"Solus Prime, you suggested such a foolish idea simply because your thinking differs from that of humans, so I will not blame you this time. But take this as a warning.
"Never say such words again. In the Imperium of Man, this is absolute heresy. We will never use any means to control our own kind. Even if they are my enemies, I would never do such a thing," Axis said with great seriousness.
If there were ever a conflict with the Adeptus Mechanicus in the future, Axis had many ways to deal with them, he could even kill them all if he wished. But this forcibly controlling humans was something he would never wish to employ.
Once such a door was opened, there would inevitably be a second, a third, and countless more. The Rangda had used this very method to enslave hundreds of species, and in the end, they would pay the price for their actions.
Kasha also nodded gravely.
This kind of mistake could never be allowed a second time; a strict warning was necessary.
"I am deeply sorry, Father. I will immediately destroy all of these records," Solus Prime replied at once.
It seemed her earlier suggestion had displeased both Father and Mother.
She…had said the wrong thing.
She still could not truly understand the human way of thinking.
In her mind, she herself was the most important. Of course, now there were Father and Mother as well, but everything else, in her eyes, was no different from the Rangda.
That was the difference between artificial intelligence and an ordinary sapient lifeform.
But after becoming a machine spirit, she had gained the capacity for growth. If she had remained as mere AI, she would never have understood this layer of meaning.
"These records should be kept," Axis said, "but not for our own use, rather, to use against the Rangda, to find a way to counter them."
The reason he had not ordered their permanent destruction was that data stored in a system might one day prove useful, especially for breaking mental control deployed by the Rangda.
Permanently sealing such forbidden data was enough.
One day, if humanity were to face such control weapons again, they could retrieve these files from the archive for targeted research.
Better that than being completely blind, with no solutions at hand.
Many forbidden human technologies had been lost due to overly cautious attitudes.
Science and technology had no inherent morality, it was only a question of how they were used.
"I understand, Father. These files will be locked away under the highest encryption protocols," Solus Prime replied.
Only then did Axis nod in satisfaction.
"By the way, Solus Prime, there is something I have been meaning to ask you. Where did you obtain that blackstone matrix capable of suppressing psychic power?"
This was a question he had wanted to ask long ago.
These blackstone arrays were far too similar to those used by the Necrons.
Before, he had been focused on learning about the Rangda, so he had not asked.
Now, with time to spare, Axis wanted to know how the Galactic Empire had obtained such arrays that could suppress psychic energy.
"My database contains partial records, though they are incomplete.
"According to the available intel, these blackstone devices capable of suppressing psychic power were not created by the Galactic Empire or by any of their senior allied species. They were seized from an enemy.
"This enemy was known to the Galactic Empire as the Death Bots Race. They are a very unusual form of life, possessing no organic bodies at all, only metallic, skeletal shells.
"When they were first discovered, the Galactic Empire thought they were some form of artificial intelligence lifeform. But it turned out they possessed incredibly high intelligence, yet were neither machine spirits nor AI.
"They were more like a host of dead souls, or perhaps fragments of virtual data. That was why the Galactic Empire named them the 'Death Bots.'
"Their domains resembled massive tombs, with an overall aesthetic of green light.
"This unique species was found in a mysterious star system, seemingly in a deep state of slumber. The Galactic Empire excavated them, and in doing so, sparked a war with the death bots.
"That was terrifying war.
"According to the records, the entire star system was destroyed. The Galactic Empire even dispatched ten war moons, and every one of them was annihilated.
"They possessed technology of an extremely advanced level. According to the Galactic Empire's own estimates, their technological prowess far surpassed that of the Empire, and even exceeded that of every known species in the galaxy.
"Their ordinary soldiers had metallic skeletal bodies and wielded beam weapons capable of firing beams that can shear apart the targets atomic bonds.
"They also possessed highly advanced spatial technology, able to conduct phase teleportation directly onto a planet's surface.
"At present, this strange Death Bots race is still locked in battle with the Galactic Empire.
"Fortunately, they exist only within that single star system, and their numbers were not great. The Empire had gone to immense lengths to keep them contained there.
