The rain was coming down hard again, pelting the Sisters of the Commandery of the Ardent Blade as they knelt along the ruins of an old fountain. In the center of the large pool was a statue of Parvati, a woman from the distant days of legend holding an overflowing cornucopia on her shoulder. Katherine brushed a few sodden locks of hair from her eyes as she regarded the open doorway of the Administratum critically. The seven Sisters had made it to the plaza in front of the imposing Roman-Gothic structure without incident, save a thorough soaking from the rain which had increased in volume from a drizzle to a downpour.
Next to her, Eve the Seraphim was reloading her twin bolt pistols, "I know what you're thinking. Why are the doors open?"
Katherine nodded absently, her eyes peering into the gloom of the doorway twenty meters before them, hoping to pick out something in the stygian blackness. "Maybe looters. Maybe some of those missing Guardsmen had the same idea we did…" She sighed with resignation, "Or maybe the place is crawling with Bugs. For all we know the 'Nids have set up a breeding pool in there."
"Only one way to find out," Eve winked, seemingly oblivious to the rain. With a blast of white smoke she took to the air, flying to the doorway. Katherine muttered something under her breath, motioning for Mary and Susanne to follow with their stormbolters. The three sisters disappeared into the yawning doorway, prompting Katherine to dash across the plaza. Dinah the Celestian followed with the Meltagun, with Lilith the Repentia limping after. Beth trotted backward, covering the rear with her one good eye. The rain had soaked through the bandage over her left eye, so now diluted blood was flowing freely down her cheek and neck.
The Palatine stepped in, her eyes taking in the main hall quickly. Like almost all Administrata, it shared one of several standardized floorplans. The main hall took up most of the first three floors, the ceiling vaulted high above. This would be where citizens formed in long queues to wait for assistance from a public servant. She dropped the bolter and drew the powerful plasma pistol. She wouldn't need the extra range of the bolter inside. Eve had already shot up to the third floor balcony that circled the room to secure the high ground.
The walls were stained with vertical patterns caused by the rain, which was pooling on the tile floor. It seemed the roof was leaking badly, the water running down the walls. The building smelled like musty, rotting wood and cloth. "Let's hope the communications bunker is still intact." Katherine sighed. She crossed the room and vaulted over the half-rotted counter, continuing toward the door into the administration rooms.
Before she could open the door, Eve landed in front of her, her golden armor gleaming from the rain, "I request permission to go first, Mother Katherine." She shook her head rapidly, flinging water from her short, blond hair.
Katherine gave her a stern look, knowing she asked to save the Palatine the danger of going first. Since their first battles with the Necrons, Katherine had taken on more responsibility. She was a favorite with the other sisters, and she knew any of them would lay down their lives in exchange for hers…although she hated to ask them to. Still, she wouldn't insult her by denying the request, particularly coming from a Seraph, the best and brightest of the Sisters. Wordlessly she nodded, and Eve kicked open the door, her twin pistols ready.
The rear portion of the Administratum was a maze of narrow corridors and tiny offices where the public service drones pushed the paperwork that kept the lumbering bureaucracy of the Imperium moving. The non-public areas of the building had no windows, so the corridors were completely dark. The only illumination came from the small spotlights mounted under the barrels of the Sister's weaponry. The building was nearly silent, with just the slightest creaking and the sound water dribbling down the walls. In the quiet, their breathing, footfalls of armored boots, and whirring of power armor servos seemed unnaturally loud.
