Operation 3: The Drill Abbess
Sunset Shimmer; Sister of Battle
By Tundara
Operation 3
From the moment the Righteous Indignation left Equis Prime, Sunset had been cold. Her arms felt numb and leaded, their weight dragging down on her. Similarly, her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and it took extra effort to lift her feet. It was the worst lethargy she’d ever experienced.
Worried that she still had some weird, alien disease, or had caught a new one from the humans, Sunset’s first instinct had been to seek medical help.
She’d gotten as far as pulling back her sheets before remembering that the person she’d have to see was Sister Elizabeth, and Sunset decided to just get bed rest. That always worked as a filly. Especially when supplemented with some salty noodle soup.
Instead of a nice, brothy soup, with tasty bits of noodles and vegetables, what Sunset had to eat was a plain, bland, colourless bowl of something resembling porridge doled out twice a day. What it lacked in flavour, texture, or aesthetics, it made up for in at least being filling. But the food was yet another damper on her spirits.
Twilight, to Sunset’s relief, hadn’t become the queen-bee of this new group of young girls plucked from their homes and tossed together. While Twilight certainly had impressed the girls with her technical knowledge, her complete lack of social skills had seen her quickly fall from favour.
“Why wasn’t she snatched by the Adeptus Mechanicus?” muttered more than a few girls over the ensuing week. “The freak. Maybe she’s a mutant. Yeah, only a mutant could communicate with the machine spirits so easily.”
Sunset rolled her eyes, but said nothing, glad the girls’ attention had been diverted from herself. Twilight had to fight her own battles. It was better for her if her biggest rival was knocked out now. If only she’d been able to capitalise on the power vacuum.
Instead, it had been the other purple haired girl that everyone had turned towards for leadership; Rarity.
Smoothly navigating the cliques, it was unanimous who was the glue that held everyone together in that first week. Always smiling, always carrying herself with an air of dignified grace, and somehow presentable even when they were given only a couple small shower stalls to use between them. Their entire lives were within the barracks, and boredom mixed with sorrow created an oppressive atmosphere, yet, somehow, Rarity managed to keep everyone’s spirits aloft. In no small part due to her enlistment of Pinkie Pie and Applejack.
Other than when Sister Elizabeth led the servitors into the room with the drums of porridge, the girls were left alone.
This lasted a week, and then, on the eighth day, Sister Elizabeth was joined by Sister Maria. The moment the sisters stepped into the converted hold the girls rushed to their spots at the tables that took up one side. Doing her best to keep her teeth from chattering, Sunset sat down at the furthest end, alone.
“Alright little ones,” Elizabeth began in her saccharine voice, “I have some wonderful news for you all, but first, Rarity, if you’d be so generous as to lead everyone in the Prayer of the Emperor.”
Hands clasped behind her back, Rarity cleared her throat, and with ringing clarity recited, “A spiritu dominatus, domine, libre nos, from the lightning and the tempest, our Emperor, deliver us.”
In unison the girls joined the recital, heads bowed, as it continued for some minutes, the sermon familiar already to Sunset’s ears. She joined in, but held none of the conviction of the other girls.
When the last solemn tones of the prayer ended, Elizabeth clapped her hands together. “Very well done, Rarity. As clearly recited as if this were a battlefield. Though, there was a slight hesitation on ‘from the begetting of daemons’. Work harder on the memorisation.”
“Yes, Mistress Elizabeth.” Cheeks burning, Rarity bowed her head as she made the symbol of the aquila over her chest.
“Very good. You are a diligent girl so I know you will get this right next time. Now, sit everyone, while I share the excellent news. Canoness Celestia has decided that Sister Maria here is to be given responsibility over your education and training. She will, well, I’ll let her tell you herself.” Smiling too broadly, Elizabeth stepped back, her own hands folded in front of her in her habit.
