The Expanse Awaits Act 1.1 [Rogue Trader - All that Glitters...]

[Crocodile]

The vast void station of Port Wander sits in the backdrop of space. It hangs at its location, bloated with newfound use and importance. The once empty halls of the Imperial Navy outpost is now choked by merchants and mercenaries. Port Wander is the beginning of the journey into the Koronus Expanse. Vessels dock and swarm about that massive station, its structure modified and built upon now over years of work. It is truly a floating city in space, equipped to aid the needs of those who enter or return from the dread Expanse.


Port Wander is officially under the authority of the Imperial Navy which they are more than happy to remind anyone who makes trouble on the station. Its repair yards on its underbelly serve the needs of the stationed Navy ships as well as others. The true power within Port Wander admittedly though is the Administratum, the Imperium's titanic bureaucratic engine. While the official command structure recognizes the heavily augmented Commodore Breton Vasso as Port Wanders commanding officer, in truth most power lies with Prefect Leonid Rex.


Prefect Rex and his vast horde of Administratum clerks are responsible for cataloging and managing the affairs of Port Wander's civilian population. Considering its recent population surge, the Prefect's authority and power has also greatly increased. The Prefect is known to be an ambitious but patient man, practically running Port Wander while "allowing" the Navy to operate unhindered. It is quite clear who makes the final decisions on this station. It is also why when you receive an invitation to meet with Prefect Rex that you should tread carefully.


The messenger arrived shortly, a lowly Administratum functionary in tatty monastic robes. He delivered the scroll, bearing the seal of the Administratum on it before heading off to make his others deliveries. The scroll once opened reads as thus:


Lord Captain,


You are humbly invited to attend a banquet that I will be hosting. A personal retinue is welcome and will be attended to. The banquet will be held on the next evening, hosting a number of Port Wander's more powerful and influential visitors and guests. Foods served will feature a number of delights brought forth from the Koronus Expanse. Entertainment brought in from around the Calixis Sector will also be provided. Please respond shortly with your intention as to whether or not you will be attending.


May the God-Emperor Shine Upon You,


Leonid Rex


Prefect Second Grade


Void Management and Reclamation

 

[Grey]

Victris


Aboard the bridge of the Null Gravitas, Lord Captain Victris Excellion broods in his command chair, stroking a fine black goatee and holding the Prefect's letter in his free hand.


Gazing out onto the spires of Port Wander, he frowns faintly, and activates his microbead.


"Prince Tenebras?" - He says, keeping a note of mirth from his voice - "I have a task for you and your spooks; Everything you can get me on Prefect Rex and his administration."

 

[d1ng0d0g]

Mordechai


"Mordechai, my Lord Captain." the voice of the Seneschal returned over the microbead, this time warm and cheerful, "Prince Mordechai. That is the proper form of address. But since we have been acquainted for a long time, I can even accept Mordechai without insult. However, calling me Tenebras is similar to calling you Null Gravitas, Victris."


"And I'll be on that task right away, Lord Captain." Mordechai said very professional from right behind the command chair, "Give me a couple of hours to gather and compile the information. Permission to disembark ... Null Gravitas ?"

 

[Wuffy]

Clatering through the Engine maintenance scaffolds, The Techpriest going about listening to the cooling sounds of the machine spirit. It's creaks and grinds as the pieces settled into dormancy. Like a song to his ears. His eyes flicked to the cluster of mechanics a few levels down, loudly hearing the rumours they were trading.


Nothing of interest was said, he just kept checking the machine. He anticipated the trip into the Expanse.


A glorious stretch of space mostly untouched by the Imperium, to be settled. More importantly, lost technology was to be found.


He wondered why we had not set a departure time yet. He draw his Dataslate from his robes with practised eased, he barely ever caught it's corners on his augmentations these days. The pad sent his query on to the ship, calling manifest, crew records, departure time... Still blank.


He turned and went back to spend time checking the engines once more.

 

[Grey]

Victris


The Captain chuckles to himself, leaving the bead running.


"My little joke, Mordechai. It still amuses me sometimes to think of the worlds we left behind. Permission granted, naturally."


He sits up, stretching. He was acutely, pleasantly aware that Mordechai and his subordinates could no doubt leave the ship however and whenver they pleased without security even catching it.


He switches frequency; "Brother Accendo? I would like a status report."


Then rising from his chair, he begins striding off the bridge.


"Mr. Crayven, I am declaring a period of shore-leave for the next sixteen hours for you and your immediate subordinates."


Heading for his personal quarters, Victris changes freqency yet again to the mass voxcast array.


