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Lucian Gerrit

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Lucian Gerrit is a Rogue Trader and patriarch of his Merchant family House Arcadius which is active on the Eastern Fringes.[1]

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Rogue Star

Lucian Gerrit is a rogue trader — a starship captain of the Arcadius dynasty granted ancient trading rights along the Eastern Fringe of Imperial space. He has two children to different mothers, Brielle his firstborn daughter and Korvane his son, but his family’s fortunes have been steadily declining for many generations and his children's inheritance amounts to little more than a pile of debt and misery. In a final desperate gamble to restore his family’s former glory, Gerrit strikes a deal with the Imperial Commander, Culpepper Luneberg, of the forgotten Imperial world of Mundus Chasmata in which they are to fetch archeotech and then become a broker for it, earning both parties profit. The Arcadius travels to the planet of Sigma Q-77 to meet the contact, fitting the description of a Tau, who is supposed to supply them with the archeotech. Upon fetching the crates and packages and storing the majority of it aboard the Fairlight, the Arcadius fleet breaks the warp for Mundus Chasmata once more.[1a][1b][1c]

During the journey Brielle investigates the contents of the packages they have retrieved and discovers that they contain weaponry of xenos origin. She is infuriated that they are being treated as lowly gunrunners and sets about destroying the deal with Luneberg. Upon arrival the family attends a formal banquet with the noble class of Mundus Chasmata and their leader. Brielle however is late and infuriates Culpepper, causing tension between him and Lucian. After removing her to their quarters, Lucian chastises his daughter and returns to Luneberg to smooth out the situation.[1d][1e][1f]

Meanwhile Brielle escapes into the city, noticing that it is a peculiar place and that the chapel of the Emperor stands deserted and used for quite some time. She also discovers that the populace are highly into strange artefacts, some obviously faked. Upon observing the strange behavior of the people she runs into Naal, Lunebergs court attendant and overall assistant. Naal takes Brielle to a club frequented by the upper class, where upon she witnesses a hovering sphere levitate the loose objects of the room and produce a orbit of the objects. This appears to have spell-like effect upon those who watch, causing them to start to conduct sexual behavior with others. Brielle wakes up the next morning surrounded by naked people, being likewise herself, indicating to have participated in an orgy yet not remember it. She leaves and makes for the palace and once more.[1f][1h]

However during this time Gerrit has been talking to Luneberg and starts to believe that the man is not sane, leading him to start to tread softly in his negotiations with him. However whilst agreeing upon a new deal Brielle interrupts, after injuring Korvane and pushing through, causing Luneberg to snap. He demands that they agree to his terms or else they will be captured and held upon the planet. Lucian disagrees, shoots Luneberg with a shot from one of his Jokaeren rings, causing Luneberg to spasm and lose control of his orifices. Escaping to Brielles shuttle the Arcadius take Naal with them as Brielle has formed an alliance with him the night before. They reach the orbital station above the planet and proceed to undock their respective vessels. Whilst this is is in progress Korvane and the Rosetta are engaged by the station, which is firing a weapon of an alien design, later revealed as of Tau design, which accelerates an object to hyper velocity, similar to a rail gun. Lucian, in the Oceanid moves into the station and unleashes two devasting broadsides, critically damaging the station and sustaining light damage himself. The Arcadius then proceeds to break into the warp for Arris Epsilon, planetary system of Zachary Droon, rival of Luneberg. Prior to entering the warp, a fleet of unidentified vessels is detected.[1g][1h][1i]

Korvane is first to arrive in system, with his ship having had a rough but quick ride, described by the navigator as having brushed against something in the warp and being carried along in its wake. He is then taken in by Arris Epsilon security forces and embarks for the surface where he meets with the Imperial Commander, Zachary Droon. The two of them make a deal in which the Arcadius will transport Droon's PDF forces to Mundus Chasmata so that they can remove Luneberg from power. Korvane is told that he will do so with the help of mercenaries that Droon has hired who then descend onto the planet, revealing themselves to be a Tau battleforce, whose emmisary then has Droon willingly take an oath, becoming part of the Tau Empire.[1i][1k]

