40 Thousand Reasons

Chapter 8: Barter

Slowly, the emotions calm down as the Fabricator has met me before. Heh, Mechanicus emotions!

I leave the Grand Cruisers parked further away and approach Metalica's orbit in the Litany.

Then a whole month of tedious negotiations. I mean, I just returned for beyond, and brought a host of STC designs, and given them for free.

The Mechanicus is probably confused what to do with me. Not even their own Explorator expeditions return this quickly and with so many discoveries.

"Lord Pef, you are conundrum for me, and a test from Omnissiah." the Fabricator complains in a small voice.

I nod and shrug. Yeah, I know. Out of context problem.

"Is it that hard to allow a friendly trader to advise on things he has experience with? I am the one going out and fighting pirates, or returning lost worlds to Compliance." I quip and sip some wine.

The Archmagos doesn't drink, but I bet he wants to.

The cogitator screen powers up, and brings the corvette schematic out for examination. I cringe while I look over it. Whoever designed the STC pattern for the corvette class had no idea what space warfare is.

Then I draw a connecting wire and plug it into my head, and download my modified STC design, containing what I want for a cheap ship.

Armor is not 2 meters of Iridium-tungsten alloy, but a triple layer of plasteel, IT alloy and ceramite plating, with 10 meters of ultra cheap plasteel. Shock and recoil will deform the less resilient plasteel, but it does return to shape by itself. This also prevents spalling and stops dozens of other problems like boarding pods and explosive decompression.

The void shield is split up into three layers, each decreasing the potency of the penetrating shots, until it splashes futile on the ceramite plating and dissipates.

The reactor core has a secondary room, used for emergency or combat levels on extra power. Same thing with the Gellar generator, using two units for redundancy.

The macrocannon batteries use shell magazines, loaded from an upper deck, and then falling into place and being fired like a semi-automatic gun. They would still need 40 crew per gun, but it would not be 400 like they do now.

My new LR plasma cannon pattern is mounted on a sealed turret and can track targets in 360 degrees and the whole lower hemisphere, because it's mounted on the ventral side.

The ship even has 40 point defense multi-lasers, a pair of space fighters and a shuttle in a hangar behind the bridge. The officers could now evacuate at speed in case of imminent destruction.

Also has 10 hunter-killer launchers on gimbal mounts, if they need to engage boarders or hive organisms of smaller size.

The armored prow has two torpedo launchers inside, because torpedoes are the coolest thing ever. They make a big boom when they hit. The torpedoes are also 50 meters long and are expended in one salvo.

The Fabricator compares my 'Deimos' pattern corvette and runs a few simulations. Of course, my thing is much better, even if it costs 20 percent more. It is at least 200 percent better and uses 200 percent fewer crew.

"Does Antax have this already?" he asks me with a pained sigh. So this is not about the ship, but competition with their rivals.

"No. I have another pattern for them, but it doesn't have the macrocannon new pattern. Nor torpedoes." I explain and let him draw his own conclusions.

"At least there's that. And you want those Grand Cruisers to use the faster macrocannon feed?" The Fabricator asks and stares at me for too long.

I set down my wine glass and try to look calm and powerful.

"This humble one would never presume to want anything from the Machine Cult, Fabricator. If you consider the new pattern safe and efficient, then I will use it. The same with all the upgrades myself and my officers dream about. We are not shipbuilders but ship users." I answer in a level voice, trying to appear scared but brave.

Which I am. The Mechanicus are scary. And I try to be brave, in front of a war machine able to dismantle space marines in a minute. I've seen Gyron dismantle people before, a dozen in a few seconds. He didn't just kill them, he harvested their useful parts while they were still alive and standing. A blur of tentacles, then corpses fell down without brains or nerves.

"And you know your place too. Must be hard, as you go beyond and speak with the voice of your Emperor. Then you come back as a mere ship captain, like millions of others in the Imperium, without any privilege." He wonders with some irony.

I nod shyly. "There is temptation of course. I fight it every day, and restrain myself, lest I become someone like those pirates I hunted down."

Another holoscreen opens, with a new trade list. I can pick 6 brand-new destroyers, a dozen Baneblade heavy tanks, and a fully refit Grand Cruiser, the best of what the Mechanicus can throw at it.

No Knights though. Damn it.

I knew Metalica was rich, but this is beyond belief. Not even my grandfather has gained so much favor. Something in my gifts must be worth much more than I thought. I did give them 10 new STCs.

I tap the remodeled cruiser and examine the refit. Pretty much everything I want. Except teleporters.

Oh well. I probably need to visit Mars for that.

"I will need it ready in 90 years." I muse to myself. The Grand Cruiser is nearly battleship in size, and will be able to match older battleships after refit.

The screen changes to the sector map and projected courses for known invasions. Brimlock is highlighted...and a few others.

The Fabricator turns to stare at me with a flash of lense glare. "All this, just to stop the tyranids..." he replies with a sad voice.

