Interlude 5
Preparation for Invasion
TDR-3939
9th October, 3024
Preparations were underway and I was nothing if not impressed. Darius' logistical abilities having come well and truly to the fore. Lady Kamea walked next to me as I walked down one of halls of the Legacy, not believing the ship had even really existed until now. But I had decided that a tour was entirely in order. Right now we were looking at the stored vehicles.
"Eighteen Leman Russ Battle tanks, four executioner, six Vanquisher, two punisher, two Eradicator, four Annihilator." I said indicating the tanks. "We have eight more on the Warden's Rest, six Vanquishers and two Executioners." I moved along to the next vehicles, "The rest of the armored company is two Basilisks, four Hydra and a Macharius Vanquisher command vehicle."
I moved on and we passed through secure doors, heavy bolter turrets tracking us. Just in case.
"What in Amaris' name!" She said heading to the railing and gripping it tightly. And I could hardly blame her as the Super-Heavy Company was revealed below.
"Before my Uncle developed Knights, he developed these, Super-Heavy Tanks. The Stormstord 'Ruin of Caldeum', The Stormblade 'Wrothful Incontinence'.. I never asked the story for that. Banesword 'Death's Hand' and the Baneblade 'Indomitable'."
I headed for the light rail tube that'd bring us closer to the bridge. "Lady Kamea, the ships existence is a secret, but I believe that our tanks might make the difference between life and death. But there is something else we need to discuss."
"I'm listening." She said as she sat back.
"I mean it about the secrecy of this ship, which means if there are any ships at the jump point in Weldry, we're going to have to destroy them regardless of affiliation." I said and she paled, understanding what I meant. Many considered the destruction of a precious jumpship to be practically if not literally a war crime.
"Is it not possible to capture them instead?" She asked.
"Theoretically yes. Practically... I don't know. Could we guarantee that they were boarded before the captain panicked and jumped out? I just can't do that. As it is this ship is vulnerable for some minutes after a jump while it reboots its systems."
The train stopped and I got out heading for the bridge. "But the desperate truth is, in the end, I need people. This ship is undercrewed, and I've only got two thirds of the troops I should have due to circumstances beyond my control. Such as food." For the first time she was exposed to the emaciated crewmembers who all seemed to have barely edible ration blocks on them at all times. Nibbling frequently.
"What happened?" She asked horrified.
"My Uncles rivals started a nuclear war. My Uncle, in his wisdom, tried to escape, but the colony ship he'd built to carry people off was also nuked. He left this ship almost powered down completely in the asteroid belt waiting for me to come back. It... it was almost too late. Supplies were already being supplemented by dead bodies as more and more of the crew suicided, faced with the terrifying thought of being abandoned." I sat down in the Captains throne.
"Why are you telling me all of this?" Kamea asked, a tear in her eyes. Little did she know I was also trying to condition her for the sight she was going to see when I liberated the ice box.
"Because I want you to understand. I intend to fulfill my Uncles wish to rebuild a nation elsewhere, you understand that drive. But I need you to understand that this is not going to be easy, and you might find yourself horrified at what you find, those who consider themselves 'directorates' are rarely champions of personal freedoms." The bridge bulkheads opened and she saw the length of the ship beyond and her breath was stolen from her as the hull rippled, the stealth systems being powered and beginning to mask the optical signatures.
I watched out of the starfield as the drives came to life and began pushing the Legacy with six gees of acceleration.
"When we reach Weldry, i'm going to send down our Super-Heavy Tanks to assist you at the spaceport. They're too heavy and slow to help us at the prison without killing ungodly amounts of innocents. I hope you're ready for this."
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Behemoth
People were preparing in the flight decks of the ship and I found myself entranced, the pilots of the large fighters called 'Furies' or 'Faustus' but I wasn't here for that. Kane had asked me to manage getting the other Knights out of Storage and nominating pilots for them. And the revelation was beyond exciting. I tapped the comm unit as I studied the slate and machines before me.
"Kane, we need at least five days."
"What is it love?"
"There's five Knights and seven Armigers here." I said with a grin.
