▁a ▁new ▁Empire ▁which ▁would ▁take ▁over ▁from ▁his ▁own ; ▁the ▁Foundation ▁was ▁a ▁real ▁threat . ▁With ▁several ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁great ▁" ships ▁of ▁the ▁line ", ▁p inn acles ▁of ▁Imperial ▁techn ological ▁and ▁military ▁pro w ess ▁( of ▁which ▁few ▁remained ▁in ▁those ▁deg ener ate ▁times ), ▁Rio se ▁set ▁out ▁into ▁the ▁bar bar ian ▁Gal actic ▁Per i ph ery ▁to ▁claim ▁the ▁Foundation ▁in ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁Empire ▁and ▁Emperor . ▁S eld on ▁had ▁predicted ▁that ▁the ▁Foundation ▁would ▁surv ive ▁all ▁tri als , ▁and ▁Bel ▁Rio se ▁knew ▁this , ▁but ▁he ▁bet ▁his ▁living ▁will ▁against ▁the ▁" de ad ▁hand " ▁of ▁S eld on ' s ▁psych oh istory . ▁In ▁combat , ▁Rio se ▁repeatedly ▁defeated ▁the ▁Foundation ▁through ▁brilliant ▁tact ical ▁and ▁strateg ic ▁planning . ▁Event ually , ▁Rio se ' s ▁fleet ▁came ▁within ▁a ▁day ' s ▁travel ▁of ▁Term inus . ▁Before ▁he ▁could ▁complete ▁his ▁con quest , ▁however , ▁he ▁was ▁re called ▁by ▁Emperor ▁Cle on ▁II , ▁tried ▁for ▁tre ason , ▁and ▁executed . ▁ ▁All ▁had ▁gone ▁as ▁S eld on ▁predicted . ▁A ▁weak ▁General ▁could ▁clearly ▁never ▁threaten ▁the ▁Foundation ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁adapt ability ▁and ▁innov ation ▁( the ▁Gal actic ▁Empire ▁had ▁begun ▁to ▁st agn ate ▁in ▁all ▁things , ▁including ▁military ▁strategy , ▁and ▁could ▁have ▁easily ▁had ▁its ▁pre - pl anned ▁and ▁often ▁repeated ▁attacks