The Bio-mechanid Swarm, the Scourge of the Cosmos, the Enemy.

Known by many names across the several galaxies under humanity’s control, Aberrants are an alien race both biological and mechanical whose apparent sole purpose is the extinction of all human life. Stronger, faster, and technologically more evolved than their competitor, within the past one hundred years they have taken over nearly 60% of the planets that were once populated by humans.

Everything within the alien army is an Aberrant. The soldiers, the officers, the artillery, even the spaceships they use to traverse the stars and the giant bases they form upon a planet’s surface called a Nest. Each and every one is sapient, and usually possessing some form of autonomy. The closer their bodies are to a humanoid form, the greater their level of intelligence, with the strongest of the Aberrants almost scarily similar to a human form.

Aberrants exist as a eusocial hivemind, with their leaders serving both as broodmothers and the head of command behind each individual action the species takes as a whole, with every other member of the species serving within a caste system that prioritizes the needs of the strong. Though their method of intercommunication is unknown, the transmission time has been observed to be near instantaneous, with lower caste soldiers immediately changing tactics under the orders of their betters, leading many researchers to believe that the alien threat operates with some level of telepathic or neurological link between units.

Humanity’s Final Hope, the Light in the Darkness, the Heroes.

Named after the stars that illuminate the vacuum of space, Constellations are the legendary figures that fight the most dangerous threats in the alien swarm. Tasked with eliminating the high-caste Aberrants that no normal human could match, they are an elite group of warriors made from the best of the best, talented among talented, and as supernatural as the enemies they face. To most of the human race, they are thought to be an unstoppable force, limited only by their number, adored to the point that they are treated like celebrities and at times worshiped like beings of mythos.

Despite their reputation, however, the truth is something that can never be divulged to the millions of planets until humanity’s control. To keep humanity’s hopes alive, propaganda portrays Constellations as near-invincible, that for one to die in the line of duty is a rarity during missions against the alien threat. The truth is not so. While they equal a single high-caste Aberrant, they cannot outlast a swarm of weaker Aberrants, overrun within minutes and defeated by exhaustion if not the overwhelming numbers themselves when not properly supported.

Those that are trained to become Constellations come from all across the many planets in the universe. People who had exceeded physical limitations, mutants, mosaic babies, or members of the warrior families. Anyone who may lay claim to the name of "prodigy" is invited to join the Constellations. All registered children are tested at a young age for their potential growth in the future through knowledge tests (comprehension speed, memory, retention, etc.) , blood tests (for Anomaly powers), physical tests (projected capabilities, hand-eye coordination, etc.), and other experiments before being given to a designated teacher, their notes and statistics given to their retainers who will mold their training to suit the potential Constellation. While there are some who attempt to join the Constellations later in life, most are drafted at the age of eight, and are immediately thrown into the level of training suited for their pre-existing level of experience.

Trainees are taught in the schools of tactics, firearms, martial arts, as well as subjects such as mathematics, anatomy, and physics in order for them to calculate strategies on the fly, and understand the equipment they use in the field. They eventually gain a Stardust-Class designation when one of three things occurs. One, they complete the entire ten year tenure of their training program. Two, they gain enough combat experience to qualify for the role before the ten years have completed. Three, they have accomplished a great feat, impressive even among the Constellations. The third option, of course, is the least likely, yet every year there are attempts to subvert the training regimen for a fast track to a higher rank. A handful of trainees have succeeded, many of whom had later reached the peak of their fields. Thousands more had failed in the attempt, leading most to believe that undertaking such a feat is indicative of a prodigy amongst prodigies, or insurmountable luck.

Constellations, after bequeathed their sword, are given a callsign for others to know them by. While some are unique to the person, others are passed down from generation to generation or from the previous user of the sword to the others, whether it be as a traditional right of passage, or to honor those that fell before. Callsigns are usually fashioned after a star from a known asterism, but not always.

Walking Tin-Cans, The Mechanized Arm of the Military, the Heralds.

