Shi'ar Thor Part II

Phal'Kon.

Sister of K'ythri and his former enemy turned wife, Sharra, the deities of their great Empire, the Shi'ar Empire. A large expansive empire that under the guidance of their deities and the Majestor, had conquered their entire galaxy, marrying all the races inside of it into their own, making them stronger as a whole.

They were young compared to other empires like the Kree and the Skrull. But they were a rising power within the galaxy, yet they had no desire to get involved with the conflicts shared between their rivals.

The Kree were large and expansive, militaristic and brutal in their methods. Their technological advancements and their whole society were geared into a seamless, perfect war machine that in open battle, made them almost unbeatable. The only ones who had been able to match them blow for blow were the former peaceful turned equally as militaristic race, the Skrulls.

However, centuries ago, around the time of the historical Lifestone Tree Treaty, an unknown event conspired that not only destroyed the Lifestone Tree Treaty but also wiped out the entire Skrull royal family.

A temporary break in the war took place in that incident, the Kree still young and weak having drained their resources to the extreme were unable to capitalise on the Skrull's vulnerable state. The Skrulls themselves, while their empire still remained intact, prepared and willing to push the war further were instead engulfed in civil war.

Warlords, governors, elected government officials, all vying for power and going to war amongst themselves, completely unable to unify their once flourishing empire once more. Ironic really, considering that if they had simply stayed united, they would have been able to destroy the Kree.

However, because of their failure to do so, the Kree had been able to rebuild its Empire and fashion it into a purely militaristic state that ran upon war. An Empire that had since spanned over dozens of galaxies, an unstoppable force that still kept expanding its borders and clashing against longtime rivals, the Skrulls.

However, their Shi'ar Empire had gone unnoticed, rarely getting themselves involved in the conflicts besides a few small skirmishes here and there. As a result, the Shi'ar had been able to profit, scavenging destroyed ships from both the Kree and Skrulls for the advancements of their own military, fully preparing for an eventual war against either race in the future. No one in the Shi'ar was naive enough to believe that eventually, they wouldn't be at war with them.

Yet none had expected something like this to happen.

In their history, there were many who had been blessed by the Phal'Kon, one of their chief deities. A new host that embodied its powers and acted as not only their guardian protector but their chief military leader. The face of their military force, the one who inspired millions and united all conquered races, making them part of the Shi'ar Empire.

However, this was something completely different.

The power this host wielded was beyond any of the previous hosts.

And unlike in the past, they were not in control of their actions.

T'Korr looked on as the new host, Rook'Shir, once a shining beacon of hope for the expansion of the Shi'ar Empire now corrupted by the very power which had given him rise to his position as chief of their military rampaged across their capital city. He was unstoppable, powerful flames erupted across his body and outwards, engulfing miles upon miles of land. Thousands were engulfed within the flames, screams of pain silenced quickly as they were reduced to ash.

Complete and utter devastation.

An unstoppable force.

"Has the Pahl'Kon abandoned us?" One of his aides questioned.

"It can't be, no host has ever shown such power before. It must be Rook'Shir." T'Korr could hear his aides clearly and he could understand their line of thought. No host had ever become corrupted by the power of the Phal'kon, nor had they wielded such power before.

"He was always arrogant, believing him better than us all." Another spoke harshly. "He must have always held such hatred for the Shi'ar Empire within him and now he has power, he must finally be using it for his own ends. Majestor, you must leave now."

Even though he knew the sense in the action, T'Korr could not help but watch as Rook'Shir reaped havoc upon the city. He could also not help the frown that came onto his face, the anger he felt at the words of his aides. They had never liked Rook'Shir, a peasant that had been blessed with the Phal'kon when they and their families had not. However, T'Korr had known the man, knew that he had loved the Shi'ar Empire and fought to protect it harder than anyone else.

Rook'shir had been his friend, one with no ambition or desire for the throne.

