Chapter 97: Chapter 97: The Great Judgement
Reflecting on this, Eden couldn't help but sigh.
This wasn't the Emperor's psychic backlash; it was His care and protection.
Praise the Emperor!
After indulging in his thoughts, Eden quickly freshened up with the help of the maids and headed to the dining room.
Upon reaching the dining room, Eden instructed the maids to call in Carter, Arye, Kaes, and the others who had been waiting for some time.
He intended to dine with his warriors while receiving their battle reports.
The dining room of the spire mansion had been renovated to accommodate more people, and its decor had become much more welcoming.
After major events and battles, dining with his subjects had become an unspoken rule at the spire.
Eden wanted to stay in close communication with his key subordinates and hear their advice.
If he always remained high up in the spire, isolating himself from his people, it would lead to problems.
When the relationship between a leader and their subjects breaks down, or if serious misunderstandings arise, the consequences can be catastrophic.
Even the Emperor had made this mistake.
After the Great Crusade, the Emperor handed over military control to the Primarchs and Warmaster Horus.
He retreated to Holy Terra, forming the initial Terran Council to manage political matters, while he himself withdrew to a vast laboratory beneath the palace, conducting secret experiments—building a massive psychic machine.
This machine was intended to utilize the ancient Webway, connecting the Warp and the material world.
All of this was done in secrecy, with neither the Primarchs nor Horus being informed. Even the Emperor's closest aides were kept in the dark.
Whatever the reason for this, the Emperor's actions sowed seeds of doubt.
The Primarchs, especially Horus, felt betrayed by the Emperor, their father!
Why didn't the Emperor consult them? Why didn't they have seats on the Terran Council?
The Emperor had betrayed his generals, granting power to those vile bureaucrats and sycophantic tech-priests from Mars!
This seed of doubt grew into a towering tree, eventually leading to Horus' betrayal and the rebellion of several other Primarchs.
This rebellion plunged the galaxy into war, and the Emperor himself was gravely injured, forced to sit upon the Golden Throne to make amends.
In short, communication failures have dire consequences, and the lessons must be learned!
The Horus Heresy had left scars on the Imperium that persisted even ten thousand years later, never fully healing.
The Great Rift that now spanned the galaxy had torn the Imperium's wounds even deeper.
The Imperium's territory was split in two, and countless worlds were plunged into darkness.
Chaos surged from the Warp.
Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, and Slaanesh—the Four Great Chaos Gods—along with their Greater Daemons, fallen Primarchs, and traitor legions, corrupted world after world.
The Imperium was in constant retreat against the onslaught of Chaos.
Xenos invasions had multiplied exponentially within the Imperium's borders.
The Orks, emboldened by the power of the Great Rift, waged even more destructive "WAAAGH!"s.
Tyranid fleets continued to pour into the galaxy, with Genestealer cults spreading like wildfire.
More and more human worlds were devoured by the Great Devourer.
Meanwhile, the Necron dynasties, awakening from their long slumber, began purging the xenos that dared to settle on their territories.
They sought to reclaim their lost galactic dominance.
As for the Tau Empire, with their doctrine of "The Greater Good," they were currently of little concern.
In short, the galaxy was descending into chaos.
The Imperium was besieged on all sides, teetering on the brink of collapse, and its survival was already a miracle.
Now more than ever, the Imperium needed a strong and merciful leader to turn the tide.
That leader was none other than Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines, the Emperor's thirteenth son, and the future Lord Regent.
At this point, Guilliman should be awake, right?
As a human himself, Eden felt deeply concerned about the future of the Imperium.
But, at this moment, there was little he could do. It was time to focus on the present.
The world wouldn't fall apart today, and he could only be grateful for that.
For now, the Upper Hive had been reclaimed. The next target was the Lower Hive.
Once the Lower Hive was reclaimed, he could essentially declare the planet fully under his control.
The other three hives beyond the primary one were mostly industrial sites with smaller populations, so reclaiming them would be relatively easy.
As his influence over the Warp grew and the population expanded, his power would increase exponentially.
His current goal was to ensure he had enough strength to defend himself when the inevitable crisis struck.
With these thoughts swirling, Eden refocused on the task at hand.
Soon enough, Carter, Arye, Kaes, and the others—freshly cleaned and decontaminated—entered the dining room to meet their Governor.
It was time to handle the matters at hand.
Eden dined with Carter and the others, listening to their battle reports, feeling quite satisfied with the results.
When he heard that Arye had adopted a child and planned to send her to the Loyalist Academy, Eden made sure the maids brought the girl, Maya, into the dining room.
Arye felt incredibly honored. The Governor was far too kind to him.
Maya timidly looked at Eden, her eyes constantly darting toward the lavish food on the table, her little head nodding rapidly as if it were a spinning top.
But she didn't dare reach for anything without Eden's permission.
Noticing this, Eden smiled and handed her a sugar-coated cookie:
"Don't be scared, help yourself!"
Maya quickly stuffed the cookie into her mouth, her eyes glazing over in delight as the sweetness overwhelmed her senses.
It was simply too delicious.
Watching Maya, Eden understood why Arye had adopted her. The child was indeed cute…
After the meal, everyone followed Eden to the Holy Square.
By the time they arrived, the execution platform had been set up, and the crowd of onlookers from various social classes had gathered.
Drones had been dispatched to patrol and broadcast the trial to all corners of the Upper Hive, ensuring that all the citizens of the hive would witness this grand trial.
This trial was not only a punishment for the heretics and traitors but also a warning.
Anyone who betrayed the King's Court or the Governor would face the harshest of executions!
More importantly, the trial served as a way for the citizens to vent their emotions.
Eden's psychic senses could feel the overwhelming negative emotions within the people of the Upper Hive, emotions that had built up after years of suffering.
These feelings were a major obstacle to fostering hope and could potentially become fertile ground for Chaos.
This trial was meant to send a clear message to the people:
The ones who oppressed and tormented you, the ones responsible for your miserable lives, were these heretic traitors. The King's Court was not to blame.
Now, the King's Court and the Governor had avenged you. Better days were ahead!
In short, the trial aimed to punish the heretics and traitors, declare the unification of the Upper Hive, and promise the people various policies for their benefit.
It was all about letting the citizens vent their emotions.
This was the core purpose of the Great Judgement.
On the execution platform, Yusef, the leader of the Grey Wolf Warband, and other heretic traitors were bound to special execution devices, awaiting their fate.
Soon, the trial began.
Bishop Doni stepped forward to announce the heinous crimes of these individuals, condemning them to execution in the name of the Emperor and the King's Court.
Afterward, Eden personally pulled the mechanical lever before the crowd.
The execution began!
A combination of electric and fire torture was administered, and it lasted for a full hour.
As the heretics and traitors suffered their agonizing punishment, the citizens wept bitterly.
They cursed the ones who had caused them so much suffering, finally able to release their pent-up emotions.
At the same time, they couldn't help but feel immense gratitude toward the King's Court and the Governor for saving them.
Eventually, the heretics and traitors were reduced to ashes in excruciating pain.
Afterward, Eden addressed the crowd, officially announcing the unification of the Upper Hive and promising a better life for his subjects.
As the Great Judgement concluded, Eden could feel that much of the people's oppressive emotions had been relieved.
More and more hope was gathering, and soon, Eden had accumulated another million points of hope.
With the power of hope bolstering him, Eden's strength surged even further.
And now, he was ready to grant another blessing!
(End of Chapter)
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