Welcome to Chapter 2. Still looking for a Beta Reader
Aboard the Archon of Dawn, Augustus' combat vessel, the surviving members of the boarding party were going through decontamination. The boarding had actually gone fairly well, with the exception of the two companies that were completely wiped out during the attack on the Inner Sanctum.
As Simon walked out of the decontamination shower and cleansing ritual chamber, he watched the girl he had found come off the the conveyor belt used for cleaning equipment. Maren had found a jumpsuit for her to wear, but as it wasn't hermetically sealed, it had to be removed to run her through the cleanser. Simon reached for a disposable foil blanket and carefully wrapped her with it, then picked her up as Venatus entered the room, water dripping off his augmentics.
"We need to take her to the Medicae Wing." The Magos said. "We need to ensure that she doesn't have any deeper contamination if you're going to insist on keeping her."
Simon nodded. "I will."
The pair began walking toward the Medicae Ward of the ship. As they walked, the girl stirred slightly in Simon's arms.
"That's a good sign." Venatus said. "Slight movement during sleep is normal for organic beings. It indicates that she is in a state of rest rather than unconsciousness."
At some point during the walk, Maren joined Venatus and Simon. She looked at the unconscious girl with her mask's blank stare, nodded, then fell into step with Simon and Venatus.
Eventually, they came to the Medicae bay. Augustus was waiting for the trio by the door. "I figured you'd want to check her for corruption. I have the machine warmed up and ready."
Simon carried the young woman into the room and laid her down on the platform extending out from the blocky machine. It looked like a giant, thick metal tube taller than anyone in the room, and long enough for a man to lay down in. It was covered in symbols of the Machine God, runes to please the machine spirit, and blinking status lights.
Venatus took up a position at the control panel and plugged several of his augmentations into the device. Slowly, the platform began to retract into the machine, which produced a variety of buzzing and beeping sounds.
A few seconds after the platform and the girl had vanished into the machine, a holographic image of her body appeared in the air between the members of the retinue.
At first glance, nothing seemed to be wrong. However, as Simon looked closer, something appeared slightly... off about the arrangement and shapes of her internal organs. They seemed too neat somehow, like someone had tidied up the normal clutter of the human chest cavity.
"Is she a mutant?" Simon asked, after a moment, a strange feeling in his chest.
"I'll need to run a gene test to be sure, but that appears to be the case." Venatus said.
"What do we do with her?" Simon muttered, concerned.
"We see if she had any useful mutations." Augustus said. "If not, I suppose we can always use another space-scullery or astro-maid."
"Oh." Simon said. For a second, he'd been worried that Augustus would say they'd space her.
As the pair were talking, Venatus reached out with one of his mechadendrites and pricked her skin, drawing a small sample of blood. He walked over to one of the other machines, muttered a short prayer, and inserted the blood sample in its reader slot.
It was a rapid screening device, designed for use in quickly screening a planetary population for mutation. Therefore, it was fairly quick, and produce a result in only a few minutes of tense waiting.
Venatus plugged another of his mechadendrites into the machine and nodded, closing his natural eyes.
"She's not a mutant... exactly." Venatus said at last.
"What do you mean?" Augustus asked. "Either someone's a mutant or they're not. What's the gray area?"
"Unlike most mutants, particularly those influenced by the Warp, who have changes in the sections of the genome that code for particular body parts, she has a fully complete human gene code. However, significant portions of her non-coding genes have been converted to some other standard, which exerts some influence on the normal portions of her body." Venatus explained. "Therefore, she meets the most rigorous definition of the term mutant, though she is not missing any genes that would define one as human. It will require further testing, but I believe she is genetically stable."
"In Low Gothic, please?" Augustus said.
Venatus had explained a bit of genetic science to Simon, and he was still somewhat confused by the explanation.
"She is human, with some extras." Venatus said. "And she probably won't change over time, but I'm not certain."
