18 18: First Steps of Redemption

Violet was completely in her element. She'd never been able to go all out like this before. No longer was there the worry of exposing herself to the world and getting taken away by some representative of the greater Imperium. Worries like those were for people who survived.

She also didn't have to worry about losing herself to Chaos anymore. Thanks to Octus and events she still didn't understand, Violet's eternal soul was insulated from the corruptive influence of the Warp. She had the Emperor's blessing as one of his Sanctified Psykers. It wasn't foolproof but it was damn close and her protection was powered by the Emperor Himself.

So Violet was able to really let loose and do whatever she needed to make sure they survived the Daemonic assault. She'd never used telekinesis before this but once she started, she found that it was like flexing a long-forgotten muscle. She was stiff at first but quickly adjusted to the intoxicating feeling of power.

Bolts of telekinetic force poured out of her in great volleys of power. She began to float almost unconsciously. She even managed to find a way to split her focus enough to continue using her telepathy to bolster morale.

Violet felt like a goddess on the battlefield. Like she could do anything and everything with her newfound power. Yet she still did not let it go to her head. For one, they were still losing. Their defensive line was holding for now but the onslaught of Daemons was neverending.

And though she was sanctified and protected from the whispers of the Warp, the temptation to completely give in to the Hellish power was still there. She pushed it back with the sheer force of her will, placing her faith in the Emperor and the blessing he had laid upon her soul.

She fought for her fellows and her best friend. She fought for Octus who had fallen earlier in the battle, who had given his life so Sister Sabine may live. She fought for her home and the ever-enduring Imperium of Man. She fought to push back the waves of darkness that desired nothing more than to completely engulf the light of Humanity.

If the Warp was a raging inferno of malicious Warpfire and cruel, corruptive intent, Violet walked through it with a suit made entirely of the Emperor's light. The Anathema to everything that was Chaos wrapped around her, keeping her cool and collected under the assault of the Warp. The Chaos gods would never be able to reach her as long as He-on-Terra kept her under His psychic aegis. She was a bastion of His Order, floating through the tempestuous sea of Chaos.

The expression of her power brought the blessing of the Emperor into the physical space around Violet. Her eyes and aura glowed resplendent with His colors. Feelings of conviction and righteous fury radiated off of her, settling into the hearts of every Human there. Violet could've been easily mistaken for one of His holy Saints at that moment.

Violet floated at the forefront of Humanity's defense. Her gaze might as well have been made of lasers with how it carved through the Daemonic hordes. Nurglings and Horrors were crushed to a pulp with the lightest squeezes of her hands. Corrupted projectiles of decay and mutation bounced off of a solid golden shield around her. The walls of the Hive around her shook and crumbled as she used them as ammunition for her own telekinetically-propelled projectiles.

She was so caught up in her defense that she didn't notice a very familiar mind approach her from behind, "Yo, Violet! Yer doin' great!"

Violet whirled around in mid-air, scanning the ground below her for the source of the familiar voice. She caught sight of Octus grinning up at her and stopped to gaze at him in shock. It… It shouldn't be possible for him to be standing there, whole and healthy, and yet there he was…

"O-O-Octus? Y-You're alive?" Even as a psychic goddess of the Emperor's will, Violet's stutter still persisted.

Octus made a show of checking himself over, "I mean… yeah, I'm pretty sure I am. Look, I can move and everything."

The verbal confirmation was all it took to break Violet's composure. Though she'd only known Octus for a couple of days, he'd already become someone second only to Diana in her life. He'd accepted her for what she was and was key in letting her gain the attention and blessing of the Emperor. It also helped that he had this magnetic pull to him that made him so easy to like and love.

From her position floating above the defenders' line, Violet exploded into motion. The shockwave of her sudden movement flowed backward, washing over the horde of Daemons and pushing them all the way back to the portal for a moment. All along the line, defenders breathed a brief sigh of relief.

Violet slammed into Octus' chest, forcing him to take a step back to absorb her momentum. The bruises on his chest from the impact healed before he could even notice them. Violet's arms wrapped around him and she hugged herself to him as if trying to verify that he was real. The size difference between the two and Violet's still-visible psychic might made for an interesting scene for all those watching.