In full combat gear, Maria was an imposing figure as she swept her flint hard gaze over the girls. On her left hip hung her helmet, and on the other was a pistol and coiled whip, while over her shoulder was slung her bolter. She clicked her tongue once, though whether in disapproval or something else Sunset couldn’t tell, so dispassionate was her face. Maria may as well have been carved from marble she was so cold and lifeless.
Clearing her throat, Maria said in a carrying voice, “Listen up, and listen well, as I will only ever tell you something once. I am to be your Drill Abbess. You will refer to me as Drill Abbess Maria, followed by ma’am. You will speak only when I indicate you have permission. You will follow my instructions immediately and exactly. I will brook no disrespect among my progena. Your regimen will consist of physical, spiritual, mental, and eventually specialised training. The first task is to divide yourselves into squads. These girls will be closer to you than any blood. You will succeed together, and you will fail together. Your greatest triumphs will be theirs, and your worst defeats theirs as well. So, pick wisely. Everyone is to stand by their bunk. When I call your name, step forward and select one of the empty tables. That table will be yours until we reach Steinsmar and you are properly inducted into the schola progenum. Praise the throne, as you are all now progena under the guidance of the Cerulean Chalice.”
While Maria spoke the girls followed her instructions, returning to stand in little groups around their bunks. When they were organised Maria raised a data-slate, but she didn’t even look at it, but kept her eyes firmly fixed on the crowd as she called out, “Lyra!”
“Yes, Drill Abbess!” A minty haired girl shot upwards, stiff as a board, and hurriedly scrambled to the nearest table.
The next one called was Rarity, who beamed as she took the table closest to Maria. Sunset watched as name after name was called, until, then, the last name.
“Sunset!”
Brows raising, Sunset forced herself forward to the only remaining table. The one that was underneath a rattling oxygen-recycler so it always smelled a bit stale and moldy.
“Right, now, let’s see how well you’ve used this week to learn about each other. You will take turns selecting members, as determined by the Emperor.” Maria crossed her arms, nodded to Elizabeth, and the hospitaller stepped forward with a small bag that jangled. “Reach in and grab a coin. They are numbered. The progena with the number one coin choses first, followed by the number two coin, and so on. After everyone has made a selection, the lots will be redistributed. Do this until everyone is picked.”
As Elizabeth moved from table to table, Sunset glanced over the rest of the room. There were a hundred girls crammed into the barracks, and twenty had been called forward. So, squads of five then. How would the others choose their members? The most obvious would be to pick friends you’d known since before coming aboard the ship. It was clear that most of the girls had at least one or two they’d known for years. Sunset doubted this was the best method of choosing, however, and that Maria would be judging the choices being made. So, how would she choose? Elizabeth reached her, and still considering her options, Sunset reached into the bag.
She pulled out the ‘5’ coin.
Well, it could be better. Could be much worse.
Holding up the ‘1’ coin, Rarity called out, “Pinkie Pie!”
“Yippee, first pick!” Pinkie cried out, fists overhead as she jumped up and rushed over to join Rarity, giving her friend a big hug before settling into her seat.
In quick order the others all made selections that were obviously friends of theirs.
Maria watched quietly, a single finger tapping against a bicep.
It was Sunset’s turn. She cast a last quick look over the girls. She knew who she needed on her squad already. It was all a matter of manipulating the others into making other choices. With so many squads, all the best picks would go fast.
“Applejack,” she said, pointing to the blonde girl leaning back with hands folded behind her head.
Raising her eyebrows, Applejack pointed to herself with a frown. “What? Me? Really?” Shrugging, she came and joined Sunset. As the rest of the girls made their selections, Applejack leaned in and asked, “Why’d you pick me?”
“You were honest when we met, and I can respect that. Also, Drill Abbess Maria said it herself. We’re going to be a squad that shares wins and losses. You look strong, and she mentioned physical training.”
“Huh, makes sense.” Mollified somewhat, Applejack went quiet while Sunset kept an eye on the rest of first picks.
