Koronus Expanse: Through the gateway

The Rogue Trader campaign is off to a great start. Here's a recounting of the events of 05.29.743.M41 as reported by Scribe Janus of House Yarrow.


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05.03.743 - On behalf of Honorable Captain Karvek, our seneschal Murdoch Velix met with an envoy of House Malkuth on matters of reconnoiter and news of life beyond the Great Maw of the Koronus Expanse. It seems that the revered House Malkuth had sent a tradesman beyond the Maw in order to establish commerce with one of the agri-worlds there, and their charge had not returned or sent any word of information back to House or Imperium since.

Once negotiations of compensation were complete, the Rogue Trader Dauntless by His Countenance set out.

05.27.743 - Our blessed navigator had a slight fault in interpreting our star chart, and we had ended up in a nebula. Course corrections have been made, and we should reach the entryway to the Koronus Expanse with haste.

05.29.743 - 0850. Contact with hostiles. It seems that the crew of the penal legion transport Blessed Redemption had mutinied against their Warden and Commissar, taken ship and turned her into a raider of sorts.

0910. Our honored Captain led a boarding party and assailed the transport. If I may be so bold, I was concerned for our captain, but felt that his team could set things with the heretical crew aright.

1044. Word from our venerated seneschal that the transport had been subdued. All is well.

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Combat report, Colonel Harker, personal logs. 05.29.743

Our thrice-damned sensors were scrambled by the nebula. Bloody readouts indicated that the target was a frigate! We had no indicators of it being a light cruiser!

Damn this rusted bucket. If that trader wants it, he can have it! Well, the Cap had dreams of being a pirate out in the Expanse.

So we were boarded. Forward scouts to the cargo bay engaged boarders at the airlock and were cut down. Squad Osterman reported contact at 1057 and 33% losses. March Sergeant Osterman cut down by some mad bastard with a chainaxe.

Reports indicate that shots glanced off of this man and his commander.

Reports that the bulk of the boarding party had made way for the bridge. Mad Bastard was heading for the armory. I sent forward reconnoiter to assess and neutralize.

Reports that teams sent to defend the bridge had failed. Cut down to almost a man.

Unnerving cackling and threats of "I will WEAR YOUR FACE!" echoed through the halls as the madman chased poor Farber down the corridor with that blood-soaked axe. 2nd March Sergeant Alkon said the boy was white as a warp ghost as he reached the squad. That sociopath met up with the crowd just as our pissweak 'captain' squeaked out a feeble command that we were to surrender.

I learned later that Commissar Carlisle had died in defense of the bridge.

So the crew had collective dreams of throwing off the shackles of the Imperium and raiding for plunder and profit though the Koronus Expanse... And here we are. Breathing loot for a rogue trader and his retinue. Locked up in the ship just as we were when we set off from Orestes.

Our new Master... Karr Vick, I think it is - seems to have put us in a pretty good spot, though. Maybe if I can help keep the boys in line, I can make something of myself that the Orestes Penal Legion just couldn't offer.