Chapter 389: Mars's Defeat
The news of the successful warp engine test was like a clap of thunder detonating in an enclosed space, completely altering the negotiation dynamics between the Martian Parliament and the Forge World Alliance.
The impact it brought—especially Ryo's explicit declaration of support for the Alliance's proposal, standing on the same front as Vox and the others—was no less than a spiritual earthquake for the Martian Parliament.
When the negotiations reopened, the atmosphere was completely different from before.
Within the data streams of the Martian delegation, the previous composure and arrogance based on absolute authority vanished, replaced by an intensely concealed yet still discernible sluggishness and heaviness.
What they faced was an almost unsolvable situation.
The core contradiction was laid bare on the table: once they opened up the monopoly on technological certification and production licensing according to the Alliance's demands, the cornerstone upon which the Martian headquarters relied to maintain its transcendent status would instantly collapse.
The root of Mars's control over other Forge Worlds was not simply military or economic superiority, but precisely this set of technological shackles—manifested in the form of "standards" and "licenses"—established along with the Imperium since the Great Crusade.
Losing this privilege, Mars would jurisprudentially no longer have any essential difference from Forge Worlds like Nexum, Graia, and Lucius; it would merely be one of them, albeit larger in scale and with a longer history.
This was absolutely unacceptable to Mars.
However, reality forced them to accept it.
Before the successful test, the existence of the Primarch Rogal Dorn was more like a potential deterrent, forcing the extreme dissenting voices within Mars to restrain themselves and be willing to sit at the negotiation table for "consultations."
At that time, Mars still had room to maneuver, believing that at most they would pay some price to "compromise," far from the point of needing to "bow their heads."
But now, everything was different.
The warp engine was no longer a theory on paper or a prototype awaiting verification; it was a mature technology that had undergone live testing and been witnessed by the Primarch's own eyes.
What Ryo held in his hands were tangible bargaining chips sufficient to reshape the future of the Imperium.
And he chose to place these chips on the side of the Alliance.
More crucially, the will of Primarch Dorn, bolstered by the fact of success, had become unprecedentedly clear and uncompromising.
Continuing to resist was no longer a wise move.
The problem facing the Martian Parliament at this moment was not whether or not to bow their heads, but how to bow them.
They had to strive to "kneel less disgracefully" amidst the inevitable concessions, attempting to salvage some clauses from the ruins of the soon-to-collapse old order that could maintain their face and even residual influence.
"...Regarding the necessity of unified technical standards, we still insist upon it." The Chief Archmagos of Mars's code carried an almost stiff persistence, but behind this persistence lay a spent force. "However, in specific technological fields, perhaps a 'Joint Research, Development, and Certification Committee' could be established, jointly participated in by Mars and the major Forge Worlds..."
Vox's mechadendrites emitted a faint click representing questioning, interrupting the other party: "The definition of 'participate' needs to be clarified, Chief Archmagos. Is it possessing decision-making power, or merely advisory power?
"We believe that for technologies independently developed and successfully verified by each Forge World, the certification right should belong to the developing party itself. The committee would only be responsible for filing and information sharing, ensuring basic compatibility."
Ryo calmly joined in, his data stream precise and deadly: "The technical standards for the warp engine will be formulated by myself, combining the test data and the actual needs of the Imperial Navy.
"I suggest using this as a template for the new standard formulation process—led by the technology creator, with all parties consulting to ensure applicability."
A violent disorder appeared in the Martian data streams.
Ryo's words practically aimed to strip Mars of its voice in the new core technical standards, completely marginalizing it.
The negotiations entered the most brutal stage.
The Martian faction retreated step by step, attempting to set up defense lines on every single detail, preserving even a sliver of their past privileges.
The Alliance, however, pressed hard step by step, relying on strong factual backing and their united front to dismantle Mars's resistance one by one.
Mars, this center of the Adeptus Mechanicus, was being forced to dismantle the technological barriers it had built and taken pride in with its own hands.
This process was painful and slow, but the general trend was gone and irreversible.
All they could do now was to leave as many marks belonging to Mars as possible on the newly signed agreement—which was destined to be signed and symbolized a transfer of power—to delay that moment of thoroughly falling from the altar.
—
Faced with the dilemma of retreating step by step on the formal negotiation table, almost unable to hold any substantive defense line, the Martian faction finally resorted to the method they were most unwilling to use, yet was their last resort—bypassing the Alliance and directly conducting private contact with the key figure, Ryo.
An extremely covert meeting took place deep within an ancient data sanctuary on Mars.
Representing the Martian Parliament was an Archmagos of extreme seniority who rarely made public appearances. The edges of his red robes were embroidered with silver threads symbolizing ancient heritage.
Without any superfluous pleasantries, the other party directly offered Ryo staggering conditions via a strictly encrypted binary stream:
Mars would utilize all its resources and influence to help Ryo establish an entirely new Forge World completely belonging to him personally in a resource-rich star system, guaranteed by Mars to ensure that this world obtained long-term production orders sufficient to maintain its operation and even prosperity;
Immediately bestow upon Ryo the title of "Archmagos," which held extremely high authority and honor within the Adeptus Mechanicus, granting him a seat in the Martian Parliament;
Privately gift him a complete, uncracked STC template, its value immeasurable;
Furthermore, it included opening a portion of Mars's secret technological vaults, allowing him to choose several precious ancient technological relics at his discretion...
Any single one of these conditions was enough to drive the vast majority of Tech-Priests mad, willing to pay any price.
This was undoubtedly the greatest sincerity Mars could muster to protect its core interests, aimed at pulling Ryo, this biggest variable, back into the Martian camp, or at least making him remain neutral.
However, Ryo's dark-red mechanical body stood quietly in the faint light of the sanctuary. His crimson optical lenses steadily gazed at the other party, without any fluctuation.
He calmly received the entire information stream, not even spending extra time to "weigh" or "calculate" it.
"Gratitude for the high regard of the Martian Parliament." Ryo's synthesized voice was as steady as usual, showing no sign whatsoever of being swayed by the massive benefits. "But what I pursue is not a personal Forge World or title."
He paused slightly, letting the meaning within his words transmit clearly: "Technological progress should serve the Imperium as a whole, not become a tool for a minority faction to consolidate power.
"A more open, competitive, and vibrant technological environment is far more valuable than an isolated island belonging to an individual.
"STC templates and ancient relics are certainly precious, but if their knowledge is monopolized and cannot be transformed into actual power to propel the Imperium forward, their significance will also be greatly diminished."
He directly rejected this temptation that could move anyone's heart, his code carrying unquestionable firmness: "My stance will not change. I support the establishment of a fairer technological sharing and certification system. This is most beneficial to the Imperium."
The Martian Archmagos's data stream instantly stalled. Although his heavily modified face could not display rich expressions, the violent focal shifts of his optical lenses and the sudden increase in noise from his internal cooling system exposed his inner shock and incomprehension.
He could not imagine that someone could so cleanly reject such a "generous gift" merely for the sake of a seemingly ethereal "Imperium's overall interest."
Ryo's refusal thoroughly blocked the last path Mars had attempted to use to dismantle the Alliance from the flank.
Not only did he possess the technology to change the paradigm, but he also possessed a terrifying lucidity and foresight unswayed by immediate interests.
This lucidity made Mars's final struggle appear exceptionally pale and futile.
The reality they now had to face was: not only had they been surpassed technologically, but morally and in terms of vision, they had also lost.
(End of Chapter)