A heavy bolter wielding marine stood from his cover and fired a heavy sounding burst from his weapon into one of the barracks' gaping wounds. His fire was responded to with a blistering hail of returned fire from another crevice, two of the shots striking the marine in the face. His head exploded and he fell backwards into another marine.
Zethina hugged against the wall next to the window and hazarded a look over the windowsill, just below her were two marines, one held a scanner and the other a plasma gun.
"Scanner is picking up at least twenty, estimating between twenty and thirty of them." The marine holding the scanner said.
"That's less than yesterday, they do not have the numbers to sustain." The other replied confidently.
"The Captain needs them gone immediately." The other insisted. "If word reaches Heroxes…"
Zethina's eyes widened at the mention of Heroxes. Heroxes was an airfield not twenty miles from the fortress. Situated upon the airfield was the two Orders' combined air force made up of mainly Avenger strike fighters and Valkyrie support units.
"Communications are jammed, Brother. They will not spread word of this. The rest of our forces will return from the city tomorrow and we will have the physical man power to over run them."
Zethina gritted her teeth in anger, but then she allowed a feral grin to spread across her beautiful and hard face.
She levelled her plasma pistol over the windowsill and aimed at the Marine holding the plasma gun's head. She pulled the trigger and let loose the vision straining salvo that plasma weaponry unleashed. The blue pulse of energy sailed through the air and punched into the back of the marine's neck vambrace, melting through the armour with ease.
The marine cried out pitifully and dropped his weapon, his hands reached back at the plasma that was now dissolving his armour and he screamed. His arms flailed and he fell to the ground cursing.
The marine holding the scanner stepped back in surprise then looked behind them, seeing no one. Zethina wasted no time; she pulled the trigger again and sent another bright shot flying towards him. This shot took to the marine's thigh and caused him to topple over immediately, the scanner falling to the floor as he did.
"Gah!" The marine roared out, his leg had almost entirely been severed by the time he had landed and he cursed as he tried to push himself up.
Zethina unleashed one more shot that struck the vulnerable marine in the chest and silenced him once and for all before turning on her heel and looking for a way to the lower level.
She made her way across the hallway and went down the large brick steps two at a time, making sure to keep her pistol ready at all times. Once down the stairs, she kept to the left and saw a pair of open wooden doors that she suspected must have been level with the window she had fired from. Cautiously approaching it, she drew her power sword and thumbed the activation rune upon its hilt. The sword awoke and hummed into life.
Zethina had never been afraid to die, but she feared that she wouldn't be able to reach her sisters to die alongside them. She had to get across somehow.
She looked around the edge of the open door, lying on the ground were the two marines she had slain and past them was the no man's land that was being fought over. The nearest marines to her past the two before her, was a group of three who were taking cover in a small crater and firing their bolters into the ground floor of the barracks. In front of them was another four who were taking cover behind a mound of ground and slabs that had been forced up.
"I will reach them, or die in the attempt." Zethina's resolve was definite and she narrowed her eyes as she watched the marines ahead of her firing into her sisters' positions. She sprinted towards them.
The marines were completely oblivious to her, they continued firing and ducking from the incoming bolt rounds that were targeting them. The marine in the middle of the three stopped to reload and turned slightly as he grabbed a new magazine from his belt but then he stopped. In his peripheral vision he saw a flash of silver movement.
He turned and his eyes widened behind his helmet. A bloodied and silver armour clad sister of battle was mere feet away from him, her white hair was dirtied by blood and dirt and her face was a visage of pure hatred and anger. She carried a plasma pistol and a power sword, she had spotted his gaze and the plasma pistol had levelled toward him. Before he could utter a word, the plasma pistol fired and he died an instant later.
The other two marines saw their brother fall backwards in their crater and turned just as Zethina was upon them.
"For the God-Emperor of mankind!" Zethina felt a new strength rise within her and she swung her sword. The burning power of the blade easily bit through the marine's helmet and obliterated its way through his skull. She slid the blade out in the same movement and went to shoot the last marine but was stopped as he swung his bolter back at her. The weight of the gun combined with the marine's strength was devastating and she was thrown backwards.
She landed on one knee and managed to retain her grip on both her weapons. She glared back at the marine and aimed again.
The marine fired his bolter at her just as the plasma shot hit him. The bolt rounds slammed into Zethina, hard, She staggered and coughed before falling onto her back.
