You sign your name to the last Writ of Ownership, in triplicate, of course, and the Aegis, former Sword-class frigate of the Imperial Navy, is now the property of one Tristan Von Sebastion, Rogue Trader of the vaunted House Von Sebastion.

You sigh however. Now that the paperwork is done, the real work can actually begin. The Aegis is in terrible shape at the moment. You were able to get her for a song as a result, but it’s going to be quite some time before the repairs are complete. Her engines, and indeed most of her after third, were blown into so much scrap metal in the void. The only reason anyone bothered to drag her back to Port Esailla at all was the high concentration of Mars-origin components and indeed some examples of outright Archeotech she still has.

The Aegis' Vitae Life Support Engines still keep the air sweet and clear, and her wonderfully integrated and intricate Bridge and, even better, her Targeting-Matrix all survived, but the remainder and the replacements will have to make do with 'standard' components. the only upside to rebuilding so much of the Aegis is the fact that you got to get a proper compartmentalized cargo hold slated to be put in as well. But that's all a job for the yard hands, and you are hardly a first-class Eniginseer. So you put the Aegis out of your mind for the moment and think instead on the bridge crew and other essential positions you will need to fill.

> Navigator, obviously. Otherwise the Aegis will never get out of the system.

> Likewise, an Astropath for inter-system communications.

> Enginseer Primus needs filling too, and you'd better find a good one to keep all of the Archeotech ticking and tocking along.

> Treasurer is the one spot you've already got filled: your Seneschal Zheeves will do nicely if you can pry him away from the trading houses for long enough.

> Master of Ordinance. Hmm, perhaps an ex-navy type would be best?

> Helmsman, and you are going to want a good one. Frigates are tough enough to chase raiders and the like away, but need to be handled precisely to deal with Cruisers of any stripe.

> A Bosun to manage the crew.

> A Chief Medicae, for the inevitable injuries and so forth.

> Not to mention the few-hundred-odd non-commissioned types you will need as well.

You shake your head and stretch, taking a turn about your-well furnished cabin. You've gone and sunk well and away too much of House Von Sebastion's fortune into making the Aegis your own, and will need a fat contract to re-establish the high levels of income you enjoyed before your Houses' previous ship, the Swordmaiden, got dragged into the warp. Where to begin then?