Lucius Black
From ExodusWar
| Lucius Ujehkt Black | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Lucius Black | |
| Birth | April 18, 2054 Ailqot, Torimur, Cildeng System |
| Death | |
| Allegiance(s) | |
| Profession | Dictator |
| Recognitions | Emperor of the Onyx Empire |
| Achievements | |
Lucius Ujehkt Black (born April 18, 2054) is possibly the most feared, or at least the most hated man in history. He forged an Empire out of charisma and cunning that brought more pain and suffering to the human races than any tyrant in galactic history.
Lucius was categoricaly self-centered and malicious towards anyone who opposed him, but apparently had some sort of higher ideal he believed in. If he had no goal in mind, his slaughter and malice would have been universal and unfocused, rather than the single-minded campaign of death he brought against what he called "social undesireables."
Ironically, despite the fearsome reputation of his Onyx Empire, Lucius was seen as a Machiavellian "prince"-like figure by his subjects during his reign as Emperor, with the exception of Earth, where he was universally cruel.
After the collapse of his Empire, Lucius Black apparently went mad, though many believe this was a ruse. He operated a short campaign of terror against his foes before surrendering to the Meroniri Terinasi. His fate since then remains unclear.
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[edit] Birth
When Jerome and Aydan Black settled on Torimur, they intended to develop a colony that would peacefully coexist and work with Earth in harmonious interstellar commerce and cooperation. Despite the colony's vast natural resources, the United Earth Alliance imposed harsh tax laws and trade restrictions on all commerce with Torimur in retaliation for Jerome Black's refusal to join the Alliance.
The Torimur colony was greatly harmed by the trade sanctions against them. Their food production could not support their own population, and they had the difficult choice of accepting the United Earth Alliance as their de-facto overlords, bankrupting themselves by giving up their precious resources for food, or starving.
Lucius Black was born into this turmoil, and watched his parents slowly waste away as they agonized over the suffering the tax laws and trade lobbyists brought on their colony. Young Lucius grew up hating the Terrans for the suffering they brought on his home and his family.
[edit] Early Life
Lucius was never a kind child. If he had lived in the United Earth Alliance, he would have been put under forced mental care for psychological evaluation and treatment. Even as young as three years old, Lucius killed small animals in creative ways, and played horribly cruel pranks on other children in the colony, often resulting in serious injury.
When Lucius was six years old, his maliciousness finally got the better of him. One particularly cruel prank resulted in the death of a younger boy's dog, and the victim himself had his arm broken trying to save his pet. Lucius openly admitted, and even bragged about the incident, and his father quickly put an end to his cruelty, refusing to even let him leave home. For the next three years, Lucius found himself under the constant supervision of his father.
Unfortunately, Jerome died when Lucius was nine, and Aydan died a few years later. The orphaned Lucius was made a ward of the Torimur colonial government, and was enrolled in the Torimur Colonial Educational Academy.
[edit] Education
The orphaned Lucius turned his hatred, bitterness, and childhood malevolence inwards as a survival skill. Without his prestigious parents to protect him, the colonists would not tolerate his aggressive nature. He studied the arts of speaking, manipulation, and understanding what motivated people. Lucius Black was a master of passive-aggressive tactics and getting his way. Unlike many with such personality traits, he was unafraid of his enemies and never shirked from physical violence.
In his teenage years, Lucius and another boy from the colony both sought the affection of one girl. Lucius resorted to his usual tactics, humiliating and psychologically tormenting his opponent in public and private. When he finally had enough, the other boy attacked Lucius, only to find that the thin, dark, brooding Lucius Black was more than a match for him. In the resulting fight, Lucius made sure plenty of witnesses were present to see that he was the one attacked, and was only defending himself. Lucius badly injured victim, and actually severed his spinal-cord by throwing him against a doorknob. The boy was paralyzed for life, which was cut short by complications: he succumbed on a hospital bed a few years later. Lucius was never even charged with a crime. All witnesses agreed he was attacked and had only defended himself.
When Lucius was approaching his twentieth birthday, he began formulating his plans for domination. Living a life of bitterness and rage for the past ten years had formed a hate for both the United Earth Alliance and his own people, but his lust for power was even greater. He began employing a weapon that no one had ever seen him use before: charm.
