Three months after the end of the Battle of Vigilance, the wheat fields of Carlisle Agricultural Star welcomed the long-awaited golden harvest.

Calvin and Irene's wedding was held in the small church at the headquarters of the Planetary Defense Force. The simple ceremony was filled with true love tempered by war.

Calvin was wearing a patched Astra Militarum uniform, the medal on his chest gleaming in the sun; Irene was wearing a wedding dress made from a medical tent, with a long-withered lavender pinned to her veil.

“I swear…”

Calvin's voice was a little choked. "No matter what kind of enemy we face, I will protect you, just like you protected me on the Vigilant Star."

Irene smiled and put the wedding ring on him, a strange ring made of orc tusks and fragments of Tau Empire armor.

"I swear……"

She whispered, "No matter how hard it is, I will find my way home, just like I found that Leman Russ in the ruins."

The soldiers watching the ceremony raised their laser guns and used energy beams to weave brilliant "fireworks".

In the distance, the newly formed planetary defense force was conducting training, and the roar of the Leman Russ tanks seemed to be playing a wedding march for the newlyweds.

Life after marriage was peaceful and fulfilling. Calvin was appointed as a tactical instructor of the Planetary Defense Force, and Irene was responsible for battlefield medical training. They lived in a small house near the headquarters, with lavender planted in the yard. Whenever night fell, the two would sit on the porch, looking at the stars and recalling every bit of Vigilant Star.

"Remember that Tau commander?" Irene leaned on Calvin's shoulder. "Sometimes I wonder, if they hadn't saved me then..."

“Shh,” Calvin gently covered her mouth, “Let the past be the past. Now we have a new life.”

However, undercurrents are surging beneath the peaceful surface.

Inquisition agents had long been lurking on Carlisle, collecting every detail about Irene: her experience at the Tau Empire medical station, her knowledge of alien technology, and even her skillful piloting of the Leman Russ.

It was a gloomy morning and Calvin was instructing the new recruits on the training ground.

Suddenly, a team of black-armored Inquisitorial agents burst into the medical training center.

Erin was teaching battlefield first aid when her voice suddenly stopped.

“Erin Calvin.”

The leading Inquisitor held up the order with the Inquisition emblem on it. "You are accused of accepting alien thoughts. Please come with us immediately."

The soldiers on the training ground began to stir, but the Inquisitorial agents' bolters kept them from making any moves.

When Calvin rushed over after hearing the news, he only saw Irene's back being taken into a black armored vehicle.

"This is a misunderstanding!" Calvin rushed to the Inquisitor, "She saved so many Imperial soldiers on Vigilant! She..."

"Lieutenant Calvin," the Inquisitor interrupted him coldly, "if you wish to retain your rank, you'd better remain silent."

"Innocent does not mean innocent. Once we get the information, we will naturally return Irene to you."

"However, if there is any problem with Irene's identity, you will also face suspension and investigation. I hope you are prepared."

As the Inquisitor's voice fell, the armored vehicle completely left the Planet Defense Force's base.

In the days that followed, Calvin traveled everywhere, looking for all the officers he knew and even writing letters to his old comrades from the Vigilant Star campaign.

But every door was closed in front of him, every communication was cut off.

"This is an Inquisition case," the Planetary Defense Force commander said helplessly, "There's nothing we can do."

No one wanted to offend the Inquisition, and besides, Irene was indeed suspected of collaborating with the enemy, and the captured Tau Empire prisoners had indeed confessed that they and some human soldiers had been indoctrinated with the ideas of the Greater Good.

Moreover, during this period, dozens or even hundreds of soldiers were instigated to flee to the star zone of the Tau Empire. Although most of them were executed, the matter was still reported to the star zone inquisition.

Calvin begins sorting through Irene's belongings, hoping to find evidence that proves her innocence.

In the interlayer of the medical bag, he found a diary that recorded every detail of her stay in the Tau Empire medical station.

But in the eyes of the trial court, these words may be irrefutable evidence of treason.

Three months later, Calvin received an official notice from the trial court.

There was no trial, no defense, only a cold conclusion: Irene Calvin had been transferred to a secret location for "re-education" on suspicion of treason.

That night, Calvin sat alone on the porch. The lavender in the yard had withered, just like their love, which was cut short at its most brilliant moment.

He touched the wedding ring on his chest and thought of Irene's last smile.

“I will find my way home.”

But this time, the way home disappeared forever.

One month later

Calvin sat in the rocking chair on the porch, playing with the animal tooth wedding ring.

The lavender in the yard has bloomed again, and the sea of ​​purple flowers sways in the morning light.

It has been a month since Irene was taken away. He waits here every day, hoping for a miracle to happen.

In the distance came the roar of Leman Russ tanks, which was the routine patrol of the planetary defense force.

Calvin closed his eyes, as if he was back on the battlefield of Vigilance Star, with Irene's laughter echoing in his ears.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps broke the silence. Calvin opened his eyes and saw a team of law enforcement officers in black uniforms walking through the lavender field.

Their boots crushed the delicate flowers, staining the neat path with purple juice.

"Calvin Ulysses," the leading marshal held up a warrant with the Ministry of Justice emblem on it, "you are under arrest for allegedly contacting humans with alien thoughts."

Calvin stood up slowly, and the wedding ring in his hand slipped to the ground.

He looked calmly at the bailiffs in front of him, as if he had already anticipated this moment.

"You have taken my wife, by the Emperor..."

His voice was very soft, but it carried an unquestionable force, "Are you coming to arrest me again now?"

The agents didn't reply, only raised their bolters.

The black muzzle of the gun was pointed at Calvin, but he smiled.

"You know what? We've faced far more formidable enemies on Vigilant."

"So, come on."

The bailiffs rushed over and pinned Calvin to the ground, his face pressed against the cold floor, his nose filled with the scent of lavender.

"You...you will regret this..." he said with difficulty.

The lead agent pulled out a syringe filled with a light blue liquid. "This is specially prepared for you," he said. "It will make you go away without any pain."

Calvin struggled, but it was no use. The needle pierced his neck, and the cold liquid flowed into his veins. His vision began to blur, and Irene's voice rang in his ears.

But this time, no one came to rescue him.

........................

However, Calvin would not know that several members of his wife's team had embraced the ideas of the Greater Good and even started a riot on an agricultural planet.

The riot even attracted a demon invasion. Although the riot was quickly quelled, hundreds of thousands of Planetary Defense Force soldiers still lost their lives.

The Star Division Inquisition ordered a thorough investigation of the matter and all potential threats must be eliminated.