Phovus

(Portrait of Director Phovus following his cybernetic reconstruction after the Battle of Ganymede)

Phovus
Aliases	Last Son of Khoria The Grand Usurper
Relatives	Daniel Sproule - Spouse The Employers - Nemesis
Affiliation	Combine Empire Waifurian Empire Himself
Occupation	Commander in the Combine Armed Forces Director of Tactical Operations Director of Combine Scientific Endeavors Director of the Black Mesa Research Facility Director of the Waifurian Science Institute High Chairman of the Imperial Ministry of Science and Progress
Biographical information
Marital status	Daniel Sproule
Date of birth	Unknown
Place of birth	Khoria
Date of death	20,030 AB
Place of death	Memphis, Tennessee
Physical description
Species	Khorian
Gender	Male
Height	7'9, 8'8 after cybernetics
Weight	279 lbs
Eye color	Red
Appearances

Phovus was a Khorian soldier and scientist who had the rare distinction of working for both the Combine and Waifurian Empires. He was a fierce rival to the Employers and ultimately doomed the Omniverse through his own hubris.

Early Life

Not much is known of Phovus' early life, however it is known that he was incredibly competitive in academics, had a fondness for science and its utilities, and held a deep-seated love for his home planet and its people.

Conscription and Training

Sometime before the Great META War, Phovus was conscripted as an officer into the Combine Imperial Army as part of the Combine Armament Initiative which was a mandatory conscription bill issued by the Combine Emperor Xos in order to prepare for the upcoming invasion of the Milky Way Galaxy. Even in the earliest stages of his training, Phovus’ prowess for tactical analysis shone through. He seemed to simply be naturally beyond the ability of his peers, which resulted in a great amount of admiration from his comrades, and a great amount of envy from his competitors. Seeing how quickly his skills had developed, Phovus’ superiors released him from the training early as they were eager to see his undeniable talent put to work.

Early Military Career

Phovus was almost immediately assigned to the frontline against the emerging Tashiinan Empire, which had proved to be a difficult system to conquer, even for the likes of the Combine. Many of the commanders assigned to the front doubted Phovus’ ability to effectively defeat the Tashiinans, given their unbelievable power of sight-based telekinesis. Phovus, understanding the threat this posed to the Combine’s military operations, began to devise a strategy against his foe. He recalled something he had learned back in his days in the academies on Khoria, a particular strain of the Cholvesta virus on Haephlys, one of the 47 moons of the planet Vilmar. Phovus arranged for a secretive transport to the moon in order to collect samples of the virus. After a several-month-long trip to and from Haephlys, Phovus redirected the samples to a small laboratory under his jurisdiction on the outskirts of the Tashiina system. In truth, the Cholvesta variant was infamous across the Andromeda Galaxy for inducing a several-month-long blindness in infected subjects. However, the task assigned to the scientists under Phovus’ jurisdiction was to render infected subjects permanently blind. Phovus’ intent for this strain was to unleash it via a modified variant of the Combine’s pre-existing orbital headcrab launchers onto the population of the Tashiinans, in an effort to render their telekinesis unusable. This strategy, when employed, proved absolutely overwhelming for the Tashiinans. What was, at the time, the worst front for the Combine had suddenly become a cakewalk and when the Combine's legions crashed through the front doors of the Tashiinan Palace and executed the Tashiinan royalty, every single Combine personnel from there to the Southern Belt Front knew that Phovus had earned them that victory. This undeniably successful effort earned him several promotions and more praise than he could have ever asked for. Phovus continued to easily blitz through the systems of the Milky Way, earning the Combine scores of inhabitable systems for their grand empire, and he himself only continued to grow in influence and power. Phovus was particularly aware of the importance he now held in the Combine’s operations, as he had conquered large sections of one of the Milky Way's galactic arms by now, so it came as a surprise to him when the message that he was being redeployed to just a single planet. “Earth?” He thought to himself. “What could one planet possibly have that could have slowed our advance this much?”

Introduction to the Sol System

When Phovus exited his Combine Imperial Landing Shuttle after it had touched down onto the landing pad of Polus Base, he was rather irritated. An entire campaign sacrificed for one measly little planet? This had better prove worthy of his time. Somewhat surprising to Phovus was that the troops stationed here, who answered directly to General Grievous himself, were saluting him. Phovus knew his exploits across the Milky Way were well-known, but he had heard of the Kaleesh’s particular annoyance at anyone other than him being honored, especially among his own troops. Combined with the general’s exhibitions of great violence and miraculously limited patience, which were so famous that Phovus had heard of them long before he had ever been conscripted, he understood that these troop’s salutes may very well have been a display of their willingness to sacrifice themselves for him in and of themselves. Upon his arrival, one of the soldiers directed him towards the Combine Invasion Force Council’s board room. Phovus thanked the soldier, and went on his way.

