"Do not disturb her rest. She is in no state to be questioned, Eneresh," Eriko says in a clipped voice as she turns away from the Witch and looked at each of the mercenaries around her, performing mental triage quickly.
She strides to a table and sweeps the contents away with her arm. Books and parchment clatter onto the ground and she sets her holy tools down.
"Sergeant," she begins as her pain suppressants begin to fade, gritting her teeth through the returning pain. She leans forward, gripping the table's edge tightly. "Gather your wounded here. I will treat them by order of severity so that we may be ready once my Sisters arrive."
Then a wave of pain passes through her bones, sapping the strength in her legs. Only the Storm of Summer's strength keeps her from collapsing. The seconds tick by as she fights the daze that threatens to send her crumpling to the floor. She shuts her eyes and her ears to the outside world, the better to focus on crushing her weakness.
The pain fades to a bearable ache, enough that she judges herself able to operate properly, and she looks up to see the mercenaries waiting.
A hand goes to her medicae tools and she gestures to the place she had prepared, as if nothing had happened.
"Witch-Finder Zayneth." Eriko nods to Vahn then gestures to her impromptu operating table. "Sit. Your injuries are the most grievous and you will not be carried out of here if I can help it."
"Let us begin."
Eneresh mutters something under her breath that earns her a shove from the bounty hunter. The mercenary sergeant orders his men to line up, but upon closer inspection, its relieving to see that the sellswords' injuries are light. Their armour is scorched and battered, and many are bruised or sport low grade burns beneath their armour, but none have suffered serious injuries. The youth ultimately takes priority, the kid groaning in pain from several shrapnel wounds to his chest. None are serious, blessedly, with the only piece that penetrated deeply missing all organs and arteries-safe to leave inside, truth be told. She sterilizes the wound and then seals it up. A bit of morphia and the lad's back on his feet, giving her a nervous smile.
Zayneth grunts, limping over to the table. "You'll have to put a boltgun to my head before I suffer that indignity. A wound or not, I'll walk."
Bold words indeed, considering the severity of the injury. The lasround penetrated his calf, though the armour diffused enough of the shot that the injury is shallow rather than destroying the limb entirely. Still, the burn is severe, bits of carbi-fiber and flesh fused together. Worse, the bone may have suffered a hairline fracture, probably from the concussive force that explosive vaporization causes. Still, the bone isn't shattered, and whilst painful, the muscle is largely intact. Something someone could walk on, if they either had to or were stubborn. Or perhaps, simply had an image to maintain.
"I'm not being dragged to the Taurox," Vahn says. "You aren't going to have the glory of handing in our prey whilst I'm being carried off to the medicae. Give me a shot of morphia. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to figure out how to get proof of that witch I killed without possibly carrying an evil mask around on my person."
The worst wounds suffered are ultimately by Ilana and Eriko herself. Eriko's suffered severe bruising and tissue trauma, Ilana a broken rib and severe penetrative wound. Both will require time recovering, particularly the latter. At least it wasn't worse.
Caelia, who by now is sitting on a crate with her helmet sitting on a nearby table, resting and feeling every ache and bit of exhaustion of this long day, at least finds the energy to solemnly nod.
"The Emperor Protects. That thing has claimed none of us...." She paused a moment.
"I wanted to slay it." She adds, then shakes her head. "No I wanted anyone of us to slay it, so much. An insult and an abomination that claimed the title of cousin, but..."
She pauses a moment, taking her helmet in hand. "This is a victory nontheless." She says, dispelling her doubts. The Dybukks had been slain, and the Beholden driven from the field. The cult lay broken. "We drove it from the field. We achieved our objectives. We did our duty."
She stands up, going to take her place at the vanguard when Eriko is done. She takes a moment to stretch, armor responding to her movement with a low growl of servomotors.
"We won." She says, half to herself.
But as she replaces her helmet and check her ammo, she believes it.
