Warhammer: Empire Reboot

The hall has been cleaned.

Part of the stained glass has been repaired, but the image of the emperor holding a sword still has cracks.

The double-headed eagle round table was removed and replaced with a black tactical table.

Lawson sat behind the tactical table.

In the shadows, Ash Velos wore a dark cloak, her long purple hair was tied back, and the living metal collar around her neck glowed with a faint golden light.

She kept her head down, looking like a silent servant.

If we ignore the hint of malicious schadenfreude in her eyes.

At the front of the hall, representatives of the surviving nobles of the Vigilant Star lined up in two rows.

They wore formal attire hastily prepared after the war, with family crests hanging on their chests, and were accompanied by a clerk, legal advisor, state church witnesses, and several family guards who still retained their dignity.

Serena Agammenus stood on the right, slightly forward.

She was wearing a black and gold dress today, with the Agammenus family cloak draped over her shoulders; she knew what these people were up to.

They also knew what they would run into today.

The new representative of the Harlow family was the first to step forward.

The previous representative was put on the list of servants for being illegally armed with weapons in the reservoir and delaying wartime deployment.

The new representative is younger and more cautious.

He bowed to Lawson, his posture very humble.

"Your Excellency, the surviving nobles of the Vigilant Star pay their respects."

Lawson looked at him: "Get to the point."

The young nobleman's face tightened slightly.

He prepared three opening segments to express loyalty, gratitude, and grief, respectively.

It's all stuck in my throat now.

He had no choice but to get straight to the point.

"The Vigilant Star suffered rebellion, alien infiltration, and chaos invasion, resulting in heavy losses for all families. Many ancient rights, contracts, and local administrative responsibilities were temporarily taken over by the Wartime Dominion due to the state of emergency during the war."

"Now that the main threat has been eliminated, we believe it is necessary to discuss the restoration of order in the post-war era of Vigilant Planet."

Lawson didn't say anything.

The noble representative continued, "Imperial law recognizes the traditional rights of planetary nobles in local governance, inheritance of property, maintenance of armed forces, and tax assistance. The governors and noble councils of Vigilant Star have always relied on these rights to maintain the operation of each hive city."

Another older nobleman took over the conversation.

"Sir, no one denies your contributions to Vigilant Planet. Without you, this planet would have long since fallen into the hands of the Chaos Warmaster. We are willing to build a holy statue for you after the war, record your achievements, and report your merits to Terra and Macragge."

"But an empire is not maintained by the will of an individual."

"It relies on the rule of law."

"Rely on contracts."

"It depends on each level fulfilling its responsibilities."

Another noblewoman spoke up.

"The Wartime Command Court can exist during wartime, but if it replaces the Parliament, the Governor's Office's judicial seat, the nobles' water rights, food allocation rights, and the transportation contracting system for an extended period, the legitimate order of the Vigilant Star will be undermined."

She glanced at Serena.

"The Agammenus family should also understand that if the governor's authority is undermined, any powerful outsider could seize the Vigilant Star under the guise of war. Today we are the ones who suffer, but tomorrow it could be the governor's bloodline."

Serena did not respond.

She knew it was a rope being handed to her.

Once they accepted it, they dragged them into the same boat.

Another legal advisor stepped forward and unrolled a roll of parchment.

"According to Article 37 of the Vigilant Star Colonial Charter, the nobles' right to manage water resources cannot be permanently deprived except in cases of conviction for rebellion."

"According to Article 92, local armed forces may be temporarily conscripted during wartime, but should be returned to their families after the war."

"According to Article 121, the Council of Nobles has the power to participate in tax accounting and labor quota adjustment."

"According to the Terran Ministry of the Interior's Regulations on the Protection of Remote Nobles, any planetary-level administrative reorganization must be jointly confirmed by the Governor's Office, the Noble Council, and the Court of Justice before being reported to the sector-level Ministry of the Interior for filing."

With that, he put away the scroll.

“Your Excellency, we are not asking for privileges, but for the duties that the Empire has entrusted to us.”

Lawson leaned back, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest: "What do you want back?"

The young nobleman immediately replied, "The family's share of management of the drinking water and purification hub."

"Contracting rights for grain transportation and storage."

"A seat on the Energy Coordination Committee."

"Local judicial cooperation in trial"

"Permission to rebuild the self-defense forces of the nobles of each nest city."

"The right to prepare for the new parliament."

Lawson looked at them: "Is there anything else?"

Several nobles exchanged glances.

The older nobleman said in a low voice, "We are not asking for anything. We are willing to take responsibility."

Lawson smiled: "Take responsibility?"

He opened the tactics console.

The records were projected one by one.

The Harlow family's private army seized ammunition from the reservoir.

Transport merchants would bypass wartime routes in an attempt to preserve the nobles' evacuation convoys.

A certain grain storage family hid three million tons of nutrient blocks in an underground warehouse, waiting for prices to rise after the war.

Several family servants also secretly helped the hybrids escape from the Upper Nest.

The nobles' expressions changed.

Lawson said calmly, "These are also duties?"

The older nobleman immediately spoke up: "The actions of a few families should not negate the entire noble class."

"Correct."

Lawson nodded. "That's why I didn't kill you all."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

This sentence made all the nice words I had prepared fall back into my throat.

“Your Excellency, if you insist on permanently stripping us of our traditional noble rights, we have no choice but to file formal appeals with Terra, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Military Affairs, and the Court of Justice.”

Lawson looked at him: "You want to report me?"

"We hope to resolve our differences through legal channels."

"go."

The nobles were taken aback.

Lawson raised his hand and pointed outside the hall.

"Let's go now."

"Terra is far away, remember to bring plenty of water."

Several nobles looked grim: "Your Excellency, this is an act of contempt for the imperial administrative system."

Lawson smiled.

“I do not despise the imperial administrative system.”

"I despise you bunch of trash."

"Listen carefully."

"Business can continue."

"You can run manors, workshops, medical centers, legal trade, and family businesses."

"You can keep your surname, coat of arms, chapel, and ancestral graves."

“You can also write to Terra, cry to the court, or describe to anyone willing to listen to your nonsense how rude, arbitrary, and disrespectful I am to noble traditions.”

"But from today onwards, all drinking water, food, energy, blackstone, shield nodes, orbital elevators, starport control, judicial, tax, military, and population deployment on Vigilant Star will be under the direct control of the Wartime Domination Court."

"Nobles are not allowed to interfere in administration, the judiciary, or taxation."

"They must not control the militia."

"The old parliament must not be rebuilt."

The older nobleman's face turned ashen: "This is tantamount to excluding us from the Vigilant Star's ruling system."

Lawson looked at him: "Finally understood."

Another nobleman couldn't help but shout angrily, "We are imperial nobles!"

“By doing this, you will force many loyal families to turn away.”

Lawson looked at her.

"The Loyal Family will not use water resources as a bargaining chip."

"The Loyal Family will not rush to seize warehouses, tax rights, or Chinese laborers as soon as the war ends."

"If the Loyal Family truly wants to serve the Empire, go build hospitals, open factories, organize transport teams, and use the wealth accumulated by your ancestors to fill the ruins of Vigilant Star."

"If you want to make money, you can."