40 Thousand Reasons

We catch a good Warp current and arrive at Antax just in time to meet Captain Donatos Aphael of the Blood Angels.

Hastily, we renew our pact and I inform him of my progress, including the miracle birth of my Blank psyker daughter.

The Captain is heading towards Estaban as well, and promises to look after my son and his fleet, if possible.

A hundred new corvettes from Antax and the Astartes Battle Barge rush towards the fight, along with Victor and the destroyers. At least we managed to re-arm missiles and torpedoes in these few hours.

Once the brave warriors leave, I stay behind to conclude business with the Fabricator, downloading a hundred STC patterns of various value, some mere cosmetic alterations, others nearly heretic upgrades.

I know they must be valuable, if sold on the Cold Market or something, but our enemies would also have them, and I try to prevent that.

He likes my new Volcano Chimeras but still takes the Rhino pattern for production instead. Chimeras are still light tanks and very fragile, and he prefers sturdier machines.

Then I unveil the latest air superiority designs, gunships and fighters with quad lascannon turrets, powered by atomantic reactors. They have Power Shields as well, which will allow few losses in the next campaigns.

Land Raider tanks with Volkite Carronades and even a Baneblade variant with the same gun.

Lastly, I propose the Volcano Armed Sentinel, a cheap walker armed with a Knight-class beam weapon able to damage Titans.

"It's a pity that whoever designed these STC templates didn't consider how the Lords of Terra do things. No force in the Imperium is allowed too much power, or weapons that can change the balance. Plus...a traitor regiment would be able to defeat Titans." The Fabricator General explains with a pained voice. So he likes them, but nobody will build them.

"I'm certain every single Rogue Trader in the galaxy would want at least a hundred of these Armed Sentinels. And there are also Astartes auxiliaries, the Sisters of Battle and Inquisitor regiments and..." I begin to explain before he stops me with a careless wave.

He points at me and then at the cogitator screen. "No need to sell me things like a trader, Lord Pef. I know my clients very well. Just pick and choose what you think will be useful."

I sigh inward and wish Gyron was here. So I pick and choose, filling the hangars with space fighters, and tanks and another grenadier regiment.

The Litany arrived at Antax empty after all, since there was no point transporting troops and fighters to my supply base. I came here to collect.

I then tap a few more vortex torpedoes and a dozen vortex missiles that were fighter launched. The Warp rifts would damage Chaos battleships just as they did the Tyranid Hive ship, and fighters could enter atmosphere and fire the missiles at Chaos Titans.

Sure, there will be no Silence to repair the rift, but I considered the traitors the greater danger. Demons could not pass through Gellar fields but traitor Astartes could. They did teleport on Navy ships all the time.

"You're heading directly to Estaban now?" the Fabricator asks, showing displeasure with a metal hand.

"Visiting a few more Forges first. The siege will take a decade at least." I explain in a calm voice, since I do have some experience how things work in this grim future.

He rubs a few tentacles, like trying to decide something important. "Then... I guess it's time to unveil my secret weapon. Come...let's take the teleporter right here." he says in a suspicious tone.

We blink through Warp to a defense station in orbit, then again and again til we reach the destination. The Lament for the Vanquished, being repaired and upgraded with everything the Mechanicus has best, transformed into battlecruiser in armor, weapons and capability. But not a paper tiger like the Navy has.

I sit in the command chair and sense the Lament remembers me, and shows me proudly what it can do. From electric arc weapons, to neutron radial cannons and a gravity lance that can split moons with their own mass turned inward.

A million skitarii form the ship's void marine garrison, while weapons and vehicles fill every hangar and barrack on board.

It's not yet finished, as the tech-priests are still installing triple reactor and void shields, but it would take perhaps 5 years to complete.

There are a dozen huge landers that possibly could carry Titans.

"This grav lance...would work wonders on the Tyranids." I muse out loud as I sit up from the chair and walk around the bridge. It is different from normal Navy ships, as most controls and sensors are designed to interface with tech-priest mechadendrites and implants.

"Although it's not a normal Mechanicus name, the ship remains the Lament, in your honor, Lord Lancefire." the Fabricator replies instead, avoiding the sensitive subject.

"Just make sure to check and triple check all sensors to operate in autistic mode, at the right time. Scrap code or Necron engrams would make a coffin of it." I conclude and turn back, towards the teleporter.

The Fabricator doesn't reply, so I know the orders for strict security are being sent to all the shipyard tech-priests.

In a few seconds of violet light, we return to the Litany, without passing through his quarters. Teleports are so useful.

"I hear you have some Blank wives and kids on board." he tells me without any ulterior motive.

Ludvaius arrives at a sprint, possibly upset I escaped his watch.

"Yes, we can visit the nursery, and we can play doctor and medic for an hour. Just remember, Estaban used orbital bombardments to pacify their failed experiments. And now that they possibly worked, The Enemy has arrived to stop them." I warn him in a mild voice.

We do so, and the Archmagos fakes being a Biologis Magos well enough. Samples are taken and stored away, concubine fertile eggs get harvested and kept in a cryogenic capsule.

The kids get tested with some strange device bearing a Blood Angel symbol, like a black drop of blood with wings.

No doubt Captain Aphael has delivered the device for this exact purpose. Then I get tested as well, just in case.

Ludvaius holds a thumb up as the symbol turns red. "I think I would enjoy having you as a Neophyte, Pef Lancefire. At least you'd have to listen and stay put." he comments wryly.

"It would be a mess, I'm certain. I don't take orders well, too used to being in command. Also, I like having balls." I mutter in a ballsy voice.

An Astartes is more than a man, and being implanted with the Emperor's immortal geneseed would transfer some of those powers into me. It would even work, as the gene test shows.

Sergeant Ludvaius nods in approval. "I'm sure you'll find a way, Captain. You always do." he says in a completely devout voice, which only shows how naive he is.

Sure, I try to find the best solution, if I can. But nobody can do it forever.

I say goodbye to the nice Fabricator and then depart for Metalica.

Rose meets me in my bedroom, and sits in my lap as I keep working on simpler and acceptable machines for the Imperial Guard.

A multiple rocket launcher would be useful and cheap, since chemical rockets are considered primitive tech. I still give them a multilaser, because the Guard is always over-run by some enemy. Might as well kill more of those enemies.

A cheap attack gunship, with a nose gimbal for an autocannon and two large banks of krak missiles, to serve as anti-tank support. I consider giving it a Power Shield, but that would need a small reactor...so no.

The same for the Sentinel, I arm one hand with a Chainsaw and the other with a rotary autocannon. Pretty much a minigun, but nicer. Still has a promethium based engine, still no shield. What I can do, is give it horizontally folding shutters, that can be closed to defend the pilot from arrows or bullets or claws. Pretty much window blinds, made from plasteel.

I bet the Army will love them, as cheap and replaceable Knights. I call it the Strongman Sentinel, because it has arms.

Then I devolve deeper, and create a very simple tracked vehicle with an autocannon and a flamer using the same promethium reservoir as the engine. Small and nimble and light, but has a centimeter of ceramite on the plasteel glacis, so it counts as armor. Only 3 guards crew, because it is meant to provide close support to patrols and convoys and burn down entrenched enemies. I call it the Weasel, for absolutely no reason.

Then we arrive at Metalica and get welcomed warmly, but without laser cannons this time. How times change.