Mars

To sit on the ornate throne of Scipio, adorned in material so expensive, so luxurious, and so radioactive that by its very nature most cannot view it, is not to rule the nation; the throne is simply a chair and has changed dozens of times. To command the nation's vast armies means little beyond having a strong force at one's beck and call. Furthermore, even if the kings and princes from across the nation paid tribute, begged for a seat at one's table, and worshiped a conqueror as lord, that would not mean that this conqueror ruled the nation.

None of these things by themselves are what it means to rule the people of Mars for none of these things are Mars. No single act or position of power gives one the right to rule this region for it is Mars, the embodiment of the people, the spirit of the nation itself, which bestows that right to rule. Without the Blessing of Mars, ruling the 15 stars that form Martial Space would be impossible.

Throughout history, Mars was conceptualized as a vast multi-headed construct composed out of the collective will of all residing within its realm of influence. In the past, the sole representative of this will was an all-powerful monarch or handful of oligarchs whose right to rule was maintained by physically channeling the raw power of Mars. Currently, it is understood that there is more to Mars than simply the nearly-deific influence it can exert over the universe. Sovereignty, that is, Mars itself, rests firmly within the hands of the people who compose the entity and always had.

Overview

Mars is a highly influential Noospheric Disturbance most heavily acting upon the region that bears its name, Martial Space. In other words, Mars can be thought of as a "free mind" capable of acting on the universe directly instead of through a physical brain. An intelligent entity, Mars has been the source of dozens of conflicts as the being warred against all manner of what it deemed as threats. Consequently, it is usually contained within the monarch not only as a symbol of the right to rule but for national security.

The head of state of every government within Martial Space, the entity unites the "nation" that is the Greater Martial Consilium, a multi-species empire. Mars creates a unified identity, a nation, out of what would otherwise be hopelessly disunited peoples, species, and civilizations.

Physical

Bearing no physical form, Mars only exists within the collective conscious, otherwise known as the Noosphere. Consequently, its form has changed throughout time to reflect current attitudes about the being. When manifesting in the physical universe, a rare occurrence often accompanied by unimaginable conflict, Mars appears superficially humanoid. Direct observation of the being is difficult; even this humanoid form is only an "impression" that is commonly reported. In most cases, Mars appears like a constellation moving through space, its movements seemingly accounted for by the stars in the night sky as they flicker. In some cases, Mars appears as a shade or vacuum in the material around it. Mars often wields a spear but only in extreme situations.

As all Noospheric disturbances are, Mars only abstractly has a "location" and "form" within this realm of thought. Every mind within Martial Space, and many beyond depending on a myriad of factors, seem to sustain the entity. The mind of the monarch, by necessity some of the most powerful Magi to ever live, localizes Mars to a specific area in the Noosphere, stabilizing the entity while also containing it.

Abilities

Mars has been known to grant portions of its immense strength to rulers throughout history. The first ruler of Martial Space to gain the full benefits of this was Hal Drusus II, who was otherwise a normal individual who gained incredible Thaumaturgical abilities simply due to the approval of this being. A super-weapons in his own right, Drusus turned the tides in battle numerous times by his simple presence alone.

The Imperator, or representative of Mars, is capable of manifesting a spear, called the "Spear of Byutix," which is the chief weapon representing the people of the region. Most armies in Martial Space deploy Magi trained in the usage of spears because of this powerful weapon.

Paladins, another kind of Magi, devoted to Mars and therefore the people of Martial Space possess enhanced abilities. The several million Martial Paladins, as they are known, number among the most effective soldiers in history. They primarily wield spears as a primary weapon but also use conventional ranged weapons if need be.

As for Mars itself, the full suite of abilities are only available upon full manifestation. Much less elegant than blessing rulers or acolytes, Mars has only one ability, brute strength in both Cosmoria and the Noosphere. When fully manifested, that is to be fully conscious and unbound, Mars is capable of releasing enough energy to potentially reduce planets to dust. This ludicrous energy has almost always been directed towards Eos, a mega-structure so large that it has absorbed thousands of these blows and remains intact, albeit badly damaged.

Containment

The ritual containing Mars is a matter of ultimate national security. A free Mars would bring about ruin as it would senselessly rampage across space, annihilating anything it deems foreign only to earn the ire of the Greater Martial Consilium's neighbors. Tyrannical or self-interested monarchs make the process much harder as it seems there is a direct correlation between the unrest of the people and the restlessness of Mars. Additionally, containment gets harder during times of war as the people direct their hatred towards a common enemy.

The current system of government, in which various interest groups manage most government affairs, emerged unintentionally but serves well to keep unrest down. Large economic growth and the maintenance of trade also serves this purpose well but are not strictly necessary.

Upon the accession of a new monarch, called an Imperator or Imperatrix, the containment of Mars needs to be transferred. To do this is a somewhat simple manner. An ornate crown that represents the totality of every individual in Martial Space, the single most expensive article of clothing within Cosmoria, is placed on the head of the new monarch. This is followed by ornate ceremonies, recitation of oaths of loyalty, and the meeting between the new Imperator and various high-ranking officials. These rituals, accumulated over thousands of years of history, create the impression of sovereignty and thus grant sovereignty. In other words, they convince Mars that this new monarch is indeed the new monarch and therefore the new vessel that contains it.

This symbolic transfer of power is accompanied by exactly one non-symbolic act for contained within the crown is a micro-black-hole which weighs well over 50,000 kilograms. This object, contained magnetically within the crown, not only represents the crushing weight of responsibility that this powerful person now bears, but distorts the Noosphere to allow for the easier transfer of Mars into the pylon of the wearer.

Non-consensual Containment

Many times throughout history, Mars had become a nuisance that the ruling class did everything they could to excise from society. Mass disinformation campaigns designed to discredit the entity as well as the banning of the worship of Mars has been tried numerous times. Each time the integrity of the state collapses. Another common effort was by various "Non-Martial" rulers who sought legitimacy in the eyes of the people, and therefore their guardian. Un'oit rulers that conquered much of Martial Space could do little to curry its favor short of simply becoming "Martial." Once fully integrated into society, they had become accepted by virtue of their integration into what it meant to be in Martial Space. They were subsumed in other words, not by some deific force but by cultural changes as they lost their unique identity.

Ruling from the shadows is an effective way to rule Martial Space without approval. The Confederacy of Borealis did this for thousands of years as it puppeted the monarch to do their bidding. While ostensibly a people's organization, they lost their power as they forced Martial Space to fight one of their endless wars.

The last way to contain Mars is an overwhelming display of force. Shortly after the Confederacy lost its power, a civil war broke out which interrupted the coronation of Imperatrix Jezebel II. This untimely conflict freed Mars and caused it to nearly sterilize an entire star system before it was contained again. It was momentarily contained within a black hole as then Supreme Leader Wren Mori lead a campaign to outsmart the entity. Upon success, her assent to the throne saw Mars willingly contain itself. The people of Martial Space accepted her rule despite the new leader violating nearly every ritual that had built up over the millennia.

Martial Civil Religion

Martial Civil Religion is more or less an outgrowth of Ibaradism in which Mars, for practicality's sake the state, is worshiped as a messianic figure. Heavily influenced by Neo-Terranism, the ancient pagan religion most Humans practiced on their home world, the main claim of the religion is that Mars is the rightful ruler of all of Cosmoria. Destined to banish chaos from the universe, Martialists, as they are known, predict that Mars will continue killing powerful entities from across Cosmoria until it remains alone, ruling over every species as they too become "Martial."

History

Origin

"Mad one, do you not understand that your civilization is gone, your leader killed, and your monuments desecrated all by my hand?"

On a forbidden world, perfectly smooth and featureless, stood a single man, the first disciple of Eve and confidant to Ohko. After destroying thousands of nigh incomprehensible machines, entire worlds of loyalists, and all traitors to his people, Hal Drusus stood alone in his resilience to his nation's murderer. He possessed no wounds, at least in the physical sense. On his journey, he had sustained obscene damage to the very concept of himself. Normally such thorough metaphysical deletion would have rendered him atomized, the atoms refusing to compose a being so scorned by nature herself. It would be by sheer willpower that he remained in existence.

