91-98

With a twist of my left glove, the Ordo Xenos Inquisitor is frozen in my labyrinth, because I have need of the Pharos, and no need for foaming at the mouth extremists ready to flay me alive for my heresies.

I know I should be able to use the tesseract to teleport myself anywhere, same as the cheating Trazyn does, but I am still learning how to use it, and I suspect my dear skeletal friend didn't give me the complete instruction manual.

"Come, dear Fidelia. Let me introduce you to my crew, and observe the battle with the Hive fleet. " I say gently once the hug becomes too long and perhaps uncomfortable.

We walk onto the bridge hand-in-hand, just to preempt any zealous bodyguard from overreacting.

"Pef! You found another Sister!" Alana exclaims and rushes to embrace the stunned null maiden. She'll get used to hugs soon, I suspect.

"Lord Pef! I thought you took a break, not gallivanting after more wives." Ludvaius says with a smirk, but still holds a thumb up.

I just shrug as if this was normal. "Blank kids need mothers. I do my duty, just like everyone." I explain without actually saying anything of importance. This always works, even now.

Then I examine the fleet situation, and the state of the battle with the xenos. More Nova shells have been fired at concentrations of Tyranid ships, and melta torpedoes on the largest exemplars.

Weapon batteries and lances keep blasting away, from our fleet and the besieged defenders of Sotha, and the Hive fleet is getting slowly reduced in numbers.

Very slowly, as even inactive the bioships are quite difficult to kill. "Signus, come to the teleportarium. We need to beam atomic warheads inside these larger bioships before they recover and eat everyone. Otherwise, great job, crew. Stay vigilant!"

With a plausible reason for my absence, I leave the bridge again, followed by my bodyguards.

"Teleportarium...you wouldn't try to run away again, Lord Pef?" Ludvaius wonders and pokes my pauldron.

I grin mischievously. "Perhaps I will hide away with a Silent Sister somewhere. They are famous for keeping secrets, after all. Even the Emperor had a legion of them inside his palace. And not just for their voices." I reply with a teasing hint.

Fidelia stomps her foot and glares at me for my heretical words. "You think the Emperor, used to bang a legion of Sisters?" Rafen asks, just to make sure.

Well, I'm not going to answer that. I mean I will, but directing the revenge onto another target. "These days, there is a branch of the Inquisition, called the Illuminati, that actively hunts a particular type of people. They are Eternal, not subject to age nor the dangers of Warp. Some of them are both Blanks and Psykers, just like their parents were. The Inquisition calls them Sensei, and fears them...because they would be the rightful rulers of the Imperium, as natural heirs to the Living Emperor."

I can see both Ludvaius and Rafen begin getting red in the eyes, which is exactly the result I wanted. Fidelia is even more amazed, and pats her neck in voiceless anger.

"Big secret though. So keep quiet." I murmur as the elevator doors open at the teleportarium deck.

My enginseer Signus meets me here after a minute, and goes to his command console to begin preparing for teleporting warheads.

Normally, the active Silence in the Warp would prevent most teleports, and only powerful psykers like Librarians or Inquisitors would be able to reach a Hive bioship. Not so much right now, while the Tyranids are trembling in synaptic overload.

No wonder the Scythes wanted to teleport on board the bioships to battle the Tyrants or other xenos creatures in melee. Damn idiots!

"Rafen, stay guard and check every coordinate twice. Don't want to blow up a friendly ship or fort." I explain while I retrieve my Rosette and beam onto the planet, where the locator beacon pointed.

Ludvaius and Fidelia get included and beam alongside me, and they can only stare at the imprisoned C'tan which lay on the wall, slightly dissected.

"Pef Lancefire. Please tell me I don't have to endure that foolish Inquisitor, much longer." the C'tan Zarhulash asks in an annoyed voice.

"I was never here, Mighty Zarhulash. You never saw me, because this is an Inquisition base, and I don't have clearance to be here or know about it. However, it has come to my attention that Drukhari raids still continue, probably from Port_Carmine in the Webway." I explain politely, and produce an incendiary torpedo right in front of me.

The C'tan examines me and my retinue with murderous eyes. "What do you want, Rogue Trader? You always trade for things, and this time I have something you need."

I nod politely while I link with the Inquisitor's apparatus and download his findings in my mind-impulse implant. Obviously, the mind probing device was of Mechanicus origin, since only they make anything technical for humanity.

Then, I extract the Sounding Board from the good labyrinth and connect it to the Pharos once again. The galaxy opens in my mind's eye again, with slightly better controls and fidelity.

"Can you guide an Exterminatus torpedo onto Port Carmine?" I wonder while I locate a host of new targets in the nearby Hadex Anomaly.

"I could, for a price." the C'tan answers in a hateful voice.

I sigh inward while I locate the world of Stigmartus, and consign billions of souls to oblivion. The flames engulf the low orbit as well, incinerating the orbital shipyards and a hundred Chaos vessels based on this cultist world.

Another incendiary torpedo moves in its place, inside the Pharos. "That was Stigmartus, in case you were wondering. I hear flames are a great purifiers for sins." I explain in a low voice.

Ludvaius pats my head, while Fidelia simply hugs me with one hand. Good enough, I guess. Perhaps a warmer reward in my bedroom, one day.

"How many of these torpedoes do you have, Lord Pef?" my Astartes friend wonders, as I begin to activate the new warhead.

"Over a hundred. Those guys in the Astral Claws sure collected plenty of the Exterminatus munitions for their rebellion. And now, they are mine to use, on whomever I deem fit, as a Chapter Master." I muse out loud.

No more need to ask my Rose for permission. I only listen to the Emperor, after all. So better start talking, dear Adam!

I listen for a few seconds to make sure, but my best buddy doesn't speak.

The Fortress World of Magog joins the screaming pyre, despite the Warp Storm surrounding it. Thousands of traitor space marines vanish in the hellish flames, as do whole Hive Cities infested with mutants and other chaotic cultists.

A single structure remains in orbit, intact and impossibly massive. A Blackstone_Fortress now devoid of life and most demons. I even have a buyer for this Necron artifact of old. A Necron of old.

My knees start trembling from the mental effort, but I should be good for one or two more deep strikes.

"Lord Trazyn. How goes the search for those Reality Cages?" I ask a minute later.

"Oh, the mysterious stranger. That Badab War you predicted wasn't all that exciting. I expected entire sectors to burn, in inter-chapter conflict among Astartes." the Necron magician complains, and doesn't answer.

So he didn't find them, which isn't so good. Probably too much Chaos interference, but I have a cure.

With some effort, I prime another Exterminatus warhead, this time a dual stage Cyclonic torpedo. "Store this weapon, and release on the Hell-Forge of Xana_II." I whisper in his mind.

As expected, the Necron Lord simply pokes the torpedo and it vanishes inside a labyrinth. "I see. This is to aid me explore the Eye of Terror without so many impediments. And it was even released from those complicated safety protocols."

"As for our future trade, I have found an abandoned Blackstone Fortress in orbit above Magog, among the Charon Stars. Paid in advance, so you may as well collect it now." I mutter while I bring out the final warhead, another incendiary.

Then I just wait, until Trazyn teleports and collects the Fortress, as it is rather rare and valuable.

"I have to admit, you do find the most wondrous things somehow. Do you even know, how valuable such an ancient station is?" Trazyn asks me, possibly to check my knowledge.

I just shrug. Not that much value for me, since I wouldn't be able to activate it. "If you can close the Hadex Anomaly with it, then it might be worth something."

A minute passes while the insane Necron considers my words. "You even know its true purpose, how amazing! So what do you need from me?"

Well, I can be shameless now. "I want a certain C'tan shard called the Crimson God, from the Necron World of Dhol. Of course, I want it trapped and enslaved and ready to work, in a tesseract with complete instruction manuals."

The Necron Lord hesitates. "That is a crownworld, stranger. Even if it belongs to another dynasty, my race would frown if my forces attack them."

"Dhol has already been attacked, by a huge Ork Waagh! Most of the Novokh Dynasty troops have been killed, and the surface burns. Should be easy enough for someone with skill and patience to sneak in and abscond with a C'tan shard." I advise the insane Necron while pushing on my Enslaver bone staff.

He shakes his head as if disturbed. "That's a compelling argument. Both an Ork attack and an Exterminatus? Perhaps the Crimson King has begun to slip up. Another C'tan shard...for that Fortress. Ah....what to do? What to do?" he mutters in indecision.

"Esteemed Overlord, have you heard about something called a Psi-titan of the Ordo Sinistrus?" I add without letting him think too long.

"What? Tell me more!" he demands in a rush.

"Look at the time! I have to go, for my other job. Do we have a deal, or should I contact say...a certain Hollow Sun?" I wonder in slight pain.

Damn mental connection over thousands of light years is tiring, who knew?

"Yes! I'll manage somehow. And do not dare to trade with those criminals from the Hollow_Sun. " Trazyn warns me in a categorical tone.

I turn off the link, and stare at the Mighty Zarhulash.

"You were saying something about a trade, Mighty C'tan?" I ask in fake innocence.

This being is still alive and can still feel fear. I know it, because I can see it in his eyes. Whatever Trazyn does to enslave his C'tan shards, it must be horrifying enough to induce such fear, into someone tortured by an Inquisitor for years without anything sign of discomfort. I suspect he was only mildly annoyed.

