Kemitt, Warden of House Ironcloud, looks into the camera, with a scowl that his snowy beard can not hide. In a gravelly tone he relays the following on the House channel, to the entire family, wheresoever they may be.
"Brothers and Sisters, Cousins, Family and Attendants, our investigation in to recent events is complete, and after consultation with the Upper House and with representatives of both House Belisarius and the God-Emperor, we have reached a mutual agreement, for the good of the Empire.
"House Belisarius is recanting its condemnation of our House. We will be working closely with them in upcoming Battlefleet Koronus actions, as well as in several more private endeavours. The Expanse will know that we are friends and allies.
"Such a reprieve, however, has not come cheaply. There has been a grave cost to us, one that will doubtless hinder our growth for the foreseeable future. We will, however, survive, persevere, and, with time, prosper once more."
He pauses, looking away from the camera and taking a deep breath; readying himself for what comes next. When he resumes his monologue, his green eyes glare into the camera, as if they peer directly into your soul.
"In the last hundred hours, Port Wander fell foul of a Xenos attack. Genestealers and their vile hybrids landed in the docks of House Belisarius, and by stealth, insinuated themselves into the colony. That done, they launched a devastating attack that caught much of the Port Wander security forces off-guard. The damage would have been apocalyptic, were it not for the presence of a regiment of Adeptus Astartes. Their mission was originally to fall upon the Orks and thin their herd; by the Emperor's graces, their transports were delayed, and they were able to repel the initial attack and hold off the Xenos long enough for a full scale response. By the time Port Wander was fully purged, not only of soldiers but also of victims gestating the next waves, the death toll had broken a million souls.
"The Xenos," he pauses again, struggling to continue, "the Xenos wore ancient heraldry of House Tarkar... they arrived aboard transports we had provided them. A colony found by our Rogue Trader. A colony that was evidently not ready to be brought back into the fold.
"And that brings us to the price of peace. As of this moment, House Ironcloud disavows Rogue Trader Tarkeen, his assets and his crew. We do not know whether these actions were the result of negligence or malice on the part of the Rogue Trader, but we have agreed that his sacrifice is the condition of our survival. We offer a bounty of Throne Gelt," he holds a promissory scrip in view for a moment, "for the return of Tarkeen, dead or alive. Smaller bounties will be considered for his crew and for his whereabouts."
The screen transitions to a map of the Koronus Expanse, with three areas highlighted. Kemitt continues speaking.
"These three areas represent the last known possible locations for Tarkeen and the ship Ironcloud bestowed upon him, the Problem Child." A system in the Rifts of Hecaton is highlighted: "Intelligence indicates that this region was of interest as it potentially contained an abandoned fleet that he could recover." The highlight moves to a system in the Unbeholden Reaches: "Tarkeen also indicated to us an interest in tracking down a Hive World here. Given the present circumstances, this may be a grave concern." Finally, the highlight moves to the third area: "He also indicated that there may be a lost Mechanicus forgeworld in this region. An attractive prize for any Rogue Trader.
"We do not know for sure which of these he has pursued. We have, however, shared this information with House Belisarius and with Battlefleet Koronus.
"For the Emperor!" He salutes and closes the channel.
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