In 2231, a small flotilla of supercarriers bound for
the outlying Earth colony of Gantris VI suffered a critical navigational error.
For 28 years they drifted through space, labeled missing by their original sponsors and quickly
dismissed.
When their engines had finally deteriorated beyond repair and their life support systems
were nearly exhausted, the carriers emerged from warp space 60,000 light years from Earth.
The sector they found themselves in would become the new home for this forgotten branch
of humanity, one rife with ancient secrets and alien powers, a wild region of space designated
the Koprulu Sector.
The exact boundaries of the Koprulu Sector are ill-defined and the term is typically
used to describe the extent of Terran controlled or explored space rather than any stringent
set of borders.
While a number of successive attempts to subdivide the sector into administrative zones have
existed over the centuries, the most enduring simply splits the planets of Koprulu between
the core worlds and outer colonies.
The core worlds originally referred to the thirteen planets governed by the former Terran
Confederacy.
Since its collapse and the rise of the Terran Dominion, the term now refers to the most
powerful human worlds in the sector rather than any astro-geographical location.
The outer colonies are those lacking the wealth or industry of the core worlds and are largely
overlooked by the Terran Dominion.
Revolts and unrest define these planets and major settlement initiatives have been discouraged
here for centuries.
Besides these two broad categorizations lie a myriad of other planetary regions.
The Fringe Worlds comprise a belt of planets on the frontiers of Terran space, steeped
in crime and piracy.
They are inhabited mostly by the poorly educated and isolationist, and often used as a source
of cheap labor to exploit the natural resources of their worlds.
Dead Man’s Space by comparison is an entirely lawless territory well beyond the control
of any government and a central hub for many criminal and mercenary organizations.
The only uniting feature across the whole of the Koprulu Sector is its harsh and rugged
worlds.
While some planets like Tarsonis or Korhal have at times hosted lush and verdant ecosystems,
most are inhospitable; barren husks of rock, frigid wastelands, or volcanically unstable.
Alien life is also prevalent, mostly primitive species which vary from benign to outright
hostile.
But the inimical worlds of the Koprulu Sector hide a network of ruins and forgotten temples,
some of the last remnants of the ancient and powerful Xel’naga race.
The Terrans were hardly the first to attempt to uncover their secrets.
Far before the arrival of humanity, the Koprulu Sector existed in the shadow of the Protoss
Empire.
This highly advanced and enigmatic civilization took great care not to upset the natural balance
of their worlds and were reportedly horrified at the prevalent strip-mining techniques employed
by the Terrans shortly after their arrival.
The incessant conflict between the various Terran governments, which expanded in scope
to include both the Protoss and Zerg swarm, only further destroyed the Koprulu Sector’s
environment and potential.
With the defeat of Amon, a malicious survivor of the Xel’Naga, life has seemingly returned
to Koprulu on a scale never before seen.
Worlds that were once desolate wastelands now bloom anew and this miraculous event is
seen by many as heralding a new age of peace and prosperity.
Perhaps however, the transformation of the Koprulu Sector has merely increased its value
and the delicate armistice that has stayed the hand of the three great races is now in
doubt.
Only time will prove whether the old adage that defined the region still holds true,
that “nobody ever dies in bed in the Koprulu Sector”.
In Atlas, the Templin Institute investigates the most storied places from across alternate
worlds.
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