It took months until Sister Stern managed to finally kill Illuminator Szeras, not because she couldn't find him, but because the Crytpek was very crafty and well-equipped with powerful Necron artifacts including a portable Gloom_Prism that reduced Stern's damage. But now, I got the prism for myself, a prize worth more than a planet.

The time was not wasted, however. Speranza did as he promised, and helped me complete not only 12 Vulkan clones, but also 12 cloneskeins variants to be used as soldiers, explorers, miners, woodsmen, engineers and any other major trade needed to expand the Lancefire domain. Not by accident, the Vulkan clones were also gifted the same cloneskeins as each different clone clade, and put in charge of them.

A Primarch was extremely competent by default, far better at a chosen task than my Admirals, Generals, spies, logisticians and other leadership roles, except perhaps the Adeptus Mechanicus, although it came close.

Fabricator Gemma was competent, amazingly so. While the engineer Vulkan clone was possibly smarter, he lacked the breath of knowledge and sheer experience with machine-canticles, and the subtle undertones of the Mechanicus.

For the tech-priests had codified control-codes and execute programs into their voice and signals, and were able to remotely activate or subdue any imperial machinery, and it went much further than that as adeptus ranks went higher.

While this clone called himself Hephaestus, the name was too long for me, so it rapidly became Heph, possibly to his annoyance.

Only Speranza calls him by the long name, possibly because the AI doesn't have a memory problem.

Anyways, he does a good job in fixing damaged Astartes artifacts, and even better at changing and upgrading STCs.

The other important clone has called himself Anzion, after the Anzion's_Pseudogenetor device used to dismantle people alive by the Magi Biologis.

As expected, he helped us develop better cloneskeins, and even improved his clone-brothers while in their gene-crucible.

The General clone called himself Spartan, possibly after the Spartan_Assault_Tank used during the Great Crusade. I do have three very damaged models in my inventory, so maybe he can recover something from them. One of his brain lobes has been modified by Anzion for extra planning ability, even beyond what regular Primarchs could do.

Sadly though, the Primordial ability is missing from all the clones, and I know because the first clone actually died. Only after using a drop of my own blood into the gene-crucibles, did the clones start emerging alive.

So that almost makes them my sons too. Anyways, one drop of blood is enough for them to become Lancefires, and even the Demiurg Fane accepted them as Kin. Four meter-tall Kin, but who's counting?

Luckily I had Canis suggest this path to me, as we both stared with gloom at the dead clone. On the left hand, I now have an original clone of Vulkan, red eyes and all.

On the other hand, the dead clone's blood creates gene-seed defects into Aspirants, making their organs go haywire and grow bones in unlikely places, without stopping. Even in Blanks!

Only the original blood can produce stable Astartes, and even then, only my Blank sons can withstand the transformation, and barely. Half of them still die painfully, even before receiving the Primaris organs. Much like the boys I sent to the Space Wolves. Gene-seed tech is still half-magic even for brilliant minds like my Magi Biologis, the Vulkan clones and Speranza himself.

Anzion is still planning to create some 40 Salamanders Primaris successor Chapters, but only after we select the most fit candidates from the Blank Catachan stock. And after we finish up the real Invictus Warsuit, upgraded with the best Trazyn or Demiurg-source weapons and shields. I was sneaky enough to obtain the Volkanite STC along with the Void Bike, which would make an excellent heavy weapon for the new suits.

And speaking of Trazyn. It was time to finish the trade.

I gather Canis and the coffin of the clone Vulkan and simply step onto Solemnace, as a solemn state visit. Our species may be at war, but my Lancefire Clan and his Dynasty are sort of allies.

"Lord Lancefire and Canis! I suspect you didn't come for tea, although I recently obtained a marvelous brand." Trazyn welcomed us, surrounded by a whole Astartes Chapter, as well as tech-priests and Lich Guards, all bound to his control engrams.

"Lord Trazyn! Some tea would be nice. And yourself, Infinite and immortal as always, I presume?" I asked with a friendly voice.

"Obviously. You may ask a small favor of me, if Illuminator Szeras is actually dead." the Necron Lord offered along a very good cup of tea.

I took a sip, and admired the skill of brewing such an amazing tea. Then again, he had 60 millions years to perfect a lot of skills.

