Edge

Edge is the main protagonist of a number of books, appearing first in "Edge: The Black Hunter ". He is a tall, black-armored bounty hunter, roughly 6'8" in height, wearing a long black greatcoat. His helmet has two oblique angles which start at the sides of his head and travel all the way down to the corners of his mouth, or where his mouth should be. Edge keeps his identity a secret and it is known only to a select few individuals, like Turukaishal, Victoria and Klaara. In reality, once he removes the helmet, he is Richard Sinclair.

Richard initially adopted the Edge persona to defeat a pair of corrupt Iharsh-Daraz, Gamerron and Kelmak. The pair were operating an illegal weapons manufacturing plant on the asteroid Ezonos, and were supplying the Constellation with equipment. Richard and his partner, Klaara, were dispatched to shut down the facility. However, Gamerron contacted him directly, warning him that if he continued his assault, Victoria would die. Richard, not believing him, pressed the attack. Giving Richard the benefit of the doubt, Gamerron instead killed Victoria's two aides via a well-placed sniper. In return for this mercy, he informed Richard that he had to retire from bounty hunting entirely or his sister would be killed.

Richard obeyed, handing in his badge and retreating from the Scain Empire, hiding out in the Heil Empire's territory instead. While there, he contrived his plan for an alter ego, named "Edge", who would storm Gamerron's base. He faked his death using an inert flash clone, crashing it into Chindrus amidst the wreckage of a rover to make it look like he had crashed. He had Klaara continue the ruse, informing individuals of his "death" while he constructed the first of many Edge Suits. Thus began the reign of the indomitable hunter, Edge.

The Edge Suit
The Edge Suit has gone through many modifications, beginning with its true first form as simple polyform armor. Richard, having always known that his human heritage would cause him problems, had always opted for a closed-face helm with the angular lines on it. Upon faking his death, he began modifying this suit further, creating the first Edge Suit. Different versions followed and are listed below.

Senate Employment
Edge is invited to join the Senate three separate times. The first is after his victory over Nubason. As he works to find a way through the Flashpoint, two of the Senate Bounty Hunters approach him. The first is 001-Bleak, who loudly proclaims that Edge should join the Senate before something bad happens. Edge, with his usual blunt demeanor, tells Bleak to get lost. Things begin to get tense between the two before the second hunter - 259-Meggothia - steps in and tells Bleak to back down. Their mission was to ask, not coerce, Edge into joining them. The two of them withdraw and leave Edge to his task.

The second time he is asked is after he defeats Araan and Liima during the events of "For More Than Honor". Once more, he is greeted by the presence of 259-Meggothia, but this time he is accompanied instead by 041-Echo. Echo expresses dislike for Edge intially, but shows a grudging amount of respect for his strength. Once more, he is invited to join the Senate Bounty Hunters, this time by Meggothia. Edge asks if his partner will be welcome as well, and is told that they are only interested in him. Therefore, Edge tells the two hunters to bug off and leave him alone again. Echo, incensed at his tone and his words, immediately tries to confront him. As with Bleak, Meggothia steps in and forcibly restrains her before granting Edge permission to leave.

The third and final time, Edge is seated atop one of the buildings in Namrah, presumably after his first main confrontation with Clan Mitragan. Once more, Meggothia appears to speak with him, this time bringing along his self-appointed protege, 256-Morceti. They tell Edge that this time, they have been ordered to bring him before their leader, Naztetra. Edge bluntly refuses and Morceti, with her characteristic impetuousness, attempts to attack him. Edge avoids her and leaps from the building. He leads them on a drawn-out chase through the streets of Namrah, using his custom vehicle, the Razor. Meggothia eventually destroys the Razor, but Edge manages to incapacitate both Morceti and Meggothia due to the fact that they were not out to kill him. Before Edge could do further damage, he was beset by four additonal hunters: 125-Aksak, 250-Pain, 260-Ateriel and 300-Avogar.

