The Aeternan Imperium was vast. Its space encompassed thousands of star systems. In an ever-expanding colonial empire, gaps were sure to be found in the outer reaches. Pirates. Drug lords. Opportunistic rebels.
The result was crime, terror, theft, death, and destruction. Colonists. Traders. Citizens and foreigners alike. All victims.
Standard judicial patrol fleets were too little and too weak. War fleets were too large and too few. They could not be everywhere at once, and could not move fast enough to respond to calls for help.
Worst of all was the cost. The deployment of a war fleet to counter petty threats was - in the words of one logistical administrator on the capital world of Alaria - “a gross misuse of resources.”
The solution lay in a middle path.
* * *
_IMPERIUM AETERNUS
_CAPITAL SECTOR
_ALAR SYSTEM
_ALARIA - CAPITAL WORLD
_ASTORIA - CAPITAL CITY
_05/07/3026
_04:37- IMPERIAL STANDARD TIME
Arius Aeternus - Emperor-Immortal of the Aeternan Imperium, Master of Civilization, Conqueror of Souls - arrives at the Aeternan Research & Development Supercomplex. It is the heart of the empire’s technological progress.
His personal guard opens the doors to the central conference room and announces his arrival.
“Make ready for the Emperor’s arrival!”
They stand at attention, and so too do the research directors rise to their feet and face the door.
In walks the emperor. His hair, long at the back but short at the sides, and medium cut in the front so that light curls hang over his brow, sheens a beautiful golden despite the dark color.
Today he wears garments that fit his frame but flow with ease. The cloth is black with silver stitching, an outfit combining practicality with fashion, and fine material with fine craftsmanship. It was simple, but rich.
He is a man of visible youth, and his eyes blaze a deep yet bright blue color often likened to stars. But those eyes - to those who play close attention - reveal an ancient wisdom beyond the years one may mistake him for.
He is broad in his build, his muscles and bones dense with power. But despite the heavy weight, he moves across the floor with a lithe, predatory gracefulness that leaves many unsure whether to be entranced or unsettled.
He is neither tall nor short, and yet his presence shrinks the room. But that room, more often than not, is lit bright by a genuinely warm smile.
Of all Arius’s visible features, his smile was the public favorite.
But he was not without his firm focus.
Today his arrival marked purpose. Intent.
“Greetings. Please sit.” He says in a voice renowned for both its charm and terror. It depended on the mood, really. For now he smiled at least initially. That was good.
The staff returned their greetings and took their seats.
It was the Chief Director of the Supercomplex that spoke first, “To what do we owe the honor of your presence, today, Your Grace?”
Arius looks at the man silently for a moment, his eyes thoughtful.
“I’ve come to commission a new class of warship for the Imperial Navy.”
Murmurs make their way around the room.
“Your word is always done, Emperor, but if you’ll forgive my confusion, does the Navy not already have sufficient designs with which to operate?”
A few more murmured agreements make their way around again.
Arius thinks silently yet again.
“The situation at the frontier of our space is untenable. The Imperium requires a more efficient and effective solution. I have a fresh design in mind to meet that goal.”
“We are listening, Your Grace.” replies the Chief Director.
Arius walks them through his vision: a new line of Star Cruiser.
“I’ve decided in advance to name it the Archon-class, a battlecarrier hybrid vessel, designed to embark on solo missions to remote and low resistance areas of contention requiring precision more than volume.
It should be a capable vessel combining durability, firepower, sizable hangar complement, and plenty of logistical capacity.
Its duties should consist of providing emergency aid to any part of the galaxy in distress. It should provide armed escort to colonial expeditions, put down small-scale rebellions, combat criminal organizations, and conduct its own expeditionary operations.
I’ve run some calculations myself. Whether operating solo, in pairs, or trios, depending on the intensity of the situation at hand, the vessel should prioritize range, speed, redundancy, modularity, and no expense spared in quality. This ensures operational flexibility and independence free from other assets. Ideally, it should be capable of being maintained and supplied in our most remote reaches of space.”
He pauses.
“If properly built and used, it will allow us to establish full and effective protective coverage of high-risk star lanes without the disproportionate commitment of full war fleets. This is going to save a lot of lives and a lot of money.”
The room falls silent.
Finally the Chief Director speaks up, “Yes, I see the vision. We’ll have drafts in two weeks, and can have a prototype vessel ready in six months, if a design is confirmed, Your Grace.”
Arius nods.
“See that it is done.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Arius nods, the room gets up to salute, and he then promptly turns and leaves.
* * *
_IMPERIUM AETERNUS
_CORE SECTOR
_RAXXAN SYSTEM
_MULROCCA - INDUSTRIAL WORLD, SYSTEM CAPITAL
_RAXXIS - IMPERIAL DEEP SPACE SHIPYARDS
_05/21/3026
_14:09 - IMPERIAL STANDARD TIME
Two weeks as promised.
Arius stands above a large holographic projection table.
Archon. It’s a sleek, angular vessel. Symmetrical. Beautiful. Terrifying. It is unmistakingly war turned art. Unmistakably Aeternan.
Arius gives a hum of approval after examining the specs.
“The shield strength looks promising. The armor and hull look sturdy. The powerplant and engines are robust. The armament works nicely with its operational doctrine. The internal capacity looks spacious. Well done, Director.”
The design director tasked by the Chief Direct at R&D gives a beaming smile to Arius.
“Thank you, sire! I am pleased that it is to your liking. Production of the first prototype will begin immediately.”
