He sighed as he realised he would have to request another generator, knowing that Overseer Lasko wasn’t going to like that, what with times being so hard and the cartel clamping down on costs. It was the third generator they’d gone through in as many weeks and Kolurst just couldn’t understand what was going wrong with them. He and his fellow tech-priests had hooked up each one correctly, blessing them with the Prayer to the Omnissiah and striking the rune of activation upon their surface. Each generator would be fine for a few days, maybe a week until the same thing kept happening.
One by one the transformers would stop feeding power to the glow-globes and from the depths upwards, the mine would slowly revert to darkness. Kolurst had checked each transformer again and again and found the same thing. They were supplying power, but none of it was being routed where it was required. The power was there, but where was it going?
Kolurst jumped as he heard a soft, rustling noise behind him.
He spun, directing his lamp where the sound had come from.
There was nothing there, just a soft susurration of sand hissing from a crack in the wall. Kolurst released the breath he’d been holding and wiped the sweat from his brow. He turned back to the transformer and shook his head. He began to—
There it was again. Kolurst shone his lamp into the darkness. He panned the beam back and forth, jerking it quickly as he caught a flash of movement at the edge of the light.
Something gleaming skittered out of sight round a bend in the tunnel.
‘Hello?’ he called, fighting to keep the tremor from his voice. ‘Is someone there?’
There was no answer, but he hadn’t really expected one.
Slowly, he edged towards the turn, craning his lamp further and further into the darkness. He heard a soft tapping, as of thin metal rods clicking together.
He jumped as his data slate crackled, and he closed his eyes, fighting for calm. He was letting the foolish stories the mineworkers were telling get to him. Their stupid superstitions had spooked him and he tried to dismiss them as the delusions of overactive imaginations.
That was all very well on the surface, but here, ten thousand metres below ground, it was a very different matter indeed. Sweat trickled from his brow and dripped from his nose. It was nothing, just some…
Some what?
He glanced at the slate and gave it a perturbed tap as the display began to fade. Soon the display was dead and he cursed the ill-fate that had seen him assigned to this wretched place rather than one of the cartels’ manufactorum.
The sound came again and he shivered, despite the dry heat of the deep mine. He slowly backed away in the direction of the elevator shaft as the skittering noise began growing in volume.
He swallowed hard. His heart was beating a desperate tattoo on his ribs.
The shoulder lamp flickered, its weak glow fading.
Suddenly, Kolurst could see movement at the edge of its beam, dozens of tiny, glittering reflections carpeting the floor of the mine. He took another step backwards.
And the movement followed him.
Abruptly, the light from his lamp failed completely, plunging him into utter darkness.
Magos Dal Kolurst whimpered in terror and turned to run.
But they had him before he managed more than two paces.
EIGHT
THE SENATE CHAMBER erupted. Many had expected Taloun’s words, but to hear them said so baldly was still a shock. A hundred voices all shouted at once and Uriel noticed that the governor sat calm and immobile, as though a long-feared event had finally transpired.
Taloun stood silently in the centre of the floor, the speaker’s staff held before him like a weapon. The moderator shouted for calm as bailiffs moved through the crowd, quieting the more vocal members of the upper tiers with sharp blows from their cudgels.
Taloun raised his hands in a mute appeal for quiet and slowly the shouts of approval and denial died away, to be replaced by an excited buzz. He tapped the staff on the floor and asked, ‘Who amongst the heads of the families will second my motion?’
Kasimir de Valtos rose from his seat with a feral grin of vindication and rested his pale hands on the railing. Uriel noticed that these too were the mottled white of artificial skin and he saluted the man’s courage at having escaped his alien torturers.
‘I Kasimir de Valtos, will second the honourable Taloun’s motion.’
Taloun bowed deeply. ‘My thanks, Guilder de Valtos.’
Jeers and boos came from the tiers behind the governor.
The moderator retrieved his staff and waved it above his head as Taloun made his way back to his seat. He rapped his staff sharply on the floor.
