Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 349: Mezoa, the World Forged, is Tied to the Chariot
After clearing dozens of planets from the Cyclops Cluster, the Eleventh Legion's fleet knocked on the gate to the forging world of Mezoa.

Taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the 14th Army Corps drawing away Mitu's army, Ninglu ordered the launch of the Battle of Mezoa.

In October 841, the fleet of the Eleventh Army arrived at Mezoa.

After a long journey, the Ramirez-class star fortress has entered the Mezoa system.

The journey was perilous, costing the lives of tens of thousands, including a navigator, but it was all worthwhile.

The Ramirez-class star fortress immediately demonstrated its nature as a fleet killer upon entering the system.

In the Temple of Forging in Mezoa, five patriarchs gaze at the near-perfect mechanical creation projected in a holographic image.

They saw the Void Fortress unleash torpedoes, the exact number of which they couldn't discern even through their goggles, engulfing dozens of the Mitu alien warships.

The light of the explosion, like the chanting of Om Messiah, resonated within their logic engine.

The countless mechanical turrets stretched out along the tracks like roaring maws.

The energy cells and plasma capacitors boil, releasing deadly firepower.

The air was filled with the sound of gunfire, like a storm sweeping across a dozen warships.

The ship exploded, and nearly a hundred wounds instantly appeared on the hull of the Mitu warship, with white-hot flames flashing inside.

The Fourth Patriarch's visor gleamed as he sent out a series of codes of praise.

A powerful void fortress.

If it is guarded, the Mitu people will be unable to invade Mezoa.

...]

The fourth patriarch's code logic was immediately accepted by the other patriarchs.

After reviewing the ship's data, the Fifth Patriarch issued his conclusions.

The entire Star Fortress is built in the Gothic style... It was constructed by humans.

The Second Patriarch, who was in charge of foreign affairs, sent a code indicating his doubts.

None of the human factions in the entire Abyss of Colony possess a powerful war fortress.

As the five patriarchs communicated via code, warships appeared one after another in the galaxy.

After reviewing the received data report, the Fifth Patriarch sent the conclusions drawn by the logic engine several tens of seconds later.

The first data scan of the black-painted fleet is complete / Scanning of 132 warships is complete.

The construction style is Gothic, the keel tag style is unknown, but it belongs to the human realm. It has been determined that the keel tag styles of the twenty-seven ships are similar to the styles adopted by the casting world, with an average similarity of 50.81.

……

Based on the summary analysis of the readings, the probability that the opposing fleet is a human fleet exceeds 96%.

After a few seconds of silence, the Chief Patriarch sent out the command code.

[Communication links should be established with the unknown alien/suspected human fleet.]

"I will execute this immediately." The Second Patriarch walked to the system console, his mechanical tentacles rising and reaching into the interface.

After passing the recognition process, technological terms immediately light up on the screen.

Mezoa’s high-power communication array started up and sent communication messages into the void.

The Fourth Patriarch sends a series of codes before the Chief Patriarch issues any orders.

I immediately ordered all the friars to prepare.

The chief patriarch understood his suppressed rage; he longed to unleash the fury of the god of all machines upon the blasphemous alien.

But his logic engine also reminded him that there were multiple possibilities.

[Wait for a communication connection to be established/exchanged before taking action.]

【Understood.】The Fourth Patriarch walked to the console, and after passing the system verification, used his key to initiate the attack preparation protocol.

He could sense the machine's soul within the system console, its yearning for feedback.

Every weapon array in Mezoa's machine spirit yearns for the activation of the attack protocol.

A string of code sent by the Second Patriarch shattered the tranquility of the intellectual realm.

Contact has been made with an unknown human force.

The entity that calls itself the Eleventh Legion/Commander of the "Shadow of Order" is the Primarch Nimrod.

The other party has sent a data exchange request. Should we accept it?

As the code flashed, three patriarchs immediately expressed their opinions.

The Second Patriarch first sent the code: [During the brief communication, my perception array determined the other party's attitude to be friendly.]

[Based on feedback from all oracles and remote sensing data, this force is more powerful than the Mitu aliens.] The Fifth Patriarch temporarily withdrew from the alarming data report.

The Fourth Patriarch's armor pulsed with the wrathful flames of the god of machines. [They are the messengers of Om Messiah/who can help us/purify the aliens.]

For them, accepting data exchange requests from unknown forces meant danger.

A powerful, unknown force may launch an attack on them, and their data security defense system may not be able to withstand it.

The Chief Patriarch waited a second, but the Third Patriarch still remained silent. [Initiate all security protocols/Accept data exchange request.]

