”I have to say, general, when your requests for reinforcements stopped coming, I feared the worst. But I see now that my fears were misplaced.”

The intergalactic comm spoke in a crisp, bassy voice. The general listening with a satisfied smile on his lips, letting himself bask in the praise he was receiving as he was alone in the large office, filled with holographic displays and furnitures of all make. Sitting inside the commanding office that was placed at the helm of his mothership, humming quietly in the depths of space. A hum he’d long gotten used to.

He gently stroked his chin, making sure to not ruin his pristine, black, and well-groomed beard, lest he grow lazy and ugly. He was patient with his response, basking in the glory of what he’d accomplished, knowing that it was a feat few could imitate.

“Yes, it has been hard fought, and it will still take a few more months before we fully reconquer the planet. But with the dedication of our soldiers, and the wits of our officers, I know that it’s only a matter of time until we are victorious.”

“Very good, very good indeed. We are very pleased with your performance, even if you had too, let’s say, overcome a few obstacles. Your expert use of the resources at your disposal has proven to us that our faith in you was not, misplaced.”

The general smiled pleasantly, lifting a still warm cup of mead to his lips, basking in its sweet and savory flavor. An automatic door opened behind him, and his smile immediately vanished with a blink. He gestured with his hand for the one entering to wait, focused on the call at hand.

“As you say, creativity had to be used, and fear had to be utilized to keep the populace in check. Our recruitment program has also gone above and beyond our expectations and truly bolstered our numbers. But I can’t take all the credit, for without my brave soldiers and officers, what is a general?”

“Quite elegantly put, general. I have to add, too, that your use of the Varangians has been exemplary, and surprisingly tactful. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of using the Varangians as propaganda to both bolster our forces and strike fear into the enemies. And dare I say, your use of the Varangians to throttle the enemy’s back lines and take out their leaders has been textbook, and it will be used in future lectures to teach prospective leaders of the empire.”

Inwards the general smiled, pleased in knowing that this could mean nothing but a promotion and a medal to his name. Another one to bolster his growing collection. If he’d known that Varangians were this useful, he’d used them at the beginning of his campaign and wouldn’t have shamefully asked for reinforcements, like any other cowardly general.

With only a minor cough, the general responded quickly.

“That is a great honor. I doubt not that the future generations will take in the lectures with great fervor.”

“Yes, truly. Now general, if you have nothing else to report, I wish you a successful continuation of your campaign. Glory to the emperor.”

“Glory to the emperor.”

He responded as the comms cut out, leaving the room silent, except for the constant, low humming of the spaceship as it hovered in space.

With a soundless breath, he turned around and faced the person who’d entered the room. Spotting the corporal, standing at salute with his back straight and gaze fixed on nothing but air in front. Staring at the corporal, he waited an uncomfortable amount of time, basking in the glory he’d garnered from his superior.

Not wanting to sully it with whatever report the corporal was going to hand him.

But he would have to tackle reality, no matter how much he did not want to, and gestured for the corporal to stand at ease and speak freely.

“Thank you general, I have just been informed that the Varangian, known as hel’s chosen, has succeeded in his mission.”

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, for that is not a report that would usually be told verbally, the general nodded, remaining silent as he saw the corporal had more to say.

“Although he hasn’t, killed her, yet.”

He said with some slight hesitation, trepidation? Confusion? The general couldn’t quite place the emotion, presumably because he wasn’t trying. Nay, instead, his eyes grew narrowed as his mind churned quickly. He asked immediately.

“What do you mean?”

The corporal was also quick to respond, though with some slight, hesitation.

“A report came in a few hours ago from a commander that, according to the report, had been informed by a sergeant that they had found the location of the rebellions leader, but when they tried to execute her, they were stopped by the Varangian. According to the sergeant, the Varangian had said that he would let no one harm her until she had guided him to the location off… Some AI’s, sir.”

“AI’s? That’s preposterous. There are no AI’s on this planet, of that there is no question. Why in the hel is OUR Varangian protecting the enemy’s leader then?”

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The general responded immediately. And again, the corporal answered quickly, face blank, but sounding just a little uncertain.

“It is as I said. According to the sergeant, the Varangian was adamant that the rebellion leader would not be harmed. Not until she had guided him to the location of some AI’s.”

“What? That is ludicrous, something’s not right. Are we sure that the sergeant is speaking the truth?”

“Yes. When the commander realized the sergeant hadn’t killed the rebellions leader, he was immediately put into custody. But, even after hours of, interrogation, he was adamant that the Varangian was protecting the rebellion leader under the guise of being guided to the location of AI’s.”

The general stared in disbelief, looking as if he was simply taking in the information. He glanced down at the table in front, mind thinking at speed.

“Do we know if the leader has somehow fooled hel’s chosen to do their bidding?”

“We don’t know, sir.”

“Do we know their location?”

“They were last scene at the city of Haugar before venturing north, presumably towards the city of Agra.”

“Do we know their exact location?”

“No sir. But we have control over the region and can set up a communication network to track them down, if you so wish.”

