Silence was a weapon. With Tosh's helmet fitted on his head, Julius could finally think, plan, and even draw on his power without that constant, unsettling feeling of being watched. The star system, now officially named the "Bastion System," was becoming his laboratory, his battlefield, and his source of power.
Operations continued at a frantic pace. On "Forge," the orbital mining station was operational, pouring out a constant stream of rare minerals. Around the "Cerulean Giant," siphoning stations plunged their tentacles into the upper atmosphere, extracting precious Vespene Gas. The icy moons "Ice" and "Frost" now hosted small research outposts and water extraction stations, their domes glowing like pearls in the darkness.
Each new secured site, each extracted resource, each hostile automaton eradicated, fed the System's energy stream. Julius's counter, already astronomical, reached stratospheric heights. The flame within him, contained and protected, burned with an impatient desire.
It was time.
Sitting in his meditation chamber, the dark blue helmet on his head, Julius fixed the next option in his mind's menu.
[Psionic Evolution - Gamma Level] - Cost: 500,000 energy units.
Exponential increase in power and control finesse. Capabilities: Telekinesis of medium-sized objects (humans, light vehicles), Projection of short bursts of psionic energy (Force Lightning), Ability to influence weak minds (simple suggestion).
The price was exorbitant. But it was just a number now.
"System, evolve my psionic level to Gamma rank."
< Consumption of 500,000 energy units.>
< Amplification of psionic circuits... Forcing neural limits...>
Even through the helmet's filter, the wave of power was titanic. It was no longer a roar, but a scream of raw energy. The inferno within him became a miniature sun, flooding every cell with raw, crushing power. The room around him seemed to tremble, not physically, but in its very reality. Objects on the shelves vibrated, emitting a high-pitched ring.
He raised a hand, and without effort, the heavy steel desk in his quarters lifted a meter, floating in the air with perfect stability. It was no longer a conscious effort; it was an extension of his will.
He pointed a finger towards a metal target on the wall. A bolt of pure energy, of a bluish-violet hue, shot from his mind and struck the target with a sharp crack, leaving a black, smoking, fused crater. Force Lightning.
He was a Gamma. A psyker of significant power, even by Imperial standards. A man capable of turning the tide of a battle alone.
At the same moment, a priority notification from Data appeared in his field of vision.
< Bastion System Status Report.>
< Status: SECURED.>
< All planets and major celestial bodies are under control.>
< Surveillance and defense network active: Long-range detection stations, psychic minefields (Tosh design), permanent Battlecruiser and Valkyrie patrols.>
< No hostile xeno or human signatures detected within a 5 light-year radius.>
Julius let the desk descend gently to the floor. He stood up, feeling the power circulating within him like a new kind of blood. He was now the undisputed master of an entire star system. And he was a Gamma-level psyker, a formidable force on the battlefield.
The silence of the helmet allowed him to fully savor this moment without the paralyzing dread of the Warp. He could feel his own power, immense and contained, without attracting scavengers.
He walked to the main viewport of his suite, contemplating the artificial sky of Braveheart Prime, and beyond, the stars that now belonged to his domain.
The foundation phase was complete. He held a stellar kingdom and the personal power to defend it. The small flame, once flickering, was now a beacon. And now, hidden by Tosh's ingenuity, it could burn even brighter, waiting for the moment when it would, inevitably, face the other lights – and the other darknesses – of the galaxy