* * *
_IMPERIUM AETERNUS
_CORE SECTOR
_RAXXAN SYSTEM
_MULROCCA - INDUSTRIAL WORLD, SYSTEM CAPITAL
_RAXXIS - IMPERIAL DEEP SPACE SHIPYARDS
_11/26/3026
_08:00 - IMPERIAL STANDARD TIME
Arius walks through the prototype star cruiser. The hangar bay of the Archon-class buzzes with activity.
Massive ventilation shafts exhale warm air into the massive chamber while suspended cargo cranes drift silently overhead on magnetic rails.
Rows of strike craft rested in immaculate formation beneath towering maintenance gantries.
Arius looks at the strike craft. Sleek. Angular. Symmetrical. Predatory. Definitely Aeternan by design, as the mother warship was.
Arius walked slowly through the bay with his hands behind his back, his dark cape swaying faintly with each step.
Around him move an entourage of naval architects, engineers, logistics officers, and military procurement officials, all trying - with varying levels of success - to contain their excitement.
One of the lead designers, an older woman with silver-lined hair and tired eyes, gestured upward toward the suspended internal carrier structure.
“Dual-layer magnetic launch deck,” she explained proudly. “The cruiser can deploy eighty-four strike craft in under two minutes.”
Arius nodded.
“Most impressive. Total cost per unit?”
“Current projected cost per hull is approximately twenty billion standards, Your Majesty.”
Arius thinks for a moment as he walks.
“Order two hundred units for the first production cycle, with another ten units per new colonization plan submitted and confirmed, and twenty more units for every newly conquered star system.”
“Yes, sire.” says a scribe, furiously noting everything just ordered.
Arius walks further down the hangar, and then stops by a group of pilots. One still has his helmet.
“Why are you wearing your helmet indoors during a briefing?”
There was no malice or reprimand in his tone. Only genuine curiosity.
The pilot turns and looks at Arius for a long moment after saluting him. He then speaks, his voice deep and gravelly, “Too many hard landings, my Lord. Cockpit or not, the helmet stays on. Broken neck… five, six times. Both lungs ruptured. Skull cracked twice. Toxic gas inhalation. Too many concussions to count.”
He pauses.
“Cybernetics keep me going. Fight, fall, get up, fight again… All for the empire.”
Arius’s eyes narrow. Then a nod. The smallest nod. Perhaps imperceptible to all but the pilot’s sharp eyes. The gesture expressed more than words ever could.
The pilot straightened almost imperceptibly. Pride. Recognition from Arius Aeternus himself carried weight beyond medals. Beyond rank.
Arius walks off without another word.
The briefing resumes, but beneath the helmet, unseen by anyone else, a faint smile had formed.
* * *
_IMPERIUM AETERNUS
_UNDESIGNATED SECTOR - FRONTIER
_CULTH SYSTEM
_VOPULUS - AGRARIAN WORLD
_02/04/3035
_20:59 - IMPERIAL STANDARD TIME
Years later, the prototype Archon-class - now commissioned warship Resolute - is responding to a surprise invasion by a hostile star state, desperately trying to buy time for the retreating colonists. It was the nearest and fastest vessel to respond, and the only imperial element to respond so far.
Upon their arrival they discover the local judicial patrol forces unsurprisingly destroyed. They were no match for an established warfleet.
The Resolute engage with the enemy. Victory here is impossible. They are outnumbered and outgunned. But victory is not the goal. Delaying the enemy while the civilian populations evacuate is all that matters now.
The Resolute, her crew, and her strike craft fight valiantly. For every dead Aeternan, 10 of them are taken with them. The enemy soon discovered that the Aeternans welcomed death rather than feared it. It became clear that if the Resolute was going down, the enemy would be dragged down to hell with it.
The Resolute was soon battered and fiery. Though it kept fighting, it would not last this intense, focused punishment much longer. But the majority of the civilians had fled Vopulus. That was enough. Their death would not be in vain. And so the crew and pilots fought ferociously. One by one they fell, their communications growing quieter with every passing moment. A battle that should have lasted minutes by any good analyst’s calculations instead persisted for over an hour.
That broken, helmeted pilot was still flying even now. Twists and turns, strafes and missile strikes. His experience was immense, and his skills compensated where his now bleeding body fell short. The cockpit screamed warnings at him.
AMMUNITION LOW!
COUNTERMEASURES LOW!
HULL BREACH! SYSTEM INTEGRITY: 17%!
HEAT CRITICAL
But on he went, his comrades flying themselves into critical components on the larger capital ships when their ammunition ran dry.
WARNING! WARNING! TARGET LOCK DETECTED! TARGET LOCK DETECTED!
He jerks his controls. The response was sluggish.
He went to fire countermeasures but found them empty.
He had nothing left up his sleeve. He was an open target with nowhere to go.
He closed his eyes, and made his peace.
TARGET LOCK BROKEN!
What? He thought to himself, his eyes flinging open to see that the enemy fighter on his tail was now a rapidly dissipating puff of smoke and fire.
And then bolting past his striker at speeds bordering FTL acceleration was a fighter he could only describe as death itself. Its design and marking were undoubtedly imperial.
A voice crackled to life over the communications channel.
Deep, calm, youthful, but unmistakably ancient.
“All for the empire.”
An echo of the pilot’s words, decades past.
It can’t be… The emperor…? Here…?
The pilot watched in relief and terror as the Emperor zipped through the battlefield destroying enemy starfighters as if they were stationary target dummies.
And then…
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
From behind the pilot, where the limping Resolute lay returning fire and absorbing it in equal caliber, emerged an Imperial warship. Heavily armed and armored. Purpose built for combat.
“Thank-”
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
IMPERIAL HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED!
The Resolute’s crew, meanwhile, were staring dumbfounded at their sensors, the system overloaded by the frequency and volume of incoming reinforcements.
The Imperium had arrived.