There was a truly foul stench in the air. The flies were buzzing around in swarms consisting of millions, bloated and fat, the swamps I was staring at provided the perfect breeding ground for them. Decayed corpses of a thousand different races covered whatever ground was not covered with stagnant swamp water. Beasts with the soft, sticky, and mottled bodies of a pallid slug, webbed feet that flap uselessly, faces of writhing green tentacles, and a whip-tail growth that bursts from their backs and which constantly wags from side to side, lumbered around, seeking out any form of life in their close vicinity.

"Beasts of Nurgle?" I thought to myself and barely had I finished the thought before a rumbling voice rang out over the landscape. It was a wet, gurgling, and hoarse voice that still emanated with ancient power.

"Few mortals outside my influence know my beasts from their mere appearance. You are indeed an interesting little one. Tell me, little one. What do you see around you?"

I looked around for the source of the voice, but saw nothing, except more swamp, and some more solid lands in the far distance. Everywhere I looked, Rot flies, Beasts of Nurgle, swarms of buzzing bloatflies, plague bearers, and all manner of vile and grotesque creatures were engaged in what could best be described as a mockery of the natural food chain. Everything was engaged in either infecting or consuming everything else. Any regular Imperial citizen would look upon it and call it a horrorshow, a plague, a thing to be removed from any possible realm in existence. And they would incur the disappointed anger of 'grandfather' Nurgle.

But I knew better.

"I see life. In one way or another, life is flourishing in a way that is rarely seen. Disease, rot, death, it all serves to create new life." I said and lifted my hand to point to no one in particular, "As the plague bearer's life ends, the bacteria inside of it is granted full reign to grow and prosper and spread to new bearers. Thus, life and death are interconnected, with one end being another beginning. And what I see is a realm that embodies this fact completely."

A warm laughter erupted from the disembodied voice. "You understand little one. So why is it you are not one of my followers? You possess insight rarely seen, even among the enlightened."

"Because, Nurgle, I have no interest in following you. No interest in the power you offer or the blessing you wish to bestow. All I care about is finding a way home. And I will find it by myself, with no ties to anyone and no debts to my name. I have no interest in the schemes of thirsting gods that depend on worship to have power." Probably not the best thing to say, but honesty could never hurt as much as trying to deceive a chaos god.

"Insightful AND brave. You will make a fine follower indeed. Don't make the mistake of thinking you have a choice, little one. Grandfather Nurgle will take good care of you!"

"No, you most certainly will not! If Khorne could not tempt me, then neither can you. I have my own agenda and I refuse to be sucked into anyone else's!" With that final salute, I turned and ran away in the opposite direction, away from the solid lands in the distance while trying to either wake myself up or otherwise get away from this hellscape.

___

When I woke up, I was bathed in sweat and my heart was pounding faster and harder than it had done during any engagement so far, and my heart rate had been pretty high whenever combat was joined. My entire body was trembling as adrenaline coursed through my veins and my eyes Jumped from dark shadow to dark shadow in a panic, looking for something, anything, to point to as the cause for my panic.

But of course, I found nothing except the empty shadows in my tent. It didn't stop me from being on edge, so I poured myself a small drink and lit a Lho stick to calm my nerves. It didn't help much, just enough for me to calm down. I was still on edge, but no longer on the verge of a panic attack, and with a heavy sigh I finished the drink before laying back down on my cot. But I couldn't find peace, my mind was whirling with thoughts. About staying, about leaving, about what to do next. I could leave the planet, jump on my ship, and continue my quest to find a way home and leave this stinking mess for Idris and the new planetary governor to solve. But that would also leave me with a reputation for starting fights I had no intention of finishing. A bad reputation for anyone, but especially for a rogue trader.

Or I could stay, setting my will to see the Skaven exterminated, which would at least secure me a reputation as a man of action and integrity. It could also be used to bolster my standing with the Imperium at large. I was still an unknown, a new player on an established scene, and seeing this through to the end would only benefit me. How I went about, would dictate the whispers that would circulate about me and my methods. With the approach I had used so far, I would most likely be seen as a trader militant with a lack of experience, on account of my rather ham-fisted methods. This could be both good and bad. Good when it came to dealing with military personel as they would see and recognize one of their own. Bad because every other aspect of Imperial society would see me as a primitive brute who only understood force.

