Chapter 2.2

  The Forge transforms the universe into such a small endeavor with every rivet branded into every ship that soars...

  Prospective of a dying Stargazer.

  The answer to Justine’s pointed question lay within a well-traveled part of the known universe in a small, innocuous galaxy full of swirling gases, deep gravity wells and a plethora of unassuming planets.

  A dark zone to the uninitiated of the void, the Colado cluster for all intents and purposes is mostly a technological and resource free region of space which is both unappealing to travelers and unprofitable to enterprising merchants. Highly forgettable, the only aspect which makes this void of interstellar matter significant from the rest of the universe is the irregularly shaped solar system of Tokeun.

  And even most of that is not entirely all that special.

  Barely a twin star system, Tokeun is the harbinger of six celestial bodies barely large enough to be considered planets. Two of these unimportant worlds support life to some varying degrees. But those degrees consisted of little more than simple algae and amoebas. Basically, they were just melting pots for something more exotic further down the road.

  Then, they were the other four insignificant planets in the system. Lifeless planets, that on a cosmological scale anyway, offered little to an intergalactic traveler besides the occasionally interesting cloud formation or planet wide storm system. And without life, sentient or otherwise, these chunks of circular rock held no interest to odd explorer as they hurtled by.

  However, there was something slightly more interesting than these boring spinning rocks at the center of the Tokeun system. Namely, the twin stars named Thanatos and Zoenata. Locked together by fate and celestial mechanics, these bright spots provide a little more of a distinct flair for being one of the few symbiotic gas giants known in the universe.

  The first of the two stars is also the largest and most vibrant one. Named Zoenata, this controlled circular ball of fire has been burning agelessly bright against the backdrop of space since alien eyes first looked up into the sky. However, this grandeur is slightly marred by its much older sibling Thanatos.

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  Cosmically on the verge of collapsing, the tiny Thanatos maintains a tenuous hold onto life by drawing much needed solar radiation from Zoenata’s chromosphere.

  Almost vampiric in nature, this relationship between the two has endured for millennia due to the younger star’s overwhelming size. And unless something monumental occurs, this connection will continue for millennia more.

  But as interesting as all that solar history is, the real motivating factor for anyone to visit the Tokeun system is the seventh and only celestial body capable of supporting a menagerie of complex lifeforms.

  A medium sized terrestrial planet, Solon tumbles endlessly around this tenuous star system in a precise orbit lasting almost three Earth years. About ? the size of Justine’s home, the system’s fifth planet appears completely mundane to prying eyes.

  But that normalcy belies one of the universe’s best kept secrets behind a massive cluster of asteroids, hovering in high orbit above the planet’s surface. A cluster known to the locals as the Fringe.

  And what is this secret? And why hide it behind a cluster of asteroids? Well, the answers to these questions are simple.

  First, this stony shield held in place by the warring magnetic forces of Thanatos and Zoenata provides cover for the largest and only Arbiter approved shipyard in the universe, The Forge.

  And second, ship building on such a massive scale requires an almost unlimited supply of raw materials. And those materials are found in abundance in the Fringe.

  So that’s how the universe works. If you need an interstellar conveyance, no matter how far away your home planet might be, you make a pilgrimage to the never-ending confines of the Forge. And why? Why would someone travel to the ass end of the universe for a ship?

  Because the Arbiters command it.

  So, aided by an inexhaustible trove of resources high above and an equally inexhaustible labor force from below, the creatures of Solon have made it their life’s goal to create things that will stand the test of time. A noble and lofty goal given this race of feline hulks generally only live to the ripe old age of two human years or in their timeline, four cycles.

  Still, such a short time to make your mark on the annals of history has always been a highly motivating factor for all Solonians. For generations, their people and the Forge have had their praises sung on every planet capable of escaping their own gravitation pull. In fact, one could say that ships built at The Forge have no equal in the universe.

  A point of pride among a group of skilled builders who measure the important moments of life, not in the birth of their offspring, but in every launch of every ship that will endure long after generations of Solonians have returned to the cosmic soup.

  This unchanging way of life has long stood up to ravages of time and shifting political turmoil. But given enough of either and right set of circumstances, and not even the Forge is immune to change…