Warhammer: Striving to Be a Grinding Man

Chapter 173 The Internet Project (5)

The ambush fleet in the network had remained silent for several days. Meanwhile, the main hall of the Garros Temple began to reveal its complete form.

A golden dome stretched out, with gear-shaped chandeliers hanging from the vault and slowly rotating in the airflow. The psychic core of the Ohm Messiah statue emitted a dark golden halo, enveloping the entire temple. The gear half rotated continuously in a pulsating manner, each meshing producing a very faint metallic vibration that traveled from the dome to every terracotta floor.

Down from the main hall, the council chamber in the southeast wing presents a different layout. From the outside, the adamantine door appears unremarkable, with the inscription "Liaison Room" and a verification code etched along its edge. Behind the door, a dome approximately twelve meters high houses a long adamantine table at its center, its surface etched with a simplified hologram of the Garros system, its edges edged with a gear-skull emblem. On either side are more than ten chairs. The principal seat faces away from the main hall, with an armored glass window extending from the floor to the dome, allowing the person seated there to see the back of the icon, a reminder of the source of their power.

About twenty people sat in the small council chamber. Cole sat on the left side of the long table, wearing a dark gray marshal's uniform. Ellis sat opposite him, in a dark gray civilian sage's robe. Edric sat slightly to the right of the center section, captain of the Fireseed. Maggie sat next to him, logistics data scrolling in front of her.

High-ranking technical priests occupied the remaining seats on either side, their crimson robes gleaming, their optical lenses glowing steadily in the dim light. Several other friars and fleet commanders were scattered among them, each with a data panel laid out before them. To the side of the door, two servo skulls hovered in standby recording mode, maintaining the most basic listening and recording functions.

Vera sat in the main seat.

Wearing a deep red, fourth-tier technical priest's robe, the transceiver array on the back of her head was retracted in standby mode, with six extremely thin data antennas curled up in the base, only briefly extending during occasional data synchronization. There was no data board in front of her; her hands rested on the table, her fingertips lightly touching the patterns on the adamantite surface. Her gaze swept over the more than two thousand faces on either side of the long table, confirming that everyone was in position.

Let's begin.

She said.

"Let's review the situation with the Phoenix Legion first."

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Senior data priest Vandis, who was in charge of intelligence analysis, opened the data panel, and the optical lens lifted off the screen.

"The Phoenix Legion has arrived at its rendezvous point on the outskirts of the combat zone as planned. The main fleet of the expeditionary force now possesses firepower several times greater than that of the regular Astragalus expeditionary force, primarily due to the substantial donations received by Commissar Arrek after the Battle of Invernus, with the power armor and psychic barrier modules provided by Garros playing a crucial role. This demonstration deployment of equipment allowed Arrek to attract some key worlds and organizations to voluntarily follow him. The expeditionary fleet has already engaged the Bonecrusher warlord's fleet and achieved initial results: one Orc cruiser has been confirmed sunk, two frigates were heavily damaged and forced to withdraw from the battlefield, and several other small and medium-sized ships were destroyed or driven away. Orbital suppression is complete, the ground battle is ongoing, the expeditionary force has established a landing zone and is advancing inland."

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He paused for a moment, then turned to the next page.

"Since arriving in the war zone, the Phoenix Legion has been on standby as a strategic reserve and logistical support force, and has not been deployed to the front lines. According to the pre-established mission plan, its core role is to maintain the flexibility of the battle line, cover the flanks of the main force of the expeditionary force, intervene when the main force of the Astronautical Army suffers heavy casualties, and not participate in the initiative to attack."

Maggie confirmed the logistical status: "According to the logistical system records, the supplies and spare parts provided by Garros were timely and sufficient during the campaign. The Goliath Industrial Ship is operating normally, and the ammunition and fuel consumed at the front can be replenished immediately through the industrial ship's in-situ refining and casting capabilities. This provides effective support for the expeditionary force's supply system and also provides a more stable foundation for the future Eleven Taxes."

Father Vandis nodded: "The data matches. Last month we also delivered food supplies to the war zone via two Galaxy-class transport ships."

"6

Maggie closed the data panel and didn't ask any further questions.

Cole turned his head, his gaze landing on High Priest Isfahan Duresa: "The expeditionary force's ground advance is progressing faster than expected. In the last three months, Arek has directly used the theater reserves to order 120 million sets of Type 045 force feedback armor from you."

