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Whatever you hoped to achieve here, in your ruin, you knew, deep down, that you would not succeed. And yet, as I look upon you, I see that for all your intellect, you are but a mote of filth, incapable of serving the plan.

- Dark Lord Tyrómairon

Praesator Adelheidis had gone so far. She had built the True Republic to fight against Apollo and secured a healthy relationship with Rambert Ramveral, High King of Rambo Nation. By using him, she would dispose of the President and his supporters, and establish herself as the true ruler of the Cyrannian Republic. However, times were changing, and so were the Quadrant Galaxies. High King Rambert was no longer the person Adelheidis had seduced months prior.

Powers beyond her were acting. And she was deemed unworthy.

Dramatis personæ[]

Story[]

End of a Partnership[]

Adelheidis stood on the bridge of her flagship, smiling with satisfaction at the latest reports from the war front. The Rambo had taken the New Republic's Loyalist worlds and fleets by surprise, and though they had been defeated at the Battle of Pauvenris, they were making steady progress in quelling those loyal to Apollo in the Quadrants. In agreement with High King Rambert, Adelheidis' armada would move in behind the Rambo fleets, holding territory and providing defence to regions no longer protected by Rambo fleets.

The True Republic fleet, consisting of all the vessels which remained in service to Adelheidis, held position over the recently conquered world of New Capricaerón, the homeworld of Apollo's Vice President Ramdard Ramthrace. The Rambo fleet had just recently left, commanded by Commodore Malegras, leaving the rubble of the capital city New Delphi behind them. Though Adelheidis had wished to take the planet through political agreement with its leaders, when they instead declared their loyalty to the Loyalists, she watched as Malegras unleashed the power of his flagship on the defenseless settlement.

As she watched the city smoulder below her, she received a transmission from the Rambo Capital. Smiling and fixing her hair, she expected the High King to inform her of a new victory against the Republic, and eagerly activated the holoprojector. What she got, however, was the image of Rambert in a clearly agitated expression; his eyes were dull and tired, as if he had not slept for many days, and they turned into a frown as he pointed his finger at her, immediately beginning to yell;

  • Rambert: "You! You cursed blueskin! This is all your fault!"

Adelheidis gasped.

  • Adelheidis: "High King, my friend! What happened!?"
  • Rambert: "What happened? What happened?! Oh, I was just humiliated over Pauvenris by Apollo's Republic. That's what happened!"
  • Adelheidis: "A mere blip in our plans, I assure you. I won't rest until that vile lizard is paraded through the streets of the Capital!"
  • Rambert: "No, you will not. Ever since I allowed you into the Quadrants, I've suffered nothing but woes. I see it clearly now; all of the Cyrannian Republic is a thorn in the side of Rambo Nation, be it Apollo's or yours!"

The enraged High King threw his hands away in an angered gesture.

  • Rambert: "No more, I say! The Quadrants are not yours! I will allow you here no longer!"

Adelheidis slammed her fist on the holoprojector.

  • Adelheidis: "I was born in the Quadrants you mishapen bird! I could care less about your thoughts on my being here!"
  • Rambert: "The Quadrants are under my jurisdiction! Surrender peacefully or I will deliver you to the hands of the Galactic Empire, and then they can decide your fate."
  • Adelheidis: "Submit or die, or fight and die? I know my choice! You will regret your words!"

The High King's face approached the holoprojector, making his face clearer to Adelheidis' view. Even though they were many light years away from her, she could feel something wrong about him.

  • Rambert: "Be that way then... You filthy mammal."

With that, the transmission came to an end.

Last Stand[]

When Rambert's hologram flickered out, Adelheidis sighed deeply and slumped into her command chair, running her fingers through her long red hair. The bird had truly gone mad, and now the True Republic was on the brink of ruin. Several possibilities ran through her mind, before she settled on her next course of action. She would travel to the Regellis Star Empire, and seek their support in overthrowing the Republic. To be sure, Empress Minarela would be a natural ally to reclaim her people's prestige after their defeat during the New Cyrandia Wars. Her reverie was suddenly ended by a panicked cry from one of her bridge officers.

  • Officer: "Lady Adelheidis, a fleet is dropping out of hyperspace!"
  • Adelheidis: "From what vector?"

The officer's eyes widened.

  • Officer: "From... all sides!"
  • Adelheidis: "All ships, battlestations!"

One by one, dozens of Imperial capital ships dropped out of lightspeed in orbit over New Capricaerón, completely surrounding Adelheidis' armada.

  • Adelheidis: "Make the jump to lightspeed. We can't hold off that many ships!"
SGCW Last Stand of the Viper 01

The True Republic collapses in the battle against Decimius.

The ship alongside the Talon of Veloci attempted to jump to lightspeed, but was suddenly pulled back into realspace by a newly arrived Interdictor-class Star Destroyer, which erected a gravity well over the system, preventing any ship from escaping. Adelheidis' eyes widened when she saw that, where once had been the hologram of Rambert, now there was a Libertus in the gleaming white uniform of a Grand Admiral.

  • Grand Admiral Tector Decimius: "Ah, Praesator Adelheidis. We meet at last. Your forces are outnumbered, and escape is impossible. Your little Republic ends today."

