text: [Themes: sci-fi, war]
  
  ''Tell everyone to get ready, and meet up at their shelter. I want the Legionnaires to be hiding inside like rats by the time I get there.'' you order, to which Rawrock nods and runs off.
  
  12 hours later, Legion Headquarters:
  
  You arrive in front of the Legion's headquarters, and already see dismembered corpses of Legionnaires outside on the sand. All of the gangs, including your own, are here, and it looks like they suffered no casualties in taking over the surface. Rawrock spots you and runs in your direction.
  
  ''Aether, we've done it! Killed a bunch of 'em up here, rest of 'em took refuge down in that shelter! What shall we do?''
  
  > collapse the entrance
  You order some of your troops to dump a few truckloads of TNT down the stairs into their shelter, and then several others toss some grenades while you all back off. As it all explodes, the echo is so strong it brings pain to your ears, so you cover them.
  
  The entire entrance, including most of the shelter from what you can hear, collapses in on itself, effectively trapping everyone inside.
  
  A few hours later, you all return to New Hope to celebrate. You organize a large feast for the leaders of the Skinners, the Red Jackals and the Pioneers, who are all sitting at the same table with you inside the former senate building of New Hope.
  
  > kill them and take over control of their gangs
  You stand up, motioning for everyone to be silent. Once everyone has quieted down, you begin to address them all.
  
  ''Gentlemen...'' you begin, placing both hands behind your back, holding onto your two Glock pistols attached to the back of your belt. ''I wanted to thank you for your support in taking down our mutual enemy, the Legion. Likewise, I assume you would like to thank me for my support as well.''
  
  All three gang leaders nod, before raising their glasses to you, offering a toast, and downing their contents.
  
  ''Now, more than ever, it is time to be united. We cannot let asswipes like the Legionnaires think they can just waltz in the Great Southern Wasteland and act like they own the damn place!''
  
  ''Yeah!'' they all shout in unison.
  
  ''Glad you agree...'' you mutter, finally withdrawing your pistols and firing at them. Derrick Chains of the Skinners, Howard Pharey of the Red Jackals and Nutriyar Marspetz of the Pioneers are all dead, with several holes in each of their torsos.
  
  You then order some Warlords to decapitate the bodies. After a couple of minutes, they finish the job. You grab hold of a longsword and drive it through all three heads, creating a macabre totem. Walking with it outside, you climb up the stairs to the city walls and shout out:
  
  ''These are your fearless leaders! Now bow to me, or suffer their fate!''
  
  Some brief fighting ensues, although most of the members of the other gangs are quite quick to join your side after that show of power. The rest are all killed and as a sign of goodwill to the members of the Red Jackals, you allow them to eat them. The following day, you use their skeletons to decorate the inside of the former senate building, which you've made into your personal palace. You also rename New Hope to Warthunder City.
  
  Warthunder City, September 2324:
  
  Six years have passed since you became ascended as Warchief of the Warlords, and things have changed quite a lot. You've renamed your faction, since you are now no longer a gang, but an Empire. Now known as the Aether Imperium, your faction's territory occupies most of the Great Southern Wasteland. You've crowned yourself as Warlord Emperor of the Aether Imperium, and commanded your great army through conquest after conquest, until there was no city or settlement left that wasn't under your control in the entire desert of the Great Southern Wasteland. Your government is ran on a pretty feudal system, with you as the Warlord Emperor, some trusted Warlord Generals under your direct command, and everyone else beneath them. Smaller settlements produce resources for the cities to survive on, sometimes willingly, sometimes through forced labor.
  
  You've learned that there is an underground movement pushing for democracy, calling themselves the ''Old World Legacy''. A few of your spies infiltrated one of their meetings in Beam City, and all of them report having seen Rawrock Greveth attending, and even holding a long speech aimed to discredit your reign. Later that same evening, you meet with Harold Pike, the head of your secret police.
  
  As you sit on your throne inside of your underground meeting room, he approaches and respectfully kneels before you, after which speaking.
  
  ''Your Imperial Majesty, with all due respect, Warlord General Rawrock Greveth is unworthy of his title, and, due to his vile actions against your just rule, also unworthy of his life. I assume that you agree that killing him is the best course of action. Would you like me to order an assassination and make it look like it has been done by separatist elements in Hayville, rather than have him publicly executed, as to avoid causing any rucus?''
  
