Despite my frustration and anger, as soon as I saw the Commissar, it dissipated like mist. What was initially going to be a lecture and latrine duty became an incident that could lead to multiple instances of incarceration or worse. And, of course, when I saw Sel was shot, I rushed passed the Commissar and called for the medic. I likely did not endear myself to him, but I did not quite care at that moment.

Hours later, after myself and a few of the troopers had helped Sel get patched up, I escorted her to my office with the condition she do nothing strenuous for a fortnight. I sincerely hoped it was not going to be strenuous, as the Commissar was accompanying us, as was two other troopers, Kolcek and Pvt Boffin, alongside Morek, of course. I had walked there despite the Commissar's insistence to take me and the others aside to speak, as I wished for the home field advantage.

Once everyone was seated in my office, the Commissar, a fellow named Sobek, began speaking as I had expected. The political officers enjoy their own voice, and think shoving their weight around is the Emperor's Gift to the masses. To be honest, I almost faded out for a moment or two. He seemed to be reciting some edict from one of the endless manuals they have to memorize to laud over the rest of us. But thank the Emperor, I sobered up at just the right moment.

"...it is within my authority to see Corporal Lorica Seldon held and tried for conduct unbecoming a trooper of the astra militarum, and attempted murder."

"Why?" I asked, and the man blinked, clearly unused to being questioned, even by officers. I admit I had a deep-seated distaste for wanton authority, but more than that, I could tell from the numerous whispers I had been told over the past few hours that Sel was innocent. "She has served this unit with nothing but commendable loyalty since I came aboard."

"And she was placed under your care because of numerous infractions-" The Commissar rebuked, voice rising.

"She is serving her time as my liaison as ordered-" I began, but the Sobek cut me off.

"and continuing her unabashed contempt for command by brawling with another squadron and utilizing a live lasgun-"

"Did you not see the lasgun wound? Do you think she shot herself?" I retorted, almost smiling with incredulity at this ridiculousness. The accompanied men, and Sel, followed our back and forth silently.

Commissar Sobek scoffed, shaking his head as if I were a particularly stupid Ogryn. "Sentinel pilots are known for their...rambunctiousness, and I doubt she even knows the proper safety protocols of handling arms."

I paused, merely staring at the Commissar for a solid length of time before I cleared my throat. "I am afraid I think that is entirely baseless, Commissar. However, you are in your right to do what you will. However, I am in my right to make it very difficult for you, and throw myself in there with her if need be. This is not a road that serves the purpose of the Imperium, which means it is not a road you likely wish to tread."

The Commissar glared at me with a look I still think about today. It was quite a beautiful sight, as he looked so surprised and with such a lack of comprehension at my doggedness, he nearly gaped. I was so unintelligent, despite my bluff working, as I was so very close to being thrown onto the chopping block. I wondered if he would pull out his own laspistol and gun me down then and there. However, as he opened his mouth to rebuke me hotly, Kolcek spoke up.

"I did it, lieutenant!" He barked, and all eyes turned to him. He looked nervous, but kept his nerve by staring forward, focusing at the corner of the wall. "I withdrew my laspistol. Corporal Sel took it from me, but not before I accidentally shot her. She was just trying to keep me from killing someone. I was... I was disoriented, not thinking. I didn't know if the Langeroth men were going to hurt us more. It all happened so fast..."

The Commissar looked at Kolcek with a look of distaste, clearly unhappy with this confession. I knew what he wanted. He wanted someone to blame and stick on a pike, and it would keep the squad at maximum capacity to punish the trooper who was injured, rather than incarcerating a healthy man or woman and keeping them from active service. With all of Sel's marks of insubordination, it would have been easy to stick. He was no doubt going to visit the Langeroth regiment next and give them a similar once over, but that did not fill me with joy, either.

