Warhammer 40K: Broadside Adventures (Imperial Navy Quest)

When you took command, you meet with all the officers on board the Protector of the Faithfull. You had meetings and gatherings all the like, but these were all formal events that barely left enough time to learn more about the people you met on a personal level. That would change in the future, hopefully. From the Admiral, you had learned that you could know much about officers if you invited them to a nice dinner when time allowed it. This made said officers far more relaxed than usual, and it was possible to discuss things more openly. At first, it usually was a bit uncomfortable, but when the officers grew used to it, some of the best battle plans were made over the dessert. It was a tradition you had decided to copy from your old master. Therefore you had invited your First Officer, Esma M'tomse, and the ships Techpriest, Skav Lodson, to a fine dinner.

Both of them looked suitably uncomfortable when the dinner had started. Esma M'tomse is a woman almost two decades older than yourself who enjoys her post far too much, as evident to the scars on her face. She explained that it was a tradition that boarding parties were led by the XO on the Protector. And that, she told you grinning, was often the most fun she had. She was also the master-at-chainsword of your ship and defended that title yearly in the internal tournament.

Skav Lodson, on the other hand, was relatively relaxed for a Techpriest. One of the first things he explained to you was that a machine spirit sometimes behaved like an unruly child. A good slap often was enough to motivate the sprite to do as it was meant to. He also asked you to not do it when other Techpriest were around who didn't serve on the Protector as it might lead to your death. Then he started to giggle, and you realized he was drunk.

Now that the dessert was here, you leaned back and open your jacket a bit.

"A fine dinner, don't you agree, XO?"

"Indeed, sir. The wine is delicious."

"A gift from my younger brother. He sends me a small chest of it each time I'm in the capital. You will not find a better wine if you ask me, in the whole Cluster." You give your XO a small smile. "A friendly reminder of him that he is the head of the family and I'm just an officer in the Navy. No doubt he feels he has to needle me about that fact, even if I gave him the titles freely so I could become what I'm."

"Isn't that a bit petty, sir? Considering you gave up your position as family heir?" Your XO asked, her voice sounding far less demanding than on the bridge.

"It comes down to politics, XO. If my brother wouldn't do it, others could think that I still influence the family business. So long he is sending me fine wine, to needle me, he can keep it up until I'm dead for all I care."

Skav Lodson chuckled or did the equivalent a Techpriest could do. It sounded far too mechanical to your ears. The movement of his Mechadendrite had become a bit uncontrolled, the more of the wine he had consumed. "Politics will be the undoing of the Empire one day, not the Traitors or Xenos. That is why I'm in the fleet at least, and I get the feeling you're here for the same reason, Captain. I didn't have the nerve to play politics, so I choose my banishment before it became my undoing."

"Your … banishment?"

"That is right, first officer Esma M'tomse. My banishment. Because if I hadn't chosen it, the Arch-Magus had sent me into it without a doubt, or I had rusted away on a minor position with only a dull purpose." The Techpriest chuckled. "So, I choose to banish myself before someone did it for me. That allowed me to decide what this banishment would entrail."

You grunt in understanding and take a zip of your own wine glass. "That means it is pointless to ask what the Mechanicum is doing around the Badger Ridge?"

"Ha! No, not really. But if I have to guess, I would say something foolish that has to do with some form of highly dangerous archeotech! If you wish for my advice, my dear Captain, then ignore them as much as you can. Whatever it is they are doing, it isn't worth the trouble."

"You know, I don't think I have ever met a Techpriest like you."

"I take that as a compliment, my Captain. Now, refile my glass if you would be so kind." You fulfill his wish with a chuckle. As the wine fills the glass of the Techpriest, he accepts the tribute with a slight, thankful nod.

"And what do you think about the Inquisition's request for help if needed, Sir?"

"Problematic, XO. Normally I would say to stay as clear as one can from anything that has to do with an Inquisitor. Especially as the Admiral seems to be not that happy about the said request. And yet, Inquisitors have a tendency towards long memories. Best to avoid that if possible." You answer the question carefully. "And your thoughts?"

"I have been assigned to them in the past, sir. As an adviser for Inquisitor Gabriel for three years, doing an investigation into some Rogue Trader houses. I would strongly suggest we help the Inquisition if she calls. They protect us from some of the worst things than anyone wants to see."

"Thank you, I will keep that in mind."

---

Doing the transit, you ordered the crew to train with the ship's weapons. Not just the usual drills that the crew faces in regular intervals. No, the training they met was far harsher and more demanding than this. For example, you gave them training in quickly crewing the weapons combat stations or firing on extremely close ships. It took a few weeks of hard drills, but then you finally noticed some improvements in the crew's reactions. It was still far from what you hoped for, but in time that would change hopefully. They also got better in manual firing weapons at close proximity targets, which would hopefully help in a desperate defense against boarding shuttles or torpedoes - a tactic loved by pirates of all races.

---

The arrival of the Protector of the Faithfull in the Region, known as Badger Ridge, occurred relative calm. Badger Ridge was a small area of space that was one of the few sanctuaries in the galaxy where the Warp was extremely calm. You once had heard a Navigator saying he could see the Astronomican from nowhere in the galaxy so clear as he could from within the Badger Ridge. It would be far more populated if there were more habitable worlds around. But the constant attacks from Eldar pirates and other enemies of humanity had ensured that the few planets that lay here were never prime targets for colonization.

So Badger Ridge had stayed a curiosity and a backwater at the same time. And now it was your area of operation. The orders are clear, Lord-Captain, but where to start?

Choose the first System for the patrol to start!

[ ] Badger Primaris, the leading world in the Region. It is a terrible backwater world in comparison with the rest of the Cluster. But here, it is the center of commerce.
[ ] Arkanis Under, a system dominated by mining in the asteroid belt.
[ ] Arkanis Upper, a system dominated by mining in the asteroid belt.
[ ] PY109-Jota, a system with a lifeless but habitable planet. Considered bad luck.
[ ] Calabriss, settled two hundred years ago. Settlers are mostly Imperial Guard veterans.
[ ] Seminar, small Agri-World. No recent contact with the Imperial Navy.

The arrival in the Seminar system happened without any problems as the Protector left the warp. As soon as the disturbance of the warp transit has vanished, the Augur Array's started to look for any contacts. They found twelve spread around the system. Six of them were quickly identified as trading vessels of different Trading Houses you painfully aware of from your youth. But that still leaves half of the contacts at large, and it takes some time to identify two others. These are the Escorts that served to protect the Agri-World.

But the four closed to the Protector can't be identified, not even when they power their generators and ignite the engines. They try to escape and begin to scatter away from you as fast as they can. Judging by their position so close to one of the transit points and their quick reaction, it is clear that they were waiting.

"Pirates," is the grunt's Esma M'tomse in disgust. You nod in agreement when you hear it. That is the most likely answer to why they were out here and why they started running. Either pirates or smugglers, you think—time to earn your pay-check.

What are your orders?

[ ] Write-in!