Reviews
Alan
I think it best to keep Jack and Miranda separated, not for their sake, but the safety of everyone else.
AdeptusArchanus
Despite saying that you're done with this story you will read this review to see my reaction because you crave attention from total strangers, which is sad, but I will indulge you out of pity.
To address your point, of course he's selling laser weapons as merchandise he's a merchant that's what they do. It's not like he sold them any Warhammer weapons which are far more dangerous.
He isn't going to be fighting humans and even if he did he can just destroy them with his cruiser while in space, which outclasses everything in ME and he can destroy colonies and cities from orbit.
Also the humans of the ME galaxy having laser weapons means they'll be more effective against the Reapers who are the real enemy.
Rogue Trader CYOA Story 3
"Never take a gamble you're not prepared to lose" - Abdul Goldberg, Rogue Trader
Part 8
The Enduring Triumph. Lera System.
I was content to let Dany take my personal vessel down to Horizon and for her to handle the talks with the leaders of the local human colony. Even once the talks were done we'd have to spend weeks in orbit while the Ad-Mech quickly built an Imperial Fortress or two to defend the vulnerable settlement. This needed to be done in case the Collectors returned once my cruiser was gone, and so they could at least bloody the Reapers a little when they invaded.
Assuming that all went well by the time my ship moved on from this world the humans here would be defended by militia armed with laser weapons as well as laser cannons capable of taking out targets in orbit. Since those cannons would remain under Imperial control there was little danger of them striking an Imperial vessel.
That wouldn't stop the Reapers from wiping out the colony as the void shields which protected an Imperial fortress could be breached, but the Reapers would lose some of their number and that would make the difference when the real war started.
The Ad-Mech wouldn't need more than a few weeks to build the fortresses since they were Standard Template Constructs and so in less than two months we'd be sailing the sea of stars again. Maybe less than a month if the talks went well and the work wasn't delayed. And that was good because the Reapers would be here within the year I felt sure.
No doubt people from other factions would turn up during that time. I knew that Ash Willams had been ordered to stick around because some more Alliance diplomats were on their way. I was fine with her spending time with my people on the planet and while she was spying on us it would give me chances to twist her mind so that she'd end up spying on the Alliance for me by the time I left.
As for the team of talkers who were heading my way, I wondered if they'd discovered that Commander Shepard's team had heavy laser weapons for taking out ground forces and now the Alliance Navy wanted them to. If so they'd be expensive as I needed more ships and raw materials.
All this waiting around had given time for Black Widow to return, I'd not heard from my assassin for a good long while, only I'd not been concerned because I knew that killers such as her could go deep undercover when they played their roles, they would adopt many guises as they moved closer and closer to their target.
Widow had returned in a different FTL capable shuttle than I'd sent her out in, one with Cerberus markings an action that would have resulted in the craft getting blown up if she'd not had the right codes to transmit.
Soon the sexy assassin would be entering my personal quarters which were empty of anyone other than myself as I didn't want anyone else to hear her report.
When Black Widow appeared I saw that she wore a simple black body suit that did a good job of showing off her figure even if it covered a lot of skin. She carried a sword and knelt before me, waiting for me to address her before speaking.
"I hope that Cerberus will soon be dismantled," I said.
Widow stood up.
"I killed the Illusive Man and many of his people before I left his main base, which I left in a mess" she told me "I used the Illusive Man's own files to expose their cells and I sent proof of who's been funding the organisation to a lot of interested parties. Even if the organisation isn't destroyed it will be years before it can threaten anyone, assuming it ever recovers".
Since my plans required Cerberus to no play no role in the Reaper war this was good news. I didn't need Cerberus to be dug out by the roots for that. I had a feeling that bringing a proper end to the organisation would be the work of someone else.
"Did you pick yourself up a trophy?" I asked.
Widow withdrew the sword and handed it to me with the handle free to grasp, so that I could take the weapon.
