-Archmagos, please relay all auspex scans to me for analysis.- Vernus transmitted through the Ark's noosphere.

Rather than the Magos responding, he got data from the ship at exactly the rate he desired. His fellow Blood Ravens gathered in one of the Ark's hangars, one specifically set aside for them. As the standard practice of their chapter, they were planning for the incoming battle however, in the absence of librarians, they had to make do with what they had, which was still a lot. They had information from the Forge World itself, the advanced sensorum systems of the Arizona, and even the Ultramarines which had responded along with several forces deployed by the Astra Militarium.

It was through tacit acknowledgement that Vernus was recognized as the ranking officer of the Blood Ravens and his centuries of experience allowed him to help fill the holes in their knowledge base.

"So… it looks as though Ultramarine Captain Titus has managed to make landfall with a small contingent of his fellow ultramarines. His strategy is rather out of character for those stiff-necks." Said Sergeant Dexian Vale lookin at the holographic tactical overlay projected from their freshly-forged Thunderhawk.

"He is an avenue of flexibility to be considered. However, what concerns me is this Inquisitor Drogan and the lack of communication with Graia's Fabricator General." Said Vernus," While the local Mechanicus has been helpful, there has been no word from the Fabricator General or any of his senior Magi. The Inquisitor seems to be researching a Warp-based power source. While it does have great potential as a weapon, we can also consider the idea that he has been compromised and this power source could cause a Chaos incursion if it has not done so already."

"I have personally contacted both the Inquisition and the Collegis Extremis, I pray to the Omnissiah that neither are necessary however, where there is experimentation with the Warp, incursion by Chaos are never far behind. Though I must ask, how did you find out?" Asked Archmagos Veritas.

"A local Mechanum Theologis informed me of strange energies powering Manufactorum Ajakis not derived of the sacred Motive Force." said Vernus.

"We will potentially need heavier weapons on the ground." Said Battle-brother Neihlem.

"There is only one Warlord-class titan, Invictus, available as the rest of Legio Astraman is deployed offworld, and its foundry is under direct assault by the Orks." Said Sergeant Vale.

"Our most effective approach for both defending against the Orks and preparing for a Warp incursion is by supporting defending Imperial Forces." Said Dreadnought Vernus," If we can clear the skies by deploying, retaking, and repairing anti-air installations, we can gain air support and land additional Titans from the Arizona. Is that possible Archmagos?"

"The Collegia Titanica members aboard assure me we have a Gipsy Danger-pattern, two Cherno Alpha-patterns, and two Coyote Tango-patterns, supported by a dozen Warhounds ready for deployment. Their weapons loadout is being balanced according to your strategy. However, with the orks having captured this gun landing will prove impossible at this time." Said the Archmagos through the vox line, the hologram highlighting the massive gun battery.

"Magos, do you have the schematics for the gun?" Asked the dreadnought.

"One moment…" Veritas hologram distorted momentarily before stabilizing,"... I have them though Graia's Fabricator-General is being less than forthcoming."

Vernus received the data and had the Thunderhawk project the gun emplacement in detail.

"It might be easier to simply destroy it." Said Brother-Sergeant Vale.

"In the short term, it would be, however, it would create a glaring hole in Graia's defenses for years." Said the dreadnought. The image of the gun zoomed in on the ammunition auto-loader. Vernus pointed at it with one of his clawed fingers," Here. Sabotage the belt and you sabotage the gun temporarily. Magos, would it be possible to secure the gun with your Skitarii?"

"Disable the belt at this point, and I can have my Skitarii clear the gun from that point. I will also ready servitor sentry turret emplacements so it is not so easy to take next time." Said the Archmagos.

"Also if at all possible we could use some of your enginseers briefed on this world's vehicle patterns. There is potential that we could potentially recover vehicles from the battlefield." Said Vernus," That will alter certain battlefield conditions in our favor. Is my forge ready?" Asked the dreadnought.

"It can be deployed in any place of your choosing" Said the Archmagos.

"I will keep you apprised as we are able." Said Vernus.

"Praise be to the Omnissiah!" Said Veritas.

"Praise be to the Omnissiah!" Boomed Vernus in response.

The presence of the Ark's Captain vanished. The larger doors to the hangar opened to two of the Ark's striders, 20 meter tall, four-legged constructs designed for various purposes throughout the Arizona. In this particular instance, they carried large containers covered in parchment in various places, their casing was inscribed with the runes of logis technis and the icon of the Opus Machina.