She spluttered and she breathed out in an agitated manner. She was aware of the marine flailing around on the ground ahead of her, her shot had hit him in the stomach and he was most likely in more pain than he could have ever imagined. She looked down and a wave of relief washed over her. Her power armour had taken the hits and saved her life, she rolled over and composed herself. The three marines were dead now and she had already set her sights on the marines ahead of her.
Looking down, she noticed the marines she had slain all had fragmentation grenades pinned to their belts. However the grenades were far too large for her, she would have to take the marines ahead of her by surprise once again.
"Do my sisters see me?" She wondered to herself. "They must, surely?"
As if in direct response to her thoughts, from one of the shell wounds in the barracks there was a sudden flash of silver. She recognised the form of a Seraphim battle sister soar through the air. The Seraphim had white hair with tints of red in the roots, her silver armour was covered in battle damage, her red robes nearly a memory and she carried a bolt pistol in each hand.
Zethina watched the Seraphim soar through the air, firing her pistols down into the marines ahead of her all the while until she landed in front of Zethina.
"To cover, Sister!" The Seraphim said urgently and Zethina could see why. The four marines up ahead had followed the Seraphim's journey and had spotted them both.
Both Zethina and the Seraphim leapt into the crater with the three marines she had just dispatched and a moment later a flurry of bolter fire ricocheted over the lip of the crater.
"That was folly I fear, Sister." Zethina said. The Seraphim turned to her and gave a cocked smile.
"Wait for it."
The unique and as ever unusual noise of a melta weapon suddenly rang out over the courtyard and a moment later several marine roars followed. The Seraphim laughed before launching from the crater with the aid of her jump pack.
Zethina hazarded a look over the lip of the crater and smiled as she watched the Seraphim charge headlong into the marines who were already reeling from a melta blast. Their cover had been decimated by the shot and two of them had visible wounds that were still widening with the melta's heat. The Seraphim was firing her pistols into them and the last two jerked and perished under the fire, the Seraphim landed next to them and used their hulking bodies as cover from the marines who had moved up on the ruined exorcists.
Zethina went to stand up but a set of heavy and loud footsteps made her stop. She turned to look back at the barracks and to her amazement saw a Penitent Engine stomp out of one of the holes. The bipedal walker stopped for a moment before turning to face the piece of cover that the marines were taking cover behind and then in a scary display of speed charged towards it. The large buzzsaw like weapons on the end of each arm spun into life and the built in flamers began to spit the occasional flame into the crisp air.
The marines had noticed the noise but continued firing at the Seraphim's position their rounds hitting their dead brothers' corpses that the Seraphim took cover behind.
The Penitent Engine had reached the wrecked Exorcist now and turned the corner to face the marines. The marines immediately began to retreat but it was too late, promethium fuelled flame washed over them and they began to cry out.
Zethina turned and saw the Seraphim launch from her cover towards her.
"Sister, follow me." She ordered and though Zethina was a higher rank than her, she obeyed anyway.
The two of them began to run across the no man's land, the Seraphim stopping every now and again to fire at other marines around the area.
Zethina heard the Penitent engine stomp quickly behind them and across to another marine position, she continued to sprint towards the barracks.
Other marines positioned around the courtyard began to fire relentlessly at the two of them. Bolt rounds exploded all around their feet as they ran and Zethina had to force herself onward as a missile zoomed over her head, exploding several feet in front of her. Hazarding a look back, she saw the Penitent engine cut down into a group of marines behind a wrecked Immolator. The Buzzsaw separated the marine's legs from his torso and the flames that belched forth from its co-axial weapon caused the marines to break and retreat.
The Seraphim reached the entrance of the barracks first. The once well-fortified entrance had been reduced to a door-less wound that had been blocked hastily using tables and racks that had once been within. The seraphim launched herself over the blockade and turned back.
"Come, sister! Inside!"
Zethina grabbed the top of the blockade and swung herself over landing on one knee, the bolter fire coming from both outside and within the barracks had intensified now and the stomps of the penitent engine were growing closer.
The Seraphim strode over to a large steel door to her left and rapped her gauntleted fist against it. Seconds passed. The door then slowly opened and Zethina smiled as she recognised who had opened it.
"Sister Jezail!"
Jezail was part of Sister Superior Clementine's squad, the two squads had often trained together and were given joint tasks in battle, and Zethina knew them all well.
The black haired, dirty-faced sister behind the door returned a solemn smile and opened it fully.
"Well met, Sister Superior, Zethina. Come, hurry."
The Seraphim holstered her pistols and strode inside followed shortly by Zethina.
