A/N: Enjoy, everyone! :D
Book Two: Corruption's End
Chapter 30: Departure
"Though our city came close to ruin and despair, we must always recall the miracles its destruction wrought, the glories done in its defense." - The Planetary Governor of Ranshu, King Shuryan.
It took an hour to purge Shao-la, an hour soaked in blood and fire. When Yang stood below the ruined gatehouse, she did so before a mountain of corpses, each one blackened and broken. Before her, the remnants of the Yǒng-lo fled into the night, hounded by a torrent of firepower and a squadron of heavy fliers. Bellowing her victory, Yang raised her cracking blue sword in triumph. An open, honest grin reached her ears. Victory. Real, honest victory!
"The Emperor protects!" Ros cried, tears of joy washing away the blood that soaked them both to the bone. None of it was theirs.
"THE EMPEROR PROTECTS!" The soldiers replied, each of them beaming. A warhorn sounded over the hills, and Yang snapped around to face it. In the distance, a crowd of soldiers emerged from a forest, mounted on a host of lizard-creatures. Raising their banners high and chanting a loyalist Yǒng, they charged forward, bladed lances leveled. Scything through the retreating heretics, they ground the last of the enemy legion into meat.
Caolin clambered over Yang's corpse-pile to clap her on the back.
"They showed up in the nick of time, huh?" He asked, his grin wide and ready.
"They certainly could have come earlier," Yang replied, finding a weariness was stealing itself upon her. Her limbs felt like they'd been attached with staples, and they hung wearily at her sides.
"Hey," Ros said, "take it easy." She made her taller friend sit, bringing her down to rest on the cobblestone. "We should have left you back with Mael." Their friend had swayed and collapsed a short while ago, still suffering from his wound. Now, he rested among the ruins of Shao-la, a medic at his side.
The jet-wash of Weiss' Valkyrie buffeted them, touching down just beyond the walls of Shao-la. When the Lady Inquisitor emerged, Yang knew something was wrong. Her shoulders hung low, her eyes hid under the brim of her hat, and blood ran down her chin as it flowed from her lip. Her anger at Weiss' decision to destroy Shao-la faltered, but still sat in her gut, burning like smoldering embers.
Paying no heed to her disheveled state, the Woadians cheered her arrival, throwing their arms up in celebration.
"Hail!" They cried. "Hail the Lady Inquisitor!" Limping forward, Yang went to join her. Making another pass, the fliers raked the last few heretics with bolter fire. The impacts shook the earth with their intensity, sending up columns of mud and gore.
"Weiss, what's-" The Lady Inquisitor cut her off with a wave of her hand.
"We have no time, so listen up." She said, her blue eyes hard and unyielding. "Those women that just arrived?" They were marching towards them now, near fifty women marching in perfect lock-step. They were spattered with blood, and closing fast. "They are the Adeptus Sororitas - the Sisters of Battle. They are unyielding, and are zealous beyond your imagination. Keep a civil tongue, and show not one whit of your aura."
Taken aback by her brusque tone, Yang frowned, before nodding hesitantly. She still wanted to wring her neck, but there was a raw pain hanging from the Inquisitor's pauldrons. "You got it, Weiss."
"Do not call me that," She snapped, before catching herself, resting a face in her palm. "I am… I'm sorry. There was an incident in the Citadel. We need to speak later." The urgency in her voice caught Yang's interest. Never before had Weiss -the Lady Inquisitor- shown such uneasiness. "You are wounded." Yang shook her head before a stab of pain wracked her, causing her to cough blood onto her burnt armor.
"Nope. I'm one hundred percent." There was a moment of silence as Weiss looked at her in disbelief before shaking her head.
"Emperor, you're stubborn." She turned to her kasrkin, who had assembled behind her. Ira was there as well, hands clasped behind his back. "Loni, look over my Representative. I must speak with my Chamber Militant." One of the masked guards saluted, marching over to administer aid.