When the automatons had come close enough, they became still. A hiss emerged from the automatons as clamps released and the steady whine of servos was heard. The boxes lowered evenly before one side began to lower, each using six linked cables to change the container from horizontal to vertical. They lowered the boxes to the deck. The cables released and retracted into the automatons. Another hiss of steam came from the constructs as they simply walked back out of the hangar leaving the Space Marines with the boxes bearing blessings of tech-priests.

The monolithic monuments to the Omnissiah towered even over the dreadnought, whom extended several mechadendrites from his body into various ports into both of the cases. The dreadnought's vox unit emitted clear resonating binaric chants, a result of the vacuum tube technology sealed in tubes, forged of diamond. The eye sockets of the Opus Machinas came to life and the cogs surrounding them rotated as the systems began their unlocking sequence.

When both boxes opened laterally, one revealed shelves of forged battle plate bearing the Aquila of the Imperium and ruby-studded raven of the Blood Ravens. The other box opened to reveal an incredible armory of weapons with the upper section filled with large weapons that were clearly meant to only be wielded by the dreadnought. The lower sections opened to reveal rows of venerated weapons; plasma rifles and pistols, bolters, heavy bolters, assault cannons, rocket launchers, lascannons, meltas, multi-melta, and multiple fusions of all. The other box was revealed to have pieces of armor, freshly forged and ready for installation. Their makeshift squad was small and he would be damned if he did not employ every skill, every scrap of knowledge, and resource he had to prevent them from falling before returning to their chapter.

"Brother Vale, step forth." Vernus spoke, his deep voice booming through the hangar.

His battle-brother stepped forward bowing his head in humility. Vernus extended from his back four of his long spidery limbs, extending and reaching for the second box to collect pieces of armor.

"Stand and receive the blessings of the Omnissiah." Said the techmarine dreadnought with no small measure of pride. As the Space Marine rose, Vernus recalled with perfect clarity how when Dexian was an Initiate, how convicted he was in pursuing the path of the Adeptus Astartes, his mind a cup to be filled with knowledge. He knew that even the application of the sacred oils to his weapons was applied with equal conviction. Even after 200 years, he still served his Emperor, his chapter, his weapons and armor with equal conviction. When Venus still walked as mostly flesh and blood, he recalled how Dexian never hesitated to perform what his chapter required, even if it meant watching the back of a techmarine while he attempted a rescue mission for one of the chapters many vehicles.

Vernus' limbs moved with practice he had honed with years in the forge. Mechadendrites extended from various places on his metal body and they reached to unclasp pieces of armor from his battle brother, his spidery limbs delivering the new pieces and taking away the old. one mechadendrite interfaced with his armor's machine spirit, a song of praise and renewal flooding the suit in Binaric, updating the armor with new systems. Vernus limbs resembled a spider wrapping its prey in a cocoon only he was wrapping a battle-brother with his forge's promise of protection.

When his limbs and mechadendrites pulled back they revealed a warrior resplendent in gleaming armor. Brother-sargeant Dexian Vale moved with reverence as he received his weapons loadout, a dual-purpose bolter rifle with a secondary krak grenade launcher, a plasma pistol, and a custom power sword forged of adamantium and depleted promethium.

The Blood Ravens' Master of the Forge refit every one of the Blood Ravens with him customizing their armor and their weapons to enhance their strengths and makeup for their weaknesses and arranged their squads accordingly. It was soon time for the drop, the 12 Blood Ravens entered the single Thunderhawk, while Vernus with his weapons loadout locked in place and Omnissian power Axe in hand waited. The Thunderhawk fired its engines as Vernus heard through the internal noosphere as the techmarines inside annotated the proper rites of activation.

Vernus cycled up his dreadnought body's own engines, the multi-chambered ball socket ion engines. Vernus uploaded to the techmarines piloting the multiple vectors best suited for their aggressive flight down. He held no illusions that the ride down would be rough, anti-aircraft fire filling the airspace. He tapped into the Ark's noosphere to get an update from the space around them. As expected, the attacking Ork Croozers were laughably unequal to the sheer firepower wielded by the Ark. Coordinating fire with the other Imperial Navy Starships, the Ark worked to clear the airspace while simultaneously defending against the Ork ships still incoming.

The air was pumped out of the hangar and gravity shut off a the doors opened," Blood Ravens, you are clear for the next 43.873 seconds. Go now." Said the Magos.

Not wasting time, the Thunderhawk and the dreadnought flew from the hangar and hit the atmosphere. In spite of the heat generated from reentry, The dreadnought had sealed his more vulnerable auspex and sensorum behind protected panels. Once he had entered a lower altitude he leveled out and began to cool off. His sensorum returned from behind their panels again. He was rapidly made aware of how narrow a window he had had as an uncoordinated group of Ork fighta' Bombas heading for him and the Thunderhawk.

