Xana II, Forge-Temple Eleven.
Anacharis Scoria's optical implants blazed with a fierce orange light. He coldly observed the other Magi and Tech-Priests; from their actions, he analyzed they had succumbed to fear.
Compared to others his age and station, Anacharis exhibited a higher degree of sanctification, an outward manifestation of his capability and ambition.
Through his running data engines, he had a complete overview of the situation.
The number of casualties, the destroyed forge complexes...
His world's response was ineffective. He could do better, but he was merely a Tech-Priest.
The enraged Anacharis received a data packet from the Archmagos he served, Edi.
"Xana's Defender is under xenos attack. Depart immediately and render aid to the God-Machine."
Anacharis parsed the data packet instantly. He cautiously expressed his perspective, completing an exchange of views and data with Archmagos Edi in an instant.
His counter-attack plan was rejected in a second, leading him to believe Edi had not subjected it to logical analysis.
Anacharis then switched to the dedicated high-intensity military-grade communication system, marked the mission coordinates he had accepted, and issued orders to his maniple.
His macro-branch assembled in twelve seconds, beginning its mechanical march.
Like other Forge Worlds, Xana's Magi organized their Legio Cybernetica according to the Machine God's sacred numbers.
Each macro-branch comprised four cohorts, each cohort consisting of three maniples.
Anacharis suppressed the pulsing of his binary code, deciding to proceed with his plan.
Joining the Legio Cybernetica was a choice made after careful calculation. His target was all of Archmagos Edi's assets.
Though the Legio Cybernetica's original purpose was to wage war by divine mandate, unlike the Skitarii, which only moved by the Archmagos Intendant's orders, they were organized based on feudal obligations.
The Legio Cybernetica, the Legiones Skitarii, and the Legio Titanicus formed the great tripartite structure.
The Knight Houses of the Questoris Familia, Ordo Reductor, Explorator fleets, and the Magos Militant were powerful in their own domains, but paled in comparison to the three major organizations.
The Skitarii were influenced by Mars and overly secularized. The Legio Titanicus was subject to influence from multiple factions. Only the Legio Cybernetica was his best choice.
Every Magos had their own resources and military strength. Through data screening, he had selected Archmagos Edi, who had a strong desire for control, personally serving as the Chief Magos of his macro-branch, yet unwilling to abandon his forges.
Edi's understanding of war was too shallow. This was his opportunity.
More crucially, Edi's lifespan was two hundred fifty years; his theoretical remaining life was less than one hundred twenty years.
This was his chance. By controlling the entire macro-branch's armed forces, he could seize Edi's legacy, the Archmagos' knowledge, forges, everything.
Though he currently controlled only one maniple, his specially designed predictive arrays had already calculated every future node.
An electronic signal pulse catches Anacharis' attention.
The three-dimensional holographic projection and data code displayed in the tactical overview caused his custom-tailored logic engines to stall for a moment.
The God-Machine was being battered into a state of utter disarray by the dense beams. The system's warning runes were alarming.
[Void shield defense system: 19.34%. Propulsion system: 30.57%...]
The auspex scanning system Anacharis had installed for himself provided more comprehensive information than the data packet in his noosphere.
All the information coalesced into a creature he had never seen, beyond comprehension.
Scans showed the composition of its body had a 43.61% overlap with Lycopodiopsida plants, 38.41% overlap with Moraceae plants...
It was like a hybrid of multiple plants. Yet the energy beams it roared forth were inflicting heavy damage on the God-Machine. The void shield numbers ticked steadily downward.
'It is a single, but individual. Yet it is actually more powerful than a God-Machine.'
An electronic signal leaped in Anacharis' logic engines: 'I know what they are hiding now.'
'I know what Edi fears. They are concealing the existence of this xenos to avoid questioning the symbolism of the God-Machine.'
'Foolish! This cannot be hidden. It should have been disclosed long ago to find countermeasures.'
In twelve seconds, Anacharis' logic engines generated a complete set of battle plans.
He paused in the act of distributing data packets to his subordinates.
He lacked the permissions. He could only execute Edi's mechanical and useless predetermined plan.