"Kia Leng one of the Illusive Man's top people proved to be something of a challenge" she let me know "He was the reason that I took longer than expected, but that's no excuse for being away from you for so long".
She didn't need to make amends, and she looked as if she was willing to die for some offence.
"I knew you'd finish your mission successfully and that you might be gone for a while" I said "I'm glad you came back to me in one piece".
Imperials were all too willing to embrace death.
"I hope that I have earned your trust, my lord" said Black Widow.
While I felt sure that she'd gut me if the High Lords of Terra ordered it I did my best to hide my feelings on the matter.
"You did well" I said "I am grateful".
Assassins didn't take trophies so she seemed surprised when I handed her back the sword.
"You can wield it in my defence" I explained.
While I had found plenty of time to train while Thrax II was set up I'd never been a true warrior and she'd earned the weapon.
"I don't have anyone else I want killed so you should get some rest and resume your bodyguard duties when you are ready" I said.
Widow bowed her head and then departed.
(Line Break)
The Enduring Triumph. Lera System.
While the average Imperial citizen and even an elite such as myself would be wise to keep his distance from anything alien even if it was a disabled enemy vessel these rules were more lax for the Inquisition and the Ad-Mech. Both groups had people working inside the disabled Collector vessel trying to discover weaknesses in the technology and more about our enemy whose tech was clearly above that of the other local factions.
By studying the Collectors we Imperials should have a better idea of what the Reapers were capable of doing with their tech. Sure the Reapers would never give their slave race their best tech, but it was still worth trying to figure it out and I had no doubt that both factions would keep a few things. If nothing else Lord Trazyen wanted his artifacts.
While I'd claimed the Collector vessel in some sense by disabling it and having boarded it, I decided to let the Inquisitor and the cogboys do what they wished to with the alien spaceship.
I was happy making profit by selling laser weapons to any human willing to pay as that was the sort of thing that Rogue Traders did and lasers would be more effective against the Reapers than Mass Effect weaponry since that was weapons tech that the Reapers wanted the locals to use.
Imperial interest in the Collector vessel, which would be destroyed once the examination was done, hadn't stopped Shepard from taking whatever it was she deemed important for her mission.
Both the Inquisition and the red robed cyborgs hadn't protested since I'd explained that Commander Shepard needed data and certain technology in order to complete her mission, which was to attack the Collector base. Since this would aid Imperial interests in this galaxy the mission would enjoy my support.
As for me I found myself wandering around my palace/fortress within the cruiser and admiring my ever growing collection of stuff. It wasn't until now that I'd really started to understand just how much I'd acquired during my time as Rogue Trader and I'd not realised how many people sent me gifts in thanks for some deed.
I had whole rooms filled with gold bars as I'd plundered the gold deposits of Fallout Earth for its treasures which I took as payment for helping them rebuild society. I'd collected a fair few weapons and many odd bits of technology from the vaults that hadn't been claimed by any of the other Imperial factions that I worked with. The machines I'd not sold to the Ad-Mech had ended up being stored in my own vaults.
Lords and ladies of Westeros had sent me pieces of artwork so as to try to gain my favour and I'd gotten a share of the spoils from the castles we'd conquered. Swords, shields and spears decorated the walls of many rooms that were filled with silks, spices, and other valuables from all over Essos.
Twice I'd sent people to what remained of Valyria so that my battle harem could play tomb raider and that had resulted in me acquiring some costly trinkets such as dragon eggs and swords made from some sort of enchanted steel.
My most treasured relic of Valyria was my Targaryen Princess, my wife and mother of my heirs. As a Rogue Trade I knew that even people could be sold and traded so it was hard for me not to see the value of my wife. Her worth had a lot to do with her mind and as well as her having a womb that gave me healthy heirs.
Dany was becoming more and more skilled with dealing with diplomats and handling trade deals. I admired how she could put people at ease, she could be gentle and generous, showing a kinder side of House Thrax while still making a lot of profit. She'd been a good investment as well as a fine choice as a wife and lady of House Thrax.