Vernus rapidly activated his targeting system locking onto each Ork vehicles and many of their rocket troopas. He activated the Cyclone Missile launchers attached to his shoulders and fired a salvo. The missile each moved precisely and hit their targets. The dreadnought sent the launchers to reload from his ammo pack as they were cleared temporarily to land. Vernus had chosen a battle line between the local defenders and the Orks which was as he predicted on the verge of collapse.

Vernus spied a target worthy of his attention: a Killa can. He killed his engines and let gravity carry him feet first onto the Ork Mek crushing it under his weight. He unlocked the clamps holding one of his newest weapons and grabbed it with one of his two left arms. An enclosed belt fed ammunition and power from his back module to eight barrels encircling a ninth. The eight barrels spun up and hell was unleashed. The precise artificial musculature of his arms combined with the advanced targeting array of his dreadnought body, allowed him to put a single round through every skull of the orks. He detected nobs coming his way and switched to one of the three belts running through the ammunition feed running from his back. He switched to a belt of depleted uranium-tipped, armor-piercing rounds and tore through them.

Ork rounds bounced off his chassis and rockets exploded harmlessly as the dreadnought relieved the Imperial Guard unit and gave his battle-brothers time to land and deploy. Vernus' metallurgical sensorum detected explosive combinations approaching from the ork lines; shaped magnetic charges, the bane of many a dreadnought. He switched back to anti-personnel rounds and precisely targeted the orks… or more specifically... the charges they were carrying. Several explosions from the charges blew holes in the ork lines.

Then the ork charge reached a crescendo with the arrival of heavier weapons, looted tanks, more killa cans, and deff dreads. He sent a signal down to the assault weapon to access the third belt, high-explosive rounds of his own design. He pounded their armored lines while taking careful note of the looted tanks whose pillaged machine spirits remained intact in spite of being transformed by the ork mek boyz.

Vernus twirled the Omnissian Power axe in his other left arm, performing a quick calibration, and rotated his shoulder, moving the polearm axe-wielding arm into the forwards position. He intoned his body's machine spirit to transform his right hand to deploy his built in plasma cannon while also chanting to the machine spirit of his custom pattern, dreadnought-variant assault autocannon which was also a combi weapon. In the back cylinder of the weapon was a miniature reactor combined with high-energy ultracapacitors to power an exceptionally powerful lascannon built into the rotary axel of the weapon.

The looted tanks fired their main guns some of the shells impacting against his armor, shaking him in his sarcophagus. When a glyph appeared in his mind's eye, [weapons ready], Venus roared, his vox unit shaking the battlefield," FOR THE EMPEROR, THE UNKNOWN PRIMARCH, AND THE OMNISSIAH!" He momentarily stunned the orks as he charged forwards with incredible speed, his long digitigrade legs propelling him towards the nearest group of ork meks. At the last minute, he leaped into the air while simultaneously firing both his plasma cannon and lascannon, both finding their marks, destroying both a looted tank and a killa can.

As gravity propelled him to the ground, he raised his power axe into the air, the weapon crackling with power as he brought it down into a deff dread, neatly bisecting the mek down the middle. His assault autocannon opened up its back section as it entered rapid cooling mode. He replaced the weapon into his holding clamps, the ammunition belt retracting into his back module. With said hand now, empty, Vernus activated the hand's lightning claws, as he picked up the axe and charged the three remaining looted tanks.

His sensorum noted that additional orks and gretchins were falling to his battle-brothers covering fire. He noted the irony as dreadnoughts were normally relegated to a support role on the battlefield but there he was engaging in a full-blown assault. Vernus approached one of the looted tanks he had marked for recovery. One of his long, spidery servo arms, equipped with a magazine-fed heavy bolter was readied as he dodged the fire from the tank. He leaped on top of it, ripped the top hatch off and sprayed the interior with with precision fire from the bolter, killing the occupants.

The large mech demonstrated its acrobatic capability by doing a backflip off one tank and landing on the opposite side of the other. Before the sponson-mounted weapon could fire, the dreadnought dug its hands under the treads and with a herculean effort flipped the tank onto its side. Before he could repeat his execution of the crew of the tank, a round penetrated the looted tank, detonating the ammunition magazine.

"Did we git 'im?" Asked the looted tank's nob commander.

"Can't see 'im." Replied the driver before his head suddenly exploded.