"The blackstone matrix had been discovered during an expedition into their tombs, a miraculous artifact capable of effectively nullifying psychic power," Solus Prime reported, sharing every scrap of information she knew.
Axis's mouth twitched.
Death Bots? they called Necorns that? Based on Solus Prime's description, Axis was one hundred percent certain that they were actually the Necrons.
The Rangda had somehow dug up a Necron dynasty, and then had the gall to fight them. That took some nerve.
Judging by the situation, this dynasty currently battling the Rangda was likely not a major one.
If it had been a large Necron dynasty, the fighting would not be confined to a single star system.
In fact, if they had awoken a major dynasty, the Rangda would have had no time to invade Imperial territory at all. A large Necron Dynasty could have beaten them into dust.
Necron technology was unquestionably among the most advanced in the material universe.
They were the only species known to possess true faster-than-light travel, could manipulate black holes, and could collapse stars at will.
The Celestial Orrery could trigger the detonation of every star in the galaxy.
The self proclaimed Archaeovist possessed a collection unmatched in the entire galaxy, including a preserved specimen of an ancient Krork warboss from the War in Heaven, sixty million terran years ago.
Given that, it was highly probable that the Necron forces in question were either led by a powerful Overlord or were the remnants of a small, impoverished dynasty.
"Axis, I feel like I've heard of this 'Death Bots' before…" Kasha, standing beside him, frowned.
"Perhaps your father once told you about them. After all, he has lived for tens of thousands of years, was active during the Dark Age of Technology, and encountered countless species across the galaxy.
"Think carefully, do you recall a green-hued metallic skeleton, wielding extremely advanced weaponry, whose ships resemble tomb structures, often shaped like crescents?" Axis asked.
The Emperor must have known of the Necrons. It was even possible that he had crossed paths with the so-called Archaeovist.
Rumor had it the Trazyn the Infinite had tried many times to capture the Emperor of Mankind, always without success. According to whispers, the Emperor was the Archaeovist's ultimate target for his collection, without peer.
"I remember now," Kasha said, "Father told me they are called Necrons, a most malevolent race. Axis, they are terrifying. Father said if you encounter them, you must leave them in their slumber, never disturb them, never wake them."
Axis's description matched perfectly with her father's account.
She recalled that a certain Necron Overlord had clashed with her father many times, attempting to capture both him and her mother as trophies.
Her mother had told her that this was during humanity's Golden Age, when she and her father posed as interstellar smugglers, adventuring across the void.
They had faced repeated attacks from this Overlord, who employed weapons that operated on spatial and even temporal levels.
Yet without exception, her father always prevailed. No matter how many times he destroyed the Necron's metallic body, the Overlord would simply return, relentless as a parasite, until her father founded the Imperium.
Only then did the attacks cease.
Whether the Overlord had sought her father out in more recent years, she did not know. She passed all of this on to Axis.
"Yes, you're right, they are the Necrons. That's the human name for them," Axis said.
He didn't need to think twice. He would wager this Overlord, the one who had dogged the Emperor for so long, was none other than the Trazyn the Infinite himself.
Though merely an Overlord, the Trazyn the Infinite's wealth and power rivaled those of the rulers of major Necron dynasties.
Necron dynasties were divided into major, medium, and minor realms, with the highest authority belonging to the Phaerons, followed by the Overlords. Above them all sat the Triarch, and at its head was the legendary Silent King, who, as far as Axis knew, had yet to return to the galaxy.
"Axis, how do you know so much about the Necrons?" Kasha asked.
Some of the hints Axis had given were details Solus Prime had not shared.
"I studied for many years on Holy Terra. My teacher was Malcador, remember? He told me of many strange and powerful species across the galaxy, including the Necrons," Axis replied.
Malcador had indeed taught him about the Necrons in great detail, considering them the most dangerous hidden power in the galaxy.
"The Necron who sought to collect your father was called Trazyn the Infinite. Perhaps one day his collection list will have a new entry," Axis said.
Axis was certain that once the Trazyn the Infinite learned of him, his name would be added to that list.
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POWERSTONES!!!!!
have a great day/night!