Silence as the general pondered, leaning against his hand that was leaning against the table, staring out at the holograph in front of him. Showing him a scene of a large battlefield that was stable, even pushing back in certain sectors. His foothold on the planet had expanded, and two emblems on the hologram glowed the brightest. Two Varangians at strategically important locations, doing what even the most elite company cannot do.

A third emblem, now within his forces’ grasp, glowing even brighter than the two earlier symbols, was heading even deeper within his control, having a cargo that was of utmost importance. With it, he could win the war. With it, he could finally leave this forsaken planet.

Instead, it seems the cargo had not only evaded death, but had also tricked one of his most important pawns to their side.

“Do we know this, “supposed” location of AI’s?”

“No sir.”

His fist clenched underneath the table, digging fingernails into the palm of his hand. His face was a mask of nothing, staring down on the holograph, down on the symbol of the Varangian that had been nothing but tremendous to his entire campaign.

A singular Varangian that had inspired men, improved morale, instilled fear, and made this war go from impossible, to certain victory.

A singular droplet splashed on the metal floor below the table. He took a deep breath in, and one out. Staring, thinking, pondering.

Until a thought stuck out to him.

“Has he, gone rogue?”

The corproal’s eyes grew in size while his eyebrows shot up, glancing downwards before immediately returning to a neutral face. Speaking up with a slight hint of, confusion.

“No sir. His readings before the mission, and the actions he’s done, are well within acceptable parameters for a Varangian. He has not gone rogue.”

The general took the information in, looking around as if searching for an answer. An answer that came to him like a lightbulb lit under the darkest stars. He spoke up with a certain, bravado to his voice, one he only used when he spoke to soldiers before a great battle.

“Well, that is unfortunate. To think our very own hel’s chosen has gone rogue, protecting our enemies even though the mission clearly stated that she was to be killed.”

“No, general. He has not gone rogue-“

The corporal started saying, interrupted by the general.

“It really is unfortunate, isn’t it, Corporal? That our very own hel’s chosen have gone rogue.”

A slight pause as the general stood, clenching his slightly bleeding hand behind his back, staring the corporal down.

“It’s so unfortunate that we will need to send for reinforcements, as per protocol. Dictating how one must act in case of a rogue AI within their ranks.”

The corporal blinked several times, a face of neutrality slowly crumbling with the words of the general. The general holding the corporal’s eyes, making sure that he had all of his attention as he spoke, calmly.

“Truly unfortunate. But luckily, through sheer grit and determination, we managed to kill hel’s chosen. Though we needed to blast him into smithereens to guarantee that he was dead. Therefore, the subsequent investigation will have to rely on the words of our reports. Reports that will clearly state that the Varangian, for seemingly no reason, went against the mission and went rogue.”

The general nodded at his own words, then speaking up a little louder, more forcefully.

“Truly, truly unfortunate. Isn’t it, corporal?”

The corporal stared in shock, his mask of neutrality broken, openly staring as if the general was speaking blasphemy. Words coming out stuttered, unsure, uncertain.

“N-no general, we can’t do that. We-we-“

“Isn’t it, corporal?”

The general seethed through clenched teeth, pushing his bloodied hand down on the holographic table, pooling a small amount of blood on it. The corporal saw, and blinked.

A tense minute elapsed in silence. A minute being an impossibly long time for the situation.

But eventually, the corporal stood straight, sweat forming on his forehead as his face grew blank, speaking up swiftly.

“It is general.”

“Very good, corporal. Now then, I will need you too make sure that the commander and sergeant are informed of the new information. And if they still claim that the Varangian was looking for AI’s, you will make sure that they, disappear.”

“Yes, general.”

“Perfect. This is a most unfortunate event. Yes, truly. An event that will be told to the rest of the army with nothing but grief. We will tell the army of the treachery from hel’s chosen. We will tell them how our champion betrayed our cause for nothing but a woman. We will tell the army that he is no longer to be considered a Varangian, but a traitor.”

“Yes, general.”

The corporal responded with slight hesitation, staring out into nothing as he stood in salute.

“And we shall send out an order to every soldier and every civilian. We will order them that the Varangian once known as hel’s chosen shall be killed on sight, and any information regarding him shall be immediately forwarded to the nearest commander if one cannot kill him.”

“Yes, general.”

“Then go, the death of hel’s chosen is our, and the armies, top priority. He will be killed before reinforcements arrive. And unfortunately enough, his body will not exist once they do.”

A slight pause, silence as the corporal looked out at nothing. A silence creeping towards tense before the corporal saluted properly and shouted.

“Glory to the emperor!”

The corporal then turned around and marched out of the general’s office. Leaving him alone in the large room.

The general stared after him as he left, looking until the automatic door closed and he was left there. When he was alone, he glanced down, spotting his bloodied hand. Lifting it, he saw that it had left a bloodied handprint atop the holographic table and atop the symbol of his forces. One bloodied fingerprint atop the symbol for hel’s chosen. He stared down at it, then at his hand. It was damp with his blood, not much, but enough to stain and drip.

Closing his fist, he glanced up at the closed door. Alone in the room, he granted himself the small satisfaction of slamming his already bloodied fist down on the holographic table.

“Goddammit.”

He shouted to no one.