Andromeda Alphera was born on Xirres while it was still within the Borealis Void. She was born into Xirres’s royal family and from a young age was promised to become the next Queen. As a kit she knew how to follow rules, but would also bend them when she wanted to. Her intellect was a noticeable trait even from a young age, with Andromeda being a master at strategy games. Although she would often take risks when in real situations, and as she grew, she began to follow the philosophy of the end justifies the means. As a teen, she was thrust more into the life of an heir, with it now being confirmed she would indeed become the next queen of the planet. Andromeda, who had made quite a lot of friends in her time, soon had to juggle her responsibilities and trying to keep up with her friends and just having some fun once in a while. However, the older she got, the busier she became, and soon the friends she had once made left her side for good, seeing her as a waste of time since she clearly didn’t have any for them. This deeply saddened Andromeda, and made her realize that she would need to pick and choose to keep herself safe, her life, and her heart.
But, while many of her old friends left, one of them stuck around. A spacecat named Shaula Antares, Shaula was the daughter of Centauri Antares, who was the current leader of Rindori, one of the three major continents on Xirres, each named from their capital. While each continent had its leader, the Queen of Scavai was considered above all, and the Queen of the entire planet. Scavai and Rindori had good relations, with Andromeda and Shaula’s parents having a good friendship for a time. Unlike Andromeda however, Shaula was second born, and was not in line for leadership of Rindori. At least not at the time. The two would spend days together, and Andromeda found that even though Shaula wasn’t in line, the two could still relate to each other's troubles and issues with being in high status positions. As the two grew into teenagers their relationship grew as well, becoming love, but a rift was stuck between it by way of their families. A supposed member of the Alphera family had murdered the first born of the Antares. This cat would never be caught nor found. Despite that it was made to seem like the Alphera’s were responsible. As such the Antares’ broke their relations with Scavai entirely. Which formed a rift between the two continents that would last for centuries. Shaula and Andromeda were separated forcefully, and told that they were never to see one another again. Shaula and Andromeda refused to accept this, arguing back against their respective parents. But there wasn’t much the two could do. Rindori closed its gates to the rest of the planet, and considered Scavai an enemy. Tensions between the two continents escalated, and a civil war swept across the planet. It did not last long, only three years, and it ended with no land gained or lost. But it was a brutal conflict nonetheless, and Andromeda and Shaula could do nothing as their parents tried to destroy each other and rid the planet of the other on the basis of a lie. While Andromeda and Shaula attempted to keep their relationship intact and alive, the war brought obvious issues. The two began to grow apart, Andromeda was desperate for a solution to the conflict, while Shaula began to fight with Rindori forces. Both trying to end it in any way they could. But they realized the root of the problem was their parents, being that armies and citizens alike on both sides saw the war as pointless bloodshed. Shaula, sick of the loss of life, challenged her mother to the throne of Rindori. Reasoning that the loss of her mother was a willing sacrifice to make. Shaula also did not see the mother she used to love anymore. Andromeda on the other hand was trying to find a way through a more diplomatic solution. But no matter how hard she tried, she found no way.
Andromeda decided she must do whatever was necessary, that diplomacy was not a solution anymore. She prepared to do what she had to, even if it meant challenging her mother. Andromeda approached her mother within the throne room. Confronting her one last time, trying to make her see reason. Her mother refused, getting furious at Andromeda, yelling that she was not fit to be queen, that she was weak, foolish, and would never bring Scavai to greatness. During her mother’s monologue of hatred however, a new opponent was fast approaching them both. A loose spacecat infected with Achernar at stage 2. The two Alphera’s had moved onto the pinnacle balcony, with Andromeda being backed up against the edge. The two were completely unaware of the approaching danger, as Andromeda’s mother stalked closer, opening her wings and promising that Andromeda would never be queen. That she will fall here, and never get back up. Suddenly the doors to the throne room burst, with a raspy pain filled roar, the loose cat charged towards the two. With Andromeda leaping out of the way as the infected cat rammed into her mother. Slashing her wings with violent ferocity. The two toppled over the edge of the balcony, with Andromeda’s mother grabbing the railing. As the infected cat clawed and sunk its teeth into the queen, she howled in pain, calling for Andromeda to save her. Andromeda who now stood over them, looked down at her mother, seeing only fear and hatred in her eyes. Andromeda didn’t say a word. With the last bit of her strength, Andromeda’s mother launched upward, slashing Andromeda’s halo, shattering it. Andromeda roared, before slashing her mothers face, causing them to go over the edge. With her wings not capable of flight, Andromeda’s mother and the infected cat fell over 60 stories before impact with the ground. Her mothers death was ruled as an attack from an Achernar infectant, and Andromeda was crowned Queen soon after. Although with the crown came another that Andromeda was not prepared for. After the leadership of both Rindori and Scavai changed, the war ended, with Andromeda and Shaula reuniting. However it took many more years for the two continents to be anywhere near trustful of the other. Despite that Andromeda and Shaula’s relationship blossomed despite ruling different continents. Shaula was also the only one who knew the true nature of Andromeda’s mother’s death.
