Inquisition and Grey Knights

The birth of the Inquisition, this special organization, had been directly connected to Malcador, the Sigillite of old.

As early as the Great Crusade era, the Sigillite had been secretly planning to establish several new Imperial institutions to deal with the increasingly complex and bloated state of the Imperium of Man.

The Inquisition and the Officio Assassinorum were both secret organizations that operated independently under the Sigillite's leadership.

Though these organizations had little visible presence, they wielded immense power in reality.

Compared to the Emperor, Malcador had been more like the true master of this vast empire.

After all, for most of the time, the Emperor had only been the nominal leader of the Imperium. In truth, it was Malcador who had expended enormous effort to establish the organizations that helped keep the Imperium pure and remove corruption.

Some obscure rumors even claimed that the Inquisition's distinctive emblem had originated from an organization Malcador had once belonged to—the Sigillites, a secret society responsible for preserving humanity's history and heritage.

Setting aside those old tales of uncertain truth, the overwhelming authority wielded by the Inquisition, a young Imperial organization, was enough to make most people tremble.

The Inquisition's specific duties were difficult to define in precise terms.

Yet they had a significant presence in investigating and killing heretics, pursuing and hunting xenos, exterminating noncompliant mutant populations, conducting covert infiltration, surveillance, and assassination.

Generally speaking, Inquisitors pursued and judged any target they deemed necessary, including the High Lords of the Council of Terra.

They suspected everything, opposed everything, and judged everything—except the Emperor.

They acted first and reported later. They possessed the Emperor's special sanction. They meddled in matters within their duties, and they meddled in matters beyond them too.

Thomas Aili did not dare offend an Inquisitor. Even the Rogue Trader