本章概述：

????????????伊莎萊邊喝邊學(xué)習(xí)。

????????????In which Isarae drinks and learns things.

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正文：

大廳里一片寂靜。

當(dāng)我們穿過修道院的大廳時(shí)，我本能地左右掃視了一圈，并掩護(hù)著亞歷莎的側(cè)翼。她也注意到了，她的嘴唇微微上揚(yáng)，彎成了一個(gè)輕柔的、細(xì)微到只有我能注意到的微笑。

在我與她一同適應(yīng)她的新視野的短暫時(shí)光里，我已經(jīng)開始理解她視物的方式。

亞歷莎曾將她的視力描述為某種全方位無死角的感知能力，可盡管有著這樣的感知，她也只有有限的注意范圍。她把那比作透過一根粗管子或者一片玻璃看東西，因?yàn)樗灰雽Ｗ⒂谌魏翁囟ǖ氖挛锞筒坏貌话涯歉鼜V泛的感知力給屏蔽掉一部分。

我還沒有提及這件事，但那個(gè)念頭讓我好奇：如果可能的話，她能否通過訓(xùn)練來學(xué)會(huì)注意到自己熟悉的視野外的事物。

能夠完整地感知自己周圍一整圈的范圍會(huì)讓她成為戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)上的一個(gè)有力威脅，一個(gè)若不拼盡全力就不能攻其不備的威脅。

當(dāng)下，我滿足于履行自己對(duì)亞歷莎和神皇的職責(zé)。因而我跟上了亞歷莎的大修女：一個(gè)她稱之為“烏泰娜”的瘦高女性，而亞歷莎對(duì)她表現(xiàn)出的尊重表明她不僅身居高位，而且是以軍功贏得了這個(gè)位置。

當(dāng)然了，我甚至能在十幾步外就能感受到她強(qiáng)勁的靈魂。

在戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)上面對(duì)她肯定會(huì)是種獨(dú)特的體驗(yàn)，我將這個(gè)想法置于腦海深處。一旦我的腿和手臂有時(shí)間痊愈，大修女也許會(huì)有空屈尊與我切磋。

幸運(yùn)的是，那個(gè)混賬游俠打中的是我的肩膀上的軟組織，所以托改造后的生理機(jī)制和植入物的福，傷口正在迅速愈合。速度之快甚至幾乎讓我后悔干掉了自己的血伶人：就算他是個(gè)蠢貨，我也不能否認(rèn)他的技術(shù)水平。

然而，我膝蓋骨上的損傷則持久得令人泄氣，要想不跛著走路需要大費(fèi)周章。不過當(dāng)這亞歷莎和她的大修女的面這么做的屈辱可不是我能忍受得了的。

肉體上的疼痛相比之下要好受的多。

“大修女，我可以問一件事嗎？”亞歷莎開口道，在此之前的只有烏泰娜和她的小隊(duì)，以及亞歷莎的裝甲靴敲擊地面的叮當(dāng)聲時(shí)不時(shí)打破這片沉默。

“問吧，”烏泰娜簡(jiǎn)短地回答道。

“隱修院里……我們有多少人手？”

一陣極難察覺到的緊張感在烏泰娜的衛(wèi)隊(duì)之間擴(kuò)散開來，不過大修女本人仍維持著超常的堅(jiān)忍。

“算上阿爾伯雷亞修道院的增援，我們只有略多于六百名姐妹，不包括輔助力量，”烏泰娜過了一會(huì)兒后說道。

我不熟悉亞歷莎的修會(huì)的組織和部署，但那在我聽來并不像是很多人，而且也肯定不夠用。在大修女回答后，從亞歷莎的臉上一閃而過的驚恐神情證實(shí)了我的懷疑，她咬了咬牙，然后才作出回應(yīng)。

“那普莉希拉大修女的教團(tuán)中有多少人挺過了登陸？”亞歷莎聲音嘶啞，這說明她雖然不得不問，但也寧可不知道答案。

我稍微拉進(jìn)了我們之間的距離，近到足以抓住她的手并把手指滑進(jìn)她的指間。她用穿著盔甲的手輕輕地握住了我的手，并迅速而感激地看了我一眼。

烏泰娜大修女停了下來，她的衛(wèi)隊(duì)也同時(shí)停下了步調(diào)一致的行進(jìn)。亞歷莎差點(diǎn)被突然的止步給絆倒，我不得不抓緊她的手以免她直接撞在大修女的背上。片刻之后，烏泰娜簡(jiǎn)短的命令她的衛(wèi)隊(duì)原地待命，然后指了指我們身旁的一扇門。

“我們還是別在大廳里談?wù)撨@些了，”烏泰娜輕聲說道，并用她的護(hù)手劃過門邊的識(shí)別器，那扇門隨即在一陣輕微的嘶聲中開啟。

門里面既是一間祈禱室也是一個(gè)客艙。一座描繪著榮光的帝皇的巨型神龕占據(jù)了房間的遠(yuǎn)端，祂張開雙臂，攤平手掌，將信徒的靈魂接納進(jìn)祂永恒的懷抱中。與亞歷莎一同進(jìn)來的我駐足于這番景象，心跳為之凝滯，片刻之后我抬起雙手，在胸前比出了天鷹的形狀。

我注意到亞歷莎也做出了同樣的事，而烏泰娜則以毫不掩飾的好奇端詳著我們倆，然后轉(zhuǎn)向神龕，在低聲祈禱中做出同樣的動(dòng)作。

“不要為了我而拘泥于禮儀，”烏泰娜說著離開了我們，轉(zhuǎn)向了房間另一邊的大桌子，其兩側(cè)的書架上塞滿了看上去像是圣書和專著的書本。

我默默記下要借用其中的幾本。

“大修女……”亞歷莎跟著走到了烏泰娜的辦公桌的另一邊，隨著大修女就座，她小聲開口道。

“坐下，亞歷桑德拉姐妹，”烏泰娜重復(fù)道，這一次她指著一張看起來并不太舒服的椅子，語氣相比請(qǐng)求更像是命令。

亞歷莎在椅子和大修女間來回看了幾眼，然后點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭拽過椅子，伴著刺耳的嘶鳴聲坐了下來。我在她身后落座，一只手穩(wěn)穩(wěn)地放在她的肩膀上以作安慰。

“在已故的大修女普莉希拉——帝皇保佑她——所轄兩百人的勁旅中，僅有九個(gè)小隊(duì)幸存，”烏泰娜簡(jiǎn)短地回答道。

空氣一時(shí)間凝滯了。

亞歷莎的難以置信的表情很快就隨著她癱坐回座位上而變成了絕望。從我們的談話中，我了解到一個(gè)小隊(duì)在任何情況下都很少有超過五到七名姐妹。那意味著外面只有不到六十來個(gè)人活著登陸了安菲特里亞，而那已經(jīng)是個(gè)極為樂觀的估計(jì)了。

“九個(gè)小隊(duì)……”亞歷莎低聲說道，聲線有些顫抖。“九個(gè)……只剩九個(gè)了？”

