Chapter 25 - Sapphiria's Discount Cavalry

Chapter 25

Starborn Mountains, Starfire Valley

Settlement of Astralis

"So." Ramina hopped onto one of her workbenches, seemingly having a clear spot only for that exact purpose. "You want some of my malagan wood?"

"So that's what it's called? And yes. The same you came up with for the...rolling fortress." The AI snuck a glance at the carriage, that was starting to take form as a makeshift tank. The name seemed a bit less ridiculous, now that she was planning to give it some real firepower. And not just use it as a glorified battering ram. "I was making some golems for reinforcements, and I realized my armor materials were...lacking." She chuckled. "And it seemed to had solved one of the problems I had."

"I'd be delighted to provide!" She snapped her fingers. "Speaking of golems! Something I talked to Kalia about, but forgot to bring up with you." She hopped off the workbench and picked up a small crate from a corner of the room. "Here. This was...I called it Dinky. It was a graduation gift from one of my grandmasters, Elaina."

"Grandmasters?" Sapphiria looked into the crate, scanning its insides, with Cia helpfully arranging the pieces in their simulation. Oh, it was a bot. Human form, roughly.

The artificer chuckled.

"I...had the luck of studying in the capital."

"I thought your degree was forged?"

She looked away.

"I...may have embellished some things here and there."

"And never got into trouble for it?" Ramina didn't answer, and Sapphiria tilted her head. "Let me guess, you did, but the punishment...it was up to a certain mage-magistrate, wasn't it? And she needed an artificer more than she did another prisonner."

The silence was defeaning. Then Ramina slowly nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Hey there." Sapphiria grabbed the artificer's shoulder. "Sorry, I shouldn't have...it's not my business."

"I'm still...your apprentice, right?"

"Of course you are. We both are, remember? Each other's apprentice."

Ramina met her gaze, and smiled.

"Right, yes!"

"Good. Now, I'll bring this." The AI patted the crate. "Home and see what I can do with it. Oh, do you happen to have a spare firearm? The mage-magistrate wanted me to make some ammo for them."

The young woman shook her head.

"I don't, no. None of them are in for maintenance. But I do have some cartridges for them! I don't know much about those though. I was never much into alchemy."

"Thank you. And that's quite alright." She didn't know jack about chemistry either, but that's why she had a lab module and an entire library core. "I'll let you take a look at my reinforcements. I'm sure we can work together to get the wood on them." Plus it would give her an excuse to look into the tools there.

"I'd love to! Thank you."

"No problem. It's my pleasure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a looong way home."*

"Of course, my apologies. Safe travels!"

Sapphiria smiled.

"For me or anything I might encounter?" She chuckled at Ramina's expression. "Nevermind. Thank you!"

And with that she grabbed the crate, and left, checking the fabricator schedule as she did.

That had gone better than expected, all things considered. Only exception was those squishies' suicidal urge to go fight something. But she could work on that.

She had to.

*****

"The nickelbots are ready."

"Good." Sapphiria set down the carbine. "Finished checking their weapons. I believe we're good to go."

When she'd gone for the carbine, she'd wanted simple, cheap, reliable. And it was exactly what she'd gotten. That thing was basically a metal brick with smaller metal bricks slapped on it so you could grip and reload it. That was it. No sights, nothing. Everything not strictly essential to 'shoot bullet' was stripped out and put as an optional module. She'd actually hesitated on whether to use some of them, like the silencers or holographic sights, but what would be the point? She wanted the enemy to come to her bots, not have them sneak around, and there was no way she was making those weapons actually practical to use for squishies, or Kalia would ask for them.

That last part was almost certainly why that gun was designed that way too. She was starting to gain a healthy respect for those who'd design that database, despite regularly cursing them for the limitations it imposed on her.

She trotted out of her 'firing range' and weapon testing room, and into the crash site. There, eight bots waited for her, lined up as if on a parade.

She'd already taken a few for a spin, to test if they worked properly, but she wasn't heading up to the surface with just two measly bots. At that point she might as well just send her android alone.

Eight however, might have some combat effectiveness.

She quickly reviewed them, both physically and their system logs. They were horiffically stripped down versions of the utility bots with some sensors and armor plating slapped on top, but they seemed to be working.

The AI nodded.

"Alright, they seem good to go. Let's get up to the surface, I'm sure the squishies will be glad to see us." And then some. There hadn't been another attack, beyond some packs of strays stumbling into the logging operations, and it seemed to worry them a lot more than just being swarmed would have.

It did give a few points for Gregor's analysis though. The Hand was clearly waiting for troops to be reassigned before giving taking over the hub another try. A few 'strays' were regularly being blasted by the turrets, but these were most likely probbing attempts.

If she had to guess, whatever was on the other side would do another attack on the surface in a couple of days, and start escalating as the defenses down into the mines weren't withdrawn.

Hopefully her little incursion would give them pause.

Staying defensive wasn't going to win this fight after all.

"Affirmative. Full mission load is up. Good hunting, admiral."

