The deck creaked ominously, and Tzarine checked that her armour was vacuum-sealed for the fifth time.
She'd done vacuum ops before, most memorably crawling through the wreck of a renegade destroyer to retrieve a stolen relic. Facing off against crazed, slowly suffocating cultists had been uniquely haunting, and she'd dreamed about it for some time after. Even now, years later and in entirely different surroundings, her mind conjured the image of one man clawing desperately at her helmet, his skin blue from cold and oxygen deprivation. He'd died before she could lay blade to him, and the expression of horror in his eyes, inches from her own, was quite memorable.
It had seriously convinced her that dying from vacuum exposure was the last thing she wanted. This area of the Tau cruiser was sealed… but if that changed, she wanted to be prepared. At least the zero-g environment didn't bother her stomach.
"Clear," crackled Zekka's voice from ahead.
At least she had power armour. She glanced at Karis, who had Inquisition-issued sealed carapace armour, which was almost as good… but her team of ex-Guard were stuck with vacuum suits over flak armour, and didn't look thrilled to be here. She suddenly wondered why Karis had brought them. It seemed distinctly fishy.
And then there was Llthaanhir… who hadn't bothered to change from the same near-human from she'd taken to during the voyage. Exposed to the cold and potential airlessness and not giving a damn. Not to mention sticking to the floor without magnetic boots.
"Karis," she called. "Which way from here?"
The stormtrooper consulted her dataslate, and gestured. "Central data storage is that way. Direct route to the bridge and command facilities is that way. That area seems mostly intact, probably where any survivors are holed up. I can take my team to data storage, extract what I can and then catch up with you. You'll be better at handling any fighting, anyway."
"Do it." She glanced at the rest of her team as Karis vanished off, and checked her weapons one last time. "We're here for information. Prisoners would be nice if possible. Don't take any stupid risks, though. Spread out, and watch yourselves. I doubt the xenos will be in any condition to fight, but all it takes is one ambusher. Pair up."
No further instructions were required, and Tzarine felt a small swell of pride. Undoubtedly there were friendships and preferences at work as her troops split up, but there was a tactical sense to every match. A Guard unit or a more rigid Sororitas one might proscribe teams, but here… no. Friends worked better together.
That raised the question of who would team up with her. A shadow appeared at her side, and she almost snarled, expecting it to be Llthaanhir, but the rebuke died on her lips, replaced by a guilty feeling.
Sister Akadia hefted her flamer, and nodded. "Sister," she said quietly.
There was no reason to feel guilty, Tzarine told herself. She'd never been close to Akadia before the mess on Senaav. The only connection was that she was another of the outcasts from the Shondar Mission.
"Akadia," she said aloud. It didn't change the fact that she hadn't said or thought that name in weeks.
She turned away, glanced around. Satisfied herself that the unit was deploying appropriately. Caught sight of Llthaanhir, skulking alone in the shadows, decided to ignore her. Then she was left with just her current awkwardness.
"How have you been?" she said finally. "You got through Senaav unscathed."
Akadia shrugged, the movement exaggerated by the heavy plating. "I was lucky. Avoided the worst of the fighting."
Tzarine gritted her teeth, then cast the matter aside as she started moving through the dark corridors, a solid 'thunk' sounding with each footstep. Akadia was one of her soldiers. If there was a problem, she'd have heard about it.
Chatter began flitting across the channels, warnings of blind spots, possible ambush locations. Tzarine filed it to the back of her mind, sliding into her combat mindset and instincts. Her bolt pistol was half-raised, ready to snap onto any miscellaneous movement, her whole body a well-oiled killing machine.
It was moments like this that she could almost understand Helga's killing urges. The raw power of feeling this synchronised was almost narcotic. Of course, once the bolts started flying, things became considerably more messy, unpredictable and flawed, and it was that switch that kept her focused. No matter how capable she felt, she had to stay in control and on top of the game. The alternative was to screw up and die.
Or perhaps worse, to discover that she didn't need to – at the cost of those around her, and probably chunks of her own sanity. She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering a flash of her time in the Warp, the vision of Khornate rage she had been 'gifted'.
She shook herself out of her thoughts, a large pressure door blocking their way. Akadia slipped forwards without prompting, checking the controls. A moment later, she tapped in a sequence, and the metal slid open reluctantly, revealing what seemed to be an armoury. Dead bodies floated through it, which she ignored at first – until she realised that not all were in the black-trimmed grey carapacing of the Tau soldiers.
Imperial carapace armour. She gripped one of the drifting bodies with a free hand, inspected the insignia. Fleet assault trooper. She wasn't familiar with the unit, but she assumed he had come from one of the drifting hulks now scattered across the area. The heavy shotgun was definitely standard naval issue – able to punch holes in most foes, but not likely to cause a hull breach. Cause of death… well, she thought wryly, not many could survive with that much of their chest blasted away.
She lightly pushed the corpse out of her path, floating 'bubbles' of blood drifting away as she did so. "The ship was boarded, Sisters," she remarked. "I've found a fireteam of naval troopers. Be prepared for possible Imperial contacts."
"And if we run into them?" Zekka queried. "They'll probably assume we're just reinforcements."
"Don't initiate hostilities. Don't hold back if they start it." Tzarine began advancing again, aware of Akadia's eyes on her.
