Editing The Tales of the Emperasque: Part Eleven (section)

==0-082-001-M42==
“It’s completely out of the question,” Jaghatai said flatly.<br>
“Utterly. I’m genuinely astounded that you would even consider it,” Lion El’Jonson added.<br>
“I SUPPOSE THAT’S NOT A SHOCK. ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU CONSIDER ITS MERITS BEFORE DISMISSING IT AS IMPOSSIBLE.” The Emperor was sitting behind a massive gold-tinted table he had had installed in the Hall of the Throne to replace the actual Throne itself.<br>
“Humanity stood alone as the Age of Strife began, Father! Abandoned by its alien allies and betrayed by its own creations! We learned from our mistake!” El’Jonson said heatedly. Corax nodded grimly from beside him.<br>
“You remember, Father, they treated us like we were invading them when you were there,” Guilliman said from Jaghatai’s elbow. “Even with all the favors you owed them.”<br>
“THE ELDAR SEE IGNORANCE IN OUR REFUSAL TO SUBMIT TO THEIR MACHINATIONS, BECAUSE SO OFTEN THEIR PLANS AND OURS ARE ENTIRELY AT ODDS. YES. WHAT IF THEY WEREN’T?” the Emperor pressed.<br>
“The Craftworld Eldar are interested only in self-preservation and carefully preserving their superiority complex,” Jaghatai said angrily, “and the Dark Eldar are murderous vermin, one and all, as I damn well know. Yeah, leave them to rot.”<br>
“THE CRAFTWORLDERS ARE WILLING TO COOPERATE WITH US. THEY HAVE IN THE PAST, SEVERAL TIMES,” the Emperor said doggedly. “BEYOND THAT, THEIR GOD OWES ME A HUGE FAVOR. A LITERAL GOD OWES ME. NO WAY I’M NOT CASHING THAT IN.”

“Exchanging favors is one thing. An alliance is quite another,” Russ put in mildly. Jaghatai looked at him, confused.<br>
“Russ, I thought you were all for this. What changed your mind?”<br>
“I’m not in favor of an alliance. I’m in favor of mutual assistance and maybe, possibly, eventually, commerce. Nothing more,” Russ pointed out. “Just playing it fair, here.”<br>
“NOBODY’S PROPOSING AN ALLIANCE,” the Emperor roared from his- elevated - side of the massive table. The structure sloped down nearly fifty feet to a more normal height, where the Techpriests had installed conveniently Primarch-sized seats. “ALL I’M SAYING IS THAT THE LAST THING THAT THE TWO REMAINING SIGNIFICANT EMPIRES THAT OPPOSE CHAOS, TYRANIDS, AND THE NECRONS SHOULD BE DOING IS FIGHTING EACH OTHER. ESPECIALLY NOT WHEN THEIR LEADERS OWE EACH OTHER FAVORS.”<br>
Russ nodded slowly. “Stranger things have happened since I got back to reality.”<br>
“I can’t believe I just heard you say that, Leman,” Corax said. “You of all people.”<br>
“Why not?” Russ countered. “You know me. I’m a practical kinda guy. Beyond that, the Eldar have aligned with us before.”<br>
“It’s a heresy and a crime against the Imperial Truth,” El’Jonson said hotly.<br>
“From what I understand, the word ‘heresy’ has taken on rather new meanings since last I checked,” Guilliman muttered bitterly. “And the Truth has been left to the wayside.”<br>
“TO BE HONEST, THAT’S A DEEPER RUNNING PROBLEM THAN THE ELDAR.” He turned his glowing purple eyes to Guilliman. “ALSO, ROBOUTE, IF ANYONE IN THIS ROOM STANDS TO GAIN FROM THIS, IT’S YOU. THE ULTRAMARINES HAVE MADE DEALS WITH ELDAR AND OTHER XENOS IN THE PAST.”

