Escapism
Georgia watched the screens with Sergeant Avitus and Sister Hannah as the elite Imperial Guard forces deployed. They were good. Not remotely the equals of Adeptes Astartes, but good. Their gear wasn't as good as militant Sororitas and Georgia knew in her heart that she would always be biased towards her sister in armor. That said, some Imperial Guards were quite good. These were. The aggressors deployed without fanfare or any unnecessary movements into a formation that was decidedly odd to Georgia's untrained eyes.
"What are they doing?" Georgia asked, eyeing the troops who were taking up positions outside the boundaries claimed by the Sororitas who had claimed the facility. That was least was wise of them.
"That is not an assault formation." Senior Sister Hannah sand as she scrutinized the readouts. "Not that assaulting this place would be wise even if most of us were dead or incapacitated." Georgia nodded soberly.
The weapons and weapon control systems systems in the facility were better than any current Imperium tech and most of the sisters assigned here quietly ignored that fact and didn't talk about it to anyone. Since this place and everything it the were the Emperor's own work, if he personally had built something into it that defied many Imperium laws, they were not about to question Him. A couple of the more tech inclined sisters had continued to poke and found out that there was not actually an Abominable Intelligence in the walls. It was all Imperium tech, just far better, faster and more capable than anything any Forge World could produce now. Also something they did not advertise.
"That is a containment formation.' Avitus said firmly. "They do not want anyone leaving."
"Can they stop us?" Georgia asked. The sergeant gave a derisive sniff and she had to smile.
"Those Valkyries are carrying Hunter-Killers." Hannah said after a moment. "Fire and forget. If they can see you, they can hit you and most armor won't protect against such. Certainly nothing mobile enough to escape such a force."
"If they performed the preparation and arming rites properly." The sergeant corrected her. "Most Guard probably would not. These might have." He allowed. "Maybe." Hannah glared at him and he shook his head. "I am not risking the Hospitalar on a 'maybe'. We have options."
"Do I want to know what those options are?" Hannah demanded tightly.
"No." The sergeant said flatly and made no effort to explain.
"Hannah." Georgia moved to placate the volatile sister as Hannah bristled. "I cannot stay here and we have already lost one sister. Please. Let the sergeant do his job."
"The Canoness is going to have my head." Hannah sighed. "But your authority is highest of our surviving sisters. I wish to countermand your orders, go with you or send some of my sisters, but I cannot. What is more?" She bowed her head. "You are right. This place must be held. Your Mother's memory must not fade. The Emperor's light must not dim here." She paused as a chime sounded. "Ah, someone wants to talk. Bets on who?" She asked sourly.
"Better they don't see me." Georgia said softly. Hannah looked sharply at her and Georgia shook her head. "If they are after me, they may launch an immediate assault if they see me. If not? We need to know."
"I am not a good liar." Hannah complained.
"So don't." Georgia smiled at the older sister's expression. "Go with the truth. We have been attacked and Malina is dead." She choked back a sob. There would be time to grieve later.
"We would lock down and hunt the assassin." Hannah said slowly. "Several of us, hell, maybe most of us, would be dead." The sisters were good. Imperial sanctioned assassins were better and trained to kill anyone and anything. Only the sergeant's presence and the odd not-boltgun weapon that had apparently taken the assassin completely by surprise had kept the casualties from mounting when the foe had been uncovered. They could have taken him. Stealth had its limits after all and angry sisters had all kinds of nastiness at their disposal. Saturating an entire facility in flames was just their style. In the end, they could have taken him out but it would have cost them dearly. What such tactics would have done to the unconscious non-militant sisters barely bore mentioning.
"Keep it simple." Georgia reassured the elder sister as Hannah moved to the com. "And be yourself." Hannah growled at her. Far from cowed, Georgia smiled. "Yes, just like that."
Hannah favored Georgia with a look before focusing on the screen. She keyed it alive and a familiar face appeared on it. One that Georgia knew and hated. She clapped a hand over her mouth, forgetting her mask and making a clank. The sergeant shook his head and moved stand closer to her, his bulk comforting as Inquisitor Lord Gornal spoke from the screen. The man who had poisoned her mother, a fact that had contributed greatly to her death.