Ultimately, he is taken before Naztetra where he is told that this is the last time he will be offered to join the Senate Hunters. Naztetra also gives the mild threat that, if Edge refuses, he will no longer be subject to Senate protection as the Senate cannot simply police every errant bounty hunter. Edge tells Naztetra that he will join him so long as his partner is allowed in as well in addition to being allowed to keep his name without being referred to as a number. He also bluntly states that he will not stop seeking missions that help people in need. Naztetra agrees, and thus Edge is assimilated into the Senate Bounty Hunters and assigned to Councilor Omyuris of the Alintean Empire along with Meggothia, Morceti, Echo, Pearl and Avogar.

The Senate Revolt
Ultimately, Edge's identity is revealed during the events of "The Consultant", which causes a massive uproar among the Senate and their hunters. During "The Schism" Richard's suit is confiscated and he is imprisoned in the Senate Ring as he awaits his trial. Klaara, being his partner, is locked out of the proceedings for fear of biasing the judges. Ultimately, it is decide that Richard will be executed, as he is a human and not a part of the Galactic community. As he awaits his execution, however, Meggothia appears and asks him whether or not he would fight if released. Richard says that he would, and Meggothia leaves. Later on, Morceti returns and hands him his Edge Chip before telling him to get ready for a fight. She then destroys the cell door, freeing him.

Edge races up to the Senate chamber and finds that Meggothia assassinated Bleak - the one responsible for Edge's unmasking. This action has sparked a division and incited a massive civil war between the hunters. Edge, Meggothia, Morceti and several others side with Edge, claiming that his race does not dictate whether he is good or bad. The others, however, refuse to abandon their racism and claim he needs to be destroyed. Edge and Klaara enlist the help of several powerful allies, including the presumed-dead Nubason. He escapes into space with several of his allies after killing at least a quarter of the remaining hunters.

The Gray Syndicate
Forty years after his exile from the Senate, Edge returns with a small private army, known as the Gray Syndicate. This small-scale army is passive, responding to force by attempting diplomacy and using force as a last resort. Their primary purpose, however, seems to be providing bounty hunter services to both Senate and non-Senate races for a fraction of the cost. Every Gray Soldier is equpped with a Mark V Edge Suit and trained in the use of it, making them a force to be reckoned with.

It is no surprise to see Edge and Pearl heading the Gray Syndicate, much to the Senate's displeasure. They are aided by Meggothia, Morceti and Avogar, who act as his Gray Generals. He also harbors hybrids, something the Senate frowns upon. Due to this, they initially try to paint him as Constellation. However, it soon becomes increasingly apparent to all involved that the Gray Syndicate is anything but. Ultimately, though, the Senate vows to crush the Gray Syndicate, as it is destabilizing the peace they have worked to achieve by giving races a third option. Prior to its existence, individual races had to fly either Constellation or Senate colors. By joining the Gray Syndicate, the Senate felt Edge was pulling power away from them.

The Tenth Galactic War
Ten years after the appearance of the Gray Syndicate, the Senate declared the Tenth Galactic War against the Gray Syndicate. Their forces sweep in and slaughter any and all of the Gray Soldiers they find on the planets of Sernomir and destroy the fleets in orbit. They then go a step further by annihilating the Gray Syndicate forces on the garden world of Siraphius. This action angers not only Edge and the Gray Syndicate, but the Sov-Nikan who owned Siraphius.

Edge immediately gathers the united Heil under his command and then sends envoys to the Sov-Nikan. Eager to seek retribution for the burning of Siraphius, they join him readily. Edge goes further still, drawing the Scain Empire, still under the control of Mindbank Turukaishal, away from the Senate. He mends the strained relations between the Scain and the Sov-Nikan before marching against the Senate, defeating the remaining forces in orbit around Siraphius and driving them away from Sernomir.

The Senate, their troops stunned by the crushing defeats on both worlds, are eager to retaliate. When they return to Siraphius and Sernomir, however, they find both planets heavily guarded by the Gray Syndicate, as well as Nubason's N-Space forces. After a harrowing battle, they are unable to take the planets back and are forced to concede defeat.

Edge, in the meantime, slips onto the Taeski world of Altar and makes a pact with the Crimson Dominion. Without warning, his troops assault the Azure Empire from orbit and lay waste to over eighty percent of their ground forces. Before the Senate can react to this vicious attack on one of the Heartland Empires, the Azure Empire has been crushed and the Crimson Dominion, now loyal to the Gray Syndicate, rules the Taeski Empire.

