Reports (end of Part 1)

+++++TRANSMISSION INCOMING…SCITOPIAN FEDERATION, MILKY WAY HIGH COMMAND+++++

From: Jormungandr Stark, Master of the Eighth Brotherhood, Wings of Ultramar; Muller Mann, Chief Librarian, Wings of Ultramar, frontline command

Confidentiality: Classified, available only for SOCSTF personnel

File Cypher: #9-5-2-7-JADE-1-0-2

Mission Protocol: Search and destroy.

Mission Status: Complete

ON THE INVESTIGATION AND SEQUENTIAL TREATMENT OF THE LONDINIUM FACTORY

Our battle-brothers were dispatched ASAP towards designated AO as soon as we received your request.

Anno Terra 805997.M41/ Anno Arcadia 40997, Oct. 23th '65: Call of help from Inquisitor Amberley Vail received at around 1400.

This mission is my first co-op with the Ordo Xenos since #85-4E-63-75. Her companion, a Hereticus Inquisitor, noticed my Deathwatch shoulder-pad, and had come to trust me quickly. It could be assumed he remains unaware of our association.

To avoid inquisition and to learn how much intel the Inquisition has gathered, the battle-brothers acted in normal Chapter colours instead of Inner Circle colours during this mission. As your orbital assets surely have detected, things did not go according to plan. The Inquisition has discovered the site of General Machines Corporation operations, but it has already fallen to the clutches of Chaos when we arrived on scene. Surviving personnel and machinery were used to produce Chaos-tainted devices.

During the raid, most surviving personnel were slain by the cultists, whose leaders were killed. The only citizen confirmed alive is L2 technician Mickey Brad (ID: MK-MC-2U18706), who was believed to have died prior.

When the squad destroyed all forces of Chaos in the area, the Hereticus Inquisitor Antares forced him to provide access to the main server hub. But before that, he managed to leave the Inquisitor's presence under the pretense of procuring the second key, and I accompanied him on his way out of the Inquisitor's sight.

Leaving the Inquisitor out of earshot, he told me that he recognized my Chapter colours and asked me to contact you with all haste, to prevent a major data leak by banning the server's access protocols to internal networks. I was also made aware that the server contained files regarding my Chapter.

After that, our brotherhood left the planet at the request of the Inquisitor, but nano-bots deployed during our stay detected further survivors within the factory and backup databanks contain files regarding the manufacturing of civilian phase drives.

As our field of operations is limited, we cannot be sure that all people aware of the aforementioned facts can be silenced without attracting unnecessary attention to our connection. As per our confidentiality agreement, Level 1 Emergency Protocol is requested.

We have lost all traces of the citizen. We believe that he is in the hands of the Inquisition, and his days are counting.

+++++TRANSMISSION COMPLETE+++++

+++++TRANSMISSION INCOMING…SCITOPIAN FEDERATION, MINISTRY OF DEFENSE+++++

From: Milky Way High Command, Special Operations Command

File Cypher: #2M75-H9G6/638A

Mission Protocol: Search and destroy

Mission Status: Complete

ON REPORT #9-5-2-7-JADE-1-0-2

In order to verify the report of Operation #9-5-2-7-JADE-1-0-2, we dispatched a taskforce to investigate the site. Forge World Cagabul, a semi-independent arms production centre, has provided us with data regarding local defenses, enabling us to circumvent Imperial forces on our way into AO. After entering AO, we continued to avoid other local forces such as the Ashmen Regiments of Hive World Londinium.

After entering the site, we discovered the body of engineer MK-MC-2U18706. Though many marks of Chaos are present throughout the site, our investigation revealed that many safety protocols were breached from the inside. As only site personnel are capable of initiating said breaches, we propose the re-classification of this incident as an act of treason and deliberate sabotage instead of an invasion (cf. Report #9-5-2-7-JADE-1-0-2).

We have deduced from our findings that the saboteur was mainly trying to obtain data on forces deployed in the GDZ (Galactic Disputed Zone). They knew what they were doing and intentionally covered their tracks. In light of this possible information leak, we began tracking where the data could have leaked to before destroying those information terminals. That was the primary target of this operation – recover or destroy all data related to Federal and other MWNC[1] forces, including covert operations records. Our secondary target was to eliminate suspects that caused the information breach in the first place.

Using hyperchips deployed within various Imperial organisations (cf. Report #46-60-33-25), we identified the ship carrying sensitive data and its charted course by analysing Astropathic data contained within cogitators. The Eternal Spirit disabled the vessel when it emerged from the Warp. Boarding parties proceeded to locate the PRIME databank containing sensitive information, and they discovered that the data regarding the civilian phase engine was copied once. As of the ETA of this report, we are trying to locate the other civilian phase engine blueprint copy.

A thing of note is that in case of another data leak, the PRIME databank was installed with A. data safety protocol DPTC-007 (data unmovable, one copy allowed) and B. a logic bomb that will detonate when the wrong identification protocols are presented, eradicating all data on all databanks connected to the PRIME databank, by our onboard data-safety technicians.

After the PRIME databank was retrieved by boarding parties, the vessel was destroyed by concentrated antimatter bombardment from the Eternal Spirit. No physical trace of its existence remains.

+++++VENGEANCE FOR THE FALLEN+++++

+++++TRANSMISSION COMPLETE+++++

+++++TRANSMISSION INCOMING…INQUISITOR SOLARIS+++++

To: Segmentum Solar, Ordo Malleus Fortress, Lord Inquisitor Solaris Leonidas.

