Dragging a half-Titan, plus having to avoid overly rugged sections of the path to prevent Wo Kuotai in the trailer from being thrown out, meant the return trip took longer than the outbound journey.
By the time Fu Qinghai and the others rushed back to the Colonial Outpost, it was already noon on the third day.
The arrival of the three caused a sensation in the Colonial Outpost.
Normally, in this small stronghold of a few thousand people, nothing much happened, and even trivial matters became topics of conversation among the residents after meals.
Now, two inconspicuous orphans had dragged back a Space Marine.
Strictly speaking, half a Space Marine.
It was like the sun rising from the south.
The residents put down their work and came to watch.
"Isn't that Little Locke and Feiyi? My heavens, they've pulled off something huge."
You don't actually think I captured a Space Marine, do you... Fu Qinghai thought.
"I always thought this kid would amount to something!"
Who are you? I didn't know you when I was little... Fu Qinghai was speechless.
"Make way, folks, make way." Fu Qinghai, sitting on the back of the Jetbike, waved his hand, asking the onlookers blocking the way to clear a path.
Wo Kuotai, sitting in the trailer behind, looked at the surrounding residents discussing him, feeling somewhat aggrieved.
As a veteran who had served for over two hundred years, he had participated in propaganda events like Emperor's reviews and victory parades to show the common Imperial populace the majestic and imposing image of the Astartes and the strict discipline of the Imperial Army.
However, being dragged along in a broken trailer and gawked at by a crowd of bumpkins from the Hive City was a first for him.
During the Great Crusade Era, the Imperium of Man strictly adhered to militarism. Space Marines were the backbone and elite of the Imperial Army. Every Space Marine possessed exquisite combat skills and the tactical acumen to direct a small campaign. Thus, even an ordinary Space Marine was equivalent to an Officer for most low-ranking Imperial Auxilia, and on a battlefield where the command structure had collapsed, they could directly Take Over command of Mortal Troops.
Furthermore, Wo Kuotai was a mid-level Officer within the Space Marine hierarchy.
To the common Imperial populace, they were beings held in high regard.
Therefore, Wo Kuotai inevitably felt a sense of desolation, like a tiger fallen into the plains.
Fu Qinghai could somewhat understand his Emotion, so he didn't waste time, heading straight for the small villa of Calvin, the Administrator of the Colonial Outpost.
Although the surrounding residents were chattering, they dared not point fingers at a Space Marine. Wo Kuotai's armor, riddled with pockmarks from shell impacts, and his unusually tall physique silently attested to his power. The people looked at Wo Kuotai with Awe and Curiosity.
Fu Qinghai and the others arrived in front of Calvin's small villa.
Having received the news, Calvin had already stepped out to assess the situation. When he saw Wo Kuotai sitting on the trailer, his expression became momentarily uncertain, and he subconsciously adjusted his Administrative Official uniform.
Feiyi stopped the Jetbike, and Fu Qinghai introduced to Calvin, "Sir, this is Wo Kuotai Nayan Khan, a Space Marine of the Vth Legion's Falcon Brotherhood whom I rescued from the Ship Wreckage."
"Ah... this, uh... that's good." Calvin didn't know what to say for a moment.
Wo Kuotai, in the broken trailer, looked at Calvin and spoke calmly in a hoarse voice:
"I am Wo Kuotai Mangnut, Captain of the Falcon Brotherhood under the White Scars of the Vth Legion. I hereby declare that the Colonial Outpost on Planet 17-974 is now under Imperial Army military control. I order you to immediately transfer the Management of the Colonial Outpost to me."
Calvin bowed submissively, "It is my honor, Officer."
Calvin was originally a low-level Administrative Official left on the colony Planet by the Expeditionary Fleet to liaise with subsequent Colony Ships. Since the follow-up Colony Ships never arrived, he, the highest-ranking official present, was forced into the role.
When Wo Kuotai ordered him to hand over Management, he did so willingly.