"Of course not, Pef Lancefire. You are a merciful being, worthy of praise among the stars. I shall endeavour to aid your Exterminatus warhead reach Port Carmine, in the Webway. Purge the Dark Eldar!" he proclaims valiantly. Someone has spent too much time with the Ordo Xenos.

Ludvaius coughs in surprise, and a soft breath enters my ear from Fidelia's side.

Oh my! I think someone is in love.

Well, there's time enough for love. But right now, there's vengeance to be had first.

I flick the Atmospheric Incendiary torpedo into the Webway, and monitor it as the C'tan pilots it to its final destination. Much easier to do than last time, because I have grown a bit more and I have this Enslaver staff to lean on.

Time in the Webway doesn't pass normally, or perhaps at all. It is a very strange environment as kilometer wide tunnels twist and circle around for no reason. Well, perhaps they bend around gravity wells like stars and blackholes, which makes some sense.

Or perhaps it's simply an aesthetic choice from the Aeldari Gods who built it.

Hordes of alien creatures battle inside, Eldar and Drukhari among them, but hundreds of different species too. The Webway seems to be a final refuge for many species thought extinct, and for many others interested in trade or warfare and plunder.

Zarhulash coasts above an entire Maiden World, and keeps going. Dark suns illuminate the paths inside the tunnels, half-way outside reality completely.

I think I heard of such a Dark Sun making appearances in the Calixis Sector, driving people mad for weeks then vanishing again. Humans call it the Tyrant_Star and believe it brings some kind of prophecy.

Well, I'm almost certain I know someone who collects rare items.

If the Dark Eldar can play with this kind of forces...or perhaps is that Harlequin God, called Cegorach. He would be the type to torment people for no reason, just to have a laugh.

Then the torpedo emerges above Port Carmine, where there are thousands of Eldar ships gathered for some big raid. I even see a few spiky capital vessels like the Falling Moon Class Battleship which gets hit directly.

Their defensive shadowfield isn't of use against a physical torpedo, and the surprise is total.

The explosion ruptures something important inside the battleship, because while a burning atmosphere is rather lethal for any lifeform, including durable ones like Tyranids and Dark Eldar, that antimatter fuel is even worse.

Zarhulash's mind stays to observe the genocide, for a few seconds, before snapping back into the coffin of living-rock chains that bind his flesh to Sotha.

"And that was Port Carmine! I counted 2 billion deaths for this strike, Pef Lancefire. Even a couple of their Archons. They appeared to prepare for a punishment raid, you were quite fortunate to intercept that large fleet at anchor." the C'tan explains proudly.

"What do you mean, Mighty Zarhulash? The Drukhari had gathered right now to be exterminated by my punishment raid? Don't be preposterous!" I decline in a dismissive voice.

The C'tan blinks in confusion, then looks away in defeat.

That's right, you evil godling! You met my luck perk now, how do you like that!

My legs wobble a little from the effort, so no more Exterminatus for some time. Maybe tomorrow.

I send my escorts away back on the Serenity, and return to my Rogue Trader persona.

"Lord Trazyn? Any luck with my item?" I ask in a pleasant voice.

"It was much easier than it seemed, stranger in my head. Luckily, the Crimson King was suffering from an immense headache, almost like someone had tried to snap the control binder over this C'tan shard with brute force. The Crimson King even passed the control scarab to an underling, so he could rest. I only had to ask for the shard-box back, and the idiot lich gave it to me!" the Overlord proclaimed in self-praise.

Well, a silly Rogue Trader had something to do with that too, I suspect. Who else tried the brute force approach and failed miserably?

Trazyn the Infinite holds the third tesseract in his hand, beside a strange chip or circuit, definitely of Mechanicus origin.

"Now, the story of that Psi-titan is sad indeed. Even worse, only someone with access to deep time investigation could recover it, and that with great care. Want to learn more? I would need to be well and not detonate under subversion." I ask teasingly.

The Necron Lord suspects a trap, so he hesitates. I know he trapped that C'tan somehow, because it is his nature. Or perhaps a mind-virus inside the memory device. Maybe both?

"How did you know?" Trazyn asks after a minute of silence.

"My abilities are different, but they lead to the same future, Lord Trazyn. We either work together...or we both die. And if we die...well. That would be rather bad. You should disable the traps, and prepare a minor gift for me. Perhaps that chronoblade and the Custodes. Afterwards, I will give you an interesting problem to solve, if you are able. It might lead to another C'tan." I offer as an equitable trade.

"Tell me of this problem first, while I work to remake the labyrinth and the console." my murderous friend accepts in a pitiful tone.

"Imagine someone had ten thousand Astartes in a labyrinth, but he's not a Necron Lord so no mind scarabs. He does have Enslaver bones, which should allow mind-controlling even an Astartes, if carefully crafted empathic overrides are inserted into their brains. Or perhaps an Ork Boss, leading a big Waagh of billions. Even Tyranid bioships..." I propose in a cheerful voice.

I do have all that, and more.

"You have been busy, stranger. Well, finding test subjects will not be difficult at all. But different Astartes Chapters have different physiology, just like Tyranid swarms differ from Hive to Hive. I know, because even my advanced scarabs need adjustment."Trazyn explains in a thoughtful voice.

"Also, there are some artifacts called Halo_Devices. Very hard to find, and completely forbidden in the Imperium. Forge World Stragos experimented with them, and found they grant eternal life and restoration of the body. Perhaps an intact device can be found on Sinophia Magna, and then reverse engineered, for Necrons and humans too. However, exposure over a few hours is...unhealthy." I add to reduce his obvious enthusiasm.

"Most intriguing. I'd assume the origin is the Halo Stars that you researched a few years ago?" the Necron asks in a knowing voice.

Well, it seems he has eidetic memory, which I also have due to my implants.

"I am a well of knowledge, aren't I? So...my Crimson God?" I demand pleasantly.

The Pharos doesn't reach on the other side of the galaxy, but why expose my weakness?

With a pained sigh, Trazyn the Infinite places the crystal and the memory node on his green coffin which serves as a work desk.

A tiny swirl of space from the Pharos and the artifacts appear in my blackstone lined glove. Unlimited power, achieved!

A quick glance at the Necron Tomb of Drazak finds it deeply embroiled in a desperate battle. Tyranid organisms have already landed on the surface and began devouring anything moving. Must have been hungry, the poor creatures.

In the system, there are a dozen Necron Battleships and a hundred smaller vessels firing continuously at an unending stream of bioships and smaller flyers.

They are still holding, but this last tendril from Hive Fleet Kraken is absorbing other smaller fleets like a river receives tributaries.

Soon enough, it will be over. I strain myself and flick a Nova mine among the Necron escorts to hasten their demise.

Perhaps two dozen of the Necron frigates are caught in the blast area, and the Tyranids exploit the weakness grabbing the crippled ships and eating them with gigantic mandibles.

I am too tired to send more right now, plus I only have one Nova mine left. But there's no rush, I have all the time in the world.

Checking on Trazyn again, I find him holding the Dawn Blade in front of him, in a curious stance. Almost like he tried to divine a purpose for this weapon.

Then he lets it go, and the chronophagic blade disappears in mid-air, and lands in my right hand.

Another relic obtained! Sooner or later I will fight someone in melee, and extra years will be useful. Plus there are always traitors and cultists or even Orks. I have a billion Orks in my left glove, and a life-draining sword in my right.

The future is dark, but I will probably see it now.

I point at the imprisoned C'tan. "This Crimson God, was he a friend of yours?"

"Never! We battled for eons, beyond the stars. We shouldn't have come to this horrible place." he says in a sad voice.

I know buddy. This is a grim dark future, and there is only war.

"Keep silent about me. If the Inquisitor asks, say it must be some kind of automatic defense, interacting with the Tyranid Silence. Chronal turbulence or something." I add as I step on the teleporter.

The Sounding Board folds back in the good tesseract, and so does my bone staff. I'll need to ask the Forge Master to craft me another slot for the next crystal. Soon, I will have an Infinity Gauntlet holding my tesseracts, like in those comics.

I can only hope it will be enough

The hunt for the Hive fleet continues as I return to the teleportarium, with enginseer Signus and my Blood Angel Rafen directing plasma warheads inside cruiser sized bioship.

It seems we have run out of atomic warheads, but the Hive fleet has also ran out of battleship sized organisms. At least live ones.

My destroyers keep shoving dead carcasses on descending orbits towards the Sotha's sun, while my Barge and cruisers blast away at smaller Tyranids, who are still insensate from their synaptic links getting brutally broken.

However, the Scythes and the Deathwatch ships simply stay in a defensive posture around the Aegida Fortress, their range too far to help anymore.

This is annoying. Why should my ships do all the work?

"I hope you're enjoying the show, Astartes. Now that Pef Lancefire is here, the battle is won and there's no need to fire your weapons anymore." I send on their Vox channel.

I think Ludvaius snorts in amusement. Maybe it was Canis.

"We have orders, Chapter Master Lancefire." a voice I know answers in a sad tone. Captain Thrasius?

"It's alright then. If the Emperor himself spoke to you, there's nothing to worry about. Pef out." I answer and close the vox box. Damn idiots!

Chaplain Delos points his finger at me in warning. "That's very close to the line, Captain. You don't know who gave them orders to hold station around the Fortress."

