I groaned mentally as I laid my eyes on her. It was a weird mix of emotions, on one hand, I still desired her. The memories of our night together were still very livid in my mind, and her position within the Ordo Hereticus would explain her access to Kyxa, but her position as either a full-on inquisitor or an infiltration agent working for an inquisitor, filled me with anxiety.

"You look like you could go for another round" She called out as I got closer. So it was a friendly visit so far.

"I would not be opposed to the idea" I replied as I got closer. "Though, knowing what I know now, I am a bit surprised to see you here"

She got a serious look on her face as I said that and I wondered if I had gone too far.

"You have been watched ever since your first rallying cry back on Karrik. At first, we suspected you were an unsanctioned psyker, but after our little rendezvous, it became clear that this was not the case. So I decided I might as well have a bit of fun in the completion of my duties. You were my first deathworlder, but with the endurance your kind has, most definitely not the last." She winked at me as she said this, despite the serious implications of her words. Was that why my danger instinct was always tingling ever so slightly?

"So what has warranted this pleasant surprise during my duties?" I asked. If I had gotten my psychic powers just 2 days before, I would not have lived through that night and the realization made me sweat with nervous energy.

"The Ordo Hereticus took a special interest in you. Why do you think your life was saved?? You might be a good lay, but not THAT good, trooper." She said with a voice full of mirth. This made me think. If the Ordo Hereticus saved my life, they would most likely want something in return. But what could the inquisition want from me? I was just a PDF trooper in their eyes.

"I think you better explain to me exactly what it is the inquisition wishes of me, so that I may do my best to fulfill their wishes," I said in a measured tone. This was deeper than random conversation, though it was cleverly disguised as such. The subtle body language told its own story and my investment in perception was paying off. I couldn't pinpoint exactly how I knew or what made me aware, but I knew she had a hidden agenda with this conversation.

She fixed me with a cold stare and all of a sudden I saw her for what she was. A trained killer, obedient to the point of fanaticism, willing to kill as casually as one would drink water, and completely focused on achieving her mission. "As you well know," She began "The Ordo Hereticus are wary about the rogue traders* and the potential for heresy that is present within their occupation. However, it is extremely difficult to keep track of these Imperial servants, on account of their rather special field of work.

This has in turn led the Ecclesiarchy to conclude that rogue traders, working for the Inquisition, is the only way to get some semblance of control over the situation. This is why I am here. You and a select few others have been chosen as possible candidates for such a position. And between you and me, you are in a rather favorable position. You have the ability to rally soldiers around you, a valued trait since you would often find yourself without any other support that can fit on a starship. And of course, there would have to be an Inquisitorial agent on board, to report back at regular intervals. And since I already know how pleasant company you can be, I have taken the liberty of recommending you very highly. It would make the travels so much more bearable." She said the last words with a voice that was laced with promises of reenacting our last night together and I had to kick myself mentally in the groin to not start grinning like a madman.

"Wait," I interjected, " YOU are the inquisitorial agent chosen to travel with said rogue trader?"

'"Yes." She confirmed. "Why else would I be the one to tell you about this?"

"You have a good point there. Was that also the reason to sleep with me?" I asked. I was not sure I wanted to hear the answer, but it was out there now.

"No, that was just a pleasant way to pass the time. Your possessions have also been searched multiple times. Nice trap by the way, almost went off last time. So far, nothing but indications of a faithful Imperial soldier. But you already know this. You are still alive." She explained

This gave me pause. It was true that the fact I was still breathing was more than enough proof they had not found anything wrong with me. But that did not exclude the possibility of them finding out I actually WAS an unsanctioned psyker. And it wouldn't even be a quick death. As an unsanctioned psyker, they would most likely round me up on one of the black ships** where I would eventually be sacrificed to the Emperor to keep him alive for another day.

"So what is this? A test of how I am to spend any prolonged time with?" I asked, trying to find her angle.

"Partly." She confirmed. "And partly to see what kind of company you are. And finally, I wish to observe you doing your ob. It will tell me a lot about your sense of duty."

