"Iron in Ice"
Thunderscourge
Emulating Kill em All Tomino in all Games
In an attempt to placate the masses the Conomor regime allowed for the institution of an Ixolotl 'daycare' within the Schola Progenium's outer facility, for the animosity felt by the regime's soldiers towards the creatures meant that there would be blowback if it was kept within the bounds of a Fortress City. The purpose of creating it was to provide a serious academic institution for the creatures that would assist members of the Schola in their tasks given their general capability, though in reality it provided a safe haven for both citizens and Ixolotls to visit. The government only rarely paid visits to the location and their predilection towards pomp and vanity meant it was obvious when they would do so, meaning that what was done or said behind the Schola's walls stayed there.
To maintain appearances this 'Ixolotl Schola' carried out actual courses and studies for the animals, something not entirely new to the world but more professional compared to the more localized education done family by family. With Ixolotls reaching maturity around twenty years of age their growth in many ways mirrored that of their Human companions, and so while their owners were receiving their own lessons so too were the Ixolotls who otherwise would be left unattended. This had a positive impact regarding the disappearance of lustrous objects during the daytime, and also made the Ixolotls more productive when they returned from their lessons. Teachers included both Humans and matured Ixolotls, their elder members quite serious when it came to protecting their young despite their lack of severity in most matters.
Paying attention was sometimes a difficulty for the juvenile Ixolotls, but their eagerness to please Humans who treated them well saw them do as told more often than not. Topics covered in their lessons included basics like how to carefully carry objects even with their undeveloped arms and mouth if need be, how to properly navigate through the snow, that building igloos inside was not good to do and that 'igloos' would be provided to rest in, and basic commands and words so that they would understand what it was their owners were saying. An experiment into having Ixolotls press buttons that would convey messages was discarded when the ones for "Shiny" and "Love you" were used on repeat until said devices broke, having distracted the Ixolotls from actual useful tasks and their studies.
More complex studies were done for those whose masters had entered into some form of specialization, with those belonging to future Tempestus Scions learning how to properly scout out areas and report important information that was not just metallic objects found, those belonging to prospective scribes and administrators bringing useful supplies and acting as messengers, and those belonging to rising Commissars were trained in methods to help motivate and uphold morale. Civilian owned Ixolotls possessed similar training to assist in the tasks their Kimarans had to carry out day to day, while members of the local militia had their own taught the basics of how to help reload artillery. Given their tendency to wander Ixolotls sometimes went to the wrong classes and so it was not uncommon for them to learn things beyond their specialties, though with their natures they tended towards mirroring the general occupations of their owners in the end regardless.
Of course beneath the surface of this seemingly tame institution was what it was a cover for, that being the collection of renegade operatives intent on overthrowing the current regime. It was a perfect cover for the dissemination of rebellious materials thanks to Verita's growing circulation of readers for her 'Ixolotl Information network', leaflets being passed out by her pet Seta and other Ixolotls who proved adept at such tasks. Nothing was printed that was not objectively true or outside of the bounds of what was permissible under Imperial law, but by drawing public attention to certain incidents it helped keep them from being propagandized by the regime's misinformation. It was thanks to the government's own apathy towards its citizens that allowed for such material to grow under their noses, along with the fact that the Ixolotls only passed their materials along to those who too possessed Ixolotls, something that had been banned by the government for its public servants in recent years. Their rulers were comfortable in their power and so remained completely oblivious to what was going on, at least for the time being.
Beyond his duties for the Schola and Imperium were those Commandant Eisen Kohlenstoff possessed for the people of Kimara, and just like his work as an Imperial Commissar years ago he would take whatever measures were necessary to succeed in his goals. The death of one of his charges through subterfuge had forced him to accelerate his plans but it was to his fortune that his daughter and her chosen classmates were up to the challenge. While largely keeping them in the dark and compartmentalizing what information each received as to their operations to minimize risk, he had still brought them in on his plans and operations where necessary to both utilize and also expand upon their skillsets.
His daughter Isolde largely assisted him at the facility when she was not undergoing her training at the Schola, officially being a part of the Commissar program and having passed the typical final test given already after her execution of a classmate. While it was not a practice that the Commandant actually had his students carry out unlike other Scholas it was agreed that as Isolde had in essence killed Umida for the survival of her other companions that she proved her mettle, and so had been made a Cadet Commissar who could be deployed on missions alongside Imperial forces to gain experience. This saw Isolde traveling to and from the Schola as needed, fighting alongside members of the planetary defense force against the leviathan Yormungaros and other such threats while also meeting with other branches of the Imperium to gain experience with them as well. This made her an effective agent of her father, who while remaining in one place could have her as a proxy meet with potential allies elsewhere on Kimara, weaving a web of contacts that could be called upon when needed.
It was no exaggeration to say that to most in the Imperium the frigid and cutting personality Isolde possessed was much like the environment of her world, but whereas this would make her incredibly uncharismatic on other worlds it held deep appeal to those on Kimara. While still new to public speaking and giving speeches the Commandant gave her a platform to do so within the Schola's walls, allowing his daughter's cold fury born after the betrayal she faced at the hands of the government to be channeled towards a productive end of rallying those who might otherwise be uncertain in their loyalties or worth. Isolde was a natural at it with her imposing form, having reached her father's height and being set to surpass him to the point that she would tower over even Kimaran men, all the while possessing an incredible form which resembled immensely the idealized Kimaran woman. A cold beauty who possessed a commanding presence, it was said by some that she had been made for such a role, and that was by no means an insult given the controlled nature of Kimaran life.
There was perhaps little surprise to be found that the majority of the Schola's staff could be found assisting the Commandant in one way or another, for they had been hand-picked by the Commandant himself out of countless Imperial servants to work there. With this being the case he was able to recruit individuals who either owed personal loyalty to him or shared his ideals in liberating Kimara from the reign of the Conomors, those also loyal to the Imperium itself since having had such faith eroded by enduring the excesses of the Conomor regime. Seeing how the planet was mismanaged, its wealth plundered for short-sighted greed, its people tormented and the workforce diminished, it was clear to all who knew how things once were that Kimara had taken a harsh turn for the worse. Change came in incremental yet increasing amounts of decay to their society, and it was increasingly obvious that if the Conomors had their way Kimara would become like countless other worlds in the Imperium, its own culture and practices eradicated in favor of a new order.
To combat the societal rot setting upon them required action to be taken, and for this task the Commandant made extensive usage of his daughter's two closest peers Dairine and Verita.
