#synaptic spear

Synaptic spear

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Iaret lifted the ornate Cabal weapon delicately. "Hmm. Cabal ritual javelin. Collapsible." He triggered the spear's extension mechanism, observing the haft slide out to its full length with a metallic hiss. "Elaborate, not very practical."

Wes didn't look up from the mess of datapads spread before him. "Not for practical combat in the conventional sense."

"Ooh." Iaret lifted an eyebrow. "Psionic applications?"

"Yes," Wes mumbled. "And Light-suppressing tech."

The spear's burnished tines reflected the sharp gleam of Iaret's Awoken eyes. "Now that's fascinating. And what are you doing with it? You don't appear to be venturing into the psions' mindscape."

"No, I'm not." Wes pushed a datapad aside, and drew another across the desk toward himself. "I'm studying it."

"Whatever for?"

Wes huffed. "For obvious reasons. This is the first opportunity we've had to study a working example of the Cabal's Light-suppression technology, even if its greatly attenuated for effective use only in a virtual mental space."

Iaret twisted the corner of his mouth wryly. "Isn't that sort of business something for the cryptarchs?"

The seated Warlock glanced up to glare momentarily while reaching for a different datapad. "You know the cryptarchs have already made their study."

"And I know you're not merely verifying Rahool's work with your own examination." Iaret laid the spear across Wes' workspace, and whipped aside the corner of his cloak to sit on the corner of the desk. He leaned over the scattered datapads, propping himself on an elbow. "So... what's a Hidden agent doing playing with a Light-suppressing spear, all alone in secret?"