Warhammer: Saiyan Adopted by the Wolf King

Although the slave masters of this world ruled with extreme bloodshed and cruelty, they were not fools.

They knew who they could fight and who they could not.

The Emperor did not respond to the planet's rulers immediately. Instead, he commanded the fleet to conduct a full scan of the globe to gather detailed intelligence. Soon, the report was delivered to both the Emperor and Axis. After reviewing its contents, the Emperor's brow furrowed deeply, his face twisting into an expression of extreme disappointment.

"Honestly, Axis, I am very disappointed in the twelfth Primarch," the Emperor said, unable to hide his frustration, "The others, no matter their circumstances, all managed to become the rulers of their worlds. And yet this one, after so many years, is still leading a rebel army in a failing resistance."

He gestured at the data-slate. "And look at their methods. There is no strategy to speak of. He has not established any logistical supply lines, nor has he made any effort to win allies. He is simply leading a band of gladiators on a rampage across the planet. Their defeat is almost a certainty."

Compared to the other Primarchs, the twelfth was a source of immense disappointment. He was one of the strongest of his brothers, his combat prowess arguably among the very best.

With such terrifying power at his disposal, the Emperor had estimated that Angron should have conquered this world long ago and established himself as its sole ruler.

Instead, the man had the horrific Butcher's Nails hammered into his skull and was now leading a small force of gladiators in a series of futile uprisings.

His military and political tactics were crude to the extreme. Their army refused to accept any soldiers other than their own kind, meaning their ranks consisted solely of gladiators. They even plundered the local populace to acquire supplies. The army had no discipline to speak of, much like the slave rebellions against the empires of ancient Holy Terra. He himself had once put down the revolt of a man called Spartacus.

Their pattern was always the same: they would storm a city, immediately loot it, kill the local slave masters, and then flee.

Could such methods truly be called salvation? In the Emperor's eyes, there was little difference between them and common brigands. A true conqueror would occupy a city and use it as a base of operations from which to rule the planet.

Angron's uprising was meaningless.

Even the common people who had once supported them had grown disillusioned. For such a bizarre rebel army, even with a Primarch at its helm, defeat was only a matter of time. The Emperor's deep disappointment in the twelfth Primarch was not without reason.

"That device, the Butcher's Nails, has affected Angron's mind thoroughly," Axis said quietly. The twelfth was truly the most tragic of the Primarchs, perhaps without equal.

Axis could understand the Emperor's sentiment. The other Primarchs were all paragons of excellence, each becoming the leader of his own world. Some had even extended their rule over dozens of surrounding planets, entire sectors even.

Yet Angron, whose combat abilities were second to none among his brothers, had achieved nothing. His record could only be described as pathetic. Had the Emperor not arrived, Angron's fate would have been to be buried under an avalanche of bodies sent by the planet's slave masters.

Yet still, the Emperor's coldness toward one of his sons was unsettling.

"Yes," the Emperor conceded. "From the moment that device was hammered into his skull, he was already lost. I must negotiate with the rulers of this planet." If not for the prophecy, perhaps Axis's power could have offered some hope of a cure, but for now The Emperor didn't take Axis' powers into consideration.

Soon, the Emperor established a remote vid-link with the slave masters on the planet's surface.

He announced his identity as the Master of Mankind and demanded the planet Nuceria's immediate surrender and subjugation. If they refused, the entire world would be destroyed.

The slavers of Nuceria attempted to propose some conditions, but the Emperor rejected them all. His stance this time was unyielding.

They could either surrender unconditionally, or they could die. There was no third option. He gave them only twenty minutes to consider. When the time was up, the one hundred thousand Space Marines of the Legion of the Golden Knights would commence their assault on the planet.

Staring at the Imperial fleet that blotted out the stars in their orbit, the Nucerian slave masters, though unwilling, could only accept their fate helplessly.

They had no power to resist. While they possessed some artifacts from the Dark Age of Technology, they did not even have a single proper spacecraft. How could they possibly fight against the Imperium?

"Those degenerates don't need to be kept alive," Axis commented. The slave masters on this world were scum.

"The galaxy is filled with countless worlds like this one," the Emperor replied, "I cannot guarantee that the ruler of every planet will be a benevolent leader who loves his people. You must learn to see the larger picture, Axis."

The purpose of the Great Crusade was to unite humanity.

Throughout mankind's history, oppression and exploitation were near constants. These were things that could not be easily changed, for as long as humans possessed self-awareness, such behaviors would persist.

As long as the slave masters of this planet paid their Imperial Tithe on time and provided recruits for the Imperium, they would be a recognized Imperial world. Those were the rules he himself had established.

There were worlds in the galaxy far more brutal than Nuceria.

"What I mean is, we should cleanse this world of its slavers and install a new ruler. We can select a suitable planetary governor," Axis argued.

"The most likely outcome of that, Axis, would be the rise of an even greater slave master. It would make no difference. I have seen it countless times," the Emperor countered, "These people have been raised in this environment their entire lives. Once in power, they will only become the next generation of slavers.

"There is no other path for them. Furthermore, such an action would greatly delay the Great Crusade. This planet, having been brought into compliance without a destructive war, is now able to serve the Imperium at its full capacity."

