Concept for Improving Auxiliary Forces

Producing a suit of Adamantium power armor takes about 18 hours. Including the internal cushioning, thermal insulation modules, and the Thinker System's loading, only one suit of power armor can be produced per day.

Even if Loci scaled up production and continued to increase the number of material reconstruction machines, this number would be hard-pressed to exceed 100.

He did not want the base's influence to spread to planets beyond Mustafa, whether for secrecy or to maintain the balance of the alliance with Guilliman.

"Tell Guilliman that I need Adamantium, lots and lots of Adamantium. No matter where he has to divert it from or even steal it, he needs to provide me with the Adamantium I need!" Loci said to Hill, almost roaring.

Mustafa did not have Adamantium mines. This precious mineral was an important commodity in interstellar trade, and many Rogue Traders dealt in this high-value metal.

However, the quantities were too small. In the past, Adamantium was usually only used for the skeleton of power armor and for the casting of some melee weapons.

Their demand was not on the same scale as what was needed for an entire suit of Adamantium power armor.

In a hurry, finding a lot of Adamantium was almost impossible.

But after realizing the immense value of Adamantium power armor, Hill was even more frantic than Loci. He sent thirteen high-priority messages to his Gene-Father and repeatedly urged the Primarch to deliver enough Adamantium.

"My son, where do you expect me to find the Adamantium you need in such a short time? Only the Adeptus Mechanicus would have this quantity of Adamantium."

"The Adeptus Mechanicus is currently focused on building new space warships. I doubt they'll agree to my request even if I beg them."

The Primarch rubbed his head, suffering from a headache. This was a happy problem. He knew the immense value of Adamantium power armor; it would enhance the combat effectiveness of the Ultramarines in incredible ways.

"How about this, I'll transfer some wrecked ships destroyed in the Kaos campaign to you first. Those ships' keels were originally intended to be recast as new warship keels, but now they'll be allocated to you first."

Guilliman pondered for a few seconds and offered a compromise.

"Father, this might not be enough to satisfy Lord Loci's appetite. He's truly a madman with too many crazy ideas in his head," Hill said with a wry smile.

"You don't know, he's also planning to re-equip all the Ultramar auxiliary forces."

Guilliman's data-slate almost slipped from his hand. The somewhat shocked Primarch nearly dropped it.

What was Loci doing? He wanted to re-equip the Ultramar auxiliary forces? Was he insane?

The Ultramar auxiliary forces were defense units formed from the various planets of the Five Hundred Worlds. They also assisted the Ultramarines in combat during wartime.

Compared to the scarce Adeptus Astartes, these massive mortal armies were the first line of defense for the Five Hundred Worlds against invaders.

Because of the prosperity and enlightenment of the Five Hundred Worlds, the individual quality and equipment of these soldiers surpassed most mortal auxiliary forces of the Imperium.

These mortals, who had undergone rigorous training and were educated in discipline and dedication, had many who were transferred to the mortal armies after failing the selection for the Ultramarines.

Vast armies numbering in the hundreds of billions were spread across the vast territory of the Eastern Fringe. They did not possess the superhuman combat power of the Adeptus Astartes, but they still guarded the territory of the Five Hundred Worlds and protected its people with their mortal bodies.

Although these mortal armies all belonged to the Ultramar auxiliary forces, there were still significant differences in their equipment. Auxiliary forces from several core worlds could even be equipped with servo-armored power armor and wield powerful melta weapons.

In terms of overall combat effectiveness, they could even match the renowned Solar Auxilia.

Of course, the armies of some more remote and backward planets were not as luxurious. Some simple armor and a standard auxiliary laser rifle were all the equipment they had.

Even the smallest problem, when multiplied by a huge base number, would become a monumental challenge. The Ultramar auxiliary forces already exceeded Imperial standards significantly, but further improvement was difficult to bear even for the wealth of Macragge.

"Lord Loci believes that the defense forces of important worlds like Macragge, Konnor, and Amatrha are completely unable to bear the current pressure. Furthermore, because the Imperium resists the use of Artificial Intelligence, Automatons, and other means, these mortal auxiliary forces must be prioritized for armament."

Guilliman, already troubled by the war and too busy to even sleep, suddenly looked displeased.

He also wanted to improve the combat effectiveness of the mortals, which would greatly alleviate the current shortage of troops. But could this be achieved?

This was a gap in productivity. Those Forge Worlds simply could not supply so many weapons and equipment.

"Father, perhaps you could spare some time to inspect Mustafa. It's very different from before," Hill said after hesitating for a few seconds. He ultimately felt that it would be more convincing for Guilliman to see it with his own eyes.

Guilliman looked at Hill with suspicion. When had his son become so hesitant? Hill had always been forthright.

"Alright, I will set aside half a day today to visit Mustafa. I will bring Gage and the commanding officers of the Ultramar auxiliary forces. I hope you can give us a surprise."

After cutting off the communication, Hill felt relieved. If the production of Adamantium power armor still required considerable time and resources, then the equipment supplied to mortals could truly be considered mass production.

Discarding the inefficient servitors and the cumbersome rituals of incense burning, anointing, and blessing machine spirits, the weapons and equipment needed by mortals could be produced on the assembly line like dumplings from Old Terra.

Automated production, from raw material smelting to mold casting, and then to assembly and installation, everything proceeded naturally and quickly like a flowing river.

By accessing the psychic space and libraries of Macragge, Loci had gained considerable understanding of the Imperium's other head, the double-headed eagle.

In his opinion, Mars today was no longer the enlightened and progressive technological world of the past, but rather filled with ignorance and religious fervor.

Although at this point, after the Age of Strife of the Old Night, much technological knowledge had been lost in the long night, Loci was still disappointed by humanity's loss of its drive.

"The experience on Kaos proved that there is some kind of pollution in the Warp. The intelligence of humans, and even machine creations, are at risk of being corrupted. The actions of the Adeptus Mechanicus are not entirely without merit. At least those machines that have been blessed, anointed, and had sacred incense burned over them are indeed more reliable."

As a survivor of the past, he had to constantly adjust his mindset. Although he could not accept present-day humanity emotionally, from a practical standpoint, the existence of the Adeptus Mechanicus was inevitable.

The universe had never been kind to humanity. The treacherous waves of the Empyrean constantly affected humanity. This had nothing to do with science; it could even be described as metaphysics. Therefore, humanity could only counter metaphysics with metaphysics.

"However, it is also not advisable to abandon all progress due to minor setbacks. Especially in times of such peril, we must cast aside those taboos and maximize productivity," Loci said to the technicians and workers on Mustafa.

Even if the weapons produced on the assembly line were indeed more susceptible to corruption than those painstakingly crafted by the Adeptus Mechanicus, it was all worth it in the face of absolute numbers.

He absolutely would not allow his warriors to die on the battlefield due to a lack of equipment before their weapons could even become corrupted.

He would rather everyone wield the best weapons and teach those damned Warp demons a lesson about absolute firepower.