#antaric empire

[cherryskeletoncake]

I joined the MCYTBLRAufest2024 with this

And had the joy of having 2 writers for it! They deserve all the love, they were great and chill teammates <3

Check out what they wrote! I’m!!! <3<3<3

[ The price we pay - TheEnderWolf ] - soulmates, platonic emerald duo, reencarnation, slight techno wump <3

And

[ calls you home - anonymus ] -

Omegaverse, techza, slight dnb, soulmates and rencarnation here too <3

Both can be found as a part of " MCYTBLR AU Fest Summer 2024 " on ao3

They both had such cool and diffrent takes on it! Please have a read <3

And thank you to the great people behind it all @mcytblraufest you’ve all been wonderfull :3c

(Adding a alternative verson without the grafitti as well)

[crackengolds]

I’ve got you. The ship’s rebooting. You’re alright.

-

A commission of a scene from “A Promise of Empires” from the fantastic Nic on twit! I love their work so much, every piece they create is so full of emotion and sincerity, the kind that evokes Renaissance-era paintings. At least to me. 😊

I’ll add it into Chapter 7 on Ao3 when I finish the next chapter!

[victoriadallonfan]

Godzilla x Kong poster but it’s Antares x Weaver

[gillymugs]

Antares Draco my beloved

Added some colors on this, maybe I’ll render

[yugonostalgia-misc]

@artbyblastweave You have some of the best analysis so I hate to go against you but… by far & away the primary reason she was interrogating a Nazi was because the narrative needed to introduce the e88 & the background state of Brockton Bay, not because Victoria is an antifascist agitator. An AU where Taylor had run into the e88 arc 1 and the ABB needed to be introduced would have Victoria beating up a ABB footsoldier instead

ask game; Victoria Dallon, aka Glory Girl aka Antares

I've always thought that Victoria's first appearance is quite the bit of deft needle-threading.

The thing about Interlude 2 is that Vicky is our first example of one of this setting's established heroes actively fighting crime- not just swooping in to vulture up the accomplishments of an up-and-comer- and a therefore a major goal of the sequence is to ensure that the audience comes away structurally unnerved by what counts as business as usual for the heroes, set the stage for the hurricane of ass-covering to come. So we have a sequence where she lords her power over a baseline criminal who has no realistic chance to fight back or get away, where she cripples and nearly kills him in a display of excessive force, where she uses her connections to other capes to duck out on the consequences of her excess once she realizes that she's crossed certain moral and optical Rubicons. All of this is gross, all of this speaks to an alarmingly cavalier attitude amongst even the most ostensibly accountable heroes. And from a protagonistic perspective, all of this serves to soften the blow of Taylor's actions at the bank in act three, because we're predisposed to see Vicky as an arrogant, overprivileged loose cannon who'd actually have a significantly higher body count than all of the Undersiders put together if not for the cushion afforded to her by her status as a superhero. A golden child up against the already put-upon underdog.

But. She also does all of that to a Neo-Nazi, who was fresh off committing a hate crime. I mean, if this was violence against a purse-snatcher, a drug-dealer- It would be very, very easy to block this sequence in a way that would set her up as a villain and nothing else for the rest of the work. In The Boys, for example, Homelander debuts by incinerating one bank robber's hand and throwing another a thousand feet into the air to land hard on a parked car, and the dissonance between that casual brutality and his chumminess with the onlookers is the thematic backbone for... basically the entire show, because he was in such total control of the situation that the only reason to do it that way is that he fundamentally doesn't care. In Super Crooks, it's made abundantly clear that the superheroes trying to arrest the titular supervillains are significantly more destructive to the city than the villains are, because their institutional backing removes any incentive to do anything but pursue the flashiest arrests possible for the sake of ratings. But Glory Girl? She's a sixteen year old putting her money where her mouth is on the unconsidered-dilettante suburban-left-ish tumblrite rallying cry of punching a Nazi. She's living out a near-boilerplate superheroic fantasy of righteous violence against an uncomplicatedly righteous target- likely a fantasy entertained at least once by the median cape fan, if we're being honest- and then, in the aftermath, blood on her hands and on the pavement, staring down the full weight of the prospect of actually having killed a person in an unconsidered spate of rage, is very much a panicked teenager about it, scrambling for a way to walk it back.

Which, independent of the specifics of whether this particular asshole had it coming, is the problematic element of this that generalizes- that superheroism in this world is a system that puts the social license to use concrete-shattering power in the hands of a kid with the judgement and attitude of someone scheming up ways to dodge curfew. She's done this before, she's gonna keep doing this, she's gonna keep being two-faced about it with her public-facing golden-girl image. But she wasn't wrong to be angry. And the fact that this is the kind of thing she gets angry about is hard to separate from later beats where she tries to do right by people, hard to separate from her willingness to put herself on the line against Endbringers and the Slaughterhouse 9. It's a bad situation, a horrible system that's guaranteed to incentivize bad behavior, they shouldn't be assigning any of this shit to a 17-year-old. But later on, when things go south for her, the seeds are planted so that she can retain audience sympathy in a way that she likely wouldn't be able to if this story was a banal hatswap, with unfairly maligned "villains" who do no real wrong against supervillains who happen to call themselves superheroes.

[doolallymagpie]

definitely wondering what kind of t’au battlesuit i could proxy with these guys (not sure about their base size, they look maybe crisis-broadside size?)

i want ‘em for sectopods more, because they look close enough to the xcom declassified version, but it’d never hurt to have something to plop ‘em down as in 40K

[timesthatneverwere]

WIP Whenever!

Tagged by @flamemittens and @judithmactir! Thank you so much for the tag, and apologies for the usual delay!

This is an excerpt from the chapter I'm working on for An Imperial Affair, my most beloved WIP (and the only one I'm working on at the moment). It's still a draft though, so it might change overtime... It might never see the light of day even xD

“A rabid dog may have its uses, but nobody wants its company. Not even the Emperor wants you around, staining his image, poisoning everything you touch. First, he sent you away, to pacify the Western Reaches. Then, he promoted you. Grand Moff of Oversector Outer,” he scoffs, “A very fancy title for a forced transfer away from the seat of the Empire. King of nowhere. You are not blind, Tarkin, you know that this is banishment in all but name. No matter the power you amass, you are and will always be a pariah.” Tarkin was wondering when the consequences of Antar Atrocity would come up; how he had to be hidden away like an outcast in the Outer Rim, lest the Core Worlds raise a ruckus. If he weren’t so exhausted, Tarkin would have had a good laugh at the expense of his fixation with that event and overall shortsightedness. Antar meant nothing, and its aftermath, less than nothing. Under the semblance of a move to keep face after such a ruthless operation, while everyone assumed that Tarkin was being cast aside, he was, in fact, conveniently relocated where he was most needed. “Is this supposed to be devastating? An eye-opening experience before you put me out of my misery?” As clumsy as this attempt at getting under his skin might be, his words contain a modicum of truth - exaggerated and twisted to accommodate his worldview, but truth nonetheless. Not that he minds. He cares only that he is feared. “No, I wouldn’t expect that. You will never change,” he replies, drawing his blade, but not approaching him just yet, “I have been following your exploits; how you have strengthened the Outer Rim Imperial Fleet, how you deal with the key economic players of this oversector as though they were your vassals, and the power-grabbing policies you have implemented. The Emperor lets you live out your little warlord fantasy, and you think that you are irreplaceable, that he has plans for you. But you would have never outlived your usefulness.” “Perhaps,” Tarkin says, unfazed. Let him try and bring forward the inevitable, then. Tarkin is not afraid of fate.

No pressure tags for: @squadron-of-damned @illusivesoul @unreadpoppy @sky-kiss @adevilyoudo

@amaranth-eternal

@tantive404

[chillwildwave]

Hey guys, I guess this is probably my first drawing since I've been dragged into the Wish rewrite fandom: don't get me wrong, I don't hate the actual film, I thought the animation was nice and songs were mid but it was the story that was the main problem since it was poorly executed, which isn't expected when it comes to Disney classics.

