Axions (from the Axion Alliance)

Axions are pale skinned and hairless. Their most unique feature is their eyes which have upper and lower eyelids that close together in the middle. They are tall, almost a head taller than the average Castarian (or human,) but are about the same weight. The reason is they are thinner, everywhere except their heads. Axions claim their large heads, which bulge out in all directions above their eye line, are to hold their superior brains. They are wrong about being superior, but the belief goes along with the arrogance they typically display toward other species, even their partners, the Aldarians.

Axions evolved like most other intelligent species, going from small family groups, to tribes, to clans, to cities and city-states, to countries, with empires rising and falling along the way. A dictator, who united the planet through military force, formed the first planetary government. He established an empire that lasted for over one thousand years. The succession of power was usually through bloodline, but over the life of the empire, the dynasty changed four times, twice by violent means. It was near the end of the third dynasty that the Axions first reached for the stars.

By the beginning of the fourth dynasty, the Axions had established outposts on a dozen nearby planets. The Axion Emperor had a problem however. The space program was expensive and there was a lot of pressure from the masses on Axion to divert those resources for more free government handouts to the people. The Empire was losing control over the masses, something had to be done. The Emperor recognized that bowing to the demands of the masses might buy him power in the short term, but their ever increasing population and demands for more free stuff would bankrupt the empire over time. He needed an alternative.

The emperor decided to begin a program of mass emigration to the stars. The plan was simple. He sold the people on the idea that this was a great opportunity being given to them by their benevolent leader. He did not tell them that all tickets were one way, and once they arrived on their new home world, not only did all the free stuff from the government stop, they were required to work and pay taxes to support the empire back on Axion.

His plan worked, at least for awhile. The emigration program was extremely popular. Axion was crowded, and the people were sold on the idea of large homesteads and new opportunities. Since they had no way to communicate back to Axion, at least initially, the program continued for many decades until the population of Axion was reduced by about two-thirds. The taxes the military collected from the planets provided for the empire, and for most of the people remaining on Axion.

It was near the end of the reign of the next emperor that the planets started to revolt. As the stream of revenue being collected dwindled, the empire was unable to provide for the people on Axion. The final straw came when the empire was unable to pay the military, who went on strike. The empire collapsed and Axion sank into chaos. The planets were also impacted, although not quite as badly. They had relied on the empire to provide interstellar transportation for both people and goods. Without the empire, trade came to an abrupt halt. A dark ages emerged that encompassed all of the planets that were part of the fallen Axion Empire.

Out of chaos often comes order. Such was the case with the Axions. After several centuries, an alliance gradually arose between the planets that had once been part of the Axion Empire. At first it was based solely on trade, but soon the people realized they needed something more, they needed the rule of law and a central authority to administer it. Establishing a new government, however, is not easy. After much struggle and negotiation, the Axions came up with an elected government based on regions that were overseen by a Central Authority based on Axion. The people elected their representatives to the regional governments. In order to maintain power, the negotiators that put together the plan, established Regional Authorities, to oversee these governments. They appointed themselves to these authorities. The Regional Authorities also appointed the representatives to the people's congress. The Central Authority on Axion oversaw the congress and the government, and appointed the chairman, who is in turn was approved by a vote of the people.

It sounded good when the representatives of all the planets signed the treaty that created the Central Authority. It did not evolve the way they had expected it to.

Argon Special-Operations Leader

Like all Axions, Argon is tall, thin, pale skinned, and totally hairless. He doesn't even have eyelashes. His eyes are large, and the top half of his head bulges out in all directions. He believes the bulge is necessary to hold his large, superior brain. Argon is extremely arrogant.

Argon is a Team Commander in the Axion Special Operations Command, and always wears the dark blue combat uniform of the Alliance. He worked his way up through the ranks and is a firm believer in the superiority of everything Axion, including, and maybe especially, the Central Authority. In short he has been completely brainwashed by his trainers.

Dragan – Chairman of the Central Authority

Dragan is the most powerful of all Axions. He is the Chairman of the Central Authority. His power is absolute, or so he believes. He fought and schemed all of his career to get to the top of the Axion Central Authority. Finally, three years ago, his predecessor died and he officially became Chairman.

He is still relatively young and is looking forward to at least fifty years of rule, and all of the power and rewards that goes with his title. On the way up the ladder, he made sure that there was no one at his heels. There still isn't. His second-in-command is a weakling and a stooge. The power is all his.

Now, suddenly, this "Galactic Alliance" has appeared out of nowhere.

Tomtore – Security Chief on Axion

Commander Tomtore has been the Axion Security Chief for many years. He reports directly to the Chairman of the Central Authority. He has power and many privileges, but he is not really happy with the way things have been going lately.

Tomtore remembers the old days and the old Chairman, before Dragan seized power. In those days, he and his men were given extra privileges, and always thanked for a job well done. That was before Dragan, who hates the military and treats all of the security forces like servants.

Now this "Galactic Alliance" has appeared. Tomtore's life is about to change.

Voltore - Captain and Member of Governing Council

Voltore is at the height of his career as the Captain of an Axion Man-of-War ship. He is assigned a seemingly routine, low-risk mission. His ship is to deliver an Axion and Aldarian Special Operations attack force, and their robots and attack vehicles, to a specified set of coordinates in Castarian space. There he will exchange cargo with a captured Castarian Harvester, taking onboard, captured Castarians and Landorians for delivery back to a POW camp in Axion space.

All goes well until the Landorians unexpectedly revolt, and their control collars prove to be ineffective. He and his staff are taken prisoner by the Landorian Army. From that point on his life changes dramatically as he finds himself as the leader of Axions in Sanctuary and on the Sanctuary Council.

Saline - Member of Governing Council

Saline is a remarkably pleasant and extremely intelligent Axion woman who has no use for the Central Authority. She is selected by Voltore to join him on the council.