W40K RPG, Line of Damnation- Memoria

[Petrosjko]

"Physically, he's clean," the medicae said. "Psychologically... he threatened me several times during the examination, and if he hadn't been restrained I think he would have assaulted me."

Engelier looked directly at Trinidge as he spoke. "Yes indeed, I have some idea of the captain's newly-acquired tendencies in that area."

"What can we do? Legally, he is the possessor of the charter, until he dies." lieutenant Franks, the security officer, said.

"Not so," said chaplain Aragen. "The charter is a bearer charter. Whoever can claim physical possession of the physical copy is the legal owner of the charter and possessor of the status of Rogue Trader, with all associated rights and privileges."

The room got very, very silent.

[Petrosjko]

"It's stasis locked, and only two people can get to it," Engelier said, thrusting with his power sword, then stepping back, bringing the blade to a defensive stance. Sweat poured down his chest as he whirled, bringing the sword in a whirring arc to strike at another imaginary foe.

"And that would be you and the captain," Uschi said, nodding.

"Of course. I'm in the line of succession. Now if we both got killed, it would go to Trinidge, then you, and on down the line. There are instructions for that sort of thing, but obviously the nature of the charter and succession isn't something Captain Valdis wants everyone thinking about." Twisting, he kicked out, then brought the sword up in a lightning quick thrust that would have disemboweled a likely foe.

"Obviously," Uschi said. "I knew the situation, and so did several of the others, but it isn't something that's talked about."

"Until now. There's no way he can resume command, Uschi. And so I'm going to declare him unfit for command, assume the captaincy, and claim the charter."

"And the captain?" Uschi asked, hesitantly.

"We're in the deep dark," he said, lowering his sword. "Chaplain Aragen has attempted exorcism rituals and it hasn't worked. So what I'm going to do is put him into a saviour pod with a supply of food and water and maroon him on Stravis 6. The environment is terrestrial, there are indigenous fauna he can live off of from the previous terraformata process, and no remaining developed life, human or xenos. He'll live there as long as... as long as he can." Engelier closed his eyes. "Emperor forgive me, there's nothing else I can do."

[Imperial Overlord]

"Hey," said Anjun.

The man didn't look up from the candies spread across the table.

"I was wondering, if I could, you know, step up," said Anjun.

"Step up?" His voice contained no warmth. Just the icy chill of drawn steel.

"Well, running and look out is okay, but I need more cred. I can do deliveries. And sell. I'm good with numbers," he said.

"Trusting you with a package is a big step," said the man. "Don't fuck it up. Your mother hasn't hit rock bottom yet and you have a long way to fall."

"That means I can?" he asked excitedly.

"Vren, get him a package. We got a new merchant."

[Imperial Overlord]

Anun jinked right and fired back. The autopistol sprayed small calibre soft nosed slugs in his attacker's general direction. The hive rat ducked back behind a corner as Chou hot footed into an alley. He could here them coming behind him. A crossbow dart wizzed past him, missing by a handspan. The young ganger leaped into a recessed doorway and returned fire.

That sent the hive rats leaping for cover behind piles of garbage. Hands shaking, Anjun ejected the clip on the autopistol. He grabbed a new clip, almost dropped it and fumbled as he inserted it into the but of his gun. In the middle of this process, one of the hive rats decided to rush him.

The ganger was almost on top of him. He was shorter and scrawnier than Chou, who wasn't the tallest man he knew by a long shot and liked to think of himself as lean. The hive rat's teeth were rotten and his rags stank. Chou put a dozen bullets into his chest. The hive rat shook at the impacts and fell, his torso red ruin. The other fired a handbow at Anjun's head. The bolt skittered off the wall by his head.

Anjun fired back. One of his slugs went in through the hive rat's left eye and blew out the back of his skull. He fell. Chou looked out. No one else was out there. He slipped out of the alley, hugging the shadows. He had protected his turf and High Ones woud be pleased. He might be able to move up soon, or get more territory. He was whistling as he headed home.

[Imperial Overlord]

Chou was standing at his corner when the enforcers came by. Two of the mirror visored troopers strode toward him. Anjun waited. No point running away, that would only piss them off. Besides, they weren't going to do anything.