"Attention, crew of the Null Gravitas. This is your Captain speaking. I am declaring a ten hour period of shore-leave for all crew members with the appropriate permits. Remember, today's security protocol is 'Cheerfully Efficient', and transgressors would do well to note that just because the ProleSec officer is smiling it does not mean you won't be corrected."

 

[d1ng0d0g]

Without proper a proper hierarchy, without proper order, without proper rules, there would be no Great Game to play. And without the Great Game, Mordechai would become bored very quickly. And that would be a very bad thing. Of course the interesting part about the Great Game was that you can play it anywhere, at any time, on any scale, and ever since he signed on as the Seneschal, the board of his games had become very grand.


"I would like a moment of your time people." he send his own message through his microbead to his underlings, "To those of you who have permission to go on shore leave, I want to say, have the best of times and enjoy. And remember, the usual reward for bringing in information that might be profitable still stands. Point zero zero one percent of the net proceeds. As to those who aren't fortunate enough to be allowed shore leave. I expect your reports on my desk by eight hundred ship time tomorrow."


Mordechai then prepared to leave the Null Gravitas himself, making sure that his weapon was loaded, and his robes were as always impeccable. And he left for the station to perform his duties. To play the Great Game. And while he was doing so, spend time in good company. With good drinks and good food. And letting the Thrones roll and as they did listen and inquire.


****


OOC: Mordechai is heading to the places the upper crust of the Port Wander attends, mostly listening to the people and inquiring carefully about Leonid Rex, but also building up useful contacts for himself if the opportunity presents itself.

 

[Wuffy]

With the practised ease of an augmented being he flicked his internal vox to transmit back to the captain's micro bead. His gleaming grill, etched with great care, shifted slightly to focus on air filtering.


Brother Accedo flicked through his mental records, compiling his data before speaking it to the captain.


"Ship is Optimal.


Breakdown:


- Engines: Optimal


- Reactor: Optimal


- Hull: Minor pitting (superficial) Optimal


- Crew: undergoing maintenance (as always suggesting upgrade for moral purposes and discipline.)"


It was hard to understand how he managed to speak an itemized list, brackets and at times even footnotes. It must be a skill taught to Adepts of the cult. As always he included his suggestion to graft and upgrade the crew, no matter how many times it was rebuffed, whether it was a personal joke or actual suggestion was lost to the number of times it has been brought up to the higher circle officers.


"We are well ready for the journey into the expanse. I thank you for taking me along with your picnic outing into the expanse, my people don't get out much." The light crackle as he finished his report.


He decided to take a tour of the corridor mazes see if he could find his friend navigator. Though unlikely, it was still simple thing to wrap into his day shuffling through the ship. He could it a fitness run. Anyone viewing always noticed the strange motion of his body, a new centre of gravity from the augments made for a strange sight indeed, if his legs were augmented it might have been smooth rather than the strange bobbling and shuffling motion that gave motion sickness to the unfortunate witness.

 

[Crocodile]

The ship in general buzzed with excitement at the announcement of some shore leave. Those who could go piled out of the ships hatches and on towards the revelry of Port Wander. It was all too likely there would be some legal fees as usual to pay to the local Arbites detachment afterwards, but such was the life of a ship's crew.


The upper decks of Port Wander buzzed with the chatter of the elite of Imperial society. The nobility and naval officers chatting with one another, recognizing their similar positions of authority. The word going about the area was that Prefect Rex had invited all ten visiting Rogue Traders currently docked at Port Wander to his banquet. It was also rumored that an official representing Lord Sector Marius Hax would be attending as well.

d1ng0d0g: Please roll an Inquiry check with a +10 for Peer(Nobility) and +10 for Etiquette.

 

[d1ng0d0g]

Mordechai


OOC:


2d10 → [3,2] = 32 against a total of 88 with one additional degree of success because of the Seneschal special ability.


Dang, I just realized Mordechai could in theory discover blackmail material about the Emperor if he really needed to.

 

[Crocodile]

OOC:


Where did you get 88? I'm counting 78.

 

[d1ng0d0g]

OOC:


58 Fellowship, +10 bonus to Inquiry, +10 from those being authority, +10 from the peer talent = 88.

 

[Crocodile]

OOC:


Ah, missed that extra +10. Good grief, 6 degrees of success counting your special ability.


