Rest Eterna - Mission One

Sister Alicia rubbed her side; it had been a year since some unholy horror had torn her side open and it still itched from time to time. Much has changed since then. Peaceful Eterna had become a war zone as the dead woke from their internment and sought bitter vengeance on the living. The Sisterhood fought desperately to hold back the tide, and it was that desperation that had seen Alicia’s elevation from Novitiate to fully fledged Sister of Battle.

And now she, along with Sister Jenine and Superior Silvia, were headed back out into forests. They are joined by a fire team of four Battle Sisters and a pair of Novitiates that will act as a recon team. Superior Silvia briefs them on the mission objectives as the transport begins its final descent. They have been tasked with inspecting a number of graves and crypts, Command hoping to glean some intel on whatever sorcery is animating the dead. The transport drops them as close as possible and the team make their way out of the treeline and into the cemetery designated Epsilon-53.

The undead throw themselves at the Sisters task force.

No sooner have the team started towards their objectives do the undead shuffle out forward to greet them with slack jaws and grasping claws. Jenine and the fire team of Battle Sisters let loose a volley of bolter shells, but only one of the foul zombies’ crumples into the unkempt grass. Superior Silvia meanwhile unleashes a barrage with her condemnor bolter, the sigil-engraved stakes blasting two more of the undead from their feet.

It matters not however, as the undead lurch forward. One of them manages to get within striking distance of Silvia, the sudden movement catching the Superior by surprise. Only the armoured layers of her power armour keep her from joining the ranks of the dead. Half a heartbeat later Alicia crashes into the undead and smashes it to the ground. The two Novitiates skirt past the dwindling group of zombies and use their autoguns to send two more back to their graves. With the undead group all but eliminated the Sisters move towards their objectives. No sooner had Alicia finished off the final zombie with a burst from her bolter does another group lurch out of the trees towards Superior Silvia and her team.

They’re quick to react however, the Battle Sisters Fire Team and Jenine letting lose a salvo of bolter shots killing two of the zombies. Silvia and Alicia are more careful with their shots, both scoring hits that pitch two of the foul dead to the ground. One of them stays down but the other starts to silently pull itself back to its feet. Even worse, yet another group of undead lumber out from behind a crypt, making a beeline for the fire team. The Battle Sisters show no mercy, unleashing a torrent firepower into the newest horde. The bolter shells tear into the group, blowing two apart in showers of necrotic gore as the Battle Sisters shout to the glory of the God-Emperor.

A new horde is unleashed from behind the crypt

On the other side of the crypt, the two Novitiates manage to shoot another zombie dead as two more pitch themselves at Silvia and try to tear her armour apart with their warp-infused strength. The Superior fights back in earnest, pummelling one zombie to the floor and dispatching the other with a servo-assisted backhand that crushes its skull. With the area momentarily clear, Silvia orders Alicia and the fire team to clear out the remaining targets while she, Jenine and the Novitiates continue their primary objective. Sister Jenine lets off one final burst of fire, killing one of the undead, before jogging to keep pace with her Superior.

As ordered, the Battle Sisters gun down the last two zombies. As the corpses collapse an eerie quiet comes over the cemetery. Nothing stirs but the sound of a gentle breeze rustling the leaves of trees and power armoured boots crunching their way to a data terminal. Silvia takes the Data-Interrogator from her belt and connects it to the terminal. Pressing the activator rune the device whirs and clicks as the terminal screen lights up with data outputs.

The Sisters access the data terminals

While the Servo-Skull hunts down the data it needs, the Sisters consolidate around the crypts. The Novitiates nervously cast their autoguns from side to side, wary that at any moment the dead might return. Silvia watches the data scroll past, it’s meaningless to her, but hopefully someone at Command can make sense of it. Under her breath she whispers a Structured Query Litany; one normally used by the Mechanicus to aid in data searches. Long moments pass before the Data-Interrogator finally chimes its completion. And with that, Superior Silvia removes the device from the terminal and calls for the transport.

Debrief

Alicia kneels before the altar; hands balled into fists. Removed of her armour and skin still sore from the rites of cleansing, she attempts to find a measure of clarity within herself. Lost in thought, she doesn’t hear Sister Jenine approach. The elder Battle Sister notes the bolter on the altar; it has been stripped into several pieces for cleaning.

“Your weapon vexes you little one?” she asks the kneeling figure.

Alicia starts at the sound of Jenine’s voice and jumps to her feet. The younger Sister stammers out an apology before reaching for the bolter to resume its cleaning. Jenine places a gentle hand on Alicia’s arm to stop her. Taking up the cleaning rag in her bionic hand, Jenine resumes the cleaning process from where Alicia left off.

“I can do it Sister,” Alicia’s tone almost pleading.

“Of that I have no doubt,” Jenine responds. “But will it balance your humours?”

Her voice is calm, almost motherly, as she applies sacred oils to the working parts of the holy boltgun.

“When you were a Novitiate, you were a Preceptor, no?” she continued “You know the Forms of the Righteous Hammer yes?”

Alicia nods in the affirmative.

“Very well, little one. Begin.”

At the command Alicia starts to take herself through the motions. Moving her body as though she wields a two-handed mace, she mimics overhead arcs and jabs. Her muscles are quick to remember the Form that was drilled into her when she was a Novitiate. By the time she’s done, Alicia is breathing hard and sweat is dripping down her brow.

“Better?” Jenine asks, holding out the now cleaned and assembled bolter.

“Yes, Sister.” and she did feel better. Going through the Forms again had brought Alicia the clarity she was searching for.

“Then show me, little one.”

Alicia takes the bolter from Jenine and begins the process of stripping and cleaning it. This time she moves with practiced ease, removing and reapplying the anointed greases and holy oils of functioning. Her pace is quick but unhurried, her mind clear to the task at hand. In seemingly no time at all, the weapon is reassembled and Alicia presents it for inspection.

But Sister Jenine simply gives a nod of approval and pads silently out of the room.