In the first few decades of Etura's return to power after the Silence, many planetary governments that had kept their technology resisted. They claimed that they deserved to rule themselves without any input from Etura, claimed that Etura had no right to enforce any form of law, no matter how minor, after their collapse in the Scream. But most were defeated, or surrendered, or decided it wasn't worth their time to try and fight it.

Not the Praetorians.

In Sector Hades Theta, the year 3124, there were five planetary governments that despised Etura's control. The leaders of Iva Major, Gaern, Amundai, Ossery I, and Tal'daros united in a council, and decided to act together to secure their region from Etura. Led by the first Lord Praetor, Agaeron Augustus, leader of Iva Major, they formed their armies and declared their region to be Praetoria, independent from Etura rule. Etura sent a force to deal with them, and it was summarily defeated, though not without inflicting casualties. Etura retreated from that region of space, leaving them to their vices, and the Praetorians retired to their worlds, their leaders called Praetors, and Iva Major renamed to Caesar Major.

Each Praetorian world is technically its own government, an independent as per the terms of their break from Etura, but they all hold some level of allegiance, whether it be out of loyalty or fear, to the Caesarians, the Lord Praetor's faction. Each Praetor employs their own methods to rule their people, and there are rarely limits to what they will do or how far they will go. With no to stop them from introducing illicit drugs, open slavery, and immoral ways to control the populace, Praetorian worlds are often cesspools of corruption and terror, with outsiders constantly at risk.

Despite the corruption on the worlds, the Praetorians are still powerful, and Sector Hades Theta can be sure that Praetoria will be a major part of its history in the years to come.

In the year 3100 of the Common Era, over 400 years after the Scream, Etura was reborn, in a fashion. Old Etura had been a galactic powerhouse beyond the reach of any corporation, religion, alien race or planetary government, but New Etura didn't have the power, the reach, the influence, or the resources. They still don't, even though the Alessians rejoined them in the years 3210.

Nowadays, Etura maintains things. They're the peacekeepers of the galaxy, preventing conflicts from ravaging the whole sector, and occasionally intervening in system conflicts if they think they need to. They maintain supply stations in every system with inhabited worlds, and refueling stations in some empty systems. But they don't have galactic power, or communication, and each sector's branch of Etura is largely independent, having to rely only on their own resources to keep the peace. They can't afford to commit themselves too fully to any one action, for fear of rebellions breaking out elsewhere.

Nowhere is this more obvious than here, in Sector Hades Theta. On the edge of known space, Hades Theta is one of the more turbulent areas of the galaxy. The Sector Core is firmly controlled by Etura, and Normal Space is well-policed, but the Frontier is a region of space where Etura only has a light presence. And the shining example of Etura's short reach... Praetoria. An entire region of systems where Etura has no presence and no control, forced out by the Praetorians.

Still, in the space Etura does control, its power must be acknowledged. Each region of space is policed by a different section of Etura's forces, with an independent economy and military, in the end all loyal to Aegis and the Sector Core. And beyond that, loyal to the High Commander, a shadowy figure who is rarely glimpsed by the people of Hades Theta. With the return of the Alessians to Etura, there are now two High Commanders, one for each species.The current Alessian High Commander is Avon Thala, a woman renowned for her technical skill, while the current human High Commander is Breton Farr, a warrior type.

With all that has happened in recent years, the people of Hades Theta are speaking out more and more against Etura, demanding that they act in various areas, especially on the Praetoria border and in the Frontier. Only time will tell how they will react, and what effect they will have on the fate of Hades Theta.