So this drawing up here, y'all see it? Well, this is supposed to be giving a hint about my rewrite of Wish, it is called "The Wishing Kingdom" putting more emphasis on those titles of movies from the Renaissance, and the plot will revolve around Asha, a princess who's the daughter of King Magnifico and Queen Amaya, the rulers of Rosas, in the story, she longs for change when she is hired to take her parent's throne on her 18th birthday for the wish ceremony in which she is forced to become the next wish granter to her people when she later finds out that her parents are actually using them to build an empire of their own and not for the people.

This results in her being conflicted between fighting against her parents and keeping the wishes for herself, she then wishes upon a star and a star boy named Antares from the kingdom of Galaxium appears to help Asha learn that wishes aren't used for greed but to achieve one's goals by working her way to prove to Rosas that if you work hard, your wishes will soon come true.

Of course, I will be rewriting some of the songs and doing some animations or drawing some screencaps to give you guys an idea of what I'm talking about, about the songs, I will include some of my original material like Antares' solo song titled "Down Here" which is his Disney Princess number where he talks about how he desperately wants to fit in with the people of Rosas from down here, it'll also talk about how he's happy to be on land with animals nearly crawling up to him, but don't worry, other songs will announced soon.

And that's all from me, I'm willing to give my rewrite a shot since I think the concept is much better than what we got in the movie

For the 4Townies, don't worry, I'm not leaving the fandom, I'm still here!

[sorryimananti-romantic]

Ateez - Character Concept

Lore: 'An Empire of Dreams and Illusions'

[faerie prince!ateez au]

[Name/Titles]

Kim Hongjoong Prince of Light

[Kingdom]

Kingdom of Scorpio

[Cities]

Antares (Capital) Acrab Jabbah Schubba Sargas

[Sea]

The Topaz Sea

[Animal Form]

Lion

[Court members]

Got7 (Jaebeom as Right Hand, Yugyeom as Captain of Guard) Red Velvet (Seulgi as Head Healer)

[Powers]

Bending light Burning with light Great affinity for healing Only magic to break through illusions 'Unheal'

[Appearance]

Ginger hair Blue eyes Translucent orange wings

[Name/Titles]

Park Seonghwa Prince of Dark

[Family]

Princess Yena of Space (soulmate/wife)

[Kingdom]

Kingdom of Aries (State- Hamal)

[Cities]

Hamal (Capital) Bharani

[Sea]

The Diamond Sea

[Animal Form]

Wolf

[Court members]

Seoho/Jinki (ex-Right Hand) Exo (Kai as Captain of Guard) (G)I-dle (Soyeon as Right Hand, Miyeon as Head Healer)

[Powers]

Bending dark Blinding with darkness or increasing vision when dark Penetrating mind Accessing memories Nullifying most magics

[Appearance]

Dark hair Grey eyes Translucent silver wings

[Name/Titles]

Jeong Yunho Prince of Water

[Kingdom]

Kingdom of Aries (State- Sheratan)

[Cities]

Sheratan (Capital)

[Sea]

The Diamond Sea

[Animal Form]

Sea Dragon

[Court members]

The Rose (Woosung as Head Healer) Itzy (Ryujin as Right Hand, Yeji as Captain of Guard)

[Powers]

Bending water Altering water bodies Controlling temperature of water Element of ice Accessing memories through water bodies

[Appearance]

Strawberry blonde hair Dark brown eyes

[Name/Titles]

Kang Yeosang Prince of Spirit

[Family]

Princess Yena of Space (twin-sister)

[Kingdom]

Kingdom of Gemini (State- Pollux)

[Cities]

Mebsuta (Capital) Makbuda Propus Pollux

[Sea]

The Pearl Sea

[Animal Form]

Meerkat

[Court members]

BTS (Namjoon as Right Hand, Taehyung as Captain of Guard) Mamamoo (Solar as 'Left Hand', Hwasa as Head Healer, Wheein as Vice Captain of Guard)

[Powers]

Detection of living souls Ruler of the 'Other' Dimension where spirits dwell Portals Ability to kill a spirit so it ceases to exist from every plane Astral Projection

[Appearance]

Platinum blonde hair Grey eyes

[Name/Titles]

Choi San Prince of Earth

[Family]

Princess Gaeul of Underworld (soulmate)

[Kingdom]

Kingdom of Cancer

[Cities]

Altarf (Capital) Arkesh

[Sea]

The Ruby Sea

[Animal Form]

Fox

[Court members]

Seventeen (Dokyeom as Right Hand, Mingyu as Captain of Guard) Twice (Jihyo as Head Healer)

[Powers]

Bending earth and the elements within Altering landscapes and geography Great affinity for healing- mostly soothing purposes Commanding animals

[Appearance]

Dark hair with ash ends Dark brown eyes

[Name/Titles]

Song Mingi Prince of Fire

[Kingdom]

Kingdom of Leo

[Cities]

Regulus (Capital) Algieba Denebola

[Sea]

The Turquoise Sea

[Animal Form]

Salamander

[Court members]

Day6 (Jae as Right Hand, Wonpil as Head Healer) Blackpink (Lisa as Captain of Guard)

[Powers]

Bending fire Controlling the temperature of fire Extracting lava from earth Detecting burning souls (either from magic or sth else) Seeing through masking magic and illusions

[Appearance]

Red hair Dark brown eyes

[Name/Titles]

Jung Wooyoung Prince of Air

[Kingdom]

Kingdom of Sagittarius

[Cities]

Rukbat (Capital) Ascella Nunki Kaus Medionalis

[Sea]

The Peridot Sea

[Animal Form]

Hawk

[Court members]

Stray Kids (Changbin as Captain of Guard) Dreamcatcher (Siyeon as Right Hand, Jiu as Head Healer)

[Powers]

Controlling the element of air Controlling properties of air Altering weather Detecting the presence of life Tracing whereabouts of something/someone from scent

[Appearance]

Dark hair with streaks Dark brown eyes Translucent silver wings

[Name/Titles]

Choi Jongho Prince of Nature

[Kingdom]

Kingdom of Libra

[Cities]

Zubenelgenubi (Capital) Zubenelschemali Zubenelakrab

[Sea]

The Opal Sea

[Animal Form]

Bear

[Court members]

Monsta X (Jooheon as Right Hand, Hyungwon as Head Healer, Changkyun as Captain of Guard) Gfriend (Sowon as High Healer)

[Powers]

Controlling element of nature Maintaining harmony and balance in nature Command over life forms Meditative state allows him to connect with nature on another level Great affinity for healing Can 'breathe' life into things (unpractised)

[Appearance]

Dark brown hair Dark brown eyes

[talonabraxas]

Massive ruby red Antares is the Scorpion’s Heart

Gateway to Antares Talon Abraxas

In astrology, the royal stars of Persia are Aldebaran, Regulus, Antares and Fomalhaut. They were regarded as the guardians of the sky during the time of the Persian Empire (550 BCE–330 BCE) in the area of modern-day Iran. The Persians believed that the sky was divided into four districts with each district being guarded by one of the four Royal Stars. The stars were believed to hold both good and evil power and the Persians looked upon them for guidance in scientific calculations of the sky, such as the calendar and lunar/solar cycles, and for predictions.

The royal stars are mentioned in the Bundahishn, a collection of Zoroastrian cosmogony and cosmology.