"Much better." Augustus said. "Now-"
"Ughhhh." A feminine voice said. "Urrrr."
It was coming from the machine. Venatus shot a tendril across the room and pressed a button, and the platform began to extend from the machine. The young woman lay on the platform, propping herself up on her elbows.
"Hello." She said, in slightly accented Low Gothic. "Who am I?"
The entire team was silent for a moment. Then Simon spoke.
"I don't know who you are." He said. "But we found you on a Heretek vessel. You wouldn't happen to know what you were doing there, would you?"
"I remember walk up in the cage, then I got out, then I fought those things, and-"
"What things?" Simon interrupted, pressing a sequence of runes on his wristcomp and displaying a holographic image of a bloodletter. "Did it look like this?"
The girl tilted her head. "I think so, but the first one was a bit bigger. I killed a bunch of them, but there were more, and I... I don't remember."
Simon looked at Augustus, who nodded.
"What you fought was called a daemon." Simon said. "They're manifestations of Chaos. We've run you through a cleansing ritual, so it won't corrupt you, but its very important that you tell us if you feel any temptations or compulsions. Now, how did you fight these daemons?"
"Oh, like this!" She said, closing her eyes.
Simon felt a massive surge of Warp energy, and the girl he had rescued vanished in a blaze of light. An instant later, a massive Tyranid Warrior was standing in the Medicae Ward.
It was the same red and silver Warrior that Simon had seen fight the daemons.
"Dear Emperor." He muttered.
"Indeed." Augustus said.
No one said anything for a moment, though a few of Venatus' tendrils snaked out toward the creature and began scanning it.
"What is it?" A voice echoing in Simon's mind, sounding the same as the girls said. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Um... No." Simon said gingerly. "It's just... Well..."
"I just did." She said, a hit of confusion in her voice. "You mean you can't do this?"
"No." Simon said. "I didn't think anyone could."
He looked at Augustus. "What is your home world?"
"What's that?" The Warrior responded, tilting her head.
It was bizarre seeing human body language on such a murderous creature. Simon had never faced Tyranid Warriors on the battlefield, but he had dealt with genestealers, and he knew how deadly the hive creatures could be.
"Simon, take her to the librarium and keep her busy until Venatus finishes with her gene code." Augustus said. "Keep her away from anything important, but use your judgement."
"Yes, sir." Simon said. He turned to the Warrior. "Can you switch back to human form?"
"Yes." The Warrior said. She closed her golden eyes, and she began to shrink. In no time, she was back in her human form. Naked.
Venatus reached over to a medical supply shelf and grabbed a gown. Maren sighed and walked forward to help the girl into it.
[x]
"So this is the Librarium." Simon said, opening the door leading to the starship's archive.
It was more of a cramped reading space, with specially designed servitors to retrieve books from the compact stacks. There were several large chairs with reading lights available. Simon walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. The girl he had pulled off the Heretek ship followed and sat down on his lap.
"That's not exactly how this is supposed to work." Simon said, shifting his position. "Usually, it's one person per chair."
"But why?" The girl said. "It's more comfortable this way."
"You don't have a standard for comparison- Fine." Simon said, then activated the holographic display. A catalogue of all the titles available in digital and print from appeared.
"The first thing we need to do is get you a name." Simon said, shifting to look up a list of common names. "These are common names on my homeworld. Just pick one you like."
"Alright." The girl said.
She began looking down the lists of names, mouthing them as she read. Simon could see her face twisted in concentration, trying out the various names. He couldn't deny that, in some way, it was cute.
"Sara." She said, after a few minutes. "Sara. I like that one. Can I have it?"
"Um... sure." Simon said, as the girl twisted to look at him. "I guess I'll call you Sara from now on."
The newly dubbed Sara beamed, like a hive child given her first Sanguinala present. "Thank you." She said. "I really like it."
"I guess you're a part of it now, so what do you know about the Imperium of Man?" Simon began.
"Imperium of Man?" Sara said. "Is that a food?"
