The Tarkadons are galactic polity based on the planet Ral' Mega within the Milky Way Galaxy in the distant future.
Background[]
The Tarkadons are an affiliation composed of not just humans but alien races that conform to a nationalistic militarist ideology.
History[]
The Tarkadon High Command had begun its reign of terror in the distant future. In opposition to their rule was the United Galactic Systems Navy.
Word reached the UGSN that Tarkadon forces were extracting civilians and shipping them out to the end of the quadrant. Through a coordination between the many intelligence agencies, coordinated between several planets, it uncovered reports of prisoner trafficking out to the planet Boracan.
From what the UGSN could tell the prisoners were being used for target practice and others, for something else. The number of people taken had advanced specialties in bioengineering, chemistry, medicine, pharmacology, etc, only added to the mystery of what the Tarkadons were doing..
To discover what that was Captain Trent Livingston commanding a Navy team of special ops with a stealth ship was sent out to the planet Boracan where the Tarkadon were taking their prisoners. The team unfortunately were too late to save any of the civilians who had been left for dead by their merciless overseers. There was only one survivor, a captured human scientist named Doctor Anna Soviar. The team was unable to get much from the doctor though brought her along with them to continue their investigation.
Their journey would take them to the planet Glorric where the main research was being done. Despite the stealth technology used by the Livingston's vessel, they were found out by Tarkadon patrol ships, and forced to crash land on Glorric.
There they were met by a grisly scene of the Tarkadons weapons research, a plague known as the Star Virus, that the fascists developed as a weapon to use against civilized space. The virus though had escaped containment and infected most of the prisoners and security detail of the research facility, creating a horde of zombies that slowly began to wear down the special ops team.
To top if off they team's vessel was destroyed no thanks to the Tarkadon patrol ships that somehow knew their location. In a game of survival Livingston led his team to reach the Tarkadon base where they hopefully would find some spare shuttles to escape the hell hole. At the same time, Livingston had to contend with an insubordinate soldier of his, Sergeant Zachary Park. Park's father had been a victim of the Tarkadon's brutality one which Park never forgave and enacted his revenge by killing as many Tarkadon soldiers he saw.
This aggression disturbed majority of his team, even Livingston who was a former torture victim of the enemy. However the incidents were swept under the rug by Dawn Ramos, Park's lover. It eventually reached a boiling point when Ramos saw Park mercilessly tortured a unarmed Tarkadon soldier. Ramos finally seeing what a monster her lover became reported his actions to her captain, who condemned Park, citing that he would be dishonorably discharged once they escaped Glorric.
This was fine to Park as he intended to be a solo mercenary and resume his war on the Tarkadon, using the information he tortured from the soldier, which was the location of the Tarkadon High Command. Ramos still having attachments to her misguided lover, tried to compel Park to let go of his hatred for the sake of their relationship. Her words finally convinced him to turn over the data to the captain. However tragedy struck when Ramos was killed by those infected with the Star Virus, throwing Park's mental health into a spiral.
By the time the surviving spec team reached the hanger, they discovered a shuttle containing cache of the virus with vial of superhuman enhancers based on the former. Park having hit his lowest point tried to convince his team and captain that they should take samples of the virus to use against the Tarkadons. This idea was reviled as the danger the virus posed was too great, especially to satisfy one man's destructive revnege.
Before the group could plot an escape, Anna Soviar revealed herself to be the traitor who was revealing the location of the team to the Tarkadons. An armed gunship arrived to collect the human, who was actually Major Liskai and the mastermind of the Star Virus. It was her plan to use the Star Virus as a weapon, delivering them to unsuspecting worlds. Park having nothing left to lose infected himself with the regenerative sample, turning him into a mutated monster that slaughtered the Tarkadon and Liskai.
Now retaining his mind, though demented, Park intended to escape Glorric to spread the virus to the galaxy in order to wipe out the Tarkadons. To save the galaxy, the remaining survivors of the team fought Park. After many deaths and sacrifices, Park was killed, leaving the captain and the medic the only survivors of the debacle.
Culture[]
Not much is known about the Tarakadons, but they are a militant culture led by the Tarkadon High Command. Members of its military are indoctrinated to become cruel and abusive overseers. Soldiers of the Tarakadons are excessively warped having known to repeatedly break rules of engagement and torture their victims for the sheer enjoyment. Said victims are said to be civilians who the Tarakadons capture and murder for sport.
Tarakadons are fascist and take pride of being Tarakadon, feeling superior of being in control, dictating their status of taking life to justify their oppressive rule.
Source[]
- Star Virus by Michael Cole