Chapter 900 - 899: The Olive Branch from Malcador Doesn't Satisfy My Appetite

In the reception room of the Vengeful Spirit, Garviel Loken, Captain of the 10th Company of the Luna Wolves, stood in the shadows behind Horus Lupercal.

He studied Nareth, who stood beside his gene-father.

The Luna Wolves had deployed twice the forces of the Shadows of Order, yet it was they who had crossed the equator first.

Returning to his ship, Loken had run multiple tactical simulations, but couldn't find how the Shadows of Order had advanced so quickly.

In his final simulation before his father convened the meeting, he had used what Dorn called reverse reasoning.

If you don't know how to build a fortress, you should change your approach and think about the defensive effect you need.

Loken believed Dorn's advice applied to warfare, especially when the situation was unclear.

After compiling the tactical briefings, he had some ideas:

The Shadows of Order must have maintained communications from the start to push into their line, but the Astropaths were unsuited to the Murder's brutal warfare.

Could it be, as Abaddon claimed, that the Shadow of Order were all warlocks, using supernatural powers to maintain communications?

'The Emperor issued the Edict of Nikaea. Even my father ordered the Librarians back to their line companies. Does Lord Nareth dare to simply ignore it?'

'The Shadows of Order had a clear objective: to take every thorn-tree they found.

'But destroying them would have sufficed... their taking them was strange... Lord Nareth had a taste for the exotic. They were gathering them for him.'

'Though Lord Nareth fought in dangerous warzones, unlike the silent Lion of Caliban, he had a wide range of interests. It was said that the Shadow's Sovereignty held a collection of curiosities gifted to him by various Legions and Auxiliaries.'

'Lord Nareth would always take time to examine them, it was said, even more time than he spent practicing his swordsmanship.'

Yet he was renowned for his swordsmanship, and the rumor of Lord Russ being completely 'outmatched by his speed and skill had spread through the Legions. Lord Nareth had also broken through Lord Ferrus Manus's silver-handed defense.'

'Loken had once asked Lord Dorn about the outcome of his duel with Lord Manus.'

'Lord Dorn had not answered, only saying that the silver hand was the most resilient defense in the material world. But the silver hand had been broken by Lord Nareth.'

'I wonder, if my father were to duel Lord Nareth, who would win?'

As Loken thought, he saw his father turn to Nareth.

"Sanguinius is already reducing the role of Librarians in his operations."

"You should do the same. It is our father's command."

Nareth looked at Sanguinius, his pristine wings folded, and nodded.

"I am working on it. It will take time."

'Indeed, I just need a two-year transition. After that, of course, it will be open and obvious.'

Seeing Nareth accept his advice, Horus smiled and nodded. "Now, let's discuss how to handle our unexpected guests."

"We should each play a different role. I think you should take a hard line with them. The nobles of Terra still remember that night."

"They call it the Night of Blood."

'You want me to play the villain?'

Nareth nodded. Compared to the saintly Archangel and the noble Warmaster, the Bloody Monarch, as the nobles called him, was better suited to play the villain.

"Very well."

Horus and Sanguinius exchanged a glance, reading each other's thoughts.

'Although the thorn-trees on the Murder prevented coordinated operations, we used Nareth's full-scale drop tactic. The rift has been repaired.'

As they thought, cold mist billowed, and the door slid open.

Aenid Rathbone, the delegation's leader, entered the reception room. She was a tall, slender woman with red hair and a pale, delicate face, a high-ranking official of the Council of Terra.

She held her head high, making her cheekbones more prominent.

"Warmaster, Lord Nareth, Lord Sanguinius."

After bowing to the three Primarchs, she spoke with fervor.

"Terra and the Forge Worlds cannot continue to bear this burden alone."

"Now that we rule a million worlds, the Imperium must learn to sustain itself."

"Many worlds are newly compliant. They have not yet recovered from the wars. They cannot yet bear the burden of taxation," Sanguinius said gently.

