In the grim dark future of the 41st millennium, there is only war….
Of the millions of worlds, and billions of souls dedicated to serving the God-Emperor of Mankind, the warriors of the Adepta Sororitas are among the fiercest. Lethal, numerous, with unshakable devotion to the Golden Throne, the Sisters of Battle demonstrate true dedication to humanity's faith in the God-Emperor. The responsibility of the Orders Militant is to preserve that faith; to burn the heretic, kill the mutant, purge the unclean, all in the name of the Master of Mankind. However, as the endless war against the dark forces of the galaxy rages on, it must be understood that there are other methods of fighting. Some warriors prefer the power of influence over the power of ammunition. The ability to bring down entire planets with mere words supplements any military action, and it is here that the Ordo Famulous, one of the many lesser known non-militant factions of the Adepta Sororitas, comes into form. Here it is shown that behind every war waged there are deals being made; agreements settled, feuds spurred, lives saved and taken, all behind a thin veil of glass. The sword will always be mighty, and for the sake of the Golden Throne, sometimes the sword needs a scalpel to create it.
"You're reviving a corpse, girl." The voice said to her. "There is no point in trying."
I remember my fist shoot outwards at the man with feeble intention. I was tossed aside by others surrounding me, violently and tirelessly kicking and screaming in the process.
"This city will burn," The voice continued, "This planet, this sector, will be reclaimed by the true Gods of this universe."
The dull pang of a laspistol rang out in front of her. Lethirio cried out in agony, not for herself, but for the sight witnessed before her.
Lethirio. Someone said her name.
Death. Only death and loss.
Lethirio!
The gun was now trained on me, I was paralyzed from fear.
"And you will die as what you've always been." The voice finalized.
Lethirio Morolis!
I heard the click of the trigger. The gentle whine of the pistol heating up, and the immediate pang of it firing, but I didn't see the shot.
"A pawn."
"Palatine Lethirio Morolis!"
I was pulled back into the current events by the utter bawling of the voice echoed across the grand chamber of the Chapel. I refocused my eyes towards the individuals in front of me, all of them staring back down like carrions to meat.
Somehow this meeting was harder to stomach than the battle that preceded it.
"Answer the question." Cardinal Eddard Draconis sat in the middle of his associates, his balding head showing the pitted ridges of his furrowed brow as he beamed down at me. His status as a Cardinal of the Holy Synoch was shown in his white robes he wore, as was the company he kept surrounding him.
"The mission to retrieve the Holy Relics from Anders IV was an acceptable loss, Cardinal." I began my explanation, my defence. "We were cut off from our landing point shortly after engaging the enemy. We pushed as far as we could into the city, but eventually our numbers were too depleted to be combat effective. I made the decision to withdraw, so that we may recuperate and reorganize."
I remember how I held my stare at the Cardinal with an inkling of detest.
"To answer your question, Cardinal: no, I do not believe my actions were traitorous."
There was muttering echoed throughout the chamber as thoughts of all sides were shared in near silence. The company that Draconis kept, along with those part of the hearing, traded whispers and hasty glances with one another, coming to their own conclusions on the matter. Some were deeper in the Cardinal's pockets than others, and some had loyalties and objectives that coincidentally overlapped with the Synoch's goals.
"The fact of the matter remains clear." Jameson Pall, the now-acting Governor of the Anders IV sector, sitting to the Cardinal's left. "Your order to retreat allowed the heretics to lay siege to the entire city, costing us the manufactorum and its precious resources. It also goes without saying that the death of my predecessor has made it difficult to control the sector at large."
"The PDF haven't been routed," I assured them, trying to maintain a sense of calm, "Give us time to reorganize and we shall-"
"The local garrison can and will continue to fight to reclaim the lost territory," Draconis interjected, "As will the remainder of your sisters. But they will do so without your presence."
The Cardinal clasped his fingers on the table. I noted how skeletal they appeared. He was as pale as the marble floor they sat over.
"Were it not for your rank, I would urge the Canonesses to transfer you to the Repentias, or allow my Inquisitors to grant you the mercy of the God-Emperor," Draconis continued. "Your fate would be judged by the Emperor Himself were you any lesser. But no, I have better, more efficient ways to use you." The Cardinal gestured a hand to his right. "Sister Anahi, if you'll please."
The woman was dressed in an uncommon, black uniform with a tallish headpiece, covered in prayer seals all over. Her face was angular, her mouth kept in a permanent frown and her hazel eyes webbed with wrinkles. I then recognized she was from the non-militant orders.
"Of course Cardinal." Anahi began with barely a nod. "Palatine Lethirio Morolis, by the command of the God-Emperor, you are hereby transferred from the Order of the Bloody Rose to the non-militant Ordo Famulous. Upon approval of Canoness Vidanski and Canoness Sova, you will be relocated to the Augustus Sector of-"
"No, this is a mistake." I felt my hands shaking. I felt my heart rate surge, my eyes turning to pits of fire as I beamed back at my would-be audience. "Removing me from my service, from my sisters, it will be detrimental to the Order's efficiency-"
"This isn't up for debate, Sister." Draconis declared. "The decision has already been made since before you arrived. You will be located to serve the Emperor better."
"I serve Him fine where I am now-"
"You do not decide how the God-Emperor's rule is portrayed!" The Cardinal spat, now standing from his seat. "What you say is borderline heresy! I should have you stripped of your rank, removed from your Order and executed by the Ordo Hereticus!"
He placed his hands on the table and maintained an overmatching glare. "Sister Anahi," He snapped, "Continue with her sentence."
Anahi closed her eyes a moment to reconstitute herself.
"Thank you Cardinal." She began, as organized as she'd been before. "Sister Lethirio, you will be relocated to the Augustus Sector, to the planet of Eowyn. There you will assist in the tutoring of up-and-coming students within the governing body, and will remain there until such a time that the God-Emperor deems your service satisfactory. Do you understand the terms?"
The momentary pause within the room allowed me to get a better idea of who was staring back. Sister Anahi and Governor Pall were to each side of the Cardinal, but there were others watching. Members of the Frateris Militia, other Priests of lower rank. I spotted two Inquisitors standing idle behind the Cardinal. All of this together must've been why there was so much pull, so much influence into the decision.
"I understand." I said simply.
Draconis recomposed himself and sat back down. "Excellent." He said, satisfied. "May you go with the God-Emperor's judgement, and may he grant you the mercy you deserve."