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Death rattle and last utterance of Colonel Jan Harlock, Centauri Star Rifles.

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The Modern Centauri System

[Data fragment, M41]

The Centauri System forwent individual planetary names during the [redacted] incident in M40 -----. Centauri I, or Centauri Prime, is a medium-density hive world posessing four major Hives, Centaurius, [DATA CORRUPTION], and [DATA CORRUPTION]. Centauri II is a slave-world of the Forge Mechanicus, being a large processing center for sevitor drones bound for export across the galaxy and to Mars, as penance for [MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE INQUISITION AND ECCLESIARCHY], as well as acting as a minor class C forge world in its own right. Centauri III remains a barren dead world after [DATA CLASSIFIED BY IMPERIAL AUTHORITY], while Planets IV and V remain successfully terraformed Imperial Worlds with earth-like conditions, whose sole purpose is to provide resources and materials for Centauri I and Terra exclusively.

Centauri tithe regiments are drilled, re-trained, and subjected to mandatory 3 month long reconditioning programming to ensure loyalty, and are subject to annihilation or decimation should they disobey or fail direct orders. Most act as line infantry, though occasionally with the help of Centauri II’s forges, mechanized and armored regiments are scrounged up. Segmentum command considers Centauri Regiments expendable resources, and has facilities and PDF ‘muster centers’ to rapidly replace losses with heavily conscripted Centauri human waves, often accompanied by Terran-born commissars or Commissar cadets in training.

Most consider the system rather dull and drab, somewhat lifeless despite the hives of Centauri I due to the heavy tithing the system endures. Thanks to these immense tithes, the system enjoys a close watch under the auspices of [IMPERIAL BENEFACTORS], the Ecclesiarchy, and Adeptus Mechanicus. It is the prayer of every centauri citizen that the emperor may forgive their forefathers heinous sins and heresies against the Imperium, and it is the lot of every citizen to work diligently, hard, to repay the Imperium for its kindness in extending its population the chance to continue to exist.

Historical note: during the reconquest of the system following Horus’ retreat, more than 60% of all centauri citizens were declared excommunicate traitoris, and given the emperor’s judgement. Those remaining live to serve, and nothing more.

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Imperial Data Record:

‘Johnny I Hardly Knew ‘Ya’ - common soldier’s song of Centauri troops originating from the city Lohnness

Lohnness always had a rebellious streak in Centauri society, being the site of several rebellions against planetary rule during the days of the star empire, it was ethnically and geographically disconnected from the rest of Centauri society by ‘walls’ of mountains that allowed for a fertile river-valley delta running along the Stanbrook River, where the city was located. Initially known as a massive farming plot for the world, it eventually became a mining and industrial town when other cities began to compete by revitilizing their irrigation systems and developing their agriculture, meaning hard times for the blue-collar common folk of the city.

During wartime, Lohnness was occasionally privy to conscription drives, while other soldiers joined out of desperation as businesses suffered under taxation. Unlike the proud clean troops of Centaurius, Lohnnessian ‘grunts’ were scruffy, dirty troops that wore distinctive dark green uniforms during the latter star empire and early greate crusade. Later, due to Imperial Army reforms on Centauri Prime, large numbers of Lohnness grunts were used to fill the ranks of the numerous existing regiments on crusade, often drawing from rabble, prison gangs, and government orphanages for new recruits to preserve increasingly large ‘private armies’ of noble house troops. It seemed that no matter where the Lohnnesians ended up however, they maintained their hard fighting and high spirits. Their black humor and bravery oft went unrecorded and unrecognized in the planet’s military history, except for catchy if oft-depressing military ballads about a wide variety of subjects.

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*SWEATS AUDIBLY*

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[A totally rad Tech-priest surfs through the water-processing runoff of Mars]

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This deserves notes goddamnit.

Black Templars After Action Report: Invocius Crusade, Segmentum Obscurus.

+++The Emperor Protects+++

High Marshall, I regret to inform you the Invocius Crusade has prematurely ended, with 86% casualties due to the actions of the world of Gaia. However, I can also report that its directive, of eliminating the chaos forces corrupting the systems in that area, was also completed succesfully, thanks in large part to imperial survivors at this time undertaking aftermath actions.

