As I returned to the Machine Forge, I did a grand tour of all the facilities, new and old.

The tank Factoriums make both the medium-sized Ragnaroks and the new Astareus grav-tanks, whille the Forges on board the Speranza Ark produced classic Baneblades.

It seems I still lack the necessary authority to request better STC models from the AI. Or maybe he views me as a young, willful child?

Maybe Heph will get through to him. They seem to respect one another.

"I can't produce and carry tank shells in quantity here! Even the artillery shells are difficult to produce and move to the troops. I need energy weapons for the Auxilia!" I demanded loudly.

"No" the AI replied curtly.

Same answer as always.

"I see you do not block the Astartes from having energy weapons...You even help sometimes." I observed with reproach.

"The Blank Astartes are not in danger of Warp corruption." The AI explained in a more logical tone.

I thought for a moment, then had to give in. If the AI saw normal humans as infection vectors, he would be careful not to arm them with unlimited ammo weapons. Especially heavy weapons like Baneblade-size guns.

"You could have said so, from the start. But for now, I don't have enough Blanks to create Auxilia divisions. Maybe just one." I said with a sad voice.

"Then one Blank division will get my Falchion_Super_Heavy_Tank model. With your quad multi-lasers in side sponsons for infantry work. 400 Falchions armed with twin Volcano Cannons will be ready for equipment once the division is assembled. Armed Sentinels with Burst Lances too." Speranza concluded with a final word.

Falchion? Wasn't that a lost relic? I didn't even have a single one!

And even better, Armed Sentinels with rapid-firing lances! Although the damage decreased per shot by an order of magnitude compared to a normal Volcano Lance, they fired 20 times faster and didn't need to stop and cool down every minute.

"Heph, did you work on these new Sentinels?" I asked curious. Speranza wasn't willing to modify his ancient STCs templates, but the clone had no remorse.

"Hmph. Who else?" the giant man grumbled in a morose voice.

I took out some Tiamat Hive carapace plates and gave them to him. "Maybe you can figure a way to use this material for armor or cooling?"

"I will need to install Hyperios anti-air missiles on the Falchions first. Your idea for the Astareus was quite good." Heph admitted with a reluctant tone. Hey, I did have a spark of genius sometimes!

I just nodded modestly though. I could keep my pride in check.

"You think we should use twin Ion Beamers on the Invictus left arm?" I asked instead.

The gentle giant turned towards me, with his orange eyes glinting. Somehow, his eyes came out orange, don't ask me why! It was the first time I cloned a Primarch, so a small mistake wasn't that bad. Plus he was special now.

"No, Trader Lancefire. One Ion Beamer is good, but not all enemies are vulnerable to beamers. We will use a combo heavy bolter on that arm. There are some new bolter rounds I plan to create, with diverse payload." he said in a determined voice.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

I shrugged and let it go. So I loved the sci-fi Ion Beam you could chase enemies with. Even one was enough. And maybe a diverse bolter payload would be useful. Heph was quite smart too.

Anyways we had the giant Volkite gun on the right arm of the Invictus, which surprised even Heph when he first saw it. Not even the Great Crusade Legions had such weapons, although they had similar ones of less strength.

A metallic golem came to pick up the Tiamat carapace, and began to analyze it. "Do you have more of this?" Speranza asked with no ulterior motive.

"Errr. A thousand mountains of this, if not yet peeled away. A Hive Fleet called Tiamat. Didn't have anything to peel them with, until I got the Phase Blades." I said with a shrug.

"Sometimes I forget you're a lucky bastard, Lancefire. This can be used as Titan armor! Maybe even better." the golem spoke with an ecstatic voice.

"There are plenty of Tyranids around, Speranza. I did just murder a whole Hive Fleet that attacked Forge Arcetri . Cost me about 15000 Nova Mines." I declared politely. I still had headaches from so many long-distance teleports. Way too many Tyranid ships too, and I wasn't there to flick them into a sun. Hard work, dealing with Tyranids...

Which reminded me, I should send a Lancefire Ship to negotiate a trade deal with the rescued Forge World. Give them a personal Astartes Chapter to equip, and have them on call for another save. The Forge Worlds were still the most important lynch-pin for the defense of humanity, both as keepers of knowledge and production of new war materials. Still haven't found a Forge World to refuse a gift of STCs, til now. And the new ones were worth at least an entire fleet, plus an Auxilia army for the Astartes.

"Black Falchions! I knew I'd think of a good name for the next Chapter." I exclaimed in amazement at my genius.

Both the golem and Heph turned towards me, as if I distracted them from important work. "Fill storage hangar 514 with more corpses. And a hundred Phase Blades. If I'm right, we may have a way to armor up the Sentinels without adamantium." Speranza demanded from his golem. The poor Gnostari Ironkin was now a mere robot for the Speranza AI, not that the Mechanicus treated their automata better.

"Spartan already named them. Blazing Spartans." Heph added with a sarcastic tone.

Of course he did...and sounded much better too. And a bit narcissistic, to be fair. Burning Helots, Flaming Phalanxes and all sorts of Greek stuff. And fire, of course. Always fire with the Vulkan clones.

"The next chapter then! And I want a pirate flag for their sign. Crossed bones!" I growled a little, as this will take another decade in the accelerated time field. Only a day in real time, though.

Ships and armor were much harder to find. Must save more Forges! Zarhulash will let me know if there's any good trade to obtain.

"Just go and impregnate more, Lancefire. I'll buy you a drink when you reach 40 women." Heph advised me in a gentle voice.

Okay, okay, back to my fucking duty. I just waited for the Eternal Lament to finish up its upgrades, before I could leave on the next Crusade. Damn Trazyn and his juicy Inquisitor prize.

I wondered if the dragon would join her in bed. It would be cool, right?