Everqueen Reclamation - 59

In the towers of the Imperial Palace, a very old man and a somewhat younger but still old woman were arguing. Both of them looked their age, yet on the inside, they were both stronger and more resilient than even the strongest youth.

They had both been there at the birth of the Imperium, had participated in laying the stones of its foundation alongside the Emperor himself. For the most part, they worked well together. They were not friend, but they were colleagues who had a perfectly functional and cordial relationship.

There were times, however, when they had vicious arguments and this was one of those times.

"The Space Marine Project is fundamentally compromised, you must see that!”

Malcador pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

“I am aware Astarte, but we cannot simply deactivate the Space Marine Legions-”

“Which is why I wanted to suspend production in favour of the Thunder Warriors years ago,” Astarte snapped, the sharp clarity in her eyes and the strength of her voice betraying her frail, elderly appearence. “If we had done that then, we would not have had to decommission the entire Fifteenth Legion.”

Malcador grimaced, but what could he say? Astarte was right.

While the decommissioning of the Fifteenth had gone as smoothly as could be expected, that didn't mean there hadn't been been major problems. They had had to cover it up, and tell the rest of the Imperium that the Fifteenth had been infected and killed by a bioweapon unleashed by rebellious Selenar agents.

While the explanation had been largely accepted in light of the Selenar rebellion that had occurred immediately after the Fifteenth had been quarantined, there were still those who regarded it with skepticism, looking for other explanations, questioning if it was really true.

Beyond that, it had also been a blow against the intended aura of invincibility that Malcador and the Emperor had sought to cultivate for the Space Marines. The common folk of the Imperium still respected and admired the Space Marine Legions, but questioned if they were truly superior to the Thunder Warriors that had come before them.

Even among the Space Marines themselves, it had spread a sense of discomfort and fear, wondering if what had happened to the Fifteenth could happen to them as well. 

While it was not the absolute worst-case scenario that Astarte had predicted, it was still in line with many of her fears. And she was correct, the whole mess could have been avoided if they had suspended Space Marine production and focused on the Thunder Warriors as she had argued for when they had initially discovered the gene-flaws in the various Legions.

But as it was now…

“I understand your concerns, Director,” Malcador said, steepling his fingers. “But you have to understand, we cannot simply end of the Space Marine Legions at this time. It would breed fear and discontent, both among the populace and the Legions themselves.”

“But the longer we postpone the problem, the more it grows,” Astarte retorted. “We were fortunate that the Fifteenth's madness came here on Terra, where they were Thunder Warrior Legions nearby. With the Emperor's plans, if another Legion goes mad, then it will not be so easily contained. What happens if a Legion goes berserk on a campaign in another star system, with no Thunder Warriors or even other Space Marines to contain them? The longer we wait, the more disastrous the consequences will be.”

Malcador had no answer to that. Every concern that made him hesitate to decommission the Space Marine Legions now would only increase as the Imperium expanded.

He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose again. “I will raise your concerns to the Emperor once again,” He said. “But I can't promise anything.”

Astarte shook her head in frustration. “He must listen, the consequences if he does not-”

“I agree.”

The First Lord of Terra and the Director of the Biotechnical Division both jolted in surprise as the Emperor spoke, a bright golden beacon that seemed as if it had been there all along.

And who knew, perhaps it had been.

Malcador suppressed a scowl but the amused tilt of the Emperor's lips suggested he knew exactly what Malcador was thinking.

For an ancient immortal who had seen the dawn of civilization, Malcador's old friend could be incredibly childish at times.

“As I was saying,” The Emperor continued. “I agree with you, Astarte. The Space Marine Legions have become a risk, one that we cannot afford. Now, while we are concentrated on building up and consolidating Sol, is the time to deal with them rather than waiting until we expand and can no longer afford to do so.”

Astarte was visibly shocked, but she regained her composure quickly. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Malcador was also relieved, even if he did not show it. While part of him bristled at the idea of relying on the Thunder Warriors still, given how much of Isha's influence had gone into them, better Isha's influence than the taint of Chaos.

And with Isha gone for at least a few years, now was the ideal time to overhaul the Legio Cataegis, and ensure they were loyal to the Imperium first and foremost.

“How should we deal with it, then?” Malcador mused. “There are a few different ways-”

“I already have a plan,” The Emperor said, cutting him off. “There is no need to over-complicate it. The simplest solution is just a false flag operation.”

Malcador and Astarte grasped the implication swiftly. “A clever idea, Your Majesty,” Astarte agreed. “But what is your exact scope for the idea?”

The Emperor sat down on a chair that Malcador was certain hadn't been there a few moments before, leaning back. “Nothing too grand, simple the Biotechnical Divison's laboratories,” He explained. “We destroy the stocks of gene-seed, blame it on insurgents-”

"-and use it as an excuse to suspend the production of Space Marine Legions,” Malcador said in understanding.

“Exactly,” The Emperor said, pleased. “Now is the ideal time, with Horus having departed and not due to return for several years with his brothers.”

Malcador and Astarte nodded, the two of them realizing why the Emperor hadn't carried out his plans sooner.

Horus's presence would have been a significant inconvenience to such an operation, both because he was a living source of geneseed and because he might have sensed something suspicious. The boy was young, naive and loyal to his father, but he wasn't stupid.

This way, there would be ample time to cover up any evidence and tie up all loose ends, with nothing left for Horus to be suspicious of when he returned.

“Who do you intend to blame it on?” Malcador asked, already mapping out exactly what kind of evidence to plant. “The Selenar Cults again?”

“No, no,” The Emperor said, waving a hand dismissively. “We don't want to give the populace the impression we haven't leashed the Selenar Cults effectively."

“The Martian Biologis, then?”

“Not them either. Mars is afraid of me, and pushing them harder may cause their anger to outweigh their wrath. No, this we will blame on Terran insurgents, I think. The dissidents from the former Ethnarchy should be ideal.”

Malcador mulled it over, formulating the necessary plan, considering which of his agents and resources to call on. “Yes, that is doable. I should have the operation ready to proceed by the end of the month.”

“Excellent,” The Emperor said, clasping his hands together. “I knew you would rise to the occasion, Malcador. Astarte, I appreciate your advice and I expect you will cooperate fully with Malcador on this operation?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Astarte said carefully. “Of course.”

The Emperor smiled, and then he was gone as if he had never been there. His chair vanished with him, and no trace of his presence was left behind.

Malcador and Astarte exchanged a long-suffering look. They might not be friends, but they were both veterans in enduring and dealing with the Emperor's behaviour, especially when the Lord of Terra felt that his subordinates were getting complacent.

“Well, the Emperor has finally acquiesced to heed your warnings,” Malcador said after a moment. “I hope your are pleased.

“As pleased as I possibly can be,” Astarte replied dryly. Then shook her head, sighing slightly. “Is there anything you need me to do at this moment?”

Malcador waved a hand dismissively. “No, no. I still need some time to work out the specifics of this operation and put things together.”

“I will be waiting for your instructions then, First Lord,” Astarte said with an incline of her head.

“I will send them to you as soon as possible, Director,” Malcador nodded.

Astarte accepted the dismissal for what it was, standing and bowing politely before departing.

Once she was gone, Malcador let out a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Yet…he felt lighter, despite his exasperation at the Emperor.

It was good to return to the way things had been, without Isha around.