Chapter Sixty-Five

His Glorious Aspirations. Star Dock.

My reasons for wanting to limit my time in this universe were many and all were valid at least to me, yet I could not simply sail off into another part of the multiverse, not until my ship and crew were ready to go. That process was getting slowed down by the Ad-Mech who ran the Forge-World that supplied the star dock that my cruiser was currently using to be resupplied. They were not stopping the work they'd just put it way down on their list of things to do so that it would take months rather than weeks to get finished. If not for the fact that the people in charge of the Forge-World had purged themselves of human feelings I'd say that someone was being petty.

To deal with this problem and to discuss other matters I'd ordered my seneschal, a clone of Petyr Baelish aka Littlefinger who'd been grown more quickly than expected thanks to the good work of an Ad-Mech Magos who oversaw the cloning lab I'd had installed on my ship. The Magos had given the clone a great deal of attention to ensure that Peter became what I needed him to be. Upon returning to the Forge-World the clone had been upgraded with an implant that allowed him to perform his work to an even higher level.

Also with us was my first officer, a long serving navy man who had been overseeing the repair and rearming work, as slow as it was someone had to coordinate the efforts as ever he did a great job. I'd talk to Peter later on about increasing the man's pay.

"So what exactly is the problem?" I asked "We brought back plenty of metals and serfs, Forge-Worlds never have enough of either".

I knew this to be true, the world we currented orbited not only serviced visiting Imperial vessels, it also produce tons of war materials every day and the Ad-Mech didn't concern itself too much with worker safety as such they never had enough healthy bodies for their work. I'd come back from Planetos or Thrax Primaris as it would be known in Imperial records, with more than just gold, the Ad-Mech people who travelled on my ship had mined quite a lot of raw ore while I'd been off making money from the locals. Gathering up people to work as serfs hadn't been much work since the pacification of Planetos had left many homeless, mostly due to Kings Landing burning down. I'd come here with thousands of serfs ready to slave away in the forges for the glory of the machine god. The serfs had come willingly since they wanted shelter and food.

Planetos hadn't been a totally complaint Imperial world when I'd left, but the Lord-General had more than enough resources and soldiers to finish the job and the task of converting the locals to the worship of Big E was not my problem. I'd given the Church a big foothold on that world and while it might take generations for the holy word to reach everyone's ear it would be done. One day I would return and check up on Planetos, for now I had other concerns.

"The problem isn't what we have to trade my lord. The issue is that the Magi entrusted you with a unique piece of technology that you were meant to use on a test run before returning" said my First Officer "You didn't exactly misuse the device, it's just that they were expecting you back much sooner. You threw off their time tables and the cogboys don't like that. The slowness of the work is their way of showing their displeasure".

So they were being petty. I'd not thought much about how the drive was simply on loan and the cogboys who'd gone to Planetos with me seemed quite pleased by how things had worked out, or at least they had never complained.

"It doesn't help that there was an accounting error when refitting your cruiser" Peter informed me "When you left you were in debt to the Ad-Mech, I'm sure that they would have ignored this had you returned when expected, but you ran off with their tech".

At the time I'd not given much thought to the fact that I was stealing the advanced drive because someone had been trying to kill me. The Ad-Mech were taking that into account as otherwise they would have tried to arrest me or at least demanded that I return their tech.

"Is there any way we can soothe their egos?" I wondered.

If we'd brought back some cool tech there wouldn't be an issue, so for my next trip out of this dimension I would have to get some cool tech.

"We'd have to promise to bring them something better next time" said Peter who was thinking along the same lines as myself "The Ad-Mech are long term thinkers and they know the potential of the drive, about how it can allow a ship to reach places normal warp drive can not with the right captain at the helm. Your use of the drive is an investment they want to pay off. The fact they are doing the repair work and are not demanding that the drive be returned tells us that while they are displeased they haven't written off this investment".

