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’Where are yourtio’
’Where are they now?’ Boreas said, leaning forward again, resting against the broken panel, towering over the rebel
’I don’t know for sure,’ Venez replied Boreas leaned closer, and Venez shrunk back ’Piscina IV! They were heading to Piscina IV on the ship’
’Which ship?’ Zaul snapped from behind Boreas
’The Saint Carthen,’ said Venez, his stare notfro on Piscina IV?’ Boreas asked, try­ing to keep calm Inside, he was furious and full of trepidation As he had feared all along, his actions had taken him further and further from his prey, not closer
’I don’t know the details,’ confessed Venez ’But I over­head theabout some sort of code - a failsafe code’
’A failsafe code for what?’ Boreas demanded ’What did they need the code for?’
’I don’t know!’ screa his eyes closed ’So to do with your keep, that’s all I know’
’Tell !’ Boreas hissed
’I don’t knohat they planned, I swear!’ the prisoner begged ’The Saint Carthen took them to Piscina, and they knew you would chase it and not stop them’
’What else?’ Boreas asked, his skull-masked face a few centi to wait for you to leave and go to your keep, that’s all I know,’ Venez sobbed ’We were to delay you as long as possible This whole outpost is just a ruse, to fool you and lure you further from them’
’Who are they, what are their na at every word
’Two groups They caroups,’ Venez bab­bled ’We followed Lord Cypher, but we ued with each other, I think they had different plans We didn’t see them very often, they never spoke much ere around I don’t think Lord Cypher knows about the failsafe plan, I think he is after so else in your keep That’s all I know, that’s everything!’
Boreas’s hand e and rupturing his heart Blood bubbled up his face as he slid to the ground He thrashed around for a few seconds before hiseyes locked on the Chaplain
’Promises to traitors have no validity,’ Boreas snarled before turning away ’Die in pain’ Venez’s fingers flapped ineffectually at the Interrogator-Chaplain’s boot before he slid sideways and sprawled across the metal floor
’Weclose to Boreas
’Did you understand what he was talking about?’ Boreas asked Hephaestus looked away, saying nothing ’Tell me!’
The Techmarine took a few paces away and then turned back to face the at him, even the two Space Marines at the door,
’The failsafe is a device built into the vaults of the keep,’ the Tech at his battle-brothers ’It’s called the annihilus After the fighting over the basilica with the orks, it was decided when the new keep was constructed that it should never be allowed to fall into enemy hands Since the only way the keep would fall were if the rest of the Piscina IV was also subjugated, it was also intended to deny the planet to any invader’
’What do you’How does this failsafe device deny a whole planet to the enemy?’
’It’s a virus weapon,’ Hephaestus answered flatly, star­ing directly at Boreas His expressionless hel, but the tone of the Tech now
Boreas was stunned He was about to say soless He tried to encapsulate his feelings, co up inside him, but there was no way to express them
’The keep under ned to wipe out every liv­ing thing on the planet,’ Boreas said flatly He felt fatigued and numb ’And I was not told of this?’
’You were not supposed to know of its existence unless it was absolutely necessary,’ Hephaestus replied ’The Grand Masters were quite specific with their orders’
’And yet the Fallen, the worst of our ene towards the Techmarine He yanked his crozius fro with cold blue light Nestor’s hand closed around his wrist as he swung his ar,’ the Apothecary said quietly ’Inquiry, and if necessary justice, can wait until we have averted this disaster’
Boreas stood there for a e that boiled within his , the Chaplain nodded and the Apothecary released his grip Boreas looked at the crozius, at the winged sword of its head With a wordless snarl, he let it drop to the floor
’Signal the Blade of Caliban to send a Thunderhawk, Brother-Tech the crozius on the floor next to the dying Venez