Palais nods in agreement, frowning. "I'd have liked to mount that thing's head on a wall, I agree. If that were possible, at least. Maybe if we coated it in silver..." she ponders for a moment, rolling her neck. "But in the end, the day's our. Victory requires no explanation, as the saying goes. Our objectives are complete, scores of foemen lie dead before us, and what remains of our enemies put to rout."
She pushes to her feet, forcing herself through the exhaustion all the Sisters must feel. It is nothing they did not experience in training. "The day is ours, Sisters. Ave Imperator!"
Maria squatted against a bookshelf, helmet in hand. Her gloved fingers carefully teased out loose shards of its ruined left eye-piece, feeling how close she'd come. Not so near as Ilana, but when armor failed all that remained was faith. There was a sign in that battle damage, though what it was she could not yet divine. The Geldovan sister murmured to the beaten up piece of wargear, a prayer of protection crossed with exhortations and thanks to the equipment itself. They weren't out until they were back in base after all, and she refused to relax an inch until then.
"Do any of your own require medical aid, Sister-Superior Ophania?"
In between patients, Eriko momentarily turned towards Ophania as the Sisters returned. She doubted they would, but she did not have the bio-monitors of Squad Ophania to truly know.
***
"The Emperor protects," Eriko echoes Palais and Caelia, performing the sign of Aquila with blood-soaked gauntlets. "The wounded are taken care of, Sister-Superior."
She listens to Caelia's self-mantra, growing more self-assured with each passing second.
"We did." Eriko says, looking at Ilana, still resting where she had been treated. Eriko moves towards her patient. "And the city is all the better for our success. Faith prevails, and we have proven our strength unbroken, but our Sister looks forward to one thing and I do not have the heart to disagree."
She kneels down, over Ilana and shakes her patient awake. "Awake, Sister Ilana. We are leaving and then you may rest properly."
Ophania gives a firm shake of her head in answer. Sister Gwynais motions at you were her off-hand. "Do you have a cure for stung pride?" she asks, wryly. "Eh, at least we killed a few heretics."
"And a witch!" Katia adds, cheerily.
Palais smiles at that, saying the holy litany as she once more seals her helmet in place. "Two witches. Not bad for an afternoon, even if it has felt like months," she says, before motioning toward the squad. "Come. We have a Thunderhawk to ride."
"We'll return with you. Just in case," Sister-Superior Ophania says, her voice brooking no argument.
None of the marksmen and sentries on the roof offer the Sisters any trouble, few as there are that have remained. A few flee from the Sororitas' approach or hide into the fortified crevices of the rooftop. Others simply watch, burrowed deep into raincoats as the sky pours down upon them.
The rain hammers at the Thunderhawk as the squad boards and there are a few close calls along the slick rooftop edges, but ultimately the group boards the venerable aircraft with no further injury. The bounty hunter stares with awe as she enters the craft, bending down against the flooring and muttering a prayer before rising to take her place among the many seats of the thunderhawk. Vahn slumps down besides Eneresh, one hand on her collar control and the other on the grip of his pistol. It is not a long ride, but eyes never stray away from Eneresh until at last, they land and Eneresh is taken into custody.
Soon after, still nursing from their wounds, Squad Palais is called to debrief by Legatine Lethicia. Warm bowls of recaf are laid out on the table as they arrive, Lethicia beaming a grin that belies the pallor of her features and the shadows under her eyes.
"Come, take a seat," she says, folding her fingers together on the table, both bionic and flesh.
Primary Objective: Prevent the Cult of Old Night from capturing Eneresh.
Status: Complete
Reward: 1 Renown, 500 Experience
Legatine Lethicia makes the sign of the Aquila. "Your actions were nothing short of commendable. If your account is accurate, the Palatine and I suspect you may well have faced an elite member of the martial orders sworn to our enemies' cause, ones' high in their cults. To send such a creature fleeing into the night is no small thing."
