In the Year of the Light of the Golden Throne 070.816.M41++
The Continuing Voyages of His Divine-Majesty's Ship, the Dawn Treader
Lord Captain's Log; The Countess Lucretia Von Krak, Commanding
In the Year of the Light of the Golden Throne 070.816.M41++
Location: The Magoros System
Course: Orbiting Magoros Prime, the innermost planet
Materium: The Magoros System contains three orbiting planets as well as a large asteroid field surrounding the plane of the ecliptic. The star itself has a strange property – every 120 minutes, the star pulses – irradiating the entire system for a full two minutes. During this time, the radiation obscures our ships sensors – rendering the Dawn Treader blind.
The Explorator assures me that our vessel's void-shields protects the crew from the pulse, but should we be caught outside the shields during one of these episodes, the result would be catastrophic. Moreover, Octus explained we must be careful when traversing the planetary systems, particularly those without atmospheres...
Comments: Finally, after seventeen days of voyage, we have made Warpfall in the Magoros System! For the moment, the Navigator has earned a respite...
After scanning the system, the Void-Master, Quinn Vanberg, informed me that of the three planets visible, he had detected a faint Imperial beacon on Magoros Prime, the innermost planet. Since that planet was the closest to us at the moment – I ordered the Dawn Treader into orbit.
Magoros Prime was a barren rock with no atmosphere. Having a such close orbit to the star, half the planetary surface was molten rock and half was an icy wasteland with the two sides constantly switching states via the planet's rotation.
Quinn Vanberg piloted a shuttle to ferry me down to the surface. Accompanying the Void-Master and I on the journey were Volkner Alessander, Octus and Brother Mordechai. Since the planet had no atmosphere, the crew wore either void-suits or sealed power armor as was their preference.
I wore the Von Krak ancestral suit of power armor passed down from my father as a gift to celebrate my first commission. Octus had helped me appease the suit's machine spirit some years ago during our many dark voyages with the Lord-Captain Anselm Krin.
At the time, Octus had explained that because I lacked the Black Carapace Implant of an Imperial Space Marine, the full capabilities of the suit would be lost to me. Indeed, the first time I wore the contraption it felt as through I had 40 pound bags of sand weighing down each of my limbs!
Over time, I had learned how to fight wearing the suit and how to harness the incredible strength the machine-spirit imparted to its wearer. However, the hulking power armor was still not particularly adroit – especially while traversing the rugged terrain of Magoros Prime!
Complicating matters was the fact that once we departed the shuttle we would have only two hours to survey the terrain, investigate the beacon, recover any artifacts and return to the vessel. If the away-team violated this time-line, no one would survive the radiation from the nearby pulsar!
Quinn Vanberg managed to land the shuttle within a hundred yards of the beacon. A quick aerial survey had indicated the signal emanated from a long-crashed Imperial shuttle-craft. Once on the planet we waited until star emitted its bi-hourly pulse of radiation and quickly made our way across the jagged, barren terrain.
Surveying the wreckage, we discovered most of the components of the Imperial shuttle had long been destroyed – either in the initial impact or the subsequent centuries of extreme heat, cold and radiation. Octus discovered the beacon came from an ancient cogitator – amazingly still functional despite the harsh elements.
The Explorator began speaking the strange Binary Language to the cogitator in order to coax its machine-spirit into revealing its secrets. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew kept an eye on our chronometers so as not to be caught in the star's radiant fury.
After thirty minutes, the Tech-Priest completed his interrogation of the cogitator. In addition, Octus had been able to dislodge the device from its console housing. The Arch-Militant, Volkner Alessander, hoisted the bulky machine on his back and we made our way back to the shuttle. Trudging across the broken expanse, the crew made it to the shuttle and flew to the Dawn Treader with minutes to spare.
Back on-board, Octus translated his conversation with the cogitator. The only information the machine-spirit had divulged were the coordinates of a Xenos structure located on the second planet.
Sweet, Sweet Xenos Technology! It is my duty to the God-Emperor to visit this Xenos ruin and ascertain whether it poses any threat to the Imperium. I shall not fail the Lord of Mankind!
In addition, I will investigate the site to determine whether any evidence of the Righteous Path exists. With any luck, Hadarak Fel has not discovered this clue and we may yet have a chance to claim the salvage of the former Imperial vessel!
I am Lord Captain of the Dawn Treader, The Countess Lucretia Von Krak
Den Stets-Siegreichen Imperium!