‘A motion of no confidence has been tabled and seconded by two members. To decide whether such a vote shall indeed be cast, I ask the heads of the cartels to indicate their support or otherwise for this motion.’
The moderator moved to his chair of office and pulled on a long velvet rope, exposing a large display slate behind a wide curtain on the rear wall of the chamber.
‘This should be interesting,’ whispered Barzano. ‘Now we’ll see who’s in bed with who.’
Slowly at first, the icons of the family cartels began appearing on the slate.
Barzano nudged Perjed, who began copying the votes onto his own slate. De Valtos and Taloun’s icons were, unsurprisingly, the first to appear in favour of the vote with Shonai’s vote against the motion following closely. The Honan icon appeared next to Taloun’s to mocking laughter from the upper tiers.
A gasp of surprise echoed around the chamber as the Vergen icon flashed up in favour of the vote. As the icon appeared, the men behind Solana Vergen desperately began waving towards their cartel’s scion and shouting at her to listen to reason.
‘My, my,’ breathed Perjed. ‘Now there’s an upset.’
‘In what way?’ asked Barzano.
‘Well, the Vergen have been allies of the Shonai for nearly ten years ever since they allied to win the election from the Taloun. Leotas Vergen and Governor Shonai were rumoured to be very good friends indeed, if you take my meaning. It seems that Leotas Vergen’s daughter does not intend that friendship to continue.’
Governor Shonai stared with undisguised anger at the smug, smiling face of Solana Vergen, her fury clear for all to see.
A wadded up agenda smacked the top of Beauchamp Abrogas’s head and he sat up suddenly, pressing a button at random on his voting panel. The Abrogas icon appeared beside the governor’s and its members let out a collective sigh of exasperation in the foolishness of their leader.
With the votes of the major players cast, the smaller cartel heads began allocating their votes, having seen which way the political wind was blowing. Eventually all the votes were cast and the result was clear. The Shonai cartel had lost.
Lortuen Perjed nodded as he entered the last cartel’s vote into his slate.
The governor has lost this round and the matter will now be thrown open to a full vote of the entire senate, though this will largely be a formality since I doubt any of the cartel members will vote against their commercial masters.’
‘So the planetary governor has been overthrown. Just like that?’ asked Uriel.
‘Not quite,’ grinned Barzano, rising from his seat.
‘What are you doing?’ demanded Lortuen Perjed.
‘I’m going to stretch my legalistic muscles. Uriel, come with me.’
Perjed gripped Barzano’s robe and hissed, ‘This is hardly fitting behaviour for an adept of the Administratum.’
‘Exactly,’ smiled Barzano with the glint of mischief in his eyes.
URIEL FOLLOWED ADEPT Barzano down the last few steps to the chequered chamber floor, easily lifting aside a startled bailiff who blocked their way. Barzano pushed open the wooden swing gate and strode into the centre of the chamber. An astonished hush descended on the chamber at his audacity and the sheer physical presence of an Imperial Space Marine. The Moderator of Transactions stood incredulous below
the voting slate, his face red with fury.
His annoyance at having the normal order of business disrupted overcame his common sense and he advanced on Barzano, spluttering in indignation.
‘This is completely out of order, sir! You cannot flout the regulations that govern our lawful assemblage in this manner.’
‘Oh, I think I can,’ smiled Barzano, pulling the red seal of the Administratum from his robes and holding it above his head for the chamber to see. Uriel kept a wary eye on the senate bailiffs, though none appeared willing to rise to the defence of the senate’s regulations.
Barzano placed the seal back in his robes and addressed the assembly of Pavonis.
‘Good day to you all. My name is Ario Barzano and I come here in the name of the Divine Emperor of Mankind. It is my task to set this world back on the path of righteousness, to stamp out the corruption and troubles that plague your world. I come with the highest authority and the strength to enforce the Administratum’s will.’
Uriel could not help but notice worried glances passing between several of the cartel heads as the word ‘corruption’ was mentioned. Barzano swept his arms wide in a gesture that encompassed the entire senate chamber.
