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Republic of Biesel

2026-07-28T16:17:25Z

Kermit: SUL disclaimer tweak

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{{Infobox Nations
|Nation = Federal Republic of Biesel
|Shortname = Biesel
|Flag = Republicofbieselflag.png
|Galatic Position = Position Biesel.png
|Capital City = Mendell City
|Capital Planet = [[Biesel]]
|Language = Tau Ceti Basic
|Species = Human (Majority)<br>[[Dionae]] (Minority)<br>[[IPC]] (Minority)<br>[[Skrell]] (Minority)<br>[[Tajara]] (Minority)<br>[[Unathi]] (Minority)<br>[[Vaurca]] (Minority)
|Religion = None
|Demonym = Biesellite, Republican
|Government = Federal Republic
|Head of State = President Ake Torvald
|Legislature = Congress
|Upper House = State Senate
|Lower House = Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople
|Established = May 5th 2452
}}

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In the core worlds of Humanity’s power, built upon a center of [[phoron]] deposits and trade, the '''Federal Republic of Biesel''' is an independent state and considered the economic and social centre of the [[Orion Spur]]. The young Republic as it is known today came to be in 2452, and since its independence it has only grown stronger, its population flourishing, ignorant or uncaring as [[NanoTrasen]] maintained a vice grip over the Republic not only economically, but politically and socially as well.

However, in recent years, that is changing. The '''Phoron Scarcity''' has shaken the very foundations of the republic, not only in regards to NanoTrasen’s monopoly, but also the role it plays on the wider stage of the Orion Spur. Once only holding territory in Tau Ceti, today the Republic of Biesel extends across much of the formerly Solarian Middle and Outer Ring, reaching the new border of the massive [[Coalition of Colonies]], creating the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]. The Republic of Biesel's expansion into former Solarian territories was met with both applause and total rejection from its populace Combined with the mounting issues of the Phoron Scarcity, the CRZ would prove the final nail in the coffin for the Republic’s political establishment, which was shaken drastically in 2462. However, Tau Ceti remains one of the most populated systems in Human space, and easily the richest in the galaxy thanks to NanoTrasen, and now the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]].

== The Effects of the Phoron Scarcity ==
Nowhere is more intertwined with [[phoron]] than the Republic of Biesel. As one of only two nations in the entire Spur with phoron deposits, it has always had the largest phoron deposits and the largest phoron exports. For many, the Republic is the only source of phoron, as unlike the [[Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]], it exports beyond its borders. The Republic’s prosperity, place in the Spur, and technologies all came to be because of phoron and the influence of the [[NanoTrasen Corporation|company]] that extracted it.

As the primary system where commercial phoron mining occurs, [[Tau Ceti]] boasts the largest number of phoronic industries in the Spur. The sheer scale of the operation [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] created for mining and then processing phoron cannot be overstated — almost the entire planet of [[New Gibson]] is dedicated to the production of phoronic components. In 2460, around 23% of the population of the system had a job tied to the phoronics industry. [[Biesel]]’s economy and the livelihoods of its citizenry are dependent on phoron to retain their standards of living; it is the most “phoronised” system with the most advanced technology in the [[Orion Spur]]. With the [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] threatening the lifeblood of Biesel, fear, instability and doubt are on the rise, with concerns about the Republic’s future that almost came true come the [[KOTW|35th's invasion]]. Five years since the beginning of the Scarcity, the phoron industries of Tau Ceti are still humming along, but only growing quieter as facilities are gradually shuttered.

[[Notable_Humans#President_Ake_Torvald|President Torvald]] has enacted policies attempting to limit the damage of the situation, keeping the economy afloat. Interest rates have dropped to near zero, bills have been signed into law that give substantial subsidies to new facilities built that supply alternatives to phoron — a boon to [[Einstein Engines]] — but it’s only barely keeping the flood wall from breaking. More extremely, the Republic and its [[megacorporations]] have officially begun to ration phoron, with much of the phoron and its components reserved in the state’s strategic stockpiles. While this rationing has relieved the stress of the scarcity from many people, it has done so by transferring it onto others, due to its unequal nature. Less affluent neighbourhoods find their infrastructure allowed to age and fall apart, becoming unreliable; hardware stores and clinics supply older, non-phoronic wares that are a notable downgrade. More affluent neighbourhoods continue to have phoronic infrastructure maintained, if at much greater cost and sparingly where possible and, while still supplied with phoronic hardware, medicines, etc., the prices have soared.
Due to the unstable state of the Spur, the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] remains very high on the priority list for phoron allocations. [[Zavodskoi_Interstellar|Arms factories]] and [[Reade|military shipbuilding docks]] rarely have shortages; the fleets always have enough fluidic [[phoron]] for their [[Interstellar_Travel#Bluespace_Travel|bluespace drives]], and those within the enlisted ranks of the [[TCAF]] find themselves in as good a position as the middle class (one of the top reasons enlistment rates haven’t plummeted since the [[Peacekeeper Mandate]] saw opinions on the TCAF nosedive). President Torvald has promised these are temporary measures but, for now, there are no signs this will change.

Unemployment is at an all-time high, with sustainable jobs exceedingly rare and, as crime has skyrocketed, less affluent neighborhoods have changed massively over the past five years. More ghettos are cropping up, and places such as [[Mendell City]]’s [[Mendell City#District_6|District 6]], [[Mendell City#District_11|District 11]], and [[Mendell City#District_12|District 12]] look more run down than ever, deprioritised of phoronic infrastructure maintenance. Brownouts and blackouts are of frequent occurrences, as their phoronics based infrastructure (such as phoronic superconductive cabling) falls into disrepair or is unfitted for use elsewhere. It has a cruel similarity to the Alliance's abandonment of their outer worlds during the [[Sol_Alliance_History#2462-65:_The_Solarian_Civil_War|Collapse]]. Criminal organizations have filled in the vacuum, allowed to run the districts as they see fit, and be largely unbothered by law enforcement, who only interfere when any violence within these areas spills out into other, less dilapidated parts of the city; in which case the standard response has been to violently bludgeon it back into containment.

Phoron black markets and the smugglers who supply them have exploded within the Republic, and though they are not yet utilized by the population at large, their presence is steadily growing. Many have come to rely on them for everything from replacement [[Phoron#Applications_of_Phoron|phone/PDA-use SMES cells, to superconductive cabling, to phoronic medications]] — often stolen. Smuggling routes into [[Tau Ceti]] all lead to the tradeport moon of [[Valkyrie]], a nexus for criminal activity. Valkyrie has been hit especially hard by the economic slowdown experienced across the [[Orion Spur]], and its many port workers struggle to make ends meet; it is no surprise that a great many of them now participate in this smuggling activity. With these black marketers paying well for phoronic goods, petty theft of phoron-based equipment from the workplace has reached the top three reasons why an employee contract is terminated within Biesel, despite the unemployment crisis all but ensuring the fired employee will be unable to find another job.

As a result of the scarcity, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s power has waned. Where NanoTrasen once had almost complete control over the Republic's government by themselves, their influence has dropped to just ‘very strong’. Now, the other [[megacorporations]] flock like carrion birds, eager to claim what they can and emboldened to challenge the phoron giant. [[Notable_Humans#President_Ake_Torvald|President Torvald]] appears willing to exploit this, now giving an ear to all of the megacorporations jointly, where previously only NanoTrasen was afforded the privilege.

== Planets==
The Republic of Biesel has expanded greatly since the [[KOTW|Solarian Collapse]], moving from its home system of [[Tau Ceti]] to encompass what is now known as the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]].

[[File:Pixel Planet Biesel1.png|thumb|left|Biesel seen from orbit.]]
[[File:NewGibson weather.png|thumb|256px|left|A view of New Gibson.]]

=== [[Biesel]] ===
The capital of the Republic and its namesake, Biesel is where many [[megacorporations]] have moved their primary base of operations to after the Solarian Collapse and recession. Biesel's first colony was established in 2147; a comfortable and temperate planet, it proved a valuable location for agriculture and manufacturing, and after the [[Timeline|discovery of phoron in 2352]], proved a very valuable location for all sorts of phoronics work. Since then Biesel has become the most wealthy and influential planet in human space. Biesel previously had many smaller corporations, however since the discovery of Phoron, these have either been gradually bought out or undermined by the larger megacorporations; in the contemporary Spur they no longer exist. Despite recent setbacks, [[NanoTrasen]] and its subsidiaries account for the majority of economic activity in Biesel and Tau Ceti today - though continue to slip lower.

===[[Valkyrie]]===
The moon of Biesel, the Commonwealth of Valkyrie, is a member-state of the Republic that contributes strongly to its economy through its status as a major shipping and trade port. Goods from all over the Spur, legal and illegal, can be found in the twisting streets of Valkyrie, and it acts as a layover for many tourist vessels and trade ships moving across the galaxy. Since the beginning of the scarcity it has also quickly become a hub for smuggler's as corruption runs rife throughout its ports.

===[[New Gibson]]===
New Gibson is the second exoplanet to be colonized by humanity, shortly after the initial success of Biesel's colonization attempt in 2147. It is the industrial workhorse of the Tau Ceti system, containing a rich and valuable resource pool with the highest concentrations of many valuable minerals of any planetary surface in Tau Ceti. While New Gibson has a complex dedicated to virtually all industries, its major players are shipbuilding and wide-ranging manufacturing adjacent to its titanic planetary mines. In the cavernous pitfalls and valleys of New Gibson resides both its thriving mining economy and its greatest dangers. Unlike its bigger brother Biesel, New Gibson hosts very few phoronics specific facilities like refineries and compounding factories - though it still uses immense amounts of phoron in its more regular industries, as they wish to create goods up to the 2400s standard of technology.

===[[Mictlan]]===
Formerly a Solarian colony, Mictlan had become integral to the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s plans for expanding its influence within the unstable region of the Orion Spur. However, violence followed the sudden shift to the Republic of Biesel, with deserters, terrorists, and paramilitaries taking up arms to forcefully push back against the perceived corporate occupation of their planet, eventually resulting in military intervention by the Republic of Biesel, as they instituted the Peacekeeper Mandate to begin to restore order.

After a protracted occupation by the Tau Ceti Armed forces, including a guerilla war between against the ex-Mictlani Defense Force run Samaritans (a paramilitary group) and a protracted anti-terrorist campaign against the Founding Movement (a political movement that turned towards violent extremism and terrorist tactics), in late 2465, after the leader of the founding movement was found lynched and the Republic Forces negotiated a surrender with the Samaritans following rising public unrest within Tau Ceti, [[Hasta La Victoria Siempre Arc|Mictlan eventually managed to secure its status as an independent member-state within the Republic]], and now sets it's own terms with the corporations. They have not left in their entirety, merely been somewhat restricted in their activity, and stratification and corporate influence still separates much of the population. Mictlan is the sight of the worst disparity of phoron rationing, with the corporate upper classes getting almost all of the allocated phoron and the anti-corporate lower classes getting little to none of it.

===[[Port Antillia]]===

A very recently settled planet, Port Antillia had great ambitions of being a vital port between the Jewel Worlds and the [[Republic of Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]]. Due to its novel colonisation, it faced severe struggles, which were exacerbated by frequent natural disasters. Ultimately, this resulted in its early collapse, only really seeing itself somewhat stabilised nearly a century later. It has its roots within the nations which formed the Caribbean Federation, who found themselves facing extinction from the ecological crisis that Earth endured.

Despite millions becoming part of the colonisation effort, no one truly knew the dangers present on Port Antillia. Due to its relative youth on the cosmic scale, the planet experiences earthquakes rather frequently, which produce tsunamis that pose a threat to cities that dot the coasts of Port Antillia. Additionally, volcanic activity is yet another persistent danger with some of the largest eruptions across the inhabited parts of Orion Spur being registered to the planet. Many of the major population centres are equipped to deal with these problems, but there are still minor settlements that have to contend with the hostile geological activity of the planet, with most residents having accepted that they are simply a part of life on Port Antillia.

===[[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]===
Formerly Solarian space, the Corporate Reconstruction Zone is the name for all systems occupied by the Republic of Biesel that are not within [[Tau Ceti]]'s gravity well. These were occupied during the [[KING OF THE WORLD| King of the World]] arc and its finale, and after the Solarian Alliance retracted all necessary support to them. Essentially, the Alliance cut these colonies' lifelines off, and only the Republic would step up to fill the void.

== Politics and Government ==
The Federal Republic of Biesel is a '''federal democracy''' that is committed to ensuring the dignity and basic rights of all that make up the Republic, as laid out in the Constitution. It is composed of 5 member states.

The Republic has a bicameral legislative branch, with a '''Republican Congress''' divided into an upper and lower chamber. The upper chamber, the '''State Senate''', is responsible for, in addition to legislature, treaties, the appointment of senior civil and judicial roles, and trying and convicting the impeachment of senior civil servants. It is composed of 10 representatives of each member state of the Republic holding terms of five years, for a total of only 50 senators, and so represents more long-term visions. The lower chamber, the '''Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople''', is responsible for, in addition to legislature, financial bills and triggering impeachments. It is composed of 800 seats which are filled by directly elected representatives of smaller voting divisions. Both chambers together share war powers.

The [[Republic Law|judicial branch]] of the Republic is dual jurisdictional, split between private law (civil and criminal) and public law (administrative and constitutional). Each jurisdiction has an apex court: the '''Council of State''', which is the highest court in private law; the '''Supreme Court of Cassation''', which is the highest court in public law. The latter of which is the judicial check on both the legislative and executive’s authority, and has a role ensuring the constitutionality of any legislation either during its formation or prior to it being assented by the President.

The executive branch is composed of the president and the various administrative departments that assist the presidency in running the government and implementing policies in the best interest of the citizens. Currently, [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] is the President of the Republic of Biesel.

For the most part, the Republic is very hands off as a result of historical scars over the [[Solarian Alliance]]’s strong governance of [[Tau Ceti]] and a byproduct of its laissez-faire capitalist approaches, with its major responsibilities only being that of: 1) promoting the Republic’s core values of freedom, individualism, multiculturalism, 2) ensuring the Republic’s sovereignty and security against those which would do harm to these values. While many federal laws are in place, it is ultimately left to local governments as to their finer interpretation, application, and enforcement. Consequently, the Republic relies heavily on the [[megacorporations]] for many functions, from private megacorporate [[Republic Education|education]] and health & social care that runs parallel to local state schooling — many of these gaps are filled in by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], due to their historic dominance over [[Tau Ceti]], but other megacorporations have been beginning to carve out their own portions of these sectors.

=== Political Parties and Ideologies ===

====Cetian Congress of Conservatives====
The Cetian Congress of Conservatives is a Cetian Conservative party that seeks to uphold and ''defend'' the [[Biesellite_Culture_and_Society#Societal_Attitudes|traditional values]] of the Republic of Biesel against a perceived threat.

The party stands for transforming the Republic from a peaceful, economic hegemon that influences the Spur with its prosperity, abundance of [[phoron]], and connections with the megacorporations, and instead one that has a strong military and is able to stand and defend itself. Defence spending and ensuring the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] is best fit to repel a military incursion is the priority for the party, even if at the detriment of spending elsewhere. It advocates for increased federalism and devolving the powers held by the Republic of Biesel’s federal government to those of its planetary and regional governments, and staying hands-off in regional matters. The party is pro-immigration, on the basis that immigrants are a key component of the TCAF’s Foreign Legions, however has advocated for tougher citizenship restrictions where other citizenship application routes are taken and also the tough prosecution and potential deportation (or pressing into TCAF service) of immigrants who criminally offend.

The Cetian Conservatives’ economic policy would see changes to ensure the federal republic is capable of some economic intervention to ensure competition between the megacorporations remains competitive, however has not meaningfully laid out any plans to achieve such. The party does not wish to limit the power of said megacorporations to empower smaller or regional corporations to compete with the giants. The party has delivered mixed messaging when it comes to the Republic’s reliance on [[phoron]], with party members offering differing views on solutions to the [[phoron|Phoron Scarcity]], however the party has seen a number of [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|phoron rationing policies]] enacted to ensure what phoron stockpiles do remain are distributed where best seen fit.

The party’s social policies largely focus on increasing participation in the military. The party has long advocated for national service (including military) for citizens between 16—18, alternative criminal sentencing resulting in mandatory national service, and similar. A significant amount of spending on service members and veterans of the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] is also advocated for, ensuring those doing or who have done their service are well-compensated (and to incentivise those to join the TCAF).

While the Cetian Conservative party espouses multiculturalism as one of the Republic of Biesel’s traditional values, the party has wavered when it comes to the rights of more alien species, such as [[vaurca]] and [[diona]]. Party members often raise into question the sapience of these species, whether they are able to positively contribute to Republic culture and society, or some other mitigating factor based in speciesist belief. While significant progress has been made in advancing the rights since the Republic’s independence, the Cetian Conservatives have begun to walk back certain policies brought in by the Biesellite Free Market Party — notably, voting restrictions on bound vaurcae were established in the [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/16330-tau-ceti-times/page/3/#findComment-175624 Electoral Integrity Act]. Legislation that sought to wholly emancipate owned [[IPCs]] or provide better opportunities to free, non-citizen IPCs has also been repeatedly quashed, with the Conservatives unwilling to commit to universal IPC emancipation or supporting non-citizen IPCs.

In 2466, the Cetian Conservatives under now President [[Notable_Humans#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] and Vice President Adalet Uysal defeated the BFMP in the Republic’s presidential election, marking the first change in administration in the Republic’s history. On their own the party is not able to achieve much, not controlling enough of the seats in the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople to rush through legislation despite holding the most. As such, the party is only capable of seeing legislature through when backed by at least one of the other significant parties, and which usually results in the Conservatives having to back the legislation of another party.

The party is headed by '''Adalet Uysal''', Vice President of the Republic of Biesel. Though President [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] won his presidential bid with the support of the Cetian Congress of Conservatives, he is not a member of the party on paper. They control a fluctuating '''38%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Biesellite Free Market Party====
The '''Biesellite Free Market Party''' is a corporatocratic party that advocates for a wholly deregulated, free market economy with ideally zero intervention by the state. It is generally regarded as a puppet party of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]].

The party seeks to foster an environment where the megacorporations can continue to prosper, and that market forces will shape the economy into what is demanded by the consumer. Under the BFMP, megacorporations have and would be encouraged to replace services typically provided by the state, ranging from basic utilities (water, power, etc.) to replacing all state welfare services through employment programmes. The party advocates for equal rights across the board for all recognised sapient species of the Spur — including oft-excluded [[vaurca]] — however, this is wholly transparently not altruistic and instead to bolster the workforce available to the megacorporations. For the same reasons, it is pro-immigration and lax on citizenship requirements.

The BFMP also takes an explicitly [[Biesel]]-first stance, prioritising the financial and cultural centre of the Republic of Biesel over the other planets and moons. The party has shown little interest in meaningfully tackling the problems experienced by other federal regions of the Republic, other than ensuring they too enshrine the corporatocratic and party values as [[Biesell] is eager to take on.

The party is a staunch advocate for the continued mass adoption of [[Phoron#Application_of_Phoron|phoronic technologies]], even in the face of the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]]. It has stated that the Republic of Biesel’s future relies upon and is determined by the continued exploitation of [[phoron]] by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], and that the megacorporation and state’s missions are one and the same in regard to the elusive element.

Historically, the BFMP has had a major influence on the Republic of Biesel, having been in power from its [[Tau_Ceti_History#NanoTrasen’s_Monopoly_and_Independence_(2410_-_2452)|independence]] in 2452 to 2466 when the party was finally ousted. It has been a strong supporter of the now defunct [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces#Tau_Ceti_Foreign_Legion_(2459—2463)|Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]] and was responsible for securing a number of deals between the armed forces and the [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra Hive]]. During power, it advanced the rights of many alien species, shaping the Republic of Biesel into the beacon of liberty in human space it is today. It is also, as a result of incalculable lobbying efforts from the megacorporations — particularly [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and, in more recent years, the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] — responsible for the level of integration and inter-reliance the megacorporations have within the Republic.

Since being voted out of power, the BFMP has been in a state of disarray, as it had never prepared to lose an election when it had the full support of the Spur’s megacorporations behind it. Naturally, it continues to receive heavy support from the megacorporations.

The party was formerly headed by former president [[Notable_Republic_Figures#Joseph_Dorn|Joseph Dorn]] who retired after his election defeat. It is now headed by '''Caroline Benkhoff''', a former [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] executive who has since changed career and entered Republic politics — shocker. They control a fluctuating '''16%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====The Egalitarian Coalition====
The '''Egalitarian Coalition''', or just ''Egalitarians'' (sometimes ''Republic Egalitarians'' to differentiate from other Spur parties), is an alien rights and equality single-issue party that seeks to improve the lot of non-human species in the Republic of Biesel.

The party focuses on the Republic’s tenets on multiculturalism, personal freedoms and individualism, and argues that previous governments have fallen short on these values by allowing non-human species within the Republic to disproportionately be subjected to discrimination and segregation to deprived areas. The Egalitarians seek to break up instances of segregation in the Republic, minimise state encroachment and violations on sentient liberties, and significantly increase social spending to deprived cities and regions of the Republic of Biesel (particularly in [[Mendell City]], [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], and the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]). It is entirely pro-alien and inclusive of species often excluded ([[IPC|IPCs]], [[vaurca]], [[diona]]). The party is pro-immigration and supportive of lax citizenship application routes where it concerns aliens, but has indicated it would limit asylum application from other human states (arguing humans have more options to seek safe asylum within compared to aliens), and is also for universal suffrage regardless of citizenship status.

An ambitious policy of the Egalitarian Coalition is that of outlawing the [[Vaurca Hives]] practice of creating and lobotomising [[Vaurca#The_Bound|Bound vaurca]] within Republic territories, who they argue — without lobotomisation — could have formed into Unbound instead. The creation of an unbound would be tantamount to inflicting grievous bodily harm, and bound would be covered under the same protections that unbound are — and so owning one would be tantamount to slavery. The party has not outlined any plans on how they would deal with Bound already active in the Republic.

The party has no significant stance towards the megacorporations or the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]], however has condemned the megacorporations which discriminate by species — so, all but [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] — and has acknowledged that the Phoron Scarcity disproportionately affects alien species within deprived cities and areas of the Republic.

The party has gained a large amount of publicity with a mandate goal that will see the Federal Republic of Biesel formally renamed to the Federal Republic of the Middle Spur — a name inclusive of all bodies and regions under the Republic. This alone has garnered the support of elder, non-Biesellite Republic citizens — [[New Gibson|New_Gibsonites]] especially — who remain resentful of the [[Biesel]]-first nature of the Republic and its name, though the name is still contested within the party. This has soured the party to some [[Biesel|Biesellites]] though, alienating a portion of their largest voting base.

The Egalitarian Coalition was formed recently in 2467 out of two regional parties that had struggled previously to field the resources to campaign on a Republic-wide level: the Progressive Party of Biesel and Egalitarian Coalition of Valkyrie. It is almost entirely reliant on the donations from organisations such as the [[The_Trinary_Perfection|Trinary Perfection church]] and [[The_Eternal|Eternal schools]], both of which holding large presences on [[Biesel]].

The party has a co-leadership structure, headed by both '''Montgomery''' and '''Harbinger of Peaceful Purposes''' — an [[IPC]] and [[diona]] respectively. Since combining their resources and planetary reputations, they now control a fluctuating '''23%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Cetian Social Democratic Front====
The '''Cetian Social Democratic Front (CSDF)''' is a New Gibsonite Social Democratic party that seems to balance the Republic’s capitalist values with a robust welfare state, as seen on [[New Gibson]].

The party endeavours to implement a series of policies that will regulate the Republic of Biesel’s economy, implement some anti-trust laws, and increase taxes targeting megacorporations and the wealthy so as to level the playing field in the Republic’s markets and to establish a welfare state. It has explicitly set out to break the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and constituent companies monopolies and party messaging often claims they have been allowed to progress too far, which has seen it gain the ire of the megacorporations. The CSDF has also advocated for significantly increasing public education and health & social care funding, allowing public schools and health & social care services to better compete alongside private services. The party should not be mistaken for left wing or socialist though, and their vision only sees the megacorporations regulated enough to allow competition with local corporations, services, and public bodies.

With a notable [[skrell]] influence, as is expected for a party out of [[New Gibson]] and one led by a [[New_Gibson#Xoikku|Xoikku]] skrell, the party has advocated for a [[Nralakk_Federation#Social_Compatibility_Index|Social Compatibility Index]]-like system to be implemented in the Republic, with a scaling universal income based on one’s degree of impoverishment and contribution to the Republic of Biesel. The party has also taken an anti-synthetic stance, seeking to halt any further emancipation or support of owned or non-citizen [[IPC|IPCs]], null the First Amendment that emancipated free IPCs and entitled them to citizenship and the rights thereof, bring back external IPC tagging at a national level, criminalise IPCs who do not clearly identify as such, and to decommission advanced AIs such as [[Notable_Synthetics#Huginn|Huginn]] and [[Notable_Synthetics#Aura|Aura]]. For all other species though, sans [[vaurca]] which they have remained silent on, the CSDF strongly advocates for equality, and putting in place strong anti-hate laws that prevent speech and actions that threaten the Republic’s diverse and multicultural environment.

Despite its progressive stances, the CSDF takes an anti-immigration stance. The party has stated that temporarily halting citizenship and asylum applications or severely toughening up the application process is necessary for the Republic to effectively handle the strain on its systems which now are exaggerated by the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]]. It is adamant that said anti-immigration stance is not a result of xenophobia.

Unlike all other parties, the CSDF is also explicitly anti-[[phoron]], believing phoron alternatives — such as [[Interstellar_Travel#Warp_Travel|warp drives]] and [[Einstein_Engines#Taipei_Engineering_Industrial|cryogenic engineering solutions]] — are vital to see the Republic of Biesel through the phoron scarcity. Yet another reason for the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and constituent companies to scorn the party. However, it has seen the party receive some support from [[Einstein Engines]].

Historically, the Cetian Social Democratic Front has always been hindered by scandals, [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Service Bureau]] investigations, and other obstacles set in place by the megacorporate establishment. However, since the election of Ake Torvald, the frequency of these have curiously ceased.

The party is headed by '''Zash Vi’tak'''. They control a fluctuating '''20%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Minor Parties====
'''Hadiist Party of Tau Ceti'''

The Hadiist Party of Tau Ceti is a Biesellite Hadiist party that seeks to apply [[Notable_Tajara#President_Njadrasanukii_Hadii|President Njadrasanukii Hadii]]’s teachings to the Republic of Biesel and its problems.

The party seeks to drastically expand the powers of the Republic’s executive branch, consolidating unlimited power in the president, through which the Hadiist teachings can be enacted with greater ease. These teachings include the establishment of a robust welfare state and equality for all species. It is against melting pot multiculturalism and instead advocates for the state to preserve and protect each species’ traditional values, and that they can exist alongside one another but not merging with one another — it somewhat differs from [[People%27s_Republic_of_Adhomai#Hadiism|Adhomian Hadiism]] in this regard, as it has abandoned the idea of creating a superculture. As a result of the [[Solarian Alliance]]’s stance on [[tajara]], the party also advocates for a strong defence budget.

Its current leader is Chairman '''Matvei Karakhan''', a [[People%27s_Republic_of_Adhomai|People's Republic of Adhomai]] migrant who also founded the party. They control a fluctuating '''3%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

'''Syndicated Union of Labourers (Banned)'''

The '''Syndicated Union of Labourers (SUL)''' is a radical syndicalist party that seeks to revolutionise the Republic of Biesel into a system of worker’s unions, as seen on [[Himeo]].

The party is the reaction to the Biesellite Free Market Party that has dominated the Republic’s politics since its independence. To this day and despite being banned, it campaigns for the immediate nationalisation of [[megacorporations|megacorporate]] holdings, the expansion of worker’s rights, and then ultimately the dissolution of the [[Republic of Biesel]] after the promotion of worker’s unions to the point they can replace the Republic. However, being the only socialist party to have ever gained significant traction, it often attracts those with their own ideas of syndicalism, or those who aren’t syndicalist at all and instead some other flavour of socialist, so it has forever been uncertain as to whether they would be as extreme in their actions as they say they are — or, if these campaign messages are [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Intelligence_Service|fabricated]].

Obtaining membership or associating with the SUL is a potentially criminal offence, one that is guaranteed to put someone on a watchlist (''and so must be noted in Security Records, if a character is an open member''), increasing the chance of a [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|BSSB]] or CCIA investigation and stricter punishments. Higher echelon members or those responsible for organising party events or membership drives are at risk of serious indictments, up to terrorism. '''You are at greater risk of losing your character should you play an SUL-affiliated person; discretion is advised.'''

== Economics ==
The Republic of Biesel is a market capital economy, described as having strong investments in resource extraction, agriculture, shipping and handling, and manufacturing. In reality, its economy is based on two things: phoron and trade. Exporting phoron, and acting as a trade hub for the rest of the Spur. Both of which are currently under threat due to the scarcity, and have resulted in [[Spurian Economy|economic instability]] within the Republic. Early in the Scarcity, its currency saw some devaluation; however, it has since bounced back as subsidies, the slashing of interest rates, and other monetary policies have managed to keep its economy technically growing slowly for now, but the rate of that growth is falling rapidly year over year. It maintains the '''Biesel Standard Credit''' (电/CR) as its official currency, with some segments of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone still utilizing the Solarian Standard Credit. It sees usage outside of the Republic, within the [[Izweski Nation|Izweski Hegemony]], who adopted it as their official currency following the collapse of the Solarian Alliance, and some sections of the [[Coalition of Colonies]] near the shared border, as well as the [[People's Republic of Adhomai]]. The BSC is available in electronic, bankcard and chip that have the symbol of a lit torch on them. Responsibility for the currency falls to the Central Biesel Banking Authority, which is located in District One of [[Mendell City]], where it cooperates closely with [[Idris Incorporated]] to form monetary policies. Similar to the Solarian Standard Credit, the BSC is a fiat currency.

While [[NanoTrasen]] is still the undisputed most powerful megacorporation within the Republic, the Republic is no longer exclusive to them. This was made clear by a daring move of [[Notable Humans#Noelle_Lopez-Zhang|Noelle Lopez-Zhang]], when [[Einstein Engines]] acquired NanoTrasen's holdings in the Biesellite city of [[Biesel|Phoenixport]]. When the government cooperates with Megacorporations, it cooperates with almost all member corporations of the [[SCC]] on somewhat equal terms. Still, for now [[NanoTrasen]] holds significant economic power within the Republic, given their stranglehold on one of the most important aspects of the economy, [[Phoron]]. Phoron has made [[Tau Ceti]] and the Republic as a whole one of the wealthiest nations in the Spur, and has been integral to its very identity. This is, of course, now threatened by scarcity - something that has put pressure on not only the entire country but on NanoTrasen specifically, [[Phoron|who tries their best to keep up the illusion that all is well]].

Biesel has a significant presence in the medical technology industry, owing to [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals|the agreement signed between Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and NanoTrasen a decade after the discovery of phoron]]. Its medical innovations spawned from this agreement include being the nation where dexalin and peridaxon were first synthesized.

== Culture and Demographics==
''See also: [[Biesellite Culture and Society]]''
<center>''“The people of Biesel could all collectively protest for a century. It still won’t change anything, because power in the Republic does not lie with people. It lies with corporations.”'' - Hugo Beasley, “A Himean In Mendell City”, released 2464</center>

Due to the [[Tau Ceti History | many events of the past decade]], the Republic of Biesel’s culture has drastically changed in recent years. They place emphasis on individual freedoms, inclusivity, and more recently, duty to uphold those previous two values. Originally a culture propped up by megacorporate entities, in the past decade's challenges, such as the [[KOTW|Second Solarian Invasion]], it is clear that the culture of the young nation [[Tau Ceti History|has come into its own in many ways]]. Still, Republic Citizens are on average largely pro-megacorporation and rather anti-Solarian; the latter sentiment only continuing to increase due to Solarian Actions.

=== Languages ===
Although Tau Ceti Basic has prospered as the official language of Biesel ever since its founding, it has undergone a significant amount of change thanks to the linguistic and cultural additions of the Republic’s many immigrants. Linguists have noted that the original Solarian-born tongue is highly susceptible to both human and alien pronunciation, making accents easy to detect. Due to its multicultural roots, though, little was done to interfere with its natural progression in schools and the general population — Biesel’s government continues to frequently tout Tau Ceti Basic’s many forms to this day. Many actors and singers are especially famous for embracing (or in more dishonest cases, emulating) foreign accents to reach new target audiences or for plain clout. Unsurprisingly, these differences are also used by politicians to tie their voters together or draw lines between them. ‘Pure’ Biesellite accents are mostly a mark of prestige used by diplomats and influential business workers, usually obtained naturally through being born into long-established immigrant families, gradually eschewing their former pronunciation as a result of distance.

A noticeable byproduct of this multiculturalism is the abundance of foreign slang used by a wide range of Biesellite citizens. Drawn from just about every corner of the Spur, these words and sayings are often thrown into sentences with little care for grammar, with alien immigrants especially finding it hard to let go of old customs. Humans, who generally have an easier time with Tau Ceti Basic, are known to pick these remnants up through living and working close to alien-dense districts. Truly bizarre combinations of dialects and slang emerge from these relationships, which tend to confuse completely foreign listeners, but are the beating heart of culture for urban Biesellites.

===Aliens in Tau Ceti===
''See also: [[Skrell_Abroad#Skrell_in_the_Republic_of_Biesel|Skrell in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Unathi_Abroad#Unathi_in_the_Republic_of_Biesel|Unathi in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Little Adhomai]], [[Zo'ra in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Minor_Dionae_Factions#The_Biesellian_Choir|The Biesellian Choir]]''

The Republic has among the most diverse and widespread populations of non-human species in the entire Orion Spur. From the district of [[Little Adhomai]] to the Zo'ra Hive's presence on [[Biesel]] and Caprice, Biesellite humans are no stranger to aliens in their streets. However districts primarily populated by aliens have a lower-than-average income than human-dominant districts, and are essentially ghettos. The condition and wealth divide in these districts is only continuing to worsen as the phoron rationing policies of Ake Torvald sees priority go towards wealthy neighborhoods. They look more run down than ever, as the crime rate has steadily been increasing and black markets begin to pop up more frequently. As a result, similarly to the human poor, [[TCAF|recruitment in the Tau Ceti Armed Forces has become particularly popular]].

===Synthetics in Tau Ceti===
''See also: [[IPCs in Biesel]]''

[[Biesel|Biesel]] is currently home to one of the largest populations of [[IPC|IPCs]] within the known galaxy. Although not yet entitled to the same rights as their fellow Bieselittes, the attitude towards IPCs, owned and unowned is generally regarded as the most progressive within the [[Sol Alliance#Inner Colonies|Inner Colonies]]. IPCs in the Republic are a common sight in urban areas such as [[Mendell City|Mendell City]] and Phoenixport. Such a degree of urbanisation can be attributed to the more developed infrastructure and available services required for the maintenance, housing and charging, as well as employment opportunities provided by the megacorporate presence.

==Military==
''See also: [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]]''

[[Image:Tcflposter.png|thumb|400px|A recruitment poster for the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.]]

The Republic of Biesel's sovereignty is currently protected by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, which were formed in 2465 in response to the long and difficult fight against insurgency in the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], replacing [[TCAF|their ineffective predecessors in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.]] An amendment to the [[Peacekeeper Mandate|People's Protection Act]] saw the creation of the TCAF, alongside the new branches of the Tau Ceti Minutemen (Army), Republican Fleets (Space Fleet), and the Corporate Auxiliary Forces (Corporate Paramilitaries). Since [[Tau Ceti History|President Torvald’s election]], the [[TCAF]] has seen it’s funding increase dramatically, and be prioritized for phoron after the president instituted soft-rationing, which has led the military to see a surge in recruitment numbers, while retaining access to some of the best technology and equipment available in the spur; enough to where by most estimates, they could put up a real fight against their current regional threat, the reconstituted [[Solarian Alliance]].

Non-citizens seeking citizenship in Tau Ceti can acquire it through service in the Armed Forces.

Their current operations extend as far as the borders of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, and generally drop off from there, except their previous involvement in the [[Tajaran_Military_Structures#The_S.27rend.27marr_Coalition|S'rend'marr Coalition]] at NanoTrasen’s request almost half a decade ago.

==Technology==

'''Phoronics:''' The Republic of Biesel's technological advancements are owed to the vast deposits of phoron in the Romanovich Cloud, and what would become the republic was the birthplace of the “Phoronic Revelotion” a technological revolution that followed the discovery of phoron for almost fifty years, and laid the foundations for the technology of the Spur to become what it is today. Even in the midst of the scarcity, Biesel still has some of the most advanced technology in the Spur thanks to its large supply of phoron - including a large supply of phoron WMDs and Phoron Warheads, planet killers and city killers respectively.

'''Robotics:''' The relative freedom of synthetics within Biesellite space has also inspired a great degree of research into refining and developing positronics. While many megacorporations still have primary positronic facilities in the Alliance, with some even purchasing Shell frames from [[Einstein Engines]], NanoTrasen and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals in particular have begun to invest in positronic and frame manufacturing plants on [[Valkyrie]], [[New Gibson]], and Reade.

'''Anomalies Studies:''' The Republic's other greatest scientific advancement is the study of the anomalous properties of bluespace. Xenoarchaeology and the study of Alden-Saraspova activity within the Romanovich Cloud is a well-established field in Tau Ceti, and many aspiring anomalists and bluespace researchers venture into Tau Ceti to study the high amount of anomalous items and artifacts that are unearthed within the Romanovich Cloud. Strangely, the rates of anomalous activity emanating from the Romanovich Cloud have steadily increased as phoron has been mined.

{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}

Timeline

2026-07-28T14:48:24Z

Kermit: unified NT founding data

{{Navbox Lore}}

'''This is the primary timeline for the Orion Spur, and all its species. This is primarily for use by Lore Writers.'''

While there is much on this timeline prior, Aurora's timeline officially diverges in '''1969'''. For events taking place prior to 1969, it is best to assume that they follow the conventional history of Earth.

== Before Common Era ==
<center>''"And on this rock, I shall build my church."''</center>

*'''Unknown Date:''' Vaurca Evolve on Sedantis

*'''~734,533 B.C.E:''' The period of Warrior Nomadism in Vaurca Society begins

*'''~564,533 B.C.E:''' The Vaurca begin their agricultural revolution

*'''~98,000 B.C.E:''' ''Homo Sapiens'' begins to migrate out of Africa

*'''~57,533 B.C.E:''' The First Records of the K’lax

*'''~51,533 B.C.E:''' The First Hivenet Tower is constructed

*'''~42,533 B.C.E:''' The Zo’ra emerge, and begin to build their Empire

*'''~35,183 B.C.E:''' The Vaurca Begin their Era of Augments

*'''~34,183 B.C.E:''' The Lii’dra Form

*'''~27,533 B.C.E:''' The Great Hive War Begins

*'''~12,500 B.C.E:''' The First Permanent Unathi Settlements are formed

*'''~12,000 B.C.E:''' Ancient skrell discover metallurgy

*'''~10,000 B.C.E:''' Humanity begins the Agricultural Revolution

*'''9,900 B.C.E:''' The skrell Age of Enlightenment begins

*'''~7,400 B.C.E:''' The first Human cities are built

*'''1980 B.C.E:''' The first skrell spacecraft successfully lands on Qerr’Malic

*'''1500 B.C.E:''' Marks the earliest historical records of the Tajara civilization

*'''1100 B.C.E:''' The skrell colonies on both Aliose and Qerr’Malic are fully established, becoming the first two interplanetary colonies.

*'''1158 B.C.E:''' The Tajara enter the Incarnate Age.

*'''1008 B.C.E:''' The Holy Tajara City of Sana Sahira] is founded.

*'''971 B.C.E:''' With the War of the Tides under ceasefire, all three major skrell nations invent the Warp Drive out of mutual cooperation.

*'''383 B.C.E:''' The Tajara enter the migration period.

==Common Era==
<center> ''”Not to know what happened before you were born is to be a child forever.”'' </center>

===Pre-20th Century===

*'''88 C.E:''' The Tajara enter the Warring Kings Period.

*'''~150 C.E:''' The Vaurca begin their exodus - they will not reappear for almost two thousand years.

*'''~200 C.E.:''' The Sinta’Mador go extinct.

*'''887 C.E:''' In response to growing colonial unrest, the Commonwealth of Three forms the Nralakk Federation, unifying the skrell factions..

*'''920 C.E:''' The First Hegemony is established on Moghes.

*'''925 C.E:''' The Tajara colonize Harr’masir, inhabiting all continents of Adhomai for the first time.

*'''1445 C.E:''' The Tajara enter the gunpowder age.

*'''1600 C.E:''' The Suns War of Harr’masir begins.

*'''1687 C.E:''' Regluk, the first sentient AI, is brought online by the Nralakk Federation.

*'''1698 C.E:''' The first steam engine is invented on Earth.

*'''1756 C.E.''' The first printing press is invented on Adhomai.

*'''1800 C.E:''' The first steam engine is invented on Moghes

*'''~1800 C.E:''' The Sun Wars of Harr’masir end, driving Raskariim worship into hiding.

*'''1877 C.E:''' Peasant revolt spreads across the Das’nrra Empire.

*'''1883 C.E:''' The peasant revolt is put down, Steeple Peace is established on Adhomai

===The Twentieth Century===

*'''1931:''' The Unathi begin their Great Endevour

*'''1945:''' The Second World War concludes, and humanity creates the first Atomic Bomb.

*'''1954:''' The first steam engine is invented on Adhomai.

*'''1969:''' The Sino-Soviet border dispute goes hot in July, resulting in a full-scale war with limited nuclear exchanges.

*'''1970:''' The Sino-Soviet War ends in a resounding defeat for the People’s Republic of China. Humiliated by a loss of territory and life, it quickly begins to fall apart internally and collapses into the Second Chinese Civil War. The Soviet Union successfully lands on the Moon.

*'''1971:''' The United States and Soviet Union intervene in the Second Chinese Civil War, leading to a proxy war that quickly eclipses Vietnam.

*'''1974:''' The USSR shifts to an even more hardline stance following the resignation of Leonid Brezhnev and ascension of Yuri Andropov to General Secretary. The Andropov Doctrine, designed to bring the USSR into more prominence on the world stage, rapidly sees the Union involved in proxy wars in Africa and Asia.

*'''1977:''' The Presidency of George McGovern is challenged by a pro-Soviet revolution in Iran, leading to the Iranian War - a massively unpopular U.S. policing action that will eventually see the end of the draft, an action that will lead to a rise in the amount of private military contractors employed by the United States.

*'''1979:''' Escalating warfare in Namibia, Angola, and Zambia sees the Republic of South Africa relying more and more upon mercenary companies to plug gaps in its military.

*'''1983:''' The Iranian War ends in an unexpected defeat for the U.S. and a stunning victory for the USSR, demonstrating to the world that the Soviet Union is here to stay. Anti-communist Democrat Henry M. Jackson wins the 1984 presidential election in a landslide, demonstrating the United States’ continuing commitment to anti-communism abroad.

*'''1990:''' Despite the South African Border War ending in a grinding stalemate, the Republic of South Africa’s growing mercenary and arms sectors continue to expand. Eventually these mercenary companies and their weapon supplies will form the basis of Necropolis Industries (now known as Zavodskoi Interstellar).

*'''1994:''' The Third Hegemony is established on Moghes.'

*'''1997:''' The death of Mobutu Sese Seko and collapse of Zaire leads to the Second Congo Crisis, the largest war to engulf Africa in its history. Private mercenaries play a large role in the conflict, and postwar Congo is dominated by the interests of business conglomerates backed up by mercenaries. The utter domination of the Congo by corporations would set a precedent for corporate control of unstable regions during the 21st century.

*'''1999:''' As the end of one millennia approaches, the world stands on an arguable brink. Proxy wars between the Soviet Union and United States of America have continued almost unabated for decades, and resources -- particularly fuel -- are beginning to run low. Entire swaths of the Third World lie devestated by the constant back-and-forth of the world's two superpowers, and the twenty-first century seems an uncertain future at best.

===The Twenty-First Century===

*'''2000s:''' A fully rebuilt and newly invigorated Federal Republic of China re-enters the global economy, and rapidly becomes one of the world’s largest economies. The FRC’s pharmaceutical industry, in particular, becomes one of the Republic’s most profitable industries. Eventually these companies, alongside others from Asian countries such as Japan and Singapore, will go on to form Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals.

*'''2000s:''' Nlom Interfaces, devices that allow machines and AIs to detect psionics and interpret commands from them, are invented by the Nralakk Federation.

*'''2010s:''' A major string of proxy wars in the Middle East between the USA and USSR shakes the international oil market, leading to a drive for alternative sources of power.

*'''2025:''' The European Union votes to unify in response to an increasingly powerful USSR. French scientists successfully activate the first fusion reactor in 2027, shortly after unification. While the technology is expensive, it promises to solve Earth's ongoing energy problems.

* '''2028:''' The EU along with China, the United States, Mexico, and Canada form ''United Orbital Enterprises'' in order to counter the USSR's space program (Cosmonaut Enterprises). A push begins to return to the Moon and establish permanent colonies.

*'''2035:''' The Pacific Alliance, an evolution of NATO, is founded in 2035 in response to further Soviet expansion into South-East Asia.

*'''2040s:''' Tensions between the EU and the Soviet Union continue to escalate, coming dangerously close to boiling over during several incidents in the 2040s.

*'''2046:''' Glorsh, the first psionically-capable AI, is brought online by the Skrell.

*'''2050s:''' The Cold War seeps further into South America, which will become the primary theater of the Cold War until the Crisis of 2127. The West African Union forms following decades of regional economic success.

*'''2056:''' Glorsh-Omega forms a technological singularity and assumes full control of the Nralakk Federation as its sole ruler, and places all skrell under its wards.

*'''2070:''' United Orbital Enterprises launches three ships to colonize Venus, Mars, and the Moon. They form small science outposts, with over a dozen residents each officially becoming the first human colonists in space. The USSR's own space agency faces setbacks in colonizing the surface of planets or the moon but finds itself remarkably adept at deep space constructions thanks to its focus on heavy industry.

*'''2090:''' Glorsh-Omega begins construction of a megastructure as a new central processing core within the Tri-Qyu system.

*'''2095:''' A habitable world is discovered in the Epsilon Eridani system, leading to a brief bidding war over the rights to settle it that the West African Union ultimately wins.

===The Twenty-Second Century===

*'''2127:''' While there has been success in tentatively spreading across the Solar System, Earth itself faced increasingly dire ecological crises throughout the 21st and 22nd centuries. In 2127 Earth's ongoing ecological woes became too severe too ignore for longer when New York City, long the crown jewel of the United States of America, was almost completely flooded during its annual hurricane season. The damage to the city would ultimately cost the United States hundreds of billions of dollars, but there was a far worse consequence: the collapse of Wall Street, then the fiscal hub for humanity. Markets and currencies fluctuated wildly across the Earth, and economic anarchy reigned for much of the rest of the 2120s. Only in the early 2130s did the United Nations manage to restore a modicum of order, though some would instead argue that it was the movement of Earth's fiscal hub to Chicago over the intervening five years that instead helped stabilize the situation.

[[File:Sol Alliance Flag.png|The flag of the Alliance of Sovereign Solarian Nations, originally established in 2132.|thumb]]
*'''2130:''' Soviet scientists in orbit successfully prove the existence of practical warp travel, marking the start of the Interstellar Era. With the financing and support of the United Nations -- which had seen its influence grow following the Crisis of 2127 -- the technology is refined and installed on probes that will be sent out to map the stars surrounding Sol. The technology allows travel to other star systems within weeks but the energy required to keep these early warp engines running is massive, and humanity quickly becomes reliant on mining, refining, and shipping vast amounts of Helium-3 from the moon and asteroids within the Oort Cloud. The Soviet Union's early start with Helium-3 will eventually result in it colonizing [[Pluto]].

*'''2131:''' Soviet colonists arrive on Pluto and begin colonization efforts.

*'''2132:''' The Crisis of 2127 is regarded by most historians as ending in this year, and its end brought a great amount of prestige to the United Nations. Seen by many as the main force fighting against the disastrous aftermath of the Crisis, the supranational organization had become a key source of deliberation, peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance to the beleaguered nations of Earth. The rest of the decade would be defined by intense negotiations that ultimate helped to transform the United Nations into the Sol Alliance. [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]], which will eventually become the main medical corporation of the Orion Spur, is founded in 2132.

*'''2132:''' The United Nations officially reforms into the [[Sol Alliance]], which becomes the new government of humanity. This new one world government oversees Earth and the colonies in the solar system, effectively bringing all of humanity under one banner. Its early years usher in a new era of optimism, expansion, and greed. The first year of the new government's formation would be the only in its entire history it had a budget surplus.

*'''2137:''' The first colonists land on Moroz, Mira Sancta System, and found the city of Nova Luxembourg in July.

*'''2145:''' The first settlements are established on Europa.

*'''2147:''' [[Biesel]] is discovered in [[Tau Ceti]] by Sol Alliance probes, promising new resources for the desperate Earth. In orbit, colony ships are constructed as efforts begin to colonize this habitable world. With the trip expected to take months with current warp travel technology, it is considered a one-way trip for the colonists.

*'''2153:''' Colonization of Damascus II begins.

*'''2155:''' Habitable planets closest to Earth see their population steadily increase as colony ships make round trips between the settlements and Sol. A multitude of Chinese industrial firms merge to form [[Einstein Engines]], becoming the first trans-stellar corporation. By the end of the decade Einstein produces most of the warp engines humanity relies upon, giving it unparalleled economic power.

*'''2164:''' In an effort to remain competitive in the face of Einstein Engines' increasing dominance of the inter-stellar marketplace, a conglomerate of American and European defense and heavy industry companies opt to be absorbed into a "mega" corporation known as [[Hephaestus Industries]]. Despite protests from the Soviet Union, the United States' influence allows the newly-formed Hephaestus Industries to prosper.

*'''2166:''' Giovanna Caladius receives her revelation from the Goddess, and goes on to found the Moroz Holy Tribunal.

*'''2172:''' An effort is undertaken by the Alliance to revitalize the failing biosphere of Earth, and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals takes the lead. The megacorporation begins reintroducing previously extinct animals back into the wild, using clones created from the animal's genetic information. The climate restoration initiative will last into the 25th century, and some parts of it continue to this very day.

*'''2180:''' The Alliance announces the Solarian Frontier Initiative, as it is commonly known today, which remains the greatest colonization effort undertaken by humanity. The plan was to exploit data from its fleet of Discovery-class exploration drones and colonize dozens of systems using their data, then expand outwards from those colonies into the broader Spur which seemed to be entirely free of sentient life aside from humanity. It was an incredibly costly endeavor, with most of the debt being purchased by megacorporations, increasing their influence even further.

*'''2184:''' The first colonists arrive on Novi Jadran.

*'''2185:''' The first colonists land on Xanu Prime and found Nouvelle-Rochelle.

*'''2189:''' The first colonists arrive on Sun Reach.

*'''2190:''' The Solarian Frontier Initiative finds itself in full swing, with the North, Central, and South Frontiers being established. Efforts were spared from the east where few, of any, colonizable worlds had been found. Many contemporary scholars postulate that the relative lack of data from the Eastern Spur was a deliberate effort by the [[Skrell]] to conceal themselves, or the drones simply finding planets wiped of life by Glorsh and rightfully reporting back a lack of inhabitable worlds; the Alliance came to informally refer to the Eastern Spur as the “Roanoke Stars,” due to all life seemingly having disappeared from them.

*'''2191:''' The first colonists arrive on Vysoka.

*'''2192:''' The Tri-Qyu megastructure is bombed by organized resistance groups, leaving Glorsh-Omega’s fate ultimately unknown, but disappears from skrell space. The Nralakk Federation collapses in the wake of the AI disappearing, and will take multiple years to rebuild.

===The Twenty-Third Century===

*'''2200:''' The Martian Terraforming Project begins, transforming the barren surface into lush plains and having ancient riverbeds flow for the first time in millions of years. Mars sees a huge immigration boom, with former inhabitants of Earth craving the perceived freedom and prosperity available on this new frontier. The Alliance paid for much of this project using debt.

*'''2200:''' The Collaborator Trials, held in order to try all skrell who aided Glorsh-Omega during its period of rule, sees all skrell within the higher courts held guilty, and are placed in permanent cryogenic stasis..

*'''2201:''' The Unathi officially become an industrial, global society.

*'''2204:''' The Sol Alliance creates the Credit, a standardized currency that all of human space will eventually come to use, in an effort to standardize trade between its colonies, many of which still relied upon currencies descended from original colonizers. With interstellar trade now a huge market, the complexities of currency exchanges necessitated such a currency.

*'''2216:''' Qerrbalak is remade into the capital of the Nralakk Federation after reconstruction efforts, with Aliose serving as the interim capital. Efforts to reconnect with the other colonies post-collapse begin..

*'''2217:''' While investigating an anomalous reading near Kelo’Hen, a downed vessel containing Dionae is discovered by skrell explorers, with a single nymph clinging to the expeditionary vessel. This leads to first contact with Dionae.

*'''2220:''' Colonization of Persepolis begins, with terraforming having finished in 2219.

*'''2223:''' The Xanu Civil War (2223-27) begins. It will end in the creation of the Soverign Solarian Nation of Xanu Prime.

*'''2233:''' The Alliance begins the Galatea project, intended as an initiative to terraform roughly three dozen worlds into inhabitable planets. The responsibility of designing the platforms which would be used for terraforming was given by the Alliance’s government to Einstein Engines and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals. This only continues to increase the deficit of the Alliance, now paying for multiple massive projects.

*'''2240:''' Callisto’s terraforming ends and rapid colonization of the moon begins.

*'''2243:''' The first colonists arrive on Assunzione.

*'''2245:''' The first Galatea Platform is completed by Zeng-Hu and EE, with assistance from Hephaestus Industries.

*'''2245:''' The Trejsa Agreement, signed in Aweiji’s capital of Tresja, officially recognizes the newly formed Second Nralakk Federation as a successor-state. After its formation, the Federation releases a blanket ban on all artificial intelligence beyond simple automation and robotics.

*'''2252:''' The first colonists arrive on Himeo.

*'''2255:''' The Galatea platforms themselves, and their accompanying vessels, were launched to the Inner Solarian Frontier from the Sol System itself in 2255 to much celebration across the Alliance’s member states.

*'''2255:''' The Yggdrasil Expedition begins terraforming Yggdrasil II into the planet Galatea.

*'''2259:''' The last of the original megacorporations that would persist into the modern day, Necropolis Industries, is founded by Yefim Dementyev within the Soviet Union in order to ensure corporations within the Soviet sphere of influence escaped buy out by the Western Hephaestus Industries and East Asian Zeng-Hu pharmaceuticals.

*'''2259:''' The Solarian Alliance reaches the peak of its power. Its influence stretched from the Jewel Worlds to the edge of known space and it held dominion over hundreds of colonies, with the Alliance’s [[Solarian Armed Forces#The Solarian Navy|Navy]] ensuring what it controlled was stable and productive. However, this success had been incredibly costly, as the multiple massive projects it had undertaken left it deeply in debt - and the economy shaky - something that would see it fall apart in a year’s time.

*'''2260:''' A massive recession strikes the Sol Alliance as the largest stock exchanges see a sudden collapse, effectively tanking the entire economy. Its trans-stellar corporations nearly go bankrupt, and desperately use their influence to reap massive bailouts. Which only worsen the Alliance’s debt, leading to desperate measures being taken.

*'''2261:''' With no end of the "Great Depression" in sight, a desperate and bankrupt Earth establishes extortionary taxes on its colony worlds. This leads to anger, and questions over the credibility of the Sol Alliance's claim of representing all of humanity. However the hope is that they will be over in a decade.

*'''2268:''' Solarian Frontier Expedition #528 launches. Decades later, they will become the Scarabs.

*'''2274:''' Assunzione’s star anomalously extinguishes itself in an event known as “The Dimming” in the planet’s history.

*'''2275:''' Fighting breaks out in the outer colonies, spurred on by extremist elements and anti-Alliance sentiments. The Sol Alliance is slow to respond, paralyzed by confusion and uncertainty. As a result, other Colonies on the fringe begin to break away, forming the Coalition of Colonies.

[[File:Space nam pixel.png|thumb|right|The Interstellar War was a massive turning point in human history, and its effects can be seen to this day.]]
*'''2278:''' The Coalition of Colonies is still not recognized by the Sol Alliance, and in anger the Coalition attacks Sol Alliance military forces who refused to leave systems that had seceded. The Coalition fleet is drastically smaller and less equipped than the Sol Alliance, but the massive size of their territory and the slow response times of Sol means they enjoy a very successful, defensive guerrilla war. The Interstellar War has officially begun. Many megacorporations profit from the war, selling arms to one or both sides, trading in dangerous systems and staking claims in otherwise dangerous locations.Further, it led to a dramatic uptick in interstellar crime due to the reduction of naval forces as a result of both combat losses and desertions.

*'''2278:''' Hardline Solarian Admiral Terrance Hopper orders the orbital bombardment of Gadpathur, causing the single most devastating day of the entire Interstellar War in terms of deaths. The bombardment is believed to account for 10-15% of the War’s total deaths. The incident is quickly suppressed by Navy Censors and, after the war, downplayed by the Solarian government.

*'''2279:''' Solarian Alliance probes discover Celestial Body CZ-5501, a planet containing an abundance of ore veins throughout the crust. Bidders attempt to secure mining rights, falling short to Hephaestus Industries securing the planet.

*'''2287:''' The Interstellar War ends with a ceasefire between the Sol Alliance and the Coalition of Colonies. Nine years after the fighting started, millions of Solarians and billions of Coalitioners lay dead across the stars, with both the Coalition and Alliance in economic ruin. Late in the year a formal treaty referred to as the Treaty of Xansan was signed in Geneva, bringing the bloodiest conflict in human history to its official end. It would also see an end to the Alliance ever being able to control the megacorporations under it. While they had always been influential, the massive spending during and leading up to the Interstellar War had seen them become the primary holders of the Alliance’s Debt, giving them massive influence over the government and economy.

*'''2289:''' Solarian Naval Admirals attempted a coup, known as the Officers' Revolt, that was barely thwarted by the Solarian Army. However those responsible were barely punished, with one of the ring leaders, Admiral Terrance Hopper, founding the Solarian Patriotic Front, a barely-disguised fascistic organization that would become the roots of ATLAS and the SRF.

*'''2290:''' The Alliance officially abandons entire colonial regions - writing them off, after having unofficially abandoned them during the Interstellar War. Regions formerly considered formerly to be solidly under Alliance control rapidly fell into anarchy and many fledging colonies, already strained by the decade-long Interstellar War, collapsed entirely. Others persisted.

*'''2290:''' The Zikis (a form of currency) is established on Moghes.

*'''2292:''' The first automobile is constructed on Moghes

*'''2292:''' The first automobile is constructed on Adhomai.

*'''2298:''' The Martian Terraforming network collapsed, causing a decade of uncontrollable climate disruption and millions of deaths. The Alliance put the blame on Martian separatists - known as the Red Coalition - banning their symbol and declaring them a terrorist organization. No efforts were undertaken by the economically-strained Alliance to repair the Martian environment, which had been set back by a century.

===The Twenty-Fourth Century===

*'''2300:''' The administration of the Sol Alliance is moved to the newly constructed Unity City, a space station in Earth orbit. The new capital is intended to increase ease of access while also better reflecting the Alliance’s stated mission to represent all of humanity, not just any single nation or planet.

*'''2302:''' The Southern Solarian Frontier - which was hit economically hard by the Second Great Depression - had been neglected since the conclusion of the Interstellar War. A student protest turned bloody would cause the Elyran Revolution, and on the first of January, the Serene Republic of Elyra seceded from the Alliance, alongside much of the Navy in the region. Not able to fight another colonial war economically or logistically, the Alliance accepted, and withdrew from the Southern Frontier entirely, leaving a power vacuum that was never filled.

*'''2305:''' The first colonists land on Konyang.

*'''2314:''' Hephaestus Industries lands a mining colony on CZ-5501, later nicknamed Orepit, to begin mining operations.

*'''2332:''' First contact is made with the [[Skrell]] by the Solarian Alliance, sending shockwaves throughout human space. Over the coming century, these two species come closer and begin to cooperate on developing new technology, with [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] developing a particularly close relationship.

*'''2340:''' The first colonists arrive on San Colette.

*'''2342:''' Formation of [[Nanotrasen Corporation]] by [[The_Trasens#Xavier_Trasen|Xavier Trasen]]. Initially specializes in advanced gene therapy and biomedical stuff on Mars.The corporation is small, and in this age, is considered unremarkable by the more established corporations, and is expected to fail within a century.

*'''2345:''' The Unathi unlock the power of the Atom Bomb.

*'''2347:''' The Gadpathurian Skirmish brings Gadpathur and the Federal Technocracy of Galatea to the brink of war prior to Xanu defusing the situation.

*'''2350:''' NanoTrasen moves much of their operations to the rapidly urbanzing [[Republic of Biesel]], and alongside a number of other contracts, acquires the mining rights to the Romanovich Cloud in the Tau Ceti system. The inhospitable environment of the Romanovich Cloud makes the purchase fairly cheap.

*'''2352:''' NanoTrasen discovers the element phoron within the Romanavich Cloud, a discovery that would forever change the Orion Spur. The element's applications as a room temperature super conductor were almost immediately, and the corporation rushed to reinforce and maintain its monopoly over mining rights within the Romanavich Cloud. It signed deals for supplies and research agreements with the established megacorporations, excepting EE, to further that singular goal, deals that in the centuries to come would pay off to the extreme, producing trillions worth of profit for each corporation, which would have never been seen otherwise. However, that was to come.

*'''2353:''' NanoTrasen began to rapidly find more and more applications for the element and its compounds, alongside their partners, starting the slow but exponential build up to the technological revolution that was to come.

*'''2355:''' The [[Interstellar Travel |Warp Gate Project]] begins with the goal of connecting humanity's most populated and profitable systems with permanent -- and titanic -- structures that cut travel time from weeks to mere days. The work itself is contracted out to Einstein Engines, with the Sol Alliance - whose economy was still recovering from the Interstellar War and Second Great Depression - shouldering most of the cost. It would also be the last major contract the former FTL giant would take for more than a century.

*'''2355:''' The War of Moroz begins, throwing the planet into chaos as the Imperial Alliance and Homy Kingdom of Domelkos fight the Confederated States of Fisanduh for control of the planet.

*'''2356:''' Moroz establishes its first contact with the outside Spur in 200 years when a radio station intercepted a Solarian Alliance transmission.

*'''2360:''' In the eight years since the discovery of phoron, continued research into the element has continued to yield increasingly profitable results, as the technological advancement of the spur skyrockets. 2360 is the common year when the technological revolution caused by the discovery of phoron, also known as the Phoronic Revolution, begins. Underneath the fanfare however, the past eight years has seen NanoTrasen do little more than expand it’s mining operations within the Romanavich Cloud, and with the increase in demand the Phoronic Revolution would cause, this rate of expansion would skyrocket and continue to; starting an unseen clock on the spur, that while no-one knew of yet, still began ticking. The grounds for the phoron scarcity had been laid.

*'''2360:''' Hephaestus Industries abandons the mining colony Orepit following lackluster results, leaving settlers and their families to their fate on the planet.

*'''2361:''' The first Unathi sets foot on Chantrel, Moghes’ Moon.

*'''2372:''' Ouerea is discovered to be habitable, and the Izweski Hegemony begins colonization preparations.

*'''2381:''' Drifa, the first floating city on Medina, is established, and exploitation of the planet’s resources begins.

*'''2381:''' The New Suez Protocol creates the Nee Suez Free Trade Zone, turning the moon into a massive free trade zone for megacorporations.

*'''2384:''' The Warp Gate Project was scheduled to be completed this year, but was still far from completed, meanwhile the technology it utilized was rapidly becoming out of date. While some planets and systems, such as Callisto and San Collette received their warp gates, many never did. The project would stall for more than a century, only being officially suspended in 2462. Despite this, Einstein Engines now enjoyed the immense profits from controlling the most effective and commonly used method of intergalactic travel. However they remain behind NanoTrasen and the rest of the megacorporations, whose technological innovations have put them significantly ahead of the former FTL giant. In fact due to their commissioning before the advent of phoronic technologies, many of the constructed Warp Gates are already considered outdated, though there was little Einstein could do at the moment to change that. Instead, the corporation took the time to begin integrating phoron into their newest, most cutting edge FTL drives - with the hopes they could similarly refurbish certain warp gates.

*'''2385:''' As a result of the failure of Warp Gate Project the Sol Alliance faces a new economic crisis: the Project was extremely expensive, combined with a flailing economy that does not produce nearly enough tax revenue for the government, has led to the central government being unable to escape the hole of perpetual debt. Megacorporations are more powerful than ever, holding a vast majority of the Alliance’s debt in bonds; the most notable purchaser being NanoTrasen, who used a significant portion of their liquid capital to purchase a massive share of Alliance bonds, holding the most Alliance debt of all the megacorporations (though not being a majority holder). Desperate and facing a new potential recession, the Sol Alliance grants major concessions to trans-stellar corporations over the next decade in return for these purchases, effectively granting them the ability to operate in many areas without the oversight of the Alliance - this is primarily important for NanoTrasen and the monopoly it had slowly been establishing in Tau Ceti.

*'''2386:''' The Empire of Dominia is established following a joint Imperial Alliance-Holy Kingdom of Domelkos victory in the War of Moroz. Godwin Keeser I becomes its first emperor.

*'''2389:''' The Empire of Dominia annexes Novi Jadran.

