"This is sister superior Tegren of the order of Argent shroud, can anyone hear me?"
The only response the vox offered was the sound of constant static with an occasional crackle that would strain the ear piece. Tegren put the vox piece down on the desk she was stood next to and sighed. Sister Tegren had a dark shade of red hair that bordered on black and had the order's emblem marked upon her cheek. She was clad in the silver armour and the white robes of her order, none of which had been damaged as of yet.
The room she was stood in had originally been used as a briefing room for the PDF forces that were housed here. It was spacious and had a row of large shielded windows that blocked any sunlight from entering.
Tegren checked the gear upon her belt, a bolt pistol and a beautifully crafted power sword. She then turned away from the desk and strode towards the door, which opened at the sound of her approach.
Immediately greeted her, were the two helmeted battle sisters known as Sister Helga and Sister Juarna. They both turned to her with their stormbolters lowered.
"Anything, Sister Superior?" Helga asked.
"Not a whisper." Tegren did not hide the unease in her voice. She walked inbetween the two of them and she continued walking when she heard their footsteps following her. Ahead of them was a long corridor that had evidently not had much maintenance in quite some time, roof tiles were absent here and there and several pieces of pipe and plumbing were exposed inside the walls.
"What could it mean, Sister?" Juarna said, "Could the enemy be blocking communication?"
"With the combined forces of our orders and the fifth company, surely an act would be impossible." Helga argued.
The three sisters began to descend down a stairway and already Tegren could hear the noise of others nearby.
"What else could it be?" Juarna continued. "We should contact the fleet."
"It must be storms." Helga said confidently.
The stairway had lead down into a lobby like area in which dozens of Ecclesiarch pilots were sat around drinking and laughing. They were all sat around on tatty leather sofa's and around the circular tables of the lobby. Past them were the large windows that looked out onto the airfield, where even through the quickly diminishing light outside Tegren could see the rows and rows of Avenger strike fighters. The awkward looking fighter planes were armed with two lascannons and an anti infantry weapon known as the Avenger bolt cannon. There were about seventy five of the aircraft out on the airfield and they were often deployed to support the fighting forces around the region.
Also present in the lobby were the other seven members of Tegren's team and the five Heavy flamer wielding Retributor sisters, all from the Argent shroud order.
Tegren lead her two sisters towards their kin and broke away from them to speak with the Retributor Superior.
"Superior Tegren." The Retributor superior nodded and hefted her heavy flamer up a bit. She had wheat coloured hair and dark eyes that contrasted well with her pristine pale skin.
"Superior, Louise." Tegren replied, "Still nothing from Armryt. Couldn't reach Canoness Lethe nor Canoness Taula."
"Disturbing news." The Retributor Superior's face was full of doubt and worry, "Could storms be interfering with the vox networks? I heard that this region is often buffeted by strong winds that reportedly lift cattle from their barns."
"We're only thirty kilometres away from the fortress." Tegren shook her head, "We would know if there was a storm large enough to block our networks. And if you notice-"
Tegren pointed toward the windows and Louise gazed out onto the darkening airfield.
"-I don't see any hint of a storm." Tegren finished.
"But then why can we not contact the fortress?" Louise spoke with an annoyance in her voice.
"Something must have happened." Tegren grimaced.
"You don't believe it has fallen?" Louise snorted, "The enemy are nothing more than hordes of cowardly wretches who have turned from the Emperor's light. They would have no chance against a garrison of our brothers and sisters."
"If not our enemy," Tegren replied with a horrible feeling washing over her, "Then whom?"
Before Louise could answer, there was a collective gasp from the pilots and the PDF troops around them. They all rose and began looking and pointing out across the airfield.
"Superior Louise!" One of the Retributors called out.
"What is it, Sister Headley?" Louise began walking towards the group of pilots whom her retributors stood amongst.
"A drop pod. The roaring lions colours."
The aged preacher came pacing back through the door into their room a good five minutes later and immediately walked over to Zethina.
Zethina turned and stood up, standing she was a good head taller than the preacher but she looked him in the eyes when he spoke.
"Sisters!" He smiled zealously, "New plan."
"We are yours to command." Zethina replied, "What would you have us do?"
"We are going to meet the enemy on our terms." Kyronev sneered, "The bastards won't bury us in here, we shall meet them out there!"
The gathered sisters including Zethina cheered in unison.
"We must gather in the refectory downstairs, Canoness Lethe is waiting." Kyronev beckoned them all.
"What of the line, Preacher?" Jezail asked quickly.
"We're moving our line!" Kyronev barked before laughing, "Come, Sisters. For the Emperor!"
"For the Emperor." They all chimed back at once and started to follow Kyronev.
Kaltia strode over to Diona and gave her a look before passing by.
"Sister, Kaltia." Diona's muffled voice called. Kaltia turned back and crossed her arms.