[bradsmindbrain]

Supernova Character Guide for Everyone thus Far! (Will be Updated Over Time)

The Revolution

Name: Neil Astra (he/him)

Age: 20

Homeworld: Earth

Position: Leo Ranger, Field Commander

Initially, Neil lived a relatively normal life on Earth with his mother and younger brother Arthur, but all of that changed when the Dark Matter Empire invaded. After losing his mother during the invasion due to the building she was working in being crushed by an Executor-class Consumoai commanded by Mirfak, Neil had to take care of Arthur himself. Despite the loss of his mother hurting him very deeply, he still possesses an unshakable confidence and optimism that the Empire will collapse. This positive attitude led to him being chosen by the Leo Nova Sphere, a family heirloom from his mother’s side of the family that she passed on to him shortly before her death. Now the Leo Ranger, he’s incredibly happy to be able to help liberate the galaxy from the Empire, even if he’s less experienced in combat than the other rangers, especially Shen, who has more or less become his and Arthur’s adoptive father following Arthur becoming the Ursa Ranger. Strangely, he was able to do something to the Draco Nova Sphere, perfecting Shen’s morphing abilities and getting rid of his time limit…

Name: Leiurus Calchas (he/him)

Age: 25

Homeworld: Serket, Scorpius system

Position: Scorpius Ranger, spy of the Revolution

A man in his mid-twenties with an orange scorpion tail, as well as the chosen of the Scorpius Nova Sphere and the Scorpius Ranger. Initially appearing to oppose the Rangers and later allying with Kaus, in reality he's a spy for the Revolution, and the very first chosen that Shen found. Like all Serketians, he's able to modify the venom his tail injects for a variety of purposes. Despite willing to perform morally-grey actions to infiltrate the Empire, he opposes them as much as the other Rangers do, possessing a strong code of honor and a desire to atone for some mysterious crime. Despite this, Aster is incredibly antagonistic towards him, as he was present the night Aster's creator was kidnapped. As for Leiurus himself, he has a strong desire to make the Empire crumble and find his missing older brother, Eurypto, who’s become the Duke of the Scorpius system, Antares.

Name: Sirius (he/him)

Age: 35

Homeworld: Fenrisulfr, Lupus system

Position: Lupus Ranger

A blue-furred wolfman from the Lupus system, and the Lupus Ranger. Previously he lived a simple life with his wife and the rest of his clan on his homeworld, up until the Dark Matter Empire’s recent invasion of it. His clan tried to resist, but they all fell in battle, leaving him the sole survivor. Despite possessing the Lupus Nova Sphere, which was a wedding gift from his late wife, he wasn’t chosen by it until Neil helped him realize he still had things to fight for. Sirius appears gruff and serious (heh) but he is deeply loyal to the ones he cares about. Coming from a planet that was rarely contacted by the galaxy at large, he also finds himself being a bit awestruck by some of the galaxy’s technological advancements.

Name: Tip (they/them)

Age: 300 in Iustitian years, 25 in Earth years.

Homeworld: Iustitia, Libra system

Position: Libra Ranger

A bombastic mechanical life form from the Libra system who possesses the Libra Nova Sphere and fills the role of the Libra Ranger. Despite coming from a long line of high-ranking judges in the Libra system, they found such a life to be boring, and while working as an aid, helped a defendant, Hydra Trabem escape to receiving a charge they saw as ridiculous. From there, the duo went on to become a pair of the greatest thieves in the galaxy before crossing paths with the Revolution. Despite their eccentric and larger-than-life personality, they’re incredibly loyal, with a heart that’s almost as gold as the plating covering their body.

Name: Asterion “Aster” (he/him)

Age: 38

Homeworld: Crete, Taurus system

Position: Taurus Ranger

A large, strong, bull-like robot from the Taurus system who possesses the Taurus Nova Sphere and is the Taurus Ranger. He has a rather happy-go-lucky attitude, a strong belief in justice, and a love of puzzles. He also loves a good fight and showing off his strength, even using dumbbells despite them not giving any benefits. He joined the Revolution shortly after Brando did and a bit before Alura did, and as such he has a very strong bond with the two of them. Along with Brando and Alura, he was chosen by one of the three legendary Nova Spheres the Revolution was able to recover, and is ready to fight horn and hoof to free the galaxy from the Empire, though he seems to have his own personal reasons for it as well, that being to rescue his creator, Professor Minos Ain, who was kidnapped by the Empire. This has lead to some distrust towards Leiurus, who was present the night he was kidnapped. After learning that Antares was the one responsible, he’s teamed up with Leiurus to bring him down.

Name: Hydra Trabem

Age: 22

Homeworld: Gorgonia, Ophiuchus system

Position: Ophiuchus Ranger, Void Ophiuchus Ranger

A stoic, vaguely reptilian man from the Ophiuchus system, chosen of the Ophiuchus Nova Sphere and the Ophiuchus Ranger. The world Gorgonia has discarded all emotion to avoid conflict, but Hydra wished to have emotions of his own, a major crime on Gorgonia. He was taken to the Libra system to face justice, but the aid of the judge overseeing his case, Tip, helped him escape. Acting as a duo of formidable thieves, they eventually came into contact with the Rangers. A stoic and logical young man, Hydra has made it his personal quest to have emotions of his own. He was brainwashed by Schedar and utilized artificial Nova Spheres created by Mirfak, becoming Ophiuchus Void. Tip was eventually able to break through to him, and has since used those artificial Nova Spheres to assist the Revolution as the Void Ophiuchus Ranger.

Name: Alura Palleon (she/her)

Age: 18

Homeworld: Tokage, Chamaeleon system

Position: Chamaeleon Ranger, Field Commander

A young but highly capable woman from the Chamaeleon system, being the chosen of the Chamaeleon Nova Sphere and filling the role of the Chamaeleon Ranger. Due to her upbringing on her home planet as she was raised to be the future leader of her village, she’s very no-nonsense despite her young age, but she can be quite excitable under the right circumstances. Despite resembling a human, she’s able to camouflage herself so well she appears to be invisible, something everyone on her home planet can do. Despite her young age and the fact that she was the last of the original three Rangers to join the Revolution, she’s easily the best fighter between herself, Aster, and Brando. Despite her serious nature, a memory in the forests of Tokage sticks with her to this day, that being an encounter with Audumla, the embodiment of all that is good in the universe.

Name: Birdie 8 (she/her)

Age: 25

Homeworld: Olympia Corp. Production Station 283, Aquila system

Position: Aquila Ranger, Secretary, Pilot

A bubbly, white and pink android from the Aquila system who serves as Commander Long’s personal secretary and as the pilot of the Orion. Like Aster, she’s just as much of a person as most people are despite being a robot, and is always willing to help the Rangers and the Commander with whatever they need with a joyful attitude. That being said, she does find Commander Long’s puns and antics to be quite grating at times despite working with him for nineteen years, but she still respects him, and he respects her enough to share some of his deepest secrets. She still makes time for herself, and plans on becoming an author following the Empire’s inevitable defeat. Secretly, she’s always dreamed of joining the fight against the Empire more directly, and her desire to do whatever it takes to accomplish that has caused the Aquila Nova Sphere to choose her, allowing her to become the Aquila Ranger and fight alongside the other Rangers like she always dreamed of.

Name: Brando Pesce (he/him)

Age: 28

Homeworld: Bahamut, Dorado System

Position: Dorado Ranger, Chef of the Orion

A big-hearted chef from the tropical world of Bahamut in the Dorado system, as well as the chosen of the Dorado Nova Sphere and the Dorado Ranger. Brando cares deeply for his comrades and is incredibly empathetic towards people in need, an aspect that might be why the Dorado Nova Sphere chose him. He’s incredibly considerate of just about everyone he comes across, even making meals for Aster and Birdie so they don’t feel left out during meals despite them being unable to eat. Despite his caring attitude, he’s more than capable of fending for himself, using the Star Weapon’s Star Saber mode with the grace of a master swordsman, delivering food-based quips all the while. This caring attitude appears to be from his childhood on his Imperial run homeworld, which was overrun by the Marquis Nozzie. Nozzie taxed resources extensively, so Brando’s desire to become a chef stemmed from his desire to help his community deal with it.

Name: Shen Long/Shen Arctos (he/him)

Age: 40

Homeworld: Ladon, Draco system

Position: Draco Ranger, Leader of the Revolution

The purple-scaled draconian leader of the Revolution, and formerly its head scientist. Shen became the leader of the Revolution nineteen years ago, long before he was ready for the position, though he has since grown into it. Despite appearing to be a kooky middle-aged man who loves puns, Shen is an incredibly competent leader and inventor, being the one responsible for the creation of the Supernova Morphers, Star Weapons, and the Nova Sphere tracker. He cares incredibly deeply for the Rangers, and will do whatever it takes to make sure they’re happy and safe. Despite all of this, he’s still deeply haunted by demons from his past, demons that involve Skragen and Calamartia, who were responsible for the death of his adoptive father, Theodore nineteen years ago, forcing him to take over as the leader of the Revolution. He carries deep guilt for what happened, as he disobeyed his father’s orders and believes that he’d still be alive if it wasn’t for him. Nineteen years ago he figured out a way to become a Ranger without one of the legendary Nova Spheres, instead using the Draco Nova Sphere, though it had a time limit. Despite this he helped the Revolution immensely, being known as the First Hero of the Revolution. Following an odd occurrence involving Neil and the other Nova Spheres, the time limit is gone, allowing Shen to join the team full-time as the Draco Ranger. Following Arthur becoming the Ursa Ranger, he became Neil and Arthur’s adoptive father.