"So you think it wasn't the Emperor? Pretty sure that's the exact letter of the Codex. You're very close to the line, Astartes." I mutter in dismay and leave the bridge, with my bodyguards and a few Silent Sisters escorting me to my rooms.

Ludvaius seems to want to argue, but I signal him not to. There is a greater play involved, and it might end with disappearing Inquisitors.

A minute later I rest in my cogitator chair, the second one made of adamantium bars. Not going to remove my armor with Tyranids around.

Then I extract my new toy and begin exploring the enhanced options available to tesseracts, including complex manipulations of the inner dimensions, or speeding up passage of time at different locations, gravity controls and many more.

It is basically a sandbox universe, the size of a solar system. This gives me some ideas, for later.

Technically, I could grow people in a hyperbolic chamber. Or plants and animals, or all of them.

Trazyn may be smart, but he isn't quite sane. Probably never considered doing life quality experiments, only his crazy quest for relics and rare people.

The C'tan godling I leave as he is, impaled by a hundred living rock chains and looking rather sad and desperate. Gonna need to master all those special controls before I mess with a god, even a broken one.

Instead, I focus on the Silent Sisters, examining each of them in detail. With my mind!

Except a few of them, most are older and seem rather experienced, maybe even veterans. Sadly, they are not superhuman like the Astartes. Their flesh will decay and fail them, and the process has already begun.

Damn cretins in the Astra Telepathica! Life extension treatments would enhance their knowledge and combat ability for every century they gain, just like Nobles and Admirals receive.

But human life is worth little in the Imperium, and these Sisters have no rights, not even to speak.

I shall make sure they are all rescued and brought to my own kingdom. Somehow.

I don't even know how to begin collecting their hidden communities, or those Sisters kept as guards on the Black Ships or inside Inquisitorial Fortresses.

"Everyone out but the Sisters!" I demand out loud, including Ludvaius and my wolf. Canis eyes me with surprise, before giving out a pitiful cry and shuffling after the Blood Angel. Then Ludvaius closes the blackstone armored door, and not even psykers can listen in anymore.

I snap my fingers, and the room fills with 19 more Silent Sisters. Feels great to copy the classics. And those movies are 40 thousand year old here. Pretty sure only Adam or some other Eternal remember them.

Instead, the frozen Sisters who seem ready to attack someone, and I'm the only valid target.

"Wait! We're safe here!" Alana yells and starts explaining her adventures. Fidelia stays by her side and keeps gesturing with additional information about me, or my plans.

Feels kinda crazy to hear Alana's story from her perspective. My deeds and accomplishments are right there with the Saints and other famous people.

But I don't interrupt and let her speak, because her Sisters cannot. It would be fine if they were simply willing themselves to be silent, but those vows were enforced with memetic constraints, possibly similar to how the Rosette worked, and quite certainly with the same origin.

When Malcador the Sigillite started his Inquisition, he wasn't given that title for collecting emblems and postcards.

The old monster was a master of memetic and psychological indoctrination, and the results of his work last to this day, in the Grey Knights and other groups started by him.

The Emperor was much better that Malcador, and he had Silent Sisters even then, housed inside his Imperial Palace in the Himalayas.

I brought my staff out and began asking for names. It was slow and a bit painful, but we managed to connect I think. The null women weren't so scared anymore.

"Ludvaius, prepare habitation for twenty women. Adjacent rooms if possible." I asked in my mind, curious if the staff could pierce the blackstone armor.

The Blood Angel opened the door and did a quick count. "Five rooms, four beds each?" he asked in a wry voice.

"Yes Ludvaius. Wake me up in ten hours." I muttered as I fell asleep, still in my power armor.

Wasn't very comfortable, but I should get used to living in my armor. All Astartes did, when deployed. And some of them were deployed for centuries.

Much later, I woke up to the smell of blessed caf. I didn't drink much of that poison anymore, but I still loved the smell.

"We're almost at ten percent with the Tyranid fleet, Captain. Over 950 kills and climbing." Ludvaius explained after sipping from my coffee for some reason. Someone else was in the room too.

I turned and saw a couple of Lamenter Apothecaries beside the door, waiting for orders. "We have called reinforcements, Master Lancefire. The Tranquility and the Icarus will arrive in 3 days." one of them explained in a patient tone.

Made sense and my half-working battleship plus a thousand corvettes will speed up the cleaning duty, hopefully before the xenos swarm recovered. I nodded and grabbed my cup before the ugly Blood Angel drank it all.

"Medical testing for the new Sisters. Oldest first, get them into prime time as soon as possible. Blank recruits will need lots of hard work." I ordered after gulping half of my cup. Didn't taste so great anymore.

One of the Apothecaries tried to say something, but the first one just pushed him out. Hopefully nothing bad.

"What else?" I asked Ludvaius in a curious tone.

"The Inquisitor has disappeared. Or anyway, the Deathwatch cannot contact him. It seems he was supposed to be underground, in the secret facility that nobody is allowed to know about." he says in a small grin.

I smile widely. "I still need the Pharos for myself. Plenty more torpedoes in my pocket."

"I knew it! The same trick as you used with the Sisters? Also, the Eldar prisoners have vanished somewhere too. My Brothers are very worried, and punches were mentioned by an irate Captain." he added with a snort.

I just shrugged and finished my caf serenly. "The Emperor works in mysterious ways. And an Astartes listens only to the Emperor. Maybe a Primarch, if he's not a traitor. Kinda even odds there."

Ludvaius grunted as if in pain. "Inquisitors speak in the name of the Emperor, Captain. You must take care."

I nodded gravely. "I am taking all precautions, and gather evidence before I execute them. Of course, sometimes they never find a body. Much cleaner that way."

Ludvaius blinked with his single good eye, and then sighed. "Please stop talking, Captain. Just find a way, somehow."

"You're right, Brother. Let's go eat, and then blow up some xenos!" I exclaimed cheerfully and pushed myself up.

Nothing invigorated me more than the promise of burning demons in the morning.

Soon enough, we teleported inside the Pharos for another extermination round, this time the daemon worlds of Bulwark, then Durell and lastly Coranin.

All three worlds were rather close, still in the Hadex Anomaly. I could have potentially burned one more, but didn't want to tire myself to exhaustion again.

I decided to test the Dawn_Blade, the new relic I have received from Trazyn, so I did.

A dozen Orks as a test, and then an Eldar. Didn't work quite as I expected, but that might be because of my Blank nature, so I had to ask Ludvaius to try it too.

He decapitated a dozen confused Orks and another Eldar, and waved the strange weapon around. "Why are we doing this, Brother?" he asked as I policed the crime scene and vanished the bodies near the sun.

"I heard a rumour about this type of weapon. But I suppose we do have Sanguinius blood and extended lifespan. Let me bring Letitia and Fidelia here." I mused to myself while kidnapping those Sisters from their room.

An armored hand arrived in front of my face, so possibly Fidelia wasn't too happy. "Peace, my dear null maidens. Take this weapon, and strike at neck level." I explained and summoned an Ork Shoota, without his weapon.

While the stupid mushroom checked his empty hands in confusion, Fidelia struck with excellent strength and control, parting the muscled neck like...a green vegetable, perhaps.

Almost instantly, an invisible wave passed through the blade into her. Not Warp based, because she was a Pariah, completely immune to that type of emissions.

But, something life related, or maybe fate? Chronal manipulation was also possible for Necrons or Hruds as well, and those were not psykers.

"Oh? Another strange ability of yours?" Ludvaius asked with obvious interest.

"It is merely a chronophagic blade, nothing special." Zarhulash spoke from his impaled shape on the cavern's wall. Eternal life was pretty special, to me.

I shook my head and began summoning more and more Orks, while observing Fidelia for changes. About 30 Orks later, those stolen years began coursing back through the sword and into my new girlfriend.

Fidelia looked vibrant and healthy now, skin clean and rosy and she seemed to have lost 30 years, although her eyes were still wise and stern like all the veterans.

"Pass the sword to Letitia. I guess we won't need expensive rejuvenation anymore. I do have a billion Orks stored in my pocket." I explained while drawing the pretty red-headed maiden into a hug.

She kissed my cheek in thanks, so I must be doing something worthy of praise, just like the imprisoned C'tan claimed

While the decapitation program continues with all the Silent Sisters with ease, I consider Zarhulash's words.

Just one chronophagic blade is not enough, not even to maintain my growing clan healthy and young. I need a few for my sons as before they undergo gene implantation, I need a few for my daughters...for my officers, even for the loyal tech-priests or my concubines or...yep. I'd need at least a dozen.

So I have to go to the source. Or send someone, trustworthy. Few of them around.

"Ludvaius, my Brother. You and Rafen have a small mission. Undercover insertion on Arthas_Moloch, and recovery of ancient artifacts of similar nature with this Dawn Blade."

With those words, I brought down Rafen and a Land_Speeder scouting vehicle, held in the air by anti-grav fields.

My dear Hestia asked to join them...and it made sense. As a Pariah, she would be useful if they stumbled onto demons.

"Use your vox box during this mission, Hestia. And take these weapons: a Power Sword and Inferno pistol. You're looking for old temples or other similar structures, with statues. Statues that hold weapons." I explained and kissed her for good luck.

They all had blackstone armor plates, power weapons and forcefields, so there wouldn't be any immediate risk. Plus, I would be on stand by for rapid recovery.

In a minute, I deposited their speeder on that Artifact Planet, next to the largest structure still standing. And then they sped up, since those anti-grav recon crafts could move.