Octus couldn't help but absently note how amazingly soft Violet felt in his arms as he waited for her to compose herself. Violet's emotions wanted to run rampant. They were only held in check by the Emperor's blessing and the knowledge of what losing control of her emotions would mean for a Psyker like Violet. Still, grief and catharsis flowed through her veins. She let out shuddering sighs as her mind accepted that Octus really was back from the dead.

"H-How?…" Violet eventually asked in a breathy whisper.

Octus chuckled, sending Violet's heart fluttering from the vibrations of his chest, "I wanna know that too. Gotta be a miracle or somethin', right?"

Violet shook her head against Octus' chest, "Y-You still feel just like you did before you… d-died… I-If it was a miracle, wouldn't you have a bigger trace of His light on you? I-I think c-coming back to l-life was all you…"

"Huh," Octus blinked. "Well, that's cool and all, but it isn't really important at the moment."

Violet gaped up at him, "H-How is your immortality not important?!"

Octus' expression grew uncharacteristically serious, "'Cause — and I'm just guessing here — none of the rest of y'all are immortal. And we still got a Daemon problem to take care of. That's what I came to talk to ya 'bout. We could use yer help, Violet."

Violet, seeing his shift in tone, nodded and suppressed her stutter, "Anything, Octus. What do you need me to do?"

From there, Octus quickly brought Violet up to speed. She agreed to do what she could to help. She then levitated them both back to the tank to meet with Sabine and the others.

There was a bit of tension between Violet and Sona when they met face to face. While Sona was fine, Violet was deeply uncomfortable in the 'normal' woman's presence. It wasn't just the fact that Sona had previously been the enemy. There was a bone-deep feeling of queerness that Violet had never experienced before and while uncomfortable, she quickly overcame it through necessity and willpower.

The brief moment of respite Violet's burst of movement and the shockwave that followed had caused had passed. The Daemons who hadn't been killed streamed back toward the Human defenders. They were reinforced by even more from the portal. All of them now knew they needed to close the portal if they wanted any chance of preventing the whole planet from being overrun.

"Ready, girls?" Octus asked.

He'd stepped up and taken charge of the 'portal-closing' operation without even realizing it. No one questioned his presumption of authority. It just felt natural, felt right. He was a man born to lead, even if he wasn't the typical example of a leader that one would think of. His charisma was magnetic and the way he carried himself swept up all those who followed him in his own unique wave of personality.

"Yes, Dadd-… Octus…" Violet and Sona said at the same time. They exchanged glances and silently agreed not to mention their collective slip-up.

"Lady? Lacey?" Octus asked, still deferring to his Commissar slightly.

Both of Octus' oldest friends nodded. Lady did so with a small smile on her face. It was good seeing Octus come into his own. That wasn't to say he wasn't an amazing man before this deployment but getting the love of an honest-to-Emperor Sister of Battle had done wonders for his confidence.

"Right," Octus nodded in satisfaction. "Let's get this show on the road."

Vox signals were sent between the half-dozen tanks that formed the backbone of the defensive line. On Lady's orders, they would all fire upon the unholy tear in reality, hoping to force it closed. It would also have the fortunate side effect of stemming the tide of Daemons with hundreds of pounds of explosive tank rounds. Once Octus deemed the portal had reached saturation, he would give the signal for Sona and Violet to begin their parts.

As one, the first volley from the tanks was sent screaming toward the Hellish rift. The edges of the portal flickered and shuddered but did not shrink. If anything, the rift just seemed to grow angry, spewing more and more Daemons to compensate for the bombardment it had just received.

The second volley was more staggered thanks to the differences between the tanks' crews. Still, another hundred-plus pounds of depleted uranium was sent into the portal. And though none of the rounds ignited due to the lack of metal amongst the Daemonic horde, the force and density of the rounds allowed them to punch through Daemonic flesh as if they were flimsy sheets of paper and parchment.

The concussive force of the explosions and the psychic backlash of hundreds of Daemons dying in an instant caused the portal's edges to waver even more. A few seconds later, the process was repeated with a third volley. Then a fourth. By the fifth, the portal seemed like it was gasping for breath. That's when Octus let loose the true brunt of the assault.

