Burn

"Talk with Dionaea somewhere else but make sure she doesn't put on her armor yet to have a more casual/friendly talk. As in wear a normal outfit, not naked."

DC 20

Roll 24 +2-20=6

Failure

I shook my head. It wasn't like me to be so eager to leave the chapel, let alone have Dionaea as company. The thought came and went, easy to dispel as grands of sand.

Besides I had greater uses for her.

-----

“Anyone who runs is a heretic!” I announced over the roar of flamers as The Sisters and I swept through a civilian deck of my new station.

Let them think I’m a child now. My mother’s armor fit perfectly. Her bolter already worn to the grooves of my hand. We cackled and sung hymns over the screams of the guilty.

I didn’t even feel faint.

——-

"A glorious victory to The Rogue Trader!” Wisteria announced lifting a class of amasec high into the air.

“To the Rogue Trader!” My closest 100 friends echoed down the length of my dining table. These were those nobles and spit littles, I was telling you about.

“It was like seeing your mother reborn!” One of the sisters praised.

That felt good.

The hunt had been fruitful. We burned many icons of the enemy, but no more artifacts. It would have been too much to ask for more than one. It also proved the station would need a thorough scrubbing before it could be left alone.

My scribes were already making lists, my priests forming missionary squads, and my enforcers setting up tribunals. Order would be restored on that station. My order.

Few people at the table knew of my fainting spell. Master Cerus our Astropathic Choir Master had examined the blue box, and concluded that it had indeed contained a demon. A demon let loose, by Dionaea foolishness. I was having a hard time rousing myself to anger on that point, the emperor had spoken on that issue.

The Choir Master had his own say on the matter of my soul, and like Doctor Jennings he gave me a clean bill of health. He could only guess that the demon had used their chance to return to the warp, after decades of imprisonment. I welcomed such news.

All around, a pretty good day.

-----

"It's a bold choice Lord Captain." One of my courtiers boomed, overfull of Amasec and not lacking boldness of his own. It was popular wisdom to never comment on the Lord Captains attire with anything other than humiliating enthusiasm.

Never the less I smiled, be cause it was bold. Especially on this ship, a walking nunery. Women were either bound up in the heavy skirts and corsets of traditional imperium fashion, or in modest robes. A daring skirt, a bit of leg. It was scandalous and I couldn't deny enjoying the feeling. "Today felt like a good day for bold choices."

Or perhaps he meant the cow pattern. The servants had removed Dionaea's blood without issue, and I was back in my cow print. So very... me. Bertha, like a cow. Heh I don't know why that thought slid so easily into place in my mind, but it did. It was ridiculous I knew, but I liked a little ridiculousness from time to time.

The truly absurd thing about the pattern is that in a month's time you wouldn't be able to find a lady on the ship, not wearing cow print. Not a noble lady of course.

"Good, the cattle should look the part."

"Pardon?" I looked around the room. My officers had retired form the banquet, and I'd gone to drink port with the nobles. We now rested in one of the many pleasure rooms on my ship, small islands of ease amongst a behemoth of sweat and toil. This room was a simple library, set along a corridor and decorating a rather grand staircase. It was nothing compared to the ship's actual archive, but it had a fire place and a few plush couches.

"Lord captain?" The nobles leaned in, confused, but covetous of my words.

"Who said something about cattle?"

The looked amongst themselves looking for the culprit, and none came forward. "I'm afraid I missed that line myself." A portly man guffawed.

"Yes." Another man agreed. "Don't tease us, who said that?" He tried helpfully.

"I'm curious to know as well." Said a lady. "I heard it too lord captain." She lied.

No one came forward. Who would? What if a stray word had offended me, and I hat them servitorized? I wouldn't speak up either if I was them, only I was sure someone said.

"Fine." I laughed, and the whole group could have melted with the pleasure of the melted tension. "Keep your secrets."

"Honestly, the nerve to deny the Lord Captain." One man blustered, and sipped from his cup of port. "Tell me captain, have you given any thought to who you'll appoint to rule that fine station?"

I smiled. I see Wisteria's search for a replacement Station Master had begun.

-----

"Awww stressful day." Keiki tutted, as she brushed out my long hair with an ivory brush. "I can tell by your scalp."

"Not really," I confessed. "Battle, diplomacy, betrayal. It was stressful yes, but a good kind of stress. I felt tested."

She giggled. "You passed no doubt, you're so smart."

"I feel I did." I nodded.

To actually be here, at the mouth of the vortex after all these years. My destiny was here, I'd finally redeem our order, my mother, and live up to all the expectations this ship had for me. Blood had been spilled this day, icons of the enemy destroyed, glory won.

"I feel I'm finally becoming who I was meant to be."

"No. You're becoming something more."

"Thank you."

Keiki made a curious noise. "I do what I can, mistress." She set the brush aside. "Will you be wanting tomorrow's robe in a similar style as todays?"

"Until another mood strikes me, yes." I smiled at her.

She nodded. "I'll inform the Tailor immediately." A dozen little orphan hands would be working on my dress before I was asleep.

Then I got a strange little hair. "Keiki did you ever sleep with my mother?" I blushed. "Have sex with her, I mean?"

Keiki laughed. "What's got you asking that?"

I blushed some more. "Well you're a sex slave, and I dunno. I just had this thought today that made me think of it."

"Oh no. Your mother had no such desires. If she kept me around it was so she could resist temptation, but I don't think she could feel temptation."

"That can't be completely true, she had me."

She looked away at that. "Well that's a special circumstance..."

"I understand." I said kindly.

"Would you like to sleep with me?" Keiki asked, innocent as a mouse. As if she'd offered to warm me a glass of milk before bed.

I blushed, and stumbled over my words. "No of course not! You're my maid, and a woman, and and, no! Goodness no!"

"Okay okay." She laughed. "I apologize for the temptation."

I huffed. "What temptation?"

"Fuck her. Fuck her now."

DC 60

Roll: 45+2=47

Failure

Ah! There was that thought again, stronger this time. My hand trembled, almost reaching out to her, but I snapped back before I could humiliate myself any further.

She smiled. "I've upset you, I'm sorry lord Captain. I'll wake you in the morning, and do better! Good night!"

"Good night Keiki." I said, falling into my bed, my mind racing from the day.

-----

Welp that Chapel trait's already causing trouble!

If comments are similar enough I'll only roll one one of them. I felt like that scene should have ended there, but I'll keep the unused comments, banked for when the time comes!

Tomorrow's a new day! What sort of tricks to the voices want to play?