Signing a Covenant with Lucius of the Forging World

829. M30, the world of Lucius, Forge World, and the black fleet of "Shadow of Order" arrived.

The Sage Wojciech Belik sent Lucius messages about the Primarch Nimrod, the Imperium, and the Imperium of Man, using binary scientific language.

After learning that Mars had signed the Olympus Treaty with the Imperium and joined the Imperium of Man, and that the Primarch had retrieved several sacred templates, Fabricator-General Mathieu -12 agreed to the meeting request.

Nimrod led Arsena Dunn and Wojciech, along with some members of the Honor Guard, aboard the Stormbird, and flew to the surface.

Through the viewing window, he saw the magnificent letters that made up Lucius, etched into the planet's surface by ablation, with each letter's detail stretching for tens of kilometers from top to bottom.

Nimrod's golden wings trembled slightly as he sensed the planet's pulsating power, the ceaseless Artificial Sun.

His gaze shifted to the landing zone, where he then saw the orderly ranks of the Skitarii.

The Stormbird lowered their landing gear, and the Honor Guard lined up behind the Primarch as the landing jets cooled the aircraft.

The Servo-skull was adorned with colorful ribbons, and the Sonic Array Device emitted a mechanical High Gothic.

Lucius greeted Primarch Nimrod, welcoming him.

Nimrod walked toward the waiting Sage of Lucius amidst the incense smoke.

He saw the Lucius Sage wearing red robes with black trim, and he knew that black had great significance for Lucius, symbolizing being scorched black by the Artificial Sun underground during the ceremony of blessing the sun.

Lucius, the Tech-Priest, regarded it as a blessing from the God of All Machines, and that it would only be changed to a deep red like Mars after the end of the future split ideology.

The emblem on Lucius's team consists of an ornate variation of the initial "L" and a skull, a symbol of pure humanity.

Mathieu -12 walked up to Nimrod, Sonic Array synthesized sound emanated from his visor.

Welcome, Nimrod.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Fabricator-General, Mathieu -12," Nimrod replied.

Nimrod boarded the welcoming car, and the black vehicle slowly drove forward.

Mathieu -12 sat opposite Nimrod, "Nimrod / Lucius is a never-ending furnace/Apart from Mars /Few Forge World possess a production capacity comparable to Lucius."

"We can produce the Lucius-pattern Warhound Scout Titan /with unparalleled agility among its kind// Lucius-pattern Drop Pod /superior performance/short preparation time/easy recovery."

"Masterfully crafted by the Steelwalker Ironstrider of the Skitarii."

Nimrod looked through the viewing window and saw large areas of factories and assembly workshops rushing past.

Wisps of smoke rose from the vents and chimneys, turning the sky above the entire Forge World a deep black.

The massive steel gates never closed for a minute, like the gaping maw of Great Beast devouring ore, fuel, and an ever-present lack of time.

As the piercing work bell rang, people emerged from the work shed like zombies, dragging their thin and heavy bodies toward the gate covered with spikes.

As they passed the overseer, they silently collected their soup and soup base for the day before starting work.

The Primarch's superhuman vision allowed him to see the laborers, their bodies covered in pipes, working under the foreman's command at their workstations.

The strict hierarchical system kept the entire factory in order, with rows of machines roaring day and night in the sweatshop, and weapons of war rolling off the production line.

He was intrigued when he heard that the Fabricator-General Mathieu -12, had just met him and introduced Lucius's two flagship products.

[The Fabricator-General seems to want something from me.]

"I have previously visited Mars and the Crown of Miracles of Graia, Lucius is impressive even compared to them."

Although Huangquan VIII and Gryphonne IV are allies, Nimrod has not yet visited either of these Forge World.

After confirming that Mathieu -12 had something to ask for, Nimrod was in no hurry to speak.

After passing through countless factories, the vehicle drove onto the passageway leading to the Forge Temple.

Along the roadside, furnaces bubbled and boiled, while rotating ventilation fans were turned on at maximum power to cool down visiting guests.

The freight aisle, with its hydraulic transmission system, is accompanied by the rotation of gears and load-bearing wheels.

The Forge Temple was deliberately designed to resemble Hollow Furnace, with its dome pieced together from panels of Solar Alloy.

Amidst the rumble of tracks, the hum of hydraulic presses, and the roar of Power Pack, the slave laborers parted to the sides, and the gates of the Forge Temple swung open with a deafening roar.

