The transport craft soared beyond the atmosphere of Ocean World, heading toward the orbital void station.
It wasn't only in orbit that colony ships were stationed; there were also five docked within the void station itself. The colony ships needed to first fill with people in orbit, then come here to stock up on supplies and equipment before setting off to forge new homes on desolate worlds.
"I'm truly puzzled," Qin Mo suddenly remarked. "I didn't order any colonization. Who's providing them with resources and equipment?"
An Ruida, seated across the cabin, promptly projected a series of holographic files and agreements—records of his investigations and observations. Though An Ruida, like the other guards, was a meticulously armed killing machine, he was also an administrator. And at times, even bureaucrats need a measure of strength to ensure things get done.
"In most star systems of the Talon Sector, there exists a peculiar situation: multiple planets may exist within a system, but the populace is crammed onto a single one.
"People used to grit their teeth and endure, but now, that patience is fraying. Those living in barrack-like integrated communities are the most enthusiastic; they contribute both money and manpower. Then, there are corporations—animal trade companies, resource extraction firms, construction enterprises—who are also investing. Once the new colonies are established, they'll each claim a share, perhaps even during the initial phases of development."
"Resources and equipment were purchased," An Ruida explained. "Some engineering firms have designed a variety of new tools."
Qin Mo examined the projected hologram, filled with a multitude of machinery—both manned and autonomous, capable of traversing jungles or roaming the seas. Talon Sector had many corporations permitted to conduct limited commerce or research, manufacturing much of the region's civil technologies and goods. The logistics mechanisms ensured basic needs were met, but there remained a gulf between mere sufficiency and true prosperity.
"Dame Donna of Talon II's Knight family often pilots her Knight to hostile planets, assisting the local colonizers, slaying massive beasts, or dismantling ancient machinery," An Ruida added.
Qin Mo listened in silence, faintly concerned. Although large-scale colonization would expand Talon's reach and accommodate more people, it might awaken the Necron Dynasty—if, indeed, slumbering Necron worlds existed within the sector. Then again, he thought, this could serve as an inadvertent sweep for dormant threats. If the Necron truly lay hidden and were to awaken, he would deal with them accordingly.
"The Empire's tax fleet didn't arrive this year," An Ruida noted. "Last time, I handled the tribute, and one of the imperial tax officials hinted that the Dimensional Engines were irrelevant; if Talon had no intent to offer resources or industrial goods, they might cease tax collection altogether."
"Where is the nearest Imperial tax fleet?" Qin Mo asked.
"Only a hundred light years from the sector," An Ruida replied, projecting a star map and marking the fleet's position.
After a brief pause, Qin Mo ordered, "Send a naval fleet to bring them here, ensure they load every Dimensional Engine onto their ships, and escort them as far as Terra."
An Ruida raised an eyebrow at the audacity of the directive, yet he recognized the plan's efficiency.
An Ruida voiced a question lingering in his mind: "If the Empire's stance on tribute is 'no resources or goods, no collection,' then why continue to pay the tithe?"
"Humanity must cease relying on warp travel. Though the Empire may resist the Dimensional Engines now, one day they will adopt them. When that day arrives, they'll need engines in abundance for their fleets," Qin Mo replied.
"But I doubt the Empire will ever see reason," An Ruida said with a faint, resigned smile.
"It doesn't matter whether the Empire sees reason. The one set to rise from death will understand," Qin Mo answered cryptically.
The transport craft entered the void station, and Qin Mo and An Ruida transferred to a small ship bound for Talon Hive World.
The Hive World was no longer a hive, but the name remained. Transforming it via the Over-Dimensional Canopy was unfeasible; first, the population would have to be fully evacuated. As Talon's capital, it housed vast administrative bodies for the army and navy, officials from across the sector, and untold mysteries within its sprawling underhive industries.
With countless challenges to consider, the planet's administrator, a stone automaton, had begun an ambitious planetary reconstruction project five years prior. A new city rose in the desert, to which hive residents were gradually relocated. As each city was established, more giant cities would follow, gradually reshaping the world into an ideal metropolis.
To forge one city into a world, and a world into a city.
Thanks to material printing and other advanced technologies, this transformation advanced swiftly and steadily. As Qin Mo gazed from the bridge at the Hive World, he saw a forest of steel spanning the planet's surface. A radiant triangle, the forging zone, glowed brightly. At the southern pole, a research center the size of a city awaited use, where Qin Mo planned to study the Claw of Horus.
Before he could begin his research, Qin Mo turned to An Ruida with a final instruction.
"In the future, Talon Sector may face an invasion—be it from xenos or warp entities. We must prevent it from becoming a battlefield," he said.
An Ruida immediately understood: a defensive ring around the sector's perimeter was necessary.
This was manageable; the only complication was that the adjacent star systems weren't under Talon's jurisdiction, as the Empire's involvement rarely extended beyond taxation.
"Broadcast a message to surrounding systems: regardless of their current troubles, if they seek aid, they need only formally align with Talon Sector," Qin Mo commanded.
An Ruida saluted, acknowledging his orders, confident this strategy—one used successfully before the sector's establishment—would again yield fruitful results.