Disclaimer: I own Jackshit.
AN: Ok, so I know it was a bit of a wait for the latest chapter, but here it is! It was an utter pain in the ass, especially with everything else happening, and with this damned thing fighting me all the way, but I've got it done. Once more, a round of applause for Vladicus, for ensuring that no one is exposed to the raw madness that escapes my brain.
Still, hope you lot enjoy!
XXX
Watching the battle progress through the streets of Sama from thousands of viewpoints was an interesting experience.
Honestly, calling it a 'battle', at this stage, was a misnomer as the fight was far too one-sided to be called as such. Admittedly, the Sisters and their Frateris Militia were giving as good as they could, firing every weapon they had on hand before stepping into melee with any weapon they could get their hands on. Waves of fanatics were constantly trying to surge forth from protective strong-points under the suppressing fire of crew-served Autocannons or the Heavy Bolters of the Sisters, trying to grant others more space to breath. Some of them even chose to sacrifice their lives in some mad effort, strapping themselves down with as many Frag and Krak grenades as they could before making a made charge with a weapon in hand and prayers to their God-Emperor on their lips.
From certain vantage points, I could even see some of the few Sisters that weren't throwing themselves into the fighting, offering prayers to these individuals. Laser microphones let me hear them, saying that their names would be remembered as 'Holy Martyrs' even as a Sister wrote their names down within thick books in elegant script. It was a touching gesture, if one didn't take into consideration the fanatics that were throwing themselves at my troops in a mix of zealous hate and desperation.
From above, I could see their reserves being mobilized. They were trying to fill in the cracks in their defensive lines even as more and more of their forces were either captured or slaughtered to the last. The fact that they were rapidly losing ground didn't help matters either, especially as the main vanguard of Bolos, Ruiners and Infantry bots continued to rumble deeper into the heart of the Sister's HQ. Buildings were leveled, any resistance was shattered or devoured through applications of overwhelming firepower and nanite disassembler clouds, respectively. Those that survived were quickly set upon by Collectors and Engineers that entrapped them within cocoons of carbon nanotubes or simply threw them into rapidly produced Coffins.
And that was just the main thrust of my offensive, which had already penetrated deep into their city. The Seelie had already created cracks and fissures in other, weakened, points of the defensive line and were taking full advantage of it. The Warmind had rapidly picked up on this and had assigned a dozen Battleminds to take advantage of these new openings, allowing new flanks to be opened and exposed as entire strong points were subverted and captured from unexpected angles of attack. Chains made from a mixture of Alpha and Beta Links followed rapidly from behind, unloading forces even as Teleporter Gates were used to rapidly bring in more units from distance Poly-Complexes.
I didn't doubt that, by the end of the day, the Sama district would be mine. Sheer attrition would see me win the city, if nothing else, and I had enough infrastructure backing me that I could spam units to the point of literally drowning the entire city in metal. Admittedly, I doubted I would need to go that far, but it did get the point across that I had metal and energy to burn and wasn't about to run out any time soon.
Still, a glance at the mission clock for this battle showed that only a few hours had passed, and a further look at the battlefield showed the current situation and just how much it had been weighted in my favor. Those cracks in their defenses had allowed more forces through, either on foot or by Beta Link, allowing for them to be flanked, encircled or trapped in a pincer movement that left them with little more to do but scream in indignation. Well, that, and waste ammo killing utterly expendable units that I was already producing in the millions across half a continent. Loading another report and overlapping it with the current battlefield data, I couldn't help but feel quite pleased with the progress of both the Warmind in command, along with its subordinate Battleminds. The former of which had compiled the report I was now looking at, having given a complex, highly layered, battle plan that showed each stage of the battle unfolding and counters for nearly every possible outcome. A check at the timestamp of the report showed that it had been updated no less than a few minutes prior to now include a few more estimates that had been refined from what they had been previously.
It was a testament to the capabilities of my datamind constructs that such refinements were coming so quickly. A look at the timeline of that report in particular showed that the changes were starting to become more frequent as the battle went on. A result of the increased flow of data through the battlefield that they were mining to build ever-more accurate predictive models and psychological profiles of their opponents. Everything from their choice of tactics and equipment to their beliefs and ideals was being covered in dozens of files that were being checked, double-checked, edited, updated and refined at a blistering pace even as estimations for the final confrontation were being drawn up.
