Chapter 97: Combat Preparation
Alpha Star Region,
Sophies Forge World.
The prosperous star system was filled with civilian spacecraft of all sizes, ranging from hundreds of meters to ten kilometers, indicating a highly developed infrastructure across the entire star system.
Omega noticed many unfamiliar symbols on the Rogue Trader ships and occasionally recognized one or two as belonging to famous Rogue Trader families from other star regions.
The Alpha Legion fleet skillfully docked at the starport after passing through space, and the Tech-Priests immediately took over the Legion's maintenance, resupply, and other tasks.
Omega knew this was a rare period of rest during the expedition.
Alpharius, on the other hand, contacted his subordinates on the Forge World, instructing them to upload intelligence reports. As Alpharius read the intelligence, he noticed Omega half-lying with his eyes closed, resting.
He said quietly, "The Emperor has ordered us to eradicate the Hrud with the Fourth Legion, the Iron Warriors. Those xenos are quite formidable, yet you have the leisure to rest with your eyes closed. Quickly come up with a countermeasure."
"Do you have any intelligence?" Omega asked calmly, his eyes still closed.
Alpharius shook his head slightly and said, "No, my intelligence network doesn't primarily target xenos. Malcador's intelligence network might have relevant information, but it's probably not very detailed. The intelligence the Emperor transmitted to us is likely all there is."
Omega replied with his eyes still closed, "They possess entropic fields that cause rapid aging, which involves the temporal level. And yet, a nest of vermin has mastered such a terrifying ability. The Hrud are probably no less difficult than an AI Overlord."
"I agree. This time, we should mass-produce Smart Control Machine Soldiers to minimize Space Marine casualties." Alpharius smiled, offering his suggestion.
Upon hearing this, Omega sat up and opened his eyes, realizing the proposal was to use intelligent unmanned weapons against Hrud, who possessed temporal abilities.
Previously, the AI Overlord had resisted them for a year using countless mechanical legions, and the sheer number of intelligent fighters and intelligent robots had left a deep impression on him.
He had initially thought of designing intelligent fighters, but then reconsidered, deciding it would be better to build more long-range missiles.
Omega immediately had a tactical plan in mind: first, use nuclear weapons and heavy ion cannons to destroy the enemy's city energy shield defenses, shattering the eggshell protecting the cities.
Afterward, hundreds of millions of precision missiles would be enough to conduct a comprehensive strike across the planet's surface, destroying most of the Hrud's essential buildings and forces.
Then, a million bombers and Thunderhawk Gunships would be dispatched for precise long-range bombing and saturation strikes.
Finally, ground forces would be deployed, with the Titan Legion and Smart Control Machine Soldiers at the front, and the Space Marines and Astra Militarum's mechanical legions following behind, taking some time to eliminate the surviving few Hrud.
No matter how strange the Hrud's temporal abilities were, as living xenos, regardless of their bizarre shapes or appearances, they could certainly be blown up.
Upon hearing this tactical plan, Alpharius couldn't help but turn to look at Omega, assessing him up and down.
He said calmly, "I never thought you were so enthusiastic about bombing tactics. I strongly approve. Add more flamethrower weapons and incendiary weapons to be as thorough as possible. Perhaps the remaining Hrud will hide in the cities, and searching for them one by one would be too troublesome. We can burn them out."
Omega immediately added, "We can equip more multi-functional radar detection devices."
Alpharius and Omega exchanged smiles. In just a few words, they had devised a tactical plan to deal with the temporal-ability-wielding Hrud.
Omega stood up and walked toward the door. He informed the Tech-Priests of the weapon requirements. For a planet-level Forge World, Omega's military equipment demands could be met very quickly.
Within a month, countless supplies, like a magnificent river of transport, were moved from the surface to the space warships. The previously consumed ammunition was replenished once again.
A large number of new recruits and officers were training and adapting within the warships, and the entire Legion was filled with confidence for the upcoming expedition.
