Aedanius is native to the Mirror Universe. For the Prime Universe version of this individual, see Apollo.
Emperor Aedanius I Cretacea is a male Libertus who reigned as the Emperor and Imperial Sovereign of the Gigaquadrantic Hegemony, a vast totalitarian regime which spanned the known galaxies of the universe prior to the arrival of the Black Sickness.
Born from the union of Emperor Minerva IV Blané and Grand Superintendant Willelmus Cretacea in 22,772 HR, Aedanius' birth brought an end to a period of civil war within the Hegemony, which had been torn apart between supporters of House Cretacea, which conquered the Cyrannican throne in 7286 HR, and House Blané, which sought to introduce reforms intended to decentralise Cyrannican power within the Hegemony. In the agreement, Willelmus agreed to revoke his claim to the throne on the condition that it would be his House, and not that of Minerva's, which would claim the Hegemony's throne upon her death. Though Minerva survived numerous assassination attempts spearheaded by her husband, who sought to become Regent, she was killed by Aedanius himself, who murdered her as she slept.
As Emperor, Aedanius consolidated his rule over the Gigaquadrant by stamping out lingering supporters of House Blané and securing the supremacy of House Cretacea, building a power base unrivalled by any previous Gigaquadrantian monarch. Although widely considered to be a reclusive ruler, Aedanius travelled widely across his realm and married the Serindian noblewoman Ramashe, who was made his Empress Consort. As Ramashe is not a Libertan, Aedanius secured his legacy by ensuring that his cloned offspring continue the line of House Cretacea. By the third decade of his rule, Aedanius ordered his forces to cross the bounds of reality, leading to his father's incursion into an alternate reality—portending Aedanius' expansionistic intentions.
These ambitions came crashing down when the Xeranbha suddenly, and decisively, conquered vast portions of the Hegemony's territory. Fearing the loss of his home systems, Aedanius dissolved the millennia-old alliance and reformed the Libertan Imperarchate. These efforts were ultimately in vain, however, when a combination of Xeranbha incursions and rebel attacks forced the collapse of the Imperarchate and heralding the fall of the mirror universe to the Xeranbha. Aedanius was one of the few survivors, having been aboard Admiral Helo Roslia's ship as it fled back to the prime universe. In the aftermath, Aedanius was imprisoned by the New Republic Remnant.
As the Emperor of the Hegemony, Aedanius possesses innumerable titles bestowed upon him by his subjects. His official title, however, is His Most Imperial Majesty, Emperor Aedanius I Cretacea, First of His Name, Overlord of Cyrannica, Father of the Libertan Imperarchate, Dominus Mortalitasi, Autokrator of Quadrantia, Dominator-King of the Five Galactic Realms, Imperial Sovereign of the Grand Gigaquadrantic Hegemony.
History
Early Life
Aedanius was born during the the Third Age of the Hegemony, in the year 22754 HR on the Libertus homeworld of Capricaerón. His mother, Minerva IV, saw much promise in her son and from a young age groomed him to eventually become her successor. It did not trouble her that the usual means of succession in the Hegemony was a knife in the dark, it was simply the way things went. As a young child, Aedanius found no joy in the childlike games his fellow younglings played, instead preferring to browse the HoloDomain, researching information about the countless species under the Hegemony.
Aedanius as a child.
When he was fifteen, Aedanius moved with his family to the capital of the Hegemony, the massive space station Xonexi in order to be closer to their mother, who resided on the station as per tradition. Just as he was about to reach his mother to embrace her, a Tybusen terrorist charged at the Imperial family with a dagger in his hand. Just as the terrorist was about to deal a deadly blow to the Empress, Aedanius grabbed him by the neck, lifting him into the air. To his mother's pride, Aedanius crushed the would-be assassin's windpipe and flung his corpse to the ground. The episode cemented the view Minerva held that her son would be the next Emperor.
Over the next three years, the young prince became more and more famous across the universe, even leading countless military operations across the cosmos before his nineteenth birthday. Eventually, his time had come. After a successful military campaign in the Galaxon Galaxy, Aedanius returned to the Hegemony's capital. As midnight struck, Aedanius was now considered an adult. Sneaking into his mother's chambers using advanced phasing technology, Aedanius waited until the time was right to strike. The next morning, as both he and Minerva predicted, he was crowned Emperor in the aftermath of her mysterious death.
First Years of Power
During his first years of power as Sovereign of the Gigaquadrant, Aedanius was responsible for improving the infrastructure of the Hegemony's galaxies to a degree that hadn't been seen since the glorious reign of one of his distant ancestors, the Empress Io. This included a massive refit to the Xonexi space station, which was now every bit as glorious as the official capital of the Hegemony should be. Other achievements included the introduction of a vast fleet of deadly new warships designed to keep the peace across the Hegemony's immeasurable territory, which continued to grow at a pace not seen since the golden days of the First Age.