Enlistment to the CIFC

He entered the boardroom and was greeted with a sight that greatly confused him. Sitting around a table were General Grievous, who had been the one to summon him initially, as well as Admirals Amonger and Trench. A G-Man variant was present as well, although Phovus was not yet aware of which particular one this one was. “Take a seat, Commander.” Grievous beckoned, one of his cybernetic hands motioning Phovus forward. Phovus, albeit with some slight hesitation, complied with Grievous’ order. “I am certain you understand the importance of the individuals sharing this table with you currently, Commander. Do you know why I have summoned you?” questioned Grievous. “I am afraid not, General. But what I fear more is whatever our opponents possess that would require such a high concentration of military genius.” replied Phovus, attempting to appease Grievous’ ego. “I have heard of you and your accomplishments elsewhere in the galaxy, Commander. Your talents are wasted on the easily-conquered filth that reside in the Northern Belt.” Phovus took some offense from this. He had met plenty of capable opponents during the battles he participated in, and while they were no tactical geniuses, they were certainly more thoughtful than Grievous’ barbaric methods of simply utilizing sheer numbers. Concealing his agitation, Phovus spoke once more. “If these Earth people are really all that difficult to conquer that it requires the unified efforts of our empire's greatest military minds, then I suppose it would be worth sacrificing my previous efforts.” Perfect, Phovus thought to himself, allowing Grievous to believe he had convinced him into joining their little single-planet crusade would no doubt feed whatever pit the Kaleesh warlord had in his mind that fueled his infamous ego. “Excellent. I have personally selected you for the position of our Director of Tactical Operations.” Grievous spoke a very obvious twinge of joy in his voice. Suddenly, the G-Man variant spoke up for the first time since the meeting had begun. “You're forgetting a crucial element of the process, General.” “The vote is unnecessary, we need his assistance to crush the human scum under our feet!” Grievous retorted, very clearly upset at this interruption. “Just go along with it Grievous, any more breaks in protocol and Xos might have you relocated,” whispered Amonger, clearly just wanting the meeting to be over with. “Fine, but if we lose his involvement with this front, you'll have more to worry about than just Rick Hernia,” Grievous begrudgingly replied. The vote began shortly after. “Aye,” spoke Grievous, who was clearly growing more frustrated by the minute. “Aye,” the G-Man variant spoke with an unsettling calmness to his voice. “Nay,” muttered Admiral Trench, very clearly attempting to avoid Grievous’ burning gaze. The entire table then turned to Amonger, his body language revealing nothing about his preferences. Phovus was not particularly invested in the final result of Amonger's vote; all else failed, he would simply return to the North Belt to continue his campaign there. However, he did find enjoyment in watching Grievous squirm. Finally, Amonger cast his vote. “Nay,” the Inherslohtian calmly spoke. Before Amonger could even provide the reasoning he had prepared, Grievous yelled out “XOS DAMN IT!” and proceeded to flip the table over, nearly crushing Admiral Trench in the process. “ROCK PAPER SCISSORS! NOW!” yelled Grievous, who challenged Amonger in a game of fate to decide Phovus’ involvement. Thankfully for the bone structure of everyone in the room, Grievous won the game and Phovus’ position was secured.

Formation of the Research Corps

Phovus’ involvement in the Combine’s operations were, to his surprise, much less involved than he had expected. He took on a largely advisory role, although the Combine had begun to make some advances, specifically with Grievous’ capturing of Southern Europe and Admiral Amonger’s ongoing bombing campaign of Southeast Asia. While this allotted more free time, Phovus found that it had highlighted a growing disinterest in continuing with his military career. It had been many many years since he had studied the scientific arts back on Khoria, and his time spent in the Sol System made it very evident that there had at one point been several ancient civilizations present. The presence of the artifacts, as well as a very serious case of homeworldsickness, ignited within the director a new calling…

Initially, Phovus wasn't entirely sure how to go about manifesting his desire to study the remnants of the long-lost civilizations that had once inhabited the system before, so he began to devise a way to conceal it as a military effort. He thought of Grievous, as the Kaleesh conqueror was all too easy to manipulate. Phovus’ own induction into the CIFC was proof of that. Better yet, Grievous of all people would be all too eager to let Phovus do as he pleased, considering he had fought tooth and nail to get him here. The only problem was that he would need some form of falsified products should the search turn up ultimately useless. Phovus figured that a setup of 3D Printers, a rather common commodity, should suffice in order to cover his trail. Eventually, he approached Grievous, seeking to have what was to him the opportunity of a lifetime. Summoning Grievous to his office, Phovus took a sip of his Numejian Blackwater Brew and waited for the General’s arrival. “I trust that you have requested my presence for an important reason, Director.” Grievous’ tone reflected a degree of annoyance. Not good, but certainly not unsalvageable, Phovus thought to himself. “I would not have called you directly if it weren't, General.” Phovus spoke with a noticeable amount of positivity, hoping that Grievous would pick up on it, as to ease the Kaleesh’s tension. “My personal guard has discovered a few artifacts of particular interest while following their scouting routes. Having a background in science myself, I noticed that some of these artifacts suggest that the ancient civilizations that inhabited this system may have held a great deal of power.” Grievous’ eyes seemed to light up a bit at the mention of power. Good, Phovus thought to himself, the General was playing into his plan even better than he had hoped. “Go on,” Grievous requested. Obliging, Phovus continued. “I believe with enough resources that I could uncover whatever secrets these ancient peoples were utilizing, and use them for ourselves.” “How much would you need, exactly?” Grievous questioned, that glimmer of the lust for power still shimmering in his eyes. Although hesitant, Phovus decided to try his luck given that Grievous already appeared to be caught hook, line, and sinker. “At least 7 research sites and all the scientists and other staff to man them, 5 army legions that will answer directly to me as well as the necessary accommodations for them, and two dozen well-armed transport ships for excavating, hauling, and defending the artifacts.” Phovus knew this request was absurd and was absolutely more than he needed to accomplish the task at hand, but if there was even a sliver of a chance that Grievous would accept, he had to try to take it. “And how much are these artifacts supposed to help us, Director? All these things you are asking for aren't exactly cheap.” Not the reaction I was hoping for, Phovus thought to himself, but not undoable. “I believe the consequences for our opponents, should we fully utilize the power these ancients have locked away, would be, well, Earth-shattering.” Phovus couldn't help but grin upon finishing his sentence, if there was any description that would secure Grievous’ support, that was it. Much to his delight, that same power-hungry glimmer in Grievous’ eye seemed to have grown even further. “Your demands shall be met Phovus, if what you say about these artifacts is true, we could very well reach the Galactic Core in a matter of months.” Phovus had to physically restrain himself from celebrating right then and there, but internally it was the happiest he had been since his promotion following the events in the Tashiin System. “You will not regret this decision, General. Be seeing you soon.” “And you as well, Director.” Now, Phovus thought, all he needed was a name. In the coming weeks, the 126th Legion AKA the “Research Corps” would be formed and, as requested, would answer to Phovus directly.

