"Chomeuze, Xaxon's sun, is undergoing a catastrophic event, creating cracks in space and destroying both Xaxon and its sister planet, Ylian."
-- Booklet 050, "Threat from the Stars"
Xaxon is a destroyed planet that orbited the red sun Chomeuze at the edge of the galaxy. It was the homeworld of the Xaxonen, a reptilian spacefaring species with significant psionic abilities. Characterized by iron oxide swamps, high plateaus, and swamp oceans, Xaxon was annihilated in December 2501 when Kaiser Force technology -- deployed by humanity's Kaiser Corporation -- destabilized Chomeuze, creating spatial rifts that tore apart both Xaxon and its sister planet Ylian.
The destruction of Xaxon is the first confirmed case of an entire planet being destroyed by the side effects of Kaiser Force, and it serves as the catalyst for the Gorthaur Crisis, the galactic Entities' escalation toward the Final Strike, and the Council of Corporations' eventual decision to abolish Kaiser Force.
Geography and Environment
Xaxon was a world dominated by swamp environments and elevated plateaus:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Liweuten | Iron oxide swamps -- a region of cultural significance to the Xaxonen; Gorthaur's home region |
| Liweuten-Bau | A city nestled at the base of a high plateau |
| Sumpfozeane | Swamp oceans -- vast marshy bodies of water |
| Astrozent | A spaceport for interstellar operations |
| Sozialstationen | Social welfare centers |
| High plateaus | Elevated terrain rising above the swamplands |
Ecology
The swamps of Xaxon teemed with life, including:
- Sumpfsegler (Swamp Gliders) -- Creatures native to Liweuten whose vocalizations resembled the language of Gorthaur's guide
- Koppelpartner -- "Wonderfully supple creatures" that maintained symbiotic relationships with the Xaxonen
Mythology
The Trockene Unterwelt (Dry Underworld) was a mythical place of the damned in Xaxon cosmology, suggesting a developed eschatological and religious tradition.
Civilization
The Xaxonen maintained an organized civilization with institutional governance:
- Volksrat -- The People's Council, the planet's governing body
- Wissenschaftliche Vereinigung -- The Scientific Association
- Sozialstationen -- Social welfare infrastructure
The planet's technology included interstellar spacecraft, ice-sleep technology, Simulation Cubes, Luftgondeln (air gondolas), and the Astrozent spaceport. For a full account of the Xaxon species and its capabilities, see Xaxonen.
Star System
Xaxon orbited Chomeuze, described as a red sun at the edge of the galaxy. The system included at least one other body:
- Ylian -- Xaxon's sister planet, which housed a small stellar station used by the Xaxonen for astronomical or interstellar operations
Both Xaxon and Ylian were destroyed simultaneously when Chomeuze destabilized.
Destruction (December 2501)
The destruction of Xaxon is depicted at the opening of Booklet 050 (Threat from the Stars). Gorthaur, a Xaxon astronaut, awakens from ice sleep during a deep-space mission to discover that Chomeuze is "undergoing a catastrophic event, creating cracks in space." The spatial rifts tear apart both Xaxon and Ylian.
The Pilots -- representatives of post-technological supercivilizations -- confirm to the Mushni observer Zsa-non that the destruction was "caused by technical manipulations related to Kaiser Force" and is "not an isolated incident." The entropy-accelerating effects of Kaiser Force, transmitted across galactic distances through Space II, destabilized the Chomeuze star system.
Gorthaur experienced the destruction telepathically, sensing the death of billions of his people. He became the last conscious Xaxone, carrying six surviving ego-fragments -- the Xaxonenegos -- within his skull.
Legacy
The destruction of Xaxon reverberates throughout the saga:
- The Gorthaur Crisis: Gorthaur's campaign of revenge against Earth (Booklets 050, 053) is a direct consequence of his homeworld's destruction
- The abolition of Kaiser Force: The Council of Corporations abandons Kaiser Force after the combined alien attack and Gorthaur Crisis (Booklet 056)
- The Entities' escalation: The destruction of Xaxon is cited by the Entities as evidence of humanity's reckless endangerment of the cosmos, contributing to the escalation toward the Final Strike
- Berlin's transformation: During his psionic attack on Earth, Gorthaur transforms Berlin into a landscape reflecting Xaxon's swamp ecology -- a haunting recreation of his destroyed world imposed onto the civilization that destroyed it
Appearances
| # | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 050 | Threat from the Stars | Setting (opening scenes). Gorthaur awakens from ice sleep on Xaxon to discover its destruction. The planet and Ylian are torn apart by spatial rifts from Chomeuze's destabilization. |
| 053 | The Alien's Sanctuary | Referenced. Gorthaur's memories of Xaxon and Liweuten drive his actions. The Xaxon egos he carries need host bodies to survive. |
| 056 | The Dragon Witches | Referenced. The destruction of Xaxon cited as motivation for the Council's decision to abolish Kaiser Force. |
See Also
- Xaxonen -- The native species of Xaxon
- Gorthaur -- The last conscious Xaxone
- Ylian -- Sister planet, also destroyed
- Chomeuze -- Xaxon's sun
- Kaiser Force -- The technology whose side effects destroyed the planet
- Entities -- The supercivilizations who cited Xaxon's destruction as cause for action
- Final Strike -- The threatened extinction of humanity, partly motivated by Xaxon's destruction
Xaxon appears as a setting in Booklet 050 of Die Terranauten and is referenced in Booklets 053 and 056. It is the first planet confirmed destroyed by Kaiser Force technology -- a wound in the galaxy that the Entities would not forgive.