Qin Mo put aside thoughts of commemorating the fallen and turned his attention to something far more critical—
Designing warships.
....
Qin Mo had a clear vision for the fleet:
At present, the Imperial Navy's presence in the Talon System was weak—
1 Lunar-class Cruiser3 Sword-class Frigates
And given how deep corruption ran within the Hive's ruling class, it was highly likely these ships had already fallen to treachery.
But Qin Mo had no doubts—his fleet would crush them.
His initial warship blueprints focused on two primary classifications:
1. Frigates – Interceptors & Tactical Support VesselsRole: Rapid-response screening units, optimized for intercepting enemy strike craft, nullifying missile salvos, and providing covering fire in high-threat engagements.Armament:Fast-tracking light turrets for flexible arc coverage.Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS) laser defense systems.Torpedo launchers for deep penetration strikes.Unique System: Teleport beacon launchers—experimental payloads that deploy markers directly into hostile vessels or breach points, enabling surgical teleportation assaults mid-battle.2. Cruisers – Fleet Line Combatants & Capital KillersRole: Primary offensive vessels, equipped with forward-mounted particle lances for extreme-range engagements.Armament:Heavy energy-based weaponry for superlative engagement range.Saturation missile batteries capable of area denial and orbital bombardment.Rotational turret arrays engineered for optimal broadside efficiency.Unique System: Each cruiser would be armed with a teleportation grid, allowing for mid-battle deployment of entire strike teams onto enemy vessels.
Above all else—
His ships would carry more firepower per tonnage than any other warship of the same class.
....
Qin Mo's fleet would reject two fundamental Imperial technologies—
1. No Gellar Fields
Unlike Imperial vessels, Qin Mo's warships would not rely on Warp travel.
Instead—
They would utilize Dimensional Engines, bypassing the need for a Gellar Field entirely.
Unlike Warp Drives, these systems sliced through localized dimensional subspace, threading through micro-folds of reality without ever breaching into the Immaterium.During transit, a teleportation shield would form around the ship, ensuring it was not torn apart in the dimensional corridor.This would eliminate the risk of daemonic incursions, as Warp travel was no longer necessary.2. No Void Shields
Qin Mo had no affinity for the Warp, and as such, had no need for Warp-based defenses.
Instead—
He devised a one-way energy barrier:
A constant-phase kinetic barrier that allowed outgoing projectiles to pass freely, while repelling all external fire—regardless of velocity.Unlike Void Shields, this system had no vulnerability to slow-moving projectiles or boarding torpedoes.
....
Battle Doctrine & Shipboard Efficiency
If close-range combat became inevitable, Qin Mo's cruisers would unleash concentrated missile barrages and kinetic weaponry to devastate enemy formations.
Unlike Imperial designs—
His ships would not waste space on shrines, chapels, or excessive crew quarters.
All personnel would be stationed near the ship's core—eliminating the need for long corridors.Instead of running between battle stations, crews would be linked via neural interfaces, controlling ship systems as if they were an extension of their own bodies.During non-combat periods, crew members would enter stasis pods, reducing long-term resource consumption.
....
Failsafe Teleportation – The Ultimate Contingency
Even if a warship was critically damaged or destroyed, the stasis pods would activate emergency mass-teleportation protocols, instantly returning all personnel to safety.
....
As Qin Mo finalized the schematics, a dangerous idea surfaced.
A weapon unlike anything the Imperium had ever fielded before.
A truly devious weapon.
Dimensional Bomb DeploymentA supermassive explosive warheads would be housed in the ship's hangar.In combat, the bomb would be teleported directly into the heart of an enemy ship—bypassing all external armor, shields, and hull plating.Due to the unpredictable movement of ships, precise targeting would be impossible—but even one successful deployment would result in instant destruction.
Once the opposing crew realized a bomb had materialized inside their vessel, they would face an impossible choice
Break formation and flee, sacrificing battlefield cohesion.Stay and die, allowing the detonation to consume their entire fleet.
Either way—
The battle would already be won.
Qin Mo smirked.
"This is getting interesting…"
Designing the ships themselves was easy.
The real challenge?
Perfecting their weaponry and Dimensional Engines.
But for him, this was an enjoyable process.
....
Meanwhile, in Tyrone Spire
While Qin Mo was forging the future of naval warfare, the Spire Lords convened for an emergency council.
For the first time in years, nearly every noble house attended—
This was no ordinary meeting.
It was held within the Grand Ecclesiarchy Chapel, beneath the watchful gaze of the Emperor's golden effigy.
The air hung thick with incense imported from Holy Terra, swirling around the skeletal servo-skulls that hovered like silent confessors.
The Governor of Tyrone Hive, his augmetic eye glinting with cold luminescence, stood at the pulpit.
His voice boomed through the vox-grille embedded in his throat—
"Gentlemen, Deacon-Primaris David is dead."
The assembled nobles exchanged glances, their expressions flickering between skepticism, amusement, and concealed relief.
Some even silently cursed the Governor—
"So now that David's dead, you finally decide to show yourself?"
The Governor continued, unbothered.
"Autopsy results confirm David died of heart failure."
A rare diagnosis in the Imperium, where most noblemen replaced failing organs with augmentics.
The room snickered.
"How touching David was such a 'pious man' that he refused cybernetics."
Then—
The Governor asked the real question.
"Who, then, orchestrated this... miraculous demise?"
Immediately, one noble scoffed.
"The answer is obvious The First Legion."
"Why?"
The Governor pressed.
The noble grinned, spreading his arms theatrically.
"Because he was their enemy."
Then, with a mocking smirk, he raised his voice:
"If I were one of them, I'd have poisoned the old bastard myself!"
The chapel erupted in laughter.
The nobles doubled over, howling in amusement—
As if they hadn't just been mourning David a moment ago.
....
Meanwhile, the Servants were Confused.
The lowborn serfs standing in the hall looked at their masters, utterly bewildered.
One moment, the nobles were grieving.
The next, they were laughing like hyenas.
Their emotional instability was… unsettling.
Though to be fair—
They had never been particularly stable to begin with.
"Enough. Settle down."
The Governor smiled, motioning for silence.
Then, he made his declaration:
"War with the rebels is now inevitable.
We will order the forces within the Hive to attack.
Meanwhile, we will escape to Talon III."
One noble frowned.
"What if the 'Cult of the Lord of Wisdom' refuses to follow orders?"
The Governor's expression darkened.
"Then we unite against them—
And purge every last one of their leaders."
The room fell silent.
Then—
The nobles grinned smugly.
Plots and betrayal?
That was their specialty.
"But understand this—
The forces attacking the rebels will not be our Planetary Defense Forces.
They will come from Talon II."
Then, the Governor's gaze landed on a single figure—
A man clad in a Marshal's uniform, seated at the far end of the chamber.
"Stinger."
The Governor's voice cut through the silence.
"You will oversee this operation."
The Marshal stood, his salute sharp and mechanical.
"Understood."
Then, he sat back down.
The other nobles scowled.
"A former slave commanding our forces?"
"Outrageous!"
They had never approved of Stinger.
To them, he was nothing more than the Governor's glorified lapdog.
The Governor smirked.
"Perhaps Stinger should remain a slave, then.
After all, the position of Marshal should go to someone… braver.
Someone willing to stay behind and die while we escape."
The nobles immediately changed their tune.
"No, no—Stinger is the perfect choice!"
"I fully support him!"
"No one is better suited for this role!"
The Governor chuckled.
Then, he turned back to Stinger.
"Make it look good.
Don't just throw troops at them."
"Yes, my Lord."
Stinger bowed deeply.