Chapter 8: Resilient's first blood
Personal log of Maximilian Macharius, Captain of the Battlecruiser Resilient. We're on patrol duty for 3 weeks now.We have yet to meet the pirates we are tasked with hunting. We received several distress calls but were always either too late or too far away to be any help. We were able to eliminate several systems from the possibility of a pirate hideout, since they are either massively populated or monitored. That leaves us with 13 systems were the pirates could hide. Unfortunately they are on different ends of the sector so the search is a tad too long for my liking. Right now we have completed the search of 7 of those systems. What are the odds of finding the pirate base in the last system on our list? To shorten the search I made a little gamble. I sent my Firestorm squadrons to the most distant systems. If they find anything they are ordered to hide and report back to me. Now we just have to wait.
Maxim sat in his command chair with closed eyes and listened to the noise of the engines. He found warp travel always fascinating and disturbing. He knew that outside the Gellar field were entities that would gladly devour his soul and the soul of anybody else on his ship.
He took a look around. Most of the crew was impassive, doing their routines without any signs of discomfort. Anastasius however seemed to be a little freaked out the way his knuckles were white due to the strain he put on them by grabbing his armrest in such a forceful way.
A gong sound snapped Maxim back to reality. "Prepare for return to the materium" a cogitator said with his usual monotonous voice. Maxim sighed. 34 systems searched and still no signs of a pirate base.
The gong sounded again, indicating imminent return to realspace. The ship shuddered as it did so. Maxim looked to Anastasius finding him a little sick-looking. Despite the bad condition of his friend, Maxim could barely suppress a chuckle.
The armored window screens opened again, showing him yet another system. He saw a red sun with 3 planets in close orbit and a gas giant almost next to him. Of course, 'almost next to him' in naval terms still meant thousands of kilometers. What Maxim didn't see was a pirate base.
"Any sensor readings?" he asked.
"No unusual ones" the sensor tech replied. "The usual background readings. No electrical readings apart from our own. No asteroid field to mask a hideout either. The radiation of the Fallos belt is not strong enough here to mask anything."
The Fallos belt is an area of space where warp travel is impossible. The tech priests who researched it were unable to say if it's a still standing warpstorm or some kind of anti-matter that prevents anything from coming through. Its size was estimated to be ball shaped with a 15 lightyear diameter.
Maxim sighed. Cross another system. "Conduct deep system sweep. Magos, please prepare the warp engines for re-entry. We won't be here long."
"Yes, Captain" said the servitor that always accompanied Magos Harûn.
"Captain" came suddenly from his intercom. Maxim recognized the voice of Astropath Kellner. "I received a message from Captain Kuller."
That made Maxim jump and walk fast to the astropath's chamber. He'd instructed Kuller only to send a message if they run into trouble or find the pirate base.
It took him 2 minutes to reach the astropath. With him was Flight Commander Urag and Commissar Khelben so they could start planning their parts in an assault should it come to that.
"We're here Mr. Kellner. Would you give us the message please?" Maxim said. Kellner went into the trance that comes with playing messages.
"Kuller to Macharius. We found the pirate base. It's an old Ramilies star fort. It seems it only partially active. We can see a Lunar Cruiser and ship that has the size of a cruiser but no resemblance of anything we have in our databases. The rest are escorts, 4 Cobra destroyers and 5 Sword frigates."
Maxim thought for a moment. A Ramilies star fort would surely make a difference. He turned to his company. "Commissar, can your attack squads take over a star fort?"
Khelben thought for a while before he answered. When he did, it made Maxim's heart sink. "No. Even partially active it holds more men than we have. I'd recommend destroying it."
For a while nobody said anything. Maxim thought about several possibilities ditching most almost instantly. Then a plan set itself in motion in his head. He turned to both men.
"Mr. Urag, prepare our fighters and bombers for the upcoming battle. Commissar, prepare your squads for a possible boarding action against a Lunar Cruiser. Dismissed."
When both men were away, Maxim turned to the Astropath. "Mr. Kellner, you have to relay two messages for me.