Name: Arthur Astra (he/him)

Age: 12

Homeworld: Earth

Position: Ursa Ranger, Revolution asset

The younger brother of Neil, and a remarkably intelligent boy. Following their mother’s death, he was cared for by Neil, and while less impacted by their mother’s death than Neil was, is still hurt by it. Arthur is a remarkably intelligent and curious boy, and that curiosity only grew when he was taken aboard the Orion and had the opportunity to learn all about the rest of the Galaxy, though he has a particular interest in engineering. While he frequently teases and snarks at Neil, he does care deeply for his older brother, and quite likes Commander Long as well, as the Ladonian is always willing to answer any question he has. Compared to his brother, he’s far more cynical and pessimistic about the Empire’s defeat, though watching the Rangers battle the Empire seems to have planted a seed of hope in his heart, a seed that later blossomed following Shen becoming the Draco Ranger. This determination coupled with a strange power of his own allowed him to call forth the Ursa Minor Nova Sphere, allowing him to join the team as the Ursa Ranger.

Name: Kenneth Faulkner (he/him)

Age: 338 (chronologically), 32 (biologically)

Homeworld: Earth

Position: Phoenix Knight, former president of the Galactic Federation of Free Systems

Originally a fatally wounded Scottish warrior in 1717, Kenneth was abducted and experimented on by the Fenghuangians of the Phoenix system, bonding him with the Phoenix Nova Sphere. He later met with Ptolemy, an Astrographer, who created his Zords and Morpher with which he’d use to protect the galaxy as the Phoenix Knight. Eventually, he was elected to be the president of the Galactic Federation of Free Systems, a position he held until the Dark Matter Empire emerged. He fought valiantly, and while he lost many friends, he was able to destroy Karna Rog’s physical form at the cost of his immortality. While he was unconscious, he was outfitted with a special apparatus by Mirfak, which brainwashed him into becoming Ankaa for 300 years until it was destroyed by Neil. Kenneth is very cocky, but he has the skills to back it up, and underneath it he’s a man that cares deeply for others and is deeply haunted by his final battle against Karna Rog.

Name: Corvile (he/him)

Age: 339 (chronologically), 33 (biologically)

Homeworld: Verona, Corvus system

Position: Former advisor to the president of the Galactic Federation of Free Systems, Revolution asset.

Kenneth’s advisor and fiancé during his time as president. 300 years ago, he along with 86 other warriors were led into battle against the Empire, with Corvile wielding the Corvus Nova Sphere. Corvile appeared to sacrifice his life during Kenneth’s battle against Karna Rog, but following Hydra’s freedom from Schedar’s brainwashing, he was discovered in a cryosleep pod, claiming to have narrowly survived Karna Rog’s attack. In truth, he’s been the very reluctant vessel of Karna Rog’s metaphysical form for the past 300 years, as unlike other Nova Spheres, the Corvus Nova Sphere’s abilities mean Karna Rog is unaffected by it. Corvile’s a very sophisticated alien, and often had to clean up some of Kenneth’s political messes during his time as president, but despite this he still cares deeply for Kenneth, and likes to tease Kenneth about all the stress he caused him. He detests Karna Rog, and is incredibly confident that the Rangers will be able to kill the Emperor, even if it costs him his own life.

Allies

Name: Theodore Arctos (he/him)

Age (at time of death): 45

Homeworld: Maritimus, Ursa Major system

Position: Founder of the Revolution, former Leader of the Revolution

The Revolution’s late founder and its previous leader, as well as Shen’s adoptive father. Following an attack on a town on the planet Ladon, Theodore found the egg that hatched into Shen, and raised the Ladonean as his own son. Theodore died protecting Shen from Skragen and Calamartia after Shen’s time limit expired while trying to stop their attack on the Revolution’s previous base. Theodore was a kind man, but one who wasn’t afraid to tell people what they needed to hear. He loved the stars and the various stories and legends about the constellation systems, something that be passed down to Shen. He cared incredibly deeply for Shen despite not being related by blood or even being the same species, and was always incredibly proud of how intelligent his adoptive son was, and that only grew when Shen found a way to morph and help the Revolution. His death caused his soul to latch onto the Ursa Major Nova Sphere, which was on him at the time of his death. This allowed him to continue watching over his son even after death. During an attack by Kaus and the Marquis Mothema, Arthur caused his spirit to materialize by using the Ursa Major Nova Sphere in the Supernova Morpher, who would go on to empower the Ursa Major Nova Sphere for Arthur to use. Following a reunion with his son, he finally passed on.

The Dark Matter Empire

Name: Karna Rog (he/him)

Age: [REDACTED]

Homeworld: [REDACTED]

Position: Emperor of the Dark Matter Empire

The white-robed Emperor of the tyrannical Dark Matter Empire that has conquered the galaxy. Incredibly mysterious, only the Empire’s Dukes are allowed to interact with him directly, and only the Knights of Andromeda are permitted to see his face underneath his hood. The Emperor is not cruel, nor is he compassionate, and many of his own Dukes and Duchesses find his lackadaisical and cold indifference towards everything and everyone to be deeply disconcerting. On occasion he does show fondness for his bodyguard, Ankaa, but those moments are few and far between. On rare occasions he does show emotions, but the last time anyone but the Knights of Andromeda discussed it with him went incredibly poorly for the poor Duke that asked about it. In truth, he’s an embodiment of all the despair, suffering, and hatred held together by dark matter. He also tends to talk to himself, as if there’s someone only he can see… this unseen force is Corvile, his vessel, who still has some semblance of control over himself and can communicate with Karna Rog.

Name: Ankaa (he/him)

Age: Unknown

Homeworld: Unknown

Position: Duke of the Phoenix system, Karna Rog’s bodyguard

The mysterious, gold-masked Duke of the Phoenix system and the Emperor’s bodyguard. Ankaa emotes even less than his charge does, not even speaking at all. Not much is known about him, even among the other Dukes, who frequently speculate what his true nature could be, whether he's a living being or some machine cooked up by Mirfak and the rest of the Empire’s scientists. Only the Emperor himself and the Knights of Andromeda are aware of Ankaa’s history and what he truly is, though given his silence and unfaltering loyalty to Karna Rog, they rarely discuss it. After Shen became the Draco Ranger and Arthur became the Ursa Ranger, Karna Rog assigned him and Antares to assist Kaus, Skragen, and Calamartia in killing the Rangers, with Ankaa being the first of the two to arrive and coming very close to killing Neil. In addition to being highly skilled at swordplay, Ankaa also possesses incredibly potent pyrokinetic and thermokinetic abilities, making him one of Karna Rog’s most lethal subordinates. In reality, he’s a brainwashed Kenneth Faulkner.

Name: Mirfak (he/him)

Age 300+

Homeworld: Quetzalco, Perseus system

Position: Knight of Andromeda, Duke of the Perseus system, Head Scientist of the Empire

Sir Mirfak of Perseus is the youngest of the Knights of Andromeda, the Emperor’s three foremost subordinates and the Empire’s head scientist. Known as the “Maniac of Perseus” to the Revolution, an incident in his past caused the  entire left side of his body to be replaced with cybernetics. Despite being the youngest of the Knights of Andromeda, he’s the most pragmatic of the three, formulating schemes like he does chemicals. As the Empire’s head scientist, he’s tasked with overseeing Project Wormwood, a top-secret project that is only known to the scientists working on it, the Knights of Andromeda, and the Emperor himself. He’s also the one responsible for the death of Neil and Arthur’s mother. Despite his position, recent events have led him to conclude that the Emperor is unfit to continue ruling the Empire, and that someone else should step in.