"Why would you think that- Nevermind." Simon said. "Anyway, stop me if there are any words you don't know. So, the Imperium is the political body that, at least in theory, rules all of mankind. In practice, there are a lot of worlds that don't fall under the rule of the God Emperor."
"God Emperor?"
"The God-Emperor of Mankind is the immortal ruler of all of humanity. He is our light in the Darkness, our hope in despair, and our guiding beacon."
"Why do you need those things, though?" Sara asked.
Simon sighed. "It is the 41st Millennium. For more than a hundred centuries The Emperor has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. He is the Master of Mankind by the will of the gods, and master of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies..."
[x]
"... And then there are the Necrons, who are basically Zombie Death Robots with incomprehensibly advanced technology. They're pretty hard to kill, and when you do take them down, they have an annoying tendency to get back up." Simon said. "So that pretty much sums up the enemies of the Imperium. Any questions?"
"Wow." Sara said. "That's pretty bad. And we're always at war with all of them? How do we survive?"
"Well, we don't always fight all of them all the time." Simon said. "And a lot of them fight each other as much as they fight us. Plus, there are plenty of organizations in the Imperium dedicated to Humanity's survival. The Space Marines, for one, and the Inquisition, which I used to be a part of."
"What does the Inquisition do?" Sara asked.
"We traveled the Imperium, searching for threats to mankind and destroying them by any means necessary." Simon said.
"That sounds awesome!" Sara said. "Can I join?"
"Not anymore." Simon said. "Augustus and I got kicked out for working too closely with the Eldar. Now he's a Rogue Trader, traveling outside the Imperium seeking fame and fortune, in the name of the Emperor."
"I see." Sara said. "Can I help?"
"I don't know." Simon said. "That's really up to Augustus, not me. But I saw you in that fight with the Daemon, and if that's any indication of your fighting ability, we could probably use you."
Sara smiled. "Thank you."
A light on Simon's wristcomp blinked. He looked down at the time. At least an hour had passed since he had started explaining things to Sara, and he had apparently lost track of time. He had started with a basic top-down discussion of Imperial government, but he had gotten sidetracked into multiple discussions on other related topics.
"That's Augustus calling. He and Venatus must have reached a decision about what to do." Simon said. "We should head back to the Medicae Ward of the ship. They'll be waiting."
The pair got up and began to make for the door. As they did so, Simon realized that they hadn't called for a single book in the time they'd been in the Librarium.
On the way back to the Medicae wing, Simon considered Sara. She was certainly good looking, with well-balanced features and a shapely, if somewhat flat, features. Her bright golden eyes seemed to complement her dark hair, and none of her features could be considered unattractive. However, after seeing the monster she could transform into, she made him nervous, to say the least.
The pair eventually reached the Medicae Ward of the ship. As they entered the main chamber, Augustus, Maren, and Venatus turned toward the door. Simon figured that they'd been talking.
"So, we're finished a preliminary analysis of the girl's genes." Augustus said. "And we've come to several important conclusions."
"Before we go any further," Simon said, "We've decided on a name for her. She's Sara now."
"Interesting." Augustus said, then cleared his throat. "In any case, we've come to the conclusion that... Sara... does not possess sufficient genetic alteration from the human genome to be considered a Mutant, despite considerable changes and additions to non-coding regions of her gene code. However, given her exceptional genetic stability test results and her potential usefulness to the Imperium, I hereby use my authority as a Rogue Trader to grant her the status of Provisional Sanctioned Mutant. I would also like to extend an official invitation to join my retinue."
"Thank you!" Sara said. "I'll do my best."
Simon nodded to Augustus.
"In any case, now that we've finished that, we have business to attend to." Augustus said. "Simon, find Sara some quarters."
"Yes sir." Simon said. "Sara, come on."
"Okay!" Sara said, as the two left the room.
[x]
Augustus watched as Simon and the girl left the room, then turned back to Maren and Venatus.
