Steel, Fire, Honor and Ruin
Chapter 12
mistakes were made
/ooooooo\
Year 2522, Imperial Calendar
Battle for Middenheim
Maria Shepard tried putting some weight on her left leg, only to have the severed muscles scream in protest. She could feel the blood leaving the charred blackened cut so recently made run down her thigh and calf and into her boot. With its matching twin along her ribs bleeding all this time as well, Maria guessed more of her blood watered the beaten down grass at her feet then remained in her body.
Fighting with a sword wasn't her greatest skill, sucks even more when the big bad knew what he was doing…
It was a struggle to hold her runefang. Even more so to keep the fabled sword sheathed in biotic energy. The blue glow waned, beginning to fade in and out, as she pushed her mind to keep the power flowing through her body. The gamble had failed to produce the desired results. Her opponent had suffered little in return.
As had her gamble to save Middenheim from the bloodthirsty demonic hordes. One of the gates had fallen to the enemy, and now the city burned as its defenders fell back to more fortified locations within the walls. She could only imagine how many dead already littered the streets inside the city.
Her undead reinforcements had originally caught the enemy off guard but was even now being pushed back. An army of skeletons and zombies was easily repulsed by heavy blades and denser armor. The Chosen of the chaos horde marched deep into the undead host, as relentless and unfaltering as an avalanche. Only the Vampires themselves and the terrible beasts they had resurrected held the line, but they were few and far between in an endless mass of chaos.
Maria had to face facts. The Archaon, the Everchosen, had her beat.
"I told you this before Shepard," he took a step closer as she limped a step back, "this has gone on long enough. I have a destiny to fulfill. With the power of the chaos gods behind me, no mortal can stand in the face of my wrath. Not the Princes of doomed Ulthuan, not the stunted Lords buried in their mountains, not the damned blood-drinkers, and not the men playing at Counts and Emperors… not even you, Maria."
Gods, he was annoying. Always the same speech, each and every time. But even Maria had to admit his skill matched his ego.
He raised the flaming sword, Slayer of Kings, in a two-handed grip preparing to swing. "You resisted longer than most. Forced me to fight harder than I have ever before. If the world was to survive what is to come you would be remembered… but it will not survive. I will reach the Citadel, and I will finish what I started."
Maria kept her eyes locked on his sword. He was right about one thing. With the powers of all four of the chaos gods behind him the Archaon would take Middenheim.
But the favor of the chaos gods was a fickle thing. And unknown to everyone, except the most learned minds on the planet, one of those gods had shone his favor over the countless eons to warriors of chaos and order. Because when it came to spilling blood, both sides wouldn't hesitate to do so in order to achieve whatever they sought.
And that was all he wanted. Blood for the blood god.
Maria Shepard had spilled a lot of blood over her life, and during her attempts at preventing the Reaper invasion of the milky way it wasn't a figure of speech to say whole star systems had suffered because of her actions.
During the first year of her exile on this planet she had also made a mistake. A simple, terrible mistake that had haunted her years on this planet ever since. She had unknowingly broken one of the most important rules this world had and her actions on that fateful day had gotten her noticed. Once it saw what she could do it kept eyes on her ever since.
And it was proud of her.
Maria kept her eyes on the Slayer of Kings as the Archaon moved toward her. It was an evil sword. A sword with a trapped greater daemon as its heart. The bodies left in its dreadful wake were endless. And if Maria didn't do something soon, she would join that pile.
So she gathered what remained of her biotic power. She pulled whatever she could from the winds of magic. She reached down deep inside herself to the part that got her off the filthy streets of Earth and made her the first human Spectre.
The Archaon had said he could feel his gods watching him. Maria had never truly believed in such things until this world had shattered her illusions. But she knew, right now, at this very moment, she was being watched as well. She could feel it's smile weigh down on her as it read her thoughts and intentions.
It liked what it saw.
Maria kept her eyes locked on the Slayer of Kings as it raced for her heart. What she had planned was madness, but it would please the one who watched her, and maybe, buy the Empire more time.
She was going to take the storm of magic at her command, the biotic power still brimming inside her, and the last of her strength, to steal the Archaon's most prized possession.
She was going to break that damned sword and unleash what laid trapped within.
/ooooooo\
Four years earlier…
Location: Bokel, city of Middenland
Day: 35
Collector armor was not 'heavy armor' by any means. It lacked the thick ceramic plates that protected most of the standard suits across the galaxy and used by most species' militaries. But in Maria Shepard's opinion its shortcomings were outshined by its clear advantages.
The psychological benefits on a battlefield were plain to see. Collector armor was darn creepy looking. The armor was incredibly flexible, and it was also extremely low maintenance thanks to its self-healing skin. When compared to common synthetic ballistic fibers, the chitinous collector skin was tested to be over twenty-percent stronger and less susceptible to tears and punctures. Combining one on top of the other just reinforced the overall protection offered by the suit that much more.
Maria was sitting cross-legged on her small bed and had three fingers poking through the slice made on the chest portion of the armor. It was a clean cut, right through the entire suit. There had been another just like it on the left arm. The suit had been cut through twice, with a dark elf sword.
"As if their dragons weren't bad enough," she sighed and pulled her fingers out of the hole.
Holding the armor carefully she brought her omni-tool to life and activated the miniature fabrication module. Holding the tool over the hole, a thin pair of grafting lasers shot out and began welding the ballistic fibers back together. Sixty seconds later the lasers shut off and Maria's armor was whole and solid once more.
She ran her fingers lightly over the scarred material and shook her head. It would do for field work, but the armor's structural integrity was forever compromised. Her space suit was no longer space worthy. Not that it was capable of even keeping her alive in space without the helmet, but the blow was affecting Maria more than she anticipated.
She had just lost one more thing that connected her to her old life. This simple cut was a drastic reminder all her original gear had a working life-expectancy.
Maria's eyes fell on her omni-tool and her heart clenched. What of the sword had struck the tool? A couple of inches was all that had separated them when the dark elf had cut her arm. If the tool broke, what then? The only thing capable of repairing it, was the tool itself. She was absolutely, positively fucked if she lost it.
A truly terrifying train of thought filled her mind of what Maria's future held if the worst came to pass. A future stuck on this planet. A future without seeing her friends again. A future where they fought the Reapers alone. A future where they all died alone…
The collector armor was thrown to the side as she hopped off the bed. The stone floor was rough and cold beneath her bare feet as Maria paced the small room, running shaking hands through her hair; and then cradled her arm, and the omni-tool, to her chest. This stupid world filled with dragons, vampires, hydras, talking rats, crazy knights, all these terrible, impossible things would be the death of her; and all Maria was trying to do was struggle to survive, for the sole purpose of trying to save them from the Reapers!
A hard series of knocks on the door penetrated through her dark thoughts making her jump in surprise.
"Reiksguard?" The male voice belonged to Captain Alvin. "Shepard, are you awake?"
Maria stared at the door and only then noticed her sorry state. She was close to hyperventilating while her heart raced. Her skin was cold from sweat and she wiped the back of her hands over her eyes.
Damnit all, she had to get a grip. She wasn't a scared kid living on the streets anymore. She was a soldier, a Spectre, she'd survived worse and she would survive this.
But the fact she was alone again, just like the old days, stayed forefront in her mind…
"Y-yeah." She took a deep breath and swallowed her feeling down. Her voice gained strength. "Yes, Captain, I am awake."
"May I come in?" he asked politely.
