The jig was up. Inquisitor Stella strapped on her armour as she watched a red dot come closer to a green dot on her scanner. A fellow Inquisitor had arrived in the Hope-Nyx passage of space, and their spies had already infiltrated imperium forces in this sector. Perhaps this wasn’t the best time to remove evidence from the vaults of an Adeptus Administratum outpost.

Rogue Trader Emberlyn Driftwood had been flagged up with risk of Xeno defection, risk of Heresy and risk of Conspiracy. Inquisitor Stella had also been flagged since her work began with the Rogue Trader – with crimes of: unsanctioned creation of an Officio Assassinorum clade, failure to adhere to Inquisitorial governance and worst of all – grammatical errors in her Administratum reports. 

Although she could plead her case, she had been so busy jetting around on Rogue Trader adventures, that the case against her would take precious time to mitigate – which meant only one thing: the two Inquisitors would have to fight it out. Few negotiation techniques worked better than simply and repeatedly beating your opponent with a big stick.

The Inquisition had decided to send one of their most adept Inquisitors, someone Stella knew from her days in the Scholastia Psykana (that’s the psyker school in the Imperium.)

Inquisitor Solomon Alonzo Morpheous stood before her, riding atop an Inquisitorial Chimera using the new SUPERLOOP chassis, he had allied himself with the Celestial Lions Task Force – a small but elite band of Space Marines.

“Into the Pale Moonlight,” Stella said, using their old code phrase. She remained steadfast as the walls crumbled around her in flames. Setting fire to the records room was perhaps not the smartest move.

“Far Beyond the Stars,” Solomon replied, finishing the code phrase. He fondly remembered their days in an Inquisitorial retinue. Two Psykers against the cruel dark galaxy.

Stella drew her Force Sword in a defensive position. “I hear you hunt down Rogue Inquisitors now? Soloman”

Solomon pointed his Force Staff towards his former ally. “Only those committing routine heresy, Stella. As it happens, Inquisitor Thaddeus Varn had to be put away recently. It would be a shame if the same had to happen to you.”

“Well, I’m pleased to confirm that I am not a radical heretic. I don’t know what you’ve heard about the Rogue Trader, but she’s not what you think. She’s also off-limits,” Stella commanded.

“Word is that her dynasty… is less than legitimate,” Solomon replied. “And I read about her run-in with Captain Sisko of the Celestial Lions. You’ve also spent more time allied with Xenos than the Imperium of late – don’t think this hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

“I’ve done what I had to, to further the goals of the Emperor’s Will. Now are you just going to stand there, or are you going to duel me?” Stella replied, feeling the full weight of psychic might emanating from her fellow Inquisitor.

“Winner takes what’s left in the evidence vault, I take?” Solomon said playfully – echoing their shared joy of finding secrets.

“You’re on. Combi-weapons at sunrise?”

Solomon nodded. “The Void Lions and I will see you at dawn. Bring your Rogue Trader – it could be a bloody fight.”

At dawn, their forces faced off. Psychic shockwaves erupted from their mind and ravaged the battlefield. Unfortunately, the two inquisitors struggled to get face-to-face, as their supporting forces interrupted them. Stella took several Intercessor grenades to the torso, blasting her and her entire building into the next day. Solomon got to meet Vior’yo, Stella’s Culexus Assassin, who proceeded to annihilate the area with an Animus Speculum.

The next day, Stella woke up in the Infirmary on the Rogue Trader’s ship, the Illustrious Vexation, with a coded message on her dataslate. It simply read: 

‘Only moderate collateral damage. We should do it again sometime. Stay out of trouble.’

One thing was certain – the Hope-Nyx passage wasn’t going to fare very well with two Psyker Inquisitors running amok.

Back aboard the Viper Class Scout Ship known as the Hunters Arrow,  Solomon reviewed the evidence dossier he had retrieved from the vault. However, the ink… was the wrong shade of Administratum approved basilicanum grey. Solomon stood up and scrunched the evidence dossier in his hand and grumbled. “It’s a faaake.”

You can’t trust anything these days.