I'm in trouble.
The one-eyed officer dismissed her subordinates, maintaining a facade of calm as she sat at her desk. Yet, Enkidu's words continued to echo in the hollows of her mind.
"The Bronze Cog Clan from the lower decks has reported you. They claim you've been pocketing bribes from the Star Children and shielding their worship of the False Emperor. They 'sincerely suspect' that you, like the Star Children, are a loyalist dog plotting a mutiny."
The accusation was so severe that once it was officially logged, the verdict wouldn't matter—she would be executed imdiately. As for defending herself or proving her innocence?
Forget it. A Chaos warband didn't waste ti on the due process of mortals.
Beads of sweat ford on Adelina's brow. She bit the inside of her cheek, eting Enkidu's gaze with desperate, iron-clad resolve.
"This is a blatant fra-up! Since I was brought aboard, I have worked tirelessly for the Lords. I've optimized the crew rotations; I've stabilized the food supply. If I truly harbored loyalty to the Throne, why would I work this hard to keep this ship breathing?"
"I knew the Bronze Cog despised the Star Children, but I didn't realize their hatred had reached the point of dragging into the mud. Rest assured, my Lord, I will handle this."
"But can you handle it?"
Enkidu tapped the desk with a faint smile, his eyes searching hers with an unreadable intensity.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Adelina's competence—it was that a mortal simply couldn't "handle" Genestealers. A single claw from one of those xenos could punch through Terminator plate. If a mortal managed to solo a Genestealer Cult, they were either a Living Saint or a direct favorite of the Dark Gods.
Adelina felt a chill crawl up her spine under his gaze. She quickly realized that the situation was likely far beyond her pay grade.
"My Lord?" she whispered. "Is there sothing more between the Star Children and the Bronze Cog...?"
"It is not a matter you can resolve. If you attempt to intervene directly, I'll be reading your obituary by shift-end." Enkidu's bluntness drained the remaining color from Adelina's face. "Let nature take its course. It is better for this boil to lurch into a fever now than to suppress it until the whole limb rots off."
"That's impossible... no, this whole thing is far too strange."
Adelina shook her head instinctively. This was a Frigate-class vessel, not so sprawling hive world where monsters hid in every spire. If an Angel of the Host thought this was "troubleso," then sothing was fundantally wrong.
"In this universe, is anything ever truly 'reasonable'?"
Enkidu spoke softly, giving her space to process the reality.
From the perspective of ship security, he should have tried to maintain a balance between the two cults, letting them bleed each other out without allowing one to consu the other. That would delay a "Great Uprising." But there were no "ifs" in this reality. Genestealers were an infection; they would continue to spread to healthy crew mbers. More importantly, Enkidu was running out of ti.
To survive a warband, every second was a trial. He had to grow his strength and status within a strict window, or he would end up as just another failed initiate—fodder or a sacrifice. If he had enough power, he could survive even if the "brotherhood" fell apart.
Considering the terrifying combat prowess of Genestealers, the idea of an unarmored recruit like him winning a frontal assault was pure science fiction.
He had to play the long ga.
"So, what does my Lord require of ?"
Adelina adjusted her mindset with the speed of a veteran officer. She stopped worrying about the slaves' accusations and decided to follow Enkidu's lead. An Astartes' word carried infinitely more weight than a mortal's when it ca to "proving innocence."
"Be a referee," Enkidu said, defining their roles. "Don't try to peel back their secrets; you aren't equipped for what's underneath. Since they claim this is just a 'clash between slaves,' then the high-born shouldn't get their boots muddy in the pit. Find a way to distance yourself from the Star Children imdiately. However, as a long-ti recipient of their... 'devotion,' I'll allow you to show a bit of character. Give them one final warning."
Let them fight, Enkidu thought. The more violent, the better. Ideally, both sides would suffer catastrophic losses without either being totally annihilated. If both broods were crippled and their Magi unable to unify the clans, Enkidu could stroll in, take a few heads, and hand them to Telax as proof of a successful purge.
But accidents happened. He needed contingencies.
"I see what you're doing, my Lord."
Adelina relaxed, a faint, sharp smile touching her lips. Before her capture, she had been minor nobility; she understood the art of the "guided conflict."
Since she couldn't eliminate either side, she would make them destroy each other. Both clans likely held dark secrets, but socially, they were still just slaves. As long as they didn't break the hierarchy, the nobility on the upper decks remained safe.
"I can do better than that. Given the Bronze Cog's report, I won't just distance myself—I will act as a 'just' administrator. I'll slash the Star Children's rations and reassign their choice posts as a 'warning.' When they start to feel the squeeze, I'll fan the flas, forcing them into a desperate offensive."
"After that, I withdraw entirely to avoid any unforeseen risks. Once the dust settles, you enter to declare the end of the 'riot.' Regardless of the outco, I will formally punish both clans for causing instability and disturbing the peace of the Lords."
"It seems you have more experience in this than I do. I don't need to worry about you." Enkidu laughed and patted her shoulder. The Imperium really did produce top-tier talent; even a random traitor-commander had the instincts of a shark. "One more thing: when the fighting is over, the corpses must not be reclaid. They must be burned to ash with Prothium. Both clans carry a strange blight that can contaminate food and water. Even the dead stay infectious."
"Damnation," Adelina cursed under her breath. "If that's the case, I'd better pray our prothium reserves hold for a few more months. I was planning to toss the lot of them into the reclamation vats for protein blocks."
Enkidu offered a grim nod.
"Before you let them loose, check the armories. Ensure they haven't touched the heavy ordnance. I'll have so stolen Bronze Cog gear returned shortly; make sure it ends up back where it belongs. Adelina, if you pull this off, I'll see to it that Telax hears of your initiative."
He turned to leave, pausing at the heavy door as if rembering a final detail.
"Almost forgot. This business with the Star Children and the Bronze Cog... it's genuinely dangerous. Please, look after yourself."
The female officer froze, stunned by the unexpected concern.
"By your command, my Lord."
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