Chartist Captains

Note: This page collectively lists Chartered Captains, Civil Captains, Outlaws and Chaos Reavers. While these groups are distinct, individual Captains can move between them through time, so they are all listed here for reasons of simplicity.

VagabondTransport — The Vagabond-class Transport is a common vessel for Chartered Captains to operate

Across the galaxy millions of warp-capable human starships ply the void. The mightiest of them are no doubt the massive warships of the Imperial Navy & Adeptus Astartes, yet Naval warships make up only a small fraction of humanity's voidbound vessels. The rest come under the command of the Chartist Captains. Meanwhile warp-incapable system ships are the sole concern of their system.

The vast majotity of these warp-capable human starships are Chartered Vessels, transport ships that come under the oversight of the Imperial Fleet of the Administratum. However there are other categories of human starships such as Civil Vessels, Pirates, Reavers, and more.

Chartist Captains in Sector Deus[]

For general information on these factions, see below.

As a frontier Sector, Deus' Chartist Captains hold significant influence particularly over outlying systems. While the majority are of course Chartered Captains of the Imperial Fleet, Sector Deus also has a significant faction of Outlaw starfarers as well as Chaos Reavers based in The Grave Warpstorm.

Naturally the best place to find Chartist Captains are on the Sector's several trade worlds, most notably Templos and Nymeria. However significant Chartist presence can be found on the non-Imperial worlds of Tortuga, Caseblanco, and Haven, as well as the massive deep void station Tartarus. While the vast majority of Chartist Vessels in the Sector are un-navigated, relying on slow calculated jumps instead, those that do have Navigators for whatever reason often have scions of House Morlok - a Navigator House closely alligned to the Chartist Fleets.

When it comes to trade outside of the usual Imperial Tithes, the Sector is dominated by the Merchant League. This collection of powerful & wealthy merchants & traders are mostly planet-based but they have the resources to control the vast majority of the buying & selling that occurs within & between planets beyond their Imperial Tithe. As such the Chartist Captains - especially those that hold Free Charters - work closely with the Merchant League, transporting their goods for them in exchange for payment. Some Chartist Captains prefer to cut out the middle man and transport goods they buy & sell themselves, but such an activity required additional expertise and brings additional risks.

Within Sector Deus there is approximately 12,000 Chartered Vessels. Of these the majority are transport hulls - including around 1,000 heavy transports and a dozen Universe-class Mass Conveyors - while only a few hundred are genuine warships (almost all of which are only escort-sized).

Meanwhile there are also estimated to be several hundred Outlaw vessels (either unregistered or struck-off, and not including Chaos Reavers based in The Grave), primarily consisting of Raider and Transport hulls. Frigates are uncommon but not hugely rare, while there are only a handful of outlawed Capital Ships in the Sector.

Some of the Chartist Captains in Sector Deus have earned a degree of fame for their actions and influence, and such status is typically limited to holders of Free Charters or infamous Outlaws. Some are listed here:

Known Chartered and/or Civil Captains[]