I gulp the wine and nod in silence. That, but not only that. "And the Knight suits, if that's possible."

Chaos Incursions cannot be predicted, not by tracing vectors on a map. But I know they'll happen. They might even happen when I remember, so I can prepare.

"Come back in a decade or two, young captain. My shipyards are full of contracted vessels. But there's time to complete your favor as well. For once, I'm glad to find a human that's not in a rush." he urges me and waves me away.

And thus, I collect the Baneblades then I fly back to the Litany, and depart, heading for Forge Tigrus first, to collect the other frigate. Waiting 20 years for 6 new destroyers from Metalica isn't that bad.

I leave the Grand cruisers behind, one with minimal crew and a thousand tech priests helped by their servitors. This is parked in a neutral orbit and awaits refit. The other Grand Cruiser is taken over by Forge Metalica, as their property.

Two Cobra destroyers escort me on the journey to Tigrus, with a single clan member appointed as captain for each of them. They are both my aunts, and have centuries of ship experience. Still, I'm running out of clansmen.

I need a bigger family if I'm to gain more ships...finding more wives as well.

I also need a better clan name than Lancefire. Best not to mess with that yet. The Warrant is in that name after all.

The newly recruited Knight pilot is a bit despondent at my failure, but we still have other places to try.

Meanwhile, he trains the armor regiment in maneuver tactics, speed, flanking, and all that. I already provided some measure of combined arms and flexibility, but it's better to have an actual expert in charge.

Although a decade has passed in the galaxy, for me it has been much less, due to the saved time by Warp travel.

At Forge Tigrus, I get a much better reception, and nobody fires on my ships. That's improvement, right there.

I still waste a month with negotiations and bartering, gifting a few STCs patterns for a whole company of Leman Russ Vanquishers and 500 new Chimeras.

This includes a stripped down corvette pattern, without triple shields or a double Gellar field. It's cheap, fast and quite effective against small sized targets.

Then I manage to collect the Sword frigate, from under the nose of some arrogant Navy Admiral, and run away before he gets violent. I get no respect from these high brass Navy types.

A month later I arrive at Antax for upgrades to my armor regiment, and ask for a single Knight suit. The Fabricator asks to see my pilot, tests him for compatibility and loyalty, and then promises to build him a new suit in 20 years.

Whitelance cries in relief. His life has meaning again. Especially if the Fabricator manages to craft a Force sword for his suit. That thing could cut through demons or Necrons, just like any Force_Weapon.

So I use the opportunity to make him swear himself to my House, and give him a few pretty cousins as brides, to bind him closer. Hopefully, his genes will pass on and allow me to create my own Knight House.

Forge World Antax has already produced a dozen corvettes, all different variants as they test configurations and reactor outputs, and perhaps engines or weapons.

I add my own variant, designed for long range missions, thus with very few consumable ammunition, like macrocannons or torpedoes.

Instead, it has advanced plasma cannons, two of them, 50 multilasers and 10 missile launchers.

And by advanced, I mean simplified to hell, reducing wear and heat buildup with oversized Iridium and plasteel turrets that serve as radiators. And by oversized, I mean 100 meters wide. Bigger than a lance battery turret.

With triple void shields and a doubled reactor, this corvette is almost as durable as a destroyer...while the shields last.

Costs ten times less, because it uses a single beam of adamantium for structural support.

My transport ships have already arrived with melted hulls from the pirate ships, but once the adamantium is reforged, it will be good as new.

"I heard you captured two Grand Cruisers, Lord Pef?" The Fabricator asks without any ulterior motive.

"Yes. Gave them to Metalica. I need ships now, and they promised 6 new destroyers, plus a dozen Baneblades." I answer mostly truthful.

The Fabricator sighs in defeat. He knows he cannot give me as much.

"And the Lament?" he wonders in a small voice. The old battered cruiser?

Ah, he got the transport guys to spill all the beans. But it's good anyway.

"Is that ship of any use to you, Fabricator? I doubt it can even travel safely this far. Only calculated jumps, 4 light years or less." I explain with a shrug.

The Magos stares up, then blurts some binary toward Gyron.

"I will send a Manufactory ship then. Gyron will have command of it, while it is beyond Empire borders." he explains in a pleading voice.

Oh? He really wants to grab a big ship then.

I hum and pretend to think it over. "Fine. You can repair the old ship and bring it home. But afterwards, the Forge ship stays. Crew included. I have 50 planets in need of tractors and pipes and everything. It's brutal out there, without civilization and wealth like here. And I have a Hive world...plenty of human resources."

The Fabricator considers this for a long time. "Questor mechanicus?" he asks after a whole minute.

Hmmm. That would mean near servitude for his Forge World. The clan would mutiny if I just gave away all they fought and died for.

"One world. You pick which." I answer back.

"Good. Gyron will decide after he knows more. But if you want those ships, you provide the minerals, organics and officers. Agreed?" The Fabricator demands in a forceful voice.

I agree of course. Who else would build me whatever I need for free? The Mechanicus are really the best!

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