A few days later, aboard the space station of Solar Planet 611.
The planetary governor and a group of officials waited on the hangar deck for the Inquisitor's arrival.
The officials were trembling violently. Some lowered their heads, their teeth chattering.
Inquisitors held the power of life and death over local officials like them, and plenty of Inquisitors were beasts among beasts!
Inquisitors had KPIs too. Every few years, they had to purge a certain number of foot-washers and uncover a certain number of traitorous planetary governors.
Some planetary governors clearly had not rebelled, or only had a minor blemish that was not much of an issue, yet it would be endlessly magnified until they were driven to death. A bad planetary governor would become a fine Inquisition KPI.
This sort of political struggle was especially rampant near Segmentum Solar, humanity's ancestral home. Almost every Inquisitor who came through treated the local elite as KPI fodder!
That was why every official present was drenched in sweat. They had written their wills before coming!
"Look at the state of you! What kind of display is this? Straighten your backs!"
The planetary governor barked an order, and the officials all shuddered.
One official muttered, "Governor, y-you're trembling too, aren't you?"
The planetary governor wiped away a cold sweat.
"N-No, I'm not trembling!"
As the officials quaked, an enormous Camel-type Shuttle landed on the deck. It came to a stop, and its engines shut down.
Looking at the rear hatch aimed toward him, the planetary governor shouted:
"The Inquisitor is here! Look lively, everyone! Smile! Make it a sunny smile!!"
The local officials immediately forced stiff smiles onto their faces and stared straight at the Shuttle's rear hatch.
As the rear hatch slowly opened, the planetary governor shouted with a smile:
"The planetary