Humans Should Act Like Humans

Five sets of Adamantium Combat Suits were produced.

Gao Yi painted them all black—anything else would have been far too flashy.

The golden aquila emblem was engraved on the chest, now a standard step for every suit leaving production.

One suit for Gao Yi himself, one for Veil, one for Damon. The remaining two were kept in reserve, to be granted to worthy individuals when the time came.

Adamantium Combat Suits also began production. The first batch was used to replace the original suits of the Rangers under Gao Yi's command, while the swapped-out suits went to fulfill the Navy's order.

Though the quantity wasn't massive, it was more than enough to equip ten companies of Rangers.

The manufactured Adamantium Combat Suits were also tested. Compared to the Astra Militarum's Carapace Armour, which also incorporated Adamantium, these CMC-series suits were far more durable.

As long as the faceplate wasn't hit directly, the toughest chestplate could withstand sustained fire from several Laspistols for a short time.

With a Medic on hand, they were practically unkillable cockroaches.

If he'd had gear like this before, Gao Yi figured he wouldn't have needed to step in himself—the Rangers alone could have handled the Warp-induced riots.

And on the day the Golden Ram was repaired, the warships promised by the Adeptus Mechanicus were delivered...

Gao Yi now stood on the ship's Bridge, staring through the viewport at two vessels docked not far from the Golden Ram.

One was a Sword-class Frigate named the Pioneer—no issues there. The ship looked brand new; the Adeptus Mechanicus had clearly replaced its relevant components.

But the other vessel made Gao Yi's eyelid twitch.

"These mechanical brains sent me a pile of scrap? Trying to cheat me? I just saw its engine stall twice—it could barely make it into port! Veil! Did you have anyone inspect the inside of that ship?"

On the Bridge, Gao Yi cursed those priests with the filthiest words he knew.

"Captain, I checked it out. That ship is called the Sword Rain. It fought the Dark Eldar fleet and was hauled straight here afterward.

The Dark Eldar boarded it—those holes are from the boarding action. But the scene inside... sigh... God-Emperor above, I hope those crewmen didn't suffer too much before they died. I reckon it'll take a while to clean out the interior.

It's a real mess in there... but maybe the Dark Eldar were too busy torturing the poor soldiers to wreck the vital systems before the Adeptus Mechanicus relief fleet wiped them out. So while the ship looks terrible, I've checked it over—the hull is intact, and all the promised refits are in order.

With your SCVs, it should be sailing again before long!"

Hearing Veil's words, Gao Yi breathed a sigh of relief. At least those priests had some conscience left.

During the wait for the ship's repairs, Gao Yi also got a taste of the hardships of leadership.

He sat at his desk, scratching his head. Even though Veil had taken some tasks off his hands, plenty still required his personal attention.

But one good thing after another lifted Gao Yi's spirits.

Jie Yi was fast. The Void Concordat's goods were nearly sold off, and the haul brought Gao Yi a handsome profit. The Throne Cents earned were more than enough to cover the losses from the original expedition.

After all, the Void Concordat's warehouse had pooled goods from many people.

And those goods could be used to buy plenty of supplies.

Tantos, the King of Landing Port, also found the Shipworkers Gao Yi needed—a full 50,000 people, who signed their indentures under Tantos' threats and marched toward an unknown future.

These 50,000 would fill the crews of Gao Yi's three ships. They wouldn't bring the vessels to full complement, but enough for normal operation. Once back in the Dynasty's home system, personnel loyal to the Dynasty would be more reliable.

Norris shuffled along with the crowd, driven by Landing Port guards toward the Golden Ram.

Staring at the massive ship in the distance, Norris felt deep unease. He'd never left Landing Port since birth. He'd seen people taken away like this before—they never came back.

Swept along with the tide, Norris spotted the noble Priests and Apothecaries.

Guards roughly stripped everyone naked. The Apothecaries checked for disease, and more importantly, for any signs of mutation.

A sudden gunshot made Norris jump. Not far away, a man with a minor mutation had been shot dead by a guard.

Watching the body dragged away, Norris went numb. In Landing Port, death was everywhere.

Norris saw the Priest standing on a high platform.

The Priest chanted prayers to the God-Emperor, telling everyone about to board that a Rogue Trader was one blessed by the God-Emperor with a sacred mission—to give their lives for him was to give their lives for the God-Emperor!

Entering the Voidship and completing the Rogue Trader's tasks was an act of loyalty!

But listening to these words, Norris felt nothing—he almost wanted to laugh. Yet he didn't dare show even a hint of that emotion.

If caught, he could imagine his fate.

He'd once been a loyal believer in the God-Emperor, but the God-Emperor's prayers had never repaid him. And those nobles who claimed to be blessed by the God-Emperor and entrusted with a mission didn't value their lives at all.

In Landing Port, everyone had heard of the Rogue Trader's name, but in Norris' heart, he was no different from any other noble.

After all checks were done, Norris boarded a transport shuttle and entered the Golden Ram.

Norris had expected to start endless labor the moment he stepped onto the ship.

He thought the Rogue Trader's soldiers would beat them mercilessly to establish authority—that's what Landing Port guards always did.

But when Norris saw a soldier hand him a free day's ration and a fuel cell, he was stunned...

And the food wasn't the usual nauseating starch blocks—it was something like bread, made from flour mixed with starch blocks.

Just as Norris stood there dumbfounded, a Medic walked toward him.

A crisp female voice came from the Combat Suit.

"You've got so many injuries on you. Let me treat them!"

Under the influence of the Nanites, Norris found that his years of accumulated injuries were slowly healing. He felt a lightness he had never known before.

"You... who are you...?"

"Me? I'm Connie, a Medic under the Rogue Trader!"

Norris knew the name Gao Yi—the Rogue Trader he was about to serve. A sudden thought crossed his mind: perhaps this Rogue Trader was different somehow?

"Captain, you shouldn't be so generous to these Shipworkers. You'll turn them into nothing but leeches who only know how to take!"

Veil couldn't understand Gao Yi's actions.

"I'm just making sure they have healthy bodies while they work for me. And didn't I cut their food rations as you suggested?"

"By the God-Emperor, no Rogue Trader would be so extravagant as to provide flour-made bread for every meal! Starch blocks are enough to keep them alive. In Landing Port, these people couldn't even get enough to eat!"

But hearing Veil's words, Gao Yi slammed the table and stood up.

"Veil! I am the Rogue Trader! I can understand you, but how others do things is their business. On my ship, what I say goes! People deserve to live like people!"

Veil was startled by Gao Yi's roar. He had never seen Gao Yi like this.

He also realized his mistake.

"Alright... I forgot my place. Please forgive my presumption... This is your warship."