Warhammer: Empire Reboot

He had indeed considered the matter. From the moment Lawson agreed to rescue Saim Han, he knew the assassination attempt would be settled sooner or later. His original plan was to wait until the fighting was completely over and both sides sat down for formal negotiations…

At that time, he could use more chips to buffer the impact.

He didn't expect that Lawson would bring up old grievances so soon after the front lines had stabilized.

The timing was perfect...

Saim-Han had just been pulled back from the brink of death, and the chieftains were still basking in the relief of surviving a close call, making them most emotionally vulnerable to making concessions. Moreover, Lawson's troops were currently scattered across various war zones within the Ark; if negotiations broke down…

Salosin didn't want to think about it any further.

A middle-aged clan leader spoke first.

He was one of the few people who participated in discussions about the assassination plot.

“Your Excellency, the assassination was planned and carried out by Eloris without the official authorization of the Starfire Royal Court. We are handing him over to you for disposal. At the same time, I apologize to you on behalf of my clan.”

Another clan leader added, "The Windspear Clan was also unaware of this. We apologize as well."

Er Gou walked directly to the back of the clan leaders' group and grabbed Eloris.

The prophet did not struggle this time.

He probably already had a premonition that he would be pushed out as a sacrifice...

This kind of thing is nothing new in Eldar politics.

Lawson glanced at Eloris, who was being carried by Er Gou, and then looked at Salosin.

"late."

"An apology now means nothing to me."

“The apology I need is proactive, it’s when you realize we made a mistake and need to quickly explain things to the other party. If you only think of admitting your mistake after I’ve pushed you to this point… that’s called cutting your losses, not an apology.”

Salosin sighed.

"What do you want? I'll do my best to compensate you for it."

That's exactly what Lawson was waiting for.

"Give me your Saim-Han jet motorcycle manufacturing technology and key materials, the process parameters for the spirit core modulation, anti-gravity module, and psionic circuit."

The moment those words were spoken, at least five clan leaders tensed up simultaneously.

Kaira, the most temperamental clan leader, was the first to step forward.

“Absolutely not. Jet motorcycles are the foundation of the Saim-Han people, and the way of the riders has been passed down for tens of thousands of years. To hand over the manufacturing process to another people is to remove the backbone of the Saim-Han people. Find another one.”

Horace shook his head slightly. The Crimson Moon Clan Chief was always pragmatic on military matters, but motorcycle technology involved a vast range of areas...

That was not just a weapon; it was the foundation of the entire Saim-Han civilization.

Lawson frowned.

"The foundation of the clan? Forget about it."

He reasonably stated his second condition.

"Give me all the network routes within the Dark Side of the Empire. Network entrance coordinates, stability ratings, opening and closing patterns, and known traces of Dark Eldar modifications.

He spread his hands: "The Net Dao is the legacy of the ancient sages, not the private property of your Spirit Clan. Giving me a copy shouldn't be a problem, right?"

This time, all the clan leaders stood up.

"Absolutely impossible!"

"The network route is the Eldar's last strategic depth. If it is leaked to any other race, we will have placed enemy eyes on every possible escape route. There is no room for negotiation on this point."

Salosin shook his head: "Sir, this request is beyond what Saim-Han can handle. The network route involves not only our Ark, but the safety of all the Eldar on the Ark. Even if I agree, the other Arks will regard us as traitors."

Lawson's face darkened.

"This won't work, that won't work either."

"I, Lawson, brought tens of thousands of men to your aid, suffering heavy losses, and in the end, we can't even agree on compensation?"

"Are you taking advantage of me, Lawson, because I have no temper?"

Salosin raised his hand.

"Lord Master, we were indeed in the wrong regarding the assassination. But the two conditions you proposed..."

Just as he was about to explain, the Spirit Bone Dome of the Starfire Royal Court suddenly flickered.

On the holographic star map, the markers for the Ark's outer space defense line pulsed violently.

"Urgent battle report! The Necromancer fleet has intensified its offensive in the third quadrant! A newly emerged Necromancer cruiser squadron is converging on the Ark's low orbit... The Gaussian Projection Array has been activated!"