Within the Simulation, I frowned slightly at that thought. Aside from the few, rapidly shrinking, points of resistance, the only real sources of resistance for taking the city came in the form of the damned flying pigeon in golden armor, the so called Living Saint that the Sisters had summoned up with the aid of their Cardinal. Not only was the Saint tough, but the damned thing also had a horde of a few dozen fully armed and armored Battle-Sisters, plus vehicle support, and led by the Canoness herself, along with her Honor Guard. A total head count, not including the Living Saint, put the force at just under two hundred strong. Based on its original position at the heart of the city, I guessed such a group was supposed to be used as either a mechanized, mobile reserve force, or some kind of rapid reaction task force to plug the gaps in the defensive line. I say 'supposed' due to the fact that they had long since abandoned that position and were now trying to move up and down the frontline to push my forces back while protecting the few Imperial Shrines that remained to grant them their Aura of Invincibility.
Their task was only getting harder as time went on. Mauler artillery strikes and Warden attack runs were breaking what Shrines remained and causing the entire group to turn around and run for the nearest Shrine at the first hint it was under attack. Both for ideological reasons and practical ones, since I had already ensured that the Sisters knew that, as soon as they left the protection of their Living Saint, they were as good as done for. A few examples of that came when the Battleminds decided to grab a few Battle-Sisters with low-flying Wardens, or just yanking them through some hole in one wall or another.
Those tricks had been enough to slow them down and cause them to hesitate for a time, but with them being the only real source of resistance that remained, that meant it was time to deal with them once and for all.
XXX
Observing what remained of the battlefield from above, I watched as the Sister of Battle remnants continued to try and resist the advance of my units.They have long since retreated to the very heart of the city-district of Sama.
From above, I saw each and every Battle-Sister fighting, teeth grinding together in frustration even as they all glowed with the Aura of Invincibility projected by the Living Saint that still floated among them. Truth be told, that Saint was the only reason they were even still in the fight, especially since they had long since ran out of ammo, fuel and just about any heavy ordnance that they could have used to try and get some breathing room. As a result, every Bolter they had was now firing bolts of golden energy in place of Bolt shells, regardless of whether it was a Bolter, Bolt pistol or a Heavy Bolter. The same could be said for any of the Chain weapons that they carried with them, their fuel having been exhausted but they still worked as a faint golden glow covered the handle and guard of the weapons. Hell, the only reason they hadn't collapsed from fatigue was due to that damned Saint, who was somehow staving off the effects of the physical exertion that the Sisters were forcing themselves through.
All that sacrifice, lives lost and my time wasted, and for what?
Their remaining territory was tiny in comparison to what they had once held, only one hundred and fifty Sisters had survived to this point, the rest having long since been captured through various means. The same could be said for most civilians with many being killed off as collateral damage. What few civilians still survived were huddled together under the protective aegis of a Shrine to the Imperial Saints as one such Saint floated over them. That single Saint was the reason I had yet to shatter that Shrine, somehow repairing and restoring it from any damage done and blessing it as often as possible as to ensure that any Sister or civilian within range was granted the protection of her Aura. The results of my attempts to destroy that damned Shrine decorated the ground, as mounds made from the corpses of my units were scattered around, ranging from Collectors and Sentries, all the way up to Ruiners, Wardens and even a Bolo that wandered just a but too close to the Saint and had been summarily ripped apart by the pissed-off golden pigeon. Craters were also visible on the few patches of exposed ground, remnants of my own bombardments by Maulers and Wardens that had managed to do less than I'd hoped. The Sisters had wizened up to some of my tricks, now fighting much closer together and closer to the Saint, preventing me from just sending a Warden in to grab them, or sneaking a unit in to try and capture a few more.
However, even with this point of stupidly stubborn resistance, the rest of the city of Sama had long since fallen. Buildings were already being Reclaimed in piecemeal sections, cut up by Engineers and Collectors before being converted into Mass that I could use to grow my forced further. Already, a series of Poly-Complexes were building up from the ruins of the city as Foundries, Foundations and Generators were brought online and started pumping out more and more of their respective products. Streams of units practically materialized out of every new Poly-Complex as soon as the Foundations had been set and the first Foundries had been completed. It was nearly impossible to see the ground under the flood of units even as more Foundations and Generators were built, followed by a mind-boggling number of Foundries. The flood only grew larger as Nexuses were completed and portals were opened, allowing for more reinforcements to steadily pour through the now-opened teleporter gates.
