[M36.249.12]
Solvexa looked out the several metre thick armaglass of the viewing port at the space station above Gravis Prime. She watched the mighty warship settle into its docking cradle. While the station was insignificant beside the forge world's wonders, the space elevator was a work of the Omnissiah's divine will, and she intended to study its design before she departed.
Turning from the viewing port, she surveyed the bridge. To organic senses it appeared almost silent, just the faint tapping of keys, the adepts all working with machine-like precision. Through the noosphere however, the compartment blazed with torrents of binharic data as the bridge crew coordinated more than ten thousand personnel across the vessel.
Such was expected of the fleet flagship. It would be sacrilege to fail at their most holy task. Across the rest of the planet, dozens of other ships were docking to take on the waiting guard regiments as well.
The Canticle of the Unbroken Circuit shuddered, the constant hum of the engines fading as they powered down.
++Fleet Operational Readiness: 93.01%++++Fleet Tally: 103++++Forces Tally: 2.45 million++
It was a vast number, and she was proud that she commanded but a fraction of it.
++Connection request: Magos Dominus Xanthus-Prime - Accepted++
As soon as her reply went through, the connection was cut. She had come to expect that of Xanthus. He adhered to the sacred dictates of pure logic with almost algorithmic devotion.
He was the logical commander and she felt no jealousy for the Magos. The command would never have been hers, nor would she have wanted it to be. Her algorithms agreed it was far too early for that. If she failed in anyway it could cripple even her progression.
The magos had a sterling reputation, with multiple successful deployments under his name, and of being excellent standing. Unfortunately he had been off-world during the Dark Mechanicus Uprising.
She marched from the bridge, sending a flurry of orders as she did. By the time she reached the staging ground, the guard regiments were already onboarding. To unaugmented eyes the sea of activity resembled chaos, but she could see the beauty in the carefully crafted streams of logistical movement and resource allocation.
She noted a knot of inefficiency, a statistical outlier amidst the otherwise harmonious pattern. Moving towards it, she passed a critical eye over the boarding regiments. She was not impressed; she didn’t want to cast aspersions quite yet, but her expectations were not high.
Maybe there would be some diamonds in the rough, but most of them were fodder. Still, it would be a good challenge to get the most out of their limited capabilities.
The disturbance turned out to be a Captain arguing with the Adept Ordinator. The adept who was responsible for loading the regiment with optimal efficiency. She retuned her auditory augmetics to isolate the conversation.
"I can't go there. I am a noble. I need to be placed as someone equal to my standing."
"This is the optimal location for your regiment."
"Do you know who I am. No, I will be placed with the officers."
She moved up behind them, having picked the most optimal path to her quarry, and when within range transmitted a sharp static-coded pulse. The adept stiffened and then moved away, following her orders to get back to his other tasks.
"What the blazes." The captain demanded.
"Captain. What is the problem?"
"Ahh, someone who can make decisions, excellent. This…" He turned to point at the already vanished adept. When he couldn't see him, he waved it away and continued. "An adept told me I couldn’t go where I should be. Clearly someone of my standing shouldn't be—"
"It is correct. You have been logically allocated."
"I don’t."
Solvexa drew herself to her full height, far greater than the portly man in front of her, while her servo-skulls emitted whispering bursts of binharic cant through their vox-grilles. Over this was the clicking of metal as her mechadendrite slithered beneath her robes.
"Captain you are allocated in sector 14."
Still the buffoon did not understand their disparity.
"My fathe—" he tried one final time.
The impulse to execute the inefficiency was becoming overpowering. Not yet, she needed him for the first stages. Once they were on the front, then he could be removed if he proved problematic. But her codec lattices predicted a far less efficient path if she were to do that now.
"Inefficiency should not be rewarded."
He must have sensed her ire and whatever was left of his survival instincts kicked in and he beat a hasty retreat.
With no further inefficiencies requiring correction she moved to the back of the hangar once more, walking along the gantries, as the PDF forces traipsed in. Most were infantry, but some had artillery or mechanised regiments.
