"It's a pleasure to see you, Sub-Lieutenant," Philip "Pip" Bernadotte greets you with his trademark grin as you board the transport shuttle. Seeing the newly promoted Void-Sergeant waiting for you is a pleasant surprise. If there weren't other passengers around, you would have embraced him in a short, manly hug. But for now, a simple nod will have to suffice.
You and Philip found seats on the transport shuttle among a group of Imperial Army officers heading to the Gyptus deployment. Among them, you two are the only ones fluent in Franc, so you naturally switch back to your native language.
Love the little nods like the hugging and the using notfrench as a way to avoid eavesdropping, very fitting.
"How is life on the surface? Enjoying the sand, I take it? It is about as course as you."
"Exhausting and strenuous." He laughs. "In addition to our regular training, we're also assisting with demolishing some of Gyptus's abandoned cities for repurposing."
"Reclamation work?" you say, your voice laced with a hint of disdain. It's not the type of task you aspire to do, even if you won't be doing any physical labor. It might affect how your regiment is perceived, and you are starting to enjoy your comrades.
We can't be seen as a commander of...
plebs that are willing to grub in the dirt. That's peasant work.
"All in the name of a noble pursuit," Pip retorts, his attention drawn to an intriguing spectacle outside the shuttle's viewport. The spacecraft was leisurely traversing an authorized orbital path, offering a rare chance to admire the plethora of ships suspended in space. "See that Orbital Plate over yonder?"
Your gaze trails his pointed finger, landing on an oddly tinted Orbital Plate, distinct from the other two within your line of sight. "The mustard-hued one?" you inquire.
Pip grins mischievously, savoring the moment. "That's no Orbital Plate."
A pause hangs in the air as he lets his words sink in.
...Then either it is a space station or a ship...both are valid...and terrifying in scale as we can
see them in orbit. Even for the setting where ships are as big as planets...is beeg.
"That beauty," he continues, still grinning and pointing towards the object in question, "is none other than Imperator Somnium - our Emperor's pride and joy. Flagship of the Imperium, the ship he will use to reclaim the galaxy."
His revelation takes a moment to fully comprehend. Your jaw slackens noticeably. "Gods of Old Earth... That ship is..." If it could be mistaken for an Orbital Plate, its length must span at least fifty kilometers at the very least. "And here I thought Bucephalus was already colossal."
"That was His personal yacht compared to this. This is going to be a warship, a real worldbreaker. I found some interesting information about it," Philip says.
...I am not going to imagine what that is meant to fight, because the Orks at Beast level are the lowest I can imagine and it just gets worse from there. That's a mobile war moon in all but name.
"You? Reading something other than smutty romance?" You quirk an eyebrow for comedic emphasis.
Philip acts as if he has been hit by a thrown dagger, feigning offence. "Sir, you underestimate me. I have a fascination for military technology and tactics. Plus, they told us where the materials and artifacts we are reclaiming will be used. It definitely motivated the soldiers. I've never seen them so eager to scavenge rebar from concrete or strip copper from roofs."
"So you're a professional salvager now?" His kind expression hints that he may have actually done those things, but he won't divulge any further information. You change the subject. "To contribute to a ship like that…" You allow yourself to dream for a moment, until Philip interrupts with a laugh.
So we got a tech monkey in philip, nice. And I can easily imagine our soldiers going at the old cities like meth junkies promised a big stash for their work.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, Sir. But half of the metalworkers, reclaimers, and salvagers on Terra are contributing to that project." He chuckles. "Two Hive Cities have already been dismantled for materials, and that gilding? All that gold is from the treasuries of warlords he forces to submit."
Your initial excitement fades. "They're breaking down hives?" You say, closer to an affirmation than a question.
Pip nods gravely. "A dozen of them, aye. And all the ruins left by the Unification Wars on top of that. Every last scrap of Archeotech and Dark Age alloy we can find."
Yup...The Imperium is, for all its glory, very much a nation built on the ruins of the Dark Age of Technology, so much being lost even now. So what is left must be repurposed and salvaged in the hopes of rediscovering the means to make more.