While Verita stood in the open and used her talents to reveal truth, Dairine had been removed from the Schola and her records expunged following her 'death' in a training exercise that possessed many witnesses, all of whom ultimately answered to the Commandant. With her very life hidden from view of both the Imperium and the Kimaran regime it allowed Dairine great flexibility in what she could do, for none knew to look out for her. Lacking the extensive training of official Imperial Assassins, Dairine was still provided with augments to her physical form that took her already gene-crafted body well beyond the limits it might otherwise possess.
How the procedure's contents had been obtained and supplied were unknown to Dairine herself, but she was not really the sort to ask questions she considered unnecessary. Being sculpted to possess the physique of an actual Imperial Assassin and the raw killing potential of one was a gift in her eyes, fulfilling a role she had been designed for, and all that remained was to gain training and experience to match what she had been gifted from birth and prepared for ever since.
To assist in this matter was a seeming Vindicare Assassin by the title Iota who could often be found at the Commandant's side, though never outright revealing herself to outsiders and almost always waiting still beneath a camo-cloak to take action if necessary. Any who might attempt to take action against the Schola's leader would find themselves cut down before they could even move a finger, and it was only thanks to being placed under Iota's employ that Dairine came to know the assassin existed at all. Thanks to her own enhanced physical features Dairine could often figure out where her mentor was now, but whomever Iota was underneath their mask and form-fitting gear was an unknown even to her student.
Dairine began her training eliminating targets set for her by Iota off-world, utilizing the Commandant's connections to travel beyond Kimara and kill for some time on Wostyn. Once beautiful in its own way, what little natural resources the world had to offer were eradicated when Kimara conquered them during the Horus Heresy thanks to the overwhelming firepower utilized to force the desert planet into submission.
This sordid history between the worlds and their mutual enmity born of wounds inflicted upon the other throughout the ages saw the population of Wostyn actually jubilant when they received word of Kimara's current condition from various relatives and friends who were posted there. For Kimara to suffer was to make them reap what they had sewn, and with Kimarans set on a path towards extinction with their lack of men it was seen as a golden opportunity to settle the planet and receive the riches that Kimara had long profited from while leaving nothing for those of Wostyn. It was selfish, but for those who had nothing it was a path forward for them and so they felt no sympathy for the culture they saw as to blame for their own suffering in all of its hubris.
Knowing what their kin were doing and feeling no sympathy for the victims of their actions made it all the easier for Dairine to go hunting, and so she did: targets whose removal would diminish the Wostyn mercenaries' hold on Kimara were targeted one after another, their deaths always arranged such that other culprits would be expected such as pirates or even other mercenaries. True to her Kimaran heritage Dairine saw herself as better than them, and the fact that her targets believed the opposite to be true made it a contest of which prideful world would survive. Each planet was not wrong for detesting the other, but that was all above Dairine's consideration: what mattered was killing those who might endanger those she cared about, just as they had caused the circumstances behind Umida's untimely death.
After completing a half-dozen missions Dairine was brought back to Kimara, her killing instinct having been honed further by her time in the harsh deserts of Wostyn. She had much to learn, and potential yet to meet, but Dairine was a dangerous tool that was growing sharper by the day, and with her loyalty unquestioning towards Isolde and the Commandant she would prove pivotal in their operations moving forward as key Conomor officials needed to suffer 'accidents'. Dairine felt certain she could slay the planetary governor himself, but the Commandant held her back from such an undertaking while citing caution and a need to strike when the time was right.
Verita was officially being trained to become a member of the Imperial Diurnarius, for her talent for gathering and disseminating information was unparalleled among her peers at the Schola. The Diurnarius was an institution of some Imperial worlds to share pertinent news and information to the population, being heavily regulated like many Imperial bureaucracies so as to prevent 'heretical' materials from spreading. Her truthful nature made Verita not well suited for what was essentially propaganda, but being trained in how to properly investigate and research subjects while filtering out certain details was useful for what she was actually being prepared for: to become a member of the Inquisition.
While the purpose of the studies was to remove information the Imperium did not wish to be spread such training also lent itself to properly filtering out truth from fiction instead, a vital quality in someone the Commandant was subtly preparing for Inquisitorial duties. If he directly appointed her to an Inquisitor by recommendation or gave Verita overt training for such tasks it would make it appear as if the Commandant was seeking to have a pet Inquisitor, at least to the Conomor regime, who would take it as a threat and likely result in backlash. If she was trained instead in skills useful for an Inquisitor and recruited by one by happenstance then it would not tie back to the Commandant and the regime would have no recourse or reason to retaliate, as it would be an outside entity's decision and to question an Inquisitor's will was to invite disaster. They would instead be poised to try and please whatever Inquisitor had come to the world, and thus Verita would gain their blessing rather than scrutiny.
As an extension of her training at the Schola Verita was allowed to serve as a reporter and investigative journalist for local Kimaran media. At first she carried out lowly, grunt-like tasks thanks to her inexperience being mixed with elitism among the existing staff members. They had risen to power during the Conomor's rise thanks to their sympathies and had assisted them in maintaining a superior public image than what their actions might typically entail, so an outsider to their social niche would already be looked down upon even before considering how Verita's family had been convicted as heretics. Verita took it all in stride however thanks to eventually being assigned to an elderly associate of her father named Stawski who did not believe the accusations levied against her kin, and under his guidance she gained a foothold that allowed her to circumvent the obstacles arbitrarily placed in her path.
Reporting on local matters was a simple task for Verita as by appealing to Kimaran bluntness she could convey the exact facts of various subjects without delving into subjective opinions and editorializing like the Kimaran media had grown to do in the past century. This straightforward attitude resulted in Verita gaining a following among viewers in the Fortress City, in turn earning her a position as the 'weather girl' which was seen as unimportant by the higher ups yet was their most viewed program due to the dire impact of weather conditions on Kimaran activities and life. It was dangerous enough to mine valuable ore from the world given the wildlife, but a storm could be just as harmful and so to prepare oneself for their duties many citizens of the world would listen to the forecasts. While not as skilled as Isolde when it came to understanding mathematics and science involved in the process Verita still was knowledgeable from her training in the field, and so was able to state the exact readings and conditions that were necessary for those venturing into Kimara's frigid wastes.
Some time in this role eventually led Verita to gain an opportunity to tackle other types of reporting, taking the assignments that were deemed beneath the 'elite' who served as propagandists for both the Conomor regime and the Imperium. Heavy investigation was often called for in these tasks and so Verita's skillset was further honed one story to another, eventually culminating in the opportunity to do a high profile look into the world's self-sufficient agriculture practices. Little glory was to be found in such a job, but someone needed to do it as decreed by the Conomor family who wished to show off their thriving industries where possible and with how excess produce was shipped off-world now there was quite a profit being turned from farming. Rather than focus the report on the financial windfall and boon they now faced Verita instead chose to give a historical overview to convey as much detail and information as was needed to fully inform viewers about the subject matter.
