Armorum Fidei Chapter 32
Phantea's door lay unguarded and inviting. The plain wooden door seemed so innocuous and yet foreboding, to step within would be to cross a line they could not come back from. Was Phantea corrupted or pure, soon they would find out either way. The comforting blanket of ignorance would be stripped away and the cold, blunt truth laid bare. Justini was uncomfortable with the very idea, for so long Phantea had led the Celestians with pride and stern discipline, the prospect of losing her struck deep.
"Come on," Praxi growled, "No point hanging about."
"Door's unguarded," Lexia pointed out, "We won't get a better chance."
The others stepped forward, walking swiftly down the corridor to the Canonesses' chamber. Justini followed in their wake, trailing behind in reluctance as they made their way to the door. Praxi walked up to the wooden barrier without pause and rapped loudly, there was no response so she tried the handle and surprisingly found it unlocked. She shared a glance with the other Celestians then pushed open the door and stepped within.
Justini was a step behind and found the Canoness' quarters to be quite a surprise. She'd never been in this room before, or any of Phantea's personal billets and it was an odd mix of traditional sanctity and personal flair. The wide space could have fitted a few squads with ease, roomy in a way only the elite ranks could expect. There was the customary shrine to the God-Emperor, a flagellation station, with barbed whips for excoriation of sins and a weapon's rack and armour stand. A large desk took up most of the rear quarter, a broad sweep of rare Perchwood from distant Sancour, probably worth more than the earnings of a Deacon in his lifetime.
Such things would be expected of any Canoness and yet Justini's eye was drawn to the personal flourishes. On a set of low shelves were stacked various skulls, each one cracked or broken and then rebuilt with gold mortar. Humans and aliens in great variety, even an Ork skull, Phantea's most worthy kills one could safely assume. A book stand stood against a wall, filled with tattered books, not dour treatises on piety or the God-Emperor's divinity but trashy rags such as a street peddler would flog on a damp corner. There was an ivory Regicide board, left mid-game and a stone bust of the current Ecclesiarch, with a stern expression that made one think of one's sins and feel ashamed. This room was a picture of a proud veteran, one who had lived a life of service and yet retained their individual spirit, unfortunately none of it revealed any hint of her current loyalties.
Suddenly Lexia squawked, "A vox-set!"
Indeed there was a large device built into a corner and the squad hurried over as Heleyna said, "Locked tight, there's a runepad though."
"Does anyone know Phantea's personal ident cypher?" Justini asked.
"Not us," Praxi sighed, "That's what we get for being good Sororitas and not snooping."
"Look about," Justini urged, "There may be a clue."
The squad hastily spread out, examining the items within. Justini went to inspect the bookshelves but was blinded by targeting runes. She shrugged her polearm and removed her helm so she could read the titles, slightly disappointed when she saw blurbs like 'The Saint and the Pauperboy' and 'Final Passions'. Hardly edifying reading in her opinion and she snorted loudly.
"What's so funny?" Praxi called over from the Regicide board.
"It seems our Canoness has a thing for trashy romance novels," Justini explained.
"Wouldn't be the first Battle Sister with a wandering eye," Praxi snorted, "Need I remind you of your own pamphlet collection of 'Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium'?"
Justini let the matter drop as she turned to Lexia and called, "Got anything?"
Lexia was pushing plastek sheets about on the desk and muttered, "Maybe, but it makes no sense. Come and look."
They hurried over and examined the piles of material. Justini saw they were spy-picts, orbital surveillance taken recently, if the imprinted timestamps were to be believed. Many picts were of Train-cities and Xenos armies on the move, others of orbital starships, hourglass shapes blotting out the stars beyond. Yet the majority were of a large structure, set upon the surface of Suna. It looked like a truncated Hive City, its shadow betraying a steep pyramid shape.
"What's that?" Lexia asked.
"I don't know," Justini said as she picked one up, "But it wasn't there before, the Xenos are building… something."
"That can't be good," Praxi hissed, "If Phantea knew about this why isn't she pressing for an all-out attack?"
"She what else you can find," Justini urged as she tried the desk's drawers. They were locked but Power Armour was not to be denied so easily and the metal fastening crumpled under her augmented strength. She opened a few and found quills, ink pots, devotional tokens, nothing incriminating. Yet it was Praxi who opened a draw and breathed, "Errr… what is this?"
Justini looked up and asked, "You found proof of treachery?"
"What?" Praxi started, "No… I found… I don't know what I found."
Praxi flourished a small stack of picts, each one displaying a young woman, a Sororitas. At first Justini thought they were pictures of Phantea's career but then it clicked that they were pictures of her, Justini's life captured on plastek sheets. There were pictures of her joining the squad, her ascension to the rank of Battle Sister, her induction into the Adepta Sororitas and even older ones of her playing in the scholam grounds. The last picture was of a babe in arms, held by a woman whose head was out of frame but the ring hanging around her neck was unmistakable.
"It's me," Justini breathed in shock.
Praxi eyed her suspiciously and said, "It seems our Canoness has been keeping a closer eye on you than we knew, all your life going by these."
"I don't understand," Lexia started, "Why does Phantea have these?"
Justini took up the picture of the baby, as she nestled her polearm in the crook of her arm. Dark thoughts began to creep through her mind, an impossible idea that she had never considered before. Could it be that Phantea had known her mother, was she a friend or perhaps a relative, one sworn to watch over a babe left behind? It was a neat and clean explanation of events but not one Justini believed for a moment. Memories intruded, of Phantea keeping her close, watching her coldly from afar and somehow always present for every important moment of Justini's life. Then a conversation came back to her, the Canoness explaining that Sororitas who strayed from their vows of chastity had to choose between a life in the non-militant orders or giving up any offspring forever.
