Disappointment washed over Juneline's body. The Immaterium was not as she expected. She expected a hall of heroes lined with those loyal enough to the Emperor. Legends across time whose actions led to monumental shifts in the Galaxy's endless cosmos. A buffet filled with meals and rich desserts ready for consumption, where stomachs could never know hunger again. All before the one responsible for all of humanity's progress, He who has faced the horrors of the warp and became its greatest threat.
Instead, she was witness to a world where the color red was quite over-saturated. It's citizens of many shapes and colors, though mostly sharp shapes and warm colors. So many turned towards her with curious eyes, and some held up strange bricks with lights aimed at her. She had no idea who these barbarians were, nor did she care. She would locate other survivors from the explosion if there were any more. It wasn't all peril. She was still clad in her armor, and her emergency rations could spare her for days. Yet this world's stench made her want to barf. How unappetizing, the combination of sweat, blood, and several fluids that Juneline had no knowledge of or any care to analyze.
The corner of her eye catches a small creature attempting to sneak up on her. Her ears locate the rustling of many more trying to follow her. How pathetic, these beasts were unable to face her directly, needing to try some boring games on the Emperor's daughter. She turned around, only to see them hide. They did not cease their attempts at hounding Juneline as she continued. The stench of this world was almost too much to bear, and this was only increased as the citizens of this new world neared her. It wasn't until a hand rested on her pauldron that she retaliated.
"Hey there, pre-" was all Juneline allowed this certain to speak. His hand clasping on her pauldron, broken with just a grip. Screams of pain were silenced with a slam, using the hand on his broken arm to cover this crimson dirt with blood of a different hue. How amusing. The gurgles of this dying creature, the faces as they realize the threat before them, and the goofy way in which they retreat. Juneline was well within her right to break them and those still holding up their bricks with flashing lights in the distance. And yet, there was still a goal far more important: seeking the survivors of her order, in addition to other allies of the Empire.
Strange, to see the world she was now exposed to. Her armor was still on her, but there were no weapons in her vicinity. At least, not what she would recognize as weapons. Those fools approached her with tiny knives. Hardly a weapon for a proper thief. Where are the bolters? Where are the chain swords and power fists? The legions of soldiers patrolling the city to protect it from all threats? By all accounts, she should be dead, but everything she witnessed suggested a much more complicated story.
A burning light blueish green scorched across the sky. The sister recognized the flare. It was the rescue flare designed in Krieg during the revolution. After its 5 year war, these flares were used to signal the planet's submission to the Emperor's will to the rest of the galaxy. Though, they were in large quantities on Krieg. This was but a single shot. And for the Palatine, it was all she needed.
Tracking the location of the signal, Juneline was more exposed to the wonders of this world. To think creatures of such depravity could operate in a society of any capacity was a wonder. To imagine a world where every corner of the sector was filled with drug spots, porno buildings and clubs of unknown purpose were abundant. This world was certainly heretical without the guidance of the Emperor to straighten these hedonistic savages. And to see loyalists here alive and well as she was was quite the boon. The scouting force poked their heads like prairie dogs, rushing towards their new enforcement. Even though the combat suits,
"Oy! A sister's here! We're not alone!" To see thousands of loyalists setting up a point of defense in otherwise foreign territory. Few could match a Kriegsman's fortitude in trench and devotion. As she was welcomed into their fort, she noticed the people digging massive holes into the ground. Many soldiers were digging with their gloved hands in their limited sections. Others are using pipes and bones to carve out their home. Few had actual proper tools such as shovels and rope, yet this only goes to show the spirit of a model loyalist; that even in the roughest and most alien of terrains, nothing will stop these soldiers from creating their rampart.
This was not the only miracle they would witness. The sound of whirring pistons and audio bloops reminiscent of an ancient language called "Morse code" slowly grew in their ears as the bevy of Adeptus Mechanicus stomped on their path to regroup from whatever separated them. The Kreigsmen were ecstatic to see servants of the Omnissiah and asked them to assist in their endeavors. Many were willing to cooperate and began setting up their equipment right next to the redoubt. Several even offered advice as to how to best use their resources, moving support beams from a more stable area to one where the structure is more fragile for example. Even without access to STCs, a Mechanicus' mind is a vault of knowledge for any situation life can and will throw at them. Witnessing the more…metal retainers help develop their hold over this planet was a wonder indeed to Juneline's eyes.
And the sight of Ultramarines was a sight even more wondrous to behold. The return of brothers who have served at her side. Juneline was pleased to see their forces recuperating swiftly. The citizens are wise enough to remain in their own homes. Yet as thundering steppes echo throughout the city, it is clear that even now, they are in danger. Warriors clad in blue Space Marine armor that was clearly more advanced than anything the peasants possess below. The Kriegsmen welcomed their allies with open arms and immediately put them to work. While some hesitated to understand the situation, most simply went towards the tunnels and began delving. The Mechanicus were just as welcoming and invited assistance with their starting of a massive forge, to make this residency more hospitable to their empire.
