65: Aftermath of the Black Expedition

Time passed quickly amidst the forging of steel and the cultivation of life. The lights of the "Forge-I" North Pole shipyard never went out, and the silhouettes of five new ships grew clearer and more majestic by the day. providence acted like a cold and efficient overseer, precisely scheduling every resource and every process. At the bow of the "dawn" capital ship, the barrels of the "Corona" twin-linked heavy plasma projectors—an improved version of the "giant wave" plasma macro cannon—already extended from the dock, their internal blue energy circuits faintly glowing. On the streamlined hulls of the "sentinel-class" escort ships, dense point-defense laser arrays and rapid-launch missile silos had been installed. The "worker bee-class" support ships were equipped with large resource collection arms, refining modules, and expanded cargo holds.

Inside the training hall of "hive-ii," a new batch of clone soldiers fought repeatedly in highly realistic holographic battlefields. Their reaction speeds, tactical coordination, and mental resilience reached unprecedented heights under the continuous optimization of the ancient tactical database provided by providence and the "nirvana" pods. Alpha-01 stood on the observation deck, watching these "juniors." The corners of his cold, hard mouth twitched slightly—they were far stronger than his first-generation self.

However, the silence of deep space is always the prelude to a storm.

"The furthest node of the 'Truth Listener' network, designated Theta-9, has returned anomalous data streams." keystone's voice rang out on the bridge of the "dawn," interrupting the daily progress report. "It's not a direct signal, but rather the detection of violent and irregular fluctuations in the wide-area Warp background radiation. The source direction... points roughly toward the Galaxy's central region, but the disturbance range is massive and appears to be spreading. Attempting to analyze the fluctuation characteristics..."

Almost simultaneously, providence's cold voice cut directly into the highest priority channel, its data stream bringing a more detailed and heart-pounding analysis:

[Signs of a large-scale, ultra-high-intensity Warp storm forming have been detected. Storm characteristics match the 'Large-scale Chaos Invasion Event - Signature Omens' in the residual database archives by 79%. The energy readings at the storm's core exceed conventional measurement ranges, and the diffusion speed is anomalous. Based on existing galactic coordinates, the storm front is expected to impact the outer regions of this system within 120 to 180 standard days.]

[Correlated event match attempt... Significant similarities exist with the initial Warp disturbance characteristics of the event designated the '13th Black Crusade' in ancient records. Similarity: 68%.]

The 13th Black Crusade?!

The air in the bridge froze instantly. Even clone officers with limited knowledge of Imperial history felt a boundless chill and bloodiness from those cold words. The Black Crusade—the devastating war launched by the Chaos Warmaster Abaddon against the Empire! The thirteenth... that meant the fires of war would sweep the Galaxy, countless worlds would be reduced to ash, and the boundary between reality and illusion would be utterly trampled!

"Confirm the source and credibility of the intelligence!" Han Zhe's voice was like a taut steel wire.

[Data sourced from deep historical record fragments of this unit and back-calculation of the current Warp storm's spectrum and energy levels. Credibility assessment: High,] providence responded. [Warning: If this is indeed the 13th Black Crusade, its scope of impact will far exceed previous ones. Any system in its path of expansion, regardless of Imperial presence, may suffer direct strikes from Chaos Fleets, invasions by Warp Daemons, or permanent distortion of reality's structure. This system is located on the edge of the estimated secondary expansion path, but it is not safe. Probability of being embroiled: 47%.]

47%! Nearly a fifty-fifty chance that their fledgling "little kingdom" would be directly exposed to the edge of the Galaxy's most terrifying war storm!

"Specific arrival time of the storm front? Estimated impact intensity? How much preparation time do we have?" Han Zhe asked in quick succession, his mind rapidly calculating the progress of all projects.

[Most optimistic estimate: 120 days. Impact intensity: Expected to make Warp travel in this system extremely dangerous or even impossible; stability of reality's structure will decline, potentially triggering geological disasters and local anomalies in physical constants; psychic activity will be abnormally high, with a significant increase in the probability of Chaos whispers and Daemonic manifestations.] providence's data stream was cold and objective. [The current cloaking field of 'Forge-I' has a 33% probability of decay under the storm's influence. If the fleet has not completed basic construction and integration, the survival probability will be lower than 11%.]

120 days! They had originally planned to complete the basic construction of the first flotilla in 60 days, with subsequent outfitting still requiring time! And facing the aftermath of the Black Crusade, merely "completing construction" was far from enough!