Well I'd not been planning to head off to another primitive world my Rogue Trader Dynasty was not ready to deal with more advanced organisations that had access to the kind of technology that would appease the Ad-Mech. Plus it had to be human made technology with no known connection to any xenos or magic. Normally a tall order. Thankfully I had a world already in mind.

"So I need ask for forgiveness and promise to make better use of their drive" I summarised.

Even the cogboys weren't above the human need to feel superior, a good thing since they had some humanity left in them as that made them more predictable, and while my authority outside of the Imperium was supposed to be absolute we were currently within the Imperium. Not that my authority had been so unlimited when I'd first started out, but I'd been untested back then, a newly minted Rogue Trader with little support and even less experience.

"I suspect that after we send the Fabricator-General a well written letter expressing your desire to repent in the eyes of the Omnissiah that the Magos will pick up their pace" said my seneschal "I'll write up a suitable letter for you to sign and have it on your desk before you retire".

Cloning Littlefinger really had been the smart move.

"We do have good news Lord Captain" reported my First Officer "Sister Brigicia has returned. According to her report she's been promoted to Palatine and placed in charge of a mission".

It was explained to me that a Palatine was a high-ranking officer of the various Orders of the Adepta Sororitas who is often responsible for commanding a Sororitas Mission among the Orders Militant. Palatines can wield considerable political influence within the Imperium of Man and often work side by side with Inquisitors, Astra Militarum generals and as it turned out Rogue Traders. A Mission was normally made up a few squads of Battle Sisters who are sent to fight without support from a convent. That I was getting this support didn't surprise me as my defeat of an Archenemy force had already made me popular with the faith and I'd spread the light of the God-Emperor to a heathen world.

"Wasn't she serving as a bodyguard for Inquisitor Allectus Jacobus?" I asked.

I'd not had much contact with the sister so I didn't know why she'd not left with Jacobus. Assuming that Jacobus had left, it was next to impossible to track the movements of an Inquisitor and few people would dare to try. For all I knew Jacobus was still on my cruiser, it was a fortress-city in space as such there were plenty of places for someone to hide.

"He seems to have departed at some point" Peter let me know "We've received no news if we will be getting any new Inquisitorial oversight or not".

It would be best to assume that there was an Inquisitor about. Which was fine as I wasn't planning on performing any forbidden rituals or making friends with any aliens.

"The Sisters will require space of their own" said my First Officer "That can easily be arranged. We'll want to keep them separate from the rest of the crew".

We didn't need to worry about members of my crew trying to sexually assault the nuns with guns as they could look after themselves and my ship had its own joy girls, it was just that things would run smoother if the fanatics didn't mingle much with the others on board my ship. Any minor issues with having them onboard hardly mattered little given how useful a few squads of battle sisters could be to me should I need the extra firepower.

"What about the regiment?" I questioned.

I'd brought the 2nd Thrax regiment from Planetos with me. They were a mix of former navy armsmen, some veteran Imperial Guard, Unsullied and recruits taken from both Westeros and Essos. The only reason the regiment worked at all was because of the leadership of Gwynenya 'Gwen' Ionael, who'd recently taken up the rank of Colonel and commanded the 2nd Thrax regiment which given its increase numbers needed a full colonel to lead them.

"Good news" said Peter "We will be receiving several squads of veteran guardsmen to help keep the others inline along with armour support and an experienced commissar. Baring any accidents or incidents that should give you a fighting force of around ten thousand soldiers".

That was a very large regiment. Thankfully I could afford to support it at least for a few months.

"Anything else that needs my attention?" I questioned.

The navy officer shook his head and saluted before he departed were as my seneschal simply advised me to wait. As much as I didn't like hanging around in this messed up excuse for a galaxy I knew that trying to leave before the ship was ready would only place me in danger. So I just had to twiddle my thumbs.

"We received word today that in two years a number of colonists will ready to settle Thrax Primus" Peter let me know "Since that world has entire continents that are uninhabited this shouldn't be an issue. All we have to in order to get paid is drop them off along with their supplies and then wish them luck".

