Chương 40: Chapter 39: Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor

POV: Nicole I open my eyes the following morning and sit up in bed. It takes me a full minute to realize that there isn't anything I need to do today. My lessons are on hold since Astrovas is helping hunt down the last few sorcerers while Master Doll is reviewing the STC fragments and the combat data from Vesuvius with Zeta-9 and a few other magi. No one is clamoring for my attention or pestering me with the next major issue.

I try to locate the notification from my emotional outburst but whatever it was it's no longer in the logs. I certainly feel a lot better after that. I didn't even realize how stressed I was. I will need to monitor how much stress I accumulate moving forward. My schedule is blissfully empty for what looks like the next few days. I lay back down and sprawl and decide to sleep some more.

That nap lasts about half an hour before my body demands I wake up and refuses to go back to sleep, a downside of my augmented gene-tailored human physiology.

"I can do… whatever I want?" That didn't seem right. I double-check my schedule. Still blank. I slip out of bed and stretch with a hiss. I allocate several nodes of my processing power towards my armour project and I slide down to the floor to meditate while doing maintenance on my weapons and armor. My poor carapace is looking a bit worse for wear. I unfortunately discover quite a few very small, very sharp slivers of crystal embedded in some of the armor plates.

"I think I get why some Xenos use crystal weaponry, they're damn sharp." I mutter as I pluck the shards with my Mechatendril and place them in a steel cup for later disposal. Thankfully my Synskin underlayer is pristine.

"Whoever originally designed Synskin is a genius and a saint. I love this thing." I say fondly as I rub my hands against the material coating my limbs. I decide to stash the Eldari filament grenades away for now and place them in my Vault. I add them to my Vault and slowly put away all my guns so I can admire my full collection and ponder what I want to carry around.

"My Auspex is part of my core equipment loadout so are my tools." I eye the Eclipse Pulsator before I put it in a belt pouch next to my Power Blade.

"Gonna bring my Axe of course that's an intrinsic part of my Mechanicus uniform. Today feels like a melta pistol day for my personal sidearm. My Dendrite can continue to hold the archeo las-pistol." I decide against wearing the carapace armor hanging it up in the coffer. It's not a big deal as I wasn't planning on leaving the ship today. Instead, I take the Cameleoline cloak off the hook. I haven't had a chance to wear it much I still keep my jump pack equipped under the cloak.

Two hoods is a bit silly though, but luckily I have a second set of Mechanicus robes that lacks the hood. It leaves a lot of Synskin exposed though, but when paired with the cloak it does look professional. Now I just have to figure out what the heck I'm going to do today. The answer I arrive at in hindsight is pretty obvious "Time to go bother Baldos!" I declare shamelessly. I exit my room with a flourish, "Lael! Take today and tomorrow off. This is an order!

Actually, all of you can take that time off aside from Brother Silverwalker and Delta-A3." I hold up my hand preempting their rebuttals or complaints.

"I will be remaining on the ship. I will be going to these specific locations and not conducting any exploring. I will keep my locator on or at least not off for more than fifteen minutes. Lastly, I want to practice my stealth skills which I cannot do while being escorted." I say as I look around. Lael and the other guards begrudgingly agree.

"Right, Delta, Brother Silverfury. I would appreciate it if you two would travel a bit behind me. I'm gonna try and sneak up on Baldos." This earns me an amused snort from Silverfury followed by a nod.

"As you wish, Princeps." Delta-A3 buzzes. —------------------------------------------------ Mentally humming the Mission Impossible theme as I stalk down the halls of the ship is kinda fun. Cameleoline is a refractive chemical substance that morphically blends its colouration into the surrounding area, with my cloak active and the hood up it renders me nearly invisible. With my petite frame, the effect is even more effective. I thought about hiding my tracker but I had an epiphany on the way over.

I don't need to hide it - I need to spoof it for just a few minutes when we get closer to Baldos. Have the fake one stay in place while I sneak up with the real digital tags suppressed. I manage to slip into the facility without anyone stopping me, mostly due to the majority of the area being empty and all the various machine spirits recognizing me. I pause at the entrance to the Dreadnought bay and listen for a moment.

"Venerable are you certain we should not contact the Princeps for this? The crumpling on the plate is extensive." one of the attending tech priests asks.

"We don't need to bother the tiny one over such a minor repair." Baldos refutes.

"It could interfere with the underlayer wards." The priest replies in an exasperated tone.