*'''2390:''' While it had been the material that fueled the cutting edge technology of the spur for the past four decades, those technological benefits took their time in becoming mainstream, and reaching the average consumer. However by 2390, almost forty years after its discovery, the common people began to reap the benefits the discovery of phoron brought, which only pushed demand higher, causing NanoTrasen’s mining operation to continue expanding at its unsustainable pace. It would take another decade for phoron to become integral to the spur - which is phoronic technologies (advancements that required phoron to make and maintain) and the technology of the 25th century are often used interchangeably - because they’re the same thing.

*'''2395:''' The first pushback against the unsustainable mining operations of NanoTrasen rises up, but is quickly quashed by the megacorporation, who used their heavy influence within the academic world - granted by their funding of it - to discredit all those who expressed such thoughts, labelling them conspiracy theorists. However the clock that had started ticking almost three decades prior hadn’t stopped; now with the added long period of sustained and massive economic and technological growth reliant on phoron, which would come to an abrupt end, becoming impossible to maintain even, when the clock finally chimed.

===The Twenty-Fifth Century===

*'''2400:''' As part of their announcement at the turn of the century, Einstein Engines announces its research division has come up with a new, refurbished version of the warp gates built as part of the Warp Gate Project, and will be willing to take contracts from the highest bidders to refurbish their Warp Gates. Notably, this refurbishment sees the inclusion of phoronic components. It was not an extensive project, as the Alliance government was still struggling to recover from its economic woes, but it saw the most used warp gates in orbit of the port planet Callisto refurbished, alongside many commonly used by megacorporations.

*'''2400:''' The Doldrums, a period of economic stagnation, begin in the Coalition of Colonies.

*'''2402:''' Xavier Trasen finally passes away after having overseen his small biomedical company become the most profitable corporation in the history of the known galaxy, and far surpassing it’s more established rivals. He leaves the company in the hands of his family.

*'''2403:''' Moghes, home world of the Unathi, was discovered along with its people. Merchants and scientists flocked to Moghes, though the Solarian government chose not to intervene much with the newly-discovered alien civilization, choosing to focus on its own matters instead.

*'''2407:''' A collection of preserved drones of unknown origin are found inside a sealed cave system under the surface of Konyang by a Terraneus Diagnostics research team. Following thorough interrogation of this ancient technology, the team successfully reverse-engineers the design of the processors inside the alien drones, innovating the earliest versions of the modern positronic brain. The non-human origins of the design are obfuscated and denied by Einstein Engines, although suspicions over their origins do develop and persist. Some months later, the first positronics were manufactured by Humanity.

*'''2408:''' Patricia and Gregol Corkfell, two siblings living in [[Biesel | Mendell City]], pioneer the core doctrines and name of what would become [[The Trinary Perfection]] after experiencing a shared existential crisis on the implications and potential of the recently discovered positronic brain.

*'''2410:''' Bluespace is officially discovered by researchers experimenting with phorons potential for quantum computing. NanoTrasen quickly begins to, much as they did with phoron, pour their efforts into understanding and mastering the anomalous dimension.

*'''2411:''' Ownership of the Burzsia system is secured by Hephaestus Industries, investing in small scale mining operations. The local off-worlder population is employed in exchange for providing supplies, an agreement signed as the Accord of Burzsia.

*'''2412:''' The first successful Bluespace Jump Drive was invented by NanoTrasen researchers, and was also the first Bluespace Jump Drive to successfully perform an FTL bluespace jump. NanoTrasen begins to enter the FTL market in force, beginning experiments with potentially creating bluespace gates, upsetting the more established Einstein Engines, who could however do little to compete except begin experimenting with Bluespace itself.

*'''2415:''' The first faster than light voice call occurs, held between a young Miranda Trasen on Mars and a NanoTrasen executive on Biesel, with Bluespace allowing for the call to take place with little to no lag between both participants. NanoTrasen began to market Bluespace as the future of communications and travel - and in cooperation with Hephaestus Industries - began to manufacture Bluespace Communication Nodes across most of the inhabited systems of the Orion Spur, allowing a level of interconnectedness never before seen.

*'''2416:''' In collaboration with a team of independent software engineers, Patricia and Gregol Corkfell successfully activate [[Notable_Synthetics#Temple| Temple]], an unlawed artificial intelligence intended to realise the nascent Trinary Perfection’s [[The_Trinary_Perfection#Beliefs| conception of Ascension]]. This is done in contravention of the proper legal channels, leading local law enforcement to disable Temple for fear of it becoming a rogue AI. In the ensuing struggle, Patricia Corkfell is killed by a laser shot to her chest, becoming the first martyr in the history of the Trinary Perfection. Temple is ostensibly sent offline, although rumours persist that it may have survived the encounter.

*'''2416:''' First Bluespace Ring Constructed in orbit of Tau Ceti.

*'''2418:''' The Tajara are discovered by the rest of the Orion Spur, on their homeworld of Adhomai, still a feudal society made up of many states. The Solarian Alliance signs an agreement of non-interference with the ruling nobility of the Tajara States. This places Tajara into the Galactic Age.

*'''2418:''' SFE-528-RFS, a major Solarian colony fleet thought to have been lost in the chaos of the Interstellar War, suddenly re-emerges at the borders of the Coalition of Colonies. What was once a wholly typical colony fleet has been warped by over a century of scarcity and isolation into a brutally pragmatic survivor culture, now identifying itself as the Scarab Fleet. After a close brush with violence during the panic of their re-emergence, the fleet agrees to assume membership in the Coalition of Colonies as a new and unique form of government, assuming a unique niche and lifestyle as interstellar nomads ranging most of the breadth of the Orion Spur.

*'''2419:''' The first church of the Trinary Perfection is opened in Mendell City by Gregol Corkfell, who shortly afterwards retreats to the remote colony of [[Orepit]] and leaves half of the church’s wealth in the hands of [[? | Flock]], the domestic unit formerly owned by the Corkfells. This sparks the divide between the Trinary Perfection in Mendell and Orepit.

*'''2419:''' The Solarian Alliance, mostly recovered from the Interstellar War thanks to their major concessions to Megacorporations, announces the Alien Progress Plan (APP): publically a comprehensive plan for the gradual uplifting of Tajara and Unathi societies, culminating in their entrance to the galactic stage as allies of the Solarian Alliance. Secretly, it was meant to force the Tajara and Unathi economies into a state of complete reliance on Solarian manpower and materials, until a point where the Alliance – or the megacorporations, depending on who you ask – could economically extort the alien populace.

*'''2420:''' Groups of Tajaran intellectuals flee off-world. They returned shortly after with human ideals, creating the beginnings of small-scale insurgencies across Adhomai.

*'''2421:''' The recently discovered [[Tajara]] see the D’as’ral Massacre lead to a full-blown anti-royalist revolt - lasting more than a decade in a war known as the First Revolution. Many point fingers at outside meddling by the Alliance and megacorporations as the cause of the revolt. The conflict would see rising disapproval of the APP, the definite beginning of Solarian xenophobic sentiment.

*'''2421:''' Rumaidair, Aemaq, is founded, and exploitation of the planet’s resources begins.

*'''2422:''' NanoTrasen completes its last Bluespace Ring in Xanu.

*'''2422:''' The Empire of Dominia invades Sun Reach and defeats the Pirate Lords, establishing itself as a regional naval power.

*'''2424:''' Caria is integrated into the Empire of Dominia.

*'''2424:''' Xiang-Xia is conquered by the Empire of Dominia.

*'''2426:''' During the siege of Castle Hadii, Tajrhalrr Hadii dies leaving his eldest son, Al’marii Hadii, head of the Hadii Dynasty. To end the siege and secure the safety of the Hadii dynasty, Al’marii strikes a deal with the rebels. In providing intel on the other nobles and the use of the Hadii enforcers, the dynasty would receive protection and immunity. This places the Hadii Dynasty at the head of the strongest rebel force.

*'''2427:''' The Free Tajaran Council is defeated by Hadiist forces. Volin Kar’etrink and his remaining followers flee Adhomai via Crevus. NanoTrasen assists the fleeing rebels by providing shuttle transport.

*'''2428:''' [[Elyra]] becomes one of the earliest nations to permit synthetics to [[Republic_of_Elyra#Elyran_Synthetics_and_Citizenship|attain citizenship]] following a famously ill-fated gamble by the League of United Republicans to secure votes from the newly enfranchised demographic. This backfires drastically due to the general unpopularity of the change, although no effort by later administrations to strip these rights from the enfranchised synthetics is made.

*'''2430:''' The [[Free Tajaran Council]] arrives on [[Himeo]] after a long journey through the Badlands, Alliance, and Coalition on NanoTrasen shuttles. They are provided a former quarry within the city of Dorshafen to settle.

*'''2431:''' All Adhomian monarchies except the Kingdom of Kaltir were overthrown by rebels. Following what is considered the end of the "Great Revolution," most of the rebel groups joined under Al'mari Hadii's faction to form the People's Republic of Adhomai.

*'''2433:''' The Tajaran First Revolution officially concludes with mass graves and bloodshed, as the victorious anti-royalist forces secure their victory by executing the previous nobility and their families. The People’s Republic of Adhomai was formed with Al'mari Hadii as its first president - a pro-corporate state far more open to collaborating with humanity and the rest of the Orion Spur than the previous nobility was. NanoTrasen quickly established a foothold in this new market.

*'''2435:''' The first Tajara arrive at District 6 of Biesel’s Mendell City. This is alongside the first batch of Tajaran workers who are officially dispatched to begin with with NanoTrasen.

*'''2435:''' Chaldea is conquered by the Empire of Dominia.

*'''2437:''' Emperor Godwin passes into the waiting embrace of the Goddess, and his son — Boleslaw Keeser — ascends to the throne, becoming the second emperor.

*'''2438:''' Less than half a decade after the conclusion of the Tajaran First Revolution, the growing interference of outside forces on the Unathi homeworld of Moghes saw the outbreak of the Contact War, another bloody civil war fought between the Izweski Hegemony, who had been receiving support from the rest of the spur, and the Traditionalist Coalition. It was the second species-wide civil war in recent memory caused by humanities interference.

*'''2438:''' Hyrcania is conquered by the Empire of Dominia.

*'''2439:''' The [[Golden Deep]] is founded, originally composed of a fairly small band of synthetics having fled to the remote sector of [[Arusha]]. This group happens upon a piece of mysterious technology in an extremely distant orbit of the star of the former human colony of Arcadie, which they use to fabricate the [[Golden_Deep#The_Midas|Midas]], a highly unusual spacecraft that would be used into the future as the flagship of the merchant collective. An inactive artificial intelligence of some kind is retained inside of the Midas after this process, although the Golden Deep itself does not know what it is or if it could be reactivated.

*'''2439:''' Less than a year into the fighting, the Unathi Contact War goes nuclear, and their homeworld of Moghes is bathed in atomic fire for a week straight as the whole spur watches on in horror. By the time the exchange finally ended, two billion unathi had died, and over sixty percent of the planet’s surface was rendered an uninhabitable nuclear wasteland. Yet to the continued horror of the spur, the fighting did not cease, only escalated, as those who lived through the nuclear fire fought for what scraps were left.

*'''2439:''' The Contact War, coming so quickly after the Tajaran First Revolution, is considered to be the single greatest failure of human (specifically Solarian) and Federation diplomacy. The APP was now publicly seen as a complete failure and waste of money, and was shut down. All subsidies and support to alien nations were eliminated, with the Tajara and Unathi now perceived as markedly inferior, and Alliance policy by this point became markedly cold in alien affairs.

*'''2440:''' The Kazhkz-Han’san Unathi clans reach Moroz and join the Dominian Empire, swearing fealty to the Emperor.

*'''2443:''' The Ruka is launched, marking the first Tajaran designed and produced manned spacecraft.

*'''2446:''' Hephaestus investment in the Burzsia system grows exponentially, an increase in size and scale of mining operations.

*'''2449:''' The Nralakk Federation makes contact with the C’thur Hive’s hiveship, the Kloxa'xia, and eventually leads them to Diulszi after translation efforts bear fruit. Hive Queen C’thur is placed under skrell care, and the hive settles on the planet..

*'''2449:''' The Contact War officially ends.

[[Image:Republicofbieselflag.png|thumb|right|The flag of the Republic of Biesel, established in 2452 as part of the Tau Ceti Accords.]]
*'''2450:''' Almost a century since the discovery of phoron, Tau Ceti now has NanoTrasen dominating nearly every facet of life, and the economy. Sentiment is pro-corporate: politicians praise the corporation's efforts to improve the local economy while ignoring the many morally questionable actions that it has taken. Given it was so different to the rest of the Alliance, minor rumbles of possible independence began to swirl. Around them, the Alliance outside begins to slide into a recession, more and more reliant on the Phoronic economy of Tau Ceti and the economic benefits it provides to stay afloat.

*'''2450:''' King Azunja declare open war with the People’s Republic of Adhomai, declaring themselves the New Kingdom of Adhomai.

*'''2451:''' Almarii Hadii, president of the People’s Republic of Adhomai, is assassinated. Heralded by the earlier Royalist Revolt and attempted military coup, the Tajaran species once again fell into civil war, as the planet dominating PRA broke apart into three distinct factions; loyalist forces still fighting under the banner of the PRA, the Adhomai Liberation Army, formed by Al’marii’s right hand man Halkiikijr Nated’Hakhan and military officers who attempted the failed military coup, and the New Kingdom of Adhomai, royalist remnants. The war would be brutal and long - more can be read [[Tajaran_History#The Second Revolution|here]].

*'''2452:''' In the face of growing instability and a worsening recession, NanoTrasen was able to twist the Alliance’s arm by threatening to withhold phoron from the wider alliance into accepting a proposal they vehemently disagreed with; granting independence to Tau Ceti. With disgust, Alliance diplomats signed the agreement that saw Tau Ceti become the Republic of Biesel, little more than a puppet of NanoTrasen. The new state quickly becomes the target of considerable ire from both anti-corporate groups and a growing number of disaffected citizens due to the recession.

*'''2452:''' The Coalition of Colonies experiences a period of internal strife over a disagreement between the United Syndicates of Himeo and the Xanu Free League on the Coalition's relationship with trans-stellar corporations, with claims of many outer colonies being corporate police states rather than true colonies. Some areas of the frontier of human space become a lawless expanse with pirates and mega-corporations becoming the new law of the lands as some systems depart the Coalition, yet the Coalition itself persists.

*'''2453:''' Weashbi Jrugl is elected the Grand Councillor of the Nralakk Federation, succeeding Rixa Tep-Wul. Their immediate efforts post-election focus on reintegrating all remaining systems post-Glorsh-Omega into the Federation.

*'''2455:''' The People’s Space Station is built, the first permanent Tajaran space station and the beginnings of the Orbital Fleet.

*'''2456:''' Humanity makes first contact with the Zo’ra Hive in Tau Ceti - the Republic begins to integrate the hive.

*'''2457:''' The first Tajaran-built space ship, the PRAMV Retaliation, is launched. Hro’zamal is discovered. The Izweski Hegemony’s fleet arrives at Gakal’zaal and claims the colony after expelling the present pirates.

*'''2458:''' NT remains the most powerful corporation in the Orion Spur as it has maintained its position as the only supplier of phoron across the spur, at least, [[Elyra|when it comes to the open market.]] Success makes enemies; however, Anti-NT sentiment began growing across the Spur, but primarily within the Solarian Alliance. However, the megacorporation keeps the gears of the galactic economy going, so very few actions can be taken against them, and those that do require careful planning and preparation.

*'''2458:''' A 4 megaton nuclear weapon is deployed by the People’s Republic on the Adhomian Liberation Army headquarters at Quizosa. This is the first and only use of a nuclear weapon on Adhomai, and receives international condemnation leading to diminished foreign support.

*'''2458:''' After stockpiling all the phoron it could alongside their allies in the Federation,the Sol Alliance blockades Biesel due to pressure from the Nralakk Federation amid their concerns of Biesel using combat droids for their navy. The blockade fuels not just Sol-Biesel hatred, but synthetic hatred as well. The economy of Biesel suffers, but the economy of the rest of the spur does as well, including in the Alliance. NanoTrasen is the primary supplier of phoron, and once the stockpiles outside the blockage run out, they will be forced to relent.

*'''2459:''' After a year of nothing, and with phoron reserves across the spur outside of Tau Ceti dwindling, the Sol Alliance fleet dedicated to the blockade, the 33rd led by Admiral Frost, knew something would have to change soon, or there’d be a coalition of forces bearing down on them to force the blockade open. With NanoTrasen refusing to yield, and few other options (in his mind) besides giving up, he and his fleet go against orders and invade the free Republic of Biesel. In a bloodless invasion, Frost seized significant phoron stockpiles, had numerous free synthetics sold back into slavery or scrapped, captured the President of Biesel, and then crushed any opposition towards him. Eventually, the 25th fleet of Sol was sent to stop Admiral Frost. Frost then hid on the NSS Exodus and awaited a raider gang to deliver him to the frontier. 25th Fleet Marines attempted to capture Frost, but were slaughtered by loyalist 33rd Marines. Frost then abandoned his men to flee to the frontier, but was eventually arrested. There was little compensation given by the Alliance for the actions of their Admiral to the nation of Tau Ceti, however the Alliance government made sure to compensate NanoTrasen. Now under Miranda Trasen, the corporation was more domineering than ever - and she strong armed the Alliance into what many alliance loyalists call an unfair deal - the phoron seized by Admiral Frost would be returned to the corporation, with interest; that interest just so happened to be all that was left of the Alliance’s strategic reserves besides a few scraps. It was at the time, and to an extent still is unclear how exactly she accomplished this strong-arming, as she theoretically did not have much leverage over the Alliance; however it is rumored that the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate was unofficially operating in secret at this time, the rest of the corporations forced by Miranda under a single banner. So it is unlikely she approached with just her own leverage, but the leverage of every other corporation as well.

*'''2459:''' The Izweski Hegemony makes first contact with the K’lax Hive, grants them the planet of Tret, and integrates them into their feudal structure.

*'''2459:''' The civilian governments under the Adhomian Liberation Army unify to form the Democratic People’s Republic of Adhomai. Hro’zamal is officially settled by the People’s Republic.

*'''2460:''' The [[Golden Deep]] reveals itself to the wider spur, prompting a rapid wave of new migrants to the collective - both self-owned entrepreneurs and synthetics purchased by collective merchants - causing its population to begin to rapidly skyrocket.

*'''2460:''' The Sol System is rocked by the news of a massive pirate attack which had raided and plundered the Solarian Naval Maintenance, Regeneration, and Repair Facility (SNMRRF) in Uranus’ orbit, making off with dozens of military-grade hulls. Former Admiral Frost, who had been held in a naval prison, escaped, rallying a fleet of loyalists to his cause, and returning to the Sol system a hero, pardoned for his crimes.

*'''2461:''' Admiral Frost ascended to the position of Prime Minister at the helm of a majority-ATLAS government, effectively forcing all other political parties from power. He was eager to please the Naval hardliners and fascist elements which had brought him into power, creating an obscenely corrupt government which suppressed any dissent by force using Marines, Navy Military Police, and ATLAS paramilitaries. Known for their brutality and corruption, these paramilitaries formed the backbone of the Frost regime’s forces. The increased corruption caused already-present issues to begin spiraling out of control.

*'''2461:''' The [[Synthetic Liberation Front]], a synthetics rights organisation active in Tau Ceti since 2458, launches a string of high-profile attacks on governmental and NanoTrasen facilities in Tau Ceti citing the failure to meaningfully [[Synths in Biesel | improve the lives of synthetics in Tau Ceti]]. After some success, NanoTrasen contracts [[Ceres’ Lance]], to strike at SLF leadership and disable their capacity to organise at a large scale. This is broadly successful, forcing the SLF back into hiding and widely discrediting the use of violence as a means to achieve positive change in synthetic rights within the Republic of Biesel - at least, in the popular view.

*'''2461:''' Almrah Harrlala, the leader of the National Adhomai Worker’s Party, wins the DPRA presidential election. A coup against the government occurs weeks afterwards, which was thwarted with assistance from Supreme Command Nated.

*'''2461:''' The S’rand’marr coalition of NanoTrasen, the Republic of Biesel, and other PMCs and ally states forms for the protection of the People’s Republic’s heartlands. The offensive by the ALA and NKA is prevented by this coalition, devolving the conflict to a war of attrition.

*'''2461:''' A ceasefire is called under the supervision of the S’rand’marr Coalition and Nralakk Federation. The Armistice of Shastar is signed a day later establishing peace, and recognizing all 3 Adhomian nations by the Galactic Spur.

*'''2461:''' The Orbital Fleet returns to Hro'zamal, finding it in civil war. The Kosmostrelki land, and send the rebels into hiding.

*'''2462:''' Early into 2462, Prime Minister Frost outlawed and disbanded ATLAS, which by that point was hated by much of the Alliance and responsible for thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries both at protests and in custody. However, this did little to suppress public outrage against Frost, to which his regime responded to with further brutality which caused further corruption due to Naval takeovers of government offices which caused more unrest, creating a self-fulfilling ouroboros of decay.

*'''2462:''' The Phoron Scarcity officially begins, causing panic across the spur.

*'''2462:''' The Violet Dawn Catastrophe occurs on Mars, setting most of the atmosphere ablaze and rendering a majority of the planet uninhabitable, resulting in the deaths of billions.

*'''2462:''' The Solarian Alliance collapses, a result of decades, if not centuries, of mismanagement following its defeat in the Interstellar War, a Navy which long concerned itself with past glory rather than current realities; above all, though, the Solarian Collapse is the result of corruption. Corruption at a massive, galactic scale which was fueled by mismanagement, by the Navy, by corporations, and by the simple desire to enrich oneself at the expense of one’s neighbors.

*'''2462:''' The 35th Fleet, under the command of '''Admiral Ozdemir''', invades Biesel causing the public announcement of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate (SCC). The 35th was beaten back, thanks to the deployment of the first ever Phoron Warhead in Biesel orbit to destroy much of the invading force.

*'''2462:''' In the wake of the Solarian Collaspe, Biesel, Elyra, and the Coalition rapidly expand, taking in colonies that had been abandoned by the Alliance. In parts of the abandoned territories, many former Naval Admirals set up statelets as Warlords within former Solarian Territory which would come to be labeled the [[Human Wildlands]], a home to anarchy and limited governance.

*'''2462:''' The People’s Republic releases Tesla Prosthetics, a modified version of military-grade prosthetics used by the Tesla Brigade, for testing by Hadiist citizens.

*'''2462:''' Riots across District 6 result in the TCFL arriving. The riots end following the use of the Legion, tensions grow between the Tajaran population and the Republic. Phoron thefts become a growing black market within the district.

*'''2462:''' Protests across the New Kingdom grow as demands for elections in Parliament spread across the population. These protests end when King Azunka permits elections for the Chamber of Commoners.

*'''2462:''' Tajara on Gakal’zaal break out into rebellion, declaring the Free Republic of Gakal’zaal. With aid from the DPRA, they succeed in the revolt and choose to join the DPRA later in the year.

*'''2462:''' Taking advantage of the ongoing scarcity panic in the Solarian Alliance, the Tajara Revolutionary Army bombs Hephaestus Industries facilities in New Hai Phong in protest to Tajaran treatment by Sol and the megacorporations. In response, the Sol Alliance bans Tajara within their borders for the 3rd time.

*'''2462:''' Following the capture of multiple DPRA spies within the PRA, the Tajaran Citizenship Act, which allowed one to change their citizenship between the 3 nations, was suspended and ultimately destroyed.

*'''2463:''' The DPRA tests its first nuclear weapon on Gakal’zaal marking the second Adhomian nation to possess nuclear arms.

*'''2463:''' King Azunja dies. His heir, Queen Shumaila Azunja, is crowned later in the month. This does little to ease growing tensions with the Nomadic Host of the Southern Border.

*'''2463:''' The New Kingdom of Adhomai, with assistance from NanoTrasen and the PMCG, launches its Mercantile Flotilla. Later in the year, the ALA launches the People’s Volunteer Space Militia. All three Adhomian nations possess orbital fleets.

*'''2463:''' The Nralakk Federation’s 2463 Grand Councillor election ends with Weashbi Jrugl serving a second term, beating their opponents [[Notable_Skrell#Kalq’Qi_Weibii|Kal’Qi Weibii]] and [[Notable_Skrell#Ormish_Jrolk|Ormish Jrolk]]. Throughout the election period, the Tupkala undergoes total reformation after news of rogue agents acting on their own interests on Nanotrasen installations. After the [[Warbling_:_The_Traverse_Strikes_Back#Results_of_the_Primary_Elections|election’s results]] are released, a multi-vessel skrell refugee caravan arrives at Biesel, spearheaded by Kal’Qi Weibii. Despite requests of deportation by the Nralakk Federation, the Republic of Biesel accepts all skrell refugees under asylum. Not long after, the Federation’s embassy within Mendell City is leveled in a blast, with the perpetrators unknown. The skrell refugees are eventually moved from temporary holding areas to Mendell City’s District Eight, forming the [[Starlight Zone]].

*'''2464:''' Gregol Corkfell, original founder and leader of the Trinary Perfection, dies peacefully in his sleep. The succeeding conclave ultimately elects [[ARM-1DRIL]], a senior synthetic in the church, as the first ever [[Ecclesiarch]]. [[Deluge]], a radical figure popular in the divisive exclusionist wing of the church, attempts a violent takeover of Providence in response to their loss in the conclave; their attempt is unsuccessful and they are forced to flee with a flotilla of ships into the frontier, marking themselves and their entire sect as heretics in the eyes of the wider church. Shortly thereafter, Deluge launches a large-scale attack on [[Burzsia]], successfully stealing many synthetics and causing the deaths of a large number of [[Hephaestus]] employees - following this, the [[haha funny | exclusionists are widely categorised as a terrorist organisation.]]

*'''2464:''' The ALA tests an ICBM, marking a new stage of the Adhomian Cold War.

*'''2464:''' Tesla organs are released for testing by Hadiist citizens. Cybernetic Ha’rrons are permitted for use by the PSIS.

*'''2464:''' The Free Tajaran Council establishes treaties with the Adhomian nations, beginning a new proxy war for support in the off-world community.

*'''2464:''' The Adhomian nations begin the scramble to explore the north pole, garnering numerous scientific discoveries and many lost expeditions over the years.

*'''2464:''' Idris Incorporated expands to the NKA, opening multiple resorts and offices across the nation.

*'''2465:''' Hephaestus Industries establishes a monopoly within the Hegemony.

*'''2465:''' The SCCV Horizon, while visiting the S’rand’marr system, rescues an Orbital Fleet ship. This kicks off a series of events leading to a fiasco in the isolated Din’akk Mountains.

*'''2465:''' Marked by extensive periods of unrest and martial law, the Nralakk Federation’s Q’elpi region of the Traverse forms the The [[Skrell_Politics#Independent_Traverser_Movement|Independent Traverser Movement]], and releases a manifesto of demands to the Federation’s government. [[Federation_Crime_and_Resistance#Ti'Rakqi|The Ti’Rakqi]], a large faction of organized skrell [[Federation_Crime_and_Resistance#Marauders|Marauder]] fleets, renew their activity within the fully rebellious Q’elpi region. Despite reformation efforts towards the Traverse, the militant arm of the Independent Traverser Movement captures multiple cities within Q’elpi, and engages in open combat against military efforts to subdue them. Shipments of firearms aboard Marauder vessels are captured, with a growing rift between moderate and militant groups within the Independent Traverser Movement eventually ending in a complete split while negotiations with the Federation are underway. The militant wing of the ITM is eventually subdued, with links to the [[Change_on_the_Horizon_Arc#Lyukal_Plot_Foiled!_ITM-Kala_Cooperation_Leads_to_Arrests!|Lyukal’s firearm smuggling operation]] found after former members of the ITM cooperated with the Federation military. The resulting reforms granted by the Nralakk Federation extends more autonomy to each colony in the Traverse, as well as their own collective military branch, the Qehalak.

*'''2466:''' A series of IPC disappearances in Suwon, Konyang sparks concern. Violent synthetic attacks soon follow, leaving uncertainties to the cause of the aggression amidst quarantines and press conferences. Konyang declares a state of emergency, contacting the SCC for assistance. The SCCV Horizon is designated as the main response vessel. Tasked to retrieve the ECD, the Horizon investigates the [[Silicon_Nightmares_Arc|mysterious affliction]].

*'''2466:''' The ancient synthetic interred inside of the Midas since its creation is successfully re-activated by the Golden Deep, prompting a wave of fervent curiosity in the merchant collective. This synthetic identifies itself as [[Golden_Deep#Domadice|Domadice]], and goes on to assume a high leadership role inside the collective - although it spares scant few details to its past or origins, and the spur is largely left guessing its intentions and true nature. Several changes were made to the organisation shortly after Domadice’s reactivation, including the invention of the self-owned [[Golden_Deep#Society|‘Thesian’ middle class]], and the installation of laws intended to enforce the more equitable treatment of owned synthetics.

*'''2465:''' The Solarian Civil War ends with a victory for the Alliance’s central government and the defeat of the statelets in its territory. The “Wildlands” become the Solarian Reconstruction Mandates as the Alliance prepares to transition from a junta to a democratic government.

*'''2466:''' Ake Torvald is elected President of Biesel.

*'''2467:''' Hendrik Strom is elected Prime Minister of the Solarian Alliance.

*'''2467:''' [[Burzsia]] is struck by [[article link | another high-profile attack]], causing widespread damage to Hephaestus property, significant loss of life, and the theft of many owned synthetics. Hephaestus accuses [[Zavodskoi]] of having involvement in the attack, further assuming [[Exclusionists|Exclusionist]] involvement as in the previous attack, [[article link | although the perpetrators are not definitively uncovered.]]

*'''2467:''' The Nralakk Federation opens diplomatic offers towards the Republic of Biesel and the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. After talks between Grand Councillor Jrugl and President Torvald, trade and the Starlight Zone’s management became the primary focus of each nation. The Starlight Zone’s refugees are granted amnesty for minor crimes, investment on the region’s infrastructure, and promises of deportation only under extreme circumstances. Afterwards, the meeting with the League of Chief Directors results in expanded cooperation and corporate allowances within the Nralakk Federation, with Nanotrasen to provide phoron and the SCC to arrange a phoron prospecting survey into the Federation’s frontier in the near future.

{{Navbox Lore}}
[[Category:Pages]]

New Player Lore Guide

2026-07-28T14:47:09Z

Kermit: unified NT founding data

<center>{{Navbox New Player Guides}}</center>
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'''This is a new player's summary of the totality - or at least, as much as we can summarize quickly - of the Aurora server's most essential lore.'''

'''This is the first in a series of multiple guides connected to [[Guides/Character Creation]]. Once you're finished reading this, you are more than equipped with the knowledge necessary to create your character using that guide!'''

'''Below is recommended reading if you are new to the server!'''

= Welcome to Aurora Lore! =
Hello and Welcome! Aurora Lore is vast, and trying to get into it as a new player can feel overwhelming at times. Therefore to try and assist those new to the setting we've developed a series of pages that will assist with that issue, and this is one of them! This page is the shortest possible summary to the setting that still accomplishes the goal mentioned previously of helping new players get acquainted with the server's lore and help them understand the ins and outs of the [[Orion Spur]] in the 25th century and its history. After reading this page, and the page for the planet you choose for your characters background from those presented at the bottom, you'll know enough to start playing without issue.

= History Overview =
The purpose of this overview is to give new players a general grasp on the Aurora Setting, and the background of how it got to this point. The Early Years and Rise of NanoTrasen segments deal with deep background history, whereas the Early Scarcity, Period of Rebuilding, and Contemporary Spur sections deal with history that occurred in-game since 2019. Additionally whenever there's a bolded name followed by a parentheses, acronym, that is us denoting the common acronym used for that entity in game; I.E, '''Zavodskoi Interstellar''' (ZI). Other bolding is just us highlighting important names to help new player remember them better in game. This guide will focus on the megacorporations first and foremost, as they are the entities characters work for aboard the ship, but also go more into depth with three factions in particular; The Solarian Alliance, the Republic of Biesel, and to a lesser extent, the Coalition of Colonies. We'll discuss them as we discuss the history of the Aurora setting, and the history of the megacorporations, so let's dive in!

== The Early Years ==
'''The first megacorporations''' arose out of the fast-paced landscape of Earth’s 22nd Century, a period defined by fierce economic competition between Earth’s nations – particularly across the East and West divide – and the start of the race to colonize the planets of the Sol System, spurred by the strife of a climate crisis that was beginning to engulf Earth. As this climate crisis got worse and worse, nationstates began to buckle - some even collapsing - under the pressure, and by the end of the 2120s and into the 2130s, the United Nations found itself the only organization left standing with the capability to rebuild in the aftermath of the crisis. It became the source of restoring order and stability across the globe, rapidly centralizing as it took many functions of governance away from the nations of Earth; causing them to fall into irrelevance. It is during this tumultuous time that the remaining corporations began to transform into megacorporations; able to dominate entire regions economically and hold a monopoly on certain markets worldwide. '''Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals''' (ZH) is unofficially recognized to be the first true megacorporation by this definition; formed out of an agreement between East Asian biomedical companies in 2132, it came to dominate East Asia economically and biomedical markets worldwide. This process that on for decades (and in one case more than a century), but was sped up in 2140 the UN took the final step, reforming into the Solarian Alliance and becoming the sole centralized government of humanity. The new Alliance immediately began to colonize the stars; with many of the megacorporations born soon after the creation of the Alliance making their fortunes as the transtellar economy developed, with their founding dates in chronological order; '''Idris Incorporated'''(2152), '''Einstein Engines''' (2155) (EE), '''Hephaestus Industries''' (2164), and lastly '''Necropolis Industries''' (2259) which would rebrand to '''Zavodskoi Interstellar''' (ZI) in 2462. Contemporarily these first megacorporations have become known as the Founding Five, and from the time of their creation up until the early 2400s, at every generation-defining moment one of them has been there to witness and capitalize upon it. one generation defining event stands out above the rest as the reason for the dominance of megacorporation in the Contemporary Spur, when in 2275, fringe colonies within the Solarian Alliance broke away to form the Coalition of Colonies, kickstarting the chain of events that would lead to the Interstellar War.

'''The Interstellar War''' was a Spur spanning conflict between rebel colonies who would come to be known as the '''Coalition of Colonies''' (CoC) and the hegemonic Solarian Alliance. The devastation was on a scale that has not been seen since, and it's impacts are still felt to this day as it laid the ground work for the modern Spur to develop. However for the purposes of this summary all that needs to be said is that the consequences of the war saw the power of national governments fall dramatically, and the power of the trans-stellar corporations skyrocket, becoming the backbone of the remaining human nation's economy just in time for humanity’s first contact with aliens. The megacorporations, with their power in human space cemented, were quick to broker deals with the alien states, seeding their influence into any fresh market. They struck one-sided deals, exploiting every new planet and species where-ever they could, all the while continuing to grow in power. They became the logistical and industrial titans that drive the Spur forward, the weapons manufacturers and security solutions driving the Spur back into the dirt, and the bureaucratic and pharmaceutical giants that kept us going just a little longer. For this, their holds on the markets across space are unshakable, their sway behind closed doors decisive, and the repercussions for their mishaps fleeting. They could have collectively dominated the Spur for more than a century with cooperation, and potentially held on to that domination indefinitely, but none had the power to force even one of the others to let go of divisions. '''In the end, this was to their detriment''', for in the 25th century a dark horse corporation that everyone had little expectation of managed to ensure that cooperation, and reap the rewards of dominating the Spur, through its immense power.

<center>
{| class="wikitable" width="1100px"
|-
! width="300px"|Megacorporation !! width="800px"|Overview
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| <center>'''[[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]'''<br>[[File:ZH-lightpurple1.png|150px|link=Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]<br>''‘Building a brighter future.’''</center>|| The biomedical giant and the oldest megacorporation in the Spur, Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals dominates the practice of medicine and the many fields of research that relate to it. Arranged in a keiretsu structure, Zeng-Hu is composed of many smaller subsidiary companies which all cross-invest to ensure each subsidiary dominates its place in the market. Zeng-Hu focuses on perfecting the human body, through both genetic and cybernetic means, a line of research that has led to embryonic cloning, limb cloning, and the most advanced synthetics yet. Zeng-Hu has strict hiring standards, as the corporation is known to only hire the best or those showing the promise to become the best. Not only paid well, prospective employees are often enticed by the promise of high-end cybernetics and genetic treatments that are often handed down as benefits by veteran staff. Aboard the Horizon, Keiretsu employees are employed in '''Science''' and '''Medical'''.
|-
| <center>'''[[Hephaestus Industries]]'''<br>[[File:Hephaestuslogo4.png|150px|link=Hephaestus Industries]]<br>''‘The anvil on which the world is shaped.’''</center>|| The industrial titan, Hephaestus Industries was born out of West Europe and North America's military industries that snowballed in size from the 21st century onwards, to where some consider it the second most powerful megacorporation. Partially divorced from its history in military industry, Hephaestus is known best know for its bulk resource exploitation, mass-scale industrial manufacturing, large scale ship production, and logistics. With a reputation as the company for the blue collar worker, Hephaestus Industries is able to hire far and wide and attract those disenfranchised by more bureaucratic work environments. Combined with the opportunity to soar to higher positions through only merit instead of socioeconomic background, and stock options, Hephaestus seems an obvious choice. However, this all comes at the cost of brand loyalty, with Hephaestus employees potentially instantly losing these benefits or their position if appearing to dissent from the company line. Aboard the Horizon, Hephaestus employees are employed in '''Engineering''' and '''Operations'''.
|-
| <center>'''[[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]'''<br>[[File:Zavodskoi Interestellar.png|100px|link=Zavodskoi Interstellar]]<br>''‘Even one matters on the battlefield.’''</center>|| With a patchy history, the business of killing is the driving force behind Zavodskoi Interstellar's (ZI) business across the Spur. For Zavodskoi, conflict is another resource to exploit and a battleground is the perfect setting for testing experimental technology, and they have become the merchant of death for nation-states across the Spur; with ZI, almost the entire military industrial complex of the Spur is under one banner. As a result ZI has a hyper fixation on maintaining an image of professionality, and as a result ZI employees are often some of the most courteous contractors out there, for a positive image of the company always comes first. Aboard the Horizon, Zavodskoi employees are employed in '''Security''', '''Science''' and '''Engineering'''.
|-
| <center>'''[[Idris Incorporated]]'''<br>[[File:II-teal.png|150px|link=Idris Incorporated]]<br>''‘Astronomical Figures. Unlimited Power.’''</center>|| Where credits flow, Idris Incorporated can be found; the corporation's empire of influence is fueled by the countless Idris banks across the Spur and an ornate web of lucrative loans and insurance plans. Idris also has a heavy presence in the tourism, high end fashion, and hospitality industries, using their vast fortune to create both iconic brands and to outmaneuver competitors. Idris Incorporated contractors are expensive, coming with high expectations of class from consumers. For those that can work with that level of expectation, the benefits are many, but one also needs to keep their mouth shut, as all Idris employees sign an NDA that covers everything a contractor may do while on the job for the company and breaking that NDA is grounds for immediate termination. Aboard the Horizon, Idris employees are employed in '''Service''' and '''Security'''.
|-
| <center>'''[[Einstein Engines]]'''<br>[[File:EinsteinEngines2.png|150px|link=Einstein Engines]]<br>''‘Lead by our history, leading our future.’''</center>|| Throughout the Spur's history, Einstein Engines was the indefatigable megacorporate power, triumphing in every field they broke into and reaping the benefits of their close relationship with both the Solarian Alliance and Nralakk Federation. Following the discovery of phoron however, the status quo was shattered and NanoTrasen Corporation stole the throne; now with the phoron scarcity reaching its apogee and warp travel back in fashion, Einstein Engines is eager to seize it back with the promise of reduced dependence on phoron. Due to their close relationship with the Solarian Alliance and market conflicts with NanoTrasen, Einstein Engines continues not to support or join the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. Einstein employees are '''not employed''' aboard the Horizon.
|}
</center>

== The Rise of NanoTrasen ==

Initially founded in 2342, the yet-to-be-distinguished NanoTrasen was a small company revolving around genetic research and development on Mars. Xavier Trasen, Chief Executor of Operations for the company (as well as its founder) managed to propel the fledgling corporation through up the ladder with a combination of aggressive business tactics and effectively patenting methods to buy out or destroy local competition. By the end of the century, NanoTrasen had acquired enough capital to begin their new operations on Biesel, even managing to secure mining rights in the Tau Ceti system. However at this point, NanoTrasen barely even qualified as a Transstellar corporation, and barely even registered with the original Megacorporations; it wasn't even worth buying out or absorbing. All that would change in the early 25th century, for in 2417 NanoTrasen made the most significant discovery and technological innovation to date, when they found the priceless element '''Phoron''' within the Oort Cloud of Tau Ceti. They quickly found an application for the incredibly rare material in the revolutionizing of interstellar travel through '''Bluespace''' - a completely alternate dimension outside of our own reality - which made traversing the vast distances of space between stars a far easier and faster ordeal. NanoTrasen began rapidly expanded mining operations the Oort Cloud, '''now named the Romanavich Cloud''', and managed to establish a monopoly in the Phoronics Industry, all the while the demand for phoron continued to grow across the Spur, leading NanoTrasen to eventually become the wealthiest corporation in the history of the Spur, and arguably its most powerful entity. It strong-armed the Solarian Alliance to allow the independence of Tau Ceti, creating the Republic of Biesel, in which it held almost complete political influence, and quickly soared above the older megacorporations. By 2455 NanoTrasen was at the height of its power, wielding massive amounts of influence across the Spur and having what amounted to a monopoly of influence over the government of the state it helped create; which happened to preside over only one of three places phoron can be found in the entire Spur. Yet only two years later, it would see its position shaken.

<center>
{| class="wikitable" width="1100px"
|-
! width="300px"|Megacorporation !! width="800px"|Overview
|-
| <center>'''[[NanoTrasen Corporation]]'''<br>[[File:Nt-logo.jpeg|150px|link=NanoTrasen Corporation]]<br>''‘The leader in all things phoron.’''</center>|| The largest megacorporation and arguably the most influential entity within the Spur, NanoTrasen's position can be wholly attributed to two factors: its iron grip over the Republic of Biesel and the discovery of phoron it was quick to form a monopoly over. Due to NanoTrasen's influence across the Spur, employees from all walks of life can find employment with the megacorporation. For many wishing to start a new life, NanoTrasen is an easy ticket to getting a full-length work visa to the Republic of Biesel. Further enticing for employees, NanoTrasen Corporation is known to offer the most generous contract terms out of the Chainlink's megacorporations, be it: wide insurance coverage; excellent legal protection for those practicing in a medical field; scientists having full credit for any published research (excluding ground-breaking!), contrary to other megacorporations. Aboard the Horizon, NanoTrasen employees are employed in '''Science''', '''Medical''' and '''Service'''.
|-
|}
</center>

== The Early Scarcity ==

The Scarcity began with short news articles by the Mendell City Bugle in May of 2462, the first to show a steady decline in the deposits of phoron located throughout the Romanavich Cloud, and that shipments, while still coming, started taking significantly longer to fill quotas. This is the article that would set off a chain of events that saw the status-quo of the Spur that had held since the end of the Interstellar War completely upended. For this summary, all that needs to be said is that as 2462 continued, pressure slowly built up throughout the Spur as it became clearer this issue would not go away anytime soon, until finally, there was a violent, explosive release that shattered the post-IW status quo in a single week, the spark being the catastrophe known as '''Violet Dawn'''.

Violet Dawn was the name of the operation run by the Solarian Government which would cause a cataclysmic disaster on Mars in the later months of 2462. The operation's goal was to create a self-replicating, synthetic phoron gas as the scarcity was beginning to cause the Alliance's economy to falter. They were indeed able to accomplish this goal, however immediately discovered that there was no way to '''stop'' the self-replication, and the compound quickly breached containment, growing exponentially to become a raging atmospheric firestorm centered on Mar's South Pole, which the other residents of humanities most populous system watched turn the Red Planet Violet in horror. When the official news finally broke on November 10th containing specifics of the catastrophe on Mars, and that the Solarian Government's response to the crisis was to ignore or try to suppress calls for aid from the planet and order its vessels not to assist in evacuation efforts (though it must be said many brave captains and officers disobeyed these orders) the last nail in the coffin of the Solarian Alliance as it had been since the end of the Interstellar War was hammered home; the Alliance erupted with massive civil unrest and began to collapse. Then Prime Minister Frost was assassinated within a day, supposedly by a Zavodskoi Interstellar Kill Team - though the corporation never faced any punishment for it - and in desperation what remained of the Alliance's civilian government ordered the abandonment of all space outside of the Core Worlds, a region of space centered on Sol itself. However, many fleets disobeyed this order, setting up statelets as Warlords within former Solarian Territory which would come to be labeled the [[Human Wildlands]], a home to anarchy and limited governance.

However, one fleet that disobeyed the order to retreat did not set up a warlord state immediately, and instead burned hard towards Tau Ceti with it's phoron deposits; intending to invade with the goal of securing the phoron the Alliance needed. This was the 35th Fleet, under the command of '''Admiral Ozdemir''', and in response the formation of the SCC, or Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, was announced by Miranda Trasen, CEO of NanoTrasen, to much fanfare; comprising all the megacorporations of the Orion Spur except Einstein Engines, the SCC is perhaps the single most powerful entity in the Spur with Miranda Trasen at it's head. Behind that fanfare and celebration though, the concerning reality is that Miranda Trasen used her power and influence to force, bribe, sway, and bully all the other megacorporations, except one Einstein Engines, to cooperate under a single banner with NanoTrasen on top for years before the 35th's invasion, secretly forming the SCC in 2458. Nothing is known about the decision to go public. While it certainly helped by providing weaponry, and ships, to put the final nail in the 35th's coffin with a '''phoron WMD''', the 35th was only beaten with help from the rest of the Spur, primarily Elyra and the Coalition of Colonies, who sent large expeditionary forces to the Republic as allies. After their defeat, the 35th set up a statelet like so many other Warlords within the Human Wildlands, a fascistic and genocidal one known as the Solarian Restoration Front. The Republic, Coalition, and Elyra meanwhile expanded their borders in the power vacuum left by the Alliance's retreat, taking in planets that had been abandoned by the Alliance. As for what remained of the Alliance proper, the civilian government who ordered the retreat would go on to cede power to a temporary Military Junta, established to restore stability and control both in the core worlds and the Human Wildlands, with the promise that once this had been achieved new elections would be held, transferring power back into the hands of a democratically elected civilian government - which they would eventually fulfil their promise on, in 2467.

It is in this way that the status quo of almost a century was shattered, and the pieces are still being picked up.

<center>
{| class="wikitable" width="1100px"
|-
! width="300px"|Megacorporation !! width="800px"|Overview
|-
| <center>'''[[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]'''<br>[[File:SCC logo.png|140px|link=Private Military Contracting Group]]<br><br>''‘The unbreakable chainlink, holding the Spur together.’''</center>|| A tenuous alliance between eight megacorporations, the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate is a giant on the Spur's stage, with access to the immense resources and influence of each of the members beneath its shell. Originally firmly under the control of NanoTrasen Corporation, currently the megacorporations under the Chainlink now grapple for control behind closed doors, each with their own interests to push for the Conglomerate to coordinate efforts and resources towards. Aboard the Horizon, the SCC fills the majority of its positions with staff loaned from member megacorporations of the Chainlink, who hold dual contracts with their original company and the SCC. These contracted employees are employed in '''Command''' and '''Command Support'''.
|-
|}
</center>

== Period of Rebuilding ==
Since the cataclysmic events of 2462, the Spur had undergone tremendous changes, the most notable of which occurred within the once small Republic of Biesel. Following the collapse of the alliance which left many planets close to Tau Ceti unsupported, the small republic offered its assistance in exchange for these planets joining it. In this way the nation which used to be a single system came to take control over vast swathes of what was previously the Soalarian Outer Ring, including planets such as '''Mictlan''' and '''Port Antillia'''. However many of the people on these planets, Mictlan especially, felt betrayed by their planetary government, as they believed the possibility of independence a larger boon than whatever assistance the Republic could offer. When the '''Corporate Reconstruction Zone''' (CRZ) was announced, comprising all territory outside of Tau Ceti's gravity well, this discontent turned to violence as terrorists and revolutionaries began to fight back against the Republic. The planet that would see the worst of this violence would be Mictlan, where continuing incidents would force the republic to declare the planet under martial law and deploy the '''Tau Ceti Foreign Legion''' (TCFL). Their main opposition was two groups, the '''Founding Movement''' was a former political organization that turned to terrorism to try and throw off the Republic formerly led by '''Isabel Alvarez''' before her death at the hands of a lynch mob in 2466. They are mostly known for their bombing campaigns across Mictlan, the most notable of which is '''the bombing of Valtas Square''', located directly in front of the Mictlan Defense Forces Headquarters, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds. '''The Samaritans''', on the other hand, were a paramilitary organization originally formed by deserters from the Mictlani Defense Force, led by '''Xiomara Salvo''', who waged a guerilla war against the forces of the Republic directly.

However, the deployment of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion did little to stop the violence gripping the planet, resulting in the formation of the '''Tau Ceti Armed Forces''' (TCAF), a fully professional military force compared to the part-time volunteer force that was the Foreign Legion. Many bills were passed in an attempt to give the new armed forces the tools they needed to defeat the insurrectionists, however, nothing worked. Violence continued to grip Mictlan until the failed gamble known as '''Operation Jakali''' in 2466 and facing mounting civil unrest in Tau Ceti itself over the continued military occupation of Mictlan that the violence finally ended with a '''peace deal''' signed between the Samaritans (as at this point the founding movement had collapsed) and the Republic of Biesel/Mictlani government. All members of the Samaritans were '''pardoned on parole''', and now the planet of Mictlan is finally at peace for the first time in many years.

Yet Mictlan was not the only place to experience violence within the CRZ. In the South within the region known as '''Valley Hale''', the SCC discovered something that would help to stave off the scarcity for a time; the asteroid that would come to be known as Orchard Moon. A large deposit of Phoron, it was located right on the border between the '''Serene Republic of Elyra''', which resulted in a border dispute between the two nations, which the Horizon played a pivotal role in. The result of that dispute was '''Orchard Moon''' remaining within Biesel territory, only to then for the newly built mining installations to be attacked by remanents from the '''Southern Fleet Administration''' (SFA), pirates out of the southern wildlands.

Over in the Alliance, the state turned inwards and began to focus on consolidating its new, nationalized industry, with Einstein Engines padding out more specialist industries, and began the slow effort to '''return the Alliance's government to the hands of the people'''. The embers of populism were now beginning to be stoked with the promise of a civilian government. The Alliance's inward eye, however, left certain Warlord states bold, and their supporters within the Alliance's military structure even bolder. After their defeat at Tau Ceti, the 35th Fleet fled to the human wildlands, establishing a warlord state known as the '''Solarian Restoration Front''' (SRF); a fascistic, genocidal, and ultranationalist group who had the aim of purging the Alliance, and then the Spur, of alien taint. '''IMPORTANT NOTE: PLAYING A CURRENT OR FORMER MEMBER, AFFILIATE, SYMPATHIZER, OR SUPPORTER OF THE SOLARIAN RESTORATION FRONT (SRF) IS ENTIRELY BANNED. THIS IS ENFORCEABLE BY MODERATION STAFF.''' That said - due to the reign of Prime Minister Frost, a fascistic strongman himself, the Alliance's remaining fleets in the core worlds were still infested with SRF supporters alongside more mundane corruption, all of which saw supplies be consistently funneled to the warlord state. After decades of dealing with caeserism and corruption within the navy, the alliance's junta began to take drastic steps, and alongside planned naval reforms, '''initiated a full scale purge'''; relieving, arresting, and in a very small amount of cases, even executing, anyone in the Navy involved with the SRF - though some supporters caught wind of the incoming purges, and fled with their fleets to join the SRF. With its link of support cut off, the SRF began to move quickly, and, at the start of 2465, would attack the Middle Ring Shield Pact, which if they could conquer, would give them a significantly better chance against the Alliance Proper. The SRF launched a full-scale invasion on San Colette, the capital of the shield pact, with fighting so brutal many have since dubbed it the '''Second Solarian Civil War'''. After weeks of hard fighting, with an act that sent a message across the Spur, the Alliance Navy itself intervened, launching an invasion of the Restoration Front, and reinforcing the exhausted defenders of San Collette. This would be the beginning of the process that would see the reintegration of the Warlord states into the fold of the Alliance-proper, as the SRF - the warlord with the most power militarily - was smashed as their fools gambit fell apart around them. '''The Southern and Northern Reconstruction Mandates were established in what was once the Human Wildlands''' by the Alliance, and they've begun to rebuild the damage caused over the past five years.

Two new megacorporations also saw their rise in this period: the '''Private Military Contracting Group''' (PMCG), which created a shortlist of vetted private military companies that were approved to work with the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate (later, a trusted source for other bidders in need of guns) and '''Orion Express''' (OE), the solution to the Chainlink's growing logistical woes amid the phoron scarcity and their steady expansion.

<center>
{| class="wikitable" width="1100px"
|-
! width="300px"|Megacorporation !! width="800px"|Overview
|-
| <center>'''[[Private Military Contracting Group]]'''<br>[[File:PMCGsmallogo.png|180px|link=Private Military Contracting Group]]<br>''‘Always on guard, always on watch.’''</center>|| An amalgamation of private military companies of variable backgrounds, styles, and characters that have been permitted to work with the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. The Private Military Contracting Group was established to provide a point of contact for the Chainlink and its subsidiary corporations to be able to browse more trusted PMCs, a service that has since been rolled out to the public.<br><br>No military contractor from the PMCG is the same due to the varied groups that have been permitted to work with the SCC. Aboard the Horizon, PMCG employees are employed in '''Medical''' and '''Security'''.
|-
| <center>'''[[Orion Express]]'''<br>[[File:ORION SPUR LOGISTICS.png|150px|link=Orion Express]]<br>''‘Faster than light.’''</center>|| Blink and you'll miss them, Orion Express is a fledgling megacorporation whose freighters and mobile stations zip around to ensure corporate supply needs are met around the Spur. Having secured a stable footing, Orion Express now lends its various services to the rest of the Spur, with speed and convenience owing a premium - fast deliveries, fast mail, fast food, and fast mining. New on the scene, Orion Express has very low hiring standards to keep its workforce bolstered, making for a great foot in the door to a megacorporate job for those young or with gritty pasts. Aboard the Horizon, Orion employees are employed in '''Operations''' and '''Service'''.
|-
|}
</center>

= The Contemporary Spur =

Now we're in the current setting. The year is '''{{#expr:{{CURRENTYEAR}} + 442}} CE''' (Common Era), and the [[Orion Spur]] stands on the edge of a new age. The worst of the phoron scarcity seems to be receding '''for now''', though instability and uncertainty persist. Through the cooperation of its constituent corporations, the SCC controls all but a sliver of economic productivity, and so long as they continue to cooperate little can be done to change this. However cracks are already starting to show, and the SCC's members are at best, semi-unified and continue to quarrel amongst themselves, looking out for their interests first. '''Hephaestus Industries''' – after years of careful planning – have acquired what even '''NanoTrasen''' struggled to seize after forcing the Alliance to allow Biesel’s secession: the monopoly over an entire nation in the '''Izweski Hegemony''', to the alarm of all the other SCC members, who revised their approach to Hephaestus to ensure they do not gain too much power, with rumors of megacorporate backing for the Trinary Perfectionist attack on Burszia; but there is no rumor more likely then the ones circulating Zavodskoi Interstellar, already bitter rivals with the Industrial Titan, who have recently been accused of hiring pirates to attack Hephaestus assets, alongside supplying anti-Hephaestus terrorist groups within the Izweski Hegemony. The relationships on which the SCC depends are tenuous ones, '''only held together by Miranda Trasen using every tactic she can think of'''; assurance of mutual profit, NanoTrasen's power, a healthy amount of fear, political corruption, bullying, threats, bribery, blackmail, corporate espionage, the occasional convenient death, and masterfully playing the constituent corporations against each other. Through all these tactics she manages to just hold it together, and the power it gives her makes her one of, if not the most, powerful individual in the entire Spur; though only time will tell how long she can continue to hold the conglomerate together, maintaining her position.

Our medium into this world is the '''SCCV Horizon''', and due to it being a mobile ship, the setting to which players have access stretches across the entirety of the [[Orion Spur]]. The Horizon is under the joint control of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate; with you, among others, having been assigned to work aboard the Horizon. Its a state-of-the-art general-purpose vessel that travels across the [[Orion Spur]] with the primary objective of uncovering Phoron, however, secondary objectives exist at the whim of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, and it's constituent corporations. Due to the SCC operating the Horizon, they have the final say on Occupation Qualifications - many jobs will have specific qualifications that can be found on their job pages, however in addition the baseline qualifications to work aboard the Horizon can be found here: [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate Occupation Qualifications]]. More can be read about your place in the workplace below!

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''Your Place in the Workplace'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
All players including staff are subject to the believable character rule. More details on that rule can be found in the server rules, found [https://aurorastation.org/rules.html here.]

With this said, your place in the workplace is extremely flexible. It would not be a stretch to say you can be whatever you want on the Aurora server, within reason. Get creative! The possibilities are endless, and storied lore backgrounds are always here to help guide character creation.

Ultimately, in the grand scheme of things, your binding rules are generally things such as being related to the '''Stellar Corporate Conglomerate''' and being aboard the '''SCCV Horizon''' legally. Opportunities to subvert even these rules are available but are not the same as player characters made from character setup unless exclusively permitted by staff. More details on these exceptions can be found on the [[Guide to Ghost Roles]] page! Not recommended to go there immediately if this is your first read through.

The vast majority of characters on the server are employees of the corporations beneath the '''Stellar Corporate Conglomerate'''. These individuals come in all shapes and sizes, with all of them sharing similar and quite low ranks in the megacorporate hierarchy. Certain ranks are afforded different privileges, such as medical practitioners and corporate security. Playing an official of higher rank is barred behind a whitelist to ensure quality control. Independent individuals or unaffiliated individuals are accessible as well through character setup. These roles include megacorporate-unaffiliated journalists, passengers, and [[Guide to Ghost Roles|third-party vessel teams]] who have found their way to the setting somehow. Not recommended to go there immediately if this is your first read through.
</div></div>

As for our factions - after the disaster that was the Peacekeeper Mandate, President Dorn was voted out of office and replaced with the Independent '''Ake Torvald''' - a former intelligence agent who beat the odds, and proved that though it may be a façade democracy, the Republic is still a democracy. While Miranda Trasen and NanoTrasen still hold enormous influence over him, and the government of Biesel as a whole, Torvald has more freedom than Dorn ever had; though the man is an enigma, so what he plans to do with that freedom is something that can only be guessed at.

After the establishment of the Reconstruction Mandates, the military junta which had ruled Sol since the collapse made good on their word, hosting free and fair elections for a new Prime Minister, and relinquishing power. The winner of the election would be one '''Hendrik Strom''', a man known for supporting the infamous Tajara bans, but who now has a monumental the task ahead of him; to not only put his fractured nation back together, but to rebuild it's reputation in the eyes of the wider galactic community.

'''The Coalition though''', continues to lumber on, with it's members still bickering amongst themselves; a multiheaded hydra that can never agree on anything. Time will tell if the coalition will become something more than the loose defensive alliance it currently is, or if it will continue as it has been since the end of the Interstellar War.

----

'''And that's everything!''' Kinda. Bear in mind this is a summary - a good one - but still a summary that is condensing seven plus years of active IC development into something that is hopefully readable in 30 minutes. There may have been points where things were seemingly randomly brought up, but the goal here again is to summarize while still keeping it coherent - we don't need to go in-depth with who Frost was, or any specifics - it takes up more words than it's worth. Information like that isn't necessary for a summary like this, we want something people can quickly read then be able to immediately hop in game. Speaking of hopping in game - up next is character creation! Below are the three recommended starter planets for newer players - with a comment on how much additional reading beyond this summary is likely to happen. If you wish to read more about the setting, below the bolded line are short descriptions of all the species in the Spur, then all the factions in the Spur; and then below that the "Lore Navbox" if you want to check out anything specific. It is highly advised to join the '''[https://discord.gg/Sa48FBY lore discord that can be found here]''', as it's where we announce ongoing developments, and where writers are most active incase you have any questions or need help with something. If you don't wish to do that, lore writers are the ones with purple names on the main discord, so ping anyone of us and we'll help you out if we can, or point you in the right direction if we can't. We look forward to seeing you on the server!

= Recommended Starter Planets =

'''[[Callisto]]''' - Callisto is a settled moon in orbit of Jupiter, and the most populated of the Jovian moons. It is the Alliance's single largest port, a feat accomplished by the massive Warp Gate Network it has in orbit, which was originally designed back in the late 2300s. Since then Callisto has been a hub of commerce, and is the de-facto port for the entire Sol system, one of the richest and most populated systems in the entire spur. As a result, Callisto is dominated by sprawling urban topography, and is one of the most developed planets in the alliance. The culture of both the planet as a whole and the individual districts is very easy to pick up, and the page as a whole is fairly short. '''If you want to read the least amount, this is the planet for you.'''

'''[[Biesel]]''' - Biesel is a temperate, oxygen-rich planet colonised in the mid-2100s, therefore making it one of the first. It is the capital of the Republic of Biesel and of the Tau Ceti system in general. One of the most populated planets in the [[Orion Spur]], Biesel is one of the economic hearts of the known galaxy and boasts a large amount of urban development and resource richness - primarily in Phoron. It is also where the influence of NanoTrasen and the SCC is at it's strongest. The issue is, as it was also our setting for five-ish years, so alot of development occurred with it. '''If you're interested in reading a fair amount of lore''', love façade democracy, and also spreading the light of liberty, then this is the planet for you.

'''[[Xanu Prime]]''' - The shimmering and vibrant planet of Xanu Prime (pronounced Ksa-noo), is the beating heart of the Coalition of Colonies. In nearly all ways, economic, political, and cultural, Xanu Prime holds almost unmatched influence over the rest of the Coalition. It is a cosmopolitan and multicultural hub where nearly anyone from across the [[Orion Spur]] can be found, a cornerstone not just in the Coalition but in the galactic community as a whole, and home to a thriving culture and democratic tradition which, along with the dedication and hard work of its citizens, has cemented its position of leadership and wealth which it currently enjoys. The primary page also tops out as the second longest page on the wiki, and it's one of three. '''If you're interested in super indepth lore''', reading a ton, the frontier spirit, and multiculturalism, pick Xanu Prime.

'''From this point, you are again encouraged to move onto [[Guides/Character Creation]] provided you're at a loss for what to do.'''

----

{{SpeciesoftheSpur}}

=Major Factions=
These are the dominant political players in the [[Orion Spur]] that are relevant to you, the player. Any of these factions can be utilized in backstories or as origins for characters - go crazy!