From: The Immortal Oath, Ordo Hereticus, Inquisitor Antares

REGARDING THE REMAINING DATA RECOVERED ON LONDINUIM

Yours Excellency, Eyes of Him on Holy Terra,

I tremble in fear at your reprimands in the last transmission, and I am working without rest as you read this report to prevent such unpleasant accidents from happening again.

In the name of the Emperor, I present to you all the truths I have uncovered, and hope that this report could be met with your approval.

The STCs of the Dark Remnants "Scitopians" that have been mentioned as sent in the previous report had been hunted down by its original owners. I express my deepest regrets on not being able to prevent such a tragic event.

The Scitopians have, as expected, kept this strategic resource under close scrutiny. The Dark Remnants are clearly monitoring our movements through their own means and possibly, other forces within the Imperium that serve them, in secret.

In anticipation of such an event, I have executed a backup plan in advance. Our onboard tech-priest copied the most important and most potent part of the STC, called a "Phase Engine", into his own cogitators, and set course for Forge World Lucius on an ordinary passenger cruiser from Londinium.

To accommodate the enormous data package that is the Phase Engine STC, Tech-priest Yanbel voluntarily emptied his personality program to contain it. This great sacrifice will be remembered by the Imperium.

As of the time this report was sent, I have confirmed that the passenger ship has reached Forge World Lucius, and this was kept a complete secret. The loss of the original STC proves that traitors lurk around even on my ship, and any unnecessary communication will give away the position of this invaluable data. In light of the Archenemy's ascendance, this STC may prove to be the last spark of hope for the Imperium.

Regards, Antares.

My fight knows no rest till death.

+++++TRANSMISSION COMPLETE+++++

+++++TRANSMISSION INCOMING…MARTIAN PARLIAMENT+++++

From: Mechasapient Data Analysis Conclave, Forge World Lucius

Confidentiality: For Parliament members only. Under no circumstances should anyone on The Blacklist[2] be allowed access to this report.

+++++THE MACHINE GOD SEES ALL – THE MACHINE GOD KNOWS ALL+++++

MEMETIC KILL-AGENTS ARMED

…

VITAL FUNCTIONS: ACTIVE. LOADING REPORT…

ON THE ANALYSIS OF A DARK REMNANT STC

Part 1: Recovery Record

Maintenance Servitor [Redacted] discovered an immobile tech-priest in a passenger ship from Hive World Londinium to Lucius in 990997. M41. The tech-priest in question was discovered in an isolated compartment of the ship's cargo hold, and its vital functions were no longer active when it was recovered. As it was recovered from a world that had just suffered a Chaos invasion, the tech-priest was screened in isolation in a blessed chamber of the Machine God. The Servitor was purged as per protocol.

The tech-priest in question was Logis Yanbel, and his cogitators were creaking with the weight of a massive, encrypted set of data. Scars on the sacred cogitator indicate that the Logis has cleared his own personality program to carry this great burden, and this commitment to the Quest for Knowledge should be recorded.

The Logis remains inactive after successful transfer of the data set*. The data set, after decryption and analysis within a sacred relic cogitator, proved to be a Type A STC: a complete construction guide to the subject in question. The STC is titled "Civilian Phase Engine IV-6".

Part 2: Prototype Test Pict

A Universe-Class Mass Conveyor transport vessel made of a material not seen anywhere else in the Segmentae, and odd in proportions compared to vessels of the same class, appears in the star-lighted void cloaked in blue light at 0223 of the video. The Fleet Mechanicus of the Forge World itself follows shortly in like manner at 0467.

Accompanying chart displays the distance the ships 'jumped'.

Part 3: Post-Test Conference

***: "The prototype was activated with success, but it did not achieve the optimal efficiency recorded in the STC."

****: "The functions recorded in the STC require astonishing cogitator processing power to be fully calculated. Machine spirits have been burned out for less, let alone this…"

***: "…Can Abominable Intelligence handle the functions? We could solve this if we can get the go from Holy Mars that they would loosen the Great Edict for this equally…"

*****: "[REDACTED]! The Great Edict was a direct order from the Omnissiah! How dare you even consider employing Abominable Intelligence! Such blasphemy…"

****: "My fellow servants of the Omnissiah, I believe there is another way around the problem. The prototype test has proved that using a ship equipped with multiple phase engines as a tow ship is feasible. Now, if we could just pack some more cogitators on the ship…"

*****: "The issue of minor inaccuracies would be overcome."

***: "Very well, I suppose the report is ready for Parliament then. A summary will be written for their benefit."

Summary

In light of our test results, we, the Mechasapient Conclave of Forge World Lucius, believe that the use of STC CPE-IV-6 as an engine for towing ships is feasible, and we will contact our fellow Artisans to determine how quickly we could produce the aforementioned towing ships. As of the most recent decade, we estimate current production capacity would be two ships per half a century. We would report any breakthroughs in production speed as soon as possible.

+++++PRAISE THE OMNISSIAH+++++

+++++TRANSMISSION COMPLETE+++++

*Re-employment as a Servitor is pending approval.

1. The Milky Way Negotition Council is a civilian organisation that may feature in the next part, or the one after that.

2. I suppose the list's canon equivalent has, in massive letters, the name Belisarius Cawl on it.