Everqueen Reclamation - 46

“The Sixteenth Legion has already responded to the uprising,” Malcador said crisply, wasting no time as the Emperor returned to his office, Isha behind him. “They were caught off-guard but their response time was still within acceptable parameters. The Selenar insurgents should be dealt with before the week is out.”

“Good,” The Emperor replied, activating the holoprojector on his desk, which promptly threw up a display of the latest information and reports streaming in from Luna. “It is as we planned, then.”

“Indeed it is,” Malcador agreed. “This will be a good way to strengthen the Sixteenth's mettle and curtail the rebellious Lunar elements completely.

Isha looked between them, understanding dawning in her eyes. “Ah, you knew this was coming and planned to turn it to your own purposes,” She realized.

“Indeed,” The Emperor nodded. He had seen a vision of the Selenar rebellion (and at least his precognition was still working some of the time, if still not as often as he would have liked). 

From there, arranging events down the optimal path had not been difficult. A psychic nudge there, stoking some dissent here, feeding false information and resources to the Selenar to make think them a rebellion was viable…it had not been difficult. And of course, withdrawing the Thunder Warriors who had been part of the Lunar garrison. This was the Sixteenth's test and theirs alone.

But George noticed with faint surprise that Isha did not seem to disapprove.

She caught his look and raised an eyebrow. “You expect me to disagree?” She asked, amused. “My mother and daughter were the foremost seers in the galaxy. I am well used to such tactics. In any case, it should be easier to institute full rights for the Selenar's victims once they have been brought to heel. I confess I had hoped that my initial display would be enough, but if it is not…” She gave a graceful shrug. “They dug their own graves.”

The Emperor and Malcador exchanged a look but decided against commenting.

Instead, the Emperor manipulated the comm on his desk, opening a channel to his son. 

“Father?” The surprised voice of Horus came through, rendered tinny by the comm. “Was there something you needed?”

“There is,” The Emperor said briskly. “The Selenar Cults have rebelled against my rule, my son.”

“What?!” Came the Primarch's voice, full of youthful indignation. “Give me the word and I will crush them, father!”

“That is exactly what I am calling you for,” The Emperor said, smiling indulgently at his son's enthusiasm. “There is a shuttle waiting for you. Take it, and go forth to Luna. Assume command of your legion and teach the Selenar the folly of defying the Imperium.”

“Yes, father!" Horus said, and one could practically hear his smile. “I'm on my way.”

“Excellent, I await news of your success,” The Emperor said, before disconnecting the comm.

It would be a good opportunity for Horus to learn to direct campaigns on his son and bond with his Legion in a relatively controlled environment.

The Emperor was not unduly worried about Horus failing. His son had been built for this, he had excelled in his training and the Selenar would have found it difficult to stand against a full Legion even before Isha had decimated them during the initial conquest.

Threads of future timelines stretched out in front of him, and Horus succeeded in the vast majority of them. The few where he failed were unlikely, and if he did…well, it would still be a lesson worth learning for his son, and nothing the Emperor could not remedy relatively easily.

He expected at least some hint of disapproval from Isha at the blatant manipulation of his son, but she had returned her attention to her dataslate, frowning at the information she had collected on the Fifteenth Legion.

“Malcador, have Marshal Kawandire arrest all those who supported the Selenar rebellion,” The Emperor ordered. Leaving the channels open for them to attempt such a thing had been a good way to root out the seditious elements against the aristocracy and the lingering resentful elements of conquered polities. Some of them, at least. “Tell her there will be a full trial which I will preside over personally.”

“I have already made the arrangements,” Malcador said simply. “But presiding over a trial personally?”

“It will be a good show of authority and legitimacy,” The Emperor told him. 

“Ah,” Malcador said in acceptance. “A show trial, then.”

“Precisely,” The Emperor smiled. “The accused should have the best advocates they can afford, of course. But I am certain they have no one Marshal Kawandire cannot out-argue."

“Certainly not,” Malcador agreed. “I will begin making the preparations.”

Standing, the Sigillite bowed briefly and then left.

The Emperor returned his attention to Isha. “Now, to the matter of the Fifteenth,”

Isha looked up from her dataslate. “Yes, your…other Aspect seemed to have some ideas before we were interrupted,” The curiosity underlying her words was undeniable, even if Isha didn't voice at it.

“She is not separate from me,” The Emperor corrected. “I am the sum of my Aspects as you see me now. Not perfectly balanced, perhaps, but the Witch is part of me.”

“How interesting,” Isha said thoughtfully, obviously comparing and contrasting how her own Aspects worked compared to his. “Did she-, you derive any fresh insights? And what of young Magnus?”

“Only confirmation of what we suspected. The curse is woven quite deep into their souls. And Magnus is safe. Tzentech's curse is tied to him, but it could not dig as deep at the Liar may have hoped.” The Emperor told her. “However, if we work together, we may be able to remove the curse. With me to remove it, and for you to heal the damage afterwards.”

Isha nodded, before pausing for a moment. “We should plan for the worst-case scenario, however,” She said quietly. “If worst comes to worst, we may have to euthanize them.”

Genuine shock settled into the Emperor's bones as he stared at Isha with wide eyes.

“I must admit I did not expect that from you of all people,” The Emperor said finally, grasping for the first words he could find. “I thought it was all about saving as many lives as possible.”

“It is,” Isha responded, her tone cooling somewhat. “I am aware you consider me soft-hearted and excessively sentimental, but I am a healer first and foremost. I was born before my children were taken by the Old Ones, when they still had to struggle with ailment and disease, and I have not forgotten the lessons of those days. I seek to save all those I can, but when a patient is beyond salvation, prolonging their suffering is only painful. Keeping them alive in eternal agony is Nurgle's way, not mine.”

“I understand,” The Emperor acknowledged quietly.

There was a moment of silence before Isha continued. “In any case, I fear simply a physical death may not be enough. Their very souls are tainted, and if Tzentech decides to claim them…he could,” She grimaced. “We may have to inflict a True Death upon them. It is cruel, but better oblivion than an eternity as playthings of the Liesmith.”

The Emperor had started thinking short of dropping more grand revelations about ancient wars that had rent the fabric of reality, Isha could no longer surprise him.

Apparently, he had been wrong. 

Putting the thought aside, the Emperor forced himself to focus on the matter at hand and considered Isha's words.

The idea of euthanizing an entire Legion was unpleasant, but he had already been considering it. Inflicting True Death upon them was going further than he had expected, but Isha was correct. It was a better fate than falling into Tzentech's hands.

If only he had an afterlife already established, he could have herded their souls in there and shielded them from Tzentech, but he had not and would not be able to do so for some time.

Cursing himself a fool for neglecting his responsibilities yet again, the Emperor spoke. “You are correct, of course. If it comes to that, we shall work together to see it done.”

“After we have attempted all possible cures, of course,” Isha added, standing up. “I speak of the worst-case scenario, not what we should do immediately.”

“Of course,” The Emperor echoed. Isha was still herself, at the end of the day. Even if she had more layers than he expected.

“Now, we should return to the labs and attempt your idea,” Isha said briskly. “Will you be going as you are, or…”

The Emperor sighed in annoyance, feeling the Witch stir within him again.

Loathe as he was to admit it, the chances of success were higher if the Witch came forth to become the dominant Aspect once more. He could not risk the potential salvation of the entire Legion simply because the rest of him didn't like her.

The Emperor closed his eyes, and his form rippled, his build becoming more slender, his armour replaced by black robes and his hair shifting to gold.

Opening her eyes, the Witch smirked at Isha. “Let's get to work, shall we?”