"W-what? Did my auditory receptors misinterpret your words, Lord Atreus?" he asked, emitting strange sounds.
It was clear that Magos Biologis Morlock was analyzing the situation through his internal cogitators.
He wanted to understand where he had made an error in his predictions. But unfortunately, his interlocutor did not intend to give him the time to do so.
"The proposed offer is clearly negligible compared to the gains obtained by your forge world," Atreus stated more clearly.
Atreus was not lying.
The resources of the world Limnos V were clearly not being distributed fairly by the Magos before him.
Not only that, how could he guarantee the other party's honesty in the distribution of profits?
Limnos III had no capacity to spy on or monitor the Dark Mechanicus.
"Even so, the most prudent choice is to accept the offer," he thought, watching the Magos fall silent again.
The Tech-Priest Morlock clearly wanted to deceive him, but it was also true that his warband could not truly exploit this resource.
They lacked knowledge, equipment, and experience in this field.
Above all, they were Space Marines.
Industrializing a world was not exactly their area of expertise.
He also wanted to maintain a good relationship with the Dark Mechanicus, if possible.
"What do you propose, Lord Atreus? If your offer is acceptable, this Magos will do his utmost to secure an agreement with his superiors," Morlock replied after finishing his data analysis.
Hearing his words, Atreus nodded in understanding toward the metallic figure.
The tense atmosphere dissipated with that gesture.
"Excellent, he took the bait," he thought internally, opening his mouth to assert his position.
He did not actually rely on Limnos V's resources, since the Dark Mechanicus would end up scamming him anyway.
Atreus had his eyes on something else.
Something more valuable.
The knowledge of the Dark Mechanicus.
"I desire an equal share of the resources. For every 10 tons of ore extracted, 5 tons will belong to me and my brothers. Likewise, for every 10 liters of promethium, 5 liters will belong to you," he said in a non-negotiable tone.
Atreus demanded 50% of the profits, even though he provided neither machines nor expertise to the Dark Mechanicus.
However, he already knew the Magos would accept.
"Limnos III cannot process its ores, apart from those linked to Zack's auxiliary army armament. Thus, I must secure knowledge from the Dark Mechanicus," he thought, recalling the limitations of their sole Techmarine.
That was also why he had to win this negotiation against the Tech-Priest.
"I agree. However, I find it inefficient to transport your minerals to your world when we are your primary client… What about this? We can store the extracted resources on your behalf, and you may access them at any time, or use them directly in your transactions with us. Isn't that more convenient?" the Magos asked, emitting strange mechanical sounds from his metallic frame.
Atreus was slightly surprised by this proposal, as it was exactly the most likely scenario.
But also the worst.
What did it mean? Atreus would have no control over the extracted resources, nor any knowledge of their true quantity. Yet he would have to trust the Dark Mechanicus to provide his share.
In short: Atreus would never truly know how much the forge world was earning from Limnos V's exploitation, and would have to settle for what was given to him.
A scam.
"I'm sure that if I had accepted the initial 30%, he would have used the excuse of being the main partner to bring the situation to this point," he thought, without showing anger toward the Dark Mechanicus's greed.
Atreus had simply demanded 50% to avoid being made a fool of by the Magos.
He did not want much ore.
"Hm… I don't think I will accept," he feigned hesitation.
In truth, Atreus had no choice.
His only available weapons supplier stood before him right now.
He could not afford to anger the Dark Mechanicus. However, he intended to outmaneuver them with his next move.
"And why not? Was I not generous? Do you perhaps want something else in addition?" the Magos asked, showing his displeasure at the end of his sentence.
Anthony frowned behind Atreus, but his superior calmed him with a nod.
"No, I am not refusing your offer. On the contrary, I intend to accept it. However, I have a more advantageous counterproposal," Atreus declared, pointing at a planet on the Limnos system map.
The Magos shifted his gaze between Atreus and the indicated planet.
"I am willing to accept your offer, but also to grant you the world Limnos VIII so that you may have a transitional base before leaving the system," he explained, to everyone's surprise.
Limnos VIII is an almost oceanic world. Normally, it could easily have supported life.
But it has no atmosphere.
"Why this generosity?" the Magos asked, emitting several sounds from his cogitator.
He was fully analyzing Atreus's hidden intentions.
"I desire more Techmarines, Apothecaries, but also more Tech-Priests available, and occasional deliveries of minerals in the form of equipment," he said without taking his eyes off the metallic figure.
The Magos tilted his head strangely, then spoke:
"Your generosity will surely please the Omnissiah. I must respond in kind," he replied to Atreus's proposal.
The Biologis Magos extended a tentacle from his mechanical body and drew a war axe from within his red robe.
It was a massive war axe, roughly the size of a man. The shaft and blade were forged from adamantium.
Complex and mysterious patterns were engraved on the blade, and the handle was made of an unknown material to Atreus.
The entire weapon looked sturdy and powerful.
