RWBY 40k fanfiction – Salem, mistress of Inquisition.
Ep 12: The Castigation of Terrentius.
Almost 5 decades ago before Fulgrim's discovery. The Great Crusade arrived at the Ordoni Cluster. A cluster of star systems near the Halo Stars.
They are led by the Vatal Warlord Gerron Terentius.
Faced with the power of the ships, he surrendered to the Imperium.
For the next 50 years, he conquered the stars of the Halo Stars.
He is an ambitious man willing to do anything for his empire.
Today, he continues to lead his empire.
Salem travels to his kingdom to insure his loyalty.
No one accompanied her as her sons and the Emperor had their own battles to fight.
Although part of the Emperor's inner council, she did not yet have a significant role in the Imperium. By comparison, Malcador had become Imperial Regent of Terra, Steward of the Imperium, and Grand Master of the Assassins. Therefore, when Malcador left Terra for a thousand and one reasons, he was accompanied by a gigantic war fleet for his protection.
For her part, the witch despite her great contribution to the Imperium had only one ship and a personal guard for the moment.
To compensate for this, her guards were equipped with the best weapons the Imperium had to offer. Plasma Rifles, vehicles such as Leman Russ Executioner tanks, etc. etc.
Her ship is the "Infinite", an Apocalypse-class Imperial Battleship. One of the most powerful battleships the Imperium can make.
Although the Emperor told her that he had given her special treatment with a ship modified in this way, Salem remained very bitter because when she was alone, she did not feel safe. Why didn't he give her a fleet? She doesn't know why and it's boring.
She has been dressed for some time in a white uniform with a vest bearing the symbols of the Imperium, the underside of the shirt had the three jewels of her old outfit. The bottom meanwhile is a dress with decorations resembling her old Remnant dress. She wears black boots and a black cape. She keeps her two bracelets from her forearms but now connected to the sleeves.
(Note: Salem is dressed in an outfit resembling Salem from World War II fanfiction).
But Salem decided to proceed in an original way for the inspection on the planet of Governor Terentius.
She was on the deck of the ship with her captain. He was recognizable with his white hair and his red glass eye replacing his left eye.
Captain: "What you are asking...is quite unusual."
Salem: "Yes. You will disguise yourself as a visiting noble on Terentius. The Infinite is Karax Archanon's ship. A noble from the Solar Region. As for me, I will be a servant. We will rehearse your role because we will arrive in one week."
Captain: "Your wishes are orders..."
He bowed to her.
Salem: "Let's start..."
A week later.
On the capital of the Empire of Ordoni.
The Infinite arrived on the planet. Terentius was present on the spaceport accompanied by his ministers. He was recognizable by his white hair and his rich clothes. Although he is older than any human being in his system. Thanks to youth injections, he kept the appearance of a 50-year-old man when he is twice as old.
The small transporter landed; its doors opened.
The Captain came out but now dressed in clothes similar to Salem's but adapted for men.
He was accompanied by guards and servants.
Terentius: "Good morning, Karax Archanon."
Captain: "The pleasure is all mine."
Terentius: "You came from Terra to see our system."
Captain: "Of course. Your reputation could be embellished."
Terentius: "Good... Follow me."
The two men are accompanied by the guards and the servants dressed in an outfit which resembles a distant era of the Age of Terra, called the Victorian era.
Among them, Salem was present with her blond hair tied in a long braid as well as decked out in fake glasses.
They entered the palace; it was quite a gigantic and richly decorated palace. The two arrive in a large reception hall.
The two men talk about everything and nothing while Salem observes from far.
Terentius: "You know my dear Karax. You have some really lovely servants."
The captain paused for a second before speaking again. Salem raised his eyebrows at this statement.
Captain: "Yes, indeed. They are among the hardest workers on Terra and brighten my days with their beautiful faces."
Terentius: "Let me have a closer look. Know that a servant from Terra would be wise for me. Let me have a closer look so that I can already make up my mind."
Captain: "Are you really sure?"
Terentius: "Yes. I assure you."