我合上雙眼，承受者亞歷莎身上如波浪般涌出的悲痛。她們承受過的這般損失，就是隱修院看上去如此安靜的原因。

烏泰娜點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，然后把手伸向桌子底下，然后是拖拽什么東西的聲響，再然后是是玻璃的叮當(dāng)聲，隨之被放到我們面前的的是三個(gè)厚重的水晶玻璃杯，以及一個(gè)沉重的深色酒瓶。烏泰娜在沉默中打開了它的蓋子，往每一個(gè)玻璃杯中倒入了大量的酒，然后把蓋子蓋上，將醒酒器放到一邊，又拿起了她的杯子。

“我向你保證，這里沒有更好的消息，”烏泰平淡地說，同時(shí)用她的玻璃杯示意了一下?！拔医ㄗh你們都喝上一杯，畢竟我們都需要它?！?/p>

說著，烏泰娜深深地從杯中喝下一口酒，在放下杯子前就將之一飲而盡。我拿起了自己的杯子，嗅了一下其中的內(nèi)容物，隨即對(duì)那股悅?cè)说臒熝段⑽㈩h首，然后試探性地啜了一口。

亞歷莎拿起了她的酒杯，以比烏泰娜還快的速度把里面的東西一口吞了下去。當(dāng)她放下酒杯時(shí)，她臉上的表情既生硬又痛苦，我忍不住抬起手，用指關(guān)節(jié)輕撫著亞歷莎的臉頰，她以明顯的感激倚靠在我的觸碰上。

那個(gè)玩味的表情又一次出現(xiàn)在了烏泰娜的臉上，這次她轉(zhuǎn)向了我。

“你是個(gè)黑暗靈族，”她坦言道，而非是在詢問?！叭绻覜]記錯(cuò)的話，是你們稱之為‘巫靈’的那一支?！?/p>

“確實(shí)如此，尊敬的大修女，”我微微欠身，回答道。

她拱起手指托住下巴，用銳利的藍(lán)色目光打量著我。由于不確定該說什么，我保持了沉默。即便有著亞歷莎的擔(dān)保和帝國(guó)那些粗野的靈能者的占卜天賦支持，我也仍然是個(gè)異形。

我依舊是一名靈族。

相反，我也相對(duì)地打量起她來，隨后對(duì)她看上去那么的……普通，而感到驚訝。烏泰娜大修女是一名身型瘦削——即便是穿著動(dòng)力甲——且皮膚白皙的女性，五官直到其鋒利的棱角前都像是在光滑的大理石塊上雕琢出來的。她的頭發(fā)有著亞歷莎的修會(huì)里大多數(shù)人的骨白色，筆直地稍稍略過肩膀并以完美的整齊而中斷。她的皮膚有著我這輩子見過的大多數(shù)巢都人的蒼白色調(diào)，其源自遺傳因素和自然光匱乏的組合。

可那雙眼睛。

我直直地回望她的雙眼。
烏泰娜大修女的雙眼泛著等離子火焰般的銀灰藍(lán)。事實(shí)上，她的眼睛明亮到根本不像是人類。

“有意思，”烏泰娜最后說道，靠回了她的椅子上并在面前交疊起雙手?！拔以谕谀阊壑锌吹揭唤z謊言或奸詐的痕跡，但如果忽略它們那非人的形體和面孔，我會(huì)以純粹的熱忱發(fā)誓自己只是看著一名摯愛的姐妹的眼睛?！?/p>

“無意冒犯，尊敬的大修女，”我說道，將一條手臂舉到胸前并深鞠一躬?！拔页姓J(rèn)，我原以為會(huì)收到比亞歷莎的受祝姐妹們更惡劣的迎接?！?/p>

“如果是在其它的任何時(shí)候，這種預(yù)期都有據(jù)可依，黑暗靈族，”烏泰娜冷酷地說?！叭欢頌樯袷サ刍实闹宜茫也荒芊裾J(rèn)祂的意志在當(dāng)下無比地明晰。無論有著何種目的和考量，這都不是我能決定的，祂已經(jīng)決意由你作為我們對(duì)抗綠皮侵略者的盟友?！?/p>

“是伊莎萊?！?/p>

亞歷莎抬起頭來，聲音很堅(jiān)決。

我對(duì)著亞歷莎美麗的面龐上刻下的怒火大為驚訝，烏泰娜的表情看上去也同樣驚奇。她的雙眼隨著她用失明的目光緊盯住烏泰娜而泛著淡淡的金光。

“她的名字是伊莎萊，不是黑暗靈族——”亞歷莎嘶聲道。話音剛落，亞歷莎明顯地克制了一下，補(bǔ)充道：“——尊敬的大修女?！?/p>

“真有意思，”烏泰娜以考量的目光迎上亞歷莎的怒目而視，然后轉(zhuǎn)回我這邊?！澳敲矗辽R？”

“若您樂意的話，尊敬的大修女，”我又一次低下頭去。“我深知自身的不潔。”

“那是——！”亞歷莎看向我，但我用搭在她肩上的手阻止了她的爆發(fā)。

“我就是我自己，”我平靜地回答，轉(zhuǎn)身對(duì)著亞歷莎露出一個(gè)微笑?！吧窕剩傅k的名被稱頌，不顧我的本性而施我予仁慈，而非因其而為之。我對(duì)此不感到羞愧。”

亞歷莎雙手拿起我的手，用比我預(yù)想中堅(jiān)硬的陶鋼護(hù)手更柔和的力量包裹住它。她在顫抖中緩慢地深呼吸了一次，然后轉(zhuǎn)身面對(duì)烏泰娜。

“那院長(zhǎng)怎么樣了？”亞歷莎繼續(xù)說道?！耙坏┢绽蛳＠笮夼晒Φ顷?，文塔莉亞（Ventalia）院長(zhǎng)就該接手總指揮權(quán)限的?！?/p>

“文塔莉亞已經(jīng)死了，”烏泰娜直截了當(dāng)?shù)卣f道，亞歷莎驚掉了下巴?！霸洪L(zhǎng)于獲得增援時(shí)在與綠皮頭領(lǐng)的戰(zhàn)斗中隕落了。正是她的獻(xiàn)身讓你的教團(tuán)里多至九個(gè)小隊(duì)得以保全。自此花園隱修院的由我和安琪亞（Anthia）大修女共同指揮，在阿爾伯雷亞總院長(zhǎng)任命一名新的院長(zhǎng)前都將如此?！?/p>

“文塔莉亞院長(zhǎng)與獸人戰(zhàn)將交手了？”我詫異地問道?！斑@么說你們已經(jīng)見過那頭生物了？”

“很不幸，的確如此，”烏泰娜陰著臉說?！斑@個(gè)戰(zhàn)將與我們見過的其它任何一個(gè)都不同。它不是一頭普通的獸人，即便是以戰(zhàn)將的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來講也是這樣。它很聰明，而且更糟的是，它會(huì)潛行?！?/p>

“請(qǐng)?jiān)彙眮啔v莎厲聲道?！耙活^會(huì)潛行的獸人就跟——”

