The Starspire Spaceport, located near the spire residence, served as a vital hub connecting the Kingdom District to the rest of Urth.
The spaceport consisted of two main sections:
The Orbital Dockyards
Located in space, these massive facilities provided repairs and resupply services for starships. They were capable of accommodating colossal vessels up to 7-8 kilometers in length.
A structure extending from the planet's surface to the dockyards above, this elevator could transport massive mineral haulers and small spacecraft to orbit. It was also a critical infrastructure for paying the Imperium's tithe.
Previously, the spaceport had been instrumental in delivering vast quantities of minerals and population to the Imperium.
When Eden arrived at the Starspire Spaceport, the Adeptus Mechanicus tech-priests and workers were already hard at work.
The spaceport plaza was littered with massive metal wreckage, with pieces tens or even hundreds of meters long scattered about, leaving the ground shattered and cratered.
This debris included remnants of starships and the space elevator itself.
Years ago, after assassinating the previous governor, a merciless Inquisitor had fled aboard his ship. However, the vessel was torn apart by a Warp storm upon departure, raining debris—and bodies—onto the spaceport, destroying parts of the space elevator.
Eden looked up at the remains of the space elevator. The massive structure was severed mid-air, with its upper segment swaying ominously in the wind, as though ready to collapse at any moment.
The elevator's repair was a top priority. A complete collapse would cause catastrophic damage.
Large transport vehicles constantly delivered repair materials while hauling away salvageable debris, which would be recycled for further use.
Kaul arrived fashionably late, floating on an anti-gravity platform, dark circles under his eyes.
"Ah, Governor, you're inspecting the repairs so early?" he greeted with feigned enthusiasm.
Eden gave him a sharp look. "Is the repair plan ready?"
"Of course, I've been working tirelessly on it!" Kaul replied, attempting to sound earnest.
"I pulled an all-nighter to finalize the repair blueprint. Just a few adjustments, and it's good to go!"
Kaul directed several servo-skulls to scan the damaged sections of the space elevator, gathering critical data. His mechanical eyes flickered as he processed the information, while his many cybernetic arms rapidly entered codes into a data slate.
Occasionally, he called out:
"Lilith, I've sent you 500 cog credits—process this data for me, will you? Your father is in urgent need!"
Thanks to the psychic network, the Mechanicus tech-savvy community could collaborate on data processing and problem-solving. For complex issues, they could even request assistance from Lilith, the network's machine spirit. However, such aid required cog credit payments, which were not easily earned.
"Make it quick—we must finish the repairs by the end of the month!" Eden demanded, watching Kaul's frantic efforts with a sigh.
He knew Kaul was likely improvising on the spot. Last night, Kaul had posted over twenty threads on the Mechanicus forums and even engaged in a binary argument with Moss, generating thousands of comments.
If the repair proceeded as planned, the elevator would be operational by the end of the month. However, the orbital dockyards remained a major concern.
The dockyards housed over 500,000 personnel responsible for starship maintenance, resupply, and operations.
When the Warp storm struck, the chaotic energy corrupted many of the workers. Only a few thousand managed to escape back to the Kingdom District aboard lifeboats.
The dockyards themselves had likely become a hellscape, with survivors trapped alongside horrifying Chaos abominations.
Eden's communication attempts with the dockyards had yielded only guttural roars and screams. Once, a desperate human voice pleaded, "Help us!" before the transmission was abruptly cut off by monstrous growls and human wails.
Despite the grim situation, this fragment of contact confirmed there were still survivors. Eden resolved to rescue them as soon as possible.
Leaving the spaceport, Eden visited Moss's newly established Environmental Science Institute, dedicated to pollution management and ecological restoration.
Their primary focus was decoding the water purifiers and land reclamation modules left in the Green Wave farms and adapting them for planetary-scale use.
Eden also inspected several other research institutes under construction and met with five newly appointed Adeptus Mechanicus tech-priests specializing in environmental science, shipbuilding, biology, and genetic engineering.
After verifying their capabilities, Eden bestowed blessings upon them, significantly enhancing their physical and mental faculties. These priests would now lead independent research teams to accelerate progress.
Among the projects, Eden prioritized shipbuilding and genetic engineering, as these were critical for forming a naval fleet and Space Marine Chapters.
A week later, the space elevator was repaired. As its gates opened, waves of heavily armored Genestealers filed into the transport cabins.
For this mission, Eden recalled 50,000 of the most powerful first-generation Genestealers, embedding the dockyard schematics into their hive minds for precise execution.
Their task was to secure the dockyard's key positions, ensuring safe entry for the main forces.
Eden joined Kaul and a thousand Mechanicus tech-priests aboard the transport cabin. As the machinery engaged, the cabin jolted violently, speeding toward orbit.
"Is this thing safe?" Eden asked as warning lights flashed and the cabin shook alarmingly.
Kaul shrugged nonchalantly.
"You gave me a week to repair something that needed a month. This is the best you'll get. Trust my craftsmanship—it's flawless!"
Just as he spoke, a loud clang echoed as a bolt popped loose, clattering onto the floor.
"Damn!" Kaul dove to retrieve the bolt, hastily screwing it back and hammering it in place before giving Eden a reassuring thumbs-up.
Eden sighed, leaning back in his seat to rest.
If all went according to plan, he would soon be spending an extended period in the orbital dockyards.
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