The Multiverse Project: Warhammer 40,000

They did their best, but like all hunts it was only a matter of time before the preys had nowhere to run. So here they were, trapped and surrounded, but as Celestine voiced her prayer to the God Emperor, she felt nothing but resolute serenity, unaffected by the ill portent and malice arrayed against her. Troubled, sure, but beyond that she felt neither fear nor apprehension. How strange.

"No escape," inquisitor Greyfax hissed from beside her and Celestine peered through the gap between the boarded-up windows. Katarinya's deduction was, as always, correct. A heaving mass of humanity churned outside, joyous and jubilant, singing praises to the God Emperor as a stage and layered seats were slowly erected around the small wooden barn she, Katarinya and the sisters of the Moonlight Prayer now occupied. Many of the sisters whimpered softly, cradling savage wounds inflicted upon them by the mob, while some stood ready with las and stubber weapons, resigned but determined to face what was to come.

"It would appear so," Celestine turned away from the pandemonium, the bands was kicking up a bawdy tune when an opulent dais, this one crowned with a throne, was raised beside the stage. Sighing, Celestine turned to sister superior Claire, pleading in her countenance. "Please sister superior, I urge you to contact the Lord Bishop and the lord governor once more. Appeal to their mercy so that they will offer safe passage and clemency to the sisters of the Moonlight Prayer, none of you should suffer anymore because of me."

"With all due respect, lady Celestine, but that bridge was burned the moment we decided to help you and lady inquisitor Greyfax escape from the worker camp," sister superior Claire said sternly, nothing but hardness on her sharp lined face, her white hair drenched red from the nasty gash on her head, the trickle of blood barely stemmed by the wound-up rag. "We have always known of the rot that infested this place, but was not able to stop the sickness. All of us carry the stigma of failure, of failing the God Emperor, and we will redeem ourselves by giving our last breath and last drop of blood in your defense."

"At least allow me to heal all of you," Celestine held up the glowing Ardent Blade and was about to approach the wounded sisters when Greyfax harshly took her arm.

"You will not waste your energy on them," Greyfax snapped, her grip tightening when Celestine tried to shake her off. "Save what you have for those scums outside."

"I will use my power how I see fit, Katarinya," Celestine wrenched her arm free, but she knew Greyfax was right. Her power would be better used on the traitorous mob of Izennir, but she will never let Katarinya have the satisfaction of being correct. Childish, she admits, but even after so many resurrections some traits never fades.

"Then use them wisely, Celestine," Greyfax flinched when the happy music outside suddenly rose to a deafening volume, every vox caster in the area now broadcasting the, admittedly, catchy tune. No one in the barn was in a cheery mood though. "If you want to honor the sacrifice the sisters have made, then fight!"

"She's right, your eminence," sister superior Claire added gruffly. "We would rather that you not waste your energy on us undeserving sinners, and personally, nothing would please me more than seeing you dispense your wrath on the heretics outside."

"If that is your wish, sister superior, then I shall oblige," Celestine smiled, not the most apt reaction given the circumstances, and the sharp-eyed Greyfax noticed as always.

"You don't seem worried," Greyfax stepped in close and lowered her voice for only Celestine to hear. Knowing that she had been dismissed, sister superior Claire bowed and went to tend her ailing flock.

"That is because I am not worried," Celestine brushed away a strand of hair from her face. "I will not die here, this I know with certainty."

"How?" Greyfax demanded, not one to put her trust in blind faith, a characteristic Celestine most admired about the lady inquisitor. Faith must always be tempered with cynical pragmatism.

"You'll just have to trust me," Celestine smiled warmly and Greyfax grunted in annoyance, a little bit of red coloring her cheeks. "This is not where I shall perish, for I have not yet accomplished the mission the God Emperor has given me. My purpose eludes me for the moment, but I believe all will be revealed in good time."

"Soon would be preferable," Greyfax withdrew two round objects from her belt and held them out to Celestine. They were grenades, melta grenades. "Take this."

"That would not be necessary," Celestine tried to push Greyfax's hand away but the lady inquisitor persisted, shoving back with such force that the grenades rolled dangerously across her palm, almost falling off. "Damn it Katarinya, I said I don't need them!"

"Just take it, damn you!" Greyfax raised her voice loud enough for the sisters to hear, superior Claire quirking a displeased brow at the lady inquisitor's blatant disrespect. Celestine doesn't mind though, she and Greyfax had fought together enough time that strict propriety was not needed. She was however concerned by the unguarded worry and fear now playing across Greyfax's usually unshakable visage, the vulnerability stark, the lady inquisitor was failing completely to hide what she would surely deemed as a weakness of character. Celestine found the display to be very human, and not something to be ashamed of. "Please Celestine, just take the fucking grenade. For your own damn sake, if not for anything else."

"Alright Katarinya," Celestine sighed and took one of the grenade. Greyfax's shoulders sagged visibly as she leaned against the wall, flinching when Celestine gently grabbed her arm. "All will be well."

"You heard what they had planned for you," Greyfax snarled, her worries burned away by white hot anger. "Those worthless bastards, screaming of how they would…defile you, break you…I will never allow them to lay their hands on you, do you hear me? I will kill you myself before I let the heretics of this Emperor forsaken planet desecrate you in such a manner."

"Thank you Katarinya, throughout my service to the God Emperor, I cannot ask for a better friend," Celestine squeezed Greyfax's arm firmly and the lady inquisitor nodded sharply, her own unique way of showing affection. Greyfax was opening her mouth when loud trumpets and cacophonic cheers blared outside, the barn shook violently from the battering acoustic. The ground quaked, the tempo that of a stampede, and Celestine sighed. "Damn."

"They are coming!" One of the nuns shouted, stirring the other sisters into motion as they slid the barrels of their lasguns and stubber rifles into the gaps and crevices of the barn house, they moved with clear weariness, some even limping, but bright determination burned in their eyes.

"This is it, sisters!" Superior Claire joined Celestine and Greyfax, a laspistol held at the ready. "The Emperor protects!"

Trading nods with Greyfax, for no more words were needed, Celestine closed her eyes and held the Ardent Blade up before her face, whispered prayers of piety and sacrifice to the God Emperor, and banished all inconsequential thoughts from her mind until nothing but unmoving serenity remained. Exhaling slowly, Celestine opened her eyes, silence and calm now enveloped her, the rancor outside all but muted. It took Celestine a few heartbeats to realize that the joyous baying and rowdy music were really gone, and not because she pushed it away from her mind, the complete and sudden lapse of sound was a physical weight that made her stagger.

"What is happening?" Greyfax demanded as superior Claire peered outside.

"They've stopped," Claire said, like everyone in the barn she found the latest development to be both confusing and alarming. "I can see the vanguard of the mob but they're not moving. All of them are looking at the sky."

Lowering the Ardent Blade, Celestine walked toward the center of the barn and glanced up at the gaping hole in the ceiling, Greyfax and Claire flanking her. The light above had turned an angry violet and the cerulean sky throbbed and flowed with sickly illumination.

"A Warp portal," Celestine blinked several times, surprised to see the empyrean yawning wide above Izennir.

"Something's coming through," Greyfax had the data-slate opened in her hand, blinking green light flickered across her face as she swiftly tapped the screen.

"What is coming through?" Superior Claire now asked, around the barn the sisters were praying fervently, while disgruntled murmurs rippled from the mob outside, the volume growing in agitation.