Uncovery of the Nexus Core

Years went by, and Phovus had made himself quite comfortable in his position within the Combine’s efforts in the Sol System. Despite his successes in utilizing ancient Annunaki and Bordesian technology, the Combine had been on the backfoot for quite a few years at this point. Grievous’ advancements into Southern Europe were all but undone, and the death of Admiral Trench during the closing days of the Spanish Inquisition had dealt a very heavy toll to the Combine’s operations, with Admiral Amonger only just barely managing to guide Trench’s former troops alongside his own. Additionally, the Human forces were nearing City 9, which could prove to be disastrous if the city fell, and the Bombing of Columbus crippled the only planetary ally that the Combine had, that being the Separatist Republic of Ohio, taking the infamous fighter pilot known only as “Cipher'' out of the war. All of this had greatly displeased Emperor Xos, and Grievous quickly became the subject of his frustrations. In turn, Grievous became far more commanding and ruthless than he had ever been before. Phovus in particular became a target of Grievous, as his involvement had not been the trump card that the Kaleesh had expected. Phovus was no stranger to naysayers, and had long since learned to ignore them, and as such continued to investigate the ancient remnants of the Sol System. This continued for a very long time, until one fateful call came across Phovus’ communicator. “Speak, Captain Sikalyon,” the Khorian spoke, his eagerness concealed by his seemingly-emotionless tone. “We've found something sir, I don't think I've seen anything quite like it before. Energy readings are going off the charts.” “Excellent find, Captain. Have the object transported to the research labs immediately.” Unbeknownst to either of them, Captain Sikalyon’s men had just found the Nexus Core, an ancient Bordesian artifact that held an immeasurable amount of power. When the reports came across his desk, Phovus couldn't believe what he was seeing. These energy readings were unlike anything he had ever seen before. Whatever this object was, Phovus knew instinctively that he had just come across something that could change the face of the Omniverse as they knew it. Phovus immediately redirected all the efforts of the 126th towards researching the Nexus Core. This decision ultimately came with a cost, however, as the 126th were no longer providing Bordesian technologies to the Combine, even the fake ones. This greatly angered General Grievous, who's growing irritation towards Phovus was beginning to reach a boiling point. Phovus sat in his office’s chair, gazing outside the window. Grievous would be a problem. “I can calm him down,” Phovus thought to himself. “He's always been malleable, I just need to think of the right wor-” Just then, the doors to his office slid open, the cold metal slicing through the air more crisp than usual. The mechanical whirring of cybernetic legs had already clued him in as to who now stood in his quarters, but Phovus knew who it was the minute the doors had opened. Noone outside of the CIFC members, and Captain Sikalyon, had the clearance to so much as gaze at that door. Turning his chair slowly, his gaze met Grievous’. Before he could speak, the Kaleesh’s tarnished voice rang out across the room. “I have noticed a significant decline in the amount of that technology you promised in the last few weeks, Director.” “I am afraid that is no longer the primary focus for myself and my compatrio-” Suddenly, one of Grievous’ mechanical arms shot out from underneath his cloak and snapped itself in a vice grip around Phovus’ throat. “Your ‘primary focus’ is not my problem, Phovus! You were given all this on the foundation of a charter that you have now forsaken!” Phovus was unable to respond, the steel claws of Grievous’ arm nearly choking the life out of him. He clawed at the cold yet rageful steel, attempting to release himself from the General's grasp. That wasn't going to work, he had to think of something else. “I am the sole reason you are even in this system, you traitor! Everything you have here belongs to m-” before Grievous could finish his sentence, he felt something metallic slide between the armored plating protecting his vital organs. In his rage, the General had not noticed that Phovus had drawn and placed a plasmacaster pistol against his organ casing. Grievous released Phovus, the latter of which began sputtering and coughing. As the air returned to his lungs, Phovus witnessed Grievous exit his room without a word. Clambering to his feet, Phovus knew he could not continue to prod Grievous, not without a backing Grievous couldn't simply massacre.

The Birth of the NCRI

A few days had passed since the incident involving Grievous, and Phovus knew if he wanted to continue his work he would need more than what the 126th alone could provide. He met in secret with G-3301 and Admiral Amonger individually, seeking to utilize their position on the council to introduce a proposal that would strengthen his forces tenfold. Amonger needed hardly any convincing, he of all people knew that Grievous held far too much dominion over the Combine’s operations. Amonger, ever the strategist, saw the opportunity for the balance, or rather imbalance, of power within the council to be upset. He believed that Phovus’ growing power and influence could potentially be enough to ensure Grievous didn't simply threaten or Rock Paper Scissors his way through any final decisions, and thus his allegiance was secured. G-3301, however, proved a bit more difficult to convince. Grievous’ military campaigns proved costly and had largely resulted in failure, yes, but the kind of resources Phovus was asking for would almost certainly be too large of a nudge… that was, however, until Phovus’ rebuttal. Phovus knew Grievous’ failures were only growing more and more expensive by the day, and eventually, that money would dry up. It might take decades, but the Combine’s pockets were not bottomless. Suddenly, it hit him. Phovus now knew the one question that would shake the Combine Invasion Force’s economic specialist to his core.

“When the money dries up, do you wish to inform him on your own?”

