Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

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Capntastic
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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Wed Apr 21, 2010 4:12 am

Dauphin shrugged, raising his chin a fraction of an inch.

"We'll fare well enough by virtue of grace and skill. And, if we must grease any palms, I've come prepared."

He slipped a small wooden case- bare of decoration save for its own natural grain- from his inner coat pocket, wagged it a bit, and then replaced it.

"We'll tug the loose ends Fel has left behind until his plot unravels fully."

With that, he produced a finely aged lho-stick- thick and dark with its oils, gleaming where they had begun to crystallize- from some other pocket. He did not light it, he simply examined it casually, leaving it to the Captain to give the word to shove off.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Wed Apr 21, 2010 4:55 am

Rajender did so with a nod and a gesture, leaning back into his own seat and waiting for the bay to clear and the pilot to goad the machine spirit into action.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:17 am

With the pre-flight rituals complete and the bay cleared, the shuttle boosts out the boat bay doors, its course charting a parabola perhaps a quarter of the way around the station before coming in to dock at a nondescript port. No great fuss is made of their arrival, such short transits being commonplace among those unwilling to walk to their destinations. From here, the group can return to the Court of the Dead from another direction, go in search of a chartist, or perhaps pursue other goals.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Thu Apr 22, 2010 11:25 am

Rajender took a moment to contemplate their options before speaking, keeping his voice low at all times. Dray's words of caution were still fresh in his mind.

"Mister Dauphin, your men are still ashore, are they not? Perhaps you should see if they can dig up anything concerning the incident at the Court of the Dead. We should see about attending to the needs of our Navigators and acquire and other tools we may require for the task ahead of us."

He mulled over his own words. Their ultimate objective was the salvage of a grand ship. They'd need to make sure that the crew were properly equipped for the task. Vipsanius could most likely handle that. There was also the matter of further violence. Fel had already shown that he was willing to use force against them and was likely to do so again. His actions demanded a retributive strike at the very least. He had complete faith in The Satisfaction's capabilities and Father Licaon's ability to instil the men with the righteous fervor required to win any engagement. He was less certain about the his own capabilities and that of those currently in his company. He would have to consult with Race about what measures they could take to ensure that they had the advantage in personal combat. He'd voice these concerns after Dauphin had made the call on how to utilise his network of information gatherers.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Tue Apr 27, 2010 4:52 pm

"They're currently getting a feel for the situation, portside. Resupply should be no problem at all. What tools in particular did you have in mind?"

He twirled the lho-stick about his fingers, a precisely tuned action to voice his impatience to get portside.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Tue Apr 27, 2010 5:46 pm

Rajender stroked his beard thoughtfully. A brace of fine duelling laspistols immediately sprung to mind, but he doubted that would be the practical option.

"Vipsanius, Mr Loken? What would you suggest?"

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Fri Apr 30, 2010 2:02 am

"Tools to salvage a ship?" Vipsanius had been surprisingly silent, but as the captain addressed him he turned with a sudden speed towards him, ocular lenses glowing slightly in the semi-dim light of the shuttle.

"AaaHA, lord-captain, it's a great endeavour that. Assuming the ship has kept safe from becoming a part of a, mnah, hulk, we must make sure the gellar-field remains in effect, should we wish to bring it through the Immaterium..." he coughed slightly and seemed to consider what to say next.

"Most prudent would be, if we wish to salvage the great spirit, to ensure we can bring its engines to work once more, ensure that there is a functional warp-drive and proper life-support. Ehehehah, as for what crew we require to ensure that it steers clear through the Immaterium, I would leave to the honored Navigators and Astropaths. I will ensure, not insure, that we have the hallowed parts we need to make the ship capable of surviving the voyage back to port."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Fri Apr 30, 2010 5:27 am

Rajender listened to Vipsanius, only half aware of what he was actually saying. Salvaging the ship. By the Throne, the thought had never even occurred to him. He'd merely intended to loot whatever wealth they found within it and was now feeling quite the fool for not seeing the bigger prize. That was nothing compared to the thought of bringing a second mighty ship into the dynasty. A grand cruiser, one that had taken part in the crusade that had forged the Calixis sector. It took him a moment to gather his senses and respond to the Explorator.

