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Galactic Powers
The Archduchy of Crius
The state where the protagonist, Cassius Mass, was born and raised. It was a hereditary oligarchy controlled by genetically-engineered nobles which ruled much of its surrounding Sector. Its capital is destroyed in the opening chapter of Lucifer's Star and the government dissolved. Sort of.
- A Nazi by Any Other Name: Not quite but some people accuse them of it in-universe. Notably averted by the fact two of the main royals are black and one is gay.
- The Atoner: A mild example of this as he mostly just wants to forget he was ever Cassius Mass in the first place.
- The Beautiful Elite: The entire society is built around catering to the needs of its genetically-engineered cybernetically enhanced elite.
- Bullying a Dragon: Initiated the war with the Commonwealth by blowing up Kolthas Station. This despite the Commonwealth being ten times their size.
- Card-Carrying Villain: They're a ruthless group of conquerors, worship Satan (sort-of), practice feudalism, and wear black. Cassius, himself, comments this is a massive case of Values Dissonance.
- The Clan: All of the Houses on Crius. They're actually all the same clan as Cassius mentions they're all pretty much related to one another via intermarriage.
- Decadent Court: Implied to have been a thing by the fact Cassius' own stepmother tried to kill him with an assassin and he was expected to kill his (half)siblings instead of befriending them.
- Doomed Hometown: The destruction of Crius breaks their empire as well as their spirits. Until the fake Cassius makes them decide on Revenge Before Reason.
- Duel to the Death: Technically outlawed but apparently common enough they're sporting events for crew.
- The Empire: Pretty much a tailor-made case of this.
- Expy: Has been stated to be a Composite Character of Dune's Great Houses, Klingons, and the Galactic Empire.
- Evilutionary Biologist: The society has picked and chosen the finest of traits for its nobility as well as workers. Oddly enough, it's fairly egalitarian as we see virtually every race represented in the Crius nobility as well as mixed matches. The laborer caste is also physically and mentally superior to "regular" humans.
- Fantastic Caste System: While not enforced on their subject worlds, all Crius are genetically engineered for their jobs to greater or lesser degrees. Munin is apparently from the laborer caste.
- Fantastic Racism: Normal births are referred to as "Nats" (like gnats). Oddly, they were actually fairly good at the normal kind given their elite is multiracial and have nondiscriminated against queer membership.
- Feudal Future: House Dumas rules the Archduchy with numerous feuding houses underneath it.
- Germanic Efficiency: The Archduchy Repressive, but Efficient society of Transhuman genetically engineered geniuses and incredibly fit superhumans. They have a Germanic Feudal Future vibe that easily dominates their neighbors. They're also defeated in the first chapter of the story with its survivors coming to realize the rest of the galaxy hated them.
- The Good Kingdom: How they see themselves, which is not entirely inaccurate with its three moons and central planet. Its everywhere else they're The Empire.
- Honor Before Reason: Personal conduct codes are deeply important in the Archduchy even though few seem to take it as seriously as Cassius.
- Klingon Scientists Get No Respect: Averted as the Proud Warrior Race element means they're constantly encouraging new technological innovations to keep their advantage over other societies. It almost works in defeating the Commonwealth.
- Our Founder: Prophet Allenway is the founder of both the Cult Colony itself as well as the direct ancestor of most of the Houses.
- Proud Warrior Race: The military is the only way one can end up joining the nobility and you receive a non-hereditary title equivalent to your officer's rank. Cassius is notable as a man who earned his hereditary title's equivalent.
- Repressive, but Efficient: The Archduchy has incredibly effective soldiers, brilliant science, and a functioning Empire. They're also complete bastards.
- Secret Police: State Security, of which the name didn't help their reputation.
- The Theocracy: They were founded as a Cult Colony by a man who sounds suspiciously like a combination of Joseph Smith and King Arthur.
- 0% Approval Rating: Almost everyone hates them until they lose their planet, which causes quite a few people to reverse their opinion.
The Commonwealth of Interplanetary Systems
The most powerful human society in the world after Earth's destruction. It controls a good fifty percent of all human territory and attempted to reunite all of it under its rule (for humanity's own good, of course).
- Ancient Conspiracy: The Commonwealth is secretly created by a group of Cognition A.I. that created it to help rebuild humanity—or so Cassius has been told.
- Bullying a Dragon: Not to the extent the Crius Archduchy was them but they assumed they'd have a short but victorious war after deliberately provoking them with military build-ups on their border. What they got, instead, was a protracted meatgrinder which they only won through attrition and an Earth-Shattering Kaboom.
- The Empire: A massive society which dwarfs all other powers in the Spiral that wishes to reunite all of mankind under its rule.
- Hegemonic Empire: The majority of people agree they're better off under the Commonwealth than independent but most people who wanted to join have already done so.
