"Beginnings"

Two

Centuries later....in the 25th century (Terran calendar - OldTime)

General Z'aale Zarkon of the Dragon Fleet was ambitious. Of course, many officers of the Drule Fleet were, but he had an edge over all of them. Although he was still a young man in his early twenties, he had climbed up the ranks quickly, using both charm and blackmail to do it. He was a rapidly rising star in Denubian Consortium.
Although he enjoyed his command, he wanted more. He did not wish to be a mere Commander or a General of a Fleet, or even several Fleets. He wanted power - absolute power over all - military and civilian. He had the will and the drive to do it too. He would more than recoup his grandfather's holdings, he would overshadow even his grandfather's accomplishments. Zarkon was intent upon soaring high above his father's miserable mediocrity.
He hated his father - the drunkard and gambler, who nearly lost all of his grandfather's holdings on A'den. His father couldn't hold a stein of beer in his hands, much less a planet! He would do more, much more than his father could ever hope to do..no, he held no love for his father and his father held no love for him.
His mother he could not remember, for she died in childbirth delivering him. His father had always blamed him for that. Of course that did not stop his father from marrying a Terran woman nearly a month after her death, either. His half-siblings (they numbered five - 4 brothers and a sister)did not look like him. Their Drule features were softened by the Terran features of their mother. He looked like the Ancient Drules of old - fierce, unrelenting. Zarkon did not like his stepmother and she did not like him either. In fact, she hated her husband and her own children - all except the youngest, who was the only girl. His stepmother had the good grace to die while he was in his first year at the Academy. This event did not cause him any undue stress. His father handled it as he did all his problems - he bought another round of ale at the local inn.
Z'aale did extremely well at the Academy, considering he was one of the youngest enrolled there. Although Uppers (upperclassmen) at first tried to beat him down into his place, they soon stopped, for he was ruthless and aggressive without coming on so at first. He could be slighted or insulted and he would smile and then out of the blue, he would strike. He soon developed a reputation as someone not to be trifled with. He rose through the ranks of the Academy and fought his first actual battle when he was sixteen. He earned his commission into the general ranks some months later and from then on there was no stopping him. He earned his fortune in their raids on countless worlds, and soon he was very wealthy, although he kept this a secret and did not tell a soul. He parleyed his wealth into the lucrative slave markets, buying and selling the slave traffic that went in and out of the galaxy. He had his hands in gambling, the pleasure planets, anything that would increase his fortune. All the while he maintained the guise of a loyal and devoted officer. By the time he made General of the Dragon Fleet, he had enough wealth to maintain several planets. He had his superior murdered after they had conquered the planet of Belsavus. He was promoted to General of the Fleets and claimed the planet in the Consortium's name. However, Zarkon was taking the Consortium from the inside. He had many of the Administrators on his pay, and they did what he wanted. The Fleets were under his direct command and it would be an easy matter to direct the armies where they needed to go.
And so insidiously, Zarkon's influence crept upon the Consortium, until finally though the brute strength of his Fleets and the support of the military, he declared himself Emperor. A great war ensued after that, in which Zarkon's forces defeated what little forces his former superiors had. Planet after planet, he placed his key people in the ruling houses. If the ruling houses of the planet acquiesced to his overall rule, then they would be permitted to remain in power - if they bowed under his absolute power. If they did not, then they would either be enslaved or destroyed.
The amassing of planets took much time and effort, but Zarkon made his way though the Galaxy on a rampage. His name was whispered in the various Royal Houses fearfully, as if the very mention of his name would make him appear like a wraith out of the air. He did not mind this fear at all. In fact, he enjoyed it immensely. He let rumors fly about his cruelty - for they were true. The more terrifying, the better he thought. It kept slaves in line as well, for no one knew when or where he would show up.
However, even though Z'aale had many planets within his grasp, he still had no permanent base. He was a king without a palace of his own, although the many worlds he had conquered did have them. They just didn't appeal to him.
He was enroute to a planet in Yaris sector when his ship went down. He was alone - perhaps a foolhardy thing, but he did not want to be shadowed by guards. He was afraid of no one. At any rate, his ships controls went dead, despite all his corrections. Sighting a dark planet, he landed on it. He was able to ascertain that the planet had oxygen using a scanner, and so he went out to survey this dark planet. He saw an old castle near where he landed. It was alien in design, tall, massive, it's spires going every which way. It gave off a sinister prescence which appealed to him. He decided to go inside.
What he saw inside appealed to him as well. The black oxyx walls rose within, covered with centuries of dust. Zarkon knew when cleaned, these walls would reflect back, dark, shining. The place was huge. Rooms of every size were here, but the one room that held importance to him was the throne room. His search was rewarded at last when he found it behind massive double doors. The throne chair sat high above the room, with stairs leading up to it. Zarkon raised an eyebrow. This would be very appealing - sitting above all, watching them kneel before him. A king belonged above the rabble, not among them. He knew that there were some kings - namely King Alfor of Arus who did that sort of thing - mix among the rabble, that is.
Zarkon walked up the stairs and sat down on the massive golden throne. Although it was covered with dust, he felt that it fit him. He gazed at the gloomy empty room and could imagine his Court, his petitioners, his slaves, everyone here kneeling to him, awaiting his words. Zarkon smiled. This dark planet would suit him well. He did not know the name of it, but he would find out using the star charts.
He arose and went back to his ship. After finding the problem, he quickly repaired the ship and left. He found out the planet's ancient name was Ch'aaron and within months he had established his personal residence there. He had troops shipped there and had ordered colonies of people to settle there against their will. Slaves came there as well. Within a few years, Ch'aaron was populated with Zarkon's subjects. Ch'aaron was still the barren world it had been centuries ago, although the radiation and the chemicals had dissipated from the atmosphere. The slaves and the citizens of that world never called Ch'aaron home, nor did they call it by it's rightful name. It was the slaves who christened the planet a name that everyone would know and fear..
This name stuck and soon everyone, even King Zarkon called it - Planet Doom....
To Three
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