Marex approached. "Chou. Know anything about the hive rats that got killed?"

"No," he replied. "I was eating dinner with my mother."

"Sure you were," Marex replied. "You're a good boy, aren't you. If you were selling nox you would be doing it to support your mother, isn't that so."

"Whatever you say Officer Marex." Anjun slipped a packet of bills into the officer's hand. "I don't know anything about any trouble."

"Right. Keep being a good boy."

[Imperial Overlord]

Anjun was awed by the club. Hidden beneath one of the hive stacks it was the most opulent building he had ever been in, even grander than the Ecclesiastical Cathedral. Holos flashed and revolved on the ceiling and crawled along the walls, changing too rapidly for one to be quite sure about what you saw. Their was music, not church music, and it was loud and stired the blood. People danced, wearing a fortune or practicaly nothing, or both. Drugs and booze flowed freely. He had found paradise.

He knew where he was supposed to go, but he couldn't see it through the crowd. Pushing his way through, he finally spotted the High One. Anjun slithered through the mass, heading his way. A wall of muscle blocked his path. "I'm Anjun," he shouted over the music. "He wanted to see me." The muscle moved.

The High One was attended by three women. One wore skin tight armour and wore spring talons. A las was in easy reach. Another wore glittery gold fabric and was sniffing 'blot through through an ivory tube embossed with gold. The third was maybe fourteen with metallic hair. She was naked, except for some paint, and giggling. The High One didn't notice him for a moment and then gestured for him to sit.

Chou was wearing his most glitz clothes, but he knew he was like a scavy to the High One. The High One was at least a little drunk. "Chou, you earn well. Real well. And you only steal a little. That means your smart. And your smooth. We're going to move you up."

Anjun's draw jumped. He was going to become a boss. A distributer. People would come to him for packages. 'Who's territory?" he asked.

The boss looked at him for a moment. "No, not like that. We're going to move you up," he said pointing to the sealing. "Gone wheel and deal with the top level. Become their friends and their suppliers. Higher return, less risk. Make us all more money, make some uplevel friends for us. You can never have enough uplevel friends. You do this right, you got a big future." Chou sat there dazed, stars in his eyes.

[Petrosjko]

"He was looking for an excuse," Sifton said to Trinidge.

"Fulgenzio's slick, but he's not that kind of a bastard," Trinidge argued back to the chief engineer.

"Are you telling me that the best he could come up with is dump him, no chance for a better study or exorcism? He didn't even wait. Just 'So long, out the door, oh, and I'm captain now.'" Sifton paced irritably across the high platform that served as his office. Down below, servitors, crew, and the odd tech-priest scuttled through the confined spaces of the engineerium, surrounded by the massive power units that drove the ship through space.

Trinidge shook his head. "That's command authority. We go back a good way together, and that's why I'm going to let this pass. But you're closing in on dangerous ground here, Sifton. Drop it."

"Don't you get it? Damn it, Trin, this is our opportunity," Sifton waved his hands. "You had two years seniority and Fulgenzio got the XO slot..." His words were cut off as Trinidge leaped out of the seat and grabbed his collar, shoving him against the railing. Sifton glanced nervously at the deck, thirty meters below, as Trinidge snarled in his face.

"I knew you had an angle on this, and this is the last time I'm going to tell you to drop the issue. You're talking mutiny, and if you try it, I'll put you down before Captain Fulgenzio even gets a hint something's up. Do. You. Understand?"

Sifton looked back up at him, fear in his eyes. "Yeah, I understand..."

[Imperial Overlord]

Anjun was walking home, a joy girl under one arm and a joy boy under the other when the raid happened. A shot banged out, ricocheting against an Arbites Rhino. That drew Anjun's attention to the scene happening way down the avenue, during the darklight hour. The Arbites were after something, mutants or heretics most likely. It didn't matter. Their response was predictable.

Combat shotguns opened up. Pintel mounted storm bolters raked the building. A larger vehicle opened up with multiple autocannons. The arbites poured fire and flame into the building for a full minute. When they were finished the front half was gone and the back half was burning. The Arbite's silheoutes were visible against the fire's glow as they swept for any survivors.

