Chapter 707: The Ulthwe Fleet
At the scheduled time, Ryo, Elandir, Techmarine Cassius, and the base's primary Tech-Priests gathered in the main control center. Outside the massive observation window, against the backdrop of the desolate starry sky of the Death World, the star providing energy continued to radiate its light.
"Activate peak energy siphoning mode. All arrays, focus at maximum power," Ryo ordered.
The order was executed immediately. The massive mirror arrays on the perimeter of the base underwent micro-adjustments, directing an even more blazing, condensed torrent of stellar energy toward the superconducting energy storage rings buried deep underground. The energy storage readings instantly broke through the one hundred percent design capacity, and the excess energy was diverted into a temporarily constructed buffer circuit.
"Energy storage overloaded by thirty percent... fifty percent... now stabilized at the critical threshold," a Tech-Priest reported steadily, his eyes fixed on the rapidly jumping readings. "The dimensional gateway initialization sequence is ready."
"Establish initial connection. Anchor to the coordinates in the Pandora universe," Ryo's voice was calm and waveless.
The chief operator pressed a series of physical and virtual buttons in sequence. In the center of the base, the unprecedentedly massive ring-shaped dimensional teleportation device emitted a low hum. Eerie blue energy began to flow rhythmically within its complex ring structure, its brightness continuously increasing.
The energy within the storage rings was efficiently extracted and continuously injected into the core of the teleportation device. The space in the center of the device began to show visible distortion and stretching. A dimensional vortex surging with eerie blue light gradually formed and slowly expanded.
After several micro-adjustments, the edges of the vortex finally stabilized.
"Gateway initially stabilized, diameter continuously expanding... five hundred meters... eight hundred meters... one thousand meters..." Cassius's voice resonated, mixed with mechanical echoes, as the data on the screen before him cascaded like a waterfall. "Spatial pressure readings are within preset safety limits. The gateway is stably anchored to the predetermined coordinates in the Pandora universe."
At that very moment, another set of monitoring screens lit up. It showed the predetermined receiving coordinates within the Death World star system, not far from the base. Two streamlined ships silently surfaced as if from deep water, appearing steadily in space. They were the Eldar cruisers of Ulthwe. Their wraithbone hulls shimmered with a pearlescent glow under the starlight, the ancient runes and the sigil of Ulthwe engraved on their hulls faintly visible.
"The Ulthwe fleet has arrived at the receiving coordinates on time," Elandir confirmed, receiving a ready response through her psychic connection.
"Notify them to prepare to enter the gateway. The window is twenty-five minutes; start the countdown now," Ryo ordered deeply, his gaze fixed on the eerie blue, slowly rotating dimensional vortex above the base, and the two cruisers in the distance that had just completed their warp jump and were hovering silently.
The command was transmitted synchronously through an encrypted channel. Upon receiving the signal, the two Eldar cruisers almost simultaneously adjusted their main engine power to the lowest stable cruising state. Their hulls made micro-adjustments to their posture as they began to sail slowly at a constant speed toward the eerie blue entrance.
The crossing process was exceptionally smooth, even appearing tranquil. When the tips of the ships touched the edge of the vortex, they only stirred up gentle, rhythmic ripples of blue energy, like stones dropped into a calm lake. The massive wraithbone hulls slowly submerged into the profound eerie blue, as if being gently and firmly swallowed by the entrance to another universe. Real-time observational data showed that the spatial structure within the gateway, under the combined effects of the powerful dimensional stabilizers and the ships' own psychic fields, maintained astonishing smoothness.
The twenty-five-minute window ended precisely on time. When the last speck of psychic light from the stern of the ships completely disappeared into the depths of the vortex, Ryo decisively ordered, "Close the gateway."
The massive energy vortex immediately began to contract inward. Its light rapidly decayed and ultimately vanished into nothingness, leaving only the faint smell of ozone in the air and the gradually subsiding spatial disturbance readings on the instruments.
Almost at the exact same moment, light-years away at the predetermined coordinates on the edge of the Pandora star system, eerie blue light surged in the void once more. The elegant forms of the two Eldar cruisers slowly sailed out from within, as if passing through an invisible curtain, steadily anchoring themselves against the backdrop of the clean starry sky.
On the central star map of the main control center, on the edge of the region representing the Pandora star system, two brand new signal points bearing Eldar identifiers clearly lit up and completed system registration.
The trans-dimensional fleet projection was a complete success.
The appearance of the two Ulthwe Eldar cruisers on the edge of the Pandora star system was like drops of water falling into the ocean, without stirring up a single unnecessary ripple. The advanced cloaking technology they carried far exceeded any known civilization in the local area. Upon entering the star system, they perfectly blended into the cosmic background radiation and faint gravitational waves. Even the limited surveillance network deployed in orbit by the RDA failed to detect any anomalies.
Under the remote telepathic guidance of High Farseer Eldrad Ulthran, one of the cruisers did not linger. Following the predetermined route and the navigational data previously transmitted by Irian's squad, it quietly adjusted its heading and sailed toward the distant star system housing the Predator homeworld. Its mission was of utmost importance: to head to the location of that ancient spatial anchor and complete the final and most crucial on-site deployment and activation of the "Gate of Hope" esoteric rite.
The other cruiser remained in a concealed position on the outskirts of the Pandora star system. It parked in a nearly absolutely desolate patch of interstellar space designated by Ryo in advance, far from the planet Pandora and its moons' orbits, like a patient watcher.
Shortly after, a small Eldar shuttle was launched from its underbelly. Carrying several sharp-eyed high-ranking technicians and an Eldar elder supported by others and clad in intricate Farseer robes, it sailed toward the surface of the planet Pandora, finally landing on the designated receiving platform at the Valley 3 base.
Ryo and Elandir were already waiting on the platform. The old Farseer—who was none other than High Farseer Eldrad himself—stepped out of the shuttle supported by a young Pathfinder. Although his figure appeared slightly hunched due to the long passage of time, every step carried a settled majesty. His deep-set eyes seemed to hold the starlight of wisdom capable of piercing through time and space.
"Honored Ryo," the High Farseer's voice resonated directly in Ryo's consciousness, ancient and gentle, yet harboring unquestionable psychic power. "The trans-dimensional journey was smooth and precise. This fully proves the excellence and reliability of the technology you command, and it lays a solid foundation for the cooperation between our two sides."
"The High Farseer's personal arrival at this frontier demonstrates Ulthwe's sincerity and the importance you attach to this matter," Ryo nodded slightly in acknowledgment. "The 'Gate of Hope' requires the technology and will of both sides to forge together. Time is of the essence; let us get straight to the point."
Without any superfluous polite pleasantries, the core personnel of both sides immediately moved to the base's command center.