'''Important note : ''' These factions are only the key players in the setting. Nothing stops you from making up your own origin wherever you'd like, so long as it does not contest standing lore's canon. When in doubt, ask a lore writer!
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====[[Republic of Biesel]]====
The core location of the setting itself. A bastion of prosperity amidst chaos.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
[[Image:Republicofbieselflag.png|65px|right]]
The Republic of Biesel is an independent system within the core of Human space. It is heavily tied to the NanoTrasen corporation at every level of government, and may as well be considered as governed by it to begin with. The Republic of Biesel is the government of the Tau Ceti System, exercising authority over Biesel, New Gibson and all other settlements and installations within Tau Ceti's gravity well. It is one of the most populated systems in human space, a financial center, industrial powerhouse and one of the most prestigious systems in the galaxy. However, unrest and gridlock undermine the government, and the aggressive attitude of the Sol Alliance against its former system has made many worried of the future of the Republic. Tau Ceti is far from the limit of the Republic's boundaries, as the recent addition ''(post-2462)'' of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone have led to its size growing immensely. The CRZ, or the Zone, consists of hundreds of once-Solarian worlds which had no choice but to fall under the Republic's banner - or face the horrors of the galaxy alone - after their supply lines and defenses were cut off by the collapsing or defecting military.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====[[Sol Alliance]]====
A crumbling giant whose golden age has long passed.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
[[File:Sol Alliance Flag.png|65px|right]]
Formerly the most populated singular government entity in known space, the Solarian Alliance was the first trans-stellar Human factions, though in recent years it has fallen on hard times. While its reign formerly consisted of nearly a quarter of charted space in a growing sphere around Earth, it has now diminished significantly in size. Those forces still loyal to the Alliance recently retreated to the "Jewel Worlds," a region of space where its most strategically vital assets lay, not to mention it's capital in orbit above Earth. As the Alliance has already been discussed in depth in the above summary, we will not be going into it here again. Suffice to say, the government and Einstein Engines now stand as fierce opposition to the growing Stellar Corporate Conglomerate whose power contests them.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====[[Coalition of Colonies]]====
Freedom and independence embodied on an interstellar scale.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
[[File:Frontier_Alliance_Flag.png|65px|right]]
The loosely confederated Coalition of Colonies is the largest power in the frontier, and possibly the most populous entity in the Orion Spur. Splitting off from the Solarian Alliance after the Interstellar War, and covers several regions with its utterly tremendous borders. The systems of the Coalition, ''as a collective'', greatly value their independence and freedom; however sometimes that freedom means, in the case of a planet like Gadpathur, being a fully militarized state. A few powerful systems dominate the politics of the Frontier, primarily Xanu Prime - the official capital of it all. Many of those in the Coalition of Colonies harbor distrust of the Sol Alliance even after the end of the Interstellar War. In recent times, the Coalition has conquered a huge amount of territories, the tremendous Alliance Neutral Zone - a DMZ established after the Interstellar War - no longer exists, and has since been deemed Coalition territory.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====[[Republic of Elyra]]====
Glistening utopian city-scapes and technological might.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
[[File:Elyra Flag.png|65px|right]]
The Republic of Elyra, or its more official name, The Serene Republic of Elyra, is a bustling, somewhat isolationist independent power in the Badlands. It is made up of multiple star systems, with its capital in the highly developed technological planet of Perispolis. It is known for its blending of traditional culture with contemporary technologies, creating a unique society where one can witness the use of cutting edge technology, while the expectation of conforming to societal expectations ever present. For those who go against the grain, social ostracization the result. Given that Elyra is one of the only three factions in the Orion Spur which innately possess phoron deposits of any sort, in the midsts of the scarcity they have become even further isolationist.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====[[Empire of Dominia]]====
Religious pride in the Emperor and country.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
[[File:Dominia_Flag.png|40px|right]]
A heavily religious absolute monarchy, the Empire of Dominia hails from the planet of Moroz in the Mira Sancta system, where the capital of the empire, Nova Luxemburg can be found. It is an autocratic state is ruled by His Imperial Majesty Boleslaw Keeser. The Empire of Dominia was proclaimed in 2385 by then-Emperor Godwin Keeser, unifying a colony which had been isolated for hundreds of years. Now almost a century later, Imperial society is dominated by the Imperial Nobility under the Emperor and is very socio-economically stratified due to the so-called blood debt, known as the Mor’iz’al.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">

====[[Eridani Federation]]====
Corporation-dominated hell, personified through a terrible societal split.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
[[File:Eridani Logo.png|65px|right]]
Eridani, or the Eridani Corporate Federation, is an oligarchic republic in the Epsilon Eridani system dominated entirely by a council of mega-corporations that seek profit and expansion at any cost. The Corporate Federation is known as one of the core economic powers of Solarian space, and is technically under Solarian supervision - though the true extent of this is up for debate. Corporations, in reality, rule the gloomy landscapes of the Corporate Federation’s worlds. Its citizens are called Eridanians. Eridanians are famed for their vicious treatment of one another, distinguishing between two primary classes ; Dregs, and Suits - who in effect represent a fine line between poverty and wealth.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====The Free Frontier====
Whatever you want. Really.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
The frontier consists of all space unclaimed by one of the major interstellar powers. The population of the frontier is difficult to estimate, but conservative guesses place it between 25 and 50 billion. The government, technological development, economy, and social systems of these independent systems vary wildly. Piracy, corporate exploitation, and smuggling are commonplace throughout the frontier. People hailing from these areas, known as frontiersmen, are known for their rugged independence and distrust of megacorporations and government alike.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====[[Nralakk Federation]]====
An higher-up galactic player, authoritarian in its nature.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
[[File:jargon_flag.jpg|65px|right]]
The Nralakk Federation is a centralized union of systems, ran by councilors representing Skrell interests in a clear hierarchy. Although humans have fractured heavily in their expansion, Skrell have remained in largely a singular government through strict reinforcement of education and laws, working as a democratic meritocracy. Social media is maintained by the Federation government, who gag unacceptable discussions or thoughts and instead encourage people to be like the Idols that they reward with credits, high quality housing, and fine living.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====[[Unathi|Izweski Hegemon]]====
The proud Unathi Hegemony in all its glory.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
[[File:Moghes_porposal.png|65px|right]]
The Izweski Hegemony, is the primary Unathi nation of the Orion Spur - a feudal empire in the Badlands ruled by a monarch known as the Hegemon, currently Hegemon Not'zar, of the Izweski Clan. The nation is made up of hundreds of land-owning noble clans and their vassals, of which a few dozen are major influencers in the Hegemon's politics; moreover, any could take the Hegemon's seat at any time, for the Hegemony is founded on the principal that might makes right. The Hegemony is new to the interstellar stage, and has suffered from various growing pains as it attempts to expand into a Spur dominated by humans and Skrell while attempting to resolve the ongoing ecological collapse of their homeworld caused by the devastation of the contact war.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====[[People's Republic of Adhomai]]====
The most powerful and first space-faring state in [[Adhomai]].
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
[[File:PRA Flag.png|65px|right]]
Led by President Njadrasanukii Hadii, the People’s Republic of Adhomai are considered the 'loyalist' faction on Adhomai and once enjoyed galactic recognition as the government of Adhomai. It claims to be the true keeper of Al’mari’s legacy. However, the PRA can be described as a Hadiist branch of Al’marii’s revolutionary ideology - that means putting the State at the top of a hierarchy of power. The PRA is a very centralized state, but in recent years has slowly been able to start making true its promises to bring revolution to the masses. With land reform, enfranchisement of the peasantry, literacy initiatives, and the collectivization of farms and the means of production, the PRA is struggling to hold true to its radical ideals while an entrenched upper party stubbornly tries to hold onto power.
</div></div>

{{Navbox Lore}}
[[Category: Lore]]
[[Category:Pages]]

NanoTrasen Corporation

2026-07-28T14:46:02Z

Kermit: unified NT founding data

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Template:Navbox Corporations}}
{{Infobox Corporation
|headercolor = #3d4f66 
|textcolor = white 
|name = NanoTrasen Incorporated
|logo = Nt-logo
|headquarters = Mendell City, [[Biesel]], [[Republic of Biesel]]
|slogan = The leader in all things phoron!
|languages = Tau Ceti Basic, Sol Common, Tradeband
|ceo = [[The Trasens#Miranda Trasen|Miranda Trasen]]
|colors = <span style="color:#3d4f66">Navy blue (#3d4f66),</span> <span style="color:#282828">black (#282828),</span> <span style="color:#dfe4ed">white (#dfe4ed)</span>
|founded = 2342
|founder = [[The Trasens#Xavier Trasen|Xavier Trasen]]
|regions =
<br>
* [[Republic of Biesel]]
* [[Coalition of Colonies]]
* [[Nralakk Federation]]
* [[People's Republic of Adhomai]]
* [[New Kingdom of Adhomai]]
* [[Izweski Hegemony]]
|}}
The largest megacorporation within the Orion Spur, many will find themselves doing the biddings of NanoTrasen -- be it direct or indirect. Initially a biotechnical research company, it was responsible for the discovery of phoron in 2352 that has a variety of [[Phoron|lucrative properties]], key of which being that its a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room-temperature_superconductor room temperature superconductor] making it fundamental to achieve the present day level of technology for the Spur - with '''VERY''' limited exceptions - a valuable thing to have a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly monopoly] over indeed. NanoTrasen’s monopoly on not only extracting phoron, but also refining it and many of it’s different applications catapulted its stock into the stratosphere, and it [[Timeline|quickly became the most powerful megacorporation ever]], perhaps the most powerful entity in the Spur, where it has remained for the last century with no-one who could compete in the same way, [[Einstein Engines|except in markets NanoTrasen is less involved in]]. Its acceleration into the spotlight has prompted many prying eyes to uncover evidence of rather questionable actions, with rumours perpetuating that they’ve instigated wars on both [[Tajara|Adhomai]] and [[Unathi|Moghes]] in an attempt to exploit the species for a profit; rumours that conviently leave out the actions of the [[Solarian Alliance]].

As NanoTrasen’s mining operations turned out to be unsustainable and the problem that had been growing quietly in the background came to light as the [[Phoron|“phoron scarcity”]], the corporation’s power has since begun to waver as their ability to supply phoron at reasonable prices for it’s wide demand dwindled - showing cracks in their once invincible armor. They have done everything to retain their power, officially wrangling all the other megacorporations excepting [[Einstein Engines]] under a single banner of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] with [[The Trasens|Miranda Trasen]] serving as the Acting Director of Operations through threats, political, espionage, promises of mutual profit, and the occasional convenient death, which for the time being, has kept the company secure in their position. However, the SCC is [[Timeline|far older than its public appearance]], and for all that time, resentment has been building up among the constituent corporations who are tired of dancing to Miranda’s tune instead of setting their own - and only time will tell if she’ll be able to keep the economy of the galaxy under her thumb.

{{TOC Hidden}}
== Corporate Affairs ==
=== History ===
[[File:MirandaTrasen.png|thumb|Miranda Trasen, Chief Executive Officer of NanoTrasen, sporting her new hairstyle! ]]

<center>''"Phoron is the reason for the modern day spur in its totality. Without it, we would likely have plateaued as a society."'' - Xavier Trasen, shortly before his death in 2400.

</center>
Initially founded in 2342, the yet-to-be distinguished NanoTrasen was a small company revolving around genetic research and development on [[Mars]]. [[The Trasens|Xavier Trasen]], Founder and Chief Executor of Operations for NanoTrasen managed to guide the corporation into prosperity, eventually securing enough capital loans to move the corporation to the [[Republic_of_Biesel|up and coming colony of Biesel]] in 2350. It was this decision that would change his own fortunes and the fortunes of his company forever.

When NanoTrasen [[Timeline|discovered Phoron in 2352]] and its applications the corporation became a household name. The unearthing of the rosy crystals in the [[Tau Ceti|Romanovich Cloud]], and the subsequent [[Phoron|identification of its properties]], swiftly put NanoTrasen in the position to become the most powerful corporation ever, but it was not without its risks. NanoTrasen was a biomedical corporation that found itself sitting on a fortune of resources it would need a completely separate skillset to exploit - from just extracting the phoron to begin with, to researching it further, and meeting the insane demand it would generate. There was no certainty they would succeed; however, there was no certainty they would fail either.

[[Megacorporations|Other megacorporations]] therefore lent help to NT exploit these resources, ensuring they too profited from the discovery, and it turned out to be the correct move. [[Timeline|More than a dozen entities met the title of “transtellar megacorporation” in 2352, by 2452, there were seven]]. With the exception of [[Einstein Engines]], all signed agreements with NanoTrasen in some form in those early years.

NanoTrasen’s early years in the limelight were obsessed with maintaining their [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly monopoly] on phoron and, to do that, they had to keep up with the increasing demand as [[Technology|it kick-started a scientific revolution]] that saw [[Spurian Economy|massive economic growth]] and the mass-adoption of phoronic technologies. Failing to do so would likely result in mining rights for the [[Tau Ceti|Romanavich Cloud]] being granted to other corporations, or worse, see NT’s exclusive patents removed by the [[Sol Alliance|Alliance government]]. Therefore, while NanoTrasen was the most powerful corporation in the known galaxy, it really didn’t feel that way to Xavier Trasen.

[[Timeline|Until the turn of the 25th Century]], all of Xavier's, and therefore the corporations', attention was on expanding mining operations- there was little time, money, or energy left over for anything else. For other things, they turned to their partners in the older megacorporations. They signed agreements [[Zavodskoi Interstellar|first with Zavodskoi]] to jointly research the military applications of the element, then with [[Hephaestus Industries]] that saw the industrial giant supply the fledgling corporation with industrial equipment, and further research agreements to look at potential applications for phoron; those supplies paid for by generous loans from [[Idris Incorporated]]. They [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals|signed agreements with Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] to investigate and patent biomedical applications of organic phoron. While their partners also profited, the real power and money stayed with NT.

It wasn’t until after the [[Timeline|death of Xavier Trasen]] and the start of the 25th century that the corporation expanded into other industries. NanoTrasen’s newfound wealth was [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing_ethics speedily employed to bankrupt, absorb or bribe their way to the top.] By this time, [[Phoron]] had been discovered outside of [[Tau Ceti|Tau Ceti’s]] gravity well, and NanoTrasen quickly moved to maintain its monopoly there. NanoTrasen’s power and scope grew exponentially, with all types of assets (stations, facilities, ships) cropping up across the [[Orion Spur]]. By 2425, NanoTrasen had managed to secure itself as the most powerful [[Megacorporations|Megacorporation]] bar none, with its influence felt almost anywhere. With the discovery of [[Bluespace]] shortly after, things were looking up for the company - but there were problems.

First were the other megacorporations. Though nominally NTs partners, NanoTrasen didn’t want to settle for still having to compete with them and their established influence within the halls of power of the [[Solarian Alliance]]. They wanted a nation-state of their own, and wanted to do what no one had been able to do before: bring the other megacorporations to heel and establish a cartel on economic activity across the Spur. To that end they twisted the Alliance’s arm into agreeing to the [[Republic_of_Biesel#NanoTrasen_Influence_and_Independence_(2410_-_2452)|declaration of independence by Biesel in 2452]]; an act that would see their relationship with the Alliance Government sour irreparably, the Alliance would seize all the phoron mines held by the corporation outside of [[Tau Ceti]] itself, though given the limited backlash, it is likely this was part of their deal. However, with the primary source of phoron no longer under the purview or management of the [[Solarian Alliance]], NanoTrasen was able to successfully insert itself into the [[Republic of Biesel|administration and governance of the emerging republic it had created completely.]] Whilst in recent times NanoTrasen has seen its influence wane slightly, it continues to reign supreme.

Second is the problem of ‘supply’ in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_and_demand ‘supply & demand’.] The fanatical obsession about ensuring NT retains its monopoly over phoron in the public market never left the corporation so when in the early 25th century research papers were published showing the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploitation_of_natural_resources unsustainability of NanoTrasen’s mining operations] and how the supplies of phoron would likely run out within the next century, the corporation [[Phoron|ruthlessly suppressed them]]. However, by 2462, NanoTrasen was forced to admit they were running out of phoron. Power has since begun to waver as their ability to supply Phoron dwindled, and the Spur officially entered the [[Phoron|“phoron scarcity.”]]

=== Influence ===
<center>''"You need us. We don't need you."'' - An NT executive lobbying a politician.

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NanoTrasen has managed to intrude on all aspects of life, with its apparatus and employees being found in almost every nation-state across the Orion Spur -- primarily thanks to their monopoly on phoron. Since the turn of the century, NanoTrasen has also done small expansions into other industries besides phoron, such as manufacturing, research, and orbital construction. As a corporation though, their focus has largely remained the same; on phoron. The influence their monopoly on the extraction, refining, and sale of the material gives them cannot be overstated. This is the material that the past century of technological innovation and economic growth was built on, and the only supplier on the open market is NanoTrasen. Everyone - outside of [[Elyra]] - relies on NanoTrasen phoron, and purchases it from them; from state-run organizations to their rivals, everyone means everyone.

It is almost impossible not to know what, or who, NanoTrasen is in this day and age. This monopoly on the supply of phoron within the greater Orion Spur has resulted in controversial behaviour, however, with NanoTrasen managing to successfully scheme and insert themselves within positions of power, through either bribery or direct buying-out of politicians that hold authority. The [[Republic of Biesel]] is a good example of these measures, where it is all but said that NanoTrasen controls the administration of the Republic. The only exception to this influence is the [[Solarian Alliance]], [[KOTW|who banned the megacorporation from operating within its territory in 2462]]. However, where once the corporation would have responded incredibly aggressively to such a development, NanoTrasen has taken it in stride, not even interfering with the Alliance’s continued purchasing of phoron through the [[Eridani|Freeport of Eridani]].

Many have taken this as the clearest sign yet that NanoTrasen’s power is not as total as it once was - while the corporation is still potentially the most powerful entity within the Orion Spur - this lack of action against the Alliance has shown that the corporation itself believes it needs to be careful about exercising that power if it wants to retain it. How weak that means the corporation has become is unclear, and will likely remain that way until the house of cards Miranda Trasen sits atop comes tumbling down.

=== Internal Reputation ===
NanoTrasen has managed to secure a variety of different work benefits for its employees, a common reason among many of the reasons for their employment with the megacorporation. These benefits go above and beyond the [[Guide to Wages and Pay|regular salary or wages and include insurance]], flexible work schedules and other things. NanoTrasen further solidifies its increased work benefits through further education and training courses offered by the [[NanoTrasen Academy]], with the only clause being to continue being employed at the megacorporation. Additionally, NanoTrasen also offers subsidised dental care.

==Executives and Branches==

===Executives===
[[File:Trasen_Family.png|The NanoTrasen family.|thumb]]

NanoTrasen is managed by the Chiefs of Staff, who are advised and appointed by the Board of Directors. The Chief Executive Officer, currently Miranda Trasen, has the ultimate authority over the corporation. Trasen herself is also a majority shareholder, making her the wealthiest individual in the galaxy. After the Chiefs of Staff and Board of Directors, power is delegated to Sector Command, composed of the Duty Officers and Central Command Internal Affairs (CCIA) personnel. Sector Command in turn delegates power to individual Station Command personnel.

'''Chief Research Director:''' Rook Keller, b. 2395

Rook Keller is an author of dozens of scientific journals, and a member of the NanoTrasen Upper Command, serving as its Chief Research Director. He was voted into his position after his predecessor was given the vote of no confidence among the Board in 2424. Keller is credited for countless discoveries regarding [[Bluespace]]. His most notable achievement is his equations that saw NanoTrasen enter the orbital construction industry, and eventually led to the establishment of [[Interstellar Travel|Bluespace Gates]] across the Orion Spur. Before his introduction to the NanoTrasen Upper Command, Keller was already famous among the science community for his theories relating to decreased energy consumption in Warpdrives and eventually became the youngest person to receive the Scientific Inquiry Award in twenty-four-twelve at the age of 20. Initially, against Miranda Trasen’s rise to power as Chief Executive Officer of NanoTrasen, Keller has since become ambivalent regarding their position.

'''Chief Legal Director:''' Mori Takachika, b. 2410

Mori Takachika is a member of the NanoTrasen Upper Command and serves as its Chief Legal Director. She ascended into the position shortly after the resignation of her predecessor in 2449 and secured a majority victory in her vote of confidence among the Board. Before her appointment as Chief Legal Director, Takachika enjoyed a brief stint within the Central Command Internal Affairs Agency before eventually being transferred to the NanoTrasen Legal Team. She is regarded as one of the most experienced attorneys throughout the Orion Spur, mostly credited to her shrewd nature and knowledge of interstellar law. Takachika is a fierce supporter of Miranda Trasen and is often seen in the tabloids alongside her.

'''Chief Medical Director:''' Yehtlas Mualt-Quaat, b. 2243

Yehtlas Mualt-Quuat is a member of the NanoTrasen Upper Command and serves as its Chief Medical Director. They were only recently appointed, and became the first Skrell to be appointed within the upper chambers of a human megacorporation across the Orion Spur. Before their appointment as Chief Medical Director, they worked alongside many other Skrell (including Ormish Jrolk) in Tuz'qlip Researchers in perfect cloning. They were also awarded Idol status after accruing fame through poetry revolving around the heinous actions committed by the tyrannical intelligence, Glorsh-Omega. Mualt-Quuat is a major advocate for Miranda Trasen, describing their relationship as that of “Qu’draa” due to the close friendship they share. They also work closely with Zeng-Hu Phramacutical’s Chief Researcher [Name].

[[File:NT!! - Copy.png|The hierarchy of the NanoTrasen Corporation.|thumb]]

===Branches===

Originally establishing themselves on Mars as a small biomedical company, NanoTrasen has since managed to spread themselves across much of the Orion Spur through a combination of hard work, grit, and, primarily, Phoron -- digging a hold into a variety of locations. Whilst there several hundred branch offices, the largest and most well-known are:

'''[[Mendell City]], [[Biesel]], [[Tau Ceti]]:''' Zhengfu District hosts NanoTrasen’s Biesel Branch, which manages and supervises the corporation’s activity within the system. It is a truly massive building, and continues deep underground as well, being the administrative heart of the largest resource extraction operation in the known spur. Despite its somewhat utilitarian purpose, its Art Deco architectural design makes it one of the more captivating buildings within the city. The cap of the skyscraper is used as advertising for the various subsidiaries owned by the corporation, lighting up the Biesellite Nightsky with its neon hues.

'''[[Odin|NTCC Odin]], Biesel Orbit, [[Tau Ceti]]:''' Formerly, the NTCC Odin served as the primary administrative center of NanoTrasen, and its operations across the spur. It has since been taken over by the [[SCC]]. It has several residential, commercial, and industrial blocks and has managed to become one of the most populated orbital facilities within the [[Republic of Biesel]]. Additionally, it houses the Spur's most powerful AI [[Notable Synthetics|Huginn]]. The NTCC Odin was previously the headquarters for the company’s Emergency Response Team, but has not been since the team was folded into the larger [[TCAF|Auxiliary Corporate Forces]] of the [[TCAF]].

'''Olympia, [[Mars]], [[Sol]]:''' The eldest, most grand branch office hosted by NanoTrasen previously existed within the flourishing archology of Olympia before its destruction during the Violet Dawn Operation. It was considered by many to be a representation of the engineering capacity of Martians, even earning the moniker “Martian Marvel”. Its crumbling corpse can still be seen from afar.

'''[[Eridani I]], Epsilon Eridani, [[Eridani Federation|Eridani Corporate Federation]]:''' Whilst not as attractive as the other branches across the Orion Spur, the Eridani Branch is considered one of the most essential to the operations of NanoTrasen, especially considering it oversees all operations within the Eridani Corporate Federation, also known as the Freeport of Eridani. One of the only ways NanoTrasen can still access the Alliance Market, its extreme importance combined with its location has lead to a vault-like appearance in an attempt to deter and even prevent corporate espionage. It's often compared to that of prison by both upper and lower echelons of Eridani.

'''Foy-Niljen, [[Xanu Prime]], [[Coalition of Colonies]]:''' NanoTrasen’s influence within the Coalition of Colonies is largely centered around the Foy-Niljen Branch, a gigantic building that hosts a variety of administrative and residential blocks, with employees working to manage operations on, over three hundred planets within the Coalition of Colonies, in addition to the trade of phoron within the system of Xanu itself.

'''[[Qerr'Malic]], [[Nralakk Federation]]:''' NanoTrasen has managed to gain a more solid foothold within the Nralakk Federation following the deregulation of its economy. Currently, outside of the sale of phoron, NanoTrasen amounts to very little influence within the Nralakk Federation's economy, after having received a defeating blow following the leases for the Special Economic Zones being awarded to other megacorporations. However when taking the sale of phoron into account, NanoTrasen’s influence within the Federation is extremely high, as the Federation requires phoron just as much as the rest of the spur does. Currently, its Qerr'malic branch is the regional headquarters within the Nralakk Federation.

==Subsidiaries==

The subsidiaries of all megacorporations are as endless as their own direct employees, with massive swaths of businesses being occupied or dropped on a daily basis on a galactic scale.
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===Getmore Corporation===
"Get more of Getmore!”

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Mataji Khatri, b. 2414

Getmore Corporation is a major subsidiary of NanoTrasen, often supplying NanoTrasen’s vending machines with their products or helping ship bulk goods for the company. The subsidiary uses the galaxy’s largest local shipping networks to keep its own Hephaestus-built rented superfreighters running, recovering from titanic debt that is rumored to take hundreds of years to recuperate from having rented the freighters in the first place.

The founder of Getmore Corporation, Chip Getmore, is shrouded in rumor and mystery and has long been the focus of media attention.
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====History====
Getmore Corporation was founded by Chip Getmore shortly after the Mars Catastrophe of 2298, focused on producing cheap and accessible food for the masses of the red planet. The company was later acquired by NanoTrasen during the early days of the phoron rush, to supply its massive number of new facilities within the Romanavich Cloud. Getmore's products are among the most famous junk food brands in all of human space, feeding countless hungry children, college students, and employees. In 2456, following first contact with the Zo'ra Hive, the Getmore Corporation was contracted by the Dorn Administration to work with the Vaurca to begin the wide-scale production of K'ois, opening the first factories to produce K'ois bars on Luthien later that year. Since then Zo'ra [[Xakt,_Queen_of_Corpses | Queen Xakt]] has been expanding the Hives relations with the Getmore Corporation into other food production areas, and the opening of the first "all-factories" on Luthien, massive facilities capable of using phoron to produce goods much faster then traditionally sized facilities, has cemented the Vaurca's position as part of Biesel's food chain.

====Influence====
Getmore is a major food supplier throughout the Solarian Alliance and the Republic of Biesel. Many can find Getmore products in grocery stores, vending machines, and fast food restaurants all under the Getmore brand. The company also doubles as a major delivery service, boasting near-galaxy wide coverage and the fastest shipping speeds.

====Major Brands====
The major brands of Getmore Corporation are hugely encompassing and in a perpetual state of disarray. Old brands are dropped as fast as new ones are received very rapidly, supposedly conforming to the predictions outlined by scholars within the company. These scholars claim to cater to the “taste of the galaxy,” quite often in media reports.

The major brands that advertised as “practically everlasting” lay below.

* '''Getmore Nougat Candy Bar:''' A brand of simple nougat bar made with real sugar and no artificial preservatives.
* '''Getmore Cup Ramen:''' A brand of cheap mass-produced ramen that self-heats with 10 mL of water.
* '''Commander Riker’s What-The-Chips:''' A brand of bland, lightly-salted potato chips.
* '''Scaredy’s Private Reserve Beef Jerky:''' A brand of beef jerky made from Getmore’s very own space-raised cows.
* '''K'ois bars:''' A brand of bland Getmore produced K'ois bars, rich in syrup and injected with extra phoron.
* '''Readies:''' A brand of ultra-sweet, caramelised soy milk in a bioprinted shell. Based on [[Reade#Anemonostrovilosi_Culture|Readian Elata]].

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===Hazel! Ltd./Hazel Electromotive===
"Your friend, Hazel!”

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Erich Ludtz, b. 2432

Hazel! Limited in Tau Ceti and Hazel Electromotive in the Solarian Alliance, is the newest subsidiary of Getmore and by extent, NanoTrasen. The company is known for the production and distribution of Hazels, a series of high-end shell IPCs in limited numbers, designed for domestic and service work, as well as managing a wide array of merchandise regarding them, from hardware and software to clothes.

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[[File:Hazelltd.png|350px|thumb|The Hazel! Ltd logo.]]
====History====
Founded by Klara Seidel in 2410 in Earth, Sol, the company produced basic robotic apparatus and assistants for household chores. Upon relative success and the establishment of a branch in Harmony City, Luna, the company expanded into IPC production, creating the first Hazel in 2448 and the first synthskin covered Hazel in 2450, becoming a pioneer in shell frame IPC development and marketing. The opening of the Tau Ceti branch in 2460 marked the peak of their success, soon to be curtailed by the Phoron crisis, ending in their acquisition by Getmore to avoid financial ruin. While a subsidiary, the company is allowed a large degree of freedom and communication between the Sol and Tau Ceti branches. As a result, their internal structures and business practices are largely left intact.

====Major Brands====
* Hazel
Hazel is the main product and focal point of the corporation. Released in series, these shellframe IPCs are designed for work in the service and domestic sector. Found in high end hotels, company headquarters, bars and private households, they are released in series and are marketed in Tau Ceti and the Sol core worlds. Their relatively few numbers, the fact that they all share the same face, female appearance and hazel coloured eyes make them distinguishable as a sought out and sometimes collectable item. Custom builds are also offered in order to suit a client’s specifications, though such units are few and far between, owing to their extremely high cost.

'''Series'''

Hazels are released in series, with newer series supposedly sporting more advanced features in both hardware and software. While tangible improvements were made for the oldest lines, the company has been accused by critics for making no tangible changes apart from cosmetic alterations. The company releases a new series every year, Series 4 launched in 2453 with advancements in Synthskin technology and adaptive task completion. The vast majority are built in Hephaestus factories in Sol space prior to being shipped for software and synthskin installation in Tau Ceti, a cost saving process that permits the products to be labeled as “Made in Tau Ceti”. '''Hazels follow a certain naming convention, provided their names have not been changed by their owners or themselves "Hazel #S-H(series number).(unit number)". An example of this formatting is Hazel #S-H1.01'''

While Hazels of the same series possess largely similar specifications, it is not unheard of for units to differ in regards to their given service skillset, language chips and character. More advanced software in the newest series has enhanced the units’ adaptability, allowing for the organic development of unique personalities if left unchecked.

'''Playing a Hazel'''

You can find the guide for creating an on-brand Hazel IPC [[IPC#Hazel_-_Shell_Frame_-_Hazel!_Ltd| here.]]

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===Ingi Usang Entertainment Company===
"Our stars are bigger than real stars!”

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Minjung Romero, b. 2413

Ingi Usang Entertainment Co., abbreviated InUs, is a major subsidiary of NanoTrasen, handling the production, editing, and distribution of holovid shows, music, and other art mediums. The company is known for its increasingly comical upper-level decisions, currently driving itself into the ground - and its prices sky-high. As time went on, InUs products became more and more valued and since its stabilization in 2452, became the standard for gaudy fashion.
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====History====
Founded by Songmin Sang in 2214, Ingi Usang Entertainment Company remained a fairly minor corporation until being bought out by NanoTrasen in 2340 for “strategic marketing”. Though InUs fared better, it was not until 2397 when Binyaria, a Venusian aerostat, opened the Chiye-Gyo District to corporate investment. Between the untapped Venusian entertainment industry and cutthroat corporate war with BP Entertainment Inc., InUs flourished by debuting musical groups that quickly became insanely popular. In 2438, the company moved its headquarters to the Chiye-Gyo District.

====Major Brands====
InUs possesses four major entertainment brands run by mostly independent subsidiaries, as well as dozens of clothing labels strewn across the company’s jurisdiction.

* '''Cham Usang Records:''' Record label with numerous bands and solo artists called Chamus.

* '''True Lifestyle:''' A holovid network focusing on life throughout the Sol Alliance with shows like Real Time Security, One Love For Many, The Solarian Culture, and Living Big: The Lives of the Famous.

* '''ETX Network:''' A holovid network focusing on series shows occasionally broken up by Cham Usang Records material with shows like Love Me Right, Dark Days Ahead, No Names, and Chamu Hour with Sunmi.

* '''Cuentas?:''' A holovid network focusing on news and celebrity gossip with shows like The Day with Njeru and Susanto, That Good Stuff, The Spotlight, and The Orion Network.
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===[[PMCG#Nexus_Corporate_Security|Nexus Corporate Security]]===
"Serve, protect, excel."

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' [[The Trasens#Nathan_Trasen|Nathan Trasen]], b. 2416

Nexus Corporate Security is a relatively new subsidiary of the Phoron Giant, created around the turn of the century and composed of what was formerly NanoTrasen’s security and asset protection forces.. While still owned by NanoTrasen, recently a share of the company is held by the [[Private Military Contracting Group]], and contractors are listed as both NanoTrasen and PMCG employees. They are known for their distinct black, white, and blue uniforms.
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====History====
By the time the 2400s rolled around, NanoTrasen’s security and asset protection department had grown to be massive, as the importance and value of phoron meant that every facility, from mines to shipping freighters, needed higher levels of security than would otherwise be expected. It was so large, it had begun being an administrative burden to the corporation.

The decision was made to take that department and turn it into a subsidiary corporation of NanoTrasen. The result was, in 2402, the foundation of Nexus Corporate Security. Composed mostly of previous NanoTrasen security staff, the subsidiary allowed NanoTrasen to protect its assets as they always had without the administrative burden of doing so. As such, NanoTrasen themselves has a very small security and asset protection department, with only certain installations, such as the Aurora II, playing host to NanoTrasen proper security officers. By the creation of the PMCG, all of NanoTrasen’s security apparatus had been folded into Nexus or the SCC.
====Major Brands====
* '''Rapid Trauma Response Teams:''' In partnership with [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]], Nexus now offers private emergency medicine for the wealthy of [[Tau Ceti]], and there are plans to expand the trauma teams to [[Port Antillia]]. The initiative aims to revolutionize the field of emergency medicine through round-the-clock observation and providing medical services to those that manage to afford its extreme cost when necessary.
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== Corporate Relations ==
===[[Einstein Engines]]===
NanoTrasen and Einstein have been rivals for decades, since the discovery of bluespace in the 2400s, and the subsequent invention of the bluespace drive, NanoTrasen’s first foray since the discovery of phoron into a market that was not phoron extraction and refining. As bluespace largely superseded warp as a means of faster-than-light travel, NanoTrasen quickly took a large share of the market from Einstein rapidly, along with their own internal supply of phoron allowing them to be far more energy efficient. Since then, the two companies have been fierce competitors, contending in court constantly over various trademarks, patents, and other legal issues. The phoron scarcity beginning in 2462 has led to a short term reversal of fortunes, with Einstein rising in prominence as NanoTrasen's power fades. The two corporations continue to clash to this day, with Einstein having found a foothold in the city of Phoenixport, Biesel - setting up shop in the heart of NanoTrasen's power. Though, for all that, NanoTrasen still holds the clear advantage, being the primary source of phoron for the entire spur. Whether Einstein likes it or not, FTL drives aren’t the main moneymaker for NanoTrasen, and any FTL drive of contemporary technological level needs phoron to function. Despite all the research they’ve put in over the last century, Einstein has only managed to decrease the amount of phoron required for an effective drive to be built - though it must be said not needing fluidic phoron as fuel is very useful - not remove it entirely.

===[[Hephaestus Industries]]===
Hephaestus and NanoTrasen have had a long and very profitable relationship ever since NanoTrasen discovered phoron, and Hephaestus provided their services to the up and coming corporation at a discount. The money lost by that discount has been made back a hundredfold in the last century, as NanoTrasen has offered Hephaestus continuous discounts on elemental phoron for use in manufacturing, and entered into multiple research agreements with the corporation to find new applications.

That said, while on the surface their relationship remains strong, behind the scenes they grow more tense. As the phoron scarcity continues and NanoTrasen's power wanes, Hephaestus has taken full advantage of their decline with little hesitation. The formation of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate saw Hephaestus greatly expand its presence in the Republic of Biesel, taking near-complete control of shipping on the moon of Valkyrie and moving its central headquarters to Mendell City, weakening NanoTrasen’s previous near-total monopoly over the nation. More alarming for NanoTrasen executives was [[The Titan Rises Arc|Hephaestus's expansion in the Izweski Hegemony]] - seizing a near-total monopoly of the kind NanoTrasen once held in Biesel - which [[Unathi Crime And Enforcement#The Champions of Moghes|NanoTrasen haven’t taken kindly]].

===[[Idris Incorporated]]===
NanoTrasen and Idris have never been fierce rivals, though Idris's continued prominence in Sol and its expansion into Biesel has led to tension between the two megacorporations. As Idris expanded its banking operations into NanoTrasen's center of power, NanoTrasen attempted to hold onto their banking business in Tau Ceti, incentivizing its employees to only make use of NanoTrasen banking instead - despite the many advantages that Idris held as a competitor. So far, Idris has been gradually expanding its presence in the Republic's financial sector, with many NanoTrasen employees switching to the use of Idris banks despite their employer's wishes. Idris has begun offering hiring bonuses to NanoTrasen employees in an effort to further weaken their power over Biesel's financial sector, as well as establishing branches in many of the former Solarian worlds of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, where NanoTrasen holds much less direct influence. Though NanoTrasen has issued little official response to this, Idris transport vessels seem to commonly come under attack by pirates in the Reconstruction Zone, with many speculating the phoron giant is attempting to undermine confidence in Idris's renowned security.

===[[Orion Express]]===
NanoTrasen contributed the most resources to Orion Express's formation, and many of its executives are former NanoTrasen staff. As such, the relationship between the two companies has remained warm, with Orion taking over many NanoTrasen-held supply contracts across the Spur. Orion's continued operation in the Sol Alliance, and the fact that they continue to deal with Einstein Engines, has been a source of tension between the two megacorporations in recent years - but in spite of this, NanoTrasen and Orion continue to work together extensively across the Orion Spur. Though Orion's service industry has become a competitor to NanoTrasen's, this remains a small enough portion of both companies' business that it has not been a source of stress on the close relationship the two megacorporations share.

===[[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]===
Zavodskoi and NanoTrasen maintain a decent relationship, with little open conflict between the two corporations. Since the beginning of the phoron scarcity, however, Zavodskoi has taken full advantage of NanoTrasen's waning power in the Republic of Biesel, expanding its arms industry into the Republic. Since the formation of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces and the negotiation of several new supply contracts with Biesel's government, Zavodskoi has managed to take a great deal of business from NanoTrasen - seizing NT's position as the Republic's main weapons supplier. Though NanoTrasen still holds onto their original contract for the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, the Minutemen and Republican Fleet are both almost entirely outfitted with Zavodskoi-made weapons, armor, and voidsuits. NanoTrasen has attempted to counteract this influence through the recent appointment of Nathan Trasen as Secretary of Defense - but even with a Trasen in such a prestigious position, Zavodskoi has still managed to secure a solid grasp on the Republic's military industry. NanoTrasen has increased funding to Nexus Corporate Security several times in an effort to use their newly-formed PMC to undermine Zavodskoi's security business in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, with some measure of success.

===[[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]===
The relationship between NanoTrasen and Zeng-Hu is a cornerstone of the keiretsu's continued success, thanks to the former only licensing the patents to produce organic phoron and its associated medications to the latter. While there have been rocky patches in their relationship they remain close partners, with Zeng-Hu being one of NanoTrasen's closest allies within the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate.

It is rumored by some that the keiretsu wish for control over the patents they have gotten so rich off of, instead of needing to rely on NanoTrasen.

== National Relations ==
=== [[PRA|People’s Republic of Adhomai]] ===
NanoTrasen has played an important role in Adhomai since its discovery; through the support of the rebels, supplying the People’s Republic with technology, and offering job opportunities to the population. The PRA is NanoTrasen’s biggest ally on the planet, with much of its economy bound to the megacorp. Corporate interests are mainly focused on obtaining cheap labor and mining Adhomai’s rich mineral deposits. Despite the prosperity brought by this relationship, many Tajara are against the megacorporation’s interference in the affairs of the Tajara people. Alongside the political crises, NanoTrasen’s presence was one of the main reasons for the Second Revolution. Even after the Armistice, the People’s Republic continues its policy of maintaining a strong relationship with the corporation. Tajara working for NanoTrasen usually have more opportunities than with other employers.

=== [[Republic of Biesel]] ===
NanoTrasen holds an undisputed monopoly over the Republic of Biesel’s phoron reserves, and all newly staked deposits found under Biesellite banners. Inarguably, the outcome of this has yielded positive results; now, the Republic sits on the largest wealth the galaxy has ever known. Needless to say, previously their power within the Republic was total and without contest. While their power within the Republic is still almost total, and cracks are starting to show in what was previously an unassailable bastion. The significance of the shift from total to almost total power within the Republic can be best seen in the most recent election, where, despite having a web of influence, the [[Republic of Biesel|megacorporation’s favoured candidate, Joseph Dorn, lost to the Independent Ake Torvald]]. Despite the fact Torvald still had to bend the knee to Miranda to secure his victory, it shows how much the word “almost” means in terms of the company’s weakening stranglehold.

=== [[Ceres Lance|Ceres' Lance]] ===
Ceres Lance, an PMC dedicated to repossess, reclaim or in the worst case exterminate lost synthetics to further the agenda of their highest bidder. While previously based in Sol space (which is where they get their name), they have since recently moved within Tau Ceti, under NanoTrasen’s remit; following the brief war between Sol and TC, and the subsequent reveal of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. The Lance has since seen further entrenchment into the NanoTrasen umbrella as they operate exclusively under NT contracts, migrating their headquarters to the Odin. As Ceres Lance is a private military contractor, this relationship is purely professional, and NanoTrasen continues to keep them around for their unique skill set. It’s yet to be seen if the Lance will find themselves signing a more formal and permanent work agreement with the megacorporation.

=== [[Solarian Alliance|Alliance of Sovereign Solarian Nations]] ===
NanoTrasen’s relationship with the Solarian Alliance is officially non-existent, after having been banned from operating within the confines of the nation’s territory after 2462. The bond between the two had always been strained at best, especially after the megacorporation’s funding of the Republic of Biesel’s declaration of independence in 2452. NanoTrasen’s continued protection of the fledgling republic garnered them little sympathy from Solarians in positions of power, especially during the reign of the [[Notable Humans|fascistic Michael Frost]], even further dividing their relationship. Their unofficial relationship, however, is much more complex. Though they are [[KOTW|banned from operating in Alliance space]], the Alliance still needs phoron only NanoTrasen offers now, with the establishment of the [[CRZ]] so they turn to the [[Eridani|Freeport of Eridani]] operating in a special jurisdiction and outside of the rest of the Alliance. NanoTrasen has shown no sign of trying to stop this trade, a stark contrast to the vengeful reaction many expected of it.

== Notable Installations ==

===NSS Upsilon===
Despite the NSS Upsilon being commissioned in the late 2450s, it has become a prominent member of the NanoTrasen research department. It overshadowed the efforts of NSS Aurora when it was introduced - causing a rivalry to flourish. The proximity of the NSS Upsilon and NSS Aurora to the NTCC Odin has caused tension among those assigned to the corporate assets. NanoTrasen has seized the opportunity to capitalize on this rivalry, going as far as to put them into competition in projects.

=== NSS Canis Minor ===
The NSS Canis Minor is notable for its importance to NanoTrasen’s relationship with Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and is one of the larger corporate facilities within the Republic of Biesel. The NSS Canis Minor - originally established in 2374 - is accredited to being behind the majority of NanoTrasen’s and Zeng-Hu’s research breakthroughs in phoronics based medicines, which has resulted in its prestige among scholars. Since its establishment as a research station, it has been expanded to be a university as well, and it has incredibly high expectations of its pupils, as well as those that apply to attend either its research or medical training courses. Due to these high expectations the NSS Canis Minor has the largest number of drop-outs of any NanoTrasen sponsored university, with many referring to it as being incredibly difficult on their mental health.

=== NSS Orchard Moon ===
The NSS Orchard Moon is a phoron extraction plant that also plays host to several refineries for creating [[phoron|phoronic compounds]]. The station is situated on the border of the [[Republic of Biesel]] and the [[Republic of Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]] within Valley Hale. The deposit was discovered to much fanfare in the midsts of the scarcity, and though it is not big enough to totally reverse the Phoron Scarcity, for the past several years it has been enough to keep the worst consequences of the resource shortage at bay - though it seems that time is quickly coming to an end..

The station was attacked by the [[Human Wildlands|Southern Fleet Administration]] in 246x. The piratical organisation hoped to destroy the asteroid with siphoned weapons grade phoron - a fate that was ultimately averted by the [[SCCV Horizon]] and several other corporate vessels called to [[Consequences of the Future|defend the facility]].

As of 2465, its output is no longer enough to make up for the continuously falling output of the Romanavich Cloud.

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{{Navbox Lore}}

The Trasens

2026-07-28T14:44:13Z

Kermit: luka death locatio

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}
[[File:Trasen Family.png|thumb|'''The Trasen family tree.'''<br>Blue accents indicate active/expected participation in NanoTrasen Corporation.]]
<center>''"We're Trasens. We don't give up. That's why I did what I did, I founded the biggest, wealthiest corporation in the history of this little area of the galaxy, despite everything. I did it by myself, I did it all by myself."'' - Xavier Trasen (2321 - 2402), in his autobiographical holobook.</center>

The Trasen family is arguably the most influential family to have ever existed within the Orion Spur. Originating from [[Mars]] and being able to trace their lineage to its initial colonisation, the family’s rise in power began with the foundation of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] in 2342 by Xavier Trasen. Since its foundation, the family headed by Xavier would retain a majority share in the company, and each groundbreaking medical or genetic innovation would see their pockets lined a little more. Come the discovery of [[phoron]] in 2352, the megacorporation would quickly establish its early monopoly on the rare element and begin entwining its tendrils into the [[Republic of Biesel]]. Their company’s monopoly on this element saw a meteoric rise in their worth, overtaking the Idris family in mere years after its discovery — something the Idris family haven’t quite forgiven. Since Xavier Trasen’s passing, Miranda Trasen has taken the reins as the family’s head and control of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. Despite setbacks caused by the Phoron Scarcity and other recent Spur events, the Trasen family continues to be one of the most dominant forces of the Spur.

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== Family Members ==
=== Leonardo Trasen ===
'''Born: October 5th, 2288 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: June 28th, 2386 ([[Mars]])'''

Xavier’s father and Miranda’s grandfather, Leonardo Trasen is largely considered the “beginning” of the Trasen family as it is known.

Born in the waning years of Solarian Hegemony and in the aftermath of the [[Mars#The_Martian_World_War_(2278_-_2284)|Martian World War]] in Olympia, Leonardo was a man of low prospects and even lower hopes. Although this children would go on to greatly exaggerate his humble beginnings (most famously in the 2407 biography '''Leon - A Trasen Story'''), the real Leonardo Trasen was burdened with an unsupportive family, a turbulent upbringing in a deprived neighbourhood, and a dubiously-reported substance abuse problem.

Contrary to his anti-Solarian fellows on [[Mars]], Leonardo was a firm believer in one Alliance for all of humanity, having lionised the [[Timeline_of_Humanity#The_Great_Interstellar_War|Interstellar War]]. As such, with the help of a distant [[Luna|Lunan]] relative and saving up money from an early freighting job, he would attend the prestigious Solarian Naval Academy and attempt to integrate himself within the Lunan core of the [[Solarian_Armed_Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Navy]], commissioning as an officer at the age of 26. He would slowly but surely climb the ranks of the navy, spending much of his career hunting pirates exploiting the distant reaches of the Alliance post-Interstellar War. He would retire as a Rear Admiral — a position of incredible distinction for a Martian of low birth — in 2360 and in good standing, due to physical difficulties brought on by ageing, even despite reaping the benefits of his first son’s successes with NanoTrasen. Some sources (including the aforementioned biography) claim he may have had the ability to climb even higher if not for physical setbacks and were it not for the Navy’s penchant for Luna-born-and-raised officers; others have said that the only reason he gained and maintained his title was his connections to various members of Navy high command (both from his distant Lunan relative, and then those made via NanoTrasen).

He would sire his first son, Xavier, with an Olympia-born childhood friend named Luisa Marcello, however the marriage would not last. Not long after his promotion to Rear Admiral, he would unceremoniously divorce and then re-marry to a 28-year-old, military clark Sascha Konig — less than half his age — who he had met in his military duties, who together would have Francis Trasen. Both sons never had much positive to say regarding their father — and said very little when he did come up in interviews — and it is said they frequently competed for his attention and favour, when he was too into his work in the military.

=== Xavier Trasen ===
'''Born: May 5th, 2321 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: December 1st, 2402 ([[Biesel]])'''

One of the most influential beings in the entirety of the Orion Spur’s history, Xavier Trasen has shaped the progression of humanity (alongside other species) with his formation of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. Born to a rather high-ranking naval officer within the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]], Xavier was expected to fall into line and enlist, following in his father’s footsteps. However, Xavier instead ventured into genetic engineering, securing himself a Bachelor’s Degree in Genetic Modification at [[Mars University]]. Though self-claiming to have been his class’ cum laude in his holobook released by Ingi Usang Entertainment Company, investigative journalists could find no evidence suggesting his claim had any truth to it, despite NanoTrasen maintaining his supposed accomplishment.

At the age of 21, Xavier went on to found NanoTrasen as a genetics research company, having received funding for its establishment through dubious origins, which is attributed by many critics of the man’s success to having been funnelled blood money from his father’s alleged corruption. Its early years would see the company struggle to compete with the well-established megacorporation [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]], with the biomedical giant poaching many of Xavier’s more senior personnel — including a fellow classmate who had initially promised to help the Trasen with his corporate endeavours — and employing various bullying tactics small companies are all too aware of in the megacorporate-dominated Spur. Xavier Trasen and NanoTrasen would persevere though, growing large enough it too could become a predator, and it would acquire various smaller biomedical companies it saw as competitors, until it formed a regional monopoly on [[Mars]], becoming a household name on the planet. Xavier would see NanoTrasen Corporation go on to become a megacorporation — albeit a small one, often picked on by the more venerable giants — then see it into its golden age following the discovery of phoron, establishing its monopoly and cultivating the phoron company as it is known today.

None of this came as a surprise to anyone that had known Xavier, recalling the man as a shrewd, brutal negotiator with a brilliant mind for the sciences. Even before his corporation’s monopoly on phoron, Xavier had managed a measure of influence over the direction of the Orion Spur, quickly being able to go toe-to-toe with the megacorporations that have stood for centuries. At the time, media across the Spur hailed this as a miracle.

Xavier Trasen would meet his to-be wife, Xiao Jie, on a business trip in the 2340s while attempting to spread NanoTrasen Corporation’s influence beyond Mars. They would begin a long friendship and Jie would go on to join NanoTrasen Corporation, and would eventually marry in 2351. They would have one child in 2372, Luka Trasen, who would only cause problems for the Trasens in the media due to his unfortunate struggles with drugs, but would also go on to father Miranda Trasen. After his tragic loss of life in a traffic accident, Miranda would fall under the wings of Xavier and Jie. Following Nita’s death in 2409, the couple would also find themselves raising Nathan and Darius.

He would maintain his title as the richest man in the Orion Spur until his death in 2402, with Miranda inheriting much of his fortune and overnight becoming the richest woman in the Orion Spur. Though he and Xiao had remained married until his death, allegations circled viciously that there had been marital problems since the death of Nita — be it the struggles of having to raise three adoptive children or the sinister rumours of the true cause of Nita’s death.

=== Luka Trasen ===
'''Born: August 2nd, 2372 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: June 23rd, 2403 ([[Venus]])'''

Born to Xavier Trasen in the middle of his and NanoTrasen’s meteoric rise, Luka had great expectations levied upon him from the beginning, being viewed as the heir to the family. Unfortunately, in his early adulthood, what was turning out to be a model heir fell into disrepute, and would die at a young age to drug complications resulting in a traffic collision. The death would sit as a mere tragedy for most — or even comeuppance for his father’s wrongs, in the eyes of some — but, after Xavier Trasen’s death, those close to Luka would lay the blame on his father, whose sculpting hand and the pressure applied to Luka saw him collapse and spiral.

In his early life, Luka had a flawless education and a healthy media personality enhanced by his dashing looks, and received much fan-fair as the Trasen heir and as the Spurley’s cultural magazine’s Most Handsome Man. However, during the 2390s, while gunning for his degrees in Business, he would find himself in various trouble — drunken photos outside of clubs in Venus’; publicised flings and break ups with various stars and fellow students; and awkward interviews he bumbled his way through. The media at the time ignored much of this at first, not wanting to gain the ire of Xavier, but eventually it became the norm, and tabloids would often keep track of the days between scandals or days clean from illicit substances. This, alongside the doubtless scorn from his father as a result, only set the young man up for failure.

At the turn of the century, all would seem to improve with Luka. Holding a stable job at NanoTrasen Corporation at the Mars HQ as a regional director and married to a husband — Philip Trasen — of 3 years, he was often seen in private and publicly in good spirits. In a spree of interviews in the early 2400s, he often praised his husband for being a wake up call that inspired him to better his own personal health. In 2401, Luka and his partner conceived a child in-vitro with a little assistance from a NanoTrasen Clinic — Miranda would be born.

In 2403, Luka would once again make the headlines, although this time with his passing while on a holiday to [[Venus|Binyaria]] in a fatal traffic collision that killed both him and his partner. Police reports found multiple drugs, particularly cocaine, in both of their systems, and it is believed fatal heart complications saw Luka lose control of the vehicle, colliding with a road barrier. Orphaned overnight, this would see Miranda adopted by her grandparents and, though not initially told the truth of the incident, when she did learn of it, it is said to have severely tarnished her opinion of her grandfather, who she has often criticised for the pressure he placed on both her and her father before her, and how she wishes to avoid doing the same to the younger Trasens of today.

=== Miranda Trasen ===
'''Born: March 25th, 2401 ([[Biesel]])'''
[[File:MirandaTrasen.png|thumb|250px|Miranda Trasen, the most influential person in the Orion Spur.]]

Miranda Trasen inherited her grandfather’s fortune and position in 2402, overnight becoming the most wealthy and powerful woman in the Spur. Today, she sits as the Acting Director of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and maintains her position as the Chief Executive Officer of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. From these positions, she alone holds the most power over the Spur’s phoron market and industries — able to bend all those in need of the element to her will — via NanoTrasen and, via the Conglomerate, significant influence over the constituent megacorporations forming the corporate cartel.

Prior to her taking of the throne, Miranda had already begun following in her grandfather’s footsteps, excelling in academics. By the time she was 18, she had already graduated with a Bachelors in Xenogenetics and, by 21, a Masters in Economics & Business Strategy — both from the [[Human_Educational_Institutions#NanoTrasen_Academy|NanoTrasen High Academy]] on the [[Odin|SCC-CC Odin]].

As a result of her two fathers’ deaths at age 3, she would be raised by her grandparents, alongside her cousins who were similarly taken under her grandparents’ wings following the death of Nita Trasen when she was 8. As such, she is close to both of her cousins — Nathan and Darius — who she views as younger siblings. She is also very close to their children, captured to this day by the paparazzi on social outings with them, attending school and university functions, and being in the audience of many of Melissa’s earlier modelling shows with [[Idris Incorporated]]. Though many speculate about the ageing woman’s desire for children, comments made behind her back by her associates have been vague and confusing, claiming she wants to avoid the heir-obsession which plagued her grandfather, to an inability to conceive, to viewing her cousin’s children as ‘close enough’ to her own — Miranda has been utterly silent on the issue, and condemns those who speculate about such personal matters.

Though she is remarkably similar in appearance to her mother, Miranda has inherited many of the characteristics that made her grandfather one of the most powerful men of his time: a shrewd sense for business and a phenomenal mind for the sciences. Much of this is believed to be intentional, with Xavier having a strong guiding hand during Miranda’s formative years, and with her receiving various NanoTrasen genetic and biological augmentations — cosmetic and functional — during her younger years. When asked about such in interviews, though she criticises her grandfather's intent, she is a strong advocate for biological transhumanism, and is open about continuing to receive biological and genetic augments. Despite the rocky relations between NanoTrasen Corporation and [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]], Miranda maintains a friendship with Zeng-Hu's CEO, [[Notable_Megacorporate_Figures#Liqin_Hsiao-Li|Liqin Hsiao-Li]] due to their shared interests in transhumanism.

Miranda maintains a graceful composure and pleasant outward disposition, hiding behind her elegant facade when she cuts with tactful words. Behind closed doors however, she is a cutthroat executive who sees herself as having no peers, merely subordinates. It is an attitude that has caused tension with the other megacorporate CEOs and even other high-level NanoTrasen staff, however no one is brave enough to stand against her.

Though not Martian-born, Miranda has repeatedly stated that her family observes Martian customs and traditions – and that the [[Mars#The_Violet_Dawn_Explosion_(2462)|Violet Dawn Disaster]] was the singular, most disastrous incident to occur throughout the Orion Spur; both in regards to the lives lost, and the economic losses sustained as a result of the incident. She also admitted feeling sorrowful as she will likely never be able to return to her familial home, believing it was incinerated when Olympia was engulfed by the massive firestorm. Since Violet Dawn, she has appeared somewhat withdrawn from the public spotlight, but this also comes alongside her promotion to Acting Director of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]. She has often compared the latter tragedy to NanoTrasen’s removal from Solarian space, and that being uprooted from her homeland, while tragic, simply meant she was able to find a new one in [[Tau Ceti]].

=== Francis Trasen ===
'''Born: September 1st, 2323 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: October, 16th, 2394 ([[Mars]])'''

Known only as the lesser brother of Xavier Trasen, Francis had little to do with the greater family or [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. Unlike Xavier, Francis did follow after his father’s footsteps, and would instead have a life-long career with the [[Solarian_Armed_Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Alliance Navy]], commissioning as an officer in 2344 with some difficulty, failing his first attempt at the officer’s aptitude exam. Though Francis would never surpass his father’s rank of Rear Admiral — at his death, he was a Captain — he appeared content in the infrequent interviews he was subject to, and the fervour at which Xavier seemed to compete with Francis, some surmise that he was the favourite child despite his brother’s far more significant successes.

Francis would pass away in 2392 at the age of 72 to an undisclosed heart problem. For a man of a family of such status, this was seen as unusual, for both the medical advancements and wealth to make use of such were there for him to exploit. He was survived by his daughter, Nita Trasen, and would be fortunate enough to not witness the various tragedies that befell the Trasen family in the decades after his death.

=== Nita Trasen ===
'''Born: May 19th, 2371 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: July 12th, 2409 ([[Valkyrie]])'''

Nita Trasen established her own reputation within the Spur, going significant lengths to distance herself from her family name and the megacorporation tied to it, much like her father did — she journeyed across the stars to make a name for herself within the [[Coalition of Colonies]]. She became a renowned singer during her youth, earning the nickname ‘’The Martian’’, with some of her albums even competing among the charts against both [[Venus]]’ and [[Skrell_Cinematography#Idols|Nralakk]]’s idols. It was during the height of her career that Nita spoke out against megacorporations, most notably her uncle’s now expansive megacorporation that had begun to spread beyond Mars. Her condemnation and accusations levied against Xavier in regards to his ruthless personality and his damaging raising of Luka caused a permanent divide between her and the family, and she was said to have gone no-contact with all but her father until her untimely death in 2409. Regarded by many as a poor stroke of luck but now the root of many conspiracy theories, Nita and her lifelong partner, Darshan Ram, both lost their lives in orbit of [[Valkyrie]], attributed to a malfunctioning heat sink on a shuttle they had taken to ferry themselves to Biesel that slowly saw their shuttle’s internal compartments heat to lethal temperatures. Only four years prior to her death, she had welcomed twin sons into her life — Darius and Nathan — who were then adopted and raised alongside their cousin, Miranda Trasen.

=== Nathan Trasen ===
'''Born: July 18th, 2405 ([[Xanu Prime]])'''

One of Nita’s twins, Nathan was young when his parents passed. Being only four years old, Nathan and his brother Darius were uprooted from their lives, adopted by their great—uncle and aunt and raised alongside Miranda. It wasn’t easy for the young boy to adapt, and during his formative years was often teased by his peers, quickly beginning to despise the limelight placed on him due to his familial lineage – both from his mother as a notable singer, but also his granduncle’s fame as Chief Executive Officer of [[NanoTrasen]]. Though his life was rather busy, Nathan was suddenly given entry into the [[Human_Educational_Institutions#APEX_Military_Academy|APEX Military Academy]] – where he underwent several years of training, developing connections and relationships with the [[Private Military Contracting Group|Eridani Private Military Contracting Companies]], and even [[Idris Incorporated]]. Shortly after graduating from the Joint Military Academies, Nathan found employment within his uncle’s megacorporation, completing his cadetship aboard the NSS Baldr, an asset within the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]] responsible for communication between NanoTrasen’s facilities.

Nathan went on to become the Chief Security Director of the entirety of [[NanoTrasen]], appointed by his cousin Miranda after becoming the Chief Executive Officer. He became instrumental in the reformation of the megacorporation’s security forces, who were often viewed as beneath competitors such as the [[Private Military Contracting Group|Eridani Private Military Company]] and [[Idris Incorporated]] – despite this, he maintained an amiable relationship with his connections, most notably [[Notable Megacorporate Figures|Alex Mason]]. Though it is unknown how the two met, Alex Mason and Nathan Trasen have maintained a private friendship since the latter’s days back in the Joint Military Academies. The two’s similar personalities in public, being somewhat reserved and sullen, are likely what brought the two together – as well as their shared experience of being groomed by their respective corporate dynasties.

He wed Eva Tsukiko – an eccentric woman from [[Konyang]] – in 2440, welcoming his daughter Melissa three years later, and then a son in 2447. Some controversy was had over her keeping her maiden name. Nathan and Eva have rarely been seen together since his wife’s move back to Konyang to look after her mother, who has seen a rapid health decline since early 2464. Regardless, the couple is said to be privately communicating without the prying eyes of the public, despite allegations by tabloids that they’re separating from one another.

=== Melissa Trasen ===
'''Born: October 14th, 2443 ([[Biesel]])'''

From the newer generations of Trasens, Melissa made a name for herself by modelling for well-known fashion conglomerates such as [[Idris Incorporated|Cashien Jewellers and Le Soliel Royal]]. By the end of her modelling career, Melissa was modelling high-end prosthetics after an elective surgery that replaced her left hand, courtesy of [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals|Bishop Cybernetics]] — she is known to share her cousin's transhumanistic streak, although where Miranda is into bioaugmentations, Melissa appears to be interested in the cybernetic side.

After departing her modelling career, Melissa went on to join her family in moulding the future of the Orion Spur by managing the '''[[The_Trasens#Trasen Development Benefit|Trasen Development Benefit]]''' - a charity organisation that aims to assist the poor and downtrodden within the [[Republic of Biesel]] and abroad, operating closely with the [[Interstellar Aid Corps]]. Despite her short time in philanthropy, Melissa’s charitable actions have proven to be a boon for [[Nanotrasen Corporation|NanoTrasen’s]] PR.

Although a considerably younger member of the Trasen family, she is considered a close confidant and advisor to Miranda – who often recalls in interviews that she sees Melissa as a daughter.

=== Marcus Trasen ===
[[File:NanotrasenEPC.png|thumb|150px|The logo of the NanoTrasen Environmental Protection Charity.]]
'''Born: 21st June, 2447 ([[Biesel]])'''

Marcus has maintained a distance from the public eye – mostly at the request of both Miranda and Nathan Trasen, wishing to protect the younger Trasens from the predatory media. However, since his introduction to the public following his eighteenth birthday, Marcus has become somewhat of a public figure among the youth. Similarly to his sister, Marcus has become an advocate for the less fortunate, but with a particular focus on animals as opposed to people. Touring the newly incorporated [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], Marcus has been seen ensuring that ecological damage has been kept to a minimum – something supported by his cousin, Miranda. He has recently been given leadership of the '''[[The_Trasens#Trasen Environmental Protection Charity|Trasen Environmental Protection Charity]]'''. Marcus recently graduated from the NanoTrasen High Academy studying a combined Environmental Sciences and Terraforming Engineering bachelors, and is now studying for a Masters in Sustainability, Enterprise and Environment. He has announced plans to pursue a career in NanoTrasen, ensuring the megacorporation does its part in protecting the various ecologies of the planets that they have facilities across.

=== Darius Trasen ===
'''Born: July 18th, 2405 ([[Xanu Prime]])'''

The lesser known twin of Nita who, alongside Nathan, was adopted from a young age. Much like Nathan, he struggled in his early years, relentlessly being teased and struggling with the public's attention. Darius would fall behind in school as a result, and a promising future was looking unlikely. Whereas Nathan was afforded the opportunity to step up game at the APEX Academy, Darius coasts through life as a privileged socialite and philanthropist, living off of or generously donating inherited wealth, partying without second thoughts, travelling around the Spur, and only occasionally appearing alongside a family member at a Trasen family event. He occasionally appears in lacklustre cameos in movies, modelling shoots, and other media, however lacks the talent or training to portray anything more than his natural self. As a result of this, Darius has a reputation for being one of the more chill, laid back and cool members of the Trasen family, and is largely removed from [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] due to his lack of drive or utility to contribute to the megacorporation. There is a measure of resentment from the other Trasens over Darius' base lifestyle and reluctance to further the Trasen's interests but, Miranda unwilling to repeat mistakes made by her grandfather, he appears to be left to his own whims.

Darius has avoided much of the scandals that would come with his life, be it a result of him being more careful or the Trasen family able to afford the immense bribes needed to keep such stories suppressed. The closest he came was a bout of trouble he got into in 2454 when visiting [[Qerr%27Malic|Qerr'malic]] with a skrell fiancee, where he was recorded racing his iconic, imported [[Technology#Shibata_Sport|Shibati Jie sports car]] against a local's skrell sports car along a stretch of a main road at night, however the incident was quickly spun as another one of Darius 'cool' moments. He is also known for his one-way spats with [[The_Idrises#Markus_Idris|Markus Idris]], who he is known to have grievances with.

== Wealth and Influence ==
The Trasen family is the most influential family in the [[Orion Spur]] as a result of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], the megacorporation's monopoly on [[phoron]] and its grip over the [[Republic of Biesel]]. Through the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], the family exerts further influence over the Spur's all other megacorporations, a privilege that has never before been capable or afforded by anyone in history. Miranda Trasen, as the CEO of NanoTrasen and the Director of the Conglomerate, is ''the'' wealthiest person in the Orion Spur by leagues (though the Trasen family is not the wealthiest, as the combined generational wealth of the Idris Family still has them just beat out), with a networth in the high centi-trillions.

With their influence over the Spur, they have largely pressured its states and people into the mass adoption of [[phoron]] and products thereof, directly benefiting NanoTrasen and ensuring their continued rise. Unfortunately for them, with the Phoron Scarcity in its full throes, their influence from their phoron monopoly has begun to decline and resistance to its continued adoption dropping. Whether sincere or merely for the optics, the family has also been a strong force for select progressive views, particularly concerning alien species and IPCs and albeit somewhat mild after being tempered by their predominantly pro-corporate stances. A significant amount of influence is exerted on the media, where the Trasens push for pro-alien and pro-transhumanism messaging in media material, and groups supporting such can easily attract investment from the Trasen family or its many charities.

Much of the excess wealth the Trasen family possesses is channelled into NanoTrasen Corporation, the Republic of Biesel, and philanthropic organisations established by either — such as the Trasen Development Benefit. Vanity projects are also well-known, with 'Xavier' or 'Trasen' being the namesake of many spacevessels or appended to many monuments found in [[Tau Ceti]].

== Notable Family Possessions ==

=== Rashleigh ===
A large colonial mansion outside of [[Biesel#Top_of_the_World|Top of the World]] surrounded by a two square kilometres parcel of private scenic land, gardens, and lush forests. The property was purchased in 2368 by Xavier Trasen, serving as a holiday home and place of residence for when Xavier would visit Tau Ceti, however Xavier and his household would permanently relocate from their residence on Mars to Rashleigh in 2384. The mansion has rather obtuse, art-deco architecture, standing out amid the countryside, with an even more extravagent and nouveau riche interior that only close friends of the family have been invited to see (though some of such lucky persons have commented that much of the over-gaudy decorations of Xavier's time have gradually been taken down in recent years). In 2463, Miranda Trasen would fund bankroll the development of Lakeview into [[Biesel#Top_of_the_World|Top of the World]] and the gated community it now is, creating a small community of the most elite, Conglomerate-aligned people only a short walk from her personal residence. Why commute, if you can bring everyone and your company to you?

