Raina Dorn remembered the day clearly. She had stood with her arms folded across her chest as she, her father, and select others had watched the memories of a remembrancer who had been stationed with the Sons of Horus played out. They were dark memories, of a betrayal more painful then anything else she had ever encountered.
It was still painful to think of even now, a year later. Raina resided on Terra now with her father, Rogal Dorn primarch of the Imperial Fists, fortifying Terra for the coming battle. Any other time she would have been happy to be on Terra, exploring the palace, talking with the many people that were there. But as things where she stayed in her room all day and night except for the two hours each night that the training grounds under the palace would be empty.
It was on such a late evening, that Raina knew where she would find Evangeline and going there was something she would need to do there immediately.
Evangeline, a name that meant bearer of good news in the old terran language of Greak. Nothing like the bitter truth Evangeline had brought. Evangeline inclined her head at Raina as she entered the training area, disabled the training machine, and waited patiently for Raina to join her in the training area. Evangeline was the daughter of Mortarian, when she had learned of the slaughter her father had planned for his own legion she had been sickened. She had (through a strange tangle of events) ended up on board the Eisenstein.
Capitan Garro had offered her sanctuary and she had traveled with them until they had been found by the Imperial Fists. Evangeline had been offered a chance to stay with the Imperial Fists going to Terra (The remaining Death Guard was being sent to Luna as a safe guard) but she had refused.
"If my brothers are going to Luna then I will be there with them." She had said bluntly. Evangeline knew there was nothing she could to help her legion brothers but she intended to stand beside them nonetheless.
Evangeline wiped her sweaty brow, in her left hand she held her scythe, Raina had seen Evangeline drill with the weapon many times, but was still surprised that her cousin would use the weapon. A reminder of her father's betrayal.
"Eva, come with me now." Raina urgently her eyes running over her cousin's tired form, she had no interest in spilling this information in such a public place.
Evangeline raised her eyebrows, "Why? Rai, what has happened?"
"Just follow me! We can't speak of it here." Raina started off at a hurried pace. Evangeline followed, placing her scythe in its holder on her back. Evangeline was puzzled, this was not a normal thing for Raina to do. What worried her was the reason for Raina's actions.
The two hurried to the room Raina occupied a floor above Eva's own room.
"What has happened?" Evangeline demanded as soon as the door was shut.
Raina closed her eyes and sighed, "Evangeline, they...they don't trust you they are going to interrogate you and more then likely kill you. They believe you are here to infiltrate and act as a spy for the Warmaster."
Eva was silent for a moment before she sputtered. "But I never, you know I would never!"
Raina cut her off, "Yes I know you aren't here to betray us. But they won't take my word for it. They won't take your word for it until they break your mind."
"Who is 'they'?" Eva asked questioningly.
"The custodians." Raina said tersely.
"Oh...this doesn't look good." Evangeline murmured pacing the room.
"I have an idea," Raina announced in a quite voice. " But before I say it you must swear to follow the plan. Every last detail, no matter what you think of it."
"I..." Eva began and Raina glared at her and cut her off. "Do you want them to get you? They will torture you physically in ways you can't even imagine, and if you don't break and tell them some lie. They will break into your mind take what they want, by the time they know you where being truthful you would be better off dead."
Evangeline swallowed she had no interest in being tortured if it was at all avoidable, on the same hand however she was no cowered. "Alright then," Eva said after a long pause. "you have my word."
Day 1: Interrogation
Raina was surprised the plan had gone off without a flaw. She would never have dreamed a custodian to not have done something as simple as a DNA scan to confirm her identity. Granted Raina and Evangeline looked incredibly similar. (Which in better days had always held a few jokes about the possibility of Raina and Evangeline being siblings instead of cousins...a joke Rogal Dorn had never liked to hear.) But as long as the plan kept Evangeline off of the pale slab of hard rock that Raina now lay on, she would bear whatever was required of her.
Raina had pretended to be Evangeline and had been taken prisoner only a few short minutes after leaving her own room. Raina had instructed Eva in the plan, she of course had objected but she had already made her word there was no way she would back out. They switched persons and ten minutes after Raina had left the room Eva was off to hide for a while. In a place Raina would be unable to tell even if her mind was broken.
She shivered where she lay it was cold, they had allowed her to keep her underclothes but the rest had been removed. Raina woke in the dark, they had knocked her out as soon as she had been taken, and was already restrained. She sighed and let her head fall back against the cold metal, it was pitch black in the room something she had known to expect but still very much unwelcome. The door to the chamber opened she did not even look at the custodian who entered only let out a small sigh.
"Well I suppose you have come to ask me if I am in any way working with the Warmaster or his cohorts as a spy from the inside?" Raina asked calmly tilting her head for a moment to see the Astartes who had entered the room.