With the Taeski on his side, Edge becomes a terrifying force. He retreats back beyond the relative protection of the Senate boundary. He seals pacts with the Lishten and the Twilaemar, who lurk far beyond the Senate's gaze at the edge of the Galaxy, before turning his gaze to the ancient and unknowable Qandamir, almost as old as the Alinteans themselves.

Although he fails to gain the full support of the Qandamir, who vow to stay out of the conflict, several individual members of their race do join his cause. With the Galaxy's races chosing sides, it is only a matter of time before the final conflict.

Richard's forces take the Senate-controlled system of Miros and advance quickly towards the Senate Ring. Mindbank Turukaishal, in the meantime, has managed to draw the Erythians and Zyzyt away from the Senate's influence, costing them valuable territory. Edge moves in rapidly, filling the void and placing his troops to secure critical systems like Mordakrelai and Horakameston. He also sweeps into the Koram system, beating back the Senate from the Erythian homeworld of Besodaari.

Losing territory with every battle, the Senate mounts a swift counterattack, defeating Edge at Koram and pushing him back out of the Erythian system. Using the bulk of the Alintean empire to secure territory, the Senate forms a defensive perimeter and begins pushing Edge back towards Constellation space. Not one to be deterred, Edge mounts a counteroffensive by attacking the Alintean system of Haven. Taking the small, seemingly unimportant system puts him adjacent to the Alintean homeworld of Nihran. Without waiting for the rest of his armies, Edge and the bulk of the Heil forces begin harassing Nihran, attempting to tie them up long enough for the Senate to fall.

Unfortunately for Edge, the Alintean armies are far more powerful and resourceful than he initially believed. With a third of his forces decimated, Edge limps back to rejoin the rest of his armies on the front line. It is there that he makes a desperate gamble for victory, targeting the weakest point in the blockade: the Zepeusm system - a Rhurni outpost.

The Rhurni, long neutral, were grateful when Edge broke the Senate's hold over their outpost. Grateful enough to lend a small group of soldiers to his cause. With a gap in the Senate barricade, Edge's armies force their way through and corner the Senate with their backs to the Galactic center and the Senate Ring. Edge is bitterly reunited with the remainder of the Senate Hunters during the battle of the Senate Ring, but learns midway through the battle that the Senators are not even aboard the ring itself. Instead, he learns that they were moved to the massive garden world of Krell, orbiting the star Gremmik.

Armed with this knowledge, Richard amasses his remaining forces and charges straight for Krell in the hopes of ending the war immediately. This daring maneuver catches the Alinteans off guard, but they are quick to retaliate, forming a barrier around Krell and trapping Edge's forces. Edge, knowing that he is doomed unless he ends this war immediately, throws all his forces against the Crystal Spire, the Senate's last hideout. During the attack, many of his allies, including Avogar, perish in their attempt to guide him to the central chamber. 006-Reaper, one of Edge's allies, faces off with 078-Duleket, in order to buy Edge time to reach the chamber.

Edge eventually corners the Senators in the central chamber, holding them hostage and demanding that the war be ended. He boldly states that he will kill one Senator every hour until they call off the Alintean forces and leave the Gray Syndicate in peace, stating that he did not want this war and still doesn't. Duleket, having trapped Reaper, attempts to stop him. Edge shoots Senator Omyuris, the Alintean Senator, in the leg as a warning. Ultimately, seeing this, the Senators agree to Edge's demands, vowing to leave him in peace so long as he does not antagonize the Senate. Edge agrees, ending the Tenth Galactic War.

Post-War Activities
It is not currently known what Edge's current status is. Following the war, he returned to the area he started the Gray Syndicate from, a tiny star system called Crezzia which lies just outside the Senate Boundary near the Heil Empire. From his fortress on the planet Sinerak, Edge governs the Gray Syndicate as they continue to take bounties. They still maintain their alliances with other races, particularly with the Scain and Heil. It also appears as if losing to the Gray Syndicate has cost the Senate quite a bit of power, as more races come to the Gray Syndicate for political advising, military assistance and overall support than they do the once-great Senate, even though the Senate still attempts to maintain its position as the central galactic superpower.