"A fleet," Greyfax couldn't believe what she was seeing. "The messages are all clashing wildly, but the consensus appeared to be that a massive fleet had exited the Warp and is now forming a battle formation above Izennir. But that shouldn't be possible, ships and fleets must exit the Warp outside of the planetary system, due to the sun's radiation and magnetic pull. I've never heard of any Imperial ship that can accomplish this."

"I know of one ship that can," a grin tugged Celestine's lips as she held her gaze on the sky, "the Immortal Spirit."

Jarring screech of clashing statics erupted from the many vox casters outside, the noise made more abrasive when the mobs added their terrified wails to the cacophony. Hands clasped over her ears, Celestine gritted her teeth against the noisy assault, the blaring electrical scream was reaching a horrific zenith when the dissonance ceased, and was replaced by a boyish voice.

"Traitors and heretics of Izennir, we are the Immortal Spirit battlegroup, and we are in an extremely bad mood," Celestine recognized the voice. Lord commissar Tangmo, she remembered meeting the boy in the aftermath of the Tera-Antebella campaign, cheeky little thing, both infuriating and endearing in equal measure. He wasn't cheeky now though, he sounded angry. "Now, let me enlighten you sons of bitches as to the purpose of our brief visit. We're here to kill you, all of you, a fucking full package genocide."

"You were right," Greyfax turned to Celestine as panic settled loudly amongst the mob. "It appears that you will not die here after all."

"See assholes, I haven't had a goodnight sleep in months, not since fucking Yomi," there was a demented edge to lord commissar Tangmo's declaration, "and the five shots of espresso I just gobbled down aren't really helping with my mood, so I'm gonna make this extremely clear for all you heretic fuckers. Where is Saint Celestine? I swear to the fucking God Emperor if there's even a tiny little scratch on her I'm gonna make sure all of you die the most excruciating death imaginable. I'm talking slow roast motherfucker, the kind that takes days to get done. So, I'm giving you degenerates one fucking chance to do something good for once in your worthless lives, and tell me where Saint Celestine is. You got one minute, go."

"Can you contact them?" Celestine asked Greyfax.

"No, this data-pad only has short range frequency," Greyfax shook her head.

"And while we wait for the minute to end, Celestine!" Lord commissar Tangmo continued. "If you're not getting tortured, I hope to God you're not, give us a signal or something dude! Because holy shit, I'm this fucking close to losing my mind!"

"Ask and you shall receive, lord commissar," smiling lightly, Celestine raised the Ardent Blade to sky, summoned her power, and unleashed a magnificent pillar of radiant silver white light. She held the beacon close to a minute before stumbling back, lightheaded from exerting so much power. Ears ringing, Celestine blinked her blurry vision back into focus, finding Greyfax and Claire holding her upright, worry creased their faces.

"I'm fine, thank you," Celestine nodded and easily found her footing. "Winded, but nothing I can't handle."

"SHE RIGHT UNDERNEATH US!" Tangmo bellowed thunderously. "DROP THE PODS! DROP THE PODS, MOTHERFUCKERS! GO, GO, GO! LET'S GO MOTHERFUCKERS, DIVE, DIVE, DIVE!"

Despite everything Celestine found herself giggling, her mirth was not shared by the stunned Greyfax and the sisters of the Moonlight Prayer. Because truly, the boy's shrilly squeal was extremely comical. Celestine was settling down when the familiar rumble of an Astartes drop pod, several drop pods in fact, resounded from the sky, the roar of thrusters growing to a tumultuous din as the troop carriers made its final approach. A deafening crash boomed outside, once, twice, thrice, four times, powerful gusts rushed into the barn, freeing many of the boards they had nailed up earlier, the sisters squealing in fright. The drop pods hissed and opened with metallic bangs, accompanied by powerful war cries.

"FOR THE EMPEROR!"

Celestine walked to the barn's double door and swung the Ardent Blade down, easily cleaving through the bars that held the entrance shut.

"What are you doing?!" Greyfax was beside her in a blink, her Condemnor bolt gun held at the ready, outside the rattling staccato of bolters roared unceasing. Sprinkled between the fiery discharges were screams, the crowds that had come to watch the spectacle did not anticipated this turn of event.

"I don't believe we are in any immediate danger, Katarinya," Celestine pushed the doors opened and was greeted by dusts and muzzles flashes. After a quick glance, Celestine was able to make out the colors and emblems of the Ultramarines, the Salamanders, the Black Templars and the White Scars. "Yes, we are no longer the one in danger."

"DIE MOTHERFUCKERS DIE!" Celestine recognized the Astartes currently gunning down the fleeing people of Izennir with alarming relish. Brother Sergeant Damien, close friend of lord commissar Tangmo, both sharing the same unique quirks when it came to executing their duty to the God Emperor. "GET SOME BITCHES! GET SOME!"

"I believe they got more than enough, Brother Sergeant," Celestine raised her voice when the bolter clicked empty and Damien ejected the magazine.

"Saint Celestine, you're safe!" The Brother Sergeant leapt off his feet with a delighted squeal. At least she thought it was a squeal of joy, the shrilly enunciation was hard to tell. The Astartes composed himself quickly and affected a straight back posture. "I mean, it is good to see you, Saint Celestine, I hope you are well and uninjured?"

"Thanks to the bravery of inquisitor Greyfax and the sisters of the Moonlight Prayer, I have escaped unharmed," Celestine glanced at her pauldrons and wiped some soot off. "A bit of dusts and bruises here and there, but I am otherwise hale."

"Sorry we couldn't come sooner, but yeah, I'm really glad to see you healthy," Damien nodded then looked up at a squadron of Valkyries and…were those Aeldari transports among them? "If you would excuse me Saint Celestine, we're not out of the woods yet. Alright people, listen up! We need to secure the perimeter around the barn, this place is now our staging area, if any of those fuckers get within two kilometers I want them turned to bloody gibs, do you get me?!"

"YES SIR!" The Space Marines answered as one and spread out into fireteams, their weapons unleashed upon the fleeing mob without mercy, bodies and buildings tore apart by stream of fiery bolts. A large half circle had been cleared in front of the barn and turned into an impromptu airfield where Valkyries and eldar transports were now disembarking great host of guardsmen, Adepta Sororitas and Aeldari warriors. In squads and companies they swiftly reinforced the Space Marines, forming into pristine firing lines and adding their firepower to the barrage. Screams erupted behind her and Celestine spun around to find the lithe eldar automatons, the Wraithguards, falling in beside the Astartes. Lowering the Ardent Blade, surprised by the harmonious display, Celestine returned her attention forward and saw that one Valkyries had remained grounded, and from the transport sprinted three people, lord commissar Tangmo, lord general Henry, and High Ranger Erik, the trio sliding to a stop before her.

"Oh thank God you're alive," commissar Tangmo made an exaggerated sigh, his back bent so low that his head was almost touching the ground, a lasgun held tight across his chest. "Holy fucking shit, I'm gonna puke."

"You and me both," general Henry took off his hat and bowed politely at Celestine, consummate in his manner. "Saint Celestine, like my friends have said earlier, we are extremely glad to see you alive and well."

"The brave men and women of the Immortal Spirit battlegroup have my eternal gratitude, I am very elated by this development," general Henry blushed from the compliment, but High Ranger Erik flinched when Celestine fixed him with a leveled stare. "It seems that cooperation between humans and Aeldari have progressed well, the synchronicity displayed is truly beautiful."