"Yes, Sister?"
"I never thanked you for saving my life up on the battlements." Diona smiled underneath her mask, "If we are to die for the Emperor now I would rather have no one else by my side at the end."
"Die for the Emperor?" Kaltia squinted, "Rather plan to fight for the Emperor, Sister. That is what I plan to do."
Diona was taken aback by the Seraphim's retort and before she could say anymore, Kaltia had turned and joined the rest of the sisters exiting the room.
"Come, Sister." Zethina beckoned Diona to follow her and Jezail, "We will fight and die for the Emperor as one."
Zethina, Diona and Jezail were the last to arrive in the refectory and had to stand at the back of the crowd of gathered Sisters. The crowd were surrounding the centre of the room where Canoness Lethe, her Celestian squad and Preacher Kyronev stood. At the opposite end of the room, Zethina could see the Penitent Engine's pilot fidgeting where she stood and behind her, Kaltia and the other two Seraphim sisters were waiting silently.
"Are we all here?" Canoness Lethe's voice echoed around the hushed room.
"Aye, I think that's all." Kyronev replied.
"Sisters." Lethe's voice was full of bitterness and sorrow but her strong facial features betrayed no emotion, "My brave sisters, Preacher Kyronev came to me with a dire conclusion not ten minutes ago. The betrayers have brought their armour back to the fortress and they will descend on us within the hour. These cowards fight with neither honour nor bravery, they will shell our defences from afar and bury us in an attempt to hide their betrayal from outside forces."
The sisters around the room who weren't wearing helmets were visibly angry and many others had their fists clenched.
"We cannot hope of victory on their terms, some might say we have no hope of victory whatsoever, but I am here to tell you that is wrong, Sisters."
Lethe turned and spotted Zethina in the crowd.
"Sister, Zethina. Come forth."
Zethina did as she was bid and made her way through her sisters and stood before the Canoness.
"How may I serve?" Zethina lowered her head in respect.
"Superior, Zethina. I task you with escaping this accursed fortress and with spreading word of what happened here. You may take four or five others with you, Kyronev tell them what you told me."
Kyronev cleared his throat before he spoke.
"Canoness Taula, Emperor have mercy, as you know had a personal Immolator transport that both her and her Celestians used."
Zethina nodded.
"Canoness Taula did not keep the Immolator in the vehicle bay outside, she had it stored in a different part of the fortress. Underneath the Skyshield landing pads on the southern walls, it was out of sight and if the Emperor is smiling upon us, the traitors may not have found it."
Zethina's eyes widened and she turned back to Lethe.
"And what of the rest of you?"
"We are going to buy your team some time." Lethe said bluntly. "You will head out of the barracks' west wing and head towards the old vehicle bay, that will give you the most cover. Meanwhile I shall lead a charge into their lines, we shall slay as many of the bastards as possible before we fall and while doing so, assure your escape."
"You can take those two." Kyronev pointed over at Diona and Jezail, "A Retributor will aid you finely in your task, also Celestian Phebia will be accompanying you."
At the mention of this, one of Lethe's Celestians turned and looked at the Preacher.
"Me? My lord?" Her helmet hid the surprised look on her face, but her tone was enough for them all to tell. The Celestian then turned to face Canoness Lethe. "My lady you cannot mean to send me away in this time of need?"
"I no longer need your steadfast protection, my sister." Lethe said solemnly, "Today I fight and die for the Emperor, I need you to go with Superior Zethina or all of our sisters' deaths as well as our own will have been for naught."
Phebia lowered her head.
"I will not fail you, Canoness Lethe."
Lethe put her hand upon Phebia's shoulder plate.
"I know you won't, sister, you never have."
"Canoness." Zethina said, "Why do you not come with us? You can escape and spread the word yourself."
"I will not let my enemies think I fled." Lethe said determinedly, "They will look for my body amongst the dead, you five will escape undetected for a time. Now choose a fourth to accompany you."
Zethina looked around the room. All the faces looking back at her, none were wanting and none were not, but who to choose? Who to save?
Her eyes came to rest upon Kaltia who stared back impassively. Her thoughts went back to Diona's story of Kaltia's heroism and how Kaltia had came out to her own aid.
"Sister, Kaltia." Zethina finally said, "You said you wanted to fight for the Emperor rather than just die for him."
"I did say that." Kaltia half smiled.
"Sister Kaltia." Zethina said to Canoness Lethe, "She is my choice."
"A fine one at that." Kyronev chuckled, "We must make haste, their armour will be arriving in the square any moment now."
Canoness Lethe saluted Zethina and smiled.
"Serve well, Sister Zethina. For our father and protector."
Zethina returned the salute.
"He is with us this day."