Maximillian Cynebald Franciscus Phoenix - One of the more powerful Chartist Captains in the Sector
Victorino Ursus - A small time Chartist Captain with delusions of grandeur and an obsession with grooming an heir to his 'trade empire'. Rumored to have a high turnover of wives.
Lewin Geissler
Lord Indus Lorexian - Patriarch of the Lorexian Dynasty of the Nobility. The Lorexian Dynasty holds an ancient Hereditary Free Charter and over the millenia as accrued a massive transport fleet, including their flagship - the 7km Prothera's Star of an unknown class. While they have long since bought out all their vessels, making them Civil Ships, the Dynasty's highly respected & old Charter gives them a favourable standing within the Imperium. Many of the ships are captained by Lorexian Dynasty members.
Zael Kormandy - Owner of a Hereditary Free Charter. Kormandy owns and operates a massive Chartist convoy numbering several heavy transports, over a dozen standard transports, a Universe-class Mass Conveyor and a pair of escort squadrons. Kormandy's fleet is a mixture of Vessels Chartered to him and Civil Vessels owned by him. His large and exceptionally efficient, reliable transpott fleet is one of the Imperial Fleet and Merchant League's most reliable servants and runs their most critical contracts such as vital food imports and Imperial Guard transportation, accompanied by dozens of lesser chartists.
Hadrian Thorne - A powerful Chartist and a Captain of Tartarus. Thorne holds a Hereditary Free Charter and controls a substantial trading fleet that operates mainly within Subsector Cryptus. He also carries significant influence on Tartarus and pays bribes to buy his ships immunity from pirates.
Alicia Mars - Owner of a Free Charter. Hailing from Astrobel and the operator of the Hansel and the Brutus, a pair of Jericho-class Haulers, and the Loki-class Q-ship Buckler. Captain Mars is a very pious individual and she runs dangerous trade routes around The Grave, braving Chaos Reavers to deliver materiel and transport pilgrims. Her convoy currently comprises of her own ships, seven other standard transports and a pair of escorts.
Conor Fring - Holder of a Free Charter. Shipmaster of the Orion-class Sprint Trader Seraph's Haste, Fring is a courier for the most precious and valuable of cargos. Periodically hired by the Imperium, Merchant League and Nobility alike, Fring is popular for his reliability and discretion.
Marcus Hertramp - Holder of a Free Charter. Operator of a heavy transport, a trio of Vagabond-class Transports and a pair of Q-ships, the veteran Captain Hertramp owns some of his vessels and travels long and time consuming routes between the Sector's various trade hubs, including independent worlds such as Caseblanco. As such Hertramp is a well-travelled and knowledgeable Captain, and a massive source of information for those who can pay for it (or demand it).
Selene Arreus - Holder of a Free Charter. A former Imperial Navy Commander and the operator of a medium-sized chartist convoy of two heavy transports along with several standard transports and Q-ships. She currently runs food convoys out of Oskea for both the Imperium and Merchant League, along with hundreds of lesser Chartist Captains.
Harald Svorbald - Holder of a Hereditary Escort Charter. An experienced warship commander from Mormark, Svorbald operates the Defiant-class Light Cruiser Shepherd and a pair of Falchion-class Frigates. Svorbald guards - and therefore holds authority over - some the Merchant League's most important convoys.
Phineus Batam - Holder of an Escort Charter. A pious, trustworhy man who works for the Merchant League escorting convoys with his well-equipped Cobra-class Destroyer. He has recently acquired his own Vagabond-class transport and is looking to expand his burgeoning fleet via independent trade.
Kim Soo-Huan - Holder of a Free Charter - rumoured to have been acquired through bribery. Hailing from Emperors Rest, Soo-Huan owns the Sword-class Frigate Stellar Joy along with a Partisan-class Raider while her three standard transports are Free Chartered Vessels. Soo-Huan refuses to do transportation for the Merchant League, instead buying & selling her own gods and braving greater risk for greater profit. Dark rumours suggest she also dabbles in piracy to increase said profits, but whether these are true or just the baseless accusations of bitter Merchants is unknown.
Linus Tayl - Holder of a Hereditary Free Charter. Tayl is a wealthy and well-known magnate who controls a fleet of dedicated passenger liner craft, and dominates the majority of luxury passenger chartering in Sector Deus. With standard and heavy transports he provides transportation for hundreds of thousands of wealthy imperial citizens in relative comfort, and fast star clippers provide the most luxurious and swift transportation for the richest of Nobility. Unlike the downtrodden packed-in pilgrims who usually inhabit passenger ships, Tayl's customers do not wish to wait months to cross a single subsector and so he has a strong alliance with House Morlok, who supply his ships with navigators. Tayl's ships exclusively travel well charted and well defended routes between populous systems and paradise worlds like Kinteros & Serenia.
Nathaniel Minerus - Holder of a Free Charter. Low level chartist who commands a Vagabond-class Trader. Minerus was a Fleet Chartist that was betrayed by convoy-mates in 331.M41, who stole his cargo and enslaved most of his crew and family. He was given a Free Charter and his vessel by the Imperial Fleet as recompense and Minerus spent the next ten years and most of his personal wealth tracking down and buying-back as many of his friends & family as he could, but many were lost to him forever. He is currently running a route between Adamant Prime, the Jovian System, and the newly colonised world of Fortuity.
Kerry MacAllistar - A young chartist from Templos who only recently inherited a Hereditary Free Charter and the Carrack-class transport Voidwalker from her grandfather. MacAllistar currently moves from convoy to convoy fulfilling small contracts, but in her desire for more wealth she may turn to dangerous solo voyages through faster, riskier warp routes for more greater income.
Jack Bolton - Captain of the Orion-class Sprint Trader Templosian Pearl.

