Vex Chronicles 4: Zeal

Return to Codra Minor

Codra Minor, Factory-City-2, abandoned warehouse

The journey to Codra Minor had been event-less. A nice change of pace after the action from Eredius III and the starkiller hunt. Cassilia had chosen the dirt and grime of the abandoned warehouse as hiding spot in Factory-City-2, the simple-named major trade and industrial city on Codra Minor. Cassilia had chosen not to rely on her authority as a sanctioned agent. It was better to trust her genetic-imprinted instincts and keep her xenos nature secret as long a possible. And this abandoned warehouse was the ideal place for that.

Cassilia touched the carved wooden Aquila that dangled on a leather band from her neck. It helped her focus her mind. A sharp swell of protesting warmth rose through her mind, awoken by the simple necklace. But that distraction was weak. Weaker than the support the simply craftsmanship of the carved trinket gave her. And Cassilia needed all her strength for their psionic surveillance.

"Lets begin." Cassilia welcomed Sandine and Denseria into her own psionic mind and weaved her senses into theirs. And soon the two existed like phantoms in Cassilia's mind, extensions that had nearly fully access Cassilia's own psionic skills as if it was theirs. Together they formed a mental triumvirate, a gestalt that synchronized their findings through the brood mind.

Mordessa already lived inside that gestalt. But she was more of a shield wall – a presence that allowed Cassilia to feel safe when she would leave behind her body. And Mordessa wasn't the only constant presence in Cassilia's subconsciousness. But the last presence she held in such high regards that she had never even attempted to probe deeper. All Cassilia cared about was the guidance and loving warmth, the doubts that helped her question her own actions and the uncanny skill with a pistol that the presence offered to her.

Cassilia opened her mouth to speak. It cost her some concentration to speak with only her own mouth, so deep was the gestalt. "We are ready. Can we begin?"

"We will guard you with our lives, princess," Mordessa rose her heavy duty revolver.

Sill grinned and patted her siege shield with the grenade launcher. "Whoever disturbs us will be blown to bits, oh great psyker."

"I don't think that anyone will find us here." Cassilia closed her eyes "I am more concerned with food, water and warmth."

Sill patted her large backpack. And with Sill being nearly as big as her mother's ogryn heritage, 'large' meant a lot of rations and blankets.

Cassilia drifted deeper into the gestalt mind and her voice seemed to com from fare away. "I will begin. It may take hours or even days. Remember to give us food and drink."

Cassilia sank into the psionic hood that both guarded and imprisoned her brain. But when she let her psionic senses rise from her body it was as if they were clouded. Something in Factory-City-2 interfered with her powers. When Cassilia put more strength into her senses ice begun to crystallize around her and tinted her breath. This search would be more draining than expected...

Cassilia let her mind's eye wander over the city. She picked up groups of people, scanned them and discarded them as not of her own genestealer kind. Slowly Cassilia soared higher as she touched one habitat block after another. But there was nothing to find. And so she guided her search to other parts of the sprawling city. Her mind raced over massive industrial complexes, chapels and church-ground and finally into the run down ruins of the slums.

Codra Minor was a world in decline – a mining world with exhausted resources that had missed the chance to turn into a full factory world. It was a dirty world with only a few rich people and a lot of burned out workers. If not for the religious shrines, the world would have long since disappeared into obscurity. The many discontent people were an ideal seedbed to supply a cult. But there was no chatter that hinted at a cult's brood mind.