Aboard the Shining of Tizca, Bridge.
Hathor glanced at Peyok and asked Ignis beside him.
"Are you ready?"
Ignis looked around. The divinatory prisms showed omens of good and ill fortune.
The hanging astrolabe displayed patterns of celestial motion.
Massive amounts of data surged across the relief-carved pillars, overwhelming even the augmented servitors. A group of Thousand Sons from the Athanaeans Cult within the Order of Ruins transmitted information with swift, nimble thoughts.
"Chief Librarian, thanks to your support, I have obtained all the resources I need."
Ignis said gratefully. He didn't know why Lord Hathor had chosen him, but he would seize this opportunity to practice the principles of himself and the entire Cult.
Hathor scrutinized Ignis. He didn't know why Lord Nareth valued him so highly.
The Order of Ruins was just one of many small groups within the Thousand Sons, and Ignis was a newcomer within the Cult.
But His will was paramount. He had to execute the orders.
A perfect smile on his face, Hathor relayed the briefing he had just received, reminding Ignis.
"The xenos' war-moon has massive numbers of drones and powerful armaments. The 'Dark Angels' lost a Gloriana-class battleship."
"My Lord, firepower and defense alone do not decide the outcome of a void battle." Ignis smiled confidently.
"Space warfare guided by the Order of Ruins is the perfect fusion of mathematical conclusions and probabilistic statistics. Its key lies in a series of beautiful numerical numerology."
"Applying the conclusions of sorcerous calculation, one can manipulate the entire course of the battle."
"Furthermore, we have the support of Shadows of Order's Tenth Chapter. Lord Ramsey is also willing to cooperate with my plan."
Hathor nodded. He had to trust Ignis; this was Lord Nareth's instruction.
"Execute your plan and secure victory." The "Hypnotist's" eyes deepened. He quietly opened the numerical door embedded within the threads of fate, '"Psychological Cue" Ignis.'
"Follow me, and you will gain more."
"As you command, Chief Librarian." Ignis responded excitedly, focused on the surging data streams after the fleet transitioned to the Warp, and remained unaware.
Data shared by the Shadows of Order fleet: drone trajectories, propulsion vectors, deflection angles...
Torrents of data, like rolling rapids, surged in.
"Detailed, clear, rapid," Ignis said admiringly.
The "Hypnotist's" thoughts moved like a gentle hand, carefully maneuvering within Ignis's mind.
Though a "Psychiatrist's" "Psychological Suggestion" had qualitatively changed, if the target possessed a strong mind, they could still detect or resist it.
He had to be careful.
"Lord Nareth's Legion possesses a Simulus Chamber, capable of coordinating the entire fleet's auspex and other detection equipment for all-round scanning of the enemy fleet."
"They have cracked the xenos' trick of falsifying Imperial warship readings."
The "Hypnotist" explained, from a nearly objective perspective, the capabilities of Shadows of Order and Lord Nareth's fleet. Given his role as the link between the two forces, and the baseline of his experiences, this was only natural.
"Truly admirable. Fighting alongside Shadows of Order," Ignis's eyes lit up. "My sorcerous calculations will surpass the xenos by ten orders of magnitude."
As he spoke, Ignis spread his consciousness across the various levels of the Enumeration instantaneously analyzing a multitude of variables.
Unlike most Thousand Sons, who pushed their Enumeration to the highest level they had mastered during battle, or a few like Hathor and Ahriman who switched between levels to best respond to the situation, Ignis needed computational power.
Covering the first through sixth levels of the Enumeration simultaneously vastly increased Ignis's computational ability.
His thoughts merged with the thought-network of the Athanaeans Cult.
The "Hypnotist" quietly joined. Since receiving the power bestowed upon him, he had greatly advanced in the mental domain. His telepathy was now on par with any Strigiform master, and his mind-reading surpassed even Apophis, the First Seated of the Sanctum.
He had left all other Thousand Sons behind in influencing minds.
Within the Athanaeans Cult's mental network, the "Hypnotist" performed a "Psychological Suggestion: "Coordinate with Shadows of Order. Achieve victory."
The "Hypnotist's" suggestive words simultaneously reached his 3rd Fellowship and the three hundred sixty Thousand Sons of the Athanaeans Cult within the Order of Ruins.
Ignis's consciousness, covering six levels of the Enumeration, divided the stellar region of the Rosa system into nine hundred sixteen quadrants.
