14.009 post
Vigilus
Our deployment began as a standard response to a call for help - a Xenos presence was detected near a scouting camp and we were sent to cleanse all life from the region. We had disposed of a few encampments of miners that had come in contact with Xenos life, and were doing a final sweep of the area when we received word of a group of suspected heretics, in the guise of Space Marines. Initially I had my reservations about attacking a contingent of marines, even under suspicion of heresy, but The Emperor cleared my mind and showed me the way when he sent Saint Celestine with a squadron of seraphim to guide us in his stead.
It didn't take long before we encountered what appeared to be some sort of infestation covered ruins, beyond which came the sound of engines.
Using the diseased terrain as cover, we were set upon by the pretenders - all pretenses were dropped and they attempted no parley. We rapidly fell into a defensive position, with our tanks fanning out to protect Celestine and my fellow canonesses, while I was set to direct our Retributor sisters covering our right flank.
A squadron of the cowards ran forth towards the center of our column cowering behind several assuredly stolen storm shields, while a squadron of their compatriots attempted to flee from us by way of motorbikes. A hail of shots rained down upon our transports, and though our faith held our Exorcist, unreliable on the best of days, was left barely functional.
The would-be deserters on bike noticed our attention on them and realizing they had no hope of escape they turned and fired the weapons of our fallen brothers on us!
One of the Retributors under my charge was thought lost to the opening volley of fire, but Emperor bless, her wounds miraculously closed and her eyes glowed with righteous fury as she aimed her multi-melta at her would-be murderers. Truly my sisters were blessed by His guidance as they let loose with fiery vengeance, slamming waves of heat upon a stolen land-speeder.
A sudden rumbling shook my concentration, however, and I turned to find the machines-haunted Exorcist rumbling across the battlefield. Behind it I could just make out the last figures of a squad of Repentia running forth from our Transport towards the pretenders cowering behind shields, while a flights of seraphim soared overhead in all directions save back. The sound of shredding metal as our enemy was ripped apart by our Emperor blessed sisters, wielding the instruments their own penance, brought a warmth to my heart I hadn't felt in quite some time.
My reprieve was short lived, however, as the nearby land-speeders turned their attention fully to my sisters and I, and we were forced to weather the storm of their bullets with naught but our faith to protect us. Truly, the mad-men were even so desperate as to attempt to ram into us with their vehicles, crushing one of my charges and fleeing before we had any chance to avenge her.
Off in the distance I heard the engines of the motorcycles screech to a halt as they joined hand-to-hand combat with my sisters off in the distance. Were it not for their earlier cowardice and obvious desperation I would have thought it an act of bravery on their part, rather than the ignorance it clearly was.
I know my sisters well, and no matter how great the equipment these children were attempting to abscond with they stood no chance against us in hand-to-hand combat. The singing of my Sister's Eviscerator, sounding above all else in the distance, told me I was right in this estimation.
It wasn't much longer before my squad and I had pushed through the enemy flanking maneuver and were moving to support our center as they pushed into enemy territory, though the enemy land-speeders had managed to escape us with minimal damage. It was clear the center had fallen to the Repentia, and I watched in the distance as a squad of seraphim descended behind the enemy lines in a glorious gout of flame and bullets. Our left flank, unfortunately, was met with a sudden incursion of heretic terminators, striking behind our lines and slaying several young members of our order without mercy.
With a sudden burst of flame and music, our Exorcist launched an unexpected volley of missiles towards the fleeing speeders, blowing apart one of the heretics before he even had a chance to wet himself like the imbecile child he was. I watched in awe as Celestine charged forth at the head of our Repentia sisters, and together with their Mistress the enemy fell in droves until Celestine and the Seraphim who struck at the enemy from behind met over the pile of dead.
