Approximately eighteen earth years ago, a being called Kharmarus Of Aviya went through the final stage of Trrkkekke'llccrrb biology and became 67 new beings, one of whom was Max.

 

Kharmarus was a key military leader in the Trrkkekke'llccrrb rebellion, it lead the rebel forces that took the “beanstalks”, the space elevator systems used to transport supplies to orbit, and was instrumental in securing the vitally important military shipyards. During this last conflict, a large group of Loyalist militia, Trrkkekke'llccrrb people working as part of the Pnung military forces, were captured and killed.

 

Records of that period of history are spotty, but the name of General Kharmarus is a curse in some parts of the planet, and it was long used as an example in Pnung military propaganda as an example of the barbarism and cruelty of the Trrkkekke'llccrrb people. It is still notorious in local space as both a military genius, and a monster.

 

The rest of Max's ancestor-chain is a more honourable one, mostly military, though they have been part of the Sea of Ten Thousand Statues for over fifteen generations, and a number of its ancestors were part of the priesthood.

 

Max's name is not a shortening of Maximus or Maxine, it is a descriptor, shortened for English translation. In an old language, seldom used for more then names or scientific designations, it means “high swimmer”, and is a name typically given to the member of a pod who is the most interested in religious office, as it is folk wisdom that the pious are always swimming close to the surface so that they may see the sun.

 

In Max's case, the name is a literal descriptor, in that it typically does end up swimming near the ceiling in public situations. This is due to a genetic neurological disorder that makes it difficult to filter sensory information from its fins, something similar to hyperacusis in humans, this tends to make it twitchy, nervous, and claustrophobic.

 

This condition, when diagnosed, meant that Max was unable to serve in the military, as it originally intended. Most of the other members Of-Kharmarus have chosen either military or scientific careers. Having been recently rejected from the military academy due to its medical problems, Max was suffering from ennui and depression when something small, green, cylindrical and highly disruptive entered its life.

 

The Green Lantern of Sector 0560 had died, and as sometimes happens in these cases, its ring had split in two. One of them came upon the extremely startled Max while it was contemplating suicide, and the other went to a young Pnung Military officer named ASmellLikeTheSnowOnACoolWinterMorning. SmellLikeTheSnow is brilliant, brave, trustworthy, and strong. It believes in truth, justice, and respecting your elders. It is also part of the group of recruits who were on Earth dealing with the Science Cells impact under the guidance of Kilowog.

 

Only one of them can become the green lantern of Sector 0560, and both of their governments are extremely interested in the outcome of their training.

 

On top of this, the last singular member Of-Aviya, the progenitor of Kharmarus, named Agamaru pupated. Normally, the a pod takes care of its own descendent members, but because Aviya's first descendents were all gone, it fell to their descendents to care for the children. This is normally chosen by genetic similarity, as well as social standing, but in this case, as something amounting to a cultural bribe, the government of the Sea of Ten Thousand Sculptures stepped in and assigned Of-Agamaru to Max. This means that it has some 47 tiny lives to take care of, currently living within Brut (a creature known as a living sea, a symbiotic species) well as interstellar space-police training, and possibly the largest and most dangerous prison break of all time.

 

No pressure Max. No pressure at all.