I had to agree with that logic. If they for some insane reason should choose to grant me the status of Rogue Trader, I would experience a level of freedom that was very seldomly experienced in this universe, even by those at the highest echelons of power. Perhaps my Luck stat was finally doing something else besides keeping me alive. Not that I was complaining, I appreciated not being dead. But a way out of this hell of a situation would also be good. On a whim, I asked, "Who are the other candidates?"

"It has been elected that the candidates will not be introduced to each other, nor be made aware of the other candidates' identity, to avoid any foul play." She said smoothly. "But let's not talk about that. Why not come over here and let me know if you missed me?" Her mischievous smile spelled promises of endless joy, but something she said moments before made me hesitate.

"I DID miss you terribly, but right now I am on guard duty and I cannot shirk that responsibility. As much as I want to, it cannot happen while I am on the job." I said, my groin screaming at me in protest and my brain padding my shoulder for being the responsible adult. Apparently, it was the right thing to say because not a moment later she pulled out a small notepad and immediately wrote down a few words.

"Well done, You managed to avoid being turned into a servitor. You would be surprised how many fail that test." There was something about her chipper tone of voice that told me she wasn't joking and I once again shuddered with suppressed fear and anxiety. Just how far did the power of this woman reach?

We spent the shift making idle small-talk and watching for hive gangers or heretic troopers. Unsurprisingly, it was a boring watch with nothing happening, except the dozens of soldiers swinging by and trying to make their move on the redhead. I found it all quite entertaining as she was quite adept at shooting down their hopes and dreams without being mean about it. It didn't stop them from staring daggers at me as they walked away, but I was not surprised. I had already been through that mill the first time she showed interest in me.

I took great care in praying diligently and on time, doing my hardest to make it seem like a natural and ingrained part of my daily routine and I noticed her well-hidden satisfaction when I excused myself for prayers, moments before it was time. I prayed with fervor and sincerity, silently praying that it would be enough to satisfy any doubts she might have had.

The rest of the day passed in peaceful boredom and when the changing of the guard occurred I gathered my things as she came over to me. "See you tomorrow, trooper." She said and turned to walk off.

"I still don't know your name!" I exclaimed after her and she answered without turning around. "It's Elris. See you, Björk":

Wait, how did she know my name? I never told her and nothing in my gear carries my full name. I narrowed my eyes and followed her with my eyes. more on instinct than through conscious choice, I activated witchsight without thinking and was immediately rewarded with a heavy aura around Elris. She was a psyker!! As soon as I realized what I had just done, I immediately turned it off again, but she had already noticed. She had stopped and was looking around, trying to find the source of the new psychic energy that came into play around her. Just as quickly I resumed picking up my stuff and casually walked away, doing my best to not reveal the sheer terror that was running through my body.

Every instinct screamed to look behind me and check if she was looking at me, but nothing would make me seem more guilty at the moment. than checking her reaction.

I made it back to my small room without any trouble and I threw myself on my cot, but I couldn't sleep. I had been so close to ending my own life without even thinking about it. I needed to get better control of myself. I didn't have the slightest idea of how to do that, but I tried meditation back home before I was transported here, so it was worth a try.

I settled into a sitting position and closed my eyes, trying to find a calm center within myself. I focused my mind on my breathing and let go of everything around me. Slowly, gradually, the stress and anxiety that had built up during the day left me and allowed me to relax mentally.

When I finally felt relaxed enough to open my eyes, Elris was sitting in front of me, legs crossed and a smile on her face.

"I have never seen a trooper focus their mind that way. Usually, only the Astartes will spend their time doing that. You ARE a strange one!" She said thoughtfully as she looked me over.

"Well, you DID throw a lot unto my plate today. I needed to clear my mind so I can focus on my duties." I replied with a half smile.

"Well, one of your duties is waiting for you to get to it. Unless you were lying when you said you missed me?" She was coy and playful as she pulled away from me, but it was all a ruse. She was just as eager as I was, and I only hesitated for a moment when she pulled out another stick of Kyxa, but I decided to put my trust in my new cybernetic lungs, and the high brought every sensation up to 11.

__________________

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was that I was not alone. An arm was draped over my chest and my face was hidden behind a mess of red hair. So she stayed this time. I was not complaining, but I did wonder why. Slowly and gently, I untangled myself from her and slipped into my uniform pants, made my way outside, and started looking for a Quartermaster to get some recaf from.