Meanwhile Lucian and the Oceanid break into the system, whereupon Lucian visits his astropath, with the aim of contacting his children as standard communications are failing. Instead the astropath tells him that for tenty to thirty light years surrounding them, worlds are singing of freedom, alluding to rebellions e.t.c. Lucian leaves his astropaths chambers and is crewman telling him their augurs have detected a fleet approaching the system. They lower their system usage to ten percent to keep their sensor signature low and undetectable. The fleet enters orbit around Arris Epsilon, where Lucian then moves closer to the planet until they are 25 kilometres from the Tau fleet when they are detected and raise a comm channel with the fleet, stating that the Arcadius wishes to approach. Once the Oceanid is alongside the flagship of the Tau Gerrit demands that they surrender, power down their vessel and prepare for boarding. The Tau refuse, to which Gerrit launches his readied broadside, crippling the ship, he then moves forward to cross behind the ship, firing another broadside into the drive section of the Tau vessel causing it to violently explode. The Oceanid then navigates and takes out another ship after suffering some light damage and then proceed towards the Rosetta. However before they can complete this manoeuvre they detect Luneberg and his fleet, made up of two cruisers, one being his flagship, the Borealis Defensor and some escort ships, heading directly for the Oceanid. Gerrit decides that he will charge straight through the Chasmatan fleet breaking apart their formation and from there they rejoin with the Rosetta. Luneberg's fleet however approaches the Tau fleet, who have now formed into a formation of mutual support with a forward arc of 270 degrees where their only weakpoint is their stern.[1j][1l]

Lucian finishes formulating a plan with which to take care of Luneberg's fleet when Brielle arrives in system whereupon she is ordered to join formation with the Oceanid and Rosetta. These three ships then proceed towards Luneberg's fleet whereupon they draw him into tailing them, in the process distracting him and drawing him into the arc of the Tau's rail gun weaponry. Luneberg's fleet is destroyed in the short ensuing skirmish.[1l][1m]

Brielle, while saying "This is for the greater good" then sends a signal to a explosive device on the Rosetta causing explosions to occur throughout Korvane's ship. With his ship in disarray, the Rosetta starts to drift into the Tau's arc of fire, however with shields at full capacity they hold their fire, instead deploying battlesuits to assault his ship. One battlesuit reaches the armourglass of the bridge and starts to cut through. Korvane orders that the one torpedo which the Arcadius has in its possession be fired on a ten second fuse, destroying the swarm of battlesuits, just as the one assaulting the bridge breaks through the glass, collapsing the pressure of the bridge deck. The torpedo creates a blast wave that washes over the Rosetta, causing yet more damage and takes one of the Tau vessels out of action as well. Lucian goes to protect his sons ship as the four remaining Tau craft take aim at it. The Oceanid blocks their shot and lines up its own broadside against them, only to have their shot blocked by the Fairlight as it comes in to protect the Tau's vessels. Onboard her own ship, Brielle turns to her side, stating "One good turn deserves another, eh Naal", whereupon he replies that "Indeed my lady. My masters will have much for which to repay you." This indicates that Naal is an agent of the Tau Empire, having been the one who corrupted Luneberg.[1m]

The Arcadius now descend to the surface of Arris Epsilon and demand that they receive full payment for destroying Culpepper Luneberg's fleet, as per the contract and further blackmail Droon to say that the Imperium would be very unhappy to learn of his rebellion. With a strong financial status created, the Arcadius then leave the Arris Epsilon system. The Oceanid's astropath Karisan informs Gerrit that all of the worlds within twenty light years of their position have announced their seccession from the Imperium and that they are now joining the Tau Empire. However the Imperium has already responded with new musters of regiments and a Cardinal Gurney calling for a crusade with the Inquisitor Grand of the Ordo Xenos and Space Marine Chapters already pledging their support, including the Iron Hands, Scythes of the Emperor and the White Scars, the chapter based on Brielle's mother's homeworld Chogoris. Lucian decides that he will hang around the Damocles Gulf for longer, knowing that new oppurtunities for the Arcadius are moving his way. He then orders Master Raldi to make for Kleist, a system apparently recently secceded to the Tau.[1n]

Star of Damocles

Lucian Gerrit and his family join an Imperial Crusade against the alien Tau. However the enemy is very resourceful and the crusade runs into big trouble. Complicating this further is Gerrit's family life as his daughter and son vie for influence and his favor.[Needs Citation]

Trivia

  • Lucian's son Korvane is referred to variously as "Korvane Gerrit",[3a] "Korvane Arcadius",[3a] "Korvane Gerrit of the Arcadius",[1i] "Korvane Gerrit of the Clan Arcadius",[3b] and "Korvane Gerrit Arcadius".[3a] As a result, Lucian's full name might be Lucian Gerrit Arcadius.

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