It is the 41st millennium. For more than a hundred centuries the Emperor has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. He is the master of mankind by the will of the gods, and master of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies. He is a rotting carcass writhing invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of the Imperium for whom a thousand souls are sacrificed every day, so that he may never truely die.
Yet even in his deathless state, the Emperor continues his eternal vigilance. Mighty battlefleets cross the daemon-infested miasma of the warp, the only route between distant stars, their way lit by the Astronomican, the psychic manifestation of the Emperor's will. Vast armies give battle in His name on uncounted worlds. Greatest amongst his soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, bio-engineered super-warriors. Their comrades in arms are legion: the Imperial Guard and countless planetary defense forces, the ever-vigilant Inquisition and the tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus to name only a few. But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present threat from aliens, heretics, mutants - and worse.
To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruellest and most bloody regime imaginable. This is a tale of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughing of thirsting gods.
Yet you are not just any individuals - you are explorers aboard a Rogue Trader ship with authority and freedom far above the comprehension of the masses. Empowered by an ancient warrant of trade and a warp-capable ship, you venture into the uncharted voids, discovering new worlds, lost civilisations, and bizarre alien technology. Fortune and glory are yours for the taking. Rogue Traders stand on the threshold of unlimited opportunity and innumerable dangers.
And should you fail...
The galaxy is a big place. You will not be missed.
Chapter 1: Forsaken Bounty
853.M41: The Battleground, Koronus
Recently, an Imperial scout vessel detected the Salvation Beacon of the Emperor’s Bounty in the Battleground, a blighted section of space in the Maw. The Maw is a dangerous warp passage that links the Calixis Sector to the mostly-uncharted Koronus Expanse, an area of space that lies beyond Imperial rule.
First Officer Alessaunder Godwinne, a scholar of the Expanse, knows that the Emperor’s Bounty is a Lathe-class Light Cruiser, a rich prize indeed if it can be salvaged. On behalf of Rogue Trader Silas Tyr, Godwinne made the appropriate supplications and entreaties to the Administratum, eventually receiving a Writ of Claim pertaining to the recovery and salvage of the Emperor’s Bounty. Under the conditions of the claim, the Rogue Trader himself must be the first to set foot upon the derelict vessel. To that end, you have set forth upon the Adamant Will, a massive and powerful Avenger-class grand cruiser owned by the Tyr dynasty for centuries.
It has been several days since you embarked from Port Wander into the darkness and peril of the Maw. In that time, your vessel has been buffeted and battered by the violent warp tides of the passage, and you have had to translate into real space numerous times to maintain your heading. The Adamant Will’s Gellar Field — the energy halo that protects all Imperial ships from the baleful entities of the warp — has also been strained by the intense nature of the passage and the volatile nature of the Maw. Now, finally, your ship has arrived at the cursed place known as the Battleground, a forsaken stretch of void scattered with the debris of ancient warships. Somewhere here lies the Emperor’s Bounty and the salvage you have come to collect.
Piloting the massive and mighty grand cruiser was always awe inspiring. Alessaunder was sat in a mighty throne, controlling the movements of the impossibly large and ancient ship with tiny movements of his hands with simultaneous commands barked at co-pilots. A ship of this size should surely not handle this well, but this vessel was very, very old; its maneuvrability was comparable to a large transport, rather than the massive and ancient machine that it was.
As Alessaunder slowly maneuvered the Adamant Will through the void ship graveyard, he nodded his head to the Master of Etherics- his expertise was sorely needed at the augurs.
When not engaged in carrying out a task assigned to him, Ludicus Marleno, the master at arms aboard The Adamants Will can generally be found drilling the men or practicing in one of the private areas of the hold.
Currently he was overseeing a live round drill with the most promising of the crew.
"If your aim is true, do not wait to use it. Every enemy that falls before he reaches your line is one less that will have a chance to strike at you."
"Only an over proud fool waits "to see the white of their eyes" before shooting."
Know your aim; know your skill and us it!"
Despite his words, Ludicus soon notices that many of the crew are untrained and most likely untested in battle.
"I want everyone to fire singe shots for three rounds, form three ranks!
Anyone who can hit a marked area two out of three times will report to the sergeant after drilling."
Silas stalks the bridge, scanning the blackness of space, thinking of what to say to his crew, his people, as he considers the dire financial straits the house is in and the demands its creditors are making of him.
