t the time of the XIlos Catastrophe, Tar Es Janar was the commander in charge of the outlying sector of the Prosperate closest to Xilos. Recognising the Ghar threat, Janar went against usual Algoryn protocol (not consulting the Prosperity’s leaders before despatching forces to the planet) by leading a relief force to Xilos in order to relieve the trapped Concord expedition, and to deny the planet to the Ghar. That he did so without the mandate of the Council meant that he was guilty of treason but, it is argued by many, that it was his co-operation with the Concord and the use of his battle-hardened drop troops that enabled control of Xilos to be wrested from the Ghar.
History
Tar Es was born into the Janar moch of the ruling Optimate leger of Algor. His parents were governors of the Zyra colony, which was at that time the second most populous Algoryn world in the entire Prosperate.
The moch to which his family belonged – the Janar – was one with a long history of achievement within the high council, numbering many great heroes and commanders amongst its ranks. Like all Algoryn of the warrior castes he was raised to believe that service to his people was both his duty and his birthright.
During his schooling the esteemed rank and reputation of his family only served to increase his tutors’ high expectations of him. Tar Es met and far exceeded those expectations, and by the time he was fourteen years old he could best any of his contemporaries in martial sports, physical endurance, and strength. However, for a young member of the Optimate caste such things were not extraordinary in themselves. His destiny would be as a leader of his people and to the Algoryn to be a leader means a leader in battle!
Battle came soon enough for the young Tar Es when Zyra was attacked and practically destroyed by an Isorian task force. The Algoryn resisted the invader with their legendary tenacity, but no matter how hard they fought it could never be enough. The planet’s nano‐shard was soon subverted by the pernicious Isorian IMTel, after which all the defenders could do was to unleash the thermal mines buried at the heart of Zyra’s defences and abandon the world to its fate.
The young Tar Es distinguished himself leading a cadre of fellow students against an Isorian transmat lander. As a result the lander was destroyed, ending the immediate threat to the capital. Sufficient time was won for many thousands to escape, but tragically many more died either as a result of enemy attack or with the subsequent destruction of the planet.
Tar Es’s parents were lost in the fighting, and it was only his father’s direct order to abandon the planet that saved Tar Es himself – his duty to his parents obliging him to forego a heroic, but futile, death in battle.
Tar Es has since fought many wars and won many battles, and risen to become one of the Prosperate’s greatest and most successful generals. During the war against the Ghar upon the frontier world of Ephra he won fame leading the 63rd Division of the Armoured Infantry, orchestrating the attack upon the capital of Ephra Set Five that succeeded in recapturing the city and finally driving the Ghar from the southern continent.
His insistence on keeping up with the advancing troops brought him into danger many times, and into actual conflict with the enemy more than once, earning him a reputation for recklessness amongst the older and more conservative members of the high council. As a result he was passed over for election to the council for many years, but his successes eventually earned him a council place and with it the command of an entire army – the 10th.
The Zyran Wars – as this extended conflict is known to the Algoryn – have so far kept the Isorians at bay. Although fierce fighting continues, the Algoryn have managed to keep one step ahead both in the fighting on the ground and in the battle for control of the planetary nano‐spheres. In the latter case this is because these worlds are broadly uninhabited or primitive and not conducive to IMTel infiltration.
The 10th was engaged in action against the Isorians on a number of disputed worlds adjoining the Zyran gate. Whilst not part of the Prosperate or Isorian space, these uninhabited planets form a buffer zone, which, were it to fall into Isorian hands, would give the Senatex a base of operations into Prosperate space.
Many amongst the high council still maintain that General Tar Es is dangerously driven by his vow to avenge the death of his parents and the destruction of Zyra. However, he has many supporters who recognise in the great warlord a potential future leader of their embattled peoples.
His election to the high council placed him amongst the most senior leaders of his people, but for now he chooses to fight his battles in the war zones of the Prosperate rather than the council chamber of Algor.
Xilos
Tar Es was initially reuluctant to react to the Concord’s request for assistance at Xilos, but he dedemed the risk of allowing a Ghar outpost close to Prosperate borders too high – whether or not they would be able to take advantage of Gatebuilder artefacts (stories of such artefacts were always coming to the surface). The messengers, Hansa Nairoba and Bovan Tuk, weren’t even Concord citizens but mercenaries, and mercenaries who had ignored the IMTel’s concerns over safety to run to the Algoryn for help.
However, the news of the Ghar digging in was too great a danger to ignore, one exacerbated by the delay of the round trip of a message to Algor asking for permission (and the debate in the council). Tar Es gather what troops he could and made all haste to XIlos, the task force taking the name of his flagship, Rising Star, as was customary with Algoryn forces. A messenger was despatch to Algor with the news.