She was both relieved and worried. As suspected, few had chosen to shore up deficiencies or expand on a strength. Some of the choice picks had gone only through being good friends with the person doing the selecting, like Spitfire choosing Misty Fly, both who were highly athletic looking, and a shame they were out of the running. Others, like Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle were overlooked. Rainbow, because of her abrasiveness, and Twilight because of her being lumped in with Sunset as ‘a freak’.
The bag was passed around again, and this time Sunset got the number ‘1’ coin. Yes! She knew precisely who to pick.
“Rainbow Dash,” Sunset exclaimed, with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm. It was perfect. The other girls would think she was just picking based on those she knew or shared bunks with, not realising her strategy.
Joining Sunset and Applejack, Rainbow nodded to them, and then growled to Sunset as she leaned across the table, “Your next pick is Fluttershy.”
“I’ve got—”
Cutting Sunset off, Rainbow shook her head as she said, “It’s going to be Fluttershy because otherwise you’ll regret having picked me and not her too. And because you owe her.”
Sunset started to respond, but the stern promise in Rainbow’s face made her stop. She really wanted Twilight next. They had brawn with Applejack and Rainbow, and she had the brains, while Twilight clearly had special skills that could be very useful. Fluttershy would be a lead weight on the group. The girl was so timid, jumping at every shadow or noise the ship made, and constantly on the verge of tears. But, was Twilight worth an obstinate, angry Rainbow Dash? Maybe. But also maybe not. Sunset was just speculating on Twilight being valuable to the group.
“Fine. If she isn’t chosen first.”
As if she needed to worry. Even getting the ‘13’ coin, Fluttershy was still available, and meekly she scampered over and sat down next to Rainbow, almost burrowing into her friend’s shoulder.
Reaching into the bag for the final time Sunset let out a groan. ‘20’. Last pick of the last batch, which really wasn’t a pick at all. Giving up on Twilight, she wondered who she’d be saddled with next. There was that cross-eyed girl. She seemed the most likely. A total klutz, it had become apparent that none of the other girls liked, or even really tolerated her.
To Sunset’s surprise Twilight continued to go unchosen, until only her and the cross-eyed Derpy remained. Lyra agonised over the pick, looking back and forth between the two as she pulled at her hair. What was taking her so long? The choice was so obvious!
Sunset’s shock was total when Lyra called out, “Throne! Fine! Derpy!” Leaving a rather dejected Twilight to join Sunset’s group.
“Very good,” Maria said, her voice booming over the general chatter, and silencing it like the stroke of a sword. “Your choices were… interesting. May the Emperor protect you all, because most of you will need it. Now, to start your education, you will run one lap around the Righteous Indignation, followed by small arms practice, vespers, and then history on the Age of Apostasy and Saint Dominica.”
There was a wave of muttering, and a few of the girls raised their hands. When indicated she could speak, Minty Fresh asked, “Ma’am, how are we to find our way?”
Grinning broadly, Maria replied. “If you have faith and courage, the Emperor will provide what you seek. Now, you better hurry. There will be a special punishment for the slowest squad.”
At the mention of punishment a nervous energy rippled up the girls spines and they darted in a mob for the doors. Sunset groaned in exasperation. Her squad’s table was the furthest from the doors, putting them at a disadvantage at the very start. Yet, somehow, Rainbow managed to be in the middle of the pack by the time she’d squeezed into the corridor, ducking, weaving, and pushing her way closer and closer to the front of the pack.
“Rainbow! Wait for us!” Applejack shouted after her, but all she got in response was a laugh.
“Don’t worry, I got this!”
“But, we’re supposed to be a squad!” Sunset tried to shout back, but she was hit in the side by an elbow and then a foot shot out to trip her.
“Hey now, that’s playing dirty!” Applejack yelled. A fist flashed out, and the girl that had tripped Sunset only barely managed to duck and scamper away.