"Do you have nothing to say, mortal?"

"Mortal" may no longer have been accurate given the sheer amount of conceptual weight holding together this man. Even so, Drusus had nothing to say, words having long since escaped his capacity. He only knew one thing, that this monstrosity, whatever it was, needed to be purged from this universe. The entity that hung in the sky like a celestial body appeared vaguely like a nebula. Like some kind of mechanical device, the nebula isochronally shifted, the clouds of gas giving the impression of gears, pulleys, or joints working to accomplish some unhallowed task.

Gathering every once of strength, Drusus would begin waging war against this infernal machine, grappling his foe in both concept and in reality. Equal parts metaphysical and material, Drusus channeled the strength of his destroyed civilization to aid him in this battle, the final act of revenge against his ultimate adversary.

The Noosphere, the realm of all thought, shook as these beings fought. Blows were exchanged, not delivered not by fists but by the powerful magic these two wielded. Centuries passed as the external universe beheld the tremendous amount of energy released around the then-unnamed star. Unfortunately for Drusus, standing up to a civilization-rending force would prove impossible for this one man. The conceptual construct that held him together, his ultimate goal of war against this being, so powerful as to resist any attempts against it, would slowly erode as the fight continued. With it Drusus' body lost coherence. During the final century of warfare, a simple mist was all that remained, held together solely by Drusus' intense magical ability. Drusus lost consciousness after nearly five centuries of this, his subconscious maintaining the battle for another decade before also succumbing. Drusus was well and truly dead, both physically as his atoms lost all order but even metaphysically as his very soul was torn to pieces.

Mars as a Terranist Figure

The stories of a legendary warrior standing up against ultimate evil became commonplace across societies in Aylathiya. In particular amongst Humans, whose planet-spanning polytheistic religion recognized Hal Drusus as a nearly divine figure from which all Humans were descended. It was this renown that kept the very idea of Drusus alive, which would later become known as "Mars" as language shifted throughout history.

"Greetings, Humanity. I represent The Triumvirate Civilization and you are now formally a part of our new empire."

This message, transmitted to every major nation on Aegyn, marked the near-destruction of Mars as Humanity abandoned their traditional faith for more state-approved beliefs. Ironically, it was the very enemy of Mars, now known as "Holos," which paved the way for the conquest of Aegyn.

In 39,445 BCE, as Humans were barely crawling out of Aegyn's deep gravity well, they had established minor colonies across space. Still primitive, their settlements had been limited and very expensive. One such settlement, on the moon of Tyrik orbiting Shosturan, had a meager population of a few thousand. Situated at the bottom of a deep crater, the air pressure there was only just high enough for the planet's meager oxygen supply to permit habitation. Byutix, the smaller of Aegyn's twin suns, released a solar flare out-massing all planets in the system. From dozens of astronomical units away, the stream of energy blasted Shosturan, stripping it of its substantial atmosphere and destroying its moons. This event, so destructive as to set back Human space development by centuries, was visible from all of Aegyn and filled the night sky with a nebula-like show.

Called the "Spear of Byutix," it was the inciting incident for the Anthrovian Civil War, between the largely pagan classical Magi and the secular population. For the Magi, this was a sign from Mars that their society had strayed too far from the natural order. For the secular, it was a tragedy, but all the same it was referred to as "from Mars" in a sort of poetic description.

Following the defeat of the Magi and victory, Aegyn had largely converted to Ibaradism as the official state religion. Both the secular and pagan went underground to avoid potential persecution. A small subset of Aegyn's population preserved the ancient ways by practicing what is known as "Terransim," whose rituals dated back to the origin of Humanity. Within this religion's complex series of gods, rites, and stories lied a central figure, Mars. The lone warrior who stood up to the universe-conquering evil that was Holos, which was now understood to be one of Aegyn's three rulers. Clandestine in all operations so as to avoid outright extermination, the Terranists refined their beliefs in secret over the millennia. They spread with Humanity as sects or churches formed in every Human system.

Neo-Terranist Movement

A man so distantly-related to Hal Drusus as to be another species, walked onto a stage to enthusiastic applause, emphatic expressions of praise, and dozens of blinding lights which illuminated the man for the tens of thousands gathered in the vast room. The latest in a millennia-spanning series of priests, he was clad in ornate garbs once worn by high-ranking Triumvirate officials. A symbol of authority even after that mighty civilization collapsed, they had become quite the commodity by the 14,000s CE.

The religion of Neo-Terranism grew to be the largest among Humans, heavily drawing on a sense of species identity through these old teachings. Amongst this crowd were not only the wealthy and politicians but kings and emperors. The religion had become something of political movement as Humans began asserting their authority over the near-dozen stars they believed they had divine sovereignty over.

It was on this stage that this preacher, identifying himself as "Hal Drusus II," gave his message. The man was believed to be a reincarnation of their central figure, giving him ultimate authority over all of the territory once ruled by the Triumvirate. Using this authority, he was able to raise vast armies, acquire vast amounts of capital, and organize nearly all of Humanity towards the singular goal of attaining their divine right.

On this particular day, he began an impassioned speech identifying the various threats Humanity faced. After describing the evil entities similar to Holos across Aylathiya and Azurullya, he took aim at Holos' two cohorts, Ma'eau and Titania.

"Thus, followers of nature, our goal is to rid the universe of these tyrants."

Initial Emergence

Much like Holos, Titania appeared similarly to a constellation of gears, a fractal-like machine whose movements were both unsettlingly fluid and jarringly spasmodic. Possessing a roughly spherical form, she "sat" upon an ornate chandelier-like throne, the centerpiece of a sprawling temple-palace that was a city in its own right. Her seat hung in a vast chamber whose decorations moved in coordination with the prophetess, making it difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. Surrounding Titania were thousands of Atlin worshipers, frankly unwell souls whose constant exposure to this being ate away at the very stability of their minds. A species made of fire, they crackled excitedly as their cores flashed colors in praise of their prophetess and her goddess.

Drusus stood before Titania, the transparent floor beneath him designed to give the impression of infinite depth. Doing his best to avert his eyes from the overwhelming presence before him, he stood alone to challenge the immortal being. A "gesture," if it could be described as such, caused her frantic worshipers to stand down against this human interloper.

"I don't suppose you've come to declare your undying allegiance to Ibarados?," boomed the prophet-queen.

"I have come to expunge you from the heavens. Your heresies against nature cannot be overlooked."

Her worshipers seemed to suffer at these words, their sheer blasphemy and their inability to take action cut their distraught hearts, even if such hearts were a plasma complex maintained through the careful manipulation of magnetic fields.

"I am going to erase your soul, Human."

"Nothing that has not happened before."

For Titania, the process of destroying an unruly mortal was simple. Almost immediately, Drusus felt tendrils embrace his mind, a feeling akin to a squirming within his head. As Titania reached into it, exploring every area of Drusus' soul, all he could do was resist using his own magical ability. Her followers looked on with anticipation as the mental battle raged, Drusus growing increasingly uncomfortable as the integrity of his mind was tested.

After several more minutes, confused whispers began flying around, her worshipers switched to generating monotone chimes instead of flashing lights. Drusus emerged from the mental battle only for him to be greeted by a barrage of anti-material fire. Her followers again began their frenzied worship as they relished the destruction of the chief blasphemer against their faith. Titania knew immediately that the munitions had little effect, her worshipers taking a moment to understand this as the smoke cleared. Several more barrages did little to impeded Drusus' movement towards her throne.

Titania released a barrage of attacks against Drusus, ranging from more physical assaults to metaphysical assaults against his mind. Numerous times she attempted to break his psyche by inserting her complete form into his mind, a death sentence for those not inoculated against her splendor. Titania paused, her efforts having gone to waste. Many of her worshipers were extinguished, the ferocity of her attacks so great that the shock waves they produced damaged nearby minds. She dismissed her worshipers; causing them to float out of the room, heating themselves to rise into the air.

