Chapter 11

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The legendary 'Kowalski' had recently come off the Iron Ring slipway, a mere two hundred and sixteen Martian years ago, and seemed juvenile compared to the elderly monsters that remembered the Olympic Treaty. But service in convoys ages prematurely.

'Kowalski' was a heavy transport cruiser, so far the only one of its kind. 'Detect the enemy, engage, destroy'. This was the first and foremost task of a warship, and 'Kowalski' was well equipped to carry it out as quickly and efficiently as possible. And yet the main occupation of the ship remained the timely delivery of cargo with the ability to kick anyone who encroached on Mars property.

With a displacement of just over thirty-six megatons, the 'Kowalski' was a deep modification of the famous 'Lunar' type, the predecessor of the 'Dictator' class cruisers. Five and a half kilometers long with a diameter of only seven hundred meters at the midship, with a rounded upper stem, a square cruising stern, and a ribbed, blind tank below the keel technical deck, 'Kowalski' seemed an amazingly fast, taut ship. It had a very menacing appearance.

Since birth 'Kowalski' rarely sailed on traditional routes, and the crew knew no other life. Initially, the ship wandered mostly alone, carrying individual Collegium manipulas, sometimes escorting detachments of two or three heavy transports. Then it was switched to joint operations with frigates and buccaneer cruisers. Now, 'Kowalski' metaphorically speaking, didn't make a move without a squadron that belonged to the 14th Supplies Group of the Ships Forges. But in fact, 'Kowalski' had never been alone before. Entropy, the embodiment of destructive doom, was on its heels. As soon as it pointed the logarithm of the number of available microstates at Hive Tanker 'Goliath', the nearest star paled against the hellish explosion of solar plasma. Barely touched by the probability distribution of the 'Coffin', the latter, slashed in two by an enemy torpedo, entered the atmosphere in a swarm of debris of divine Titans in fiery swathes. Entropy enveloped the escort destroyer in thermodynamic dissipation, and it rushed into the lead-shining depths of the Immaterium, and the stunned, numb with terror crew begged only for a crack in the solid hull, bringing an instant merciful demise rather than an agonizing death from transformation into the Dark in a distorted metal coffin.

Yes, everywhere 'Kowalski' appeared, Entropy appeared too - but it never touched him. It was a lucky ship, an invincible cruiser for whom Galactica was home.

Invincibility was, of course, an illusion, but a carefully calculated one. The 'Kowalski' was designed for specific missions in specific environments, and the Iron Ring Forges knew their business. By the mere appearance of 'Kowalski', a knowledgeable Magos could tell that this ship was designed for the St. Evisser's Path.

It was an unworthy name for half a dozen inhabited worlds (of which no more than two could be considered developed), scattered along an arm that could accommodate three or five sectors of the Ultima Segment. Too few even to declare the region a subsector. A single World Forge, far from the most advanced of the Adeptus Mechanicus strongholds, fully supplied all the Imperial Fleet, Guard, and Adeptus Arbitres forces stationed on the Path. And though the lifeless, barren star systems could not serve as a base for any serious xenos threat, prosperity had long since left the planets of Path. Once majestic temples that attracted pilgrims from all over Segment Solar now stood abandoned amidst dilapidated, half-empty metropolises.

Through this void, however, was the shortest and most relatively stable route, the link between Sacred Terra and the Pacificus Segment. Fleet squadrons and Adeptus Astartes ships moved through the Gates of Fire to aid Maharia, Donian, and the Sabbat worlds.

Navigational beacons, astropathic stations, supply bases - in general, the Imperium's infrastructure on the Path - could not be protected by the usual methods, i.e. regiments of the Guard, orbital fortresses, and battleship squadrons. This would have required resources unimaginable and unaffordable for the feral worlds of the Path. So even a couple of old cruisers in the hands of renegades, or an Orc wanderer accidentally dropped out of warp, could threaten the Imperium's supply of troops. And they threatened with depressing regularity. In such a situation, only a fast-moving transport capable of promptly leaving a group of Titans or a legion of Skitarii on a besieged planet was a key element in the measured, stable operation of a transport artery. And 'Kowalski' had long ago become one of the key links in that system.