“She’s a freak, as are all of you. The freak squad!” the girl taunted as she and the rest of her squad sped away.
“Oh my, are you, um, okay?” Fluttershy asked as she offered a hand to help Sunset up.
Knocking away Fluttershy’s hand, Sunset pushed herself to stand, panting as if she’d already run a mile. Face burning with frustration and embarrassment, she gasped, “Come on, we have to catch up!”
“But… what about Twilight?” Fluttershy pointed to Twilight, who’d gone to Drill Abbess Maria.
“Excuse me, Drill Abbess, when am I going home?” Twilight cocked her head to the side much like a puppy.
Frowning, the drill abbess uncrossed her arms.
“Stiensmar is still some ways off.”
“No, I mean, with my family. Back on Equis Prime.”
Maria leaned forward, and Sunset only barely caught the flash of movement as her fist snapped out, pounding Twilight in the stomach. Hacking, Twilight fell to her knees, breath blasted from her.
“Are you blind, progena? Deaf? Or just an idiot?” Disdain curled Maria’s lips. “You have no family alive on Equis Prime. You are an orphan. The Cerulean Chalice and those girls over there are your only family now and for the rest of your life. Now, get to your feet and run. Run and don’t stop until you’ve circumnavigated this ship, or, by the Throne, I will deem you unworthy and cast your useless body into the reclamators myself.”
Almost retching, tears in her eyes, Twilight didn’t fight as Applejack came over and dragged her away from the drill abbess.
Despite what Maria had said, Sunset didn’t find any signs marking a route around the ship to be followed. The girls had split up on leaving the barracks, groups going left and right seemingly at random. Which they had, Sunset decided. Thinking back on the route she’d been brought to the barracks, Sunset concluded that the long corridor that ran the length of the ship was to the right, so…
“This way,” She said, setting off at a light jog to the left. After a mere fifty paces they reached another ‘T’ intersection, this one with a marker overhead stating, ‘Access Corridor Beta-Twenty’, while on the far wall was a small porthole out to space. Noting the number of the corridor leading back to the barracks, they took another left turn, and headed off on the long jog.
Sunset’s legs were like lead ages before they’d reached the next set of turns that would lead them across the ship to begin the even longer jog from stern to bow. Fluttershy and Twilight were only marginally better than Sunset, both panting heavily and sweating profusely. Their simple shirts clung to their backs, and their feet almost dragged across the metal grating. If they didn’t have Applejack, who seemed to possess endless endurance, they’d have fallen flat on their faces and just laid there until they were found. Along the way they came across a few other progena who’d collapsed from exhaustion propped up against the walls. Usually they were alone, but one time there was a full squad that was gathering its breath before setting back off.
Occasionally they came across full Battle Sisters of the order. They stood, boltors clasped in hand as if they were about to head into battle, optics whirring as they watched the progena stagger along.
No one dared to speak to the sisters, and just bowed their heads as they hurried past them.
The going was slow, Applejack having to stop continually to wait for Fluttershy, Twilight, and Sunset. A stitch in her side, breaths coming in ragged gasps, and sweat streaming down her aching body, Sunset looked at a sign and did a mental calculation that they were, barely, back in line with the barracks. She had no idea how much further they had to go.
Being so slow infuriated Sunset. Her weakness infuriated her.
Why was she so tired and sluggish all the time, when no one else seemed to be affected?
Pressing her back to a bulkhead, fingers clawing through her hair, Sunset let out a low whine.
Fluttershy and Twilight were both drenched with sweat and sank to their knees.
“This is torture,” Twilight barely managed to moan, one hand on the wall as she attempted to continue moving at a crawl.
“That’s kind of the point,” Applejack said as she came back to join the others, wiping her brow with the back of a hand. “Didn’t you say your brother was in the PDF? Didn’t he never tell you about training?”
