Chapter 40: Caligos Winterscale
"Verre, first, send some food supplies to Omiron to stabilize the people's morale. Also, tell the captains of those Suarez Dynasty warships!
The Suarez Dynasty is finished. Relevant individuals will be purged by the Inquisition. However, if they submit to an investigation, are found free of Chaos corruption, have not colluded with enemies of mankind, and are willing to fight for me, then I am willing to plead their case to the Inquisition.
Also, have the Confessors go to Omiron to pacify the refugees. Tell them food is already on the way…
Have people collect the bodies of the dead… process them into starch blocks. At least they shouldn't resort to eating people. This should last for some time. It's a measure of last resort… We'll endure this first and then see."
"I will arrange for the teams to depart immediately!"
"Also, select a portion of the able-bodied survivors from Omiron to supplement and bring our warship crews up to strength!"
"But if we do that, won't those left behind feel abandoned? It might lead to riots."
"That will depend on Jae. If she moves quickly enough, there should still be time. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Some casualties are unavoidable if they occur. Verre, didn't you tell me that a Rogue Trader cannot be too merciful? Why is it now you who is considering these things?"
"Indeed… Perhaps I have been influenced by you, my Lord. You are becoming more and more like a true Rogue Trader."
"Go then!"
"I will dispatch them at once!"
One shuttle after another began bringing suitable personnel back to the warship.
And as expected, even though the Priests declared in the God-Emperor's name that grain was on its way, unrest still broke out among the survivors.
Only after soldiers ruthlessly suppressed the ringleaders did the situation somewhat calm down, but the survivors remained deeply uneasy.
Watching a contingent of strong survivors being taken from the planet, and the warships previously in orbit also departing, the remaining people began to fear for their unknown fate.
Lucan struggled to calm his anxious heart. Every decision he made now affected the lives and deaths of tens of thousands.
In games, he could, for the sake of doctrinal purity in a playthrough, easily choose to execute some people, to abandon others. But when these things happened for real, around him, Lucan finally understood how difficult it was.
He consoled himself that the choices he was making now were solely to save more lives.
"Captain! All preparations are complete!"
"Target, Agathos! Depart!"
A fleet, now twice its previous size, jumped into the Warp together.
Meanwhile, in Footfall, Jae found her negotiations proceeding even more smoothly than she had imagined.
The CMC combat suits delivered to the Navy had already been put into use and tested in actual combat. The performance of the combat suits in real engagements was even better than their paper specifications suggested; it was an all-around improvement.
Without facing heavy firepower, a force of a few hundred men could achieve effects previously only possible with a full regiment.
And the Navy had few opportunities for ground combat anyway.
Soon, performance reviews of the CMC combat suits spread via those naval personnel.
Everyone had thought Lucan's departure meant they had lost the chance to acquire this powerful equipment.
But now, Jae of Footfall was actually saying she had received authorization for 500 suits and could conduct trade on behalf of the Rogue Trader.
This news instantly spread throughout Footfall.
Before Jae even had to make a move, countless representatives came flocking to her.
Trading grain for force-feedback armor? This deal was too good to be true!
Jae knew she couldn't deliver all the combat suits to a single faction; only by trading separately could she maximize profits.
The Kasballica Group was extremely eager for the combat suits. These individuals were wealthier than imagined; they were willing to pay a premium several times over for the armor.
Jae did not refuse the Kasballica crime syndicate, but only offered 30 combat suits to trade with these people to broaden her network.
She knew Lucan wasn't someone who would fuss over details; as long as she could complete the tasks he gave her, he wouldn't care if she profited from it.
But the transaction quantity was limited to this. These criminal groups lacked the capability to fulfill Lord Lucan's primary mission.
The main focus was still the Navy. Having witnessed the power of the combat suits, they had no intention of missing out on acquiring more.
They stated they would find a way to gather a portion of the food and the necessary transport ships, but this would only fill about a third of Omiron's required deficit.
Although the Navy had the capability to solve all the food and shipping needs, there wasn't enough time. They needed approvals – from the Departmento Munitorum, the Departmento Interno… The Imperium's approval process under normal circumstances was enough to drive a person mad!
They wouldn't care if the Navy needed this equipment or not. In the absence of an urgent military crisis, even Navy admirals couldn't persuade those hidebound Imperial bureaucrats. A Rogue Trader's food shortage, what did that have to do with the Imperium?
Those who dealt with countless documents manually every day had no fear of the Navy's threats.
So what if everyone on Omiron starved to death? There were plenty of places in the Imperium short on food.
"You think I'm too slow, eh? Fine, you do it if you're so capable!"
This sentence alone was enough to shut the mouths of those trying to pull strings. After all, these officials of the Imperium's internal departments truly had a hard lot; a great many died from overwork.
The Adeptus Arbites and the Inquisition also participated in transactions, but half of the food deficit still remained. Time was too short; the official factions moved too slowly!
However, just as Jae was wondering how to resolve the remaining food supply, a major figure arrived in Footfall and sought her out.
"Respected Rogue Trader Caligos, Jae Heydari greets you! May the God-Emperor protect you."
Jae looked at the imposing man before her and felt a sense of nervousness.
The Rogue Trader before her, Caligos Winterscale, was one of the most powerful in the Expanse, a legendary figure.
He loved battle, enjoyed hunting xenos. Under his leadership, the entire Winterscale Dynasty had become extremely warlike. They relished evenly matched opponents, their love for battle even surpassing their desire for profit.
The Dynasty's vast fleet roamed among uncharted planets, reaping profits and seeking prey for the Dynasty.
At the same time, Caligos was notoriously temperamental. There were even rumors that he had dispatched an enemy in power armor with an axe. Jae believed this was a rumor, but she also believed Caligos's personal combat prowess was absurdly strong.
If she didn't know the man before her was a Rogue Trader, Jae would have even thought he was more like a powerful pirate lord.
His robust physique was not at all like that of a typical Rogue Trader.
And Caligos, who loved battle, had heard rumors of the CMC combat suits from his informants in Footfall and had come here immediately. He was also very interested in this equipment! As long as it could improve hunting efficiency, he didn't mind spending money. He had missed Lucan but encountered Jae, his representative.
"Jae Heydari, I've heard your name. To be so beautiful and yet so capable… why don't you come work for me?"
"I apologize, Lord Caligos, but I have already pledged my allegiance to Lord Lucan Mongorte."
"Hmph, no matter. I originally thought the Mongorte Dynasty was finished. I didn't expect them to find an heir. I assume you know why I've come?"
"Of course. And I believe you will certainly be interested in these combat suits. Lord Lucan requires grain and transport ships to deliver these goods to Omiron and Agathos. However, my Lord, these combat suits are not currently in stock."
"In stock or not, it doesn't matter. It's merely a few months' worth of food for a few tens of millions of people; a trivial matter! I have plenty of transport ships! Have your Astropaths send a message to your master. Tell him I will personally deliver this shipment and will go to Agathos myself to collect the goods from him!"
"You will go personally, my Lord? Please rest assured, I will certainly inform Lord Lucan. I believe he too will greatly look forward to meeting you."
With that, Caligos left the room.
Watching the man depart, Jae also breathed a sigh of relief. Dealing with such a figure was an immense mental burden; she was terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing. But with Caligos's strength, Jae knew that the task Lucan had set was now assured!
(End of Chapter)