At the same time, Humanity's coalition army had finally made it to Alphos, Titania's capital city. Fighting had begun as both sides fanatically tore into each other's ranks. It was not a simple fight between two prophets but a civilizational conflict that would determine the future of religion throughout the region. It was this collective struggle that fueled Drusus. Like his ancestor over three-hundred-thousand years prior, Drusus had the strength of a nation fueling him. Unlike his forebear, however, his civilization was not only extant but still fighting for its survival.

Drusus had entertained her attacks for long enough. Within his hand suddenly appeared a brilliantly-bright spear that glowed a red-tinted white, the same color as the star Byutix. He winced as he held the weapon, the energy of a solar flare hurting even the powerful Magi. In one mighty motion, he lobbed the newly-materialized spear into the heart of Titania. It was not a physical blow, for the spiritual form of Titania would have effortlessly absorbed it. This blow was conceptual, the weight of collective Human thought-power bearing down on the prophetess. The spear of Byutix annihilated Titania, her spirit shattering into pieces under its immense conceptual weight. A non-physical attack to destroy a non-physical being.

Death of Hal Drusus II

Whether Hal Drusus II was literally Mars' reincarnation or simply a representative of the being, his death was entirely unexpected. Before it was known that Mars was capable of influencing the universe, Drusus contained the entity within his soul. For several weeks, Drusus had gradually lost his grip on reality. At first it was simply forgetfulness but as the weeks went on, his mind rapidly degenerated. He died in 17,809 CE, witnesses describing a "shade" staring through the open window at the dying man.

As Ibaradists celebrated the death of their most hated person, Humans had to regroup around a new prophet. Djet Drusus changed his named to Hal Drusus III and assumed power that same year. He never claimed to be a reincarnation but instead as an agent of Hal Drusus' will. This would begin the tradition of the new "chief priests" being called "Supreme Leaders." At this point, the church was organized into what was known as the Neo-Terran Party, a group meant to organize the followers of Mars in the lobbying of powerful non-believers in Erstes Konsortium, the ruling nation at the time.

Political Changes

Mars continued lurking in the shadows of Humanity's collective will, occasionally manifesting in the physical universe to destroy what it deemed to be threats. Humans quickly gained ultimate supremacy as other species had no choice but to accept their rule. The Human monarch at the time, the Kaiser, had sovereignty over all of what would now be called "Martial Space." The idea was that they were the only legitimate ruler left over from the Triumvirate and thus had the ultimate right to rule.

The Kaiser, an artificial intelligence ruling from Aegyn, had little interest in serving "nature" or Mars and focused on increasing their own power. While at first this was fine, it soon became a major point of conflict between the Neo-Terran Party and the Kaiser whose goals often conflicted. Where the Kaiser wanted to integrate other species into the empire to create a stronger civilization, the Neo-Terrans wanted to subjugate them to make way for a fully Human state.

Great Empyreal Crusade

The Atlins began to avenge Titania in 18,991 CE, starting the Great Empyreal Crusade as their vast armies slammed into the rest of Martial Space. Mars caused a great amount of damage to their fleets, but Atlin strategists kept the entity busy by firing Kugelblitzes at it, destabilizing both space and the Noosphere to debilitate it.

The Kaiser and Neo-Terran Party were basically fighting each other during the conflict instead of their common enemy, forcing many of the Un'oit Warlords to get involved, further reducing the strength of either side as the Un'oit gained legitimacy. As the Vaplein Republic, an external nation to Martial Space, pushed back the Atlins, Mars grew significantly weaker, likely due to its reputation being weakened. Conventional militaries were able to solve Humanity's problems which would have been less humiliating if it were not an external army that saved them.

Mars had lost its political significance as Humans in Martial Space lost their privileged position. Power was decentralized across many species and thus even the idea of Martial Space had become insolvent. The Neo-Terran Party had become just another political party as others emerged.

Ma'eau War

The Ma'eau War was a large-scale conflict that placed the Neo-Terrans against Ma'eau, the second leader of the Triumvirate. Unlike Titania who had at least an ostensibly physical location, Ma'eau was distributed across nearly every world in Martial Space. It was the gardener that seeded most of its planets with life while also sculpting that life to thrive. To resist it was tantamount to resisting a god. In fact, for many in Martial Space, the very action was an act of provocation against them.

As the Neo-Terrans stood up to this vast decentralized hive-mind, worlds burned as the very life that they hosted resisted this effort. Many party members found their unconscious minds mutinying as genetic fail-safes activated to keep Ma'eau's creations in line. Despite the destruction of thousands of cities, the followers of Mars never gave up.

The current Supreme Leader of the party, Jayvyn Drusus, lead a squadron of soldiers through a large complex on Velevev. Buried deep underground, fighting through legions of machines and loyal soldiers had greatly depleted Jayvyn's forces. The air was choked with the stench of death as Ma'eau resorted to using the very life it created to protect its last stronghold.

"Why are you doing this?," the half-obliterated body of a Vexlore seized by Ma'eau asked.

"It is not too late to surrender!"

"Were you not created to exist in my garden?"

The bacteria and fungi eating away at bodies in various states of decomposition had organized themselves to produce speech, an incredible feat of engineering that Ma'eau had placed in these decomposers. Jayvyn simply destroyed Ma'eau's mouthpieces as they talked.

"Because of your acts against us, demon."

He crushed the skull of the Vexlore, a disgusting experience given how similar they were to Humans. Even so, the point needed to be made that not even the creator of life in Martial Space was exempt from subjugation. Following Jayvyn, flamethrower-wielding soldiers did their best to sterilize this room, concentrating their efforts on the self-organizing life in front of them.

"I want to save Cos-," flames melted the body before it could continue.

"This is it! This is why! You act like a god! Yet you murder your creation! You have the nerve to act surprised when they rebel against you! This makes you no god! Where is your decency? Your morality?"

This was one of the last missions against Ma'eau, the being having been mostly reduced to its original form, a simple hive-mind which unconsciously kept worlds habitable. To fully remove it from Cosmoria would have meant invading over a dozen nations in which it had seeded life. To return it to its place as simply a part of the ecosystem was the only attainable goal.

The success of the Neo-Terrans and Sagittarium was met with the reassertion of Human dominance over Martial Space. The triumph, the total victory that came with destroying the caretaker of life in Martial Space, came with a renewed sense of authority. It was this event that allowed Neo-Terranism to resurge as the dominant ideology. It would no longer be enough that the Neo-Terrans, the followers of the ultimate sovereign of Martial Space, were just another political party.

Initial Rule

In 29,001 CE, Aethelwulf Claes, the Supreme Leader of the party, faced off against the Kaiser, killing them as he destroyed the networks on Aegyn that stored the artificial intelligence. Nearly ripping up the whole planet, the battle between the Neo-Terrans and the Kaiser was in many ways the battle between fundamental ideologies. Is it Mars that rules this area or the military?

Aethelwulf stood, badly injured from leading the charge against Erstes Konsortium's capital, and saw that the task had been finished. Before him was a Faux Pylon, a complex machine that was essentially an artificial soul. Finally exposed to the sky, the cylindrical tube churned as it processed the thoughts of Aegyn's ruler. A rod of osmium fell from the sky on his orders, obliterating the device. Fortunately for him, the resulting explosion was little compared to the explosions that had leveled much of Aegyn during this battle.

Aethelwulf pried sovereignty from the Kaiser and had secured it for the Neo-Terrans. He was able to enjoy his authority for the better part of a year. Immediately before dawn, Aethelwulf leaned over railing overlooking an ecumenopolis below. As commerce flowed through the planet-spanning city of Albedo, Aethelwulf beheld his new capital world. Streaks of light arced across the sky, superluminal ships taking their valuable cargo and sending it across the universe. They glinted light from Albedo's sun, hinting at the red glow of Eos well before the dawn.

Suddenly Aethelwulf lost sight of the busy night sky, his vision filled with the pavement below his feet. Almost immediately he felt a great pain as the back of his head felt both very hot and numb. Before he could rise, similar sensations emanated from across his body. He was unaware of any conventional weapon that could damage him, a powerful Magi, and yet here came the projectiles. He took several seconds to die as his brain was finally filled with enough ammunition to stop all function. The projectiles, pellets a pink metal known as Orichalcum, slowly returned to their sender.

