Warhammer 40: Starting as a Rogue Trader

Chapter 306 The Importance of Reputation and the Completion of the Synaptic Condensation Machine Development
The Spear of Adun, dragging its heavily damaged hull, immediately activated warp and returned to the center of the human warship, avoiding the disaster caused by the disintegration phenomenon.

Artanis and the Protoss were still shaken by what they had done.

The damage caused by the dissociation phenomenon was greater than that caused by the entire previous invasion.

It wasn't just the Eldar who were killed; alien slaves and captured humans in the city were also not spared.

Gao Yi cannot save everyone; rescuing all the people in the Comoros is simply unrealistic.
Gao Yi tried his best to calm himself down. He knew that no one would blame him for this, but Gao Yi still felt in his heart that those people died because of him.

Damon, who was standing to the side, seemed to have also seen through Gao Yi's thoughts.
"My lord, there's nothing we can do about it. Compared to our world, this is far more cruel. Necessary sacrifices are unavoidable; isn't this the only way we can survive?"

“I understand all of this, Damon. Notify all forces, including those of the vassal dynasties, to return to the warships as soon as possible. The disintegration phenomenon is still spreading, and we must evacuate immediately.”

Gao Yi had already returned to the Star Pioneer, but the evacuation of the ground troops was not yet complete.

The troops scattered across various locations were very dispersed, and they all encountered resistance from the Dark Eldar.

However, with the addition of the happy Greenskins and the intrusion of the Slaanesh demons, these Eldar ground forces could no longer afford to pay attention to the human invaders.

Having been pent up in the online world for who knows how long, the Greenskins were finally unleashing their fighting spirit.

If these scattered greenskins aren't a big problem, then the demons are a much bigger problem.

A large number of Dark Eldar members voluntarily joined the ranks of those clearing out the demons. Although the invaders led by Gao Yi had a deep-seated hatred for them, humans could not escape, and they could seek revenge later.

Some members of the Dark Elf race were even pleased with Gao Yi's actions, as they believed that only with the death of their leader could they continue to climb the ranks.

But demons are different; they could really destroy the entire Comoros. If these demons aren't dealt with quickly, their numbers will only increase.

The retreat was much smoother, and the vast majority of troops successfully returned to their warships laden with spoils of war.

The spoils were so numerous that they had to reluctantly discard some.

The powerful void shield was as fragile as paper in the face of this disaster. Even on the edge of the disaster, Gao Yi's fleet was affected, and a large number of alarms rang out on the bridge.

Because it was a catastrophe caused by psionic energy, the massive energy surge caused the void shields on the warships to flicker continuously.

"These Dark Eldar are really resilient. How did they manage to survive such disasters before? No wonder they're so afraid of others using psionic energy in Comoros. If this kind of natural disaster happened in Argasus, it would be enough to destroy all my efforts over the years."

Gao Yi looked at the scene before him and felt a little scared.

And Aidalard, who had left the bridge, returned here with Evelynn.

Both of them looked out through the porthole.

How many Elven race members would die from this?
Countless Eldar souls are surging into the Warp.

Adalard and Evelynn looked at Gao Yi, their eyes seemingly questioning him.

Aidarad's original intention in sending Gao Yi into Comoros was simply to deal with those conspiracies and their leaders. Now, the dissociation phenomenon is affecting not only these targets that were originally meant to be eliminated, but also many of the people they need to develop their faith in.

"Lord Gao Yi! You've gone too far! This disaster will kill many innocent Spirit Race members who shouldn't have died!"

Adalard couldn't help but question him, but quickly realized the inappropriateness of his behavior.

"Aidalard, put away your hypocritical pity! This is war. You provided us with locations and intelligence, you provided us with enough network access points. Do you think you are innocent?!"
If you think my behavior is inappropriate, then you should ask yourself whether your scheming is worthy of the spirit race that you claim should not die!

If you think all of this can be avoided, then you go and talk to the Dark Eldar fleet that's blocking our retreat and ask them to clear a path for us. See if they'll listen to you!
In your efforts to save yourself or the Eldar, how many other races have you caused to die? Do I need to list them all for you?! And Evelynn, you too, when you awakened the power of death, you shattered the Gate of Cain. Do you think the Eldar who died in that demonic invasion deserved to die?!

