Editing Exterminatus High (section)

==Chapter Four==
Arch-Confessor Morus was not only at the top of the Schola’s Ecclesiarchal hierarchy, he was also the Schola’s administrator. So when word spread that one of the Commissar-Lecturers had executed a student for heresy, he was one of the first to know. With a nagging suspicion that the cause of this incident would be known to him, he briskly made his way to the classroom to question the Commissar and students.

When he got there, the body had not been tampered with. Good. The lecturer, who taught “Imperial-Xeno Relations” and “Xenos Technology”, went by the name of Arick. Commissar Arick was a highly-educated and level-headed individual for a Commissar, but Morus could not help but be pleased to see that Arick still possessed the sort of ruthlessness a man in his position needed. 

“Commissar, tell me what happened here.” Arick saluted before responding, a very military action, if not appropriate. Arick seemed unsure of himself.
“Confessor Morus, I was going through module 8 of the “Studies of the Tau Empire” and we were discussing-“ Morus waved at him to move on: “-well, I was teaching normally when this student interrupted me. He started sprouting such heresy that I had never heard the likes, his death was necessary. I also recommend that the class-members be scheduled for a session with a Confessor to refute the lies they heard today!” Morus rubbed his chin, then replied:
“Noted. Report to my office and file a report. The students will be interviewed, and I will oversee the purification of the corps-“
“One more thing, Confessor.”
“Yes?”
“He said something before he died”
Morus’ face darkened slightly: “What did he say?”
“He said a word. ‘Malus’, I believe. Could it be-“
“Dismissed, Commissar”.

Zane and Nayren, along with the rest of their class, were being kept in the room. They had not overheard any of the conversation between Commissar Arick and Arch-Confessor Morus, but they were speculating furiously nonetheless.
“Malosh? Is that what he said?”
“’Malus’, I heard” said a student who was closer to the front. A 21 year old Stormtrooper cadet named Mathew, one of the oldest in the entire Schola and due to be assigned to an Imperial Guard regiment soon, flinched at the mention of the name.
“It means something to you?” asked Zane. Mathew seemed uncomfortable, which was discomforting in and of itself. Like any final year cadet, he was a confident and capable individual.
“Well, none of you would really know much about this. It’s from back when I was first brought to the Schola after my parents were killed in the Uprising of 977.” Zane shifted slightly. If there was one thing he remembered from his childhood, it was the uprising. One of the younger students, named Sulam inquisitively inquired: “What was the Uprising like”? Zane narrowed his eyes, and allowed the older Stormtrooper to answer.
“You all know the details of it. It was shortly after the aspirants for the Star Fangs had completed their final tests and were beginning the Astartes implantation processes-“
“I heard you had to be a kid, like just started puberty, to become a Space Marine”, interrupted Sulam, a highly intelligent and bright-eyed student who never shut his mouth.
“Not with the Star Fangs, they’re different. It probably has something to do with how they only recruit from out world, but for once Sulam just shut up and listen”.
“I remember calling the Star Fangs the Scary Marines when I was a kid”, laughed Sulam. Zane slapped him over the head to shut him up. What a pain it was when young students were attached to their class.
“Yeah anyway, the Uprising started not long after the Star Fangs retreated to their Fortress-Monastery. There was some sort of Chaos cult that popped up overnight in Klysus (capital city of the planet) and started butchering civilians. Emperor-knows why. I have no idea how they got here, but there were some traitor Astartes-“ Mathew licked his lips “-mixed in with the rebels. The Klysus IV PDF was just told to cordon off the main city while the Star Fangs First Company handled it. Two weeks later the Uprising was over, but the twelve thousand people who had not left during the mass-evacuations were all dead. Not a single survivor. The PDF had no explanation, and the Star Fangs just went back to their Fortress.”
The group was deathly silent. Even Sulam was rendered mute by the retelling of this dark chapter in Klysus IV’s recent history. Nayren, however, did have a question.
“What does this have to do with that name, Malus?”
“Well, the number-one candidate selected for the Star Fangs that year was a younger fellow named Malus. He was apparently a psyker as well, so I guess they were going to make one of those Warrior-Librarians the Space Marines use. There was a story that he went missing during the Uprising. I have no idea how it is relevant, but it just rang a bell.” Zane rolled his eyes, tired of the mood change.
“Yeah, I remember that too. But then again, I also remember getting funky with a female Catachan cadet once, but that doesn’t make it relevant.” Zane rapped his knuckles across his chest: “That was a painful memory too, actually”.