It didn't take long and the short line in front of him quickly diminished. When it was my turn, I noticed a glint of recognition in the eyes of the man on the other side of the table. Great, another envious soul to deal with.

"I need recaf, extra rations, and my daily portion of water," I told him. Water in hive cities was controlled by the water guild which was in charge of distributing every drop of water in a hive city. From the imported ice water sipped on by nobles to the run-off sluice used in the industries of the hive, everything went through the water guild. Not that the Imperium lacked the means to get water from them, but there was a tight hold on every drop.

"No can do, supply restrictions prevent me from handing out anymore without special authorization. But there ARE ways to expedite the process." He said with a sly smile while rubbing his thumb and index finger against each other in a universal sign for payment.

With a heavy sigh, I started the bartering process, but the quartermaster seemed very intent on ripping me off in the most extraordinary way. and I couldn't seem to get anything near a decent deal. After about 10 minutes of the idiot becoming more and more outrageous in his demands, I noticed a commissar walking just within earshot and I had a brilliant if despicable, idea.

"NO, I WILL NOT PAY YOU TO HAND OUT MY DAILY RATIONS!" I bellowed loud enough for the commissar to hear. The quartermaster turned pale and made hidden gestures for me to quiet down, but it was too late. The commissar had heard me and was stomping over toward the quartermaster booth with his bolt pistol already drawn and a scowl on his face so menacing I almost felt sorry for the poor fool.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? EXPLAIN YOURSELF!" He demanded from the quartermaster as he leveled the bolt pistol at his head.

"Nothing but a simple misunderstanding, Commissar, I assure you!" The man stammered, "I misunderstood the intent of this trooper and thought he asked for more rations than he was allotted, which of course would require payment. But now I understand that he only wished to be given what is rightfully his." As he spoke, he was manifesting things from behind the counter of his booth and putting them on the table in front of me. Even the recaf I had requested was put there. "A small apology for the misunderstanding." He said as he placed the last recaf.

"No apology needed, it was an honest mistake. How many crowns do I owe for the recaf?" I asked, and the Commissar kept switching his gaze between the 2 of us. The quartermaster named a price that was many times lower than what he demanded from me a minute ago and the commissar seemed... Well, not satisfied, but placated at least, and he walked away, still clutching his bolt pistol.

As soon as he was out of earshot, I turned back to the quartermaster. "Next time you try to rip me off, I am not saving your fat ass!" I snarled at him and he could only nod meekly as I gathered my things and headed back to my room. I had barely made it inside before I heard Elris speak,

"For a moment I thought you had repaid me the favor of disappearing before you woke up" She sounded like she had just woken up and she stretched out on my cot, the blanket sliding provocatively down from her ample chest, revealing that she slept in the nude, a fact that had escaped me when I woke up. How, I did not know, but her eyes lit up at the sight of the recaf.

"Oooh, I am definitely recommending you for the position!" She exclaimed and made grabby hands at the mug in my hand, but I pulled it away from her and smiled. "What are you offering in return?" I asked and she was completely floored by the question. It was obvious she was used to being in charge, but I wanted to flip that script. She needed to learn that I was not going to roll over whenever she whistled.

"Well," She said as she leaned backward, exposing herself to me. "I can't offer you anything you have not had before, But I think you will enjoy it just as much." And that was all it took for me to hand over the cup. Damn my male biology and its influence over my mental faculties!!

She sipped the recaf with a delighted look on her face and I decided to distract myself by making breakfast. not that it required a lot of work, field rations are fairly simple and can be eaten cold, but it gave me something to think about, other than the naked woman drinking recaf 3 feet away.

After breakfast, she slipped out of my room after getting dressed and I sat down to take a breather. I was slightly on edge when she was nearby, the revelation she was a psyker filled me with dread. If I wanted to explore the psychic possibilities, I either needed to convince her I was a sanctioned psyker, which was next to impossible, try and train on my own without getting caught, which was even less likely, or... get rid of her at some point. Of course, I could always just forget everything about my psychic abilities, but being a psyker always presented a danger just by being one. And the best weapon against the denizens of the warp was, quite ironically, psychic powers fueled by the warp.

