Vex Chronicles 4: Zeal

Another betrayal

Factory-City-2, rust plains, outer edge

"I still don't like this," Vex said as he stepped out of the APC. "How could the Mechanicus mobilize an armed force so quickly? Were they already waiting for things to escalate?"

"Very likely," Gerrisat replied coldly. "They waited for the first misstep of the ecclesiarchy. My Adeptus calculates cost versus reward. It was never in favor of initiating the conflict. So they waited – till now."

"This sounds awfully like war." Markos shook his head. "This is ridiculous. As if the Imperium doesn't have enough foes."

"It most certainly has," Vex said coldly as he sent his stealth drone into the air.

Without his light power armor to route the controls directly to his brain implant, Vex had strapped a clunky mobile cogitator to his left wrist. The control monitor was small. But at least it allowed him access to the drone network maintained by his servo skull. The stealth drone's video and audio feeds was grainy and hard to make out on the small display unit. The metal in this place inferred with the signal. And the mobile unit was too simple to enhance it. But it was still a good result for such quick improvisation.

The Mechanicus forces had chosen a ruined factory as the meeting place – something Codra Minor had in abundance. The wall that encompassed the large complex was full of holes – something it shared with the state of the rest of the multi-stories buildings. The ruins of both factory warehouses and on-site habitat block were an ideal place for snipers. And the ground overshadowed by the buildings was a labyrinth of thick steam pipes that could hide an entire armed forces.

Vex's monitor already showed the delegation of the Mechanicus. And they stood right in the open. Vex hoped that it was not the setup for a trap but a sign of goodwill. But why should the Mechanicus even set a trap for them? It was unlikely that the ecclesiarchy had informed them about either Vex's capture or his escape.

The leader of the delegation was a heavily modified tech priest. And the blackened armor looked decorated and well crafted – a clear sign of a higher ranking member of the Mechanicus. But in contrast to that stood the shoddy robe. The heavy red cloth was charred as if rescued from flames. And on closer inspection even the black metal underneath looked discolored by strong heat. The impression was only enhanced by a subtle orange glow that flickered behind armor and servo-systems.

The priest was flanked by two skitarii soldiers in heavy armor and weapon staves. Those two skitarii protectors were the only visible force the priest in blackened armor had brought along.

Hasthia pulled Vex back, a grim expression on his face. "I don't like thizz. Zzmellzz like a trap."

"I will be extra cautious," Vex replied distracted. "We'll have to meet them."

The inquisitor looked at the ticking down counter of his clock. There wasn't much time left until Cassilia's head-bomb would go off. And so he left their cover and stepped into the open.

Markos stayed at his side to guard him. Gerrisat flanked Vex from the other side, his gun mounting mechandrites facing ground-wards. Hasthia's heavy steps were behind the inquisitor. And Jubelius stayed at the sideline to rush in and offer cover fire should this still be a trap. The rest of Vex's retinue was either on call in the Rhino APC or still missing.

The tech priest's polished skull-face turned towards the inquisitor. Orange glowing lenses mustered the approaching retinue. As a gesture of good will, the tech priest's flamer mechandrites dropped down. The skitarii equally returned their weapon staves into a relaxed position.

Vex had crossed half the distance between entrance and the clearing amid the pipes and the tech priest still hadn't shown any aggressive move. The inquisitor saw it as a good sign. Vex needed the cooperation of the Mechanicus. The renegade inquisitor was still out there. The daemonhost had to be found and taken down. And the vox network of the tech priests could deliver a broad signal to disable Cassilia's head-bomb.