You give Zheeves the go-ahead to give away the Scutum, and also send a memo to Jace, letting him know that the Scutum is off the list of vessels to be salvaged. If the Imperial Navy wants her, they they can have her as she currently sits.

A Week Later…

The Imperial Navy Squadron splits in half, one of the Swords and the Cobras headed back to base for re-armament and resupply. Zheeves follows after them in the Aegis to present the Oasis Colonial Charter himself. The other Sword and two Cobras take up station to observe the Terra Incarnadine's repair work, to keep an eye on the Scutum herself, and to picket the Malignus Maximus.

Jace has brought the Stormbird, which he has named Olri, up and docked it in the Terra Incarnadine's number one dorsal shuttle bay, which you gather has become the VIP landing bay. You decide to head down and check it out, along with the other treasures Jace has brought back.

Your first impression on entering the bay is how big Olri actually is. Easily twice, perhaps three times the size of the Deathwatch Thunderhawk you have seen in the past. Olri bristles with firepower, her blunt wings and gun turrets showing four double-barreled laser cannons and three double-barreled heavy bolters. External bomb racks on either side of her troop compartment look ominous even in their empty state. Olri's paint had been ground away during her encasement in Helia's icy grip, but you can see paint canisters already on standby at the edge of the bay. Even without paint, Olri's hull seems to have a resplendent flair to it, despite the dogged determination of her thick armor plating. You get the feeling that she will perform with unsubtle flair and panache, despite anything and everything the enemy might care to throw at her.

Jace hands over a dataslate inventory of all of the other items that he has brought back, though they still require investigation and examination before he will allow anyone to use them. You give it a quick once-over.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

> Three chain axes, a cortex implant set, a crystalline blade, a jump pack, five meshweave cloaks, a multi-compass, a multikey, a Naval Primer, two pistols, four power axes, a set of preysense goggles, a rifle, a relic flail, a reinforced greathelm, a scattergun, and a void suit.

You anticipate the multikey going to either Zheeves or Mu'randa, given that they or their agents occasionally need less-than-legal access to areas. The Cortex Implants will probably end up installed in Jace's head if they provide an advantage, or reserved to repair a paralyzed officer. The remainder you are not so sure about. You will have to wait and see if any of the items prove safely usable before deciding whether to claim them for yourself or the store them in the officer's armory.

As you head back to your quarters, awaiting the arrival of the Deathwatch Strike Force or a response from the Imperial Navy Procurement Office, your mind drifts back to wondering how you plan to have an heir.

You could ask Ariavari (if you can find her) to look into repairing Yasha's womb and look to produce a heir the natural way. This of course requires you to track down an eldar who doesn't want to be found, and could easily be anywhere in the explored galaxy, or perhaps even beyond it.

You and Yasha could begin to look at adopting a child, but that might bring up all sorts of legal ramifications, particularly in the nature of verifying lineage and competing claims on the 'throne' of House Von Sebastion. That, and you are not quite sure how your Warrant of Trade will handle such a matter. Losing the bloodline lineage, or even a serious dispute, may well void the Warrant, which would in turn dissolve the House. And internal disputes could turn into outright civil war(s), condemning the House to obscurity and poverty.

You could go the concubine route, but you have no idea as to Yasha's views on the matter, and you get the feeling that pissing off your Navigator is a fast way to lose time-sensitive cargoes. Not to mention having to deal with the fallout of your relationship if things go pear-shaped. There is only one thing more scary that an ex with a vendetta, and that is an ex with the power to inflict serious harm, both on your body and upon your business and House.

Lastly, you could start looking into in vitro technology. It is hard to find inside the Imperium, but the Tau connection could prove useful, assuming the Inquisition doesn't object. Even if they don't, being a so-called 'false man' carries a certain stigma in large parts of the Imperium which will in turn affect the fortunes of the House. Probably in a negative manner, either due to loss of influence or lost contracts.