Rogue Trader: The Hand of Fortune

[Vehrec]

"Aspire to, yes. It may take some time to find a chef as skilled as this or a pantry this complete. After all, the Lord Captain has had quite a while to find both to his liking. One thing at a time, for now." He took a moment to swirl some of the brandy in a glass, sampling the gasses thus released with an accuracy few men could match. "Although, I do not think that finding an acceptable candidate should be prolonged too long." Hopefully, the nobles would not think that too forward. Up-hive intrigue had most certainly not been his life, but he'd had enough glimpses to know that one did not lightly trust or hire a chef.

[Cynical Cat]

"I'm sure you'll find someone suitable," said Umbrias. "The problem with good chefs is that they tend to be tyrants and can lead to difficulties as a well run ship already has a tyrant." He chuckled at his own joke.

"Well, I'm sure you're eager to start planning and forming lists of talented, yet junior personnel who would be eager to short cut their way through the promotions list. Before you leave and get started, I have one final piece of advice for you."

He extended his hands in front of him, roughly half a meter apart. "If the beast or daemon was this big," he said and then spread his hands a full meter in distance, "make sure it is at least this big when telling the story. Now get out of here you young scamps. Soon I will have to address you with the tedious formality that your rank will demand."

[fgalkin]

Berenice mentally cursed the rules of her order which prevented her from responding in kind. Instead, she rewarded Umbrius Karakan with a look generally reserved for bothersome children, and, after a moment, nodded sagely.

"Lord Captain, your hospitality has been most acceptable," she said, as she got up and took her staff from the servitor behind her. "I thank you."

-------------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[White Haven]

After wiping his mouth and hands clean on the provided cloth, Graylen rises as well, stiffening up to attention and delivering a crisp salute in the style of the Imperial Navy. Letting the pose lapse after a few moments, he chuckles and rasps out, "It's been years since I offered anyone that, and I doubt I'll have much call to again, Lord-Captain." With that, he falls quiet again, suiting silence to unseemly excess gratitude as he retrieves his belted bolted and power sword.

[Cynical Cat]

Umbrias chuckled and returned the salute. "Your new lord-captain might have something to say about that."

[White Haven]

Teeth flash in a broad grin at the riposte, Graylen's head inclining in concession as he replies, "True enough, but unless he finds a Lunar in a back pocket, it will be...difficult to top this evening."

[Karrick]

Valther rose and offered his host a bow. "My thanks for your hospitality, Lord Captain. You have been a most generous host."

[frigidmagi]

Volran finished the evening service for the gunnery crews. He gave them the Emperor's blessing as they left, filing out for their berthing. He closed his book and shrugged under his robes. He was about ready to head to his own berth.

He knew young lord Karakan was meeting with his uncle Lord Captain Karakan for dinner. There was a undertone of gossip and rumor running loose about what the subject of dinner would be. He shouldn't have noted such things, a servant of the Emperor should be above rumor mongering like an old women. Still it was a sign of his growing restlessness. He wanted to do. There were lost souls to return to the Emperor. Heretics and Xeno filth to punish.

He would have to cultivate patience.

[Cpl Kendall]

Steel rises to his feet and offers the Captain a formal bow, "my thanks for the hospitality of your table Lord Captain. May the Emperor continue to favour you."

At that, he leaves the Mess, exhaling loudly as he reaches the corridor outside.

[Vehrec]

Comod bowed slightly deeper than he had need to. "A most excellent meal and most excellent prospects. You have my honest thanks Lord Captain." He respectfully removed himself from the mess and reclaimed his servo skull, but loitered in the hall waiting for the others. In his head, he reviewed his fellow members of the Mechanicus aboard the ship, weighing one's skills and personality against another so that he might have some suggestions for the possible crew.

[Marcao]

After offering his heartfelt toast he went silent, allowing his eyes to slither around the room and take notice of the gathered members and their own unique outlooks and mannerisms as they joined in their pledge of the future. As he did so, his hands moved deftly gathering pieces of food which were drawn skillfully into his plate and then consumed. His table manners were impeccable, all members of house Turunen had been drilled constantly on how to handle themselves in such social gatherings. His eyes settled on Ravion as he drank deeply from his glass and once again took a measure of the man. There was a great deal to like in Ravion, but his true mettle would only be truly gauged once he had his own command. He was being offered the opportunity to liberate from the void a vessel whose history could perhaps rival that of House Karakan. It was a rare opportunity. He hoped that Ravion was up to that challenge.

