The monsters came burrowing up and crashing down with an impossible fury. The battlefield provided no advantage, apart from a fortified shrine. The ancient and magnificent shrine somehow leeched the energy from power-armour and the sheer will from the battle sisters.

Sluggish and battle-weary, they suffered heavy losses against the deadly Xenos known as Tyranids. Although the Inquisitor wasn’t present in the battle, he had identified the Tyranids belonging to Splinter
Fleet Tenebrus, who had adapted to the harsh environment of this moon.

It was Sister Jeanne who had first located the holy shrine through a vision. Something was willing her to go, willing her to retrieve a relic long lost. The following scans also detected Blackstone in the area, henceforth
the mission was approved. All they had to do was go in, secure the relic, grab some blackstone to keep their resident Inquisitor happy, and get out.

Yet fate was not so kind, as they had been ambushed by the Tyranid force. The monsters were laying in wait. Canoness Megara and Sister Jeanne lead two squads of sisters directly into the shrine, directly into the mouth of death, while their tanks held the larger monstrosities at bay. The close quarters combat saw talons tearing, power swords swinging and bolters booming.

Not even the Castigator’s battle-cannon could hit true and the monstrosities quickly outnumbered them. Canoness Marika had never seen creatures such as these, shrugging off mortal wounds which could
have cracked open a citadel. Descending from the clouds, she led her Seraphim over the battlefield, setting ablaze as much as possible, leaving behind burned husks of termagants in their wake. Scorched earth was the only way to truly defeat these things.

Back inside the shrine, the battle sisters were getting overwhelmed by an uncountable number of Tyranids and the flailing tendrils of a Neurotyrant. Sister Jeanne stumbled backwards, almost into the mouth of a Zoanthrope, but a battle sister pushed her out of harm’s way, getting ripped apart in her stead. Jeanne cracked open the podium in the center of the Shrine and grabbed the relic, an ornate golden box
containing the Praesidium Rosarius. Objective secured, she fended off the other tyranids with her blessed blade – this was her trial of faith. She chanted hymns of glory as all her exits were cut off. Not so glorious.

Answering her sister’s call for help, Canoness Marika led her Seraphim through the ruined windows with zealous fire and fury. Their Exorcist, a huge tank with pipe organ missile launchers, also crashed through the wall, paving a path to escape.

“Sisters, fall-back!” Jeanne explained as she saw Canoness Roxanne fly by, with a bucket of Blackstone shards. Their mission was successful and there was nothing more to gain from staying apart from death.

The survivors grabbed what salvage they could and retreated on the Exorcist, as sister on the organs played a song of victory as they outran the remaining Tyranid forces.

After the battle Canoness Roxanne landed on top of their drop-church to sit next to Sister Jeanne and lay her Holy Eviscerator down gently on the roof. “Well done, sister. Your faith supported us against that tide of
death. However you should remember that faith is not infallible, it’s not heresy to say that. Retreating to fight another day was the most prudent course of action.”

Jeanne nodded. “I am enlightened by your words and my trial of faith,” she replied. Next would be her trial of suffering.