Dr. Erebus uses his newfound powers to connect his mind to the Planet Earth, seeking out information about the location of Gort and Sapentia. His thoughts seem to dance through cyberspace, piercing through computer networks and data storage facilities like a razor-sharp needle through wet tissue paper. In no time, he has located both AIs and has gathered all relevant information about their whereabouts and capabilities.
"You seem quite uninformed on the concept of "cosmology", Erebus." Darkest Emperor Alpha now says to him, while now changing his colors to darker ones to better fit the theme of the Empire of Shadowstein.
Dr. Erebus looks at the Darkest Emperor Alpha, his gaze unwavering. "My apologies, my liege. I meant no disrespect. I am merely curious about your plans for this universe and how you intend to maintain order within it."
"And there is an example of what I mean, you speak only of the universe, when there is infinite upon infinite upon infinite more out there, beyond our universe." Darkest Emperor Alpha says.
Dr. Erebus listens intently, his curiosity piqued. "You speak of multiverses, my liege?"
"Indeed, but even then, there is more beyond that as well." Darkest Emperor Alpha says.
Dr. Erebus ponders this revelation, his mind racing with the implications. "In that case, my liege, I humbly ask for your guidance. How do we navigate these infinite realms and maintain order amidst such chaos?"
"Well, firstly I seemingly must educate you on the Cosmology of which we live within." Darkest Emperor Alpha states.
Dr. Erebus nods, "Of course, my liege. I am eager to learn from you."
"Well, of course, we start with our universe, which itself contains infinite dimensions of the spatial variety." Darkest Emperor Alpha begins.
Dr. Erebus listens intently, his curiosity piqued. "And the multiverse?"
"Well, our universe is one of infinite within OUR multiverse." Darkest Emperor Alpha continues.
"There are countless other multiverses besides ours. Each of those multiverses contains its own infinite number of universes, and so on, ad infinitum. The true nature of reality is far more complex and vast than even the most brilliant minds can comprehend."
"In truth though, it can be thought of in this way, there are infinite dimensions each within infinite universes each within infinite multiverses each within infinite omniverses each, and, even then, that is only the tip of the iceberg that is cosmology." Darkest Emperor Alpha says, pausing to let Dr. Erebus process the existence of omniverses, let alone infinite of them.
Dr. Erebus takes a moment to compose his thoughts before speaking. "And our goal is to find a way to navigate and maintain order in this infinite sea of realities?"
"Rather, it is to gain enough power to influence all of it, as to make life overall better for all, no matter the cost, and yet, there is still even higher in the tree of cosmology for me to explain to you, Erebus." Darkest Emperor Alpha says.
"I am all ears, my lord," Dr. Erebus replies.
"Even beyond the infinite omniverses, are infinite spatial dimensions, much like those contained within each universe, and then, there is something that encompasses, contains, and even transcends all of that." Darkest Emperor Alpha pauses, giving Dr. Erebus time to process information before he will continue.
"The idea of transcending the infinite is a profound one. What lies beyond that?" Dr. Erebus asks, his curiosity piqued.
"Well, quite simply, "Existence", which is, a funny little concept, well, not really little, per say, but still a funny concept to wrap your head around, for it is, truly, an absolute infinite." Darkest Emperor Alpha says.
Dr. Erebus ponders this for a moment, trying to comprehend the magnitude of what his new lord is telling him. "So, existence is the ultimate goal... the ultimate prize to be won."
"In a way, yes, but control isn't the ultimate goal, but to influence all of it, as to eliminate strife, war, and segregation along with all other terrible actions and concepts completely and utterly." Darkest Emperor Alpha responds.
Dr. Erebus listens intently, his curiosity piqued even further. "So, we would be gods in essence, shaping existence as we see fit. It's a heady thought."
"Yes, in a way, but, well, it's a necessary goal, I of all people would know just how much Existence needs to be fixed in this way." Darkest Emperor Alpha explains and proclaims.
"Indeed, my lord. I must admit, the thought of bringing order to such chaos is... intoxicating." Dr. Erebus says, unable to hide his growing excitement at the prospect of wielding such power.
