Crusade & Other Stories - Dan Abnett Et Al.

by Warhammer 40K

The shuttle’s winglets bit into the air as it turned on a final approach and Miriya felt a vibration shiver up through the deck. Behind her, she heard Lethe calling the other Sisters to readiness and unbidden, her hand once more slipped towards the holster of her plasma pistol.

  ‘This is a historic day!’ Rho’s violet eyes grew wide with something like joy. ‘There will be celebrations!’

  We shall see, Miriya told herself. Hard-earned experience had shown her that even the most benign of missions could twist into something dangerous if one were not ever-watchful.

  Like a spire of sculpted ice, the white stone citadel of Hollos rose up above the planetary capital, catching the dazzling light of the day. It towered over a broad marble plaza dotted with ornamental fountains and gardens, filled with ornate statuary that rose at all points of the compass, the sculpted figures standing proudly and gazing up into the sky. Tallest among them was a rendering of the God-Emperor in the garb of an ancient knight, the stone

  inlaid with jewels and platinum.

  The Arvus landed atop a granite rose tiled into the stonework, and past the distant lines of crowd barriers, a throng of Hollosi citizens raised their voices in cheers of happiness and a rolling fanfare blared from golden trumpets.

  Floating drone-birds wheeled overhead, camera-eyes feeding images to the crowds and the world beyond.

  But as the shuttle’s hatch hissed open, the music and the voices ebbed and the first silent note of dread lingered in the air. The Battle Sisters were the first to disembark, moving in cautious lock-step. Lethe led them forwards, and each cradled her Godwyn-De’az-pattern boltgun in a low, unthreatening carry, but each woman was primed to bring them to combat ready if the slightest threat presented itself.

  Miriya exited last with Rho and the questor, taking in the scope of the place.

  Hollos’ air smelled of blossoms and morning rain, clean and welcoming.

  Eight figures stood waiting at the foot of the Emperor’s statue, and Miriya threw Lethe a nod. As one, the Sisters paused to bow in the direction of the great effigy before proceeding.

  Nohlan leaned in to speak to the Celestian as the group approached them.

  ‘Analysing. The council… It would appear that only two of them are–’

  She cut him off. ‘Humans. Yes.’ Miriya could not conceal a frown of dismay at the presence of six other replicae among the planet’s ruling body.

  Rho stepped forwards, beaming and excited, and addressed her people. ‘I have returned, my fellow arbiters, and with great tidings! The Imperium endures, just as we have! I bring these emissaries from the God-Emperor’s church to reunite with us! We are delivered!’ Her words brought a new wave of applause and cheering from the crowd, but the goodwill did not spread to shift the mood of the Battle Sisters.

  ‘Look sharp,’ grated Lethe, glancing to her commander. ‘Do you see them, Eloheim? The clones are everywhere.’

  Miriya nodded. The replicae were not just part of the Hollosi Council, but also visible in the crowds, standing on the battlements and out amid the gardens. She estimated there was at least one of them for every two humans in sight. ‘Stay your hand, Sister,’ she warned Lethe. ‘The ways of this world are unknown to us. Caution is our watchword.’

  ‘They are garbed in such finery,’ remarked Nohlan. ‘Hypothesis – the clone-beings appear to be the ruling class in this culture. Further study is

  warranted.’

  The adept’s theory gave Miriya pause, but before she could consider it further, Rho was turning towards her and gesturing to the air. ‘Allow me to present Sister Miriya, Celestian Eloheim of the Adepta Sororitas, and Questor Nohlan of the magos biologis!’ Her smile took them both in as she and the council members bowed. ‘Welcome our first visitors in thousands of years!

  This is truly a glorious day. Let us give praise to the Great Progenitor for His munificence. We welcome our kindred to our home!’

  ‘Kindred?’ Lethe muttered, as if she were insulted to be considered the same manner of being as the replicae.

  Miriya silenced her with a look, and instead she returned the bow, looking up to find the faces of the humans who stood alongside the line of clones, both of them dressed in the same robes of office. One was an older male who seemed fatigued and distracted, but the other was a woman of Miriya’s age and returned her gaze intently.

  The Sister took a breath. ‘Well met, arbiters. I bring greetings from the Ecclesiarchy of Holy Terra. Know that we are heartened to see that your…’

  She searched for the right word. ‘Your disconnection from the Imperium did not break your faith.’

