Endeavor Count: 3 Months, 14 Days, 00 Hours, 00 Minutes

Endeavor Event: Ship Optimizations and Upgrade Complete.

Chester Von Sebastion leans back at the conference table with a satisfied smile.

“What do you think of her now Shipmaster Hopkins?”

“I think the shakedown cruse has been a resounding success so far Sir. A pity we couldn't secure more upgrades though sir. I'd have loved to fill out the hull.”

“We can get secure components at a far lower cost back in Riptide. To be honest I'm not sure what we should put in anyways. Crew morale is at an all-time high with the restoration of the vaulted ceilings and the ship-wide improvements.”

“We could go for a manufactorum Sir. Turn the raw ore we mine right into repair materiel or items to sell.”

The new figure at the table clears it's throat in a burst of static.

“With regret, analysis shows that the Erwin Siegmar's power grid is only Artisan Grade, and thus insufficient to power a proper manufactorum.”

Chester nods in agreement, “all the more reason for you to be a part of my Flag Staff in adition to your usual duties Engineer Primus...?”

“Roumpin-Thun-1882. While appropriately short in Lingua Technis, I believe an abbreviation is needed for High Gothic.”

Chester strokes his chin in thought for a moment, “how about 'Rubin'?”

“Acceptable Sir, particularly if one knows something of the pre-Golden age languages.”

Chester nods, conceding the point, “some small fragments of Grek and Aegypus that I had to painstakingly translate as part of my personal investigations. I admit some confusion as to how you landed the slot. Gibil 2 didn't tell us who was coming along.”

“Considering the archeotech bridge components there contest for the slot was quite fierce Sir even considering the limited pool of shipwrights in the running. Gibil 2 ended up instituting a lottery system to avoid debates turning into what I believe you would call 'honor duels'. The final drawing was a mere hour before the shuttle over ti mitigate the chance of an assassination.”

Chester grunts in surprise. “I knew the bridge was an older pattern, but I admit that I am not familiar enough with shipboard archeotech to spot such a thing on sight. What would you recommend in terms of further upgrading this ship Rubin?”

Rubin shrugs, its' augmetic shoulders blocky outline clearly visible under its' robes. “I'd like to see what is available at the Riptide Shipyards first Sir, and consult with Shipmaster Hopkins. I foresee procurement as the primary barrier, above and beyond ship capacity or power limitations.”

Chester nods in agreement, “we can't mount what we can't buy, and we can't buy things that are not for sale. I also don't like the thought of running back to Riptide with empty holds. So far we've broken even for the trip but the House is expecting some sort of materiel profit aside from ship system improvements. What can we bring back to sell on for a profit? We can do bulk if we have to with four man cargo holds available. Ideas?”

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Shipmaster Hopkins folds his hands on the table, “Riptide is a fairly self-sufficient system, but it is growing. The shipyards and salvage yards have a plentiful supply of menials, but they are usual short on servitors and related non-organic materiel. There is also the possibility of simple consumer goods, but I don't like the idea of rolling the dice on what is in fashion planet-side.”

Rubin bobs it's head in agreement, “Gibil 2 has some servitors but not a great excess of production. Reclamation teams followed my work crews everywhere to salvage the required organic components. Trade good production has been reduced to essential items only due to the Imperial Navy contract, but surplus is still above zero. Things like data slates, chronos, and similar are in perpetual demand both locally and at all locations that Gibil 2 trades with.”

Chester sighs, “trade goods it is then. We might be able to form a menials for servitors trade for future runs as well.”

Shipmaster Hopkins cocks his eyes at the potential, “Human cargo always comes with it's own set of complications Sir, but nothing I haven't handled before. We'd have to reconfigure the main holds some, but we do that on every job anyways. Ordinarily I'd worry about crew morale but not on this ship. That's not to say it won't take a hit Sir, but we have enough distractions to keep the crew happy.”

Chester raps his knuckles on the table, “That's for a future run if the House decides to invest in such an opportunity. For now work with Rubin's local knowledge to source a cargo for me to barter for. Navigator, start your calculations for Warp to the Riptide system. Plan on a tentative departure date a week from now. It'll depend how fast we can secure a cargo. Meeting adjourned.”

----------------------------------------

Endeavor Count: 3 Months, 19 Days, 15 Hours, 23 Minutes

Endeavor Event: In Warp transit from Gibil 2, HJG-1034 to Oasis, Riptide – Warp Encounter!

Murirn Ni Soar Dannan drops out of her navigator's trance when the screams began. She took two heartbeats to identify them before she slams the priority alarm button.

“Navigator to Bridge. Incursion near Navigation Vestibule. I say again, Incursion near Navigation Vestibule.”

“Navigator, Bridge. Understood. Dispatching the Chaplain and the Bosun. The Emperor Protects!”

“He protects.”

Murirn winces at fumbling the proper response, but shrugs it aside as she rises from her throne and draws her sidearm. The cold checkered plastic grip of the Lucius hellpistol was a small comfort as Murirn grips the weapon in two hands a sets the sights on the hatch to the Navigator's Vestibule.

“Cathal! Sive! Cogworks!”

“Lamplight!”

“Get in here!”

Murirn holds here fire as the hatch opens, reassured by the code-phrase response that both Cathal and Sive were alive and untainted for the moment.

“Where is it?”

Sive jerks a thumb at the far hatch of the antechamber leading into the Navigator's vestibule.

“In the passageway outside Ma'am. We didn't crack the hatch to check.”

“Smart move. We hunker down here. The wards should hold, Omnisiah willing, and the Bosun should be able to kill whatever that is in the passageway.”

Cathal points a shaking finger, “they better get here fast Ma'am. The hatch is melting.”

Murirn clicks her tongue, “which is why we have our sidearms. Ready yourselves.”

The hatch began to yield, taloned fingers prying at the seams and tearing metal with unnatural ease. Murirn pull the trigger and rides the recoil as the hellpistol cracks and bucks in her had. The shot goes wide of the steadily-growing hole in the hatch. Cathal and Sive fumble their laspistols into approximation of a ready stance. Murirn fires again, her shot going true this time, and elicits a furious screech from one of the two daemons clawing at the hatch. Cathal and Sive fire as well but only manage to make more small impact craters in the hatch. Murin switches to two-shot bursts as the daemons finish clawing the hatch down. At least one of her rounds strikes true and the wounded daemon crumples to the deck in a heap of bone, bile, and slime. The remaining daemon charges forwards and Murirn meets it with a double-hit in the chest. The Daemon staggers under the hits but keeps coming. Sive takes a half second to properly aim and puts a lasbolt through the daemon's head as it crosses the threshold to the Navigator's Vestibule. Cathal promptly proceeds to empty the charge of his laspistol into the corpse and succeeds in partially vaporizing the remains.

“Sive, ten rounds rapid on the other body. Daemons are hideously resilient and it might not be properly dead yet. I'll cover you.”

“Clear left!”

“Clear right!”

“Shots from the Navigator's vestibule!”

Murirn taps her microbead to open the needed channel.

“Bosun? Navigator here, with two aides. Two daemons down but we'll need the flamer to purge the remains.”

“Navigator, Bosun. Understood Ma'am. Chaplain's coming as fast as he can sanctify the promethium.”