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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zen_Pollo" data-source="post: 5270972" data-attributes="member: 11404">In the Year of the Light of the Golden Throne 077.816.M41++The Continuing Voyages of His Divine-Majesty's  Ship, the Dawn TreaderLord Captain's Log; The Countess Lucretia Von Krak, CommandingIn the Year of the Light of the Golden Throne 077.816.M41++Location:  The Shard Halo in the Magoros System  Course:  Drifting amidst the asteroidsMaterium:  The Shard Halo is an asteroid belt surrounding the three inner planets of the Magoros system.  The distance of the belt from the star renders this segment of the system a frigid wasteland.  The spinning rocks glisten with a sheen of ice and crystallized minerals.Comments:  Der Sieg ist im Moment des ersten Kontakts bestimmt!, my grandfather used to say – and he was right!Over the last four days, the Dawn Treader maneuvered closer to the Shard Halo, running silent.  Without the benefit of our Augur Devices, we had no foreknowledge of our enemy's position or heading.  Instead, Quinn Vanberg plotted a circuitous route along the last known trajectory of the Fell Hand which maximized the amount of time we spent in the asteroid belt while minimizing the time crossing wide-open space.Our plan worked – we attacked the Fell Hand from the stern with the element of surprise!The Arch-Militant, Volkner Alessander, commanded the batteries – a Mars Pattern Macrocannon funded via my Father's enslavement to the Chorba Dynasty – to take aim at the stern of Haderak Fel's frigate.  The aptly named Big-Daddy Battery struck true, disrupting the frigate's void-shields.  Exploiting this weakness, Volkner Alessander trained the Starbreaker Lance against the vulnerable vessel.  The shot by-passed the heavily armored hull, set the ship afire and disabled a weapon pod.And that is when I received the bad news – apparently the Dawn Treader is … Skittish“...What do you mean, SKITTISH?!?” I railed against the Tech-Priest, banishing my plasma pistol.Octus, suitability cowed, replied “Lord-Captain, the machine-spirit of the vessel is afraid of combat.  The cogitator tells me of a terrible fusillade which nearly destroyed it long ago!”  The Explorator went on to explain that while the machine-spirit flew faster outside of tactical encounters, once in the throes of battle, the machine-spirit had the tendency to hesitate and slow down.  However, with the proper motivation, the machine-spirits might be coaxed to greater speed...I leapt up from my Throne, turned towards it and blew it to smithereens with my Plasma Pistol.  Then, I began cursing at the Dawn Treader in my native tongue; Du Arsch ficken Feigling Stück Scheiße mongrel eines nutzlosen Bastard Hahn...!The Explorator interrupted my tirade, “Madam, to coax the machine-spirit you have to speak the Binary Language.  To the cogitator...”, pointing to his console.Die Schiessen!  I sat back down in the remains of the bridge Throne and calmed myself.The situation actually made sense; after all, Goderick Von Krak had won our dynasty's Hereditary Renowned Warrant of Trade by virtue of sacrificing his vessel to advance the cause of the Margin Crusade.  It had taken many years of effort to repair the damage to my frigate.  I suppose the machine-spirit developed this quirk as it laid dormant all those decades...Quickly, I ordered the Tech-Priest to coax the machine-spirit to greater alacrity in this struggle.  The Void-Master had a plan to capitalize on the initial vector of our heading.  Quinn Vanberg piloted the Dawn Treader past the Fell Hand along the right flank, hoping to utilize the momentum of our ship to evade the counter assault from our adversary.The Helmsman's tactic succeed;  with one weapon aflame, the enemy frigate fired its remaining weapon – a prow-mounted TitanForge Lance -- and it missed!Hadarak Fel churlishly hailed me, “Dastardly, Von Krak!  Why not fight me face to face?”“I'll kill you like we killed your Unsanctioned Psycher!” I exclaimed.“I challenge you to a duel!”  sneered the shocked Rogue Trader.I accepted the challenge, “I'll see you on the deck!”  Slamming the picto-monitor off, I ordered the crew to redouble their efforts.And for once, Brother Mordechai complied with my wishes...The Missionary strode the length of the battery decks extolling the virtues of our struggle,  “Fear not the demise of our adversaries, for the God-Emperor demands we cull the weak from the ranks of Humanity; only the strongest face of Mankind shall be victorious in battle against the foul Xenos!”Meanwhile, the Arch-Militant ordered the inspired weapons crew to fire the batteries and shoot the lance once more – breaching the hull of the Fell Hand!  