Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 791 Ning Lu: Wild Wolves, you should thank me, you don't have to take the blame anymore.

Inside the black Stormbird, Ninglu leaned back in his leather seat. His view was slightly limited, but he could still take in most of the main buildings of the spherical dock with his obsidian eyes.

A line of heavy transport ships passed below, their massive hatches opening under the control of heavy cantilever arms to receive them.

The technical sergeants of "Shadow of Order" have moved in and, after adaptive modifications, are now able to accommodate transport ships, destroyers, and frigates.

Despite differing significantly from Imperial standards, dry docks remain valuable, just like other technologies in the Jingyuan Federation.

Among them, Ning Lu values ​​force field adjustment technology the most.

The "Shadow of Order" currently possesses three unique force field protection technologies: the "Terra's" stealth force field, the "Randan" overlord's personal energy shield, and the "Space Dwarf's" shield-weaving technology.

The three types of shields, along with the thermal field specifically designed for the Saturn-type Terminator prototype, are incompatible.

Sergeants of the "Shadow of Order" – those at the captain level and above – can apply to the technical sergeant department to install one of three types of equipment according to their own needs.

If officers can adjust the four force field protection technologies they possess within a certain range after mastering the Jingyuan Federation's force field shield technology, the defensive capabilities of the Shadow of Order will be enhanced by a significant margin.

As the deck trembled, the Stormbird landed in the luxurious hangar of the dry dock.

Nimrod stepped off the deck, where Wilshire, the lord of the Second Warband, Ramsay, the lord of the Tenth Warband, and Zadkiel, the Warband Leader of the Word Bearers, were already standing on the tarmac.

"My lord."

Ning Lu nodded slightly, accepting the greetings from everyone.

His gaze fell on Ramsey. "Has the control center been completely captured?"

"In accordance with Your command, the control center has been seized, and the Jingyuan Federation's giant instruments have been preserved intact."

“The great sages Acharya and Anacharis are analyzing it.”

The "lawyers" dispatched by Nimrod assist Akahan Rand in negotiating with various Martian factions, securing benefits for the "Shadow of Order," and helping him manage relationships with all parties.

Arkham had previously been ostracized and prevented from becoming a Great Sage due to his arrogance, outspokenness, and failure to undergo sacred mechanization.

Now, having gained the support of some factions, he has successfully been promoted to the Great Sage of Mars.

"Let's go take a look." Ning Lu instructed, and accompanied by the others, he walked along the main road to the center of the dry dock.

The cold mist dissipated, and the hatch slowly opened.

Arkhan, whose body showed no signs of mechanical modification, and Anacharis Scoria, the great sage of Shana who looked almost inhuman, both turned around at the same time.

His naked eye and prosthetic eye moved, "My Lord."

Aqqan bowed silently, while Anacharis made clicking and creaking sounds, like a giant, moving machine.

Ning Lu nodded slightly. He looked at the giant orange-yellow spherical machine and noticed that its surface lacked data interfaces and other facilities.

[It really does look like a bomb.]
Ning Lu recalled that the oilers of the 40th Expeditionary Fleet did not discover that it was a data storage device during their inspection.

Threat analysts for the expeditionary fleet cautiously considered it to be some kind of bomb or similar weapon.

Ning Lu walked over to the side, to the strategy table that had just been set up.

He looked at Zadekil, "Your plan?"

Zadekir stepped forward and raised his control cane.

The orange-yellow celestial body rapidly expanded, revealing a vast, boundless ice surface.

The flat area was dotted with ripples of varying sizes, clearly the result of some kind of liquid being rapidly frozen.

"The chemical composition of the scanning report submitted by the leader of the Auger Matrix, the report on ice, is completely different from that of the icy worlds such as Valhalla and Fenris."

"It must have been artificially manufactured."

He spun his control stick, pulling out a tower that emerged from the ice and pierced the amber sky.

The tower gradually turned into red runes, merging into a sea of ​​red.

“Hollow-like towers, 670 kilometers apart, spread across the entire planet.”

Wilshire gazed at the shimmering towers. The documents issued by the Black Emperor mentioned that these energy towers could annihilate Astartes and even vehicles.

[Can the shields of the Gardiner III tripod walking mech defend against their attacks?]
After continuous research, the technical sergeants finally achieved a breakthrough, and the new generation of walking mechs was equipped with the Void Shield system of the Imperial Titans.

Compared to the Type II, the plasma shield of the Knight Mech has a significantly improved defensive capability.

While Wilshire was pondering, Zadekil continued.

"After identifying the energy readings of each tower, we confirmed that they were all energy generators."

"The Oramik Jingyuan Federation has used advanced technology to expand the natural ice sheet into a giant shield, with defensive capabilities comparable to a fortress-level energy shield."

