[u][b]The Palace of Caesar[/b][/u]

It appeared that Lucius's reply displeased Gladstone as much as it had unsettled him, as Gladstone raised his voice, his answer booming throughout the room. 

“Then let us divide the Khan lands at the end of this war", Gladstone thundered, "This war in the east will finish with our victory. When our forces have returned west, after the appropriate period of recuperation, we can fall upon the Khans from the west and south. Would that be agreeable to you Caesar?”

Barnaky glanced over at Martin, he had visibly blanched at the statement. The responsibilities of ruling over Wyoming had accomplished what the NCR, and even Sallow had failed to do...tame the Khans. There was simply no point in dismembering their little Empire....especially since Gladstone had hundreds of thousands of square miles of land to his North and East to expand into. And if that wasn't enough....the Khans were already fighting and dying alongside the Order in Michigan, betraying them after they had shed blood for him would ruin decades of careful diplomacy with the Tribes and small statelets along his borders. 

The young slave delivered his note, and after glancing at it Lucius looked directly at him and bade him approach, which he did, arriving just in time to hear Caesar's reply. 

“Forgive me High Elder", Lucius replied, shaking his head sadly, "I’ve not made my intention clear in this discussion. I will not declare war on the Khans without provocation, without casus belli. Sallow was a conqueror, Kimball Jr….tried to be...both men met untimely fates because of their hubris. I don’t intend to follow either to the grave. The Legion I’m forging...is one I intend to be a more stable and productive state than either of them ruled. If you intend to attack the Khans...I will not stop you. As I said, The Legion and the Khans, while amicable, are not allied and I’ve no obligation to rise to their defense. They’ve taken Legion gold in exchange for oaths of battle, but that is all. That being said….I would desire that The Legion be permitted to offer terms of peaceful annexation to the lands of New Canaan and northern Utah. I want to gain what I seek through diplomacy for a change….not warfare. Something Sallow never considered.” 

“However,” he continued, “If you are content to wait until after the war in the east is decided to resolve this, then I’m content with that oath and welcome your support and pledge to do so.”

“Ave Lord Barnaky,” Lucius said as he rose to meet the robotic construct that served as his proxy, “This meeting has been overdue for far too long, hasn’t it? Please join us.”

"That it has, Caesar", Barnaky replied, taking the seat he had been offered, "That it has. I am pleased to see that you have recovered from your injuries." He then looked at the High Elder. "It's good to see you again as well, High Elder." he then addressed both men. "By all means, please continue."

“Lord-Paladin and Mighty Caesar", Gladstone began, "Might I express my thanks for having such a righteous cause brought to the attention of the Western Brotherhood, and to have such magnificent allies to fight alongside. You will be pleased to know that I have ordered the deployment of the full arsenal; as much of the forbidden weaponry as can be moved marches east against the cult. Chemical weapons to unleash a true plague upon them, along with some of the more savage pre-war weaponry which has proved highly useful in past scourges. No quarter shall be given, all those associated with the cult will burn and die from the highest priest to the lowest serf.”

Gladstone paused, to wet his lips before continuing.

“Such is the nature of the scourge in the laws lain down by the Codex. A full force of ten thousand is being readied as I speak. Along with a further thousand mercenaries as can be hired from the west and north. If you would wish for the Brotherhood to produce any military elements sorely needed in the east, such as tanks and the like, now would be the time to say so. The force will mainly be infantry and artillery, and the vehicles to move them in battle.”

“Your support is welcome, as I previously mentioned, Lucius replied. "Legatus Aurelius even now marches east to engage the cult. I fear the war will claim many more bodies before the cult is finally defeated.”

"I am gratified by your support as well, High Elder", Barnaky began carefully, "Your strength, added to ours, will ensure our ultimate victory over the Cult. But with that said, however, I must make clear that I cannot support the deployment of chemical or biological weapons, or for that matter, deployment or use of nuclear weapons with a yield higher than the sub-tactical devices allowed by the Codex....irregardless of what the Cult has done or will do. At the previous conference, I had no less than three factions ask my Order for aid in destroying strategic nuclear weapons they either had possession of or access to. Why? Because they trusted that when I said I would make sure they were never used, I meant just that....that I would ensure no-one would [i]ever[/i] be in a position to use them, [b]ever[/b]. Including me. I will not squander my hard-won credibility on this issue for a fleeting tactical advantage. Even were I inclined to use such weapons, i must point out that the logistics of equipping and training the nearly thirty thousand allies currently fighting alongside my Armies to survive in a NBC battlefield during a active campaign would be a nightmare."

"There are also other considerations", Barnaky continued, "We estimate that around 200,000 souls reside in the current Theatre of Operations in Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky....very few of them support the Cult. The last census of the Integrated Republic of Detroit recorded 923,621 Citizens. While that number has been significantly reduced, they are actively fighting the Cult. While we are committed to honoring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic, I plan to annex Indiana and Kentucky, and Michigan's status will be decided in negotiations with the Republic post-war. Using prohibited weapons puts the lives of innocents at risk....innocents to whom the Scourge order does not apply to. Pittsburgh itself will be leveled with the dust before this is over...but the lands we are fighting in now have no allegiance to the Cult beyond what they can compel with a bayonet and the inhabitants thereof will be dealt with on a case by case basis."

"And if I may", Barnaky said in conclusion, "I'd like to return for a moment to your proposal regarding the Khans. Like Caesar, I have no treaty obligations to them. But I hold no will towards the Khans, for they do not trouble my lands, nor do they molest my people who reside or travel through theirs. The status quo between them, the Legion, and I is acceptable as it is..I see no reason to make war on them, nor do I understand your position towards them. If you need land, the former Provinces of Canada to your north are wide open for expansion, Alberta in particular had considerable mineral wealth according to pre-war records. Montana and North Dakota are also sparsely populated and suitable for settlement. Attacking the Khans without just provocation now...just as they are finally settling down and abandoning their Raider ways, not to mention aiding us in this War....is not a venture I am willing to participate in, nor will I close my borders to any refugees from any such conflict. I owe the Khans fighting and dying for me in Michigan, even as I speak, that much at least."