Chapter 8 Bad News, Lost Contact with the Empire
“Why do we have the fourth level of tax exemption?”
Ron can’t believe that we can get tax exemption. , are all planets or regimes that have made significant contributions to the empire.
Eith is a low-level hive planet, and it doesn’t look like it can get tax exemption.
"Your Majesty, God Emperor, it seems that you have really forgotten a lot of things." Bayev looked a little heavy: "This matter starts from five years ago"
He pointed to the assessment report on the table: "Five years ago, the Ministry of Interior of Holy Terra raised the tax level on the planet Urth..."
As Bayev told it, Ron finally knew What happened back then.
That is the story about Ron's father, Grant Sr., the former governor of Erth.
Os is a typical mineral-producing planet with developed mining industry.
Under the rule of former Governor Grant Sr., mineral resources were developed in an orderly manner. After paying the imperial tithe, there was still a lot of surplus.
Compared with other extravagant, violent, and incompetent planetary governors, Old Grant is still kind. He is at least willing to care about the lives of his people.
Under his leadership, the planet thrived.
The people of Erth do not have to work day and night in the mines, nor do they have to worry about starvation. They can occasionally eat bread mixed with sawdust.
In this cruel universe, this is a magical day.
Days like this continued until the arrival of officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Holy Terra.
They assessed Urth as a planet with greater tax potential.
They miscalculated the affordability of Erth Star and forcibly raised the tax level by three levels!
Old Grant appealed desperately, but nothing came of it, and he could not get any response.
The tax period was approaching, and after receiving continuous warnings, Old Grant had no choice but to mobilize all his forces to exploit resources.
However, reckless mining has caused huge damage to the environment. Mine accidents occur frequently and millions of people die.
"Is there no other way?"
Although he knew the result, Ron couldn't help but ask this question.
“Do you mean to resist?”
Baev shook his head: “Resistance is unwise and meaningless”
“That is against the empire Betrayal, Erth Star will become a battlefield, and the people of Erth will shed the last drop of blood in their homeland!
No one can refuse the Empire's orders.
The Empire has thousands of massive fleets, hundreds of billions of soldiers, and millions of powerful Space Marines.
Sending a random fleet or a squad of Space Marines can easily destroy the planet Erth.
The consequences of not paying taxes are serious.
“The tithe is loyalty to the God-Emperor, the greatest obligation of a citizen of the Empire, it is for everyone, no one can refuse”
Bayev sighed: "Your father knows this truth well, but his heart is not cruel enough...
The result is that he failed to collect the corresponding materials and the tax was delayed.
< br>Your father begged the Ministry of Interior to give him some more time, but those damn officials from the Ministry of Interior only care about taxation and don’t care about the suffering of Eth Star.
They thought that Eth Star was resisting taxes, so they directly sent the Ministry of Justice! The magistrate will conduct an investigation."
Ron's heart tightened. The magistrate's intervention meant that the matter was getting serious.
"Then what is the result of the investigation?"
"The Magistrate's team was attacked by Chaos Heretics. The Magistrate himself was slightly injured, but a female investigator died. It was an accident..."< br>
Ron sighed. He was attacked just after he came to investigate. He said it was an accident. Who would believe it?
Baev seemed to know what Ron was thinking and continued: "As you might think, the magistrate did not believe this was an accident
He was extremely angry and took the matter to the court. Claiming that Chaos has eroded the planet Erth and needs a comprehensive cleansing!”
Good guy, is the magistrate so angry that he dares to involve the Inquisition?
The Inquisition was the most powerful secret agency of the Imperium during the Horus Heresy, tasked with identifying and destroying all threats to the Imperium and humanity.
The powers of the Inquisition are extremely broad, with no formal hierarchy and corresponding centralized leadership, and are only responsible to the Emperor.
This means that the Inquisitors are free to maintain the survival and continuation of the Empire in any way they see fit. When left unchecked, Inquisitors often turn into fanatical and ruthless lunatics, even killing their own people when they go mad.
As Ron expected, the inquisitor was very unlucky and met a manic inquisitor.
The important ceremony of the Inquisitor was interrupted, and he endured his anger and came to the planet Erth.
After he arrived at the place, he first investigated the magistrate.
After finding relevant criminal evidence, the magistrate was executed on the spot for accepting bribes and abusing his power.
The Inquisitor later investigated the planet Erth, but no problems occurred. It was really just an accident.
Old Grant thought the matter would come to an end, but the inquisitor believed that paying taxes was a sacred obligation and the cornerstone of the empire.
No tax evasion is allowed on any planet, no matter what the reason.
If everything were like this, the empire would have an unstable foundation and risk collapse.
So Erth Star must fulfill its obligations, not only to pay back the tax arrears, but also to pay fines!
Old Grant begged the Inquisitor to let him think of the people of Urth, who could not bear such a burden.
"Life is the emperor's coin, and sacrifice is the cornerstone of the empire!" said the almost crazy judge.
In this way, under the supervision of the Inquisitor, the planet Urth launched an inhumane taxation, and anyone who resisted would be executed.
Tens of billions of people on the planet work day and night, billions of people die in the mines, and a large number of people are sent to the Astra Militarum to fight on the front lines with the aliens.
When the taxation was over, the planet Erth lost half of its population, the planet's surface was extensively damaged, and deadly pollution was everywhere.
“After paying such a price, the people of Urth finally collected the taxes required by the Inquisitor”
Bayev said with tears in his eyes: "Those are the blood and tears of Erth!"
"When the judge left, Lord Grant begged him to help appeal. The star of Erth really suffered I can’t stand such a heavy tax.
I hope he can tell the Holy Terra Interior Ministry the true situation of Urth and let them reassess Urth and lower the tax level of Urth.”
“Did you agree?”
Baev’s eyes were red: “He, he cut off Mr. Grant’s head, and the blood spattered everyone...
He declared that Lord Grant was a heretic and said he smelled of chaos!
But Lord Grant is so kind, how could he be a heretic? "
Ron clenched his fist slightly: "What is the name of that judge? ”
“It doesn’t matter, he is dead”
What?
Ron was incredible.
The Inquisitor is a powerful being that can fight against Chaos, aliens, and any potential threats, and can even fight Chaos Demons in single combat.
How could you die so easily?
Baev answered Ron's doubts: "We didn't kill him, it was the subspace storm..."
The accident occurred after the Inquisitor's ship set out to enter the subspace. .
The powerful subspace storm tore the ship apart, and the wreckage was thrown out of the subspace along with human body parts and fell to the ground.
"A small part of the Inquisitor's body is gone. He is lying on the ground unable to move. He ordered us to treat him immediately!"
Baev said, seeming to be relieved: "We can Save him, but no one moved, just looking at him.
Looking at him lowering his head to ask for our help, watching him gradually become desperate, and began to curse our blasphemy...
Everyone watched helplessly. Let him struggle on the ground until he dies!”
Ron sighed and patted Bayev on the shoulder.
"Old Mike may be right..." Bayev wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes: "We have desecrated the God-Emperor, and we have been abandoned!"
"Why?" Luo En is puzzled.
“The inexplicable subspace storm destroyed the shipping lanes, and the planet’s only Astropath also died. We have severed contact with Holy Terra, until now...”
Astropathizer It is an important intermediary between the empire's territories and Holy Terra. Under normal circumstances, subspace storms will not affect it.
A warp storm powerful enough to kill an Astropath?
Ron stood up suddenly: "Is it a big crack?"
(End of this chapter)