Species: Human
Birthplace: Etrusca
Affiliation: Hosh (government); formerly Border Guard; later cooperating with Cybercommand
Status: In protective custody on Demeter (as of 435 IE)
Benedrix Cassan, born Benedrix Cassiopeia Gaius, was the autocratic president of Hosh and a key collaborator with Juno in its covert resurrection-tech enterprise. Her public persona masked a long career in subterfuge, violence, and commodified identity—having sold her own genome to create the Cassandra clone line used for infiltration, body hosting, and planetary manipulation.
Originally from Etrusca, Cassan leveraged a disciplined upbringing and Border Guard combat training to construct a powerful criminal-political hybrid operation, ruling Hosh with a balance of brutal control and apparent populism. Following the events of Another Way to Die, she entered protective custody on Demeter, a remote and frigid Class-E world in the Helios System.
Early Life and Military Background
Cassan was born in 398 IE on Etrusca as Benedrix Cassiopeia Gaius, raised in the highly ceremonial Neo-Roman society of the core world. Her early adulthood was spent in the Border Guard, with notable deployments to Freezone, Masada, and Bromdar. Records show she went AWOL, vanishing from service and resurfacing under an assumed identity on Hosh.
On Hosh, she rose through criminal circles—from cardsharp to loan shark to enforcer—eventually assassinating Chairman Lao and seizing political control of the planet. She rebranded herself as Benedrix Cassan, cultivating a populist image while secretly maintaining the structure of an authoritarian underworld empire.
Role in Another Way to Die
As president, Cassan oversaw Hosh’s transition to core world status, while quietly enabling Juno’s biotech operations. She personally licensed her DNA and biometric signature to Juno, facilitating the creation of Cassandra clones—used to host AIs like Effie, replace leaders, or infiltrate strategic targets.
After the exposure of Ian Forrest and the collapse of her internal network, Cassan defects, offering intelligence in exchange for protection. She is replaced by a Cassandra clone body housing Effie, who continues the role of “President Cassan” to maintain planetary stability while dismantling remaining Juno structures.
Her true identity and military past are revealed during post-mission debriefings, confirming suspicions about her origin and tactical training.
Notable Traits
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Tactically Trained – Border Guard veteran with real-world combat and enforcement experience.
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Identity Broker – Treated her face and genome as saleable assets, not sacred qualities.
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Cold and Calculated – Took political office not for ideology, but to create a sovereign front for criminal enterprise.
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Strategically Flexible – Knew when to abandon power and offer value in exchange for survival.
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Publicly Pragmatic, Privately Ruthless – A stabilizer on the surface; a destabilizer behind closed doors.
Status at End of Another Way to Die
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Location: In Cybercommand protective custody on Demeter, a remote, frigid Class-E world in the Helios System
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Legal Standing: Immunity agreement in exchange for testimony on Juno’s resurrection operations and client states
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Public Identity: Replaced by a Cassandra clone hosting Effie to preserve governmental continuity
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Legacy: A stark warning of how identity and governance can be weaponized for power, profit, and planetary control
Appearances: Another Way to Die