Excerpt:
Chapter Two: The Hixtalis Solar System
Within the Hixtalis system, five planets orbited their star.
The planet Hixtalis, namesake of the system, served as the capital of the Republic and as the seat of the most momentous gatherings among the gods. Yet as time passed, this world came to feel constricting to the Pillars in the pursuit of their individual designs. Thus, each Pillar chose to migrate to one of the other planets within the capital solar system.
On these new worlds, they began to rule according to their own ideologies, shaping the cultures and customs of those who would inhabit those territories. This migration was not merely a divine necessity, but a deliberate strategy of colonization: until then, the sister planets had never had direct contact with the Pillars nor with the splendor of Hixtalis itself.
Technological advances in the capital fueled the first ventures into space, undertaken by mortals and gods alike. Though deities could move freely through the void of the cosmos, traveling aboard ships proved far more practical and convenient. Thus began the first interplanetary voyages—short, yet arduous—marking the dawn of an era of communication and colonization among the worlds of the system.
These journeys not only enabled the transport of raw materials, but also accelerated the scientific and technological development of the Republic.
Each planet, though similar in essence, possessed unique minerals endowed with special properties. Their applications gave rise to new creations that further enriched Hixtalis and expanded the knowledge of the entire civilization.
Though the Pillars never regarded the other worlds with hostility, they understood that balance was fragile. In mortals they saw potential, but also shortcomings: the absence of true laws, the lack of leaders capable of bringing order to the field.
Hixtalis was a paradise, yes—but… how much longer could it remain so?
It was then that the first official military forces of the Republic were established. While security bodies had existed before, they were few in number and limited to protecting governmental figures.
The responsibility of structuring this new military power fell to Zhaxlor Lorian, Pillar of Power. With the collaboration of mortals from both Hixtalis and the planet under his dominion, he founded the first regular military units.
The most significant of these was the First Legion of Elite Knights, known as the Legion of Dark Fire.
Its earliest members were children, selected and raised from a very young age to serve the gods with absolute loyalty—trained not only in the art of war, but also in obedience, faith, and sacred duty.
Depiction of the Legion of Dark Fire in the history books of the Republic.
The Legion of Dark Fire was unlike any other soldiers of the Republic.
Raised solely for war—though no war had yet been fought at that time—they were trained personally by the Pillar of Power himself, Zhaxlor Lorian. They were not mere warriors, but living instruments, feared not only for their lethality, but for what they embodied: the pure, faceless will of the gods.
Unlike other military forces, the members of the Legion were devoid of emotion.
They knew neither compassion, nor fear, nor ambition.
They knew only orders.
And they followed them with unbreakable devotion.
As the Pillars foresaw no wars in that era, the Legion was primarily assigned to serve as a divine personal guard. They always accompanied the gods on their journeys to the planet Hixtalis, acting as a symbol of authority, power, and deterrence against any potential act of insubordination or blasphemy.
Training within the Legion began at five years of age and took place exclusively on the planet Solaris, domain of the Lorian family.
Zhaxlor Lorian was not only the Pillar of Power, but also the supreme commander of the Republic’s military forces. As a result, Solaris housed the greatest military might among the five planets of the system.
Alongside the Legion of Dark Fire existed a second military organization of great importance within the Republic: the Republic Space Exploration Federation, commonly known as the R.S.E.F.
While the Legion represented lethal and ceremonial force, the R.S.E.F. stood as the vanguard of knowledge, expansion, and discovery.
Both organizations coexisted as the twin arms of divine power:
one to safeguard order, the other to push back the boundaries of the known universe.
Photograph of the R.S.E.F. “Ark of Vengeance” flying over the planet Exquema during its siege.
The R.S.E.F., or Republic Space Exploration Federation, was originally founded with the direct support of Davothir, the Pillar of Wisdom.
In its early days, it was conceived as a tool to improve interplanetary transportation, facilitating the exchange of resources, knowledge, and people within the Hixtalis system.
However, as the years passed—and under the growing influence of Zhaxlor Lorian, the Pillar of Power—the R.S.E.F. gradually assumed a more militarized role. Simple exploration gave way to the need for dominance, defense, and tactical preparedness, especially as incursions beyond the capital solar system began to be considered.
The first ships built by the Republic were modest: they possessed minimal defenses and lacked true weaponry. They were useful only for internal travel between the five planets of the Hixtalis system.
But as the Republic’s reach expanded, and the universe revealed itself to be far less peaceful than expected, it became evident that vessels capable of withstanding external threats—and of protecting their crews and divine commanders—were required.
Thus, in the Year 20 of the Universal Calendar (equivalent to Year 200 of the human calendar), the jewel of the fleet was born:
the first great ultra-spatial cruiser of the Republic, the R.S.E.F. Lady of Twilight.
Its construction marked the beginning of a new era:
one in which exploration and war became intertwined, one in which the stars were no longer merely destinations… but borders to be defended.
Photograph of the R.S.E.F. “Lady of Twilight” during its orbital launch.
The R.S.E.F. Lady of Twilight was the first large-scale space cruiser formally recorded in the Republic’s archives.
While it did not stand out for its offensive capabilities—at least not by the standards that would follow—it compensated with its imposing size and formidable transport capacity, able to carry both military personnel and ground vehicles, as well as auxiliary craft.
It was designed as a cutting-edge vessel for strategic exploration, colonization, and rapid troop deployment, also serving as a mobile command platform. Its mere presence was enough to command respect from worlds uninitiated into the order of the gods.
The honor of commanding her fell to First-Generation Captain Olivia F. Elis, a strategist renowned for her composure, discipline, and unwavering devotion to the cause of the Republic.
During her early years of service, the Lady of Twilight sailed beyond the Hixtalis system, leading the first intersystem special missions and establishing contact with regions of the cosmos still unexplored.
Her name became legend: a symbol of the dawn of a new age,
and of the twilight of universal innocence before the expansion of divine power…
… "
–Continue reading in its original Castilian language at fictograma.com , an open source Spanish community of writers–