text: Marianne stood in the center of the large elevator, heavily vibrating as it spend down. The blonde, former noblewoman wore a dress uniform. Casual for her standards, but more on the fancier side amongst the renegades who called the orbital base home. The elevator was designed with the intention of carrying squadrons of fully armored space marines, causing the large metal tube to feel empty with the single, normal human occupant. The sudden stop nearly knocked Marianne to the ground. The door slowly opened, and after adjusting herself, she passed through the door. The fallen noble wandered into the bar, the dark room filled with humans, astartes, mutants, and xenos. All of which the knight pilot would have happily slaughtered mere weeks ago. To her left was the bar proper, tended by a mechanical creature with spider-like legs and metal tendrils spawn from its back. These tendrils poured bottles of multi-colored drinks for a group of five space marines, still wearing their armor. They seemed to be celebrating something, a successful mission most likely. To her right was a stage, with a catwalk leading to a pole. A scantily-clad woman had three, pale arms and a multiple of black spikes across her body. Despite her mutations, the crowd of cultist and traitor guardsmen was loving her show. Marianne was even having trouble looking away, though she didn’t know if she was actually enjoying the dancer’s performance, or that she was just attracted to the sweet smelling musk emitting from her. Despite these distractions, Marianne’s goal was the door on the other end of the room. The door being blocked by the large, green reptilian. “What do you want?” The lizard hissed. The bodyguard was as tall as a space marine, and their armor resembled that of modified space marine power armor. “I’m here to see Zax.” Marianne answered with authority. “Zaxss is busssy, come back later.” “Wait a second Vivi.” A woman wearing a black and gold robe stepped in between the human and the lizard. She had light brown fur covering her body and a pair of curved black horns emerging from her head. Her face was covered in a golden silk face mask, with a single, blue eye in the center of it. “Mari’s with me.” The reptile’s eyes lit up as they stepped aside. “Of course. Zax will be back in a few minutesss, so make yourselvesss comfortable.” Marianne opened the door and entered. Before the furry woman could follow, the lizard placed a clawed hand on her shoulder. “Makes sssure your human behavesss.” “I always do.” She said. “By the way Vivi, did you sharpen your claws? They look like they can disembowel an ork.” “You alwaysss know how to make a girl blusssh Vera. Get in there.” The two found themselves inside of an office. An office designed for a space marine. The desk rose to Marianne’s chin, and the three leather chairs were gigantic. Vera climbed into one of the chairs, which was a struggle on it’s own, and sat down. Her hooved feet barely hung over the chair’s edge, and she could’ve fit two more Veras in the chair with her. “Glad I caught ya.” “I had it.” Marianne said defensively. “You had it.” Vera said mockingly. “Whatever. Just tell me what this Zax guy is like.” “Big.” “I got that.” Marianne angrily replied as she struggled into her chair. "Give me a personality." "Diplomatic, for a space marine. Zax acts as the middleman between mercenaries and employers for the sector, so he's used to talking with all sorts of people." "And what kind of people are we talking about?" "Chaos warbands, eldar corsairs, ork freebooters, rogue traders, the more tolerant members of the inquisition, we aren't picky." Marianne couldn't have hidden her shocked expression even if she tried. "Did you think we were some chaotic cult?" Vera asked, her mask hiding her sly smile. "You're a beastmen." "And you're a knight of the God-Emperor, what of it?" Marianne readied herself to argue about semantics, but her mind was blank. "Not all renegades and mutants are chaos worshippers." Vera smiled. “And those of us who are can still be businessmen.” The door slid open, and in walked a space marine. His armor was black, with dark green pauldrons. On these pauldrons was the symbol of a white dragon head hastily painted over with a red X. In his massive hand was a black helmet with a single hole in the brow. This hole was for the single boney horn on the marine's pale white head. He walked past the two, past the desk, and into the large chair, perfectly fitted for him. "Vera, Vera's friend." "Marianne." "Hello Marianne. I am Zax, your middle man for the immediate future. Your mutant friend has told me only good things about you, but I do wonder how you two met?" Marianne sighed. "It's... complicated." "We're sisters." Vera blurted out. Zax laughed, his deep voice echoing throughout the small office. “Knight, despite your sister’s lackadaisical attitude, she is feral beast on the field of battle.” Marianne did not respond, for she was well aware of Vera’s skills in combat. “She told me you are worst.” "I am an honorable knight." Marianne shot back, her voice filled with venom. "Than why are you seeking work with pirates?" “It’s... complicated.” She paused to think. “Let me guess. An overzealous inquisitor decided you were a heretic with little to no evidence.” "No." Marianne said under her breath, glancing towards her sister. "Let's just say that I'm not a traitor to the Imperium, officially." "Interesting." Zax grinned. "How about we make it official, and in a big way." "What do you have in mind." "I got three jobs for you. First, the Blood Pact is looking for knights to raid a forge world." Marianne turned to Vera. "You're on your own with that one." She