Also love the gilding of the ship using taken wealth. Great way to keep it out of corruption's hands and its misspending.
"Mines emptied of rare metal, cities broken down for scraps of archeotech alloys." You attempt to process this overwhelming information - how the Solar Reclamation isn't merely another conflict but humanity's last shot at re-establishing its dominance over the galaxy.
"True... But what a sight she is," Pip murmurs. "Whatever happens, we will not go quietly into the Old Night.
The initial thrill of beholding the colossal Imperator Somnium begins to ebb, supplanted by a hollow sensation. The reality is that it is likely the final grand warship that Terra will ever craft. Mars and Jupiter will take that task going forward, and the last using the might and knowledge of the Golden Age.
Yup, humanity has been kicked, repeatedly, down and further down. For all that people pretend that the Imperium has always been as it was in 40k, it wasn't, and this was the last, best attempt to unify humanity as fast as possible so that all the resources, people, and tech that lay within humanity's grasp could be regained and put to effective use. Giving it the best chance to fill in the gaps of knowledge and training.
You both allow the moment to sink in, looking out the window as the Shuttle continues to descend. Then you find yourself unable to resist asking the next question. "So, what kind of weapons does it have?
He grins. "Do you know what a Nova Cannon is?"
You think deeply, dredging up a memory from a primer on naval warfare terminology. "A spinal cannon, right? A ship of the line is built around one of those."
"According to the 'official' estimate." He actually makes air quotes, confusing those looking at the two Franks having a conversation in their own tongue. "The Imperator has seven barrels. And twenty Exterminatus-capable Torpedo tubes."
You blink. "What the hell does the Emperor expect to face if he needs that kind of firepower?"
"I assume the things he made the Custodes to guard him from."
Your half-erased memories of Proteus briefly throb in the back of your mind. You wonder for a moment just what in the name of Terra's dead gos The Emperor expects to face out in the void.
Ye...gods, the firepower on that can break planets...Yeah not going to think about what needs that firepower, I don't need to change pants.
A field of prefabricated structures and large tents stretches an area large enough for a city, a city raised up from nothing, all evenly distributed in a grid pattern, with different coloured roofs or flags above the buildings inside each of the squares.
Landing at one of the pads inside the city, you step off the shuttle and head towards a waiting all-terrain groundcar whose operator is waving you over. To your delight, it is your Vox-Operator Primevére, whom pulls the door open for you and ushers you inside. Before you can get inside, you note that the thin layer of protective grey paint smells very fresh.
And it's still probably an improvement from hive city squalor for many.
"A pleasure to see you, Primevére. How has Gyptus been treating you?" You ask, noting that her ordinarily pale skin is covered with a solar-protective spray, that hasn't saved her from appearing sunburnt.
"It is hot, dry, and full of foreigners, sir.." She says with a chuckle.
"Now, now, we're supposed to have moved past bickering with the other peoples of Terra." You say, puffing up your chest as you extol the virtues of Unity, while grinning. You open the window of the Groundcar.
Yup, we still end up crispy thanks to the biggest fireball out there.
Heh, we will always find reasons to chest thump with our fellow humans. We'd be boring if we didn't.
"Does that include Jermani, Sir?"
"Absolutely not." You are slammed into the back of your seat as she races across the central road towards your Cohort's encampment. You clutch a safety handhold and look out the window as the car races past, tightening your seatbelt just in case. The woman drives like a broken Servitor, but she's making progress.
Heh, as I said before and will say again, "Germans and Jews might get along, but French and Germans never will."
...I feel like there's a joke here about ladies driving
You look out the window. Primevére is right about there being a lot of foreigners in the training camp. You can see every skin colour and set of features recognized as human-normal represented as the Groundcar races past.
There are the flags of former Pan-Pacific regiments, the varying symbols of the many tribal armies joined to the Imperium, the star-banners of the Merican Armour, the dragon-banners of the Han Hives, the crosses of the Cantine Heavies, The black of the Marian Deep, the white of the Terrawat Mountaineers, and others that you fail to recognize.
