Infinite Metaverse

On the large tabletop, the colorful and complex secondary star sector holographic projection slowly rotates.

Fu Qinghai is carefully studying the specific situation of the thirteen industrial worlds in the Ni-Delina sub-sector.

The two light cruisers escaped into the system. The rebels must have also learned that a fleet of the Astartes Chapter had arrived in this sub-sector. Those two Indomitable-class light cruisers are the transport force of the Untamed Lord Titan Legion in the Forge World of Udish, and do not belong to the Chaos Fleet.

"Khan, the astrological message has been sent."

Xia Lu came to the bridge again.

"OK."

Fu Qinghai stretched out his hand and pinched Xia Lu's face. Although the young and immature graduate of the Psychic Academy had grown into a mature girl, the chief astrological director of the Astartes Chapter fleet, with a distinguished status. Prominent, but in Fu Qinghai's heart he still regarded her as the timid little girl who spoke softly and stingily.

Xia Lu's bloodshot face was pinched by the cold and hard black gauntlet. The blind girl pursed her lips unhappily, but looked at the Khan whose eyes were still focused on the star map holographic projection spinning in front of her. It was just an unintentional move, so he quietly retreated without saying anything.

The Iron Buddha Chapter conveyed news of the Treason of the Tamer Titans to the theater high command.

Although they may already know it, Fu Qinghai still wants Xia Lu to convey it again.

And this astrological message was very carefully worded - "Part of the Titans of the Untamed Lord's Titan Legion rebelled. The reason for the rebellion is currently unknown."

The Tamer Titan Legion is affiliated to the Forge World of Udish. The Tamer Titan has rebelled, but it does not mean that the Forge World has also rebelled. Fu Qinghai is implicitly hinting to Generalissimo Hershrow. The current situation is unknown. Do not expand the rebel army at will for the time being. Find out the definition and scope before making a decision.

For many extreme Inquisitors portrayed in the original novels, if an Imperial Titan joins the Chaos camp, the entire Titan Legion will be problematic and the entire Forge World will be suspicious of the Extermination Order. The logical chain is very "clear".

Fu Qinghai is not this kind of judge.

He believes that conclusions should not be drawn easily, especially with the current complex situation of the Steel Ring. Even if there is a real problem in the Uldish Forge World, it is not appropriate to liquidate it immediately.

Huxlo is just a mortal, and Fu Qinghai is a space warrior, but the former is still the nominal supreme commander, Fu Qinghai's leader and superior, and the theater's high command must also have its own news channels, and Fu Qinghai does not need to teach them what to do. , but Fu Qinghai still reminded him tactfully, hoping that Marshal Hexolo could understand what he meant.

…

The Forge World of Atal Median.

Theater High Command.

The white-haired old man in military uniform carefully read the note in his hand. It was an astrological message sent by the Iron Buddha Chapter and came to his hand after being copied by the astrological choir. The old man quickly noticed the conservative and cautious wording between the lines, and narrowed his eyes slightly, not knowing what he was thinking.

"Gant Sage."

The old man said softly.

"What's the matter, Marshal?"

The red-robed technical priest next to him turned around and asked.

"I will send three Astartes warbands to the Forge World of Udish to inquire about the situation. Regarding the rebellion of some unruly Lord Titans, I think they need to give us an explanation. What do you think?"

The white-haired old man said.

In theory, each forge world is under the direct jurisdiction of the Mechanicus, and they are all special tax-free. Therefore, Grand Marshal Heshro needs to ask the ruling sage for his opinion on the treatment of the forge world, which can be regarded as a sign of respect for Mars.

"I have no opinion."

Hieronymus Gant said calmly.

"Then deal with it like this."

Marshal Hexero was about to issue an order.

The ruling sage suddenly spoke:

"The war situation in the Ni-Delina sub-sector is so urgent that the support of just one Astartes chapter may not be enough."

Generalissimo Huxolo turned his head:

"What do you mean?"

"Dispatch the Draconis family from the Knights of Orestes world to support the Ni Delina sub-sector."

Hieronymus put it bluntly.

The situation in the Ni-Delina sub-sector is extremely corrupt, and all industrial worlds and fleet anchorages have fallen. One Astartes chapter is not enough, is it enough to add another knight family? Grand Marshal Heshro asked Qingshan Khan to "make his own decision". He didn't expect his battle group to be able to reverse the situation. In his psychological estimation, the best result was to rescue the empire trapped in the hive world. Remaining troops.

Grand Marshal Heshro narrowed his eyes and began to think carefully about this decision. Suddenly, he thought that this "Draconis Family" seemed to be the knight family that was rumored to be leaving the Mechanicum system and instead serving Terra and the Empire.

"well……"

Thinking of this, the white-haired old man sighed in his heart, rubbed his frown and whispered:

"According to your arrangements, rule the sages."

