(Bonus update in thanks to Euro, who likes dragonkin, for the donation.)
The Adeptus Mechanicus and the Imperial Government stood as equals. The symbol of the Imperium of Man was the Aquila, with one head representing the Imperium and the other the Adeptus Mechanicus.
The two sides were essentially two nations living together, so the Imperium's administrative bodies often had no authority over the Adeptus Mechanicus.
On different planets, however, the specifics varied.
The Adeptus Mechanicus had very little influence on Agricultural World 496B. They were effectively a company invited in by the Agri-World's government to keep the Hive City's most basic industries running.
The Adeptus Mechanicus was also happy to let its tendrils take root on various planets, so it supported requests like this.
Who knew? One day, its influence might surpass that of every other faction on the planet, allowing it to turn the world into a forge world.
But right now, Li Qinwu's task was to remove them before their influence could grow, so they would not interfere with the reforms he was about to carry out!
And so, all sorts of schemes and policies targeting the Temple of the Machine God were drawn up.
One day, Governor Zeppelin held a televised conference and announced to everyone in the Hive City that, from that day onward, slavery was abolished on Agricultural World 496B. No individual or organization would be allowed to keep slaves!
Furthermore, all those who died would henceforth be cremated. Desecrating corpses by turning them into Servitors would no longer be permitted!
On the day the decree was issued, tens of thousands of PDF troops drove armored vehicles into the Temple of the Machine God and forcibly disarmed it.
They also freed the temple's indentured slave laborers, giving them land to become independent farmers or