Black Legion: 03 - Warlords of Cunaxa (36 page)

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Xenophon cradling his prized relic and standing amongst the wounded warriors and dozens of medics. The great hulk of the ship shuddered every few seconds as Median energy weapons licked at her shields ineffectually. Xenophon opened his mouth to speak, but the rumble as the main engines powered up stopped him. Instead, he turned to his friends and then to Artemas. She looked just as bruised and exhausted as he was. None of them spoke until finally Glaucon took a step away.

“I need a drink. Who’s coming with me?”

Roxana smiled and moved towards him. Xenophon looked back to Artemas who took a slow breath and nodded in agreement.

“Yes, I think we could all do with a drink, a very strong drink.”

Andronicus

One of the senior commanders of the ground troops in the Arcadian contingent. He played a minor part in the action at Cilicia and was involved in the debacle of the Olympia.

Ariaeus

Median general and Cyrus’ second-in-command. The young rival of Tissaphernes but powerful and ambitious. He commanded a fleet that was double the size of the Legion as well as over 20,000 automaton stratiotes. Famous for leading a series of revolts in the border lands against central Median control. He was a loyal friend of Cyrus but never fully trusted by the Terrans.

Arkeisios

Second-in-commander to Dukas Phalinus, the trainer of Artaxerxes conscripts and responsible for establishing the defences of the Cunaxa Nebula. A Zacynthian like his commander.

Artaxerxes (Emperor of the Medes)

The half-brother of Lord Cyrus and leader of the most powerful Empire in the known universe. Artaxerxes was a shrewd tactician and ruthless in ambition. His personal fortune and Royal Fleet were the envy of every Terran world.

Artemas of Caria

The beautiful daughter of Lygdamis, one of the Median governors of the independent Ionian Territories and niece of Cyrus.

Artemis (Komes)

Commander of the elite
Epilektoi
unit station on the Titan Valediction. Close friend of
Kleandridas
and famous for taking the Alliance battle standard at Aegospotami. One of the most experienced junior officers in the Legion.

Clearchus (Strategos)

Clearchus was a famous Strategos, possibly the most famous human leader in the last hundred years and the military leader of the Black Legion. Two metres tall, strong and an expert on space and ground combat. Like all Laconians, his body tough and strong through continuous training and conflict. He missed the end of the war with the Alliance and had been exiled to one of the League’s distant outposts until being found by Cyrus.

Crixus

Laconian politician and former general. Leader of the Thirty Tyrants on Attica during the occupation and considered both a hero on his
homeworld
and a tyrant on Attica.

Cyrus

Half-brother of the Emperor. Tall for an Imperial but still lithe and quick. Lived in self-imposed exile following the death of his father, rather than risk the wrath of his power-hungry brother Artaxerxes. Secretly arranged for groups of mercenaries to mass at the Cilician Gates. Their mission was the usurpation of the Emperor himself.

Erika Montoya

A Terran politician on the planet Attica. After decades of service for the state, she became one of the Thirty. One of the few officials to survive the pogrom following the reinstatement of democracy. Rumoured to have business dealings with the Laconians and born into one of the richest estates in the Alliance.

Ezekiel Manus

The Kybernetes of the Black Legion cruiser Vendetta, who took over command of the ship following the death of the kentarchos.

Glaucon

Friend of Xenophon. A playboy from one of the richest families on Attica. A strong democrat that grew up with Xenophon. He joined the democrats on Attica and aided their revolt against the Tyrants prior to his exile. He escaped with Xenophon after being accused of helping one of the collaborators. Known for his bitterness towards Clearchus for the death of his brothers in battle.

Gryllus

Xenophon’s father, murdered on Attica. Member of the Thirty but fought publically for citizens of Attica. Considered a hero after being murdered by Xenophon. In reality killed by Montoya and her henchman.

Julius (Dekarchos)

Dekarchos of the elite 6
^th
Spatharios on board the Arcadian Titan Olympia. Assisted in the evacuation following the disaster and commended for bravery under fire.

Kantos

Fencing instructor from Attica. Served with the Black Legion. Had not been heard of after having been exiled for sedition after fighting the Thirty Tyrants on Attica. His brother was killed prior to him leaving Attica to join the Legion.

Kleandridas

One of the two topoteretes of the Ten Thousand, deputy commanders of the Armada and close friends of Clearchus. He was from a poor mining family that were killed during the Mining Revolt, a famous event in Arcadian history. There were later rumours that the revolt was staged by the Medes under the command of Ariaeus.

Meno the
Thassalian
(Dukas)

A scarred mercenary commander that commanded the Titan Poseidon. Rumoured to be one of the richest Terrans in the fleet, if not the entire Terran territory. He was violent, ill tempered, but a great tactician. His Titan was the most sophisticated and powerful in the Legion and led the vanguard to the climactic battle against Artaxerxes.

