In the Grimdark Sector with a System

Author Notes:

Quite a short world building chapter? Is this chapter even qualified as one?

Anyway, shoutout to Private Soulsmsher! The Imperium and Belkan Reich appreciate your contribution!

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Surprisingly, the chapters on P-atreon are somehow longer than I expected. Do give them a read by paying the Tithe *nudge* *nudge* *wink* *wink*

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Hoisting the husk of a Cylon Centurion onto a makeshift table, which is using part of a Colonial Raptor's wing, Weiss and I start dusting off our combat gloves. Looking at the battered chrome job imitation of a humanoid soldier, Weiss goes on to say.

"They seem pretty dead to me."

Other than the Clanker we found leaning against the sealed bulkhead, the JTF scoured the hangar and came up with an additional six Centurions, all deactivated or destroyed. The one Weiss and I just carried was the last, crushed beneath a crashed Viper Mark VII.

Magos Hedagine, having left the task of unsealing the door forward to her subordinate, steps to the makeshift dissection table.

"One can't be too careful, Rookie." The Magos unfurls her mechanical hands, fitted with disassembling tools and scanners, and removes bits and pieces from the displayed Clankers. "The... Clankers, as so aptly named by the Corporal, may seem deactivated, destroyed even, but their bodies can still contain traps. What if they are to receive a signal, thus activating a self-destruct sequence? The result can be catastrophic, given the right circumstances. Fortunately, none of the Clankers, at least these specific variants, seem to contain any explosive mechanism. Their power systems are also destroyed or dry of any power. We should be safe in this hangar."

Weiss and I both nod at the Magos, watching as she finishes cutting apart the Clankers into many, many pieces. Before that, Weiss asks me in a small tone. "Will I be stuck with the Rookie designation for good?"

To that, I giggle, shaking my head. "Give it around five missions and it should go away on its own, Weiss."

Since the hangar is pretty much secured until further notice, 3rd Platoon can roam around while other units file in to pick up the sentry and logistic tasks. This leads to Weiss and I accompanying Magos Hedagine on her round to oversee the other Tech-priests in their quest to analyze the technologies in the hangar bay. Mama and the Sisters of Battle are busied with setting up a command post in the hangar. The Salamander Chapter is there as well, to help go over what we've learned about the Battlestar Pegasus. I don't see much use for myself if I linger around there, so I take the chance with Weiss to help the Magos instead. The fact that I can interact with technologies from the Battlestar Galactica universe is a nice bonus.

Now that the Clankers in the hangar are perfectly disarmed, Magos Hedagine nods at us, gesturing for Weiss and me to follow her to the next matter that requires a Magos' attention. With a bit of a surprise, I come to see Sergeant Johnson and members of 3rd Platoon crowding around a few slightly damaged, yet seemingly operable Vipers and Raptors. The Tech-priests are able to get the cockpits opened on the Raptors and Vipers. However, they are caught in a stump when their body modifications disallow them to board the voidcraft, something about their forms not being able to fit. Yeah... Raptors and Vipers are built compact, Tech-priests with their quasi-mechanical bodies won't be able to squeeze in any of them.

While I am struggling to hide my laugh at the image of a Tech-priest being stuck and squeezed by a Viper's cockpit, Magos Hedagine straight-up facepalms. The sight is something I thought I would never see in a Tech-priest, much less a Magos. To inspect the voidcraft, the Tech-priests will need someone with a smaller stature, and preferably one that is adept scientifically. Fortunately, Magos Hedagine has one such person, so handily on hand, and that person is me...

Truthfully, I didn't think that the Magos would so easily give me the chance to handle the new toys. I thought the Adeptus Mechanicus would hoard everything, rather than letting a Guardswoman inside one of the cockpits of their new treasures. I guess all that networking and charisma finally paid dividends.

After an encouraging boost from Magos Hedagine using one of her hands, I now find myself squarely installed in the pilot seat of a Viper Mark VII. If anything, the controls and avionics for the Mark VII are pretty basic, not nearly as complex as the cockpit of the Imperium Valkyrie. I know that because I charmed myself in one of the training pods for them before.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Weiss asks, peering into the cockpit by standing on a box.

"Nothing venture, nothing gain." I reply with a smile before turning to Magos Hedagine. "Ready when you are, Magos."

The Tech-priest nods before saying something in Lingua-technis, which roughly translates to.

Gently raise the power output, and be ready to activate the failsafe if the voidcraft can't handle the strain. We must preserve not just the machine, but also its controller.

Per her command, the subordinate Tech-priests raise the output on the power generators by the side of the Viper. They're connected directly to the voidcraft's avionics via cables with jury-rigged plugs. Gently, I start going through the activation procedure for the Viper. Now I really don't know how to work this thing, mind you. I am going off at this using the experience I have in grinding through flight simulator pods.

"Ok, so you're obviously human..." I say, mostly for myself. "You have ten fingers, two hands, and two legs. The whole thing is like a flying coffin or a cigar. How will you build the layout of your avionics and determine which button does what?"

Hearing what I have to say, Johnson, Weiss, and the rest of 3rd Platoon wisely move out of the line of fire of the three kinetic guns the Mark VII has. I look at them with a deadpan expression.

"You serious? I find your lack of faith in me most disturbing."

Johnson barks out a laugh while Weiss apologetically smiles. I roll my eyes at my teammates, faking my annoyance, before continue mapping out the avionics and controls. After a minute, I figure out the button to power up the instruments.

"Here goes nothing..." I flick open a cover before pressing a button with a faded symbol. Smiling when I see the three multi-function displays flickering up to life, I say. "Bingo."

