Warhammer: Empire Reboot

The Tau Empire will not send a single soldier to an enclave that has been officially designated as a rebel territory.

But Lawson may not be aware of these inside details.

For a human warlord from the dark side of the Empire, the relationship between the Vision Enclave and the Tau Empire should be a blind spot in his intelligence.

If he believes that the Vision Enclave is backed by the entire TIA Empire, he might reassess the cost of a full takeover.

"The Titanium Empire? I'll go even if they don't come. Threatening me with that won't work."

Lawson continued, "If you're just going to give me this nonsense, then there's no need to talk anymore."

O'Showa is never one to be intimidated.

But he was never a fool who would put on a brave face in front of a powerful enemy.

What is your definition of unconditional surrender?

"Let me start by saying what I won't do."

Lawson's tone softened slightly. "I know what you're thinking. You've seen how the Empire treats other races: conquest, slaughter, and turning people into mechs. You're afraid that after surrendering, your nine billion compatriots will become living parts in the Empire's factories."

O'Shovar's expression changed; he was indeed afraid of this.

The Empire's policy toward non-human races has remained consistent for ten thousand years: extermination or enslavement. Civilizations conquered by the Empire are either expelled from its territory or, in severe cases, their entire race is forced onto machine production lines, their frontal lobes removed, and transformed into cogs in the Empire's industrial system.

O'Shovar had witnessed firsthand too many alien planets that had been dealt with by the Empire.

Your concerns are not unfounded.

"If it's the Imperial Inquisition or a legitimate Imperial fleet commander, your nine billion people will indeed be put into the modification tanks," Lawson said.

"But you should be glad that it was me who came."

O'Showa stared into Lawson's eyes.

“I don’t need to use your people as machine servants. Your nine billion people are not even a fraction of my population. It would take time and resources to go through the modification process, which is not worthwhile.”

O'Showa understood; the other party wasn't acting out of kindness, but out of efficiency.

The nine billion Titanium population is insignificant compared to the size of the enemy, and the return on investment for modifying them is too low.

A counterintuitive sense of security.

"As long as you stay put after you surrender and don't cause any trouble,"

Lawson stated, "Your people can retain their own way of life, social structure, and cultural traditions. I have no interest in managing the internal affairs of alien communities. I can barely manage the tens of thousands of planets within the Empire itself, let alone have the time to meddle in how you live your lives."

O'Showa's brow twitched.

"Then what do you want?"

Lawson smiled kindly.

"I don't ask for much, just two conditions."

"Firstly, your nine billion Tau people and their affiliated races do not require five star systems and one hundred and twenty planets. In theory, one Nest Capital planet would be enough to house you, but I am merciful and will leave nine planets for you, while the remaining 111 will belong to the Empire."

O'Showa's face darkened.

The 120 habitable planets across five star systems represent the entirety of the Visionary Enclave's assets accumulated over three centuries.

Industrial capacity, mineral resources, agricultural bases, shipyards, and research facilities are all distributed across these 120 planets.

Handing over 111 satellites is tantamount to reducing Vision Enclave from an independent civilization with a complete industrial chain to a refugee camp with only basic living functions.

Before O'Showa could speak, Lawson had already extended his second finger.

Secondly.

Lawson shifted his gaze from O'Shaughnessy to the six generals behind him.

"Among your eight generals, there is a great scientist from the Tu clan, Ou Vesa."

"No one was killed, right?" Lawson asked.

O'Shovar's fingers tightened on the hilt of the Dawnblade.

"Visa is still here."

I need four technologies.

Lawson held up four fingers and named them one by one, "First, the complete production technology of the Tau Clan combat suits, from the Crisis Armor to the Tide Armor, with all the blueprints and process parameters. Second, the micro cold fusion reactor technology. Third, the nanocrystalline alloy and smelting matrix, which you call Fio-tak. Fourth, the Tu Clan's automated construction drone system, the kind of engineering AI that can perform complex construction tasks without supervision."

He withdrew his finger: "Just these four things, nothing more. I hope it won't be too much trouble for you."

O'Showa's expression darkened further.

These four technologies cover several of the most core areas of the titanium family's military and industrial systems.

Combat suits are the backbone of the Titanium Clan's military power; cold fusion reactors are the crystallization of the Titanium Clan's energy technology; Fio-tak nanoalloys are the crown jewel of the Titanium Clan's materials science; and automated construction drones are the cornerstone of the Titanium Clan's industrial efficiency.

Handing over these four technologies is tantamount to offering up the most essential part of the titanium family's thousands of years of technological accumulation.