Name: Schedar (she/her)

Age: 300+

Homeworld: Acámbaro, Cassiopeia system

Position: Knight of Andromeda, Duchess of the Cassiopeia system, Empire’s Minister of Propaganda

Dame Schedar of Cassiopeia is the second of the Knights of Andromeda, as well as the one tasked with the creation of the Empire’s propaganda. Like all Acámbaroans, she’s capable of compelling people to do her bidding with the sound of her voice, which pairs well with her position as Minister of Propaganda. This has led her to being dubbed the “Witch of Cassiopeia” by the Revolution. Despite her bubbly attitude, love of dancing around, and eagerness to please her fans on the Galaxy’s social media, she’s easily the cruelest of the Knights, sometimes going as far as to do actions that actively harm the Empire for the sake of twisting the knife. 

Name: Alderamin (he/him)

Age: 300+

Homeworld: Sabinain, Cepheus system

Position: Knight of Andromeda, Duke of the Cepheus system, Warlord of the Empire

Sir Alderamin of the Cepheus system is the eldest of the Knights of Andromeda in addition to being the Empire’s warmonger. Of the Knights, he’s the most loyal to the Emperor, and has led the conquest of numerous planets in his name. He’s an excellent military strategist, but his solution to other complex problems often amounts to crushing it. He has a love of combat, and partakes in countless invasions of planets even though that is often delegated to Dukes of that planet’s constellation system. He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty either, often personally leading his conquests himself and overwhelming his opponents with incredible force, earning him the nickname “Butcher of Cepheus” from the Revolution.

Name: Antares/Eurypto Calchas (he/him)

Age: 35

Homeworld: Serket, Scorpius system

Position: Duke of the Scorpius system, top Jester of the Empire

Jester is the title given to the Empire’s assassins, and Antares is easily its most successful one on top of recently becoming the Duke of the Scorpius system. He’s incredibly cruel but also incredibly efficient, and has gained infamy from dispatching his marks in quick but incredibly painful ways. He possesses a scorpion-like tail, and is able to modify its venom to induce a variety of effects in his victims. His loyalty to the Emperor is matched only by his loyalty to Schedar. After Shen and Arthur became Rangers, Antares was assigned alongside Ankaa to help Kaus, Skragen, and Calamartia terminate the Rangers, though he has yet to arrive. In addition Leiurus claims that Antares is his older brother, Eurypto. While this is true, the way Antares recounts events is quite a bit different than Leiurus’s, because he’d been brainwashed into serving the Empire by Schedar.

Name: Felis/Cassius Bodmin (he/him)

Age: 40

Homeworld: Nanzca, Hydra system

Position: Duke of the Hydra system

A man clad in red, feline-like armor and the Duke of the Hydra system. Since his promotion to Duke, he has set his eyes on getting his clutches on the Cerberus Zord, an immensely powerful Zord known as the Beast of Ruin. He’s aided in his quest by his two favorite Marquises, Yetton and Aquaereo. Petty and cruel, he also wishes to take revenge on the Revolution for a perceived slight against him in the past. His real name is Cassius Bodmin, and he was kicked out of the Revolution by his childhood friend Shen, as the two of them worked together to locate the Cerberus Zord, but Shen discovered that he wished to use the Cerberus Zord to destroy Imperial-controlled planets with no regard for innocents. Since then, he turned to the Empire.

Name: Kaus (he/him)

Age: 60

Homeworld: Ojikazo, Sagittarius system

Position: Duke of the Sagittarius system

Of the Emperor’s innumerable subordinates, Duke Kaus is easily one of his most staunch supporters out of all of them. Tasked with hunting down the Rangers, Kaus likens it to his time hunting on his home planet, though he doesn’t let it get in the way of his mission. His zealous loyalty to the Emperor is frightening, and is willing to kill for something as simple as someone mocking the Emperor. This zealotry extends to his fellow Dukes and Duchesses as well, and he will not hesitate to call them out for their perceived lack of loyalty to the Emperor. Initially thought to have died following the crash of his Consumoai, he is still very much alive. Not many know why he’s as loyal as he is, but recently Mirfak has become the target of his ire.

Name: Skragen (he/him)

Age: 55

Homeworld: Cryskull, Crux system

Position: Jester of the Empire

A white, squid-like alien covered in crystals that serves as one of the Empire’s most dangerous Jesters as well as Calamartia’s husband. Following Kaus’s apparent death, the two of them were sent to terminate the Rangers. Between him and his wife he’s the more cerebral of the two, always speaking in a polite tone, but that being said he’s capable of immense cruelty. Despite this, he does genuinely love Calamartia and enjoys their assignments together, as well as being fond of ink-related puns. As a Cryskullian he possesses the ability to use telekinesis from the crystal on his head and the crystals and suckers covering his body act as extra eyes. He also claims to have the ability to read minds, allowing him to avoid almost any attack, though this claim is dubious, and in reality it’s because he has a photographic memory.Years ago, he and his wife also did battle against a Ranger, different from the ones now, Shen. He and his wife were also the ones who killed Shen’s adoptive father, Theodore Arctos.

Name: Calamartia (she/her)

Age: 54

Homeworld: Vivifica, Octans system

Position: Jester of the Empire

A red, octopus-like alien who’s Skragen’s wife and another incredibly dangerous Jester. Like her husband, she was assigned to hunt down the Rangers following Kaus’s apparent death. She’s far more crude and hot-blooded than her husband is, and takes great pleasure in fighting, even naming her weapons. “Jelly brain” is one of her go to insults, but she can go a lot lower than that. She cares deeply for her husband, and he’s probably one of the few things she cares more about than a good fight. As a Vivifican, she can regenerate from most injuries, and can even regrow her entire body so long as a small part of it remains intact. This means that like her husband, she’s incredibly difficult to harm, just in a different way. Like Skragen, she battled a Ranger in the past, Shen, and was responsible for the death of Shen’s adoptive father, Theodore Arctos.

[tomoleary]

Ken Kelly "Legions of Antares: Challenge of the Slave Empire" by Dray Prescott painted preliminary cover art

Source

Final work changes perspective and a few side creatures are added.

[crackengolds]

People think Antares keeps Victoria subdued.

Which he does. She’s got a drive to build and cause a little chaos that the army cannot handle.

However

Sometimes someone says something incorrect about fish.

[bestlaidplansproductions]

With the end of Steam's 2024 Storyteller Festival comes the final day to test Save the Villainess' beta demo - a demo that has been compared to everything from Terry Pratchett and Agatha Christie to Tearmoon Empire.

If you love a game that blends humor, satire, mystery & horror together - along with one determined, quirky, and snarky villainess and a group of gorgeous and unsettling love interests - come join us!

🦋Sign up to test Save the Villainess' Beta Demo up to 2/4/24.

🦋Wishlist Save the Villainess on Steam.

🦋Visit the 2024 Storyteller's Festival on Steam.

🦋Follow Save the Villainess on Itch.

Credits: Characters by Somate Studio; Chibis by Antares; Profile by @studioghostlegs.

[manawari]

Sake of convenience.

honorable tags: @julyarya @i-bring-crack @winter-1023

In this world, there were two kingdoms that were in constant throes of war. The Red Flame Empire and the Beast Kingdom. They would clash even in the slightest misunderstanding, so it did not matter which who had started the fight. Even in the history itself said that the two had been warring against each other for centuries. Lord Antares, who was the immortal ruler of the empire, was the embodiment of destruction, he would hesitate to defend himself and his people against those who dared to look down upon them.

The Beast Kingdom, on the other hand, was ruled by the Beast Monarch himself. Their kingdom was known for its wildlife habitat and having wild animals as steads instead of horses, their soldiers were clad in beastly attires and had war paint over their bodies to assert ferocity to their enemies. They rushed for battle with no regrets and valor boiling within their blood. These traits were the things that rivaled the Red Flame Empire's ruthless prowess — these armies never backed down unless it was declared by their superiors.