Turning to the Tech-priests standing by the side with a whole bunch of scanners from who-knows-where, I report. "Alright, I got her avionics up. What do you need me to do next?"

Magos Hedagine requests. "Can you give us a run-down on what this voidcraft can do?"

I nod. "Should be easy enough, Magos."

I then work the button, describing bits and pieces of what I learn on hand for the Tech-priests to record and analyze.

"Huh... There's a checklist by the lower display screen. It's faded, but it's in Low Gothic, and I can see that this thing is called a Viper Mark VII."

"Let's see... System check... Instruments are green... Ammo is green... Fuel is orange... Hull integrity is green... Wow, this thing is still holding up. Control surfaces..." I place my hands on the good stuff. "Hands-on-Throttle-and-Stick setup, easily useable and much more convenient for any pilot. Rudder and RCS thrusters are controlled by the paddles on the floor. Since this small thing is powered by three turbo-thrust engines, I reckon the whole thing will be a wild beast to fly, being too fast and agile to be controlled unless one is very skilled. To alleviate this issue, the avionics are mostly linked to an onboard cogitator. There are far fewer analog gauges and more reliance is placed on a powerful central flight cogitator instead."

I then operate the stick and the paddles, looking around to see the control surfaces of the Mark VII moving up, down, left, and right. "Right, this thing can fly in the atmosphere. However, its specialized avionics and RCS thrusters indicate it as a voidcraft purpose-built for space dominance, for the most part. I don't think it's wise to activate any engine or weapon system in here, but from what I can see, the Viper is also no-slouch."

"The voidcraft is a perfect snub fighter, in essence."

It's at this point that Weiss interjects, hearing the mostly unfamiliar term. "Snubfighter?"

Johnson is the one to explain. "Snub fighter is a term used to describe a small starfighter with the capability to operate in and out of the atmosphere. These small ships are usually dependent on other larger ships. They are sometimes referred to as a parasite craft, yet pack just enough firepower to make their presence known. They stand because they're also cheap, easily buildable, and reliable. Am I missing anything so far, Ein?"

"Eh, you just about sum it up correctly, Johnson. More cookies for you, I guess?" I reply with a wave of my hand, my head is still gazing down at the displays on the Viper. "That said, if there's one thing I have to add, then it's the fact that this thing does not have FTL capability, nor does it have a Gellar Field to counteract a Warp Storm. Then again, I don't think any ship this size has them."

Going back on my report to Magos Hedagine, I continue to list the Viper's potential. "This snub fighter is fast, like very fast. Three big engines, multiple RCS thrusters. In the atmosphere, it can easily reach escape velocity and can reach a top acceleration of 9 G. However, most of the time, the cogitator limits the acceleration to 7 G for fear of pilot blackout. The Viper Mark VII can rotate 180 degrees vertically in .25 seconds, and I think any pilot worth their salt will fall in love with it. It is a VSTOL design and it cannot be launched from a standstill but needs a short runway. To power everything, it uses Nuclear Fusion."

"As for armament, it is quite heavily armed for something of its size. The Viper is fitted with three Mass Accelerator Cannons, a missile bay, and an additional two external weapon hardpoints. The cannons are, apparently, the main weapon of the Viper, capable of firing 20 rounds per second. Useful for shredding light and even buckling medium to heavy armor if used properly. Honestly, Magos Hedagine, the more I explore, the better it gets. I can't see why we shouldn't start reverse-engineering the Viper for the Navis Imperialis."

The Magos nods. "It's very tempting, yes. While not a revered STC, we have multiple specimens, intact and wrecked alike, to build ourselves a blueprint of our own. I can see the Viper filling the gaps that the Fury Interceptor can't, owing to its size, logistics, and cost. If anything, a swarm of Vipers can help clear the way for the Furies and Starhawks to strike an enemy flotilla. Its protection will be its number and agility while the bulk of the firepower will be provided by other voidcraft. A fascinating prospect."

"It is," Mama comes to interject, smiling at us. "but it will be an endeavor for when we're back at the Kasr."

The Magos nods in agreement. "Indeed."

Mama then says. "The door is jammed, it's sealed off from the other side by the look of it. So we will have to wait for another hole to be cut, quite unfortunately so."

I blanch. "Again? These doors are thick as well, even the laser drill will have to take some time."

Mama shrugs while Magos Hedagine sighs in visible annoyance. Mama steps forward to the Viper's side, looking at what I am doing with obvious interest while handing me a canteen. "And I thought I have seen everything my daughter has to offer. What, you're gonna be my pilot soon, dear Ein?"

I pop open the canteen, smelling the aromatic scent of the liquid inside. "Is this recaf, Mama? Oh, and this is but a skill I picked up in my free time, just in case I need it. I am nowhere near adept in piloting vehicles."

"Yes, Ein, it's recaf. I figured you would like to have some." Mama smiles, taking pride in seeing my preparedness. One can't be too careful, after all.

Saying my thanks to Mama, I down a hearty gulp of recaf, ignoring the traumatized look on Weiss' face or the wry grins on the rest of 3rd Platoon. I spare my unit a side glance as if to complain.

Hey, I am not that bad under recaf's influence for you to look at me like I'm a hot potato.

However, when I purr contently after downing Mama's recaf, I can feel a light bulb going off above my head as the caffeine kicks in. I look at Mama.

"Oh, Mama~! I think I know just the thing to keep the ball rolling~!" I grin as I look down on the instrument panel of the Viper Mark VII.

Weiss, who is standing by the rest of the Platoon, feels a bad premonition creeping up when she sees my smirk.

Giving her recaf is the worst idea ever...