There were things Evan could only think about when people like the Sisters of Silence, who could completely block out the Warp, were nearby. He had to evade the Dark Gods' gaze entirely.
Captain Sloft, however, had been badly frightened. If that happened, the Imperium would truly be in danger.
"I understand what you mean, but humanity is already struggling to withstand attacks from so many deadly enemies. If another huge portion breaks away, we'll soon be picked off one by one."
"That's true, but I have no intention of attacking those so-called loyal Imperial worlds anytime soon."
This puzzled the old captain. You've rebelled-well, at least in the Ecclesiarchy's eyes. If you aren't going to fight, what are you going to do?
"There's nothing wrong with me reclaiming worlds occupied by the enemy, is there? Once I reclaim them, I'll send people to govern the planets I conquered, just as Guilliman did when he acquired the Five Hundred Worlds. At the very least, I should ensure their loyalty to the Emperor, correct? The Imperium of Man already lost those places. Taking them back hardly counts as attacking the Imperium of Man, does it? Surely you know how much territory in Segmentum Obscurus is still in Imperial hands, Captain Sloft."
The old captain broke out in a cold sweat as he listened. Even the Imperium could hardly call that rebellion. They might even have to award him a few medals. When the Department of the Interior, the Inquisition, and their ilk finally launched an investigation, he could use his identity as a descendant of the White Scars to stall. By the time the charges were confirmed, he would probably have become a force to be reckoned with.
The kind of force even Guilliman would have to negotiate with.
"You don't