Voidmancer-Captain Valler was experienced enough as a combat commander to know the value of the vigilance not only of the cogitators, but also of the techpriest at the detection posts, capable of calculating the best course for the combat mission. 'Kowalski' was the highest achievement of Adeptus Mechanicus since the Schism, the apotheosis of the desire to merge the gifts of Omnissiah, the God-Machine, and the Driving Force to create the ultimate instrument of destruction. A magnificent fighting machine. But only as long as it was under the control of a trusted cogitator, an experienced captain, and faithful techno-jerks who conjured up the binary code of the Spirit Machine. The cruiser, like any Bazilikon Astra ship, was only as good as the purity and loyalty of its senior Voidmancers to Omnissiah.

And the 'Kowalski' Magosas were in a moment of collective bewilderment.

Forty-six hours ago, one of the XJ-9 small escort ships came out of warp, hurrying to the rendezvous point, but received a directional transmission that came from a verified hexacode. The order to lower shields and stand by to receive cargo seemed to come from the void. The Auspexes registered along the direction of the beam an absolute void for millions of kilometers. The most careful analysis yielded no results. Among other things, the distortions typical of the Eldar holoshields were ruled out.

However, an order is an order, and immediately after blocking the emitters of the void shields, several containers with Forges of Mars insignia teleported from nowhere to the receiving deck, along with a techpriest and three multifunctional servitors. The Adept of Mars then relayed an order, verified by the sigil of Parliament, to obey any orders from the messenger, and accordingly gave instructions to go immediately to meet the flagship of the squadron. That is, with the 'Kowalski'.

The techpriest captain wisely decided it wasn't worth asking why his auspexes hadn't detected another ship. An anxious cargo couldn't just appear out of nowhere?! He even wanted to erase the log entry, just in case, which might directly or indirectly prove that the transfer or teleportation had taken place. But he thought better of it. To erase the information was heretical and immoral! He limited himself to multi-level encryption so that only Mars could unlock the recordings in a couple of hundred years.

Magos was quite happy with his current position in the Basilicon Astra hierarchy, and he had forgotten about his career as a Voidmancer centuries ago. Considering that the Captain had outlived many of his comrades and colleagues who had attained command positions on the heavy cruisers and battleships of Adeptus Mechanicus, this approach was not unreasonable and wise.

And now the Mars envoy appeared on the bridge of the 'Kowalski'. Theta's Perseus Monitor was a typical mechanicus that had gone quite far in perfecting the flesh, but not so far as to frighten the weak and uncommitted of Omnissiah. Too ordinary for an unconventional appearance.

"The order is verified by the digital sigil of the Fabricator-General of Mars. Squadron XJ-Nine Basilicon Astra must change course. In twenty-six standard days, 'Kowalski' should move into high orbit 140101-55524-R54024-52928P10. The current operation is canceled, directives changed."

"The verification of the sigil is complete," one of the servitors said indifferently. "Successful. Confirmed."

Voidmancer of the cyber visionary sector immediately summoned a laser-beam woven fragment of the St. Evisser's Path star map. Not that it was necessary. The bluish light and whimsical shadows of holographic multi-tables had illuminated the command posts of Imperium starships for millennia, but the tactical displays seemed out of place, alien on the bridge of the Adeptus Mechanicus ship. The servants of the Omnissiah, who were allowed to control and make decisions, as well as the brainless automaton servants who maintained the machinery, had no need for lighting or visual displays, much less voice communication. Nevertheless, traditions were strictly observed, perhaps in view of infrequent visits from ordinary people. And on Martian ships, the screens often flickered as they did in the olden days when only the imperfect eyes of ordinary people could see the splendor of space.

According to the visualized calculations of the cogitators, the prescribed task could well be accomplished in the prescribed time frame.

The silence of the bridge - or rather, the natural acoustic background of the rustling fans and the hum of the thermal control systems - was broken only by the measured, pounding of the metronome. Perseus Theta's Monitor wonders as to why the Voidemancers needed such an anachronism. The dark wooden case and shiny nickel-plated arrow looked utterly alien amid the dim light and peculiar shadows of the holographic multitables. A fragment of an infinitely distant past, an antique piece, whose sole purpose was, to all appearances, to throw any visitor off-balance.

Monitor Malevolis stood upright, remaining silent, trapped in his own body like a random guest. He was used to waiting. Besides, six months ago, the curious logis had endured a far more difficult and terrifying ordeal than the ticking metronome on the bridge of a warship. When his actions, dictated only by natural curiosity and his search for new information, drew the attention of Doturov himself. Alas, the attention remained, and the monitor became the executor of the Martian technocrat's will. And sometimes - literally, turning into a live puppet. As, for example, now.