Through the door there was an immediate flight of stone stairs that led up to a corner with another door on the left, standing in front of the door was another one of her sisters. The woman stood with one of the iconic helmets of their order hiding her face and with a storm bolter pointing down at them. Bolter fire echoed from behind the door she guarded and from outside still.
"Proceed, Sisters. Hurry." The helmeted Sister urged.
Jezail led Zethina and the Seraphim up the stairs and the helmeted sister stepped aside for them as they walked through the door.
Zethina's spirit soared.
The door had led to a large hall of sorts that must have been used as a wreck room before this. Large benches were overturned and pushed up against any holes in the walls with many Sisters crouching behind them firing out into the courtyard.
There must have been at least eight or nine of Zethina's kin present and she could hear more gunfire both below her and behind the other set of doors across the room.
The Seraphim walked casually toward a group of three sisters who were taking it in turns to take cover and reload and firing out of their position. The Sister that the Seraphim approached was wielding the large form of a Multi-Melta and wore a gas mask that covered the lower part of her face. She was a member of their sister Order evident by the silver armour and white robes she wore rather than the silver and red that Zethina had.
The two sisters exchanged words and then the heavy weapon-wielding sister stood and followed the Seraphim back over to Jezail and Zethina.
"You are very fortunate, Sister." The Multi-melta wielding sister commented.
"I thank you for the cover." Zethina replied. "I am Sister Superior Zethina of fourth squad, who is in command here?"
"Canonness Lethe and Preacher Kyronev, Sister Superior."
They're alive. The thought washed a wave of relief over Zethina.
"And who are you both?" Zethina addressed both the heavy weapon Sister and the Seraphim.
"Sister Diona, Retributor squad Irelia, Sister Superior." Diona hefted her Multi Melta slightly as she spoke.
"Sister Kaltia, Seraphim Squad: Angelic Intervention."
"I thank you both for your aid, I must speak with the Canoness."
"She will see no one until the traitors slink back into the fortress." Kaltia said. "Until then, you are welcome to help us fend them off."
Zethina didn't like how the Seraphim did not refer to her by her title and how she presumed to give her orders, but in the midst of battle she would allow it.
Diona and Jezail jogged back across the room and took up firing positions by their fortified hole in the wall while the Seraphim ran across to the other side of the room next to another two Seraphim from the other Order. Zethina decided to stick with Jezail and crouched next to her.
Through the hole, Zethina could see the position where Diona had obliterated both the marines and the cover they had used and she could clearly see several marines retreating towards the inner fortress walls. Jezail fired a burst, as did the other two sisters next to her before Diona fired another blistering shot from her weapon.
One of the retreating marines jerked around and dropped, the melta shot struck another marine in the back causing his arms and legs to drop to the ground separate from the melting torso.
"They're retreating!" A shout from across the room rang out.
"A pity."
Zethina turned at the new voice.
Standing at the now open doors across the room was Canoness Lethe, leader of the Order of the wounded heart. She had a large scar running down her left cheek, her black hair was wild and slick from sweat and her silver armour was covered in the stains of blood and the damage of bolt detonations, her white robes were singed and torn and her face was in a constant state of grief and anger. In her right hand she held a large power maul and in her left, a masterly crafted combi plasma. Her Celestian command squad of three flanked her, two wielded flamers and the last one had a narcethium upon her arm.
"I would have liked to kill every single one."
The canoness strode into the room and all the sisters present stood away from their cover and saluted.
"Canoness Lethe." Diona lowered her head in respect as she spoke. "We have a newcomer."
Zethina stepped forwards and waited.
"A newcomer?" Canoness Lethe walked towards Zethina. "This is no newcomer, this is Sister Zethina, I have spoken with her many a time and know her well." She held out her hand and Zethina clasped it. "Well met, Sister, the Emperor has truly smiled upon us this day."
"If only to carry out his will." Zethina gave a solemn smile. "Well met, Canoness Lethe."
"We have much to discuss." Lethe declared. "Join me and Preacher Kyronev in the armoury."
"Of course, Canoness." Zethina replied.
The Canoness and her command squad walked back to the doors and exited the room; Zethina followed, quickly giving the other sisters present a last glance.
She was led through another two smaller rooms, one of which had had the ceiling collapse in exposing the pipe works in the attic and the other had one large hole in the outer wall. Both had several sisters in each, many wounded and those who did not wear helmets looked tired.
They turned down another corridor and started heading into the middle of the barracks building. Zethina had never been inside this building before the betrayal but knew that most barracks kept their armoury rooms in their centres.
