The enormous shape screeched in a cacophony of voices as it dragged its massive bulk out of the cave and into the light. nearing 10 meters in height, A misshapen mountain of flesh dragged its body forward with its many misshapen limbs. The many heads grafted onto its body, some blind and some not, snapped and sniffed in all directions in an attempt to find something worth eating. Various tubes and mechanical bits were surgically grafted into the mutated flesh, and unknown fluids shining with the sickening glow of warpstone were being pumped continuously into its body. Primitive wheels reinforced with crude iron rims helped it move much faster than possible for something of that size.

The heavy bolter rounds impacted and blew small chunks of flesh off of it, but almost as fast as the wounds were inflicted, new flesh grew out to close them.

"FIRE AT WILL! UNLOAD ON THE MUTANT WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!! ENGINEERS, LEAVE THE WORK AND PREPARE TO REPELL THE SMALL MUTANTS!" This was bad, this was really bad, and I shouted my orders without trying to conceal the panic. It would help them realize that this was not just the whim of a strange rogue trader. The area lit up with the light of 200 las pistols firing in unison with the heavy bolters and the damage slowly started building on the abomination approaching us.

It was not enough. at this point it would reach us before we could do enough damage to it, it was already within a few hundred meters of our position and the damage only made it angrier and faster. I sensed more than saw the panic spreading among the troopers, their fire rate increased while their accuracy fell, and the battle banter was replaced with sharp-tongued directions instead. A literal hailstorm of stubber rounds flew through a hole in our ranks with almost unholy amounts of fire pouring forward. A glance over my shoulder revealed Archimedes, the techpriest, firing all 4 of his macrostubbers with astonishing precision. I had no idea when he arrived, but I was thankful he was here. A missile flew overhead and connected cleanly with the center of the abomination, the explosion and subsequent shower of gore stopping it dead in its track.

It wasn't enough. With a shriek of pain that shook the walls and made the dust rain from the cave ceiling, it threw itself forward, the unholy concoctions flowing into its body already knitting together the damaged tissue and growing new flesh. "KEEP FIRING! USE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!" I screamed in near panic, fumbling for an extra charge pack in my pocket. with my free hand, I started fiddling with the settings on it, trying to overcharge it to the point where it became unstable. It took a few seconds, during which the abomination closed to just outside of throwing distance. A sharp *BEEP* told me I had succeeded, and I threw the charge pack with all my might. It impacted the advancing mutant before falling on the ground and getting covered by the wheeled contraption that helped it move before the charge pack exploded

More powerful than a regular grenade, but not as powerful as an overheating plasma weapon, it was enough to ruin the wooden wheels and grind the advance of the abomination to a crawl. With my off-hand being free once more, I drew my falchion while I kept firing and prepared myself for the melee that was still approaching.

"MY LORD, PLEASE STEP ASIDE!" A voice rang out behind me, and almost by instinct I did as asked. A white-hot beam of psychic energy blazed past me, followed by a scream imbued with psychic energy, both colliding with the beast. The psychic shriek made it impossible for it to use its limbs to absorb the molten beam, as it wreaked havoc on the already splintered mind of the abomination, and the beam cut cleanly through the unarmored flesh. Despite the unprecedented amount of firepower and psychic powers being leveled against it, it still advanced, whatever thoughts remained inside of it having been reduced to a single instinct. To crush, kill, and devour whatever it could get its limbs on. The multitude of heads cried out in pain and anguish, snapping ferociously in the air in the hopes of catching a random opponent in their jaws, and with a mighty effort it reared high above our loose formation before crashing down and crushing a dozen troops under its bulk, limbs thrashing and mouths ripping at the already dead men and women.

The proximity did have a single upside. Every trooper that had one, fired their shot cannons with devastating effect, turning almost the entire front of the abomination into little more than ground meat. With another unholy screech, it shuddered and fell over, its body crashing audibly to the ground.

People started cheering and celebrating, but I was not so quick to relax. I was waiting for the thing to burst and a small army of large rats to emerge. When it didn't happen, I made a choice. "Don't stop attacking! It's not finished!" I barked and the confused soldiers looked at me as I lunged forward and slashed at the body with my falchion. The wound I inflicted started bleeding profusely, but it also started knitting itself back together. Before I could launch another attack, and before the troops around me could react to what I was doing, the abomination began moving again. It started dragging itself back to an upright position, slowly at first, but quickly regaining motor control.