“That’s a double negative,” Twilight muttered, “and no. He didn’t talk about his training. He… he…”
Twilight began to sob, palms pressed to her eyes.
“At least Dash will make it back to the barracks,” Fluttershy breathlessly said. “She would run for miles every day back home just for fun. Although… Um… Maybe this might be too much even for her?”
A three toned ringing echoed through the corridor, followed by a double-klaxon, and then the Drill Abbess’ voice came squawking through a vox box placed at the intersection the girls rested in.
“All progena are to return to your barracks at once. Repeat; all progena are to return to your barracks at once.”
Deep, relieved sighs rocking their exhausted bodies, they forced themselves back to their feet and staggered back towards the barracks. They'd gone only a few paces when one of the Sisters of the Cerulean Chalice rounded a corner, saw them, and said, "Progena, follow me," in a tone the brokered no arguments, before turning on her heel and setting off at a brisk pace the girls had to struggle to match.
Whether because they were faster, or just hadn’t gone as far as some of the other squads, Sunset and her group were in the middle of those who returned. To her surprise, the other progena were also being led by full members of the order, who, after depositing them, would just march off silently.
Drill Abbess Maria didn’t seem to have moved from her spot, arms crossed over her chest and a furious expression sent at everyone when they entered the barracks. Covered in sweat and panting, but smiling, Rainbow and a group of other athletic girls all came bursting into the room a half-hour later.
“Hey, how far did you get?” Rainbow asked as she slid into her seat. She was breathing heavily, but still had plenty of energy. “I managed to reach the bow and was coming back anyways when I heard the message.”
Fluttershy mumbled a response while Twilight just groaned, head firmly planted on the table.
“I’m guessing we only got maybe a third of the way.” Sunset shook her head.
“Alright! Listen up!” Maria’s voice cut through what little chatter there was among the exhausted progena. “That was a disgrace. This deck is barely three miles in length. I expect you to be able to run the seven and a half miles in under three hours, without stopping, before we reach Steinsmar. Beyond that, too many of you abandoned your squads. The weakness of your comrades is understandable, but not so your desertion of your duty to them. Applejack! Pinkie Pie! You both never left your struggling sisters, and did all in your power to urge them on. Come up here.”
Both Applejack and Pinkie looked confused, but did as they’d been told.
Maria nodded to them and pointed to a spot next to the wall where what looked like chains had been placed while the girls had been out running.
“To everyone else; when I call your name, step forward and be punished. Fyre Fox!”
A tall, bushy red haired girl stood up trembling. Eyes wide with fear at what the Drill Abbess meant by punishment, she stepped forward.
“Shirt off.” Maria commanded as she loosed the whip on her hip. “For desertion of a comrade; ten lashes. Applejack, Pinkie Pie; bind her.”
Looks of horror swam over all three girls’ faces. Fyre Fox let out a whimper and tried to run away, but Applejack’s hand flashed out to grab her by the wrist.
“Ain’t no use trying to struggle or run, sugarcube. Just bite your lip and take it,” Applejack said, pity heavy in her voice and in her shoulders as she hauled the tired, struggling girl to the chains and clasped them over her wrists after her shirt had been yanked over her head.
Electricity crackled along the length of the whip as Maria brought it down with a merciless lash. Fyre Fox’s scream was like nothing Sunset had heard before. The girl wept and howled with each strike, her body convulsing as electricity pulsed through her nerves, until, by the final lash, she sank into a mentally numb state, drool dribbling down her chin.
“Let this pain be a teacher,” Maria said after the final stroke, then to Fyre’s squadmates, added, “Retrieve your sister.”
Thirty girls received punishment, the whip crackling with each strike like Maria swung a tamed bolt of lightning. Their screams made Sunset’s stomach churn and sent lances of both sympathy for the unfortunate girl, and relief at avoiding the whip.
Twilight was right; this was torture.