Marshall Grunwald, identifying the source of corruption as a chaos warband of some size, ordered his forces to do battle with the enemy on Gaia, as you know from prior missives. What he did not count on, was that the peoples of Gaia were as faithful as they were. For the taint of the warp did not corrupt them, and as Grunwald witnessed the armies of the enemy lay waste to cities, it is said by the survivors that within him a great human pity was felt. Promptly, the Black Templars endeavored to ensure no true believer in the emperor would die if they could help it. Upon this proclamation, a vision was had and brother-initiate Helmuth von Schabb took up the sword of the emperor, claiming the mercy of the emperor was felt by him in a dream. The warriors of the crusade then abandoned prior plans to ignore the populous great plains for the mountain forts of Graia, and did battle with the enemy.

Local supporting PDF forces were annihilated in 32 hours of combat, as the chaos forces, realizing the Black Templars folly, deployed their full strength into the plain. The lions share of the warband made landfall, and the battle in orbit grew desperate as both forces fought for bombardment control. Grunwald personally lead his warriors to the city of Carmina, where he gave away his rhinoes so the innocent could make their escape- fully against the council of his crusade leaders. Only von Schabb’s assent to the order cooled their heads.

The fighting was fierce, as it became evident the sheer volume of traitor forces began to overwhelm the dornish sons, the templar order of battle became a clear defense of the singular highway in imperial lines to the safety of the mountains; a route known as the ‘pilgrims path’.

Grunwald declared the path holy, and that his crusade would rightfully end defending it. Stripping away his rank, he demanded that only those faithful to the emperor and his dominions remain to defend it- granting crusade command to now-marshall Vicarus Adolphus, aboard the Traitor’s Enigma, in high orbit. It was witnessed then that von Schabb, struck by vision, hugged his Marshall, and announced that if all brothers stayed, they would all surely die, but in death would ascend to the emperor’s side and join him in eternal glory. To this, Chaplain Goethe bowed his head, and soon all committed forces announced an oath to defend this place.

What occured next is difficult to know for sure, for all imperials present on the path were slain, but with unnatural ferocity, even for the soldiers of the templars, Grunwald and von Schabb launched one final assault into the massed ranks of the enemy. Losses were severe, but their fury was such that the Warp-Ghosts Warband of Chaos Space Marines were butchered in equal number. Single marines would main and destroy dozens of the enemy before being brought down by weight of traitor numbers. Neophytes, incensed at the deaths of their initiate brothers, would rise up and fight like sword-brethren. When at last the chaos warlord revealed himself, a communique was recieved that the pilgrims path was clear- all refugees were saved. At this time, von Schabb faced the warlord Grom in single combat. The fight was said to be legendary, as the light broke on a new day, a golden radiance rained down upon the final warriors of the crusade force. Grunwald lay dead, and von Schab, bloodied, bellowed a final cry, and took the head of the warlord Grom.

None know more than this, as the crusaders of the Traitors Enigma, with tears in their eyes, ordered orbital bombardment upon the entire plain- having exhausted every thunderhawk to try and save their brothers fruitlessly.

What happened next was nothing short of miraculous. For after the bombardment ceased, observers were shocked to find the field clear of all the dead, with no signs of combat, and great fields of red flowers as far as one could see, with a single black sword planted into the earth, atop a hill.

This miracle has already inspired thousands on the planet to willfully pledge themselves as serfs to the crusade. Yet more are joining local PDF regiments. The battle is considered a holy thing for the survivors- and does great honour to our history. von Schabb has been canonized as a local saint.

Non nobis Domine, High Marshall.

-Castellan Magellan, Invocius Crusade

Thought of the day: Sacrifice is the inevitable price for freedom.

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Table of Contents, Harlock’s Story

[this is a placeholder post; when finished it will encompass the entire story.

ACT I: “Eight lifetimes of War; the Great Crusade”

Foreword: Dear reader, this act is comprised of an extensive period of time, and some events may happen somewhat out of sequence, or are comprised of incomplete fragmentary volumes.

Attachment: Imperial Propaganda Posters: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Attachment: Harlock, around four centuries into his service, in a voidsuit.

I: Harlock’s capture and introduction into the Imperial Army.