"Thank you Saint Celestine, it wasn't easy but we got there eventually," High Ranger Erik laughed nervously as the Sisters of Battle, more varied and diverse since the last time she saw them, which indicated the battlegroup's success in reuniting the many Sororitas orders under the wings of the Imperium, gathered around her. They went to one knee and prayed joyously, some were even weeping in rapture. Amongst those shedding tears was sister Miriya and her Celestian squad, and Celestine was truly glad to see her still in service. What Celestine didn't like so much was the cadre of Aeldari swordswomen, the Howling Banshees, standing with the Sisters of Battle, these lots bowing politely as opposed to kneeling. "And it is this burgeoning cooperation that requires your help, Saint Celestine, quite urgently too, if I may add."

"You require my assistance?" Celestine asked.

"Yes, we do, so I really need you to come with me to the Valkyrie right now," commissar Tangmo adjusted his cap and waved at the Sisters of Battle and the Howling Banshees. "Miriya, Firnera, you and your squads are with me, we're making sure nothing touches Saint Celestine, let's go!"

"Wait," Greyfax grabbed Celestine's arm, stopping her from taking a step, causing commissar Tangmo to groan audibly. "I don't like the look of this. I have heard that the Immortal Spirit battlegroup was…unique, but I could not have imagined that they colluded with the xenos to this degree."

"Lady, I really need you to put a lid on your inquisitorial bullshit for a sec, okay?!" Commissar Tangmo snapped and Greyfax was struck silent by the complete lack of deference he was showing her. Her astonishment did not last long though, for anger quickly twisted her face into something ugly, which doesn't bode well for commissar Tangmo. But before Greyfax can respond the boy continued. "You know what, just tag along, this is hardly the best place for an exposition…you're Greyfax, right? Katarinya Greyfax? Celestine's sidekick?"

"Not the most apt description but yes, Katarinya is my partner," Celestine cut in, fixing commissar Tangmo with a stern look, one which he returned with barely suppressed annoyance. "And I agree with her, we deserve some explanation before getting on the Valkyrie. Do you require my presence on the Immortal Spirit? Is it urgent? Have something happened?"

"Oh my fucking God, fine!" Tangmo blurted. "We just rescued Isha, the Aeldari goddess of life, from the Vhilytra system, which was a decade ago according to Guilliman, but before we can make a clean escape Nurgle got a hold of us. Isha managed to fight the fat fucker off but he infected her with a buncha Greater Daemons, so we need you to exorcise her, happy?!"

"…What?" Now it was Celestine's turn to be stunned, an Aeldari goddess requires her help?

"He speaks true, my lady Saint," Miriya bowed politely at her. "The Sororitas nuns and Aeldari priestesses are holding the Greater Daemons at bay, but they are quickly running out of time. Please my lady Saint, you are our only hope."

"This is an Aeldari trick," Greyfax hissed. "The battlegroup has been corrupted by the xenos."

"No trick, lady inquisitor," a Howling Banshee, presumably Firnera, spoke up. "We need your help."

"And this is a direct command of Lord Guilliman and Lord Jaghatai," Tangmo reentered the conversation. "You gonna disobey two Primarchs?"

"Jaghatai Khan has returned?"

"Holy shit, enough with the question, can you please move your ass?!"

Commissar Tangmo needed a severe lesson in manners, that much was clear, and Celestine wanted nothing more than to give him an extremely physical curriculum on the spot. Yet for all his coarseness, she can tell he was honest in his declaration, one can hardly fake such raw desperation. Greyfax had reprimanded her many times for being too trusting, and despite his lack of poise, Celestine felt a strong impulse to help lord commissar Tangmo.

"Very well," Celestine waved away the Ardent Blade, the holy sword turning to mist, ready to be summoned when called by her again, "lead the way."

"Finally, God!" Commissar Tangmo waved the Celestians and Banshees into two columns, both flanking Celestine and Greyfax, and took off at a quick jog across the corpse strewed ground, metal shod boots crunching and stomping wet red meat. Sadness assailed Celestine as she waded through the slain, men, women, and even children lay broken and scattered in shredded pieces, indiscriminately butchered by the battlegroup. Although they had come to hurt her, Celestine wondered how many amongst them were coerced to action, how many hid their shame in raised voices, innocents powerless against the baying mob. As they neared the Valkyrie commissar Tangmo tapped his earbud. "Get some hospitallers and medics inside that barn, I saw a lot of injured people in there. Tyra, start up the engine now!"

The Valkyrie hummed to life and the columns spread out into a crescent around the opened ramp. Commissar Tangmo paced agitatedly across the ranks of Celestians and Banshees, hard gaze swept across the landing site. He grunted when nothing bad happened, but did not look any more relaxed.

"Izennir have the most formidable orbital defenses and air force in the system," Greyfax stopped an inch from the Valkyrie's metal ramp. "Is the path clear?"

"All orbital platforms and defenses have been disabled, we hacked their networks and filled it with viruses and malwares," commissar Tangmo told her. "As for the air force, commander Ae-Shin has those sons of bitches under control, so the sky and space is clear. Now can you please get in the fucking Valkyrie already?!"

"No need for rudeness, lord commissar," Celestine took Greyfax by the shoulder and firmly guided the blistering inquisitor up the ramp before things became more heated, but not before giving commissar Tangmo a reprimanding glare. "We are not one of your soldiers to be bark around."

"Yeah, yeah, you can lecture me as much as you want when this, hopefully, comes out okay," commissar Tangmo shrugged and, with the Celestians and Banshees in tow, backed away from the Valkyries as the ramp was raised. Before the entrance shut completely, commissar Tangmo held his thumb up to them. "Good luck!"

"Lady Saint, lady inquisitor, please kindly strapped yourself in, we are extremely short on time," the pilot's warning would've been more appreciated if it didn't came after the massive lurch that sent Celestine and Greyfax rolling across the floor. With an effort, they managed to get on a bench and fastened the seatbelts around their torsos as the Valkyrie tilted to an almost vertical angle.

"The audacity of that incorrigible bastard!" Greyfax growled when the Valkyrie left Izennir's atmosphere and the violent quaking ceased, "how dare someone of his status, a lowly commissar, speak to you with such disrespect?!"

"Yes, I personally remember how aggravating the boy can be," Celestine found herself smiling, because despite commissar Tangmo lack of manners, she found his antic to be strangely endearing. "But through it all, he is a loyal servant of the Imperium and has distinguished himself many times."

"I find that hard to believe," Greyfax scoffed.

"I've read the reports, as you surely have," Celestine said. "Otherwise, he and the Immortal Spirit battlegroup wouldn't be given such leeway by lord Guilliman. They are in his good grace you know."

"Even the son of the Emperor is not infallible to bad judgement," Greyfax rolled her eyes. "And now, if the boy is to be believed, two Primarchs have returned to us." Her face softened suddenly and she locked eyes with Celestine, a guarded hope gleaming within. "Can it really be true that Jaghatai Khan have returned? Can we truly be that blessed?"

"I told you that the God Emperor's design, although enigmatic, will always benefit mankind and the Imperium," Celestine placed her hand over Greyfax's own, the lady inquisitor squeezing ever so lightly. "Besides, the Immortal Spirit battlegroup does not operate on subterfuge, they seem incapable of it. Therefore, I believe that commissar Tangmo is telling the truth."

"That both Primarch sanction aide for a xeno goddess?" Greyfax's tone hardened and pulled her hand away from Celestine, not allowing the display of companionship to mar her stern bearing. "I simply refuse to believe that."

"But the Imperium is already allied with the Ynnari Aeldari and various other Craftworlds," Celestine said. "My dislike of Yvraine aside, I cannot deny that the eldars have proven themselves valuable allies. But a goddess…well, the God Emperor works in mysterious way, who am I to question him?"

"Are you sure it is the God Emperor and not the Aeldari who is guiding you?" Greyfax narrowed her eyes. "Eldar's witchcraft is extremely potent."