Those same gates also allowed for the transport of cargo back to the Alpha Poly-Complex, cargo that included the captured civilians and the Sisters of Battle that had been taken , all of whom were due for a trip through a Thought-Forge as soon as they arrived. Along with them, Jenatea and the rest of the Seelie prototypes were also being recalled, their field tests having been completed and requiring that they return to their Lazarus-Crypts for further modifications. Already, I could see Neta chewing through the post-battle reports and was working to quickly correct, what she viewed as, mistakes and further refine the template for the future Seelie. Even through the network, I could feel her eagerness to continue to create a kind of Magnum Opus, that she seemed convinced to dedicate to me and my name, especially now that she knew it.
Of course, even with the continuing back-and-forth with the surviving Sisters and the Living Saint, other projects were still right on track to complete, some of which I could even see the results of as I revamped the Hex-blocks I had been using as my go-to construction format. The main feature of this revamp was actually rather simple; A series of new systems designed to give each individual Hex-block the ability to move without outside assistance. As such, each Hex-block now included, among other things, six mechanical legs located at each corner and a maglev system that could either be used to move individual blocks rapidly into place, or lock them together in combination with physical locking mechanisms. If anything, such a simple system actually helped increase the speed of expansion of the various Poly-Complexes, as surplus Hex-blocks shifted around to allow for more territory to be covered. The addition of Nano-Hive Hex-blocks only quickened the pace even further, using Nano-C and Nano-D clouds to act as my own equivalent of SupCom Engineering Towers, but with their own fabrication and combative capabilities. Nano-Fog generators were also being equipped on to Foundries and all my Fabrication units, along with the standard Fabricators, giving them the ability to mass produce constructs over a wider area, but at a slower rate.
Still, while such things helped my economy and infrastructure, they did little to help me deal with that damned Living Saint. Sure, I could just side-step the issue and leave them all trapped in their little bubble with a constant expenditure of units to keep them contained, but that didn't remove the problem. I wanted them either captured or killed, even if I would have preferred the former to the latter, and leaving an enemy at my back as I advanced forwards just screamed of 'bad idea' to me.
However, the methods of dealing with them were few and far between.
Attrition was not an option, primarily due to that Living Saint. The same could be said for long range bombardments of any type and I didn't feel like trying to shoot them with a Little Murphy Cannon. Containing them over the long term was, again, not an option simply because it was a bad idea to leave an enemy at your back. And the less said about trying to talk down a fanatic, the better...
The only option that left me with, the only option that I actually thought was semi-possible and sane, was to try to physically remove the Living Saint from the immediate vicinity of the Shrine, destroy it, and then kill the damned pigeon and capture the rest of the individuals located around what remained. Theoretically, it was possible, but that in no way meant that it was going to be easy, especially since none of my current roster of units could go head-to-head with the fucking pigeon. Sure, Ruiners and Bolos probably had a shit-ton more firepower than her, but that firepower was next to worthless while that damned Aura was still actively repairing her, her allies and that ever-fucking Shrine.
As such, I turned inwards, shifting my attention as a new simulation came online and I absently ran through the list of capabilities that would be required to go head-to-head with such an opponent, even if only to force that fucking pigeon to move.
XXX
Eighteen hours.
That is how long the 'battle' for Sama had been going on for, having continued past the first five hours only due to the fact that the city was utterly massive and the Living Saint was keeping a singular pocket of resistance alive. They'd been unable to do anything since I had last looked at them, being contained within a bubble, surrounded by the ruins of units that had been sent at them like meat to the grinder. Piles of scrap metal and ruined wrecks littered the area, piling high like miniature mountains and acting as additional fortifications in their own right. Admittedly, it was a minor detail, at best, but it was one that the Sisters were taking advantage of and using to the hilt. The entire area was a resource sink that had lasted for far, far too long, and would continue to do so until that flying, Humanoid pigeon was finally dead and gone.
Something that was definitely easier said than done.
Of course, such an opponent also gave me the chance to test out my own capabilities to create something to counter what was, effectively, a Greater Daemon of Order. If I could do that, then it should, in theory, be just as capable at taking out the Greater Daemons of Chaos in a one-on-one fight, along with most other Hero-tier enemies. At least, that was the hope. I was still trying to not invest too heavily in a single idea, especially since this could just as easily turn into a disappointment, especially in this hell-hole of a universe. Still, the simulations had all come back positive, and what live-fire testing I had done at the Alpha Poly-Complex had already shown that my latest design was a solid work of engineering. Not to mention the fact that, given some of the things included in the design, it was far tougher and more capable than it had any right to be.