Fu Qinghai even felt that after transferring Management to Wo Kuotai, Calvin shed his usual panic and dejection, becoming full of vigor.
When Wo Kuotai requested that he organize the residents of the Colonial Outpost to bring transportation and equipment to the Ship Wreckage to excavate and retrieve usable Materials, Calvin efficiently organized a sizable team.
Before organizing the personnel to head to the Ship Wreckage, Wo Kuotai and Calvin had a private discussion in the small villa, exchanging the Information they had. Primarily, Wo Kuotai conveyed the current situation facing the Imperium of Man—Warmaster Horus's Rebellion, half the Astartes Legions defecting, Warp Storms ravaging the Galaxy, severing communications and transport links between various parts of the Imperium and the central hub of Terra. As for the White Scars, they chose loyalty and stood with the Emperor's Faction.
This news was enough to shock Calvin for an entire year.
Warmaster Horus's Rebellion, half the Legions defecting... the implications behind this were far more unsettling for Calvin than witnessing two groups of Space Marines fighting. Fortunately, the person in charge had arrived.
Currently, Wo Kuotai was unaware that the sudden eruption of the Warp Storm originated from the manipulation of the four Chaos Gods of the Warp, nor did he know the connection between that and Warmaster Horus's betrayal. It was even questionable whether an Officer of Wo Kuotai's rank knew of the existence of the Chaos Gods.
Let alone Wo Kuotai not being the White Scars' Legion Librarium Storm Seer, even many Astartes Legion Librariums—those military Psykers capable of manipulating Aether—still believed the Warp was merely a physical space, devoid of life, its own thoughts, or consciousness, and that the laws of energy and matter within it were simply not yet understood by those in the material Universe.
Calvin, on the other hand, mainly conveyed the situation of the Colonial Outpost to Wo Kuotai.
There wasn't much to convey: a few thousand Civilians, a Starship with insufficient fuel, and a small Stronghold with minimal Defensive Works, that was all.
If faced with a Warship capable of Orbital Strike, a single bombardment would be enough to annihilate the Cheslatan Colonial Outpost; not even a second shot would be needed.
Fu Qinghai was also present during this private discussion. Since Wo Kuotai permitted his presence, Calvin tacitly accepted that he could stand nearby.
Calvin even felt that compared to himself, an Administrative Official of the 17th Expeditionary Fleet and a proper Imperial civil servant, Wo Kuotai seemed to trust the Underhive Scum Youth Locke a bit more.
That was natural. When faced with the Ship Wreckage and the Astartes civil war, Calvin chose silent observation and passive waiting, whereas Fu Qinghai chose proactive action, investigating the situation, and even saved Wo Kuotai's life—the trapped Wo Kuotai didn't know how long he could survive just by eating Corpses.
Fu Qinghai did not explain the truth about the Warp Storm to Wo Kuotai; it would be useless. Why should Wo Kuotai believe the views on the Warp held by an Underhive youth with no Psykic Talent?
The immediate priority was to establish Contact with the White Scars Warships in outer space.
Watching Calvin lead Wo Kuotai toward the communication compartment of the Colony Ship, Fu Qinghai had many questions swirling in his mind.
There are White Scars Warships in outer space?
Then why didn't they dispatch personnel to land on the Surface to check the situation?
Which side did the crashed Warship belong to?
Neither the White Scars nor the Sons of Horus seem to have follow-up support troops. A lone Frigate crashed on Cheslatan; where are their respective Fleets?
Wo Kuotai did not disclose these questions to Calvin, nor did Calvin ask, diligently carrying out Wo Kuotai's orders.
Despite having a head full of doubts, Fu Qinghai still did not ask. He pursed his lips and watched Wo Kuotai's retreating figure enter the communication compartment.
Wo Kuotai was free from that broken trailer and was now sitting in a modified wheelchair. He looked at the communication equipment before him, worry etched in his eyes.
