Kuzon of the Cosmos

Kuzon of the Cosmos was a significant figure during the end of the Golden Millennium known as the leader of the infamous pirate group Dockson's Degenerates. Little is known about his early life save for the fact that he was born on the water-world Karkadann, likely under the rule of Fathom King Vyr. It is a near certainty that he was born in an unregistered slum, as birth records matching his genome are nonexistent.

What is known about Kuzon is his stunningly rapid rise to galactic prominence, an ascent which began with his assumption of leadership over the then desperate and disorganized Dockson's Degenerates. Despite his explosive temper and ruthless nature, Kuzon's management of Dockson's Degenerates can only be described as genius: it took only five standard years for his name to be known across the galaxy, a feat only later surpassed by the Heartless' rise to power. He eventually became powerful enough to overthrow Vyr as Karkadann's Fathom King, something which would solidify his position as a force to be reckoned with. Karkadann would serve as his base of operations and a hub of criminal activity even after his (presumed) death.

Kuzon's influence was such that his pirate activities were disruptive to the galactic economy as a whole, as he gained enough support from various other powerful groups of pirates and mercenaries that he could bring to bear enough firepower to take on even the most heavily guarded frigates and even planetary installations. Any planet which tried to stand against his might or make a direct strike at Karkadann would be blockaded by his fleets, and even when multinational responses were assembled, Kuzon's planetary defenses were flawless. They took what they wanted, and none could stop them. In retrospect, this could be considered Kuzon's one mistake, as he did not discriminate between items and people as trade goods. Dockson's Degenerates were thus one of the primary targets for the Heartless after the Weeping Heart War. Due to the status of Karkadann as a water world, however, it was difficult to reach Kuzon's deep strongholds with orbital antimatter bombardment, and his orbital defenses were powerful enough to make even that a challenge. It was thus that the only official partnership between a recognized government and the Heartless was formed. The Heartless' fleet was accompanied by a vessel under command of the main governing body of the inner Solar System, then led by 3-oxo, carrying an experimental superweapon developed in the Cystarian laboratories overseen by the same. When the Heartless managed to break Kuzon's orbital fleet, the Solar vessel dropped the weapon.

Little is known about the specifics of the weapon's effect, or indeed the weapon itself. In leaked official documents it is only referred to by the codename "Horizon Splitter", and details are kept intentionally vague. The impact it had on Karkadann, however, was very apparent to those who visited after the attack. Most importantly, all human and Cystarian structures which previously existed on the planet were absent, along with the humans and Cystarians themselves. Furthermore, there were no signs of such structures *ever* having existed on Karkadann. This was not simply a return to the state Karkadann was in before humans arrived, however: records from the Jardín del Almanecer indicate that the planet's suboceanic topography was as a whole subtly different than prior to the attack. Also interesting is the fact that all phototrophic organisms on the planet now appear to be adapted for light conditions typical of a planet in orbit around a red dwarf, which is of note in that Karkadann's parent star is an F-type main-sequence star (whose light is yellow-white).

-Excerpt from the *Almanak kaf Al-haya* by Ánthos Daskydox