"How's the inventory going?" I asked Miranda.
As part of an effort to prove herself the genetically engineered woman had come here to take proper stock of my wealth.
"It's not exactly hard work, just time consuming" Miranda mentioned to me "It helps to keep my mind off other matters".
I wondered what was bothering her yet I didn't look into her head with my psyker powers as I'd violated her thoughts plenty while bringing her into my service.
"Something on her mind?" I asked.
I'd modified her enough so that she trusted me and she wanted someone to share her thoughts with.
"I was spending some time with your wife and children" she mentioned "It got me thinking about how I can never have children".
While I was fond enough of my offspring I never really understood why so many people think it's so great to have kids. They are expensive, noisy, messy and there was no certainty that they would look after you when you got really old in exchange for you caring for them when they were young. Unless you needed heirs like I did they weren't a good investment.
Aside from heirs I had some bastards with Missandei and Yara Greyjoy who I'd acquired from Planetos as I would always need people to help manage my holdings, and some more children could be useful for that.
"Why can't you reproduce?" I asked.
She told me about her father messing with her genes during her creation and that she'd not been able to find a way to fix the problem. I felt sure that I'd already know this as I files on a lot of people.
"Perhaps the cogboys down in the cloning lab can help '' I reasoned "They were able to genetically engineer me easily enough so perhaps Imperial biotech might be more advanced that what your father used".
Miranda just stared at me and it very soon got unsettling.
(Line Break)
The Enduring Triumph. Lera System.
It was rare for me to go visit someone else in their quarters, but I did so for Miranda as she was resting after spending some time with the red robed cyborgs who worked their techo-sorcery on her DNA so that Miranda would be able to get pregnant.
The former Ceberus agent had considered herself to be the perfect woman in many ways, even if she was really far from it, but maybe her single biggest flaw, one built into her on purpose, was her infertility, something her father had wanted for his daughter who'd he'd made a lab.
While genetic engineering wasn't common in the Imperium of Man they didn't lack that technology and the elites of the empire such as myself could afford such devices. My cloning lab was able to do more than simply make copies of people and the servants of the machine god who worked in the lab had been up to the task of correcting whatever minor flaw Henry Lawson had built into his offspring.
I'd ordered this done after Miranda had confessed to me, as if I hadn't already known, that she could not provide me with any children and so was not worthy to become one of my wives, this was something she'd confessed to me on the way to the cloning lab.
I'd decided otherwise as she'd proven her worth so far and the engineered woman would be able to handle some of my paperwork, which is nothing to scoff at when you're the head of a successful Rogue Dynasty you end up with a lot of filing to do. Also it helped that she was very hot.
"My lord" she greeted.
Miranda's private chambers were large and simple. She had a bed big enough for two with white sheets, a couch that was the same colour, a glass coffee table, and a desk. There was nothing personal about this place, no attempt to make it a home so I figured that Miranda hadn't felt like she'd be sticking around. Which made sense given that she'd been sent by the now dead Illusive Man as a liason.
"I hear that your treatment was a total success," I said.
Miss Lawson got out of her bed and walked over to me.
"Yes my lord" she replied "I can have your children now, if you'll take me as your wife".
I smiled upon hearing that.
"Do you think you're worthy?" I asked "Will you be a good wife, will you serve me and work to advance my dynasty? You didn't seem eager to do that for your father and I would expect my children to advance my legacy".
I knew that Henry Lawsonm spoiled Miranda while she was growing up, giving her everything she wanted, but there was always a hook, an angle designed to fit his long term plan for her. Eventually, Henry grew dissatisfied with Miranda and used her DNA to create a more ideal heiress, Oriana. Miranda rebelled, taking Oriana and fleeing after a violent shootout with some of Henry Lawson's guards. When Miranda went to Cerberus for protection, Henry withdrew his support for the organization.
"My father cast me aside" said the biotic "With you I have the chance to be a part of something, to help decide the course of history for this whole galaxy, maybe even more, and you can give me the one thing my father wanted to deny me, I'll never be able to thank you enough for that".
