Silence reigned in the strategy room, a silence heavy with calculations and secrets. The dark blue helmet isolated Julius from the mental noise of the base, offering him precious clarity. On the central holographic table, a stellar map spread out, far beyond the borders of the Bastion System. Dozens of unexplored systems, or known only by the fragmentary archives of Caleb, blinked in the void.
"The Imperium," Julius pronounced, breaking the silence. "Its Great Crusade sweeps across the galaxy. We do not know if they will be allies, conquerors, or judges. Until we know, we remain in the shadows."
The gazes of his council turned to him. Data, impassive. Raynor, wary. Nova, analytical. Caleb, marked by an ancient worry. Tosh, whose eyes seemed to see through the map. Stetmann, fiddling with a device that apparently measured the ambient psionic radiation rate.
"Hiding from an empire that spans thousands of worlds is a tall order, Commander," remarked Data. "The probability of detection increases by 4.7% with each new system we explore."
"That is why we must be cautious. And strong. Strong enough that, if we are found, we are not easy prey," Julius retorted. "Full display of our assets."
The stellar map was replaced by a detailed list, numbers and schematics scrolling past.
MILITARY FORCES - BASTION SYSTEM
Ground Army:
· Infantry: 5,000 Marines, 1,200 Firebats, 500 Ghosts, 800 Medics.
· Vehicles: 800 Vultures, 1,500 Goliaths, 400 Siege Tanks.
· Static Defenses: Network of Bunkers and Missile Turrets covering all major installations.
Space Fleet:
· Capital Ships: 5 Minotaur-class Battlecruisers (Yamato Cannons operational).
· Escort & Air Superiority: 50 Valkyrie Frigates, 100 Wraith fighters (Stealth active).
· Logistics & Support: 30 Dropships, 15 Science Vessels (EMP/Irradiate capabilities), 1 Command Carrier ( Braveheart-class, under construction).
· Exploration/Scout Fleet: 20 Raynor-class Corvettes (hybrid design by Caleb and Stetmann).
System Defenses:
· Orbital Stations: 3 Combat Stations in orbit of Bastion, Forge, and the Cerulean Giant.
· Psychic Minefields: Deployed at the system's strategic jump points (Tosh design).
· Sensor Network: Full system coverage, capable of detecting an incoming vessel at 1 light-year.
It was a formidable force. Enough to reduce a pre-industrial civilization to dust in a few hours. But against the Astartes legions and the Emperor's immense fleets? It was an anguishing unknown.
"Our advantage is technology and surprise," declared Nova, her finger tracing a virtual route between the stars. "We must explore discreetly. The Wraiths and the new corvettes are perfect for that. Map, listen, avoid contact."
"And if contact is unavoidable?" asked Caleb, his voice grave. "I come from a time when humanity was broken. The idea of reunification... it is seductive. But at what price?"
"The price of our freedom, Caleb," Julius replied firmly. "We do not know what this 'Emperor' demands. Until we have answers, our policy is as follows: total avoidance. We expand in the direction opposite to the known progression of the Great Crusade. We establish hidden outposts, secret supply bases."
He zoomed in on a sparsely populated cluster of stars, on the opposite side of the galaxy.
"Here. The 'Nemesis Sector'. Our next target. Data, prepare the expansion plans. Raynor, your corvettes will be on the front line. Nova, your Ghosts will be their eyes and ears. We will weave our own empire in the shadows, silently, until the day we are strong enough to choose our own destiny."
The council nodded in agreement. The decision was made. They were not refugees. They were not rebels. They were a neutral and secret power, preparing in the silence of the stars, forging a sword whose existence no one yet suspected. Julius Braveheart's expansion would not be a crusade. It would be an infiltration