"The Emperor insists upon it."

Nareth's eyes narrowed as he caught the loophole in her words from a "Lawyer's" perspective, "Does the Emperor truly insist upon this?"

Rathbone's eyes flickered as she met the gaze of the Bloody Monarch.

Before her departure, she had read Nareth's biography, {The Shadow Sovereign}, and knew of his keen intellect.

"The Emperor's Regent emphasized to us that we must levy taxes and establish a sound mechanism to ensure that taxes are collected automatically and regularly."

Raising her tone, she continued, "The Council of Terra has decreed that all Expedition Fleets, all Primarchs, and all compliant governors must collect taxes from their worlds, to relieve the Imperium's financial burden."

Rathbone looked at Lord Nareth. "The Regent emphasized that this is not intended to place a financial burden on the Primarchs."

"The Vostroya Sector, having served as an engine of the Great Crusade, and following the agreement between the Regent and yourself, will never be taxed by Terra."

"The Coronid New Zone is still developing; it will serve as a civilizational achievement of the Great Crusade and will not be included in the scope of taxation."

Horus frowned. Malcador had chosen Nareth as a point of entry. He had directly exempted Nareth's two largest territories from taxation, using this privilege to bring him into the pro-taxation camp.

Horus watched Nareth, waiting for his decision.

Rathbone also looked at Nareth. The Regent's olive branch offered was a significant benefit.

"The authority and position of planetary governors will be undermined once taxation begins," Nareth said, still expressing his opposition under Rathbone's surprised gaze.

His ambition surged. 'Malcador, your olive branch doesn't satisfy my appetite.'

'The Vostroya Sector and the Coronid New Zone aren't nearly enough. There's also the Osiris Cluster, the Necromundan Sub-sector… and the future Calixis Sector, and the sector that will be named after Rosicky instead of Orpheus.'

Nareth didn't want to pay any taxes, and he wouldn't allow a tax delegation to audit his domains. Not even one.

'Lord Nareth refused... that's not quite like the man in his biography...' Rathbone thought, puzzled.

Horus's eyes gleamed. Nareth, when it came to matters of principle, was not swayed by small advantages.

"The Council of Terra is placing the burden on newly established worlds. It might crush the precarious rule we've barely managed to build."

"Taxation is too early, too broad, and too harsh. Many worlds will revolt."

The Warmaster stared at Rathbone, analyzing the situation calmly.

"The peasants we conquered will shrug when they hear they have a new master. But if they hear they have to give up a fifth of their income, they'll pick up their pitchforks."

"Everything we have fought for will be consumed by war."

Nareth listened to Horus's prophetic words, nodding silently.

'Though the Great Crusade's immense resource consumption brought Terra to the brink, Horus is right. It is too soon.'

'When Horus raises his banner, many worlds will defect without hesitation. From a future perspective, Malcador, after his Nikaea success, is making another mistake.'

"But this is the will of the Regent and the Emperor. You must obey," Rathbone said, raising the Imperial Aquila-topped staff.

"This is the decision of the Council of Terra."

"We have established rules and standards to calculate the appropriate tax rate for each world."

"I will cooperate with your work." Horus was silent for a few seconds before speaking.

After Rathbone left, he rubbed the gold ring on his right little finger. "Nareth is right. Only a father knows his son."

"Father would never approve of this. It's too soon."

"He is preoccupied. The Council of Terra has bypassed him, acting on its own."

"We must adopt a clever approach... giving the Eaxectors the cold shoulder."

Nareth nodded. "You should provide them with additional information about each world's specific conditions, forcing them to sift through mountains of paperwork to find useful data."

Horus hadn't expected Nareth to guess his idea so quickly.

"Exactly. That will buy us time."

"I will complete the Great Crusade, then return to Terra and speak with father."

Nareth nodded. Horus's idea was sound. Stalling for time, until after the Heresy, when the Imperium's political landscape would shift dramatically, would give them more leverage to shape the tax system in their favor.

....

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