The Captain looked at Salem quite nervously but Salem was looking at him with eyes that ordered him to follow Terentius.
Captain: "Come on my little ones."
He snapped his fingers and the maids approached before facing the warlord.
Terentius: "Hmm..."
He stared at each maid, with a rather interested smile before settling his gaze on Salem.
He stared for a moment, his eyes meeting Salem's before continuing on to the other maids.
But the witch knew deep down that Terentius wanted to see her than anyone else.
Terentius: "I'm done."
The captain snapped his fingers and the maids walked away.
Terentius: "That gave me some great ideas... Now tell me a bit more about Mars."
The discussion continued until finally, the two men separated. Luggage is taken to a Palace Suite. A large apartment with a large four-poster bed, a balcony with a view of the city below, a bathroom, latrines, a wardrobe, etc.
The maids left the luggage in the room.
When they made sure no one was listening to them, Salem and the captain stepped out onto the balcony.
Captain: "Did I do the right thing Mistress?"
Salem: "You were perfect but you'll have to be careful. Terentius is more cunning than it seems."
Captain: "What to do?"
Salem: "Get information out of him. Anyhow, but be subtle. Remember what you've learned."
Captain: "Good, mistress..."
The days pass but without any result. Indeed, Terentius managed to dodge questions about his opinion of the Imperium, his way of governing and other things that might incriminate him.
But on the afternoon of the 3rd day, Salem moved to the palace garden and saw the warlord pulling out tomatoes from his vegetable garden.
Salem came up to the monarch who was putting his tomatoes in his basket.
Terentius: "Oh, it's you, dear servant. Our meeting is no coincidence."
Salem: "You know, I just move around."
Terentius: "You should see the city. It's quite nice...at least...if it didn't have all those newly constructed buildings."
Salem: "That means my lord?"
Terentius: "The Imperium of Mankind... A nation of which I have a rather vague idea. An Emperor and warlord sons. Conquests to places unknown. Isn't that all boring? "
Salem: "The Emperor is the greatest of monarchs. He is said to be older and wiser than anyone else."
Terentius: "Never mind his age. It doesn't matter. I intend to make my kingdom something great. Follow me..."
Terentius took Salem with him to a large courtyard. Soldiers dressed in ceramic armor and armed with laser weapons that Salem had never seen.
They fire plasma projectiles at wooden dummies which they vaporize.
Terentius: "Isn't it beautiful? Let me show you."
He took a small plasma weapon out of his pocket and then fired at another dummy which he vaporized, to the cheers of his soldiers.
Terentius: "That will be all my dear Salem."
The latter raised her eyebrow then bowed to Terentius before leaving.
The witch had what it took to incriminate Terentius with her overt intent on betraying the Imperium. But what had shocked her was the fact that Terentius had understood that Karax was not the real leader. But above all, Terentius showed that he was not afraid of her.
Time is against her and she has to hurry.
She ran into the palace to warn the captain but to her surprise the guards appeared and pointed their guns at her. Turning around, other guards surrounded her.
Salem: "I don't believe it..."
Guard: "You are under arrest for infiltrating the government!"
Salem: "Try to take me."
In order not to be seen with her powers, she took out a laser gun from her dress and she was about to shoot.
But she felt her arm go limp, then her side, then the rest of her body. Sleep overcame her.
Salem understood what had happened to him.
Salem: "The... wretch..."
She passed out, a dart lodged in her elbow.
She woke up chained and looked around her. A large room where all kinds of torture objects were present.
She remains calm despite her delicate situation.
She then saw from the bars that huge ships were in the sky.
Salem: "He did a good job of pinning me down. But..."
She clenched her fists, magic emanated from her hands and her chains snapped.
Salem: "...Let him try to surround me in my turn."
She broke the joints of her feet then broke the bars before getting out.
She crossed the prison and discovered the Captain chained in one of the cells.
Salem: "There you are!"
She opened the door telekinetically.
Captain: "Thank you, mistress."
Salem: "You're welcome."
