Promotion to Archmagos, in Osiris' blueprint, was merely a necessary pass to the next critical stage.
His true next step was to acquire a forge ship completely under his personal command.
This concept was not a whim but a strategically calculated choice.
His gaze never lingered on those legendary behemoths—the Forge Ark.
Such a colossal vessel, integrating a mobile forge, a sacred temple, and an ultimate fortress, symbolized the power of the Adeptus Mechanicus' top Archmagos. Its astonishing construction costs and subsequent bottomless pit of maintenance expenses would be an unbearable burden for a newly promoted Archmagos.
Even if he poured all his resources into a severely scaled-down, simplified version, it would only instantly make him the focus of various factions, which completely contradicted his fundamental principle of wanting to keep a low profile and focus on core research.
His goal was set on a more pragmatic and less conspicuous option: a cruiser-class forge ship.
These ships were typically modified from the Imperial Navy's widely used lunar class cruisers or some older but structurally robust hull types.
They possessed sufficiently spacious interiors to accommodate his required large integrated laboratory, small refining facilities, basic manufacturing workshops, and could carry a considerable number of Skitarii Corps soldiers and the necessary Tech-Priest team.
While their absolute firepower and armor protection could not compare to the fleet's main battleships, their excellent versatility, good self-sufficiency, and relatively affordable operating costs perfectly matched Osiris' current needs.
He planned to establish his core research hub on such a mobile platform, safely housing the crucial dimensional teleporter within it, while also transferring Sekhmet, the loyal Skitarii Corps detachment, and all the valuable technical data and various samples he had accumulated over the years onto the ship.
A cruiser-class forge ship, deeply customized and modified, with a specially reinforced power core, life support system, and core laboratory modules, and ample interfaces reserved for future weapon system upgrades, would become his ideal mobile base and inter-stellar research platform.
With such a forge ship, he would truly possess strategic mobility.
This meant he could carry most of his assets cultivated in the Warhammer Universe with him, freely traversing the vast star sea.
Whether continuing 'legal' archaeological explorations within Imperial territory to cover his tracks, or secretly traveling to other unknown worlds connected by the dimensional teleporter, these would transform from concepts into sustainably executable routine operations.
This crucial step would completely free him from reliance on fixed planetary bases, truly moving him onto a broader stage.
All these meticulous plans now hinged on the report currently traversing the Warp en route to the Forge World.
Sekhmet had confirmed the data packet was received and forwarded by the frigate.
However, Warp communication was never reliable; information had to navigate chaotic fluctuations, and upon arrival, it still required intricate decoding and layers of approval.
From the Archmagos Overseer's approval to the promotion ceremony, and then to the forge ship application process, each step required time.
Osiris estimated it would take at least several weeks, or even months, before he could receive a definitive response from Neksum.
Currently, the only thing he could do was ensure the successful recovery of Maine's crew after seventy-two hours, bringing this phase of the mission to a close.
—
On the afternoon of the second day Maine's crew was stranded on the Death World, Sekhmet herself arrived again.
She didn't come empty-handed but brought several small, seemingly training-purpose targets.
"The Priest's decree permits you to conduct minimum weapon system adaptability maintenance within a restricted area, but prohibits any form of combative drills or tests that cause significant environmental damage," her voice remained steady, devoid of any emotion. "This is for safety and confidentiality considerations."
This was already the greatest 'privilege' in the past two days.
Rebecca immediately excitedly hoisted her heavy bolter and fired several short bursts at the targets.
The deafening roar echoed through the camp, drawing glances from the Skitarii Corps in the distance, but they seemed to have received instructions and did not intervene.
Rebecca watched with satisfaction as the targets were severely deformed and shattered by the impact of the bolter rounds.
Pilar also tested his flamer; the short bursts of promethium flames scorched another target red-hot, with some areas even showing signs of melting.
Maine, Dorio, and Morris conducted more restrained functional tests, primarily familiarizing themselves with the subtle feedback of their enhanced bodies under local gravity and environmental conditions.
Sasha and Kiwi attempted to deploy small-scale electronic warfare at the lowest power, confirming its impact on the camp's equipment.
The results showed that the seemingly crude equipment seemed to have an invisible layer of protection around it; their interference effect was minimal.
Sekhmet quietly observed all of this, her optical lenses beneath her helmet recording every piece of data.
She would occasionally inquire about weapon performance parameters through a servo-skull, her tone more like a technical discussion than an interrogation.
Maine's crew answered cautiously, maintaining a fragile yet professional balance between the two parties.
Throughout the process, there was no direct information or instruction from Osiris; everything seemed to operate under the pre-set programs of Sekhmet and the servo-skull.
On the third day, the waiting became even more agonizing.
Speculation about the unknown mission, apprehension about returning, and uncertainty about Osiris' ultimate purpose permeated the cramped barracks.
They repeatedly studied the limited information provided by the servo-skull, discussing various possibilities, but lacking key information, all their conjectures were merely castles in the air.
They were completely cut off from everything familiar; their only connection to 'home' was the silent servo-skull, awaiting the activation of the recovery procedure.
Just as the third day neared its end, and everyone's emotions were most agitated, Sekhmet appeared again.
This time, her posture seemed to carry a hint of almost imperceptible solemnity.
"The seventy-two-hour standard survival observation period is about to end," she announced. "Prepare to execute the recovery procedure. According to the Priest's decree, you will return with the designated data."
She pulled out a storage unit emblazoned with the Adeptus Mechanicus cog-skull emblem and handed it to the servo-skull nearby.
Maine watched Sekhmet's actions, realizing that this might be one of the core 'gains' of their trip.
He nodded solemnly: "We understand."
Sekhmet said no more, leading them back to the cave and gesturing for them to step onto the rune-covered circular platform once more.
Maine's crew members exchanged glances, then, carrying the confusion and suppression accumulated over these three days, along with the servo-skull bearing the crucial information, they stepped onto it.