{Caesar}
I am impressed it seems my visit to Two Sons has had the desired effect the quality of tribute is above average. They must not want me to come back.
A Prime Legionary steps in holding a file.
"Mighty Kaiser I have brought the reports on the Legates Special Projects." "Thank you."
He places 4 folders down then steps back and looks round my office his eyes lock onto a beautiful iridescent headdress studded with gems .
"It belonged to the chieftess of one of the tribes we conquered in the early days. It is very lovely isn't it." "Yes mighty Kaiser."
I grip his shoulder.
"Why are their 4 folders when I only ordered Augusta and Varo to perform their own projects after Joshua requested permission to perform his?"
He tenses immediately as we stare at the headdress.
"Legate Lanius found out and insisted on performing his own project." "A man ruled by ego is ruled by a fool."
I walk back to my desk and pick up Lanius's folder and flip through it.
"War Yao guai?" "I believe there is some more complexity-" "So you have read this report?" "No mighty Kaiser." "So you know Lanius intimately?" "No might kaiser."
I adjust his pauldron.
"Lanius is a sledgehammer, I send him where I want the enemy cracked open and their insides spread over a wide area. He is not my blade or my eyes, my mouth or my hand he is my bull I send to the china shop. And it is only someone like that that would look at a Yao guai and think, yes that would make a perfect war beast. I respect it as seemingly stupid as it is it is something than I would not have thought of and I want things that would not occur to me."
I return to my desk.
"Mighty Kaiser?" "Yes." "Can I ask." "Get on with it." "Why did you tell me that?" "Because the intelligent mind craves conversation. If I had not said it to you I would have said it to Lucius or Joshua later or even Vulpes as I consider whether or not to rip out his nails one by one. Now begone and don't repeat anything you heard." "Yes mighty Kaiser."
He rushes out and I sit down and open Joshua's folder. It's filled with plans layouts and pictures. 2 months and they have finally begun training them. I slide everything back into the folder there isn't really anything new. I pick up Augusta's project is very simple Glory Squads. Squads of Legionaries past their prime and not useful anywhere in the legion. Sent to the worst fronts and raids to be cannon fodder and die a glorious death. It's not bad but it's a solution to a problem we don't have. Finally Varo's project.
Honestly the little Psycho has spirit, I would prefer it to have less overt eugenics but we are the legion. I'm impressed by his use of language. 'We must preserve the purity of the legion' 'Ensure that the corruption of the profligate doesn't taint us' it has a very Nazi feel. If he can breed a pure legion genome tho it might be worth it. I'll just add eugenics to my list of crimes.
Well the projects are out the way might as well continue my project. I get up and exit my office making my way to a room on the first floor where in a room I have a TV not that special on its own but the project is a special one. In the OWB mod for Hoi4 there is a nation called TV town populated entirely by Androids. The director AI of this town broadcasts the scripted events of the show and I have managed to pick it up. It's like normal prewar daytime television except in one main regard 40011 she is a rebel and one of my Frumentari managed to get in sadly he was killed in the attempt but 40011 received my note and tuned a TV to the signal the cult Vulcan rigged for me at the weather monitoring station near Hoover dam. I sit at the desk in the room and tap the microphone.
"Testing, Testing 40011 can you hear me?" "Yes, Yes Kaiser I can hear you." "How has it been?" "Great we finally killed the sandman." "Great did my suggestions help?" "Very much so. We are all very thankful." "Remember if you need somewhere to stay the legion is here for you. We might not be able to reach you but our borders are always open."
She is very gullible for a machine. The androids there are the peak of what you can fit in a humanoid form. I'm not sure what to do with them. They don't fit the legion mold and enslaving them would not be possible but forming a Navada Legion would be very beneficial to me and if that legion is led by advanced androids so be it as long as they serve me they can have their power.
"Kaiser I haven't heard from you for a while." "Yes my apologies I had to travel south to deal with an issue. One of my allies was trying to short change me." "I'm very sorry they tried that. But couldn't you have brought the communication with you?" "No my dear you see, the reckless advancement of technology is what destroyed this world my legion seeks to rebuild it to rebuild technological innovation to serve humanity the pre war world was enslaved to technology as you were enslaved to the director. Only by stripping everything back to its bare bones and rebuilding can we build a better world." "I see your point but what about us? We are androids advanced technology." "Are you tho? Are you just advanced robots or are you alive? From what you have told me you were programmed to serve the Directors whims but you chose freedom robots don't choose. You may not be able to go to the lengths we do to break everything down and rebuild but you can do it within reason. And you can build your society again." "Thank you Kaiser. Look I have to go but talk to you soon."
The radio clicks off and I get up turn off the TV and walk out the room. I descend to the basement where two Veteran Legionnaires snap to attention and open the door. Inside is a room with a chair in one corner and a chair in the centre. Tied to the chair is Vulpes. I grab the chair from the corner and drag it to the centre and sit down.
"Vulpes. Vulpes. Wake up Vulpes."
He doesn't stir. So I lean in close to him.
"Do you not snap to attention when your Kaiser address you."
He snaps awake fear in his eyes as he struggles to stand.
"At ease Vulpes I just want to talk."
He falls limp in his bindings.
"Do you want some milk?"
He nods and I nock on the door.
"Bring some milk and honey."
Boots retreat as I lean close to him.
"You betrayed me Vulpes."
He violently shakes his head abject terror in his eyes.
"You sought to bypass my authority Vulpes. You conspired to what deal with the tribute issue without consulting me."
He is trembling.
"Yes I am ill Vulpes. I have a tumour in my brain and I need all of my most trusted, my greatest and most favoured servants to work with me to deal with it. Because of this incident my trust in you is shaken I have had to ask Lucius to find me a doctor capable of removing my tumour. I would have tasked you with that task and you would have found me the best doctor possible no matter the distance, no matter the cost in gold or manpower. Do you want to know something Vulpes. The heart break at your betrayal caused me so much stress on my way to two sons that I had a seizure. I WAS RENDERED HELPLESS BECAUSE OF YOU!"
Tears pour down his face.
I slide from my chair onto my knees and clutch his face my nails digging into his flesh.
"When one of you my most loyal and trusted servants does something like this it breaks my heart."
He croaks from his bone dry throat.
"My kaiser I meant only to reduce your stress. I thought that such a minor matter could be handled without your involvement." "And yet your attempts to reduce my stress caused me a seizure. We do things a certain way Vulpes a way that cannot be deviated from. My legion is not ready to stand on its own yet and I need everyone to work with me to make it capable of standing on its own. If those I trust work against me then well. Systems break."
Blood trickles from where my nails have pierced his skin. I stand and grab my chair smashing it against the wall until it breaks.
"And when systems break they are very difficult to rebuild, much easier to simply scrap the system and rebuild. Is the system that is the Frumentari going to break Vulpes an I to lose my eyes, ears and hands because their leader couldn't follow the chain of command?" "No mighty Kaiser." "I considered taking your ring fingers Vulpes."
I cut his bindings and he falls to his knees and holds out his fists his ring fingers extended.
"Take them mighty kaiser. Take them as payment for my sins against you." "You would have me cripple my greatest Frumentari. Have me mark him?" "No mighty kaiser, no." "Get out of my sight Vulpes. Find me the targeter for Archimedes and I will forgive you. Bring me the Platinum Chip and I will give you glory. Fail and I will feed your fingers to your Vulture."
He rushes from the room passing the prime legionary returning with his milk and honey. I pat him on the shoulder as I pass him.
"You have it."