Armorum Fidei Chapter 37
The Psybrids moved over Suna like a black tide sweeping up a shorefront. Train-cities were falling faster than ever, taken in swift assaults that tore down the defences. At every turn subverted souls would rise up and stab the defenders in the back, opening the way for aliens to rush the walls unopposed. The vox-waves were frantic with reports of treachery and betrayal, the news of corruption within reaching to every Train-city on the planet. The Psybrids were aware of this but made no effort to stop it, the spreading fear and distrust worked in their favour, undermining defences long before they even approached.
Chuqik could see the effect of this with his own eyes. A smoking warren smouldered forlornly, surrounded by throngs of enslaved aliens. The warren had been wracked with violence before the Psybrids had even made their presence known, humans turning on humans at the slightest provocation. Internal strife had proved their undoing, leaving them helpless to resist when the true attack came. Now long lines of slaves trudged from the smoking ruin, beginning the long march to the waiting Nexus, where they would become fuel for Yeuek's labours.
A soft noise made him wince as Mewek came up to him. She had fought well in the assault, not that much fighting had been needed. The humans had fallen swiftly and neither of them had needed to kill more than a handful before the end. That was both good and bad, good for the Psybrid's current objectives, but troubling for their long-term prospects. Chuqik's misgiving burned brighter than ever, but there was nothing he could do.
Mewek broke the silence, "This bodes ill."
"It is what it is," Chuqik muttered.
"The Choir for War grows bolder and bolder," Mewek whispered, "Already we have taken half the lifeforms Yeuek requires. Soon we will have taken all the rest. The Nexus will be completed, our protection assured… but then…"
Chuqik completed the thought, "Then the Choir for War will start calling for an all-out attack on the Songbreaker. They will laud their victory here as proof their way is right and then lead us into the digestion pod. The Psybrid race will dash itself against his guns and then he will end us once and for all."
Mewek looked at him and asked, "Can we not alter this fate?"
"I do not see how," Chuqik lamented, "The Song favours Newak, more so with every win. His destruction of the Praetorian base has made his position unassailable. His name echoes loudly in the Song."
"About that," Mewek hissed, "Where are the Praetorians? I expected them to fling themselves straight at us, trying to tear our hearts out. Why do they not come?"
"I do not know and that worries me greatly," Chuqik growled, "I almost wish they were."
"You wish they were attacking?"
"I have learned the only thing more dangerous than a loud Praetorian is a quiet one. It means they are plotting something. I prefer to have them where I can see them. This lull is troubling."
They both paused as the last of the slaves emerged, trudging away without a word of complaint. Warren emptied, the Psybrid's slave army began to regroup, drawing away from the smoking heap of metal. A few had fallen in the assault but their numbers were not notably diminished, the attack had been a masterpiece of strategy and Chuqik was forced to admit the Choir for War knew bloodshed better than he did.
Mewek seemed thoughtful as she probed, "Did you take note that one warren has gone silent, our leashes no long respond as they should."
"The one that walks on legs instead of wheels?" Chquik replied, "What of it?"
"Does this not trouble you?"
"I hardly see why it matters. One warren managed to root out its subverted. It was bound to happen once word got out. Spreading the fear was a sound plan, but there were bound to be unpredictable variables. Fight or flight response, a basic instinct common to most species."
"I am not so confident," Mewek hissed, "If one could root out our infiltrators, others could too."
"There are no signs that is likely to happen. A mere aberration does not a plan unmake. The Choir for Prosperity has not grown mighty by baulking at the first obstacle. We should concentrate on real threats… like Newak's arrogance."
Mewek seemed about to argue further but then a note of alarm rang through the Song, no, not alarm: outrage. Both of them started in shock but then were struck by a summons, loud and undeniable. It came from Newak and laced into that summons were undertones of suspicion and threat. Whatever Newak had to say it did not bode well.
Obeying without question the pair loped towards the Praecentor's position, covering the ground with bounding leaps. They passed lines of plodding humans and knots of regrouping Borlac, Nephillim and Q'uorl without a second glance. Chquik looked only for their destination and he found it, a dozen Psybrids gathered in a circle, facing inwards. They radiated scorn and anger, almost halting him in his tracks but he pressed on and found Newak standing in the middle with a kneeling Pysbrid, one he recognised. Jeguk, the mysterious agent of the Choir of Possibility.
Both of them joined the circle and Chuqik called, "What is this?!"
Newak snarled, "You tell me! Tell me what part you played in this?!"
Mewek sounded genuinely confused as she uttered, "I do not understand, who is this? What has happened?"
"You deny any part in this… this… madness!" Newak growled.
"I have never seen this one before in my life," Mewek protested.
Chuqik was glad of her response, radiating truthfulness and honesty. She genuinely didn't know Jeguk and her confusion was writ large in the Song. Dishonesty and deception were difficult to conceal for a telepathic society and Mewek's genuine ignorance covered his own hesitancy. The Psybrids would not think to question their response, not when his comrades' answers were valid.