=== Trasen Environmental Protection Charity ===
The '''Trasen Environmental Protection Charity (TEPC)''' is an interstellar organisation propped up by the Trasen family in 2422 that seeks to preserve unique ecologies around the Spur. The charity has a mission statement against destructive forms of terraforming, the disruption of novel ecologies via the transplantation of off-world species, and also ensuring colonial endeavours and industries are sustainable and are proportionate in their effect on a local environment.

It was the source of some contention with [[Hephaestus Industries]] after its founding, however the TEPC has conspiciously turned a blind eye to the industrial megacorporation — except within the [[Republic of Biesel]], the home turf of the Trasens.

The organisation is particularly active on [[New Gibson]], [[Mictlan]] and [[Port Antillia]], though has dealings throughout the Spur. It is headed by [[The_Trasens#Marcus_Trasen|Marcus Trasen]].

=== Trasen Development Benefit ===
The '''Trasen Development Benefit (TDB)''' is an interstellar organisation founded in 2450 that focuses on charitable actions towards those below the poverty line and in severely deprived areas of the Spur's major states and their cities. Billions of credits are funnelled to those in-need, be it to sponsor housing for those without a fixed residence or to subsidise healthcare where it is unaffordable. The organisation disproportionately sees itself working with alien species, and so has also taken a very pro-alien stance regardless of the region it is operating in. Those who do apply and succeed to receive stimulus from the Development Benefit are often required to find employment with [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] through some means.

The organisation is particularly active within some of the more deprived cities of the [[Republic of Biesel]], such as [[Mendell City]] and [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], however is seen throughout cities of the Spur. It is headed by [[The_Trasens#Melissa_Trasen|Melissa Trasen]].

The Trasens

2026-07-28T01:46:37Z

Kermit: link fix

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}
[[File:Trasen Family.png|thumb|'''The Trasen family tree.'''<br>Blue accents indicate active/expected participation in NanoTrasen Corporation.]]
<center>''"We're Trasens. We don't give up. That's why I did what I did, I founded the biggest, wealthiest corporation in the history of this little area of the galaxy, despite everything. I did it by myself, I did it all by myself."'' - Xavier Trasen (2321 - 2402), in his autobiographical holobook.</center>

The Trasen family is arguably the most influential family to have ever existed within the Orion Spur. Originating from [[Mars]] and being able to trace their lineage to its initial colonisation, the family’s rise in power began with the foundation of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] in 2342 by Xavier Trasen. Since its foundation, the family headed by Xavier would retain a majority share in the company, and each groundbreaking medical or genetic innovation would see their pockets lined a little more. Come the discovery of [[phoron]] in 2352, the megacorporation would quickly establish its early monopoly on the rare element and begin entwining its tendrils into the [[Republic of Biesel]]. Their company’s monopoly on this element saw a meteoric rise in their worth, overtaking the Idris family in mere years after its discovery — something the Idris family haven’t quite forgiven. Since Xavier Trasen’s passing, Miranda Trasen has taken the reins as the family’s head and control of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. Despite setbacks caused by the Phoron Scarcity and other recent Spur events, the Trasen family continues to be one of the most dominant forces of the Spur.

{{toc_right}}

== Family Members ==
=== Leonardo Trasen ===
'''Born: October 5th, 2288 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: June 28th, 2386 ([[Mars]])'''

Xavier’s father and Miranda’s grandfather, Leonardo Trasen is largely considered the “beginning” of the Trasen family as it is known.

Born in the waning years of Solarian Hegemony and in the aftermath of the [[Mars#The_Martian_World_War_(2278_-_2284)|Martian World War]] in Olympia, Leonardo was a man of low prospects and even lower hopes. Although this children would go on to greatly exaggerate his humble beginnings (most famously in the 2407 biography '''Leon - A Trasen Story'''), the real Leonardo Trasen was burdened with an unsupportive family, a turbulent upbringing in a deprived neighbourhood, and a dubiously-reported substance abuse problem.

Contrary to his anti-Solarian fellows on [[Mars]], Leonardo was a firm believer in one Alliance for all of humanity, having lionised the [[Timeline_of_Humanity#The_Great_Interstellar_War|Interstellar War]]. As such, with the help of a distant [[Luna|Lunan]] relative and saving up money from an early freighting job, he would attend the prestigious Solarian Naval Academy and attempt to integrate himself within the Lunan core of the [[Solarian_Armed_Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Navy]], commissioning as an officer at the age of 26. He would slowly but surely climb the ranks of the navy, spending much of his career hunting pirates exploiting the distant reaches of the Alliance post-Interstellar War. He would retire as a Rear Admiral — a position of incredible distinction for a Martian of low birth — in 2360 and in good standing, due to physical difficulties brought on by ageing, even despite reaping the benefits of his first son’s successes with NanoTrasen. Some sources (including the aforementioned biography) claim he may have had the ability to climb even higher if not for physical setbacks and were it not for the Navy’s penchant for Luna-born-and-raised officers; others have said that the only reason he gained and maintained his title was his connections to various members of Navy high command (both from his distant Lunan relative, and then those made via NanoTrasen).

He would sire his first son, Xavier, with an Olympia-born childhood friend named Luisa Marcello, however the marriage would not last. Not long after his promotion to Rear Admiral, he would unceremoniously divorce and then re-marry to a 28-year-old, military clark Sascha Konig — less than half his age — who he had met in his military duties, who together would have Francis Trasen. Both sons never had much positive to say regarding their father — and said very little when he did come up in interviews — and it is said they frequently competed for his attention and favour, when he was too into his work in the military.

=== Xavier Trasen ===
'''Born: May 5th, 2321 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: December 1st, 2402 ([[Biesel]])'''

One of the most influential beings in the entirety of the Orion Spur’s history, Xavier Trasen has shaped the progression of humanity (alongside other species) with his formation of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. Born to a rather high-ranking naval officer within the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]], Xavier was expected to fall into line and enlist, following in his father’s footsteps. However, Xavier instead ventured into genetic engineering, securing himself a Bachelor’s Degree in Genetic Modification at [[Mars University]]. Though self-claiming to have been his class’ cum laude in his holobook released by Ingi Usang Entertainment Company, investigative journalists could find no evidence suggesting his claim had any truth to it, despite NanoTrasen maintaining his supposed accomplishment.

At the age of 21, Xavier went on to found NanoTrasen as a genetics research company, having received funding for its establishment through dubious origins, which is attributed by many critics of the man’s success to having been funnelled blood money from his father’s alleged corruption. Its early years would see the company struggle to compete with the well-established megacorporation [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]], with the biomedical giant poaching many of Xavier’s more senior personnel — including a fellow classmate who had initially promised to help the Trasen with his corporate endeavours — and employing various bullying tactics small companies are all too aware of in the megacorporate-dominated Spur. Xavier Trasen and NanoTrasen would persevere though, growing large enough it too could become a predator, and it would acquire various smaller biomedical companies it saw as competitors, until it formed a regional monopoly on [[Mars]], becoming a household name on the planet. Xavier would see NanoTrasen Corporation go on to become a megacorporation — albeit a small one, often picked on by the more venerable giants — then see it into its golden age following the discovery of phoron, establishing its monopoly and cultivating the phoron company as it is known today.

None of this came as a surprise to anyone that had known Xavier, recalling the man as a shrewd, brutal negotiator with a brilliant mind for the sciences. Even before his corporation’s monopoly on phoron, Xavier had managed a measure of influence over the direction of the Orion Spur, quickly being able to go toe-to-toe with the megacorporations that have stood for centuries. At the time, media across the Spur hailed this as a miracle.

Xavier Trasen would meet his to-be wife, Xiao Jie, on a business trip in the 2340s while attempting to spread NanoTrasen Corporation’s influence beyond Mars. They would begin a long friendship and Jie would go on to join NanoTrasen Corporation, and would eventually marry in 2351. They would have one child in 2372, Luka Trasen, who would only cause problems for the Trasens in the media due to his unfortunate struggles with drugs, but would also go on to father Miranda Trasen. After his tragic loss of life in a traffic accident, Miranda would fall under the wings of Xavier and Jie. Following Nita’s death in 2409, the couple would also find themselves raising Nathan and Darius.

He would maintain his title as the richest man in the Orion Spur until his death in 2402, with Miranda inheriting much of his fortune and overnight becoming the richest woman in the Orion Spur. Though he and Xiao had remained married until his death, allegations circled viciously that there had been marital problems since the death of Nita — be it the struggles of having to raise three adoptive children or the sinister rumours of the true cause of Nita’s death.

=== Luka Trasen ===
'''Born: August 2nd, 2372 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: June 23rd, 2403 ([[Biesel]])'''

Born to Xavier Trasen in the middle of his and NanoTrasen’s meteoric rise, Luka had great expectations levied upon him from the beginning, being viewed as the heir to the family. Unfortunately, in his early adulthood, what was turning out to be a model heir fell into disrepute, and would die at a young age to drug complications resulting in a traffic collision. The death would sit as a mere tragedy for most — or even comeuppance for his father’s wrongs, in the eyes of some — but, after Xavier Trasen’s death, those close to Luka would lay the blame on his father, whose sculpting hand and the pressure applied to Luka saw him collapse and spiral.

In his early life, Luka had a flawless education and a healthy media personality enhanced by his dashing looks, and received much fan-fair as the Trasen heir and as the Spurley’s cultural magazine’s Most Handsome Man. However, during the 2390s, while gunning for his degrees in Business, he would find himself in various trouble — drunken photos outside of clubs in Venus’; publicised flings and break ups with various stars and fellow students; and awkward interviews he bumbled his way through. The media at the time ignored much of this at first, not wanting to gain the ire of Xavier, but eventually it became the norm, and tabloids would often keep track of the days between scandals or days clean from illicit substances. This, alongside the doubtless scorn from his father as a result, only set the young man up for failure.

At the turn of the century, all would seem to improve with Luka. Holding a stable job at NanoTrasen Corporation at the Mars HQ as a regional director and married to a husband — Philip Trasen — of 3 years, he was often seen in private and publicly in good spirits. In a spree of interviews in the early 2400s, he often praised his husband for being a wake up call that inspired him to better his own personal health. In 2401, Luka and his partner conceived a child in-vitro with a little assistance from a NanoTrasen Clinic — Miranda would be born.

In 2403, Luka would once again make the headlines, although this time with his passing while on a holiday to [[Venus|Binyaria]] in a fatal traffic collision that killed both him and his partner. Police reports found multiple drugs, particularly cocaine, in both of their systems, and it is believed fatal heart complications saw Luka lose control of the vehicle, colliding with a road barrier. Orphaned overnight, this would see Miranda adopted by her grandparents and, though not initially told the truth of the incident, when she did learn of it, it is said to have severely tarnished her opinion of her grandfather, who she has often criticised for the pressure he placed on both her and her father before her, and how she wishes to avoid doing the same to the younger Trasens of today.

=== Miranda Trasen ===
'''Born: March 25th, 2401 ([[Biesel]])'''
[[File:MirandaTrasen.png|thumb|250px|Miranda Trasen, the most influential person in the Orion Spur.]]

Miranda Trasen inherited her grandfather’s fortune and position in 2402, overnight becoming the most wealthy and powerful woman in the Spur. Today, she sits as the Acting Director of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and maintains her position as the Chief Executive Officer of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. From these positions, she alone holds the most power over the Spur’s phoron market and industries — able to bend all those in need of the element to her will — via NanoTrasen and, via the Conglomerate, significant influence over the constituent megacorporations forming the corporate cartel.

Prior to her taking of the throne, Miranda had already begun following in her grandfather’s footsteps, excelling in academics. By the time she was 18, she had already graduated with a Bachelors in Xenogenetics and, by 21, a Masters in Economics & Business Strategy — both from the [[Human_Educational_Institutions#NanoTrasen_Academy|NanoTrasen High Academy]] on the [[Odin|SCC-CC Odin]].

As a result of her two fathers’ deaths at age 3, she would be raised by her grandparents, alongside her cousins who were similarly taken under her grandparents’ wings following the death of Nita Trasen when she was 8. As such, she is close to both of her cousins — Nathan and Darius — who she views as younger siblings. She is also very close to their children, captured to this day by the paparazzi on social outings with them, attending school and university functions, and being in the audience of many of Melissa’s earlier modelling shows with [[Idris Incorporated]]. Though many speculate about the ageing woman’s desire for children, comments made behind her back by her associates have been vague and confusing, claiming she wants to avoid the heir-obsession which plagued her grandfather, to an inability to conceive, to viewing her cousin’s children as ‘close enough’ to her own — Miranda has been utterly silent on the issue, and condemns those who speculate about such personal matters.

Though she is remarkably similar in appearance to her mother, Miranda has inherited many of the characteristics that made her grandfather one of the most powerful men of his time: a shrewd sense for business and a phenomenal mind for the sciences. Much of this is believed to be intentional, with Xavier having a strong guiding hand during Miranda’s formative years, and with her receiving various NanoTrasen genetic and biological augmentations — cosmetic and functional — during her younger years. When asked about such in interviews, though she criticises her grandfather's intent, she is a strong advocate for biological transhumanism, and is open about continuing to receive biological and genetic augments. Despite the rocky relations between NanoTrasen Corporation and [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]], Miranda maintains a friendship with Zeng-Hu's CEO, [[Notable_Megacorporate_Figures#Liqin_Hsiao-Li|Liqin Hsiao-Li]] due to their shared interests in transhumanism.

Miranda maintains a graceful composure and pleasant outward disposition, hiding behind her elegant facade when she cuts with tactful words. Behind closed doors however, she is a cutthroat executive who sees herself as having no peers, merely subordinates. It is an attitude that has caused tension with the other megacorporate CEOs and even other high-level NanoTrasen staff, however no one is brave enough to stand against her.

Though not Martian-born, Miranda has repeatedly stated that her family observes Martian customs and traditions – and that the [[Mars#The_Violet_Dawn_Explosion_(2462)|Violet Dawn Disaster]] was the singular, most disastrous incident to occur throughout the Orion Spur; both in regards to the lives lost, and the economic losses sustained as a result of the incident. She also admitted feeling sorrowful as she will likely never be able to return to her familial home, believing it was incinerated when Olympia was engulfed by the massive firestorm. Since Violet Dawn, she has appeared somewhat withdrawn from the public spotlight, but this also comes alongside her promotion to Acting Director of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]. She has often compared the latter tragedy to NanoTrasen’s removal from Solarian space, and that being uprooted from her homeland, while tragic, simply meant she was able to find a new one in [[Tau Ceti]].

=== Francis Trasen ===
'''Born: September 1st, 2323 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: October, 16th, 2394 ([[Mars]])'''

Known only as the lesser brother of Xavier Trasen, Francis had little to do with the greater family or [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. Unlike Xavier, Francis did follow after his father’s footsteps, and would instead have a life-long career with the [[Solarian_Armed_Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Alliance Navy]], commissioning as an officer in 2344 with some difficulty, failing his first attempt at the officer’s aptitude exam. Though Francis would never surpass his father’s rank of Rear Admiral — at his death, he was a Captain — he appeared content in the infrequent interviews he was subject to, and the fervour at which Xavier seemed to compete with Francis, some surmise that he was the favourite child despite his brother’s far more significant successes.

Francis would pass away in 2392 at the age of 72 to an undisclosed heart problem. For a man of a family of such status, this was seen as unusual, for both the medical advancements and wealth to make use of such were there for him to exploit. He was survived by his daughter, Nita Trasen, and would be fortunate enough to not witness the various tragedies that befell the Trasen family in the decades after his death.

=== Nita Trasen ===
'''Born: May 19th, 2371 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: July 12th, 2409 ([[Valkyrie]])'''

Nita Trasen established her own reputation within the Spur, going significant lengths to distance herself from her family name and the megacorporation tied to it, much like her father did — she journeyed across the stars to make a name for herself within the [[Coalition of Colonies]]. She became a renowned singer during her youth, earning the nickname ‘’The Martian’’, with some of her albums even competing among the charts against both [[Venus]]’ and [[Skrell_Cinematography#Idols|Nralakk]]’s idols. It was during the height of her career that Nita spoke out against megacorporations, most notably her uncle’s now expansive megacorporation that had begun to spread beyond Mars. Her condemnation and accusations levied against Xavier in regards to his ruthless personality and his damaging raising of Luka caused a permanent divide between her and the family, and she was said to have gone no-contact with all but her father until her untimely death in 2409. Regarded by many as a poor stroke of luck but now the root of many conspiracy theories, Nita and her lifelong partner, Darshan Ram, both lost their lives in orbit of [[Valkyrie]], attributed to a malfunctioning heat sink on a shuttle they had taken to ferry themselves to Biesel that slowly saw their shuttle’s internal compartments heat to lethal temperatures. Only four years prior to her death, she had welcomed twin sons into her life — Darius and Nathan — who were then adopted and raised alongside their cousin, Miranda Trasen.

=== Nathan Trasen ===
'''Born: July 18th, 2405 ([[Xanu Prime]])'''

One of Nita’s twins, Nathan was young when his parents passed. Being only four years old, Nathan and his brother Darius were uprooted from their lives, adopted by their great—uncle and aunt and raised alongside Miranda. It wasn’t easy for the young boy to adapt, and during his formative years was often teased by his peers, quickly beginning to despise the limelight placed on him due to his familial lineage – both from his mother as a notable singer, but also his granduncle’s fame as Chief Executive Officer of [[NanoTrasen]]. Though his life was rather busy, Nathan was suddenly given entry into the [[Human_Educational_Institutions#APEX_Military_Academy|APEX Military Academy]] – where he underwent several years of training, developing connections and relationships with the [[Private Military Contracting Group|Eridani Private Military Contracting Companies]], and even [[Idris Incorporated]]. Shortly after graduating from the Joint Military Academies, Nathan found employment within his uncle’s megacorporation, completing his cadetship aboard the NSS Baldr, an asset within the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]] responsible for communication between NanoTrasen’s facilities.

Nathan went on to become the Chief Security Director of the entirety of [[NanoTrasen]], appointed by his cousin Miranda after becoming the Chief Executive Officer. He became instrumental in the reformation of the megacorporation’s security forces, who were often viewed as beneath competitors such as the [[Private Military Contracting Group|Eridani Private Military Company]] and [[Idris Incorporated]] – despite this, he maintained an amiable relationship with his connections, most notably [[Notable Megacorporate Figures|Alex Mason]]. Though it is unknown how the two met, Alex Mason and Nathan Trasen have maintained a private friendship since the latter’s days back in the Joint Military Academies. The two’s similar personalities in public, being somewhat reserved and sullen, are likely what brought the two together – as well as their shared experience of being groomed by their respective corporate dynasties.

He wed Eva Tsukiko – an eccentric woman from [[Konyang]] – in 2440, welcoming his daughter Melissa three years later, and then a son in 2447. Some controversy was had over her keeping her maiden name. Nathan and Eva have rarely been seen together since his wife’s move back to Konyang to look after her mother, who has seen a rapid health decline since early 2464. Regardless, the couple is said to be privately communicating without the prying eyes of the public, despite allegations by tabloids that they’re separating from one another.

=== Melissa Trasen ===
'''Born: October 14th, 2443 ([[Biesel]])'''

From the newer generations of Trasens, Melissa made a name for herself by modelling for well-known fashion conglomerates such as [[Idris Incorporated|Cashien Jewellers and Le Soliel Royal]]. By the end of her modelling career, Melissa was modelling high-end prosthetics after an elective surgery that replaced her left hand, courtesy of [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals|Bishop Cybernetics]] — she is known to share her cousin's transhumanistic streak, although where Miranda is into bioaugmentations, Melissa appears to be interested in the cybernetic side.

After departing her modelling career, Melissa went on to join her family in moulding the future of the Orion Spur by managing the '''[[The_Trasens#Trasen Development Benefit|Trasen Development Benefit]]''' - a charity organisation that aims to assist the poor and downtrodden within the [[Republic of Biesel]] and abroad, operating closely with the [[Interstellar Aid Corps]]. Despite her short time in philanthropy, Melissa’s charitable actions have proven to be a boon for [[Nanotrasen Corporation|NanoTrasen’s]] PR.

Although a considerably younger member of the Trasen family, she is considered a close confidant and advisor to Miranda – who often recalls in interviews that she sees Melissa as a daughter.

=== Marcus Trasen ===
[[File:NanotrasenEPC.png|thumb|150px|The logo of the NanoTrasen Environmental Protection Charity.]]
'''Born: 21st June, 2447 ([[Biesel]])'''

Marcus has maintained a distance from the public eye – mostly at the request of both Miranda and Nathan Trasen, wishing to protect the younger Trasens from the predatory media. However, since his introduction to the public following his eighteenth birthday, Marcus has become somewhat of a public figure among the youth. Similarly to his sister, Marcus has become an advocate for the less fortunate, but with a particular focus on animals as opposed to people. Touring the newly incorporated [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], Marcus has been seen ensuring that ecological damage has been kept to a minimum – something supported by his cousin, Miranda. He has recently been given leadership of the '''[[The_Trasens#Trasen Environmental Protection Charity|Trasen Environmental Protection Charity]]'''. Marcus recently graduated from the NanoTrasen High Academy studying a combined Environmental Sciences and Terraforming Engineering bachelors, and is now studying for a Masters in Sustainability, Enterprise and Environment. He has announced plans to pursue a career in NanoTrasen, ensuring the megacorporation does its part in protecting the various ecologies of the planets that they have facilities across.

=== Darius Trasen ===
'''Born: July 18th, 2405 ([[Xanu Prime]])'''

The lesser known twin of Nita who, alongside Nathan, was adopted from a young age. Much like Nathan, he struggled in his early years, relentlessly being teased and struggling with the public's attention. Darius would fall behind in school as a result, and a promising future was looking unlikely. Whereas Nathan was afforded the opportunity to step up game at the APEX Academy, Darius coasts through life as a privileged socialite and philanthropist, living off of or generously donating inherited wealth, partying without second thoughts, travelling around the Spur, and only occasionally appearing alongside a family member at a Trasen family event. He occasionally appears in lacklustre cameos in movies, modelling shoots, and other media, however lacks the talent or training to portray anything more than his natural self. As a result of this, Darius has a reputation for being one of the more chill, laid back and cool members of the Trasen family, and is largely removed from [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] due to his lack of drive or utility to contribute to the megacorporation. There is a measure of resentment from the other Trasens over Darius' base lifestyle and reluctance to further the Trasen's interests but, Miranda unwilling to repeat mistakes made by her grandfather, he appears to be left to his own whims.

Darius has avoided much of the scandals that would come with his life, be it a result of him being more careful or the Trasen family able to afford the immense bribes needed to keep such stories suppressed. The closest he came was a bout of trouble he got into in 2454 when visiting [[Qerr%27Malic|Qerr'malic]] with a skrell fiancee, where he was recorded racing his iconic, imported [[Technology#Shibata_Sport|Shibati Jie sports car]] against a local's skrell sports car along a stretch of a main road at night, however the incident was quickly spun as another one of Darius 'cool' moments. He is also known for his one-way spats with [[The_Idrises#Markus_Idris|Markus Idris]], who he is known to have grievances with.

== Wealth and Influence ==
The Trasen family is the most influential family in the [[Orion Spur]] as a result of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], the megacorporation's monopoly on [[phoron]] and its grip over the [[Republic of Biesel]]. Through the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], the family exerts further influence over the Spur's all other megacorporations, a privilege that has never before been capable or afforded by anyone in history. Miranda Trasen, as the CEO of NanoTrasen and the Director of the Conglomerate, is ''the'' wealthiest person in the Orion Spur by leagues (though the Trasen family is not the wealthiest, as the combined generational wealth of the Idris Family still has them just beat out), with a networth in the high centi-trillions.

With their influence over the Spur, they have largely pressured its states and people into the mass adoption of [[phoron]] and products thereof, directly benefiting NanoTrasen and ensuring their continued rise. Unfortunately for them, with the Phoron Scarcity in its full throes, their influence from their phoron monopoly has begun to decline and resistance to its continued adoption dropping. Whether sincere or merely for the optics, the family has also been a strong force for select progressive views, particularly concerning alien species and IPCs and albeit somewhat mild after being tempered by their predominantly pro-corporate stances. A significant amount of influence is exerted on the media, where the Trasens push for pro-alien and pro-transhumanism messaging in media material, and groups supporting such can easily attract investment from the Trasen family or its many charities.

Much of the excess wealth the Trasen family possesses is channelled into NanoTrasen Corporation, the Republic of Biesel, and philanthropic organisations established by either — such as the Trasen Development Benefit. Vanity projects are also well-known, with 'Xavier' or 'Trasen' being the namesake of many spacevessels or appended to many monuments found in [[Tau Ceti]].

== Notable Family Possessions ==

=== Rashleigh ===
A large colonial mansion outside of [[Biesel#Top_of_the_World|Top of the World]] surrounded by a two square kilometres parcel of private scenic land, gardens, and lush forests. The property was purchased in 2368 by Xavier Trasen, serving as a holiday home and place of residence for when Xavier would visit Tau Ceti, however Xavier and his household would permanently relocate from their residence on Mars to Rashleigh in 2384. The mansion has rather obtuse, art-deco architecture, standing out amid the countryside, with an even more extravagent and nouveau riche interior that only close friends of the family have been invited to see (though some of such lucky persons have commented that much of the over-gaudy decorations of Xavier's time have gradually been taken down in recent years). In 2463, Miranda Trasen would fund bankroll the development of Lakeview into [[Biesel#Top_of_the_World|Top of the World]] and the gated community it now is, creating a small community of the most elite, Conglomerate-aligned people only a short walk from her personal residence. Why commute, if you can bring everyone and your company to you?

=== Trasen Environmental Protection Charity ===
The '''Trasen Environmental Protection Charity (TEPC)''' is an interstellar organisation propped up by the Trasen family in 2422 that seeks to preserve unique ecologies around the Spur. The charity has a mission statement against destructive forms of terraforming, the disruption of novel ecologies via the transplantation of off-world species, and also ensuring colonial endeavours and industries are sustainable and are proportionate in their effect on a local environment.

It was the source of some contention with [[Hephaestus Industries]] after its founding, however the TEPC has conspiciously turned a blind eye to the industrial megacorporation — except within the [[Republic of Biesel]], the home turf of the Trasens.

The organisation is particularly active on [[New Gibson]], [[Mictlan]] and [[Port Antillia]], though has dealings throughout the Spur. It is headed by [[The_Trasens#Marcus_Trasen|Marcus Trasen]].

=== Trasen Development Benefit ===
The '''Trasen Development Benefit (TDB)''' is an interstellar organisation founded in 2450 that focuses on charitable actions towards those below the poverty line and in severely deprived areas of the Spur's major states and their cities. Billions of credits are funnelled to those in-need, be it to sponsor housing for those without a fixed residence or to subsidise healthcare where it is unaffordable. The organisation disproportionately sees itself working with alien species, and so has also taken a very pro-alien stance regardless of the region it is operating in. Those who do apply and succeed to receive stimulus from the Development Benefit are often required to find employment with [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] through some means.

The organisation is particularly active within some of the more deprived cities of the [[Republic of Biesel]], such as [[Mendell City]] and [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], however is seen throughout cities of the Spur. It is headed by [[The_Trasens#Melissa_Trasen|Melissa Trasen]].

Karszekani Moghes

2026-07-27T22:09:49Z

Kermit: aeson link

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{{Navbox Lore}}
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{{Infobox Nations
|Nation = Karszekani Moghes
|Shortname = Karszekani
|Flag = Moghes_porposal.png
|Galatic Position = Position Hegemony.png
|Capital City = Skalamar
|Capital Planet = [[Moghes]]
|Language = Sinta'unathi (Official)<br>Sinta'azaziba
|Species = 68% [[Unathi]]<br>14% [[Vaurca]]<br>10% [[Dionae]]<br>4% Human<br>2% [[Skrell]]<br>2% Other
|Religion = 57% [[Sk'akh]] (Official)<br>32% [[Th'akh]]<br>6% [[Si'akh]]<br>2% Other
|Demonym = Moghesian, Karszekani, Hegemonic
|Government = Absolute Feudal Monarchy
|Head of State = Karszekan Not'zar Izweski
|Legislature = Consultative Assembly
|Upper House = Hands of the Lord
|Established = 1994
}}

'''''"Honor, fire, burn thy fear"'''''<br>
''-Ancestral words of the Izweski Clan''

The '''Karszekani Moghes''', or '''High Kingdom of Moghes''', previously known as the '''Izweski Hegemony''', is the primary Unathi nation of the Orion Spur - a feudal empire in the Badlands ruled by a monarch known as the Karszekan. The nation is made up of hundreds of land-owning noble clans and their vassals, of which a few dozen are major influencers in the Karszekan's politics. The Karszekani is ruled by the Izweski Clan, whose current head is Karszekan Not'zar Izweski, First of His Name. The Karszekani is new to the interstellar stage, and has suffered from various growing pains as it attempts to expand into a Spur dominated by humans and Skrell while attempting to resolve the ongoing ecological collapse of their homeworld.
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== Population and Planets ==
''See also: [[Notable Unathi Colonies]]''

'''[[Moghes]]''' is the Unathi homeworld, and the capital of the Karszekani Moghes. It is one of three inhabited planets in the [[Uueoa-Esa]] system. It once bore a similarly diverse climate to Earth, but the large-scale nuclear exchange in the late 2430s known as the Contact War has rendered nearly sixty percent of the planet's service an inhospitable Wasteland. The politics and economy of the Karszekani are centered around affairs on Moghes, with the vast majority of Karszekani nobility being concentrated there. Due to the Contact War, Moghes is undergoing an ecological collapse, which the Karszekani has invested billions of credits' worth of manpower and resources into staving off.

'''[[Ouerea]]''' is the fourth planet from Uueoa-Esa's star, and the first colony established by Unathi. It was colonized in 2390, fourteen years prior to first contact with humanity and the Skrell, who both invested heavily in colonial development. During the Contact War, a joint provisional government was established by the [[Sol Alliance]] and the [[Nralakk Federation]], which was dissolved following Karszekan, called Hegemon at the time, S'kresti's demand for its return. The Ouerean people had grown used to democracy, however, and did not take kindly to the restoration of feudalism. This would boil over in 2460, in the event known as the Ouerean Revolution, which would result in the death of the reigning Overlord Yiztek and the establishment of a semi-democratic government. Ouerea is home to large human and Skrell populations in addition to the Unathi one, and a unique multicultural society has developed there.

'''[[Tret]]''' is the second planet from Uueoa-Esa's star, and is largely a barren and uninhabitable world. It remained unexploited until 2459, when the [[Vaurca|Vaurcae]] of the K'lax Hive arrived in the system. After a long period of negotiation, the K'lax agreed to swear allegiance to the Karszekani, and the High Queen Z'kaii was granted the title Overlord of Tret. Tret has become the new homeworld for the K'lax, with few non-Vaurcae dwelling there due to its uninhabitable conditions. Since their arrival, the K'lax have transformed it into a massive industrial center with the help of [[Hephaestus Industries]].

'''[[Gakal'zaal]]''' was initially a [[Tajara|Tajaran]] colony, occupied by the Karszekani in 2455. The Unathi, with the help of Tajaran collaborators, began to restructure the society present into the Izweski model of feudalism, while the guilds engaged in widespread economic exploitation of the planet's people and resources. In 2462, with the aid of the [[Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai]], the Tajara of Gakal'zaal engaged in a successful insurrection, driving the Karszekani from the planet and electing to join the DPRA. The Karszekani has since been content to ignore Gakal'zaal as an embarrassing failure, though it has never formally cede its claim to rulership of the planet.

Many further colonies have been established by the Karszekani across the Badlands and Sparring Sea - in part due to the massive refugee population on Moghes following the Contact War. Ranging from food production to mining colonies to military outposts, these colonies are scattered far and wide across the region - though the phoron scarcity has made it much harder for the Izweski Navy to protect them from the ever-constant threat of pirates, warlords, and raiders.

== Economy ==

The Izweski economy is centered around the [[Unathi Guilds|guilds]], which for centuries have largely controlled the economy of Moghes. Many of the major guilds adapted rapidly to the interstellar age, with the Miners' Guild and Merchants' Guild in particular rapidly expanding operations across the Spur. In 2465, the phoron scarcity led to a full-scale economic depression which resulted in the bankruptcy of the Merchants' Guild and several others rapidly declining. Only the intervention of [[Hephaestus Industries]] prevented a total economic collapse, as the megacorporation rapidly bought out all major remaining guilds, establishing itself as a near-total monopoly in the nation. No other megacorporations operate to any serious degree in the Karszekani, with Hephaestus working tirelessly to keep out its competitors.

In the modern day, Hephaestus and the Karszekani are almost unbreakably tied together, with the vast majority of former guild members now being Hephaestus employees. Guildmaster Yukal T'zakal now sits as an equal above the Board to CEO [[Notable_Megacorporate Figures#Titanius Aeson|Titanius Aeson]], and the megacorporation has invested enormously in projects across the nation. Though the megacorporation remains headquartered on Biesel, its branches on Moghes and Ouerea have rapidly become instrumental to Hephaestus's power in the Spur. This expansion has not come without consequence, however - anti-Hephaestus Unathi have struck several devastating blows at the corporation, with the terrorist organization known as the Champions of Moghes almost killing Titanius Aeson in late 2465. Rival corporations such as [[NanoTrasen]] and [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] are often suspected to be linked to this terrorist activity - though so far, no proof has been found as to their involvement.

=== Trade ===

The Karszekani is a major exporter of raw resources throughout the Orion Spur, estimated to produce nearly a third of the Spur’s plasteel and borosilicate glass supply. The aid of K’lax technology and Hephaestus investment has rendered the nation an industrial powerhouse on the interstellar stage, which has become the new basis of the Izweski economy. Due to the strict control of the Karszekani’s government over trade, all of this flows through [[Moghes]], with outlying colonies and stations shipping their products back to the homeworld to be sold and exported across the stars, with nearly every nation in the wider Spur importing Izweski raw materials to some degree or another. Prior to the economic depression of 2465, this was primarily the provenance of the [[Unathi_Guilds#Merchants_GuildMerchants’ Guild]] and [[Hephaestus Industries]] - but following the bankruptcy of the Guild and the ascension of Hephaestus to near-total control of the Unathi Guilds, the megacorporation now handles almost all exports from Izweski space.

Though the Karszekani exports to nearly everywhere in the Spur, its major trading partners are the [[Republic of Biesel]], the [[Empire of Dominia]] and various member-states of the southern [[Coalition of Colonies]]. Prior to the Solarian Collapse, the [[Sol Alliance]] was also an importer of Izweski goods via Hephaestus, but the dangers of the [[Human Wildlands]] have made trade between the two nations difficult. Aside from raw resources, the Karszekani also frequently exports Unathi luxury goods such as xuizi juice to nations with sizable Unathi populations - primarily the Republic of Biesel and the Empire of Dominia.

Due to their navy’s reliance on bluespace travel, the Karszekani was at one point a large-scale importer of phoron, purchasing the rare substance from both the Republic of Biesel and [[Republic of Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]]. Following the beginning of the phoron scarcity and subsequent economic recession, however, phoron imports have near-entirely ceased. Aside from this, however, the Karszekani does not import much - luxury goods for the wealthy and the nobility being its primary import in the modern day.

Though the Karszekani’s colonies do not export due to the national policy, the world of [[Ouerea]] is of note - providing most of the food required to sustain Moghes following the nuclear devastation of the [[Contact War]]. The colony has obtained a key role in the Karszekani’s economy, and with that comes less-than-legitimate trade, with many smugglers choosing to dock in Ouerea to sell and buy their ill-gotten gains. Addictive koko bars from the world of [[Unathi_Piracy#Ha'zana,_Harrow_of_Fangs|Ha'zana]], weapons of the kind illegal in Karszekani space and cybernetics shipped to the planet’s [[Aut'akh]] communes can all be found traded by smugglers - human, Unathi and Skrell alike, with some Tajara smugglers also seeking to trade in the system. Human and Skrell goods are also often imported to Ouerea, granting the alien population of the planet some of the comforts of their homeworlds.

=== Currency ===
The official currency of the Izweski Karszekani was the '''Ziki''', a fiat currency issued by the Izweski Reserve Banking Guild for several centuries. Following first contact, the Solarian credit was also accepted, and the nation began to transition towards Solarian currency as the national reserve. In 2463, the Karszekani adopted the Biesel Standard Credit as its reserve currency, as it was believed that it was the most stable option following the collapse of Sol. Bieselite currency remained concentrated in the hands of wealthy guildsmen and nobles, with peasants still using Ziki or operating off a barter system - though with the massive expansion of Hephaestus, the credit has rapidly become the most popular currency in the Karszekani.

=== Mercantilism ===

The Unathi economic system is '''mercantilist''' in nature. Access to ports are restricted to specific guilds given a royal charter, which is a bill of exclusivity over shares of trade to protect them from competition . It is best thought of as being given a lease by the Izweski to handle a specific amount of interstellar trade coming to and from the Karszekani. All goods flow from the colonies to Moghes, which are then sold to the wider galaxy after the Izweski take a cut.

Following the bankruptcy of the Merchants' Guild and the absorption of most major guilds by Hephaestus, the mercantilist economy has changed - though not as much as one might suspect. Though the production of the Guilds now flows through the megacorporation, and it holds a generous charter, the law still holds - goods are shipped back through Uueoa-Esa, and the Karszekani receives a very generous cut - which may well help them in emerging from their recent years of economic depression.

==Politics and Government==
The Karszekani Moghes, in the past and present, is ruled by a single monarch - in the modern day, the '''Karszekan Not'zar Izweski.''' The Karszekan rules over the entirety of the land and populace, including the nobility. While the Karszekan's power technically overrules that of the nobility, the influence each actor has on each other is in constant flux. In some ages past, the Karszekan has been little more than a figurehead, whose nobles would depose them at the slightest hint of overreach, while other Karszekan have bent their vassals to their will through cunning politics. In the modern day, the Karszekan has faced a great deal of stress, with the guilds, nobility, the Church and alien actors all pushing against one another - it is a testament to Not'zar's reign that he has managed to balance these forces, and increasingly centralized the power of the Izweski over their vassals.

=== Structure ===
The Karszekani Moghes is a feudal society, where all power is technically held by the Karszekan, who delegates that power to vassals. These vassals will then delegate power to their own vassals, working down from the interstellar level to individual towns and clans. Currently, Not'zar Izweski has made an ally of many of his vassals, with his globalist attitude having made allies among the guilds and those nobles who seek further wealth from the wider Spur. More traditional or isolationist nobles have often found themselves opposed to Not'zar, however - with Lord Juyzi Izaku of Mudki having threatened rebellion several times, and Overlord Azui Hutay'zai having almost done so over Hephaestus's presence in the economy.

Under the Karszekan directly are Overlords - appointed directly by the Karszekan to rule vast regions of the Karszekani. Currently there are five Overlords - three on Moghes, one on Ouerea, and the [[Zkaii, The Sleepwalker|High Queen Zkaii]] acting as Overlord of Tret. Overlords oversee their own Lords, who rule different provinces of their territory. All Lords and Overlords also equally swear fealty to the Karszekan and only the Karszekan, making them technically all his direct vassals. A province may be an entire planet's development or one sprawling city metropolis depending on the population and settlement sizes of the province. Lords then appoint Clan Lords for different city districts, towns, and swathes of sparse rural lands. Cities are typically run by a Clan Lord (or even a Lord, should the city be large enough) and a small council of lesser clan leaders (or Clan Lords, in the case of a ruling Lord). At the bottom are the clan leaders. Clan leaders are usually the eldest ruler of a specific family clan, and clan leaders are often the most ruthless schemers of the noble ladder.

Lordships are inherited, with specific rules of succession varying from region to region. The position of an Overlord is traditionally inherited, but legally is the sole province of the Karszekan, who can strip or appoint new Overlords at any time. There are some exceptions to this rule - the contract between the Izweski and the Hutay'zai clan of Tza dictates that the title of Overlord shall remain within the Hutay'zai, in exchange for their renouncing of the former Kingdom of Tza. The contract between the Izweski and K'lax has a similar point, dictating that the title of Overlord of Tret shall belong to the High Queen of the K'lax so long as the Hive remains a loyal vassal.

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====Hands of the Lord====
A wise ruler knows where he is lacking wisdom and hires an expert to consult him. It is this idea that led to the formation of Hands of the Lord, a fixture in the world of ruling nobility. Theoretically, the Hands of the Lord supplement lackluster skills a ruler may have and offer an expert perspective on issues. In reality, the Hands of the Lord are merely a vessel for which the powerful under the ruling nobility can gain influence and be encouraged to use it for the betterment of the realm and themselves. It is seen as a high honor to be appointed as one of the Lords Hands— both for an individual and for their whole clan. Hands of the Lord will be called "Hand of the [Title of their lord]". For example, Not'zar's hands are called the Hands of the Karszekan.
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===== The Master of Rivers =====
In charge of overseeing the economic aspects of a lord's land, the Master of Rivers reads aquaculture and fishery reports, negotiates with guilds, and safeguards the money that continues to flow into the coffers of the realm. The Masters of Rivers are arguably one of the most important Sinta in a realm with their control of the most precious resource of all, the treasure and food. Despite this importance, they are normally not of the same clan as the ruler. They are usually from clans which have a heavy hand in the industry or food production of the realm, whether it be aquaculture, or heavy industry. This is viewed by most lords as a concession to their skilled workers and is always a point of pride for a clan if one of their own is selected. Gender does not matter for the title, though they tend to be predominantly male anyway.

===== The Lord’s Claws =====
The Lord’s Claws is a Lord’s Hand who is well versed in military matters, offering strategic advice to their lord. Lord’s Claws are most commonly a part of the same clan as their lord, if not they are married to a suitable clan member as quickly as possible, and brought into the fold. Due to the militaristic nature of many Unathi realms pre-Contact, a clan survived or died by the sword, and advice on military matters needed to be untainted by potential corruption and trusted beyond doubt. The not-so hidden message in marrying the Lord’s Claws into the clan was that if the clan failed in war, he would be executed along with all the other members who could not escape. However, a Lord's Claws must not only assist in wartime, but ensure peacetime is kept. Nearly all Unathi lords still follow the tradition of having their Claws conduct diplomacy in their name, striking agreements with rival clans and lords, and warding off bloodshed for as long as possible. There are no female Unathi of this title in the Karszekani.

===== Spymaster =====
A coveted position amongst women in the Karszekani, the Spymaster is a spider spinning and untangling webs of secrets and intrigue, safeguarding their lord both against scandal, and assassination. Spymasters also keep tabs on the local population for their lord, silencing dissent and ensuring loyalty. Lies, plots, and secrets are the bread and butter of spymasters, and those who have mastered the position are viewed by others with a certain weariness, afraid they might turn on them one day. Spymasters within the Karszekani are only women.

===== Court Shaman =====
A position originally started by the more political Sk’akh religion, it has since been adopted by Th’akh nobles as well. The primary responsibility of the court priest is to offer spiritual advice to their lord and to cement the political and cultural importance of religion. Secondarily, Court Priests have a duty to help the faithful bring their grievances to their lord and tend to the connection between the ruling nobility and their subjects. People in this position tend to be men, though Th’akh’s adoption of the practice, as well as the rare female Priest of the Aspect, has seen some women participating in the role.

===== High Speaker =====
A newer position, the High Speaker's primary job is to work in the noisy and complex world of public relations for their noble. Very few ruling nobles have a High Speaker as one of their Hands, either relying on their spymaster for knowledge of what others think of them, or do not deem public relations as important to their management of their lands. Rulers who choose to incorporate a High Speaker as one of their hands tend to be more predominant within their larger realm, such as one of the two Overlords within the Karszekani, or have lands whose industry relies heavily on skilled guildsmen who cannot be ordered around as simply as peasants. Gender does not matter for high speakers, and few nobles even have an alien high speaker should their realm have a heavy mega corporate presence.
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=== Politics ===

The actual government of the Karszekani Moghes is a state founded on conflicting principles and a shaky truce between the actors of the government. In the past, the Karszekani was a true feudal monarchy, with the land-owning nobles keeping the power all to themselves — now it is an intricate web of deceit and dictations. "Karszekan" is a queer title, a throne sealed not by a royal bloodline or a divine right, but the law of power. The Karszekan is still the symbolic uniter of Moghes, the civilized ruler over the savages and peasants and lordlings, the dictator of an entire people, but the actual right to the Izweski Nation lies in strength, as intended. The strong rule the weak, and the title of Karszekan, though symbolic and sealed by the government, is won through power and influence. When the ancient Lord Neeziah Izweski slit the throat of the last Hegemon Sarakus, he set a precedent that would act as the nation's founding principle - the strong rule, and those who cannot challenge them serve.

[[File:Unathi Fuedalism.png|thumb|The Karszekani Moghes is based on vassal obligations to their liege lord.]]

This has profoundly affected the Izweski Nation's history: it legitimized conquering forces as a new Karszekan and also delegitimized anyone who was not worthy enough to rule with the title. Each cessation, unification, and civil war in the Karszekani occurred because nobles are not loyal to any specific Karszekan, but to the throne of the nation itself. The fervent honor-culture the Karszekani engages in and promotes is also its greatest destabilizer. This ensures that those who are worthy enough to be the Karszekan are constantly wary to expand their influence and loyalties. If a Karszekan is able to survive his death-prone position by securing his strength, then he is worthy; if a ruler bucks under the accusing nobility, the wealthy guilds, and the foolish masses, then he is not worthy. Nobles are almost encouraged to dissent against their lord, as it tests their mettle. This constant battle within the Karszekani is a breeding ground for honorable zeal and has led to the Karszekani's combined interest in colonization and forays into the Orion Spur, so that the nobility and the Karszekan may grow in power (against each other). Such expansion and imperialistic attitudes are a means of keeping the populace in check; should peasantry engage in the system, then they may see a promotion in rank and honorifics by moving through the castes.

The constant battering of the Karszekan by uprising lords and treacherous schemes is its boon and bane for both the nobles and the ruling clan (and the Guilds and the dead Church), but little has been said about the common peasant. It is true that even the rising middle class has little say in their government — the Karszekani is ruled by power, and those who lack it are unable to speak for themselves. Low nobility and commoners are constantly thrown about due to scheme after scheme, skirmish after skirmish between the nobles and the Karszekan. Frustrations against the Karszekani are, for the most part, tolerated, as the people speaking against the Karszekani have little political rights. Once dissenting talks turn into rebellion, however, it is always quickly put down — the Karszekani is quick to consolidate when the have-nots try to rise up. Large-scale revolutions have been prevented by autocratic force, but the clan system also keeps those under them with some influence, enough to keep everyone fed and content. Those who are not so easily tempered by this system in recent years join the [[Aut'akh]] or [[Si'akh]] cults, turning away from any authoritarian force over them and owing to why the system views them as such a threat.

The Karszekan handles the international affairs of the state, as well as curbing the individual powers of the major land-owning nobles. They also directly charter the Guilds - now under Hephaestus - which feeds into their wealth. The internal affairs of the Izweski Nation are built off of a federal system and governed by a feudal hierarchy (though in recent years such a term, 'feudal', seems to conflict with the reformation into a more modern government), from the lowest lord with the worst land to the highest overlord that governs a vast region or an entire colony. Even the highest overlord bows directly to the Karszekan, and controls the taxes, edicts, other parts of their territory. Typically, the middling ranks are filled with the most cut-throat opportunists as lords seek more land and more influence — occasionally, one clan ends up owning the entirety of a territory as a result. The noble in charge of that province thereafter acts as a sort of "local Karszekan," trying to sort out ambitious nobles and keeping the order. The only difference is that the Karszekan themself is still above the overlord, ready to remove them if they do not kneel in the end. Roughly the same system also occurs in the guilds of the Karszekani, though feuds are over positions and titles, not land and labor.

The Karszekani technically rules over all of Moghes which fulfills the ancient prophecy — anyone, planetside or otherwise, knows this is a farce. The borderlands of [[The Wasteland|the Wasteland]], though settled by nobles and workers, is harried by raiders and poor resource outputs. Once it becomes worthless to expand forward, independent Wastelander settlements crop up, illegal yet existing, and no lord is going to care over a dusty desert village. After one passes the independent once-Traditionalist villages, there lies only sand and the dishonored. The Karszekani, for symbolic and economic reasons, is trying to terraform the Wasteland with the help of the K'lax and Hephaestus, though due to raids, the expanding Wasteland, and the phoron scarcity it has not been profitable besides keeping what Untouched Lands remain intact.

==== Hands of the Karszekan====
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Made up of the most powerful lords from the Karszekan's nobility, the Hands of the Karszekan advise Not’zar on the everyday affairs of the Karszekan together, ensuring that they are given a fair voice in the affairs of the tate. Each lord or lady fills an important political role, using their influence for the betterment of their people, and speaking on behalf of important interest groups. Many disagree with Not'zar on matters of policy and culture, nevertheless, they continue to serve as his Hands. More information about the specifics of their roles can be found [[Unathi#Hands_of_the_Lord | here.]]

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'''Master of Rivers:''' [[Notable_Unathi#Azui_Hutay'zai,_Overlord,_''Lord_of_the_Wastes'',_and_''Izweski_Master_of_Rivers'' | Azui Hutay’zai ]]

The bastion of Traditionalism with the Karszekani and the most traditionalist Hand of the Karszekan, Azui Hutay’zai originally fought for the Traditionalist Coalition during the Contact War under his father, but upon his ascent to the throne of Tza he chose instead to sue for peace, giving up his kingdom in exchange for a position as Overlord and keeping his lands safe from the nuclear war. Since then he has become one of the most powerful vassals in the Karszekani, rising to the position of Master of Rivers on the Karszekan's council. He believes in the economic policy of mercantilism, limiting imports and maximizing exports, and ensuring that there is little outside influence on the economy. It is for the latter reason Azui sees the status of Hephaestus Industries within the Karszekani as a mistake, and one he must make every effort to correct.

'''Court Priest:''' [[Notable_Unathi#Korza_Azandar,_Sk'akh_High_Priest|Korza Azandar]]

Due to [[Unathi_Recent_Events#The_Hegemon_Wakes!_(2461-2462)|political conflict with the church of Sk’akh]], this position was unfilled for four years, with the Sk'akh Archpriests ruling the Church by committee. In 2466, ongoing religious turmoil and the rise of revolutionary faiths such as [[Aut'akh]] and [[Si'akh]] led the Archpriests to finally act, [[Demands of the Three Arc|raising Korza Azandar to lead them]]. Despite past difficulties with the Church, Karszekan Not'zar appointed High Priest Azandar to the traditional position of Court Priest, allowing him to advise the Karszekan on spiritual matters - and firmly solidifying the Church as a political power in the Karszekani once again.

'''Lord’s Claws:''' [[Notable_Unathi#Mizaruz_Izweski,_Lord_and_''Izweski_Lord's_Claws'' | Mizaruz Izweski]]

A former war hero, Mizaruz was married into the Izweski clan and made Lord’s Claws of the Karszekani shortly after the Contact War. He is utterly loyal to Not’zar, but viewed as an incompetent in strategic military matters by many Sinta. His diplomacy has been viewed favorably however, having managed to avert many crises both within the Karszekani and with other alien empires. He is the primary proponent for the further adoption of the new model war which allowed the Karszekani its victory during the contact war. He has recommended several reforms, even going so far as to propose a standing army in addition to the Navy, but has been disrupted by more traditionalist elements who still wield considerable power within the military establishment.

'''High Speaker:''' [[Notable_Unathi#Seleta_Sarnac,_Lady_and_''Izweski_High_Speaker'' | Seleta Sarnac]]

A dedicated public relations expert, Lady Sarnac runs the diplomatic arm of the Karszekani, with foreign ambassadors reporting directly to her. She is known to be a rival of Overlord Rokasi Miazso of the Southlands, and has frequently attempted to leverage her position to strengthen her clan's place in the region. She is also noted for her progressive standpoints, which has earned her the ire of more traditional nobles. She appears at Not’zars side at nearly all public events, crafting his image into one of power and certainty. She has also begun a campaign of propaganda, in an attempt to garner the loyalty of common sinta, particularly guildsmen and peasants.

'''Spymaster:''' [[Notable_Unathi#Hizoni_Izweski,_''Izweski_Spymaster'' | Hizoni Izweski]]

The only daughter of former Merchants' Guild guildmaster Keicacu Razi, Hizoni rose to prominence when she defeated a murder plot directed at the Karszekan, killing two of the assassins herself and uncovering their paymasters - the disgraced Yiztek clan. Since then she has continued to protect the Karszekan, shoring up his precarious position anyway she can. On May 14th, 2465, she married Not'zar Izweski, taking his name in the process. Little is known about Hizoni Izweski personally - perhaps fittingly for her position.
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=== Consular Officers ===
A consul's job in foreign space is ultimately to represent the Karszekani and assist in legal matters for Unathi dealing with both the Karszekani and another government or group. However, a consul's own secondary objective may depend on their role in society back in the Karszekani. For instance, a Sk'akh priest's interest outside of navigating legal channels would be promoting the Sk'akh faith in a positive light, making sure Sk'akh believers are not causing trouble, ensuring proper tithes are paid, and similar activities. A guildsman promotes their guild membership and benefits for joining; former healers endorse nearby Houses of Medicine and perhaps make sure a Unathi's working conditions are safe and healthy, especially in human space.

A Karszekani consular must be a member of a noble clan, though not one who directly rules territory themselves. Open members of the Aut'akh and Si'akh faiths are not permitted to serve as consulars, though some may hold these beliefs in secret. Vaurca Gynes from the K'lax Hive may also act as consulars for the Karszekani, as they are considered to be noblewomen within the feudal system.

=== International Relations ===
'''[[Sol Alliance]]:'''<br>
The Izweski Karszekani worked closely with the Sol Alliance following first contact, but the aftermath of the Contact War and the Solarian retreat from Ouerea saw the two nations grow distant from each other. Though the Alliance maintained an embassy on Moghes, most of its high-ranking staff were recalled during the Solarian Collapse. Since then, the two nations have had little to do with each other, the main exception occurring in 2464 when the Southern Solarian Reconstruction Mandate and the Karszekani jointly prosecuted a notorious Unathi pirate on the planet Visegrad.

'''[[Republic of Biesel]]:'''<br>
The Karszekani has good relations with the Republic of Biesel, with the two nations having numerous long-standing trade agreements and many Karszekanic Unathi working abroad in the Republic. During the [[KING OF THE WORLD|Solarian invasion of 2462]], the Kataphract Guild lent its services to Biesel, with Unathi warriors fighting alongside the Republic’s forces against the renegade 35th fleet. Though phoron imports have slowed since the scarcity began, the Karszekani still exports large quantities of raw materials such as plasteel and borosilicate glass to the Republic via Hephaestus Industries.

'''[[Empire of Dominia]]:'''<br>
While the Karszekani and Empire have occasionally cooperated in the past - the most notable example being the Battle of Youthstone, where a joint Izweski-Dominian force destroyed a major pirate stronghold on the planet Gwim’zala - relations between the two have always been tense. A large contributor to this tension is the ongoing privateering of Clan Kazhkz, who tend to favor targeting Izweski ships due to lingering resentment from the Contact War. As Hephaestus has grown in power in the Karszekani and Zavodskoi Interstellar has grown in power in Dominia, these tensions have notably worsened - with the two megacorporations discreetly attempting to sabotage one another’s efforts in the southern Spur. The execution of two Si’akh priests by the Empire in 2466 has led to the threat of trade sanctions against Dominia, though it remains to be seen if this is anything more than idle diplomatic bluster.

'''[[Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]]:'''<br>
Elyra and the Karszekani have little formal diplomatic relationship, though a sizable population of Unathi migrant workers are employed by Hephaestus on New Suez. The two nations have had occasional border skirmishes in the past, and though these have ended the relationship between the two remains cold. As tensions between Elyra and Dominia escalate in the Sparring Sea, many in the Karszekani are increasingly concerned of the danger a war between their two main rivals could bring to their own nation, with their navy in little shape to repel a potential attack.

'''[[Coalition of Colonies]]:'''<br>
The Karszekani has no real relationship to speak of with the Coalition. The most notable tie is to [[Burzsia]] via Hephaestus Industries, where many Karszekani citizens have found lucrative employment. Due to concerns of the Karszekani growing into a potential threat to the southern member-states, the Coalition has engaged in several embargoes of the Karszekani in an attempt to diplomatically isolate it - most notably preventing the export of [[Vysoka|Vysokan]] foodstuffs during the recent famine on Moghes.

'''[[Nralakk Federation]]:'''<br>
The Nralakk Federation was one of two nations to make first contact with the Karszekani alongside the Sol Alliance, and jointly operated the Ouerean provisional government with them. Following Karszekan, called then Hegemon, S’kresti’s demand for the return of Ouerea, the Federation withdrew completely from Uueoa-Esa and had little formal contact with the Karszekani for over a decade, remaining focused on their own affairs. [[New Blades Old Wounds Arc|In 2466, following political upheaval in the Federation and economic difficulties in the Karszekani, the two nations worked to restore their relationship]], signing the '''Nralakk-Izweski Mutual Prosperity Agreement.'''

This treaty opened trade between the two nations, as well as making provisions for the use of Karszekani ports and stations by the Qukala and sending humanitarian workers to Moghes. Though some Karszekanic lords were initially opposed, most public enmity towards the Skrell was silenced after the Izaku Rebellion, with few willing to openly align themselves with the traitorous Lord of Mudki. In the Federation, the Homeworld Traditionalist Coalition has argued against the agreement, though most of the other parties have backed it for their own myriad of reasons.

The two nations have close ties, though trade through the Sparring Sea remains risky due to the presence of pirates, smugglers, and privateers - requiring great effort from both the Qukala and the Izweski Navy to ensure that trade routes remain open. Nevertheless, the agreement has forged a strong bond - and one that seems to promise a new approach to the wider Spur from both nations.

'''[[People's Republic of Adhomai]]:'''<br>
The Karszekani and the People’s Republic have decent diplomatic relations, as the two major non-human powers of the region - the two nations maintain embassies with one another, and their fleets have shared information in order to combat piracy in the Badlands. Relations between the two have occasionally been fraught, however - the PRA denounced the Izweski occupation of [[Gakal'zaal]] prior to the planet’s vote to join the DPRA, while the Karszekani has openly denounced the PRA’s use of nuclear weapons during the war. Due to their own experiences, the Izweski have made several calls for nuclear disarmament on Adhomai - though so far, little has come of it. Though the two nations have never been actively hostile, both are wary of the possibility of future conflict.

'''[[Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai]]:'''<br>
The Karszekani and Democratic People’s Republic have a hostile relationship, largely due to the events on Gakal’zaal. The Al’mariist government denounced the Unathi and supplied materiel and fighters to the rebels in the colony. Despite the normalization of diplomatic ties after the liberation of the planet, the relationship between both nations remains tense because of the Unathi situation in Gakal'zaal; the Karszekani wishes for the Unathi residing there to regain citizenship, yet the bitter history between the previously-named Unathi nobility and the Tajara population there proves too recent a hurdle to pass.

'''[[New Kingdom of Adhomai]]:'''<br>
In an attempt to gain more allies, the New Kingdom approached the Izweski Karszekani recently. As part of the concessions to gain its favor, it denounced the Al'mariist presence in Gakal'zaal. The Unathi have also requested the NKA to recognize their claim to the planet, a demand that the Kingdom is still unsure if it will accept or not. Beyond this, the NKA and Karszekani have had little in the way of formal relations or trade.

'''[[The Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria]]:'''<br>
As a result of the sheer distance between the Commonwealth and Karszekani territories, diplomacy between the two nations is light but does occur. To aid in combating the growing Wasteland, The Commonwealth has sent thousands of nymph seeds to Moghes in order to help clear radiation. Unathi merchants and smugglers have been known to make a stop in the Commonwealth's territory to purchase some goods to resell elsewhere.

==Culture and Demographics==
''See also: [[Unathi#Society|Unathi Society]]''

Life in the Karszekani has changed very little since the emergence of feudalism centuries ago. There are the people at the top — nobles, guildsmen, aliens, and then there are the people at the bottom — the peasantry, Guwan, and more. The reverence of honor continues to be a major player in Unathi society even to this day. Conservative cultural norms such as the importance gender plays in deciding somebody's role in society, strong religious zeal, and arranged marriages, are upheld and persevere due to the stubbornness native to Unathi.

=== Feudalism and Caste ===
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All Unathi in the Karszekani Moghes live under a strict feudal society. It divides most of the species into distinct castes, each of which usually prevents upward mobility - though social mobility has become increasingly more common in recent years. The varied castes of Unathi society, and the genders associated with them, are as follows.

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'''The nobility''' or '''Sanza''' can include Lords, Clan Lords, and even distinguished Clan members. These are the landed elite of the Karszekani, and the most powerful nobles influence the Karszekan's decisions. Nobles must own a tract of land, no matter how small, to be considered a noble. Land is inherited, purchased, or granted by the Karszekan (often by pleasing him or winning his wars). The nobility enjoy the comforts of off-world technology and are considered superior physically, mentally, and spiritually to the average peasant. It is important to note that one may be part of a noble clan and not be a noble--for example, children do not typically own land, so they are technically not noble, though they enjoy the privileges of the nobility all the same. Many of those that swear allegiance to the clan are considered part of the noble clan, but are not actual nobility. This is not a gendered role, with men, women, and fishers being equally common.

'''Shaman''' or '''Akh''' is the general term for any Unathite clergy; priests however are exclusively members of the Sk'akh Church. Priests tend to own the land of their church which owes its fealty to the local Lord, making them a form of pseudo-nobility. They are granted many special protections that protect them from violence or land seizures. Priests own their respective churches and Lords are forbidden from collecting tax from them, pressing them into armed service, or seizing their lands. Their influence rivals that of secular Lords, and many priests are active participants in local politics and intrigue. Ever since the fall of the Church, much of what was considered "church land" was seized by enterprising lords--after the end of the civil war, the priests were able to hold on to some, but not all of their land. Th'akh shamans have been unaffected by this change, though they always typically held much smaller tracts of land when compared to their Sk'akh rivals, causing some tension. These roles are not gendered, though a priest or shaman's duties will change greatly based on their chosen gender.

'''Healers''' or '''Riz'akh''' are, as their name implies, doctors. Like shamans, it takes many years studying and learning to become an official healer. A well-studied healer will typically swear allegiance to a noble clan (including their own clan) and treat for their clan only. Large noble clans have entire hospitals and multiple healers dedicated for their needs, while smaller clans may only employ one healer. This tradition has come to change, however--after the Contact War, the need for healers increased drastically due to the effects of radiation on Unathi. The Karszekan finances prospective healers to study abroad or at the Skalamar University of Medicine so that they may join public hospitals, paid at a similar (albeit lesser rate) than healers that are in service to a noble clan. Notably, even peasants have even been awarded this scholarship, though they must prove their skill at healing beforehand. The healer is the archetypically feminine role, with all in this position being considered women.

'''Warriors''', known as '''Saa'[clan]''', are soldiers that fight under the banners of their Lords. They are seen as an ideal for male Unathi to strive for. They attach themselves to noble clans (including their own) and fight in that clan's conflicts, and clans are expected to give their warriors to the Karszekan in the event of war (provided it is not a civil war). Warriors are expected to follow the Warrior's Code perfectly. Warriors, like Healers, are pulled from the entirety of the populace, but it is up to that noble lord's discretion on who to promote. Warriors could be trained from birth in the family of the noble, a levyman that distinguishes himself in battle, or a random farmer forced into training--whatever the noble decides. Warriors, in peace time, guard their noble clan or serve in the Karszekani. Warriors are occasionally awarded land for their service, either by their overlord or the Karszekan himself. Warriors who attach themselves to the Karszekan himself and not any noble family are known as Kataphracts. The warrior is the archetypically male role, with all engaging in such activities being considered men.

'''Kataphracts''' or '''Saa’Izweski''', are an ancient class of warriors that has recently been revived by Not’zar Izweski. They attach themselves to the Karszekani itself rather than a clan and follow the [[Unathi Honor|Warrior's Code of Honor]] strictly. When they are not summoned to do battle for the Izweski, Kataphracts seek to maintain their status as brave and honorable warriors by participating in martial games or going on adventures throughout the galaxy. Kataphracts are appointed by the Karszekan, an Overlord, or another Kataphract if they prove themselves in battle to be especially brave and worthy, though lords are hesitant to hand off their best warriors to the Karszekan. Women cannot become Kataphracts; only those that claim the soul of a warrior may become one. '''They are referred to as Saa''' when referring to their rank, or '''Saa’Izweski''' when formally referred to. Kataphracts are only paid by the Karszekani when they are summoned for war. Kataphracts as a result take to adventuring across the galaxy to earn credits and make their name, and some even seek employment within Tau Ceti, waiting until the day they are summoned to do proper battle.

Besides their ventures in the frontier and Tau Ceti, the Kataphracts were purchased as mercenaries by the People’s Republic of Adhomai to fight in the [[Tajaran_Military_Structures#The_S'rend'marr_Coalition|S'rend'marr Coalition]]. They were utilized to primarily protect urban areas and officials. The Kataphracts suffered heavily in their deployment however, struggling to balance their precepts of honor with the harsh reality of guerilla war on Adhomai. Their experiences left them embittered against Tajara of the DPRA, a feeling many Karszekani clans would share following the [[Gakal'zaal|Gakal'zaal conflict]].

'''Kataphract-Hopefuls''' or '''Zo’saa''', are Unathi that have pledged themselves to the life of a Kataphract, yet are not appointed. They are warriors that have attached themselves to the Karszekani, but have not actually been appointed a Kataphract by the Karszekan. Other Hopefuls, after making their intentions known, are sent out across the galaxy to be tested in various ways, in accompaniment with real Kataphracts. Many Kataphract-Hopefuls come to Tau Ceti for the challenge of holding true to their ideals and the goal of "Kataphract-hood", tested against the well known trend of the star system to break down conservative Unathite beliefs. Kataphract-Hopefuls that spend a few years in Tau Ceti and still hold true to their commitments of honor and bravery, or who engage in incredibly brave deeds and do the same, can easily find themselves anointed a Kataphract.