With that in mind, I watched as my latest creation launched towards the Sisters of Battle, flying low to the ground and merging into the ruined skyline, while the Sisters were being distracted by yet another push from my Battleminds. It worked rather well, shooting over the heads of my units, screaming past the defending Sisters at Hypersonic speeds as my latest creation zeroed in on the Living Saint, floating around the centre of their camp.
It was only due to the Supernatural nature of the Saint that it even managed to bring it's sword around in time to defend itself, but I could still pick out the surprise on the pigeon's face in the second that contact was made... And the Living Saint was forced back, crashing into the ground. It was only at that moment that the sonic booms washed over the area, sucking a few unsuspecting Sisters from their feet and throwing them around even as others tried to keep them covered as my units continued their advance. Those that hadn't been immediately deafened by the sonic booms, before being healed by the Aura, turned to the source of another sound, as power armor-clad boots hit the ground and shrieked in protest. Groves were instantly carved into the ground even as the Living Saint was forced to shove her sword into the ground in an effort to prevent herself from being pushed back further.
Through the eyes of my latest creation, my Gladiator, I saw as the Living Saint's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing in rage and hate, lips returning to a snarling expression of utter hate for the enemies of man even as I smirked within my Matrix. Watching her stand back up, I could hear the sounds of gunfire and battle intensify even as a few potshots bounced off the Conversion Fields of the Gladiator, whose onboard AI didn't even bother turning to the attacker, completely focused on the Living Saint, who was slowly making her way to stand, her wings fully extended and sword at the ready as it pointed towards my Gladiator. In truth, I thought the attempt at intimidation and the pose was a wasted effort, especially on an enemy that didn't really possess a sense of fear. However, I wasn't about to say no to the increase in focus on her part, especially if it meant that she would suffer from tunnel vision and not notice if I were to have the Gladiator punt her away from her Shrine. My Gladiator certainly knew this, it's onboard AI having had those very mission parameters loaded into it before being launched and did what it could to increase the chances of that, probably making the woman madder in the process as well, given her glare.
Still, I'd admit that the glare lost most of its effect when the one you were glaring at stood over you by a good metre and clearly didn't give a shit. Hell, you could see it just by looking at the five metre tall form of my Gladiator as it rested a four metre long Odachi in the gap between its collar and it's pauldron. The sun was setting in the background, giving a rather nice image to the coming fight as I absently took a few dozen picture from as many angles as possible, mostly because it looked epic, but also because it gave me a chance to look over the machine I had created as the specifications flashed through my mind.
In terms of appearance, my newest unit was angular, and somewhat blocky in the lower legs, with an almost skeletal appearance to it that was only prevented by the thick layers of armor and slightly non-Human silhouette that the Gladiator had. Following on from there, the proportions were accurate enough, but the dimensions of the head, lower torso and waist ensured that this thing did not look remotely Human in the least, especially as the design was wrong for anything produced by the Imperium. Mind you, that was probably rather obvious, given the lack of icons, designations, distinctive colours and skulls. Even looking at the head would have been enough, as one looked at the sensor clusters recessed into the head with a backswept horn extending from the top of the head. By comparison, the dull grey, trimmed with black and highlighted with faintly glowing lines of light green, colour scheme seemed almost unneeded in determining that this machine was not of Imperial design.
However, that wasn't to say that the machine didn't incorporate Imperial technologies into its design. Indeed, several aspects were developments made from examining Imperial devices or materials that I had taken into my possession. The four metre long Odachi itself was a Power Weapon of significant strength, along with the retractable power blades located in the forearms and feet, while a retractable Banshee Blade rested in each shin. An Adamantium endoskeleton formed the core of the Gladiator's construction while ceramite was generously layered on top of that, combined with no less than twenty Conversion Field generators and a few other experimental devices that I had thrown into the mix. Each shoulder also worked to conceal a twin-linked Laser Cannons while each forearm mounted an additional Fab-launcher. The Gladiator was armed and armored to the teeth, making it one of my most potent infantry units to date, with a mobility with no equal thanks to the thrust units mounted on either side of its waist and combined with the Anti-grav support unit in the chest.
