EXILES: The Interstellar Gunslingers

***EXILES: The Interstellar Gunslingers*** is a space Western story and a spin-off to the *Hyperion* Saga. Set in the 45th century, a thousand years before the events of *Hyperspace: The Cosmic Gospel*, it follows the adventures of the Exiles, a mercenary group led by rockstar-turned-gunslinger John Astro, who seek to make a name for themselves in a rapidly changing cosmos. The first instalment, *Part I: A Chronicle of Space Cowboys*, began release in April 2022, and a sequel, *Part II: Interstellar Jive*, is in development.

## Plot

*In the bountiful reaches of the Federation, where riches and dangers go hand in hand, a crew of (somewhat) highly trained mercenaries and treasure hunters seek fortune, reputation and glory in a series of bizarre adventures.*

## Story & Setting

### Setting

*Exiles* is set within the Federation of Lactea-Oculi, a member-state of the Intergalactic Commonwealth, which governs the Milky Way and Andromeda, once the two most powerful galaxies in the Settled Systems and the home galaxies of several intergalactic races. In the years since the expansion of the Settled Systems across the Laniakea Supercluster, the Milky Way and Andromeda have become relative backwaters dominated by criminal networks, most notably the Neokuza, and corporations.

### Story

#### Part I: A Chronicle of Space Cowboys

In 4433, the Federation is overrun with criminal groups and corrupt corporations, causing the ISSS to turn to "gunslingers", adventurers that fill the role of bounty hunters and treasure hunters. Fifteen years after the breakup of his band POSSE, gunslinger John Astro leads the Exiles, a team of fellow gunslingers, on a series of wild adventures, all while each of them grapple with their dark pasts.

## Characters

### Main

* John Astro: a former rockstar turned interstellar gunslinger who captains the *Prydwen* and leads the Exiles
* Jax Dupree: a former officer of the Inter System Security Service, an old friend of John Astro, and a member of the Exiles
* Celeste: an aggressive lycanthrope equipped with wolf-related cybernetics that transform with the rest of her body, and the adopted daughter of the warlord Shen Khan
* Jar: a disembodied human brain that joins the Exiles
* Starman: a dog born with bioenergenic powers, granting him enhanced intelligence and telepathy, and Astro's pet

### Part I: A Chronicle of Space Cowboys

* Teddy Valentine: an old friend of John Astro and the former vocalist for the rock band POSSE
* Shen Khan: an infamous warlord and bioengineer who previously led the Seph in a war on the Federation
* Gek Rel Ek: a gekoid detective in the ISSS and Jax's informant
* Gus Naird: a veteran of the Sixteenth Corporate War who later becomes an arms dealer

### Part II: Interstellar Jive

* Chishi: a notorious and skilled assassin
* Vikki Limelight: a punk rocker and Astro's former lover
* Royce Highwater: a detective in the ISSS and Jax's former partner who is sent to investigate a spike in cyberpsychosis cases

## Trivia

* *EXILES* will be the third spin-off to the *Hyperion* Saga, following *Ad Astra* and *Constellation*; it will also be the first story to bear the subtitle *A COSMOS Story* since *Dark City: A COSMOS Story*.