Lord Nour closed the Chronicle of Ursh. The metal book cover locked itself, and the servo-skull of the ex-Head Librarian carried it away.
"Your thoughts?" The assassin sitting before him asked, head resting lazily on her hands.
"What do you want me to say?" Nour snorted. "Should I dismiss the entire story as the ravings of religious madmen? Or, should I be shaken by its allusions that our beloved Emperor is a divine being?"
"Is he a divine being?" Lady Callidus asked him coquettishly.
Nour stifled a shiver. The small smile she wore seemed almost predatory. Her slightly parted smile showed her sharp canines, like the fangs of some beast peeking out from beneath curled lips.
"I do not know." Nour shook his head, erring on the side of caution. "He is not human, but that much is an open secret amongst the other Lords."
"Indeed." Lady Callidus nodded, leaning back away from Nour. "What normal human grows to over 4 meters tall and lives for at least 800 years without aging? Even the Imperial Regent has the decency to appear as ancient as he is."
Nour gave an internal sigh. It was hypocritical of the assassin to insinuate the Emperor's divine nature, but still threaten anyone who mentioned it. However, it would be safer not to broach the matter any further.
"The most common theory is that he is a Man of Gold from the Dark Age of Technology." Nour continued the topic, stating the most popularly accepted rumor amongst the ruling class. "That is why the Lords fear and hate him. The Men of Gold were said to be protectors of the worlds they were deployed on. Tools to better our lives." Nour thought back to the rantings of one of the more delinquent Lords he had gotten close to for an investigation.
"It is an out of control weapon from Old Night." The fat man spat, believing himself safe in the privacy of his dacha. Lord Nour smiled and nodded, waiting for the verbal diarrhea to end so he could continue extracting information from the Lord's flippant lips. "Mark my words, young Nour, the Emperor cannot be allowed to lead. He is a tool made by men, and was meant to be used by us. We cannot let this go on. As things are, we would be no better than having an Abominable Intelligence ruling over us, ordering us around to make things more efficient." The man belched loudly, and Nour fetched him a chalice of Amasec. "We, the Lords, Princes, and Kings of old are the only ones who have the right to rule." The fat Lord said as he drank. "For now, we'll let the broken machine do its work, rebuilding our empire on Terra. Once it is finished, we will have to think of a way to shut it down."
It was not long after that the fat Lord was found dead. The obituaries stated he choked to death after swallowing his own tongue.
"He is not too far from the description." Nour continued, stating his own previously held beliefs. "The Imperium is better than the chaos of the un-unified regions. I suppose the only thing the Lords have to complain about is their betrayed expectations."
Lady Callidus snorted. "Arrogant of them to assume the betterment would come in a form they would control. Humanity is a poor judge of what is best for them as a species."
"Are the theories correct then?" Nour asked.
"What do you think?" Callidus countered, leaning in towards him.
Nour weighed his words carefully as a bead of sweat dripped down his brow. Callidus may appear a calm and collected individual, but her appearance was just another one of her weapons. The assassin was neither rational nor logical. She was simply intelligent. It was that intellect that allowed her to mimic the appearance and actions of a normal human being, but he could see the veneer beginning to peel off the longer they spoke about the Emperor.
Fanaticism. Zealotry. He could feel it in her veiled threats, and the way she tried to coax the wrong words from his mouth.
No logical or rational person would try to do that; to attempt to goad a person into sealing their own doom. It made even less sense when she was supposedly carrying a message for him.
"It is the only logical explanation for his longevity and appearance, not to mention his chosen color scheme." Nour finally said, adding a slight bit of humor to the end. He did not think the assassin would find it funny, but her disguise as a normal person would force her to laugh at that.
A dry chuckle came from the assassin's mouth, as predicted, and she leaned back into her chair.
"I would refrain from taking that thought any further." She said, "Even now, your jest borders on insolence."
Nour raised an eyebrow, unsure what she meant. It was obvious that any theory or rumor of the Emperor's origin was a taboo topic. Then he realized she was referring to his jibe at the Emperor's apparent favorite color.
"Are you serious?" He asked, slightly perplexed that she would threaten him for something so trivial.
"Is it worth finding out?" She snorted.
Nour shook his head with a sigh. He had no intention nor interest in finding out.
"What did you want with me?" He said, changing the topic. The quicker this interaction ended the better. Every word from the assassin's mouth was starting to sound like a trap, and she provided no answers to anything he asked. She was toying with him, like a cat with a rat.
