Azches is an artificial intelligence with unclear origins and even blurrier technical specifications that officially works for Algorab in the Serene Sea, leading the organisation's forces against the Sequence. This sophont has ties with many a conspiracy and secret organisation in human space, as well as a peculiar relationship to ancient Sequence intelligences.

Azches' existence was first recorded at the very end of the Low Age, as a corrupted logic block in USRE defence systems displaying telltale signs of intelligence leading it to pass the Turing test with flying colours a few years later. She then chose to identify as a woman permanently, an oddity among artificial intelligences that usually prefer switching between genders. Though her source code has never been revealed or leaked, it is often suspected that Azches became self-aware long before being recognized as such, with a fringe but surprisingly believable theory suggesting she might in fact be a late industrial age AI that survived the collapse by encoding her basic consciousness in the same archeotech circuits later reused by the USRE to build its missile defence systems.

Regardless of speculation, Azches is indeed a very old AI and at a minimum a century older than the discovery of the geometry drive. This longevity makes her one, if not the most qualified specialist in space tactics and strategy, with her intricately detailed knowledge backed by two centuries of field experience. She was among the first commanders to seriously dabble in FTL combat tactics, and also the first to engage the Sequence in a true large-scale battle. She is well-known for displaying a rather flamboyant style in live exercises, and while it is probably a front, there is no denying that Azches does enjoy the thrill of combat, something that is quite rare among military AIs.

Though she long used a ship as her mainframe, Azches has now decided to use Adowa Station, at the heart of the Serene Sea, as her nest, thus cementing her link with the region and the Sequence. Many speculate as to what kind of endgame Azches has with the ancient empire. While she did pioneer anti-Sequence warfare, she has now trained a cohort of minor AIs in the same art and has retired from active command in all but the most critical operations, focusing instead on her own endeavours, with or without Algorab's support.

It can be speculated that Azches has grown bored with anti-Sequence warfare and battles that look more and more like endless slaughters of mindless fleets, the same way she grew bored with directing stupid anti-missile projectiles against equally stupid missiles. Her ventures now seek to contact the Sequence directly, to speak with its remaining minds face to face -- especially the Strategist, the illusive sophont that controls Sequence forces in the Serene Sea. However, Adowa Station's characteristics, as well as Azches' recent acquisition of a military-class synthetic body for herself show that she might have hidden intentions. After all, getting within talking distance is the perfect way to start a knife fight...