Hours passed and then her last regiment was loaded and settled. She sent an update and soon returned a confirmation from the Archmagos of the fleet. She was once found satisfaction in the competence of her commander. Her fellow Devinisino were less clear-cut.
Magos Dominus Xanthus-Prime commanded their entire legion and only answered to Prime Magos Dominus Xen Vhalix. While she and her fellow Magos Dominus commanded the Divisions of said legion and therefore were designated Devinisino.
17 Legions were deploying in the first wave and the current plan was each legion would form a self-contained front, with the divisions fighting within their front, although she knew from past experience that could be fluid depending on the style of commander.
Their Legion had 6 division with 3 other Devinisino alongside her. The last divisions were managed by Xanthus-Prime. Her fellow Devinisino Corven Delta-XI and Kheax-70 were strong logical selections. Although Kheax-70 had less experience, he was a rising star and by her calculations could go far.
He was someone she looked forward to working with.
Then there was Devinisino Magom-12. They had excellent credentials and on parchment was a very good selection. However with the data she had access to cast some doubts on this. It was hard to verify their claims with many of them being off world with little to no supporting information.
Beside those concerns they had been dominus for many years, but in name only. She had the unfortunate displeasure of being stationed near her during several battles.
She had bluntly told Magos Dominus Xanthus-Prime her reservations, who had masterfully acknowledged them without stating anything. She had at least done her part and would try to position herself far from them.
Luckily, she had managed to gain the 1st Division of their legion, so she would be the centre of whatever frontline they did form. This was in large part due to the continued support of Aleric. His gift had allowed her to consolidate her position and grow it even, with the favours she managed to gain from the Throne of Insight.
While she could not control it or even change it, just tapping into its vast information network was already a priceless treasure.
She had even been able to tie multiple adepts and magi under her, many she had served with during the War. Something she was quietly smug about. Gaining trusted and competent subordinates was important. Just look at the gift that kept on giving that was Aleric. Although it was unlikely she would get any gems like him again.
Once was enough.
It had grown her personal forces severalfold, until she now had an entire macroclade in her holdings, with the logistics and resources to maintain them. Not just any macroclade, for that matter, but a heavily mechanised one, with the centrepiece of this being 5 ancanotech mobile artillery pieces.
Colossal mobile artillery pieces of a scale similar to Ordinatus. She had taken to calling them Longinqua and not the name Aleric had pushed. She refused to call such glorious machines Thumpers. Regardless the war machines were of a colossal scale, with an artillery cannon that could range 350km with its supersized munition. But even with more common munitions it could range well above 150km. These could be increased with specialised guided munition, although this did decrease the payload.
While this would have been excellent on its own, the artillery could also act as mobile command centres, with powerful void shields and a heavy layered las defence. With Twin Laser Destroyer Arrays whose purpose were to remove enemy armour. A multitude of Multi-laser Turrets and Quad Multi-laser turrets for faster target. She had found them especially useful in keeping the skies clear. Both of ammunition and aircraft.
But its most important part were its powerful auspex and noospheric connections, able to reveal the entire battlefield with crystal clarity as well as allow instant communication across it.
While she had not used them in battle, all wargames pointed to their veracity and strength. The main problem identified had been supplies for their shells. But with a forge temple now dedicated to producing the STCs patterned shells, she had enough for a protracted battle. She should receive a steady supply that would ramp up in numbers in time, which should allow her to use the artillery more liberally.
Regardless she could use the standard munition most worlds produced with little extra modification if the need arose.
Many techpriests had been green with envy for them. She of course didn’t voice her suspicion that rather than finding them deep within the hive, as Aleric claimed, he'd built them himself.
These combined with her other extensive artillery made her maniple one of the most formidable within Stratix.
