"You have returned, Pef Lancefire" the C'tan observed in a slightly astonished tone.
I just nodded, since some facts didn't really need dwelling upon. I was obviously here.
"Tell me about the Pariah Nexus." I asked instead. A new War_in_the_Pariah_Nexus should not come to happen, especially since my efforts were aimed at turning Trazyn and his Dynasty into proper allies, someday. But if an entire Sector got cut off from the Imperium, the rulers of the Imperium would react with their usual methods, throwing billions of guardsmen and thousands of ships at the problem, instead of figuring out a mutually advantageous solution.
Zarhulash frowned at my demand, then glanced towards Canis for a second. It couldn't be a coincidence, that every powerful being I met was wary of my wolfish friend. Perhaps something the Emperor did to my wolf?
"Your Necron friend is very crafty. But, one of my shards is locked inside the vault under the world of Tredica Ardaxis. I do have some insider information into their plans." the C'tan said in a level voice.
I measured the giant humanoid, while I scratched Canis furry head. "Woo!" the wolf advised me in a short bark.
Perhaps Zarhulash was truthful.
"I am the one in charge, Mighty Zarhulash. But, I need a clear demand to make a decision." I explained with a frown.
"Fine! I want my freedom, not just for this shard, but for all the captured shards. I want to become whole again." the C'tan answered in a thunderous voice, while he yanked his living rock chains that bound him to the Pharos.
As expected, Zarhulash wasn't very different from any other creature.
"The Pharos is too important, both strategically and otherwise. Without this installation, the freedom of trillions of humans in the Eastern Fringe and the entire Segmentum would be placed in great peril. Although three of the Chaos Gods were killed since we last met, the most dangerous one is still out there, plotting to take over all reality." I mused, mostly to myself.
While speaking with Zarhulash, I was also scanning the galaxy with the Pharos, updating my mental map with realtime hot spots and invasions. From San Leor in the south to the Nephilim Sector where the Nexus debacle was taking place, to the Red_Scar Sector, where a major Tyranid tendril of Hive Leviathan was heading. Thousands of smaller crises, from genestealer cults to Ork invasions, a flare of pirate activity in the regions surrounding the Maelstrom and lastly the newest emergence of the Startide_Nexus which allowed the T'au to expand deep into Imperial space, bypassing the Fortress Worlds via a Warp Gate.
I wasn't in a position to stop all these events, but my Fringe kingdom has not been idle in my absence.
The Catachan settlers had multiplied thirty times, and were not only able to defend their colony worlds but were actually expanding and colonizing new planets, with the support of cheap vehicles such as Weasels and Sentinels and fleets of corvettes produced in my two established Forge Worlds. Two minor Forge Worlds had also been set up at the forefront of the expansion wave to produce critical munitions or infrastructure materials such as ferroconcrete and fusion powerplants.
I could raise a thousand new Auxilia regiments without even making a large dent into future population growth. However, no matter how well armed or good genes or training they had, without tesseract support I couldn't be sure of victory.
Plenty Imperial Guard armies had been lost in similar circumstances, despite brilliant commanders or Astartes backup. When fighting Tyranids or Necrons, normal soldiers were over matched by orders of magnitude, while Chaos forces had other advantages that would turn your troops into traitors.
A plan formed in my mind, pathing a years-long campaign to intervene in the most dangerous crises while also conserving troops and providing them with combat experience and better equipment.
I will need the Sisters of Battle to form the vanguard for the Lamenter Auxilia forces, while a full Titan Legion and an expanded Knight House would take care of the larger enemies.
With a mental flick, I retrieved two of the Ork Space Hulks that I've captured at Cadia to provide the Machine Forge techpriests with extra metal for new ships and vehicles, then stepped through the Pharos right into the Starfort over Illevar.
"Dad!" Victor shouted in joy and rushed from his command center to embrace me.
"You look well, son." I observed with a chuckle. He had put on plenty muscle and even had a warrior demeanor about him, a sign of constant training.
"Heh. I do have all these Lamenters training rooms and neural chairs for my use. Plus the Sanguinary Priests were quite glad to beat me up everyday." Victor quipped in a light voice, with a gesture towards the support Lamenters left behind to protect Illevar.
"Master Lancefire. You have Astartes organs now?" the leading priest spoke with a serious voice, while measuring my taller and bulkier body with expert eyes.
"Some of them, yes. The Emperor himself was kind enough to upgrade me to some extent. Mostly, so I would be able to pilot a Titan." I answered with a level tone.
In a few minutes, all the Lamenters left behind gathered in our reception hall, including the newer techmarines and the reserve Aspirants being prepared for gene-seed implantation.
Instead of boasting and giving a grand speech, I connected with the Starfort's Machine Spirit and uploaded the galaxy's map with the ongoing crises. "This is our galaxy. By colors, we have incoming threats that endanger humanity in our area of operations. Tyranids, Orks, Necrons, and other races or factions believe humanity is soft and ripe for picking. We shall prove them wrong."
