You might have heard. Book 5 in my epic queer space opera series The Galactic Captains: Altered Tides is not far away! I hope to be sharing a release date and cover very soon. But in the meantime, do you remember who's who and where we left them in book 4, Desrtuctive Forces? Well, I completely forgive you if you don't, because with over 50 charachters to keep track of across an entire galaxy (and more), The Galactic Captains is certainly living up to it's name as an epic.
So in advance of Altered Tides, here's a complete guide to who's who in the galaxy, and a quick (spoiler-free) summary of where we left them.
Dramatis personæ of The Galactic Captains
Powers and places in the galaxy
Aldegar—an Ingvarian system home to a rare megacollider; an ancient structure that surrounds an entire sun. Previously run as a personal fief by General Fiach, a hero of the Ingvarian war of Independence against the Crejans.
The Outer Verge—a loose association of a few hundred fiercely independent heterosapien and homosapien systems occupying the spiral arm at the far-left side of the galaxy. Previously ruled by the Trades Council, and currently by the Union of the Outer Verge. Capital—Targuline.
Teva—formerly one of the oldest independent systems in the galaxy located near the central bulge at the junction of two major slipstreams. Destroyed by the Crejan Empire.
The Kyleri Empire—also known as the Empire of a Million Suns. The largest and most powerful force in the galaxy occupying most of the upper right side of the galaxy. Capital—Jiwani. Places of interest—the Crystal City, the Royal Baths of Alsata.
The Eichot system—a far-flung star system at the edge of the Kyleri Empire. Home to the Kandian people native to the minor moon of Jandar. Also containing the rocky world of Eichot Minor and the larger world Eichot Prima. Capital—Maratz. Places of interest—the Blackhole Bar.
The Shakti Democria—an alliance of hundreds of mainly democratic and republican star-states occupying a large part of the central bulge of the galaxy around the Shakti Nebula.
Confederation of the Seven Suns—the richest star-state in the Shakti Democria, ruled by President Ezreal. Capital—Bazman.
The Crejan Empire—home to the green-skinned species that once dominated the entire lower half of the galaxy. Infamous for farming humans and keeping them as slaves.
Authority of Thranga—an industrial power in the upper side of the galaxy rich in resources and raw materials.
Central Star States—a loose association of tens of thousands of largely autonomous systems stretching from the right side of the galaxy’s central bulge to the edge of Kyleri space. Places of interest—Lyrica.
The Valdian Gateway—a space station at the entrance to the great central slipstream connecting the Kyleri Empire to the central bulge of the galaxy.
The Heterosapien Alliance—a collection of heterosapien systems stretching around the top edge of the galaxy.
The Ingvarian Empire—a minor power in the galaxy bordering the Outer Verge. Previously occupied by the Crejan Empire for several centuries and used as a source of human slaves.
Uninhabitable zones—uncharted areas of the galaxy far from slipstreams and assumed to be uninhabited.
Major characters and their recent locations in the Galaxy—
The Tevians—
Ales—Born on the planet Teva and fled to the Outer Verge after Teva was destroyed by the Crejan Empire. Working as a smuggler for Javer before being recruited into the Union of the Outer Verge by Turo.
Sallah—his mother. A slipstream scientist and physicist of galactic renown. Left her son and ex-husband on Teva before the war to pursue a research opportunity for her experimental, galinium-powered intergalactic STAR drive in the Confederation of the Seven Suns. Former lover of Captain Sanya, Daeron’s mother.
Ales Sr.—his father. A famous marauder, ship captain, and galactic explorer. Hero of the Tevian resistance in their decade-long war against the Crejans before being killed in the battle of Mostiva on Teva.
Loukas—a young Tevian fighter Ales was infatuated with but who died during the war. Also the name Ales gave to his father’s ship which he used to flee to the Outer Verge.
The Outer Verge—
Turo—a commander and later admiral of the Union of the Outer Verge. Born in the Crejan fire pits before being recruited by the slaver Mahlbar into a galactic spy ring.
Ukko—a Vergian native. A former ship hand and smuggler and an early recruit into the Union. Arranged a date with Ales on Baldomar Station but stood him up.
Franx—Ales’s oldest friend and a resident of Targuline, the Verge’s sophisticated capital city world. A former smuggling partner and sometime romantic partner of Ales.