G-3301 had not considered that before. He knew he was a direct product of The Auditor, yet, the G-Men were not immortal. Strong, yes, but not indestructible. He had, in fact, witnessed the slaying of his compatriots before. Could Grievous really achieve such a feat? G-3301 knew he could kill Grievous, he was not the strongest of his ilk, but certainly no mere cyborg could slay him. Another thought then raced through his head. His position. If such a magnificent display of power were to be witnessed, and it most certainly would, given Grievous’ importance in the 3rd Dimension, there would almost certainly be, well… consequences on behalf of The Auditor. G-3301 then realized, in order to continue to perform the tasks laid out before him, siding with Phovus was essential.

With the remaining members of the CIFC now in his clutches, Phovus called for an emergency meeting. The decision to further supply Phovus’ operations was a stunning landslide victory of 3-1. Grievous was now beyond livid, but he knew that he could not so much as lay a finger on Phovus, as he would undeniably be discharged and possibly set for execution if he took the Director's life. Grievous had been completely outsmarted and outmaneuvered by Phovus, and he knew it. It only made him even more angry.

Funding Blunder

All was seemingly going well for Phovus, he had the CIFC in his pocket, save for Grievous who ultimately couldn't even come close to getting his vengeance, and the NCRI was accomplishing things that the 126th Research Corps. couldn't have hoped to achieve before the end of the war. Admiral Amonger, in combination with the security forces of the NCRI, far outnumbered the troops under Grievous’ command, ensuring any attempted attack against the triumvirate would be fruitless. Additionally, G-3301 provided the NCRI with a significant amount of funds to complete their work. Overall, Phovus was essentially the new head of the Combine's operations in the Sol System. This system would persist for about two dozen years, until a particular error would be made by the Combine’s higher-ups. Phovus’ soft coup of the Combine’s military structure in the Sol System had not gone unnoticed. At first no one of importance, except perhaps Grievous, seemed to care all that much as Phovus ran things significantly better than Grievous ever had. In fact, the Combine had actually gained ground since his ascension to the head of the CIFC. The stalemate in Asia that had persisted since the disappearance of Vong was broken and the Combine re-entered China, using it to open frontlines into Siberia and Central Asia. The fighting taking place outside of City 9 that had persisted for the past 4-5 decades ceased as the MTO was pushed back to the US-Mexico border. (Normally, the Combine’s forces would have continued into the US mainland, but the installations in, on, and around the newly-constructed “Great Wall of MAGA” commissioned by Donald Trump proved to be too much for the Combine to combat properly.) Despite this success, the extra funding being produced by G-3301 eventually caught the eye of the Combine Imperial Economic Commission, and it was discovered that G-3301 was embezzling large sums of cash towards the NCRI’s work. This caught the eye of G-4323, then only the Supreme Imperial Treasurer, who informed Emperor Xos of his findings. To say Xos was infuriated would be an understatement. Normally, such a transgression would result in the executions of both Phovus and G-3301, however their tactical importance to the Sol Front was undeniable. As a compromise, Xos simply cut the funding to the Sol Front down to 1/5th of what it had been. The effects of this were very quickly felt, as the NCRI failed to keep the security and scientific contractors on their payroll. Only those most loyal to Phovus remained in the organization, as just before the funding cuts it was suspected that a major breakthrough in the process of creating something capable of utilizing the Nexus Core’s raw power was soon approaching. Despite the loyalty of his subordinates in the NCRI, his grip on the CIFC very quickly slipped as neither G-3301 nor Admiral Amonger truly believed that Phovus could protect them from Grievous anymore. This belief was very quickly proved correct, as Grievous almost immediately claimed the power he had before, and subsequently cut Phovus’ funding even further believing he would find more enjoyment out of watching the Director lose everything than simply killing him. Phovus was, understandably, distraught at the events that had unfolded. The scientific breakthrough of the millennium was within his grasp, only to be ripped away by superiors too arrogant and too incompetent to even begin to understand the kind of work he was doing. The budget constraints imposed by the Imperial Government and Grievous resulted in a rate of progress lower than the 126th Legion produced. It could be eons before that breakthrough arrived. Phovus, in desperation, began to secretly sell Combine, Bordesian, and Annunaki technology to the Earth governments and the MTO in order to obtain more funds for the NCRI. The funds from these deals kept the NCRI afloat for now and even managed to push the development progress back above the 126th’s rate, but Phovus knew this method was unsustainable. Someone was going to find out eventually, and the consequences of his betrayal would almost certainly mean death.

