Editing The Tales of the Emperasque: Part Seventeen (section)

==4-187-001-M42==

Vulkan clasped his hands below his chin and watched the holograms flickering before him. “You need even ask?” he said mildly. “Of course the ports of Prometheus are open to stage your forces.”
“I didn’t think you’d say no, Vulkan,” Lion El’Jonson said from orbit. He looked down at the tiny red ball visible through his viewport. “The Emperor assures me that my campaign will strike a blow against the Dark Mechanicus forces harassing the Obscura battlegroups, but it’s a bit of a journey from Nocturne, given that Ultima has its own problems.”
“I’ll be busy, too, Lion,” Guilliman said from his own ship. “The campaign the Emperor has set us upon could take a hundred years to complete, given our…decayed technological advantage,” he admitted. “I will miss the Stormhammers we used to have.”
“AND BELIEVE ME, I APPRECIATE IT,” the Emperor said from the surface into the vox the Salamanders had provided. “BUT I WON’T BE ABLE TO LEAD IN PERSON. I’M GOING TO BE UP TO MY EYES IN REFORM WORK ON TERRA ALONE…AND REALLY, ONLY I AM GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS WAR TO THE FORCES OF CHAOS ON THEIR OWN TERMS.”
Vulkan rubbed his temples, thinking carefully. “Father…if I may…what, exactly, did your deployment of those Eversors accomplish besides enraging Khorne?”
“WELL, WHAT’S SLAANESH’S WEAKNESS ABOVE ALL ELSE?” the Emperor asked.
“Pride,” Guilliman answered in a moment. “Insurmountable, personal, cocky pride.”

“EXACTLY. KHORNE’S ANGRY, HIS TROOPS’ MORALE IS DAMAGED, AND NOW KHORNE IS GOING TO NEED ANGRON TO KEEP HIS MEN IN LINE MORE SO THAN HE HAS AT ANY POINT SINCE THE HERESY ITSELF,” the Emperor pointed out. “AND SLAANESH IS NOTHING IF NOT SPITEFUL. HE’LL GO HOME TO HIS PALACE IN THE WARP AND SULK, AND MAYBE EVEN RESURRECT FULGRIM IF HE CAN, AND THEN HE’LL THROW THEM AT KHORNE IN A TIDAL WAVE. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, I EXPECT THE OTHER TWO CHAOS POWERS WILL JOIN IN.”
“So this was as much to tie up their forces with infighting as it was to accomplish any logistical goals?” Vulkan asked, musing that over.
“INDEED. FEAR NOT. WHEN THEY COME FOR US AGAIN, WE’LL BE FAR MORE READY FOR THEM,” the Emperor said grimly. “WE MAY HAVE BOUGHT OURSELVES A THOUSAND YEARS TO PREPARE.”
“That would be ideal, of course,” Vulkan said, “but what exactly will you be doing while we…well, pick up where we left off?”
“PREPARING FOR A CHANGE OF AUTHORITY,” the Emperor said coldly. “I CAN’T DISCOUNT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE CHAOS GODS CAN EXERT SOME INFLUENCE OVER ME IN THIS FORM. CLEARLY THEY HAVEN’T YET, BUT WHAT IF TZEENTCH FINDS A WAY? I CAN’T RISK IT.”
“So…are you just going to kill yourself and try again?” Vulkan asked, flabbergasted, as his brothers made noises of surprise.
“GIVE ME SOME CREDIT,” the Emperor roared dismissively. “I’M GOING TO MAKE SURE THINGS GET OFF TO A BETTER START WITH YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS, OF COURSE, AND MAKE SOME…STRATEGIC REPLACEMENTS ON THE SENATE OF THE HIGH LORDS OF TERRA BEFORE I EVEN ATTEMPT SUCH A THING. WE’RE TALKING YEARS, HERE.”

Vulkan was silent for a long moment, and his brothers were no doubt sharing his thoughts. “I suppose I can understand your desire not to inhabit that thing any longer than is necessary, at least,” Vulkan said at last.
“OH, YES. OF COURSE THERE ARE HIGHER PRIORITIES THAN MY OWN PERSONAL COMFORT, BUT THAT’S CERTAINLY A PART OF IT.” The Emperor looked up to where Guilliman’s ship was visible as a comet in the sky as it burned around the planet’s orbit at seventy times the speed of sound. “BESIDES, GENTLEMEN, ONE THING HAS NOT CHANGED IN THE TEN THOUSAND YEARS OF MY ABSENCE. I STILL HOLD THAT HUMANITY IS ONLY WORTH CONQUERING THIS TUMULTUOUS GALAXY IF IT IS UNSULLIED. IF ITS LEADER RESORTS TO DAEMONOLOGY AND SORCERY TO GET ANYTHING DONE, WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE IMPERIUM AS A WHOLE? I’D RATHER NOT BE AN ALL-POWERFUL HYPOCRITE, THANKS.”
“Naturally,” Lion said heavily. “That is perfectly true.”
“AS FOR THE REFORMS, I SUSPECT THAT THE PROBLEM WILL JUST BE ONE OF INERTIA. ABSENT LEADERSHIP LEADS TO STAGNATION, AFTER ALL.”
Guilliman addressed the elephant in the room with his next comment. “And this…Emperor-worshipping nonsense?”
The Emperor was quiet for a time. “I DON’T KNOW YET. I DON’T THINK IT’S GOING AWAY, CERTAINLY.”
“The fact that it actually does seem to serve as a shield against certain kinds of daemonic forces is troubling,” Lion admitted. “But is it the act of believing in something, or the thing in which one believes, that allows the believer strength?”
“A LITTLE OF BOTH, FROM WHAT I CAN DISCERN,” the Emperor said irritably. “WHICH DOESN’T HELP.”
“Then for now…perhaps we should let it stand, and simply move to stabilize the Imperium as best we can,” Guilliman concluded heavily.

“THAT SEEMS TO BE THE CASE, YES,” the Emperor said. “I KNOW, IT BURNS ME TOO, BUT I DON’T SEE A CHOICE.”
Lion nodded glumly. “Then it stands. If you will, Sire, I must depart for the fronts,” he said, rising to his feet.
“CERTAINLY. MY SONS, GOOD LUCK OUT THERE. VULKAN, A WORD?” the Emperor asked as Guilliman and Lion cut their signals and made for the Warp.
“Yes, Sire?” Vulkan asked.
“I WANT TO KNOW HOW THIS ARTEFACT HUNT IS GOING FOR YOU SO FAR,” the Emperor said. “PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR PRIORITY HAS TO BE THE DEFENSE AND EXPANSION OF THE IMPERIUM, NOT HE’STAN’S JOURNEY.”
“Of course I understand, Father,” Vulkan said patiently. “If I had to, I could remake some myself. But I left this task for my sons to complete. If I told them to abandon it, how would that make me look?”
“A FAIR POINT, MY SON,” the Emperor admitted. He heaved a sigh and rose to depart. “THEN I MUST MAKE FOR TERRA. FARE WELL, VULKAN.”
“Likewise, Sire. I’ll see you when I can,” Vulkan said, and cut the transmission.
He turned to his Battle-Brothers, several of whom had been waiting out of vox range for his call to end. “Now then, Salamanders…let’s get to work,” he said proudly. “The Imperium isn’t going to rebuild itself.”

The End.

[[Category:The Tales of the Emperasque]]