[edit] Career
Lucius seized control of the colony. Two of his friends, Lavik Nighthawk and Jarek Nighthawk, helped him form twin cadres of like-minded people to control the colony. Lucius led a group he called his "Alphas", symbolizing beginnings. The Alphas sowed discord and malcontent with the leadership of the colony, and spread rumors that Lucius would be an ideal replacement. Lucius played the role well, being seen frequently in public as a "misunderstood child" who had grown up to "regret the mistakes of the past" and "look forward to a brighter tomorrow for all colonists." Lucius became known as a true successor to his father's heritage, who would refuse to submit to the will of the United Earth Alliance.
Lavik and Jarek led Lucius' second group, the "Omegas", symbolizing endings. At critical moments, they would arrange for any Alliance sympathizers among the colony leadership to disappear for good.
For the next four years, the charismatic young leader consolidated his power base. Members of the Torimur merchant fleet like Anthony Hadrian and Robert Marshall were instructed to build up and train the merchant fleet for combat, and to no longer accept Terran-imposed tolls and taxes. Captains were given everything they needed to design starships capable of taking on the United Earth Alliance Military.
[edit] First Exodus War
When the United Earth Alliance blockaded Kirtszi, starting the First Exodus War, Lucius Black pledged his support to the seperatist movement. His military was small but skilled, and managed to score a major victory in the Sirius Novgorod System.
Unfortunately, the United Earth Alliance's retaliation was led by a man with a vendetta. The General-Commander of the Alliance's military had lost his son in the Battle of Sirius Novgorod, and in his grief he unleashed the UEAS Stalingrad's neutron bomb arsenal on the city of Ailqot. The death toll was catastrophic, and the long-term effects of radiation poisoning were devastating to the survivors.
The international embarassment to the United Earth Alliance caused them to offer a truce, and the Treaty of Volyn was drawn up and signed. In the terms of the treaty, the citizens of Torimur were rescued from their stricken world, but were disarmed and sent to live in the De Mairan Sector.
[edit] The First Exodus
During the First Exodus, Lucius brooded in solitude on one of the ships, in the shadow of the EI, Luna. Over the years, he befriended the EI and began to learn the secrets of the powerful construct.
Stubborn and conceited beyond psychosis, Lucius refused to accept defeat. He gathered the Torimur exiles together, and despite the fact that the hyperspace drive systems on the colony ships were disabled after their arrival, he got the engineers to cobble together a crude hyperspace system capable of reaching the Adin Band.
[edit] The Second Exodus
The return journey, known as the Second Exodus, would last for over 200 years. Most of the original Torimur colonists were sealed in cold sleep, while a few hundred volunteers ran the ships on the return journey. Lucius and a select few were awakened every decade to check on the progress and keep the course, and the crews that lived and died along the journey came to regard Lucius with an almost cult-like fervor.
In the two century journey, Lucius Black masterminded several schemes. He began a technology development program within the starships, and enlisted biologist Josiah Hlow to genetically engineer an army of millions of artificially inseminated and cloned humans, and cracked the sealed casing of the Luna EI. Lucius Black discovered the true secret behind the enigmatic Engineered Intelligences, but kept the secret to himself. For all intents and purposes, Luna died when he opened the casing.
[edit] Second Exodus War
In the year 2300, the Second Exodus ended. Lucius formed his new Onyx Empire on the world of Ah Kin. While most of the population did not know the truth behind his takeover, many did. Lucius was surprised to find many sympathizers among his new subjects. Even though the First Exodus War had ended 220 years earlier, the United Earth Alliance's actions were not popular. Having the original Torimur colonists return was like seeing heroes step out of a legend.
During his highly successful war of revenge against the United Earth Alliance, which became known as the Second Exodus War, Lucius Black still met setbacks and defeat. The stubborn Titanian colony thrived under General-Commander Scott Sanburn, and a resistance was organized on the defeated colonies. Unknown to Black, his top commanders Anthony Hadrian and Robert Marshall were the ones leading the resistance.
[edit] Prisoner
Most people thought it was the end of Lucius Black when he was cornered on Mount McKinley on Earth, but he escaped into deep space. It took him a long time, but he managed to reach the Unai Sector, where he sought asylum from the Meroniri. Today, he is only seen in chains, but the Meroniri leaders often take dark council with him in the hours of the night.
