Blood pooled down the side of her face. The Rogue Trader had taken a serious blow to her head. Still a relatively minor wound considering she had stood up to dozens of shots which had melted the entire deck she was on. Weeks later, the rumours would spread among her crew of the Rogue Trader valiantly taking on hundreds of heavily-armed Xenos, rather than the mere dozen Aeldari who blind-sided her.

The Rogue Trader’s personal medic, Blim, rammed another stim of adrenaline in her chest to keep her conscious, as Greg the servitor carried her to safety. Emberlyn Driftwood had made a wreckless tactical error and ended up in a brutal firefight, barely escaping to tell the tale.

However, the Inquisitor had been retrieved from the Adeptus Mechanic voidship, Voltshrike. Several Kroot mercenaries held off the Voltshrike’s Skitarii rangers and vanguard as the Rogue Trader’s voidsmen retreated to their shuttle with the Inquisitor in tow. That meant the primary mission had been accomplished.

“Inquisitor!” Emberlyn shouted while drifting in and out of consciousness. It was a good job her noble dress was red, as the blood stains were barely visible.

The Inquisitor was busy negotiating payment with the leader of the Kroot, a master shaper called Rak’Thar Starhowl. 

The Kroot responded in a series of clicks, hisses and cawing before speaking in Low Gothic. “The Starhowl Kinband demands payment now.”

“And you will get it, Master Shaper. For a hunt well executed,” Inquisitor Stella responded. “Follow our shuttle to the Rogue Trader’s voidship for your reward.”

Whether she was allowed to or not, she offered the Kroot their pick of food, goods and ammunition from the Rogue Traders’s cargo bay. This seemed to be more agreeable to him than payment in Throne Gelt. 

Rak’Thar clicked his tongue several times and hissed. “Agreed. We take payment and continue hunt.”

The Inquisitor bid farewell to the Master Shaper before dashing to catch up with the Rogue Trader, who was getting hauled to safety. Inquisitor Stella blew a strand of blonde hair out of her face and examined the brave Rogue Trader before her – her valiant rescuer. Well, her and the Kroot, and if she was honest, the Kroot did the heavy lifting.

“Your Ladyship. I am Inquisitor Stella, it is an honour to meet your acquaintance and join forces with you. I am in your debt. As you are to the Starhowl Kinband. I trust your alliance to retrieve me was successful?” the Inquisitor said.

“Yes, I met the Kroot mercenaries. Fascinating folk,” Emberlyn responded. “They wouldn’t let me have any of their Kroot hounds though. Disappointing.”

“It’s lucky we had the Starhowl Kinband temporarily under my employ, or we wouldn’t have made it out alive. As you saw, Kroot mercenaries can be a force to be reckoned with,” Inquisitor Stella explained. “Starhowl even held off the Adeptus Mechanicus while you were picking a fight with Ydrin’s Fateblades. Why the Aeldari were present is beyond me, but they’re up to something.”

“What were you even doing on the Mechanicus voidship, Inquisitor? Why request to join forces?” Emberlyn asked.

“Explorator Fleet Venebris-Lambda 831 were the ones who picked up my distress signal and found my escape pod,” Stella answered. “And after that, they caught me in possession of something dangerous. As for why I need an alliance with such a lowly Rogue Trader… that conversation is best had behind closed doors.”

Emberlyn pouted. “Lowly Rogue-?! My patience wears thin, Inquisitor. Why go to the Kroot mercenaries anyway? My ship holds considerable firepower, so why not come directly to me?”

“I did the calculations, your ladyship, and I’m reluctant to say that the Kroot are far more adept at close-quarters fighting and hunting prey,” Stella answered. “Voidship’s aside, it would have taken you three times as long, if you even got to me at all.”

Emberlyn blinked through the blood in her eyes. “Fine. I’ve seen those Kroot Hounds up close. Very effective. And my ship and crew are weary from traversing through the Warp. We’re still reeling from a warp-incursion.”

“Gracious Lord Captain. I hope our partnership is fruitful. In the name of the Emperor,” Inquisitor Stella said.

As the Inquisitor offered her hand to the Rogue Trader, Greg the Servitor eyed her up with cold green eyes. Stella swore that Greg’s exposed metal head looked concerningly similar to… hmmm.

Emberlyn shook Stella’s hand. “Yes. May our partnership bear the most puritan of fruits from worlds yet unconquered,” Emberlyn replied. Their partnership was forged.