II: Harlock’s Basic Training, Part I

II: Harlock’s Basic Training, Part II.

III: Harlock’s Basic Training, Part III.

A Brief History of Lady Myrene Galm

Harlock meets the Iron Warriors Legion and survives a Trench War

The Captain considers his redeeming qualities

Harlock is involved in a mysterious iron hands operation. Editor’s Note: This volume seems intentionally cut short, likely by crusade command to censor whatever was encountered there.

Harlock meets the 9th Saki, and Major Nakamura

Harlock deepens his relationship with Major Nakamura

Harlock further continues his relationship with Nakamura.

The Inkomm Crusade

Harlock’s Regiment is decimated in the compliance of Elysia

Recounting a memory of command incompetence

Reflecting on working with a tank regiment

Reflecting on working with an old Colonel

Pleasant memories of easy conquests

On ‘Holidays’ in the Imperial Army

Harlock recounts a liberation day rest he once enjoyed.

A Heavily fragmented record of the 2nd C.S.R. Fighting in the Ullanor crusade, notably alongside the White Scars legion. Editor’s Note: It is uncertain how the events ended, but regimental requisition forms suggest a 78% casualty rate for the entire regiment at a minimum, Perhaps Harlock himself destroyed these records- a bad memory maybe.

ACT II: “The war before the Storm: The years and months prior to the Heresy.”

Attachment: Latter-Period Centauri Infantry Dress Uniform

Harlock is attached to the Thousand Sons Legion [fragment]

Harlock is met by a bizarre anomaly, allegedly of the warp. Editors note: This probably didn't happen, He may have been drunk. [fragment]

Harlock is saved by said anomaly. Editors note: This almost certainly did not take place.

The captain admits to weakness.

Harlock is given extra-judicial orders to exterminate abhumans

A short entry, indulging in leisure time between missions.

Harlock is saved by a mysterious Astartes from an assasination attempt.

A gift from a Friend

Attachment: A photograph of Harlock’s Pistol

On the nature of the Crusade Ship as ‘Home’

Harlock learns a lesson regarding weaponry from a crusade astartes

The 2nd Centauri Star Rifles defend against a brutal Jungle Raid.

Harlock’s burgeoning Faith. Editors note: Parts of this include post-heresy information.

Harlock celebrates with his soldiers, after a successful deployment

The captain is a wallflower, beside the astartes.

The Captain trains new rugged Imperials how to fight a modern war.

Regimental Drop-pod training

Harlock’s Company is saved by some good orbital fire support, courtesy of the World Eaters flagship captain.

Harlock meets an intriguing techpriestess.

Said Tech-priestess and Harlock bond, as she is privately introduced to the regiment.

Harlock enjoys a rare fine wine from his homeworld.

A strange declassified transcript from Imperial Crusade Command

ACT III: “The Horus Heresy”

The 2nd Centauri Star Rifles is informed of the beginning of the Horus Heresy

The fallout from the news of Betrayal

The 2nd Centauri deploy upon an agriworld to defend a logistics base from traitor forces, ignorant of what that would mean.

Traitor Astartes lay waste to Harlock’s Company as they seek to help survivors.

The Desperate fallout following the regiment’s rescue, and the regiment’s attempts to cope.

The regiment is redeployed to a major frontline sector, the Ferros System, where it participates in an imperial army group’s assault.

An anecdote of regimental history during the battle upon Feros III.

The Feros System begins to fall, and Harlock’s superiors hatch a plan.

The conclusion of the Feros Campaign.

Morale falls as Imperial defenders fall back towards Terra

The Fall of the Centauri System

The Death of Captain Spektor

The Siege of Terra

Harlock, privately reflecting on the Heresy during his deployment to Hesperax

The Death of Colonel Harlock.

IN MEMORIAM - A Regimental casualty list

((Out of Character, the epilogue))

Edited and Arranged by Magos Augustine.

The Emperor Protects.

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“And what, I wonder, will father nurgle rot you into I wonder, blue little one? Perhaps... a set of wings not unlike my primarch.” *gurgling in amusement*

August request 12: Plague Marine dreams of becoming a beautiful butterfly

https://www.patreon.com/luth https://www.facebook.com/BoltertoKokoro/

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“My life expectancy is 30 minutes in this combat zone, but I’ve last 45! The Emperor Protects!”