Maria looked down and herself. She was wearing a thin long-sleeved cotton shirt that barely fell past her hips, and that was it. It was all she had to sleep in since her tank top and shorts needed an immediate washing after wearing them for a week straight in the woods.
"One moment, please," she replied. She grabbed one of the blankets off the bed, wrapped it around her collector armor, then pushed it under the mattress. It was the best she could do for now.
She had been given private quarters at the garrison when they had arrived. The room was small. The bed was small. The dresser was small. But the privacy had been appreciated. Pretending to be a Reiksguard was having its perks.
She pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it on the bed as she opened the dresser drawers and pulled out her clothes. She'd be wearing the uniform of Bokel's officers. She pulled the white pants up her legs and tightened a thin leather belt to hold them in place, and then put on the deep blue long-sleeved shirt that buttoned up the front. The image of a wolf's head on a shield was stitched above her right breast. No bra or panties, she'd be going commando for the time being. The guards hadn't offered, and Maria would admit being a little embarrassed to broaching such a subject while she was posing as a top-level knight. Oh well, she could rough it for the time being.
Shirt buttoned up to the collar and the excess tucked into her pants, Maria walked back to the door and opened it for the Captain.
He stepped into the room but remained standing just past the doorway. He was dressed and armored exactly the way Maria had seen him when they met at the city gates. Since he was technically the man in charge of the night watch, she'd wager he had just been relieved by the next set of guards.
"Good morning, sir. I hope you slept well."
Maria was in the process of retrieving a pair of cotton socks from her dresser, so the Captain didn't see her eyeroll. She sat down on the bed and pulled them over her feet. Then retrieved a pair of brown leather boots.
"Yes, thank you." Truth was she hadn't gotten more than an hour of sleep at the most.
After saving the young woman, Johanna, from the witch hunters, they had been led through the streets to the stone fortress that was the city's garrison. Maria had first seen to getting Johanna calmed down and relaxed enough to fall asleep in her own room. Then Maria had taken her horse to the garrison's stables. The workers there assured her they would take care of all George's needs, and it was a testament to their professionalism that they only hesitated a second when Maria explained that her horse needed at least two buckets of apples and carrots delivered to his stall a.s.a.p.
Only after all that was done did Maria start taking care of her own needs. Step one involved food. She stopped at the mess hall and got stuffed on buttered bread and stew. After four bowls of soup, a full loaf of bread and three mugs of weak beer, much to the amusement of the cooks and soldiers watching, Maria explained she needed a bath and a set of fresh clothes. She surrendered her Reiksguard armor and chainmail to the smith, so he could fix up the dents, her clothes were given to one of the women who worked at the fortress and saw to the more domestic tasks of the garrison. She had been kind enough and offered to sew up the cut on the side of Maria's tank top, hardly batting an eye at the large bloodstain soaked into the fabric.
Finally, after all that was done, Maria retired back to the room she was in now, though her night was far from over. The rest of her time was spent hunched over her omni-tool, going over translations, as she prepared for her eventual meeting with the garrison's commander, Major Knopf. She had to convince the man that Johanna needed protection and needed to be trained by the Colleges of Magic back in Altdorf; not to mention perfecting her own backstory so there would be no doubt that Maria was who she claimed to be. A member of the Reiksguard Knights, the Emperor's men and the best soldiers in the Empire, who was on a mission to Nordland.
So, yeah, it felt like she hadn't slept a wink.
And just now it hit her. The woman she had given her clothes to, why didn't she ask her for a set of underwear? Sloppy, Maria… an N7 was supposed to be the one catching the little details.
Boots on, Maria retrieved her sword and pulled the thicker leather belt around her waist, firmly anchoring the scabbard on her left hip. Without her armor, it was the best thing she had that marked her as a Reiksguard. And it would do its job. Nobody in the garrison had anything quite as shiny and well-made as the long sword she carried. Being a knight of the Emperor got you the best toys.
"Told the Major about the night's events," Captain Alvin explained to her. The man held back a slight grimace. "He wasn't happy with account. Jan, the witch hunter that pulled a gun on you, will be released from prison and sent on his way when Gerhard's foot is healed enough to travel."
Maria nodded as she grabbed the leather bag that contained her small coin purse, the map of the Empire, as well as her pistol and submachine gun. No one had questioned her weird accessory that was her purse/bag yet, so she'd always keep it on her. If nothing else, it would help her claim to be a courier for the Reiksguard. She lifted the bag's strap over her head and settled the bag on her waist, opposite the sword.
While the witch hunters weren't held in the highest regard by the Empire's general populace, they were a necessary force. Maria knew someone as high ranked as the commander for an entire city's guard would understand that fact better than the rest. Hearing he had released the man who had tried to shoot her wasn't a surprise.
"If you're ready, we can go see him," Captain Alvin added, still waiting patiently as Maria readied herself. "Not everyday a Reiksguard comes through Bokel, the Major's looking forward to meeting you."
Checking her reflection in the mirror above her dresser, Maria stopped running her hand through her hair and working out the night's knots so the Captain could see her look at him with a raised eyebrow.
He got the unasked question. "He knows you're a woman. And if you think he'll hold that against you or not, well… I can't say. You are the first one we've ever seen after all."
Oh well. To late to worry about that now. Finishing the fight with her hair, Maria faced Captain Alvin and tried to hide a pained look back toward her bed. Nobody would go snooping through her room, right? No, of course not, she was a Reiksguard Knight. They wouldn't spy on her.
Maria motioned to the door and followed Captain Alvin out into the hall. Closing the door behind herself, she glanced at him.
"Johanna?"
The Captain nodded. "Awake. Don't know how much she slept though. She's in the mess having breakfast. Samuel is with her." He then looked pensive and as if he had just swallowed something bitter. "That's one of the things the Major wants to discuss with you. He is the ranking military commander for the city, after all… you understand what I mean, sir."
Maria met the man's eyes. Yeah, she got the message. She was a lone Reiksguard Knight, and the pecking order had just been made perfectly clear. Inside Bokel, Major Knopf's final word was law. And he may not agree with Maria, so if that was the case, she had to be fine with it. If things went bad, the Captain, and every other soldier in Bokel, would stand behind the Major's decisions.
Maria gave the Captain a smile and put her hand on his arm. "I understand Captain Alvin. No worry. Lead on to the Major." It seemed to work as he gave her a nod, turning and leading Maria through the fortress, Major Knopf at the end of their journey.
Last night she had prepared for this. The Major would see things her way. He would have too, because Maria honestly didn't know what she would do if he didn't.
/ooooooo\
The major's accommodations were located on the first floor of the stone fortress, close to the same wings the soldiers bunked and well away from her private guest quarters. Captain Alvin had led her past the mess hall along the way, and at the smell Maria's stomach cried out for food. It would take more than four bowls of soup to fill her up from a week starving in the woods. She winced and hoped the Captain hadn't overheard her complaining stomach.
If the Empire ever invented high-calorie MRE's or energy drinks they'd grow rich off her business alone.
Eventually the Captain stopped in front of a door, raised his armored fist and rapped loudly on the entrance.
"Come!" a male voice, presumably the major, called from inside.
Captain Alvin pushed open the door then stepped aside for Maria to walk in. He didn't say a word but offered Maria a nod as she walked past him. Once she was inside, he reached back in and pulled the door closed behind her, leaving Maria alone.