Could I live with that?? It would put me at an advantage if people thought that deception and statecraft were beyond my grasp, as people would be looking for the sword in my hand, instead of the knife in their back. But was I fine with becoming what I hated, a person who always looked out for himself and didn't care what happened to those who crossed my path, friend or foe? These thoughts were still tumbling around my mind when I fell asleep, and I woke up to a rather insistent Idris calling out my name from outside the tent. She didn't sound panicked or in need of an urgent audience, But since I was already awake, I might as well get out of bed again.

"GIVE ME 5 MINUTES!" I yelled out and her calling for me stopped. I quickly got out of bed and straightened out my uniform before I made a quick cup of recaf I brought out with me. Idris was standing outside my tent, looking rather impatient but otherwise unbothered. Good, that meant this was not because there was an issue or problem that required my immediate attention.

"Lord Captain, Your orders have been carried out. All tunnels leading away from the mutant nest have been sealed off at their entrances in the surrounding settlements. The local garrisons, while befuddled and annoyed with the orders, have beaten back no less than 13 large-scale escape attempts and an additional 20.000 troops from my ships have made landfall to bolster our forces. My arch militant have pressed the frontlines forward, and yes, I know you ordered us to hold position, but with parts of the mutant forces breaking off to attempt escape, and the quadrupling of our available soldiers, I saw no reason to reign them any longer than strictly necessary. I hope that was not out of line." She rambled off her news rapidly and slightly disorganized, but for a merchant chartist captain, she was surprisingly professional when it came to military communication. But then again, she WAS a merchant.

And I must admit, I had made liberal use of her logistics abilities. She was unequaled in that regard, even my own specialists, like my purser, couldn't hold a candle to her ability to retain and distribute information to the correct people, at the correct time. Once we parted ways, I would sorely miss being able to unload all logistics issues to someone who took joy in organizing them.

"It's fine Idris, I trust your people's abilities. Have the nobles accepted their fate and started the journey home to begin their shifts alongside the citizens? And how long did I sleep, now that I think about it?" I waved a hand dismissively as I spoke, I didn't mind her taking a few liberties as long as she didn't play fast and loose with the most important currency the Imperium possessed. Its people.

"Almost 16 hours, Lord. And regarding the former local nobles...." She hesitated, and I sighed heavily.

"They refuse to accept my ruling and are moving towards us with any troops they could gather within half a day's march?" It was more of a statement than a question from my side, but I wanted surety. Idris nodded hastily and I couldn't suppress a humorless laugh. I hadn't expected anything else, if Idris and I died, they could return to their former way of life by denying any changes had taken place.

"I have neither the time, patience, or manpower to deal with this problem. Idris, do you have any combat aircraft in your fleet?? Starhawks, fury's, sharks?" I asked. I didn't like the idea that popped into my head, but it would work and solve the issue almost instantly.

"No, Lord, but I have a few old marauder destroyers. But you are not thinking about-"

"I am!" I cut her off forcefully, "I need to you dispatch them on a mission to do a few bombing runs on the nobles and their troops. Losses be damned, I will have people shipped in from other planets if needed, but I need the safety of having an uncontested rear. Make sure they kill everything moving against us. No survivors, you know the Imperial decree as well as I do." I rubbed my forehead as I spoke, the idea of condemning all the common people to death over the stupidity of a few former nobles with bruised egos and an overdeveloped sense of entitlement and self-delusion, was not an easy thing to order or live with. But I had to unless I wanted even more trouble.

I pushed the thoughts out of my mind. I couldn't dwell on such dark things, not when there was so much that required my attention. I dismissed Idris and considered making my way to the troops further inside the mountain, but I was stopped by a messenger from my ship docked at the station in orbit. He handed me a data slate and hurried back the way he came. The message turned out to be from my master of whispers, and as I skimmed through page after page of information, my jaw dropped more and more. This... This changed a lot of things.

I would have to read this through, carefully, and then Idris and I were going to have a long and serious talk. Battle would have to wait, as would the incessant blinking in the corner of my eye. It had been there since I woke up, and I had been determined to ignore it until later. It was a sickly green flashing, no doubt related to the dream I had. If it even was just a dream. I retreated into my tent, made more recaf, and started reading. It didn't take too long to finish, but almost an hour had passed when I sent a runner to summon Idris, with emphasis on me wanting her to meet me privately. Sure, it would spark some rumors among the troops, but what did I care? She arrived shortly after and took a seat without prompt.