The serious faced custodian answered, "Yes, if you answer truthfully now you will be spared a great deal of pain."
Raina nodded her head slightly and sighed again, "I don't suppose saying that I am not a traitor and that I came to Terra with my brother's out of loyalty to the Emperor and defied my father, will help at all? "
The dark haired custodian snorted. "I have heard better lies in my time." Raina sighed one final time preparing herself for what she knew was to come. "Alright, if you do not believe me do what you feel you must."
"That I will." Came the dark response.
Raina felt fear grip her but closed her eyes and recited to herself, Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not the absence of fear. Something that the rather strange ancient terran scholar Mark Twain had said. Raina had felt fear many times, it was a part of being human a part she did not despise as many others did.
What she truly needed right now was courage.
Day 3: interrogation
Her arms where strapped above her head, she had been hanging this way for over 24 hours, when would they decided to stick her the other way around? Raina tried not to think about that. Thus far they had tried forcing her under water for minutes at a time and then pulling her out for a single breath and repeating the process for hours on end. Yesterday they had moved to harsher methods, she had still been soaking wet they had restrained her back on the table and had started rounds of electrical shock. Incredibly painful but at just the right level so they did not kill her.
The door opened, Raina couldn't see the door but she had no doubt who it was.
"Keliste, nice to see you again." The custodian did not respond, but advanced toward her holding something in his hand that she could not make out in the darkness that he was accustomed to it.
Crack! A lash landed against her back and she gritted her teeth, this was a old method but no doubt worked extremely well. Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Blood was now running down her back. Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Raina was biting her tongue to keep from screaming. Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! The custodian moved to her front and repeated the same process.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! She couldn't take it anymore and cried out in pain. Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
Raina could feel the blood running she was the daughter of a primarch it would start clotting in a few minutes. Raina looked down and saw the ground covered with blood, her blood. A moment later Raina felt something splash on to her skin she felt a scream rise in he throat but she refused to let it out. This was an acid she was familiar with, it had been used on custodian it would sink in to the skin causing pain for hours even days depending on the dose along with peeling layers of skin, painfully. It also took away the blood's ability to clot. A fresh wave of pain came on and Raina screamed in agony, the acid was running into her body racing up her in wave after wave of insufferable pain.
The world went out of focus around her she felt herself dropping to the ground her hands had been released. Damn they have decided to put me upside down. But she was wrong, a moment later she wished she had been right. Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! All of them landing across her face, then a splash. Raina screamed the acid was on her face and in her eyes, she felt her face start to bleed, blood taking the place that tears ran down her face.
Raina felt herself being hauled to her feet, and moving over to the tub of water and her head pushed under. She couldn't breath and the pain, her whole body called out in agony. Raina felt the darkness coming and welcomed it.
Day 5: interrogation
Raina lay on her back in a fit of sleep that rarely came, dark dreams haunted her rare occasions of rest. Raina awoke as she heard the door to the chamber open and close, she did not open her eyes but she could tell that by the heavy thuds of feet that two or tree where here this time. She groaned quietly as another shot of agony caused by her wounds escaped her lips.
The dark haired _, Keliste looked down at the daughter of Mortarian. She was proving harder to break then thought, if she would not break because of the physical pain the time had come to take what was needed from her mind.
He motioned to his comrade, a _by the name of Baleno "The time as come do it." The astartes nodded his head and moved to the side of the girl and placed his hands on either side of her head.
Neither the girl nor Baleno moved for a moment, after that though Baleno stood back his eyes wide with shock.
"What? What is it?" Kelister demanded looking over at Baleno, the astartes had broken minds many times and Kelister had never seen a response like this.
"She...her mind it, I cannot get inside." Baleno was confused never in all his years had he meet a mind like this.
The door opened again and in a moment both Baleno and Kelister where kneeling. Raina felt a small smile creep over the corners of her mouth but it disappeared a moment later. She had no expected him to come she had been fully prepared to die here.
"Release her, this is the daughter of Dorn." Came the Emperor's voice. It was hard as steel but still it was a soft voice enough to melt any heart the heard it.
Raina felt her restraints loosen she took a deep breath and forced herself into a sitting position, wincing as she did so.
"I suppose," Raina managed after a moment, her wounds causing pain unlike anything she had ever felt. "If you aren't here to kill me for this. I owe you thanks." She lifted her eyes and took a look at the Emperor in full and a true smile came to her face one she had not worn for well over a year. Raina could see in that face the face of her father, those same eyes. She could also see a part of each of the primarchs. For most she could see the face of the Warmaster, only a wiser more worn face. One earned by a very long life knowing almost everything and seeing more the Raina ever would.
"I want to know why you believe your cousin, the daughter of a traitor innocent enough that you would take her place." The Emperor asked in a steel voice directing his gaze at Raina, she did not shiver or wince but looked right into his eyes and answered calmly.