"The fact of the matter is, Commissar, my men were attacked in their bunks. If anything, they were acting in self defense. I can assure you by the name Caladwarden they were upstanding servants of the Emperor to a man." I glanced at Morek, who was chewing on another piece of jerky. Where the blazes was he getting those? "-and abhuman." I added to include him.

Commissar Solbek growled, and then turned on his heels. "I will return to speak on the sentencing of trooper Kolcek, if any is required." He said, and then strode down the corridor, leaving us to sit alone with one another for a few moments of awkward silence. As I would later come to expect, Private Boffin looked at me with wide eyes, mouth open, aghast. "Lieutenant, you were going to throw yourself in front of the lance for one of us!? You're an inspiration!"

Well, it had been more of a factor of my own ego, but if it worked for me...

"Throne of Terra Kolcek were you born an idiot or did you do a rotation after basic!" Sel exploded once she was sure the commissar was out of earshot. Her back and ribs throbbed mightily and though she was aware that she was lucky to be breathing at all, that knowledge did little to cool her temper. Kolcek grimaced and gave her a rather sheepish look. Bad enough to get caught with a weapon that should have been in lockup, but he could have easily said he dropped the damn thing and it went off. Sobek had been temporarily molifed perhaps, by the Lieutenant's heroics and so he might get off with stoppage of liquor and extra watches, but he might just as easily have been shot for admitting to shooting her.

"Uhhh... thank you sir," Sel said turning to nod her thanks to Kayden. It wasn't that he ever stopped acting like an Aristo, it was just that it seemed to flip between useful and dangerous with alarming regularity. Never the less, with her record and without the protection of a scout company commander a sentinel pilot could expect to be on the shit list from the Commissariat plenty without actually getting involved in brawls. She rubbed her eye and grimaced, she was developing a spectacular shiner where that Langeroth fraker had clocked her while she was still waking up.

"How did the fighting start Kolcek," Kayden asked after giving Sel a quick nod. Kolcek shrugged still smiling the same idot smile that Boffin was wearing.

"Those Langercocks came in and started throwing their weight around, saying that seeing we spent our last tour polishing our balls while they were really fighting. Said we didn't deserve such good quaters if we weren't actually going to fight. Some of the boy started talking about taking out those roks ourselves and how it was better than beating up on a few rebels...."

"... and it escalated from there," Sel finished. Simple resentments like this could escalate quickly, esspecially if they were emboldened by a Commissar like Sobek who might be looking for an excuse to unite his own men at the expense of other.

This situation was irksome to say the least. I was not arrogant enough to think my presence here had caused it, but a lot of talk had been circulation about my platoon. Kayden's Conquerors the whispers had said, at least from what I'd heard. Had a ring to it, but it was also the thing to make petty men jealous, though as I said, I was not so full of pride I thought that was entirely the case. There was something else going on there, I gently warranted. Maybe if I did some digging I could find it, but first I would need to attempt to smooth things over with their CO.

I stood up, my chair sliding back from the movement. My face was neutral, and though Sel would later tell me she knew I was mostly making a show, I admit I also had an inkling of truth to my meaning. "Don't get the wrong idea, Corporal." I said to Sel. "You did a bloody damned noble thing, but you're not assigned to do damned noble things, you're assigned to me! If Kolcek wants to get himself killed, don't die trying to stop him! If he's an idiot, it's his problem. Besides, you won't do that again, will you Kolcek?"

My words were icy, and his smile faded. He shook his head vehemently. "No sir, not again."

"Good, and you better make sure of it, or you'll be a liar as well as an idiot." I barked. "I can handle idiots, I can even handle liars, but there's no room for idiot liars in the platoon. The Commissar wouldn't even get a body by the time I was done with you. Are we clear?"

He nodded, too nervous to speak. I took it as the best answer I would get, and drew my officer's cloak about my shoulders. "Dismissed." I told them without further ado. "Not you, Corporal. Stay behind." Sel gave me a look but stopped, Boffin and Kolcek almost tripping over themselves as they tried to squeeze out the door at the same time. Morek waited, knowing he was exempt. Sometimes, I felt like the squat only nominally followed my orders because he felt like there was nothing better to do. Either way, he had proven loyal so I'd take it for what it was.