"Make it so. Father Licaon, what would it take to reconsecrate such a-" he paused, eyes flicking from side to side. Had their conversation been overheard? Fel was trouble enough. He wouldn't tolerate another rival. He continued, speaking more softly now, "to reconsecrate such a prize? Do we have the resources to make this happen?" The second question was directed at Dauphin, practical concerns catching up with dreams.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Thu May 06, 2010 4:38 am

"On hand? Well.... I doubt we have enough paint in the Satisfaction's holds.... Or champagne enough for the celebration. We might need to tap into my private reserves." He smirked, twirling the cigar with some mirth.

"Though that's all secondary. I'm sure Vispanius will back me up with proper figures, but when we find the ship, we'll be lucky if it's 'machine spirit' hasn't entirely fled. Repairs would be a monstrous task, especially if that pulsar has been degrading it. Double especially since it will make repairs a very tricky issue. Casualties could be very high, and we'd need to take on quite a few extra hundreds of crew..."

He stopped twirling the cigar, and pocketed it, quickly.

"If the ship is salvageable, repairs would be a lengthy process. Once we secure it, we'd need to tow it out of range of the pulsar. Then defend it until both The Righteous Path and The Satisfaction can sail off into the sunset. Of course, there are myriad problems plaguing even this best case scenario. Preparing for all of that, of course, leaves us open to defeat at the hands of Fel, or the Warp itself."

He glanced at his silver watch, and then his gold one.

"It depends all on how much you're willing to risk in this gambit. As for my personal opinions, and judgment on behalf of the growth and glory of the dynasty...that can wait."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Thu May 06, 2010 5:52 am

He'd regretted that question the moment it left his mouth. How often were dreams dashed on the sharp rocks of reality? All too often in his opinion. He could override Dauphin's judgement, of course. He wanted this to happen. To chance the whole dynasty for it, however, would be beyond irresponsible.

"Well, in that case we need to ensure that when all this business is concluded we are the only party to know of the location of the prize. Our purpose is of paramount secrecy. Take whatever measures are necessary to prevent information leaks."

The others could handle the minutiae now. He needed to obtain a weapon to kill a man with.

(Once the discussion is done Rajender will attempt to track down a weapon with enough punch to drop someone easily. A bolt pistol is ideal but he can compromise.)

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Fri May 07, 2010 9:16 am

Race listens thoughtfully to the discussion, refraining from adding his opinion on the salvage, "Not much we can add in the way of small-arms, sir. The lockers are well stocked in case of boarders, and we've good men to wield them. Ship-to-ship, I'll wager we can hulk most anyone, unless they've the sense to run." This last represented either a justifiable pride in one's ship and crew or faith in having one of the larger ships around. Perhaps a combination of the two.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Mon May 10, 2010 9:57 am

Rajender nodded, his own assessment of the ship and her crew confirmed.

(Ready to move on here, chief.)

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Sat May 22, 2010 10:00 am

Having decided to upgrade his weaponry to something a little more... explosive, Rajender makes a brief detour to an armourer's. Alas, fortune is not with him today, for while the man has a multitude of lesser weapons available, such rare emblems of authority as bolt weapons seldom pass through his hands. He will, of course, be happy to make some enquiries, but the owners of such weapons seldom part with them willingly, and he lacks the skill to construct them himself, such being the trade of specialised artisans. This being one of the better established stores, it seems unlikely that Rajender will have more luck elsewhere.

As it turns out, the stall that is their destinaton is now open for business, a variety of cog amulets, supposedly sacred oils, loose circuits and other such odds and ends marking it out as the livelihood of a scrap-tinker, one of the mostly legitimate lesser technicians who appear on the fringes of any civilised society, dealing with routine repairs for the very lowest end of the market. She pales at the sight of the group approaching her.