"The Lady Inquisitor!" The haloed woman boomed, the vox-crackle of her voice resounding off the shattered walls of Shao-la. "We are the Sisters of the Sacred Rose, serving the banner of the storied 'Thanatos' Mission. We are fifty-five sisters strong, ready to serve." The woman knelt before Weiss, planting her two-handed chainsword in the earth.
"Palatine Naja bint Mutaa al-Ibanhi." The Inquisitor said. "Your reputation precedes you. I thank you for answering my call." Standing, the woman barked an order to her subordinates, and they stood at ease, bloodied black robes fluttering in the wind.
"It is my duty, Lady. Although I wish I did not have to chase you across the Imperium," The Palatine replied.
"Unavoidable circumstances," the Inquisitor said, her voice terse and wary. Looking beyond the taller woman, she examined the rest of the Mission. "Only fifty-five sisters? I asked for more."
"Fifty-five is all we could spare. The Black Crusade has called most of our Sisters to Cadia, where the fighting is the thickest." Eyeing Yang, she scoffed. "Although I can clearly see your need. Upjumped provincial guardsmen will not serve you as well in the days to come." Yang made to stand, but Loni's fingers bit into her collarbone, seating her with their iron grip. Grumbling, she accepted the Cadian's aid. These 'Sisters of Battle' are already pissing me off.
"The Woadians have served me loyally." Weiss countered. "With some armor acquired at Primum Mobilus, they managed to slay a daemon." This sent a greying eyebrow skyward.
"Truly? Well, perhaps they'll be of some use in cleansing the rest of this corrupted planet."
"Unnecessary. The rot here has been purged. Though it will take many years, the city will recover. Its great walls will stand whole once more."
"Foolishness." Naja spat, eyeing the ragged remnants of Shao-la's soldiery. "It would be better to burn it whole, the Archives included." Yang growled at this before Loni forced her to sit once more. The Inquisitor's brow twitched, but she remained unfazed by the woman's words.
However, seeing Weiss defend the city buried most of her residual anger towards her old friend. She remembered the words she said when they reunited: 'Each decision I make is weighed against more lives than Remnant could ever hope to hold. None of them are easy. None of them wasteful'. Though the extremes still infuriated her, it was reassuring to see there was a measure of Weiss left within the the Lady Inquisitor.
"You'll do no such thing. I've voiced my intentions regarding this planet, and I will accept no alternatives." Heaving her enormous pauldrons into a shrug, the Sister of Battle considered her words.
"I only wish to offer my advice. You are a young and untried witch, capable though you may be. I am a hundred years old, and I was inducted into the Orders Militant when you were still unborn." Yang suppressed the urge to scoff at the woman's blustering. Weiss was… less amused.
"Hold your tongue, Palatine!" She spat. "I speak with the voice of the Emperor. I have had my patience tried once today, and you would not see it pushed any further." Yang's amusement vanished in a moment, replaced with a cold and unfeeling ache. The seething pain in her ribs vanished, replaced with a pounding headache and rose petals that danced across her vision. "I am to be obeyed, in all things, at all times. I may be touched with the warp, but I will tolerate no further outbursts from you." Taken aback by the viciousness of her reprisal, Naja bowed her head, a bead of sweat running down her scarred face.
"Of course, my Lady."
"Now board your Thunderhawks. We are departing in several hours, and we must make all available haste. Begone."
Bowing, the Palatine turned to face her sisters. With a few shouted words, they dispersed into their fliers. A pair of sisters welcomed their leader back, wielding a matched set of heavy flamers. The colossal sister stood near the Palatine as well, hefting her enormous weapon in her wide arms. Yang watched them go.