"It is merely minor damage, barely a scratch. Just pry the plate off and let's replace it before..." Baldos suddenly cuts off as I slink within his passive sensor range.

"Before what, Baldos?" I ask in a sweet high-pitched tone. The Tech Priest startles, almost dropping his dataslate.

"I don't recall anyone mentioning you taking damage." I pull the hood back and let the chameleonic effect drop as I circle Baldos. I find one of the large armored plates is severely crumpled on the left side of his torso. Using my Auspex I cock my head slightly, "Baldos… why does it look like you got hit by a rock?"

"Our recent fun earned me 98 confirmed heretic heavy infantry kills… and one heretical boulder purged in glorious combat!" Baldos declares proudly. I take a long slow inhale and sigh.

"Xenos, Witches, Heretics, and what injures you the most from a single hit is a fracking boulder."

"Heretic boulder. It was tainted. I could tell." Baldos insists.

"Uh-huh, tell me more about this horrible chaos boulder." I say before turning to the Tech Priest, "Bring the heavy winch and a pneumatic hammer. We'll need to pry this plate off."

"At once, Princeps." He bows and retreats as I listen to Baldos wax poetically about the horrible chaos-tainted rock that tried to ambush him and their totally real and definitely not exaggerated duel with a multiton hunk of falling bedrock.

"A worthy foe, who died a warrior's death at my hand." Baldos finishes.

"Are you quite finished, Baldos?" I ask after we finally get the plate off. The damage is mostly confined to the plate as intended but will need replacement. It is nice to work on something as straightforward as a repair without taxing my focus or accumulating stress.

"I suppose. For now." He admits as I dangle off his shoulder with a laser welder in my hand.

"I am glad you are in high spirits. The mission did not go as planned and I have some regrets." I admit as I pop out a damaged fastener from his chassis.

"I am aware. Despite the loss the enemy was routed and we recovered some of the artifacts." Baldos reminds me.

"I suppose. It's just a shame." I sigh wistfully.

"Better to focus on what was gained than lost." Baldos said sagely.

"Yeah, the Arboretum adepts are already frothing at the mouth to add the new native earth plants. I have put in a request for a Royal Ann cherry tree. I like cherries. We filled out the crew complement for the fleet. If this planet survives to see the World Tree reach its final stage it will be a major boon for the planet and subsector. We have two seeds to plant within the next few hundred years." I say pragmatically.

"What is this 'Cherry'?" Baldos asks.

"Oh! It's a small and red Terran fruit, it's very sweet and the inner flesh has an almost meaty texture. They have pits that are inedible but they look like this." I project an image of a cherry to Baldos.

"Some apples would be lovely too. The question is what kind of apples, there are a lot of variants for some fruits and vegetables." I mutter as I clean out a seam.

"I see. A Terran fruit. Sounds interesting." Baldos says softly.

"Yup! Once we get them growing you can try one." I say as I scuttle down a meter to the next joint. Baldos turns to look down at me,"I do not think that is feasible." I pause and look up at Baldos putting my hands on my hips.

"And?" I ask him, meeting his gaze until he understands I am entirely serious.

"That endeavor sounds like an egregious waste of resources." Baldos tries to deflect.

"A waste of resources? That sounds like a problem for other people. I, on the other hand, don't care. If I have to crack open your casket so you can eat a Terran Royal Ann cherry. I'll fucking do it." I say boldly. Baldos is silent for the next few minutes as he sits perfectly still.

"You know, I considered popping you out anyway. The regeneration vats have been rather extensively tested. They would probably work, the main issue is all the implanted organs you Astartes get. Those wouldn't come back, only things your genetics code for will regenerate. Worse, the cybernetics they added when they interned you would need to be removed which would probably be the… worst experience ever."

"Worse than internment?" Baldos asks in a pained tone.

"Far worse," I whisper with a small shudder.

"It'd also take weeks if not months in the vat to recover fully. Then you'd have to relearn how to do most tasks using long-lost returned limbs. But it is technically doable."

"Who else have you spoken to about this?" Baldos asks me. I turn and flash a smile, "Baldos, everyone has their secrets. Some like this one are just… ideas I simply saw no reason to share. Other secrets are… dangerous." I whisper as I turn and stare off into the distance. Baldos scoffs,"What secrets could you possibly have that are so dangerous?" I pull out a suppression device to isolate us as I look at Venerable Baldos, "Baldos, I don't know what I am.