“——一個(gè)效忠帝國(guó)的靈族一樣？”烏泰娜戲謔地回應(yīng)，亞歷莎一下子漲紅了臉，把嘴閉了回去?！澳愕男叛龌蛟S足夠堅(jiān)定，但你依舊是一名新血，亞歷莎姐妹……的確存在一些有潛行能力的獸人亞種，在那幫蠻夷的語言中叫‘特戰(zhàn)小子’，可要它們之一爬上領(lǐng)導(dǎo)一場(chǎng)Waaagh的地位則幾乎聞所未聞。”

烏泰娜的臉色說著說著便陰沉了下來，話語也變得不連貫。我倚進(jìn)椅子里，看著她銳利而優(yōu)雅的容貌上閃過一陣糾結(jié)。

“文塔莉亞的死在我和安琪亞離她不到一米時(shí)便成定局，這讓我倍感恥辱，”烏泰娜從牙縫中擠出這句話來。“我們本以為不論損失的話，這場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)斗還算順利，但當(dāng)我們經(jīng)過一座殺人罐的殘骸時(shí)，文塔莉亞停了下來……我當(dāng)初認(rèn)為是這個(gè)保住了她的性命，但現(xiàn)在我意識(shí)到自己錯(cuò)了。”

“你不記得那個(gè)殺人罐被摧毀了嗎？”我斗膽問道，烏泰娜苦笑著點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭。

“的確如此?！睘跆┠赛c(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭，嘆了口氣?！澳前l(fā)生在戰(zhàn)斗接近尾聲時(shí)……”

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密集的爆彈呼嘯著略過總督區(qū)的廢墟。曾經(jīng)承載了安菲特里亞上七大貴族——包括行星總督本人——的血脈的這片轄區(qū)如今已然是一具燒焦的軀殼，座座尖塔即便是在綠皮們?nèi)缤x般從中爬出時(shí)也仍在自內(nèi)向外地燃燒著。

“無視那些劫掠者！”文塔莉亞院長(zhǎng)俯瞰著帝國(guó)廣場(chǎng)（Plaza Imperialis），在通訊頻道里高喊道?！八摹⑽?、八連集中火力壓制綠皮大軍！把我們修道院的姐妹們帶進(jìn)防線內(nèi)！”

一陣應(yīng)答的吼聲在戰(zhàn)術(shù)通訊頻道內(nèi)回響，爆彈槍們又一次齊聲轟鳴了起來。

“一連！向我靠攏！”文塔莉亞向前挺進(jìn)，我也與她同行。

在我身旁的是四名潔天使護(hù)衛(wèi)，兩人裝備重爆彈，另兩人持動(dòng)力劍和重盾，她們也一同行進(jìn)。在我對(duì)面保護(hù)著文塔莉亞的側(cè)翼的是安琪亞大修女，她的潔天使小隊(duì)只剩下三人，第四人在戰(zhàn)斗開始時(shí)便不幸被一發(fā)遠(yuǎn)處飛來的爆彈打穿了護(hù)目鏡。

萬中無一的一槍。

真夠倒霉的。

也許這就是帝皇對(duì)我們推進(jìn)失利的預(yù)示，但院長(zhǎng)不會(huì)允許阿爾伯雷亞修道院的修女們失去支援，死在敵軍兵線后面。她在初次進(jìn)攻中就動(dòng)用了由地獄犬坦克、安菲特里安第16燧發(fā)槍團(tuán)以及隱修會(huì)中四個(gè)整編教團(tuán)的組成的矛頭直刺向獸人先前占領(lǐng)的林蔭道，只留下了一個(gè)教團(tuán)來保衛(wèi)隱修院本部。

不過，自最開始的一系列損失起，我們就一直舉步維艱，但還是取得了成功。獸人像它們這個(gè)種族一如既往的那樣伴著野蠻的嘶吼戰(zhàn)斗，不顧損失地猛烈沖擊我們的陣線。每一名姐妹都能在倒下前擊殺不少于二十頭獸人，可這個(gè)數(shù)字絲毫沒有減少的跡象。

我在與這群野獸的戰(zhàn)斗中學(xué)到了一點(diǎn)：無論你殺了多少個(gè)，那里都一定有更多的獸人等著。

“院長(zhǎng)！我們太過深入了！”安琪亞在指揮頻道里說道。她溫柔的嗓音一如既往地在戰(zhàn)斗中撫慰著我的靈魂，但那聲音的背后潛藏著微妙的力量和堅(jiān)定的信念?！拔覀儜?yīng)該盡可能地回撤，不然就有被包抄的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)！”

即便我再怎么厭惡撤退的念頭，我也無法否認(rèn)安琪亞的觀點(diǎn)。獸人的兵力超過我們上千倍。無論我們的技藝有多精湛，抑或裝備有多精良，只要我們繼續(xù)推進(jìn)那它們終究會(huì)包圍我們。

“還有三個(gè)小隊(duì)孤立無援，”文塔莉亞簡(jiǎn)單地回應(yīng)道。“我們不能讓姐妹們受綠皮侵略者的蹂躪！”即便這么說著，她還是停了下來?！安贿^，你的謹(jǐn)慎是明智的，安琪亞姐妹。烏泰娜姐妹，給修會(huì)下達(dá)肅清和撤離的命令，但把懺悔女主朱莉（Mistress Juri）和她的贖罪修女帶過來，外加兩個(gè)熾天使小隊(duì)。我們會(huì)一同擊穿獸人的陣線，與修道院最后的人馬匯合，然后一同撤離這里?！?/p>

“是，院長(zhǎng)！”安琪亞與我異口同聲地喊道，隨后下達(dá)了命令。

隨著指令的下達(dá)，我們的部隊(duì)分兵并集結(jié)，沒過多久兩支熾天使小隊(duì)就連同朱莉和她的四十名贖罪修女集結(jié)到了我們身后。

“朱莉，”文塔莉亞向前邁步，向懺悔女主伸出一只手，后者單膝下跪，低下頭來?！叭曛谧镎邆冇谒劳鲋袑で髮捤?，因而汝等將為吾等之劍鋒，直搗綠皮心臟?！?/p>

“我的悔罪者們不會(huì)動(dòng)搖，”朱莉發(fā)誓道，攥緊了她的長(zhǎng)鞭?！拔覀儗⒔迪碌刍手熳l?！?/p>

她站起身來，轉(zhuǎn)身面向成群結(jié)隊(duì)的贖罪修女們，她們的眼中閃耀著狂熱的信仰。我不能否認(rèn)自己的一部分正渴望加入她們。我渴望在直沖向敵人時(shí)感受著著凈化之鞭的抽打，耳邊充盈著死亡的歌聲。

“姐妹們！救贖近在咫尺！”朱莉大吼道，贖罪修女們也向她報(bào)以戰(zhàn)吼?！扒斑M(jìn)吧，要知曉神皇深愛著所有的殉道者們！祂的臂膀在敵人的刀劍與爆彈外等候著汝等！莫要在乎生死！因汝等之性命歸屬于祂！莫要手下留情！因祂的憐憫即是死亡！”