"It is not the Aeldari," Celestine declared sternly but Greyfax looked far from convince, "no, this is what I must do, the God Emperor have led me here, to this very moment."

"How can you be sure?" Greyfax pressed.

"Remember when I told you I was not meant to die on Izennir? And that my purpose has not yet been completed?" Celestine asked and Greyfax nodded. "Call it instinct, divine intuition, a spiritual pull, anything that pleases you, but right this very moment I know I am headed down the right path. I am meant to be here, and regardless of my personal feeling my purpose is to heal the Aeldari goddess. It is hard to explain Katarinya, and I doubt I can provide an adequate explanation, but I ask that you trust me."

"I will admit, none of this sits well with me, and from what I've seen so far the Immortal Spirit battlegroup have given me little to trust them," Greyfax began sharply but sighed afterward. "You asked me to have faith Celestine, and I know I have my doubts even in the God Emperor's machination…but I can say without reservation that I trust you. So if you believe that we are heading in the right direction, then I shall give my life to see your mission through."

"Thank you Katarinya," Celestine chuckled when Greyfax looked at the floor, her wide brim hat lowered just in time to hide the beginning of a blush. "But I would rather that you don't die."

"The feeling is mutual," Greyfax just got her complexion under control when, to the surprise of the lady inquisitor and Celestine, the ramp started lowering, "by the Throne!"

"You have arrived on the Immortal Spirit, my lady Saint, lady inquisitor," the pilot spoke up to the astonishment of Celestine. They were inside the Gloriana? They barely felt the Valkyrie landed! "And forgive my rudeness, but you need to hurry up, I've never seen Warseer Lita this agitated before."

"Seems like decorum is nonexistent in the battlegroup," Greyfax grumbled as she and Celestine pulled the seatbelts free and stood up. Side by side they strode down the ramp, the air surprisingly clean and sweet, and was greeted by a gigantic hangar bustling with urgent animation, aircrafts of all shapes and sizes being fitted with armaments before getting carried by transparent beams toward strips of translucent floors to be disembarked. Loud honking drew her attention to an opened roof automobile parked ten paces from the Valkyrie. There were four women inside, all of them waving urgently at Celestine and Greyfax.

"Get in the bloody car!" A brunette in the front seat, inquisitor Laura if she recalled correctly, smacked her palm on the door. The woman grew more agitated when Celestine and Greyfax, once again stunned by the rudeness displayed, simply stared at her. "What are you gawking with your gobs flapping in the air for?! I said get in!"

"Very well," Celestine pushed down a heated retort and leapt into the back compartment with Greyfax. They had barely sat down, somewhat annoyed at having to share the seat with two Aeldari, exarch Yuki and exarch Nikki if memories serves, when the automobile shot forward at a dangerous speed. Workers and crewmen barely leapt out of the way in time, many survived getting crush by just a hairbreadth. "Whoa!"

"I am extremely sorry for the haste, lady Celestine, lady inquisitor Greyfax, but I'm afraid we don't have any time for small talk," the driver, Warseer Lita of all people, turned around with a genuinely apologetic look on her face. "But the sarcophagus is minutes away from dissolving completely. And when that happens we will be forced to take lethal action against Isha, which is the last thing any of us wants."

"That should have been the first solution when dealing with xenos," Greyfax hissed and glared at Laura, who responded with a middle finger, "seems like the commissar isn't the only deplorable amongst you lots."

"Kiss my arse Greyfax," Laura lowered the rude gesture and nodded amiably at Katarinya. "Oh, I'm a big fan by the way, nice to meet you."

"…Thank you."

"Lita, keep your eyes on the fucking road!"

Exarch Nikki's cry of alarm was accompanied by a sharp swerve as Warseer Lita returned her attention to the road ahead, turned the steering wheel with calm expertise, and guided the automobile into a seamless glide around the curve of the road, never loosing speed all the while. Impressed though she might be, Celestine was nevertheless thrown flat against exarch Yuki with an undignified squawk, with Greyfax pressing hard into her from the other side. Katarinya swiftly extricated herself with spluttering apologies, but exarch Yuki looked disturbingly please with the contact.

"Holy shit Lita, we wanna get there alive!" Exarch Nikki cried.

"Oh stop whining, I'm the best driver and you know it!" Warseer Lita shot back as she maneuvered the automobile through the empty road, never losing the terrifyingly unsafe speed even when she took sharp turns and dashed up rises. "So sit back and relax, mama got everything under control!"

"You're even worse than Yuki!" Exarch Nikki snapped.

"Hey! One more word and I'm kicking you out of the goddamn car!" Exarch Yuki hissed, looking more than ready to carry out her threat.

"I'm taking you with me – ahhh!" Nikki squealed when Yuki was thrown flat against her after Lita made another sharp turn, Celestine was saved from joining them when Greyfax, having caught the rim of the automobile, successfully held her in place.

"I kinda have to agree with them love," Laura made her comment, fear etched clearly across her face. "Maybe you should, I don't know, be a little careful? It'll be a bloody shame if after everything Saint Celestine ends up with a broken neck because of your insane driving."

"Well excuse me, this isn't Driving Miss Daisy, we're neck deep in the Fast and Furious franchise, and I'm Dominic Toretto's long lost mom coming back from the dead!" Lita laughed loudly and stepped on the break, the sudden stop almost throwing everyone overboard. Thankfully, the seatbelts held firm. "Now stop complaining, we're here!"

Celestine had no idea where here was, but she was nevertheless glad that the automobile have finally stopped, the Warseer's driving was truly frightening. Together with Greyfax, Celestine stepped out of the automobile. They were inside a vaulted corridor, decorated ostentatiously in the exalted style of the God Emperor's holy ground. The piety of the interior was rendered somewhat confounding by the hundreds of women sprawled about the place, some lay shuddering on cots, some slouched weakly against the walls. It took one quick glance for Celestine to see that humans and Aeldari made up the sickly mass. The sight of both species tending to the illness of the other, without rancor or hatred, was very heartwarming to behold, Celestine's earlier reservation regarding the battlegroup conduct slowly mollified by the camaraderie displayed.

"You'll have time to gawk later, come on!" Before Celestine can react Laura had taken her by the arm and was dragging her hurriedly down the corridor. Celestine allowed the lady inquisitor to take the lead as Greyfax and her eldar friends formed a loosed circle around them, their steps falling in sync. The hallway passed in a blur, but Celestine was able to catch glimpses of nuns and priestesses bowing reverently at her. A great pair of doors loomed ahead, the metals rusted and rivulets of slush adorned the surface, the liquefied dimension suggested acidic corrosion. And standing in front of the rotting threshold stood twelve canonesses resplendent in great armors and weapons, Celestine recognized six of them.

"Saint Celestine!" The blonde canoness of the Martyred Lady, Galatea, went to one knee, her fellow Sisters of Battle doing the same. "Praise be to the God Emperor for your timely arrival."

"It is good to see you again, lady canoness," Celestine eyed the doors with rising apprehension, the surface was melting at an alarming speed, rivers of bubbling iron, blackened and diseased, rolled languidly down to the floor. "Although I find it unfortunate that we must meet under such poor circumstance."

"Okay, let me make a quick introduction and get you up to speed on who's who," Laura cut in and pointed at the rising canonesses. "I'm sure you remember Galatea, Crestienne, Amaryllis, Heloise, Bellona and Morelia, yeah? Good! These are Eldul, Lithia, Zhensu, Myorin, Naledi and Victrix, they joined us after Tera-Antebella."