"You even know this?"

"Your human empire and our Tau race have completely different technological paths. The empire relies on the template replication of the Mechanicus and the ancient STC, while we rely on independent research and development and iterative innovation. What do you need these technologies for? The empire's industrial system is simply incompatible with them."

Lawson chuckled: "That's none of your business."

He gave you an ultimatum: "Two conditions, 111 planets, and four technologies. If you agree, you can survive. Nine planets are enough for you to start over. With your Tau's technological level and industrial capabilities, you can rebuild a smaller enclave in a few decades."

"If you disagree, we'll continue fighting. I'll crush all six hundred of your battle suits, and I'll treat your nine billion people according to Imperial standards. By then, I'll still have those 120 planets. As for the technology..."

Lawson's gaze drifted into the distance, towards the vast sea of ​​stars beyond the Viola system.

“I can march all the way to the Tau Empire’s homeland and ask you for your aether.”

This statement caused a visible shock among the Tau generals.

A human warlord from the shadows of an empire claims he can reach the homeland of the Tau Empire.

If Karen had heard such words from one of the empire's arrogant governors, she would have just laughed.

But coming from someone who commanded a planetary fortress 1,200 kilometers in size and cleared out an entire galactic space battlefield in twenty minutes…

Karen couldn't laugh.

O'Showa's breathing became heavier.

"Human general, you are very confident."

Lawson stopped explaining and simply looked at O'Shaughnessy.

That gaze reminded Oshova of the boundless darkness behind the warp gate he had seen three hundred years ago in the temple of Arthasmore.

That darkness was neither malicious nor benevolent.

It simply exists, waiting.

You can choose to go in, or you can choose to turn around and leave.

But you can't change its existence.

The silence between the two lasted for about ten seconds.

Morakot was the first to break the silence.

"You can't pay!"

“Commander, these four technologies are the lifeblood of the Tau! If we hand them over, we will be traitors to the entire Tau race! Anwar has already labeled us as exiled outcasts. If we add the charge of ‘selling core technologies to humans,’ the entire Tau race in the galaxy will despise us!”

Karen chimed in, but his stance was exactly the opposite of Morak's.

Aren't we traitors now?

“Anwa himself said that we are an untouchable people who will never be saved. Our homeland has abandoned us. What difference does it make to the Tau Empire whether we hand over our technology to humanity or take it to our graves to rot together?”

"The difference lies in our backbone!" Morak roared.

Karen coldly scoffed, "The lives of nine billion people versus the backbone of the nation, which would you choose?"

Morakot fell silent.

At this point, Ou Vesa stepped forward.

This great scientist of the Tu clan was the oldest among the Eight Foresight Generals, but the life-extending technology of the Tu clan of the Titan clan kept his appearance at the age of middle age.

He was much shorter than the other eight generals who came from warrior backgrounds, but his head was noticeably larger, a sign of the highly developed prefrontal cortex of the Tu clan.

Visa looked directly at Lawson through his goggles.

"Human General".

"All four technologies you listed are within my area of ​​expertise: the process parameters of the combat suit, the design equations of the cold fusion reactor, the molecular formula and smelting process of Fio-tak, and the control algorithms of the automated drones. All of these things are in my head."

He pointed to his rather large head.

"If we hand over these four technologies in exchange for the safety of nine planets and our people..."

"Then I'd like to ask a follow-up question."

"If we surrender and the Tau Empire or other powers attack our remaining nine planets, will you protect us?"

Lawson glanced at Visa: "That's a separate bargaining chip, not part of your surrender terms."

Visa seemed to have anticipated this answer.

Then he turned to O'Shovar.

"Commander, I suggest accepting the terms."

"From a purely tactical perspective, if war breaks out, I've run through all the tactical models and probability algorithms. The win rate is zero."

"If we continue fighting, the best outcome would be that we all perish while taking away several hundred enemy soldiers."

"The worst-case scenario is that we are all killed and the enemy suffers only minor casualties. But either way, nine billion civilians will fall into the enemy's hands, and at that point, they will have no obligation to negotiate."

O'Showa closed his eyes.

In the darkness, he saw Natong Anwa's reply.

The cold and cruel face of the Supreme Ether remains as clear as yesterday in my memory.

"The calamity you are now experiencing is the punishment for those who have turned away from the ether."

Oshova left the Tau Empire three hundred years ago to prove one thing: the future of the Tau should not be bound by the caste doctrines of the Aetherians.

Warriors can think independently, artisans can create freely, and ordinary people can choose their own path.