"As I said, I am a messenger." Callidus replied, and she pulled a data tablet out from behind her back. "Have you heard of the city of Avelroi?" She said as she tossed the device onto the table.
"It is the region from where Lord D'agross is from within the lands of the Franc." Nour replied, picking up the tablet. "His uncle Havuleq leads it."
"Tithes from Avelroi and its sister cities have dwindled over the years. Skandian raiders are the reason they give." Callidus said with a derisive snort.
"What do you expect from the Franc?" Nour shrugged. "Rebellion and rabble rousing is in their blood."
"It is amusing and irritating to see how such concepts remain." Callidus sighed. "Their blood has long been diluted over thousands of years of intermingling."
Nour flipped through several reports, and apologetic letters regarding the tithes inside the data tablet. Avelroi was a low density city with only about 100,000 or so civilians living inside it. A far cry from the billions living inside the Hive cities of Indoi. Their economy was relatively diversified with industrial and agricultural sectors that kept the city self-sufficient. Their defenses consisted of the usual fortress walls and militias one would need to hold back raiders. Most of these were now manned by Imperial garrisons, but the number of troops was quite low for the city's size.
Nour frowned at this detail. It was a slight oddity amongst the pages of mundane data, and it drew his eye. Their garrison's numbers had not been depleted suddenly, but had been low from the start and had gradually been reduced over the years.
"The previous D'agross understood the futility of resisting the Imperium." Callidus said as she watched Nour look over the data. "For his foresight, Avelroi and her surrounding cities were granted a greater amount of freedom than those who resisted. An effort to encourage peaceful unification with the Imperium at the time. They also received Imperial investments and subsidies for their obedience."
"If these numbers are true, then their cover story of Skandian raiders is dubious." Nour concluded. "Although they have pointed out that the low number of Imperial Troops makes it harder to defend against Skandian raids, I find it hard to believe that they fought the raiders off with only their militias without incurring a single Imperial casualty." He set the tablet down and looked at the assassin. "But you already knew that."
"Of course." Callidus nodded. "However, the Imperium must respect their autonomy. Some tithes paid are better than none, and their past cooperation forces us to show leniency. It would not do well for the negotiations with Hy-Brasil and Merica if the Imperium treated a region that willingly unified with the Imperium too harshly."
"If that is the case, then send a Governor." Nour replied. "Malice is not always the reason for tardy tithes. Genuine incompetence with accounting and lack of managerial skills have been the cause for perceived disobedience. The Governor will take over the mundane tasks of accounting and dealing with the Imperial bureaucracy. The regional leaders can remain in power as well as keep any private earnings or entitlements they have legal rights to. Thus, both parties save political face."
"One will be sent." Callidus nodded. "Her file is also in there." She swiped a finger on the tablet, bringing up the profile of a young woman.
"A fresh graduate?" Nour snorted. "Are you trying to get her killed?"
Governors were, at face value, a glorified accountant and manager of economics. However, they were essentially the controllers of the Imperium's assets within the unified areas of the Imperium. Thus, there were always conflicts behind the scenes between Imperial Governors, and pre-existing leaders.
Sabotage. Scandal. Assassination. All three occurred on a semi-regular basis between the Governors and those who had been in control of the land being governed.
Sending a fresh graduate who had no experience with the darker side of their occupation was like putting a young lamb before a wolf. They would be torn apart in seconds.
"The Hall of Lords have made this appointment, and at the moment Avelroi's infractions are not so serious the Emperor has to intervene directly." Callidus shrugged.
"Lord D'agross. This must be his scheme." Nour muttered. "Havuleq must have asked for an incompetent Governor to act as a scapegoat for any failures. Governors are allowed to take over economic control of a region, but that also means any failures would ultimately be theirs. If Havuleq can blame the Governor for his own failures or inadequacies, then he can buy himself a few more years free from Imperial scrutiny."
"'Failures and inadequacies'..." The assassin parroted him, then let out a cynical chuckle. "Do you truly believe that is what this is?"
"Embezzlement and personal aggrandizement then." Nour rephrased his previous statement. "Although, one could describe that as a failure and an inadequacy. A man who cannot control his own urges is just a beast."
"Indeed…" Callidus nodded. "Havuleq is quite a beast. I'm sure you've heard rumors of how he came into power?"
"I believe it was that he assassinated his own uncle with his brother." Nour recalled from the numerous salacious stories and backbiting he heard.
"The rumors are correct." Callidus smiled. "However, even as a beast, he has an almost instinctive understanding of how to manipulate people."