They drove away after a few minutes. Two buildings were cratered from autocannon rounds going through the wreckage and hitting another building. One of them was beginning to burn. The adeptus didn't care. The priests didn't care. The nobles didn't care. The Imperial Commander didn't care. Why should Anjun Chou?

[Imperial Overlord]

"Hey Anjun!"

"Alexos!" Anjun suantered over to the noble. They exchanged a complicated series of hand gestures. "Nice party."

The young noble extended his arms. "Welcome to my palace." There were scores of nobles sprawled among the cushions of the cavernous rooms. Each one was attended by at least two hangers on attending to his or her debauched needs. Laviscious holos danced through the room, some of them performing rather improbable acts of intercourse.

The young noble pulled Anjun closer. "Do you have the stuff?"

"Yah. No prob."

"Good. We're ah . . . .using it a little faster than I thought."

No shit, thought Anjun. This lot could snort through a mountain of drugs the size of a spyre in a weekend. "No prob. I was able to get some more stuf. You'll know better for next time."

Alexus smiled broadly. His teeth were inlaid with mother of pearl. "Yah, I guess I will." He put his arm around Chou's shoulders. "But for now enjoy the party. As my personal guest." He steered Chou towards a low table. Silk clab beauties reclining there rose to meet them.

[Petrosjko]

Engelier took one last look at the world that he'd marooned Valdis on. There was nothing else he could have done, and keeping the captain aboard would have just created a point of contention among the crew.

Also, taking him back likely would have resulted in his being vivisected by the Inquisition, or the AdMech or some other collection of Imperial bastards.

No, better to at least let him live out his days...

"Mains online, bring us to nav delta," he ordered.

"Captain!" the bridge systems officer called. "Severe power fluctuations in the mains!"

Engelier stabbed the commline button for engineering. "Engineering, conn. What the hell is going on down there?"

"Captain, we are <brzzt> fluctu <brzzt> mains."

Trinidge walked over to the captain's chair, his features dark and angry.

Engelier looked at the systems officer. "Bridge override. Take them offline."

"With your permission, I'll go check it out, captain," Trinidge said.

"Get down there."

[Imperial Overlord]

Anjun knocked back another drink. It was his fourth. He had been doing that a lot since his mother died, but fuck it, what was better? Drugs, booze, and sex were only temporary solutions, but they would do for now. It didn't affect his work. Hell, it was half of his work. The up level boys and girls loved him and the cred flowed.

"Mind if I join you?" a bass voice rumbled. He was distinctive, even in the bar's poor light. A huge bastard, muscled like a grox with shaved head and the aquila tattooed above his forehead. Light brown skin, definitely unusual in these parts. His tunic and pants were clean and nice, but nothing special.

"Who are you?" Anjun asked.

"A man with a proposition," the big man replied.

"What is that?" Chou responded.

"I've heard that your hooked in pretty good uplevel. That you make more money for the High Ones than most territories. Yet you aren't even a boss."

"So? Not that I'm saying its true?"

"You won't ever be a boss. They're all someone's nephew or soon or some shit like that. If you marry in and your son's a good earner, your grandson has a shot. But you, you've gone as high as you can go. Your smooth enough of a chameleon that you can blend and make money, but that's it. You're done. You're just waiting to be discarded."

Anjun saw red. It was true, he fucking new it was true. That didn't mean he liked it. He reached inside his jacket and found his wrist pinned by the big man. The big man squeezed and he let go of the gone. The big man spoke again.

"You're dead meat. I can kill you here or feed you to the Arbites. But there is a way out."

"Fuck you."

"Not smart," the man said as he shot chew with a digital needler. He tapped the transciever in his ear. "Coming out with the package." He through chew over his shoulder and walked towards the door. His las pistol was ready to discourage heroics, but at this hour there were no heroes. Only drunks. He disappeared into the night.

[Imperial Overlord]

Anjun chew began to recover consciousness. He was in a suite, a big one. He had been left in a leather covered chair, an item of considerable expense. He had been relieved of his gun and his knives.

