Chapter 732: Live Combat Testing
Inside the main control room of the Eternal Seeker, Ryo's main body stood silently before the cogitator arrays.
All the data reports for the second phase of the gene-seed optimization project, the Collegia Titanica's Titan Guard cultivation project, and the mass production progress of the EVA Titans flowed through his optical lenses.
All data indicated that the products performed excellently in laboratory environments and simulated tests.
The second batch of test subjects passed the inspection in the joint assessment by the Imperial Fists and their successor chapters. All physiological indicators and basic combat literacy met or even exceeded the standards.
The first batch of custom Titan Guards for the Collegia Titanica had been delivered, and a new batch of five hundred Titan Guards had just rolled off the production line at Nexum.
The newly rolled-off EVA Titans operated smoothly during factory testing, and the puppet systems responded precisely.
However, Ryo's logic core clearly recognized that these results lacked the verification of live combat.
Simulated tests could verify basic functions, but they could not fully replicate the complex variables of a real battlefield: tactical adaptability when facing different enemies, system stability during prolonged high-intensity combat, emergency responses under sudden crises, and coordination efficiency with allied units in live combat.
The Imperial Fists' assessment focused on confirming whether the recruits met the basic standards to join the chapter, acting more like a qualification certification than a comprehensive evaluation of combat power.
He needed live combat testing.
This was not only a necessary step to verify the quality of the current products but also a critical link in obtaining first-hand feedback data to guide subsequent optimization iterations.
His plan required these "products" to become a reliable cornerstone of power, not just excellent parameters lingering on paper.
However, conducting such tests within the framework of the Imperium presented limitations.
Mobilizing test forces on a large scale to conduct "exercises" on an Imperial world would be too conspicuous and would struggle to simulate the pressure of a real battlefield.
Counter-insurgency or defensive operations within the Imperium were typically handled by local garrisons, the Astra Militarum, or nearby Astartes chapters. An uncoordinated intervention by a Tech-Priest Magos could easily trigger jurisdictional disputes.
Ryo pulled up the communication protocols with the Departmento Munitorum.
As a High Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus with deep ties to the Imperial Fists and the Collegia Titanica, he possessed channels for direct communication with relevant departments of the Munitorum.
He drafted an encrypted communication and sent it to the Departmento Munitorum's theater intelligence and coordination division.
In the message, citing the "field verification of new Skitarii equipment and coordinated combat protocols" and "battlefield adaptability data collection for custom auxiliary units of the Collegia Titanica," he inquired if there were any operational zones suitable for limited technical testing in the near future.
He specifically emphasized the need for a theater with moderate combat intensity, diverse terrain or enemy types, and a local commander open to technical testing.
After dispatching the testing request to the Munitorum, Ryo did not wait for a reply but synchronously initiated preparations.
He instructed the Tech-Priests aboard the Eternal Seeker to select the twenty individuals with the most outstanding data across all testing phases from his privately reserved, undelivered test subjects.
Simultaneously, he ordered the mobilization of the entire 500-man Titan Guard unit newly assembled off the Nexum production line—these warriors had just completed final assembly and system initialization and were on standby.
Combined with three EVA Titans that had completed basic tuning and were reserved for personal use, they were organized into "Verification Task Force Alpha."
To ensure the live combat testing could collect the most comprehensive performance data possible, Ryo ordered the technical team to install high-precision supplementary data recording equipment on all units of this force.
He also pre-set a detailed battlefield information collection protocol designed to capture every critical parameter, from individual physiological responses to the energy consumption of heavy weapon systems.
The assembly and equipping of the force advanced efficiently; the next step was to determine a suitable live-combat testing ground.
The options provided by the Munitorum still required evaluation, while Ryo's thoughts turned to another information source—the exploration logs recording the sights and sounds of Maine's squad across different dimensions.
In those worlds completely independent of the Imperium's borders and the dogmas of the Mechanicus, there might exist a far more ideal testing environment.
A reply from the Munitorum would take time and might not fully meet his needs.
Ryo needed a backup plan.
He thought of the dimensional exploration records of Maine's squad stored in the database of the Death World base.
Those worlds, vastly different from the Warhammer universe, might possess suitable testing environments—diverse enemies, complex conditions, and no restrictions from Imperial law or Mechanicus dogma.
There, he could more freely test certain technological applications that might be deemed violations in the Warhammer world.
He sent a directive via the trans-dimensional communicator to his Second Avatar at the Death World base: "Retrieve all dimensional exploration records of Maine's squad. Highlight information on worlds with persistent hostile biological or civilizational conflicts, high environmental diversity, and technological levels evaluated as non-overwhelming. Prepare for preliminary screening and analysis."
After the directive was issued, Ryo's thoughts turned to another, even more pressing issue.
The STC system.
This complete technological treasure trove from the Dark Age of Technology still resided in the core compartments of the Eternal Seeker.
Although the compartment had undergone reinforced modifications, possessed tight security, and was located in the most heavily shielded area of the warship, risks constantly remained.
Ryo reviewed the limited combat history records within the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Ark Mechanicus vessels—those mobile Forge Worlds and ultimate symbols of Mechanicus power—possessed defensive capabilities far exceeding those of the Eternal Seeker, yet there were still historical records of them being sunk or destroyed.
During the Horus Heresy, the fierce battles between Loyalist and Traitor Mechanicus forces resulted in the loss of more than one Ark Mechanicus and the priceless knowledge they carried.
The Eternal Seeker was merely a cruiser.
No matter how much it was reinforced, its physical mass, structural integrity, and defensive depth had a fundamental gap compared to an Ark Mechanicus.
In the face of potential extreme threats—encountering a Chaos main fleet, getting swept into large-scale space warfare, or facing an exceptionally powerful enemy—the warship carried the risk of being destroyed.
The value of the STC system was immeasurable.
It not only stored a massive volume of lost technological blueprints, but its own complete architecture and operational principles were priceless treasures.
Ryo had already acquired critical technologies from it, such as the Cloning Tapestry and barrier tech, but there were still far too many undecrypted data blocks deep within the system.
This holy relic had to be transferred to a safer location.
The Death World base.
That was a stronghold Ryo had operated for years, located in a remote star system with a harsh environment, naturally providing concealment.
Through continuous construction and reinforcement, the base possessed comprehensive underground facilities, multiple defense systems, and an independent energy supply.
More importantly, the base was under Ryo's absolute control without any external faction infiltration. Its secrecy far exceeded that of the Eternal Seeker, a mobile platform that needed to interact with various Imperial parties.
Transferring the STC system deep into the Death World base was the most logical choice.
However, this decision could not be told to anyone.
The very existence of the STC system required strict secrecy.
The factions within the Adeptus Mechanicus were complex. If the Mars headquarters, other Forge Worlds, or even the Inquisition learned of a complete, operational STC system, it would inevitably cause an immense uproar.
At that point, whether they demanded to "share," "research," or "regulate" it, it would cause severe interference to Ryo's plans.
The transfer operation had to be conducted in absolute secrecy.
Ryo began to plan.
He needed to find a reasonable excuse to pilot the Eternal Seeker back to the Death World base—an excuse that would not arouse suspicion from the outside world.