"So, the girl was clearly Tyranid?" Augustus said.
"Yes." Venatus said. "The entire gene code for a high-grade Tyranid Warrior with multiple biological enhancements was written into her non-coding DNA. Given the remarkable efficiency of Tyranid genetic coding, it was all able to fit into her human genome with minimal disruption. Indeed, it is quite intriguing, perhaps even a miracle of the Machine God, that-"
"Venatus?" Maren said. "Enough."
"Fine." Venatus said. "This could be the greatest discovery of the century, though. I hope you know that."
"I understand the significance of this discovery." Augustus replied. "But what we have to consider is what practical use this girl could have. Anyone with Tyranid DNA would be considered worse than most mutants, so to keep her alive, we need to clearly demonstrate why she is useful."
"And why is it so important that we keep her alive?" Maren asked. "She is a mutant, after all."
"Because I'm sure she is useful." Augustus said. "If nothing else, she changes the paradigm in which we view the Tyranids. Given how much progress Hive Fleet Leviathan is making, that is something we need. Badly."
"But how will she stop the advance of the Tyranids?" Venatus said. "That seems like quite the logical jump."
"I haven't figured that part out yet." Augustus said. "But in the meantime, we have business to do. Fighting the enemies of mankind doesn't pay for itself. Now, if we're going to make any changes with this Tyranid girl, we'll need funds. Anyone got any ideas?"
Venatus opened a holographic map of the Seraphim sector. It consisted of a pirate-infested cluster of stars and independent systems in Ultima Segmentum functionally beyond the control of the Imperium of Man, and was ripe with business opportunities for those unafraid to take risks.
"We could go escort fuel tankers flying from the platforms on Graturn VII." Venatus said. "Escort fees are normally high for even frigate-weight escorts. With our lance capability, we could protect a whole convoy and charge a higher rate. Risk is low."
"But so is the reward." Maren said. "Autruna still produces Vernal Crystals, but they're illegal and in high demand pretty much everywhere else in the sector. We pick up a cargo of energy cells or something else that merits being transported on a warship on the way there, fly by Autruna and pick up a few hundred chests of crystals, then stop somewhere on the other side of the sector and unload. Easy work for a fortune."
"Vernal Crystal... Don't Slaaneshi cultists love that stuff?" Augusts said. "Why would we want to support that sort of thing?"
"Because it lets us know where the cultists are." Maren said. "Then we come charging in and whip out the cult, and hand over the drugs, which we're already been paid for, to the proper authorities."
"I like the idea." Augustus said. "Cross reference demand for Vernal Crystal and know Chaos Cult activity on the map."
Venatus closed his eyes, and the map blinked out for a second. When it came back, the stars were all glowing a wide variety of colors, though one stood out in bright red.
"There." Augustus said, pointing. "The Sernsiwui system. Know cult activity and a high demand for Crystal, among other drugs. I think we've got a winner. Call the helm and tell them to set a course of the nearest industrial world."
[x]
"So this is the residential area where most of the retinue stays." Simon said, opening the armored hatch leading to retinue's sanctum. "It's mostly unoccupied, so you can pick just about any of the rooms."
The pair were standing in a large circular room with a variety of furnishings and fittings. There was a massive holovid display with chairs, a kitchenette, a small shrine, and a variety of other domestic areas scattered seemingly at random throughout the large room. An elevated walkway ran around the rim of the room, with over a dozen doors leading off of it.
"Ohh." Sara said, looking up at the raised walkway. "How do we get up there?"
"Over here." Simon said, opening a side door leading to a narrow staircase.
The pair walked up the staircase and out onto the balcony. As she exited the stairwell, Sara gasped and ran over to the railing.
"Wow." She breathed. "So I can pick any of these rooms?"
"Yeah, pretty much." Simon said. "Just any not the occupied ones. Still, this room was never full, and we lost most of the retinue when Augustus lost his Inquisitor status."
