Explorator Fleet
Explorator Fleets are fleets of Adeptus Mechanicus vessels overseen by Explorators.[1]
Overview
These fleets seek to explore regions of the galaxy unclaimed by the Imperium of Man, often venturing into uncharted and dangerous Xenos territory.[1] Upon contact with a new civilisation, Explorator Fleets will typically judge its value, habitation levels, and request that a warfleet arrive and cleanse the planet of any alien civilizations.[2]
The first Explorator Fleets were dispatched from Mars during the Age of Strife. While Terra was still overcome by civil war and rampages by Techno-barbarians, Mars had fallen under the control of the Adeptus Mechanicus. The Tech Priests, wishing to discover lost technology and restore humanity's domain, dispatched exploration fleets into the Warp and even plundered the surface of Terra for STCs.[4]
During the events of the Psychic Awakening Mars lost contact with many outposts and forge worlds. To prevent these worlds form turning independent or falling to heresy, Mars repurposed some of their Explorator Fleets as Reclamation Fleets. Other Forge Worlds did the same but none could compare to Mars' efforts and resources in this pursuit.[8]
Known Explorator Fleets
- Explorator Crusade Gheint's Monopole[5]
- Explorator Fleet KX-557.V[6]
- Explorator Fleet Penta-Gamma 66Z3[5]
- Explorator Fleet Omegon-Cruciatus 54-9[5]
- Explorator Fleet Ventris-Sigmata 91[5]
- Explorator Fleet Rhi-Alpha-2[7a]
- Explorator Fleet 9-V-Sigma[9]
Known Explorator Fleet Vessels
- Decimus/AYX (destroyed) - Former member of Fleet Rhi-Alpha-2.[7b]
- Erudite (destroyed) - Former member of Fleet Rhi-Alpha-2. Destroyed during evacuation of Gryphonne IV.[7b]
- Kurzgesagt (destroyed) - Former flagship of Explorator Fleet Rhi-Alpha-2. Destroyed during evacuation of Gryphonne IV.[7b]
- Land's Vision - Discovered the primitive Tau in M35.[2]
- Peregrinus - Former member of Fleet Rhi-Alpha-2. Aided in the Evacuation of Gryphonne IV.[7b]
- Speranza - Led expedition into the Halo Worlds in M41.[3b]
- Tomioka - Expedition led by Magos Telok, which was declared lost in M38.[3a]
Sources
- 1: Codex: Necrons (5th Edition), pg. 25
- 2: Codex: Tau Empire (4th Edition), pgs. 4-5
- 3: Priests of Mars (Novel):
- 4: The Horus Heresy Book One - Betrayal, pg. 17
- 5: Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus (9th Edition), pgs. 20-21 - Explorator Fleets
- 6: Rogue Trader: Stars of Inequity, Chapter IV: Factions of the Expanse, pgs. 125-128
- 7:Dominion Genesis (Novel):
- 8: Psychic Awakening: Engine War, pg. 4
- 9: Spiritus in Machina (Short Story)