His head turned and he glanced towards Graylen for a moment. The man seemed positively lost in thought, perhaps inwardly contemplating as he was what the true potential of their vessel could be. Ancient drives? Weapons? There were too many possibilities. He would have to walk in the halls of the vessel and let his own eyes determine what sort of secrets that ship held. Of course, there was a danger in that as well. He of all people understood that the desire for knowledge could destroy a man. Furthermore, the ship had not been lying where it was dormant for decades if not centuries on its own. Something or someone had stranded such a valuable vessel and its former crew had either chosen to abandon it or been killed trying to repair it. Who in their right mind would abandon such a precious craft?

The thought lingered in his mind until Umbrias spoke once more. He blinked before he looked in his direction and digested the words he offered. When the other assembled members of Ravion's entourage shared their words he did what came naturally to him in such circumstances. He listened. Ultimately, he felt that he did not have anything of particular note to add and thus maintained his silence. When it became clear that the meal was coming to an end, he made certain to finish his plate before he looked towards Umbrias and bowed his head.

"Thank you for the meal and your hospitality Lord Umbrias. The information that you have shared with us has filled me with anticipation for the recovery of the vessel in question." He said nothing more, for nothing more needed to be said. He was a void master, his job in the vessel would be to learn her capabilities and master them in the name of his nephew and house Karakan. Ravion would get one hundred percent from him, anything less and he would shame both House Karakan and his Lord Captain. It was a dishonor that he would not tolerate.

He waited for an acknowledgement from Umbrias before he stood from the table and made his way out of the dining room. They were going to have to do a boarding action on the vessel in question and he wanted to be prepared for it when it came time to do so.

[Cynical Cat]

Umbrias Karakan accepted and returned the farewells of his "nephew's" men.

[rhoenix]

Watching the others file out, one by one, Magnus took his time finishing his glass of water, and the few pieces of orange he had left, his manners commendable, but perhaps without the subtle polishing that noble upbringing gave. Once he had finished, he wiped his mouth with the napkin, and stood gracefully, bowing his head in respect to both Captains Karakan. "My humble thanks for the wondrous meal, Lord Umbrias Karakan - may the Emperor bless all your journeys. And to you, Captain Ravion Karakan," he said, turning his head to face the other Captain, though he didn't need to in order to "see" him, "may the Emperor ever guide us toward that which we seek, and give us the strength of will to keep it."

With a respectful (and graceful) bow to them both, Magnus Aurochus walked out of the Captain's dining hall, each footstep a muted tap on the metal floor, his cloak slowly fluttering in the air currents behind him.

[Cynical Cat]

The dinner ended, but the voyage continued. The Illumination of Glory slid through the madness of the warp for three more days, subjective time. A temporary warp portal was opened and the cruiser returned to real space.

A bloated red giant sun sat in the middle of the system. Whatever inner worlds the star had once possessed it had devoured, turning them into charred rocks that orbited through its photosphere. Two smaller gas giants beyond the cannibal sun's reach, each one hosting a cluster of wreckage and debris that could be called moons.

The Auger array took readings and the calculation arrays and logic engines processed that data, comparing it to that supplied by Abernath Karakan. They came up with an answer. The engines fired, sending a sword of plasma into the void as the Illumination burned for the out system.

The great vessel passed close to the far gas giant, a world marked by bands of poisonous looking green and blue. Ice fragments and asteroids formed a thin ring around the deadly world. Scattered throughout were small moons, most of which were really only large asteroids. Here the planet's magnetics and radiation belt distorted auger readings and registered false positives. While any object large enough to be a collision danger was easily visible, the possibility of lurking raider craft remained.

Wary eyes and powerful instruments probed the void, but no sign of ambush was detected. The Illumination of Glory rounded the gas giant, executing a gravity sling shot maneuver to change course and gain velocity. The Rogue Trader set for into the darkest reaches of the outer system.

The red giant shrank behind them as the light cruiser headed into the dark. Once away from the gas giants, auger reliability increased. Readings were taken. There was something here. Something like a ship.

A deceleration burn was ordered and bow thrusters acted to slow the ship's speed. For three hours people waited with baited breath as the Illumination cautiously approached. It found no mines or torpedo clusters, no raiders hiding cold behind comets or ghost fields. The Illumination closed to get a good look at the prize.