I know what you are, I know what many other things are, I could tell you things about secret items or people that would make you consider immediately crushing my skull. But I don't know what I am."

"You're human. They checked." Baldos says with a grunt feeling slightly uncomfortable. I giggle, "Just as human as you? As a Felinid? As master Doll?

'Human' is such a broad and vague thing, Baldos. Out of all the things I wish to learn and know, my existence troubles me the most." I climb up and sit on top of Baldos's sarcophagus as we wait for the replacement plate. I let the privacy field drop.

"I can tell you don't believe me about the secrets." For some reason, that fact annoys me a little and I feel a building desire to cause a little mischief.

"How about I tell you a special story, Baldos? The story of Captain Tanek, of the Star Dragon's 6th Company and Inquisitor Shadrach Remigius of the Ordo Malleus and their visit to the space hulk 'the Accursed Eternity'?" I ask as Baldos and Brother Silverwalker who is loitering near the entryway both stiffen. Even Brother Silverfury in his Contemptor in the opposite bay turns to look towards me as I kick my legs back and forth.

"How could you possibly know about that?" Baldos asks, his voice hoarse. I hum softly and ignore his question "Do you know the full story? If not you're in for a treat! Our story begins with the folly of an Inquisitor and a debt owed. Brave marines taking on a terrible horror!" By the time I finish story time and unsettling the poor Astartes the metal plate has arrived and I get it installed in just a few minutes.

"Right, all done! See you later Baldos. I need to go check the archives for something." I hop off his chassis and stretch as I take a detour to go check on Sword of Vengeance. —------------------------------------------------ POV: Captain Bolaar Silvershield Bolaar was planetside when he got the message from Silverfury. He initially planned to put off the message since it was comprised of a lengthy audio log. He played the log and was surprised to find it was Nicole's voice telling a story.

However, as she continued he stopped what he was doing to listen intently. After another minute he had grown concerned.

"Astrovas, attend me. Now." He voxed and his voice brooked no argument.

"Yes, Captain." Astrovas replied the Librarian arrived a little while later via a shuttle.

"Private Channel. Baldos, Astrovas, Silverfury, Silverwalker. I need an explanation now" Bolaar growled, "Have our records been compromised?" Bolaar was still listening to the story as he spoke. He forwarded the file to Astrovas.

"Nope. Don't have one." Baldos replied curtly.

"Astrovas is this something Nicole could have gleaned via divination?" Bolaar asked.

"No, she isn't that talented in that discipline. Also, I've never heard of this encounter." Astrovas sounded puzzled.

"That's because it was heavily censored. I've read the original report and I spoke with Captain Tanek and some of the survivors of that mission. The Princeps' story is more thorough than both the uncensored report I read and the firsthand accounts. How is that possible?" Bolaar asked them.

"She could have made portions of it up?" Astrovas suggested weakly.

"No, the names she used were all accurate." Bolaar countered, his voice stressed.

"Could she have learned it from the machine spirits or the ship?" Silverfury asked.

"Her story is too thorough and we didn't save copies of the report! Has the Princeps been compromised?" Bolaar asked pressingly.

"Ha! No." Baldos answered. Astrovas chimed in, "I checked her thoroughly during her outburst and she has not shown any sign of corruption. Her mental defenses have gotten stronger and far more hostile to chaos since the mission."

"Baldos, you were speaking to her about something privately before she brought up this tale. Would you care to shed light on this?" Silverfury asked politely.

"We just talked, nothing to fuss over you whelps." Baldos said vaguely.

"This is a big deal, Baldos." Bolaar said with grit teeth.

"Is it?" Baldos asked bluntly.

"The little one knows things. Strange things. Impossible things. So what?" Bolaar frowned and considered the issue.

"Ha! A bit late for doubts now. After all the things you've seen the littlest one do, we're wearing armour she worked on, using weapons she blessed. Returned relics to us. She's been scrutinized, poked, prodded, scanned, and never once been found wanting. Worrying about things beyond us is pointless." Baldos spoke with firm conviction.

"So we just ignore this? Go on as normal?" Bolaar asked slightly exasperated.

"No. You must consider, Captain, that story was just what she was willing to share with us. I believe when needed she can and will share more." Baldos explained.

"I find it concerning that the little Princeps' strategic value continues to escalate." Silverfury said considerately.

"Ah, let us not forget that fun little rocket she made! I recognized a Cyclonic warhead when I saw one." Baldos said as he chuckled. Bolaar had momentarily forgotten about the 'portable sun' incident.