Known Criminal Chartists & Pirates[]

Daikan Alepros (Deceased; Operation Undercut (367.M41)) - Onc one of the most powerful Chartist Captains, a Pirate Lord, and one of the Captains of Tartarus. Only a very few Rogue Traders could boast more power than Alepros, and they were too busy with their own endeavours to interfere with him on Tartarus. Alepros also held a Free Charter and uses it to give his legal ventures an illusion of respectibility, but his illegal activities were an open secret that avoid retaliation due to the political sway he carried. Alepros was killed in 367.M41 by his own Ork bodyguards during Operation Undercut.
Gallagher Wilson - Chartist Captain turned Pirate Lord. Wilson moved to Sector Corgus before his secret, illegal activities were discovered.
Arron Settel - Pirate Lord who specialises in planetary raids.
Kalestar Brethis - Pirate Lord who commands the Sword-class frigate Stelhasta and a small raider wolfpack. For almost a hundred years Brethis' wolfpack has threatened & intimidated defenceless merchant convoys across the Sector into handing over their cargo, and doesn't hesitate to back up his threats with lethal force. Despite the best efforts of the Imperial Navy his wolfpack escapes their grasp every time.
Amia Hilyard - Pirate Captain who commands the Siluria-class light cruiser Sanction This. Amia Hilyard is a rogue psyker originating from Haven, who managed to evade the independent world's own anti-psyk police. She stowed away on a pirate ship before using her powers to kill the captain and take control of the crew through awe & fear. Since then she has preyed on merchant traffic all across the Sector, her psychic abilities allowing her to foresee the best targets. In 357.M41 she ambushed Gladius Squadron Gamma of the Ghosts of Retribution in outer reaches of the Kruun system, but failed to damage the astartes frigates before they escaped.
Faustus Marko - Vicious pirate known for his merciless nature. In contrast with most pirates who - like Kalestar Brethis - threaten and blackmail their victims first, Marko instead strikes without warning, crippling helpless transports before picking over the remains for loot to plunder and survivors to enslave. Commands the Havoc-class Raider Lancewing and a Vagabond-class Transport for storing his plunder.
Battaneus Klonn - A slaver pirate, Klonn specialises in targeting isolated convoys and singling out one unfortunate transport for plunder. His two raiders then assail the one transport, usually causing the rest of the convoy to flee in terror. Klonn prefers to enact boarding actions as soon as possible rather than fire upon the victim and damage precious loot, and his vicious crew have become well-versed in dominating and capturing hapless merchant crews. Commands the Iconoclast-class Raiders Violent Will and Embrace, the latter of which is equipped with Grapple Cannons and Disruption Macros.
Purkar (PKR-745-978) - A rogue Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Purkar believes that the 'unenlightened' (ie anyone who is not a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus) should not be permitted control of the Omnissiah's ships. To this end Purkar turned renegade to hunt Imperial shipping and has murdered several merchant shipmasters - even after they surrendered - in his mad obsession. Controls the Firestorm-class Frigate Liberator of Spirits, that has several unsanctioned improvements thanks to its knowledgeable though quite insane captain.
Marianne Dushan - A daughter of minor Volitan Nobility, Dushan decided that a life of criminality was more enticing than a life of formality & comfort. After roping her most loyal Household Guards into following her Dushan seduced then murdered a merchant Escort Chartist shipmaster and took his ship for herself, her Household Guards suppressing any dissent from among the crew. She now plies the stars marauding merchant ships, and survivors of her attacks report her as a blustering, overdressed swashbuckler who revels in privateering as if it were a game, all from behind her imposing Household Guards. She commands an Iconoclast-class Raider named the fittingly-overblown Soaring Leviathan.
Artorus Bell - Once a slave aboard a merchant vessel, Bell and his fellow slaves mutinied against their masters and took control of the ship. Now they lumber through the stars plundering other merchant ships to survive. Commands the Vagabond-class Transport Lash's Bite.
Caprice Korkova - A pirate princess and Captain of Tartarus, who inherited a wolfpack of five raiders and three armed transports from her father. A void reaver born & raised, Korkova has a retinue of sworn bodyguards and uses esoteric (and in some cases heretical) technology to best her foes with her well-trained fencing skills, and her talents as a void commander as well-known. Outwardly Noble and proper to a fault, Korkova's prim veneer conceals her sadistic & callous nature.
Dorn Janissus - A smuggler Lord and Captain of Tartarus, that controls a small fleet of specialised smuggling vessels. Janissus has a massive criminal network of smugglers, buyers, and suppliers at his disposal but considers himself a non-violent criminal and this keeps him at a relatively low priority for Imperial authorities. Friendly and amicable, Janissus is often a proponent of doing more to help Tartarus citizens during council meetings.

