Herald of the Stars - A Warhammer 40k, Rogue Trader Fanfiction

“Hold up, Magos,” says Odhran. “I understand the need to secure an escape route and that you have ordered the capture of Ardent Bane, but what are our objectives? What is victory?”

I fold my arms and tap a finger against my forearm, “In order: preservation of Stellar Fleet and Imperial vessels; the capture of Trader Modren’s fleet; destruction of Drukhari vessels; protection of Cobalt and its citizens; preservation of Stellar Fleet and Imperial personnel. Questions or ideas?”

Odhran says, “Yes, Magos. I think I might know how to get us some reinforcements.”

I hold out my arm, “Clasp my wrist and send me a direct vox via the connection that should pop up in your HUD.”

Odhran does so and I grin.

“That should work,” I say. “You will need to be quick though or we won’t have enough Heralds to hold the hangar. I’ll stay here with the Vanguards and Bedwyr and his command squad. Depart immediately.”

Odhran salutes and rearranges the command channels for his mission. Eight squads form up with him, then jog to the hangar doors and jump out into space, manoeuvring through the void with their small thrusters and securing themselves to the Ardent Bane’s outer armoured hull.

“I would like to send my message now, Magos,” says Raphael.

“Of course. Let’s go wake Governor Stigstaff.”

It takes an unpleasant cocktail of drugs to wake Mattius from his near death and he struggles to concentrate, but we do get him to provide an audio message and the proper codes so that Cobalt’s defence vessels and platforms know who to fire at and cooperate with. I leave him resting in the medical bay with Mildred and Brigid.

Raphael updates his two Sword-Class frigates and Enforcer-Class System Control light cruiser with instructions to support Cobalt’s forces and prevent an invasion, but not to chase either of the two enemy fleets beyond Cobalt’s small moon.

I inform the Stellar Fleet of our objectives and permit them to chase all the way to the Mandeville Point, but not pursue into the Warp. I also authorise the use of the void assault, battle automata, and penal regiments. Force Commander Verlin Tigernach is informed of Odhran’s plan. Only a single, bland tone is received in acknolwedgement.

Some cooperation is acquired from the Tech-Priest overseeing the hangar, a young woman called Rho Epsilon-5, in exchange for a few items from my shuttle’s armoury. She contacts hangar control on our behalf and we’re able to turn our shuttle around.

Rho puts the voidsmen and ratings, who came to gawk at the Space Marines, to work. Trader Modren’s craft are towed away from their neat lines and bunched up near the rear of the hangar, save for two dozen that are placed behind stacked crates with their gun emplacements facing outward, ready to shred enemy boarding craft.

The hangar has a small security force and armoury, but most of the crew only have their tools, plasteel bars, and other improvised weapons to defend themselves with. This is pretty typical for Imperial vessels as most crew are not trusted with weapons for fear of mutiny or corruption.

Even I don’t let my crew run around with weapons freely, though they are usually armoured to some degree. Instead, I have a vast number of small, genelocked armouries so that my crew can quickly arm themselves when absolutely necessary, so long as they have permission to do so. I am unsure quite how effective my policies are though as Tech-Priests, and even Tech-Adepts, can be rather inventive when it comes to hiding defensive tools upon and within their cybernetic bodies. I almost pity any cursed souls who attempt to board my vessels.

There isn’t much for me to do as Bedwyr has it under control and his second, Lieutenant Aife Cattraeth, is leading the boarding squads, mostly bluffing his way through the security with the help of my communication manipulation, though it is taking him a long time to succeed. I could order them to blast through but I don’t want to trigger any defensive protocols within the primary Machine-Spirit, nor deal with the resentment of killing some of the crew after taking over.

Instead, I return to standing under the shuttle and strike up a conversation with Raphael, trying to find out more about Battlefleet Koronus and what sort of resources Imperial Forces are short of in this sector. He is rather cagy and does an absolutely superb job of speaking words that sound like he knows what he’s talking about but actually saying nothing. His speech style reminds me of a blond, chubby prime minister when I was young, one who’d elevated blather and bluster to an art form.

Forty minutes later, Ardent Bane’s void shields go down for thirty seconds and fifty Space Marines teleport into the hangar in a flash of blue-white light, led by Tech-Marine Balor Roan.

“By the Thone!” says Lyre. “Fifty Space Marines? Just what is going on here?”

I say, “Odhran and his task force plugged into the external controls of the shield emitters and performed a simultaneous diagnostic request from each Machine-Spirit. As part of the test, the emitters run a boot cycle to test their recovery after being overwhelmed. Doing so for all the emitters simultaneously dropped the shields and let us teleport in reinforcements from Distant Sun and Yonder Moon, my light cruisers.”

“That isn’t what I meant and you know it!”

Balor approaches me while his marines examine the hangar and its defences. A light cheer and some loud chatter fill the hangar. Lyre watches the two of us, clenching and unclenching his fists.

“Magos,” says Balor, “I understand we are to repel Dark Eldar forces from the Ardent Bane?”

