Warhammer: Rebuilding the Golden Age Starting with Farming

Chapter 118 Rogue Trader

Hollisenberg, studio.

On the huge holographic screen, the red dot in near-Earth orbit was displayed.

"Have the scan results come back yet?"

Andy strode in, his yellow robe billowing in the wind, the six black floating units behind him standing out prominently under the lights.

Gamma-9 and Bauer were both there. When they saw Andy's new look, they were clearly stunned for a moment. In addition to awe, their eyes showed a hint of fear of that unknown technology.

"Sweep—it's done, sir."

Gamma-9 snapped out of its daze and quickly projected the data onto the main screen.

"It is a cruiser, about 4.5 kilometers long."

"Judging from its shape and energy readings, it doesn't resemble an Imperial Navy warship, nor does it seem to be an exploration vessel of the Mechanicus."

In the video, the outline of the ship gradually becomes clear.

Its shape is very strange, even somewhat chaotic.

The hull was covered with patches and welding marks, and in some places there were huge external armor plates hanging on it, like some kind of tumor that had been added later.

The bow is a menacing bull-shaped ram, painted bright red.

On both sides of the ship hang dozens of auxiliary engine pods for flight within the atmosphere, making it look like a metal centipede with many legs.

This style, full of wildness and pragmatism, was all too familiar to Andy.

"The ship of the traveling merchants."

Andy made his judgment.

Only those guys who walk the edge of imperial law, scavenge for scraps, do business, and fight pirates in unknown star systems would modify a ship into this monstrosity.

This ship has clearly been through countless battles and modifications; every patch tells a story, and every non-standard macro cannon is proof of a black market transaction.

"What message did they send?" Andy asked.

"An audio clip, and a coordinate request."

Xiao Liu took over the communications station and played the recording.

"Buzz—This is—Bull"—Buzz—"

A rough, slightly drunk male voice came from the speaker.

"I am Captain Huck Aguirre."

"Listen carefully to the following—whichever one it is—"

"I'm just passing by—my engine's a bit overheated—I need to find a place to stop—and maybe do some business while I'm at it—"

"I know this place has been quite lively lately—don't be nervous—I'm just passing through—"

Send me your port coordinates—or point me to a flat area where you can dock a big ship—

"If you dare to fire at me—I'll blow this damn place to smithereens—Zzzzz—over."

Recording has ended.

The command center was completely silent.

Bauer scratched his head: "This guy—he doesn't sound very serious, does he?"

"How many of those traveling merchants and wandering rogues are decent?"

Andy gave a cold laugh.

These guys possessed privateering licenses issued by the Empire, also known as "robber licenses."

Within the empire's borders, they could still manage to put on a semblance of noblemanly conduct.

Once they crossed the imperial borders and reached the edge of this chaotic expansion zone, they became the biggest pirate leaders.

Robbery, extortion, and smuggling of unusual cultural relics were commonplace.

This guy named Hack claims he was just passing by, but who would believe that?

Zais is a desolate wasteland with neither rare minerals nor interstellar travel points; it's all about war.

Who in their right mind would walk by here?

He must have come by smelling the scent, or perhaps he heard about a new force that had fallen from the sky here.

Whatever the reason, the fact that this ship is currently hanging overhead is a huge threat.

"Sir, should we respond?" Gamma-9 asked, "or should we activate the air defense system immediately?"

"air defense?"

Andy glanced at the massive red dot: "Our few cannons are barely enough to take down a landship, let alone a cruiser?"

At present, deep space industry does not have the capability to strike orbital targets.

This has always been Andy's sore point: air superiority is limited to the atmosphere; once outside the atmosphere, he's blind.

"Connect him," Andy decided. "Since he says he wants to do business, let's talk to him."

"Perfect timing, we're currently lacking a lot of things, especially rare materials."

"The cargo holds of traveling merchants are usually crammed with such good stuff."

"Xiao Liu, establish a communication connection."

"clear."

A few seconds later, the screen flickered and a live feed appeared.

The background of the scene is a messy-looking bridge, littered with bottles and bones of some unknown creature.

A man with a full beard sat in the very center.

The man was wearing a fancy but greasy captain's uniform and was gnawing on a roasted poultry leg.

Seeing the change in the scene, he swallowed the meat in his mouth and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Hey, finally it's connected."

Captain Harker grinned, revealing a set of gold-rimmed teeth.

"I thought those bumpkins down there wouldn't even know how to use a communicator."

His gaze swept across the screen before finally settling on Andy.

To be precise, the focus was fixed on Andy's bright yellow robe and the six eerie floating units behind him.

Hack's gaze froze slightly, and his previously nonchalant attitude became somewhat more subdued.

He knows his stuff.

Although he had never seen this specific design before, he could feel the overwhelming "high-tech" vibe it exuded.

Especially those six suspended objects, which have no nozzles and rely entirely on anti-gravity to levitate, are rare and advanced products in the current imperial technology.

"Looks like I didn't come to the wrong place this time."

Huck put down the bone in his hand and sat up straight.

"I am Hack Aguirre, owner of the 'Bull,' and hold a charter as a wandering merchant granted by Holy Terra."

"Who are you? State your name."

"Andy."

"The head of Deep Space Industries."

"Deep Space Industries?" Harker raised an eyebrow. "Never heard of it. Is it newly established?"

"I guess so," Andy said, not wanting to dwell on the matter. "You said you wanted to do business?"

"That's right."

Huck waved his hand.

"My ship ran into some trouble in the warp. Although I managed to resolve it, it consumed a lot of resources and damaged a few parts."

