Wednesday 7 April 2010

Burn it all


The Carthum Conglomerate Production plant in the station based around Sibot XII is considered by many as an out of the way, border facility. Much better stations on the trade routes can be found several jumps in all directions. Even the Amarr Navy keeps only a limited presence here, it's just not that important a system. Because of this it was deemed to be the perfect place for the Sovereign Hospitaller Order of Saint Katherine to place a temple. The holy followers of Saint Katherine spend their time in the depths of space seeking out those who are lost. Those who are adrift in a jettisoned can, drifting in a broken ship, or lost in a wormhole... offer a prayer to the Saint and your chances to be rescued will improve. So they say.

The priest of Saint Katherine crawled towards the safety of the front of the temple, pulling himself forward with broken arms, dragging broken legs. Several shadowy figures were smashing bookselves and pews and piling the wood in the middle of the room. He tried to ignore them and put the excrutiating pain out of his mind. He was lost, Saint Katherine would provide. His belief in the Saint was pure and unadulterated. Unfortunately, the woman behind him who had tortured him in silence, stolen his pendant, the symbol of his faith and desecrated his temple.

"Blessed Saint.... Katherine.... protect your servant...."
He reached his hand forward towards the door as he felt a foot in the small of his back, her heel digging in. Closing his eyes he saw in his mind Saint Katherine reaching her hand down and caressing his brow, heard her words in his head, saw her smile. Ignoring the pain he rolled over and looked at his tormentor in her eyes.
"I am not afraid of you, my sister. The blessed Saint Kathering has found me.. my soul is secure."
The woman swept her duster back and knelt down with her legs either side of him, straddling him in a pseudo-sexual stance.
"I'm not after your soul, Priest. I want your pain."
Angelina Ballentyne pulled the cigarette from her lips blew the smoke into his face and stubbed it out in his eye. As he screamed and reached up for his damaged eye she stood up and walked towards the door.
"Burn it all."
"What about the cripple?"
"I said burn it all... what part of that do you not understand?"

News Article - Carthum Evening Press

In a most tragic accident today the beloved Priest Miar Rushai of the Sovereign Hospitaller Order of Saint Katherine died as fire swept through the temple. Security services are treating the fire as suspicious and are requesting several individuals seen in the area shortly to come forward. A rewards of 250,000 isk has been placed for help regarding the successful apprehension of the guilty parties. Carthum Conglomerate officials have been unavailable to answer questions.


Orbitting the station while cloaked in a battered transport Angelina looked at the small shrine in her quarters. A picture of a non-descript young man looked back at her and she lit several small candles and bowed her head while she prayed.
"Don't worry Jonas, your death has been avenged. It was not done in the way you would approve of, but if they had been there sooner they wouldn't have recscued your body, they would have rescued your soul. Rest in peace Jonas.... "

She picked up the pendant she had taken from him and put it around her neck next to several other pendants. On the table below the shrine she picked up a collection of prayer sticks. Each one was written with a prayer to the Saint. Running her fingers over the old carvings she almost could feel the words of the Saint in her mind. Clicking the neo-com on the wall she called up to the bridge.
"Set course for home. We've finished with this place."
Lying down on her bunk it wasn't long before she fell into a deep sleep, the prayer sticks clutched in her hands.

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