This chapter was a freakin' blast to write! Let me just say, prepare your bolt pistols dramatic heresy.

I really enjoyed reading your comments, particularly the mini 'Who's the Heretic?' debate. And yes, I read every single one. I do take your thoughts and opinions very seriously, even if I don't answer all of your questions.

Lastly, if you noticed I took down the cover art, it's because I'm seriously considering getting something commissioned. But more on that later.

Enjoy!

There are many forces at work in the galaxy. Some, such as the Emperor's mighty will and gaze, are benevolent. Other powers are far more sinister, whispering and stepping in the darkest corners of sentient minds. There are still more mysterious influences in the Material and Immaterial universe, perhaps the most powerful being the least understood; luck. For example; it was purely fortuitous that Cade just so happened to follow his fellow squad mates, Lovelock and Trunks, back to the barracks at exactly that moment.

The doors slid open on automated rails and Grandy's voice trailed out to meet them, "…little mutant!" A single echoing gunshot echoed out the door, reverberated in the enclosed spaces and setting their ears ringing.

With an unimpeded view from the open door, Cade's world seemed to slow down. Merith was sitting on Ruby's bunk, her mouth open and eyes wide. Near her was Ruby sitting on the floor, her arms wrapped about her knees. She looked completely defenseless in her current pose, surprise written clearly on face as she moved her limbs to react. Finally, he saw Grandy; her arm extended with autopistol in hand and a vicious grin on her face. A single brass casing twirled delicate arcs in the air, smoke curling from the empty shell.

Time resumed its normal cadence as, with a sickening thud, the projectile connected. Ruby grunted and rolled onto her back where she curled into a ball, clutching her chest and gasping. Red lightning coalesced and crackled her. The smell of burning propellant filled the air.

"Grandy! Stand down!" Cade shouted, breaking into a full sprint towards her. She turned to face him with triumph in her eyes. Cade was angered further by her exultant expression as he lowered his shoulder and slammed into her side. She grunted from the impact as he lifted her off the ground, propelling her backwards under the impetus of the impact. They collided into an unused table, knocking it over before sprawling to the floor themselves.

Both quickly regained their feet, Grandy still holding tightly onto the autopistol which she had pointed at the floor. In panic, she began to raise the weapon towards Cade and he hurled himself forward. Desperately he gripped the weapon in her hand, pulling it down just as another shot echoed around the room, pinging off the floor and ricocheting dangerously overhead. Holding her right arm down to the floor, he threw his elbow up where it connected with her nose. Her head jerked back with a wet crunch and blood splattered from her nose, spraying warm liquid over Cade's elbow.

Whether out of panic or shock, she held tightly on to the autopistol. Twisting her arm around him, he braced his arm against her forearm and hit the back of her elbow with all his strength. Another sickening crack followed, Grandy screamed and the autopistol fell from limp fingers, clattering to the floor.

Lovelock ran up next to him and helped restrain Grandy, who was howling in pain. Her arm now bent backwards awkwardly and blood ran freely from her nose. The two of them forced her face-down onto the floor before Cade looked up at Trunks. "Trunks, get over here!" The young man looked shell-shocked and didn't act. "Trunks!" Trunks shook his head and ran over to take Cade's place restraining her.

Cade stood back, shaking from the adrenaline and breathing heavily. He stooped down and grabbed the discarded pistol. Ejecting the magazine and clearing the chamber, he held onto it tightly. Standing, he looked down at Grandy, still struggling against the two Guardsmen who restrained her as she moaned in agony.

Clearing her from his mind, he looked over at Ruby. The small woman remained curled up in a ball, her arms curled defensively over her chest and eyes shut tight in pain. Merith was kneeling beside her medical kit open and ready as Cade joined her at Ruby's side, kneeling down next to her.

"Ruby, I need you to let me take care of this!" begged Merith. "let me see!"

Cade didn't bother to waste the time. He gripped Ruby tightly around the shoulders to pick her up, "We need to get her to the Medicae, now!"

"Wait." Coughed out Ruby between gritted teeth. "I'm…" She coughed again before inhaling shallowly. "I'm okay."

"You just got shot! I beg to differ!" He began picking her up as he had done the first day he had met her, putting his arms under her legs and starting to lift.