"Here is an energy axe crafted by our Fabricator General. It is powered by a plasma battery located at the base of the handle.
In emergencies, it can also be connected to an external power source via a cable. I am certain that a seasoned warrior such as yourself will make better use of this masterpiece than I will," he explained, pausing before continuing.
"I do not fully understand the purpose of your immense generosity in offering a planet for so little, but I am sure the Fabricator General Dorothy Frayke will appreciate it."
Atreus could not help but smile at the Magos's "friendly" words.
An energy blade.
(Image)
Unlike chain swords, they are uncommon among Astartes within the Legions.
Like Terminator armor, they are reserved for elites.
Atreus recalled a fundamental point: all energy blades in this universe partially ignore the resistance of matter.
This technology does not rely on the wielder's strength to cut, but instead disrupts matter through an energy field along the blade, bypassing its resistance.
Thus, it is difficult to counter such a weapon without high-grade armor or an equivalent weapon.
"Thank you for this gift. It marks a friendly relationship between you and us. I have decided to name it 'Blood of Kratos', in honor of a "Ancient Terran Myth"," he said.
The Magos continued moving his tentacles and mechanical arms, emitting cracking sounds. He shifted his metallic body to present the technopriestess standing beside him.
"One last thing. I will return to the forge world. This is Ykarios. She has extensive experience in construction and biology. After my departure, she will become the forge world's representative and serve as liaison with you regarding the works. Of course, you may also use her for various tasks in accordance with our agreement," he stated calmly.
Finally, the Magos deactivated his emotional simulation circuit and turned to leave.
But as he walked away, perhaps due to a mechanical anomaly, he continued emitting strange cracking noises.
It might have been a coincidence, but Atreus was almost certain the sound grew louder as he left.
"A strange fellow," Atreus muttered, ignoring the presence of his new subordinate.
The technopriestess did not react; she simply took note of something with an indifferent expression.
"Atreus, are you sure about this?" Anthony asked shortly after the Magos left.
Atreus noticed the absence of "lord" in his tone, but chose to ignore it for now.
"Ykarios, was it?" he asked the half-mechanical woman.
She nodded before politely bowing to Atreus.
"Could you step outside for a moment? I need to speak with my friend," he ordered politely.
"As you command, sir," she replied for the first time.
Unlike her master's artificial voice, hers was clearly neither artificial nor simulated.
She walked in a measured manner toward the exit.
Within seconds, the reception hall fell silent again.
Sigh "Anthony, do you really not understand?" Atreus asked, his dark Astartes eyes betraying no disappointment.
The Astartes did not answer, but his eyes clearly sought an explanation from his friend.
"Well, your silence reminds me why I am in charge here," he said, rubbing his temple.
The Lord of Steel's words earned a sharp reaction from his friend.
"Stop beating around the bush. Why did you offer a planet without consulting the others?" Anthony asked again, irritated.
Atreus tried to hide his disappointment and replied plainly:
"Because I had no choice," he finally said.
The Space Marine was taken aback. To him, Atreus always had a solution.
Yet he had just admitted being cornered.
"How?" Anthony muttered, confused.
"We are simply too dependent on the Dark Mechanicus," he said with a shrug.
Atreus continued:
"Whatever way I turned the initial negotiation, I had two choices… be scammed with controlled gains I would never truly see, or offend the Dark Mechanicus."
Atreus could not do without the Dark Mechanicus. At least not yet.
He needed time.
"So you want me to believe that giving them one of the last planets in our solar system is a good idea? "Anthony asked, looking at him like an idiot.
Surprisingly, Atreus nodded.
"Yeah, because their interests are now tied to the security of our main world and this entire solar system, and also—" he paused briefly, thinking.
Atreus looked at his friend's surprised expression and decided to reveal part of his vision.
"I intend to free myself from everything tied to the Omnissiah and the superstitions surrounding machinery," he admitted honestly.
He chose to keep the rest of his technological development plans to himself, as Anthony and the others were not yet ready for it.
For the first time, the Iron Warrior considered secrecy to be the best option for everyone.
Unconsciously, he was acting like the Emperor once did.
The Space Marine underestimated the usefulness of others.
He did not trust his allies.
***
Author's note: I noticed some knowledge of astronomy in the comments, which is reassuring and helps improve the immersion of this fanfiction (you are very invested—thank you sincerely).
However, I just want to clarify that a water world can indeed exist without an atmosphere. Remember, Atreus stated that Limnos VIII harbored no form of life, and the narrator described it as "almost oceanic." Later in the chapter, Anthony referred to it as one of the last planets in the solar system.
Why am I saying all this? Because Limnos VIII is an ice world. You can compare it to the moon Europa.
It is one of Jupiter's four major Galilean moons and is known for potentially hiding beneath its icy crust a vast salty ocean. As a result, scientists consider Europa one of the most promising worlds in our solar system for potentially hosting life (even without an atmosphere).