The planet was mostly desert, land broken and cracked and devoid of any life. Something has completely scoured the former inhabitants, possibly for good reasons. I did such extermination events myself, on evil places.

An hour later, their speeder stumbled onto a recon party of the Tau, also exploring the ruins with advanced scanners and a dozen battlesuits for protection. Well, I did lack Tau figurines in my collection.

By miracle, their weapons began disappearing from their suits arms, and so did that nice scanner. So when a pair of Astartes and a power armored Sister jumped on them, they were kinda surprised and defenseless.

"Prisoners. My Ordo Xenos Inquisitor might want to ask questions." I whispered in their minds.

"I'm certain your Rose will be ecstatic for some Tau, Captain." Rafen answered in my mind, while holding the Tau at gunpoint.

One by one, when in contact with my Astartes I could yank the prisoners from light-years away and then store them in a labyrinth.

Probably this was how Trazyn worked, sending his puppets and doppelgangers to explore and retrieve artifacts or people, instead of risking his immortal necrodermis.

It was mentally tiring, but indeed posed little risk for myself.

"Are those Tau? They are so blue!" Alana asked leaning on me from the side.

"Yes my dear. And they are all nearly Blank. Very smart too." I explained in an amused voice.

Still, it didn't bode well. A recon party on the surface, meant a Tau ship in orbit. They would come looking for their guys soon.

I began searching the orbit, and indeed found a Tau Galleath_Class_Battleship with a hundred of spacefighters, engaging a Scythe Strike Cruiser and beating them back. Well then.

I had a last Nova mine, and it would work wonders...with some timing. The MIU began computing the best deployment spot, and then...boom! A gigantic flare obliterated all the tiny fighters and dropped the battleship's shields.

The Tau didn't stay and argue anymore, turning their Explorer battleship around to escape. A plasma warhead on their bridge cancelled the maneuver, leaving the ship drifting off into the void.

Soon enough, the Scythe's cruiser turned around and pounced, sending assault boats and boarding torpedoes to secure the engines and conquer the crippled ship.

Another good deed, that nobody will know how it happened. Such was my fate, to work from the shadows and strike at humanity's enemies.

But it seemed that the Tau didn't learn the lesson, if they were still contesting Imperial borders. I turned my eyes on their capital and bombed their shipyards again, flinging smaller plasma warheads and catching a dozen cruisers at anchor as well.

Focus on defense guys. Really. Expansion wasn't wise.

I did a quick scan over my holdings in the Eastern Fringe, and located a nearby Ork planet battling a small Tyranid fleet. This was worrisome. In a few years they will reach my secluded kingdom, and we were not ready.

"We have located a polearm of similar make, Captain. Also, big flashes in orbit...that was you, right?" Ludvaius asked in my mind.

Right! The artifact quest. Shouldn't let my mind drift. I returned my focus on my away team.

"That was just a Tau battleship. Our Brothers from the Scythes of the Emperor are boarding the derelict right now." I explained in a wry voice.

"...Just a battleship, huh? Well, we're continuing the search." the Veteran space marine said in a snort.

What can I say? I'm just that good.

"Aeldari cruiser exiting the Webway in 30 solar seconds." Zarhulaah spoke from his perch, while observing me with curious eyes.

"Only a cruiser?" I complained out loud. I had hundreds of Eldar cruisers.

Still, they probably wanted their people back. Maybe even the intact ships...what to do?

"They have an Avatar on board. Stronger than me...in my current state." the C'tan warned me after the Eldar ship emerged from the portal and casually plowed through the improvised mine field.

"Do you want an Eldar Avatar, Lord Trazyn?" I asked in a teasing voice, changing my focus again to my best trading partner.

"Yes! Khaine, I expect. But good enough. Where or when?" the Necron Overlord demanded in a rush.

I placed him on hold, and changed focus on the Eldar Cruiser. It was possible I couldn't capture this Avatar, as I was rather at my limit. But he was a psyker...and psykers were weak to Pariahs.

"Purpose of your visit, Avatar?" I asked in his mind.

"Rage! Destruction. Revenge. Your actions hurt the Aeldari, human! Craftworlds and many ships lost to your folly." the being replied in my mind, nearly shaking my consciousness away.

Damn powerful indeed, this resurrected Eldar God. "Measured response, for every attack on humanity. You will run out of craftworlds, sooner than I run out of torpedoes. You are now warned!" I answered in a categorical voice.

The Eldar cruiser stopped and began unleashing powerful lances on the dormant Hive ships. Stronger than a battleship, and without needing to recharge or cool down. Just beam after beam of concentrated death.

"We shall aid in cleansing the Great Devourer. You will return the captured Aeldari to us. We are not numberless like you, humans. Every one of us is precious beyond belief." the being boomed painfully in my mind, so I had to shield myself with the Enslaver staff.

I meditated on that for a few seconds. Local alliances of convenience with the Eldar were always broken later. It was in their nature, and in ours too.

But perhaps something valuable could be obtained.

I clenched my fist, and began vanishing the remaining Tyranid bioships in my labyrinth. Much faster than even an Avatar could kill them.

This will suck later, but right now I needed to project strength. Calling Trazyn here would invite a host of problems that I didn't want to deal with.

"Your aid...is not as valuable as you presume it is, Avatar. I was simply training my troops in a controlled scenario." I explained while setting aside 10 Eldar cruisers in bad shape but still able to fly, then filled them back with crew, and double crew at that.

Then I released those 10 cruisers beside the Avatar's ship.

"Space manipulation? No wonder you are so arrogant, Astartes! And that C'tan near you clearly helps. They are abominations that need to be destroyed!" the Avatar demanded, this time at a more manageable volume, his empathic transmission buffered by my full strength mindshield.

"I see. You propose we execute captured prisoners then?" I quipped amused, and simply confiscated the released Eldar cruisers, again.

That put a stop on his demands. Perhaps there could be a Geneva Convention after all. Maybe not for Tyranids, as they didn't have written language so treaties on paper were only biomass to them.

"Oh? You really are merciful, Pef Lancefire. Protecting me from this vengeful Aeldari Avatar?" the C'tan asked in a surprised voice.

"The Eldar are very advanced, maybe on par with the Necrons. They are slightly deranged, but nothing compared to the Necron insanity...something caused exactly by the C'tan, I believe. Humanity has numbers...but no advanced science. And then, there is the Chaos and Orks and Tyranids...all waiting to devour and plunder. Am I right?" I asked in a soft tone, patting Alena's back for comfort.

"This galaxy is insane, no doubt about it. We should all run away, somewhere, anywhere else." Zarhulash pleads in a desperate tone.

He is correct of course. This is even on the table, with warp-less drives and tesseracts to store people during travel. A single tesseract could probably contain all humanity, frozen in stasis.

Not my favorite option, but it would be better than exterminating thousands of populated worlds to create a firebreak for the Tyranids.

I should probably work on that, and save a few trillions of souls from oblivion.

That insane Inquisitor Kryptman was going to execute his Galactic Cordon, obliterating human worlds with virus bombs to deny the Tyranids replenishment biomass and stale their advance.

Lack of transport ships and interest prevented the evacuation of those worlds, and thus countless lives were being wasted, not to mention habitable planets.

Possibly the desire to keep things secret, as was the way of the Inquisition. No witnesses, no evidence, just dead worlds.

"What is your proposal, Astartes?" the Avatar asked in a more reasonable voice.

"Just avoid attacking human ships and planets. And no more diverting enemies towards humanity. You know well enough what a dozen vortex torpedoes would unleash on a craftworld. It wouldn't be humans killing your people, just Eldar nightmares entering the Materium." I offered in a pleasant tone. Of course, they will take my offer and soon forget about the pact.

And then I'll have to insist. More bloodshed and lost souls...because reason was long forgotten.

"Disgusting threat, holding the craftworlds hostage. Will humanity respect the same for the Eldar? All over the galaxy there are raids from Astartes and other Imperium's forces. Even on defenseless Exodite worlds." the Avatar asked greedily.

"I do not have control over humanity, Avatar. Plus we do not distinguish Aeldari from Drukhari, or the Corsairs and the Exodites. Long ears attack us, we fight back. Are you taking responsibility for your dark brethren?" I asked in the same tone.

"... It is not in my powers to control those insane and reckless beings. They are disconnected from the circuits." the Eldar godling claimed in a sad tone.

"Yes, I did notice that, Avatar. Here is my offer. This nice fleet I keep in my pocket...plus my other surprises. We will all travel together into the Webway to Commorragh, and lay them to rest. I knew these Tyranid bioships will be useful for something." I said in a cheerful voice, and released the 10 cruisers again.

The answer took a long time to arrive, enough to collect a thousand more Tyranid ships. This tendril was getting rather thin, getting burned and incinerated constantly by the potent Avatar, but I did have an Ork Waagh ready to release as well.Just in case.

"It is a dark day, that we ally with humans to obliterate our own brethren." The Avatar announced in a somber voice.

"Don't be so sad, my friend! Maybe they will all repent and join you. I can be quite convincing, right?" I asked as I changed focus back on the away team.

Uh...they did find a colonnade filled with armed statues. But there were thousands of demons as well. Oh well.

I did have 30 more Silent Sisters and 60 more Blood Angels to send as backup. They were getting bored at my side

"In groups of three! One Sister support two Astartes!" I command them as reinforcements begin teleporting in.