The Canoness opened another door that led into another large room like the one Zethina had come from. Unlike the one she had come from, this one was a deal longer and had no damage to the walls or ceiling. Lining the walls were weapon racks full of lasguns with a few exceptions and lockers that had been smashed open.
Another dozen or so sisters were waiting for them as they entered, two wielded heavy bolters and another couple had storm bolters and flamers but for the most part they held standard bolt guns. The group was a mixture of members from both Orders and Zethina scanned the faces and helmets for someone she would recognise.
The group parted as the canoness led them through. Zethina continued looking as she followed her through but saw no one she knew on a personal basis.
They can't all be gone.
The Canoness continued to the back of the room and opened a smaller wooden door and beckoned Zethina inside.
Inside was a smaller room with a large circular table in the middle by which two sister superiors sat with preacher Kyronev. The preacher wore a tattered robe, had a hard aged face and had short grey hair. Each of the two Superiors present were of a different order, Zethina recognised one of them as Sister Superior Kelsi of sixth squad, her helmet was upon the table and her chainsword hung on her belt loosely.
"Sister Zethina." Kelsi said in a surprised tone.
"Well met, Sister Kelsi." Zethina nodded back.
"So we weren't the only one's to survive." Preacher Kyronev allowed a slight smile.
The Canoness sat down upon one of the chairs drawn to the table and looked back up at Zethina.
"Sit, Sister Zethina, please."
"Thank you, Canoness." Zethina drew forward another table and did as she was bid.
"Now then." The Preacher said, "Tell us everything, what sequence of events unfolded to bring you here to us now."
Zethina cleared her throat.
"Of course, my lord. My squad and I were in the courtyard nearest to our quarters, training and sparring for further conflicts when a team of marines belonging to the Roaring Lions chapter entered through the southern entrance."
The Canoness and the Preacher exchanged a remorseful look before turning back to her.
"Continue." The Canoness ordered.
Zethina grimaced at the memory and continued.
"Excellent swing, Sister!" Joss remarked as she parried against Sister Gretel's downward arc from her chainsword with her own.
"I thank you, Sister." Gretel said through clenched teeth as she forced the blade further. "I shall have to teach you sometime."
"I believe I shan't be needing such a lesson." Joss twisted her sword causing it to shrug Gretel's grip off before flicking it up towards her sister's shoulder.
Gretel stepped back and barely dodged the incoming strike. She raised her blade once more and returned another swing, a swing that Joss caught once more and they both locked once more.
Zethina smiled. Her sisters in the squad were a force to be reckoned with, but they would forever hone their skills and improve on every front.
She thought back to the battle within the city from the previous day, dozens of the civilian population had rioted through the streets looting and pillaging as they went. The crowds had murdered and raped their way through several hab districts before their orders and the Roaring Lions had arrived.
The crowd amazingly did not flee at once. The instigators of the riots had employed the use of vox casters and proclaimed loudly that the Imperial forces present were traitors to the Imperium and were Heretics here to kill them.
The Roaring lions captain had responded to these allegations by ordering his sniper teams to eliminate the men preaching the lies.
As soon as the first shots had been fired all hell broke loose. The forward ranks of the crowds were obliterated as volleys of bolter fire tore into them. It didn't take long for the rest of them to begin their retreat but at least three hundred of the crowd had already been slaughtered by that time.
The scout teams who had picked off the instigators continued to fire into the retreating crowd as they ran. The rest soon trampled any they hit but did not kill and the falling bodies caused more to trip and subsequently follow them in their fate.
The crowds of rioters were met by another force of her sisters and the space marines who had set up another choke point where they were retreating. A single Vindicator round had been used in the conflict and yet it was enough to completely demoralise the enemy. The Imperial forces closed in around the crowd and slaughtered hundreds more.
Not many had escaped and those who did would forever be in fear of reprisal, the Inquisition would at a later date have to make a decision regarding the city's fate.
Zethina's thoughts were interrupted as Sister Maritha stepped beside her and spoke.
"Sister Superior." She lowered her head respectively and beckoned for her to turn.
Zethina turned and saw ten red and crimson space marines stood in front of the open double doors that led back into the corridors of the fortress. All of them were in full battle plate and held their weaponry in a relaxed stance. Their Sergeant had his a chainsword in his left hand and a bolt pistol in his right, his lion crested helmet stared back at Zethina stoically.
None of the marines spoke and they all remained still.
