Praeceptorem - Battlefield Support Automata

Seen as a voracious mix between a mechanical bird and serpent, the Praeceptorem is the same as most automata within the Legio Cybernetica, an esoteric machine that projects it's presence far and wide across the battlefield. Built to bolster the Legio's combat capability as well as it's longevity on the battlefield, the Praeceptorem was made out of necessity as well as the ingenuity born from isolation from their Mechanicum peers. A ferociously effective design, the Praeceptorem can deliver ammunition, Doctrina packets and a host of other supplies to active Cybernetica machines mid-combat, vastly increasing their combat potential whilst doing so. Though limited in number due to design constraints, the blueprint has cycled amongst the many Magos Dominus of the Legio, proving itself effective many times over on the battlefields it has graced.

History
Due to the nature of the Legio Cybernetica's place within the Mechanicum, and the Imperium overall, the Martian sect have faced some strong opposition with every step they've attempted to make. Some consider their knowledge and work to be tech-heresy of the highest order, such is the stigma against the Silica Animus that has been rightly earned through humanity's past. Combating this meant the Cybernetica were alone as an organisation from the start. In charge of their own support networks and allowed small workshops they were never allowed to found their own forges, and the resources desperately needed to help repair and replenish their robotic numbers. This was such a problem that it is a frequent occurrence that machines (Cybernetica and otherwise) were stripped for parts, causing some diplomatic problems with their allied organisations.

As the force developed as the Great Crusade stretched out from the home system, and more examples of technology and civilisations were brought back to the fold, the many Archmagos of the Cohorts sought to streamline their supply lines as much as possible. This resulted in various experiments and one-off creations, but the most widely known and employed example of this philosophy, comes from the Praeceptorem support unit.

Initially the haphazard designs of an unnamed Cybersmith within the Lotus Dragoons Cohort, born from a  salvaged Vultarax automata, it was used to resupply Automata between the rear and the front line. Though the automata was damaged and inefficient it proved to be the spark that would light the fire of knowledge in her brain. Taking the idea to the Cohort's Archmagos it was initially approved, but whether through betrayal or negligence, the Collegiate Extremis eventually learned of the project and intervened swiftly.

Arbitrators of the Mechanicum's many laws, the Collegiate eagerly brought those who were suspected of heresy to judgement. They had made their presence felt within the many Cybernetica cohorts throughout the Great Crusade, being seen as heavy-handed thugs who enjoyed casting a shadow over the small organisation. Through a year of investigation and questioning the Collegiate did their work. Tearing through research while workshops were ransacked for evidence, destroying years of work until judgement was finally ready to be handed out. Amongst the red sands of an alien world, surrounded by the  Skitarii Provosts who carry out the Collegiate's will, the trial took place.

When it came final time for judgement the accused faced both judge and firing squad together, and readied themselves to die. It would have been a shock then, that their blood and oil did not stain the familiar red sands that day. The Collegiate had determined that the ancient stain of Abominable Intelligence could not be found amongst any of the Cybersmith's work, and nor was she compromised in mind or code.

With their names and by extension, those of their cohort cleared, the Cybersmith was permitted to resume her work, even naming the new machine the 'Praeceptorem' class as a jibe to those who had thought to stand in the way of her gift to the Omnissiah. Continuing on into the Great Crusade the new Cybernetica found itself in high demand amongst the cohorts as operational efficiency amongst maniples were said to skyrocket with their presence. It was even found to be a good way of building trust between Imperial factions, as the cargo bay could be loaded with almost anything and sent to help allies in need, resupplying units that found themselves cut off. Even amongst the snowy plains of Galihaed Arta, a Praeceptorem helped turn the tide of battle when it was used in a kamikaze run against an Eldar battle-titan, destroying it's knee-joint when it detonated itself and the plasma battery it had stored on board, whereupon the crippled machine was finished off by the Legio Illustratum.

Design
Though limited in its combat potential, the Praeceptorem more than makes up for this through it's effect on the battlefield through it's ability to resupply and augment Cybernetica.

Originally a cannibalised Vultarax the fully developed Cybernetica robot has taken on a much sleeker look than it's bulky and unwieldy cousin. An elongated body section with angled armour covering the top half and the cargo compartment on the underside, this is where the majority of the Cybernetica's systems lay. With a small Rho-IV fusion core and  three armoured casings, each containing a cortex brain, the heart and mind of the machine is tightly packed under the armour to protect them from weapons fire. On the underside of the body the cargo compartment and MIU connector are both placed, better for accessing when resupplying a Battle-Automata. With the manipulator arms able to reach the compartment when unfurled and the extendable mechadendrite of the MIU being housed here it allows a Praeceptorem to latch onto the backs of the robots and resupply both their ammunition, along with any updated command coding for their own cortex brains.

This method of being able to issue new orders without recalling whole maniples has dramatically reduced the collateral damage caused when a unit does not respond to orders as they have gone on rampages in the past that last until their internal batteries run out. Similarly the ability to resupply ammunition and battery supplies increases the combat capability of the Cybernetica extensively compared to their previous limited operational lifespan.