One hundred and twenty seconds later, the torrent of filtered data surged into the Temple of Forging, dancing in the mind spaces of the five patriarchs.

The Eleventh Legion, the King of Vostoria...

Amidst a deluge of dazzling information, the five patriarchs rapidly gained a deeper understanding of the unknown forces.

They reached a consensus in an instant.

Counterattack! Drive out the Mito aliens!

The collective resolution of the Mezoa Patriarchate, the highest level of joint authorization, was passed through certification procedures at all levels.

Mezoa's weapon array protocol has been fully activated.

Forty-nine warships sailed out of the starport and opened fire on Mitu's spherical warship.

The Mitu people, who were caught off guard by the attack, were already used to Mezoa's subservience.

Since their decisive victory centuries ago, Mezoa has never dared to resist.

Mezoa controlled the size of the Voidships, and they also opened the gates to the Metu, allowing them to smoothly carry out their purge policy.

At the center of the Mitu fleet's spherical flagship, in the command cabin, the commander, a sea anemone-shaped figure, shimmered with an angry red light.

His four seaweed-shaped legs swung rapidly, pounding against the control panel.

Commander Mitu stopped when he gave the order to attack, because the black fleet attacking Mitu was a greater threat than Mezoa's small fleet.

He calmed his anger, and the red on his body faded rapidly, but a faint red glow still flickered.

Commander Mitu turned his attention back to the black enemy fleet, noticing that the gleaming insignia of his own ships had dropped to dangerous double digits.

The enemy's fortress, which best suited his aesthetic and was also the most terrifying, was still advancing.

"retreat!"

Commander Mitu gave the order, and the Mitu fleet, which had already been defeated by the "Shadow of Order" expeditionary fleet, retreated from Mezoa in a sorry state.

At the Void Harbor of Mezoa, the Second Patriarch's party welcomed the Liberator, Lord Nimrod.

The religious guards stood in neat formation and fired a salute.

The Second Patriarch approached the giant in black armor: "Lord Nimrod, welcome."

A huge cheer erupted from the crowd, and the flesh and blood of the people screamed that it was Lord Ninglu's arrival that had stopped the Mitu people's slaughter.

Amid cheers, Nimrod entered the Temple of Forging and met the other four patriarchs.

He recalled the volcanic lava he saw when the Stormbirds landed, and after confirming that Mezoa, as he remembered, was unable to establish a Titan base, he became even more confident about his plan to conquer this large-scale forging world.

The Chief Patriarch, on behalf of all the members of Parliament, expressed his gratitude.

“Lord Ninglu, you are the liberator of Mezoa.”

“You are Mezoa’s forever friend.”

Ning Lu nodded slightly, a smile on his face, and threw out the bait.

"Patriarchs, Mezoa has suffered from the long-term invasion of the Mitu aliens. Would you like to have weapons to protect yourselves?"

"What weapon?" the Fourth Patriarch asked first, an image of a powerful void fortress flashing through his mind.
"Ramires-class Star Fortress".

When Nimrod spoke, the technical sergeant used scientific language to let the five patriarchs know what he meant.

The five patriarchs' masks gleamed as they exchanged ideas in the language of technology.

"Five Ramirez-class star fortresses can construct a complete defensive system; even the main Metu fleet cannot harm Mezoa." The Fourth Patriarch stated his conclusion.

[Nimrod must have some requirements.] The Second Patriarch recognized his thoughts.

After exchanging ideas, the Chief Patriarch spoke on behalf of Parliament.

"Lord Ninglu, of course we want to acquire a powerful Star Fortress to protect Mezoa."

What are your requirements?

"Mezoa has allied with 'Shadow of Order,' the Guardians of the Faith have been conscripted, and the weapons they manufacture will be supplied to my legions first, with the supply of any remaining products designated by my representatives..."

After listening to Nimrod's fifteen demands, the Chief Patriarch realized that if he agreed, Mezoa would be completely bound to the chariot of "Shadow of Order," and he hesitated before speaking.

“My lord, it is merely a star fortress, which is not commensurate with the conditions you have proposed, even if you have rescued Mezoa.”

“I will provide you with the construction technology for the Ramirez-class star fortress.” Ninglu’s words caused the five patriarchs’ visors’ armor to gleam.

"Of course, I will decide the deployment area of ​​the completed star fortress."

After the five patriarchs exchanged words for a moment, the chief patriarch spoke.

"Sir, I accept your request in principle."

They couldn't resist the temptation.

After three stellar cycles of negotiations between the Second Patriarch of Mezoa and the team led by Alsena Dunn, Nimrod signed a covenant with the Patriarchal Council.

(End of this chapter)