"To do so with no fatalities and only modest casualties?" She asks. Even with her bionic throat removing much of the tone from her voice, her enthusiasm is clear. "You've done the Emperor's work, Sisters. Take strength in that," she says. "This also collaborates evidence uncovered by Squad Derosa about the cultists receiving exterior support. Military-grade lasguns and other restricted armaments have been spotted before, but it was suspected to potentially be stolen arms shipments or a lost armoury out in the marshes. Still might be at least in part, truly. But the documents recovered by Squad Derosa suggested off-world contacts. The presence of the freak you faced might well confirm it."
"Awful lot of effort to go to claim a miserable swamp like this. Were they seeking to desecrate the Holy Port?" Palais asks.
Lethicia shrugs. "Perhaps. It withstood the Choir, and the sacred skull of the Apostle Serina Lanate, who walked with Leanna, is held here and receives some pilgrimage. Perhaps they saw an opportunity with the plague. In any case, given the nature of the foe you faced and your injuries, you'll be pulled from active operations for the next three days." She raises her gleaming bionic hand to forestall any argument. "I know. The cult's still fighting, But it's been agreed that for the sake of your spiritual purity, you should spend the next few days in reflection and cleansing. After that, those of you able to return to the field will."
Secondary Objective 1: Take Eneresh alive.
Status: Complete
Reward: 1 Renown, 300 Experience
"The Iron Wardens has taken her back into their custody, and I've been assured the guard has been doubled," Lethicia says. "I've no doubt the Lord-Cardinal will be relieved to hear she's no longer running around their port city setting things on fire, and the citizens of Port Baptisme can sleep a little easier knowing she won't be cursing them any longer."
Secondary Objective 2: Eliminate the threat offered by Vennedes and her supporters.
Status: Complete
Reward: 220 Experience
Lethicia leans back in her chair, waving a hand toward a pict-slate of a pile of recovered evidence and multiple key prisoners apprehended. "Vennedes might still be on the run, but we have their headquarters, plentiful evidence, and her key officers apprehended. The movement's scattered if they aren't dead. Excellent work, Sisters, especially on the capture of that 'Brother-Captain' of theirs. A former PDF officer who's been leading attacks against the Merud Guild. They'll be relieved to hear he's no longer menacing them."
Secondary Objective 3: Resupply forward operating chapel 'Vigilance'.
Status: Complete
Reward: 200 Experience
Lethicia taps the dataslate in front of her. "Sisters-Superior Galena and Ophania send their regards. After the assault on the Carmine Tower, they fended off a few assaults on Vigilance and purged much of the surrounding district. Wouldn't be possible without the munitions you brought them."
Tertiary Objective 1: Preserve the Witch-Finder Vahn Zayneth
Status: Complete
Reward: 1 Renown, 120 Experience
Lethicia considers the dataslate a moment, resting her chin in her hand. "I must admit, it was something to see him walk back in with that burn in his leg. A bit more impressive than I expected of a contracted witch-finder. Seems he handled himself well, though nonetheless, good work keeping him alive. Without your efforts, I imagine that fight with the cult's pet sorcerers and...Creature...Could have been much uglier."
Tertiary Objective 2: Investigate Enforcer Post
Status: Complete
Reward: 100 Experience
"I wish I had better news to report to the enforcer," the Legatine sighs. "At least some of the enforcers from the Carmine Tower hailed from there. I'm not sure whether that's good or ill news, given the company they took. There's still some missing. The Emperor protect them."
Still," she says, motioning at the group of Sisters. "At least they know the fate of the precinct."
Tertiary Objective 3: Investigate Hospitaller Post
Status: Complete
Reward: 100 Experience
"Vox troubles. I can't say I'm surprised, and I'm certainly not going to complain. Better that than what could've happened."
All Objectives Completed
Reward: 1 Renown
Ilana receives 1 Renown.
"Your performance on this mission has been exemplary, Sisters. But for now, get some rest. The Emperor expects much, and the fight for Port Baptisme is far from over."