"What do you mean?" Sara asked, turning back toward Simon with a concerned look on her face.
"Well, Augustus kept most of his retinue with him by their own free will." Simon said, with a shrug. "And when he lost his status as an Inquisitor, most of the people he had collected left. Going from Inquisitor to Rogue Trader is a bit of a step down, and most of them didn't think that it worth sticking around."
"But... Why did you stay?" Sara asked.
"I didn't have anywhere else to go." Simon replied, looking down. "My home planet... Isn't a very nice place to live anymore."
Sara tilted her head. "Why?"
Simon paused for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Orks." He said finally. "Orks invaded when I was just a kid. The PDF fought back against them, but a little agri-world in the middle of some nowhere sector couldn't raise a PDF able to fight back against an Ork invasion of that size. We were losing ground, and the Orks were multiplying. Then Inquisitor Augustus showed up. He was looking for a relic, and he still won't tell me what, but that required that he push back against the Orks. He brought a few thousand Inquisitorial Stormtroopers and a few regiments of the Guard with him, and that turned the tide."
"But that's good, right?" Sara said, confusion evident in her voice.
"Yeah, but that just encouraged one of the Ork leaders, a partially destructive Mekboy named Defhamma. He broke out some really nasty weapons and trashed the major population centers." Simon said. "Not that that mattered to me. My village had been trashed the first night Augustus showed up. It was the first place he landed, actually. He saved me. I was just some kid whose Psychic power had just awakened wandering through the wreckage. He took me under his wing and... Well, here I am."
"I see." Sara said. "That's really sad."
"It's not all that uncommon, though." Simon said. "I mean, ever since-:" Simon cut short. He didn't think he was quite ready to tell Sara about the Tyranids just yet. "Well, it's been going on as long as anyone can remember."
"But... I'm kind of glad that all that happened." Sara said slowly. "I mean, if it hadn't, I never would have met you. And I'm very glad that we met."
"What... What do you mean?" Simon said.
Sara looked down. "Nothing. Sorry. Anyway, so about these rooms?"
"Yeah, we should get on that. If we-"
Simon was cut off by a sudden blaring alarm.
"That's the Warp Jump alert!" Simon said. "Frak." He looked around. "We need to get into my room."
"Why?"
"It's specially shielded." Simon said, taking off in a run down the elevated walkway. "As a decent psyker, I'm a bit sensitive to Warp Jumps. When I'm not wearing my psychic hood, they can be pretty nasty."
"Oh." Sara said, running after Simon.
The pair dashed to a door approximately halfway around the ring. Simon placed his hand on the bronzed doorknob, which flashed under his hand. He turned the knob, and the door open as the ship shuddered beneath him. He darted inside, and Sara shot in after him. Simon slammed the door shut behind them just as the ship shook again, more violently this time.
Simon screamed and fell to his knees, hands on his temples. Sara staggered, pressing her hand into her face. Simon looked up at her, breathing deeply, a grimace stitched across his face.
"You... You're a Psyker too?" He said, between gasps.
"I didn't know either." Sara moaned, shaking her head. "Why do you say that?"
"Because you're suffering from the Warp Jump. Most people don't even notice them." Simon said. "You have to be able to tap into the Warp, and be fairly good at it, before you start to feel them. Suffering from them only starts when you have some serious power."
"I see." Sara said, her voice clearing. "So what does that mean?"
"Well, you'll probably want to start focusing on picking a discipline and practicing defense exercises." Simon said. "After all the trouble I went through to save you, I'd hate to see you get devoured by a daemon."
Sara blushed. "Oh." She said.
"Anyway, this is probably connected to your transformation ability. I wonder if you could transform in an area cut off from the Warp." Simon said.
Neither of them said anything for a few minutes as Sara looked around the room and Simon slowly recovered from the Warp Jump.