- Expy: Basically is the British Empire in Space with Parliament, an oligarchy, satrapies, and a capital named Albion. It also has some similarly to a very cynical take on the United Federation of Planets.
- The Federation: The Commonwealth portrays itself as this with a democracy, the highest standard of living, and a general attitude of being the good guy Science Hero types. In fact, they're much closer to The Empire. The British Empire to be precise.
- I Did What I Had to Do: The Commonwealth's argument for why it was necessary to destroy Crius.
- Pyrrhic Victory: The Commonwealth won the war against the Archduchy of Crius but doing so inflicting unimaginable casualties on their military, exposed their technological weaknesses, and vilified them throughout the Spiral. It also left them in charge of a war-ravaged nation which hated them.
- Has another one of these when Cassius destroys the Free Systems Alliance. Despite being ready to surrender to them and gaining complete victory, this just results in the Community invading.
- Secret Police: Has a lot of these. Interestingly, their largest in the Watchers are the only reason they tend to survive as an organization.
- Zerg Rush: Their tactics for defeating Crius. They had worse equipment, pilots, weapons, training, and tactics. They did, however, have a much-much larger economy as well as population pool to draw from.
Crew of the Melampus
The Melampus
A town-sized starship containing over a thousand crew and massive cargo space. It also functions as a Q-ship or disguised battleship.
- Army of Thieves and Whores: Cassius implies the majority of the crew are either this or a Ragtag Band of Misfits depending on whether it's a good or bad day.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Justified as Ida recruited cynics and criminals who knew what they were doing. Several are actual geniuses at their job.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: The crew have no problem with the captains replacing each other with treachery.
- Only in It for the Money: The crew has this attitude and doesn't question orders as long as they get paid.
- Ragtag Band of Misfits: It is deliberately invoked as Ida recruited people comfortable with regularly breaking the law and willing to follow orders as long as they were paid.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: It's considered a ship you only join as a last resort.
- Space Pirates: Invokes a lot of this, though they're actually smugglers who do a little bit of piracy on the side.
- Space Trucker: The Melampus is supposed to be this. Instead, it has a rotating crew of oddballs.
- What a Piece of Junk: The ship is a Q-ship (a freighter modified for war) and actually functions like a warship.
Cassius Mass
The son of Cassius the Elder, Chancellor of Crius and Propaganda Hero of the Archduchy during the Commonwealth-Archduchy War. Cassius was believed killed during the Battle of Hoshi's Point but was actually Faking the Dead so he could live a normal life. It didn't quite work out.
- Abusive Parents: His father cloned him to disinherit his biological children and his siblings' mother tried to have him killed on multiple occasions.
- The Ace: Beautiful, superhuman, rich, and charming war hero of the Archduchy as well as one of their highest ranked nobles. It was all downhill after that.
- Ace Pilot: The pilot of the Archduchy of Crius and probably one of the best in the universe.
- The Alcoholic: Becomes this after the destruction of Crius and never quite gets over it.
- Aristocrats Are Evil: Averted. Albeit, Cassius has nothing but contempt for his own people's system by the end of the war.
- Big, Screwed-Up Family: The Mass Family is both this as well as a Badass Family.
- Broken Ace: The process for becoming this is a long and difficult one. After Crius' destruction, he becomes a revolutionary only to realize his side is a bunch of terrorists, and later he becomes a scavenger only to become a murderous criminal. Oh and he also discovers the Archduchy were engaged in mass murder of political dissidents among other crimes.
- Cain and Abel: His relationship to his siblings was supposed to be this. It became a lot more complex.
- Char Clone: Ace Pilot for an Aristocrats Are Evil colony? Also, has some Darth Vader and Han Solo/Malcolm Reynolds elements.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: A rare heroic example, Cassius hates just about everyone around him and dislikes their attempt to manipulate him. As such, he always turns against them at the first opportunity. Given his Undying Loyalty to the Archduchy's results, it may be understandable.
- Colonel Badass: A High Colonel which is apparently also The Brigadier, technically making him a Four-Star Badass. Later becomes The Captain.
- Cultured Warrior: Has an immense amount of class which comes from being an Officer and a Gentleman in a society of them. Unfortunately, it backfires on him as it means just about everyone recognizes him as former nobility.
- Cyborg: A relatively mild-case as his enhanced brain and nervous system gives him much faster reflexes and the ability to sort through information at a much faster rate. This makes him able to serve as a navigator on the Melampus, which is a specialized trade even in the future.
- Doomed Hometown: Manages to outlive his home planet.
- Duel to the Death: Is fond of these both with sword as well as starfighter. Other people tend to be less formal about it during attempts to kill him.
- Expy: Has quite a bit of similarity to Han Solo and Malcolm Reynolds in addition to the aforementioned Char Clone elements.