Not only that, but the incorporation of femto-scale Techno-arcane Sigils into literally every component of the Gladiator only made it more so. In terms of normal material and technology, a Gladiator should have been able to laugh off just anything that short of Anti-Superheavy vehicle-grade weapons. However, the inclusion of those Sigils had, somehow, increased the tensile strength of every material in the machine by, at minimum, an order of magnitude, pushing its durability and insane levels of toughness through the roof. I still didn't fully understand how it all worked, but I knew that it did and that it worked well with the ludicrous amount of self-repair systems installed in a Gladiator. That was enough for me, doubly so when you considered that this machine was just as smart, if not smarter, than the average Legionnaire, if a bit focused on close quarters combat.
Turning my attention away from the machine, I noted that they had remained still for a moment before the Gladiator made the first move.
It raised its free hand, pointing towards the Living Saint with an open palm pointing to the sky, before curling it's fingers in. It repeated its motion twice, declaring a challenge as I watched the glare from the Living Saint increase in intensity for an instant.
Then it charged.
XXX
The Living Saint left the ground in a rush of air and the crunch of rockcrete beneath her armored boots. It is impressive, in a way, to see a four metre tall, Power armor-clad woman with wings clearing the distance with such speed. At the same time, the sword in the Living Saint's hand lifted and turned, shifting to allow it to take full advantage of the momentum generated by the charge even as she rapidly approached the Gladiator. It was very much a 'blink and you'll miss it' moment, as the Living Saint almost seemed to teleport from one location to another, leaving a blur between her former position and one within striking range of the Gladiator, arm already cocked back and sword set to pierce through my Gladiator and impale it.
To a normal Human, power armor or no, her speed would have been blisteringly fast. To an augmented Human, at the level that I believed the Space Marines operated at, the speed of the Living Saint would have been very impressive in and of itself. However, to my Gladiator? The same Gladiator that I had created with my most advanced technologies, enhanced with dozens of experimental devices and further augmented with an AI superior to anything short of a Datamind construct? To the machine I had purpose built to fight opponents at a similar level to the Living Saint?
While still impressive, her speed is not overly so. As such, the thrust units attached to the waist of the Gladiator flare with power, shifting rapidly as the machine accelerates to one side, side stepping the blow entirely in a blur of motion. From the perspective of the Gladiator, I can see the moment that the Living Saint caught on to what had happened, her eyes widening with surprise before shooting to one side, almost following the Gladiator as she started twisting her body. At the same time, she pulled her arm back, bringing her sword in close and positioning it to defend herself as she righted her footing from over-committing on the attack. It is only because of her hasty actions that she was able to block the sudden strike of the Odachi that was already moving for her. The four metre long blade whistled through the air, giving away it's movement before striking the Living Saint's sword, raised in defense and held firm by two paradoxically Human hands.
As the two swords connected, I got the joy of seeing surprise and shock filter on to the Living Saint's face for a second time, as it was launched backwards by the force of the blow. In the matrix, I smirked as I saw the creature being sent back once more, skidding across the ground once more and into the half-ruined remains of some kind of corner shop. It hadn't been expecting that much power from such a thin and light blade, especially from a machine that wasn't drawing upon the powers of the Warp to let it pull some kind of dimensional fuckery off. Honestly, I could understand the confusion. Aside from the Sigils, every aspect of the blade was completely normal and used materials that were of the Materium, as such, the blade should not have been capable of producing that much force. Nor, should the blade have survived the impact of such a blow, especially given that it was able to even sent the Living Saint back.
Either one of those two points would have been enough to draw attention, both? Together? Yeah, one could see why that would be shocking for a material blade. Not that it really bothered me all that much, especially since I knew the answer to both questions, since I was the one that implemented them into the Gladiator. They were little things I had added, things that would work to ensure that my Gladiator always had an edge over its opponents in one form or another. In this case of the first two classes between these titans, that edge came in the form of a piece of multi-function Grav-tech designed to, among other things, alter the apparent mass of the sword either upon contact, or just before, amplifying the power behind each blow, especially when combined with the hidden thrusters built into the back of the blade. Along with that, an Inertia Dampener system was present in both the Gladiator and it's weapon of choice, enhancing their already impressive durability and allowing them to move at speeds that should have crushed them like a tin can, Sigils or no. Many might have considered it cheating, along with the Living Saint, but I wasn't the kind of person that really believed in things like 'honor', 'fairness', or 'fair fights'.
