A/N – Another chapter, some more, including the future flagship is revealed.
o-0-o
(Anvillus system, unknown date, eighth century M30)
Cruisers of the Mechanicum were things of wonder and might. Technologies long thought lost used in their construction, exotic alloys, hideously expensive to manufacture used to cover their hulls in impenetrable armor. Their weapons could reduce much larger ships into burning husks of broken decks and ripped apart sections of the hull. Weapons normally treated with respect for their power were commonplace and much more powerful variants were oft employed.
They weren't beautiful, as no such thing mattered to the Magii in charge of designing and building them. What mattered was efficiency and pleasing the Machine God, once the design fulfilled both, it was good enough.
Belisarius watched the cold vastness of space from his place on the command throne of his cruiser Ferrum. It was a powerful vessel and one constructed according to the patterns of old. It was a good ship, a powerful ship, more suited for a Magos Dominus. Alas it served him, Archmagos Explorator.
Klaxons blarred and the noosphere filled with sudden rush of activity. Belisarius' augmented, cybernetic eyes moved towards the master hololith display and a silent curse escaped his throat. A trio of ork vessels was moving from behind a planet. Their engines burned brightly as they accelerated.
"Move us to the extreme range and target the lead ship," Belisarius said, his head covered by his white and red hood that hid much of his extensive augments. Most of them was subtle and hard to notice, yet extremely advanced and powerful. "Do not allow them to get close to us."
The Tech-Priests manning the bridge moved to carry out his orders, dozens of thralls and servitors performing simpler tasks while their masters focused on the more esoteric and mysterious ones. Belisarius' gaze for a second fell on the pits filled with them before once more focusing on the vessels the orks called kroozers.
There was no pattern to them, no logic nor any set design. Each a ragtag mountain of metal and other materials welded and hammer to shape. Some were salvaged wrecks found in space, some were constructed by the orks. On their own a single kroozer would be reduced to dust by Ferrum, but a pack of three was a different matter.
"Lances firing in five minutes," Magos Dominus intoned, his voice cold and emotionless. "Targeting the engine coils of the lead ship."
Belisarius' filed that away and focused on the blueprint of Ferrum displayed on his retinal displays. It was over five kilometers long ship with a blunted prow and covered in thick, layered adamantium plating. The dozen of the void shields were more than a challenge for most of its opponents and its armament wasn't lacking.
Batteries of macrocannons, magma cannons and many more exotic weapons filled most of the decks and an array of lance batteries was installed in the prow. With several further along the spine, making it more heavily armed than its size suggested. Yet that was the way of the Mechanicum.
"Firing lances," Magos Dominus intoned and crimson beams of energy sliced across the void.
Belisarius watched them with a cold, indifferent gaze, his mind long ago finished with calculating the results of the salvo. It would all hit and the rest was dependant on what was below the skin of the kroozer.
"Multiple secondary explosions, ork kroozer losing speed and venting atmosphere."
Belisarius frowned at this and then looked at the hololith map of the system, the presence of the massive asteroid belt so close to their flank passed unseen by him until now. Then he remembered what was the specialty of the crude orks.
"Steer us clear of the asteroids," he barked. "Prepare for boarding attempts."
The Thallax, the Skitarii and the battle-automata stationed aboard the ship became active. This single command waking them from their slumber and activating their battle protocols. They were perfect soldiers, relentless, never ceasing, deadly, precise and emotionless. Their weapons were capable of stopping even the toughest and most brutish enemy, their advance cold, slow, but unstoppable and always grinding forward.
"Dozens of new contacts!" one of thralls shouted. "All of them on impact course. Impact in five standard minutes."
Belisarius nodded to himself and then looked at the six Praetorians standing at the only door leading onto the bridge. They were a strange breed of Skitarii, more powerful and more efficient than an average one, yet given much more autonomy of actions when fulfilling their only duty, protection of their liege.
They were armed with volkite culverins and power axes, ready to stop anything daring to lay hand on their liege. The only way to get to Belisarius was through them and their bodies, a feat no ork should achieve.
o-0-o
For once Orion smiled, his features brightened by a genuine smile. Whole strength of his assigned Battalions was at his disposal. Ten thousand battle-brothers and over three dozens of heavy cruisers and battleship. A force with which he could crack open any planet and the task he was given was more glorious than forcing another world into compliance.
The orks plagued this sector of space and it fallen upon his force to purge them. Ten thousand Marines, forty heavy cruisers and battleships of the Legion, further two hundred of the Armada Imperialis and over six million troops of the auxilia.
"Finally," he said, his eyes on the hololith representation of the local stars. All data available to the Imperium was transferred long ago and it was lacking. Lacking clarity and details, he tsked in annoyance and then activated his vox. "Shipmaster, take us to the first star."