Five Weeks Later: Port Baptisme, Harbour Docks
The roar of gunfire splits the air, hard-rounds ringing off of Caelia's helmet and right pauldron. Panicked fire rains down from tenement rooftops and windows, a stray RPG careening into the side of a groundcar and sending the shredded door bouncing off the roadway like stray plastek balls. the The Viatorem roars in response, a hail of bolter shells ripping across the windows and balconies of the building across the roadway, sending shrieking heretics tumbling from their perches.
"Praise the Coming Night!" A cultist screams as her autogun rattles in her hand. The symbols of her allegiance are openly worn, chaos sigils and painful runes scrawled across her rubberized refinery worksuit.
"For the Emperor and Saint Leanna!" Palais answers in reply before her howling blade carves the heretic's head from her shoulders. With a sweep of her chainsword she brings the flakboard doorway down. Even as splinters and panicked gunfire glance from her armour, she waves at the squad. "Sisters, follow me!" She hollers, as a burst from her flamer pistol bathes the hall beyond in cleansing fire. She charges in, and the squad follows suit. Explosions and gunfire rings through the winding corridors, mixing with the boom of boltguns at point blank, howling chainblades, and cries of the dead and the dying.
A half-hour later the squad emerges, Palais bearing the head of the Apostate priest Valeris Found in her grip. "Squad Palais reporting, intelligence was good. Lot of dead heretics, and an arms cache to recover, over."
"Acknowledged Squad Palais, return to the sanctum. Out."
Four weeks of hard fighting since the day you were debriefed. They had been bloody days, as the Cult threw itself openly against Imperial rule. Attempted bombings across the Temple district had paved the way for a group of heretics to attempt to storm one of the Sanctums Imperialis and massacre the clergy, but they had found Cannoness Jezzira's sisters and the local enforcers well in a position to rebuff them, whilst the Arbitrators narrowly prevented a group of saboteurs from damaging the spaceport. Brutal attacks flared up across the Little Cog district and beyond each as sudden and bloody as the last, but most are swiftly crushed. The day Illana had returned to service Squad Palais had put down a swarm of manic cultists trying to breach one of the quarantine lines. They were put down with ease, whereas Squad Ophania certainly had a challenging task liberating a promethium refinery before the heretics within could sacrifice all of the workers to their gods. Palatine Rathitta had led half the mission to halt a swarm of dybbuks and other half-daemon horrors sent against the PDF barracks, even as Squad Derosa had been required to stop a group of madmen with knives running amuck in a market district. Attacks come from without as well, as well-armed warriors dressed in the manner of some of the swamp clans assail the city exterior, harvesting derricks, towns, and allied clans in the surrounding countryside. But as the days have dragged on, the attacks have dwindled and grown steadily weaker.
In the end, they've proved no match for the local PDF forces, let alone the Adepta Sororitas. Even the common populace contributes in their own way. Many a cultist has found themselves shot dead in the streets, beaten to death, or strung up from a lumen-post. Even the many sick of Schechin have contributed, grasping as passing heretics with their rotting limbs or coughing blood onto exposed faces. More than once, Squad Palais has found heretics dead in the streets of the Black Rot.
Today is just another day of the bloody business of rooting out the cult, a task that's grown increasingly infrequent as the days have dragged on.
The Sanctum Imperialis appears ahead. The walls of fortifications and strongpoints surrounding it well eclipse what had been originally in place, and blackened pyre-stakes rise up in honour of the heretics who have perished upon them. Pre-fab defensive bunkers ring the perimeter joined by tarantula turrets, whilst a band of deacons lead menials and servitors in off-loading munition supplies into one of the recently erected munitions bunkers. The cleared landing pads host a pair of cargo transports. The Viatorem parks in the garage, the squad dismounts, and makes toward the armoury.
"Evening, Sisters." Sister Katia Salvus, already in shield robes, bows her head as they enter. She folds her arms across her chest, peering at plastek sack in Palais' hand. "Good hunt?"
"Bit droll, really. They just stand their and gawk when they shoot us with a few bullets and we don't die," Palais grouses. She pauses a moment, then adds. "But at least it's another false-priest in the bag."
