Marek watched the fleet assembling and nodded to himself in satisfaction. This was the beginning of the end for the thorn in his side. The Federation had proven to be a more resilient foe than he could have imagined. Small, insignificant, a mere 150 member worlds with a Starfleet that could not challenge a single sector fleet of the Empire on paper. But they had just destroyed one of the Empire's sole supply bases in this miserable galaxy and had embarrassed them in the eyes of their provincial subjects. Word had reached him of a small riot that had broken out on a small island to the south of the main continent. Thousands were burning him in effigy, cursing the Empire and threatening revolt. News of the loss of Remus had been impossible to keep secret for very long. The sister world could be seen on a clear night and it was obvious that it was now a dead world. Silent and glassy hanging low over the horizon. Marek had been tempted to order a full scale retaliation for the riot. But an idea struck him. If he ordered the rioting civilians to die, the military could turn on them and it would be a pointless waste of a battle, time that the Empire did not have. So he decided to do something no other Sith lord had ever even attempted. He decided to inspire the people. Marek transmitted his holographic image across the entire planet. "My Romulan subjects, we have all suffered a horrible blow at the treacherous hands of the Federation and the Klingon empire. While our fleet was away engaging a Borg fleet that was on the cusp of launching a full scale invasion on the Romulan provinces your valiant home guard was surprised by a fleet of Federation and Klingon warships, bent on destroying billions of lives and ripping the economic heart of the Romulan provinces. I am sorry to report that our fleet although victorious against the Borg," simultaneously a hologram of the battle against the Borg was playing in the background of his transmission. "the Home guard was unable to prevent a horrible attack that ended with the death of over 6 billion of your fellow Romulans and our loyal subjects. What is the Empire's response to this unwarranted and savage act?" He looked down on the worldwide audience. Many of the rioters had stopped, most looked up in a mix of sorrow and anger as images of the Battle of Remus played out in the background, ending with the detonation of the device that ended all life on the planet. Many of the Romulans fought back tears as the hologram focused on the now dead world. "Revenge!" Marek shouted. "We will descend upon your enemies like a tempest, they have sown holocausts and deaths now they shall reap the whirlwind of our righteous rage!" Marek snarled. Some of the Romulans began shouting encouragement. "The Klingons will learn to lick your boot heels, they have lived their lives by the sword, now they will most assuredly die by that same sword." More Romulans began shouting, many chanting. "The Federation will be taken down from their high and mighty lofty towers and we will burn their so called superior culture to the ground and salt the earth where it lies. In the end, Remus' blood will have brought the future of a Romulan empire that spans the entire galaxy." The holographic background depicted a galaxy and the insignia of the Romulan Empire coupled with the Imperial seal, great green fingers slowly unfurled form the center of the twin seals, clutching the galaxy in a fist. "And our empire will never know an end." Marek whispered he final part like a solemn vow. There was absolute silence for a long moment all throughout Romulus. It was as if the entire world was holding its collective breath. Marek stood towering above them, arms crossed across his chest, waiting. "Marek! Marek!" the chant began. It started with several Romulans scattered throughout the cities on Romulus but soon the chant rose in strength as the hologram switched to an enormous armada orbiting Romulus, Star destroyers flanked the Iron Fist like great ivory war hounds. Wings of warbirds stretched out around the entire fleet, like a sea of green. They flashed along, quickly moving among the massive Star Destroyers like remora on a shark. Hundreds of warbirds gathered together with the mighty Imperial fleet. The citizens of Romulus had not seen a sight like this even during the height of the Dominion war. "Marek! Marek!" The chant rose like a war cry as hundreds became thousands, many with fists raised in the air in time with the chant. Raw fury was on the eyes and lips of those that called for Marek to be their avenging angel. "Point the way to our enemy, show us the way to vengeance!" Marek shouted, and as one, the crowd roared, pointing to the heavens, to the cluster of stars where the tiny Sol system lay nestled. They were no longer a million disparate voices, but one unified voice, and then, unbidden, another chant began, it was the Romulan anthem. The masses began singing it as they watched their armada slowly break from orbit. They knew now that blood would be exacted for what had occurred on Remus. Marek, the avenging angel as he was slowly becoming known, would not allow this crime to go unpunished. "As we leave you, be happy, for already, your valiant forces have begun striking blows for freedom and justice. The neutral zone has collapsed, the Klingon border posts which had stood imposing for so many decades are burning." The hologram shifted to various views of different battles. Warbirds swarmed around lone Federation starships on patrol. They decloaked and opened fire without pause. Wings of warbirds flashed by Klingon outposts, plasma torpedoes exploding with a cascade of fire that embraced the entire outpost. Klingon ships fled, not conceiving that such a force was flying against them. And the hologram returned to the sight of the great war fleet as it departed. "We shall return victorious and we shall not rest until all the war criminals are brought back to Romulus for trial. We are in this together now. Your brave sons and daughters stand side by side with your Imperial brothers as we bring the galaxy under our wing. Work hard, build quickly and help your fellow Romulans as we embark on the Grand Offensive." The hologram shifted again back to Marek. He looked down on the people like some black robed God of vengeance. "There is no other way than victory." The crowds roared their approval as his image wavered and turned off. He stood proudly for a moment before the holotransmitter before turning away. "Masterful, Lord Marek. You were as inspiring as the Emperor himself, why you yourself would make a great emperor of this backwater!" Kratas exclaimed. Marek paused and turned his head slowly to regard the young commander with a sharp penetrating glare. Daala was uncertain what was going to happen, but the sour look on Mara Jade's features told him that Kratas had certainly said something wrong. "Because your service to us has been flawless and loyal and because I can glean that you meant nothing by those words, I will let you live, Commander." Marek replied, voice like a tomb. Kratas blanched. Mare stalked off the bridge. Mara remained behind for a moment. "What did I say?" Kratas stammered. "You insinuated to a Sith Lord that they could or should supplant the Emperor. You even went so far to suggest that he begin his own empire here and place himself as emperor. The Sith are extremely sensitive to such suggestions. The last man to suggest something like that to Lord Vader found himself in Vader's private fortress watching bore worms eat his vital organs and then have the process begin all over again as medical droids regenerated the organs." Mara smiled coolly. "I do believe you can still hear his screams if you walk down the right corridor. Be thankful, Commander, Lord Marek was uncharacteristically merciful." Mara added then turned on her heel and left.