This seems to work nicely, except for Chaplain Delos who cannot use his powers anymore. Thousands of demons there may be, but my forces are the equivalent of several normal Astartes Companies now.

They have the best weapons, armor and shields I could find or steal, plus immunity from Warp spells or curses. In less than an hour, the temple is secured and my dear Hestia closes that Warp Portal simply by punching it.

"Well, Captain... It appears your Rogue Trader instincts were right on the spot. We have recovered 14 more special blades, and there are stairs leading into catacombs. Permission to explore?" Rafen asks in a cheerful voice, and twirls his new polearm to find the right balance.

I consider it for a few seconds, balancing risk vs benefit. Nah, better sell the location to a Forge World, and let them expend a million of skitarii battling whatever monstrosities were waiting below.

Perhaps one of those Ultima sector Forges I haven't contacted yet. Going to have to befriend them too, and soon. "Place a teleport beacon plus a demon warning asking for a portable Gellar field, and return to your posts. You had enough fun for a single day." I order them, as I begin to grab each triplet and deposit them on the Serenity.

Only Alena is not very happy, because she wasn't allowed to go. Still a Novice, and no need to risk her.

In a decade or two she will gain the expertise in weapons and handling armor in combat. Just like I was, training an hour or two every day with the master-level warriors of the Blood Angels.

"You will have your fun tonight, in bed." I promise her instead, and that seems to work as well.

"Of course I will, Lord Pef! You better show me those other bed tricks, not just boring baby making." Alena demands in a petulant voice. Someone has been chatting with my cute nurses, Helena and Catherine, I see.

I don't really mind...she does make the most enticing noises after all.

By the time my other ships arrive, 3 days later, I have stored 3000 Tyranid ships in my labyrinth and convinced Fidelia and Letitia to join me in bed. It is rather fast, but the sooner we start pumping babies together, the better. The galaxy depends on us.

A dozen planets get to meet my fiery retribution as well, including the Ork capital of Charadon, led by a self-titled Arch-Arsonist Ork Boss. He didn't quite enjoy being burned alive, but such is fate. One day you burn some people, the next day you get burned in turn.

A few more Necron dynasties that were awakening just now, on planets like Perdita and Trakonn got to be sent deep underground by the burning atmosphere, and the rest of my Exterminatus torpedoes fall on infested Tyranid worlds crawling with trillions of bugs.

Not only denying them fresh biomass but actually preventing the Tyranids from reproducing behind the lines, was important too.

My efforts during this visit possibly counted more than a dozen Navy battlefleets fighting for decades.

The same efforts were getting noticed by the higher beings of this universe, as proved by an immortal Avatar of Khaine on my doorstep.

Now, for the Dark Eldar the same method wouldn't quite work, since Commorragh was dispersed over many dimensions and sub-dimensions for each Drukhari Kabal, and their center of power, called High_Commorragh, was too well protected against deep strikes. It would take a frontal assault to pass through those wards and dimensional barriers, and I wasn't even certain the forces I brought with me would be sufficient.

Anyway, it was much more than humanity alone could provide as an assault force, being so dispersed and constantly under attack from a thousand enemies from outside and within.

All I could do was send deployment orders to my daughters and provide them with more STC dataslates for barter, plus instructions where to mine blackstone and what kind of ships would be of most use. Fleet carriers and system-corvettes, and missile destroyers, as well as Nova Cannon armed cruisers.

Battleships and battlecruisers, as well as battle barges were awesome, but took so long to build that humanity might be extinct before they finished.

However, Forge Triplex Phall did manage to complete one Victory-class battleship much earlier, by a century, and the next was only decades away, due to enormous adamantium transports donated by my clan. They were also refitting the 4 battlebarges that simply manifested in their asteroid field, of which the first one was slated for the Scythes of the Emperor, and was due in a year or two.

Forge Ryza was also working on returning to service that Ork Ironclad battleship I gifted them, plus restoring three Grand Cruisers.

My best buddies, Forge Antax already produced an Ark Mechanicus cruiser and were working on the next, and Forge Hypnoth received a nearly intact one from an unknown donor.

Forge Angstrom had enough damaged hulls to restore for a century, and most Forges in the Segmentum had received a ship or two from that Space Hulk confiscated by Trazyn.

Compared to the other sectors, Ultima did great right now, and I planned to enforce that well-being by whatever means I had.

The Inquisitor was returned to his underground cave in the Pharos when my fleet was ready to depart, and I didn't accept vox transmissions from the Aegida while my own fleet entered the Webway. I save your skins, and you simply stay back and watch me burn the Tyranids without lifting a hand to help?

Ungrateful bastards!

And thus, I released three hundred Eldar cruisers inside the Webway, and waited for their Avatar to coerce these Corsairs and Craftworld Eldars to join the pacifying expedition into Commorragh.

Of course, some of them were too far gone of the Path of the Outcast, and those crews were replaced with new ones.

"What will happen to those outcast Corsairs, Astartes?" The Avatar asked with a mental touch. Worried? Most likely.

"Well, I will not place them into pits to fight Tyranids for my pleasure, like your sick brothers do. Maybe, when Ynnead gets born he might wish to trade me something for them." I answered in a level tone.

That seemed to shock the Avatar to his core, leaving his speechless. I was used to silent companions though, so I didn't mind.

"Does your courage know no limit, Astartes?" the godling wondered in surprise.

"Astartes have no fear, because we are what they fear." I answer in a jovial tone.

The Avatar isn't too pleased, I know. Then again...he can't be certain of my powers, and can't read me or my future. He only knows I can seemingly and effortlessly bombard his people from thousands of lightyears away, or capture entire fleets with a snap of my fingers. Not that I need to, it's just a cultural thing we humans have.

Our combined fleet gets under way, with the Avatar in the lead. Our trajectory is once again different, avoiding those turbulent conflicts or hidden Maiden Worlds in the Webway, and thus it takes a whole day to arrive at more distant quarter of Commorragh called the Old_City. It seems there are many slaves here that the Avatar wants to be recovered by my cheater ability.

I kinda agree as I discover tens of millions of humans and millions of Eldar kept in captivity and forced to work in gruesome factories, places filled with anguished spirits and tortured souls.

With an audible growl, I begin collecting the poor slaves, wherever possible. Some are interred into torture coffins after their skin has been peeled off, others have been maimed or deformed beyond anyone's ability to heal or restore their sanity.

Of course, millions of advanced weapons and other artifacts get lost and vanish, while the Eldar cruisers and starfighters battle the meager defenses.

I did come to loot and plunder, and beside Dark Eldar stuff there are countless Mechanicus or Eldar items, even Necron and Tau machines.

In less than an hour we complete the easy task and push forward, while I stay behind the main fleet to gift an Exterminatus torpedo onto this fear factory dimension. Denial of assets and the Emperor's Mercy, in a single packet.

Pays to be efficient, as these weapons are quite rare indeed. Of course, I don't look back at the explosion when the Serenity crosses into the next portal. That's how people get turned to pillars of salt, after all.

From here, we follow the Avatar into a kilometers-wide portal that leads into Low_Commorragh, where the poor and destitute Dark Eldar live. They are all murderous criminals and cutthroats, scavengers and mutated beasts of Homunculi experiments.

Nothing much to salvage except a million slaves in poor condition, and we move onward, while our lance and plasma batteries set fires to everything in sight.

For thousands of kilometers, the ragged plastic and wood buildings and inhabitants burn, and we don't even need Exterminatus here.

A firestorm forms in our wake, and nothing will survive once the oxygen all burns.

That's a peril if you live in a cave, no matter how large.

We enter another port city called Blackblood, which has now become the main center for raiding and slave trading, possibly due to losing a few ports to an 'accidental' explosion.

This takes all my concentration, capturing thousands of ships, some of which bear Dark Mechanicus and other Chaos markings. Most of them are Dark Eldar though, decorated with thorns and spikes and filled with torture chambers of insane designs.

Their weapons are amazingly potent, as are the engines and the navigation controls. It will take a big trade with Trazyn to obtain manuals for some of this, if it's even possible.

The Mechanicus Forges would gleefully dissect everything, including Dukhari or Mandrakes prisoners, for any usable data, and I will generously grant them this gift.

It's only fair we return the favor, right?

I collect as much as can while the Icarus deploys the corvettes and fighters for our defense, and the Eldar fleet blasts everything into light.

A couple of Haemonculi_Covens arrive from some other dimension, and begin releasing Knight and even Titan-scale monstrosities like the Talos_Pain_Engine, but those things are armed with few effective weapons. Scalpels, flails and venom are not the way to go against a battlefleet, as they soon discover.

I only vanish a few of them for trades, and allow the fleet to exterminate the abominations with furious judgement. Volcano lances and plasma cannons,missiles and lascannons strike in huge volleys, and even a torpedo or two at the largest targets.

More and more Kabals and Covens arrive so I decide to block a few webways with a dozen Tyranids bioships. Scalpels vs maws that can eat starships? Enjoy the pain then.

A few hours later, the Dark Eldar begin to retreat, and we continue behind the Avatar's fleet, with another Exterminatus incinerating Port Blackblood and all its horrors.

Enjoy my present

Canis growls and pushes my left hand again, turning my attention from the holofield screen back to my tesseract vision.

We have entered the Hidden_Blade, which is a Fortress dimension guarding access to the rest of the city.

