NOVEL WEB Chapter 130: Chapter 130
---Five Days Later, Victor POV---
Initially told that all research on Cadian Pylons was to be completed on Mars, I was taken aback when I found everything waiting for me on the docks. Confused by what I was seeing, the tech-priests nearby inform me that the Fabricator-General had requested everything be released to me without exception. Admitting that they had made no progress whatsoever since they retrieved them from the ruined world, it fell to me now to unlock their secrets. Choosing not to look a gift horse in the mouth, I stowed the materials in my inventory and moved on to the southern edge of the Great Rift.
"Seriously?! I told them to give me a few days to study the Necron's technology!", I snapped in an irritated tone.
Glancing over at my calendar clock, a long sigh left my lips as I realized he was indeed correct. Reflecting on my work over the past five days, I was genuinely happy I had made twenty functional pylons out of the fifty-seven I received. In addition to that, the ancient technology had revealed quite a number of scientific discoveries that humanity had yet to uncover. This new information would enhance our safety as we traveled through the rift and greatly improve our combat effectiveness against the forces of Chaos.
"Luxion, please add this frequency range to all our Holtzman Shield units.", I requested, pointing to a number range in my notebook. "It will add an additional layer of protection to our personnel by repelling most of the Warp's energy. This means the men should be able to safely leave our ships for up to forty-eight hours instead of the initial eight we planned for."
Putting everything pertaining to the pylons back into my inventory, I left the laboratory and headed over to the Imperial Dormitory. Wanting to distribute a few items to them before heading out, the Astartes, Custodes, and Sisters of Battle got into formation, eager to see what I had for them. Arming Ionica's people with energy swords, Holtzman shields, and plasma pistols and rifles, they looked everything over with excitement and intrigue.
"For those of you unfamiliar with plasma weapons, their projectiles are slightly slower than laser weapons but pack a significantly greater punch. A single shot has enough power to turn you and the person next to you into a green puddle of goo, so please mind your aim.", I warned them. "As far as ammo is concerned, each weapon has its own internal power source, so you will not need to worry about reloading. Any questions?"
"No sir, we are good to go here.", Ionica said with excitement.
Moving on to the Astartes and Custodes, I handed out Holtzman Shields and plasma pistols to all of them before giving them additional weapons that fit their fighting styles. Starting with the Custodes, I gave them Light Construct Weapons that could replicate any weapon the wielder imagined. The Raven Guard Astartes received specialized energy swords that emitted no noise and were invisible to the naked eye when activated. The Salamanders received enchanted Thunder Hammers whose weight drastically increased a few inches before impact. Lastly, the Space Wolves received gauntlets that contained four two-foot Energy Claws for close quarter combat. Having them all try out their equipment, I felt the collective gazes of the Grey Knights upon me waiting for their turn.
"Your equipment is something I whipped up over the past few days, so they may need some fine tuning.", I said, handing them Blackstone Swords. "Unfortunately, I was only able to make twenty pylons out of what I was given, but I was able to repurpose what remained for other equipment. These swords possess the same characteristic as the Emperor's Flaming Sword, meaning a blow from one of them should permanently kill a Daemon without the use of psychic energy. If we can confirm that during our expedition, I can provide the schematics to the Adeptus Mechanicus so they can mass-produce them for the Ecclesiarchy."
"I see; we will do our utmost to put them through their paces.", the Grey Knight Lieutenant said. 'If these blades are truly capable of killing Daemons, it would revolutionize how the Imperium of Man fights the forces of Chaos. No longer would only a small number of groups be solely responsible for slaying Daemons. With the proper training, other groups within the Ecclesiarchy could be utilized to help slay Daemons in tandem with us.'
"Now that all of you are sufficiently armed and ready for combat, we will begin moving toward the rift in thirty minutes. Be ready to deploy at a moment's notice.", I told them.
Sending the same orders to all vessels in my armada, I teleported onto the command bridge to prepare for departure. Finding Amallyn mediating close to the Control Chair, she opened her eyes and looked over at me as I approached. Plopping into my chair, I took a deep breath as I initialized my connection to the ship's systems. Mistaking my action as a sign of trouble, the Eldar woman stopped her meditating and looked at me with concern.
"Everything alright, Victor?", Amallyn asked as she got up and walked over to me. "Those Imperial idiots giving you more trouble again?"
"No, they have not given me any problems since I stomped out their discontent.", I chuckled with amusement. "Were you able to contact any Eldar Craftworlds? Any Eldar survivors we encounter out there will certainly want to relocate to a Craftworld and not stay with us."
"I received word from thirteen Craftworlds; all of them are more than happy to take in refugees we find. The Biel-Tan Council was one of the most boisterous ones, as they are apparently in dire need of additional manpower.", Amallyn said with a hint of sadness.
Unable to contact Craftworlds without Amallyn's assistance, I felt terrible for putting her in this position. While I was grateful that Biel-Tan's leadership did drag her name through the dirt in front of the other groups, telling her they were in dire need of additional manpower was a very low blow.
"You gave Biel-Tan your blood, sweat, and tears, but those rat bastards are too blind and stubborn to see that. Do not let them continue to dictate your self-value and worth, Amallyn.", I remarked as I pulled her into my arms. "While they sit comfortably in their cozy homes, you are about to risk your very soul to save Eldar trapped within the Great Rift. No matter what they say, you will always be a valiant warrior ready to lay it all on the line for your people."
Taken aback by sudden action and words, the Eldar woman did not know what to do initially. Quickly calming herself down, she did not try to squirm out of my embrace like she normally would have.
"I appreciate your kind words, Victor.", Amallyn said softly, "It would be nice to have a bit of warning before you say things like that, though. My heart and mind go haywire every time you catch me off guard, and that could be fatal for me. I am honestly starting to believe you think it is funny watching my struggle to maintain control of my emotions."
"Guilty as charged, I find your reactions to be quite cute.", I teased her.
"Damn you…", Amallyn muttered with a smile.
Shifting into a more comfortable position, the two of us exchanged glances for a moment in silence. Out of nowhere, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on my cheek with an embarrassed look. Refusing to let her get off so easily, I leaned in and kissed her right on the lips. Wrapping her arms around my neck, Amallyn pulled herself closer to return the gesture. Sitting there for what felt like an eternity, we parted lips and continued to stare into each other's eyes.
"Victor, are you truly certain you want to be with me? We come from two vastly different societies, and engaging with me will cause problems for you within the Imperium. Most of them will frown upon our relationship, just as my people will.", Amallyn said, wanting to ensure I understood what I was in for.
"I could care less what any of them think about us.", I answered with a grin. "As long as we are content and happy, that is all that matters. Right?"
"You better not regret this decision later, Victor. The only way our partnership is going to end is if one of us dies. The Eldar have no concept of divorce; we take our vows very seriously.", Amallyn stated as she made herself comfortable on my lap.
"Good thing I have no concept of it either.", I chuckled.
Relaxing her body, Amallyn closed her eyes and began to meditate once again. While she mentally prepared herself for the onslaught that was coming, I interfaced with the city ship and engaged the engines. Moving into position immediately, each vessel in the armada sounded off once they were ready to move. Having every vessel engage their Argent Shielding, we proceeded forward to the Great Rift.