Names for the famous system, Corona Noir Ki, the Corona Noir Ki Institute is known as one of the only independent scientific think-tanks in the galaxy. It's said to house some of the most brilliant minds in the galaxy. Leading experts from all fields flock to the Institute. Getting a fellowship with CNK is considered one of the highest honors. Even doing a few weeks at the Institute can make a promising person's career.
While all of this is true, a very select few know the truth; the entire Institute is a front operation for the Sooni Heretics. It was created to allow them the ability to help drive human technology to the point where it would be possible for Humanity to stand a chance in an all out war with the Sooni.
The Institute, has a very unique source of funding. They have a ship manufacturing wing, where they apply their brilliance to ship design. On paper, it's a match made in heaven; the researchers and scientists create new technologies that are far ahead of anything bring dreampt of by anyone else, and the manufacturing wing figured out how to make that technology practical, then they package it up and sell it.
Unfortunately, CNK has a reputation as a ship manufacturer. While their ship systems are some of the best you can buy on the open market, often rivaling anything produced by either the League or Terran governments, their ships designs... leave something to be desired. They're known to be some of the most bizarre, eclectic, half-assed ships in the galaxy. Clever ship builders (and hobbyists) have learned to buy the space frames, strip them, sell the parts and build the ships back with new CNK systems much more appropriate for their builds. their ships are so bad there's an entire cottage industry of companies that will purchase a stock CNK ship, strip it for you, and build something truly phenomenal, to your exact specifications.
CNK doesn't seem to care, however, they have been offering "consultations" in recent years. If you can convince one of their ship designers to take your build order, they will custom build a ship for you that lacks all the issues of the base model. Their sales team has even been marketing on the fact that Dr. Canel herself might even take your request and customize your ship personally. After all, she did one for Lizbeth Locke, why not someone else?
The CNK star system was simply a dead system before the Archigos Experiments. They created the blackhole at the center of the system, using it for the experiments. A year later, once the Archigos returned, the system was given to the Sooni Heretics who built CNK Station above the black hole and the Institute was formed.
The CNK System is the primary (and only official system owned by the Institute. It is unique among the galaxy as the only known system with a black hole at it's center.
At the center of the system is Corona Noir Ki Prime, the first artificially created black hole by human hands. It is a very small black hole by galactic standards, and it would have completely destroyed the system by now if the League hadn't implemented gravity generations stations around it to monitor and control the gravitational waves coming off the black hole. Without these stations not only would CNK Prime eventually consome most of the star system, but the entire thing would be completely impassible by subspace.
Due to this unique situation, the CNK system can be used as a sort of natural interdiction field generator, preventing any subspace travel in or out if they wished. It's only through careful regulation and monitoring of CNK Prime that the Institute is able to keep the system from being far too dangerous to inhabit.
CNK Station started life as the primary monitoring station for CNK Prime, as well as the experiments. When the Institute was formed it was refit into a research facility, and in the years since has been grown to fit the needs of the Institute. It is considered of the CNK's crowning achievements; a perfect blending of form and function. It's also said that the station is never the same twice; it changes to often that even frequent visitors always find something new that's been added or refit or modified.
The Institute is run by an advisory board, the head of which is the Director. Dr. Canel has been the director since it's inception and she will state that she intends to be its Director when the stars have all burnt out and the universe is winding down to die. While most people dismiss her comment as hyperbole, those who've worked with her long enough take it deadly seriously. They know if anyone was going to have a plan to do exactly that, it would be Dr. Canel.
Despite its actual function as a [Sooni Heretic][heretic] front, Dr. Canel runs the Institute as if it were what it was pretending to be. In fact, thanks to her influence, it actuall is what it pretends to be. Fellowships are rare, difficult and often fruitful. Getting a fellowship is a great honor and Dr. Canel prides herself on only taking the best. As she's fond of saying, "You never know what idiot might have a brilliant thought that changes the nature of the universe as we know it."