<text>

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Dismissed, soldier. Regroup on Terra, its time for you to muster out. *salute*

September Request 12: Guard dying peacefully from a wound on a flowerbed https://www.patreon.com/luth

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JUST ANOTHER DAY AT INQUISITORIAL HOLDING FACILITY X34.

KICK THE TIRES AND LIGHT THE FIRES ITS TIME TO EXTERMINATUS AND RE-UP RELOCATE.

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Epilogue

Vale Halleck sat at her desk, and glanced out her wide window to see a city skyline of cranes, hover constructors, drones, and workers busying themselves. In the far distance, a dim glow reminded her that she was on the same hemisphere as the Imperial Palace.

She opened a side drawer and looked at a slug pistol she kept loaded, until sliding it shut again; she hoped it would not be necessary.

Before her, a tidy leather-bound book rested. She ran a finger over its spine, then glanced at a framed photograph of her and a military man.

The door to her office, framed by artificial plants, buzzed repeatedly.

“Enter” she said, gulping slightly.

Shadowed somewhat by the bright hall lighting which backlit the figures robe, a menacing presence stood. It clanked and hissed as pistons moved and machinery churned beneath its simple dull red robes, its only feature visible in the light the two dull orange lids of a biomechanical gasmasked face.

The figure stepped forward into the neutral light of Arch-Medicae Halleck’s office, and the door gently slid shut.

Halleck gestured, and with a holo display enabled blinds for her window, blocking out the evening lights of the rebuilding Imperial superstructure of Terra.

“Why have I been summoned.” The tech-magos intoned, clearly impatient despite her dispassionate mechanical voice.

“I’d like your assistance with a project I’m conducting, Magos Augustine.” Halleck began, carefully laying out her thoughts.

“This is beneath my talents. Other projects demand my attention.”

“I’m certain your lords in Malcador’s personal organization can wait.”

The magos immediately drew a pistol, and fired it without hesitation at Medicae Halleck- only for the shot to impact a wall.

Halleck considered the reaction from her office, watching the magos through a holo window.

“I’ll cut to the heart of things, Magos Augustine, or do you prefer Adept Klicke? I’m summoning you here to get your testimony regarding a captain you briefly worked alongside of during the Horus Heresy, Jan Harlock.”

The magos froze, her pistol grip shaking, ultimately a mechadendrite reaching out, retrieving the weapon, and holstering it as she dropped her arm.

“What?” The mechanical voice asked.

“I started information gathering when I recieved word my lover had died on Centauri Prime. General Storm, you likely wouldnt have known him well. He had taken an interest in your army captain during the great crusade, and we had a file prepared that would have released him from Imperial service. But..”

Halleck sighed, and tossed her arms up gently. “Horus happened. So much for that.”

The Magos listened, saying nothing.

“I was curious about what happened to him, especially after i learned he was there when Storm died. I’ve been doing some digging ever since. Until last week, two days after the second anniversary of his death on Hesperax, I got my hands on this.”

Halleck tapped the bound book on her desk.

“I recovered it from the army’s property claimage system- it seems Harlock didnt have any next of kin to pick up his belongings. Almost all of it was put up as army surplus, destroyed, or handed off to new troops, but they had nothing to do with his personal writings, which he kept seperate from his own mission logs.”

Making a tent with her fingers, Halleck looked at the Magos. “Lets finish this charade before we go on. The door to my office is to the left, its time you left my waiting room.”

The door opened, and the magos walked through it, remaining silent.

“Good, now were face to face.” Halleck said, watching the reactions of the tech priestess.

“How do you know who I am?” the adept asked. “Do you really think your the only one with connections? Where do you think people go after they get cut up by traitor marine remnants they were hunting on Terra, over a year after it was declared traitor-free? There are only so many ‘construction accident’ excuses one can make until they need a good doctor to come in and care for the entire situation.”

The magos folded her arms.

“Your compromising my cover for a dead man.”

Vale couldnt help but be surprised. “I knew you martians had metal hearts, but you’re impressively blunt. Is that a defense mechanism? Or did you fall into his arms by accident one night? These writings outline your relationship clearly.”