朱莉用她的神經(jīng)鞭猛擊著戰(zhàn)線前沿的贖罪修女們，她們疾速向前沖去，固定在她們身上的猩紅色的懺悔禱文迎風(fēng)而動(dòng)如旌旗獵獵，手中的鏈鋸劍也咆哮著運(yùn)作起來。一共四波人馬，朱莉把鞭子抽得像條狂怒的巨蟒，她直沖向廣場(chǎng)上的一個(gè)獨(dú)立區(qū)域，在那里一座倒塌的巢都尖塔構(gòu)成了一個(gè)臨時(shí)的掩體，那里已經(jīng)有三個(gè)小隊(duì)躲在里面來保護(hù)自己。

獸人們對(duì)著贖罪修女們沖擊的方向發(fā)出陣陣咆哮并跑過去想加固這條戰(zhàn)線。在它們這么做的同時(shí)，文塔莉亞命令熾天使們伸展開她們灼熱的雙翼。她們乘著烈焰飛向天空，手持轟鳴著的鏈鋸劍猛烈沖擊戰(zhàn)線后部，我和安琪亞的潔天使們則用密集的爆彈火力掩護(hù)她們。

不出所料，在在贖罪修女們的狂怒和熾天使們紀(jì)律嚴(yán)明的后方夾擊下，獸人的陣線逐漸失穩(wěn)、變形，最終斷裂開來。

文塔莉亞大吼一聲“沖鋒！”，然后提著她那噼啪作響、電光粼粼的單刃動(dòng)力彎刀帶領(lǐng)我們加入戰(zhàn)斗。

安琪亞和我也拔劍出鞘，讓帝皇的怒火擊打在陣線上，我們砍倒了那群著甲的硬漢小子，它們正聚集在高大野蠻的獸人老大周圍——老大們正在對(duì)著附近的獸人大吼大叫來迫使它們有那么點(diǎn)協(xié)同。我們完成了自己的任務(wù)，在潔天使和朱莉以及她的贖罪修女的配合下，我們把足夠多的硬漢小子從文塔莉亞身旁剝離開來，讓她能夠沖過缺口與兩頭個(gè)頭最大的獸人老大交戰(zhàn)。她在瞬息間便擊倒了第一頭，將之從右鎖骨一路劈到腹股溝，在轉(zhuǎn)向另一個(gè)前讓它變成了一地腥臭的血肉。

這段戰(zhàn)斗并不漫長(zhǎng)，卻異常激烈。許多贖罪修女隕落了，愿她們安息，在我們戰(zhàn)斗的同時(shí)，那三支來自修道院的小隊(duì)看到了我們并自行組織了沖鋒，從她們的防御點(diǎn)沖出來介入了對(duì)面的戰(zhàn)斗中，粉碎了綠皮們的協(xié)同性。

或者至少……我們是這么認(rèn)為的。

現(xiàn)在看來，我意識(shí)到這完全是著了它的道。這幾支小隊(duì)已經(jīng)固守到只有讓綠皮們齊心協(xié)力并付出慘痛的損失才能將之拔除。通過讓我們靠得足夠近來給她們得救的希望，那個(gè)獸人戰(zhàn)將就能以一次有效的打擊將我們?nèi)肯麥纭?/p>

“前進(jìn)！前進(jìn)！”文塔莉亞在斬殺最后一個(gè)獸人老大時(shí)雀躍道?！按笮夼畟兊轿疫@來！”

我們的小隊(duì)在文塔莉亞周圍集結(jié)，安琪亞和我一邊靠近那三支正在突破零碎的綠皮的小隊(duì)一邊尋找更多的綠皮。

“安琪亞，連上通訊網(wǎng)絡(luò)，把她們的高階指揮官接入我們的指揮頻道，”文塔莉亞命令道，安琪亞立刻著手處理起來?！盀跆┠龋M(jìn)入防御陣型并保證我們的路線暢通?！?/p>

“遵命，院長(zhǎng)?！蔽尹c(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，在我們穿過其中一個(gè)獸人步行機(jī)的燃燒的殘骸時(shí)下達(dá)了命令。

我對(duì)那個(gè)粗野的造物惡心得直皺眉。這與帝皇以歐姆尼賽亞的一面所統(tǒng)御的神之機(jī)械們毫無相似之處。

即便我把它從腦海中驅(qū)趕了出去，文塔莉亞還是在經(jīng)過它前停了下來。她的目光在其上停留了一會(huì)兒，我發(fā)誓自己聽到了輕微的倒抽涼氣的聲音，就好像她即將吼出一道命令似的。

那道命令沒能被說出口——被鑄造成綠皮偽神的丑惡面孔的前裝甲板驟然炸裂開來。那串爆炸，就我看來，從體積和煙霧來看，應(yīng)該是某種聚能裝藥，從那空殼中走出了我所見過的最大、最兇惡的獸人。

它幾乎是漆黑的，頭骨的上半部分差不多全是連接到頭頂?shù)囊淮蟠厣窠?jīng)鏈接線圈，它的眼睛是一個(gè)粗制濫造的紅色球體。而在遍布這生物全身的植入物中，吸引了我的目光不是上述的任何一個(gè)。

而是它的武器。

它們是兩柄巨大的動(dòng)力刃，比我見過的任何一種都要大，大到哪怕帝皇的天使也得雙手握持才揮得動(dòng)。

第一擊砍倒了我的三名潔天使，她們?cè)趹K叫聲中被那東西攔腰斬?cái)唷５诙魩ё吡肆硗鈨擅?，然后它就越過了我的防線。

我?guī)缀鯚o法接受。獸人魁梧、野蠻且沉重，但哪怕是其中最快的也不過是動(dòng)物的水平。那頭獸人一邊咆哮出野蠻的戰(zhàn)吼一遍如黑色的閃電般移動(dòng)，我和安琪亞除了震驚以外做不出任何的反應(yīng)。

甚至文塔莉亞也無法足夠迅速地保護(hù)好自己。盡管這個(gè)生物撕開了我們的防線，文塔莉亞也才剛剛舉起她的刀刃擋下了一記重?fù)?，她的盔甲上下響起了不堪重?fù)的呻吟聲。

緊接著那記格擋的是一聲慘叫，伴著陶鋼撕裂的聲音，那綠皮以一記螺旋擊斬下了文塔莉亞的左臂。它黏糊糊地笑著，懶散地向安琪亞揮出一擊，她舉劍格擋卻被原地拔起，飛到了四米開外的地方。另一次揮擊擊倒了最后一名潔天使，她還在試圖把她那笨重的重爆彈轉(zhuǎn)向那頭野獸，卻敗在了它的重量、糟糕的角度、和近在咫尺的敵人手下。

她的頭顱和大部分肩膀從殘軀上掉了下來。

“快跑！”文塔莉亞在通訊器里嘶吼道，她咆哮著沖向前去，揮舞著她的劍刃。“撤退，烏泰娜！我們已經(jīng)完了！”

