Geography: Massive, shifting asteroid belt containing multiple stations and hollowed-out planetoids. Orbiting Diomedea Stella (Blue Supergiant)
Population: Estimated 10 Million (Imperial Navy and Adeptus Mechanicus personnel, support staff, and permanent service families).
Tithe Grade: Exactus Prima/Secundus (Naval vessels, advanced ship components, logistical services, strategic control of Warp routes).
Government Type: Corporate Oligarchy (The Greater Askellon Trade Combine) / Nominal Imperial Governance
Planetary Governor: Military Governor Severine Cantrella (Stationed on Pride of Askellon)
Adept Presence: Low (Concentrated on Pride of Askellon)
Military: Imperial Navy (Auxiliary), Combine Fleet, Private Mercenaries
Trade: Major shipping hub, smuggling, ore extraction, refueling
“A den of thieves is all it is...thieves dressed like princes.”
–Chartist Captain Alron Gizmick
Located in the Diomedea Stella system along the far edge of the Cyclopia Sub-Sector, Port Aquila is one of the major hubs for trade in Askellon and acts as a launching point for goods entering from the coreward and spinward systems. Getting there is not, however, a journey for those without skill or courage. The passages to Port Aquila are treacherous, due less to the lashing tendrils of the Pandaemonium than to the shadow cast from it. For those who make it through, however, opportunity abounds.
Diomedea Stella is a blue supergiant surrounded by a huge asteroid field, the size and scope of which far surpasses any known logical parameters. It forms an almost perfect ribbon, with narrow bands of denser formations in different areas that cannot yet be explained, making this a source of inquiry for the Askellian Mechanicum. Individual asteroids also seem to relocate, causing havoc as the belt seems different every time it is mapped-to this day no one has a complete or accurate map of the field.
The term “port” is a misnomer, as there is no single centralised location in the field. It is home to numerous bases, refuelling posts, and strongholds of all kinds. From the Greater Askellon Trade Combine’s huge Atticus Compound to the hidden caverns used by the Pale League and other smugglers, deals happen everywhere. It is also a major anchorage for ships arriving from the neighbouring Ixaniad Sector. For centuries, pirates and traders have also made it their home, but more and more recidivists and heretics have also found a haven in its dark corners. It has always had activity, but its past was far less pleasant or peaceful.
Much of the history of the first settlers has been lost. At the high point of expansion in Askellon, Diomedea offered little; there were no planets to colonise and no immediate resources to capitalise on. The field provided a fair amount of shelter, and the bravest of the initial explorers built liveable, self-contained homes out of the rocks. Initial scans showed strange things, however. The estimated mass and density of the belt far exceeded any other known fields, as if several planets had been destroyed and their remains kept in loose orbit. Mineral deposits would change from one scan to the next, and asteroids marked for future mining would be rediscovered months later far from their projected orbital location.
Where there is profit, there is also greed. Raids against the settlers became commonplace, with many families slain or driven out. Piracy and violence became the new norm, and the system stayed like this for centuries, with little hope of change-until the greenskins came. Waaagh! Oggrim appeared near Diomedea Stella and began hunting for people to fight. The initial contacts were devastating, as the Orks were hungry for battle while the Aquillans and pirates were exhausted and ill-equipped.
Salvation arrived via the D’Amitri trade fleet. A merchant family on the decline in the neighbouring Ixaniad Sector, Matriarch Leah Venria had moved her remaining ships to Askellon. Coincidentally entering the system during a major skirmish, they responded decisively, routing the Orks and saving the locals. In exchange for their aid, the D’Amitri family demanded the right to conduct commerce in the system. This universally accepted truth enabled the D’Amitris to unify all factions-prospectors, pirates, smugglers, and merchants-into a single entity: the Greater Askellon Trade Combine.
The Combine did not start off successfully, but Venria pursued unity with an almost religious zeal. She established the Four Principles, ensuring that individual captains could negotiate contracts but required approval to confirm routes. She made sure all ships were capable of defence and cargo transport, commanding fierce loyalty.