Looking over at the Living Saint, I saw eyes narrow even further than before as the Gladiator regarded it's opponent for a moment before it moved.
The Gladiator went from a standstill to almost supersonic in an instant, charging in a mirror of the Living Saint's previous actions. It was only the Living Saint's supernatural nature that saved it, allowing her to dodge the blade as it almost bisected her previous location. The tip of the blade impacted the ground, the impact shattering the ground and leaving a small trench from the sudden blast of shifting air picked up in the Odachi's wake. Still, now they were close, close enough to touch one another with their own hands, and well within the reach of the other's sword as the Living Saint repressed her surprise from now-growing practice. Having the shorter blade of the two, I could imagine what she was thinking, probably to leverage the difference in length to cut the Gladiator down. Such an attack would have resulted in victory for the Living Saint, since even with the Sigils, I doubted that any armor I currently had could outright stop her blade.
That is, if it connected.
Instead, the blade was stopped in mid-air through the application of yet another experimental tech I'd been working with: Stasis Technology. Surprisingly, the Living Saint seemed less shocked and surprised than before, but still surprised all the same, thus giving my Gladiator an opening to punch her in the face with her focus distracted. It lost the arm in the process, the Living Saint still aware enough to chop off the offending limb halfway up the forearm, however, she was not fast enough to prevent the limb connecting, and being sent back once more as a result. Not even waiting for the missing limb to hit the ground, the Gladiator was on her before she even managed to skid to a stop, a thruster-propelled, and grav-augmented, knee to the face followed by a boot to the head for good measure. The resulting impact is jarring and sends the Living Saint further into the distance, smashing through the remains of two walls before being stopped by a third, partially being embedded in it.
However, even with this latest exchange, both sides are too potent to let it slow them down. Already, nanites and self-repair systems were working to repair and replace the lost limb of my Gladiator even as the Living Saint ripped herself free from the wall with her wings. Even with only one working arm, however, the Gladiator refused to give up the fight as it chose not to wait and raced towards the Living Saint, sword already drawn back and slashing out. Jumping up and out of the way, the Living Saint avoided being sent flying further, as the sword connected with the wall behind her and cut it in two, shattering the surrounding rockcrete and filling the area with the rush of displaced air. While in the air, the Saint lashed out with a boot aimed for the head of my murderbot, only to impact another unseen obstacle and rebound off the surface. Taking advantage of this, the Living Saint used the sudden platform to jump, spreading her wings to gain height above the Gladiator. Looking up, I could see that she was pointing her blade down at my unit with clear disdain, but a healthy amount of caution as well. I honestly didn't know what she was thinking in this case, since both sides could fly, but at this stage, it seemed rather pointless.
Especially when the loud, almost Earth-shattering Kaboom speared through the air. I saw the Living Saint gasp as she suddenly turned towards the remains of her Shrine, apparently having forgotten about it in the heat of battle. Indeed, I could see the golden glow around the Saint dim even as the column of smoke slowly started to rise into the sky, having already dealt with the remaining Sisters of Battle through sheer attrition. In all honesty, I had won the moment that the Living Saint had chosen to engage my unit rather than the less foolish option of remaining within range of the Shrine and the Sisters.
Slowly, I watched as the Saint mechanically turned its head, glaring down at my Gladiator once more as it shifted to look her straight in the eye before taking up its casual stance once more. This time, however, it tilted it's head to one side, still keeping eye contact with the Saint. Both sides did nothing but look at one another for a moment, just standing and facing one another. On one side, my Gladiator stood with a seemingly impassive appearance, and yet, if the machine had lips, I had no doubt that it would have been smirking, even if I didn't tell it to. On the other side, the Living Saint glared down at the machine, her face a mask of murderous fury as her hand grasped her sword, fist trembling in what must have been a white-knuckled grip. I could almost hear the kettle starting to boil over as I watched the Living Saint starting to shake with apocalyptic rage.
And then the moment past, and the Living Saint was diving down towards the Gladiator, who immediately readied itself, shifting into another stance as it brought the massive sword it carried around and readying it for combat.