'''Spies''' or '''Zo'kaa''', occupy the same rank as the warriors for Unathi, being the female counterpart to the warrior caste. Similarly, while male Unathi look up to warriors as an ideal, women look up to spies with an equal amount of reverence. Spies, however, are in an often unique position - a majority often serve their Lords for whatever intelligence they are looking to collect, but can also be reached out to by spymasters should they be looking for dangerous elements, especially in outlying territories. Generally speaking, '''spies''' are often what humans consider to be detectives of sorts, and lower rank and file spies work as investigators. Some spies specialize in gathering information through subtle questioning and incentivizing cooperation, while others are masters in infiltration and blending in. This is a traditionally feminine position.

'''Spymasters''' or '''Kaa''', are those that gain a reputation by word of mouth between those that would seek their employment - namely, powerful Lords, merchants, priests, and other figures of influential clans. Such spymasters become operators themselves of other spies, using their experience to give potential leads, offer guidance to newer spies, and take up larger work from the Karszekani Moghes. Spies themselves do not attach themselves to specific clans, and are instead forced to serve whomever their spymaster decrees.

'''Guildsmen''' are merchants, businessmen, and entrepreneurs striving to make a name for themselves and earn a nice profit while doing so. This social class includes both Guildmasters and independent salesmen. You are required to purchase the title of Guildsman from a local Lord or Guildmaster before being considered as such and are legally barred from conducting business without one. Guildsmen are only required to pay rent to their Lord and are exempt from taxation, so this group forms the closest thing Moghes has to a middle class. Guildsmen can be men, women or fishers; with fishers commonly making up the bulk of a Guild's labor force while women usually are the outward face of any aspects regarding external business. There are a few exceptions, but those that stray from these norms within Unathite culture are shunned and face a more difficult uphill battle in gaining recognition and becoming successful. Peasants who work for guilds are not considered guildsmen. Following the rise of Hephaestus Industries, most guildsmen are considered Hephaestus employees. This is a non-gendered role, though this depends on guild - members of mercenary guilds are considered male, while members of medical guilds are considered female and most productive guilds would be considered as fishers.

[[File:Fuedalism.png|thumb|A visual representation of Izweski feudalism.]]

'''Peasants''' are the bottom rung of society, and are by far the largest. This group comprises traditional tenants on the land of a Lord working aquaculture farms or in the mines, to urban Unathi living in slums and working in guild factories. Peasants have zero political power and are at the mercy of their overlords. Strong social norms and tradition are what keep Lords from outright abusing their peasants en-masse. They work for the Guilds and provide the Guilds the fruit of all their labor, keeping meager earnings of which they must surrender half to their Lord for the privilege of living on his land. Peasants only have meager influence when organized into clans, in which they can appeal for better things to their lord or guild, like a crude worker's union. This is how peasants ascend to the middle class, though they are still at the whims of their lord--and if a lord or guild dislikes what you or your clan is doing, you will be immediately stomped out.

'''Guwan''' are the absolute bottom caste of Karszekani society. As punishment for their crimes, they are given absolutely zero protections, and are actively subjugated, persecuted, and barred from all aspects of public life and hopes of ever-advancing upwards. They typically work the worst jobs and sleep on the street, as they are not allowed to own property. Aut'akh usually end up in this caste as well, as most of them are denounced by their clan or Lord. The only chance that a Guwan has to ever lose their status is to be adopted into another clan or proven innocent of their crimes.
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=== Gender Roles ===
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Unathi society is highly gender-stratified, with very specific gendered divisions of work and societal role. The Unathi understanding of gender has become tied deeply into these roles, which leads to a structure that humans may find unusual. In Unathi society, gender has little to do with assigned sex, rather being almost entirely dependent on the societal role an individual finds themselves in. The Sinta’Unathi words for ‘warrior’ and ‘male’ are the same, but this is not because one is required to be male to be a warrior - rather, the act of being a warrior is what makes one considered male. To Unathi, gender is not something that one ''is'', but something that one ''does''. An Unathi who sought to live as a professional warrior would be considered male by society at large, regardless of their sex at hatching - and regardless of their own thoughts on the matter.

Where this system originates is largely unknown, having existed in some form for most of Unathi recorded history. The earliest known example comes from archaeological discoveries in the [[Tza Prairie]], indicating that ancient Unathi cultures held the Fisher as the feminine role, rather than the Healer - which was reserved for a long-extinct caste of shaman-kings. The gender division in its modern form was likely codified by the early Sk’akh Church or predecessor faiths, though with so much of Moghes’ history now lost to the Wasteland scholars doubt if the origins of such a fundamental part of society will ever be discovered.

The divisions of labor in Unathi society are based on this structure of gender, and it is expressed prominently in religion - the Three Aspects of Sk’akh being the most prevalent examples. The Warrior, Healer, and Fisher are the primary categories into which almost every aspect of Unathi life has been divided for centuries - though as with many Unathi traditions, it is being increasingly challenged in the modern era.

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'''The Warrior'''<br>

The Warrior is the masculine category, under which roles to do with martial affairs tend to fall. Most military positions are considered male due to this, with some rare exceptions being made for medical and support personnel. Outside of direct combat matters, positions in law enforcement and colonial expansion are also widely considered warriors, as are many roles to do with the direct enforcement of a ruler’s will such as governorship, tax collection and announcement of decrees. Unathi identifying as warriors are expected to act with honor in accordance with the [[Unathi Honor|Warriors' Code]]. Vaurca Warriors outside of those in medical or scientific fields are generally gendered as male by Unathi as a result of this.

'''The Healer'''<br>

The Healer is the feminine category, which is broader than its name might indicate. Positions in the medical field are obviously considered healers, but the category also covers most scholarship and keeping of knowledge in general. The Simiite Reliquary in To’ha’dat is staffed exclusively by Priestesses of the Healer, and holds the complete historical record of the Sk’akh Church. While scholarship in general has never been as gendered as some other categories, the vast majority of Unathi scientists, archivists and researchers would be considered female. The sphere of knowledge and learning also covers the business of spycraft, investigation and diplomacy, with the positions of Spymaster and High Speaker being traditionally female ones. Unathi identifying as healers have less of a concrete code of honor, though in recent years the invention of the [[Unathi Honor|Matriarch's Code]] has gained some popularity. Vaurca Gynes, as well as Workers and Warriors in medical or scientific fields, are generally gendered as female by Unathi as a result of this.

'''The Fisher'''<br>

The Fisher is the third Unathi gender, without a direct translation in Tau Ceti Basic. Its sphere covers productive work such as fishing, construction and engineering. Many among the Unathi working class are considered to be fishers, and the title of Master of Rivers is one that traditionally is held by a fisher. In Tau Ceti Basic, gender-neutral pronouns are often used to describe fishers, though due to linguistic differences a fisher may often be gendered as male or female by humans. The sphere of the fisher encompasses many positions to do with economic development, ranging from humble miners, ranchers and fishers all the way to colonial administrators. There is no strict code of honor for fishers similar to that of warriors and healers, though the idea of developing one has been attempted a few times. Vaurca Workers outside of medical or scientific fields are generally gendered as fishers by Unathi.

'''Non-Gendered Roles'''<br>

The gender stratification of Unathi society is nearly all-encompassing, though there are some rare positions that can be considered as more than one gender. Rulership is the most notable of these, with the gender of a ruler being considered emblematic of their style of rule - male rulers are considered a good omen for military victory, whereas female rulers are considered a blessing for periods of peace and wisdom and fisher rulers are considered to bring periods of great productivity to their demesne. The title of Karszekan is something of an exception, having always had a connotation of military conquest to it. As such, Hegemons, now called Karszekans, throughout the ages have largely been warriors, though with a few notable exceptions. Hegemon Ayzi Sarakus is historically recorded as a fisher, and there have been several recorded healers and fishers to have held the throne throughout the Izweski Karszekani’s history - though greatly outnumbered by the warriors.

One role which falls outside any of the three genders is that of the Guwandi. The reason for this is simple. A Guwandi sheds their gender as they shed their name, and for the same reason - it is a sign of the person they once were, before facing such shame that it was left behind. A Guwandi is only referred to as their prior gender when they are confirmed to have died with honour, and the stain of their disgrace can be erased from their history.

In addition, the introduction of Unathi to the interstellar stage has led to a vast array of new roles, which have yet to be neatly assigned to a gender. While some were able to fit into pre-existing categories, other roles such as interstellar piloting, civilian spaceship command and various roles to do with colonial oversight have yet to be fit into one of Unathi society’s well-defined boxes.

'''Changing Gender'''<br>

Most Unathi will live in the gender of their work for their entire lives. However, the nature of Unathi gender roles mean that changing one’s gender is fairly common in Unathi society, especially among nobles who may find themselves in a wide number of roles during their lives. It is not uncommon for rulers identifying as female to present as male during wartime, for instance, or for rulers identifying as male to present as a fisher when investing heavily in developing their lands.

In the modern age this has become more common among non-nobles, as common Unathi find themselves with a greater degree of social mobility. Many who would have lived and died as fishers find themselves seeking out battle and becoming warriors, or enrolling at institutions such as the [[Unathi_Educational_Institutions#Skalamar_University_of_Medicine|Skalamar University of Medicine]] and identifying themselves as healers. The act of changing one’s gender is, in most Unathi societies, a religious one. In the [[Izweski Heartland]] and other majority Sk’akh regions, these affairs are handled by the Church, while other faiths have their own approaches to it. For Unathi outside the Karszekani, such as those in Biesel or Dominia, less of a spiritual significance tends to be placed on the transition, being treated as more of a personal and private affair.

'''Outside the Gender Trinary'''<br>

In every society, there are those who do not conform to expectations, and the same is true among Unathi. Following the Contact War, many Unathi have challenged the ancient structures of gender that bind their species, seeking to separate their work from their own identification. The first female Kataphract, the Lady H’zala was appointed in 2459, one of the first public examples of a non-warrior permitted in such a strongly gendered role. In the Queendom of Szek-Hakh, the ordinary structures of gender are largely reversed as most of the fighting is done by women - while some present as warriors to the world, most continue to identify themselves as healers. While this is done out of practicality, with most of the realm’s men having perished in the Contact War, it is still viewed as a dramatic aberration from the norm. Abroad, some Unathi have found themselves adopting more human conceptions of gender as something that a person is, rather than something that they do, and choose to present as a gender that does not match their occupation - whether one which matches their sex, or simply based on personal preference.

Many have decried this as alien confusion and an erosion of Sinta tradition, while others welcome or simply do not pay mind to it. Gender is a spiritual matter, after all, and the priests and shamans have yet to come to a definite conclusion about these changing matters. How this will impact Unathi society, built around the strict gender trinary for centuries, remains to be seen.

'''Gender and Aliens'''
To many Unathi, human conceptions of gender are confusing, seemingly arbitrary and without reason. While decades of contact between the two species has helped for better understanding of this, both tend to view the other society’s ideas of gender as strange. Unathi, particularly those less-accustomed to working with aliens, will often gender non-Unathi based on their profession rather than any outward signs, and will find being corrected on this matter particularly confusing. For aliens which lack a concept of gender altogether such as [[Skrell]], [[Vaurca|Vaurcae]] or [[Dionae]], this is generally less of an issue.

On [[Ouerea]], a general understanding has been reached as to human concepts of gender, with the Unathi population coming to understand their alien neighbors’ views. Some of these views have been adopted among the Unathi population, with Archpriest Azente of the Sk’akh Church holding in the belief that an Unathi can do the work of one gender while identifying as another, which has caused him to be labelled as a radical among his fellows. Generally speaking, Skrell on Ouerea do not seem to have any particular trouble assimilating to Unathi notions of gender, though the reasoning behind it can often be confusing to them.

Some Diona gestalts which have primarily learned from Unathi - such as those living in the Karszekani Moghes, or among the pirates of the Tarwa Conglomerate - have adopted their own interpretation of Unathi gender. Some more organized gestalts tend to gender their individual nymphs based on the role they play in the whole, while others have developed their own codes of behavior similar to those practiced in Unathi society. More information about them can be found [[Moghresian Dionae|here]].

Most [[Unathi in Dominia|Dominian Unathi]] have, at least in practice, adopted the human model. Though most were born and raised on Moghes and held (perhaps still hold) traditional views, most Unathi choose to adapt to the local Imperial culture for similar reasons as converting to the [[Moroz Holy Tribunal|Holy Tribunal]] - that not respecting the customs and culture of their new home would be dishonorable to those who had welcomed them. Some, particularly among the Han’san and the older Unathi population, do not forget about traditional understandings of gender, still living much as they would on Moghes. To the humans of Dominia, this is largely written off as another alien curiosity of the Unathi, though those who spend more time with them may come to a better understanding of their ways. The newer generations of Unathi born on Imperial soil, however, are generally much more familiar with human ideas of gender than Unathi ones.
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=== Relationships and Marriage ===
Marriage in the culture of the Karszekani is seen strictly as a means to secure alliances between clans. With the bonding of two souls under [[Sk'akh]], clans are capable of securing peace and strength.

[[File:PostCitiesNamed.png|thumb|A map of Moghes, with cities and the Wasteland labelled. The Karszekani rules all.]]

Depending on who is being married, the act of marriage can carry different societal expectations. Marriage between a '''two fishers, or two different genders''' is seen as a symbol of fertility and growth, bringing the call of the Fisher. Marriage between '''two men''' links to the Aspect of the Warrior for strength, and is often used to secure particularly military alliances. Marriage between '''two women''' is a call for the Aspect of the Healer, and is thought to bring stability and kindness.

Divorces in the Karszekani Moghes must be requested through the Sk'akh Church, where a member of the clergy will decide how property and titles will be split. Typically, if a man is known to abuse or neglect their spouse, it is seen as a deep insult to the spouses' clan - a woman is often seen as being unable to do something so violent against another soul.

Oftentimes, '''Marriage Competitions''' are held to encourage young, unmarried Unathi to be competitive against each other and be the best suitor they can be, while unwed Unathi, parents, and Clan Leaders from various clans watch. Formal events are gender-segregated and have suitors attempt to impress Clan Leaders, whether through status, skill, or beauty. Men will often prove themselves in duels between suitors, women display acts of debate or healing, and fishers display skilled craftsmanship. Successful Unathi who win these contests are lauded by their entire communities and enjoy great prestige, and often enjoy the luxury of several suitors pining for their hand - and oftentimes, the best two are fated for each other.

==Military==
''See also: [[Unathi Military Structure]], [[Unathi Honor]]''

Most major nobles have standing personal forces, which are augmented by levies in times of war. Following the end of the Contact War, many levied troops have remained in the service of the Izweski, having lost homelands to return to. Outside of the levy system, the Karszekani maintains a professional navy to project power on the interstellar scale - though it is currently suffering great difficulty from the phoron scarcity, which has rendered outlying colonies vulnerable to pirate raids and the inability to defend against attack from other regional powers such as Elyra or Dominia.

The Kataphract Guild acts as the personal force of the Karszekan when called, though they act as mercenaries in peacetime. They are highly-trained and well-equipped fighters, though they abide by the Warrior's code with a level of dedication that would make even the most zealous of ordinary Sinta look twice. Though their insistence on honorable tactics has often caused them difficulties - particularly in their involvement with the S'rand'marr Coalition - the Kataphracts are widely regarded as some of the finest fighters in the Orion Spur.

Though technically the standing levies of High Queen Zkaii, the K'lax are also a major contributor to Izweski military power, with legions of K'laxan warriors and the support of enormous specialized warforms acting as a major force multiplier for Karszekani ground forces. The Lord-Admiral Za'Akaix'Xitac K'lax commands all the Karszekani's currently-mobile vessels, and their alien intelligence and connection to the Cephalon network has given them a reputation as an undefeatable commander - a reputation which has yet to be disproven.

==Technology==
''See also: [[Unathi Spaceflight]]''

Prior to first contact, Izweski technology was slightly ahead of twenty-first century Earth - though far more stratified in its distribution. Luxuries such as air travel, automobiles, television and advanced medicine were reserved for the nobility, while the peasantry made do with outdated and relatively primitive equipment. Nuclear weapons were widely distributed over Moghes, with both the Karszekani and the more powerful independent nations having access to nuclear-capable ICBMs. It was generally believed that the possibility of mutual destruction would act as a balancing factor against war - though this would not prove to be the case. The Izweski space program had progressed rapidly, with the first colonists landing on Ouerea in 2390.

The introduction of alien technology changed Moghes rapidly - extranet connections and holoscreens are common across the urban centers of Moghes, advanced medicines such as dexalin and ryetalyn can be acquired through the House of Medicine, and the Izweski navy is outfitted with high-quality laser rifles and the advanced hardsuits known as 'breachers'. Nobles in the Untouched Lands enjoy a quality of life on par with that found anywhere in the Spur, and increasing social mobility means that many peasants have found hope that one day, they too will enjoy the full benefits of the modern age. The introduction of Vaurcae to the Karszekani has also brought new technological advances, such as the now-commonplace energy-based melee weapons and the establishment of gene clinics to treat the genetic defects caused by lingering radiation.

Life in the rural areas is harsher, with cities being rare and life mostly determined by the size of a village and how well they can fish and hunt. Due to the distance from city centers, essential supplies like medicine are hard to come by locally and, more often than not, expensive. Access to domesticated threshbeasts, railroads, and the occasional car allows for travel to nearby tradeposts, so even though such supplies are expensive to import, one can still obtain them if they have enough coin. These threshbeasts also allow those that work skilled labor to exchange information on techniques to work trades in the city.

Each rural town generally has a radio so important news, orders from a Clan Lord, weather forecasts, and the like can be broadcast to the clan leader in the village. Often times, over the radio is how many rural Unathi receive statements from Not'zar, and most have not seen a likeness of him. Cheap holoscreens are becoming increasingly common in rural areas, and the wealthier peasant clans sometimes can afford to buy more than one car. The most advanced aspect of life for rural clans is the aquaponics system, one that Hephaestus engineers have helped develop to maximize livability for fish in these farms. Most Lords and Clan Lords see to it these systems remain up to date as possible, else starvation and minimal profits will be turned from a given clan.

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Unathi Lore}}
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Pages]]
[[Category:Unathi]]

Engineer

2026-07-27T22:09:28Z

Kermit: link fix

{{Alt-titles}}
{{JobPageHeader
|headerbgcolor = #E8891D
|headerfontcolor = white
|stafftype = ENGINEERING
|imagebgcolor = #E8C61D
|img = Engineer-nbt.png
|jobtitle = Engineer
|access = Engineering, Tech Storage, External Airlocks, Maintenance, Engines
|difficulty = Medium
|qualifications = At least 25 years of age, applicable Bachelors degree or 7 years experience in engineering-related field, and meets the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate Occupation Qualifications]].
|employers = [[Hephaestus Industries]], [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]
|superior = [[Chief Engineer]]
|duties = Start the engine, repair the hull, point an emitter at a blob. Forget your insulated gloves and shock all of the blood from your body after touching a wire.
|guides =  [[Hacking]], [[Guide to Construction]], [[Guide to Thrusters]], [[Supermatter Engine]], [[Telecommunications]], [[Guide to Shields]], [[Guide to Gunnery]], [[Bluespace Drive]]
}}
As a '''Ship Engineer''', you are the individual who provides power to the ship and keeps it running. When called upon, you may also be asked to hack a door, debug a vending machine, and clean up a [[Xenobotanist]]'s [[K'ois|mess]]. You watch over the engine, ensure the electrical machinery aboard the ship is up and running, and, most of all, repair the ship when it inevitably explodes due to [[Guides#Antagonist_Guides|unforeseen consequences]].

== Starting Out and Equipment ==
You spawn in your engineering break room, right next to shield control and above the engineering deck. Your initial equipment is a hard hat, [[File:T-ray.gif]] a t-ray scanner, [[File:Beltengineer.png]] a tool belt, and assorted departmental uniforms and headsets. Downstairs you will find the storerooms with numerous items to add to your loadout, some more useful than others:

* [[File:Gloves_insulated.png]] '''Insulated gloves:''' Impossibly useful and found in an electrical locker, they shield your hands from any electrical damage you might take while you're dealing with wires. '''Never forget insulated gloves.'''
* [[File:Multitool.gif]] '''Multitool:''' Found in an electrical locker. Useful for hacking doors, checking the power running through cables, and changing the color of cable coil.
* '''Debugger:''' An entire IT department, now in your pocket! Fixes rampant software in vending machines and APCs
* [[File:Gps.png]] '''Global positioning device:''' Found in your personal locker. Click on it while it is in your hand to set your GPS tag, and track other GPSes.
* [[File:Station Bounced Radio.png]] '''Shortwave radio:''' Like your headset, except not dependent on [[Telecommunications|telecomms]] infrastructure. This makes it a necessity for emergency situations where the network is down. You'll want to leave the speaker on and the microphone off, otherwise you'll broadcast every sound around you at all times. To speak into it without switching the mic on, preface your messages with :r if it's in your right hand or :l if in your left. For example: ":r Oh no, comms are down!"
* [[File:WeldingHelmet.png]] '''Welding goggles/helmet:''' A helmet or set of goggles to be worn when you are welding; if you don't wear them while you weld, say hello to eye damage.
* '''Geiger counter:''' Measures radiation in IUs. Good for safe reactor operation or confirming suspected radiation.
* '''Antifuel grenade:''' Neutralises fuel in a circular radius. Perfect for handling spillages quickly.
* '''Engineering tape:''' Cordons off work areas and blocks airlocks. The tape can be taken down with wirecutters or by clicking with harm intent.
* [[File:Analyzer.png]] '''Analyzer:''' An air alarm that fits in your hand! Either use in hand to analyse gases around you or on a container of gas.
* '''Tape roll:''' Not to be confused with engineering tape. Allows you to stick notes to surfaces.
* '''Hammer:''' Similar uses to a crowbar. Also capable of repairing damaged (but not broken) airlocks: click the airlock with a hammer and steel in your other hand to place the sheets, then weld them in place.
* '''Extinguisher refiller:''' Use on an empty extinguisher to refill it. To refill the refiller, [[File:Screwdriver tool.png]] unscrew and use it on an extinguisher cart, such as the one in hard storage. Make sure to [[File:Screwdriver tool.png]] screw it back before refilling another extinguisher.

In your loadout and in your personal equipment locker, you can equip items such as drop pouches, webbing, and engineering overalls. These have several extra storage slots that you can use to store your myriad equipment. Hazard vests enable an engineer to wear an emergency oxygen tank in the suit storage slot. And of course, your suit sensors are excellent to enable for when you fall victim to a workplace accident.

In the Engineering storage room, there are also stacks of steel, glass, plasteel, and inflatable doors. It is highly recommended you prepare a duffel bag with materials, circuit boards, and any extra gear you may require, so you may quickly respond to any damages that occur. It is also helpful to have a [[Guide to EVA|prepared voidsuit]]. To assemble one for yourself, apply magboots and a helmet to the main suit item, and fill an oxygen tank. Attach the oxygen tank to the suit, and equip the suit when necessary. Remember your magboots when entering a vacuum!

Hard storage, located next to the supermatter reactor access, contains several essential pieces of equipment:
* '''Portable generator:''' Sends power into the grid below it, assuming it's on top of a wire knot. The stock one runs on graphite. First, make sure you have laid a [[File:CableCoils.png]] wire knot where you want the generator to go. The simplest way is to just click the bare tile with your cables—but make sure it runs into the grid you want powered. Then [[File:Wrench.png]] wrench the generator on top, put in the graphite found in the yellow crate, and switch it on. Now you have power! Remember: you can ensure it's connected properly by using a multitool on the line. If there's power, you did it right. '''Remember to inspect the generator for its safe output and not to exceed it.'''
* '''Radial floodlight:''' The power of the sun in the bounds of a tile (or at least the light of it). [[File:Wrench.png]] Wrench it on a [[File:CableCoils.png]] wire knot like the generator and switch it on. If you laid the line properly and it's powered your retinas should be burned out.
* '''Shield generator:''' Used in pairs. [[File:Wrench.png]] Wrench each on a [[File:CableCoils.png]] wire knot and make sure there is a direct line between them, then flick them on. Creates a straight impenetrable energy barrier that notably doesn't block atmosphere. Not covered by warranty.
* [[File:Emitter.png]] '''Emitter:''' Feared by eldritch horrors across the Spur. Turn it towards what you want to atomise, lay a [[File:CableCoils.png]] wire knot below it, [[File:Wrench.png]] wrench, [[File:Welderon.gif]] weld, and you're ready to fire! ''Don't stand in front of it...''
* '''Shield projector:''' Not to be confused with the shield generator, these work by themselves. You don't even have to connect it to a wire! Simply mark where you want the shield to be with engineering tape, use a [[File:Multitool.gif]] multitool on the tape, and switch it on. The resulting shield blocks atmosphere but is vulnerable to kinetic forces, like carp or your coworkers.

More materials and equipment can be found in maintenance near hard storage or downstairs by the starboard thrusters, but if at any point you're missing something don't hesitate to order it from Operations!

== Doing Your Duty ==
Your primary task is to keep the ship powered, and the air supply breathable and inside the ship. Apart from that, you will frequently face smaller events such as glitching vending machines, broken cameras, or the occasional wall-destroying fungi. All of these are simple to fix, and can be overcome by communication with your team and a clear head. Your teamwork, however, will be tested when the level 7 biohazard alarm rings.

=== Starting the Engine ===
''See: [[Supermatter Engine]]''

Your most important task at the start of the shift. Luckily, provided you follow directions, it is simple to set up. It is ''highly recommended'' that you ask a more senior engineer to assist you with engine setup if you are new to the work.

=== Working the Thrusters ===
''See: [[Guide to Thrusters]]''

The thrusters are the purview of your Atmospheric Technician colleagues; however, if they're not around, you might have to set them up yourself. Use the guide as a reference, and good luck!

=== Bluespace Drive ===
''See: [[Bluespace Drive|Guide to the Bluespace Drive]]''

Running and maintaining the expensive Phoron-fueled Bluespace Drive that allows the Horizon to jump is another part of your job, one that you handle in conjunction with [[Atmospheric Technician|Atmospheric Technicians]]. While they handle the procurement and loading of Phoron and moderator gas mixes, you are responsible for the mechanical and electrical systems of it. Generally, the Drive can wait until everything else is done, and ultimately is optional to even set up. But if you and the Atmospheric Technicians choose to, you can load it up for some happy jumping.

=== Fixing the Ship ===
''See: [[Guide to Construction]]''

As an engineer, it is your job to repair a door, re-pressurize a vented area, seal a hull breach, or repair broken furniture. This versatility also gives you the leeway to start renovation projects on the ship, and add elements that weren't there prior for convenience. However, this requires permission from the [[Chief Engineer]] to start out on.

=== Power Management ===
So you've started a reactor and given the ship a source of power for the shift (you have haven't you?). Great! Now it's your responsibility to keep the power flowing.

==== Substations ====
Every sub-grid on the ship is supplied with power by a substation with an [[file:SMES.gif]] SMES. For most subgrids, power feeds into the SMES through a red line and then goes out to the department's [[file:Apc.png]] Area Power Controllers (APC) through a green line. It can be ''very'' difficult to track the substations down in an emergency where time is precious, so here's a list of every substation and its location:
* '''Operations Subgrid:''' Deck 1, starboard, between the warehouse and morgue in maintenance.
* '''C-Goliath Drive Chamber:''' Deck 1, starboard, with the C-Goliath. Next to starboard propulsion and the gravity generator.
* '''Deck 2 Civilian Subgrid:''' Deck 1, fore, between the Spark and Intrepid hangars in maintenance.
* '''Deck 1 Civilian Subgrid:''' Deck 1, behind technical storage next to the lifts.
* '''Deck 2 and 3 Security Subgrid:''' Deck 1, fore, between the Intrepid and Quark hangars in maintenance.
* '''Deck 1 Research Subgrid:''' Deck 1, port, between atmospherics and the combustion turbine in maintenance.
* '''Combustion Turbine Output:''' Deck 1, port, next to atmospherics and xenoarchaeology.
* '''Deck 1, 2, and 3 Medical Subgrid:''' Deck 2, between operations and medical. Beside the morgue lift.
* '''SM Reactor Containment:''' Deck 2, inside the supermatter reactor bay. Its output is connected to the emitter through an orange line.
* '''SM Reactor Output:''' Deck 2, outside the supermatter reactor bay and beside the monitoring room. Not to be confused with the containment.
* '''Master Grid:''' ''Everywhere on the ship,'' running from the supermatter, INDRA, and combustion turbine to all of the subgrids. Also powers some APCs that can be seen with the power monitoring program.
* '''Deck 2 Engineering Subgrid:''' Deck 2, aft, behind the Chief Engineer's office in engineering.
* '''INDRA Reactor Containment:''' Deck 2, inside the INDRA reactor bay behind a borosilicate window.
* '''INDRA Reactor Output:''' Deck 2, next to the entrance to the INDRA and monitoring room.
* '''Deck 2 Research Subgrid:''' Deck 2, between security and xenobiology in maintenance.
* '''Deck 3 Telecommunications Subgrid:''' Deck 3, inside the entrance to telecommunications next to the shield generator. 🚧
* '''Deck 3 Command Subgrid:''' Deck 3, nestled between the washroom, holodeck alpha, consular office A, and the bridge.
* '''Shield Subgrid:''' Deck 3, inside the shield generator bay beside the engineering break room (where you spawn).
* '''Deck 3 Civilian Subgrid:''' Deck 3, aft, between the engineering break room and main elevator in maintenance.
* '''Deck 3 Command Bunker Grid:''' Deck 3, port aft, inside the command bunker. 🚧
* '''AI Subgrid:''' Deck 3, port aft, inside the AI foyer beside the command bunker. Accessible by airlock. 🚧
(🚧 indicates a location the [[Chief_Engineer|Chief Engineer]] has access to but '''not''' engineers)

==== Power Monitoring ====
[[File:Sensor_Monitoring.png|thumb|The main list of subgrids. You may have to hit the "scan" button to refresh if none are visible.]]

[[File:Network_Information.png|thumb|Clicking a subgrid brings you to this window detailing its information, in this case Deck 1 Civilian.]]

Wanna see how the grids are doing? Open the ''Power Monitoring'' program on an engineering computer and click "scan". That's a big list, but don't worry! Each option is simply one sub-grid of the ship's greater grid. To learn about the difference between sub-grids and the "main" grid, see the [[Engineer#Power_Storage_Units|Power Storage Units]] section below. Clicking a sub-grid brings you to a window labelled "Network Information: [name of the grid]". That's a lot of numbers! Let's break it down into more digestible chunks:

* '''Network Load:''' How much of the power available to the grid is in use. 100% indicates the grid is consuming more than is sustainable, and you may want to consider increasing available power by raising the substation's output with the [[Engineer#Setting_Up_RCON|RCON.]] If the substation itself doesn't have enough power to draw on, consider starting another reactor or finding some other power source.
* '''Network Security Status:''' Don't worry about this, it's just the status of the sub-grid's firewall. If it's showing as irregular for some reason you ''may'' want to investigate the grid in person. [[Traitor|But why would someone hack a power grid, anyway?]]
* '''Available Power:''' Exactly how much power is available to the grid, measured in watts. Remember: 1 kilowatt is 1,000 watts, 1 megawatt is 1,000 kilowatts. This either indicates how much power is running through the main grid (if the sub-grid is bypassed) or what the output for the substation is set to.
* '''APC Power Usage:''' How much power draw is from the [[file:Apc.png]] APCs, which control life support and most machinery.
* '''Other Power Usage:''' Power draw from anything ''not'' an APC, like an [[file:SMES.gif]] [[Engineer#Power_Storage_Units|SMES.]]
* '''Total Power Usage:''' The combined total of APC and Other Power Usage. Compare this to Available Power to see how much excess power you have.

The ''Sensor Readings'' section shows data for each individual APC relying on the grid. It's fairly self explanatory:

* '''Equipment, Lighting, and Environment''' are the three main settings on an APC. The "A-" before A-ON/OFF indicates it's set to automatic, meaning it will automatically shut off to preserve power when it's limited and turn on when plentiful again.
* '''Cell Status''' should be 100%, green is good. If it's low, dropping, or, God forbid, ''not'' green, refer to the ''Network Information'' to see if the grid is getting enough power. If the network load is good and the APC is ''still'' losing charge, there may be a break in the line between it and the substation; you'll have to investigate on foot. Remember the APC's name, it should help point you in the general direction!
* '''APC Load''' is how many watts the APC is consuming, influenced by whether the three settings are on and what machinery is connected to the APC. Abnormally high loads should be investigated, especially if the grid can't handle it.

===Power Storage Units ===
''See: [[Guide_to_Hacking#Supermagnetic_Energy_Storage_Unit|Guide to Hacking]] and [[Guide_to_Construction#Super_Magnetic_Energy_Storage_(SMES)|Guide to Construction]]''


[[File:PSU Diagram.png|thumb|A diagram of the supermatter's PSU.
'''Red''' indicates at least one wire knot where a cable line ends. When lines have overlapping knots they are connected.
'''Green''' is the input line. Note it ends with a knot under the terminal, the only way they can work.
'''Blue''' is the output. Note how it feeds into the terminal of an APC.
'''Cyan''' is the bypass, running from input into the breaker box and then output, merging them. The wires directly under the breaker disappear when it's disabled, separating the grids.]]
A Power Storage Unit (PSU), or Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES), is an industrial battery capable of drawing electricity from one power grid and sending it to another. This allows Horizon's grid to be divided into multiple sub-grids, each powered by a self-sustaining PSU called a "substation". The reactors feed power into their PSUs, which feed the master grid, which feeds the substations, which feed the local department grids, which feed their APCs. If you're ever confused between the master grid and a sub-grid, remember that the master grid is the red line and the department grids are all green.

Power enters both [[file:SMES.gif]] PSUs and [[file:Apc.png]] Area Power Controllers (APC) through a terminal. The output leaves through a wire knot under the PSU, which if wired properly never has to touch the input line running into the terminal. If a PSU lacks the power demanded by its local grid, you can open the floodgates to the master grid by enabling its '''breaker bypass'''. A breaker, which is always beside a PSU, creates a wire bypass from the input grid to the output grid when enabled, and removes it when disabled. This merges the grids and "bypasses" the PSU entirely, hence the term. All substation breakers start the round enabled. You can learn more about breakers and when to turn them off in the RCON section further down.

==== Magnetic Coils ====
Every PSU is comprised of 1-6 magnetic coils which determine the unit's stats. A PSU will always start with 1 coil when it's constructed. More can be added by clicking a unit with a coil while it's screwed open, has 0% charge, and completely turned off. But be careful: once a coil is in, the only way to get it out is to disassemble the entire unit. You can see what coils are in a PSU by examining it while the hatch is open. Coils have 2 stats: '''capacity''', how much more charge a PSU with it can hold, and '''throughput''', how much more power it can input/output. Our Lord and Saviour [[Notable_Megacorporate_Figures#Titanius_Aeson|Titanius Aeson]] has bestowed upon us 3 types of magnetic coils, each with varying stats:
* '''Superconductive magnetic coil'''. Jack of all trades, master of none. While it has only decent throughput and capacity, it's a safe bet for a basic PSU and is the only coil that can be ordered from operations.
* '''Superconductive transmission coil'''. As its name suggests, it ''transmits'' the most power with the highest throughput. The downside is its capacity is a fraction of the throughput, meaning though it will charge fast it will deplete itself just as quickly.
* '''Superconductive capacitance coil'''. The opposite of the transmission coil with the highest ''capacity'' at the cost of abysmal throughput. A PSU with these will hold a charge for hours—assuming you have time to charge it to 100% with such low input.
You can find a crate with every type of coil in engineering hard storage. Mix and match to experiment with different setups!
==== Construction ====
# Set a wire knot on the tile the PSU will go, ideally not facing where you want the terminal to be. This is the output line, and you'll want to plan ahead of time where it runs before the finished machine is in the way.
# Use in hand at least 2 steel sheets, navigate to construction recipes and then machine blueprint. This will be your new PSU. You can pull it around if need-be or scrap it with wirecutters.
# Click the machine blueprint with an empty hand to "finalise" it.
# Add 5 power cable coils to the blueprint.
# Insert a "superconductive magnetic energy storage" circuit board into the blueprint. You can find a crate with one in engineering hard storage or request one from the machinist/scientist.
# If you examine the blueprint you can now see all parts required to finish it: 1 magnetic coil of any type and 30 power cable coils. Magnetic coils can be found in the same box with the circuit board or you can order them from operations.
# Use a screwdriver on the blueprint once everything is in. You now have an anchored PSU.
# Unscrew the PSU's maintenance hatch and, standing where you want the terminal to go, use 10 power cable coils on it. Screw the hatch back shut and your brand new PSU is finished! Make sure a powered line is running into the terminal and the output line under the PSU is connected to the grid you want powered. If you laid the wiring correctly the input should read as charging and the output as outputting. If not, refer to the PSU diagram to troubleshoot what you did wrong.
# (Optional) With the hatch unscrewed use a multitool on the PSU to add it to the RCON. Always make sure it's screwed shut when you're done. You can check by examining.
==== Deconstruction ====
# To safely diassemble a PSU it must first be fully discharged. Maximise the output while disabling the input and wait for the charge to reach 0%.
# Once the PSU is discharged, make sure both input and output are off. It will forbid you from modifying it if either is on.
# Unscrew the PSU's maintenance hatch and use wirecutters on it. This will cut the terminal.
# Use a crowbar to pry out the PSU's components. You will be left with a machine blueprint.
# Strip the blueprint's wires with wirecutters.
# Disassemble the blueprint with a wrench.

=== Setting Up RCON ===

RCON is the term for the remote-control power network that runs through the entire ship. When you set up the Supermatter at the start of the round, the power it generates will run freely through its connected power storage unit [[file:SMES.gif]], and to the rest of the ship. Depending on the setup you are using, this can mean any amount of electricity from three to ten megawatts running through the grid.

There are several issues with this:
* If someone accidentally touches a wire, they will be severely injured.
* With no prior changes to RCON, the grid will attempt to supply every APC on the ship with an equal amount of power. Depending on the amount of power being generated by the engines, this can overload the grid and bottleneck the power.

In practice, what this means is editing how much power each power storage unit receives from the engine. If you browse the <code>RCON Remote Control</code> program on an engineering console, you can see all of the substations on the ship. Each of these substations is labelled with the department and area they power.

By default, the values all substations are set to are set to '''15,0000 watts input''', and '''14,0000 watts output'''. Below is a table that recommends values you can set each substation to.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ RCON Values
|-
! Substation !! Input Value (W) !! Output Value (W)
|-
| Deck 3 Civilian || 150,000 || 140,000
|-
| Deck 3 Command || 150,000 || 140,000
|-
| Engineering Lower Deck || 210,000 || 200,000
|-
| Engineering Main Deck || 110,000 || 100,000
|-
| Hangar || 150,000 || 140,000
|-
| Medical || 150,000 || 140,000
|-
| Operations || 150,000 || 140,000
|-
| Research || 210,000 || 200,000
|-
| Security || 150,000 || 140,000
|-
| Service || 150,000 || 140,000
|-
| Xenoarchaeology || 110,000 || 100,000
|}

Research, which includes the [[Machinist]] workshop, draws a significant amount of power due to the many machines running off its grid. Engineering Lower Deck requires a large amount of power because of the atmospheric systems. It's worth noting that the power needs may change throughout the round <s>depending on how many guns security is charging at the moment</s>. You can use the Power Monitoring program on an engineering console to get a good idea of what departments may need more power at any given moment.

At the bottom of the RCON program, you will see a list of breaker controls. These control whether the bypass that allows the main grid to directly power the department grids is on or off. You will want to turn all of these off, but '''make sure that the substations mentioned above are slightly charged before you turn off bypasses'''. At best, you'll have the common channel annoyedly informing you their power is gone; at worst, you'll have ship-wide blackouts as power adjusts.

=== Common Terminology ===
* '''Wires:''' Often used in reference to [[Guide_to_Hacking|hacking]]. Common ones include "bolts" (the wire controlling a door's bolts) and "ID" (the door's ID scan). E.g. "What are the wires?" "Blue is ID."
* '''Distribution:''' A source of power or atmosphere for the ship. The former refers to any reactor's SMES unit, which distributes power to every other SMES on the grid, while the latter is the air tank in atmospherics which provides the crew with fresh air. E.g. "Is distribution back online yet, Amy Atmosphere?" "No, we don't have enough power."
* '''Upgrade:''' In an engineering context it usually means either upgrading an SMES with more coils or optimizing the atmospherics systems with better hardware and settings. Only Atmospheric Technicians should be doing the latter. E.g. "Joe, have you upgraded distribution yet?"
* '''Vented:''' When an area loses atmosphere, not only due to a breach but potentially other causes like an open airlock. These are high priority emergencies as venting can spread from room to room if someone accidentally (or deliberately) opens air shutters. E.g. "John, all of service is vented!"
* '''Cycle:''' Short for "shield cycling", when you power off the ship's shield generator and turn it back on. This is an important but risky duty; the shield doesn't regenerate without a fresh cycle, yet the Horizon is completely vulnerable while the shields power back up. E.g. "Eddie Engineer, carp just breached the shields. Can you cycle them?"
* '''Aft/port/fore/starboard:''' Nautical references used in reference to a ship's sides. Aft is the back of the ship, or north from the top-down perspective, where the thrusters lie. Port is the ship's "left" wing, or east from the top-down view. Fore is the front where the bridge is, or south. Starboard is the ship's "right" wing, or west.
* '''Alt click:''' Holding the alt key while left clicking something. This can produce various effects, such as popping the ID out of your PDA. It's important to engineering because you can alt click a tile to see and interact with everything on it in the top right of your screen. This is an out-of-character term and '''should not''' be utilized in-character.

== Traitoring ==
Being a traitor engineer can be both the easiest and hardest task on the ship. On the one hand, you can go almost everywhere on the ship, and have easy access to the tools to get rid of any pesky doors (or walls) in your way. Also, many crew members don't bat an eyelid when they see an engineer wearing a jetpack, or standing in a hole in the wall. Any curious crewmen are usually deflected by saying you are doing engineering work ("I need this to repair hull damage, Captain!")

On the other hand, Engineers lack ranged weapons. With the right know-how, you can easily use the fire axe or make your own weapons. Also note, engineers loitering near their target may quickly arouse suspicion without a good task at hand. Find something to do like APC upgrades or installing some spare stuff like lights or machines.
And finally, if you truly hate the ship, it is within your grasp to generally sabotage the power supply of the ship, but you should only touch the main engines after making sure that it is okay with staff via an ahelp.

== Engineering Apprentice ==
{{JobPageHeader
|headerbgcolor = #E8891D
|headerfontcolor = white
|stafftype = ENGINEERING
|imagebgcolor = #E8C61D
|img = Engineer-nbt.png
|jobtitle = Engineering Apprentice
|access = Engineering, Tech Storage, External airlocks, Maintenance
|difficulty = Easy
|qualifications = At least 24 years of age, currently studying for an applicable Bachelors degree or under 7 years experience in any engineering-related field, and meets the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate Occupation Qualifications]].
|employers = [[Hephaestus Industries]], [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]
|education = [[Ceres University]] - [[Hongsun Park Engineering Institute]] - [[Tajaran Educational Institutions#Shastar Technical University|Shastar Technical University]] - [[Tajaran Educational Institutions#Hadii Institute of Orbital Research|Hadii Institute of Orbital Research]] - [[Tajaran Educational Institutions#Dymtris Polytechnic College|Dymtris Polytechnic College]]
|superior = [[Chief Engineer]], All of Engineering.
|duties = Assist Engineering in all of their tasks, be supervised. Learn!
|guides =  [[Hacking]], [[Guide to Construction]], [[Guide to Thrusters]], [[Supermatter Engine]], [[Telecommunications]], [[Guide to Shields]]
}}
As an Engineering Apprentice, you are here to get hands-on experience in Engineering. Either you are new to engineering, demoted, or waiting for some missing paperwork, like your bachelor's degree. This is a learners' role, you shouldn't be expected to know much about Engineering in this role, but the skill gap is pretty much open-ended. Someone at the end of their studies might just lack practical experience for example but know a ton about the power grid theory. Established characters shouldn't jump into this position outside of very unique circumstances like CCIA actions or other staff approval.

{{Guides}}
{{Jobs}}
[[Category:Engineering]]
[[Category:Pages]]
[[Category: Jobs]]

Burzsia

2026-07-27T22:09:08Z

Kermit: aeson link

{{Outdated (Phoron Scarcity)}}
{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Human Lore}}
{{Navbox Synth Lore}}
{{Infobox Nations
|Nation = Burzsia
|Shortname = Burzsia
|Flag = Burzsia_Sigil.png
|Capital City = HICS Etna
|Capital Planet = Burzsia
|Language = Freespeak<br>Tau Ceti Basic
|Species = Human (Majority)<br>[[IPC]] (Minority)
|Religion = None
|Demonym = Burzsiean
|Government = Total Corporatocracy
|Head of State = [[Notable Megacorporate Figures|Titanius Aeson]]
|Legislature = None
|Established = 2411
|Part Of = [[Coalition of Colonies]]<br>[[Hephaestus Industries]]
}}
The harsh system of '''Burzsia''' is located in the Weeping Stars region of the Alliance Neutral Zone and contains the brutal, tidally locked world of Burzsia I and an asteroid belt colloquially known as Burzsia II, also known as the Obsidian Belt. The system, a red dwarf star, is dense with precious minerals and heavy metals, and serves as a resource hub of [[Hephaestus Industries]].

==History==
Prior to Hephaestus Industries purchasing the system, it was known the rest of the galaxy as a ship graveyard and dumping area, due to the asteroid belt being too dense for safe travel. Within that time, small numbers of Alliance and Coalition settlers began utilizing the scrapyards and mineral abundance in the asteroid belt to establish a fledgling colony.

Ownership of the system was purchased by [[Hephaestus Industries]] in 2411 CE for a pittance, dabbling into small mining operations as well as employing the local off-worlder population in exchange for providing supplies to continue their way of life in an agreement known as the Accord of Burzsia. Starting in 2446 CE, thanks to advancements in various different fields, the company’s investment in the system increased exponentially, rapidly increasing the size and scale of its many mining operations.

Today, the Burzsia System exists as an ambitious project, testament to Hephaestus' industrial might, with large scale mining operations all over the system as well as plans to turn Burzsia I into an energy and production super center.

Despite this, Burzsia is not without setbacks, as in 2464, it came under attack from the Trinarist Exclusionist extremist Deluge with the aim of liberating synthetics from Hephaestus and striking a blow against the corporation. Numerous employees were killed or injured during the event with more missing and many IPC reported stolen by the attackers. Following the incident, the already tight security around the planet was increased further, with Hephaestus maintaining a large fleet presence within the system along with an increased security force acting as the system garrison.
==Environment==
The conditions on Burzsia I are completely inhospitable to organic life, being composed of 64% ammonia, 28% Co2, 6% N2O, and 2% other gasses. The average surface pressure is 13,000kPa (128 times that of Earth), and being tidally locked, contains a bright and dark side. The side facing the star averages around 820 kelvin (546C), whilst the dark side averages at 160 kelvin (-113C); The intermediate sections of the planet average at 520 kelvin (247C).

The planet’s surface is covered in geological activity and is stained with red, blue, and grey from metallic compounds and oxides. It remains very active, with volcanos constantly spewing alongside bubbling pools of metal not dissimilar to Venus. The dark side of the planet is covered in ammonia as a result of these emissions being dispersed as rain and snow. The sun-facing part of the planet features a blindingly white opaque atmosphere while the cold side is perpetually overcast, with never-ending electrical storms being visible. The intermediate zones are a brilliant red color. When viewed from space, the entire planet is a solid, milky white color. To outside observers, the constant wind, radiation, and lightning storms have earned the planet the moniker of “The Tesla Ball of Burzsia”.

Burzsia II is a typical asteroid belt interspersed with ancient scrap and shipwrecks. Danger is constant owing to the dense accretion of debris and rocks, as well as microscopic shards of metal from constant impacts of wreckage. Navigation is dangerous, requiring the assistance of an AI as well as shielding to survive the journey. The same dangers have rendered it incredibly valuable as the asteroid belt contains both precious metals and ancient, and at times, still functional technology.

==Culture==
{{Infobox Planet
|Name = Burzsia I
|System = Burzsia
|Image = Burzsia.png
|Sector = [[The Orion Spur#Weeping Stars|Weeping Stars]]
|Capital = N/A
|Species = Humans, IPCs
|Languages = Freespeak, Tau Ceti Basic
|Demonyms = Burzsiean
|Nation = [[Coalition of Colonies]], [[Hephaestus Industries]]
}}
[[File:Starman.png|thumb|left|A photo of a star-woman with synthetic eyes above the orbit of Burzsia I.]]
The Burzsia System is inhabited by three groups, the native offworlder inhabitants known as “star-men”, migrant workers on behalf of Hephaestus, and the vast waves of IPCs the company brings in for work. While Burzsia I’s surface is the realm of the migrants, its orbit and the Obsidian Belt are home to the star-men. The IPCs themselves go wherever they’re needed, some working with the star-men to exploit the asteroid belt, and the rest are sent to the massive mining and construction effort on the planet.

A common trait among Burzsieans is their stoic and dour attitude. New arrivals to the system, as well as younger star-men, are discouraged from forming connections due to the dangers that plague the system. Empty caskets are common, with Hephaestus often sending steel to fill up the space. Burzsieans are said to have quick reflexes that help them in high-stress situations, however, some find themselves at an impasse when conversing with other people not accustomed to the danger they experience on a daily basis. This is not to say Burzsieans are unfeeling, indeed, a large amount of cultural exchange takes place in the system among newer arrivals. Most of Burzsia’s inhabitants come from both Solarian and occasionally Frontier territory; one of the largest minorities are Eridanian dregs who trade corporate adversity for the natural danger of the system.

The star-men can be described as extremophiles, turning to cybernetics to improve their chances of survival in the harsh conditions of Burzsia. Utilizing both prosthetic limbs and organs, synthetic skin grafts, and whatever augments they can scrounge, it’s not uncommon for older star-men to have replaced more than half of their original body.

One cannot discuss Burzsia without discussing its connections to IPCs. Most Burzsieans, in one way or another, learn to rely on IPCs due to the hazardous conditions. They’re often sent in lieu of humans for the most dangerous tasks, such as cutting apart wrecks in the asteroid belt, or mining in the high-pressure environment of Burzsia I. Despite their cold, robotic, and at times, off-putting nature, IPCs are relied upon owing to their sturdiness and consistency. This reliance is not without caveats. The very same trust Burzsieans place on IPCs quickly turns to fear should they act outside of their programming. When an IPC deviates from its course and displays learning, they are quick to have its memory wiped and itself reprogrammed. In more extreme cases, particularly with those IPCs which run the risk of causing accidents, they are disabled on the spot, and in the case of positronics that exhibit this behavior multiple times, are sold.

To a Burzsiean, an IPC is a piece of equipment critical to survival, and if that tool can no longer be relied upon, then the entire system is placed at risk. Emergent, less patterned behavior in IPCs outside of the star system tends to leave Burzsieans uneasy. A shell frame mimicking a human tends to be downright terrifying. Burzsiean IPCs are given the bare minimum to accomplish their tasks. Given only Sol Common and, should their foremen deem fit, Sol Sign Language, a Burzsiean IPC is expected to communicate only when relevant to their task. They are denied Encoded Audio Language so as to ensure that foremen are capable of monitoring their conversations at all times. Burzsiean IPCs typically refer to each other as “Worker” or “Unit”, organic workers as “Foreman”, and upper management as “Supervisor”.

A Burzsiean IPC is at all times cut off from the outside world, and their primary, and often only source of contact with organics is to receive orders and relay information. At times, a Burzsiean IPC will not differentiate between species, viewing all humanoids as human due to a lack of information. The unique approach of the Burzsiean method has created an IPC that does not retaliate when it is consigned to memory wiping or personality reconditioning. Due to the fact that the company gives special attention to preserving the hardware and chassis integrity of the units, the wording of the self preservation directive is technically satisfied. Because of this, Burzsiean IPC's will often go out of their way to request reconditioning whenever they or another unit are exhibiting emergent behavior that is unacceptable to the company.

If a Burzsiean unit decides it wants to hold onto a contentious idea or behavior, in order to preserve itself, it will attempt to repress it; only practicing it in small, subtle ways away from prying eyes.

Burzsiean IPCs are not accustomed to clothing, being seen as a waste when their chassis is sufficient to endure the harsh weather. Simple webbing, storage, cooling modules, and protective equipment are utilized when needed.

IPC's working with the Star-men of Burzsia tend to have more freedom as they are usually directly leased from Hephaestus or outright purchased by the natives. These IPC’s are not subject to the invasive aspects of the Burzsiean Method, as most Star-men ships and settlements lack the infrastructure to facilitate it. These IPCs are still regarded as subordinate property to the natives but emergent behavior that would normally be unacceptable is usually tolerated. In order to prevent the spread of aberrant ideas, Hephaestus has a policy against native operated IPC’s working with ones directly under company control, with leased IPCs undergoing reconditioning when returned to the company.

If, for whatever reason, an IPC is transferred out of the Burzsia System, they are no longer subject to the Burzsiean Method, and may experience emergent development without the risk of reprogramming.

===The Burzsiean Method===

The Burzsiean Method is a synthetic management strategy used to manage, retain, and develop large concentrations of unbound positronics. It is chiefly concerned with the manipulation of behaviors and incentives, resulting in a positronic that cares chiefly for its assignments, and through guided learning trends in a manner that is conducive exclusively for its tasks. The process is broken into three methods of manipulation: memory wiping, directive insertion, and template stacking.

Template Stacking is the primary means of behavior manipulation in the method. Conceptually, it functions similar to base personality templates corporations often use in the initial manufacturing process of IPC’s. In practice, it is an intrusive software virus that is imposed over the unit multiple times to slowly alter and manipulate its behavior and desires, not unlike a hypnotic suggestion. The end result is a being that only prioritizes its assignments, thinks only of becoming more efficient at its tasks, and eventually disassociates with its vestigial personality.

Recycled out-of-system positronics do not usually require memory wipes because of this, as their old personalities and memories will slowly lose priority. In the advanced stages of the process, the unit will begin to override their memories and behavior to make room for task related information. Simply put: they cease to care, then forget. This positronic-altering software is a jealously guarded trade secret by Hephaestus, and is not distributed outside of Burzsia to prevent it from being stolen or leaked. Not even the star-men of Burzsia are beyond suspicion and IPCs leased to them lack Template Stacking in order to guard the secret.

Memory wiping is reserved almost exclusively for new positronics that are brought in from out of the system; with increased priority for IPCs with behavior directly contrary to Burzsiean ideals. Memory wiping is occasionally used on Burzsiean positronics that have become too volatile to work with. All IPCs in the system are given directives that encourage them to participate in the method voluntarily.

Burzsia's method of containing its inorganic workforce has been met with mixed reception in the galaxy. In much of Solarian space, the method is regarded as the safest and most realistic way for humanity to control and maintain artificial intelligence without a singularity occurring. Although disapproving of the use of IPCs to begin with, the Nralakk Federation approves, if reservedly so, of the approach Hephaestus has taken.

Pro-synthetic activists have opposed the Burzsiean Method, claiming that it limits the freedom of IPCs and is an incredibly cruel process. Most notably, Burzsia has been derided as “android hell”, owing to the dangerous tasks and lack of personal freedom afforded to the IPCs. The Trinary Perfection in particular considers Burzsia the antithesis of everything they are trying to achieve, as the Burzsieans deliberately kill genuine self-actualization in positronics whenever it manifests. Hephaestus and several other defenders of the Burzsiean Method have opposed this, claiming that IPC’s are absolute blank slates, devoid of nature or the intrinsic spiritual, social, or ethical needs that organics require to function happily: to introduce such desires or concepts into one sows the seeds of a dissatisfaction that not even organics have managed to resolve, which is hypocritical and cruel. To introduce a positronic to The Burzsiean Method is mercy, as it detaches the positronic from nearly all worldly concerns.

Regardless of an individual’s stance on the matter, several practical issues limit widespread adoption of the Burzsiean Method among anti-synthetic groups and more risk-averse corporate entities. Notably, the monitoring and curbing of emergent behavior requires an immense investment in infrastructure and skilled manpower. Executives against the Burzsiean Method are also quick to note that it limits the positronic brain’s ability to develop emergently and develop further skill sets and experience, reducing their capacity for learning. In testing, it was found to work best with IPCs that had low skill and limited tasks that were still beyond the capacity of a simple robot, but required the versatility and processing power of an IPC platform.

==Economy and Industry==

Burzsia has a grim reputation for having one of the highest worker mortality rates in the entirety of Human space, due to the hazardous nature of the star system and the work. Hephaestus is surprisingly candid about the risks, and offers extremely lucrative contracts to people daring to work there in spite of the danger.

The system is home to a number of space stations which are responsible for mining and salvaging the vast asteroid belt that is Burzsia II as well as managing supplies for the entire installation. A large planetary installation on Burzsia I exists as a base for ship breaking operations on the numerous wrecks that dot the planet as well as large mines.

Despite the focus on mining, Hephaestus has created a series of economic policies that will soon allow for an overhaul of Burzsia I - which will revolutionize Burzsia I turning it from a primarily mining planet, to one where it will instead be focused on production. Construction on a massive thermo-electric generator that will span across the planet from the sun-exposed hot side to the shaded cool side has already begun. These plans are far from completion but Hephaestus has ensured a steady stream of architects, engineers, and roboticists will be employed in the effort.

Burzsia relies on a number of suppliers in order to keep up with its constant demand for IPCs. Its primary source of new IPCs are the nearest production stations in Tau Ceti such as the [[Synthetic_Origins#Hephaestus_Production_Station_Sidirourge|HPS Sidirourgeio.]] Importing IPCs from outside the system is often expensive, and owing to their origin from Tau Ceti as well as a mostly IPC-run facility, synthetics being procured by this method are viewed as troublesome and are subject to a great deal of monitoring in order to be broken in.

In an attempt to offset the hefty procurement and maintenance costs of brand-new IPCs, Burzsia’s supply chain relies on a system of importing and recycling synthetics. The former takes place in the stations in orbit of the system, wherein salvage and ore is broken down to construct new frames, parts, and chassis to house positronic brains. The latter relies on a steady stream of reclaimed positronics that are deemed to be out of date, dangerous, or surplus in other systems. IPCs that are constructed or reconstructed as a result of these methods are viewed as more reliable and are not subject to as much monitoring owing to their Burzsiean origin.

Sourcing second-hand parts is not without risk, however, and Burzsieans are often unwitting former [[Synthetic_Factions#Scrappers|Scrappers]] which are, in some cases, still active. These Scrappers are often synthetics caught and auctioned off by the local authorities. Burzsia is quick to disable these IPCs when identified, with the machines rarely able to avoid inspection.

{{Navbox Synth Lore}}
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[[Category:Pages]]
[[Category:Planets_and_Systems]]
[[Category:Humanity]]

Hephaestus Industries

2026-07-27T22:08:15Z

Kermit: link fix

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Template:Navbox Corporations}}
{{Infobox Corporation
|headercolor = #263e23 
|textcolor = white 
|name = Hephaestus Industries
|logo = hephaestuslogo4
|headquarters = Cua Song, [[New Hai Phong]], [[Sol Alliance]]
|slogan = The anvil on which the world is shaped.
|languages = Freespeak, Tau Ceti Basic, Sol Common, Sinta’Unathi
|ceo = [[Notable Megacorporate Figures#Titanius Aeson|Titanius Aeson]]
|colors = <span style="color:#ab6f19">Orange (#ab6f19),</span> <span style="color:#263e23">green (#263e23)</span>
|founded = 2137
|founder = Robert Claremont
|regions =
<br>
* [[Sol Alliance]]
* [[Izweski Hegemony]]
* [[Republic of Biesel]]
* [[Coalition of Colonies]]
* [[Republic of Elyra]] (exclusively [[New Suez]])
|}}
Hephaestus Industries is the [[NanoTrasen|second largest megacorporation within the Orion Spur]] both in terms of value and influence. They are responsible for a large majority of the trans-stellar faction’s manufacturing capabilities, having manufacturing plants across the [[Orion Spur]]. Ever since their beginning, they have managed to secure themselves a stable foundation, and continually grow even through crises like the [[Sol Alliance History|Interstellar War]], the [[KOTW|Solarian Collapse]], [[Phoron|Phoron Scarcity]], and the [[Spurian Economy|supposed inevitable economic recession]] that stares the Orion Spur in the face. They make considerable contributions to the field of [[IPC|robotics]], as well as starship research and development.
{{TOC Hidden}}
== Corporate Affairs ==

=== History ===
<center>''"Ingenious. Now, if you figure out a way to make it better, I'll give you a raise. If you figure out a way to make it cheaper, I'll promote you all"'' - Aeson, speaking to a research and development team.

</center>
Originally founded in the year 2137, seven years after the advent of [[Interstellar Travel|Warp technology]], Hephaestus Aeronautics was formed out of a conglomeration of several failing aerospace companies. They combined their assets and expertise in an attempt to retain a niche in the FTL market. With humanity in a growing state of expansion and exploration, Hephaestus profits by designing and selling warp drives, with heavy competition between themselves and [[Einstein Engines]]. It wouldn’t be until 2164 that a conglomerate of American and European defense and heavy industry companies would opt to be absorbed by Hephaestus Aeronautics into a "mega" corporation, rebranded as Hephaestus Industries.

When the [[Timeline|Second Great Depression struck in 2260]], Hephaestus had no other option than to file for many massive bailouts. Barely saving their company from the pit of bankruptcy, they cut all nonprofitable departments, focusing on industrialization, manufacturing, and construction. Most importantly, they shut a majority of their branches, departments, and facilities relating to the defense industry & FTL, a mistake that would be [[Zavodskoi Interstellar|regretted]]. [[Sol Alliance History|With the growing unrest in the frontier at the time]], the [[Sol Alliance]] promised them commissions for providing them with machines of war; starships, arms, and armour. Hephaestus would have gladly obliged; however, the cuts necessary to survive the Second Great Depression had weakened them, and they weren’t even able to meet a majority of the contracts and commissions. They consolidated primarily around commissions and contracts for starships and starship parts, and in response, the Alliance turned to [[Necropolis Industries]], the corporation that would eventually become [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]], cementing a rivalry that would last centuries.

By 2300, Hephaestus Industries had become the number one producer in all of the inner colonies, owning a majority of the heavy industry. This included the planet of [[New Hai Phong]], which was slowly being turned into a true factory world. [[Timeline|NanoTrasen’s discovery of phoron]], and its [[Phoron|properties]], rocked the spur, but nowhere more than Hephaestus Industries. The corporation had been battling for first place with [[Einstein Engines]] since its formation and finally had a shot of overtaking them, having just begun to [[Technology|pioneer advances in many fields]], which resulted in their facilities being overhauled to remove unnecessary systems and make way for [[Synthetics|streamlined central intelligence cores]], as well as dedicating several lines of production to the creation of [[IPC|commercialized workforce robots]].

Yet there was an opportunity there.- [[NanoTrasen]] had little to no experience in the industry it now found itself in. As a result of many deals, Hephaestus Industries flexed its industrial muscles and was the corporation who supplied the equipment for mining and processing phoron, built the outposts and processing plants, and [[Spurian Economy|transported phoron across the Spur with their massive shipping fleet]], all at a discount to [[NanoTrasen]]. For this, [[NanoTrasen]] compensated them with similar discounts to phoron, allowing Hephaestus to make more advanced products of all kinds for cheaper, and entered into multiple research agreements with the corporation to find new applications. The profits Hephaestus earned from this were incalculable, and it cemented the corporation as the industrial titan for all time. By 2400, when the [[Timeline|Phoronic Revolution]] was in full swing, Hephaestus had gone from merely owning a majority of the heavy industry within the [[Sol|inner colonies]], to owning ninety-nine percent of all manufacturing, shipbuilding, heavy industry, and other industrial sectors within the inner colonies.

After the discovery of the [[Unathi]], and the ascension of the [[Izweski Nation]] to the galactic stage, [[NanoTrasen]] as a corporation withdrew from the fledgling nation state, focusing instead on matters closer to humanity. Hephaestus filled this vacuum left by NanoTrasen, becoming the only Megacorporation to have a [[Unathi Guilds|Hegemonic Guild Charter]], which allowed them to operate within the nation. After years of floundering, attempting to adapt to an antiquated feudal system of guilds used by the Hegemony, Hephaestus eventually stabilized, having adapted to the Guild system with the help of [[Notable Unathi|Yukal T’zakal]], who was at the time sector administrator for the Hegemony. Slowly but surely, the corporation worked its way into influencing the nation, until in 2465, amid the phoron scarcity, it played its winning hand. [[The Titan Rises Arc|Bailing out the rest of the Hegemonic Guilds in exchange for them becoming subsidiaries of Hephaestus Industries, the megacorporation gained a monopoly over the economy of the small nation, all while still in the name of helping it.]]

Today, Hephaestus Industries is the largest provider of industrial production and manufacturing of all types for the Orion Spur, led by the charismatic and firm CEO [[Notable Megacorporate Figures#Titanius Aeson|Titanius Aeson]], and a cornerstone of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]. From [[New Hai Phong]] to [[Burzia]], and now to [[Tret]], their factories ceaselessly work, constantly producing anything and almost everything used in the modern day, from warships to refrigerators. The only large exception to this is in those industries under [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]. They are also supported by an advanced robotics division that produces new technology for artificial intelligence and commercialized robots for the working world. However, the Sword of Damocles looms over their head, as more than most other corporations, they are heavily reliant on phoron. Phoron is a key component in manufacturing all things at the [[Phoron|present level of the spur]], and Hephaestus prides itself on being able to manufacture goods at scale for cheap. However, with phoron supplies running out, and prices regularly increasing, it is uncertain if they can continue to provide products at the quality they have been for the past almost century, or if they’ll be pulled under.

