The silence was a weapon. With Tosh's helmet fitted on his skull, Julius could finally think, plan, and even draw on his power without that constant, anguishing sensation of being watched. The solar system, now officially named the "Bastion System," was becoming his laboratory, his battlefield, and his source of power.
Operations continued at a frantic pace. On "Forge," the orbital mining station was operational, dumping a constant stream of rare minerals. Around the "Cerulean Giant," siphoning stations plunged their tentacles into the upper layers of the atmosphere, extracting precious Vespene Gas. The icy moons "Ice" and "Frost" now hosted small research outposts and water extraction stations, their domes shining like pearls in the darkness.
Each new secured site, each extracted resource, each hostile automaton eradicated, fed the System's energy flow. Julius's counter, already enormous, reached stratospheric heights. The flame within him, contained and protected, burned with an impatient desire.
It was time.
Sitting in his meditation chamber, the dark blue helmet on his head, Julius fixed the next option in his mind's menu.
[Psionic Evolution - Delta Level] - Cost: 200,000 energy units.
Exponential increase in power and control finesse. Capabilities: Telekinesis of medium-sized objects (humans, light vehicles), Projection of short bursts of psionic energy (Force Lightning), Ability to influence weak minds (simple suggestion).
The price was exorbitant. But it was just a number now.
"System, evolve my psionic level to Delta rank."
< Consumption of 200,000 energy units.>
< Amplification of psionic circuits... Forcing neural limits...>
Even through the helmet's filter, the wave of power was titanic. It was no longer a cry, but a roar. The inferno within him became a miniature sun, flooding every cell with raw, crushing power. The room around him seemed to tremble, not physically, but in its very reality. Objects on the shelves began to vibrate, emitting a silvery sound.
He raised a hand, and without effort, the heavy steel desk in his quarters lifted fifty centimeters, floating in the air with perfect stability. It was no longer a struggle. It was an evident truth.
He pointed a finger towards a metal target fixed to the wall. A bolt of pure energy, of a bluish-violet hue, shot from his mind and struck the target with a sharp crack, leaving a black, smoking fusion mark. Force Lightning.
He was a Delta. A psyker of respectable level, even by Imperial standards. A man capable of turning the tide of a skirmish alone.
At the same moment, a priority notification from Data appeared in his field of vision.
< Bastion System Situation Report.>
< Status: SECURED.>
< All major planets and celestial bodies are under control.>
< Surveillance and defense network in place: Long-range detection stations, psychic minefields (Tosh design), permanent Battlecruiser and Valkyrie patrols.>
< No hostile xeno or human signature detected within a 5 light-year radius.>
Julius let the desk descend gently to the floor. He stood up, feeling the power circulating within him like new blood. He was now the undisputed master of an entire solar system. And he was a Delta-level psyker, a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
The helmet's silence allowed him to fully savor this moment without the paralyzing dread of the Warp. He could feel his own power, immense and contained, without attracting the scavengers.
He walked to the main viewport of his suite, contemplating the artificial sky of Braveheart Prime, and beyond, the stars that now belonged to his domain.
The foundation phase was complete. He held a stellar kingdom and the personal power to defend it. The small flame, once flickering, had become a beacon. And now, hidden by Tosh's ingenuity, it could burn even brighter, waiting for the moment when it would, inevitably, confront the other lights – and the other darknesses – of the galaxy.