He needs a plan.
He spies the Navigator and returns his nod.
He catches Alessaunder's attention.
"First Officer, I will be in my quarters. We shall have a full staff meeting in precisely one hour there. Send out the usual summonses."
Silas walks out of the bridge, the worn scabbard of his power sword clanking on his left against his armor. He rests his hand on the handle of his Wrath-pattern plasma pistol, waits for the doors of the transporter to open to take him below decks.
You can never tell where the attack will come from. But I will not be caught unawares.
Very well, Lord-Captain Alessaunder acknowledges, then turning his attention back onto the piloting of the ship.
An hour... Time enough for a few basic auguries. Perhaps we'll have something to discuss with our findings other than what Silas obviously has on his mine.
Silas remembers something and activates his vox bead, "First Officer, delay any plans to venture further into the Battleground until we can discuss fully what we have against us."
"Nothing unusual." the white haired pilot bends over a viewscreen.
"There is what looks to be a shattered engine core about 3 VU local down. It's putting out some hard bake that is stressing the augers." He consults the present course and speed readouts.
"We will be clear in about an hour. Negligable salvage value."
The Will coasts lazily through the desolate waste of the Battleground. Void dust bumps unceremoniously against her shields as the crew maneuvers the massive vessel through the debris in no particular heading. It is quiet. Of coarse space is normally quiet, but the ship is typically filled with the bustling of servitors, the clicks and beeps of the cogitators, and the conversations of the crew. But this is unnatural, it is as if the very presence of the Battlefield has seeped into the Adamant Will, and that thought is truly chilling.
The summonses go out, and shortly thereafter the Adamant Will's officers find themselves in the Lord Captain's quarters.
Silas hands each of his officers with a goblet filled with hundred year old amasec. He waits for them to settle down before he calls the meeting to order.
"Gentlemen, I want your thoughts on this endeavor. Each of you will have something to contribute. Rest assured."
Silas turns to Alessaunder.
"First Officer, what data do we have about this derelict that we seek to salvage?"
Alessaunder thinks for a moment, recalling the inquiries he had made before venturing out into the maw and cross-referencing that knowledge with his Imperial Navy expertise. He takes a long, long draught of the goblet, enjoying the amasec but also preparing his speech.
TN 54
TN 35
Having nothing to add at the moment Vorgen sips the amsec and considers the future.
Ludicus favours the lord captain with a salute, complete with clicking his heels together.
As he is handed a drink he takes it and seems to contemplate it for a moment.
Our lord Captain will most likely request or demand a tactical analysis. Fortunately I have an idea of what to say.
As his reply to a question as of yet unasked begins to form in his mind, he allows himself to listen to the surroundings with half an ear while at the same keeping a sharp lookout for any potential threats, just in case.
If I can see it then it is there, and just because I cannot see it..doesn't mean it is NOT there.
You have never heard of this vessel before.
Alessaunder finishes his drink, speaking clearly and concisely.
The ship is a Lathe-class light cruiser, as my initial report mentioned. It was declared 'lost to the warp' some twenty years ago. Its salvation beacon was picked up here in the Battlefield by a young naval officer; one of my contacts. It was he, who I purchased the location of the Emperor's Bounty from. As for this area of the Koronus Expanse... I would not be surprised if opportunistic pirates lurked here; its an ideal ambush spot. With that said, the Adamant Will is clearly a match for the raider-class vessels such rogues tend to pilot.
Noemi rubs at the empty sockets beneath the beautifully-decorated wrap covering them before speaking.
"This close to the Maw, astro-telepathic communication will be difficult, Lord-captain. Any communication will be limited to nearby worlds, probably no farther than Port Wander."
"Lord-captain," the seasoned missionary cuts in, "The crew are nervous. The light of He on Earth has forsaken this place. It would be best if we do not linger long." He pauses before adding, "Sir," before sitting back down.
The reassuring whir of machinery can be heard coming from the Magos Explorator. Regulorum Bast receives the cup of amasec and a thin tube-like mechadendrite emerges from under his respirator unit which enters the liquid and sucks up a small sip. His filters automatically engage and a lightning fast analysis identifies the flavor and transmits the information to the Enginseer Prime's cerebrum.
"My memory cortex indicates this amasec is consistent with that from the Theluvian agricultural world, Lord Captain?" Waving a hand of slender fingers, Regulorum brushes away his own question and his vox transmission takes on a lecturing tone.