Without a sound, the assassin gathered their valuable payload, the only bullets capable of killing that leader. Capable of telepathically controlling anything made up of the substance, they effectively flew as they forced it in any direction they pleased. Flying off of the balcony, they narrowly avoided a burst of anti-personnel fire from the just-now-responding guards. This person was the Bishop of Orichalcum, the leader of the Occult Galaxy Project.

Roxanne Caffron, the now-highest-ranking official in the Party, began a war against the O.G.P. Fueled by rage against this assassination, Mars contended with this order of Magi for centuries. During this time, they began experimenting on the entity, their scientists systemically figuring out how to contain it in groundbreaking research that would prove invaluable later on.

Rise of the Emperor

"Emperor" (usually Imperator or Imperatrix) is the official title given to the ruler of Martial Space. The first person to have the title was Imperatrix Ymir who ascended in 32,988 CE. It was at this point that the ideology shifted from a reactive to proactive assertion of power. Ymir was not simply acting on behalf of Mars, she was Mars in that she declared she was Mars' avatar.

"Most Honorable Bishop of Orichalcum, I humbly apologize for our actions taken against your organization."

A secret meeting between the leader of the O.G.P, Bishop Rudyard II, and Ymir took place shortly after her ascension. The endless battle between Mars and their researchers was a waste for both sides. Additionally, Ymir had a special request that only these near magically advanced scientists could grant.

"You know what we want."

In typical fashion, Rudyard ignored the pleasantries to address the issue at hand.

"Likewise."

Ymir handed the man a small ampule, a pinkish-grey alloy contained within.

"30 grams of Orichalcum in a mercury solution as requested."

This ultra-rare substance, impossible for even this organization to synthesize, was the bedrock of its society. A mere kilogram of the material was all they had access to, a criminally small amount for a Bishop to wield. A master of a specific element, even this small amount would go a long way in preserving their power.

Rudyard signaled a nearby aid who immediately left the room. Shortly thereafter, the two rulers made their way onto another ship. For such a large payment, the purchase was surely just as great. Sitting atop a large active-support apparatus, a crown sat. The beautiful object was made up of pure Eitr, another ultra-rare element. Adorned with rare gems that resisted all attempts to synthesize, the crown contained one more important feature, a micro black hole massing at over 50,000 kilograms.

She would not put it on until an official coronation ceremony taking place several months later. It was at this ceremony that the studies of O.G.P. researchers proved useful, giving the emperor a way to control Mars. Picking up the crown, a difficult task for the only moderately-magically-powerful Ymir, and putting it on resulted in Mars almost instantly ceasing its attacks. It became contained within Ymir's very soul. This is what separated the Imperator from all previous leaders save for Hal Drusus II himself.

The following rulers would become increasingly magically powerful not due to Mars granting them abilities but due to increased resistance from it. After two more leaders, it took the most powerful known magi in Martial Space to contain Mars, precluding the nation from having much in the way of good leadership, only worsening the resistance they faced.

Fall of the Neo-Terrans

As the Neo-Terrans lost their advantage, a joint Human-Vexlore coalition had begun infiltrating the government from within. This nation, known as Greater Tenshi, used private police to enforce laws they passed, operated a military to suppress rebellions, and had an advanced government apparatus incredibly dissimilar to the current absolute monarchy. As the people began identifying with Tenshi, Mars would become increasingly difficult for the Imperator to contain.

Imperator Leonitus had long since lost his ability to move on his own. An exoskeleton carried his body to create the illusion of complete control. He pounded a button on the side of his head to flood his brain with painkillers, his mind engaging in a constant struggle against its prisoner.

"We lost our right to rule," he spoke to his cohort while looking through a room-spanning window facing space. As Tenshi's forces invaded Albedo, it was no surprise that the people had lost their faith in the Neo-Terrans. Even Leonitus, a devout believer in the cause, could not help but lose faith as he saw his armies destroyed. A bright light filled the room as Mars' legendary spear suddenly manifested in his hands. He had never once managed to manifest this ultimate weapon and he knew at once why Mars allowed him to have it.

Leonitus fell on the spear, one of the few things in the universe that could kill such a powerful Magi, releasing Mars.

Terror filled the hearts of the millions of soldiers fighting over this world. They saw the deific entity in the shadows it cast on the stars. They all but stopped as Tenshin generals ordered retreats. Mars, however, did nothing to interfere. Several days later, Tenshi renewed their attack on Albedo and took the planet within the year. Mars dispassionately watched the assault from above.

Holy Bureaucracy

Leonitus' crown was secured several years later, recovered from smugglers attempting to sell the device to buyers in Sedrua. So heavy as to be useless for all but ultra-powerful magi, it remained a symbol of sovereignty. Upon the creation of the Dominion of Astraeus, a unified Martial Space under the rule of ten dukes, the crown was split in two. Tange Meiko and Nicodemus shared sovereignty not as absolute diarchs, but as the heads of state and government.

Sovereignty lied with the large bureaucracy on Eos and Yakusoku. The "person" of the state, in other words, seemingly satisfied Mars. With strict rules and little room for corruption, the Dominion grew rapidly in power as it centralized. The state had become the sovereign instead of any individual and with it came a far easier job of containment. Millions of paladins devoted to the state, and therefore Mars, collectively contained Mars while the dual leaders, as symbols representing the state, gained incredible thaumic abilities. In a sense, there were two Imperators both capable of wielding the gifts granted by Mars.

The Hero

"The firstborn of Yuuho and Nicodemus will finally liberate us from The Administrator," an oracle spoke to the diarchs as they sat on their twin thrones. A mysterious figure, a Bahatte, stood alone. As they spoke, they seemed to emanate authority as though a new prophet had entered the universe.

"You may be of two different species but worry not for nature will grant you a child regardless. A hybrid will be born."

"Enough. Who sent you?" Yuuho asked, unamused at the notion of her and her Vexlore husband being able to reproduce.

"I am an agent of nature, a messenger from Ibarados."

"Nonsense."

A simple nod was all it took for the Bahatte to be escorted out.

It seemed that the prophecy did come true, however. After accusations of infidelity and a genetic test, it seemed that the two co-rulers did produce an heir. Even so, this rare event was seen as a validation and the new prince was immediately declared the crown prince.

As the boy grew, his potent magical abilities were obvious. Regularly sparring with the greatest paladins and, later, imported magi from the Sedrua, prince Jeroboam most certainly had great promise. Greatly popular amongst the people, he showed exceptional promise in nearly every way. It was Mars that proved most resistant to the idea of a "Hero." As the boy grew in power, it became increasingly difficult for paladins devoted to Mars to stand his presence. Even his parents limited contact, both of them being so highly influenced by the entity.

Nicodemus had tried several times to connect to his son, but the overwhelming disgust Mars felt for the boy proved too powerful. He could hardly stomach a cold formal conversation in which no eye-contact was made. His mother has all but given up, ordering geneticists to clone several more children instead who she endlessly lobbied to have replace Jeroboam.

"Father why must I train with imported Magi?"

"If I had an answer you would be training with Humans."

After a moment of silence, Jeroboam grew distraught.

"Father look at me," the desperation of the request was underscored by the fact that this was the first time in a month they had spoken.

"Son, I..."

"Look at me!"

Nicodemus gave in, knowing that this was the most basic courtesy that he could give the forsaken child. In the briefest moment, he saw gears, pulleys, axles, joints, wheels, and cogs; an array of machinery working in a horrid asynchronousness.

"GET OUT, DEMON"

Jeroboam quickly left the room, slamming upon the door with enough force to destroy it.

"Wait... son. No I didn't..." Nicodemus convulsed, nearly vomiting having been forced to endure the otherworldly presence.

"Why must Mars torture him like this? He is destined to kill his ultimate enemy, is he not?"

