Hello there! It's ya boy, back with more far-fetched ideas about the future of the Endless-franchise!

I'd like to share with you my idea of one of the factions in a hypothetical Endless Space 3. The game itself would take place after the 'Status Quo' ending of ES2, with the war for the Dust Lodestones ravaging the galaxy to such an extent, that it resets it almost to zero. It would give an explanation why everyone is restarting from one system, why some factions have been demoted to Minor Factions and how new ones emerged from the rest to become playable races. This setting would also give an opportunity to introduce more anomalies, events, quests and locations tied to the remnants of the War of the Lost. Minor Factions could also start with 2-3 systems as remnants of previous empires and all systems could have at least one inhabited planet (with a few random pops) you'd have to integrate upon colonization.

After this exposition, The 21sters. In the pre-war United Empire, the 21st Imperial Fleet was stationed at Daluga, a prison-planet for the malcontents of the Empire at the very edge of the galaxy. The fleet itself was mostly made up of the Imperial Navy's troublemakers and miscreants. Their official assignment was to guard Daluga, keep up the order and protect the Empire from 'extragalactic threats', but everyone knew that being assigned to the 21st was a shameful punishment for enlisted and officers too.

During the War of the Lost the 21st was kept in reserve, keeping Daluga in check with the most recent influx of prisoners due to the war. But as the war was ending and the Empire was falling apart, the fleet mutinied and liberated Daluga, bolstering their ranks with the condemned souls of the planet. After solidifying their rule and infrastructure as much as they could, the 21sters set out the liberate the planets of the Empire and ultimately the galaxy, so no one would be held in bondage and povery ever again.

The 21sters would replace the Cravers (Minor Faction and random pops on planets) as the all-out military faction, due to the revolutionary zeal they set out to complete the 'great reset' started by the war and doing away with the tainted world of old. However, it would mean difficulties when it comes to actual governance in their systems, as revolutionaries don't make good bureocrats. In the faction questline, the player would have to balance the two facets until the time came to make the choice. Stay true to the roots of the 21sters even if it meant that the revolution is going to eat its children, or transition into a more stable and productive form of government, but alienating the militarists and reducing military power while doing so.

These are the rough lines for this faction in this hypothetical ES3. What are your opinions, ideas or advice?

P.s. Space Drakken or Bust!