"Lathe-class monitor cruiser. Vital statistics for an unmodified design:
"Dimensions: 4.2 km long, .5 km abeam at fins
Mass: 20.9 megatons
Crew: 35,000 crew, 25,000 servitors approx.
Accel: 6 gravities max sustainable acceleration
Speed degree maximum: 5
Maneuverability expected maximum: +12
Detection expected maximum: +15
Hull Integrity measurement: 63
Armour plating rating: 20
Turret Rating: 1
Weapon Capacity: Prow 1, Port 1, Starboard 1
"The design for the Lathe-class was uncovered in the deep data-vaults of Het in the Lathe system during the Angevin Crusade, and in the centuries since the crusade ended, the Lathe shipyards have diligently constructed multiple ships. The design differs from many light cruisers, with an emphasis on long-ranged detection and endurance rather than speed and manoeuvrability. Outfitted correctly, a Lathe class can operate without refit and resupply for decades.
"In common use in the Explorator fleets, the Mechanicum prefer this class of ship as it is more suited for exploration and detection over the speed focus of other light cruisers."
"As for the specific design of the The Emperor's Bounty..."
Silas silently listens and allows his officer time to contribute. He sips at the amasec taking care not to enjoy it too much. He nods at each presentation.
He considers the problems inherent in the salvage and starts to ask the following questions:
"Once we find this derelict, what are the chances that the ship's plasma engine and warp drives are still functional? You did say First Officer that she was lost twenty years ago.
"Choir-master, is it possible that some of the astropathic calls for aid of the Bounty are still bouncing around the aether? It would certainly eliminate many of the uncertainties about this salvage. Can you do it?"
"Magos, worst case scenario that the derelict's systems are less than optimal. Can you provide me a graduated estimates as to times for repairs, various factors considered of course?
"Master-at-arms, while we don't know if this derelict is still inhabited and has a human livable environment, any suggestions in terms of weaponry and equipment that would maximize protection to our boarding party yet minimize damage to the ship? Shotguns, you think would be the most expedient?"
"Father, I appreciate your ministrations with the crew, especially in this place far from the Emperor's light. You think that the crew will break should we encounter misfortune here?"
Voidmaster, what are your time estimates till we can get an accurate auspex location on this thing? Is the Adamant safe from the debris of this Battleground?"
Ludicus clears his throat and speaks with a slow modulated tone, remarkably soft for a man having spent years commanding soldiers in war.
"Indeed, the Adamant will is a match for any ONE ship that a pirate could field. My one concern is that they might be setting an ambush en masse ."
"Our crew is enthusiastic but lack experience and the level of skill is...adequate, just about."
"From a tactical standpoint, our lack of a lance weapon is the main drawback. Using hit and run tactics we can hold of a force of several ships, but without heavier firepower than what we currently posses we cannot breach a line easily.
Neither do we have a high chance of finishing a battle quickly or setting up an effective ambush of our own."
"To summarize, if encountering a larger force it maybe be prudent to...withdraw." It clearly galls the master at arms to admit that, and even more to put it into words.
"That is my report Lord captain militant."
After his report, Ludicus salutes one more.
"As for weaponry, shotguns would be tactically sound in the often cramped corridors of the ship, maximum impact at close range. I would advice a secondary weapon with less spread and longer range as well. A las carbine would be ideal for that."
"For protection...since we cannot know that the life support systems will be functioning all over the ship, we will most likely require void suits. This prohibits us from using heavier armour. Flack would however be suitable."
"First Officer, can I see that Writ of Claim? I am just curious as to what other conditions were inserted there. We don't want of course our claim to be voided for want of compliance hehehe."
Forgive me Silas, but I believe I already showed you the Writ a few days ago- perhaps you had other matters on your mind?
After Ludicos makes his tactical assessment, Alessaunder voices his disagreement.
Forgive me old comrade, but I couldn't disagree more. The Avenger class of Grand Cruiser is ill-suited to hit and run attacks and we out-range anything these pirates could possibly bring to bear. Our void shields, in combination with our armour, makes it unlikely for common weapons used by such miscreants to deal any significant hull damage. We are like a mighty old bear, daring any wolf cubs to get within our long claws.
Alessaunder responds to the inquiry about the engine and warp engines.
