Aboard the Harbinger of Doom, Kester and Pex stood together, looking down at Euronia III through the warship's enormous floor window.
"What a beautiful world. She still has mountains, rivers, forests, and lakes. This place could easily be developed into a garden world for tourism and relaxation."
"If only those damned xenos weren't here. This world would still belong to the Imperium, and its people could live here in peace for centuries."
The sight of Euronia III moved even the normally stern and cold Commissar Kester to speak from the heart.
"That's why we should clear out the xenos down there as quickly as possible, prepare for the future, and protect her," Pex said, his voice as calm and steady as ever.
Kester did not reply. He gave Pex a long, searching look.
Over the two days they had spent together, Pex's enthusiasm for exterminating the orks, his distinctive military insights, and his strict personal discipline had all earned Kester's deep admiration for this System Commander.
Governor Cornwall was easy to read. There was only one overriding reason he worked so hard: to avoid being held accountable.
Pex's suggestions, on the other hand, were all aimed at eradicating the orks completely, regardless of the cost.
That kind of resolve-excellent!
Yet Kester had always felt that something was strangely off, and he had never truly lowered his guard around Pex.
Even after secretly collecting samples of Pex's blood and tissue under the pretext of a medical examination and handing them to the ship's medical officers for testing, he had found nothing wrong.
There was nothing wrong with Pex. He was exceptionally healthy, without any illness or ailment. In terms of physical health, he seemed even healthier than people who had just undergone life-extension surgery.
"Commissar, the situation on Euronia III is