"You've really fucked yourself up, kid," Loni said, flipping her mask up. She was an older woman, the tell-tale mark of a lasburn marring the right side of her face. Yang made to reply, before the woman gave her a piercing, purple stare. "Don't bother. That's a serious wound you have. And judging on where you are, you've been walking on it for too long. It's the work of the Emperor that you're still alive." She crouched down to face Yang eye-to-eye. My auspex shows massive internal damage, far beyond what a conscious person should be able to stand."
"Well doc, when you put it like that…." Yang said, trying to smile. "Give me some more painkillers and I'll be good to go." Loni only scoffed before jamming an injector into her neck. "Gah!" She cried, trying to slap away the medic's efforts. It was no use. Her arms felt heavier than lead, and the night grew darker, inch by inch. "Not… not cool, man." As the ground rushed up to meet her, she welcomed its embrace, finally free of the constant, needling pain.
The Lady Inquisitor watched her Representative collapse. Any other day, her iron-willed stubbornness would have brought a smile to her face. But she could not find one today. After all that happened, she had the misfortune of receiving al'Ibanhi as the commander of her Chamber Militant… already, the woman had been making waves across the Order of the Sacred Rose for her temperament. Snarling, she watched them board their craft. She's isn't much more than a bitchy little snot. She spat. Turning, she ordered the Woadian medics to care for Yang. Gathering her kasrkin, she boarded her Valkyrie. The clock was ticking on Cadia… on Josephus… on Ruby.
Saying there is no time to waste implies there is time in the first place. Her fingers searched the inside of her duster, reaching for the wine she knew was no longer there. Returning empty handed, she let loose a long sigh. Stringy and matted with sweat, her snow-white hair spooled in her gauntleted hands.
Emperor, grant me guidance. Lend me strength. She thought of the relic she liberated from Ezzelino's grasp, praying that its holy aura would guard her against uncertainty. Behind her, Ira watched the Thunderhawks ascend into the the red-mooned sky, his blood-soaked robes caressed by their flight.
"To the Citadel, then?" He asked. She nodded, grasping one of the safety handles for support. It'd been a long time since she'd been so weary.
"First things first, Ira. Find the Seneschal, and write an official document proclaiming him the new provincial governor." Her acolyte nodded, ready to obey. The Archive must be left in capable hands. Amat will have to be extracted as well. I'll order him to ride with the Woadians for now.
Riding large reptilians, Shao-la's allies streamed into the city, aiding the natives in extinguishing the fires that devastated the city. After the loyalty and tenacity they showed me, they deserve a real garrison, she thought. But the lingering memory of the King's possession embittered her as the Citadel neared.
Calm yourself. The Lady Inquisitor found it a difficult task. One glimpse of Ruby, and her galaxy unhinged, taking everything she knew and throwing it to the eddies of the warp.
If… Emperor forbid, she's fallen to the Dark Gods, I will take it upon myself to destroy her soul. The very thought made her stomach heave and twist, recoiling in horror at the very notion.
Outside of praying it was not so, there was no other option.
If my worst fears came to pass, Ruby must die by my hand.
"This is bullshit." Yang was pissed. One of Weiss' stupid guards knocked me out with her stupid drugs. Not only that, but when she woke up an hour later and tried to stand, the entirety of Gamma took it upon themselves to force her into a wheelchair. A fucking wheelchair.
"Shaddup, Trooper." Jorvis growled. "If you die from all that squirming, I'll have these fuckers whining about it for years." He huffed. "If they make it that long."
"What the Sarge is trying to say," Caolin cut in with a ready grin, "is that you should be glad Ros and I didn't strap you to a stretcher." The aforementioned red-head gave her friend a quick wink, causing Yang to groan in frustration. They didn't know that unless another squad of traitor marines appeared, her aura reserves would be enough to stitch her up in a week's time.
As they waited for their transports outside the walls of Shao-la, a quietness came over them. Many Woadians perished in defense of the city, most falling to the daemon's assault and the resulting breakthrough. Some perished from infection, and others descending into madness, tearing their skin away and gnashing their teeth. They could not stand the stress of surviving a daemon, and were bestowed the Emperor's mercy.
