My Lord,

The following is a study on the methods employed by the Necrontyr for spatial travel.

First, I will inform you of their realspace drives.  The Necrontyr use an advanced system of plasma drives to move their ships within a planetary system.  These are very much unlike our own drives, and allow the Necrontyr ships to move faster than our sips.  This allows them to move quickly when in realspace, as well as giving them great maneuverability.

The plasma drives expend a great amount of energy.  We have yet to determine how the energy for these drives is generated.  I believe these drives somehow power the rest of the ship, and thus generate their own power. They also act as another means of defense for the Necrontyr ships, blasting anything that gets too close with an intense amount of plasma energy.

The Necrontyr's faster-than-light travel is a rather interesting combination of two or three methods.

The first method of FTL travel is currently speculation.  We know that the Necrontyr are able to travel through space, likely using an extra-dimensional drive.  However, we have found out that this dimension is not the warp, rather it is something completely unknown to us at this point.

I am uncertain why the Necrons do not travel through warpspace.  Some recent research performed by the psyker members of my camp has opened up a great deal of insight regarding the Necrontyr’s psychic presence within the warp.  The Necrons are apparently safe within the warp, as we have surmised that they are not presented to the dangers of daemonic possession because they do not have a soul per se, but that is at best a foundation theory. We are doing more studies on their ‘souls’ at this moment. This would be much easier with the presence of an extra half dozen Primaris Psykers.

The second method of FTL travel for the Necrontyr involves portals.  Some Necrontyr ships carry large portal generators that are able to 'fold' space like a piece of paper with its ends connecting, allowing a ship safe and speedy passage between stars.  For a brief second as the portals are opened, the two regions of connected space overlap.  We have had a great deal of trouble attempting to pursue, as the portals close before we can enter and we are left with no idea as to where they have gone.

A note here should be made about Necrontyr ‘stellar tunnels’, a potential third method of FTL travel based on the portal system.  I believe that shortly after a Necrontyr settlement is established, a ring of tunnel generators are placed in orbit around the planet.   These portals link the planet to other systems controlled by Necrontyr, allowing quick and safe passage between the systems.  We would like to gain control of one of these portals for study, but to do so would require us to find and then assault a fully established Necrontyr community, complete with thousands of warriors and battle drones, and likely a full battle fleet.   As I am sure you are aware, this is at the moment an unlikely goal.

We have also found some planet-based warp portals in the form of thin black pyramids that are 5.7m in height.  These portals bear an uncanny resemblance to Eldar warp portals we have found on many worlds. Both of these devices open a tunnel through space using a technology much like that employed by our own warp shields, though these generators create a static tunnel rather than a field centered on an object. I am uncertain at this moment whether this indicates a link between the Eldar and Necrontyr races or if this is pure speculation on my part.  However, similarities in the architecture employed by the two races seem to support this idea.   I am much intrigued by the questions raised by this discovery and will continue to investigate a possible relationship between these two enigmatic and advanced races.

I hope that these observations will do you some good.   Please distribute this information to those who need it.

ADDENDUM I (8647999.M41)
Necrontyr Induction Drives

After studying a number of sensor recordings and holo-images sent to me by TechAdepts stationed aboard our many vessels, I have been able to piece together a possible method of FTL travel for the Necrontyr that does not use the warp.  This is based on sensor readings showing very peculiar effects within space immediately before and after a Necrontyr assault.

I believe the Necrontyr use a device known as an induction drive to propel their ships between the stars.   When this drive was activated, an induction ring of negative energy - analogous to negative numbers - would warp space into a sort of bubble around the spacecraft.  This bubble would allow the Necrontyr ship to move rapidly through space, possibly faster than our ships.  Little energy would be expended, as the ship itself would be moving a steady speed - it would be the bubble of warped space that would be doing the movement.

APPENDIX I
Utilized Resources

I have attached this appendix to inform you of the resources used to create this report, including but not limited to: Necrontyr starship debris, various observations, and my own studies into the Necrontyr.

The number one resource we currently have in figuring out how Necrontyr starships work is observation.  Very few survivors are left from a Necrontyr assault, but those who survive have very important information for us.   Again, I have worked with Inquisitor Mandius in questioning survivors.  It has been through these interrogations that we have learned the most about the Necrontyr.   One of the most detailed reports came to us from one of the Lightning fighter pilots stationed aboard the Emperor battleship Fideles Imperatorum during the battle of Nimori.  The pilot was able to recall many details of the Necrons' drives and maneuvers, and caught much needed footage with his gun cameras.  We have commended him for his bravery in the face of danger.  I myself am shocked at the losses we suffered getting this knowledge.  The Fideles Imperatorum was lost, as was every ship stationed to its battlegroup, save the light cruiser Renown, which was able to pick up stranded fighters in its cargo holds.  We leaned a lot about the enemy, but lost many lives and ships getting it.

Battles at Verison, Gelib II, and Tranx have provided us with a large amount of debris.  This has not been as great of a help as an intact ship would be, but it has still been useful, particularly a piece of a Dirge raider that contains a portal generator.

We have found tunnel generators in orbit around two planets so far, identified as Necrontyr in origin only by a series of hieroglyphs that matches those found in the pyramids.  Those planets are Cresor IX and Lacos, both located in the Eastern Fringe.  We managed to activate one generator and send a probe through, but as we have received no further messages from it I believe it is safe to assume that the probe was lost.

We are currently trying to gain possession of a whole (or mostly whole) Necrontyr starship for intense study.  However, we have met with disastrous results in each our attempts so far. We have only been able to recover severely damaged vessels at this point. We might be able to piece a full ship together if we gather enough components.

Your obedient servant,
Magos Biologis Urieth Malkar

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