"The facts are true." Isfahan Duresa's mechanical eyes widened slightly. "The expeditionary ground forces are advancing at a rate about 40% faster than the baseline model assessed before the battle. The core reason is that Commissar Arek's three elite infantry regiments—equipped with CMC-100 and CMC-300A power armor provided by Garros, as well as the Mental Barrier Module 1—demonstrated a breakthrough capability far exceeding that of conventional Astragalus forces in the first wave of assault after the landing. Several key nodes on the Orcish defenses collapsed under the attacks of these units, allowing subsequent forces to quickly expand the breach."

He did a quick calculation and continued, "The exact number is 120.4 million sets of Type 045 force feedback armor, but that's not the key factor."

Moreover, this was a plan led by the Ministry of Trade, and my workshop has already completed the settlement according to the charter.

6

Father Vandis brought up a set of data projections and unfolded them above the desktop.

"The expeditionary ground forces have advanced to the outer defense zone of the Bonecrusher's core stronghold. Orc resistance is increasing, but there has been no organized counterattack. Intelligence assessments suggest that the orcs are consolidating their forces, focusing their remaining strength on the core stronghold. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the expeditionary force is expected to launch its final offensive within the coming weeks."

A moment of silence fell on either side of the long table. The optical lenses lingered on the data projection for longer than reading required. The Mechanicus monks were accustomed to comparing every detail to known war models, but the data before them surpassed all those models. The equipment supplied by Garros was proving its worth layer by layer on the battlefield.

Vera turned to Isfahan Duresa: "Isfahan Technical Priest, the source of your raw materials needs to be accurately reported."

Records show that you purchased a large quantity of minerals from His Excellency Xavier Ambrose at 80% below market price. The Foundry World needs clear and transparent accounts; we cannot allow the impression that the higher-ups in the Foundry World are abusing their power for personal gain.

Xavier Ambrose, the manager of the Garros VI mine, turned his optical array toward Vera: "Your Excellency, the raw materials His Excellency Isfahan purchased from me were indeed at an 80% discount, but this price includes the cost of transporting them himself from Garros VI to the Garros underground, and does not violate any procurement procedures. My accounts are available for review at any time."

Vera remained expressionless, her voice steady: "Then please explain why you disregarded confidentiality and used the Internet Gateway as a transit point to get here this time."

"The Grand Supervisor's regulations allow for the use of the network in emergencies." Xavier Ambrose's optical array remained unchanged. "Your Excellency, I came from the Garros VI, a journey that normally takes more than ten standard hours. But via the network, from my departure to entering the temple, it takes less than one standard hour. The efficiency improvement is significant and complies with the exceptions set forth by the Grand Supervisor."

Cole raised his hand to interrupt the argument: "Internal procurement of mineral raw materials is a matter for the trade department. Lady Phyllis has already gone to Turenstein, so it's normal for some matters to be delayed. We can just complete the reporting when she returns."

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Vera's data antenna retracted back to its base: "I'm just reminding you all that I have the highest authority while the director is away. Let's get back to the main topic."

She paused for a moment: "Does the Phoenix Legion have ground personnel in the war zone?"

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Father Vandis replied, "In accordance with the needs of routine rotations and coordinated operations, the Phoenix Legion has dispatched a ground liaison and coordination team of approximately five hundred men to the Expeditionary Force Headquarters. Ostensibly for battlefield coordination, in reality, Relano's elite reconnaissance squads have been operating on the edge of the Orcish lines for several days. Relano himself reported three days ago through the Garros interstellar relay tower, stating: 'The battlefield situation is under control; elite reconnaissance teams have been dispatched deep into the flanks, and early warnings can be given in case of any major changes.'"

Cole pressed further: "What about the communication link?"

"The Phoenix Legion and Garros maintain a two-way communication link through the Expeditionary Force's Star Language Choir and the Garros Star Language Relay Tower, with an encryption level consistent with the theater command standards. Due to the Expeditionary Force's advance route, communication delays fluctuate, but this does not affect the transmission of core intelligence."

Cole nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

Ellis opened his data panel.

"Next, I will report. This is a report from the Trade Department's office in Armageddon, dated four days ago."

6

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone on either side of the long table could hear him clearly.

"The report states that a warship belonging to the Forbidden Forces appeared in the Armageddon system. It was painted dark gold, had a very ancient design, and its identification code was confirmed to originate from Terra. It briefly lingered in orbit around the outer edge of the Helsard Spaceport without making formal contact with the port authorities. Before leaving port, it neither informed the theater command of its mission purpose nor submitted an identity verification application to the Astronautical Army Command."

He turned a page.

"According to information obtained by the trade office through local business channels, Governor Helsard went on high alert on the day the Forbidden Forces ship appeared, canceling all public events for the day. The Governor's Guard was placed on high alert until the ship left the system. There are no records of the Forbidden Forces disembarking. More detailed information is unavailable."

