Forge Mezoa was already working hard to complete their trade with me, albeit in their usual low-yield manner of hand manufacture.
Another week of bothersome system-wide manipulation resulted in the Forge World becoming an order of magnitude more productive, with far away comets and asteroids brought close for mining or new forts.
I even spent a day inside the tesseract to accelerate and complete the cloneskeins production method and Gene Crucibiles, until we managed to find the right balance of mild Blankness and physical robustness needed by the Forge's workforce. A hundred of my Blank daughters were selected and approved to become new Mezoa Tech-priests, including the techsorcist training. Their children would form a new caste of Blank Forgeworlders, to pilot and captain the Mezoa Basilikon Astra capital ships with no risk of defection to Chaos.
Leaving the Forge with advanced samples of Demiurg tech would not be an advantage if they went unsupervised, or perhaps turned renegade in the future.
Did I also use the time to gain access to the Astareus grav-tank STC, and then improve it with more Demiurg tech? Who knows? I deny all accusations of tech-heresy!
But indeed, with both a Void shield and a Weave shield, the flying tank would be a beast on any battlefield, and the new weapons could only improve that.
My Burst V-Cannon was the modified Volcano Cannon that fired continuous lower yield beams like a multilaser would, instead of a single, energy-draining beam like the Shadowsword Baneblade. Two such V-Cannons in the turret would outrange and outperform the original accelerator guns by an order of magnitude. Thanks Trazyn! You do great work.
I did add a Hyperios_missile_launcher at the back of the tank's turret, since heavy tanks did make a valuable target for enemy air-attacks. I also replaced the useless Heavy Stubber with an Ion Beamer, giving it a far better close-defense weapon, without ammunition. Two Tarantula turrets were to be bolted on the sides, and provide twin triple-barreled multilaser firing arcs for anti-infantry combat.
The frontal twin bolters were replaced with twin-linked Burst V-lances, once more increasing the firing rate and damage by an order of magnitude, while discarding ammunition.
Other than plating the heavy tank with blackstone instead of ceramite, the design remained much the same. It was far more durable and powerful though, which may be needed in the years ahead.
For the hard work I was repaid with a contract for 1200 Mezoa-pattern Astareus tanks, to be delivered in batches on Warp-less ships traveling towards the Fringe.
I only took 20 almost finished grav-tanks with me as I departed, as to give my tech-marines some experience in working with the new Mechanicus wonders, but I managed to replace the lost Sentinels from the Forge's vaults.
Forge Mezoa instead gained 10 billion hardy clones to toil in their factoriums and space docks, as well as new Volkite rifles for their Skitarii and improved Weave shielding and Warp shielding in the form of Gellar Rampart generators, rated about an order of magnitude stronger and more stable than the older Gellar Fields used in the Imperium. As for the Deus mining drones, they were outproducing manual asteroid mining by an order of magnitude at least, and that will climb even higher as more drones and better logistics were developed.
Thinking it would take less time to travel, we headed out for the Jericho Maw Warp Gate and arrived in the Eastern Fringe far sooner, saving months of travel time.
'We are back under Big Brother's overwatch.' Lash said with a knowing voice.
'I suspect Zarhulash did peek through the Warp gate even before we crossed into Jericho Reach.' I spoke with a level tone. I knew what the trapped C'tan could do, when he felt like it.
'We can butcher some Tyranids, as there is a decent Hive Fleet battling over the Erioch_System . ' the C'tan added with a wolfish grin.
'Erioch? That seems important. How did the Tyranids get...oh. The Hadex Anomaly is closed now.' I realized a minute later.
And also, the Deathwatch and their silly Ordo Xenos Inquisitors did keep a number of Tyranids specimens at the Watch_Fortress_Erioch. Paint a big target on your back, then act surprised when the Tyranids come?
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Perhaps I should help, and maybe gift some of my Blank Marines to the Deathwatch as well?
Not to be callous, but the Primaris were twice as fast and strong, while the Firstborn Blanks had mostly achieved Veteran status by the mere fact of surviving my own stupid mistakes.
"Woooh!" Canis encouraged me with a loud howl.
Indeed, my faithful friend. There will be loot to get at Erioch as well. The Deathwatch should have nice stuff.
"All ships, form on the Black Lament as we travel to Erioch! Prepare for Tyranid action!" I ordered on the vox, as to let my people know we would change procedures once more.
Since Tyranids didn't use cogitators and other mechanical devices, we will not fly in autistic mode, and be free to use the auspexes and auguries at maximum strength for higher range and accuracy with our weapons.
'You should also call more ships from back home. It looks like a big Hive Fleet.' Lash commented in a caustic tone.
'I should, you say?' I mused inward.
Perhaps, but I rather not. The Eternal Lament at Machine Forge would still take decades to armor up and outfit with Nova Cannons and point-defense batteries, same as the Victorious Lancefire now at Forge Retribution.
The Singularity Battleship was still badly damaged from the Stygius Crusade, as were most of the battlebarges and cruisers. Escort Carriers could come, but their corvettes and fighters were also depleted.
As for the Warp Engine destroyers and frigates, they would fail to pierce the Silence in the Warp and wouldn't provide much firepower anyways.
No, for better or worse, what I had now was all I could spare. Retreat was also an option, if we failed too badly.
'Is there something you need at Erioch?' I asked the C'tan after my slightly smarter brain did a full loop and reviewed his words from the beginning.
'...There is another shard of mine. And some nice loot for you. Powerful artifacts.' Lash admitted with a wise look.
Librarian Menelau walked beside me and hugged Canis, while giving Lash a stinking eye. His left eye had been fried by Inquisitor Vail's electric outburst, and now sported a bionic replacement.
"We are not at fleet strength, father." he observed in a low voice.
"But we have the Fortress and Sister Dessima. And worst case, Lash will bring us out." I replied in a flat voice, while daringly patting the wolf C'tan on his nose.
"Or he will eat us, when we are weak." Menelau muttered with distrust, still staring at Lash like it was some sort of abomination.
"I will not eat a Lancefire. Your father would fist me with a Titan's Power Claw." Lash growled in audible words.
I would? I did do that to Slaneesh, so perhaps I would. Psi-Titans were quite awesome.
"Go and prepare, Menelau. We have to try and save Erioch." I spoke in a lamenting voice.
As the Librarian Blank walked away, I glanced at Lash. 'You revealed yourself'
'He already knew! Perhaps your Emperor speaks to him, in his dreams.' the C'tan exclaimed with a surprised tone.
Ah, we did enter the Astronomican range during the Mourning Crusade. And Librarians were taught how to read the Emperor's tarot, as well as gleam information from the Astronomican itself.
I sighed and stared at the nearly empty galactic map in front of me. From Erioch onward, there was only darkness. Barely dots of lights obtained from stellar cartography, but no exploration data.
Such a task I chose for myself. To bring light and knowledge into the darkest corners of the galaxy.
As the fleet drew closer to Erioch, we began to sense the englobing Tyranid jaws made of biological ships and countless attack organisms on board. Hungry little bastards.
"Imperial Ships! We request urgent aid!" A vox transmission arrived from a fleeing Deathwatch frigate, chased by 20 fast and nimble Tyranid ships.
"This is Pef Lancefire and the Lamenters Space Marines! Stand by to be rescued!" I replied with a grandiose voice. Some goodwill should help, a bit later.
And click. The frigate vanished in the Tesseract, frozen in stasis while my battleships fired their Long-lances and bisected the destroyer-sized bioships into small barbecue sized slices.
Looting was never easier.