What is a Space Marine, anyway?
Space Marines. An anthropocism for a word that had no equivalent among the Asuryani.
What manner of abominations were these, Yrliet wondered, if a tongue as rich and nuanced as hers could not express the same concept? Supposedly, these warriors-of-the-stars practiced the rites of the Reaper in all of their forms. Along with their deity, Space Marines were a central part in the Imperial mythos of destruction. As the tales went, they also wielded sun-forged weapons know as Bolters, another word borrowed from the Humans.
Yrliet may have struggled to imagine how such beings could be, but she had witnessed the Shrine Maiden's Bolter in action. It was a weapon of terror.
Yrliet's rifle was a finely tuned instrument of war. It emitted a single note at a time, true, but to play it properly, a considerable degree of finesse was required. In contrast, a Bolter unleashed a barrage of thunderous percussions that killed, and then brutalized the body by showering those in close proximity with bone fragments. The dream of a delirious mind that reveled in cruelty: no other way to describe a weapon that had been intentionally designed to cause such unclean deaths.
Therefore, warriors that wielded Bolters only existed to instill terror.
"I am familiar with that term, but not with the meaning behind it."
"Fancy words for saying you don't know anything." the Shortseer commented with a very audible whisper that drew a few laughs.
"To simplify, the Adeptus Astartes, also known as Space Marines in most vulgar tongues, are gene-enhanced shock troopers." the Castigator explained practically, as he ignored the Shortseer's quip "According to the inquisitorial records in my possession, these elite warriors were created on Holy Terra roughly a hundred centuries ago."
"One. Hundred. Centuries." he reiterated "Let that sink in for a moment."
Ten thousand years. An era ago, even by the standards of the Asuryani. If such claim was true, then perhaps these warriors had existed even before the fall of the old empire.
"That's a lot of time." the Faceless said skeptically "Are you certain they are just this old? What was even life, back then?"
"It is impossible to know, obviously." the Castigator candidly confessed "One already has difficulties to imagine life on a single planet just a few decades before, let alone the state of of the galaxy millennia ago. But yes, my records on this monumental event are very specific."
"Addendum: legacy datavaults of the Martian priesthood also match with the Interrogator's assertion." the Artificial Construct confirmed.
The Faceless accepted the Artificial Construct's assessment, and asked no more.
"Thank you, Archmagos. As you can see, Xeno, Space Marines are ancient. Of course, they would have never survived throughout the centuries, had they not come directly from the Master of Mankind's hand, blessed be His name."
"..."
"Please tell me you at least know who He is."
The Ambitious Artisan. A cautionary tale about the folly of exceptionalism. This mysterious figure once sought to construct a vast empire across the stars. He succeeded. But the further his armies marched, the more tenuous the control over his dominion became. And the more he tightened his grasp, the more his power slipped through his fingers. In the end, his creation burned in the same fires that he had ignited to forge it.
"It is difficult to forget the name of your deity, when his innumerable conquests are listed daily. But yes, I am familiar with the Emperor of Mankind, and with his creed."
"Then you understand nothing of it!" the Shrine Maiden snarled "Arrogant Xeno, His name is not for you to speak! You should know him not by His words, but by His sword!"
Yrliet calmly turned to face the other woman.
"I studied his teachings not to offend, but to understand his design. And even among my kin your lord's name is spoken reverently, for we do not wish to attract his ire upon ourselves. We are anathema in his eyes, and thus we commit the Sin of Existence. It is a sad fate, to know that no effort will ever suffice in the face of such harsh judgment."
"A well deserved judgment! We trusted you more that any Xeno had a right to be, and it turned out that you were only serving yourself!"
"As we all do." Yrliet admitted with a hint of sorrow. She had no right to expect forgiveness from her companions. Not after the scars she had unwillingly inflicted upon them. But the Shrine Maiden was not going to be schooled by a daughter of Asuryan about her own religion.
"Filth! I don't bleed for myself! Had you truly been paying attention, you would know that the sins of one are the sins of us all. The blasphemy of your continuous existence must be balanced by a penance just as severe!"
"Then you are complicit in my guilt. But if the crime is mine to commit, the sentenced one need not to be myself. What makes you certain you will be spared the edge of his blade?"
The Shrine Maiden sighed in disappointment. "Xeno, you hear the words, but you don't listen. Otherwise you wouldn't be asking such obtuse questions. We all live or die by His word. That is the ultimate meaning of our religion."
"An unnecessarily cruel lesson, from a master who pretends to bind an entire species to his star-spanning death cult." Yrliet summarized disdainfully. She had expected the Shrine Maiden to protest, but the other woman agreed with the spirit of her words.
"Such is the sacrifice He envisioned for humanity to fulfill its destiny. And even then, guilt must still be expiated! Since you are obviously unworthy, it falls to me to carry this burden. Even though it taints me. That is what my Lord demands of me."
The impromptu theological debate quietened down. The Castigator took this opportunity to close this pointless parenthesis, and continued with his explanation as if nothing had happened.
"Xeno, I have forgotten to mention something that might seem obvious for everyone but yourself: despite their arcane enhancements, Space Marines are not 'mere' soldiers. They are the manifestation of the God-Emperor's will! Know that the title Angels of Death was not given lightly. They master all weapons and all battlefields."
"I find that hard to believe." Yrliet said unimpressed.
"Then know this: they will kill you without a second thought. Concepts such as private property hold little meaning to men who are used at taking without asking for permission. In other words, whenever Astartes are involved, you will accompany the Lord Captain wherever he deems necessary to be."
The Castigator waited for either Yrliet or someone else to challenge his claim. Once he saw this was not going to be the case, he decided to change the subject.
"Now. I believe I have talked at length about the nature of a Space Marine, so it is time to discuss the hierarchy within his brotherhood, and why said brotherhoods are not aggregated in a single organization. You see, shortly after their inception, the Adeptus Astartes were divided into…"
"Oh, vigilant eyes of His most fiery Majesty. I have a question."
Ah, the Castigator's bane had finally decided to make her move. No doubt the Faceless was going to torment him with her charm. She had once been rejected by the Elantach, and so she had decided to focus her attention on the next most prominent candidate. Could the Castigator not see that the Faceless had unsubtly been trying to court him for some time? Alas, he kept overlooking her avances.
What is it, Miss Heydari?" he glared at her with suspicion.
"Is it true that Space Marines kidnap children?"