Vipsanius:

Spoiler:
There is a high probability that the woman's consternation is due to your presence. For any such lowly creature to merit the attention of a senior member of the Mechanicus surely bodes terrible things.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Sat May 22, 2010 4:52 pm

Vipsanius didn't enjoy crowds. Stinky, smelly, ultimately flawed piles of flesh wobbling around with nothing better to do than bump into each other, get poisoned, kill each other and ultimately failing to achieve even a hint of the grandeur of a well-taken care of machine. So precise, so grand... He would unlock this potential in all men around him, certainly, but for now all he saw was flawed men and women whom he could not help. It made him upset. It made strange chemicals gurgle inside him, and that made his concentration falter. It made him very, very upset.

It was thus like this he came upon the stall with the silly little wobble-woman standing in it. Oh how she writhed at the sight of him. Had he been a good explorator-priest in the service of the Omnissiah, had he given a damn about rules and regulations like so many of his upstart seniors and equals, he might've done something, perhaps telling her off, or having her dragged off for reaugmentation as a servitor... but he found no joy in such fascistic behaviour.

So, while those so inclined will question the woman, he turns to inspect what she is selling. Her handiwork isn't bad... done perhaps by someone of better skill than herself... but he would have to investigate, and that would require... talking...

"Woman" his voice erupted from the vox-enhancer, "Who has done these repairs? Who has sanctified these ungents? You?"

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Tue May 25, 2010 8:19 am

Rajender stood back and let Vipsanius conduct his inquiry, though he made sure to keep himself in sight of the woman. If the woman had been worried by their approach she'd hopefully be outright fearful by the time the tech-priest had finished with her. Any information she possessed would flow freely then. He made a show of looking over her wares in an unimpressed fashion.

(Attempting to give Vipsanius a +10 to whatever interaction roll he might require to get the woman to talk, if his presence alone can add to the woman's willingness to talk. Exceptional Leader normally requires the beneficiary to hear the Rogue Trader so this may not work.)

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Tue May 25, 2010 8:33 pm

Dauphin glanced at his redcloaked pal from under his shades, and strode up to the stall quick and fluidly.

"Pardon my associate's brisk demeanor-- he forgets that proper business requires proper introductions. I am Conciliator LaFresque, in service of Commandant Harvince. We seek the owner of these premises; pray be it you, so that the ensuing discussions be light on eye and ear, dancing across the rough edges of the work we do."

[Charm all up in this stall. We shall see if honey or vinegar wins this day!]

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Wed May 26, 2010 8:10 am

"Nossir, all unguents properly sourced and sanctified, sir," the woman recites, eyes downcast and voice rapid with tension, "Minor repairs carried out by this unworthy one in approved fashion, praise be to the Omnissiah." The eyes dart in the direction of Dauphin, "This one's family line holds title to these premises by virtue of sustained occupation, subject to station law." Her mouth snaps shut; she is clearly wary of answering unasked questions and perhaps digging herself into deeper trouble.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Wed May 26, 2010 3:28 pm

Vipsanius more or less walked past the woman and began to inspect the 'approved fashion' in which these minor repairs had been performed. His occular enhancers whirred as he studied every little part of the objects, obviously not giving Dauphin a care; this was, after all, without doubt HIS territory. Vipsanius had never been a stickler for tradition, or the tight regulations of his order, but he prayed to the Omnissiah as readily as all his fellow tech-adepts, and he could not abide sloppy work, even on a place as remote as this.

Truth be told, he was impressed. Her work lacked the refined artistry of the Mechanicus, she simply did not have the tools, time or skills to handle the machine spirits correctly... but he saw promise in what she had done, and when he put it down he turned with a clunk and observed her.

"Praise be to the Omnissiah. We will require information from you, woman. Concerning recent events. I assume you tend to this stall most of the time?"

