Inside the black Stormbird, Nareth leaned back in the leather seat. Though his field of view was slightly restricted, his obsidian eyes could still take in most of the massive spherical drydock below.
A formation of heavy transports was passing through below, massive bay doors opening under the control of heavy cantilever arms to receive them.
The Shadows of Order Techmarines had already moved in and were making adaptive modifications to accommodate transports, destroyers, and frigates.
Though it differed from Imperial standards, the drydock held value, much like the rest of the Olamic Quietude's technology.
Among it all, Nareth valued the force-field adjustment technology most.
The Shadows of Order currently possessed three unique force-field protection technologies: the "Terra" pattern stealth field, the Rangdan overlord's personal energy shield, and the Squat weave-shield technology.
These three shields, along with the thermal dispersion field used specifically for the Saturnine-pattern Terminator prototype, were incompatible.
Officers of the Shadows of Order, from sergeants upward, could apply to Techmarines for one of the three, based on their needs.
If they could master the Olamic Quietude's force-shield technology, officers would have four force-field protection options, and with some adaptation, the defensive capabilities of the Shadows of Order would improve by an order of magnitude.
The deck shuddered as the Stormbird landed in the drydock's lavish hangar.
Nareth strode down the ramp. Wiltshire, Chapter Master of the Second, Ramsey, Chapter Master of the Tenth, and Zadkiel, Chapter Master of the Feather-Quill Scions of the Word Bearers, stood waiting on the tarmac.
"My Lord."
Nareth nodded slightly, acknowledging their salutes.
His gaze fell on Ramsey. "Was the control center captured intact?"
"By Your command, the control center has been seized. The Olamic Quietude's massive instruments are completely intact."
"Archmagos Arkhan and Archmagos Anacharis are analyzing it."
The "Lawyers" Nareth had dispatched had assisted Arkhan Land in negotiating with the various factions on Mars, securing benefits for the Shadows of Order while also helping him manage his relationships.
Arkhan, previously ostracized for his pride, outspokenness, and lack of sacred mechanization, had not been able to ascend to Archmagos.
Now, with support from certain factions, he had successfully achieved the rank of Archmagos on Mars.
"Let's go see it." Nareth, accompanied by the others, walked along the main avenue straight to the drydock's center.
Cold mist drifted away as the bay doors slowly opened.
Arkhan Land, with no visible mechanical augmentation, and Anacharis Scoria, the Archmagos of Xana II who barely resembled a man, turned in unison.
Organic and bionic eyes swiveled. "My Lord."
Arkhan bowed silently; from Anacharis came the clanking of a giant, moving machine.
Nareth nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the massive, orange-yellow spherical machine. He noted the absence of data ports or similar interfaces on its surface.
'It does look like a bomb.'
Nareth recalled that the Tech-Priests of the 40th Expedition Fleet, upon inspection, had not recognized it as a data storage device.
The fleet's threat analysts had cautiously concluded it was some kind of weapon, perhaps a bomb.
Nareth walked to the recently activated strategic table.
He looked at Zadkiel. "Your plan?"
Zadkiel stepped forward, raising his control rod.
The orange-yellow planet rapidly expanded, revealing an endless expanse of ice.
The flat surface was dotted with ripples of varying sizes, clearly the result of some liquid freezing rapidly.
"The Augury Matrix Magister's scan reports the chemical composition of the ice is completely different from that of ice worlds like Valhalla or Fenris."
"It is likely artificial."
He turned the control rod, highlighting a tower that pierced the amber sky, rising from the ice.
The tower turned into red runes, merging with a sea of red.
"The towers, each the size of a hive city, are spaced 670 kilometers apart, covering the entire planet."
Wiltshire stared at the glowing towers. The intelligence from the Black Emperor mentioned that these energy towers could annihilate Astartes, even vehicles.
'Can the shields of the Gardinaal Mark III tripedal walkers withstand their attacks?'
After continuous research, the Techmarines had finally achieved a breakthrough. The new generation of walkers was equipped with the Imperial Titans' void shield systems.
Compared to the Mark II, which used the Knight mechs' plasma shields, the defensive capability had been greatly enhanced.
As Wiltshire pondered, Zadkiel continued.
"Having identified the energy readings of each tower, we have confirmed they are all energy generators."
"The Olamic Quietude has used advanced technology to extend the natural ice sheet into a planetary shield, with defensive capability equivalent to a fortress-class void shield."
