A Forge Master wasn't just any tech-adept. They were Space Marines sent to Mars as aspirants, returning steeped in arcane knowledge and seasoned as Techmarines. With experience rivaling a Mechanicus Sage, they became their Chapter's master craftsmen. Why the Martian pilgrimage? Since the Dark Age of Technology, humanity's knowledge crumbled under the Long Night. Even after the Great Crusade and ten millennia of Imperial rule, mankind hadn't reclaimed its lost glory. Most tech was a mystery—usable, but barely understood. Maintenance, let alone creation, was a rare art, jealously guarded by the Mechanicus.
By the Emperor's treaty with Mars, the Mechanicus held a monopoly on all Imperial arms and gear. Early Legions had some autonomy in crafting, but post-Heresy, the Mechanicus tightened its grip, especially after Mars's own civil war. Dream of breaking their monopoly? Good luck. Without their blessing, no one would touch your gear. Worse, they'd label you a tech-heretic and send a Titan Legion to vaporize you, with the Imperium cheering them on with an Exterminatus order.
Even Space Marine Chapters relied on the Mechanicus for upkeep. Wealthy ones, like the Ultramarines, could afford embedded Sages and their tech-priest crews. Yet, they still trained Techmarines and Forge Masters. Chapters like the secretive Dark Angels, cybernetic Iron Hands, or tech-savvy Salamanders had their own tricks, but even they sent recruits to Mars. Techmarines, shaped by years on Mars, often drifted apart from their battle-brothers, their faith in the Omnissiah clashing subtly with the Chapter's Emperor-worship, despite both being Imperial creeds.
Forge Masters, while respected and senior, were often distant from a Chapter's power core—except in Iron Hands or Salamanders, where they could rise high. For Rostov II, a Forge Master was a game-changer. Beyond countering Orvillea, they represented a Space Marine Chapter's might—far outstripping an exiled Sage, even one of Cawl's pedigree. A Sage's contributions were often indirect, their combat boosts limited. But a Chapter, no matter how battered, could field a squad of Astartes—officially enough to quell a planetary rebellion.
When Farlan Gutress, a Deathwatch Black Shield Forge Master, stepped off the starport, Rostov II's elites lost their minds, rolling out a welcome grander than Luka's own arrival. Luka, as a mere Inquisitor-Governor, didn't mind—Deathwatch was a league above.
After a brief ceremony, Luka led Gutress (the shop owner's alias) and Merlin (Mai Mai) to the orbital elevator. "Gutress, you're a Deathwatch Forge Master, claiming Imperial Fists origin," Luka said, double-checking. "Merlin, you're a Rogue Trader, my Inquisitorial acolyte, with a warrant signed by Primarch Ferrus—though you're using a standard High Lords' warrant for now. Pick your dynasty name. Twilight, as a Navy Captain, commands our Sword-class frigate and stays off-planet for now. Clear?"
"Clear," Gutress said. "But my relic inferno pistol and Necron phase-blade forge-axe are locked—need points to unlock." His adventurer-mode piece activated, but the gear was restricted.
"Who told you to load up on fancy toys?" Luka sighed, eyeing the axe and pistol. "Kill some Flayed Ones, and you'll have enough points."
Per the servo-skull, adventurer mode granted 100 points for gear, unlike commander mode's squad deployments. But Luka and his trio pooled 300 points for a Sword-class frigate—1.6 kilometers long, crewed by over 26,000. It left Mai Mai and Twilight with bare-bones gear, but as a Rogue Trader and Navy Captain, they'd stay safe aboard, not fighting. The ship enabled orbital strikes and warp travel, crucial for future operations.
(To be continued)