"Senior Sister Hannah." The man's voice betrayed nothing as he scrutinized the sister. "I was trying to reach Reverend Mother Malina. I need to speak to her as soon as possible."
"That is not possible, Lord Inquisitor." Hannah replied, her face stony. She knew who he was and what he had done. All of the sisters here did and all of them shared Georgia's view that the man was better off dead. He had stayed far away from any Sororitas since the unfortunate events here. The one time he had met one face to face by accident? She had taken one look and gone for her flamer pistol. He had wisely taken to his heels. One, he was a psyker and anathema to any right thinking Sororitas. Two? He was an Inquisitor, not to be trusted at any time. Three? He had assaulted, poisoned and then caused the death of Georgia's mother, Kay, the only know true Daughter of the Emperor of Mankind. If any the Sororitas ever got hold of him, his death would not be quick.
"Senior Sister, we have a major problem." Gornal sounded upset but it didn't show on his face. "I need to talk to the Reverend Mother. Now."
"That will be difficult as she has gone to the Emperor's side." Hannah said flatly and the man on the screen seemed to recoil.
"She... She what?" Was he paling? "Dead? Is Georgia all right?" Was he begging?
"Why don't you ask your superiors, or your Mechanicus friends?" Hannah demanded. "We find spy bots of Mechanicus design in our territory weekly, sometimes daily. The being who came into our convent by stealth, gassed our sisters and caused Reverend Mother Malina's death was garbed in black, had a white mask and carried a rifle. I know what the means. I know who sent that one. Do you?" She demanded. At that. Gornal stiffened.
"They wouldn't." Gornal said slowly. "They can't! That is insane!"
"Yes, it is." The Senior Sister snapped. "But they did it. And now? Reverend Mother Malina is dead. The only thing keeping us from declaring holy war is that the one responsible is dead and we are unlikely to ever know who is personally responsible for sending him. Kay would not wish us to fire indiscriminately." That barb flew and struck home.
"Is Georgia all right?" The Inquisitor asked. Odd. He was looking defeated.
"Like I am going to tell you that!" Hannah snarled that, her ire fully fanned.
"What they are doing is insane." Gornal was speaking softly, and not quite to the speaker. To someone else? "This is insane. Attacking the Sororitas? Even Illusmar at his worst never attacked them." He grunted and then he turned back to the screen. "Senior Sister..." He bit out words as green energy flared around him. "They never send just one!"
Everyone stared as the Lord Inquisitor screamed in incredible agony, jerked and then fell out of the screen. A female form in a black synthleather bodysuit was barely in view. She moved out of view and the screen shut off.
"I wanted him dead, but not like that." Georgia said softly.
"If that was real." The sergeant replied. "Inquisitors have been known to fake their deaths. We need to go, Hospitalar."
"They can track this, can't they?" Georgia patted her stomach and nothing hurt now. Good.
"They can. Which means we need to move now." The sergeant took hold of her arm gently. He didn't need to be gentle. "If we do, they will follow us, leave the sisters here alone."
"Unless of course, they want no witnesses." Georgia looked at Hannah who slowly shook her head before bowing it. "Sister… I..."
"Our lives are the Emperor's and we do his work. Go." Hannah said as she spun to another door. One marked 'Command'. "We will hold their attention as long as we can. If we do not meet again short of the Emperor's side, Hospitalar Georgia, it has been an honor."
"The honor is mine, Senior Sister Hannah." Then Georgia was running at the Space Marine's side.
Then she jerked to a stop as the sergeant did. Their destination was a room marked 'Vehicle Bay' but another form in black with a white mask stood in the doorway. It held no weapon, but the mask was terror inducing caricature of a skull. A large thing with a hole in the front, obviously some kind of weapon, hung beside the head and Georgia swallowed hard as a glow built around it.
