1. Have there been societies throughout history where individuals were compartmentalized in a manner similar to the world depicted in Hardfought? Which societies were these, and what were the mechanisms that enabled their operation?

2. Throughout the ages, have any cultures imposed strict limitations on the knowledge their people could acquire? What motivated these cultures to enforce such control, and what were the consequences of these restrictions?

Historical Record Keeping

3. Hardfought opens with a brief exploration of the meticulous record-keeping tradition in Imperial China. How did this practice originate, who were the pioneers behind its development, and what impact did it have on China's historical narrative?

Scientific Control and Military Training

4. Is it within the realm of possibility for scientists to orchestrate a person's physical growth as meticulously as Prufax's development is managed? What might be the repercussions of such scientific intervention?

5. What methods are employed in the training of soldiers, and what core principles must they master to excel in their roles? Which of these principles are reflected in the narrative of Hardfought?

Comparative Analysis of Science Fiction

6. Delve into the lives of the combatants in Joe Haldeman's The Forever War (1974) and contrast them with the human warriors portrayed in Hardfought. What similarities and differences emerge?

7. Do the battle scenes depicted in Hardfought align more closely with those in Haldeman's The Forever War or with the portrayals in Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers?

Cosmic Marvels and Elemental Formation

8. Within Hardfought, the Medusa nebula is poetically described as a "womb" nurturing the birth of stars. How do nebulae facilitate the emergence of stars, and what is the intricate process involved? How long does it typically take, and how much time elapses for the Medusa nebula to transform from the beginning to the end of Hardfought?

9. At the dawn of their existence, the Senexi inhabited a galaxy scarce in heavy elements. How are these elements created, where do they typically reside, and why might they have been so rare in the early galaxy?