"No, look." She relaxed her arms and pulled them from her chest. Merith gasped in amazement, as where should have been a sucking chest wound and pouring blood, was merely a hole in her shirt above her left breast.

"Emperor's Teeth..." Cursed Cade as he stared in amazement. "What?"

Merith was stunned, before she shook her head and said with wonder, "Let me get your shirt off, I still need to check."

Ruby coughed, "Wha… Whatever." She managed to gasp, eyes still shut tightly.

Merith sifted through the medical kit at her side. Shouting in triumph, she grabbed a pair of medical scissors and began cutting Ruby's shirt before she stopped and looked pointedly at Cade. "Sergeant, if you please."

He met her eyes and suddenly understood. Even in the heat of the moment, his ears still burned as he turned away, "Let me know if anything is wrong."

"Yes sir."

Cade shook his head in disbelief while his body trembled with the adrenaline still pumping through him. But now that he was sure Ruby was stable, he turned back to Grandy. The guardswoman was now lying submissively, her eyes watered and left tearful streaks of pain and rage running across her face. It mixed with the blood running from her nostrils and dripped liberally to the floor. Trunks was in the process of securing her arms behind her back with duct-tape.

Cade should have felt guilty at seeing her state as he had grown to trust her as only a soldier can. But she had betrayed him, all he felt now was loathing. He dropped to one knee near Grandy's head, "Trooper Grandy, these fine gentlemen are going to let you up here in a moment. You have exactly two minutes to calmly explain to me why in the bloody Eye of Terror you just shot one of my troopers. Do you understand?" He got a rough nod. "Do you understand!?" He yelled at her, getting closer to her face as he did so.

"Yes sir!" She sputtered, blood spraying from her lips.

He looked up at Trunks who nodded. "Alright, let's get her up onto one of the bunks." Lovelock and Trunks lifted her up and sat her on a bunk. She grunted as they jostled her arm. Cade grabbed the chair that had been knocked onto its side during their scuffle. He pulled it close to Grandy and sat so their knees were almost touching. "Start talking."

"SHE'S A MUTIE!" She screamed out immediately. Trunks, who was holding onto her left shoulder stiffened slightly.

"Lovelock, hold her head please." Lovelock looked confused but did as he was asked, placing his hands on the sides of her head. Cade grabbed the sheet Grandy was sitting on and tore off a piece. "Sorry Grandy, I couldn't understand you. Let me get some of that blood off." He then reached forward and slammed the cloth into her broken nose. He wiped her face roughly as she whimpered in pain.

"Cade, stop it!" He turned around to see Ruby sitting up and waving Merith away as she struggled in vain to stand. With only a bra covering her chest, he had an unimpeded view of an angry purple bruise which already stretched across her pale skin. It spanned from her left collarbone to the bottom of her ribs.

The sight of one of his troopers injured only fueled his anger. "Skirts, you will remain silent, if you please." He said calmly, far more calmly than he felt.

"But she…"

"Trooper Rose!" He yelled, having enough of the insubordination. "You will sit down and shut up! Understood?!"

Her mouth clamped shut and she glared at him with disgust. "Yes, Sergeant." She spit out vehemently between her clenched teeth. She sat, staring daggers at Cade as long as she could, before collapsing back to the floor, grimacing in pain.

He returned his focus to Grandy, "Trooper, I do believe I said calmly explain. Try again."

She coughed and more blood sprayed from her lips, "I…" Her tongue flicked out, wiping the blood from her mouth. "I was here sleeping when those two started talking about psykers and shit. I heard her say it from her own mouth," She nodded her head at Ruby, "She said she was different! Just… look at her! I just shot her, and she's fine?!" As she said this, she blinked rapidly as more tears began to flow down her cheeks, tears of shame and betrayal. "Can't you see it?! I was... I only wanted to keep you all safe! My only friends!" She began to weep bitterly, hiccupping between breaths.

"If we're your friends, why didn't you come to us?" Cade asked, to which he received no response.

Silence reigned in the barracks, the only sound being the quiet sobs of Samantha Grandy.

Trunks was the first to break the silence. He whispered, as if someone outside the room was listening. "Sergeant, don't we need a Commissar for this?"

"What for Trunks?"

