Report on the Conquest of the Star Galleon Emperor’s Bounty

Report By: Navigator Secundarium Maturinus of House Pazzano
Classification : mi4oy38u-jpju-8n1h-pt95-1ykd04a6w4hf

Prelude

Lord-Captain Jequin Hos had brought the In Purgatio Lumen into the Magoros System in search of the fabled treasure ship, Emperor’s Bounty. After entering the Expanse, there was a brief layover in Footfall before departing for Magoros. After some excellent Navigation through the warp in the Foundling Worlds region, the Explorers arrived in system. Once there, Artifex Felicis was able to discern an ancient Egraian Domain structure which was transmitting energy from Magoros Secundus to Magoros Prime. Captain Hos bravely entered a xenos machine on that strange world, and learned the long hidden hiding place of the severely damaged Emperor’s Bounty. Preparing an away crew with a platoon of ‘Death Bastards’, and with his Small Council, set out to reclaim it to the bosom of the Imperium and the Emperor’s grace.

On arrival the Emperor’s Bounty was found to be heavy damaged, although some components – the bridge, Engineerium, Gellar Field, life sustainer and the cargo holds – still functioned. As the claimant party split up. Explorator Felicis and First Officer-Astropath Eckhart with a team of 10 ‘Death Bastards’ went to the Engineerium where they investigated the cogitators and discovered that the vessel had been damaged in battle and lead to its current location by the ship’s navigator, who at the time was in possession of a strange device. He granted his crew the Emperor’s mercy through depressurization. However at the same time the remaining claimant party on the bridge (Lord Hos, Militant Caine, and Navigator Secundarium Maturinus with 10 ‘Deaths Bastards’) found out that the previous Captain and crew were still very much dead, although this was not impeding the captain significantly.

Battle

While Navigator Maturinus was investigating the desiccated remains of the previous Captain, he discovered a field surrounding the ‘dead’ Captain. It was at this point after investigating the field (through a well-placed Hellpistol shot) that the poor ‘dead’ Captain stirred and angrily demanded that the Explorers “Leave my ship!.” Navigator Maturinus continued to discuss the fact that he was dead and so not entitled to ‘his ship.’ Arch Militant Caine in his traditional fashion dispensed with pleasantries and shot at the ‘old’ Captain, only to discover his Absolution rifle was not up to the task of taking down the impostor Captains shields. The Navigator Secundus quickly determined that the Captain was under possession of an unknown warp entity, but that the “presence” of such an entity was not being felt through the shield.

It was at this point the Lord-Captain Hos and the ‘Deaths Bastards’ following him moved up the the 2nd story of the bridge to see what the commotion was all about. Lord-Captain Hos quickly organized two gun lines of the 5th Regiment behind cover of command consoles. The true Captain, Lord Hos, reminded the false Captain that he was in fact presumed dead and so had lost any claim to the ship. Then with flourish he revealed the Writ of Salvage granted to him and commanded the impostor to “step aside.”

This caused the false Captain to become enraged. He unleashed a wave of terrible warp energy which animated the fallen crew to commit the blasphemous act of rebellion against the true Captain of the ship. The gun line of ‘Deaths Bastards’ fired a volley of fully automatic lasfire at the clearly heretical undead captain. Dozens of crimson las blasts spattered against the captain’s shield in quick succession, painting the bridge in their red light. It did nothing.

The Lord Captain moved to his ‘Deaths Bastards’ and rallied them to shot down the advancing reanimated crew. These creatures were but shells of the men and women they once were, and it did not take much fire to mow them down. All had seemed won. But then the false Captain let out another damned wave of warp energy that allowed the ‘dead’ crew to reanimate themselves. Now these twice dead crew were advancing upon the positions held by the Lord Captain, Caine, and the 5th Regiment.

While this was happening Navigator Maturnius descended half way down the stairs to view the bottom bridge was teeming with over 50 reanimated crew shambling towards the stairs. He took action to secure the route to the locked bridge to the door knowing salvation would come from there. He fired his Hellpistol into the mass of undead. Hitting on a better idea he prayed to the God-Emperor “To guide these blessed Mark LIX Lagoram Frag Grenades.” Throwing two he scored several direct hits in the mass of reanimated crew, causing over 15 of the foul crewmen to be incapacitated before they were able to blasphemously reconstruct themselves. As the fight above went on he himself held open the route to salvation, scoring many hit against this horde of over 60 animated crew.

Above this mighty heroic deed Lord Hos instructed the ‘Death Bastards’ to bayonet the brains of these walking temples of unholiness. Militant Caine reasoned that if something became lodged in the cranium of these monstrosities they could no longer regenerate. Caine attacked more crew members with his sniper rifle destroying the heads of his enemies, on seconds later to see that head be pieced back together by foul warp energy pulses. The Lord Captain took matters into his own hands and confronted the increasingly angry false Captain who ranted about the destruction of “his ship” and the downfall of Hos and his crew. The Lord Captain slammed his Power Sword against the shield and merely got the tip of his sword through the bubble.

At this point the descriptions being sent to Artifex Felicis gave him the idea that the false Captain had been surrounded by the ships Gellar field. One way to get to this man was to possibly shut down the Gellar field. While thinking on this he and Astropath Eckhart rounded the corner and fired at a number of the fallen crew guarding the other side of the bridge door. They then rushed into combat. Astropath Ekhart chopped on of the crew and with a mighty flash of warp energy, the puppet vanished leaving behind no trace. At this time Felicis was able to chant out the command to open the bridge door.

Raging about the death of one of “his crew” the false captain deactivated his field, leaving the control throne to attack Lord Hos. Thankfully his fists, blazing with warp energy failed to connect. Captain Hos engaged in a deadly one on one battle, as the now fully realised demonic presence of the captain led for the Death Bastards on the bridge to break ranks and flee. Lord Hos parried the false Captain’s attack and destabilizing the false Captain’s hand and armour, only to see it regrow. Arch-Militant Caine assisted in the battle, taking precise aim and the evil Captains head and promptly shooting at it. Going one on one with the false Lord was taxing upon the Captain, but his resolve held and he gave no ground against the beast.

But salvation was here. The ‘Death Bastards’ threw grenades at the mass being held off by Navigator Maturinus. The ‘Bastards’ and Astropath Eckhart rushed to the Captains side. Unfortunately most of the Platoon could not handle the terror of the false Captain and his minions. All but three brave crew members along with the Astropath charged into combat to support their captain. Rallied by the surge of allies, Lord-Captain Hos split the head of the false Captain in two. As he slumped to the floor the many times dead crew were let out of there agony of serving the evil Captain.

After-Action

It would seem that with this evil banished from the Emperor’s Bounty the claimant party was able to enjoy a brief rest. It was also revealed by Artifix Felicis that the hold of the ship, was thrice full of treasures. When opened it caused a slight shift in the ship’s inertial field as treasure flooded a number of lower levels of the ship. At that point Lord Hos organized a number of crew to be assigned to load and sort some treasure. Unfortunately this was interrupted by an unidentified xenos ship being detected by Void Mistress Nichols on an intercept course for the In Purgatio Lumen. Some treasure was taken but the Inner Council left for the ship with a promise to return for the small amount of crew left on the Emperor’s Bounty.

It should be noted that not a single causality was among the ‘Deaths Bastards’, although several were wounded, with Trooper Hertio given the Hossian Badge of Merit, 3rd Class for fighting on through incapacitating injuries.