I couldn't help thinking that her desire for motherhood aside that Miranda was not that different from her father as she'd told me about how he was obsessed with securing a way to make his mark on history, namely, by creating a "genetic dynasty". Rather than have a somewhat normal family as I was doing. The apple never really falls far from the tree.
For a short time I pretended to consider something that I'd already made up my mind about and I found myself enjoying the way the normally self assured Miranda Lawson looked so nervous. I had her fate in my hand and that was enjoyable. The power to destroy worlds, and decide the fate of civilizations was good, but the ability to mold a person's fate like this made me feel so good.
"Show me your tits" I ordered as I sat down on her sofa "and then get down on your knees".
Miranda did just that. She began by fully peeling back her body suit before her bra came off. After that she got done on her knees so that she could get to work doing what I wanted her to do. She didn't need to ask because she was too smart not to realise what came next.
Once she had my cock extracted from its confines, Miranda stroked it up and down with her gloved hands for only a few moments before getting down to business and taking my erect dick into her mouth. In no time at all her head was moving up and down frantically, she proved enthusiastic to serve me. Yet I didn't want this to end so fast.
"Use your breasts to please me" I commanded.
She changed her sitting position so that her chest was more aligned with my cock, then she wrapped her impressive mammaries around my hardon. For a moment I was distracted by wondering why Henry Lawson had desgined his daughter to be so damn sexy and given that she was based on his DNA I also couldn't helping wondering if Mr Lawson wanted to fuck an ideal female version of himself. If so, that was really messed up.
"Will you cum inside me?" requested Miranda "I want to get started on baby making and you're the only man worthy of being the father of my children".
I had no problem with this so I told her to get up before I moved to bend her over her desk. Her ass proved to be too tempting a target and not for the first time I slapped it hard.
"Get used to that" I warned.
Miranda turned her head to give me a look that let me know that she didn't mind me slapping her backside. However rather than spank her some more I began pulling her black and white catsuit down off of her, It took more effort than expected for me to get bodysuit around her knees, but well worth it as I ended staring at her ass that was currently only clad in a pair of black, lacey panties, which I decided she'd be better off not wearing.
A moment later I was inside of her and Miranda began to make noises that signalled her approval of this situation. She became even more submissive and eager for my cum.
"Yes! Yes Master, fuck me, PLEASE fuck me!" she called out.
She must really want to get pregnant and I was happy to help with this as any children we had were bound to be special with our combined genes, the best education money could buy, and perhaps even my psyker powers. While I wanted my children with Dany to serve the dynasty as shipmasters there were still plenty of estates on different worlds that my other children could learn to run.
"Who owns you?" I demanded to know.
There was no thrill quite like taking a strong woman and having her submit herself to you willingly.
"You do Master," she said.
I began to fuck her harder and faster, and she was really, really, eager for me to cum inside her warm, wet cunt.
"MASTER, YES! USE YOUR CUM DUMP, FILL ME. KNOCK ME UP! GIVE ME A BABY MASTER, GIVE ME A BABY!"
She kept on saying stuff like that as I used her as cumdump, she felt really good around my cock, as her pussy had been engineered to make a man happy, and when I let loose inside her she screamed in passion.
It might take a few months for her to get pregnant, but I would marry her soon so that I could further cement my control over her and keep getting to bend her over things like this desk.
"Thank you master" she said once she'd recovered the ability to speak "I promise to be a good wife".
I had a feeling that she'd do a good job.
(Line Break)
The Enduring Triumph. Tasale System.
I was annoyed by the fact that the Systems Alliance had involved the other Citadel races in our talks resulting in me having to travel to Illium in order to meet with a whole party of delegates who weren't willing to properly enter the Terminus Systems. Yet I had to come here because the Systems Alliance was withholding payment for the purchasing of heavy laser weapons such as I'd sold to Shepard.