After saying that I was left alone. As I relaxed behind my desk Number 006, one of my Battle Harem. entered my office and sat down, now looking more relaxed than I'd ever seen her.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

The Scarlett Johansson lookalike smiled at me. It was unnerving.

"Lord Captain I am Black Widow a member of the Officio Assassinorum" she informed me.

I knew The Officio Assassinorum to be a highly secretive agency, one so important that it had a seat in the Imperium of Man's highest level of government and that employs different "temples" to train its agents. Like the Imperial Guard, the Inquisition and the Space Marines the Offico Assassuinorum exists to protect the security of the Imperium of Man. But the assassins are much more subtle in their work and if one of them had been sent to kill me then my battle harem would not be able to stop them. By the looks of things they had failed.

Assassins such as the one before me are typically deployed alone wherever feasible, having been trained to operate extensively behind enemy lines with no support for great lengths of time so I had no idea how long ago Number 006 had been replaced by this Black Widow, assuming that there ever had been an original Number 006 to replace. The fact that she looked exactly the actress who played the Marvel character Black Widow had to be some higher powers idea of a joke.

Another thing that I knew was that authorization to assassinate a target must come from the very highest echelons of Imperial command. So it seemed as if I'd somehow managed to come to the attention of the High Lords of Terra, who shouldn't even known that I exist given that when I was in the galaxy I stayed closed to the fringes.

"So why aren't I dead?" I asked.

Was this some test of the assassin's skills or did her master wish for me to know why I was about to be made into a corpse.

"You misunderstand my presence here Lord Captain" said Black Widow "I'm not here to kill you my job is to keep you safe by removing your enemies. Most of the time I will play the role of 006, and carry out any duty you require, but should you need someone killed simply say the name and I'll see it done. The Callidus temple selected me for this task because I trained harder than anyone and I've never failed to take down a target".

The Callidus Temple is the subtlest of the ancient temples of the Officio Assassinorum, specialising in the artful deception of the enemies of the Imperium. I knew them to be specialists in infiltration, deceit and impersonation, these Human chameleons will often take the place of a trusted aide or adjutant through their utmost mastery of disguise.

To achieve the exacting tasks assigned to it, the Callidus Temple specialises in the use and development of the shape-altering drug Polymorphine to enable its Assassins to undergo dramatic physical changes, altering their appearance to assume the features of any humanoid. I remember reading about one who managed to infiltrate a genestealer cult somehow. Using their technique, the Callidus Assassin can get close to enemy commanders or powerful warlords, influencing their strategy and finally killing them when the opportunity arises.

"Someone in the highest levels of the Imperium wants you alive and well" said Black Window.

The assassin placed a small box on the table and then opened it to show that it contained a signet ring which were traditionally used to seal wax on letters that were confidential correspondence. My Rogue Trader House used a type of skull as its symbol because we were Imperials.

"Be careful with that" warned Black Widow "It is a digital weapon. At your will the ring fires a focused laser beam capable of killing a man. You only get one shot until it recharges, but sometimes that is all you need".

Digital weapons, or digi-weapons, are miniaturized weapons, often concealed in rings or other jewellery. Despite the name they are not digital in the sense of being information rather the digital part referrers to fingers being digits. The technology required to manufacture digi-weapons is beyond the capabilities of the Imperium of Man. Digi-weapons can only be created by the ape like Jokaero species. When captured and put to work members of that speices will quickly find ways to escape rather than make weapons for those who captured them. As such digi-weapons are very rare and almost impossible to buy. Their possession is normally restricted to the extremely wealthy or influential. Only someone like a High Lord of Terra could ever afford to give one as a gift.

"You have powerful friends who expect much from you" said the assassin.

