With the Veiled King defeated and his dark dominion over Hive Casteradon shattered, Nyth Holyghast could have easily retired his mantle as the feared Butcher Daemon. However, the depths of corruption seeded by the Steel Veil Cartel ran deeper than even Nyth had anticipated. The final threads of investigation left behind by the cartel led to a startling revelation—a high-ranking Inquisitor of the Imperium had been clandestinely supporting the Steel Veil's operations, trading Imperial secrets for forbidden xenos technology and dark pacts.
Nyth discovered encrypted communications between the late Veiled King and Inquisitor Lorian Voss through Aza's relentless data mining and surveillance via the Omninet. These messages revealed that Voss had provided the cartel with protection from Imperial law, facilitated by forged documents and manipulated reports. In return, Voss received artifacts and Xenos weapons to use for her personal crusade against what she perceived as a greater threat lurking within the Imperium.
The revelation that an Inquisitor was involved put Nyth in a precarious position. Inquisitors hold nearly absolute power, their authority almost unchecked within the Imperium. To pursue Inquisitor Voss meant crossing paths with the Holy Ordos themselves—an act that could either brand him a hero or a heretic. But Nyth, guided by Aza's calculated counsel, decided that Voss's corruption was too malignant to be ignored. She was a cancer that needed excision.
Before leaving Naletri Major, Nyth and Aza spent weeks gathering all possible information on Voss's movements and operations. They learned that her base of operations was not fixed; she traveled frequently across the Imperium aboard her Black Ship, the Absolution, under the guise of hunting psykers. Each stop provided her with opportunities to expand her network of illicit trade and corruption.
Nyth prepared for a range of environments and contingencies. His Omniphase Armor was upgraded with additional defensive mechanisms against psychic attacks, anticipating confrontations with Voss's retinue of rogue psykers. Aza implemented new algorithms to counter Inquisitorial encryption and stealth tech, ensuring Nyth could infiltrate even the most secure facilities.
Since he can use Fold Space, he will have no issue getting back home anytime he wishes, and the more he travels, the greater his ability to use it will become. For now, though, he needs a ship. Nyth procured a small, agile combat ship, a former patrol vessel that had seen better days. The ship was sturdy but unremarkable—perfect for someone who needed discretion as much as durability.
Aza immediately set to work upgrading the ship. The AI integrated advanced stealth technology, making the ship nearly invisible to radar and scanning systems. It outfitted the vessel with enhanced armaments, including plasma cannons and missile systems, and improved the engines for greater speed and maneuverability. Inside, Aza installed a sophisticated command center, allowing Nyth to monitor Imperial communications and track his targets with precision. The biggest upgrade, though, is the Slip Drive. The Slip Drive allows the ship to jump through space without the Warp. Instead, Aza uses coordinates stolen from systems and mathematics so advanced it would fry a Tech Priest's mind.
Nyth set course for Segmentum Solar, where Voss was last seen. As the upgraded ship slipped quietly through the void, Nyth and Aza planned their approach. Disguised as a simple mercenary ship, they avoided unwanted attention, gathering intelligence and preparing for the confrontations ahead. Nyth used this time to strategize with Aza.
