Acting Captain

The warp engine resumed operation once more, and the entire warship steadied itself.

Emperor on the throne, you actually pulled it off!

Veil's look toward Gao Yi changed as well. He found himself increasingly unable to see through the candidate before him. He had read Gao Yi's file, and the man was not such a stellar candidate—was Dark Age technology truly this miraculous? Gao Yi had just saved everyone aboard the entire warship.

After exchanging a couple of polite pleasantries, Gao Yi eagerly walked over to the SCV.

A normal SCV was piloted by personnel, but these two SCVs lacked pilots altogether—they were fully automated.

Gao Yi opened the cockpit canopy and climbed right inside, searching the control panel before him.

Identity Confirmed: Supreme Creator

Access Granted

When he saw the options for the barracks, heavy factory, starport, and other buildings, he almost cried out in excitement.

It really works! If I can build them, then I can start mass-producing a lot of things!

Furthermore, Gao Yi could see the materials required for construction on the construction details: 50 tons of scrap metal and 500 psionic crystals could build a barracks, while the costs for a heavy factory and starport were much higher. The most important thing, however, was that he needed sufficient space. The space inside the warship was not enough to build a heavy factory and starport; only a barracks could be squeezed in.

Additionally, the control panel prompted that what the barracks produced was merely equipment and could not output personnel. Only by directly consuming psionic units could Gao Yi manifest the equipment and personnel directly into this world.

Equipment only, no people? Although it's a pity, it's not a huge problem. Isn't the one thing the Warhammer universe doesn't lack people? Wouldn't this be easy to find? A lot of those machine gunners and such in StarCraft are prisoners, and even they can pilot them, so humans in the Warhammer universe will have absolutely no problem!

Climbing out from the cockpit, Gao Yi saw a heavily cybernetically augmented face, its oversized electronic eye flashing with red light in step with the other's excited emotions.

"Lord Gao Yi, what on earth is this mechanical creation? I beg of you, please let me study this sacred creation—I am willing to pay any price!"

The Adeptus Mechanicus's fanaticism for unknown technology made Pavian throw aside his dignity and crowd close. He had lived for over a hundred and fifty years, but everything happening before his eyes still exceeded the scope of what he could comprehend.

The existence of the machine spirit made many impossible things possible, and wasn't everything the SCV had just done a sign of a greatly pleased machine spirit?

"Study it? I can, but I also have conditions. I need a cabin that is large enough and a massive quantity of metal—any metal will do. I imagine you can help me find that within this warship, right?"

"Yes! I completely accept this condition. I will have servitors scour for it with all their might; this is no difficult task!"

Pavian agreed to Gao Yi's request without a moment's hesitation, then promptly ordered the mechanics and servitors under his command into motion.

"I can clear out my forge workshop and leave it for you, though organizing the items inside will take a little time!"

"No problem, notify me when you finish organizing."

Meanwhile, Veil stared fixedly at Gao Yi. This candidate was simply too mysterious; in just this short time, he had saved everyone on this entire ship. Moreover, his actions just now had thoroughly dispelled Veil's misgivings—if Gao Yi were a lackey of Chaos, he could easily have sat back and watched the warp engine stall out.

The Rogue Trader's life or death was currently unknown. In such a critical moment, they needed someone with a suitable identity and the capability to lead the people of this ship through this crisis.

Although he was the purser of this ship, he was only a purser. If he were to act as the temporary leader, many people would refuse to submit.

Yet Gao Yi possessed the noble bloodline of the Mongert Family, and what had just happened would also grant him sufficient prestige. Furthermore, Gao Yi was originally the captain of a voidship.

Veil walked up to Gao Yi and said solemnly, "Lord Gao Yi, the Emperor protect us, thank you for saving everyone on this ship just now. As the purser of this family flagship, I request that you serve as acting captain. Lord Ludwig's disappearance has already left the voidship's crew panic-stricken, and they need a strong and capable leader."

"Is this really appropriate?"