The ship was clearly of Imperial design and a fighting ship to boot. It was a little more than two kilometers and possessed the knife slim profile of a fast warship. Her paint was battered and there were several large holes in her hull. Her bridge and navigation towers were intact as were her auger and targeting masts. Her dorsal surface was marked by a large number of turrets. Silver glittered on parts of her hull in front of her navigation tower was a gold statue of Saint Drusus. Gold letters spelled out her name. Ascendancy.

[White Haven]

Graylen's scar-cratered face looked somehow far more at home beneath the rim of a Guard-style flak helmet than above the collar of a uniform jacket. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable in a cultured setting, simply that as beaten and abused as his features clearly were, they looked odd in such a clean-cut outfit. Less so the charcoal-grey armor that he now wears; even less so given the wicked gleam of the arsenal that's carried far more openly outside of a dinner party. The shoulder holster containing his inferno pistol is now clearly in view, and the bandoleer of grenades certainly would have been out of place in polite company.

His armor looks unusually snug even for his somewhat stocky frame; the reason for that can be seen from the second helmet set on the table next to the observation deck window he's staring out of. In place of the normal padded sub-armor, the void master is wearing a void suit, sacrificing something in flexibility in return for the ability to survive hard vacuum by simply swapping helmets. He lets out a low grunt of laughter, harsh in the quiet of the Observarium, as the yawning holes in the derelict's hull come into view, reaching down to pat the void-helmet with a wry smile.

[Cpl Kendall]

Steel sets the helmet of his void suit down next to Graylen's, the suits gloves placed carefully in it. He is also wearing his armour under the suit, though the helmet is that of an Enforcer.

He's strapped the ammo packs for his recently acquired hellgun to the bottom of his ruck and left his inferno pistol, sword and grenades within easy reach on the belt of the suit. The prominent bulge of an emergency kit and medipack on both his thighs.

"Not bad, not bad at all," he comments, taking in the view of what will hopefully become their new ship.

[fgalkin]

"Immortal Master of Mankind, I call upon Thee, hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to Thee!
May my prayers be fixed as incense before Thee,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.
Guide my going in and going forward,
Instruct me and teach me in the way I should go
Counsel me and watch over me
You are the true God and true man,
and live for ever and ever."

The small room was bare, save for a single marble table at its center. A woman was sitting there, clad in simple grey woolen robes. A penitent's robes. A large notebook, almost a folio, of the finest vellum, bound in leather and gold was sitting on her lap, connected to her waist by a large golden chain. Her eyes- all her eyes- were closed, but her hands moved, shuffling and reshuffling a deck of cards.

"Immortal Master of Mankind, I call upon Thee, hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to Thee!
May my prayers be fixed as incense before Thee,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.
Guide my going in and going forward,
Instruct me and teach me in the way I should go
Counsel me and watch over me
You are the true God and true man,
and live for ever and ever."

Slowly, the world dims. All sensations disappear- the noise and vibrations of the ship on approach, her the feel of her bare feet sinking into the rich Ophelian carpets covering the floor. Everything is gone, save for the feeling of the Emperor's Tarot deck against her hands. And then, that too is gone.

"Immortal Master of Mankind, I call upon Thee, hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to Thee!
May my prayers be fixed as incense before Thee,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.
Guide my going in and going forward,
Instruct me and teach me in the way I should go
Counsel me and watch over me
You are the true God and true man,
and live for ever and ever."

She does not know how much time has passed. Time is meaningless. There is only the Light. She can feel it flowing through her, the Essence which she knows so well, infusing her, guiding her. She feels her soul seared by its raw power. It is a good pain.

"Immortal Master of Mankind, I call upon Thee, hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to Thee!
May my prayers be fixed as incense before Thee,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.
Guide my going in and going forward,
Instruct me and teach me in the way I should go
Counsel me and watch over me
You are the true God and true man,
and live for ever and ever."

After what seems like an eternity, the essence fades, and there is only darkness. Sensations return, one by one. She still sits there, waiting, hoping, for the Essence to return.

"Immortal Master of Mankind, I call upon Thee, hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to Thee!
May my prayers be fixed as incense before Thee,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.
Guide my going in and going forward,
Instruct me and teach me in the way I should go
Counsel me and watch over me
You are true God and true man,
and live for ever and ever."

Her hopes are in vain. The Light does not return. She lets out a sigh of disappointment and slowly opens her eyes.


