Author's note: Just as a quick recap, happy holidays and Valentines Day everyone. I'm really sorry it took me this long but after a car accident, trouble with my family and a severe case of writer's block, I' m glad to be back. I' ll release a new chapter and a bonus one tomorrow, hope you like them.
As always, please consider visiting my forum for keeping in touch and sharing new ideas for the next chapter. All reviews and feedback are welcome. Enjoy!
Disclaimer:
This story is a fan fiction of my own creation inspired by various sources. Both Darth Vader and Darth Sidious along with any Star Wars franchise reference belong to Lucasfilm, while all secondary characters, environment and locations belong to Games Workshop. I do not claim any ownership of the source material. This story was created for entertainment purposes and not intended to be linked directly to either the Star Wars universe or the Warhammer 40,000 universe official canons. All rights reserved to the respective owners.
My sincere thanks to George Lucas, Rick Priestly, Andy Chambers and all the people in charge of creating and expanding both of these fantastic universes.I hope you can keep fascinating and inspiring many generations to come.
I also appreciate all who collaborated in the editing of this fanfic with their reviews, shout-out to:
u/1515601/Mashot-Tito
u/8116872/SuperSaiyanDiclonius
u/8428704/You-re-Normal-Sheevite
u/5519409/Imperial-Briton
HEMA (user)
and above all my readers. Love you guys.
41st Millennium: A Star Wars Story
By: Lewis II
Original Idea by:
YouTube (2018). " Could Darth Vader survive in Warhammer 40k?" Commissar Gamza: YouTube. From: /p0czd32HPQw
YouTube (2018). " Could Darth Sidious survive in Warhammer 40k?" Commissar Gamza: YouTube. From: /p0czd32HPQw
Logo by Lewis II, both emblems are property of Games Workshop and Lucasfilm
Chapter 5:
Proposals
The table was set and the appetizers were distributed amongst the waiters and servants, both impeccably dressed. The luscious trays included exotic caviars from different feral world marine species, deviled mushrooms with caramelized onions and Birri truffles prepared with variants of imported spices into a tasty paste, Snow cow and High goat cheeses adorned by thin sliced charcuterie, bowls of fresh colorful fruit, baskets with golden brown toasts and handmade crackers. Four sommeliers served Grand Reserve and Triple Stilled Amesec as well as imported fortified Gleece, Vintage Raenka, Craft Ales and non alcoholic fruit punch amongst the guests.
A perfect variety to open the pallet of the many remarkable personalities within the massive ball room. Most of them would stare at the deserted landscape through the massive windows of the great hall ignoring the red and brown thick clouds on the sky. Others would simply talk about their day to day banalities and close commercial deals. They were men and women, rich tycoons accompanied by their voluptuous lovers and extravagantly adorned families. Among them, their host was holding a conversation with the governor and several members of the Consortium, while holding a cup of Gleece between his hands. His pristine hair and soft wrinkles depicted a rich grown man full of jovial energy, wisdom and experience. His attire and jewelry were of civilian nature, yet its colors and design irradiated the flamboyant looks of a military high born. His whole aura was charming yet restrained.
" I'm veritably humbled that you could join us in my welcome ball, Lord Governor. Same goes for you milady." He cordially stated while smiling.
He bowed and kissed the hand of the governor's wife as she answered the salutation:
"It is a breath of fresh air to have such a splendid guest and such a gorgeous event on this time of the year. Only bad news and misfortunes have followed us lately."
"Mighty Emperor. How so?" The host asked.
"Crime has risen out of control and have started to worry some of our close collaborators. Especially with the death of our friend Counselor Trevius by one those underhive …"
The governor interrupted her with a severe, almost enraged voice.
" I have already told you, the security corps and the Mechanicus are doing all that is possible to capture and execute the murderers. Right now we only know the syndicate's name but the truth about these Sorvitax will be know shortly."
He withdrew a cloth napkin from his uniform and wiped with it the sweat from his forehead and scalp. He then cleared his throat and nervously smiled at the host while returning the napkin to his inner pocket. He then proceeded:
"We are most delighted with your arrival to this, our humble world, Lord Palpatine. Please make yourself at home"
"Thank you so much governor" he answered. "I truly intend to call this world home. And please, call me Sheev."
"Lord Sheev. It is a great honor to have you here. With your pardon, may I inquire the nature of your migration?"
Palpatine sipped his cup and responded while glaring at it, holding it playfully like a well versed connoisseur:
"My great grandfather always said that The God Emperor blesses all those who dare fight and work in distant worlds in his holy name."
