Li Qinwu watched the traitors slaughter one another with great interest, then carefully sized up the traitor who had questioned him.
The man wore a naval peaked cap, and his uniform could vaguely still be recognized as an Imperial Navy uniform.
It was now covered in blood, however, and some proliferating tentacles had fused with the fabric, making it utterly revolting.
Li Qinwu took out his Rosette and waved it before the man.
"In the name of the Inquisition, and in the name of Saint Ma Guoxiang, I guarantee you this: surrender now, and your lives will be protected!"
The fallen mortal shrank back in fright at the sight of the Rosette, then asked tremblingly:
"Lord Inquisitor, if we accept amnesty, how will you arrange us?"
Li Qinwu said:
"I will assign an Inquisitor to you. From this day onward, he will be your commander, and you will follow his orders.
"That Inquisitor will command you to attack the fleets of the fallen, raid traitor cities, and weaken the enemies of the Imperium.
"He may also lead you into the Xenos Sector, into territories controlled by the T'au or Greenskin Orks, to fight these enemies of the Imperium."
The fallen mortal's brow gradually furrowed. That future did not sound particularly good, either.
"Lord Inquisitor, what do we get?"
Li Qinwu replied meaningfully:
"Your souls will be redeemed. Not the sort of redemption the Imperial Cult used to fool you with, but true redemption.
"You fallen humans—I have a method to kill you and make your souls vanish completely.
"Your souls will neither return to the Golden Throne nor be seized and toyed with by the Chaos Gods. It will be a complete end, with no more eternal suffering."
He was telling the truth. These fallen humans had already become half-Daemons.