Chapter 353: Sigismund's Request
"Magos Akira," Sigismund's voice came through the communicator, still carrying a rock-like steadiness, but Akira's keen auditory sensors caught a trace of imperceptible urgency hidden beneath it. "I have heard of the 'Iron Guard' power armor you developed for mortal troops. Inquisitor Silas of the Inquisition has given a highly positive evaluation of its efficacy in actual combat."
He paused slightly. Those eyes, having weathered countless battlefields and seemingly able to pierce through all falsehoods and weaknesses, locked tightly onto Akira's optical lenses through the projection, bringing an invisible pressure.
"The core purpose of my visit is to personally confirm with you whether this technological system you pioneered possesses the potential for extended application—to provide services for the Adeptus Astartes?"
He did not wait for Akira's answer, but directly and clearly expounded his vision and needs, as if deploying a military campaign: "What I am talking about is not a simple scale-up in size.
"What we need is a specialized model that can truly match the physiological limits, neural reaction speeds, and complex tactical requirements of Astartes battle-brothers.
"It must possess surging power far exceeding current designs, composite armor sufficient to withstand heavy firepower, seamless integration interfaces for various lethal weapons, and..."
His tone grew heavier, emphasizing the key point, "Its structural integrity must be sufficient to withstand the full explosive power we unleash in extreme states, without collapsing or disintegrating at critical moments."
Sigismund's gaze sharpened even more. He mentioned that brand-new title, his tone carrying a heavy and complex sense of identity: "The 'Black Templars'... are about to embark on a long and endless crusade.
"On this path, we need to pool every possible means to enhance our combat effectiveness, regardless of the source.
"If your 'Iron Guard' technology can provide our basic warriors with an advantage in protection and firepower that surpasses standard power armor, even if it is only temporary...
"Even if this means having to endure certain controllable risks or costs, it is absolutely worth our in-depth exploration and cooperation."
He finally threw out a proposal that carried immense weight for any Tech-Priest, demonstrating full sincerity: "We are willing to provide testing environments closest to actual combat, the most authentic operational data from the frontlines, the technological support accumulated by the Imperial Fists Legion, and... most crucially, detailed technical parameters based on Astartes physiology.
"This cooperation might just be the turning point to help you push this technology to a completely new height that even you never anticipated."
Akira listened quietly. The thought core behind his optical lenses was processing the massive amount of information in parallel at a speed beyond mortal comprehension—evaluating technological feasibility, calculating resource input, weighing political implications, and measuring the opportunities and risks brought by this cooperation.
Sigismund's arrival and the demands he presented were somewhat unexpected, but upon careful thought, they made perfect sense.
The performance of the "Iron Guard" on the Hive World had clearly attracted the attention of this battle master renowned for his critical tactical eye.
And his newly formed Chapter was facing the urgent need to maintain and continuously enhance its core combat strength during a crusade with relatively independent resources and unknown environments.
Akira's synthesized voice responded steadily: "Lord Sigismund, from a technological standpoint, scaling up the Iron Guard system proportionally to adapt to the physiological characteristics of an Astartes is entirely feasible.
"Its modular architecture is particularly suited for customized modifications based on the tactical characteristics of different Chapters."
He did not shy away from the technical difficulties, calmly pointing out the key challenges: "The primary bottlenecks lie in three areas: the extreme output of the energy core, the structural strength of the power skeleton, and most crucially—the synchronized coordination with the extraordinary physiological functions and neural reaction speed of an Astartes.
"These all require a completely new design plan, rigorous testing procedures, and a rather considerable input of resources."
Akira steered the issue to the core: "Are you expecting an assault vehicle that provides extra protection and firepower for Space Marines in specific tactical environments, or some sort of more revolutionary heavy battlesuit aimed at redefining the ground combat paradigm of the Astartes?"
The answer to this question would determine the entire research and development direction.
Akira calmly evaluated this sudden cooperative opportunity: this was not just another equipment order, but an opportunity to extend his technological tentacles deep into the equipment system of the Adeptus Astartes.
By developing equipment for Space Marines, he could test the boundaries of his technology in extreme combat environments—after all, the Astartes themselves were the most rigorous testing environment.
Although it would temporarily divert his research energy away from the Genesis particles, the potential returns and the elevation of his future influence made this proposal worth his serious consideration.
Sigismund was silent for a moment, his black helmet turning slightly.
When he spoke again, his voice carried an unquestionable decisiveness: "What we need is the latter. The crusade of the Black Templars is destined to be full of unknowns; traditional combat paradigms may not be sufficient to deal with all threats.
"If you can forge equipment that allows our warriors to unleash combat power beyond their limits at critical moments, this will greatly enhance our operational capabilities in extreme environments."
"I understand." Akira's optical lenses flickered slightly. "Then, we need to redesign from the foundational framework. First, we need to acquire the detailed physiological data of the Black Templars warriors, including neural conduction velocity, peak muscle burst power, and energy consumption patterns in extreme states."
"These data can be provided," Sigismund responded without hesitation. "But we demand full participation throughout the research and development process to ensure the final product meets actual combat needs."
"That is a reasonable request." Akira's mechanical fingers inputted several parameters on the console. "I will assemble a dedicated technical team to take charge of this project. However, before that, I need to confirm the issue of resource supply..."
The conversation between the two shifted to specific technical details and resource allocation.
Akira noticed that although Sigismund's understanding of technical details was limited, he possessed an astonishing intuition for the practical combat needs of equipment, with every requirement he proposed striking right at the heart of the matter.
These professional insights based on rich combat experience held significant value for the R&D work.
After finalizing the preliminary cooperation framework, Sigismund suddenly asked: "I heard you have recently been conducting some special research on a Death World? If you need to test equipment performance in extreme environments, the Black Templars can provide assistance."
Akira's computing core evaluated various possibilities in an instant.
Sigismund's arrival represented not only an equipment order but also a rare opportunity to make contact with the highest military decision-making echelon of the Imperium.
Right before the communication was about to end, he made his decision.
(End of Chapter)