The castle of the Barony of Katanga, still scarred and smelling of ozone and spent dark magic, was immediately flooded not by the expected horde of triumphant soldiers, but by the quiet, methodical efficiency of Scorpian logistics and security. The successful Operation: Ironclad had established the physical staging point; now came the challenging phase of political and technological consolidation. The morning after the joint Army Ranger and Paratrooper assault, the skies above the battered castle filled with the powerful, rhythmic sound of heavy logistical airships descending, carrying the very essence of Scorpia's benevolent tyranny.
The Tier 2 Inquisitors, drawn from the ISB (Internal Security Bureau), were the first to engage the surviving populace. They moved with a chilling efficiency, their stern, clean uniforms a sharp contrast to the terrified, tattered people who emerged from cellars and ruins. Their mission was inherently dual: save the body and claim the soul. Food, warm and plentiful, and immediate medical attention were delivered without condition, a shocking act of charity that instantly began to dismantle the populace's fear of a new warlord. This humanitarian aid was the most powerful piece of psychological warfare, proving that Max's God of Order offered survival where the feudal nobles offered only death. However, with every loaf of bread distributed, the Inquisitors conducted rigorous ideological screening. Every citizen was documented, interviewed, and subtly tested for any lingering loyalty to the old ways or, crucially, any perceived dissent against the safety and security offered by the State of Scorpia. This was the quiet application of the ISB's internal surveillance doctrine, ensuring the Barony would become a foundation of loyalty, not a nest of resistance.
While the humanitarian effort unfolded, the heavy logistical airships offloaded the materials of permanent conquest. The first consignment was military: crate after crate of heavy, belt-fed LMGs and massive stockpiles of the specialized mana-imbued slugs—essential for holding the ground against any residual magical or kinetic counter-attack from the disorganized Central Anarchy. They also delivered the parts for rapid-fire cannons, designed for anti-air and anti-infantry defense, which were immediately installed to fortify the castle walls, transforming the medieval structure into an extension of the Grand Wall's absolute security doctrine. But the most sensitive and strategically vital cargo was quickly cordoned off and secured by a detachment of the Scorpian Guard: the first field prototypes of Max's V-2 Strategic Missile Systems. These were topped with the experimental MSW-1 (Mana-Suppression Warhead) heads. The warheads were designed to generate a massive, localized anti-mana field upon detonation, theoretically neutralizing all enemy Mana Shield Systems and hostile arcane defenses over a wide area. Their arrival was a profound, silent statement: Max was not just prepared to defend Katanga; he was prepared to annihilate any major resistance in the region instantly and unanswerably.
The second major wave was the engineers and the specialized equipment needed for immediate integration with the State of Scorpia. Max's vision was not temporary occupation, but permanent absorption. Engineers immediately began surveying the land to construct a permanent, shielded airship dock—a crucial piece of infrastructure that would ensure a constant, rapid supply line directly from Scorpia's industrial complexes, bypassing the need for vulnerable ground convoys. Teams began laying insulated communication cables and setting up mana-amplification towers; within days, the Barony of Katanga would be integrated into Scorpia's secure, high-speed electrical and data grid, allowing Tier 4 SOC (Special Operations Command) to monitor all intelligence and operations in real-time from the safety of the Central Command Center. The final, essential piece of the puzzle was the populace itself: the Inquisitors put the survivors to work under the strict supervision of the engineers, immediately repairing infrastructure, cleaning the town, and shoring up defenses. The people were working not for a Duke or a warlord, but for the basic promise of safety and food provided by Max, fully implementing the Scorpian exchange of order for labor. Within 48 hours of Operation: Ironclad, the Barony of Katanga had been transformed from a bastion of chaos to a rapidly developing, integrated forward base, proving that Max's doctrine of surgical force followed by systematic, overwhelming logistics was the only true path to continental dominance.
With Katanga secured, integrated, and fortified to the highest degree, Max's forces held a critical bridgehead in the Central Anarchy. The immediate threat was contained, but the greatest strategic unknown remained external. Which action is now the most vital to maintain momentum and eliminate the highest systemic risk factor to the State?