One more cold, stark reminder of the Imperium's realities. Just witnessing the creature drove trained soldiers to suicide and gibbering insanity. She'd found a few while chasing out the Yǒng-lo, cowering in the rubble while they babbled nonesense words that made her shoulder burn. On Remnant, they'd be committed to a mental health institute. Here, they were shot on sight.
She sighed, once more wrestling with the justification of it all. Once she would have called that barbarism. Now it looked like mercy. Leaning back in her chair, she tried to center herself by looking out over her comrades.
The standards of the 111th Woadian Rangers flew a new streamer, one only a few regiments would recognize: a single black banner. Daemonkillers. Even flying it was dangerous, as an overzealous Inquisitor would see contact with warp-spawn as a liability. But Ira told them to wear it with pride and honor. No harm would come to them while they labored under the Lady Inquisitor. There was another addition as well, jammed onto the top with vicious force: a horned cerulean helm, its red visor cracked and splintered. A donation of Yang's.
Weiss' words to her were disconcerting though, to say the least. The Inquisitor was haggard and worn, and when she asked to speak later… she shuddered. Something's terribly wrong. She could've sworn she'd seen rose petals too. Memory's getting fuzzy. All these painkillers.
In truth, she'd pushed herself far beyond what she should have. Weiss' medic had been right to conk her out. Doesn't mean I have to like the wheelchair. They didn't even let her wheel the damn thing!
She chuckled, trying to shake away the gloomy mood that'd come over her. They had defended Shao-la. Though many of its citizens perished and most of the city burned to the ground, the timely arrival of the Sisters of Battle kept the spirit of the natives alive. For many years, it would be a city of ash, but it would stand tall once more. Rumor had it the lizard-riders lost their entire cities fighting the heretics, and would become Shao-la's newest residents. Beaming, Yang clapped Ros on the back.
"We did it," she said.
"The Sisters did it, you mean," Ros replied, wearing a small smirk.
"The Sisters helped me is what you meant," Caolin said. Mael (as always) remained silent, rolling his eyes at his comrades' banter. The loss of their friends still weighed heavily upon them, however. Losing Svyr was unexpected and unnecessary, and Yang felt a bit cheated that she was denied her revenge. As Ros wheeled her up the ramp of their landing craft, she watched the rest of the Regiment filter out of the city.
Delta platoon lost too many people, and would be absorbed into Gamma once they were off-planet. Death. So much death. Yang bit the thought down.
"Don't let them hear you, Caolin," she said, smiling once more. "They look like they mean business."
"Hey, I saw them too! Did you see those two with the flamers? They had to be twins. Twins, man!" Ros punched him on the shoulder. "And that one… Emperor, she had to be at least seven and a half feet tall! Big as a damned astartes."
"If anything, we have a shit-ton more firepower," Asgeg said, her eyes bright and shining. "Emperor, they were magnificent." Even Yang couldn't deny that. They were effective. Religious nutjobs, but effective nonetheless… even if it meant yet more zealotry and Emperor-fanatics. Will I ever be free of it all? As a Yǒng of thanks spilled out from Shao-la, the answer seemed to be a resounding 'no'. Damnation. The engines spun up, buffeting the savannah grasses with jet-wash. Hundreds of landing craft roared, ready to return them to the Ascendant Dawn. A single voice cried out from below, fighting the great gales.
Squinting against the wind, Soo struggled to reach them in a ash-streaked apron, a rucksack slung over her shoulder. Her hair billowed and fluttered, but she pressed onwards. Bellowing a guttural noise, Mael reached out for her, gesturing her aboard. Laughing, she dashed up to the landing craft, ducking inside before the doors slammed shut.
"You gotta be fucking kidding me." Jorvis growled, his hands swallowing his face. "We have camp followers now." He settled into his seat with a weary sigh. "Golden Throne of Terra, the shit I put up with." Ignoring the sergeant, Soo pounced on Mael, pulling him into a long, tear-stained kiss.