- Famed In-Story: Comes with being a Propaganda Hero of the Archduchy. He's had several movies made about him as well as well as was the subject of numerous biopics. Cassius' reaction is disdain at best and outright anger at worst (particularly since they glamorize his actions while ignoring the actions of his squadmates).
- Jaded Washout: Fully intended to come this and came damn close before the events of the book changed it.
- Heel Realization: Cassius has one of these when he finds one of State Security's facilities for incinerating dissidents.
- How the Mighty Have Fallen: Cassius Mass is the greatest star pilot in the galaxy, a genetically engineered superhuman, and a nobleman who might as well be a Prince. The first chapter strips him of everything and then it is a Trauma Conga Line after that, culminating in him becoming a Broken Ace who works as an alcoholic navigator on a freighter.
- Lady and Knight: Cassius' relationship with Isla. Clarice is more A Lady Knight and a Knight.
- Lightning Bruiser: Cassius is extraordinarily fast but also stronger than most humans. It gives him a slight edge in space combat.
- Master Swordsman: A tool much more useful in a future with shields.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Has this reaction after the war after he realized he not only campaigned for war against the We Have Reserves Commonwealth but actually fired the first shot. Worse, he led his True Companions squadron to their complete destruction. Then there's the fact the Commonwealth did a Colony Drop on his hometown.
- Noble Fugitive: Cassius is a Count wanted for war crimes despite the questionability of these charges.
- The Only Believer: Seems to have been one of the few in the Crius aristocracy who took his obligations to the peasantry seriously.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Averted. Cassius had his face changed via plastic surgery. Unfortunately, he didn't change his blood or DNA so he was easily identified once people became suspicious of his King Incognito habits.
- Red Baron: The Fire Count. Also The Butcher since he's known as "The Butcher of Kolthas."
- Reformed, but Not Tamed: He made a Heel–Face Turn by the standards of the rest of the galaxy but he's still a criminal and holds disdainful views of most of the Crius' former enemies.
- Royal Rapier: His favorite weapon is a proton sword.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Deconstructed. Cassius wants to serve in his country's military and contribute but the Decadent Court means that he's a constant target for assassination as well as a security risk. His father also demeans his attempts to involve himself in military matters as the goverment exists solely to enrich its Blue Blood aristocracy. Cassius just doubles down on being a "hero" and ends up only having a Heel Realization much later.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: What he becomes after the war due to being the Sole Survivor of his squadron, losing his planet, and then having his efforts to overthrow the Commonwealth turn bad. Also doubles as a Trauma Conga Line.
- The Stateless: Becomes one of these after the destruction of his world.
- Transhuman: A genetically engineered Super-Soldier and Cyborg from a planet of them.
- War Is Hell: His view on the conflict after events.
- Warrior Prince: A good example of it despite actually just being a Count.
- Worthy Opponent: What the Commonwealth viewed him as. The feeling was not returned.
- Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: Subverted as he didn't want to be the former so he quit being the latter when it was clear his former associates didn't care about the distinction.
Isla Hernandez
An escaped bioroid who serves as the Melampus's medical doctor.
- Action Girl: Is perfectly capable of kicking ass despite being a doctor.
- Antihero: Murdered an innocent woman to steal her identity and escape slavery.
- Artificial Human: Halfway between this and Ridiculously Human Robot.
- Cosplay: Seems to enjoy it as part of her programming.
- Distaff Counterpart: Serves as The McCoy to Cassius' The Kirk in the trio of her, Clarice, and Cassius.
- Expy: Her background is basically an Alternate Character Interpretation of Rachel's from Bladerunner—except in this version she was faking attraction to escape being a Sex Slave. She ends up being a Distaff Counterpart of Doctor McCoy.
- A more literal example is the fact she's a robot version of Frozen's Elsa. She remembers a fake
- Handsome Lech: Is sex crazed as part of her programming but still a capable doctor and ass-kicker.
- Hospital Hottie: Was made to be beautiful as part of her role.
- Polyamory: Sees no problem being in a relationship with Cassius and Clarice both while also having sex with other people.
- Sex Slave: Was one of these before she managed to escape.
- Sexy Whatever Outfit: A Black Comedy joke is the fact she turns out to be an adult model of the universe's version of Elsa from Frozen.
Clarice Rin-O'Hara
A former princess turned mercenary who is the chief security officer on the Melampus.
- Action Girl: One of the toughest people onboard the Melampus.
- The Atoner: Wants to make up for the fact her family are a bunch of slavers and pirates.
- Fantastic Racism: Has a big case of this toward the Chel who captured her and brutally tortured her for weeks with their Psychic Powers. Averted in the fact she broke up with William Balder because he was racist against future lover Isla.
- Heel Realization: Had one of these when she visited one of her family's "factories" and discovered they were kidnapping and brainwashing people to be slaves.