"It is complicated, I have been inside her, I know her." Raina went quite for a moment. The Asterdes exchanged looks and the Emperor did something Raina never would have thought possible, he raised an eyebrow.
"So you are in a relationship with your cousin?" The Emperor said it in a tone of disgust.
"NO! You misunderstand me," Raina blushed furiously. "By inside her I mean in her head, all of us are."
"Are you speaking of a Psyker connection?" The Emperor breathed. "Who does "all of us" involve?"
"I guess, that would be what you call it. It is all the children of the primarchs...conceived the normal way." Raina murmured still blushing. "The connection it didn't start randomly, it started when Valkyrie and Athenya met, when all of us cousin's had finally met. "
"How does this 'connection' work exactly?" The Emperor questioned. His attitude and the calmness of his questions surprised Raina but she answered.
"I don't know...Alexandra, she's a daughter of Magnus. She explained it once, she understood it best. We always have access to the others minds, unless we use the training Alexandra gave us to block our minds. Then we can keep them out indefinitely. Our minds are open when we sleep but the information is so mixed none of it ever makes any sense."
"Evangeline allowed you in her mind, you went through it and you are positive of her innocence?" The Emperor questioned.
"Correct." Raina nodded.
"Why is it we did not learn of Horus's heresy from you then?"
"Ever since they died we blocked each other out. The final moments of all of us that die are imprinted in the connection, you have to relive them before it clears enough to use. The pain as we relive there final moments is difficult to handle." Raina murmured looking down at her feet. She really was a mess, she needed a shower and some clothes. "Besides, who would have believed me? My father barely believed the Death Guards, with there proof. And a mind connection! He would have killed me himself, ashamed of having a daughter with an ability like that." A hard tone came to Raina's voice.
"They?" His voice almost making the simple word sound musical.
"The Purged and Forgotten had children, they died that day, it hurts us all." Raina drifted off for a moment before asking briskly. "Are you going to kill me or not?"
A smile came to the Emperor of Makind's face. "No I won't, you are free to go. I swear nothing like this will ever be done to you again."
Raina nodded, "Thank you, but I require one thing first. Your word of honor that Evangeline will not be tortured or harmed in anyway."
Kelister responded immediately speaking for the first time since the Emperor had come to the interrogation chamber, "He owes you nothing of the sort!"
The Emperor turned his eyes to Kelister who shut up immediately and then the eyes snapped back to Raina, "You have my word of honor. My _will not touch her and nothing will be done to harm her, but only if you do something for me."
"Name it." Raina's heart beating fast.
"Open the connection, now and tell me what is going on. You will do this weekly and leave a report on what you learn understood?" He had barely finished naming the requirements when Raina responded.
"I Agree." Raina closed her eyes and let the connection in. Pain came in waves, it was always so the last moments of the Purged and Forgotten children played out. But another two had been added to the number. Athenya running herself though with her own blade, Jerna holding her dieing friend in her arms. Marice, her life ending with her Angron's hands breaking her neck. Finally the connection changed to a blank space. An empty room all of her cousin's had theirs closed. Except Alexandra... who's pain came in waves Raina could not make sense of it. Alexandra realized Raina was in there and shut it instantly.
Raina opened her eyes and took a deep shuddering breath and repeated. Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not the absence of fear.
"What did you see?" Came the question she had known was coming.
"A...Athenya is dead, Fulgrim sent her down to Isstavan 5 to kill Jerna...she couldn't, she took her own life. Angron killed Marice...she didn't want a part in the rebellion. He knew she would be a problem so he broke her neck. Alexandra is in pain but alive, that is all I could get before she closed herself."
The Emperor nodded, "Remember to check." and with that the Great Emperor of Mainkind left the interrogation chamber.
"Now can I get some damn clothes! I'd like to have some to wear back to my room." Raina said harshly not regretting it. The Emperor had sworn her safety and that was enough for her, these poor _would have to deal with her PMS for a little while.
Raina's back was to her door as she removed clothes from her drawer, her long damp hair fizzing. She put on the pants and was reaching for the shirt when the door opened. Raina knew who it would be, this chastisement would be expected, she slipped on the shirt and turned around to face her guest. Surprised by who she saw, "Mother." Was all she managed staring at her mother's short physique.
"Rain." Celien knowledge her daughter calling her by the pet name she had been given then she moved forward Raina could tell what she wanted and let out a exasperated sound and turned around. Celien looked down Raina's back a mess of bruises, burns, lashes and acids. Raina could here her mother swallow hard, as though she had some how hoped it was only on her daughter's face and not all over her body.
"Rain, Your Father came to me and told me what happened." Celien said in a soft voice.
