19: An Inquisitor on the Horizon

Ashe Bellatrix considered herself a woman of action. She had to be to succeed as one of His vaunted and venerable Inquisitors. But that did not mean she acted without thinking. Nor did it mean her first choice was to resort to Exterminatus like… some of her Puritanical colleagues.

No… though decisive when she needed to be, Ashe Bellatrix was also a woman with a modicum of subtlety and discretion. Both things that she'd found were a rarity amongst even the ranks of the Inquisition. Things in the Imperium were not always what they appeared to be at first glance. Everything required further research and consideration, from the simplest Guardsman to His most loyal Astartes.

Such was the case with the latest lead she found herself following. She'd found herself called to the Charon System by the almost delirious mutterings of her Sanctified Psyker and the vague intuitions of her ship's Astropathic choir. Whispers on the tides of the Warp indicated that something important was happening here and she felt her presence was required.

When she arrived, Ashe Bellatrix found the system's most populated planet — Charon Prime — in open rebellion. Thankfully, multiple regiments of Imperial Guard forces had already been deployed and had mostly taken care of the situation by that time. Even an entire Lesser Order Militant of the Adepta Sororitas — the Order of the Silver Shroud — was active on the planet.

The concentration of loyal Imperial forces was more than enough for Ashe to sit back in orbit and further assess the situation. And though she didn't show it, she was more than a bit relieved inside. She would have been hard-pressed to put down a Hive World in open rebellion with only the forces she had on hand.

Ashe was not so presumptuous, nor did she have the clout, as to requisition anything bigger than an Imperial Frigate for her personal use. While her duties were important to the Imperium, so too were the duties of capital-class vessels. Even the loss of a single Light Cruiser spelled danger for a Sector's defense fleet.

Besides, a Sword-class Heavy Frigate was still more than decent for what Ashe could reasonably expect to encounter on her journies. If she encountered heavy resistance, either she was already expecting it and was traveling with reinforcement, or she would flee. Contrary to popular belief, Inquisitors did not travel with full-scale battle fleets. Their duties required a more subtle approach to situations and they did not engage in void combat all that often.

Ordos Xenos Inquisitors were the usual exception to that rule. Unless dealing with a simple Genestealer infestation, those Inquisitors and their expertise were needed to help repel immense invasions of Xenos origins. Subtlety was not often a tactic they were capable of employing in those situations.

For a Witch-hunter of the Ordos Hereticus like Ashe Bellatrix, though, subtlety was typically equal to success. It would not do to have a cult go to ground because an entire battle fleet appeared in orbit above their heads. That meant that Inquisitors like Ashe did not travel as if they were going to war.

In Ashe's case, she kept a single regiment of Imperial Guard in her service. It was a relatively large regiment and was further reinforced at each loyal world they stopped at. But if that regiment needed to be deployed, the situation had already gone tits up in a serious way. So the presence of Imperial forces in the Charon System was relieving news for the Radical Inquisitor.

She'd arrived at the end of the rebellion. Only one Hive City remained to be brought back into the Imperium's fold. Ashe was able to park her ship in orbit and begin collecting information. Via Vox radio, she spoke with those on the surface below she'd deemed important.

First, Ashe radioed the regimental headquarters that had been established on Charon Prime by the loyal Imperial Guard forces. She learned of the general strategic and tactical situation from them. They made it seem like this rebellion was a relatively standard affair.

The planet's stuck-up and arrogant nobles had gotten too big for their britches and led a coup against the Planetary Governor. They'd taken command of the local PDF forces and secured their stations of power and rule over Charon Prime. Most of the planet's citizenry didn't even know why they were fighting or even that they were the bad guys in this situation. As it typically went, some of the locals had surrendered to the Guard when asked, others did not.

What followed was a quick and brutal campaign of reconquest. The planet's Hives fell one by one. The uppity nobles were executed. And with the reinstatement of a loyal Planetary Governor, rule and order returned to most of Charon Prime. Now only one Hive held out from Imperial rule, seemingly the original source of the traitorous ideas.