"Please to meet all of you," Celestine nodded at the canonesses, promising herself to make a proper introduction later. That is, if she can avert the current calamity. Summoning the Ardent Blade, Celestine pointed the tip at the door, the cancerous rot recoiled from the sanctified steel. "And the Aeldari goddess is in there?"

"She is," Lita came to stand beside Celestine, her visage one of breathless alarm as she turned to Galatea. "How in the…it's been only two days, with hundreds of nuns and priestesses taking turn praying to keep the wards intact…how did things deteriorate so fast?"

"The sarcophagus was meant to hold you, not several Greater Daemons trapped inside an Aeldari goddess," Galatea made an apologetic face at the huffing Lita. "The wards and sanctification was not the correct sort, which is why it's crumbling quicker than anticipated."

"And I am to exorcise these Greater Daemons?" Celestine asked levelly, causing half of the canonesses to mutter lowly, polite but with clear undertone of grievance, while the rest remained stoically silent. In the end, it was clear the canonesses were of one mind as they deferred to Galatea.

"Yes, your eminence," Galatea was unwavering in her answer. "Admittedly me and my colleagues are not completely at peace with this, but the command of Lord Guilliman and Lord Jaghatai was indisputable, we are to render aide to the Aeldari goddess and save her life…and if I may be presumptuous, I am coming to see that this is the path we must take."

"You are treading a dangerous frame of thinking, lady canoness," Greyfax spoke up but Galatea was not moved by the threat.

"The road of righteousness is seldom without peril, nor can one find enlightenment without venturing into the dark," Celestine laid a calming hand on Greyfax's pauldron and the lady inquisitor exhaled heavily, mollified for the moment. She turned to Warseer Lita, hopefulness gleamed bright in her wide eyes, so youthful and innocent that Celestine reciprocated with a friendly grin of her own, "then let's us not waste any more time, we shall see to it that the Emperor's will be done."

"Oh, thank you!" Celestine flinched when the Warseer, squealing in delight with arms spread wide, looked like she was going to leap at her. Thankfully the Aeldari stopped herself in time, blushed furiously, and summoned her Singing Spear. "Sorry! Now where was I? Oh yeah! Form up ladies, we're going in!"

"I believe I shall take the lead," Celestine waved the Ardent Blade in the air and the canonesses swiftly formed up into a wedge, she and Warseer Lita acting as the tip of the spear, with Greyfax, Laura, Yuki and Nikki positioned behind them, "when you are ready, lady Warseer."

"Of course, Saint Celestine," Lita slammed the Singing Spear into the ground, veiling the entire formation inside a transparent sorcerous shield, then pointed at the door, causing the locking mechanisms to release with sharp clicks as the entrance parted languidly to torturous squeals and moans. A blast of fetid gale, noxious and diseased, rushed out of the room beyond with such overwhelming force that it almost knocked Celestine off her feet.

"Do not falter, sisters, trust in the Emperor in this hour of need, trust in Him to intercede and protect His warriors true!" Teeth gritted, Celestine rose to her full height and stabbed the Ardent Blade at the now opened threshold. Powerful golden light shone from the sanctified sword, the radiant illumination pierced the sickly green haze, the churning fetid fume recoiled from the manifestation of the God Emperor's divine power. The diseased cloud dispersed completely when another light, silver in hue, powerful and pure, burst from beside Celestine. Turning, Celestine found Warseer Lita with her Singing Spear trained on the roiling cloud, her visage one of rictus determination.

"I got your back," Lita nodded at Celestine.

"Thank you, lady Warseer," Celestine grinned and found that the Aeldari sorcery was not only pushing back the Ruinous corruption, but also nudging at her power, a gentle thing that bespoke of invitation and cooperation, polite as it waited for a response. She locked eyes with the Warseer, who returned the regard with clear askance. A union of faith and sorcery, absurd and blasphemous to even think about, a death sentence to all who would consider such notion, yet Celestine found herself warming to the idea, not repulsed but attracted despite the deep-rooted dogma to abhor the xenos and their ways. So against her better judgement, and already dreading the earful Greyfax would surely give her, Celestine allowed Lita's power to become one with her own, the two lights of gold and silver coiled around each other, harmonious and sublime, the spectrums combining and forging into a lance that burned away the last miasmic residue.

"This is so cool," Lita said giddily and started forward, Celestine easily matching steps with her now that the abominable pressure and stench had faded, although the interior was not pleasant to behold in the least. What might have once been a great vaulted hall has since been blackened and pocked with grotesque cancerous masses that twitched and pulsated as if alive, the metals and steels of the ceiling brought low until it resembled a cavern. And at the center was the sarcophagus, leaning off the dais it laid upon, the lid bulged outward, moments away from yielding. "That however, not so much."

"I couldn't agree more," Celestine glanced back at the canonesses, all of them enveloped in luminous, transparent auras, their faith unmarred. "Spread out sisters, and watch your steps."

"Yo, why are we even here?" Nikki asked suddenly, her eldar rifle held at the ready.

"Someone needs to bear witness to the glory that is Saint Celestine!" Yuki was inappropriately enthusiastic, a sleek data-slate held up to her face, the electronic light made her toothy grin that much wider. "And I'll be playing Kurosawa! Gotta save this for posterity!"

"And what if we lose?" Although Nikki's concern was legitimate, and Celestine knew firsthand that in a battle it took only one wrong move for everything to unravel, the canonesses nevertheless fixed the exarch with burning glares as they moved to surround the sarcophagus.

"Okay, I don't use this word a lot, but that's some serious heresy you just said," Celestine couldn't stop an unladylike snort from escaping. An eldar denouncing another eldar with heresy, oh, what an epoch they live in. "Besides, I have complete confidence in lady Saint Celestine to win the day for us."

"I shall do my best, lady Warseer, you have my words," Celestine's gaze was honed unblinking on the sarcophagus as she and Lita edged closer toward the dais, the stench from before now returning, sharp in sweetness but with a sickly undertone. "Thank you for the boost of confidence. Admittedly I've never performed an exorcism before, but I am an expert when it comes to dealing with daemons and their wicked ways."

"…I did not need to know that," Lita paled visibly, the tip of her Singing Spear shaking slightly.

"Don't worry lady Saint, we got your back," Laura said as Celestine and the canonesses came to a stop ten paces from the sarcophagus, weapons raised unwavering at the steaming, rotting prison. "I'm an expert on exorcism, you can totally trust me."

"When in the hell did you become an expert on exorcism?" Like Celestine, Nikki was extremely skeptical of the lady inquisitor's dubious claim.

"Since watching the Exorcist on our way to Izennir," Laura shrugged and Nikki's jaw dropped.

"That's a fucking movie you dumbass!" Nikki blurted.

"It's a fucking manual!" Yuki piped up.

"WE HAVE BEEN WAITING!"

Warseer Lita screamed when a pair of clawed hands punched through the sarcophagus's lid, jagged talons shrieked across the metal surface, found a firm hold, and tore it apart, sending the heavy steels bouncing across the floor, thankfully missing the canonesses. What emerged did not surprised Celestine in the least. Tightening her grip on the Ardent Blade, Celestine honed the glowing tip on the grinning Aeldari shuffling out of the sarcophagus and on to the floor, steps jittery, knees bent at an unnatural, painful angle. In better times Celestine was sure the Aeldari goddess Isha would have been beautiful, even now with her skin pockmarked with fungal like growth that pulsated with grotesque animation, back bent by cancerous tumors bulging from her spine, her flesh churning with parasites, a vestige of the woman survived.