"You're on light duty." I told her, grabbing my sword belt and strapping it to my slim waist. She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head.

"Is that all, sir?"

"No. To your earlier thanks, no need to. I know you've saved my life, already... Word travels," I explained, and I could see it dawned on her that I had heard she had halted a coup before it had even begun. Though before it got awkward, I continued. "I am going across the ship to meet with their lieutenant, see if I can find a solution to all of this. Be careful around here, and keep an eye on anyone not in our outfit. Now, you're dismissed."

She gave me a crisp salute. "Sir," she said, and left. Of course, at the time I had no idea what activities she was in to, nor what she was about to do. If I had, I would have confined her in the office with a welding torch.

I turned to Morek, who already had my chainsword in his hands before I even had to request it. I took it and slung the weapon onto the swordbelt already snug on my waist. "Wear the ripper gun, but on your back. And bring a dataslate. Make sure you look like you're busy when I need you to." I told him. Morek pursed his lips, his large dark beard shifting, and he shrugged. Good enough for me.

Sel caught up with Kolcek as he paused to try to decipher a crudely marked plackard which directed the troops around the mazelike internal compartments of the ship. They were all still new enough to the ship that unfamiliar areas, like officers country, could throw them. Kolcek glanced at her a little warily.

"Let's have a chat," she suggested, propeling the trooper into a side compartment by force of presence. Kolcek wasn't scared exactly but he wore the instinctive blank face that private soldiers had learned to turn on NCO's since before humans ever left Terra.

"The gun, where did you get it," she demanded, glancing down the hallway to make sure there was no chance of being overheard. Koleck looked around evasively, his eyes falling on arcane pipes and fuse boxes covered in Mechanicus prayer slips.

"Just... you know battlefield salvage," Kolcek answered, not at all convincingly. He had every appearance of a man whose lover is about to find him in bed with her sister.

"Kolcek, this is clearly an officer sidearm and it is brand new, do you know how I know?" Sel asked mildly.

"H..how?" Kolcek asked.

"Because I am not a frakking idiot!" Sel snapped tapping Kolcek three times on the head with the barrel of the unloaded gun.

"They'll kill me, Emperor's teeth Corporal I ..."

"They?" Sel interjected, "That is a promising start."

_____

E Company's billet was several decks down, close to the small Adeptus Mechanicus shrine which the regiments few actual Tech priests had claimed, or been granted some arcane visitors rights too. Many among the engineers were partiall to the cog boys and their strange rituals, a few even wore the hollow cog medallions of lay members. They were billted on a vehicle deck which dwarfed the present need, stretching so far away that the far walls were lost in the gloom, the luminators beyond the immediate are having been turned off to conserve power. A small island of human activity remained, centered around the scores of vehicles that the 2nd and perhaps some other regiments had embarked but the gloom beyond gave Sel an uncomfortable feeling that something hostile lurked just beyond reach. Old hive world instincts prickled and made her more queasy even then the smell of hot welding torches or the screaming whine of cutting tools at work on metal. Seargent Greer proved easy to find. He was sitting with a few of his men beside a flaming barrel filled with gravel and prometheum. There was a bottle being passed around but it vanished as Sel approached.

"You lost corporal?" he called in a nasal voice which put Sel in mind of a more than usually mean sump rat. Sel shook her head, coming to the edge of the firelight. Greer's face reinforced her impression, pinched and hungry looking it had been burned in the past by a flamer so that his right side had the look of a candle which had been held briefly to a hot griddle. The eye on that side was a crude augmetic which blazed in the firelight. He and his crew were some mean looking bastards no mistake.

