40 Thousand Reasons

Chapter 116: Coming storm

After two weeks of travelling through the Warp, we reached the Forge Triplex Phall to find it in great upheaval, a thousand of asteroids dragged in concentric circles around the shipyards and the Forge World itself, perhaps a dozen conveyors being re-fitted as fleet carriers, and a second battleship nearly completed.

It was even being plated over with Blackstone, just like I was doing for nearly every vehicle and ship, even the Astartes armor.

The stuff was incredibly resilient to be fair, more so than ceramite and even adamantium, although not as easy to work with, since we could only mine it, not manufacture this material.

Anyway, I was glad to see at least the Ultima Segmentum Forges adapting to produce better products, after stagnating and even decaying for 10 thousand years.

Sure, perhaps the sudden decrease in Chaos, Eldar and Dark Eldar incursions and raids helped as well, and the looming threat of the Tyranids and the sudden awakening of more Necron Tomb Worlds also contributed to the frenetic activity.

"Pef Lancefire, we owe you much but everything you seen in orbit is being requisitioned by the Defendarius Crusade. I can give you no ships." The Fabricator declared loudly after glancing at Inquisitor Vail for a second. "A cruiser in the next decade, if you come alone." another message followed on my implant.

I didn't even come to ask for ships! But sure, another cruiser will be nice.

So I just smiled patiently, and held out my own gift, a dataslate with the Tarantula drop-pods, the modified light-cruiser for inserting them, and a dozen templates for Sentinels, both piloted and autonomous.

"You might have heard I have taken charge of the Lamenters Chapter, Fabricator. The Chapter might lack Battle Brothers right now, but we did our duty anyway, with sentry turrets and auxiliary regiments. I hope our combat testing at Perlia will prove sufficient, as these war machines have bested an Ork Waagh with little difficulty." I explained while the Archmagos perused the templates and the combat records attached.

He powered up his cogitator and measured the silent Inquisitor again, as if looking for my confirmation.

"A massive orbital drop, followed by landing of mechanized and armored troops. Even a hundred Doomblades and some Fellblades! Your Auxiliary forces seem strong enough, perhaps too strong, Chapter Master." the Fabricator commented with some surprise.

He was right, of course. I would always prefer some armor between enemy fire and my soldiers, because even light tanks and Sentinels had 10 times more armor than a grenadier in carapace armor.

"Sadly, Forge World Antax could not figure out how to connect the pod retro-thrusters to the turrets' power cells, and thus the energy for laser guns is limited, compensated with larger numbers. Heavy bolter turrets or autocannons would run out of ammunition even faster. As for other options like plasma guns and flamers, the technology is fragile anyway, and would not survive the high-g forces of an orbital drop." I said calmly and examined the trading goods with a raised eyebrow.

It seemed they had already began producing my own designs of Macharius-pattern tanks, mostly the Volcano Lance and the Plasma Blastgun variants. The Plasma Blastgun variant even had atomantic reactors instead of the classic plasma reactor! That allowed supporting Flare shields and increased rate of fire, plus nigh-unlimited mobility.

"You may select anything your Chapter needs, Lord Lancefire. For the sons of Omnissiah, everything we can do, we will do." the Fabricator announced in a proud tone, and he spewed some scented incense and a barrage of tetragrammic prayers in binharic.

"Yes, you will tech-priest. But right now, we are in need of munitions to halt Hive Fleet Moloch in the galactic north. Torpedoes, missiles and Nova Shells. Show me everything you have in storage!" Amberley demanded in a harsh tone, her left hand revealing her Rosette for a millisecond.

Without commenting, the Fabricator began lighting up more holofields screens, with inventories of capital class munitions. I could only gawk at the immense stores available to a big Forge World. Where could they even keep all this?

"For starters, I shall requisition torpedoes: 200 Atmospheric Incendiaries, and 20 Vortex Warheads. Then 1000 Melta Warheads, and 400.000 Plasma Warheads. As for Nova shells, I think most of them. 4600 Nova shells, and you'll have 97 remaining to resupply the Victory battleships holding station in orbit. I will need 4000 of these Nova shells modified for my MIU implant's trigger and detonation. And lastly, 8 million krak missiles and 2000 vortex missiles. Hopefully it will be enough." I demanded in a shameless voice.

Then again, it was a damn Hive fleet. It will probably won't be enough.

My two carriers could unload 2000 corvettes, and those will only have 10 shots with their cells of torpedoes and missiles. That's why I needed more Nova Shells to thin the ranks of the incoming bugs, to more manageable levels.

"This will delay fully arming the Segmentum's Battlefleet carriers for a decade or maybe two. Primarch Guilliman will not be pleased." the Fabricator warned me as his stores of torpedoes dropped in the red.

"The carriers can move, tech priest. Have them sent to Metalica or Anvilus to load with torpedoes. Anything else you need from this Forge, Lord Lancefire?" my dear Inquisitor asked while dismissing the Fabricator's complaints.

"One of these Navy carriers, loaded only with Fury Interceptors, with their flight crew and enginseers support. I think we could fit about 8000 of these starfighters easily. And then, a dozen Navy cruisers armed with Nova Cannons and a dozen light cruisers refitted for orbital pod drops. The defense fleet should have at least 200 escorts, for orbital support and interceptions of flying creatures and lander spore pods. Mostly armed with energy based weapons, if possible. The new Drop cruisers shall be remitted to my Lamenters Chapter, if and when this Hive fleet is defeated. There are more planets out there in the Fringe that will need to be reconquered." I concluded in a thoughtful voice.

