House Ainfaust Explorator Fleet H3X-138 : Thorn Moons Crusade

  The clandestine Rogue Trader House of Ainfaust has once again launched an Explorator Fleet with the most feared and trusted Arch Magos Ramik Ungol. Known for his maniacal obsession with prolonging life through the apprehension of ancient technologies, Ramik "The Immorta" has served House Ainfaust for thousands of years after leaving the Forge World of Fusilios IX to search the stars for knowledge. 

  Now that the Path to the Thorn Moons lies open, Ramik and his Skitarii Legions along with the Ainfaust Lancers will hunt down the Green Mechancvm and all who stand in their way. The Arch Magos believes that the Key to Eternal Life lies upon the Thorn Moons and he will stop at nothing to claim that information for himself and the House he owes allegiance to.

  High Ranking agents and House Retainers were sent with the Fleet to ensure the Arch Magos stays true. Highest on that list is Lakoda Thamuz, a powerful, sanctioned Psyker and one time Gang Lord of Hive City Orinsreich.

   Second to Lakoda but just as dangerous and respected is Raef Osvald, Chief Retainer to House Ainfaust in all off world affairs. Raef was raised in one of the many death cults that operate in the Rygaan system from which House Ainfaust rules, he is more than capable of commanding small units of recon fighters to whole companies of warriors. 

  Where Raef leads, Kardo Tierrez watches and executes from a distance. A superb marksman and tracker, the cybernetic enhanced hunter killer will not rest until the objective is gained.

  Last but not least, Lord Stalos Ainfaust personal Tech Adept, Gol-Gol-1 has been sent to monitor and report all that transpires and also to learn more from the Tech Priests of the Omnissiah. Gol-Gol-1 may yet be the most important individual in the Fleet, but only time will tell.

Into The Void - Chapter 1

  Warning claxons blared at full volume as overhead emergency indicators flashed rapidly in the darkness. The sound so high pitched it caused anyone not accustomed to the wailing to clamp their ears in an attempt to block it out.  This is what Trooper Thorpe was doing when the yells of men and the clang of boots reached the nook he was hiding in.

“It’s not a hull breach you mutts! Looks like we got ourselves a fraggin’ stow away!” a voice bellowed in the red flashing gloom.

More boots thundered into the holding bay.

The unmistakable hum of a plasma rifle being powered up forced Trooper Thorpe to look up from his hiding place.

“ Lower that damnable thing before you blow us into the Black you moron!” another voice growled.

“ On yer feet boy, lest you want to die on your knees!”  A third voice rang out, followed by the barrel of a lasgun pointed square in his face.

The claxons stopped and the lighting went fluorescent. Three men now towered over him, inches away, guns ready to end him.

“Take this boy to the bridge, let the Captain deal with him.”  The man pointing the lasgun ordered.

“Get up you scum!” The largest of the three hoisted him to his feet and began hauling him off.

He immediately regretted his decision in sneaking onto this ship.

  As the three men and their new prisoner stepped onto the bridge, Thorpe realized he had indeed, made a huge mistake. A large Ork stood over holoslab table barring the biggest set of gold teeth at him. On either side of him stood more, hard looking men and a woman with eyes like  cold, carved ice. Directly behind them stood what appeared to be an Adeptus Astarte and another man facing the view port. The darkness of space and the light of stars just beyond the ships glass.

Trooper Thorpe was dripping with sweat.

“Wot av we ere den mates? The Ork said, pulling a large blade from his hip as he trudged towards them.

“Put that thing away Gwarbadd, before the boy pisses himself.” The man near the Astarte boomed.

The Ork snarled at Trooper Thorpe and sheathed his blade. Golden tusks shining in the gloom.

“Well, then. It would seem you are what the trouble is on my ship. Tell me boy. What in the name of the Emperor are you doing on MY ship?”

For a moment the silence seemed to echo and grow. All eyes upon him he finally mustered his nerve and spoke.

“Trooper Thorpe, sir. I was separated from my platoon during the fighting with the rebels. My unit was ambushed in the initial attack and I lost my rifle in the melee. I ran for cover when the artillery bombardment began and made my way to the port. I thought this was an Imperial freighter and decided to hold up for the night. I beg your forgiveness for my mistake, my Lord.” 

 I’m not a Lord, Guardsman. What outfit are you with?”

Thorpe flinched and got his bearing again.“ 5^th Gallatin Rifles.” Thorpe announced.

“I see. Gallatin is a long way from here soldier and I won’t be returning back to that mudhole from where we came. Uprisings just don’t pay very well, you see.”

  Thorpe did not understand his meaning and it was on his face as plain as the night was dark.

“You have two options, Trooper Thorpe. I can blast you into the Black and that will be that….or…. You can earn your keep as part of my crew, if they accept you, until we reach Gallatin. Though I’m not sure what kind of a reception a deserter gets…”

  Thorpes’ face went cold.  “Sir, I did not desert my unit.”

For what felt like an eternity to Thorpe, his mind ran the chain of events that led him here. So much carnage, so much death. He could still hear the bombs and screams.

  The man finally came face to face with Thorpe. His face was crossed with scars where his beard did not cover and he wore an eye patch with an emblem designating he was a Rogue Trader.

“Call me Captain, boy. Captain Rikard De Duenez. Welcome to the Void Hawk.” He said.

  Thorpe nearly gasped but caught himself. He had heard tall tales about the crew of the Void Hawk and their exploits, but never in a hundred years did he expect to be joining in them. Yet here he stood. The newest member of the infamous Rogue Trader pirates this side of the Galaxy. Emperor help him.

