Darth_Miltiades

Me either.

@aelia_stormwind: And what do you expect to find at the end of that trail?

@aelia_stormwind: If it troubles you so then perhaps you should do something about it, Jedi.

"Gentlemen. You may be wondering why I have brought you here today." Miltiades training chamber was over a hundred yards long and twenty five wide. A line of men stood along the left side. Twelve. They were shackled to the wall. At the feet of each man lay a melee weapon.

"Each of you is a master of some form of combat. Deliton the 12th, you are renown for your electro-sabre fencing skill. Ulagoth, the underground pit fighter. And last but not least the nameless veteran who killed nine of my best men in single combat."

One wall faced the exterior of the ship and a number of airlocks were sealed via force field. "Each of you has been spared." Within each airlock was huddled a woman and at least one child. "As have your families."

Miltiades turned to the balcony where an officer stood at control panel. "Ulagoth first." The officer touched a button and the maglocks holding the massive gladiator snapped open. "You may notice a weapon has been provided. And with it, an opportunity."

Ulagoth picked up the durasteel spiked two-handed mace at his feet and his eyes burned with rage and bloodlust as he gazed upon his captor, the Darth.

"You have five minutes to draw blood. Do so, and you and your families are free." He ignited his curved-hilted saber.

Ulagoth needed no encouragement. He roared as he charged and sparks flew as the mace scrapped the steel floor. Miltiades parried and stepped aside. The musclebound warrior stumbled but whirled and swung again. Miltiades ducked.

And so it went. Ulagoth charged and charged and swung and roared but Miltiades parried and evaded with ease, his graceful footwork and elegant bladework making up for his advanced age.

The beast of a man begin to tire. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His heavy blows grew cumbersome and his chest rose and fell in great gasps.

A buzzer sounded.

Miltiades flowed gracefully around his foes latest charge and swept his crimson blade up from the floor, severing each of Ulagoth's arms at the elbow.

The gladiator fell to his knees, stunned as he stared at the stumps.

"Draw one drop of my blood and you are free. But failure too has its price." Darth Miltiades hung his elegant saber hilt from his belt and crossed the room, touching a button beside the airlock that held Ulagoth's family. The outer forcefield was deactivated and they were sucked into the void.

Ulagoth's broken scream echoed through the chamber.

Miltidaes smiled. "Now Deliton. I trust you will find the example of your predecessor.. motivating."

I need an apprentice.

@valerie_huntington said:

Damn lol. No mercy.

@aelia_stormwind: Such strong emotions. They make you powerful.

Star Destroyers sliced through the field of debris. Blades of flat grey cutting through the shattered remains of the Oristicon independence fleet and their mercenary allies. They were arrayed in a wedge formation with the Imperator at the tip.

Before them glistened the green dot of Oristicon.

Darth Miltiades stood upon the bridge. One hand stroked his white beard and around him swirled the mass of bridge officers while red and green lights flickered upon tactical displays and tactical officers studied the electric blue of holographic displays. An officer approached him where he stood upon his dais in the center of the bridge.

"The governor is hailing you."

"Put him through."

A hologram of the governor appeared in front of the dais. It flickered with interference but the sweat upon the governor's brow was clearly visible.

"Darth Miltiades. It seems you have won the day." The governor's jowls shook as he spoke. "We are ready to negotiate."

"Of course."

"We are willing to surrender and rejoin the empire in exchange for guarantees of protection for our elected leaders. We can promise there will be no support for the Rebels or any insurgency against Imperial rule."

"I fear I must reject your offer governor."

The governor blinked. "Why? Occupying our planet will be expensive. You have a reputation as a reasonable man my lord. Surely you can understand the costs of fighting an insurgency year after year."

Miltiades nodded. "Indeed governor, I can. Which is why I have ordered your population exterminated. Slave birth rates are up two percent over projections on Trithni IV and Uladon Prime. The surplus will replace you."

"Wait. Wait! We can talk about this. Surely there is something we can offer yo-" The patriarch of House Bellerophon motioned to the comms officer who cut the feed.

"Begin ion bombardment and prepare the dropships."

Over the next three weeks the fleet bombarded the cities of Oristicon with heavy ion cannons from orbit while millions of stormtroopers poured onto the surface. The ion cannons disabled the defenders technology while the troopers moved in and destroyed the defenders strongholds before going house to house in residential areas, gathering up the population and mowing them down by the thousands.

The Oristicon rebellion died as it was born. In fire.

*frail

Strong words for a child.