Tell me a story: pars duo

[Jacinda]

Did I mention I am doing this for purely selfish reasons? The Sisters of Battle are truly my favorite subject and I love to hear about them. We all have our own perceptions and it is fun for me to see how other people see them.

This week I thought we might use a prompt or a theme to get the ideas flowing.

 

 

 

The Ritual

 

What sort of imagery does the phrase conjure up for you?

[sedibear]

"What was her sin, Sister Superior?"

 

Stoic silence from the accused, as the priests hooked up a masked sister onto the Penitent Engine.

 

"Did she not serve as we did? Did she not fight in as many battles as we did?"

 

No screams as the cables bored their way into her skin. The engine roared to life.

 

"No, Sister. She believes she has fought in too many."

[BitsHammer]

"What was her sin, Sister Superior?"

 

Stoic silence from the accused, as the priests hooked up a masked sister onto the Penitent Engine.

 

"Did she not serve as we did? Did she not fight in as many battles as we did?"

 

No screams as the cables bored their way into her skin. The engine roared to life.

 

"No, Sister. She believes she has fought in too many."

 

I guess the old fluff of Sisters being to retire into the non-militant orders, the Inquisition or other branches of the Imperium isn't a thing anymore?

 

Anyways, the possibility of Sisters of robot horses (my own speculation regarding the 50mm base rumor being a heavy cav model) made me write a bit about one. Cause why not?

 

 

 

Her hard boot soles clicked on the stone as she crossed the courtyard of the small convent as she walked towards the small wooden building that sat off to the side. Her breath hung in the cool air as she unlocked the door and stepped inside. A lumen strip flickered on overhead as she pressed the activated rune, filling the silent building with a low hum. Other devices began to activate as well, and a monitor flicked to life, displaying status conditions in glowing letters. With a few key strokes she typed the activation sequence and the creature came to back to life.

 

A black lacquer coated the plated surface, each mimicking the muscular look of a warhorse, each section edged in a gold filigree as the equine shaped body shuddered to life. Its back had a built in saddle, covered in brown leather, and reins hung from the connection points on its head. A steel hoof pawed at the floor, confirming that it had been brought online correct.

 

As she unhooked the cables and tubes that fed the creature power as well as the drug and nutrient cocktail fed into the brain encased in the metal head of the steed and for what was not the first time since she’d taken over the task as its caretaker she found herself wondering what brain lay inside the mechanical body. Logically she knew it was most likely some kind of horse, but occasionally she heard whispers that at its core a mind scrubbed heretic, given a chance to serve the Imperium once more.

 

As the last connector was removed the open plates slid shut its head turned to look at her, its blank black eyes seeming to bore into her as it offered the reigns. The beast never made her feel comfortable, but she did her appointed task as had those before her. It wasn’t clear how long it had been in service to the order, or even how many people had served as its caretaker. The only clue to its past was a small inscription on the placid metal face of the creature, right between its eyes, ‘to repay a debt’.

 

Canoness Josephine stood in the courtyard, waiting for her. ‘The heretics are growing bold and need to be show the error of their ways. Is my steed ready?’

 

She nodded, ‘Yes Canoness.’

 

The older woman nodded in thanks as she slid a booted foot into the stirrup, before effortlessly lifting her power armoured form into the saddle before accepting the reigns. On one hip hung her sword, the other an ornate pistol. With a snap of the reigns the horse broke into a gallop, its hard steel hooves thundering on the stone as it bore its rider to bring the might of the Emperor to the heart battle once more.

 

 

[Aqui]

Hushed whispers. Within the antechamber, Sister Maya spoke in hushed whispers to her Sister Superior, Rose.

"She has been in there for hours..." The impertinence of her words was evident, but Rose had to agree. She had been.

"Idle curiosity begets Heresy Sister," was Rose's response. But still, she was as curious as her young charge.

An old woman, possibly in her middle one hundreds opened the door. "She will see you now," said in a tone that gave warning. A warning to what, however?

Within, the Canoness, Saffron Sera stood in the centre of the room, naked, her back to them. She was being helped into her armour. It seemed that she was having difficulty...