A considerable portion of Sunset at that moment wished she’d never gone through the mirror. That all her dreams of glory and power were nothing more than a delusion, and that all she had in her future was pain, suffering, and abuse.
Her hackles raised at the weakness, and she pushed such feelings down. This suffering would be temporary, and would help make her stronger. Harder.
Of course the Schola was harsh in its methods. She had seen first hand the enemies the Sisterhood battled. Daemons from beyond even her worst nightmares. Beings of incomprehensible power and motives. And these women could kill them. She had to get that strength for herself.
Only two squads avoided having a member called; Squad Rarity and Squad Spitfire. Sunset thought both would have a smug satisfaction, but instead, their members were as shaken as everyone else in the room. Pinkie Pie was almost green, and Misty Fly was clutching the sides of her seat, face pale as a ghost.
Fluttershy and Sunset helped Rainbow to her seat. Sunset winced at the deep lacerations and blood running down Rainbow’s back where the weighted tip of Maria’s whip and sliced through skin. Tending to Rainbow would, no doubt, be yet another test for the newly formed squad.
Almost as if reading Sunset’s thoughts, Maria said, “See to your sisters, and then we will continue with your training with vespers. Two hours of prayers to cleanse your souls and seek the God-Emperor’s guidance. Afterwards, you may reconsider the choices you made today.”
Hands under Rainbow’s elbow, Sunset and Applejack took Rainbow to her bed and laid her down on her stomach. From her locker Fluttershy retrieved a small, simple first-aid kit. Inside were antibiotic creams, bandages, and tape. She also pulled out a sewing kit. Her hands trembled a little as she stitched the wounds. Biting on her pillow, tears running freely, Rainbow did her best to not scream, and to Sunset’s surprise, managed to stay quiet and still. The girl was tough.
When Fluttershy was done, Rainbow muttered, “Thanks, ‘Shy,” and then fell asleep.
“That is enough time,” Maria called in her carrying voice. “Everyone; follow me to the chapel.”
There was a brief scramble as squads tried to make their injured members more comfortable, but none of the others had had someone with Fluttershy’s skills. All except for Squad Rarity, who had Redheart, and she darted from squad to squad offering advice. She was the most reluctant to leave, hovering near the back of the group glancing between the injured girls and the Drill Abbess. Whether it was fear, pragmatism, or something else, she reluctantly joined her squad as they were led to the nearby chapel.
For the next two hours they recited hymnal psalms. Given small prayer books, they were told which passages to read before the hymns began by the drill abbess.
There was a small moment of worry when Sunset was handed her book. It fit snugly in her hand and was clearly old, with worn corners, scratches on the binding, and a large red smear that Sunset hoped wasn’t blood, but almost certainly was, on the first few pages. Opening to the indicated page her worries only grew at the strange language she saw. She had no problem reading Low Gothic, which was used throughout the ship, but this was High Gothic, and was utterly incomprehensible.
Thankfully, she was far from alone.
In fact, the only one who had no issues reading the passages was Twilight. Only a few of the other girls had the most basic of understanding, and they came from already highly religious families.
Which made the prayers a torture on par with the jog.
Drill Abbess Maria would give a reading of the hymns once, and only once, and expect her progena to replicate it without error.
Heads bowed low, hands clasped tight, and on their knees they were expected to sing with pitch perfection. No error or deviation was permitted. Whenever a progena was off-tune or just a little slow or too fast—and the Emperor forbid if they attempted to just mouth the words!—Maria’s neural whip would crackle overhead like a small bolt of contained lightning. If it happened again a scream would fill the chapel as the neural whip struck the offending progena across the back.
There were a lot of screams.
It took all of Sunset’s concentration, all her talents for soaking in lectures and lessons on the most esoteric magical theory, to avoid the lash. And it was luck that she came through unscathed. Twice she mispronounced a word, and she tensed expecting the lash, but the scream came from a girl on the far side of the chapel.
