Nemesis

The spool unwound into a thin taper of metal, which rolled out to the length of a metre. Once fully extended, the weapon became rigid; it was known as a memory sword, the alloy that comprised the blade capable of softening and hardening at the touch of a control.

Koyne liked the memory sword, liked the gossamer weight of it. Koyne liked what it could do, as well. With a savage slash, the blade sliced down the thin silk curtain and the motion alerted the mechanoid – but not quickly enough. Koyne thrust the point into the aide’s chromium chest and through the armour casing around the biocortex module that served as the robot’s brain. It gave a faint squeal and became a rigid statue.

Leaving the sword in place, Koyne took a moment to prepare for the next template. Koyne knew Gergerra Rei as well as the actress who played Queen Jocasta, and would adopt him just as easily. The Callidus despised the term ‘mimicry’. It was a poor word that could not encompass the wholeness with which a Callidus would become their disguises. To mimic something was to ape it, to pretend. Koyne became the disguise; Koyne inhabited each identity, even if it was for a short while.

The Callidus was a sculpture that carved itself. Bio-implants and heavy doses of the shapeshifter drug polymorphine made skin, bone and muscle become supple and motile. Those who could not control the freedom it gave would collapse and turn into monstrosities, things like molten waxworks that were little more than heaps of bone and organs. Those with the gift of the self, though, those like Koyne, they could become anyone.

Concentrating, Koyne shifted to neutrality, a grey, sexless form that was smooth and almost without features. The Callidus did not recall any birth-gender; that data was irrelevant when it was possible to be man or woman, young or old, even human or xenos if the will was there.

It was then Koyne saw the flowers. They had been delivered by courier shortly before Rei had arrived. The assassin picked at the plants and noted the colour and number of the petals on the roses. Something like irritation crossed the killer’s no-face and Koyne paused at the vox-comm alcove in the far wall, inputting the correct sequence of encoding that the flower arrangement signified.

The reply was almost immediate, meaning that there was a ship nearby. ‘Koyne?’ A male voice, gruff with it.

The Callidus immediately copied the tonality and replied. ‘You have broken my silent protocol.’

‘We’re here to help you conclude your mission as quickly as possible. You have new orders.’

‘I have no idea who you fools are, or what authority you may think you have. But you are compromising my operation and getting in my way.’ Koyne grimaced. It was an ugly expression on the grey face. ‘I don’t require any help from you. Don’t interrupt me again.’ The Callidus cut the channel and turned away. Such behaviour was totally unprofessional. The clade knew that once committed, an assassin’s cover should not be compromised except in the direst of circumstances – and someone’s impatience was certainly not reason enough.

Koyne sat and concentrated on Gergerra Rei, on his voice, his gait, the full sense of the man. Skin puckered and moved, thickening. Implants slowly expanded to add mass and dimension. Moment by moment, the killer changed.

But the task was still incomplete when the three Crusaders crashed in through the doorway, searching for a target.

10

Kell glared at the vox pickup before him. ‘Well. That was discourteous,’ he muttered.

‘Arrogance is a noted character trait of many of the Clade Callidus,’ Iota offered.

The Garantine looked at Kell from across the Ultio’s cramped bridge. ‘What are we supposed to do? Take in a show? Have a little dinner?’ The hulking killer growled in irritation. ‘Put me down on the station. I’ll bring the slippery changer freak back here in pieces.’

Before Kell could reply, a sensor telltale on one of the consoles began to blink. Tariel motioned at the hololiths around his gauntlet and his expression grew grave. ‘The ship reads energy weapon discharges close to Koyne’s location.’ He looked up, out past the nose of the ship to where the hull of Saros Station drifted nearby. ‘The Callidus may be in trouble.’

‘We should assist,’ said Iota.

‘Koyne didn’t want any help,’ Kell replied. ‘Made that very clear.’

Tariel gestured at his display. ‘Auspex magno-scan shows multiple mechanoid units in the area. War robots, Vindicare. If the Callidus becomes trapped–’

Kell held up a hand to silence him. ‘The Master of Assassins chose this one for good reason. Let’s consider this escape a test of skill, shall we? We’ll see how good this Koyne is.’

The Garantine gave a rough snort of amusement.

11