Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 271 Heavy Taxes
Negotiations between the Human Empire and the Shaping Union continue. Despite the Shaping Union's full cooperation, integrating an empire with a population of trillions is no easy task.

The political structure, the distribution of power, the selection of the new governor, the establishment of the tithe system, the obligations to be fulfilled in shaping the union... each of these aspects is far-reaching.

Negotiations on other terms went relatively smoothly, but on the tithe level, Shaping Union refused to back down and tried its best to fight for its own interests.

In order to obtain a more lenient tithe policy, the consul made a special trip to see Doom, pleading with tears in his eyes for leniency and for some tolerance towards the shaping union.

"Sir, you should know that we are on the fringes, and this tax is simply too...unacceptable."

The consul, dressed in a golden robe, knelt at the foot of the main hall, his voice trembling with sobs as he clutched his chest and begged for the empire to reduce some taxes.

The tithe imposed by the human empire was beyond their imagination, an unbearable burden.

Once agreed, the quality of life of the fellow inhabitants residing in the human body will be greatly reduced, and they will be trapped in endless labor without rest.

Everything we enjoy now has vanished like a bubble.

The resources produced by society are prioritized for supply to the empire, making it difficult to maintain a high level of welfare, and the quality of life has dropped several notches.

These foreseeable futures churned in the governor's mind, shattering his long-held values.

It wasn't just him; even the Great Mother, upon learning of the tithe class, remained silent for a long time, beginning to consider whether to incorporate it into the Empire.

The Ghana worms joined the empire in order to conquer humanity and enjoy a parasitic feast, but the reality they face is that they will become the empire's laborers, working day and night for the human empire.

The fellow beings who are highly integrated with the body feel exactly the same fatigue and hardship as the original host when they work, and may even feel it more intensely.

Its incredibly sensitive nerve fibers can even sense the slightest muscle soreness and the fatigue that the body experiences.

In order to enjoy life, the filarial race established the Shaping Union and used human-created technology to build a high-welfare society.

When the Empire arrived, it wielded the tithe stick, dragging the Silkworm race down from the clouds to the mire. How could they possibly accept that?

“Only death and taxes are inevitable.” On the throne in the golden palace, Doom, who had been invited, remained arrogant, a strange look flashing across his face.

"Taxation is the cornerstone of the empire, the foundation for humanity's conquest of the stars, and it is unavoidable."

Doom spoke righteously and eloquently about the necessity of taxation, while also presenting the governor with a grand vision—what Guterra called "pie in the sky."

By presenting the prospect of conquering the stars, the governor was reminded that the purpose of the filarial worms was to colonize the universe, not for immediate enjoyment.

He felt a pang of melancholy. The mere mention of the Empire's tithe instilled fear in an ambitious alien race, even causing them to hesitate.

Within the human empire, countless worlds pay tithes, exploiting countless lives for the sake of the Great Expedition.

For some Imperial residents, if they knew of the existence of the Shapeshifting Union, they would be willing to embrace the Xenomorphs even if they learned the truth about parasitism.

For the survivors of the bottom nest, the allure of maintaining consciousness and enjoying a high-welfare lifestyle, coupled with the painlessness of death, is like a hallucinogenic drug.

On the Great Crusade, the Legion had barely left the conquered world when the tax ships arrived, and then the world rebelled.

The reason for this is simply that the local people felt that their lives became even more difficult after joining the empire.

In the end, the Empire will send out the Punishment Legion—the Eighth Legion.

Punish those who rebel against the world, make an example of them to deter others, and use cruel punishment to tell everyone that the empire will not tolerate any betrayal.

Faced with the tithe, the consul's eyes no longer held any ambition; Doom saw through the pure unwillingness to be enslaved in them.

"But..." The governor still wanted to fight for a better life for the race and prevent them from becoming the empire's flesh and blood machines.

Doom raised his hand to interrupt him, and said calmly, "No buts. The Empire needs your sacrifices, and humanity needs your sacrifices."

"Among the dark stars, countless compatriots await our redemption, countless lost territories await our reclaim, and we will revive humanity's glorious past!"

"Could it be..." He raised his voice, a hint of doubt creeping into it, his calm gaze gradually sharpening, "that your previous hopes for joining the Human Empire were all just a way to deceive me?"

