Flames and Faith

[Lord Grimskull]

Chapter 1- Shadows of the war

 

High towers pierced a haze filled skyline. Scaffolding stretched to the edge of view, work on hive spire Infernus continued to this day. The great Third war for Armageddon had left no hive unmolested.

 

Down in the smog-choked streets the masses ebbed and flowed in their usual dutiful nature, the work of the Imperium never resting. Among the teeming crowds a woman walked, her ashen skin and ivory robes causing her to stand out among the muted colors and filth. To her flank lining the sides of the street are the downtrodden, the battered poor too worn by the last war to contribute to society. They held their hands skyward in alms, praying for any small mercy. The woman walked among them tracing her fingers along their up turned palms and whispered small prayers. While thrones would serve to fill their empty stomachs, she had none, nor did they care — for only she could provide them with the Emperor's salvation.

 

Walking among these sad souls the woman's attention is grabbed by a peculiar individual. This dirty scarred man wore a worn cloth over his eyes and attached to the side of his head are a perilous looking bundle of cords connected to a hovering servo-skull. He doesn't hold his hands out in alms, but instead outward to invite her forward.

 

"Alloh, mum, wouldn'yah in be interested in 'ere'n the Emperor's way?" The man chortled as he gestured toward a set of cards. The woman recognized them as the Emperor's Tarot, a crude divining of the Emperor's will that was both immensely popular and not entirely sanctioned by the Ecclesiarchy.

 

"Citizen, what is your name?" Her eyes drifted toward the servo-skull, "And how did you come by such an immaculate piece of technology?" Her questions were of an authoritative nature, but her expression was soft.

 

"Alvis, mum, and this is my boy Tobias." The man said with a smile, and as he did so the cadence in his voice changed as if a veil had been lifted.

 

"You must wonder how an old beggar might come by a piece such as this? A fair question." He leaned forward toward the woman and lifted his hand to conceal his words to her ear, "I was an Administrator of the Historium Imperialis in hive Helsreach, good pay you know? Well, in the great war I took my family to shelter in the Historium's sanctorum. Eventually the Green Bastards breached their way in, I thought all was lost when suddenly a battle broke out! Emperor save, Astartes clad in black armor had come to save us! However, in the resulting melee an explosion went off near my family. The flash blinded me, and mortally wounded my son. In his dying breath he lamented not being able to serve the Emperor as I had. I was so distraught that I did the only thing I could think of, I gathered all my wealth and took him to the holy Mechanicum here in Infernus to grant him his dying wish... So now together we spread the word and light of the Emperor."

 

The man smiled to the woman wearily, it was clear reliving those sad few moment weighed heavily on him. She gazed somberly at the Servo-Skull as it's mechanized eyes focused on her face.

 

"He says you look like one of the Emperor's angels mum.." Alvis says breaking the short silence. Smiling she brushes the cheek of the skull in a reassuring manner. "I am merely his daughter Tobias, as you are his son, we are all his children. But I know truly his smile is upon you."

 

"Sister Octavia." A stern female voice interrupts. Recognizing the voice Octavia turns her head to acknowledge it. Standing before her are two women clad in gleaming silver power armor, Battle Sisters of the Argent Shroud.

 

"The Canoness is recalling the Superiors for council, we're here to escort you." The Battle Sister continues, then turns to confirm contact over vox.

 

Sister Octavia glanced back to the old man one last time, "Go in the Emperor's light." She said before turning to follow the Battle Sisters.

 

The teeming masses part, like flowing water around stones, as the entourage made their way back to the transport. The trip took several hours, as the ruined infrastructure of the hive left little option for tracks back to the Astroport.

 

Upon arrival to the port, Octavia was greeted by the sight of several of her fellow Sisters. Many had been deployed to the nearby Hive spires to provide spiritual and medical support to the suffering. Many more had been called in to assist the greatly diminished Arbiter force to reassert order.