“Correct,” I say. “Try not to damage the vessel too badly, but the lives of your brothers, and that of the crew, take precedence over a little collateral damage. I know you know this, but I’m going to say it anyway. Don’t blow up the genetorium, warp drive, or something else equally stupid. There is no need to deny the enemy their assets with overly heroic actions on our part. Not today, anyway.”

“Acknowledged. May I borrow some of your shuttle’s capabilities for command and control?”

“Check with Bedwyr. He has command of our defence and is near the shuttle cockpit right now. I will solve any disputes. You’re in command of your battle brothers, but go where he sends you.”

“Very well.” Balor jogs up the ramp into the shuttle.

I turn to Lyre, “To answer your question, Adjunct Hamiz, I have a mutual support agreement with the Barghest Chapter, witnessed by the Custodes. They are not my personal attack dogs or any other such nonsense.”

Lyre tuts, “I feel as if I have stumbled into a mystery.”

I stare at Lyre’s chest, where the unknown device shielded him from the uncontrolled psychic blast, “I could say the same. Prying into each other's affairs however, will do ought but breed spite, I suspect. Save waiting for uncertain communications with Battlefleet Koronus, I’ve few methods of confirming who you really are. I don’t think you and Commodore Horthstein would appreciate that, nor would your backers. I think you came here chasing Trader Modren. He had far too many secrets and I stumbled right into the middle of them. You were just looking for an excuse to shake a few loose.”

“You never said what happened while I was unconscious.” Lyre has an excellent poker face.

I snort, “I saved your life. Anything else that may or may not have happened doesn’t matter. It wouldn’t have made a whit of difference had you remained awake. That we all survived that room is an Emperor given miracle, or perhaps whim. To those of lesser might, like ourselves, there is no difference between the two.”

Lyre stares at my face for a full thirty seconds and I return his implacable glare.

“Fine,” says Lyre. “One can’t get a full accounting from a corpse.”

“Well, not easily anyway. Once I have the vessel, I’ll hand over the records on Trader Modren’s affairs to the Navy. You’ll be stuck here for a few weeks though while I sort through it all first though.”

“I would appreciate that.”

“Then let’s leave it at that.”

“Agreed.”

Thirty minutes later, Odhran returns. The Herald’s and Space Marines are a bit battered, and some will need new shields, armour repairs, and a trip to the medbay, but they don’t have any fatalities.

There isn’t much for me to do as Bedwyr has it under control and his second, Lieutenant Aife Cattraeth and his command squad of power armoured infantry have just teleported through the armoured doors of the bridge and opened them from the other side. They’re quickly subduing the security forces and directing the crew away from their consoles.

Only my power armoured bodyguards have the same custom displacer field as Brigid and I do (and our pet dog, Dawn Garnet). Without the displacer fencing or a void shield to stop teleportation, it makes breaking into secure locations laughably easy.

Captain Konrad von Benagune fires a few shots at my Heralds with a bolt pistol, as they storm the Bridge. He mangles a shield and knocks one Herald unconscious with an excellent head shot. That marks the end of them being nice and a single return shot blasts his whole arm off.

Ardent Bane’s primary Machine Spirit appears before me again.

++Magos. All xenos influence has been neutralised. Place your hands upon the command throne on the bridge and this spirit will confer authority to you. Do not dally. The vice-captain also has the requisite credentials to seize control.++

“You knew about the xenos.” I vox

++This spirit is limited.++

So that’s why it was trying to help me, but still can’t give proper answers. Who’d have thought an Imperial Machine-Spirit would be xenophobic!

“Noted.” I switch channels. “Bedwyr, we have taken the Bridge. My Explorator credentials are required for full control, and I need to get there fast.”

“Good. We have fifteen bikes and two Tauros on board, but you're a bit big and heavy for them. We can escort you, Magos, but you’ll have to run.”

I laugh, “Oh dear, I’m going to look like an ill behaved recruit!”

“Personally, Magos, I’d say a three metre giant sprinting beside a vehicle in power armour is rather intimidating. Your sense of danger is well off. Sir.”

“Just get me my escort. At least I’m not running off by myself, eh?”

“Affirmative, Magos. Two minutes.”

Through the hangar entrance, I see Ardent Bane’s CIWS fire into the void in long bursts. I detect a mass launch of small missiles that race towards the vessel then explode, fuzzing out my sensors.

“Hamiz, Horthstien,” I say. “We have the bridge and I am required there. The boarding parties will be here in less than five minutes. Bullets don’t have eyes, so keep your heads down and may the Omnissiah guide your aim.”

Raphael says, “Thank you for your aid, Magos. We will speak again soon.”

Two, open topped dune buggies drive down the D-POTs ramp, followed by all terrain bikes with wide tires. The cavalcade forms up around me and I accelerate to a gentle, thirty kilometre per hour jog. Once we are out of the hangar, I double my speed while voxing ahead to ensure the route is clear.

