Vex Chronicles 2: Outbreak

The fate of Ede Prime

Eredius III, Ede Prime

The cultists that assaulted Ede Prime felt the death of their leaders through the broadcasts. And when the transmissions died, they were left alone with fury and pain. The siege came to a grinding halt. Some cultists had the mind to turn and flee. But others fell into the furious rage that was the Four Bladed Cog's true nature. Cultists threw themselves at the enemy. And they ran blindly into Imperial gun lines. Gun lines that were no longer plagued by Majoris thralls. Enthralled people were once again free to think. And many unleashed their fright and anger at the enemy.

Ede Prime was crippled, the superstructure damaged from the explosive filled trains. But it had survived the assault. But they did not yet knew how meaningless their victory would be...

Eredius III, outside Ede Prime

Vex stared with heavy heart at the cut open remains of Ede Prime. The hive city was a toll house, the populace was a ticking bomb. And all it needed was a single psyker or a synapse creature and they would again turn against their neighbors. The Void Hunters had cut off the head. But Majoris had spread through the people.

The cult was defeated. But in the veins of the hive city already gestated the next one. And Vex had to accept that he was helpless. They had protected Ede Prime, just to doom it in the end. They had won a shallow victory.

Vex had no cure for them. The process of creating Majoris had not given Vex any new insights. There just couldn't be a cure in time... And with every day the risk or someone bringing Majoris beyond the borders of Ede Prime grew.

The infection in the wheat had been a devious plan... Even in victory Eredius had lost. And Vex had lost with them. Everybody that carried the infection was not just a mind thrall. They carried fragments of genestealer genetics in them. It was hard to say who carried enough foul imperfection to birth offspring of twisted xenos genes. The solution was as simple as it was cruel. To save the body, the limb had to be cut away.

The entire farmland around Ede Prime needed to be cleansed, the population culled. But if the hive would just be quarantined, people would find ways. They would flee, would escape pursuit and again unwillingly spread the cult. Ede Prime had to be culled now. And later would be too late.

Vex had held this gruesome fact back as long as he could. But there just would not be a cure. All his tests had taught him was that the infection had spread deeply through the populace. The nobles had only demanded the freshest of wheat for their food. And that had been the infected one. Most of the PDF rations had been made from the old and moldy stuff. That old wheat had not been infected yet. The regular Planetary Defense Force would still be in need to be cleansed thoroughly. Many constricts were impossible to save. But others could be allowed to live.

Vex might not be able to contribute with a cure. But he had at least modified the auspex servitors of the examinatii so that they could find the traitorous presence of Majoris. Vex would cleanse the examinatii, the examinatii would cleanse the soldiers of the Planetary Defense Forces. And those would cleanse the people. But the moment the imperial navy reached the system, bombs had to fall. Ede Prime needed to burn so that the Majoris essence could die with it...

Vex sighed. He could not longer stare at the spire city. A city his orders would soon eradicate from the map. Sill and Kressman both stood at the inmquisitor's side in support. Even Hasthia managed to put a worried expression on her scaled face. Their presence gave Vex strength.

"Winning means making hard choices." Kressman's voice was reserved. "But do not put this weight on your shoulders, Vex. The Emperor knew. This was his will."

Kressman gave Vex one of his Tarot cards. It was the burning tower. "He knew, He told me in the cards. I just not expected the card to be so literal."

Kressman's eyes went to the damaged tower that was Eredius. A burning tower indeed...

"Where is Markos?," Vex asked.

Sill put her paw on Vex's shoulder. "Our Boy took this to heart too. I fear his list of names to avenge will need a freight hauler..."

"Boy?" Vex sighed. "One day you should chose another nickname for my honorblade..."

The inquisitor stepped forth and looked through the faces of the men and women already proven to be pure. The assembled examinatii could still barely grasp what Vex had told them just a few minutes ago. The inquisitor had come to Eredius as savior. But now he had to turn himself into an executioner to save the planet. And when Vex gave the order, the first infected examinatii were bathed in flames. And many would follow.

The first segments of Ede Prime's PDF force was soon assembled. Examinatii walked through the ranks with upgraded auspex servitors. They singled out those that were not infected. Those proud soldiers were given a choice. Remain on Eredius III, homeless and to be merged into the forces of other cities. Or join active duty with the eredian drop regiments that fought the honest wars of the Imperium. The war machine of the Imperium always needed new able bodies.

Those that weren't picked out were those suspected to be Majoris carriers. They would stay behind. And they would die when Ede Prime would be cleansed. Orbital bombardment would eradicate the hive city from the map. And a mass chemical bombardment would wipe the Ede Prime farmlands clean. The infected wheat could not be allowed to spread. The agrarian world of Eredius was too important to the Gaten Collection to loose.

A contingency of Imperial Guard regiments was already underway. They would serve as a temporary peace keeping force to ensure that no trace of the infection would remain. And they would supervise the establishment of the purity laws in the other cities. The planet had been severely injured. But it would not fall, never again.

Sill and Cassilia both had been devastated when they had heard the dire decision of the inquisitor. But Vex was realist. There was no chance to save the planet – even if it hurt him greatly. And a hollow victory was still an Imperial victory. They had crippled a deadly cult that had gained access to a space fleet. They had stopped a deadly threat that would have continued to spread infected wheat in to the entirety of the Gaten Constellation.

It was an Imperial victory, one paid in blood. Not a victory of heroes, but one won by dreaded sacrifice. And so Vex was a bit surprised when he saw the requests. Some of the troopers had chosen option three. They had requested to enter into inquisitor Vex's service. But when Vex looked at the names he understood. Trooper Hakkar, Lieutenant Jubelius and the other survivors of squad Jubelius and Squad Usmantis. They had proven their skills during the operation. And so Vex accepted their request.

The Imperium of Men would endure – as it would always do. And inquisitor Vex would ensure that it remained that way – now and in the future. His own pain and moral dilemma would not stop him from his duty. He was inquisitor. He was Ordo Xenos. And his eyes would be forever watchful!