Vehir Kaldurn, crusher of legions, destroyer of worlds, and 97th conqueror of the Galaxy, was alone. Around him was a vast, cavernous throne room, the walls of which were so tall, and unnoticeably slanted, that at a glance one would think the walls never ended. Hordes of artwork depicting great deeds of eons past piled on one another in mountainous piles. Only obscured by the billions of data cubes strewn about the room. Behind him a massive window spanned the entire wall. The light of a nearby supergiant illuminating the massive hall.

Vehir stood and walked around his massive throne, as he gazed into the distant sun. Wreckage as thick as an asteroid belt floated around the star. His legion of nearly 10,000 Battleships strong destroyed!

It was nearly unthinkable. Not only had those corporate paid insurgent scum destroyed his fleets, but they dared attack and cripple the Emperor’s Valor. A ship which had served as the symbol of imperial power for over 5 THOUSAND YEARS!

Vehir turned away from the window, barely keeping his composure as he sat back down at his throne.

If only the corporations hadn’t turned coat and ran! He would never have lost the fleet battle to begin with.

“Traitorous spineless cowards!” Vehir hollered, slamming his fist into his throne.

Yes. He thought as he stared at his horde. They think they’ve won, but he had a surprise for them. A smile crept over his face, as images of grandeur went through his mind.

A distant explosion sounded at a side entrance to his left, stirring Vehir from his delusions.

Aah, they’ve arrived. Vehir thought as hundreds of fully armored soldiers poured into the room, advancing on his position. Each was covered in blue and grey space suits, with a dark tinted visor concealing their faces.

One individual stepped out of the crowd of soldiers, and with a hiss retracted his helmet behind his suit, revealing an aged face, with blue eyes, and hair that had just begun greying. What was most remarkable about him however, was his ears, which were pointed.

“Vehir Kaldurn." The man spat with venom, as he drew a plasma pistol in his left hand. “Your regime has brought more death and cruelty than any other in the history of the galaxy! Because of you, countless innocents have died, or been enslaved. You are unworthy of being called emperor.”

“HOW DARE YOU!” Vehir bellowed rising to his full height of twelve feet. With his exorbitant armor glittering against the backdrop of the sun, even alone Vehir intimidated the soldiers. “YOU DARE TO MOCK MEE??!! Without me there would be nothing but ANARCHY and CHAOS! I am a GOD you HETHENOUS SCUM!” His voice shook the throne room.

“You are surrounded, with no fleet, no army, and no supporters. Vehir your reign is over, in the name of justice you are under arrest!”

“Aahahahahaha!” Vehir broke down into a fit of laughter, collapsing back into his throne. “You think you’ve won, Ardwen?” he paused. “Look around you. What do you see?”

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“What’s your point Vehir?” Ardwen responded. “You're surrounded. Come quietly and your death will be merciful.”

“HAHAHA Wrong!” Vehir shouted. “What you see here,” he swung his arm for dramatic effect. “Is the only significant stockpile of historical, and scientific knowledge in the GALAXY! During the war I made sure to burn every major shipyard. Every data archive, every scientist I could get my hands on. Sure there might be a couple people or archives that slipped through the gaps, but for arguments sake many of the theories, and technological blueprints in this room are the ONLY copy.”

The implications of what Vehir left unsaid began to sink in. “What good would destroying all this do you?” Ardwen responded. “Even if you were in a position to do so, we could always reverse engineer most of the tech within a few years.”

“Yes I suppose you could do that.” Vehir responded honestly scratching his chin. “But you see they galaxy will be too busy squabbling with each other to make any effective collaboration. Following the death of every major corporate fleet, army, and general, pirate hordes will reign supreme. This galaxy will wither, and in my place will be a thousand tyrants, even more vile than myself.”

“Your insane.” Aldwen mocked. “I’ve had enough. Seize him men!” several dozen soldiers charged towards Vehir, heeding Aldwen’s command.

“Say,” Vehir said mockingly. “theoretically, how well do you think a vessel with weakened or destroyed shields would handle a supernova?” Vehir,s words sent a shiver down Aldwen’s back.

“Your bluffing!” Aldwen shouted back. “Not even at the height of the empire did they have star implosion technology.”

“AAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” Vehir boomed maniacally, as marines reached the massive dias his throne rested on. “Your mistaken Aldwen. You really should have done your research. MY DEATH WILL PLUNGE THIS GALAXY INTO A DARK AGES THE LIKES OF WHICH HAVE NEVER BEEN SEEN!! Today I DIE A GOD!” he moved his hand to the side, drawing an elaborate Laser pistol.

“KILL HIM!” Aldwen shouted. In unison hundreds of pulses hurled into Vehir. Most were absorbed harmlessly into the giant’s armor, but the sheer number of projectiles blasted away chunks of armor, and destroyed his gun.

“HAHAHAHA!” Vehir laughed maniacally, even as pulse after pulse tore chunks into his flesh. He collapsed to his knees, even whilst more rounds swarmed him. “LET THERE BE CHAOS!!” He bellowed with his final breath, before collapsing, dead.

Silence reigned over the room. Admiral Aldwen and the rest of the assembled soldiers stared at the corpse of Vehir Kaldurn 97th, and last ruler of the Empire. A man who had devastated countless worlds. A tyrant who enslaved billions to fuel his armies of death, and killed trillions more in the war to see him dethroned. Now Vehir lay dead, like the trillions he killed.

“Soldiers!” Aldwen said turning around to face the crowd assembled in the massive throne room. “Today we have won victory over tyranny! Today we have slain Vehir the tyrant, and ended a corrupt”

A thunderous explosion from behind rocked the vessel, interrupting Aldwen, and throwing most of the other soldiers to the floor.

Aldwen got on his knees, and turned around. Outside the massive window a star was dieing. Waves of pure energy pulsated away from the star, incinerating everything it touched. “No. . . Impossible.” He mumbled.

 Around him, men panicked, trampling each other to reach the doors. But Aldwen knew it was a lost cause. The heat from the star’s supernova would have already obliterated most of the remaining fleet. The rest would melt before they could even engage engines.

 In fact the only reason he was alive, was because the Valor was made from eons old tech, dating to the golden age of Imperial science. But even the Valor wouldn’t last. And with crippled engines, soon he, and the rest of his men would burn.

 Aldwen stared out towards the beauty of the star, even as flames surged into the throne room, burning away years, decades, centuries, millennia of history and technology.

 Vehir Kaldurn, crusher of legions, destroyer of worlds, and 97th Emperor of the Galaxy had won.