In a single decade, my Eastern Fringe Domain has extended all the way almost, from the North to the South of the galaxy. A thin presence, barely 20000 worlds and just as many mining bases, research stations, supply depots, naval depots, astropathic and FTL relays and most importantly: data-cores for our Matrix network.
Having 3 ancient AIs helping mattered a lot, as did a real Primarch with a knack for advanced science and technology. Our fleet also grew, reaching 300 battleships and 90000 corvettes, plus a few thousand older vessels that were retired from front-line service and instead gifted to various Astartes Chapters, Trading fleets and Forge Worlds.
Only 4 older vessels remained, due to being irreplaceable. The 3 Blackstone Fortresses and the Gloriana-class Singularity, each having received a full upgrade and refit by our 4 Forge Worlds, and my own Breath fixing the big armor plates and other gigantic components like engines and Void Shields.
Various doctrine upgrades have resulted in implementing the Advanced Combat Shield program to all our infantry and walker units, from the PDF's plaststeel covered in flak cloth shields, to the adamantium, blackstone and Tiamat carapace used by Astartes, Thalax, Sentinels and Knights of all types.
The vehicles and flying units received a new round of upgrades and a minimum of Weavefield deflectors, especially important for lightly armored vehicles. Having a real Votann to help was a big boon, I admit. It might have been a foolish impulse to steal anything of value, but it paid off big.
The irradiated STC of the Van Saar was less useful in itself, but the Van Saar Archeotek specialists were able to unlock 3 more STCs in our possesion, using their great experience with the damaged relic. The Ironhead Votann bestowed each of the Archeoteks with all sort of Barrier-tech and Master-crafted artifacts, probably because they were all from Necromunda and shared a history.
Being immune to radiation sickness, the Speranza took charge of the damaged STC constructor, and promised to repair it one day.
And thus I gathered my troops and ships and proclaimed the Leviathan Crusade, aiming to clean up the Fringe of any Tyranid presence, as well as other weak enemies like Orks and xenos of all kinds.
Joining my sons and daughters were 30 Forge World Battleship Arks and 85 cruisers, plus a couple of Inquisition battleships and a dozen Deathwatch kill-teams, bringing their expertise and specialists in fighting xenos.
While merrily massacring Orks was good training, especially for the new recruits, soon enough astropathic relays began to scream about the Fourth Tyrannic War, as two gigantic but slow-moving Leviathan tendrils struck the Segmentum Pacificus. They were called Nautilon and Promethor , and the Imperium was mobilizing rapid-response strike forces known as Solblades , while the less mobile Imperial Guard regiments were concentrated at key points known as Anchor Worlds .
As I held council with my officers, Spartan just growled about my stupid luck. How was this just luck? Yes, I was mobilized and prepared for a Tyranid extermination campaign, but that has always been my goal. I was just very prepared, but I also worked hard for it, gathering resources and STCs and anything that could help.
On board the Victorious Lancefire fortress, genetor Anzion was working hard to create rapid-growth Astartes using the cloneskeins and the Raptor protocol I received from Corvus Corax. While the internal growth of Astartes organs was already used in our Primaris Blank creation, we hoped to be able to obtain blackstone-infused bones and a mucuous membrane that will become the Black Carapace organ without surgery. Millions of clones had died already, but progress costs lives.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
While the cloneskein Primaris would not be Blanks, they would still be very resistant to the Warp by muted emotions and techsorcists wards, plus standard indoctrination and blackstone plate armor. Anyways, the extra Primaris could fight Orks or Tyranids without problems and not care about Necron Pylon aura, while Vulkan's gene-seed provided extra resilience and regeneration.
The Ironhead Kin were also hoping to obtain Astartes of their own, and sent a few thousand of their own cloneskeins for trials. It didn't work like they expected though, as the emerging Ironhead Astartes soon began decorating themselves with dragons and salamanders symbols and learning all their could about their Primarch, while their skin turned black and their eyes red.
I mean I could have told them the gene-seed was much more powerful than a simple genetic rejuvenation, but 3 meter-tall black dwarves were also fun. Possibly heretical for the Adetpus Ministorum, but fun for me.
As we left the protective umbrela of the Pharos, our Navigators and Astropaths began sensing a gathering of psychic energy inside the Astronomican, with pulses of love and compassion emerging at regular intervals.
'Lord Captain, I am monitoring every psyker on board, and their own mental stimulus is pulsing with the same frequency as the Astronomican.' the Blade warned me as a dozen new ships joined the Crusade. There were 4 Raven Guard battlebarges, another Ark Mechanicus from Forge Gryphonne and 7 Deathwatch cruisers from Fort Prescience, with Primarch Corax on board, and 900 of my Lamenters Deathwatch sons.
The more the merrier, right?
'It is not a big problem, Blade. All sanctioned psykers are bound to the God-Emperor via soul rituals. Of course they will resonate with the Astronomican.' I answered mentally, as the tall black-haired and fully black-armored Primarch searched my ship with questioning eyes.
"Lord Lancefire, is your daughter safe at home?" Corax asked in a deep voice.
There were thousands of my daughters in the fleet, and dozens in hearing range, but he meant a different one. "If you mean Purity Lancefire, she now on Terra beside the Emperor."
His fully-black eyes flashed with something, perhaps fear, as he glanced at an invisible soul pyre I couldn't see. "The Tyranids are being drawn like moths to the flame. And you sent your precious daughter to the pyre?" he continued in an angry tone.
'There is a very big problem, Lord Captain. This Primarch isn't worried for nothing. The pulsing frequency our astropaths can sense is accelerating, leading towards a single toneline in less than 9 months. We should not be in range of the soul pyre when it explodes.' the Blade urged me in a wary tone.
I motioned the Primarch to lean down, and looked in his eyes. "Everything is going as planned, Primarch. Just make sure you reach the Eastern Fringe in 8 months or so." I said in a soft voice.
"So you do know. And I'm sure my brothers know as well, if not what it all means." he said in a more reserved voice.
"Nobody knows better than me, Primarch. I was there at Cadia, when two Dark Gods died. The death of Slaanesh brought forth Ynnead, but Khorne's death has yet to birth a new God. I guess the Star Child simply is being dramatic, gestating himself in 9 months like a normal child. The Emperor as well, popping up a second head like he's Gork and Mork." I answered with a gentle tap on my breastplate Aquila.
Corax nodded slowly, before his head snapped at Canis for no reason at all. "And a wolf too? Overlydramatic, indeed." the Primarch exclaimed and laughed, then smacked my shoulder with a friendly palm that almost broke my spine.
"Wolves are loyal to the death, after all. Ravens are supposed to be smart instead." I added with a shrug, then climbed into my Command Throne again.
I guess I should visit Forge Graia and Krieg on the way to the meatgrinder. More meat for the grinder, not that the Death Korps will mind.
Plus Graia was having some trouble with the Orks in the Rust Fields. More easy practice for my troops, before the true carnage began.