Edmund Latham

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Six

“To summarise your points, Aldrich, what you want from our currency is to passively promote beneficial behaviours, ease of use and comprehension, control, influence, and stability. You require it to be energy based. So long as these factors are maintained, you are unbothered in how it is executed. Is this correct?”

“It is. Also, I want to keep the name. Calling a ration credit a byte is hilarious, especially when your account balance is stored digitally.”

“Only for those...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Five

Many thanks to Marco Belina and Karin for donating to Herald of the Stars. I am most grateful for your contributions.

There is no April Fools post, so no need to worry about if this chapter is cannon or not!

Replete and content, Brigid and I enjoy an after dinner meander through our new treasure vault. Brigid points out each of the objects, who chose it, and why we absolutely have to have it. She isn’t serious about the reasons in the sli...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Four

I say, “I’m proud of you Quaani. That is a worthy outlook.”

Quaani blushes, “So what now?”

“You are going to make some calls and arrange for us all to visit Silas and Fyona. They can come here first if they like, but I think it would be better for Annette if we spend the first week with them. I am going to visit the Drukhari cruiser and continue going through all the loot we have to check that there is nothing dangerous or vital within. Afterwards I spend the evening w...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Three

JelJurDrog, Marukusius, Felix S, TTG, Peter, Henri Aubonney, and Moritz Müller, thank you so much for supporting Herald of the Stars. It keeps me smiling!

“Congratulations?”

Quaani waves off my comment, then brings up a lot of files on his hollow projector, “This is an agreement between House Ortillius and House Issengrund. It requires the signature of the Novator of House Issengrun, meaning you Aldrich, before it can come into effect.” Quaani ...

Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Two

Feeling rather morose, I think back to the three Haemonculus brains I have in storage, wondering if they have enough information in them to help improve the survival chance of the Space Marine neophytes of the Barghest Chapter, or improve the mutant genetics project the Tau completed. The Haemonculi have proven quite impossible to get anything out of, unlike the other brains I hooked up for Inquisitor Hamiz.

The only chance I have is to get ahold of Data Syphon, but ...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-One

A huge thank you to sweaty bastard and Warren Zielke for signing up to Herald of the Stars. Seeing those numbers go up keeps me motivated!

Luan says, “I was thinking that our ‘Pilgrimage’ could end at Belacane. I know you’ve been planning to flog our stasis cargo container and castellan void shield STCs to them Dad, ever since you let slip that Arch-Magos Daedus is actually dead and they have no idea how to build their primary exports anymore. Even th...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Seventy

Tatsu and Nick Enriquez, thank you for sponsoring Herald of the Stars. Your efforts encourage me to stay on task!

After our meal, we move to the sitting room.

Alpia says, “Dad, did you really walk through the whole ship in a silly shirt, shorts, and sandals?”

“Yep.”

“I can’t decide if I am embarrassed or impressed,” says Luan. “You must be one of the few people who doesn’t notice when it’s minus twenty degrees and they do...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Nine

Thank you to Cha0t1cNeutra1, Cillian Roche, Skoll, and ReclusiveTony for sponsoring Herald of the Stars. Your efforts fuel my efforts! 

(Trigger Warning: Suicide Reference)

“Hello everyone,” I say.

Dawn Garnet, our dog, bounds up to me and nuzzles my hand.

“Hi Dad!” Alpia runs up to me and headbuts me in the chest before attempting to hug the stuffing out of me.

“Oooff!” I fake some distress, hug her back, t...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Eight

Thank you, Hans Vandamme, Jeff James,  and Jon for donating your time and money to Herald of the Stars. It makes a world of difference to my life and I am most grateful. 

Within my thoughts, I continue the review of my implants.

I have two Potentia Coils, each the size of an average human forearm. They’re not that powerful and I’d really like a better micro-generator to help power my implants but E-SIM doesn’t have one as everyt...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Seven

SirWertsalot, Martin, SwampFox024, and Jet, that you for supporting Herald of the Stars. Every donation fuels my words and optimism.

Relaxing in the beach biome is absolutely glorious. Ever since I found myself in this ghastly future I have been worried about the Inquisition. The anticipation of the first meeting, and thinking about all the things that they could do, was a constant worry floating in the back of my thoughts. Now, however, it’s all over.

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Six

A massive thank you to Stiehl Davis, Ryan Helmbold, Zimojovic, Irtep, WillCaulder, Connor Peebles, and Morg535 for your support of Herald of the Stars. I hope you find this chapter as grand as your generosity!

I lie on a beach chair, enjoying the warmth of the artificial daylight and listening to the waves. The air is tinted with salt and a cool breeze. All around me hundreds of families play in the water, and snorkel above the carefully grown reefs of the bi...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Five

Martez Clark, My Blind Third Eye, Archie Cook, Dennis McColl, Tucker Palmeri, and Excalibur Gaming. Thank you, all of you, for donating to Herald of the Stars. I love spending my days writing and I couldn't do so without your help.

With more than two hours before the Drukhari assault group arrives, I am able to regroup all my vessels, cripple the last of the Drukhari escorts, and relaunch my strike craft. I order them to intercept the Drukhari assault group a...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Four

Overlord, Mech Bagiennny, Dragon, Nathan King, and Shynatuk, thank you for giving up a portion of your own efforts to fuel my own. It's a real privilege to be able to spend so much time working on Herald of the Stars.