His arm fell and Sona's finger followed it, pressing down on the plunger in her hand and setting off nearly a quarter of a ton of plastic explosives. For an instant, everyone there witnessed a tiny star being formed. Instead of expanding outward faster than the speed of sound, the fiery gas and concussive force of the mighty explosion were sucked into the portal. The defenders didn't even feel a breeze.

And while the portal was sputtering out smoke like a dying engine, Violet launched her attack to put the final nail in its coffin. Almost tangible psychic hands gripped the edges of the portal. The Emperor's blessing flowed through Violet's mind, causing the already struggling rift to struggle even more. It knew it would die here. And with outstretched arms, glowing eyes, and an Emperor-reinforced will, Violet enforced her vision onto reality. She… squeezed.

There was a mind-rending screech as the portal was compressed and the ripped edges of reality were forced back together. The rift fought as if it had a will of its own but it was already too weak. Streaks of golden fire suffused the portal like cracks. Then the whole thing shattered. Reality and Order reasserted themselves, rocketing the portal the rest of the way closed. The wound in the fabric of the Materium was sewn back together by a golden thread guided by Violet's will.

Everyone there held their breaths as if they were expecting the portal to rip back open at any moment. No one cheered yet. They all wanted to be sure this was the end before they celebrated. The Daemons that remained were easy pickings for the defenders now that the portal was closed. And as the last Daemon fell and began to disintegrate back into the Warp, the reality of their victory set in for the Human defenders.

Sighs of relief and cheers could be heard all up and down the defensive line. Tears were shed and some of the defenders collapsed right where they stood. It was over. They'd… won. And though the Guardsmen remained somewhat disciplined in the face of victory, the same could not be said for the Zionites.

These unassuming Underhivers had done the impossible. They'd held out long enough for proper reinforcements to arrive and been instrumental in saving their Hive, their homes. They'd stood up in the face of the unknown and the unnatural, declared it wasn't welcome in their home, and even prevailed in the end.

Atop the command tank, Octus and his friends watched the last moments of the heretical rebellion. It truly looked to be the end of their troubles for now. The last of the invading Daemons lay dying around the site of the now-closed portal. The last of the cultists had sacrificed themselves for the ritual to be completed. Even one of the driving forces of the cult and rebellion was taken care of, Sona having firmly switched up her loyalties with no intention of ever going back.

Diana and Miko joined the group atop the tank at some point. Diana hugged Violet to her breast with pride. Still glowing slightly from her psychic might, Violet blushed and let herself relax into the embrace. Miko settled in near Sabine, still panting from her near-constant exertion on the front lines of the defense against the Daemonic assault. Her bunny ears twitched happily when Sabine graced her with a nod, acknowledging her efforts.

Sona lingered on the edge of the group. She knew now that the danger had passed, the time had come to pay her due. She wasn't confident in escaping the righteous wrath of Sabine's grudge, to say nothing of the others she had wronged. Octus, noticing something similar, met Sona's gaze. He gave her a small reassuring nod. He would not block her punishment but he would vouch for her ultimate change of heart and petition for leniency and redemption.

Though Sabine had begun to look at Sona through new eyes, she was not one to completely let go of her grudges. No matter how relatable Sabine felt Sona was or how sympathetic her situation was, that didn't change enough. In Sabine's eyes, Sona still needed to be punished for her traitorous actions and short-sighted allegiances. Her gaze sought out the turncoat and fixed her with a stone-cold stare. Sona froze, knowing that her time of reckoning had come.

"Will you face your consequences with dignity, Sona?" Sabine asked severely.

Sona gulped and gave a shaky nod. Lady, confused by these new events, sidled up to Octus and asked a question out of the corner of her mouth, "Your girlfriend seems mighty pissed at a girl who just helped save the day… What's that all about, big guy?"

Octus flinched, "Sona was… kinda… sorta… responsibleforthe ritualinthefirstplace!"

Lady blinked, "Run that by me one more time, Octus."

