Idaea

Idaea was a Nomai who worked at the Sun Station as part of the Ash Twin Project. He was the brother of Privet, who worked at the Orbital Probe Cannon.

When the Nomai discussed how to obtain an advanced warp core for the Ash Twin Project, Idaea supported the solution to craft a new advanced warp core as he thought this would be the safest path for their clan. He firmly opposed the idea to build the Sun Station to power the Ash Twin Project, because he believed that inducing a supernova went against every standard they hold themselves to and everything they believed in as a species. Idaea claimed that the potential annihilation of an entire star system is too severe a cost to obtain knowledge of the Eye of the Universe's location and that the Sun Station should not be built. Pye disagreed with him, arguing that pushing new technology further than ever before was a defining characteristic of their species. This discussion was the start of continuous arguments between the two of them.

The other Nomai believed the Sun Station was the only practical way to generate enough energy for the Ash Twin Project. Idaea and Pye worked together to build the Sun Station even though Idaea never supported its construction. Idaea looked forward to working with Pye but was relieved that he could easily return to Ash Twin regularly via the warp platforms. While working on the plans for the Sun Station, Pye made puns about the sun exploding which Idaea did not think was funny. On the Sun Station itself, Pye wrote down their mission statement as "science [compelling them] to explode the sun". Idaea wanted to change this mission statement, thinking it was morbid and that Pye lacked ethics. Due to their constant arguments, Yarrow ended up proposing that Idaea and Pye should spend time away from the Sun Station, which both of them agreed on.

When the Sun Station failed to induce a supernova, Idaea was disappointed and stated that he never wished that the device would fail. Pye argued that the Sun Station could be redesigned, but Idaea thought this was easier said than accomplished. Following the Ash Twin Project's indefinite hiatus, Idaea's sister Privet left the Orbital Probe Cannon to visit him on the Sun Station as she feared he might have felt responsible.

It is unknown if Privet ever reached Idaea before all the Nomai were instantly killed by the Ghost Matter from the Interloper flooding the solar system. Idaea's remains (holding the Ash Twin Project stone) and a Nomai Statue face the sun at the bottom of the Sun Station.

Trivia

 * Idaea is most likely named after the lingonberry, scientifically known as Vaccinium vitis-idaea. It is an evergreen shrub bearing edible fruit.