40 Thousand Reasons

Of course, Warp travel takes very long sometimes.

We waited 2 years at Angstrom for the Lamenters to arrive. Thankfully, they didn't stop by Badab this time, and thus they should escape the century of persecution that would have followed.

Of course, Forge Angstrom uses this time to repair my Starfort and new Battle Barge, and fill the corvettes and destroyers as well as the torpedo bunkers with new torpedoes and the armories with weapons and vehicles. The time is not wasted, not at all.

They give me a lot, in exchange for those priceless STCs. No money exchange hands though, because my actions around the Magog sector are now spoken of as the Lancefire Crusade, by some Administratum officials.

But when the Lamenters do come they all come, which makes some sense as they are a fleet-based chapter.

Two Battle Barges: Mater Lachrymarum and Daughter of Tempests, 9 cruisers, 22 escorts, a dozen support and supply ships and two more Mobile Forge ships.

Most excellent, although it is not enough. My own fleet before the Crusade was larger than this.

A Lamenter delegation lands on my Icarus, including their Chapter Master, who doesn't seem too happy to meet me. Nor are his Brothers, the Sanguinary Priests which carry the renewal gene-seed for the next generations of Astartes.

I don't care about the corrupted seed at all. Whatever happened to their modified gene-seed has backfired so badly, that even other Astartes refuse to fight beside them.

However, their tactics In combat favor shock assault and close air-support tactics, and they are used to performing boarding actions. Pretty much perfect for my needs.

"You are Rogue Trader Pef Lancefire? We paid our debt dearly, for another one of your kind. Our Brothers who departed for the Achilus Crusade did not return." Chapter Master Malakim Phoros proclaims in a distrustful voice.

I nod politely. "They chose to join the Deathwatch, so their return is in absolutely no way related to me, or even the Rogue Trader you aided in that crusade." I answer with a shrug, and rest my glove on my wolf's horse-sized head.

Canis had grown even larger than I thought possible, but he won't let me ride him. Only my kids get that privilege. Strange, but then I do have plenty ships and dropships to carry me where I need.

The man blinks in surprise and glances at his aides. They possibly thought those Lamenters were completely lost, like it sometimes happened.

"There are ways to find out, even if the Ordo Xenos hid our Brothers from us." Master Phoros mutters with a determined voice.

"Anyways, come! Let's visit the engine room. I bet a throne you have never seen a warp-less drive." I demand and walk away, with Sister Hestia flanking me on the right and Canis at my left.

The visiting Lamenters debate for a few seconds in finger gestures, probably like "You go, I cover the exit" if my helmet's visor is correct.

Well, they are walking into a trap, but it's not the violent kind. Quite the contrary.

"Have you noticed I am a Blank, just like this lovely lady here?" I ask the Astartes with a curious tone.

He just nods, not that impressed. "I have seen others."

"And yet, you didn't immediately recruit those Blanks for your cursed Chapter. Then again, those afflicted with Black Rage can barely even think, let alone make good decisions. Understandable." I answer in a patient voice, and pat his pauldron in compassion.

The deflects my hand in anger. "I don't need your pity, Rogue Trader! Get to the point."

"Master Huron of the Claws has fallen to Chaos, and dragged his Chapter and his allies after them into treason. Killed him myself a few years ago, just for sport. I also killed the more famous traitor, Lorgar. Might have heard of him, even in your rage induced stupidity." I explained patiently, while waiting for the elevator to arrive, which given the size of the Icarus took a few minutes.

His eyes glow with fury, but he struggles to restrain himself with all his willpower.

"The Lamenters owe the Astral Claws a huge favor. You just made things worse by killing their Chapter Master." the old Astartes growls in a pained voice.

Hestia gestures at me something like "Is he a traitor too?" which the Astartes can certainly see and interpret.

"Mind your sign words, null-maiden. We also owe Forge Angstrom a considerable deb for their machines and supplies. It is why we agreed to come, but don't insult us!" Master Phoros mutters, in a lower tone.

I gesture a quick "Silence!" to the Silent Sister, which makes the Lamenter chuckle sadly, and Canis to make himself smaller and whimper in protest.

"Not you, Canis! The loud woman with the big knife." I console my wolf and pat his head.

Is my wolf grinning?