The magos recoiled slightly, her stance changing. “And just what gives you the write to read them? You weren’t there. What the hell do you know?!”

Halleck nodded. “I see. I’m in mourning too, you know. Its only been two years now, since the apocalypse. Thats what I like to call it. What other word suffices?”

The magos snapped: “I’m not in mourning- I’m-”

“Listen. I’ll answer your question. The reason I read these documents is because no one else will. I don’t know why Harlock wrote all he did. Maybe he felt good to have a release, or a tell-all. But as far as war memoirs go this is surprisingly frank and honest. Usually I read about super-men thwarted only by circumstance. This reading is hard, honest, and carefully considered.”

The magos paused for a time. It was clear she was looking at the book, considering her options.

“What will you do with it?”

Halleck ran her fingers over the book. “In my opinion this should be preserved in any museum of the crusades, and the ones that we’llmake for the Heresy as well. But- there are many accounts already. And I don’t think the colourful words here really fit that. Your old captain had a knack for making his diaries quite readable for a common man.”

The Magos walked up and gently picked up the book, flipping through entries.

“There is a lot here.”

Halleck slowly drew a lho stick and lit it, leaning on her desk with a sigh.

“Well, you aren’t wrong about that. Its not just his words too. Theres a copy of my notes and investigations as well. As much data on that regiment of his that I could. Records from remembrancers of the crusades, sketches of him, recordings of bawdy drinking songs, the works. I’ve had a bit of free time- and I think you and  I both know how dangerous that can be.”

Halleck exhalled a stream of smoke, gently sucked up by soundless environment fans above her.

“But, I’m a poor writer, and I dont want to hand this off to some hack fraud war propagandist to turn this into some Imperial Army adventure piece. I’ve considered it. I’d like you to edit and revise that mess of journals and notes into something readable- from the perspective of someone who was actually there. Who could make the hard calls on what is or is not cut. Excise yourself if you must meddle with them- I’ve considered that too. Or burn them, if you really don’t care about him, or your memories there.”

Halleck turned, her jaw taut.

“But you do, don’t you. You can’t just drop this into a furnace and forget about it all. I couldnt. Not after what I read.”

The magos remained silent, flipping through pages.

Halleck stared at her, then slumped back in her chair, staring at the blinded window and enjoying her lho stick.

“...Very well. This can be done.” The magos said, in her unnatural mechanical voice.

Halleck exhaled.

“Good. It’s all there, and on a data disk near the back as well. I can help get it to publishers when your done. I cant promise you it will be the widest release- given the saturation in the market of books just like that... but maybe he’ll live on as more than some anonymous grave in a centauri state graveyard.”

The magos nodded, folded the book into her robes, and made to leave.

“One more thing.” Halleck said, finishing her lho stick.

“August 3rd, two years ago. Port Vangelis. Why didn’t you show? Near as I could tell you were alive and able. And dont give me some line about the Inquisition.”

The magos stopped as she stood upon the threshold to the exit.

“Colonel Harlock died on Centauri Prime. The heresy took what little fragments that were left of that noble man and ground them into a fine paste, like so many others. Do you think I could have redeemed the war for him? Do you think that there was anything any of us could have done?  Behind the deeds, he was the most wounded human I have ever met. Do you want the truth? I didn’t go, because I was scared. Scared of becoming like him. Scared to see the face of 800 years of war. I’m not some galactic hero, Vale. Neither was he. He was just a man, a soldier, who earned his survival by paying the price no one dared: his soul.”

The magos turned, her hood glowing from the light emanating from the magos’ mask.

“Even machines have souls, Halleck. To peer into the absence of one, is to peer into chaos. You think Harlock survived the Horus Heresy? Wrong. He fought it every single day. Until at last, mercifully, he didn't have to any more.”

With that, the Magos crossed the thresh-hold, exited the room, and left.

//

CHAPTER 1: HARLOCK, THE AUXILIARY

...

[The End]

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When the Drukhari Archon’s victory blood-tea is interrupted by an imperial airstrike

I think Shinnok was a little angry…

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Harlock before the Emperor, go!