Hearing Veil's words, Gao Yi felt immense pressure as well. He had originally been just a wage laborer and had never managed anyone. Suddenly being forced to shoulder the life or death of the hundred-odd thousand people or more on this warship made Gao Yi extremely nervous.

"I believe this is the best choice right now. You possess the great bloodline of the Mongert Family! I believe you can definitely do it!"

"Well... alright, I will do my best. Then I must know how much of this warship is still in our hands."

"Please return with me to the bridge; it is the safest place there, and I will have everyone report the situation to you!"

Returning to the bridge once more, Gao Yi took the seat belonging exclusively to the captain, while the officers in charge of the warship's various operations stood before Gao Yi, looking with curiosity at their new captain.

The originally chaotic bridge began to function in an orderly manner once again. The crew members who had died in battle were replaced, the acoustic array master who had been assassinated was also replaced by his apprentice, and various kinds of intelligence were compiled onto the thinker before Gao Yi.

Even so, the entire warship remained in a state of personnel shortage; the technicians on the warship could not simply be replaced by laborers at will.

The areas from the officer deck upward had almost been entirely retaken, with only a small number of Chaos traitors going into hiding. However, rooting these people out was merely a matter of time. The regrettable part was that they still had not managed to unearth the person who had provided convenience to these traitors.

Interrogations of those traitors revealed that they did not know who that person was at all.

The biggest problem lay in the areas below the lower deck. In the zones below the lower deck, some loyal crew members or laborers were still putting up resistance, but facing a numerical disparity of dozens of times, without follow-up reinforcements, being completely wiped out was merely a matter of time.

Losing the lower deck completely was unacceptable; maintaining the operation of the entire warship was equally inseparable from the countless shipworkers of the lower deck.

The scope of the riot was growing larger and larger, and more and more people affected by Chaos corruption began joining the ranks of the traitors.

The enforcer squad and crew-composed team dispatched from the upper deck relied on the fortifications of the security gate to withstand the onslaught of these rioters, yet several attempts to push deeper had been beaten back.

The cargo area was also located beneath the lower deck. The traitors had pried open the warehouses, acquiring a massive quantity of weapons that directly boosted their combat effectiveness by several tiers.

"Master of Discipline Scott! Do you care to explain yourself?! Your mission was to maintain the order of this ship and prevent riots from breaking out, yet now the deep hold has become like this! Is this how you practice your loyalty to the Emperor? You must accept punishment."

"Purser Veil, I acknowledge my dereliction of duty. No matter how I explain, it cannot change the fact of the lower deck riot, but I beg of you, at this critical juncture, please allow me to remain at my post. I am familiar with the situation below, and I will lead the enforcer squad to deal with those traitors to uphold the dignity of the Empire. After this riot is over, I am willing to accept all punishments from the dynasty!"

Scott said, dropping to one knee.

Veil looked toward Gao Yi.

"Captain! How to deal with him is yours to decide!"

"Keep him for now. Changing generals on the eve of battle is not a very good decision!" Intelligence from the reports showed that Scott's two deputies had died in battle, and no one else on the entire warship understood the situation below better than Scott.

"Thank you for your mercy, my captain! The soldiers fighting on the lower deck have sent a communication requesting reinforcements! An unknown plague is eroding their flesh; they need rotational medical treatment and more manpower. Can you dispatch the powerful warriors at your side to support the battle on the lower deck!"

"I will. Sergeant Damon will lead his soldiers to head to the lower deck together. Tell the soldiers to hold fast! Damon, you and Purser Veil will head to the lower deck together."

"Rest assured, commander, I will complete the mission!"

Gao Yi needed psionic crystals, and killing those traitors was the fastest way to acquire crystals. Gao Yi was still 300 crystals shy of building his first barracks. Once it was up and able to produce the equipment for machine gunners, firebats, and marauders, he figured the battle situation would change instantly.

Watching the others depart, Gao Yi discovered that even after the machine gunners and medics left his field of vision, he could still perceive them. Closing his eyes, the vision of all the units he had recruited using psionic crystals also presented itself within his mind.

This ability really is handy to use.