"Why thank you. I'll be sure to bring a few trophies. This place could use some livening up." The AI laughed at the incredulous look the simulacrum gave her. "I'm joking!" Mostly. "I will attempt to bring back some samples though." Sapphiria's mirth vanished. "All this magic is starting to seriously worry me. Swords that can just harm molecular armor...and that's their dregs. I don't want to find out what their best is when they're tearing apart my squishies."

Not that she'd be able to pop them in the lab immediately, as it was quite busy going over Ramina's gift. Which might take a while.

"Your squishies, ma'am?"

"Kalia's people, I mean." The AI coughed as the simulacrum stared at her. "I'll be off."

"Of course ma'am." Answered Cia, diplomatically, as the AI retreated, junkbots in tow.

*****

The climb up to the hub was supremely uneventful, save for crossing the cargo bot, happily beeping back home from its mission of 'go reassure the squishies I'm not dead and get any messages they might have'. Instead of just sending it whenever she required something, Sapphiria had decided to send it up on a regular schedule, kind of like a status report.

In this case, it had made its way up with a purpose, to tell them she'd be along shortly with her backup.

Though not as shortly as she would have liked. Steel armor was cheap, but it was heavy, and utility bots weren't built for speed. They didn't tire like squishies and could march until their batteries died, but they couldn't just sprint full tilt like her android.

Then again, nothing short of powered armor infantry or Federation commandos could have kept up with her, and she was far, far away from either of those right now.

She gazed at her fortifications in the hub. She'd set up a couple of her shotgun sentry guns, and rearranged the crates a bit. Not just to protect her new turrets, but also to set up a loading station. Every time her cargo bot returned, it would get loaded with some of the more desirable among their contents. For now, it was mostly ore, for what little there was.

The wooden support beams were tempting, but for what exactly? She didn't need them for her mineshafts, her mining drones managed perfectly fine without. Maybe she should just package them and gift them to Kalia. The squishies would know what to do with it. At least they'd have a better idea of what it could do. Because so far, her sampling had just returned 'wood, normal, exotic radiation'. Not extraordinarily helpful.

Actually, no, it was helpful. She knew the wood was anomalous, and the radiation meant that the properties were magical in nature. It just didn't tell her what those were or how to use them.

...She really needed to find some teachings on magic. Were arcane grimoires a thing here? Or 'magic for dummies' manuals. Asking directly to be taught...they clearly expected her to know already, so probably not a good idea.

Cia pinged her as they neared the tunnel entrance, and Sapphiria thanked the simulacrum with another ping, slowing her pace and making sure to shut down her camouflage, before stepping out of the tunnel.

She found herself face to face with the huntmarshal, who had a spoonfull of nutrigel halfway to her lips.

"Sapphiria!" The old woman raised an eyebrow as the junkbots exited the tunnel and came fully into the light. "And company. Are they the reinforcements you promised?"

"Yes, they are."

"Fancy. Ramina's gonna be all over them."

"Indeed. Though first I intend to take them for a reconaissance in force of the area."

"Attack first eh? I can respect that. Shame I can't accompany you. Hunting undead the in the forest..." She took in a deep breath, and remembering their previous conversation on such subjects, Sapphiria spoke up.

"Would make you feel alive. A shame, but for now my golems will operate independently."

"Secrets to hide?"

"Well, a magician doesn't reveal all their tricks now do they?"

The huntmarshal chuckled.

"No, they don't. Very well then. I assume you do not require an escort or guide?"

"I do not. But thank you."

"Good hunting."

"Likewise, huntmarshal."

The old woman chuckled.

"I won't be I'm afraid. No more foraging or hunting parties."

"Oh? Then why is there fresh meat in your nutrigel?"

The huntmarshal's face fell as all the other sentries froze.

"How did you-"

"We each have our secrets." Sapphiria smiled. "I'll keep yours, don't worry."

She could feel their stares on her as she left, while making some mental notes.

Squishies disobeying orders was par for the course. She just hoped hunting was where they stopped.

There was a reason ninety percent of the security hardware in her schematics was for discouraging squishies from engaging in suicidal stupidity. Like petting a strange alien creature, wandering out into the wilds while intoxicated or trying to lick unidentified objects.

Which brought the rather uncomfortable thought of what she was going to do once the immediate danger was neutralized. Cia would recommend activating case Epsilon, taking over Astralis and beginning operations to renew contact with the Federations, but it wasn't going to be that simple. What did she want to do with Kalia? She'd gotten her people this far, but there was a reason squishies didn't rule the Federation. They were allowed to rule their own worlds if they so wished -and so long as they respected the Federation's limitations and didn't abuse the privilege-, but the Federation was AI led, always.

Sapphiria sighed. One problem at a time. First, save the squishies, and stop them from having to duke it out with the undead. Then she could worry about what to do with them.

And, if she was being entirely honest, if she wanted to lead them. Kalia was doing a good job so far, and Sapphiria was self aware enough to know she wouldn't be nearly as competent when it came to directing that herd of metaphorical cats. Plus...she liked the mage-magistrate. There was a spark in her, something the AI couldn't quite describe.

Something that made her hope she would see the mage-magistrate during her visit to Astralis, and be able to exchange a few words before going on her expedition of 'reconaissance in force', though she'd refuse to admit it to anyone.