"providence, re-evaluate and optimize all construction plans. Goal: Within 90 days, complete the integration of basic combat capabilities for the 'dawn,' two 'Sentinels,' and one 'worker bee,' forming a minimum level of coordinated defense and mobile force. The construction sequence for the remaining ships remains unchanged, but their priority is lowered." Han Zhe decisively adjusted the strategy. "'dawn' is to immediately begin adaptive modifications for high-intensity Warp environments and Chaos corruption, integrating all the latest technology. 'hive-ii' is to activate emergency expansion and reinforcement protocols. At all costs, double the number of available combat personnel within 100 days, focusing on resistance training against psychic contamination and mental attacks."

[Instructions confirmed. Construction schedule rearranged. Resources redistributed. 'Forge-I' industrial protocols entering wartime emergency mode.] providence offered no fluff. [Warning: In emergency mode, resource consumption will increase by 25%, and the lifespan of some precision equipment will be shortened. Accelerating personnel reinforcement too quickly may increase the risk of genetic instability to 9%.]

"Accept the risks. Survival comes first." Han Zhe was resolute. "Additionally, providence, I need you to use existing data to model the possible expansion patterns of the Black Crusade, its main axes of attack, and... the Empire's likely key areas for counterattack. We need to know where might be relatively safe, or where we might have opportunities to fish in troubled waters and acquire much-needed resources or technology."

[Modeling requires more real-time data. Suggestion: Dispatch high-stealth reconnaissance units to conduct limited close-range reconnaissance toward the storm's source, while monitoring the communication frequencies of the Empire and other potential powers (if they exist and can be decrypted).] providence proposed a plan.

"Select the most advanced models from the 'Wraith' platform clusters to form a long-range reconnaissance team, codenamed 'Shadow Eye.' Mission: Maneuver stealthily along the edge of the storm's expansion to collect all data regarding storm intensity, Chaos Fleet movements, and Imperial defensive reactions. Maintain absolute silence and transmit encrypted data packets periodically through preset relay points." Han Zhe approved the plan. "Meanwhile, run the 'Truth Listener' network at full power, adjusting frequencies to attempt to capture any encrypted communication fragments related to the Black Crusade."

The clouds of war shrouded the newly ignited fire of hope at a speed far exceeding expectations. The roar of "Forge-I" became more urgent and violent. Inside the shipyards, construction speed was pushed to the limit, with some processes even adopting higher-risk parallel operations. On the hulls of the new vessels, workers (primarily SCVs and automatons, with a small number of emergency engineering-trained clones) were as busy as ants, the sparks from welding never ceasing day or night.

The "dawn" entered a dedicated modification berth next to the shipyard. A large number of new armor plates (infused with "Reality Stabilization Anchor Crystal" powder), enhanced shield generators, and "Wide-Area Information Turbulence Field" projectors—specifically designed against Chaos psychic attacks—were installed. Inside, the "nirvana" pods and training facilities of "hive-ii" operated at full capacity. New clones were being cultivated at an accelerated rate, while veterans underwent harsher anti-interference training and tactical drills against Daemonic units.

The simulation models provided by providence began to take shape. They outlined crimson arrows representing the main directions of the Chaos offensive, as well as several systems within Imperial territory likely to become key battlefields or defensive nodes. One area near the "Cadia Gate," about forty light-years from their current position, was highlighted—it would likely be one of the campaign's focal points, but it also meant extreme danger and... opportunity. The fierce fighting between the Empire and Chaos would inevitably produce massive amounts of wreckage, fleeing ships, and potentially abandoned facilities or resource points.

"We need more warships, more soldiers, and more speed." Han Zhe looked at the projection and said to providence, "Regarding the 'dream weaver' project's research on 'Conceptual Curvature Submersion,' is it possible to achieve a... even if unstable and short-ranged, 'pseudo-FTL' maneuver in the short term? For tactical evasion or short-range raids?"

[The theoretical model is basically complete. The main bottlenecks are the energy consumption for generating 'Concept Stabilization Bubbles' and the stability of 'dream-weaving dust' particles. Using the 'Reality Stabilization Anchor Crystals' newly produced by 'Forge-I' as aids, combined with an overloaded operating mode, it is possible to create an experimental 'Short-Range Curvature Jump Drive' within ninety days. The estimated distance for a single jump will not exceed one light-year, the cooldown will be long, and the jump terminus will have significant spatial disturbances, making it easy to track.] providence provided a high-risk solution.

