Chapter 288: The Inquisitor's Attention
A brief silence fell within the pre-processing area, with only the faint crackle of dissipating energy and the heavy breathing of the crowd echoing.
The shock brought by Valerie's earth-shattering strike lingered for a long time.
The Imperial Fists Astartes warrior, for the first time, proactively turned his helmeted head, his red lenses focusing on the dark red Iron Guard that was slowly sheathing its blade and coming to a stand.
His low voice, seeming to carry the resonant texture of rock, came from the helmet's external speaker: "A clean and efficient strike. Even within the VII Legion, only the most veteran Templar Brethren of the First Company can achieve such precision and swiftness in swordsmanship."
His words were concise but contained the highest recognition for pure martial skill.
For a war machine to execute a kill so full of "martial" aesthetic and efficiency clearly exceeded his conventional understanding of Mechanicus creations.
At this time, Inquisitor Karras, supported by his Tempestus Scions, struggled to stand up.
He stroked the scorch mark left by the psychic lightning on the power armor over his chest, his gaze similarly fixed burning on the Iron Guard. His tone carried unconcealable curiosity and inquiry: "Impressive power and speed... This Cybernetica Automata under the Lord Magos's command far exceeds any model I have ever seen in performance.
"May I ask which sequence it belongs to? From its size, it looks like a Castellax-class; is it a new variant? Or some kind of custom ancient relic?"
In his understanding, an automated unit capable of independently executing such complex tactical movements and erupting with near-Astartes level melee capabilities could only be one of those precious and powerful Cybernetica Automata of the Mechanicus.
Hearing this, Maine explained to the Inquisitor, "Lord Inquisitor, you misunderstand. This is not a Cybernetica Automata." He gestured to the two Iron Guards beside him. "This is the 'Iron Guard' prototype currently being tested by Lord Magos Joric. It is a Power Armor system designed specifically for mortal pilots."
Almost as Maine's words fell, a hissing sound of hydraulic pressure release came from the chest of the Iron Guard piloted by Valerie.
The heavy armored hatch slid upwards, revealing the cockpit inside.
Valerie was just disengaging from the deep neural link state. Looking slightly exhausted, she raised her hand to unplug the data cable connected to her spinal interface. Fine beads of sweat seeping out due to the high-intensity neural load could be seen on her forehead.
She took a few deep breaths of relatively "fresh" air, trying to smooth out the slight dizziness brought by the Sandevistan's overloaded operation.
This scene caused the gazes of Inquisitor Karras and the Imperial Fists warrior to freeze instantly!
There was a person in the cockpit! A living mortal without massive mechanical modifications!
The curiosity in the Inquisitor's eyes instantly transformed into a deeper, more fervent attention.
He almost immediately forgot the pain of his injuries, taking a few steps forward, his gaze rapidly darting between Valerie, the open cockpit, and the massive body of the Iron Guard.
"Mortal-piloted Power Armor? Actually capable of achieving such a performance level?" His voice carried a trace of disbelief, but more so the excitement of discovering a massive treasure. "Please explain in detail! What is its control system like? How was that explosive speed just now achieved? What is the output limit of the energy core?"
He threw out a barrage of questions, his tone urgent.
As an Inquisitor, he knew all too well the tremendous strategic significance such equipment, capable of drastically enhancing the combat power of mortal soldiers, held for the Imperium's maintenance of rule and purging of heresy.
This was far beyond what those clunky Sentinel walkers or slow-moving Imperial Knights could compare to; it was more flexible and possessed greater tactical value.
Even the heavy yellow pauldron of the silent Imperial Fists warrior beside him twitched slightly, indicating his inner lack of calm.
He might not need such equipment, but what about the mortal auxilia under the Legion's command, or the elite regiments of the Imperial Guard?
He added in a deep voice, his question cutting straight to the core: "What is the control latency? How great is the physical and mental load on the pilot?"
Facing the rapid-fire technical inquiries from the Inquisitor and the Astartes, Maine temporarily didn't know how to answer appropriately. He indeed didn't know much about the specific technical parameters of the Iron Guard, let alone which information could be disclosed.
Just as he was hesitating, Valerie propped herself up from the cockpit. The sweat on her forehead hadn't dried, and her breathing was slightly heavy. Her action of unbuckling the safety harness was slower than usual, but her voice had returned to its usual steadiness:
"The Iron Guard project includes two operation modes." She stood up, holding the edge of the hatch. "The one I am piloting is the Neural Link model, which requires the pilot to have corresponding interfaces. The other unit—" she tilted her chin slightly toward Jackie's machine, "—uses traditional controls. It has lower requirements for the pilot, and ordinary soldiers can quickly learn to use it."
At this time, Jackie also opened his cockpit. He merely nodded silently to the Inquisitor in greeting, without interjecting.
Valerie continued, "Specific technical parameters are the Lord Magos's research secrets. We are only test pilots." As she spoke, her fingers unconsciously pressed her temples. This subtle movement revealed that she had not yet fully recovered from the previous overloaded state.
The Inquisitor's gaze shifted between the two models of Iron Guards, finally landing on Valerie. "Neural link... traditional control... a very practical design philosophy."
Two prototypes, two different piloting modes, both clearly presented before the Inquisitor and the Astartes at this moment.
Inquisitor Karras's gaze moved between the slightly exhausted Valerie and the silent Jackie, finally settling on the two dark red Iron Guards. A sharp, appraising light shone in his eyes, like scrutinizing a weapon that had just proven its worth.
"Mortal Power Armor... 'Iron Guard'..." His deep voice carried a weighing tone unique to Inquisitors. "To achieve such efficacy in actual combat is indeed unexpected."
He turned to Maine, his tone becoming formal and urgent. "I must communicate with Lord Magos Joric immediately. This equipment holds obvious practical value for the Inquisition's purging operations. If it can be mass-produced and equipped to my Stormtrooper squads, the efficiency of hunting heretics will be significantly improved."
He paused slightly, adding in phrasing entirely consistent with the Inquisition's style: "Please inform the Magos that the Inquisition recognizes the potential contribution of this technology to the Emperor's cause. I hope to be able to procure a batch with priority to equip my direct operational units."
As the Inquisitor spoke, he was already signaling his retinue to prepare the communication equipment. He looked at the not-yet-dried demon blood on the Iron Guard armor, then at the remains of the Chaos Sorcerer collapsed on the ground, and finally turned his gaze back to Maine.
"Such battle results are convincing enough in themselves." His voice carried unquestionable decisiveness. "Please contact the Magos right now."
(End of Chapter)