"Yes, we should attack through ambushes and harassment. These Orks are unnaturally strong too. We should retreat."
More opinions were voiced.
Outsiders really could not be relied on. With a dark expression, the Duke of Shadow Blades told the chapter masters, "On top of the payment we previously agreed upon, I am willing to offer you honored lords fertile lands. Commorragh is a fine place, but wouldn't it be better to have your own territory as a rear base?"
"You can't even hold on to your own kingdom, and you're promising us territory? Empty promises mean nothing." One of the Kabal chapter masters immediately challenged the Duke of Shadow Blades.
"If I fail, will your fighting have meant anything? Who will pay you? What does it mean for a chapter master to lead his Kabal through a brutal war and come away without payment? Your subordinates probably understand that better than I do!" the Duke of Shadow Blades threatened.
Relationships among the Drukhari were essentially built on an interweaving of self-interest, conspiracy, and betrayal. A master one moment could be betrayed by his subordinates and beheaded the next.
Struggles for power were simply part of daily life for the Drukhari.
Now it was the Kabal chapter masters' turn to fall silent. They had already invested too many troops and too much time. The sunk costs were too high. If they failed to make enough profit, never mind their Kabals' continued existence-they could find a poisoned dagger at their backs at any moment.
For now, the Duke of Shadow Blades had brought these chapter masters to heel. At the same time, however, he faced the very same problem they did. Repeated military failures, lost territory, and severe losses among his troops had all left his family increasingly dissatisfied with him.
Within