Gao Yi's words left Adalard and Evelynn speechless for a moment. Gao Yi then turned his guilt over the humans who died in the disaster into anger and directed it at Adalard.

The soldiers on the bridge all pointed their weapons at the two of them, and Thousand Faces, who had been guarding Evelynn, also drew his weapon.

However, Adalard immediately put the Thousand-Faced Old Woman's Sword back into its sheath.

“Thousand Faces, Aidal is clearly better at assessing situations than you. I’ve already taken care of Victor for you. No one will bother you in developing your followers anymore!”

"You really took care of Viktor?"

Adalard still couldn't believe that the person who had ruled the Dark Eldar for so long was dead...

"Of course, Adalard, I must remind you again that I hope you have genuinely chosen to submit to me, and not to use your schemes against me."
If those scoundrels approach you and try to get you to cooperate against me, I hope you'll tell me in time, or you'll end up like Viktor.

Gao Yi's words were quite offensive. Adalard gritted his teeth, but he had no choice but to bow his head when he was under someone else's roof.

"I will respect our cooperation, Evelyn, let's go!"

With the opening of the net tunnel entrance, all human warships once again entered the net tunnel, taking advantage of the opening torn open by the disaster within the Dark Eldar fleet.

Following the network path, the fleet appeared directly in Agathos.

The invasion lasted a very short time, but its intensity was ridiculously high.

The intense battle left everyone physically and mentally exhausted.

During this invasion of the Comoros, the entire fleet lost nearly forty warships of various classes.

A significant number of ground troops were also killed in action.

Although most of the losses were to frigates, such losses would be considered enormous in any star sector, enough to cripple the void defense capabilities of an entire sector.

Almost every warship that returned to Agathos was badly damaged.

Even the Spear of Adun suffered unprecedented damage.

The number of Dark Eldar warships is still too large.

If it weren't for the existence of SCVs, the number of warships lost would likely have been even greater.

However, compared to the results of the battle, these losses seem less severe.

In addition to the disintegration phenomenon, the Dark Eldar lost hundreds of warships, and the number of Dark Eldar killed was countless.

The dynasty's direct fleet suffered few losses, after all, it had the best armor and enough SCVs to withstand a lot of damage.

Most of the losses came from the vassal dynasties, and the majority of casualties on the ground forces also came from the troops of these vassal dynasties. When they went to the ground to plunder, they also encountered a lot of resistance from the Dark Eldar. With their equipment, personnel, and combat strength far inferior to the Montgomery Dynasty, they could be said to be risking their lives for the spoils of war.

However, the damaged warships were all minor issues, and those that were brought back could be repaired quickly.

However, the vassal dynasty, despite having lost a large number of warships and personnel, showed no sign of distress.

Because these sacrifices were worthwhile for them. Wars always result in death, and as long as the gains far outweighed their losses, it was worthwhile for them. They plundered a great deal of wealth from the Comoros.

Selling this wealth to the dynasty or within the empire would be enough to make up for their losses and bring them returns far exceeding their losses.

Some of the captured equipment, though unbreakable, can be used directly, such as holographic or deflected personal force field shields. This kind of personal protective equipment is not commonplace for any race.

They ransacked the headquarters of the conspiracy, the research facilities of the Dark Eldar, and their warehouses.

The Dark Eldar raided the planets of various races, and the weapons and other supplies seized by their caravans were piled up in their warehouses.

It even includes some production technologies and knowledge related to equipment and technology.

There are human and alien creatures, weapons and equipment, as well as some special artifacts and technologies.

Both the Dark Eldar and the Ark Eldar maintain extreme arrogance. Perhaps, with the exception of the Space Necromancers, they regard most of the existing technologies of other races as primitive and backward.

In addition, racial differences make them even less likely to use these technologies.

However, bringing these things back also has its value. For example, many governors within the empire have cooperated with these Eldar pirates.

These resources and technologies can be sold to them in exchange for slaves! The Dark Eldar don't rely solely on plunder.

Now, all of this has benefited the affiliated dynasties under Gao Yi's command.

For them, as long as they have enough equipment and resources, they can easily raise another ground force. Humanity is often the least valuable thing, and with the dynasty's current warship production capacity, it can quickly make up for the losses on its fleet.