With the lack of natural arable land to farm it was an important part of every Fortress City upon Kimara that they ensure their own food production that could more than account for their population. This was done by having an inner sanctum of the Fortress Cities be set aside for agriculture, cultivating through technology conditions that could produce sustenance for them all. For the sake of security these production facilities were among the most heavily guarded upon Kimara, as damage to them in the wrong circumstances could lead to mass starvation and mitigate the enduring nature of the fortresses.
For the average Kimaran the vegetables, fruit, meat, milk, and so forth created were perfectly fine to live off of day after day, as their reserved natures carried over to their food palate. Other Imperial citizens might grow tired of the same meals again and again but such a trivial matter was well beyond a Kimaran's day to day concerns when the planet itself was actively trying to kill any who dared encounter its natural environment. They were used to having many aspects of their lives engineered and so their consumption of sustenance was no different, with many of the planet's population actually disliking new or otherwise different cuisines. Dietary needs were met by the daily rations and while repetitive were still of high quality, so to them there was no need or desire to change things.
The workers at these facilities were typically Kimaran women not of optimal child bearing age, be it those too young or too old as the population growth programs instituted by Jarn himself had continued until this most recent generation. The brutal nature of Kimara meant that for the population to remain stable it required a much greater number of offspring per couple than was typical upon other worlds, and to actually increase and eventually garrison the entire world's Fortress Cities would require even greater quantities.
As penance for their rebellion Kimara had been given large tithes to fill including supplying personnel to the Imperial Guard and other Imperial entities, perhaps deliberately taking advantage of the social programs already in place to support mass population growth for the Imperium's own needs. The cult of personality surrounding the Jarn family was an acceptable drawback to the Imperials who used that very nature to manipulate the world into compliance by keeping the Jarn family on a tight leash, for to the people of Kimara the Jarns were the only thing keeping them from complete subservience to the Imperium and were to credit for all of their planet's past glories. So long as the Jarns stayed in line the Imperium would keep them in power, an arrangement that had lasted thousands of years until the return of the Conomors and the accusations of malfeasance on the part of the Jarns saw the Imperium install the Conomors in their place.
A lack of male counterparts had led many women that would otherwise be married to become a part of the agriculture workforce, ironically resulting in greater production of food despite the massive decrease in the native population thanks to the mass conscription of its men. This deluge of food had not gone to waste however as it was funneled towards the supporters of Governor Conomor including the increasing number of mercenaries garrisoning the planet, as well as traded off-world to further enrich those with access to the excess.
While it had always been the case that the upper echelons of Kimaran culture had access to more food by proxy of actually being able to afford it from other worlds, it was not something often utilized by them as the Jarn family and their supporting noble houses had the same general personalities and culture as their people and so lacked a desire for more than what Kimara itself produced. This changed under the Conomors, for their members and their supporters largely hailed from off-world or had ties elsewhere that diluted their Kimaran heritage if they were in fact native. The Jarns had largely eaten like commoners without intending to appear noble for doing so it made them by proxy appear so after the father of the current governor took power. It was not with popular support that the Conomors rose but rather a hidden coup by a select few as backed by the Imperium itself, so it was only by the stubborn loyalty of Kimarans that they accepted their new leaders who had allegedly ousted a corrupt regime that had been in fact beloved by many.
As a part of her historical report Verita had partaken briefly in the agricultural practices to get a better feel for them all and to better relay them to those viewing the broadcast, including live-broadcasting the various routines and labor required which was the first time for many that they personally got to peer beyond the veil of mystery surrounding their food production. In truth it was a simple operation which only possessed one real complex facet, that being how it utilized some older technology that could be replicated but was mostly beyond the comprehension of even the local Mechanicus. These technologies from ages past made the production more efficient in terms of space used, thus allowing them to produce all they would need and more for emergencies or relief aid to another Fortress City that was in need of it. While efficient the work was still difficult and physically taxing like agriculture upon other worlds thus requiring new workers over time, with those retiring from service being honored for doing so, much like those who worked in similarly difficult civilian fields such as manufacturing.
However mundane, Verita's hands-on reporting on Kimara's agriculture proved her capability to research important information as well as share it effectively in an objective manner beyond simple day to day trivia. This in turn had caught the eye of an Inquisitor attached to the local Deathwatch forces, Inquisitor Kravin, who had been observing Schola members at the time for possible Acolytes to assist him. As a specialist in rooting out conspiracies, corruption, and internal threats to the Imperium he had come to the sector due to seeming irregularities in its governance. His presence was welcomed by the Conomor family rather than spurned, for they gave him seeming full access to their records which were meticulously kept and they provided him every amenity he might require to fulfill his tasks.
Their seeming willingness to assist the Inquisitor in his duties made it appear as if they expected for such an arrival to come at one point or another, but being prepared for Imperial authorities was not a crime in and of itself and so initial investigations revealed nothing out of place in the primary government. Instead information damning the prior Jarn government was uncovered, showing hints that they had hoarded resources and not properly paid their tithes which was why the Conomors explained they have done all within their power to properly repay the Imperium. The evidence was not particularly solid, but without evidence to the contrary it did help affirm their position as replacements to the Jarns while pinning any irregularities on their predecessors.
This was why the Inquisitor sought out Acolytes to assist him in his time upon Kimara, as whatever flaws had resulted in the irregularities noticed off-world were apparently laid deep and the Conomors were prepared to react to him each step of the way. While typically the Deathwatch served as allies to the Ordo Xenos in this instance they were an available resource which Kravin called upon with his unquestionable authority, the Deathwatch making their presence known upon Kimara wherever he went as enforcers to his will. To assist in the actual research and investigation others would be needed though, for a century of records had piled up one after another and somewhere within Human error would reveal the truth if it all was a house of cards.
Inquisitors were known to take particularly loyal and effective Schola students as their Acolytes, guiding them along a path where they served as an extension of the Inquisitor's will while also learning from their methods. While possessing no Inquisitorial Seal themselves they could act on the Inquisitor's behalf in various tasks, making opposing them possess dire consequences for within the Imperium Inquisitors possessed incredible power and influence with their only true oversight coming from their peers within the Inquisition. To face them was to oppose the Imperium itself, as well as to invite the ever present threat of Exterminatus upon one's world should there be no other solution in their eyes to a problem faced.
Five acolytes were chosen from within the Schola, with Verita being the most notable among them and thus the one entrusted with more responsibilities than her peers. Kravin was a straightforward and brusque man whose personality reminded her of her Drill Abbot Gull, though whereas Gull was known for his unique charisma Kravin instead possessed a paranoia that kept others at bay. To him there were plots and threats always lurking beneath the surface, and to trust others was to invite disaster. Schola students under his direct control were to be used, but even they were treated with intense scrutiny.
