"Revered Mother?"
Magdalena looked up from where she knelt before the altar of the Golden Throne, praying for guidance. For months now she had been suffering in her exalted state of Living Sainthood. Since her resurrection, the red-gold armor she wore was her skin, its servos her muscles, her blood pumping through its hydraulics…but within, her body had never healed of the ghastly wound that had slain her. She did not tell her fellow sisters that every moment she lived with continual pain. For months, pain was her constant companion. Only through suffering are we cleansed and kept pure was a mantra for the Adeptus Sororitas. She stood and forced a warm smile onto her face as she answered the Lay-sister, "Yes, sister?"
"I don't mean to bother you in prayer, but there is an officer here to see you. A Tribunus Sextus Caledonius from the Third Legion of Byzantium. He says it is a matter of pressing urgency."
"Thank you, sister. Tell him I will be there in a moment." Magdalena answered. As the Lay-sister left, the Living Saint turned back to the altar and the image of the Emperor seated on the Golden Throne. "I am in thy hands, and I shall do thy will for as long as thou asks." Though each day the pain of her stigmatic wound wore down her will, to her, it was a continual reminder of the Emperor's need for servants who would face the multitudes of enemies that sought mankind's destruction. It was a continual reminder of her faith and her duty.
Faith isn't supposed to be easy.
Magdalena walked into the portable shelter the Order of Saint Celestine was using as a headquarters, parked in the median on the highway that connected Parvati with Point Phobos. Inside were her trusted advisors, Rebecca of the Seraphim, Mother Agnes and Mother Katherine. Standing off to the side was a man in grey fatigues and Romanesque armor and helmet. She recognized him immediately, "Tribunus Caledonius, we met the other day."
"Yes, your Grace." He bowed his head. "You lost seven of your sisters to try and save my men in Sector Thirteen. I will never forget that sacrifice."
"You didn't come all this way to thank us," She smirked. "A card would have been fine."
"Flowers," Rebecca laughed.
"I like Lilies," Katherine offered.
The Tribunus blushed and looked down at the floor, with a sheepish grin, "I'll remember that next time." He looked up, his face suddenly very serious, "I'm…I'm afraid I come with orders, you Grace…from the Inquisitor."
Magdalena's smile faded, "Of course. The Commandery of the Ardent Blade stands ready to serve the Emperor."
The officer withdrew a map and laid it out on the folding table, "The first phase of the Tyranid invasion is spent we're pretty sure. The spore attacks and waves of Gargoyles have waned, which means it's likely the Tyranids are ready to start the next phase." He pointed to the map, "This is Parvati here, and there is Point Phobos. These areas marked in red here are the areas of greatest spore activity. We've wiped out almost two dozen breeding nests, but it's obvious that's only a fraction of them."
"I was talking with one of the Deathwatch Marines this morning," Agnes said. "Based on the size of the Hive Fleet and the spore dispersal, he thinks there are perhaps a hundred breeding nests…minus the ones we've eliminated."
"That sounds about right. There are just too many. Our second round of 'bug hunts' has met with much stiffer resistance as the breeding nests churn out various xenotypes." Sextus frowned. "Legatus Trajanus has ordered a halt to them, withdrawing Legionary forces back to our defensive perimeter."
"So Saevitiae wants us and the Ultramarines to handle the bug hunts?" Katherine asked. "Surely he doesn't want us to just sit back and let those things multiply?"