The big bastard was there, smiling grimly. So was a slim woman wearing a form fitting black body glove. The third figure was an olive skinned man in up level clothing. He looked pretty tasty, but Chou didn't think he would be game. The fourth commanded his attention. She was middle aged, dark hair shot with strand of grey.

"Welcome back to consciousness Anjun Chou."

"Who are you?" Chou knew better than to run his mouth. These people could vap him anytime they wanted.

The woman smiled. "I am Kyra Neven. Sergeant D'eckor you have already met and this-" she pointed at the looker, "is Jolan Gix. You are going to bring Jolan to some of those debauched functions you service."

"Why?" he asked. She looked at him strangely.

"Not why should I do it, but why do you need me? You have the money to get yourself on the guest list if you want in."

"We need you to vouch for him so they won't check him throughoughly. Jolan Gix may be pretending to be a prosperous younger scion of a Mercantalis family, but he is actually a member of the Inquisition."

"Inquisition?" he gapped.

"Yes. I am Inquisitor Kyra Neven." She produced her rosette.

"Word will have gotten out about me being taken," said Anjun. Anything to talk his way out of this rat fuck in the making. "I won't be any good to you."

"Word has indeed leaked out about the Arbites raid. Fortunately you weren't there and there are no witnesses to contradict that statement. Of course, if you aren't useful to us in this matter, then you know too much. Are you useful Anjun Chou?"

He gaped. "Yes."

[The Yosemite Bear]

The Spartan Chapter Headquarters:

With a sudden violent motion The Co-Procounsel (Chapter masters of the Spartans) became active, the corus was getting too strong as of late. His enhanced digestive enymes began filling his mouth with acid, strong enough to pit the marble floors of his room. The memories were very active, even during the manatory "Rest cycle" having visions of the whole lives of your past progenitors, and even other ancestors, overwhelm the ability to dispose of fatigue toxins, eventually the "Weight of ages" would overwhelm him as it would any other member of the Spartan chapter.

It had been the "memories" that had inspired them to model themselves after the Greeks and Roman legions of long ago. The Corinthian Helm, with Molom Lavbe on the war banners, the Procounsel's standards of the Aegulia clutching a block lettered SPQR, intead of a knife, every member had a sword patterned after the anchient "Gladius", long bolter/ halberd units of "Phalyanxes", refering to the bike squads as Caphracts. The dual leadership was taken from the spartans that the chapter was named after.

Traveling amid the monestary fortress The leader, finished his journey to the chapel's chirgery, there were no Helots manning the station instead he was faced with a Helene. Except for her white armour, and her cadacus she might be mistaken for a sister repenta, The Helenes were trusted, and acted in all fasions as the chapter's apothocary though they had none of the augmentations of a true brother. Looking down at her he announced "The weight is too heavy for me to rule, It is time for me to take the long walk." (with out a pause or emotion, she began the surgical proceedure to remove his progenitor glands. Soon the fortress would find an empty seat, as one of the two masters would disembark with nothing but a gladius, carapace armour, and a bolter carbine. It was time for the long walk....

[Petrosjko]

Trinidge stalked into the engineerium, flanked by well-loaded armsment.

"Alright Sifton, what the hell is going on down here?"

"Mains are offline, Trin. Shut down by the bridge, and a good thing too. If they come back up without the proper rites, we'll all blow to hell and gone," Sifton said cheerfully. "The proper rites being that 'Captain' Fulgenzio hands over the charter and takes a ride down to the planet."

Trinidge drew his laspistol, aiming it between Sifton's eyes. "I should've dropped you over the rail."

"Trin, don't do it. This could be ours..." Sifton said, backing up. "We've been on this ship for over a decade. Fulgenzio's been here eight years. He's a frakking weasel and we both know it."

"You're going to order the mains brought back online, and then you're going to the brig, and then you're standing for a court martial, where you'll be sentenced to death by vacuum," Trinidge informed him coldly.

"Damn it, Trin..." Sifton said. He suddenly dived to the right, and from around the engineerium armed followers opened fire with shotcannons, mowing down the armsment. Trinidge's shot took him in the side before the first officer was likewise cut down.

[Petrosjko]

"So that's the deal, Fulgenzio. Take it or the whole ship blows."