As the Schola students each prepared themselves for their coming roles the Commandant was taking action of his own: while careful to act through proxies for most matters there was one thing he made certain to do in-person, and that was meet with those who sought his aid and refuge at the Schola. For years those persecuted by the regime in one way or another had sought aid from him in the local community, and while stoic the Commandant was not a man who could turn away those in need. It was in his nature as a Kimaran, as for countless years the only thing ensuring their collective survival was the willingness to assist others through hardship where possible. Instances where such aid would not prove effective or necessary would be handled accordingly, but where aid could be granted on this unforgiving world it was without selfish intent.
This had been a staunch position of the Jarn family fostered through millennia that saw to the planet's success, and like the court of kingdoms throughout the galaxy audiences would be granted with the ruling family for those who required not just the aid of an individual or local community but that of the world's sovereign. Such practices saw the ruling family's continued popularity and loyalty amongst their people despite their position as autocratic rulers, for any citizen of the world could seek an audience and be met by their lord should their need require his judgement and decree.
A perhaps obvious danger of such meetings with the public was that it allowed for the possibility of royal assassination, but the security on Kimara and near fanatical loyalty of its population had left such occasions incredibly rare throughout the long practice of such meetings. The last Jarn to have ruled had been one of the few to even face such an attempt thanks to a spy, their hidden weapon managing to pierce his personal shielding numerous times at close range until Sovereign bare-handed swiftly beat his would-be killer to death. The Sovereign had survived the affair thanks to his nigh-abhuman physiology, and while that day would be a prelude to the coup years later, it had deterred such direct methods of ousting the Jarns for some time since it appeared futile. His guards had offered their lives for their failure, but he had magnanimously forgiven them and instead asked that they would learn from the attempt and redouble their efforts for the future. Come the day of the Conomor-led coup those very soldiers would lay their lives down on the line to protect their lord and his family, and their sacrifice then had valiantly almost overcome the impossible odds they had been faced with.
In much the same vein the Commandant granted his fellow citizens an audience within the depths of the Schola, allegedly meeting with them concerning the enrollment of their Ixolotls in the facility's programs or other such related matters when in truth they sought his aid in more severe matters. To maintain the illusion their Ixolotls were brought and enrolled all the while their owners sought an audience with the Imperial servant whose authority lay outside of the grips of the Conomor regime.
Many times the aid asked of him was entirely mundane, such as assistance in acquiring sustenance for a family in need after tragedy befell them, lending manpower to assist in patrols of a region, and often taking in the orphans of deceased mining staff members who perished either from Kimara's environment or wildlife. Whereas before their own community within their Fortress City could handle such tasks the breakdown of Kimaran society and the apathy shown to their plights by government officials meant that they required aid elsewhere, and after years of local service the Commandant had earned trust that was growing rarer and rarer by the day. As an orphan himself the Commandant was most generous in bringing those who had lost their kin under his wing, providing them whatever aid or comfort they required so far as it was within his ability at the Schola while also instilling in them the very same ethics and responsibility he himself felt so that they too may one day assist others.
It was uniquely Kimaran to be willing to accept aid when necessary for despite their overwhelming pride their utilitarian and pragmatic natures meant that survival often took precedence over pride, something that kept them from delving into outright arrogance though to those outside their culture they still would appear haughty and elitist. Corollary to this was the lack of concern Kimarans held towards how others perceived them, as the opinions of those they saw as lesser were irrelevant to their self-image which only emboldened such beliefs concerning them.
Then there were matters such as the one the Commandant was faced with on this day where what was asked was not just aid, but justice. An elderly man who had been off-planet when the conscription occurred came to plead on behalf of his missing daughter who had been kidnapped by a group of mercenaries earlier that day. A child who ventured on behalf of their family who had their property seized for the purposes of the government without explanation, their older kin imprisoned when they protested against this sudden action. Both of these matters saw the Commandant promise to intervene however he could, for arranging quietly to have a prison convoy hijacked and left in a state that would implicate Yormungaros was within his means. The dangers of Kimara saw plenty of Wostyn mercenaries perish from their daily duties, their ranks constantly swelled by new recruits from Wostyn that often formed the bulk of local patrols as compared to the more veteran and controlled elites kept in the Conomors' upper echelons, and so the 'disappearance' of a few fiends was simple to cover up so long as it was within the expected casualty range.
The final audience sought of the Commandant that day was from a widow seeking the freedom of her daughter, a political prisoner who was but a child in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"My lord...my daughter was taken by Nonss and his animals under the pretext of breaking Imperial law, when she did no such thing...she is young, barely an adult, and all I have left now that her father is gone."
Her voice was shaking as she spoke, her eyes red from countless tears shed even before she came to the Schola, leaving marks from where their remnants froze to her skin.
"It is my shame and dishonor that I could not protect her myself, nor make them pay for what they had done to her since...one after another they..." the widow's head hung down low as she knelt before the Commandant in his office, too ashamed to continue speaking what it was that happened, "They filmed it, they shared it with me and threatened to do the same to me if I dared speak up. They vandalized my home, took our family's precious heirlooms, and in their place they left photos and recordings of their barbarism. My neighbors reported the break-in, but despite having the criminals on camera the officials found no wrong-doing and let them go. Now they question me, claiming that my daughter was a Heretic who opposed the Emperor's will, that I must have taught her to possess such terrible beliefs..."
Now bowing to the ground to genuflect before Kohlenstoff the Widow pleaded with desperation wholly overtaken her voice.
"I failed in my duty as a mother, and I will carry that mark for as long as I live, but please, I beg of you, please help her..."
Even before her arrival the Commandant knew of the incident she spoke of, it being the fallout of a high-profile public execution of numerous Kimarans. Nonss was an individual under the Commandant's watch already and so his instigation of such things came as no surprise and he was already a person of interest to be dealt with, only ignored until now due to more pressing matters coming first.
Given the harsh climate of Kimara presenting identification cards and such documents while in full gear was a cumbersome and difficult task, for whatever important objects were kept on one's person were almost certainly to be protected from outside exposure and damage. To get around this it was thus determined that simple yet resilient bands to be added to one's gear were to designate various key details such as rank or civilian status. Further documents could still be carried as usual, but this simple method provided a way for identification to be handled swiftly and efficiently. The creation or distribution of such armbands was limited to the planetary government and violating the rules set in place would be met with severe punishment, up to and including execution.
The average Kimaran civilian was made to wear a soft blue as their band, differentiating them from Conomor officials and soldiers who instead wore bands ranging from red to purple based on their status. For the members of the Schola, while they were outside of its premises they were to wear a band of their own to show them as being Imperial servants that conveyed them some minor privileges compared to the masses of the planet whose activities were heavily restricted by the recent legislation. Determined by the Commandant himself, the members of the Schola wore armbands reminiscent of dulled mithril with a grey-blue hue that while similar to those possessed by civilians were still able to be differentiated at a glance.