The bridge master, the squadron commander, finally stepped away from the holographic visuals and tilted his metal head toward Malevolis, with a necklace of red lenses running the entire circumference. Above the pale yellow schematic ball of some planet, blue half-orbits of ships circled. Judging by the parameters, they belonged to the Mechanicus. The captain's metallic, synthesized voice rang out, so unusual in the realm of numbers, mechanics, and radio waves:

The goal of the squadron's current operation is to supply Farfallen, which, as I'm sure you know, is resisting the attacks of traitors. Sixteen transport 'Coffins' are currently being loaded on the eighth Forge of Magnos Omicron. Adeptus Mechanicus' actions in this project are seventy-six percent complete. Discontinuing them would be a waste of the Forge's resources. The diversion of the cargo would cause massive military losses and could ensure the triumph of the traitors.

Voidmanсer-Captain Valler and his crew were clearly demonstrating their displeasure. So much so that the captain preferred to communicate with his guests by sound. For a man, this would have been tantamount to a dialogue with an exchange of notes through a messenger running between floors.

"Voyd-man-cer-ca-pi-tan," Doturov pronounced in the rhythm of the ticking antiquity through the mouth of Monitor Malevolis. "Are you doubting Mars' competence?"

Vallier shook his head, the closed circle of lenses impassively reflecting the light of the holoprojection. The translucent ships continued to move along trajectories determined by the laws of celestial mechanics.

"No. Actions agreed to by Quaestor have a lower priority," Valier finally muttered. "We are obliged to comply. However, any decision is a compromise between the input conditions and the desired outcome. I do not know the changed plans for the transport ships and the expected benefits. But I am qualified to conclude that without the 'Coffins,' and any delay in supply, the Arbiters cannot effectively perform their duty. The consequences will be complex and negative and will unfold over many standard years, leading to unpredictable ramifications. Is this condition taken into account?"

"Yes. This situation represents a failure of the Administratum and will indeed have devastating consequences," Doturov said dryly, dispassionately. "But it is not a Mechanicus duty to maintain the planet's level of development and security. We are allies, not subordinates of the Administratum, and we are not obligated to solve its problems at any price. Especially problems created by inadequate risk assessment and refusal to follow the plan. The strategy for securing the Farfallen polis is left to the Adeptus Arbitres and the planetary defense forces."

The guest, whose real status remained a mystery, multiplied the captain's displeasure. Vallier did not like useless information exchange, with duplication of knowledge. However, he had to do the unloved thing, to ensure that there was no chance of error. So the captain continued communicating using acoustic vibrations, emphasizing the extent of his criticality. Logis, meanwhile, suddenly gained back control of his own body. The formidable patron and puppeteer at the same time retreated into the shadows, leaving the puppet to conduct further dialogue on its own. It was strange and like a difficult test, one had only to understand its purpose. But Perseus Theta decided to think it over later, for the moment the conversation and responsibility demanded all his intellectual resources.

"The strategic situation on the planet poses a threat to the Imperium's supply lines and, in general, maybe dangerous to Human settlements on the Path as a whole," Vallier showed stubborn opposition, albeit within acceptable limits. The mechanical voice was measured and dry, but the captain managed to add a palpable amount of displeasure to it.

"The strategy to protect Farfallen accepted by the Department Munitorum is a failure," Theta said cautiously. "We have assessed its long-term effects and prospects. Mars no longer sees the need to actively continue to support it."

"Even if we exclude loaded transporters from consideration, the Titans already on 'Kowalski' as well as their future crews could turn the tide on the rebellious planet. Perhaps with that in mind, the transport plans should be revised and at least some of the cargo should be delivered according to the original request."

Vallier, to use the terminology of 'meat' people, looked sternly inward. The captain felt in his own soul the shadows of emotion, the harmful parasitic distortions of the mathematically precise and rigorous thought process blessed by Omnissiah. He felt them and could not overcome them, because unconditional acceptance of the visitor's logic meant...

It meant that the best ship that ever came off the Martian shipyards had been doing nonsense for a year and a half, decomposing resources into non-recyclable and useless elements. The realization of this hurt the captain almost physically. A feeling is forgotten, alien, and therefore doubly painful.

"Negative."