Second, Ashe managed to get a hold of the Canoness of the Order of the Silver Shroud — the Adepta Sororitas Lesser Order Militant on the planet. Canoness Lilya reported much the same as the regimental headquarters. Her report went more in-depth with the situation on the ground. As expected, the Sisters of Battle were having no trouble pacifying baseline Humans. Heretics or not, they were still only made of squishy meat and going up against some of the Emperor's most elite soldiers.

Canoness Lilya also reported that her Order had suffered no unaccounted losses. As an Ordos Hereticus Inquisitor, Canoness Lilya felt Ashe was worthy of a bit more respect and deference than the Canoness would typically show. This meant Ashe was allowed additional information she might not have been otherwise. Most of the information was relatively unimportant — battlefield tactics and plans and details about the Order. The only thing that stood out as odd was when the Canoness reported one of her Sisters was temporarily lost but accounted for. It was an unusual tidbit of information and Ashe tucked it away in her mind for later.

Third, Ashe contacted each and every Guard regiment leader on the planet. All half of a dozen of them. What she heard there painted a slightly different picture.

She heard rumors and hearsay about strange happenings within this last Hive City. Resistance was more well-organized than expected. Almost none of this Hive's citizens laid down their arms and surrendered as the Guard had come to expect from the other Hives. Reports of loyal Guardsmen disappearing without a trace as if abducted into the ether. Feelings that something sinister was happening beneath it all.

But the straw that broke the back of Ashe's cautious skepticism was the report of the Commissar who put down the nobles who were supposedly responsible for this rebellion. By Ashe's judgment, Commissar Katrina Lady was a competent officer with a solid head on her shoulders, though a bit negligent when it came to manners and posturing. The Inquisitor was compelled to believe what she reported.

So when the Commissar spoke of the nobles, Ashe listened. Lady said that she and her regiment had fought their way to the center of the Hive City. They assaulted a well-fortified bunker there and when they broke through the defenses, they found the nobles. Lady reported the nobles as fanatical beyond reason, fighting, ranting, and raving until Lady put bullets in each of their skulls.

The Commissar also made claims of mutation and corruption among the nobles' numbers. Enough so that she'd sent all but her most loyal soldiers away so she could take care of the nobles herself. And even with the assumed head of the rebellion cut off, the Hive was not conquered. If anything, resistance became more fierce as if the citizens knew about the fates of the nobles and just didn't care.

Commissar Lady reported something else concerning as well. She claimed to have captured someone she described as a cultist. They were eerily helpful and cooperative and when interrogated, the cultist made mention of a ritual. The cultist — calling himself 'the Witness' — escaped in an ambush that interrupted the interrogation. Without sufficient evidence of dark heresy, Lady continued according to her marching orders. She only moved to try and prevent the ritual mentioned after her suspicions had been all but confirmed by her encounter with the nobles.

Lady had posited that the rebellion did not start out heretical but was quickly coopted by the Ruinous Powers and used to further their Chaotic agenda. Ashe thanked her for her input but reminded the Commissar that judgment was not for her to make. Now that Ashe was here, she would have the final say in declaring the situation heresy or not. And while it looked like heresy was the only option, Ashe would wait for any further information Lady found on the ritual. Ashe Bellatrix did not doom planets and billions of lives — some loyal to the Emperor — to Exterminatus lightly…

Down on the planet, things were wrapping up quite nicely. At least, they were as far as Octus was concerned. He had no idea of the potential trouble that was lurking in his future.

While the ritual was not stopped from initially happening, they'd eventually closed the Warp rift. Lady had told him about killing the nobles that they originally assumed were responsible for the rebellion. Now, of course, they knew it wasn't so simple.

Sona had played a role in the rebellion but it was mostly an organizational one. She wasn't the beginning nor the end of the heretical ideas that sparked Charon Prime's treason. She just created a group that a lot of people joined — people who just so happened to be heretics — and when everything spiraled out of her control, she went along with it. If anything, she was just another pawn piece of the Ruinous Powers.

