Ansibles: Communication stations that relay signals across the vast distances of the Dominion near instantaneously. Origins of ansible tech unknown.
Antillia: Planet home to some creepy crawlies...salesmen and insects.
Archon: Ruler of an imperial clan in the Emperor's name. Technically reports to Taxarchon.
Argent, The: A ship, Barracuda class, under the command of Harbin Low, a leader in the Tau division.
Aspidas, The: The Emperor's Own guard. Must be a member of imperial family to join. They might be privileged but they're also brutal and efficient. As a concept: the Aspida. Individual member: Aspidan.
Badlands, The: Area of space at the edge of the Dominion, nestled between the core empire and the Desolation. Home to the desperate and the destitute.
Bakweevil: Large beetle endemic to cargo ships that haul provisions.
Barnacles: Mild swear word, similar in intensity to Jacks.
Bleeding Hades: Swear word, stronger that Barnacles.
Cartels: Organized crime conglomerates. Some of the most prominent are Mantas, Kraits, Haggishi and Bullheads.
Cassandra event: Destruction of spaceship and station, put down to a fault in a CASS-ANDRA AI. Afterwards, most Cass AIs were decommissioned.
Centauri Convention: Law that restricted human bioengineering and banned the use of non-human genetic material in humans. Not to say it doesn't happen — it's just illegal.
Chit: Slang for official digital currency common of the Dominion.
Clan Koning: Prominent imperial clan, currently ruled by Archon Halcyon Koning.
Clan Erregina: Prominent imperial clan, currently ruled by Archon Tyre Erregina.
Connect, The: Interstellar information network spanning the Dominion. Reliant on ansibles.
Custard Bug: Insect. Larval stage is plump with creamy insides. Used to create scrambles as well as desserts.
Desolation, The: Area of space, location of an ancient cataclysm. Few dare to tread there, fearing ghosts or aliens...or both. Home only those too far gone for even the Badlands and to the Sisters of Elazir. Separated from the Dominion by the Wall.
Dominion, The: The empire that controls most of the known universe, both a spatial and political entity. The power of the known universe, spanning all the way from the Desolation to the no-man's land claimed by the cartels. Ruled by the Emperor, supported by the imperial clans. Peace and stability are maintained by the Legion and SIPS.
Emperor: Reclusive ruler of the Dominion. The Emperor's power is absolute.
Euko Station: Third-tier space station that only exists because it is the anchor station for a third-tier jump gate.
Fifth Echelon: Elite divisions of the Legion, with extra-special training and skills: Ki, Omega, Phi, Tau, Epsilon.
Green Zone, The: Area of space between core Dominion and the regions claimed by the cartels. Despite nominal Legion patrols, lawlessness is the norm.
Guilds: Corporations that drive the economy. Some say they control it.
Hail Hecate: Invocation of thanks to the goddess of magic, doorways, crossroads and jump gates.
Hatari Convention: Law requiring every Dominion planet to allow any adult of legal age to leave their home world. People must be free to find another planet more suitable, or find no home and wander the black.
Hauer Gate: One of the oldest jump gates, site of a huge battle where the Dominion consumed that last holdouts of the Coalition of Independent Planets ("the Coalition").
Hera Wept: Curse, an utterance of exasperation.
Hudsonite Brigade: Under the leadership of Marpo Gothe, the most powerful faction of the loose, fractious organization of rebel groups. Fighting for the abrogation of the Dominion and divestiture of the Emperor.
Jacks: Mild swear word, similar in intensity to Barnacles.
Jump gates: Shortcuts between two points in space built and run by the Dominion. Alternative to the slipstream — cheaper and don't require an navigator, human or AI. But the Dominion knows your business.
Klicks: Measure of distance (also kiloklicks and megaklicks).
Legion, The: Main imperial armed forces supposedly loyal to the Emperor, and tangentially the imperial family. But loyalty can be bought as well as earned. Organized into divisions named from Alpha to Omega, each with special skills and training.
Lyra, The: Jack-of-all cargo ship, trying to stay on the invisible side of the law.
Mantadae Gate: Jump gate and its station, where the Lyra picked up Grim — or Grim picked the Lyra, depending on your point of view.
Mean Green: Algal converter. Turns algae into fuel.
Passalida: Hedonistic planet of villas and eternal sunshine.
PhiRoZeta: Spatial coordinate system to indicate where something is in relation to another object; for example, where your attackers are in relation to your ship.
Port Nyx: Spaceport between Metropolis and the Badlands. Also called Nyx.
Secretariat of Interplanetary Peace and Stability (SIPS): Local constabulary, keeping order maintained on planet and station. Sometimes they're overzealous.
Silesian Worms: Giant, multi-legged arthropod. Adults are as long as your average cat with the girth of a cat's tail. They live in great nests. You don't want to stumble across one unawares, as you're as likely to be their dinner as they are yours.
Sisters of Elazir (The Sisters): Nominally charitable association that tends to the sick in hospitals across the Dominion. Secretive about their treatment methods, cures can appear magical. The Sisters have amassed wealth and power but are always on the lookout for more.
Slipstream: Methods of subspace travel. Alternative to the Dominion-controlled jump gates. Requires a navigator or sophisticated AI; best to have both — there are monsters in the deep.
Solace: Environmentally controlled planet with managed weather systems; popular vacation destination.
Spivex: Synthetic spider silk woven and shellacked into plating resistant to blaster strikes and other impacts.
Takeshi Blue: Type of impulse drive engine.
Tartarus: Planet in the Badlands.
Tau: One of the divisions of the Legion. Known for incursion skills and never backing down. Also, leader of the division.
Taxarchon: Archon of Archons. Second most powerful office in the Dominion, after the Emperor. Selected from the Archons of the great clans (currently clan Ayaba).
Tiger Ants: Reddish striped ant with a painful sting that can leave limbs swollen and aching. Dried and crushed, can be used as a numbing, peppery seasoning...just don't add too much.
Tower of Solitude: Home base of the Sisters of Elazir, stationed across the Wall. Marvel of technology, it appears and disappears from regular space.
Vulcan V: Jump gate station closest to the Badlands.
Wall, The: Ancient mesh spread across the space to protect the Dominion from the Desolation. When active, it can slice ships into pieces, but it's assumed to be non-functional.
Zeus' Bollocks: a swear word, stronger than Jacks.