"BY THE EMPEROR, KILL IT AGAIN!" I screamed as I started slashing wildly into its still heavily wounded body, desperate to inflict as much tissue damage as possible in an attempt to slow its return to life. Several troops close to me followed my example, abandoning ranged weapons in favor of stabbing and cutting at the beast. Little did it help. With a mighty heave, the hellpit abomination once more reared high above us and screeched its fury and hatred into the air. With its mobility restored, my attacks quickly turned into a frantic defense, trying to block or parry the raking claws and gleaming teeth that could now reach me.

I spun, ducked, fired my laspistol with my offhand, and blocked as many of the attacks as I could manage. The sounds of the troops around me were deafened, their weapons fire and shouting became insignificant in the face of the task before me. I was fighting for dear life, every move made with a singular purpose. Survive. I was not fast enough nor strong enough to stop every attack, but so far my carapace armor was absorbing what my skill and ability could not stop, but for how long? My movements were a blur of speed, more instinct than thought, but I could feel my energy burning fast. I could not keep this up for long, and the towering mutant in front of me had warp-infused Skaven potions and concoctions being pumped into it every moment of its life. The mere fact that I was still standing was a testament to the power of mankind when backed into a corner. Or more likely, a testament to the power of the system boosting my natural ability.

A searing pain shot through my left arm, and with a twist of my blade, I cut off the blind and misshapen head that had clamped its teeth down on my wrist. Even after being cut off, it still hung on to my arm, its jaws locked when I cut it off the body. Now robbed of my laspistol, my defense became frantic, driven purely by the instinct, the very need to survive, and I started stumbling backward, The abomination pressing forward with the taste of my blood still fresh on its lips.

"FIRE!" A voice boomed almost as loud as the initial roar of the abomination that shook the cave ceiling, and I heard synchronized bolter fire being unleashed upon the abomination. I could feel the *whoosh* of the bolts as they passed me, and every time one of them detonated, the small explosion sent out a shockwave that felt like a small punch to the face. But it gave me the pause I needed to create distance between me and the horror that had wounded me.

With distance, the sounds of the rest of the battlefield came back to me, and I realized that the number of weapons fired far exceeded the number of troops I had brought with me. Allowing myself a short moment to sense the battlefield, I got the feeling that thousands of troops were pouring forth from our established defenses, but I could only hear bolters and the occasional flamer. A hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me backward. A melta gun fired next to me, burning a deep hole in the Abomination who was now screeching in pain and anguish as bolter fire slowly reduced it to bloody chunks. The wave of rats that exploded out of its body, the last dirty trick of something so unholy, never left the carcass as bolter round explosions ripped them apart.

"Extra ecclesiam, nulla sallus. Extra laborem, nulla puritas. Extra bellum, nulla victoria. Extra Imperatorem, nihil." The same powerful voice that called on the bolters to fire was now reciting the prayer of Dusthaven. "Purify the remains in holy fire!"

"Outside the church, no stone. Outside work, no purity. Outside war, no victory. Outside the Emperor, nothing." I mumbled in low gothic as I was dragged backward, the meltagun in the person's hand firing mercilessly into the once more collapsing abomination.

"You are almost as skillful as you are reckless. Engaging in melee with a beast like that is something that should be reserved for the Astartes! I do not know what manner of luck shielded you until we could reach the frontline, but a man of lesser station would have been left to suffer the defeat you were staring down!" The stranger was admonishing me while still dragging me along, back behind the line of troops and combat engineers I had brought forward, and I noticed they had been reinforced. Sisters of battle in their powered armor had joined the ranks and were dealing quick death with their bolters and flamers, and the helpit abomination was now little more than a burning pile of corrupted flesh and broken crude machinery. I managed a good look at the person dragging me, and even if he had not been wearing the classical witch hunter hat, the large book carrying the mark of the Inquisition that was chained to his hip, the power sword next to it, and the melta gun in his hand told their own story.