Anacharis angrily discarded his plan, examining Edi-014 Fire Support Plan.
His logic engines spun rapidly, finding sections he could flexibly modify.
Even with a limited degree of freedom, he would exert his own initiative to achieve greater results and harvest the data feedback he desired.
"Combat Servitor A-1, move to coordinates 157, 358. Target point B-687."
"..."
"Battle-automaton B-1, move to coordinates 146, 329. Target point B-689."
"..."
Anacharis finely adjusted Edi's fire support plan, allowing their firepower to be utilized more effectively.
He assigned similar target points to the combat servitors and battle-automata. Through feedback, he would obtain data on the xenos. This would be his data asset.
The entire maniple of the Legio Cybernetica moved like components of a machine.
Anacharis' maniple maneuvered orderly among the furnaces, completing deployment at least thirty-six seconds faster than any other maniple.
This was the result of his calculations, bringing Anacharis his first moment of pleasure today.
The plasma beams fired by the combat servitors and the meltaguns of the battle-automata roared in unison. Dense beams struck their targets with precision.
Anacharis eagerly examined the feedback. A second later, he restrained himself from cursing Edi on the maniple's comm system.
'An energy shield. He concealed this crucial information.'
'My fire support plan did not factor this in.'
Anacharis quickly calmed down, recording the feedback data on the energy shield.
He rapidly adjusted the fire support plan. Just as he was issuing it, a tremendous crash sounded, accompanied by a series of mournful binary code wails in the noosphere.
The Xana's Defender fell. The God-Machine was destroyed.
As the Xana's Defender toppled, it crushed dozens of furnaces. Debris rained down like hail, clanging echoes reverberating all around.
Anacharis was the first to emerge from grief. He noticed the xenos was already charging towards his force.
He immediately requested authorization in the noosphere to activate self-defense protocols. As he exchanged views, he sensed large amounts of dead code within Edi.
'Generated by witnessing the God-Machine's destruction. His reason is destroyed by fear.'
Anacharis received the authorization he desired and more.
The Tech-Priest commanding his cohort's logical link went offline. He assumed command of three maniples.
Anacharis concluded Edi had been consumed by fear. This was good for him.
He immediately stepped into the role, discarding Edi's fire support plan, constructing a new battle plan, and issuing it on the cohort's comm system.
The panicked combat servitors steadied, moving and firing according to Anacharis' orders.
The result of thousands of repetitions in training, they quickly regained confidence.
They found every attack struck the xenos. They even forgot the colossal green figure, focusing solely on executing Anacharis' commands.
The battle-automata's machine-spirits, enraged by sensing the God-Machine's fall, were fully utilized by Anacharis.
He assigned the identified energy shield signals to them, directing their fire at the xenos elite warriors.
Numbers leaped rapidly on Anacharis' tactical network: 33, 107, 259...
With each volley, the results improved.
Anacharis adjusted the fire plan while attacking.
He raised his right arm, a power staff, and discharged a bolt of lightning at a xenos with over a dozen scorpion tails.
After several dozen seconds, sparks leaped from the staff.
The xenos' energy shield overloaded, just as he had calculated.
He raised his left arm. The plasma pistol's beam ended the xenos' life.
A bright red rune flared on his auspex scanning system. A three-dimensional image flashed in his data engines.
The xenos' blade tore through Combat Servitor A-5. Blood splattered on a furnace.
It swung its blade, charging at Anacharis.
Anacharis' energy weapon was still recharging, but he had another arm and his mechadendrites.
The crackling chainfist smashed into the xenos' crimson eyes, tearing its brain apart.
'Not enough. Still not enough. I can wield more weapons simultaneously. This is not yet my limit.'
'I need to become stronger!'
Because Anacharis had invested resources in predictive arrays and auspex scanning systems, his investment in weapon systems had only just begun.
Apart from the mechadendrites surgically attached to his spine, he had not yet added other limbs.
As Anacharis chafed at his own weapon systems, countless red runes suddenly leaped in his data-engines.
Data feedback told him: the xenos that destroyed the Titan was aiming its energy weapon in this direction.
.....
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