The older man who had leveled his lasgun at Thorpes face earlier patted him on the back with gusto.

“Cheer up boy. You’re lucky to have made it onto our ship. Nothing against the Gallatin Rifles but it looks like you lot were not doing so well down there. You may just have saved your own life.”

Thorpe shook his head, not knowing what else to say.

“ Aye, Pops is right. If we didn’t need to refuel we wouldn’t have stopped at that mudhole anyhow. Bloody rebels make things harder in our line of work. Ain’t that right Cap’?” a short, stocky brute in a faded leather Guard jacket chimed in.

“Right as rain,Crow.  Why don’t you and Pops take Thorpe here to get some recaf and chow. I’m sure he needs it.  Show him around and then bring him back here.  The rest of you lot can get back to work. I’ve got plans to discuss with Gwarbadd and Barabus.” The Captain motioned towards the Astarte that was now starring right through Thorpe.

  He had seen Space Marines before, but none like this. His white armor had a patina to it, almost like rust. Despite the aged look to his ceramite, he was pristine, with the exception of the dozens of battle damage. He bore no insignia of any kind. No ranking or motifs that he was used to Space Marines displaying. Not even Aquilas. Thorpe looked away.  He could feel the Astartes’ eyes behind that menacing helmet.  

Barabus.

The name alone chilled his very soul.

GWARBAD DEFFSKULL

Not all Orks live to fight for a Warlord or their Clan. Many are Freebootaz, vicious, Galaxy travelling pirates who raid small outposts or prey on any ship they deem a good target. Some have been known to even fight alongside other races, so long as the price is right. Gwarbad Deffskull is one such Ork. He is a legend amongst the Freebootaz and somewhat of hero in the eyes of the Death Skull Clan. As a yoof he ran with Loota buggy gangs, and had wiped out his enemies one by one. Most notable of these enemies was Big Boss Snazzdog Goldtoof. The mighty Bad Moon boss was bested by the young Gwarbad in single combat after both their buggies were wrecked in a road battle. The Bad Moon may have been bigger, but he was outwitted by the cunning and lethal yoof. Gwarbad strangled Snazzdog to death and pried out his golden tusks from his great maw. Soon after he left his home world, he joined a raging Waaagh under Death Skull War Lord Morkkdreg Fahh-Q.  The Waaggh was short lived but Gwarbad made a name for himself as leader with ideas that always paid off in the end. A few loyal boyz joined Gwarbad as he schemed his way across the galaxy, raiding and stomping for the sheer joy and the loot.

  During this time he managed to borrow a space hulk belonging to the great Blood Axe Warlord Wazzamatta Furr-Yu.  Enlisting the help of three Big Meks and three Weirdboy Warpheads, the space hulk and its cargo of ten thousand Death Skulls ripped through warp space and wrecked onto a Tau planet few have ever heard of.  Gol’Cith had a small outpost of Fire Warriors but was basically a Kroot world. Within hours of “landing” Gwarbads lads engaged any Kroot warriors they encountered. To this day Gwarbad still admires the Kroots for their willingness to fight and their savage nature. After a a few short weeks and realizing there was not much to pillage, Gwarbad bid his lads farewell. Commandering a Tau ship with his meks and warpheads he fled through the Warp.  He has not been seen leading any further Ork warbands.
 
For nearly twenty years not much was heard of Gwarbad. Minor Imperial reports show he was active in acts of piracy and deep space hauling. About five years ago he was seen drinking with the infamous Rogue Trader Captain Rikard De Duenez. The old Freeboota seems to have impressed the Rogue Trader enough that the Ork never returned to his fellow greenskins. The two are always side by side and the Void Hawks activity increased within a year of Gwarbad becoming part of the crew. Recent reports have noted he is acting first mate of the Void Hawk.
 
 

MAD DOG LAPORTE

    The Cold forest world of Nada is home to the many of the Imperiums’ most renowned regiments.  The 999^th War Dogs was infamous among them all. Their list of honorable deeds through countless warring and campaigning is hard to match. The Regiment itself was raised in the final days of the Great Crusade and remained loyal during the Badab War. Their savagery and loyalty on the field of battle is legendary.

 So it was that after a prolonged campaign against the Tau forces in The Eastern Fringe the War Dogs were granted a respite.  Garrisoned on a remote moon base, the Regiment was besieged by a massive Ork force when it’s space hulk crashed out of warp space. Astro-messages and pict-data shows that the War Dogs fought the Orks for nearly seven weeks. Brutal trench and hit and run skirmishes as well as full scale assaults took place across the moons surface. All messages stopped after that seventh week as it appeared the 999^th had been wiped out. The Orks had also taken heavy losses and retreated back to the stars as they lacked the numbers for a major offensive against any neighboring system.  The War Dogs were lost to the Imperium forever but performed their duty to the Emperor in the fullest.

Five years later a Rouge Trader vessel, designation GXC-1313, also known as the Void Hawk, docked at one of Nada’s ship yards. The only person to exit the ship was dressed in the combat uniform of the War Dogs. He laid down the 999^ths Regimental Banners along with a steel chest, at the base of a marble statue in his Holy Emperors likeness. He returned to the Void Hawk with no words spoken to any member of the Navy or Guard. Upon inspection of the steel chest, every dog tag of the 999^th was accounted for. Every name could now be remembered, each dog tag would be sanctified in Nada’s Hall Of Heroes.

 All save the one that hangs around the neck “Mad Dog” Den Laporte, sole survivor of the 999^th Nadian War Dogs.