"Fight not for glory, but for duty alone. For only in death does duty end." I recited the book of the Ordinator, both to rebuke his words, but also to redeem myself of my very reckless idea of trying to fight in melee.

"With the fire of His wrath, we exist and come far afield to strange worlds to Hunt the Hunter." He responded and let go of me, letting me fall to the floor. The Skaven had been gathering while the helpit abomination made its attack, but seeing it fall made them scatter back into the darkness, no doubt to find someone and make them report the failure. Whoever delivered that message would undoubtedly experience just how creative a Skaven grey seer could get in their punishments. "But knowingly putting a great asset of the Emperor in great danger could be seen as the first step down the road of heresy!" His tone was harsh and his eyes hard, the fanatical zeal and intense scrutiny in the look he gave me hinted that he was bordering on the brink of insanity, only kept in check by his oath to his duties and his absolute faith that he was doing the Emperor's work.

"Trust the God-Emperor. But trust your blade, too!" I snapped back as I got to my feet, only now becoming aware of the wounds I had received during my fight with the abomination. Numerous lacerations and cuts adorned my body, dragging long and deep groves into my carapace armor. I had insistent notifications blinking annoyingly in the corner of my vision but now was not the time.

"Words from the vigilant Atellus Thrax. Perhaps you are not lost yet, Lord Captain. Take steps to ensure your personal safety in the future! For now, I must insist that you lead me to the wretched artifact you sent word about, after which we will discuss your fate." The witch hunter said in a formal tone that left no room for discussion.

But discuss I would, I was a rogue trader, damn it! "I will more than happily hand off that foul and unholy thing to someone more competent in dealing with such matters, but as for my fate, I would say it is already decided. As any good Imperial would do, I alerted the proper authorities upon discovery of the artifact, had it placed in a secure location, and put it under the protection of sanctioned psykers from my flagship to suppress any foul influence that might spread from a thing of such danger, as well as my personal retinue of Ogryns. Their simple minds and loyal demeanors will shield them from negative influence.

And while I waited, I have been waging righteous war in the name of the Emperor to rid this world of corruption and mutation. Outnumbered, we have picked a fight with an inferior enemy that nonetheless has the potential to drown us in numbers. I have faced down a chaos champion and emerged victorious, I have killed one of the mutant psykers, wrecked their unholy warp mechanism, and kept more troops alive to keep fighting in the name of the Imperium, than most other commanders with 200 years of command experience would be able to.

I have rooted out heresy in the top of this station's leadership and had the role of planetary governor, with all the responsibilities and troubles that come with it, forced unto me until a suitable replacement can be found, leaving my duties to the Golden Throne to be neglected. Now you tell me, witch hunter if those are the actions of someone who is not loyal to the Imperium and the God-Emperor. By the throne, you see me covered in the wounds I acquired fighting the enemies of mankind!" We had been walking back as I spoke, the stone-faced Inquisitor narrowing his eyes more and more as I spoke, stopping and turning to face me at the end of the tirade.

"All of those exploits you lay claim to will be easy enough to verify. Considering your recent promotion to your current station, you will of course forgive my skepticism. Then again, new rogue traders are not chosen without scrutiny. In any case, my agents are questioning your soldiers at the camp at this moment. I have already been informed of an unusual eagerness to speak about your character. I find that curious and I must admit that I am experiencing something truly rare in my dealings with you, even before we have interacted. I am feeling a sense of anticipation. And for that, I will extend my gratitude. I thought such things lost me over a century ago." He nodded to me as we casually strolled back toward the tunnel leading to the cave with our base in it. When we passed the established defenses that had kept us safe so far I called out to the arch-militant, currently overseeing the advance of the Inquisitors' troops from his vantage point of the hastily constructed and heavily fortified defensive works.

"MOVE THE TROOPS FORWARD, MORE ENGINEERS TO WORK AND AT LEAST A THOUSAND TO HOLD TO THE AREA AROUND THEM UNTIL THE BUNKER IS COMPLETE!"

