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[h2]Campaigns of The XX Legion - The Flight Of Basilio Fo[/h2]
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[h3]Rogue Trader Militant Fleet - The Fleet of Gotha[/h3]
[b]Indrajit-class Heavy Cruiser - The Last Argument
The Rings of Saturn[/b]
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[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Helmsman, is there a good reason why Saturn’s bloated self still dominates my windows?” The pneumatic hiss of the doorway to the bridge gave way to the bellowing tones of Gotha as the Warlord turned Rogue Trader barged his way onto what was nominally his own bridge. “The man in charge was rather direct on his instructions to me that I sod off and never return, and I don’t know if you’ve met the Emperor-[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Beloved By All.” A number of crew members interrupted Gotha to add the honorific they were entirely sure the man was in the process of skipping over.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Beloved By All, yes yes. But anyway, I [I]have[/I] met him, and he isn’t really a man I have an interest in coming to blows with for a second time.” Gotha continued his progress as he raucously berated his crew, taking his seat upon the central command throne, which turned in place so that the large man’s withering gaze could fall upon the Helmsman more directly.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Begging your pardon, my lord-captain, but we have had explicit and sudden instructions to await at anchor for a final delivery of personnel.”[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Helmsman, what is the name of this ship?”[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“The ah, The Last Argument, my Lord-Captain.”[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Grand, and who am I?”[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“You….You are Lord-Captain Gotha, Once-King of Oxitania, Bearer of His Warrant.”[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Another point for you Helmsman, and who commands The Last Argument?”[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“That would be…you….Lord-Captain.”[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Excellent skills of deduction, so you may understand my confusion as to how anyone is ordering you to stay at anchor, when I have very much not done so.” Gotha’s tone dropped several levels of volume, which, in the brief time many of the bridge crew had worked in the service of the man, was never a good sign. Most of the vast population of the Heavy Cruiser, and the small flotilla of ships that formed Gotha’s fleet, hailed from the land-that-was Oxitania and knew the tempestuous nature of the King well. But the people of Terra had not traversed the stars for generations, and so most of the specialist crew, particularly the command crew, of each ship was made up of Saturnites who were learning this lesson swiftly as well.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“The message bore the mark of the Raptor, Once-King, do not chew out the man for saving your sorry life from what would be a first acted out but second earned execution.” The voice was barely a whisper yet seemed to carry in a manner that was insidiously serpentine. To say it grated at Gotha would be to downplay the perfectly poised nature of the tone, indeed, it was simply the woman that spoke them which did.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Navigator, such a pleasure that you deign to join us. I hope preparations for our noble voyage go well.” His chair spun on its axis once more to confront the heavily robed individual who strayed onto the bridge with all the languid grace of a particularly well treated house feline. [/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Quite well, we are more than ready to proceed, more than enough time to indulge in a little curiosity.” Her features were entirely masked, hidden behind a hood and a woven mesh of gold, but he was certain he could hear the smirk that he could not see.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“So then, what final contingent is so important we must delay further?” Gotha turned again, resuming his interrogation of his helmsmen.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“The message stated that we are to await the arrival of members of the Twentieth Legion, Lord-Captain.”[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]Gotha’s eyes narrowed, practically boring into the Helmsman’s skull. “Is this some jest, boy? There is no Twentieth legion.”[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“My Lord-Captian, I assu-”[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“I would know! The Legions bested me, slew my armies and conquered my home. No hard feelings, all is fair in war, but I suspect that makes me one of the more informed members of the human species when it comes to the NUMBER OF BLOODY LEGIONS.” With the final roar of volume, Gotha extracted something hopefully not too important from the arms of his command chair to hurl at the man, before the throne turned again to regard the station of the Master of The Vox, a young woman who visibly recoiled from the sudden turn of attention.”Make sense of this.”[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Lord-Captian, their shuttle is docking as we speak, we will know the truth of it shortly. I can only confirm that the message was genuine, though, Lord-Captian.”[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Very well, let us prepare for our mystery guests.”[/indent][/COLOR]

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[COLOR=darkgray][indent]The somewhat chaotic nature of The Last Argument’s bridge had been tamed for the purpose of receiving guests, an activity Gotha was sure entertained the present, but unhelpful, figure of the Navigator only further.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]His doubts about the validity of their final arrivals were eased somewhat by the view-scans which picked up an Astartes Stormbird on approach, although, he presumed, at least some amount of the message must have been lost in translation. Unlike his bridge crew he was not a seasoned starvoyager, but he had already become aware of just how fragmented such communications could be. With a grunt, he mentally acknowledged things hadn’t exactly been reliable back home.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]The heavy tread of Astartes armour was not something one forget quickly, and it took an effort of will to not be overcome with the emotion of certain past memories as the doors to the bridge opened to reveal a trio of figures. It was true, he did not recognise their arms and armour. Predominantly a void-black, the figures wore tabard-robes of a lighter grey over their heavy armour. Most strangely, the helms of the Astartes were fused across their features, with no obvious sign of space for their eyes. A new technology perhaps? That could explain a Legion he had no prior knowledge of.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Hail, Astartes, and welcome to my ship.” Gotha stood to address them, although he remained on the general plinth of his command chair, giving him the additional height needed to address them directly. “I am told you are joining our thrust into the unknown, I admit, you will be a welcome addition against the many dangers of the great unknown.” His own misgivings about the genewarriors of the Emperor aside, he could not doubt the boon even such a small number of them provided.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]Only one, the central of the three, spoke in reply. The voice made both metallic and artificial by their fully enclosed helm still sounding with a hint of femininity, the only thing that betrayed such.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Our thanks, Lord-Captain. We come not just with our arms, however, but a purpose. New coordinates will be provided to your Navigator.” While their was politeness in their tone, there was no hint of doubt in their suggestion that this would be accepted.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]Gotha’s eyes narrowed as he regarded them, offering a hint of objection. “I was told my course was my own to chart.” He returned to his seat, the fingers of one hand drumming upon an arm rest.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“New information has come to the Emperor’s attention, and you are best positioned to act on it. Secondly, we believe you will have a personal interest in seeing this through.”[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“Oh? And by what method of foresight has this been gleaned?” The harsh tone with which the Lord-Captain addressed the Emperor’s chosen warriors was not lost on the Bridge Crew, but true to their discipline no whispered words interrupted the meeting.[/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]“We seek an old foe of the Emperor, and one whom we believe you are familiar. We are charged with the location and censure of Basilio Fo.” [/indent][/COLOR]

[COLOR=darkgray][indent]With that Gotha leaned forwards, a grin that a shark would be envious of spreading across his features. “Well then, let us not delay.”[/indent][/COLOR]