The Wardens Of The Dark
The Wardens Of The Dark were the most powerful foe faced by the Empire of the Cold Orbit and the conflict between these two civilisations is in all probability the greatest that the galaxy has ever seen. This includes the later war in which the Empire of the Cold Orbit were defeated by the Remorseless since it is thought that the war against the Wardens Of The Dark had so depleated the energies of the Empire that their triumph was ultimately a hollow one and they were finally overcome by what was in effect a much weaker force.
Stories about this conflict which have been passed down through succeeding cultures tell us that the Wardens Of The Dark were an ancient species with even earlier claims to a star faring civilisation than the Cold Orbiters themselves. They had spread from the Magellenic Clouds into the main body of the galaxy and initially co-existed peacefully with the Empire.
The Wardens title reflected their capabilities in working with black holes, using them as energy sources and as directed weapons. Able to engineer force cages of astonishing precision and power, their Flame Citadels wreaked havoc on the Empire ships which had sought to subjugate them. In the middle years of the war, the Wardens pushed the conflict deep into the heart of the Empire, exacting a terrible revenge for the arrogance of the Cold Orbit leaders who had assumed their right to conquest could not be challenged.
We know almost nothing about the Wardens appearance or culture, only the tremendous fear they inspired within the Empire. Eventually they overreached themselves and the Empire, with a mixture of cunning and ruthless tactical planning destroyed their key fortresses and achieved a kind of victory.
Yet the remnants of the Wardens would return as the mastering intelligence behind the Remorseless which would finally put an end to the Empire of the Cold Orbit. Then later, these remnants would themselves perish when the Remoseless fell to infighting.
Comments