Approaching her, the two Sisters could in the gloom see why. Her back was bloody. That was an understatement in fact. Her skin glistened with blood. welts and deep cuts marking her back. To one side, a masked Sister of the Repentia held a power whip, itself dripping in blood. Sister Maya gasped, and Sera turned her head slightly, as if realising their presence for the first time.

"Sisters," she acknowledged.

"This is Sister Maya, Lady Canoness," Rose said, her voice spoken in respectful whispers.

Sera turned, allowing the indentured servant to fix the bodice to the rest of her armour.

"Yes. I have heard of your deeds. I wish you to carry our standard this day." It wasn't a request and Maya shivered in fear and awe in equal measure. The Canoness was a truly striking woman. She towered above nearly all others in the Order, and her height intimidated all those who were not gene-hanced. Her battle scarred face was stern, but still not unkindly at times, framed by the reddest hair she had ever seen. She had led this Order for longer than Maya had been alive.

Maya saluted her Canoness "You give me great honour, Lady-Canoness."

"Await me at my transport. We leave within the hour."

Escorted out by the venerable woman, Maya's curiosity got the better of her, but the older woman answered before she could utter the question.

"She scours herself. Before each battle she scours herself to honour those who have died under her leadership. One lick of the lash for each."

"But that numbers into the...!"

"Indeed, child. She mourns the passing of each one. The pain drives her. Not the physical, for that is temporary. But the ache in her heart."

Maya shook her head in wonder. Hundreds.

 

Hundreds.

[sedibear]

 

 

 

I guess the old fluff of Sisters being to retire into the non-militant orders, the Inquisition or other branches of the Imperium isn't a thing anymore?

 

 

This was more about a Sister believing that she's killed too many in the name of the Emperor (for fighting in too many battles), and this belief being seen as a grave sin by the rest of her Order.

 

I wasn't aware of that bit of fluff, that's interesting.

[*Furyou Miko]

It used to be that Sisters could transfer freely between the Orders should the request be approved. This has never been retconned, although it hasn't been mentioned for a while either.

[Aqui]

It used to be that Sisters could transfer freely between the Orders should the request be approved. This has never been retconned, although it hasn't been mentioned for a while either.

In my short story above, the old woman is a former battle active Sister who became too old to fight. Rather than an honourable death or other "retirement"in some form, she was kept on to guide new Sisters. I suppose kinda like a Sisters Chaplain. Not sure if that would be fluffy though...

[*Furyou Miko]

Makes sense to me. The old mentor role, not the chaplain moniker.

[Aqui]

Makes sense to me. The old mentor role, not the chaplain moniker.

Perhaps the term Chaplain is too inappropriate, but yes certainly a mentor

[MrFlutterPie]

The assault transport bucked and rocked as it started its final decent.  The crude field guns of the Orks spat solid slugs and beams of energy at the transports.  A pair of avenger Strike Fights held in tight escort formation behind the lander like two vengeful guardian angels. The sisters paid no attention instead they sat on the combat benches their heads bowed in prayer. 

 

The Superior walked along her fellow sisters approaching each warrior.  Quietly she whispers “sister are you prepared to purge the enemies of mankind with zeal and faith until the glorious day that you are martyred for the Emperor?”  Each sister replied the same way “Yes it is his will that the witch, mutant, heretic and xenos be purged.  I have but one life to give in service.” With each oath taken the Superior affixes a battle seal commemorating the battle to her sisters armour. 

 

With the last of her soldiers have taken the oath the Superior kneels with her sword drawn pointed down to the dirty deck plating in quiet meditation.  The lander bucked and heaved as something struck the side of the craft.  The combat rune on the door turned from red to green.  The sisters all stood behind their kneeling Superior loading their weapons and readying them for battle.  The green rune starts to blink rapidly as the Sisters steady themselves as the lander shakes violently as the landing thrusters kick in. 

 

With a large thud the lander hits the ground of Kepler Primus.  The assault ramp slams to the ground revealing the din of battle.  The Superior rises quickly and leads her squad down the assault ramp.  “To battle my sisters the enemy already knows defeat for the battle is joined by the Adepta  Sororitas and we shall not falter!”  The squad deploys among six thousand other landing craft emptying the contents of there hold.  The war of faith to reclaim Kepler Primus was underway.