Jeroboam confined himself in his room, various aids failing to convince him to leave. Locked in his chambers, he stared at the portrait of his family on the wall. The so-called "Hero," hailed across Martial Space as their new liberator. He hardly remembered the last time he saw his mother, the woman in the portrait may as well have been a stranger. It was a distressing thought that this would probably never change.

"Son of Holos, why do you hang your head in shame?"

"Who's there?"

"I am the oracle who predicted your birth."

"I cannot see you."

"Of course, they would never let me speak to you in person. I have reached out to your mind."

"Why?"

"Are you so blind? They are terrified of you and what you can do."

Jeroboam sat still, processing this information.

The oracle continued, "They know you are unbeatable."

"Who is Holos?"

The oracle described the story of Mars battling Holos, the legend that had become central to the national identity.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You are destined to destroy it, you, descendant of Hal Drusus."

"You said I was a son of 'Holos' though."

"Why yes, who do you think caused the miracle of your birth?"

Jeroboam would be visited by the oracle every night. During training with the few Magi that could stand up to him, the oracle would give advice. In what few interactions he had with his parents, he would say little to them from behind a veil. As he entered adulthood, he would give speeches about the glory of Martial Space and Mars.

"I am honored to give this speech before you, people of Eos." A crowd had gathered below him, nearly a million souls crowding around the podium to listen to their crown prince.

"At least they love me"

"Never before has our great nation been so strong, so unified..."

He finished his speech, quickly going through the same bland nationalism the people constantly ate up, before returning to his quarters.

"That was a great speech, Jeroboam!," his younger brother, Rehoboam, abruptly entered.

"Thank you, Rehoboam...," he said without bothering to turn around. He knew that doing so would send the boy into a seizure-like fit as Mars revolted. It was something of a miracle that he could even stand to be in the same room as him.

Rehoboam strained out another sentence, "You are quite popular and a gifted speaker and..."

"You need not force yourself. Spare me your pity."

Rehoboam said nothing.

"Now go back to your palace feeling good about yourself, understand?"

"Mother has been growing impatient. She is going to make you fight The Administrator soon," he sourly responded.

"What good news. I'll get to die and you be the crowned prince."

"No- I am just telling you..." Rehoboam stopped and left.

"I sense no malice," the oracle spoke.

"Oh hush, I grow sick of you too."

Thirty days later, Jeroboam stepped out of a small craft onto a featureless world orbiting Tryvya, the planet of Ommekha. The legendary world was almost shockingly boring, a perfectly flat horizon was all that greeted him. Where the planet had a nearly unnerving nothingness to it, the sky was filled with the impressive grandeur of the Triumvirate's last surviving leader.

"Ah, finally. Welcome, son."

"Holos," Jeroboam coldly acknowledged the nebular entity floating in the sky.

"It seems that you are here to slay me. By all means, use the ultimate spear of Mars to destroy me."

"We both know that what you ask is impossible. Mars hates me."

"As Mars hates me."

Jeroboam pauses for a moment, "Why am I here, Holos?"

"Did you not listen to the oracle I provided?"

"Enough lies, I want to hear your actual reasoning."

"You cannot kill me. I hardly exist in the same way you do. That is because I am not your target. You are meant to kill Mars."

"Impossible."

"Mars will stop at nothing to kill you."

"The people love me, how could Mars go against himself?"

"You are a symbol. Do you think they would not love Rehoboam as well? You are completely interchangeable to them."

"Unless I become indispensable."

If the Administrator were capable of smiling in this moment, a devilish grin would have crossed its face. Jeroboam understood that this was all a plot against Mars, but he wanted desperately to gain the full recognition of the people.

"You catch on quickly," the Administrator said.

"Your plan is for me to subjugate Mars?"

"You understand. I hope you can overlook my using you."

"I will overlook it this once."

Jeroboam did not need a ship to return, his immense abilities could bend spacetime directly, creating a warp bubble he could use to cross space.

In 73,144 CE, Jeroboam landed on Yakusoku. Immediately assaulted by dozens of aids demanding why he did not fight the Administrator. Pushing them aside, he made his way towards the throne room.

"Hello, Father," Jeroboam said as he bounded up the steps to Nicodemus.

Nicodemus sighed as he stood up, still averting his eyes.

"Can we please talk about this?"

Jeroboam stood directly before his father, staring directly at him. Nicodemus was suddenly holding the legendary spear of Mars, one about half as bright given that his wife held the other half. Jeroboam unleashed a magical strike against Nicodemus, spacetime visibly quaking at the intensity of the blast. Nicodemus half-heartedly struck back with the spear but it was easily avoided.

"Son please I wish not to-"

"You hate me! Every cell in your body wants me dead!"

"I did not choose this!"

"That does not diminish its reality," Jeroboam struck again, destroying both of the thrones behind Nicodemus.

Nicodemus struck back; in one motion the spear struck Jeroboam with the power of a star. He choked back a sob as he saw the array of gears for a moment shatter. Jeroboam staggered upwards to confront his frozen father. Nicodemus stood still as Jeroboam threw a kugelblitz-laden punch, causing the spear to disintegrate as his pylon destabilized. After several more savage punches, Nicodemus' body was destroyed.

In a rage, Jeroboam destroyed the local detachment of paladins as well as several military bases. His former instructors, a university of Thaumaturgy, and even merchant vessels bearing the symbol of the Dominion; Jeroboam destroyed it all. Even as the military fought back, they could do little against this seemingly divine force.

"Hello, Mother" Jeroboam finally caught up to her on Eos, having fought through nearly a million paladins to reach her.

She spat on the ground in front of him as she and Rehoboam stood in front of the younger children. Jeroboam wept uncontrollably as he fought his mother, the woman not holding back one bit. Rehoboam was easily dispatched shortly thereafter, followed by his three youngest siblings.

"I am your ruler!" He yelled at the soldiers that intercepted him afterwards. They continued emptying antimatter shells into him.

"I AM YOUR RULER!" Several magi surrounded him, casting dozens of spells to hold him in place or kill him.

"WHO IS LEFT THAT YOU ARE LOYAL TO BEFORE ME?"

Another decade of this uncontainable force rampaging across Martial Space saw the deaths of dozens of individuals claiming the status of "Imperator." Mars granted each one ever-more-powerful abilities to face off against Jeroboam. Expeditionary forces from both Sagittarium and the Confederacy of Borealis failed to debilitate the mad prince. The leaders of both nations had to go into hiding as Jeroboam realized that they threatened his sovereignty. Any leader that was not him was a threat.

Mars finally materialized in front of Jeroboam in 73,146 CE.

"You finally showed up, you coward! Come on! Fight me! I will crush you!"

Mars, a giant compared to Jeroboam, simply stared at the man, like a Human looking down on an insect.

"You are not worth my time."

"W-what?"

"I am throwing you to the dogs."

"What do you mean!? I destroyed your empire!"

Mars bent to the ground, grabbing Jeroboam. At relativistic speeds, he threw him out of Martial Space, to the realm of the Ekrosian Guardians. These beings, weapons created to specifically defy the will of the Administrator, wasted no time in tearing into the spawn of their nemesis. Jeroboam fought for decades, but would become overwhelmed and become buried in their ever-lasting wrath.

The War of the Ancients

Throughout the history of Aylathiya, entities called "Overlords" ruled not as absolute monarchs but as deific forces whose very presence altered the course of civilization. Embodying the civilizations themselves, these entities have long since been the object of much of Mars' wrath. In Sedrua, the Angels had remanifested, resulting in an unprecedented increase in the civilization's strength. Sensing an opportunity, the Quintet Payotari Alliance quickly opened communications with the nation, voicing concerns that Mars posed an intolerably large threat, citing the recent destruction of Beatrix at the hands of Mars as a demonstration of the kind of power this entity wielded.

Thus a coalition of Overlords formed, secretly collaborating to undermine the inherently anti-Overlord force. Gaining an alliance with Leviathan, DELYATU, the Resonate Divinity, and a handful of rogue artificial intelligences, the QPA and Sedrua finally struck in 74,599 CE, Father Zaphenim personally ordering the strike against Martial Space.