"Not surprised, was he angry at me? Or at that those stupid _never even thinking to check my DNA?" Raina sat down on the bed her legs already aching, her wounds on them would take sometime to recover.
"I do not think it wise to refer to a _as 'stupid'." A pained expression coming to her face.
"What me and your father want to know is why you would do that for her." Raina could see her mother had avoided saying Evangeline's name and had added contempt added to 'her'.
"That 'her' has a name and it is Evangeline, she risked a great deal defied the one person who actually cared about her. She owed the Emperor nothing, she owed me nothing. Despite that Evangeline selflessly put herself on the line. I may not have been the cousin and friend she deserved before, but I will be now. She is an honest and true person. Ending her life on a interrogation table is not something I will EVER allow to happen." Raina walked away from her mother and took a brush and began running it through her hair.
"Sit down, let me do that." Raina sat in a chair and handed her mother the brush. She was almost 70 years old but it didn't matter, she still allowed her mother to brush her hair.
Her mother was a short women at 5'8 compared (and by average human standards) to Raina who stood at 7'5. Celien had been born on _35 years before the coming of the Emperor, she had meet Rogal Dorn as a newly elected bureaucrat, he had been a sincere thoughtful person. "I knew I loved him from the first moment we meet." Celien would say with a laugh when Raina had asked her about there meeting. "We meet when I was 25 married when I was 30, it took us 5 years because your father is to stoic a person to hurry into a relationship." It had been a great many years before Raina had been conceived. Raina had always had the distinct feeling that she had been an "accident" child. A thought she never shared with anyone but her closest of cousins.
"Raina there is something I have to tell you." Celien in a serious but still soft tone, after a few minutes of working the brush through her hair, removing the matted clumps that had come in the course of the last 5 days.
"What is it?" Raina wondered slightly curiously.
"The rejuvenation therapy won't work on me anymore." Celien said and Riana felt as though something had hit her hard.
"Why? But..." She spluttered, Celien cut her off.
"For some reason my body just won't take to it like it is supposed too, it is 1 in a billion occurrence."
"Does Father know yet?" Raina her voice breaking as she reached to hold Celien's hand.
"No, I haven't told him, he has so much to worry about and it is so much more important. I will tell him but it will have to be after this is ordeal is finished." Celien finished and there was silence. Celien had been the opposite of her husband. The one who had show the emotion, the one who smiled and lightened the load the primarch had carried, when there was no Celien to do that anymore what would happen?
Evangeline found Raina drilling alone later that night, she could see her cousin was suffering from wounds but was determined to keep training.
She stood there motionless watching Raina drill, it was almost pathetic. The torture the_had inflicted on her body had involved chemicals and weapons that made her almost incapable of holding her own heavy hammer. Only a few minutes past before Raina found her arms unable of holding it. The hammer fell from her hands and Raina swore and sank to the ground. Resting her head on her knees. Evangeline entered the training cage Raina looked up and nodded at her cousin but did not move, the physical exertion to much for her body. Evangeline sat down beside Raina who was silent, after a moment Evangeline said. "If I had known they would actually not figure out you weren't me..."
Raina smiled, "Eva you are my cousin, more over you are my friend. You gave up everything to warn the Emperor of this betrayal. I would gladly die for you."
Evangeline was at a loss for words and turned her face away from Raina as tears threatened to run down her cheeks. No one, least of all her cousins had ever said something like this to her.
"Miss Evangeline." Captain Nathaniel Garro stood outside the training area.
"Come in Captain." Evangeline stood and stooped low cleaning her face of tears with her hand.
Garro looked slightly unwilling to do so but he did anyway, "Miss Raina." He acknowledged her and saw as he had heard rumor the many wounds that she received taking Evangeline, she was strong a true daughter of Dorn, he winced remembering the anger he had flared in the primarch so very long ago. Evangeline walked and stood beside the Garro, "What is it Captain Garro?" She asked her face pulled into a unreadable expression.
Garro let his voice fall to a faint whisper, "We are being sent to, Isstavan 5 to check for survivors. The Emperor has sanctioned you to come if you wish it."
Evangeline looked thoughtful for a moment before saying. "Raina, are you ready for a mission?"
Raina stood and eyed the Death Guard and Evangeline, her face broke in to a smile. Something she seemed to be doing a lot more today. "You bet I am, besides someone has to be on the defensive for this mission. Can't count on you to do the Eva."
"When will we need to be ready?" Evangeline asked addressing the Captain again.
"Immediately." Came Garo's responses. "If we are to arrive as planned we will be leaving directly from here."
"Understood we are ready then." Evangeline walked over to Raina and helped the primarch's daughter to stand. Once she was steady upon her feet she retrieved Raina's hammer and then placing a arm under Raina's arm helped her to limp from the chamber.