The room was large and open. At least four times the size of her own captain's quarters back on the Normandy and segmented into three distinct areas. The portion closest to the doorway was clearly the workspace. A desk and two chairs sat directly in front of her. There were several open and unopened scrolls piled together across the surface. There was a fireplace built into the wall at the center of the room. A pair of couches sat parallel in front of it with a small table set between them. Past the lounge area Maria spotted a bed along with a dresser and wardrobe. The major's sleeping area.
All in all, Maria had to admit it was a fairly nice set up. She guessed that the major had lived here a few years now. There was a scattering of paintings along with weapons hanging on the walls, books laying open on the table in front of the fireplace. Enough noticeable things that while the place may be the head office a military man, steps were taken to make it comfortable.
The man himself was just coming over from the sleeping portion.
The first thing Maria noticed about the major was his age. He was old. The oldest military officer Maria had met on her journey so far. The man's hair was pure white, and what little remained was combed over to try and cover his head. He had a long oval face and a thick mustache just as white as the hair on his head. The tips of the mustache grew down to his chin and framed his mouth. His face was wrinkled, and the skin sagged in places, while his eyes were deeply set into his skull.
But despite his apparent age, Maria noticed the major stood straight and moved confidently as he walked across the room to greet her with and outstretched hand.
"Reiksguard," he shook her hand with a firm grip and a smile on his face, but she noticed quickly the smile didn't reach his eyes. He had only a couple inches of height on her. "Major Ian Knopf, commander of this garrison. Welcome to Bokel."
"Maria Shepard, thank you Major."
When their hands parted the Major took a small step back and gave her a full measuring look from her boots all the way back to her hatchet job of a haircut. He was being obvious about it, so Maria did the same. He was wearing a freshly shined pair of black leather boots, a stark contrast to the worn brown set she was wearing, but the rest of his uniform mirrored her own. White pants and a deep blue shirt. But while his shirt also had the wolf's head and shield stitched over the right breast, the major's left breast was covered by no less than a dozen medals ranging in design and size, pinned to the fabric. He also had a pair of ribbons braided together, one white the other blue, tied off at a flap above his left shoulder and hung halfway down his chest before they came back up under the arm and presumably tied back up at the shoulder.
Maria had to force down an eyebrow that threatened to rise as she looked over the printed metal. Someone had dusted off the hardware for this meeting. She could take it two different ways. The first, that he was an asshole who was set on making sure she knew he was superior to her despite the differences in their rank. Or the second, that he had purposefully pulled out the class-A get up as a sign of respect between the two of them.
Considering she had just met the major and the Systems Alliance's own military standards would have had her dress up in her best when meeting the Admiralty, Maria hoped it was the second reason.
"We may only be a short ride from Middenheim, but its not everyday we get a Reiksguard passing through our gates." Major Knopf motioned over to his desk so he and Maria to their respective seats. His tone seemed friendly enough as he continued, "And to hear that the knight is a woman no less! I guess congratulations are in order. Its no small feat what you've accomplished, I hope you remember that."
"Yes sir," Maria smiled politely. "It is an honor."
"I hadn't heard that the Reiksmarshal had even started accepting your type into the ranks," the major added, still welcoming and casual, but the hardness in his eyes remained. "If you don't mind me asking, when were you officially inducted into the ranks? I'd of thought the Emperor would have made an announcement or something of the like when he let you join his knights. You must be the first, as far as I know."
And there it was. Maria had been waiting for that question to pop up and she wasn't disappointed. This was exactly why she had spent so long last night preparing.
Maria nodded, ready to spin the tale. "Yes, I am the first woman in the order. I joined the Reiksguard only two years ago. There wasn't any pageantry around it. Just the order's inner circle, the Reiksmarshal and the Emperor. It meant enough to be accepted."
Major Knopf grinned. "Aye, that sounds like something the Emperor would do. He's a cunning man, that one. No doubt he saw your potential and said damn to tradition. Women have been serving in the auxiliary's for centuries but its only the last decade we've seen more serving in battle-ready crossbow and rifle regiments. Better to have them in the back anyways I say…" He then caught himself and gave her an apologetic wince. "No offense intended to present company, my lady, but you understand I'm sure. A spear-line has to hold back charging Orcs, beastmen, centigors, the odd giant… war is hell, and I'd rather see the men-folk suffering through its horrors to keep the rest of the Empire safe."
Maria could hardly fault the man for his reasoning. Every race across the galaxy had gone through the exact same time period and line of thinking. Well, every race except for the Asari, but the reasons for that were obvious.
"I'm sure you made your family proud," Major Knopf continued. "Your father a knight in the Reikland army? Get you a foot in with the Reiksguard, did he?"
At the mention of family Maria couldn't stop herself from shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Not that it really upset her anymore when people did bring it up. She had stopped crying over nonexistent parents early in her childhood. On the streets crying about things just made you a target. It was an old, closed wound but it still felt… weird, maybe?... when she discussed it.
Major Knopf was sharp enough to catch the change in her feelings as well. The guy may be old, but Maria was quickly learning he was still in charge for a reason. Luckily, she had prepared for this as well.
"My mother passed early on," Maria informed Major Knopf, the lie smoothly leaving her lips. "I was only a few years old. My father raised me and was a Reiksguard Knight. He served the Emperor and fought with him at the Slaughter at Debneitz. He died there. I was twelve years old."
The Slaughter at Debneitz was an actual battle the Empire fought seventeen years ago. The Emperor had been newly crowned that same year and his leadership immediately tested, when the Elector Count of Nordland learned of a massive invading barbarian fleet from the northern realm of Norsca, determined to head south and ravage the Empire. It was here the Emperor proved his tactical brilliance when he petitioned the Celestial College for aid and had the wizards learn where and when the invaders planned to land their ships.
When the barbarian horde finally came ashore, they found the combined Reikland and Nordland armies waiting for them. The battle quickly became a slaughter, the Empire's men and guns well positioned and dug in to repel the barbaric tribes. The Emperor personally led the final charge to break the Norscans and kill their more stubborn and brutal leaders. This battle effectively established the reigning Emperor's reputation as a brilliant and courageous military leader. The future battles and political minefields the man would easily navigate since then cemented the man's character as one of the best Emperors the Empire had ever seen. At least according to the scholars who claimed knowledge over such things.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Major Knopf said solemnly. "I remember that fight. I was still serving in the Middenheim greatswords back then, and our army was marshalled together in case the Emperor failed to repel the invaders. As far as battles go, the Empire didn't lose that many men, but those we did, died as heroes."
Maria gave him a small smile. "Thank you."
"Twelve years old tho'…" Major Knopf added while stroking his long mustache, "how'd you go from orphan to Reiksguard?"
"Lived with an uncle," Maria continued with her story. She made a face, "He wasn't a nice man, I left him within the month. I made my way on the streets of Altdorf, then when I was older, left with a group of mercenaries and traveled the provinces, selling our swords along the way."
She feigned sadness and fixed her gaze on the desk. "I always remembered my father and what he died for. After several years I eventually made my way back to Altdorf and intended to follow in his footsteps. I wanted to be a Reiksguard Knight."
She looked back up when Major Knopf huffed. "And how'd that work out for you?" he asked with a gleam in his eyes.
Maria frowned. "Bad. Joined the army and was stuffed back in a rifle regiment. Officers didn't even care I knew how to use a sword. Two years ago I finally had enough, and followed the Reiksmarshal through the barracks when he was in Altdorf. Cornered him and his guards, told them who I was and who my father was, then demanded he duel me for a position in the order."
Major Knopf looked outright shocked. "Oh, you poor delusional girl! Did he accept?"
"Trapped in front of his guards? Yes, he did."