Known Chaos Reavers[]

Lord Strayzer - Chaos Reaver Lord believed to have originated from within The Grave. Strayzer commands a wolfpack of six raiders from his Schismatic-class light cruiser Butcherfeast. One of the most feared of all human pirates in Sector Deus, Lord Strayzer's small fleet operates mostly within Subsector Tyranus but has been known to strike elsewhere when possible, leaving scenes of unimaginable horror in its wake.
Xoran Malaize - One of the more widely known Chaos Reavers, Malaize is the commander of the Hellbringer-class Light Cruiser Crimson Dawn and has emptied entire colonies and deep void stations in both Deus and its neighbouring Sectors in his savage attacks. It is said that the mere mention of his name - or his ship's - is enough to cause mass panic in an isolated settlement or station.
Vheshira the Wondrous - Chaos Reaver who commands the Idolator-class raider Sweetsong and three Iconoclast-class raiders. Rumoured to possess the favour of Slaanesh and known for filling the vox systems of her victims' ships with her own corrupted singing voice to enchant the crew.
Hadranat Kesh - A Chaos Reaver devoted to the plague god, Kesh's ship spews noxious munitions and trails diseased plasma from its decayed drive tubes. His Pestilaan-class Light Cruiser Mortuous Wrath is slow for its size but heavily armed, resilient, and still capable of outpacing transport ships. Those who fall victim to the Mortuous Wrath and survive soon wish they had not, as plagues borne of its torpedoes or boarders ravage them.
Lissken the Snake - Highly mutated Chaos Reaver known for his serpentine appearance. Lissken is feared for his formidable cunning, luring vessels into his grasp with carefully seeded distress calls and auspex ghosts. Commands the Infidel-class raider Snake's Fang, that assails poor victims with boarding torpedoes filled with bloodthirsty reavers.
Mylena Rathmore - Once a respectable merchant escort Chartist praised for her martial prowess & beauty, Rathmore would succumb to the temptations of chaos during an unfortunate gellar field flicker while at warp. Upon realspace re-entry she turned on the convoy she was protecting and fled to The Grave, where her crew was warped and converted to the service of the Dark Gods as well. She has re-emerged several times since to prey upon imperials, non-imperial humans and xenos alike, and rumours say she delights in carving apart her victims bit-by-bit in single combat. Commands the Havoc-class Raider Villainous Rath.

