The Way Things Were
The galaxy used to have a government. The Galaxian High Council — fifty worlds, seven founding members, built on agreement instead of conquest. Not perfect, but it kept things stable. It had checks and balances, a veto system, the whole thing.
It worked. Until Conlor Ba'ash decided it was in his way.
The Man Who Broke It
Ba'ash is the Supreme Ruler of the Ebon Dominion. And when I say supreme ruler, I mean there is nobody above him, nobody beside him, and nobody who has ever beaten him at anything. He's Predaxian — part of an ancient sect that builds rage into a weapon rather than controlling it. He meditates to find fury, not calm. His second is Grimgor Slaughter, who nobody knows anything about — species unknown, face always covered, absolutely terrifying. Together these two have been expanding the Dominion for drens.
Ba'ash wanted to dissolve the Galaxian High Council and take over. The only thing standing in his way was one council member — the last founding world representative who wasn't already in his pocket, the one person with veto power to stop him. So Ba'ash dropped three kinetic bombardment rods on that world. On six other worlds too. Twenty one billion people dead across seven planets. That's D-7. He didn't just destroy those worlds to kill people — he destroyed them to eliminate that one vote. No homeworld, no seat on the council. No seat, no veto. Council dissolved. Ba'ash sworn in as Supreme Ruler. Done.
The Other Side
Into that silence stepped a young man from Drenvar named Nico Altaris.
Nico grew up as a street scavenger. He carries the transferred consciousness of Nikola Tesla — present from birth — giving him pattern recognition and processing ability most people cannot comprehend. He fought in arenas. He built a crew. And when the galaxy fell apart, he was already building something to fill the gap.
He drafted the Caltrop Accords. Drenvar signed first, recognizing CSC as their official military and security force. Other worlds followed as the council collapsed. What started as an accord became Caltrop Space Command — part resistance, part government, the closest thing the galaxy has to a functioning alternative.
The Crew
His crew is the reason any of it works. Vexa Thalassa — a Zytharan warrior, one of the last of her people. Ramona, a pilot who survived things most people don't. Ada, who lost her sister to the Dominion and hasn't stopped moving since. Cog — a sentient Mechanoid, one of 280 survivors, the technical brain behind everything CSC operates. Dorne Rattlestorm, who built the ships they fly. Kernel, an AI who commands every autonomous force in the fleet. And Kade Flint — Nico's oldest friend, who was captured, tortured, and came back anyway.
They freed Mecha Prime. They signed the Accords. They fought their way out of Fortress Khar'doom. They dropped a kinetic rod on that fortress on the way out.
Where We Are
The Dominion controls most of the galaxy. Ba'ash is Supreme Ruler. Grimgor is at his side. The council is gone.
But CSC is still standing. Still fighting. And Nico Altaris is still building.
