One More Look and He'd Lose It

What kind of planet was Sagan II?

Sagan II was a fringe planet. Really fringe. It was so far out that its distant sun looked like a star, a pinprick of light in the sky.

There was no sunlight, no warmth. The surface stayed dozens of degrees below freezing year-round. There was no liquid water. Drops froze the instant they fell. It was a place where life could not survive.

The docking port was a modular facility the Minotaurs Chapter had thrown together. A glass dome covered it, barely maintaining the air pressure and temperature.

The Minotaurs had also brought the Lamenters Chapter's confiscated Battle Barge here.

The Mother of Tears. The Lamenters Chapter's fortress-monastery.

The Lamenters had no homeworld. The Mother of Tears was the only home they had.

...Except the Mother of Tears was in terrible shape.

The Lamenters collected no tithes and had little funding. They often couldn't afford to repair their ship.

It hadn't exactly been new to begin with. During the earlier invasion, Minotaur assault craft had boarded it and left Melta craters across its hull. Now it was pitted and charred.

The Minotaurs showed no shame over it.

The Lamenters really had rebelled, and the Minotaurs had come to put down the rebellion. They had done nothing wrong by attacking them. Fighting traitors was only right.

Honestly, the moment the Lamenters stopped resisting, they had ceased fire. They hadn't fired a single extra shot. For treason, that was already remarkably restrained enforcement.

The Lamenters understood that too. Their hearts held no resentment, only shame.

They had done wrong. They knew it, and they willingly accepted their punishment.

A Minotaurs logistics sergeant stood before the Mother of Tears, Dataslate in hand, checking the inventory with Lin En:

"The Lamenters Chapter's Power Armor and equipment are