Chartered Fleet[]

Also known as the Merchant Fleet - this is a highly regulated group of vessels devoted to servicing the vast and critical intersteller transportation routes across the Imperium. Making up the bulk of humanity's starships, the Chartered Fleet is technically owned in its entirety by the Imperial Fleet of the Administratum - however the direct operation of these starships is contracted out to Imperial citizens through the issue of Trade Charters.

The Imperial Fleet receives a large amount of tithed starship production from shipyards across the galaxy, consisting of hulls of all kinds ranging from basic Jericho-class haulers to Heavy Transports and Q-Ships. However the Imperial Fleet itself lacks the numbers, skills, and efficiency to operate these vast transport fleets themselves. Instead they issue Imperial Trade Charters to upstanding, deserving, and/or wealthy Imperials. These Trade Charters grant the citizen the Captaincy of a Chartered Vessel - though it remains the property of the Imperial Fleet - and charges said Captain with strict terms of operation.

Trade Charters almost always mandate that the Captain must voyage specific trade routes and commit a large proportion of their cargo space to transporting goods of the Imperial Tithe, and should they fail to do so they will soon find their Charter revoked and their vessel repossessed. Thus while Imperial Chartered Captains may command the valuable assets & crew of a voidship, they are effectively indebted to the Imperial Fleet and must glean whatever profit they make from their little remaining 'free' cargo space - which can be difficult depending on what route they are assigned. Over many centuries however, a Chartered Captain may earn enough profit to buy themselves a better Charter.

The Imperial Fleet can issue several types of Charter, each of which has its own associated terms, responsibilities, restrictions, and privileges.

Fleet Charters[]

The least prestigious Charter. Fleet Charters assign to a Captain a vessel and a fixed route from which they may not deviate. The majority of their cargo space is given over to tithed goods meaning profit margins are very low, and they will very rarely have a Navigator making them slow as well (some Fleet Chartered vessels running very long but important routes such as inter-Sector trade lanes may be assigned Navigators by the Imperial Fleet). They are also subject to being drafted by the Imperial Navy if required for military needs. On the other hand, Fleet Charters grant the vessel the same privilege to free berthing & resupplies as Imperial Navy vessels - as they are always on official Imperial business. Fleet Chartered vessels are the pumping veins & arteries of the Imperium, heavily regulated to ensure constant running.

New Fleet Charters are often granted to civilian voidfarers such as existing Chartered Vessel officers, orbital station officials, and sometimes planetary nobles & traders that wish to ply the stars. Should a Fleet Chartered Captain prove themselves to be reliable, honest, and efficient they may have their Charter made Hereditary, allowing them to choose their successor and establish a Chartist Dynasty.

Free Charters[]

A more prestigious Charter typically granted to highly trusted Imperials such as retiring Naval officers or Nobles of excellent reputation (or wealth). A Free Charter grants a ship to command and the right to berth for free in any Imperial system but does not mandate any specific routes, instead allowing them to trade freely across the Segmentum as they wish (however a Free Chartist operating along heavily used Fleet Chartist lanes is generally disdained & discouraged, as they are damaging the already slim profit margins of the Fleet Chartered Captains). Free Charter Captains are still technically subservient to the Imperial Fleet, thus they may still be drawn into military service or commanded to transport Tithed goods on an as-needed basis, but they are otherwise able to earn far greater profits thanks to more free cargo space, though in return they must pay for their own supplies and for the services of a Navigator - should they wish for one.

Free Chartered Captains enjoy far greater significance & prominence in factional politics due to their greater freedom & wealth (which in turn allows them to lease more & larger ships from the Imperial Fleet), and may one day accrue enough resources to outright purchase their vessel and join the Civil Fleets. But until then they are ultimately beholden to the Imperial Fleet. Free Charters may also be made Hereditary should the Chartist prove themselves of exceptional quality, and Hereditary Free Charters are the most coveted type of Trade Charter.

