58: Imperial warships

Han Zhe's command was still echoing in the bridge; the dawn had just completed a minor course correction, sliding like a shadow toward the coordinates of the Chaos Hatchery. However, the moment the turn was about to stabilize, the lead nodes of the "Diting" network and the hound-ii platform simultaneously sent out a maximum-priority alarm that pierced the silence!

"‘Diting-03’ has detected a high-intensity, clearly characterized energy signal! Bearing: directly ahead of the original course, distance 1.5 light-minutes! Signal characteristic match... 93%! Identification—Imperial Navy, ‘Lunar-class’ Cruiser-level main thruster wake and Void Shield disturbance ripples!" The detection officer's report carried an unmistakable horror, his voice almost distorted.

"‘Hound-IV’ (deployed to the left flank) supplementary report: detected multiple groups of small ship-borne aircraft (‘Fury’ class Interceptors?) escort signals, and... suspected active Auspex scanning pulses! Scanning direction... currently covering our ship's area!"

The Imperial Navy! A cruiser, with ship-borne aircraft, was right ahead, and it seemed to have already noticed the anomaly here!

On the main screen, a cold, majestic light point flashing the Aquila emblem (matched via the keystone emergency database fragments) suddenly lit up. Its energy readings were like a blazing sun, far exceeding the dawn or even that chaos larva ship! More heart-stoppingly, the ripples representing active scanning were spreading from that direction like invisible tentacles, slowly probing toward the void where the dawn was located.

The air in the bridge froze instantly. Everyone's gaze turned to Han Zhe. Encountering Chaos, they could fight to the death. Encountering unknown xenos, they could maneuver. But encountering the Imperial Navy... for a ship like the dawn with an ambiguous identity, complex technical origins, and loaded with forbidden secrets (STC Technology, the k-73 relic, Clone Soldiers), it was almost a total catastrophe. The Inquisition, the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Navy itself... no party would let them go.

"All hands! Emergency orders!" Han Zhe's voice pierced the dead silence like an icicle, without the slightest hesitation. "Highest level silence protocol! Immediately! Shut down all non-essential power outputs, including taotie-ii, hive-ii upgrade projects, active sensors, and secondary thrusters! Shift the iron curtain shields to passive low-power mode, camouflaging as asteroid or debris background radiation! Release decoys (large pieces of inert debris from the last battle, fitted with weak thrusters and heat source simulations), set to drift toward the original Chaos Hatchery coordinates!"

A series of commands followed like a torrential storm. The lights dimmed instantly, and most screens switched to low-power standby mode as the engine hum rapidly decayed to near-inaudibility. Outside the hull, several small devices camouflaged as metal fragments and emitting weak infrared signals were quietly ejected, moving slowly toward the original target direction under inertia.

"The ‘Diting’ network is entering the deepest level of passive listening; receive only, do not transmit any signals," Han Zhe added, his fingers moving rapidly on the tactical panel. "Calculate the Imperial warship's current course and speed, as well as its Auspex scan pattern and coverage cycle. Calculate the safest path and timing to exit its effective detection range while maintaining silence and using the existing stardust belt for cover."

"The Imperial warship's course is at a 17-degree angle to our original course, speed 0.08C, with no course change or acceleration. The Auspex scanning mode is wide-area periodic; the current scan sector is expected to sweep across our current general area in forty-seven seconds. If our ship maintains absolute silence and uses the sparse asteroid dust belt at three o'clock starboard for cover, there is a 78% probability of exiting its high-precision detection range during the interval between two scans (approximately three hundred seconds later)." keystone's response was fast and precise, but behind the data was a cold reality: they had to hide like ghosts and pray they weren't caught by the giant ship's keen senses.

"Hard starboard, minimum power attitude adjustment thrusters, cut into the dust belt. Course correction to... away from the Imperial warship, away from the Chaos Hatchery, and temporarily deviating toward a random direction from the Ashes Graveyard. Maintain current speed." Han Zhe chose the most cautious plan. At this moment, any purposeful movement could expose them. They needed to disappear first.

The dawn's massive body adjusted its attitude at a near-crawling speed, using several tiny nozzles to silently "stuff" itself behind the curtain of thin interstellar dust and small ice crystals. The radar-absorbent coating on the hull worked at full capacity, swallowing all possible leaking heat and radiation.

Time ticked by second by second, as if stretched into painful threads. In the bridge, only suppressed breathing and the faint hum of the system running at minimum levels could be heard. Everyone stared at the main screen—although the active sensors were off, the passive receivers were still capturing terrifying signals from the direction of the Imperial warship. That massive, stable energy source, that presence representing the supreme military power and ruthless laws of the Imperium of Man, weighed on everyone's hearts like an invisible mountain.

Forty-seven seconds.

The scanning beam arrived as scheduled, like an invisible tide.

The passive sensors captured the faint spatial disturbances caused by the powerful scanning pulse as it swept through the surrounding space. It didn't hit the dawn directly, but it was nearby. On the bridge, several operators' palms were slick with cold sweat.