"Did you think that trinket can lock us away?! We, who have been blessed by…" the possessed Isha ceased her rambling, the timbre an amalgamation of many abhorrent voices speaking at the same time, the gaze that was fixed on the petrified Lita slipped to Celestine, the toothy leer turning to frothing snarl. "You."

"I am sure you are familiar with me, daemons," Celestine took a single step forward, Lita following gingerly, and the possessed Isha hunched like a wolf about to pounce, "for I am very familiar with your kind."

"The Saint," Isha spat, spittle and phlegm leaked through her gritted teeth and dripped down her chin, "Celestine."

"Then you will know what is about to happen," Celestine spread her wings, the power of her faith in the God Emperor rippled outward, a tempest of light, pure and radiant, burning the sickness that infested the hall to dusts. Isha screamed, steams rising from her scorched skin. "For no foul daemons can escape the judgement of the God Emperor!"

"Oh cool, I was wondering where her wings went," Laura piped up. "Hey Lita, are her eyes glowing too?"

"Yep, they are!" Lita looked at Celestine and smiled. "She looked exactly like how we imagined her!"

"How cute!" Isha started laughing even when puss leaked from her pores and sickly ichor burst from the many growths on her body, covering her in cadaverous filth, "a harlot coming to save a whore!"

"Leave this vessel that is not your own daemons!" Celestine raised her voice. "Return to the Warp from whence you came!"

"Looking to rescue the Aeldari?!" Isha cackled, piecing and maddened, "such hypocrisy! What would your Corpse Emperor think?!"

"It is He who guides my hand, daemons, and I am His instrument of vengeance and deliverance!" Celestine stabbed the Ardent Blade into the air and Isha recoiled back with a screech from the blazing golden light that burst from the sword, the misshapen cancerous masses on her body roiled with agonizing animation as they slithered deeper into her body, fleeing the holy illumination. Isha roared, the timbre bestial and daemonic, and dropped on all four, hands and legs braced on the ground, her limbs wound up like a spider about to make a jump. But before the possessed goddess can flee silvery coils lashed out and wrapped themselves around Isha's forearms and calves. Thrashing hard against the binding, Isha was unsuccessful in freeing herself, and could do nothing as Warseer Lita, with quick flicks of her fingers, manipulated the streaks of sliver light emanating from her Singing Spear so that the stricken goddess was lying flat on the ground with limbs pulled apart to the tautest limit.

"Nice to see you getting some inspiration from the tentacles," Laura smirked and Lita's cheeks flared bright red as the canonesses formed a ring around the squirming, immobilized Isha.

"Shut up Laura, I'm a bit short on ideas here!" Lita snapped and turned to Celestine. "Think you can exorcise her now?"

"I'll do what I can," Celestine offered and lowered the Ardent Blade at Isha, the goddess's seething attention was now fixed singularly on her. "But I have never seen so many daemons infecting a single host. In all the cases I have beheld, the victim never survives, all of them succumbing to the Ruinous abominations."

"Good thing she's a goddess then," Lita's smile was brittle, trying and failing to calm her nerves.

"I believe that is why she is still alive," Celestine spread her wings higher until it fluttered fiercely above her, earning a tempestuous roar from Isha, lips peeled back to reveal jagged rows of needle sharp teeth. "Leave this woman that you have taken hostage, cowardly parasites of Nurgle, none can hide from the light of the God Emperor, no shadow can ever triumph before His everlasting flames!"

"You are too late, slut of the anathema!" Isha barked a laugh. "This whore belongs to Nurgle once more! And she shall be return to him! Not even your decaying sovereign can stop this! None of you can!"

"He is light!" Celestine roared.

"He is purity!" The canonesses responded and Isha shrieked, lights of sublime gold now blazed furiously upon their weapons, adding to Celestine's own illumination, the combined unyielding faith now working in complete tandem.

"You will never triumph!" The daemons inside Isha refused to surrender to the inevitable, thrashing more violently against Warseer Lita's unmovable silver bindings until arms and legs snapped apart from the savage movement, jagged bones punched through gushing lacerations while joints snapped loose to wet cracks. Lita swallowed, fighting the urge to vomit, but steel herself and steadied her Singing Spear. "We will leave nothing but husk behind, the price of your failure!"

"He is hope!" Celestine shouted.

"He is salvation!" The canonesses bellowed and with perfect synchronicity slammed their weapons on the ground. The metallic ringing was that of a holy benediction bell, beautiful and sanctified, and Isha responded with shrilly agony.

"Do you see how she suffers?! Oh how exquisite her torment!" The Greater Daemons laughed boisterously. "She's trapped in here while her body burns, helpless and screaming as we took our turn! Do you want to hear how the whore moans?!"

"He is glory!" Celestine took a step forward and thrust the Ardent Blade at Isha, the simmering tip hovering an inch from the goddess's heart.

"He is victory!" The canonesses, as one, honed their weapons downward, making a circle of iridescent blades around Isha, bathing the goddess in scorching sunlight gold.

"She's ours! She's Nurgle! You have failed!" The daemons cackled, uncaring that the host is being destroyed. "We have won, you winged harlot! Isha is no more!"

"I am Saint Celestine! I am the pure manifestation of His will upon this galaxy, the embodiment of His undying light that shatters the deepest darkness! And I shall never allow the wretched, cowardly cravens of the Dark Gods to escape my wrath!" Celestine shouted and pressed the Ardent Blade to Isha's chest. "In the name of the God Emperor I command that you leave this vessel and submit to the fiery purification of the Master of Mankind! By His will, I compel you! By His grace, I cast you out!"

"The power of the Emperor compels you! The power of the Emperor compels you! The power of the Emperor compels you!" Laura, Yuki and Nikki yelled vigorously, the incantation coming out more like a cheer at a large gathering than anything remotely close to a reverent veneration to the God Emperor. Celestine admired their spirits though, the tireless shouting was stirring.

"You are too late!" Isha bellowed victoriously, the sickly grin made Celestine shuddered. "We have the Aeldari whore now! If you wish us to be gone, then the vessel will also have to be destroyed! One can no longer exist without the other! Well then harlot, what are you waiting for?! Smite us!"

"So be it then," Greyfax said lowly and cocked her bolt gun, the clang carried a clear note of finality. Then Katarinya squealed indignantly, followed by loud clashing of metal armors. "What the - release me at once damn you! Let me go you bloody traitor!"

"Nobody's killing Isha on my watch!" Laura yelled and, if the sound of the struggle was anything to go by, wrestled Greyfax to the ground. "Yuki! Nikki! Help me pin her down!"

"We can't let Isha die," Lita caught Celestine's attention before she can glanced back at the scuffle, the Warseer's eyes brimmed with unshed tears, pleading with her even when she knew hope has died. "Please…after everything she went through, this cannot be the end, it just can't!"

"I'm sorry lady Warseer, we are out of option and we are out of time," Celestine's heart almost broke at the crushing defeat that came over Lita's visage. But she had seen such despair before and steeled herself. It never gets easier. "I'm sorry, but this has to be…"

The Great Daemons screamed, not in hollering triumph but in pain, unrestrained and sudden. Head snapping downward, Celestine tightened her grip on the Ardent Blade as the cancerous growths that had been bulging out of Isha's skin started moving, the lumps roiled with grotesque uniformity, slithered and churned until the entirety of its mass was gathered on the goddess's chest. Then the timbre of the shrieking changed, from many abominable voices to a singular cry of agony. The voice belonged to a woman.

