"Honored child of the Emperor, Primarch of Blackwatch, Cordelia greets you!" Knowing this wasn't her territory, Cordelia kept her posture deferential.
In Cordelia's eyes, Hogg, seated upon the Throne, radiated a strange allure. Even as an Aeldari, she had to admit that Hogg really did look as divine as Yack had praised him.
Hogg snapped out of his daze and looked at the Aeldari lord before him. Like other Aeldari, she was extraordinarily tall, nearly matching a Space Marine in stature. Several Spirit Stones, clearly worth a fortune, were set into her close-fitting Wraithbone armor. Hogg's first impression of her was simple: she was rich.
They both had a good first impression of each other, though the reasons differed.
"Welcome, my ally!"
Though Cordelia knew Hogg's words were mere pleasantries, everyone liked hearing kind words, no matter their species. She was in high spirits, but what came next made her feel rather less pleased.
In his previous life, Hogg had hated so-called drinking-table culture and old traditions. He'd been the sort of "problem person" who wouldn't drink when a leader offered a toast and would spin the table away when an elder tried to serve him food. But he'd still developed the habit of discussing matters over a meal.
Yack was there as their intermediary. The three of them sat at the dining table on the bridge.
"My lady, the main reason we invited you here is for the Primarch to discuss future cooperation between the Aeldari and Blackwatch." Yack broke the ice, introducing the main subject of their meeting.
Three green Nuka-Cola bottles were placed before them. Hogg picked one up and took a sip.
"Cordelia, I assume you know that your Cegorach's instructions led you to approach Blacklight and Blackwatch. I didn't force you, did I?"
"You're right. It was indeed the will of my god, Cegorach. And with your help, the Aeldari have found a way to achieve eternal peace. But as far as I know, the Imperium of Man doesn't like making friends with other species." Cordelia remained elegant as she sampled the human drink.
"Ah! There's something you don't know. We humans believe in the Imperial Truth, a doctrine founded by my father, Neoth. It doesn't say to exterminate other species! It says to exterminate Xenos. Come on, Yack, explain the Imperial Truth to our lady."
"My lady, the Imperial Truth does call for exterminating Xenos. It doesn't say to exterminate other species." Having read the Imperial Truth cover to cover, Yack explained.
"Exactly! And Xenos are defined by the Imperium itself, right?"
"That's correct," Cordelia answered instinctively.
"So who am I? A Primarch! My old man is the Emperor, so I'm unquestionably part of the Imperium's upper ranks. Whoever I say is Xenos, is Xenos. And if I say you're humanity's allies, then you're allies. Besides, you worship me, so I ought to look after you!"
"That makes sense. So what would our cooperation involve, my lord?" Yack, a recent convert, asked at just the right moment.
Hogg gave Yack an approving look, then continued explaining his recruitment plan.
"Yack has personally proven that faith in me can protect you Aeldari from the Chaos Gods. So the Blacklight Cult is inevitable.
"But faith has to be sincere. To help you truly understand my ideals, I plan to have you join Blackwatch and become one of us, fighting for your Holy Father."
Cordelia finally understood. He wanted to use her as cannon fodder. She hurriedly refused; she didn't want to become a "trench-filling grunt." Unlike humans, who bred in huge numbers, the Aeldari had trouble reproducing. After losing many people, they would need a long time to recover.
"Primarch— I mean, Holy Father, our population is small. We can't afford heavy losses. We've already given you thirteen partially developed worlds."
"Cordelia, in this fucked-up universe, a few planets are nowhere near enough to buy peace. How many species are plagued by the corruption of the Warp? How many Overlords have been dragged from their thrones by the Chaos Gods as they tried to expand? All these years, have you found a way to resist Slaanesh besides me?
"And don't bring up gathering all the Croneswords to destroy Slaanesh. We all know that's impossible. One of them is in Slaanesh's Six Circles. If you had the strength to get it, you'd have taken it already."
Unable to refute him, Cordelia knew Hogg was telling the truth, but she still wasn't willing to accept it. "My lord, if the price of peace is for the Aeldari to become 'trench-filling grunts,' I can't accept that."
"I don't like the way you put that. What do you mean, trench-filling grunts? My plan is for Aeldari Warriors and my children to fight together. I wouldn't put my own children in harm's way!
"Besides, do you think those thirteen worlds belong to me? They belong to the Imperium! Yack, tell her what the Imperium of Man is doing." Hogg pointed at Yack, who was savoring the food with his mind elsewhere.
"Ah! Me? Uh, my lady, the Imperium of Man is currently carrying out the so-called Great Crusade to expand its territory."
"Bang!" Hogg slammed his hand down on the table, leaving a palm-shaped dent in the Adamantium tabletop. Everyone jumped. Phantom tentacles emerged from the void. Crimson veins glowed as an inexplicable force disrupted the links to the Warp, filling every living being's mind with a jumble of thoughts.
"Exactly! The Great Crusade. I might look impressive on the surface, but I'm just a tiny speck in the Imperium's Great Crusade. Every day, I wake up to hundreds of thousands of mouths to feed, and I have to provide for them all.
"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking, Cordelia. As a Primarch, I'm destined to take part in the Great Crusade. If I die, the Aeldari's future dies with me. Joining Blackwatch and becoming part of the Imperium is how you give your people a future."
"Besides, there are only a handful of major powers in the Galaxy. The Imperium is a rising star, after all. If I become powerful, won't you prosper too? Don't you want the Aeldari to be great again under your leadership, my Cordelia?"
In her daze, Cordelia seemed to glimpse a future in which the Aeldari had reclaimed their glory. No one would have to fear having their soul corrupted by Slaanesh. They would grow freely on worlds of their own, instead of scurrying across the universe like dogs. And she herself would become a hero, a shining figure in Aeldari history.
"Smack!" A hand filled her vision, shattering Cordelia's fantasy.
"Make your choice, Cordelia! Will you keep running away and remain an obscure nobody, or become a future legend and save the Aeldari from disaster?" Hogg's rousing voice poured into her ears.
At that moment, Cordelia followed her own will. So—
"I, Cordelia Hearst, hereby swear to join Blackwatch. In the name of the Holy Father, I pledge my loyalty to you. I will become the sword in your hand and cut down every enemy who dares attack."
"Ha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! Cordelia, I'm growing fonder and fonder of you long-eared folk. In the future, you'll understand just how right your choice was."
As their master laughed, the phantom tentacles stirred to life. Hogg's blood seeped out and flowed into the Nuka-Cola before Cordelia as though it were alive, giving off a dark red glow.
Hogg lifted the cup glowing with a dark red light and offered it to the Aeldari before him. "Drink it, Cordelia. This is your destiny. From now on, no Chaos God will corrupt your people. The power of Blacklight will help you restore the Aeldari's glory."
Anyone else want to work in Warhammer? Send me a vote and I'll go ask Old Man Yellow.
Before you continue