"Am I a trembling creature or do I have the right?" I said, sitting at the table in the dining room, looking at the dishes that had been brought.
The new head of the Lir family turned out to be an extremely smart and far-sighted person. By making concessions, he certainly created an incredible and extremely dangerous precedent for this world, but already now the efficiency of labor has increased, and therefore the profit. The miners worked less, but better. They devoted more time to rest, one way or another returning their increased wages to the budget of the Lir family, who controlled almost all entertainment establishments in this city.
In turn, the experiments continued. So a canteen was created, right next to the mines. I sat in it, conducting an inspection. It was necessary to check whether it was possible to eat all these dishes, about which complaints had already been received. A trifle, which in fact was only a screen for the ongoing madness.
People seemed to be happy, they felt strength and victory, but looking at the situation from the inside I understood what was really going on. Lear was simply creating a new system based on the old one. All these handouts were the beginning of the creation of a consumer society. The money earned was supposed to be spent on crap, the significance of which was artificially given.
As a result, the people worked even harder and wore themselves out even more, thinking that they were doing it for themselves. They worked their asses off to meet the quota and even more, and then take this money back into the pockets of the Lear family. A semblance of trade unions was also created, which achieved greater rights through demonstrations. But these demonstrations were carried out only with the permission of the Lear family, which deprived them of any meaning. And in general, I and people convenient for the Lear family were at the head of the trade unions.
In fact, only the scenery changed, and the common people and miners continued to live in strict restrictions. But on the other hand... the economy of this city began to grow, which means that although the people will remain poor compared to the Lear family, an individual citizen will live better than a year ago. And most importantly, they will be alive and will not become firewood in the flames of a senseless revolution.
While tasting the dishes, I read the newspaper. The capital was in a real nightmare. After the governor, everything got out of control. Mologost acted extremely decisively, but only now did we begin to hear echoes of decisions made long ago. All the nobility had been cut out or suppressed, the guards had seized power, and the cult was now being fought with almost all their might.
Orbital bombardments continued, collapsing skyscrapers and burying cult cells. These harsh actions were costing Dreikernor dearly, as its economy suffered. The people who remained in the capital were trapped, as no one else was allowed out. The only thing worse would be if the entire fleet was ordered to conduct carpet bombing, reducing not individual buildings to rubble, but entire cities of the world at once.
However, this only strengthened my position. It was easy for me to carry out the orders of the Lir family, because the people had ceased to be obstinate. They saw the carrot and the stick in the capital. It became clear that it was possible to live better, in principle, just as it could become much worse at any moment. You had to value what you had now and think not about some high-flown goals, but about your family not dying of hunger and living in warmth, knowing that if something happened, there was a budget canteen where miners and their families could eat at a huge discount.
"But everything is somehow bland, do they not mine salt in this world?" I muttered, writing down my last observations and standing up.
The next task was much more difficult and dangerous. Lir was acting for his own benefit and went against the old system. The other aristocrats did not like what was happening in this city, as every concession here made the revolutionaries elsewhere fight even harder. Because of this, there was a very real threat that Lir's family would be slaughtered not by the Imperials, not by the rebels, not even by the cultists, but simply by their own.
Therefore, an order was given to form a people's militia, which would help fight crime, report any suspicious actions, and in the event of a full-fledged war, it would be much easier to quickly make soldiers out of them. The logic of the Lear family was clear. My task was to agitate the population, because after my negotiations, they saw me as the main leader, who time after time went to the head of the Lear family and asked to add salt to the dishes, or replace the boots of the miners.
- BROTHERS AND SISTERS!!! - I exclaimed, lifting onto a pre-prepared platform near the transport hub, and attracted the attention of the crowd that had gathered after the shift. - DREIKERNOR IS ABOUT TROUBLED TIMES AND THEREFORE THE LEAR FAMILY IS ASKING FOR YOUR HELP!!! YOU WILL BE GRANTED WEAPONS SO THAT YOU CAN DEFEND YOURSELF IF ANYTHING HAPPENED!!!
I started with the most important thing, putting it as gaining power. Of course, the militia's equipment will be many times worse than the equipment of the regular army and even more so the bodyguards of aristocrats. In addition, the militia will be led by the best ideologists and propagandists who will take care of brainwashing and creating the most loyal combat units.
However, I still considered such a decision to be correct in such a difficult time. And therefore, with a clear conscience, I followed Lear's plan, which, although he did everything only for his own benefit, was still interesting to ordinary people. The main thing is not to forget and not to believe in false sincerity.