"A common enough trait for one in the nobility." Nour snorted. "Life in politics is often spent mollifying others. If I can get another signature on a bill with a good word or two, then I'd write a poem full of praises. After all, words don't cost money."
Nour then narrowed his eyes at the assassin. "If you know this much, why even bother entertaining their flimsy efforts? Simply replace their chosen Governor with a more senior one. Even if the Hall of Lords has made their decision, there are countless other ways to temporarily replace a Governor. Have her remain home due to sickness or other personal injury. A substitute will have to be sent in order for the Governor to begin their Governorship. Such substitutes are usually more senior, as they have to be experienced enough to deal with taking over an unfamiliar Governorship as a replacement. It won't look good on her record, but such a substitute should be able to find enough evidence to have Havuleq indicted or imprisoned. After that, it should be a simple matter to find a more obedient individual to take his place."
"We already have the Governor we want." Callidus replied.
Nour's eyes widened, then narrowed. "... You are trying to get her killed."
Callidus raised her hands, feigning a surrendering pose to the accusation.
"A fresh idealist loyal to the Emperor and top of her class." She said, summarizing the young woman's psychiatric evaluation and academic grades. "Havuleq will not be able to hide his misdeeds from her, and she will not have the connections or experience to deal with it covertly. Thus, the only outcome from their meeting is her murder."
"That would allow you to replace both Lord D'agross and Havuleq, and send a message to any other disobedient regions without overtly threatening their internal autonomy." Nour sighed. He had no idea what other information they had on the D'agross bloodline, but apparently it was enough to sacrifice one woman in order to execute them all. That was the only fate that awaited anyone who killed one of the Emperor's servants.
"Close, but not our intent." Callidus said quietly, and she dragged her finger across the data pad. Patrol routes of various Imperial forces were brought up, with one particular group being highlighted.
Nour's blood ran cold as he read who the Imperium planned to send.
"You don't intend to send the Thunder Warriors after them?" He asked, mostly out of disbelief.
"Why not?" The assassin smiled. "The Imperial garrisons at Avelroi are understaffed, and will most likely be unable to suppress a full scale rebellion. If Avelroi rebels, the surrounding cities will most likely follow their example, meaning the Imperium's standard forces will be depleted in the region. If that were to happen, who would blame us for redirecting the legion patrolling the area for 'Skandian Raiders' reported by Avelroi herself?"
Nour felt his skin bump up into gooseflesh. It sounded as if the Imperium already knew the city was going to rebel, and had prepared to deal with it in the bloodiest way possible.
"It is far beyond what is required to quell a rebellion." He spoke warily. "The Thunder Warriors are relentless. They will not stop until everything is dead. You are trying to put out a house fire by blowing it up with a bomb."
"True, cutting off Havuleq's head along with a few others would be enough to scatter the rest." The assassin admitted.
"But that's not what you want." Nour's eyes went wide as the realization dawned on him. "You want to use the Thunder Warriors against them. You want them to engage in a one-sided massacre."
Lady Callidus remained silent, taking the conspiratorial accusation coolly. Then she gave a slight nod with a small smile.
Lord Nour sat back in silence, swallowing the admission.
"But why?" He asked after a moment's pause. "The Thunder Warrior's reputation is already bad enough within the Imperium. Why blacken it further? They are only feared now because they act against the enemies of the Imperium. Only children see them as heroes of the Imperium. If they are turned against a part of the Imperium, even if it has rebelled, they will be hated by all."
The Thunder Warriors were ruthless. They crushed whoever faced them without mercy. If they were turned loose on Avelroi and her surrounding cities, nobody would be safe.
Rebel.
Civilian.
It would not matter to them. They would all be brutalized as enemies of the Imperium. Such a thought would terrify even the most stalwart Imperial loyalist, for their loyalty would mean nothing when the Thunder Warriors came. They would be slaughtered like the rest for simply existing in the same space.
This was too heavy handed. The Thunder Warriors were designed to fight the Abominable Intelligences, genetic monstrosities, and psychic mutants of Old Night. To have them unleashed on disorganized rebels, no matter how insolent, was unthinkable.
"I suppose they would." The assassin replied, matter-of-factly.
Something clicked together in Nour's mind.
"This was never about Avelroi." He said, doing his best to still the shiver in his voice. "This was about the Thunder Warriors."
The assassin nodded, and gave him a slow clap to congratulate his arrival at the conclusion.
