A brief silence fell over the processing area, with only the faint crackling of energy dissipation and the heavy breathing of the onlookers echoing.
The shock brought by Valerie's earth-shattering strike lingered.
The astartes warrior of the Imperial Fists for the first time actively turned his helmeted head, his red ocular lenses focusing on the dark red iron guard that was slowly sheathing its blade and standing still.
His deep voice, as if resonating with the texture of rock, came from the helmet's comms: "A clean and decisive strike. Even within The 7th Legion, only the most senior Templar Knights of the First Company can achieve such precision and swiftness in swordsmanship."
His words were concise, yet they contained the highest recognition for pure skill.
For a war machine to execute such a 'martial arts' aesthetically pleasing and efficient kill clearly exceeded his conventional understanding of Adeptus Mechanicus creations.
At this moment, Inquisitor Kairas, supported by the Stormtroopers, also struggled to his feet.
He caressed the scorch marks on his power armor, burned by psychic lightning, and his gaze was equally fixed on the iron guard, his tone filled with unconcealed curiosity and inquiry: "Impressive strength and speed... This servitor construct under Magos Osiris' command performs far beyond any model I have ever seen.
To what sequence does it belong? Its build resembles a 'Fortress World' type; is it a new variant? Or some kind of custom-made ancient relic?"
In his understanding, an automated unit capable of independently executing such complex tactical maneuvers and unleashing close-combat abilities almost on par with an astartes could only be one of the Adeptus Mechanicus' precious and powerful servitor constructs.
Maine, hearing this, explained to the Inquisitor: "Inquisitor, you misunderstand. This is not a servitor construct." He gestured to the two iron guards nearby, "These are 'iron guard' prototypes that Magos Osiris is currently testing, a power armor system specifically designed for mortal pilots."
Almost as soon as Maine's words fell, a hiss of hydraulic pressure release came from the chest of the iron guard piloted by Valerie.
The heavy armored hatch slid upwards, revealing the internal cockpit.
Valerie was disengaging from the deep neural connection state; she wearily raised her hand to remove the data cables connected to her spinal interface, and fine beads of sweat, due to the high-intensity neural load, could be seen on her temples.
She took several deep breaths of relatively "fresh" air, trying to calm the slight dizziness caused by the Sandevistan's overloaded operation.
This scene instantly froze the gazes of Inquisitor Kairas and the Imperial Fists warrior!
There was a person in the cockpit! A living, breathing mortal, without extensive mechanical modifications!
The Inquisitor's curiosity instantly transformed into a deeper, more fervent attention.
He almost immediately forgot his injuries, took a few steps forward, his gaze rapidly shifting between Valerie, the open cockpit, and the massive body of the iron guard.
"Power armor piloted by a mortal? And it can achieve such a level of performance?" His voice carried a hint of disbelief, but more so the excitement of discovering a great treasure, "Please explain in detail! What is its control system like? How was that explosive speed achieved? What is the limit of its energy core's output?"
He rattled off a series of questions, his tone urgent.
As an Inquisitor, he knew all too well the immense strategic significance of such equipment, capable of greatly enhancing the combat effectiveness of mortal soldiers, for the Imperium's maintenance of order and eradication of heresy.
This was far beyond clumsy Sentinel walkers or slow Imperial Knights; it was more flexible and possessed greater tactical value.
Even the silent Imperial Fists warrior beside him, his thick yellow shoulder pad moved slightly, indicating his inner turmoil.
Perhaps he didn't need such equipment, but what about the mortal auxiliary forces under the Legion, or the elite regiments of the Imperial Guard?
He added in a deep voice, his question going straight to the core: "What about control latency? How great is the physical and mental burden on the pilot?"
Maine, faced with the Inquisitor and the astartes' barrage of technical inquiries, was momentarily unsure how to respond appropriately. He indeed did not know the specific technical parameters of the iron guard very well, nor was he certain what information could be disclosed.
Just as he hesitated, Valerie propped herself up from the cockpit, the sweat on her temples not yet dry, her breathing slightly heavy. Her movements to unfasten the safety harness were a bit slower than usual, but her voice had returned to its customary steadiness:
"The iron guard project includes two operating modes." She stood up, holding onto the edge of the hatch, "The one I'm piloting is the neural-linked model, which requires the pilot to have the corresponding interface. The other one—" She subtly nodded towards Jackie's machine, "uses traditional controls, with lower requirements for the pilot; ordinary soldiers can quickly pick it up."
At this moment, Jackie also opened his cockpit. He merely nodded silently to the Inquisitor, without interjecting.
Valerie continued: "Specific technical parameters are Magos Osiris' research secrets. We are just testers." As she spoke, her fingers unconsciously pressed against her temples, a subtle movement that revealed she had not fully recovered from the previous overload.
The Inquisitor's gaze moved between the two models of iron guards, finally settling on Valerie: "Neural connection. Traditional control—a very practical design concept."
Two prototypes, two different piloting modes, were now clearly displayed before the Inquisitor and the astartes.
Inquisitor Kairas' gaze shifted between the slightly fatigued Valerie and the silent Jackie, finally settling on the two dark red iron guards. His eyes gleamed with the sharp light of an evaluator, like someone examining a weapon that had just proven its worth.
"Mortal power armor... 'iron guard'..." His deep voice carried the weighing tone characteristic of an Inquisitor, "To achieve such efficacy in actual combat is indeed unexpected."
He turned to Maine, his tone becoming formal and urgent: "I must communicate with Magos Osiris immediately. This equipment has obvious practical value for the Inquisition's eradication efforts. If it can be mass-produced and equipped to my Stormtroopers squad, the efficiency of hunting heretics will be significantly improved."
He paused briefly, adding in phrasing entirely consistent with the Inquisition's style: "Please inform the Magos that the Inquisition recognizes the potential contribution of this technology to the Emperor's cause. I hope to prioritize the procurement of a batch to equip my direct operational units."
As the Inquisitor spoke, he had already gestured for his retinue to prepare the communication equipment. He gazed at the still-wet daemon bloodstains on the iron guard's armor, then at the remnants of the Chaos Sorcerer lying on the ground, finally turning his attention back to Maine.
"Such a battle outcome is convincing enough on its own." His voice carried an undeniable decisiveness, "Please contact the Magos now."