[Dan296]

Chapter two

Briana and Malekai entered the greeting chamber of the Emperors Chapel, which they had set up as their field command. Servitors clomped around carrying boxes of ammunition for the sisters outside. “if things continue as they are,” reported Malekai, “we have enough ammunition to hold them off for 5 more hours.”
“enough to perhaps gain the emperors blessing, and perhaps take as many with us as we can. Even if every shot we have, every drop of promethium kills one of them, there are more then enough to remove of from this precarious position. For now, though, we must pray that your astropath’s message managed to reach someone. Anyone.” The Holographic display showed the hive and the area around it. Luckily the forces of Crot Skulltaker hadn’t managed to cut off their communications, so they still had reports on the forces of the other hives. Minor rebellions, cult activities, and mutant uprisings had occurred since the forces of Khorne had arrived, but nothing on the scale of that which had happened at Ilano Primus. The other hives forces had established a loose cordon around the capital hive, and no chaos forces had managed to break out. However, it was only a matter of time. The World Eater forces were not committed to any fight yet, letting their lesser minions, mutants and traitor PDF, take the brunt of the defending forces for now.
Cannoness Briana continued “things on the outside go well. In space though, The Brass Throne, is in dominance. If we fall, we cannot execute final protocol without orbital forces. They’ve destroyed the defense station, correct?”
“Yes,” said Malekai, “but who knows. Our Navy could yet have gotten the message.”
“Aye, and they’ll arrive here in 300 years and this will be another deamon world. Skies of fire. The people enslaved and chanting permanent tribute to the foul one, Khorne. Come. Lets report back to battle. They no doubt have need of us.”
They left the chapel and took stock of the situation. The traitor forces had almost reached the courtyard. They crouched behind ruins and barricades shooting at the entrenched Sisters. Three of them stood atop a gutted hellhound shaking icons of Khorne. A dozen other minions of chaos surrounded them, stamping and chanting. They took up their swords and, horribly, fell on each other in terrible bloodlust. The terrible ritual completed, the air shook before them. A rent appeared in the very fabric of the universe. Horned humanoids, with skin and manes slick with blood, phased into existence.
“By the Emporer!” cried Malekai, “they’ve managed to summon deamons!”
“Sisters! Prepare yourselves!”
More then eight feet tall, they were the stuff of nightmares. They carried huge, two handed axes that rippled with warp energy. They trotted forward, and then broke into a run, their hooves leaving burning footprints behind them. Screaming deamonic words of hate and malice, the Bloodletters charged into the courtyard. They quickly bounded the distance to the sisters, and hit their lines. The Sisters power armour was no use against the deamons warp blades. “come sisters! Banish these foul beings of the warp. They sully this world of the emporer!” one Veteran Superior unsheathed her chainsword and entered the fray. She lifted her bolt pistol and jumped on the back of one of the deamons, emptying the guns magazine into its foul neck. It dissipated beneath her into a foul, wispy smoke. As she fell to the ground, another deamon swung at her. She lifted her chainsword and managed to swat away the blade, and kicked out, knocking it to the ground. Another sister lifted her flamer and sent it back to the warp in purging flame. That same sister was then punched off her feet by yet another deamon, sending a shoulder pauldron spinning away. The Superior, whose name was Katrina, thrust her chainsword into its stomach, sending yet another deamon back to the warp. There were only 5 deamons left, but they were reeking havock amongst the remaining sisters in the squad.
Katrina slashed down with her chainsword and the deamon parried with its huge axe, blocking the blow with a force that made her teeth rattle. It swept at her, meaning to cleave her in two, but she twisted away and cut a deep gash in her opponents arm. It ignored the pain, and she wondered if pain could even penetrate the bloodlust. Her backstroke soon made that question null, as the deamons head lept from its shoulders, it and its body quickly dissipating into a foul mist. Three sisters stood back to back holding off the remaining deamons with their holy bolters. Katrina slammed her chainsword against the axe of one of the demaons, and managed to cut it in two! Armed only with the head of the axe, the deamon backed off, snarling. The sister with the flamer enveloped it and sent another deamon screaming back to the warp. The three sisters in the circle focused their bolter fire and punched a hole in the. The other two, seizing the opening, lept forward and stabbed one sister through the breastplate and hacked frenzied at the other. Suddenly, a chainsword burst through the bronze armour a full foot before the deamon dissipated. The remaining two, with the death of their comrades, could no longer hold their presence in this place and they soon joined their comrades.
The Traitor PDF forces had advanced into the courtyard with the slackened fire. The Leman Russ fired its cannon and a balcony that had held a Retributor squad disappeared in smoke and flame. Corpo Santo, the orders blessed immolator, lept forward through a wall and six sisters lept out. The melta-guns they carred burned holes in its front armour, and the duel multi-meltas on Corpo Santo scorched the air and melted the Russ’s turret. Battle cannon ammunition inside the tank were set off and the tank erupted, blowing a deep gouge in the courtyards stone floor.
As if at an unseen signel, the PDF fire stopped, and their forces retreated out of range. A chimera, richly imbellished with bloody symbols, drove forward into the dusty gloom. All was eerily calm. The top opened, and the PDF commander climbed out. He was not the sniveling fool he once was. He had grown two feet taller, and was rippled in muscle. His lord had been generous for his betrayal. His eyes were glowing red, and his hair dripped He walked before them and addressed Briana “Pitiful servant of the emperor, your time has come. Surrender and I might grant you the gift of presenting your heads to my master!”
Briana gave her answer. She snatched a sister’s bolter and fired a burst into the corrupted commander’s chest. As he fell, giant holes in his chest, the sisters erupted in cheers. These quickly turned to moans, as he got back up with a wicked grin. The gaping wounds seemingly did nothing to hinder his movements. Even as they watched, muscles reknit and corrupted skin rejuvenated. With a cry, giant, ogryn like beings leapt from the back of the chimera. One of the mutants threw him a huge, two handed broadsword. The Commander led his spawn in a headlong charge at Briana and the Inquisitor. His PDF forces also resumed the attack, though they came nowhere near their commanders.
“Sister Fonn! Bring forth your charges!” called Briana “Malekai, we must aid them! We go with the beloved Repentia.”
10 Sisters Repentia ran screaming into the courtyard, followed by Sister Fonn, their mistress. Cracking her signs of office, two neural whips, over their heads, she was almost as crazed to get to grips with the hated deamons as they were. Briana and Malekai joined in the charge. Chanting words of banishment, Briana unsheathed her power sword and the two forces collided with the force like a thunderclap.