Well that wasn't totally true, my payment was waiting for me on Illium along with a bonus as an apology for making me come all this way with excuses about not wanting to move my payment through the dangerous Terminus Systems. Which to be fair was a valid concern, what with all the mercs, pirates and slavers but it was still bait for a type of trap in some sense.
I had to wonder what the other Citadel races had done for humanity or threatened them with to get the human leaders in this galaxy to risk annoying such a powerful trading partner by luring me into a meeting on an alien world.
These aliens weren't to be trusted. Turians were conquerors, Salarians were sneaky fucks and while Asari were nice to look at, but they had mental powers of some kind and I'd read fan theories that stated that the blue girls got inside the heads of others to make themselves seem like attractive mates.
There had been a time when I only paid lip service to the idea that all aliens were evil creatures bent on wiping out mankind or making us their slaves, but I couldn't help thinking that the humans of this universe who went to join the like of Cerberus had a point about the aliens holding mankind back or at least limiting us.
Perhaps the Imperials were just rubbing off on me, yet I would remain cautious when dealing with aliens as it's never foolish to be careful when dealing with people who want what you have.
I was a little annoyed about not having been time to finsih messing the mind of Ashley Williams so that she'd be my agent, but she was rather annoying and not that attractive in my view so not getting to add her to my collection of women didn't bother me too much.
"The Council is used to being the big fish around here" I said as I sat with Dany and Miranda around a dining table and went over reports gathered on the Citadel races "The fact that I won't take them seriously is going to shock everyone".
We were planning our tactics for the meetings to come which would take place on the planet. I didn't want aliens on my cruiser and if I met on one of their ships it would be very easy for them to abduct me. They could use me as a hostage if I was on the planet, and try to make demands, but I'd taken steps to make that harder.
I would have my ship keep its gun pointed at the planet so that any attempt to harm me would result in losing a city or two. I'd also have a large honour guard with me including the Deathwatch Kill Team as the Inquisitor was coming along. The aliens would regret messing with Space Marines if the talks went sour.
While there were risks in coming here and letting the Council dictate my moves there were also advantages. By leaving the Terminus Systems and coming to this system a lot of people would get a good look at my ship and they would stop doubting its existence. This could open up some interesting business opportunities for me.
Also from Illium it would be easy for me to acquire some human made technologies that I'd been meaning to get my hands as well as raw materials. Having those supplies and techs brought to Illuim would be safer than having them transported through the Terminus Systems.
"They will try to barter for your laser weapons so they can be sold to all the Citadel races, maintaining the balance of power, and I figure that they will try to throw some weight around if you refuse to simply sell to them" said Miranda, my new wife who I'd married in an Imperial chapel as unlike a lot of other women she wasn't interested in a fancy wedding "They won't believe that your ship is as powerful as it really is. They will think that they can bully you, they'll just be subtle about it".
So it should prove to be amusing when I tell the Council that they are welcome to try using force.
"If it weren't for the fact that I needed the supplies that the System Alliance are holding I wouldn't even be bothering with this" I said, and not for the first time "I wonder if they'll try to come at me via any proxies".
I was surprised that no Terminus System warlord hadn't come after one of the worlds under my protection, perhaps no one could unify a large enough force. However that might not stop someone from Citadel space from trying to hire pirates and slavers, having them strike at me.
"Lord-Captain Thrax to the bridge" was a sudden message.
Since we were still a day away at least from Illium I was surprised that my presence was required. My second officer needed no help from me handling the vessel as it moved through a system. The locals had wisely kept their distance upon seeing my cruiser enter the system. Had someone gotten bold?
"We've encountered a small fleet of vessels who claim to be from the Batarian government" I was informed as I took my seat on the command throne "They've made no effort to confirm this they just want to talk.
I knew that the batarians were for the most part a disreputable species that chose to isolate itself from the rest of the galaxy. The Terminus Systems are infested with batarian pirate gangs and slaving rings, fueling the stereotype of the batarian thug. It should be noted that these criminals do not represent average citizens, who are forbidden to leave batarian space by their rather paranoid government.