Afterwards, trembling in terror and thanking the Emperor the ordeal was over, the progena were taken back to the barracks for dinner and then rest.
Wanting only to sleep, Sunset shoveled her food into her mouth without even tasting the bland mush, and then stumbled towards her bunk.
Before she could reach it, she was intercepted by Rarity.
Hands planted on her hips, Rarity wore a severe scowl on her face. “Applejack should be with me,” she said without preamble
“I’m too sore and tired to deal with you right now,” Sunset groaned, and tried to step around Rarity, but was blocked by the other members of Squad Rarity. “You made your picks, and I made mine. Fair is fair.”
“But you don’t even know Applejack! We’ve known each other for years. We’re from the same town.”
“So? You should have picked her then instead of Pinkie Pie. It’s not my fault you didn’t think things through. Everyone on my squad is useful or brings something with them. Brains, brawn, and,” Sunset flipped her hair in mock imitation of Rarity, “charm.”
Rarity’s mouth fell open. “Wait, you didn’t pick anyone on your squad because you liked them?”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Rarity, I don’t know anyone here, and no one has even tried to get to know me, so, it’s not like I had a choice.”
Fuming, Rarity balled her fists tighter at her sides. For a brief second Sunset thought the girl might try to punch her. “Well, trade me Applejack. She’s my friend.”
“No.”
“No?” There was a shrillness to Rarity’s voice that scraped Sunset’s nerves.
“Look, you can still be friends if you want. Hang out together, braid your hair, gossip, and be silly in your free time for all I care. Assuming we get any, which I highly doubt. I don’t care about friends and all that junk. It’s just a waste of time and energy. What I do care about is that she’s on my squad, and my squad will be perfect and the best.”
Face red with anger, fists bunched at her sides, Rarity growled, “You’ll regret being so obstinate, Sunset.” Spinning on her heels, she marched off with her squad.
As they departed, Sunset heard one of the girls, Minty Fresh, ask, “Uh, what did you mean by ‘trade’, Rarity?”
Sighing at this new problem, Sunset dragged herself into her bunk, and promptly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. It was the first true day among the schola, and the ones to follow were only to get harder, the Drill Abbess’ expectations more demanding of her charges.
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Ah the wonderful life of a schola initiate. And people wonder why the Sisters are always so angry...
Welcome to Warhammmer 40k where hope and good doesn't exist.
And this treatment is still considered easy and benevolent by 40k standards.
Good to see Sunset being strategic about her choices. Though, I doubt Rarity's going to let this one go.
Welcome to the wonderful world of 40k. Leave your mercy at the door, for none will be needed.
Sunset is probably feeling so awful due to being in the warp. Or cut off from the warp due to the Gellar Field?
Very good chapter, developing the characters and outlining how shitty Sister of Battle training is.
10678357
See, I disagree about Good and Hope being absent. They are very much required or the setting isn't 'Grim Dark', but rather just 'Grim Derp'. There needs to be the juxtaposition to really highlight the bad, and show the true nobility and strength of a character. A prime example are the Lamenters chapter. Despite everything, they are good and noble individuals who try to bring hope to the Emperor's subjects. And the galaxy beats them down, time and time again, for it. Yet they also keep coming back for more.
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Yeah... Not for the faint of heart, that is for sure.
10678563
I want there to be ups and downs for Sunset and her squad, and that some of her choices bite her a bit in the butt, and others were surprisingly correct when she didn't want them... *cough Fluttershy cough* And the rivalry with Rarity will be something going forward for the next while. I think I might be atoning a little towards Rarity for all the horrible things I've done to the character in other stories...
Great chapter, looking forward for the next one. Thought I think that the severity of the whipping was too much. Such hard whipping that there was need for stitching? As a punishment for some severe transgression? Sure... For being deaf and not listening to instructions... Do not think so... Unless you want to make this order especially brutal. For example the schola experience of Ibram Gaunt was akin to 18th century boarding school. His friend did not get whipped even for stealing booze if I remember it right.