Cyrene, who had been absent for the day after the scrumball game, passed Zane in the hallway as they were finally allowed to leave. Zane stopped her, and extended his hand.
“Good game. And good hit. I like a woman who can play rough.” Cyrene’s eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth, but she shook his hand.
“I almost get the impression you’re flirting with me, Stormtrooper. You’ll have to do better than that to get into bed with a Sororitas.”
“You’re not a Sororitas yet”, winked Zane.
“And you haven’t slept with one yet. In fact, I’d sooner see you burned at a stake than engaging in sexual relations with a sister.” 
Nayren shifted uncomfortably as, for some reason, he thought of Kyandra.
Zane grinned at Cyrene’s barb. You heard the priest a few days ago, there’s nothing wrong with sex as long as it doesn’t interfere with your relationship with the Emper-“
“Which it would. The Emperor comes before personal gratification.” 
Zane had obviously stopped enjoying himself: “Well, have fun with that.” Zane turned to leave while Nayren followed, and Cyrene headed for the exercise chambers. She wouldn’t lose the scrumball next year.

Meanwhile, troubled by fleshly concerns, Kyandra approached the Sister she respected most to ask for advice: Sister Superior Angrel.
“Sister Angrel! I come seeking advice.” Angrel smiled, and Kyandra was struck by her usual desire to emulate her idol as much as possible. Angrel had a remarkable ability to mix charisma with superiority: she was a born leader, and was at once both maternal and demanding. She taught Sororitas/Imperial Guard Diplomacy, Ecclesiarchal History and Close Quarters Combat to the sister cadets, and Kyandra often looked forward to her classes the most. If only to see how one could use a power fist to create a makeshift orbital bombardment shelter.
“Feel free to ask, Kyandra”.
“I have been having concerns about a male Stormtrooper cadet. I confess I experience some sort of…attraction to him”. Angrel looked unsure for just a moment, and rubbed her chin.
“Come into my sanctum, Kyandra. We should discuss this in depth.”

Angrel gestured for Kyandra to kneel in front of her statue of the Emperor, which she did. Angrel kneeled so that the two of them were facing each other, and spoke:
“So, sister Kyandra. Tell me what troubles you.” Kyandra hesitated for a moment before responding:
“I have been having…feelings for a male cadet, a Commissar named Nayren. I have spoken to him on only a few occasions, but the other day he came into my room while drunk-“, Angrel looked taken aback, and Kyandra rushed to elaborate, “-nothing happened, of course. It’s just that I get the feeling he is attracted to me, and I confess that the feeling is, if ever so slightly, mutual.” Angrel’s expression remained more relaxed than Kyandra had expected.
“Are you seeking specific guidance in this particular matter, or are you more concerned with how a servant of the Emperor should deal with their fleshly urges?”
“Both, I think.” Now it was Angrel’s turn to hesitate, an action that Kyandra did not associate with the Sister Superior she so idolized.
“Well…” Angrel seemed reluctant to continue, and her gaze moved to the statue of the Emperor for a moment, then back to Kyandra. She seemed to gain some conviction, and spoke surely:
“Do you remember the priest we had here several days ago? He said that sexual relations are not sinful in and of themselves, but that putting self-gratification above the Emperor is the trap it may lead to. Controlling our bodily urges is something we as Sororitas must learn, and as sex opens all sorts of avenues for Chaos and other sin, as well as distraction in our duties and other more obvious complications, we should avoid it lest w-“
A distant sound distracted Angrel. Kyandra, slightly confused, listened closely as she heard what sounded like footsteps approaching from behind Angrel’s small and unfurnished sleeping chamber. They echoed as if they came from...below. Like someone was navigating a secret passage under the Schola to make their way undetected to the Sister Superior’s chambers. Angrel’s face turned ashen and she hurriedly said:
“You should leave, quickly.”
“Sister Angrel, wha-“
“We will continue this another time, Kyandra, now please leave.”
Confused but obedient, Kyandra picked herself up, nodded her head respectfully to the Emperor’s statue, and moved to the door as the sound of underground footsteps became more apparent. As she attempted to open the traditional wooden door, it jammed. She pulled and twisted the handle, but the door would not open. Angrel rushed over, grabbed the edge of the door and tried to pull it open, straining the hinges and slightly damaging the door, but having no success. The footsteps stopped, and a noise like a stone tile being pushed out of place carried out from the Sister Superior’s sleeping chambers. 
“I have something special for you today, Angrel!” Kyandra opened her mouth in surprise as one of the Commissar-lecturers emerged from the room, holding what looked an expensive bottle of amasec and…a bunch of rare fellwraith flower blooms.