"Ha! I wish I had been there!" the major grinned. "And the duel?"
Maria sulked back in her chair. "He beat me into the ground. Offered a re-match, and promptly made me eat dirt again."
Major Knopf broke out laughing and slapped a hand on his desk. Maria grinned herself, but more that her story had been believed.
And it was creditable because it would likely be the truth. The Reiksmarshal was a career soldier and general who had led the armies of the Empire and the Reiksguard to more victories than any other man alive, including the Emperor. He was also reputed to be the greatest swordsman in the Empire. This was backed up by his actions on the battlefield and in dozens of tournaments where he had fought and defeated challengers from every province, and even a few aspiring knights from Bretonnia.
If Maria ever did run into the Reiksmarshal she would do her best to avoid him and run quickly in the opposite direction. It would take little more than a slight biotic push to put the Reiksmarshal in his place… but the consequences of doing so didn't bode well for her.
The major finally calmed himself down and wiped a finger under his eye. "Still though, you must have impressed him enough to be sitting here today."
To his surprise, Maria shook her head. "Impress the Reiksmarshal? No. He told me to get up, clean myself off, and get back to my regiment." But then Maria smirked, "He didn't know our duel had an audience. Neither of us knew that the Emperor had heard about the fight and come down to watch. As sad as I was sitting in the dirt, he seemed to admire my bravery challenging the Reiksmarshal like I had, so he offered me a place in his guard. In part because of my actions, and in memory of my father."
She finished with a grin on her face and it wasn't hard for Maria to fake the emotions over this part of the story. Joining the Systems Alliance military and being admitted into their biotics program had been one of the happiest days of her life. She was finally off the streets, done living day to day, and being forced to deal with some of the worst scum in the cities.
"Now that's a story I'll have to share with my wife," Major Knopf declared happily, "certain to bring a smile to her face." He leaned back in his chair and finally looked at ease.
Bingo! She was in. Maria Shepard, teller of tales and vanquisher of minotaurs.
Now for the tricky bit…
"So, Shepard, what brings you through our city then, hmm?" he asked.
Maria reached down and patted the bag at her hip. "Messenger. General Christof von Forsberg pulled two hundred Reiksguard out of Altdorf and pushed us toward Marienburg. Just outside their lands, I was given a missive to be delivered to Salzenmund. That was seven days ago."
Major Knopf frowned. "Two hundred Reiksguard? Why would the Emperor send that many of his men to Marienburg? He trying to make a statement about something? Those bloated buffoons raise their tariffs so much he's finally sending the hammer to knock them down a bit?"
Actually, they were sent as a preemptive measure against the Dark Elves raiding the port, while a High Elf fleet sailed in pursuit. But since I just said I was sent off before any of this happened and certainly did not fight a black dragon and the dread lord riding it…
"Sorry," Maria said with a shrug, "didn't tell me why."
The major's face wrinkled in response. Yup, definitely a military man. Hated to be left in the dark over anything. Even if the problem was a whole province away.
He pointed over at her. "Can I ask what you're delivering?"
"Sorry," Maria repeated with a grimace. "No."
"Humph," the Major glowered and looked off to the side. "So important they send a Reiksguard to deliver it through Middenland, but can we know what it says, of course not." He looked back over at her. "How long are you staying in Bokel?"
"Leaving tomorrow," Maria replied. "Attacked by beastmen on the road here. Lost all my supplies fighting them off. My horse and I were knocked around a bit. I want to give him a day to rest, then leave in the morning."
"Sound reasoning, but I hope that message of yours can wait the day," he finished leveling her with a firm look.
Maria tried not to cringe under his stare. The guy wasn't happy not knowing what she was carrying, but give him half a thought that you were slacking in your duty and he's ready to chew your ass off.
She shook her head. "No worries. It can wait the day."
That seemed to satisfy the Major. She shifted forward in her chair and finally broached the subject she had wanted to discuss with the man since last night. "But before I go, I wanted to talk about what happened last night… concerning the witch hunters."
Major Knopf's face dropped. "Ah, yes I heard about that from Captain Alvin. Not the best start to your stay in Bokel, I'm afraid. Gerhard and his band had the Mayor's approval to hunt through the city, and at the time I offered them the full support of the guard if they kept me in the know. But, as is often the case, it seemed their zeal in enforcing Sigmar's justice got the better of them and they acted before informing any of my men."
"Yes sir, I understand. But in this case, I'm sorry, I had to intervene."
"Don't apologize to me, my lady, I believe Gerhard was the one who lost a toe over the whole thing."
Maria held back a wince and pressed on. "They pulled an innocent woman from her bed and planned to –"
"The girl?" the Major interrupted her. "Johanna Vogel, that was her name wasn't it?"
"Yes sir."
"Claimed she was pregnant, did she?"
Maria nodded. "She did sir. I was hoping –"
"But Captain Alvin also said you confirmed she does have some small affinity for the winds of magic. The only way you'd be able to tell is if you yourself had some measure of the winds, to be able to see such things. That true?"
Maria shifted in her seat. "Yes sir. To both. I can sense the winds, but that's all. I –"
Again, Major Knopf just talked right over her, forcing Maria to hold back a growl. "By all accounts Gerhard and his men had the right to confront this young woman and use every method at their disposal to discern her connection to the winds, as well as interrogate her to discover her potential role in the recent beastmen attacks that have plagued our part of the forest. She could very well be the crux of the horrific events that have befallen our citizens."
Maria's heart sank with his every word. As far as she was concerned 'every method at their disposal' did not include beatings followed by being burned alive.
"It now makes more sense why the Emperor would allow you in the Reiksguard. Your abilities would be handy on any battlefield, regardless of your skill with a blade. The power within the winds of magic is not something to be dismissed out of hand. Even a small spark can rip a hole into the realms of chaos, and the consequences… I've seen those firsthand…
"As far as the matter concerning this young woman, Johanna Vogel, I plan to send a letter to the Wizard's Conclave in Middenheim. It's only a few hours away as the pigeon flies. I'll request they send a Magister to Bokel, post haste, and let them sort whether or not Johanna is a danger to herself or the rest of the Empire. According to Imperial Law she is now under their protection for the deration. No harm will come to her, and she shall stay inside the garrison until the wizard arrives."
Maria blinked. Wait, so that's it? She studied the Major's face for any sort of catch or deception. He wasn't lying. If anything, he just seemed burdened over something this complicated falling into his hands at all.
She had to be sure. "Johanna will be safe then? The matter is settled? This Middenheim wizard will take care of her from now on?"
Major Knopf nodded, then shrugged. "As settled as anything can be with wizards involved. Even if Johanna is dangerous, woefully unskilled in using or oven accessing her power, I'd bet a month's pay that she will be taken back to Middenheim's Conclave and made an apprentice. Most wizards train and study for years just to harness one of the winds. Not everyday someone is simply born with the power. Better to have someone like her within their ranks rather than wandering around without and causing trouble as they go.
"It will be good for her I'm sure," he continued with a small but pleased smile. "A terrible time in her life without a doubt. Recently widowed with a child on the way. But five years from now she'll be earning more silver and gold in a year than she would have probably seen in her life. She and her baby will never want for anything."
He stood and walked around his desk to stand beside Maria. "Sometimes this Empire of ours is a dark and terrible place. I'm sorry to say, after all the years I've seen, that its doubtful this will change anytime soon. But you managed to make one life a little bit better. That's something I hope you keep in mind despite what the future may bring."
