Reyna lay on the viewport in a near-stupor, her eyes fixed on the crimson planet outside, filled with longing.
To be precise, it was the magnificent ring of stars encircling this scarlet star.
That was the vast forging factory named Steel Ring, forged around the entire equator of Mars, as massive as Saturn's rings. Twelve sharp sky-ladders hung down from it, like needles piercing the crimson soil of Mars.
The furnaces on it burned day and night, and the electricity and fire spewing from the factories illuminated this void structure, making it emit specks of light. In addition, countless starships were docked on it.
This is one of the most magnificent forging and shipbuilding yards in the entire galaxy, and also one of the largest known single artificial structures in the entire galaxy.
The reason Reyna was so excited, showing a doting expression towards that magnificent shipyard, was because...
"Alexander, we have a ship! Praise Saint Doraemon!" Reyna prayed excitedly and devoutly.
Alexander couldn't help but laugh.
Reyna had always been a void ship enthusiast. Back on Ashford, she was obsessed with building a void ship to take everyone to escape, and she had even shown Alexander her Red Tears model from her childhood.
And now, in the Mars Steel Ring, a void ship that would carry the Cadia 184th Regiment was docked—a retribution-class battleship converted into a battle barge.
In the Imperium's official records, this retribution-class battleship did not belong to the Cadia 184th Regiment that Reyna was in, as the Astra Militarum is not allowed to possess void power.
It was actually registered under the name of the officially established Doraemon Battle Group, existing as part of this fleet-based Battle Group composed of five hundred Blood Angels and five hundred Ultramarines.
This Battle Group was essentially drawn from the parent and successor chapters of the Ultramarines and Blood Angels, serving as Alexander's guards. Most of the time, they were stationed in Alexander's four-dimensional pocket.
The main purpose of this retribution-class battleship was also to provide the necessary living environment for the Cadia 184th Regiment and the Doraemon Battle Group within the void of Alexander's four-dimensional pocket.
Most of the time, it wouldn't need to traverse the stars—but this was already enough to excite Reyna.
"That retribution-class battleship is truly too inferior to be your flagship." But the Mars Fabricator-General Oudia expressed his strong dissatisfaction with this.
The reconstruction of this retribution-class battleship began before Oudia went to Terra. At that time, he still harbored ill will towards Alexander. If not for Guilliman's firm command, Mars would have gladly fobbed Alexander off with a Luna-class cruiser.
Of course, the retribution-class battleship itself is not bad. In fact, even the Space Wolves' current flagship, the Pride of Fenris, is a retribution-class battleship.
But in Oudia's current view, to have a retribution-class battleship carry the great Prime Mover was an insult to original power.
"You can't build me a Gloriana-class Battleship right now, can you?" Alexander looked at the buzzing Oudia beside him, shook his head, and said half-jokingly.
Excluding the almost impossible-to-build Gloriana-class Battleship, the Retribution-class was already one of the Imperium's top void ships. Even the Emperor-class was only evenly matched with the Retribution-class in many aspects.
Even if Oudia really intended to exhaust Mars' productivity to force out one for Alexander, it would still require a long forging time.
"How about I give you my Mechanicus Ark..." Oudia tentatively offered.
"There's no need for that." Alexander refused with a wry smile.
Who knows what strange things were in Oudia's Mechanicus Ark? A retribution-class battleship was much more reassuring.
Moreover, Alexander didn't intend to put too much thought into the ship, after all, in the end, he wasn't riding the ship, but the ship was riding him in the four-dimensional pocket.
Warp travel was too slow; it wasn't as fast as Alexander directly using the anywhere door.
"Alexander, Alexander, what do you think we should name our ship?" Reyna, who was lying by the window, turned her head and asked, "How about the doraemon Fantasydream?"
"That's not very auspicious." Alexander twitched his mouth and said.
This was clearly imitating the Emperor's former flagship, the Emperor Fantasydream.
Emperor Nobita, who stood silently beside Alexander, his eyes twitched slightly.
But he did not comment on Alexander's words, instead subtly turning his head to look at Mars outside the viewport.
Alexander noticed this, and his gaze also projected towards Mars.
As the void ship approached, more details of the crimson planet's surface gradually unfolded before Alexander's eyes.
Numerous factories, hive cities, mines, and other mechanical facilities covered the surface of the Solar System's fourth planet, like a spider web blooming on the crimson soil.
Alexander looked at this planet, vaguely feeling the billions of machines on it operating vigorously, like a crimson, constantly beating mechanical heart.
This made Alexander momentarily dazed, and then—
"%#!@"
A buzzing sound flashed past Alexander's ears, like the noisy background sound of machinery operating.
It was fleeting, almost like Alexander's imagination.