The Captain of the Colony Ship was also stranded on Cheslatan. He was a bearded man who explained to Wo Kuotai:
"Officer, this is the farthest communication device we have, even farther than the set in the Stronghold. It can transmit messages to neighboring Planets. We have maintained clear communication, but we haven't received any messages."
Wo Kuotai frowned. The entire Colonial Outpost lacked an Astropath, and Astropathic Communication relied on the stability of the Warp. Long-distance Astropathic Communication was out of the question.
As for the civilian communication equipment on the Starship, this distance was its absolute limit.
Fu Qinghai also followed inside, staring at the device and thinking, but this time, the consciousness sea of the Electronic Soul did not stir any ripples.
Iron Man was not omnipotent.
Wo Kuotai pressed a button, adjusting the Starship's broadcast signal to a military frequency band. He leaned down and spoke into the Colony Ship's microphone:
"Short Sword, this is Wo Kuotai Mangnut. I am on the Planetary Surface. Respond if you receive this. I am on the Planetary Surface. Respond if you receive this."
Then he turned to the Captain and said, "Keep this broadcast looping until we return from the Ship Wreckage."
The Captain acknowledged, "Understood, Officer."
The Colony Ship's broadcast signal could reach Cheslatan's outer space. Although it was a military frequency, enemies might hear it, potentially attracting enemy Warships to land on Cheslatan, but this was a last resort. Fu Qinghai guessed Wo Kuotai had other missions and objectives, otherwise he wouldn't resort to such measures.
The next day, the residents of the Cheslatan Colonial Outpost drove various bizarre means of transportation and set off en masse toward the Ship Wreckage.
Whether it was industrial production or agricultural planting, both required a complete industrial chain. On an isolated colony Planet, every sheet of metal was a resource, let alone a Warship.
And Wo Kuotai needed military communication equipment, Auspexes, and so on from the Frigate.
Fu Qinghai was also among the team excavating the wreckage.
He had figured out two things by now.
First, there were indeed White Scars Warships in outer space, named the "Short Sword," otherwise Wo Kuotai's broadcast would have no basis.
Second, the crashed Frigate belonged to the Sons of Horus; this was a Warship of the XVI Legion, as indicated by the Heraldry and insignia on the Ship Wreckage.
The excavation and recovery of resources began from the outside. The automatic defensive Weapons still operating inside the Warship had already been dealt with by Fu Qinghai pushing Wo Kuotai's wheelchair and shooting them down one by one.
The residents worked enthusiastically, as all materials and supplies excavated belonged to the Colonial Outpost; only Weapons and military equipment needed to be handed over to Wo Kuotai.
However, Wo Kuotai, supervising from the side, frowned, his face etched with worry.
Two days passed, and the Colony Ship's broadcast signal had still received no response.
"One, two, three, heave! One, two, three, heave!"
The people chanted in unison, and with the combined efforts of cutting machinery, Servitor Slaves, and Humans, a hatch half-buried in the ground was pulled out, revealing a dark compartment inside.
One person stuck his head in for a look, then quickly pulled it back.
"Sir," the leading man shouted toward Wo Kuotai, "It looks like a communication compartment."
Wo Kuotai instantly straightened up, turned to Fu Qinghai beside him, and said, "Come with me."
Fu Qinghai pushed the wheelchair, panting as he hurried over.
Wo Kuotai grabbed the upper edge of the hatch with one hand and pulled his entire upper body inside. Fu Qinghai followed closely, ducking in and turning on his flashlight.
The light illuminated the compartment, revealing dense arrays of equipment buttons and black Screens, and a Crew member's Corpse lying nearby, clad in a grey-green uniform.
Wo Kuotai casually pushed the Crew member's Corpse aside and examined the communication facilities before him. This was not the Bridge, not the Warship's command center, but it did contain communication equipment.
Wo Kuotai casually pressed a couple of buttons on the equipment; the Screen remained unresponsive. He couldn't help but "tsk," frowning deeply.
"Let me try," Fu Qinghai said, moving in front of Wo Kuotai.