Such devices are built to endure my Lord-Captain. Chances are good that the engines are intact. Our primary concern should be whether the Gellar Field still functions and whether the ship was lost in the void or in the warp.
"Thank you, First Officer. Either you or the Choir-master can help us ferret out the truth as to the reason for the derelict's mishap."
"It is entirely possible, Lord-captain." She says, nodding her head in acknowledgement. "I shall look into it immediately. Until then, if you have need of me, sir, I shall be in my quarters." With that, she rises and exits the room.
Silas silently listens and allows his officer time to contribute. He sips at the amasec taking care not to enjoy it too much. He nods at each presentation.
He considers the problems inherent in the salvage and starts to ask the following questions:
Voidmaster, what are your time estimates till we can get an accurate auspex location on this thing? Is the Adamant safe from the debris of this Battleground?"
"Given our current speed the Adamant will be at the location indicated to the First officer in hours. Assuming there is something to find, and assuming that the Bounty is anywhere near the indicated location I will be able to pinpoint the location of the vessel within five hours of our arrival regardless of any other factors. I would like to note this is a very conservative estimate. If the beacon is still in operation our augers could pick it up at any moment."
"The debris poses very little threat to this ship. Our shields will withstand micro-impacts and occasional course correction will avoid larger threats. While it is likely that there is an intact plasma engine or a still functional warp drive out there the chances of the Will encountering one are miniscule given the size of the field. Even if, in a worst case scenario, a malfunctioning or damaged drive goes critical and opens a major breach without warning the emergency Geller field will allow us to make the transition without real damage. In anticipation of this extremely unlikely event I have ordered that all aspects of the emergency field be carefully monitored. I am happy to report that the field is functioning exactly according to specifications."
"In my view the only real threat in the Battlefield will come from pirates or renegades. The active auger use necessary to find the Bounty will also make us more visible. However our size and armament should give all but the most psychotic pause."
Silas reads the writ of claim. "Hehehe Just great. These Administratum pencil-pushers are really daring me. Hehehe
"Voidmaster, can our void shields survive a direct collision with any of the debris outside?
"That depends entirely on the nature of the mishap, Lord-captain," Hastus states matter-of-factly. "Pirates, not likely; xenos, perhaps; warp-related phenomena, very possible. All I know for certain at the moment regarding the crew's morale is that this place is not well-liked, and the men would rather be here for as short a time as possible. However, the junkers and salvagers we picked up at Port Wander before we left are serving the additional role of mocking the greener crewmen into at the very least pretending that they aren't intimidated by the place."
"That depends entirely on the nature of the mishap, Lord-captain," Hastus states matter-of-factly. "Pirates, not likely; xenos, perhaps; warp-related phenomena, very possible. All I know for certain at the moment regarding the crew's morale is that this place is not well-liked, and the men would rather be here for as short a time as possible. However, the junkers and salvagers we picked up at Port Wander before we left are serving the additional role of mocking the greener crewmen into at the very least pretending that they aren't intimidated by the place."
"Magos, you heard what the Father said. I need those estimates A-S-A-P."
Silas reads the writ of claim. "Hehehe Just great. These Administratum pencil-pushers are really daring me. Hehehe
"Voidmaster, can our void shields survive a direct collision with any of the debris outside?
"They can and they are. While we speak our shields are shunting aside or destroying, with the aid of our turret guns, a great deal of useless debris. In order to pose a threat of a damaging collision a peice of wreckage would have to be very large and moving towards us at a very high speed. Any such object would be identified by the augers long before it came near us and corrective action taken. If there was a threat a miniscule course correction would remove it. Or if such a correction was undesireable a barrage from the main guns would remove the threat while providing entertainment and training for the gunnery crews. The only remotely likely threats are hostile action or a derilect drive going critical. It is my opinion that this ship has very little to fear in this part of the void."
Right, well, if you are all ready to continue we'll move forward.
"I understand your concern, Navigator. Well if you all have nothing further to add then here's what we shall do: (1) the First Officer, along with our Navigator and Voidmaster shall scour the area with auspex and determine the location of the derelict; (2) Our Magos shall prepare a salvage procedure that we shall follow once we find the derelict; and (3) the Master at Arms and I shall recruit the volunteer squad that shall accompany the boarding party."
"Father, we desire your assistance in conveying to the crew that this endeavor is in accord with the divine plan of He who sits on Terra."
"Let's go to it then. Report to me of your progress through vox."