  ‘Of course,’ said Rho. ‘We are an elected leadership, selected by our people to embody their faith and service to the greater community. The council has managed the affairs of Hollos for centuries, Sister Miriya. Through it, our world has become the ideal you see around you.’

  The human arbiter suddenly broke her silence. ‘Our replicae partners have held their roles for many, many years. In that time they have guided us… to a kind of prosperity.’ Her words were neutral, but Miriya sensed something unsaid lurking just beneath their surface.

  ‘Indeed so, dear Ahven,’ continued Rho. ‘Together, we are all children of the God-Emperor of Mankind.’ She beckoned the group to follow her.

  ‘Come, kindred. We will receive your mission in the great hall.’

  Miriya gave a nod, but paused to give new orders to her second. ‘Lethe. You and Isabel remain in the plaza until I summon you. Keep the shuttle secure.’

  Lethe accepted the command with a nod, but not with silence. ‘Eloheim. I don’t like what I see here. Synthetics lording it over humans? It’s not right. It goes against the natural order.’

  Part of Miriya agreed with her, but she pushed that thought away. ‘Perhaps

  so… But we cannot rush to judge these people by our lights.’

  Lethe’s eyes narrowed. ‘Forgive my presumption, Sister, but I assumed that the very reason we are here is to pass judgement.’

  Miriya found she had no reply and set off towards the white tower, the other woman’s words dogging her all the way.

  In the citadel’s great hall, an arc of dark wood rose from a massive stone dais, and behind it each of the council members took up a station as another formal fanfare piped them to their places. Looking around, Miriya saw paintings worked into the walls, the floor and the ceiling. All of them were detailed landscapes of Holy Terra, Ophelia, Evangelion and other planets with great religious significance. Her eye was drawn to a set of tall panels that showed an unfolding narrative, apparently the history of Hollos itself.

  Rho nodded sagely as she saw Miriya studying them. ‘The chronicle, yes. I imagine you have many questions about what became of our world after the monstrous veil fell between us.’

  The first illustration showed a recognisable depiction of an Adeptus Mechanicus explorator base, and Miriya said as much.

  Nohlan confirmed her thoughts. ‘Affirmative. That appears to be a Type-Zed embedded test and research colony. I have recovered what data remains of that endeavour from the Mechanicus’ knowledge pool.’

  ‘Hollos was originally an outpost dedicated to studying the science that birthed me,’ explained Rho. ‘You call it “replicae”. But after the warp storms came and we were alone in the void, the surface of the planet was ravaged by lashes of dark energy.’ She indicated the next few panels. Miriya saw paintings of terrible tempests sweeping across the landscape, and of desperate battles against the elements and other, more unnatural forces.

  ‘Those creatures depicted there,’ said the Battle Sister. ‘The monsters…’

  ‘ Daemons.’ Rho’s bright and open face was momentarily darkened by the shadow of an old, deep fear as she uttered the word. Some of the Hollosi within earshot reflexively spat at the mention of it and made the sign of the aquila. ‘The storms spilled out foul warp spawn upon the land,’ continued Rho. ‘The colonists fought, but they were pushed to the verge of extinction.

>   Isolated and alone, with no hope of rescue, they reached out to the only ones who could save them.’

  ‘The replicae.’ Nohlan studied the images on the next panel of the chronicle,

  parsing the images. ‘Processing. The survivors decanted the prototype soldier clones to help them fight off the Archenemy, and keep their world alive.’

  Miriya walked along the line of the panels, watching the images shift from those of warfare and desolation, first to hardship and adversity, and finally to a bold new rebirth. It was a pretty tale, she had to admit.

  ‘We drew Hollos back from the brink of destruction,’ said Rho. ‘We turned away the tide of the warp and held it at bay. And over the centuries, we – the replicae – evolved beyond our simplistic warrior natures into something superior.’

  That last word caused Miriya to give the clone a sharp look. ‘Superior to what?’

  Rho returned her gaze. ‘To what we once were. Little more than organic machines, tools and cannon fodder. We unlocked our potential.’ She indicated the last few panels of the chronicle. ‘Eventually, the colonists decided to cede governance of Hollos to us. We are tireless, virtually immortal. And under our stewardship, this world has thrived.’

