As soon as the Canticle received my needed upgrades, I convened with the clan members still at Antax.

"As you know, I have allowed Captain Veryon to pursue the exploration expedition to the north. If there are any volunteers among you who wish to try their luck please do so and request transfer to my brother's fleet. Capturing pirate vessels or discovering STC patterns is very lucrative, but also risky." I began, powering up the holomap and marking vaguely the area that Veryon has chosen.

There were thousands of stars in that volume, and nobody knew what dangers they may encounter.

In my view that fleet was expendable, if also strong enough to defeat minor opponents, like I have done. It was also a test and an opportunity to enlarge our empire and increase the richness of the clan.

There were still older clan members, aunts and uncles with prodigious service, relatives from my own generation now eager to receive a ship to command and blow up stuff. Then the new generation, cadets and young officers that could use the experience and learn more, and thus earn the right for a ship themselves.

I had about 40 daughters and sons among them, and a few Blank girls approaching their age limit for military service. Still cadets in training, but time passed fast.

By the time I would return from my next trip, many of them will be adults, and perhaps married.

My aunt Hesta, a stern, redheaded and bulky body woman with remembrancer implants, also a centuries old veteran elected to go, as Captain for a King Cobra destroyer. She got my approval right away, although she spanked me a dozen times in my youth. I probably deserved it.

One more uncle, Sevarus with long blond hair braided in dreads and an old sister, Marillene, with curly black hair and brown eyes got the same jobs, and then it was time to divide the corvettes and the X.O. ranks.

The cadets could offer themselves for bridge posts or spacefighter pilots, though they were banned from direct fighting till adulthood. No matter their bravery, a trained mind and body mattered more when you had to assault a position carrying 50 kilos of gear, armor and weapons.

Those with Blank genes were ordered to take every possible precaution to survive, because I needed them to produce the next generation.

Teresa smirked at me and waved her left hand suggestively.

"I know, but I was stupid. Don't do as I did, do as I tell you. Unless you have an angel watching over you...in which case I won't have to worry, right?" I grumbled in fake annoyance.

"Lord Pef. Can I request Lord Whitelance to join?" Veryon demanded with a pleasant voice. I frowned and thought about it. His Knight might save them from ambush or another mess.

"You can. But he is my stepfather of sorts. Ask him politely if he wishes to join you, Veryon." I decided after a few seconds.

And with that, all as left was picking which regiments to send and what equipment. Nothing too critical, but enough firepower to avoid fleeing from barbarians. 50 Leman Russ tanks and 500 Chimeras for the armor regiment, then 5000 Weasels for the mechanized infantry, with support from 100 thousand combat servitors donated by Antax.

After the Northern expedition left, I also send my newly born kids and the rest of the fleet back home, holding back a dozen corvettes and a two destroyers as escorts for my next Forge visit.

This time, it would be Ryza. This Forge World was said to be only second to Mars in advanced technology, specialized in plasma designs and weapons.

On the way, I revisited my early attempts at modelling plasma based STCs and worked out a few more effective templates, such as the multi-melta Chimera, a variant expressly design to combat Traitor Astartes or light armor.

Then, the real infantry melta gun from Retribution, somewhat simplified for simpler construction and durability.

Then I cobbled up some partial Land Raider templates with turret with triple plasma cannons and heavy flamers in the sponsons and forward mount, especially for Ork hordes. No passenger compartment, only promethium fuel tanks.

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This heavy tank was provided Ion shields and a power shield on each side, because it was already a ticking bomb on tracks.

The Fire corvette had a bombardment cannon turret and 20 lascannons on every side and 100 multilasers protecting every angle, beside the usual triple void shields and triple layered armor.

The last design was a King Cobra destroyer template with 2 plasma bombardment cannons and 6 triple plasma cannons batteries, each turret with its own dedicated reactor. Such a ship, if it worked, would be death to Orks, Tyranids and other short ranged organic enemies. I named it Fire Cobra, because it would make a huge fireball once it exploded. Not my problem.

I didn't bother balancing the plasma conduits and energy output, nor containment and cooling. Ryza had enough experts and time, and I didn't.

My half-stalled projects for Volcano Lance gunships and Sentinel walkers were added on the datastack, and I left out a tired breath.

There was only so much a single person could, and upgrading the entire Imperium from the outside was horribly difficult. If they caught on to it...there will be hell to pay.

Technology was a religion for the Mechanicus, and there have been Forge World exterminated for breaking the rules.

Advanced knowledge was reserved only for high ranking tech-priests and nobody even dreamed of falsifying STC templates. No wonder the Antax Fabricator suspected I had found a STC database on Retribution.

A pair of strong hands massaged my tense shoulders. Catherine, the new concubine.

"Lord Pef, isn't this staring at the cogitator screen boring? Come, I was promised many babies!" the silver haired woman demanded in an attempt at a sultry voice.

Well then. Relaxation was prescribed by the personal doctor. I winked at Ludvaius and entered my shower, Catherine following me eagerly.

We might have wasted some seed with foreplay and gratuitous pleasure, but it was really relaxing. Soon enough we moved to my Captain bed to proceed with our duties.

For once I didn't mind her chants, it was music to my ears.

"Oh God, oh Emperor! Faster...yes."

She could perform marital duties without being short of breath, which always amazed me.

Then the ship shook, but it wasn't our bed.

I closed my eyes and focused, to hear and to feel the Machine Spirit.

Another shake and then the familiar thrums of our lance batteries began, vibrations reverberating through the Canticle's hull. Nevermind then. Combat was certain.

"Uniform!" I demanded in a rush.

I had urgent duties on the bridge, but Cathy seemed lost to the world and frantically trying to obtain release.

Then the torpedoes launched, all of them, and I was freed from the trap, jumping from the bed straight into my jumpsuit. Then Ludvaius rapidly assembled my power armor over the skin tight protective suit.

In a minute I arrived on the bridge to find ourselves right behind an Ork fleet, heading towards Ryza just like us.

No matter how strong a ship is, even an Ork Kroozer, this kind of engagement favored us greatly, and Wentian didn't miss the opportunity.

Lances and torpedoes, fighters getting launched, lascannons and macrocannons, missiles and multilasers filled the void between us and the enemy squadron.

One after another, the bigger Ork ships were targeted with torpedoes, blowing up their engines, while the Ork escorts simpy burst into plasma and scrap from our lances and cannons.

I just watched, as nearly anyone could conduct such a massacre, and Wentian was quite capable anyway.

With this fortunate Warp emergence, Ryza would owe me a Favor from the start.

Closer to the sun, their defense fleet was engaged by a second Ork armada, and those were already landing horde after horde onto the surface, disregarding loses in the millions.

I suddenly regretted not bringing some extra escorts. This was a fantastic shooting gallery.

We could barely miss in such a rich target environment.