He heard a brief acknowledgement and then turned to look at the gathered members of his Hetairoi. Only the highest ranking ones were present, the rest of them scattered across the ship. Patrolling the corridors and guarding the main armories.
"This needs to stay in this chamber," Orion said and approached a hololith projector, a datacore in his hand. He slid it into the device and looked at the Hetairoi. "This is the data refined by the Magos from Mars and the Regent's Court."
The projection that appeared was grainy and of low quality, no matter how many Magi and how many cogitators worked to refine it. It showed cruisers disturbingly similar to those of Mars slice through the space, their drives burning bright, brighter than those of Mars.
"A lone frigate of the Armada stayed under stealth and recorded it," Orion said and then looked at his advisors and guards. "Tell me, what do you think about it?"
"A forge-world is out there, probably somewhere in the cluster," one of them said and then shifted in his Mark IV Armour. "One that is powerful and rich enough to afford building a fleet."
"Or an expedition was stranded in the Warp and left it there," another added, making Orion frown as he looked at the projection.
"There is a third possibility," Orion said quietly. "That the Primarch landed on the world and that he united the Mechanicum of it. The Court of the Regent supports this theory and the Emperor himself will join us for the campaign."
Those words unleashed a wave of restrained emotions. They finally had a chance to find their Primarch. Finally become a proper Legion, not one of those few still fighting with no sign and no color.
o-0-o
(Anvillus system, unknown date, eighth century M30)
Belisarius looked at the incoming storm of orks with no emotions in his sight. They were a pest to kill and slaughter, a pest that stood on his way. The macrocannons thundered and first wave of shells smashed into the orks.
Many of their small and fragile crafts simply stopped existing, but more pushed on, uncaring of the death of their fellows. Their engines burning brightly and afterburner making the already fast crafts even faster. It was a crude tactic, not one Mechanicum would choose, throwing so many crafts at a cruiser was a waste.
Its batteries and broadside armament would pick them one by one, but for every destroyed dozen there was a hundred lurking in the shadows and for every destroyed hundred there was a thousand on its way.
The tactic was based on the simple principle of throwing enough ships so that the defenses would be unable to kill them fast enough. First two waves were blasted to shreds before they knew they were targeted, but the next waves smashed into the hull. The torpedoes, pods and hundreds of other crafts disgorged their cargo of the greenskins.
Some were mowed down by the point-blank range fire from the defenses of the ship, some didn't pierce the thick adamantium skin, but majority landed inside of the ship. Those were the less lucky ones as the fury of the hundreds of Thallax, battle-automata and Skitarii was unleashed upon them.
Rad, volkite, plasma and phospex weapons all scythed down dozens of orks. Their lethality increased by the tight confines of the gun decks and the pouring streams of orks. What missed one, found its destiny in another. The whole boarding attempts lasted ten minutes, ten minutes of slaughter of orks. Their blood soon covering everything in a thin, filthy layer, their corpses piling high along the outer skin of the hull before being ejected through the gunports.
Belisarius was impressed by the prowess of the guardians of the ship. None of its usual operations were interrupted and none of the Tech-Priests was slain. Some servitors were killed, but they were chaff and new ones were being made constantly.
He then turned to look at the ork kroozers that still were alive, one was untouched, while the second was starting to vent the bodies of its crew and atmosphere. A good thing, an expected thing considering what was its opponent.
"Once they're destroyed, enter the orbit of the planet designated as Alpha," Belisarius said and sent a data burst carrying further information into the noosphere. It contained everything his crew would need, he preferred speech as it annoyed a great many senior Magii, but for precise data transfer nothing was supreme to the binaric cant.
o-0-o
(Ares system, unknown date, eighth century M30)
The change was visible on Ares and Ptolemy allowed himself a smile as he looked at the hololith displays. The new shipyards were being assembled in orbit and work on the first sub-orbital plate was starting. He designed it himself, it design based on the hexagon allowed for easy expansion, each edge full of power conduits and pipes, ready to be connected to another platform.
Fabricators-Generals of other forges were reluctant of this, but they relented and agreed to the construction. Sending forth an unending stream of material and workers. As he looked at the sky, first elements of it were visible. The massive plate would soon have over three hundred kilometers at the widest point, but now all it was, was a little more than scaffolding and basic skeleton held in place by impeller plates.
As the constructions in the sky happened, on the planet he wasn't resting. New ore veins were being surveyed, old datacryps were being raided, old and forgotten archives were opened. Forges were being expanded and founded, each day bringing more resources, more goods and more weapons.
Some of them went into storage, ready to be used when needed, but the majority was spent on the construction of new cruisers and destroyers. New shipyards and new forges, as well as redesigning and rebuilding the Magma Prime.