Well, the Lamenters were in theory a Fleet based Chapter, and once we had a full complement we could start attacking and conquering anything we found in the Eastern Fringe, while the Rogue Trader Dynasty would benefit by absorbing those conquered planets and star systems into our domain.

The Fabricator General measured me for a long minute, then nodded slowly. "We will need a year to prepare everything to your needs, Lord Lancefire. And the Lady Inquisitor better have an ear to her superiors, or this plan of your might fall apart, just like Inquisitor's Kryptman plan did. You will not need Astra Militarum guardsmen for this? I would expect at least 100 regiments for an operation on this scale."

I sighed inward while considering the offer. Generally, most Imperial Guard regiments would be poorly supplied and poorly trained, and would not help much when the horizon was filled with moving fields of Tyranids biological war engines.

However, a dozen armor regiments, and a fifty artillery regiments, those could make a big difference. If anything, the Imperial Guard could hold ground quite well. Moving and maneuvering was a different issue of course.

I went to change the holofield screen myself, checking the stores for Hydras and Basilisks. Hey, they even had Lascannon Sentinels in stock! I will take all of them.

"We will take 50 regiments of Valhallan artillery, 10 of Cadian armor, and 40 of Catachan infantry. Of course they don't have air interceptors, so we will need extra 10000 Hydra anti-air and 5000 Basilisk mobile artillery platforms. Plus all of these 8700 Sentinels. It only comes out about 200 Sentinels per frontline regiments, but it must be enough. It's better than they had anyway. Oh, and STCs containers with supplies for all of them, triple ammunition loadout. Enough tech-priests and acolytes for all the extra holy machines and a million Servitors to help around." I allowed after reviewing the better Imperial regiments in my mind.

Amberley glanced at me as if trying to object to something, then sighed softly. "You better not fail, Lord Lancefire. It might ruin my career."

I grinned with confidence. "Have no fear, Lady Vail. We are what they fear!" I quipped in a cheerful voice, then held my hand out to the Fabricator. "Always a pleasure and an honor to meet the brightest of the Cult Mechanicus, Fabricator. When your next battleship dock gets free, let me know and I'll bring an old Ironclad for refit here."

The Magos just nodded as it was only natural and shook my glove with a mechanical one. "You're not too bad yourself, Pef Lancefire. Try not to die too soon. The Mechanicus has great plans for you."

Well, wasn't that ominous at all? Then again, I did kinda lift an entire segmentum with my own shoulders. Those Fabricator geniuses might have begun to notice, perhaps.

"Perhaps, when the time is right there will be a new High Lord seat, for the Rogue Traders. Not until His son takes the sword though." I proposed in a level voice, then turned around and left, with the pretty blonde Inquisitor at my side.

The same day, I used the astropathic choir to request the Tranquility battleship and the Daedalus carrier to be sent here, while Amberley began sending her own messages to various Astra Militarum regiments to summon them here for a small Crusade.

And then, I could only hurry up and wait, and copy Jurgen's example by impregnating a few concubines every day.

Also train my body with Captain Khan and study and work beside Felicia on a dozen STC templates, with slightly better results.

As time passed, more and more ships began gathering, first an Iron Hands Strike Cruiser, then a White Scars battlebarge with some escorts, then the regiments on their troop transports, and lastly my daughter Andrea with her Mars Battlecruiser and the Daedalus, plus all the frigates of my Lancefire Dynasty. All 6 of them.

"Dad! I named my battlecruiser Prayer for the Vanquished. And the Machine Spirit loves it!" Andrea explained in a jubilant voice, while holding a baby in her arms. I glanced at her chosen husband, a Catachan named Sly_Marbo, who was rather famous and infamous at the same time.

"Excellent news, sweetie. Ugly husband you have found for yourself." I commented wryly, and kissed her and the Blank grandchild in greeting, and saw with my helmet pict-cam the Catachan glare at me for a second. Well, he was rather ugly, but not everyone had angel genes. Plus Mister Marbo would make a decent commander for my Special Ops group.

"Eh, Sly has good parts too! Look what a nice boy he gave me!" Andrea replied with an apreciating look at her husband who smiled proudly. He probably beat up a hundred other Catachans to win Andrea's hand and favor, just like I've taught my girls to demand. Ony the best survival genes, as all my descendants were rather angelic in their looks anyway.

"Come with me, Sly. I guess I can give you a Major rank and leave you in charge of the Special Ops Command. Your job will be to cause disruption and misery behind enemy lines, and you'll have whatever means my House can provide. I just want results." I explained in a teasing voice. He would love a free hand to cause destruction, no doubt. 

The grizzly veteran blinked in surprise at my offer. "That sounds like excellent news to me. I won't let you down, father-in-law." the man spoke in a gruff tone, like he wasn't used talking at all.

I smiled inward and considered giving him a chronoblade. It might be too much even for this 40k universe. Sly was a walking storm of disaster anyway. Oh well. Andrea would be sad if Sly died, so he will never die.