The Four Guiding Principles
The Combine approves all contracts.
Do not violate Imperial Law.
Fulfil your obligations of the contract.
No work is allowed outside the Combine. Ever.
Originally operating from remote bases, Venria eventually established footholds on all the Processional Worlds. Over time, the D’Amitri family was removed from governance to protect their legacy, sparking internal rebellions. To prevent collapse, the organisation rededicated itself to Venria’s original edicts, increasing profit shares for captains.
Today, the Combine is led by Zadori Whelk, a reformed smuggler captain. She has purged criminal elements near Combine facilities-jettisoning those who refused to convert into space-and opened dialogues with the Prospectors Guild and Imperial Navy. The Combine now controls a significant portion of trade across Askellon and uses "negotiators" to discourage independent trading.
In recent times, Port Aquila has grown despite its shadowy past. Warp routes are stable enough for regular traffic, increasing the population. However, psychic phenomena are on the rise as the Pandaemonium moves closer. Multiple sites report hulls bleeding thick red liquids, gusts of chilling wind in corridors, and ghostly images outside viewports.
Though usually harmless, there have been incidents that lack easy explanation. Some settlers and smugglers have "spaced themselves," calmly walking into airlocks without a suit. One tale speaks of a veteran void-master who stranded his crew, took a shuttle, and rammed an asteroid while screaming incoherently until the impact silenced him. These incidents are not the norm, but they are growing.
The Imperial presence mirrors the reach of the Astronomican here: weak and tenuous. Stationed in the Pride of Askellon, a Ramillies-class station outside the asteroid field, the small Naval garrison largely leaves the inhabitants alone.
Military Governor Severine Cantrella is nominally in charge. Unlike her sixteen predecessors-all of whom died in office via unexplained "accidents" ranging from spontaneous asteroid explosions to malfunctioning thrusters-Cantrella has survived over eight years. She achieved this by courting the Combine’s favour, allowing them to act as the eyes and hands of the Imperium. She remains exclusively aboard the station, issuing orders via communiqué.
The Navy maintains a patrolling force of one battlecruiser, a light cruiser, and six squadrons of escorts-nowhere near enough to police the system. A small Mechanicus contingent studies the unusual properties of the star, while the Astropathic choir consists of members rotated out yearly, as many seem sapped of vitality by the time they leave.
The Prospectors Guild The stabilisation of Diomedea Stella has allowed explorers back into the system. The Guild focuses on extraction and locating asteroids suitable for habitation. Operating without a centralised location, Guild teams excel at masking new sites and are paid handsomely for it. They are favoured by smugglers for their discretion. The Combine has attempted to spy on them using independent contractors, but the effort failed when an entire mining team returned catatonic.
Lifestyles of the Wealthy The merchant princes of Port Aquila wield their wealth like a blunt instrument. While they crave the respectability of Juno or Desoleum, they often revert to their pirate roots, utilizing violence and intimidation when negotiations fail. Regardless of affiliation, they act as a brotherhood if the Port is threatened; those who have tempted fate are now cold and lifeless among the rocks.
The Shadowed Factions
Fyceline Flotilla: A portable refuelling service for those avoiding Imperial fees. Their sub-par plasma fuel is often the only option for criminals, though the Combine has recently compromised several of their secret meeting places.
House of Roth: Ships bearing this family crest have been spotted lurking in the darker, uninhabited areas of the asteroid field, though no construction has yet been confirmed.
The Anointed: A violent group bearing mysterious wrist marks. They cause upheaval at way stations before vanishing, leaving behind a wake of unrest.
Cult Activity: Rumours of blasphemous rituals are increasing. Sites with arcane runes and human remains have been found, linked to sects such as the bloodthirsty Disciples of Konos, the chem-worshipping Omnipresent Awe, and the techno-gang Proselytes of Lud. If the rumours are true, no less than fifty different cults could be operating within the belt.