My Life As A Writer: While The Hounds of Nimrod Run Loose

Today's Star Knight lore post is something that covers what's going on before and during "Hounds of Nimrod", but it doesn't get much attention due to it being irrelevant to the story told. Instead, what's present in the book is there purely to ensure that readers have some idea of what went into the events of the following book, "Siege of Second Salisbury".

Those events involve the rebuilding of Red Eyes' fleet.

New Edinburgh, in terms of numbers, was a pasting for the pirates. However, it succeeded in its primary objective: to prove that a non-state actor could effectively contest a targeted state on its terms. All Red Eyes would need to seal the deal to bring more rivals under his banner was something unique and valuable, something only he could provide and thus something he could sell dearly- and that price was fealty.

Mentioned elsewhere, and debuting in "Hounds", is one of those things: the Endiku class of Limited Production Ace Custom mecha. Specifically, we're seeing Dashing Jack's unit as it's the first off the line. However, the other thing that's going to be mentioned is that Red Eyes is--for now--keeping the Hobgoblin variant mecha to himself and his chief subordinates (i.e. Dashing Jack) while freely sharing the Goblin with his new allies.

And by "freely sharing", that includes full production specifications. The result is that this mecha is soon to become ubiquitous across Galactic Christendom as every last workshop, guerrilla fabricator, and shady factory will churn them out. This also means that variations are going to proliferate, as much due to build constraints on materials as due to operator and operational preferences: missile boats, maritime variants, perma-hardwired pilots (ala 40K Dreadnoughts), and so much more.

The only catch? They are to share their modifications with Red Eyes and the rest of the Armada. The reason is said to be to ensure that good modifications spread swiftly and standardize. The real reason is that the Architect wants the data so he can adjust his own designs for the mecha he's producing for the next step in the plan to realize the Tower of Babel and its Satanic promise.

The same catch applies to the Endiku line, but that's strictly concealed by Red Eyes and the Architect.

As for whom these new pirates are, they are exactly what you expect: the biggest rival bands of traitors, heretics, losers, misfits, lunatics, outsiders, and others that just can't bend the knee to God. Smaller bandit and pirate groups are struggling to finds ways to contact Red Eyes, wanting a piece of the action, and soon enough will get through and sign on to not only recover the losses but greatly expand the Armada's size and strength. Second Salisbury is the first time the entire fleet operates together.

As with Red Eyes, these pirates mostly operate from vessels either stolen or rebuilt from scrap and so are their mecha. The quality of both increase with the status of their captains/pilots. Signing on with Red Eyes allows those vessels to be upgraded into proper warfighting vessels instead of glorified commerce raiders, though crew quality remains an issue.

The other issue with these bands signing on is that Red Eyes is now in command of a patchwork quilt with non-standard command and control practices and structures (if any), and as such they cannot be relied upon to act outside of their ordinary operational parameters. (e.g. Call the Narn Bat Squad when you need a boarding action, but don't mix them with anyone else if you can help it.) They also rely on promises of loot and other plunder to sustain their enthusiasm for the enterprise and maintain willingness to accept orders from someone other than their own.

In short, Red Eyes' warlord ambitions are far from being fully realized. Genghis Khan he is not, not yet.