"I need supplies: fuel, food, ammunition, and that advanced alloy that can repair ships."

"I have money, and I have goods."

"As long as your products are good, price is not a problem."

Andy's electronic eye flashed.

Ship repair?

That's a perfect match for my major.

Andy has no shortage of ship repair materials and equipment right now.

The alloy plates produced by the remodeling machine are top-quality goods that even Zol praised highly.

Moreover, if they could bring this merchant ship into their business circle, Deep Space Industries would essentially have a trade route to interstellar space.

This is much better than fighting with the local warlords for food in this rotten planet of Zais.

"We have what you need," Andy said calmly, "but we don't accept Imperial Coins."

"You know the rules." Hack chuckled. "I don't like that kind of trash either."

"I want to barter."

"No problem," Andy nodded. "We also have something we're missing."

"However, my helipad can't accommodate your cruiser."

Although the square in Horisonburg is large, it is for the shuttle.

If a 4.5-kilometer-long cruiser were to crash down, the entire industrial zone would be destroyed.

"Thirty kilometers north of the city, there is a flat saline-alkali land."

Andy operated the console.

"You can dock the boat there."

"But I'm warning you."

"After stopping, shut down all weapon systems and lock onto the fire control radar."

"If you dare to point your cannons at my city even a centimeter off, I'll show you why we're able to stand on this land."

Huck paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Good! You've got guts!"

"I love doing business with people who have guts!"

"Don't worry, I'm here to make money, not to fight. As long as the business is fair, we're all brothers."

"Coordinates received, I'll be right down."

The communication was disconnected.

The red spot of light began to descend slowly, broke away from its orbit, and plunged into the atmosphere.

Gamma-9.

Andy turned around and gave the order.

"Have the engineering team prepare the samples, and bring out our best alloy plates and precision-machined parts."

"Sisyphus, go and prepare a purchasing list."

"What we need are mainly rare metals, advanced electronic components, and star maps of the ring star region."

"Also—" Andy looked at Bauer, "Get all the anti-aircraft firepower ready, and secretly deploy all the Iron Ostrichs to their firing positions."

"If that guy dares to try anything funny, we'll kill him as soon as he lands."

Half an hour later, on the salt flats north of Horisonburg.

A huge shadow fell over the earth.

The "Bull" slowly descended, accompanied by a wave of heat and a roar.

The engine kicked up a sandstorm that filled the sky, creating a spectacular scene.

When the behemoth finally came to a stop and its massive landing gear sank deep into the ground, the entire earth trembled.

Andy, accompanied by Sisyphus and a team of heavily armed guards, was already waiting at a safe distance in an off-road convoy.

The hatch on the belly of the spacecraft opened, and a wide ramp extended out.

Captain Harker disembarked with a group of equally menacing-looking, well-equipped crew members.

They weren't carrying weapons; instead, they were pushing several huge floating shipping containers.

Andy went to meet him.

The two groups of people stood face to face amidst the swirling yellow sand.

On one side are the Deep Space Industrial Guard, dressed in black exoskeletons and exuding a sleek industrial style; on the other side are the wandering merchant crew, dressed in all sorts of outlandish costumes and adorned with ornaments and tattoos.

The art styles are completely different, but the aura is equally powerful.

"Is this your boss?"

Huck looked at Andy, who was standing at the front, and sized him up.

"This yellow robe—it's quite unique."

"Are you from the Department of Mechanics?"

"No," Andy answered crisply, "I'm just a farmer."

"Haha, okay, I got it!"

Hack laughed and patted a shipping container next to him.

"Come on, farmers, take a look at my goods."

He pressed the switch, and the container opened.

There wasn't any gold or silver treasure inside, but rather a cabinet that was completely full.

It was some kind of crystalline mineral that emitted a faint blue light; each piece was about the size of a fist and had a neat cut.

"What is this?" Sisyphus leaned closer to take a look, but didn't recognize it.

"This is called 'Tears of the Void.'"

Hack proudly explained.

"It's a top-tier material I dug up in a dead world on the edge of the expansion zone, used to make advanced optical lenses and focusing crystals."

"Since you're called 'Deep Space Industries,' I think you'll be interested in this."

Andy's electronic eye instantly locked onto those crystals.

[Material Identification: High-purity psionic resonance crystal.]

Applications: High-energy laser amplification, subspace signal filtering, subspace energy focusing lens arrays —

This is really good stuff!

Previously, Andy was worried about the lack of super diamonds in order to repair the Geller force field.

Unexpectedly, a cheaper alternative has been delivered right to my door!

"This is a good product."

Andy nodded, his tone remaining calm.

"We'll take them."

"Name your price. What do you want to exchange it for?"

Huck chuckled and pointed to the guards behind Andy.

"I need materials to repair the ship, that goes without saying."

"But I still want—"

His finger pointed to the uniquely designed CBS-12 high-explosive crossbow in the guard's hand.

"that."

"And your exoskeleton, which looks decent enough, those two will be absolutely useful in boarding combat."

Andy narrowed his eyes; this guy has a sharp eye.

They immediately took a liking to Deep Space Industries' flagship product.

"Weapons can be sold," Andy said, "but exoskeletons are not for sale; they are exclusive equipment for our internal personnel."

""

"but----"

Andy then changed the subject.

"If you could get me a detailed star map of the Halo region, or a batch of adamantite."

"I might consider customizing a more advanced exoskeleton for you."

"make a deal!"

Hack agreed very readily, clearly knowing the principle of asking for the moon and then settling for less.

"How much refined gold do you want?"

"not much."

"Get me 2,300 tons first."

Hack: (ΩAΩ)?

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