The shrine of Saint Phenomina was a hidden and holy place on this moon, which Canoness Roxanne had identified – but the sisters of battle had been beaten to the area by a strike force of heretical Dark Angels. Imperium or not, they were on sanctified ground and far from Imperium jurisdiction. Although their agendas greatly differed, there was a noticeable level of mutual respect in the zealous carnage which followed.

The sound of the Castigator’s battle cannon still rang in Canoness Marika’s ears. The speed and ferocity of the Adeptus Astartes were a sight to behold, but these so-called angels of the emperor were nothing more
than misguided mutants. Sister Jeanne rode the Immolator up to the Shrine, only to have several Dark Angel
vehicles, including a landraider and a dreadnought, form a pincer manoeuvre to lay their Melta and lascannons into it. The Immolator immediately exploded into sanctified fire and spare parts, sending shards of stained glass and fire into the ruins. Jeanne’s Dominion squad were thrown from the explosion, three of them not making it out. Now in the Shrine, Sister Jeanne leapt for cover and searched frantically for the Saintly Relic while under fire.

Meanwhile, the Castigor pushed on forward towards a squad of Heavy Intercessors. Their speed and fury was frightening and they dodged the majority of the Castigator’s fire. Quickly running out of time, the sister at
the wheel revved the engine and reached top speed to face the incoming chainswords head on. Lethal chainswords pierced the hull as it tankshocked them. As the chainswords bit into the tank, the sister grinned – she was buying precious time for the rest of the battle sisters to move into position.

Palatine Megara led her battle sisters into the ruins. Her squad began to fall to heavy bolter fire, but they pushed on. The sound of an explosion from the Castigator pushed her forward. As her squad took cover, Megara found herself between Heavy Intercessors and Deathwing Knights. She needed a miracle – and her prayers were answered. Canoness Marika descended from the heaven’s with a Seraphim Squad, deepstriking into the heart of the battlefield, lighting it up with righteous fire and fury.

The flames ate away at the heretical mutant space marines, overwatching them as they charged into the shrine – in search of the ancient quantum shield generator which was barely holding the walls together. The
Canoness knew that her sisters hadn’t located the relic yet, so she would buy them as much time as possible. “Sisters, charge the heretics with the chainswords – hold them off!”

The Dark Angel’s Ballistus Dreadnought smashed through a different quantum shield generator around the corner from the shrine, just as Canoness Roxanne dodged out of the way with her jump-pack and took
a lascannon shot which should have killed her – certainly a miracle there. She swung her holy eviscerator to no effect, it’s armour was too tough.

When she saw the Dreadnaught bear its weapons on the rapidly descending Seraphims, there was only one thing to do. Roxanne charged in front of the gun, armed with faith. “For the Emperor!”

Paragon Warsuits leapt into the ruins to take on the Aggressors who had just departed the explosion of the recently Melta’d land raider, and were charging their power fists for maximum punch. They clashed, ripping
each other’s armour to shreds as Seraphim flew around them, trying their best to set them ablaze. Canoness Marika recognised the Captain in Gravis armour who was leading them – he was the battle-hardened
Captain Gadiel and his reputation preceded him. Although separated by Aggressors and Warsuits, they exchanged glances and words.

“Captain Gadiel! What brings you to the Pariah Nexus and this holy shrine?” Marika asked over the roaring flames. The entire shrine was burning and she knew time was running out.

“Probably the same reason as you, sister,” Gadiel replied. “Will you be claiming that pile of blackstone over there? It’s all yours if you yield.”

“Not on my life, especially in front of the eternal flame of the Emperor, you heretic mutant.”

“You over-zealous traitor to the Imperium.”

They exchanged more insults until the Paragon Warsuits finally managed to smash him out of the crumbling shrine.

Palatine Megara barely managed to backflip away from the roaring bite of an incoming heavy intercessor chainsword, onto a podium, where she used her momentum to smash her blessed power blade into the
nearest Deathwing Knight. The Knights were distracted by the deadly and devastating Paragon Warsuits, who were trying their best to melt their armour and defences down. The warsuit sisters soon fell to the Knight’s furious assault with their power maces of absolution. The final Deathwing Knight, victorious against the warsuits, saw Megara too late, and the energy from her sword ripped through its shield with a righteous
fury, piercing the mutant inside.

Chainswords clashed, tanks exploded and the shrine was ultimately destroyed – but the relic was safe.

Sister Jeanne had lost nearly all of her Dominion Squad facing a Brutalis Dreadnaught inside the ruins of the holy shrine. It’s heavy cannons had obliterated her sisters. Even her faith couldn’t protect her from the heavy bolter fire. Rising from the ashes, Jeanne drew her power sword, sung a chant of faith and charged. Then she
was hit. The next thing she remembered was being covered in her own blood, missing a leg and getting hauled out of the rubble by her injured sister, Palatine Megara. The battle was over.

“Sister, we are victorious. Canoness Marika has secured the Relic of Saint Phenomina. I’m certain that your faith and this relic have ensured you can fight another day. Come, the Seraphim are ready to fly us out,”
Megara said.

“It certainly was a trial of faith, but we’ll need more than that when we return without any Blackstone to the Inquisitor,” Jeanne replied. “But we’ll let Canoness Marika deal with that.”

Once back at their base of operations, they were patched up and given time for their prayers. While more battle sisters stood up to replace the ones lost in battle, Jeanne still felt that her Dominion squad’s lives were lost senselessly. Jeanne considered if this fight was worthwhile, whether the inquisitor was worth partnering with as she limped on her new prosthetic leg, on her way to patch up the bolter-sized hole in her power-pack.