This is our Warhammer journey

Chapter 362 Changes in the Warning Star
When the sun rises on May 27th, its light, no longer obstructed by planets and atmosphere, gently touches the rotating starport between the vigilant satellite and the planet's surface. In its shadow, the flickering lights of passing ships can be seen.

A large amount of asteroid debris flew in, rushing towards the starport under the Void Shield, and then disappeared into the sky above the Inner Court Shield System.

Along the nearly 600-kilometer arc from the navigation mark area to the dock area, the workers were dazzled by the golden light that suddenly appeared on the deck and control panel.

But this brief discomfort lasted only a few seconds. As the safety notification flashed, the Thinker array unlocked the mechanical systems again, and the workers continued their work in the starport.

The sunlight of a new day glides across the inner courtyard of Star Harbor and the surrounding bowl-shaped area.

Each part of it is large enough to be the most magnificent city on a planet, and the Dawn Star District government's designation of Vigilance Star as a logistics hub has brought unprecedented prosperity to the planet.

This is a counterintuitive reality.

It's important to understand that just a few years ago, this planet was merely a small fragment of the defensive perimeter against the 'Iron Blood Invasion'.

But even on the eve of the war, which was defined as the 'Rebellion of the Mechanicus' and was the most widespread event, Vigilant Star's prosperity never ceased.

"incredible."

Merchants from the Calissis sector observed the starport.

He came from the other side of the Eye of Fear, in the northeast corner of the Hazy Starfield, wearing an expensive and well-tailored uniform embroidered with the Imperial double-headed eagle and family crest made of rare materials. Behind him was a family guard wearing force feedback armor and covered with medals of honor.

Beside him, a mechanical sage from the three stars of Ras observed the mechanical creations that made up the starport.

She could see many familiar things, the technologies she had glimpsed in the repositories of the forging sages when she wandered through various forging worlds.

"These technologies are actually being used here—"

The Sage Ras watched the busy mechanics.

Those technicians did not have the sacred mark representing gears on their bodies; the heavy physical labor that should have been done by mechanical servants was replaced by powered exoskeletons.

Led by a group of sages, they manipulated those sacred machines, efficiently handling the resources flowing through the entire port.

“Use it on these mortals.”

In Las Vegas, such sophisticated and efficient structures are usually only found in the furnace factories of sages.

"Be careful with your words, wise man."

Beside her, the attendant leading them couldn't help but whisper a reminder.

Everyone knows that the Dawn Star District government values ​​ordinary people. Although the current governor of Vigilant Star wouldn't arrest someone just because of a single sentence, if it falls into the eyes of someone with ulterior motives, it will always leave a bad impression on subsequent negotiations.

Moreover, in the post-war reckoning, the Mechanicus forces, which did not participate in the 'Kadia Self-Defense Counterattack War', are in an awkward position.

Las Samsung is one of them.

As the pillar maintaining the prosperity of the Calissis Sector, the Mechanicus, representing the end of the Emperor's Torch, was still preoccupied with gains and losses when the Imperial Navy fleet of the Calissis Sector had already sunk two battleships at the Eye of Terror defense line.

The main issue is that Dawnwing's attitude towards the Mechanicus is truly radical, which makes even the relatively moderate Rath's Three Stars hesitate.

Moreover, based on past experience, they felt that this battle would last at least until 800.41, so they were not in a hurry to leave the battlefield.

By the time these wise men, who had considered all the pros and cons, reached a conclusion, the defensive counterattack was already nearing its end.

In less than a decade, two rebel legions were severely damaged, and a corrupted Primarch was killed.

Moreover, after this battle, Dawnwing still had 100,000 Astartes, and the Dawn Fleet was fully organized.

Thanks to the full-scale firepower of Agrippina and several neighboring forging worlds and their forging starports, including the warships sunk in the war and a few fleets wiped out due to force majeure, many of the supporting sector fleets have actually increased their battleship numbers.

Oh, no need to discuss it now.

Now, the Calissis Sector Fleet is leading four brand-new Imperial-class battleships in the Kronos Expansion District to assist the Merchant Ronin in their campaign to eliminate anti-human forces, leaving the Sage of Ras Stars to hastily come to apologize.

Lord Romulus the Ruler remembered everyone who helped him, and was also deeply impressed by any force that was absent.

The post-war reckoning was inevitable, and many members of the Mechanicus and sector nobles suffered as a result.

Some planets were stripped of their titles and their rulers revoked, while others were left without a trace, their names only found in the announcements of the Dawn Wings.

"I see."

The sage Ras nodded quickly, then silently followed behind the traveling merchant, carefully observing the heavy machinery.

Meanwhile, the wandering merchant focused more intently on observing his surroundings, realizing that his attire and ostentatious display, meant to highlight his status, were utterly useless.

In the past, the Calissis Sector and Kronos were notorious for their chaotic and unruly nature. As traveling merchants, they had to assert their authority to avoid unnecessary trouble when operating in such environments.

However, on Vigilant Planet, he saw no dirty mutants, no gangs representing local bullies, no pirate organizations disguised as black market merchants, and even brokers who sold information were rare.

This rendered his experience gained in that chaotic region useless.

Some only received a notification after their identities were verified, then went to the Merchant Ronin Alliance to register, and finally participated in an exchange meeting organized by the Vigilant Star Government under the arrangement of the Star Harbor Administrator.

When the merchant ronin attempted to recruit slaves and laborers for their ships, which had suffered considerable damage during their long voyage, they were informed by the legal organization that Vigilant Star would only export skilled workers and required the merchant ronin to sign relevant agreements.