"Well..." He began, he reached up with one arm and pulled on his collar. "Grandy just tried to murder Ruby and what if." He paused, pulling on his collar once more before nodding at Ruby. "What if she is a mutie? Grandy has a point, who just walks off a point-blank shot to the chest?"

"Not mutants." Said Lovelock nonchalantly, seemingly unaffected by the roaring emotions around him. "Besides," He continued, "She spent a week with the Hospitallers. They are the best at finding such things and they found her to be quite likeable." He winked at Ruby casually, "Never heard of them liking a mutant before."

"No, we don't need the Commissar." Said Cade, grateful for Lovelock's perfectly timed logic.

"But…"

"What do you think will happen if we bring Commissar Faulkner in here Trunks?" He was close to losing his temper after hearing his third trooper talk back to him. "Last I checked, he wasn't Ciaphas Cain. This is Faulkner. Faulkner would come in here, and start shooting. He wouldn't even bat an eye as he stepped over their corpses and shot the rest of us 'just in case'." He glared at Trunks and Ruby gasped in pained shock behind him.

"B…But it's requi.." Stammered Trunks.

"It's what Trunks? Required?" Cade stood and began stalking towards Trunks, "Do you think a peaked cap and greatcoat gives them the bloody right to kill us they please? Do you think they have the right to butcher entire squads of men because one of them falters?" He was now shouting vehemently at Trunks, pointing at the door as if the Commissar was hiding behind it. "Do you think they have the right to have entire villages slaughtered by the very Guardsmen who are supposed to protect them, because ONE child had an extra hand?!"

Trunks' face paled, but he didn't answer

"Oh, I guess you think they do." Cade grabbed the autopistol, slammed the magazine home and racked a round into the chamber. He held it out grip first to Trunks. "Here you go Trunks. If you think they have the right to come in here and butcher us, I would rather you kill me than them! Just start shooting, I won't stop you!" He was breathing heavily as his rant came to an end, still holding out the pistol for Trunks to take. Trunks averted his gaze, staring intently at the floor.

"That's what I thought." Cade disarmed the autopistol and tossed it onto a nearby table. "Only one person decides who lives or dies and He is 10,000 light years away worrying about much more important things than us." Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose tightly as silence again fell around him. He inhaled deeply, opened his eyes and looked at Lovelock. "Lovelock, does Ruby look like a mutant to you?"

"No sir." Came the immediate response.

"Trunks?" Cade said to him, "Need I remind you that you were just telling us how cute you thought she was not half-an-hour ago?" Trunks shook his head, face shifting from pale to bright red rapidly.

"Grandy?" She slowly looked up at him. "Lovelock has an excellent point; the Hospitallers found her pure and human. Does that change anything?" She stared back at the floor and nodded once. Cade found a morbid satisfaction in her expression. As he watched, her eyes began to flick back and forth as she considered the possibility that she just tried to erroneously murder Ruby. Grandy's fate was no longer in her own hands.

Cade turned to Ruby who was now holding a jacket tightly in her arms, Merith must have given it to her but she had yet to put it on. Rather, she was gripping the rough material in a white-knuckle grip. "Skirts, do you believe Grandy deserves punishment for her actions?"

Ruby stared him back in the eyes and shook her head, "No, I do not." Grandy looked up as she spoke. At Ruby's words of forgiveness, fresh tears began to leak from her eyes. She hung her head, and softly wept in relief and gratitude.

Cade blinked in surprise, momentarily stunned by the answer. He recovered quickly and nodded, "Good. As far as I'm aware, we had a little training exercise. Would anyone disagree?" Silence met him once more and he turned again to Grandy, "Trooper, would you like to add anything?" A shake of the head. "Would you like to go see a medic?" A nod. "How did this happen?"

She struggled in inhale, her breath stuttering, "Training exercise, sir."

"Good, untie her and take her to the Medicae. Make sure she is okay." He said to Lovelock, who obeyed immediately. He pulled out a knife and carefully cut the tape, before helping Grandy to her feet and guiding her out the door. "You go with her Trunks." Trunks was gone before he even finished speaking.

"Cade," came the soft voice of Ruby, whispering from behind him, "did they really deserve that?"

Guilt swept through him at her words as the adrenaline and passion of the moment faded. He looked down at Grandy's blood which covered his elbow and fingers, suddenly feeling very ill. With his back to Ruby, he said just loud enough for her and Merith to hear. "I'm going to go clean up. I'll be back in a few minutes. When I do, we have some things to discuss."