While rarely seen, the governor himself wore a royal purple band at the implementation of the practice to give a public face to the institution of the apparel. The Conomors had possessed red as a primary part of their heraldry in the past, and when mixed with the blue common upon Kimara it resulted in the present day purple that could be seen across the planet wherever the government possessed a presence. Despite none of the planet's population supporting this forced apparel that limited their everyday activities and which carried with it massive consequences if not heeded the program still went off successfully, for while strong-willed Kimarans also were obedient to a fault regarding their power structures. Their original leaders the Conomors had returned after millennia and while a tyranny had been formed by their regime the Kimarans still grit their teeth and accepted what they were told to do.
After all, compared to losing nearly half of their population to a mass-conscription wearing an armband was a trivial matter, simply one more indignity to endure as a point of virtue and principle. It was only when a public execution of civilians, some minors in age, was carried out for those who dared 'endanger public safety' that backlash truly sparked. While only a small handful had been slain to demonstrate the seriousness of this edict moving forward it resulted in further outcry thanks to the families of those who had been killed to make a point.
Those protesting were rounded up and taken away for their demonstration, not a single soul among them to be seen among the living thereafter.
Far be it from Kimarans to mind the cold, the chilling effect of this still kept others from repeating the folly of those lost. It was now a part of life and like with all else in the Conomor regime questioning or opposing it was to be met with beatings, imprisonment, and, if one was particularly unfortunate, far worse.
The one responsible for the public execution was a low level member of the government by the name of Nonss who had only risen to where he was thanks to the unfortunate deaths of various superior officers necessitating someone fill their shoes. Whereas most Wostyn officers at least acted under a pretense of civility and nobility towards their duties for the public there was no such mask with Nonss, who even before his rise had been known among locals for his blatant abuse of power and for his deviant nature. Such were his perversions that those executed were reportedly provided to him after the fact, and their seeming accidental breaking of the new guidelines was found only thanks to his visiting a public education facility without official reason. It was a subsequent visit there that saw him arrest this widow's daughter, a girl in her teens, and whisk her away despite the protestations of the staff there who countered the claims of her having violated the law.
Such was his behavior and reputation that even other members of the regime seemed to want to rid their hands of him, as it was more difficult to control a population when one of their own was not even willing to shroud his actions in the slightest. The actions of individual Wostyn soldiers or Conomor officials could be covered up or deflected given the near open secret nature of their abuse, but Nonss was unable to feign the slightest hint of humanity to cover his tracks.
If one of their own were to allegedly kill him not a single soul would mourn his loss nor raise any questions, for a publicly repugnant liability was not something even the most corrupt members of the regime could abide if their rule was to maintain any grip over the population.
Olym comforted the widow as the Commandant stood up to approach her, helping her to her feet and expressing his deepest condolences for her suffering for given Nonss' previous activities it was almost certain that the woman's daughter was dead. That did not mean there was no justice to be meted out however, and the icy gaze soon fixed upon Eisen's face offered no flexibility in what he thought about the monster involved who at that very moment was likely celebrating his depravity at a pleasure den of his own making.
Hearing what she already feared to be true led the widow to weep into Eisen's chest, the Commandant supporting her how he could with a kind but professional gesture. Despite the valuable nature of his time he made no effort to hurry her through her grief, and it was only when she had worn herself out from her tears that he finally spoke.
"The amnesty granted to the servants of the Conomor family has no bearing on the actions of those in service to the Emperor of Mankind and his will. You will have your justice, and by the time you wake tomorrow those who tormented your family will know the Emperor's Grace."
This was why the Eisen Kohlenstoff commanded the respect of those who knew him, for not only was he a kind man at heart but so was he a man dedicated to carrying out the vows he made to others. For years the only justice to be found in this region of Kimara was that which he inflicted through his agents upon those otherwise untouchable, and while others would consider it a criminal enterprise with him as the leader it was instead seen by those who knew him as a refuge of Kimara's past in a world changed so heavily in the past century. They could no longer visit the Sovereign's palace and seek an audience with him to aid in dire matters of import, but they could ask by the Commandant's grace here for a return to how things once were.
He asked nothing of them in return for such services, but through them he gained the eternal gratitude of the people whose lives he influenced. More and more of them flocked to his cause, blue bands upon their arms signifying their allegiance towards the Commandant himself and his protection in increasing numbers by the day. To spread rapidly in rank would be to invite military backlash, but to win the hearts and minds of their population piece by piece and day by day meant that as a grassroots movement their influence spread far beyond what it may appear on the surface. Those freed from captivity often had to go into hiding, something which saw them become valuable members of the resistance who could dedicate their lives to the cause that they owed their continued existence to.
While influencing a sole Fortress City among countless many it was still a start, and they stood united under the goal of ousting the Conomors and restoring their world to how it once was. No Jarns existed to take up the mantle when that day came, but that did not deter those loyal to the Commandant from pressing forward all the same.
The distraught widow knelt down once again, speaking words once used in the days of her grandfather and his ancestors far beyond him dating back thousands of years. Considered subversive and heretical by some of the Imperium, it nonetheless had been allowed given the strict leash Kimara was held under all of this time so long as no lines were crossed.
"Iron in ice."
Gone as they may be, the creed of the Jarn family endured much like the rest of their legacy despite a century of propaganda villainizing them for their people were intractable and steadfast to the last. What was one hundred years of misinformation against ten thousand of zealous loyalty and servitude fostered by savvy rulers?
At first the Commandant said nothing in return, instead closing his eyes as if to reminisce for but a moment. Then came a small nod of acceptance as he opened his eyes again, the words of his people repeating now from his own mouth.
"Iron in ice."
A reckoning was coming, and he would lay everything on the line to see the day that true justice was restored to his world. Kimarans need not fear the judgment to be meted out, for it would be reserved for those with hearts shrouded in darkness, the vile ones who preyed upon the innocent. Of that the Commandant could promise. The guilty could not hide forever nor remain without retribution for their sins, and it was by the will of the people that they would be hunted down like the animals they were and pulled into the bowels of hell itself.
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Dairine had to pass through the Fortress City on her way to its exit, and along the path she found herself enjoying the everyday normalcy of its citizens as they carried out their business. Night had fallen, but there were duties all day and night to carry out upon Kimara and so there was always some form of activity to be found. Curfews and street violence deterred individuals from going out when it was not necessary to do so, but for those busy carrying out their livelihoods it was just another night under the blue moon of Kimara. Some would be bringing supplies to where they were needed, others would be preparing in their shops for the morning, and despite all of these people being around there was a general silence to be found despite what ambient noises were made by the city itself.
