Knud was waiting for Eirik as he returned to the *Void Wolf*. "Captain, a word, please?" he said the moment Eirik stepped off the shuttle.

"Do you mind if I get out of the armor first?" Eirik replied, not expecting to be disturbed upon his return.

"Yes, I would. It's quite urgent!" Knud was unusually insistent, so Eirik followed him as he made his way to the laboratory.

"So, what is this about, Knud?" Eirik asked, feeling quite uncomfortable in the lab while still in his armor. There was not a lot of room to move.

"When I unpacked the different kinds of biological contraband we stole from the smuggler, I stumbled upon written instruction that was put in at the bottom of the crate. Instructions on how to genetically engineer them, to be specific." Knud was more serious than Eirik had ever seen him before, but he still did not see the connection.

"So what? Diseases get modified all the time." Eirik said in response, trying to dismiss the subject.

"The instructions are so comprehensive on Terran physiology and how to modify the diseases to target the Terran genome, that it could only have been written by a Terran doctor of considerable skill and knowledge." Knud had fixed Eirik with a death glare as he spoke. Eirik took a few moments to process the words before the truth dawned on him.

"The Kloxna has recruited one of our own to take down our species!!!" Eirik could barely contain his anger, but moving around in the lab would destroy more equipment than Knud would forgive.

"YES!!" Knud all but shouted, "Someone is actively working to kill us through diseases we already think cured!! It's devious, it's horrible, and it is downright brilliant. We would treat them as we would any other day, but with genetic modifications, it would not be effective and before we discovered the mistake, it would be out of control. Plague would run rampant on whatever worlds they managed to infect, with no chance of stopping them without extensive medical research and we both know how horribly long that takes." Knud's voice was a mix of pure hatred and unfiltered awe.

"It is so elegantly simple that I have to admire the person that came up with it. But I also want to be the one that personally drives a scalpel into his brain!!"

"I can fully sympathize, Knud, but was there any indication of who wrote the instructions??" Eirik's mind was working overtime. He was tired from the boarding action, the adrenaline had left his body on the shuttle ride back, but his mind was racing.

"None." Knud said, "but I plan to scour all medical journals I can get my hands on to see if I can compare the language and the style of writing. It's the longest of long-shots but it is all we got."

"Do whatever you can, Knud, you have my full support. Forward this to my grandfather as well, he will want to know as soon as possible."

Knud froze for a second at Eirik's words. "Would it not be better if you messaged him, Captain?? Why would he believe me when you are available to do it?"

Eirik just smiled and replied, "Come on, Knud, I know you are his informant on my ship. I have known for a long time,"

Knud's jaw dropped and he gave up all pretense of innocence, "How? How did you know?"

Eirik's smile grew wider, "After my duel with Tai'Tanu, when I woke up, I messaged my mother. When I called her, she told me that my grandfather had informed her that I was going to survive. And I wondered, *How did he know?*, for a few days before it hit me. The only person that had any contact with me besides Jesper, who does not speak with my family, was you. You were the only one who could have told him about my health. A rookie mistake, Knud."

Knud threw his arms up at the sky in a frustrated gesture and Eirik chuckled.

"Why, Knud?? You could have just told me you reported to him and I would not have cared." Eirik finally asked.

Knud put on a defiant look and said, "Then you would not have entrusted me with access to information and meetings to the same degree."

"True" Eirik had a half-smile on his face "Because, my life is my business. No one else's. But you didn't care, Knud. You knew my choice and decided it did not matter!"

Knud was trying to look up from the floor, but could not find the strength. He knew Eirik would have been angry if he ever discovered he was spying on him. He had been prepared for that. Anger, resentment, hatred, he had been prepared for all that. But the disappointment and betrayal in Eirik's voice was the last thing he had expected.

"I trusted you, Knud. I trusted you with my life, literally! I had full faith in you. But I guess my grandfather pays well." Eirik shrugged slightly and started making his way to the door in the unwieldy armor. "I hope it was worth it" Was the last thing he said as he left the lab.

Knud wanted to apologize. Over the years on the ship with Eirik, he had come to trust and care for the young man. He was a good person at heart, despite his strange and often conflicting way of living. To lose the trust between them was something he wished he could reverse. Earning it back would be difficult, maybe impossible. But he was going to try. And he was not going to spy for Colonel Benny any longer.

_____________________________________________

Eirik was happy to get the armor off once he reached the armory. Signe was there, impatient to inspect the suit, but was pleased to see it had not been damaged. His shield had soaked the damage.

"Good to see you finally take care of one of my babies," She said to Eirik who just grumbled and muttered under his breath. He had at least one and a half days before the next raid and he had special plans for this evening, so he hurried towards his room. Closing the door behind him, he locked it and immediately moved to get the wood box from the corner of the table. 7 minutes later he had rolled himself a joint and was looking through his music list. He settled on the *Brothers of metal* albums and put them on a playlist.

Leaning back and lighting his joint during the intro to the song *Yggdrasil*, he closed his eyes as the vocals began and let the music become his universe.