All was not just work for the young Emperor however. During a state visit to the Quadrantia Province, Aedanius met with the leader of the Province, the young Serindia known as Ramashe, a ruthless and unforgiving tyrant who ruled with an iron claw. Almost immediately after laying eyes on one another, they both became infatuated. Aedanius found himself drawn to Ramashe's unnatural good lucks and her strong-willed personality. Ramashe herself, grow madly in love with the young Emperor and by the summer of 22777 HR, the two were married. With her new position as Empress Consort, Ramashe moved to Xonexi to sit at Aedanius' right hand.
Fall of the Hegemony
After decades of relatively peaceful and secure rule, the greatest calamity ever to befall the Hegemony struck in but an instant. A mysterious plague spread from the dark corners of the cosmos, swallowing up entire galaxies in its wake. The Hegemony dubbed the incoming storm the "Black Sickness", resistance against which soon proved impossible. Uncaring about his subjects beyond Cyrannica, Aedanius promptly dissolved the Hegemony and reinstated the Libertan Imperarchate, cutting Cyrannica off from the rest of the galaxy.
Helo speaks with Aedanius.
Rebellions against his rule soon spread, and while much resistance was quelled during the Battle of the Wormhole, Aedanius was confronted with arrivals from the Prime Universe, an alternate reality he had aspired to conquer. Though willing to kill Admiral Helo Roslia, the knight of the Aldárae Order Aoirtae Valaeris overwhelmed his guards and forced his surrender. By promising to exchange information on the Black Sickness in return for a ship capable of transporting them back to their own universe, Roslia left Aedanius with little choice but to cooperate. Unbeknown to the Emperor, this would prove his salvation, as he was aboard the starship Terroriser as it fled Coruaan from the arrival of the Xeranbha. Though lamenting the fall of his empire, Aedanius willingly allowed himself to be taken to the alternate universe, where he hoped he would be able to start from scratch.
However, soon after meeting his counterpart, Aedanius was sent to the brig by the orders of Roslia, unwilling to allow such a dangerous man from falling into the wrong hands.
Physical Appearance
Emperor Aedanius is biologically identical to his counterpart in the Prime Universe, though he is noticeably more built-up as a result of his significantly more violent experiences in his life. As Emperor, he wears a dark Imperial suit with maroon embroidery. Aedanius is a believer that deeds make one great, not appearance and so does not waste his time wearing an overly regal attire. Aedanius' charisma is aided by his natural goods looks, much like his counterpart in the Prime Universe.
Personality and Traits
Emperor Aedanius is a cold hearted, ambitious and highly intelligent being devoted to the pursuit of greater power. Unlike his counterpart in the Prime Universe, Aedanius does not care for the ideals of democracy, freedom or self-determination and instead places his trust in the tyrannical Gigaquadrantic Hegemony, which he leads with iron claws. From a glance, Aedanius shares much in common with Tyrómairon, in that he uses his intellect to manipulate events and individuals from afar. Like Tyrómairon, Aedanius is rarely seen in the public eye, but is considered to be the greatest thing to happen to the Hegemony since the golden age.
Relationships
Allies
“Useful.”
- Patriarch Uriel - You have my blessing, Patriarch.
Neutral
“Neutrality? You will submit or be destroyed.”
- Scorpio - An efficient machine.
- Apollo - Interesting. I would convince him of the folly of his ways.
Disliked
“You must be under the illusion that you are safe. You are not.”
- Lady Eolania Menoraim - Ahahaha! Do not think yourself immune from "my" powers, witch.
- Aoirtae Valaeris - Swine.
- Helo Roslia - You will rue the day you crossed me.}}
Enemies
“Your death will be a kindness... One you do not deserve.”
- Viscount Lorrelas - Your fate is sealed.
Quotes
“Under your leadership and influence, your eminence, our eternal hegemony shall be unstoppable!”
“There's a storm coming, "Emperor", and you had better hope you're prepared for it. Because when I'm done with you and the Hegemony you will know what oppression feels like.”
- - Viscount Lorrelas
“You are successful in your occupation of suppressing the chaotic population.”
- - Scorpio
“You are powerful, my emperor... And a way to get power.”
“I will serve you well, sir.”
“Powerful as you are... even the strongest minds can be broken.”
“Interesting. Observe, watch, and wait.”
- - Sayril-qua
“A wise and honourable leader, we serve with loyalty and respect.”
- - Praefecta Vesta
Trivia
- Aedanius is the mirror universe version of Apollo. The two individuals couldn't be more different.
Appearances
- Second Great Cyrannus War
- Chronicles: Part V - The Crack in the Mirror (First appearance)
Gallery
