Chapter 479: Preparation
The cruiser "Eternal Seeker" hovered silently in the geosynchronous orbit of Necromunda, like a sharp blade hidden in the shadows.
Inside the bridge, only the low hum of the cogitator arrays and the rhythmic blinking of indicator lights broke the solemn silence.
Ignis stood before the main console, her mechanical augmetic eye fixed on the flowing data streams.
Suddenly, a multi-encrypted priority data stream was received and swiftly decoded.
Ryo's commands and detailed operational plan appeared before her. It contained the precise coordinates of Junktown's defensive nodes, the operational timetable, and the deployment requirements for each unit.
"Directives received from Magos Explorator Ryo," Ignis's synthesized voice echoed across the bridge, steady and efficient. "All combat units, enter Condition One combat readiness."
The orders were rapidly issued.
The cogitators began executing precise orbital adjustment calculations. The warship's thrusters emitted low pulses, and the massive hull began to move slowly and precisely, entering the optimal attack position.
Waves of humming from energy convergence emanated from the weapon decks.
The lance batteries at the prow began charging, the capacitor banks flashing with a dangerous light. Inside the macro-cannon chambers, the auto-loading mechanisms were pushing massive shells into the firing positions.
The Master of Ordnance continuously verified the status of all systems via data-slates, ensuring a devastating strike could be launched the instant the command was given.
Meanwhile, inside the assault boats carrying the Skitarii soldiers and Legio Cybernetica automata, the red lights transitioned to a standby yellow.
The Skitarii inspected their weapons. Galvanic rifles and transuranic arquebuses had all completed their checks, and ammunition had been distributed into the hands of every soldier.
The optical sensors of the Legio Cybernetica automata flashed with red light. Their combat protocols had been activated, and they were quietly secured to the launch racks, awaiting the drop command.
On the tactical hololithic table, the model of Junktown was magnified. Several outer defensive nodes were highlighted, and multiple red dashed lines extended from orbit to the surface, representing potential drop routes and fire coverage zones.
Additional markers were set in specific areas of the wasteland; those were interception points prepared for any potential escapees.
"Targets locked," reported the Tech-Priest of Weaponry Control. "All predetermined strike coordinates have been entered."
"Skitarii assault squads are ready," the voice of the Skitarii Alpha transmitted through the vox.
"Cybernetica units standing by," confirmed the Tech-Priest overseeing the automata.
Ignis connected her servo-skull to the main console, linking it with her own mind to monitor the status of every system, ensuring every step was flawlessly precise.
Time slipped away in the silence. The warship was like a cheetah ready to pounce, all its power focused into the imminent eruption.
Her crimson optical lenses stared fixedly at the marked town on the tactical hololithic table, waiting for the final signal from the surface.
Shrouded in the night, Junktown maintained its usual order on the surface.
Guards patrolling the streets walked their established routes. A few late-returning residents hurried back to their dwellings. Only the continuous hum of the ventilation systems and distant machinery served as the unbroken background noise.
However, beneath this seemingly calm facade, an undercurrent was surging.
In a concealed depression surrounded by wind-eroded rock pillars a few kilometers outside the town, Ryo's transport shuttle was parked quietly, its hull covered with camo-netting that blended seamlessly with the environment.
The hatch slid open silently. A squad of Thallax automata marched out with precise steps, their exterior plating perfectly mimicking the texture and color of the surrounding rocks.
Following pre-set commands, these light automata rapidly dispersed to their designated attack positions, utilizing the terrain's advantages to conceal themselves.
Their optical sensors simultaneously locked onto the distant silhouette of Junktown. Their motive systems were maintained in a lowest-power standby state, like hunters lying dormant in the shadows.
At the same time, in another, more heavily concealed canyon, the heavy firepower units composed of Thanatar and Castellax automata had also deployed into position.
Although these heavy automata were not in the first wave of the assault sequence, they constituted a crucial tactical reserve.
Once the operation commenced, this hidden force would become the key bargaining chip to alter the tide of battle.
Inside the town, Ryo, situated in his temporary residence, completed his final equipment checks.
Ryo stood silently in the shadows of his temporary dwelling. The high-density plasma reactor within his body operated steadily, emitting a low hum.
He could feel the energy flowing smoothly through the vein-like network beneath his armor. Every concealed weapon interface was in a standby state, requiring only a single thought to instantly activate.
Through an encrypted neural link, he conducted final communication verifications with the transport shuttle and the automata forces lying in ambush across various locations.
Data streams rapidly exchanged within his consciousness, confirming that every unit was precisely in position and that system response times fully met combat requirements.
His sensor arrays continuously scanned the surrounding environment, keenly capturing every subtle change in energy fluctuations and communication signals, vigilant against any anomaly that might shatter the operation's concealment.
Simultaneously, in Elias's cramped room piled high with technical data, the young man was deeply immersed in nervous preparation.
He repeatedly checked the simple, hand-drawn route map. His fingers trembled unconsciously as he traced every critical node in the empty air.
His lips parted and closed silently, reciting the operational steps and time markers over and over again, while fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead.
Fear wrapped around his heart like icy vines; every beat brought a suffocating sense of pressure.
He could clearly hear his own rapid breathing. His palms were cold and clammy, almost unable to grip that crucially important map.
However, when the image of the cure Ryo promised surfaced in his mind—the thought of escaping this radiation-eroded body and gaining a brand new life within the Adeptus Mechanicus—an almost desperate resolve rose from the bottom of his heart.
These two vastly different emotions clashed fiercely within him, causing his body to alternately stiffen and tremble slightly.
He involuntarily touched the miniature jammer hidden inside the lining of his hazmat suit; its cold touch instead brought a bizarre trace of comfort.
This tiny device was not only critical to the success or failure of the mission, but it also bore the entirety of his hopes.
He repeatedly checked the miniature jammer hidden in his suit's lining, ensuring it was within easy reach.
The core members of House Van Saar were completely oblivious to this.
The Patriarch might be reviewing technical reports in his office. The guard commanders were likely conducting their routine shift handovers. The maintenance workers were still maintaining equipment and conduits according to their schedules.
The daily rhythm of the town had not been broken. No one realized that the countdown to destruction had quietly ticked away to its final moments.
A calm before the storm permeated the air. Only the most acute senses could capture the hair-trigger tension hidden beneath the tranquil surface.
(End of Chapter)