I don't think anyone has given space wolves a savant implant before, because my Canis is way too smart, even faking emotions to break the tension. It works a little, as the Chapter Master shakes his head at our antics and leaves it be.

Eventually, we arrive at the tech-priest infested engine room, where a thousand of them inspect, bless and measure the wondrous ancient machine like they have seen a holy relic.

"This device is part of the solution to your curse, Astartes. Using these type of engines, ships can travel among star without entering Warp, and the dangers implied with that. Forge Angstrom will provide me warp-less engines, that I can gift for your three barges and your new Starfort. That's for starters." I explain while Hestia climbs on my wolf and goes exploring. I think she might be a bit upset with me.

"I have heard a rumour, but it seems true after all. I never seen such a ship engine before, and I think I have seen all of them." he says with wary eyes. Well, after boarding a thousand ships you probably get to know your way around engines.

"Well, the STC template is millennia old and probably not complete. That's why only large ships can use this drive, for now. The Fabricator is trying to repair the flaws and make it usable for cruisers, but it will take time. The Starfort is more than big enough. It may even need two or three engines. Perfect place for a fortress-monastery, especially after it could travel the stars." I say as we walked around the many suspended bridges and walkways.

A perfect place to fall and break your neck, but such is the way things work here.

Probably to reduce contact and create an isolation barrier for radiation. I am not sure, as the real science is way beyond me. And beyond the Mechanicus as well, which is why I needed Trazyn to make it, probably in a time-locked field to save on time.

Anyway, there are no serfs or indentured convicts around here, and probably never will be. The engine is too rare, expensive and hard to maintain. Only Tech-priests, servo-skulls and servitor cyborgs are allowed to service the drive, with a corps of enginseers learning their way around the pipes and fusion cells and what else.

"Can the ship fly through Warp? That has tactical advantages too." the man asks me curious.

"Dragged behind a big ship, yes. The Icarus has 10 Gellar fields and 4 void shields, but no Warp-Engine. Only has this Macharius-pattern drive, plus normal plasma engines for realspace maneuvers."

"Like they move Starforts...Makes sense." the Astartes mused to himself.

"The former Astral Claws' fort had a single Gellar field. Better than nothing, but I wouldn't risk my people flying on an accident ready to happen. The Litany has 2 Gellar generatoriums and another mechanical one covering the drive. And we still got invaded by demons once." I conclude as we head back towards the reception lounge.

"You really killed Primarch Lorgar? I'd have thought something like that would be voxed all around the Imperium and beyond." the old Space Marine asks a bit doubtful.

"I have recordings, although it isn't much. I lanced him for a second and he died. My mother killed Fulgrim as well. Wasn't so easy as this other traitor, though. She was a Blank too, and could restrain his powers while the rest of her team chopped and shot at the serpent." I explain in a softer voice.

Hopefully that serpent daemon won't get revived, not after Estaban sent his melted corpse into a blackhole, with a sacrificial ship.

"Another one? At this rate, we Astartes will be left with nothing to do." he complained in a half-joking tone.

I smiled and didn't comment. Some truths hurt too much.

At the elevator, Hestia and Aleya waited beside Canis. "Wooo! Woof Wooof!" the wolf signaled in warning.

"Bridge, talk to me." I asked on the vox bead.

"Astartes forces inbound, my lord. Believed to be Executioners and Mantis Warriors. Fleet is redeploying to defend the Forge World, per section F/113" my X.O. aunt explained in an assured voice. I should probably give this aunt a cruiser of her own.

With a frown, I tapped my glove to check the tesseract labyrinth. A mirror of the Angstrom star system appeared in my mind, including all the ships.

Real time too, with whatever necrontyr technology the labyrinths were made from.

Those Astral Claws sneak bastards. Must have heard of my fleet repairing at Angstrom.

Another sneaky fleet was moving in behind the sun, thinking themselves hidden by the solar flares.

In a second, that invisible fleet vanished into the labyrinth, and will never be spoken of again. If nobody knew it was there, nobody would know it has vanished, right?

A free Mars-class battlecruiser? I really needed one for my set. Those Tyrant-class cruisers were also nice, and the Endless RedemptionBattle barge, with 3 Astartes Companies, including 10 Terminators.

It was really worth to wait here. Good things happen for those with patience.