Nemesis

The summons came from the Vindicare, and so Iota joined Kell and the rest of the

Execution Force in one of several storage rooms down in the web of caves, away

from the more heavily-populated sections of the hideaway. The room smelled of

promethium; drums of the liquid fuel were stacked to the ceiling in corners, and the

air circulation system worked in fits and starts.

Kell had been careful to time the gathering to coincide with the regular

overflights of clan patrol craft; every time it happened, the rebels would fall silent, go

dark, and wait for the flyers to make their loop over the Bladecut before heading back

to the city. It meant that Capra, Beye, Grohl and the others were all occupied,

allowing the assassins to gather unnoticed, at least for a little while.

The Vindicare surveyed the room, looking at them all in turn. Iota noted that he

looked to Soalm last of all, and seemed to linger on her. She wondered if his sibling

understood the meaning behind that fractional moment. Iota regarded her

understanding of human social interaction as an ongoing experiment, but her limited

knowledge also afforded her a clarity that others lacked; for all the distance between

the brother and sister, it seemed obvious to the Culexus that Kell cared for Soalm

more than the woman knew—or wanted to know.

“We’re entering the final phase,” Kell said, without preamble. “Beye’s contacts

in the city have sent word of sightings at the perimeter of the Dagonet system. Warp

disturbances. The prelude to the opening of a gateway.”

“How long until we know for sure?” asked Koyne. The Callidus looked like a

child’s doll the size of a man, all sketched, incomplete features and pale skin.

“We can’t stay put and wait for confirmation,” Tariel said, without looking up

from his cogitator gauntlet’s keyboard. “By the time the warships enter orbit it will

be too late.”

The Garantine made a rumbling noise in the back of his throat that appeared to be

an affirmation.

“We commit now,” said Kell. “The Lance has been concealed, yes?” He looked

at Tariel, who nodded.

“Aye,” said the infocyte. “Grohl supplied transport from the star-port. I

supervised the assembly of the component parts myself. It’s ready.”

“But there’s no way to test it, is there?” Koyne leaned forwards. “If this doesn’t

work…”

168

“It will work,” Kell insisted. “Everything we’ve done has been leading up to this

moment. We’re not going to start second-guessing ourselves now.”

“I was only making an observation,” said the shade. “As I will be the closest to

the target, I think it’s fair to say I have the most invested in a trouble-free

termination.”

“Don’t fret,” said the Eversor. “You won’t get too dirty.”

“We have fall-back options in place.” Kell ignored the comment and nodded

towards Iota and Soalm. “But for now, we concentrate on the primary schema.” He

paused and threw Tariel a look.

The Vanus operative consulted a timer window among the panes of hololiths

hanging before him, and then glanced up. “The clanner patrols should be heading

back to the capital at any moment.”

“And we’ll follow them.” Kell reached for his spy mask where it hung from his

gear belt. “You all have your own preparations to make. I suggest you complete them

in short order and then head out. Each of us will go back into the capital individually

via different routes, and rendezvous at the star-port. I’ll be waiting for you aboard the

Ultio after sunset.”

The only member of the group who did not move after Kell’s dismissal was

Soalm. She looked at the Vindicare, her lips thinning. “Has Capra been informed?”

“Don’t be a fool!” snorted the Eversor, before the other man could even speak.

“We may have killed one of the turncoats in this little play-gang of rebels, but there

are likely others, watching and waiting for something juicy to report before they

betray this place.” The Garantine opened his clawed hands. “These people are

amateurs. They can’t be trusted.”

Soalm was still looking at Kell. “What are they supposed to do after it is done?”

Iota saw colour rise in the Vindicare’s cheeks, but he kept his temper in check.

“Capra is resourceful. He’ll know what to do.”

“If he has any sense,” muttered Koyne, “he’ll run.”

Soalm turned away and was the first from the chamber.

Jenniker reached the compartment Beye had assigned to her and went in. What little

equipment she had was there, cunningly disguised as a lady traveller’s attachй. It

seemed strangely out of place among such drab accommodation, on the Imperial

Army-surplus bedroll beside a drawstring bag of ration packs. She paused, studying

it.

Inside the case, concealed inside clever modules and secret sections, there were

vials of powder, flat bottles of colourless fluid, thin strips of metallised chemical

compounds, injectors and capsules and dermal tabs. The manner and means to end an

entire city’s worth of human lives, if need be.