Warhammer: Empire Reboot

Ilancia almost burst out laughing.

Humans are truly amazing.

Lawson remained standing in the shadows, his expression unchanged.

Ilancia asked in a low voice, "Aren't you angry?"

Lawson didn't look at her: "They're right."

"That's how a smart person does it. If you can't beat me, stall. If you can't stall, use the rules to trip me up. If the rules aren't enough, bring Terra. If Terra is too far, bring the common interests of the nobility. And while you're at it, send me something to test my appetite."

The discussion continued in the hall.

An elderly man wearing a dark green robe spoke.

He was the Hearst family's treasurer, and his name was Iago.

"Gentlemen, delays and paperwork can only buy time. What truly determines the situation are three things."

He held up one finger.

"First, the military."

“If Lawson wants to take over, he will definitely need to control our planetary defense forces, orbital artillery, and Astragalus recruitment stations. We cannot refuse the handover, but we can transfer loyal officers to the border regions and promote junior officers who are easily bribed by him, making the takeover process seem smooth but actually losing its command efficiency.”

The retired general nodded.

“It’s feasible. If any of the following is blocked: ammunition depot, maintenance priests, transport convoys, medical stations, or kitchens, an army can be forced to lie on the ground and eat dust.”

Yago raised his second finger.

"Second, food."

"The Damocles III and VII agricultural belts are the core of the star system's food supply. We cannot allow Lawson to have direct contact with the farmers and grain depot servants. We must first conduct a pest and contamination inspection and transfer the grain reserves to a temporary safe haven under the family's supervision. The pretext must be respectable to prevent contamination from residual Chaos and to protect the Imperial people."

Mrs. Palermo showed a satisfied expression.

"When people hear the word 'pollution,' they will obediently line up, and no one dares to ask why the grain warehouse has changed its locks."

Yago raised his third finger.

Third, public opinion.

The deputy chief priest of the state religion sat up slightly.

Yago looked at him: "Vice High Priest, this requires the cooperation of the diocese."

"explain."

Yago said, "We praise him."

“Praise his victory, praise his loyalty, praise him as the sword the emperor bestowed upon the dark side.”

"Then remind everyone that the sword should be used to cut down the enemy, not to slice through the very traditional framework of the empire itself."

The deputy high priest's eyes flickered: "Continue."

Iago said, “When preaching, I don’t talk about opposing the takeover, but only about how every class in the empire has a position granted by the emperor. Nobles govern, soldiers fight, priests maintain machinery, commoners labor, and the church guides souls. If all positions are rearranged by one person, the order may be effective in the short term, but in the long term, it will leave believers without a place to rely on.”

Madame Palermo clapped her hands lightly.

"It sounds better than directly calling him a dictator."

The chairman of the trade alliance also nodded.

"This approach can be spread to other star systems. Just be more careful with the wording and don't leave any evidence against us."

The deputy high priest pondered: "The diocese is open to discussion. But I must make one thing clear: no information should be written in a way that opposes the Dark Regent or the Seal Holder. My monks will use allegory."

The shipyard tax commissioner asked, "What parable?"

The deputy high priest said calmly, "It tells the story of a blacksmith who forged an indestructible battle axe. The axe cleaved through the demons, but also destroyed his own roof beams."

Several people in the hall smiled.

Ilancia looked at Lawson.

This time, Lawson smiled too.

Valerian finally picked up his glass.

“Very good. The fact that you are all still sitting here shows that Damocles is not as stupid as Vigilant Star.”

A young nobleman spoke up: "Your Excellency, what if Lawson doesn't buy into this?"

"I mean, what if he does what he did with Vigilant Star—directly sealing off the tower, arresting people, investigating the accounts, and taking over the water purification station and grain warehouse? What should we do then?"

A look of displeasure flashed in Madame Palermo's eyes.

"Raven, you're too young."

The young nobleman said, "Being young doesn't mean you can't see the gun barrel. The nobles of Vigilant Star may be corrupt, but they're not all idiots. They were still driven out."

It became quieter around the table.

Valerian looked at him.

"You suggest we kneel down?"

Raven took a breath.

"I suggest a tiered negotiation. We should voluntarily relinquish some industries to safeguard the family's security. For example, water rights, energy, and military operations at the Starport can be given up first. Mining rights, real estate, trade routes, and judicial immunity for the nobility must be defended to the death. We need a bottom line, but we also need bait."

Ilancia glanced at the young man.

There was one person who was clear-headed, though.

Madame Palermo gave a soft hum.

"Give up the water rights? Do you even know how much revenue water rights generate in a year?"

Raven countered, "If Lawson sends someone to take over, what percentage of your assets can you save?"

Madame Palermo's face turned cold: "Your father wouldn't have dared to speak to me like this when he was alive."

Raven responded quickly.

“My father died on the outer perimeter. He at least knew that the greens wouldn’t take a detour just because we had a charter.”

Valerian raised his hand.

The argument stopped.

"Your suggestion is valuable. But there's one thing you've overlooked."

Raven lowered his head.

"Please correct me, Your Excellency."

Valerian said, “We can relinquish the water rights, but not voluntarily. Voluntarily relinquishing them would be tantamount to admitting that the Vigilant Star model can be replicated. We need to have Lawson come to take them personally, and every step must be documented. This way, we will have leverage when discussing compensation, retention rights, and noble dignity later.”

Raven paused for a moment, then nodded.

"I understand."

Valerian looked at the crowd.

"Remember, we are only asking the Empire to act in accordance with the law, respect tradition, protect local order, and avoid over-centralization in postwar reconstruction."

He raised his glass: "This is called loyalty."

Everyone raised their glasses.

"For the Emperor."

"For the Empire."

"For Damocles."

The cups lightly touch.

The crisp sound echoed beneath the icon.

As Yilancia watched this scene, she felt it was so absurd that it was almost wonderful.

The Eldar also have such people.

It's also in the Ark Council.

They talked about the future, about their clan, about necessary sacrifices, and in the end, they always managed to get the best spoils, the safest routes, and the fewest casualties for their clan.

The Eldar just put it more elegantly.

Humans, on the other hand, imbue it with the smell of grease and alcohol.

Valerian finished his drink and put down his glass.

"Next, let's divide the tasks."

Everyone sat up straighter.

The governor looked at the president of the trade alliance.

"You're in charge of organizing all the contracts and documents, focusing on the parts that can delay things for more than three months. Don't forge them; the people of Lawson aren't necessarily stupid. Just make them complicated. Complexity itself is a shield."

"clear."

He looked at the deputy chief priest.

"The parish will begin preaching within three days. The wording will be mild, but the core message will be clear. Don't let any fools shout 'anti-seals' in the streets. Anyone who dares to shout that, have the law enforcement team arrest them first."

The deputy high priest nodded: "I will make the arrangements."

The governor looked at the retired general.

"The defense forces are being rotated, ostensibly to prevent the infiltration of Chaos remnants. Loyal officers are being transferred to the outer fortress, while family members are being assigned to liaison positions in the inner fortress."

A retired general hesitated.

"This will reduce the effectiveness of the defense."

Valerian looked at him.

"The external enemies have retreated. Now the biggest battlefield is on the seals."

The retired general bowed his head.

"As ordered."