Just in time, as a hundred Drukhari vessels arrive from a different pathways and begin launching thousands of advanced Voidraven_Bombers, and they are actually dangerous, especially the weapon called Void_Mine, which is quite a match for my corvettes.

The mind impulse unit goes into overdrive as I rapidly capture all of these bombers, but a single mine passes through and envelops the 666 number corvette into a barrier field. In an instant, a secondary warhead releases a particle of darklight which destroys everything inside the barrier, including my poor corvette. The crew is safe in my tesseract though, so at least it's not a total loss. Perhaps I shouldn't test fate and use that hull number again.

I clench my fist and the entire Dark Eldar fleet gets moved inside the labyrinth, and its crew gets lined up in ordered rows for my later perusal. That's an Archon!

Now this is an excellent barter piece. Going by how many enemies the Dark Eldar have in the galaxy, everyone will bid on this guy, just to flay and crush him alive for decades.

"You lost a ship, again." Ludvaius mutters in a faint tinge of admonishment.

I just wave a hand in dismissal and focus on the battle.

The Imperium attacked this place about 7000 years ago and lost much more. They didn't return afterwards. I don't intend to return either, because there will be nothing left.

A new wave of enemies arrives, hundreds of Ravager gunships, so nimble they can dodge defensive missiles and multilasers. They cannot dodge me, and thus they land in a stasis labyrinth for later analysis.

Thousands of Razorwing_Jetfighters pass right through the Tyranid blockade of the Webway, to attack our fleet from behind, so nimble and agile they can dodge the Tyranid jaws and bioplasma weapons, and even manage to fire a few shots of dark lance at my Battle barge, before they are captured as well.

Another Archon was leading this charge, which doesn't surprise me. All Archons lead from the front, or they get strangled in their sleep by their own Kabal.

We enter a region called Corespur, formerly the residence of rich nobles, now mostly in ruins. Our batteries burn what's left of it, including impoverished nobles and thousands of Homunculi labs or Wych Cults.

Then we pass through the Sec_Maegra, a city housing yet another billion Dark Eldar living in poverty and misery. Their misery ends by the time our fleet exits the city, flames and plasma ending their suffering and returning their wretched souls to hell.

However, the next section of Commorragh is well defended, a place called Bone_Middens, house of the richest Wych Cults and their arsenal of bioweapons and sorcerous biomachines.

I immediately seal a dozen Webway exits with Tyranid bioships, reducing the chance for escape or reinforcements.

Altars of bones and skulls decorate every intersection, most of them human bones, for whatever reason. Don't worry, the day of retribution is here, and burns to have a heated argument for human rights.

There are also thousands of coliseums and arenas, filled with gladiators and beastmasters, as well as millions of mutated beasts and a billion Dark Eldar spectators.

They are all invited to the the fireworks display, and cannot refuse.

Perhaps 40 thousand of the gladiators are human or Eldar, and they disappear in my labyrinth, where I notice with surprise a few hundred Astartes of every legion, and even a Primarch, the crazy swordsman named Khan.

This guy must be really insane, coming willingly to the dark arenas just for a chance to butcher Dark Eldar in revenge, one at at time.

I mean, I was here too, for much the same reason, but I did it with a big fleet and had a godling on my side. And even with every advantage I have, it is not easy.

An entire army of Incubi and Succubi supported by more Pain Engines and hundreds of defense platforms resist our assault, until I drop a dozen Tyranid bioships just on top of them.

Those bioships are also filled with millions of predatory organisms, hungry for any kind of biomass.

Takes a whole day, and the Eldar lose a couple cruisers anyway, such potent are those dark lance batteries. Their crew are saved by my labyrinth, or else the Avatar might break the alliance too soon.

"I didn't sense their soul get devoured by the Enemy. You have my thanks, Astartes." the Avatar whispers in my mind.

"Not problem, just keep an eye for Archon Vect. Don't want our fleet to be stuck in some temporal-flux mine or get hit with prismic dimensional mirrors. Then I will have to release my other assets and the Webway will be gone." I warn him in return.

I'm not sure if he believes me, but I do have an enslaved C'tan just waiting for bloodshed. Problem is, I'm not certain I can stop my Crimson God after I set him loose.

"Care will be taken, human. Let's move on, and you unleash another firebomb in our wake. Don't pollute the Webway with unleashed Tyranids." The Avatar demands once most of the enemy forces are scattered and flee towards the Tyranids.

Some of these Drukhari are fast and strong enough to make it out, enough though millions of Hormagaunts and whatever other creatures are out here.

We pass into the next dimension, and the Exterminatus obliterates the Wyches and their arenas.

Here is the Middle_Darkness, sort of civilian sector full of brigands and assassins. Our batteries set them right, and turn them to the light.

After this, we finally arrive at High Commorragh, the place of power for the Dark Eldar. The entire race seems to be waiting for us, billions of troops and carnage engines, mutated beasts and 10 thousand ships of every size.

We are completely outnumbered, and outgunned, or so it seems.

I drop Tyranids ships in 50 places, all to the sides of the awaiting armies, and keep only 100 bioships in reserve. TheTyranid Silence engulfs the city and quells most of their foul wards and dark magic, and thus I launch two Vortex torpedoes, one into their frontlines and one behind the enemy lines, right at the edge of the nearest spire, one covered in the strongest dimensional shield I have ever seen, even able to block the tesseract.

A few seconds after, I start kidnapping the bigger Drukhari ships as fast as I can, denying them their strongest assets. Five more Archons are now captured, plus 98 Battleships. Mines detonate in their place, as to confuse anyone where the ships are gone, but I suspect neither the Avatar of Khaine, nor my friendly wolf are fooled.

The Tyranids howl in hunger and plow straight into the waiting biomass, ripping into the Dark Eldar armies and crunching on their bodies in ravenous hunger. Tyranids are always hungry.

The dimensional mirror defending the spire is slowly breached by the expanding Warp rift, and demons of a thousand types now flood Commorragh's richest quarters.

Of course, those rich nobles and Archons had their private armies and Pain Engines and thousands of mine and traps, but the Immaterium is without end and will never run out of demons.

The Drukhari cruisers and bombers still in the air struggle to split their fire in between the three attacking forces, and me and the Eldar are the most distant and less immediate threat.

"Warp weapons! They should be forbidden!" the Avatar claims in a disgusted voice.

See? The Geneva Convention is very close already.

I flick a melta torpedo deep inside the highest spire, and the deflection field only stops half of its effect, while melting plasma falls onto the troops and demons below, sending them all to hell, screaming in joy or terror as they melt in burning fires.

The Silence is not strong enough for a third Vortex warhead to be used safely, but I'm in no rush. I record everything on my implant, while my fleet fires thousands of plasma torpedoes at the defending Dark Eldar army.

I don't care how strong a psyker is, while bombarded by Tyranid Silence and a thousand tones plasma torpedo, his mind will crack and so will his psyker shields.

Well, except one huge Mandrake who tanks 5 torpedoes before he dies. Must have been their boss or something. As durable as a Navy cruiser, so possibly on par with a Daemon Prince.

I don't really care though. My corvettes have 20 thousand torpedoes to spend, and we're barely using 10 percent for now.

I direct a wing of 100 corvettes to unleash a sequential barrage on the tallest spire. Not at once, because the most warheads will get vaporized in the previous explosion. There is no rush, anyway.

I have all the time in the world, and a Silent Sister whispering hot promises in my ear.

"How do you like the show, guys?" I ask to make sure.

"Looks great from up here. Probably quite nasty at ground level though..." Rafen quips with a snort.

"The Tyranids are eating well today." Ludvaius observes in a calm voice.

"They are, huh? Poor creatures. Coming all the way from distant galaxies, just to serve as actors in my pict-show. I bet a throne my kids will love this recording." I comment in a wry voice.

"Which throne would that be?" the Chaplain interferes at my heresy.

Rafen flips a sliver coin and holds it up. "One throne coin, Lord Pef. But all your kids must love it." the Astartes demands waving the coin like it was made of spirit stones or something of value.

"What's not to love? Should I add some Orks in there?" I ask in a naive voice.

"No!" everyone on the bridge yells in terror. Probably a good idea then.

"Necrons?" I ask in fake innocence.

"That's even worse, Captain. Stop talking while you're ahead." Brother Ludvaius advises me and pats my head in a familiar gesture.

I pat Canis on his head for comfort, while we wait for the damned dimensional field to break.

The Eldar cruisers keep lancing everything approaching our formation, creating a rather powerful barrier of light and antimatter. We fire plasma and lances as well, and I keep stealing sleek bombers and fighters, as soon as they leave their underground launch bays.

Everyone of these babies would be worth a billion thrones, sleek and nimble death machines with millions of years of advanced technology hidden under the spikes.

One day humanity will have such nice fighters too, but for that I need some respite to grow my kingdom in relative peace. Technology is a hard quest, and religious restrictions do not help.

As it happens, the Tau and the Dark Eldar are the easiest enemies to defeat, due to their localized concentration.

Sadly, most of the Tau stuff is only on par with the Astartes weaponry and armor, or even below, not to mention the Mechanicus. Some Mechanicus tech is almost at Necron levels, altough they of course forgot how to make them or even how to power them up.

The Tau instead create things on a logical progression, getting better every year.

The Tau still need to grow and discover more nice stuff, to be worth a raid from myself.

