2/12/11 The Black Shalu

For years I have had this idea of a military force that is hired by others to fight wars and provide security, much like a modern security force in Iraq or elsewhere. But this military force works contracts across the galaxy and along with money they are paid in solar systems and battle fleets. And leading this galactic military force would be a single man. This is the story of one of those men and how he caused problems for the Black Shalu and the future leader of the mightiest military force in the universe.

The contract was to suppress the rebel forces on the desert moon orbiting Odiu. When the Black Shalu negotiated the contract there was an antiquities clause that was created to compensate for any additional costs if the hiring party could not pay for extensions. The desert moon tested that clause.

Fleet Admiral and Supreme General of the Black Shalu, Gulion Strax IV, led the Black Shalu forces in the suppression operations. This was a very rare occurrence and when the mission was successful the native inhabitants of the desert moon despised the Black Shalu for reasons other than fighting a war against them.

The inhabitants of the desert moon used a form of energy manipulation that many superstitious individuals would consider magic. After action reports and intelligence summaries referred to this as Manipulation of Physics and Energy. But in the field, soldiers referred to is sorcery and witchcraft. Commanders warned troops not to discuss it in such ways but court martial and demotion takes valuable troops away from the fight.

Gulion Strax IV sought an item that the inhabitants used long ago to protect the moon from outside interlopers. He was not a superstitious man and sought the item to use it militarily. Unfortunately, it would change him and the Black Shalu forever.