"No, come to see a man about a gun," she told him. An icy chill went through her guts as the laughter and conversation ceased. Greer himself lifted a partially finished lho stick and tossed it into the barrel.

"Reckon that if your not lost coporal, you should get lost," he said with dangerous calm. There was a sound of wood scraping on the deck plates as several men stood up, clearly willing to enforce the order if she didn't obey.

"Trooper Kolcek told me that if I wanted a gun, you were the man to see," she tried with bright innocence.

"Trooper Kolcek better watch his step the next time he is walking alone, and you... well you are already alone aren't you?" Greer grinned. A man burst from the shadows, a pry bar cocked to strike. Sel whipped the pistol from her pocket and shove it into the man's eye, almost blacking out with pain from the sudden movement as it agravated her wound. The whole scene froze comically, Sel's stolen pistol a foot from the chest of her would be attacker, Greer and his mean stopped in their tracks.

"He better," Sel replied, struggling to keep her voice level through fear and pain.

"Because if he falls down a shaft one dark night, that note I put in his file will go to Commissar Sobek and who knows what might happen? Come to think of it I better watch out too, no telling who might hear what if I were to turn out to be terminally unlucky?" There was a diffuse growl of anger and Greer's features twisted with fury for a moment before resolving into cruel amusement.

"What is this, just wanted to take a look before you turn us over to your commissariat buddies?" Greer demanded. Sel felt a rush of relief that made her giddy as she realised they werent just going to kill her and take her chances.

"You know, that is the second time this week someone has accused me of being a Commisariat agent," she replied, lowering the pistol and thrusting it into her belt.

"I might almost feel offended, but as it happens, I want in."

____

"So how does it work, must be pretty slick to avoid all the Munitorum bean counters?" Sel asked as she took a mouthful of the joyliq that had been offered to her. Greer puffed on a fresh lho stick, blowing the acrid smoke out through his nose like a dragon of legend. Both the liquor and the smokes were of higher quality than was usually found in the regiment, which confirmed Sel's impression that there was money to be made on the black market.

"Well..." he began, his desire to keep secrets warring with his desire to show how very clever he was. It was a one sided battle, the Emperor save her from idiot men.

"We got a way of forging requisitions see, so we just ask for what we want, few extra crates arrive and they are delivered to my boys, once we get it, we take the stuff, pack them expendibles, smoke cyclinders, expended las packs, stuff like that, then send them back claiming there was delivery mistake. No one gets wise because we swap out orders with other legitimate cargos, maybe some administratum drone is looking, but if we do it just before we ship out some place, theyd have to chase us through time and space to actually check up on it, and once they get here..." Greer trailed of in a snicker, placing two hand across his chest in the sign of the Aquilla.

"We sent it back as soon as we saw the problem y'honor," he mocked, playing the part of a piebald innocent protesting in confusion and dismay. Sel had to admit that as fiddles went it was pretty smart. Nothing came out of regimental stores, because it wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. How he was forging requistions was a more interesting question, blackmail likely, or another conspirator. It also meant that Greer wasn't really harming the regiment, it wasn't as though he were stealing food or ammunition that anyone would likely need, and she knew for a fact that guardsmen would pay for extras. Food, weapons, gear, any little extra that might make the difference between life and death, or might be traded to an enterprising local girl who would make life a little more worth living.

"Alright, so deal me in," Sel demanded, "ten percent cut." Greer sucked at his teeth, glancing at her sideways and considering how much cheaper it might be just to have her killed.

"A ten percent fee for you silence? he demanded. Sel laughed and took some more liquor.

"No ten percent fee on top of the ten percent for silence," she demanded. Greer's eyes widened in horror at this naked greed.

"What that other ten percent buys you is access to F companies requisitions," she hurriedly explained. Greer gave her a long look.

"Your B company arent you?" he demanded. Sel turned her collar inside out to show her scout insignia. The scouts were part of F company and so was she even if she was on secondment.