At Theta's silent command, the modified visor of the logis went into holo-projection mode.

"Let us recall that according to the results of the analysis of Estat Imperium, the use of a single corps of arbitrators was deemed acceptable for the success of the operation. The decision was witnessed by the governor's personal key and the Planetaris quaestor's DNA. They considered the reasoning of the expert panel, which recommended the use of at least three corps, insufficient. It is now clear that this was a mistake."

"The First Expeditionary is the elite of the Marshal of the Path," the captain did not give up. He knew that, in human terminology, he was 'losing face,' and yet he could not admit the ruthless obviousness of the decision.

"Quite right," agreed Theta, growing in confidence with every word. "And so the lack of a contingent of three hundred thousand was supposed to be compensated for by an elaborate plan."

Logis was well aware of the Captain's motives and, having no instructions from Doturov, decided to be as merciful as possible in communicating with mechanics who deny ancient, evolutionarily imperfect mechanisms of emotion. In this case, the merciful thing to do was to provide the captain with more information (within his competence, of course) in order to reduce the degree of stochastic fluctuations in his assessment.

"The troops were delivered to Farfallen in the holds of the 'Kowalski' one and sixty-four hundredths of a standard year ago. The Arbitrators were required to wait for the arrival of the XJ Nine ships to organize orbital support and deploy a satellite surface monitoring network. As you know, these conditions were not met either."

"Lord Marshal preferred to use the surprise factor."

"The First Corps landed two hundred and forty-seven days before the Adeptus Mechanicus cruiser group arrived. Engaged in active combat before the deployment of a satellite cover formation. Without guaranteed infiltration of native communication channels. At the same time, intelligence provided exhaustive data on the insurgents' possession of atomic munitions of the third and fourth classes..."

"Primitive cruise missiles, unguided, at subsonic speed..."

Now Valliere blessed the slow, unhelpful human speech. The sound gave a special weight, a meaning to the words.

Theta ignored Vallières' remark, "The first massive use of which resulted in nine successful detonations out of one hundred and seventy-three. More than five percent, which is categorically unacceptable. With the deployment of the ship's constellation in orbit, as well as the reconnaissance satellites, all the missiles would have been destroyed before launch. Breaking the controlled perimeter of the bridgehead necessitated regrouping the arbitrator forces and reorganizing the planetary defense force with a halt to the offensive."

The absence of lungs removed the natural constraints so that Theta's speech continued without pauses for breath.

"The lack of accurate data on enemy operational plans, coupled with an inability to track the movements of radiation sources, resulted in eleven subsequent detonations at expeditionary corps positions in the north-northeastern sector. Losses amounted to seventy-four percent of the regular number of attached PDF divisions, with twelve percent of the arbitrator's personnel losses. Contrary to the recommended protocols, these numbers were not accepted as the basis for reducing the controlled perimeter and compacting the defense sphere."

Logis shut off the projection.

"The attempt to use transport ships as orbital weapons should be qualified solely as a ridiculous misunderstanding. Ridiculous and very expensive, given the losses of two pennants from airborne atomic detonations by manned suicide sub-carriers."

By and large, Logis did not need to state the obvious, but the Martian noted the captain's high level of emotional involvement in his work. This, of course, should have been reported to the appropriate authorities. But Theta never missed an opportunity to give the errant a second chance. An opportunity to impartially assess and then correct the deviation. At this moment he imagined himself as a mirror, in which Valier should see an undistorted image of his imperfection.

One could only hope that Logis's aspirations were somehow consistent with Doturov's values and principles.

"The transporters of the Administratum are not optimized for thermoregulation at high energy inputs," the captain insisted. "Full impulse required increased dissipation surfaces, and deployed radiators..."

"... increase atmospheric deceleration and, consequently, working substance consumption to maintain orbit. In other words, low-power laser armament required a descent into the mesosphere. Due to the natural atmospheric braking, the heat dissipation radiators could not be fully deployed. Because of the limited heat sink, the ships had to descend even lower and reduce their firepower. Maybe that's why the relevant Arbitrator protocols prescribe combat operations in the mesosphere by warships staffed by squadrons assigned to Adeptus Arbitres corps?"

Vallier was silent. As far as Perseus Theta understood he was feeling real anger.

