Chapter 395: Charter Fleet
Ryo returned to Holy Terra.
His current status, within the Imperium's strict hierarchical system, appeared quite special—he held no prominent official title, no specific high-ranking government position, and certainly no inherited noble title.
However, this did not in the slightest diminish his "heat" within the power echelons of the Imperium of Man at this moment.
He was the bringer of the warp engine, the holder of the technology the Emperor had personally ordered to be promoted, and a key figure highly regarded by the Primarch Rogal Dorn.
His name itself was the eye of the storm of revolution in this era.
Almost the moment his flagship, the "Eternal Seeker of Knowledge," arrived at the outskirts of the Sol System and before it even completed the port entry procedures, the massive power machine of Terra had already accelerated its operation due to his return.
Countless gazes, both open and hidden, focused here; countless precise calculations were readjusted because of him.
Invitations from certain factions within the Senatorum Imperialis, accompanied by veiled promises of mutual benefit, arrived first via encrypted channels.
Several aristocratic families with long histories attempted to establish contact with him under the guise of "academic exchange" or "research sponsorship."
Within the Adeptus Mechanicus, aside from greetings from allies like Nexum, there were also tentative contacts from other observant factions, and even different voices from within Mars itself.
Even some well-informed Rogue Trader dynasties attempted to submit calling cards through various channels, eager to show their faces before this "new aristocrat."
It was as if the entire political magnetic field of Holy Terra was twisting and turning around the "singularity" that was Ryo at this moment.
However, Ryo, situated at the center of the storm, displayed near-absolute indifference to all this.
His massive mechanical body passed through the layered defenses of the Imperial Palace, turning a deaf ear to the various gazes and encrypted communication requests attempting to catch his attention along the way.
He returned directly to the heavily guarded laboratory deep within the Imperial Palace that had been allocated to him for technological research.
The laboratory doors closed silently behind him, isolating the clamor and disturbances of the outside world.
Inside, there was only the low hum of operating servitors, the sound of cooling fans from the cogitator arrays, and the faint echoes of his own mechanical footsteps in the vast space.
He was not immersed in the joy of success or the illusion of power.
He knew very well that this swarming attention was essentially the various factions pursuing the interests represented by the warp engine, not an acknowledgment of him personally.
Following procedure, he initiated the laboratory's routine research projects. On the surface, everything was as usual, as if he had merely returned from an ordinary field inspection and was continuing his dry academic work.
But beneath his calm exterior, his core processor was running at maximum efficiency.
He was waiting.
Waiting for the summons from the deepest part of the Imperial Palace, that fortress symbolizing the highest power and will of the Imperium—Rogal Dorn.
He had brought back the complete test data and the actual operational logs of the "Eternal Seeker of Knowledge"; these were the keys to pushing forward the next phase of the plan.
He needed to report to the Primarch and determine how the Imperium would truly utilize this newly forged key to unlock the door to the future.
Until he saw Dorn, any external interference was merely background noise that needed to be filtered out.
Rogal Dorn's summons came quickly, just as Ryo had anticipated.
In that tactical room deep within the Imperial Palace—which had discarded all unnecessary decorations and whose style was as cold and solid as its master—the conversation between the two entities deciding the future course of the Imperium cut straight to the core.
Dorn's giant figure stood before a massive star map, which marked the Imperium's territories and main navigational routes, many areas appearing blurry due to communication and logistical delays.
He offered no pleasantries, turning directly to Ryo, his voice like grinding rock: "I have reviewed the test data.
"The 'Eternal Seeker of Knowledge' has proven its value.
"Now, tell me your judgment.
"Forge Magos Ryo, are the Crescent-class vessels equipped with warp engines ready for large-scale deployment across the Imperial Navy and the Astartes Chapters?"
Ryo's crimson optical lenses shone steadily, his synthesized voice responding calmly: "Lord Primarch, the technology has reached preliminary maturity, but a large-scale rollout is not the optimal solution."
He paused slightly, projecting a set of data beside the star map: "The Imperial treasury cannot support outfitting all capital ships with warp engines in the short term. The Adeptus Mechanicus's production capacity, even under the new framework, requires time to ramp up.
"More importantly, such a radical revolution is bound to trigger severe tremors in the Imperium's existing power and logistical structures, the counter-reactions of which might exceed our control."
Dorn's brows furrowed imperceptibly, but he did not interrupt, motioning for him to continue.
"I believe the promotion should be conducted in phases, with focused priorities." Ryo's core argument was clearly presented: "The Navy and the Space Marine Chapters, as the sharp blades and solid shields of the Imperium, can be prioritized for a portion of the quota to form rapid-response fleets or execute specific high-priority missions. This will immediately enhance the Imperium's military projection capabilities, and the scale is controllable.
"However, there is one department whose importance has been severely underestimated, yet urgently requires this technology more than any combat unit—the Imperium's Charter Fleets."
Ryo pulled up the data regarding the Charter Fleets.
These vessels were usually massive but slow, relying on conventional sub-light engines or inefficient old-style faster-than-light drives, transporting seemingly mundane but actually vital supplies along fixed routes in the material universe.
They carried the food produced from countless agri-worlds that sustained the survival of trillions of people. They transported the "tithe" materials requisitioned by the Imperium that were unsuitable for Warp transport for various reasons (such as extreme Warp-sensitivity, or the local sector's Warp being unstable).
"Precisely because of their slow speeds, the Imperium's material allocation and taxation cycles often span centuries, making the efficiency extremely low," Ryo pointed out. "The Charter Fleets are not the cutting edge of the Imperium; they are the 'blood vessels' that sustain the survival and operation of this massive body. If the blood flows slowly, the body will ossify and necrose."
He finally elaborated on his strategic considerations: "Prioritizing the outfitting of the Charter Fleets with Crescent-class or similar warp transport ships will greatly enhance the Imperium's logistical efficiency and shorten the turnaround time for critical supplies, strengthening the Imperium's endurance and stability from the foundation up.
"At the same time, this move focuses on enhancing internal operational efficiency rather than directly bolstering a specific military faction. It can maximize the avoidance of stimulating vested interest groups such as the Navy, the Space Marine Chapters, and the Navigator Houses, reducing the resistance to promotion.
"This is a path that better guarantees the Imperium's overall health, and is also more robust."
Ryo's proposal shifted the focus from pure military application to a deeper transformation of the Imperium's lifelines.
This was not merely a technological promotion suggestion, but a strategic plan based on a profound understanding of the Imperium's overall structure.
Rogal Dorn stared silently at the navigational routes on the star map representing the slow, almost stagnant logistics. There was no expression on his resolute face, but deep within his sharp gaze, he was clearly engaging in far-reaching weighing of options.
Ryo's plan undoubtedly touched upon a fundamental issue far more profound than simply replacing warship engines.