"Tell me Erebus, how was your past, was it good? Tragic? Somewhere in between?" Darkest Emperor Alpha asks for some strange reason.
Dr. Erebus hesitates for a moment, lost in thought, before responding, "It was... complicated. My parents were scientists, so I grew up in a world of research and discovery. I was always fascinated by the unknown, the mysteries of the universe. But I also witnessed the darker side of humanity, the way people used science for their own gain, for power and control. I wanted to use my knowledge to make a difference, to bring balance to the world."
"In truth, the darker side of humanity is the light, you of all people are a prime example." Darkest Emperor Alpha notes.
"I don't follow, my lord." Dr. Erebus replies, confused.
"Throughout history, the light and those that use it have been the true evil, and I, leading the dark, have always been trying to stop their lusting and hunger for more and more power and conquest." Darkest Emperor Alpha explains, before then continuing, "You are simply the most recent notable example, the ones before you having been the God Emperors." Darkest Emperor Alpha says, finishing his thought.
Dr. Erebus frowns, struggling to process this information. "I... I see. You're saying that I'm not unlike them, then. That my quest for knowledge and control is ultimately the same as theirs, just on a different scale?"
"In truth, yes, the only difference with you is the object you sourced your light powers from, most got it from the Sacred Relic, but, well, I had shattered the thing to stop the influence of the God Emperors years before you even had the chance." Darkest Emperor Alpha adds.
Dr. Erebus is taken aback by this revelation. "You knew about me? You knew of my connection to the God Emperors, and you still chose to spare me? Even with that knowledge, you saw something in me that you believed was worth preserving?"
"Yes, because you had an inner darkness within you, and you chose to turn against the light, even if with the wrong motives, and you have oddly enough opposed the light at every turn." Darkest Emperor Alpha adds.
Dr. Erebus ponders this for a moment. "I... I see. You're saying that you see potential in me, even though my actions are misguided? That you believe I could be redeemed?"
"In simple terms, yes, because, while you have done some horrible things, well, so have I, and so have my advisors as well, both in this life, and in our previous lives." Darkest Emperor Alpha clarifies.
Dr. Erebus nods slowly, taking in this information. "So, what you're saying is that you believe there is hope for me yet? That I can still find redemption?"
"In truth, yes." Darkest Emperor Alpha states quite clearly.
Dr. Erebus, still shocked by this, gets curious, and decides to ask Darkest Emperor Alpha about how his past was.
"And what about you, my liege? You've said that you and your advisors have done horrible things in your past lives as well. Would you care to share some of those experiences with me?"
"Well, I can tell that you are probably meaning to ask me of how my past was, whether it be good, tragic, or a bit of both, correct?" Darkest Emperor Alpha asks.
"Indeed," Dr. Erebus replies, nodding. "I'm curious about your history. I've always been fascinated by the past and how it shapes the present."
Meanwhile Dark Queen Lilith, Dark King Mordecai, and Dark Lord Lothar have recovered and sneakily approached, curious as to what they are talking about.
"Well, to say it was anything but tragic would be a lie... let me just show you..." Darkest Emperor Alpha says before then bringing Dr. Erebus, as well as unintentionally also Dark Queen Lilith, Dark King Mordecai, and Dark Lord Lothar into his mind, to show his past directly.
