After putting on the coat, the temperature quickly became much more bearable.
Before leaving, the two spent some time covering up the traces of their presence. Once back in the vehicle, Zhang Ge started the engine and asked as they began to move:
"How many people from your order are at the place we're heading to? I mean the Battle Sisters."
"Originally, over a thousand."
"Were any dispatched after the war started?"
"Of course."
Over a thousand fiercely trained women clad in force-feedback powered armor sounded like a lot, but compared to the numbers of the Astra Militarum and their enemies, scattering them would make them disappear like stones thrown into a pond.
But that wasn't the most critical issue. The key problem was that the enemy could interrogate soldiers and officers from units that had received support from the Battle Sisters, thereby deducing the approximate location of the order.
Even corpses didn't matter—Space Marines could extract partial memories from the dead by consuming their brains.
The Chaos Gods were like goblins selecting female knights—the prouder and purer the knight, the more they were favored.
The Battle Sisters were undoubtedly a perfect target. They weren't as strong as Space Marines, yet they were sufficiently appealing to the Chaos Gods. Even if they couldn't be corrupted, taking their lives and defiling their sanctuaries would still be enough to please the dark powers.
Especially during wartime, when temporary convents were established on the frontlines and a large number of combat personnel were dispatched, making them particularly vulnerable, this target became even more enticing.
Can you guarantee that the order hasn't been destroyed by the desecrators from the Warp before being overwhelmed on the frontlines?
"..."
Sister Amelie remained silent for a long time before finally responding:
"There is a Canoness Superior there. She is very strong."
A Canoness Superior, a high-ranking Sister Commander, typically commands over a thousand Battle Sisters. In terms of numbers alone, this is comparable to a Codex-compliant Space Marine Chapter.
However, it must be said that the combat capabilities of the Sisters of Battle are far inferior to those of the Space Marines. For a Canoness Superior to be able to contend with an ordinary Chaos Space Marine veteran is already no small feat, let alone facing an entire formation of Chaos Space Marines.
Nevertheless, since Sister Amelia had already given her assurance, Zhang Ge merely wanted to provide himself with an "upper-level insurance" to show that he wasn't deliberately seeking death, and naturally, he did not raise any objections.
In the silence between the two, the scenery outside the window continued to shift. After roughly another Terran hour of travel, a building finally emerged from the distant horizon, coming into Zhang Ge's view.
First was the massive emblem, a symbol positioned directly in front of the church, indicating who this place belonged to—the Convent of the Sainted Martyrs, the Order of the Martyred Saint.
The former is one of the two major Convents of the Sisters of Battle in the Imperium, while the latter is one of the six major Orders under the two Convents. All other Orders of the Sisters of Battle outside these six are, in fact, branches of the six major Orders.
This place should be one of the planetary direct branches of the Order of the Martyred Saint.
Such a weighty status caused Zhang Ge's heart, which had just settled, to tense up once again.
As they drew closer, more details of the church gradually became visible. Although it was merely a temporary location set up for the convenience of troop deployment and frontline command, the place was still lavishly constructed, seemingly indifferent to the cost.
In addition to the two layers of all-metal walls—the parapet and the main outer wall—the church's main structure also features numerous firing points for heavy weapons such as heavy bolters and laser cannons. Even more substantial fixed artillery and anti-aircraft guns are ubiquitous.
Even disregarding these fixed defensive installations, the orderly array of vehicles parked within the main outer wall is enough to demonstrate its formidable strength.
Although most of these details are obscured by the night, the sheer presence of the two concentric walls and the robust outline of the main structure make it abundantly clear how heavily fortified it is.
It resembles a military fortress more than a church.
It was precisely for this reason that Sister Amilia's expression grew increasingly uneasy as Zhang Ge drove the vehicle closer to the church.
"Stop the car."
When they reached a low area that could serve as cover, she spoke up. Zhang Ge nodded and brought the vehicle to a halt.
There were no patrols, no sentries—this was strange. Logically, they should have been intercepted long before the church came into view.
But now, there was nothing. Even at this distance, Sister Amilia could no longer deceive herself. She cast aside any lingering hope and prepared for the worst.
However, she had no intention of letting Zhang Ge accompany her further. He had come with her to undergo purification, investigation, and seek sanctuary. He had no obligation to join her in such a dangerous endeavor.
"After I go, you drive in the opposite direction, and then..."
Zhang Ge sensed something was off from the start and interrupted her before she could finish, organizing his words to cut her off:
"First and foremost, I am a soldier."
After the interruption, he continued, "You place too much value on the lives of the so-called blessed, to the point where you overlook the fact that constant avoidance will never earn the Emperor's gaze. Now, tell me your plan."
"No, I just—"
Sister Amilia began to argue but quickly realized there was no time to waste on this. Instead, she said, "The convent's defenses are flawless. If we want to approach, we'll have to risk crossing the fire blockade."
Zhang Ge shrugged at this and said, "What great news."
Sister Amelia simply thought he was exercising his "sense of humor" and didn't respond, instead continuing:
"If there are enemies inside, doing this would be no different from seeking death. But I cannot stand by and watch the sanctuary be defiled—what a sin that would be... Yet you don't need to bear such a responsibility."
"We are comrades, fellow humans, and children bathed in the Emperor's glory. Your duty is my duty."
Zhang Ge, who had PTSD from the term "seeking death," spoke with righteous conviction.
Danger? Now you're speaking my language.
But to be on the safe side, Zhang Ge decided to make some minor, harmless adjustments to the plan to ensure a more assured demise:
"Besides, it's not necessarily a death sentence. Where's the main gate of the church's outer wall?"
The sister didn't know what Zhang Ge was planning but silently accepted his words and pointed in a direction.
Zhang Ge walked to the edge of the depression, leaned out, and looked in that direction, barely making out the outline of the gate in the night.
He quickly returned to the driver's seat and said to Sister Amelia:
"Get in."
Bang.
After Amelia got in, the sound of the car door closing echoed.
Zhang Ge spoke to the vehicle's "voice control module":
"Now, max out the speed."
Seeing that it could fully unleash itself, the vehicle's engine roared with joy.
Noticing this, Zhang Ge joked further:
"Do a good job, and if I'm still alive after entering that church, I'll personally give you a full maintenance."
Before he could finish speaking, a strong sense of acceleration pressed him into his seat.