Part XIII

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In an instant, it seemed the entire room froze in absolute dismay as it came crashing down around the sisters of battle. In an instant, Sisters drew all manner of weapons on each other as first blood is drawn in an ocean full of sharks.

"Purge the heretics!" Roared Mirabel as she thrust her sword into the air.

As one, Sister slaughtered Sister in an orgy of bloodshed. Their every thought clouded by indoctrinated instinct they climbed over each other to tear into perceived enemies everywhere. Screaming and crying they clawed at each other with reckless abandon.

Rosetta made it onto the tribunal stage and hurled herself at Mirabel. With her momentum, she slammed into the Canoness with such immense force that she knocked Mirabel's blade free from her hand and smashed Mirabel into the ground.

Holding Mirabel down with her forearm to the Canoness' neck she pulled off her red hood and revealed her weeping face. Streams of red-hot tears poured down her face as she frowned and gritted her teeth.

"Why? You had it all! You were the best of us!"

Mirabel stared into Rosetta's fiery eyes with a rage of her own.

"I thought the same of you."

"You betrayed us!"

"You abandoned us!"

Rosetta lifted her arm only to wrap her hand around Mirabel's neck. Almost choking her she shook the woman's neck.

"I was left with no choice!"

"Really? Were you left with no choice? Or did the daemon within you give you none?"

Rosetta's eyes turned from anger to sorrow. Rosetta panicked as she recoiled at the mention of Aura.

"How?"

"Oh, please you think no one would notice your inhuman dexterity?"

Without delay, Mirabel punched Rosetta across the face with all her might knocking her over. Mirabel arose back onto her feet, picked up her sword and reactivated it. Staring at the blade as it glowed bright and blue all the while lightning shot back and forth across its surface as she began to speak.

"I have listened to wisdom beyond our comprehension. I know so much... I even know this... Gwen'thalas."

As soon as Mirabel uttered this name Aura's will was torn asunder. Both she and Rosetta cried out and screamed in pain as the very chains that bonded them together were tugged and pulled. As Their connection was being violently torn apart.

"Begone Gwen'thalas! I call upon you, daemon by your true name! Heed me! I cast you out!"

Rosetta roared in anger as Aura screamed in agony.

"Begone, Gwen'thalas!"

Aura roared in anger and outrage as she burned up and went silent. All of a sudden, the world sped up and Aura's warmth vanished. Rosetta t held her hands up and stared at them in perplexed despair.

At once, Mirabel lunged forward and slashed down at Rosetta. Rosetta rolled around Mirabel's left and drew Alexis' chainsword. She stood up holding it at the ready against the Canoness.

Thereupon the tribunal Rosetta faced off against Mirabel. She raised Alexis' chainsword against her lady.

"Mirabel! Why? You were the greatest of us! You lead us to glory so many time! Why this?" Cried Rosetta in disbelief as red-hot tears of rage and despair flowed down her face.

Mirabel merely smirked as she stared at her crackling blade.

"Funny. I thought the same as you once." She growled.

"End this now!" Rosetta cried.

"You stand in my way... Have at you!"

With all her might, Mirabel charged forth, slashing overhead with her sword. Rosetta stepped back and the Canoness slammed her foot on the floor and flipped over as she launched herself into the air. Bringing her death down from above she forced Rosetta to the left.

Rosetta struck back with an underhand slash upwards. Mirabel shielded herself with her right pauldron. Allowing Rosetta's chainsword to scrape the ornate gold off in a storm sparks and flying shards she spun around and struck back with a precise thrust.

The Repentia dodged to the left again only to have Mirabel's elbow slam into her face as the Canoness spun around back the other way and with a mighty overhead slash, Mirabel cut Alexis' chainsword in two. Then Mirabel recoiled and lashed out, thrusting her blade once more for a kill.

Rosetta wrapped her right arm around Mirabel's sword arm and twisted it. Forcing Mirabel to drop her sword and pulling herself in close and with her left she landed punch after punch upon the Canoness' face.

Mirabel struck back by launching a single powerful strike at Rosetta's chest. Rosetta blocked and lashed out again. This time breaking her lady's nose. A stream of blood spurt from Mirabel's nostrils and she roared in outrage.

In her anger, she lashed out, grabbed Rosetta by the neck and with a loud thud slammed her into the wooden floor. Wood and bones cracked, splintered and snapped as bare flesh was smashed against the hardwood.

Rosetta gasped as she felt her life almost slip from her grasp. All around her those loyal to Lady Mirabel stood victorious as they gathered around he body. Mirabel herself among them bent over to pick up her blade.

Again, Rosetta cursed herself as she found herself in an all too familiar situation. This loathsome state, immobile, helplessly trapped in a broken body; oh how she hated it.

"Keep her alive. I want the daemon that festers within!" Ordered Mirabel.

"But my Lady. It isn't time yet." Complained a Celestian.

"Don't you deny me, girl! I will not be denied this power!"

The world began to spin in Rosetta's mind as her vision blurred. Soon darkness took her and she became numb and passed out of all recollection.

-//-

Stirred from her slumber she found herself immobile and deprived of all but the most basic of senses. She could not see nor hear, all she could do was feel. To her horror, she felt a scalpel cut into her insides.

