O God, You Are as Merciful as Ever

Civilians are gradually being evacuated.

While Lin En held out the swarm for 30 days, he directed the Lamenters to gather the planet's remaining forces.

Astra Militarum, Battle Sister, and canned goods who were still able to fight were gathered together.

When we launch a counterattack on the Necrons lair later, every extra person we can have is valuable.

Our fear of insufficient firepower is like this: we use everything we can.

Astra Militarum soldiers carried the wounded onto the Transport Shuttle took off, flew back into orbit, and the next batch followed.

The evacuation is proceeding smoothly; more than 4,000 civilians have already been evacuated.

Few of the Astra Militarum and Krieg survived. Over a hundred Ultramarines and Salamanders were found, along with over a hundred Battle Sister, and they are currently gathering them towards the Sanctuary Cathedral.

"Over a hundred Ultramarines and Salamanders?" Lin En frowned. "How many were originally on this planet?"

"Salamanders and the Ultramarines must have sent more than two full-strength companies. They've fought to this point and only a little over a hundred remain. In total, at least three hundred have already been killed."

The roadside was littered with the corpses of Ultramarines and Salamanders.

Lin En clenched his fist.

There was no time for sentimentality; they had to continue their rampage across the entire planet.

All the assembled warriors captured all the heavily corrupted Astra Militarum along the way, bound them, and awaited centralized processing.

They examined the canned remains on the ground.

If any are still alive, rush to save them. If they cannot be saved, see if the Gene-seed can be saved. If the Gene-seed cannot be saved either, neatly place them on the roadside to await further collection.

The remaining civilian survivors who had been hiding were also put onto Landing Craft and transported to battleships in planetary orbit.

Lin En turned to look at Phoros.

"Phoros, have you made contact with the Sanctuary Cathedral?"

Phoros nodded. "We've made contact. There's a surviving Battle Sister guarding the cathedral, her name is Sister Danica."

Lin En's eyebrows twitched.

As expected, based on the current timeline where the animation hasn't started yet and Sa'kan hasn't fallen, Sister Danica should be in the Sanctuary Cathedral right now.

"Let's go, let's meet at the Sanctuary Cathedral."

*******

The main nave of the Sanctuary Cathedral was half collapsed, but the prayer rooms remained intact.

Walking down the collapsed corridor, the door to the prayer room was half-open. It was dimly lit inside, with only a few candles burning, their light illuminating the Emperor statue on the altar.

Sister Danica knelt before the altar.

She was wearing the black armor of the Order of Our Martyred Lady, with the black and white helmet of the Order of Our Martyred Lady on her head. The visor was pushed up, and her robe was torn in several places, stained with dust and dried blood. There was also a long, thin wound on her face.

She knelt upright, hands clasped together, forehead bowed, in devout prayer.

"The Holy Emperor, Leader of Mankind, Lord of All, Protector of All Things, God-Emperor, Light of the Imperium..."

"Grant me your strength, grant me your patience, forgive my weakness, bestow your mercy... Forgive us for letting our world die..."

"I will be steadfast and unyielding, I will stand firm and never fall..."

A voice came from behind me.

Astra Militarum Audela's voice carried a hint of impatience and sarcasm. "Finally finished your prayers? What a waste! Your prayers didn't get us out of danger."

"I'm begging for his forgiveness," Danica said.

Audela: "Ah, yes, yes, I know a little too, dear Emperor, please forgive us for failing the planet and its people."

Your Emperor, please forgive us for failing our planet and its people.

Sister Danica, who had been praying, suddenly froze, because her communicator had received a message from friendly forces that she hadn't heard from in a long time.

[Sister Danica, Emperor's Envoy Lin En has arrived with the Lamenters to provide support. The surviving civilians have been rescued, and the remaining friendly forces have been regrouped. Lord Lin En is on his way to the Sanctuary Cathedral; please prepare to receive him.]

Communication was cut off after the Necrons attack began.

In the days that followed, as her sisters and the garrison troops died one by one, she tried calling out to the railroad, to other positions, to any living person, but there was no response.

She thought...

She thought... the Emperor had abandoned this place.

She believed that the Emperor's decree was for them to die in this Sanctuary World.

She thought there were no reinforcements... but she never expected...

Reinforcements have arrived.

God, please forgive my ignorance and foolishness.

You are so great, and as kind as ever...

The prayer room was quiet, the candle flames flickered, and the Emperor on the altar had its eyes peacefully lowered.

Danica knelt for a while, then stood up.

Her knees were a little stiff, so she stood up straight and tucked the communicator back into her waistband.

However, her back was not as stiff as before.

Then she pressed the seal of the Order of Our Martyred Lady on her forehead.

Sisters, please forgive me for not being able to go with you.

Danica put the seal back around her neck, fastened her helmet, and adjusted her armor.

Then she turned and walked toward the door of the prayer room.

Audela's voice rang out from behind.

Where are you going?

Danica stopped in her tracks.

"Go and greet the Emperor's Envoy."

"Emperor's Envoy?" Audela's voice was filled with confusion. "What Emperor's Envoy?"

Danica turned around and Gaze at Audela.

"The Emperor has not abandoned us. Though we lowly people failed to protect his planet, the Emperor still sent his angels upon us."

Half of the main hall of the Sanctuary Cathedral had collapsed, a large hole had been punched in the dome, rubble was piled between the benches, and stained glass windows were shattered all over the floor.

The two heavy wooden doors of the main entrance were half-open, and the sunlight from outside shone through the cracks, filtered by the smoke and dust into a grayish-yellow hue.

Danica walked to the main entrance and stopped.

Footsteps could be heard outside the door.

More than one; the heavy boots creaked and groaned as they stepped on the gravel, accompanied by the sound of their Power Armor moving.

There must have been quite a few Astartes here.

Sister Danica held the Bolter in her hand, muzzle down, finger resting on the trigger guard.

A man led a group of Astartes out of the smoke and dust outside the door.

Sister Danica was taken aback.

This Emperor's Envoy was not Astartes, but someone else.

Very the Ordinary.

It has not been modified.

Her physique could even be described as slender...

Mortals.

A Golden Light emanated from the young envoy. "Sister Danica? I am Lin En, sent here by the Emperor to provide assistance. I am very pleased to see that you are still alive."

"Lord Lin En." Danica came out to greet Lin En.

Lin En gave her a Will Enhancement.

It was like a bucket of cold water being poured over her head, like someone slapping her ear and suddenly tearing off a layer of water film stuck to her face.

Sister Danica paused for a moment, then seemed to snap out of a daze.

Audela's illusion also vanished.

A jumble of memories flooded back.

Audela had died days earlier; she had watched Audela fall.

It turned out that she had already been corrupted by the Pariah Nexus, and that's when she realized it.

Danica looked down at her hands, then turned to look at the ruins of the cathedral.

The nun knelt down and turned to pray toward the church.

Then she stood up again, her eyes now resolute, and gripped the gun once more.

God, please forgive her ignorance and folly.

She is the Daughter of the Martyrs, she is the Emperor's Blade.

She is Holy Vessel of God, Faith Is My Shield.

"Pariah Nexus" is an animated film based on the Warhammer, and you should be able to watch it on most video streaming platforms. After reading my synopsis, you should be able to understand it. I highly recommend watching it and experiencing the humanity of the Salamanders and the Battle Sister ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