Logbook entry

Personal record of Captain Lucius Astathor: Entry 01

26 Jun 2023Lucius Astathor
||:Audiovisual recording initiated: Record begins below:||

Taking a brief pause as I sit down in front of the viewscreen to adjust my pilots chair, I reach into the inner pocket of the jacket draped over my flight suit pulling out a box of cigarettes, retrieving one from the packet, before lighting it offscreen and taking a drag, before putting myself back into the viewscreens frame. The subtle growl of my ships engines barely audible as I glide at subluminal speeds a fair distance away from the nearest body inside the system.

"This is Captain Lucius Astathor of Her Majesty's Imperial Guard, the date is the 26th of June 3309. I am currently within the Paresa system, home of the Nova Paresa. The Irony is not lost on me of my presence inside this system, four years ago almost to the date I was tasked with putting down these so called insurrectionists, and now I'm here to assist them. As such I think it is time I got my history with this place off my chest"

Taking another drag of my cigarette, I reach up and graze the large scar across the right side of my face, looking at my cybernetic eye on my video image, the intense memories of that fateful day still fresh and raw inside my mind. Pulling my focus back into the present I reach out of shot and activate the beverage dispenser to the left of my seat, the machine whirring to life as it prepares me a coffee

"I'm not proud of my actions not a single one of my men were, we all held sympathies towards Kaeso Mordacticus and his group, we were vocal enough about it, but of course we are Imperial Guardsmen, and to openly oppose the Emperor's direct orders would have had us shot along with other poor bastards rounded up during the purge. We followed our orders, eliminate Senators and Officers who supported the Nova Imperium, wipe out anyone who dared to threaten the Empire in one brutal sweep.

The dispenser finishing it cycle let out a almost happy sounding series of beeps as it shuts itself off. I reach across to grab the drink, taking a sip before putting the mug down to one side, taking another drag before I continue talking

"Still all said and done we should have known it wouldn't save us, took them a week before my entire unit was court martialled and executed for high treason. Of course it was all done on the hush, the public let alone the Senators could never find out the Emperor's own guard had Nova sympathisers, outcry and possibility for a resurgence was far too great. Of course for some unknown reason I was the only one of my unit left, a day after the purge I was reassigned outside of Capitol to Captain the close protection guards for Princess Aisling, of course when I looked into the order the details and issuing officer had been redacted.

Picking up the mug of coffee again to take another few sips I stare off into the void of space, taking a few drags of my cigarette as I sit silent for a few minutes, my mind ruminating on the tragic events, and my actions that I often wish would fade. I snap back into reality as somewhere on my ship a alert begins to chime, my attention snapping to my cockpit control as I silence the alarm remotely. Taking a long drink from my mug before setting it to one side again, I attempt to take a drag from my cigarette only to realise it had burnt out. Relighting it again I sit back up in my pilots chair to continue talking.

"Of course fate led me to the very system I had been tasked with putting down, when the Princess reached out to Hadrian Duval, I ended up accompanying her to provide security. My orders were pretty simple, oversee and protect the Princess while she visited Paresa, a pretty basic mission until Imperial intelligence got involved of course. I was ordered to gather information from inside the system and specifically Dyson city, and after Aisling's comments on the atrocities the Emperor had ordered, and the proof that Hadrian was in fact a Duval and Aisling's cousin, I was ordered to remain inside Paresa to keep tabs on the internal workings of the system. Of course I doubt I was the only Imperial agent inside the system, but I cannot pretend to understand the inner workings of the Imperial intelligence agency, nor honestly do I want too

Picking up the mug, I finish the coffee in one go and take a final drag from my cigarette before I stub it out in an ash tray I have by my cockpit, discarding the butt, and putting the mug back into the dispenser machine ready for another drink, while I take another cigarette from inside my jacket and light it up, taking a short puff before looking back into the screen

"After the MNLA assassination attempt, when the Senate allowed the reintegration of Hadrian into the Imperial family and the Pardon of the Nova Imperium members and its decriminalisation I received the official state sanctioned pardon for every single one of my men they had executed 2 years before. I must say it was a vindicating feeling, finally knowing their names were untarnished. Yet of course there was more work to be done. After the accusations of Hadrian's involvement in the MNLA brought the Federal invasion into Paresa I was ordered under no circumstances to involve myself, the possibility of an Imperial Guardsman being seen fighting against the Federation could have massive political consequences"

Taking another drag and sitting back to take a moment to stretch, checking over some internal reports from my ships computer before continuing

"Of course I disobeyed orders, I refused to sit back and watch Imperial citizens and soldiers die so I took up arms against the invaders, of course calling in my naval ship would have caused a mess, a vessel marked with Imperial Guard tags attacking Federation navy ships would have resulted in a diplomatic shitshow, so I took up work as a fighter pilot flying out of larger carrier ships. I must admit the thrill of combat is never boring, especially in a small fighter, zipping between the larger ships, dogfighting other SLFs. I helped take down plenty of Fednecks over the few days during the conflict, and by the time the bastards retreated I was ecstatic, of course when Imperial intelligence found out they were pissed but nothing ever came of it, so I guess they decided to drop it"

Taking another drag, I reprogram the auto pilot, setting a course towards Dyson City at a subluminal speed as prepare to jump into light speed

"My orders changed after the failed invasion, I had been relieved by Imperial Intelligence and was ordered to return to normal duties. I was more than happy to return back to Capitol, the familiar streets and faces and the entirely different atmosphere, but Paresa to me had become more of a home than Capitol ever was, after the death of my men I felt almost as if I had lost a purpose, and my hatred of the Emperor had only festered. When Dyson city was bombed a few months later I personally requested myself and my new unit were deployed to Paresa to oversee protection detail in accordance with the treaty. Of course the request was denied and I remained on Capitol. I stayed inside Achenar and the surrounding systems for two years, taking charge of a special operations unit when the Emperor was kidnapped by the Lords of Restoration, of course I cannot go into details of my operation during the time and probably never will, but that whole mess was what finally broke my trust in the Empire as it is"

Punching in the activation sequences for the FSD, the ship's engines begin to growl louder as it prepares to jump. Taking a long drag on my cigarette and sit back in my chair preparing to jump

"As of last year I officially stood down as an active member of the Imperial Guard, for all intents and purposes I have taken an administrative role and have taken residence inside of Paresa. Of course a few of men know I have grown disillusioned with the Emperor and her policies for too long, for the murder of my men during the purges and for the weakness she has allowed to spread throughout the Empire. I believe my actions are the correct course, to protect the Empire which I have given my life to in service. I will pledge my support and resources to Nova Paresa and their armed forces, I know a contingent of the soldiers under my command have expressed their willingness to join me, but to ensure their safety I have advised them to remain at their posts"

Taking a final drag, I stub out my cigarette in the ash tray and begin FSD charging sequences, the hum of the drive powering up begins to rapidly drown the other sounds inside the ship as I reach over to turn end the recording.

"I only hope I may help to bring lasting change, for the good of the Empire and her citizens, and so my men may rest in peace knowing they are truly absolved"

||:Audiovisual recording terminated: End of Record:||
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