"What is the purpose of this summoning, Lord Captain?" She asked cheerfully as I pushed a glass of amasec toward her.

"You have been lying to me, Idris," I stated as she took a sip and immediately started coughing as she choked on the drink when she heard my accusation.

"My Lord Captain, I have been nothing but truthful with you from the moment we met the first time!" She protested once she got the coughing under control.

"Almost, Idris, almost. But not quite. Your name is not Idris van Bale. And you are no common chartist captain! And before you protest again, how many chartist captains do you know with a bloody arch militant on their ship?" My words hit home and I saw a cautious look enter her eyes.

"I don't understand, My Lord", she stuck to her denial, but her demeanor had changed drastically. She wasn't taking it as a joke or jest, nor did she take it as a wild accusation that could be dismissed. She was guarded and wound up like a spring.

"There is no record in the entire Imperium of a captain, from any sector, named Idris van Bale. So do you want to tell me the truth, or should I tell it myself?" Fear had entered her eyes when I laid out what I knew, but she kept up the guise.

"Lord Captain, I am afraid an error must have been made either by the scribes that sent you this information or by your people in inquiring about it. I am who I say I am." Her tone was insistent and her reasoning was solid. But I knew better.

"You are Idris Machenko, directly related to the leaders of the sector house Machenko, and 19th in line to become its de facto leader. Cut the grox shit Idris, and tell me why you travel under a false name!" I laid it all out for her, and she relented. Her shoulders sagged and the defeated look that came over her made me think it was a personal choice, rather than an imposed one. The silence stretched out as I waited for her to say something, and eventually, she did.

"So, you know. What are you going to do with that information?" She asked and looked me straight in the eyes.

"Well, that depends on your answer, now doesn't it?" I replied, and once more silence crept over the interior of the tent.

With a sigh, she started speaking, "Very well. I could tell you it is for my protection, but that would be a lie. The great houses enjoy too much power and strength for anyone but another house to dare make a move on us, and I am too far down the line of succession for that to be a threat. The truth is, I loathe the insistence on etiquette, form, manners, and everything else that comes with the expectations of a member of a sector house. I just want to travel the galaxy, be lewd, crude, and make as much damn profit as is humanly possible. And I have gone to considerable lengths to secure the knowledge of my heritage. How did you find out?" She rambled the words when she started speaking, like a dam bursting after flood rain. She seemed relieved in her worry.

"The reach of the Inquisition is far." I kept my answer vague, relying on the fact that my armor was covered in sigils from the Inquisition to convey the message. "Listen, Idris, I don't care, and I have no use for this knowledge. My only problem here is that you lied to me. I understand your reasoning, but it is still an untrustworthy thing to do, especially when you take your reaction to our first meeting into consideration..." I allowed the words to hang in the air for a moment before I continued.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"But it is what it is. I proved to you I can be trusted, and your actions and support here more than make up for that small mistake, since it does not affect me who you are. I just wanted you to know that it is better to not keep secrets from me. I may be a forgiving and lenient individual, but I can only forgive so many transgressions. Now, with all this behind us, I have had some thoughts on how to proceed. Since your arch militant can push further into the mountain, it should be safe to assume we still have the momentum and the advantage. Have the mutants started fielding even worse atrocities, or did I wake up before things got out of hand?"

"My Lord?? Worse atrocities? Like what?" Idris asked incredulously, and I kicked myself mentally for that slip of the tongue. I glanced around quickly before I remembered that we were located within my tent, and as long as we didn't raise our voices the guards outside should not be able to hear anything other than mumbling.

"You are perceptive and quick-witted, Idris, and you just figured out I know so much more about this enemy than I am letting on. And while the regular guardsman would never question my ability to know such things, you most surely will. But I need you to understand, like I said before, that everything I do is done for the Imperium, and humanity as a whole. You are not the only one with secrets, but you are in the unfortunate position of being the lesser power, meaning I get to keep my secrets, secret. You might have the manpower advantage, but you will never be fast enough to stop my navigator from sending word of betrayal. So I suggest you forget whatever you heard me say a mere moment ago, go with the flow, and leave this whole debacle even richer than I have already made you."