A little stunned at the turn of events, Maria pushed up from her chair. She had a whole speech prepared and everything, but Major Knopf had barely allowed her a word in at all. Yet somehow, for once in Maria's life, everything had managed out okay without her being forced to plead, argue, coerce, threaten, and bargain to get what she wanted.
This felt weird. Why did this feel weird? The only explanation Maria had was that as soon as she left the major's office a blood-frenzied Krogan was out there, ready to jump her and wrestle her head off with his bare hands.
Major Knopf offered her his hand and she took it.
"Well I've kept you long enough Shepard," he said releasing her hand and walking her to the door. "I'll pen that letter, and have it sent out within the hour. As long as the wizards have someone to send, Johanna should spend no more than a day or two with us. And you be sure to stop by my quartermaster, he'll get you set up for the remainder of your journey."
The two of them stepped out of his office and into the hall. Maria tensed for half a second, but no Krogan were in sight. Just a single soldier marching down the stone hall towards the both of them.
She let out a breath of relief. Finally, after everything she had been through, something had gone right.
"Thank you for your time and hospitality, Major Knopf." She had practiced that line many times back in her room, and damn, was she happy to use it.
"Our pleasure, Shepard."
Maria was about to take her leave when the solider marching stopped in front of her and the Major, saluted them both, and then outstretched a hand holding a small rolled up piece of paper.
"Message from Middenheim, Major," the soldier stated briskly. "Marked with the Elector Count's seal."
Major Knopf's eyebrows rose as he took the small scroll and unrolled it. "Really? Let's see what Todbringer has to say then."
He made no move to dismiss her so Maria held back before departing. His mention of Todbringer had to be Boris Todbringer, Middenland's Elector Count, ruler of the powerful city-state of Middenheim. A warrior-general as much as he was a politician, the man is one of the most influential individuals in the Empire.
He had also very nearly been elected as the next Emperor. The last election had been close but ultimately Reikland's Elector Count had been chosen instead.
There was a brief pause as Major Knopf read the message.
"Marienburg has been sacked." He said the news as someone speaking about the weather. "The Dark Elves hit them hard, but the city remains under Imperial control. Reikland has decreed that all trade with Ulthuan must be done through Nordland's ports until the dark elf fleet has been driven off."
Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! The news had finally caught up with her. Maria did her best to keep the panic from her voice. "It say anything else?"
Anything about her nearly being a snack for the dark elf dragon, or an escapee from within the Reiksguard camp, for instance?
Major Knopf finished reading the message. "Just the logistics behind how all the goods will be diverted up north. We are to expect caravans from Marienburg over the next few weeks. Seems we got rid of those beastmen just in time. A lot of trade will be traveling up the road this season."
He looked up at her and Maria was caught off guard at the sympathetic smile on his face. "Now I know why General von Forsberg sent you north while he and the rest of the Reiksguard continued west. Looks like you missed out on quite the fight." He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a shake. "Don't hold it against him. Those dark elves are twisted bastards. Can't blame the man not wanting to send a lady, however capable, within their reach. I'm sure you'll prove yourself to him within due time."
She was so concerned over being mentioned in the letter that it took a moment for Maria to understand what the Major was even getting at. He believed she felt insulted at being sent off right before a battle. Because that's exactly what she had told him had happened.
All Maria was feeling right now was relief. Seemed the Reiksguard wanted to keep her capture, and subsequent escape, a secret for now. She took a breath to ease back the panic. The Major probably thought she was holding back her anger at being left out of the action.
"A soldier does their part," Maria said with a shrug, acting indifferent. "I will deliver the message to Nordland."
"Glad to hear it!" He clapped his hand on her shoulder once more. Then he released her and turned to the soldier who had delivered the message, beginning to plan out the guard's part in the coming weeks.
Now dismissed, she turned her back to the men and made her way back to the mess hall.
/ooooooo\
Entering the mess hall, Maria found the place still busy. Blue and white uniforms covered the wooden benches and tables as the soldiers waking up to the day finished their breakfast, while the night watch shuffled in and grabbed a bite before heading back to their bunks.
Scanning the room, she spotted the familiar duo she was searching for. Sitting alone at the end of one of the tables, mostly away from the hustle and bustle of the others occupying the hall. She made her way over to them.
"Samuel, Johanna. May I join you?" Maria greeted the two of them as she took a seat on the bench beside Johanna. Samuel sat just across the table from them. You could tell the soldier was tired from his night's watch, but he straightened right up in Maria's presence.
"Reiksguard," he inclined his head to her.
Johanna perked up as well. "Oh! Maria! Yes, please sit." She had a nervous smile and her eyes darted around watching all the soldiers coming and going from the mess. The plate of food sitting in front of her hardly looked touched.
Samuel didn't have a plate. "Have you eaten yet?" Maria asked him.
He shook his head and shrugged. "Captain thought it best someone stay with the miss at all times. I'm fine. Just grab a bite before heading off to sleep later."
The inflection in his voice and the way he gave a small nod toward Johanna spoke volumes that Maria caught on to right away. Captain Alvin had clearly realized after everything Johanna had been through someone needed to stick around her to provide security and moral support.
That, and Maria had noticed the knife carefully hidden in a rolled-up napkin sitting on Johanna's lap.
Clearly the girl required a delicate touch for the time being.
"Johanna," Maria shifted closer to the young woman and lightly rested a hand on her shoulder. "I talked to Major Knopf. He agreed you can stay here until a wizard from Middenheim arrives to take you to the city and teach you how to use your magic."
"What?! No!" Johanna dropped her fork as her other hand wrapped around the knife. She looked panicked. "I want to go to Middenheim, but I don't want to go with the wizards! Magic is wrong, and evil, and it brings bad things with it! I don't want any part of it, and I don't want my baby near it!"
Woah, okay; Maria held up her hands in a placating gesture as Johanna's voice took on a higher and higher pitch near the end. Maria looked around the mess to see a few curious heads looking their way. A quick glare from her got them all focused back on their meals. So much for the delicate touch.
Maria kept her voice soft. "Johanna… you have a connection to the winds of magic."
A small squeak left the young woman's lips as the hand clutching the knife moved to cover her stomach instead. "What?" she whispered as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.
Alright, this had to nipped in the bud and fast, or everything would just continue to spiral from here.
Maria glanced over at Samuel, who was doing a great impression of a soldier so far out of his depth as to make him physically uncomfortable, and jerked her head back toward the front of the mess hall. Specifically, where the food was.
"I am hungry. Mind getting some food?" He nodded back and left the two of them alone at their end of the table.
Maria shifted so her legs now straddled the bench and her back was to everyone else in the mess hall.
"You remember I saved you from the witch hunters?" she asked the other woman, lowering her voice as she did.
Johanna nodded vigorously. "Of course."
"Do you trust me?" Maria asked next.
Johanna nodded again. "Yes, Maria, I do."
Maria's lips tightened as she regarded the girl. They were about to see just how far that trust went. Cupping her hands in front of her, Maria focused her biotic power and sent a gentle flow of energy down her arms and through her fingers. A moment after the thought, a blue glow of power ignited in her hands that Maria deftly gathered tightly together, forming a perfectly round nucleus of pulsing energy.
Maria looked up to see Johanna's wide eyes focused intently at blue 'magic'. She hadn't gone for her knife yet, so Maria took that as a good sign. She then carefully freed the energy in a gentle wave until it was gone.
"My magic can be dangerous, but I use it to protect people," she gently informed the younger woman. "Do you think I am a bad and evil person?"