On the star map, the green markers of the undead fleet were densely pressing in from the northeast side of the Ark, nearly twice as many as before.

Immediately afterwards, a second battle report arrived.

"Outer layer of the Antarctic Spirit Bone Spine! The second wave of Necromancer Heavy Destroyers has emerged from the phase, three times the number of the first wave!"

Article 3.

"Outside the western dock! A formation of undead flying vehicles is rapidly approaching, their target the Flamespear Clan's newly recaptured territory!"

The red markers on the star chart lit up again.

Another blue dot disappeared from the outer defense line.

Salosin's staff slammed heavily on the ground.

Which one?

The communications officer reported dejectedly: "The fifth Phantom Titan, Starfall Fury, has been struck in the core by the Necromancer's Convergence Beam. The Soulstone Matrix is ​​shattered... beyond repair."

The expressions of several clan leaders in the Starfire Royal Court changed simultaneously.

The Eldar Titans are not mass-produced iron lumps like those manufactured on an assembly line by the Empire.

Each Phantom Titan's skeleton requires hundreds of years to cultivate, and the core Soulstone Matrix seals the souls of generations of martyrs.

Losing one unit is equivalent to losing both a strategic weapon and a mobile ancestral temple.

Three units have already been lost.

Salosin closed his eyes briefly and turned to Losen.

“My Lord, the pressure on the space defense line is increasing dramatically. Could we repel this offensive first, and then discuss compensation later? Saim-Han will certainly give you a satisfactory answer.”

Salosin knew exactly what he was doing, and so did Losen.

Salosin is betting on Losen's priority...

If Lawson truly cared about the survival of Saim-Han, he wouldn't have been sitting in the Starfire Court haggling over the price when the Ark was being breached by the undead.

Losen stared at Salosin for three seconds.

Then he laughed.

"Row."

He patted the star map control panel.

"I'll help you deal with your enemies in space first. We can talk about compensation later."

Behind him, Salasien Qianxian stood in a corner of the Starfire Royal Court.

From the moment she entered the Starfire Royal Court until now, she has stood quietly behind Lawson, behaving like an obedient pet.

But at this moment, she put her right index finger to her lips and gently bit the tip.

She was thinking about something.

The old clan chief's delaying tactic was all too obvious.

In the diplomatic language of the Eldar, "we'll talk later" is equivalent to "we'll drag it out until you run out of bargaining chips."

Once the battle is over and Lawson's army withdraws from the Ark, Saim-Han's negotiating position will be greatly improved...

At that point, the compensation issue will most likely be put on hold indefinitely.

There's no way Lawson wouldn't have noticed.

But he readily agreed.

Something's very wrong...

Lawson readily agreed.

Then he stood still in the Starfire Royal Court.

The clan leaders waited for three minutes.

On the star map, the green marker of the Necromancer fleet was getting closer and closer, while the dark red marker of the Ominous Ark was also tightening its encirclement.

The Eldar fleet on the outer edge of Saim-Han was engaged in a fierce battle, but the light cruisers and rider motorcycles could not inflict any effective damage on a behemoth like the Ominous Ark. They could only keep biting at the escort ships, trying to slow down its advance.

Salosin tapped his staff on the bone ground for the fourth time.

He glanced back at Lawson.

With his arms crossed, Lawson looked up at the real-time space projection on the dome of the Starfire Royal Court, his expression relaxed, as if he were watching a performance that had nothing to do with him.

Another Eldar light cruiser was hit by the secondary gun array of the Ominous Ark, its side broke off, and the wreckage slowly spun in the void.

Horace walked over to Lawson.

“My Lord, you said to deal with the enemies in space first. But your troops came in through the net channel, and as far as I know, your fleet did not follow.”

"How do you plan to deal with the undead and the Ominous Ark in space?"

Lawson tilted his head and glanced at Horace.

"Who said my warships haven't arrived?"

Horace frowned. "Where?"

Lawson looked up again and continued watching the space projection.

"almost……"

space.

Command core of the Necromancer flagship, the Crown of Vol.