"She's not anymore!" Octus hurried to explain. "I convinced her to have a change of heart and switch sides. And she really did help us for what I'm pretty sure are the right reasons! But, yeah… she kinda used to be that Maestro character…"

Octus avoided looking at Lady for fear of her reaction to that news. That fear wasn't helped by the fact that Lady had suddenly gone completely and utterly silent. After a couple of seconds of silence, Octus worked up the courage to look at his Commissar. She was looking back at him with a considering look on her face, though Octus could also see the irritation and frustration that lurked just under the surface.

"Octus…" Lady asked slowly. "What makes you think she can be redeemed?"

"Uh… She's pretty and nice to me… Err, that came out wrong…" Octus said the first thing that came to his mind before collecting himself and trying to make his case. "I meant to say she hasn't been outright hostile to any of us, not even Sabine. Even the whole 'kidnapping me' business was more of a misunderstanding than anything malicious. She didn't even tie me up. And since she 'switched sides', she's been nothing but cooperative and helpful. She's genuinely remorseful for her actions as far as I could tell. She's shown me that she wants to change and that's enough for me to extend a hand."

Lady closed her eyes to take a deep breath. When she opened her, it was clear a decision had been made, "Octus. Do you trust her?"

"Well, I-I mean-…" Octus started to make an excuse then he saw the serious and significant look Lady had in her eyes. "Yeah… Yeah, I guess I do."

Lady nodded, resolute in her decision now that she had the word directly from Octus' mouth, "Then we'll give her a chance. She'll still have to prove she can change by herself but you may well be her only shot at redemption."

"Thank you…" Octus said, unaware of how much Lady's decision would mean to him until he heard her final ruling.

Lady smirked and the serious and weighty aura that hung around the Commissar disappeared in an instant, "You'll be responsible for reining in Sabine though. We don't want her 'punishment' to get out of hand and ruin your little pet project before it can begin, do we?~"

The return of Lady's trademark playful attitude managed to get a chuckle out of Octus, "No, no we don't. But she won't go too overboard… right?…"

While Octus and Lady were talking, Sabine and Sona were in their own little world. Nothing but the other person mattered to the former enemies turned… something. They couldn't say that they were friends yet but the seed of possibility was there. So long as they got over their differences and past squabbles now and didn't let them fester. Of course, the main thing they had in common — one blessed, lovable, and apparently immortal himbo — made for a powerful motivator for both of the women.

Still, Sabine wasn't about to allow Sona to get away scot-free, "How do you plead, Sona, for your crimes as the Maestro?"

"Guilty…" Sona muttered. "But willing to repent!"

Despite herself, Sabine couldn't suppress a snort of humor, "So heard… As a Daughter of the Emperor, I shall take it upon myself to decide your punishment."

Sona nodded hesitantly, submitting herself to Sabine's judgment. She waited with bated breath for the Sister to speak her fate. Unknown to Sona and everyone else there, Sabine had already decided on a method of punishment. It was one that may or may not kill two birds with one stone.

Sabine was not ignorant of Sona's… attractiveness. Nor was she ignorant of the connection she seemed to share with Octus. She wasn't opposed to these facts either. If anything, the connection made things easier for what she had planned.

If Octus wanted to be Sona's redemption, Sabine would let him. She would place Sona beneath him and make her swear an oath of absolute loyalty and obedience. Not once did the morality of what was essentially slavery cross Sabine's mind. Such was honestly a light punishment for the grimdark 41st millennium.

This way, Sona would be kept close to Octus at all times so he would be able to keep her in check and on the path of redemption. This meant Sona would be close to Sabine as well since, of course, Sabine did not plan on leaving Octus' side after this deployment, or ever again for that matter.

It also gave Sabine a headstart with something she'd been planning since she met Octus. Something that her mind had not consciously acknowledged until she realized the true extent of her feelings for the himbo Guardsman. Sabine Hallow would build Octus Humblestock a harem.

She would obviously still be number one in his heart. But Octus carried too much greatness within his heart to not share with others. Now that she'd recognized her feelings, she could see the same feelings in the other women that surrounded Octus. Lacey, Lady, Sona, and Violet were the most prominent of those Octus had unintentionally seduced.