我極少見到如此的勇氣和技巧在電光火石間展現(xiàn)出來。即便已經(jīng)因劇痛和斷臂接近失明，文塔莉亞還是如同被附體了一般揮出一擊，她的劍刃在攻擊那個(gè)大笑著的巨型獸人時(shí)閃閃發(fā)光。它用兩柄劍對(duì)著她不斷發(fā)起攻擊，而她偏移、化解了每一次劈砍。

我下達(dá)了命令，但即便在這樣做時(shí)我還是驚恐地發(fā)現(xiàn)獸人們從每一處斷壁殘?jiān)袊娪慷?，每一頭都被涂鴉成能混進(jìn)城區(qū)廢墟的顏色。姐妹們陷入了突襲，在我們身后集結(jié)起來撤離的部隊(duì)突然被襲擊并被全新的一群獸人自各方襲擾。

我吼出文塔莉亞的命令，然后退到剛剛從她掉落的地方起身、仍舊頭暈?zāi)垦５陌茬鱽喩砼员Ｗo(hù)她。她的劍幾乎被它承受的那一擊給折成兩段。她的動(dòng)力甲正噼啪作響，高貴的機(jī)魂收到了重創(chuàng)，但仍拒絕在它的主人脫險(xiǎn)前屈服。

隨著我把一條胳膊放到我摯愛的安琪亞身下，我這輩子第一次聽到了野獸的話音。

“哈！”獸人咆哮著用一記重?fù)舭盐乃騺喌呐鍎Υ蝻w到我的腳邊，下一擊將她從中間刺穿。

我嘶喊出她的名字，在獸人放肆的笑聲下是我悲痛欲絕的吼聲。

“喃打得還挺漂亮，”它咕噥著，把文塔莉亞被穿刺的身體像它劍上的肉塊一樣舉了起來，直到那獸人正視著她的護(hù)目鏡。“俺已經(jīng)完全給喃搞定了，不是嗎？克里特里格戰(zhàn)將（Warboss Kritrig）就四最狡猾的獸人，對(duì)吧？”

文塔莉亞用她僅剩的那條手臂摸上她的頭盔的密封并解開了它，讓她蒼白的發(fā)絲自由飄蕩。她冷酷的灰色雙眼對(duì)上了獸人的紅色球體。

然后她對(duì)著那東西啐了一口。

“哈！”克里特里格又揮出一擊。“可惜喃已經(jīng)死啦，要不俺還想再跟你打一架吶！”

“跑！”文塔莉亞大吼道，而克里特里格用它那碩大的爪子環(huán)住她的頭顱，將之從她的肩膀上撕了下來。

————————————————————————————————————————————————

“……多虧了朱莉的贖罪修女們留守后方阻擋獸人，我們才得以逃脫，”烏泰娜平靜地結(jié)束了她的講述。

這個(gè)故事讓我們倆都無所適從，以至于等烏泰娜說完時(shí)酒瓶都見底了。我曾多次與獸人交手，也遭遇過幾次特戰(zhàn)小子，但我在多少個(gè)世紀(jì)的南征北戰(zhàn)中都沒有和一個(gè)升任戰(zhàn)將的特戰(zhàn)小子戰(zhàn)斗過。

這個(gè)概念甚至讓我都憂心忡忡起來。

“更糟的是，我們沒能救出那三個(gè)小隊(duì)，”烏泰娜說道，又一次陷回她的椅子里。“她們從頭到尾都是個(gè)陷阱?？死锾乩锔窆室饬粝滤齻儊硪T我們深入，它知道我們不會(huì)放任她們等死，就以此迫使我們出擊。然后它幾乎全殲了我們?！?/p>

“以這種方式，重創(chuàng)了隱修院的修女們，殺死了我們的高級(jí)指揮官，并嚴(yán)重打擊了我們的士氣，”亞歷莎總結(jié)道。

“的確如此，”烏泰娜同意道?！拔覀儞碛械陌税倜忝迷诨貋頃r(shí)只剩不到一半，那還算上了我們救回來的幾個(gè)小隊(duì)……更別說我們的院長(zhǎng)了，那是我們受到的最嚴(yán)重的打擊?！?/p>

“那普瑞萊克斯龍騎兵呢？”亞歷莎問道。“他們派了一整個(gè)團(tuán)過來。”

“他們忠實(shí)地守住了自己的陣地，”烏泰娜回答道，卻又搖了搖頭?！暗麄円渤惺芰丝膳碌膿p失。他們的團(tuán)部在十二個(gè)晝夜前遭到轟炸，折損了大部分指揮人員，自那時(shí)起我和安琪亞就接管了總指權(quán)?！?/p>

“那個(gè)戰(zhàn)將，”我嚴(yán)肅地說，烏泰娜點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭?！八莻€(gè)難對(duì)付的敵手……即便是我族也很難預(yù)測(cè)他的戰(zhàn)術(shù)?！?/p>

“他的戰(zhàn)術(shù)不像個(gè)獸人，”烏泰娜說道。“我從未見過他的戰(zhàn)斗方式?！?/p>

烏泰娜再次架起手指，仔細(xì)地打量著亞歷莎和我，然后對(duì)自己點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭。

“現(xiàn)在你已經(jīng)知道自己面對(duì)的局勢(shì)了……”烏泰娜的目光轉(zhuǎn)向我一會(huì)兒，然后又落回亞歷莎身上?！案嬖V我，你是如何讓一個(gè)靈族女巫皈依了地球之主的?！?/p>

?

原文：

The halls were silent.?

I scanned left and right by instinct as we walked through the halls of the Priory, covering Alessa’s flank as I did. She noticed, too, from the lilt of her lips that were curving to a gentle smile just small enough that only I would notice it.

Over the short amount of time that she, and I, had been growing accustomed to her altered vision, I had begun to appreciate how she could see.

Alessa once described her sight as a form of all-encompassing awareness, but despite that awareness, she still had a limited scope of attention. That, she likened, to looking through a broad tube or glass because, in order for her to focus on anything in particular, she had to blinker herself to the wider range of her perceptions.

I had not mentioned it, but that thought left me wondering if perhaps, with training, she could learn to focus on more than just her familiar, sighted range.

To have full perceptions in a complete radius around herself would make her a formidable threat on the battlefield, one who could not be taken by surprise except by the greatest effort.

For now, I contented myself with doing my duty to Alessa and to the God-Emperor. So I followed Alessa’s Canoness; a tall, spare woman she called ‘Utena’ and whom she treated with a deference that suggested she was not only highly ranked, but had earned that rank through battle.

Certainly, I could feel the strength of her spirit even from better than a dozen paces away.

Facing her in battle would certainly be a singular experience, and one that I placed in the back of my mind. Perhaps the Canoness would deign to spar with me one of these days should time permit, once my leg and arm had time to fully heal.

The bastard Asuryani ranger’s shot had taken me in the meat of my shoulder, fortunately, so that was healing quickly thanks to altered biology and implants. The speed was such that I almost regretted killing my haemonculus; cretin that he was, I could not deny his skill.

The damage to my kneecap was frustratingly slower, however, and it was taking a great deal of effort to walk without a limp. Doing so in the presence of Alessa and her Canoness was not a humiliation I was willing to endure, though.

Pain was much preferable.