They got out of the prison despite the guards chasing them and climbed onto the roofs of the palace. She saw the Infinite lying on the ground on the horizon, surrounded on all sides by the king's armies.
Salem: "That monarch made fun of me. Get on."
The captain rode on Salem's back.
She rose into the air with her telekinesis and flew as fast as she could to reach her ship.
Captain: "I'll give you hyrdomel and sweets in thanks!"
Salem: "Nothing is decided, hang on!"
As they got closer to the ship. Flames were apparent and shots were bouncing off the Infinite's shield.
Salem: "We're getting there soon! It's going to shake!"
The captain lay down horizontally and hugged hard.
Captain: "I'm ready!"
They avoided the warships which continued to fire on the Infinite.
Salem: "We're coming!"
They finally arrived at one of the closed doors of the ship and Salem forced it open before closing it behind her.
The soldiers saw their mistress back.
Soldier: "You came back!"
Salem: "We have to leave as soon as possible!"
Soldier: "We are surrounded everywhere, how are we going to do it?"
Salem: "We have to force the passage then we will deploy a warp passage once the path is clear in front of us!"
Captain: "And the maids?"
Salem: "We'll try to get them back but for now we're leaving!"
Captain: "At your command!"
The Apocalypse-class Battleship rose from the ground and broke through against Ordoni's throne world fleet.
Leaving the planet, the ship opened a warp portal. Alarms about an impending shield breach were ringing everywhere.
Salem: "Full Speed! Quick!"
Navigator: "But mistress! If we go like this in the Warp, I could not locate myself with precision!"
Salem: "Too bad if we end up somewhere else! At least they won't find us!"
Navigator: "I'll see what I can do!"
He settled on his throne and tried as best he could to focus his third eye.
The Warp awaited them as the ships struggled to catch up with them.
But eventually, the ship entered the warp gate and it closed, leaving nothing behind.
Later, above a planet in the Segmentum Solar. A portal swung open revealing the Infinite covered in rotting tentacles which cannons and torpedoes raced to destroy as the ship's shields severed the trunks of the tentacles. Eventually, the warp portal closed.
Inside the ship, guards decked out in pressurized masks finished burning the corpses of rotting demons.
Salem herself had a mask on her head.
Salem: "We had to find ourselves above the Gardens of Nurgle. More afraid than harm, we managed to escape him. Well... Where and when are we?"
Crewman: "We're in the Interior Sector. We're 10 hours ahead of time."
Salem: "Well... 10 hours isn't much. Well... We just have to warn the Imperium of this betrayal. Have an Astropath contact the Imperium."
She looked around at the slaughter of those stinking demons, her servant's outfit that she didn't have time to change was covered in pustules and fluids giving off a rotting smell in the ship's deck.
The purge of these demons may well be long.
Salem moved around the bridge before sitting down in her seat where she directs command of the ship.
She saw a Nurgling on the ground babbling, she killed it with a single magic bolt.
Salem: "It may take a long time..."
For weeks the ship traveled slowly back to the Imperial planets as it cleaned and disinfected the corridors and other chambers of Nurgle's pestilence.
She learned through her Astropath that war is raging between the Imperium and the Ordoni Sector but the latter is losing to the Luna Wolves fleets, and other Space Marine Legions.
Eventually, when she was on her return trip to the Sol sector.
She made contact with Horus after a while, after the war was over.
Horus: "You are safe mum. I was so worried."
Salem: "I'm fine Horus."
Horus: "You're not going to like the news... I found the corpses of your servants on the capital of the Ordoni Empire. I'm sorry I couldn't save them."
Salem sighed.
Salem: "Alas..."
Horus: "Anyway..."
He placed a skull in front of Salem's hologram.
Horus: "The traitor has perished."
Salem: "Hm... I see. I'm going back to Terra."
Horus: "Well... See you soon."
He closed the hologram.
To be continued... Vulkan and the Rebellion of Osiris.
Salem finds another son of Erda but reunites with him as his mother. Soon after, the systems of Osiris rebel. The XIIIth Legion is sent, Salem decides to leave to investigate with them. But the truth behind may be horrifying to see.