Yup, all the old regiments and cultures of Fallen Terra gathered here. Before Imperial Culture was cemented...it must have been a NIGHTMARE to coordinate.
Large posters with drawings of the Gothic alphabet and pictographic representations of common words are predominant at each street crossing. Hanging next to them are warning posters about the punishments for failing to speak the common tongue.
A simple warning re-occurs as you pass.
You are expected to be fluent in Gothic by the end of your training deployment! Failure will result in disciplinary action.
Yup, gotta be able to communicate with everyone you work with. Miscommunication or outright inability to speak to each other can destroy battlelines and lead to defeats.
"They're making Gothic mandatory?"
"Afraid so." Philip says. He has taken out a small square datapad and is playing a game on it involving what looks like falling square blocks. You're very sure his datapad is not supposed to have a game installed on it. "We are all supposed to understand Gothic."
Just thinking of the announcement of that ruling is making you grin. "Can't have been a popular announcement."
"You can say that again. Most of my technical crews are under-hive scum and boys from the countryside. The extra lessons are really cutting in on training time."
I wonder if our aborted attempt to punish the sergeant for speaking Gothic will come back to bite us
Fair point on the extra lessons cutting into training time, but it's either cut into that time...or have to adapt to 'no speekee engleesh' funtimes in a firefight.
Letting out a snort of disapproval, you turn to Philip. "Speaking of technical crews. Did you manage to evacuate your Rapier?"
Philip frowns. "No." He curses under his breath. "I only just had it calibrated the right way. I hope I can get one of the new Laser Rapiers. I bet operating one of those is amazing."
The Groundcar stops outside the grid set aside for the 7th Verdyn, allowing Primevére to take out her documentation and provide it to the guards at the checkpoint. You can smell something akin to fresh bread in the distance. Is it already time for the weekly communal bread-baking? You wonder which Tercio will have made the best bread this time around.
But first. To speak with the Marshal.
Eh, we lost a LOT more than the rapier on that proteus debacle. Shame, but hopefully we can get better equipment as he says...and best bois. I want me best bois.
Pierre Mardon awaited you in the residence set aside for him in the compound. A prefabricated structure, with an interior like a country estate. The furniture is made of high quality lumber, inlaid with tiny amounts of silver. Just enough to enhance the aesthetic without overpowering the lacquered wood.
Standing in the room are his four lifewards. Each wearing their Chasseur armour. Cuirasses of golden plate connected to silk-thin archeotech clothes that appeared like cloth, but were as strong as power armour, and enhanced the strength of the wearer. The men quietly observe you, tense with restrained energy from their augmented physiologies. You occasionally wonder if they are Pseudo-Warriors, soldiers augmented using techniques developed from dissected Thunder Warriors during the Wars of Unification. You believe the Marshal has the right connections with the Tech-Clans to acquire some.
He would not be Franc officer class if he did not have fanceh quarters.
Man, I imagine that losing such archeotech cloth is one of the big losses for the Imperium, at least on an individual scale. It would make for great uniform clothing...
Pseudo warriors huh? I can see that, and it's not like they could do better than Big E so these wouldn't last as long and have other issues, so Big E wouldn't care to stop it. If they want to burn out soldiers trying to imitate him, that's their resources wasted.
Not that any of them will ever tell you. These warriors had their vocal cords removed long ago.
"We're in a real mess, and no doubt about that." Mardon says, matter of factly. "Officer corps gutted. Heavy losses. And now deployed here on Terra for retraining and reorganisation. What a damn mess. It will take at least a year for us to be ready to deploy again. There aren't enough officers, and all the good candidates have already been picked."
Yup, something that humanity has done with bodyguard types plenty of times...always yeesh.
A year huh? Not great but not horrible either considering the losses taken, also makes sense that the main issue is training up new officers and NCOs, as those require a great deal of training and experience.
"Terrible mess, sir." You nod, taking a wafer with Foie Gras from the plate on the delicate table and enjoying the taste, before sipping your fine wine. You can get used to this mentorship for the fine wine alone.