"Silverwalker, what is the Princeps doing currently?" Bolaar inquired. Stolen novel; please report.

"Complaining loudly about the lack of Armiger Pattern schematics in the Mechanicus data center, Captain." Silverwalker replied promptly.

"... of course she is." Bolaar took a deep breath.

"How would you rate her current level of protection, Silverwalker?"

"Adequate? Her personal armour is lacking, however, she has made me and her retinue aware that she has a personal power armor project in the works but it is a long-term project. She is attempting to derive a method to construct some advanced form of the Mechanicus Dragon Scale power armor. She also knows her personal refractor shield is not the most durable and is aiming to acquire something with levels of protection similar to a Rosarius. Otherwise while on the ship she is quite secure even with a minimal escort.

Enemies I foresee being able to threaten her onboard the Argent Drake include the likes of Greater Daemons, Ork Warbosses, Eldar Farseers or Harlequins, and large numbers of enemy Astartes or enemy terminator squads."

"We can consider increasing her protection to a full Scale in detail later. We will moderately increase her current strategic value and continue to protect her as a critical asset to us and the Imperium." Bolaar decided as he relaxed somewhat. He had assumed the worst. Instead of it being an act of malice or compromising operational security, putting this unusual story in the unknown origin category wasn't ideal but it wasn't worth pressing Nicole for the source.

"Her value to our company now exceeds that of most planets. The Mechanicus already views her as priceless. The Drakios house allied themselves with her. I do believe the result of an enemy stealing her away would be… apocalyptic." Astrovas noted.

"It'd be really funny though." Baldos added with a deep rumbling chuckle.

"I'm less worried about an enemy and more worried about another friendly faction trying to claim her." Bolaar admitted.

"Ehh, once we find out where it is and slap her in her titan they can frak off." Baldos declared proudly.

"This was enlightening. Dismissed." Bolaar said as he closed the call. —-------------------------------------------------------- POV: Nicole Sometimes the greedy insular nature of the Mechanicus can be a boon, sometimes it is really annoying!

"So, we don't have any Armiger Pattern Knight schematics or any other Knight schematics period. A shame I kinda wanted to see if I could make one. A couple of Armigers would flesh out my Knight House." I consider the massive data repository in front of me.

"Hey! Scribe! Are you busy?" I call out to one of the individuals who worked the archives.

"No, my Lady, I was merely collating and rechecking the reference guides." The heavily augmented man replies with a bow.

"Great! Can you go through and compile a list for me? I want a list of every ship that is recorded having a Void Abacus, then I also want a list of all ships that have gone missing or were hulked with that device onboard. Collate a second list of ships that are just Cruiser size or larger that are missing or hulked. Ships that are confirmed totally destroyed can be excluded. You can go as far back in the records as you can." I tell him. The scribe raised his head and I saw a tear streak down his cheek.

"It would be my greatest pleasure, My Lady." He looks elated as he replies. As he turns and shuffles into the archives I shake my head. Scribes can be weird.

"What do you need that list for?" Delta-A3 asks me.

"I have an idea of where we might be able to find a Void Abacus if we run out of all other options. Getting there is the hard part - and well, surviving too, I suppose. If the Eldar owed us a favor or three it might be a bit easier to get there but still risky." I say with a shrug. Ignoring the odd looks from Delta-A3 and Brother Silverwalker I continue my perusal. Master Doll would be informed if I took any large deposits of Deuterium so making more Cyclonic warheads was on hold for now.

I don't think Master Doll forgot about my little stunt, it merely got bumped down on his list of priorities. Running through the list of things I wanted to check on and finding it rather empty I mutter, "I suppose we could explore the mining suit STC fragment." Delta-A3 perks up while Brother Silverwalker remains indifferent as I head to one of the available research rooms with a holo table and start uploading files. I pull up a 3D projection of the armor.

It only takes a glance to realize that this suit is designed for industrial and not military use.

"This set sort of reminds me of the Delphis Lifter armour. Instead of lifter arms, it has a few different drill arm options… a Sonic Drill, a Heavy Rock Drill variant, and a Melta-Drill. How complete are those schematics?" I click my tongue. The drill schematics are fragmented. I play around with the fragments trying to piece them together like a complex digital jigsaw puzzle.

"Too unwieldy and bulky for a reliable weapon, we have better melee alternatives, even the Terminator suits or the Dreadnoughts would have issues with it." I sigh and tap my chin.