Years went by and Andromeda as now Queen of Xirres was very capable. But things were about to change, Andromeda began having vivid dreams, and even visions during the day, all focused on the God of Predation, Orion. Who had connections with all past leaders of Xirres. Letting them lead alone for the first few years before invading their lives and taking hold. Andromeda was terrified at first of these happenings, and would confide in Shaula, who found the, very worrying. But Orion, angered that Andromeda told another soul of her true form and existence, clamped down quicker than usual. Causing Andromeda horrible mental pain, as Orion began taking control of more of Andromeda’s life. During this period Andromeda seemed extremely paranoid and tired. Shaula became even more worried seeing Andromeda like this and tried to convince her to tell them what was going on. But Andromeda forced Shaula out in a rage filled argument, that she would never understand what needs to be done anymore. The two spoke rarely after that night, with Shaula believing Andromeda changed and wasn’t the same cat anymore. Despite that Shaula was extremely upset that she couldn’t help Andromeda. As more years passed Andromeda’s paranoia faded and she seemed to go back to the way it was before. However the only reason for this was because Andromeda had made a deal with Orion and believed (with Orion’s manipulation) that she would usher in a new age, an age of prosperity and finally escaping the void. Andromeda had been twisted and manipulated by Orion more than any other past leader of Xirres, and while Andromeda seemed to go back to who she was originally, now her strings were wrapped around Orions talons completely. Seeing this Shaula would attempt to make amends but Orion would prevent it, seeing Shaula as a threat to her hold on Andromeda. It was these times that Orion took full control of Andromeda’s speech and body like they do with the Artemal Cult leader Alkonost. Andromeda’s mind remained her but that only made it more painful as Orion made her say horrible things and do horrible things she didn’t mean. Which caused a permanent rift between them, and Shaula rarely ever left Rindori after a particularly bad accident.With Orion thinking Shaula was out of the way, she took more of a backseat, and due to the amount of manipulation Orion had done to Andromeda, Andromeda worked with her own mind towards what Orion wanted.
The borealis void, being its own pocket dimension, has many entirely different systems for existence and time itself. Time in the void goes slower, which has impacted the lifespan of its mortal inhabitants. With prolonged void exposure leading to natural lifespans of almost 200 years. Time also has a different passage level than in the borealis galaxy which follows the BSY (Borealis Standard Year) system, in which a year is 232 days. The BSY system is based on the orbit of Port Borealis around its star. One year within the void is four in the outside, and for Xirres which was within the void for 500 years, in the outside world, 2000 years had passed by the time Xirres escaped. Andromeda ascended to the position of Queen within the last century of Xirres being within the void. And she was active when the planet finally escaped. Xirres was able to escape due to Orion gaining enough strength to rip a hole in the fabric that contained the pocket dimension. It was only open momentarily, but Orion was able to get through and she brought Xirres with her. However Orion’s strength had been depleted now that she had used it to escape, and she decided that she needed to remain on Xirres for the time being. Andromeda, who had promised she would get the planet out of the void during her time as queen, was celebrated. And the entire planet cheered their escape, for the first time a planet had escaped the void, which until then was believed to be inescapable. Xirres coming back on the map was immediately picked up by the multitude of stellar sensors placed throughout space by the major ports. Which informed the leaders of said ports which included Moonbeam. Many decided to keep the reemergence of Xirres under the radar for a time as not to draw extreme attention. Despite that over the next week, Moonbeam and Goldie traveled to Xirres, and found themselves in shock of what the planet had become. While records of Orion were wiped, documents on Xirres itself as a planet were kept and often read, and what Moonbeam and Goldie saw was completely different from what was documented. The entire planet had changed drastically, its inhabitants much larger, stronger, and faster. Its government and political system now an absolute monarchy, and the Skoll system reigning over the populace.
Upon arrival both Moonbeam and Goldie were met with disdain and extreme distrust. However the two were allowed to have an audience with Andromeda. Andromeda immediately shut down their requests to reestablish trade lanes and connections with other planets. Andromeda was even more distrustful of the two outsiders. The two reasoned that it would help Xirres flourish, but Andromeda countered with the fact they had lived for centuries on their own in the void, that they needed nobody else and Andromeda even became angry, before growling at the two to leave her planet she said that they were part of the reason why her population had suffered for so long within the void. Moonbeam took offense to that, saying that there was nothing they could do, but Andromeda hissed that they should leave now. On the way back to their ship walking through the palace halls, Moonbeam heard the echo of her name in a strange distorted voice. Kit asked Goldie if they had heard it, and Goldie shook her head. A bit unnerved, the two left and went back to Port Borealis. Over the next decade, relations would improve between Xirres and the outside, and after nine years of negotiations and talks, Andromeda opened up travel to and from Xirres to outsiders, and also allowed for Xirres inhabitants to leave the planet if they pleased. Andromeda herself almost never leaves her homeworld, despite invitations to do so. Moonbeam also visited Rindori and the third continent of Halshar, when she visited Shaula, Shaula told Moonbeam not to trust Andromeda, although she said this with utmost sorrow, and that something strange is going on behind the scenes, but she didn’t know what. Andromeda still doesn’t trust outsiders that much, although it’s lessened over time.