From a first-grade forge it was evolving into a capital of the planet. The most important forge and the seat of the Fabricator-General, a thing that needed to be displayed in its appearance and power.
Its fabrication and manufacturing facilities were expanding, but it wasn't the only change. Work on over a dozen new spires was being started. Each would house workshops of artificiers and Magos Biologis, each would also be a massive beacon for the noosphere. Letting more adepts access it more easily than ever before.
It was also a show of power and might, a thing also very important for Ptolemy. Other Fabricators-Generals only waited for him to make a mistake and slip. With such a monument of his glory and might they should be properly dissuaded.
Of course, they would still plot, wanting to kill him and take over his title or get independent, but those schemes would be merely amusing and much less dangerous with their power greatly diminished.
o-0-o
(Unknown system, unknown date, eighth century M30)
The battleships of the Legiones Astartes were the mightiest vessels humanity sent into the space and the most numerous ones too. They scoured the space, their massive weapon batteries putting an end to dozens, if not hundreds of xeno fleets and monstrosities. Scouring planets of life and often preparing the ground for a drop pod assault.
Alas compared to the sheer size and grace and power of Imperator Somnium, the flagship of the Emperor put even them to shame. Theseus stood on the observation deck of Talon as the fleet under personal command of the Emperor left the Warp.
Imperator was at its core, its massive, golden hull looking more like a city than a ship and making scores of attending cruisers and battleships look like small escort vessels. Where most battleships were limited to half a dozen lance turrets due to size and power limitations, flagship of the Emperor had dozens of them. Each of them mightier and more powerful than even the strongest weapons of battleships.
"That's some arrival," Theseus muttered as Talon started to move towards the flagship. Taking its rightful place close to the core of the massive armada. His eyes darted then towards the void of space beyond Imperator, right as it once again was ripped apart.
A second fleet arrived, it was dwarfed by one that came with the Emperor, but the hulls painted white and a massive battleship leading it was still awe inspiring. It was the Luna Wolves and their Primarch, Horus Lupercal, coming. Their guns blazed in a salute and then they fell into a formation next to Talon.
"Legate," Theseus murmured, activating his vox. "Did we ask the Luna Wolves to join us?"
"No," Orion said, in his voice clearly visible surprise. "The dispatches from Terra didn't mention them, nor the bloody armada that came with the Emperor. The fact that a Primarch, our Primarch might be discovered was mentioned, but nothing beyond that."
Theseus chuckled and then looked into the void. "I think, my lord, that the answer to our questions will come from the Emperor." He then shook his head. "He does indeed love to surprise our and arrive in the majesty of the greatest warlord to ever live."
"Quite so," Orion muttered over the vox. "We are invited to come aboard Imperator. No guards, just the commanders."
Theseus frowned at this, but then shrugged and nodded. The Emperor was a careful man that also loved to boast, a thing that oft had an interesting outcome. However he also understood that each commander needs some guards, some confidants. Some person they could trust that would give them an honest advice.
Theseus frowned and his brows furrowed, making the tattoo of the aquila on his forehead move and change. This summon was a strange one, he could very easily find some reasons for it, but it still felt weird.
He turned and looked at the pair of thralls that were in the chamber. Their lives sworn to the Legion. "Prepare my armor and gear," he curtly said and then paused before adding. "And prepare the cape I'm entitled to."
Twenty minutes later he stepped out of his chamber, his plain armor polished to perfection and a flaming red cape held with a fist-shaped pin, at his shoulder, flowing down his back. That pin was a badge of honor, awarded to him personally by Rogal Dorn, the Primarch of the Imperial Fists for the actions during one of the campaigns when Eleventh aided the Fists.
o-0-o
Imperator was a gargantuan ship with whole decks dedicated to labs, forges, recycling centers, processing of raw resources and storage. Above all of them were the decks where the bulk of the crew lived and worked, and finally above them, in the dozens of the spires, domes and other structures jutting out of the main hull were the quarters of the Legio Custodes, the Emperor and his sons.
The doors hissed, opening as Horus Lupercal stepped through them and entered the observation deck where a dozen of Custodians stood guard. Their forms armored in golden armor didn't show a single emotion as he passed between them, his gargantuan, armored bulk, towering even over them.
"Father," he said softly, his head bowing in reverence as he approached the man, the being standing in front of a massive viewport. "You summoned me and I have arrived."
The Emperor turned and looked at his first and most favored son. "Horus," he said softly. "Another of your brothers was discovered by me. However, before we can be reunited with him, there is a minor obstacle in the way."
"The orks," Horus stated and the Emperor nodded. "The Luna Wolves are ready, give us an order and we will strike them down."
"You will do that in time," the Emperor said cautiously. "However this is not a time for this. There are few scores of human worlds in the cluster that still stand tall and withstand the savagery of the orks. You will take your Legion and secure them. Bringing them into the Imperium and removing the orks from each system."