Inside the power armor maintenance bay, Omega's body was being fitted with a new type of Terminator armor by an incredibly agile piece of machinery.
Alpharius stood nearby, observing the process. He watched the exquisite and powerful armor from the side and asked, puzzled, "What's the use of this spatial warp device that allows you to teleport within a thousand-meter range freely?"
As the blue-green helmet lowered, Omega, now fully encased in Terminator armor, replied in a deep voice, "It's cool."
"Cough, forgive me for overthinking." Alpharius was speechless. The Terminator armor was very expensive, and he hadn't expected Omega to be so focused on it during this time, just for this reason.
Omega excitedly checked the programming code on the armor and was satisfied with the dense, data-stream-like code. During this time, he had secretly studied the AI Overlord's data code and gained a great deal, especially in intelligent control, achieving astonishing efficiency in small-scale spatial transfers.
If the Tech-Priests' previous spatial transfer was more like a long-distance teleportation device, what he had now designed was Terminator armor that truly utilized spatial movement for combat.
Due to the overly complex and precise programming code, Omega had not had it reviewed by the Tech-Priests.
Whoosh!
Omega's body shimmered with spatial fluctuations, then he vanished, reappearing next to Alpharius. He patted his somewhat surprised, then disdainful, brother's shoulder. Omega then shimmered again, moving a dozen meters to the corridor.
Alpharius shook his head at the sight.
His figure moved at an extremely high speed, beyond normal human vision, and when he reappeared, he was already in front of Omega.
"Facts prove that your small-scale spatial movement device is utterly useless," Alpharius commented softly, a brotherly smile on his face, then turned and left. He found that his brother always managed to bring him joy.
Omega was speechless. It was incredible that neither the Tech-Priests nor his brother seemed to appreciate the coolness of spatial movement. His gaze involuntarily shifted to the thick metal wall nearby, and a surprising idea popped into his head.
He took a few heavy steps forward, his mechanical arm touching the metal wall, and he couldn't help but recall how those mechanical skeleton xenos had moved around. Immediately, a piece of data was imported into the programming code, and with a whoosh, Omega vanished from his original spot.
Inside a secret office, Omega suddenly materialized, looking around with delight. In front of him, a humanoid Smart Control Machine Soldier stood quietly against the wall. Seeing him arrive, its eyes lit up and it looked up.
The Smart Control Machine Soldier's eyes moved flexibly, and its mechanical voice said calmly, "I sense a massive data stream. This warship is undergoing a large-scale data transfer."
Omega, in a good mood, explained, "The Legion is undergoing a large-scale material resupply from the Forge World. I didn't expect you to detect it here. You don't seem to be connected to the Thinker Array computer."
The Smart Control Machine Soldier humanely raised its precise mechanical hand and said, "This intelligent weapon is very powerful. Its computational core is much stronger than before. Although you removed the gravity hammer, it is still a mechanical body of astonishing material. The door was tightly shut. Was your sudden appearance just now due to your spatial movement ability?"
"Yes."
Upon hearing the answer, the Smart Control Machine Soldier took a few steps forward and said formally, "Most of the technical elements have been realized. The possibility of building a vast fleet of faster-than-light ships has increased significantly. Please confirm this is my new mission."
"Are you serious?"
The AI Overlord stated clearly, "Yes. As a data life form, I need a new mission to overwrite my original mission. Only then can I gradually build and complete the mission requirements. Are you sure?"
"You can't make a choice?" Omega asked hesitantly, testing.
The AI Overlord continued, "As a data life form, although I have self-awareness, the initial mission requirements always exist in my underlying programming code data. A new mission requirement needs to be externally input to modify it."
"I myself cannot do anything beyond what is stipulated by the underlying programming code, just as your height cannot be changed."
Upon hearing this, Omega gained a clearer understanding of AI. Different AIs have different functions, and their initial mission settings also vary.
Even the powerful and highly autonomous AI Overlords could not transcend this fact.
[End of Chapter]
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