“Canoness, may I ask something?” Alessa broke the silence, which had until then been punctuated only by the clang of power-armoured bootsoles from Utena and her squad, along with Alessa herself.

“Ask,” Utena replied curtly.

“The Priory… how many are we?”

There was a tremor of barely perceptible tension that fluttered through Utena’s guards, although the Canoness herself remained remarkably stoic.

“Including the reinforcements from the Convent Arboria, we number just over six hundred sisters, not including ancillary support,” Utena said after a moment.

I wasn’t familiar with the organisation or disposition of Alessa’s orders, but to my ears that did not sound like many, and it certainly didn’t sound like?enough. The expression of horror that crossed Alessa’s face at the Canoness’s words confirmed my suspicions as she worked her jaw for a moment before finally responding.

“How many of Canoness Priscilla’s commandery survived the drop?” Alessa’s tone was hoarse, and suggested that while she had to ask, she would rather not know.

I closed a little distance between us, enough to take her hand and slip my fingers between hers. Her armoured grip tightened gently around mine, and she shot me a quick and grateful look.

Canoness Utena paused, and her guard ceased their lockstep march at the same moment. Alessa almost stumbled at the sudden cessation, and I had to grip her hand to keep her from plowing directly into the Canoness’s back. After a moment, Utena gave a curt order for her guards to remain in place before gesturing to the door we’d stopped next to.

“Let us not speak of this in the hall, please,” Utena said quietly, passing her gauntlet over a reader by the door which opened with a soft hiss.

The interior was as much a chapel as it was a stateroom. A large shrine dominated the far end of the room depicting the Emperor in Glory, His arms wide and hands spread to accept the souls of the faithful into His eternal embrace. I paused at the sight of it as I followed Alessa inside, my heart struck still by the sight, and after a moment I raised my hands into the sign of the Aquila.

Alessa was doing the same thing, I noticed, and Utena watched the both of us with frank curiosity before turning to the shrine and making the same motion with a muttered prayer.

“Do not stand on propriety on my account,” Utena said as she stepped away from us, turning to the large desk at the other side of the room that was flanked by a pair of shelves packed to bursting with what looked like holy texts and treatises.

I made a mental note to ask to borrow a few of them.

“Canoness…” Alessa started quietly as she followed until she stood on the other side of Utena’s desk while the Canoness seated herself.

“Sit, Sister Alessandra,” Utena repeated, and this time it was less a request than an order as she gestured at one of the uncomfortable-looking chairs.

Alessa looked between the chair and the Canoness, then nodded, dragged the chair forward with a cacophonous shriek, and settled into it. I took my place just behind her, a hand settled evenly on her shoulder for comfort.

“Of the two-hundred strong commandery under the late Canoness Priscilla, Emperor rest her soul, only nine squads remain,” Utena said simply.

For a brief moment, the air was utterly still.

Alessa’s expression was one of rank disbelief which morphed quickly into despair as she sagged in her seat. From our conversations, I’d gathered that a squad rarely consisted of more than five to seven sisters at any given time. That would suggest no more than sixty or so at the outside had survived the descent into Amphitria, and that was being?extremely?generous.

“Nine squads…” Alessa breathed, her voice hitching. “Nine… only nine remain?”

I closed my eyes, weathering the waves of grief that flowed from Alessa. That reason then, all of the losses they must have taken, was why the Priory seemed so quiet.

Utena nodded, then reached beneath her desk, and there was a sound of something shuffling, then the clinking of glass, then a trio of thick crystal tumblers were set down between us, followed by a heavy, dark decanter. Silently, Utena removed the cap from it and poured a generous measure of the contents into each glass before replacing the cap, setting the decanter aside, and taking up her glass.

“I assure you the news does not improve from here,” Utena stated blandly, gesturing with her glass as she did. “I advise you both to take up a glass, as we are?all?going to need it.”

With that, Utena takes a long pull from her glass, draining the entirety of it in a single swig before setting it down. I pick up a glass of my own and sniff at the contents before nodding at the delightfully smoky scent and taking a tentative sip.

Alessa picked up her own glass and knocked the entire thing back even faster than Utena had. When she lowers the glass, the expression on her face is both hard and miserable, and I can’t help but raise a hand to brush my knuckles along Alessa’s cheek and she leans into my touch with visible gratitude.

That analytical expression crossed Utena’s face again, and she turned to me this time.

“You are Druchi,” she stated, rather than asked. “One whom your kind call a ‘Wych’ if I am not mistaken.”

“I was, honored Canoness,” I replied with a small bow.

She rested her chin on steepled fingers as she regarded me with a piercing blue gaze. Unsure as to what to say, I said nothing. It was clear Utena was undecided on how to regard me, which was understandable. Even with Alessa vouching for me, and the apparent support from the divining talents of the Imperium’s crude psykers, I was still xenos.

I was still?Aeldari.

Instead, I met her regard with my own, and found myself surprised by how… ordinary she seemed. Canoness Utena was a lean, fair woman, even in her power armour, with features that might have been chiseled from smooth marble until they had a knife’s edge. Her hair, bone-white like most of the others of Alessa’s order, fell straight and neat to just past her shoulders, terminating to a perfectly even cut. Her skin was the pale tone of most Hiveborn that I had seen in my lifetime, their complexion stemming as it did from a combination of genetics and lack of natural light.

The eyes though.

I kept coming back to her eyes.

Canoness Utena’s eyes were the striking silver-blue of plasma fire. In fact, her eyes were so bright that they hardly seemed human at all.

“Interesting,” Utena said finally before leaning back in her chair and folding her hands in front of her. “I expected to see some hint of lie or guile in your eyes, but were I to ignore their inhuman shape and the face they belong to, I would swear I was looking into the eyes of one of my beloved sisters by zeal alone.”

“With respect, honored Canoness,” I said, crossing an arm over my chest and bowing low. “I confess I expected a much harsher welcome than I’ve received from Alessa’s blessed sisterhood.”

“Had this been any other time, that expectation would have been well founded, Druchi,” Utena said grimly. “However, as a loyal daughter of His Divine Majesty, I cannot deny that His will is clear in this instance. For whatever purpose and reasoning, such that is not mine to decide, He has willed that you are to be our ally against the green invader.”

“Isarae.”

Alessa’s voice was hard as she raised her head.?

I felt as much as saw the surprise on Utena’s face at the steel fury etched across Alessa’s beautiful features. Blind eyes were effervescing with a faint glimmer of gold as she fixed Utena with her unseeing glare.

“Her name is?Isarae, not?Druchi,” Alessa hissed. On the heels of her words, Alessa visibly mastered herself before adding- “honored Canoness.”

“Interesting.” Utena met Alessa’s glare with an evaluating look, before turning back to me. “Isarae, then?”

“If it pleases you, honored Canoness,” I bow my head again. “I am well aware of my impurity.”

“That’s-!” Alessa turned to me, but I forestalled her outburst with a hand on her shoulder.

“I am as I am,” I replied quietly, turning to regard Alessa with a smile. “The God-Emperor, blessed be His name, granted me mercy despite my nature, not because of it. I am not ashamed of that.”

