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[Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor] Chapter 151
🕑 Added 2025-01-11 16:00:36 +0000 UTCThis was indeed a treasure more valuable than a planet—far beyond, in fact.
If used wisely, its value would be incalculable.
The parchment embedded in the stone slab was a Rogue Trader Warrant, a credential that signified the bloodline and rights of a Rogue Trader dynasty.
While the term "Rogue Trader" might evoke images of merchants, they were far more than simple traders.
At their core, Rogue Traders were conquerors, privateers, and explorers of the galaxy.
They thrived on adventure, exploration, and the promise of wealth, uncovering ancient treasures while scouting new worlds for the Imperium.
Only the Empire's highest authorities, such as the Inquisition or the High Lords of Terra, could adjudicate their actions.
No other organization had the right to arrest or judge them.
This granted Rogue Traders an unparalleled degree of freedom and authority.
But their path was fraught with danger.
As pioneers in high-risk ventures, they constantly faced combat and peril.
Thus, a Rogue Trader required powerful ships, unshakable courage, and a fair share of luck to survive—or risk annihilation.
Most importantly, they needed a Warrant of Trade, the source of their authority and their dynasty's most prized possession.
Warrants of Trade came in various grades, with greater power bestowed by higher authorities.
Those signed by the Emperor Himself were the most revered, their value transcending mortal comprehension.
Such Rogue Traders, known as Blood Rogue Traders, carried an aura of near-divinity.
These warrants were often hereditary, passing through generations to form ancient Rogue Trader dynasties.
Many such dynasties had amassed immense wealth over millennia, becoming autonomous rulers of distant territories far from Holy Terra.
As long as they nominally pledged allegiance to the Emperor, they ruled as near-sovereign entities in their domains.
Their influence was so profound that Rogue Traders even held a seat in the High Lords of Terra, the Imperium's ruling council.
Rogue Traders were among the few permitted to negotiate and trade with xenos.
Their exploratory missions often blurred the line between extermination and diplomacy, making their ships notorious for trafficking alien artifacts and technology.
This trade, though illegal, thrived due to overwhelming demand.
Imperial nobles coveted rare xenos items, rulers sought alien weapons for suppression, and the Adeptus Mechanicus desired xenos tech for reverse-engineering.
Everyone benefited:
Rogue Traders grew wealthier.
Nobles expanded their collections.
Rulers acquired powerful tools of oppression.
The Mechanicus advanced their technological arsenal.
A win-win for all—except the xenos.
Given their influence and alliances with Navigator families, Rogue Traders were nearly untouchable.
Their role as semi-autonomous lords of the Imperium showcased the Empire's contradictions and the vast power they wielded.
Now, before Eden lay a Warrant of Trade, ancient and priceless, bearing the Emperor's blood-sealed fingerprint.
Szzzz!
Eden sucked in a sharp breath.
This was the treasure he had always dreamed of.
With this Warrant, countless opportunities opened up.
His fleets could navigate freely across the Imperium and beyond, exploring, trading, and even raiding to amass resources.
His mind raced with plans:
Establishing hidden black market hubs within the warp lanes.
Trading rare artifacts and technologies under the radar.
Building alliances with tech-savvy rogue agents.
But these ambitions required time to materialize.
Eden stroked his chin, scrutinizing the Warrant:
"This parchment is priceless not just for its authority but also for the Emperor's blood on it."
The blood, containing fragments of the Emperor's divine genome, was a sacred relic.
He toyed with the idea of extracting a sample for research.
What if the Biologis could replicate the Emperor's genetic traits? Perhaps even enhance the Thunder Warriors with this divine bloodline?
But such thoughts bordered on heresy.
Eden chuckled wryly.
"This is something Bishop Doni must never learn about," he muttered.
The Ecclesiarchy revered the Emperor to the point of obsession, considering any artifact linked to Him as holy.
To them, this Warrant was the ultimate relic, worthy of daily worship.
In fact, some members of the Ecclesiarchy had been known to scheme for such Warrants, even against impoverished Rogue Trader dynasties.
Even Chaos forces coveted these relics, seeking to corrupt their influence for their own ends.
Amid these musings, Eden recalled a critical detail.
High-level Warrants of Trade were tied to a sophisticated identification system, including genetic verification.
Without the corresponding bloodline, the Warrant was essentially useless.
Even the Rogue Trader dynasties' ship machine-spirits could only be activated by their direct descendants.
This meant that seizing a Warrant was insufficient. One had to control the associated bloodline.
Historically, factions coveting such Warrants abducted entire families, slowly integrating their lineage into their own through forced unions.
Fortunately, Eden didn't need to resort to such convoluted measures.
His ability to bestow genetic blessings could bypass these barriers.
However, he faced a pressing problem: the Warrant bore the name of the Govendi Rogue Trader dynasty.
Had the fleet commander been foolish enough to kill off the entire bloodline after stealing the Warrant?
Or had the Govendi bloodline already perished?
Without them, the Warrant's full potential could never be realized.
Eden frowned.
"This could get complicated…"
(End of Chapter)
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