Engelier shook his head, a broad smile on his face. "Do you really think that anybody beyond your little band of mutineers will be interested in following you after you've threatened to blow the ship up?" He stared at the sweating man's image on the screen.

"They'll deal with it," Sifton said defensively.

"No, they'll kill you inside of a week, and somebody else will take the charter, somebody far more qualified than you. Whether I kill you now..." As he spoke, Engelier was surreptitiously entering codes into the keypad on the bridge chair. "Or somebody gets you down the line, you're a dead man, Sifton. Bad, bad move."

"I'll take my chances. This isn't a game! Now you get things ready or it's over!"

"I'll let you in on a little secret, something you'd never learn from taking this ship over by force. There are command codes and overrides for virtually everything on the ship. Trin was only starting to learn what could be done from this chair. One of them... slaves total control of the engines to this seat."

He watched Sifton start to wobble on the screen. "What...?" The man fell over, collapsing to the deck.

"Others trigger the release of neural paralytics in select areas throughout the ship, as a defense/counter-mutiny measure. Naturally, the engineerium is one of those spaces deemed priority for defense."

Actually, he had a choice of gases, ranging from lethal to incapacitating, developed for both humans and various breeds of xenos, but he didn't feel compelled to share that information.

He stood up, turning to Uschi. "Lieutenant, you're now a commander. Summon a security detail to meet me at the engineerium. There's trash to be disposed of."

[The Yosemite Bear]

for a while he tried to be a mentor, helping in the training of guardsmen, even then, the voices kept getting louder, and louder. When he killed half a dozen guards in a training exercise, he knew it was too far gone. He started traveling, some how the voice knew where to go, wakeing not knowing how he got there, or where he was, an overwhelming sense of deja vu. The voices of the dead continued, longer and longer until himself was nothing but a dream...

Then he was gone, all that was left was LEGION, a symphony of destruction, lead by a ghost of a primarch. The long walk continued, brining HIS justice to the dark corners.

the song commanded

"I have seen his ritues sentance, and witnesseed his terrible swift sword."

[Pcm979]

Excerpts from the Diary of Professor Greshaut Magnel, head doctor of the Cyrus Gamma Biologium Boar breeding program.

389.5, Monday 3rd.
Stellar pining over Baron. Ordered another male for pairing. No response.

391.2, Wednesday 5th.
Response from Kythex IV; Adult male, 15y old. 39 forthings high. Brown/grey speckles. Long pelt, good chops, name of Macharius. Things looking up.

422.6, Sangsday 8th.
Macharius arrived! Looks a little worse for wear. I wonder what they've been feeding him.

422.8
Introduced Macharius and Stellar; Stellar bit him on the Snout. Will try again tomorrow.

432.1
Success! Although I'm going to have to answer a lot of complaints from villagers. I forgot the noises they made while in heat. No matter.

447.5
Two cubs delivered; Both male and in good health. Provisional names of Sanguinas and Leman unconfirmed.

[Imperial Overlord]

Severa maneuvered the ponderous Gothic class cruiser in a broad turn, taking it out of the broadside fire arc of the Murder class. The Gothic class ship poured heavy fire from its powerful gun decks into the heretic ship as the Lunar class came along side and blew down the void shields with its gun decks and lance batteries. The Murder class burned as the Imperial vessels turned toward the other traitor cruisers, which had been dispersed by the Imperial torpedo volley.

The door opened. "I'm home!" cried out a strong male voice. The girl froze the holosimulation and ran accross the room. A man in his mid thirties wearing the great coat of a naval officer stood in the doorway.

"Daddy!" she practically leaped into his arms. He picked her up and hugged her.

"How's daddy's big girl?" he asked.

She giggled. "I'm winning daddy!"

"Really?" he asked gently.

She wiggled lose and he lowered her gently to the ground. She yanked his arm. "Come and see."

He let his daughter drag him into the other room. He took a look at the projection. "So you are honey. So you are."

[Imperial Overlord]

She heard the door open behind her. "Your still mad at your mother?" he asked. He stepped onto the terrace, closing it behind him. She didn't answer.