She tried to scream, to wiggle, to twitch, to do anything but her body would not obey. She cried out into her mind begging an empty void for Aura's return. Fingers, vile, cold and uncaring dug into her guts.

They pulled her apart in search of the jewel. She thought of it and found herself within it. Her body was still healing. The traitor Sisters sought to fight her regenerative abilities with frantic cutting, pulling and destroying.

With brute force, they dug into an ever closing hole. Rosetta rejoiced as she realised that while Aura was gone, this jewel still anchored her to this realm. Bit by bit, as Rosetta learned to exercise her power she took heart in the fact that some measure of Aura's presence will always remain.

"There! Under the ribcage, upon the heart! There it is!" One of them exclaimed.

She sensed the other one come closer to look for a moment.

"Right. Get the hammer. We'll break it out of there."

Rosetta managed to barely open one eye and see the hospitaller receive a small hammer. Suddenly, they froze and tried to squeal with silenced voices as their very flesh and bones broke down. Devolving into a liquid mess, it flowed down their collapsing armour and collected in pools on the floor.

Rosetta watched as three hooded figures seemed to materialise out of nowhere. One, a tall, broad figure stood towering over Rosetta. His glowing red eyes shining through the darkness of his hood. A golden pendant in the form of the stylised 'I' of the Inquisition hung from his neck.

"Is this the one?" He asked with a deep artificial voice.

"Yes, she is our solution." Answered Mimir.

The Inquisitor nodded and stepped aside as the third man came up an draped her in a spare cloak. Then as one, they all disappeared once more. Like ghosts, they slipped through empty halls, swiftly, silently, unbeknownst to all but each other.

It was not long before she was able to move again. The sounds of battle rumbled and roared in the distance. A particularly powerful explosion shook the halls kicking up plumes of dust from the cracking ceiling.

-//-

Soon they passed through the halls and down into a network of trenches. The world filled with the deafening thunder of detonating munitions. The bark of bolter fire, screams of the desperado and bloodthirsty alike blasted into Rosetta's ears.

Wyvern's Citadel was under siege. Defiant and strong Mirabel led her sisters in the valiant defence of her fledgeling domain. In her delirium, Rosetta could not tell who they fought. Whatever foe it was, had already taken the city and is now tightening the noose on the Keep.

Soon she managed to restore her vision in time to see Mirabel in her full terrible glory. Leading one final charge she faced the foe hidden in the streets and houses all around the keep. Then from the sky fell fire.

Columns of fire and smoke billowed out in the wake of falling stars. Streams of high calibre fire reached into the sky to pluck them out of existence. Such was the monstrous speeds at which they fell, they could only be one thing. A bombardment of Adeptus Astartes Drop Pods.

They slammed into the earth with the might of the dark gods their riders worshipped. Spewing firepower upon the sisters their assault ramps opened and Legionnaires of the Emperor's Children Legion poured forth in a blur of speed.

Rosetta hissed as she could no longer tack their movements as she once could. Then her self-loathing gave way to despair as a familiar voice boomed over the battlefield. Then a bright blue flash exploded amidst the smoke.

"DID YOU THINK THAT YOUR PETS COULD KILL ME?! I AM ETERNAL!" Roared Arcanus.

Rosetta's eyes darted back and forth looking for him. Looking, looking for a sign, a sight that would reveal him. It didn't take much to see it. He stood twelve tall and proud in a golden suit of tartaros pattern terminator armour.

With ease, he wielded a master-crafted halberd with precision and speed as he waded through rank upon rank of Sororitas. Surrounded by three fellow terminators he sliced, diced and crushed a bloody path into the fortress until Mirabel faced him.

Singled out amidst the combat. The terminators charged the Canoness and her Celestians. In a brilliant display of might and skill, they became entangled in a struggle to the death. With might and endurance pitted against grace and speed.

Powered Halberds rent flesh and powerful fists battered bodies as the Legionnaires demonstrated their might. The Sisters answered with melta and plasma. Overwhelming one in a torrent of fire. Mirabel herself got behind another and blasted a single melta shot through the torso.

Growing contempt with the slaughter of Sisters, Arcanus indulged in an inhuman bloodlust, maiming and butchering all before him before letting them die at his massive feet. Here he reigned, supreme.

It is here with the sharpened steel of his blade he returned with a vengeance. His very presence was a reminder. A reminder all must heed. This is his world. These are his lands and his people. No one, not even the vaunted Adepta Sororitas will change that.

"HA! WORMS! THE GODDESS ANATHEMA! WHERE IS SHE?! GLORIOUS BATTLE MUST BE REJOINED!" Arcanus' voice boomed once more.

-//-

By now, the inquisitor had made it into the streets and away from the battle. All around him the citizens watched on in horror as hell broke loose with every bolt fired and warrior slane. Rosetta watched as they didn't stop running.

Soon they came upon a plaza. There, an Aquila lander awaited them with a stormtrooper escort. Encased in black battle plate they stood by with lenses and gun barrels glowing red. Ready to eliminate any who trespass.

With but a few muted clicks from the Inquisitor's hood they all returned to the flyer and the pilots started the engines. They made it onboard and with a final click the ship closed all doors and powered up the engines.

Unseen and unknown, they slipped away in the heat of battle. Cunning and silent, such are the ways the Imperium's agents.

-//-

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