"Dragon." Emperor Nobita spoke softly beside Alexander, his voice heard only by Alexander.
Was that the voice of the Dragon of Mars just now?
Alexander was stunned for a moment, then reached into his four-dimensional pocket, pulled out a Translation Moyu, and put it in his mouth.
The Moyu slid down Alexander's throat, and then Alexander heard that noisy sound again.
But this time, the sound was no longer garbled, but transformed into words Alexander could understand.
"Backward... Star... F*ck... Ride... Mix..." The voice was fragmented and fleeting.
Alexander frowned slightly. These fragmented words could not form a complete sentence.
But why did it sound like insults?
Alexander was not sure, but he could sense that if he got closer to Mars, he should be able to hear more clearly.
He turned to look at Emperor Nobita, but noticed that the Emperor's will had slowly receded and was no longer in this body.
According to the Emperor, he could only project some will when he was in good condition and had spare energy, and the timing of his arrival was completely random.
The ship docked at the starport of the Steel Ring.
At Guilliman's request, a large number of fleets were assembling near the Steel Ring, so many that the starport became crowded, but with Oudia's authority as the Mars Fabricator-General, Alexander and their ship quickly completed docking.
Reyna stayed on the Steel Ring with the warriors of the Cadia 184th Regiment. Her mission this time was to receive the retribution-class battleship docked on the Steel Ring.
Alexander and Oudia, on the other hand, took one of the twelve sky-ladders connecting the Steel Ring to the surface, heading to the surface of Mars.
In the constantly descending sky-ladder, filled with the smell of promethium, the noisy sound in Alexander's ear gradually became clearer.
"I will... be complete."
"..No longer broken."
"Aggregate... soul."
Complete? You're not allowed to be complete, damn it! Alexander cursed inwardly.
These fragmented words made him frown tightly.
The three words 'broken,' 'complete,' and 'aggregate' always made one think of the current state of most C'tan.
Except for the Outsider, all the C'tan were shattered by the Necron in the War in Heaven, their minds, bodies, and powers all fragmented, existing as C'tan shards.
Previously, Alexander had speculated that the Dragon of Mars, sealed underground on Mars by the Emperor, was actually M'gann'ran, whom the Eldar called the Void Dragon.
He is the master of the material realm, the C'tan most skilled in machinery and technology, and the forge-master of Blackstone. His very existence can separate reality from the Warp.
He is also one of the three most powerful C'tan, his strength surpassing the Nightbringer without his scythe and the Outsider who was not instigated by Cegorach to devour countless C'tan.
Of course, he is also shattered, and that Dragon of Mars is most likely one of his fragments.
This conjecture was also confirmed by Emperor Nobita. The Emperor also believed it was the Void Dragon.
It's just that when he sealed the Dragon of Mars, he was not yet aware of the existence of the C'tan, and his judgment was based on information he learned later.
One important reason Alexander came to this crimson planet was that Emperor Nobita hoped Alexander could confirm the status of the Dragon of Mars.
But what does it mean that he will be complete? Can he just grow back to completeness on his own?
Damn it, what if Mars suddenly explodes one day, and a complete C'tan emerges?
Even Sanguinius and Guilliman combined probably couldn't defeat a complete Void Dragon...
Moreover, the Void Dragon is the master of Blackstone, and the Blackstone that can isolate Warp energy has already merged with him. His presence alone is a solid wall separating reality and the Warp.
If the Void Dragon caused trouble on Terra, and accidentally overturned the Golden Throne, the Four Chaos Gods wouldn't even have time to intervene...
As Alexander was thinking, the sky-ladder issued a violent tremor.
"My Lord, Mars has arrived." Fabricator-General Oudia said to Alexander respectfully and devoutly.
Alexander could even feel Oudia's excitement and agitation. The visit of one of the Omnissiah's three wills to Mars, the meaning of this was self-evident.
For the Adeptus Mechanicus, it was no less significant than the Emperor's first step on Mars, and perhaps even more so.
Because there was still debate about whether the Emperor was the Omnissiah, but in Oudia's view, there was absolutely no debate that Alexander was original power.
Alexander couldn't help but sigh, looked at Oudia, and admonished, "I hope you haven't publicized my visit to Mars. This is not an official visit."
Alexander didn't want to be surrounded by a group of red-skinned mechanical giant crawlers shouting '111001101000000110101001' and '111001101000001110000101'.
So, for Alexander's visit to Mars, he requested Oudia to only inform Archmagos Belisarius Cawl.
Oudia quickly stated that he hadn't said a word.
Alexander nodded in satisfaction, and then the sky-ladder's door slowly opened with a buzzing sound.
Alexander looked up and saw a massive metallic Doraemon giant statue blocking the sky-ladder's entrance, extending its round hand high.