In that last part they weren't so different from the Imperium. I'd even sent missionaries and such in the Terminus systems just as the xenos sent scum to infect those worlds.
In the early 2160s, when humans began to colonize the Skyllian Verge, a region the batarians were already actively settling. The batarians asked the Citadel Council to intervene and declare the Verge an area of "batarian interest". When the Council refused, the batarians closed their Citadel embassy and then severed diplomatic as well as economic relations, becoming an inward-looking rogue state, at least in the eyes of the Council.
Money and weapons funneled from the batarian government to criminal organizations led to many brutal raids on human colonies in the Verge, such as Mindoir, culminating in the Skyllian Blitz of 2176, an attack on the human capital of Elysium by batarian-funded pirates and slavers.
In 2178, the Alliance retaliated with a crushing assault on the moon of Torfan, long used as a staging base by batarian-backed criminals. In the aftermath, the batarians retreated into their own systems, and are now rarely seen in Citadel space unless you're in the Terminus Systems.
"How many enemy vessels are we dealing with?" I wanted to know.
I soon read the displays and saw that the Batarians had sent what they amusingly called warships around here, a cruiser with an escort of two destroyers and four frightes, with a couple of freighters tagging along, not a threat to my ship and not much of a show of force either. I got the impression that they were actually here on a diplomatic mission, not that this altered my opinion on them being my enemies.
"Lord-Captain they claim to have goods we will be interested in," I was told.
They could have a small supply of ezzo, other resources I wanted, or even a few hundred slaves if they packed people onboard if they did have slaves that they were trying to sell me they could be humans so I'd rather not simply blow them all up. Not if they had value as serfs as I needed more of those.
"Shall we prepare to fire?" asked my First Officer.
We'd had our point defences active as soon as the alien fleet started moving towards us and normally they wouldn't matter much unless we were dealing with incoming missiles and very small enemy craft such as bombers, however the ships that were still coming towards us had their barriers down and their weapons offline. Since these were pirate and slaver ships they would be much easier prey then an enemy military fleet.
"These xenos have a strict caste system" I was now saying "So their leaders will be on that cruiser so we'll let it dock with us and I'll go to meet with them. Launch a wing of fighters as an escort for the alien vessel".
But not to talk. I was going to go and play space pirate as I wanted to while visiting this universe.
"If I give the signal I want you to destroy this puny fleet with our point defence" I went on to say "They won't want to risk their leaders and will be slow to respond as you launch more fighters, so I might be able to get them to withdraw and leave those freighters behind".
Or at least this felt like the right course of action and an attempt to see into the future made it seem as if things would work out for the best. The aliens might not surrender and given how they treated their slaves it wouldn't be so bad if I blew them all up.
"What will you do with the ship?" asked the Inquisitor "You should at least be able to seize the cruiser".
She had a habit of simply turning up so I wasn't shocked by her sudden appearance on the bridge.
"I'll sell it to someone on Illium," I said. "The aliens in this galaxy all have the same tech, more or less and a single cruiser won't make a difference. In exchange I can obtain some badly needed raw materials for our ship building operations on Thrax II".
While I didn't need her approval it was good that she seemed to approve my actions.
"I hope that you'll give me a chance to poke around first in case I find anything interesting" she requested.
This was fine with me.
"These batarians might retaliate" warned the Inquisitor "You may wish to make an example of one of their worlds so as to make it clear that they would be wise to avoid Imperial attention".
The four eyed aliens were arrogent but they weren't stupid if I went and demolish one of their bigger settlements they'd get the message I didn't wish to destroy their empire because that would take time and effort, and the Reapers would crush it anyway, so best to make it clear to the xenos that they should stay out of my way. If they did come after me than I'd have to do something very ruthless.
"I assume that you have a target in mind," I said.
She nodded.
"Just say the world and I'll have my people make an example out of a colony" she offered "The Inquisition has it one means of making examples".
We'd see how things played out.