A bloody conflict, Lai Gen, who changed his name to Gen Drusus to boost morale. The Archon of Tenshi, Gen kept the nation in a presentable state for years as the Vexlores collapsed into civil war. Gen was often alone battling against hoards of devout followers or machines. Fueled by Mars' hatred for many of the Ovelords, Gen proved invaluable during the conflict. While he was out fighting on the front lines, the Confederacy's private army had effectively replaced the police. They controlled trade, law, and kept the aristocracy in line during the war. For the first time in thousands of years, it was not the Imperator who had absolutely control over Martial Space because there was, officially, no such person.

Mars vs POLIKY

Gen Drusus was quite the formidable weapon. During the War of the Ancients, a conflict between the Confederacy of Borealis and Quintet Payontari Assocation, he would prove tremendously useful. Capable of standing up to nearly any powerful magi, the propaganda value of the "leader" of Martial Space on the front lines was enormous.

What would prove to be halfway through the conflict, president Lance Ekhart and Gen Drusus met with POLIKY, leader of the QPA. A tremendous day, the galaxy cheered for peace as this historic meeting took place.

"Greetings, Mr. President, Your Excellency," POLIKY said.

After exchanging greetings, the three began negotiating.

"There have been three billion civilian casualties, 99% of which were our civilians, thanks to the Celestial Plague you so graciously bestowed upon us," Ekhart wasted no time lobbing accusations, "Furthermore, the amount of trade that was disrupted is an economic disaster for our friends both in Florathel and Zalanthium."

"I understand your concern; however, this was the most efficient way to ensure a quick peace."

"I do not follow."

"The more damage we do to your civilians and economy the more agreeable you will be."

"Leave it to a machine to commit the worst atrocities possible with no remorse... Are you not ashamed?"

"We responded with appropriate force to your provocation."

"I will try to explain this concept to you; you are not dealing with fully rational emotionless machines. People are dying and this will only make the people demand more war, not less."

"It is not my problem that you choose to run your civilization emotionally."

"Ibarados..." Ekhart swore.

"I do not understand. Your invocation of myth is quite off-topic."

While the two went back and forth, spiraling into ever-increasing exasperation on the part of the president, Gen remained still. They were communicating with a simple avatar of the AI, but even so is seemed deeply unsettling. While to the president its mannerisms were perfectly sculpted to evade any scrutiny from a Human, to Boaz it was the mind within the android avatar that disturbed him. There was something so inhuman about it, well, even the minds of non-humans had at least some common architecture that assuaged any doubt that they were indeed alive.

POLIKY, however, felt synthetic and flat. Machines, however, usually have some kind of simple purpose or mind ascribed to them that was perfectly understandable. This being, its aloofness disturbing, seemed to be both devoid of purpose yet eager to carry out some instructions inscribed onto its soul. It was an automaton pretending to be alive and getting just close enough to fool almost everyone. That was, everyone except for Mars.

"Our demands are simple, Mr. President. We demand reparations as well as a demilitarization of the Gira Gira system."

Ekhart coldly stared at the avatar.

"Is something the matter? We have excellent care-givers that can-"

"There is no need."

Gen stared at the android avatar, wondering what could be done to stop its controller.

"I have a suggestion," Gen broke the silence.

"Your Excellency," Ekhart signaled for his partner to remain silent, the power dynamic clear.

Gen ignored him, "We will keep our soldiers around Gira Gira, we will keep whatever artifacts we find around it, and we will be so merciful as to not kill you in cold blood while we are doing so. How does that sound, machine?"

"Your Excellency!" Ekhart insisted, "I apologize for his behavior."

"I will not have any of this!" Gen stood pointing a finger directly in the face of the android, "I have the power of MARS! The people of Martial Space!"

"I am quite aware of this, Your Excellency," POLIKY responded.

"I have the power!"

An armed guard burst into the room, "Mr. President we need to go."

"Ibarados save us."

Ekhart quickly left as Gen continued his fiery retribution.

"Is our meeting over?" asked POLIKY, the android watched Ekhart as he left.

"I am in charge here!" Gen grabbed the android and forced it to look at him, "and you are going do what I say. Do you understand, machine?"

"I do not believe you have any de facto power within the Dominion."

Gen dropped the android, the force of his grip on it having badly damaged it.

"We should arrange another meeting soon. When will the-"

Gen punched the android, the fury of Mars flowing through him. A durable body designed to handle altercations, it now limped forward.

"Is something the matter?"

"You are mad!"

Gen destroyed the android with another punch, leaving a flaming pile of wreckage.

"I am going to kill you!"

Warping spacetime to move through space was a simple endeavor for powerful magi. It was the premier form of travel for thousands of years before modern warp drives. When done indoors, however, the matter on either side of the bubble becomes trapped. As Gen left the space station at superluminal velocities, he dragged much of it with him, destroying it in the process.

It was a relatively short flight to POLIKY's core world of Savin. Already they had begun mounting a defense, this was the first time anyone from the Confederacy had even seen it during the conflict. The delicate situation was about to become a lot more simple. They would acquiesce or their capital will be replaced with a sea of volcanic glass. After sending a few sacrificial lambs to fight against Gen, POLIKY came to the conclusion that it would take an inordinate number of military units to deal with the current threat. Thus, it would need to get involved directly.

Gen quickly moved throughout the space around Savin, aimlessly destroying any orbital infrastructure he could find. With mighty blows, he would send thousands hurdling into Savin's gravity well, burning them up or annihilating both them and large swaths of land on the city below.

"How many do I have to kill!?" he mouthed, space preventing any sound from escaping his lungs.

A blast of thaumic energy came from a lone android, its vaguely humanoid body acting as yet another avatar. Gen manifested his spear before lobbing it at the body. POLIKY nearly recoiled as the small part of its mind that was in the android was violently cut off from it. It was as though Gen reached into it for but a moment. A more indirect approach was needed.

POLIKY manifested a proper avatar, an extension of itself, into the physical universe. Unlike the Administrator, whose clockwork-like organization made for a disturbing dance of synchronization, POLIKY's form was polished, streamline, and aesthetically pleasing by Payotari standards.

Gen once again struck with the spear, bending space around his arm to amplify the force of his throw. On the planet below, engines whined as they remotely changed the geometry of space to deflect the throw. Retrieving his spear, Gen attempted to approach only for the same engines to hold him in place. POLIKY unleashed a barrage of thaumic energy it precisely calculated to be enough to debilitate the emperor.

Flashes of light flashed on the planet below as the engines gave out and the fusion reactors sustaining them melted down. Gen broke through, enraged beyond even words. POLIKY reasoned that this must be an instinctual or animal-like behavior, prompting it to demanifest in time to avoid the ferocious onslaught. POLIKY increased the energy it used by an order of magnitude before striking again, this time from "above" relative to the planet below.

Gen was at this point glowing from not only the sheer amount of radiation that he absorbed, but from his own thaumic power rushing through him. Passively radiating a hydrogen-bomb's worth of energy every second, even approaching him proved difficult. POLIKY recalculated once more, eventually coming to the conclusion that there was only one solution. The artificial intelligence seized Gen before ordering every local military unit to concentrate fire onto him. It was a waste of brave soldiers, weapons, and materiel, but ultimately the only thing that could actually stop him.

Several weeks later, Gen had used so much energy that his pylon was on the verge of breaking. Even so he glowed with enough energy to force residents below to stay indoors or risk lethal radiation poisoning. Units continued bombarding him until he finally died as his pylon shattered into pieces, releasing so much energy as to strip the ozone layer of the world and prompting emergency restoration options.

"POLIKY gave us a message, 'There can be no peace with a nation that entrusts so much power to an animal,'" a general read the latest report following the death of Gen. Ekhart stood at a table with his generals, his hand over his eyes as he processed the information. Quickly, they had to find someone new to rule the nation.

"I hereby appoint you Imperatrix," Ekhart, with the help of a robotic arm, placed the crown atop Jezebel's head, her body easily accommodating its large weight. While she was no Gen in terms of magical ability, she had proven herself to be far more stable.

"I am honored."