The beam swept past and continued forward.

The first scan sector had passed.

"No signs of lock-on or targeted scanning detected," keystone confirmed in a low voice.

But this was only the beginning. The Imperial warship's Auspex would continue to work with periodic scans. They had to completely disappear from this area's "background noise" within three hundred seconds, or become exactly like the background noise.

"The camouflage decoys have entered the predetermined drift orbit; thermal signal simulation is normal," the detection officer reported.

"Attitude adjustment complete; we have fully entered the dust belt's cover range."

"Ship-wide energy output is maintained at the absolute minimum; some areas of the life support system have switched to energy-saving circulation mode."

Han Zhe stood motionless, his gaze seemingly piercing the hull and dust to look directly at the invisible giant ship in the distance. Why would an Imperial Navy ship appear in this remote sector? Was it a routine patrol? Hunting heretics or traitors? Or... had they also sensed traces of Chaos, or even clues to the Ashes Graveyard or the stasis prism relic? Regardless of which it was, it meant extreme danger for the dawn.

"Is there any abnormal movement from the Imperial warship's escort group?" he asked in a low voice.

"None detected. The escort group is maintaining formation and sailing with the mothership."

"Continue monitoring all Imperial warship communication frequencies; attempt to capture any cleartext or crackable signals."

"Attempting... detected highly encrypted internal fleet communication streams, unable to crack. No outgoing broadcasts or distress signals detected."

Time continued to pass. Two hundred seconds... one hundred and fifty seconds... one hundred seconds... "Detected secondary energy fluctuations from the Imperial warship... suspected periodic self-test of some weapons systems (point-defense laser arrays)." The detection officer's voice grew even tighter. A weapons self-test meant the warship was in a state of combat readiness, even if only routine.

Fifty seconds... thirty seconds... the next scan was imminent.

"All personnel, maintain absolute stillness. Shut down non-core functions of personal terminals, including non-essential data exchange for neural interfaces," Han Zhe ordered again, his voice kept extremely low.

The scanning beam struck again.

This time, the disturbance captured by the passive sensors seemed... a bit closer? Perhaps it was psychological, or perhaps the distribution of the dust belt caused scattering.

The beam passed safely once more.

"Still no lock-on detected."

The three hundred seconds were up.

"keystone, calculate the exit window," Han Zhe asked immediately.

"The optimal exit window has appeared. Recommendation: maintain current ultra-low speed and move slowly along the edge of the dust belt toward the predetermined random direction for six hundred seconds. This will allow us to completely exit the high-confidence detection sphere of the Imperial warship's current Auspex configuration. Afterward, power can be gradually restored, but high-stealth sailing must be maintained for at least three light-hours away from this area before considering the restoration of conventional detection."

"Execute according to plan. Slow withdrawal."

The dawn, like the most timid krill in the deep sea, began to "drift" toward the dark depths away from the Imperial giant ship at an almost imperceptible speed under the cover of the dust. The entire process was agonizingly slow; every tiny thruster ignition felt like a thunderclap that might expose them.

Ten minutes later.

"Exited high-confidence detection range. The Imperial warship's energy signal is gradually decaying; no signs of pursuit detected."

In the bridge, the frozen air finally seemed to flow slowly, but the sense of tension did not fully dissipate.

"Maintain stealth sailing and continue to distance ourselves. Set a new temporary rally point, coordinates... (randomly generated). The ‘Diting’ network will resume deployment of some passive listening nodes, focusing on monitoring the direction of the Imperial warship and the Chaos Hatchery." keystone's execution remained precise.

Only several hours later, when the dawn was more than two light-hours away from that area and it was confirmed the Imperial warship had not turned to pursue, did Han Zhe slightly relax his taut nerves.

"The crisis is temporarily averted." He let out a long breath, his gaze sweeping over the still-pale faces of the people on the bridge. "But this is not the end. The appearance of the Imperial Navy makes the situation in this sector even more complex and dangerous. We not only need to dodge the claws of Chaos but also stay out of the Imperium's sight. The course for the Ashes Graveyard... must be re-evaluated."

He pulled up the star map, looking at the marked target, then at another secret route provided by k-73, as well as the newly discovered coordinates of the Chaos Hatchery that might hide a "complete hound."

"Suspend plans for a direct attack on the Chaos Hatchery. With an Imperial warship operating nearby, the risk is too high," Han Zhe made a difficult but rational decision. "Prioritize ensuring the safety and stealth of the dawn. The upgrade and operation of hive-ii and taotie-ii are current top priorities. Meanwhile, increase research efforts on the k-73 relic; we need more information about the stasis prism and the Concept Dissolver, and... how to better hide ourselves, whether on a physical level or a... ‘conceptual’ level."

"Command confirmed. Adjusting priorities. The dawn is entering a phase of deep stealth sailing and internal reinforcement." keystone responded.