The mood became grave and deadly silent. Even a single Tyranid Hive Fleet was major threat that required dozens of Astartes Chapters and billions of guardsmen to fight off.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Still, despite our Chapters name being the Lamenters, nobody complained. We lamented for our enemies, not for ourselves.
"What is the plan, Chapter Master?" a teenage Aspirant wondered in a soft voice.
"Good question, Brother Jinga. There are 34 Ork invasions, with two major Waaghs heading for the Krongar Hive World and the Evraad Forge World. We will deploy squads of thirty Aspirants and 12 regiments at each of these threatened planets, with 100 Aspirants and 100 Auxilia regiments to hold off the larger Ork Waaghs until reinforcements arrive. But if they don't, you will have to win by yourselves. A hundred of House Lancefire Knights and a few Warhound Titans will make landfall with our larger units." I explained while assigning the roles on the galactic map, along with the necessary fleet units and transport ships.
"What about us, the techmarines?" a new Lamenter wondered with a wide smile.
"There are 2644 techmarines in the Lamenters. 444 of you will remain on Illevar to continue training and provide security. 200 techmarines will remain in my main fleet to support the assault on the T'au, while the rest will deploy in the Red Scar Sector to support the Blood Angels and our Primarch. You will also receive 200 Auxilia regiments and 200 Knights, although they will be fresh and inexperienced. Captain Chyron will take command of the Baal strike force." I answered while marking down the Indomitus Fleet as the main space element with a carrier and three battleships at the strike force's core.
An Apothecary Lamenter raised a hand, a bit hesitantly. Truth to be told, I did keep the original Lamenters locked up inside the Starfort, with an escort of Silent Sisters trailing their movements. It was hard to trust the originals, since a few of them went mad and ate my daughter.
"Yes, Brother Iulian?" I asked curious.
"Surely, some of us can help. Even if simply providing healing or advice." he asked in a timid voice.
"Eager to join the Remembrance Hall then? There are several former Apothecaries in there, their brains served as palpable lessons in hubris." I warned the Apothecary with a frown.
A shiver crossed the gathering, just as I intended. It was one thing to give in to a mad impulse and perhaps get killed for it, and another to be nailed to the wall and have your brains served to new Space Marines as an object lesson in the perils of treason. And not being allowed to die for a thousand years.
"We are Lamenters too, Master Lancefire. If we the Apothecaries are not trusted, just kill us!" Brother Iulian demanded in a loud voice. I was almost ready to do that, but it would lower morale for no reason. Perhaps another lesson would serve better.
"All right then. Thirty Apothecaries may deploy with our troops and help. As for trust...I only trust Blanks. This is the harsh reality of this universe. Everyone else is exposed to the Warp and may fall at any time. Every decade we hear about another Astartes Chapter that betrayed their vows and plunged into treason." I replied in a stern voice, while marking the Apothecaries at random to be sent to war, spread among the strike forces.
It was an almost statistical certainty that some of them will crack. The sons of Sanguinius were deeply flawed, as proved by the Death Companies present in every Chapter of our gene-seed.
Soon after that, I teleported onto the planet to speak with my Noble subjects and address various issues, everything from trading rights and export licenses to immigration quotas and protests about too much surveillance.
"The price of being alive in this galaxy is increased security. And seeing there had been no more genestealer cults or heretic revolts, I say it's working. Now, we have over 3000 planets awaiting colonization. Which Noble House wants to send their scions to benefit from exploring and exploiting these new worlds?" I asked the gathered Nobles.
A myriad of hands raised all over the conference room, practically everyone except my close family like Lady Serena or my Blank children.
I scanned the assembly while parsing their backgrounds and blood connections to my House, then selected 300 Blank Nobles that had been born while I was away.
"Excellent. We will begin by naming 300 new Governors from those of you which posses the Blank genes and are thus considered qualified for such a giant endeavor. After a week of preparation aboard the Starfort in orbit, they will depart to their new posts in the Fringe and enjoy the duties and privileges of becoming a Planetary Governor for House Lancefire. Their children will also get the chance to become Astartes or Silent Sisters, should they be born with this precious gene." I proclaimed in a generous voice.
"Lord Lancefire, I have two daughters! Perhaps you can consider taking them as concubines?" an upstart Merchant with his own private fleet of star galleons asked loudly, while gesturing grandly towards a pair of women with huge lungs.
I was almost certain some kind of augmentation was done to them, as those breasts almost reached the physical limits of a female body. It will be nice to explore those peaks someday, if Serena approved of them.
A second later, hundreds of voices joined the chorus to propose themselves or their aunts, mothers and sisters as potential concubines that may one day raise their Houses to a Governor's status.
"Lady Serena will analyze your proposals starting from tomorrow. Right now we have family business to discuss." I ordered in a clear voice.
In a minute, the conference hall was emptied of greedy Nobles and Merchants, while Serena sat in my lap and drew me into a long kiss.
"We all missed you, my lord. I hope your new body can deal with all your existing wives and concubines, before you consider taking new ones." Serena whispered as she came out for air, and then bit my ear in a suggestive way.
A second later, we teleported on my bed already naked. I did want to test my new body, especially after Isha has unlocked my genes.