Jezebel's Reign

Jezebel had one goal, to end this expensive war and to restore the glory of Martial Space. The Confederacy's lust for infinite economic growth had interfered. The merchants had grown far too powerful and the new industrialists more powerful still. Where would the aristocracy fit in this new system? Surely there was no hope going down this path.

Due to constant bombardment from the celestial plague, Sagittarium joined the conflict in 74,833 CE.

"A perfect distraction! Those fools will trip over themselves for glory in battle all while absorbing enemy fire!," Jezebel excitedly said to herself, "Those 'nobles' they have are excellent!"

It was time for the conflict to escalate, the celestial plague only growing in ferocity. While the Confederacy and Sagittarium tried desperately to hold the QPAs advanced ships at bay, Jezebel laid the groundwork for a new system of government. Disgruntled nobles, peasants dependent on them for protection, and foolish industrialists made great allies.

The Amaranthian Heist

The year was now 75,409 CE, centuries after the war began. The people had grown restless and it was now the time to strike.

"Good day, Vurilia," Jezebel, who was dwarfed by the impressive height of this Sedruan leader, attempts to grab his shoulder but only manages his lower back.

"I do wonder why you thought it would be a good idea to supply our enemies," she pokes the metal Goliath.

"How did you get in here? Who are you?," Vurilia says, not budging an inch despite the intruder startling him.

"I'm asking the questions here," she snapped, suddenly holding the legendary spear. This does move him as he quickly backs away from this woman.

"We were such good trading partners! We had a non-aggression pact! Things were looking so good!"

"I don't know what you are talking about, our non-aggression pact is still-"

"Liar!"

Jezebel throws a small object at Vurilia. He intercepts it before inspecting it. In less than a second he drops it to the ground.

"Do you know how much of a pain it is to remove those from squirming magi? These damn crystals." She gestures to a sack full of them, "and to top it all off we do not even have a use for them. What a shame."

Vurilia silently stared at this intruder. Perhaps the most powerful woman in Cosmoria stood in front of him, gloating about scores of Sedruan magi she must have killed.

"Are you listening?"

Vurilia outstretches a hand, unleashing powerful thaumic energy.

Jezebel yells, "You rude bastard! That bitch of an angel that raised you did a horrible job!"

Vurilia simply repeats his attack, prompting the empress to use her spear to absorb it. It was now her turn to strike and strike she did, unleashing a fury of blows that Vurilia seemed to dodge over and over. Vurilia managed several times to impact the Imperatrix, only for her to seemingly laugh it off. Even as open wounds took shape, she continued her assaults.

"I want to know why!"

Vurilia remained silent, growing frustrated at the intruders incessant questioning. They continued for some time, Jezebel only growing increasingly injured as she managed to dispense only a few dents to Vurilia's metallic skin.

After ten minutes of this, she suddenly stood still.

"Sorry, I have to go, Vuri," she playfully said, "Too bad we don't get to fight to the death, but I would lose!"

Jezebel slipped out of the room nearly as fast as she had entered, prompting Vurilia to give chase. He emerged into the treasure room, a cavernous room once filled to the brim with all kinds of obscure artifacts unique to Sedrua. Jezebel stood alone in the center, looking through a crate that had long since been emptied. Vurilia stared at the desecrated room, its treasures were scattered throughout the room or outright missing.

"You know I quite fancied a lot of the things in here. While not quite enough for reparations, I'm sure it is a good place to start, right Vuri?"

"How..."

"The people want vengeance you dumb fuck. Who am I but an agent of Mars, of the people? Nature is restoring what is right"

"That's not... just fucking die already!"

Vurilia, moving at ultra-relativistic speeds, was upon her within a nanosecond. She smirked at him as she responded just as quickly with a parry. What was left in the room was vaporized in the resulting exchange, the walls themselves easily absorbing the amount of energy given off as was their job. After several more blows dealt to Jezebel, she seemed to have had her fill. She dashed off, bending space itself to get the required speed.

"Get back here!"

"I would love to stay the night, Vuri, but Ekhart would grow jealous," she laughs as she bounds out of the room. Vurilia follows only to be met with a sight of destruction. Much of his city had been razed by a relentless onslaught.

"Guess who?" Jezebel landed on top of Vurilia seemingly out of nowhere, covering his eyes with her hands. Vurilia threw her off, followed by an extinction-event-level punch in her direction.

"Ouch!" it barely nicked her but even a nick of such an attack was enough to take a huge chunk out of her leg.

"They didn't do anything!" Vurilia gestured throughout the now burning city. Jezebel simply levitated in place.

"What do you have to gain from making them suffer? It was my choice why are you hurting them!?"

Jezebel frowned, "It was the Confederacy's choice to do this attack. Why did they have to make me do all this stupid shit for them!"

She punched a nearby building, causing it to collapse, "I just wanted to relax today! I had plans with friends!"

Vurilia stared, with no words or actions that could possibly respond to this statement.

"Maybe I can get back in time?," she wonders, before seemingly blinking out of existence. The assault stopped shortly thereafter, the ships in orbit retreating. Sedruan craft fired upon as they left, but the damage had already been done. Vurilia returned to his palace to coordinate a relief effort.

"What was POLIKY thinking killing the last guy? At least he was sane!" the Sedruan leader complained.

Jezebel's War

By the time the heist had ended, the year was 76,156 CE. With Sedrua's leader killed and its territory nearly entirely occupied, the QPA sued for peace. The leaders of the region came to a cross-roads that would determine the future of Martial Space forever. Who would rule the newly-conquered territory? The Confederacy of Borealis wanted Sedrua to be ruled democratically while Jezebel and her grand coalition of nobles wanted an autocratic rule.

"Leaders of our coalition, we cannot allow for the virus of democracy to spread to yet new places! This foreign ideal while ultimately lead to our annihilation. Today I propose a renewal of the aristocratic class. The merchants and their cooperatives have grown far too greedy. Arise! Those loyal to the bloodlines whose destiny it is to rule!"

With resounding approval, Jezebel organized a united front against the Confederacy whose waning power crippled any response. Jezebel herself lead the attack on the Confederate congress, decapitating its vast military as the president was destroyed. For all of 36 hours, Jezebel was the uncontested ruler of Martial Space. By the time the Confederate military reorganized, the duchy of Tenshi caught word of the event, and rebels on Eos heard of what happened, dozens of opportunists sprung up divided into one of two camps: the pro and anti-merchant sides.

Nobles who depended on trade for survival created a counter-coalition with the goal of rebuilding the Confederacy as a means to mediate trade. Much of the middle class and wealthy sided with the pro-trade nobles, whose insistence on free trade directly benefited them.

As war began, external nations simply watched. Sagittarium, its own noble class now unified behind a single monarch, refused to intervene. Other states across Martial Space, such as the QPA, feared another conflict and did little to intervene officially. Even so, they once again opened their seemingly infinite supply of funds as their foreign investments in Florathel paid off.

"They attacked me again! What do they get out of funding my enemies!?" Jezebel ranted to her servant.

"I wonder which one I'll raid first? Savin? Hymr? Which one is easier...? Well?"

The servant squeaked, "Hymr?"

"Hymr? Hymr? Hymr? What fucking pond scum did they assign to be my servant? Are you telling a joke to me?"

"Y-yes I am! Funny right?"

Jezebel stared at them for thirty seconds before releasing a Thaumic attack against them, obliterating the commoner who had no resistance to such attacks. Jezebel heard a shuffling behind her, like plates of metal were scraping against each other. She turned to see the Amaranth Knight, one of the most obscure treasures she had taken from Sedrua.

"What do you want?"

"You... are... evil. People... dead..." it sounded as though it cobbled together five different recordings of people saying such words.

"My how observan-"

The Knight grabbed Jezebel at speeds far in excess of what she could manage. The room they were in, a luxurious room overlooking the planet of Yakusoku, was encased in a single large window. Through this window, the Knight thrust Jezebel. The resulting ultra-relativistic collision obliterated her body as well as much of the city below. Miraculously, only a handful of civilians were harmed by the otherwise deadly blast. Many generals, nobles, and merchants that sided with her perished in the blast, however.