"6

Ellis closed the data panel and put it back on the desktop.

The optical lenses on both sides of the long table turned to him almost simultaneously. The Mechanicus monks didn't easily show their emotions, but the collective shift in attention that lasted for several seconds spoke volumes. In the history of the Empire, news of the Custodians either didn't appear, or when it did, it was a major event.

"Their course?" Vera paused for a moment.

Father Vandis took over the question: "Port records and analysis of trade routes indicate that the Imperial Guard warships did not return towards Terra after leaving port, but instead turned towards the northeastern frontier. The primary target in this direction is only the Gologosa theater—Commissar Arek's expeditionary force is launching a general offensive against the Bonecrushers there. We have not yet obtained direct intelligence regarding the Imperial Guard's mission objectives."

A moment of silence fell on either side of the long table. The Imperial Guard was not bound by the Imperial's regular chain of command; their movements were not reported, and their missions were not announced. Governor Helsard's reaction was fear—those who sat on the thrones of power in the hive capital were nothing more than paper silhouettes before the Imperial Guard.

A senior technical priest fine-tunes the focus of his optical lens: "If the Imperial Guard's target is the Expeditionary Force, they will encounter the Expeditionary Force within weeks."

"Whether the impact is good or bad depends on their mission objectives," another voice chimed in, its booming tone carrying the dry, mechanical resonance characteristic of the expeditionary force. "The expeditionary force is complex, containing regular Astral Army units, the world-forging power of Garros, and forces that joined Arrek personally after the War of Amegidodton. Does the involvement of the Custodians signify that the Emperor's will is scrutinizing this expedition?"

"6

"We can only wait and see," Cole said. "The very fact that the Imperial Guard has not communicated with any Imperial institution in Armageddon indicates that their mission is beyond the authority of the theater command."

Vera tapped the table: "Don't let the intelligence chain break. The trade office, the war zone assistance reporting, and the Phoenix Legion's intelligence chain should all operate independently and without overlap. We'll have to wait for the results to know the purpose of the Imperial Guard's presence in the Expeditionary Force's war zone."

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In addition to the two main agenda items, the meeting covered several routine matters: the schedule update for Wangshu Shipyard, the delivery progress of the fourth batch of Galaxy-class armed cargo ships, the monthly fluctuations in the mining output of the Garros VI ice mine, and the coordination window for the next batch of immigrants from the Trask family. Each item was briefly reported by the corresponding person in charge, and Maggie checked and annotated each item in the data stream of the logistics system.

Archive.

As the last item on the agenda was completed, the servo skull in the conference hall emitted a short binary confirmation pulse—the record was sealed, and the meeting officially ended. People on both sides of the long table rose one after another; some conversed in hushed tones, some packed up their data tablets, and some headed for the exit. Crimson robes and dark gray uniforms stretched out alternately in the cold light, and footsteps echoed irregularly on the terrazzo floor.

Vera remained seated at the head of the table without immediately rising. Her back-brain transceiver array had been briefly activated three times during the meeting, each time performing routine data synchronization with the Forging Temple Master Thinker array to confirm the operational status of the Wangshu Shipyard and the underground industrial zone.

Suddenly, her data antenna snapped open for a moment, and her expression changed slightly.

As Ellis walked to the end of the long table, he noticed the change in her expression and paused: "Is there anything new?"

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"A report just relayed by the Star Language Relay Tower." Vera paused for a moment, "A report from the Calicith Sector: the hive world of Maraudon has been raided by the Dark Eldar, resulting in the loss of tens of millions of people in the main hive."

Ellis hesitated, then simply nodded, turned, and walked out of the small hall. The door slid shut behind him with a short, sharp screech.

He encountered Cole at the corner as he walked through the corridor. Cole emerged from a side corridor, clutching a data tablet, the screen's light casting a shadow on his face. He slowed his pace, lowering his voice: "What do you think about the Imperial Guard?"

“It’s hard to say.” Ellis caught up. “The Imperial Guard appeared in the direction of Gologosa and ran into Arek’s expedition. If their mission has nothing to do with the expedition, it’s just a coincidence. If it does—” He didn’t finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

The two walked for a while before parting ways at the fork in the path leading to the main hall. Cole headed towards Dome 30; the formalities for the conversion of five regiments of reserve soldiers were still pending his processing. Ellis stood there for a moment, watching his retreating figure, then turned and walked towards the Ministry of the Interior's offices. At the end of the corridor, twilight seeped in from outside the dome, casting a pale gray light on the terracotta floor.

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