((Every time I tried to write this with dialogue, it came out wrong. Both for the emperor, for the scene, for the character. So lets go with something more metaphysical.))

The resignation of a cliff-face against the slow onslaught of the sea. Water weathers its rock again and again, every day, across the span of uncountable years, as surely as the sun rose and fell.

Then, nothing. The absence of it. No more discomfort but, a nauseating silence. Primeval fear, of loneliness, of the absence of all that was. A desperate nostalgia for the beach, the wave, the crashing violence of tick-tock predictability.

Then light, and warmth. Not trusting, recoiling at its intrusion at first. The fear again. But slowly, in degrees, acclimatizing to it. But not just a light fixture, energy. The implication of infinity.

The choice made, to stay in the white nothing or to explore the warmth. A choice taken. The light envelops. It forms in raindroplike patterns a perfect pitter-patter of ideas and places and sounds and things and people! So many, so vast, and growing- expanding the light. Suddenly, a return to the water and the shoreline, but now not as the cliff-face, but as the water! As it poured, as it crashed, as it flowed free.

And then, as waves do, return. The stillness of water. Calm. Serene. Not the absence of motion, but the stillness of it, the appreciation of the little movements, of slow sensation. At rest.

No longer a rock upon the cliff face. No longer cracked with time or violence, or weathered in storm. Now serene as a still summer lake, or crashing with the might of a running river. Flowing together, with so many other droplets. Lost amidst them, yet not alone, never alone,and always, flowing together in the arteries of eternity.

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Character concept, after listening to this video:

Traitor Astartes warrior, probably loosely associated with the Black Legion that mostly does his own thing. Absolutely bound to Khorne. Has an eternal nemesis with a loyalist marine that he’s destined to duel for all eternity. Constantly seeks out his ‘brother’, questing to better himself as a lone man against the universe, seeking only the most righteous battles and strongest opponents. Denies any blessings or boons from Khorne that would let him ‘cheat’ - despises other astartes who destroy the weak for not living up to his own mortal code, causing him to do battle with a wide variety of loyalist and traitor forces. Eventually inspires followers on Imperial feral worlds, who form a kind of knight-cult fellowship and assist their astartes master in his solitary quest to seek out his one true equal, and eventually see who is the better.

The twist? After so many centuries of hunting and fighting, if this character were to win, he would merely wound his rival, kick him in the dirt, and tell him to get stronger, so the next time they fought there would be a greater challenge. The ultimate black knight - cursed and blessed to duel and struggle for all eternity, for there is no purer existence than combat, and without a great rival, all life is meaningless.

Is involved in other random events out of circumstance, or because he believes his rival will show up, like the 13th black crusade for instance, or joining in with random various chaos warbands. Bonus points if his enemy is frustratingly highly ranked, like a captain or something, that forces him to think up creative plots to ensure a proper 1v1 melee can be meted out. Actively rejects Khone’s temptations to enter berserker rage and kill random mortals out of shere willpower and channeled hate/rage for his current target.

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Harlock’s lost lady love and her life without him, go.

Lady Myrene Anastasia Galm, a summary:

Lady Myrene Galm is remembered as a brilliant stateswoman, benevolent leader, and the main party responsible in House Galm’s long standing position as centuries long dominating party on the planet, completely eclipsing the formerly dominant house Gloriana. Her rule began some 35 years following the creation of the Centauri-Imperial Trust, which effectively made the Centauri System a self governing federal state with the Emperor as its chief executive, with an autocratic ‘first among nobles’ being a kind of ‘lesser emperor’ or prime minister over the Centauri star system; with further limits on numbers of troops and ships permitted to planetary defense and the imposition of Imperial Common Law and the Imperial Truth, while still allowing local lawmaking and policies to exist, with the High Lords of Terra acting as a supreme court for large scale decisions, and the Centauri Council of Lords acting as a representative body and Supreme Court for lesser matters.

Myrene’s policies were expressly humanitarian, lowering taxes in general on goods and services while freeing up commerce by breaking up long defunct and awkward banking clans and merchants guilds to allow for a controlled free market economy. By tactfully taxing imports and exports, the Centauri State enjoyed a decades long boom that reshaped much of the planet and allowed for the creation of multiple space ports, allowing Centauri merchants the luxury of extremely short travel times from spaceport to natural resource or urban hub. This broke up a longstanding policy on Centauri Prime for Centaurius, its capitol, to be ‘first in all things’, and was seen as a wise and prudent change, which indirectly improved living conditions planetwide in general by approximately 10%.