“They have?” Guilliman said in surprise. “When?”<br>
“RATHER OFTEN, FROM WHAT I HEAR,” the Emperor said. “INDEED, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE TAU WOULDN’T BE HALF THE THREAT THEY ARE IF THE ULTRAMARINES AND BLOOD ANGELS HADN’T THROWN THEIR EVERYTHING INTO SLAUGHTERING THE TYRANIDS ALONGSIDE TAU EXPANSION FLEETS.”<br>
Guilliman struggled to find words for a moment, much to Russ’ private amusement. “I…suppose I can’t get angry at the Chapter if I don’t know why they did these things. Are the Ultramarines the ONLY chapter to have done this?”<br>
“HELL NO, EVERY FIRST AND SECOND FOUNDING CHAPTER HAS, TO SOME EXTENT, AND HUNDREDS MORE BESIDES, INCLUDING THE GREY KNIGHTS.”<br>
Guilliman was silent for another few uncomfortable moments before sighing aloud. “I trust that my successors had their reasons.”<br>
“SO DID I. CORAX, YOU LOOK UNCONVINCED.”<br>
“I am, Sire,” Corax said, mustering his thoughts. “The Eldar have no reason to trust us. None. Whatever individual acts of cooperation between us there may have been in the past, they can’t overcome ten thousand years of war.”<br>
“EXCEPT WHEN THEY HAVE TO. YOU AND JAGHATAI BOTH SAID BEFORE THAT THE ELDAR WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO SURVIVE. THEY KNOW FULL WELL THAT THEY ARE A DYING RACE, CORAX; IF ALLYING WITH US CAN BUY THEM A FEW MORE MILLENNIA OF INCREASED STABILITY, A FEW THOUSAND MORE YEARS OF ONLY HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT CATASTROPHIC PROBLEMS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH US, I GUARANTEE IT’LL PERK UP SOME EARS ON THE WARLOCK COUNCILS,” the Emperor said reasonably. Russ snorted at the mental image that produced, but said nothing.

“BEYOND THAT, ONE OF THE BIGGEST RESOURCE DRAINS ON CRAFTWORLD ELDAR FLEETS IS HAVING TO PROTECT THEIR EXODITE WORLDS FROM IMPERIAL COLONY FLEETS AND ORDOS XENOS KILL TEAMS. IF WE INSTRUCTED THE MECHANICUM AND INQUISITION TO LEAVE THEM ALONE THAT WOULD SAVE THE CRAFTWORLDS MILLIONS OF LIVES,” the Emperor added. “THAT MATTERS MORE TO THEM THAN ANY TRADE PACT OR INFORMATION BROKERING.”<br>
El’Jonson stared at the tiny Aquilla engraved in the table in front of each seat. Very slowly and deliberately, he spoke up. “I find the idea of a resurgent Humanity allying itself with Xenos repulsive. But…I suppose, now of all times, we have…far greater problems to worry about. For now.”<br>
Corax shifted uncomfortably as the throbbing pain in his wrist flared up. He gingerly lifted his arm and set it on the table as Russ nodded. “I agree with Lion. We’ve got bigger fish to murder.”<br>
“Why did you wait until after Vulkan was gone to discuss this, Father?” Jaghatai asked.<br>
“I DIDN’T. I ASKED HIM FOR HIS OPINIONS BEFORE HE EVEN LEFT,” the Emperor roared. “HE SAID HE WOULD SUPPORT WHATEVER AGREEMENT THE REST OF US REACH. TRUTH BE TOLD,” the Emperor confided, lowering his ear-splitting voice by an unnoticeable degree, “HE THOUGHT IT WAS A WORTHY IDEA THAT SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT BE PURSUED AT THE COST OF THE IMPERIUM’S CURRENT SURVIVAL. IF WE CAN GET THE ELDAR OUT OF OUR COLLECTIVE HAIR AND MAYBE GET SOME OF THEIR TECHNOLOGY OUT OF THE DEAL, HE’S ALL FOR IT.”<br>
“Gearhead,” Russ said fondly.<br>
“ALWAYS WAS. I SUSPECT MANUS WOULD HAVE SAID THE SAME IF HE WERE HERE,” the Emperor said.