Fu Qinghai fiddled with several pieces of equipment that seemed relatively intact.
This was his first time encountering the communication instruments of the Imperium of Man in the Warhammer 40,000 Universe, yet he appeared unusually adept. As Fu Qinghai explored, he asked Wo Kuotai questions. Wo Kuotai could tell it was his first time seeing such things because Fu Qinghai didn't even know the meaning of many common button symbols.
Fu Qinghai dismantled the instrument's casing, sticking half his body inside, and skillfully manipulated the array of cables and integrated circuits, guided by the thoughts in his mind.
A short while later, a dusty Fu Qinghai emerged from the casing, clapped his hands, and looked at the still black and unresponsive Screen, asking in surprise, "That shouldn't be right; I think I fixed it."
You think... Hearing those three words, Wo Kuotai didn't know how to respond.
Fu Qinghai squinted at the instrument, thinking: What, even Iron Man can't fix you?
Suddenly, Fu Qinghai raised his foot and delivered a hard kick to the communication instrument, causing the casing to bang loudly.
Wo Kuotai was startled.
"Sss..." The black Screen suddenly flashed with static, and then, the fluorescent lights of the three Screens lit up simultaneously.
Looking at the text flickering on the Screens before him, Fu Qinghai turned and asked:
"Is this the famous Thinker System?"
"You never disappoint me, kid." Wo Kuotai looked at Fu Qinghai with approval and said, "Is Leviathan Hive City a Forge World with technology comparable to Mars? Why have I never heard of it before?"
Even an Underhive Scum possesses the ability to repair military communication equipment.
The Leviathan Hive City is terrifyingly advanced!
"Talent, talent," Fu Qinghai explained with a chuckle.
Time was pressing, so Wo Kuotai didn't press for more details. He picked up the Headphones that had fallen onto the floor, operated the communication equipment, and when verification was required, he single-handedly lifted the Corpse on the floor to scan its fingerprint and retina—he was quite practiced at it.
Wo Kuotai pressed a button, took a deep breath, leaned toward the instrument, and said, "Short Sword, Short Sword, this is Wo Kuotai Mangnut. Respond if you receive this. Respond if you receive this."
After speaking, Wo Kuotai leaned back against the bulkhead.
...
The communication compartment was silent, with nothing but the faint hum of the equipment.
In the dim compartment, Wo Kuotai and Fu Qinghai stared at each other, the atmosphere momentarily awkward.
"Zzzzt..." A crackle of electrical noise broke the quiet and awkward atmosphere, and a surprised voice rang out:
"Wo Kuotai!? You're alive?"
Wo Kuotai breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but laugh, "Of course, Taral, you idiot. I'm incredibly lucky."
The voice from the instrument sounded hurried, "What's your situation? Why are you using a Sons of Horus signal to talk to us? Where are Chyna and the others?"
"My situation..." Wo Kuotai looked down at his empty lower body and sighed, "It's terrible. I'm on the Gryphon. The Warship crashed into the Atmosphere, and Chyna and the others all died fighting."
"Only I survived."
The voice on the other end was silent for a moment, "Understood. I will arrange for a Landing Craft to come to the Surface and pick you up."
Wo Kuotai said, "Track this signal's location to pinpoint the Surface. You'll see the Ship Wreckage when you descend to a certain altitude."
"Received."
...........
PS: The Warhammer 40,000 IP is too long-standing; there are too many sources, including tabletop wargame rulebooks, Original Novels, related PC games, etc. Various official settings contradict each other, and newer versions often Retcon older ones. Therefore, I will uniformly use the settings from the official Original Novel as the primary basis for this book. Since numerical values from rulebooks and games are inconvenient to directly incorporate into the novel, I will try my best to adhere to the original settings. Where I find the original settings unreasonable, I will directly modify them according to my own ideas （ especially concerning GW's poor mathematics ）. Please do not dwell on the details, but if you notice anything too absurd or that I have written incorrectly due to lack of knowledge, feel free to point it out.