‘Consider this vote on hold, gentlemen. And ladies,’ added Barzano with a nod to Solana Vergen, who fluttered her eyelashes at the adept. Angry voices were raised, but died away as Barzano stood beside Uriel’s armoured bulk.
‘Now if you will excuse me, my learned friends, the governor of Pavonis and I have a great many things to discuss. Good day to you all.’
Barzano bowed deeply and indicated that Lortuen Perjed should join him on the floor. The old man shuffled out to meet Barzano and Uriel, his face a deep red. As he reached them, he gripped Barzano’s arm and whispered, ‘That was entirely inappropriate.’
‘I know,’ answered Barzano, pulling free of Perjed’s grasp and marching over to the governor’s seats.
Mykola Shonai sat dumbfounded at this unexpected development and numbly rose to her feet as Barzano approached.
‘You have my thanks, Adept Barzano. I had not expected you until later this evening.’
Barzano winked and leaned in close to the governor, ‘I like to make an entrance, Governor Shonai, but don’t thank me yet, this is not a reprieve. It is merely a stay of what may still inevitably happen.’
Governor Shonai nodded, understanding the distinction, but grateful for the lifeline nonetheless.
‘I thank you anyway.’
‘Now, before your Moderator of Transactions has an apoplectic fit, I suggest we all retire to somewhere a little less public?’
‘Agreed.’
ARIO BARZANO AND Lortuen Perjed sat in the governor’s chambers while Uriel stood at ease behind them. Governor Shonai sat behind her desk with Almerz Chanda and Leland Corteo either side of her. Smoke from Corteo’s pipe layered below the ceiling, circulated by a leisurely spinning fan.
‘I have to say, adept,’ began Mykola Shonai, ‘that I had not expected you to allow me to remain in office.’
‘I still may not, Governor Shonai, ‘that decision remains to be taken.’
‘Then why did you not just allow me to fall to Taloun’s vote?’
Almerz Chanda leaned forwards. ‘Surely, governor, it is enough for now that the adept did not?’
‘No, Almerz, it is not. Well, adept? Why?’
‘I liked the look of you, and I could tell Uriel did too,’ explained Barzano. Uriel had not thought he had been so obvious in his appraisal of the governor and his respect for Barzano’s powers of perception raised a notch.
‘Besides, my dear lady, from what I could see of the other potential candidates, you appeared to be the least, how shall I say…?’
‘Slimy, deceitful and untrustworthy?’ she suggested.
Barzano laughed. ‘Yes, something like that. But on a more serious note, we dislike upsetting the stability of a world too much if we can at all avoid it. Replacing you at this juncture would have achieved little of value.’
‘So in other words, this may only be a temporary arrangement?’
‘Exactly I will be blunt, governor. You have failed in your duties as an Imperial commander. The tithes that are the right and proper duty of the Emperor have not been forthcoming and your inability to maintain the peace on this world has resulted in my despatch to rectify the situation.’
‘It is certainly true that we have been having our fair share of problems, but past circumstances have—’
‘Past circumstances do not interest me, Governor Shonai,’ snapped Barzano and Uriel was surprised at the vicious tone that edged his words. Perjed appeared concerned also and leaned forward in his seat as Barzano continued.
What does interest me, however, is your lack of progress in eliminating this Church of Ancient Ways, an organisation that sounds dangerously like a cult to my way of thinking. What also interests me is the inability of your system defence ships to hunt down the eldar raiders that attacked our ship and caused the deaths of a great many servants of the Emperor. But what concerns me most of all is the fact that you did not feel it necessary to report any of this to the Imperium. An explanation of these circumstances would be most edifying.’
‘What would you have me tell you, adept? The Adeptus Arbites and our own local security forces have tried to stamp out the Church of Ancient Ways, but they are like shadows and we can find no clue as to how they are being supplied with their weaponry,’ snarled Shonai. ‘As to the eldar raiders, our ships are ready to be mothballed: there is not one amongst them less than two thousand years old. How would you have this fight them?’
Barzano smiled as the governor finished her tirade and sat back in his chair, apparently satisfied with her answer.
