Back on the bridge

Sure enough when I got back to the bridge the warp shutters were down. The crew cast me weary looks like I was sort of warp spawn that snuck through the Gellar field.

“Crew welcome your lord captain back to the bridge!” Wisteria bellowed. Her voice was a hurricane and the crew snapped to attention under its wind and clapped and cheered for me.

“Bask in their worship.” Erotica glowed in my mind.

I ignored her. My time in the chapel had disturbed me. I’d taken it on faith that this voice was holy, but what if it was the enemy playing tricks? Worse than tricks, what if she sought my destruction somehow?

“Give me a report!”

Wisteria snapped to attention and handed me a data slate. “After your collapse we stayed at the station and awaited the arrival of the arcs. We used the time to secure the station, and the new ship. We had several clashes with pirates, but were easily able to parry their attacks. The station was armed, and the arcs arrived. We pulled people off the arc to populate the station, ship, and to get the garden back up to full strength. A month after that a rougetrader vessel arrived at the station. We forced them to pay for goods, and then they left for the vortex.”

“Our head start is gone?” I seethed.

She went on. “This happened two more times, before we made the decision to dive in ourselves.”

“Good, you made the right decision.” I was relieved to say. “What progress have we made?”

“The vortex is uncharted as you know, and the light of the astronomicon is dim. It’s been slow traveling, but the lady navigator says there is a smooth current we can travel on. She senses what could be a presence in the warp ahead. It’s fortuitous you awoke before we arrived.”

“How long?”

“Two days.”

“I won’t be in fighting shape by then.” I sighed, and went for my throne.”

“You have the order to fight for you.” Dionaea said, appearing at the side of my throne as always.

“Where have you been, oh shadow of mine?”

She eyed me, with her accustomed contempt. “I’ve missed your unique garb.” She lied. “I exfiltrated you from that ship when you fell. You have no reason to question my service.”

“That won’t do.” Erotica growled.

“Dionaea!” Wisteria boomed. “You have no right to speak to the lord captain that way.”

“That’s twice now, I’ve blacked out under you guard Dionaea.” Then a thought exploded in my mind. “Oh shit.”

Dionaea gripped her gun nervously. “What?”

“I need to see that box. The one the station master gave me. The one with the demon!”

Wisteria’s worry was clear. “We destroyed it.”

“Fuck! This all started with that!” I realized. “It’s done something to me.”

My officers squirmed at this revelation, but it had the sense of truth to it. That’s also when I started having these… thoughts.

“Sister your faith is being tested!” Erotica declared. “Don’t waiver. The astropath searched your soul for corruption and found you pure, as did I.”

“A second look couldn’t hurt.” I mumbled.

“Lord Captain?” Wisteria asked.

“Of course it could, he’s a foul psyker. Relying on his touch could do you harm, even if he has been sanction by the emperor.”

“I’m going to the choir.” I announced, and rose to my feet. “I need to know what this spiritual battle I’m waging entails.” This announcement, and strong leadership caused Wisteria and Dionaea to scurry after me, while Brugmansia called in my visit ahead of me.

“You’re inviting The Emperor’s wrath.” Erotica warned me.

“With such a dedicated husband, Mrs.Jennings must be just as dedicated and faithful. And such virtues ought to be rewarded! Bring her in, make her one of your handmaidens. And, surely, once she's working directly for you, she will be easy to convince of the great importance of your dynasty and of your need.”

Dc:30

Roll40:+13=53

Success!

Corruption+1

Bertha’s Corruption: 14

My retinue gathered with me in the lift. I glanced to Wisteria. “Also I want Mrs. Jennings assigned as to me as a hand maiden.”

Wisteria looked at her data slate. ”As your Medicae?”

“No. Doctor Jennings is serving just fine. As my handmaid Wisteria.”

She paused, judging if she was in a position to question me again. "Very well." I guess not. "I'll have her informed immediately. What's she done to earn such favor, if I might ask."

"Doctor Jennings is very loyal to her, someone like that should be in my orbit. I need to surround myself with people I can trust." I cast a look at Dionaea, who lightly sneered at the implication of my gaze. She knew of course that if I didn't trust her, she'd be in the cold of space, and not by my side.

"Everyone on this ship is loyal to you." Wisteria assured me, as the lift came to a stop in the choir chamber.

The chior chamber was a large rounded multi tiered room where a dozens of blind psykers did work I didn't understand, in my holy ignorance. Their's was a foul demonic duty, blessed only by the light of the emperor himself. Which made them some of the power powerful psykers out there. They were mostly in charge of communication between ships, planets, time, but when a captain had problems such as mine, they always ended up with these witches.

"Choir master I've come to put you in an interesting predicament." I announced, as I swept my vision across the chamber. It hummed with organ music, and seemed to have a cloud of miasma wafting across from it. The air smelled like ozone.

A man shuffled towards me in white robes, everything about him was white except his skin which was a dark brown. White robes, white hair, and a white cloth wrapped around his eyes, which had been burned from his eyes by the glory of our god. Still he saw him, with his strange senses, and looked right at me, not like a blind person would.

This was a my Chiormaster Cedrus, apparently a young talent when my mother picked him up a few years ago. Well the life of any psyker can take it's toll, and the man before me seemed more like old than young. Though he wasn't wrinkled, he did have a desiccated quality to him, frail and thin.

"But handsome." Erotica considered.

I suppose so, around the face.

"What sort of predicament is that?" He asked, the voice quite deep, and he even dared to smile, which was handsome too.

"You told me that box from the station wasn't cursed, and yet I think I'm cursed now. So your predicament is you can either come clean about your incompetency now, or hide it and become a traitor."

"Hphm." He smiled. "A predicament indeed. "Perhaps we should consider letting me travel the seldom considered third path."

"Which is?"

"I can examine you now." He raised his hand to me, and Dionaea had her bolter trained on him before his hand had even reached the top of it's arch. "Calm yourself Dionaea." He chuckled. "I just want a peek."

"Let him." I said softly.

"It's seems you will not be satisfied until you've been given a miracle." Erotica said bitterly.

DC 100

Roll: 88+12+13=113

Success!

Cedrus suddenly burst with golden light, the warmth of it pouring from his mouth, his eyes every pore of his body.

"Look upon me! Sisters, for it is I Erotica, the Emperor's Saint, his Servant, his child. I've come to your and your Rogue Trader to show her the way in this vortex. Your faith thus far has been lacking, you disappoint me. Blessed is the mind too small for doubt. Allow no more into your hearts! Obey your Rogue Trader, for she is my voice, my will!"

Then just as quickly the light faded, and Cedrus fell to the ground smoldering.

All Dionaea and Wisteria could do was gape.