"The heat dispersion system is great though. The power systems not so much 24hr operation time per charge with a similar charge time? Eww." I shake my head and reach up to flick and make the projection spin.

"I'm sure some of the other Tech Adepts or Magi might glean some useful information from this suit or its gear but I don't think it's particularly relevant to me. Maybe the gyroscope?" I mutter as I peel the armour apart layer by layer. I spend a few hours going over the STC fragment's constituent parts but find nothing that inspires me. A few of the parts are decent rugged alternatives but it's not up to the standards of some of my other archeotech items.

My armour project is still stuck, and my other short-term ideas and goals are rapidly becoming long-term goals and projects.

"I could make a dedicated Servo-Harness for forging." While my current dendrites were unparalleled when it came to fine detailed work they weren't well suited to manipulating large heavy objects like a dedicated servo-arm or servo-claw. Master Doll even has the schematics for several but the Perinetus-Pattern Servo-Harness is probably the best baseline; it's designed for work on voidships. I clear the STC fragment from the cogitator and replace it with the data for the Harness.

I strip off most of the maneuvering jets, instead it'll mesh with my jump pack. I adjust the harness for my build though I leave room to account for a full armour set to be worn under it. I get distracted and end up playing with the customization options and making minor tweaks for so long that Delta-A3 has to remind me to go eat dinner. I submit an order for most of the key parts I will need to make the custom Harness on my way back via the Noosphere.

—------------------------------------------------------------ It's a bit of a shock that I manage to go four whole days without anyone summoning me or interrupting my work on the Servo-Harness. It's extremely soothing. The harness is almost done. It's bulky, which is expected as I designed it to be worn over power armour. I kept a Servo-Arm Manipulator, and Plasma Cutter, though I swapped the base option for a custom precision version.

I added a Servo-Claw in place of the combi-tool as I already had my own dendrite for that and a Fycline Torch was traded for a laser welder. I also added an additional two arms in the form of the Lathe pattern Mechadendrite Stabilizers for a total of six limbs in just the harness. The harness has yet to be painted so it's all bare metal with some exposed wiring in various places while I wait for the requisite pieces and parts to be fabricated.

It sits in a large chain sling and it's easier for me to climb under and into it than it is to move the harness itself.

"I'm gonna be a crafting machine once I get my armour done and you finished." I say patting the Harness affectionately. I glance up as I get a notification from Master Xor. He's requesting the immediate presence of Doll, the Magi, me, Captain Bolaar, and even Lord Drakios. It's not really a request as the message is listed at the highest priority. —------------------------------------------------------------- POV: Magos Xor"I thank you all for gathering. I have… completed my interrogation.

The news is somewhat dire." Xor said as he glanced around at the assembled individuals. He paused and cleared his throat, "The individual impersonating Inquisitor Radic Dhamne, his real name was Tharius Grimn, a Heretic Biomancer of some renown. He was sent here by his master to search for the STC fragments and soften the system in preparation for an invasion." Xor took a deep breath.

"The name of his master has been revealed. Eligael Master of the Sundered Forge." Xor revealed and Doll hissed angrily in response.

"For those unfamiliar. The Sundered Forge is a forge world lost to chaos corrupted and now produces abominations. He is a Traitor and member of the Dark Mechanicum." Doll explained, his tone grave.

"Indeed, he commands not just the forge but a considerable fleet. A fleet that is headed here and is slated to arrive within a month." Xor said gravely.

"How considerable?" Captained Bolaar inquired.

"His personal flagship is a Desecrator Class Battleship. We should expect several cruisers and dozens of raiders or destroyer-class vessels. There may even be a Chaos Strike Cruiser with Traitor Astartes. Tharius Grimn was not told everything about the invasion. It was our swift and decisive actions that turned the civil war and siege against him. Ideally, it would have lasted until their forces arrived. The fleet we encountered and fought off when we entered the system will almost certainly be present."

Xor explained.

"The Argent Drake could take a Battleship. One on one or even with support craft." Lord Drakios said calmly.

"It's the Astartes and numbers that would pose the largest issue." Doll turned to Zeta-9 "How quickly can the Clippers be finished and crewed?"

"We have plenty of menials, skilled sailors we lack are being trained and drilled. The one vessel is being rearmed at Lord Drakios's behest. It will be the only one finished in time. I can render the weapons and shields operational for the second vessel in drydock in roughly seventeen days."