"At once, Lord Captain!" He called back while forming the Aquila and bowing slightly. For a moment I wondered what the sudden show of respect was for, but then I thought about it. I had shown myself willing to listen to those more experienced despite my infinitely higher status, I was not afraid of getting stuck alongside the grunts when things got rough, and I strove hard to keep the peace among the differing factions both in and outside my flagship which allowed for better overall function, and I tried to preserve the life of the common soldier. That last part was especially important to a man like the arch-militant, as it gave him access to a larger, growing pool of veterans to use. What most of them failed to understand, which I had in the back of my mind at any given moment I had to resort to force, was that I needed to get into the habit of preserving troops. Out among the edges of unexplored Imperial space, I would have little to no chance to reinforce at will, so I would have to make do with what I had, which meant keeping as many of the poor souls alive, as was humanly possible.

We had been walking in silence, the Inquisitor and I, and lost as I was in my thoughts I did not notice we had made it back to camp, and for once I was immensely happy to see the confessor moving toward us as fast as possible while retaining his dignity.

"Lord Captain," He began with a deep bow, "The preparations have been completed and the funeral rites are ready to commence at your pleasure. It was my hope you would join the men in prayer. They have grown fond of your attention to the common Imperial citizen."

"Funeral rites? I would like to know more, confessor!" He demanded, "Since when does the common soldier deserve the luxury of a public funeral?"

"Since they gave their lives in penance for earlier transgressions, protecting our Lord Captain during his successful raid to destroy a foul warp mechanism. They have fulfilled their task and made it to duty's end." The confessor snapped back. He was not outside the influence of the Inquisitor, but the headache of troubles it would cause with the Ecclesiarchy was enough to put him in a safe zone, and they glared at each other, united in purpose but forever divided in approach. "Well, I guess that's one claim verified." The Inquisitor finally said.

"Not only will I attend, but I wish to say a soldier's prayer once your official rites have been completed. This will happen, Inquisitor, but afterward, I will continue to cooperate to the fullest extent. But these men followed me into battle, and as their commander, I will see to it that they receive the honor they have earned in death. This is not up for debate, no matter the Inquisition's wants and desires." I told him, and the look he gave me told me exactly how little he appreciated my sentiment, but I enjoyed quite a bit of protection as a rogue trader and he could do nothing to prevent it.

"...If you must." He finally relented, but I noticed his hand twitching toward the bolter on his hip.

"Inquisitor, need I remind you that we work for the same masters?" I added, gesturing to the symbols on my, now badly damaged, carapace armor, and his face softened slightly, but the hard and slightly crazed look in his eyes stayed. At least his hand stopped twitching.

The rest of our walk passed in silence as we approached the funeral pyre that had been built for the purpose. The soldiers and Ogryns that had given their lives had been placed there, and I knew I had to address the Ogryns as well. This was not their way of burial, and as simple-minded as they were, they still had strong wills when it came to their few rites and rituals. One of the confessor's priests was holding a small speech about the fallen soldiers, but when I made it to the raised platform, He respectfully finished and made way for me to take a stand.

I looked over the gathered soldiers, their eyes staring back at me with a mix of elation and sadness. I didn't blame them. "Soldiers," I began and took a deep breath before I continued. "As we say our goodbyes to the fallen, we must not forget our purpose for being here. As we send these brave souls to the loving embrace of our Emperor, allow me a moment to say a prayer for the repentant fallen.

I took another deep breath and put on a solemn face before I started reciting the prayer of the fallen.

We stand the last watch for our fellow guardsmen.

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Who has fallen in His service.

Holy God-Emperor, we beg of thee

Take these guardsmen who has lived and died righteously in fear and love of Thee

To Thy right hand where they may bask forever in Thy glory.

We honour them and all who fall in Thy service

And pray for Thy mercy for ourselves.

We salute our brothers and sisters in arms and see them shine in glory

Beckoning us ahead on the path of duty

To where He awaits us.

Their duty is done.

Ave Imperator!

All the gathered soldiers repeated "Ave Imperator!" and made ready to return to their duties, but I held up a hand, signaling that I was not done.

"I am not finished! While the prayer over the dead is all well and good, these brave guardsmen died while repenting their past transgressions. I desire that they reach the Emperor's embrace with a clear conscience." The confusion spread on the faces of the gathered soldiers, except for a small handful. Those were the survivors of the group I had brought with me to destroy the mechanism holding the screaming bell. Another deep breath, and a moment of silence before I began another prayer.