Further testing of the controlled perimeter continued after the rebel naval strike near mark K-14, where, due to depletion and mass desertion of PDF regiments, most of the defense was supported by Arbitres. The Emperor's warriors traded their own lives for territory, with insufficient reasoning to hold the positions they occupied.

"A retreat would have boosted enemy morale."

Now Perseus Theta felt rather sad. The captain demonstrated deplorably human errors, senseless attachment to the results of his labor without regard to objective benefit. Apparently, this could no longer be corrected...On the other hand, though, the Voidmancer very accurately emulated the logic of the Administratum officials, which was a valuable quality when dealing with the disfavored of the Omnissiah. This situation should have been carefully analyzed, but later.

"The morale of the rebellious natives was already exceptionally high," Theta stated. "And it was due, first, to the stopping of the offensive of the loyal Imperium forces, second, to the successful use of atomic weapons, which proved the very possibility of the destruction of Arbitres. And thirdly, the two ships that were shot down," Theta's voice was momentarily filled with anger.

"At the same time, consolidated rebel ground troops, supported by the forces of three treasonous regiments, launched an all-out assault, causing a perimeter breach in six sectors to the south and northwest of the bridgehead. Within forty-eight standard days, the area held by Governor Farfallen was reduced to twenty thousand square kilometers. And that's for the entire planet. The number of Arbitrators in the formation has dropped to eighty-three thousand, which, according to protocol, is not enough to maintain the combat effectiveness of the corps. At the moment, the rebel counteroffensive can only be stopped by the use of sixth-class kinetic warheads by Adeptus Mechanicus cruisers that have entered high orbits. And I stress that the arrival of the cruisers to Farfallen according to the original order of 'Kowalski' is now seventy-six standard days away. Upon arrival, you will only be able to record the defeat of the Loyalists."

"But the planned landing of the Titans will turn the tide of the campaign," the captain objected. "And destroy the rebels' ability to resist."

"This is irrational," Theta ruthlessly cut them off. "There's no way the Titans group can be sustained by enough Arbitrators and loyal PDF troops to secure a ground bridgehead and establish a permanent base. We are sympathetic to the uncompromising position of the Arbitrators, but the Mars Fabricator General has assessed the situation comprehensively and assumes no further implementation of the operation is possible. It will be terminated, at least as far as we are concerned."

"What is the position of Factory General Magnos Omicron?" The captain grasped the last opportunity.

"The loading of the 'Coffins' is currently underway, based already on the new task. Although it is strange, I have to remind you that in the 'Worlds Sabbath' sector there is a multi-level and extraordinarily fierce battle for nine hundred and thirty-seven inhabited planets. Therefore, the transportation component of the St. Evisser Path is very important to Imperium and Mars. Protecting the beacon systems that point the way through the Warp Storm of the Gates of Fire in the current circumstances is far more important than helping inadequate planetary governors."

Vallier froze for a second. Theta could guess how the 'Kowalski' Voidmancer felt right now. Through the fault of the Administratum, their ship had been wasting the resources of the only Fprgeworld on the St. Evisser Path for almost a year. It is hard to imagine a greater disgrace to the ship's Spirit Machine and the sacred aspects of the Driving Force.

"Set a new course. Target 140101-55524-R54024-52928P10," Valier's code blared over the radio. "May I know the contents of the new squadron objectives?"

To the captain's credit, he still managed to stop at the edge and accept the inevitable. This filled Theta's soul with restrained jubilation. From humility and acknowledgment to machine perfection, this path was not yet closed to the wayward one. The time used for the unfolding and primitive info-exchange was not wasted. Will Doturov appreciate it? It does not matter, because the main thing is that, to use the terminology of the Imperium, one of the lambs has lost its way, but returns to the shepherd.

"Defending navigation in Magnos Omicron's area of responsibility. Countering the enemies of Humanity. Testing a new kind of tools to counteract the Dark Ones and their Imperium technoheresy," Doturov answered in the hexacode. Moving to normal communication, he felt like a weary wanderer dipping into a warm spring. May the Omnissiah that opened to mankind the golden path of perfection be eternally triumphant!"

"What to tell the Titans crews?"

For a moment Theta thought that Doturov, lurking like a digital ghost at the edge of the information array - logis consciousness - smiled. But Perseus Theta immediately erased the silly thought that the Martian Parliament's Lexic Arcanus might not be perfect enough on the way to the God-Machine.

"Orders to crews: second degree of readiness for landing. Protocol 'Cortez'."

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