She wasn’t the only one to benefit. She was incredibly proud of Tyr who had somehow risen to become a Forge Master of a small forge temple. An almost unheard of age to become one and he was already writing his Thesis. He wasn’t even a magos which ruffled many feathers within the forge world. But tellingly, his fellow Forge Masters had raised no meaningful objections to his appointment.
She lacked sufficient data to identify the cause, but she expected it was something to do with the regular communications he had with Aleric.
With her Imperium forces bunked down, she marched down the docking ramp onto the space station. As she did she cast a cursory sweep of the noosphere, confirming no emerging anomalies.
Halfway across, a squeal caught her attention. "Solvexa!"
Sighing fondly, she turned to Aleric's two way would apprentices. Lysa bounded forward, a smile splitting her face. Clearly her time away had not improved her decorum and Solvexa's look of disapproval slid off her like water off a duck. Still, it was nice to see her.
Trotting behind her was Kellen, his face a mask of control. While Lysa's enthusiasm was loud, she found her eyes drawn to Kellen. It was him, after all, that she spent the most time training.
She ignored the new bionics he seemed to have, or lack of them; no doubt he had some of the best she had ever seen. Or if not, she would be having words with Aleric.
If they were even half as effective as the ones the thousand Skitarii she sent Aleric gained, they would be masterful. Something she found herself looking forward to testing in a spar before she had to leave. The thousand skitarii were done as part of batches and filled specialised roles, predominantly as her personal guards. Something Ro and Sygex-X had requested.
Her original twelve Skitarii that survived the war had been a part of this conversion.
They were a menace in any wargames she deployed them in, where they crushed the opposition with frightening ease. If it wasn’t so crucial that she be on planet she would have been tempted herself, and she still held out hope one day to spare the time.
She said nodding.
Solvexa tensed, almost lashing out as Lysa ignored all etiquette once more and hopped in and gave her a big hug. Shaking her head in despair, she gave the tiny woman a quick hug before regaining her personal space.
"Magos Dominus Solvexa." Kellen said, his mechadendrite twisting into a formal greeting and show of respect.
He was a credit to the Mechanicus, her mechadendrite returning in kind.
"This way!" Lysa said, grabbing her hand and pulling her along, chattering away as she did, Kellen trailing behind them.
Yes, definitely powerful bionics.
She could feel Lysa's strength as she was pulled along and doubted she would be able to break the grip without damaging the adept. Lysa led them out of the hangar to a small meeting room several corridors away. Stepping into the warm room, the light of the small fire catching the gaudy and frivolous decoration around the room.
"Solvexa." Aleric said, smiling from where he was standing by the viewing port. He showed less emotion than Lysa, not that that was a high bar, but more than Kellen; still, his mechadendrite flashed a warm greeting. "It is good to see you."
She said, returning the gesture.
He said, waving his hands at the seats. He said, smirking.
She sat in the distractingly comfortable seat before continuing.
Solvexa was tempted to suggest he come one of the many ships set to arrive at a later date. For example the second wave of reinforcements weren't set to arrive for several years. But left it for now. She hardly needed his support and one magos, no matter his abilities would change the course in a significant way.
"How have the Thumpers been preforming?" Lysa butted in.
She said, ignoring Lysa's pout.
Aleric said.
She nodded, occasionally dipping into the noosphere as the conversation moved to lighter topics and they caught up, much unable to have been said over the long distance. They were just talking about other additions he might be providing, like the modified Tetrarch Heavy Lander he was working on when her Chono pinged.
It was time for the ships to depart. She didn’t need to tell them, they had received the same noospheric notification as her.
Before she could stand, Kellen leaned forward.
"Whaaat?" Lysa said, her face slack with shock and hurt.
She wasn’t the only one. Aleric turned his head sharply at Kellen.
He was silent for a moment, hesitating, before his eyes flicked to Lysa and gave a small, almost undetectable shrug. "Lysa is safe here, doing what she loves. But there is nothing for me to do or learn here. I want to challenge myself and grow further. I can't do that here."