Escort Charters[]

A rare category of Charter. Escort Charters provide the recipient with command of a warship - usually a mothballed Naval Escort. Escort Chartists take orders directly from the Imperial Fleet to accompany Fleet Chartered Convoys deemed of greater importance and/or in greater danger. Escort Charters are often given to those of a pious and/or vengeful, righteous reputation, primarily ex-Naval officers or Nobles of a martial persuasion.

Convoy escorts are not required to be competent void tacticians, all that is required is that they will hurl themselves into anything that threatens their charges. Much like the other Chartered Captains, Escort Chartists that prove their worth and competence may be granted more/better warships and may have their Charter made Hereditary.

Civil Fleet[]

The smallest component of the Imperium's starships. The Civil Fleet consists of starships that are entirely privately owned & operated, rather than leased by the Imperial Fleet.

Interstellar starships are so vast & valuable that the Civil Fleets are primarily the domain of obscenely wealthy Nobles such as planetary governors or incredibly wealthy Chartered Captains that slowly built up enough funds - often over several generations - to purchase their own vessels. Others may be owned by lawful mercenary groups.

However the most famous starships of the Civil Fleets are the starships of the Rogue Traders. Backed by enormous funds and empowered with various authorities depending on their Warrant of Trade, Rogue Traders are the Nobility of Imperial Shipmasters and rarely beholden to anyone but themselves.

Thus Civil Fleet vessels travel where they please and transporting whatever they please - and there is no legal recourse for the Imperium to repossess the vessel at will (though local politics & simple right of might may see a Civil Captain's vessel taken from him). However smuggling goods within Imperial space deemed illegal by the Adeptus Arbites, or committing other illegal acts such as piracy against Imperial vessels (and being caught doing so) will still see a Civil Fleet vessel declared Outlaws & wanted.

The vessels of the Civil Fleet are mostly mothballed hulls that have been sold off by the Imperial Fleet - either Navy or Chartered - rather than refurbished. Others are operational Chartered vessels that are purchased by their own Captains. Very few individuals & groups in the Imperium can afford entirely new hulls, but those who can, purchase fresh hulls from Imperial shipyards from their non-tithed production. So lucrative are these exchanges that the sale of a single non-Tithed hull can fund the labour of an entire shipyard for weeks. Finally the last group of Civil Fleet vessels are those that have not been purchased or inherited, but claimed. They might be former-Outlaw vessels defeated by the law-abiding, or they could be repaired from shattered hulls reclaimed from the void.

Naturally the Civil Fleet is subject to very little oversight beyond obeying the local maritime laws. However the Imperial Fleet maintains a register of the Civil Fleets detailing each ship, its owner, and its Captain. Registering a vessel is supposedly as simple as informing the local Administratum authorities of its new ownership with proof of identity and lawful standing. But Administratum red tape and potential political meandering means it is not always quite so easy.

Any starship that is not of the Imperial Adeptuses, the Chartered Fleet, or on the Civil Fleet register is automatically assumed to be Outlawed by Imperial authorities, and being 'struck from the register' is a severe punishment for any Civil Fleet vessel caught breaching Imperial law. Naturally bureaucratic incompetence can and does result in registry errors, and it is not unheard-of for Civil Fleet vessels to be accosted by the Imperial Navy for being unregistered and even destroyed for refusing to comply. Furthermore the natural delays in communication across the galaxy means that a vessel being removed from the Civil Fleet register in one system could easily remain on the register in another system even months later - and suspicions can always be circumvented with forged registration documents and a falsified ship's name, or just a convincing story depending on the competence of the local Imperial Fleet Adept. Therefore while unregistered vessels are at a much greater risk of sudden destruction at the hands of Imperial forces, it is not impossible for them to keep under the radar of justice.

Chartered Civil Fleet Vessels[]

Imperial Chartist Captains that have managed to outright purchase their own ships from the Imperial Fleet are a notable hybrid category. The Trade Charter itself applies to the individual, so the Chartist is still subject to calls to Imperial service (or restriction to certain routes & cargo, though Fleet Chartists are almost never able to buy their own ship). While enjoying the benefits the Charter offers such as berthing & resupply rights and a supplied vessel should they lose their own. Meanwhile the privately owned ship is the sole property of the Chartist and cannot be reclaimed or revoked by the Imperial Fleet (theoretically), and can be modified however they wish.

