Raven? By Terra, has the sun risen from the west?
Malcador opened the requisition document and examined its contents.
"Pocket dimension, stellar cogitator, fifth-generation enhancement implant quotas, temporal management authority..."
His frown deepened with each item. It was confirmed that it was The Raven, and it seems that Raven was taking all the good stuff for his newly established department.
"A single department shouldn't need so many resources, should it?" Malcador asked Cawl.
[End of Chapter]
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