Besides the practical benefits, the rewards brought by fame cannot be ignored.

Gao Yi had no intention of concealing his victory. The moment he returned to Argasus, he sent a message to Terra and informed Guilliman, hoping that Guilliman would help him spread the word throughout the Empire.

Many in the empire still expressed distrust and skepticism regarding Gao Yi's appointment as High Lord.

They believe that Gao Yi is merely a puppet supported by Guilliman.

Gao Yi's foundation in the empire was too shallow, and the history of the Montgomery dynasty was not long enough.

Although the Monget Dynasty was already quite famous in the expanded region and parts of the Hazy Starfield, most people in the entire empire had never heard of Gao Yi.

This victory is enough to secure Gao Yi's position. No previous Lord Gao has accomplished such a feat, and it has never happened before in the history of the empire.

Gao Yi's actions will also have an impact on the entire empire.

Almost no sector of the Empire has escaped the plundering of the Dark Eldar.

It is foreseeable that in the short term, the Dark Eldar will not have time to plunder, fight for power, cleanse the aftermath of the separation, or purge the demons and greenskins. This will consume most of the Dark Eldar's energy.

As Gao Yi gained fame, the vassal dynasties that also participated in the battle also gained corresponding fame.

The traveling merchants don't just operate in the expansion area; most of the traveling merchants in the expansion area also return to the Empire periodically.

This honor will bring them great benefits in cooperating or trading with other imperial powers.

When you speak with your collaborators within the Empire and they distrust you, if you mention that you successfully invaded and plundered the Comoros, they will surely think more highly of you. This will be seen as proof of your ability and strength.

What? You don't believe me?! This is a certificate issued by Lord Gao Yi himself. There are still quite a few good things in the trunk of my hovercar that I got from the boudoir of a female governor.

Countless spoils of war began to be tallied and sorted by the dynasty's internal affairs department, and Rebecca would be busy for some time to come.

Determining the value of these spoils and providing reasonable compensation to the vassal dynasty was no easy task.

However, as mentioned before, compared to supplies, the technology and knowledge seized from the Dark Eldar are of the highest value.

The technology and knowledge that originally belonged to humankind could fill the technological gaps in a dynasty's technology tree.

Besides these, some ordinary technological creations from other lower races, especially cultural relics, brought Gao Yi unexpected gains.

Studying and analyzing these things is like using a research vessel to study anomalies in the game Stellaris.

Here, there is no limit to the number of research officers in Gao Yi; a large number of priests are research officers.

It can analyze countless creations simultaneously.

Some of the creations of other low-level alien civilizations are easy to crack. Although they are useless to the dynasty, they can give Gao Yi extra research points.

As Gao Yi watched his research points steadily increase, he also watched as the progress of the synapse condensation machine continued to rise! It was even almost complete!

These alien creations, piled up in the Dark Eldar's warehouse, were completely transformed into treasures in Gao Yi's hands.
Once the final progress bar of the synaptic condenser was completed, the research, which was originally expected to take at least another year to finish, was completed ahead of schedule.

The surprise came very suddenly.
With the successful acquisition of the manufacturing process of the synaptic condenser, Gao Yi also discovered that he could import the manufacturing technology of the synaptic condenser into the SCV's servo system, relying on the SCV's construction speed to quickly achieve the goal of building this giant structure.

Gao Yi immediately summoned Pavian.

Even the high-ranking Argas was a little uneasy about building such a thing. In fact, it was too conspicuous. The best way was to build it near the Protoss and Zerg's Char.

He immediately ordered Pavia to organize a construction force carrying enough building materials and nearly 10,000 SCVs to the star system where the Zerg and Protoss were located.

While waiting for the synapse condensation machine to be completed, he immediately sent Blood Raven with the STC fragments of the panacea to the dynasty's secret workshop.

It can be said that the biggest gain from this trip, apart from the completion of the research progress of the synaptic condensation machine, is that all the spoils of war combined are not as important as this. Gao Yi asked Pavian to bring Kaul along to study how this thing should be used.

Upon hearing the news, Kaul stopped everything he was doing and rushed over.

He was incredibly curious about the legendary STC.

(End of this chapter)