Li Qinwu worked out the timing. The fleet should have emerged from the Warp by now and been heading toward a planet under conventional propulsion.
On the star chart, it was listed as an ordinary planet: some industry, some agriculture, a decent environment, and a population of twelve billion.
Although humanity's million planets included plenty of downright deranged worlds, normal planets like this one made up the majority.
Li Qinwu planned to sell the two Plasma Engines he had acquired on the Industrial World to this planet.
Then he would sort out the beast bones, hides, and giant eagle aboard his ship, sell them to the planet's nobles, and sail away with his warships packed full of sugar!
Yes, sugar. The next planet the fleet would reach was a major sugar producer.
The planet's name was marked in a string of letters in the Imperium's High Gothic. Translated literally, it meant sugar, or it could be rendered as Sweet Star.
Sweet Star had unusual water and vegetation, and its soil contained a unique mineral that made its sugarcane, sugar beets, and other sugar crops exceptionally sweet, with a clean, refreshing flavor.
That refreshing sweetness was unique in the universe. Industrially synthesized sugar and sugar crops grown on other planets could not compare.
The Imperium of Man officially recognized this sugar as tribute sugar, and court chefs serving royalty and nobles on many planets used it to make desserts.
In other words, the planet's sugar was an extremely valuable local specialty. Shipping it to other planets for sale could increase its value more than a hundredfold!
This was far too important. Li Qinwu had to oversee it personally.
And since his exploration of the Eldar Armory had hit an obstacle, Li Qinwu planned to leave a few people here to help