Chapter 18: Footfall
Lucan, attended by his servants, donned the magnificent attire of a Rogue Trader.
Under the escort of a host of guards, he once again arrived on the bridge.
Although the news of the former Rogue Trader's death surprised and saddened everyone on the voidship, the opposition to Lucan inheriting the Rogue Trader's position was far less than anticipated. Even if there were dissenting voices, under Verre's subtle "persuasion" with a cudgel, they could only shout, "Loyal! Zealous!"
Lucan's performance had won over everyone.
Exploration was fraught with peril, and Warp travel was a gamble with life and death; no one would refuse a leader who could guide them to survival.
Not to mention, Lucan already possessed the legitimate right of inheritance.
Under the gaze of all present, Lucan sat upon the throne that was the captain's seat. Verre, beside him, addressed the crowd:
"As Purser of this Dynasty, I regret to inform you all that Lord Rogue Trader Ludwig Mongorte has unfortunately perished. He died defending human dignity and upholding his loyalty to the God-Emperor. May his glorious deeds never fade from the annals of our Dynasty.
In accordance with Lord Ludwig's dying words, and as no blood relative on this voidship is qualified to question this decision, by the laws of Bloodline Succession, I solemnly declare Lucan Mongorte the legal heir of the Dynasty and the sacred holder of the Warrant of Trade, inheriting the title of Rogue Trader.
It is due to his valiant efforts that we are alive today! Let us cheer, and welcome your new Captain!"
At Verre's words, the crowd erupted in cheers.
Lucan's ears were filled with the praises of others.
And Lucan placed his hand on the Cogitator before him. The Cogitator extruded a needle, collected Lucan's biological sample, and recorded it.
[Bloodline Scan Qualified]
[Authority Changed: Lucan Mongorte]
From this moment on, Lucan was the master of this voidship; he would possess the highest authority.
"Congratulations, my Captain. The Golden Ram is about to approach Footfall. The Astropaths have already sent an astrotelepathic message to Footfall. Tantos Morloss, the King of Footfall, is prepared to welcome your arrival."
"Let the ship dock. The crew also needs rest. Distribute some Thrones to all soldiers and allow them to go ashore to Footfall in rotations for recuperation. Their valiant efforts deserve reward. Allocate an additional five days' worth of rations and fuel cells to the shipwrights!"
"All will remember your benevolence, Captain!"
As the voidship slowly approached Footfall, Lucan also saw this renowned port from the bridge's viewscreen.
The entirety of Footfall was even larger than he had imagined. At a glance, one could see many fleets docked at Footfall's starports – Imperial Navy vessels, Adeptus Mechanicus explorator fleets, and even more warships belonging to Rogue Trader Dynasties or massive commercial corporations from within the Expanse.
The Imperial Navy protected this place from xenos or other enemies of mankind.
Among its most magnificent areas were the Court of the Hierarch and the Hierarch's Icon. Within the Court of the Hierarch, a giant throne was inscribed with the great victories once achieved by the God-Emperor; it was also a place for receiving important dignitaries. The Hierarch's Icon was an enormous statue of the God-Emperor, where countless humans faithful to Him would go to pray and pay homage.
The Ecclesiarchy, the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the Imperial Navy all had offices here. Moreover, the Inquisition had a large number of overt and covert spies hidden throughout Footfall.
They would search for unforgivable heretical acts for the Inquisition. Even a Rogue Trader, if targeted by these individuals, would not fare well. Rogue Trader families branded as heretics and subsequently annihilated were not few in number.
However, they also adhered to the unspoken rules of the Expanse. Compared to the Inquisition within Imperial territory, the standards here were relatively looser, as long as one did not cross the red line of Chaos.
This type of trade, not openly permitted, was known as the "Cold Trade."
The vast distances also meant that the Ecclesiarchy, Mechanicus, and Inquisition here all had their own unique characteristics, yet they still shared a unifying faith in the God-Emperor and obeyed the Imperium's leadership.
There was a saying in Footfall: "In Footfall, all things have a price, but if you have to ask, you might not be able to afford it," which showed just how exaggerated the trade profits here could be. Almost any fleet wishing to return to the Imperium from the Expanse would first make a stop here for refitting.
The massive Golden Ram, under tow, approached the starport. Many recognized the warship; after all, there were only a few Lunar-class cruisers belonging to Rogue Traders.
When they saw the battle-scarred warship, they were also very curious about what the Mongorte family's flagship had endured.
Lucan arrived at the hatchway, accompanied by a retinue of soldiers in combat suits, with Verre, as Purser, by his side.
Lucan had no intention of hiding equipment like the combat suits; sometimes, showing your fist saves you a lot of trouble.
When the hatch opened, Tantos, the King of Footfall himself, escorted by his own guards, was waiting outside for Lucan's arrival.
He was full of curiosity when he first saw the soldiers in combat suits emerge, but he maintained his composure. After all, from time to time, lucky individuals would acquire some lost technology from some undeveloped planet.
However, when he saw Lucan emerge, accompanied by Verre, his pupils contracted sharply.
Anyone who could attain the position of King of Footfall was exceptionally astute. From Lucan's attire and Verre's deferential attitude, he could only think of one possibility: a major upheaval had occurred within the Mongorte Dynasty. He knew Verre and his status, and he had also received the former Rogue Trader, Ludwig, many times.
Lucan looked at the man before him without showing any timidity. Though the title "King of Footfall" sounded grand, the true rulers of Footfall were the Rogue Traders. As long as a Rogue Trader was in Footfall, the ruler of Footfall was that Rogue Trader.
If multiple Rogue Traders were present, the one with the greatest power would be the ruler.
The title "King of Footfall" was prestigious, but he was, at best, merely a tool for Rogue Traders to distribute their goods.
Any major power based in Footfall could easily manipulate him.
Lucan had no doubt that if he directly eliminated Tantos, although it would cause some trouble, there would be no major issues. He could simply support another King of Footfall to take power.
Indeed, some Kings of Footfall only lasted a few days or months before being eliminated. No one knew exactly how many Kings of Footfall there had been, but there were certainly hundreds; Tantos had already held the position for a very long time.
This was also why, upon hearing a Rogue Trader had arrived, Tantos had dropped everything to wait here quietly to welcome Lucan.
"Honored Rogue Trader, Tantos welcomes your arrival!"
As Lucan walked up to him, Tantos bowed his head in greeting.
"Tantos, this is the current Rogue Trader of the Mongorte family, Lucan Mongorte. Please remember his noble countenance and fulfill all his requests," Verre introduced Lucan.
"Purser Verre, please forgive my impertinence, but what happened to Lord Ludwig?"
"Lord Ludwig has returned to the Golden Throne. You need not inquire further into other matters," Verre said curtly, his expression sour towards anyone prying into Ludwig's fate.
"Tantos, this is our first meeting, is it not?" Lucan asked.
"I believe so. Tantos congratulates you on inheriting the position of Rogue Trader. I will do my utmost to fulfill your tasks."
"Very good, Tantos. I have no interest in changing the King of Footfall. As long as you can perform your duties well, you may continue in this position. I require skilled crew, various supplies, and I also need someone to repair my warship. Also, help me contact the leading Bishop of the Ecclesiarchy here. My warship was attacked in the Warp, and many areas require purification."
"I will have people see to it immediately. However, I have a very important piece of news to report to you."
"What news?"
"It seems your family is experiencing some problems. There are reports of certain disturbances occurring on your Dynasty's capital world, Agathos, apparently related to the Rogue Trader succession?"
(End of Chapter)