"A counteroffensive?"
Fabricator-General Kott of the Adeptus Mechanicus broke the brief silence left by General Sechter's words, his heavily synthesized voice utterly devoid of emotion.
The word echoed through the cold air, carrying an almost offensive note of doubt.
Kott's enormous mechanical body slowly turned toward Sechter. Countless optical sensors focused on the mortal general with faint sounds of adjustment.
The metal and conduits covering his body reflected cold light beneath the tactical display's ghostly blue glow.
"General Sechter," Kott said in a flat voice, each syllable meshing like precision gears.
"I hope you are prepared to accept full responsibility for the logic and consequences of your present remarks."
He paused briefly, seemingly retrieving internal data and conducting a risk assessment.
"Our current primary mission directive is explicit: defend the core industrial complexes of the Forge World Shina and ensure their basic functions remain operational, thereby maintaining this world as an unshakable strategic anchor and forward bastion for this theater. This is the Emperor's will and the very foundation of this world's existence."
He raised a precision-engineered mechanical appendage and pointed at the area on the display representing the main foundry and its surrounding critical facilities, tightly enclosed by green defensive lines.
"Yet your present proposal seeks to wager all of the Emperor's precious strategic assets and fighting strength—these carefully selected 'coins,' intended for holding our positions—on a..." He paused again, as though searching for the most accurate term.
"Gamble whose projected odds of success fall far outside the optimistic range. Explain the logical basis of your proposal, general. What is your intention?"
There was no anger in Kott's challenge, only cold scrutiny grounded in calculations of efficiency and risk.
In his eyes, mortal soldiers' lives were resources, the defensive mission was an equation, and a "counteroffensive," under the current