The landing craft erupted into tumultuous cheers, Yang's the loudest of all.
As the Imperial soldiers flew away in their metal boxes, Ke Nuyen watched them go. Her granddaughter's decision to join them was not one made lightly. Were her bones not worn and ragged with age, she would have gladly joined her little Soo. Rarely in such short a time had she served the Emperor with such fervor.
Sighing, she wiped a small tear away from the wrinkles surrounding her eyes. Her little liyu blossom was gone. With a huffing, watery laugh, she patted her bloodied hands on her nurses' apron. That muscled soldier-boy had a part in this, no doubt!
Turning away from the departing soldiers, she made her way through the smoke and ash that choked the streets she'd known as a child. Tying her grey hair behind her head, she resolved to put her granddaughter's departure behind her. For now at least. Later, she'd light a candle for her safety.
Speaking of prayer, a new Yǒng echoed through the streets of Shao-la. The new Saint. Already, an icon of her summoned the faithful under its banner, her image framed with flecks of bright yellow crystal. Already, the child Joo-yi sung her praises, chanting of the radiant woman's glory as she watched the Saint slay four of the arch-foe's foulest servants.
She was blessed enough to witness her, speak with her in person. She thanked the Emperor for the honor, and thought about joining the worshippers, but decided to hunt for survivors instead.
Ke knew that's what the Saint would prefer.
A/N: Oooh, now that sure is interesting, huh? :D Be sure to let me know what you think! Your input helps me tremendously! :D
Review Replies:
Jack Inqu: Me too! I'm glad you're enjoying this, and I hope this update rocked! :D
Darkerpaths: Yay! :D
reality deviant: Well, did you expect anything else? hehe
The Walrus of Eden: Hahaha I'm with you on Soulstorm... they're badass, and get nerfed way too often!
Madman Evil: Fuck yeah!
Heitomos: It might be awhile, but it'll be awesome! Promise!
Redcollecter: Right? So much fun to write!
Knives91: Hahahaha I love getting reviews like yours! Thanks so much for the kind words!
DanAbnett1997: I'm so glad the sisters are going over well... they kick total ass!
Trife: They are not well-known at all (at least from what I understand). The Officio Assassinorum is incredibly secretive to anyone not an official in the Imperium.
RED Roman Pyro: Yes, the Shao-la arc has concluded!
Undying Soul98: Hey, I love getting reviews like yours! It's one of the most rewarding things about writing, and I'm thrilled you're enjoying it so much. Who knows what the future holds? :)
Galm: Booyah! Nailed it! :D
OBSERVER01: She mentioned them in Chapter 10. :)
ZalrokCSoulDeath: Probably, but definitely not in the Adeptus Sororitas!
antisnipe: Seen it! Looks awesome! (Unlike the new Inquisitor game...)
Guest: Oh hey, I'm glad to hear it! I work pretty hard at making sure everything's easy to understand. :)
DoomLich: I plan to! Thanks so much for all your reviews!
Kiyoushu: I hope this chapter explains why Weiss didn't get decked hahaha
LegionOfMisfits: Yeah, Weiss isn't about to let that go down!
Gafgar: Hehehe ok, I was just confused. Thanks for educating me on crypteks! :D
snoogenz: Damn right.
Nemris: I think there's enough fire hahaha
Mintskittle: The Infernal Galop works as well (if being a little silly). Thanks for looking at all the little details about Darron too. :)
Dom380: Not quite an ex machina. TLI summoned them in chapter 10! :D
Destrark: Dude, the Space Marines are done to death anyways! XD
GuntherRiechwald: Hell yeah!
huCAST 75 madeanaccount: You called it on the tension! Hope things don't escalate!
Dayanne Rockstar: It shall be glorious indeed.
Thanks so much everyone! I love to hear from each and every single one of you!