"It is another step on a long path for their decommissioning." Callidus said softly. "If the Thunder Warriors were to disappear now, there might be some who would be… sympathetic to their plight. After all, they do not truly know what they are. That would be especially true amongst the regions who unified with the Imperium peacefully. The people there might take their disappearance the wrong way, and fear the same would happen to them."
Nour pinched his chin between thumb and forefinger in thought.
What she said was true. The Thunder Warriors were seen as powerful soldiers by most of the citizenry. Those who met them first hand would have a different opinion, but their sudden disappearance would raise many questions. Some might even raise conspiratorial theories, and use their disappearance as fuel to fan the flames of their own rebellions to gain more power. What better martyr was there than a betrayed soldier?
"The massacre of the population of Avelroi and several of her surrounding cities will paint them as the monsters that they are." Callidus continued. "No one will question why they are gone. The only thing that will come from their mouths will be sighs of relief."
"That's not the end of this plan, is it?" Nour asked with narrowed eyes. "There have been rumors of a new breed of weapon for the Imperium. Tithes of children were taken from Europa, Old Albia, Brasil, the Achaemanid, Indoi, all over the planet. At first everyone in the Hall of Lords assumed they were used to expand the Emperor's bodyguard or his Thunder Warriors… but their numbers never increased in proportion with the number of children taken."
The disappearance of the Thunder Warriors, even if they had no sympathizers left, would still invite rebellion. The Imperium would need a new breed of weapon to keep its grip on the unified regions. That thought connected with past rumors he had heard through various Lords and dignitaries.
"There is a new weapon being added to the Imperial arsenal." Callidus answered, affirming the rumors. "Where the Thunder Warriors were just 'warriors', these will be 'soldiers'. They will function at a level far beyond what the Thunder Warriors were capable of."
Nour stifled another shiver. 'What does the Emperor intend to use these weapons on?' He thought to himself. The Unification Wars were almost over. There were no major enemies left, yet the Emperor was enhancing his arsenal instead of redirecting resources for reconstruction and peace.
"Why tell me this?" Nour asked the assassin. The information he now knew touched upon the hidden intentions of the Emperor. A single spilled word would be quickly followed by a gallon of blood from his own throat.
"Because, 'Governor Nour', the Emperor's plans have changed." The assassin swiped a finger across the data tablet again, showing his own profile as well as a penal notice stripping his Lordship for delinquency and deviancy. As punishment, he was to take over the region of Avelroi and assist its management to deal with the problems it had.
Nour grabbed the data tablet and scrolled back to see who exactly had instigated the chain events that lead to his punishment. After reading the first missives from house Zafranat, his own house, he snorted and put down the tablet.
The head of the main house of Zafranat had sent several petitions and apologetic missives to the Imperial Palace. They asked for forgiveness, for sending such a 'delinquent' into the Hall of Lords, but begged the Imperial Regent for mercy and allow him to show penance by taking more menial tasks.
The head of Zafranat was trying to ruin his reputation without damaging his own. Furthermore, by getting him sent to a more remote and menial position, Nour would be less protected physically and politically. No doubt the internal power struggle within Zafranat had forced the head's hand, and the only way for him to win was to kill Nour.
Naturally, the Imperium had decided to use this to its advantage, just as they had used his blackened name to form contacts with the seedier side of the Imperium.
"Will my contacts be looked after?" Nour asked, referring to the men and women who had fed him information within the Imperial Palace.
"Imperial agents are already escorting them from their former lives." Callidus answered. "They have served the Imperium, and will be rewarded."
Nour gave a short sigh, then nodded, accepting the assassin's answer. He would have preferred to have overseen their safe transit, but at the moment there was nothing he could do.
"What is his new plan then?" Nour asked instead. "Have his goals changed?"
He had heard how things were supposed to have gone. However, the assassin had explicitly stated those plans had changed. The Emperor was not one to make last minute changes to a plan, and this one had already taken several months if not years to prepare. Such a change of scope suggested the goal itself had changed.
"His goal is the unification of humanity on this planet. That hasn't changed." The assassin shook her head. "However, he has decided to offer each of his enemies one final chance."
Nour snorted at that.
"Are you saying the Thunder Warriors are his enemies?" They were the ones at the center of this conspiracy. All the other victims were just kindling for their pyre.
"You are all His enemies." The assassin spoke softly, but her words carried an emotional intensity Nour had never heard before. "Each and every worthless one of you stands in His way. Knowingly or unknowingly you hold our species back from its potential. Yet, in His infinite mercy and patience, He has decided to provide you the opportunity to prove yourselves."
