Inside the primary command deck of the Eternal Seeker, Osiris's main body stood silently before the cogitator array.
Across his optical lenses scrolled comprehensive data reports covering the second phase of the gene-seed optimization project, the Collegia Titanica guard warrior cultivation project, and the mass-production progress of the EVA Titans. Every indicator demonstrated that the assets performed exceptionally well within laboratory parameters and simulated environments.
The second batch of test subjects had passed the joint inspection by the Imperial Fists and their successor Chapters, with every physiological marker and foundational tactical skill meeting or exceeding baseline standards. The initial batch of custom guard warriors built for the Collegia Titanica had already been delivered, and a fresh force of five hundred guard warriors had just rolled off the assembly lines at Nexum. Furthermore, the newly manufactured EVA Titans operated smoothly during factory testing, their dummy systems responding with pinpoint precision.
Yet Osiris's logic core recognized that these achievements lacked the true validation of live combat.
Simulated tests could verify functional frameworks, but they could never replicate the complex variables of a real battlefield: tactical adaptability against varied foes, systemic stability over prolonged high-intensity deployments, contingency responses under sudden crises, and coordination efficiency alongside allied forces in actual engagements. The Imperial Fists' evaluation focused primarily on confirming whether the recruits met the baseline criteria to join the Chapters—serving more as a qualification certification than a comprehensive evaluation of combat effectiveness.
He needed live-combat testing. This was not only a necessary step to verify the quality of his current products, but also a vital link to gather firsthand feedback data to guide subsequent optimization iterations. His grand plans required these assets to become reliable cornerstones of power, rather than mere parameters on a data slate.
However, executing such trials within the Imperial framework presented limitations. Large-scale movements of experimental forces to Imperial worlds for "exercises" would attract far too much scrutiny, and failed to adequately simulate true battlefield pressure. Moreover, pacification or defensive deployments within Imperial boundaries were typically handled by local PDF garrisons, the Astra Militarum, or nearby Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes; an uncoordinated intervention by a Mechanicus Magos could easily trigger jurisdictional disputes.
Osiris brought up his communication protocols with the Departmento Munitorum. As a high-ranking Mechanicus Magos collaborating deeply with the Imperial Fists and the Collegia Titanica, he possessed a direct line of communication with the relevant departments of the Munitorum.
He drafted an encrypted transmission and dispatched it to the War Zone Intelligence and Coordination Department under the Munitorum's umbrella. Within the message, he cited "field validation of novel Skitarii equipment and tactical coordination protocols" and "battlefield adaptability data collection for customized Collegia Titanica auxiliary units" to inquire whether there were any active war zones suitable for limited technical testing in the near future. He explicitly requested a war zone with a moderate level of combat intensity, diverse terrain or enemy types, and a local commander open to technical evaluation.
After sending the request to the Munitorum, Osiris did not simply sit and wait for a reply. Instead, he initiated simultaneous preparations.
He instructed the Tech-Priests aboard the Eternal Seeker to select twenty individuals whose data profiles had been the most outstanding across all phases of testing from the pool of experimental subjects he had retained for private use rather than immediate delivery. Concurrently, he ordered the mobilization of the entire five-hundred-man guard warrior force that had recently assembled from the Nexum production lines—this batch had just completed final assembly and systemic initialization, and was currently standing by. Combined with three EVA Titans that had finished basic calibration and were reserved for his personal use, they were organized into "Validation Task Force - Alpha."
To ensure the live-combat trials captured the most comprehensive performance metrics possible, Osiris ordered his technical teams to retrofit every unit within this task force with high-precision auxiliary data-logging arrays. He pre-loaded a detailed battlefield data acquisition protocol designed to capture every critical parameter, ranging from individual infantry physiological stress responses to the energy consumption rates of heavy weapon systems.
As the mobilization and outfitting of the task force advanced efficiently, the next challenge was identifying an appropriate live-fire testing ground. While the options provided by the Munitorum still required evaluation, Osiris turned his focus to another source of data—the exploration logs detailing the encounters and observations of Squad Mane across various dimensions. Within those realms entirely detached from Imperial space and Mechanicus dogma, a more ideal testing environment might exist.
The Munitorum's reply would take time and might not perfectly align with his criteria. Osiris required a contingency plan.
He recalled the dimension-crossing exploration records stored within the database of Nexum. Those realms, completely distinct from the Warhammer universe, could provide a fitting environment—boasting diverse enemies, complex landscapes, and complete freedom from Imperial law and Mechanicus dogma. There, he could more freely evaluate certain technical applications that might otherwise be deemed heretical or non-compliant within the Imperium.
Via the cross-dimensional array, he transmitted an order to his second avatar at Nexum: "Retrieve all dimensional exploration logs from Squad Mane. Focus specifically on isolating worlds featuring active, ongoing biological or civilizational conflicts, high environmental diversity, and a technical baseline evaluated as non-overwhelming. Prepare a preliminary screening analysis."
With that directive issued, Osiris turned his contemplation to a far more critical and pressing matter.
The STC system.
This pristine repository of Dark Age of Technology knowledge remained housed within the core vault of the Eternal Seeker. Though the vault had been heavily reinforced and fortified with absolute security, being situated in the most protected sector of the battleship, the inherent risk remained constant.
Osiris reviewed the limited military records available within the Mechanicus. Forge Arks—those mobile forge worlds representing the pinnacle of Mechanicus power—possessed defensive capabilities that far eclipsed the Eternal Seeker, yet history still recorded instances of them being boarded, crippled, or utterly destroyed. During the Horus Heresy, the bitter clashes between loyalist and traitor Mechanicum forces had resulted in the loss of more than one Forge Ark, along with the priceless knowledge they carried.
The Eternal Seeker was ultimately just a cruiser. No matter how many modifications and reinforcements it received, its physical mass, structural integrity, and defensive depth were fundamentally outmatched by a Forge Ark. In the face of extreme threats—such as encountering a primary Chaos fleet, getting entangled in a massive fleet action, or confronting an anomalously powerful enemy flagship—the vessel carried a non-zero risk of destruction.
The value of the STC system was beyond measure. It did not merely store a vast array of lost technological blueprints; its complete architecture and internal operating principles were themselves an invaluable prize. Osiris had already extracted key innovations like the Clone Tapestry and barrier technologies from it, but there remained far too many unanalyzed data sectors buried deep within the system. This holy relic had to be relocated to a safer haven.
Nexum.
That was the stronghold Osiris had operated for years. Located in a remote sector with a hostile environment, it possessed natural anonymity and concealment. The base had undergone continuous expansion and fortification, boasting comprehensive subterranean networks, multi-layered defensive matrices, and independent power grids. Most importantly, the base was under Osiris's absolute control, entirely unpenetrated by outside factions—offering a level of secrecy far superior to the Eternal Seeker, which had to serve as a mobile platform interacting constantly with various Imperial entities.
Moving the STC system deep into the subterranean vaults of Nexum was the most logical choice. However, this decision could not be shared with anyone.
The existence of the STC system demanded absolute secrecy. The internal factions of the Adeptus Mechanicus were highly convoluted; if Mars, other Forge Worlds, or even the Inquisition learned that a complete, functioning STC system existed, it would trigger an apocalyptic storm of political and military maneuvering. Whether they demanded to "share," "study," or "supervise" it, any intervention would cause severe disruptions to Osiris's grand calculations.
The extraction and relocation had to be executed in absolute secrecy. Osiris began mapping out the logistics. He needed to establish a watertight, logical justification to pilot the Eternal Seeker back to Nexum—a pretext that would arouse zero suspicion from the outside world.