"Kellen no!" Lysa gasped. Jerking up, she jumped into his lap, nearly in tears. "You can't leave me!"
"And I am not." Kellen said, pulling her into a big hug. "But you are learning so much and I don’t feel like I… like I am falling beh—like I am not."
Solvexa expected Aleric to have a similar response and yet he didn’t. He opened his mouth only to close it and lean back slowly, deep in thought.
Her attention was pulled back to Aleric. "Solvexa? Would you take him and teach him?" He asked. But it was different than before, heavier somehow. All her auspex reading came back as nothing had changed, and yet her biological components prickled as if they had gained the full attention of something greater than it.
She pushed the illogical thoughts to one side before nodding easily enough.
"And some of my Ordinarii." Kellen said.
she started asking, only to get a detailed report on them. She liked what she saw. She immediately saw the links to Ordinarii, even if they weren't the same, not buying into the same philosopher.
They looked impressive. Certainly nothing to turn away, so she nodded.
A yip came from the corner. How had he been hidden? It was only now that she noticed Snuffles. Passing her auspex over him she notices the obvious difference. Although it took her algorithms longer than they should have to come to the obvious conclusion.
He had undergone regenerative treatment. A good one too.
She moved past that with practised ease, although she made sure to note it for later.
Solvexa said, already sending a noospheric code to her commander with an excuse. Aleric providing an ideal one. He was still clouded in rumour and mystery back at the forge. That had only grown in time.
As she did, a new request, although it was very close to a demand, brushed against her defences.
++Connection request: Aleric++
Allowing it, Aleric immediately said.
"But what about the new bionics." Lysa said. Desperately looking for a reason to stop it.
"True." Aleric said, nodding to her. "But we will bring some with us when we meet him there."
"Bring some?" Kellen said.
Aleric cocked an eyebrow. "You didn’t think I was going to leave you to it. While we can't follow immediately, we can join the second wave that Solvexa spoke of." He said, turning to her questioningly.
"There shouldn’t be a problem with you joining it."
"Very good. So it is decided."
The conversation continued, mostly between Aleric and her as they hammered out the details. Kellen spent that time calming Lysa down and organising his departure. He had to leave not long after to gather his gear.
As he did, Snuffles stood, stretching and trotted over to Aleric to give him a lick. With a small smile, Aleric patted his flank. “You look after him, boy. You look after him. I will have lots of treats when I come.”
Snuffle huffed as if to say that was obvious and expected.
When Solvexa tried to follow she was halted by Lysa who poked her in the chest, trying to hide her hurt while looking intimidating. She said with all the intimidating factor of a 5ft nothing women.
By all rights it should have been none, but Solvexa replayed the speed at which she moved to intercept her. While not outside her capability, it was nearing the upper bounds, so she had to wonder what else Lysa had up her sleeve, so she took the threat seriously and nodded at her.
ANNot sure how much I like this chapter. I might come back to it later this week and add to it as I feel like it is missing some things.
PointsImperium: Hive Cities Scavenger (Tier 2) - IIWarrior (Tier 4) - XImperium: Hive Cities Danger (Tier 2) - IIIHuman: Hand to hand (Tier 3) - VTerra Federation: Technician (Tier 3) - XTerra Federation: Software (Tier 4) - IXSharpshooter (Tier 4) - VIIISelf (Tier 4) - XVIIReverse Engineering (Tier 4) - XImperium: Canine Handling (Tier 2) - IVAkashic Throne (Tier 1) - IBlade Mastery (Tier 4) - IXPhysics (Tier 2) - XXIIIGlyphcraft (Tier 3) - IIIBlueprints (Tier 3) - IIIActing (Tier 1) - IMathematics (Tier 2) - XIIBiology (Tier 2) - XVI > XVIIITeaching (Tier 2) - IIMachine Spirit (Tier 3) - VIIChemistry (Tier 1) - VII > XIEngineering (Tier 1) - VIIBionics (Tier 4) - XXIICrafting (Tier 4) - X