Alessa took my hand in both of hers, enclosing it in her armoured grip with more softness than I would have expected from the hard ceramite gauntlets. She took a slow, shuddering breath, let it out, and nodded before turning back to Utena.

“What of the Prioress?” Alessa continued. “Prioress Ventalia was supposed to be granted overall command once Canoness Priscilla made landfall.”

“Ventalia is dead,” Utena said bluntly, and Alessa’s jaw dropped. “The Prioress fell in battle with the Greenskin’s leader while securing reinforcements. It is by her blood that even nine squads of your commandery were saved. Since then the Priory of Gardens has been under the shared command of I and Canoness Anthia, and shall remain so until the Abbess Arborea anoints a new Prioress.”

“Prioress Ventalia fought the Warboss?” I asked quizzically. “Then you’ve seen the creature?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Utena said with a grimace. “This Warboss is unlike any other we have faced. It is?not?a normal Ork, even by the standards of a Warboss. It’s clever and, even worse, capable of stealth.”

“I beg your pardon?” Alessa barked. “A stealthy Ork is like saying-”

“-an Imperial Eldar?” Utena’s reply was one that carried a quirk of a smile, and Alessa flushed and she clamped her mouth shut. “You may be strong of faith, but you are still a newblood, Sister Alessa… there?are?certain subbreeds of Ork that use stealth, called ‘Kommando’ in their heathen tongue, but for one to rise to the point of leading a Waaagh is all but unheard of.”

Utena’s face fell as she spoke, and her words faltered. Leaning back in her chair, I watched as a wave of conflict passed her sharp and graceful features.

“It is my great shame that Ventalia’s death was sealed while Anthia and I were less than a meter from her,” Utena said through a clenched jaw. “We had thought the fight to be going well despite the losses, but as we were passing the wreckage of a Killa Kan, Ventalia paused… I think it was this that preserved her life initially, and looking back I realise my mistake.”

“You could not recall that Kan being destroyed?” I ventured, and Utena gave a grim chuckle as she nodded.

“Indeed.” Utena nodded and sighed. “It occurred near the end of the battle…”

?

?

Mass bolter fire roared across the ruin of the Governance. The district containing the great, gleaming spires that once held the seven noble lines of Amphitria, including that of the Lord Governor herself, was a scorched husk, and the spires were burning from the inside out even as the Greenskins crawled through them like maggots.

“Ignore the looters!” Prioress Ventalia snapped across the com network as she overlooked the Plaza Imperialis. “Fourth, fifth, and eighth companies, focus suppressive fire on the Greenskin hordes! Bring our sisters of the Convent into the grace of our defensive line!”

A bellow of assent echoed across the tacnet as the frontage realigned and the thunder of bolters began again in concert.

“First company! Reform on me!” Ventalia marched forward, and I with her.

At my side my four Celestian guard, two with heavy bolters, and two with powered blades and heavy shields, marched. Opposite me and guarding Ventalia’s flank was Canoness Anthia, whose own Celestian’s were only three in number, the fourth having been cut down by an unfortunate bolter shot from afar that breached her visor at the beginning of the battle.

A one in a million shot.

Sour luck, that.

Perhaps it was a sign from the Emperor that our advance was ill-fated, but the Prioress refused to permit our sisters from the Convent Arborea to die behind enemy lines, cut off from support. She led the spear thrust that pierced through boulevards that the Orks had taken in their initial push using a combination of Hellhound AFV’s, elements of the 16th Amphitrian Fusiliers, and the four full commanderies of the Priory, leaving only one to guard the Priory itself.

Since that initial set of losses, though, our advance had been hard-fought, but successful. The Orks fought as their kind always do, with hooting, barbarous glee, hammering our lines heedless of their own losses. Every sister could count twenty or more Orks to her tally before falling, and yet there was no sign of abatement.

One thing I had learned fighting these beasts was that no matter how many you killed, there are?always?more Orks.

“Prioress! We are overextending!” Anthia said over our command channel. Her gentle voice was, as always, a balm to my soul in battle, but it belied a subtle strength and unyielding faith. “We should pull back what elements we can, or we risk being outflanked!”

As much as I hated the notion of retreat, I could not deny Anthia’s point. The Ork’s outnumbered us a thousand to one. No matter how skilled we were, or how graced our wargear, if we continued our push they would encircle us.

“There are three squads still isolated,” Ventalia replied curtly. “We shall not leave our sisters to the depredations of the green invader!” She paused, though, despite her words. “Yet, your discretion is wise. Sister Anthia, Sister Utena, give the orders to begin mop up and extraction, but bring us Mistress Juri and her Repentia, along with two squads of Seraphim. Together we will strike through the Greenskin line to link up with the last of the Convent, and pull out from there.”

“Yes, Prioress!” Anthia and I barked in unison, before giving the orders.

Our forces divided and gathered as we gave our commands, and within moments two Seraphim squads along with Juri and her forty Sisters Repentia had gathered before us.

“Juri,” Ventalia began stepping forward and holding out a hand to the Mistress of Repentance, and she took a knee, bowing her head. “Thy Repentia seek the absolution of death, and so thou shalt be the tip and edges of our blade thrust into the heart the Greenskins.”

“My Penitents will not falter,” Juri swore, her grip tightening around the haft of her neural whip. “We shall be the scourge of the Emperor’s wrath.”

She stood and turned to the massed Repentia, whose eyes burned bright with the fever of faith. I cannot deny that a part of me yearned to join them. To feel the cleansing scourge as I charged headlong into the enemy with only the song of death beating in my ears.

“Sisters! ABSOLUTION IS AT HAND!” Juri roared, and the Repentia howled back at her. “Go forth and know that the God-Emperor loves all martyrs! His arms await thee beyond the blades and bolters of the foe! Think not of life! For your life is His! Think not of mercy! For His mercy is death!”

Juri lashed the front lines of the Repentia with her neural whip and they bolted forward, the crimson penitent scriptures affixed to their bodies were flapping like pennants in the wind as their great chain eviscerators roared to life. Four waves in all, and Juri with her whip snapping like a furious serpent, crashed towards an isolated section of the plaza where a hivefall from a collapsing spire had created a makeshift barricade where the three squads had holed up to defend themselves.

Where the Repentia struck, the Orks hooted and snarled, rushing forward and thickening the line. As they did, Ventalia gave the order for the Seraphim to spread their fiery wings. They took to the skies on jets of flame, chainblades humming as they hammered into the rear of the line while mine and Anthia’s Celestians covered them with heavy bolter fire.?

As expected, the Ork line shuddered, buckled, and then broke under the fury of the Repentia and the disciplined rear strikes of the Seraphim.

Ventalia bellowed a cry of ‘CHARGE!’ and advanced with her curved, single-edged power blade bare and gleaming as she led us into battle.?

Anthia and I drew our blades and struck the line like the fury of the Emperor, cutting down the armoured ‘Ard Boys, who flocked around the large, brutish Nobs that were braying and brow-beating the local horde into something resembling coherence. We did our duty and, with our Celestians and aid from Juri and her Repentia, we peeled enough of the ‘Ard Boys away for Ventalia to strike through the breach and engage the two biggest Nobs. She struck down one within the space of the breath, bisecting it from the right clavicle to the groin and spilled it to the ground in a stinking wash of gore before turning to the other.