Johanna stayed silent for a while before answering in a small voice. "No."
"If you learn how to use the winds of magic, you could become strong enough to protect others too," Maria said. "The wizards will teach you how to do this." When Johanna finally looked up to meet her eyes Maria added a small shrug. "And it will earn you enough coin for a new life."
Johanna's eyes still looked tearful. "It's not the life I wanted."
Seeing the young woman's sad and fearful expression Maria felt a pinch in her chest. She reached out and put her arms around the girl's shoulders and pulled her into a quick hug. Pulling back, she kept her hands on Johanna's shoulders.
"I'm sorry. We make the best of life," Maria told her. "That's all we can do."
Samuel finally returned with a plate of eggs, sausages and biscuits in each hand. Just as he moved to take a seat Maria quickly sprang up and took both plates from him.
"Thank you so much! I am starving," she said with a wide smile as she sat back down and placed both of the plates right down in front of her. Picking up a fork Maria made a quick glance back toward the front of the mess before looking up at an off-balanced Samuel.
"Could you get me a drink please?" she asked in her sweetest voice with her sweetest smile.
The dutiful soldier could only nod as he came to grips with the quick and apparently 'innocent' theft of his food. Maria's smile only widened as she watched the man take a few steps, stop to turn around with a question on his lips, only to shut his mouth, turn back away and march back toward the food and drink once more.
Johanna leaned in to her. "I think one of those plates belonged to him Maria," she whispered urgently as Maria brought a forkful of food to her mouth.
"I know," Maria replied with a cheeky grin.
For a moment Johanna looked almost scandalized but she quickly covered her mouth with a hand to stifle the laughter over Maria's playful antics.
"That was mean," Johanna admonished her, though her heart clearly wasn't in it.
Maria gave the girl a wink. "We make the best of our life."
/ooooooo\
After breakfast Maria left Johanna and Samuel so she could plan for the next step in her journey north.
The garrison's quartermaster was a great help in gathering supplies. Provisions were prepared and a new saddle quickly made to fit her horse; a saddle packed with gear to make roughing things in the woods just a little bit more bearable. Not that she would be spending anymore time in said woods of course. Now that Maria had found the road north, she wasn't keen on getting lost in the great forests of the Empire. Considering her recent luck though, it paid to be prepared.
The blacksmith had already started on her plate armor. As it turned out, there was very little he had to do.
"Been a'while since I've worked on good dwarven plate," he told her while examining the chest piece. "You say a minotaur got his hands around you?"
Maria nodded. "Yeah, he had a hell of a grip."
The man ran his fingers over the metal and let out a low whistle. "Lucky girl. See here, the indents? He gave you a squeeze alright. Anything less than dwarf work would have buckled, and you'd be barfing up your guts."
The smith was dead serious as he talked. Maria winced at the mental image.
"I'll get it smoothed out. All I need to do really. Once it's done, I'll get one of my boys to polish it back up to a parade sheen for ya. We'll have it sent up to your quarters when it's done." He set the plate down and began rummaging around for his tools.
She thanked the man and left him to his work. With her horse taken care of, a new saddle being set up for her, and the Reiksguard armor being fixed up, there was only one more thing Maria needed before she could leave the city.
But to get that specific item, she'd need to head into Bokel and find just the right shop.
/ooooooo\
She stood in the shop holding her potential purchase, a different one in each hand, as she mulled over the pro's and cons of each. The decision wasn't something she would take lightly.
"Do you have a mirror?" Maria looked up from the hairbrushes in her hands to the shopkeeper, a woman standing behind the small counter.
"Of course." She smiled and produced an oval mirror suspended in a stylized silver frame.
Maria set her hairbrushes down on the counter and ran her fingers along the silver, as she angled the mirror for the best view. "This is beautiful."
"It belonged to my great-great-grandmother. It's become a tradition for mothers to hand it down to their daughters. Since I spend most of my day in the shop I like having it close by. Always nice to hear my guests compliment it as well."
Maria picked up the brush with the short horse hair bristles and no handle first and began brushing out the ends of her hair. As she did, she noticed the other woman grimace and bite her lip.
"I hope its no insult, my lady, but what happened to – you know, your hair?"
"Dragon fire," Maria looked up from the mirror as she continued brushing.
The woman looked slightly faint. "Oh my…" She tilted her head and gave Maria a look. "I'm afraid I'm no expert, but my sisters and I used to cut each other's hair. I could try to even things out for you."
Maria immediately perked up. "Really? Thank you! That would be great!"
Exchanging bright smiles Maria went back to brushing her hair, only for her smile to vanish completely from her face when in the mirror's reflection she caught the front door of the small shop opening.
"Son of a bitch, are you serious?" she cursed under her breath.
"Did you say something?"
The woman behind the counter looked startled, not understanding Maria's switch away from Reikspiel. She also noticed the door to her shop had opened and moved to greet the new customers, but she froze in place as her welcome died on her lips when she saw who had arrived.
Maria straightened up met the woman's eyes. "Do you have a back door?"
"What?"
"Back door to the shop? Do you have one?"
"Y-yes."
"You should leave," Maria said with no argument. The woman's fearful eyes met her own before she turned sharply away. She stopped when Maria caught her arm. "Take this with you," she added while holding out the silver framed mirror.
The shopkeeper clutched the heirloom and fled into the back of the small store, disappearing from view.
With the innocent woman safe from harm, Maria turned around to face the five face men who had just arrived. Folding her arms across her chest, she casually leaned back against the counter.
"Witch hunter," her eyes locked on the man leading the group.
She recognized him instantly. Jan, the witch hunter that had pulled a gun on her when she had saved Johanna. She had been told he had been released from prison to join his fellows in leaving Bokel, but it seemed he wanted to clean up unfinished business first.
"Daemon," he shot back. His dark brown eyes were narrowed as his teeth ground together in a sneer. The four men he brought looked like civilians he had convinced to help him put down a dangerous enemy. As Jan took a few steps into the shop, the rest of the men moved evenly out to corral her.
Maria patted her sword. "Reiksguard," she corrected him, though technically she knew it hardly mattered. She had admitted to being fake right to his face. But the men he brought deserved the reminder. "You all understand that, right? Leave now. You attack me and I am not holding back."
Jan's sneer only grew. "We all know what you are. And its high time you were put down."
Without further preamble he pulled out a pair of pistols from within his coat and shot her square in the chest.
The twin bangs filled the shop, but the bullets impacted harmlessly against the barrier Maria had raised up in defense. Though she was surprised when Jan just shrugged and dropped the pistols to the floor.
"Always some trick you with you lot." He pulled out a sword, as did the rest of the men he brought with him. "We do this the hard way then. Kill her."
In the tight confines of the shop, Maria knew her borrowed Reiksguard long sword would be more of a determent then an asset. That meant the witch hunter and his goons had the advantage with their shorter blades.
But she hadn't been lying when she said she wouldn't hold back.
Her tech-armor ignited as she thrust a hand out and with a biotic push sent Jan and the two men nearest to him tumbling back on their asses. The remaining two men, one on her right and one on her left both ran at her, doing a fair job at dividing her attention.
The man on her left just reached her first as he raised his short sword above his head and brought it swinging down. She caught the blade on her forearm, the tech-armor taking the hit, and as the man on her right thrust his own sword toward Maria's chest, she grabbed his arm and using his momentum pulled the sword past her directly into the other man's gut. The sword pushed easily into his stomach, his blood spilling to the floor.
