A week slipped quietly by amid busy handovers, meticulous defensive preparations, and rotating Fleet patrols.
The specialist technical team sent by Malcador then took over most of the research.
After verifying Lorgar's identity and authorization and receiving a complete copy of the Wave Cannon data, the team silently assumed control of the Ruins' central area like a drop of water merging into the ocean, particularly the Armory hall where the Giant Egg lay sealed.
Complex energy barriers, Spatial Anchoring Devices, and layer upon layer of Warding Runes were swiftly deployed, sealing that forbidden creation of the Dark Age of Technology behind the Imperium's highest levels of secrecy and protection.
Lorgar stood before the observation window aboard his flagship, the Law of Faith, watching the heavily blockaded planet gradually recede beyond the viewport. The cold gleam of starlight reflected in his golden eyes.
Lorgar considered his decision. Passing the difficult problem up the chain had been the rational choice, while keeping the physical Wave Cannon in his own hands would give the Word Bearers an important strategic bargaining chip in the future.
Anna was right. Some things could not be rushed.
As for Anna herself, Lorgar turned his head slightly, his gaze passing over the deserted entrance to her private laboratory, which was filled with Dataslates and analytical instruments brought back from the Ruins.
She had not been seen for several days. Even the Servitor that brought her daily coffee had not gone inside.
Lorgar knew perfectly well that this technical expert from an ancient age must have immersed herself in the vast ocean of information contained in the Wave Cannon data, the scans of the Ruins, and especially the preliminary analysis of that "Shell."
She was like a Cheetah that had discovered an entirely new world, unwilling to stop until