Ninglu gazed at the shimmering red runes and the protective shield they outlined. The Jingyuan Federation's defenses surpassed those of most of the Empire's fortified worlds, making it no easy task to conquer this planet.

He knew that although the third "Space Wolves" fleet had destroyed the Jingyuan Federation without suffering major losses, it was because the wolves had blasted the dry dock beneath their feet off orbit and then used it as a battering ram to smash the orange-yellow planet. Ninglu glanced at the orange sphere; the cruel truth was revealed after its destruction.

It is not a weapon.

The Jingyuan Federation has placed 15,000 years of civilization achievements, including all scientific and technological knowledge, intellectual achievements, artistic works and profound secrets, inside.

It is the crystallization of the Jingyuan Federation's civilization.

The Jingyuan Federation created it for the purpose of launching it as a void drift bottle.

Upon learning the truth, the commander of the 40th Expeditionary Fleet immediately realized the cruel fate that would befall them if the War Council and Terra learned of this significant loss.

Enraged, he launched a scathing attack on all sides: the inaction of the intelligence department, the inefficiency of the oil makers, the lack of coordination among various departments, and especially the reckless actions of the Wild Wolf.

In reality, although the area left behind ruins wherever the wolf went, the responsibility for this heavy loss should not be borne by the third largest "space wolf".

Heimschluth sent a communication indicating that it was the fleet commander who had requested the wolves' intervention, and that the wolves had broken the deadlock. It was also he who had granted Wolf Lord Ogvi Ogvi Heimschluth permission to mobilize all available resources.

But the truth doesn't matter.

In the end, all parties tacitly shifted the blame to the wolves.

The wolf's past actions and the resulting image of brutality are deeply ingrained in the minds of various forces.

Heimschluth did not report to the alpha wolf, Riemann Russ; they disdained to explain and did not care about the impressions others had of them.

Ultimately, the wolves were blamed, adding another significant chapter to their brutal acts.

[Wild wolves, you should thank me; you don't have to take the blame anymore.]
Knowing the value of the data device, Ning Lu naturally wouldn't adopt Heimschluth's strategy of smashing the dry dock into the Jingyuan Federation's homeworld.

Not just the instruments, but the entire dry dock.

Unlike Heimschluth, which only considers military purposes, Nimrod's dry dock can be modified into a shipyard and is also an important defense facility for the future star system.

His decision also meant facing a major problem—how to break through the defense system that the Jingyuan Federation had built up over 15,000 years.

Even with a strong attack on the homeland of the Jingyuan Federation, the complete annihilation of the third company of the "Space Wolves" could not be achieved.

The entire "Space Wolves" legion, though victorious, will suffer heavy losses.

Although the two battle groups dispatched by Ninglu include the 10th Battle Group, which has the largest force since taking over the "Faceless Ones," and the "Descendants of the Featherbrush," making them similar to the "Space Wolves" legion, they will still suffer huge sacrifices.

He looked at Zadekil, "So, what's your plan?"

“My Lord, I have followed Your command and devised the attack plan.”

The "Corrupted Baron" had a glint in his eyes. "The entire social structure of the Jingyuan Federation is entirely dependent on social networks."

"They respond quickly to threats through social networks."

"This is both their strength and their weakness."

"My plan is to create a virus program, upload it to their social networks, and create chaos."

Ninglu nodded in satisfaction. Zadekiel had not disappointed him; his plan had hit the nail on the head.

If successfully implemented, it would deal a far greater blow to the Jingyuan Federation than Heimschluth's strategy.

He looked at Akahan and Anacharis, "Is Zadekil's plan feasible?"

“My Lord,” Akahan, who had been granted immortality and the “Astrologer” by Om Messiah, said enthusiastically.

"The plan is feasible."

“Anakaris and I studied it and have found a database.”

"The next step is to categorize and organize the data so that the corresponding code can be created."

“My lord,” Anacharis added, “I examined the social network and found that it has something like a central thinking machine.”

“It can make adjustments and interventions…” He looked at Zadkiel and the two lords and explained in more straightforward language.

"This means that if you want to carry out your plan, you have to raid its location and implant the program code."

The Primarch's brain spun rapidly, concluding that the losses from a surprise attack would be far less than those from a direct assault, and that he wanted Zadkiel to complete the ritual and ascend to the rank of "Chaos Mentor," so he gave the order.

"You will assist Zadekil in carrying out the plan."

He turned to Zadekil, "You are in full command of this campaign."

The ritual of the "Chaos Mentor" requires not only planning but also creation.

“My lord, I will not fail your trust,” Zadekir said, bowing deeply.

(End of this chapter)