"We need to go to Cyrodiil and take over the Imperial city..." Tiber mused with his elites, "They would fight to take back their city, the empire's armies would rally, and come to fight for their city... We would give them a crushing defeat, and rebellion would be difficult at that point... It would be more costly for our army, but in the long run, it would be better... They would spend all their resources attempting to take their city back..." Tiber looked over to Albert and Psij, "You two could get us past the Imperial City's defenses, correct?"
Psij twiddled his thumbs.
"Well, they have a three layer shield with small openings to allow for travellers, and they make larger openings for boats with clearance, they've probably tightened down the clearance for boats due to our two previous attacks, even though we are not close, they'd still be afraid." Albert said softly.
"What you need..." Khaj drawled, "Is a soft touch, we do not all need to go in there, and surely they would not bother to look carefully at one or two travellers, yes?" Khaj asked.
Albert shook his head, "They'll be scanning magic levels as people enter the city, there's no way Psij or I could sneak in."
"Well then, I guess it is up to me... Isn't it?" Khaj said with a chuckle, "I could just walk in." He smiled.
Tiber pondered this, he was a khajiit, didn't look too threatening unlike the half daedra, didn't have a very high magic level, and he could pose as a couple with Heron, "Heron, I know you're my personal guard, but go with my master of assassins to seem less suspicious. Albert and Psij should be enough to protect me." Tiber smiled.
Heron scowled, "Very well then sir." She said softly, she stood, "Come on Khaj, we have packing to do, also..." She leapt into the shadows.
"Not this one, do not kill this one yet!" Tiber called back.
Heron tossed the still living Brotherhood member into view, sans weapon.
"Stand." Tiber commanded him. The Brotherhood member looked him dead in the eye as he stood, "You're much more hardened than your predecessor. Even now, I see you scoping out your possible ways to kill me. You should have been sent from the start, unlike that green murderer. I understand why he was sent first. You probably thought it would be an easy assassination considering his ability to enter dreams in that way. Much easier than infiltration. However, I might expect an infiltration less or, you're simply more competent, anyways... I have a proposition for your guild, if you're willing to take me back there, I am willing to come alone."
The Brotherhood Member sniffed and took off his hood, revealing his features as a night elf, "If I refuse to carry out my orders to kill you, they will kill me." He said softly.
"There's a chance that they will rescind your orders to kill me, if not, well, you're going to die any which way. You will not make it out of here alive unless I am walking out here with you. I assume you have a spell to take you directly home?" Tiber asked.
After a long pause he pulled a scroll out of his robe, placing his hand on Tiber's shoulder.
Tiber blinked and they were basking in a red light within a guild hall.
Tiber walked through the guild hall, and leapt up on a table, his escort following him all the way.
He jumped off the table and spun in the middle of the hall, empty with the exception of him, his escort, the table, chairs and a few banners.
Five people entered the hall, "Shallil, not only do you not carry out your assassination, you bring an outsider, no less, your target, into our home!" shouted an Imperial male.
"I have a proposition for the Dark Brotherhood, I would like to speak to the Night Mother, where is the Listener?" Tiber asked.
"We have nothing to hear from you, target." A nord female shouted from under her hood.
Tiber barreled into her, knocking her over. He grabbed her wrists and leaned in close to her, "I can offer you something the Dark Brotherhood needs. I know something it lacks, do you know the problem?" Tiber clacked his teeth next to her ear, "Stability." He whispered. He let go of her and got up, turning away from them, "Stability!" he repeated loudly, "Morag Tong has more of it than you." He turned back towards them, grabbing the Listener's stabbing knife, "If you haven't noticed, I am at war with the Empire, trying to take it over. I can give you more stability than Morag Tong, complete legality. All contracts will be considered legal rather than overlooked, in exchange for taxes on normal contracts, and doing government contracts for free."
The Listener bared her teeth, "I'm listening."
"Yes, it's what you do best, Listener, take me to the Night Mother." Tiber commanded, letting go of her. She huffily turned on her heel and took him down a winding corridor, leading them deeper and deeper into Nirn. Eventually there were no more doors along the hall and it began to spiral downward.
Finally it opened up to a cone shaped room, with a coffin suspended in the air by chains.
Tiber sank to his knees, "Wife of Sithis, I revere the Dread Father and his counterpart above all. I come before you..." He bowed until his forehead touched the dirt, "Humbly requesting that you become part of my new empire, you have been brutalized for centuries and I offer an alternative. Legalization of even extra-governmental contracts."
The Night Mother's spirit came out of her tomb, "Cedric, don't embarrass yourself, you'll only get your blood on my tomb. Put the knife away silly boy. Now then, details of this bargain, Tiber Septim." She said softly.
"Taxation upon normal contracts, any hits placed on the Emperor are to be ignored and you are to kill the one who requested it, you will gain a tax deduction of the price they offered and free work for the Emperor." Tiber explained, raising his head.
"How much taxation?" The Night Mother asked, "My children need to eat."
"5%. Skimmed off the top, after all, you can't let people know that you are condoned by the government. And I will use people to make sure that they don't know, while guaranteeing your legality. No one will harass you. If anyone attempts to, you need only allow me to know." Tiber said softly, "I will take care of the rest."
"We will not bother you with some of the petty things however."
"Just don't expect a deduction or even a thank you for that though." Tiber said, standing up, "I shall be the first Emperor of the New Imperium, and I shall lead the Empire to a golden age."
"Hmm..." She pondered this for a moment, "And I assume you will want us to take the hit off your head?"
"Only temporarily, consider my success and you killing the one who placed the hit, so long as I have not killed them first, to be the sealing of the contract." Tiber smiled, "Then, obviously, take the hit off my head."
"It is done, we shall hold off on assassinating you until your failure." The Night Mother said, "I presume you will want to go back?"
"Yeah, let me just call my ride." Tiber cleared his throat, "Albert!"
Albert teleported by his side, "My lord, I am most relieved we did not have to destroy the Dark Brotherhood."
"Yes, yes Albert, no one likes a braggart. Now then, home." Albert nodded, snapping his fingers and teleporting them back to their home, sitting around the table in the throne room.
"So then, Khaj, Heron, perhaps you should go do that." Tiber said, "The army will teleport in once the shields are down, and occupying the city should be a simple matter. We don't know how many mages are used to hold up the shield, but I am sure you two can figure it out, and figure out when the least amount of mages are doing it, and use that chance to attack." Tiber smiled, Heron growled and Khaj nodded. Tiber waved them off.
They bowed in unison, heading into the darkness of the room.