As if called by a divine cue, the Salamanders added to their numbers. More marines to fuel the expansion of this land. Warriors in green armor further assist in the construction of their new home. With the introduction of these renowned smiths, the Mechanicus moved their resources towards more defensive projects. This world does not seem to have anything beyond electricity to fuel their equipment. And without an adequate power supply, weapons and armor development is best left to the forgemasters. Nocturne was a hostile world, not too different from this wicked land. A place too inhospitable for fauna and flora to manifest, yet the buildings suggest these creatures either draw their nutrients from a different source, or have overcome this weakness. This is most likely why Vulkan has preached the importance of protecting civilians. The understanding of what it takes to survive in this galaxy, and the desire to make it as easier as possible.
As if their numbers were not serious enough, the sight of Black Templars puts more fuel into the Palatine's fire. A legion of warriors whose rage shakes nations in fear. Whereas the Ultramarines are limited to the Codex Astartes and the Salamanders have a larger focus towards human citizens over eliminating Xenos, a Black Templar is loyal only to the Emperor. Any that oppose his will will be punished. What's strange is that besides the Adeptus Mechanicus, they are the only subfaction with a firearm on them. Since their weapons are chained to their arms, they will not release them until their service is truly over. If only they would see the light of the Ecclesiarchy, then these traits may have been put to use a long time ago. More interactions with Marines and Sisters of Battle were always welcome in Juneline's eyes.
Speaking of which, it appears she would not be the only sister around anymore. Flag Bearers holding up the sign of the Ermine Flamer brought a beautiful sense of hope to Juneline. The Palatine rushed to greet her sisters in an almost motherly love. Tackles of hugs strong enough to grapple a bear were exchanged, as expressions of confusion and worry spread just as swiftly. Among their reclaimed members were the ones Juneline had thought to be lost to the alien threat: Dissula and Nataley. Dissula uses her pentiment machine as muscle to carve a hole toward the Mechanicus fortress, and Nataley uses her dying body to ensure none can enter the stronghold. Tears of regret and joy explode from their faces, as the past melts away. Her finest family now reunited with her, in this…crimson dimension.
"Palatine, what is this planet?" "I know not. But you…you are here. That is enough for me." "I saw the entrance earlier. It said: Hell. Abandon all hope ye who enter here." How pathetic, that the apparent jailers of this…hell believe this place would break them. As if she could lose hope from this point. She saw her friend surrender any sense of self-preservation earlier in her former life in order to assist her in dealing with the xenos threat. If they were with the Emperor, there was no doubt in her mind he would be proud of her actions. The Emperor…where was he? Everyone could agree they were last alive on the forgeworld, where they faced off against the Tyranid tide. Well, there were no Tyranids as far as anyone has seen, and they most certainly weren't standing on Staban VII. And what's weirder was that everyone seemingly had their armor and a good number of consumable items. But only a small number, a couple million, had access to ranged firepower. What rules did this…" hell" impose on them?
As if to spite her moment of awe, a hole opens in front of the floating pentagram, allowing hordes of birds to fly out and cover the sky as locusts could. However, upon a closer look, these were…humanoid. Creatures that looked like women with angelic wings and horns like a daemon. As their numbers expand, they begin swooping down, spears aimed at the loyalists. Tech Priests and sons of Rogal Dorn pull out their weapons and begin shooting down a good number of invaders. The rest simply sought cover not to hide, but to seek a better position to fight these monsters. The sirens dive down and begin to pick off their numbers, but retaliation is fierce. These harpies were finding themselves receiving the brutality of the Emperor's light as their spears were outmatched by various random objects in the area being bashed against their bodies.
The most abundant in their population was the Mechanicus, and they were showing themselves to be quite effective in combat. Even without las rifles and bolters, their augmented bodies meant the flesh that once held them back was needed to endure no more. With tools of destruction built into their hardware, such as a digi-gun version of the las-lock, a single tech-priest could down hundreds of these vixens, causing their bodies to drop to the ground and splatter. Then, the true carnage began once the distance was closed.
The easiest to fall among them were the Kriegsmen, and even these were not relenting before this invasion. The way they are dying the most is by blindly charging at their opponent, and running out of blood with a spear in their body before they can do any meaningful damage. Yet even they are not without their impressive feats. These men would take multiple stabs through their bodies before submitting to their end, and only once their attackers were rightly punished, their brains covering the gore-ridden dirt on this alien settlement.