"Culexus." The sergeant snarled as raised his boltgun, but then he paused as a white blur shot from one wall to slam into the black clad form. The Death Cult assassin hit the black clad form and her blade did nothing! An evil laugh came from the horrific thing as the woman in white retreated, but the laugh faded as a meltagun fired and another white bodysuit clad form appeared in a doorway. Another Death Cult assassin! And another firing a boltgun! Five forms in white, three woman, two male, all with weapons blazing and swinging at the black clad horror. To Georgia's stunned eyes, it walked right through the fire, ignoring the melee strikes and its gaze... When it leveled its skull mask on one of the Death Cult, that being simply ceased to be without eve a scream. When it looked at Georgia, every trace of the heat left her body. She was frozen and couldn't move a muscle. Fear and so much more tore through every muscle, every nerve.
You will come with me. What had to be yet another Imperial Assassin's voice wasn't aloud, but audible nonetheless and just as horrific as its appearance. A Death Cult assassin screamed in rage and threw herself at the form, hacking with a two handed sword. The thing ignored her!
"No, she will not." The sergeant stepped between Georgia and the horrific thing and Georgia could move again but every single nerve was on fire. She hurt so badly. It was fading, but slowly. "Be ye gone, assassin. You will not take her." He sounded unconcerned. Bored almost even as a something hit all four of the surviving Death Cult assassins and all collapsed, clutching their heads. Whatever it was, it didn't reach Georgia. The pain had faded and now? She was just shaking.
The odd thing stared at the sergeant for a long moment. What are you?
"Would not your masters love to know?" The sergeant all but sneered that. "You of all people know that there are things that you simply should not ask, assassin. Be gone or be dead, your choice."
I have my orders. The horrible form took another step and kicked a writhing Death Cultist out of his way absently.
"As do I." The sergeant replied, still so maddeningly calm. "I assume all four temples sent operatives. So, we can expect an Eversor to come in here and clean up your mess." Something spat from the side and the sergeant did not react as at least five shots flew at him. Georgia's eyes went huge as he seemed to phase and whatever they were passed right through him to hit the wall behind him. She had to be dreaming, didn't she? Space Marines didn't phase, did they? Said wall started to hiss and smoke. Acid? "Ah, here they are now."
Another form right out of nightmare stalked forward, a pistol clutched in one hand and the other a mass of needle-like claws. Black suit, white skull mask. Imperial assassin.
"Interesting plan." The sergeant said mildly as the newcomer stalked forward. The other was not moving. "The sniper to sneak in and set things up, the shapeshifter to introduce the patsy, the mind ripper and the monster to tidy it all up and leave no witnesses." He still sounded unconcerned. "I thought they wanted her alive." He inquired.
I do not question my orders. The voice of the other was still awful.
"No. No, you cannot. You have about as much free will as that one's pistol does." The sergeant moved to block the other's approach to the quailing Hospitalar. Georgia gagged as the claws swept out to disembowel one of the reeling Death Cult assassins and she died without a sound. "I cannot allow that. I have my orders and they do not include letting your masters take or kill the Emperor's granddaughter. There is no point in further talk, so… Hospitalar? Close your eyes."
That was a command and Georgia did as instructed even though every fiber of her being said to keep them open, to watch death come and perhaps find a way to escape? To flee as silly as that was. With the tracker in her, they could and would follow her anywhere she-
Inhuman screams came from in front of her. They were both aloud and in her mind. There was no sound except those screams and Georgia screwed her eyes shut tighter and shivered as something washed over her. Something that felt… familiar? Comforting. She gasped as the feeling faded along with the screams.
"You can open your eyes now." The sergeant was calm as Georgia did just that to see both black clad forms lying broken on the floor. From their postures, both were very dead.
"Lorinaris!" Georgia was in motion as one of the Death Cult assassins tried to rise and couldn't. The female form was as broken as the assassins were. None of the others would move again.
The female warrior stared up at Georgia, her mask half torn from her burned face. Her eyes held terror but also acceptance and a calm that was odd to say the least as life fled her body.