With a pained grunt that man slid off the bloodied blade and crumpled to the ground. His partner that had stabbed him stood stunned at what had just happened making it far to easy for Maria to grab the sword from his hands and shove it through his own chest. He fell at her feet alongside the first. She stepped over the both of them without a second glance.
Reaching into her bag Maria pulled out her phalanx pistol and shot the other two guys roped into the witch hunter's doomed plan. They dropped dead to the floor. Even losing all four of the people he had brought with him, Jan just continued to glare at her.
Maria replaced the pistol back into her bag and walked to stand just out of sword reach in front of him.
"You ready?" she asked him, making it as clear as possible he wasn't leaving alive.
Jan raised his sword, just as intent on standing his ground. "You'll die today daemon. And once I send you back to hell, me and mine will get back to putting that other wretch to the flame!"
He charged her and managed two steps before Maria zapped him with an overload burst from her omni-tool. Stricken from the electricity surging through his body, Jan fell over himself and spasmed on the floor of the shop.
She picked up the sword he dropped and stood over his gasping form. Flipping him onto his back Maria rested the point of the blade on his chest. She had lost all patience dealing with him and anyone who blindly followed their fanatical rhetoric.
"How many innocent people have you killed?" she shot accusingly, her Reikspiel forgotten in her anger. "You were going to burn a pregnant woman alive, all because she has a connection to the winds of magic! How many people in the Empire have such a connection but are entirely harmless?! I've read about the brutality of the witch hunters… its high time you got a taste of your own medicine."
She thrust the sword into Jan's chest until it stabbed the wooden floorboards under his back; then kneeled as the man gasped his dying breaths.
"If this Khorne guy is really as bad as everyone claims he is I hope I'm sending you to him. I hope he inflicts just half of the pain you've put all your victims through. I hope he enjoys your company a long while."
Jan's eyes were wide as he grasped at her shirt, but his grip weakened quickly and just a few short seconds later his face went slack.
/ooooooo\
Twenty minutes later Maria stood outside the shop as Bokel's city guardsmen arrived to take care of the bodies, and the kind shopkeeper was having a panic attack over the bloodstains on her floor boards. Beside Maria stood the guards' daytime watch commander. A tall wiry man called Captain Sieghard.
Sieghard… much more Empire sounding than Alvin, she supposed.
"You Reiksguard really are all you're cracked up to be, aren't ya?" he commented dryly as they watched Jan's lifeless body being carried out of the shop. He was a good seven inches taller than Maria as he looked down at her. "Killed them all yourself, without even drawing your sword?"
"Yes," Maria replied refusing to look up at him. He didn't have the same respect for her that Alvin did, and she wasn't in the mood to deal with him.
She could feel his eyes on the top of her head. "Right… Well, Gerhard isn't going to be happy. Heard he was planning on leaving tomorrow."
Maria huffed. "Ask him why he lets members of the order run around town attacking soldiers of the Empire."
"Members of the order? You mean Jan? Nah, he ain't a member of the silver hammer. He's a vagabond Gerhard picked up down south someplace. Just an extra pair of hands to snuff out trouble. Gerhards' the only sigil holding member of the order."
Now Maria looked up at him. "Jan is not a real witch hunter?"
Captain Sieghard gave her an unimpressed look. "Jan was a witch hunter. He gave up his old life to hunt down evil in the Empire. You don't have to be a member of the silver hammer to take up that life. Those that do hold the sigil are just officially trained and supplied by the order."
Maria gaped at him. Were these guys fucking kidding? Anyone could just throw on a dark coat and big hat and call themselves witch hunters? She had done just that to sneak inside Nuln and get the information she needed but… seriously?! The potential for abuse within a system like that was – she could barely wrap her head around it. Anyone in the Empire could point a finger at another, and so long as they acted tough and even had a modicum of knowledge of what they spoke, the one they accused was done. Life ruined or worse ended on the spot. Their only protection the intelligence of the other people in the crowd, and as she had just seen in Johanna's case, outside the biggest cities that amounted to a big bag of crap.
She looked away from Sieghard as her fists clenched. Once again her situation hit her hard. Marooned on a primitive planet with even more primitive minds. Absolutely, positively awesome…
"I need a drink," Maria declared a she put the shop and soldiers behind her and started walking down the street.
/ooooooo\
As fun as it could be, drinking her worries away in the early afternoon wasn't something Maria truly felt like doing. After two beers and a sub-like sandwich she felt a little better over the whole witch hunter mess. It wasn't her job to fix this world's problems.
Get home. Stop the Reapers. Party for a week. Then, maybe, look up where this planet is spinning through the greater galaxy. And sic the Salarians on them. Mordin would have a field day.
She spent the rest of her time back within Bokel's garrison. After walking around the castle-fortress Maria found herself in a courtyard watching some of the city's soldiers train. The sun was out and the sky was clear but a cool breeze was blowing steadily across the fort, reminding Maria that she was feeling the onset of the Empire's fall season. She found a sunny spot and relaxed against the stone wall, her back absorbing the warmth from the stone.
Bokel's guardsmen sparred in pairs, each man armed with a sword and shield. They were wearing breastplates and helmets, but it quickly became clear that the men weren't looking for killing strikes. It all seemed more about getting their weapons into the right positions at the right times.
Maria wasn't unskilled when it came to close quarters fighting. Being a biotic admittedly helped too. She found herself mentally applauding clever movements and chiding over-aggressive attacks. Her presence was causing some lapses as well, but that just made her smile. More than once a soldier would send a glance her way, only for his partner to take immediate advantage.
There was a lone soldier walking through the sparring grounds, watching the men around him train. Maria quickly deduced he was the guy in charge as he frequently stopped to instruct the fighting men around the courtyard. He was also noticing more and more of the men closest to Maria's spot on the wall becoming distracted.
A particularly strong breeze blew through the training grounds ruffling Maria's hair and sending a shiver down her back. She folded her arms across her chest. Fall was definitely approaching, and considering she knew nothing about this world's seasons it could be on her faster than normal. Her destination, the port-city of Dietershafen, was one of the northern most cities of the Empire.
Her collector armor could keep her body warm, but she lost the helmet back in the collector station's explosion. If it got colder, she'd need a hat. A knit wool cap would be nice. And a scarf. Something soft and warm to wrap around her neck. Come to think of it, there would probably be days where it wouldn't be safe to wear her collector armor. Like today for instance. And Ulthuan experienced seasons just as any continent on this planet.
Great. Now she'd need to find a thick coat. And some gloves. And some boots. Not to mention some socks, shirts, pants, a warm set of underwear – did she even have enough money to cover all this!? Why couldn't she have been stranded on a tropical paradise planet?
"My lady." The soldier in charge had made his way over to her as Maria fretted over the weather. He had his hands clasped behind his back and gave her a respectful nod. "I take it you're the Reiksguard that arrived last night."
Maria pushed off from the wall. "Nice to meet you."
"Winds biting a bit today," he said standing alongside her. "Couple months and we'll need to bring out the winter gear. I hate fighting in wool. Everything starts to itch."
The way he put emphasis on the 'everything' she looked over to see the corners of his mouth twitching up, which caused Maria to smile in return.
"I could get you a coat if you wished," he added.
Maria's eyebrow rose. "I'm fine." It was hardly that cold out here.
He shifted on his feet, coughing lightly into his hand. "Maybe you should wear one for the sake of my men then." Maria looked at him completely lost at what he was trying to get at, until the man glanced her way and his eyes shot down to her chest.
