At the Mandeville point of the Aiel system, after a long period of silence, a fleet slowly emerged from the tides of the Warp and transitioned into realspace.
This was a small fleet consisting of one Conquest-class Cruiser, one Universe-class Heavy Transport, and three Sword-class Frigates.
The leading Conquest-class Cruiser was noticeably larger than others of its type, clearly customized by its owner. Its hull was heavily scarred, bearing the marks of countless battles and subsequent repairs.
After a brief confirmation of their bearings, the fleet slowly began its approach toward Aiel.
Alexei had been aware of the Rogue Trader's arrival for some time. He had already prepared to receive the Capet Dynasty at the starport high above the Main Hive City.
"One cruiser, three frigates..." Alexei calculated the scale of the Rogue Trader fleet in his mind. "From the looks of it, this can only be considered a minor dynasty."
Alexei's gaze was sharp as he stared in the direction of the approaching fleet. The Warrant of Trade held by a small dynasty like this was unlikely to have been signed by the Emperor or a Primarch personally.
After all, the probability of a Rogue Trader owning a personal Warrant from the Emperor while only possessing a few frigates was infinitesimally small.
Alexei felt he could fully handle a minor dynasty of this caliber. Rogue Traders were, by nature, factions that lived on the edge of a blade; in the vast galaxy, countless dynasties vanished into the void at every moment.
For a Rogue Trader whose authority did not come directly from the Emperor or a Primarch, even an Inquisitor had the standing to investigate or prosecute them. After all, what Rogue Trader could truly resist the temptation of xenos technology?
Thinking of this, Alexei turned to look at Diana, who stood beside him with her eyes closed in meditation. The beautiful lady seemed to sense the Governor's gaze and looked at him inquisitively. Alexei shook his head to indicate it was nothing and turned back.
Furthermore, unlike the last time the Tithe fleet arrived, he was now fully prepared. Numerous squads clad in power armor stood in perfect formation on the starport platforms. All four of his Battlecruisers had returned to port and were on standby. On the planetary surface, over a dozen giant anti-air batteries were fully charged and aimed toward the starport. In the shadows, the Ghosts watched everything in silence.
This time, he would not be the one on the defensive.
After some time, the massive Imperial vessels appeared in Alexei's field of vision. "They're here..." he murmured.
Amidst a deafening roar, the Conquest-class Cruiser slowly docked at the Main Hive starport's umbilical. The heavy metal airlocks groaned as they slowly cycled open.
Armand Capet and his entourage appeared before the crowd. Much like Alexei, the Rogue Trader clearly placed great importance on this meeting, choosing to personally lead the delegation to meet the Planetary Governor.
"Have the Tech-Priest take his subordinates to the hangar for maintenance checks first," Armand instructed his Captain of the Guard. He then turned his gaze toward Alexei. Upon seeing the vast number of mortal soldiers clad in master-crafted power armor, shock surged through him, despite having visited countless Forge Worlds.
It was his first time seeing a Planetary Governor wealthy enough to equip his personal guard with power armor of this caliber. It reminded Armand of a military organization that existed only in history: the Solar Auxilia.
He quickly suppressed his emotions, maintaining a faint, polite smile throughout.
Alexei stood at the front of the welcoming party. He was equally surprised by the Rogue Trader's entourage. The household guards were all clad in carapace armor engraved with the Capet Dynasty crest, and some even wore power-assisted armor.
This fellow has quite the inheritance... Alexei noted silently. This individual equipment was better than that of many standard Astra Militarum regiments.
He observed the middle-aged man who identified himself as Armand Capet, the sole Lord of this "great" dynasty. Armand walked with the typical arrogant stride of an Imperial noble, an unruffled smile perpetually on his face, his sharp eyes locked onto Alexei's.
He was draped in numerous ornate decorations, though it was clear these were not merely for show.
Behind him, his well-equipped personal guards followed closely, eyeing the soldiers in black master-crafted power armor with wariness.
"Welcome to Aiel, Lord Capet." Alexei stepped forward and performed a standard Imperial salute, something he had learned from the Imperial archives left by the previous Governor. "I am Alexei, the Governor of this planet."
"Ah, the legendary hero himself! The one who suppressed a Warp-spawned demonic invasion and drove back a Tyranid fleet. Your fame precedes you!" Armand spread his arms wide in an exaggerated gesture. "I have always enjoyed befriending heroes like yourself. To encounter someone of your stature in such a remote sector is truly a pleasure."
Accompanying his warm words, Armand gave Alexei a brief, firm embrace and a heavy pat on the back. However, upon noticing the Inquisitor standing beside Alexei watching him intently, Armand immediately released him.
"Greetings. I did not expect to encounter an esteemed Inquisitor in a place like this." Armand extended his left hand.
"Greetings." Diana gave Armand a brief glance and said nothing more.
The man didn't seem to mind the cold reception. He simply bowed again and turned back to exchange pleasantries with Alexei. Just as they were conversing amicably, a sudden hum echoed from the side.
The Chief Tech-Priest of the Capet Dynasty, accompanied by his servo-skulls, silently approached the two. After signaling that he had a report, Armand offered Alexei an apologetic smile, and they stepped toward the cruiser to confer privately.
"My Lord, we have observed several small combat vessels in the starport that do not conform to Imperial patterns. Furthermore, the power armor worn by those soldiers..." the Tech-Priest reported in a low, mechanical voice.
Now with his back turned to Alexei, the hypocritical smile finally vanished from Armand's face. "Mm... I noticed. It seems I underestimated the strength of this planet."
At this moment, Armand realized that this planet likely possessed a complete Dark Age of Technology STC—and possibly more than one.
The Tech-Priest said no more, the red light in his bionic eye flickering continuously.
Armand gave the Tech-Priest a few more instructions before turning back to rejoin Alexei. Laughing and chatting, he accompanied Alexei toward the reception hall at the spire of the Main Hive, where a grand welcoming ceremony had been prepared for him.
Meanwhile, Diana led a team to inspect the fleet for signs of xenos or demonic influence, while also ensuring that these visitors did not stray from the areas designated by the Governor.
At the same time, as some of Armand's technical and administrative staff were being led to the guest quarters, the Tech-Priest's servo-skull quietly slipped away from the group in a gap when no one was looking.
But in the shadows, several pairs of eyes gleaming with a faint, ghostly light were silently watching their every move.