Lucius's Skitarii, clad in black armor, lined up to greet them.

The entire ceremonial hall of the Forge Temple shone brightly in the blazing light and the reflection of the Solar Alloy.

In stark contrast to the radiance were the long black table and chairs, where the Primarch and the Fabricator-General sat facing each other.

Unlike usual, the Primarch's Attendants sat beside him, Wojciech sat in the seat next to him.

"Nimrod /Welcome to your visit," Mathieu -12 said.

"I have learned from the Sage Wojciech Belik that you have retrieved the sacred templates of the Ramillies-class Star Fortress and the Belik Battle Tank."

"Lucius is willing to ally with you / Forge equipment for you / The Void Walker and the Shadow of Order fight side by side / The Skitarii fight for you."

"I, the Lucius Fabricator-General of this unit, have only one request: to authorize the template for the Lucius Ramillies-class Star Fortress / Belik Battle Tank."

Upon hearing this, Nimrod's eyes flashed with understanding.

[As expected, Lucius wanted two types of STC.]

Nimrod recalled that although Lucius was Forge World and top-tier production capacity, it lacked combat tanks.

The Lucius Sage spent ten thousand years researching the STC (Supported Tank) in order to acquire a tank, and then named it after Macharius.

They then spent another three hundred years obtaining permission to Mars.

However, the Sage' joy was short-lived, Mars granted mass authorization to numerous worlds to produce the Emperor Baneblade Super-Heavy Tank, making Lucius's long and arduous efforts seem somewhat ironic.

Compared to future Adeptus Mechanicus, the current ones are still much more efficient.

Of course, this is because I am a Primarch and do not need to worry about certification for Ramillies-class Star Fortress and Belik Battle Tank.

For an ordinary person, they might die before even passing the certification and receiving the reward, just like Commissar Trast, who discovered 145XX22, whose lifespan didn't allow him to survive the centuries-long review process.

Nimrod thought of the unique chemical composition of the paint produced by STC (145XX22), which could complete the coating of combat equipment in a very short time, and decided to get his hands on it.

However, this STC is still far from being discovered and is not urgently needed, so it should be placed in a later position.

He gathered his thoughts and said, "Not enough."

"Lucius will supply Vostonia with one-third of the average annual production capacity of Solar Alloy. In return, I will authorize Lucius to use the Standard Template Construct for the Belik Battle Tank."

"The Ramillies-class Star Fortress authorization requires Lucius to provide me with the corresponding Standard Template Construct."

Mathieu -12's Logic Engine spun rapidly, assessing the requirements of the Primarch.

"This unit// Lucius Fabricator-General / agrees to the authorization to exchange Solar Alloy for the sacred template of the Bellerophon Battle Tank."

"Our company// Lucius Fabricator-General /provides Gas Fractionation Technology //technology to convert organic raw materials into Promethium /in exchange for the Ramillies-class Star Fortress sacred template authorization."

Nimrod knew about Gas Fractionation Technology, and the Winterscale family, the most powerful of the three major Rogue Trader Dynasty, possessed this technology in the future Koronus Expanse.

The continuous production of Promethium not only provided Winterscale with energy but also brought them enormous wealth.

Lucius is skilled in energy, so it's reasonable for him to have mastered this technology.

However, compared to the Ramillies-class Star Fortress license and the three Gloriana-class Battleship exchanged on Mars, its value is significantly lower.

Nimrod, after considering this, said, "I agree, but the Ramillies-class Star Fortress built by Lucius should be prioritized for my allies and designated recipients."

Mathieu -12 had a short time to weigh the options and made a quick decision.

"This unit/ Lucius Fabricator-General agrees."

The Lawyer and Tech Sergeant representative, Nimrod, negotiated an alliance with Lucius's side.

Fifteen sidereal days later, Nimrod reviewed the covenant.

The Void Walker will provide eighty-five Titan to fight alongside the Shadow of Order.

Unlike other Forge World, Lucius was not conservative and reserved half of his forces for defense; the Void Walker only kept fifty Titan on the field.

The total number of Void Walker Titan will only reach 162 before the Great Birthday Celebration.

The Great Bell of the Omnissiah tolled twelve times, and Nimrod and Dier -12 wrote their names on the parchment scrolls and Data Slate, branding them with their data seals.