He looked back at the ruling couple with a smile:
"Such way is how my family have survived in Nova Thulium by generations in the first place"
"N-Nova Thulium?"The governor stuttered. "Have you come all the way from Ultramar itself, my lord ?" He Followed up.
Some of the guests turned discretely their heads in order to better hear the conversation, even trying to look at them with the corner of an eye.
"It was an arduous trail. The preparation alone took time beyond the original schedule. Nevertheless I now see it was worth it."
He looked elsewhere with a concerned face and continued:
"Our plants are dazzling with production, like our crops. Nevertheless, our Promethium demand has recently been blocked in Konor due to the pesky unions and Mechanicus authorities who envy my family and sanctioned us. It has hurt our shares and made me think about new opportunities in distant worlds."
The small circle of people leaned towards Palpatine, as if they waited for a specific word.
"So... I'd be delighted to acquire some manufactorum stock and shares to help boost our economies and perhaps open a direct trade partnership with Ultramar." He concluded.
Those who heard in the distance, walked swiftly towards the small circle and tried to join the conversation as amiably and naturally as possible. He became the center of attention while the music became partially louder. Serene waltzes and folk pieces invited people to take over the dance floor. Surrounded by his new cohort, Sidious retired to a more discreet conference room.
The room remained shut while the rest of the guests enjoyed the company, the feast and dancing of the reclusive host. The hours passed by and when dusk appeared on the horizon, the conference room resounded with applause and bursts of pompous laughter, followed by Palpatine's summary of the new agreement:
"Then it is decided, gentlemen. I shall then pay 625 million in advance for 125 million shares worth from the top 16 manufactorum, 200 million worth in steel chassis stock 100 million worth in land and warehouses, brilliant proposal by Mr. Ludwicks dare I say, and the rest worth in laminate armor plate stock. The next payment will come after the first loading. Our trading fleet takes 5 years to make the trip. If my calculations are correct, in less than 20 years we will be enjoying 1000% of our current investment. "
A servant appeared from behind Palpatine and handed glasses of Amasec to the attendants. Palpatine then stood up, followed by his guests:
"I propose then a toast. To the greatness of this world and the future of its people. Emperor protects"
" Emperor protects" the rest repeated as their glasses touched. While they were drinking, the governor, sat by Palpatine's right side, noticed something. A small pale elder remained seated, his glass untouched. He instinctively addressed this figure:
"Are you not joining us Lord Remus?"
The old man answered out loud, reaching for all the attendants in the room:
"I see your memory and your intelligence are smaller than your greed, my dear colleagues."
The room became abruptly silent. The old man stood up and looked at the table while combing his prominent mustache with his fingers, as if thinking and preparing to give a speech. He then looked Palpatine in the eye and kept talking:
"If I join this initiative, gentlemen, I would go against my friend Trevius and his last will, along with my family's legacy. He envisioned a Vorlanthus where The Emperor's glory could shine through all of its most illustrious people, not only a few of them. I was dragged here by curiosity, now I will see my way out. Nevertheless, I wish you The Emperor's blessings on this project."
He departed the room on a rush with his hands behind his back.
Palpatine stared at the ancient one's back with a small grin on his mouth, his eyes glowed in interest before he kept attending his new partners.
The next day, Lord Remus left the majestic superbness of his Imperial Gothic manor for his regular morning walk, on the middle levels just below the toxic clouds, still within range of the hive security corps. The brittle and hunched figure walked thoughtfully through the polluted streets with his mask on, dwelling on the recent event. His stomach churned while he thought about investing that much resources and trust on somebody who essentially remained a complete stranger. A messenger walked with an accelerated pace and reached him, with a letter in his hand.
"My master has invited you to his house my lord"
Remus took the letter with a swift move. It was a handwritten invitation. He nodded and thought about further inquiring this cryptic man.
He followed the servant and entered a relatively modest mansion, most of its structure followed a tainted, crude gothic style but with an small inner courtyard, splendidly adorned by a hanging garden. Palpatine was enjoying tea while admiring the beauty of his hanging natural spectacle on his splendid blue couch.
" Lord Remus, I'm glad you accepted my invitation. Please, take a seat. If you are hungry I can procure you anything for breakfast.
Remus nodded and sat in silence on a sculpted wooden chair.
"Beautiful, is it not?" Palpatine continued while glaring at his garden under the early morning sunlight. "Reminds me of my former home. I have also acquired plants from other agri worlds during my journey."
Remus remained silent and rolled his eyes around to find Palpatine again, speaking then with a monotonous voice:
"Let us not digress any further. What is your interest on me, Lord Palpatine?"
Palpatine finished his cup and put it away on a small table.