- Heroic BSoD: Suffers one when confronted with a Chel she wanted to torture to death.
- Polyamory: Has multiple lovers both male and female including Isla and Cassius.
Ida Claire
The 200 year old captain of the Melampus and a spymaster for the Commonwealth.
- Batman Gambit: Planned to use Cassius Mass as a tool against the Free Systems Alliance while also employing his sister since both are related to the leadership. It doesn't work because they're both completely uncontrollable.
- Cool Old Lady: Is 200 years old and looks like an elderly black grandmother. She's also a brilliant spymaster and political strategist.
- A Mother to Her Men: More or less a grandmother to her men and the Melampus crew (which is a Ragtag Band of Misfits at best and an Army of Thieves and Whores at worse) reciprocates.
- Black Boss Lady: Is the captain of the ship, a spy, and has had a successful career as an arms smuggler.
- The Chessmaster: Planned to play the Free Systems Alliance, Shogun Slavers, and her various agents against one another. It doesn't work out at all due to Cassius being harder to control than she suspects.
- Cut Lex Luthor a Check: After finding herself unable to sway Cassius with honor, redemption, or patriotism—she offers him cash. It works.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: As nice as Ida is, her manipulations infuriate Cassius to the point he hacks the Watchers' database with the help of a Cognition A.I. and burns Ida as a spy. He also steals her ship, though he drops her off at allied territory. Cassius speculates it will be years before she sorts out the fallout.
- Manipulative Bastard: Has deliberately assembled a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits and controls them through their personal damage and pain.
- Punny Name: "I declare" is a Southern expression and she seems to come from a planet based on it. It's also an alias.
- The Spymaster: Is one of these for the Commonwealth and tasked with observing the former Archduchy.
- Southern-Fried Genius: Is a genius and The Chessmaster but also from a planet strongly influenced by the American South by all evidence.
- Underestimating Badassery: Does this to Cassius and it results in her being Hoist by His Own Petard.
Free Systems Alliance
Spoiler Character
Cassius the Elder
The father of Cassius Mass (actually the man from which he's cloned) and leader of the Free Systems Alliance. He's impersonating his own son in order to lead the organization.
- Abusive Parents: Emotionally abusive, neglectful, and dismissive.
- Adipose Rex: Was once immensely fat before gaining his new body. Cassius the Elder claims it was because the Prince Regent poisoned him.
- Archnemesis Dad: To Cassius Mass. We find out that the two have never got along and ultimately it leads to a Duel to the Death.
- Aristocrats Are Evil: Is the Count of the Mass family. He was also Chancellor of the Crius Empire.
- Back from the Dead: Cassius attended his father's funeral in the first book. It turned out he'd had his brain transplanted into another body with the help of his daughter Zoe.
- Big Bad: Of Lucifer's Nebula.
- Big, Screwed-Up Family: The Mass Family is both this as well as a Badass Family.
- Blue Blood: Every bit as much as his son, if not more so.
- Consummate Liar: Is such a good liar that he has everyone but his immediate family fooled.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Cassius the Elder considers his black children to be unsuitable heirs and clones a blond, blue-eyed superman to be his heir. Played with in that he still has Zoe and Thomas as his seconds.
- The Face: For the Free Systems Alliance but using his son's identity.
- Faking the Dead: Much to Cassius' shock and surprise.
- Generation Xerox: Subverted. While they're physically identical, the two cannot be more different in personality or values.
- The Quisling: What he plans to be with the Community. He'll rule over humanity as their Governor in exchange for their help conquering the Spiral.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: The leader of the Free Systems Alliance, Cassius claims everything he does is to bring about freedom for all the worlds conquered by the Commonwealth. He actually turns the majority of his volunteer soldiers into nano-technology zombies and plans to surrender the entirety of human space to the alien Community. He plans to rule as The Quisling and take advantage of Elder Race technology so that he can live forever to boot. All things point to him being a vain, power-hungry, psychotic hypocrite without an ounce of shame
- Offing the Offspring: He kills Thomas by sending a starfighter after both him and Cassius. He also tries the same again in a duel with his son. It doesn't end well for him.
- Older Than They Look: Cassius the Elder looks identical to his son. That's because he's on his second body.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Former Chancellor of the Crius Archduchy and leader of the Free Systems Alliance.
- The Sociopath: Cares about no one or anything but himself. The fact he's able to fake emotions enough to lead La Résistance and bring the galaxy to its knees is just how good a liar he is.
- The Strategist: Played a with in that he's the genius leader of the Free System Alliance but he's actually primarily a speech maker and just very good at delegating authority. His genius battle tactics are apparently all done through a mixture of Elder Race technology, Community backup, his children, and a Cognition A.I. However, being a good manager of resources is what good generalship is all about.
- Truly Single Parent: He cloned himself to have a proper heir in Cassius the Younger.
