Mother Superior Rebecca ran her fingers through her short, platinum-blonde hair as she reviewed the reports. Her trusted Palatine, Mary, had led two squads of sisters into the plebeian neighborhood with Father Sabatina and a handful of penitent Arco-flagellants. Rumor of a "Street Preacher" proselytizing heretical dogma among the plebes had reached the ears of the Ecclesiarchy, and the Sisters had been tasked to remove the threat. The heretic had been well guarded by three or four dozen devotees to his new cult. The battle was short-lived, given the firepower differential between them. The cultists were largely unarmored, and armed only with low-grade firearms and some stolen Imperial Guard laser weapons. Father Sabatina and Mother Mary had reported there was no evidence of daemonic involvement, though it was possible the rogue "preacher" may have been using warp-spawned psychic powers to supplement his coercive powers.
Two of the arco-flagellants had been killed and three sisters wounded in the action. It pained her to be so sparingly cautious in deploying the Sisters, for the Arbitrators were becoming rapidly overwhelmed with the recent surge in violence. The Legions had been called in to help, but they were soldiers and not particularly well suited for police duties. The Order of Saint Magdalena could bring the righteous hand of the Emperor down on these traitorous vermin, more heavily armed and armored than the Arbitrators. However, her instructions from Mother Superior Katherine were clear. Something larger was looming on the horizon, and the Order must maintain its strength.
Sister Mabel appeared in the doorway of her study, garbed in the crimson armor of a Lay-Sister, "Mother Superior, there is a man in the courtyard who wishes to speak with you. He says it is most urgent."
"Another Arbitrator?"
"No, Mother," Mabel shook her head. "A Space Marine. His armor is marked in the heraldry of the Black Templar Chapter. He says his name is Brother-Captain Jorn."
"Jorn?" Rebecca stood up. That was a name she'd not heard in over five years. He was one of the few that knew the secret of what truly occurred on Kali V those years ago during the Thunderfall conflict. "Bring him into the main hall."
"Into the convent, Mother?" Mabel asked with raised brows. No men, other than priests of the Ecclesiarchy, were allowed within the wall of the nunnery.
Rebecca nodded as she stood and came to the door, "Yes. Things we may speak of must be kept secure. The courtyard will not do. Clear the hall of all other Sisters. I will speak to Brother-Captain Jorn alone."
The bronze doors of the hall swung open and in walked the towering figure of Brother-Captain Jorn. Nearly eight feet tall and powerfully muscled, he dwarfed Sister Mabel who followed behind and closed the doors. His armor was black with his chapter's insignias in white on the shoulder pauldrons of his armor. A black tabard with a hood was over the armor, purity seals pinned to his chest. It did not escape Rebecca's notice that he was not carrying any weapons, which she found terribly odd. Of course, even with just his bare hands, a Space Marine was deadly. Mabel hovered near the door. It was clear that Rebecca wished to speak privately with the Brother-Captain, but it was solemn law that no Sister was ever alone with a man, even a Priest. The Purity of an Adeptus Sororitas was her shield against the temptations of the heretics and whispered promises of Daemons.
Rebecca nodded at Mabel, indicating she should stay, but at a respectful distance. Rebecca bowed her head slightly in respect, "Brother-Captain Jorn. This is a surprise…" Her speech dwindled to silence as her eyes widened in shock. Before her Jorn's form seemed to melt away, shifting like overheated wax and shimmering like the heat rising from an asphalt road in the height of summer. The black armor of the Adeptus Astartes molded itself into a different shape, taking on a hue of deep violet. The hood seemed to unravel and vanish, displaying a stern, angular face she had not seen in many years.