With that she left me alone to think. I knew that if the assassins wanted me dead then I never would have known that 006 wasn't who I thought her to be. I never would have even known that there was an assassin on this ship. More likely she was her to keep an eye on me and whomever had set her wanted me to know that tabs were being kept on me. I was too valuable to kill and too useful to be kept locked up. Yet I didn't doubt that should I become a threat to the IOM that Black Widow would end me.

As such my course of action hadn't really changed. I needed to make use of my freedom as a Rouge Trader and ability to travel to different parts of the multiverse to benefit mankind. I could do that by acquiring technology for the Ad-Mech and resources for the Imperium. I already had in mind a world that we could visit that would supply me with what I needed.

Sadly for me the IOM wasn't the only group interested in my actives. Mere seconds after Black Widow left someone else appeared in my study. Farseer Galadeer of the Yltar Craftworld. She wasn't actually here, this was some sort of psychic projection a pysker ability well beyond anything I could perform. I longed to learn how to perform such feats, but the arrogant space elf would never share such knowledge with me even if she had already fed me a few titbits and promised more.

In my own mind I heard the voice of Gimli the dwarf yelling 'Never trust an elf'

"Farseer Galadeer" I greeted "Can I help you with something".

I knew that to her even a psychic human such as myself would be looked at as something barely above an ape. Yet she was polite enough. We'd never be friends she just understood that she needed me. It must gall on her that a human was her race's only hope of escaping the insane 40k galaxy.

"Human" she replied "While you will not know it one of my people's vessel will follow you to your next destination. We can shield our presence so that none of your people will ever know that we were there, however I expect you to ensure that one looks to closely to our actions".

I'd not learned until long after it had happened that it had been the Eldar not the Inquisition who had ended all human life on the island of Dragonstone because that Red Woman who hung around Stannis was worshipping something close to what I would consider a daemon. That didn't mean it had been a creature of the warp just something as dangerous.

"What actions will those be?" I questioned.

Of course she didn't answer that and not for the first time I wondered how many of her people she'd left behind of Planetos. Did they have a hidden enclave on that world hidden away from the human population or they had settled in some other place away from what they would see as vermin?

"You know that my people simply seek softer lands to settle" said the space elf "Aid us in this and you will be rewarded. Hinder us at your peril".

There wasn't much I could do to stop them without exposing the fact that I'd been in contact with xenos lifeforms. Even with my authority as a Rogue Trader there were limits to what I was allowed to do and I'd rather not upset the space elves as they were a threat. I'd let them play their games in the shadows while I grew in power.

The projection faded away as someone entered my office without knocking. Normally this would be very rude, only the person who entered was my visible pregnant wife Princess Daenerys Targaryen or Lady Daenerys Thrax as she was now known. She wore one of her silk dressed that was just transparent enough that I could make out her nipples through the material. Yet it was her large belly that got my attention.

"Princess, how are you and Rhaegar?" I asked as I rubbed her belly.

While she was no longer a member of House Targaryen having joined House Thrax her brother was a king and I held the title Prince of the Stepstones so it was acceptable to call her princess. Besides she liked it.

Rhaegar Thrax was my unborn son and future heir. He hadn't even seen the world yet and I had already began moulding the boy as my successor. Thanks to Ad-Mech gene crafting, which allowed for the creation of a designer baby, he would have my dark hair and his mother's eyes and possibly be a psyker as the gene which causes that can pop unexpectedly even with gene-modding. This would be another good reason to spend as little time in the 40k galaxy as possible as while I didn't hear any voices in my head that didn't mean he wouldn't. Thankfully Dany didn't hear any voices, either because she wasn't at all a psyker, her abilities were magical not psychic in nature, or because she was near me.

"Will you join me for dinner my lord?" Dany asked.

I should make some time for her as soon I would be busy. I had no plans to be around for the birth, the idea of that would be shocking for Dany, and my attention would be needed elsewhere. I wasn't worried much about my wife, she had her own servants and had been well trained her role.

"Yes I will" I told her "I only have a little paperwork left to deal with".

After a long kiss she left and I began to plan how I would best exploit the world of Fallout.