As the Pectaro returned to orbit around Vorsid III with its transport ship once more, the factories on the planet's surface roared deafeningly back to life like awakened behemoths.
The enormous cargo holds descended from the heavens like meteorites, landing directly on the surface as entire sections.
Floating Castellans worked alongside machinery and Servitors to drag the fully laden cargo containers into the Factory District one by one. Shattered mechanical remains were thrown into furnaces, awaiting complete reconstruction.
Other damaged and incomplete units were dismantled and fitted with brand-new components. In just two days, the entire force had completed the repair process.
They formed orderly ranks and began returning to the ships' cargo holds.
An immense gravity well retrieved the cargo holds from the ground and secured them back into the ships' structures.
With the force refitted, Iax immediately contacted frontline headquarters once again.
Any force, whether Astra Militarum or Space Marines, needed a certain amount of rest after a major battle to recover its combat readiness.
Brutal fighting often brought heavy losses and depleted troop strength.
An Astra Militarum regiment typically needed at least a week to rest and refit after a battle. If its losses were severe, it might need weeks or even months to wait for replacements.
Yet none of these shortcomings of ordinary soldiers existed in the mechanical forces of the Men of Iron.
Mechanical bodies had no morale and needed no rest. Their units would not mutiny, much less betray their commanders. The outcome of a war was reflected in precise calculations.
The course of a war was always unknown, but to the Men of Iron, the outcome of a battle could be predicted.
Every combat loss was a simple exchange of numbers.
And victory meant reducing the enemy's number to zero.
The Men of