"I admire your bravery and conviction, Lord Remus. I consider you as a valuable asset to our operation. Your expertise within this sector makes you a potential consultant and personal adviser."
Palpatine reclined on his seat while Remus moved his chair forward.
"I hope you have read about Vorlanthus and its history during your trip, Lord Palpatine. 1600 years ago a man named Auron Herschwood came offering a vast amount to start his own Manufactorum. He used his property as a cover, where he started reuniting servants and high born children for massive intoxicated orgies as a way to invoke the power and favor of Slaneesh. The rich man was a rogue trader and a Chaos cultist who claimed the lives of many, until the Inquisition barely stopped him before Exterminatus. My ancestor, Paridon Remus, gathered his most trustworthy allies and established the Consortium, so no man could drag our wealth away or our souls into Chaos again."
Palpatine leaned forward and glared at the garden once more before returning to Remus:
"I have heard of this story... which is why I can trust a man like yourself to keep my actions in check. I would be tempted to pay you one third of your total shares in advance, 29 million as my initial offer."
Remus smiled and pushing the chair back stood on his feet.
"My manufactorum is not for sale. Neither is my dignity, Lord Palpatine"
"I understand" he muttered.
"Things here are not like in Ultramar, you must know. The Imperium might have almost casted us aside but we can still fend for ourselves. If you insist on this matter or if your actions put us at risk, I shall be forced to put you down by more...unconventional methods" Remus concluded.
"Would you, then?" Palpatine smiled. "Thank you for your time Lord Remus. Good day." He followed up with a relaxed, almost melodic tone and walked away. Remus left the place with a quiet pace.
As the daylight faded away, Remus thought about using his boys in order to give him a cautionary fright, after all they were the best at their job, so was his opinion. He was not the only one patronizing underhive gangs: "what is to be ashamed of?" He thought. Remus arrived to his personal office, where he enjoyed checking the manifests and production reports in order to keep everything in order.
The terrifying distant noise took him by surprise.
An explosion was heard at the middle lower part of the city, not far from Remus' house. The news arrived some minutes later via his communicator: his furnaces had exploded, destroying half his manufactorum and rendering a third of his stock useless. He heard a startled voice on the communicator while he received the news, it was a worker being interrogated:
"It wasn't us mylord, it was the Tech Priests, they just altered the coolant levels and smashed the controls. They turned the cauldrons over and burned everything...some of them started killing everyone. It was as if something possessed them."
Remus felt a shiver and shook his head in disbelief. Cold sweat covered his forehead and the hair on the back of his neck stood firm to its root. He had no option but to put himself to work. He went down to the manufactorum, saw the havoc with his own eyes: the twisted structures, burning fire and glowing molten metal. A hellscape
That worsened by the minute. Remus had little to no sleep that night as he gathered some consultants and witnesses bringing them back for an assessment and a financial analysis.
He was almost broke. The legacy of his family was almost erased. He looked for support from his consortium associates the next day, but due to a reform they required authorization from all members, including its most recent: Lord Palpatine.
The very next day, he searched for other close friends for loans or support. They all had sold parts of their stock to Palpatine.
Remus had no option.
He looked for Palpatine a week later and accepted the deal for half the price, being later the owner of only a fifth part of his former wealth.
That very day, after signing the agreement and returning home, Palpatine looked at the horizon, thinking about his accomplishment. All was working as planned, he had more than half of the city and the Consortium under his influence. It had been a month since he left the underhive but his mind was still there, planing how to move his new pawns for the next step.
From a small tarnished bookshelf, Palpatine took a book as big as his forearm and placed it on the table. He opened the book and wrote in one of its blank pages:
"Trevius served me well. I am less than 5 weeks apart from taking over Mediolanum. Karriven has already contacted with Voracum and Pteridar. Negotiations will begin soon."
A dark thick ink started to appear on the book. Ininteligible signs rearranged into letters.
"One of my psychers would have destroyed the manufactorum faster than The Force." it read.
"Then it would draw the attention, and leave a stream of Warp energy back to us." he wrote.
"I expect fruitful results, Sidious. Vorlanthus IV must fall by the turn of the year"
"By then, the whole system will be ours" the writing replied.
" Fulfill your destiny then, prove yourself a worthy emperor, dear friend."
A deep laughter was heard in the air while the wind blew on Sidious' face. A flash emerged from the book and crawled from Sidious' hand all the way to his head and face. His eyes glowed with the energy of Chaos and closed the book the same way a beast trap. Several blue feathers appeared on his hand and forearms to fade away seconds later. He had pleased the Lord of Change.