The Daemonette's ear-splitting screech echoed through the cellar storeroom as it was impaled upon the short, broad blade. The Celestian's gleaming white armor was marred by the blackish ichors that spilled from the wound, but the Sororitas paid no heed. Beside her, Mother Rhoda lifted her shield, the claws of another Daemonette scraping across its surface. She pivoted and the power blade in her hand hummed, shearing through flesh made of Warp-stuff like paper. Rhode's eye caught one of the Daemonette's fleeing for the doors. "Stop that one!" She pointed her blade as she shouted, "She must not be allowed to raise the alarm!"
Before any of the sisters could move to engage, Harodiah balled her hands into fists, opening wide the gates that held fast her own warp-spawned powers. The gorge rose in her throat as her mind touched the Immaterium, channeling the chaotic psychic forces into form. The pulse burst from her as though vomited forth, a searing flame that struck the fleeing daemon mid-stride. It loosed only a short howl of agony as it was consumed. The penitent psychic clutched her rosarius and whispered a benediction of forgiveness, feeling unclean for having used her witchery…even in the service of the Emperor.
Katherine quickly stepped into the room from the staircase that descended deep into the bowels of the earth, scanning the large chamber for any other signs of Gaius' beasts. Celestians and Repentias were fanning out among the cases and crates of the colossal storeroom. Several lay in pools of their own blood, victims of the Daemonette's claws…hard as diamonds and capable of rending even the ceramite plates of their Vestments pattern power-armor. Our first casualties of the day… Katherine thought, morbidly. …and certainly not the last.
She almost laughed at the relief she felt, knowing they were inside the Imperial palace…surrounded by perhaps two hundred minions of Chaos and an unknown number of summoned daemons from the depths of the Eye of Terror. Despite the bleak odds of survival, it seemed preferable to the deafening silence and weighted gloom of the tunnel. Here she could finally breathe. Here they would fight and slay and be martyred in the Emperor's name…it was their duty, their honor, and their lives' calling. She had no illusions about their survival this night…but if they could take Gaius with them it was well worth the price.
"Esther!" Katherine called for the dialogus that had bravely volunteered to accompany the Sisters of Battle. The older woman came forward, armored lightly and carrying satchels full of papers, maps, and a portable thought engine. It was with her aid that the ancient plans of the tunnel, and the deep catacombs under the Imperial palace had been deciphered, and the treacherous paths navigated. "Do you know where we are?"
"Yes, Mother Superior," Esther answered, keying up her thought engine. The data was displayed on the monocle optic over her right eye, superimposing it over her vision. "This is storeroom three-zeta, emergency rations storage in case of siege…" She glanced around, locating the two exits to the huge chamber, easily the size of a small stadium. "That exit on the left leads to access corridor zeta. We'll need to turn right, past the small arms ammunition bay to reach the main hall, then left to the Palace courtyard."
Katherine nodded, "Mother Elizabeth." She turned to find the Palatine in command of the First Mission. "The main hall and entrance to the storerooms are bound to be guarded. You and Sword Mission have the honor of breaking us out of this place. Form up on the door there and await orders to engage."
The Palatine tucked a wayward blonde curl behind her ear, the grin on her face mad with zealous faith, "Yes, Mother Superior!"
She then turned to Victoria, who commanded the Second Mission, "Once in the courtyard, Elizabeth will lead her forces against the main palace itself. Mother Victoria, you will take Shield Mission and take up defensive positions around the courtyard. Your task is to defend our backs from reinforcements coming from the rest of the fortress. You must buy us enough time to fight through the palace guards and find Gaius."
"You shall have all the time you need," Victoria vowed, dark haired and dark eyed. "And the reserves?"
"The reserves and the Inquisitor's retinue will come with me," Katherine answered. "We will follow Sword Mission into the palace then break away when the opportunity arises. While they engage the bulk of the guards, we will find Gaius and remove the foul taint of his presence." She looked about until she caught sight of Mother Rhoda, motioning her over. "Rhoda, I want you to keep the Inquisitor in your hip pocket."
"My Celestians and I will be all over her like her own Vestments," Rhoda assured her.
Katherine pulled her quickly aside, whispering in her ear, "Watch her closely, Rhoda. We cannot predict how she will react when we meet Gaius. If she gives orders that conflict with mine, you are to ignore them. If…if she falls from grace…"
"I will give her salvation," Rhoda tapped the handle of her plasma pistol, her eyes hard.