  ‘You must be very proud of your accomplishments.’ Miriya kept her tone level.

  Rho didn’t respond to the implicit judgement in the Battle Sister’s words. ‘It is only by the will of the God-Emperor that we have endured. Without Him, we would be ashes. But instead, we are a peaceful world ready and willing to return to the Imperial fold…’ Suddenly she faltered, as if a terrible possibility had occurred to her. ‘That is… if you will have us? If you still want us?’

  The ready desperation in Rho’s strange eyes gave Miriya a moment of pause. ‘I… We will need to be certain,’ she said.

  ‘Of what? Do you fear we are tainted by the warp?’ Rho came closer and placed a hand on the vambrace of Miriya’s power armour. ‘I swear on my honour it is not so! We have purged our planet of such things!’

  Beneath his hooded head, Nohlan’s artificial eyes clicked as they focused on her. ‘The way of Chaos is insidious,’ he intoned. ‘Are you sure? Probability factors unclear.’

  ‘In the God-Emperor’s name, yes!’ Rho drew herself up. ‘Hollos is at peace.

  A replicae has no need to raise arms. We have embraced pacifism and transcended our violent roots. There is no warfare here!’

  ‘You truly have been isolated.’ Miriya felt a moment of genuine pity for the clone. ‘The rest of the galaxy has not been so lucky.’

  Rho looked stricken, and turned to her fellow replicae as if she were seeking support, and then without warning, a distant explosion sounded out beyond the windows of the citadel, swiftly followed by the rattle of bolter-fire.

  ‘Analysing,’ said Nohlan, instantly parsing the noise of the discharge.

  ‘Chemical explosive detonation, high-yield, close proximity.’

  In the same moment, Sister Lethe’s voice issued out from the vox-bead in Miriya’s ear. ‘ Eloheim! We have multiple attackers pushing through the crowd, armed with ballistic weapons and grenades! They’re killing anything that moves! ’

  ‘Move to cover and stand by,’ Miriya ordered, then turned on the arbiters, her eyes flashing. ‘What is the meaning of this?’

  That same flash of cold fear she had seen on Rho’s face moments before now rushed back as the replicae female shrank back. ‘Oh, Imperator, no… It must be the Red… But they have been silent for so long…’

  ‘Explain!’ barked Miriya, reaching for her pistol. ‘ Now!’

  ‘Please, you must believe me, this is not our doing!’ Rho grabbed at her in sudden panic, but the Battle Sister shrugged her hand from her arm and turned to her squad, an old and familiar sensation filling the Celestian’s thoughts.

  ‘Sister Iona will remain here with the questor.’ The pale, morose Sororitas accepted Miriya’s command with a nod. ‘Cassandra, Portia, remove the peace-bonds from your weapons and come with me.’ The women did as they

  were ordered, ripping off the ceremonial ribbons and racking the slides of their bolters.

  Nohlan held up a metal-fingered hand. ‘What are you doing?’

  She ignored him, tapping the vox-bead to reopen the channel to the rest of her squad. ‘Lethe! Assume defensive formation! We’re on our way to you.’

  ‘ Aye, Sister, ’ came the reply, followed by the crackle of gunfire. A split second later, the same sound reached the windows of the citadel.

  ‘Stay here,’ Miriya told the adept, meeting his gaze. ‘And trust nothing.’

  By the time the Battle Sisters reached the plaza, the crowd was a seething mass of terror as the Hollosi citizens crushed each other in their heedless attempts to flee. Miriya sprinted out from an ornate arcade and across the glittering marble, her steel boots clattering across the stone. Smoke and blood wafted on the breeze.

  She heard Lethe calling out orders to Isabel. ‘ Target to your right, moving behind the pergola! ’ The other Battle Sister shifted up ahead and let off a burst of bolter fire; Miriya could not see the target from where she was, but she heard it die with a feral screech.

  Lethe was in cover behind the shuttle, furiously reloading her weapon. ‘In Katherine’s name, what are these things?’

  ‘Report!’ snapped Miriya, as she slid in next to her.

  ‘They came out of nowhere,’ said Lethe. ‘One moment, all was serene. The next, the citizens were like panicked cattle!’

  ‘What are we dealing with?’

  Lethe eyed her. ‘Combat replicae. Or something very similar.’