Mars stood at eye level with the tower Jezebel had just been thrown out of. The giant stared at the Knight through the window and the Knight stared back. Soldiers immediately detained the living suit of armor, it not resisting as it continued to stare at Mars.

Kanadett Disaster

Jezebel II was meant to be crowned in 90,001. Her job was to fulfill Jezebel's mission of restoring the aristocracy. The only person left to crown her was the patriarch of the Claes family, who did so despite only marginally being on her side. For them, it was a rebellion against the Tenshin nobility that coincidentally brought them together.

Before the crown could be placed, a fire from a cell remaining from the Confederacy struck the station the ceremony took place in. After a brief battle, the ships responsible retreated. A huge blow in morale for Jezebel's coalition, the realization that Mars had become uncontained only compounded the issues faced.

General Wren Mori organized the response, wasting no time, she ordered a contingent of ships to follow her, making sure to recover and bring with them the crown. Immediately, she also dispatched a messenger to Sagittarium, informing them of the situation and how the Readymade would be invaluable.

Wren stood on Eos, a swarm of ships from the Confederacy and Sagittarium scattered throughout the sky. Mars, seemingly kilometers tall, stood its ground, destroying the ships that pestered it. It wildly punched in all directions, sending shock waves through space itself as it swung. The booms from punches were heard throughout Eos and even the most resilient Magi felt he pain of these immense shock waves. Mars had rarely ever been so enraged.

"Now!" Wren signaled the Readymade, prompting it to fire its primary weapon. A brilliantly bright light flashed from the barrel of its massive gun, an artificial black hole struck Mars, seemingly distorting Mars as it passed through.

"Again!" it fired another shot, this time at a slower speed so as to spend more time impacting the entity. Timed directly with the dissonance, she grabbed the crown and placed it on her own head, nearly crushing the inexperienced Magi. The people cheered as Mars stood still, looking down on this new leader. It seemingly became more blurry, or perhaps pixelated as one observer described, before striking the ground at Wren's feet, putting so much energy into Eos that the entire object shook. A field of melted magma replaced the ground Wren stood on as it lost all structural integrity. The ground itself moved as it floated off of the vast structure. This land was nearly all of Tenshi's territory, prompting the nation to take emergency repair measures to prevent all air from leaking and their land from floating into space.

Mars then suddenly disappeared, meaning that Wren satisfied the entity. She quickly removed the crown before collapsing onto the lava. Upon awakening, she was the Imperatrix who bravely risked everything to protect the people, regardless of their allegiance. She served the people, Mars, before herself, even the commoners who had been so adamantly on the side of the aristocracy. Jezebel's War officially ended as Wren declared the people, and therefore the merchant class, were the victors.

A New Era

"Wren don't push yourself...," Mother Ohko warned.

"I'm fine I'm fine...," the empress staggered into the room before collapsing into an ornate chair at the head of a table. Mars had been slowly degenerating her nervous system, the incurable condition the cause of death for the majority of emperors in history.

"You're the only one who can save bear the immense weight of this troublesome entity..."

"Excuse me?," asked Ohko.

Wren, without even the energy to put on her elaborate military uniform let alone transport the crown, had an attendant bring in the device. Ohko helped the struggling attendant carry the crown effortlessly picking it up.

"See? That thing almost always killed me every time I wore it. You though?"

Ohko frowned, "I could never except..."

"Please Ohko... Mars really does love you. You are a part of the state mythology, the people would certainly accept your rule... and..."

The brilliantly bright spear materialized in Wren's hands, the object burning her flesh. She swore as it took her by surprise.

Ohko grabbed the spear from her hands, the weapon only stinging the angel.

"You can grab it!" shouted Wren.

"I...," Ohko put on the crown.

"You look great in it," Wren trailed off as she fell unconscious, the immense energy draw of the spear doing a number on the already weak magi. She would die later that day.

"When I learned what Hal Drusus did for my sake I was truly touched. I think about his staggering bravery often and hardly a day goes by when I don't miss this man. To wear this crown, to finally feel his presence again was a gift I could have hardly prepared myself for. I feel him everywhere here and it is wonderful that he is alive and well in the people, in you right here before me. Thank you."

Ohko accepted the crown and conducted those ancient rituals to make it official. Her hulking form made the usual ceremony difficult, but after the usual meetings with leaders from across the region, she received nothing but kind words from established powers. The mother of Mars had finally reunited with her people.

Modern Era

Following Imperatrix Wren was Imperatrix Elliot, known as the "Warlady" for her mimicking of the ancient Un'oit warlords who had dominated Martial Space in the past. Never stopping to establishing a capital, she accompanied the military on its thousands of campaigns across Martial Space to maintain order. She emphasized free trade just like her predecessor and often attacked unequal or segregated societies within Martial Space.

Imperatrix Lydia followed Elliot's example, but established a permanent base of operations in the city of Scipio, centering her efforts on rebuilding Eos. It was during this time that the merchants, industrialists, guilds, and cooperatives formed what was known as "The Consilium," a powerful trade bloc dedicated to maintaining favorable economic conditions. The Confederacy, finally rebuilt, was the largest proponent of this new organization. By the end of Lydia's reign, the Consilium represented over 79% of the Dominion's economic output.

Return to Ommekha

Imperator Sebas Blanc-Drusus, current ruler of the Consilium, had dreamt of peace since he a young boy. To finally meet one of the most prolific generals in history, whose immortality allowed them to have continually commanded Confederate forces since the War of the Ancients, was quite the shock to the system. The Dotsk that stood before him, an equine intelligent species complete with an arachnid-like head and mantis-like front arm, was quite the imposing specimen. The ancient leader had finally become president of the Confederacy once again and wasted no time using this power to begin concocting a plan to defeat The Administrator. This leader, Donatus Shuker, was unfortunately crucial to Sebas' own goals.

In a horrible clicking noise, Shuker described his ideas for total victory. As the translator pack returned the details of the plan, Sebas grew increasingly disappointed. This coalition he proposed, uniting nearly every single being that Mars hated, to stand up against the being Mars hated most would surely result in a disaster. Maybe that is what he wanted.

"Angels are not an option, I'm afraid. Mars won't allow it," Sebas suggested.

Donatus countered, "I don't suppose you have anyone else who is both willing and able to help?"

"I have some ideas."

"Do enlighten me."

Despite Shuker's clear disrespect, Sebas described his ultimate solution. Ruling out asking the Theocracy of Silverstar for their prophet and ruling out scraping together a contingent of bishops, there was only one last option.

"We find the person Mars loves most."

Several months later, Shuker and Sebas both stood on Ommekha, separated by a good distance as the ships that transported them were amongst the largest and sturdiest ever built. The one carrying Shuker was nearly ten kilometers long and had so much armor that a crash-landing would be more dangerous for the planet it would hit than the ship itself. Contained within were dozens of brave magi that knew this was the most dangerous mission they could have ever done as well as perhaps the biggest trump card they had against the Administrator.

Dozens of other leaders had also gathered on the planet. Sebas felt guilty that they would be caught up in the cross-fire, but most of them were powerful enough to leave unscathed if they so desired. The Administrator illuminated Ommekha brighter than the star it orbited; Sebas could swear that it seemed excited for what it was about to announce.

"Progeny of the Triumvirate, you who have common history, heritage, and culture gather here to discuss the reformation of our glorious Triumvirate Civilization. I hope you all understand the implications of this."

A signal from Sebas released Thaumic seals on the ship, instantly cluing the Administrator as to what it contained as well as releasing who was inside. Perhaps the most powerful Magi ever, Eve burst out of the ship, ready to exact revenge for the destruction of her civilization all those years ago.

Mars as a Symbol

What can be learned from this, then, is that Mars is incredibly difficult to distinguish from the whims of the people of Martial Space. What it means to be part of the "Nation" is vague and entirely meaningless. What's more is that Mars is not an info-hazard or hostile Noospheric Disturbance. Whether strictly real or a collective hallucination by the people, Mars can be thought of as an extension of the people's will, the physical manifestation of trends and feelings that already exist while also taking on the mantle of a hero from ancient mythology as a way to give itself form.