The men and women that protect the protectors, Pilots are an invaluable resource in the fight against the Aberrants, supporting the Constellations as they attempt to surmount the alien menace. Expected to clear the path for their more fragile allies, their mechanized suits are armed with heavy weapons suited for cutting down hordes of monsters and at times supportive gadgets to buy times until they can be bailed out of a tricky situation by a Constellation or fellow Pilot. While their qualifications aren’t quite as strict as the Constellations, Pilots are taken from aces, veterans, and savants, people better than the average man and willing to do what is necessary for the sake of humanity’s survival. Their armored tools of war, standing up to sixty feet tall and towering over most if not all human-based land vehicles on the fields of battle, bring hope with their presence. Because wherever there is a Pilot, there is the Constellations.

Piloted mecha were originally created for the purposes of mining operations and construction on inhospitable planets, aiding in terraformation in situations where humans couldn’t walk on the surface normally and where impercise machines could ruin the operation. As the war against Aberrants developed, however, humanity’s expansionism quickly grinded to a halt, and the overproduction of piloted machines no longer had a reason for their use. Not until a team of civilians, emboldened by the sight of Constellations falling in the early days of the war, took their construction equipment into battle to protect their heroes from an oncoming swarm. While those brave pilots had died in the endeavor, it had given the Constellation the time they needed to finish the battle, and soon after the military had started a mass production order to retrofit existing mecha units for combat.

Modern mecha are nothing like their original counterparts, with mobility prioritized over defensive material as the transport of Constellations and the ability to avoid artillery fire became the general requirement for extended, pitched combat. While most only have two to four weapons, one primary and secondary for each arm, others have shoulder mounted cannons, missile silos along the legs, hidden blades, anything and everything that can be used to kill Aberrants. Powered by Aberrant cores scavenged from the alien threat while their Princess or Queen broodmothers were alive, their power output is heavily relegated toward their flight systems and sensory input, leading many to prefer ballistic weaponry over energy weapons despite the latter’s overwhelming power.

A mech Pilot can apply for the force as early as fifteen, brought onboard for a five year training program designed to beat out old habits. The program prepares the Pilot for the G-forces caused by the frantic nature of mid-combat flight, firearms training not only in the mech suit but outside of it, tactics, and the rules of engagement. Or rather, lack thereof against the Aberrant threat. When their training is completed, they’re initially given an enlisted Space Recruit rank, elevated to an Apprentice and later an official Pilot after a year of active duty, barring any limiting factors such as poor performance or lack of necessary hours working inside a mech. Their ranks then proceed in a similar manner to what was originally the US Navy, becoming a Petty Officer or later promoted to an officer role with an acceptable record.

The Sapient Species. The Oppressed Masses. The Underdogs.

Only two-hundred and eighty-six years ago, the denizens of Earth hadn’t understood the true magnitude of the cosmos, larger than large, wider than wide, their small corner of the universe but a spec compared to the millions of stars within their own galaxy. But soon after, they began to expand, imposing their influence on outer space as they filled the emptiness with life. Terraforming lifeless rock into vibrant landscapes, dry deserts into manageable oases, worlds of water into planet-sized theme parks, utilizing the uninhabited, unused satellites that orbited the stars and shaping them to their amusement.

Until they found something they shouldn’t have. Life other than themselves.

The hostilities had occurred without warning, their first contact with the alien threat concluding with the debris of a merchant vessel spinning off into the vacuum of space. Unprepared for war, and ill-informed of their aggressors, had it not been for the timely discovery of the anti-barrier material, humanity as one knew it would be extinct. But even against a foe more powerful and advanced than they, humans adapted to their situation and evolved as a species. Though once separated by faction and the vastness of space between them, the planets under humanity’s banner coalesced into a singular entity. United against the threat of a race other than their own, the petty squabbles over resources had taken a backseat, the full might of humans banded together for a singular goal.

Destruction of their natural enemy, and freedom among the stars.