Chapter 689: The Predator Homeworld
While Maine's squad, following Ryo's orders, executed precise "surgical" strikes to capture Predators and maintain a sustainable chaos on the Pandoran battlefield, Ryo's grand strategy had already transcended the conflicts of this planet itself.
His gaze was set on a far more distant, vastly more valuable target.
Deep within the temporary restricted zone of Valley 3, inside a makeshift command center constructed from mobile prefabricated modules, Ryo and Techmarine Cassius stood before a massive holographic star map.
The core of the star map was the Pandoran star system, but the field of view was continuously expanding outward, displaying countless stars scattered like grains of sand.
"Based on deep decryption and reverse-engineering of the captured Predators' personal navigation databases, as well as the flight logs from their small scout ship, we have successfully isolated a recurring coordinate marked with the highest priority." Cassius's mechanical bionic eye flashed with streams of data. His thick finger pointed to a highlighted star system situated in a remote corner on the edge of a galactic spiral arm on the map.
"Logical analysis indicates a 92.7 percent probability that these coordinates point to the Predator species' homeworld system."
Ryo stared at that distant speck of light. His eyes were calm, but a freezing fire seemed to burn in their depths.
"A homeworld... the culmination of tens of millions of years of a martial species' history, a complete extraterrestrial technological tree, and... an inexhaustible source of biomass," he murmured to himself, as if evaluating the worth of a peerless treasure.
He shifted the perspective of the star map, refocusing on the planet Pandora.
"And what of our guests' 'ride'?"
"Confirmed," Cassius switched the display, bringing up high-definition imagery covertly captured by the light-armor reconnaissance Astartes.
At the bottom of a deep canyon, the Predator mothership, stretching over three hundred meters long, sat parked in absolute silence.
It utilized the natural topography of the canyon and its own advanced cloaking field for camouflage. Had the Astartes not been carrying specialized detection equipment, discovering its tracks would have been nearly impossible.
"The mothership is operating in a low-power state. The patrol routes of its external defensive sentries have been mapped. The internal structure remains unclear, but based on its exterior dimensions and energy readings, we deduce that its internal volume and technological value far exceed any Predator construct we have acquired thus far."
Ryo nodded.
The individuals captured by Maine's squad were precious specimens, but this mothership was a complete technological vault. It might even carry the star charts leading to their homeworld or more critical navigation beacons.
"Formulate a preliminary infiltration and capture plan," Ryo ordered. "I need to know how much force is required to seize this ship and how to minimize damage to it. It must be acquired intact."
"Understood," Cassius replied deeply, immediately beginning data simulations and tactical planning with the accompanying Tech-Priests and core Astartes squad members.
Ryo turned and left the command center, heading toward the quiet cabin temporarily serving as Elandir's quarters.
He knew that whether it was seizing the mothership or executing his far grander scheme, he required the critical assistance of this Eldar ally.
Elandir's residence was less a room and more a miniaturized Eldar courtyard.
The air was permeated with a faint, exotic floral scent not native to Pandora. Several meticulously carved wraithbone runes hovered in mid-air, rotating slowly and emitting a soft glow that dispelled the inherent coldness of the metal cabin.
Ryo's arrival did not surprise Elandir.
She was standing before an incredibly complex star map woven from pure light. As her fingers gently plucked at it, the star map flowed in response, as if simulating the birth and death of the cosmos.
"Honored Ryo," Elandir spoke without turning around, her ethereal voice resonating directly. "Thoughts far deeper than the Pandoran jungles linger within your consciousness. It seems what you plot extends far beyond the life and death of these individual hunters before us."
"The value of individuals has a ceiling, Lady Elandir." Ryo walked to her side, his gaze also falling upon the luminous star map. "Resources—specifically sustainable, strategic-level resources—are the true foundation for the continuation and empowerment of a civilization."
With a wave of his hand, he pulled up the coordinates of the Predator homeworld that Cassius had just confirmed, clearly marking them on Elandir's star map.
"Through certain technical means, I have acquired these coordinates. The homeworld of the Predators."
Elandir tilted her head slightly, a trace of intrigue appearing on her breathtakingly beautiful face. "Oh? You have taken an interest in that planet as well? Is it due to the unique ecological environment that might exist upon it, or... something else?"
She astutely perceived that the focus of Ryo's words was not Pandora.
"What interests me is the planet itself." Ryo's tone was flat, yet carried unquestionable absolute resolve. "The entire planet. Along with every Predator upon it, their cities, their factories, and everything they have accumulated over millennia."
Even with Elandir's vast worldly experience, she couldn't help but be slightly taken aback in this moment.
She had anticipated Ryo's ambition, but she never imagined it would be this colossal.
She had originally assumed Ryo wanted to leverage Eldar power to pocket the vibrant planet of Pandora.
"An entire planet..." Elandir repeated, the light swirling in her red eyes as she seemingly rapidly evaluated the feasibility of this plan and the profound implications behind it. "Do you comprehend what this entails? This is not a simple spatial jump or dimensional transit."
"I know," Ryo nodded. "It involves a series of extremely complex manipulations of physical laws. But to my knowledge, during the glorious ancient eras of your Aeldari, moving stars, or even reconstructing star systems, was not an impossible miracle."
Elandir fell silent for a long moment. When she spoke again, her tone lacked a fraction of its ethereal quality, replaced by a heavy gravity: "You are correct. In the era when the Old Ones still walked the sea of stars, this was indeed not an unreachable domain for us Aeldari. The difference in difficulty between moving one planet versus another is not as vast as you might imagine in fundamental principle; essentially, both are massive interventions into the fabric of reality. However..."
She turned around, facing Ryo directly. "An engineering feat of such magnitude is absolutely not something I can accomplish alone. It requires mobilizing the ancient, esoteric rites of the Ulthwé Craftworld, the synchronized efforts of several apex Farseers, and... a colossal energy source capable of leveraging the structure of reality. I must contact Ulthwé and request... no, persuade the Seer Council and the Farseers to commit this power."
Ryo noted she used "persuade" rather than "request," implying the inevitable existence of massive resistance or a price that needed to be exchanged.
Elandir seemed to see through his thoughts. She raised her hand, feeling the unique spiritual resonance of life belonging to the world of Pandora flowing in the air, and a genuinely relaxed smile—one even carrying a hint of salvation—bloomed on her face.
"However, Honored Ryo, you have given me, and my people, an offer we cannot refuse." Her voice regained its ethereal quality, yet harbored unprecedented resolve. "Here, beneath this starry sky, I cannot feel the greedy, dark shadow that has pursued us for ten thousand years."
"This universe... is 'clean.' My soul is at peace like never before."
"This means that as long as my people can reach this place, we can completely break free from that eternal curse."
"On this point alone, Ulthwé has ample motivation to pour in everything they have."
Ryo gave a slight nod; this was precisely the critical link in his plan.
"Then, contact them. Tell them that there is a tranquil star sector here capable of harboring a Craftworld. And the price... is assisting me in completing a 'relocation'."