Chapter 31: Subspace Navigation

In the vast expanse of the Milky Way, long-distance voyages inevitably necessitate entry into the Warp.

It is a realm difficult to describe with human language; in that domain, all physical laws cease to function, including time and space. Because of this, a journey that would take thousands of years in the material world might take only a few days in the Warp.

It is a realm that is neither three-dimensional, nor two-dimensional, nor linear. Even the most learned Magos could not glimpse even a shred of its mysteries.

It is humanity's blessing, and it is humanity's curse.

Human civilization once flourished because of it, and it once brought humanity to the brink of extinction. If one must find a metaphor, the Warp is like a vast, boundless ocean, and what humanity touches is always merely the shallow surface.

Deep within its depths lie horrors that the rational mind cannot accept.

Chaos Daemons—this is the official designation used by the Imperium for those unspeakable terrors. Regardless of whether the term is factually accurate, they have indeed plagued humanity for tens of thousands of years.

Even now, the Inquisition, the Ecclesiarchy, and the Adeptus Astartes remain vigilant against these non-corporeal threats.

And those most susceptible to attacks by Chaos Daemons are the vessels that actively enter the Warp.

Throughout the long history of the Imperium of Man, countless ships vanish every day into the tides of the Warp. Some of these lost ships remain forever lost in the rifts of time, while others are occasionally spat back out of the Warp, often returned to the material world as dangerous "gifts."

To ensure the safety of Warp travel, the Geller Field was invented in the 18th millennium. Its core is a comatose psyker; once activated, it forms a bubble membrane that isolates the forces of the Warp, allowing humans within to be spared from the intrusion of those evil powers.

But even this is not absolute safety. Once you enter the Warp, you have essentially placed one foot in Hell.

Because the *Spark* was the Chapter's only hope, Soshian repeatedly ensured the proper functioning of the Geller Field before entering the Warp. Even after the warship engaged its Warp engines, he kept the vessel on high alert.

There could be no mistakes on this journey.

"Chapter Master, the headcount has been taken. Currently, we have a total of 33,672 mortal servants and 51,854 servitors. Among them are 8,821 tech-servants and 10,031 tech-servitors, plus 8,250 armed servants capable of forming four combat companies, and 13,110 armed servitors. However, our light weapon reserves are insufficient; most are ballistic weapons, with only a small number of standard-issue lasguns."

Losa, appointed as his deputy, reported the current personnel composition of the *Spark* from the bridge.

"The choir currently consists of ten members, and there are three Tech-Priests responsible for the engine room, the main weapons deck, and the Geller Field generator, respectively. They each have their own apprentices and servants, whom I have not included in the count."

Soshian's fingers tapped against the railing of the Captain's dais as he calculated and contemplated.

For a Strike Cruiser like the *Spark*, while this personnel configuration could ensure operation, it was clearly insufficient.

The *Spark* was a Vanguard-class Cruiser, the most widely used type of Strike Cruiser by Space Marine Chapters. Its design emphasized propulsion and cargo capacity, allowing a Vanguard-class vessel to operate independently for long periods without resupply, though its offensive capabilities were somewhat weaker.

Furthermore, the *Spark's* armament configuration was the weakest kind, consisting only of a large lance array and macro-cannons, supplemented by torpedo launch tubes.

Even so, as a massive vessel 8 kilometers long and 1.2 kilometers wide, the *Spark* should, in principle, be equipped with over one hundred thousand crew members.

But the Sword of the Black Ermine had already allowed Soshian to take as much as he could; he could not push his luck further.

"Tell me, once we reach Ma'Kand II, will we be able to replenish our manpower?"

Losa shook his head.

"Although Ma'Kand II is not a particularly important Forge World, it is still under the jurisdiction of the Adeptus Mechanicus. The only reason we can order supplies from there is because we once helped a Magos Biologis locate an STC fragment. That Magos promised the Chapter two hundred years of equipment supplies upon the task's completion. This is the final batch."

"Two hundred years... couldn't they grant us some slave labor out of sentiment?"

"Chapter Master, you may not yet fully understand the logic of the Mechanicus. They deal only in exchange, not in friendship."

"Is that so..."

After a moment of thought, Soshian said, "Regardless, Ma'Kand II is likely our last opportunity for resupply in the near future. We must find a way to acquire as many resources as possible, whether they be materiel or manpower."

"I do not know if that Magos is still alive. If he is still in office, there might be a turning point."

Soshian nodded and patted Losa on the shoulder.

"You are in charge here for now. I am going to conduct a patrol of the other sectors."

"Understood."

Leaving the bridge, Soshian turned toward the aft decks, where the Space Marines lived and trained.

The *Spark* was divided into three main levels. The upper deck was responsible for ship control and housed the Space Marines. The middle deck was the weapons deck, containing the primary weapon systems as well as the flight deck, and was where combat and technical personnel resided.

The lower deck, generally referred to as the slave deck, was where the majority of servitors and slaves were crowded into dark, perilous spaces, primarily responsible for the power and energy systems.

Because the deployment of Space Marines could last for incredibly long periods—sometimes even centuries without docking at a port—slaves and sailors often made their homes and lives aboard the ships, breeding and growing their lineages.

Many had served for several generations, forming small family units, which was one of the distinct characteristics of the Imperium.

Under normal circumstances, Space Marines rarely set foot on the lower decks, and even visited the middle decks infrequently; they mostly had their own independent quarters.

The lighting on the aft decks was dimmer than on the bridge, and as Soshian entered, a low, rushing noise filled the air.

A dozen hard-wired combat servitors were distributed throughout the wide corridors; upon Soshian's entry, they immediately aimed their weapons at him.

The newly appointed Chapter Master ignored them and continued forward. After a moment, they returned to their original positions like strange marionettes—the threat assessment scan was complete.

Subsequently, cloaked servants hurried through the shadows of the hall to bow. Soshian waved them away.

This was a makeshift training ground where nearly all the Space Marines conducted their drills. Currently, the primary focus of training was grappling and melee combat.

Normally, such training should be conducted under the guidance of veterans or instructors, but there were no such figures present now; the neophytes could only train alone or with one another.

Soshian saw two shirtless warriors repeatedly slamming each other to the ground, while further away, two soldiers were engaged in a sword duel.

He had to admit, their technique was far too green. Soshian wondered how long they would survive if they were thrown into a battlefield like a World Engine.

The outlook was grim.

More fatally, he himself lacked the confidence to instruct these neophytes.

Aside from sparring with comrades, Space Marines could normally choose to use training automata, but the *Spark* happened to lack such facilities. Soshian would have to find a way to acquire some from Ma'Kand II.

At that moment, the training neophytes noticed the presence of the Chapter Master and ceased their movements one after another.

"Sir!"

(End of Chapter)