Chapter 258: The Trouble with Man Is His Love of Being a Teacher
Because of the militarized administration, the approval process on Planets 6 and 7 was relatively simple. Thus, Vorx managed to cut short his bureaucratic hell, escaping early to take charge of the Death Guard fleet's refit in the Barbarus system.
Garro, meanwhile, remained hunched in the corner, brow furrowed as he pored over the same stack of documents again and again.
Yet despite Vorx's departure, the office had only grown livelier.
The reason was simple—Hades had summoned the Death Guards who had been studying social governance. For various reasons, he had first chosen those whom he judged to be both steady in thought and firm of mind.
More than twenty warriors gathered at the reception table in front of the office, eyes fixed on the documents Hades handed out, listening intently to his rapid yet crystal-clear explanations.
On the other side, Mortarion had not departed. Having already finished reviewing—and casually amending—the Barbarus system's defensive plans, the Primarch now sat at Hades' desk, flipping through reports and proposals. Snatches of Hades' exchanges with the Death Guards drifted into his ears, though in truth, Mortarion could hear every word if he wished.
"First, you must understand why these people are willing to come to Barbarus," Hades began.
His eyes swept across the gathered Death Guards, his pace swift, his speech sharp, "You must divide them vertically—and then horizontally."
"Who understands what I mean? Who can explain?"
"Lord Hades, I do."
A towering Galaspar-born Death Guard raised his hand. His pupils were a rare pale gray, edged faintly with a cold glint of blue.
Hades nodded. "Good. Aubrey, go ahead."
"Dividing vertically means recognizing the differing cultural backgrounds. You cannot lump together people from different worlds. You must be clear about each human world's unique attitude toward Barbarus."
Aubrey cast a quick glance at Hades, who nodded again, encouraging him to continue.
"For example, we cannot confuse those who come from Death Worlds with those from Hive Worlds. The former mostly come seeking aid—or hope to settle on Barbarus. The latter come hoping to cooperate with us, or with political motives in mind."
"And dividing horizontally means by class. Despite coming from the same world, the upper classes and the lower classes have very different aims in coming here. The upper echelons want direct contact with the Death Guard, or negotiations with the Mechanicum. The middle and lower classes hope to make a living on Barbarus—and grow wealthy."
The faint rustle of turning pages came from Mortarion's side of the room.
"Very good, Aubrey. You've read the books I recommended carefully, and you've formed your own thoughts."
Hades beamed broadly, while the Death Guard so praised only gave a small, awkward smile.
Praise was not a common currency among them; few knew how one ought to respond when receiving it from one.
The other Death Guards turned their blank stares toward Aubrey. Whatever thoughts moved behind those impassive faces, one could not tell.
Hades cleared his throat, pulling their attention back, and Aubrey continued his analysis.
"Starting with the vertical split, the first group to note are the itinerant traders. More than any others, these wanderers—ever drifting, without fixed homes—are inherently unstable. To address them, the Death Guard established a large trade station between Planets 6 and 7, to meet their needs."
"Their fleets are no longer permitted deeper within, and they are only allowed to bring a small number of vessels. Individually approved merchants may proceed further inward, but only after rigorous vetting."
"Their trinkets and curiosities attract many nobles and Mechanicum Tech-Priest. As long as both parties pay their trade dues and refrain from dealing in prohibited goods, the Death Guard do not interfere."
"Likewise, their traded wares are forbidden from entering the inner system of Barbarus."
"Lord Hades," one of the warriors interjected, "I do not understand."
The Death Guard raised his hand.
"The instability hidden within the itinerant traders clearly outweighs the benefits. The Death Guard haven't even levied heavy taxes on them—this neither creates greater profit for us, nor does it cultivate good discipline."
Hades smiled.
"An excellent question. These itinerant traders truly do not bring us much material benefit."
"But—do you remember what I said? Profit is not everything. Barbarus is built for revenue, but it is also not built for revenue alone."
"What is the defining trait of the itinerant traders?"
Hades suddenly fixed his gaze on the warrior who had spoken. The Death Guard answered at once:
"They are highly adventurous, drawn to danger, vigilant, and often travel between star systems."
"They are like birds."
Hades dropped the remark without explanation.
"Perhaps you don't know, but there's a saying that if you are in nature and hear no birdsong, the first thing you should do is be on your guard."
"Now tell me—compared with the great, lumbering fleets of the Imperium, whose information flows more quickly, is it the itinerant traders, or the Navy?"
The Death Guard fell silent. After a long pause, he spoke again:
"The itinerant traders."
Hades nodded.
"To gather intelligence, to sift through it, to discern what is useful—that is the value they offer. They can be the Death Guard's eyes and ears within the Segmentum Tempestus. From among them, we may select three or four bands for long-term cooperation."
He could feel the Death Guards opposite him begin to think in earnest. Some even pulled out notebooks, scratching down their thoughts.
Sometimes, the mind had to wander—divergent thinking was no bad thing.
"Thank you for your question. A very good question, approached from an excellent angle. And—courageous as well."
"Most men dare not question their superiors. That is not a good habit."
Hades said this with a smile, and was rewarded with yet another awkward grin from a hulking warrior. The others, meanwhile, began to look restless, as though eager to try their hand as well.
Hades let them stew a moment, then went on.
"Next, let's speak of the human worlds themselves. Aubrey's earlier examples were very apt. The peoples who come to Barbarus can be roughly divided into two groups. First, those in distress—impoverished, desperate—seeking the Death Guard's help, or even hoping for annexation. Second, those already wealthy—arriving with political motives, or seeking cooperation."
"For the first group, after due assessment, we may choose to annex them selectively, or to provide aid. Not freely, of course—they must give something in return. Some of their worlds may prove excellent recruitment grounds."
"As for the second group—the Death Guard must make it clear to them who the true masters of this region are, while simultaneously assuring them that their wealth will be safe."
Give them a sense of security—but not too much.
"Cooperation is welcome. Hive Worlds, for instance, often suffer from surplus industrial capacity. The Legion will happily engage in long-term trade of materiel with them. And if they only wish to use Barbarus as a platform to trade with other worlds—that too is welcome."
"They will also become loyal customers of Mint, the Forge-Satellite gifted to us by Graia Forge World—and the best buyers of our Legion's obsolete equipment."
"Of course," Hades added, voice stretching out lazily, "I have an assignment for you."
He looked on with satisfaction as even those still scribbling notes lifted their heads.
"After today's lesson, each of you is to pair with two others who were not selected for this class. In groups of three, choose one human world that has come to Barbarus, and research it."
"I'll also have mortal officials accompany you. Be ready—learning to deal with mortals is a path you must walk. And take care not to frighten them."
What Hades then saw made him chuckle: a room full of Death Guards glancing sidelong at one another, each unsure what to say.
Nervous, were they? And yet these were men who had carved their way through war and monsters.
"No rush. The lesson isn't over yet. Once you return, you'll have to teach today's material to someone else in turn."
"When I finish, you'll then make your judgments—and come to me to choose your worlds."
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