said. "The Pact doesn't like me." "Ok, what else." "We got some drukari raiding a knight world for slaves, and you'll even get a cut of the slaves." "The dark eldar aren't a good choice for a newbie." Marianne sighed. "Last one." "The last job is actually from some other renegades. A system are asking for help in becoming independent from the Imperium. The Amaterasu System from what it says." "I don't know anything about the Amaterasu System actually." Vera quietly whispered. "I do." Marianne said. "It's the under the watch of the Dark Blades space marine chapter. I guess their going rogue." "Sounds fun, but what's the pay." Zax ruffled through his papers. "Those who assist in removing Imperial forces from the system will be recognized as citizens of of the Amaterasu System, and will have full permission to live and operate within the System, as well as full respirations for lost personnel, equipment, and resources." "We need a place to stay," Vera said, "but it's your call Mari." "A good way to declare to the galaxy that we don't bow to the Imperium. We'll do that one." "Good, good. Do you have need transport to the system?" Zax asked. "No need." Marianne said, standing up and leaving. "Thanks Zax." Vera said, following her sister. The warp jumped to the system took about three hours, and the two spent most of it in silence. Marianne and Vera sat in the cockpits of their respective knights. "Soooo." Vera hummed, her voice echoing across the knight's vox system. "Is your new electroscourge ready?" Marianne looked down to her knight's left arm, or where one would be. The tall, black and red mechanical suit didn't have a left arm, instead of three metal tendrils. "I'd rather have my claw." "Sorry about that." Vera said, raising her knight's blue and black arm, ending in a claw. "But, look on the bright side! Your knight is called Blazing Scourge, it has an electroscourge." "INCOMING MESSAGE." Beeped, interrupting Vera. "Play it." "Thank you for accepting our call for help." A staticy voice played. "I am Cya, personal serf to Chapter Master Hiro." The image on the feed was a hooded figure, the only visible part of her face was a pair of purple eyes that glowed in the dark. "What's the situation?" Marianne demanded. "During the formation of the Great Rift, the Amaterasu System was cut off from the Greater Imperium as well as Imperium Nihilus. Thankful, the system has been designed to be self-sufficient. However, due to our isolation, we did some actions that the eleclisarchy would declare heretical." "Like what?" Vera asked. "Accepting aid from xenos and granting equal rights to abhumans." Vera noticed that the serf's head was oddly shaped under the hood. Almost like she has horns. "What are we dealing what?" "A single fleet consisting of two battleships, five cruisers, and six squadrons of escorts. We can confirm that the fleet contains no astartes presence, but can confirm the presence of knights of House Raven as well as three Cadian regiments." "Feth." Vera swore. "And who are we fighting alongside of?" "Local PDF and mechanicus forces, the Knights of House Ronin, the Dark Blades chapter, alongside numerous mercenary forces. We currently hold the gas giant Tsukuyomi, and the orbiting moons of Kage, a knight world, the forge world Fojishiti, agri world Kin no Machi, the hive world of Yami no Machi, the fortress monastery Yuro no Yosai. The coordinates your ship is going to is for the fortress world of Kichi. It is currently in imperial hands, but we are currently attack the world right now. Any aid will be appreciated." "Yes mam." "Got it boss." "Arigatō." Cya bowed, before disappearing from the feed. "Ready to fight the Imperium?" Vera asked with a nervous smile. "Too late to turn back now." Marianne answered, her voice shaky. "WE ARE APPROACHING OUR DESTINATION." "We are going to die." Vera laughed. Marianne ignored her. "Let's do this." "ENTERING REAL SPACE." Marianne took a deep breath. "APPROACHING PLANET." Marianne's vision began to fade in and out. "PREPARE TO DROP." "My favorite part." Vera laughed. The floor beneath the feet of the two knights opened. The two knights, alongside a number of smaller armigers dropped from the ship. As they fell to the battlefield, the knights could see various forces charging a fort's wall. Marianne's sight continued to fade. "Battle calls." She whispered. A voice, not her own, but familiar, echoes through her mind. "Bring me blood, bring me skulls, bring me battle." When her sight returned, Marianne was standing in the center of a destroyed building. Her knight was soaked in blood, and laying in front of her was the bodies of multiple guardsmen, each and every one of them decapitated. "Great job Mari." Vera said, patting her sister's knight on the back with her claw. "They're falling back." "Th-th-that's great to hear." She mumbled. "Welcome to the life of a merc. It doesn't get any better." Vera said, half-jokingly. Marianne could not reply. All she could do is whisper to herself. "I am a honorable knight. I am a honorable knight. I am a honorable knight. I am-" "Hungry for battle! Bring me more!" A small grin creeped onto her face. "Blood for the Blood God." She said under her breath, her eyes narrowing on her sister. Her trance was broken by incoming missile fire. Her knight's void shield block most of the damage, but the ringing in her ears did drown out the voices. "I won't betray my sister. Not for the Emperor, and certainly not to you." "I do not care for where the blood flows, just that it flows." "I will make it flow. Oh I will make it flow." Marianne whispered as she barreled towards the retreating enemy, her face a mixture of rage and zen.