"Magos Osiris," Sigismund's voice came through the communicator, still bearing a rock-like steadiness, but Osiris' keen auditory sensors detected a subtle, almost imperceptible urgency beneath it. "I have heard of the 'Iron Guard' power armor you developed for mortal troops.
Inquisitor Kairas of the Inquisition has given it a very positive evaluation for its effectiveness in actual combat."
He paused briefly, his eyes, which had witnessed countless battlefields and seemed capable of penetrating all falsehoods and weaknesses, locked onto Osiris' optical lens through the projection, exerting an invisible pressure.
"The core purpose of my visit is to personally confirm whether the technological system you have pioneered possesses the potential for extended application to serve the Adeptus Astartes?"
He did not wait for Osiris' answer but directly and clearly articulated his vision and needs, as if deploying a battle: "What I am referring to is not a simple scaling up.
What we need are specialized models that can truly match the physiological limits, neural reaction speeds, and complex tactical requirements of an astarte.
It must possess far greater power than existing designs, composite armor capable of withstanding heavy firepower, interfaces for seamlessly integrating various deadly weapons, and..."
His tone grew heavier, emphasizing the crucial point, "Its structural integrity must be sufficient to withstand the full force we unleash in extreme conditions, without collapsing at a critical moment."
Sigismund's gaze sharpened even further. He mentioned the new designation with a heavy and complex sense of recognition in his tone: "The 'Black Templars'... are about to embark on a long and endless crusade.
On this path, we need to gather every means to enhance our combat effectiveness, regardless of its origin.
If your 'Iron Guard' technology can provide even temporary protection and firepower advantages to basic warriors, surpassing standard power armor... even if this means enduring certain controllable risks or costs, it is absolutely worth our in-depth discussion and cooperation."
Finally, he presented a proposal of great weight to any Tech-Priest, showing full sincerity: "We are willing to provide the most realistic testing environment, the most authentic combat data from the front lines, the technological support accumulated by the Imperial Fists Legion, and... most crucially, detailed technical parameters based on astartes physiological characteristics.
This cooperation might just be an opportunity to help you push this technology to a new height you never even anticipated."
Osiris listened quietly, his core processing unit behind the optical lens simultaneously handling massive amounts of information at a speed beyond mortal comprehension—evaluating technical feasibility, calculating resource investment, weighing political implications, and assessing the opportunities and risks brought by this collaboration.
Sigismund's arrival and his stated demands were somewhat unexpected, yet, upon reflection, entirely reasonable.
The performance of the "Iron Guard" in the Hive City world had clearly caught the attention of this battlemaster, known for his demanding tactical insight.
And his newly formed Chapter faced the urgent need to maintain and continuously enhance its core combat effectiveness during a crusade with relatively independent resources and unknown environments.
Osiris' synthetic voice responded steadily: "Lord Sigismund, from a technical perspective, scaling up the iron guard system to adapt to the physiological characteristics of an astartes is entirely feasible.
Its modular architecture is particularly suitable for customized modifications based on the tactical characteristics of different Chapters."
He did not shy away from technical difficulties, calmly pointing out the key challenges: "The main bottlenecks lie in three areas: the extreme output of the energy core, the structural strength of the power skeleton, and most critically—synchronization and coordination with the astartes' extraordinary physiological functions and neural reaction speed.
These all require entirely new design solutions, stringent testing procedures, and a considerable investment of resources."
Osiris led the discussion to the core question: "Are you expecting an assault vehicle that provides Space Marines with additional protection and firepower in specific tactical environments, or something more revolutionary, a heavy combat suit designed to redefine astartes ground combat doctrine?"
The answer to this question would determine the entire direction of research and development.
Osiris calmly assessed this sudden opportunity for cooperation: this was not just another equipment order, but an opportunity to extend his technological reach deep into the Adeptus Astartes' equipment system.
By developing equipment for Space Marines, he could test the limits of technology in extreme combat environments—after all, an astartes himself was the most rigorous testing environment.
Although it would temporarily divert his research efforts from the genesis particle, the potential rewards and the enhancement of his future influence made this proposal worth serious consideration.
Sigismund was silent for a moment, his black helmet rotating slightly.
When he spoke again, his voice carried an undeniable resolve: "We need the latter. The Black Templars' crusade is destined to be full of unknowns, and traditional combat modes may not be sufficient to deal with all threats.
If you can create equipment that allows our warriors to unleash beyond-limit combat power at critical moments, this will greatly enhance our combat capabilities in extreme environments."
"I understand." Osiris' optical lens flickered slightly. "Then, we need to redesign from the basic framework. First, we need to obtain detailed physiological data of Black Templars warriors, including nerve conduction speed, peak muscle explosive power, and energy consumption patterns under extreme conditions."
"This data can be provided." Sigismund responded without hesitation, "But we require full participation in the R&D process to ensure the final product meets actual combat needs."
"That is a reasonable request." Osiris' mechanical fingers input a few parameters on the control panel. "I will assemble a dedicated technical team to handle this project. However, before that, I need to confirm the issue of resource supply..."
Their conversation shifted to specific technical details and resource allocation.
Osiris noted that although Sigismund had limited understanding of technical details, he possessed an astonishing intuition for the practical needs of equipment in combat, and every requirement he put forward went straight to the heart of the matter.
This kind of professional insight, based on extensive combat experience, was of significant value to the R&D work.
After finalizing the preliminary cooperation framework, Sigismund suddenly asked: "I heard you've been conducting some special research on a Death World recently? If you need to test equipment performance in extreme environments, the Black Templars can provide assistance."
Osiris' processing core instantly evaluated various possibilities.
Sigismund's arrival not only represented an equipment order but also a rare opportunity to access the highest military decision-making levels of the Imperium.
He made his decision just before the communication ended.