IC:


The chatter amongst the powerful and influential of Port Wander is sparse at first, full of rumors and half-truths. Its only after coming upon a disgruntled secretary of the Prefect that more valuable information is revealed. The Prefect desires the establishment of new colonies out in the Koronus Expanse mainly to lessen the power and influence of crime-ridden Footfall. He has invited the ten Rogue Traders on this station to make a business proposition to them as well as to gain a measure of how they are. Colonization is a hefty goal but the Prefect has become increasingly annoyed with the Liege of Footfall whom he has little sway over.

 

[d1ng0d0g]

Mordechai


When his night came, Mordechai returned shipward with a broad smile on his face, checking in for the night and heading to sleep in the comforts of his own quarters.

 

[Sarky]

Lucius Crayven:


Space stations were a lot like hive cities, and Lucius far preferred shore leave on one to being stuck on some leafy undeveloped world. The Null Gravitas was pleasant, yes, but the scale of a good city was hard to beat. He wondered if any of the crew would misbehave, then chided himself with a smirk- He was ex-navy, he knew how it went. There'd be a bigger investigation if a crew on shore leave didn't cause trouble.


Donning his old navy uniform, Lucius spent the day ambling around the nicer parts of Port Wander (keeping an eye on the data slates about any trouble the crew might have found), investigating the markets (some new pipe tobacco would be most welcome), chatting with some of the Navy officers of appropriate rank. There were always stories to tell and hear of what was happening in the Void, small talk of minor fleet movements, current hot spots of conflict, differing views on enforcing discipline, what other commanders were like to serve. Who knew, he might learn something interesting. If not, well, it was shore leave, at least he'd have a good time.

 

[Crocodile]

Lucius:


Port Wander is bustling with activity, there was surprisingly a large influx of colonists due to a recent population control ordnance issued by the Malfian Subsector. The influx has also brought a large number of traders, pushing their goods to whoever will listen. There was surprisingly several selling decent pipe tobacco. Ministers stood in the huge hallways of the merchant districts preaching to the masses, their messages mixed and varying due to the various denominations. The only binding similarity amongst them all was the Emperor.

 

[Wuffy]

Brother Accedo


He chose to spend his time out in the halls of the great station looking for priests of the order. Bartering and trading rumours and talking about any recovered or interesting artefacts having it made it back from the Expanse. Of course he spent the rest of his time discussing the pinnacle of implants, and the usual game of one one-upmanship on who was most efficient between all he brothers. He was glad he no longer came last in the contests, it was always poor form to be the odd man out as the stranger. Then spent the rest of his time talking about the local cultures and finding the best rites of functions for the machines in the sector.


Seeing if there might also be a supply of Sacred Unguents nearby.

 

[MorkaisChosen]

Jonas Iktis


As usual, Jonas spends a little time considering his options when shore leave is announced. On the one hand, his sanctum- cool, dark, and unadorned, save for the desk holding his quill and a few reams of parchment covered in the cramped glyphs of his House's cipher- suits him far better than the crowded halls of a station such as Port Wander- but his upbringing taught him never to become complacent, to take any opportunity to keep oneself awake, alert and ahead of any and all who might seek to do him harm.


In the end, he decides to leave the Null Gravitas and test himself in some of the less salubrious parts of the Port. Leaning heavily on his staff, he heads for one of the more crime-ridden areas- alert always for any sign of an attack on his person or his belongings. He knows he will be a memorable figure in his black robe and headscarf, but that is no matter- the air of wealth is offset by the palpable mystery and danger that surrounds a Navigator.


Thus he leaves, his ears always open for any interesting rumours in the underworld of the station- and dropping the occasional greeting in his home's dialect in case any of his family's agents, customers or allies might be in the area.

OOC

The bit about the Iktis Station dialect's something I came up with on the spot, it just suddenly struck me that it might be worth keeping an eye open all the time for Iktis-type people in the criminal parts. And it also strikes me that "Keeping an eye open" might have a slightly different meaning to a Navigator...

 

[Crocodile]

Brother Accendo


The were a number of Techpriests about on Port Wander though admittedly the ones most willing to speak with Brotehr Accendo were other Explorators. It was the stigma of being such, the more orthodox brethren tended to steer clear of those who could be considered radicals. However one or two more ones did exchange data and small talk. There was a buzz about the Explorator fleet of Magos Thule, word that something had been found out in the Expanse that Thule was now attempting to recover.


Aside from that, there was a quite active Mechanicus temple aboard from which Sacred Unguents could be acquired.


Jonas Iktis


The seedier parts of the station were dangerous to most, but the scum of these areas knew not to go after a Navigator. Some were edgy to even speak to Jonas but some of the more hardened voidfarers did. The word buzzing through the underworld of Port Wander was a war of influence going on. It appears the Liege of Footfall had thrown down the gauntlet to Prefect Leonid Rex, challenging the Adepts growing power in the Administratum.