Maria looked down at herself. Her blue shirt, which was tucked tightly into her pants, along with the shoulder strap from her bag, was pulling the cloth even tighter against her chest. Without a bra underneath, all of this had made it easier for the cold wind to blow right over her breasts. She had been standing with stiff nipples for all in the training yard to see.
She put her hands on her hip and turned to face him. "Are you saying this is all it takes to distract the soldiers of the Empire?" she asked with a serious expression.
His eyes shot down to her chest before he caught himself. To Maria's great amusement he couldn't look any more flustered. "Yes – well, no! I, uh, was just trying to… Apologies, my lady. I just thought I would bring it to your attention before someone crasser approached you."
Maria ended up losing to the smile forcing its way out. She would never reach Miranda's level of drop dead gorgeous, but she could certainly pull off pretty. Even with a hatchet job haircut it would seem. Hell, after Kasumi had her way with Maria, putting her in a leather dress, heels, some make-up, and Maria easily reached striking.
"At ease, soldier," she said with a laugh, allowing the man to relax. She stepped past him, patting her hand on his chest as she did. "I will get a coat. If only so your men can train."
Before she reached the courtyard's edge another soldier came jogging up to her.
"Reiksguard," he said coming to attention before her, "Major Knopf would like to speak with you in his quarters, at once."
Her curiosity piqued, she nodded and followed the soldier back to the Major.
It only took a minute to march through the garrison and Maria found herself back in front of the door leading to the Major. Her escort knocked hard on the door and pushed it open without waiting for an answer, stepping back so she could walk past him.
Maria walked back into the Major's quarters and was surprised to see the older man getting up from his desk as she entered. She was surprised because the Major was dressed to kill, literally. He was wearing a full suit of metal plate armor, minus the helm. On one side of his hip he had a sword, while the other had a nasty looking device called a warhammer. A weapon with large square hammer's head a few inches long and wide and a nasty pointed spike opposite it, attached to a leather bound three-foot-long rounded haft. It was a weapon that smashed bones and pierced armor. Middenland was known for its warriors favoring the tool over the common sword. The entire knightly order of the Knights of the White Wolf rode into battle carrying just their mighty warhammers.
The Major passed her to the door, thanking the soldier and dismissing him. Inside the man's private space Maria stood rather than sitting before it being offered. She was rather confused when she heard the metal lock on the door snapping shut behind her.
She turned to face the man. "Major Knopf, what can I do for yo – omf!"
Maria's head snapped to the side as the Major's armored fist struck her face. Her head exploded with pain as she stumbled back only to trip on one of the chairs behind her, causing Maria to fall over it and slam the back of her already ringing head on the front of the Major's desk.
She sat sprawled out on the floor, her back against the desk and her left leg still up on the over turned chair. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she tried to blink out the spots filling her vision. Her face felt like it was on fire as she put a hand to her mouth, quickly pulling it back when it only incensed the stinging pain. She looked at her fingers and saw the tips red with blood. Either the armor had cut her mouth or her teeth against her lip when he hit her.
Mental-note, never get punched in the face by a man wearing full armor.
She looked up at the Major and saw his face flushed red with anger. He pulled the warhammer from his belt and held it up over his head.
"Are you a Reiksguard?!" he demanded down at her.
Maria was speechless in the face of the Major's fury. She sat, staring up at him, her mouth bleeding, as her brain tried to restart from the violent turn of events.
Major Knopf raised his warhammer higher. "Are you a Reiksguard?!" he now shouted.
Finally, she found her words. "Yes!"
"Are you a Reiksguard?!"
"Yes!"
Major Knopf looked ready to swing. "Swear it!"
"Yes! Yes, I am a Reiksguard!"
The Major continued to glare down at her but Maria held his gaze unwavering. This wasn't a time for panic or hasty confessions. Somewhere along the way Maria's lies had been tested, but the Major remained unsure. Times like this, you don't flinch, you double down. Maria had survived moments like this back on Earth, and the less said about the Systems Alliance preparing her during her N7 training the better.
Maria kept her eyes locked on the Majors. For an old man he was terrifying in his element, armored up and holding his weapon, ready to deliver death with a swing. In the back of her mind she wondered how many enemy soldiers had seen what she was seeing now, right before they died.
After too many long heartbeats Major Knopf slowly lowered his warhammer. He didn't put it back on his hip, just held it so the head very nearly touched the ground. For her part, Maria remained still, barely allowing herself a breath of relief.
Major Knopf lowered his gaze to the floor and took a breath, his shoulders shaking with the effort. When he looked back up at Maria his eyes held only contempt.
"Then tell me why."
Maria's mind raced. "Why what?" she asked carefully.
"Last night, when you dealt with the witch hunters," the Major explained. "I questioned the soldiers who were present. Each of them tells the same tale, a tale Gerhard confirmed when I talked to him less than an hour ago.
"Why would you, a Reiksguard, a knight of the Emperor, why would one such as yourself invoke his name? Invoke Khorne's name?!"
Maria remembered back to the night before. When the witch hunters had Johanna in their grip and a rallied crowd ready to burn the woman alive. She had saved Johanna by claiming to be a Reiksguard and swearing on nearly every god she could remember that if they didn't back down, she would kill them. For good measure she had even thrown in one of the bad guys names as well. Khorne, the blood god, a god of murder and war and slaughter.
For someone like herself, someone who didn't truly believe in such things, this had been nothing more than a means to an end. A threat that succeeded in doing what she needed it to do. But to the people of the Empire, to the devote, someone like Ashley back on the SR1, she had basically sworn to act for the devil himself.
… well, shit.
"To save Johanna," Maria answered. So, she had royally screwed up. Nothing to do now but own it and move on. Here's hoping the Major would feel the same. "It was me against a crowd. I said what I said to save lives. Not just Johanna's."
That part was true. The only way Maria was walking out of that situation the victor was if she scared the hell out of everyone present and made them believe she was willing to risk it all. One of times oldest bluffs, make your opponent think you're crazier than they are.
Major Knopf's gaze only hardened. "A Reiksguard would never invoke his name. Even with their dying breaths a Reiksguard would never invoke the chaos gods for salvation or protection. To do so would forsake their oaths and damn their souls for eternity. It would be a betrayal not just of the Empire, but all the realms of men."
"You would rather I have killed the men and women in the crowd that night?" Maria shot back.
"Yes, I would."
His blunt response and his conviction saw Maria speechless. Each of them simply stared at the other for a few moments. Her lip was swelling and throbbing from the pain. She felt a trickle of blood drip down her chin and onto her shirt.
Major Knopf moved to replace the warhammer back on his hip. Once he did, he looked back down at her.
"If your father were still alive today you would be a disappointment beyond imagining."
With a shake of his head he didn't help her up as he walked around her and took a seat behind his desk. Maria remained on the floor as she absorbed what he had just said. Dad and Mom jokes had lost their sting early in her childhood, but the way this man had said what he said with such certainty hit her in a place she didn't even know still existed.
Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Maria pushed up off the ground. Her face throbbed with the effort. She wiped the blood from her lips and chin, taking a moment to collect herself before spinning around to face the Major.
"Is there anything else, sir?" she asked, falling into a practiced emotionless tone.
Major Knopf looked at her, his face unreadable. "You leave tomorrow morning?"
"Yes, sir."
He nodded back and dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
Maria spun on her feet and reached the door, pulling the deadbolt back to unlock it. Her fingers touched the handle.
"Early," the Major called out behind her.
Maria said nothing as she pulled open the door and left the man's quarters.