Menon

A disgraced Satrap that turned to piracy and slavery on the Imperial frontier. His politics were confused and his allegiance uncertain until his actions at the climax of the battle at the Khorram shipyards where he saved the life of Artaxerxes. Not to be confused with Meno the Thessalian, one of the commanders of the Black Legion.

Pasion (Komes)

Commander of the Night Blades. A strong supporter of Dukas Xenias and one of the first Terran officers to be involved in the fighting at the Cilician Gates. Quick to anger and very distrustful of the Medes, he was also an expert in the use of heavy weapons and explosives.

Pleistoanax

One of the two topoteretes of the Ten Thousand, deputy commanders of the armada. He oversaw the operation at the Cilician Gates while Clearchus and Kleandridas commanded the operation from the ground. An outstanding officer and the best in his class at the Arcadian Army Academy. Considered by many to be the finest tactician in the fleet. He might have even made it as commander of the Legion if it were not for his infamous womanising.

Roxana Devereux

Officer in the Alliance Navy, friend of Xenophon. Met on Attica before enlistment. A confidant and tall women with thick auburn hair and grey eyes. She was almost the same height and build as Xenophon and spent time both in the Alliance military and working as a mercenary prior to the expedition.

Sharon Hughes

Pentarchos on the Vendetta. Leader of one of the many spatharii units that served on the Arcadian Titan Olympia. Famous for being the only survivor of her unit following the calamity of the Olympia incident.

Tamara

A young teenage warrior with the Black legion. A runaway with experience of smuggling and black market dealing.

Tissaphernes

Median Satrap and high lord of the rich regions around the Cilician Gates. Close friend of the Emperor and major rival of Cyrus. His power and influence was second only to his scheming and politics.

Xenias (Dukas)

An Arcadian soldier and commander of the Olympia. He took a vast contingent of 2,000 mercenaries with him to join the Ten Thousand. His junior commanders included Komes Pasion, leader of the Night Blades.

Xenophon

A citizen of Attica and rumoured to be a pupil of Kratez. Saw limited service during the Terran Civil War. Prefect of the Inner Wards on Attica. Eventually forced into exile with Glaucon. Blamed for death of his father
Gryllus
, who fought for the rights of the citizens with the Thirty. Joined the Ten Thousand mercenaries that fought for the rebel Prince Cyrus against the Empire. Though an ardent Attica loyalist, he showed sympathy towards the Laconians and argued against continuing hostilities with them all his life. Famously single for most of his life, avoids getting too involved with any one person. He was tall and slender, with cropped blonde hair and dark blue eyes, and known for being introverted, highly conservative and intellectual.

Anusiya

The elite royal military of the Median Empire. Known as Anusiya in their own language, it means something akin to immortals due to their large numbers that never dwindle.

Arcadia

A Terran world famous for its stoic warriors and weak stability. Many Alliance politicians would joke about the elections not being needed on Arcadia, this was apparently due to the number of coups.

Asgeirr-Carbine

Laconian close quarter weapon. Fits in the fist and lower arm of a warrior and combines a razor sharp blade and a cut down pulse carbine. The entire unit is compact and very light. Short ranged but very powerful, its blade can punch through most armour.

Attica

The heavily populated homeworld of the Atticans and the capital world of the old Terran Alliance. It was one of the earliest colonies established by the Terrans in their earliest years of expansion. Home of Xenophon, Glaucon and Roxana.

Citadel of Cunaxa.

Built on top of a natural peak in the centre of the capital, it was surrounded by a dozen star-shaped fortresses and joining walls of thirty metres in height. Behind all of this was the Citadel itself, a mighty structure covered in domes and pillars that reached up into the clouds. Landing pads, weapon turrets and shield generators covered the entire site. It was the most impressive defensive structure on the planet of Cunaxa Secundus, the second most important planet in the Median Empire and guarded the route to the Imperial homeworld of Babylon Prime.

Combat Drones

War machines built on the worlds of the robotic domains for defensive purposes throughout the Medes Empire. The standard models were of a similar size to a Terran but much broader in the upper body. They lacked complicated hands, and instead were equipped with low velocity pulse weapons and blades. They were designed to be resilient, but lacked tactical awareness or planning capabilities.

Dekas

A small unit of ten soldiers, commanded by a Dekarchos.

Doru Mk II Rifle

Arcadian, standard weapon used by the light infantry for scouting and special operations. The Doru MK II used a high velocity pulse round and was capable of long distance interdiction and could penetrate most modern armours.

Dromon

Generic name for small transports, assault ships and rescue ships. One of the most popular types of craft used throughout the Terran planets. Most were capable of atmospheric flight.

Elamite

A Scythian Class heavy battleship of the Median Empire. Almost half a kilometre long, and frequently used as a command ship for Median fleets. One of the largest ships ever seen outside of the Median Empire’s own territory.

Epilektoi

The elite bodyguard unit of the Laconians used to defend senior commanders at home and on campaign. A full company of these warriors were stationed on the Titan Valediction under the command of Komes Artemis. The unit contained ten elite Dekarchos, each promoted from the ranks of Laconian bodyguard units.