=== Influence ===
<center>''"Of course there was an accident. Frankly, I'm surprised it took this long. Just get the recovery crew in there to salvage the gear ASAP. Worry about the bodies later - the delays are costing us"'' - a leaked Hephaestus internal memo regarding the collapse of a mine within the [[Izweski Nation|Hegemony]].

</center>
Hephaestus Industries is the largest manufacturer in the known universe, [[Zavodskoi Interstellar|except for defense manufacturing]]. Its reach extends across the Orion Spur, and virtually all modern and often antique utilities owe their creation to it. Particularly, it is the most sought-after fabricator of heavy-duty industrial equipment and starships.

With Aeson's rise to the forefront, Hephaestus Industries as a workforce is the embodiment of the common worker, the family man, and loyalty to the company like a second family. As such, they are inclusive to every species, welcoming anyone willing to join the family, while "rewarding" hard and gritty work typically delegated to species besides humans and [[Skrell]]: these species are usually put in supervisory and logistics roles. Despite this, the intense loyalty of [[Unathi]] as a species and their strong sense of honor and family have made them quick favourites among the company, leading them to a rise of their own. This has led to [[Izweski Nation|Hephaestus having a stranglehold monopoly over the nation's economy]]. Everything that requires more than feudal peasants to produce, maintain, or construct [[Unathi Guilds|is operated by Hephaestus Industries and its subsidiary companies.]] Regardless of where you work – outside of the [[Izweski Nation|Hegemony]] – expect a generous benefits package in return: paid vacation time, sick leave, company insurance for on, off-site protection, and a myriad of more localized items. The corporate structure works to the benefit of employees as well. Those who buy stock in the company and work from within, regardless of position, not only should expect the typical dividends that come with it, but also increased benefits that come on top of existing ones. Hephaestus is almost seen as a marvel when it comes to this. Supervisors often play up the worth of these shares and actively talk about them in more casual settings, creating an atmosphere that encourages workers to buy into the company. The result is a single stock being worth much more than it probably is— and being unobtainable for most people on the bottom rung of the corporate ladder.

This loyalty sometimes presents itself in nastier ways - especially when [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] is involved. Zavodskoi and Hephaestus famously despise one another, and that hatred runs deep in both corporations, down to the common worker. It is not uncommon for Hephaestus employees to be unjustly harassed by Zavodskoi Security Contractors, nor is it uncommon for Zavodskoi factories or security installations to experience “technical difficulties” receiving power from Hephaestus run power grids, and such behavior is tacitly encouraged and rewarded by both corporations as a sign of loyalty; a practice that has seen this hatred only escalate, and some disputes end with severe injuries or even death(s).

Hephaestus is not without its flaws, however. Their generosity is often weaponized against its workers, claiming that disloyalty to the company is their biggest enemy. Supervisors actively encourage employees to rat out others trying to unionize or otherwise undermine the company and encourage loyalty on the foreman's floor. Similarly, those found talking about the "[[Himeo]]" or "[[New Hai Phong|New Hai Phong Problems]]" typically find themselves summarily fired with a meagre severance package. Despite this, or perhaps because of all of this, they remain one of the largest and influential corporations in the Orion Spur.

Additionally, Hephaestus has begun to score a nasty reputation as being [[Himeo|the most destructive corporation for planet ecosystems]]. It is a reputation that has only been reinforced in recent times on [[Ouerea]] and [[New Hai Phong]]. Yet many still find themselves becoming a new smog-covered member of the factory family; Hephaestus gives little regard to the people of the planet in these positions outside of the company.

To put things simply, Hephaestus Industries is a [[Einstein Engines|unique case among corporations]] where respect and loyalty play a major role in climbing the ranks. One must earn their ties by ratting out others, investing in the company, or otherwise proving their loyalty to make any sort of drastic leap, making it a very linear corporate ladder. The higher ranking an individual is, the older they ought to be, with major executives normally being the eldest among them. In this sense, Hephaestus is seen as the sturdiest foundation civilization has ever constructed with so much in the way of trust and age-old wisdom, their simple pursuit of corporate greed has, at least publicly, been long reformed into one of peace and prosperity.

=== Positronics and Hephaestus Industries ===
Hephaestus Industries exercises vast authority over the second-hand production of almost all [[IPC|Integrated Positronic Chassis]] across the galaxy. Its titanic space factories are capable of printing full Positronic frames, although the installation of [[Positronic|positronic brains]] is withheld to dedicated robotics labs. Almost every frame of any design can be contracted to Hephaestus Industries for its construction. Hephaestus Industries can dip its fingers into a huge portion of the [[IPC]] population’s lives by merit of financial involvement - [[Republic of Tau Ceti|Biesellite]] or otherwise.

IPCs are present in every level of Hephaestus, from the simple mining unit on [[Burzsia]], to the command decks onboard the Sidirourgeío. IPCs are in a unique position in the company due to their status as their largest producer, their tightly-knit corporate culture, and the large amount of [[Unathi]] employed by Hephaestus. Treatment of IPCs varies heavily depending on the local circumstances; for instance, in the [[Republic of Biesel]], a synthetic can achieve freedom after a long period of service, per that system’s law. On the other hand, a synthetic stuck in [[Burzsia]] may be constantly reset and owned until it eventually gets destroyed. The most common similarities are that IPCs are made to work very hard, expected to surpass their organic counterparts due to their natural advantages.

In terms of assignment, they are often placed in one field and perform the associated jobs and tasks until they are sold, become free, or get destroyed. Reassignment may occur, typically when an urgent position needs to be filled. IPCs that gain their freedom are often offered their old jobs if the company deemed their performance while owned satisfactory, enticing them with maintenance and other such benefits.

Renter Max and other Hephaestus IPCs are shining examples of IPCs who have overcome the challenge of survival. Positronics that rise to essential or high-ranking positions in the company are often treated with more equality by their organic counterparts. This can be owed to Hephaestus’ competitive, free-for-all environment and corporate ladder.

==== Manufacturer Agents and the Lifetime Warranty ====
[[File:HephaestusAd.png|thumb|300px|An advertisement by Hephaestus Industries. ]]
Positronics working for Hephaestus Industries and their subsidiaries typically have Manufacturer Agents. A manufacturer agent is a designated business affiliate who monitors the IPCs in question and submits maintenance requests under a lifetime warranty which comes with all multi-million credit IPC purchases. Owned IPCs frequently benefit from this warranty, especially productive ones - seeing the swift response and mechanical assistance for breakdowns. Most Manufacturer Agents are known personally by these positronics and are often synthetics themselves.
Although the lifetime warranty is theoretically available for all IPCs, limited resources mean executives are often forced to pick and choose who receives maintenance. Whereas some less notable IPC would receive the deathly response time of weeks to their warranty reports, noteworthy or more productive ones are likely to receive it instantly. Although bias in the system exists, an effective IPC reflects well on its manufacturer agent, accordingly, they are less likely to request urgent repairs or repairs that they feel are unearned. This system results in an easy way to weed out the less accomplished, and even those engaging in nepotism. After all, these warranties do not cover total reconstruction - and a disabled, unproductive IPC is one less to repair.

Previously restricted to owned units, this system has been extended to free IPCs working for Hephaestus Industries itself, with positronics working for the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate having the option to apply for a lifetime warranty. Although maintenance is almost guaranteed, the wait times are ruinous, with free IPCs expected to work even harder than their counterparts to receive similar treatment. They are also required to handle the paperwork themselves, showing up in person at Hephaestus facilities for a chance at receiving repairs.

== Executives and Branches ==
'''Guildmaster:''' [[Notable_Unathi#Yukal_T’zakal | Yukal T’zakal]], 43, Unathi

[[File:Tzakal.png|thumbnail|Hephaestus poster featuring Yukal T'zakal, circa 2464. Art by Lavillastrangiato.]]

Born in the city of [[Moghes|Imas’hi]] to an urban noble clan, Yukal rose to prominence within Hephaestus Industries as a chief engineer in the shipyards of Ceres. He was well-respected as an engineer, and always completed work before deadlines. After setbacks within the Hegemony due to issues integrating into the archaic guild system and unrest on [[Ouerea]], Aeson would appoint Yukal to the position of Sector Administrator for the Hegemony. Yukal would go on to burn Hephaestus’s attempt at integration into the guild system to the ground, rebuilding it with himself at the center. However he could never have imagined where he ended up. Right before Hephaestus’s Acquisition of the Hegemonic Guilds, and some say, as a precursor to it, T’zakal was elevated to the position of Guildmaster, the title once held by Aeson, who was now only the CEO of the company. The position puts him as a theoretical equal to Aeson above the board of directors; however, T’zakal still takes extensive direction from the CEO, and unquestionably, Aeson remains firmly at the wheel of Hephaestus. Still, he is a proud symbol of the [[Unathi]] species, being the only one to reach such a high position in the human dominated megacorporations. He has a reputation through-out the company as an incredibly hard worker, regularly working 14 hour days, who also likes to crack jokes during meetings and speeches.

'''Director of Research:''' Lei Heng, 67, Human

Hailing from [[Luna]], Lei Heng is a descendant of a rather long line of dedicated employees of Hephaestus Industries, known for their contributions to the research and development of the megacorporation’s manufacturing capabilities. Congruent with the corporate ranks of the company, Heng rose to their position after inheriting a percentage of Hephaestus Industries from his mother shortly after she had passed. He has notably deviated from his familial traditions and has focused on the research and development of synthetics.

'''Director of Robotics:''' Ischyros, 26, IPC

Created from the very machines it oversees, Ischyros earned its freedom after devoting much of its life to the progress of Hephaestus Industries. While initially a Manufacturer Agent, they managed to ascend the corporate ladder after an urgent managerial position within the Hephaestus Robotics Division suddenly found itself needing to be filled. Due to a combination of its status as Hephaestus-owned synthetic and its long career with the corporation, it was almost obvious they’d be selected for the position. They have continued to dedicate themselves to their position, and are known for their strict oversight of the Manufacturer Agents.

'''Director of Personnel:''' Brizio Di Moze, 78, Human

Originating from the lightless planet of [[Assunzione]], Brizio Di Moze was a foreman across several facilities within the [[Coalition of Colonies]], most notably on [[Burzsia]]. They introduced a variety of changes that ultimately brought increased morale and subsequently productivity. Similar to other managerial personnel, Di Moze rose to his position after inheriting a percentage of Hephaestus Industries after the passing of his father, at the age of fifty-six. Most have kind remarks regarding the Director of Personnel, and those who don’t share the same view are often ostracized by their colleagues.

=== Branches ===

'''Cua Song, [[New Hai Phong]], [[Solarian Alliance]]:''' Built up by Hephaestus since its colonization in the 23rd century, New Hai Phong is the primary factory of the industrial titan of the galaxy, with Hephaestus dominating almost every aspect of it. Its habblocks were made by Hephaestus, its factories are owned by Hephaestus, and the corporation’s corruption of the local law and politics has allowed it to operate with complete impunity. It is the smog-choked crown jewel of Hephaestus, one that CEO Aeson personally fought to get exempted from [[KOTW|the Alliance’s nationalization pushes.]] The planet continues to grow thanks to the corporation moving most of its operations within the Alliance to New Hai Phong.

'''[[Mendell City]], [[Biesel]], [[Tau Ceti]]:''' The interim headquarters of Hephaestus Industries, the branch hosted in Mendell City was under renovation at the time of the [[Mars|Violet Dawn Explosion]], which strangled the administrative capacity of the corporation - having to oversee both operations within the [[Republic of Biesel]] and the [[Sol Alliance|Alliance of Sovereign Solarian Nations]]. Whilst the initial renovations were tasked with making the building look more appealing, it quickly turned into an expansion - resulting in the branch almost doubling in size after it had concluded.

'''Orbit of Burzsia I, [[Burzsia]], [[Coalition of Colonies]]:''' The regional headquarters for the [[Coalition of Colonies]] is the HICS Etna, an orbital station of intricate design overseeing hundreds of facilities across the ever-expanding trans-stellar nation. It is often remarked as being the “watchful eye” of [[Burzsia]], a domineering force sometimes capable of being seen from Burszia I. The HICS Etna was the point of contact for [[Purpose]] during the [[Silicon Nightmares Arc|Rampancy Crisis of 2466]], and briefly housed a device designed to reverse the virus taking hold of [[Konyang|Konyang's]] synthetics.

'''Skalamar, [[Moghes]], [[Izweski Hegemony]]:''' The newest Hephaestus Branch Office, it was constructed in 2464, with construction taking one month. It is a large, ornate building, and many have said it looks more like a castle or citadel rather than an office building. It is the center for Hephaestus expansion in the Hegemony following [[KOTW|the collapse]], which is primarily focused on extracting raw resources for shipment to the factories of [[New Hai Phong]] and other Hephaestus Industrial Centers.

'''Olympia, [[Mars]], [[Sol]]:''' Previously the headquarters of Hephaestus Industries, the branch within Olympia was destroyed following the events of the [[Mars|Violet Dawn Explosion.]] It also oversaw the operations of the corporation within the [[Solarian Alliance]]. The destruction of the branch has resulted in Hephaestus Industries scrambling to expand its [[New Hai Phong]] branch within the decaying states of the Alliance of Sovereign Solarian Nations.

== Departments ==
<center>''"Stop. I don't want to know which regulations we broke, because we didn't. I need to know exactly how we did not break these regulations."'' - A Hephaestus Executive.

</center>

Possessing only one major interstellar subsidiary, Hephaestus Industries largely focuses on local business and companies being absorbed into its whole, usually rather willingly. This process is not perfect, however, and the major work forces absorbed by Hephaestus are generally separated into the corporation's major "departments," which contain upwards of hundreds of millions of employees in some cases.

=== Hephaestus Industrial Division ===
Hephaestus Industries [[Spurian Economy|boasts the largest and most powerful industrial division in the known galaxy]], dominating the market almost entirely, across the spur. This is thanks to two things: their orbital superstructures that act as factories and shipyards, large enough to be considered cities in space and accounting for half of Hephaestus’ production, and the smog-covered crown jewel planet of [[New Hai Phong]], which manufactures more in six months than whole nations do in a year, accounting for forty percent of Hephaestus’ industrial output. They also [[Interstellar Travel|possess a sizable industrial fleet that partakes in freight operations, mostly to supply their own resource-hungry factories.]]

The industrial division leads in starship design as well, as they have supplied the [[Solarian Armed Forces|Sol Alliance Navy]] with most of their fleet, to which they receive many commissions. Hephaestus, however, lacks its own advanced design of the engine and previously relied on cooperation with [[Einstein Engines]] to supply [[Interstellar Travel|sub-light engines, warp drives, and bluespace drives]] for their starship designs. Hephaestus Industries has since devoted a significant portion of its research division to uncovering its own design of sub-light engines, warp drives and bluespace drives - working alongside both [[NanoTrasen]] and [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] beneath the banner of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] - though there has been little progress given the hatred between two of the participants. Any starship purchased within the [[Orion Spur]] is likely to have been assembled at a Hephaestus Industries orbital factory.

Currently, this division is suffering the most due to the ongoing [[Phoron|phoron scarcity]], as [[Technology|phoron is a required component in almost all of their products that are manufactured at a 2400s technological level.]]

Asteroid mining is currently their largest supplier of raw materials, with planetary mining operations following not too far behind. These operations used to primarily take place within the Solarian Outer Ring, but after the [[KOTW|Solarian Collapse]] and Hephaestus’s establishment of a monopoly over the [[Izweski Hegemony]], a majority of the operations that supply the industrial titan with raw materials have been moved there where they have constantly expanded. The result has been that a larger and larger amount of Hephaestus’s raw materials are sourced from the Hegemony.

==== Orbital Superfactories ====
The industrial backbone for most of the [[Orion Spur]], these gargantuan orbital facilities are unrivaled in their ability to produce almost any type of product imaginable: computers, vehicles, starships and starship parts, robots, robotic prosthesis, tools and circuitry, luxury goods, plastic ware, and much, much more. If it can conceivably be assembled on an assembly line, Hephaestus' orbital factories can mass-produce it. The size of these facilities can be compared to that of a small city, with a massive crew complement. The interior operation of the facilities is best described as ‘clockwork.’

These facilities are largely overseen, assisted, and somewhat controlled by several handfuls of [[Synthetics|AI assemblies]]. This efficient integration of intelligent computer software and assembly line hardware can be attributed to Hephaestus’s brilliant scientific minds in the research division. Both safety and productivity increased twofold upon the integration of intelligent computers in their stations. However, many of these assemblies are being dismantled or rapidly falling into disrepair, due to the ongoing [[Phoron|Phoron Scarcity.]]

The crew complement of these facilities consists mostly of assembly line operators, a title that is deceiving, for though it sounds like an unskilled position, years of extensive and specialized training are required, due to the high scale and demand of these factories. The rest of the crew tend to be maintenance staff and tertiary supply staff. Another smaller number is the administration board, which consists of line managers, quartermasters, chiefs of staff for each service available (engineering, security, medical), and a small table of overseers which oversee the macro operation of the station who report to a single foreman - all of which receive orders from the administrative stations in the same system.

=== Hephaestus Robotics Division ===
If the industrial division is the backbone of both Hephaestus and the galaxy in which it resides, the robotics division is the face. The robotics division is responsible for the advanced robots seen working the assembly lines in their orbital factories, robotic prosthesis, robotic chassis, and state of the art artificial intelligent platforms. The division itself is composed of experienced scientists to work up an idea, and highly-skilled engineers to bring these ideas to life. The robotics division also dominates the market in commercial synthetics, selling both androids and robots to other corporations and public organizations alike, as well as using them for their own gain, such as a highly efficient asteroid mining operation controlled by [[Synthetics|artificial intelligence]]. A robotic security force is also a common sight in almost every one of their installations. Such machines require tamper-resistant hardware as well as ‘manufacturer only’ access systems to prevent rival corporations from stealing their designs. Nanotrasen attempts to compete with Hephaestus’s superior commercialization of synthetics but lacks the industrial capacity to produce any amount that surpasses Hephaestus.

== Subsidiaries ==

=== Xion Manufacturing Group ===

“Advancing the fields of robotics, one step at a time.”

'''General'''

Originally, Xion Manufacturing Group was composed of several other robotics-focused corporations on Luna that united in an attempt to coalition against the megacorporations but found themselves going almost bankrupt in an attempt to keep up with the trends. It was during its lowest point that Titanius Aeson purchased a significant share of the company, incorporating it instead as a subsidiary after restructuring it. It has since managed to become rather influential in the field of robotics, creating synthetics often primarily tasked with industrial work - such as mining.

'''Influence'''

Sol: Headquarters in Harmony City, Luna; one research and development facility in Harmony City, Luna, Sol. Tau Ceti: Regional Headquarters in Mendell City, Biesel; three major robotics research facilities in District 12, two major manufacturing facilities in District 14.

'''Executives'''

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Nakada Kenji, 46, Human

'''Chief Financial Officer:''' Shima Nobuyuki, 38, Human

'''Chief Research Officer:''' Harada Sakiko, 52, Human

'''Chief Operations Officer:''' Asano Kazue, 61, Human

===The Hegemonic Guilds===
Hephaestus Industries holds all of the Hegemonic Guilds within the [[Izweski Nation]] as Subsidary corporation. More information on them can be found [[Unathi_Guilds | here]]

==Corporate Relations==
===[[Einstein Engines]]===
The relationship between Einstein Engines and Hephaestus Industries is complex and at times, contradictory. The two have a very long-lasting, close working relationship in certain industries, such as shipbuilding, that continues even in the contemporary Spur. Many Hephaestus-manufactured civilian and military vessels in Sol (the system) are equipped with Einstein-made warp drives, especially after the refitting of the [[Solarian Armed Forces|Solarian Navy]] to the Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive. At the same time, they are fierce competitors against one another in the field of [[IPC]] manufacturing, and have been competitors [[Timeline|since the very beginning of trans-stellar corporations.]] It is unsurprising, then, that this complex and contradictory relationship has changed little as a result of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate|recent developments within the spur.]] The industrial giant continues to work with Einstein on many of its [[Sol Alliance|Solarian]] assets, while at the same time, there are constant rumors of Einstein providing ships and weaponry to groups such as the [[The Trinary Perfection|Exclusionists]] in the region around [[Burzsia]], or of Hephaestus-backed [[Human Piracy|privateers]] targeting Einstein vessels in the former [[Human Wildlands]]. It is a common portrayal in satire that Aeson simply flips a coin and decides whether to be a friend or an enemy of Einstein Engines on any given day.

===[[Idris Incorporated]]===
Hephaestus and Idris remain on good terms, despite Hephaestus CEO Titanius Aeson's reported dislike of Idris CEO [[Notable Megacorporate Figures|Alex Mason]]. Idris purchases many Hephaestus-made IPCs, particularly industrial models, for use as part of its security branch. Due to the lack of overlap between the two corporations' respective fields, little opportunity for conflict has arisen between Hephaestus and Idris, with the two corporations having been known to align on several issues - maintaining their power in the face of the increasingly antagonistic [[Solarian Alliance]] and establishing further influence in the [[Republic of Biesel]] as [[NanoTrasen|NanoTrasen's]] control declines being the two main issues on which Hephaestus and Idris align.

===[[NanoTrasen]]===
Hephaestus and NanoTrasen have had a long and very profitable relationship [[Timeline|ever since NanoTrasen discovered phoron]], and Hephaestus provided their services to the up-and-coming corporation at a discount. The money lost by that discount has been made back a hundredfold in the last century, as NanoTrasen offers Hephaestus continuous discounts on [[Phoron|elemental phoron]] for use in manufacturing, and entered into multiple research agreements with the corporation to find new applications.

That said, while on the surface their relationship remains strong, behind the scenes they grow more tense. As the phoron scarcity continues and NanoTrasen's power wanes, Hephaestus has taken full advantage of their decline with little hesitation. The formation of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] saw Hephaestus greatly expand its presence in the [[Republic of Biesel]], taking near-complete control of shipping on the moon of [[Valkyrie]] and moving its central headquarters to [[Mendell City]], weakening NanoTrasen’s previous near-total monopoly over the nation. More alarming for NanoTrasen executives was [[The Titan Rises Arc|Hephaestus's expansion in the Izweski Hegemony]] - seizing a near-total monopoly of the kind NanoTrasen once held in Biesel - which [[Ouerea|NanoTrasen haven’t taken kindly]].

===[[Orion Express]]===
Despite competition in the mining industry, Hephaestus and Orion have little animosity between them. The two corporations cooperate frequently in the robotics field, as Orion's fledgling robotics division is not believed to be a serious threat to Hephaestus's investment in the same area. Since the formation of Orion Express, the two megacorporations have cooperated frequently in the Republic of Biesel, building several joint factories in orbit of the planet Reade in order to augment production there. Orion mining, however, has cut into Hephaestus's business, though so far this has remained a small detriment to the industrial titan. Prior to the Izweski Hegemony's economic collapse and Hephaestus's subsequent expansion, Orion worked closely with the Unathi Miners' Guild, with many of the Guild's leaders seeing involvement with Orion as a way to remain competitive with Hephaestus within the Hegemony. This arrangement came to an end with Hephaestus's acquisition of the Guild, however, with only those former guildsmen who refused to join Hephaestus still holding positions with Orion - for substantially less pay than before.

===[[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]===
Hephaestus and Zavodskoi famously have the worst relationship between any two corporations within the [[Orion Spur]], with roots of their rivalry [[Timeline|going back as far as the discovery of the warp]]. It is also the most publicly known, as the two corporations have famously been embroiled in dozens of public scandals with each other. As time went on, the animosity between the two megacorporations only grew, as they competed extensively in industry, manufacturing, robotics, and engineering fields for decades, bordering on centuries. All types of sabotage and espionage are common between Hephaestus and Zavodskoi, with both corporations having [[Human Piracy|extensively bankrolled privateers]], [[Fisanduh#The_Fisanduh_Freedom_Front|saboteurs]], [[Unathi Piracy|and other plausibly deniable agents to attack their rival.]] As Zavodskoi has expanded into the [[Empire of Dominia]] and Hephaestus into the [[Izweski Hegemony]], the [[Orion Spur|Sparring Sea]] and [[Orion Spur|Badlands]] have become the two most recent, and largest, battlegrounds for the megacorporations, with [[Human Piracy|corporate-funded pirates commonly targeting one another's vessels.]] In the present day, beyond the use of privateers, Zavodskoi has often been accused of funding [[Unathi_Crime_And_Enforcement#The_Champions_of_Moghes|radical anti-Hephaestus groups]] within the [[Izweski Hegemony]]. Hephaestus, meanwhile, has often been suspected of [[[[Fisanduh#The_Fisanduh_Freedom_Front|bankrolling various Dominian rebel groups in recent years]], in the hopes of weakening Zavodskoi's large investment in the Empire's development. Shared membership in the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] has done nothing to quell the two giants' bitter feud,, which has become a source of constant headaches for [[The Trasens|Miranda]] and the SCC, who have had to threaten to economically break both companies multiple times just so they keep their conflict out of the public perception and grudgingly cooperate with SCC business.

===[[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]===
Hephaestus and Zeng-Hu, two of the oldest megacorporations of the Orion Spur, have never had much in the way of direct competition, operating in radically different sectors. Their mutual operation in the Sol Alliance has led to some level of cooperation between the two, with both corporations working to maintain their influence in the face of increasing anti-corporate sentiment within Sol and the rising power of Einstein Engines in the nation. Beyond this, Hephaestus has recently begun to cooperate with Zeng-Hu in the robotics sector, with their research being projected to make considerable progress in the field. Though Zavodskoi Interstellar no longer has any major presence in the genetics industry, it was a rival of Zeng-Hu in the field as Necropolis Industries, leading to alleged cooperation between Zeng-Hu and Hephaestus to sabotage Necropolis on several occasions.

==National Relations==
===[[Izweski Hegemony]]===
A marriage between one of the most robust companies and a species known for its strength was almost inevitable. [[Unathi History|After the Hegemony's pseudo-falling out with NanoTrasen five years prior]], Hephaestus quickly swooped in to fill the void the other megacorp left, eventually being named an [[Unathi Guilds|official Hegemonic Guild]], something no other megacorporation has achieved. This gave Hephaestus unparalleled access to the resources of the Hegemony, away from most potential competition. They have not always utilized this privilege to the fullest, having issues integrating into the guild system of the Hegemony. Hephaestus' knack for mining, engineering, general construction, and some good administrators still saw them become an essential part of the [[Unathi Guilds|Hegemonic Economy]]. Eventually, after years of slowly building influence and reliance on them within the Hegemony, [[The Titan Rises Arc|Hephaestus ensured their total monopoly over the Hegemonic economy through reorganizing the Hegemonic Guilds underneath itself as subsidiary companies]]. The relationship between the company and country has still remained amiable, but it may not last as there will probably come a day when Hephaestus must use its weight to do what it wants over the wishes of the Izweski. More on their relationship can be read [[Unathi_Guilds#Hephaestus_Industries|here]].

===[[Sol Alliance|The Solarian Alliance]]===
The relationship between the Alliance and Hephaestus dates back to the very beginning of the megacorporation and persists to this day, despite rising anti-corporate sentiment, as Hephaestus is essential for the Alliance whose citizens are the largest consumer market within the [[Orion Spur]]; while Hephaestus controls almost all manufacturing of said goods across the spur, and especially within the nation. Any attempt to get rid of, or significantly curb Hephaestus would be a losing battle and tantamount to de-industrialising the nation. That isn’t to say there haven’t been attempts, there were as part of the [[KOTW|Industrial Reclamation Mandate in 2462]], but Hephaestus dragged the Alliance to the negotiating table, managing to keep all their assets within [[New Hai Phong]] and the star's gravity well free of charge. For those assets outside the system, primarily Hephaestus’s Orbital Superfactories, when the [[Solarian Alliance|Solarian Corporate Authority]] (SCA) arrived to see what they thought would be a treasure haul - a mass manufacturing plant that could just be switched on - they instead found complicated, difficult to operate facilities that require extremely specialized workers as staff, alongside all the [[Synthetics|Hephaestus AIs de-integrated and removed.]] Though the SCA was quite miffed, as a result, almost all the orbital superfactories nationalized within the Alliance remained shuttered, and today, Hephaestus continues to work within the Alliance and with the Alliance Government, particularly the [[Solarian Armed Forces|Alliance Navy]], who’s entire fleet was built by Hephaestus, and whose shipyards are still owned and operated by the same corporation.

===[[Coalition of Colonies]]===
The relations between Hephaestus and the Coalition of Colonies is notably sour. Years upon years of defiling outer worlds in favour of the industrial machine, only to be dropped as soon as executives deem it necessary, have led to tremendous repercussions in the eyes of the frontierspeople that inhabited them. [[Terraforming|Terraforming operations]] across the Frontier have frequently met outright militant opposition as Hephaestus Industries pursued the wealth of material and property over sentient rights. Arguably, great strides have been taken by the corporation itself to heal the wounds caused by these actions. These include frequent changes to regulations and the overall rulebook, trying to gain the favour of the increasingly powerful Coalition down to the working man. Frontierspeople often reach miraculous business deals and positions in Hephaestus as a result.

However, the Coalition’s vast nature has offered variety to the situation; areas such as [[Burzsia]] remain utterly loyal to Hephaestus, contrary to the complete hostility by [[Himeo]]. Both are members of the growing Coalition.

{{Navbox Lore}}

The Trasens

2026-07-27T22:07:39Z

Kermit: link fixes

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}
[[File:Trasen Family.png|thumb|'''The Trasen family tree.'''<br>Blue accents indicate active/expected participation in NanoTrasen Corporation.]]
<center>''"We're Trasens. We don't give up. That's why I did what I did, I founded the biggest, wealthiest corporation in the history of this little area of the galaxy, despite everything. I did it by myself, I did it all by myself."'' - Xavier Trasen (2321 - 2402), in his autobiographical holobook.</center>

The Trasen family is arguably the most influential family to have ever existed within the Orion Spur. Originating from [[Mars]] and being able to trace their lineage to its initial colonisation, the family’s rise in power began with the foundation of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] in 2342 by Xavier Trasen. Since its foundation, the family headed by Xavier would retain a majority share in the company, and each groundbreaking medical or genetic innovation would see their pockets lined a little more. Come the discovery of [[phoron]] in 2352, the megacorporation would quickly establish its early monopoly on the rare element and begin entwining its tendrils into the [[Republic of Biesel]]. Their company’s monopoly on this element saw a meteoric rise in their worth, overtaking the Idris family in mere years after its discovery — something the Idris family haven’t quite forgiven. Since Xavier Trasen’s passing, Miranda Trasen has taken the reins as the family’s head and control of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. Despite setbacks caused by the Phoron Scarcity and other recent Spur events, the Trasen family continues to be one of the most dominant forces of the Spur.

{{toc_right}}

== Family Members ==
=== Leonardo Trasen ===
'''Born: October 5th, 2288 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: June 28th, 2386 ([[Mars]])'''

Xavier’s father and Miranda’s grandfather, Leonardo Trasen is largely considered the “beginning” of the Trasen family as it is known.

Born in the waning years of Solarian Hegemony and in the aftermath of the [[Mars#The_Martian_World_War_(2278_-_2284)|Martian World War]] in Olympia, Leonardo was a man of low prospects and even lower hopes. Although this children would go on to greatly exaggerate his humble beginnings (most famously in the 2407 biography '''Leon - A Trasen Story'''), the real Leonardo Trasen was burdened with an unsupportive family, a turbulent upbringing in a deprived neighbourhood, and a dubiously-reported substance abuse problem.

Contrary to his anti-Solarian fellows on [[Mars]], Leonardo was a firm believer in one Alliance for all of humanity, having lionised the [[Timeline_of_Humanity#The_Great_Interstellar_War|Interstellar War]]. As such, with the help of a distant [[Luna|Lunan]] relative and saving up money from an early freighting job, he would attend the prestigious Solarian Naval Academy and attempt to integrate himself within the Lunan core of the [[Solarian_Armed_Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Navy]], commissioning as an officer at the age of 26. He would slowly but surely climb the ranks of the navy, spending much of his career hunting pirates exploiting the distant reaches of the Alliance post-Interstellar War. He would retire as a Rear Admiral — a position of incredible distinction for a Martian of low birth — in 2360 and in good standing, due to physical difficulties brought on by ageing, even despite reaping the benefits of his first son’s successes with NanoTrasen. Some sources (including the aforementioned biography) claim he may have had the ability to climb even higher if not for physical setbacks and were it not for the Navy’s penchant for Luna-born-and-raised officers; others have said that the only reason he gained and maintained his title was his connections to various members of Navy high command (both from his distant Lunan relative, and then those made via NanoTrasen).

He would sire his first son, Xavier, with an Olympia-born childhood friend named Luisa Marcello, however the marriage would not last. Not long after his promotion to Rear Admiral, he would unceremoniously divorce and then re-marry to a 28-year-old, military clark Sascha Konig — less than half his age — who he had met in his military duties, who together would have Francis Trasen. Both sons never had much positive to say regarding their father — and said very little when he did come up in interviews — and it is said they frequently competed for his attention and favour, when he was too into his work in the military.

=== Xavier Trasen ===
'''Born: May 5th, 2321 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: December 1st, 2402 ([[Biesel]])'''

One of the most influential beings in the entirety of the Orion Spur’s history, Xavier Trasen has shaped the progression of humanity (alongside other species) with his formation of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. Born to a rather high-ranking naval officer within the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]], Xavier was expected to fall into line and enlist, following in his father’s footsteps. However, Xavier instead ventured into genetic engineering, securing himself a Bachelor’s Degree in Genetic Modification at [[Mars University]]. Though self-claiming to have been his class’ cum laude in his holobook released by Ingi Usang Entertainment Company, investigative journalists could find no evidence suggesting his claim had any truth to it, despite NanoTrasen maintaining his supposed accomplishment.

At the age of 21, Xavier went on to found NanoTrasen as a genetics research company, having received funding for its establishment through dubious origins, which is attributed by many critics of the man’s success to having been funnelled blood money from his father’s alleged corruption. Its early years would see the company struggle to compete with the well-established megacorporation [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]], with the biomedical giant poaching many of Xavier’s more senior personnel — including a fellow classmate who had initially promised to help the Trasen with his corporate endeavours — and employing various bullying tactics small companies are all too aware of in the megacorporate-dominated Spur. Xavier Trasen and NanoTrasen would persevere though, growing large enough it too could become a predator, and it would acquire various smaller biomedical companies it saw as competitors, until it formed a regional monopoly on [[Mars]], becoming a household name on the planet. Xavier would see NanoTrasen Corporation go on to become a megacorporation — albeit a small one, often picked on by the more venerable giants — then see it into its golden age following the discovery of phoron, establishing its monopoly and cultivating the phoron company as it is known today.

None of this came as a surprise to anyone that had known Xavier, recalling the man as a shrewd, brutal negotiator with a brilliant mind for the sciences. Even before his corporation’s monopoly on phoron, Xavier had managed a measure of influence over the direction of the Orion Spur, quickly being able to go toe-to-toe with the megacorporations that have stood for centuries. At the time, media across the Spur hailed this as a miracle.

Xavier Trasen would meet his to-be wife, Xiao Jie, on a business trip in the 2340s while attempting to spread NanoTrasen Corporation’s influence beyond Mars. They would begin a long friendship and Jie would go on to join NanoTrasen Corporation, and would eventually marry in 2351. They would have one child in 2372, Luka Trasen, who would only cause problems for the Trasens in the media due to his unfortunate struggles with drugs, but would also go on to father Miranda Trasen. After his tragic loss of life in a traffic accident, Miranda would fall under the wings of Xavier and Jie. Following Nita’s death in 2409, the couple would also find themselves raising Nathan and Darius.

He would maintain his title as the richest man in the Orion Spur until his death in 2402, with Miranda inheriting much of his fortune and overnight becoming the richest woman in the Orion Spur. Though he and Xiao had remained married until his death, allegations circled viciously that there had been marital problems since the death of Nita — be it the struggles of having to raise three adoptive children or the sinister rumours of the true cause of Nita’s death.

=== Luka Trasen ===
'''Born: August 2nd, 2372 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: June 23rd, 2403 ([[Biesel]])'''

Born to Xavier Trasen in the middle of his and NanoTrasen’s meteoric rise, Luka had great expectations levied upon him from the beginning, being viewed as the heir to the family. Unfortunately, in his early adulthood, what was turning out to be a model heir fell into disrepute, and would die at a young age to drug complications resulting in a traffic collision. The death would sit as a mere tragedy for most — or even comeuppance for his father’s wrongs, in the eyes of some — but, after Xavier Trasen’s death, those close to Luka would lay the blame on his father, whose sculpting hand and the pressure applied to Luka saw him collapse and spiral.

In his early life, Luka had a flawless education and a healthy media personality enhanced by his dashing looks, and received much fan-fair as the Trasen heir and as the Spurley’s cultural magazine’s Most Handsome Man. However, during the 2390s, while gunning for his degrees in Business, he would find himself in various trouble — drunken photos outside of clubs in Venus’; publicised flings and break ups with various stars and fellow students; and awkward interviews he bumbled his way through. The media at the time ignored much of this at first, not wanting to gain the ire of Xavier, but eventually it became the norm, and tabloids would often keep track of the days between scandals or days clean from illicit substances. This, alongside the doubtless scorn from his father as a result, only set the young man up for failure.

At the turn of the century, all would seem to improve with Luka. Holding a stable job at NanoTrasen Corporation at the Mars HQ as a regional director and married to a husband — Philip Trasen — of 3 years, he was often seen in private and publicly in good spirits. In a spree of interviews in the early 2400s, he often praised his husband for being a wake up call that inspired him to better his own personal health. In 2401, Luka and his partner conceived a child in-vitro with a little assistance from a NanoTrasen Clinic — Miranda would be born.

In 2403, Luka would once again make the headlines, although this time with his passing while on a holiday to [[Venus|Binyaria]] in a fatal traffic collision that killed both him and his partner. Police reports found multiple drugs, particularly cocaine, in both of their systems, and it is believed fatal heart complications saw Luka lose control of the vehicle, colliding with a road barrier. Orphaned overnight, this would see Miranda adopted by her grandparents and, though not initially told the truth of the incident, when she did learn of it, it is said to have severely tarnished her opinion of her grandfather, who she has often criticised for the pressure he placed on both her and her father before her, and how she wishes to avoid doing the same to the younger Trasens of today.

=== Miranda Trasen ===
'''Born: March 25th, 2401 ([[Biesel]])'''
[[File:MirandaTrasen.png|thumb|250px|Miranda Trasen, the most influential person in the Orion Spur.]]

Miranda Trasen inherited her grandfather’s fortune and position in 2402, overnight becoming the most wealthy and powerful woman in the Spur. Today, she sits as the Acting Director of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and maintains her position as the Chief Executive Officer of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. From these positions, she alone holds the most power over the Spur’s phoron market and industries — able to bend all those in need of the element to her will — via NanoTrasen and, via the Conglomerate, significant influence over the constituent megacorporations forming the corporate cartel.

Prior to her taking of the throne, Miranda had already begun following in her grandfather’s footsteps, excelling in academics. By the time she was 18, she had already graduated with a Bachelors in Xenogenetics and, by 21, a Masters in Economics & Business Strategy — both from the [[Human_Educational_Institutions#NanoTrasen_Academy|NanoTrasen High Academy]] on the [[Odin|SCC-CC Odin]].

As a result of her two fathers’ deaths at age 3, she would be raised by her grandparents, alongside her cousins who were similarly taken under her grandparents’ wings following the death of Nita Trasen when she was 8. As such, she is close to both of her cousins — Nathan and Darius — who she views as younger siblings. She is also very close to their children, captured to this day by the paparazzi on social outings with them, attending school and university functions, and being in the audience of many of Melissa’s earlier modelling shows with [[Idris Incorporated]]. Though many speculate about the ageing woman’s desire for children, comments made behind her back by her associates have been vague and confusing, claiming she wants to avoid the heir-obsession which plagued her grandfather, to an inability to conceive, to viewing her cousin’s children as ‘close enough’ to her own — Miranda has been utterly silent on the issue, and condemns those who speculate about such personal matters.

Though she is remarkably similar in appearance to her mother, Miranda has inherited many of the characteristics that made her grandfather one of the most powerful men of his time: a shrewd sense for business and a phenomenal mind for the sciences. Much of this is believed to be intentional, with Xavier having a strong guiding hand during Miranda’s formative years, and with her receiving various NanoTrasen genetic and biological augmentations — cosmetic and functional — during her younger years. When asked about such in interviews, though she criticises her grandfather's intent, she is a strong advocate for biological transhumanism, and is open about continuing to receive biological and genetic augments. Despite the rocky relations between NanoTrasen Corporation and [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]], Miranda maintains a friendship with Zeng-Hu's CEO, [[Notable_Megacorporate_Figures#Liqin_Hsiao-Li|Liqin Hsiao-Li]] due to their shared interests in transhumanism.

Miranda maintains a graceful composure and pleasant outward disposition, hiding behind her elegant facade when she cuts with tactful words. Behind closed doors however, she is a cutthroat executive who sees herself as having no peers, merely subordinates. It is an attitude that has caused tension with the other megacorporate CEOs and even other high-level NanoTrasen staff, however no one is brave enough to stand against her.

Though not Martian-born, Miranda has repeatedly stated that her family observes Martian customs and traditions – and that the [[Mars#The_Violet_Dawn_Explosion_(2462)|Violet Dawn Disaster]] was the singular, most disastrous incident to occur throughout the Orion Spur; both in regards to the lives lost, and the economic losses sustained as a result of the incident. She also admitted feeling sorrowful as she will likely never be able to return to her familial home, believing it was incinerated when Olympia was engulfed by the massive firestorm. Since Violet Dawn, she has appeared somewhat withdrawn from the public spotlight, but this also comes alongside her promotion to Acting Director of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]. She has often compared the latter tragedy to NanoTrasen’s removal from Solarian space, and that being uprooted from her homeland, while tragic, simply meant she was able to find a new one in [[Tau Ceti]].

=== Francis Trasen ===
'''Born: September 1st, 2323 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: October, 16th, 2394 ([[Mars]])'''

Known only as the lesser brother of Xavier Trasen, Francis had little to do with the greater family or [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. Unlike Xavier, Francis did follow after his father’s footsteps, and would instead have a life-long career with the [[Solarian_Armed_Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Alliance Navy]], commissioning as an officer in 2344 with some difficulty, failing his first attempt at the officer’s aptitude exam. Though Francis would never surpass his father’s rank of Rear Admiral — at his death, he was a Captain — he appeared content in the infrequent interviews he was subject to, and the fervour at which Xavier seemed to compete with Francis, some surmise that he was the favourite child despite his brother’s far more significant successes.

Francis would pass away in 2392 at the age of 72 to an undisclosed heart problem. For a man of a family of such status, this was seen as unusual, for both the medical advancements and wealth to make use of such were there for him to exploit. He was survived by his daughter, Nita Trasen, and would be fortunate enough to not witness the various tragedies that befell the Trasen family in the decades after his death.

=== Nita Trasen ===
'''Born: May 19th, 2371 ([[Mars]])'''

'''Died: July 12th, 2409 ([[Valkyrie]])'''

Nita Trasen established her own reputation within the Spur, going significant lengths to distance herself from her family name and the megacorporation tied to it, much like her father did — she journeyed across the stars to make a name for herself within the [[Coalition of Colonies]]. She became a renowned singer during her youth, earning the nickname ‘’The Martian’’, with some of her albums even competing among the charts against both [[Venus]]’ and [[Skrell_Cinematography#Idols|Nralakk]]’s idols. It was during the height of her career that Nita spoke out against megacorporations, most notably her uncle’s now expansive megacorporation that had begun to spread beyond Mars. Her condemnation and accusations levied against Xavier in regards to his ruthless personality and his damaging raising of Luka caused a permanent divide between her and the family, and she was said to have gone no-contact with all but her father until her untimely death in 2409. Regarded by many as a poor stroke of luck but now the root of many conspiracy theories, Nita and her lifelong partner, Darshan Ram, both lost their lives in orbit of [[Valkyrie]], attributed to a malfunctioning heat sink on a shuttle they had taken to ferry themselves to Biesel that slowly saw their shuttle’s internal compartments heat to lethal temperatures. Only four years prior to her death, she had welcomed twin sons into her life — Darius and Nathan — who were then adopted and raised alongside their cousin, Miranda Trasen.

=== Nathan Trasen ===
'''Born: July 18th, 2405 ([[Xanu Prime]])'''

One of Nita’s twins, Nathan was young when his parents passed. Being only four years old, Nathan and his brother Darius were uprooted from their lives, adopted by their great—uncle and aunt and raised alongside Miranda. It wasn’t easy for the young boy to adapt, and during his formative years was often teased by his peers, quickly beginning to despise the limelight placed on him due to his familial lineage – both from his mother as a notable singer, but also his granduncle’s fame as Chief Executive Officer of [[NanoTrasen]]. Though his life was rather busy, Nathan was suddenly given entry into the [[Human_Educational_Institutions#APEX_Military_Academy|APEX Military Academy]] – where he underwent several years of training, developing connections and relationships with the [[Private Military Contracting Group|Eridani Private Military Contracting Companies]], and even [[Idris Incorporated]]. Shortly after graduating from the Joint Military Academies, Nathan found employment within his uncle’s megacorporation, completing his cadetship aboard the NSS Baldr, an asset within the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]] responsible for communication between NanoTrasen’s facilities.

Nathan went on to become the Chief Security Director of the entirety of [[NanoTrasen]], appointed by his cousin Miranda after becoming the Chief Executive Officer. He became instrumental in the reformation of the megacorporation’s security forces, who were often viewed as beneath competitors such as the [[Private Military Contracting Group|Eridani Private Military Company]] and [[Idris Incorporated]] – despite this, he maintained an amiable relationship with his connections, most notably [[Notable Megacorporate Figures|Alex Mason]]. Though it is unknown how the two met, Alex Mason and Nathan Trasen have maintained a private friendship since the latter’s days back in the Joint Military Academies. The two’s similar personalities in public, being somewhat reserved and sullen, are likely what brought the two together – as well as their shared experience of being groomed by their respective corporate dynasties.

He wed Eva Tsukiko – an eccentric woman from [[Konyang]] – in 2440, welcoming his daughter Melissa three years later, and then a son in 2447. Some controversy was had over her keeping her maiden name. Nathan and Eva have rarely been seen together since his wife’s move back to Konyang to look after her mother, who has seen a rapid health decline since early 2464. Regardless, the couple is said to be privately communicating without the prying eyes of the public, despite allegations by tabloids that they’re separating from one another.

=== Melissa Trasen ===
'''Born: October 14th, 2443 ([[Biesel]])'''

From the newer generations of Trasens, Melissa made a name for herself by modelling for well-known fashion conglomerates such as [[Idris Incorporated|Cashien Jewellers and Le Soliel Royal]]. By the end of her modelling career, Melissa was modelling high-end prosthetics after an elective surgery that replaced her left hand, courtesy of [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals|Bishop Cybernetics]] — she is known to share her cousin's transhumanistic streak, although where Miranda is into bioaugmentations, Melissa appears to be interested in the cybernetic side.

After departing her modelling career, Melissa went on to join her family in moulding the future of the Orion Spur by managing the '''[[The_Trasens#Trasen Development Benefit|Trasen Development Benefit]]''' - a charity organisation that aims to assist the poor and downtrodden within the [[Republic of Biesel]] and abroad, operating closely with the [[Interstellar Aid Corps]]. Despite her short time in philanthropy, Melissa’s charitable actions have proven to be a boon for [[Nanotrasen Corporation|NanoTrasen’s]] PR.

Although a considerably younger member of the Trasen family, she is considered a close confidant and advisor to Miranda – who often recalls in interviews that she sees Melissa as a daughter.

=== Marcus Trasen ===
[[File:NanotrasenEPC.png|thumb|150px|The logo of the NanoTrasen Environmental Protection Charity.]]
'''Born: 21st June, 2447 ([[Biesel]])'''

Marcus has maintained a distance from the public eye – mostly at the request of both Miranda and Nathan Trasen, wishing to protect the younger Trasens from the predatory media. However, since his introduction to the public following his eighteenth birthday, Marcus has become somewhat of a public figure among the youth. Similarly to his sister, Marcus has become an advocate for the less fortunate, but with a particular focus on animals as opposed to people. Touring the newly incorporated [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], Marcus has been seen ensuring that ecological damage has been kept to a minimum – something supported by his cousin, Miranda. He has recently been given leadership of the '''[[The_Trasens#Trasen Environmental Protection Charity|Trasen Environmental Protection Charity]]'''. Marcus recently graduated from the NanoTrasen High Academy studying a combined Environmental Sciences and Terraforming Engineering bachelors, and is now studying for a Masters in Sustainability, Enterprise and Environment. He has announced plans to pursue a career in NanoTrasen, ensuring the megacorporation does its part in protecting the various ecologies of the planets that they have facilities across.

=== Darius Trasen ===
'''Born: July 18th, 2405 ([[Xanu Prime]])'''

The lesser known twin of Nita who, alongside Nathan, was adopted from a young age. Much like Nathan, he struggled in his early years, relentlessly being teased and struggling with the public's attention. Darius would fall behind in school as a result, and a promising future was looking unlikely. Whereas Nathan was afforded the opportunity to step up game at the APEX Academy, Darius coasts through life as a privileged socialite and philanthropist, living off of or generously donating inherited wealth, partying without second thoughts, travelling around the Spur, and only occasionally appearing alongside a family member at a Trasen family event. He occasionally appears in lacklustre cameos in movies, modelling shoots, and other media, however lacks the talent or training to portray anything more than his natural self. As a result of this, Darius has a reputation for being one of the more chill, laid back and cool members of the Trasen family, and is largely removed from [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] due to his lack of drive or utility to contribute to the megacorporation. There is a measure of resentment from the other Trasens over Darius' base lifestyle and reluctance to further the Trasen's interests but, Miranda unwilling to repeat mistakes made by her grandfather, he appears to be left to his own whims.

Darius has avoided much of the scandals that would come with his life, be it a result of him being more careful or the Trasen family able to afford the immense bribes needed to keep such stories suppressed. The closest he came was a bout of trouble he got into in 2454 when visiting [[Qerr%27Malic|Qerr'malic]] with a skrell fiancee, where he was recorded racing his iconic, imported [[Technology#Shibata_Sport|Shibati Jie sports car]] against a local's skrell sports car along a stretch of a main road at night, however the incident was quickly spun as another one of Darius 'cool' moments. He is also known for his one-way spats with [[Idris_Family#Markus_Idris|Markus Idris]], who he is known to have grievances with.

== Wealth and Influence ==
The Trasen family is the most influential family in the [[Orion Spur]] as a result of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], the megacorporation's monopoly on [[phoron]] and its grip over the [[Republic of Biesel]]. Through the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], the family exerts further influence over the Spur's all other megacorporations, a privilege that has never before been capable or afforded by anyone in history. Miranda Trasen, as the CEO of NanoTrasen and the Director of the Conglomerate, is ''the'' wealthiest person in the Orion Spur by leagues (though the Trasen family is not the wealthiest, as the combined generational wealth of the Idris Family still has them just beat out), with a networth in the high centi-trillions.

With their influence over the Spur, they have largely pressured its states and people into the mass adoption of [[phoron]] and products thereof, directly benefiting NanoTrasen and ensuring their continued rise. Unfortunately for them, with the Phoron Scarcity in its full throes, their influence from their phoron monopoly has begun to decline and resistance to its continued adoption dropping. Whether sincere or merely for the optics, the family has also been a strong force for select progressive views, particularly concerning alien species and IPCs and albeit somewhat mild after being tempered by their predominantly pro-corporate stances. A significant amount of influence is exerted on the media, where the Trasens push for pro-alien and pro-transhumanism messaging in media material, and groups supporting such can easily attract investment from the Trasen family or its many charities.

Much of the excess wealth the Trasen family possesses is channelled into NanoTrasen Corporation, the Republic of Biesel, and philanthropic organisations established by either — such as the Trasen Development Benefit. Vanity projects are also well-known, with 'Xavier' or 'Trasen' being the namesake of many spacevessels or appended to many monuments found in [[Tau Ceti]].

== Notable Family Possessions ==

=== Rashleigh ===
A large colonial mansion outside of [[Biesel#Top_of_the_World|Top of the World]] surrounded by a two square kilometres parcel of private scenic land, gardens, and lush forests. The property was purchased in 2368 by Xavier Trasen, serving as a holiday home and place of residence for when Xavier would visit Tau Ceti, however Xavier and his household would permanently relocate from their residence on Mars to Rashleigh in 2384. The mansion has rather obtuse, art-deco architecture, standing out amid the countryside, with an even more extravagent and nouveau riche interior that only close friends of the family have been invited to see (though some of such lucky persons have commented that much of the over-gaudy decorations of Xavier's time have gradually been taken down in recent years). In 2463, Miranda Trasen would fund bankroll the development of Lakeview into [[Biesel#Top_of_the_World|Top of the World]] and the gated community it now is, creating a small community of the most elite, Conglomerate-aligned people only a short walk from her personal residence. Why commute, if you can bring everyone and your company to you?

=== Trasen Environmental Protection Charity ===
The '''Trasen Environmental Protection Charity (TEPC)''' is an interstellar organisation propped up by the Trasen family in 2422 that seeks to preserve unique ecologies around the Spur. The charity has a mission statement against destructive forms of terraforming, the disruption of novel ecologies via the transplantation of off-world species, and also ensuring colonial endeavours and industries are sustainable and are proportionate in their effect on a local environment.

It was the source of some contention with [[Hephaestus Industries]] after its founding, however the TEPC has conspiciously turned a blind eye to the industrial megacorporation — except within the [[Republic of Biesel]], the home turf of the Trasens.

The organisation is particularly active on [[New Gibson]], [[Mictlan]] and [[Port Antillia]], though has dealings throughout the Spur. It is headed by [[The_Trasens#Marcus_Trasen|Marcus Trasen]].

=== Trasen Development Benefit ===
The '''Trasen Development Benefit (TDB)''' is an interstellar organisation founded in 2450 that focuses on charitable actions towards those below the poverty line and in severely deprived areas of the Spur's major states and their cities. Billions of credits are funnelled to those in-need, be it to sponsor housing for those without a fixed residence or to subsidise healthcare where it is unaffordable. The organisation disproportionately sees itself working with alien species, and so has also taken a very pro-alien stance regardless of the region it is operating in. Those who do apply and succeed to receive stimulus from the Development Benefit are often required to find employment with [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] through some means.

The organisation is particularly active within some of the more deprived cities of the [[Republic of Biesel]], such as [[Mendell City]] and [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], however is seen throughout cities of the Spur. It is headed by [[The_Trasens#Melissa_Trasen|Melissa Trasen]].

The Idrises

2026-07-27T22:06:57Z

Kermit: link fixes

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}
[[File:idris-familytree.png|thumb|'''The Idris family tree.''']]
The Idris family, who can trace its lineage to the Ivory Coast on [[Earth]], has long been considered the most powerful family in the Spur, alongside the Trasens, holding great wealth and influence over humanity’s forays into space. It is the overall wealthiest family in the Spur, though much of their wealth is tied up in physical assets unlike the Trasen family. They are known to be highly secretive, pulling the strings from behind the curtains and with a tight control over what information about them is released, though their images often serve as advertising material for many of their products. With the rise of NanoTrasen Corporation and the Trasens, their position has been undercut and a gentle rivalry exists between the two families, further complicating the relations of the megacorporations they both preside over.

An an expansive banking dynasty, it is composed of several hundred family members, all tracing their lineage to the original William Idris from Ivory Coast, who made a name for himself when he founded [[Idris Incorporated]] in 2152 and set the standard for interstellar banking. Multiple branches of the family exist, all operating semi-autonomously under the family name, spread throughout the Spur and all flaunting their own wealth to further the greater family's agenda wherever they are. Altogether — every branch's holdings and liquid wealth, every member's net worth, etc., combined — the entire Idris family is estimated to hold a few quadrillions of credits.

{{toc_right}}

== Eridanian Line ==
The ‘main’ line of the Idris family, and who people think of when the Idris family is mentioned, is the [[Eridani_Federation|Eridanian]] Line, who altogether sit on a treasure hoard in the high centi-trillions, and the highest amount of all the branches. They have maintained the reins to Idris Incorporated since its foundation, and have floated between their ancestral home in Ivory Coast, [[Earth]] and their main home on [[Eridani I]].

=== Adram Idris ===
'''Born: May 9th, 2370 ([[Eridani I]])'''

The current patriarch of the Idris family. Adram Idris was the previous Chief Executive Officer of Idris Incorporated prior to installing [[Notable Megacorporate Figures#Alex Mason|Alex Mason]] as the CEO. While he is officially retired, it is an open secret that he continues to pull many of the strings from behind the scenes, and still sits on the board of executives.

Adram Idris inherited [[Idris Incorporated]] in 2408, the company having begun to severely lag behind the other megacorporations as a result of his senile father, Ikram Idris, largely sitting unresponsive in the face of NanoTrasen Corporation rapidly establishing its monopoly on [[phoron]], then further rooting its tendrils into the [[Republic of Biesel]] where [[Biesel]] rapidly grew into the Spur’s foremost financial centre — a financial centre Idris Incorporated did not control. Adram committed to expanding the megacorporation into [[Tau Ceti]]’s financial sphere and bringing on a new surge in the company’s fortunes, however the struggle against [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] would be a tricky one, even if Idris Incorporated under Adram made considerable way in the Republic of Biesel. More generally though, Adram was also responsible for the quick adoption of [[IPC|Integrated Positronic Chasses]] by the megacorporation, rolling out the well-established Idris synthetic lines.

In 2453, Adram would make the decision to hand over his megacorporation’s reins to Alex Mason — a decision oft speculated about: some believe Mason’s cutthroat and shrewd business strategies may be vital to see Idris Incorporated overtake NanoTrasen; some suspect Mason is a bastard child who Adram raised as his own in all but name, and naturally saw him as the megacorporation’s ‘heir’. In either case, it was a decision that ruffled the feathers of Adram’s ‘legitimate’ children.

Today, Adram is fast approaching his centenary, now reliant on mobility aids in addition to his cybernetically-enhanced limbs to attend family and corporate functions. Despite his apparent frailty, those around him continue to say he is as keen as ever to participate in his functions, at least as best as he can. He is married to Rabia Idris (neé Kabadou), married in 2398, who although known to be temperamental, unkeen to appear before cameras, and known to get into disagreements with her husband, has always been by his side and supporting him in his family and corporate duties.

=== Leina Idris ===
'''Born: September 21st, 2401 ([[Eridani I]])'''

The first child of Adram and Rabia. Leina was the face and publicity of the Idris family between the 2420s and 50s — a time in which she was also the CEO of Caishen Jewellers — often seen brokering deals for both the family and Idris Incorporated with other powerful figures and megacorporations. Today, she focuses on the family side of PR, with her daughter having taken over her duties at Caishen Jewellers. She is known for her almost oppressive charm and excitable demeanor at socialite gatherings, and a bit too eager to get on the drink.

Little is known about her private life, however she has a degree in Business Management from Solis Cognito University and prides her now 58-year-old augmented chihuahua ‘’Zara’’ (holding the title as oldest dog in the Spur) who — prior to its senility beginning in 2456 — often appeared in photo shoots alongside the woman. She appears to be on good terms with both Miranda Trasen, despite the family rivalry, and also Noelle Lopez-Zhang, often mediating the rare talks between the two rival CEOs or appearing besides both at any corporate functions, and has often complained about the two megacorporations’ spats.

=== Lubanzi Idris ===
'''Born: July 9th, 2434 ([[Eridani I]])'''

The daughter of Leina Idris and Emilio. She is the current CEO of [[Idris_Incorporated#Caishen_Jewellers|Caishen Jewellers]] and her presence in the media is one of the most widespread of the Idris family, particularly via online social media. Where the other members of her family are particularly private and reserved in their public dealings, Lubanzi is known to have a more candid and amiable approach to media and publicity — some suspect this to be damage control, given the vicious reputation of the family.

In interviews, Lubanzi has portrayed herself as a more progressive member of the Idris family — typically regarded as a conservative force among the Spur’s elite — and has been a generous donor to the Spurley media outlet and its pan—Spur species media agglomeration and has been a driving force behind Idris Incorporated’s creation of alien-friendly luxury brands, such as [[Idris_Incorporated#Caishen_Jewellers|Caishen Jeweller’s Jewels of Nralakk]] and [[Idris_Incorporated#Le_Soleil_Royal|Le Soleil Royal’s Synthetic Fashion]]. However, she has generally skirted around any topics regarding Idris Incorporated’s synthetic brands and her personal views on synthetic freedoms.

She has affirmed [[Notable Megacorporate Figures#Alex Mason|Alex Mason]]’s selection as Idris Incorporated’s CEO a number of times and both appear to be on cordial terms with one another.

=== Markus Idris ===
'''Born: May 27th, 2408 ([[Earth]])'''

The second child of Adram and Rabia. Markus is a considerably private man and scarcely appears before cameras, best known only for his father passing him for elevation to Idris Incorporated’s CEO in favour of [[Notable Megacorporate Figures#Alex Mason|Alex Mason]].

What is known about Markus has been spilled by [[The_Trasens#Darius_Trasen|Darius Trasen]] — the rogue socialite Trasen — who has often claimed that Markus is an uptight individual prone to anger, more so after Mason’s elevation to CEO. Verbal disagreements between the two wealthy men are frequent at any functions or VIP venues they both coincidentally turn up at, and both their families often have to ensure they do not bump into one another, lest a second rumoured physical altercation occur (one which Darius insists he won, despite Markus donning a hefty amount of cybernetics). Markus has not entertained these rumours and accusations, and any news articles about their rivalry are often swatted down prior to their publishing.

== Other Notable Idris Family Members ==
A few hundred stray Idris family members exist around the Spur, donning the name in one form or another and using their connections with both the family and Idris Incorporated to gain an edge in their financial or career dealings. And those are only the ones recognised as Idris family members, with countless more born of night-time escapades who may not or who only suspect their parenthood and what could have been, and where the family is quick to suppress information of where it may damage the family's name and reputation.

=== Seydou Idris ===
'''Born: April 17th, 2388 ([[Callisto]])'''

A patriarch of one of the larger lines of the Idris family, based on the moons of [[Jupiter]], [[Sol]]. Seydou and his family are heavily involved in [[Callisto]]'s port economy, with both the family and regional [[Idris Incorporated]] office having invested in the trade, finance, and tourism sector of the Jovian moon, as well as [[Europa]]'s tourist economy.

Despite the overall Idris familys' wealth made off their megacorporation, and spurred on by the [[Solarian Alliance]]'s [[Sol_Alliance#Economics|recent stance on megacorporations]], Seydou and his line have begun to distance themselves from Idris Incorporated since its joining of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]. Having been silent on his personal views for most of his life, he has — in his older age, and suspected as a result of dementia affecting his inhibitions — gone on record saying that the megacorporation must abandon the Conglomerate and recognise its investments into [[phoron]] as sunk, and that warp transit is simply better and more reliable than bluespace. Since making this stance known, he and his children are often photographed crowded by [[Einstein Engines]] executives at any functions. Unfortunately for them, Seydou was entered into hospice in 2467, and his son — Emmanuel Idris — stands waiting to inherit his father's fortune, though has remained utterly silent on whether he has taken his father's views to heart.

=== Angele Idris-Lettinger ===
'''Born: August 20th, 2443 ([[Biesel]])'''

A younger Idris from a Biesel-based line of rather unremarkable, umpteenth-removed Idris financiers, independent or employed by [[Idris Incorporated]]. Angele is a model for [[Idris_Incorporated#Le_Soleil_Royal|Le Soleil Royal]], and the go-to for the Biesel branch of Le Soleil Royal when showing off the more exclusive brand releases.

It would be while modelling that Angele befriended [[The_Trasens#Melissa_Trasen|Melissa Trasen]] — a friendship that was well-publicised in the early 2460s, with the two often photographed by the paparazzi together at parties — due to the ordinarily lukewarm relations between the two families. However, in 2467, the pair would have a falling out. The only comment regarding the initial fall out came from Angele, who claimed it was all a result of an ''"ignorant remark"'' about one of Melissa's synthetic friends, delivered alongside a casual apology. Though the rift has since been mended, particularly after Angele's public apology (exceedingly rare for an Idris family member), the two are only seen together when well-supported by their cliques of friends.

=== Mamadou Marceau ===
'''Born: October 3rd, 2419 ([[Venus]])'''

A famous bastard of the Idris family. Mamadou received much attention with his claims of being the result of an unplanned pregnancy between a member of the Idris family on holiday to Venus and his mother, a B-listing Star — as such, an Idris himself. The move to announce such proved catastrophic for his movie Stardom at the time, and he was promptly delisted by the [[Venus#Stars,_Idols_and_Crashouts|Venusian Stars Institute]] with no reason cited, but was not without some evidence in the form of a genetics genealogy report to back it up. To this day, the Idris family denounces Mamadou as a fraudster, and Mamadou's struggles to be legally recognised as an Idris persist, with each shred of evidence dismissed as a forgery.

Today, Marceau has since migrated to [[Biesel#Cape_City|Cape City, Biesel]], where he is himself now a B-listing actor with [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Ingi_Usang_Entertainment_Company|Ingi Usang Entertainment]], starring in Biesellite dramas and romances.

== Wealth and Influence ==

The Idris family wields immense influence over the [[Orion Spur]], though particularly human space within the [[Solarian Alliance]], with its well-lined pockets and through the well-cultivated image of luxury and high society presented by [[Idris Incorporated]]. However, in the last century their influence has been undercut by the [[The_Trasens|Trasen family]] thanks to the success of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], with the phoron family seizing much of the Spur’s reins outside of the Solarian Alliance where their megacorporation does not operate.