"Please! I cannot hold them for long!" Isha shouted, the real Isha, her utterance melodic despite the agony lacing her enunciation. A daemonic mass now bulged out of the goddess's chest, hellish abominable shapes straining to break free, snapping teeth and clawing talons made horrid raking indention across her skin. But they were unsuccessful, held at bay by the frail but indomitable Isha. "Strike them down, this is your only chance!"

"You will die!" Celestine told Isha. "The Ardent Blade will kill you along with the daemons!"

"He will never lay claim to me again! I would rather die!" The vehemence of Isha's statement startled Celestine so much that, for a split second, the tip of the Ardent Blade faltered. "It is too late for me, but I will not damn the Immortal Spirit battlegroup to the same fate. By all that is good in this galaxy, please, strike me down!"

"No! You can't kill Isha! You can't!"

"Deliver the killing blow, lady Saint! We are out of time!"

"Damn it all, this is not the will of the God Emperor!"

"We have no choice! If the daemons break free the Immortal Spirit is doomed!"

"Fucking hell this is bullshit, Isha can't just fucking die after everything – oi! I swear to God Greyfax, one more move like that and I'm snapping your fucking arm!"

"There's nothing we can do! Milady Saint, you must make the decision now!"

Noises billowed like a monstrous tempest, the baying of daemons and the shouts of her allies melding until all individual cadence was lost and what remained was an amorphous cacophony, the meaning of the words spoke lost to the gale. Through millennia of mental training, Celestine slowed her breathing and narrowed her focus on Isha's weeping visage until the tumultuous din of the hall faded to silence. She did not want to – no, she will not kill Isha. She knew now that the God Emperor had sent her to save this woman, and she will not fail Him in this sacred task. But there was nothing she can do. Limited though her experience might be, Celestine had seen enough possession to know that there was no hope for Isha, the roots of the corruption had burrowed too deep, going beyond the simple custodian of the flesh to the very ownership of the soul. If she removed the daemons, Isha will die, a truth both indisputable and unmovable. Yet it was not in Celestine's nature to give up. Wrecking her mind for a solution, every second wasted carrying all closer to annihilation, Celestine delved into the memory of her many lives, rummaging through the forgotten, scattered pieces rendered murky by her reincarnations. Then she found it, a solution, the possibility of success bleak, but a guttering candlelight will always be better than darkness. With no more time to waste, Celestine inverted her grip on the Ardent Blade and raised it high above Isha's chest.

"Celestine no!" Ignoring Warseer Lita's desperate cry, Celestine plunged the Ardent Blade down with a roar, the hallow steel blessed with the essence of the Master of Mankind Himself punched easily through Isha's skin, goring mercilessly into the roiling daemons beneath. The shrieks of a hundred abhorrent mouths was accompanied by a gale of acidic plume that swept across the hall, the torrent powerful but Celestine's grip remained firm, the Chaos wind failing to dislodge her. Through the battering gust, Celestine saw that the miasmic explosion had caused Warseer Lita's bindings to falter, the silver streamers torn to tatters as Isha shook her limbs loose. Celestine braced herself for the Greater Daemons to try and make their escape but Isha, still retaining control of her body, grabbed her bloated chest and held the Ruinous creatures at bay. Isha, her face rictus with fatal determination, nodded at Celestine. She returned the nod sternly, sends one last prayer to the God Emperor, and unleashed her pure, undiluted power into the Aeldari goddess. Isha screamed, the Great Daemons screamed, and Celestine screamed as she shifted her grip on the Ardent Blade and started pulling the luminescent sword out of the goddess, inch by slow torturous inches. By the time Celestine finally pulled the Ardent Blade free Isha was no longer moving, but she cannot spare any attention for the goddess, no, every last remaining drop of vitality she possessed was now directed at the sanctified sword in her hands. With a powerful roar, she raised it high into the air.

"OH MY GOD!" Warseer Lita's horrified utterance was appropriate, all things considered, and Celestine would be lying to herself if she wasn't equally revolted by what had latched onto the Ardent Blade. It was the Great Daemons, the many that had possessed Isha, now combined into a congealed mass of pulsating flesh upon the steel of the Ardent Blade, drawn into the Emperor's blessed weapon when Celestine inverted her power. Instead of repulsing and destroying the Chaos spawns she forced them to come to her, an inexorable compulsion not even the denizens of the empyrean can withstand. Celestine exorcised them from Isha, but the result was not pretty on the eyes.

"YOU!" The cancerous lump of flesh, with hundreds eyes, tongues, teeth, claws, arms, hands, feet and legs protruding from every conceivable angle, the limbs malformed beyond comprehension, honed its undivided attention down on Celestine, angry and vengeful. "FINE THEN, HARLOT OF THE CORPSE EMPEROR, WE SHALL GIVE YOU THE HONOR OF HOSTING US INSTEAD!"

"Banish this sickness back to the Warp where it belongs! To me sisters, lady Warseer, keep faith in the Master of Mankind and strike the daemons down!" The canonesses were a blur of movement as they closed their distant with Celestine, faster than the Greater Daemons that was rolling down the Ardent Blade. Whispering a benediction to the God Emperor, Celestine made the sword flared radiant gold, illuminating and burning the Great Daemons from within, the churning bulbous accretions popping and boiling. The target was clear, and wasting no more words the canonesses and Warseer Lita thrust their weapons, hued in blazing flame of faith and sorcery, at the Great Daemons. The Chaos spawns shrieked abhorrently as glaring, immolating light of purest white enveloped it, the radiance reaching its blinding zenith when a great explosion erupted from the Ardent Blade. Celestine cried out as she was slammed hard to the ground, while the canonesses and Warseer Lita were thrown clear across the hall by the blast. Teeth gritted, Celestine forced the ringing in her ears to stillness then slowly flexed her limbs, checking for any damage on her person. Thankfully, besides the bruising aches, she was fine. Taking a deep breathe, sweet and unspoiled air filling her lungs, Celestine rose to a sitting position with a grunt, slow and groggy after the magnificent burst of energy. She spread her senses across the hall, and was satisfied when no trace of the Greater Daemons remained.

"Is everybody alright?" Celestine raised her voice, stabbed the Ardent Blade to the ground, the sword free of Nurglite sickness, and used the weapon to push herself up on her feet. "Sisters, are you injured?"

"Daze, my lady Saint, but beyond that we are fine," Galatea said as she helped Naledi up, around the hall the canonesses were rising, the lethargy in their movement lasted for only a few heartbeats.

"Yeah, that was one hell of a blast, but everyone's okay," Warseer Lita leaned drunkenly on her Singing Spear, holding up a shaky thumb. But the moment of levity disappeared when her gaze settled on an unmoving shape sprawled not five paces from where Celestine stood, "Isha!"

Without thinking Celestine dashed for Isha and knelt down beside her. The goddess's eyes were closed, hair of moonlight silver haloed her head, peace now reign on her visage, no trace of earlier injuries remained, but Celestine saw with heart wrenching clarity that Isha was not breathing.

"Isha?" Celestine gently reached down and cupped the goddess's head in her gauntleted palm, the way her skull rolled limply does not bode well. The canonesses, Greyfax, Laura, Yuki, Nikki and Lita had formed a tight circle around Celestine as she carefully, slowly, hefted Isha off the ground, her free arm went to wrap around the goddess's willowy waist. "Isha, can you hear me? Please Isha, say something. Open your eyes, please, you have won, the daemons are no more."

"Oh no, oh no, oh no…" Lita sobbed and her friends drew her into an encompassing hug, all of them supporting each other, tears brimming in their eyes.

"You cannot die," Celestine went on, soothing yet stern in timbre as she held the unmoving Isha closer to her. "Victory is ours this day, so rise goddess of life and basks in your triumph."

