Lynn did not hesitate either.
The arrow had left the bow. There was no turning back; the plan had to be carried through resolutely.
Because he knew well the almost rigid way Cassius "kept his word."
Or rather, his absolute adherence to "agreements" and "logical conclusions."
Since Cassius had agreed to "hold off on elimination until the mission was over,"
he would certainly not break that agreement himself before the Tyranid infiltration was officially declared resolved.
That was what gave Lynn the confidence to keep walking a knife's edge.
It was also an affirmation of Cassius's character.
And so, after making a token offering of coordinates for two more inconsequential minor Tyranid nests to maintain the illusion of "continuously providing intelligence,"
Lynn passed the information about that "Tyranid arsenal" to Cassius.
He did not provide exact coordinates, only describing the general area.
And he mentioned, with "deep concern," that according to Alpha's earlier, vague perceptions, the biological signals there were unusually vast in scale, with extremely high energy levels.
There was also a "heavy, oppressive presence" that even Alpha found threatening and dared not approach too closely.
He even "hinted" that Alpha's recent disappearance was very likely because he had been injured while scouting that area and needed time to hide and recover.
Once his report was finished, Lynn carefully watched for any possible reaction beneath Cassius's white helmet on the other end of the comm link.
Cassius did not hesitate at all. He spoke, his voice betraying no emotion:
"The information has been recorded. We will verify it."
In truth, he did not quite believe Lynn's account either, but they had indeed lost all trace of Alpha.
On the surface, that situation was consistent with the logic of "hiding while injured."
Just as Lynn had expected, Cassius said nothing more and immediately ordered the Tech-Priest and reconnaissance units
to begin an all-out search to verify the intelligence on that "high-threat area" at the bottom of District Eight.
Lynn, meanwhile, continued to play his other role perfectly.
The "dutiful inspector," too busy contending with the Chaos Cult in the lower reaches of District Seven to spare himself for anything else.
He even "found the time" to organize another raid on a suspected cult hideout.
He made quite a spectacle of it, seized some inconsequential blasphemous objects, and loudly publicized the "victory."
Gathering intelligence proved more difficult than expected.
The environment at the bottom of District Eight, near the forbidden zone on the ninth level, was extremely hostile.
It was filled with highly concentrated industrial toxins, unstable radiation sources, and complex geological formations and turbulent energy flows left by tectonic shifts and ancient wars.
Even the advanced sensors of the Sons of Medusa suffered severe interference there.
But after several days of cautious reconnaissance and the deployment of several reconnaissance Servo-skulls,
and even a brief infiltration across the perimeter by a team led by Cassius himself, they finally obtained conclusive evidence.
The data and images laid before Cassius were shocking.
That was no simple nest, but a "weapons processing plant" of astonishing scale.
Preliminary scans indicated that it might cover more than several dozen square kilometers, extending deep into the geological strata.
Its interior was filled with highly concentrated biomass aggregation signals, and its energy readings were abnormally high.
More importantly, the reconnaissance units had captured clear, multiple "Tyranid Behemoth signatures."
There was even an exceedingly brief but unmistakable energy fluctuation belonging to something larger still.
Suspected to be the early incubation stage of a "Bio-Titan"!
Without a doubt, this was something the Genestealer Cult had spent decades, perhaps even longer, developing on Necromunda.
One of the "core vanguard strongholds" prepared for the arrival of the Hive Fleet's main force.
Its scale and threat level far exceeded any target they had previously purged, including that Genestealer bishop's lair.
Cassius looked at the suffocating red warning zone and fluctuating danger parameters on the holographic projection.
There was not a ripple in his deep blue eyes, only cold understanding.
He had more or less grasped Lynn's "intent."
The bishop's stronghold last time had been a "probe."
A probe of his squad's upper limits, its firepower configuration, and its ability to respond to unexpected developments.
This Tyranid arsenal, however, was the true "killing move."
Lynn wanted to use these immensely powerful Xenos to kill him by another's hand.
To eliminate him, the greatest threat who knew his secret, through "reasonable" combat losses.
He might even intend to bury the entire Sons of Medusa squad along with him, removing any future trouble for good.
Cold and efficient, it fit the mortal's demonstrated willingness to use any means to achieve his ends.
But Cassius felt that matters might not be so simple.
That mortal, entwined with uncanny power, possessed depths of thought and devious schemes that could not be judged by ordinary standards.
Were there other traps behind this arsenal?
Would Alpha seize the opportunity to appear?
Would Lynn himself truly be satisfied with merely "killing by another's hand"?
Yet whether what lay ahead was a covert plot or an overt scheme, a sea of Tyranids or a Titan, one thing was certain.
This Hive City had to be purified.
Its existence was itself an imminent threat of extinction to the world of Necromunda.
As an Angel of Death of the Emperor, eliminating such threats was his unquestionable duty.
Without hesitation, Cassius issued his orders.
Muster all forces and perform the highest level of prebattle maintenance and resupply.
Draw up assault contingency plans targeting an enormous biological nest and heavy units.
The attack was set for twelve standard hours later.
He would tear this nest apart with his own hands.
Then he would deliver the judgment Lynn and Alpha deserved.
With only five standard hours remaining before the attack, as a steel-like silence of prebattle tension pervaded the squad's entire base,
the accompanying Tech-Priest, Magos Celeres Guhat, requested a private conversation with Cassius.
Cassius met him in the priest's temporary workshop.
The place was filled with the smells of machine oil, ozone, solder, and the low hum of Cogitator arrays.
Instead of standing before a data screen as usual, Magos Celeres sat on a crude metal chair.
His primary multifunctional mechanical arm was "trembling slightly," its movements barely visible to the naked eye, and sparks flickered from it now and then.
Cassius keenly detected an extremely faint "scent of blood" mingled with the heavy smell of machine oil.
It was faint, but unmistakably present.
"Magos Celeres," Cassius said, his voice as steady as ever.
"Have you petitioned the Machine God for another 'prophecy'?"
So-called "prophecy" involved certain high-ranking Tech-Priests deeply linking their own consciousnesses to vast Cogitator arrays.
Performing extraordinarily complex calculations within the torrent of data.
At the same time, they offered devout prayers and resonated with the Omnissiah, hoping to glimpse fragments or probabilities of the future.
This was an advanced technique that placed an immense strain on the mind and could even damage the brain and implants.
Its accuracy varied from person to person, but Cassius knew Magos Celeres's proficiency and devotion in this field.
"That is correct, Sergeant."