However, before the Living Saint could even reach halfway through her dive, she was intercepted. An armored knee slammed into her lower back, augmented by grav-tech and the momentum carried by its owner, the sound of armored plates cracking filled the air. Instantly, the Living Saint was accelerated to the ground as cold, metal hands grasped on to her wings. Turning, she caught sight of her new attacker an instant before coming into range of her first opponent, and having just enough time to see the second Gladiator that had just impacted her. As she approached the ground, the first Gladiator struck, swinging its own Odachi at just the right moment to sever the sword arm from the Living Saint. Golden, shimmering Ichor oozed out of the wound for an instant before the Saint impacted the ground at something approaching terminal velocity. The wound kept on oozing more of that same Ichor out with every moment that past as the second Gladiator stood up and placed it's foot on the Saint's back and adjusted its grip on the Warp-creature's wings.
Weakened from the lack of Faith feeding it's Aura of Invincibility, in pain, disarmed and outnumbered, the Living Saint could do nothing but scream in pain and rage as the second Gladiator gripped tightly... And pulled.
The screaming had only begun as more Gladiators came, falling from the air with blades unsheathed. Each blade impaled the Living Saint up to the hilt, nailing the Saint to the ground with four metre long nails as golden Ichor dripped from each wound. With each wound, more Ichor was shed and forming into a pool around the Gladiators' prey while leaving her immobile and trapped on the ground as the once prominent golden glow shrunk to nothing. When the screaming finally subsided, the Living Saint was pinned to the ground by nine blades, one at each elbow, shoulder, knee and ankle, with the ninth blade being impaled into the centre of her back. To each side, her wings lay in smaller pools of Ichor as torn flesh showed the impressions left by the digits that had ripped them off, while droplets left a trail from each win, leading to the Gladiator responsible for this, as more Ichor slowly dripped from its fingers.
It was a macabre display, one that would have wrenched on the hearts and souls of any Human loyal to the Imperium and the big man on the Golden toilet. It would have pushed such individuals to anger, to rage and to hate. Such a display would have had Imperial soldiers throw themselves into the fire to try and exact some measure of vengeance on those that would dare desecrate a Living Saint of their Emperor.
Unfortunately, no such Human was present, and, as such, there was no one but me and my forces present to witness the death of the Living Saint. With dreadful slowness, the first Gladiator moved forwards, weapon still in hand as it circled the Living Saint until it stood to her side, raising its sword into the air as it glint with the light of the rising sun. It was a moment captured from a dozen angles before the Gladiator finally carried out it's task, moving like liquid lightning and bringing the sword down in a flash of movement.
And with that, the severed head of the Living Saint rolled to a stop, facing towards its own limp body and it's killers. From there, it quickly disappears, fading into a shower of dying, golden sparks. And yet, even with its death, with its body gone, the pool of golden Ichor remains. It clings to existence as the Gladiators draw their blades from the blood-soaked ground, seeing the Ichor almost being drawn up with the rising blades as I watch with interest. The Ichor sticks to the surface of each blade for a second before it almost seems to be drawn into the weapon itself. In seconds, the Ichor is gone, but even without the senses of a Psyker, I can already tell that the ten blades that these Gladiators now held had been changed. I was not sure how, nor why, but I made a note to look into it later as other matters demanded attention.
A thought followed as I watched my forces shift around as new Poly-Complexes started to rise higher over the ruins of the Imperial city. More units were already being produced and with the promise of even more not far behind. I'd need them, especially if I wanted to conquer the entire system, even if I decided to abandon it further down the line. The enemies that were arrayed against me were numerous and powerful, with many being capable of summoning forth the power to bend reality to their wishes.
The Imperial Guard were not one of them.
XXX
Standing on a cliff of asymmetrically arranged white cubes, Jenatea Alon looked down and around with awed eyes. Around her, she saw a semblance of His Holy Realm as it truly was and not how He allowed others to view it, if only to allow them to understand what they were truly witnesses to. All around her, the world was made of more asymmetrically arranged white cubes and cuboids that never connected in a neat and orderly manner. They formed into spires, cliffs and valleys that stretched as far as the eye could see before meeting a horizon of grey sky that pulsed with cyan light from a dozen circuit-like lines. Through the air, the Seelie Prototype could see a dozen cubes floating around, moving in streams through more rings of oddly joined cubes while random platforms hung in the air.
