Omake time. Grey Knights doing stuff, assessing Avernus, running into a daemon...
The Hammer
It had been three months since Justicar Alarion of the Grey Knights and his squad had arrived on Avernus. He had been tasked by Inquisitor Lord Varquez to root out any corruption on this world, and yet for three months he had found nothing to indicate any sign of problems. In spite of being "that Emperor-damned deathtrap of a planet" as the Inquisitor called it, the people were both happy and pious. It was not hard to understand why.
In spite of Avernus's deadly wildlife and Cadian style militia training, the average Avernite otherwise enjoyed a standard of living that on many worlds might be enjoyed by low nobility. None starved as food was plentiful, cheap, and of high quality, all enjoyed the benefits of free medical care, and the economy was booming in no small part due to a strong emphasis on education. The recent introduction of luxury goods into the general market had also had an obvious effect. The sermons given in the places of worship were also eloquent, some of the best he had ever heard, and he considered it a shame he had not had a chance to meet Deacon Lin, the man who had written them. Perhaps most importantly of all the people here had a government, and most particularly a Planetary Governor, that seemed to legitimately care for their well being.
On that count Alarion had been particularly surprised. He had never seen as governor as popular as Frederick Rotbart, nor one who was as impressive. That a "jumped up Administratum clerk" had managed to kill a Chaos Lord with a Power Knife and survive - if only by the skin of his teeth - was something he wouldn't have believed if he hadn't seen the footage. The man's government was also immaculate, the records so clean and well kept that they would have normally raised red flags if he hadn't found out that the punishment for Administratum errors was to be assigned to the duty of milking Blink Spiders and other poisonous animals for their venom... an understandable thing, given that the governor had apparently been erroneously placed here due to such an error.
Even so, there were always places for corruption to take root. It had been reported to him that the last of the Chaos cults on the planet had been eliminated shortly before his arrival, but vigilance was necessary. That was why he was visiting orphanages this week. Where better to infiltrate and plant the seeds of evil than in the minds of children who had lost the guidance of their parents? If there was still any cults to be found, this was a likely target.
Today his hunt had brought him to Salem, a city that had been devastated twice by witches of terrible power. Many children had been orphaned by those terrible events. It had been a busy day, though not unpleasant. Alarion enjoyed seeing children, for they were the future of humanity and the looks of wide eyed wonder and then the usual avalanche of excited questions given him and his Power Armored Brothers filled him with what small pride he would allow. He was quite pleased that thus far he had found no signs of trouble, and was interviewing the caretakers at the last facility he would be in for the day when his thoughts were interrupted by a scream from a young girl in a nearby room.
It was in that moment he sense daemonic taint. Immediately he called his squad and ran to investigate the incursion. In the small room he saw a girl and a boy, no older than seven and likely twins from the looks of things, both on their knees. The girl was staring into space, eyes glowing with daemonic energy, mouth open and hands to her side, the early stages of possession evident. The boy was embracing her tightly, tears in his eyes. An aura of psychic energy emanated from each.
"
GIVE UP, CHILD. JOIN US. SHE IS OURS NOW! YOU CAN JOIN OUR LITTLE FAMILY AS WELL. JUST LET US IN!" The voice of the foul thing sounded of slime and death. A being of Nurgle, most likely.
"NO! You can't have her! I won't let you have my sister!" The boy cried out in response.
Alarion raised his Psybolter, preparing to shoot the girl, but the boy was in the way and he couldn't be sure of his aim. "Move, young one. There is only one way to save her now."
"
LOOK HERE! THE SERVANTS OF THE CORPSE EMPEROR HAVE COME TO KILL YOUR SISTER. WE CANNOT SAVE HER FROM THEM, CHILD. SHE IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH, BUT YOU ARE. GIVE YOURSELF TO US, AND YOU CAN PROTECT HER."
"NO! You're lying! I won't let that happen!" The boy's aura pushed outwards, knocking Alarion back as step. Such strength at such a young age! The boy must be a Gamma, perhaps even a Delta rating. If the daemons got their hooks into him him it would be a disaster. It was unfortunate, but he would have to end them both to be sure that the daemons would harm no others. He raised his weapon once more, and prepared to levy his own psychic abilities, but something stayed his hand as the boy began a litany of prayer.
"The Emperor protects! My faith armors me! I will follow him!" He cried out.
"
IT IS OF NO USE, CHILD. JOIN US NOW, OR YOU BOTH SHALL DIE!"
It was in this moment that Alarion's squad arrived at the scene.
"The Emperor protects! He is my shield! I am his soldier!" He repeated. The boy's tears flowed as he struggled.
His Brothers raised their own weapons, preparing to fire... and then the room was filled with glorious, golden light.
"I am the hammer! I am the right hand of the Emperor! The instrument of His will! The gauntlet about His fist! The tip of His spear! The edge of His sword!"
The boy's voice boomed like thunder. A wave of psychic might crashed through the Justicar, but he was not harmed. He felt what he could only describe as a father's love course through him. And then, quickly as it had come the light faded away. Alarion found himself and his Brothers on their knees. When had that happened? He had been standing last he remembered. The boy and the girl lay before them, unconscious. There was not a single hint of daemonic corruption.
---
The children had been taken in for examination by Headmaster Ridcully of the Schola Psykana. The girl, Lily Haanoc, had been found to be a Zeta level psyker of moderate stability, and though shaken by her ordeal was otherwise fine. Her possession by the daemon was likely aimed at taking her brother Markus, named after the Deacon who had died fighting a witch some years back, who was apparently a Delta level with a high stability rating. That had failed, and what Alarion had seen the day before had been an obvious sign. The Emperor meant him to see that. It was a sign. That was why he was here to talk to the child today.
"Markus, do you know who I am?" He asked, gently.
"Yes, sir. You're an Astartes, one of the Emperor's greatest warriors." Markus seemed to hold no fear. After what he had just faced down, it was understandable.
"That is true, but not the whole truth. Do you know the meaning of the words you spoke when you cast out the daemon? Do you know where you had heard them? A sermon, perhaps?"
"No, sir. I do not know where. The words simply came to me." Alarion nodded.
"Those are the words of my Chapter - the battle cry of the Grey Knights, whose gene-seed is derived from the Emperor himself." Markus's eyes opened wide at that piece of information. "I believe the Emperor has guided me here to you for a reason. He has plans for your, as well as this world. Do you wish to protect your sister, Markus?"
"Yes! I'll do whatever it takes! To protect her, and everyone else!"
"Whatever it takes... that is a good thing to say, but words alone are empty when spoken without truly understanding their meaning. Markus, what I would ask of you is no small thing. You might die trying, before accomplishing anything at all."
"That's..."
"And even if you succeed in surviving the trials, you will be forced for forget. You will be made to lose your memories of your sister, of your parents, of everyone you've ever known."
"...but I'll be able to protect them?"
"Yes. You will be forged anew. You will be His hammer, a weapon made for the singular purpose of striking down the daemonic forces that would seek to enslave humanity to their dark whims."
Markus looked down for a moment, and then back up into the Justicar's eyes with unflinching resolves. "Whatever it takes, I'll do it."
"Very well then. I look forward to calling you Brother someday, Aspirant."
