Stellar combustor

A stellar combustor is a kind of bomb. They can be deployed in or near stars to cause massive explosions, potentially chain-reacting through other stars to cause incalculable destruction.

History and Use

COUNTER/Weight

Spoiler warning! This section contains major spoilers for COUNTER/Weight. Tread carefully!

Both known uses of stellar combustors were against Rigour. Both attempts were, ultimately, failures. The first use of a stellar combustor was when those fleeing Rigour detonated the combustors behind them in an attempt to keep the divine from following. This was partially successful, as it propelled their people farther into the Milky Way galaxy, though it destroyed many star systems in between. Rigour was, however, not stopped entirely, and generations later it would find its way to what had become the Autonomous Diaspora.

The Autonomous Diaspora would again use stellar combustors, this time in an attempt to destroy Rigour entirely. The bomb was delivered in a suicide mission by the crew of the Wayfarer True, a group of Old Earth cultists. The ensuing explosions killed hundreds of billions, destroying many populated worlds. This was ultimately only a temporary solution, as Rigour was not destroyed but simply shot across the galaxy to eventually land in the Golden Branch star system, where it remained dormant for centuries. Notably, the divine Independence was present in the Diaspora at the time of detonation, and witnessed the effects of the combustors.

Twilight Mirage

Spoiler warning! This section contains major spoilers for Twilight Mirage. Tread carefully!

The Rapid Evening equips its Satellite observers with stellar combustors, to be deployed by Primaries against the threats they are monitoring if deemed necessary. The stellar combustor attached to Gray Gloaming's post is scuttled by Demani Dusk as part of their resignation from the Rapid Evening, despite the emergence of "Annihilation-Class" threats. Similarly, Andara Aurora either refused or failed to use their stellar combustor against Independence when it passed through Benthos; although Independence was dangerous, destroying it with the bomb would have killed everyone else in the system.

The Rapid Evening threatened to use a "limited range" stellar combustor during "Futura Free", which would have destroyed Volition as well as the rest of the Quire system.

PALISADE

Stargraves were military officials assigned by the Principality to the control and potential detonation of stellar combustors. Stargrave Elcessor was one such official, and the leader of the Principality's occupation of Palisade with the ability to detonate its star should the planet be declared an "existential threat to the Principality".