It was as breathtaking in its alien beauty, and yet, this was only a fragment of what His Holy Realm truly looked like. Looking over the skyline of the Matrix once more, Jenatea allowed a soft smile to cross her lips before she turned and looked down into the valley below, watching with interest at the sight that now stood before her. Within the valley, it was possible to make out hundreds of millions of individuals, all held aloft by white cubes wrapped around their hands and feet, with each individual being held as though they were being crucified. Around their heads, another cube rested as it covered everything down to the bottom of the nose, leaving mouths exposed and letting her see the expressions of those going through the process of becoming Enlightened. Immediately, it was easy to pick out how far along some were when compared to others, a peaceful smile resting on the faces of those that had accepted the Truth. However, for those that hadn't accepted the Truth yet, it was possible to see exposed teeth as spittle and screams escaped their lips while they tried to thrash and pull their limbs free from restraints that would not move. Many of them also wore collars made from silver digits, suspended around their necks and denoting some purpose that the Prototype could not even guess at. Though, one thing she could confirm was that the majority of those individuals were those that she recognized as being her, soon to be once more, Sisters.
It brought a smile to her face, knowing that at least another small splinter of Humanity would be spared the dull, slow descent into Ignorance.
"Quite a sight, isn't it?" A voice suddenly filled the empty air as Jenatea's eyes shot wide, instantly recognizing His voice, but unable to move as two strong arms wrapped around her waist, holding her in place and preventing her from moving while her arms were pinned to her sides. Feeling a weight rest on one shoulder, the Seelie Prototype turned and looked, instantly seeing the face of her Lord resting on her shoulder as he seemed to look ahead of them and into the valley below. Silence reigned for an instant as Jenatea failed to truly understand what He meant, trying to process the sudden change of events, before he spoke once more.
"The sight of all those people finally learning the Truth of reality, the Truth that so many have worked so hard to keep from them. It's quite a sight, isn't it?" Lord Eternal Legacy clarified as His visible eye moved, looking her in the eye as she remained frozen to the spot before answering, allowing herself to relax into the arms of her Lord and leaning back into his chest.
"Yes, my Lord. It is a magnificent sight." Jenatea offered simply, enjoying the feeling of simply being held by her Lord as they both lapsed into silence once more. The Seelie Prototype felt her Lord hum thoughtfully behind her, the feeling of His breath on her neck sending pleasant signals rushing through her body as she felt his arms shifting ever-so-slightly around her. Absently, she felt it slowly leaving its position around her waist before sliding upwards, contact with His touch caused her Titan Skin to retract back into her body, leaving skin exposed and allowing a thrill to rush through her nerves at the touch of her Lord.
"Yes. Yes, it is... And it is one that you helped ensure would become a reality." The hand moving up her body traced over her breast, once more causing the Titan Skin to retreat back into her flesh as His fingers gently cupped her now-exposed breast. Jenatea moaned lightly as fingers groped her breast, squeezing the generous globes of flesh as a thumb gently circled around her nipple, teasing it as fingernails dug into yielding flesh. It was the action of a moment, but it sent shivers up and down her spine even as the hand finally let go of her breast, causing a slight sound of disappointment to escape Jenatea's lips. Still, His hand continued to move upwards before it finally reached her neck, fingers spreading as it gently grasped the base of her jaw. The Seelie didn't resist as her head was forced to turn to one side, allowing her to see the smiling face of her Lord as his own eyes stared directly back at her.
"Before the operation to take Sama, I said that if you met the required expectations, then a reward would be waiting for you upon your return... Well, here it is." Her Lord stated as they looked at one another for a moment before He pulled her closer, shifting her around until they pressed against one another. In an instant, their lips met and Jenatea Alon felt her world disappear into nothing but bliss and contentment as every nerve in her body suddenly sprang to life and flared with a pleasant heat to it. Without conscious thought, her body moved as she wrapped on leg around her Lord before wrapping both arms around His neck, pulling herself closer as she tried to deepen the kiss they shared. All over her body, her Titan Skin disappeared, leaving her exposed to the rest of His Realm, something that should have mortified her and caused her embarrassment.
However, at this stage, she no longer cared. She didn't care as her world dissolved away until the only things that remained in focus were her Lord, the reward he was now visiting upon her, and the way their bodies pressed together.
Such was the joy of being Enlightened by the Truth.
XXX
AN: Ok, well, there you have it. The end of the Sisters and the first conquest of the Kaurava Campaign. Hope you enjoyed it. As always, feel free to comment and give feedback.
Also, for anyone interested, I've added a new image for the Gladiator to the unit visualisation index.