Editing The Tales of the Emperasque: Part Nine (section)

==4-035-001-M42==
Vulkan’s imminent return, as announced by the Primarch himself via Astropath, had brought new hope to the people of Prometheus. The Salamanders had set themselves to their mission from the Emperor with relish, gathering all of the Techmarines in the Techmarine-saturated chapter to the Chalice and putting them to work.

The Adeptus Mechanicus was of the mindset that making new Terminator armor was wasteful. It was still possible, of course, but it took so much time and so much effort that it was rarely deemed ‘worth it.’ In light of the imminent return of their Primarch, suddenly those concerns boiled away.

Tu’Shan and He’Stan themselves oversaw the creation of the armor. While some of the components had to be salvaged from suits that had been damaged on Armageddon and elsewhere, much of the suit was being ‘made from scratch,’ as it were. The Forgefather had seriously considered implanting the four man-portable Artefacts of Vulkan into the armor, but had decided against it. They were immensely ancient and valuable, after all, and not all battles would call for their use. As such, he instructed that the gauntlets, pauldrons, and shoulder joints of the armor be made to accommodate the addition of the Artefacts if Vulkan so desired, but not to incorporate them. The shoulders he ordered to contain additional hardpoints, in case the Unbound Flame was what he suspected it to be, though he did not share the knowledge with Tu’Shan.

The power supply was a work of art, even by the standards of the Salamanders. The Mechanicum had gifted the chapter a prototype armor fusion bottle many years before as a reward for saving the forge world of Lansma’Tel from a heretek cult. The Salamander Chapter Master had ordered it be used here, to breathe life into the new suit. Its machine spirit was blessed by the techpriests of Prometheus as its core was bound to the suit. Its left arm bore an immensely powerful Storm Shield, created by the artificers of the chapter with an image of a drake skull wreathed in ash. The shield would provide a massive amount of protection to their Primarch, which He'Stan knew he would be requiring in the coming days. Its left hand was left free, but the mounting slots could accept the Song of Entropy if Vulkan ever desired it. Its right, by default, mounted a weapon that Vulkan himself had designed long ago: the Thunder Ballista. This wicked-looking weapon functioned like a Thunder Hammer that recoiled, such that all the wearer had to do was flex their hand in a certain specific way, and the weapon would launch a spike of wrought adamantine clean into a target, then discharge a built-up force charge.

The device was so huge and unwieldy, and drew so much power, that actually installing it on anything had been largely impossible until the Mechanicum had granted the Salamanders their fusion bottle. Now, all that was needed was a final touch, something that would make this magnificent suit of armor more than just Artificer Armor…and make it a thing of legend.

Tu’Shan personally oversaw the final ritual. The armor had been painted in Fire Drakes colors, naturally enough, and the helmet had been modified to accept the advanced asupex and atmospheric filters that all Salamanders installed as a matter of course. The final ritual, however, was more than just a modification of the helmet: it was the installation of the fusion bottle and wargear. A Crux Argentum of titanium, crusted with diamonds taken from Prometheus’ many, many volcanoes was fitted into the suit’s left shoulder plate. An extra pair of grenade slots on a normal Terminator equipment belt was strapped around the middle of the suit. A purity seal, describing Vulkan’s refusal to bow to Chaos for ten thousand years, was poured and stamped on the colossal chest plate. Finally, the fusion bottle itself was lowered into its plasteel/adamantine cradle, and the suit was complete.

Tu’Shan found himself holding his breath as the Techmarines pressed the activator. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, with a brilliant flash of red from both eyes, the suit’s joints clicked one by one as the machine spirit came to life, the Thunder Ballista rose a hair as its fire control software ran through its installation, and the Storm Shield crackled as a charge ran through its circuits for the first time.

The suit settled back down, and Tu’Shan stood, unable to repress an exhausted grin. “Brothers, we have worked a wonder. Now, let us make ready our own wargear. Lord Vulkan shall not find his sons’ readiness wanting.”