Herald of the Stars: Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-Four

To my new Patreons, melan mjölk, Niteo akuma, SztriX, Heavenward, Peter allen thank you so much for signing up.

Welcome back to all of those who patiently waited for the payment block to end for their latest scheduled binge. I do hope you all enjoyed catching up.

We are now back to two chapters per week for Rogue Trader Patreons.

Friday will be the final organisational style chapter for, hopefully, a long time!

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Next on the dataslate are four Penal Light Infantry regiments. The penal regiments are sixty five percent Penal Light Infantry companies with Herald officers in power armour. The rest are full Heralds in good standing who oversee command, logistics, armour and so on.

Even with their loyalty chips, there’s no way I would put a penal soldier in charge of a tank!

The Automata regiment, Ortellius light infantry, and penal regiments have addressed previous concerns about over-qualified soldiers as it gives us more options for when we need large amounts of bodies to throw at a problem.

It isn’t a permanent solution though as the Ortellius have already begun the Herald surgeries and Tech-Apprentice education and eventually we’ll be back to square one. I expect that the four light infantry regiments will eventually be converted to Automata regiments once they’re better educated and their numbers have been cut down through attrition and combat.

The Machine Baptism, the issuing of mechadendrites to Herald Acolytes, and the honouring of our most senior Heralds through Warforged and Battlesmith promotions continues to work in our favour. The cost of sponsoring so many high grade, near total body replacements for the Warforged is exorbitant.

Had I the space for them, I could field an additional five Mechanised Infantry Regiments or two Void Assault Regiments in place of the eight thousand Warforged and thirteen hundred Battlesmiths we have in active duty. Most of these veterans are new additions to the ranks whom we had been holding back due to limited Power Armour production. Cybernetics aren’t a bottleneck; they’re such an important part of our culture and capability that our capacity for their production matches our population. We also have an additional seven hundred Warforged and four hundred Battlesmiths who have changed careers to Fleet officers and Military Police.

Despite the cost, the halo effect granted by these most veteran soldiers is a consistent source of high morale and ambition for the lower ranks. It is the primary reason why we have so many ‘overqualified’ Heralds. Everyone likes something to aspire to.

Fleet Command’s thinking on the overqualification issue has changed over the years too. Rather than seeing it as a waste of production capacity, and a risk to the continuity of skill and knowledge, we now view the high retention in our military as a positive factor. The introduction of so much power armour would normally require an army of support specialists and a vast logistics chain to maintain.

Instead, these ‘overqualified’ Heralds can do it all themselves, seeing little difference between a guardsmen maintaining his lasrifle, or a Herald maintaining their highly advanced gear, including cybernetics.

The political ramifications of maintaining such a high-tech and powerful force has been negated by the presence of Saint Alpia. If anyone complains, I can just point at Alpia and declare them a Heretic for suggesting that I provide less than stellar equipment for an Imperial Saint.

Now that I’m on the other side of Imperial religious frenzy, there is no denying quite how useful it is!

The bodyguard companies have been expanded from one to four. One company for Brigid and I, one for Alpia, one for Quaani’s family, and one for Fleet Command. The remaining eight companies are Line Infantry companies; they are the Herald complement for the four Adder and four Moth class vessels.

Each regiment has its own set of D-POTs that can transport a third of their Heralds per flight.

The Void Assault regiment has a large array of Class One and Two D-POTs. The other regiment types do have the smaller D-POTs in moderate numbers, but are far more reliant on a Class Three D-POT to transport them, which need a space port or a hanger to land. If the Class Three is unavailable, the other regiment types can only transport a twelfth of their Heralds in one go.

Some companies, such as the Power Armour and Vanguard Armour companies, have Class Two D-POTs attached to them as mobile workshops. These are rather useless for transport though.

I chose these limitations because a single Class Three, despite its size, uses less space in my hangars than multiple Class One and Two D-POTs with the equivalent transport capacity. It’s also the only shuttle I have that can transport anything bigger than a Crassus, like Armigers and Warhound Titans.

Sure, I left the Armigers with Ròsìn and I don’t have any Titans, yet I remain optimistic I’ll get what I need at the Lathes and see no point in reorganising everything twice barely six months apart, fingers crossed. The Class Threes are also far more efficient at transporting fuel, food, and other supplies than the smaller shuttles.

