Chapter 123: Plans for the Forge Ship
After the comprehensive technical upgrade, Joric had not only renewed his primary weapon systems but also systematically optimized his entire sensor array and auxiliary equipment.
Currently, three newly acquired servo-skulls hovered silently around him in a triangular formation, their multi-spectral sensor arrays continuously scanning the environment.
These precision devices integrated high-fidelity scanning, deep-void auspex, real-time data analysis, and combat-support/defense functions, forming a complete mobile awareness network.
The servo-skull fashioned from his former classmate's cranium had also completed a significant upgrade.
Now hardlined directly into Joric's spinal interface via a high-tensile data-cable, it acted as an external, dedicated cogitator-core, specialized in processing complex trans-dimensional calculations and spatial topology analysis.
Escorted by this specialized retinue, Joric stepped onto the long-silent orbital dock.
The protection detail was led personally by Ignis and her elite Vanguard.
These hardened warriors wore heavy carapace armor etched with complex machine-prayers, the optical sensors on their helms glowing with a steady red light in the gloom.
Their equipment standard and combat discipline ranked second only to the God-Engine Guard of the Titan Legions within the Forge World.
The difference lay only in functional specialization and ceremonial status; their combat efficacy was effectively equal.
Ignis herself moved like a silent war-machine, each step maintaining the optimal guard position to Joric's rear-flank, ready to counter any potential threat.
This magnificent construction facility, once a symbol of Great Crusade ambition, now appeared empty and decayed.
Up in the kilometer-high vaulted ceiling, nearly a third of the illumination units had failed, casting vast shadows across the rust-mottled metal deck.
The air was thick with the dust of oxidized metal, the acrid scent of dried lubricants, and the chill unique to long abandonment.
The occasional clang of a maintenance servitor at work echoed hollowly in the vast space.
Ignis signaled, and the Vanguard immediately fanned out into a defensive perimeter.
The hydraulics of their power armor hissed almost inaudibly, indicating excellent maintenance.
Joric proceeded, surrounded by his escort. The scanning beams of his servo-skulls danced in the darkness, feeding detailed status reports of this slumbering giant directly into his sensory system.
Under the direct orders of the Fabricator-Magos, this long-dormant orbital dock was undergoing a slow, arduous reboot process.
Teams of cleaning servitors moved sluggishly along the main concourses, their worn brushes scraping at decades of cosmic dust, leaving intricate cleaning trails on the deck.
Enginseers in dark-red robes piloted maintenance platforms through the massive structural ribs, carefully inspecting the operational status of the dock's foundational systems.
Sporadic welding sparks flashed in the gloom, like brief fireflies in the night, illuminating localized repair efforts.
The entire reboot effort was still in its most basic phase—restoring power, ensuring structural stability, and activating essential life-support.
The air resonated with the low thrum of restarting equipment and occasional system-chimes, sounds that were starkly clear in the empty dock.
Though progress was slow, these initial operations had at least restored a minimum of life to this industrial mega-structure, forgotten for decades.
In the center of this somewhat chaotic scene, the unfinished hull of the Lunar-class Cruiser hung silently within the dock's gravity-tethers, a sleeping metal titan.
This was a standard cruiser, originally intended for the VII Legion's expeditionary fleet.
In that glorious era of crusade, this fleet had not yet earned the formal title of "Imperial Navy"; it was only after Guilliman's reforms that the mortal-crewed space fleets were unified under the Navy's command structure.
Due to the sudden outbreak of the Heresy, construction on this warship had been halted over a century ago.
What lay before them was merely the laid keel and approximately 40% of the primary structural assembly.
Over two-thirds of the hull surface remained unarmored, exposing a labyrinthine network of internal conduits, unfinished structural frames, and empty system-slots.
Several key weapon-platform mounts were empty voids. Unconnected power conduits dangled from engine interfaces.
To complete construction according to the original design would require resources equivalent to rebuilding half a secondary forge, which was the primary reason for the project's long stagnation.
However, for Joric, this "incomplete" state offered a unique convenience for modification.
The ship's original design profile was a mortal-operated exploration vessel, fundamentally different from a Mechanicus-dedicated Forge Ship.
He planned a complete reconstruction.
The priority modification was the installation of a full Manufactorum Module—a shipboard, compact forge system.
This standard configuration would allow the Forge Ship to autonomously produce everything from personal weapons to heavy machinery, satisfying the routine production needs of the Imperial industrial system.
The weapon systems would also be comprehensively upgraded.
Compared to the relatively conservative loadouts of the Imperial Navy, Mechanicus warships typically fielded far more potent weaponry.
Take the Nova Cannon, for example. A rare, heavy weapon in the Imperial Navy, it was considered standard issue for Mechanicus fleets.
Other critical systems, such as the Auger Arrays, Void Shield Generators, Gellar Field, and Warp Engines, though not yet installed, were already agreed upon with the Fabricator-Magos. They would all be high-performance patterns supplied from internal Mechanicus stocks.
In Joric's blueprint, a Dedicated Laboratory located in the ship's core was given the highest priority.
This highly isolated research space would feature multi-layered shielding, with the gap between inner and outer hulls filled with specific anti-scan and anti-intrusion materials.
The laboratory would be equipped with a completely independent power system, including a dedicated plasma reactor and multiple backup supplies, ensuring operation under any circumstances.
Independent life-support, internal comms-networks, and data-processing centers would make it a truly self-contained research fortress.
The core mission of this lab was to conduct sensitive research that could not tolerate external interference—specifically, deep experiments on the Dimensional Sextant.
Considering the unpredictable risks of such experiments, the lab was designed with emergency isolation protocols and multiple security-lockdown mechanisms.
Its structural integrity was sufficient to withstand internal medium-scale explosions, and it possessed the capability to be emergency-jettisoned from the main hull.
Beyond this core lab, the rest of the ship was meticulously planned.
The Skitarii barracks would occupy three continuous decks in the midsection, equipped with full training facilities, armories, and billeting systems.
Adjacent to this, a Recruit Cultivation Facility, fitted with artificial womb arrays and gene-conditioning equipment, would provide a continuous supply of manpower for the Skitarii.
Equipment maintenance bays were distributed at key fore and aft locations, ensuring rapid response to maintenance needs across the ship.
Standing on the dock's observation platform, Joric's servo-skulls continued to scan the unfinished hull, feeding real-time data on structural strength, spatial distribution, and system integration into his core-logic.
Though it was currently just a massive metal skeleton, with exposed cabling and unsealed compartments looking chaotic, in his logical simulation, the ship had already taken on a clear, future form.
A mobile base integrating research, military, and production functions. An exploration platform capable of crossing dimensional boundaries.
Every conduit run, every armor seam was precisely formed in his mind, waiting only for the blueprint to be transmuted into reality.
(End of Chapter)