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Fri May 28, 2010 8:32 am

"Yessir," the scrap-tinker said, still speaking rather rapidly, "I serve here for alpha and beta shifts, excepting times of devotions and procurement of supplies. At those times, the stall is either closed or given over to my son's keeping."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Fri May 28, 2010 10:55 am

"Then you, or your spawn, will be adequate. Yesterday our esteemed lord-captain Rajender," he motioned tiredly to the man with a bony hand, "and our party suffered an assault in these very perimeters, wherein a psyber raven, an artifact I am sure you do not know of" he gave her a stern look, which seemed to radiate through his occular enhancers, "Aha, indeed, it fared in this very direction, and I have good grounds to expect its wielder, and perhaps more, were present in this very area, but then fled. We wish to know who they were, their countenance as well as anything else your imperfect mind can share with us."

For a moment he observed the waif before he added, "An adequate reward for relevant data will, aha, of course be given."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Fri May 28, 2010 4:28 pm

Dauphin sighed, seeing Vispanius abandon a perfectly good pseudonym for the Captain, and instead choose to travel the path of truth. Not letting that stop him from being productive, he decided that if Vispanius was going to do the talking, Dauphin would do the investigating. He then made to enter the stall and begin his inspection.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Sat Jun 05, 2010 9:29 am

The woman's eyes widen at such evidence of perfidy and she promptly goes down on one knee, addressing Rajender, "My sincerest apologies, lord, for my part in this disgraceful incident." Her attention swiftly returns to Vipsanius, "I let out the premises to a woman of wealth, if not station. She dressed and carried herself as one born to the lower decks, but her skin and hair were clean and unblemished. Her servants were three rough men, who gave me to understand that they desired my premises fo a clandestine rendezvous and discouraged the asking of questions. Between the thrones offered and the unspoken threat of force, I saw little choice but to accede. The woman stood at one point four metres in height, with pale skin, green eyes and black unbound hair." Once again, the woman's speech stops, her eyes now fixed firmly on the ground.

Dauphin's investigations lead him past the ragged curtains screening the rear of the stall to a combination workshop and living space. Here are assembled various wares of somewhat higher quality, and items still in the process of repair. Further in is a small kitchen area and there are four bunks racked against the rear wall. A glance reveals a fairly solid-looking door which can be secured across the entrance. Perhaps of greater note, however, are the two young children staring wide-eyed at him from above their interrupted morning meal.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Sat Jun 05, 2010 10:30 am

A smile played across Rajender's face at the display of due humility. "That is a very precise description, my dear woman. Do you usually take such an accurate measure of those you meet or was there something particular about this woman that made you take notice? Beyond events already detailed, of course."

He paid careful attention to the woman's reaction. The woman may simply be in the habit of taking precise measurements, a trait shared by many versed in the art of technology, or she may have been given a very specific description to convey should anyone come asking. After the discovery of a psyker's involvement there was also the possibility that she had been tampered with.

(Using Scrutiny untrained, for what it's worth.)

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Tue Jun 15, 2010 8:07 am

(Hmmm)

Vipsanius smiled beneath his array of tools and... things that covered his face and turned his cowled head to the captain and, especially, to Dauphin to show off his success... but the accursed man had vanished somewhere!

Drats and Tarnation!

He shook his head a little before nodding.

"A thoroughly detailed description, woman. A woman of such height may well indicate, as you concluded, breeding from a stock of humans acclaimed to narrow, low-roofed living environments... or perhaps merely a flaw in her genetic purity... the corruption of the sacred human form is not unusual amongst the low-born."

He eyed the woman sharply, he too trying to spot any signs of her being truthful to the matter.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Tue Jun 15, 2010 9:19 am

"I do not always take such observations, lord, but when I do, I strive to be precise and thorough. This woman... she unsettled me, and so I took note. I cannot speculate on her origins, but her servants did not speak with the accents of the station-born, though that means little with the traffic we see. The woman herself did not speak."