The Commissar saw Kyandra standing there, and his draw dropped in an expression of surprise that Kyandra had never seen from a Commissar, ever.
“I-I see you have one of your students here. Well, I…-” the Commissar seemed to be struggling to find something to say while Angrel rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand. “-of course you’re here, I had expected nothing less. You have been chosen…as…a subject for a test of loyalty and this amasec is part of a ritual that…”
The man’s words trailed off as Angrel looked up from her exasperation and stared at him furiously. Kyandra looked from one to the other.
“W-wha-“: Angrel interrupted her:
“Well, I suppose this is how the Emperor wills it. Commissar Dahn, this is one of my students, sister Kyandra. One of my better students actually. I was advising her on how to best serve the Emperor while combating the natural…urges of a girl her age.”
A smile seemed to tug the mouth of the open-mouthed Commissar, which came off as a twitch.
“Sister Kyandra, meet Commissar-lecturer Dahn. My consort. Who is ten minutes early.” Dahn looked annoyed with himself.
Kyandra’s expression, however, rivalled that of a young child who has just found out for the first time that the Emperor was not the one leaving them presents on Exmas Day. Commissar Dahn seemed to regain his composure spoke next:
“Sister Kyandra, stay for a short while. We will discuss this some more.” His tone was that of an authoritarian drill officer, and Kyandra made no move to (attempt to) leave.
“Now Kyandra, I understand your surprise. Commissar Dahn and I were both very reluctant to engage in our relationship, and I prayed to the Emperor for months on the issue. Dahn was no less hesitant, but we concluded that the Emperor would not disapprove.” Still confused, Dahn interjected in order to better inform Kyandra, but was at a loss with how to properly deal with a student he had never associated with.
“Sister Angrel and I have known each other for nearly twenty years. We were orphaned at the same time, sent to the same Schola, and we were friends for our entire education. As newly graduated Progena, it was the Emperor’s blessing that we were sent to similar postings and still associated with each other in the Imperium of a million worlds. We both took a teaching position here, on Klysus IV, and we grew closer than…either of us expected.” Angrel continued with a blunt statement:
“We have been sleeping together for several months now, and our secret has remained safe. The Emperor has blessed us since then, and we have not faltered in either our devotion to the Imperium or our dedication to duty. As I was saying to you before, you must be sure self-gratification does not interfere with your service. Commissar Dahn and I undertook many rigorous incorruptibility and purity tests prior to beginning our relationship, and we have been regularly partaking in these tests since then. We are still loyal servants of the Emperor, and our…love”- a word that obviously did not come easily to Angrel when applied to another person and similarly made Dahn’s mouth twitch- “has not gotten in the way of our loyalty to the Emperor.” Kyandra, still reeling over this discovery, stayed silent. Dahn spoke:
“What the Sister Superior says is true, yet our views would not be shared by many. I would have to request that you keep this knowledge to yourself.” Kyandra nodded unsurely. She would do as her superiors told her, as she taught to serve those above her. Angrel said one more thing:
“What I said to your earlier still applies in regards to how you should approach your challenge. Place your plight before the Emperor, keep your focus on you spiritual purity and duties as an Imperial servant, and make a decision. And if you decide what I did, make sure your partner understands exactly as you do.” Dahn nodded, as did Kyandra, who, all said and done, had not lost any respect for Angrel in the face of her obvious purity despite her decision.
“I understand, Sister Superior. Thank you very much for your advice, and I will tell nobody of yourself and the Commissar.” The man nodded gruffly, ill at ease with Kyandra’s potential power over them. Dahn would probably have to beat some of his students in a combat class to make himself feel better. Angrel turned to Dahn with a slight smirk that, to his slight annoyance, made his heart flutter.
“Could you help open this door for us?” Dahn smirked back, and with Angrel’s assistance pried the door open with some difficulty. Something about the involved Sororitas and Commissar working together to pull open the troublesome door greatly amused Kyandra, and she left the room in high spirits. Pushing the door back into the closed position, Angrel turned to Dahn and stroked his arm:
“Patience isn’t something they teach Commissars, is it?” Dahn’s expression was the closest thing to a blush that a Commissar could pull of:
“Well you Sisters are too close to your students.” Angrel laughed lightly.
“Well alright, what sort of amasec did you get this time?”
“An expensive one.”

Kyandra, mind whirling with the discovery of the illicit relationship, took a while to notice the students in the hallway rushing around as if they were performing a Naval warp-breach drill. She grabbed the arm of a fellow Sororitas cadet and asked what was happening. The excited woman replied hurriedly:
“The Star Fangs! The Space Marines! They are here!”