The room was decorated in a classical sense, with lots of nul-flame varnished wood and stone visible. Several walls were covered in bookshelves covering a variety of topics, some of which were illegal for discussion on many Imperial worlds. Doors from the main living space led to a study, a Psyker practice chamber, a bathroom, and a well-appointed bedroom.
"I think I've decided." Sara said. "I want to stay here."
"What?" Simon said. "This is my room!"
"But I like it here." Sara said, frowning. "Why can't I stay?"
"Because this is my room." Simon said, pressing his palm into his face.
"And?"
"Just..." Simon took a deep breath. "I need to talk to Augustus. But-"
Sara's stomach growled.
"What was that?" Sara said, hands on her chest, looking around in fear. "Are we under attack?"
"No." Simon said, chuckling. "You're hungry, aren't you?"
"Um... Yes." Sara said.
"Let's go down to the officer's mess and get you something to eat." Simon said. "You haven't eaten since you came off that ship."
[x]
Augustus waited as the door to the Astropathic relay chamber opened. Located near the core of the ship, the critical space was what gave the Archon of Dawn the capability for interstellar communication. Augustus kept a Choir of sixteen Astropaths, giving him a considerable range of real-time contact, and rapid communication with anywhere in the Seraphim sector.
The heavy blast door opened, and Augustus entered and stepped up to the Astropathic relay interface console and sat down as the blast door rumbled shut. Hey keyed in his passphrase, then waited as the retinal scanner and gene sampler confirmed his identity. Once he was allowed to log into the system, a map of the sector showing various news alerts appeared.
Despite losing the perks of his Inquisitor status, Augustus still retained many of the clearances and contacts that he had obtained during his time in the Inquisition, as well as his knack for forming information networks.
It was through one of these networks that he had discovered the cult activity on Sernsiwu. It was also how he had managed to perform enough successful trading to keep both his Grand Cruiser running and the regiment of soldiers and Skitarii the had used to storm the heretek vessel under his employ. It also helped in amortizing the costs of keeping his networks running.
He quickly placed an order for plasma energy systems at the Archon of Dawn's current destination, which were valuable enough to merit transporting on a warship and would provide excellent cover for the crew's real cargo Vernal Crystals.
After that, he began browsing the reports of the ongoing wars the Imperium was currently embroiled in. Hive Fleet Leviathan, which had appeared in the Galaxy last year, was making advances. It was looking to be the largest Hive Fleet yet.
And given how bad the first two had been, the Imperium needed every edge it could get.
Hopefully, he had one.
One of the benefits of being a Rogue Trader was access to truly absurd amounts of money via fully legitimate sources, which in Augustus' case was somewhat augmented by his... acquisition... of every Imperial resource he could get his hands on when he realized that his political opponents had moved to 'grant' his a Warrant of Trade.
With only a single warship to his name, he was still rather poor by Rogue Trader standards, but he still had access to immense resources. True, most of those resources were tied up in various ventures across the Seraphim Sector, but those massive investments gave him influence.
He couldn't simply try to start increasing the toleration of Mutants across the sector as, given the Chaotic tendencies of most mutants, that could lead to disaster. He could pose as the creator of the new strain of Human-Tyranid hybrid, but he doubted that he could create a front that would stand up to the close scrutiny to which he would no doubt be subject. Besides, the huge deviation from established STC methods, that could get him labeled a Heretek.
What would be the best option? Augustus leaned back in his chair and placed his fingers on his chin. He could start spreading word of his discovery, but that might draw the attention of Inquisitors. An overzealous Ordo Xenos Inquisitor could easily purge his discovery, which would be a shame, especially if it got him purged as well.
Then there was the matter of this acolyte. The boy seemed quite intrigued by the hybrid, to say the very least. And see seemed to show a similar degree of interest in him. On one hand, that could make her easier to control, but on the other hand, it could risk compromising his apprentice. He had invested too much in the boy to see him fall now.
Augustus opened a letter template. His best bet was probably to start contacting his agents and alerting them that he had found something big, then supplying them with enough details that they could start preparing the field without giving the concrete proof that would likely draw the interest of the Inquisition.