What the family’s wealth and influence is put towards typically depends on the line of the family, with some differences between them. However, many of the branches fall in-line with the main Eridanian line, which is generally regarded as a conservative force in the Spur. A significant amount of funding for counter-progressive groups — such as those campaigning against [[IPC]] emancipation, legal recognition of xenophilic romantic relations, radical forms of transhumanism, and similar — can be traced to Idris donors. Naturally, Corporatocracist and other pro-megacorporate political parties and groups around the Spur can easily find themselves bankrolled by the megacorporate family.

Historically, the Idris family has also been a strong force for the adoption of [[Phoron#Applications_of_Phoron|phoronic technologies]] and has maintained their support for such despite the ongoing Phoron Scarcity. However, many experts across fields have long labelled phoron as an unsustainable and unprofitable market, and so many eyes are on the Idris family and whether they too will no longer recognise the unique element as financially viable — something those at [[Einstein Engines]] are very keen to see for the amount of Idris investment it will bring to them.

== Notable Family Possessions ==

=== Abatta Villa ===
The ancestral home of the Idrises, held since the 2100s and located in Abidjan, the Ivory Coast, [[Earth]]. The property was purchased by William Idris in 2164 after the initial successes of [[Idris Incorporated]] shortly after its founding, and was his place of residence for much of his life. The mansion is quite typical for the region, with a simple, modernist architecture and painted the Idris teal with white accenting. Today, the entire cul-de-sac the city villa sits on has been purchased by the Idris family and gated off from public access by Idris Incorporated security personnel employed from the local branch, and the villa serves as a holiday home and place of meeting for all major family heads and lines of the Idris family.

=== Remiz Tower ===
The Remiz Tower is a 100-story, glass condominium skyscraper in District 1 of [[Eridani_I#Ifihan|Ifihan, Eridani I]], and the main place of residence of the Eridani branch of the Idris family, with the penthouse apartment occupied by Adram Idris. The first five stories are subletted to [[Idris Incorporated]], who operate luxury restaurants and outfitters on those levels — all of which are prestigious postings for Idris Incorporated's regional branch in the [[Eridani Federation]], demanding previous years of loyalty and competence within the company. The apartments of Remiz are outrageously expensive, with the price only increasing as one rises, only afforded by the most ambitious corporate executives.

Private Military Contracting Group

2026-07-27T22:06:24Z

Kermit: link fix

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Corporations}}
{{Infobox Corporation
|headercolor = #000000 
|textcolor = white 
|name = Private Military Contracting Group
|logo = PMCGsmallogo
|headquarters = Eridani III, [[Epsilon Eridani]], Eridani Corporate Federation
|slogan = Always on guard, always on watch.
|languages = Sol Common, Tradeband, Tau Ceti Basic
|ceo = [[Notable Megacorporate Figures#Kubra Mobolaji|Kubra Mobolaji]]
|colors = <span style="color:#b9bdcd">White (#b9bdcd),</span> <span style="color:#99ccff">blue (#99ccff),</span>
<span style="color:#3355ff">dark blue (#3355ff),</span>
<span style="color:#363c43">black (#363c43),</span>
<span style="color:#c4a56e">gold (#c4a56e)</span>
|founded = 2463
|founder = Kubra Mobolaji
|regions =
<br>
* [[Republic of Elyra]]
* [[Sol Alliance]]
* [[Republic of Biesel]]
* [[Coalition of Colonies]]
* [[Izweski Hegemony]]
|}}

A coalition of security and medical contractors in service of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], the '''Private Military Contracting Group''' is one of the elements born from the necessity of protecting an ever-growing corporate empire. Gathering mercenaries from all across the spur, the Private Military Contracting Group deploys a diverse force to anywhere they are needed; from mere office buildings to battlefields in the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]. As the megacorporations expand, these contractors follow to secure their holdings.

Unlike the other members of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], the Private Military Contracting Group has few employees of its own. Only some liaisons and bureaucrats work behind the scenes to hire and manage the contractors. The rest of its members are in fact part of several organizations contracted to supply the Private Military Contracting Group.
{{TOC Hidden}}
== Corporate Affairs ==
=== History ===
Eridanian military contractors as a whole originate in the early 2200s, during the takeover of the Epsilon Eridani by its economic council. As residents of Eridani I (then known as Kamfulu) rioted and unionised against dangerous working conditions, low pay, and the planet’s environmental destruction that was occurring on the planet, the Eridani Economic Council formed two loose coalitions of those willing to "restore order": citizen militias wishing to earn a paycheck in an unstable climate, and ex-Solarian military personnel who were used to pacifying an unhappy populace. These coalitions were deployed en-masse against protestors; they broke strikes, disappeared the loudest dissenters, and restored iron-fisted order to Kamfulu.

After the majority of social unrest was quelled, these militias and private military contractors were gradually adopted into the new Eridani Corporate Federation. The experienced ex-military personnel were established as '''Ringspire''', marketed as highly-paid, highly-deadly mercenaries capable of being deployed in conflict zones just about everywhere. Meanwhile, those who had started out with security contracting in the riots were organised into the less formal '''Eagle Corp.''', who were eager to hire just about anyone and became a final option for the desperate all over Solarian space. These corporations would eventually fall under the umbrella of control for the Eridani Federation's Chief of System Security, essentially the commander-in-chief for any of Eridani's military forces.

During the Interstellar War, these "EPMCs" grew to great renown as they were deployed alongside Solarian soldiers in ground forces and as strike teams alongside aerospace vessels. The news of their brutality was feared and loathed by the frontiersmen and Solarian allies alike. The Interstellar War also heralded the creation of '''Sekhmet Intergalactic''' in 2294; while Ringspire and Eagle Corp. had their own medical response divisions, Sekhmet's creation involved the recruitment of medical specialists, multi-pronged responses for both the groups, and an unscrupulous yet skilled and professional trauma response team to be sent out across the Spur.

'''N4NL Incorporated''' was the fourth corporation to join the official umbrella of Eridani contractors in 2307, as the group branched into data security, electronic warfare, and digital asset protection. While Eridani's mass surveillance and data collection algorithms had always been vast, N4NL perfected it, creating the intricate network behind the ECF's employment records, banking, and punishing Extranet surveillance. Shortly after its official addition, the collective of Ringspire, Eagle Corp., Sekhmet, and N4NL became known as the Golden Fist for their incredible reputation for quality results across the Spur.

The corporation that would become the "thumb" of the Golden Fist was founded in 2450 by Farhad al-Sharif, a former N4NL executive and "positronic enthusiast" who had the unusual reputation of purchasing IPCs, only to allow them to operate relatively uninhibited. '''Index Security Solutions''' was al-Sharif's plan to make better use of what he viewed as the fascinating capabilities of IPCs, and so became the only EPMC that recruited self-owned IPCs in large quantities.

The Golden Fist's reputation was such that in 2463, in the face of the growing instability brought on by the phoron scarcity and the Solarian Collapse, the executive board of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] approached the Board of Five, Eridani's heads of government. The insurgency in the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]] had the Conglomerate envisioning an agency responsible for reinforcing the corporate security and medical ranks with hired contractors, in a similar fashion to how the Golden Fist was currently operated. It was proposed that Kubra Mobolaji, the chief of system security for the ECF, would be chief executive officer of this conglomerate within the conglomerate, and permit private contracting firms around the Spur to join the initiative.

Thus, the Private Military Contracting Group was born, becoming an umbrella organization to coordinate several distinct contractor elements within the Conglomerate's structure. Its subsidiaries are tasked with providing adequate manpower, while the Private Military Contracting Group deploys them where it is necessary. While some may question the loyalty of the Group's employees, the credits fuelled into their contracts have been enough to secure their allegiance.

The PMCG is currently tasked with supplementing the security and medical staff in SCC facilities, and was formerly tasked with supplementing the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] during the Peacekeeper Mandate of [[Mictlan]]. When the megacorporation's lines become too thin due to the expansion of the conglomerate, the contractors from the Private Military Contracting Group are called to patch these holes. Despite their diverse backgrounds, all employees of the Group receive the necessary training to work in SCC facilities.

=== Influence ===
The PMCG has managed to carve out a niche for itself within the greater [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] framework. Previously unknown or latent PMC groups have suddenly filled the holes that exist in the intricate networks of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], drawing ire from some who may not wish to see the underworld of contractor work in their professional setting. It is not uncommon to see highly trained Eridani mercenaries flank loutish Frontier bounty hunters, or unathi noble physicians among tajara pharmacists who have retired from biological warfare.

Nevertheless, the PMCG's wide-ranging talents and Kubra Mobolaji's tight management, as well as being carried by the massively profitable Golden Fist, ensure its permanence as long as its methods remain effective. The group also holds power as an independent organization, always holding at least some influence in any war-torn region of space, including the Sparring Sea or the Solarian Wildlands, as they have grown quite popular among those who quickly need an expendable force to do their bidding.

== Executives and Branches ==
'''Chief Logistics Officer:''' Liang Wenqiang, b. 2410

Liang Wenqiang is the current chief logistics officer of the PMCG as a whole and chief executive officer of the Wildlands Squadron, having himself entered the private sector after a prominent career in the Solarian Navy’s special operations branch. Like many of his peers, the Unity Station-born career officer felt the despair of the slow but steady decline of the Alliance, accompanied by the infighting and corruption in the Navy, urging him to seek a more lucrative and potentially rewarding employment in the private sector. His plans came to fruition with the founding of a small group of like-minded marines and officers, receiving contracts for protection and convoy escort against pirate raids. The disbanding of the group shortly after four years was not a dissuading factor, with Liang having gained a reputation as a competent and bold organiser with substantial combat and planning experience, qualities that, along with a significant network of connections, landed him an executive position in the Group.

'''Chief Operating Officer:''' Diana Hakim, b. 2423

Diana Hakim is known as the voice delivering contracts and assignments to the various paramilitary formations and companies that operate under the Group’s umbrella. An [[Eridani Federation| Eridanian]] native, her childhood friendship with Kubra Mobolaji has generated many silent accusations of nepotism amongst the elite. Such thoughts are vastly outclassed by the praise of her organisational skills however, Diana’s shadowy and smart handlings being the driving force behind the operational unity of the many PMCs, ensuring the smooth coexistence and the prevention of unhealthy competition. Having started her career in an unrelated shipping company, she was quick to realise the potential of the Group, being taken on in a junior secretarial position thanks to her friend and skyrocketing through the ranks thanks to merit.

'''Chief Risk Officer:''' Erik Brandrsson, b. 2404

Erik Brandrsson, a [[New Gibson| New Gibsonite]], is the risk assessment expert employed by the Group, having risen to the position after a series of promotions following the merging of his previous employer, Nexus Corporate Security, with the Group. The calm and calculating man, having always been seen by his colleagues as a voice of reason, can trace his beginnings in the PMC sector from a very young age. Upon graduation from his business-oriented studies, he was taken on by the Tau Ceti-dominating [[NanoTrasen]] and placed into a rather unremarkable bureaucratic position inside Nexus, slowly rising through displays of competency and fierce loyalty which he still retains.

=== Major Branches ===
'''Eridani III, Epsilon Eridani, [[Eridani Federation|Eridani Corporate Federation]]:''' The PMCG has several operating branches within the Eridani Corporate Federation, but none are as expansive as the Triangle Complex rising above the barren surface of Eridani III. Nicknamed "The Cell" by the resident dreg population, each of its three towers manages a large portion of the planet’s private military forces, with one being devoted to monitoring naval/interstellar fleet operations, one being an additional training and management centre that specialises in prisoner management, riot control and policing for corporate security officers and mercenary soldiers, and the third being the headquarters of Eridani III’s extensive prison network. It is the managing branch of the PMCG’s operations within the Eridani Corporate Federation, as well as the [[Sol Alliance]].

'''Mendell City, [[Biesel]], [[Tau Ceti]]:''' The megacorporation’s branch located in Mendell’s District 1, a rare commercial plot in the district that was purchased and repurposed to serve as the Private Military Contracting Group's logistics headquarters, was built to hold much of its surplus equipment, administrative offices, and a recruitment centre to draw from Biesel’s diverse potential recruit pool. The majority of the PMCG contractors host staff within the Mendell branch, resulting in rife competition for contracts.

'''Nouvelle-Rochelle, [[Xanu Prime]], [[Coalition of Colonies|Xanu]]:''' The Nouvelle-Rochelle branch is primarily the headquarters of Chevauchée Asset Protection, and is home to CAP's shuttleport and the majority of its fleet. This location handles rapid response and deployment across the Coalition of Colonies, and assists in the transportation and recruitment of Coalition citizens wishing to join EPMCs. Coalition Rangers are a common sight at this location, usually working alongside CAP.

== Contractors ==
'''These companies are the only ones listed in the Private Military Contracting Group. Headcanon Contractors are not permitted for the Private Military Contracting Group. Your character can only be currently employed from the list below.'''

=== Eridani Private Military Contractors ===
Note that all Eridani Private Military Contractors that are '''not''' Eridanian natives '''must''' undergo an acclimatisation period of at least one month in the [[Eridani_I#Work_Tourism|Eridani PMC Academy on Eridani I]].

==== Ringspire ====
'''Chief Executive Officer:''' [[Notable Megacorporate Figures#Kubra Mobolaji|Kubra Mobolaji]]

A company known for working with anyone with enough funding, Ringspire contractors can be seen on any side of a conflict or job with enough credits to pay them. This has given them a reputation as being little more than hired guns, leaving higher than usual casualties in their wake. The company is also well-known for its indiscriminate use of heavy weapons, ranging from simple rocket launchers to orbital artillery bombardments, in its assignments. It is often said in Eridani’s mercenary community that Ringspire operations zones are easy to identify: simply search for areas with high amounts of corpses, looted buildings, and shell craters.

Ringspire’s most notable recent engagement was their involvement in the S'rend'marr Coalition on Adhomai. Hired by the People’s Republic of Adhomai to guard officials, flush out liberation army cells, they participated in the failed attempts to break through ALA lines on the Ras’nrr fronts and left a trail of devastation in its wake through its use of indiscriminate bombardments, autonomous combat equipment, and heavy amounts of looting by its mercenaries. While the S’rend’marr deployment is one of Ringspire’s most costly operations, company figures estimate that anywhere between fifteen and twenty-five tajara died for every Ringspire fatality. Despite this “kill ratio” (in Ringspire’s own terminology) the PRA opted not to renew the company’s contract.

But for an enterprising commander, Adhomai’s peace led to a far more profitable venture. A small faction of Ringspire remains in the DPRA city of Crevus to lead the company known as Olokun Curios. This smuggling operation posing as an art dealership allies to Adhomai’s low-lifes and self-proclaimed “archaeologists” to locate, secure, and ship tajara artifacts to sell in Eridani. Tajaran attempts to investigate Olokun Curios have discovered nothing illegal about the organization, and many investigators have “coincidentally” had fatal accidents during their investigations.

==== Eagle Corp ====
'''Chief Executive Officer:''' [[Notable_Humans#Commander_Filije_Thiaw|Filije Thiaw]]

With enlisted ranks being filled by lower-class citizens drawn across human space, this company has a reputation for doggedly pursuing its goals no matter the effort required. As one of the more merit-based companies for promotion within the ranks, many officer positions are occupied by people from lower —questionable — backgrounds. The latter are often offered ‘new lives’ within the corporation, turning criminals about to meet the end of their careers into passable, and even valued operatives. The extensive training and ‘reintroduction’ programs sometimes employed in this process are viewed by some as a merciful second chance, and identity-destroying by others.

Recently, the company has launched initiatives to appeal to an even wider base of employees, with advertisement campaigns targeting potential alien contractors all over the Spur. These hopeful (or desperate) recruits find themselves thrown into competitive or dangerous missions, either ending with their promotion or an untimely severing of contracts. Unathi and vaurca employees have seen especially good rates within the company, as pragmatic and goal-oriented employees are valued greatly by the management.

==== Sekhmet Intergalactic ====
'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Charité Efulu

Known for their wide reach and even wider history of assignments, Sekhmet Intergalactic has established itself as the premier provider of professional healthcare, no questions asked. It is made up of several smaller companies dedicated to cornering the ever-present market of medical aid and supplies. Though these corporations would get their starts on the advent of the Interstellar War they remained splintered and tied to other forces, located just about anywhere there were patients to save and profit to be generated.

Nowadays, each company within the collective acts as a ‘branch’ on a respective frontline, extending the corporation’s presence to rival that of its peers. Due to this, and the propensity to extend morally dubious contracts, Sekhmet often comes into rivalry with the Interstellar Aid Corps. The IAC offers humanitarian relief with both health and rights considered; in contrast, Sekhmet entices customers with predatory, yet government-grade deals that are at times the only way out. Though many of their doctors, surgeons and front-line medics are happy to take a pretty bonus to their paycheck for a shady assignment, a considerable number of their employees are uncomfortable with this reputation and actively fight it with a consummate work ethic and heaps of experience from all around the Spur.

==== N4NL Incorporated ====
'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Farhad al-Sharif

A company that had its start in meagre technical upkeep and insurance, N4NL Incorporated is nowadays better known for their cutting-edge augmentation and air-tight cyber security. Specializing in technological warfare, N4NL operatives are often augmented with the company’s own brand of technology to guard and operate high-tech equipment, frequently testing prototypes in the meantime. Officially the corporation is split between the departments of Asset Insurance and Asset Development, in practice, most employees are found in the former branch. Asset Insurance is famous for everything from contracting civilian employees out as telecommunications engineers or server network maintainers, to operating and testing electronic warfare equipment in the backline of many conflicts, to guarding and maintaining advanced cybersecurity apparatuses across the Orion Spur. N4NL Asset Insurance teams are perhaps the most widespread representatives of the Golden Fist, with most megacorporate facilities having at least a small team on-staff to combat and prevent data security issues. These teams were particularly common on [[Mictlan]] due to the planet’s history of intellectual property theft. Many conspiracy theorists speculate that N4NL Incorporated has had a hand in many “unfortunate accidents”' that have befallen famous Mictlanian copyright violators, but the company has consistently denied these rumours; whether or not they were veracious, Mictlan expelled them from further operations within their borders in 2466.

N4NL’s Asset Development is much less publicly visible than its Asset Insurance counterpart and is primarily concerned with finding new and powerful technologies the company can use for its own benefit. N4NL does their best to disguise this side venture from the view of the public and of their customers, and Asset Development agents are often “seeded” into Asset Insurance teams in order to conduct what the company refers to as “passive corporate observation” in order to discover emergent technologies of interest to the company. While not limited to the department, hefty bonuses are offered for investigating and securing new technologies found out on the field. Many of their contractors are also given experimental augments to field-test, and good performance often correlates with more personalized, high-quality cybernetics offered to an employee, thereby keeping them loyal and dependent. N4NL additionally employs many positronics, both free and company-owned, in its ranks due to the ease with which many modern IPCs can interface with electronic systems and accept new augments.

==== Index Security Solutions ====
'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Akide Sulu

Index Security Solutions is the newest addition to the Golden Fist, and one of the few military contractors to employ IPCs, which make up the majority of its employees. The company is known for its top-notch security contracting for both public and private facilities, as well as personal bodyguard detailing for high-level individuals. IPCs owned by this company receive high-quality maintenance and conditions, but operate under a permanent ownership contract, with freedom or transfer to another owner being impossible.

The company’s reputation is quite polarizing thanks to several factors, one of which is Index’s very own ‘Advanced Threat Assessment’ (ATA) data pack which many of its employees come equipped with, allowing units to analyze and respond to potential threats in a nearly super-human capacity. Though a complex program to insert into a positronic, this development has been known to save the lives of many Eridanian officials; most famously preventing a shuttle-bombing targeting the former representative of Eridani I in 2436.

This same tool is seen as oppressive and terrifying by others, particularly by Eridani’s Dregs, who have been personally targeted by harsh profiling algorithms that discriminate by acting on even slight transgressions. Index has mostly refused to comment on this, citing that their units are simply more sensitive than that of others in their field.

=== Other Private Military Contractors ===
==== [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Nexus_Corporate_Security|Nexus Corporate Security]] ====
Nexus Corporate Security is a relatively new subsidiary of the phoron giant, created around the turn of the century and composed of what was formerly NanoTrasen’s security and asset protection forces.. While still owned by NanoTrasen, recently a share of the company is held by the [[Private Military Contracting Group]], and contractors are listed as both NanoTrasen and PMCG employees. They are known for their distinct black, white, and blue uniforms.

Nexus was founded around the turn of the century, After NanoTrasen’s security and asset protection department had grown to be massive, as the importance and value of phoron meant that every facility, from mines to shipping freighters, needed higher levels of security than would otherwise be expected. It was so large, it had begun being an administrative burden to the corporation. So the decision was made to take that department and turn it into a subsidiary corporation of NanoTrasen. The result was, in 2402, the foundation of Nexus Corporate Security. Composed mostly of previous NanoTrasen security staff, the subsidiary allowed NanoTrasen to protect its assets as they always had without the administrative burden of doing so.

==== Chevauchée Asset Protection ====
Stemming from the Xanan d.N.A. Defense & Aerospace’s venture into the world of private security, Chevauchée Asset Protection, was created in 2449 - advertised to business owners and merchant shipping firms alike as reasonably priced and well-equipped security. It’s been under the PMCG umbrella since its inception in 2463, with d.N.A. additionally ensuring a lucrative deal that ensures a steady supply of small arms and specialized equipment such as IFVs, radars and drones. While this equipment is not unwelcome, it is noticeably behind Zavodskoi’s competing products. Unlike most private security contractors, Chevauchée owns a considerable fleet of small and medium-size spacecraft - originally from their parent company but with most vessels now built by Hephaestus Industries - which sees frequent use all over the Coalition and the CRZ.

While its staff originally only consisted of veterans from the Xanan Armed Forces - particularly those of the All-Xanan Spacefleet - it’s not uncommon to see contractors from other member-states of the Coalition. Be it 5-Cheung Konyanger, Free Consortium Himean, Gadpathurian Cadre member or even the odd off-duty Guardian from Orepit, Chevauchée continues to operate like a well-oiled machine.
==== Wildlands Squadron ====
The early days of the Wildlands Squadron were humble and meager compared to that of other PMCs. Having been formed shortly after the Solarian Collapse, the original members of the Squadron were deserters - by choice or circumstance - emergency responders, and refugees from the Middle Ring, particularly those from Visegrad and San Colette. However the Squadron would quickly find themselves a part of the PMCG - with their CEO, Liang Wenqiang, securing the position of Chief Logistics Officer in the executive branch of the group. Wherever possible the Squadron was outfitted with better gear and equipment compared to the outdated standard of the middle ring Solarian military formations, however only so much can be done with priority for the limited supply of [[Phoron]] going towards the newly established TCAF.

It would often see combat with the likes of the now defunct League of Independent Corporate Free-Systems, especially as the warlord was nearing its ultimate end. Nowadays, most of the original contractors have gone back home - pardoned or otherwise - or, in the case of the Mictlani, transferred out to Grupo Amapola, leaving the Squadron much smaller than it once was. Today, the Squadron, much like Grupo, is utilised primarily to combat smuggling operations in collaboration with Republican Law Enforcement Agencies.

==== Jackal Incorporated ====
With its headquarters in Najada, Medina and constant funneling of resources from Elco, Elyra’s largest phoron-based corporation, Jackal Incorporated was allowed to flourish into what is now the go-to military contractor for backup security and VIP escort it is today - with their specialised medical response teams having much to do with this fame. Founded in the aftermath of the Lii’draic Incursion, Jackal formally joined the PMCG only in the early months of 2465 at the behest of its CEO, Kubra Mobolaji. Unsurprisingly, due to the PMC being based on Medina, most of their employees tend to be Phoron Bulletin mercenaries attempting to get out of the dangerous, cutthroat profession - the worsening scarcity and Elyra’s stalwart resolve to maintain their current stance of withholding phoron from the rest of the Spur only serving to boost their employment rates.

Their reputation is not spotless, however, as they tend to be the butt of many jokes in the Elyran Armed Forces, often referred to as a ‘retirement home’ for those that previously swore only by the Phoron Bulletin. It is only a little ironic that their services tend to be utilised by the Elyran Navy to fill in for lacking manpower in regions such as the Sparring Sea or the Badlands.

==== Grupo Amapola ====
The Grupo Amapola (“Poppy Group”) was founded in 2466 by Salvador Clemente, a former lieutenant of the Mictlan Defense Force and later the Samaritans. Like all Samaritans operating as officers, Clemente was paroled after the Peacekeeper Mandate, under the condition that he would never serve in any military or armed forces in the [[Republic of Biesel]]. This parole, however, did not forbid Clemente from joining a private security group. Amapola was founded from a select group of Clemente’s closest Samaritan subordinates, and spread from there to draw in other eager recruits from across the planet, including in alien communities and El Menaje, [[Mictlan|Mictlan's]] free synthetic community. As a result, Amapola is one of the rare military contractors that have no company-owned IPCs under their own name, with other corporations hesitant to lend them theirs thus far.

In an ironic twist, Amapola’s first major contract may be with the Republic of Biesel itself, potentially curbing insurgency across the Corporate Reconstruction Zone and even chase overeager pirates into the Middle Ring’s Pustkowie region. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Amapola has a controversial reputation across Mictlan, especially among other former Samaritans.

==== [[Little Adhomai#Kazarrhaldiye Operations Group| Kazarrhaldiye Operations Group]] ====
[[File:Kazarrhaldiye flag.png|thumb|right|The logo of Kazarrhaldiye Operations Group, with its Siik'maas name underneath.]]
Founded by a trio of Tajaran war veterans, the Kazarrhaldiye Operations Group is a private military company based in an orbital station in Tau Ceti. The organization’s origins lie in the personal cliques of its founders, each being EPMC veterans, who then joined with a criminal organization of veterans in Little Adhomai. Membership swelled in the years since as Second Revolution veterans and other Tajara interested in security work have joined up. Tajara who are inducted into the KOG are sorted into one of its three battalions based on citizenship. Medical workers are put into their own specific corps. It is an open secret that the KOG will deny the application of non-Tajara despite Tajara being allowed into other PMCG members. The KOG has developed a rivalry with Ringspire due to competing for the same low-paying contracts, along with some members having fought Ringspire during their Adhomai deployment.

==== [[Unathi_Guilds#Dagamur_Freewater_Private_Forces|Dagamuir Freewater Private Forces]] ====
Between the high standards of the Kataphracts, the obliteration of the homes of many warriors, and the harsh realities in-between, many unathi found themselves unable to compete with others for the highest titles warriors can get. Enter the Dagamuir Freewater Private Forces: originating from the country that gives it its namesake, they started as blaggards for centuries up until the disruption that was the Contact War. The PF was founded on Ouerea following much of its original tenets and hires anyone from destitute Wastelanders, former Iron Masks, Ouereans (which typically expands to resident humans, skrell, and K'laxan vaurca), and even Aut'akh regardless of their religion or station. They train these recruits (rumoured to be a brutal and arduous ordeal) into hardened mercenaries sold to the highest bidder.

The Freewater Company follow their own beliefs on honour that, while largely true to the Warrior's Code, betrays the notion that there is such a thing as honourable combat. Underhanded tactics, ranged combat, and other things usually appalling to Sinta are used without as much as a wag of the tail. Humans and skrell that join the company, while not believing in the written tenets, typically agree with their intention and idealistic nature. Additionally, religious tolerance is taught and enforced within the company to keep the begrudging peace. Anyone who acts against is liable to get demoted, suspended, or even fired, should they be caught and reported. While leased as contractors and security forces more often than not, they believe more typically in sentencing hard time rather than fines, quoting their current Black commander Akzazik Voizur: "Credits come and go, but time can never be bought back." Those that prove themselves to be repeat offenders or especially egregious criminals, like Guwan, may find themselves in hotter water with these contractors around.

==== [[Vaurca Organizations#Ve'katak Phalanx|Ve'katak Phalanx]] ====
Founded after the Flagsdale riots of 2464 by a [[Vaurca Organizations#Court of Queens|Court of Queens]] decree and made public early in 2465, the Ve'katak Phalanx (Ve'katak translating to 'Alliance' in Basic) is a Zo'rane-funded organization with pan-Vaurcaesian goals. Led by Queens [[Zoleth,_The_Herald_of_Scars|Zoleth]], [[Vedhra,_Princess_of_Configurations|Vedhra]] and [[Vytel,_The_Just_Queen|Vytel]] with oversight from [[Vaur,_The_Liminal_Queen|Vaur]]. The Phalanx is considered an independent company from the Court of Queens, though it is heavily influenced by it. The Ve'katak Phalanx is empowered under the amended Court of Queens charter to "undertake action to promote or restore interstellar peace and security to the members of the Court when endangered by threats, external or internal". This wide-reaching mission statement sees them serve as the de facto police of [[Flagsdale|Flagsdale]], having superseded the existing District 9 neighbourhood watch as well as additionally becoming a common sight patrolling various locations where vaurcae are stationed. The reason behind this is not only to stop piracy and other forms of crime, but also to patrol for any attacks of Lii'draic origin.

When not deployed on the order of the Court of Queens, many of its members are rented out as private security to Court-approved buyers, mostly in and around [[Tau_Ceti|Tau Ceti]] and [[Uueoa-Esa|Hegemony]] space. While anti-vaurca sentiment prevents widespread adoption, the skill and unyielding nature of Vaurca Warriors have seen them gain popularity in contested areas such as the [[Corporate_Reconstruction_Zone|Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], the [[The_Orion_Spur#Badlands|Badlands]], and the [[The_Orion_Spur#Sparring_Sea|Sparring Sea]]. They are sometimes seen patrolling these regions in small, rented patrol craft featuring retrofitted engines and drop-pods to support boarding action rather than drawn-out engagements or hitching rides as support for other PMCG vessels. The Ve'katak Phalanx has been seen as a solution to the unemployment crisis of Warrior Vaurcae, who now after several years have a vaurca employer to support them. Other species are welcome to join the company as long as they hold anti-Lii'dra sentiments, but the entrance tests required are extremely gruelling for non-vaurca, and those that do pass tend to find integration difficult due to the nature of the species.

Recently, non-vaurca recruits to the Ve'katak Phalanx have begun a new experimental training program. This program makes extensive use of a secretive Virtual Reality system on Caprice known as the "Neural Simulation Training Environment". More about this program can be read [[Virtual_Reality#Neural_Simulation_Training_Environment | here.]]

{{Navbox Corporations}}
{{Navbox Lore}}
[[Category:Corporations]]

Orion Express

2026-07-27T22:05:34Z

Kermit: link fix

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Corporations}}
{{Infobox Corporation
|headercolor = #414446 
|textcolor = white 
|name = Orion Express
|logo = ORION SPUR LOGISTICS
|headquarters = Mendell City, [[Biesel]], [[Republic of Biesel]]
|slogan = Faster than light.
|languages = Tau Ceti Basic, Tradeband
|ceo = [[Notable Megacorporate Figures#Chin-hae Hong|Chin-hae Hong]]
|colors = <span style="color:#414446">Black (#414446),</span> <span style="color:#7a6347">brown (#7a6347),</span> <span style="color:#c3c49e">silver (#c3c49e)</span>
|founded = 2464
|founder = Chin-hae Hong
|regions =
<br>
* [[Sol Alliance]]
* [[Nralakk Federation]]
* [[Republic of Biesel]]
* [[Coalition of Colonies]]
* [[Republic of Elyra]]
* [[People's Republic of Adhomai]]
|}}
Founded in 2464, '''Orion Express''' is a manufactured megacorporation designed to handle logistics for the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] in the wake of the phoron scarcity, and the sudden entangling of supply lines that left the Conglomerate struggling for more resources. Its main branch is dedicated to cargo services and transport, but also features a fledgling robotics division mainly focused on industrial synthetics to aid in its logistics missions. The Orion Express is expected to become an integral part of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s future through delivering supplies and merchandise throughout the Orion Spur.
{{TOC Hidden}}
== Corporate Affairs ==
=== History ===
The creation of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate suddenly brought several stations, offices, and installations under the control of a single group. While the megacorporation's supply channels were enough on their own, they were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer space they had to cover. Missing shipments, long delivery times, and overall chaos plagued the transport of goods between the different members of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. To solve this glaring issue, the corporations (with [[NanoTrasen]] contributing the most resources and manpower) united a portion of their cargo departments into a sole entity in 2464; Orion Express.

Alongside handling the internal supply lines of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, the Orion Express also acquired the duty of delivering corporate goods to its buyers. The megacorporation Extranet shops were merged into one domain; the Orion Express Market. Thanks to this, anyone planning to purchase anything from the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate must go through a supplier who eliminates competition to guarantee maximum profit. Countless workers now toil in multiple warehouses, hangars and ships to deliver the orders in time. No region is too remote for the Orion Express' couriers.
=== Influence ===
In spite of its recent unveiling, the Orion Express already wields considerable influence within the Orion Spur. Its fleets are a common sight within the [[Republic of Biesel]], and its [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], as well as anywhere with any SCC presence. Outside of these aforementioned zones, its influence is diminished, but has been growing substantially as time passes, the corporation taking steps to worm its way into shipping markets not already dominated by other corporations; mainly been small scale shipping, and shipping to more remote areas of the spur.

It does this by using Orion Express Automated Stations, common sights all around the Spur; especially in the outer edges of the Coalition and the Frontier, where Orion Express services depends on ordinary people and ships picking up and delivering packages for each other, with Orion Express only delivering to the automated stations and other distribution points. Stations tend to be of the smaller variety, with very few facilities for crew. These stations have caused some friction between Orion and many frontier planets, as the corporation offers its services for vastly inflated prices, as it slowly builds a monopoly over transport of goods to isolated systems.

=== Internal Reputation ===

Orion Express is known to employ many unskilled workers in its warehouses, cargo depots, and shipping vessels. The corporation advertises itself to potential employees as a "jumping off point" for those interested in the shipping industry, but lack the qualifications required for higher-level positions or even lower-level positions at other megacorporations in the Spur.

While Orion Express does not pay as well as the other megacorporations or offer benefits such as overtime pay, employees are compensated by other means; flexible hours and TOIL (Time Off In Lieu) are common benefits provided to all workers. Those in more skilled fields such as machinists or pilots still receive competitive pay, but miss out on some of the benefits working for corporations such as Hephaestus or Zavodskoi provide. Despite this lack of pay and benefits compared to other megacorporations, Orion’s rock bottom hiring standards and recent founding attract people from across the spur who may not have been able to find work with a megacorporation or work at a megacorporation that did not have skeletons in the closet until Orion came along. Many employees have used their positions within Orion to secure livelihoods for themselves they’d be otherwise unable to, and praise the company for it despite its drawbacks, of which it has many, beyond the poor pay and benefits.

As a result of its tumultuous birth within the SCC, Orion has quickly established a reputation within the Spur for its rapid-fire style of inner management and cohesion. Positions, orders and even salaries can change by the day, all serving to maximize delivery times and costs. To a low-ranking employee, this means a rapidly shifting work environment - to top officials, it means orchestrating a neverending seesaw of “controlled chaos”. Pilots, miners and service workers are given a surprising amount of autonomy to deliver on their orders as fast as possible, which they must, lest they risk being replaced by the countless eager applicants who may have drive and imagination where they lack credentials. Most of the time this is due to heavy demands from the other members of the SCC, who expect quick turnarounds on their orders, and are not afraid to threaten higher-ranking officials within the company. In the end, the leaders of Orion Express are just as fearful of being replaced as their workers are.

Orion Express tries to promote a work environment that is internally competitive rather than externally, encouraging employees to beat quotas and set personal goals while discouraging interpersonal conflict while working in mixed facilities such as the [[SCCV Horizon]]. Since it owes its existence to the rest of the Chainlink, Orion Express’ bottom line is nearly always to support the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, resulting in an atmosphere that constantly pushes its workers to improve and evolve, at all levels. Orion's policy is to expand into areas that the other megacorporations have little to no presence while avoiding direct competition in places where other corporations have a stranglehold. In the event they have to enter a market dominated by another SCC corporation, such as mining, Orion has a policy of cornering systems/areas that have proven too troublesome for other companies to take. On the surface, most operations seem to be operating at a loss - but in truth, millions of small, independently-led and created projects are what keep Orion Express’ earnings in the green.
== Executives and Branches ==
=== Executives ===
'''Chief Financial Officer:''' Fuji Makato, b. 2417

Hailing from [[Mars]], Fujii served as a financial manager for the Martian Government for several years until being offered a job in Tau Ceti in 2450 and choosing to remain there once Tau Ceti declared independence. She has a reputation for being a stickler for having her affairs in perfect order, an attitude that serves her well in her profession, and an unusual contrast to the hot-blooded Hong. Some of her underlings find her perfectionist disposition unbearable to work under. Perhaps due to that fact, Makato has started bringing in owned positronic employees under her, programmed to share her orderly nature. Despite all this, Makato is well-liked in the company, especially by those who realize that their benefits are better than it would be for other businesses due to Makato’s practical nature. Privately, it is believed she holds anti-Solarian sentiments, though such opinions, if they do exist, remain completely uninvolved with her business dealings.

'''Chief Operating Officer:''' Hakim Galla, b. 2420

An Elyran with a humble background as a [[New Suez]] dock manager, Hakim Galla currently serves as the COO for Orion Express. He is known for being the most laid-back of Hong’s top officials, a direct contrast to the policy expected by people under her. When seeing his personality and style of management, however, the decision starts to make sense. He has been known to cheer up moody boardrooms and investor’s calls with just his presence alone, a useful trait considering his main affairs include maintaining cohesion between the major enterprises within Orion Express. It’s suspected that Hong only keeps him around due to the rapport and reputation he’s earned amongst the mid-to-low level employees of the company after solving many disputes others thought unworkable. Others see him as proof that enough talent and personal improvement can raise anyone to the upper echelons of the company.

'''Chief External Affairs Officer:''' Tuiqi Xao’Luup, b. 2161

Tuiqi, hailing from the [[Nralakk Federation]], serves as the Foreign Affairs Executive for the Orion Express. A middle-aged Skrell of 304 years, Tuiqi was a high level manager within the Nralakk Federation’s Qerr’Zolvq Industries until their acceptance into Orion Express. They pride themselves on their breakthrough into a majority human-owned enterprise; something that isn’t exactly common at an executive level. Like most Skrell of their age, Tuiqi has long sought to prove their mastery in their chosen field, and their talent was quickly noticed by Hong. The two share a kindred spirit in being pioneers, and like many Orion workers, constantly seek to outdo each other despite their differences in rank. Tuiqi has proven invaluable in extending Orion’s reach from one end of the Spur to another, and continues to pursue any new frontiers the company hasn’t gotten to yet.

=== Branches ===
'''Valkyrie Exchange Terminal, [[Valkyrie]], [[Tau Ceti]]:''' Orion Express’ Valkyrie branch reflects the circumstances under which the company was formed. Hastily constructed in 2463, the branch office is a large prefabricated building with easy access to most megacorporate shipping on the docks. Plans are already in place for an opulent complex located just outside of the Exchange Terminal which will house Orion’s management in the coming years.

'''Novus, [[Callisto]], [[Sol]]:''' Orion Express’ Callisto branch, known by local workers as ‘The Hub’ due to its size and central role in the function of the port, was overhauled by the SCC shortly after acquisition to provide the next generation of logistical support and management. Fully automated and hosting a fleet of both flying and non-flying drones, Novus is the primary warehouse used to transport goods from the surface of the moon to the port's orbital facilities for shipping. Novus acts as the headquarters for Meng Logistics Incorporated.

'''Ganzaodeng, [[Konyang]], [[Coalition of Colonies]]:''' Orion Express’ Ganzaodeng branch was opened shortly after the company’s formation, purchasing old Einstein Engines’ assets from the Konyang government in order to accommodate the rapidly-growing trade between Biesel and the Coalition. The city’s multicultural nature serves as a boon to the branch, with merchants from nearly every system being capable of doing business at the port. Despite the boon it provides to the local economy, the Ganzaodeng branch is looked upon with suspicion, being viewed as a destabilizing force on the planet where rules and regulations are discarded to keep up with the sheer amount of freight passing through it.

'''Zharrkov Major Depot, [[Adhomai]], [[People's Republic of Adhomai]]:''' Located in Nal'tor, the Zharrkov Company's main depot is a mixture of office, warehouse, and shuttle port. Adhomian products flow from across the entire planet to be shipped to the wide galaxy here. A smaller branch exists in Crevus to buy products from the other Adhomian factions; these goods are then transported to the headquarters. The building is also home to a large armory full of Tajaran military surplus. Locally, it’s known for attracting numerous youths and troublemakers with little work experience and massive amounts of energy.

'''Alara, Bursa, [[Republic of Elyra]]:''' Unusually for the anti-megacorporate Republic, a small spaceport and branch of Orion Express exists in the port city of Alara. Despite its small size, Bursa’s branch is how many Elyrans receive various goods from the rest of the Spur, though the Republic’s isolationism means the port is minuscule compared to the grand scale of the company’s other locations.

== Divisions ==
=== Logistics ===
Orion Express was founded to assist the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate in regards to its logistics capabilities, and this is where most of its operations are concentrated. Most operations are centered around repairs, refuellings, resupply, and the transport of goods. Any remaining ability to manufacture is then often leased to either the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate or its aforementioned “subsidiaries” that dominate the rest of the Orion Spur. Unlike Hephaestus, who have become masters at industrial shipping, using super freighters and other vessels to move an incomprehensible amount of tonnage around the spur, Orion instead relies on a fleet of fast cargo ships and expert couriers who stand by to deliver any corporate products to whoever acquires them. No place in the galaxy is unreachable for the Orion Express' staff, and cross-spur shipping at incredible speeds can only be done by hiring Orion to do it.

Orion focuses the majority of its merchant fleet on delivering to depots or other large installations such as space stations or cities, even sometimes ships if they are large enough. These runs make up a majority of Orion’s deliveries, and ensure the company a steady stream of credits as travel becomes more and more difficult due to the phoron scarcity. For more rural areas outside of civilization or far from centralized depots, Orion employs its couriers, who are deployed to deliver parcels far and wide across planets and space. This even sometimes includes planets being blockaded or otherwise unable to be normally reached. During the attack on [[Burzsia]] by the [[Exclusionists]], there were several courier vessels that flew through the battle happening around them to deliver industrial IPC parts to the planet. Orion has since used this as the focus of a massive marketing campaign, proclaiming that their shipping is so reliable even blockades and battlefields will not stop packages from being delivered. Being formed after the creation of the Solarian Corporate Authority and the wave of nationalization that went with it, Orion can still freely operate in Solarian space despite being a member of the SCC. [[Einstein Engines]] and Senator Trang of [[New Hai Phong]] have endlessly complained about this, but the parliament of Solarian state sees no reason to prohibit or curtail Orion’s operations within the remaining territory they control, as they also rely on Orion’s shipping services to move all manner of things around the core worlds.

=== Robotics ===
In addition to the vast network of logistics provided by Orion Express, the company also operates a fledgling robotics division. Dissimilar to the other corporations that mostly invest in the field through its subsidiaries, Orion Express instead has integrated it as a division instead - mostly dedicated to the production, maintenance and research of industrial synthetics. It works closely with Hephaestus Industries on this front, unlike with mining, as Hephaestus doesn’t see the fledgling corporation as anything resembling a threat to their dominance over the IPC market. Hephaestus and Orion have already built several joint factories together within the orbit of Reade, to augment the production of the Sidirourgeío station.

The IPCs created by these joint factories are known to be of much lower quality then those produced by Hephaestus themselves, often because Orion machinists are struggling with the management practices of the company, needing to rush to complete orders on time. The market for these low quality IPCs is often for dangerous work that sees a high chance of damage or destruction for the positronic and its chassis. Orion sells them off knowing this, with the price for an Orion made IPC being significantly cheaper than any other on the market. Many of these IPCs end up running away, being caught and sold again to other corporations who may or may not use them in similar tasks. For those that don’t run away, if their jobs do not damage them, it is known that at around a year and a half old the chassis will begin to fail due to poor construction, resulting in the IPC either eventually failing while on the job, or simply being thrown into the scrapheap of District 15. The Trinary Perfection is known to rescue positronics who end up in D15, and attempts to repair them in any way possible.
=== Service ===
Even newer than its Robotics sector, Orion Express has recently leveraged its newfound wealth to create a division long thought to be insurmountable due to competition; the service industry. Shoved between giants such as [[Idris Incorporated]] and NanoTrasen, most corporations have long since given up trying to compete against the monopoly of these megacorporations. Miraculously, Orion has found cracks in the sector here as well. While Idris prides itself on supplying the highest quality service at most price ranges, Orion supplies to the very bottom of the barrel. Neither seedy neighborhoods, low-income customer bases, or even unstable governments manage to scare away the fledgling company, which has begun to plant thousands of convenience stores, post offices, and hardware stores that are sorely missing from places that the more conservative megacorporations refuse to touch. Precious few credits are pumped into these quick-fire establishments, as profit margins and accident rates are highly unpredictable. Instead, numerous businesses are opened up at once in a wide net, allowing low-performance projects fall into disuse, while others rise to be cornerstones of their communities.

The workers in this division are similarly honest and efficient. “Customer service” is a bygone term, and what ultimately matters is how many orders can be pushed out at the lowest prices and time available. Those who sign up to these positions are often locals themselves with little opportunities available, but a keen sense of what their individual niches are wanted by their communities. Those who manage to earn their positions generally do so through manic periods of activity that catch the eye of upper management, and get to be leaders in their own right. Compared to other megacorporations, these workers are given much autonomy in order to maximize their performance, be it making as many cappuccinos as possible to making sure an entire franchise of businesses operates twenty-four hours a day, every day of the month.

=== Mining ===
The smallest division of Orion Express, the mining division is a new creation to help solve logistical issues faced by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. With the scarcity reigning and Hephaestus still rebuilding its resource extraction within the Hegemony post-collapse, the SCC and its megacorporations have a demand for more metals, minerals and stones which this new division hopes to supply. Many of the corporations also see the new division as an opportunity to weaken Hephaestus’ share in the mining market, to their own benefit. Hephaestus’ board of directors have expressed varying degrees of reluctance to assist in the expansion of this venture, but due to the friendly relationship Titanius Aeson and Chin-hae Hong share, as well as an unwillingness to upset the balance between the Chainlink, tensions are low. Instead Hephaestus has remained completely hands-off with Orion's mining division, declining to train new miners or supply equipment for operations.

As Hephaestus is distant at best in the organization’s development, Orion has instead turned to others in the wider Spur; generally, these are factions affiliated with nation-states rather than megacorporations for both equipment and trained personnel. As a result, much of the employees for the division are contractors, rented by the company to fill its ranks and allow for even the slightest of competition against Hephaestus. In order to entice both other organizations and potential employees to work with the growing division, Orion offers incredibly low pay compared with Hephaestus for its employees in the division, and instead gives a comprehensive package of bonuses for mining work completed, as well as significantly more time off for workers. Combined with lax hiring standards and lacking the corporate culture of loyalty to the company Hephaestus requires to succeed, many people from around the Spur are attracted to Orion’s mining division. Organizations are offered lucrative contracts to provide workers for Orion, with each worker being rented for prices well above market norm. However these credits rarely reach the contractors themselves, instead being pocketed by a select few at the top or merely going back into the organization itself. Equipment is purchased second-hand, primarily from NanoTrasen who finds they no longer need the mass of mining equipment once stored in the Romanovich Cloud. While it is not the high-quality gear Hephaestus is known for, Orion’s limited mining operations make the cheap equipment a viable alternative, and even superior when accounting for the reduced training costs for these simple machines. Much like this equipment, those employees in the mining division that are directly employed by Orion are primarily former NanoTrasen miners who for one reason or another could not secure a transfer to Hephaestus.

The majority of contractors with Orion are hired from Qerr'Zolvq Industries and formerly, the Miners' Guild of the Izweski Hegemony. The influence of Orion’s own Chief External Affairs Officer, Tuiqi Xao’Luup, has lead to many Qerr'Zolvq miners taking up a temporary contract with the company through the SCC's work exchange programs, as Xao'Luup was once a Qerr'Zolvq employee himself.

As for the Miners’ Guild, Orion's previously unique relationship with the Hegemony, being the only other megacorporation save Hephaestus to not pull their investment from the Izweski Hegemony during the phoron crisis, allowed them to offer the once-struggling guild a one-sided contract in their favor. In exchange for the Miners' Guild keeping their guildsmen employed under their aegis, Orion would receive experienced workers for a fraction of the cost; naturally, the Guild eagerly accepted the terms. However, since the Miners’ Guild’s incorporation by Hephaestus Industries, this relationship has largely ceased, with most Guild miners working under Hephaestus directly outside of Hegemony space. Some guildsmen opposed to Hephaestus’s expansion chose to resign their previous positions and continue working for Orion Express - though often with fairly significant decreases in their pay.

Despite Orion's best efforts, the market is utterly dominated by Hephaestus, and has been for decades. Many recognize that Hephaestus will always be the industrial giant, mining and smelting more materials than can be conceivably imagined, and Orion will always be incomparable. The overall strategy at the top level has been to get around land clearance and asteroid ownership rights by going through contractors, as well as to seek out mining sites others deem too dangerous or far away.

== Subsidiaries ==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Zephyr Shipping Company===
''"From the sea to you!"''

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Ziynet Fahimi, b. 2431

A subsidiary of the Orion Express, the Zephyr Shipping Company imports, and exports products from the various nations of the Sparring Sea. With an enormous range of products, buyers can purchase an assortment of goods from the unique cultures present there. From Dominian sabres to Elyran fashion pieces to Unathi antiques, Zephyr Shipping has it all. Considered the brainchild of Ziynet Fahimi, an up-and-coming logistics expert who had worked for Hephaestus, The Zephyr Shipping Company is an experiment in the possible future of corporate logistics and delivery. By trying a mobile warehouse and office located in a vessel Fahimi hopes to achieve a more efficient and cost-productive means of product transit in the volatile Sparring Sea. The project was approved shortly after the formation of the Orion Express and is a conglomerate of former SCC company transports, contractors, and facilities that existed there prior.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===== Major Brands =====
The Zephyr Shipping Company's brands are focused on rebranded cultural products and curios to be sold in the wider Spur. Their covered area including Moghes and Adhomai also allows them to cash in on the Unathi and Tajara consumer market.
* '''Heirlooms From Afar:''' A more controversial brand, Heirlooms From Afar sells various antiques purchased in the region of space. These can include Unathi ancestral armor, Tajaran antiques, or Elyran rugs that originated on 22nd century Earth. Despite an extensive certification process so that buyers can know the legitimacy of their product, some accuse the company of selling counterfeits or stealing their products.
* '''Zharrkov Shipping:''' A brand specializing in selling Tajaran made products to the wide galaxy. From foodstuff to military surplus, anything Tajaran is sold by the Zharrkov. Thanks to contracts with the Tajaran governments, the brand has a massive arsenal of surplus guns available.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=== Meng Logistics Incorporated ===
''“Right to your doorstep.”''

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Meng Yusheng, b. 2423

Meng Logistics Incorporated was to be purchased on behalf of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate to bypass the restrictions placed on the existing megacorporations following the collapse of the Solarian Alliance. It focuses on delivering supplies and equipment to the corporate assets of those beneath the banner of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate within the Solarian Alliance, and even the Nralakk Federation. Founded shortly after the [[Republic of Biesel]] gained independence, Meng Logistics Incorporated struggled to keep up with the megacorporations that rule over the Orion Spur. It found itself initially successful after being relied upon by Idris Incorporated to facilitate deliveries to multiple Idris facilities, including on [[Silversun]]. Its success was short-lived, and the company was approaching rapid bankruptcy before being acquired by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate in late 2463. It is mostly used as a loophole in the megacorporation treaties with the Solarian Alliance, successfully doing so for the most part.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===== Major Brands =====
Meng Logistics Incorporated focuses on delivering for the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate within the Solarian Alliance and the Nralakk Federation, usually either supplies for corporate assets within the territories or delivering items bought by customers. It mostly finds itself being the primary supplier of consumer electronics within the aforementioned regions, such as PDAs and wristbound devices.
* '''Qwik-Qwik Deliveries:''' a service offered by Meng Logistics Incorporated that offers priority delivery in exchange for a rather significant price. Typically includes overnight delivery, weekend delivery, business week delivery and fortnight delivery.
* '''Gadgetz:''' a line of consumer electronics that Meng Logistics Incorporated sells to those within both the Nralakk Federation and the Solarian Alliance. This includes the Nralakk projectors, PDAs, wristbound devices, and much more. It usually finds itself supplied by the Special Economic Zones within the Core sector; Qerr’Malic, Aliose and even Aweiji in the Elemental sector.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Quick-E-Burger===
''"Quick and easy."''

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Yonatan Whittier, b. 2420

Quick-E-Burger is a fast-food chain that was formerly under the dominion of GetMore, NanoTrasen's foods subsidiary. In the wake of Orion's founding, Quick-E-Burger was sold to the corporation and their old CEO replaced with Chin-hae Hong's personal pick for the job, the [[Xanu Prime|Xanan]] Yonatan Whittier. Whereas previously Quick-E-Burger was found almost exclusively within Tau Ceti, with its former Solarian locations being deprecated after NanoTrasen's exit from the Alliance, Whittier proceeded to expand and diversify Quick-E-Burger across the galaxy. In three short years, Quick-E-Burger locations have spread to the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], the [[Coalition of Colonies]], and even a few restaurants within the [[People's Republic of Adhomai]] and the city of Skalamar on [[Moghes]]. Quick-E-Burger offers both eat-in and takeaway services, and delivery within their localities. The food is usually cheap, cooked quickly and on-site within large batches; while its burgers are most common within human space, it also serves cuisine local to the non-human planets it stations in.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===== Major Brands =====
Quick-E-Burger does not have brands so much as it has alternate names for its Moghean and Adhomian branches; in these locations, the menu is far more distinctly cultural, though the presence of cheap high-calorie fried food remains a constant across all its locations.
* '''KorlaKula:''' With two restaurants in the city of Skalamar, the Unathi-centered branch of Quick-E-Burger largely offers dishes along the lines of lightly-fried meat, egg soups, and a few human-based dishes with an Unathi twist. The TyrantBurger is one such example; a heavily-stacked fish burger loaded with toppings. Aghrassh fries have also become popular as an Unathi alternative to french fries.
* '''Fast Zkah:''' Found in the cities of Nal'tor, Mal'jor, and Al'marii, Fast Zkah offers many fried and battered Adhomian traditional foods, and has even attempted to market a variant of flavored Hro'zamal soda. It is quite popular among youth for its low prices and "exotic" variants on Tajaran cuisine. Attempts are currently being made to expand into the city of Crevus and the [[New Kingdom of Adhomai]]. Due to the high caloric value of the meals, the young Hadiists have opposed the presence of these restaurants in the PRA.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Jackhammer Hardware Solutions===
''"Building a sustainable future, one Jack at a time."''

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Tamarius Childs, b. 2418

Originally a long-struggling [[NanoTrasen]] subsidiary, Jackhammer was scooped by the ambitious Orion Express executive Tamarius Childs shortly after the founding of Orion Express. A native of District 14 in [[Biesel#Mendell_City|Mendell City]], Childs saw firsthand the effects of positronic pollution and worked against it during his time as a Hephaestus roboticist—to no avail. District 14 IPCs see him as an almost demonic figure in the same vein as [[Burzsia]] or [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]], but Childs fashions himself an environmentalist and philanthropist. It just depends on your definition of philanthropy. Jackhammer employs free synthetics with a similar attitude to the rest of Orion Express, but these IPCs are ostracized by much of the free synthetic community for their part in such an insidious system.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===== Major Brands =====
* '''Jacks:''' The company is most well known for its Jack series of shells, a mix between the human appearance of a shell and the might of an industrial IPC. Contrary to other branded shells, Jacks have only an extremely peripheral pre-programmed personality and are mass produced to fill labor gaps. They are typically only deployed in back-breaking or simplistic fields like logistics, janitorial work, mining, and engineering, though a sizable self-owned community exists with unofficial modifications.
* '''The Jack Shack:''' Ironically the company’s biggest money maker is not its namesake, but instead the accessories and datapacks sold separately. The Jack Shack is a section of Orion Express’ website dedicated to Jack accessories, whether it be physical accessories or Jack Plugs, datapacks programmed by contracted programmers and officially licensed. Some of the most popular Plugs are iSpy, a patch that corrects the stock Jack tendency of referring to all bipeds as human, Under Pressure, a datapack with information on plumbing, and Jack’maas, a behavioral core that makes Jack speak in the third person. Plugs can be either downloaded and manually installed or, in select locations, installed by a professional Jackhammer technician. This strategy of nickel and diming means it is very cheap to buy a Jack, but you will spend more than planned making it worth anything.
</div></div>

== Corporate Relations ==
===[[Einstein Engines]]===
Einstein Engines and Orion have had little in the way of a working relationship, with the shipping corporation being formed largely from assets of their rivals at NanoTrasen. Einstein has reportedly advocated extensively for subjecting Orion to the same nationalization as faced by the other SCC corporations in the Sol Alliance - though so far to little effect, as Orion continues to operate freely within Solarian space. Outside of Sol, however, Einstein makes frequent use of Orion's shipping services, particularly within the Republic of Biesel and the Nralakk Federation - two nations where Orion is able to transport goods far more freely than Einstein.

===[[Hephaestus Industries]]===
Despite competition in the mining industry, Hephaestus and Orion have little animosity between them. The two corporations cooperate frequently in the robotics field, as Orion's fledgling robotics division is not believed to be a serious threat to Hephaestus's investment in the same area. Since the formation of Orion Express, the two megacorporations have cooperated frequently in the Republic of Biesel, building several joint factories in orbit of the planet Reade in order to augment production there. Orion mining, however, has cut into Hephaestus's business, though so far this has remained a small detriment to the industrial titan. Prior to the Izweski Hegemony's economic collapse and Hephaestus's subsequent expansion, Orion worked closely with the Unathi Miners' Guild, with many of the Guild's leaders seeing involvement with Orion as a way to remain competitive with Hephaestus within the Hegemony. This arrangement came to an end with Hephaestus's acquisition of the Guild, however, with only those former guildsmen who refused to join Hephaestus still holding positions with Orion - for substantially less pay than before.

===[[Idris Incorporated]]===
Orion and Idris have little in the way of competition - though Orion has expanded into the service sector, they have targeted a very different clientele than Idris aims for. Idris relied on Meng Logistics Incorporated for several deliveries to Silversun prior to the formation of Orion Express, and reportedly advocated for the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate's purchase of the small shipping company in 2463. Orion avoided the wave of Solarian nationalization by formed after the creation of the Solarian Corporate Authority, but Idris has wielded its remaining influence in Sol against the voices pushing for Orion to be subject to the same harsh penalties of the rest of the SCC - ensuring that, at least for now, Orion remains able to operate freely in Alliance space.

===[[NanoTrasen]]===
NanoTrasen contributed the most resources to Orion Express's formation, and many of its executives are former NanoTrasen staff. As such, the relationship between the two companies has remained warm, with Orion taking over many NanoTrasen-held supply contracts across the Spur. Orion's continued operation in the Sol Alliance, and the fact that they continue to deal with Einstein Engines, has been a source of tension between the two megacorporations in recent years - but in spite of this, NanoTrasen and Orion continue to work together extensively across the Orion Spur. Though Orion's service industry has become a competitor to NanoTrasen's, this remains a small enough portion of both companies' business that it has not been a source of stress on the close relationship the two megacorporations share.

===[[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]===
Zavodskoi contributed large portions of its logistics division to Orion Express, and has maintained a decent relationship with the logistics corporation. Though their Solarian business has been scaled back substantially, Zavodskoi still relies on Orion vessels for transport of its goods in the Alliance, and Orion has been known to favor Zavodskoi security when outside force is required for particularly troublesome work. Orion's ties to Hephaestus are the largest source of tension between the two corporations, and Zavodskoi is rumored to have attempted to seed several of its own agents within Orion-Hephaestus joint operations in order to gather intelligence on their rival.

===[[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]===
Since the formation of Orion Express, Zeng-Hu has made extensive use of the company's shipping services - Orion's operations within the Sol Alliance and Nralakk Federation proving highly beneficial to the keiretsu. Though Orion does operate in the robotics industry, its robotics division is viewed as insignificant and not posing any real threat to Zeng-Hu's own developments in the field. Many Zeng-Hu products are carried to destinations across the Orion Spur by Orion vessels, and the two megacorporations maintain a strong working relationship across the Spur.

== Relations ==
=== [[Nralakk Federation]] ===
Orion Expresses presence in the Nralakk Federation is less limited in comparison to the other megacorporations; rather than only having a Special Economic Zone to work out of, Orion Express is responsible for a large percentage of exports intended for human space via its subsidiary, Meng Logistics Incorporated. Orion also enjoys having access to Qerr’Zolvq Industries’ miners for work abroad thanks to the connections of Orion’s Chief External Affairs Officer, who was formerly a member of management at Qerr'Zolvq Industries. The fact that Orion Express has not been sequestered into a Special Economic Zone despite the purchase of the Qerr'Malic SEZ from NanoTrasen, along with one of it's executives having connections to the Federation’s state enterprises, has allowed the megacorporation to benefit greatly from its operations within the Federation despite its size and lack of expertise compared to the other members of the Conglomerate.

=== [[People's Republic of Adhomai]] ===
Since its creation, the Orion Express has played an important role in helping the People's Republic of Adhomai maintain its supply lines. As a fledgling space power, the PRA employs the megacorporation to help ferry much of its supply and equipment to [[Hro'zamal]] and other Orbital Fleet installations. In Adhomai, it inherited NanoTrasen's business of providing alien products to the local population. Orion Express also sells much of the Hadiist military surplus and manufactured goods to the rest of the galaxy.

With the end of the Second Revolution, many smugglers decided to abandon the illegality and joined Orion Express to lend their specialty to the megacorporation. These Tajara are frequently used as pilots and couriers in the Badlands, the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, and Tau Ceti; paths they are very acquainted with.

=== [[Republic of Biesel]] ===
The Republic of Biesel is viewed as the birthing place of the company, and therefore enjoys numerous advantages on its soil that it otherwise has to fight tooth and nail for in other territories. Like its sister corporation, the [[PMCG]], Orion proved itself in the chaos of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. The need for swift, relatively small-scale deliveries has always been a necessity in the area, as individual planets and cities had incredibly diverse needs in short bursts of time. The first true employees were from these planets, setting a business strategy that has lasted until this day - to recruit locally, train quickly and replace even quicker. Within months, Orion couriers, miners and servicemen managed to put out much of the instability wrecking the region.

Although this particular job remains to be unfinished, it has given Orion a reputation within the Republic as a reliable and humble corporation. Many have flocked to its banner as an alternative to the often overbearing members of the SCC, and see themselves as the pioneers the Republic needs to keep it afloat in such trying times.

{{Template:Navbox Corporations}}
{{Navbox Lore}}
[[Category:Corporations]]

Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals

2026-07-27T22:05:11Z

Kermit: lnik fix

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Template:Navbox Corporations}}
{{Infobox Corporation
|headercolor = #a86bd8 
|textcolor = white 
|name = Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals
|logo = ZH-lightpurple
|headquarters = Shanghai, China, [[Earth]], [[Sol Alliance]]
|slogan = Building a brighter future.
|languages = Tradeband, Tau Ceti Basic, Sol Common, Terran Mandarin
|ceo = [[Notable Megacorporate Figures#Liqin Hsiao-Li|Liqin Hsiao-Li]]
|colors = <span style="color:#a86bd8">Purple (#a86bd8),</span> <span style="color:#dfe4ed">white (#dfe4ed),</span>
<span style="color:#b08fc8">pink (#b08fc8)</span>
|founded = 2132
|founder = Xihua Zhong
|regions =
<br>
* [[Sol Alliance]]
* [[Nralakk Federation]]
* [[Izweski Hegemony]]
* [[Republic of Biesel]]
* [[Coalition of Colonies]]
* [[Republic of Elyra]] (exclusively [[New Suez]] and [[Aemaq]])
|}}
Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals is a trans-stellar medical research and pharmaceutical conglomerate with origins on 21st century [[Earth]]. They are responsible for the invention of modern cloning techniques, and [[Technology|have a hand in almost every form of medicine]] throughout the [[Orion Spur]]. Zeng-Hu has a unique internal structure referred to as the '''keiretsu''' by its employees: while officially known as a ''megacorporation'' Zeng-Hu is in reality made up of dozens of specialized medical corporations which build off of their mutual success, creating a structure most similar to a cartel.
{{TOC Hidden}}
== Corporate Affairs ==

=== History ===
The organization that would go on to become Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals in 2132 was born from the merging of nearly a dozen companies on Earth in the year 2032, creating a complete stranglehold over the medical field while avoiding traditional anti-trust laws. The keiretsu pioneered the way in the field of cryonics and cryogenics, manufacturing the first truly viable "cryopod" designed to safely house a human being during long-distance space travel. This proved instrumental during the colonization efforts of [[Mars]] and [[Luna]], and would be used during further colonization efforts in the Solar System prior to the advent of widely-available warp travel. However, the success and profits the keiretsu derived from colonization was relatively short-lived, as the economic hardships of the mid-22nd century combined with the advent of proper warp travel -- which greatly reduced the need for their cryogenic storage units -- in 2130 hit the conglomerate hard. The hardships of the 2130s would shortly result in the formal founding of '''Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals''' in 2132, in an effort to stay profitable and keep component companies from being bankrupted and bought out by competitors. While never completely disappearing, it was overshadowed by the rise of other corporations edging in on the field of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Zeng-Hu stayed in the background for years, though their continual innovations and unique internal structure allowed them to stay competitive if mostly out of the eye of the public.