"He… He is what I thought." The woman said weakly as Georgia started to work. "No, no. Do not waste your time. Hospitalar. I am too broken and I must not live. I saw something I cannot relate. Something truly miraculous and secret. I must take it to my pyre." Georgia gave a sob, but the woman reached up with a slow hand to pat her cheek. "Do not cry for me or mine, Hospitalar. We go to your Grandfather's side. Our debt of blood is paid." She gave a rattling sigh and her hand fell to lie still, but a smile graced her face. "You can protect her." She begged the Space Marine who stood impassive. "Please."
"I will." Avitus promised. Lorinaris smiled again and died. Georgia bowed her head, but the sergeant took her arm. "We have no time, Hospitalar. There will be more of them."
"How many must die for me?" Georgia snarled, trying to stay at the fallen woman's side, but the Space Marine would not let go and pulled her ungentle to her feet. "How many?"
"She could have avoided battle." The Space Marine pulled her towards the door even as she stared at the fallen Death Cultist. "She knew that to face that thing was death, Hospitalar. Even without the other, few can face a Culexus and live. She chose to fight along with her kin. She will be remembered, honored for her sacrifice. She and hers gave me time to summon aid. We need to go before the other sisters fall to the same fate. They are after you, not the sisters here."
"I have to pray for her!" Georgia snarled, but her heart wasn't truly in it.
"You can pray while we flee." The Blood Raven replied as he half led, half dragged Georgia into the vehicle bay and towards a darkened bay. She had never been in this part of the vehicle bay. It had been very quiet in here since most of the gear had been removed. Most of the vehicles had been sent out to whoever needed them the most, the super-heavy tanks being the first to go.
So, what was he leading her towards? There wasn't anything in the bay he led her into except a set of pallets filled with ammunition boxes. He led her past those to a door that was half hidden in the rear. She didn't resist as he led her through the door into bright light. But then, she stooped short as she saw what lay within.
"What in the Emperor's name?" Georgia stared at the oddly shaped craft that sat ready on its landing skids. That wasn't an Imperial Guard ship or even a Space Marine one! Not human!
"Georgia! Get in! We do not have time argue!" A voice snapped from the oddly shaped vehicle. The voice! Georgia knew the voice!
"Liriel?" Georgia begged as the Blood Raven led her towards the black Eldar Falcon Grav tank! "What is going on?"
"Hell is going on!" Liriel snapped. "Get in! Now! I will explain while you flee!"
"Are you… in there?" Georgia weakly asked as the sergeant led her to the ramp at the back of the ship and up into it. The bay inside was dark but lit up and several human forms nodded to the pair.
"No, but someone you can trust is." Liriel promised as the ship powered up with an inhuman hum.
"Come on, Georgia." Inquisitor Ricardo Illusmar said with a smile as he beckoned her into the ship. His guard Mace and his spy Lornan stood ready. "We are on short time!"
"Inquisitor? Sir… I… They have to have air defenses up. Those Valkyries won't just let us leave." Georgia begged as she was led to seat that felt wrong and sat down. Then the Space Marine strapped her in carefully before setting himself and knocking his armor in place. Eldar seats wouldn't hold him.
"I sincerely hope they don't." A cold, angry female voice came from the wall. "After what they have done to you? I really want to shoot things."
"Lisa?" Georgia kicked herself. "I mean, Sergeant Korniazal? What is going on?"
"Actually, it is Lieutenant Korniazal now over her strong objections." Illusmar made a face. The Inquisitor who had helped her mother recover the facility sighed from where he sat. "And as for what is going on? A shitstorm. Good thing we have the best pilot in the Imperium to fly us through it, huh, Lisa?"
"You always say the nicest things, boss." The pilot made a soft noise of envy. "I like this thing, but we can't keep it, can we?'
"Better we don't for all kinds of reasons. Not the least that we are not actually here at all." Illusmar replied. "Singer Liriel, we ready."
"As are we." The voice of the Eldar who had once had her mind forcibly merged with Georgia's was worried, but firm. "You may launch when ready, Inquisitor. You will make it to orbit." That was a promise.
"They won't just let us leave!" Georgia protested as the ship's hum built even further.
"They won't have a choice." Several people said in concert as the acceleration that dwarfed anything humans could make slammed Georgia into her seat.
"This is a xenos ship! They will shoot us down!" Georgia begged.
"They will try."