As few as their numbers were, the space marines were the most sturdy against the horde. Their only weapons were their pointed sticks, and Astartes' power armor was quite effective against it. Paired with unbound strength to tear through the masses as well as an endless devotion, they were the bulwarks against this assault. Not a single spear could find their weak points, and the Xenos were recompensed.
Yet…it was almost impossible to crush this incoming threat. For every skull smashed, more and more angels begin to flood out of the hole in the sky. And worse yet, the ones they have managed to slay were…regenerating. All their effort to curb this threat was for only so long. Mechanicus tech priest bodies begin to fill the ground, along with sister after sister finding themselves under the glowing weapons. They were able to crush these harpies for some time, just for them to be exposed when dealing with their brethren. Was this…the Tyranids all over again?
"THE SPEARS ARE THEIR WEAKNESS!" How reignited her hope was! She began to pick up the nearest spear lying on the ground engaged in combat with a harpy, and buried the tip into its skull. Her allies began to do the same and found the results quite spectacular. It was now clear how these vixens were used to combat. Hell was a prison, in which they were the guards. They would swoop down and thin the populous to maintain their power. Yet when faced against the children of the Emperor, none will survive his wrath.
A shock of pain blows up in her back, as Juneline swiftly turns around and returns the favor against the fiend who did this. Its head lays on the ground, the golden fluids pouring out like a watermelon. Juneline begins coughing up blood and falls into it as her strength fails her. No…this will not be the end! These harpies were fragile, they could die, and they were the heretics that must be purged! As she crawled up, she saw the corpses that were once her comrades as debris on the floor. Some faces were too mangled or carved to be recognizable. Yet one burned into her eyes like a las-bolt. The face of her former mentor, the one who gave her the courage to serve as a Sororitas. Cannoness Tosila Grendaz. The best woman to serve as Juneline's role model. The one who taught her how to fight, how to sing…how to live. She crawled toward her sister whom she had the privilege of calling her Cannoness, closed the one eye still open after her face was split, and softly whispered a prayer..
No…this threat…this scourge that seeks the end of humanity's hope…THEY WILL KNOW THE EMPEROR'S WRATH! As she summoned the vigor to stand…something else manifested. A power unlike any she had felt prior. A power…that wasn't hers. The entire sky begins to burn as something manifested from pure faith. As the Palatine opened her eyes again, a white flare emerged from her eyes. Juneline swiftly panicked as her entire body was covered in flames. Then she saw a harpy strike at her, with the Palatine raising her fists attack was dodged and retaliated with a punch, one tore the monster's flesh apart. Juneline…was blessed. Then she looked down, only to find her feet not touching the ground. Her back was infused with two foot wings carrying her across the skies. Another blessing by Ihs might. As if this was not excellent enough, she felt the song she sang to Grendaz echo across the cosmos.
"Take heed, ye who have surrendered against the darkness. We shall be unbowed and unbroken. For where there is Darkness, His light will shine!"
Like hyenas, the harpies rushed toward the new threat, in the hopes of ending this cursed infestation once and for all. And much like hyenas, they fell quite swiftly, reduced to mere atoms. IN Juneline's left fist was a pyre that burned the unholy but spared her fellow loyalists. The sisters chant praises of glory to His grace as the Astartes and Kriegsmen follow in cheers of victory. In her right hand was something more personal. A blade forged from seemingly moonsilver, shining sheer black in contrast to her orangish-red aura. The symbol of a small stoat breathing fire spoke in silence how even now, the Emperor was with her. But to her, the main focus of this sword was its hilt; the spine of former Cannoness Tosila Grendaz. Modified shoulder pauldrons served as her crossguard, encasing the skull in adamantium. The unique felt just right in Juneline's hand, now she would never be far from her guide to faith. Many harpies soon retreated toward their home, now aware of how superior their opponent was.
The harpies continued to charge as if oblivious to their lesson, that the Emperor punishes those ignorant enough to stand against his crusade. Legion after legion fell in a dance of fire, as fear itself would be carved into their hearts. Finally understanding they were outmatched, the majority of the guards moved back into their hole from whence they came. Yet eve now, they were not safe from His wrath.
"And the darkness…shall retreat."
Tossing a single spear through the void, Juneline felt it ignite as the power in her arm was igniting the javelin into the home of these monsters. Those who sought to flee were burnt to a crisp, and the portal evaporated into oblivion. The threat was gone. Juneline had succeeded.
Her witnesses began cheering in their victory, praising their new saint. Yet, all their thunderous applause was silent in Juneline's mind. As so many questions floated around: where were they? How would they reach the Emperor? Are they actually dead, or is this a dream? And what about these harpies? …the harpies. As she turned around, she noticed several hundred corpses rebuilding to life, with rage in their eyes. All other quandaries were wiped. All that spiked her interest…was how to use them.