"We will need to inform the Governor and the ground forces. The enemy will come in force. In addition, Tharius believed the Xenos fleet was sent here to weaken us as well at the behest of the Traitor." Xor said grimly.

"Their main fleet is creeping closer but keeping its distance for now. Their scouts can evade even our sensors if they are dedicated to doing so. Eldar stealth technology is… bothersome to deal with. We have ways around it in combat but those have certain requisite conditions." Lord Drakios admitted with an annoyed tone.

"The Halo is fully operational and all weapons have been triple-checked for sabotage." Zeta-9 declared confidently while giving Nicole a deferential nod of thanks.

"The station is fully crewed and ready. We can focus some of the planet side forges on producing arms and ammunition for our troops and defensive weapons."

"Tharius had more information that is prudent. One, he killed the real Radic Dhamne who was investigating him and the Rosette is real. Two, his master is close to his ascension in the service of the Deceiver. Three, despite various divinations by the sorcerers, the Argent Drake was not accounted for and our presence was responsible for his plans going awry." Xor finished.

"This will require immense preparation and planning. Does anyone have suggestions?" Doll inquired.

"Master Doll, I would like to request access to Ur-Haven's entire deuterium stockpile." Nicole spoke with a giddy tone.

"For what purpose?" Zeta-9 inquired with a confused tone.

"Torpedoes," Nicole replied vaguely. Doll was silent for nearly a full minute as he carefully considered the matter.

"Six. You may make SIX torpedo-class warheads, Nicole. Under my personal supervision! No more, no less. In addition to the six ship class, you may produce no more than ten man-portable or vehicle class warheads." Doll spoke sternly.

"Yesss!" Nicole cheered.

"I am sorry, what are we talking about?" Lord Drakios asked.

"I am assuming Nicole can produce Cyclonic warheads. She field-tested one during our assault. It was… effective." Captain Bolaar replied with his arms crossed. All the Mechanicus individuals turned to stare intently at Nicole, half with shocked expressions and the rest with a mix of concern and approval.

"Nicole's methods for doing so are heavily protected and directly related to her inheritance. She alone has the requisite permissions and method to make the warheads. Any attempts to record or recreate her methods will result in full censure by the Mechanicus and servitorization." Doll growled out warning everyone in the room.

"We can initiate preparations now. We should reconvene and discuss our options with Lord Aarark. Take stock of our defenses and what can and needs to be done before the enemy arrives." Xor suggested as the meeting came to a close.

"Agreed." Doll intoned "We shall reconvene in the main spire in two days." —------------------------------------------------------------------- POV: Nicole I can't keep the grin off my face as I look at the steadily growing pile of materials set aside for me in a special module of the Manufactorum that leads directly to the Munitorum. The bones of six torpedoes are being set up like scaffolding. Each one is nearly two hundred feet long.

According to my estimates, constructing the casings and delivering the materials I will need to make the Cyclonic warheads and propulsion systems will take a few more days. I want to take full advantage of the Archeotech Plasma Accelerated Torpedo Tubes the Argent Drake sports. I hang up my Servo-Harness and wiggle out of it. I still need to come up with a name for my custom variant.

"Ready to depart, Princeps?" Delta-A3 asks politely.

"Yes, let's go. I know I have a few hours but I'd rather not be late. Also, I was looking for an excuse to try the orbital elevator." I say as I stretch my arms above my head before I slip on my Mechanicus robes. For once I am not taking a shuttle down to the planet. The passenger module of the orbital elevator has been reserved for our use. I stop at one of the large windows and look down across the surface of Ur-Haven. My eyes are inevitably drawn to Cycladon.

The main spire has been completely ensnared by the growth of the World Tree over the last several days. The large spike-shaped root is aimed toward space. The explosive growth phase is finally tapering off but the sight is still awe-inspiring. While the World Tree sapling is no longer at its weakest point the next phase of growth will take years and until it fully blooms it will remain vulnerable to powerful enough forces.

Protecting the sapling from the attacking forces will have to remain a high-priority tactical consideration. I move to my seat as the module gives one last warning before starting its descent. The trip down is smooth and short. With several hours to kill before the gathering, I make my way to the Governor's library. Moments after I enter I freeze in place and my head snaps skywards. I feel a strong pang of distress from the Argent Drake before I suddenly lose total connection to the ship for the first time.

Even underground there was a weak tether of a connection. Warning! Threat Detected: Silica Animus: Ferrous Sapien P. R. I. N. C. E. S. S. Failsafes Engaged.