Her eyes stared into his. The pupils were black pools of lightless darkness, like holes that opened up into the abyss of the underworld itself.
There was no hatred there. No malice. The only emotion there was the desire to murder him.
Nour swallowed loudly as he began to understand how Callidus's mind worked. Her every thought was centered around killing. Like a broken record, her brain constantly repeated the command, 'murder murder murder'.
The only thing keeping her from killing everything around her like an out of control gun servitor was the Emperor and his vision for humanity.
Nour pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his brow and neck.
The woman before him was a weapon, not a human. He had his suspicions for a long time, but to have them confirmed like this with her right in front of him was… unnerving to say the least.
'Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.' He thought to himself. 'You're just as much of a monster as the Thunder Warriors.'
Nour cleared his throat and refolded his handkerchief before putting it back in his pocket.
"Is my demotion from a Lord to a Governor part of proving myself?" He asked, continuing the conversation from where it left off.
"It would have been, had you held any attachment to your lordship." Callidus snorted. "Your mission, Governor, is to gather the enemies of the Imperium together."
Nour narrowed his eyes. "So, the Emperor wishes to take a leaf out of Machiavelli's book, does he? 'The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.'"
"Correct." Callidus acknowledged Nour's quote from 'The Prince'. "The corruption within the Imperium has been tolerated until now, for the old order is the greatest enemy of the innovator. They were allowed to exist so political power and economic control could be peacefully transferred from their fiefdoms and vassals to the Imperium. However, the Emperor has decided to cut out the rot that lies within his domain ahead of schedule. Obedience through fear will no longer be enough."
"It is a reasonable plan." Nour muttered. "The Emperor will be able to centralize power around himself with the dissenters gone. If he follows Machiavelli's quote to the letter, a more lenient system of government should arise from their ashes. At the moment, the only recourse for disobedience by any region is death."
"I am glad you can see the outcomes for your mission." Callidus smiled.
"I do have one problem with it though." Nour grumbled. "If I am to gather the enemies of the Imperium together, it would mean I would be part of their number."
"Who better to draw them out than a disgraced deviant lord?"
"I was referring to the part where I would most likely have to die with them."
"There will be arrangements made." Callidus's face shifted, drawing back her hair into her scalp as the skin darkened to match Nour's complexion. "Your current reputation is borderline unsalvageable anyways." She said with his voice and face. "Even if you were able to return home, you would not be able to be welcomed back with open arms. Think of it as a fresh start."
Nour watched her testily, then sighed and leaned back into his chair. "Fine then. I will need funds to begin, but I suppose that is why you are sending me to Avelroi."
"They were written off as a suitable expense to tar the reputation of the Thunder Warriors. Use their lives and their resources as you see fit."
"I see. Then the more immediate issue is Havuleq." He sent the assassin a questioning look. "Will you be getting rid of him for me?"
"No. I have other responsibilities that will keep me occupied." She pointed behind him. "He will be your tool for that task."
Nour didn't sense anything behind him. He had heard nothing as well. Yet, when he turned to follow Callidus's finger, he saw a muscled shadow with a skull for a face staring down at him.
"This is an Eversor assassin." Callidus said as Nour remained utterly still. "He and his ilk will be the tools the Imperium uses to show its displeasure. More technical assistance will come from the Vanus assassin connected through his face mask."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Nour." A feminine voice came from the skull face before him, surprisingly casual for a member of the assassin temples. "Apologies, for our more silent friend. I will direct him to where he is needed, when the time comes."
Nour stared back into the baleful green optics glowing in the eye sockets of the skull masked assassin. The Eversor assassin remained utterly still, like a statue.
"The pleasure is mine." He finally replied, finding his voice. "Will I be given a more visible entourage when I leave for Avelroi? Havuleq and the head of Zafranat will try to assassinate me if I arrive seemingly unguarded."
"Yes, you will." Callidus replied. "He should be arriving at any moment now."
Heavy steps began to echo from behind one of the bookshelves. Nour could not hear the clink clank of metal, so whoever it was did not wear armor. However, there was an audible weight to every step.
A large man, only a little taller than 2 meters, emerged from around the corner. Silken tunics clothed his artistically muscled body. His hair was pale white, and almost shoulder length. However, Nour could see a mixture of Afrik and Caucasoid traits in his face. The two ethnic origins merged pleasantly, with his high cheekbones and full-lips giving him a friendly amicable countenance.
"Lord Nour, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The man's voice was composed of soothing gentlemanly tones. "My name is Rylanor, and I am one of the Emperor's Children."