Inside a technology lab on Aiur, Abathur—who had returned weeks prior—was in constant communication with Belisarius Cawl regarding the nature of the Swarm network.
Ever since Alexei's departure, Cawl had observed subtle psionic fluctuations between Zerg units, as if they were in constant dialogue. Although Alexei hadn't explicitly explained the Zerg psionic network, Cawl had discovered it through his own formidable powers of observation and learning, sensing its immense untapped potential.
To this end, he had Colton contact Alexei to send Abathur back. Cawl intended to collaborate with this xenos creature—whose intellect rivaled his own—to develop a new communication tool. After all, communications from the Adeptus Astra Telepathica were notoriously susceptible to Warp interference.
Upon learning from Abathur that the Swarm's psionic network was not only immune to Warp interference but could even suppress the Warp to a degree, Cawl's estimation of this peculiar xenos species rose a notch. At the very least, they were a useful tool.
That said, he detested the creature's manner of speaking—popping out single words or short phrases, which severely hindered their communicative efficiency. Eventually, Cawl couldn't help but ask why it wouldn't evolve its way of speaking, only to receive a blunt reply from Abathur: "Verbal communication: inefficient." After all, the Swarm communicated directly through the mind.
At that moment, a massive, brand-new machine was humming in the lab. What struck onlookers as eerie was the sight of bright red flesh pulsing within the machinery; the fusion of meat and metal was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.
Nearby, Cawl and Crane watched the machine, making constant adjustments. "Almost there, almost there..." Cawl muttered. With Abathur's help, their progress had accelerated a thousandfold, and the experiment was now in its final stages.
Cawl connected a data cable to the bio-mechanical construct and plugged the other end into his personal terminal. Accompanied by the sound of pumping flesh within the machine, the terminal's screen flickered wildly until, finally, a cacophony of sounds erupted: piercing screams, incessant roars, and more.
Cawl and Crane exchanged excited glances. They had succeeded. They had successfully "borrowed" the Swarm's psionic network. Wherever the Swarm's psionic field reached, they could use this device for real-time communication.
Of course, they didn't know that Alexei had tacitly permitted this "borrowing." Since he held supreme authority over the Swarm network, he could kick these external signals out at any moment if he so chose.
A moment later, the noise from the terminal faded, and a familiar voice entered Cawl and Crane's audio processors. "Hello, hello? You guys actually did it?"
On the planet Castel, Alexei had suddenly detected an external psionic signal that didn't belong to him. After careful verification, he realized that Cawl and Crane on Aiur had succeeded. This new invention allowed those not integrated into the Swarm to utilize the network—while Alexei maintained ultimate control.
"Alexei?" Crane shouted in shock. "How are you inside the Swarm network?"
Standing in a magnificent palace, Alexei listened to Crane's question with a chuckle. "I don't know, I've always been able to. Honestly, I'm a bit puzzled too. Maybe I'm a Zerg as well." Beside him, a middle-aged man in opulent robes stood behind him, bowing respectfully.
"Truly devilish..." Cawl muttered.
"Don't worry about it too much. Congratulations on making a new contribution to humanity. You've solved the problem of ultra-long-distance communication. How do you plan to handle the Astra Telepathica?" Alexei's question reached their ears, plunging them into silence.
In the excitement of the technological breakthrough, Cawl and Crane had momentarily forgotten to consider this. It was indeed a massive problem. If this technology became widespread, it would mean the total obsolescence of the Astra Telepathica—a powerful interest group that would never allow such a thing to happen.
"I will report this personally to the Primarch. He will make a rational decision," Cawl replied.
"And the Warp Drive—have you cracked it yet?" Alexei asked again. This technology could only be produced on Aiur, or more accurately, through system-derived structures. The principles behind it were a complete "black box" to Alexei himself; despite having master authority, he didn't actually know how it worked.
"It is difficult," Cawl answered immediately. From the start, he had aimed for the Warp Drive (Warp Jump Engine). In his view, mastering this would solve most of the Imperium's problems. However, to his surprise, the technological density of the engine far exceeded his imagination, and reverse-engineering it would take a very long time.
This was exactly what Alexei expected. Difficult? It better be. This thing contained the technology of the Xel'naga, a pinnacle civilization. If you wanted to crack that instantly, you'd need someone like the Old Ones.
As long as Cawl couldn't crack the engines in the short term, the Lord Regent would likely ask Alexei to provide finished engines directly. This meant that whether a fleet equipped with these engines could even start would depend entirely on Alexei's whim. After all, no one would suspect there was a "system switch" controlling them.
"So where exactly did you get this thing?" Cawl buzzed. "It looks nothing like a product of the Dark Age of Technology."
"To be honest, I'd love to know which ancient civilization this tech belongs to, but it was indeed excavated from the lowest depths of the Aiur Hive." Alexei's answer was so sincere that Crane and Cawl had no choice but to believe him.
"Fine, fine. It looks like I'll be staying here for a long time," Cawl said before returning to his analysis of the new tech.
Alexei ended the communication. He took a deep breath; Cawl and Crane had given him a massive surprise. Although he had long thought about making the technologies of the Warhammer and StarCraft universes complementary, he didn't have the personal capability to do it yet. Perhaps after devouring a shard of the Void Dragon he could do it alone, but for now, it was best to let the two Tech-Priest Archmagi handle this monumental task.
He turned his gaze toward the Governor of Castel. He had easily secured control over this feudal world. With no external enemies and no high technology, he only needed Infestors to integrate the ruling elite into his Swarm network. He had taken the world without firing a single shot, and would now slowly move to absorb and master the planet completely.
"Almost there." At this rate, barring any accidents, Alexei could completely finish his battles before Guilliman launched the Terran Crusade. By then, he would be free to deal with matters on that side of the galaxy.