He intended to teach Axis to view matters from a broader, long-term perspective.

"We could select a suitable planetary governor from another Imperial world and send them here to rule," Axis pressed.

"In that case," the Emperor explained patiently, "that governor would need a garrison of at least two hundred thousand soldiers to suppress rebellions that will inevitably rise. And it would still take a decade or more for this world to stabilize. Most importantly, they surrendered to me. Do you know of Sima Yi from ancient Holy Terra, who made an oath by the River Luo only to break it? His entire family met a terrible end. But another, Liu Xiu, made the same oath and honored his word, becoming a revered and enlightened emperor. They both swore the same oath, but their final outcomes were entirely different.

"Malcador must've taught you the history."

[tl/n: I tried swapping it with some western history, but I couldn't find one that fit the scenario off the top of my head.

So basically, After Emperor Guangwu of Han (Liu Xiu) sought to persuade the defender Zhu Yu to surrender, he made a solemn vow by the River Luo, that if Zhu Yu yielded, the emperor would spare his life and even promote him. True to his word, once Zhu Yu surrendered, Liu Xiu elevated him. And the went on to unify the empire, ruled stably, is widely regarded as a benevolent and enlightened ruler.

In contrast, Sima Yi, after orchestrating a coup against the regent Cao Shuang during the Incident at the Gaoping Tombs, swore the same oath that Cao Shuang could retain his titles if he stepped down. Yet once Cao Shuang relinquished power, Sima Yi reneged, and he had Cao Shuang, his family, and his supporters executed. That cemented his reputation, and went on to meet a terrible end.]

Axis was at a loss for words. He hadn't expected the Emperor to bring up such history.

He had to admit that a planet that surrendered willingly was far more valuable than one taken by force. During the Space Wolves' participation in the Great Crusade, most worlds had surrendered on sight, and those compliant worlds were granted autonomy.

Planets that had to be conquered by force required decades to recover before they could contribute to the Imperial Tithe.

Before he had transmigrated, Axis had read many arguments regarding Angron. The greatest point of contention was always why the Emperor did not help Angron kill the local slave masters and simply stood by while his gladiator comrades died.

From the Emperor's perspective, those gladiators, devoid of discipline and order, were hardly heroes. They engaged in murder, plunder, and wanton destruction. Did anyone truly believe the gladiators were robbing the rich to give to the poor? Did anyone think they would be kind to the common folk? They had never received a proper education; they were merely tools of entertainment, bred for violence since birth.

Such tragedies occurred every day on countless worlds across the Imperium. The Emperor did not have time to concern himself with the affairs of a single planet.

Slaughtering these slave masters would take but a single word from him, but sometimes, a ruler is nothing without his word. Look at the one from the Sima family, who swore an oath only to break it. The repercussions were immense. He was cursed for a thousand years, reviled by all. His entire clan was wiped out.

If you go back on your word, people will no longer trust you. The Emperor's current title was Master of Mankind. He had to consider matters as the Master of Mankind. He had to treat all who surrendered with the same measure of fairness.

So long as you swore fealty and paid your tithes, he would not kill you and would maintain his end of the bargain. If the Emperor were to break his promise, then his word would carry no weight. It could even become a justification for betrayal. They would say, "Emperor, you were the one who broke your promise first. You are a villain, a liar."

From the perspective of a ruler, no matter what you do, the people below will find a reason to curse you. It is inevitable. If the slave masters of this planet had not surrendered, then killing them would be justified.

But because they surrendered, the situation was entirely different.

"I understand," Axis nodded. A person's credibility was of the utmost importance. If they had resisted, the problem could have been solved differently.

He couldn't stomach the thought as a person from earth, who lived in modern confort but… oh well, it wasn't like he couldn't stirr some shit up later on remotely.

He can wait. He was a primarch, and wife the Imperial high princess. He could do a lot.

"Good," the Emperor said, "If you sympathize with these gladiators and the people of this planet, then I am not without an option to offer you. They have surrendered to the Imperium, but you can choose to make this planet your legion's homeworld. In doing so, you would become the supreme ruler of this world.

"Then, its fate would be yours to decide."

The Imperium would honor its agreements, but the specific circumstances always mattered.

The people of this world were exceptionally fierce. These gladiators were the elite of the elite. The young men and adolescents currently in training were the finest possible stock for creating new Space Marines. Axis did not yet have a homeworld for his legion, and this planet was an excellent choice. Its size and population base were both highly suitable. However, unlocking its full potential would require some work.

The Emperor intended this as a test for Axis, at the same time, he had seen that glint in his eyes. This monstrosity in human form was going to do something behind his back even od he forbade it.

Why not just give him an opportunity then?

He wanted to see if his son could manage a planet's internal affairs.

This was a required course for any worthy Primarch. If you could not even manage your own homeworld, what right did you have to be called a Primarch?

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My brothers and sisters in Christ. It seems, the emperor's rambling in the last chapter has been a trun off for most people. And I agree, Axis's mumbling part was stupid.

But, wait a few more chapters before coming to conclusions. At least until they deal with Angron.

.... spoilers....

Emperor's foresights aren't set in stone, and he himself realises that.

Bonus chapter btw