But that did leave the question of where the treason originated. With the last Hive on the planet now firmly in Imperial hands and the figurehead nobles dead and disgraced, there was little chance that the real culprits had gone to ground. And it wasn't the Guard's job to root out heretics in such a large population, especially not with an Inquisitor in orbit.

Still, for Octus, it seemed his job was just about done here. He'd gained many things in his short time on Charon Prime. More friends, another story to tell, and the potential for something special with Sabine. But now, reality was starting to catch up with them.

Both Octus and Sabine had duties that they couldn't abandon. Duties that would see them on opposite sides of the galaxy more often than not. It wasn't an ideal situation for a blossoming relationship.

Of course, Octus wasn't aware of Sabine's complete and utter determination to never leave his side again. She was even willing to leave her Order if they moved to block her wishes. One way or another, Sabine Hallow would be following Octus when he left the planet.

In fact, Octus didn't know he was going to have a veritable caravan of people following him when he left. Sona was obviously going to be stuck with him for the rest of his natural life. Miko, Diana, and Violet had already pulled Commissar Lady aside to talk about what they could do to join her regiment as well. Even some choice Zionites had approached the Commissar with similar desires.

Octus and Sabine had led the Underhivers to victory and shown them their first glimpses of the Emperor's light. Both of them had no shortage of fans amongst the Underhivers from Zion. And this was the best opportunity to change their lives that any of the Zionites would ever get.

It was the opportunity to enter the Emperor's service under leaders that they knew and trusted. It was the chance to see the stars and take the fight to His enemies. It was their shot at adventure, glory, and getting out of the Underhive. Not many of them would pass it up.

Lady had no problems with those requests. The regiment had taken losses like it always did on deployments that saw combat. Those losses would need to be replenished somehow. What better source of reinforcements to pull from than a city of staunchly loyal Underhivers who had already fought beside her Guardsmen?

Even now the Underhivers and Guardsmen were bonding over their shared experiences. They would need training but this seemed promising in Lady's mind. The training was the easy part of building a Guard regiment. The hard part was ensuring that the troops were willing to die for each other and the Emperor. Something that had already proved to be the case with the Zionites.

Octus, the regiment, and their 'guests' made their way back up through the twisting halls and corridors of the Hive City. Their destination was somewhere within the many spires of the Hive. It was a predesignated meeting point for the Imperial forces for once the Hive had been pacified. Lady had already sent out communications that said as much.

As they traveled through the Hive, various squads of the regiment were dispatched to hold areas they'd already taken and keep control of the population. Miko had the bright idea of leaving some of the Zionites with those squads to give them a bit of home-field advantage and to help the Guardsmen get along with the Hive's citizens. Most of the surviving population were either loyal or indifferent. With the heretics and traitors culled, now came the hard part of reconquest: holding ground.

So as the regiment made their way up the Hive's many levels and into the spire, their numbers steadily dwindled. By the time only the important people and a small contingent of Lady's most loyal Guardsmen were left, they were nearing the meeting point. They were also down to just one tank which was beginning to struggle in the narrowing streets of the Hive spire.

Around them, the evidence of nobility and wealth was plentiful and resplendent. The change in architecture was as if they'd been transported to an entirely different world. Gold gilding and real wood seemed to decorate every surface. Marble and granite replaced the cracked rockcrete of the roads beneath them. Giant chandeliers that must have cost more than life itself hung over their heads. They passed through streets grand and ostentatious enough to be the scaled-up foyers of manors.

They had to abandon the tank when they came to an elevator with a golden gate across the front of it. It, along with the remaining Guardsmen, stayed to guard the elevator as Octus, Lady, and the rest went ahead. As the elevator began to rise, the walls fell away. Clear glass revealed a glorious view of the Hive and the land around it.