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So I took both corpses out, and placed them as an offering to the side. A Necron Illuminator and a Primarch clone, united in death with the same purpose. A gift to the eternal collector.

"Oh? It is him, really?" Trazyn asked suspicious.

"Come on! It is only a Vulkan clone, and dead as well. A priceless collectible, now that Fabius Bile has been evaporated." I explained patiently.

"You know I do keep an eye on your Lancefire realms, even more closely after the recent invitation to Illevar. And there are some living clones walking around. Far more valuable than a dead one." Trazyn declared with some distaste.

I sighed inward. As expected, secrets were very hard to keep in this universe, as there were people able to observe events or entire timelines from distance. Or simply placed spies close to your core.

I had no doubt that Ladies Chi and Elixa still sneaked out reports about my realm, even while working hard to protect it. Not to mention the Inquisitors.

"Those back home are not true clones. I had to insert my own blood into their making, just to keep them alive. And many other modifications. And if they carry my own blood, they are Lancefires now." I said in a colder voice.

Trazyn the Infinite nodded gravely, and shifted his focus on my wolf. "Canis, my dear puppy friend! Will you howl at me?" he asked curious.

"Grrooooogh!" Canis growled so fiercely my skin reacted instinctively, raising the hairs up.

"Amazing! The howl can indeed produce etheric disturbance, even inside my Pylon active Null_field_matrices . Do you see the resemblance with that etheric Primarch you brought to visit last time?"

The Necron asked in scientific curiosity.

I smiled and nodded. Now I did see. "This is our fault, both of us. Canis was beside me at Cadia. Also in the Garden of Nurgle. He must have ate something."

Trazyn froze for a second, as my words percolated inside his metal cranium. "That would make me his Godfather. That's the right human word, right?" he asked a bit surprised.

I laughed. He got the God part, true enough! "Close enough, Infinite Necron. There are also obligations from that word. Canis is now your ward, and you must do anything to protect him."

"Woough?" Canis asked surprised. Not Kin, but close enough.

"Kinda like those Space Wolves, Canis. Hunt pack." I explained in a warm voice.

"Hey, I never said!...hmm. Hunt pack is actually a decent word. We did hunt together, quite some big prey too. I like it!" Trazyn exclaimed as he reasoned things through.

"And now I have to go hunt again, Lord Trazyn. The Tyranids are still coming. Some Necrons are attacking Orpheus_Sector. Some strange xenos in the Halo Stars. " I complained in a low voice.

The Necron Lord stared at me with his dead green eyes. "If you destroy the Maynarkh_Dynasty for me, I'll give you someone you'll like. Found her in the Pariah Nexus, with a pet dragon attached, much like your wolf. But different too. You're not a psyker. I thought perhaps it was the same type of soul bond you have with the puppy, but now that I know about our mishap at Cadia...it's possibly the opposite kind."

"Did you steal another Inquisitor?" I asked jokingly. Trazyn never did change.

"You know me well by now, Pef Lancefire . Her name is Kyria_Draxus, Ordo Xenos. Quite hateful of Necrons, but friendly to Eldar. Is that strange?" Trazyn wondered as he moved a wall to reveal a frozen woman dressed in power armor, with a green dragon on her shoulder. Her power fist still clutched some crystals of obvious Necron make.

"Was there anything important on those crystals? Your bank accounts, maybe?" I asked ironically. Just imagine compound interest gathering for 60 million years! Maybe that's why he added "Infinite', to his name.

"Haha! Ever so amusing, Rogue Trader. As if money has any meaning over millions of years. There is important information on these Mnemetic Crystals , that should not be revealed to the galaxy yet. However..." the Necron Lord said furtively.

"I get it. Accidents happen. Suns go nova. The hunt pack still hunts." I answered with a knowing grin. Trazyn wanted someone killed, and I was the prefect patsy.

"We only made 5 million mines for now. When you return we will have more. I'll even have a manual for some device among my gifts." The Necron offered politely, as he transferred me back to Machine Forge, and my tesseract was filled with millions of Nova mines.

Canis arrived a second later, with a Necron Gloom Prism fitted to his shield collar. Trazyn did try to act as a Godfather, keeping the wolf safe from pysker attacks.

"Woof!" the wolf said wisely as he glanced at me. Yes, Canis. Very strong.