Hopefully anti-Chaos and anti-Necron weapons. That would be great.

I will have to arrange they meet and fight more often

A dozen thoughts course through my mind, and Mister Primarch Khan is right there in top three.

Sure, the guy is not a brainiac, evident by his very actions. Then again, he would be rather useful in stirring things up, especially very far from my own interests in the Fringe.

The bad part though, this guy is a moron. The first thing that goes through his head is "I am the sword." and then "Off with your head". I kinda like my head where it is.

Using the MIU implant, I contact my Juggler Biologis Magos and have him prepare a sedative capable of pacifying an enraged Astartes, plus another MIU brain drilling operation team, plus something to keep the guy breathing once all those combat drugs wear off.

Then I send Fidelia to the medicae lab to provide enforcement.

Once everything is in place, Jaghatai Khan arrives in the room to receive a paralytic spray in the face. No weapons of course, because the guy is lethal enough. He even manages to punch Juggler half-way into the next room. And Juggler is very good, I have seen him scoop out the brain of that traitor marine in a millisecond.

Then, Khan falls on his face, and Fidelia places him on the operating table. There must be 10 thousands white scars on his body, and inside as well. Makes you wonder how he survived til now, but Primarchs are bullshit, everyone knows that.

Doesn't look like one now, merely a battered gladiator in leather pants. Half of those too.

I return to watching the show, just as the last hundred plasma torpedoes detonate and collapse the defensive barrier around the high spires of Commorragh.

Thousands of high level nobles are forced to enter combat beside their bodyguards, massacring demons with ease. But I want my full set, so a few more Archons and their retinues get captured in my labyrinth. All except two: Asdrubael_Vect and Aurelia_Malys.

Where could they be? Hidden in some sub-dimension maybe.

Well, anyway there is plenty of looting here, artifacts from hundreds of species, though most of them are Eldar and human. I even find an empty tesseract, which is quite funny. They could have stopped my assault easily with it, if they knew how to use it. Their loss, my gain.

I could make it my Lancefire's clan treasure, after I taught Victor how to use it intelligently. Managing the defense and safety a small kingdom would be a piece of cake with such a tool, even if assaulted by Ork Waaghs or Tyranids Hives. Also, one of those chronophagic blades, and the clan would be set for the next 40 thousands years.

This was the great advantage of a Blank Dynasty. I wouldn't need to fear my heir falling to Chaos or getting ensorcelled. Sure, stupidity or fanaticism could always strike, even the best of us, even me at times.

So far, his Astartes bodyguard had kept him safe from plots or assassins, which was also good. Soon enough, his brothers will be Astartes as well, and that will count for something.

Coven by coven and army by army, the Dark Eldar slowly get decimated by the three-pronged attack, and in some places demons and Tyranids began to meet and devour each other as well.

We don't have troops on the ground, because I'm not that stupid, and there is no need. I can loot whatever I want, from my Captain's chair.

"All batteries, focus fire on the nearest Warp rift." I demand out loud. While the Tyranids are numerous enough to devour any world, demons are infinite. Better not play it too close.

The Eldar observe the change in focus and turn their lances on the forward rift as well, which helps close it quite fast. Then again, they have an Avatar and the Tyranid Silence is suppressing the Warp to some degree.

The remaining Dark Eldar ships turn their attention on the Warp rift to their back, which makes some sense, but not enough. I do want a large armada of advanced ships, so their cruisers also begin to vanish now, leaving only the smaller ships, from which I only collect a dozen per class, just to analyze the technologies.

Of course, this leaves the ground armies without cover, and hordes of Hive_Crones and millions of Gargoyles dive on their prey unimpeded.

Even a Greater Daemon arrived at the final moment, eager to feast on the well-deserving Drukhari. This finally breaks the Dark Eldar morale, and they attempt to flee and scatter. Tyranids all around though.

"Exterminatus inbound in 60 solar seconds. All ships retreat!" I order just as the second Warp rift is finally closed, by suicidal self-detonations of a dozen Dark Eldar destroyers.

We turn tail and head for the portal, while Commorragh becomes a feast for Tyranids and demons.

"Anyone knows who that is? Just asking, for no reason at all." I say in a gentle voice.

Ludvaius chuckles and pats Rafen shoulder. "That's Heartslayer, a Keeper of Secrets."

And? I think there's something more to it...and as that Avatar plunges straight through the hordes of Tyranids and demons, I think I have tiny clue.

"Well, the Avatar will get a bit burned, but he should be fine I guess." I murmur to myself and Canis.

My wolf nods wisely at me, so he agrees. Avatars are tough, something as minor as an Exterminatus shouldn't bother him much. Only fire after all.

I think I should delay the explosion a little and record more. I mean, who else has recordings of three factions of the Eldar race, battling each other in the middle of their ancient capital?

And the Tyranids all around, make it even more interesting. The Serenity holds position right at the edge of this dimension, with the Icarus above us and 999 corvettes like a rainbow and honor guard.

I'm not sure why I stopped. Logically it made sense to just bomb the place and run away, but it's good that I did. On the other side of that transparent portal, the two remaining Archons have circled around to strike from behind, as the Eldar cruisers find out right now.

Unseen weapons and dark beams strike those peaceful Eldar cruisers, and they all scatter in panic, losing half their numbers into temporal mine fields, and doing little damage, as a thick shadow covers those Archons and their reserve armies.

Well, I am kinda caught in the middle now.

What to do?

I try to extract the Eldar cruiser from beyond that barrier, but the real distance must be light-years not a few kilometers.

"Corvettes, 10 percent expenditure, through the portal!" I command on a hunch.

Beams will not cross over, or else we would be taking fire already. But torpedoes were physical objects.

I lean in my chair and target the raised platform with two Dark Eldar with the barge's Machine Spirit, and launch my own warhead among the 2000 torpedoes volleys from my corvettes.

He might be a potent psyker, but this Vortex warhead has a Blank logis-engine, and thus the Archon doesn't sense the danger, not until is too late. That shield of his is no protection against a Vortex warhead that can break a battleship in two.

The Warp rift splits the reserve army into a few smaller groups, and the rain of plasma torpedoes incendiate and immolate their decorated armors, and then ignites their souls, as their corrupted flesh gets evaporated. Demons pour through the rift, and engage those armies in melee, with little effect except holding them still as more plasma torpedoes rain from above.

Those two titanic beings are still fighting behind us, surrounded by monstrous Aberrations and demented Medusae, while a throng of massive Tyranid Pyrovore bombards the dregs of the Dark Eldar with acid bombs that dissolve flesh and metal.

Mountain shattering blows rain on each other, but the Avatar is made of burning metal, and simply reforms, while the Greater Daemon is made of nightmares and make-believe. There are plenty of nightmares around to empower the creature, and I am wary of my crew getting corrupted.

Time to burn it all. "All ships advance at speed and bombard that warp rift." I order as I mentally load another Incendiary and detonate it near the ceiling of the cave.

With a last look at the demolished Commorragh, I collected a hundred more Razorfiend_Cruisers and loaded them with the largest Tyranid organisms still alive, a dozen Broodlords and a Tyrant among them.

Might need them for some ambush, or just in case. I already had several Narvhals and those were the most useful and problematic bioships too, being the gravity tunneling little bastards.

Didn't find any STC here, so perhaps that Panacea was already saved by my comical STC containers, littering the Ultima sectors on thousands of transport ships and cargo haulers.

Hopefully, that caused a million psykers headaches as well.

The last Archon was still running, already a dozen kilometers away, when the Serenity crossed over, but she wasn't faster than a tesseract. Lady Malys joined my collection, frozen in a desperate rictus. Or perhaps it was excitement. Hard to say with the sadistic Dark Eldar.

She did have a lot of great loot though, including some kind of super powerful pistol called a blaster. It shot darklight, so it might pierce through battleship-grade armor. Like I said, good stuff.

Might need to disguise the shape into a more Imperial weapon, using molded resin or plasteel, but just in case anther traitor Primarch showed up, I wanted a surprise.

I named it Chekhov's gun, for old times sake.

A recon drone entered the burning dimension to send a short transmission, confirming those two monsters were still fighting each other among the ruins of Commorragh.

Oh well, I could sell tickets to that epic fight. Right

My two capital ships and the corvettes kept bombarding the rift for an hour until it closed.

Of course, we could have sent a Sister for the same effect, but the floor of the Webway was crawling in demons and Drukhari and Mandrakes and all kinds of exotic or dangerous creatures. I mean, their personal weapons were rated to shred an armored tank, so risking a precious Blank, even in power armor, wasn't an option for me.

Instead, I headed towards the biolab, flanked by my Angels and two Apothecaries from the Lamenters.

Khan was waking up and screaming his lungs out.

Probably in need of more combat drugs of Dark Eldar make. Must have made someone a lot of revenue with this simplistic look at the world.

"Release me at once!" the Primarch shouted and struggled against his adamantium binders, just when I entered the lab.

"Next time he screams, punch his throat. Perhaps later, we can fuse his jaws and remove his vocal cords? It's not like he has anything wise to say." I asked from the Juggler, who clicked his scalpels in anticipation.

"Of course, Captain. Such beasts are better used to pull plows." the Mechanicus Magos replied in a wry tone.

"You are Astartes? What Legion?" the Primarch demanded in a command voice.