She switched to a private channel. "Is there a problem?" she growled, tiring of the uncomfortable feeling at the back of her mind.
"Is there?" Akadia replied levelly. "You tell me, Sister."
Another blast door lay ahead, slightly ajar. Tzarine grasped hold of it, and gave a silent count before pulling it open. Akadia swept the corridor beyond, and they moved on.
"This isn't the best time for guessing games."
"I'm tired of waiting."
This made Tzarine pause, and she shot a look at the woman. "Waiting?" she repeated.
"Sisters," came Ysabella's voice. "I've located the remains of the Imperial boarding party. Half a dozen men, holed up in a control room of some kind. They're very grateful for our assistance."
Tzarine paused, flipping back to her squad channel. "Patch me through."
Pause. A light flashed in her HUD obediently to inform her that it was done. "My name is Palatine Katarina of the Adepta Sororitas. Identify yourself, soldier."
The words tasted unpleasant in her mouth, as though she were chewing something stale. It also felt odd using her first name – but 'Tzarine' might be a wanted name, and forename was the usual form of address…
"Sergeant Lorac, ma'am. My squad served on the Hakkor Magnus. Tried to take down this xenos crate when the Magnus began breaking up, but we didn't have the troops." He sounded tired, she thought. Tired, but hopeful.
"Sitrep." She gestured for Akadia to move forward and cover the door, wanting to avoid splitting her attention.
"The frakking Tau fought like daemons, ma'am. Most of us were killed, and then the ship took a torpedo salvo. There didn't seem to be any safe way to advance, so we just hunkered down and hoped for rescue. Thank the Emperor you showed up –"
"You ceased your assault in dereliction of your duty?" she demanded. She hated herself for it. It was the kind of comment that she'd despised hearing from superiors, but here, now… she was playing a part.
Lorac stopped. "I… I thought that our duty was to survive to fight in His name again. It's a miracle this hulk hasn't blown itself apart. We had no objectives."
"Are there still xenos on board and breathing?" She maintained her harsh tone.
"In a different section." He sounded relieved. "My men aren't equipped for a full-scale vacuum assault, which is what we'd need to be sure of getting in weapons range."
You should kill them.
Tzarine flinched. Ignored the voice echoing in her head from the gem. "What do you know of the enemy capabilities?"
"We were told that this was the flagship. I think that the surviving section might be the bridge, so any remaining Tau will be heavily armed. Not many of them, though, they threw a lot at us, and most of them died when the fleet bracketed this abominable creation."
"That is what our scans indicated. Any other Imperial forces still active?"
"None that we've been able to contact." He still sounded hopeful. He'd probably resigned himself to dying here, she realised. A rescue party of Sororitas would have been beyond his wildest dreams.
They're a threat to you. Kill them. What alternative do you have? They're tired and desperate, but soon they'll realise that your armour has been desecrated. No pretty aquilas, no dedications of faith… what then?
"What should we do, commander?" asked Zekka. A blinking light indicated that it was a private channel.
Tzarine gritted her teeth. Llthaanhir's voice was like claws running down her spine. Abandon them? That is merely a slower death. Take them prisoner? For what purpose? Even if they joined your cause, could you trust them? End their lives. Give the order.
There was nothing worse than a daemon with a point, she reflected.
For a moment, she toyed with the idea of bringing them along for the assault. A few extra bodies… but what was the point? They were unlikely to be capable of much combat, and they were an unknown quantity. And if one survived… her dilemma would remain.
She closed her eyes, closed the channel with Lorac. "Execute them."
Dimly over the vox, she heard screams, several shotgun blasts, and then silence. "Done," said Zekka simply.
Tzarine said nothing for a time, eyes closed. Then she opened them again, and advanced, kicking the next door open. "Keep moving," she growled over the vox. Confirmation lights flicked on briefly.
It wasn't like it was the first time she'd ordered the deaths of Imperials. Not even the first time she'd done it to 'allies'. For a moment, her mind vividly replayed the recoil the bolt pistol, the spray of blood, the shocked expressions of the guardsmen as she cast her fate back on Senaav…
"Second thoughts?"
She looked at Akadia sharply. The Dominion shrugged.
Tzarine continued to glower, and switched to a private link. "Do you really think this is the best time to be pull this on me? A dying hulk with a swarm of crazed and desperate xenos ahead of us? Too much to expect for you to live up to your training and obey orders in a combat zone?"
"I'm sick of waiting for you to stop brooding in your corner, playing with that daemon and obsessing over old choices. I need a commander. We need a commander. You're the top of the chain now. That doesn't just mean you give us orders on the field or work out where we go."
Tzarine twitched. "Watch your tone."
"Or what?" Akadia shot back belligerently. "I finally have your attention, don't I? Do you care so little about your Sisters that they need to insult you to be able to talk to you?"
There was a solid crash of ceramite gauntlet hitting ceramite helmet, and Akadia stumbled back. "Don't you dare say that!" Tzarine growled. "I shot down good men and women, I sold out my principles to a madman, and I bargained with a daemon, all because I didn't want to see you burned down as cannon fodder. You deserve more than that."
Akadia seemed to smile. "So you are alive in there."
There was a long silence.
"This can wait," Akadia said finally.
Tzarine nodded. What she was about to say would remain a mystery, however, as the ship suddenly shook, violently.