Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 288 The Judge's Attention (First Update)
A brief silence fell over the pre-processing area, broken only by the faint crackling of energy dissipation and the heavy breathing of the group.

The shock of Valerie's earth-shattering strike lingered for a long time.

For the first time, the Astartes warrior of the Imperial Fist turned his helmeted head, his red visor focusing on the dark red Iron Guard that was slowly sheathing its sword and standing still.

His deep, resonant voice, as if carrying the texture of resonating rock, came from the helmet's loudspeaker: "A clean and decisive strike. Even in the Seventh Legion, only the most senior Templar Knights of the First Company can achieve such precision and speed in swordsmanship."

His words were concise, yet contained the highest recognition of pure skill.

The fact that a war machine could unleash such a beautiful and efficient "martial arts" style of killing clearly exceeded his conventional understanding of the creations of the Mechanicus.

At this moment, Judge Kelas, supported by the Storm Loyalists, struggled to his feet.

He stroked the scorch marks on his power armor caused by psionic lightning, his gaze equally intense as he stared at the Iron Guard, his tone filled with undisguised curiosity and inquiry: "Impressive power and speed... This intelligent mech under the Sage's command far surpasses any model I have ever seen before."

I don't know which sequence it belongs to. Judging by its shape, it's star-shaped; is it a new variant? Or some kind of custom-made ancient relic?

In his understanding, the only automated units capable of independently executing such complex tactical maneuvers and unleashing melee capabilities approaching those of the Astartes could be the precious and powerful intelligent mechs of the Mechanicus.

Upon hearing this, Mann explained to the judge, "Your Honor, you misunderstand. This is not an intelligent mech." He gestured to the two Iron Guards beside him, "These are the 'Iron Guard' prototypes that Sage Chen Yu is testing. They are powered armor systems specifically designed for mortal pilots."

Almost at the same time that Mann finished speaking, a hissing sound of hydraulic pressure being released came from the chest of the Iron Guard that Valerie was driving.

The heavy armored hatch slid open, revealing the cockpit inside.

Valerie was emerging from a deep neural connection. Slightly tired, she raised her hand to remove the data cable connected to her spinal interface, and fine beads of sweat could be seen on her forehead from the intense neural load.

She took a few deep breaths of the relatively "fresh" air, trying to calm the slight dizziness caused by the overloaded operation of the S.A.S.S.

This scene caused Judge Kairas and the Imperial Fist warrior to freeze in their tracks!

There's someone in the cockpit! A living, breathing human being, untouched by extensive mechanical modifications!

The curiosity in the judge's eyes instantly transformed into a deeper, more intense focus.

He almost immediately forgot his pain, took a few steps forward, and his gaze moved quickly between Valerie, the open cockpit, and the Iron Guard's massive body.

"A power armor piloted by a mortal? It can achieve such a performance level?" His voice carried a hint of disbelief, but even more so, the excitement of discovering a huge treasure. "Please explain in detail! How does its control system work? How was that explosive speed achieved? What is the output limit of the energy core?"

He fired off a barrage of questions, his tone urgent. As an inquisitor, he knew all too well the immense strategic significance of such equipment, capable of drastically enhancing the combat effectiveness of ordinary soldiers, for maintaining imperial rule and eradicating heresy.

This is far superior to those clumsy Sentinel mechs or slow-moving Imperial Knights; it is more agile and has greater tactical value.

Even the silent Imperial Fist warrior on the side twitched slightly, revealing his inner turmoil beneath his heavy yellow shoulder armor.

He might not need this equipment, but what about the mortal auxiliary troops under the Legion, or the elite legions of the Imperial Guard?
He added in a deep voice, his question hitting the nail on the head: "How is the control delay? How much physical and mental strain does it place on the driver?"

Faced with a barrage of technical questions from the judge and Astartes, Mann was momentarily at a loss for words. He genuinely didn't know much about the Iron Guard's specific technical parameters, and was even less certain which information he could reveal.

Just as he hesitated, Valerie sat up in the cockpit, her forehead still damp with sweat, her breathing slightly heavy. She unfastened the safety harness more slowly than usual, but her voice had returned to its usual steady tone:

“Project Iron Guard includes two operating modes.” She stood up, gripping the edge of the hatch. “I pilot the neural-connected model, which requires the pilot to have the corresponding interface. The other one—” She gestured slightly towards Jack’s machine with her chin, “uses conventional controls, which require less skill from the pilot, and even ordinary soldiers can quickly learn to use it.”

At this moment, Jack also opened the cockpit. He simply nodded silently to the judge without saying a word.

Valerie continued, “The specific technical parameters are the Sage’s research secrets. We are merely testers.” As she spoke, she unconsciously pressed her temple with her finger, a subtle gesture that betrayed that she had not yet fully recovered from the overload she had just experienced.

The judge's gaze shifted between the two models of Iron Guard, finally settling on Valerie: "Neural connection. A very practical design concept for traditional controls."

Two prototypes, two different driving modes, were now clearly displayed before the Inquisitor and Astartes.

Judge Keras's gaze shifted between the slightly weary Valerie and the silent Jack, finally settling on the two dark red Iron Guards. His eyes gleamed with the sharp light of an assessor, as if examining a weapon that had just proven its worth.

“Mortal Power Armor… ‘Iron Guard’…” His deep voice carried the weighing tone characteristic of an inquisitor, “It is indeed unexpected that it can achieve such effectiveness in actual combat.”

He turned to Mann, his tone becoming formal and urgent: “I must immediately communicate with Sage Chen Yu. This equipment has obvious practical value for the Inquisition’s extermination efforts. If it can be mass-produced and equipped for my Stormtrooper squads, the efficiency of hunting down heretics will be significantly improved.”

He paused briefly, then added in language perfectly in keeping with the Court of Justice's style: "Please convey to the Wise One that the Court of Justice recognizes the potential contribution of this technology to the Imperial cause. I would like to request priority procurement of a batch to equip my direct operational units."

The judge gestured to his entourage to prepare the communication equipment. He stared at the still-wet demon bloodstains on the Iron Guard armor, then at the remains of the Chaos Wizard lying on the ground, before finally turning his gaze back to Mann.

“Such a result is convincing enough in itself.” His voice carried an undeniable determination. “Please contact the Sage now.”

(End of this chapter)