"Throne, that's a beautiful sunset," he continued. "It's one of the reasons your mother and I wanted these quarters. Up above the bustle of the city, with a gorgeous view and a lot of room. Good place to raise a family."

He put his hand on her shoulder. She had grown over the last year. She wasn't much shorter than he was. "Listen honey, I know its tough. I'm not around often, it's difficult being your age, but you're tough. It's all right to be upset or angry, but just ease up a little on your mother. She has to go through enough-"

Her bitter laughter interrupted him. "Go through enough? How would you know? You're never here. And she doesn't miss you. She whores around when you're away! She's was with him yesterday!"

He rested his arms on the railing. "I know," he said softly. "The navy isn't all glamour, and danger, and hard work. It's a long time spent in places where you can't bring your family. It's hard to be alone for all that time. A lot of navy officers have quarters for mistresses. Some admirals have whole harems that travel with them."

He paused for a moment. "Your mother and I, we don't ask and we don't judge. When we are together, we use that time. And what we do when we're away, the other doesn't need to know about. Whatever gets us through the long lonely stretches, that's not anyone else's business. So if your mad at your mother about that, you better be mad at me as well."

He kissed her on the forehead. "Be well, my strong beautiful daughter. Whatever you decide to do, I am sure you will make me proud. Now I am going inside so I can help your mother set up for the party. Join us when you're ready."

[Typhonis 1]

I am alone.All of my bretherin in the Inquisition are alone by trade, we tend to keep ourselves apart from humanity,though we of the Ordo Imperialis tended to mingle with the populace.

However I am truly alone in that this world ,this time is alien to me.My native tounge,the speech of aristocrats and tech priests,the familiar vistas I knew long changed or destroyed.

Only my devotion to the Emperor and the oaths I swore mellinia ago keep me going. To expand the empire, to protect its citizens, to destroy its enemies foremost among them the dreaded intelligences known as Daemons to the uninformed.......

May I be given the strength of will to carry on in this....unfamiliar world.

[Petrosjko]

The echo rat is a fairly interesting specimen. They are not a tremendously widespread breed, but seem to be almost impossible to exterminate on hiveworlds in which they have taken root. The size varies from world to world, but the largest known specimen was taken on Veront, an impressive three feet in length. Highly territorial, they tend to live in warrens and attack relentlessly whatever intrudes upon their turf. My acolyte was himself attacked by one during the course of our studies, and upon seeing the wound on his leg I shudder to think what would have happened if an entire pack attacked him...

Echo rats are a common scourge in the downhive levels of several hiveworlds in the subsector. Their large size makes it difficult for them to slip onto interstellar transports in the fashion of common rats and other vermin, but occasionally a female will nest in a starship.

Their name derives from their usage of sonar as a means of locating their prey, having evolved in circumstances of almost complete darkness. Their main weapon are their large canines, which can inflict horrendous wounds upon their victims...

[Petrosjko]

"And so here's what I'm offering you. This isn't a negotiable stance, anything to bargain on," Engelier said, looking at the engineerium crew, minus Sifton. "I need an engine crew. You want to live. You work my engines under guard until we get back to something resembling civilization. We part company, never to meet again. Or I space the lot of you and we all move in on the nice terrestrial world we happen to be sitting next to."

Myelin, the assistant engineering chief, looked at him with dark suspicion on her face. "Why should we believe you?"

Engelier shrugged. "I told you, this isn't up for negotiation. Go along or die. I don't bargain with mutineers, and it's only extremely extenuating circumstances that give any of you a chance to survive here."

"We'll need to talk about it," she said, putting her shackled hands on the table.

"No, you won't. I'm going to get a consensus here and now. Yes or no?"

The engineers shifted uncomfortabley in their seats, their chains clinking against the plastiform chairs. Myelin turned to look at what was now her group. A whole panoply of expresses ran through the group- fear, defiance, resignation. She looked at them for along moment before turning back to him.

"What happens to Sifton?" she asked.

"He goes out the airlock after this meeting is concluded."

Her shoulders slumped. "We'll do it."

He nodded, rising without another word.

