PROLOGUE
Of all the systems in the galaxy, one of the least significant was the Sump system. Sump prime was a toxic wasteland that dodged almost every major galactic conflict in the history of the galaxy. The native nuknogs were miners by trade, but their prize product was a mineral that they didn't have the means to cultivate, process or sell. This, coupled with the toxicity of the mines, greatly reduced any interest in Sump during the heyday of the Republic.
During the rise of the galactic empire, a corrupt mining corporation (TargenMine) recognized Sump as a prime business opportunity. The native nuknog greeted the visiting humans with open arms as no forward progress had been made in the system in a very long time.
Jor Targen, the leader of the mining corporation, promised the nuknogs profit sharing and active trade partners in exchange for the "willing" work of their inhabitants to mine ereldum, a mineral useful to the fuel industry. The mining process, however, released toxic gasses that had nearly destroyed the planet. While the nuknog were immune, their trade partners wouldn't be.
Jor used his corporation to begin relocating the nuknog to Sump III, a mostly uninhabited planet in the system that the nuknog lacked the capability to expand to. Sump II, the closer neighbor to Sump Prime, was negated because of the toxicity of the atmosphere after a previous relocation attempt.
The nuknogs began digging mines, this time under the close supervision of TargenMine. The mines were sealed with forcefield barriers, however, to prevent the toxic gasses from being released. These barriers also prevented was the release of the miners, however. While this made the mines even more toxic, it preserved the portion of Sump III outside of the force fields. TargenMine employees conducted business and lived the high life above ground, while the nuknog toiled away on the underside. This was tolerated because the nuknog were given food and supplies inside the forcefields, never knowing how well the mines were producing or how good life was above ground.
Kiffin Bron, an employee of TargenMine and Do'gu's father, began to speak out against the injustice of locking the nuknog in the mines. He began a movement, centered around the idea that despite their limited brain capacity, they were a people deserving of the right to share in the profits from their work. This movement gained traction at first but was quickly shut down by an angry Jor Targen. Kiffin was put on "trial" by the Sump High Council, a nuknog group posing as the reigning authority of their people. In reality, they were a a carefully chosen group of loyals on Jor's payroll. The High Council sentenced Kiffin to death and his family was sentenced to work the mines he tried to liberate. After this display of power, sympathizers quickly changed their opinions and agreed to live their lives in relative naivete.
Do'gu and his mother were fitted with artificial respirator masks and sent to live in the mines. Do'gu spent his whole life in the mines, only hearing the stories of life above ground from his mother. Consumed with the thoughts of his Father's legacy and the possibility of life outside of the mines, he spent considerable time and effort in gathering evidence of the nuknog's captivity. This led to a mischievous streak that got Do'gu noticed. A guard, Kon Tou, befriended the boy after several encounters and became a lifelong mentor.
Eventually, exposure to the mines led to the death of Do'gu's mother. She became ill and was sent to a "hospital" never to return. Do'gu became angry and disenchanted, but Kon Tou continued to help him focus on remaining out of trouble. Do'gu took up sword fighting, albeit with a staff that Kon Tou kept in his quarters and allowed Do'gu to spar with. Kon Tou taught Do'gu everything he knew, and the boy took to it like a fish to water.
In his late teens and early twenties Do'gu began experiencing a mix of strange feelings that he has yet been unable to understand. While he's normally upbeat and positive despite his living situation, random bouts of extreme happiness, sadness or anger have begun to be accompanied by unexplained abilities. Kon Tou even seemed afraid when, during an argument that broke out between the two, Do'gu was able to "push" a small group of models off of a table in Kon Tou's quarters - without actually touching them.
These outbursts have become more common now that the mine's gasses are beginning to take their toll on Do'gu - degrading his health and temperament. It would seem that escape is not only a dream but a necessity.