I would like to avoid the murder of an inquisitorial agent if at all possible, but once out among the stars, anything could happen. Of course, there was a possibility she would be fine with my psychic powers, but then again. The Ecclesiarchy was one of, if not THE most fanatical faction in this entire universe, AND their Inquisition had almost unlimited freedom of power. They could even order around Astartes chapters, something that otherwise was unthinkable unless you were looking for suicide by chainsword.

I decided to push the musing aside and quickly downed the last of my ration before I grabbed my gear and headed out for another day of patrol duty. But it was not to be. My commanding officer found me on the way and told me I had been given a couple of days off to spend as I saw fit. Not wanting to challenge my luck I hurried away and decided to start the first part of my plan to get rid of the troublesome blackmailing doctor in the underhive. I had to sacrifice a power pack to start the plan, but it would be a good expenditure.

A quick trip into the underhive and the doctor's face lit up at the sight of the powerpack and the extra rations, he inspected the powerpack, found it to be functional and fully charged, then looked at me as he said " I half expected you to bring me something broken and empty, not a powerpack in excellent condition and fully charged as well."

I snorted at his comment. "Maybe you just forgot how it feels to work with people that possess a minimum of integrity. You saved my life, the least I can do in return is to properly deliver on our agreement." The insult did not go over his head and he cocked an eyebrow at me before he started laughing. "You deathworlders and your strange sense of honor. Not that I'm complaining. If you can get more power packs, my payment will be due in a very short time." I just smiled and nodded. He thought me complacent and agreeable. Perfect. The next delivery would be his death.

As I was about to make my way back to the surface, I could hear rhythmic stomping approaching rapidly and I hurried over to a bar and ordered a bottle of amasec. Better to appear as a trooper out for a drink. moments later, a squad of Arbites*** came running rapidly around the corner, their carapace armor donned, despite being reserved for direct combat, and the mix of bolt guns, shotguns, grenade launchers, suppression shields, and, power mauls already in their hands and ready to fire. They continued toward the deeper slum of the underhive, so it would seem a raid was in progress and I wanted as little to do with that as possible, so I stashed the bottle in my backpack and hurried on my merry way to the lift.

It wasn't until I reached the lift that a thought hit me. The arbites ran straight past us. Despite there being numerous shops selling all manner of illegal items and controlled substances, they had run right past us with a clear goal in mind. But there had been no sounds of fighting. The Arbites only moved with such purpose when they were trying to catch someone or something, completely unaware which usually only happened with gang lords and heretical dealings. And since the gang lords were quite safe, that left only the heretical dealings as the possibility. Which meant I needed to get my happy little ass out of there as fast as possible!

The lift had barely been underway for 1 minute before an explosion could be heard deeper in the underhive and the muffled sounds of heavy gunfire followed. Thank the Emperor I made it out of there. After waiting and listening to the sounds of gunfire disappearing in the darkness below me, I reached the top and almost walked into Elris and the Commissar from the last time she was wearing her Inquisitors uniform.

"The strange one!" The old commissar growled and give me a critical stare. "What could you possibly be doing in the underhive, trooper!"

"Just securing provisions for myself and a lucky lady, commissar," I said as I made the Aquila across my chest. No reason to risk a public flogging for failure to salute. Elris, standing behind the commissar, smirked at my words and winked at me.

"Provisions, he says!" The Commissar exclaimed theatrically. "Well, why don't we go over those provisions together!"

"With pleasure, Commissar," I said compliantly and opened my backpack. The only thing down there was a couple of rations, my extra power packs, and the bottle of amasec I had just purchased. The commissar's eyes lit up at the sight of the bottle and I knew he would confiscate it before I had shown it to him. No matter, this was the basic stuff anyway. I had a better vintage stuffed away in my room, well hidden in my dirty clothes. Elris's confession to having rummaged through my belongings had made me change some of my habits. Thankfully, the precious bottle was hidden in the dirty clothes as soon as I brought it back.

"I better confiscate that bottle, trooper. No reason to risk you falling for temptation and getting drunk on duty!" He growled again, and I had to agree with that logic, despite me not being much of a drinker. I had already seen 2 soldiers get caught being drunk on sentry duty and the punishment was flogging followed by shooting. Why on earth they bothered flogging them before they shot them I will never understand, but then again, the Imperium is not exactly known for its logic and good common sense.

