Meanwhile, Lynn had not been idle either.
He had to build himself a solid, unimpeachable "alibi."
It could not be something as simple as "I was sleeping" or "I was working." That was too flimsy to withstand scrutiny.
It had to be a long-term assignment that likewise required time and effort, even entailed a degree of risk, and had a "legitimate justification."
The opportunity appeared in an almost ironic fashion.
A "Chaos Cult faction" in the lowest levels of District Seven began quietly emerging.
Such filthy practices, induced by whispers from the Warp and centered on worship of the Chaos Gods, were not uncommon in the lower levels of the Hive City.
This normally fell under the jurisdiction of the Adeptus Arbites or the Inquisition, or was handled by the stationed Ministorum Priests.
In theory, it was not the business of an "anomalous organism inspector" like Lynn, much less something that would draw the attention of Cassius, a blade directed at Xenos.
But Lynn's "reputation" among the people of District Seven's lower levels now had an unexpected effect.
Ever since he had taken office with "impure motives."
First, he had used the Anvil Society and Rena to clear out quite a few gang thugs who preyed on the populace, objectively improving public safety in parts of the Underhive.
After Cassius's squad arrived, he had always managed to lead his patrol team in "securing" the perimeter "at just the right moment," preventing escaped Xenos from harming civilians.
Though his real purpose had initially been to avoid arousing Cassius's suspicions, and later to pack takeout for Rena.
On top of that, he often distributed benefits to civilians in the areas under his control.
The ordinary living supplies he had on hand, obtained from the black market or "confiscated," which Rena had no use for.
Synthetic protein blocks, clean water filter cartridges, cheap painkillers.
He would often take a portion and distribute it to lower-class families struggling on the edge of survival.
Lynn might have had no feelings, but then again, it was a little impossible for Lynn to have no feelings.
Having come from the land of the flower growers in 3K, Lynn had an innate compassion for those at the bottom.
In the despairing depths of the Hive City, these actions were magnified without limit.
In the eyes of those numb, impoverished people, Inspector Lynn Corvana.
Was utterly different from the other lofty bureaucrats who knew only taxation and oppression.
He was "practical," "close to the people," and even possessed a "kindness" rarely seen at the bottom.
It could be said that most of Lynn's actions were pure "self-interest."
Yet what he did genuinely benefited these people of the Underhive.
In the Underhive, his words carried more weight than the Planetary Governor's decrees.
So, when this newly emerged Chaos Cult began recruiting followers and holding unsettling secret gatherings.
The people at the bottom who noticed the signs did not choose their customary silence or indifference.
Instead, independently of one another, they passed the news to the "Lord Lynn" they trusted.
They either told Lynn's patrol force or the Anvil Society, whose close ties to Lynn were common knowledge.
Naturally, Lynn would not let this heaven-sent opportunity slip by.
He immediately "attached great importance" to the matter, personally took command, and began an "in-depth investigation" and "resolute crackdown" on this heretical faction.
He brought a carefully selected, tight-lipped patrol team, mainly former members of the Anvil Society.
And frequently ventured into the filthiest, most chaotic corners of District Seven.
They visited victims' families, usually relatives of the missing, and inspected sites where evil rituals were suspected to have taken place.
They even organized several small-scale raids, successfully "wiping out" several peripheral groups of Cultists.
They seized some crude Chaos symbols and nauseating offerings.
Throughout the process, Lynn appeared "conscientious and dutiful," even bearing a "deeply worried" sense of mission.
He deliberately made these operations seem tedious, time-consuming, and "slow" to progress.
The Cultists were cunning, leads frequently went cold, and patient investigation was required.
He regularly and frequently "reported his progress" to his superiors.
His reports were thorough and packed with details, complaining of the difficulties of the investigation and stressing the potential threat to local order and the people's faith.
And he "humbly" stated that removing this spiritual cancer was also creating a more stable rear area for the fight against the Tyranids.
All of this was intended to give Cassius a clear impression.
Inspector Lynn was occupied with a difficult, long-term internal security matter entirely consistent with his duties and persona, and could not spare himself for anything else.
He did not need to worry about whether Cassius knew what he was doing.
That freak of a bald sergeant was surely still monitoring his every move.
But what Cassius would see was a mortal bureaucrat whose energy was largely consumed by a Chaos Cult.
A "collaborator" temporarily unable to take part in the distant Tyranid extermination operations.
Though he possessed some strange power that defied ordinary explanation, he was ultimately a "mortal."
The perfect smokescreen.
Events unfolded just as Lynn had anticipated, even more smoothly than he had expected.
After Cassius's squad cleared out several small Genestealer nests Lynn had provided.
The mixture of true and false clues Lynn had deliberately left behind did indeed draw Cassius's own attention.
The accompanying Tech-Priest entered data such as the locations of multiple battles, pheromone residue patterns, and psychic fluctuation decay curves into a Cogitator.
And performed complex correlation analyses and origin-tracing projections.
An analytical report strongly suggesting the existence of a "regional high-level command node" was placed before Cassius.
The area pinpointed by the report coincided with the direction vaguely indicated by Lynn's earlier ambiguous clues.
Cassius did not hesitate.
Prioritizing reconnaissance and elimination of a potential high-value target accorded with the Iron Hands' tactical logic.
He did not inform Lynn of the specific target, merely issuing orders to prepare for "a purification operation against a suspected large infestation cluster."
The operation's location was precisely the large nest deep within the fault that housed a Genestealer Patriarch.
Lynn "regretfully" stated that he was tracking key members of a group of Chaos Cultists who might be colluding with this location.
He could not personally lead a team to provide perimeter support, but would ensure the evacuation of civilians and maintenance of order in the relevant areas of District Seven.
Cassius made no comment on this. Perhaps, in his view, whether a mortal was present had no bearing on this battle.