 

Within moments they were boarded on the transports and heading toward their base of operation, the Grand Cruiser 'The Pyres of Jubilation'. The ancient voidship had been gifted to the Argent Shroud by the Mechanicus and featured a massive Cathedral which housed it's main gun battery.

 

All around the Cruiser swarmed throngs of support craft and pilgrimage ships, making the trip all the more perilous.

 

Once they had boarded the Jubilation, the Superiors were met by the escort that would lead them to the meeting space. Corridors were filled with chanting and prayer, the air choked with incense, great halls expanded into the distance with filled pews of wailing faithful. This did little to distract the Sisters as they made their way to the command hall. They arrived to the space where none save them could enter, the escort left behind as guard. Entering the command hall, a large room surrounded by monitors and with a large steel table in the center, they found Canoness Carmina with two others by her side.

 

First was Sister Superior Moira Tanneric, a Seraphim, and a legend amongst her peers. Her martial prowess was unmatched among her sisters, and when not on the front lines she could be found by the Canoness's side.

 

The Other was a man, well dressed and highly decorated, he was clearly a member of the Adeptus Arbites.

 

"Sisters, please sit." Canoness Carmina gestured with a hand, her expression one of grim resolve.

"This is Arbitrator Lord Griffith, it is an honor to receive him, but he comes bearing ill tidings."

 

Griffith stepped forward and laid a data-slate he had in hand on the table. "Ladies, this is the situation." He flicks his fingers across the data-slate and the monitors machine spirits crackle to life within the room. The screens filled profile photos of dozens maybe even hundreds of missing persons reports.

 

"Two years before Ghazghkull's return we were investigating a sudden influx of missing persons, predominantly from the manufactorum, refinery, and mines beneath the hive. At first we'd considered ganger activity, it's not uncommon for groups to impress heavy industry workers into their ranks, but investigation revealed that the underhive gangers too were suffering from missing members." Griffith thumbs through to a particular profile then continues, "Six months into the investigation one of our own decided to go deep under cover, undergoing extensive cosmetic surgery, in order to blend in and ultimately get abducted." The profile pic shifts from the nondescript miner into the Arbite investigator's dossier.

 

"Within six months he'd uncovered the answer to our mystery... A perverse and massive cult, dedicated to the Emperor, had sprung up in the bowels of the hive. He reported that several of the people we'd interviewed had been involved and had concealed its existence. We'd determined that a purge was the next logical step but our Investigator interjected." Griffith rubs the bridge of his brow in frustration.

 

"He assured us a purge would be insufficient; they were well organized, mobile, and we hadn't located their leadership. So we relented and focused on getting him deeper, once we located the head of command we would make our move."

 

Griffith then removed the smattering of photos and brought up a single image of a handwritten letter. "Six month before the initial invasions our Investigator made contact with us again finally, this letter... In it he details his infiltration of the cult. It's the last communication we had with him before the war began. In fact, after receiving this, related cult activity goes dark. In the letter the Investigator mentions a great tide washing over the Galaxy." Griffith closes the file and the vid screens go dark.

 

"I'm telling you this because 48 solar hours ago reclamation crews returning to the mines uncovered this..." Pulling from a pack on his hip Griffith reveals a poster size swatch of tattered cloth. As he unfurls it, scrawled on its surface is a crudely drawn figure of the Emperor but bearing four arms and a hideously misshapen head.

 

Just as Griffith had unfurled the image, Moira's adamantite combat knife came slamming down into it.

"Heresy!" Her voice boomed with rage, and it sent her fellow Sisters into a similar moment of fury.

 

Carmina silently stood by, watching them, until her gaze fell onto Octavia. For her part Octavia sat staring at the blasphemous image with studied examination, interested Carmina lifted a fist to command silence. Even incited with righteous fury, the disciplined Sisters silenced themselves for the Canoness to speak.

 

"Sister Octavia, what seems to be on your mind?" Carmina questioned, her measured tone tempered with some suspicion.

 

"I believe I have seen this Icon before mother, or at least something like it." Judgemental glaces crept across the table toward Octavia as she answered, but not from the Canoness.

