NS1-00 and NS2-00
Stars hold a special place in the heart of humanity. They represent hope, dominion, a galaxy full of danger and opportunity that once upon a time they conquered. However, stars are also mysterious, dangerous and powerful in all their variations.
While there are none of the infamous dead stars known as Black Holes within the Imperial Trust's borders there are two of their slightly less dangerous cousins known as the Neutron Stars. Known as NS1-00 and NS2-00 they are located within near barren systems and under most circumstances would be left to their business. Not so in the Trust.
The properties of the stars combined with the resurgence of study brought on by the ancient technology of the dark age, the stories retrieved from the Muspel achieves and decidedly dangerous examination of Avernite creatures resulted in a push for investigation of these stellar bodies.
Thus, a collaborative effort between several groups of the Adeptus Mechanicus was born. Cooperation between the Starwatchers, Order Gravis, Order Chronoris and the Cult of Sollex saw the creation of two unique "Sunhouses." Placed at the edges of the systems these stations are packed with the most advanced sensors and cogitators the Trust has access too. Crewed by experts from around the Trust they are almost completely self-sufficient, each station could theoretically last for around 500 years before needing to resupply.*
The purpose of the sun houses is obvious to observe and understand the stars they orbit. While they are no closer to understanding the exact mechanics behind what they see, they believe they are making progress on pushing the fields of gravetics, temporal technology, even understandings of the very fundamentals of matter and light itself.
Of course, these theoretical advances are all very well and good, but there are much more immediate practical uses for the stars as well.
One of the bottlenecks the Trust has yet to overcome is production of the hyper dense alloy used in the construction of battlebarges. Due to the advanced extraction techniques of the Trust, as well as access to worlds that are practically nothing, but volcano, acquisition of the minerals required for its manufacture have been easy.
However, the metal still requires extremely high gravity to properly fuse. The Trust has gotten around this by placing pods of the minerals into gas giants, but it still takes a century for the alloy to be ready for production. In fact, the first batches are still not fully finished.
However, a few more technically minded tech priests in NS1-00 decided to test the effect of the hyper gravity and time dilations of the neutron star upon the formation of the alloy. A small pod was sent into the system, filled with the requisite minerals and when it was intercepted it was found that it had started the process of combination within a year instead of the normal five.
Further testing is required, however if proven successful it is expected that the production of the hyper dense alloy will sky rocket.
*These are optimistic expectations at best, the more likely answer is 250 years of running and that is assuming that nonessential parts of the station are cannibalised for advanced and exotic materials to keep essential systems running.
Throws more potential research bases/materials/production increases to the wind for the eventual progressive push.
FLY MY PRETTIES!
@Durin
Anything to change to make it canon?
And no I don't know the science behind Neutron Stars or whether or not this is in anyway scientifically accurate.