Idris looked at me for a long moment before she answered. "You are not like most Inquisition agents I have met, Lord Captain. All of them, without exception, would have used fear and intimidation to secure my silence. But you seek to secure it through, not bribery, but an ensuring of mutual interests being met. I do not know who you are or where you came from. But you are not of the Imperium. Not that it matters either, as you said, you work to further the goals of the Imperium, and you try to improve the conditions of the people under your command. And I have seen you in combat. You are good, but you're also holding back like violence is something you are not accustomed to."

She caught me off-guard with those statements. When did she have time to analyze things like this? My nervousness must have shone through, as she continued to speak "Relax, Lord Captain. As I told you, I only care about making as much profit as possible without angering the Imperium at large. And spilling your secrets would give me more trouble than it is worth, considering who you answer to."

"We are at an impasse, then," I concluded and looked to Idris who nodded in confirmation. "So, we either rat out each other or keep silent. And of course, silence would be the most sensible option, for both of us." Once more Idris nodded in confirmation, and in silence, we both extended our hands and clasped them together. Our little conspiracy needed no words, but we both knew the implications. Death was waiting for us both if we were discovered, and that thought was ringing in my mind as she left my tent once more.

There was still the blinking from the system to take care of, and I might as well do it now that I had a bit of time alone. The sicky green blinking was incessant in its insistence and I didn't want to look at it anymore.

You can leave. You can run. You can try to stave off the inevitable. But in time, decay will get to you, little one. And grandfather Nurgle is patient and generous.

Touched by chaos: A chaos god has granted you a boon. Whether or not this is to your liking, you have been granted Nurgle's blessing. A pandemic staff has manifested in your quarters on board your ship.

...

...

NO! Just fucking NO!

NO NO NO NO NO NO! This was not what I needed, not what I wanted. If anyone discovered that stave, it would mean a slow and extremely painful death for me. My torture would be dragged out for weeks, possibly months until whatever inquisition interrogators got a hold of me, decided I had no more value as a source of information. Even then, I would not be granted a quick death. They would extend my life, providing medical care while stripping my flesh, tearing my muscles from my bones, blinding me with red-hot glowing iron spikes, and if I was extremely lucky, I would be transformed into either an Arco-flagellant or a penitent engine, neither of which was a good prospect to end your life. Both would see me reduced to a husk of a man, so doped up on combat stimms and various concoctions that considering me human still, would be a far stretch. I would then be unleashed on the enemies of the Imperium until I died in battle, a final repentance for my sins.

I had to figure something out, quickly! But I couldn't rush ahead, like a chicken leaving the chopping block. If someone, anyone, saw that staff, then it didn't matter who I was and what my position in the Imperium was. I had to return to my ship, but I couldn't leave the situation on the planet as it was. But every moment that staff was unattended and unhidden on my ship, was a risk. But I couldn't put it in a glass display like I had with the Skaven token. That would be akin to advertising that I wished to forsake the Imperium in favor of the ruinous powers. A steel coffin where it could be suspended from chain to hand down would be good. A null box would be best. But acquiring such an artifact would require enormous expenditure, or informing the Inquisition. And if I did, the discovery of a powerful chaos artifact would be enough to cast a death sentence on the entirety of the planet's population. Not a great start to my legacy within the Imperium.

Speaking of, if the Skaven tunnels stretched into nearby towns and villages, and if chaos followers were in league with the Skaven, then logic would dictate that there would be indoctrinated agents among the local population. But at least I could do something about that. I would need to summon my ship's Confessor and some of his preachers to take troops to the villages and make sure none of the locals had been led astray. Even a single heretic, if left unchecked and unattended, could undermine all the effort I was currently committing, in a decade or two. My master vox crackled, and after I pressed the button to connect, the arch militant's voice cut through with sporadic lasfire in the background.

"Lord Captain, we have reached the outskirts of the mutant stronghold. What are your orders?"

I hesitated for a moment. We could keep pushing, and risk losing a lot of lives, or we could play it smart. "Dig in, have the engineers construct defenses, and then continue improving upon them with more guns, stronger fallback positions, and more fortified trenches. We have been killing the enemy fodder so far, with only sporadic engagements of more advanced and elite units. We are in for a rough ride. I can't give you artillery, but I can start shipping down las cannons, missile launchers, and grenade launchers."

