Logic and Reason
Author’s note: Fem!Roboute
Summary: Roberta remembers some of her father Konnor's words of wisdom, which she follows, no matter how many years pass, they still make sense.
Warnings: LMK if I need to add anything.
Tagged: @barn-anon, @bleedingichorhearts, @c-u-c-koo-4-40k, @egrets-not-regrets, @kit-williams
Tagged: @sleepyfan-blog, @ms--lobotomy , @thevoidscreams, @i-am-a-dragon34, @gra93fruit-blog
Tagged: @felinisnoctis, @undeaddream
"My Star child," Roberta heard her father say with such warmth and affection, she turns and heads over to him.
A happy, trusting smile on her face as she heads over to her papa and reaches out for him. Back when she was small enough that her father could easily pick her up and carry her on his hip.
"Papa!" Roberta said with a smile and pressing a happy, messy kiss of an adoring child to her father's face.
He chuckles softly and presses an affectionate kiss to her forehead and she leans into him more. Laying her cheek against his chest and closing her eyes a little, as she stuck her thumb in her mouth as she heard the familiar soothing thump-thump of his heartbeat.
"My star child," Konnor starts again and she opens her brilliant, almost glowing blue eyes as she tilts her head and looks at him again.
Blinking innocent eyes up at him, "This world- as much as I am doing my best to change it to be a better world, it has it's issues. Equality is one of them."
He lets out a heavy sigh, and rocks her a little and starts speaking, 'the nobles and the lower classes, there is inequality, and that I am striving to change- for the betterment of McCragge as a whole. Between men and women, there is inequality as well."
"You listen to mama," Roberta pointed out with a confused pout.
"Yes, but some... think that a woman can't rule, not on her own." Konnor says.
"That's stupid," Roberta says with childish indignation.
"It is stupid," Konnor said rocking her a little and pressing another affectionate kiss to her cheek. "but- in order for most men to listen to you, you must sound like them, look like them."
Roberta tilts her head a little confused, "Wha?"
"In public, your pronouns are he/him," Konnor says, "And your public name is Roboute Guilliman. It will make it so those foolish men will listen to you... and it will more likely protect you from..."
He pauses and presses his lips together as a frown tugs at his lips. There are certain things that he'd not told his daughter- too young, despite how fast she grows, not yet.
Such ugliness and cruelty isn't just harm that happened to women, such things could happen to anyone of any gender, but if his lovely star child is known to be girl.
His frown deepens, as much as he's tried to stamp out the Sabine Ritual, it's still practiced, and still considered a perfectly legal form of marriage.
Of course- it's rarer but women have stolen husbands. And Spouses have stolen spouses. And Husbands have stolen husbands, and wives have stolen wives. But most examples are of husbands stealing wives.
And his little star- she is very special, it was something he had known deep in his bones when he'd first find his star child when he'd looked into a meteor that had crashed at the edge of his property.
Instead of stone and rock, a small, beautiful child that almost glowed in the star light crawled out- and he could swear he'd seen a crown of laurels grace that tiny head, but for the briefest of moments.
"We like keeping secrets and hiding things from others, yes?" Konnor continued.
"Yes!" Roberta's grin gets big and she giggles full of mischief.
"So- to trick everyone else but me and mama," Konnor says, "everyone else must think you are a boy, okay?"
"Yes daddy!" Roberta says innocently, sweetly.
~~~~
Roberta is shaken out of her thoughts, but of course, things were more complicated. And her dearly departed father had trusted one other person with the truth of his star child.
That bastard traitor- who had killed her father- just thinking about that bastards last words to her. The terror she'd felt, the rage- and the hot, wet blood of the Traitor on her skin and hands, to protect her mother, to protect herself, and she had rallied the people under her banner, her cause.
She has yet to meet another being who's size and height reaches her own. She knows how others can be caught in her orbit- and listen to her every word.
Still- she has another world to bring into the fold of Ultramar. She uses diplomacy first- and if that breaks down, Force, as much pressures is needed until the planet folds.
Then she and her people put down their weapons, roll up their sleeves and get into the business of rebuilding the worlds they take over. Make them stronger, better, while keeping certain traits of the world, the same.
One of the planets that she is in negotiates with has their own space travel- and some other interesting infrastructure and other valuable resources that makes her hesitant to use Force.