And if Sabine was honest with her more deeply hidden… tastes, the idea just really turned her on. The idea of Octus spreading his greatness, his legacy, his seed to as many women as Sabine deemed worthy of his attention… It sparked a fire in Sabine's loins that only grew hotter and hotter the more she thought about it.

And now… Sabine had options. Sona would be the first of Octus' women, second after Sabine herself of course. But she would have to be the bottom bitch on the metaphorical totem pole. She was still being 'punished' after all. No, Sabine's options came in how Sona's oath could be enforced.

She could make the oath a purely verbal thing and just trust Sona to stick to her word. And while Sabine was sure that would work under the proper supervision, there was another way to enforce Sona's future loyalty. Her eyes found Violet standing just a little way away. That's right… A Psyker was available… One that specialized in telepathy and telekinesis if Sabine's hunch was correct.

"Sona," Sabine addressed the 'accused'. "You will swear an oath of complete and utter loyalty. The oath bearer will then be responsible for keeping you on a very tight leash."

"T-To you?" Sona asked hesitantly. "I didn't think you would want to have me around that much…"

A mischievous smirk grew across Sabine's face, "No… to Octus. He is your redemption, is he not? Surely, you will have no problem earning that redemption from directly under his boot."

Internally, Sona breathed a sigh of relief. That was about the best outcome she could've hoped for, especially since she would be sworn to Octus and no one else. Outwardly, she simply nodded. Octus moved to protest but Sabine's next words silenced everyone there.

"Violet shall be the one to seal the oath. I expect her to use the full extent of her Emperor-granted powers," Sabine spoke the second sentence with the barest hint of a threat in her voice.

Violet squeaked but nodded quickly. Octus finally got a chance to voice his concerns, "Is this really necessary, Sabine? A mind control oath seems like a bit much… Can she even be redeemed if her mind isn't her own?"

"Oh, but it is," Sabine elaborated. "If she is oath sworn like this, she will never turn back to Chaos. Neither you nor her own mind will ever allow it. It is simply additional insurance in case the worst comes to pass."

"L-Let's just get this over with," Sona said after taking a fortifying breath.

"I so swear my mind, my body, and my soul to be Octus Humblestock's to command and rule. My life is in your hands, Octus. Give me redemption or give me death, the choice is yours," Sona solemnly intoned.

Violet stepped up, trying to slide her mental fingers into Sona's mind to enforce her words. Her will bore down on Sona and… slipped off. She tried again and the same thing happened. Violet had never encountered anything like this. It was as if Sona's soul was resistant to her powers and out of her reach.

Violet nervously turned to Sabine, "U-U-Uh… it's not w-working…"

Sabine cocked her head but before she could question what the gothic Psyker meant, Lady spoke up as if she'd had a revelation, "Ah… Sona's a blank… That makes so much sense now. That's why she could turn her back on Chaos. The Ruinous Powers can't see her. They just knew their 'Maestro' role had been filled but not by whom."

Sabine hummed, considering Lady's hypothesis, "Hmm… that would explain the odd feeling of 'normality' that she claims to feel constantly. And maybe explain why she seeks out interesting events with such fervor…"

"So, uh… what does that mean for the oath?" Sona asked curiously.

"Your nature as a psychic null is both a nuisance and a comfort in my mind. We will never have to worry about you turning back to Chaos, as Commissar Lady has said, but we also must take you at your word. Will you stick to the oath, both wording and spirit?" Sabine asked.

"For Octus? Yes, absolutely," Sona nodded vigorously. "He is my redemption and now the master of my soul and fate."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Octus muttered to himself rhetorically.

"No," Sabine and Lady answered him anyway before Lady elaborated further. "You're too noble for your own good. You'd refuse Sona's oath without thinking about what that would really mean. This way, Sona has a modicum of protection by belonging to a loyal soldier of the Emperor and your pet project of redemption can go ahead without judging outside eyes. This is for the best for both of you."

"And you're okay without the mind control part of it, Sabine?"

Sabine nodded, "Yes. The spirit of the punishment is still there. So… congratulations, Sona. You have made the first step on the path to redemption. And I do not believe you could've found a better shepherd…"