"One of those legions who kept their duty, unlike you, Primarch Khan. You abandoned your Emperor given duty, and now it is my right to pass sentence. Do you deny the charges?" I ask in a pleasant voice and hold my hand to my right, where an Apothecary is carrying the blade of Office, a relic called Glaive Encarmine.

It is quite heavy, the blade and my duty.

"You would execute a Primarch?" the guy yells in surprise then chokes as Juggler taps his neck gently with a mechadendrite.

"I've killed a Primarch before, one named Lorgar. What's such a big deal? Anyway, respond to the question! For the charges of dereliction of duty, how do you reply?" I demand in a sterner voice, blade gleaming in my hands.

A few seconds pass, as lucidity in face of certain death appears in his eyes. The man sighs and lowers his head in remorse." Guilty as charged. My Legion...the Chapter now. I abandoned them, to pursue vengeance."

Well then, perhaps death is not the best punishment, if the accused can be redeemed. I return the weapon to the Apothecary, and step closer.

"I wasn't asking about one Chapter, Primarch Khan. You are an Astartes, and your duty is to defend humanity. As a Primarch, you were given authority over the Imperium, because these naive idiots needed someone to direct them wisely.

And what wisdom will they find, in your actions? A beastly gladiator, pumped full of Dark Eldar combat stimulants? Howling at the ceiling, like a raging beast?" I ask rhetorically, as I gesture at my Juggler to release the thick adamantium shackles, binding the brute to the operating table.

"I...wasn't thinking straight." the giant mutters as stands up, and rubs his wrists.

"Ludvaius, stay with the idiot and teach him the Canticle of Unceasing Service. One thousand repetitions in solitary confinement, afterwards. I'll have to think for an appropriate penance, in the meantime. " I demand gruffly as I turn away and leave the lab. Fidelia runs after me and holds my hand for comfort.

As I return to the bridge with the elevator, Rafen checks me over in admiration and perhaps worry. "You were ready to slice his head off, just like that. An Emperor-given Primarch!" he says in a tight voice.

"We are in the Webway now, Astartes Rafen. Here, I speak with the Voice of the Emperor, as I do anywhere outside the Imperium. As for Primarchs, in my eyes they are all guilty. Abandoning their duty is a capital crime for any Astartes, correct?"

I explain in a grave voice.

Rafen nods slowly, as he reasons the Imperial law and the facts of the matter in his mind. "Primarch Khan will not forget this day, Captain." the Veteran Astartes mused to himself, and perhaps as a tangential warning.

"He better not! Next time Khan goes astray, I will not spare his life." I say harshly and then draw Fidelia into a side hug, since she seems a bit overwhelmed by the events.

My Apothecaries are also quite confused, as the events are a bit beyond them. "Let's hope the lost Primarch will regain his sanity with the Canticle. It works wonders for the Lamenters, just like you have promised, Master Lancefire." one of them says in a hopeful tone.

I couldn't do much for the remaining Lamenters of the older generation, but try to fortify their corrupted minds with the Canticle, and avoid sending them into melee combat.

The experienced Lamenters will be needed for a time, as teachers and instructors for the new generation getting implanted right now.

In a few decades, perhaps use them in a last stand somewhere, to defend a bastion of humanity, and erase the Warp curse completely, with their blood.

Pay another gene-tithe maybe, with their corpses. The Emperor would approve, like he always did. But if not, He could always say something, or send me an Angel.

My next target shall be the Ultramarines and the Dark Angels, gifting them a few Companies of Blank sons, to prevent their manipulation by Warp-using pyskers and Chaos forces.

Wouldn't be as easy to convince these Chapters, unless I had a Primarch by my side.

More Bone staffs will be needed, as mind-shields against C'tan or other empathic users. Sadly, Blank powers were not perfect, and various mind abilities were not restricted to psykers. Even the Tau Ethereals had some type of empathic powers, and they were Blank themselves.

The Navigators themselves were proof of this, some of them being able to cover a ship in a self-made Gellar field, and protect their passengers through the Warp when the generators failed.

I could also try to repurpose a Null_Rod for this staff, and give Warp and mental protections to Chapter Masters. I only found a couple though, even in the vast treasuries of the Dark Eldar. Must be pretty rare indeed.

But surely, some old and experienced artificiers or Mechanicus tech-priests must know how to make more. Lack of reason was still rampant in the Imperium though, and such artifacts were not common place among Generals or Admirals or even Chapter Masters. Possibly the Inquisition itself was suppressing their manufacture, for their own purpose. Most likely to maintain their secular power over the Imperium, as the only demon or psyker hunters.

"Where to now, Captain?" my X.O. aunt asks as I return to my Captain seat.

"We continue onwards. There are dozens more dimensions and sub-sections of the Commorragh, and billions more dark creatures to exterminate. It would be a pity to return home without spending the torpedoes." I explain patiently and urge the Serenity towards the direction I've seen Lady Malys flee.

We cross into the quarter named the Sprawls and begin bombarding the pitiful refugees fleeing from our raid, while I rescue millions of slaves and thousands of precious artifacts. Tyranids are hounding at the heels of these Parched, poor Drukhari fallen from grace, or luckier Wyches and Incubi who were faster at running away. Not fast enough, obviously.

From here, we scout a dozen more portals, one leading to the still burning Port Carmine. I pick the next route, which leads to River_Khaides. A green river crosses this quarter, bubbling with green pollution and filled with drifting corpses.

Another portal leads to a smaller section called the Pandaimon, where another small army lies in ambush. They have more ships and Pain Engines and a million warbeasts.

I do confiscate a couple battleships and a score of cruisers, just to fill the ranks with my Dark Eldar collection. Not sure how I will control all these xenos, but the Drukhari battleships can surely be plated in plasteel and adamantium to give them an Imperial look, then have warp-less engines installed on them. Big hulls are hard to build for any race, and this would provide me with a segmentum-large battlefleet once they are refitted for human usage.

The treasuries of the Thornlords were all filled with gems and gold and countless weapons, even a dozen STCs in bad repair. This is the greatest find, for myself. Not fake STCs like I make, but actually real relics from the Dark Age.

Astartes armor in old patterns, anti-grav speeders with strange laser cannons, even some curious floating tanks painted in silver-grey patterns. Those might be Silent Sister vehicles, I suspect.

Plenty slaves to rescue as well, so I get a collection of a hundred alien species in my labyrinth, from spiders to worms and mollusks and cyborg monkeys. I even find a dozen Blanks among the millions of humans, which is curious.

What use would the Dark Eldar have for Blanks? Well, beside researching how to secure their souls from Slaanesh.

However, the defenders are resisting the attacks well, even after their shields collapse under a stream of torpedoes and lances.

Well, I don't actually need to fight them head on. I deposit a couple Tyranid bioships on top of them, then turn the fleet around as the Thornlords' troops are forced to engage the hungry tyranids.

Meanwhile, I prime another Exterminatus and engulf the cave in fiery screams and melting brimstone just as we leave. Another excellent plunder dimension.

There should be more though.

We turn back and enter a place called Nightsound Ghulen, an underdark city filled with pain and misery. I fail to find anything to loot here, but I exterminate the place anyway. Nothing shall remain to come back for.

Then we pass through another portal and reach a shadow filled dimension, crawling with Mandrakes and other shadow creatures. Must be the Aelindrach, if my lore is correct. I can't actually grab anything, as objects seem out of phase.

Lasers still set fires, so that's enough for me. We bombard the place with plasma and lances, and then scour the mists with the Exterminatus grade incendiary.

I'm not sure how the Mechanicus makes this beauties, but everything burns, from shadow spiders and their silk, to monstruous Mandrakes covered in black shadows. It is true, fire is the great equalizer.

Then we pass through Seyahmva'ar, a sort of fortress and taxation district, and collect the last of the kidnapped slaves, and their bounties, while we demolish the defenses with another barrage of torpedoes and lances.

I rescue thousands of women from Adepta Sororitas, not all from militant orders, hundreds of Imperial priests and Nobles, some Navigators and astropaths, and a million guardsmen of a hundred regiments, not all of them salvageable.

Sure more Catachans will be great, and even Cadians or Valhalans. They probably only lost due to poor equipment and retarded leadership.

And then we stumble on the most fortified sector on the Commorragh, called Khaine's_Gate. I doubt the Avatar of Khaine will want me to ruin his namesake. Plus, there should be a gate into the Warp at the end of this cavern.

However, among the defending troops, I scout another Archon Vect, looking a bit terrified, despite all the bodyguards and prepared defenses.

I grab him from among a troupe of Harlequins, and all his court and courtiers.

"I hear pounding, Captain. Like something is trying to break inside the Webway." Chaplain Delos announces as his eyes start bleeding.

"Alena, pat the Chaplain's head while he recites the Canticle." I command as I lean on my bone staff and reach towards the nicest dressed Harlequin.

"You defend the Khaine Gate, from She-who-Thirsts?" I ask to make sure.

"We are, human from outside the play." the creature answers in a painful voice, like a million screeching sounds mingle in my mind.

"For this duty, you will be spared. Khaine himself is here, having fun with some big demon. So long, and see you at the End of times!" I proclaim in a fake cheer, then turn the fleet around.

No point destroying the place and letting the Warp infest the Webway, and thus flood thousands of worlds with streams of demons.

As we trace our course back, we massacre millions of fleeing Dark Eldar that have escaped our pogrom, and millions of Tyranids chasing after them.

Uh, I might have messed things up a little...