Commands for directional corrections, course adjustments, and fire plans, with breathtaking speed and clarity, reached every crew member via the Athanaeans Cult members scattered throughout the ships, and then the fleets of the Thousand Sons and Shadows of Order.
"Shining of Tizca, starboard maneuvering array, 49% thrust for 5.1 seconds, then port side apply corresponding compensation."
The instant the thought arose, Ignis had simultaneously learned that masters of the Corvidae Cult were dissipating heat and using the flames of the Great Ocean to enhance the power of the ship's prow lances.
"Open fire in 6.2 seconds. Ignis Fire Plan 1-9-4."
Ignis had already created three hundred fifty-eight unique fire plans of his own, integrating the Order of Ruins he had mastered.
"..."
In one second of realspace, Ignis wove a plan for the fleets of the Thousand Sons and Shadows of Order.
Simultaneously, his battle plan touched the entire ship, and within fifteen and twenty-three seconds respectively, covered every ship of the Thousand Sons and Shadows of Order.
The red and black ships rapidly dispersed.
Frigates and destroyers each moved independently, every single one flying to different quadrants.
Capital ships grouped in threes and fives, forming formations.
The sight, full of mathematical beauty, nearly moved Ignis to tears.
Hathor also marveled at the beautiful artistry. Ignis had foreseen the future course of the battle. Each of his commands targeted different future moments, from six minutes nine seconds to ten minutes seven seconds.
The xenos ships and drones were like puppets on his strings.
Hathor suddenly understood why Lord Nareth valued Ignis so highly. This follower of the Order of Ruins was unmatched among the Thousand Sons in void warfare.
'An excellent void battle commander, a master of the Order of Ruins. He should follow me in swearing fealty to Our Lord.'
As Hathor pondered, Ignis temporarily disconnected from the mental network, returning to the physical world to assess the battle.
Hathor went to the viewport, capturing the artistic scene with his own eyes.
The xenos' swarming drone groups passed by the ships, as if pulled by an invisible hand.
The red and black ships navigated the gaps between them. Torpedoes rained down on the surrounding drones.
Macro-cannons, dispersed across the quadrants, thundered like brilliant fireworks.
Lances, wreathed in aetheric flames, detonated within ship after ship bristling with spikes and flails.
In the first exchange, the combined fleet lost only one sluggish battleship. The xenos lost dozens of capital ships and tens of thousands of drones.
Hathor returned to the hololithic strategic map. Ignis, time and again, using the teachings of Ruin, capturing enemy movements in the ever-changing combat quadrants, continuously making tactical adjustments and macro-level decisions.
The combined fleet traversed the light of shell explosions and energy vortices. The winding trails of their engine exhaust interwove in the dark void.
Hathor withdrew his gaze from the colossal object entering his field of vision. He keenly noticed a trace of concern interwoven within Ignis's intertwined thoughts.
He asked Ignis, who always maintained control of the battle.
"Is there something unexpected?"
"Simply put, as the distance closes, the increase in the number of xenos drones has exceeded my projections," Ignis stated.
"Slow the pace, maneuver within the surrounding quadrants. I trust your mastery." Hathor's perfect smile was sincere.
After five seconds of silence, Ignis spoke.
"But the production capacity of the war-moon may exceed the replenishment capacity of the forge decks and transports."
"Regrettably, I cannot destroy the war-moon in the void."
"But I can open a path, creating an opportunity for a boarding action."
Hathor nodded. "Formulate the plan. Ramsey and I will lead the boarding parties."
As Hathor contacted Ramsey, Ignis rapidly formulated a new plan.
Destroyer after destroyer's plasma engines blazed, shooting towards the war-moon like arrows.
The drone swarms immediately, like a school of fish scenting food, frantically surged towards them.
A dazzling light bloomed in the void. The overloaded reactors were like burning miniature stars.
Ignis silently watched the void outside the viewport, watching the blooms of flame.
"You have already done excellently." Hathor's perfect, magnetic voice sounded.
"We lost some destroyers. The Dark Angels lost a Gloriana-class battleship and over a hundred capital ships."
Ignis nodded. His gaze returned to the hololithic strategic table.
"Execute the assault plan."
The black and red ships traversed the silent light, reaching the war-moon's orbit. Rain-like beams slammed down, sounding the horn of vengeance.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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