Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 364 Martian Fleet (Eighth Update)
Just as reinforcements from the Forging World arrived and the situation on the ground and in orbit seemed about to reverse, another anomaly occurred.

On the sensor array, another massive Mechanicus fleet, painted with the iconic red of Mars and a gear emblem, unexpectedly left the subspace and appeared on the outskirts of the Death World galaxy.

This fleet from Mars headquarters did not send any friendly identification signals, nor did it engage in any form of communication or pleasantries with the Neksam fleet, which was on high alert in orbit.

A mandatory communication broadcast, imbued with the supreme authority of Mars, pierced through all encrypted channels, resounding throughout Chen Yu's command center and the bridge of the Nexus flagship: "In the name of the Martian Council and the orthodoxy of the Mechanicus, Exploration Sage Chen Yu, immediately and unconditionally hand over the 'Warp Drive' technology and all related research data that you illegally possess."

Any hesitation or resistance will be seen as a betrayal of Omnisiah.

Refuse this order, and Mars will declare you, and all those who protect you, technological heretics, and utterly purify you.

This sudden ultimatum caused Chen Yu's computing core to instantly display several huge questions.

He only informed Sigismund of the existence of the warp drive, in order to gain an opportunity to meet Primarch Dorn.

Given Sigismund's loyalty and meticulousness, there was absolutely no way he would casually leak such important intelligence, let alone pass it directly to Mars.

"How was the information leaked?" Chen Yu's mind raced, investigating all the possibilities.

Was the communication intercepted and deciphered? Was there an undetected infiltration unit within the organization? Or... some kind of premonition or spying that transcends conventional intelligence methods?
Or perhaps the Martian fleet before us doesn't belong to this point in time? Are they from the future?
However, before Chen Yu could respond, and before the Mars fleet could exert further pressure, the situation in orbit had already changed drastically.

The moment Mars issued its ultimatum, the muzzles of the Nexus fleet lit up with hostile energy.

Without warning or negotiation, blazing light spears and dense cannon fire slammed into the lead ships of the Martian fleet like angry iron fists!
The Martian fleet clearly did not expect Neksam to resist so decisively and fiercely. Its shields fluctuated violently under the sudden and fierce attack. The void shield of a light cruiser even overloaded instantly, its armor was torn apart, and a blinding burst of fire erupted.

The cause of the conflict is simple and direct—Chen Yu is a registered explorer sage of Nexus, and his research results, regardless of their source, are closely tied to the Nexus casting world within the complex legal and customary framework of the Mechanicus, in terms of ownership and development rights.

Mars's move is tantamount to openly seizing Nexus's core assets and hopes for rise.

In the past, faced with the oppressive power of Mars, Neksam might have chosen to endure and compromise.

But at this moment, Chen Yu and the technological potential he represents are the key assets in the eyes of the Great Sage Vox, enabling Nexus to regain its glory and even rival Mars.

Insufficient orders can be addressed by opening up new markets with new technologies, but if even this hope for the future is stifled and taken away by Mars, then Neksam will never have a chance to rise again.

Nexus may not be as powerful as Mars in terms of orders and influence, but as a forging world established during the Great Expedition to serve the expeditionary fleet, its war potential and industrial strength are by no means weak.

To protect this crucial "future," the Great Sage Vox did not hesitate to respond in the most forceful way—through armed confrontation.

In the cold void of space, two steel fleets representing different wills within the Mechanicus open fire for a technology whose true nature has not yet been fully revealed.

Lasers pierced the void, torpedoes flew in all directions, and a civil war broke out between mechanical priests.

On the surface of the Death World, Chen Yu and his warriors not only had to face the frenzied attacks of the World Devourers on the ground, but also had to keep an eye on the orbital battle above them that would determine their fate.
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Seeing the situation on orbit deteriorate rapidly, with the Mars fleet gradually gaining the upper hand over the Nexus fleet due to its size and technological advantages, Chen Yu knew he could no longer hesitate.

He had to break this deadlock, otherwise, once the Neksam fleet collapsed, he and his base would be the next to be "purified".

His massive mechanical body turned back to the mysterious black cube. After some manipulation, he took out not the destructive weapon he had used before, but an exquisitely crafted device that even had a touch of artistry.

It resembled a miniature planetarium, constructed from an unknown dark metal, with a complex and precise structure. At its core was an egg-sized, somewhat dull purple crystal. Chen Yu placed the device on the control panel, connecting the precision probes in his hands to its interface.

As he channeled energy and commands, the astrolabe slowly levitated, its internal structure began to rotate, and tiny points of light, like stars, began to shine, quickly condensing in the central area of ​​the instrument and outlining a miniature star map—a real-time situation map of the current Death World galaxy, in which the points of light representing the Martian fleet were clearly visible.

He locked onto the target, and the computing core was deeply connected to the device.

Immediately afterwards, he made a gesture that clearly showed his reluctance—carefully using his mechanical fingers to move an extremely small, seemingly decorative lever on the side of the planetarium.

"Click."

A soft sound, like the click of a finely tuned mechanism.

The purple crystal at the core of the device suddenly flashed, emitting a brief but dazzling light. Then, its internal luster dimmed at a visible speed, as if something essential had been consumed.

Meanwhile, inside the planetarium, the light models representing the Martian fleet seemed to be roughly kneaded by an invisible hand, suddenly contracting and squeezing towards the center point, chaotically gathering into a clump!
Almost simultaneously, on the orbit outside the world of death, a breathtaking scene unfolded:

The Martian fleet, which was engaged in fierce combat with the Nexus fleet and deployed in opposing formations, seemed to have experienced strange folds in the space itself.

All warships, regardless of size or type, seemed to have been thrown into an invisible gravitational singularity, uncontrollably and violently crashing and squeezing towards a central point!
The deafening roar transmitted through the structure of the ship, even in a vacuum.

Cruisers rammed the sides of battleships, frigates were crushed like toys by larger vessels, armor plates twisted and torn under the terrible pressure, turrets were knocked askew, and propellers collided and exploded...

In an instant, the Martian fleet was thrown into chaos, with its internal communication channels filled with terrified shouts and damage alerts.

Although this sudden spatial anomaly failed to directly destroy these structurally robust warships, the resulting chaos and collateral damage were enormous.

More importantly, their formation completely collapsed, all the ships were crammed together and unable to move, and their firepower network also collapsed.

The Neksam fleet, which had been struggling to hold on, would not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"All ships, concentrate fire! Attack!" The command from the Neksam flagship was filled with the satisfaction of revenge.

The light spears, cannons, and torpedoes, which had been poised to fire, poured down like a torrential rain on the tightly packed Martian fleet.

Having lost their maneuverability and effective defensive formation, the Martian warships became perfect targets.

The flashes of light from the explosions echoed through the crowded fleet, like firecrackers being lit during a festival.

The Martian fleet instantly went from having the upper hand to suffering a catastrophic defeat, struggling under the strange pressure and fierce artillery fire, retreating step by step.

Chen Yu looked at the chaotic cluster of lights in the astrolabe and the results transmitted by the orbit sensor; the optical lens flickered slightly.

The effect was remarkable, but the thought of that completely dimmed, almost lifeless crystal caused a pang of "heartache" based on resource depletion to sweep over the core of his logic.

This precious relic is far more valuable than the Martian fleet in the sky, but Chen Yu had no choice but to use it to break the deadlock.

(End of this chapter)