The next day, Horst and Vic boarded the transport vessel, flying over the Mandeville Point defenses, headed towards the Hive World of the Talon system's main planet.
It was Horst's first visit to the Talon system, and he curiously peered out the porthole, observing the vast expanse of space, noting the fleet and defensive lines stationed there. He quickly realized that the Talon fleet was unlike the Imperial Navy. Their ships were constructed with a different technology altogether.
Instead of being captivated by the arcane technology of their ships, Horst, once a seasoned officer in the Gothic War, was far more intrigued by the strength of Talon's naval forces.
"Ten cruisers, five destroyers, twenty-seven frigates, and three battleships," Vic explained, sensing Horst's curiosity. "Their vessels don't use void shields or Gellar fields, and they never enter the Warp…"
Horst, experienced in fleet operations, immediately noticed discrepancies in Vic's report. The numbers didn't add up to a full sector fleet, nor did they form well-organized squadrons of cruisers or destroyers. It seemed as though the Talon system did not prioritize destroyers, which struck him as odd. Perhaps the system, not being a full-fledged sector, simply couldn't produce enough ships.
Or maybe the Talon fleet operated under a completely different tactical doctrine, given the radical design of their vessels.
But Vic's next words took Horst by surprise: "These ships were all constructed in the span of a year and a half. Their orbital shipyards were pushed to their limits, building anything and everything they could, as fast as possible."
"A year and a half?" Horst blinked in astonishment. "How many slaves did they use?"
"Not even the most overworked slaves or servitors could match the productivity of their technology," Vic replied. "It's as if they conjure these ships into existence, like some kind of sorcery."
Horst nodded thoughtfully, his eyes scrutinizing the battleships. Talon's cruisers and destroyers were of similar design, but the battleships dwarfed them, nearly double the size, equipped with enormous particle lances—though Vic had not gone into great detail about the specific weapons of the fleet, he had noted their use of advanced energy weaponry.
The battleships bristled with defensive turrets, covering nearly every surface, and their flanks were lined with massive hangars. Essentially, they were larger, more heavily armed versions of the cruisers.
Horst, recalling his experiences during the Gothic War, had learned a few tricks from the Imperial Navy commanders. He raised his hand, squinting with one eye as he crudely measured the size of the battleships.
"They must be… twenty-five kilometers long, or maybe twenty-seven… could be twenty-two," he mused aloud.
"I've never measured them, nor asked," Vic shrugged.
Disregarding the ship's length, Horst turned to another question. "What are their names? I mean… are they like the Lunar-class or Tempest-class?"
"No," Vic gestured towards the first battleship on the fleet's left flank.
Emblazoned on its bow was the image of a man holding a chainsword, pointing forward in command.
"The Lord of Talon, currently the fleet's flagship. It's an honorary title, granted only to the admiral's ship or the largest in the fleet. I hear it houses a secret weapon."
"The other two are *Unyielding Loyalty* and *New Kato*," Vic continued. "The former honors the Loyalist resistance forces on Talon II, while the latter is named after a new city the Lord of Talon established in the underhive. I don't know the full story behind them."
After listening to Vic's explanations, Horst was silent for a moment before casting a glance at him. "*Lord of Talon*… classic case of personality worship. They're fortunate it's me coming here and not Karamazov."
Vic's expression shifted at the mention of that name, a flicker of unease passing over his face. Karamazov was one of the Inquisition's most notorious, rigid, and radical figures. There had been someone like the Lord of Talon before, a man who led the Loyalists against heretics, but Karamazov had captured and tortured him, reducing the heroic figure to little more than a broken corpse.
In some strange way, Horst's words rang true. Still, Vic couldn't help but add, with a hint of dark humor, "If Karamazov had come, he'd have been turned to ash by those particle lances."
"Indeed," Horst nodded, gazing out the porthole towards the fortresses. "If that man Karamazov tormented had wielded the Talon's weapons and technology, the Inquisition might have first investigated whether Karamazov was the true heretic."
Vic offered no reply, sitting quietly as Horst continued to observe the view outside.
Through the window, Horst noticed two moons slowly orbiting in space, with numerous machines working between them, constructing what seemed to be a colossal structure. Though unfamiliar with engineering, Horst felt certain that once this construction was completed, Talon would be fortified beyond measure, poised for even greater growth.
Yet, when compared to the impending calamity the human race was destined to face, Talon's challenges seemed almost trivial.
…
While Horst leisurely flew towards the Hive World, Belisarius Cawl had already arrived ahead of them.
Finding that Qin Mo seemed utterly unperturbed by his presence, Cawl offered no explanation, silently following Qin Mo as they toured the Hive World. The logistical drones and servitors may have fooled Vic and the Inquisitors with their deceptive appearances, but they would never deceive a man like Cawl, a sage deeply versed in the mysteries of technology.
Upon reaching the fortress deep within the underhive, Cawl, with little pretense, asked Qin Mo directly: "You've been using abominable intelligence, haven't you?"
"Indeed," Qin Mo replied without hesitation. "It's far safer, and more daring, than anything you've created or are currently studying."
Cawl regarded Qin Mo for a moment, then laughed, "Hah… I've never dabbled in such forbidden technologies. But you… if word of your use of abominable intelligence reaches the Imperium, they will stop at nothing to destroy you."
Qin Mo shrugged, unbothered. "I'd wager that you're not here in person. Let me guess—this is one of your pure-hearted maiden-like clones, isn't it? Otherwise, how could you feign innocence so well?"
A lesser sage would have shot Qin Mo for such insolence, but Cawl was different. As a radical within the Mechanicus, he wielded countless technologies that could easily have led to his excommunication by the Inquisition.
Cawl's reputation within the Mechanicus was less than stellar, and his enemies were numerous, stretching from Terra to Mars. Yet, he believed that his work was of immense importance, a belief rooted in the fact that his projects were truly monumental in scope.
From the enhanced Astartes of the Primaris project, to the armor designed to resurrect a slumbering Primarch within a stasis field, and many more secret endeavors—these were all born from Cawl's research.
Though these achievements had yet to fully manifest, Cawl knew that in time, his work would leave an indelible mark on the annals of human history.
Qin Mo, for his part, recognized that there was no need to hold back in the presence of Cawl. If he possessed even a fraction of the technological prowess of the C'tan, his ambitions would be even more extreme.
"You seem to know quite a bit about me," Cawl observed, noting the familiarity with which Qin Mo spoke to him.
"I've learned a little," Qin Mo replied, his tone casual.
Cawl was aware that Qin Mo harbored many secrets, but he wasn't here to pry. His sole purpose was to acquire technology—any technology that might prove useful.
Since the Talon system was not yet an abandoned frontier, obtaining such technology would clearly come at a cost.
"I've developed a powerful cooling system," Qin Mo offered. "If you're interested, I can give it to you—on one condition."
Cawl nodded without hesitation, waiting for Qin Mo to state his terms.
"Stop sending Vic to run errands for you. Let him find a proper role within your Order," Qin Mo said with a smile.
Cawl was unsure of the relationship between Vic and Qin Mo or why the latter was so interested in securing Vic's future. But it didn't seem like a difficult request. He could simply distance Vic from himself, introduce him to a senior Magos, and provide him with some harmless, non-heretical technology.
From there, it would be up to Vic. If he worked diligently and luck was on his side, he might even stumble upon an STC template and rise to prominence within the Forge World.
With this in mind, Cawl nodded. "Take me to see this cooling system."