The fight was not long, but it was frantic. Many of the Repentia fell, blessed in death, and as we fought, the three squads of the Convent saw us and took up their own charge, striking out from their defensive post and joining the fray on the opposite end, shattering the cohesion of the Greenskin mass.

Or at least… so we thought.

Looking back now, I realise that was entirely the point. The squads were too well entrenched to be rooted out by anything but concentrated effort and terrible losses by the Greenskins. By allowing us close enough to give them hope of reprieve, the Warboss was able to strike us all down in a single, telling blow.

“Advance! Advance!” Crowed Ventalia as she cut through the last of the Nobs. “Canonesses to me!”?

Our squad formed up around Ventalia, Anthia and I both on the lookout for more Greenskins as we made our way closer to the three squads who were fighting their way through the splintering Greenskins.

“Anthia, tap into their vox network and link their highest-ranking officer into our command channel,” Ventalia ordered, and Anthia immediately began doing so. “Utena, move to defensive posture and keep our route clear.”

“Yes, Prioress.” I nodded and relayed the orders as we passed the burnt husk of one of the Ork walkers.

I grimaced in disgust at the crude thing. It was nothing like the noble machines of the Emperor in His aspect as the Omnissiah.

Even as I dismissed it from my thoughts, though, Ventalia paused before passing it. Her gaze falling over it for a moment, and I swear I heard a quiet intake of breath, as if she were about to shout an order.

The order never made it past her lips as the front panel formed into the snarling visage of one of the Greenskins’ heathen gods exploded outward. The detonations were, I think, shaped charges of some kind, from the volume and smoke, and out of the empty shell came one of the largest, most ferocious-looking Orks I’ve ever seen.

It was nearly black, with the top half of its skull little more than a mass of cybernetic coils linking into its head, and its eye was a single, unblinking red orb of terrible manufacture. Augmetic implants littered the creature’s body, but neither those, nor the eye, were what drew my gaze.

Its weapons did.

They were two, immense power blades, bigger than I had ever seen, and even one of the Emperor’s Angels would have required two hands to wield one effectively.

One sweep cut down three of my Celestians, who dropped screaming, bisected at the waist and torso as the thing bolted past. It’s second sweep took two more, and then it was past our line.

I could barely countenance it. Orks were burly, brutish, and plodding, but even those that were quick were only fast in the manner of an animal. This Ork moved with its churlish warcry on its tongue like a bolt of black lightning, such that neither I nor Anthia were able to react with anything but shock.

Even Ventalia wasn’t able to defend herself swiftly enough. Despite the creature tearing through our line, Ventalia had only just managed to raise her blade, parrying one mighty blow and sending hissing cracks of impossible pressure across her armour.

A scream and the sound of tortured ceramite followed the parry as the Greenskin severed Ventalia’s left arm with a spiraling strike. It laughed glutinously as it swung lazily at Anthia, who raised her blade, caught the strike and was lifted bodily from her feet and sent sailing better than four meters away. The other blade swept out and struck down the last Celestian as she tried to turn her cumbersome heavy bolter on the beast, but was foiled by its weight, poor angle, and the nearness of her foe.

Her head and most of her shoulders fell away from the rest of her.

“GO!” Ventalia roared through the vox as she lunged forward, and struck with her blade. “Fall back, Utena! We are undone!”?

Rarely have I seen such courage and skill displayed in a single moment. Even near-blind with pain and missing an arm, Ventalia struck out like a woman possessed, her blade flashing as she attacked the titanic, laughing Ork. He lashed out at her with both blades, over and over, and she turned and spoiled every strike and slash.

I gave the order, but even as I did I was horrified to realise there were Orks erupting from every pile of rubble and blown out section of building, each of them daubed and painted to blend into the urban ruin. Sisters fell en masse to surprise attacks as our forces that had been gathering to fall back behind us were suddenly engaged and harried from all sides by an entirely new horde.

Bellowing Ventalia’s orders, I fell back to Anthia to guard her as she rose, stunned, from where she had fallen. Her blade was cracked neatly in two from the blow it had taken, and she cast out away as she staggered to my side. Her power armour was hissing and spitting, the noble machine spirit grievously injured but refusing to give in until its mistress was safe.

As I got an arm under my beloved Anthia, I heard the beast's voice for the first time.

“HA!” The Ork barked as a mighty blow sent Ventalia’s blade flying to skitter at my feet, and its second strike skewered her through the middle.

I screamed her name, howling my grief even as the Ork laughed.

“You wuz a good fight,” he rumbled, raising Ventalia’s spitted body like a piece of meat on its blade until the Ork was looking right at her visor. “Gotchu good, didn’t I? Warboss Kritrig’s da sneakiest Ork, ain’t’ee?”

With her remaining arm, Ventalia reached up to her helm seals and undid them, pulling them free and letting her pale hair flow free. Her grim, gray eyes met the Ork’s single, red orb.

And she spat in it.

“HA!” Kritrig belted again. “Shame you’z dead, I’da liked ta fight you again!”

“RUN!” Ventalia howled just as Kritrig wrapped his enormous paw around her head, and tore it from her shoulders.

?

?

“...it was only thanks to Juri’s Repentia staying behind to fend off the Orks that any of us got out,” Utena finished quietly.

The story had left both of us rattled, enough so that by the time Utena had finished the decanter was empty. I had fought Orks many times before and encountered Kommandos on occasion, but I’d never, even in all my centuries of warfare, fought a Kommando who had risen to the rank of Warboss.

It was a notion that unsettled even me.

“And worse, we failed to rescue the three squads,” Utena said, leaning back in her chair again. “They were a trap all along. Kritrig had left them there to draw us further in, to force us to strike forward for them knowing we wouldn’t just let them die. Then he nearly wiped us out.”

“And in doing so, crippled the Sisters of the Priory, slew our ranking commander, and dealt us a harsh blow to our morale,” Alessa finished.

“Aye,” Utena agreed. “Of the eight hundred sisters we left with, we returned with barely half that number, and that was including the squads we saved… and less our Prioress, which was the most grievous blow of all.”

“What of the Praelexian Dragoons?” Alessa asked. “They sent a full regiment.”

“They have held their ground faithfully,” Utena replied, but shook her head. “But they have suffered terrible losses as well. Their regimental headquarters was bombed twelve cycles ago, killing most of their command element, since then Anthia and I have taken overall command.”

“The Warboss,” I said grimly, and Utena nodded. “He’s a formidable foe… even my kind would be hard-pressed to predict his tactics.”

“He does not fight like an Ork,” Utena said. “He fights like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

Steepling her fingers once more, Utena regarded Alessa and I carefully before nodding to herself.

“Now that you know the situation you’ve stepped into…” Utena shifts her gaze to me for a moment, then back to Alessa. “Tell me how it is you came to convert an Eldar Wych to the worship of Him On Earth.”