  You look at him and think about what to do.
  
  > publicly execute Rawrock
  ''No...'' you say, standing up from your throne and walking outside. ''Bring Rawrock in front of the Palace right now. Burn him alive on the stake.''
  
  ''As you wish, your Majesty...'' Harold answers, bowing once more in your direction before leaving. You reach inside of your pocket, taking out your pipe, and place some tobacco inside before lighting it and smoking it. While you wait, you notice people gathering outside to look at their Emperor, you. You wait until several of your Elite Imperial Guards arrive, holding Rawrock with chains around his neck, wrists and ankles, and then begin addressing the crowd.
  
  ''This man has been granted many titles and properties, and how does he repay his Empire and Emperor? By betraying them! Betraying his people, and helping a group of insurgents!'' you shout, riling up the crowd of people watching. Some people look out of their windows, while most are out onto the streets by now, chanting ''Death! Death! Death! Death! Death!'' with almost palpable hate in their voices.
  
  Another two guards bring a wooden pole, which they partly lodge in the ground, and tie Rawrock tightly to it using the chains. All the while, Rawrock is attempting to plead for his life, but you can't hear him very well due to all the noise and shouting. One of the guards comes with a large can of gasoline and begins pouring it all over Rawrock and the pole, before all of the guards back off. You then pull out a box of matches, light one up and throw it at the base of the wooden pole to which Rawrock is restrained, immediately lighting it up in flames. His screams as he burns alive are covered by the crowd cheering for his death, which finally arrives some minutes later.
  
  After the execution is finished, few people remain near the scene, save for the guards. You ordered the body to be left there as a reminder to anyone who would think about committing treason.
  
  Warthunder City, February 2325:
  
  Your lunch is interrupted by a spy stepping inside of the dining room and whispering into your ear.
  
  ''Your Majesty, there is currently a meeting among the Old World Legacy. Virtually all members will be there. Do you give me the permission to launch an attack?''
  
  > eliminate them now
  You nod, to which the spy nods and runs out of the room. You finish your lunch, and then head off to a local brothel, where you spend quite some time. In fact, by the time you leave, it's already evening.
  
  As you walk towards the Palace, you notice the spy from earlier, and he notices you. He runs up to you, and begins walking alongside and talking in a low voice so no one else will hear.
  
  ''Your Majesty, it's been taken care of. All of the Old World Legacy are dead.''
  
  ''Good. You will be rewarded.'' you say, continuing to walk towards the Palace. He nods, and walks into a different direction.
  
  Beam City, August 2328:
  
  Today is your wedding day. You marry the daughter of Harold Pike, the head of your secret police. Her name is Teya, and she is stunningly beautiful, according to you and pretty much everyone who knows her. You have been dating for some months now, and while it wasn't that easy to convince her to marry you, she eventually gladly accepted.
  
  With most of your enemies dead, and their remainder either hiding or on the run, you are free to rule as you see fit. You expand your power farther west, taking hold of some abandoned military bases from the Old World, and use them as military camps of your own. The equipment there is slightly deteriorated, but still functioning. Helicopters are certainly a great addition to your army's arsenal.
  
  Warthunder City, December 2368:
  
  You are laying on your death bed. Your wife, Teya and your sons, Kerrthal and Nither, are by your side. Your accomplishments will certainly remain in history, as you have united the entire state of New Mexico under your command, with territories in Texas and Arizona as well. Your Empire is the envy of many other factions, which have tried taking over it in the past, but you proved a skilled leader and prevented it from happening, and in most cases made an example out of the ones that tried it.
  
  You decided that your two sons shall duel to the death on the day after your death, to decide who will take over the throne, unless one of them will give it up willingly, in which case he is to be given the title of Prince and his brother, the new Emperor, would have to give him a large monthly allowance to live off of. Your sons seemed alright with the decision, and Nither, being the more peaceful one, ceded his claim to the throne to his brother.
  
  As you pass out, your grip on your wife's hand loosens and drawing your last breath, you take one last look at your family in front of you.