"Orders received, dig in and start showering. With respect, what pattern of missile and grenade launchers are you sending?"

That struck me as an odd question until I remembered I was speaking with an arch militant. Knowing what weapons they had would dictate their strategy. And there was only one answer, the only patterns I currently had available. "Locke pattern missile launchers, and Cadian pattern grenade launchers. Not the best, not the worst. Make the best of my equipment."

"Acknowledged, Lord Captain. Ave Imperator!" There was a click from the vox and I was left to my thoughts once more. But I had no time to daddle. Using the vox I called for transport to my ship, with orders for the confessor to meet me upon arrival, alongside his 50 most pious preachers, who would not mind leaving the ship for an extended period. I knew that would give me all the people I needed for the next step in reforming the leadership on this planet, an effort I had only started with no further plans. Well, there was no time like the present, and the trip to the ship gave me a little time to plan out what I wanted.

When I arrived, however, I was met by a small group of people. Officer of the watch, the Twistcatcher, The Omnissianic Congregator, the ship Steward, the Purser, and of course the confessor and his preachers.

The officer of the watch, a clean-cut officer with an impeccably styled mustache and perfectly fitting uniform, carrying a data slate, spoke first as soon as I stepped foot on the ship. "Lord Captain, the voidsmen are running on triple shifts, only kept standing with stimms and recaf. I need more bodies to keep the ship safe and the crew in line!"

The Twistcatcher, a greasy and pale older man with a sour and suspicious expression followed suit without missing a beat, "The mutant population is hard to keep under control when I cannot requisition troops from the voidsmen to help cleanse their nests when we find them, Lord Captain!"

The others kept quiet, so I could only assume it was not urgent, or even good news. Pointing at the officer of the watch, I said, "You have permission to promote workers from the trusted crewmen to full armsmen, to the extent it is required to let the troops function on high alert. But do not overdo it, or take advantage of this privilege. Dozens of men would love nothing more than an early promotion!" My orders were clear. Scrutinize new armsmen before promotion, make sure the work crews were not crippled, or suffer demotion from a station important enough to doom him to be a junior officer for life.

I swung my finger to the Twistcatcher, "You. With the increase in armsmen, you should be able to handle emerging nests. Focus on prevention of growth rather than extermination until more troops are available regularly. You are both dismissed!"

They bowed and left to carry out my orders, both satisfied and left wanting. The Omnissianic Congregator stepped forward and bowed deeply before the robotic voice rang out. "The mechanicus thanks you, Lord Captain. Our numbers are swelling as the planet's criminal population declines. A masterful solution to two problems at once. I have been ordered to offer mechanicus assistance in the establishing of proper infrastructure on the planet below, within the boundaries of the Imperial decree, of course." Good news indeed, and a much better response than I had expected from the Mechanicus. Then again, I was a newly formed Rogue Trader. Having some goodwill points with me would always pay off, and I had already proven that I was able to work out satisfactory deals. They must have deemed me an asset to invest in.

"I accept the Mechanicus offer for aid. You are free to start from the mountain that serves as a center of conflict and work your way outward. There are elements I need to get under control as we expand." I answered and the Omnissianic Congregator stepped back.

The Purser and Steward stepped forward, "We have been working the numbers, and we believe there is a truly great amount of profit to be made. The lumber this planet has so much of can be worked into masterfully crafted furniture that the various powerful people around the Imperium would pay almost heretical amounts of to get a hold of. We suggest filling our holds with fine furniture and placing orders for more across the entire planet. We should be able to fill the hold within 2 months if we estimate correctly."

I liked the idea, even though I would feel like a flying Ikea, roaming the universe for people to sell my shitty furniture to. Then again, there was a certain amount of laughter to be derived from nobles paying their weight in cut gemstones and gold, for a wooden table that had seen the loving attention of a master carpenter. And I had another idea. "Double the price if they start working immediately. With the profit we stand to make from such a small investment, we would be stupid not to buy our way to the front of the line. And with the changes being made on this planet, it might be a good idea to show people it can only be for the better."