The Marshal shakes his head. "Solutions. Enough lamenting what happened. We need to discuss solutions." He leans forward, close enough that you can see the liquid flowing through the transparent tube in his nose. You consider the words of the Marshal as he continues. "As an officer, you will be sending brave men and women to their deaths. You have done so already, and done so without hesitation to accomplish your goals." There is no distaste or judgement in his voice, but neither do you register any approval.
Might as well take advantage while the guy is paying attention to Herrand, might not be around after the next campaign.
I can see why the Marshal is neutral on this, that's the job, pure and simple. No real reason to approve or disapprove. If we'd given up opportunities for the sake of our men I imagine he'd be upset, but I also imagine that he'd be equally upset if we'd wasted the lives of our soldiers for
insufficient gain. As ugly as it is, sometimes mens lives must be spent, and in so doing, need to be spent
wisely.
He slides a data pad over to you. You raise an eyebrow as you see that it is documentation for your promotion to Lieutenant. Recommended by the late Lieutenant Albrecht for your actions aboard the Neptunian habitat. It has already been signed. The Cohort has taken heavy losses indeed if you are rising this quickly. "I have lost several officers I had been grooming for positions of leadership, Herrand Sallas."
His eyes bore into you.
"Battlefield losses mean you will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and placed in command of Tercio Primaris of Sub-Cohort Quintus. If you want to rise beyond that rank, I want to hear good things from Commander Richelle. I consider him to be an excellent judge of character. If he holds you back, then I will stop assisting you. Prove yourself worthy of my eye."
Nice, so our previous boss had indeed liked our actions on the habitat, and had paid it forward. Also equally true if we're matching him in rank it is because of battlefield promotions, this big a jump is NOT normal in peacetime to put it mildly.
Ah, so we got a new minder that we have to play ball with. And it is a test. We did good as a low level NCO, now we're playing in the officers and the criteria for...approval, is going to rise to remain as high as it ever was in relation.
Going to need to get a read on this Richelle to make sure we play to him well but don't let that lead us into trouble either.
You frown at the bluntness. You nod respectfully.
He continues. "Next, you should start planning a retinue, Sallas. Show me you have a good judge of character."
"A Retinue, sir? Only Sub-Cohort commanders are supposed to gain personal retinues according to-" He cuts you off with a wave of his hand. He pauses for a moment as his armour injects something into his spine with an audible click. "You will not get a retinue officially, not yet. But you should make preparations for any event."
Gods, these reminders that the Marshal is as much machine as he is man are so well written...but that just makes them all the more disturbing.
Gotcha, so we aren't getting a retinue
yet but now is the time to plant the seed of what it is in a sense. This is going to require careful thought.
You nod. The Solar Auxilia, like most of Terra's armed forces, although professional in the lower ranks, become progressively more feudal and personalised as one rises through the ranks. You will absolutely need to develop a household staff, have personal guards, and attain high standards.
He types something into his datapad. "You have two months leave. Make the most of it. Make political moves. I will be watching you, and expecting a report describing just what you are planning."
You frown. The marshal just gave you Homework.
Yup, it's up to Herrand to make sure he makes the right choices for who he surrounds himself with, and the consequences if he (aka we the thread) choose poorly or carelessly.
And we're getting...
homework. But not just any homework, another test by the Marshal to see if Herrand is capable of handling the political side of being an officer. Which, very important if you're going to be backing someone as a protégé. You don't want to have a massive gaff coming back to bite you and making your own judgement look poor.
Your personal room within the Compound assigned to the 7th Verdyn Chemical Engineers is furnished with well-built metal and plastek furniture, colourful red drapes, and contains all the amenities that you might need. A table, a desk, personal desk cogitator, and a personal bathroom and shower.
The people that the Marshal has instructed you to form the core of a future retinue out of surround you. Amélie leans into the back of the guest chair, twiddling her thumbs, Philipe is examining the cogitator, while Jeanne is sitting on the side of the bed, bouncing to test the mattress, with great approval.
Nice, not nearly as fanceh as the Marshal's of course, but quality all the same.
...Adorable, the bouncing on the bed. Tis amusing.