We have to stop at each major bulkhead to go through the security check, but it is much faster with my Heralds on the bridge. The slowest part is changing decks on the big cargo lifts. We reach the bridge in under ten minutes.

The Ambition-Class has a completely different style to my own vessels. Rather than a throne overseeing banks of cogitator stations, there is a long, elevated catwalk, with operators in their own alcoves either side of it. The catwalk that ends with a wooden ship’s wheel, like you’d see on a ship-of-the-line from the Age of Sail.

I stroll to the wheel and place my hands upon it. The connectors in the wheel interface with my power armour and implants through my hands and I take control of Ardent Bane. In this case the command throne is more metaphorical than literal, but it still works the same way as my own vessels.

It takes me fifteen minutes to jump through all the hoops to fully integrate with the vessel, my own body gradually fading from awareness as I become Ardent Bane. My hull itches from all the Impaler Assault Vessels that have slammed into it, cutting through the armour and disgorging thirty thousand enemy combatants into my steel body.

The hangar where we set up defences is filled with wrecks. Bodies of Rak’Gol, Wracks, Sslyth, six species of xenos beasts, and even two Pain Engines are strewn all over the hangar. There are less than fifty Kabalite Warriors and other Dark Eldar though. I’m not going to count the Wracks as Dark Eldar, let alone whatever’s left inside the Pain Engines. These twisted creatures are more like experimental subjects and their presence suggests that whomever we’re facing has the support of a Haemonculus Coven, the Dark Eldar equivalent of Magos Biologis.

Throughout the Ardent Bane, enemy combatant’s run rampant, the crew unable to defend themselves against such swift moving foes. The splinter weaponry of the Drukhari is particularly harrowing, their exotic poisons killing hundreds of people in a thousand different ways, with no wound is survivable, regardless of toughness. Not even the Vitae Supplements built in the MOA void armour of my Heralds can do more than delay their deaths if their armour fails.

I grimace. I’m going to have to find some way of improving the poison resistance of my people or we will remain as vulnerable to Drukhari predations as everyone else. I don’t think our standard toxiphage will be up to the task, as even the Space Marines’ Oolitic Kidney isn’t quite good enough. Three Marines are critically injured from these vile weapons, and one is dead.

Two marines have also taken injuries from splinter weapons but seem entirely unbothered by them though, so I suspect the cocktail of poisons in these weapons is rather random. At least I will have a few starting points for the research.

I notice a comm request from the Drukhari cruiser, but I ignore it for now.

Despite the death and destruction occurring within my expanded body, stellar radiation continues to bathe me in its comforting stream of energetic particles, kept away from the crew by strong void shields and seventeen metres of composite armour and a double hull.

While I coordinate the internal defence of the vessel, I simultaneously examine the ongoing void battle.

Torchbearer has undocked from Iron Crane and is advancing upon the Drukhari cruisers, supported by Distant Sun and Yonder Moon.

The rest of Modren’s fleet, two Carrack-Class transports, a Tempest-Class frigate and a Claymore-Class corvette have retreated in good order, but are between the Stellar Fleet cruisers and the Drukhari cruisers. They continue to approach Ardent Bane.

The Drukhari escorts have scattered, though all of them are making for the shadow of their own cruisers. Damaged as they are, however, they’re getting picked off by the Sunsear Laser Batteries on my Adder-Class escorts and the light macro turrets of Cobalt’s Meritech Shrike-Class raiders. The Drukhari cruisers aren’t waiting for them.

The Cobalt escorts are bearing down the Drukhari escorts, while the Stellar Fleet escorts remain at maximum range, shielded by Torchbearer’s impromptu attack group.

Iron Crane has launched a huge number of strike craft, all of which are headed for Trader Modren’s fleet and stuffed with Heralds and Battle Automata. I redirect them towards Ardent Bane so that they can reinforce us against the Drukari parasites.

Capturing the rest of Modren’s fleet can wait and, using Captain Benagune’s pilfered credentials, I order the transports to pull back their assault on the Imperial vessels and prepare to retreat with Ardent Bane once they form on me. I receive a confirmation, but even after twenty minutes, there’s no sign of the boarding assault on the Imperial Fleet from stopping and I suspect that they’ve decided to abandon their troops as a distraction.

As my control of Ardent Bane improves, I open communications with the Imperial Fleet and tie Commodore Horthstien into them so that he can get updates and issue orders to his own side without me having to intervene. I do listen in on what he has to say, but he doesn’t appear to be planning any unreasonable moves. So far, Raphael has only reiterated his orders, compelling his vessels to guard Cobalt.

I have no issue with him preserving his forces as I don’t want to have to help him repair his vessels and guarding Cobalt against destructive raids is one of the objectives I spoke of. I am pleased he isn’t trying to contradict me.

Last, I order Ardent Bane to fire upon the Drukhari cruisers, using the combined telemetry of all my vessels to get some good hits in. Not enough to slow them down, but just the right amount to make a point.

Then I accept the Drukhari comm request. Perhaps, if I can imitate Konrad well enough, I can find out what is actually going on.