I accept the comm request, audio only.

“Monkeigh! How dare you fire upon my glorious vessels!”

Ardent Bane matches the voice of the xenos for me, identifying him from previous conversations as Yhunon Urach.

I use my impla...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Three

Thank you ReversedCat, Gruesome_Garry, Kill All, Evernigh, Liban D., bananaphone, and Cypha for enabling Herald of the Stars to continue. Your support is much appreciated.

“Hold up, Magos,” says Odhran. “I understand the need to secure an escape route and that you have ordered the capture of Ardent Bane, but what are our objectives? What is victory?”

I fold my arms and tap a finger against my forearm, “In order: preservation of Stella...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Two

A big thank you to Calbear, TheGreenKraken, and OBS for donating to Herald of the Stars. Your stalwart support keeps me smiling.

It is with only the greatest flex of will power that I am able to resist skipping through my Class Three D-POT. It’s going to take me weeks before I actually believe I nabbed a Warrant of Trade, even after holding it in my hands.

I exit the craft, and there I find that Odhran and Eoghan are also back in their power armour an...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-One

Grimzero, Gundalf, Akki, and Jaga, thank you for supporting Herald of the Stars. This is a rather special chapter, you really timed your sponsorship well!

The corridor is fairly narrow, just large enough for two normal humans to walk side by side. With how large the Space Marines and I are, we are forced into a single line. I constantly query the Machine-Spirits around me for directions. The primary spirit of Ardent Bane, slips through a hidden diagnostics ...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Sixty

Three cheers to jared fish, MRStudioGSE, WiFi, Icarus, Melvin Palmér, and Leonard Marchant for supporting Herald of the Stars! Thank you so much for you help.

David stands and raises his cup, “To wealth and the Emperor.”

We all follow suit, “For the Emperor!”

Everyone drinks from their cup as I send a warning that trouble is about to erupt to Brigid, Odhran, and Eohgan, as well as Bedwyr on my shuttle and Dathi back on Iron Crane...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Nine

A toast to Harvey Hatton-Shaw, Dominic Moreau, B O X, Connor G, Mobious, Gavin Turlock, and Kenneth c King for sponsoring Herald of the Stars. Cheers!

We finish our surf and turf in silence. Once we are done, the plates are whisked away and Lyre props his elbows upright upon the table, clasps his hand together and rests his chin on his hands.

“I have several threats that a Rogue Trader or Magos Explorator would profit from eliminating,” says Lyre. �...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Eight

A big thank you to Heeiman, jm, MsterDunbalf, magexandar, Derp Njeh for their generous contributions to Herald of the Stars. Without your help I would not be able to spend every day writing!

“Well, at least we know what decade it probably is!” says David. “That’s an acceptable margin of error.”

I say, “I prefer to time things to the pico-second, but alas, the galaxy runs on its own time.”

My comment is followed with a round of polite laught...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Seven

Zachary Cunningham, TenDust8752, DeadSlime, Cody Adam Carroll, morganmoll, and Kurotoshiro, thank you for joining the Herald of the Stars Patreon. I am thrilled that you are willing and able to help me with my project.

Our hosts glide up to us, a trail of servers in their wake. I catch slight flashes of pink on Sciéno’s pale skin and some diamond studs as her dress slides up and down her body. It’s never quite enough to show her whole nipple, and neither does h...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Six

Montesha, Wug, Grinbean, concrete-receipt, Lorenaga, and Valteria, thank you paying for Herald of the Stars. Without your help, there would be far fewer chapters!

“I’ve found a few new things. New to me at least, not necessarily to the Imperium,” I say, unwilling to give away too much. “Vanguard armour is a bipedal, humanoid machine, originally intended for the movement of cargo.

“Like most designs from the Dark Age of Technology, it is extra...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Five

A macrocannon salute to Mikael, Victor, THK_The_Beast, Imperator of Benera, An_Reader89, Demonuss, and Alexander Saridis for purchasing  Stellar Fleet's war bonds.

We disembark from the air car and are led beneath the bronze arms to two great angels, then through a thick, armoured door. The room beyond is magnificent with twenty floors of books, scrolls, and artefacts beyond the atrium. The atrium is tiled with xenos fossils and many glass cases, filled with ar...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Four

Quaani and I continue our banter until his Refresh and Revitalise wears off, then he orders the mechadendrites to lift him out of the tank and goes to rest. I direct us out of the trench of fleshy eye tongues after two more days of careful vigil. The other four vessels in our fleet that aren’t docked inside Iron Crane have no trouble hiding within the Cloud in the Warp that I cast.

None of the other navigators risk aiding me as we do not know each other well...

Herald of the Stars: Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Three

Jess, D, Drumic, Skyz, Gerald Monroe, and Doron greenberg, Nick Rambusch, and Jannik. Thank you so much for donating a portion of your hard earned pay towards Herald of the Stars. It really encourages me to keep typing!

“We can hang out until you feel better,” I say, “if you’d like.”

Thorfinn grunts, “Do you even have time for that these days?”

“Not everyday,” I rub my chin with a mechadendrite, “We could restart our weekly gam...