Elris looked crestfallen as the Commissar stuffed the bottle inside his jacket, but I just kept smiling. She must have caught on that I had something planned so she just cast an inquisitive look in my direction. I didn't react to it, but I spoke again. "Thank you for relieving me of the temptation Commissar. May I be dismissed? I have prayers to attend to."

As much as he wanted to search my person for more items to confiscate or execute me for having, the Commissar could not in good conscience deny me my prayers in front of an inquisitorial agent. Reluctantly, he sent me on my way, but Elris hung back to talk to me.

"A shame, I would have liked to enjoy that bottle with you." She said. I knew she was being nice, her position afforded her the economy to acquire Kyxa, so she would be accustomed to a finer palette of alcoholic drinks.

"Guess I just have to be more careful next time I come back from shopping," I said smoothly, which almost made her laugh, but she stopped herself. That uniform she was wearing represented a special branch of the Ecclesiarchy and it would not do to break character out in public.

"Will I see you again tonight?" I asked, with no small amount of hope in my voice. Screw being stoic, right now, Elris was the only positive thing to have entered my life since I came here. Even with the added danger of being found out as a psyker, that just added to the excitement, at least for me.

"You just might" She answered with delight before she turned on her heel and walked off. I took this chance to make my way back to my room, but I didn't get far.

"Getting cozy with the redhead again last night, eh?" I turned my head as someone called out and saw a shorter-than-average trooper, covered in grime and dirt, his uniform wrinkled and unwashed, his gear in various states of disrepair, and an overall aura of just being a scumbag human being.

"So what if I am?" I retorted "Just because you are so smelly and dirty you would be lucky if an underhive whore would cast you a second glance." The troopers that had started paying attention as he called out to me started hooting and hollering at my response. They loved drama, anything that would break the boredom. If it came to blows, they would have something new to talk about for weeks. The dirty trooper's face contorted with rage at my words, but he didn't do anything.

"Frakking deathworlders!" He spat "The universe would be better without the lot of you!" This made me roar with laughter which was joined in on by several other troopers also hailing from death worlds, that were milling about in the area.

"Then who would pull your stinking corpse out of the fire whenever you get into a fight, little man?" I taunted. Looking him over, I had nothing to fear unless he drew a firearm, and he was not stupid enough to do that. Nobody wanted to receive a field judgment for killing another trooper, especially not since field judgment usually meant death by shooting. He could, of course, still attack me but I doubted he would, so I might as well have a little fun.

"Eventually she will tire of you and find someone else!" He tried, but he knew the verbal battle was lost. "And don't call me little!"

Being more than a head taller than the loudmouthed idiot I couldn't help myself. "what are you?? The newest edition of pocket troopers, for when you need a little soldier for little problems?" I continued taunting and it had the intended effect. He took a swing at me, but he was both slow and telegraphing his moves, so I just leaned ever so slightly backward and watched his fist sail past my face and spinning him around in the process.

I pushed him gently on the back, making him stumble a few steps in the process. He whirled around and attacked again and again, but I evaded every attack, giving him a shove every time he was off balance. He fell over several times and only grew angrier. "Are you too scared to fight back?" he sneered at me as he took another swing and I caught his wrist as his arm sailed past me yet again "Because you are not worth the effort it would take to teach you a lesson in manners, short stack!" I replied and pushed him away once more.

It would seem I had miscalculated the stupidity of the trooper because the next thing I knew he had drawn his bayonet and was holding it as an experienced soldier would. Solid grip on the handle, blade pointing straight forward, held in front of his torso. He was an experienced knife fighter, but he was still slow. The first stab nearly caught my abdomen, so when he went in for the second attempt, I sidestepped the attack and kicked as hard and fast as I could toward his knee. the loud *CRUNCH* when my boot impacted with his kneecap told everyone nearby that I had shattered his knee and he fell over, screaming in pain.

Before things could escalate further, I hurried away from the scene and retreated to my room. If Elris showed up tonight, it wouldn't be for a few more hours. Guess I had to figure out what to focus on next. Committing to securing that Rogue trader position, or getting rid of that doctor in the underhive. I would have to think long and hard about this while I waited.