Many of the local Wostyn mercenaries who were on duty instead were shirking it in favor of visiting a new nightclub opened by Nonss, meaning the tranquility that Kimara once was known for had returned for but a night as its stoic populace were able to just live their lives unimpeded. Things were not the same as they once were, but this moment of peace was still found welcome by Dairine as she passed through the city's streets one after another. Despite officially being dead she was dressed in full winter clothing and wearing an armband labeling her as a part of the Schola, so when she reached the gates not only would she be unquestioned so too would she be allowed to exit without explaining herself given how often Schola students traveled to and from the outer and inner Progenium facilities.
A Wostyn quartermaster who had supplied her with the best Wostyn gear he could manage now had suffered from a heart attack in his old age, at least that was how the poison used would make it seem. She had been out when Iota contacted her about another task to be done before returning that night, and so Dairine was off to go prepare for the execution of Nonss when she found herself briefly distracted by the city's simple beauty. Far be Dairine from a romanticist, she still found herself able to admire the flat, angular shapes of Kimaran structures that were meant to be functional and efficient above all else so as to best facilitate life on the world. Many of them looked quite the same, but it was to be expected of a planet which had cities spread across it all using the same design philosophy and who had possessed the same building planners ages ago. Like its people the planet's architecture was built to last, and so the very buildings once erected by Jarn and his Iron Warriors still stood mostly all across the world.
Once beyond the city Dairine approached where she had hidden her assassination gear before her arrival, having killed her most recent target without needing much of it at all and casual clothing blending in better for such an occasion. Now though she needed her actual gear and so slipped on the form fitting outfit given to her by Iota, adding to it her Power Dagger, a pistol, a grenade launcher, smoke grenades, a M36 Pattern Lasgun, and a rifle of a make and design unfamiliar to her but given to her by Iota upon her return to Kimara. Tests using it revealed it was powerful enough to obliterate targets struck by it from well beyond typical ranges guns were accurate at, and so Dairine accepted the gift without complaint especially since it was not as if her taciturn handler would explain anything unnecessary even if asked.
The lasgun and grenades were all Wostyn in make which would help deter investigations should things come to that, but since Dairine was going to be setting her target location ablaze and destroying everything present after the assassination it was really just an extra step of caution. She felt ready for it even if the orders for the assignment were sudden, growing more and more into her role as an assassin by the day with the amount of bodies she had been piling up since Umida's death. It irked Dairine somewhat that her achievements would only be known to her and a handful of others, but she was being granted jobs that no others could accomplish and that satiated her pride all the same.
Others in her shoes might question how she came to be, how her life had all shaped her for this very profession, or what it meant that she was gene-crafted and thus her natural skill was in fact unnatural...but those thoughts were beyond Dairine. While intelligent she just was not the sort to agonize over such details, and so she just focused on what was before her so that she might continue protecting those she cared about. The surrogate family she had grown up with was what mattered, and now that members of the government and Wostyn had taken one of her kin from her Dairine had little reservation about returning the favor.
Reaching the abandoned outpost that Nonss had converted into a secret den of his pleasure and excess was simple enough for Dairine, as was gunning down the guards who stood guard outside of its confines. The noise within meant that the deaths of those outside went completely unnoticed, and with the semi-professional nature of the establishment there were none who were going to look for them either. Setting her thermal reading on allowed Dairine to peek inside the facility as she approached its entrance and prepared her entrance, the opening to this outpost possessing a brief hallway leading into the actual base which greatly expanded beneath the frozen ground it rest upon.
A thorough check revealed that there were forty-two in total, twenty-seven of which were off-duty Wostyn mercenaries and fifteen Kimarans who were in some way collaborating with the Conomor regime at the expense of their fellow kin. While Kimara itself possessed a very insular culture and the presence of the Imperium meant small pockets of those born on Kimara were actually just kin belonging to off-worlders, being considered Kimaran in name only and possessing no true roots or heritage with those who had been there for ten thousand years. Almost all of those working for the Conomors came from such families, siding with the newly backed Imperial ruling family rather than the Jarn family whose significance were lost upon them.
Be they born to Wostyn or Kimara it did not matter: they were the ones to blame for the suffering of so many, the loss of countless lives, and the severe repression of those who remained to the point any rights they once had were in practice null and void. An enemy was an enemy, a threat was a threat, and they would be dealt with accordingly. The Wostyn soldiers were identified by their differing physiques compared to those of Kimarans, and from body language Dairine could tell that the soldiers had come directly from where they were supposed to be since they were armed or at least possessed their weapons nearby so that they could return before their supervisors were ever the wiser still in full gear.
The blaring music of the former outpost would diminish Dairine's sense of hearing and thus her situational awareness if not for the mask she wore filtering out the excess noise, and so rather than having her enhanced hearing cripple her Dairine was able to hear individual conversations and even footsteps within. No longer a military base, it now possessed open expanses for patrons to dance, a series of booths for higher profile members to be seated and waited upon, and most notably a stage at the far back where Wostyn performers provided the excess of music while enslaved Kimaran women were forced to dance for the delight of the crowd. They were dosed with so many illicit drugs that it was unlikely the girls would survive the night as Nonss cared only for his immediate gratification, and so Dairine resigned herself to putting them out of their misery before the chemicals racing through them led to agonizing death.
"The Iron Warriors desecrated our world beyond restoration. Wostyn was once a beautiful sea of sand with oases as far as the eye could see, but now? They left us with nothing—"
Metal clanked against the floor as numerous grenades rolled into place at the entrance, their sudden detonations rapidly forming a thick fog of smoke in the enclosed space. So severe was it that those closest to the sources choked on the dirtied air as they simultaneously lost any ability to survey their surroundings, any sense of their bearings lost when a second round of grenades went off, those being frag grenades that Dairine had fired into the crowds as she dashed into the smoke and entered the fray. Bodies were thrown into tables and furniture, skulls cracked against walls for those close to them, and panic quickly set into place as it dawned upon the crowd just what was happening.
Those present at the private facility beyond the city limits had taken to drugs and alcohol to enhance their experience, something which granted them euphoria at the cost of dulling their senses. While the guards Dairine had already eliminated were fully cognizant their guests were anything but, and so by the time the man closest to Dairine could reach for his firearm his throat had already been carved through by a Power Dagger, Dairine rapidly moving onto the next threat with her grenade launcher readied.
Forty-one.
The only grenade left in the weapon immediately found its way into the next man's forehead, concussing him and knocking his head back. The grenade's trajectory shifted such that it hung in the air just above him the moment before its explosion. A hail of shrapnel tore him and the woman beside him to pieces while also embedding in the leg of another patron in the vicinity, Dairine having already discarded the empty grenade launcher to raise her lasgun and tear through the injured foe.