 

[Grey]

Lord Captain Victris Excellion


Victris spent a little while in his quarters, dataslate in hand as he wandered around his wardrobe.


Finally, he came to two decisions: The burgundy with silver trim, and more obfuscation.


Sooner or later, the Inquisition or Ecclesiarchy was going to start making trouble for the Null Gravitas.


With the intent of making a few small donations and oblations to the Imperial Cult, (and mindful of assassins) Victris suits up, and crosses to Port Wander.

 

[Crocodile]

Lord Captain Victris Excellion


You find Port Wander to be bustling with activity as usual for a place in its location. Merchants come and go, buying and selling while their goods. Bartering is even going on in some areas since some have come from out of Sector to sell their goods here. Port Wander has well earned its reputation as the last stop before the Koronus Expanse. This was technically the last bastion of Imperial authority and civilization before that plunge into unclaimed realms began.


Passing by a few areas there are preachers standing upon crates and shouting out unto the masses. One amusing four way intersection had a preacher at every corner and apparently of different denominations shouting at one another. It was probably one of the most livid examples of how very different the Imperial Creed was from world to world. The only similarity between them all was the ever present God Emperor as the center of their faith.

 

[Grey]

Lord Captain Victris Excellion


Victris suppresses a laugh, recalling a Feral World version of the Creed he once heard.


And then proceeds to amble nonchalantly around the Port, watching out for a missionary of... flexible mettle.


Nothing keeps the Inquisition off one's back like swearing to spread His light to unclaimed worlds.

 

[ArkElectrum]

Brother Zal Callahan


In the halls of Port Wander, Brother Zal Callahan, missionary of The Emperor, finishes his speech to an inquisitive dockworker, gesturing with one hand, in the other, holding his Chain-Sword at his hip, in such a way as to look sheathed at a glance but, in reality, it stands ready to strike.


"--and so the stars, and all the space around them, and all the planets there-in, are the rightful dominion of Humanity. The Xeno but leases the estate that the God-Emperor has bequeathed to Mankind."


Punctuating his sermon with a sip of 'Ramien Recaf' and a nervous glance around the room, Callahan continues.


"For that reason, one cannot steal planets from Xenos, as we are merely reclaiming what is ours. But my time is short. I have a mission, and for it I require directions to the Null Gravitas. The Emperor's Work must be done."

 

[Crocodile]

Brother Callahan


A priest comes up next to Brother Callahan and taps his shoulder.


"Forgive me, but if you are looking for the ship, its master is presently right there," said the priest as he pointed towards a well dressed gentlemen moving through the hallway.


"I imagine he would be the most expedient means of getting to and aboard that vessel."

 

[ArkElectrum]

Zal Callahan


Making the sign of Aqualia, Callahan bows to the fellow priest.


"My thanks, as always the Emperor Protects."


Taking a moment to steel himself, Callahan strides over to Lord Victris. After all Missionary or no, Callahan was born a poor deathworlder, and he cannot help but be somewhat intimiated by someone of Lord Victris' status. Adopting an imperious posture, Cal speaks with a voice as full of certainty and authority as he can manage, he recites the speech he had prepared for the occasion.


"Greetings, Lord Captain Victris Excellion, I am Brother Zal Callahan, Missionary of the God Emperor, and in the name of Adeptus Ministorum, I seek a position upon your ship, the Null Gravitas, that I may spread the Word of the Emperor where-ever your travels may take you. I have heard that you, and your crew, are not the most faithful of Imperial Citizens. A mistake, think, but once I too was once ignorent of the Emperor's Word, so I shall not judge you too harshly for it. You know, of course, I bear with me the weight of the Ministorum, which you may or may not see as a positive thing, as well as a few...conflicts...with the Arbites. But I also bring with me three things that I think one cannot have enough of in this Universe: a battle-ready arm, a healing hand, and a mind that will not be swayed by the dark promises of the Immaterium. What do you say Captain? Do you think we can work out an arrangement?"

 

[Grey]

Lord Captain Victris Excellion


Victris pauses, seemingly stunned by the litany of worth. And laughs, loud and long and hearty.


"Oh, most excellent, most excellent indeed. Truly, the Emperor watches over my ship - I have spent the last few hours looking for a man such as yourself, Brother Callahan."


Victris sighs, mildly, and adjusts a pauldron.


"Well, I suggest we discuss this on the bridge, eh?"