"Right," Katherine strode toward the door, drawing Magdalena's Bane from the scabbard. "Let's move out sisters! Ave Imperator!"
Michaela strolled leisurely across the courtyard, long chestnut hair flowing behind her in the breeze. Her glossy armor of lavender and pink was a profane mockery of her former order, the Adeptus Sororitas. The corrupted former Sister of Battle licked her lips scarlet with gloss and leveled her eyes heavy with violet shadow on the hulking form of a Chaos Marine standing nearby. His armor was a riot of psychedelic color almost painful to look at…as though it overwhelmed the eye. His face and bald head were covered in gruesome scars, most of which were self inflicted by the corrupted Marine seeking to bask in sensation…pain was just as good as pleasure…and sometimes better. Her eyes roamed up and down his eight foot tall frame, marveling at the physique that must lie encased in the ceramite of his armor. "So…is every part of a Marine larger than a mortal man?" She asked saucily.
"I'd break you in half, girl," The Marine laughed.
"Promises, promises," Her hand reached down to unclasp the fasteners that held her armored skirt plates in place about her hips. "That armor looks heavy and hot…why don't you slip into something more comfortable?" Her eyes dropped below his waist, wide with mania. After a lifetime in the convent, her body ached for the forbidden pleasures of the flesh constantly.
The Marine of the Emperor's Children, the chosen warriors of Slaanesh raised a hairless brow as he watched her practically writhe with lust, "I didn't bring anything more comfortable."
Michaela stepped up to him, hands caressing his armor suggestively as though it was his flesh. She breathed, "Then why don't you slip into me…"
As his hands moved to unseal his own armor, the courtyard was rocked by an explosion. Across the stone tiled forum, the wide armored doors disintegrated, globs of molten metal streaking about. Michaela spun around to see Adeptus Sororitas pouring out of the passageway beyond. "What the Fuck?" She staggered as a bolter round slammed into her shoulder, though it ricocheted away harmlessly. "Where the Hell did they come from? How the Fuck did they get into the palace?"
"Who cares?" The Marine brought up the heavy Blastmaster sonic weapon, the preferred anti-armor weapon of the Emperor's Children. With a deafening pulse of sound the weapon fired, nearly knocking Michaela from her feet. In the mass of Sororitas, there was an explosion tossing several of them up into the air. Crimson-garbed sisters fanned out, spraying suppressive fire over the courtyard while white-clad Celestians charged the Chaos Marines and corrupted former sisters defending it. Dominions in white took cover behind columns and stone benches, adding their specialized firepower.
A crimson beam of superheated plasma struck the Marine next to Michaela, instantly melting his ceramite armor and boring a hole completely through him. The Sister of Pain and Pleasure grit her teeth and raised her own weapon, firing psychic bolts into those loyal to the Emperor. "Bitches!" She screamed as she watched a sister fall, rolling on the ground in agony indescribable.
Too late she felt the rush of wind from above. She barely had time to look up before the power sword speared her obliquely from above between the clavicle and shoulder blade, impaling her lung and heart. Collapsing to the stone tiles, she looked up at the glittering golden armor and serene face of the Seraph that had struck her low. Once she had aspired to be one of the elite Sororitas…only the best of the Sisters were inducted into the Seraphim…shining examples of purity and faith. Suddenly all that she had lost when she had broken and abandoned the Emperor came rushing into her mind. The sisters that were martyred here today would live forever beside the Golden Throne, basking in His light…
But for her…there was an eternity of torture in the Eye of Terror. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she felt the pull on her soul, dragging her spirit from her body with hungry, grasping talons. Her soul screamed in unknowable fear and anguish of loss as the world went black…
Seraphim Sister Superior Ayala wrenched the sword free of the corrupted sister and pointed it at the main palace, "Burn the Heretics! Cleanse the Impure! Ave Imperator!"
The tunnels had finally come to an end. Even though the light and air outside them was welcome, Simone knew that it would be the last light many (if not all of them) would see. As she breathed fully for the first time since they entered the tunnels, she felt a slithering against her skin. Gaius. She knew his touch by now. A shiver of revulsion shook her. At least she hoped it was revulsion. She gathered her strength and fortified the shield around her mind.
Simone and her retinue were buried at the center of the group of Sisters and a group of Celestians led by Mother Rhoda. She had noticed the Rhoda had positioned herself opposite of Malachi to Simone's left side. The taciturn Mother had seemingly glued herself to Simone's side and Simone guessed that she had been ordered to do so. It didn't matter. In the long run no power or skill or armored warrior would make the difference.