10679053
I was going off what I read on the wiki sites for the schola pregenium, which had corporal punishment and mind altering drugs as the norm. I got the impression that, much like commissars in the guard, execution isn't beyond the pale in the schola. With the whippings, my intention was for it to be a shocking statement to both readers and the characters. That the girls were guilty of abandoning/deserting their squad mates, which is utterly unacceptable to Maria, but she also set them up for that failure on purpose. That things are -bad- and the expectations are near inhuman.
And Gaunts Ghosts has problems with being accurate to the lore at times. If I recall, the ghosts easily took out a couple Chaos Space Marines in the early books. At least, I've heard that mentioned a few times. My brother has a couple of the compendiums and I've read them a little bit, but nothing more than just general toe dipping and finding I wasn't really grabbed by the stories being told.
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Yes, while there are some problems with the first few books, especially repetitiveness... The problem is Black Library writers being very inconsistent with space marine power level over the years. And it does not help that some writers use SM as a power fantasy. It is not called "bolter porn" for nothing. While this whipping is within reason... As some YTuber put it, Leutin I think, the wiki is full of the most extreme grim dark stuff in the front because the most of the 40k universe is pretty basic and boring. What irks me more is the inconsistency of Eisenhorn s psyker power, because deflecting bolter shots with a power sword is far egregious then 50 guardsmen ambushing and killing squad of 5 distracted world eaters, witch is the only scene that felt somewhat too easy for them that I remember.
I've been a tad uncertain about this story's tone, but I think this is in a stable place.
I found the militant education development in this chapter very appropriate for the setting.
The squad selections being made through a mix of lottery and personal selection feels like a very survival-of-the-fittest method that the Imperium might use. If this was the Imperial Guard I might expect a less personalized method but the Sisters are a bit elite since they usually have access to better standard equipment.
I think the punishment scene worked very well and was appropriate for this chapter. It works on multiple levels.
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It exposes the girls to a first-hand taste of the harshness of the wider universe that they've been thrust into.
They now have experience to seeing raw injuries on a human body, which should desensitize them to it. Such sights are likely to become common for them in the Sisterhood.
The experience leaves a physical and mental impact on the punished so as to discourage any lone-wolf mentalities that could get them or anyone else killed in the field.
It encourages the punished to value their squad-mates more since the squad was responsible for looking after them after they had been whipped for essentially abandoning the squad in the first place.
It leaves a mental mark on those who weren't punished as well and encourages the squads to have stronger bonds within them.
This also gives the multiple squads themselves a shared bond since they all went through this together.
The forty-first millennium is not a kind place. These sort of experiences early on will help all the girls survive it in one way or another. Even if they don't end up as battle sisters.
That's no way to speak of Saint—
Wait, sorry getting ahead of myself.
In any case, these girls are in for a rough... Well, rest of their lives, really. But this is will definitely be the worst they've ever experienced thus far. We'll see who makes it. And just why Sunset feels so lethargic in a Gellar field...
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Might take sunset a while to figure out why a gellar field has the effect on her it does. And, yeah, they are in for a very rough few years, followed by a rough few more years... than rough times as they are fully inducted into the order...
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Hopefully I can manage to maintain the tone.
With the selection, the in-character reason is Maria wanted to see how and why the progena would go about selecting squadmates. For the most part she was less than impressed. The only ones she had any real approval for being Squad Spitfire (since it is the Wonderbolts, and as such all jocks), and Sunset's first couple picks since they appeared tactical in nature, but didn't approve of Fluttershy, and Twilight there was nothing Sunset could do about. The Emperor simply didn't favour her, in Maria's eyes.
The other in Rarity's group won't like what she did, it costed her a lot of trust that is for sure. But that is not surprising she always had been a selfish bitch at the beginning of the show.