Employeric Intervention

Phovus spent weeks contemplating how to correct his scenario. He knew he had nowhere to run once the Combine inevitably found out about his selling of technology to the Earth governments, but he also couldn’t afford to cease selling them lest the NCRI completely collapse. He was completely and utterly stuck. He had worked tirelessly since the minute he arrived in this system to uncover the secrets of the ancient peoples that had inhabited it. Had it all been for nothing? Despair began to well up in him, and he began to accept that he would never uncover the secrets of the Nexus Core and witness the unfathomable power it contained. Just then a pyre of shadow and flame arose within his quarters, stunning the director. A being slowly began to take shape from the pillar of black flame, emanating an ominous red glow. Unbeknownst to Phovus at the time, he now stood before The Auditor himself. “Sounds like you’re in a bind, Phovus.” “That would be an understatement. And you are?” Phovus replied, only barely managing to contain his shock. “Call me The Auditor. Now, as for why I’m here, I have an idea that I think we can both benefit from.” This intrigued Phovus. Could this being truly assist him? “Go on.” “You see, the Combine are getting to be a bit of a thorn in my side. I have what you could call a sort of “vested interest” in Earth, and the hundreds of years of war and all that is becoming a bit of a problem.” “And how do I fall into this picture?” the director inquired, wondering what this entity before him could possibly have seen on Earth that could be considered worth an investment. “You can help me by taking this.” Manifesting between the two of them was a machine marked with lettering that spelled out “Improbability Drive” although to Phovus it did not seem all that particularly impressive. “What does it do?” “I’m glad you asked. You see, this baby right here has the ability to harness the full power of that little Bordesian artifact you’ve been working on for all this time.” This immediately piqued Phovus’ interest, although some small nagging part of him distrusted this deal. However, if what this “Auditor” had said were true, it could be his way out of this damnable situation. “You can have it on one condition.” “That being?” “You leave the Combine and join the humans.” This took Phovus back for a minute. He was certainly not enthusiastic about remaining allied with the Combine after the way he had been treated, he would leave them behind in an instant if he could, but what of Khoria? He would almost certainly never see his homeworld again, and his people would likely view him as a traitor for the rest of history. This decision weighed heavily on his mind. His home or his magnum opus? The Auditor grew ever more impatient, the director’s indecisiveness proving to be of great annoyance. Were this not so critical, he would have outsourced this to one of the G-Men. “Look man, I get it. Homeworld’s gonna view you as a bad guy forever. Big whoop. With this, you’ll have the ability to change the face of the Omniverse forever. Are you gonna let the opinion of one measly little planet stop you from impacting trillions more?” Phovus hated to admit it, but this “Auditor” had a point. The good he could do with this power far outweighed what his people’s opinion of him had on an omniversal scale. “Alright. I’ll do it.” “Wonderful. Now, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I have an out for all those weapons you’ve been selling. One of my employees on the CIFC has found evidence that Admiral Amonger is the one behind the weapons deals. Three days from now there’ll be an emergency meeting. You two will have to convince the Kaleesh it’s Amonger behind the weapons deals. When that’s over, get the Nexus Core in the Improbability Drive and get your ass to Ganymede as soon as you can. I already have elements working with the Earth governments to ensure you and my gift’s safe transfer. Got that?” “Understood. I am forever in your debt.” “Don’t worry ‘bout it, just make sure those Combine asshats get pushed out of this system. Oh, and if you try to fuck me over, I’ll obliterate Khoria, the NCRI, and then you. In that order.” With that, The Auditor vanished. A strange blend of relief, anticipation, anxiousness, and familiarity washed over Phovus. Whatever happened next, he knew it could change the face of the Omniverse forever.

Emergency Meeting

Three days following the meeting between Phovus and The Auditor, the Employer’s prediction came true. Phovus entered the CIFC’s boardroom knowing full well what was about to occur. While waiting, Phovus came to realize that G-3301 had to be the one under the service of The Auditor. He was perplexed by this, but before he could put any further thought to it, Grievous and G-3301 both entered the room. G-3301 was noticeably sweating, further confirming Phovus’ earlier realization. Grievous sat down in his chair at the head of the table, while G-3301 took the seat across from Phovus. Amonger was late, as he usually was to these meetings following the death of Admiral Trench. Speaking of Admiral Trench, Phovus only just now realized his chair was still present at the council table despite him having been dead for years now. Phovus shrugged this off and took the holopad sitting in front of him to view recent developments across the Combine Empire. Among the articles, he saw mention of Khoria having successfully propped up several colonies throughout its solar system. He felt a twinge of pain at the sight of this, but it quickly faded. He knew what had to be done. At least Khoria would continue to expand and develop, he thought to himself. The three sat there awkwardly for hours, the occasional cough from Grievous the only noise to fill the room. Eventually, Amonger arrived. He apologized for his tardiness and took his seat across the table from Grievous. Grievous reluctantly conducted the formal opening of the meeting and took his seat upon its completion. “So, 3301, I was told you had found something of interest?” the General inquired. “Y-yes, General. A report was filed to my office a few days ago. I want you to l-look at it.” As Grievous took the holopad from him, 3301 may as well have been sweating bullets. He was visibly uncomfortable with this whole meeting. Phovus wondered just what the hell The Auditor had done to him to have the usually calm and collected G-Man variant this raddled. Grievous scoured the holopad, taking particular care to absorb every last detail included in the document. Suddenly, a spark of burning anger lit up in his eyes. He immediately snapped his head to face Amonger. “So, Amonger, did you think your betrayal would not one day be exposed?” Amonger was visibly confused, surprisingly composed in the face of an angry Grievous. “I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about General, what exactly are you accusing me of here?” “The weapons deals you’ve been making with the humans you imbecile!” Grievous shouted, the entire room shaking from his voice alone. “I assure you I have done no such thing, General.” The two went back and forth for what seemed like an eternity until Grievous singled out Phovus for his opinion on the matter. “I believe the evidence speaks for itself, General. Amonger is clearly a traitor to the Combine Empire and should be punished as such.” Amonger immediately took notice of this and accused Phovus in return. He pointed out how Phovus would be the most likely culprit, seeking to make up for his lost profits by the budgetary restrictions placed on him in order to continue his research into the Nexus Core and the further development of the NCRI. Grievous was taken aback by this, everything Amonger said made sense. Although he did not show it, Phovus was terrified. Everything he had worked for could be jeopardized now. It was then that G-3301, in a fit of anxiety and desperation, yelled out “Red Sus!” For whatever reason, this immediately swayed Grievous back towards blaming Amonger. Amonger was sentenced to death on the spot by Grievous, leading to the Admiral’s escape from Polus Base where he would disappear for thousands of years. With Amonger out of the way, Phovus directed the NCRI to begin making preparations for an emergency trip to Ganymede. All but Phovus’ most trusted officials were kept in the dark about the purpose of this trip. He had his most elite troops board his craft headed by his favorite subordinate, Captain Sikalyon. He gave explicit orders to his second in command, Colonel Gestalt, to inflict as much damage as possible to the Combine using what assets the NCRI had left. Finally, he fashioned himself a blade with the power of the Improbability Drive made of a new element he named Unobtanium. Unobtanium was essentially the perfect metal, dense and strong, but light enough to not require a great deal of strength to wield it. Phovus would dub this weapon the Binary Sword. With everything set in motion, Phovus boarded the shuttle set to Ganymede.