"What? I'm coming down!" He replied as the engines rumbled away, but I couldn't let him simply come down and see, there would have been no fun in that.
"A Knight Valiant, two Cerastus, two Questoris, nothing special about the seven Armigers. But there is weapons here I haven't seen in our inventories. I think most of them are for the Cerastus, but ones here like the Lascutter are listed as compatible with the Questoris." I moved up towards the Valiant, it's stood with a vast harpoon weapon and a cluster of what looked like flamethrowers, nothing took away from the turrets on its shoulders. It stared at me inactive, yet I felt the hand of destiny on my shoulder.
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Glitch
It was tall. That was the very first thought that came into my mind when I saw it. Staring down at me with cold eyes. One arm wielding a blade, the other bearing some bizarre weapon. It didn't have the fancy carapace mounted weapon or even smaller weapons. But it looked fast and agile. "It's pretty." I moved around climbing up the gantries. "So what's her name?"
Behemoth and Warden were checking over the Valiant, but the comm-beads allowed them to maintain the conversation, "According to the Manifest, she's the 'Lionheart'" I saw Kane checking the manifest. "Weapon options, Tempest Warblade, Castigator Bolt Cannon, Cerastus Shock Lance, Ion Gauntlet Shield, Reaper Chainfist, Acheron pattern Flame Cannon and Atrapos Lascutter." He looked over at the Lionheart and cocked his head. "Uncle designed them mostly for suppressing infantry and light armor. The Lascutter and Shock Lance are the better weapons for dealing with mechs or Knights."
Lady Kamea moved around looking at the other Cerastus. She'd been given a microbead for while she was a guest on the Legacy, and I didn't trust her. "Is it possible to train me to pilot one of these?" She asked and I felt a snort of laughter. A soft noblewoman wanting to pilot a big bad Knight.
Bitch probably had servants to wipe her ass and help her dress in the morning given how easily Espinosa kicked her out.
"Technically, yes Lady Kamea, provided you consent to extensive cybernetic surgery, and the Ritual of Becoming." Warden said to my surprise, "It's complex and would prevent you piloting a standard mech ever again."
He didn't mention the side-effects. He didn't mention that the process would instill a loyalty towards house Giordino. He was deliberately omitting it and I felt a moments jealousy. I knew the irresistable sense of loyalty to Warden, I couldn't betray him or my fellow Raven Guard. And he wasn't mentioning that part of the process. His ambition was beyond what I could ever have imagined. He was going to unknowingly brainwash her into support of his cause if she accepted the offer.
"And you'd charge me what, thirty million for it?" She laughed, so the bitch had heard of the price of mere Armigers.
"Oh I dunno, I might settle for the Argo instead." Kane chuckled as he turned back to the Valiant.
You cunning fucker. What better way to get a noble into your pocket than brainwashing with the Throne Mechanicum.
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Kamea
The impossibilities were compounded as I saw his people getting ready for war. Transferring their own dropships into the cavernous landing bays of this one to free up the docking collars of the Star Lords to transport her own troops. I felt a shred of hope as I looked at these war machines in awe and not a little terror, with the hinted promise of him being willing to grant me one of these war machines?
What looked like an upward hill to reclaim my throne was changing, the face of it growing into something else. A potential to recover Raju from the traitorous dogs was impossible, and yet in front of my face. The technology to turn into a real power was around me, the monstrous massive ship with impossible gravity plating, and all manner of systems they refused to speak of.
"And what machine would you permit me to secure for myself?" I asked into the com-bead.
"A Questoris pattern, the Cerastus is a bit more temperamental," He said and I heard the tone of consideration, "but i must stress, the surgery is invasive. You'll permanently have the connections, which is why you'll no longer be capable of wearing a neuro-helmet."
"I understand. I've seen those machine dreadlocks and assumed they weren't simply decorative." The Liberation of Weldry would demand nothing less than the best we could muster, could I afford to turn down such an offer, I knew that he did not have the manpower to pilot all of them at this stage.
"I accept the conditions. The Argo is part of a legacy entrusted to me by my father, but with access to its secrets I might save my people. With this, I can show Victoria why they say there is no Wroth like a woman scorned