"F company is logistics, so they can get anything and no one bats and eye, it is going to look suspicious if a bunch of Engineers start ordering say pharma, or tech, but no one is going to bat an eye at the confusing mix of shit F has to order. You got so many specalties jammed together there, medical, scouts, training, everything."

Greer's eyes widened as understanding went through him then settled into a greedy smile as he calculated how much more he could get for such exotic items. The answer obviously pleased him and he clapped her on the back.

"It is a deal, but don't be having no real accidents before we get to the sharp end," he warned her.

"Glad to hear it," Sel gritted, the blow to her back making her wound throb in a way she hoped wasn't an omen of disaster to come.

Lieutenant Marcone scribbled a handwritten note silently, the ink pen eliciting soft scratching noises as I waited impatiently. We rendezvoused five minutes ago, by my reckoning, but I had been under the impression he would have been ready to receive Morek and I immediately considering the blatant disorder of the troops and the near death of a handful of them. Whatever he was doing, I found it strange he did not have an aide to do it for him, or that he had not requisitioned a datapad, which might have made the task more expedient.

Finally, with a flourish of his pen, he set the quill down and aired the parchments, before rolling it up and planting his seal on it. Very old fashioned, my father would appreciate a man of his tastes. Perhaps I could too, if he had not kept me waiting.

"Now, as to the matter at hand." Marcone said, handing the parchment to his second, who had approached at just the right time to take it before leaving, as if they had been waiting, watching a picscreen just outside the door. "My apologies on the wait."

"That's quite alright," I temporized, granting an amicable smile as Morek stood behind me, chewing on something as usual. After giving a small glance the squat's way, he looked squarely at me. "As you called the meeting, I assume you would like to speak first."

"That would be acceptable," I said, clearing my throat. It was clear this Marcone was more of a desk officer, and so I appropriated a similar persona, holding myself with an air of professionalism. "At around 0618, there was an altercation in the barracks cordoned off to my platoon. I arrived at 0626, along with the Commissar, and halted the melee before it truly got out of hand. I am here to discuss how justice should be meted, and how we can avoid such conflict in the future, as we are all children of the emperor. We will be arriving to our destination in the matter of a month, and we must be unified before we land." I felt I had laid it out in plain terms, my words only partially dismantled by a soft belch from Morek.

"I agree completely," Marcone responded crisply. "We need to be united before we reach landfall."

A smile bloomed on my face. "That is good to hear. It would not require much harsh punishment for your men, of course. I can provide lip service to my unit to make it seem less congenial."

"My good man, it is your troopers that should be punished." Marcone said without a hint of irony. That stopped me in my tracks, and it took all of my willpower not to give a snort of derision or burst out laughing from the ridiculousness of the statement. I held myself well, leveling my gaze to meet his.

"Lieutenant," I began, emphasizing every syllable. "It was my men that were asleep, when yours attacked. It was my barracks that was assailed. I fail to see how, in any way, shape, or form, my troopers are to blame in this specific scenario. I severely doubt a colonel would disagree with me, either."

"On the surface, you are correct. However, in order to keep further conflict from arising, we must inquire upon the 'why.'" He responded, and cleared his throat. "Are you aware your men have taken more than their fair share of medpacks, equipment, munitions, and ammo?"

"I am aware that we were at the forefront of the engagement with the xenos, and therefore acquired more wounded and lost more munitions, therefore we were more desperate need for resupply. I am also aware it was my deductions that saved the regiment from being blindsided by a waaagh of Orkoids." I reminded him, and Marcone took that as the proverbial nail in the coffin. He gestured, as if it was as plain as day.

"That is precisely my point! It is your...reputation-" As he spoke, I could almost hear the word 'undeserved' during his brief pause. "-that has garnered your men to act so arrogantly. I hear you also disobeyed our Colonel in order to advance upon an enemy without proper reconnaissance."

"We were the reconnaissance," I assured him.