He began to type.
[x]
"So this is the third officer's mess." Simon said, as he and Sara walked into the massive space.
It was a large room, and though it was smaller than the enlisted messes, it had higher ceilings and much better food. There were a mixture of long tables and small group ones, and it was, like at all hours of the day, very busy. Men and women walked here and there carrying trays of food, or sat at tables talking and enjoying the reprieve from their duties.
"So, where do we get the food?" Sara asked, looked around with wide eyes, her hands clasped.
"Over there." Simon said, pointing towards a long row of windows set in one wall. Workers in white suits with tall hats stood behind the counters, handing out food to the sailors as they approached.
Simon and Sara began to thread their way through the crowd. Sara, still dressed in a medical gown, drew a few looks, but she seemed oblivious to them. Eventually, the pair reached the food windows. There were long tables set out, buffet style, with cold items, and stacks of plates, trays and utensils.
As Simon collected his tray, he glanced over at Sara, who had placed at least five plates on her tray. He raised an eyebrow.
"I'm hungry." She said.
The two walked down the buffet. It appeared to currently be 'breakfast', though given the round-the-clock nature of a starship, what meals were served when changed mostly at the whims of the food service staff. You learned to adapt.
Simon collected a muffin and a donut; he was hungry after using so much psychic power aboard the Heretek vessel. Sara, on the other hand, went for one of everything. As Simon watched, she devoured a muffin with all the speed and ferocity of, well, a Tyranid.
"Usually," He said, "It's customary to wait until you sit down before eating."
"Why?" Sara asked, her mouth still full.
"It's rude and unsanitary." Simon said.
"What do you mean?"
"It spreads germs." Simon said.
"What are those?"
"Tiny creatures that make you sick." Simon explained, wondering how a Tyranid didn't know what germs were. "On a starship, disease can spread quickly, so it's important that everyone maintain good hygiene."
"Oh." Sara said. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Simon said. "Anyway, let's get some hot food."
The pair walked over to one of the counters. There were all manner of hot breakfast pastries available, alongside grox steaks, sausages, and Bacon, as well as various other proteins. Simon took a few waffles and some syrup as well as some become, while Sara took a pile of everything.
The two then made their way to an unoccupied table and sat down. Simon began to eat, while Sara literally began digging in to her food. Where is she putting it? Simon wondered.
A few minutes after they had begun eating, a young man wearing a work uniform with the pins of an Ensign approached the table.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" He asked.
"No." Simon said. "Sit down."
"Thank you." He said. "I just got transferred, so I'm still learning how things work around here."
"Oh, what's your duty station?" Simon asked.
"I'm on the Bridge." He said.
"Wow." Simon said. "What do you do?"
"I'm a junior support tactical officer." He said. "I help aim one of the lance cannons. What do you do?"
"I work with The Boss." Simon said.
"You're messing with me."
"No, really, I'm part of the retinue." Simon said.
"Did you go on that boarding action?" The Ensign asked.
"Yeah." Simon said.
"How was it?"
"It was pretty rough." Simon said, glancing down. "The Heretek summoned Daemons on us in there. We managed, though."
"Wow." The Ensign said. "I can't imagine dealing with daemons. You know, without a lance battery backing you up."
"I managed. We didn't really find anything of interest, though." Simon said.
"Wait!" Sara interjected. "I thought that-"
"You were wrong." Simon said, cutting her off. "There was nothing on that ship worth mentioning that we haven't already destroyed."
"Oh, I see." The Ensign said. "So would you say the assault was a waste of time?"
"No." Simon responded. "We pulled some information of his cogitators that might let us take down some other Heretek cells."
"Interesting." The Ensign said. "Well, everyone will be glad to hear that the battle wasn't a waste of time. I know I'm glad."
"I don't believe I caught your name." Simon said.
"I'm sorry. I'm Ensign Kale." The Ensign said. "And you are?"