So far as you can tell, the tinker is being truthful. Her voice has settled somewhat to a more normal pace, and given her initial (and ongoing) fearful reaction to Vipsanius, you doubt she'd be anything but a bundle of nerves if she were trying to lie to him.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Tue Jun 15, 2010 5:52 pm

Rajender, satisfied that the ghastly figure of Vipsanius would keep the woman from fibbing, inquired further.

"What occurred here during the attempted theft? Were you or anyone else unaffiliated with these people present at this stall?"

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Tue Jun 15, 2010 6:58 pm

Dauphin regarded the children.

"Have either of you seen any particularly mechanical birds, lately?"

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Wed Jun 16, 2010 1:47 am

Vipsanius let the good captain speak, one of his eyes still glaring, through the occular enhancers, unblinking, at the poor wretch of a woman whilst the other inspected more of her trinkets and doodads. Hmm... He let his bony finger trail over a metallic wire with several different kinds of attachment-spirits coiled onto it... yes, she had some talent, he would have to give her that.

When the captain was done with his interrogation, he would ensure that the woman and... her... spawn would be relocated to their ship. He would need to fit her with the proper upgrades of course, and teach her what she'd need to know... elevate her from, ahah, the cruelty of karma. If he was lucky, she would prove to be a test-subject worthy of investing time in. Yes.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Tue Jun 22, 2010 7:59 am

"Lord, I strove to involve myself in the woman's affairs as little as possible" the scrap-tinker says, "I felt refusing her would be unwise, so I took her money and ensured my family and I were well away from here at the time of her meeting. We spent much of the shift contemplating the mysteries of the Omnissiah at the Lower Forge."

Dauphin's question yields a fearful shake of the head from the elder child, "No, sir. No birds here, sir. Plenty of birds in the Creature Emporium, two decks up, one section dockwards if you want them, sir."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:56 am

Rajender grasped the content of the woman's reply within a few words and spent the rest of the time she talked to contemplate what this meant. They had a physical description, an accurate one he believed, and knew that these people paid well and came from off-station. They certainly could be Fel's men but they didn't know for sure. Perhaps Dauphin could find out more. Or, the thought struck him, that might be unnecessary.

He looked around at the other nearby stalls. The wards of this one might have been absent but there was a possibility that others had. If he was lucky they wouldn't have been paid off. At worst they'd be able to corroborate the woman's story.

"You were sensible to be cautious. From what I've seen of these people they would have had both your family and yourself killed had you not complied so completely. Vipsanius, see that this woman is rewarded for her assistance. There are a few more people we need to talk to."

He didn't wait for the others, instead heading to the nearest stall with the intent of asking some more questions. He trusted his armsmen to follow him and protect him from any ambush that might be lying in wait. Not that such a thing was likely. Of course, a potential assassin would be relying on such expectations.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Wed Jun 23, 2010 4:53 am

Vipsanius nodded matter of factly, turning once more to the woman and walking over to her, his staff going 'Tap... tap..."

"Woman... you have proven yourself... useful." his voice rise and shrunk semi-rhythmically as he spoke.

"I am seeing to your transfer to our ship, where you will be given the chance to prove your worth unrestrained of your current life-situation."

He nodded slowly, "See to your personal effects and... if you must, bring your spawn with you."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Wed Jun 30, 2010 1:42 am

"And with regards to strangers, aside from myself, have there been any unfamiliar faces here?"

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Tue Jul 13, 2010 8:29 am

"Yes, Lord," the scrap-tinker said faintly, face looking rather more than usually pale, "By your leave, I shall make my preparations." She made a formal bow before backing away behind the curtain. The children are solemnly shaking their heads at Dauphin as their mother enters, solemnly enjoining them to, "Gather your things, children. We are going on a journey."

With the crew soon to be enriched by three members, the group's attentions turn to surrounding stall holders. Dauphin takes the lead with these less Omnissiah-fearing individuals, gathering what information he can. Some, not unexpectedly, recognise them from the earlier firefight, and most are willing to help. For certain gratuities, of course.