Boren—Franx’s current boyfriend. A runaway prince from the feudal agricultural world of Morahiah in the Outer Verge and a Trades Council invigilator.
Arizal Forden—Former Premier of the Trades Council of the Outer Verge and chief of the Forden Corporation. Murdered when the Union seized power in the Outer Verge.
Flo—a native of Jansen, the farthest, coldest world in the Outer Verge and the galaxy’s only source of galinium.
Svandor—the former high priestess of Jansen and guardian of the sacred mantoc crystals, also known as galinium. A rumored immortal.
Havrali Avini—A Kyleri scientist developing STAR drives for the Union.
Zelo—a Union commander.
Fallan—a heterosapien commander in the Union.
Churlie—owner of Churlie’s Chicken Shack on Targuline.
Javer—a heterosapian of the Kalvatrian species and owner of Javer’s Trading Company based on the Alverson moon in the Targuline system. Former employer of Ales.
Councilor Nexia—Leader of the now defunct Trades Council.
Yovnan—a Union operative.
Aldegar, Ingvarian Empire –
General Fiach—a hero of the Ingvarian rebellion against Crejan rule and later ruler of the Aldegar system and its megacollider which he sold access to the highest bidder.
General Morvas—a senior Ingvarian official in league with the former Trades Council.
Renz—an Ingvarian intelligence officer based on Aldegar.
The Kyleri Empire—
Osvai—a prince of the Empire and only surviving son of the late Emperor Kantori.
Emperor Kantori—the aging emperor murdered in the imperial palace atrocity. A moral crusader against longstanding Kyleri promiscuity.
Emperor Shabi—Kantori’s predecessor who introduced two-person marriage for the purposes of procreation only after a long period of all marriage being banned in the Empire following centuries of polyamory.
Viscamon—Emperor Kantori’s most powerful advisor who maneuvered himself into positions of extreme power across the Empire. A rumored immortal.
Lord Arkari—A fierce enemy of Viscamon who was exiled to be system lord on Eichot at the far edge of the Empire.
Antari—an imperial guard on Jiwani and native of the Kyleri system of Sira. Harassed by his commanding officer Nolani before fleeing the Kyleri Empire, only to be given a bounty by Brock and captured on Lyrica by the crew of the Daring Huntress and returned to Jiwani.
Nolani—an imperial commander on Jiwani who groomed Antari.
Lady Solafia—Fiancée of Prince Osvai.
Navron—ambassador from the Confederation of the Seven Suns to the Kyleri Empire and ex-husband of President Ezreal. Father of Daeron.
Luja—an imperial pilot.
Lord Lovazi—a Kyleri noble and imperial representative of the Eichot system on Jiwani.
Radvani—A Kyleri noble.
The Eichot system, Kyleri Empire
Mahnoor—a native of Jandar, a minor moon in the Eichot system home to the Kandian ethnic group.
Asuma—his matriarch and head of his clan.
Ifram—one of his fathers.
Tamnan—one of his friends and space traffic controller at the Jandar space port.
The Emperor Shabi—a Kyleri frigate
Clonis—an imperial pilot.
Gila—an imperial pilot.
Egedi—a Kyleri Omniscient (secret agent).
The Daring Huntress—a bounty-hunting ship
Sanya—Captain of the bounty-hunting ship the Daring Huntress and mother of Daeron. Former lover of Sallah, Ales’ mother.
Daeron—a young ship-hand raised on the Daring Huntress and the only male on a nine-woman crew.
Xenia—Sanya’s first officer and former lover. A member of President Ezreal’s bodyguard before joining the crew of the Daring Huntress.
Kaj—an officer on the ship.
Voros—a half-Crejan, half-human officer.
Tal—the ship’s cook.
Bindi—a crew member.
Akiki—a crew member.
Jacina—a crew member.
Ezi—the newest crew member of The Daring Huntress who joined shortly after the destruction of Teva.
Confederation of the Seven Suns—
President Ezreal—longtime leader of the Seven Suns.
Brock—an agent of President Ezreal.
The Crejan Empire—
Mahlbar—a Crejan slaver specializing in the production and sale of human males for sexual slavery. Raised Turo.