The Black Templars moved to prevent Katherine from leaving, but suddenly Rebecca and Eve landed before her in their golden Seraphim armor. The Marines saw in their eyes a fanatical devotion to the Emperor and his servant, the martyred Saint Magdalena. They were ready and willing to kill anyone or anything that stood in the way of their quest for revenge against the Heretic Inquisitor…including them.
Fortunately, Jorn appeared, his black armor covered in dust and blood. "My brothers, we are betrayed. Gaius has seen fit to send an assassin to kill me and in all likelihood Zeret is dead as well. Xyvos, too, has been slain before my very eyes." He turned to the Canoness, his voice like gravel, "Katherine, just tell me where to go and I will destroy this man."
"Meting out justice to the Heretic is the providence of the Adeptus Sororitas, Brother Jorn," Katherine replied stiffly. "Vengeance for Saint Magdalena will be at our hands, though I hope the Black Templars will aid us…even if it may mean we all burn for it. If your heart is set on this, gather five of your men and meet me at Lazarus' command bunker."
As Rebecca and Eve fitted the Canoness with a flight pack, she nodded at Rhoda, "Take the Lay-sisters, Harodiah, and Dresden's man in the Immolators and go to ground. Harodiah must live to testify to Gaius' heresy." She strode forward, sheathing Saint Magdalena's sword and stopping briefly before Dresden. "I will not order you to go, Dresden. I cannot command you to defy the laws of the Ecclesiarchy…" Her eyes softened as she took one of the Purity Seals from her armor and affixed it to his, over his left breast, "But if you choose to go, take your squad and meet us. We'll be there momentarily."
Without awaiting a reply she turned and walked briskly toward where Rebecca and Eve stood ready.
Katherine walked into the meeting room in her golden armor, flanked by Rebecca on her right and Eve on her left. The room was clearly used for military briefings, having a small table equipped with a holo-projector and an array of chairs. Colonel-Commissar Lazarus was standing there with Dresden, both bearing the scars from the fighting. Marine Brothers Jorn and Thale were there in their power-armor, the black of the Templars and blue of the Ultramarines side by side. In the back corner towered Raphael Goetia in his grey Terminator armor.
The Canoness drew her sword and held it out before her, "This is the Blade of Saint Magdalena…martyred in her service to the Emperor…murdered by Gaius Romulus Saevitiae."
Raphael Goetia removed his helmet, his face serious, "Saint Magdalena…murdered? You can prove this?"
"I have a witness," Katherine nodded. "Not only to murder, but to Heresies such as perversions of Slaanesh, summoning Daemons, and carnal liaisons with Eldar and foul Warpspawn." She held her head high with clear blue eyes piercing, "I am declaring Inquisitor Gaius Romulus Saevitiae a Heretic, corrupted by the powers of the Warp and Chaos."
"Only another Inquisitor or an Ecclesiarchal council may condemn an Inquisitor as a Heretic, Canoness," Raphael said carefully.
"I am aware of the laws of the Ecclesiarchy, Brother Raphael," Katherine stated defiantly. "There is no Inquisitor nor council here to entreat, and Saevitiae is far too powerful and dangerous to apprehend and hold for the arrival of one. There is only one solution…Cleansing this foul taint of Chaos. Purging it."
She looked each man in the eye in turn, "Saint Magdalena will be avenged, though I may be burned for Heresy myself for doing so. My course is set and no force in the universe will stop me. I think you all have reason to want to see the Inquisitor destroyed, though if you choose to help, you may well end up on the pyre yourselves. If you choose not to help, then I just ask you stay the hell out of our way."
Brother Jorn stepped forward into the light. "I would gladly follow you to slay this man. He has desecrated the bodies of my brethren and slain my comrades. If ever a man deserved death it is he." The other Tempalrs murmured their assent. "But tell me, Katherine, what makes you so sure that you can hope to best this man at all? He has defeated my best men, cast down your living saint. And more importantly, he has the warp at his beck and call. What to you know of Chaos, and the warp. The soritas busy themselves with the mutant, and the heretic. I would wager that half of your sisters have never seen a daemon, much less the daemon-hosts and warp-fiends that we can expect to meet if we go to fight Saevitae.