Trunks was angry. Not only angry, he was humiliated and embarrassed by Cade's thorough lashing and exposé of his thoughts of Ruby. He didn't even do anything wrong other than to suggest the most faithful solution. As he propelled his heavy frame to catch up to his fellow squad mates, he was sure they would agree.

"He can't say that! It's… it's heresy!" spouted Trunks as soon as he caught up with the two, who travelled far more slowly on account of Grandy's injuries.

Lovelock turned his head back to Trunks, "Shut it you git! Someone might hear you!" His eyes flicked back and forth to the various doorways through some of which the sound of voices drifted through.

"Aren't they supposed to?" He wanted to yell, but obediently dropped his voice to a whisper. "I mean, disrespecting the Commissar and hiding a potential mutant?! He could get us all killed!"

Lovelock didn't have an answer, as he knew Trunks was right. Rather, the answer came from the least likely of the three, Grandy. "No," She spat a glob of blood from her mouth on to the floor. "The Sergeant was right. I should have gone to you and talked to you all first. If Commissar Faulkner walked in on that, we might all be dead." She dropped her voice to a whisper so low that the two men couldn't hear her, "I should still be dead."

They neared a blind corner as Trunks argued back, "I think we still need to tell Faulkner!" They rounded the corner and ran into the most unwelcome sight any of them would ever see. A tall man, his polished black boots clacking on the metal floor and peaked cap adding to his impressive height. He stopped before them and the three guardsmen halted as well, fear stitching itself onto each of their faces.

Commissar Faulkner stood and appraised the trio. His eyes flicked from the broken arm, up to Grandy's shattered nose and back to the blood that ran from her chin. He noted these things dispassionately before turning his gaze to Trunks.

"Tell me what, Guardsman?"

Ruby winced as she stumbled to her feet. Merith stood nearby, her expression still one of awe but ready to catch the unsteady woman. "Ruby, you probably have broken ribs. Let me take you to the Medicae before it gets worse."

"I'll be fine." Ruby answered, but even the act of speaking sent shards of white-hot pain through her ribs. She hissed in pain at the action, but began to walk forwards towards the showers where Cade had disappeared to twenty minutes before.

Merith snapped her jaw shut tightly and narrowed her eyes. "Ruby Rose, as your medic, you will come with me to the Medicae. Now!"

Ruby stopped and looked at Merith, "I need to talk to Cade first." She said, her silver eyes begging silently that Merith not interfere. "Then you can take me wherever you want."

Merith opened her mouth to speak, shut it again, then nodded. "Fine, but if you start coughing blood I'm dragging you there if I have to." Ruby raised a hand and waved weakly in gratitude before continuing her walk to the showers. She held her side tightly as each step reverberated through her body and jostled the undoubtedly broken ribs.

Passing the bathrooms and not finding Cade at any of the sinks, she pressed forward to the showers, determined to scold Cade regardless of his state. The showers were sizable, meant to handle a whole platoon of twenty men at any given time. Metal poles rose from the ground with shower heads jutting at 90 degree angles from each pole. One pillar had a single showerhead pouring steaming water, but Cade was nowhere in sight.

The sound of someone hissing in pain pulled her attention to her left where she found Cade. He was still fully clothed, although his uniform top was curled up in a ball and tossed in the corner, leaving his drab green undershirt visible. His back was pressed stiffly up against the wall, dipping his hands into a bucket at his side and scratching at his hands and elbow with abandon. He was shaking violently and thin lines of watered-down blood trickled from his hands and elbow.

"Cade?!" Ruby yelled, horrified at his actions. She ran the few feet to his side and slid to her knees, grunting as her side complained against the impact. She grabbed his hands and tried to force him to stop, "Cade, what are you doing!? Stop it!" A growl escaped him as he jerked his hands away from her and resuming his scratching.

Ruby grabbed the bucket he had been dipping his hands in, rocked it back, and flung the water into his face. Cade sputtered as the water drenched his shaking frame, shock evident in his expression. He stopped his scratching and slowly raised his head and met Ruby's gaze with his own. There were no signs of anger, or malice, not even embarrassment. He merely looked at her with gratitude. "Thank you."