-------------------------------------
Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Vehrec]

Vir stood slightly behind the other two men, casually examining the ship through the windows. Unlike them, he wore no void suit-one with seals suitable for his extra limb was available, but he was content to wait a bit longer before donning it, and would prefer to work in an area with an atmosphere if it was available. And while the ship's hull had obviously been rent open to space, enough was intact that one could hope that some passable air might remain within. Still, before the cycle was over, he had a feeling he'd be in the suit, and working somewhere in hard vacuum, either to seal a breach or to restore some vital system. Still, it was possible it might be worth it.

“Well, this is looking like a fair venture. Some damage, but as long as it's only hull breaches and nothing critical we should be in good shape to make port. A few focused auguries should give us enough information to begin planning.â€

[Hotfoot]

Ravion followed the rest of the dinner's conversation carefully, downing fine spirits and food with careful excess. Enough to enjoy himself, but not so far as to lose his composure. Time would come later for wild abandoment and excess. After the dinner had ended, he carefully considered the options ahead of him. Thousands of crew from his "Uncle's" ship would accompany him, but that would not be enough. Having key personnel would be needed, and sometimes faith was what was needed. Despite a rather clear disagreement between himself and certain members of the Ecclesiarchy, some silly feud over words spoken truly but at the wrong time. Ravion was a loyal servant of the Emperor, but one of strong will and assured in his destiny. Small minded clerics holed up in their towers with their eyes turned ever inward would not stand in his way.

Fortunately, not all spreaders of the Emperor's Word were as small minded. Ideally, this one would see the wisdom of spreading the Light of the Emperor to the Expanse, as well as making sure that the crew of his new ship kept the faith. One in particular had caught his attention recently, and should he be interested, Ravion's life would be much easier. He knew the man's schedule, what good officer on board a ship did not have access and knowledge of the men underneath him? Following the dinner, he made his way to the location of Missionary's usual service. On the way, he sent a messenger to retrieve the foolish Astropath who embarassed himself at the dinner. The message was simple, to get ready for the venture and to keep his mind on business, there would be time for talk later.

As Ravion walked past the Gunnery Crew, they snapped to attention, giving crisp salutes as they should. Ravion returned the measure in kind and nodded to them. "As you were, men. May the Emperor protect you." They went on their way, but the younger Karakan's presence was clear for the Missionary. He gave the holy man a respectful bow. "Good evening Missionary Volran. I trust all is well with the men?"

The missionary gave the salute that the young Lord was entitled to. He had seen little of the younger Karakan. "Good evening to you as well my lord. It goes well with the men. They have their faults but are honest in their devotion to the emperor and their Captain and officers. As it should be." He replied.

The newly sanctioned Rogue Trader nodded. "That is good. I do try to make sure that the crew are well, for if the least of us should fail, even the greatest of us shall fall with them. Volran, my Uncle has seen fit to grant me a most magnificent opportunity, a ship of my own. With it, I will find myself lacking in what I have available. I am not so proud as to pretend I have what I do not, and while I can lead on in battle or in organization, I am no shepherd of souls. I have need of a man such as yourself, if you would join me. It will not be easy, but you would be with me as I ply my own way through space, offer counsel, and provide an example of Faith for others to follow. What say you?"

The young lord was blunt, but then that was his right. Volran did not judge him harshly for that, he was not the most subtle of souls himself. Plus the new Captain offered an opportunity most would never have. He could see new worlds, be the first to bring planets to the Emperor's light. Found churches where none but pagan shrines had stood... It was irresistible. "I would gladly join you Captain. It is my duty and my honor after all." He replied.

Ravion smiled, "Excellent. We shall be leaving rather shortly, so you should gather your possessions to be ready for transfer, and get ready for possible trouble. The ship we are to retrieve has been lost for some time and there is no telling what dangers are aboard. Additionally, if there are any crew or servants here you are fond of or feel are particularly useful, bring them along. I trust you to have sufficient judgement in that regard. Great possibilities await us my good man, and I aim to make the most of them."

"I shall be ready shortly Captain." and it was true. Missionaries were not encouraged to have much in the way of possessions. Their role was to constantly travel and bring the word of the Emperor to the dark places that needed his light. Large bags tended to slow such missions down.

"Excellent. Come to the bridge when you are prepared. They will be expecting you. If you would say a blessing before we leave, I would thank you for calling the Emperor to watch over us." Ravion bowed once again, "If you will excuse me, I have final preparations to make myself."