"The first one is to Captain Kullner. Say… Macharius to Kullner. If you can assure staying undetected, stay there and collect as much data of ships and their disposition as possible. Then meet us the rallying point in the Anaxes system in 2 days."
The astropath started repeating his message and transmitting it through the warp. Maxim waited until he was done before he cleared his throat to get the astropath's full attention.
"Now a second message. It goes like this…"
Two minutes later Maxim was on his way back to the bridge. His thoughts were troubled with the reaction of the receiver of his second message. If the answer was positive, it could be possible that his plans earned a Ramilies star fort for the Imperium. And since Ramilies star forts are able to travel through the empyrean it would be possible to place it into a vulnerable system close to the Eye to protect it from attacks from Chaos raiding fleets. Before he could further brood about things he couldn't do anything about he reached the bridge where more pressing matters waited. He had a mission to accomplish. With the ease of a captain twice his age he started issuing orders.
"Prepare for entry into the warp. We found the pirates. We'll fly to the Anaxes system as rally point where our escorts will meet us. Then we prepare our assault on the pirate base. Mr. Urag, prepare the fighter and bomber wings and issue simulations. Mr. Lomion, prepare fire solution based on the numbers our scouts reported. I want us ready when we exit the warp in the target system."
Less than 5 minutes later the ships were back in the warp heading for their destination and Maxims first battle as commander of a battle group.
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Victor Harras' was far from anything resembling good. The strange warp storm that developed in record time engulfed his complete fleet. Already he received reports about bloody brawls on several ships in his armada but at least his subordinates were able to quell them quickly instead of joining the slaughter themselves. But even now he could feel the urge to spill blood rising in him.
When the fleet was on its way towards a destination, having a common purpose, they could hold their bloodlust. But now, being trapped inside the warpstorm, there was no goal. They couldn't get out to fight an enemy so they turned on each other. Victor knew that this warp storm wasn't there by coincidence. It's here deliberately. An unseen power tried to stop him from reaching his goal. Who could it be? It could only be another power. The mortal races were too weak to achieve a warp storm. But without a warlock he couldn't pinpoint the source.
So he continued sitting on his throne on his bridge and fighting the urge to spill blood in the name of his god, knowing full well, that every loss in his retinue slimmed the chance of success if he encountered strong resistance once he reached his destination.
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If Aemos knew how, he'd smile. Despite being a danger to his position, using Kalathael to stall the Khornate fleet was a success. He knew that in due time they would self destruct. The bloodlust was too deep in them to be subdued for a prolonged time.
But Aemos had other plans. He could use the desperation of the Khornates. In their close proximity was a planet of a Slaaneshi champion who was on the verge to daemonhood.
With a blink of thought he ordered Kalathael to open a small tunnel for the fleet to pass through. It would lead them right to him. With one stroke he could weaken the Khornate forces and get rid of a mighty champion of his rival. But still he started to fluster an early warning to the Champion. Why not make things interesting…
End of Chapter 8
To be continued
Bonus profile #3
Name: Victor Harras
Age: undetermined
Height: 8'4'' (armored)
Weight: 735 lbs (armored)
Present rank: Khornate Champion. Chosen of Khorne. Leader of one of the largest armadas since the humans went into space
Present status: On a search and rescue mission for a very mighty Bloodthirster demon of Khorne, Khorne himself ordered him to this mission.
Victor Harras was once a Space Marine in the World Eaters Legion. He fought at the gates of the Imperial palace during the heresy and after Horus was dead he fled with his legion into the eye. He was one of the few Marines in the Legion who didn't become a mindless berserk.
He kept fighting with wits and attracted an ever-growing retinue to him. Now his army consists of a full company of Chaos Space Marines and a full Titan Legion. His armored forces consist of several dozen Defilers and hundreds of Land Raiders, Predators, Dreadnoughts and Rhinos. His living troops already number hundreds of thousands, even millions.
Now, Victor Harras is in need of finding the price he is after or he will lose Khornes favor. And losing was something Victor Harras was not accustomed to.