— FOR THE SAKE OF MY HOME, FOR THE SAKE OF MY RELATIVES, FOR THE SAKE OF… — but suddenly I broke off in mid-sentence, seeing a flash in the sky.
I still didn't understand what exactly had happened, but my heart suddenly felt empty. And then a terrifying roar reached my ears. The burning metal of the imperial ship was flying straight from the sky. At one point, everyone had so many questions that no one even ran in horror to hide. Everyone froze and watched as the symbol of imperial power fell like a fiery rain.
"Xenos?" I asked quietly as people began to run away in terror.
And then the air raid alarm sounded, the sirens ruptured eardrums, and hails of flying bullets shot into the sky. Anti-aircraft systems fired at the enemy, but all attempts were in vain, because the aviation of an unknown enemy destroyed the air defense much faster.
The decoys worked, the metal rattled, the missiles that missed their targets tore apart residential buildings and the shrapnel tore apart people who were now returning home. Less than a minute and the calm measured life turned into hell. I continued to stand on the platform and look at the sky, trying to figure out how this was possible? Did Detrii really have such a power? No, it was impossible. But who attacked then? The Xenos? Did they strike a treacherous blow in Mologost's back?
Suddenly, a comet flying towards the earth came into my field of vision. It cut through the rising soot and smoke like a black arrow, and the remnants of the air defense did not cause it much harm, often not even having time to aim at such a fast target. And with incredible heaviness, slowing down with the help of jet engines, it slowed down, and then rammed one of the buildings, breaking through several floors.
It was a drop pod. A few seconds later, a perfect killing machine emerged from the ruins, a giant warrior clad in power armor and radiating a sickly aura. Tentacles protruded from the cracks and crevices of the power armor. The space marine resembled a living corpse, but he still moved much faster than a mere mortal, which was immediately noticeable.
But the worst thing was that around him, corpses began to rise to their feet, while a fetid sludge emerged from the sewers, consuming the too-mutilated bodies, the severed limbs, and any flesh. One look at the sight was enough to understand the meaning of the word decay. One breath was enough to know what true despair was.
"Oh-oh-oh, how interesting... my old enemy has finally come here to take my prey," suddenly the voice of Tzeentch sounded in my mind, looking at the entire universe at once and wishing to devote a little more time to one of his servants, me.
Meanwhile, the Space Marines had split up and were wreaking havoc. No one could stop them, for they were on a whole other level. Hardened in countless battles, with an impossible amount of combat experience and the gifts of Nurgle, they were the perfect fighting machines. Only their equals could stand against them.
But one of the Space Marines did not hide among the ruins, but slowly turned his gaze to me. It was as if he sensed the presence of his old enemy. Tzeentch personified change, patronized scientists, honored ambitions and one way or another all this was connected with hope, which shone incredibly brightly at the moment of Brutus' betrayal, the creation of a new discovery or even a coup. In turn, Nurgle was actually his opposite. He brought peace stability through humility, there was no need to resist, to try to change something, it was necessary to accept despair and live with it.
And this world became a battlefield for two gods of Chaos who could not or did not want to agree.
- Or maybe this is all part of my plan, right? - the voice spoke as if reading my thoughts. - In any case, your life will end here and you will learn that I am not as bad as you try to think.
The Space Marine continued to walk slowly, looking straight into my eyes. His terrible helmet was covered in decaying bacteria, and his chainsword was covered in rust. Even one breath near him could be enough to die or get infected with some unknown muck. And what would happen if that chainsword left even a scratch on the body, I didn't even want to think about.
- Yes, becoming a vessel for countless diseases is quite a prospect, - a grin sounded in my mind, where despair was spreading. - But it's okay, everything in life needs to be tried. Or as they say? Although... there is another option.
And at that moment, an incredible hope flared up inside me, and I grinned ironically. How simple everything was for Tzeentch. He knew everything and was just waiting for the moment to make an offer that was impossible to refuse. After all, the prospect of dying in agony from a speedorak or some other gift of Nurgle was not at all desirable.
I glanced over my shoulder, looked around, and saw the burning ruins, consumed by the plague. Had all this been done, only for it all to be destroyed? No, I wasn't going to give up that easily. And while I didn't want to play by Tzeentch's script, and I had a choice, but... I had already made my decision.
"That was predictable," Tzeentch grinned, and the psychic energy in me began to flare up and the emotions grew ever brighter. "But you still won't win in a direct confrontation with him, so you better run."