Hieronymus Gant nodded.

The ruling sage did not remember at all that he had come into contact with a local sect called "Data Supervision" and had already decided the future of the Draconis family. In his memory, he went to Knights of Orestes The world wanted to secretly contact the local Mechanicum sect, but the other party let him go and came back without discussing anything.

As for the leaks that have angered him for a long time.

I still don’t know where it came from.

…………

"Through faith, accept destiny. Through destiny, obey orders. Through orders, win honor. Through honor, be appointed as a knight. If you are a knight, the glory will last forever."

——Motto of the Knight Squire.

The world of the knights of Orestes.

Ebony fortress.

"The pain never goes away."

“Communicate with the other half of your soul.”

These are the exact words Janiko told Zofia.

Zofia felt that this process should have been easy, because she had been perfectly qualified for the synesthetic link of Pons' bridge device, but the combination of flesh and steel was not a trivial matter, and Zofia felt that the cold metal of the Mechanical Throne was burning. Its umbilical cord drilled into its skull and spine, as if every blood vessel and cell was filled with ice water.

The Mechanical Throne that Zofia entered was in the echo chamber of the Ebony Fortress, a rotunda made of black stone and towering iron beams. A turbulent sound rose from the fortress's sanctum and from the dark depths of the passing ocean.

Lots of sounds.

Echoes of the souls of the previous pilots of this knight mecha are rippling. Zofia heard a middle-aged male voice, which was Janico's dead husband and her nominal "father". The voice was stern and uncompromising. In addition, she also heard the voice of Janico's father, His nominal "grandfather", a sonorous tenor, is equally stern and uncompromising.

At least at this point.

The Draconis were unanimous.

"Combined with the Mechanical Throne, I become complete."

Mrs. Janiko's voice still rings in my ears.

Janiko always told Sofia: She once thought that it was her husband and her partner who made her more complete. It was not until she combined with the mechanical throne of the knight mecha that she knew that the warriors of the Draconis family , is always truly complete only when wearing knight's armor.

Zofia felt that darkness surrounded her, and her perception and awareness of the material world began to gradually fade away. Neural connections within the brain are rerouting to easily link with the senses of the great machine below.

"Boom!"

The Mechanical Throne fell with a crash.

Rush towards the knight mecha from the magnetic levitation track.

Zofia felt the movement and fall, the impact of the air, the smell of grease and lubricants. Although far away from her, she could taste the sharp friction of hot metal and the crackling electricity, and then it became dull and dull.

Her heartbeat was racing as the minutes passed.

Then, move from darkness to light.

"The Fury of Fire" is waiting here quietly.

The thirty-one remaining knight mechas of the Draconis family stood motionless, arranged in two rows facing each other. Each is a ten-meter-tall bipedal giant with a massive chainsword and various cannons slung over its shoulders.

Their ancient bodies were wrapped in thick dark blue and cold gray, and the proud gray-blue sky flags slowly fluttered in the icy wind. A two-headed eagle is soaring in one area, while the other half is painted with a majestic horse with a single horn on its forehead and its hind legs standing upright.

The Mechanical Throne quickly rushed into the Ranger Knight mecha, with the clanking of metal and the hissing of the latch, the armor locked behind Zofia. The light in her sight expanded, and when the mecha's sensors and the throne's receivers meshed with each other, she once again felt the pain of the connection.

Sage Sexton, leading more than three hundred hooded artifact guards, knelt at the feet of the Knight mecha, and their voice implants and servitors sang melodious binary chants. Zofia felt the tension and hope of these technical craftsmen trained on Mars.

"By order of the Adeptus Mechanicus, we are about to embark on a ride to the Ni-Delina sub-sector, but if the Overlord Magus thinks I am returning House Draconis to the Lord of Mars, then he will Very disappointed.”

A man said in a deep voice.

Zofia knew the owner of this voice, Viscount Sunderland, the patriarch of the Draconis family.

"I will not repeat the mistakes of the past."

Viscount Sunderland's voice echoed in the communication channel.

"I have removed the shape of the cog from the sigil, and it will once again bear the Terran Aquila."

"As long as I am master of House Draconis, we always will be."

Across from the Fury of Fire, the golden eyes of Sir Malcolm's Knight mech flicker with connection. According to Janiko's instructions in advance, Zofia raised her arm, not the flesh and blood body, which was motionless on the mechanical throne, but the limbs on the mecha. The right weapon arm of "Fire's Fury" is raised high, and the Reaper's chainsword shines with golden light as a sign of respect.

"Shua——"

The knight mechas standing in two rows facing each other repeated this action together with the chief knight of the family. They all raised their weapons, slammed the heraldic plate armor on their shoulders with the barrel of their left arm, and sounded the whistle and horn. Suddenly, the entire hall was full of guns and the sound of horns was deafening.