On arrival at Xilos, Task Force Rising Star ran the Ghar blockade, catching the defenders by surprise and taking only light casualties. The surviving ships in the Ghar fleet were driven away but they only fled to the system gate where they set up a blockade, preventing many reinforcements from travelling onwards to Xilos. Within days they dropped and landed troops on Xilos, disabling the quantum gravity generators the Ghar had built, and allowed the Concord – and two ships from the Oszoni – to land their own troops.
Though operating as allies against the Ghar, the Algoryn still kept their distance from the Concord, fearing infection from the IMTel nanosphere. Eventually, despite the loss of senior commanders, the Algoryn-Freeborn-Concord force drive the Ghar from XIlos, but are forced to flee when the time locks are released and the protective Xilos barrier field expanded to take over the whole planet.
Post-Xilos
After the Xilos catastrophe, Tar Es Janar was accused of allowing the Algoryn to suffer considerable casualties by helping the Concord and, on top of that, for no real gain: he failed to secure any artefacts. Tar Es was summoned to Algor to face a court martial organised and influenced by Ess Ma Rahq, the highly ambitious SD Commander who saw Tar Es as her main obstacle to political domination of the Prosperate High Council. Amongst the accusations included actual charges of a non-mandated military action beyond the Prosperate borders, as well as many emotive accusations of betrayal of Algor’s principles of segregation from the IMTel and an alliance with machine intelligences, putting the human race at risk.
Ess Ma had Tar Es convicted but only had enough influence to send him into exile, though she wanted the death penalty for treason. Tar Es was sent to an isolated system north of the Prosperate where he stayed, obeying the dictates of the court.
However, with Tar Es out of the way, Ess Ma began to ruthlessly consolidate her position in the High Council and gathered a power base amongst the more isolationist politicians. In effect, she formed a power bloc – the Traditionalists – who intended to increase the Prosperate’s isolation from the IMTel nations and the rest of the Determinate, decrying any co-operation. With her SD troops and technology, they appeared to be on course to dominate the Prosperate.
Given the state of Antares and a possibly imminent collapse triggered by Xilos, this alarmed the more moderate politicians in the Prosperate and they were forced to respond with their own bloc – the Progresssives. The position of the Progressive faction was over-simplified by the Traditionalists into one of co-operation with the IMTel powers. Ironically, the Progressives’ stance was to retain their existing technologicaly status, one which relied on a less-intelligent nanosphere and decried machine intelligences, but enhance their isolaiton protocols so they could co-operate with Freeborn, Concord and Senatex to resolve the issues around Antares, including the Vorl, the Ghar and the imminent collapse.
But with Ess Ma consolidating her political, technological and ecomonic power-base, the Progressives needed a figure-head, one they and others could rally around – especially if a civil war was triggered by Ess Ma Rahq’s actions. Tar Es was an ideal figure, one who could be portrayed as being unfairly treated by the Traditionalists, one with a superb military record (even Xilos could be spun as a success), and one from a respected, powerful, Algoryn family.
It is now rumoured that Tar Es has been brought out of council, though his location is unknown. Whether or not he will lead a civil war is unknown, but with the rising threat of a reunited Ghar, it is likely his genius will be required on another front in a was those who wish harm to all panhumanity.
Stats: Tar Es Janar, Exiled Councillor-General
Should Tar Es be pulled back from Exile and put in charge of a Vector AI formation, he is part of the Algoryn Vector Formation selector (see the PDF Army Lists), specifically the Optimate Command squad. His model, which could be used for any Councillor-General, includes his mace of office.
The two, free Stoic Army Options and Courage Under Fire represents a Councillor-General’s ability to bolster their troop’s morale, and the Inspirational ability (any troops on the table can use his Init stat) reflects the capabilities and military presence of a veteran Councillor-General.
Tar Es’ stats are in the Algoryn army list extends that of a normal (though exceptional) Councillor-General with his own genius: a higher Initiative (9), Command 15″ and a Tactical Genius capability.
Quite often, Tar Es is accompanied by a tactical officer and one or two extra bodygaurd.
| Modification | Description |
|---|---|
| Initiative 9 | Tar Es’ capabilities include his ability to anticipate an opponent’s action. When combined with his Algoryn Inspirational ability, units without any pins on the table can react using his Initiative of 9 rather than their own. |
| Command 15″ | Any unit within 15″ of Tar Es can use his Command stat. |
| Tactical Genius | If Tar Es Janar is already on the table, troops arriving onto the table within 15″ of his position may use his Co stat instead of their own. |
Antares Nexus 
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