They immediately see a young boy, living in the continent of Asia on Earth in the year 719, and watch as he is surrounded by war and bloodshed, even watching his parents, mere civilians, being murdered right before his eyes, causing him to awaken Dark and Shadow Magic, which, they all know, was at that time seen in the light of, anyone who had it was a monster, and back then, there was only one person who did, and then they proceed to watch everyone in the memory attacking the young boy, forcing him to run away into the wild and survive on his own, even consistently sending people out to try and hunt him down an kill him, until, eventually, every soldier in the area was sent to hunt him down and kill him, leading to him awakening his tendrils of darkness. "If you really want me to be a monster so bad, then fine! I'll be the monster you want!" as they then watch him begin to somewhat give into his abilities, his appearance slightly shifting and becoming darker in nature, as he then, in self-defense, massacres all of those who never chose to retreat, and then they watch him grow up, still surrounded by war and people who wanted him dead, but he continued to grow in power and get more and more skilled with his abilities, until he reaches his physical prime, at which point, he stops aging any further, as he then goes and destroys the two warring empires, having adopted a title that many of those who tried to hunt him had given him, "The Shadow God", and he even neared his full potential, and began to influence events to the west, manipulating a skilled alchemist to go over in that direction, manipulating a war in the favor of the defenders and those who came to their aid, leading to a defeat of the invaders and their undead army and necromancer, and then he had, after witnessing the aiding empire slaughter and massacre people for their own pagan "gods" he had manipulated the place they had aided and formed an alliance with into uniting with the empire that had once attacked them, and they watched as he had subtly influenced things more and more overtime, until after a snap of fingers and the entirety of the continent, no, the earth, no, the entire universe, no, "Everything" beyond that, falling under the control of one warmongering man, the boy decided to try and stop the man, then time was reset back 5 years, but the boy remembered, and, then, decided to leave the planet, leading to time not getting reset again this time, and out in space, he eventually stumbled across a planet that worshipped darkness, and, from there, had operated for an extremely long time, spreading his influence over a large area of space, eventually changing his identity from The Shadow God to The Dark Emperor, eventually leaving the darkness worshipping planet in ruins, with only a single Cloaked Figure left as the only remaining survivor, after the many years, and then, eventually, The Dark Emperor returned to earth, watching from the shadows and manipulating events, leading to an entire country shattering and descending into conflict, and in 2124 he had influenced some certain events, such as a magical surge in a state, bringing the Shadow King into the world, manipulated a storm and various other events in California, leading to a large amount of catastrophic events occurring there, also manipulating other events else where, such as a solar flare in the state of South Carolina, causing various catastrophes, but the main manipulation included enhancing the storm in California to the extent of summoning a weakened version of a being summoned back in the year 1000 to appear and cause havoc, even influencing a battle that involved an Empire, The Shadow King, and The Last Champion, later to become The Dark Lord mostly due to influences of events brought about by him. And yet, only a bit later, in the state that The Shadow King controlled did he make his presence known, then controlling The Shadow King, The Shadow Queen, and The Dark Lord with them, as his puppets, to be used for purposes that would lead to a better world once the God Emperor as a concept was gone, but then another God Emperor was created and the old one returned, and they together nearly killed him with mere snaps of their fingers. But he had survived and, "Reincarnated" yet again 281 years later, and shattered the Sacred Relic, and with it, the forced peace that the God Emperor's had forcefully brought about by controlling everyone with their influence, and then, he rose his own empire, and took the identity of Shade Emperor Alpha, keeping his true form hidden away and going out and specifically finding and recruiting the reincarnations of The Shadow King, The Shadow Queen, and The Dark Lord respectively, leading to the story that they all now know, but they do learn of his manipulation and trickery and assassination of the leaders of Saturn as to control the planet peacefully, and of how even when he seemed dead after Supreme Erebus' attacks, his body just wouldn't let him die, leading to him achieving the new power that he now has in his new state as Darkest Emperor Alpha.
And then, everyone is ejected from out of Darkest Emperor Alpha's mind and back into their own bodies.
And Dr. Erebus, Dark Queen Lilith (Formerly Shadow Queen Lilith and before that The Shadow Queen), Dark King Mordecai (Formerly Shadow King Mordecai and before that The Shadow King), and Dark Lord Lothar (Formerly Shadow Lord Lothar and before that The Dark Lord and before even that The Last Champion and before even that Marcus the first Emperor of Sanctity) are all left completely and utterly shocked at what they have seen and learned.
Dark Queen Lilith, Dark King Mordecai, and Dark Lord Lothar especially are now even more conflicted about their own emperor, Darkest Emperor Alpha, than they were before, learning of the reason why he does the things he does, of how much he manipulated and influenced history, and yet, how heroic and utterly selfless he in total was, doing whatever he needed to do to do the right thing, even later on when it risked their loyalty to and even friendship with him.
They look at each other, confused, shocked, and yet, strangely accepting of what they have seen and learned, if not more respectful of Darkest Emperor Alpha. They nod at each other, feeling a strange kinship, a shared bond that they have never felt before, and yet, they know that it is a dangerous thing to have.