Dissenters Be Damned

As Phovus boarded the transport cruiser, every soldier saluted him as he passed them. The Improbability Drive, now outfitted with the Nexus Core, was placed onboard the ship in the most secure container available to the NCRI. Phovus took his seat aboard the cruiser, sitting next to Captain Sikalyon. “You seem worried, sir,” Sikalyon commented. “It’s nothing, Captain,” Phovus replied, hoping his leg would stop bouncing out of anxiety. “I’m confident you will see us through this, sir.” Sikalyon’s words had hardly registered with Phovus initially, but they nonetheless eased him a bit. These men were relying on him. Dissenters they may be, the lot of them likely damned the minute they were to stand trial in one of the Earth people’s courts, but they needed him. He alone was responsible for where their fates would lie, a notion he did not take lightly. The starship sailed calmly through space, passing by the rings of Saturn on its voyage to Ganymede. Phovus stared at the planet’s rings for a moment. He had seen dozens of other planets like it, those with rings twice the size or even dual ring systems, but in that moment, it struck him as the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Phovus took a minute to rest, the sounds of the starships’ engines lulling him to sleep.

The Polus Insurrection

Grievous was staring out the window of his office in Polus Base when a request to access his office came across his personal holopad. “Enter.” Grievous simply commanded. As the doors to his office slid open, a Combine foot soldier stumbled into the room, visibly injured. This immediately grabbed Grievous’ attention who inquired about what was going on. “It’s Colonel Gestalt, sir! He and the NCRI are in open rebellion against our forces! I only just barely got away, we have to-” Grievous angrily slammed his robotic hand against the soldier’s throat and lifted him off the ground, leaning in as close as he could. “Coward! Your failure will be the last mistake you ever make!” Grievous then snapped the soldier’s neck as he made his way towards the exit to his office. Grievous was almost entirely consumed with rage. He should have known Phovus would have organized something like this. The one thing that brought Grievous solace was the knowledge that he could finally strangle the life out of the Khorian as he had so desperately desired to for all these years. He marched his way directly to the NCRI’s sector of Polus, fully intent on obliterating every last one of Phovus’ lackeys. As he made it to the frontline, the Combine troops turned in awe at their general, his figure towering over each and every one of them. He effortlessly stood atop the dozens and dozens of storage crates the Combine troops had piled up as an impromptu cover, and stared across the battlefield, the combat having rendered Triton’s cratered surface even more damaged. A plasma round came flying directly at Grievous’ head, which he caught with minimal effort. He stared at the casing as the energy fizzled from it, and crushed it in the palm of his unfeeling durasteel hand. Turning his attention back to the frontline, Grievous drew two of his lightsabers and ignited them, leaping from the crates and sprinting at a blinding speed towards the NCRI-held trench. His first victim was not even granted the swift mercy of a lightsaber, instead meeting his end at the end of the razor-sharp claws that acted as Grievous’ feet. The fallen soldier’s comrades turned to face Grievous, but before the closest two could even fire, their heads were rendered from their shoulders. The rest of the soldiers stood in abject horror, which Grievous silently relished. Wasting no time, Grievous began to carve through the troops that remained in the trench, savoring the look of terror on the faces of each and every single one that he slaughtered. Grievous’ push had allowed the Combine troops to launch a counteroffensive, no doubt attracting the attention of Colonel Gestalt. Grievous knew of Gestalt, “The Combine’s Black Hand” he was known as, on account of the untold number of assassinations he had committed in the name of Emperor Xos. Grievous always hated the ones that hid, they were typically far more annoying than killing them was worth. As the Combine troops secured the trench, Grievous ordered the bodies of the NCRI troops to be piled upon one another, to which his troops obliged. Grievous scaled the pile, standing at its summit, and he called out to Gestalt. “Gestalt! I know you are the one behind this, and I know Phovus has put you up to it! Surrender now and I may yet spare you if you tell me where the Director has run off to!” “Mercy, General?” a disembodied voice responded. “You seriously expect me to be so foolish as to believe you capable of such a thing? Don’t make me laugh.” Just then a rocket launched, seemingly from thin air, as it crashed into the pile of bodies sending Grievous tumbling to the floor. Grievous quickly caught himself courtesy of his cybernetic appendages, but was unable to foresee Gestalt boosting directly towards him. Gestalt latched himself directly on top of Grievous, attempting to jam a knife into his eye. Grievous grabbed Gestalt and threw him off of himself, sending the assassin into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust. Grievous immediately went to stomp at where Gestalt had been, being met with an ion mine instead, temporarily disabling his robotics. Grievous struggled with all of his might to move, but could not. Gestalt decloaked directly in front of him, taking an extending spear-like weapon from his homeworld and jamming it between Grievous’ chest plates, separating them and exposing his organ casing. Grievous knew this could very quickly turn against him if he didn’t act right now. Gestalt lined up his shoulder-mounted plasma cannon with Grievous’ chest, and began the firing sequence. Grievous struggled as hard as he could, but still his cybernetics refused to budge. However, just before the plasma cannon could fire, the ionic disruption timed out allowing Grievous to grab Gestalt’s plasma cannon and crush it. Gestalt attempted to slip past Grievous again, only to catch the general’s knee to his chest, knocking the wind out of him. Grievous ignited one of his remaining lightsabers, and impaled Gestalt with it. The fight now certainly over, Grievous lifted Gestalt by his neck. “Phovus! Where is he!? Now!” Gestalt simply smiled and spat in Grievous’ face. This angered the cyborg, who slammed Gestalt into the wall of the trench. “I will not ask again!” “You know, Grievous, I very seriously doubt you can get to him by now, so why not? Ganymede. He’s headed there. Not that you’ll ever see him again, you worm.” Grievous tore Gestalt’s head off in rage at his insult, and, taking a moment to ease his nerves, rounded up his finest troops onto a shuttle on course for Ganymede.