"As for the rest of us, Sisters." The canoness turned to the rest of the gathered sisters, "Our father gave these treasonous bastards the gift of life, it is time for us to revoke that gesture for him."
The sisters saluted and roared back a warcry.
Zethina and the other four chosen made their way through another two ruined corridors of the barracks heading towards the western wing. They passed several rooms that had bodies of both fallen battle sisters and the mortals who had worked within the barracks.
The western wing had been hit hard in the initial fighting and most of it was caved in. Zethina pinned herself up against one of the last standing walls of the room they entered and beckoned for the others to follow. They all crouched and waited by the wall, the loud sound of the enemy tank tracks prevalent to the north side of the building. Directly twenty metres past their cover was the ruined vehicle bay, the twisted corpses of the majority of the two order's vehicles lay in ruin and surrounding them were the Chimera transports that the PDF had left there. In-between their wall and the vehicle graveyard was several other Immolators and Rhino's that had begun to move before they were destroyed, they would have to use them as cover and then head inside the fortress from there.
"We wait until the fighting has begun." Zethina said quietly, "We must move quickly and attract no attention."
"I will make my best effort, Sister." Diona's muffled voice replied.
"They will spare no attention for us." Kaltia muttered, "They shall be too busy massacring what is left of our forces."
Zethina looked over her shoulder and saw the Seraphim glaring down at the floor. Kaltia looked up and saw the Superior's gaze and a moment later put on her helmet.
Tense moments passed. The huddled squad of sisters waited and listened. The sounds of the Astarte armoured units made the ground hum and the sounds of heavy footsteps grew closer.
Finally after what seemed like forever, Canoness Lethe's voice rang out.
"Suffer not the heretics to live!"
Her warcry was replied with by the horrendous sounds of bolter fire and the war cries from the rest of their sisters were drowned beneath them.
"Move." Zethina said through a grimace.
Phebia stood from the cover and began to dash across the open ground and towards the nearest Immolator wreck. She reached the vehicle safely and quickly leant back against it.
"Jezail, you now." Zethina placed her hand over Jezail's shoulder pauldron and pushed her up. The younger sister followed the same path as the Celestian before her and reached the Immolator.
"Diona-" Zethina's order was interrupted by the sound of a Vindicator cannon unleashing its fury upon something, shortly followed by the building shaking.
Diona stood and began to awkwardly run with her Multi melta, she reached the Immolator and joined the others.
"You now, Superior." Kaltia's now muffled voice did nothing to hide her resentment.
Zethina decided not to argue as time was of upmost value, she turned away from the Seraphim and sprinted across to join the others.
Looking back, Zethina saw Kaltia already running behind her, they were out of the barracks.
The team made their way through the wreckage of their once functional vehicle bay and soon found themselves inside the aged walls of the fortress. The bolter fire and the booms of cannons had stopped about two minutes prior, none of the sisters said a word.
Zethina knew that their sisters would be annihilated in their charge, but the burden they had been left with hung heavily in her heart. Her golden trimmed helmet covered Celestian Phebia's face, but Zethina knew she must have had a visage of pure anger hidden beneath it.
They silently made their way through the fortress, passing countless corpses of both mortals who had worked within the fortress, their kin and even the occasional group of marines. Before the betrayal, Zethina had walked around the fortress many times, studying the layout of certain key area's and the fastest access routes to and from them in case of attack, she estimated they were only five or so minutes away from the Skyshield landing pads.
Zethina opened the last door they needed to get through and grimaced. There were three sky shield landing pads upon a set of raised steel structures. Two had a Storm Raven upon them and the last had the hulking form of a Thunderhawk. Zethina's grimace however was directed at the marines stationed alongside the aircrafts, several were the pilots of the machines and others were merely there to guard them.
"We shall never reach the Immolator without attracting their attention." Phebia sighed.
"Is there not another way around?" Jezail suggested.
"None that would provide anymore cover than this." Zethina replied, "The canoness' transport is under the landing pads."
"I can't see the vehicle." Kaltia said, "Are we sure it's still there? The traitors may have already discovered and destroyed it."
"A risk we will have to take." Zethina said, "If the transport is not there or destroyed then our last task will be to disable as many of their aircraft as we can."
The statement hung over the team for a few moments. Zethina looked at each and every one of them.
"Sisters." She finally said, "Let us go forth for the Emperor, these Heretics will not get away with what they have done and our sisters' deaths shall not be in vain, this I swear."
"He is with us." The others chorused.
"Diona." Zethina looked the Retributor in the eyes, "When we move across, you are to fire upon the two pylons holding that landing pad up, the melta will do the rest."
"Aye Sister superior." Diona raised her hefty weapon up slightly.
"The rest of you are to provide support fire for her once she has fired upon the landing pads and make your way left of the pads, that is where we shall find the Canonness' Immolator.
The gathered sisters nodded.