Wolf Pri, Nyx Hive.
Dixon, 1st Company Captain of the First Chapter, walked into a ho with an open door. He stared at the dining table. The food on it emitted a strong, rotten odor.
The man and woman, and two children, lay on the floor, facing different directions, so curled, so on their sides.
Their eyes showed large areas of white, their pupils contracted to points. Their bodies had been burned to desiccated corpses.
The seasoned "Sheriff" crouched. A point of golden light appeared in his black pupils.
The scorch marks on the floor rapidly beca clear. In his mind, he traced the Qah bursting through the door, flowing fire pouncing on the four, wrapping around them.
The xenos' claws struck their heads, rendering them unconscious. They were eventually burned to death in their sleep.
As he rose, his helt emitted a piercing buzz.
He answered. A voice ca through.
"Company Captain, the entire hive is dead."
"After investigation, the manner of death is similar: eyes white, bodies blackened..."
"61st Squad has entered the underhive, but so far, no xenos found."
"Acknowledged." He said firmly. "They are still here. In the underhive."
Ending the call, he recalled the Black Emperor's command. He looked at the corpses, raised his power gauntlet, and swore his punishnt oath in Dunnic:
"I declare, I will punish the Qah in Nyx Hive!"
The "Judge's" voice, with his spiritual energy, rippled outward, raising points of golden light.
His Honor Guard Captain and two other Guard mbers in Saturnine-pattern Terminator armor felt an indescribable authority emanating from him.
They instinctively bowed their heads in submission.
A light like dawn suddenly blazed, spreading, thickening the air.
Seconds later, the light converged on his body.
He intuitively felt his body rge with a peculiar power.
It was his judgnt, his declaration of punishnt against the Qah.
Three standard hours later, he led his Honor Guard into the underhive.
CLANG!
The door opened. He and the other "Judges" stepped out. Their pace matched the Guard mbers in Cataphractii-pattern Terminator armor.
The dim lun lights in the do flickered. Scattered stalls reeked of decay. Blackened corpses lay about.
As they advanced, golden light blazed in the seasoned "Sheriffs'" eyes. They looked in different directions, examining their new jurisdictions.
He suddenly raised his left arm and shouted in Dunnic: "Lash!"
As he swung his gauntlet, Qah hiding among the burning boilers, waiting to ambush the approaching black-armored giants, were struck by an invisible whip.
Their flas flickered. They shrieked, bursting into streams of fire, leaping out.
He raised his right hand and shouted: "This place forbids supernatural flas!"
An invisible force spread. With a series of sharp cracks, the flas around the xenos blazed, then vanished.
The "Judges" turned, raised their left arms with him, and shouted in Dunnic: "Exile!"
Invisible forces struck the Qah, hurling them away.
CRASH, CRASH, CRASH...
They slamd into ruined buildings, toppled broken equipnt...
The "Judges" lunged, raising their right arms: "Imprison!"
Viscous, almost solid, transparent liquid materialized.
Huge amber blocks encased the rat-like forms.
Layered walls, cross-stacked, sealed groups of xenos.
He looked at the punished xenos and ordered, "Load them onto transports. Offer them to Father."
.....
929.M30.
Nyx Hive.
He leaned forward, clenching his fist, his arm swinging.
He shouted in Dunnic: "Die!"
His body rged with a peculiar power. Trailing afterimages, he slamd into a rat-like form.
The blazing blue fist, with unstoppable, unavoidable force, struck the fla-wreathed form.
CRASH!
With a thunderous crack, the rat's head exploded in a bloody mist.
In the rising blood mist, he, having jurisdiction over Nyx Hive for a year, confird he had punished the last Qah in his jurisdiction.
Most of them, over five thousand, had been "Imprisoned" and offered to the Black Emperor.
This last one he had killed deliberately, to complete the Black Emperor's command.
He had completed the punishnt ritual.
He removed his gauntlet, took out the golden potion, and drank.
The mont the potion entered his mouth, golden light like dawn blazed in his throat.
It fell, landing in his stomach.
The light enveloped his entire body, covering his mind.
The "Judges" of his Honor Guard felt he had grown.
Not physically.
The authority emanating from him made them feel taller, as if he could, with a wave, decide their lives.
They felt an unaccountable fear, involuntarily lowering their heads, kneeling.
THUD, THUD, THUD...
One by one, they knelt.
He felt those around him hanging on his every word, obeying his every command.
He felt as if seated on the Golden Throne, looking down.
As he reveled in his authority, burning ash appeared in his eyes.
'The Golden Throne... an illusion...'
'I am Father's son. I am the Black Emperor's punishing fist!'
The burning ash consud the illusory throne.
He reined in his thoughts and began to ditate.
Monts later, the newly promoted "Disciplinary Paladin" felt his body confined within his armor.
The heavy Saturnine-pattern Terminator armor felt much lighter than before, like wearing Mark II Crusade-pattern power armor as an "Arbiter."
He realized the armor hadn't grown lighter. He had grown stronger, after receiving the Black Emperor's fifth gift.
Power filled every part of his body.
Golden light flickered in his eyes. His spirit was purer.
He moved carefully, thinking to himself.
'I need to see the Forge Lord. I need new armor.'
'Fortunately, this armor is not only Saturnine-pattern. It has an adaptive system.'
'Whoever receives it will inherit nearly seventy years of my combat experience, and gain a strong body.'
As Arbiter Lord Howard Fender of the First Chapter, 1st Company Captain Dixon, 2nd Company Captain Yassin, and 3rd Company Captain Michał, among others, successively punished the Qah on Wolf and advanced to Sequence 5 "Disciplinary Paladin," countless fla-wreathed rat-like forms erged from dark corners in Morley's Knox Hive.
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu
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