 

"Allow me some time to gather research, and I will provide more answers." Carmina noded to Octavio's request, "Make haste." She replied, and Octavia raised from her seat and made her way out.

 

"Please continue sir." Carmina gestured with a hand toward Arbitrator Griffith, He nodded and turned his attention back to the table.

 

"The reclamation crew was attacked after finding the icon, the few survivors that made it back gave descriptions of hideously deformed men and women that appeared from the shadows and struck with murderous fury." The Arbite adjusts uneasy as he continues, "Afterward we mustered a strike force to conduct a purge, 25 men and our last intact Repressor, and began scouring the area where the assault happened. No bodies remained, only bloody streaks and flash marks of las fire." Griffith's expression grows grim as he picks up the data-slate and engages an audio recording file.

 

What followed is the audio of the Arbite strike force, the low hum of the Repressor the only ambient sound. A voice calls out from a distance, "Sir, come have a look, they're stock piling materials." Vox chatter followed and another voice is heard, "Roll out." The sound of the heavy vehicle dominates for several seconds, only barely can one detect the boot falls of the Arbites. The vehicle halts and the strike force can be heard patrolling forward to investigate.

 

"By the Emperor... They've gathered enough materials, the bastards!, we sorely needed those for the war effort!" A gruff voice sounds out, then there is a shout from another direction. Surprise and reactionary fire follow, then the audio erupts into full blown chaos. Shouting, gunfire, and inhuman wailing can be heard and this goes on for several tense minutes. Through the calamity broken vox-chatter can be heard: "A..bush kzz kzzz ..ght, like demons! Kzzz. Kzz... end reinforcements!" Then clear as day, "Emperor rest our souls." An explosion cuts off the rest of the recording, then static.

 

Griffith ends the recording and turns to face Carmina. "Canoness Carmina of the Order of the Argent Shroud, I, Lord Arbitrator Griffith, do formally and before audience request the assistance of the Adepta Sororitas in the matters of purging this malign cult from our sacred Imperium... And further for the retribution for those fallen in the service of our exalted Emperor." He stands rigid, formal, with the dignity of a man of his station but Carmina could peer past the professional guise to the barely contained rage.

 

Her gaze swept then to the room filled with her seated sisters, then to Moira, a silent vote that was unanimous.

 

"Lord Arbitrator, ready your men, you have our support." Carmina nods to Griffith. He returns the nod and excuses himself to leave. Once gone the Sisters set to work, preparing for the purge.

 

Carmina set Moira to the task, having herself further responsibilities. The Canoness was obligated to make contact with members of the Inquisition to give her full report of the incident with the Flesh Tearers Astartes chapter.

 

As the Order itself was critically undermanned, the battle at Helsreach being a considerable loss in particular, Moira gathered the Sisters into four squads: Two battle squads, the heavy support Retributions, and her personal Seraphim squad. Transport would be requisitioned from the local PDF and they would meet with the remaining Arbite forces to coordinate the assault and purge...

 

Meanwhile in the Librarium of the great cathedral, a vast chamber of ten meter high shelves walls filled with seemingly endless books, hunched acolytes and floating Servo-Skulls diligently chronicle and sort the boundless literature held within. This place of scrolls, books, and holo-vids was administered by keepers from the Ordo Dialogus. The Dialogus was in charge of all lore keeping, and was mostly populated by the most keen minded and faithful of the Sisters, as well as those too infirm or injured from battle. It was here that Octavia had gotten her start in the Sisterhood, a religious pilgrim and researcher in a previous life. Octavia's finger roved pages from ancient texts, as she scoured shelves and tomes all seemingly at random, a floating Servo-Skull flittered from some great height bearing a large tome bound and chained as if to keep some evil from escaping.

 

"Well done child." Octavia grinned, taking the tome in hand. With haste she approaches the Chamber Matron, Sister Astinus the senior most member of the Dialogus, and placed the tome before her. Octavia bowed her head low and spoke a small prayer before she continued, "Matron Astinus, I have need of this tome! It is of great importance to the security of the Order. Please, give me leave to take it and provide me the key to unbind it."

