ORGANISATION - TURRETS AND LANDERS

Colonel Sallustis Eyre - Colonel Eyre nominally controls the small contingent of shuttles and landers on board the Forward unto Dawn. Owing to past practices instituted by previous Rogue Traders, this means that he also commands the anti-ordnance batteries on the frigate. These small turrets of heavy lascannons have never been considered part of the gunnery crew. A sense of elitism and snobbery is found amongst the turret crew, and this is largely the influence of Colonel Eyre. A vain and self-interested man, Eyre made his mark commanding a bomber wing in the Imperial Navy. Though his rank of 'colonel' no longer has the same weight on the Forward unto Dawn, he often makes a point of referring to it. Eyre is tall, with lean musculature. He sports a small beard, grown since he left the navy. Rumours suggest he has an insatiable taste for the exotic - in all things. Having been passed over for the position of 1st Officer in favour of Zarkov, then Orbest Dray, Eyre makes no secret that he loathes the Orbest Dray. He is unco-operative in general, when dealing with anyone but a Rogue Trader

Lieutenant Alistair Peraton - Alistair is Colonel Eyre's right hand man. They had served together in the Navy, where Peraton had distinguished himself at the Decimation of Hive Keratus. Peraton was much like his superior in many ways, having also hailed from semi-impoverished nobility. Peraton was embroiled in an extortion racket on board the Forward unto Dawn two years ago, where a number of middle-ranked officers had been conducting an illegal trade in cheap amasec. No evidence was found to implicate Peraton, and Eyre interceded on his behalf. Peraton is lean and athletic. He sports a neatly kept moustache, and is always seen in uniforms of expensive cut and quality.

Midshipman Marcus Tritian - a slightly portly man with a face lined heavily with veins of alcohol abuse. A friend and senior staff member of Peraton, Tritian is a member of the Reserve Club.

Ensign Kale Uberstys - known as the Grox by his friends, due to a deep complexion. A friend and senior staff member of Peraton, Uberstys is a member of the Reserve Club.

Midshipman Calid Ulyle - is always seen in an immaculate uniform of superior tailoring and, judging by the quality of his boots, comes from considerable money. A friend and senior staff member of Peraton, Ulyle is a member of the Reserve Club.

The “Spoon Vendetta” of Gun Deck 4.

Battery turret crews tend towards fierce pride and competition. They name their guns and tally scores over long decades. It is no surprise then that competition between the hard voidmen and voidwomen if gun decks can erupt into simmering vendettas and open violence. The crews of Turret H and Turret K (“Solus Magnum” and “Saint Veronica” respectively) have kept up their vendetta for over seven decades now, with no end in sight. The “ground” between them is a no-man’s-land, few of the rival crew strays there without a lot of backup, and when they do glints of naked blades and muzzle flashes of crude automatics erupt.

Each turret crew has their own version of the “spoon incident” that sparked the vendetta, but they both agree on one key point - the spoon of venerable Molk (gunchief of Turret H) ended up in the soup plate of venerable Grakkus (senior winchmaster of Turret K). Harsh words were spoken, venerable Molk was accused of trying to steal rations of venerable Grakkus, and as turret crews rallied to the defence of their fellows violence erupted. The first blow was said to be done with the same miserable spoon that caused the dispute in the first place, but both crews dispute on who delivered the blow and who was the victim (just as both disagree on why Molk’s spoon ended up in Grakkus’ soup in the first place).

Over the decades the vendetta has claimed quite a few lives, many have been innocent bystanders. Captain after captain has tried to end the vendetta, some by harsh punitive measures, others by attempts at reconciliation. None has succeeded in putting a permanent end to it so far, although the area of violence is confined to Gun Deck 4. More than one captain, however, has discovered that this rivalry has led to an even fiercer competition between the two turret crews and they have been the two most reliable and accurate guns on the Forward unto Dawn since.