Personal sources cite Lady Galm as being calm and prudent, always willing to listen to all opinions before coming to a rash decision, albiet a bit indecisive at times. She was described as something of a book-worm intellectual in her developing years, but enjoyed court pageantry and celebration, to such an extent that her ‘50 year jubilee’ - her 50th birthday, constituted a 2 day long planet (in some cases, sytem wide) public celebration and holiday that cost the court several billion imperial credits purely in labour lost and expenditure. Nevertheless, she did not show the cruelty typical in many centauri noble’s rule, and strictly seperated herself, and to a lesser extent her house, in the political and noble infighting and backstabbing that so charachterized her father’s reign. Lady Galm never took any suitors or concubines, which eventually spawned lurid rumors of debauchery that the Galm media empire ruthlessly suppressed and litigated into oblivion. Also unfortunate, Lady Myrene Galm’s long and surgery ridden battle with her figure gradually was lost as the autocrat gained weight, which added to insufferable rumors and whispers by power hungry houses that could find no other fault with her charachter or reign. Unfortunately, that physical trait seemed to be one shared with many other later Galm rulers, who were infintely more indulgent than Lady Galm ever had been, marring her good deeds by their shared name and lineage.

[[OOC notes, as this was never private knowledge: Lady Galm never got over her very brief affair with Harlock, and brushed aside all suitors when she realized the horrid lengths her family, and the living-breathing organism that was the House Galm organization itself, would go to ensure her ‘rightful marriage’ - it was a private personal rebellion of sorts, one which grew even stronger as protest against the pundits and mouthpieces, often in her own family, who demanded she take a lover and produce heirs. Galm had plenty enough of that already. Instead, she used her considerable personal wealth and power to watch Harlock’s adventures for much of his first century of service to the Imperium. It was a depressing thought that the two would never be united, for despite being an autocrat, Myrene knew house Galm was who truly had real power- not her, a mere individual within it. It was her promise to Harlock then to build a Centauri that was worth fighting a forever war for, and her lifes work achieved much of that, just as Harlock won her secret affection through noble heroism in the field of battle. As far as her looks were concerned, Lady Galm became tired of ceaseless lurid advances thrust upon her by males of other houses, and gave up wasting so much of her time upon her image to instead focus on macro-economics and statecraft, which she proved extremely adept at.]]

Lady Myrene Galm’s death was a national tragedy, as at 78 years of age, the lady suffered a severe heart attack and stroke in her bedchambers, and died of complications the following morning. Her cause of death was deemed to be natural, as she had taken no juvenat, organ transplants, or cloned tissue during her reign, earning her the affectionate title ‘The Pure Monarch’ for her trouble. It also meant a natural life expectancy, though 78 was considered young even for natural human deaths for the nobility of Centauri. Some blame, especially at the time, was laid on the ceaseless smear campaigns of rival noble houses, and the great stress of being one of the first leading political figures of the Imperial Trust period- a time of uncertainty and transition as the old Star Empire evolved into a self governing Imperial System under Terra’s control. In any case, mourning lasted a full standard Terran week, and her death marked the end of the high point of the Centauri Golden Age- though it is often said to continue for much of the next century to a lesser degree.

-From “A brief history of the Centauri Star Empire and Centauri Imperial Trust”

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[What next?]

Upcoming:

Epilogue text post, with a couple characters you might not anticipate, wrapping up the blog in a nice little bow.

A Table of Contents in chronological order detailing the complete story of harlock. This may take a while to do. It will include links.

Question and answer period: If you have a question about a specific charachter, or how something went down, please send an ask, and I’ll try to fill you in. This could be either in an OOC reply or a short write up telling the tale of some minor character your intrigued by, like the one I did for Spektor. I’m also willing to do little POV perspectives, giving alternate takes on events besides Harlock’s own.

Poll: On whether i should delete this, or leave it up but abandoned as I move on to new projects.