 

Sister Astinus's gaze was stern and penetrating, judging the soul of Octavia. With a grimace she nodded slowly, "Take the book, but not from my blessing... It is a terrible thing, one that you will serve penance for, for it hides blasphemy in its pages." With a sneer and scolding look Astinus summoned a thrall to her and it gathered the key and litanies of unbinding. Handing it over to Octavia, Astinus had one last peace to say, "Emperor's Light shield your soul."

 

Octavia bowed respectfully again and made her way out of the Librarium. Heading toward the command hall she noticed the vacating Sisters, lead by Moira, toward some dutiful purpose. The two met eyes only briefly, Moira's expression told Octavia all she needed to know - that she might be too late.

 

Entering the hall Octavia found the Canoness silently staring down at Armageddon. "What have you brought me?" Carmina said without moving.

 

"Canoness! I have reason to believe the blasphemous cult we are about to engage is of alien origin, and wholly more malign than simpler ruinous ones." Octavia said placing the tome on the table.

 

"All cults which pervert the teachings of the Emperor are wholly alien child, what makes this one any different?" Carmina responded, turning toward Octavia. Her eyes fell upon the book then back to Octavia, the expectation clear.

 

Octavia then recited the litanies of unbinding and unsealed the book with the key, the ancient mechanism groaned and creaked from a century of non-use. She turned the heavy pages of the book in search of her quarry, while she had never actually read the tome itself before she had read several treaties based on it. At last she came to the page, an archaic illustration dominated one whole side, it showed a great four clawed beast with a bulbous head commanding over lesser men who grovelled at it's feet. "I believe they belong to the cult of the Genestealer, Canoness." Octavia said, sliding the tome to Carmina.

 

Stepping toward the book, a stern but hesitant expression on her face, Carmina slid the book in front of herself to look. "The Malitiea Cultum Incarnum." She whispers, then turns a glance to Octavia. "Such evil you bring Sister... What am I to learn from this?" Carmina's words were tense.

 

Octavia stepped beside Carmina and points into the book, "Read not the words Canoness, that is my burden, but here the Heretic's addled mind goes into great detail on their appreciation for the effectiveness of the Genestealer's cult structure. There are notes on which tactics may be co-opted." Sensing Carmina's unease, Octavia quickly closed the book and locked it.

 

Carmina stared hard at Octavia, she knew full well the nightmares of the Genestealer and of the Tyranid host, having herself faced this terrible foe. Indeed it was this experience which gave Carmina pause to consider what Sister Octavia was proposing. Carmina walked to the door in silence, instilling some sense of dread into Octavia. Leaning out, the Canoness bade the door attendants to recall Sister Moira for council. Octavia stood firm, resolute in her decision to bring this to the Canoness, as Carmina returned and stood across from her at the table.

 

"We shall wait for Moira..." Carmina said with a sneer looking at the book, then to Octavia.

 

The two waited patiently nearly an hour for Sister Moira to return. Stepping in she was now properly equipped in full battle regalia, her fiery hair and gleaming silver armor invoked the true image of avenging angel.

 

"You summoned me your grace?" Moira said as she knelt before Carmina.

 

"Rise.." the Canoness replied with a wave, "Sister Octavia has returned, she suggested unsettling news... She believes there is sufficient evidence that the cult is of Xenos origin, Genestealer."

 

As Moira listened her eyes drifted toward Octavia with a petulant glare. She grimaced in disgust at the notion of the Xenos and looked back at the Canoness.

 

"If the Sister spent less time with her mind between the covers of a book and put her heart into the work of the Emperor, we'd already be planet side purging this cult." Moira responded with a sneer.

 

"Then again, what are we to expect from a Promethium convert papersmith?" Her tone is biting, but before Octavia had time to even lift a finger in retort, Carmina slammed the table. Both the Sisters went rigid before the Canoness, who stepped up to the power armored Moira. Even though towered by the Sister, the Canoness's presence shrank the woman before her.