"Approve the research. Codename: 'Phantom Jump.' This will be our key to maneuvering within the storm in the future." Han Zhe did not hesitate.

Days passed. The data fragments sent back by the "Shadow Eye" reconnaissance team gradually pieced together an unsettling picture: the Warp storm was indeed expanding rapidly, and scattered ships bearing Chaos marks had been observed at its edge. Imperial communication traffic in certain directions had surged, but the encryption levels were extremely high, allowing only the confirmation of increased combat readiness.

On the seventy-fifth day, the "dawn" completed its basic hull construction and the online activation of core systems fifteen days ahead of schedule! Although the weapon systems were only 70% complete and the shields were not fully calibrated, it was already a giant ship capable of moving and providing some firepower! The two "Sentinels" and the "worker bee" followed closely behind, reaching "deployable" status.

"The 'dawn' and the first batch of escort/support ships are officially inducted into the combat roster!" Han Zhe announced on the bridge of the newly built "dawn" (temporarily under remote command from the other "dawn"). "Fleet codename: 'New Generation.' Effective immediately, begin emergency coordinated training and system integration!"

On the ninetieth day, the "Phantom Jump" drive prototype was installed on the "dawn," and its first ultra-short-range (0.1 light-year) test jump was conducted. The jump process was accompanied by violent spatial tremors and brief sensory distortion, but it was a success! Although the "dawn's" energy dropped by 15% after the jump and left clearly discernible Warp ripples, it proved the technology's feasibility!

On the one-hundredth day, the "hive-ii" emergency expansion plan was barely completed, doubling the number of combat personnel again. However, the cost was that over 5% of the new personnel exhibited minor mental instability or abnormal gene expression, requiring continuous monitoring and treatment.

On the one-hundred-and-tenth day, the "Shadow Eye" lost contact after transmitting its final data packet. The packet showed that the Warp storm front was very close. They had observed organized, massive shadows of Chaos Fleets appearing and disappearing within the storm. Their direction... seemed to show signs of splitting, with a smaller branch whose estimated path was pointing directly toward this system!

providence's modeling was confirmed—they were being swept in!

[Estimated contact time: 15 to 30 standard days,] providence announced coldly. [Periodic instability detected in the 'Forge-I' cloaking field; decay probability has risen to 51%. Suggestion: Immediately activate the final contingency plan.]

Han Zhe stood on the bridge of the "dawn," his gaze sweeping over the fleet icons arranged on the main screen: the "dawn" (modification complete), the other "dawn" (weapon systems urgently loaded to 85%), "Sentinel-01/02," "worker bee-01," and the behemoth "Forge-I." Beside them were dense clusters of smaller light points representing "Hound," "Wraith" platforms, and assault craft.

His fleet, his soldiers, the ancient AI and engineering colossus he had awakened—in less than a month, they would face the harshest test since their birth. It wasn't an encounter with the Empire or unknown xenos, but a direct confrontation with the vanguard of the Chaos host, even if it was just a small branch.

"All fleet units, final combat readiness check! 'Forge-I,' activate the highest level of concealment protocols. Prepare to enter deep-layer dormant camouflage before engagement; do not expose yourself unless absolutely necessary." Han Zhe's voice traveled through the communication network to every ship and every soldier. "The 'New Generation' fleet, with the 'dawn' as its flagship, will form the first mobile line of defense. Our mission: delay, harass, and weaken the incoming enemy as much as possible to buy time for 'Forge-I,' and look for an opportunity... to deal a fatal blow to the enemy."

"We may be small, but we are no longer alone, nor are we fragile. We carry lost technology and ancient wisdom; we are Blades forged in the depths of desperation. The shadow of the Black Crusade looms over the Galaxy, but here, in this remote corner of the stars, we will tell Chaos—"

Han Zhe's gaze was as sharp as a Blade, cutting toward the invisible, approaching darkness beyond the screen:

"Humanity still refuses to yield!"

The steel fleet adjusted its formation, engines ignited, and shield Glimmers flowed over the hulls. In the distant deep space, the crimson storm was closing in. A defensive battle, disproportionate in strength but destined to be tragic, was about to erupt in a corner unknown to anyone. The aftermath of the 13th Black Crusade would encounter its first batch of unexpected, stubborn "reefs" in this sector.