After a week of constant back and forth to harass the Necrons, Stern returned to recover, as she was still human...if far better than a normal one.

But she brought with her dozens of Necron items, and even an intact Tomb_Blade jetbike.

"I chased this thing for hours! So now I want one for myself!" the pretty Battle Sister demanded with an outraged voice.

I glanced at the wall with a blank face. There were some things I could not do...immediately.

"Go and rest on the Fortress, and stay with Darcy for a while. I'll figure something out." I said softly, then moved her to her room on the Black Lament.

"One might think you're being ridden by your woman. Get me a new toy, Lancefire! " Zarhulash commented wryly.

"Let me bring her back, you tell that to her face!" I countered with my hand poised in the air for a tesseract transport.

"...She would rip my head off." the C'tan realized with a wary voice.

I just smiled politely. After seeing what the Necrons were up to in the Nephilim Sector, my wife would be a lot more violent with the poor C'tan.

"Time for another trade." I decided on a whim, and located my favorite Necron Lord.

'Hello again, my metal friend!' I quipped in fake joy.

'Figures you'd be back. I even heard of a woman made of lightning destroying entire Necron armies in the Pariah Nexus. Where psyker powers shouldn't work at all!' Trazyn the Infinite commented dourly.

'You could be talking about my wife, Ephrael Stern Lancefire. She just returned from her Necron safari with a prize.' I answered and transported the Tomb Blade next to him.

'The pilot's hands are still here, gripping the controls...but nothing else. She tore him from the seat?' The Necron Lord realized with a bit of worry.

'Must have been a little angry, as it took so long to catch him. And now she wants a fast voidbike, just like this. But for humans.' I explained patiently, then sent over a normal Bike, decorated with Order of the Rose sigils.

The Necron stared at the childish human vehicle, then back at the state-of-the-art Necron wonder bike. 'I hope it is just one item. Making a working STC for a Mechanicus voidbike would take days!' he exclaimed in fake horror.

Wait a minute! It would take me centuries, if I was lucky. Damn Necron science!

'Days it is then. But you can start with a prototype from these two. Or else Stern is going to be more upset. And maybe demolish an innocent Necron, by accident.' I allowed in a magnanimous voice. Almost merciful.

'Fine! But she better kill Illuminator Szeras for me. That crazy Cryptek is the one who perfected bio-transference. They even dragged me forcefully into the furnace!' Trazyn declared in real outrage.

I rose my eyes towards Zarhulash, who nodded. It was true then. No wonder Trazyn always acted independently. He was still the same rebel.

'Why is that Cryptek doing these macabre experiments? And with humans too.' I asked curious.

'Why else? He had enough of a metal body and wants to return to flesh. But he also makes new technology by studying biological systems. And about new technology...your Horizon engine is ready. I hope that ends my debts.' Trazyn demanded in a warning voice.

I looked inside the loot stash and sent him over a Phylactery , that contained numerous repair spiders, just in case he got damaged one day. Wouldn't work on humans anyways.

'This is for the Void Bike STC. But make one model for me as well. I always wanted to fly in my Terminator plate.' I asked shamelessly.

Lord Trazyn stared at the flimsy human bike and was about to argue about stupid humans, when I sent over the new Primaris Outrider Bike and the Volkanite_Disintegrator I found in the Gnostari ship. This was a tank or dreadnought weapon, way too energy draining for my power armor suit. Or maybe we simply didn't have good enough power generators, yet.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

'Ah, some decent human tech this time, Lord Lancefire. I can make something good with these parts. Do you know how to use a targeting Nebuloscope ?' he asked in a tech-priest, or maybe mad scientist mode.

'I can learn. I do have many Necron artifacts in use by now. Good stuff!' I declared with a satisfied tone.

'I would ask if you looted the Omega Vault, but I already intercepted a dozen encrypted transmissions about that, spreading out from the Jericho Reach. Also, news about you having thousands of C'tan Phase Swords for your Astartes.' Trazyn commented in an ironic voice.

I just sighed. Wasn't this supposed to be a Magenta-Violet secret? Anyways, I had to give something out. 'Those Deathwatch guys had a C'tan shard locked in a vault. And a bunch of other Necron stuff, like the Phylactery you just got. Also had live Tyranids, who escaped somehow and called an entire Tyranid Fleet to help. Quite a glorious battle...until I arrived to save their ass.' I muttered in a less-pleased voice.

'Indeed. I expected something like this. I'll send the STC dataslate to your Fabricator Lady when is ready, but you can take the two finished Voidbikes.' Trazyn spoke as he gestured at the brand-new Voidbikes he just assembled for me and Stern. Took him 5 minutes top.

Damn Necron! I mean, I still got ahead, but barely.

So I left him another quest. An unarmed Nova mine, still plated in blackstone and ceramite dust.

'This is not armed!' the Necron exclaimed after a second of confusion. Perhaps expecting an attack? Why would I attack a useful ally?

'I need a few millions Nova Mines just like it, or a billion. Tyranids...they never stop coming' I said in a tired voice.

'Oh. Your Forge World only makes like 20 per year. I understand. Must be hard, being a brave human, surrounded by superstitious priests who don't even have N-sphere engineering...how is Canis?' he asked randomly.

Right! Trazyn had been with us at Illevar when Vashtorr attacked. 'Canis is much better. I got him Phase claws.' I answered proudly.

'Not the silly claws, damn human! His soul?' The Necron Lord asked with a concerned voice.

'Getting stronger every day...' I said a bit confused.

'...I see. Good, good. Tell me when the aura manifests. Damn lucky bastard!' Trazyn grumbled for himself, and dropped my dataslate with the Horizon Engine into my waiting hands.

"Oh?" Zarhulash wondered out loud.

"You know something, Mighty Zarhulash?" I asked warily.

"It's still only a potential. But this is related to Cadia. Did he eat something in that place? Something soul-charged and powerful or...' the C'tan asked in a serious voice.

I felt my head spin for a second. Two Chaos Gods died at Cadia. Canis was right at my side, just after the Emperor changed something inside us.

I brought Canis out and heard him growl at the impaled C'tan.

"Canis, what is going on inside you?" I asked in a worried voice.

"Wooo. Auuhhh!" my wolf replied while his eyes glowed with golden light for a second. Warm. Good.

Maybe I was paranoid?

I bought out a giant Tyranid Tyrant, who instantly created a Silence in the Warp zone inside the Pharos.

"Auuuughh!" Canis howled louder, forcing his glow out like a barrier. By their nature, dogs were faithful and loyal to their human masters, and Canis even wore a working Rosarius shield. His faith must be enormous.

"He is a Living Saint!" I realized after a few confusing seconds.