Piers B
Member
For some Rogue Traders, their role is to push the Imperiums boundaries far out into unknown space, to bring the Emperors Light to the furthest scattered remnants of Humanity. They bring Faith, and coin, to those outside the known borders of the Imperium in a quest for fame, fortune and the Emperors Grace.
But for some Rogue Traders, the emphasis is more firmly placed upon the coin. As they push into unknown space they do so with the sole purpose of personal gain and the quest for power, paying little more than lip service to the Imperial creed. While often scorned by those in power, and watched with a careful eye by the Inquisition, they are tolerated so far as they still extend the frontiers of Human space and bring the knowledge of the Imperium to those lost, albeit with the tinge of desire for personal gain. These so-called 'Cold Traders' are often little more than pirates and private warlords, hellbent on expanding their own empire within the expanding boundaries of the Imperium. At worst, they became an independant force carving out personal territory within the Imperium and at best they revert to a more traditional role when pressed by the arrival of the Emperors forces.
But some tread a middle ground. Those relinquish territory back to the Administratum, not wishing to maintain a personal fiefdom but they do so after plundering the wealth and resources of systems for their own war chests. They will often remark that the funds they liberate are vital to their work in expanding the Imperium but some in the Administratum wonder why these few need such vast funds. While not quite tipping over the abyss and turning themselves into a local Warlord, they remain on the very edge of Imperial society, recognised as those doing the Imperiums work for a price and their own gain, not out of faith or duty. That said, these 'Radicals' as the Inquisition term them, often perform in a far more effective manner than most Rogue Traders. For this, their personal attitude is tolerated as long as they keep treading the thin line between heresy and being a faithful servant of the Imperium. Some of these 'Cold Traders', and few last long enough along the path to become infamous, are reknowned for both their personal attitude and the rate at which they expand the Imperium. One such Rogue Trader is the man now pushing the borders of the Imperium along the Koranski Rim - Balthasar Gelt.
Balthasar Gelt is a man whose past is largely a mystery. It is known that he entered the service of the Imperium as a lowly Guardsman in an Imperial Regiment and by some means managed to amass a huge fortune during the liberation of Rostam IV. With this fortune he embarked on a career as a Rogue Trader, taking with him many from his old regiment. His metoric success as a Rogue Trader soon brought him to the attention of the Inquistion and the Administratum, with his business dealings under close scrutiny, but he never remained in one place long enough for these people to worry him. As time went on however, his methods and personal fortune began to raise eyebrows. But his rapid expansion into unknown space, bringing several human worlds back into the Imperial fold, tempered to a degree the suspicion placed upon him.
At present he and his fleet are pushing deep into space past the Laguna System on the Koranski Rim. His recent actions on Tolgar Prime, the subduing of a local Human warlord and the recruiting of Bloodaxe Commandos into his ranks have tipped the scales of the Inquisition to finally push them to despatch a force to track him down and curtail his activities. A small Inquisition vessel under Inquisitor Deckar is currently in pursuit of Fleet Gelt but for now, he eludes their attentions. For Gelt has a crew that far outstrip the abilities of the average Inquisition ship. His ships travel the warp with ease, guided by his Eldar Navigator - Tor Ba'Raccus. All his crew are fiercely loyal, and highly experienced, making them a tough proposition to track down. Gelt has no interest in getting involved with the Inquition and prefers to avoid their attentions while expanding his wealth and fortune.
But Gelt is not without his supporters. Among the troops on Gelt's fleet are not just Imperial soldiers, his personal Bodyguard Detachment of Squats under Ulric Darkhelm, Bloodaxe Commandos and Eldar Mercenaries. Onboard his flagship is a detachment of Adeptus Astartes from the Dark Angels chapter. These Space Marines, in their gloss black armour tower over the other troops and give Gelt an edge that few worlds can compete with. Why these Marines are content to follow such a Radical as Gelt is not known, but those in the Inquisition do not seem surprised to find them within his ranks. Indeed it is rumoured that their presence with Gelt is at the direct behest of the Dark Angel Chapter Master and they travel with him seeking their own goal. Whatever their reason, they give Gelt a fighting core that even the Inquisition are wary to cross.
For now Gelt remains at large, a man with a powerful fleet pushing into the unknown. But he is approaching an area of space thought to be home to both human worlds, long forgotten by the Imperium, but also more worryingly thought to be home to a large Eldar Pirate Fleet. But not just the Inquition seek Gelt.
Deep in the warp, another ship tracks his movements. A ship that has been tracking him since Rostam IV. A ship whose crew have spent 10,000 years cruising the warp. A ship whose crew do not answer to the Imperium, but to other darker gods.
Gelt has a favour to repay...
Gelt's Flagship - The Drake