"The empire had attacked the west and east troops. Luckily, there were no specified deaths yet, but a myriad of warriors had been estimated to be wounded." Min Byung-gyu, the head healer and a personal subordinate, reported.

Commander Baek Yoon-ho sighed and rubbed his left cheek with his hand. He faced his comrade. "And the rest?"

"Perfectly fine. But so far, the army hasn't reached them yet."

"They could be fighting right now." Yoon-ho said. He propped his elbow on the armrest and placed his chin on his calloused palm. If the western and eastern sides had been attacked, it was evident that the north and south would be touched as well. He was stationed in the north, therefore Yoon-ho guaranteed that the enemies would be here in any moment.

"Summon the tanks. Make sure they are in the front of the spearmen and change the warriors' weapons as well. The blacksmiths had finished the new batch." Yoon-ho ordered.

Byung-gyu dipped his head. "Very well."

Min Byung-gyu was his most trusted subordinate, a comrade more or less. He had been around Yoon-ho's life since they were children, hence forming a deep bond as brothers. He was in charge of commanding the healers once it was time to aid the wounded, but he also had a watchful eye on their troops and would be the one to report to Yoon-ho.

Yoon-ho was the descendant of the great Beast Monarch. The only one who shared the Monarch's blood after his mother. He led his warriors to glory and had won battles after starting his training in his youth, he learned how to tear his enemies apart like a wild animal who had gone rampage, everyone feared him as much as they respected him.

He was no stranger to the feud between his kingdom and the Red Flame Empire. He had heard tales of wars even when he was young. So, as expected, he grew hatred against the empire for disrupting the peace in his kingdom and wished he had a way to completely show that the Beast Kingdom was superior among the rest of the kingdoms.

Warriors outside soon began to clamor. Yoon-ho got up from his seat and shoved the curtain aside to leave the tent. His troops were running around the camp and were gathering the wild beasts into their armors as they geared up for battle. The horns blared and it was the telltale sign that the enemy had gone past the border. His heart pounded in his chest while a growl rumbled within his throat, Yoon-ho clenched his hands into fists and summoned his servants to bring his weapon.

The warriors got into their positions. The animals waited amongst them, growling in hunger for the blood of their enemies. The healers wore their protective cloaks, enchanted with a spell to not be easily damaged while they were tending the fighters, and the archers pulled their arrows whilst they stood farther from the rest.

The Red Flame army had arrived.

And with a bellowing roar of the horn, the beast army charged.

The two armies clashed viciously. They tore through each other's sides like two animals tearing into each other's flesh. The Red Flame army had their own magic in their sleeves, they were equipped with dragons that were less bigger than the ones Antares' arsenal, but they were strong enough to battle with the humongous wolves, tigers, lions, and leopards in the Beast Commander's army.

But those were not just the best weapons the Beast Monarch could offer. He had his utmost pride — his descendant.

A flashing light grew somewhere in the battle. A piercing roar shook the wind and the beast warriors shouted in excitement. Then, a handful of Red Flame troops were sent up the air and tumbled like mere sticks on the ground. Yoon-ho, now in his great white tiger form, surged through his enemies and lunged his claws at the dragons to throw them away where the lions pounced on them for the finishing blow.

Since he shared the same blood as his ancestor, Yoon-ho had the ability to transform into a white tiger, which was stronger than when he was in his human form. He could take down a dozen of soldiers if he used all his powers at once. Back in his kingdom, people would cower in fear before him, but when he was in the battlefield, the warriors cheered for him.

Yoon-ho slammed the back of his claw at the knight who was about to strike his sword at him. Satisfaction shrouded in his bright yellow eyes as nobody had landed a single scratch on his body.

. . . But that was until a blinding light arose from the corner of his peripheral.

It was one of empire's strongest fighters. General Cha Hae-in. Yoon-ho knew her as a great swordswoman, taking down her opponents as if she was dancing due to her fast movements.

It was obvious who would be facing her this time.

He lunged at her and blocked her attacks with his claws. Hae-in fixed him with a sharp glare as she thrusted her sword at him. Yoon-ho then grabbed his spear from his back and retaliated at her weapon, maintaining the grin in his beastly jaws as Hae-in clashed against his powers — he quite admired her skills and would even compliment her if they weren't enemies. All the other soldiers were way too easy for him to fight, he would rather face someone who was as strong as the Red Flame Empire's general.

Hae-in managed to land a strong kick on his abdomen and surged her sword forward to make him take a step back. She rose her sword and Yoon-ho blocked it with his spear. He could shove her away using his roar, but Hae-in would still get up and find an open area to scar him, so that would lead him to—

*clash!*

Yoon-ho collided against several of the warriors after a powerful blow got between his match. He quickly got up on his feet and met the one behind the attack.

"I can take it from here, general. Go and aid Tae-gyu against the wolves."

The Red Flame Empire's commander. Choi Jong-in. Otherwise known as Antares' right-hand man due to having the power to control fire. He was known as the "Ultimate Warrior" because of how he could take down his enemies and monsters in a storm of flames. He was the least liked person to Yoon-ho, who found the commander arrogant and holier-than-thou.

On the bright side, his hatred boiled his anger tenfold.

Yoon-ho rushed toward Jong-in. Luckily, he managed to dodge past the blow of fire and lunged his claws at his enemy. . . Only then to be brought to the ground. Jong-in reached his hand down and flames trickled across his hand to form into a fiery sword.

"Let's get on with this, shall we?" He smirked.

Yoon-ho snarled and pounced again.

Just because he was fighting against fire did not mean Jong-in already had the upper hand.

Yoon-ho relied on his physical strength that strengthened his powers, whereas the latter only had his abilities.

If he could break a wrist or two, the Beast Kingdom would certainly win this battle. And with the commander being injured, the Red Flame Empire would crumble into the lowest of ranks.

Yoon-ho could already sense it happening.

He struck Jong-in's arm. But Jong-in quickly landed a sizzling blow at his shoulder. Yoon-ho ignored the agony and continued to rain damages at his enemy. Victory was only a few inches closer. . . He could finish this battle off.

The horn tore through the air.

Everyone stopped fighting. The warriors looked behind them and saw their eagle screeching in the air, gliding in a circular motion.

Yoon-ho widened his eyes. No, that can't be—!

The Beast Kingdom had surrendered.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The Beast Kingdom was anything, but known for backing down. They were ferocious and were willing to fight until their last breath. However, the kingdom had made its very first white flag in history. It left some warriors relieved that they had managed to stay alive, others had been left with dismay, and one walked out in indignation. It was none other than Commander Yoon-ho. All of the warriors had maintained their distance since it was never safe to approach a mad descendant of their monarch.

The rage kept on until they returned to the kingdom. It wasn't long until furnitures were thrown across the lobby, the servants winced in fear as some of them still stood by to assist their superior once he had calmed down. Miraculously, Yoon-ho was back in his human form, otherwise the Beast Monarch himself must deal with the situation.

Christopher Reed, one of the kingdom's prominent fighters, made his way into the palace and ducked his head from the flying vase. He cleared his throat. "Commander Yoon-ho, I apologize for making the decision to surrender without your permi—"

Yoon-ho grabbed him harshly by the neck.

"Hyung!" Byung-gyu exclaimed.

"You dare to go against your commander, you lunatic." Yoon-ho seethed. "You must be ashamed of yourself even though you are one of the kingdom's strongest fighters!"

Christopher grunted against his almost crushing grip.

"That's enough!" Byung-gyu spoke up. "I was the one who told him to announce our defeat!"

"You— what?!"

Yoon-ho released Christopher and left him cough for breath on the ground. The commander walked toward his friend, betrayal shrouding in his bright eyes, and his hands twitched against his sides.

"Eun-seok died." Byung-gyu said. His eyebrows furrowed and pursed his lips together. "They killed Eun-seok. . . If I hadn't ordered Christopher to release the eagle, you could've been killed as well!"