Simulations are promising that this reorganisation and our upgrading of equipment into the Mark Ⅲs for our lasguns, MOA shields, and Void Carapace will be highly effective.

I reviewed the equipment list yesterday and see no need to go over it again now.

The last item on my review is Fleet Command. I smile for a moment as I near the end, then grimace. I have a social engagement with my three sons soon and I am not looking forward to it.

I chug the last of my tea and look at the list of new promotions.

Stellar Fleet Mani are keeping High Factotum Eire Lobhidain, Confessor Owen Broin, Head of Technological Acquisition and Assimilation Cybersmith Rósín Paorach, and Herald Primarus Maeve Muire.

Stellar Fleet Sol has myself (Magos Explorator Aldrich Issengrund), High Pursar Brigid Issengrund, Master of Whispers Raphael Horthstein, and Fleet Marshal Lonceta Ridel.

Stellar Fleet Sol requires a new High Factotum, Confessor, Head of A&A, and Herald Primarus.

Stellar Fleet Mani needs a new High Pursar, Master of Whispers, and Fleet Marshal.

There are also representatives from different factions and departments within the Stellar Fleet that are allowed to sit in on meetings that don’t involve military secrets. There aren’t semi-public of these as I consider our production and financial meetings military secrets, not just Fleet and Herald operations.

The real job of the representatives is to act as a buffer between Fleet Command and different factions. They have access to redacted meeting minutes and use that data to keep the more vocal members of their communities under control.

They have the authority to directly contact me, or other members of Fleet Command if they really need to and, miracle of miracles, none have tried to abuse their position yet. Probably because I don’t permit lobbying.

There are three faith representatives, one for the Cult Mechanicus and one for the Imperial Cult. The Iron Foundation, much to my embarrassment, also have a representative. For now, the Penitents come under the Imperial Cult representative. I insisted on this to keep administrative positions to a minimum.

The Tau representative role has expanded to include all xenos, should more than Tau be present in the fleet; the xenos representative will remain relevant even though I’m leaving the Tau behind. Since the introduction of the Ratlings from capturing Ardent Bane, there has also been an Abhuman representative. They cover the Kin (Squats) in Magos Biologis JK-404’s retinue too. The mutants keep their heads down and the few Ogryns we have are too loyal and passive to express their opinions to the Abhuman representative. I am incredibly curious to know if that will ever change.

We also have representatives for the Sisters of Battle and Space Marines. Last, there is the media representative. This position is taken by Thorfinn Ursus.

One of Ròsìn’s assistants, Laisren Toolin, the fellow who gave the presentation on neutrino vox, has been promoted to Head of A&A. I considered giving the role to JK-404. JK-404 has never been an assistant to a Fleet Command officer though and the only people who can be promoted to a first officer in Fleet Command are those who have spent time as second officers and assistants to the other first officers.

As the splitting of the Fleet is the first chance any of these second officers have had a chance at promotion, there is no way that I could pass them by. We don’t have the Blessings and Castigations system in place yet, due to limited Rejuvenat drug supplies, so there is still no maximum limit on terms of office in Fleet Command. We’ve seen a slow turnover of second officers in Fleet Command as a result as they chase promotions in other areas of the Fleet instead.

Herald Primarus Domhnall Noake was one of three individuals who moved from the Heralds, to the Fleet Command, then back to the Heralds. He was the only candidate with a position as commanding officer of a regiment as well as a previous stint as a Fleet Command assistant and thus our best candidate for Herald Primarus. A fortuitous occasion of Domhnall.

After much persuasion, Eire gave up her prized assistant, Seraphine Lebarcham, ‘permitting me’ to promote her to High Factotum of Stellar Fleet Sol. In truth, I think they are rather close friends and did not want to part, yet it was clear Seraphine was the only candidate that Stellar Fleet Sol Command was willing to trust with such an important diplomatic role due to her near superhuman patience for not only fools and grox, but Machine-Spirits too.

The new Confessor was not one of Owen’s two assistants but rather one of Ròsìn’s again, Emyr Driskel. Considering our planned pilgrimage between multiple Forge Worlds, it was deemed having an individual well versed in technological adaptation. We are hoping Emyr will be able to impress a different group of Mechanicus with his Artisan’s knowledge compared to Seraphine’s Logis based approach. The Mechanicus would not have respected someone from an Imperial Cult background, like Owen’s assistants have.