Jeanne blows a raspberry as you finish explaining to her just what you have been told by the Legate Marshal. "Moving up into the big leagues, are we?" Jeanne says with a coprophagic grin.
"I am. And if you commit yourself to me, I can make you a very wealthy woman. I intend nothing less than to become the leader of this Cohort one day and be given a planet of my own to rule."
Her gaze shoots towards you, eyes narrowing as she considers your words. Her look is a hungry look, but not one of hunger for sustenance. It is a hunger for power, for influence, for the ability to decide one's own fate. Amélie looks somewhat incredulous at your statement, but there is no confusion or anger at the statement, in fact, she seems very respectful.
Nice, looks like our officers/minions are having our back, in spite of the rough ride we've had so far. Honestly, the best outcome we could ask for with the choices we made.
"Sounds good. It sounds like a good chance for making it through my service alive so I can actually cash in on those rewards." She pauses. "I might know some people possibly worth bringing into this. Back alley scum that we can get into uniform and assigned to us."
"Wealth and power will be mine to grant." You say with absolute seriousness. You then turn to Amélie Beaufort. "Your family has been blackballed by the military. Your career is dead because of your name. Join me, and I'll drag you with me to the top, and we'll eventually tip the old guard out of their seats."
Oh, nice, thanks to our minions, we have special access to...well, friends in low places. How very, very french. For all their fanceh exterior, they do tend to need someone willing to get dirty.
Yup, we don't care about the past political strife, if she has our back, then we'll have hers.
The daughter of a political dynasty looks at you, crossing her arms as she no doubt considers her options. After a long while, she nods. "Fair enough. I'll be your eyes and ears in political circles. My family still has connections."
You finally turn to Philip Bernadotte, trying to think of something to say, when you realize you don't know him. At all. "What do you want, Pip?"
He shrugs. "I think we just really get along, sir. I'll be with you in this."
A nod of affirmation and a grin.
Very good...very good indeed, those connections might not be what those in favor might have, but even so, that will probably make her family all the more eager to leverage what they have to get out of the pit they are in.
Our tech monkey is simple, works for me!
You have found yourself under the mentorship of the Legate Marshal of your Cohort, who considers you to be a potential candidate to one day be a Marshal in your own right. His eyes are upon you, and he will judge just how you use your time.
How will you use your medical leave?
Sallas connections:
You are a rising star in your family, but not the greatest of them. Your family's assets are being heavily invested right now, and you will not be able to ask for everything you want. But at the same time, you are in a good position to continue to aid your family's rise to power. You will leverage your new status as an officer and a veteran by:
Yup, our family has a LOT of...everything invested in, and it's fitting we are not the greatest as we in our origin were already made clear that we were 'late' in getting to the choice positions and family backing. Although I imagine that getting the offworld trading license is going to change that dynamic.
[] Attend board meetings alongside your father:
Your father constantly works to keep Sallas Arms operational. Meet with the rich and powerful individuals of the Franc economy, talk about the prospective interstellar expansion, try to leverage their political support for promotions through hard economic promises.
Increase the financial status of the Sallas Family.
This one, honestly I consider the least useful since we got that offworld arms trade deal thanks to the Marshal, and we got the mine on Mercury. This is good for moneh but it's very short term and leans more into the 'money over class' reputation that our family seems to be developing thanks to our autogun specialty.
[] Attend the grand ball of Albia:
Your mother's ambition knows no bounds, and she seeks to rise as high as she possibly can. Attend a formal gala held in Albia for the Urban Classes of Europe, Nordafrik, and Arabia, as they send out their sons to war. Proudly show your scars, mention your accomplishments, and ensure that your name is one known far and wide.
Increase the social status of the Sallas Family.
We've seen before in the quest that Herrand's mom is the long view thinker of the immediate family, going for the trading knowledge and patents and licensing deals over bulk arms shipments. Plus we are trying to rise to
nobility, which is key in the social scene of the Imperium. We are going to need to lean into here to ensure we are not just seen as 'New Rich' for all our lives, but Nobility that has earned their place.
