"The Gemini Gate was undoubtedly the weak point in the Solar System's defenses. We were on the defensive now, and these two star gates did not help us in any way."
Admiral Sucasan spoke swiftly, representing the largest contingent of mortal forces and taking the lead in speaking.
"Now that the enemy held the initiative, they would surely focus their main attack on this region in order to make the fullest use of their numerical advantage. Rather than wait for them to seize it, we should eliminate this weakness first and destroy it."
Sucasan quickly used a Cogitator to demonstrate her plan. With its immense computational power, it calculated in merely three seconds how to completely destroy the star gates with maximum efficiency and in the shortest possible time.
Humanity could no longer replicate these relics of the Dark Age of Technology, but destroying them was still possible.
The moment she said this, however, the representatives of the Adeptus Mechanicus were clearly displeased.
A Tech-priest immediately stepped forward to refute Sucasan's proposal.
"Admiral, before the rebels have even arrived, are we to destroy our own artificial megastructures out of fear? That would deal a tremendous blow to morale."
These oil-soaked types wisely did not mention the star gates' rarity or technological value. Instead, they countered from the more practical perspective of morale.
They were stubborn, not stupid. With Horus's rebels about to encircle the Solar System, if they still idiotically shouted about the scientific value of ancient star gates, they would only be rubbing the primarchs the wrong way.
The Adeptus Mechanicus had realized that times had changed. Not only had their most exceptional talents been drawn into the High Technology Commonwealth, but their own strength had also weakened enormously.
The Battle of Beta-Garmon had cost the Mechanicus Titan Legions