Someone T'Korr had been able to rely upon.

"I will not abandon my people," T'Korr spoke firmly, his aides, cowards all of them too busy leaving the area to hear his words. He turned, looking to the group of people inside, part of an initiative that he had been preparing for the eventual war against the Kree and Skrulls.

Each of them represented the greatest of all the races within the Shi'ar Empire.

All of them laid the foundations of the Imperial Guard.

But there was one at the front, a young Shi'ar, one whose gaze was transfixed upon the flames burning outside. One whose gaze sought out the floating figure of Rook'Shir. "Before you lay the greatest threat of the Shi'ar Empire. You were gathered together, to protect our Empires interests, now stands your greatest test. Prove yourselves this day and stop Rook'Shir at all costs."

Just as the young Shi'ar was unable to tear his gaze away from Rook'Shir, T'Korr was unable to look anywhere but at the Shi'ar. He carefully gauged his reaction to this news, watched the range of emotions that crossed his face before his gaze became firm, knuckles clenching tightly into a fist as he prepared himself for the task at hand.

'Rook'Shir, you have trained him well.' T'Korr thought, the frown upon his face deepening. 'Your son will surpass you, just as you said.'

-X- Line Break -X-

Falling back with a cry, Thor'Shir grit his teeth tightly as he looked up into the sky. All around him, the city was engulfed in flames, tens of thousands dead and if Rook'Shir was not stopped here, millions would soon join them. The Shi'ar Empire would crumble into nothing, disappearing quietly into nothing without ever making its mark upon the universe.

All the good they would have done, coming undone.

Everything that generations had worked to achieve, all being for nought.

Thor could not allow it.

His father, Rook'Shir had been blessed by Phal'Kon, blessed by her power and replaced the former host as the new symbol of the Shi'ar Empire. A great honour, but one that came with responsibilities and duties that all worked hard to achieve.

Yet unlike previous hosts, his father stood as the longest-lived, all previous ones dying well before their twentieth year within the universe. Never producing a child of their own and now Thor wondered if there was a reason why no host had ever existed beyond the twentieth year. He wondered if perhaps, the hosts killed themselves in order to avoid being corrupted by the powers of the Phal'Kon.

He did not know.

Before his father, there had been decades without a new one and the answers were never given to them. Thor, now faced with the difficult task of defeating his father, once a proud and loyal servant of the Shi'ar Empire, now corrupted by the power of Phal'Kon.

The Imperial Guard, all dead except for the strongest amongst them, Kallark who assumed the moniker, Gladiator. Together the two of them tried their bests, Thor wielding the Blade of Phal'Kon, an indicator of his position as successor to his father's position, blessed with a portion of their great deities power. All the while, Gladiator, blessed with his races natural physiological power fought and battled against his father.

Yet even together, Rook'Shir proved far too powerful.

An almost unstoppable force that threatened to destroy the entire planet, engulfing it all in flames.

Nothing they did worked.

Powerful telekinetic blasts knocked them from the skies.

Brilliant and burning flames threatened to reduce them to ash.

Horrific illusions assaulted them all the time.

Even when they got close, the heat surrounding Rook'Shir, given off by the flames that consumed his body in a protective barrier made it all but impossible to land a blow. When pushing through that pain and heat, it meant nothing as Rook'Shir proved again and again why he stood as the greatest warrior of the Shi'ar Empire.

Gripping the handle of the Blade of Phal'Kon, Thor grit his teeth further as he slowly rose to his feet. Even though it all seemed hopeless, that they were destined to lose, Thor could not forget the words of his father, the words that told him to always rise to his feet no matter the challenge and face it head on.

To forget his fears and always keep fighting.

It was those words that had motivated him ever since he was a young boy.

It was those words that helped him get to his feet once more.

And unknowingly, so focused upon the burning figure of Rook'Shir, Thor did not notice the flames upon the Blade of Phal'Kon burning brighter than ever before.