Optics
Branching off the body is a large cluster of snake-like mechadendrites, covered in a segmented armoured cowling and ending in a series of complex and esoteric looking targeting arrays. This array allows the Automata to see in any weather condition, as well as track heat and radiation sources. A secondary cogitation array also allows the optical data to be fed into a highly aggressive targeting array that is mainly used when linked with other battle-automata to increase it's effectiveness.

Armament
While not designed for weaponry, various additions have been made to individuals units over the centuries, with most Cybersmith's agreeing that a single weapon such as the Phosphor Blaster, affixed to the 'head' is supremely efficient without impacting too heavily on the overall aerodynamics of the Automata. This is by no means standard and Praeceptorem have been documented being fitted with a range of weaponry that can be quickly changed to adapt to the battlefield.

Storage
As for the cargo capacity, the internal storage container is quite expansive, and covered in a layer of armaplas for some level of protection for the volatile and valuable resources stowed inside. With the space able to be configured into any combination of the 12 individual cells, it can house a variety of ammunition types and batteries as well as number of other items. If all 12 cells are split up each can house a variety of smaller supplies from rotor cannon ammunition, command coding containers to small and large reactor components in the case of failure in the field. If the space is opened up as it's design allows, it can even hold large components such as multiple boxes of Mauler Cannon ammunition or replacement armour plating. In extreme cases the entire compartment could be used to carry a single ammunition canister for the likes of Thanatar's Hellex Plasma Mortar, large armour plating, and even turn the Praeceptorem into a kamikaze unit in dire circumstances. The modularity of the design and the various supplies constantly needed allow the unit to resupply whenever and whatever is needed, keeping several maniples operational long after they would have normally run dry.

Engine
For propulsion an Axion Dual-Phased plasma engine is installed on the back of the body, with a thrust-vectoring nozzle, allowing it to change from a VTOL configuration to normal flight for maximum speed. While secondary, the large wings splaying outward from the main body are essential, as they also contain several powerful suspensor plates, able to lift the unit off the ground and balance it with precision whilst flying and hovering.

Cyber Cortex
Part of the advantage the Praeceptorem holds over most other Cybernetica is the massively increased thinking capacity of the machine, with 3 cortex brains linked in sequence helping to guide it all over the battlefield. This reliance on multiple cortex's allows for far more complex commands to be followed by the Automata, allowing it to know what to do in any situation it faces. Though this may sound dangerous to most Magii that could be said of any occupation within the Legio Cybernetica, as is part of the stigma they regularly face. But the Collegiate Extremis concluded otherwise, as the system still had extensive override and killswitch programming as part of it's base machine-code.

The use of the cortex's by the Praeceptorem shows a heavy tendency for their machine-spirits to be eager, and attentive. Always diligent in their programming they attempt to run into the thickest fights to be able to resupply their allies, sometimes at the expense of their own safety.

The major trick of the 3 cortex system though, is it's ability to augment other Battle-Automata in the field. When a Praeceptorem is resupplying a unit such as a Castellax or Domitar it attaches itself to the rear by way of small magnetic clamps, and while changing ammunition or batteries with it's manipulator arms, the MIU mechadendrite links the two into one. This process of linking the triple cortex's with another turns any normally deadly Cybernetica, into a temporary monster, reminiscent of those ancient and terrifying machines that caused humanity to fear technology so long ago. These bouts of ferocity have been dubbed as  'Logistical Harmonization'  by Cybersmiths, but are known more darkly as  'Rust Rage' amongst other Imperial factions that have witnessed the unchained destruction first-hand and learned not to stand in their way.

While the 'harmonization' may be a wondrous sight to behold for Cybersmith's it only lasts as long as the Praeceptorem is attached. After resupplying and rearming the Cybernetica the Praeceptorem's priority list carries it on to other machines or supply locations once more.

Miscellaneous
Some last minor notes for the design specifically involve the manipulator arms mounted on the underside of the body, used to move supplies from the cargo compartment to the Cybernetica and discarding any empty ammo or batteries. Another would be the small extendable feet on the underside of the body with magnetic clamps for both landing and attaching themselves to Cybernetica in the field.

Wargear
Infravisor – The Infravisor is a set of sights that allows the Automata to detect infrared heat signatures, objects shedding other forms of electromagnetic radiation normally invisible to the human eye and see in low-light conditions.

Enhanced Targeting Array – Certain Battle-Automata are fitted with additional slaved cogitators and sub-incunbula machine-spirits devoted to relentlessly tracking and targeting any and all potential threats in range.

MIU Link – Allows a connection between the triple cyber cortex of the PRaeceptorem and the Cbernetica it's linked with, augmenting it' processing capacity. Sharing advanced command coing and doctrina packets this allows both robots to mesh their orders and tactics together to more efficiently work as one unit.

Upgrades
Smoke Launchers - Mounting several canister launchers onto it's armoured body, a Praeceptorem can use the smoke rounds to various effect as it moves around the battlefield.

Fixed Weapon Mount - With a brace placed under the 'chin' of the automata alongside a simple articulation system, a single rifle-sized weapon can be mounted on the underside of the Praeceptorem's head. When installed the normal choice amongst various Cybernetica commanders is the phospor blaster

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