"Sergeant?" Zethina said expectantly. The rest of her squad stopped their training and turned to regard the marines.
The marines remained still as statues and didn't say a word.
In her peripheral vision, Zethina spotted Joss reach down for her bolter.
"What is she thinking?" Zethina thought angrily.
The audible click of the Space marine Sergeant's internal vox unit within his helmet broke the silence within the courtyard and for the first time since they had spotted them, the marines moved. The marine next to the Sergeant held his bolter in one hand and reached backwards onto his belt with the other. He drew a grenade and flicked off the pin.
"No."
The thought did nothing to stop the grenade from being thrown and she drew her sword as it sailed past her head. The courtyard exploded into life with the flashes of bolters and the screams of her sisters. Maritha cried out next to her and before Zethina could turn, a loud BANG rang out behind her and she was sent flying violently to the ground face first.
Zethina shuddered as she finished her recollection. Canoness Lethe grimaced along with the rest of the sisters present.
"They murdered my Sisters and I could do nothing to prevent it." Zethina growled.
"The rest of our stories are similar to your own," Canoness Lethe said remorsefully, "My retinue were accompanying me to a briefing that had been called by the traitor Captain Praetus, the fool must not have taken into account how long it would take us to cross the entire fortress to his chambers and enacted his betrayal prematurely. We came under fire in the western wing of the fortress and hunkered down by the Emperor's shrine. Two of my sisters died before we reached the cover and another three would before it was all over. We were fortunate as Lord Kyronev here had been late to the briefing also and was able to take our attackers unaware."
Kyronev nodded as the Canoness spoke.
"We realised the nature of the betrayal that was occurring and went to help others." Kyronev explained. "We managed to rally thirty-four of our kin including ourselves, since last night we have lost six of those."
Zethina felt numb. Twenty-eight out of approximately a hundred…
"The cowards had been waiting for us." Kyronev said with bile thick in his voice. "The vehicles were destroyed by their accursed Devestator teams and the courtyard outside was littered with bodies of our sisters before we arrived." Zethina could see the Preacher's repressed grief showing in his leaking eyes. "Countless of our kin were slain by those they stood with on the walls, Sniper teams picked off those seeking to run and others were mercilessly executed while seeking an honourable death."
"The Heretic swine have made a mistake though." Canoness Lethe said, "They have split their forces in two, and the smaller part of the two has been left here while the other has headed off to Keelo. They must have thought none of, or less of us had survived their betrayal."
"To what end have they gone to Keelo?" Zethina asked.
"They seek to rally the surviving populace." Kyronev spat, "Their Captain is gathering the fodder to mould his Empire with."
"Empire? My lord?"
"The Captain has been based on this planet for little under a decade." Canoness Lethe replied. "The Roaring lions' fifth company has defended the system for even longer, he has finally decided he deserves to rule it, independent of the Imperium."
"Madness." Kyronev growled, "Heresy."
"Madness that he and his company have been dragged into." Lethe grimaced. "We have come to realise that the uprisings within the cities were not that of betrayal."
Zethina's eyes widened as she realised.
"THE ANGELS OF THE EMPEROR ARE NOT HIS ANGELS AT ALL, RATHER
TRAITORS AND HERETICS!" One of the messages through the vox had screamed during the riots.
"They were crying out for help." She felt a sharpness in her stomach and she was immediately overwhelmed by shame. "We killed…"
"Their Chaplain had been corrupting the populace to fit the Captain's edict. Many welcomed the prospect of being ruled by one of the Emperor's angels, but as we all saw many did not." Canoness Lethe continued.
"This attracted the attention of the Inquisition." Kyronev spoke up, "When asked, the Captain insisted that the uprisings were of a heretical nature but nothing his company could not handle, the Inquisition, as you know, thought otherwise."
"As a result of this deceit, hundreds of innocents have been put to the sword as well as our own." Canoness Lethe said through clenched teeth, "We cannot contact the Inquisition or Heroxes from here as the cowards have disabled all communication."
"Could they have taken their other force to Heroxes?" Zethina asked.
"No, we know they have gone to Keelo."
"Excuse me for asking, my lady and my Lord," Zethina said, "But how do you know all of this in such detail?"
"You never asked why I was late to the briefing." Kyronev said with a sad cheer in his voice.
Zethina looked at him expectantly.
"I was late to the briefing because one of the lions came to me." Kyronev said, "He came to me and told me everything they were planning."
Zethina's eyes widened.
"With this we have an advantage." Canoness Lethe said, "Within their ranks is a loyalist."