Blessings of uncertainty

Prologue

In some forgotten corner of Segmentum Ultima lay the fleet of Crusade Fidelis, tasked with securing certain sectors of the assigned segmentum, it's flagship the Wrath of Man looms overhead, and inside the whirring of machinery and footsteps are heard all about as the Marshal observes a screen displaying the status of the deployed space marines engaging the renegade chaos tainted forces upon the planet, however the story does not start in orbit, rather on the ground below.

On the surface, the planet sounds with distant bolter fire and las shots, a far cry from the intense combat seen only a few days prior. I was alone, our unit was split in order to sweep the area more efficiently. I gaze upon the ruined outer city houses, a rarity considering there was a hive city close by.

As I approached the final bombed out house I heard a slight rustle come from it, I stopped and took a long look around before eventually pushing into the house. I ready my bolter as I enter the house and suddenly.

A child? I think to myself, there she stands, in rags, shaking whilst holding a knife, blood all over her clothes and the knife. Something else caught my eye as she stood there.

"Is this your handiwork, little one?" As I gesture towards the cultist laying on the floor motionless, blood still pouring out his body. The girl nods in an affirmative.

I let out a short sigh before asking "Do you know where to go?", she shakes her head "Alright then, I suppose I cou-" I was cut off by my comm-link "Adelhard, all other sectors have checked in except yours, is there any problem over there?" Late, I think to myself as I say in return "Negative, brother. No signs of anymore heretic activity in the area except for one dead and a girl"

"Girl?" the voice radioed back, "what do you mean a girl? Is she related to these heretics?" I look at her again, this time she has dropped the knife and was sitting down on top of the debris of what I can only assume was her home "No, brother. I believe she's the one who killed the heretic here, I'd doubt she would be a part of their ranks"

"If that's the case, leave her there and head back, we are to leave the mop up to those dogs in the inquisition" The Inquisition I thought to myself, they wouldn't allow any who have seen chaos to live, let alone this little girl.

"Sir" the little girl says, "Can you take me with you?" I paused for a second, before taking a knee and asking "Tell me, what do you believe?" She paused to think for a moment, before answering "I believe in the emperor and that he watches over us, that's what my mom taught me"

"And what happened to your mother, little girl?" the girl then looks down sadly before glancing at me "She... She ran away, the mean people wanted to kill my father and wanted to take her next" tears well up in her eyes "this person arrived looking for my dad, but I killed him because he looked like the people who scared me and mom" another long pause before she stares at me, deeply and with tears in her eyes "are you going to kill me? Have I been bad to the emperor?" She says as she begins to cry louder.

I think for a moment before responding "If you have done nothing wrong, then you have nothing to fear", the little girl sniffles and says "but I killed this person" "and why did you do it?" I responded, "he looks like the people who tried to hurt mom, so I-"

"So you killed him" I cut her off, she nodded. "It is not safe for you here, come along then, before more of those cultists show up", her eyes light up with a newfound sense of curiosity, "where are we going?" As I get up and begin walking, I turn to her and say "If your story is true, your mother may be waiting" she smiles at this "now come along, we must go"

The girl happily follows close as we head towards the extraction point, on the way she asks "You're so big, sir. Are you a guard too?" I turn to her "No, I am a member of the Adeptus Astartes" the girl tilts her head in confusion "Ad... Adeptus astartes? What's that?" She says, clearly struggling the first time, "Err, you can refer to me as a space marine, it's much easier." I respond "As for what we are, we are the Imperium's finest soldiers, we are sent to many planets and protect them from the xeno, witch, and heretic alike" at the mention of other planets her eyes light up "you've seen other planets!?" She excitedly exclaimed, "I've only seen my home world, and sometimes dad brings me to his training area outside the city, comister Gripe was very friendly, but he liked yelling at my dad and his friends"