Ruby wasn't having any of it, although she was grateful he saved her life, she was sick of this man's actions over the past hour. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" She screamed at him, suppressing a wince as she did so.

Cade looked back down at his hands, shame now coming to the fore. Deep scratches and cuts covered his hands, cuts of his own creation. He stared at them blankly for several moments before dropping them into his lap. He looked back up at Ruby and gently patted the floor next to him for her to sit down. Hesitantly, she did so, sitting a comfortable distance away from him.

Neither of them spoke and the sound of running water filled in the silence where they could not. Ruby stared intently at Cade whose head was drooped to stare at his hands in his lap. From her position, she could clearly see the scar that ran across his cheek and wondered how it got there.

He coughed, clearing his throat and drawing her from her observation. "The agri-world of Thetus, my very first deployment out of the Whiteshields. We were there to beat back Orks who the Guard had thought exterminated decades before." He hummed sardonically, "Funny thing about Orks, they always come back." Ruby didn't know where he was going with this, but the way he spoke, devoid of all his usual sarcasm and wit, demanded her attention.

"It was at the end of a massive battle. We lost so many men and vehicles to the greenskins. Men were screaming everywhere and…" He shuddered, closing his eyes to shaking his head to block out the sounds undoubtedly replaying in his mind. "But we were victorious. Their warlord was dead and the Orks fought amongst themselves. We barely won, it was only thanks to a small village of the local civilians that we did win."

He sighed with dejection and his shoulders drooped further, "I was young and naïve, believing I could save lives and make a difference. I thought that the Imperium could do no evil. I was so wrong…"

Trooper Cade Blackshire walked side-by-side with Lieutenant Northrup. On the opposite side of the Lieutenant walked Commissar Turner. Cade had read all of the publications about the infamous Colonel-Commissar Gaunt and the 'Hero of the Imperium,' Ciaphas Cain. He was honored to serve alongside the intimidating Commissar of his own Regiment.

The entirety of the 2nd Company, over one-hundred men strong, had come to relieve the beleaguered citizens. As such they were walking through the blasted out remains of a small village. The five-meter-high rockcrete walls were in shambles. Corpses, both xeno and human, were draped across the battlements. Massive holes and craters littered the rockcrete but not a single xeno corpse was inside the village proper, a testament to the tenacity of the inhabitants in protecting their homes. Cade had seen the outside of the walls, Orkish corpses were piled in mounds. In some areas, he could walk up the bodies to the top of the wall like a staircase.

At the top of the wall mounted on a bayonet of a lasgun, was the massive head of the Ork leader himself, slain by a mere peasant.

"To think, these civvies are the reason victory, winning this where we couldn't," said Lt. Northrup.

The Commissar was quick to disagree. "Don't give them so much credit." His voice was filled with disdain. "It was the Guard that fought the main horde and held them back."

"Perhaps Commissar, but we shouldn't be so quick to…" The Lieutenant's voice trailed off as Cade noticed a young girl off to the side. She was holding a patched-up teddy bear in one hand and a white flower in the other. She met Cade's gaze and smiled, holding up the flower to him. Cade, glanced at the two officers and, seeing they were deep in an argument, thought it no crime to go to the little girl.

As he approached she didn't say anything and neither did Cade. She held the flower up higher and smiled, Cade gently took the flower and returned the smile. Marveling that such beauty could exist in this destroyed town, both in this small flower and in the child's smile. He knelt down on one knee, still towering over her, and reached into his own pack. He pulled out a chocolate candy bar from his own rations and held it out to the child. She deftly swapped her teddy bear to her other hand and reached out for the candy. Only, an extra hand, which had been hidden by the teddy bear, protruded from the wrist, fingers contorting incorrectly.

With a gasp, he stumbled back in surprise. The girl followed his gaze to her wrist and the brilliant smile faded. She still didn't speak, just slowly stepped back before Cade called after her, "Wait!" She halted, face unreadable as Cade again proffered the chocolate to her. Cautiously, she stepped forward and reached to grab it...

"TROOPER BLACKSHIRE!" Shouted the strong baritone of the Commissar, "GET AWAY FROM THAT MUTANT!"