"Of course Captain. May the Emperor watch over you." the missionary responded as Ravion excused himself. The Rogue Trader still had much to do. His personal belongings in his quarters would need to be packed and shipped over once all was said and done, and grenades would certainly be useful in the coming venture moreso than they would have been at the dinner. Once he was fully ready for what was to come, a servant carrying spare pieces of gear such as the helmet for his exquisitely crafted carapace followed him onto the bridge. The view of the ancient frigate was impressive, if somewhat depressing. Such a powerful machine laid low by unknown means. Still, it was intact, and infinitely salvagable. He looked down at the augery officers and pointed at the ship. "I want a detailed Auger of that vessel, gentlemen. Any detail you can give me will be useful."

[Cynical Cat]

The Illumination's auger arrays were focused upon the lifeless ships. Passive and active measures probed the derelict for all that they could find and the data was accumulated in massive cogitator banks where it was subjected to analytical rites. Results were then displayed in Gothic lettering and technical glyphs on bridge displays and linked holographic displays located in a vast observation gallery.

The gallery, given over to Ravion and his retainers, was fifty meters long and gave and excellent view of his new ship. Servitors and junior officers competing for Ravion's attention and the opportunities available on his new ship attending the equipment and the links with the bridge.

Ravion and his closest retainers could take their ease among couches and chairs or around the equipment displays or the huge wall of armour crys as they saw fit. Thousands of men had volunteered to join the young lord on the new ship and the opportunities for wealth and advancement that being the core crew of a new ship offered. Besides his own gun cutter, Ravion had the use of two lighters and a half dozen smaller and frailer shuttles for transportation.

The Auger results came in. The ship was cold, with no sign of active power systems. The ship seemed to have an atmosphere, although too thin and cold to sustain human life. Something was interfering with interior scans. There was no sign of damage to the engineering section, other than a hull breach. The dorsal weapons were Sunsear Laser Batteries and the exterior armour was in good shape. Auger and communication masts were intact, as was the hull. Analysis suggested the silver filigree on parts of the hull were consistent with hexagrammic patterns and the ship also possessed a large armour crys observation dome adjacent to the bridge and navigation spires. Several lighter bays dotted the ship's flanks.

[White Haven]

"Something's missing..." Graylen murmurs quietly to himself as his practiced eyes flick over the displays of the auger survey. His lips move silently as he tallies the brace of turrets studding the spine of the ancient vessel, creases forming across his brow as he sets the flak-armor helmet aside for the moment.

"A single battery of lasers is too light for a frigate, we're missing something. Hopefully her armament is intact."

Another detail catches his eye, eyebrows shooting upwards, "A warded hull! Interesting, and unusual..."

[Cynical Cat]

The Cards were placed down on the table, one by one. The Xeno, depicted by an armoured and bejewelled Eldar warrior, was inverted and set above, dominating the pattern. The Heretic was presented as a threat. The Magos, a metal faced Techpriest, was at the bottom of the pattern. The High Priest, inverted was placed in the Supplicant's position.

[Vehrec]

"A single battery, yes. However, a unitary laser battery which combines all this ships possible armaments into a single range bracket is probably worth the extra effort to acquire all those and sych them together. Not as powerful as true lances, but they certainly have the advantage of being the first to strike and the last to loose a target as it withdraws. We might not have any power readings, but I will wager that Ascendancy there has quite the engine."

Eyes dancing over the rest of the readings, Vir paused and then scanned them again. Lighter bays, for the loading and unloading of cargo. Hexagramic wards, for the paranoid and prepared, as well as the rich. A unitary battery of lasers, indicating an interesting, and possibly non-standard choice of tactics, especially for a fleet which practically mandated macrocanons. And a decidedly non-naval observatorium. He sat down in one of the provided seats and began to think carefully about the situation. No need to go rushing in. "We cannot allow our visions and our greed to interfere now. Not when the object of their realization is almost within our grasp" he muttered softly to himself.

[Cynical Cat]

"Sir," said a young, blond woman in a heavy Imperial Navy style overcoat. Eryn Sharayn was young and ambitious and here she had a chance to show her value. She took it. "That's totally wrong. That's a standard Imperial Navy all gun frigate layout with long range, broad coverage laser batteries. The hull is reinforced against the warp, but that's not unheard of for explorers."

[White Haven]

"That many heavy laser batteries, however...far more often ones sees more conventional macrobatteries employed, at least in part." The raspy voice pauses for a grunt of laughter, "If only because their machine spirits are notably pricky in comparison with shell cannons. This isn't unheard-of, but it does reinforce that this was a quite exceptional vessel... Is. Is one."