"…Triumph?"

Celestine let out a gasp of relief, never had a weak raspy voice sounded so beautiful to her ears. Tightening her hold on the stirring woman in her arms, and stopping herself just in time before outright hugging the goddess, she doubt such image would be received well by the canonesses, Celestine felt tears flooding her eyes when Isha, her breathe returning slowly, blinked away the bleary gloom and looked at her.

"Yes, Isha," Celestine nodded. "The Greater Daemons had been banished, you are triumphant."

"No," Isha shook her head and reached her hand slowly up toward Celestine. She should have recoiled, to let her skin be marred by a xeno was an affront to her sanctity and that of the God Emperor, the most appropriate reaction was to slap the hand away. Celestine did nothing of the sort, instead she allowed Isha to lay a gentle hand on her cheek, the touch was soft and she can feel their power interacting, not in hostility but harmony, the sensation was pleasantly warm. "It was you who destroyed the daemons and freed me from their imprisonment."

"A task I could not have accomplish without your assistance," Celestine said. "Thank you."

"Thank you…" Isha exhaled lowly and her hand dropped from Celestine's cheek, her eyes lost its focus and fluttered closed soon after.

"Ah! Isha!" Warseer Lita squealed and Celestine leaned down so that her head was a hairbreadth away from Isha's face. It came hoarsely, but Celestine can feel Isha's weak breathing caressed her ears.

"Not to worry lady Warseer, the goddess is simply asleep. Unsurprising really, given everything she had endured," Celestine shifted Isha gently in her arms so that she would be more comfortable, well, as comfortable as metal gauntlets and arm guards could be. She glanced up at the surrounding canonesses then, returning their guarded joy with a smile of her own. "Well, I would be the first to say that this is a success, wouldn't you agree?"

"Indeed my lady! Domine libra nos!" Galatea bellowed and thrust her zweihander into the air.

"Domine libra nos!" Her canoness sisters intoned with equal volume and heart, but even then Isha didn't wake.

"The Emperor protects," Celestine swept her gaze around the empty hall, the cancerous growth that had dominated the place was turning to dusty specks, leaving behind corroded, but clean, holes where Nurgle had left his diseased touch. "What is to happen now?"

"The goddess will be transported to a maximum security holding facility, where she will remain until we deemed her ready to be release," Bellona explained sharply, earning immediate ire from Warseer Lita. "Even then she will be heavily under guard to make sure that no undesirable incident occurs with the populace of the Immortal Spirit."

"Unnecessary cruel and stupid," exarch Yuki spoke up, the woman not hiding her distaste for the Bloody Rose canoness's suggestion. "She needs to be taken care of and nursed back to health, not treated like a fucking prisoner. And you seriously think the Aeldari are gonna stand for this?"

"Hell, I wouldn't stand for this, and I'm sure I speak for a lot of human on the Immortal Spirit when I say that the average Janes and Joes will not be cool with this," Laura pipped up, pointedly ignoring the blistering Greyfax. "Bloody Throne just look at her, she need a bed, not a cage."

"There will be a bed in her cage," Morelia scoffed with clear acid, the canonesses who shared her opinion grinned with the same malice.

"And my accommodation?" Celestine cut in before the eldars can respond to the callous words. "Have anything been prepared for myself?"

"Uh, yes my lady Saint, your abode has indeed been prepared," Crestienne, the canoness of the Argent Shroud, said. "It is the largest suite located on the eastern quadrant of the Sororitas sector, just a short walk from the Solar Chapel, our grandest, holiness, and newest chamber for prayer and reflection."

"Then that is where I shall remain with Isha," shifting the sleeping goddess in her arms into the correct position, and ignoring the shock gasps resounding around her, Celestine rose to her feet and glanced at the flabbergasted Crestienne, "if you would be so kind to show me the way please."

"Celestine, you cannot do this," Greyfax shouldered passed Laura to come and stand before her, barring the way. "I am willing to tolerate the assistance you have bestowed upon the xeno, but this? Enough is enough. Do not soil yourself further with this association."

"I have to agree with the lady inquisitor," Galatea added her objection. "Such display can cause misunderstanding and confusion that goes beyond the Immortal Spirit battlegroup, the Imperium at large will see this as an act of apotheosis."

"This is ordained by the God Emperor, I know this to be true without a doubt now," Celestine declared, her volume and timbre unwavering, complete in the surety of her action. She waited, and allowed herself an internal smile when neither the canonesses nor Greyfax contradicted her. "Since arriving on Izennir, I have been lost. But after the exorcism, and having witness the goddess Isha, all doubts have fled from me." Celestine looked at each canoness in turn, holding their gaze for several heartbeats before moving on. "The God Emperor's machination is an enigma. He sees and understands more than any of us can comprehend, and I have faith that He will never lead us toward damnation."

"We have faith," the canonesses intoned as one.

"His will be done," Celestine said and returned her attention to Crestienne, "my abode, lady canoness."

"Of course my lady Saint, please follow me," Crestienne shouldered her power halberd and slammed the butt to the floor, prompting the other canonesses to form a protective column around Celestine, the speed, precision and synchronization was a thing of beauty. Canoness Galatea took her place on Celestine's left, a less than happy Greyfax on her right, while Lita, Laura, Yuki and Nikki simply milled about near her.

"You should accompany me, inquisitor Greyfax," Celestine grinned at Katarinya as the column started for the entrance. "To make sure that no corruption befalls me and that Isha remains free of daemonic possession."

"I shall do as you ask," Greyfax said snappishly then fixed Isha with a glare. "But I am not doing this for her."

"Seriously though, you need to stay outside the door," inquisitor Laura spoke up and Greyfax's hand twitched toward her bolter. "I mean, Christ, I'm not letting Isha get hurts because someone suddenly got trigger happy."

"She can heal herself, technically," exarch Yuki shrugged. "But yeah, Isha suffered enough, so I would ask you kindly, lady inquisitor Greyfax, that you do not harm her eminence, and be a little openminded."

Greyfax stared levelly at Yuki, who returned the gesture unblinking. Her eyes then slipped to Celestine, and after she soften her visage into one of earnest pleading, Greyfax fixed her sight forward and mumbled lowly, "fine then."

"Yo, I'm sorry to interrupt, but did we really just win this shit?" Exarch Nikki piped up and the change in atmosphere was poignant. Shoulders squared, back straightened, even a few smiles ghosted shyly across brightening visages.

"We did," Lita bobbed her head giddily then leapt at her friends, all of them hugging and laughing. Celestine smiled, such genuine display of honest camaraderie was a rare thing in this day and age. "We did! We really did!"

"Gotta give everybody the good news," Yuki tapped her data-slate quickly and glanced at the canonesses. "You guys are going down to join the purge, right?"

"After we see to it that Isha is settled, then yes, we shall go to Izennir and personally see to the planet's destruction," Galatea said with fervor and her colleague roared their ascent, causing Isha to whimper and curled deeper into Celestine's arms.

"I wish you well on your endeavor, sister canonesses," Celestine said. "Me and inquisitor Greyfax will remain on the Immortal Spirit with Isha."

"Really? I mean, you don't want to go back down there and kick some arses?" Laura spoke up. "Considering what those degenerate fuckers plan to do to you?"

"They have failed and here I am unscathed. There is no reason for me to have anything more to do with Izennir," Celestine told Laura. "Besides, my attention is needed elsewhere."

"You're the boss," Laura held up her thumb to Celestine then swipe a finger over the data-slate built into her armguard. "Hey Yuki, get the message across the battlegroup's communication channels, I'm breaking the good news to our brave lads."