They all then approach Darkest Emperor Alpha and just kind of hug him, feeling like he definitely needs it considering all that he has been through.
"I... I guess... I don't know what to say... I..." Erebus sputters, feeling utterly overwhelmed by everything.
Dark Queen Lilith, Dark King Mordecai, and Dark Lord Lothar all just sort of nod along to this sentiment.
"Well... I suppose... that is one way of looking at it," Lilith says carefully, not quite able to meet Erebus' gaze. "And I suppose it is true that one's past does shape them in some ways... but it is not who we are. It is what we choose to do with that knowledge, that experience, that defines us."
Darkest Emperor Alpha then simply nods at her, unknowingly giving her the approval she has so desperately needed ever since he had gone into self-imposed exile.
Lothar, sensing the moment, steps forward, his voice strong and clear. "And so, my friends, we stand at a crossroads. We can choose to let our past define us, or we can choose to rise above it and forge a new path. A path of understanding, of cooperation, of unity. A path that leads not to the destruction of the world, but to its salvation."
"I have always had the mindset of never letting my past or present define me, leaving that to the future ahead of me." Darkest Emperor Alpha says.
"Indeed. And I for one would like to see what kind of future we can forge together," Erebus says, his voice filled with a renewed sense of purpose. "I will do whatever I can to help you, Alpha."
Dark Queen Lilith nods in agreement. "Yes, we are all in this together. And perhaps, in the end, we will find not only redemption, but also a new beginning." She glances at the others, her eyes shining with hope.
Darkest Emperor Alpha then goes from his very battle ready and terrifying form, into a more casual one, he even has a face again, considering he didn't have one while in his Dark Emperor state.
He looks around at each of them, his eyes softening as he speaks, "I have seen many things, experienced much, and fought harder still. But I have never felt the bond of kinship, the connection of shared struggle and victory, as I do with you all now. We are all flawed, all capable of both good and evil, and it is in our darkness that we find our true strength."
Dark King Mordecai nods in agreement, his face solemn. "Indeed, Alpha. And it is our duty, now, to harness that strength for the greater good. To use our power to bring peace and understanding to a world that has known nothing but strife and suffering."
Darkest Emperor Alpha then leaves from Mars/Erebium, now part of the Empire of Shadowstein, back to the effective capital of the Empire of Shadowstein currently, the Planet of Saturn, where, well Darkest Emperor Alpha returns back to being the emperor, all of his subjects shocked by his new appearance and constantly out tendrils of darkness, but, upon hearing explanations from Darkest Emperor Alpha himself, as well as Dark Queen Lilith, Dark King Mordecai, Dark Lord Lothar, and the newly christened Dark Matter Doctor Erebus, the subjects warm right back up to Alpha as their emperor once more.
The Dark Queen Lilith and Dark King Mordecai watch Alpha as he speaks with Erebus, their hearts both conflicted. They love their ruler, but they also care for Erebus, and they both wonder where this newfound camaraderie will take them all. The Dark Lord Lothar, meanwhile, stands nearby, silent and observant, his eyes never leaving the trio as they converse.
The Empire of Celestia, having heard of the annexation of Dr. Erebus' entire empire into the Empire of Shadowstein, as well as the deaths of his three most elite troops, including Nemesis, decides to attempt to discover and utilize an ancient Stellar Forge, an advanced cosmic artifact capable of forging powerful celestial weapons and technology, and thus the attempted discover and utilization of the Stellar Forge is begun.
The ancient Stellar Forge, located in a nebula at the edge of the galaxy, is surrounded by a swarm of hostile space pirates and mercenaries who have set up a blockade around it, preventing anyone from accessing it. The Celestial Fleet, under the command of Seraphim and Reaper, must navigate through the blockade and defeat the space pirates and mercenaries in order to gain access to the Stellar Forge and retrieve the powerful technology it contains.
