I am thinking again about when John says “if you abandon something, you have no more right to act as if you own it”. and at first I assumed he was talking about Blood Of Eden, which I think he is, but I also think he is talking about himself. and Harrow.
John tells Harrow this immediately after he learns of her parents’ genocide. he assures her that he will shepard her dead 200; he will remember them until and long after dominicus has burnt away. John isn’t JUST talking about Harrow’s dead 200. he’s talking about the dead 10 billion and every single person that dies as a sacrifice to his empire’s expansion. he’s justifying his own crimes by saying as long as he remembers them, as long as he does not percieve himself abandoning them, he still has right to own them, use them, burn them as the battery of his empire. and he’s telling Harrow that she can do the same.