Warhammer 40k: Starting as a Rogue Trader

Chapter 161: The Blood Ravens

While Lucan was getting a headache over being targeted by the Harlequins, the tithe fleet had already arrived at Scintilla, the capital of the Calixis Sector.

A constant stream of ships was coming and going from this important star system. At every moment, transport ships or fleets from various places were arriving, and even the battle barges of the Astartes were docked here.

Scintilla's commerce and finance were exceptionally developed. The planet's grand trade hall was always crowded, and all sorts of goods could be found there.

The Departmento Munitorum was surprised that this tithe fleet had completed its mission so quickly. When the fleet arrived, the Administratum immediately began to tally the collected taxes. After counting the supplies and combat personnel, the officials of the Administratum showed a rare expression of astonishment. The tithe had been increased so much, yet it had still been successfully fulfilled?

The designation of the Agathos Raiders was also found in the Munitorum's systems. The Administratum had originally been thinking about training and integrating the troops previously provided by Malfi, but now they didn't need to spend the extra effort. They had directly acquired a large-scale Astra Militarum regiment. Once the other collection fleets returned, they would all depart together.

The equipment of the Raiders was far too unique compared to the standard Astra Militarum, attracting the attention of everyone on Scintilla. The Scintillan Fusiliers, the local Astra Militarum regiment, were already considered lavishly equipped. Composed of the sons of nobles, they had supplemented their standard-issue gear with a large amount of expensive, privately purchased equipment. But in front of the Raiders' combat suits, even their gear seemed somewhat inadequate.

Many sharp-nosed merchants and nobles had already begun to try and make contact with the Raiders. The alliance merchants who had come along with the troops also began to play to their strengths. A very small trade in basic combat suits, along with fresh crops grown using the warships' ecological circulation systems, opened up the vast market of Scintilla with almost no difficulty. A single combat suit or even a pot of incredibly fresh, naturally grown vegetables and fruits could be sold on the market for an unimaginable price. The existence of Medics drove countless people with difficult-to-repair injuries into a frenzy.

With no similar products on the market, these monopolistic goods immediately expanded the Dynasty's influence into the vast Imperial world of Scintilla. Nobles and merchants all tried to obtain more goods from the fleet, even attempting to bribe members of the Raiders. Various commercial organizations on Scintilla also began to actively make contact. This also made more people aware of Lucan, the Mongorte Dynasty, and the Rogue Trader Alliance. There were many Rogue Traders within the Imperium as well, and these people were also potential members of the alliance.

As the Dynasty's warship was docked at Scintilla, a Thunderhawk gunship flew into the hangar of Damon's flagship.

"Damon?! By Russ, to think I'd run into you here! Where is Lord Lucan? How did you get here from the Expanse?"

"Harald?"

Damon hadn't expected to see Harald of the Space Wolves, who had departed some time ago, here as well. As comrades who had once fought side-by-side, they greeted each other warmly.

In the warship's mess hall, Harald enjoyed a long-overdue feast. The warships of the Mongorte Dynasty might not be the strongest, but their mess halls were likely one of a kind among all fleets. Perhaps only on Fenris could Harald eat and drink so freely.

When he heard that Lucan had become the leader of the Expanse and even the master of Malfi, Harald had to marvel at the Dynasty's expansion capabilities. But what he hadn't expected was that Lucan would offer up his own Raiders and Damon as part of the Tithe. He had seen the combat prowess of these Raiders with his own eyes.

"Aren't you supposed to be heading to Cadia?" Damon asked.

"We were. The pack was planning to resupply on Scintilla, but we suddenly encountered a space hulk in the warp as we were approaching our destination."

Hearing this, Damon couldn't help but sigh at Harald's bad luck...

"The pack's current strength is not enough to deal with the threat of a space hulk. Ram, Yonis, and three other brothers died in battle. But thankfully, when we exited the warp, the Imperial Navy here and another Chapter assisted us in destroying the hulk and the enemies within."

Damon remembered the names of the two warriors. Further sacrifices had once again dealt a heavy blow to this already small pack. The Frostwolf's Howl, which had been repaired before, was once again in a state of repair due to the battle. It was now impossible for Harald's pack to return to their Great Company within the specified time.

"Harald, are you planning to remain stationed here then?"

"Of course not. Even if we can't make it back in time, we must depart. Even if only one of us is left, we must return to the pack."

"Perhaps we can travel together. You can take me and the Dynasty's soldiers under the name of the Space Wolves, and we can be responsible for assisting you."

Harald's face lit up at Damon's words. He wouldn't mind having such a force to assist him. And for Damon, since they were destined to go near Cadia anyway, rather than having the Raiders be commanded and restricted by strangers or the Departmento Munitorum, it was better to cooperate with a comrade with whom he had already established a deep friendship. At least he wouldn't have to worry about being sold out. And with the prestige and authority of the Space Wolves as a First Founding Chapter, they were more than qualified to command the assistance of an Astra Militarum regiment.

"Of course! But the warship is still being repaired with the help of the other Chapter's Techmarines and the Adeptus Mechanicus. By Russ, if they hadn't helped us escape the threat of the hulk, I would really want to chop them up! I would never travel with them!"

"You can leave the warship repairs to us! But why do you hate that Chapter so much? What is their name?"

"The Blood Ravens! When I went to collect the remains of my fallen brothers, I found that the chest plates of their power armor and their weapons were all gone. At first, I thought they were just lost in the aftermath of the battle. But later, I saw that chest plate on the power armor of a Blood Ravens Chapter member! Even though they changed the color and even ground off the markings on it, my nose could still smell the scent of the pack on it!! Even if they saved us, they shouldn't do something so devoid of honor!"

The more Harald spoke, the angrier he got! He slammed his fist on the table, shattering it.

"Hmmmm?!"

Harald's words suddenly flipped a switch in Damon's mind. His powerful memory allowed him to recall this Chapter. Lucan had mentioned some of the more famous Chapters to him from memory. There were so many Chapters in the Imperium that Lucan couldn't remember them all, but he would never forget the name of the Blood Ravens. After all, the Chapter had contributed countless memes.

"Harald, please excuse me for a moment. I'll be right back."

Damon quickly went to the warship's quantum communication chamber. Since this was a Chapter that even Lucan had warned him to be wary of, Damon didn't dare to delay for a second.

"What, the Blood Ravens?!! You're saying the Blood Ravens Chapter is on Scintilla?!"

But thinking about it, it made sense. The Blood Ravens were also keen on "archaeological digs," and there were still many unknown star systems near Calixis.

"That's what Harald told me, my Lord. What is it about this Chapter that requires your attention?!"

"We'll talk about that later! Damon! Have the Night Sentinels guard their Praetor suits, and! Have all the Raiders double the guard on the armory and the laboratories!"

"I'll see to it at once!"

Seeing that Damon had already relayed the order, Lucan breathed a sigh of relief.

Lucan had seen plenty of the memes. Although they were just jokes, the real Blood Ravens couldn't just steal whatever they wanted. But their habit of collecting various relics and technological knowledge was very real. They were either stealing something or on their way to steal something. After all, for the Blood Ravens, whose origins were unknown, one of the Chapter's main driving forces was to find their origins by recovering relics and various pieces of knowledge.

For a Chapter whose battle cry was "Knowledge is power," what they "borrowed" was never just the relics of their allies, or the weapons and equipment of their Astartes comrades. All sorts of lost technology and knowledge were also things they were keen to collect.

Harald had already fallen victim to them. Lucan couldn't be sure if they would set their sights on his Raiders and Night Sentinels.

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