Hastily he lifted his voice and asked, "What has happened to cause such dismay?"
Newek eyed him suspiciously but explained, "During the assault this one approached me and tried to eliminate me with his own claws. He failed, I am of the Choir for War, I know battle better than any but it does not erase the fact he tried to kill me!"
Jeguk spoke up then, "Assassinate, that is the term for removing an incompetent leader."
"What?!" Chuqik gasped in genuine confusion, "How, why?!"
"I am Jeguk, of the Choir for Possibility, and I act to forestall disaster. The Psybrid race is imperilled by this one's lust for blood so I chose to eliminate him and save our species. Long have we studied lesser races and in the human's low culture we discovered a concept, assassination, the removal of an ineffective leader by ending their life. An intriguing hypothesis we saw fit to test."
"This is an outrage," Mewek hissed, as the other Psybrid poured on withering scorn.
"You speak freely of your intent," Newak hissed.
Jeguk sounded genuinely offended, "What do you take me for, a human?"
Newak leaned in and growled, "And who else assisted you?"
"None," Jeguk stated, "No others knew of my plan."
It was technically true, Chuqik realised, he had not known what the Choir for Possibility plotted. He doubted he would have understood if he had, the concept was so far removed from Psybrid thinking as to be unfathomable. If he had been told beforehand he could not have contemplated taking part. Yet another truth was buried in that revelation, Jeguk was disguising their plot, taking all the blame unto himself. Perhaps he thought Chuqik might yet find a way to reclaim his position, perhaps he yet had the best interest of the Psybrids at heart, but either way it sealed his fate.
Newek lifted his Blister-spine and cried, "Jeguk, you knew I was Praecentor by the will of the Song, and yet chose to act against that decision. You have disobeyed the Song, there is only one punishment for such an affront."
Jeguk lowered his head and said, "I understand."
But Newek turned to Chuqik and commanded, "You; kill him."
Chuqik instantly grasped the Praecentor's intent. He was probing Chuqik's involvement in this affair, testing to see if there was any hesitancy or protest in the response. Were he to refuse, or argue in the slightest way then his connection would be revealed. There was far more riding on this moment than his own life, the Song was focused on this moment and their entire race would judge anyone who showed a hint of guilt. Already he could sense the Song turning against the Choir for Possibility, isolating them and driving them to the further echo chambers of their chorus. Were Chuqik to betray his attachments then the Choir for Prosperity would be disgraced, reduced to the faintest echo in the background. For this reason he stepped forward and extended his Shatter-whips.
Jeguk looked up at him and said, "You act for the good of our race?"
Chuqik's voice betrayed no emotion as he replied, "I do."
"Then you understand why I do this!"
Suddenly Jeguk surged upwards, claws extending with a wet slick noise as he stabbed for the centre mass. Chuqik knew those claws could penetrate an Exo-cuirass, gutting the Psybrid within and hastily threw himself back to avoid being killed. Jeguk chased him, claws slashing left and right, forcing him to backpedal desperately. The assault was fast and well-timed, giving him no respite, but Chuqik managed to avoid being killed. Jeguk was putting up a good act, good enough to fool their fellows yet all his slashes were aimed high, an obvious flaws in his pattern, one that could only be deliberate.
Chuqik ducked the next strike and slashed his whip low. Scissoring lashes cut across the knees and suddenly Jeguk was falling, limbs severed. He hit the ground with a thump and Chuqik had him. A leap and a downwards slash saw Jeguk sliced into four parts, cut through the chest to end the living being. Yellow pus and blood oozed from the cuts as the kill was confirmed and the Song resounded with satisfaction.
Chuqik stepped back from the corpse and eyed Newek squarely as he said, "As it is commanded, so it is done."
Newek didn't seem convinced but had no grounds to question the kill so said, "The Choir for Possibility has disgraced itself."
Chuqik had no recourse but to agree, "The Choir for Prosperity concurs. They will play no further part in our decision making for many generations."
Newek sniffed, "Always looking to the future, that is your way. But for today there are more pressing matters. Leave this scum to rot, we have a war to finish. I have located the Praetorians and intend to eliminate them once and for all."
"That will be a hard battle," Chuqik cautioned.
"But necessary, I will bring overwhelming force to break them utterly. Then we can complete your nexus without interference."
Chuqik nodded his assent, as if he had any other choice, and followed Newek to battle. His moment would come, Chuqik was sure of it, but this was not the time to argue. For now he had to appear obedient and dutiful, any hint of dissent would destroy any chance he had to sway the Song to his cause. So they left Jeguk to rot in the mud, unmourned and forgotten. The Psybrids were a cold race by nature and spent no tears over the disgraced fallen. They turned their eyes to fresh conquests, determined to end this war once and for all.