[] The political scion:
Pars's republic is a strong government that had endured millenia of hardship and attempted coups and power grabs. Have Amélie introduce you to the power-brokers of the Franc republic, specifically the newly elected Bloc Imperial that have been elected on a platform of emancipation and expansion of the electorate. They could lobby for your promotions, provided you prove tough enough to survive the wars.
Increase the political clout of the Sallas Family.
Welcome to the political scene, it's only going to get more murky from here. This is going to be equally important long term for our rise to power and prestige, especially as we avoided the 'made wrong choices' origin. It isn't going to be enough to have money and 'friends', we need
backing, and that means finding 'mutual friends' in the government. Other officers will have it and it will give them an edge we need to match.
Retinue Connections:
Your unofficial retinue gives you an opportunity to make connections to rise through the ranks, and prepare for getting the world that you are certain to earn by the end of your military service.
[] People from the gutter:
Jeanne still knows powerful individuals in the grey market. As Terra's rules and laws tighten, there are bound to be a lot of people who need a new paycheck. These are desperate men and women with firepower, and a desire for power and control over their lives. Work with Jeanne to find her former criminal partners and get them jobs within the Sallas Family. They will do honest work as security, and dishonest work against rivals.
Increase the security of the Sallas Family.
When you acquire a Retinue, you will have a loyal core of fighters.
On the other hand, having a loyal core of fighters for a retinue is VITAL for long term survival in this setting. We're going to need competent troops motivated to keep us alive. All the political backing and social acquaintances in the world aren't going to help if we can't keep knifes in the back from us. Our family's security is going to be key for long term survival in the backstabbing halls of nobility.
Expanding the Retinue:
(Choose one addition to your retinue)
[] An artificer:
Philip "Pip" Bernadotte has friends in curious places, specifically, an artificer from the Ef-En Tech Clan looking for something more exciting than remaining on Terra. Only, he knows that he will not be allowed to leave if he asks, and has no personal funds to just leave.
Pip has a plan to break him out. When pressed he claims it will involve a party, an escape car, a shuttle ticket to Nordafrik, and a gang war that 'Was going to happen anyways.'
The Ef-En Tech Clan will not be happy one of their scions left.
You acquire an artificer that keeps your weapons and armour working optimally.
Could be useful but we can keep our gear up to snuff in other ways and this will make enemies of the...almost francs. This isn't *bad* by any means, but I'm not sure it's worth making more enemies.
[] A biological Lifeguardian :
Work through your family to acquire a Lifeward from the Alpyne Tech Clan. They will be a butler and manservant genetically engineered to be loyal to you, augmented with hidden weapons, poison-detecting equipment, and a trained medicae.
Creations like these have a long history in the courts of Europe, and more than one assassination attempt has been foiled by one of these Lifeguardians and their integrated weaponry.
The Sallas Family increases cooperation with the Alpyne Tech Clan.
You acquire a cybernetic servant of unimpeachable loyalty.
Getting more allies and connections is always good, and a reliable supersoldier butler to help keep us alive and well is going to be useful on and off the battlefield. Could even help keep our officers alive too if need be.
[] A mechanical Lifeguardian:
Work through your family to acquire a Lifeward from the Alpyne Tech Clan. You will choose an android with hidden weapons, poison-detecting equipment, and medicae abilities. It will have capabilities beyond a servitor, but without the ability to self-modify or improve.
While not breaking the law on Silica Animus due to an inability to 'think', these creations are rare and expensive because the Tech-Clans that can make them refuse to share the knowledge, and are unable to adapt their production techniques to mass-manufacture.
The Sallas Family increases cooperation with the Alpyne Tech Clan.
You acquire a cybernetic servant of unimpeachable loyalty.
I'm not sure why this one is an option as it seems just more machine version of the previous option, and one that cannot be improved from its current state. Out of all of them, this has the least appeal.
[] Personal chef:
You ensure that you have a personal chef to make meals for you of the most impeccable quality. (And are thoroughly checked for poison)
The Legate Marshal is likely to approve of this display of priorities.
This gets the Marshal's approval and keeps us from being poisoned. So I think this would be a good balance if chosen with the friends in low places.