Thirty-eight.
Nearby remained the woman who had been conversing with the first target, thrown aside by the initial frag grenades and fumbling about in an attempt to pull herself back up. What made this a difficult endeavor were the awkwardly large heels adorning her feet along with one of her ankles having been twisted upon her fall, so she grabbed and groped around her to try and find something to rise up and run from whatever was happening.
Instead she grabbed at Dairine, feeling the smooth texture of the assassin's outfit and realization dawning on her just in time to scream before Dairine silenced her permanently.
Thirty-seven.
Two patrons whose minds were so lost in the fog of euphoria did not react to the sudden assault at all, continuing to dance in the flashing lights as the Wostyn soldier among them stood above an Imperial working for the Conomors. They were engaging in some dance wholly unfamiliar to Dairine who had never witnessed a woman thrust her rear end towards a man like that before while bending halfway over as the man did the reverse sensually, both of them too lost in the flashing neon lights and music to notice the approach of an assassin.
Dairine noted the man's personal arsenal nearby them left wholly unattended thanks to his distraction and so grabbed the shotgun he would use on duty to swiftly turn it on its owner. Due to the numbing chemicals in him the soldier screamed in pain a moment after the blast of the shotgun tore through his lower abdomen and his thighs, completely obliterating his flesh down to his knees as what remained of him fell to the floor. The blast had carried through to tear into his female companion as well, the force of the blast pushing her forward and knocking her off balance. By the time she hit the floor Dairine had already twisted around another soldier who stumbled past wildly to lower the shotgun and fire again to leave a red mist where the collaborator's face had been.
Thirty-five.
The mercenary who had stumbled past her had managed to arm himself with one of the many weapons laying about, something Dairine could tell the others present were beginning to do as well by this point as they came to their (relative) senses. The lasgun held in his hands by his hip was modified to possess a high rate of fire, something that would be used against him when Dairine moved in close to him and grabbed hold of the man's torso while leaping above where the weapon rest. While he had been about to fire where he believed her to have been a moment ago he instead felt his trigger finger gripped and made to fire as Dairine twisted around him to manipulate his body into a full spin, leading him to fire into the crowd dispersed around them.
Thanks to the wild nature of his firing only two others were cut down by the lasgun before someone else opened fire on what they believed to be the intruder, instead catching the mercenary held by Dairine in the throat as she twisted him into the incoming flash of light. The men present possessed more raw might than her but they were unable to properly utilize it with their various levels of intoxication, allowing Dairine to twist this man so adeptly as if he were a ragdoll. Using the momentum of her spin Dairine hurled the corpse in her hands towards the one firing at them and twisted away from a blade yet another mercenary drove towards her, quickly snapping the man's arm at the elbow before taking his now dropped weapon from the air to thrust into his gut where it was used to rip upwards into where his heart lay.
Thirty-one.
As his heart beat its last the mercenary was kicked back to wrench his blade out of his chest as Dairine simultaneously twisted herself around to hurl the knife at the one who had fired upon her moments prior. The knife embedded itself in the man's shoulder and his pained reaction actually assisted him by making his aim move slightly to the side, making his next shot graze Dairine's side rather than miss when she moved to avoid it.
"Someone kill this bitch!"
Dairine recognized the voice of Nonss as he roared above the noise of his personal club, though he lay in the far back of the former outpost and many more still remained between her and him. During the flashes and chaos he had managed to make out the form of the assailant and see that it was some woman, though anything beyond that eluded him and his fury made him reckless as he began to fire into the club himself despite the chances he would hit his own companions. Even intoxicated he was a dangerous man which allowed him to hit Dairine with a glancing shot just as she drew the lasgun she brought to finish off the other soldier who struck her.
Thirty.
Dairine lifted her acquired shotgun up to blow the upper body off of a man who charged her with a blade in his hand before she then kicked her lasgun up into the air to catch it with her free hand and fire it at another approaching soldier whose own lasgun began to fire ineffectually up into the ceiling above them. This damaged the lighting system rather than Dairine, though it did stop the flashing that was actually making it harder for the other survivors to focus so it came as a mixed blessing and curse. As both men fell dead Dairine had to throw herself out of the way of a hail of lasgun shots from across the room, ducking into a booth to cover her after her roll.
Twenty-eight.
With her helmet's thermal vision granting her vision of the four men Dairine noticed that one had for some reason brought a grenade to the club, likely too mentally addled by drugs to consider not bringing something so risky with him but it did grant him the opportunity to throw it at her...if not for the fact she could see it coming. Dashing upwards Dairine fired her shotgun at the man and the spray of pellets tore through his body but in particular shredded his arm, his muscles failing him and dropping the grenade he just armed at his feet.
The resulting explosion erupted through what was left of him, the man beside him, and a pair of cowering collaborators who had taken cover nearby them. The other men firing were blown to the side and barely were able to keep their footing from the sudden force, granting Dairine the time to leap over her cover and roll past where Nonss had been aiming to shoot her to instead hurl her shotgun at one of the stunned men to knock his lasgun away.
The other grabbed a laspistol and fired it wildly towards Dairine as she snapped the neck of the disarmed target, and given their random nature it was impossible for Dairine to fully predict the incoming projectiles even if her enhanced senses made the movements of these men appear so slow. Two shots tore through part of the man she had just killed to catch Dairine in the leg and shoulder, her suit protecting her from much of the damage but her flesh still burning from the impact all the same. The pain caused Dairine to grit her teeth as she made the corpse in her hands into a shield that she manipulated into shooting the other foe, then kicked it into a third man who was running in with Power Sword in hand.
Twenty-two.
Without pause this foe slashed through the dead man thrown at him and lunged at Dairine who only avoided the stabbing strike at the last moment, bending backwards such that her body was held up only by her knees down. As he moved to slash downwards at her Dairine used her flexibility to twist one leg upwards and kick the blade mid-arc before following her momentum to roll over and grab the fallen shotgun. Now in a crouched position she unloaded the weapon's remaining ammo into the Power Sword's wielder, blasting a hole through his gargantuan chest as his blade rested in a booth where he had been diverted to strike.
Dairine sensed the movement of a different kind of projectile moving her way just in time to avoid a flurry of knives hurled at her, another soldier having used them as makeshift weapons and revealed himself to be a knife expert in the process. Despite missing with all but the first that blade had cut into Dairine's side since she was merely an augmented Human who had training, not a master of her craft who no longer made mistakes. She took it in stride however while revealing her own finesse with knives, having in fact caught one of the ones thrown at her and returned it to its sender where it burrowed into the man's eye socket.