The Battle of Ganymede

Phovus awoke as the shuttle touched down on the surface of Ganymede. His men immediately scurried out from the ship to meet with the MTO troops already present on the moon’s surface. Phovus himself, however, took a moment before exiting to contemplate his circumstances. He glanced at the Improbability Drive, almost second-guessing his decision to betray the Combine for a moment before reality settled back in. It didn’t matter now, he had made his decision. He walked down the ramp of the starship, stepping out onto the freezing, rocky, surface of Ganymede. His gaze met the MTO troops, their rifles raised at the NCRI soldiers meant to safeguard their transaction. “I assure you, gentlemen, those will not be necessary,” Phovus spoke, attempting to deescalate the situation. To the Earth people, there was no way for them to know this wasn’t some form of trap. Phovus was well-known as a very loyal member of the Combine’s invasion force, being responsible for many of their successes against Earth. “Show us the Drive, Phovus. Then we’ll decide if the guns are necessary,” one of the troopers, clearly an officer of some sort, called to him. Phovus took note of the katana sheathed on the soldier's hip. No doubt this was someone of importance to the MTO, only high-ranking individuals were granted them. “Very well,” Phovus replied calmly, as he motioned for Captain Sikalyon to offload the Improbability Drive from the ship. “I assume this will have earned your trust?” The MTO officer approached the Drive, and crouched down to observe it. After inspecting the device for about a minute, the soldier stood back up and motioned for his troops to lower their rifles and to begin loading the device onto their ship. Phovus approached the officer, and inquired about the transport of his men and himself. “We have another ship incoming to pick up you and your men, both ships will depart at the same time.” “I must object officer..., uh, what is your name?” “Commander Cumshoes, sir.” Phovus found this name odd, almost cringeworthy, but he wasn’t exactly in any position to complain. “Commander, it’s possible the Combine are already aware of my betrayal and are on their way here, no doubt with a significant force. They know they can’t afford for me to join your side.” “My apologies, but it’s standard protocol, sir. I’m no fan of it myself, but I don’t hold the authority to object. We’re just going to have to sit here until the secondary transport arriv-” just then, a massive laser blast crashed into Phovus’ ship, leaving only a crater and smoldering ash. A Combine dropship descended onto the surface of Ganymede, MTO and NCRI troopers alike raised their guns at the ship. “I knew we couldn’t trust him, that bastard was bait for us!” one of the MTO troops complained. Commander Cumshoes ordered the trooper to silence herself, but the idea had already been spouted. Several of the MTO troops turned their aim towards Phovus, and the NCRI troops turned their aim to the MTO. “Lower your weapons! Now!” Cumshoes ordered, but none of his troops obeyed. Phovus took initiative, and ordered his troops to stand down. “But sir, they’ll kill yo-” Sikalyon objected, before Phovus interrupted him. “Our only chance to escape this barren rock is with them. You open fire, and we will all die regardless of it being at their hands or the Combine’s.” Sikalyon was visibly distressed, before he repeated Phovus’ order. The NCRI troops lowered their guns, and the MTO did so in return now understanding that if Phovus were truly still with the Combine, he would not have put himself in a position where his only method of survival lay with those he would need to kill. “How disappointing.” a voice rang out over the intercom of the Combine dropship as it touched down on the surface of Ganymede. The ramp of the ship lowered, the dust from the surface obscuring the ship’s occupants. Faintly, through the dust, Phovus saw two familiar glows, one green and the other blue. If he wasn’t already certain of who’s presence the glows signified, the sound of heavy metal footsteps and a robotic wheezing confirmed it. General Grievous was here. “Hello there, Phovus. Pray tell, what exactly did you think was going to happen the minute the remnants of the NCRI began to attack my troops? Did you think I would not immediately notice your absence? Did you think I would not immediately come to find you?” Phovus remained silent, his heart was nearly beating through his chest. “Silence, as expected of a betrayer.” Dozens of Combine troops began to spill from the dropship, all brandishing the best equipment the Empire had to offer. No doubt, these were Grievous’ personal guard. “I am ensuring my own survival, General. You would be wise to do the same before the Empire deems you ‘no longer valuable’ as well.” “Did your survival necessitate the betrayal of Admiral Amonger, Phovus? And what of the troops you so willingly sacrificed purely to divert my resources?” Phovus’ hand tightened into a fist at his side. Grievous held no position worthy of judging him, he had sacrificed billions of Combine troops in his campaign against Earth alone. “Honorable martyrs, each and every last one of them. Their sacrifice shall enable me to see the filth of both you and the Combine Empire driven from this system and, Gods willing, from this galaxy.” Grievous clearly grew tired of discussion, the rage in his eyes visible from the distance Phovus was from him. “Enough of this drivel about righteousness! I have come to spill the blood of a traitor, and nothing more!” Upon finishing his sentence, Grievous lunged at Phovus who drew the Binary Sword from his back. As their blades locked, both sides opened fire on the other. Grievous was caught off guard by the Binary Sword being capable of resisting his lightsabers, Phovus saw the opportunity before him and sidestepped, allowing Grievous’ blades to slice into the ground. Phovus attempted to jab into Grievous’ side, hoping to slide the Binary Sword between the plates that made up the armor surrounding his organ casing. Grievous proved to be faster, however, and deflected the stab with one of his lightsabers. This sent Phovus stumbling backwards, allowing Grievous to take the upper hand in the fight. The cyborg repeatedly swung his lightsabers at Phovus, who only barely managed to block each attack. Grievous swung downward towards Phovus’ head, an attack the Khorian easily blocked. Unbeknownst to Phovus however, Grievous had allowed one of his lightsabers to slip his grasp, rebounding off the Binary Sword had sent it flying into the air. Almost faster than Phovus could react, Grievous caught the saber with one of his feet and scraped the blade across the surface of Ganymede, sending a cloud of dust flying at Phovus. His vision obscured, Phovus did not have enough time to react to Grievous’ next attack which dismembered his left hand, the dominant one, from the elbow down. Phovus let out a yell of pain, but did not have enough time to tend to his injury as Grievous swung again, this time aimed at his eyes. Phovus brought up the Binary Sword with his remaining hand to defend himself, narrowly avoiding having been blinded. As the adrenaline hit his system, Phovus began to find himself predicting Grievous’ attacks. He had not fought in many years, but found his old skills returning to him. Grievous took notice of this, he could not afford to keep this fight going much longer. Even if Phovus died here, the Earthlings would have the Improbability Drive; a failure not even he would be immune to the consequences of. Grievous’ sabers met the Binary Sword once more, and he decided to end the fight here and now. Letting one of his sabers slip from his hand, he split the lower half of the same limb to catch it and thrust the blade into Phovus’ side, sending him falling to the ground. “I have awaited this moment for so long, Director.” Grievous spoke, as he slammed his foot onto Phovus’ chest, the cyborg’s claws puncturing his flesh and crushing bone. Phovus coughed up blood, a sight Grievous took great pleasure in. Phovus weakly attempted to swing the Binary Sword at Grievous, the blade only softly clinking against the general’s metallic body. Grievous split his arm, and merely batted the sword away. “Pathetic.” Grievous said, as he aligned his lightsabers alongside Phovus’ neck. Expecting death, Phovus was instead met with light of a different kind. An explosion ruptured on Grievous’ back, sending the cyborg flying off of Phovus. His vision and hearing distorted, Phovus caught a glimpse of Captain Sikalyon, a rocket launcher in hand from which emanated smoke. Grievous had clearly seen him, as the cyborg was now rushing towards the Captain, blocking every bolt of laser and plasma sent his way. Phovus struggled to sit up, much less stand. He fell to the ground, and coughed up yet more blood. He could only lay there and watch as Grievous and Sikaylon fought, the Captain somehow holding off Grievous with his fists alone. Phovus could feel the life leaving him, but before his vision faded he saw the hazy visage of a man in a suit. The man brushed his coat, adjusted his tie, and told Phovus to “rise and shine.”