Stellar Fleet Mani Command three open positions have also been refilled from Fleet Command’s second officers. Brigid gave up one of her assistants and I gave up both of mine.

In addition to the original eight positions, a Master Psyker position has been added. It is their duty to oversee all navigators and psykers, including astropaths, within the fleet and ensure that the Psy-Errants have a voice in Fleet Command. This makes the Psy-Errants the only company type that has a direct representative, rather than coming under the Herald Primarus or Fleet Marshal.

Filling this position was tricky as I am the only Master Psyker in the Stellar Fleet, not including the Space Marine. Alpia and Annette do not have the experience for such a role.

Neither captain of the two Psy-Errant companies are a psyker to minimise the chance of having such an important senior officer getting possessed; they are unsuitable for the position as Master Psyker, obviously.

I did promise Annette the position of Master Psyker if she could master the Emperor’s Tarot in ten years. With Quaani’s and young George to care for however, that isn’t happening and it isn’t appropriate for me to hold two roles. It didn’t matter much before as there was little need for the position and Quanni or I could act as consultants when required.

With all the new navigators and Quaani unable to represent me anymore, we need a Master Psyker now, not in fifty years time once Annette is ready for the role.

There are twenty Navigators and thirty-five psykers in the Fleet, not including myself, Alpia, or Annette. The Space Marines have two Librarians and five Astropaths.

It was with great displeasure I realised that a political appointment was required. We either need a neutral third party or use the opportunity to thank House Ortelius with a position as they have been incredibly generous. Integrating House Ortelius into Fleet Command is an excellent way of showing them that we are as serious about their relationship with us as they are.

On the other hand, House Ortelius has a Chaos traitor in their ranks who gave us the Liber Heresius and our current relationship with the House is still rather transactional. It is difficult to trust them and favouring them would be snubbing the seven House Lafiel navigators who joined up before House Ortelius.

That left Reina Benetek, mother to Benedict and Gloria, the abused navigator from Red Knoll whom I swapped with two navigators from House Lafiel with Captain Leith Madra.

Reina is friends with Alpia and Annette and is somewhat aimless. She has been caring for her children and overseeing the twenty four wards of House Ortelius with wishy-washy assistance from the twelve House Ortelius navigators whom I healed.

House Benetek are considered enemies of House Ortelius, so from an outside perspective, promoting Reina to Master Psyker, after accepting an outrageous amount of resources from House Ortelius, would look terrible.

For me though, Reina is the only Navigator in the Stellar Fleet, other than Annette, who has shown some initiative and not expected everything to be handed to her on a platinum cloth cushion. Her abuse at the hands of her dead husband has soured her relationship with House Benetek who arranged her marriage.

Reina also has incentive to ensure other psy-cursed individuals do not suffer like she did as her kids are also in the cross hairs when Stellar Fleet culture and its clashing and mixing with Imperial culture causes issues with mutant rights.

Officially, all of these Navigators are now House Issengrund, yet their previous allegiances remain.

The last option is a Stellar Fleet Psyker. Normally these individuals would not have the natural resilience against possession and temptation like Navigators as Astropaths do. Navigators benefit from Dark Age of Technology gene editing. Astropaths have an extra strong connection to the Emperor compared to Sanctions Psykers. Stellar Fleet Psykers, unlike Sanctioned Psykers and Unsanctioned Psykers, are soulbound to me, warded up the wazoo, and have suicide implants. It is difficult to say who is the most resilient against Chaos.

None of the Stellar Fleet Psykers are as psychically powerful as the Navigators, nor do they have the prestige, in the eyes of the Imperium, to represent me. Their ‘Sanctioned Psyker’ status is also a bit iffy and I am absolutely certain that an Inquisitor will try to haul one off at the first opportunity. Said Inquisitor probably won’t succeed, yet it will still cause me trouble and put my psykers at unnecessary risk. A Navigator is not so easily abducted on account of the power of their House and their vital position in Imperial society.

Fortunately, I have two Master Psyker positions available, one for each fleet. I gave the Stellar Fleet Mani position to House Ortelius, and the Stellar Fleet Sol position to Reina Benetek. With these two promotions, I have honoured House Ortelius while keeping them away from trouble while giving the more important position to a more competent individual. At the same time, favouring House Benetek means that House Ortelius will not slack off and should continue to court my favour.

Hopefully my manoeuvring will not come back to bite me too badly.