Chapter 14: The Feast Turns Spicy
The once-magnificent capital of the Moranson Federation lay in ruins.
Where towering cathedra had stood — temples raised to entities proclaimed wise and divine — only shattered stone and scorched earth remained. With the arrival of the Emperor and his golden host, the last vestiges of the cult's dominion had collapsed.
The High Priest-King lay sprawled amid the rubble, struggling for breath. His defeat had been inevitable. His psychic assaults had failed to so much as scratch the Emperor's auramite armor, and his covens of psykers had perished beneath the spears of the Custodian Guard.
"I warned you," the Emperor said coldly. "All that has happened today is the consequence of your own choices."
He had offered restraint. They had answered with sacrifice rituals and defiance.
The Priest-King laughed weakly.
"So… no one can stop you now, King of Terra?"
"King of Mankind."
"One world is not enough for you?" the priest rasped. "Your ambition will consume you."
The Emperor opened his mouth to respond—
—but another voice cut in.
"Damn it, old fossil, will you stop rambling?"
Yuki strode into the ruined square and, without ceremony, kicked the Priest-King aside. He skidded across the broken stone.
She waved casually.
"Don't misunderstand, Father. I'm not talking about you."
Then she jabbed a finger at the priest.
"I'm talking about this butcher who sacrifices thousands for his schemes. Worst of beasts. I should've just punched him first and saved time."
"Are you being sarcastic?" the Emperor asked evenly.
He placed a hand over her mouth.
"You appear to have excessive free time. Shall we spar later?"
"Haha — suddenly remembered urgent business. You continue." Yuki slipped away instantly.
The Emperor turned back.
"Do you have anything further to say?"
The Priest-King coughed blood.
"Is she your weapon?"
"She is my daughter."
"You know what she truly is."
The Emperor did not answer.
The Imperial Sword rose.
Fell.
The Moranson Federation ceased to exist.
The Ring
"Well, Father — what do you think?"
The Emperor turned the ring slowly between his fingers.
"A clever device," he said. "Signal reception and relay functions. The receiving node remains unknown."
"Could Nathan Doom use it to control minds?" Yuki asked.
"Unlikely. Were such control trivial, Terra would already be his."
She hesitated.
"And what he claimed…?"
"Do not dismiss it," the Emperor said. "But do not accept it as truth. Continue your work. If necessary, I will intervene."
Relief spread through her.
As long as the Emperor stood, the sky would not fall.
"Irigos. Summon all Eastern Front commanders."
Within her command tent, Yuki addressed the assembled legion leaders.
"Deployment orders are as follows:
The First Legion will remain strategic reserve.
All other legions will divide into tactical units of approximately three hundred warriors.
You will infiltrate the Pacific Rim Directorate."
A projection illuminated key infrastructure.
"Your objectives: destroy power generation facilities, transportation arteries, and strategic logistics nodes.
Without my direct order, you will avoid all engagements.
Preserve your strength.
Withdraw immediately after completing objectives.
If you cannot withdraw — withdraw anyway.
No contact. No engagements. No exceptions."
She paused.
"Unless I personally countermand it, all operational decisions rest with legion commanders. Legions will not communicate with one another. Intelligence is not to be trusted unless delivered by me or the Emperor."
"Yes, Your Highness."
No one objected.
Soldiers obey.
Trust in her was absolute.
Yuki studied the ring.
Nathan Doom knew too much.
Fine.
She would let him know what she intended.
I will cause trouble. If you pursue me, I retreat. If you do not, I continue.
He was arrogant. He believed control was absolute.
But nations require supply.
Infrastructure.
Energy.
Population.
Even a master strategist cannot ignore entropy.
She crushed the ring in her hand.
Fragments fell like dust.
Her aura turned cold.
This was the most dangerous opponent she had faced.
But if she could not defeat him, how could she ever stand against xenos empires and the horrors of the Warp?
Elsewhere
Nathan Doom turned a page.
On a nearby shelf, a black-covered tome whispered softly.
Open me. I will grant you knowledge. All knowledge.
He did not look at it.
"Why would I need you," he murmured, closing his book and walking away.
In the immaterium, something ancient stirred with interest.
War of Attrition
Yuki's infiltration strategy unfolded with ruthless efficiency.
Energy plants exploded.
Transit hubs collapsed.
Logistical arteries snapped.
Nathan Doom responded with eerie indifference. Small detachments of Iron Men pursued saboteurs with minimal urgency.
As if losses were irrelevant.
As if he were waiting.
Yuki understood: this was attrition warfare.
But why endure such destruction?
Why not seal borders and fortify?
The realization struck her like ice.
"…No way."
He was waiting.
Waiting for her.
His behavior at their meeting… his fixation…
It aligned.
But she could not afford delay.
She needed time to stabilize gene-flaws.
Time before the birth of Slaanesh and the warp storms that would follow.
Time to unify Terra.
Time to protect billions of civilians.
The Emperor would not intervene.
This was her trial.
Unless catastrophe struck, he would observe.
She clenched her fists.
"Fine."
She would go to Oceania personally.
Whatever trap awaited, she would face it.
She was a Primarch.
And if everything collapsed—
she could still call her ultimate reinforcement.
She smiled grimly.
Victory, after all, had many forms.