Growling, Adelheidis ended the transmission and ordered all vessels to immediately open fire on the Interdictor cruiser. However, Decimius had deployed several Star Destroyers tasked with its defence, and commanded his vessels to target and destroy all True Republic ships. Turbolaser fire raged across the battlefield, with floating debris and plasma littering the once peaceful space above New Capricaerón.

Aboard the Chimaera, Decimius commanded his fleet from his private quarters above the main bridge, his eyes darting from screen to screen. He watched in quiet satisfaction as the Chimaera's cannons hammered the engines of a golden-hulled Venator-class destroyer, sending it spiralling out of control and smashing into a nearby battlecruiser. Another ship, an Aether-class corvette foolishly entered the Chimaera's forward firing arc, and but a second later, all that remained was a cloud of shrapnel and superheaded vapour.

On the Talon of Veloci, positioned near the centre of the True Republic's crumbling fleet, Adelheidis listened in impotent frustration as the sound of screaming and incoherent communication chattered over the comm. She could hear the last of her loyal captains ordering their crews to abandon ship, while others, the more zealous of her followers, announced that they would ram the Imperial ships. Admiral Lincolani, her highest ranking officer, was one such example, and she could hear her bark a kamikaze order, and seconds later, the sound of blood-curdling explosion and utter silence.

When the forward line of True Republic vessels had given way to space debris, Adelheidis could finally get a visual of the battle from the viewport. The Imperial flagship, the dreaded Chimaera was silently moving forward, unleashing devastating turbolaser volleys with enough precision to destroy a Venator-class in the span of a few seconds. Moving alongside the Talon of Veloci, the Chimaera fired a broadside which severely damaged the True Republic flagship, tearing off huge chunks of hull and sending Adelheidis and her bridge officers crashing across the bridge like ragdolls. Removing her head from the cold duristeal bulkhead, Adelheidis looked around to see that most of her officers were dead, and yet to her surprise, the Chimaera had ceased its fire. Before she could contemplate the situation further, her legs gave way, and she fell to the ground unconcious.

The next thing Adelheidis could remember was being holstered to her feet by Imperial troopers, and dragged toward the Grand Admiral, who stood next to what remained of the holoprojector.

  • Decimius: "Now then. I shall accept your formal surrender."

The Heart of the Empire[]

An Imperial shuttle descended through the blue skies and white clouds of Orbispira, the towering monades and skyscrapers passing by the viewport which Adelheidis rested her head against. She was still drowsy from her injuries at the Battle of New Capricaerón, but was still resolved to escape and continue her aspirations toward the establishment of her True Republic as the Cluster's reigning hyperpower. Her heart sank, however, when the shuttle touched down not at the site of the Imperial Courts, but of the vast and resplendent Imperial Palace—the heart of the Empire.

She was led into the cavernous building by Imperial guards, who led her to the throne room, where Emperor Tyrómairon sat expectantly, his talon-like claws clasped together.

  • Tyrómairon: "Remove her restraints. And leave us."

The guards bowed their heads and exited the room, leaving Adelheidis alone with the Emperor in the dimly lit room. Before the throne, were massive windows opening out onto the Orbispiran skyline below, with countless ships and speeders buzzing past the city world. When the Emperor said nothing, Adelheidis decided to approach the throne.

  • Adelheidis: "Oh great Emperor of Cyrannus, it is an honour to finally me-"

The Emperor cut her off.

  • Tyrómairon: "You stand before me in shackles. Your words are inconsequential. And yet... you may be of some small use to me."

Adelheidis' eyes widened slightly, and she affected a sultry voice she often used against powerful beings.

  • Adelheidis: "Oh? What is your desire, Emperor? Whatever is in my capacity to give, it is yours."
SGCW Last Stand of the Viper 02

Tyrómairon ends Adelheidis' life.

The Emperor's expression was inscrutable, his dark eyes boring into hers with an intensity so great that she clutched her head in faint pain, though tried to pass it off as brushing her tousled red hair from her eyes. She continued to approach, holding the Emperor's gaze.

  • Adelheidis: "After all, every Emperor needs an Empress."

The Emperor's response was immediate, though his tone of voice was one of boredom, as if he had been ignoring her words. Raising from the throne, he outstretched his arm and Adelheidis rose into the air.

  • Tyrómairon: "You are wholly ignorant to the depths of my power, Praesator Adelheidis. Whatever you hoped to achieve here, in your ruin, you knew, deep down, that you would not succeed. And yet, as I look upon you, I see that for all your intellect, you are but a mote of filth, incapable of serving the plan."

Adelheidis struggled in the Dark Lord's invisible grasp. She tried to scream, but only deathly silence escaped her gaping mouth. She found herself incapable of looking away from his gaze, and blood began to pour from her eyes.

  • Tyrómairon: "You thought you could fight the tide, but in reality, you have been swept by it, as will all of the Republic."

The Emperor released his grasp, and Adelheidis fell to the floor, though her eyes remained transfixed on his. Screaming silently, she began to convulse, as if her brain was melting, culminating in two geysers of flame bursting from her sockets. The Praesator, and the embodiment of the True Republic, fell to the floor, dead.

Trivia[]

Further Reading[]

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