"Father, you won't fight alongside me during this campaign?"
"No, my son. Finding your brother and meeting with him is far more important than the campaign to remove this tribe of orks. The anomalies the Eleventh checked, proved to be what I was expecting and your brother did quite a magnificent thing on his world. He will be a lot like Ferrus and Vulcan, maybe even like Roboute. The world on which he crashed is a forge-world, one of the first settled by the expeditions from Mars."
"He is a Mechanicum?"
"That I cannot tell. His future is covered in mysteries and what I see is full of good omens as his rediscovery will strenghten the Imperium…"
o-0-o
Theseus followed Orion and other officers of the Eleventh into the strategium of Imperator and the moment he passed through the gilded doors he felt an urge to kneel before the majesty of the Emperor. The Master of Mankind stood at the far end of the massive chamber, quietly talking with the Captain-General, Constantine Valdor and the Primarch of the Luna Wolves, Horus Lupercal himself.
"Something is up," Theseus murmured as he looked at the crowd of the Luna Wolves officers. "All of their senior Captains are here."
"Aye," Orion nodded and then paused. "More telling is the presence of the Primarch. And Valdor."
Theseus nodded and took a goblet from a passing serf. "I have a nagging feeling that we might be close to discovering our gene-sire."
Orion smiled and joined the fellow Legates that stood much closer to the Emperor who finally noticed their arrival and turned to face them. "Today is a great day for the Imperium! I have discovered the location where another of my sons landed and in twenty-four hours we will travel to recover him. The Eleventh Legion, this is an illustrious moment for you as your gene-sire is the one I have found. Your fleet will accompany me to his homeworld and meet him, while Horus and Captain-General will lead separate armadas that will strike down the orks plaguing the sector."
A roar of happiness tore itself free out of the throats of the gather officers of the Eleventh Legion, their stoic and aloof attitude replaced by joy and happiness felt at the fact that finally they would have a gene-sire. The Primarch that would lead them and shape them into a force to be reckoned with.
o-0-o
(Ares system, unknown date, eighth century M30)
A massive form hung in the cold void above the planet of Ares, its flanks were studded with dozens of guns emplacements, sensor cupolas and docking bays. It was the biggest project so far done by the rapidly expanding shipyards of the planet. It was named Argentum and it was the first of the Arc Mechanicum vessels constructed on this forge-world.
Ptolemy guided his gunship with his thoughts and gazed at the massive ship. It was close to thirty kilometers long, much bigger than the ships they discovered in the long forgotten blueprints discovered in one of the data vaults. However he knew that this would put those older designs to shame, it's batteries able to reduce any planet and fleet to slag and twisted wreckage.
Its forges were the size of a large forge located on the planet and could churn out an endless stream of weapons, equipment and battle-automata, while its labs allowed testing of new weapons and designs. Allowing the Tech-Priests to carry out all of their sacred duties when away from their forge-world and at the same time protecting them from any harm.
Its meters thick, composite armored skin was capable of surviving hits that would punch through a lesser ship and the void shields banks had the power comparable to those found on planets and almost nothing could damage them. Only a prolonged duel with overwhelming force could damage the ship in a way that would force it to be towed to a dry dock.
In all fairness it was a massive forge and city in space, not a ship. It even had its dedicated Titan maniplws ready to defend their home and ready to aid Skitarii during exploration of some hostile planet.
Ptolemy smiled and brought his gunship to a docking bay close to ship's bridge. His cybernetic augments allowing him to guide the nimble craft with a grace that put to shame the best human pilots. He effortlessly slipped into the bay and the moment the blast door lowered and the atmosphere outside was breathable he stepped out.
It was time to take to stars and see the unexpected ork guests chased away and destroyed. The nearby worlds would soon fall into the control of the Mechanicum and their output would be added to the furnace of the forge-world. Many would be also turned into new forges, producing goods and weapons necessary to fuel the expansion and extermination of orks.
o-0-o
(Anvillus system, unknown date, eighth century M30)
Ferrum shook as its void shields were under assault by the last ork kroozer. But then the batteries of the cruiser opened fire and reduced its enemy to a broken wreck. Full broadside of plasma macrocannons simply obliterated the ship, blasting away large chunks of its hull and scattering the rest across the vastness of space.
"Start deploying the probes," Belisarius said as he regarded the wreckage with cold, calculating gaze. "Once that's done, I want the Skitarii and Thallax to deal with the ork infestation of the system."
Tech-Priests nodded and went to carry out orders. Right as the Warp was torn open and hundreds of vessels appeared in system. Belisarius was about to order retreat when the sensors identified many of them as those of Martian design.
"Establish communication and send a message to Ares."