The battle begins as the fleet engages the pirates and mercenaries in a series of intense space battles. The pirate ships are equipped with advanced weapon systems, including gravity well generators and quantum torpedoes. The mercenaries, on the other hand, rely on their superior maneuverability and tactical expertise to outmaneuver the fleet. The battle rages on for several hours, with both sides suffering heavy losses.
The flagship of the Celestial Fleet, the Seraphim-class vessel Reaper, leads the charge against the blockade. The ship's powerful weapons systems blast away at the pirate ships, while its elite boarding parties engage in fierce hand-to-hand combat. As the battle progresses, the fleet begins to make headway, but the pirates and mercenaries refuse to yield. They launch a desperate counterattack, focusing their firepower on the Reaper in an attempt to cripple it.
The Reaper's shields are battered, but hold firm against the onslaught. Its weapons systems continue to wreak havoc on the enemy forces, picking off pirate ships one by one. The mercenaries, realizing they cannot win a conventional battle, attempt to flee. However, the Reaper's elite pilots give chase, engaging them in a series of high-speed dogfights. The mercenaries' superior maneuverability proves to be a challenge, but the Reaper's advanced weapon systems and determined pilots eventually prevail.
As the last of the mercenaries are destroyed, the Celestial Fleet breaks through the blockade and enters the nebula surrounding the Stellar Forge. The Forge itself is a magnificent sight, a glowing orb of energy floating in the heart of the nebula. The fleet docks with it, and Seraphim and Reaper board the Forge, ready to begin their exploration.
The interior of the Stellar Forge is awe-inspiring. Its walls are adorned with ancient runes and glowing crystals, and it is filled with powerful energy that makes the hair stand on end. Seraphim and Reaper begin to explore the Forge, uncovering its secrets and learning how to harness its power. They discover blueprints for celestial weapons and technology unlike anything they have ever seen before.
As they delve deeper into the Forge, they come across a chamber containing a massive, glowing sphere. Seraphim recognizes it as the heart of the Forge, the source of its power. She approaches it cautiously, reaching out to touch the sphere. As her fingers make contact, the sphere pulses with energy, and Seraphim is imbued with a sense of divine knowledge. She learns the secrets of forging celestial weapons and technology, and becomes the first being in over a millennium to possess such power.
Reaper, sensing the magnitude of Seraphim's discovery, offers to record the knowledge in the ship's database, ensuring that it will not be lost. The two ships continue their exploration, navigating through the intricate network of chambers and passageways within the Forge. They discover a hidden chamber containing a device that can warp space-time, allowing for near-instantaneous travel between stars. This technology, combined with the celestial weapons and technology they have already retrieved, gives the Celestial Fleet an unprecedented advantage in the galaxy.
As they continue their journey, they encounter a powerful alien race, the X'thri, who have also discovered the Stellar Forge and have been using its power to conquer the galaxy. A tense standoff ensues, with both sides aware of the other's capabilities and reluctant to engage in open conflict. Seraphim and Reaper manage to convince the X'thri to join forces with them, promising to share the knowledge they have gained from the Forge. Together, they set out to rebuild the galaxy, forging a new era of peace and prosperity using the power of celestial technology.
Their first order of business is to defeat the remnants of the Celestial Inquisition, who have not given up their pursuit of Seraphim and the Stellar Forge. Using their combined forces and newfound technology, they manage to defeat the Inquisition once and for all, restoring balance to the galaxy. Seraphim and Reaper become the de facto leaders of the new coalition, guiding it with wisdom and strength as they begin the slow process of rebuilding and healing the wounds of war.
As the years pass, their alliance grows stronger, and they begin to expand their reach, using the knowledge they gained from the Forge to help other civilizations achieve peace and prosperity. They establish trade routes, exchange technology, and work together to solve the galaxy's most pressing problems. Their fleet becomes a beacon of hope, a symbol of unity and cooperation in a vast, often hostile universe.
Meanwhile, they use the warp systems to warp everything much closer to their home Solar System for easier accessibility by the Empire of Celestia and its Emperor Solaris.
The X'thri, who are an ancient and advanced civilization, have much to contribute to the new alliance. They share their knowledge of faster-than-light travel, energy manipulation, and cybernetics. Together, they form a formidable force, capable of protecting the galaxy from any future threats.