Piecing together these disparate and rather less detailed viewpoints, they are able to ascertain that at least some of their assailants had been in place for some time, haggling, spending money and otherwise avoiding arousing suspicion until they pulled their guns. As for the woman who leased the stall, she emerged only after all interested parties had departed, in the company of two of her lackeys. Attempts to trace her path out of the markets bear no fruit.

With their leads thus exhausted, the explorers are faced with a choice of conducting any other business on the station or returning to the Satisfaction to get underway.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:40 am

"It has become clear," Rajender began, once their investigations were finished, "that our assailants were well prepared for our arrival. Though it pains me to say this, it appears that we have a traitor within the dynasty. Dauphin, see that whoever is responsible is found and dealt with in an appropriate fashion." How could someone betray the dynasty? The notion was anathema to him but it was the only conclusion that could be drawn.

"Have our agents secured us updated astromantic charts? If so then I see no reason to delay our departure any longer."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Tue Jul 13, 2010 2:06 pm

"See to it." he said dismissively to the woman as she disappeared, he put his focus on their missive, but he suspected none but the woman to provide more information, she had been an interesting find, he would teach her what he deemed necessary for her to learn... but in the end, he suspected she could not stand up to karma, she could not transcend what fate had in store for her.

"I believe it prudent we leave this station as soon we can, our enemies will most likely attempt to regroup and cripple us one last time, and the longer we dawdle, heh, the more chances they will have."

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Kelne » Wed Dec 22, 2010 5:09 am

They had been a week in the warp. A week of unsettled dreams, of noises at the edge of hearing, a week of sidelong glances at one's fellow man, wondering if this would be the transit when somebody cracked. Even the most veteran of crews never truly became innured to warp transits. It was, by its very nature, an environment inimical to man, and men were never able to forget it. On the one hand, a brief drop back into realspace was a welcome break to the tension. On the other, the cause brought a tension of its own.

Never an easy passage at the best of times, the currents of the Maw had been growing steadily more turbulent over the past few days. Word had come down from the Navigators that the Satisfaction would be transiting back into realspace to ride out the peak of the 'foul weather' at the Station of Passage known as the Battleground. Here two claimants to a Trader's warrant had fought and died, and fleets had burned with them. Shattered wrecks littered the otherwise empty expanse of space, long since stripped of any valuable salvage. Yet the space itself retained its own value as a calm spot in the otherwise turbulent Koronus Passage where ships might safely drop out of the immaterium and get their bearings or await more favourable conditions. Such locations had been the salvation of many a crew. They also attracted predators.

Under the circumstances, the Lord Trader and his closest advisors were on the bridge to oversee what turned out to be an uneventful translation. Yet even as the various duty stations sounded off their readiness, one voice rose above the rest from the vox station.

"Distress signal, sir! Vessel identifies as the Penitent Traveller out of Port Wander. They're under assault by raiders."

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Jak Snide
 
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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Wed Dec 22, 2010 11:11 am

Warp travel was always an unpleasant affair and Rajender couldn't begrudge the men for seeking respite after the past week. The immaterium was in turmoil, the navigators having made that clear, and only a fool sought to wrestle with the warp itself. When he learned of the station they emerged in he took it as an omen, seeing the the fields of wreckage as an analogy for his own dynasty. Rivalry had destroyed these men and brought their family low, just as it had almost destroyed the Hakon line. He silently wondered if the Emperor had brought them here to reflect on this lesson. When he heard of the vessel in distress he knew that the Emperor had something else in mind for him this day.

"Helm, bring us about and plot a course for the Traveller. Raise the shields and run out the guns. I want us battle ready within the half-hour." He rose from his command throne and strode about the bridge, too full of purpose to remain seated. The possibility that this could be a trap had occurred to him, of course, but it was a notion that he quickly dismissed as irrelevant. The Satisfaction was more than a match for the sort of scum that preyed on those that travelled the Maw and he'd send their ilk before the Emperor to explain themselves. If the distress signal was genuine then he'd need to play the role of a saviour as well as a warrior.

