Chapter 4: 500 Years of Progress
500 years had passed since Kent first began building this civilization at the edge of the galaxy. Now, he sat in his palace office, surrounded by piles of documents that seemed endless. The neon lights installed on the ceiling glowed dimly, casting light onto Kent's tired face. A thick piece of paper containing the latest report lay on his desk, and Kent could only sigh deeply.
"This is insane... 500 years, and I'm still dealing with this pile of documents," Kent muttered as he slapped his forehead in exhaustion. His thoughts wandered, wishing he could summon Malcardor, the most loyal minister from Warhammer, to help him finish this work.
Despite the frustration, there was a sense of satisfaction that lingered in Kent's heart. Over the course of half a millennium, much had been achieved. He looked out the palace window, gazing at the sprawling capital of Terra that had grown rapidly—colonies scattered across various planets, as well as extraordinary technological and military advancements. Yet, for all of this, many challenges still lay ahead.
Kent began summarizing the progress made in his empire over the last 500 years.
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After 500 Years:
1. Number of Planets:
120 planets colonized:
30 main planets inhabited by civilians and serving as the centers of governance.
90 industrial & military planets with production facilities, fortresses, and space stations. Not all of these planets are fully populated, but they are equipped with defenses and military production capabilities.
2. Civilian Population:
From 2 billion at the start of the empire's establishment, the civilian population has grown to around 600 to 800 billion, thanks to galactic expansion and natural growth in the colonies.
3. Active Military:
Kent carefully wrote down the list of military forces that had been established. Each unit had its own purpose, from technical units like SCVs to elite forces like the Grey Knights from Warhammer.
StarCraft Division:
SCV: 10 million active units (involved in automated construction and infrastructure maintenance)
Marine: 1 billion
Marauder: 200 million
Ghost: 5 million
Spectre: 1 million
Firebat: 100 million
Reaper: 80 million
Hellion/Hellbat: 50 million units
Siege Tank: 20 million
Thor: 2 million
Cyclone: 10 million
Widow Mine: 30 million
Medivac: 5 million
Battlecruiser: 1 million
Warhammer Division:
Adeptus Astartes (Space Marines): 50 million (from all Chapters combined)
Grey Knights: 100,000 (super elite)
Astra Militarum: 15 billion active troops
Titan Legions: 500,000 Titans
Imperial Navy: 10 million warships
4. Naval Fleet:
StarCraft Battlecruisers & Gorgon: 1 million + 10 thousand
Warhammer Ships (Imperial Navy): 10 million
Carrier & Transport: 3 million
5. Orbital Defense & Space Fortresses:
Each main planet now has a large orbital fortress protecting it.
A total of about 85–100 orbital fortresses, along with border stations scattered across the galaxy.
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Kent closed the report and stared at it for a moment, feeling satisfied with what had been achieved. However, that satisfaction quickly turned into concern. "This is just the beginning," he murmured to himself.
As he glanced back at his desk, Kent decided to continue planning for the next phase of his empire: constructing a dimensional gate that would connect this world to others.
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Kent called upon several Adeptus Mechanicus, the elite engineers and technicians from Warhammer, to examine the blueprint he had drawn. They entered the room, their faces brimming with excitement, their eyes shining as they gazed upon the machine structure Kent had designed.
"Oh, oh, oh! This is a masterpiece! The Machine God will surely love this! Truly magnificent!" one Adeptus Mechanicus exclaimed, their voice filled with fervor, as though they had just seen a divine work of art.
Kent observed quietly. "I've been dealing with you all for 500 years. Why do you always act like this?" he thought to himself, though he couldn't help but smile a little, having grown accustomed to their eccentricities.
The Adeptus Mechanicus began excitedly discussing how they would construct the machine, as though they had already become part of Kent's life. "This will be the greatest project we have ever undertaken! This machine will allow us to reach other dimensions!"
Kent stifled a chuckle. "Don't get too carried away. These machines are important, but the most important things are food, energy, and population. That's the key to building a civilization."
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At the same time, Kent found himself growing increasingly frustrated with the Inquisitors who had been making his life difficult recently. They wanted to build statues of the Emperor on every colony as a symbol of power. "I rejected that suggestion. Too many statues will create a personality cult that could jeopardize the Empire," he thought.
However, Kent knew that he had to find a way to resolve this issue. After much discussion with the Inquisitors, he finally decided to build a large square in the center of the city where people could freely speak and express their opinions without restriction. It was a more pragmatic idea, one that suited his more modern perspective.
"Everyone has the right to speak, but we must maintain peace. The statues of the Emperor may exist, but they should be in more private locations, not in every colony," Kent thought to himself.
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Kent realized that, even though he had built this empire with great care, many challenges still lay ahead. But he knew one thing: with food, energy, and population, anything was possible. As he gazed out of the palace window, looking at the world he had built, he knew that this human civilization would continue to grow, even if new challenges would certainly emerge.
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End of Chapter 4