Yoon-ho widened his eyes at the mention of another close friend of his. Eun-seok was stationed in the eastern army, only to receive a tragic end to his life. Him, Yoon-ho, and Byung-gyu spent a lot of time together since they were young, so hearing such news, Yoon-ho didn't think he was angry because of their defeat, but rather, the unexpected death of someone he cared about.

"I will not apologize for it, hyung. I already lost a friend and you know that I can't bear to lose another." Byung-gyu told him. After balling his hands sighed. "I knew we shouldn't have been warring against them — they keep on taking too much lives!"

"You are correct, Healer Byung-gyu."

The two, followed by Christopher, turned their heads and saw the Beast Monarch, who appeared to be in the scene all along and had been listening to the conversation. He was in his human form rather than a large white wolf that he always presented himself to his subjects.

The Monarch stood tall and brute, a bit larger than Yoon-ho, and had spikey black hair and tanned skin. He wore a white fur cape over his shoulders that had two suspenders down to the hem of his pants, thus leaving the rest of his abdomen bare, and a long sword was strapped on his belt. Even though he was ageless, he resembled a man who was in his early thirties.

"Long ago, the Red Flame Empire had an alliance with the kingdom, along with the rest of the kingdoms except for the Shadow Realm, but that was until Antares decided to stab us in the back." The Beast Monarch explained. "We are only protecting what is ours, aren't we? Healer Byung-gyu, my condolences for your loss. That army of lizards had destroyed us enough — however, I believe I have a solution to end this war."

Yoon-ho raised an eyebrow. "What is it, your majesty?"

His ancestor grinned.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"UAHAHAHAHA!" Antares' laughter was loud and could almost shake the ceiling of the throne room. The army had returned not long ago and it had been reported that the Beast Army had chosen to back down from the battle. The Destruction Monarch let out a wicked smirk once he was done guffawing at the news. "My, to think that army of rodents has chosen to declare their defeat against us, what a history to remember!"

"Yes, my Lord," said Jong-in from his seat near the throne

"Brilliant work to everyone." Antares thanked the salient members of the army in the hall. He raised his glass of monstrous blood wine and smiled in satisfaction. "Our empire will thrive and maintain its rank as the most powerful kingdom in the world. Now, next report."

Someone from the crowd cleared his throat and lifted his hand. "I do. However, this is a letter from the Beast Monarch."

"A letter?"

The soldier nodded and made his way to the front and handed the monarch a piece of folded paper that had a stamp of the kingdom's insignia in the center. Antares took it suspiciously and unraveled the paper to read its contents.

Jong-in took his cup and sipped on his herbal tea. The wine was too strong for his liking, so he had chosen to settle for the tea and to also ease his body after all those strong attacks made by his enemy. He too had been shocked to witness the sign of defeat in the beast army, however it looked quite farfetched to bask in triumph — it was an uncalled surrender that left the commander furious and Jong-in thought he was going to land one last attack before walking away.

Though, he had to admit. The commander was too powerful and had managed to go against his flames when most could've fled or burn to their deaths. Jong-in had expected nothing from someone who shared the same blood as the Beast Monarch, he knew he was going to have the toughest fight in his life when he had stepped in and replaced Hae-in's spot.

In the Red Flame Empire, there were humans who had the ability to be awakened into having powers. Choi Jong-in had happened to be one of those fortunate people, his ability was one in a million that no other living person shared the same power, and thus, his statues rose to the ranks of prominent figures in the empire.

He was almost untouchable when he summoned his—

"WHAT IS THIS?!"

Jong-in jolted back to reality and turned to his superior. "Is there something wrong, my Lord?"

Antares gritted his sharp teeth and tossed the paper to his second-in-command. Jong-in picked it up from the floor and scanned the words written in the epistolary. Suddenly, his eyes widened in aghast.

" — if you wish to end this war, bring your lovely general to the palace where a marriage will be commenced?!" Jong-in yelled the last word. "What do you mean they want an arrange marriage between General Cha and the Beast Kingdom's commander? This is an atrocity!"

"What?!"

The whole place erupted into a disorder. All of the council members and honorable guests spared glances at one another, asking various questions and expressing their shock. Meanwhile, Hae-in sat on her seat with an unfathomable expression on her face, not knowing how to respond to the fact that she would miss her chance to feel what would it be like to love just to be thrown away for a loveless marriage with someone.

"This can't be!" Lee Ju-hee, one of the army's healers, fumed. She stared at the commander with a plea. "Please do something! We must not simply give Hae-in away just because she's the only strongest female swordmaster!"

Jong-in gritted his teeth and fisted the letter. "These bastards are fooling us! Do they think we are willing to spare one of our own for this so-called peace?"

"Commander Choi, did you not read the entire message?" Antares said. "If we do not give what it is asked, the Beast Monarch will forge an alliance with the Shadow Realm and summon the Frost Kingdom for war. Are you sure you are prepared for another great war?"

"No. . . We have lost too many of our soldiers in this war." Jong-in grumbled. "So, we are left with no choice."

Hae-in's eyes began to glisten. Ju-hee settled back into her seat to comfort her friend. Everyone else flashed the commander with looks of trepidation while Antares watched him in anticipation.

"We are not going to give Cha Hae-in. Never." Jong-in continued. "But since they want an arrange marriage to form a treaty, we shall give it to them."

Everyone collapsed into murmurs. Antares raised a brow. "What kind of scheme do you have, Commander Choi?"

"The one who shall participates in this marriage is me." Jong-in declared. "I am not just doing this as a commander who is willing to do anything for his land, I am doing this as well as a friend. She does not deserve to be in a loveless bond with someone."

"Jong-in. . . " Hae-in spoke up. For a moment, she felt her heart shatter in the sacrifice her friend had made. "What if the Beast Monarch will not allow this? He can obliterate you and start a war nonetheless!"

Jong-in huffed. "Who cares, Hae-in? I'm the one who fought his lineage, therefore my decision can be reasonable." He turned to Antares. "My Lord?"

Antares hummed. After a moment, he nodded his head as if accepting the empire commander's decision. "You are correct. Perhaps this can be the only chance to unite our armies."

"It has been decided." Jong-in declared. "Ahn Sang-min! Write a letter to the Beast Kingdom."

Ahn Sang-min, the empire's head messenger, dipped his head. "Yes, Commander Choi!"

"I trust that everything will go as you planned?" Antares spoke.

"This marriage is only for unity, my Lord. Unlike General Cha, I do not have desires to fall in love when I had taken an oath to put this empire first and above all." Jong-in said. It did not matter to him if the commander of the Beast Kingdom had other preferences, he was just granting the letter's wish to commence a union.

Besides, he thought it was time to put an end to the ceaseless war for once and for all.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"I hate this, you know?"

Yoon-ho glanced at Byung-gyu, who sat on the wolf's saddle next to him. He frowned at his friend's crestfallen face. It had been five days since the letter from the Red Flame Empire had arrived, saying that Antares accepted the proposal, but only under one condition — his commander would be the one to wed Yoon-ho, not the general herself. Regardless of the council's reaction, the monarch allowed it and sent another letter to the empire to prepare for the union.

Yoon-ho hated it. He hated how his ancestor used him as a bridge between two kingdoms. He reckoned that just because two representatives would join hands, it did not mean all the grudges he held against the empire would disappear.

"There are other ways to create peace, but marriage? This is too much." Byung-gyu said. "I will never forgive them for killing Eun-seok."

"Neither will I, Byung-gyu," Yoon-ho sighed. "But, since you hate them so much, why do you still chose to come with me?"

"You're the only friend I have left. Who knows what will they do to you if you don't have someone to trust."

His lips curled into a smirk. "You're saying that to the descendant of a monarch. Do you think I won't handle myself once I'm alone?"

"Who will treat your wounds then? A healer from the empire? Not a chance." Byung-gyu scowled.

Yoon-ho chuckled. Deep inside, he wished his friend could've crack a joke instead of expressing his immense hatred against the Red Flame Empire. But Byung-gyu had lost someone dear to him, way before he had met Yoon-ho— Eun-seok could've been still fighting on their to this day.

Perhaps Yoon-ho might've prevented his death.

