It was a desert climate, with harsh, scorching days, and dark, frigid nights. But the Kharti, who were very good with tech, had built great cities and spaceports despite the extreme weather. Their planet had been the home of the most well-known ancient peoples: the Serconeth. They were master technolinguists and could do almost anything with it! Their ruins had led to the development of hundreds of civilizations, because they traveled everywhere, even interdimensionally. Their end was abrupt, around 3500. It had been over 5000 aeons since. The common theory was that they had crossed into an alternate dimension and were unable to leave. 

            The crew stopped for a few mukols to recuperate, and then they began the journey once more. As they approached Nixta (the rebels' base planet) they saw that they had cast a huge Night Guard around the planet, designed to obscure the planet from detection and to protect it against invaders. They chose to send Whispra to speak to the sentries defending the door. She flew up and said to them, "My crew and I are escaped prisoners of the Akkadian Empire, and we want to join you." 

             They asked robotically "How can we know that your group is trustworthy? Akkadian spies are everywhere."

             She responded with "You can test us if you feel you need to, but I have proof that the Akkadians held us prisoner." She held up a broken piece of cuffs. "These cuffs, and if you look, most of us are wearing Akkadian prison suits. The sentries decided that was proof enough and let them through. 

             As they came through the door, they saw nothing! The planet was shrouded in the inky blackness of midnight. After their eyes adjusted, though, they saw all sorts of species, from birds to lizards to plants! People from all over the universe had come to settle grievances with the Empire.