Damien remained silent, letting the Emperor work through the implications.
"I need these traitors eliminated," the Emperor said finally. "All fifteen of them. But I can't do it through official means without triggering exactly the political nightmare we're trying to avoid."
"What are you asking, Your Majesty?"
The Emperor turned to face him directly.
"I'm asking you to kill them. All fifteen. One by one, quietly, without anyone noticing. Make their deaths look like accidents, natural causes, anything except coordinated assassination. Remove the conspiracy from my government without exposing how deep it actually ran."
The request hung in the air between them.
"You want me to be your executioner," Damien said. "Operating outside all legal frameworks, eliminating imperial officials based on evidence only you and I have reviewed, with no oversight or accountability."
