The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Continuing forward, I passed various modified armored vehicles, including interference vehicles specifically designed to jam enemy communication and detection signals. Such sophisticated equipment was rarely seen in the Astra Militarum, prompting Solzhenitsyn to take a closer look.

After passing through the vehicle area, nothing else was particularly special.

"This is!"

Suddenly, Solzhenitsyn stopped abruptly, his eyes fixed on what was in front of him.

Its body was a bluish-gray color, standing a head taller than an Astartes. It had two legs and four arms, with thick armor plating covering its torso. A pilot was already inside the forward cockpit, his feet connected to the mecha's feet, his arms exposed outside, encased in operating devices. His torso was protected and secured to the mecha by armor plates, and his head was hidden in a spider-like metal head with six red circular lenses. Two bolters were visible near the shoulder positions, and the four arms ended in three-toed structures, appearing flexible and capable of easily gripping objects or climbing.

It was clear that the Van Saar family really liked spiders. This was probably their family's spiritual totem.

"This is a Spider Drill Armor. Engineers use it to lift and move heavy objects or operate large machinery—usually for tasks that are extremely heavy and cannot be entrusted to mechanical devices or servitors for crude operation. This exoskeleton mecha can be interfaced with the wearer's nervous system for direct control, or it can be controlled automatically, allowing workers to keep up with the pre-programmed movements of the device they are attached to. Of course, if they need to fight, some of the mechanical arms can be replaced with weapons."

"A nerve-controlled exoskeleton."

Solzhenitsyn walked over, examining the thing carefully, then circled around to the back. Suddenly, he leaned his face close, then recoiled.

He didn't speak, but he knew what was up.

It was radiation! And stronger than the laser gun from before!

Everything from the Van Saar family had this problem. Something was definitely not right. There must be some ulterior motive.

But Solzhenitsyn didn't show it, only nodding noncommittally.

"Good, good, good. The technological prowess of the Van Saar family is truly admirable. With your participation this time, the aliens will be met with a head-on blow!"

Solzhenitsyn turned around.

"Regarding the food supply issue, it was indeed quite chaotic before. Now the standards for all parties have been unified, and the logistics department can communicate more efficiently. The previous incidents will not happen again."

The previous food riot wasn't just with the Gristeskin Spider Company; the entire Necromundan army was almost brought to a boil because of it. The main reason was that the logistics side had been unable to straighten things out due to the inefficiency of the Amara local bureaucracy. Necromunda happened to be stationed alongside the 7th Armored Division of the Astra Militarum auxiliary forces. As a result, for a whole half month, the Necromundan gang heroes who used to eat large portions of meat and drink heavily every day could only eat the "excrement" that was the militia standard. The auxiliary armored division next door had all kinds of grains, vegetables, and meat to eat, and even threw some leftovers in the trash. Some Necromundan soldiers went to scavenge through the garbage cans every night. Over time, resentment boiled over, and a group of low-ranking officers organized a direct ambush of the 7th Armored Division's logistics convoy when it was preparing to go to the garrison, and robbed all the auxiliary force's food. The 7th Armored Division, as the battle group's auxiliary force, naturally wouldn't let it go, and drove Leman Russ tanks to crush the Necromundan camp. Things almost got out of hand.

Because the Hearthguard had transported a lot of food back from the fallen area, Amara was not actually short of food at the moment. This was purely due to the habitual problems of the bureaucratic system. Solzhenitsyn did not punish the soldiers on either side, but punished a group of bureaucrats and officers responsible for logistics supply, and then raised the dietary standards. Although it still didn't reach the auxiliary force's standards (because it was independent logistics), grains and basic vegetables were guaranteed, and occasionally there would be some meat.

"How many Luthier-pattern excavation robots do you have now?"

"Reporting, Lord, there are two hundred, belonging to two engineer battalions respectively."

"What about the Spider Drill Armor?"

"Sixty units, also belonging to the engineer battalion."

Solzhenitsyn thought for a while and said:

"Marshal Isaacs, your regiment will immediately go to the western fortress area of ​​New Vostok Hive to garrison and expand the scope and depth of the fortifications there."

He didn't say the reason for this arrangement, but soldiers don't need to ask why.

"Yes!"

As Solzhenitsyn left the Necromundan regiment's garrison, he was still thinking about those unique and advanced equipment. This was really too strange, possibly a little stranger than the Catachan Jungle Fighters in a sense. What exactly was Necromunda?

But that spider exoskeleton armor was really too attractive. If it could be mass-produced, even if it wasn't used for combat, it could greatly improve industrial production and troop combat efficiency.

Solzhenitsyn didn't lack cutting-edge technology; even his family had left behind a lot. But the key was that actual manufacturing wasn't something that could be done just with technology. Those ancient, high-precision things had almost exaggerated requirements for craftsmanship and production facilities. With the current technological level of the Empire, the cost of making them was extremely high, but the Van Saar family's ready-made products were different. At least they could be made using the Empire's existing technology.

He could let Zorg make contact with them as a Rogue Trader. Coincidentally, the Maelstrom wasn't too far from Necromunda, and he heard that cold trade was quite developed there...

Just as this matter ended, another good news reached Solzhenitsyn's ears.

With the tireless efforts of a group of Mechanicus Magi, the "assault landing ship" he needed finally had a sample. Solzhenitsyn immediately rushed to the shipyard to check it out.

"Battle Brother Solzhenitsyn, it was modified based on the Cobra-class destroyer, removing all weapons while increasing the thickness and strength of the bow armor, as well as strengthening the void shields to ensure it can withstand attacks from the enemy flagship's non-primary weapons for a certain period of time."

Inside the shipyard, a warship with an overall arrow shape floated. Its general outline didn't change much, but the bow armor area was enlarged, covering one-third of the hull, making it more like some kind of classical cold weapon.

Also, as the Mechanicus Magos introduced, its weapons were visibly removed, but no additional armor belts were added to these parts.

"After internal space adjustments, the number of crew required has been reduced to 3,500, and it can carry 50,000 Krieg infantrymen and their weapons and equipment..."

The Cobra-class is only 5 kilometers long. Cramming 50,000 people into such a limited space can be said to be quite crowded, but in a sense, it is also very remarkable.

"Due to the ship's own mass and structural reasons, it is still very different from assault boats and boarding torpedoes. If it hits the enemy's warship, it will create a huge impact in an instant, which may even lead to the disintegration and destruction of the entire ship. How is this problem solved?"

Through the shuttle's glass, Solzhenitsyn's gaze swept to the farther parts of the shipyard, where more than a dozen Cobra-class ships were being modified. This was the power he had given to the Mechanicus Magi—due to the urgency of time, they didn't need to report to him; as soon as they confirmed a plan, they would start immediately, trying to complete the work in the shortest possible time.