Chapter 47 - Interrogation and Void Traces

The aftermath of the Syndicate assault and the neutralization of the Cascade Device left K'tharr shaken but resolute. The cost in Choir Guard lives was mourned, but the successful defense against such a sophisticated and dangerous attack bolstered morale. The Pillar-Singer had once again proven instrumental, not just in healing, but in direct defense against a Void-based threat.My own recovery was slow. The direct resonance battle against the Void core had left deep psychic scars and a lingering sensitivity to Void energy. Thalassa kept me secluded, focusing my meditations on cleansing the residual contamination and reinforcing my mental shields. The experience, however terrifying, had also provided invaluable insight into the nature of Void energy and its interaction with Pillar resonance – knowledge that might prove crucial in the future.Meanwhile, Elara and Thalassa focused on the captured Syndicate agents and their equipment. The three survivors were kept in specialized containment cells, shielded against both resonance and conventional communication, their Void-laced injuries treated with caution by Choir healers.Interrogation proved difficult. The agents were highly trained, resistant to psychic probes and conventional questioning. They revealed little beyond standard Syndicate protocols and disinformation. However, their equipment and bio-signatures told a clearer story."The Void contamination is systemic," Elara reported, showing Thalassa and me analysis results in my recovery chamber. "It's not just their weapons; their bodies show signs of prolonged exposure, even integration. Micro-implants designed to channel and control Void energy, genetic markers suggesting adaptation to Void environments. These aren't standard Syndicate operatives using scavenged tech; they seem to be a specialized unit, specifically augmented for Void-related operations.""Augmented… or corrupted?" Thalassa questioned darkly. *"Prolonged exposure to the Void inevitably twists mind and body. Are they willing agents, or slaves to the power they wield?""Their loyalty seems unwavering, fanatical even,"* Elara admitted. *"They speak of the Syndicate's goals in almost messianic terms – order through control, stability through manipulation. But the Void taint… it adds a layer of unpredictability."Analysis of the Cascade Device and the agents' weaponry confirmed the use of advanced technology far beyond standard Syndicate issue, incorporating principles that seemed derived directly from Void artifacts or entities. The miniaturized, contained Void core was particularly alarming – creating and controlling such a singularity required knowledge and power previously thought impossible."Where did the Syndicate acquire this technology?"* I asked."That is the critical question," Elara agreed. "Did they develop it themselves through forbidden research? Steal it? Or were they given it?""Given it by whom?" Thalassa pressed. *"The Weaver? The Fool? Another entity seeking to sow chaos?"One of the captured agents, under intense psychic pressure from Thalassa combined with Elara's technological probes, finally broke. His fragmented thoughts, relayed by Thalassa, spoke not of the Weaver or the Fool, but of a different entity – a patron, a source of their Void power, referred to only as the 'Umbral Hand' or the 'Master of Shadows.' This entity provided the technology, the augmentations, and directed their missions, using the Syndicate structure as a convenient tool."The Umbral Hand…" Thalassa searched her millennia of memory. *"An obscure name, associated in some pre-Godswar texts with espionage, shadow manipulation, and the exploitation of Void energies. Not one of the primary Nameless Ones, perhaps a lesser entity, or an intermediary.""Or a deliberate misnomer,"* Elara cautioned. *"Designed to obscure the true source. But the confirmation that the Syndicate isn't acting alone, that they have a Void-connected patron supplying advanced tech… it confirms our fears. They are pawns in a larger game."This revelation shifted their perspective on the Syndicate threat. They weren't just mercenaries; they were augmented agents of a shadowy Void power, specifically equipped to bypass conventional defenses and target resonant structures like the Pillars. The attack on K'tharr wasn't random; it was a calculated strike, likely aimed at destabilizing a Pillar known for its unique connection to the Leviathan and now home to the Pillar-Singer."We need to assume they will try again,"* Elara stated grimly. *"They failed here, but their patron, the Umbral Hand, is unlikely to give up. They know K'tharr is defended, they know about you, Kaelen. Future attacks may be more subtle, or more direct.""Our defenses must be permanently upgraded," Thalassa declared. "The counter-Void measures Elara developed must be integrated into the Sanctum's core wards. The Choir must train in recognizing and countering Void signatures. And the Pillar-Singer…" she looked at me, *"must master his defensive capabilities. You are the ultimate defense against such threats, but also the ultimate target."The interrogation provided crucial intelligence but painted an even bleaker picture. K'tharr was now firmly in the sights of a Void-affiliated power operating through the Syndicate, adding another layer to the converging threats of the Weaver and the Fool. My role as Pillar-Singer had become inextricably linked to defending not just the Pillars, but reality itself, from the encroaching shadows of the Void.