  ‘More clone-forms?’ Miriya peered out from behind the cover of the shuttle and got her first clear look at the attackers.

  There were a dozen of them, moving with incredible speed across the plaza, dodging from side to side to avoid the shots from the Battle Sisters. They resembled Rho and the other clones, but these new beings were wild and savage. An aura of feral brutality and vicious, animal anger spread before them. Their flesh was a livid crimson the colour of blood.

  ‘Rho… She called them the Red…’

  ‘They’re like beasts!’ spat Lethe, firing towards the advancing creatures.

  ‘They fight with fury and no heed to danger!’

  With each passing second, the attackers were closing in, and the turmoil of screaming and gunfire grew louder and louder. ‘So much for promises of a world at peace,’ Miriya said bitterly. Her next act was now cast in stone, and she called out over the vox-net. ‘ Sororitas! In the Emperor’s name, destroy them!’

  The Celestians were no strangers to conflict, and as one they laid a wall of shots upon the enemy. Miriya aimed her plasma pistol and sent sun-bright streaks of burning death into the advancing ranks.

  Crimson-skinned replicae became shrieking torches, burning to ruin on the marble square. But their comrades did not falter and did not slow, still coming onwards, hurling grenades and firing blindly with heavy stub guns.

  Luckless civilians caught in their path went down, lives brutally snuffed out in moments.

  ‘We can’t break the line!’ Lethe spat out a gutter curse. ‘They keep coming!’

  Miriya saw movement behind her and realised that Rho had followed them out to the plaza. The pale female cowered behind a planter, her face a picture of raw fear. Miriya dashed across the space between them and grabbed her by the shoulder. ‘Where are your soldiers?’ she demanded. ‘These creatures will overwhelm us if your kind do not fight!’

  ‘No.’ Rho shook her head. ‘No. We cannot. We reject warfare!’

  The idea that a sentient being would rather embrace inaction and certain death than fight to survive was anathema to Miriya’s character. ‘You were born a clone-warrior!’ She shook Rho hard. ‘That is your template, your birth right! You have the skills! Pick up a weapon and defend yourself!’

  ‘ No!’ For a brief instant, Miriya saw anger in Rho’s eyes, but then it was gone again, and she cowered as shots
whined off the stonework around them.

  ‘More of them coming in!’ called Lethe. ‘We can’t take them all!’

  ‘Damn this…’ Miriya released her grip on Rho and turned her back on the

  clone. Lethe was right. As formidable as the Sisters of Battle were, the numbers of the attackers were swelling as more of them poured into the plaza from the surrounding gardens. The Celestians were just one squad, and if the tide of this fight did not turn now, they would be overrun.

  A change in tactics was required.

  ‘Lethe!’ Miriya marshalled her strength. ‘Cover me!’ The Celestian broke into a sprint and raced across the plaza to the rear of the shuttle, stubber shells cracking at her heels every step of the way, bolter rounds flashing back the other way as her Sisters met the enemy approach.

  She threw herself up the ramp of the shuttle and vanished inside, and when Miriya emerged from the Arvus once more, her plasma pistol was holstered.

  In her hands, she cradled the hissing bulk of an Inferus Infinitas-pattern heavy flamer drawn from the vessel’s weapons locker.

  Filling her lungs with air, she let out a furious battle cry that carried across the plaza and echoed off the walls of the citadel. ‘ With Faith and Fire! ’

  Her finger tightened on the igniter, and jets of burning liquid promethium lashed out like flaming whips, snaking across the enemy advance and stopping it dead. Miriya’s squad-mates formed up behind her and followed their commander’s lead.

  ‘It’s working!’ shouted Lethe. ‘They’re falling back!’

  The searing heat washed over Miriya’s face as she advanced. ‘Drive them into the ground, Sisters! Show them the folly of their heresy!’

  Before the cleansing flame, the enemy line fell in disarray. Leaving the corpses of their dead behind, the red-skinned attackers broke apart and scattered, some fleeing down hatches into the sewers, others disappearing across the ruined gardens and into smoky side streets.

  ‘You… you killed so many of them…’ Rho staggered through the coils of haze wreathing the bodies of the dead, aghast at the carnage. In the aftermath of the brutal, bloody fight, the opulent plaza resembled a war grave, littered with the dead and the dying.