"As you will it, Lord Captain" They answered in unison and the greed glinting in their eyes as they started whispering while they walked told me they were perfect for the job. Profit above all, and they had learned not to try and steamroll me. Good.

Finally, the Confessor stepped forward and I saw him draw in a breath for what I could only assume would be an impromptu sermon. Not on my watch! "I summoned you," I said as I lifted my hand to silence him, and I saw him possibly wilt with disappointment, "Because these fine preachers will have to do a very special duty. An assignment that could only be passed to the most faithful among us." I saw the fanaticism shine bright in their eyes as I spoke, " There are heretics and unbelievers on the planet below. They have infiltrated villages and most likely positions of power among the population. Your task will be concentrated on two things. First, and most important, you will root out and destroy any hint of heretical activity. Second, you will assume the positions of local administrators change in government. I need people I can trust to take control of the local settlements and keep them in line while spreading the good word of the Emperor, at least for the foreseeable future, until suitably pious men or women can be found among the local population."

the Confessor looked uncertain when he spoke up, "Women? Lord Captain, we are not connected to the Sisters of Battle. What would be the point?" And while his words were true, his preachers seemed to not care about that little aspect of things, They were busy mumbling among themselves.

"But it never hurts to make friends with people in powerful places, and the militant arm of the Ecclesiarchy is never a bad friend to carry some goodwill with, Confessor. If you find it alarming or out of character for me to tell you this instead of just insisting on my order, it is because you will find I am not like most Captains or people of influence in the Imperium. You have your orders, now go see to it that my will is done. Transports will be provided as well as a small contingent of troops to take care of the more... Aggressive negotiations, as well as any uprising that, as unlikely as they are, might still occur. Do not forget to consult with the Imperial regulations concerning the planet before you make landfall." I waved a hand dismissively and the group of preachers filed out of the hangar with the Confessor in front.

Finally. I could focus on what brought me back here. I made my way towards my quarters using the shortest route I could dig out from memory, but it still took a while to get to the bridge, and from there, my quarters.

As soon as the lift had carried me up, I could sense the staff. It felt like bugs were crawling all over my skin while the air became denser and more putrid to breathe. Then I saw it. Even if it was not standing straight up by itself, there would be no denying that this was an artifact of immense power, connected to chaos. As tall as me, engraved with ancient runes, and moldering with visible miasma of plague and entropy, it made the room feel smaller and the air stifling. I removed my cloak and used it to wrap the staff tightly. It would not do much, but it diminished its overwhelming presence and made it possible to move it without too much risk. I would have to rely on my natural resistance to combat whatever residual energies made their way to my person. But where to put it?

Using the internal vox system, I put in an immediate order for a large iron box with hanging chains inside to suspend the staff in the air, until I could get my hold on a null box that was big enough. I wondered for a moment how Nurgle would react to that. Placing something in a null box was the same as taking it out of the equation forever until removed from the box. It might as well not exist in this realm when it was placed there. And I couldn't imagine a chaos god being happy with someone detaining a magical artifact granted to them. But I would chew that food later. For now, I needed to secure this... Thing! somewhere relatively safe and out of sight of anyone who might, for some reason, enter my quarters.

With the pandemic staff wrapped up tightly, and a few moments to myself, I collapsed in one of the comfortable leather chairs I had acquired from the previous governor.

I suddenly remembered I had stopped with my status screen the moment I was informed of Nurgle's shenanigans. A quick scan revealed nothing new, except a rise in XP, but that was expected on account of the fighting I had been engaged in. But not nearly enough for a level-up. I was left with my thoughts after that. I could not leave this planet as it was right now. Society would collapse, or be removed from the planet in holy fire by whomever was designated to take over as governor. I had to see this fight through to the end. If possible, I would have to find, and capture, the leader of the heretics, though catching a person that was most likely a psyker, would be difficult, to say the least. But if I succeeded, I would have secured my place as rogue trader, in the eyes of the Inquisition. It would also give me the ability to roam without oversight if I was right. After all, how could a militant trader that hunts heretics, be unsafe to let loose on the universe? If I played my cards right in the near future, then it would be looking bright indeed. Not just for me, but for this planet, and the people currently serving on my ship.

It was time to ramp up the war effort on the planet down below and look for opportunities to either rid myself of this cursed staff or lock it up inside a null box.