The Hive's superstructure dominated the skyline until the elevator rose above it. Miko and Sona looked out in awe, getting their first glance at their home and the wastelands that surrounded it. Though Octus and the rest had seen comparable views, they also stopped to appreciate the wonder of Human achievement. Only Diana and Violet had seen this particular view before, owing to a 'past life' in the Hive's spires before they were forced to flee into exile.

The walls of the elevator returned and the view was obscured once again. It came to a stop at the top of its cable. The golden gate slid open to reveal a grandiose circular chamber. Windows stretched wall to wall, some clear and some stained glass. Decorative pillars held up the domed ceiling, unnecessary for structural support but a striking display of wealth in themselves.

Lady, her regiment, and her 'guests' were the last ones to arrive at the meeting point. The Colonels and Commissars of the other regiments on the planet were waiting for them. There was also a small contingent of Sororitas attending the meeting. The Guard officers stuck together, mingling amongst themselves and giving the Sisters a wide berth.

"Sister Sabine!" one of the Sororitas called out, breaking rank to approach. "It is good to see you well. I assume your mission did not have any complications."

"Sister Josmica," Sabine nodded to the Sister. "There… were some complications, as you say. But nothing that could not be overcome through faith and will."

Josmica raised an eyebrow, "Indeed? Then I shall look forward to your after-action report."

Sister Superior Geneva's cold and flinty voice interrupted the semi-pleasant reunion, "Sister Josmica. Neither I nor the Canoness gave you permission to leave your post. Return to our side at once."

Josmica snapped to attention, sending Sabine an apologetic look as she did, "Yes, Sister Superior! Apologies for my insubordination!"

Josmica was relatively petite for a Sister of Battle. Even in power armor, she wasn't as tall as Octus and was a good few inches shorter than anyone but Violet. Of course, no one dismissed her because of her height deficiency. She was still a Sororitas and Octus knew she had to be absolutely shredded with muscle under her armor. She had black hair — a rarity among Sisters of Battle — cropped short with a streak of white that ran through it. Almond-shaped eyes looked upon Sabine fondly, even as she hurried to follow the orders of her Sister Superior.

All three of the Sisters wore power armor similar to Sabine's. Josmica's armor was the closest to Sabine's in decoration and extravagance. Geneva's was liberally draped with seals and parchments of holy origins. Gold-beaded rosaries hung from her wrists and belt and around her neck.

Geneva herself was a stern-looking woman. She appeared to be all business, all the time. Her expression was carved from stone and never flickered or wavered, even with what she saw as disrespect from her subordinate. Piercing green eyes seemed to bore into the souls of Octus and the others.

A calming voice like bells and wind and rain cut in, "Now, now, Geneva. There's no need for that. Young Josmica was just excited to see her Sister again. If anything, her loyalty and care for her comrades should be praised."

The voice pulled everyone's attention to the third Sororitas there. She was gorgeous and angelic with an almost serene smile on her face. Her smile inspired a holy warmth in all those it graced with its presence. Her hair was black — like Josmica's but much longer and without the streak of white — and covered partially by a white nun's habit. Her eyes were a brilliant light blue that carried a surprising amount of kindness for someone who must have been a ranking member of the Adepta Sororitas.

Other than the habit, her person was adorned with seals and ornaments of silver instead of gold. It might've given the impression that she was lower on the power structure than the Sister next to her if not for the iron halo that sat behind her head. Forged of pure silver like the rest of her ornaments and decorations, the halo was a symbol of faith and humility.

"But Canoness Lilya," Geneva protested imperiously. "We must stand as examples always. We represent the Emperor Himself as His holy daughters. A single lapse of judgment can and will cause damage to His honor."

Lilya's just smiled at Geneva. It was a gentle smile as if the Canoness was humoring the Sister Superior. How they comported themselves was something they found themselves revisiting constantly. And while they had their disagreements, both women were still good friends and Geneva respected Lilya more than anyone other than the Emperor. Still, Geneva knew a losing battle when she saw one.

"Now, Sister Sabine. It is truly wonderful to have you back with us," Lilya prided herself on knowing each and every Sister within her Order. "Won't you introduce us to your new friends?"