“Are we distinguishing between Craftworld Eldar, Corsairs, Exodites, and Commorragh Eldar here?” Jaghatai asked, determined not to be swayed by nostalgia.<br>
“OBVIOUSLY. THE EXODITES ARE NO THREAT TO ANYONE, AND THE CRAFTWORLDERS WILL BE OPEN TO NEGOTIATION AS I’VE SAID, BUT THE CORSAIRS ARE NO BETTER THAN ORK PIRATES, AND THE DARK ELDAR ARE VERMIN TO BE EXTERMINATED,” the Emperor replied.<br>
“Good answer, Sire,” Jaghatai said, his own hatred of the Dark Eldar flaring up in his memories, undimmed by ten thousand years of cursing their foul race in the Webway.<br>
“If the consensus is in favor, I won’t oppose it,” Corax said resignedly, “if only because the Imperium needs consensus now more than ever before. But I want it noted that I think this is grounded in good intentions destined to fail.”<br>
“DULY NOTED, SON. LION?”<br>
El’Jonson slowly ground the heels of his palms into his eyes and sighed through clenched teeth. “…Fine. I’ve got bigger problems. Much bigger problems,” he muttered darkly.<br>
“LEMAN?”<br>
Russ stared at Jaghatai for a moment before returning his gaze to the Emperor. “I’ll support a mutual non-aggression pact, if it comes to it. I suspect selling it to the wolf brothers will be hard, but…I’ll do it.”<br>
“ALL RIGHT. ROBOUTE?”<br>
Guilliman closed his eyes in thought, speaking slowly. “If it’s not unprecedented, then…I’ll consider it. I suppose I do owe Ulthwé my life, if nothing else.”<br>
“JAGHATAI?”<br>
Jaghatai shook his head emphatically. “I’m sorry, Father, but I can’t agree to this. I’ve just heard too much about how the Dark Eldar and Craftworlders…hell, all of them, really…they’re just too damned willing to co-operate. My own history aside, if it comes down to aiding Commorragh and aiding Terra, they’ll aid Commorragh.”

“WOULD WE DO LESS?” the Emperor asked. “I UNDERSTAND YOUR RECALCITRANCE, THOUGH, I REALLY DO. IF WE GO AHEAD WITH THIS, WILL YOU SUPPORT IT?”<br>
“If I’m directly ordered to, then I’m directly ordered to, and I won’t disobey,” Jaghtai said simply, shaking his head with a scowl.<br>
“I UNDERSTAND. THEN BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE THRONE – NOT THAT I HAVE ONE ANY MORE – NEGOTIATIONS WILL OPEN VIA THE CHANNEL WE ALREADY OPENED ON ULTHWÉ. I’LL PROBABLY BE TALKING TO ELDRAD DIRECTLY. IN ANY CASE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT, MY SONS. SHIPS FROM THE STRIKE FORCE YOU AND DANTE BROUGHT WITH YOU, CORAX, ARE BEING PREPPED TO SEND YOU BACK TO YOUR OWN HOMEWORLDS. I’D SEND YOU MYSELF, BUT I NEED TO STAY AND HELP CLEAN UP THE MESS FULGRIM MADE OF HIVE LUCRESTI.”<br>
“Yes, Father,” Guilliman answered for them all as they stood up to leave. Corax remained in his seat, waiting for the others to leave. As Jaghatai crossed the threshold, Corax stood.<br>
“Father, I haven’t really had a chance to ask. You know what I did before I headed into the Eye?”<br>
“OF COURSE,” the Emperor said heavily. “WHAT OF IT?”<br>
“Guess,” Corax said drily.<br>
“CORAX.”<br>
“Fine. My Liege, I was following your instructions verbatim and failed utterly. I was devastated by the mistake. You know what I felt I had to do in penance.”<br>
“I DO.”<br>
“And…have I paid for it fully?”<br>
“OBVIOUSLY, MY SON. FAR WORSE CRIMES WOULD HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN BY THE PENANCE YOU BORE,” the Emperor said, with some surprise. Corax nodded, a weight lifting from his shoulders.<br>
“I would have mentioned it before, but, well…you know. Imminent doom.”<br>
“YOU’LL GET USED TO IT AROUND HERE, SON, BELIEVE ME,” the Emperor said wearily. “NOW THEN. HOW’S THE WRIST?”<br>
“Agony incarnate, but it’ll heal; Draigo’s man got to it in time,” Corax said, hefting the bandaged limb.