The New Earth Island Tai Kong Port, a relatively new Starport, floats in orbit.
However, calling it "newly built" isn't entirely accurate.
This is because the main structure of this Starport was not newly constructed on site.
Instead, ten years ago, during the critical period when the Rostov Expedition was in full swing, to meet the urgent demand of the Sub-Sector for a large material transfer hub, the Adeptus Mechanicus of the Mariupol Forge World used immense engineering power to tow and relocate an existing Starport, originally located in another corner of its Star District, to this location.
For the vast administrative system of the Empire, this method of operation is quite common.
The reason is that building a facility that meets the standards of a Starport or Starport is an extremely complex and incredibly expensive process.
In contrast, finding and relocating an existing, largely intact Starport from other areas within the Imperial territory is much less difficult and costly.
This phenomenon seems contradictory, but it has its own logic.
The ancient technological blueprints mastered by the Adeptus Mechanicus are extremely unbalanced: they might face numerous difficulties when constructing a new battleship-class Starship, yet they possess the power to move planetary orbits and reshape Star District patterns.
This technological gap and extreme asymmetry in development have long been an unavoidable and fundamental reality in this Warhammer universe.
The relocated Starport was originally just a single-function logistics node under the control of the Mariupol Forge World.
When it was at its original site, it played a negligible role in the entire operation network of the Forge World, with very limited function and value.
Since its location was not a strategic stronghold or transportation hub, its core function was strictly limited to receiving, storing, and transferring various materials that would ultimately arrive at the Mariupol Forge World.
Such a singular and clear functional positioning directly shaped its physical form: the main structure of the entire Starport was occupied by continuous, massive storage areas, forming a landscape like metal mountains.
Accordingly, no large-scale permanent resident communities ever formed within the Starport, only the technical personnel, security, and laborers necessary to maintain its minimum operation.
Therefore, over the long years, it never managed to foster any complex social structures or community ecology, and naturally could not be classified as a "Imperial World" in the usual sense, possessing a complete social form.
It needs to be specially noted here that the Imperial concept of "World" is actually very broad and inclusive; its definition extends far beyond merely planets with colonized surfaces.
Within the vast territory and complex administrative framework of the Empire, the concept of "Imperial World" has broad inclusivity.
Any space station, orbital facility, or even a large Starport like New Earth Island itself, that has a permanent population and undertakes clear administrative or managerial functions, meets the basic conditions for being included in the "Imperial World" category.
These facilities are also under the strict jurisdiction of Imperial law and may be governed by a Star District Governor or dedicated administrators appointed by the Imperial authorities, depending on their size and importance.
Of course, the most basic threshold still exists: the entity must be officially recognized by the Imperial authorities and integrated into its management system, at least needing to be a unit assigned clear administrative responsibilities.
It cannot merely be a facility point that performs a single function, or an uninhabited, unmanaged blank area.
In the decade since its relocation to the Rostov Sub-Sector, this Starport has undergone continuous expansion and upgrade projects.
The continuous addition of new berths and various functional modules has significantly increased its capacity and capabilities.
These later-added structures, combined with regular meticulous maintenance, have given the Starport a relatively new overall appearance.
This external sense of "newness" has, to some extent, obscured the past service history carried by its core structure.
However, this sense of "newness" has recently been covered by a heavy, somber atmosphere.
The pervasive shadow of Genestealer xenomorph infiltration, and the subsequent harsh order for no quarter and total purification issued by Star District Governor Alex, led to an efficient and deadly cleansing within the Starport.
The fervent fire of faith of the Battle Sisterss and the precise enforcement firepower of the Adeptus Arbites, following Inquisition standard procedures, eliminated a large number of confirmed infected or highly suspected mutants and contaminated personnel.
The most stubborn mark left by this purification operation is the pungent and persistent smell of burnt protein, thoroughly incinerated at extremely high temperatures, which still lingers in certain areas of the Starport.
Walking along the wide but oppressive main aisles, everywhere the eye could see, there were traces of the cleansing.
Some structures that might have been small workshops, temporary living quarters, or commercial stalls, now only consisted of charred frameworks and twisted metal, sealed off by heavy isolation belts and Adeptus Arbites warning signs, with the air permeated by post-incineration dust.
Teams of enforcers in dark blue uniforms, fully armed, patrolled the aisles in groups of three or five, their heavy, regular footsteps echoing, and the scanners under their helmets vigilantly sweeping every corner and the few pedestrians.
Occasionally, armored personnel carriers, painted solemn black and red and bearing the Adeptus Arbites emblem, silently drove by, their roof-mounted searchlights cutting through the dimness, adding to the grim atmosphere.
It was this pervasive, almost tangible, acrid smell of scorching that forced Alex and the accompanying Sisters of Silence Siddhga, who had just set foot in the place, to instinctively pull their respirators tight almost the moment the hatch opened.
Slightly unexpectedly, Mechanical Sage Ovilia also frowned slightly, quickly placing a delicately crafted, self-made respirator over her mouth and nose.
Although she held the esteemed position of Adeptus Mechanicus Sage, a series of unique past experiences allowed her to retain a far greater proportion of organic components than her peers, her external form more closely resembling a highly modified human than a pure mechanical construct.
This also granted her more acute sensory experiences and emotional fluctuations closer to those of an ordinary person.
"The ventilation system in this place is shockingly inefficient!" Ovilia's voice sounded somewhat muffled through the respirator, but the meaning of her complaint was clearly discernible.
While deftly adjusting several precise instruments and a floating servitor skull hanging from her waist, she activated her wrist device, deploying a pale blue air purification field with a radius of about two meters.
"This smell of burnt protein… the concentration indicates it has accumulated for at least a week, it's torture for the nose!" She complained to Alex, pointing at the traces of purification.
Alex did not respond to the complaint, merely scanning the surrounding environment with his sharp, hawklike eyes.
His gaze swept over the charred ruins, the patrolling soldier teams, and a temporary checkpoint guarded by Battle Sisterss in the distance, his cold gaze like an assessment of an on-site report.
Without a word, he and Siddhga tacitly stepped into the purification field deployed by Ovilia.
Although one was a powerful Inquisitor Lord and Star District Governor, and the other a Sisters of Silence capable of severing Warp powers, the acrid, burnt stench, mixed with despair and an aura of iron and blood, that permeated the New Earth Island Tai Kong Port was impactful enough to make any creature with a sense of smell instinctively seek refuge.
The air purification field emitted a faint hum, temporarily isolating the external foulness, but the sight of the ruins in their field of vision, silently testifying to the brutal cleansing, formed another layer of unshakeable gloom.
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