Twenty.
She twisted to hurl the empty shotgun again towards a traitorous Kimaran fleeing from her, taking out the woman's legs from beneath her and quickly shooting her with Dairine's own lasgun the moment thereafter. The last of the able-bodied soldiers were gathering their wits and grabbing whatever weapons they could from their surroundings to fight, those being a pile of blades the men had 'liberated' from their own armory for their own possession and the black market. Five in total, they possessed burly builds that Dairine knew she could not overpower and so she was forced to rely upon skill when they charged forth.
Even under the influence these five proved to be well-trained soldiers to the last, as they split apart to approach Dairine from different vectors so as to divide her attention and hopefully disorientate her. Their speed was quite notable as well, as Dairine only managed to gun one of the five down by the time the others reached her. The strikes of the other four made her throw herself to the side to avoid them, still getting nicked by their flurry of attacks but avoiding any critical damage as she opened fire on one of their backs. The shots tore through the man's clothes to reveal a series of tattoos that too were blown away by her lasgun, each seemingly in the shape of the Imperial eagle, but Dairine ignored that to instead focus on the others who still were threats.
Seventeen.
The gun in Dairine's hands had overheated and so she dropped it to instead take her own personal Power Dagger in hand, first slashing at a wrist outstretched to stab at her and severing the man's hand in one move. As he howled in pain she stabbed her dagger into his gargantuan gut, also kicking out to catch one of the other two in the kneecap. As large as they were compared to her Dairine still possessed enough raw force to make a strike directly into a knee enough to briefly disable it, so he fell down on that leg while Dairine twisted her body into the air to move above a Power Sword thrust at her. As she did this Dairine used her twisting momentum to strike the back of the sword and divert its arc into the man's comrade whose hand had been severed.
Landing gracefully at first, Dairine was struck by a lasgun shot that brought her arm to bleed thanks to Nonss who had been content to use the others as distractions from his position atop the stage where he had even shot through his unwilling concubines dancing there to try and hit the rapidly moving form of Dairine. Still pressured by the men nearby her, Dairine ignored Nonss for the moment and leapt back to avoid another lunge from the Power Sword's wielder. This done she slipped past him to slit the throat of the man who had been brought down to one knee, then kicked his falling body towards the only assailant left to stumble the man. As he tripped Dairine opened fire on him, killing him before his body even touched the floor.
It was a simple matter to eliminate the wounded in the room who had been struck at the beginning by the frag grenades, and once they were dealt with it was time to end things.
Six.
"I don't know who the hell you are, or what Emperor's damned reason you're here, but I won't let you get away with this! You killed my men, and now I can't even enjoy the dancers I spent days collecting and whipping into shape! You're dead, you hear me!?"
Nonss remained atop the stage as if the height it afforded him would protect him, but after Dairine had finished off the last of his men Nonss had begun to panic. His slaves were the only other living beings in the room, and those not already in the throes of death from overdosing on the drugs he forced them to take were instead bleeding out from the erratic shots he had taken to whittle down Dairine earlier. Dairine however was unperturbed by the hostage being held out towards her, jumping up atop the stage in a single bound despite its height and her injuries slowing her down. If Nonss opened fire on her he would no longer have his gun trained on the Kimaran in his other hand, so like the coward he was at heart he continued to hold the half-dead girl no older than twenty out towards Dairine without noticing it had no effect on her approach.
"Stay back if you don't want me to shoot this whore! I'm warning you, you damn Eld—"
Dressed in dancer's garb only that amounted to what could be considered underwear, the soft flesh of the hostage was not enough to stop the high powered rifle Dairine had been saving for Nonss. A large rifle was not as effective in close quarters as smaller weapons such as lasguns or shotguns, but now that she had cleared out the room there was no reason to hold back. She wanted to make this vile cretin hurt, and so she had not aimed for his heart with the first shot but rather purposefully shot through his stomach after piercing through his target to put her out of her misery.
"Y-you..."
The dancer dropped to the ground as he let go, instead using both of his hands to wield his lasgun and levy it at where Dairine stood across from him on the stage. His gunshots were still quite accurate, uncannily so, but Dairine still avoided them while taking dramatic steps from one place to another as if in a dance. One foot after the other she avoided the gunfire with reflexes honed since she was born to do this very task, surpassing even the gift that Nonss appeared to possess through some means. Every few steps she would fire again as an extension of another movement, each shot clipping a limb and crippling it, until by the time she reached him Nonss could barely stand and his arms hung uselessly at his side.
"So it was a dance you wanted? Allow me to oblige."
Nonss screamed in terror as Dairine dropped her rifle to instead take her dagger in hand to carve across him with a shallow cut, her form slipping past him still as if participating in a skillful ballet routine. Gliding from one spot to another she disemboweled her target piece by piece, taking care to not inflict any lethal strikes as he wailed and screamed while his body was stripped away without a single thing he could still do to stop it.
Dairine was no sadist, but the amount of lives he had taken or ruined were beyond the pale especially given that his preferred targets were children. An example needed to be made, and so it was.
"P-please don'-don...k-kill me..."
In disgust Dairine lifted her rifle and opened fire into Nonss' skull, the shot erupting it completely and leaving nothing above the neck but a splatter across the stage. Elsewhere the women who had laid strewn where their bodies had been gunned down by Nonss finally expired, leaving Dairine with nothing but silence since the music appeared to have been controlled manually by Nonss himself.
Zero.
"Targets eliminated, Iota. Returning now."
Taking inventory of her own wounds, Dairine cursed herself for letting such dirt even scratch her form, but the indignance was quickly lost as her eyes came to the innocents whose blood had been spilled across the stage. She had won in spite of the horde of foes she had been tasked with eliminating, something Dairine would typically find herself quite proud of, but instead she felt an unfamiliar feeling of emptiness as she looked upon the bodies of women her age who would never return to their families if they still even had them. Something just felt missing, and Dairine was not introspective enough to properly understand the feeling.
Instead she paid her respects and moved on, for there was more work to be done.
May the Emperor guide your spirits and protect your souls.
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A/N: Both Kimara and the Iron Warriors are having some action segments so I figured I would alternate between them right now, as the next update will be a continuation of Tristan's battle and the one following that will likely be a follow-up to what is happening on Kimara while showing the perspectives of Isolde and Verita like how this one showed off the Commandant and Dairine.
I hope you all enjoyed, and that you will share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
A/N: Both Kimara and the Iron Warriors are having some action segments so I figured I would alternate between them right now, as the next update will be a continuation of Tristan's battle and the one following that will likely be a follow-up to what is happening on Kimara while showing the perspectives of Isolde and Verita like how this one showed off the Commandant and Dairine.
I hope you all enjoyed, and that you will share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