"Where is 'e?" The nob shouted in confusion," He opened the top hatch only to be suddenly yanked out followed by a wet crunching sound. Suddenly a small sphere dropped into the looted Leman Russ' interior.
"Wot dat?" Asked an ork before the entire tank was filled with blazing light.

"AAAAHHHH! ME EYEZ!" Screamed the Orks. Two more Orks were pulled out of the tank by two long spidery limbs and the remaining orks were executed by bolter fire.

The battlefield had grown quiet as the Blood Ravens mopped up the orks in the area. At the behest of the dreadnought, several guardsmen were called to the two tanks. They saw the dreadnought standing between the two tanks, his multiple limbs working to effect as many restorations to the tanks as he could in as short a time as he had, all the while soothing their tortured machine spirits with resonating binaric chants.

"My Lord, we answer your summons." Said the one of the guardsmen as they all took a knee before the ancient one.

The chanting ended as the dreadnought turned to the guardsmen, his imposing height intimidating, his voice doubly so.

"These machines have suffered, being mutilated by the foul hands of the xenos. Take them to a place of safety behind your lines, and do not use them until a tech-adept is able to ease their pain." Ordered Vernus.

"As you will, my lord." Said the guardsmen as they rose and climbed into the tanks. Vernus placed a hand on each Leman Russ and spoke the incantation of activation. The tanks roared to life, their mechanisms screeching in pain from the violation of their bodies. Vernus soothed them with a time table of rest. The tanks rolled away.

It was at that time that Vernus' techmarine acolytes approached, their vox channels filled with binaric chants of reverence towards him. It was something the Forgemaster would need to adjust to as techmarine dreadnoughts were few and far in between, even more those that were capable of resuming their work in the forge as well as the battlefield.

He waited for them to speak.

"Tech-brother Vernus, we have visited the nearby Guardsmen encampment. With your glorious skills, you were able to grant them room to reorganize. We were able to speak with their highest-ranking officer and were able to divine an entrance into the gun battery." Reported tech-brother Chelpanus, transmitting the information they gleaned. Vernus routed local servo skulls to carefully scout the area.

Even over a distance they became a carefully coordinated group of eyes, Vernus utilized local noosphere networks to maintain his connection to them. He found where the offensive ork rok had rammed into the gun.

As according to plan, Vernus was to secure the region around the gun station while his fellow Blood Ravens and his acolytes disabled the gun.

He diverted many of the skulls to examine the local genetorum shrines. He looked at each one. One was being violated by the orks but the hardy materials of their ancient construction were proving difficult to the ork mek boyz. The skulls kept out of sight and the precision allotted to him by his dreadnought body allowed him to exercise quiet steps. Using his lightning claws, spidery servo-arms, and Omnissian power axe, Vernus ambushed the orks and sliced through them with great speed coupled with his multi-tasking capabilities. The shrine was soon clear. Some of his servo arms activated their plasma torches and began to systematically purge the area of the ork bodies.

Vernus had the servo skulls patrol the area so he could focus on repairing the shrine. He had allotted a degree of flexibility in his planning to alot for potential diversions such as tending to the will of the Omnissiah. The genetorum shrine had been damaged but the repair rites were in his most basic knowledge base. His vox unit began to emit binaric chants as he enacted the repair rites. The bewildered machine spirit began to be calmed under his care and soon the genetorum pulsed with power once again. As he quickly wrapped up the rites, his skulls reported a humanoid entourage approaching his position. Judging from their lack of upper body attire, copper-cladded hands, rubber boots, and blindfolds, he was looking at Corpuscarii electro-priests.

They walked in with all their faces looking at him. From the sheer power of the sacred Motive Force running through their bodies, their eyes had long ago melted out of their head. However, based upon Vernus' index of knowledge, he speculated that due to the augments in their bodies they could "see" due to being walking transceivers for multiple frequencies.

"Greetings, servants of the Motive Force, I am Techmarine Vernus of the Blood Ravens's chapter." Said the Dreadnought to the electro-priests.

The wielders of the Motive Force collectively bowed and their leader spoke," We welcome you, Machine-touched. You are expected and needed."

"How may I help you?" Asked Vernus.

"You have spoken with our Mechanum Theologis and know only a fraction of our plight, now that you are here, we realize that the extent to which you can assist us is greater than initially anticipated. Below our feet is a sacred temple to the Motive Force but due the recall of tech-adepts that would otherwise service our temple, it is steadily failing. However, we know that you have a plan you must adhere to and we are willing to add our number to yours in exchange for your help."