He spared a glance for Dauphin and Vipsanius. This would be the first time either of them had seen combat aboard the Satisfaction and he couldn't help but wonder what role they'd play in the hours ahead of them.

(A couple of questions: do we get to abuse the absent Race and his amazing BS score, or should someone else direct the guns? Also, do we count as being on an Endeavour currently? Whether we are or not greatly affects the Satisfaction's Detection score. Oh, and should we be looking at Ship Roles from Into the Storm or leave that till later?)

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby ChristianC » Wed Dec 22, 2010 6:08 pm

Vipsanius loved the warp. In many ways, it was one of the Great Mysteries that plagued mankind on a daily basis. Who cared about the fungi nature of orks, or the elusive, beautiful and deadly eldar raiders when the twisted, obscene maelstrom of chaotic matter stared into them every day? So many took this mysterious force for granted, or put their faith in the mutants who claimed it as their domain... But Vipsanius had faith that the Adeptus Mechanicus would eventually solve this puzzle, scheme out the depths of the Warp, the Immaterium, like the human mind. It was complicated, but it was ruled by a set of principles... as complex as they were.

So instead of gibbering in his cell, like so many others, Vipsanius instead took this opportunity to carefully observe the crew, watching them... taking some, a minority of course, statistically unnoticeable, tested them. Prodded their minds... exposed them to any sort of hallucinogenic he could find. If he could reproduce even the slightest the effect these "psykers" had on the warp, he would be another stride closer to unlocking the secrets of Karma, the workings behind the universe.

But then they left the Empyrean because of these perceived threats, and Vipsanius clicked angrily as he sunk his knife into the brain of another lost crewmember, ending the man's gibberish suffering with a frown behind his masked face. Very well, he would continue his work later, he had made some progression, after all.

So, finding himself on the bridge, Vipsanius leaned heavily on his staff of rank and chuckled dryly into the vox-modulator.

"Indeed, a wise move lord Rajender... one should be wary of predator playing prey... or prey pretending to be predators, pray tell, if we do encounter hostility, what plans have you for our escape should their numbers... inevitably outnumber us?" he clicked and whirred as he stepped over to the consoles, running his spindly fingers over them and his visual enhancors glowing faintly under his hood.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Capntastic » Thu Dec 23, 2010 2:47 am

Dauphin was seemingly immune to the blare of the sirens or disapproving gaze of Lord Captain Rajender. He had indeed been silent for some time- and only started suddenly, eyes rolling over the room instantaneously and settling on the drink in his hand midway through Vispanius's display of obsequious chatter.

"I see that a new situation has presented itself."

He glanced at his silver chrono, and then studied his gold one- the one on the opposite wrist which was attached to the hand which held the gold cup which held his drink. He tilted his wrist in an exquisitely delicate fashion, as the liquid inside (a creamy light green) made its way to the inner brim, and yet no further.

"I suppose I should alert our crew to the possibilities that lay ahead, if things go southward. That is to say, if things go southward and they fail in their assigned duties."

His eyes snapped to the Captain as he said this, but as he trailed off, they returned to the gold chrono, and then the silver once more.

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Re: Rogue Trader - Greed is Eternal

Unread postby Jak Snide » Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:23 am

He heard the wariness in their voices. Outnumbered? Perhaps. Outgunned? Preposterous. The Satisfaction was a ship fit for the Battlefleet in his eyes. Those pirates were likely to cut and run as soon as their auguries picked her up. Though he had read about cruisers being cut apart by nimble squadrons of frigates in his cursory study of naval warfare. They also had other matters to attend to afterwards. Perhaps their caution was warranted.

"Maintain speed and heading, bring us down to half when we have the Traveller in auspex range. Give me a focused augury then turn the array to her surroundings."

As the bridge officers carried out their orders the Rogue Trader Hakon turned his his associates. "These men know their ship, Dauphin, and I hardly think pirates are going to have anything that can stand toe-to-toe with the Satisfaction. As long as we don't blunder into their guns they'll be forced to flee or be cut apart."

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