7 Days Later....
“He cannot STILL be sulking?” Camilla demanded as she lounged in her command throne. The dozens of bridge stations were empty, save for where gilded servitors in the form of gleaming armored footmen. The words echoed around the cavernous space, utilizing the excellent acoustics designed to carry the captain’s words to the bridge crew during the chaos of a battle. Camilla’s words were tinged with nearly seven days without more than a few hours sleep. She had been on the bridge nearly every hour, not because she was a hard task master but because she was the only one with the right plugs to interface with the Navarre. Jocasta had performed on the fly modifications to her own implants that Camilla suspected would border on heretechial if any of her cults higher members ever learned of them in an attempt to help but even this only allowed her to access some system. They needed bridge officers immediately, so that was their first stop.
“I’m sure he is merely busy with his duties as Seneshal,” Jocasta replied soothingly. Camilla snorted and tossed her hair in disdain at that suggestion.
“As my Seneshal he should be on the bridge when….” Reality lurched violently as the Navarre burst back into real space, twenty seconds ahead of the chronometers. Jocasta let out a stream of binaric that Camilla was pretty sure was entirely curse words and leaped to her feet, immediately close hangering herself because she hadn’t properly disconnected her implats. Trailing sparks and more colorful curses she began running around the bridge furiously swinging a censor of lit incense and splashing sacred unquents in all directions.
“Lord Captain, we have exited the Immaterium,” the cultured voice of Chandra, her navigator informed her.
“I see that,” Camilla responded tartly as she touched the controls to begin withdrawing the great shields which protected the bridge from gazing into the horror of the warp. The vast sheets slid back slowly, the leading edge still trailing the liquor of the warp in long greenish gold tendrils from which Camilla averted her eyes. In the distance she could just make out the pale green dot that was her target, a bright star against an endless starfield.
“Why were we early?” she demanded. For a moment she didn’t think Chandra was going to answer her, the Navis Nobilitie were a close mouthed lot at the best of time.
“We are never early, nor are we late, we arrive precisely as the Emperor wills,” Chandra replied.
“Very helpful,” Camilla retorted as she cut the vox link.
“Cam… that is Captain,” Jocasta broke in as she stared over the shoulder of a warbling servitor. “We have two vessels bearing down on us, range….uhhh 1.5 million kilometerish. Camilla cocked an eyebrow at kilmoterish but stood from her throne and stepped down into the shimmering actuality sphere, placing her hands on the lectern. A three dimensional view of the space around them sprang into existence, locating the nearby planet and the approaching ships. They were a Sword class destroyer and what looked like a half rebuilt cobra class corvette. The destroyer was flying the name Provost, and the corvette Hound of Perdition.
“Unidentified vessel this is the Imperial Navy Vessel Provost,” a scratchy voice piped into her ears. “Heave to and prepare to be boarded!” Camilla felt her frustration surge up inside of her like bile. She adjusted the engines and the Navarre began to heel to port, moving out of their intercept triangle onto a reciprocal course with Provost.
“Jocasta dear, be so good as to drag my Seneshal up here so that he might announce me before I teach these peasants a lesson?”