“We live only at His sufferance; to whom can we reach for guidance? Only to you, o Emperor, who are justly angry at our failings. Shut not your ears to our prayers, but spare us; turn not your gaze from our suffering, but forgive us; where our human failings cause us to fall short of our duty, grant thy strength to lead us to your light."

People of the Creed, of the Imperium of Humanity, hear me; your sins are confessed, your repentance is sincere, your penance has been mighty and heartfelt. In the midst of all our darkness, there is light; for He is our beacon in the night. His grace, our strength, and our salvation; His mercy, our forgiveness, and redemption; His truth, our blessing, and our path. Though you have erred, to Him you have returned.

Igitur ab vitiis tuis te abluo, in nomine Imperatoris et imperio ipsius. Therefore I wash you from your vices, in the name of the Emperor and his command"

I exhaled slowly as I scanned the gathering in front of the pyre. The gathered soldiers, the witch hunter, the confessor, and everyone else within earshot were left with their jaws on the floor. What I had just done was beyond unheard of. A rogue trader, a person so immensely powerful and protected that even contact with xenos was not enough to taint their name, had just performed the prayer of absolution for the redeemed over the corpses of common guardsmen. Such attention to the common Imperial citizen was unthinkable, and yet I had just done it. The confusion slowly turned into what I can best describe as adoring worship, excepting the witch hunter of course. Turning to him, I spoke in a normal tone of voice.

"There, Inquisitor. Now I will gladly follow your directions. That wasn't so bad, now was it?" I knew I was pushing my luck, belittling him as I did, but I didn't care, I had done a good thing this day. I had shown my troops that I did not see them as expendable tools to be used and thrown away. I had shown them that I cared enough about their lives to feel concerned for their souls. And I had shown the same to the retinue of the witch hunter, something they would be murmuring about for a long time, provided their master was not within earshot, of course.

"Follow me." His voice was a mix between resignation and fury, the kind of voice you expect to hear from an executioner. which, when I thought bout it, was not far from the truth. Witch hunters were notorious, even among Inquisitors, for being zealous beyond reason, bordering on fanatic. His pace was quick and his direction was obvious as he headed toward the shack with the pandemic staff inside. I braced myself mentally for the coming interrogation, but he stopped in his tracks as soon as it was within view.

"Abhumans!" He spat out the word with such hatred and vitriol that it shook me out of my musings, and I followed his gaze to my Ogryns.

"Sanctioned Ogryns assigned to my personal retinue. Attacking them is the same as an attack on me Inquisitor. Need I remind you of the consequences of such an action without proper cause?" I countered, and a vein popped out on his forehead. Even if I had not been able to see the look on his face, the sheer hatred and anger that emanated from him was more than enough to give me a solid clue as to how he felt about the situation. So, he was a Puritan, opting to kill all abhumans on sight, preferring the safe approach of 'just in case'.

"Do not consider yourself redeemed as of yet, Lord Captain, as I still have many questions that require answering before I cast my judgment upon you. Your little stunt a moment ago will not be enough to persuade me of your innocence!" He waved his hand dismissively, but I pressed on.

"If you truly believed me to work against the best interest of the Imperium, we would not be having this conversation. At best, you have suspicions, but nothing tangible enough to justify executing an agent of the Throne, much less a rogue trader. My title may not be hereditary, but that only speaks in my favor, as I was given this great honor to spread the Imperial truth to the unenlightened fringes of our growing empire, rather than inherit it. So, I propose I take you to the dark artifact, after which you and I will go to my tent, your retinue included, of course, share a glass of amasec, and I will answer any and all questions you have, truthfully and without hesitation." I gestured toward the shack with the Ogryns and psykers surrounding it, guarded by what looked to be Mordian Iron Guards, no doubt from the Inquisitor's ship.

He said nothing, he just nodded and waited for me to lead the way. Prudent, as it would deprive me of any opportunity to put a shot in his back. Not that I planned to, but it showed why he was a successful witch hunter. He didn't leave things to chance. I sighed slightly, put on a carefree attitude, and started walking ahead of him at a brisk pace.