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Oleande

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This page contains spoilers for: Heart & Soul (Short Story)

Oleande is the name of a Celestian in the Order of the Valorous Heart, who has assumed the face and identity of the original Oleande.[1]

History

This was done after the original Oleande fell to the worship of Khorne and became known as the Iconoclast. In order to keep anyone from learning of their shame, the Valorous Heart's upper echelons ordered one of its Sisters to discard her identity and assume Oleande's face and name. After this was done, this false Oleande was ordered to kill the Iconoclast and ensure know one learned of her true identity. The Celestian was then given a group of Battle Sisters to command, though, she was not expected to survive her mission. Succeeding though, would require her to strike at the right moment, due to the number of Heretics the Iconoclast had at her command. This led Oleande to secretly follow other Imperial forces and rely on them to wear the warlord down and this tactic succeeded, on Meseda Quintus. It was on that now ravaged world that a War of Faith, led by the Order of Our Martyred Lady Eloheim Miriya, defeated the Army of the Iconoclast and trapped the warlord within a chapel. After seeing that her moment to strike had arrived, Oleande and a number of Celestians made ready to attack. They then stopped Miriya right as she was about to enter the chapel, which had been surrounded by a force field barrier to prevent the Iconoclast from escaping. Oleande claimed that due to the bloodshed that her Order had suffered at the Iconoclast's hands, it would be they who killed the warlord. Miriya quickly refused, as it was her forces that had brought the Iconoclast to heel, while the Valorous Heart did nothing. Though both had warrants from their High Canonesses, ordering them to kill the Iconoclast neither Miriya nor Oleande would stand aside for the other. It was finally decided that with both sides having warrants, the decision on who would kill the Iconoclast rested with the Abbess Sanctorum; as only she could hold sway over such an impasse between the Orders.[1]

Both agreed and their forces rested as they waited for the Abbess' judgement. Secretly though, Oleande was not willing to risk the Abbess ruling against her Order and having the Iconoclast's true identity revealed. As night came, Oleande led her Celestians to attack the Adeptus Mechanicus forces guarding the barrier's controls, killing several of them, before entering the chapel. Miriya learned of this and followed with her personal squadron soon afterwards, but by then Oleande's Celestians had been ambushed. They were heavily outnumbered, so Oleande and two other Celestians pressed on after the Warlord, while her Sisters' fell holding the line against the Heretics. They later found the traitor, but she was aided by more Heretics and Oleande's remaining Sisters were nearly overwhelmed. Luckily for her, Miriya's squadron raced to Oleande's aid before they fell to the Heretics. Just before they reached Oleande, though, an attack by the Iconoclast's Heretics separated Miriya from her Sisters. The last of Oleande's Celestians was killed soon afterwards, leaving just the two of them to face the warlord. The Iconoclast then attacked a taunting Oleande, while her surviving Heretics sought to stop Miriya from reaching the warlord. Though Miriya was able to kill the Heretics, the Iconoclast had wounded Oleande and had her pinned down. Rather than kill Oleande, the armored Iconolcast took off her helmet and a shocked Miriya's realized that both Oleande and the Iconoclast had the same face. The warlord then explained that the Oleande pinned to the ground, was a Sister the Valorours Heart had ordered to take her face and identity. In doing so, the Iconoclast explained, the Order had hoped to hide the fact that she had fallen to Heresy. Miriya did not believe this, as she had fought beside Oleande in the Icarus Front and knew the Valorous Heart Celestian would never embrace Khorne. It was true, though, and the false Oleande had been ordered to kill the warlord, in order to erase the heretical stain from the Order's record. Then sensing a kindred spirit who had the same desires that she did, the Iconoclast tried to convince Miriya to become a Heretic as well. This was quickly interrupted, when Sister Verity, one of Miriya's squadron, fired upon the Iconoclast, who in a rage then attempted to kill the helpless Oleande. Miriya protected her, however, and the two then began attacking the rageful Iconoclast. Now facing two skilled opponents, the resilient warlord began to be taken apart. Even as she neared death, however, the Iconoclast yelled that the Adepta Sororitas' faith was a lie and that the Sisters are so soaked in blood that they already belong to Khorne. Shortly after saying this, both Miriya and Oleande struck as one and ended the Iconoclast's life.[1]

Though Oleande's mission was done, Miriya and Verity had seen the Iconoclast's face and knew the truth. With her orders clear about leaving no witnesses, Oleande prepared to activate her Krack Grenades in order to bring the chapel down on their heads. Miriya talked Oleande out of doing it, though, by explaining that they had all sacrificed much of themselves to see the Iconoclast dead. If Oleande activated the grenades, then their duty to the Imperium would end, while its enemies still lived. Miriya also explained that with the warlord dead, Oleande was truly the only one with her identity and this prevented the forces of Chaos from claiming it. Miriya and Verity then both vowed to never reveal the truth of what had occurred within the chapel and Oleande accepted their vows. The surviving Sisters then made their way out of the chapel and Oleande was left wondering what she would tell her superiors. The Celestian had never been expected to survive her mission, but Miriya told her that only the Emperor could decide when their duty ends.[1]


Sources