And breaking the chains of despair, I rushed forward, trying not to breathe. I felt the power flowing through me, the influence of Tzeentch began to fight the poison in the air, allowing me to live. In addition, it seemed that my psychic energy had grown, but unfortunately I had no practice and I did not even understand how to throw a stone at the Space Marine who rushed after me. Therefore, the use of power remained amateurish, intuitive and extremely ineffective.
- GET AWAY FROM ME!!! - I screamed in rage, running into the alley. - GO KILL THE IMPERIALS, WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWERING ME!!!
And at that moment the space marine accelerated even more. A huge carcass more than two meters high, he weighed so much that each of his steps tore stone slabs and asphalt. However, despite all his dimensions, he developed monstrous speed and remained extremely maneuverable, which is why the distance was constantly decreasing.
No matter how fast I ran, no matter how often I turned, the bastard was getting closer and his chainsword was creaking menacingly. However, at some point, frost began to appear around me, and my hair began to shine in all possible and impossible colors. This shine even began to blind me, which is why at the exit from the alley I stumbled and tumbled head over heels onto the main road.
The Space Marine was already jubilant and had reached his maximum speed to ram me and turn me into a bag of bones. But he had underestimated the strength of my fear, which had burst forth along with all the magical energy.
- NO!!! - I screamed in horror and for a moment the space marine jerked slightly, which allowed me to roll to the side.
I couldn't do any more damage to him, although even this effect surprised me. And not only me, the space marine stopped only in the middle of the street and slowly turned around, looking at me completely differently. Of course, I didn't see his face, but I subconsciously read the emotions floating in the warp.
Meanwhile, the living dead and vile biomass crawled out of every crack. They cut off my path and surrounded me. There was nowhere to run, and although my emotions only grew stronger, and my heart was breaking, giving an incredible amount of strength, but... I could not even defeat the Space Marine, or even scratch his power armor stinking of despair. And Tzeentch seemed unable to help me in any way, but this only seemed so from the mice in the labyrinth. He looked at Draekernor from the height of an incredible strategic mind.
And suddenly there was a bang, after which the space marine looked sideways, and behind him there was an explosion, riddling his back with shrapnel.
- RICOCHET!!! LOAD WITH A HEAT-CAPED MISSILE!!! - the tank commander yelled in the meantime.
- FIRE!!! - yelled the infantry commander covering the movement of the vehicles.
And in the roar of mortars, artillery and shots this street was drowned. Heavy guns roared, shells exploded everywhere and already the imperial units were connected, burning all this rot to the ground with flamethrowers. The space marine was strong, but he could not defeat the army alone, especially in a frontal attack. The space marine is first and foremost a special purpose unit, and not some cannon fodder that is thrown at tanks at bayonet point.
And at that time, other Space Marines proved it by their actions, attacking from the ruins quickly and sharply, turning corpses into new armies and cutting down entire squads without a single shot, only with the help of their chainswords or even ordinary rusty swords. Speed and strength allowed them to reveal their full tactical potential, but not in an open field. After all, a direct hit from a cumulative shell from a tank can end badly for anyone.
However, the Space Marine wanted me dead too much, just as the rotten army began to cover for their commander. So, making a strange gurgling sound and splashing brown liquid through the cracks in his armor, he rushed at me again.
The only thing I could do was combine my psychic bursts with dodges. The Space Marine himself was becoming increasingly unresponsive to them, but the Nurgle zombies around him were constantly falling into stupor. Meanwhile, the hum of the equipment grew louder and soon lasgun shots began to scorch the putrid power armor.
Realizing that there was no more time, the Space Marine immediately retreated, ordering all the rotten to throw themselves under the wheels and tracks of the vehicles. But the Imperial Guard continued to move forward, while the militia and planetary defense units covered their rear and gaps, clearing everything that the flamethrowers missed.
- THE ENEMY IS ON THE ROOF!!! - the tank commander screamed, looking at the screens, but it was too late.
The missile hit the hatch, pierced the armor, and turned the entire crew into coals, causing the ammunition to detonate. The Space Marines did not engage in direct confrontation, acting carefully and precisely, as befits the elite. However, the cleanup after the loss did not stop, because Mologost gave a clear order and each of the Imperials knew what to do.
The enemy will be destroyed, even if it means drowning him in his own blood.
More chapters on my P@treon: https://patreon.com/OOOTEN