The salvo depressurized the frigates' batteries, as well as its prow lance.  Many of Hadarak Fel's crew fell into the cold, sparse void...Sensing the Rogue Trader's imminent defeat, I hailed the Fell Hand and demanded his immediate surrender, “Hand over your sword or I'll present your head to your uncle as a Skull-Servitor! You have 10 seconds to decide!”In response, the cowardly Hadarak Fel fled;  at least, he tried.  I'll give the opposing Helmsman credit, for the Fell Hand gave us some difficulty.  Initially, we turned about to give chase, but our weapons were out of range and the Dawn Treader's balky machine-spirit yielded lack-luster acceleration.However, some deft piloting by the Void-Master and fine coaxing of the machine spirits, via the exhortations of the Explorator, caught us up with our quarry!With another volley of the Big-Daddy Batteries, we disabled both the frigate's Geller Field and its Life-Sustainers...Yet, it was Volkner Alessander's StarBreaker Lance that caused catastrophic damage to the Fell Hand – the ship was hulked!!!!In the moment of our victory, the Magoros star pulsed temporarily blinding our Auspexes.  Unfortunately, during the lack of scrutiny, my adversary, Hadarak Fel, escaped by virtue of an Archeo-tech Flying Armored-Bridge!  Of course, it was only after we had combed the gutted ship looking for survivors and salvage that we discovered the absence of the entire bridge structure.  Not succumbing to panic, I radioed the Void-Master, still aboard the Dawn Treader, to scan the surrounding asteroids, for the errant Rogue Trader could not have gone far...Shortly thereafter, Quinn Vanberg found the spineless scion of the Fel Dynasty hidden in the crevice of an asteroid.“Ready the Skull-Servitor!” I ordered the Tech-Priest.  When we ran down the flying bridge and breached its hull, we captured the Rogue Trader and his bodyguard inside.  We also found Hadarak Fel's Navigator, executed via a shot to the back of his head.  Den feigen duo had the courage to shoot their own companion, but not enough esprit-de-corps to die in an honest fight!Back aboard the Dawn Treader, I had my lustknabe corporeally discipline Hadarak Fel; I think the debauched nobleman actually enjoyed it!  The Missionary led the ship-board Death Cult in its ritual sacrifice of the bodyguard.  I forced the former Lord-Captain to witness his minion's demise... I suppose my continued debasement of the Missionary is nearing its end; the Ecclesiarchy would take a dim view of the Heretical Cult's activities.  Moreover, Brother Mordechai's order, the Missionaria Galaxia, most definitely would not be pleased to discover his leadership position in the clandestine group.I think the Missionary and I have finally reached an understanding...Meanwhile, my crew salvaged the remains of the Fell Hand.  Volkner Alessander's precision firing destroyed most of the useable components of the vessel.  All that remained of value was the sheer volume of raw material in the frigate's hull and decking.  Otherwise, I took Hadarak Fel's Familial Signet Ring, as well as his personal Mono-sword, to hold a place of high-honor in the Dawn Treader's trophy room.  Only a few score of the Fell Hand's crew survived the battle and the subsequent radiation from the pulsar.  I remanded the prisoners to the tender mercies of the Death Cult.  I'm sure the captives will be fine...In spite of my initial blustering, I have been convinced by my crew that it is better to hold the Rogue Trader prisoner, rather then execute him outright; the scion of the Fel Dynasty would fetch a high ransom from his family, but his murder would only earn my fledgling Dynasty the scourge of vendetta...Today witnessed the first naval victory for the resurgent Von Krak Dynasty.  I destroyed the smallest vessel of the Fel Dynasty; soon, I will crush the Fell Storm itself, should Oberon Fel once more cross my path in battle...We have confirmed the location of the Righteous Path nearby.  On the morrow, I will complete my triumph over the Magoros System!I am Lord Captain of the Dawn Treader, The Countess Lucretia Von KrakDen Stets-Siegreichen Imperium!</blockquote>

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