The dark void.
A massive fleet was anchored near a planet at the outermost edge of a certain star system.
Calling it a fleet was actually somewhat incorrect; apart from the flagship at the center, there were only about two hundred warships around it, while the rest were densely packed armed merchant ships filled with recruits.
There wasn't even room on the merchant ships to install Macro Cannons; they only had a few point-defense guns, providing a defense that was better than nothing.
Thus, this force resembled an armed caravan more than a fleet.
The scale of ten billion recruits was so immense that Sith could only take away at most a hundred million at a time; the rest were considered reserve personnel, waiting for the merchant ships to empty before further reinforcements were brought from Alert Star.
At this moment, on the flagship's bridge, Sith stood by a giant viewport.
But his gaze was not on his own "fleet," but rather on another fleet of the Adeptus Mechanicus, numbering over a hundred ships.
Watching the approaching Adeptus Mechanicus fleet, numerous Transports shuttled back and forth, their engines spewing points of light as they delivered information and personnel.
Van Roth walked hurriedly from behind, holding a thick report. He immediately saluted upon reaching Sith:
"My Lord, it's the remnants of the Adeptus Mechanicus from after the destruction of Ustalii!"
A rare hint of excitement appeared in Van Roth's voice, sweeping away the gloom of despair regarding the road ahead that had persisted since the deployment.
Finally, not long after Sith had set out, the first organized response fleet had arrived!
Soon, an Adeptus Mechanicus Transport approached the orac. Inside the cabin, the Ustalii Adeptus Mechanicus expressed astonishment at the desolate state of Sith's "army" while simultaneously being shocked by the power and grandeur of Sith's flagship.
To put it bluntly, if Sith wished, the hodgepodge "army" he had assembled wouldn't even be enough for the orac to kill if they all attacked together.
The slight subtle attitude that had arisen because their own fleet's combat power surpassed Sith's was immediately corrected under the towering hull of the orac.
The Fabricator-General's body, filled with bionics, soon appeared on the bridge, the sound of metal striking the deck ringing clearly.
As the first organized fleet to respond, Sith was already seated on the bridge's mechanical throne. He watched the Fabricator-General enter, a friendly smile appearing on his face.
The other party did not dare to be arrogant. Upon seeing Sith, he leaned on his cogged staff and deeply bowed his massive, highly bionic body toward Sith.
"We respond to your call, Lord Sith."
Just as Sith was about to graciously tell him to rise, the Fabricator-General continued respectfully:
"We have brought you a hundred ships and two million Skitarii."
"As well as heavy units like Skorpius, Onager Dunecrawlers, and Ironstrider Dragoons."
"And most importantly..."
"An emperor titan!"
The reinforcements that had already brought a smile to Sith's face caused his smile to freeze at the Fabricator-General's final words.
The Fabricator-General respectfully opened a projection, displaying that "walking divine punishment" Sith was all too familiar with onto the bridge.
Simultaneously, the Fabricator-General's voice, filled with a desire for credit, rang out in an electronic tone through the vox-array:
"After the Battle of Ustalii, while Lord Sith pursued the traitors, we remained on Ustalii."
"After years of salvage, we have finally hauled this god-machines back up from the planet's core."
"We originally intended to go to Alert Star to join Lord Sith, but hearing that Lord Sith is calling for a Great Pilgrimage to Terra, we hurried here according to your coordinates."
As the Fabricator-General introduced it, Sith looked at the perfectly repaired and even freshly repainted Titan in the projection, recalling the battle on Ustalii.
Meanwhile, in some distant void, Abaddon inexplicably sneezed.
And he grumbled about how Vashtorr was controlling the air conditioning to be so cold.
On the orac, Sith withdrew his satisfied gaze from his ground Transport and looked seriously at the credit-seeking Fabricator-General.
After pondering the Fabricator-General's words, he understood what the other party sought.
Besides genuinely joining Sith to reinforce Terra, they also hoped Sith could provide a place for this group of Adeptus Mechanicus, who had lost their homeworld, to settle on Alert Star.
"You have shown great care. After the war, the destroyed 'Huangquan No. 8' Hive District on Alert Star will continue to be provided to you as Adeptus Mechanicus territory."
Alert Star was in a state of neglect, and reconstruction work absolutely could not proceed without the Adeptus Mechanicus.
The original Adeptus Mechanicus on Alert Star had been wiped out completely; now, having the Ustalii Adeptus Mechanicus—who had fought alongside him and witnessed his "miracles"—take over...
It would not only greatly enhance Alert Star's recovery but also ensure loyalty and support far better than using some unfamiliar Adeptus Mechanicus.
Seeing Sith be so straightforward and even take the initiative to offer, the Fabricator-General and the group of Tech-Priests behind him instantly pulled a look of immense relief onto what little skin they had left on their faces.
At the same time, their bodies, which were already bowed low, actually bent down a bit further.
This time, the bow was no longer just a salute, but an offering of loyalty.
"You may now have the former Ustalii Adeptus Mechanicus, currently residing on other worlds, head to Alert Star."
"As my recruitment world and your new home, the reconstruction work requires your support."
The Fabricator-General certainly knew the situation on Alert Star; if Alert Star hadn't been battered to pieces, it wouldn't be their turn to settle there.
Just as he was about to bow respectfully and say he would see to it immediately, the quiet bridge was broken by the voice of a crew member in charge of the scanners.
Sith and the Fabricator-General glanced over. The first adjutant, Bruno, walked quickly toward them, then looked at the scanner results and turned back with a frown:
"My Lord, an Imperial frigate has just suddenly jumped into the system."
"They've sent a transmission saying their fleet was attacked by xenos just a few light-years away."
War again.
But Sith, long accustomed to this, withdrew his gaze, his face entirely calm.
Even the Fabricator-General opposite him immediately withdrew the attention he had just diverted.
Just as they withdrew it, the bright bridge suddenly flashed with intense red light.
The black gold skull flew out, expanding a projection to its maximum size.
Looking at the images in the projection, Sith and the others first narrowed their eyes in slight seriousness, then their expressions turned to confusion as they saw the xenos appearing directly in front of the Macro Cannon muzzles.
The seriousness was because the enemy's technology was advanced enough to sneak in so close without a sound.
The confusion was why, if they were so advanced, they insisted on seeking death!
In front of the orac's automatically operating Macro Cannons were over a dozen Necron specialized raiding ships enhanced with ancient technology, staring dumbfoundedly at the target they were about to attack.
Wasn't it a Strike Cruiser?
How come after a few days...
It's changed into the Imperator Somnium?!?
The Necron Overlord leading the group on the bridge stared at the caliber of the Macro Cannons, which were large enough to almost swallow his small warship; they really couldn't fathom what kind of magic Sith had performed.
How could such a massive warship just appear out of thin air?
Then, looking at their target, a light of confusion flickered within his personality core.
Assassinating Sith...
Whose idea was this, anyway?!
The people on the bridge also watched for a long time, then gradually reacted, turning their gazes toward their Lord, who had been rendered silent.
Only Sith stood stunned for a long while before finally being unable to help but laugh in frustration:
"These xenos, why do they..."
"Always love trying to decapitate me?"
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