"Simon." Simon said. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise." Kale replied.
"I'm glad to meet you too." Sara said enthusiastically, breaking her silence. "So what do you do on the bridge?"
"Most of the time?" Kale said. "Stand watch and watch the helmsman steer the ship. Occasionally, we perform a status test on the lance. Once we get into combat, I provide one of five targeting solutions for the lance, and the station director picks which one to use based on things a lowly Ensign isn't meant to understand. It's normally a lot quieter than the Drive section, but we were pretty busy when we were disabling the Heretek ship."
"Wow." Sara said. "What's a lance?"
"Ummm." Kale gazed at Sara with a blank look on his face.
"She's new here." Simon said quickly.
"A lance is a massive lightspeed energy weapon for targeting and destroying enemy starships at range." Kale explained, sounding slightly bemused.
"Oh." Sara said, nodding.
As the trio ate, they discussed the various minutia of life aboard the massive Archon of Dawn. Kale asked quite a few questions about life as part of a Rogue Trader's retinue, though Simon was generally evasive when answering those. He wasn't really sure how much Augustus would want him to share, but he was relatively certain that Sara was supposed to stay secret.
Eventually, Kale looked down at the wrist chrono. "I have to go. My lunch is almost over."
"It was nice meeting you." Sara said.
"Thank you." Kale responded. "I never thought I'd meet a member of the retinue."
"It's not all it's cracked up to be." Simon said. "Did I mention the part where my face almost got eaten by daemons?"
"Yes," Kale said, chuckling, "But it probably has its upsides."
"Yeah." Simon said. "I guess it does."
[x]
CODEX:
Seraphim Sector: A region of space on the fringe of the Imperium, most worlds here have not been part of the Imperium since the Great Crusade, and Imperial control over the sector was lost during the Horus Heresy, as the garrison forces were needed elsewhere and never returned. The region was not yet fully integrated into the Imperium, and the sector became home to a mess of independent worlds, pocket empires, and even Xeno states. The sole connection to the wider world in the sector is the Adeptus Mechanicus, which maintains some influence in the region.
The region is home to several Rogue Traders, who ply their trade on the space lanes without much concern for the laws of the Imperium. They create quite a lot of wealth in the region, but are not adverse to engineering wars between pocket empires for their own profit.
There are several ongoing and potential threats in the Seraphim Sector. Genestealer cults have been rooted on five separate worlds in the sector, three times by Rogue Traders, Including Rogue Trader Augustus. In addition to the potential threat of Tyranids, the Tau have made several overtures into the region, perhaps planning to establish a Sept World far from their main empire, but in a region where the Imperium would find it hard to crush it.
Several world in the region are home to Orks, though it has been decades since a Warboss has managed to gain enough of a following to launch a full-scale WAAAGH! into a neighboring star system.
There are known to be at least three major Webway gates in the sector of sufficient size to accommodate an Eldar Capital ship, though their exact locations are unknown. Nonetheless, Craftworld Eldar have been active in the Seraphim Sector in the past, and rumors persist of other, darker, Eldar launching raids into the region.
Chaos is a constant concern in the Seraphim Sector, far from the guiding light of the Emperor. Cults have broken out on many worlds in the past, but none have yet managed to convert a planet into a Daemon World. Nonetheless, countless lives are lost each year to the machinations of the Ruinous powers in the region, and often it is Rogue Traders protecting their business interests that are the first, and sometimes last, line of defense against the schemes of the dark powers.
Fortunately, there is no Necron presence in the system, and rumors of strange black and green ships moving faster than should be possible are just that, rumors. There is not substance to any of these reports, and believing otherwise is discouraged.
[REDACTED]: This [REDACTED] is [REDACTED] considered a substantial threat to [REDACTED] [REDACTED] by way of [REDACTED]. Given the considerable [REDACTED], it is advisable that [REDACTED]... (Text becomes an illegible mixture of black ink and and erasure marks.)