The Guardian Army squad, in a standard mopping-up formation, methodically swept through every corner of Ronker Town.
They searched residential areas, workshops, and storage warehouses one by one, annihilating the family guards who resisted on the spot, while those who surrendered were placed under centralized custody.
With the leader killed and the core area captured, the remaining defenders' will to resist had basically collapsed, and sporadic fighting quickly turned into a one-sided mopping-up operation.
At the same time, the acquisition of technology assets is also underway.
Following prior instructions from Osiris, the soldiers of the Imperial Guard and the apprentice priests carefully searched the Van Sauer family's technical archives, main workshops, and residences of important members.
All discovered data boards, blueprints, and technical samples—including those for laser weapons, protective suit components, and energy regulation devices manufactured based on STC fragment knowledge—were individually numbered and packaged.
These weapons are significantly superior to the standard Imperial equipment, showcasing the technological accumulation of the Van Sauer family over thousands of years.
The STC build log and history, inscribed on a special alloy data plate, are listed as top priority items and handled personally by the Tech Priest.
Just as the cleanup was nearing completion, Osiris issued instructions to a special team via an encrypted channel.
Based on the intelligence provided by Elias, the team quickly found him in a cubicle in the lower maintenance area.
In this cramped space filled with discarded filter cartridges, Elias was huddled in a corner, his protective suit stained with oil.
The continuous explosions and the sound of metal tearing tormented his nerves, and every tremor made him tremble with fear.
The symptoms of radiation sickness worsened under the intense stress; he felt a burning pain in his lungs and dizziness, and could only barely maintain consciousness.
Elias' heart nearly stopped beating when the cubicle door opened.
But instead of family guards, the people who appeared at the door were Imperial soldiers dressed in dark red armor.
Before he could react, he was quickly but carefully lifted up by two soldiers.
"Traitor! Disgrace to the Van Sauer family!" A hoarse roar came from the other end of the passage.
Elias turned his head and saw several family survivors being escorted by the Guardians glaring at him with hatred.
One of them struggled to rush forward, but was firmly held down by the soldier: "You betrayed us all! The curse of our ancestors will haunt you forever!"
Elias lowered his head, avoiding their gaze.
These words pierced his heart like a sharp blade.
During the escort, he heard more curses from the surviving tribesmen: "Cowards who betrayed their family to save their own lives!"
"You will burn in hell, Elias!"
These voices echoed in his mind, intertwined with the pain of radiation sickness.
He felt nauseous and almost vomited.
The Imperial Guard soldiers ignored this and simply carried out their duties.
They arrived at a temporary purification area.
The cleaned storage room was filled with the smell of disinfectant, and a mechanical medical priest in a white robe was already waiting there.
"Lie down," the medical priest said emotionlessly, pointing to the medical platform.
Elias obediently lay down, staring blankly at the ceiling.
When the medical device is activated, a cold sensor is applied to his skin.
A series of scanning and treatment procedures then unfolded: a full-body scan to assess the degree of gene damage, injection of radiation neutralizers and gene stabilizers, connection to a blood purification system to filter toxins, and finally application of a bio-gel to promote tissue regeneration, supplemented by energy field irradiation.
The entire treatment process was efficient and indifferent, and Elias fell into a semi-comatose state under the influence of the drugs.
When he regained consciousness, he felt a significant reduction in the heaviness and persistent pain in his body, and his breathing became easier.
Although further treatment is needed before full recovery, the deadly radiation sickness has been effectively controlled.
Osiris appeared in the medical area, his mechanical body looking down at Elias, who had just regained consciousness.
"Your mission is complete. The agreement is being fulfilled." His synthesized voice remained steady. "Your health is stable. Prepare for evacuation."
In the main square of Ronker, an area that was once the heart of the town, now lies a landscape of craters and debris.
The complete STC system was smoothly placed within a specially designed transport frame.
This enormous spherical device floats on an anti-gravity platform, its tattered outer shell covered with traces left by the starship's crash.
The heavy transport aircraft is slowly carrying it onto the waiting transport ship, and the entire system is maintaining its structural integrity.
This enormous spherical device was particularly eye-catching during transport, its volume almost filling the entire cargo hold of the transport ship.
The tech priests were busy around, performing final securing work to ensure that this precious technical relic would not be damaged during transport.
Dozens of boxes of sealed technical documents and weapon samples were also transported away.
These documents provide a detailed record of the Van Sauer family's research and application of the STC system over the past ten thousand years.
Osiris stood beside the gangway of the transport ship, taking one last look back at the devastated ruins.
In order to retrieve the complete STC system, the tech priests cut through the surrounding hull structure, leaving a huge gap in the outer wall of the spherical space.
Most of the lights that once flickered with STC energy have gone out, with only a few scattered flames still burning.
The technological monopoly and ruling foundation built by the Van Sauer family over thousands of years has been completely destroyed in just a few hours.
The air was thick with the smells of gunpowder, molten metal, and death.
He showed no emotion, simply archiving this scene of ending as data.
He then turned and smoothly stepped into the transport ship. The hatch closed slowly behind him, the hydraulic locks making a heavy clicking sound.
The transport ship's engines roared softly as it smoothly ascended, quickly leaving behind the ravaged town of Ronker, piercing through the murky atmosphere, and heading towards the cruiser "Eternal Quest" in the void.
Inside the submarine, Osiris stood quietly beside the data interface, exchanging high-speed data with the cruiser's chief cogitator.
Data on the overall structure and energy characteristics of the STC system, as well as a catalog of technical documents seized from the Van Sauer family, are continuously flowing into his vast database, adding invaluable content to the archives of the "Eternal Quest".
This operation, at the cost of a cruiser's orbital strike and an elite escort force and intelligent machine assault team, successfully captured a partially functional Dark Age STC system and acquired its derived technological legacy. The strategic objectives have been successfully achieved.
This complete set of scientific data will pave a crucial path for his subsequent research on Lady Astartes' legacy, gene seed optimization projects, and even broader scientific exploration.
The transport ship adjusted its attitude and slowly docked with the "Eternal Quest," a massive metal ship that hovered silently in orbit around the distant rust-red planet.