[Center][b]Edmund Andamar - Rogue Trader[/b] [@Erezrim][@Jeddaven][@POOHEAD189][@ClocktowerEchos][@BangoSkank][/center] "E[b]-nough[/b]!" Edmund did not raise his voice when he had had more than enough of the the Omnissiah's servants and their bickering, though it was more like a cordial greeting and a sharp rebuttal from one to the other, his tone almost in every respect that of his father. Having grown up 'in society' as it were, the youngest Andamar had learnt far more of blue-blooded politesse and protocol than his brothers. This included the techniques that one might need to survive that truly cutthroat environment; two of these he had been taught by the old man himself, these being what his father had called 'the face' - an expression used to turn ones visage into an unreadable mask, most lofty and patrician in its outward form, the very expression Edmund adopted as he spoke to the assembled group - while the other was modulating his voice to be heard across a parade ground or forum, the tonal shifts and octaves encompassing there own message, if one were able to follow the cues. Softly pursing his lips, he held the data-slate in one hand and, after straightening himself to his full height, paced smartly over to the centre of the dais. With a few gestures into the air, and a couple of spoken words to an unseen listener, the floor yawned open and from it rose a large holo-viewer. Gesturing with one hand for those present to gather around, his other slid the slate into a narrow slot, a small [i]beep[/i] acknowledging the hand-held device. The holo-viewer itself was about waist height, a circular projector encompassing the middle, and a keypad in front of where Edmund now stood. "Now..." the Rogue Trader cleared his throat softly, eyeing each of his newly acquired coterie, "I would like to welcome you all aboard [i]His Divine Purpose[/i]. Some of you have been dwelling aboard her longer than others, but I have no doubt that all of you are curious in one way or another - whether about the person stood next to you, about why you're here and where we're going, or more probably both." Now pausing to tap a few keys with his fingertips, each key illuminating a dim green as it was touched, Edmund caught a sight of Roald from the corner of his eye and could not help but allow the ghost of a smile to flit across his face. That Ratling was certainly something, and he had barely been seen more than a handful of times by the Trader. "Let us satisfy the former first..." Particles emerged from the projector in the middle of the circular module, congregating into a spectacularly accurate three-dimensional bust of Roald Cliffblooms head, the Ratling's face rotating in the air between them all. "Roald Cliffbloom, former Militarum with the occupation of 'trailblazer', here out of sheer wanderlust as far as I can tell." Next the head was replaced with the bearded countenance of the resident Squat. "Grimri Haldengard, called 'Ironclad', mercenary. He is here because I am paying him a lot of Thrones, as well as other materials, for his skills. Let it also not go over anyone's head that he is a member of a race most thought extinct, which quite clearly he is not." "Sister Errant Agathe of the Iron Veil," he half-smiled as her face, covered completely by her helmet, spun in the ether, "who is here [i]with stipulations[/i] because like a true servant of Him on Terra she is here to pay what is owed for her life." "Arbusculus Formidatus, known as Dahti, of the Calixian Mechanicus, our resident saw-bones and biologis. Here to honour obligations to House Andamar, and a welcome guest on this voyage." At last he turned to his Enginseer, that he had made Chief out of personal choice, the Martians record exemplary even if his manner was lacking. "Hishiryn 08-MN Kappa, our Chief Enginseer." For a moment Edmund thought about whether to pursue his line of thought, then decided there was no reason he shouldn't. "Enginseer Hishiryn, along with everyone gathered here, will do to remember this one thing - on this vessel [b]I[/b] am His will, [b]I[/b] decide the fate of those thousands that toil about us, and on this mighty ship [b]I am the highest and most singular authority[/b]." He allowed his eyes to rest on the Enginseer for more than a few moments, knowing full well that Hishiryn would very probably realise the words were aimed at him in particular, but on the other hand would more than likely not care. Edmund had been both blessed and cursed to know far more about the Adeptus Mechanicus than he ever wished to, his families links with multiple forge worlds - though Stygies in particular - ensuring that he had far more patience for the semi-organic magi and even for those that were little more than floating brains in a bionic body. While Hishiryn incontrovertibly raised his hackles with his informal way of speaking, and his lack of respect for rank thus far, it washed over Edmund like pure water off feathers... He could see that this was [b]not[/b] the case with at least one other however. "Let us now answer the second, and more important question." A few more swipes of his hand and the rotating heads were replaced, at first with the double-headed aquila and then, after a sharp blurt of static and further finger movements, with a slowly scrolling page of High Gothic. Entire sections of multiple pages were blanked with censor-strips, whole pages even, words visible here and there but patently not enough to form a complete picture. "This is an astropathic message recieved by me not a week ago, a transmission of vermilion encryptian. For those not aware, this is the highest form of encryptian in our Imperium." He paused for a moment to allow that to sink in, the mere fact of this encryptian more than enough to tell all present of its importance, "it was sent by none other than the Lord-Protector himself, the God-Emperor's Regent... The Primarch," again he allowed a moments quiet for effect, "and while I was not the only reciever of this message, I can assure you all that the honour is no less for that. House Andamar, and by extension those of you here, have a chance to do no less than the God-Emperor's will." In two minutes the broadly censored message evaporated, replacing it a cartographers impression of their current location in the Bakka Sector, hanging in space above the industrial planet itself. "Imperium Nihilus, gentlemen... And lady... That is where I have been tasked with taking this vessel and all who sail aboard her. Into the nether-reaches of the shattered Imperium, across the Maledictum, and into the space between the Eastern Fringe and Ghoul Stars to be more precise -outside of assessing the situation and state on the other side of the Rift, there is [i]something[/i] between those regions just outside of the the Segmentum Ultima that the Lord-Protector and the High Lords wish us to investigate. What exactly that is, even I at this juncture do not know." One of Edmund's hands spread out its fingers between the particles of the map, widening the sector map into one of the last complete entirety of the Imperial territories, before the Rift had torn the Milky Way asunder. "My, and therefore our, task of exploration and the like is no less diminished, but we must ultimately find ourselves here..." a finger stretched out to roughly point in an area between Assylus and Coelia, "if any wish to back away now, unbound as of yet from my dynasty, and completely without shame, then please step forward and state it now." The light from the projector slowly faded, leaving Edmund facing them all once more without a sickly green light covering everything, his hands folding themselves behind his back. "Our next translation into the warp will take us to the Arpedina System, if you are all willing to come with me. From there we shall travel toward the Rift and from there ever onward." At last he stood entirely still once more, taking in each of them with a glance. "Sounds simple enough, ey... Any questions?" Now was the time for any and all questions, because once they were under way it would be much too late to turn around.