The Ripper finished its reconnaissance and slipped back through the shadows, retracting into Raynor's sleeve.
"Confirmed. Not one of ours," Sarah's consciousness transmitted with a flicker of cold killing intent. "Should I take her out now?"
Raynor shook his head slightly, responding mentally: "No rush. Let me test her a bit more first."
Up until this point, both of them merely believed this "soldier" was a high-level spy or an agent planted by Solene. It wasn't until the moment Raynor placed his hand on the soldier's shoulder that the truth crystallized.
At the time, it was a casual probe to see how the "eye" would react. But the instant his fingers brushed the shoulder armor, he perceived a killing intent—faint, yet exceptionally sharp. With Raynor's current strength, even if Cassius himself appeared, he might not be able to take Raynor down in close quarters without equipment. Yet, the killing intent radiating from this "soldier" made him feel a genuine sense of threat.
In that instant, he was certain: the woman hidden in the escort squad was not a mere agent. It was Solene Vimlot herself.
At this thought, the corners of Raynor's mouth curled upward. He summoned the system interface—a sight he hadn't called upon in quite some time. A pink light screen unfurled at the edge of his vision, its text and icons sharp and clear. The long-vacant [Sub-Character Binding Slot] was now pulsing with a faint red glow, indicating that a new target could be bound.
Beneath the shadow of his standard helmet, Raynor wore a smile that bordered on the sinister.
"Since you've delivered yourself to my doorstep, don't blame me for being impolite."
His consciousness sank into the system, quickly locking onto Inquisitor Solene.
[High-value bindable target detected nearby][Target Identity]: Inquisitor of the Calixis Sector Branch, Ordo Hereticus—Solene Vimlot. [Current Relationship Status]: Stalker / Stalkee. [Initial Favorability]: -6. [System Assessment]: Target harbors initial hostility toward the Host. [Binding Difficulty]: Low. [Mental Backlash Risk]: Low.
Raynor raised a hand mentally, expanding the target's detailed panel. A pale pink light swirled in the depths of his eyes:
[Solene Vimlot (Female)][Tags]: # [Textbook Tsundere], # [Unfinished Teacher-Student Assignment], # [Poisonous Rose] [Initial Favorability]: -6 (Views you as a high-risk suspicious target that must be thoroughly investigated, but deep down, vaguely hopes you are innocent.)
[Strategy Hint]: She wears heretical gear and wields heretical weapons, yet she keeps the Inquisitorial seal pressed against her heart. She possesses heretical psionic power for which the Inquisition would hunt her, yet she uses that power to hunt other heretics, desperately trying to prove she is still "Orthodox." Perhaps the person she cannot forgive most is not a heretic, but the reflection in her own mirror.
Danger Rating: ★★★
Raynor read through the tags "Textbook Tsundere" and "Unfinished Teacher-Student Assignment" several times, falling into a brief silence. Is it really what I think it is?
Through the system link, Sarah sensed the emotional fluctuations in his mind: "What are you thinking?"
Raynor gave a playful smile. "I'm thinking... this one is going to be far more interesting than we imagined."
Sarah could not comprehend the definition of "interesting" in this context. In her Tyranid cognitive system, humans were divided into only three categories: biomass, infection candidates, and the unique Raynor. The human female hiding among the soldiers had decent combat prowess and mid-grade biomass quality. According to Tyranid rules, you either ate her or infected her; there was no such thing as "interesting."
Guessing her thoughts, Raynor explained with a chuckle through their link: "With someone like her, if you try to kill her, she will choose death over surrender." The smile on Raynor's face deepened. "But if you step on the weakness she is most terrified of others knowing... she'll be the one who helps you keep your secrets hidden tight."
Sarah remained silent for a moment and did not press further. She didn't understand complex human psychology, nor did she care for "weaknesses" or "obsessions," but she trusted Raynor's judgment. From the moment they met in the sewers of Necromunda, every one of Raynor's decisions had allowed the swarm to survive and flourish. Following him was never wrong.
Raynor took one last look at the system panel and closed the virtual interface. The pink glow faded from his eyes, returning them to their calm state.
The Chimera transport gradually came to a steady halt. The jolting ceased entirely, the ceiling lights flickered out, and the compartment plunged into darkness. Following this, a heavy clack echoed from the doors as the biting cold wind swirled inside.
"Everyone out! Dismissed!" The greeting Lieutenant's voice rang out from outside.
The soldiers stood up, rubbing their numb legs and shouldering their weapons as they filed out. Solene adjusted her breathing, suppressing every emotion as she rose with the crowd. She placed her hand on the handrail, preparing to disembark. As soon as she left this place, she would head for the Hive and initiate the investigation.
However, just as her foot was about to step out the door, a loud bang sounded. The door was slammed shut with heavy force.
Outside, the Lieutenant looked at the closed door with a flash of confusion, but he didn't step forward to ask questions. He simply waved his hand, signaling the rest of the soldiers to disperse. The whims of the Governor were not for small fry like them to speculate upon.
The soldiers quickly scattered, leaving only the Chimera with its sealed doors in the garage.
The moment the door shut, Solene's first instinct was to strike. Her right hand surged toward the bolter at her waist, and psionic energy instantly gathered in her palm. Black psionic light pulsed in her hand as she prepared to tear away her disguise and deliver a full-strength blow.
But in the next second, her body "stuck" in place, as if bound by invisible chains. Her limbs grew stiff, her fingers unable to curl, and the gathered psionic energy dissipated instantly like a receding tide, leaving no trace.
"Carey Von! What have you done?!"
Solene's voice came from within the helmet, laced with suppressed rage and panic. She struggled desperately, but she could only feel a powerful force pinning her body firmly in place. Even her thoughts began to turn sluggish.
Raynor rose slowly, walked over to Solene, and reached up to remove his own PDF helmet. He revealed his handsome yet cold face, his purple eyes flashing with an eerie light in the gloom.
The mini Ripper at his sleeve crawled out at that moment, scurrying up his arm to perch on his shoulder. Its six compound eyes stared dead at Solene. It no longer hid its presence, radiating the terrifying pressure of a top-tier Tyranid predator, enveloping the entire compartment.
The pressure carried a chilling predator's aura, as if declaring its sovereignty—telling the human before it that this was the true master of this place.
Solene's body gave a violent shudder. Her rose-red eyes widened beneath her visor, filled with absolute shock.
"Tyranids?!"
She finally understood. She understood all of Raynor's anomalies and the aura that had made her so uneasy. The Governor of Brevis, the "Emperor's Chosen," was actually conspiring with the Tyranids! This was the most terrifying Xenos race known to the Imperium of Man—a race whose only goal was to consume the entire galaxy!
A wave of ice-cold dread surged in her heart, but before she could react further, several purple chains erupted from Raynor's purple eyes. Like living things, they coiled around her body, wrapping from her neck to her limbs, tightening layer by layer.
The psionic chains carried an intense mental suppression. Solene felt as though her brain was being emptied. Her consciousness fell into chaos; she couldn't even summon the thought of resistance, forced to let that power take complete control of her.