"Brother Zeret" stood on the wall, watching the Sisters of Battle rumble down the rough access road. Raising a voxcaster microphone to "his" lips, "he" spoke, "Inquisitor, the Black Templars are commanded by a Brother Androcles, though with the Astropath blackout caused by the Tyranids we won't be able to dig up any information on him. I have not yet discovered why they are here, but he clearly has some agenda. He has left with three squads to assist Brother Thale and plans to send three more to fight alongside the Sisters. I have delayed the latter's deployment with some maintenance issues with their Rhinos, but will be unable to prevent their departure. They'll likely roll out within an hour."
Inquisitor Gaius Saevitiae listened to the report, still in his soft, luxurious bed. "I see. That should be enough of a delay. Even if they do rendezvous with the "girls", three squads are likely to make little difference. They'll join the bitches in martyrdom." He glanced at "Molly", laying next to him and watching him with unholy, blood-red eyes. "This Androcles seems very keen on helping Thale, Lazarus, and the wenches. It seems likely one of them called for support, somehow bypassing my lockdown of outgoing communications."
"Androcles warned us that they may have to fight fellow Imperials after the Tyranids are neutralized. It's clear their agenda is one that would be opposed…though it's unclear by whom."
"We play the odds, Tigerlily." Gaius stated. "Until we know otherwise, we assume Androcles and his Templars are here at the request of Lazarus and our soon-to-be-departed (again) Magdalena…and that they will likely act as the tip of the spear for Lazarus' attempt to remove me from power." Turning his gaze from "Molly", he looked to the foot of the bed where Harodiah lay, trembling in a confused mixture of perverse pleasure and horrific revulsion as the hands of the other two Eldar Farseers, now vessels to Daemons summoned from the blackest eddies of the Eye of Terror, caressed her pale flesh. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "And the wenches?"
"Brother Zeret" looked back out over the wall, "They have left to seek their Martyrdom."
"Good," A predatory smile spread across his face, "Keep me apprised of the situation."
"Molly" spoke, her voice at once the soft, musical lilt of the former Farseer and the at the same time the shuddering, hollow, unnatural reverberation of the damned, "The Bitches of Battle are gone?"
"By noon," The Inquisitor sighed contentedly.
"We should celebrate." Her crimson eyes turned to Harodiah, whose trembling had become spasms of wretched disgust and surrender to loathsome ecstasy.
His gaze followed hers, "Yes…let's…"
Inquisitor Gaius Romulus Saevitiae strode down the corridor with purpose. His clothing was deep violet with gold thread and a white cloak with aguiettes of braided gold cord. Behind him Harodiah followed, her pale and gaunt figure wrapped in the crimson corset of a Sister of Battle Repentia, with a dress of red and white strips of cloth, alternated and hanging from her thin hips. About her head was the traditional habit headdress of an Adeptus Sororitas nun. At the end of the hall, he opened the stout steel door and stepped into the next room, gesturing for Harodiah to seal it behind them.
In the middle of the small room was what appeared to be a coroner's table of thick iron construction. On it was the hulking form the Space Marine Brother Zeret, naked and bound to the table spread eagle. His finely sculpted muscles were taut and quivering, as though in the throes of some kind of seizure. Electrodes were placed all over his skin, connected to the Confession Machine, sending pulses of extraordinary pain through the Marine's nervous system. Gaius walked around to the Marine's head and regarded him for a moment, the soldier's eyes clamped shut and teeth clenched. He reached over and flipped the toggle switch to turn off the machine and Brother Zeret's muscles relaxed. Zeret gasped, his breathing deep and rapid.