They arrived in the empire an hour later. The people stood aside and watched the army with meticulous eyes. It appeared Antares had verily prepared the grand union, with red and white flowers adorning the pathway and the soldiers in their armors as they waited for the other party to reach the ceremony.

The Beast Monarch transformed into his human form and was the first one to walk in the aisle. The Red Flame army was settled on the right side while the Beast army would be on the left side. The monarch stood next to Ruler Go Gun-hee, who would officiate the union.

Antares appeared next and went to the front, wearing his Destruction Monarch attire which was a silver and red armor that had a reddish-brown tailcoat. His long red hair traveled down to the back of his waist. Even in his reserved posture, his eyes glowed red as if he was prepared to attack in case someone decided to wreck the ceremony.

Then, there was the commander of the empire. Yoon-ho's soon-to-be wedded.

Jong-in headed to the front and waited with his back facing the crowd. He wore a white suit and a red cloak that had golden ornaments around his shoulders, secured with a gold chain across his chest. Unlike Yoon-ho, who had a white with black stripes fur cape on his shoulders and wore a bronze armor on his upper body and a pair of furred pants. His face was painted with red warpaint under his eyes and on his chin.

Yoon-ho got off from his stead and stood in front of the aisle. All eyes were directed toward him. Taking a deep breath, he made his way across the stone path. It was like everyone was watching every step he took, even his breathing, but Yoon-ho showed no fear.

He was merely doing this for the sake of his kingdom.

He reached the altar and stood on Jong-in's side. He did not spare a single glance at the commander. All he cared about was to end this ceremony and the peace treaty was now officially formed.

After finishing his speech, Go Gun-hee extended his hands to the two commanders. "Allow yourselves to join hands."

They faced each other. Yoon-ho curled his lips into a snarl as he placed his calloused hands on Jong-in's. Gun-hee then placed a white cloth over their hands and wrapped the white fabric around them — the gesture was from the Beast Kingdom's customs — and placed a small circular on top, as per the empire's customs as well.

"Speak your vows." Gun-hee said. "I, Commander Choi Jong-in."

"I, Commander Choi Jong-in," Jong-in repeated the old man's words and began to proceed with his own, "shall take Commander Baek Yoon-ho as my partner and maintain this treaty for the rest of generations. I shall respect and cherish our bond as he is now part of my life."

"I, Commander Baek Yoon-ho, shall accept Commander Choi Jong-in as my partner for the sake of peace. And I will stand and defend him from anyone who dares to defy or ruin his name." Yoon-ho bid his vow.

"With your exchanged vows, you must swear to uphold it until your last breaths. Even in the afterlife." Gun-hee said. He laid his hand on each side of the candle. "Henceforward, may the heavens bless your unity."

And simple as that, the alliance had been commenced.

After taking off the candle and fabric, Gun-hee handed the two commanders their golden rings as the symbol of their union. They was forged by Antares and the engravings were from the Beast Monarch. The crowd clapped their hands in celebration of the peace treaty they had been longing to witness.

The feast was spent within the empire's castle. Many of the troops from both armies began to interact, but Byung-gyu was the only one whom Yoon-ho had not noticed to be participating in the celebration, hence the fact that he had not flashed a single smile in the entire day. Luckily, Christopher was there with him after returning from the crowd. Yoon-ho couldn't comfort his friend as much as he intended to when it was inappropriate to leave his enemy— partner's side.

The ring felt tight in his finger, so Yoon-ho would have to wear it on a chain around his neck once the feast was over.

His ancestor told him that he would stay in the empire until the day of his kingdom's annual festival. So that meant he would be living in the empire for seven months from now. . . Yoon-ho felt like he had been imprisoned.

"I presume this must be the time the army and I shall depart." The Beast Monarch began as Yoon-ho walked with him to the doors. "I expect good reports once we have meet again, my descendant."

"Yes, your majesty," Yoon-ho nodded as he tucked his hands to his back.

He watched the monarch get on his stead and led the army out of the empire. There hadn't been an hour since the feast, Yoon-ho was already missing his home. He wondered why must he be the one who had been sold off to a marriage he never even wanted.

Who knew the easiest way to peace was riskier?

True to his word, Byung-gyu stayed and joined him to follow the servants to the stairs as they would bring the two to their respective chambers. Much to his chagrin, Yoon-ho had to share a room with his "husband" rather than having his own.

When Jong-in saw them, he huffed. "I didn't know you'd still have a personal guard around you."

"He's not a guard. He is a healer." Yoon-ho growled.

"You could've asked for one in the empire." Jong-in said. "But since I have an inkling that you two must be friends, I won't say anything else."

"Your empire killed my friend." Yoon-ho glared icily.

"Yours took many lives in my army." Jong-in bit back. "And as much as I'd like to argue with you, I am exhausted from today's events. So, shall we, husband?"

Yoon-ho wanted to throw up. But since he didn't think he had some energy left to rebuke, he followed Jong-in inside and sent a nod at Byung-gyu in farewell as he went inside of his new quarters.

They laid on the same bed. Yoon-ho had his body to the window where a small part of the moon was peeking from the top. He tried not to turn his head over his shoulder, knowing well which situation he would end up with Jong-in — argue for the rest of the night. And tomorrow would be a big day, considering Antares had mentioned that the rest of the kingdoms would be paying a visit to felicitate the union between the two warring kingdoms.

His hand clutched on his pillow. Yoon-ho despised this treaty to his very cell.

[foxgirlchorix]

Salesmen

The most important resource for a budding star empire is, of course, buy-in. Many will quantify and qualify, noting hard resources like material and materiel, but if anything a star empire needs social resources. The hammer of a warfleet cannot be swung if the arm that moves it is atrophied, after all. Thus, if a star-state wishes to become a contender on the local stage (I refuse to call it galactic, it's too small for that!); it must have a dedicated cadre of explorers, traders, and salesmen.

Ask someone from Terra, and they'll say it was a sad story of bureaucratic mismanagement. Ask someone from Vland, and they'll blame the Terran upstarts. Ask someone from Zhdant, and they'll tell you about the interplay of stabilizing desires and the need to temper violent insurrection- though they're not really an expert, they just have a passing interest and you should really ask someone more knowledgeable. Regardless of the truth, the Rule of Man- the initially Terra-based successor to the rapidly-corroding Vilani Grand Empire of the Stars- quietly slumped into what is referred to by Imperial-era scholars as the Long Night in a shower of tiny successor states and claimants.

Anyone not from what is now Imperial-Solomani space will look at the claim of a vast and nigh-unending dark age with a look of suspicion. For nearly two thousand years, from the Rule of Man beginning its slow splinter up until- well, we'll get to it, the region from Deneb to Antares to Spica to Canopus was full of the sort of sea of miniature empires common everywhere a larger star-state has not established itself. In that span of time the four other vastest empires of Charted Space, each spanning several of what the Imperium would call Domains, were either already established or rapidly expanding (don't tell the person from Zhdant this generalization, they'll go on a long tirade about the kiloyears of stability of the Zhodani Consulate and how even their erstwhile and utterly infuriating counterparts in the Hive Federation had only been sector-spanning barely a millenium before even that earliest mark).

One is driven to ask, then- what was so special about Sylea? One of over a dozen worlds with direct claim to the collapsed Rule of Man, and not even one with a particularly impressive trade network or political philosophy. Interstellar travel, despite the moniker of "Long Night", boomed to the degree that one can point to three separate Terran interstellar expeditions that made journeys across mainless space dozens of sectors long. The Sylean Federation, newly reinventing itself or not, was not unique. To answer our question, then, we turn again to the salesmen.

A star-state needs buy-in, but with the right carrot it might be easier to get than one might anticipate. After over a thousand years of war between tiny empires, with vast and terrifying rumors of carnivorous centaurs, manipulative plants, and raiding fleets of lions and wolves; the populace of many of the small star-states of the Long Night wished for some return to the glory days of true, domain-spanning Empire. Meanwhile, the rulers of those worlds wished for some return to the days of constant and uninterrupted trade income- nevermind the overbearing and inefficient Imperial governments of those times. The Sylean Federation managed to stake its claim as the Third Imperium of Man simply because, and only because, it had good marketing.