"I heard about the loss of Ni Delina, the fall of the entire industrial world, a heavy loss, a heartbreaking loss. It was a cruel battlefield, a furnace capable of strangling titans, and possibly ending a small family... However, , the Draconis family is not a small family."

Although the words were so bold and ambitious, Zofia vaguely felt that there seemed to be some unspeakable tragedy and desolation in the Viscount's voice.

"The banners of mourning still hang in the echoing halls of the ebony fortress, many of the dead still walk with me, and the ghosts of data haunt the circuits of my armor. Now, seeing their names, I feel the weight of responsibility more than ever . I believe you will feel the same way. The impulse of honor brought by them is rooted in every fiber of our being. This has been the case since my qualifying ceremony."

Viscount Sunderland continued his impassioned speech. As he was speaking, the subject suddenly changed and he asked by name:

"What do you think, First Knight?"

"Uh, I..."

Zofia was suddenly CUE and was at a loss. Mrs. Janiko had never taught her this.

"I can sense each of my warriors. You are not the chief knight. Where is Janico, where is she?"

Viscount Sunderland asked calmly.

"I'm here."

A familiar female voice sounded in the communication channel:

"Sorry, Lord Viscount, I asked Zofia to participate in this expedition ceremony on my behalf."

There was some commotion around the knight mechas.

In the communication channel, Viscount Sunderland's voice contained some gritted frustration:

"Janiko, you dote on your adopted daughter too much. She is just a knight's squire. She is not qualified to drive the 'Wrath of Fire', nor is she qualified to participate in the pre-war expedition ceremony."

"I don't see anything wrong with that."

Mrs. Janiko's voice was nonchalant:

"And this is Zofia's first time sitting on the Mechanical Throne, haven't you noticed? She can easily complete all the moves I taught her. She is a genius, an absolute genius who is born to pilot the Knight Mecha. The perfect choice!"

"You regard the expedition ceremony as her fitness ceremony?"

Viscount Sunderland asked incredulously.

Soon he realized the problem again:

"You said this is her first time?"

Viscount Sunderland carefully recalled the movements shown by "Fire Fury" just now. The other knights were still working hard to establish neural links with the knight mecha, but it had already raised its arms first, and its movements were crisp and smooth without any sloppiness.

"This is impossible, absolutely impossible."

The Viscount shook his head and said. Thinking to myself, I didn't even perform so well at my qualifying ceremony.

"It's true, this is her first time."

Mrs. Janiko emphasized.

Just like medieval knights are often followed by two squires, Warhammer 40K knights also have squires.

The squire-class knight mecha is the smallest knight mecha. There is no space for a mechanical throne in the body. Instead, it is an operating device called a mechanical crown, which is a simplified version of the mechanical throne and is worn on the driver's head. The neural connection between the knight and the mecha is achieved through a link to the interface with the prefrontal implant. Since this connection method does not require the driver to complete the qualification ceremony commonly used by the Mechanical Throne, the requirements are lower. Therefore, the knight's attendant is usually considered to be an inferior existence, and is often called around by the official knight.

The sources of candidates for knight attendants are complicated. Most of them come from the aristocratic branches of the knight world and the bottom of society. Some families even select candidates from their own planetary defense forces and family guards. Therefore, for the chief knight to choose an orphan from the urban poor as his knight attendant, the entire The family expressed no objections, which was commonplace.

However, entering the Mechanical Throne, piloting a knight's mecha, and even participating in the expedition ceremony on behalf of the master's family was a bit of a transgression. Faced with the chief knight's tricks, the surrounding knights were a little dissatisfied. They did not speak, but Emotions are clearly spreading through the neural links.

"alright."

Viscount Sunderland interrupted:

"This farce ends here."

"Zophia, leave your mother's mechanical throne immediately and return to your broadsword attendant. The family has its own rules. Even if you are really talented, you still need to go through a formal qualification ceremony before you can become a knight."

Viscount Sunderland came to a conclusion.

"OK."

Zofia obediently disconnected.

Mrs. Janiko didn’t stop her.

She was very satisfied. Through today's extraordinary move, she had achieved her goal——

Introduce your adopted daughter in front of the clan leader.

…

All the knight mechas lined up neatly, a shield wall and the marching formation merged into one. They passed under the arch and came to the oval platform suspended on both sides of the steep mountain plateau. The knights of the empire bent the electronic fiber bundles and expanded their hearing. Sensors, restless, eager for the coming battle.

Dozens of cross-orbital landers await the cruisers that will take the knights to orbit. Most of the combat supplies have been prepared. Only the knights remain.

"Target Ni Delina sub-sector."

"Set off!"

…………