The voice gradually lowered, like the growl of a ferocious beast, and the chilling killing intent contained within made the governor tremble all over, immediately realizing the existence of the person in front of him.

A descendant of the Emperor of Man, one of the twenty-one Primarchs of the Imperium, and the King of Warriors. If angered, the Imperium of Man will not hesitate to wage war and vent the Primarch's rage with artillery fire.

"We dare not!" The governor changed his kneeling posture, prostrating himself in a humble manner, and apologized repeatedly: "We are willing to dedicate ourselves, and even more willing to join the Empire, but we need some tolerance."

"It takes some time to adjust to the high intensity..." He felt the cold gaze and immediately changed his words, "to adjust to a better life of dedication."

The governor was well aware that race was better suited for subtle infiltration, and that direct confrontation was not an advantage, so he had no choice but to compromise for the time being.

“You should thank me for my kindness.” Doom nodded, his expression extremely arrogant. “My tolerance and mercy prevented a war.”

“If it were my brothers who came, they would wield the hammer of judgment against your hesitation and show you that the Empire stands on the stars, not on negotiation.”

"Yes, thank you for your kindness." The governor prostrated himself on the ground, expressing his gratitude verbally, while inwardly cursing with the most venomous words.

What gratitude or kindness? He perceived the person before him as a tyrant, ruthlessly exploiting his fellow human beings.

"I'm leaving." Doom's tall figure rose from the throne, his war boots clattering on the gilded checkered floor, and he stopped as he walked past the consul.

He shook his head in disappointment and said, "I thought it was something important, but it turns out to be such a trivial matter. I can just talk to the Imperial representative next time; I don't want to waste my time on these things."

With that, his boots clattered on the floor as he led the Doomsday Warriors guard away from the Shaper Council, leaving the Archon alone.

The consul straightened up, his whole being radiating dejection, all traces of his elegance and beauty gone.

Hidden in the shadows, high-ranking officials rushed forward and, without uttering a word, pulled the governor up from the ground.

"What should we do?" someone asked, their tone tinged with fear, unable to imagine what the future held.

"Let's agree to their demands first." The consul patted her long robe with her slender hand, brushing away non-existent dust, trying to dispel the humiliating past.

"With navigators, we will no longer be lost in subspace. At that time, the sky will be the limit, and we will be able to go anywhere in the vast universe."

"The suffering is only temporary!" The governor ascended the throne, sat securely upon it, and addressed his people below: "Before us lies a great journey—to conquer humanity, to conquer the stars!"

"We must assimilate all of humanity and become the rule-makers, at which point we will create a comfortable society."

"Gentlemen! Let us strive together..."

His voice regained its elegance and composure, becoming incredibly pleasant to listen to, possessing an unparalleled allure as it painted a picture of a peaceful and comfortable future.

"For a better future!" The crowd below raised their arms and shouted, sweeping away the previous gloom, their voices full of energy!
The governor nodded in satisfaction and, taking advantage of the momentum, began to chair the meeting to discuss how to negotiate with the human empire next.

Doom walked out of the main hall and arrived at the plaza to board a dedicated landing ship, leaving the Shaper homeworld, except that there were a few more passengers in the shuttle.

KV-117, KV-230, and KV-237—the three assassins returned to their cabins and were finally safe.

"My lord." They removed their cloaks and bowed gracefully to Doom.

“No need for formalities,” Doom said sincerely as he reached out to help them up. “I should thank you for going deep into enemy territory and gathering important intelligence.”

His gaze was intense, revealing genuine and pure emotion, as he stroked the Iron Man's shoulder: "You averted a crisis and saved countless lives."

The Iron Man's body trembled slightly; this respect almost overloaded its emotional modules. 117's cold, mechanical voice even stammered, "This is...this is our innate duty."

“That was then.” Doom smiled. “Now there are no inherent obligations or responsibilities. Everything is up to you to choose. You are the ones who have stepped forward to serve humanity once again.”

"Get some rest." He pressed the Iron Man into his seat and saw the container in KV-237's hand, which contained a parasite.

Doom didn't ask about its origin; it must have been a sample that Victor needed, which he had asked Iron Man to collect.

The landing ship returned to the Royal Majesty, and when Doom returned to the bridge, he saw the void beyond the star system, glowing with subspace light.

"Brother, how have you been since we last met in Terra?"

A slightly serious and very heavy voice rang out in the communication channel.

(End of this chapter)