Nareth stared at the glowing red runes and the projected shield envelope. The Olamic Quietude's defenses exceeded those of most Imperial fortress worlds. Capturing this planet would be no easy feat.
He knew that, although the 3rd Great Company of the "Space Wolves" had destroyed the Olamic Quietude without suffering major losses, they had done so by blasting the drydock out of orbit and using it as a battering ram against the orange-yellow planet.
Nareth glanced at the orange-yellow sphere. A harsh truth had been revealed only after its destruction.
It was not a weapon.
The Olamic Quietude had stored the entirety of their fifteen-thousand-year civilization within it, all their technological knowledge, intellectual achievements, works of art, and deepest secrets.
It was the Olamic Quietude's civilizational archive.
They had built it to launch it as a message in a bottle across the void.
When the commander of the 40th Expedition Fleet learned the truth, he immediately realized the grim fate that awaited him once the War Council and Terra learned of this catastrophic loss.
Furious, he blamed everyone: the intelligence services for their inaction, the Tech-Priests for their inefficiency, the various departments for their lack of coordination, and especially the Space Wolves for their recklessness.
In truth, while the Space Wolves left nothing but ruins in their wake, the 3rd Great Company should not have borne sole responsibility for this loss.
Heimdall had sent a communication stating that the fleet commander had requested the Space Wolves' intervention. The Wolves had broken the stalemate, and the commander had authorized Wolf Lord Ogvai Ogvai Helmschrot to use all available resources.
But the truth did not matter.
The various parties had, by unspoken agreement, placed the blame on the Space Wolves.
The brutal image of the Wolves, forged by their past actions, was deeply ingrained in the minds of all factions.
Heimdall had not reported the incident to Jarl Leman Russ. The Wolves were disdainful of explanations and indifferent to the opinions of others.
In the end, the Space Wolves successfully took the fall, adding another dark chapter to their reputation for brutality.
'Space Wolves, you should thank me for taking the blame off your hands.'
Knowing the value of the data device, Nareth would not follow Heimdall's strategy and hurl the drydock at their homeworld.
Not just the device, but the entire drydock.
Unlike Heimdall, who only considered military objectives, Nareth saw that the drydock, with some modification, could serve as a shipyard and a key defensive installation for the future system.
However, this decision also presented a major problem: how to breach the Olamic Quietude's fifteen-thousand-year-old defensive system.
A direct assault on their homeworld would be impossible even with the entirety of the 3rd Great Company.
Even the entire Space Wolves Legion could win, but only with devastating losses.
Nareth's two deployed Chapters, even with the Tenth Chapter's substantial strength bolstered by the former Faceless, and the Feather-Quill Scions would suffer enormous losses.
He looked at Zadkiel. "So, what is your plan?"
"My Lord, following Your command, I have devised an attack plan."
The "Baron of Corruption's" eyes gleamed. "The Olamic Quietude's entire social structure depends entirely on their social network."
"They react to threats through this network, with incredible speed."
"This is both their strength and their weakness."
"My plan is to create a viral program and upload it into their social network to sow chaos."
Nareth nodded with satisfaction. Zadkiel had not disappointed him. His plan hit the mark.
If implemented successfully, it would strike a far heavier blow to the Olamic Quietude than Heimdall's strategy.
He looked at Arkhan and Anacharis. "Is Zardu's plan feasible?"
"My Lord." Arkhan, having been blessed by the Omnissiah and become a perpetual and an "Astronomer," spoke with enthusiasm.
"The plan is feasible."
"Anacharis and I have studied it and already found the database."
"We just need to organize it, and we can generate the corresponding code."
"My Lord," Anacharis added, "I have examined the social network and found it has something akin to a central cogitator."
"It can be used to adjust and intervene..." He looked at Zadkiel and the two Chapter Lords, explaining in more direct terms.
"This means, to execute your plan, we must launch a strike on its location and implant the code."
The Primarch's mind raced. He calculated that the losses from such a strike would be far lower than a direct assault. Also, he wanted Zadkiel to complete his ritual and ascend to "Mentor of Disorder," so he spoke.
"You will assist Zadkiel in executing the plan."
He turned to Zadkiel. "You will have full command of this campaign."
The "Mentor of Disorder's" ritual required not only planning but also execution.
"My Lord, I shall not betray Your trust." Zadkiel bowed, his voice filled with fervor.
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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