As they moved across the shattered courtyard behind the first wave of Sisters, Simone was astonished to see that anyone had survived. A pair of Chaos Marines leapt up from behind a broken wall their weapons blazing. Superheated plasma sizzled across the yard and over their heads. But the Seraphim there banked easily and was unharmed.
Simone felt a swelling of hope as the white armored sister fell on the Marines like a bolt of lightning. The hope died hard when a third Marine rose from hiding and cut her literally in two with a Power sword. The woman had no time to scream before the halves of her body dropped in a welter of gore and spilled organs.
Malachi pulled her back and he and Lukas fired round after round at the nest of the Emperor's Children. The Hellguns along with the Celestines weapons made short work of the corrupted Marines. Through the skirmish, Simone stood exposed to the fire, her bolter drawn with nothing to aim at. She closed her eyes briefly. A single bolt or plasma round would put an end to all of it. Gaius would be denied his Bride and through her, his heir. She felt an impact and smiled: finally.
But Rhoda's irritated voice shouted in her ear as the Mother bore her to the ground, "Inquisitor! Take some cover, Please!" Simone hit the ground and rolled as the Celestian sprang back to her feet firing at another group of straggling Corrupted Sisters.
It took a moment to clear her head, but a buzzing fogginess persisted. Bile rose in Simone's throat: she could feel his amusement. Gaius' power caressed her shield as he laughed at her resistance. His confidence in her capitulation was a bitterness in her throat. She reached out to see if she could locate him. His presence saturated the courtyard and Palace but she was unable to pinpoint him. She levered herself back to her feet. Malachi returned to her side, "Lady?" She shook her head and the group moved forward, precluding any response. She prayed that if she couldn't find him, he would be unable to find her.
The rest of the way across the courtyard was a nightmare of quickly taking cover as they were shot at, tripping over the ruined bodies of both friend and foe, and the shouting confusion of battle. Simone thanked the Emperor several times that He had seen fit to guide her steps to the Inquisition rather then her own plan of joining the Sororitas. She fired the bolter into the faces of the enemies but she doubted one in four of her shots hit.
Her moment came as they neared the Palace itself. A group of daemonettes whipped forward a herd of Cultists to engage them. The humans could likely do little harm to the heavily armored, heavily armed Sororitas but their numbers would confuse the fight and make it harder for the Sisters to focus on the true threats.
Simone stepped quickly forward, her hand on Malachi's arm to stay him. She heard Rhoda start to say something but she shut it out of her mind.
"et exsultavit spiritus meus in Imperator salvatore meo, quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae.
Fecit potentiam in brachio suo, dispersit superbos mente cordis sui; deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles…"
Harodiah had been a good teacher. She had showed her the ways to shape her power to focus it. She had given Simone the names of the powers the Ordo Hereticus used. The Word of the Emperor washed over the gathered Cultists like a wave from the ocean. And like sand, they crumbled before it. Not all, but enough fell to their knees or turned outright and fled ignoring the whips and curses of the daemonettes. The Celestians and Sisters fell on the daemonettes with a roar.
As the last of the Word left her, Simone felt a hammer blow to her mind. Gaius raged against her, his unimaginable power filling her to bursting. She dropped to her knees, her hands clutched to her head. He didn't speak to her, it really wasn't even a type of communication, it was just sensation: overwhelming and foul. She gasped as he made her feel his perversion and joy at her revulsion. She dove down in her mind to find the center again and planted her strength there. She pushed back, driving him out of her mind. She could almost see it: a white and gold light straining under a dark force. She groaned with her effort, but his power finally slid off of her.
Malachi stood over her for a short second then gathered her up and set her back on her feet. She held on to him for a heart beat as her equilibrium settled. He didn't say anything, he didn't have to, she knew.
The daemonettes fell to the righteous rage of the Sisters. As they surged forward Simone had to steel herself when they stepped over their fallen. She knew this was the price. But her heart broke for lives ended so soon, and so young.
The portico of the Palace loomed before them. Tall white marble columns soared overhead shading the rusty red tiles that made the floor. From here she knew it would be only a matter of minutes, a matter of steps to Gaius. She couldn't help herself. She pushed against the foul psychic miasma that filled this place. I am here Gaius. she felt her soul harden I'm here for you.