When the merchant ronin's fleet enters the warning planet for the second time, they will conduct interviews with the mechanics to understand their living conditions and income on board, in order to determine whether the ship's owner is qualified to continue enjoying the starport's services.

Although it was uncertain whether the human rights of these skilled workers could be guaranteed once they entered the void, the traveling merchant was surprised that the government of the Vigilant Star would regulate such 'minor matters'.

At the same time, he was also puzzled: given the current state of the Imperial ships, was it really necessary to have these technicians?

"After the self-defense counterattack ended, in accordance with Lord Romulus's orders, several casting worlds, including Agrippina, opened up their technology to support the comprehensive upgrade and transformation of the Imperial ships."

The attendant answered the traveling merchant's questions and handed him a list at the right time.

"The main focus is on the installation of a large number of automated facilities, which greatly reduces labor requirements and the number of shipboard personnel. At the same time, the demand for technical workers to maintain and operate the equipment is gradually increasing, currently mainly for various charter fleets."

The wandering merchant examined the list, showing particular curiosity about the engine capable of short jumps, then frowned upon seeing the number of modifications required. It was ridiculously high.

This even included a large number of Imperial Navy personnel.

The Imperial Navy's conservative mindset made them cautious about the application of new ships and technologies. Let alone such automation upgrades, they would grumble for a long time even if it meant changing to new weapons.

The wandering merchant didn't believe that a servant would lie to him about the data, since he could quickly verify the truth of such a lie once he met with acquaintances in the wandering merchant alliance.

This made the traveling merchants take this series of modification technologies seriously.

Cost reduction is secondary, and human rights are not something that traveling merchants and wanderers who are constantly facing extreme situations need to consider.

The main problem was that under imperial-style management, the living conditions of ship laborers were not just dire, but hell on earth.

In such a living environment, it is common to entrust one's faith to certain heretical beings, not to mention the wandering merchants who often roam the warp.

Suppressing rebellions, eradicating heretical organizations, and occasionally banishing a few demons are all common and deadly tasks for traveling merchants.

If a reduction in the workforce does not decrease the operational efficiency of the ships, then naturally the fewer the better.

How reliable is it?

"How do you assess the reliability of the Imperial Navy's ships compared to those of the Mechanicus?"

Instead of rushing to prove how excellent these techniques were, the attendant asked a question in return.

"."

Well, that's undeniable.

The wandering merchant fell silent for a moment, then handed the documents to his mechanical cult partner for review. At the same time, he began planning to introduce what he called the 'ZFR Horizon Gravity Acceleration Engine' to his family's charter fleet.

An engine that, under certain conditions, can traverse vast distances between galaxies in just a few years, and allows ships to briefly 'dive' into subspace for short-distance jumps.

These engines are too large and would be cumbersome to install on warships, but they are just right for use by the Charter Fleet.

If short-distance jumps are indeed as the table suggests, then the pirates in the Calissis sector no longer need to bite the bullet and venture into the enemy's hiding areas; they can simply jump over.

[Technical verification passed, and simulation tests were accurate, probabilistically ruling out the possibility of forgery.]

The Sage Ras quickly sent back a message, his unmodified fingers resting on the merchant's shoulder as he typed out a series of binary codes, his breathing somewhat heavy.

She was somewhat confused as to why the world had changed so quickly after she had only been in the warp for a short time.

Why are these sacred technologies, which should have been stored and worshipped in the temple of knowledge, starting to become widespread?
Aren't the sages who make a living from this afraid that these technologies will be corrupted?
Does the Star Harbor support the relevant renovations?

The traveling merchant, somewhat puzzled by his companion's bewildered expression, simply asked him.

"of course."

The attendant smiled.

"The Vigilant Star supports the modernization of all Imperial-class ships and promises to complete it within six months. In addition, there are a series of preferential policies for participating in modernization within the next twenty years."

"Half a year?"

"Yes."

That's very short.

The traveling merchant nodded. He still had several cruisers under maintenance at Las Vegas Starship and wouldn't be able to get them out of service for several years.

"I need to modify one frigate first, and then I need time to verify the reliability of its technology."

It's just a frigate; if it's lost, it's lost. I won't be too heartbroken if something really happens to it.

"."

The attendant gestured for him to wait a moment.

wow~
A group of Interior Ministry officials hurried past carrying documents.

The traveling merchant glanced at the busy civil servants in the harbor outside the window, and suddenly recalled the scene of waiting in line for months at the Ministry of the Interior back home to register his family members for Charter Fleet qualifications. He quickly asked:
"Do I need to sign any relevant documents?"

He wouldn't do it if he had to argue with the Ministry of the Interior for several more months.

"It won't take up too much of your time. Once you personally agree, sign the agreement, and pay the funds, you only need to verify your identity. The registration process and the rest can be handled by us. You can inquire about it at any time. This is the agreement and related procedures."

The attendant quickly replied and then promptly produced an agreement.

Merchant ronin are always wealthy and open to new things, much more so than the Charter Fleet and the Imperial Navy. For these laborers, they are the most valuable customers.

Next, the Ministry of Internal Affairs officer stepped forward to review the agreement, then sought the advice of the traveling merchants and ronin, and finally completed the signing of the agreement with the arriving civil servants. The Ministry of Internal Affairs officer then dispatched his secretary to follow up on the reform work.

The efficiency is ridiculously high.

It was a very unique experience.

Watching his secretariat and civil servants depart, the wandering merchant toyed with the card in his hand before stepping onto the elevator.

"We've arrived, sir."

As the attendant reminded them, the elevator doors slid open, and a commotion immediately ensued.

"Wow."

The merchant's steward couldn't help but let out a flippant sigh.

(End of this chapter)