Generally it is only the oldest Chartered families that operate Chartered Civil Vessels, and the most powerful may owne entire fleets under the authority of an Imperial Charter and are second only to Rogue Traders in Imperial civilian standing in the void.

Outlawed Fleets[]

Any vessel that is not operated by an Imperial Adeptus, the Imperial Navy, a Chartered Captain, or that is not on the Civil Fleet register is deemed to be not of the Imperial and therefore an enemy of it. Naturally this includes Xenos spacecraft and the tainted vessels of Chaos Warfleets, but many are not so easily distinguishable from legal Imperial vessels.

As stated previously, it can be extremely hard for Imperial authorities to identify certain Outlaw vessels due to communications delays, forged documentation, bribery, and in many cases simply a lack of resources.

Pirates[]

Perhaps the most numberous human vessels of the Outlawed Fleets are known Pirate vessels (any Chartered or Civil vessel could also be piratical of course, but not discovered yet). These void predators are often small, swift hulls and they can vary immensely in their methods of operation - from one ships demanding tolls on isolated space lanes to entire wolfpacks that savage entire convoys without mercy.

Known Pirates typically berth above non-Imperial worlds or on hidden deep void stations unknown to Imperial authorities. While those that are able to avoid the local Wanted Lists may be bold enough to berth above Imperial Worlds. However if they are to be effective & successful void hunters they will often require the services of an outlaw Navigator that will undoubtedly demand a large proportion of their profits.

Pirates are many and varied and divided into infinite factions. They may just as likely attack each other or Xenos as they would Imperial shipping, and full blown wars between pirate factions over territory is far from unheard-of. Some worship the Emperor despite opposing the Imperium, others may have a different faith. Some may be violent psychopaths, others may be unjustly convicted fugitives with no other choice. Some enslave their victims, others might let their victims go free. The only thing that defines Pirates is that they steal from the Imperium and its citizens - possibly among others.

Chaos Reavers[]

Essentially a sub-category of Pirates that practice full-blown worship of the Chaos Gods. These voidborne cultists could be regular pirates corrupted by their evil deeds or originating from a Chaos society itself and as with Pirates it is possible (though generally quite difficult) for Chartered & Civil Fleet vessels to be Chaos Reavers in secret.

Chaos Reavers are the most hated & feared of human voidfarers (with the exception of full-blown Chaos Warband Warfleets) who prey on everything that is not Chaos aligned including regular Pirates & Xenos (and they can often attack each other too). And just like planetary Cultists are known to be murderous, merciless killers that butcher & enslave anyone they can get their hands on and conduct heinous rituals within their tainted ships.

Most worlds - even independent ones that welcome regular Pirates - will refuse entry to known Chaos Reavers. Thus they can typically only berth above Chaos Worlds or in deep void stations of their own. While they are universally despised and vehemently hunted by Imperial forces (and often Xenos & independent forces too), Chaos Reavers have a distinct advantage in their embracing of the Warp - allowing them to ply the empyrean with Sorcery rather than Navigators and earning otherworldly powers for both themselves and their ships. The oldest Reaver ships are heavily tainted and impossible to mistake for an Imperial vessel, but with the backing of Chaos can be extremely dangerous.

Others[]

There are many vessels owned by independent humans that are not registered under the Civil Fleet but do not steal & plunder from Imperial shipping. Such vessels can include outlaw mercenaries, exposed smugglers, exploration vessels launched by non-Imperial human societies, or simply the personal craft of the highly rich but non-Imperial.

Such vessels are rarely actively pursued by the Imperial Navy, but should they be encountered they are still unregistered and will be treated as enemies until proven otherwise. More than one innocent non-Imperial voidfarer has found their first contact with the Imperium to be their last after failing to comply with the demands of a Navy warship.