Ludicus nods at Alessaunder.
My assessment is being challenged, I shall have to work even harder to prove myself now.
"The first officer is in effect correct, however, it never pays to underestimate the enemy. Pirates make a living by surprising their targets. If one of their ships is powerful enough to engage us and keep us busy the smaller ships can circle us and whittle down our defences.
I would also look out for minefields disguised as debris.
I do however admit that the first officer is correct in effect. The scenario I described may be unlikely, and more often than not, the bear's strength is enough to make any wolf back off."
When the task of helping find volunteers comes up, Ludicus nods enthusiastically.
"Yes lord captain militant, before arriving here I was conducting a drill on some of the men. By now the sergeants will have picked out the men who scored highest in accuracy.
We can pick who shall accompany us from them.
May I also suggest we make a note of whom we take along? As I said, most of the men have enthusiasm but lack experience.
We can form future boarding parties from the core of the men we now employ."
"I like your plans. Keep up the good work, Master-at-arms."
While the other officers are providing their suggestions and intel, Regulorum is cataloging the sounds of their voices for review later. Meanwhile his attention is focused on a dataslate on which his slender fingers tapped almost rhythmically and precisely.
When the boarding plans including the crew's soldiers was concluded, Regulorum holds out the dataslate for Silas.
"Lord-Captain, here is the information required."
The dataslate provides page after page of possible issues with the mechanical workings of The Emperor's Bounty starting with the minor such as plasma drive malfunctions and life-support failures and ending with the catastrophic like pocket warp translations and an insane starship personality. Also include is the suggested corrective procedure. Some of these are simple and almost humorous such as planting Reginala blossoms from Tarsis III to fend off a gretison gas vapor with an extremely detailed mapping of where such plantings would be most effective and the most likely areas to have such a vapor build up. Some of the more terrifying possibilities like chaotic corruption or massive Tyranid infestation have only a single word for their suggested resolutions: bombardment.
Naturally the most important part is the total projected hours of repairs, rites, and holy communions. They range in nature from a couple of hours to several days to months. Silas will even see a link on the dataslate that will allow him to view a matrix of all possible combinations of total time for any of the varying degrees or possible complications. In other words, the amount of data is staggering and until an actual assessment of The Emperor's Bounty has been done, it would appear difficult to make an accurate projection.
"Do you wish to start the recruitment process right now lord captain militant?
I have one or two additional suggestions if you care to talk while we make our way to the training grounds?"
"Do you wish to start the recruitment process right now lord captain militant?
I have one or two additional suggestions if you care to talk while we make our way to the training grounds?"
"Lead on. I would hear what you have in mind."
Ludicus nods, pleased that he is serving someone willing to take advice, even if he then makes the decisions on his own.
"Well my lord captain militant, you have employed a number of skilled officers, each one a leader in his own right.
I am skilled at leading men in war, and First officer Alessaunder can lead men in commerce."
"This makes you a leader of leaders and a powerful man indeed.
As such what I am about to say may be redundant, but I would be remiss if I did not mention it."
"When leading soldiers there are many styles of command, but it all boils down to variation of three styles.
Leading by fear, by love or by respect."
Here there is a short pause as the master at arms considers how to best explain his meaning.
"Leading by fear is the simplest and the easiest to achieve and maintain, but the the least trustworthy of them."
"Leading by love is almost as easy as fear, it is more reliable but hard to balance. Too much makes you look soft, too little leads to resentment."
"Leading by respect takes a lot of effort and can be hard to achieve, but is almost infallible once achieved."
"As your master of arms I act with your authority and thus as a reflection of your will, and I can thus work towards either command style.
But which one do you yourself prefer?"
Ludicus eyes stray over the captain briefly, studying his reaction.
"If you want to lead by fear, I suggest instigating a rule that has anyone who cannot perform a minimum requirement in the drills executed."
"If you want to lead by love, I suggest a celebration for the men at set times."
"If you want to lead by respect I would suggest that after we inspect the troops, you act like you are giving me some advice out of earshot and I then inform the troops that the lord captain militant have decided to implement a reward to whatever team that does best in the drills. Say an extra ration of ale."
Clearing his throat, Ludicus continues, feeling he may become a bit long winded and eager to finish up.
"More practical, I suggest we pick a handful of men that perform well on this mission and give them a rank equivalent to corporals and have each lead a fire team that can be deployed as a unit."