"And now your platoon has taken it upon themselves to requisition almost double what my platoon has received, bragging loudly whilst they do so. I have also received reports of your platoon's nickname."

I glanced at Morek, who looked as neutral as ever, before turning my gaze back to eye Marcone. "So...because my men were wounded and had some bluster for saving the regiment and perhaps the planet, the answer to that is violently attacking them in their beds?"

"The answer is discipline, Lieutenant."

"I'd prefer you call me, 'my lord.'" I said, admittedly with more than a bit of petulance. Truth be told, I did not prefer that even in the best of moods, unless it helped me bed a woman or gain some advantage. However, I felt this man had a massive inferiority complex, and I thought it satisfying to make it worse. I saw Marcone's jaw tighten, and his nostrils flared gingerly. I made sure not to smile.

"Discipline, my lord." He responded.

"I completely agree," I assured him, taking my leave of my seat and clearing my throat, mirroring a number of his mannerisms from earlier. "I shall endeavor to make certain my men do not brag too loudly for their deeds of heroism, and I will do my best to make certain they conserve ammo and bleed less. And in return, I expect you to enact a new standard to your platoon, most notably to keep your men from acting like ravenous dogs. If not, I will put them down. Good day, Lieutenant." Without another word, though I could feel him glowering at my back, Morek and I walked out into the hall and made our way back to my office so I could ponder at this strange conversation.

“Why are you not training with the rest of your platoon Corporal?” Commissar Sobek seemed to appear from nowhere as Sel rounded a corner. She had her first pocket full of credits from the blackmarket deal and managed to avoid jumping out of her skin only by dint of the fact that this was the third such ambush in the two weeks since the fight. She still flinched but no guardsmen was so pure that the sudden appearance of a Commissar wouldn’t unsettle them.

“Sir!” Sel replied, stiffening to something like attention but not attempting a salute. The distant thump of boots on deck plates told her that the platoon was running the assault course in a nearby hold. Distant strains of cadence song echoed through the cavernous steel haulways.

“You ask my why I’m a guardsman,
Ask me why I sleep in a ditch,
It isn’t so much that I’m stupid,
It is just I don’t want to be rich.”

Sel brought her heart rate under control and straightened up, trying to ignore the roll of credit notes in her pocket which suddenly weighed about a thousand pounds. Sobek glared at her, eyebrow arched, awaiting explanation.

“It isn’t my unit Sir,” she explained, “I’m temporarily attached…”

“As a driver, yes I know,” Sobek interrupted. “So I can expect to see you training with your… sentinel pilots?” The words sounded like a curse. Sel ran her hand through her hair and affected an air of confusion.

“You’d have to ask Lieutenant Caradwalden sir, I’m supposed to be at his disposal,” Sel replied. Sobek glowered at her, his lip curling in contempt at the mention of Kayden’s name.

“Perhaps I should speak with him regarding finding you some duties?” Sobek suggested.

“Sir,” Sel responded, neither agreeing or disagreeing, while politely suggesting he get the frak on with. Sobek glared at her for a moment longer, balked by the lack of engagement, then stepped out of her way.

“Continue with… whatever it is you are doing Corporal Seldon,” Sobek ordered. Sel considered it a very bad sign that a member of the Commisariat knew her name but she merely clicked her ankles together and headed off down the oily smelling corridor. She turned a corner towards Kayden’s office and paused. Her eyes caught a flicker of movement in the shadows ahead. It might be rats, but her hive instincts found it easier to believe that a couple of Langeroth troopers with pipe wrenches or entrenching tools. Had Sobek been deliberately holding her in place while they got in position. It seemed far fetched but Sel hadn’t survived these past five years by taking an unnecessarily rosy view of the situation. There had been several fights already, jostling in mess lines, collisions in the showers, that kind of thing. Sel felt a sudden conviction that she should look in on her unit. She turned left and jogged down the hall. This was going to come to killing before the voyage was out or she was a Catachan.