The techmarine thought for a moment before grabbing one of the servo skulls, extending a mechadendrite to interface with it. He inputted the alterations to their plan, encoding it in logis technis for his tech-acolytes. He released it to travel to one of three muster points based upon differing strategies. He repeated it with two other servo skulls before turning to the electro-priests," I will assist you."

"Follow us" Said the leader before turning back the way they came. They led the way through many cavernous passageways before enacting a chant which opened a wall revealing a lift. As soon as the party and the dreadnought boarded, the lift descended. It soon opened up to a vast chamber, which his sensorum suite was able to make out as what appeared to be an abandoned and ancient manufactorum. As for what it manufactured, it stood out plainly before him. Suspended from various chains with links as large as Leman Russ tanks, was the incomplete awe-inspiring form of an Imperator-class titan.

It was incomplete to the extent that merely it's cathedral was anywhere close to recognizable. It did seem to have several design differences from that of its kin that he saw on the Holy Forge World of Mars. Primarily, where the head was designed to sit on this particular Imperator, was more akin to where it would be mounted on a Warlord-class titan as opposed to dead even with the shoulders. As for the shoulders themselves, the cathedral on top seemed addapted to allow whatever arms were mounted, free movement. Below the the cathedral was were a lot of work remained, the torso barely showing any signs of completion with only the central reactor being recognizable but even that seemed incomplete.

"A God-Machine. What happened to it?" Vernus asked the electro-preists.

"An ancient project that was never completed. It is not known why the project was abandoned the machine spirit of the manufactorum has been silent beyond memory." Said the leader.

The lift reached the bottom. The assembly of electro-preists moved reverentally along the wide platform the ran the length of the ancient manufactorum. As the technmarine dreadnought followed them, he continued to scan the titan, attempting to glean additional details while also scanning the rest of the dark manufactorum to see if any of the titan's parts were in any stage of completion. The group turned to cross a bridge that was wide enough to acccomadate two baneblades side-by-side with room to spare for a leman Russ. The bridge was clearly designed to part for when the titan would have been finished and strolled out of the forge, and from what he could tell a vast ramp would have allowed the titan access to the surface.

On the opposite side of the bridge was another lift which lowered them further still. It soon was revealed to him a genetorum cathedral beneath the manufactorum. He only needed to look to see that the majority of the machine spirits slumbered, likely when the manufactorum was literally buried under construction, desired to be forgotten. He was led to the center, the heart of the ancient temple, the center of the of the electro-preists place of worship. Vernus could see that one of the few awakened machine spirits was in pain, likely the reason he was there.

The central chamber was dominated by an Opus Machina embedded in the floor. An armature from the ceiling held two parallel dais on which rested two electro-preists. On one was an old electro-preist, his skin pale as opposed to the healthy blue. On the other was a youth who bore the scars of surgery, clearly having been readied to host the motive force.

The head of the ancient electro-preist turned to face Vernus. While clearly a struggle for him, he spoke," I consider it a honor to meet such a devoted servant of the Omnisssiah. To finally meet you, Master of the Forge, Vernus of the Blood Ravens chapter."

"You are the Mechanus Theologis, I spoke with." Vernus deduced.

"I am." Said the electro-preist," Allow me to explain why you have been brought here. When I contacted you it was because the incomplete machine spirit of the titan roused to speak of one who would complete it and take it and the manufactorum to the stars, one of theose blessed by the Omnissiah, a machine-touched. When you contacted us from the Ark Mechanicus, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you were the one spoken of. I ask you here at this time to assist us in a time of need. I am soon to become one with the Motive Force and have chosen Tsendek to be my inhieritor. However, even though the majority of his cybernetics are in place, there still remains more. In a chamber sealed off to us is what remains for the ritual to be completed."

The old Mechanus Theologis raised a shaking hand and pointed over his shoulder," Revive the heart of the manufactorum and the doors will open."

Venus moved over to an altar faintly obscured in shadow. He could see through his sensorum that there were various connection points for mechandendrites. He leaned on his Omnissian power axe as he placed his right hand on the Altar extending many mechandendrites from his arm and body, connecting to it. Golden light began to spread from both his touch and his connections. He felt the machine spirits stir as power flowed through the ancient cathedral. Archaic machinery squealed to life and the chamber was sudddenly bathed in light. The two dais were pulled into the ceiling as venerable systems began their ancient work. The ceiling irised shut as the preisthood began to emit a binaric chorus or death and renewal.

-Blessed is the one who answers the call of the Omnisssiah, who wields the Motive Force, who serves the Machine god.- The old Mechanus Theologis gave up his life energies and was no more.