Severan Dominate - Drukhari: The Drukhari Kabal known as the Children of Thorns has long tolerated and exploited the Human presence in this region of the galaxy. Prior to the arrival of the Imperium, the scarcely populated worlds of the Periphery presented a steady supply of slaves to be used for their needs in Commorragh.As the Imperial presence intensified, worlds which were once easy prey became increasingly resistant to the Kabal's slave raids. When Severus XIII offered to selectively lower defences against realspace slave raids in exchange for assistance in consolidating his power, the Drukhari were swift to agree to his generous terms.Since their initial agreement, the duke has mercilessly condemned entire worlds to the Children of Thorns. Hundreds of thousands of Imperial citizens have gone screaming into the slave pits of the Dark City. Outwardly, the duke has shown no remorse for these actions. He firmly believes that without the assistance of the xenos, his fledgling nation might have already collapsed.More recently, however, problems have begun to surface in the agreement between the Secessionists and the xenos. As the Severan Dominate has lost control of worlds, their available assets have significantly decreased. As the duke is losing his stranglehold on additional planets, he is unable to consign the inhabitants of those worlds to a life of torture at the hands of the Children of Thorns.Several worlds which have already been restored to the Imperium are no longer suitable targets for the slavers. This is increasingly true of worlds where the Imperium has chosen to maintain a significant number of reserve forces -- in those star systems, slave raids are often overwhelmed by the coordinated Astra Militarum efforts.In reaction to this difficulty, representatives of the Kabal were swift to bring their "concerns" to the duke and his court. After all, their agreement to ally was based entirely upon his ability to provide them with worlds well-suited to their raiding efforts. However, as he continued to lose worlds, the duke's ability to provide such access became limited.The fact that he has become increasingly dependent upon the limited number of worlds he still controls has only exacerbated the issue at hand. Unless there is a swift change in his fortune, the Severan Dominate might soon run out of worlds that can provide an adequate number of slaves to the Children of Thorns. The duke is well aware of the deteriorating situation, and has begun efforts to renegotiate the scope of their agreement.Key to that negotiation is the issue of the compensation that the Secessionists receive from the Drukhari. To date, the xenos have provided the Severan rebels with a limited supply of advanced Drukhari weapons and technology. In general, these armaments provide the Secessionists an edge only within a very constrained set of circumstances.Additional favours have been promised -- including actual military support from the Kabal. However, that support has only materialised within a very few, specific situations -- ones in which the Children of Thorns were able to acquire additional slaves in the face of minimal resistance.As the Severan Dominate's resources have begun to dwindle and its needs increase, it has begun to try to press the Drukhari ever harder in their negotiations. This creates a situation where neither side is negotiating in good faith. Just as the duke and his representatives make promises that they have no hope of delivering, the representatives of the Kabal also have no intention to honour many of the Human lord's desperate requests.To date, both sides have continued to pay lip service to their agreements, but both factions have also begun to push the boundaries wherever it is possible to do so. Both sides now recognise the deceptions posed by their opposite parties, and seek to take full advantage of the situation before everything completely collapses.Each side has responded to the perfidy in its own way. On the part of the Severan Dominate, this has been to attempt to decrease the number of opportunities that the xenos have to take Human slaves. In part, this has meant better securing many of their isolated facilities from Kabal assault. However, this has not always been an effective deterrent.The Children of Thorns have technology that exceeds Humanity's, and the ability to strike at a moment's notice through the Webway. In contrast, the Severan Dominate's resources have become increasingly strained by the ongoing wars.Resources which they could not effectively guard prior to the agreement remain very poorly protected. Consequently, in spite of their best efforts, the Secessionists remain largely dependent upon the Kabal honouring its word to only strike at previously agreed upon targets.In contrast, the Kabal have continually looked for ways to exploit their relationship with the Severan Dominate. As they consider the duke little more than a talking prey animal like all other Humans, they hardly feel any strong obligation to honour their agreements with him. As long as it serves their purpose, they are likely to continue to at least pay lip service to his nation and his cause.For the time being, this also includes cooperating with him, for exactly as long as they can fully take advantage of his information and his assets. However, they feel no loyalty at all to his cause. In situations where they may be able to acquire additional assets without any added expense, they are certain to do so.They feel no qualms about exploiting the duke, as they have every expectation that he treats them in the same manner. Notably, in the event that they can confirm an act of betrayal or accumulate strong evidence of his deception, they are certain to turn against him. If this were to happen, the Secessionists would suddenly add an additional front to their war -- one which might well spell their doom.A further complication in their agreement is the loyalty of Severan Dominate citizens to the Imperial Creed. A working relationship with these xenos is anathema to their religious beliefs.To assuage this issue, the Severan-Drukhari alliance is secret; only the highest-ranking Dominate officers are even aware of their cooperation, and soldiers of the line are warned to ignore any scandalous rumours about the matter by Ducal Legates and other authority figures.