Mykola Shonai placed her hands, palm down, on her desk. ‘I admit it was… unwise not to have come forward sooner regarding our troubles, but I believed we could deal with them internally. If I am guilty of anything, it is that I placed too much faith in my own abilities to manage this crisis.’
‘Yes,’ agreed Barzano. ‘But I do not believe your administration is quite beyond redemption. I propose that we put aside past mistakes for now and work to resolve the current situation as quickly as possible. You agree?’
‘Of course,’ said the governor quickly. ‘What can I do to help?’
‘The first stage in any operation is information gathering and to facilitate my researches, I shall need complete access to the data files you have in the palace logic engines and cogitators. And of course that includes all your own private files.’
‘Outrageous!’ stormed Almerz Chanda. ‘You overstep your mark, sir!’
‘Really? You have things in the files you would rather I not see, Mr Chanda? Records of bribes placed, illegal dealings with xenos and the like?’ joked Barzano, though Uriel wondered how much of the question was in jest.
‘Certainly not,’ blustered Chanda. ‘But it is a huge breach of protocol to have the governor’s personal files rummaged through as though she were a common criminal.’
Mykola Shonai reached up and placed a soothing hand on Chanda’s arm.
‘It’s alright, Almerz, I have nothing to hide. Adept, you shall have all that you require. What else do you need?’
‘Since I do not particularly wish to be seen to be choosing sides amongst the cartels by accepting any offers of accommodation which I am sure will soon be forthcoming, I will require a suite of rooms in the palace for myself and my entourage. At present they are waiting at a landing platform on the edge of the city. I would appreciate it if you could send word to them along with adequate transport to convey them and my effects to the palace.’
‘It shall be done at once,’ assured the governor, nodding to Chanda. He bristled at such a menial task, but bowed and left the room. ‘Anything else?’
‘Yes. As I will no doubt be dealing with the local security forces during my investigations I shall be requiring a liaison with the Adeptus Arbites. Contact them and have them assig
n me an officer.’
‘They won’t like that much,’ noted Leland Corteo.
‘I don’t much care whether they like it or not, just make sure it happens.’
Leland Corteo flinched at Barzano’s tone, but nodded and scratched an entry in his notebook.
‘Right, that should take care of matters on the domestic front. Turning our attention to the question of the eldar raiders, I propose that the Vae Victus commence patrol operations in the local area as soon as possible. Uriel? I think it best if you appraise the governor of any assistance you will be requiring.’
Uriel snapped to attention and stepped forward. ‘To be fully effective, we shall require complete annotated dossiers
on every settlement raided and ship attacked, complete with crew manifests and payload records. Also, a system map recording the exact time and location of each attack. From this it will be possible to obtain a central locus of attacks and devise an efficient patrol circuit.’
‘I shall see to it personally, Captain Ventris.’
Uriel nodded and stepped back.
‘When can you begin patrol operations, Uriel?’
‘The Tech-marines are ministering to the ship as we speak and as soon as the requested information is transferred to the Vae Victus we can begin.’
Barzano rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ‘Excellent. I want you to return to the ship and hunt down these deviants. I cannot stress enough the importance I attach to this task, captain.’
‘Return to the ship? Adept, I was entrusted with your personal safety and I gave my word to Lord Calgar that you would come to no harm.’
‘And I shall not, for you shall leave me Sergeant Learchus’s squad as a bodyguard. Unless you have any reservations regarding his ability to protect me?’
‘Of course I have not, Learchus is a proven veteran of many campaigns. I trust him absolutely.’
‘Then I share your trust also.’
Suddenly Uriel realised how cunningly Barzano had manoeuvred him. Learchus was a great warrior and would die before allowing the adept to come to any harm, and to relieve him of this duty would be to insult his honour. Uriel had sworn to Marneus Calgar that he would protect Barzano, but to remain with the adept would mean that his men would go into battle without their captain. Reluctantly, Uriel realised that as captain of the Fourth Company he had to be able to trust the officers appointed beneath him.