A cold and terrible certainty arose in Justini and with it the horrible realisation that her whole life had been a lie. All those nights spent dreaming of a heroic mother, dying bravely in some distant war, were nothing but a child's fantasies, a cover for a cold truth. Her mother hadn't died, she's been hiding in plain sight. Choosing her career over a baby. Justini's life had been a mistake, cast off baggage weighing down an ambitious bitch who dumped the baby so she could ascend the ranks. Justini had been lied to her whole life and that truth shattered her dreams into dust.
"She lied to me…" Justini growled.
Praxi cut in, "We don't know that, this could mean anything."
"She lied," Justini hissed, "My whole damned life, she knew and didn't say anything. I meant nothing to her, nothing."
"Justini…" Praxi started to say but was cut off as the door clunked behind them. Everyone spun about to see Phantea stepped through the door, her cold face staring. Hands went to weapons as everyone tensed, unsure of how to react. The Canoness faced them without saying a word, then she firmly shut the door behind her. Justini's anger was undercut by horror as she saw nothing in those pale eyes, no judgement, no anger, no fear of discovery. There was an alien cast to Phantea's expression, aloof and distant, nothing human remained in her face.
"Canoness," Resita began, "We were…"
"That's not Phantea!" Justini barked as she pointed her polearm.
Suddenly the Canoness exploded into action, hand falling to her sword and drawing it with blinding speed. The Celestians reacted as they had been trained, levelling their weapons and preparing to greet the foe but Phantea was faster. She dove left and went straight for the greatest threat, Heleyna. Mace and shield rose to intercept but the crackling blade weaved past the defence, slicing over ribs and parting Ceramite. There was a smear of light and then Heleyna was staggering back, blood pouring down her left flank as she grunted in pain.
Justini levelled her polearm and charged, crying aloud in fury, but was brought up short by a dazzling parry that knocked her thrust aside with ease. Whatever the Psybrids had done to Phantea it had done nothing to lessen her skill at arms, her handling of the blade smooth and elegant. Justini tried to wrench her polearm back but was knocked aside by a knee to the hip, sending her staggering. She lifted her polearm horizontally to defend but Phantea's sword swung in an overhead strike, bringing the edge of her sword down hard. Rigid shaft meet crackling disruption field and proved unworthy. In a single blow Phantea sundered Justini's weapon, leaving her clutching two broken ends of her stave. Then a punch to the face sent her reeling, blood pouring over her mouth from a broken nose.
From afar Praxi shouted, "Get clear!"
"We have no shot!" Resita yelled.
The trio of ranged Sisters were trying to get a clean hit but Phantea reacted smoothly, grabbing Justini's reeling form and twisting hard. Justini was sent flying, her power armoured weight crashing into Praxi and knocking them both to the floor. Resita and Lexia let off hasty shots but their aim was spoiled by the unexpected move and both missed, then Phantea had them. The Canoness slammed into the pair, sword blurring as she swept low. Resita took a swipe to the thigh that sent her crashing to the floor, Lexia suffered a stab to the gut that cut deep, cutting muscle and tendon with debilitating force. She staggered back, arms encumbered by her pistol and Triptych, unable to defend herself.
Justini saw Phantea draw back, about to plunge her sword into Lexia's heart and end her. There was no mercy or hesitation in the Canoness, her soul belonged to the alien and the woman herself was gone. Death loomed but Justini's anger was not done yet. All her cold rage, all her shattered dreams and outrage at the harsh truth compelled her to grab the broken end of her polearm and brought her to her feet, leaping at the Canonesses' back. Phantea heard a sound behind and began to turn but Justini was upon her, crackling end of the broken weapon stabbing upwards as she roared, "Ragggh!"
There was a tremendous impact and Justini's arms shook like church bells and then silence fell. She found herself nose to nose with Phantea's stunned face, her hands wrapped around the broken end of the weapon that had cleaved through the Ceramite breastplate, straight into the heart. Phantea looked amazed for a moment, then strength left her. Glowing sword fell from numb fingers and her legs gave out. She collapsed to the ground, mouth open in startled shock, pulling Justini down with her. Justini's head was fit to burst with emotions, rage, satisfaction, shock, denial and terror. She'd killed Phantea with her own hands, the one person in the galaxy who could tell her the truth of her origins. She couldn't let Phantea pass without knowing the truth, she had to find out.
Justini looked into Phantea's eyes and said, "Canoness…"
Something stirred in the dying woman, some semblance of identity and she breathed, "I…"
Seconds remained and Justini pleaded, "Quickly, tell me who you are."
"I…"
"Tell me who you are to me!" Justini begged.
But Phantea's life was spent, she slipped away and the last word she ever uttered in life was, "Justi…"
Justini's world went hollow, colours washing out and sounds going faint. As if from a great distance she heard Praxi lurching to her feet calling, "Lexia, are you alive?"
"Barely," Lexia muttered, "She got me good, I need a Medicae."
"It'll have to be fast," Heleyna muttered, "Hear that, alarm bells. The word is out, we've been rumbled."
Resita urged, "We need to fight our way out, Justini we have to… Justini…"
Justini wasn't listening, staring into Phantea's cold, lifeless eyes. Whatever secrets the Canoness held had been taken to the grave and the Battle Sister was wracked by the knowledge she'd never find the truth. Was Phantea hiding her mother's identity from her, or worse had she been Justini's mother all along, there would never be an answer. Justini couldn't think, she couldn't act, all she could do was stare numbly as the last chance to find out slipped away forever.
"Warp hells," Praxi snapped, "We have no time for this, grab her and let's go!" Strong hands grabbed her under the arms and lifted. She responded automatically, legs moving on their own as her mind churned. Prompted by her Sisters she was marched from the chamber, leaving the truth behind, a secret that now would never be told.