In an instant, Phovus’ strength was inexplicably renewed. He looked around for the man, but he was nowhere to be seen. That didn’t matter, though. He had something far more important to do. Seizing the Binary Sword, Phovus scanned the battle for Grievous. As his gaze finally met the Kaleesh warlord, he witnessed Captain Sikalyon be seized by the throat by Grievous and be impaled by one of his lightsabers. Enraged, Phovus charged toward Grievous. Impossibly, Phovus crossed several dozen feet in mere seconds. The Binary Sword, which had been dragged along the ground for the entire duration of Phovus’ charge, was lit ablaze by the friction. Grievous turned his head just in time for him to witness the loss of his right arm, the one that held Captain Sikalyon, up to the shoulder. Phovus stood before him armless, and his sword burning. Grievous saw in Phovus’ eyes a rage he had not seen in millennia. Phovus the scientist was a meek and quiet man Grievous could easily churn into paste were it not for the will of his superiors, but before him now stood Phovus the warrior, a force the Omniverse had not seen since his recruitment to the CIFC, the scourge of nearly every system in the Northern Belt of the Milky Way, now directed solely at him. For the first time since he could remember, Grievous felt not just fear, but true unadulterated terror. “I am not finished with you, yet. General.” Phovus spoke quietly and calmly, unnaturally so. Grievous stumbled back from Sikalyon, his head on a swivel to search for his ship. Phovus began to slowly approach him, and Grievous began to spin one of his lightsabers as a method of keeping the Khorian at bay while he searched. Phovus caught the blade mid-spin, stopping it. Phovus then moved his blade out from underneath Grievous’ lightsaber, and sliced the General’s upper left hand off from the wrist. Weaponless, Grievous sought to scurry away from the fight. In response, Phovus stabbed downward into one of Grievous’ legs, pinning him to the ground. Phovus walked to where he could face Grievous, and kneeled down to where he could be at eye level with him. Phovus seized Grievous’ face, ensuring he could not look away, and uttered one sentence: “Let yourself remember this moment. Wherever you crawl away to after this war ends, I promise you, if I ever cross paths with you again, I will not hesitate to kill you.” Phovus then released Grievous’ face, removed the Binary Sword from his leg, and moved back towards Sikalyon. Grievous immediately ordered the Combine to retreat back into the ship. An order his troops were more than willing to comply with, as despite their inferior numbers, both the MTO and NCRI troops had inflicted significant casualties to the Combine troops. Phovus knelt beside Sikaylon, who barely clinged to life. “I am sorry, my friend.” Phovus whispered, barely managing to fight back his tears. “No apologies necessary, sir. We all knew what this mission meant.” Phovus remained silent, unable to speak lest he be consumed by emotion. “But, promise me one thing, sir.” “Of course.” “Be sure you stop those Combine scum from ruining this galaxy, too.” “I promise.” Sikalyon smiled as life left him, and Phovus collapsed next to him out of exhaustion.

(Article in progress, soz)