The child squealed and turned to run, only to have the long legs of Commissar Turner catch up to her quickly. He gripped her about the wrist and pulled her to the ground in a cloud of dust. Villagers, who had been wandering about aimlessly in shock, or crying over destroyed homes and dead loved ones, turned to the commotion. An elderly man, able bodied yet silver-haired, was quick to press forward and attempt to retrieve the small girl. "Please sir! Don't mind little Zela, she's already lost her mother and father! Don't let her suffer more!"

The Commissar sneered, "I don't plan to." He pulled out his las-pistol and pointed it at the small girl. "'Suffer not the mutant to live!'" The little girl tugged in vain at the Commissars wrist as the weapon neared her forehead.

"No!" Cried the silver-haired man as he threw himself at the Commissar. With a crack, a las-bolt pierced his skull and the man fell, dead before he hit the ground.

Several more cries of outrage and fear sounded around them as villagers screamed at the sight. The little girl slipped from the Commissar's grasp and fled and ran to Cade. She was almost to him as the Commissar fired once more, the beam collided with her back and she tumbled, Cade barely catching her as she fell. She fell face first into his arms and he gently turned her over, cradling her back and head in his arms. He looked down in horror as she looked back up at him, her eyes full of fear and confusion as she struggled to find breath. Cade could only helplessly as her brown eyes glossed over and she breathed her last.

Somewhere, a civilian fired at the Guardsmen in retaliation. And as fire to promethium, the chaos spread around Cade as crimson beams spat death and destruction. Spurred on by their Commissar, the 744th slaughtered every last man, woman and child, succeeding where the Orks had failed.

Cade did naught else but gently place the small child on the ground and close her eyes. He took the small white flower, now blood stained and red, and wrapped her little hands around it. As he did so, he saw his own hands, shimmering red in the afternoon sunlight. He gasped in horror and tried to wipe the blood away on his fatigues, but the stains remained on his guilty hands.

Glancing past his sullied hands he saw Commissar Turner, grinning as he fired his laspistol over and over into the mob…

Then, Cade knew hatred.

Ruby listened intently as Cade finished, her hand pressed tightly over her mouth in horror, tears leaking slowly from her glistening eyes. Through it all, Cade had not moved from his position, still staring intently at his limp and bleeding hands as he spoke. "I learned two things that day. First, never trust a Commissar to do what's right." Cade shrugged as he continued to speak heresy. "Second, in a galaxy of terrible beasts and xenos, sometimes… we are the real monsters."

He shook his head sadly, "You're right Skirts. Grandy… She didn't deserve that. What right do I have to abuse my own troopers?" He continued to speak, but now turned to look at Ruby, "When I saw you, I saw the same look I had when I watched the Commissar murder that little girl. At that moment, I was no better than him."

Ruby pulled her hand from her mouth but made no attempt to wipe her tears, "You're wrong." Cade cocked his head quizzically. "I mean, yeah, perhaps the way you went about it was wrong, but you did it to protect someone." She pressed her hand to her chest in emphasis, "To protect me!" Her hand shifted unconsciously to her ribs once more. "You're nothing like him."

Cade turned his gaze away and looked at his hands; nodded once and put his hands to his sides, pushing himself up off the floor. He walked to the still spouting shower and rinsed the blood from his arms. Hands somewhat cleaner than before, he held out his hand to Ruby, who gratefully accepted it as he pulled her to her feet. "Listen Skirts, nobody else has heard that story. Please keep it that way."

"Okay." She said, smiling sadly and wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Now, I think you owe me an explanation about a certain bullet failing to kill you." He said, slowly letting his usual crooked smile slide back into place.

Ruby nodded, smile brightening as she did so, "I think I do."

I promised dramatic heresy, didn't I? *Scrolls to top* Yep, I did.

NO, I'M NOT OBSESSED WITH KILLING CHILDREN! On the contrary, it's just something I consider purely evil and highly traumatic, it's fitting with 40K….

Good news as well! There was an extra 2000 words here that didn't jive with the feel of this chapter. As such, it is going into the next chapter which is on track for posting next Sunday. I am now designating Sunday as update day, so expect updates each week. If I can't make a particular Sunday, I'll try to let you know each update if there will be a delay. For your part, just keep reading and enjoying. Deal? Deal.

Lastly, I have many questions from you regarding other characters from RWBY and if they will appear. You should know my policy on spoilers, which is that I can keep a secret until Doomsday if I so choose. But patience my pets, all will be made clear in time.