After Joe Maya left, Vashara found itself gripped by internal strife and uncertainty. The departure of the future Archon from his traditional role sent shockwaves through the ruling elite, leaving a deeply divided establishment that had long prided itself on its unbroken lineage of warrior-leaders and prudent statesmen—a lineage that had never before contemplated the notion of peace or compromise with external, technologically advanced powers.
At the core of this turmoil was James Maya, an ambitious figure intent on remolding Vashara's destiny through a radical decision: to remove Joe from the line of succession. James's determination was reinforced by his new wife, Jennifer Sanders, who hailed from one of the prominent families of the Outer Waste—a Tier 3 zone of human civilization. Unlike Elizabeth Maya, Joe's late mother, who had balanced noble ideals with seasoned wisdom, Jennifer was driven by the harsh realities of a hostile frontier. Her background was forged in constant warfare both with the fearsome Erytharies and rival human colonies, all vying for control over resource-rich planets.
James's decision was as personal as it was political. His insistence on sidelining Joe—a boy who embodied qualities far removed from the bloodline of conquest favored by the older generation—was not only a rejection of Joe's aspiration to break from tradition and learn humanity from a broader perspective, but also a calculated move intended to steer the Maya dynasty toward the unconditional pursuit of military might. With his only surviving progeny from this union—a five-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter—the new branch of the family was projected to inherit an aggressive and unyielding approach to power, one that stood in stark contrast to the measured and innovative potential Joe had shown.
The majority of the senior family members were vehemently against James's decision. The revered elders, steeped in tradition and cautious of destabilizing the sanctity of the Maya legacy, warned that the removal of Joe could sever the delicate balance that had kept Vashara's reputation intact. For generations, the Maya had upheld principles of honorable leadership and measured statecraft, eschewing unnecessary wars with other human colonies—a stark departure from the perpetual conflicts seen in the Outer Waste zones. They believed that diplomacy and cautious stewardship were essential to maintaining Vashara's legacy of indomitable strength without overreaching into reckless aggression.
Yet, the senior members found themselves in a precarious position. They feared that James's alliance with Jennifer would not only alter the ideological underpinnings of the Maya rule but could also provoke dangerous external repercussions. Indraprastha, with its monopoly in shipbuilding technology, and Trodeau Industries, controlling the exclusive production of wormhole generator technology, loomed large as existential threats. These interstellar juggernauts possessed technological capabilities far beyond what Vashara—and indeed most human colonies—could ever claim.
Their advanced fleets, built on rare elements and acquired through contracts with allied alien races, were a constant reminder of the scale of potential retaliation. The Maya elders feared that any overt act of belligerence against neighboring human colonies or, worse, a direct challenge to these cosmic powers, could ignite conflicts that would bring ruin upon Vashara.
The insecurity was compounded by the intricate state of galactic affairs. Trodeau Industries, the backbone of Indraprastha's military might, monopolized the production of ships equipped with wormhole generator technology—a key asset that allowed for rapid interstellar travel and strategic dominance. This technology was not an indigenous human achievement; it had been purchased and refined under strict contracts from an allied alien race, conferring upon Trodeau a near-monopoly that left other human factions vulnerable.
In Vashara, the elders understood that any miscalculation in engaging with external powers might trigger a domino effect of reprisals, given that the lethal capabilities of these ships were available in very limited numbers, making each one a rare and priceless asset.
Against this backdrop, the decision to remove Joe was rationalized as a necessary move to align with the dominant paradigm among the new power brokers—a model based solely on hard military strength, immediate resource acquisition, and unabashed aggressiveness.
Jennifer, driven by the volatile conditions of the Outer Waste, promised easy access to resource-rich Tier 3 planets if the Maya family provided military backing for the Sanders faction. This arrangement had the potential to significantly augment the military might and economic base of Vashara, but at a grave cost: the very war-weariness and unyielding bloodlust that had long alienated the Mayans from the rest of human civilization.
The old guard of the Maya, the ones who had always shunned conflict with other human colonies and had cherished a legacy of moderate, yet visionary leadership, grappled with this impending transformation. They could not fathom a future where the Maya legacy was transformed into mere instruments of external war. For them, Joe represented an alternative future—a path that embraced a broader understanding of humanity, a balanced approach that might fuse compassion with strategic acumen. His studies among the ordinary people, his desire to understand the human condition beyond the rigid dictates of Vashara's ways, were a stark contrast to the militaristic fervor that James and Jennifer envisioned.
But with each passing day, the internal clash grew fiercer. The decision to remove Joe as the future Archon was not just a succession dispute; it was a pivotal moment that threatened to redefine the Maya identity. The elders feared that yielding to the demands of the Outer Waste alignments could irrevocably alter Vashara's essence, plunging the once-proud Maya civilization into endless conflicts—a fate reminiscent of the war-faring colonies that had long been at odds with the Erytharies and other human dominions.
Thus, the situation in Vashara after Joe's departure was one of profound division. On one side stood the conservative factions—the senior family members and loyalists who believed in preserving the Maya tradition of rational leadership and restrained engagement. On the other, the burgeoning faction led by James and reinforced by Jennifer aspired to seize new opportunities through alliances with the militarily aggressive and resource-centric powers of the Outer Waste.
Tensions simmered as both sides prepared for a potential reordering of power that could ultimately erupt into civil conflict, or worse—inviting a retaliatory reaction from the formidable shipbuilding powers of Indraprastha and Trodeau Industries.
In this crucible of ideological and political strife, the removal of Joe was more than a familial decision. It became emblematic of the transformation of Vashara's destiny—a choice between continuing a legacy of honor and stewardship or succumbing to the brutal pragmatism of power politics and external opportunism. As the Maya watched their future shift, many silently wondered if the hard-edged path now beckoned by James and Jennifer might eventually doom them all, erasing the noble spirit of a civilization that had, in calmer times, stood apart from the endless wars of other human colonies.
Unaware of all the troubles created by his departure from Vashara, Joe was busy with his grandparents discussing about the available choice of schools for his enrollment. Some elite schools provided extreme specialization in specific fields while others provided overall human development. While discussing all this Joe also waited for the night to arrive when he could spend an hour with Agatha in virtual reality as per his terms with Lumi.