 

"Moira... What is your tactical assessment if Octavia's hypothesis tests true?" Carmina speaks calmly and controlled, chillingly so.

 

"A cult against the Emperor cannot be suffered within his domain, Xenos or not... Canoness." Moira responded, not making eye contact with Carmina.

 

The Canoness turned then to Octavia. "Octavia, what options do you suggest as an alternative?"

 

Octavia swallowed hard, collecting herself, and looked to Carmina.

 

"Canoness, we should contact the Ordo Xenos. They will have the proper tools for rooting out this enemy."

 

"The proper tools!?" Moira blurted out in dismay, "What tool beyond your faith is needed to cleanse this blasphemy?" She snarled.

 

"Faith alone does not drive these humans! The perversion of the Xenos takes many forms and absolution by flame may be ineffectual at best and presumptuous at worst!" Octavia retorted and stepped aggressively toward Moira.

 

"Daughters of the Emperor!" Carmina interjected. Looking to Octavia and pushing the book back. "You would have us step down from this task that I have promised the Arbites? Wait for the Holy Ordos to get involved?"

 

Octavia's expression sank, but she mustered her resolve. "Canoness... I mean only to suggest that we inadequately know our enemy, We should seek a strategy of containment while appropriate forces come to cleanse the infestation. One does not suture wounds with a sword."

 

Moira's brow raised as she saw Carmina's demeanor shift. "May I ask a question to Sister Octavia your grace?"

 

Carmina noded quietly, contemplating carefully the situation.

 

"Sister, what force would be required if the Sisterhood is insufficient?..... Who serves the Ordo Xenos?" Moira asked, leaning forward and resting her knuckles on the table lip.

 

Octavia looked toward Moira uncertain, "The Deathwatch of course Sister, but surely...." She halted and became rigid.

 

Confidently Moira cut in, "More Astartes? We know your love for them Lizard daughter, I wonder if by the time they have arrived our report will have made it to the Inquisition? Will word have spread to their kin of our formal request for the righteous destruction of one of their chapters? Perhaps Flesh Tearers will be among the Deathwatch that arrive." Her words were sharp, and cut Octavia, but weren't meant for her.

 

"Enough..." Carmina said, her tone low and purposeful. "There will be no more Astartes with which trust cannot be assured. It will be we few Sisters with the Light of him, which shall purge this menace. Moira, prepare the sisters to depart."

 

Moira nodded then turned to leave, turning a contemptuous glance at Octavia.

 

"Before you go..." Carmina continued, causing Moira to halt.

 

"...Octavia will accompany you, as Consult, she will be acting on my behalf. You will command the strike force, but will take her council into account."

 

Moira turned to face Carmina in shock. Had it been any other person she would have crush them where they stood, instead she stood jaw agape silently. A moment later her composure returned to her and she bowed her head, "Of course your Grace." She replied flatly.

 

"You are dismissed.." Carmina responded, turning her attention to Octavia who also bore a shocked expression. Moira turned and left the room, the heavy footfalls heard disappearing into the distance.

 

"Octavia, I want to teach you a very important lesson." Carmina walked around the table to her. She Lifted her finger and pointed to Octavia's Heart. "Faith is born here, in the furnace of your soul. But, it is refined up here, like the warrior's blade." She continued, lifting the finger to Octavia's brow.

 

"Right now Moira is the Heart, be the Mind. I have tasked her with the care of the battle sisters, I task you with her care... Do not disappoint me." Carmina's stare would have buckled a lesser individual, but tests like this were common to the Sororitas. Octavia bowed her head, "Of course your Grace."

 

Carmina motioned for Octavia to depart, which she did with jubilation. Octavia felt the exhilaration of purpose and the chance to prove herself that she had been yearning for. She would not squander this opportunity nor fail the Canoness.

 

End of chapter 1, more to come

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job so far. Will the Arbites and the Sororitas be the only ones to face the coming horror, or will the Deathwatch join them in the near future?