[Imperial Overlord]

Severa considered taking another piece of cake. She'd pay for it latter, that's for sure. She didn't have her sister's lithe build. She was heavier set, more like her father. She wasn't carrying too much in the way of extra meat, most of what she possessed was muscle. But next to her sister she always felt big and clumsy. What the hell. She scooped up the piece.

"Isn't she beautiful? She's glowing."

"Yes mother," Severa replied. She was trying hard to not to be jealous. It was a happy occassion and it was her sister's day. And it wasn't like Elena wasn't a decent person, but everything came to her so easily.

Severa watched her mother drift away, talking with her friends. A voice called out from behind her. "Hey Sever."

She turned around. Another cadet in dress uniform stood there. There wasn't a shortage of navy families at this wedding. She greated her classmate by his nickname. "Hey Jinx."

"Your sister's quite the looker. Too bad she's being taken out of the running. Lucky bastard- Owe!" He rubbed his arm where Severa hit him. "There wasn't any need for that Sever."

She smiled. "In your opinion."

He smiled weakly. "Hey, some of are getting together for a little get together tomorrow night. Are you gonna show? You don't have the excuse of having to study this time."

"Maybe."

"Come on. We're on break and it won't last long. You're a good girl all year. Cut loose just once."

"Maybe."

"Querrin's. 1500 tomorrow. Be there."

[Imperial Overlord]

The music was slightly below deafening level and the booze flowed like atmosphere going out the side of a torpedoed cruiser. Maybe a third of the people were navy. Friends, relatives, hanger oners, and complete strangers had found there way in and were now partying with the rest.

Jinx was dancing with a pretty girl (much prettier than her, Severa admitted), a petit dark haired thing. He had been making the moves all night and was having some success. Severa took another sip of her drink. It was cool, fruity, and had a nice bite. Chaos take her if she knew it's name, but it was good.

Someone tapped her arm. It was Deadman. "Hey Sever. What are you doing here all by yourself and not shaking it on the floor. Wanna dance?"

"You're on flyboy," she replied. He took her whirling out onto the floor.

"Damn, you can really move," he said.

"My mother's fault," she shouted back. "Dance lesson's." She nearly bumped into Carlyle, one of Chess's flunkies. He gave her a dirty look. We'll rape him and their whole "Old Family" crowd. They'd look better if they actually worked harder, instead of relying on blue blood. She was navy going back ten generations. She worked her ass off to get near the top of her class. What right did they have to look down at her?

The song ended and she bowed out to go to the bathroom. It took her a good five minutes, the line was so long. By the time she was back the fighter jock was gone, probably dancing with another lady. She took another drink. She smiled as she sipped it. The night was still young.

[Petrosjko]

"This could come back to haunt you," Resit Tuati said. The Navigator reached up to adjust his headband slightly.

"And you would happen to have a better idea that magically resolves our need for engineerium staff until we get back to civilization?" Engelier asked. They stood on the captain's private observation deck, atop the massive bridge tower. Originally the room had housed sensor arrays that dated back to the Dark Age of Technology, but a battle six millennia before had devastated the tower and destroyed the irreplacable arrays. During the refit, the room had been converted into an observatory, and like a good luck charm that portion of the ship had not been struck by enemy fire since. It had taken on a life in the ship's mythos, and a rare invitation to the observatory for common members of the crew was regarded as both a sign of the captain's favor and a good luck talisman in time to come.

The view was spectacular, staring down the length of the massive vessel and her impressive weapons arrays on to the shining stars of the deep void.

"No, unfortunately. But you face a multitude of difficult tasks in the future. Valdis was a popular man, and even those who agree with you dislike the nature of the solution. You need something to weld this crew together, to give them a new identity under your command."

Engelier nodded at that. "We'll take what opportunities come. We're Gamblers, after all."

"I stand at your side in this, captain. The Wager has been a highly lucrative source of income for my House, and it is my confidence that you are the best man for the job."

Engelier offered him a thin smile. "I appreciate the confidence."

Or the appearance of confidence, at least. He was well aware of how the Houses operated. He had a strong feeling that if Tuati decided he was a detriment to the vessel and hence capable of costing the House Tuati a profitable revenue stream that there was every chance something 'unfortunate' could happen. Such was the life of a Rogue Trader.