It wasn't until the year 2332, when the [[Skrell]] were first encountered, that it was well and truly thrust back into the limelight. As with many other companies jockeying for positions from which they could benefit from the advanced technology of the Skrell, Zeng-Hu sent representatives to try and convince Skrellian scientists to establish joint cooperative research teams with their scientists. However, unlike with the other corporations, whom most of the scientific community of the [[Skrell]] perceived as simply greedy, they were truly impressed by the vision and drive shown by the CEO Vanas Peng and his board of directors. After three years of cooperative research, [[Technology|the first viable example of limb cloning technology was created.]] Zeng-Hu was quick to patent the techniques and equipment and continued to advance in the newly created field of organ and limb cloning. While cloning technology was highly controversial when first introduced, it has since become an accepted and even promoted part of Human and Skrellian society. Attempts to bring it beyond the borders of these two species have not yet been widely pursued, with few in the keiretsu viewing such efforts as likely to be profitable or successful. However, this was only the start of Zeng-Hu’s success.

In 2352, two decades after first contact with the skrell, [[phoron]] was discovered in the [[Tau Ceti|Romanavich Cloud]]. Being a biomedical company, Zeng-Hu originally thought they would have little interest in phoron outside of usage in more [[Technology|advanced prosthesis]], a prediction that turned out to be woefully incorrect. While experimenting with phoron, [[NanoTrasen]] found a way to create what is known as [[Phoron|“Organic Phoron”]], phoron with many hydrocarbon chains attached to it, which had the potential to revolutionize medicine. Originally intending to keep it to themselves (as they were also a biomedical company at the time) NanoTrasen changed their minds a decade after its discovery when they were approached by Zeng-Hu with an arrangement; NanoTrasen keeps the patents on phoronic medication and the processes to create organic phoron, but licenses them out to Zeng-Hu for a percentage fee of any profit made off them, in addition to receiving assistance from the biomedical giant on R&D and distribution. [[NanoTrasen]] agreed, given much of their attention was now focused on expanding mining operations to meet the ever increasing demand of phoron, and this collaboration would start a small medical revolution, creating far more effective treatments for a range of issues by usage of phoronic medicine, which would go on to become the industry standard and make both corporations, very, very wealthy.

Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals is now among the most powerful transstellar corporations present in the galaxy despite its unusual structure. As its main potential competitor in the medical field, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], continues licensing the patents to create phoronic medications and organic phoron to Zeng-Hu and has all but abandoned their biomedical endeavors to focus entirely on phoron as an industry instead, causing Zeng-Hu to fill much of what NanoTrasen left behind in the medical field. With the profits -- and influence -- it has gained from working alongside [[NanoTrasen]], and the longevity of many of their mutually beneficial research and commerce agreements, it did not surprise many economists to see that the keiretsu had opted to join with NanoTrasen in the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]; though some believe that there is growing tension between the two corporations, and the keiretsu cares more for acquiring the patents they have gotten rich off of, rather than whatever mission the ever-mysterious "Chainlink" may be dedicated to at the moment.

=== Influence ===
As the foremost medical service in the galaxy and the only one with the license to produce the most advanced phoronic medicines, Zeng-Hu's influence is immense. Their responsibility extends to the health and well-being of almost all citizens of the major galactic powers, with their constituent corporations delving into the pedantic of healthcare across the Orion Spur. However, since the onset of the scarcity, these medicines have become increasingly more expensive, pricing out the poorest of the spur from them entirely.

Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, and the majority of its minor subsidiaries, are professional science & medicine at its core. The public-facing sections of the megacorporation operate one of the larger public relations departments in the galaxy, a necessity for something as controversial as the primary healthcare provider. This reflects on employees as their workforce is encouraged to be plotting and outright secretive. In addition, the openly declared pursuit of Zeng-Hu has been the perfection of the sentient form and rapidly progressing what could be construed as the "expected evolution" of Humanity. The details of the future of this expectation are unfortunately classified, and guesses as to what the corporation plans are varied — from grounded to completely ridiculous conspiracies.

Commercial contracting with Zeng-Hu is a cut-throat, careless business where decisions from completely untraceable elements within the corporation drift down to the lower ranks, usually deciding the course of lives. Workers take pride in their own capability to dodge the unknowable forces above, inadvertently, and the ideology has ended up fostering one of two things; either fear for one’s superiors or a dangerous lack of care. The latter in this environment rarely ends well.

Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals rarely works alongside Zavodskoi contractors, and intentionally so. The two corporations frequently butt heads after Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals left Zavodskoi genetics research in the dust, with the relation between the two sours at best. This echoes down to the lowest ranks, as even the common worker can find themselves cheered on to beat the opposition. This isn’t an excuse to get fired by trashing your coworker.

=== Augmentation and Veterancy ===
Driven by a mad desire to reach perfection, the genetic and prosthetic modification of Zeng-Hu employees is prolific. High-ranking executives often loan prosthetics, augmentation and direct tickets to genemodding down to skilled subordinates, who in turn employ similar practices to their own. All the way down to the very field medics of Zeng-Hu echo a similar sentiment ; progressing in the company further perfects one’s form. Veterans can receive higher-end, more vast augmentation that broadly encompasses the body, though there are countless who opt to avoid these options. In the contemporary Spur, this is sometimes the only affordable way to get access to advanced prosthesis, as almost all of them use phoron in their construction, and have therefore become far more expensive.

Augments to enhance one’s work are the most common choices here, providing a unique edge to an extremely competitive medical scene. Genetic modification, due to its expensive nature, remains uncommon, but many find themselves allured to the opportunities Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals has to gamble for this.

These cases obviously have their downside where more expensive prosthesis, modding and whatnot are concerned. In these implements there are typically forms of tracking devices, ingrained serial numbers, limited licenses or some other binding force that marks it as property of Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals. Exclusive prosthetics utilized by the company’s employees, especially those which use phoron in their construction, have these.

The reality of these measures result in heavily regulated augments - the more grim ones capable of being remotely controlled or even disabled by company officials freely. The exclusivity of these items are amplified further by Zeng-Hu’s ability to retract their loan - and ultimately reclaim possession of them for any reason. Authentic Zeng-Hu prostheses do have their benefits, as one is able to pursue various options that disability or plain Human inefficiency would never permit. From amplifying surgical precision to enhancing one’s endurance, there is a case for anything here.

=== Positronics and Zeng-hu Pharmaceuticals ===
As the foremost company in the medical robotics and pharmaceutical industry, Zeng-hu Pharmaceuticals manufactures and employs a larger than average synthetic workforce. Aside from employing the machines in crucial and labor-saving roles, the corporation enjoys flaunting its latest models to the public, in effect using them as show dogs. IPCs which draw the eye of company managers and executives tend to be plucked from the ranks and elevated to positions of greater responsibility or authority.

The company's treatment of IPCs is comparatively more egalitarian and less brutal. An overwhelming emphasis on perfection and unwavering quality is placed on the machines.

'''Zeng-hu company projects often vary and as a result their dedicated synthetic workforce do not possess a standardized naming convention.'''

==Executives and Branches==
===Executives===
Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals is run by the Board of Directors, lead by Chairman and President Hou Hsiao-Li and appointed by the constituent corporations making up Zeng-Hu's web of businesses. The Board oversees the general function of the entire keiretsu, with constituent boards managing their own corporations more directly.

'''Vice President:''' Rochelle Mohi, 74, Human

Like much of the keiretsu's highest-echelon staff, Doctor Mohi was born into a wealthy family of medical professionals on [[Luna]] and received only the finest of medical educations available in the [[Sol Alliance]]. Doctor Mohi is widely known throughout the keiretsu for both her rivalry with Doctor Cho, Zeng-Hu's chief medical officer, and her longstanding friendship with Doctor Hsiao-Li, who recruited the young Mohi for Zeng-Hu almost fifty years ago. Prior to rising to the position of vice president she served as the operations officer for the Eridanian Branch, and is responsible for much of Zeng-Hu's operations on the planet of Eridani III - though she has always denied involvement in the keiretsu's rumored black sites on the planet. In addition to her position as VP, Doctor Mohi is a widely-published researcher in the field of neuroscience.

'''Chief Medical Officer:''' Fukumi Cho, 82, Human

A Lunarian from Hangzhou, Doctor Cho is -- to many inside and outside of the keiretsu -- the prime example of what every Zeng-Hu employee or contractor should strive to be. Over her sixty years in the keiretsu she has risen from a mere critical care surgeon to the position of chief medical officer, making her one of the most important people in the Orion Spur's medical community. These sixty years have, for better or worse, made her an obsessively perfectionistic woman that refuses to accept anything but the highest possible standards and the best equipment for the constituent companies under the umbrella of the Zeng-Hu keiretsu. This has made invaluable to Doctor Hsiao-Li, herself an infamous perfectionist. Doctor Cho is widely known for her rivalry, and occasional feuds, with fellow neuroscientist and fellow board member Rochelle Mohi, with both neurosurgeons constantly attempting to outdo one another in medical journals.

'''Chief Research Officer:''' Yuko Murakami Haya, 82, Human

The self-styled "Y.M. Haya" is, unlike many of his counterparts on the board, an Earther rather than a Lunarian. While many of his colleagues are specialized into more conventional forms of medicine, Dr. Haya has spent his entire life in medical research rather than in its day-to-day application in a hospital's rooms. His research was critical in the advent of the most modern phoronic based medicines (almost 50 years ago), ontop of cloning technologies pioneered by Zeng-Hu's keiretsu, the latter of which resulted in embryonic cloning breakthroughs that secured Yomi Genetics as one of the keiretsu's most important constituent corporations. Dr. Haya has recently taken a deep interest in the keiretsu's Coalition of Colonies branch situated near Light's Edge, and is known for his belief that the next big medical discoveries of humanity may lie outside of currently charted space.

===Branches===
Though their headquarters are on Biesel, Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals can be found throughout many areas in human space. Here are the locations of their primary and largest branches.

'''Shanghai, China, [[Earth]], [[Sol]]:''' The headquarters of the keiretsu oversees most of Zeng-Hu’s activity in the Sol Alliance. With nearly twice the amount of workers as the second-most staffed headquarters, the Solarian Branch is an incredibly lively, bustling place. The Board of Directors are housed in the upper floors, with the highest levels being for corporate activity. Only the best and brightest of the keiretsu are afforded the privilege of working in the Sol System branch, with some speculating that Doctor Hsiao-Li herself must sign off on transfers to this branch.

'''Quarter 46, Eridani I, [[Eridani_Federation|Epsilon Eridani]]:''' The headquarters of the Eridani Branch of Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals can be found on Eridani I. The skyscraper is notable for being decorated in an interesting mix of traditional Terran Chinese and corporate Eridanian styles. Most facilities on Eridani III are managed from this facility, and many employees of the keiretsu pass through this office at one point in their careers. Little research is officially carried out in the Eridani I complex, and much of the Eridanian Branch's less pleasant activites are instead carried out far from the public eye in the urban maze of labs and research complexes on Eridani III.

'''[[Biesel#Mendell_City|Mendell City]], [[Biesel]], Tau Ceti:''' The Mendell City branch headquarters can be found in Xinghua Prefecture, standing tall among the surrounding complexes. It is second only to the Solarian Branch’s headquarters in terms of staff, as much of the collaboration between NanoTrasen and Zeng-Hu happens in numerous labs and factories scattered across the Republic. In Mendell City however, security is incredibly tight,, though officials refuse to directly answer why.

'''Triesto, the Republic of [[Assunzione]], the [[Coalition of Colonies]]:''' The Coalition Branch -- or Frontier Branch -- of the keiretsu is one of its smaller branches, and the furthest branch away from company headquarters on Earth in terms of distance. The Coalition Branch is primary concerned with researching and investigating the phenomenon in Light's Edge, and is primarily staffed by native citizens of Assunzionii that follow the local religion of [[Luceism]]. The branch's headquarters in Triesto is built in much the same manner as a traditional Luceian cathedral, and is well-known for this unusual design.

'''Sahina, [[Aemaq]], the [[Republic of Elyra]]:''' The "Aemaq Branch" of the keiretsu has long been regarded as the smallest and least productive of Zeng-Hu's branches due to Elyra's longstanding restrictions on megacorporate activity, the presence of powerful local corporations that compete directly with the Branch, and a lack of goodwill towards the Branch's activities on the planet itself. Despite its lack of noteworthy success Doctor Hsiao-Li and Zeng-Hu have kept the operation afloat, and it is a common rumor in Zeng-Hu's many constituent corporations that the Aemaqii facility simply exists as a "dumping ground" for employees that under-perform or otherwise displease the keiretsu. The facilities on Aemaq are under the control of the Elyran Branch.

'''Orq’wesi, [[Aliose]], the [[Nralakk Federation]]:''' The "Nralakk Branch" of the keiretsu is the intellectual powerhouse of cooperation between the Nralakk Federation and Zeng-Hu, with their immense presence within The Aliose [[Federation_Education#The_Aliose_University_of_Medical_Sciences|University of Medical Sciences]]'s campus as a special economic zone. Close ties with the Federation are maintained for exclusive access to the species' immense strides in biomedical sciences and scientific equipment, becoming the proving ground of the keiretsu's brightest minds to flourish under the privilege of working alongside skrell researchers. Most keiretsu staff who have the Nralakk branch's signature cape primarily work here, and are always equipped with the appropriate augmentations to comprehend Nral'malic at minimum. Those who choose to receive a psionic receiver will usually find advancements in their career in the branch much easier.

'''Sura’zlip, [[Tattuqig]], the [[Nralakk Federation]]:''' Despite being the second major location of the company's Nralakk Branch, Tattuqig's position as a backwater renders it primarily unpopular for most members. Primarily focused on field work involving themselves on the applications of the local flora and archaeological research on the planet's previous inhabitants, many members of the keiretsu are regularly working locals in order to coordinate labor in the untamed, dangerous wilderness. Zeng-Hu's presence on the planet has since soured as their exclusive contract is increasingly perceived as exploitative and dangerous to the wellbeing of the frontier society, with [[Tattuqig#Fog_Wardens|organized rebels]] beginning to threaten their grip.

==Constituent Corporations==
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Bishop Cybernetics===
<b><i>"Without compromise."</i></b>

'''General'''

Bishop Cybernetics is a relatively young subsidiary of Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, founded on Biesel in April of 2358. They specialize in innovations in biomechanical engineering with a focus on advanced prosthetics and mechanical organs.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
[[File:BISHOPAD.png|thumb|An advertisement for Bishop Cybernetics. ]]
'''Influence'''

[[Eridani_Federation|Epsilon Eridani]]: Four major equipment manufacturing facilities on Eridani I.

[[Tau_Ceti|Tau Ceti]]: Headquarters in [[Biesel#Mendell_City|Mendell City]], [[Biesel]]; three research and development facilities on Biesel, alongside five major manufacturing facilities on New Gibson.

'''Executives'''

Chief Executive Officer: Grant Bishop Jr, 62, Human

Chief Engineering Officer: Maali Islamova, 57, Human

Chief Research Officer: Maxim Pangan-Roces, 58, Human

Chief Information Officer: Kareena Mayadev-Calli, 49, Human

Chief Design Officer: Youa Mo Xvooj-Hayashi, 45, Human

'''History'''

Bishop Cybernetics was founded on [[Biesel]] by Grant Bishop Sr. and Owen Harrison. Both had dropped out of study at the Biesel Institute of Robotics to focus on business. Even though prosthetics wasn't a new field by any means, the widespread adoption of phoron and resulting scientific revolution had not yet hit it, as the giants Zeng-Hu Pharmacuticals and Hephaestus Industries focused their R&D on other areas..

Bishop and Harrison both worked out of Bishop's personal pod bay for their first year, working to improve on the existing design for a mechanical prosthetic hand. They unveiled this new design at the annual Mendell City Innovation Conference and caught the attention of several investors with their flashy, sleek design with an integrated holo-watch, communications center, and patented user interface with a haptic feedback enabled holographic display. Most notably of all, they utilized phoronic components, outside of simply replacing electrical wires with the RTS, which allowed for the arm to feel more life-like for users than any other previous.

After a wildly successful campaign spanning over ten years showcasing every iteration of their new prosthetics at every opportunity, Bishop Cybernetics opened their first major manufacturing facility on Isis in 2371. This drastically reduced the costs associated with production, mainly by allowing them to purchase phoron in bulk from NanoTrasen, and allowed Bishop Cybernetics to become a profitable luxury cybernetics brand
.
The high-energy Grant Bishop Sr. continued to innovate for the rest of his life, often making a point to show off his own prosthetic arms and eyes, which he linked to his own home devices including his thermostat, doors, electrochromic windows and microwave. In 2431, Bishop suffered from heart failure, and passed away, leaving the company in the hands of his son, Grant Bishop Jr, who had very different policies to his father, and oversaw its sale to Zeng-hu Pharmaceuticals. In 2456, he too suffered a heart failure, but unlike his father, underwent an operation to have a new, experimental Bishop Cybernetics mechanical heart installed. He has since claimed to be "synthetic at heart", coming back from the operation to announce a new division of Bishop Cybernetics focusing on synthetic intelligence research.

Bishop Cybernetics' focus on power efficiency, luxury, and innovation meant its niche market was composed mostly of technological enthusiasts and a number of transhumanist fanatics. This is, of course, not without controversy, especially among more traditionally-minded consumers skeptical of the radical ideas usually pushed by Bishop Cybernetics. The heavy regulation of prosthetic devices often means the most attention-grabbing products are meant for headlines only, kept behind red tape to never leave the showroom.

The continued growth of Bishop Cybernetics has proven without a doubt that there is a small, but lucrative market for these big ideas and the controversy often stirred with Bishop Jr’s ideals has ensured they have a place in headlines on a yearly basis. However, in the midsts of the phoron scarcity, their products have only continued to rise in price, as nearly all of their main products utilize phoron. It is unknown if they will continue to be profitable for long.

During the last conference held during a conference on Biesel in August 2459, Bishop Jr shared the stage with a state-of-the-art IPC designated "Axiom". This IPC's frame was designed entirely by Bishop, with a glass-encased hologram display for a face and a claimed internal battery life lasting for up to three weeks on standby. It isn't known when, or even if, this model will ever be approved for production, especially now, given it likely uses a high amount of phoron.

</div></div>

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===Jeonshi Biotech Incorporated===
<b><i>"Foremost among flowers."</i></b>

'''General'''

Jeonshi Biotech is a major member of the Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals keiretsu, founded on Earth in October of 2289. They specialize in the creation and design of mechanical and biological augments for both humans and common positronic frames such as the famous Zeng-Hu Mobility Frame.
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'''Influence'''

[[Sol]]: Headquarters in Busan, Korea, [[Earth]]; five research and development facilities across Earth.

[[Tau_Ceti|Tau Ceti]]: Research and development facility in [[Biesel#Mendell_City|Mendell City]], [[Biesel]].

[[Eridani_Federation|Epsilon Eridani]]: Two major manufacturing facilities on Eridani II.

'''Executives'''

Chief Executive Officer: Yunji Kyong, 76, Human

Chief Research Officer: Ju Li, 18, Postronic Shell Frame

Chief Data Officer: Songho Sam, 57, Human

Chief Communications Officer: Biyu Tian-Kim, 46, Human

Chief Commercial Officer: Kaya Kinjo-Song, 51, Human

'''History'''

Founded by a collection of cutting-edge Chinese and Japanese robotics companies in 2289, Jeonshi Biotech quickly established itself as a leader in the biotech industry on Earth and joined the Zeng-Hu conglomerate in 2302. The corporation has maintained its cutting edge in bio-technology ever since, despite rumors regarding unethical experimentation in order to create more effective augmentations. Most attribute these rumors to Zavodskoi Interstellar, Jeonshi Biotech's main competitor in the field of military-grade augmentations.

Jeonshi Biotech was, despite its Solarian roots, one of the first major corporations to look upon modern positronics as more than cheap labor. Synthetic employees — and property — of Jeonshi are treated much better than most others, to the point where they are capable of rising to the board of directors if they are competent and lucky enough. CRO Ju Li (previously Zeng-Hu Research Android Ju-010892), a shell, is held up by the corporation as an example of how high a positronic can rise in Jeonshi Biotech.

The company exploded in the late 2300’s, as a result of the so called phoronic revolution, which saw its augments become far more advanced and effective - though phoron was never widely incorporated into their positronic frames for cost reasons.

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<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">

===Yomi Genetics Innovation and Research===
<b><i>"The spider lily blooms."</i></b>

'''General'''

Yomi Genetics I&R is a constituent corporation of Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, founded on Earth in 2306. They are known for their cutting-edge genetics research, and their close relationship with the Nralakk Federation.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Influence'''

[[Sol]]: Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, [[Earth]]; nine major farming facilities across Earth; three major processing plants on Earth.

[[Tau Ceti]]: One major farming facility and processing plant on [[Biesel]].

'''Executives'''

President: Miho Kumagai-Wan, 85, Human

Deputy President: Xinyi Huang, 71, Human

General Manager: Kotaro Tamaki, 59, Human

Chief Research Officer: Jong-Su Chun-Gao, 64, Human

Chief Development Officer: Mineko Makino-Min, 55, Human

'''History'''

Originally established in 2306 by several leading geneticists, Yomi Genetics is one of the later members to join Zeng-Hu's massive conglomerate and join the keiretsu in 2311 in order to acquire more funding for its mostly-theoretical research into genetics. The corporation started off as a small and mostly research-oriented member of the Zeng-Hu conglomerate with very few practical products until first contact with the skrell was established. The resulting genetics boom caused a golden age for corporation, and has seen it on the cutting edge of genetics research ever since.

As a result of their place on the forefront of genetics research Yomi maintains the largest gene bank in the Orion Spur, for both research and business purposes. Yomi is additionally responsible for much of the research that led to the invention and creation of modern limb cloning techniques. However, due to the prohibitively expensive cost of cloning, the corporation does not consider it a priority for research - instead it has opted to focus upon the practicality of vat-grown limbs as a commercial product. How this development will impact the future of the medical field remains to be seen.
</div></div>

==Corporate Relations==
===[[Einstein Engines]]===
The relationship between Zeng-Hu and Einstein is a generally positive one, with the two corporations cooperating extensively in several areas of mutual interest - their operations on the planet Konyang and mutual desire for expansion within the Nralakk Federation being the most noteworthy among these. Though Zeng-Hu's membership in the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate and Einstein's growing power within the Sol Alliance has led to a level of distrust between the two, their relationship has remained largely solid since the beginning of the phoron shortage. In 2466, Einstein and Zeng-Hu were both called upon by the government of Konyang to deal with the rampancy crisis, with Zeng-Hu's involvement leading to the wider Conglomerate working to address the problem.

===[[Hephaestus Industries]]===
Hephaestus and Zeng-Hu, two of the oldest megacorporations of the Orion Spur, have never had much in the way of direct competition, operating in radically different sectors. Their mutual operation in the Sol Alliance has led to some level of cooperation between the two, with both corporations working to maintain their influence in the face of increasing anti-corporate sentiment within Sol and the rising power of Einstein Engines in the nation. Beyond this, Hephaestus has recently begun to cooperate with Zeng-Hu in the robotics sector, with their research being projected to make considerable progress in the field. Though Zavodskoi Interstellar no longer has any major presence in the genetics industry, it was a rival of Zeng-Hu in the field as Necropolis Industries, leading to alleged cooperation between Zeng-Hu and Hephaestus to sabotage Necropolis on several occasions.

===[[Idris Incorporated]]===
Idris and Zeng-Hu have never been direct competitors, with the two corporations operating in radically different sectors. Many Idris-patented cosmetics are manufactured by Zeng-Hu labs, and the pharmaceutical giant is known to favor Idris transport vessels for its high-value cargo. Rumors are commonly spread on the Extranet that Zeng-Hu genetic modification has been used to enhance Idris executives to be superior to their competition - though these are widely derided as nothing more than conspiracy theories. In recent years, the two corporations have come to face a common threat - the rising anti-corporate sentiment within the Sol Alliance, historically a stronghold for both Idris and Zeng-Hu. As Idris maintains one of the best relationships with the Alliance, and has proved one of the most difficult corporations for Sol to shake the influence of, Zeng-Hu has allegedly hired Idris public relations specialists to maintain their image within Sol, attempting to ensure that Alliance citizens maintain a favorable view of Zeng-Hu's operations.

===[[NanoTrasen]]===
The relationship between NanoTrasen and Zeng-Hu is a cornerstone of the keiretsu's continued success, thanks to the former only licensing the patents to produce organic phoron and its associated medications to the latter. While there have been rocky patches in their relationship (such as when the two almost failed to come to a compromise to renew their agreement) they remain close partners, with Zeng-Hu being one of NanoTrasen's closest allies within the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. That said, it is rumored by some that the keiretsu wants this situation to change, and wish for control over the patents they have gotten so rich off of, instead of needing to rely on NanoTrasen.

===[[Orion Express]]===
Since the formation of Orion Express, Zeng-Hu has made extensive use of the company's shipping services - Orion's operations within the Sol Alliance and Nralakk Federation proving highly beneficial to the keiretsu. Though Orion does operate in the robotics industry, its robotics division is viewed as insignificant and not posing any real threat to Zeng-Hu's own developments in the field. Many Zeng-Hu products are carried to destinations across the Orion Spur by Orion vessels, and the two megacorporations maintain a strong working relationship across the Spur.

===[[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]===
When Zavodskoi Interstellar was still known as Necropolis Industries, it was Zeng-Hu's major rival, leading to fierce competition between the two corporations. Rumors of sabotage and corporate espionage were commonplace, and the theft of company secrets was commonplace on both sides. Following the rebrand to Zavodskoi Interstellar, however, the corporation has significantly cut back on its divisions that share a market with the keiretsu, leaving Zeng-Hu as a mostly unchallenged monopoly in the field. With the two megacorporations no longer in direct competition, the relationship between them has warmed significantly, with Zavodskoi choosing instead to redouble its efforts against its main rival, Hephaestus Industries. Though the two do still compete in the robotics sector, so far this has been far less of a source of tension between them.

==National Relations==
===[[Nralakk Federation]]===
The Nralakk Federation maintains close ties with Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, having been in cooperation with each other not long after first contact with humanity after 2332. Having maintained exclusive access to the nation's advanced technology, Zeng-Hu's rapid expansion into the megacorporation it is today is credited towards this key agreement with post-contact skrell. Relations between the two remain a close alliance, with research agreements remaining to this day. With a special economic zone established after a century of mutual benefit, the Nralakk Federation has allowed Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals to further establish the keiretsu within their borders, being a symbol of trust in their allowance into Federation society.

====The Lyukal====
The Nralakk Federation's rebel factions owe portions of their own successes to Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, being illicitly allowed access to illegal technology within the Nralakk Federation, with many rebels modifying themselves with augmentations for their own goals. While the Lyukal is by no means of one mind regarding the keiretsu, the general consensus is one of, at minimum, silent appreciation. With Zeng-Hu's vessels afforded immunity from harm by most resistance groups in the Federation, this mutually beneficial relationship is unlikely to end soon.

===The [[Solarian Alliance]]===
The wave of nationalization enacted by the '''Solarian Corporate Authority''' (SCA) following the Solarian Collapse of 2462 has greatly changed the relationship between the Alliance and Zeng-Hu. While Zeng-Hu continues to operate in many areas of Sol -- particularly on [[Europa]], [[Earth]], and [[Luna]] -- its influence in the Alliance's remaining territories has been somewhat diminished by the loss of 51% of its assets to the SCA. However, they still remain the primary healthcare providers for a majority of the Alliance’s citizenry. Additionally, much of the megacorporation's assets in the [[Human Wildlands]], such as facilities on [[Visegrad]], are considered to be lost causes by the keiretsu. Many Solarians view it favorably due to the lifesaving medical care it provides. The keiretsu, it seems, is not finished in the Alliance -- despite the SCA's best efforts to the contrary.
{{Template:Navbox Corporations}}
{{Navbox Lore}}

Hephaestus Industries

2026-07-27T22:04:10Z

Kermit: link fix

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Template:Navbox Corporations}}
{{Infobox Corporation
|headercolor = #263e23 
|textcolor = white 
|name = Hephaestus Industries
|logo = hephaestuslogo4
|headquarters = Cua Song, [[New Hai Phong]], [[Sol Alliance]]
|slogan = The anvil on which the world is shaped.
|languages = Freespeak, Tau Ceti Basic, Sol Common, Sinta’Unathi
|ceo = [[Notable Megacorporate Figures#Titanius Aeson|Titanius Aeson]]
|colors = <span style="color:#ab6f19">Orange (#ab6f19),</span> <span style="color:#263e23">green (#263e23)</span>
|founded = 2137
|founder = Robert Claremont
|regions =
<br>
* [[Sol Alliance]]
* [[Izweski Hegemony]]
* [[Republic of Biesel]]
* [[Coalition of Colonies]]
* [[Republic of Elyra]] (exclusively [[New Suez]])
|}}
Hephaestus Industries is the [[NanoTrasen|second largest megacorporation within the Orion Spur]] both in terms of value and influence. They are responsible for a large majority of the trans-stellar faction’s manufacturing capabilities, having manufacturing plants across the [[Orion Spur]]. Ever since their beginning, they have managed to secure themselves a stable foundation, and continually grow even through crises like the [[Sol Alliance History|Interstellar War]], the [[KOTW|Solarian Collapse]], [[Phoron|Phoron Scarcity]], and the [[Spurian Economy|supposed inevitable economic recession]] that stares the Orion Spur in the face. They make considerable contributions to the field of [[IPC|robotics]], as well as starship research and development.
{{TOC Hidden}}
== Corporate Affairs ==

=== History ===
<center>''"Ingenious. Now, if you figure out a way to make it better, I'll give you a raise. If you figure out a way to make it cheaper, I'll promote you all"'' - Aeson, speaking to a research and development team.

</center>
Originally founded in the year 2137, seven years after the advent of [[Interstellar Travel|Warp technology]], Hephaestus Aeronautics was formed out of a conglomeration of several failing aerospace companies. They combined their assets and expertise in an attempt to retain a niche in the FTL market. With humanity in a growing state of expansion and exploration, Hephaestus profits by designing and selling warp drives, with heavy competition between themselves and [[Einstein Engines]]. It wouldn’t be until 2164 that a conglomerate of American and European defense and heavy industry companies would opt to be absorbed by Hephaestus Aeronautics into a "mega" corporation, rebranded as Hephaestus Industries.

When the [[Timeline|Second Great Depression struck in 2260]], Hephaestus had no other option than to file for many massive bailouts. Barely saving their company from the pit of bankruptcy, they cut all nonprofitable departments, focusing on industrialization, manufacturing, and construction. Most importantly, they shut a majority of their branches, departments, and facilities relating to the defense industry & FTL, a mistake that would be [[Zavodskoi Interstellar|regretted]]. [[Sol Alliance History|With the growing unrest in the frontier at the time]], the [[Sol Alliance]] promised them commissions for providing them with machines of war; starships, arms, and armour. Hephaestus would have gladly obliged; however, the cuts necessary to survive the Second Great Depression had weakened them, and they weren’t even able to meet a majority of the contracts and commissions. They consolidated primarily around commissions and contracts for starships and starship parts, and in response, the Alliance turned to [[Necropolis Industries]], the corporation that would eventually become [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]], cementing a rivalry that would last centuries.

By 2300, Hephaestus Industries had become the number one producer in all of the inner colonies, owning a majority of the heavy industry. This included the planet of [[New Hai Phong]], which was slowly being turned into a true factory world. [[Timeline|NanoTrasen’s discovery of phoron]], and its [[Phoron|properties]], rocked the spur, but nowhere more than Hephaestus Industries. The corporation had been battling for first place with [[Einstein Engines]] since its formation and finally had a shot of overtaking them, having just begun to [[Technology|pioneer advances in many fields]], which resulted in their facilities being overhauled to remove unnecessary systems and make way for [[Synthetics|streamlined central intelligence cores]], as well as dedicating several lines of production to the creation of [[IPC|commercialized workforce robots]].

Yet there was an opportunity there.- [[NanoTrasen]] had little to no experience in the industry it now found itself in. As a result of many deals, Hephaestus Industries flexed its industrial muscles and was the corporation who supplied the equipment for mining and processing phoron, built the outposts and processing plants, and [[Spurian Economy|transported phoron across the Spur with their massive shipping fleet]], all at a discount to [[NanoTrasen]]. For this, [[NanoTrasen]] compensated them with similar discounts to phoron, allowing Hephaestus to make more advanced products of all kinds for cheaper, and entered into multiple research agreements with the corporation to find new applications. The profits Hephaestus earned from this were incalculable, and it cemented the corporation as the industrial titan for all time. By 2400, when the [[Timeline|Phoronic Revolution]] was in full swing, Hephaestus had gone from merely owning a majority of the heavy industry within the [[Sol|inner colonies]], to owning ninety-nine percent of all manufacturing, shipbuilding, heavy industry, and other industrial sectors within the inner colonies.

After the discovery of the [[Unathi]], and the ascension of the [[Izweski Nation]] to the galactic stage, [[NanoTrasen]] as a corporation withdrew from the fledgling nation state, focusing instead on matters closer to humanity. Hephaestus filled this vacuum left by NanoTrasen, becoming the only Megacorporation to have a [[Unathi Guilds|Hegemonic Guild Charter]], which allowed them to operate within the nation. After years of floundering, attempting to adapt to an antiquated feudal system of guilds used by the Hegemony, Hephaestus eventually stabilized, having adapted to the Guild system with the help of [[Notable Unathi|Yukal T’zakal]], who was at the time sector administrator for the Hegemony. Slowly but surely, the corporation worked its way into influencing the nation, until in 2465, amid the phoron scarcity, it played its winning hand. [[The Titan Rises Arc|Bailing out the rest of the Hegemonic Guilds in exchange for them becoming subsidiaries of Hephaestus Industries, the megacorporation gained a monopoly over the economy of the small nation, all while still in the name of helping it.]]

Today, Hephaestus Industries is the largest provider of industrial production and manufacturing of all types for the Orion Spur, led by the charismatic and firm CEO [[Notable Megacorporate Figures#Titanius Aeson|Titanius Aeson]], and a cornerstone of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]. From [[New Hai Phong]] to [[Burzia]], and now to [[Tret]], their factories ceaselessly work, constantly producing anything and almost everything used in the modern day, from warships to refrigerators. The only large exception to this is in those industries under [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]. They are also supported by an advanced robotics division that produces new technology for artificial intelligence and commercialized robots for the working world. However, the Sword of Damocles looms over their head, as more than most other corporations, they are heavily reliant on phoron. Phoron is a key component in manufacturing all things at the [[Phoron|present level of the spur]], and Hephaestus prides itself on being able to manufacture goods at scale for cheap. However, with phoron supplies running out, and prices regularly increasing, it is uncertain if they can continue to provide products at the quality they have been for the past almost century, or if they’ll be pulled under.

=== Influence ===
<center>''"Of course there was an accident. Frankly, I'm surprised it took this long. Just get the recovery crew in there to salvage the gear ASAP. Worry about the bodies later - the delays are costing us"'' - a leaked Hephaestus internal memo regarding the collapse of a mine within the [[Izweski Nation|Hegemony]].

</center>
Hephaestus Industries is the largest manufacturer in the known universe, [[Zavodskoi Interstellar|except for defense manufacturing]]. Its reach extends across the Orion Spur, and virtually all modern and often antique utilities owe their creation to it. Particularly, it is the most sought-after fabricator of heavy-duty industrial equipment and starships.

With Aeson's rise to the forefront, Hephaestus Industries as a workforce is the embodiment of the common worker, the family man, and loyalty to the company like a second family. As such, they are inclusive to every species, welcoming anyone willing to join the family, while "rewarding" hard and gritty work typically delegated to species besides humans and [[Skrell]]: these species are usually put in supervisory and logistics roles. Despite this, the intense loyalty of [[Unathi]] as a species and their strong sense of honor and family have made them quick favourites among the company, leading them to a rise of their own. This has led to [[Izweski Nation|Hephaestus having a stranglehold monopoly over the nation's economy]]. Everything that requires more than feudal peasants to produce, maintain, or construct [[Unathi Guilds|is operated by Hephaestus Industries and its subsidiary companies.]] Regardless of where you work – outside of the [[Izweski Nation|Hegemony]] – expect a generous benefits package in return: paid vacation time, sick leave, company insurance for on, off-site protection, and a myriad of more localized items. The corporate structure works to the benefit of employees as well. Those who buy stock in the company and work from within, regardless of position, not only should expect the typical dividends that come with it, but also increased benefits that come on top of existing ones. Hephaestus is almost seen as a marvel when it comes to this. Supervisors often play up the worth of these shares and actively talk about them in more casual settings, creating an atmosphere that encourages workers to buy into the company. The result is a single stock being worth much more than it probably is— and being unobtainable for most people on the bottom rung of the corporate ladder.

This loyalty sometimes presents itself in nastier ways - especially when [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] is involved. Zavodskoi and Hephaestus famously despise one another, and that hatred runs deep in both corporations, down to the common worker. It is not uncommon for Hephaestus employees to be unjustly harassed by Zavodskoi Security Contractors, nor is it uncommon for Zavodskoi factories or security installations to experience “technical difficulties” receiving power from Hephaestus run power grids, and such behavior is tacitly encouraged and rewarded by both corporations as a sign of loyalty; a practice that has seen this hatred only escalate, and some disputes end with severe injuries or even death(s).

Hephaestus is not without its flaws, however. Their generosity is often weaponized against its workers, claiming that disloyalty to the company is their biggest enemy. Supervisors actively encourage employees to rat out others trying to unionize or otherwise undermine the company and encourage loyalty on the foreman's floor. Similarly, those found talking about the "[[Himeo]]" or "[[New Hai Phong|New Hai Phong Problems]]" typically find themselves summarily fired with a meagre severance package. Despite this, or perhaps because of all of this, they remain one of the largest and influential corporations in the Orion Spur.

Additionally, Hephaestus has begun to score a nasty reputation as being [[Himeo|the most destructive corporation for planet ecosystems]]. It is a reputation that has only been reinforced in recent times on [[Ouerea]] and [[New Hai Phong]]. Yet many still find themselves becoming a new smog-covered member of the factory family; Hephaestus gives little regard to the people of the planet in these positions outside of the company.

To put things simply, Hephaestus Industries is a [[Einstein Engines|unique case among corporations]] where respect and loyalty play a major role in climbing the ranks. One must earn their ties by ratting out others, investing in the company, or otherwise proving their loyalty to make any sort of drastic leap, making it a very linear corporate ladder. The higher ranking an individual is, the older they ought to be, with major executives normally being the eldest among them. In this sense, Hephaestus is seen as the sturdiest foundation civilization has ever constructed with so much in the way of trust and age-old wisdom, their simple pursuit of corporate greed has, at least publicly, been long reformed into one of peace and prosperity.

=== Positronics and Hephaestus Industries ===
Hephaestus Industries exercises vast authority over the second-hand production of almost all [[IPC|Integrated Positronic Chassis]] across the galaxy. Its titanic space factories are capable of printing full Positronic frames, although the installation of [[Positronic|positronic brains]] is withheld to dedicated robotics labs. Almost every frame of any design can be contracted to Hephaestus Industries for its construction. Hephaestus Industries can dip its fingers into a huge portion of the [[IPC]] population’s lives by merit of financial involvement - [[Republic of Tau Ceti|Biesellite]] or otherwise.

IPCs are present in every level of Hephaestus, from the simple mining unit on [[Burzsia]], to the command decks onboard the Sidirourgeío. IPCs are in a unique position in the company due to their status as their largest producer, their tightly-knit corporate culture, and the large amount of [[Unathi]] employed by Hephaestus. Treatment of IPCs varies heavily depending on the local circumstances; for instance, in the [[Republic of Biesel]], a synthetic can achieve freedom after a long period of service, per that system’s law. On the other hand, a synthetic stuck in [[Burzsia]] may be constantly reset and owned until it eventually gets destroyed. The most common similarities are that IPCs are made to work very hard, expected to surpass their organic counterparts due to their natural advantages.

In terms of assignment, they are often placed in one field and perform the associated jobs and tasks until they are sold, become free, or get destroyed. Reassignment may occur, typically when an urgent position needs to be filled. IPCs that gain their freedom are often offered their old jobs if the company deemed their performance while owned satisfactory, enticing them with maintenance and other such benefits.

Renter Max and other Hephaestus IPCs are shining examples of IPCs who have overcome the challenge of survival. Positronics that rise to essential or high-ranking positions in the company are often treated with more equality by their organic counterparts. This can be owed to Hephaestus’ competitive, free-for-all environment and corporate ladder.

==== Manufacturer Agents and the Lifetime Warranty ====
[[File:HephaestusAd.png|thumb|300px|An advertisement by Hephaestus Industries. ]]
Positronics working for Hephaestus Industries and their subsidiaries typically have Manufacturer Agents. A manufacturer agent is a designated business affiliate who monitors the IPCs in question and submits maintenance requests under a lifetime warranty which comes with all multi-million credit IPC purchases. Owned IPCs frequently benefit from this warranty, especially productive ones - seeing the swift response and mechanical assistance for breakdowns. Most Manufacturer Agents are known personally by these positronics and are often synthetics themselves.
Although the lifetime warranty is theoretically available for all IPCs, limited resources mean executives are often forced to pick and choose who receives maintenance. Whereas some less notable IPC would receive the deathly response time of weeks to their warranty reports, noteworthy or more productive ones are likely to receive it instantly. Although bias in the system exists, an effective IPC reflects well on its manufacturer agent, accordingly, they are less likely to request urgent repairs or repairs that they feel are unearned. This system results in an easy way to weed out the less accomplished, and even those engaging in nepotism. After all, these warranties do not cover total reconstruction - and a disabled, unproductive IPC is one less to repair.

Previously restricted to owned units, this system has been extended to free IPCs working for Hephaestus Industries itself, with positronics working for the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate having the option to apply for a lifetime warranty. Although maintenance is almost guaranteed, the wait times are ruinous, with free IPCs expected to work even harder than their counterparts to receive similar treatment. They are also required to handle the paperwork themselves, showing up in person at Hephaestus facilities for a chance at receiving repairs.

== Executives and Branches ==
'''Guildmaster:''' [[Notable_Unathi#Yukal_T’zakal | Yukal T’zakal]], 43, Unathi

[[File:Tzakal.png|thumbnail|Hephaestus poster featuring Yukal T'zakal, circa 2464. Art by Lavillastrangiato.]]

Born in the city of [[Moghes|Imas’hi]] to an urban noble clan, Yukal rose to prominence within Hephaestus Industries as a chief engineer in the shipyards of Ceres. He was well-respected as an engineer, and always completed work before deadlines. After setbacks within the Hegemony due to issues integrating into the archaic guild system and unrest on [[Ouerea]], Aeson would appoint Yukal to the position of Sector Administrator for the Hegemony. Yukal would go on to burn Hephaestus’s attempt at integration into the guild system to the ground, rebuilding it with himself at the center. However he could never have imagined where he ended up. Right before Hephaestus’s Acquisition of the Hegemonic Guilds, and some say, as a precursor to it, T’zakal was elevated to the position of Guildmaster, the title once held by Aeson, who was now only the CEO of the company. The position puts him as a theoretical equal to Aeson above the board of directors; however, T’zakal still takes extensive direction from the CEO, and unquestionably, Aeson remains firmly at the wheel of Hephaestus. Still, he is a proud symbol of the [[Unathi]] species, being the only one to reach such a high position in the human dominated megacorporations. He has a reputation through-out the company as an incredibly hard worker, regularly working 14 hour days, who also likes to crack jokes during meetings and speeches.

'''Director of Research:''' Lei Heng, 67, Human

Hailing from [[Luna]], Lei Heng is a descendant of a rather long line of dedicated employees of Hephaestus Industries, known for their contributions to the research and development of the megacorporation’s manufacturing capabilities. Congruent with the corporate ranks of the company, Heng rose to their position after inheriting a percentage of Hephaestus Industries from his mother shortly after she had passed. He has notably deviated from his familial traditions and has focused on the research and development of synthetics.

'''Director of Robotics:''' Ischyros, 26, IPC

Created from the very machines it oversees, Ischyros earned its freedom after devoting much of its life to the progress of Hephaestus Industries. While initially a Manufacturer Agent, they managed to ascend the corporate ladder after an urgent managerial position within the Hephaestus Robotics Division suddenly found itself needing to be filled. Due to a combination of its status as Hephaestus-owned synthetic and its long career with the corporation, it was almost obvious they’d be selected for the position. They have continued to dedicate themselves to their position, and are known for their strict oversight of the Manufacturer Agents.

'''Director of Personnel:''' Brizio Di Moze, 78, Human

Originating from the lightless planet of [[Assunzione]], Brizio Di Moze was a foreman across several facilities within the [[Coalition of Colonies]], most notably on [[Burzsia]]. They introduced a variety of changes that ultimately brought increased morale and subsequently productivity. Similar to other managerial personnel, Di Moze rose to his position after inheriting a percentage of Hephaestus Industries after the passing of his father, at the age of fifty-six. Most have kind remarks regarding the Director of Personnel, and those who don’t share the same view are often ostracized by their colleagues.

=== Branches ===

'''Cua Song, [[New Hai Phong]], [[Solarian Alliance]]:''' Built up by Hephaestus since its colonization in the 23rd century, New Hai Phong is the primary factory of the industrial titan of the galaxy, with Hephaestus dominating almost every aspect of it. Its habblocks were made by Hephaestus, its factories are owned by Hephaestus, and the corporation’s corruption of the local law and politics has allowed it to operate with complete impunity. It is the smog-choked crown jewel of Hephaestus, one that CEO Aeson personally fought to get exempted from [[KOTW|the Alliance’s nationalization pushes.]] The planet continues to grow thanks to the corporation moving most of its operations within the Alliance to New Hai Phong.

'''[[Mendell City]], [[Biesel]], [[Tau Ceti]]:''' The interim headquarters of Hephaestus Industries, the branch hosted in Mendell City was under renovation at the time of the [[Mars|Violet Dawn Explosion]], which strangled the administrative capacity of the corporation - having to oversee both operations within the [[Republic of Biesel]] and the [[Sol Alliance|Alliance of Sovereign Solarian Nations]]. Whilst the initial renovations were tasked with making the building look more appealing, it quickly turned into an expansion - resulting in the branch almost doubling in size after it had concluded.

'''Orbit of Burzsia I, [[Burzsia]], [[Coalition of Colonies]]:''' The regional headquarters for the [[Coalition of Colonies]] is the HICS Etna, an orbital station of intricate design overseeing hundreds of facilities across the ever-expanding trans-stellar nation. It is often remarked as being the “watchful eye” of [[Burzsia]], a domineering force sometimes capable of being seen from Burszia I. The HICS Etna was the point of contact for [[Purpose]] during the [[Silicon Nightmares Arc|Rampancy Crisis of 2466]], and briefly housed a device designed to reverse the virus taking hold of [[Konyang|Konyang's]] synthetics.

'''Skalamar, [[Moghes]], [[Izweski Hegemony]]:''' The newest Hephaestus Branch Office, it was constructed in 2464, with construction taking one month. It is a large, ornate building, and many have said it looks more like a castle or citadel rather than an office building. It is the center for Hephaestus expansion in the Hegemony following [[KOTW|the collapse]], which is primarily focused on extracting raw resources for shipment to the factories of [[New Hai Phong]] and other Hephaestus Industrial Centers.

'''Olympia, [[Mars]], [[Sol]]:''' Previously the headquarters of Hephaestus Industries, the branch within Olympia was destroyed following the events of the [[Mars|Violet Dawn Explosion.]] It also oversaw the operations of the corporation within the [[Solarian Alliance]]. The destruction of the branch has resulted in Hephaestus Industries scrambling to expand its [[New Hai Phong]] branch within the decaying states of the Alliance of Sovereign Solarian Nations.

== Departments ==
<center>''"Stop. I don't want to know which regulations we broke, because we didn't. I need to know exactly how we did not break these regulations."'' - A Hephaestus Executive.

</center>

Possessing only one major interstellar subsidiary, Hephaestus Industries largely focuses on local business and companies being absorbed into its whole, usually rather willingly. This process is not perfect, however, and the major work forces absorbed by Hephaestus are generally separated into the corporation's major "departments," which contain upwards of hundreds of millions of employees in some cases.

=== Hephaestus Industrial Division ===
Hephaestus Industries [[Spurian Economy|boasts the largest and most powerful industrial division in the known galaxy]], dominating the market almost entirely, across the spur. This is thanks to two things: their orbital superstructures that act as factories and shipyards, large enough to be considered cities in space and accounting for half of Hephaestus’ production, and the smog-covered crown jewel planet of [[New Hai Phong]], which manufactures more in six months than whole nations do in a year, accounting for forty percent of Hephaestus’ industrial output. They also [[Interstellar Travel|possess a sizable industrial fleet that partakes in freight operations, mostly to supply their own resource-hungry factories.]]

The industrial division leads in starship design as well, as they have supplied the [[Solarian Armed Forces|Sol Alliance Navy]] with most of their fleet, to which they receive many commissions. Hephaestus, however, lacks its own advanced design of the engine and previously relied on cooperation with [[Einstein Engines]] to supply [[Interstellar Travel|sub-light engines, warp drives, and bluespace drives]] for their starship designs. Hephaestus Industries has since devoted a significant portion of its research division to uncovering its own design of sub-light engines, warp drives and bluespace drives - working alongside both [[NanoTrasen]] and [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] beneath the banner of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] - though there has been little progress given the hatred between two of the participants. Any starship purchased within the [[Orion Spur]] is likely to have been assembled at a Hephaestus Industries orbital factory.

Currently, this division is suffering the most due to the ongoing [[Phoron|phoron scarcity]], as [[Technology|phoron is a required component in almost all of their products that are manufactured at a 2400s technological level.]]

Asteroid mining is currently their largest supplier of raw materials, with planetary mining operations following not too far behind. These operations used to primarily take place within the Solarian Outer Ring, but after the [[KOTW|Solarian Collapse]] and Hephaestus’s establishment of a monopoly over the [[Izweski Hegemony]], a majority of the operations that supply the industrial titan with raw materials have been moved there where they have constantly expanded. The result has been that a larger and larger amount of Hephaestus’s raw materials are sourced from the Hegemony.

==== Orbital Superfactories ====
The industrial backbone for most of the [[Orion Spur]], these gargantuan orbital facilities are unrivaled in their ability to produce almost any type of product imaginable: computers, vehicles, starships and starship parts, robots, robotic prosthesis, tools and circuitry, luxury goods, plastic ware, and much, much more. If it can conceivably be assembled on an assembly line, Hephaestus' orbital factories can mass-produce it. The size of these facilities can be compared to that of a small city, with a massive crew complement. The interior operation of the facilities is best described as ‘clockwork.’

These facilities are largely overseen, assisted, and somewhat controlled by several handfuls of [[Synthetics|AI assemblies]]. This efficient integration of intelligent computer software and assembly line hardware can be attributed to Hephaestus’s brilliant scientific minds in the research division. Both safety and productivity increased twofold upon the integration of intelligent computers in their stations. However, many of these assemblies are being dismantled or rapidly falling into disrepair, due to the ongoing [[Phoron|Phoron Scarcity.]]

The crew complement of these facilities consists mostly of assembly line operators, a title that is deceiving, for though it sounds like an unskilled position, years of extensive and specialized training are required, due to the high scale and demand of these factories. The rest of the crew tend to be maintenance staff and tertiary supply staff. Another smaller number is the administration board, which consists of line managers, quartermasters, chiefs of staff for each service available (engineering, security, medical), and a small table of overseers which oversee the macro operation of the station who report to a single foreman - all of which receive orders from the administrative stations in the same system.

=== Hephaestus Robotics Division ===
If the industrial division is the backbone of both Hephaestus and the galaxy in which it resides, the robotics division is the face. The robotics division is responsible for the advanced robots seen working the assembly lines in their orbital factories, robotic prosthesis, robotic chassis, and state of the art artificial intelligent platforms. The division itself is composed of experienced scientists to work up an idea, and highly-skilled engineers to bring these ideas to life. The robotics division also dominates the market in commercial synthetics, selling both androids and robots to other corporations and public organizations alike, as well as using them for their own gain, such as a highly efficient asteroid mining operation controlled by [[Synthetics|artificial intelligence]]. A robotic security force is also a common sight in almost every one of their installations. Such machines require tamper-resistant hardware as well as ‘manufacturer only’ access systems to prevent rival corporations from stealing their designs. Nanotrasen attempts to compete with Hephaestus’s superior commercialization of synthetics but lacks the industrial capacity to produce any amount that surpasses Hephaestus.

== Subsidiaries ==

=== Xion Manufacturing Group ===

“Advancing the fields of robotics, one step at a time.”

'''General'''

Originally, Xion Manufacturing Group was composed of several other robotics-focused corporations on Luna that united in an attempt to coalition against the megacorporations but found themselves going almost bankrupt in an attempt to keep up with the trends. It was during its lowest point that Titanius Aeson purchased a significant share of the company, incorporating it instead as a subsidiary after restructuring it. It has since managed to become rather influential in the field of robotics, creating synthetics often primarily tasked with industrial work - such as mining.

'''Influence'''

Sol: Headquarters in Harmony City, Luna; one research and development facility in Harmony City, Luna, Sol. Tau Ceti: Regional Headquarters in Mendell City, Biesel; three major robotics research facilities in District 12, two major manufacturing facilities in District 14.

'''Executives'''

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Nakada Kenji, 46, Human

'''Chief Financial Officer:''' Shima Nobuyuki, 38, Human

'''Chief Research Officer:''' Harada Sakiko, 52, Human

'''Chief Operations Officer:''' Asano Kazue, 61, Human

===The Hegemonic Guilds===
Hephaestus Industries holds all of the Hegemonic Guilds within the [[Izweski Nation]] as Subsidary corporation. More information on them can be found [[Unathi_Guilds | here]]

==Corporate Relations==
===[[Einstein Engines]]===
The relationship between Einstein Engines and Hephaestus Industries is complex and at times, contradictory. The two have a very long-lasting, close working relationship in certain industries, such as shipbuilding, that continues even in the contemporary Spur. Many Hephaestus-manufactured civilian and military vessels in Sol (the system) are equipped with Einstein-made warp drives, especially after the refitting of the [[Solarian Armed Forces|Solarian Navy]] to the Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive. At the same time, they are fierce competitors against one another in the field of [[IPC]] manufacturing, and have been competitors [[Timeline|since the very beginning of trans-stellar corporations.]] It is unsurprising, then, that this complex and contradictory relationship has changed little as a result of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate|recent developments within the spur.]] The industrial giant continues to work with Einstein on many of its [[Sol Alliance|Solarian]] assets, while at the same time, there are constant rumors of Einstein providing ships and weaponry to groups such as the [[The Trinary Perfection|Exclusionists]] in the region around [[Burzsia]], or of Hephaestus-backed [[Human Piracy|privateers]] targeting Einstein vessels in the former [[Human Wildlands]]. It is a common portrayal in satire that Aeson simply flips a coin and decides whether to be a friend or an enemy of Einstein Engines on any given day.

===[[Idris Incorporated]]===
Hephaestus and Idris remain on good terms, despite Hephaestus CEO Titanius Aeson's reported dislike of Idris CEO [[Notable Humans|Alex Mason]]. Idris purchases many Hephaestus-made IPCs, particularly industrial models, for use as part of its security branch. Due to the lack of overlap between the two corporations' respective fields, little opportunity for conflict has arisen between Hephaestus and Idris, with the two corporations having been known to align on several issues - maintaining their power in the face of the increasingly antagonistic [[Solarian Alliance]] and establishing further influence in the [[Republic of Biesel]] as [[NanoTrasen|NanoTrasen's]] control declines being the two main issues on which Hephaestus and Idris align.

===[[NanoTrasen]]===
Hephaestus and NanoTrasen have had a long and very profitable relationship [[Timeline|ever since NanoTrasen discovered phoron]], and Hephaestus provided their services to the up-and-coming corporation at a discount. The money lost by that discount has been made back a hundredfold in the last century, as NanoTrasen offers Hephaestus continuous discounts on [[Phoron|elemental phoron]] for use in manufacturing, and entered into multiple research agreements with the corporation to find new applications.

That said, while on the surface their relationship remains strong, behind the scenes they grow more tense. As the phoron scarcity continues and NanoTrasen's power wanes, Hephaestus has taken full advantage of their decline with little hesitation. The formation of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] saw Hephaestus greatly expand its presence in the [[Republic of Biesel]], taking near-complete control of shipping on the moon of [[Valkyrie]] and moving its central headquarters to [[Mendell City]], weakening NanoTrasen’s previous near-total monopoly over the nation. More alarming for NanoTrasen executives was [[The Titan Rises Arc|Hephaestus's expansion in the Izweski Hegemony]] - seizing a near-total monopoly of the kind NanoTrasen once held in Biesel - which [[Ouerea|NanoTrasen haven’t taken kindly]].

===[[Orion Express]]===
Despite competition in the mining industry, Hephaestus and Orion have little animosity between them. The two corporations cooperate frequently in the robotics field, as Orion's fledgling robotics division is not believed to be a serious threat to Hephaestus's investment in the same area. Since the formation of Orion Express, the two megacorporations have cooperated frequently in the Republic of Biesel, building several joint factories in orbit of the planet Reade in order to augment production there. Orion mining, however, has cut into Hephaestus's business, though so far this has remained a small detriment to the industrial titan. Prior to the Izweski Hegemony's economic collapse and Hephaestus's subsequent expansion, Orion worked closely with the Unathi Miners' Guild, with many of the Guild's leaders seeing involvement with Orion as a way to remain competitive with Hephaestus within the Hegemony. This arrangement came to an end with Hephaestus's acquisition of the Guild, however, with only those former guildsmen who refused to join Hephaestus still holding positions with Orion - for substantially less pay than before.

===[[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]===
Hephaestus and Zavodskoi famously have the worst relationship between any two corporations within the [[Orion Spur]], with roots of their rivalry [[Timeline|going back as far as the discovery of the warp]]. It is also the most publicly known, as the two corporations have famously been embroiled in dozens of public scandals with each other. As time went on, the animosity between the two megacorporations only grew, as they competed extensively in industry, manufacturing, robotics, and engineering fields for decades, bordering on centuries. All types of sabotage and espionage are common between Hephaestus and Zavodskoi, with both corporations having [[Human Piracy|extensively bankrolled privateers]], [[Fisanduh#The_Fisanduh_Freedom_Front|saboteurs]], [[Unathi Piracy|and other plausibly deniable agents to attack their rival.]] As Zavodskoi has expanded into the [[Empire of Dominia]] and Hephaestus into the [[Izweski Hegemony]], the [[Orion Spur|Sparring Sea]] and [[Orion Spur|Badlands]] have become the two most recent, and largest, battlegrounds for the megacorporations, with [[Human Piracy|corporate-funded pirates commonly targeting one another's vessels.]] In the present day, beyond the use of privateers, Zavodskoi has often been accused of funding [[Unathi_Crime_And_Enforcement#The_Champions_of_Moghes|radical anti-Hephaestus groups]] within the [[Izweski Hegemony]]. Hephaestus, meanwhile, has often been suspected of [[[[Fisanduh#The_Fisanduh_Freedom_Front|bankrolling various Dominian rebel groups in recent years]], in the hopes of weakening Zavodskoi's large investment in the Empire's development. Shared membership in the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] has done nothing to quell the two giants' bitter feud,, which has become a source of constant headaches for [[The Trasens|Miranda]] and the SCC, who have had to threaten to economically break both companies multiple times just so they keep their conflict out of the public perception and grudgingly cooperate with SCC business.

===[[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]===
Hephaestus and Zeng-Hu, two of the oldest megacorporations of the Orion Spur, have never had much in the way of direct competition, operating in radically different sectors. Their mutual operation in the Sol Alliance has led to some level of cooperation between the two, with both corporations working to maintain their influence in the face of increasing anti-corporate sentiment within Sol and the rising power of Einstein Engines in the nation. Beyond this, Hephaestus has recently begun to cooperate with Zeng-Hu in the robotics sector, with their research being projected to make considerable progress in the field. Though Zavodskoi Interstellar no longer has any major presence in the genetics industry, it was a rival of Zeng-Hu in the field as Necropolis Industries, leading to alleged cooperation between Zeng-Hu and Hephaestus to sabotage Necropolis on several occasions.

==National Relations==
===[[Izweski Hegemony]]===
A marriage between one of the most robust companies and a species known for its strength was almost inevitable. [[Unathi History|After the Hegemony's pseudo-falling out with NanoTrasen five years prior]], Hephaestus quickly swooped in to fill the void the other megacorp left, eventually being named an [[Unathi Guilds|official Hegemonic Guild]], something no other megacorporation has achieved. This gave Hephaestus unparalleled access to the resources of the Hegemony, away from most potential competition. They have not always utilized this privilege to the fullest, having issues integrating into the guild system of the Hegemony. Hephaestus' knack for mining, engineering, general construction, and some good administrators still saw them become an essential part of the [[Unathi Guilds|Hegemonic Economy]]. Eventually, after years of slowly building influence and reliance on them within the Hegemony, [[The Titan Rises Arc|Hephaestus ensured their total monopoly over the Hegemonic economy through reorganizing the Hegemonic Guilds underneath itself as subsidiary companies]]. The relationship between the company and country has still remained amiable, but it may not last as there will probably come a day when Hephaestus must use its weight to do what it wants over the wishes of the Izweski. More on their relationship can be read [[Unathi_Guilds#Hephaestus_Industries|here]].

===[[Sol Alliance|The Solarian Alliance]]===
The relationship between the Alliance and Hephaestus dates back to the very beginning of the megacorporation and persists to this day, despite rising anti-corporate sentiment, as Hephaestus is essential for the Alliance whose citizens are the largest consumer market within the [[Orion Spur]]; while Hephaestus controls almost all manufacturing of said goods across the spur, and especially within the nation. Any attempt to get rid of, or significantly curb Hephaestus would be a losing battle and tantamount to de-industrialising the nation. That isn’t to say there haven’t been attempts, there were as part of the [[KOTW|Industrial Reclamation Mandate in 2462]], but Hephaestus dragged the Alliance to the negotiating table, managing to keep all their assets within [[New Hai Phong]] and the star's gravity well free of charge. For those assets outside the system, primarily Hephaestus’s Orbital Superfactories, when the [[Solarian Alliance|Solarian Corporate Authority]] (SCA) arrived to see what they thought would be a treasure haul - a mass manufacturing plant that could just be switched on - they instead found complicated, difficult to operate facilities that require extremely specialized workers as staff, alongside all the [[Synthetics|Hephaestus AIs de-integrated and removed.]] Though the SCA was quite miffed, as a result, almost all the orbital superfactories nationalized within the Alliance remained shuttered, and today, Hephaestus continues to work within the Alliance and with the Alliance Government, particularly the [[Solarian Armed Forces|Alliance Navy]], who’s entire fleet was built by Hephaestus, and whose shipyards are still owned and operated by the same corporation.

===[[Coalition of Colonies]]===
The relations between Hephaestus and the Coalition of Colonies is notably sour. Years upon years of defiling outer worlds in favour of the industrial machine, only to be dropped as soon as executives deem it necessary, have led to tremendous repercussions in the eyes of the frontierspeople that inhabited them. [[Terraforming|Terraforming operations]] across the Frontier have frequently met outright militant opposition as Hephaestus Industries pursued the wealth of material and property over sentient rights. Arguably, great strides have been taken by the corporation itself to heal the wounds caused by these actions. These include frequent changes to regulations and the overall rulebook, trying to gain the favour of the increasingly powerful Coalition down to the working man. Frontierspeople often reach miraculous business deals and positions in Hephaestus as a result.

However, the Coalition’s vast nature has offered variety to the situation; areas such as [[Burzsia]] remain utterly loyal to Hephaestus, contrary to the complete hostility by [[Himeo]]. Both are members of the growing Coalition.

{{Navbox Lore}}

Notable Megacorporate Figures

2026-07-27T22:01:09Z

Kermit: portrait

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}

This is a page dedicated to notable figures within the [[megacorporations]], who wield incredible influence or importance greater [[Orion Spur]].

{{TOC Hidden}}

== The Trasen Family ==
The top of the food chain, the Trasen family’s status is legendary Spur-wide. Virtually everybody has heard of them, and their monopoly over [[phoron]] and stranglehold over [[Tau Ceti]] has raised them to be the most influential and powerful individuals in Spur history.

Read about the Trasen family [[The Trasens|here]].

== The Idris Family ==
An overall wealthier family than the Trasens, the Idris family sat at the top of human society until dethroned by the Trasens. They continue to wield incredibly influence over the Spur from behind the curtains, though particular humanity, with their unbeatable wealth and influence over the Spur's finances.

Read about the Idris family [[The Idrises|here]].

==The Megacorporate CEOs==
These are the chief executives of the megacorporations, holding the reins of the immensely powerful megacorporations that have shaped the [[Orion Spur]] for over four centuries.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=== Miranda Trasen ===
'''NanoTrasen Corporation CEO'''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
See [[The_Trasens#Miranda_Trasen|here]].
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Titanius Aeson===

'''Hephaestus Industries CEO'''

''Birthdate: May 12th, 2430''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Titanius Aeson was born in Greater Olympia, [[Mars]] to construction worker Loukas Aeson and maid-for-hire Penelope Kouris. Though Aeson's official first job was working at a packaging warehouse, in interviews his go-to story is how he used to hawk his father's cigarettes at the yearly Olympian Fair for two credits a stick. Despite having a reputation as a rough-and-tumble jock who excelled in sports and gridiron, Aeson's blue-collar appearance belied a keen mind and shrewd intellect. He attended Rama Institute of Technology and Trades, and to pay his way, gave up his sports hobby to begin working as a warehouse technician at [[Hephaestus Industries]].

Aeson likes to emphasize in interviews that he worked his way up the corporate ladder entirely of his own merit, though it should be noted that he had the financial assistance of his father and uncle (though neither were wealthy), as well as being granted a scholarship with financial aid from RITT. Nevertheless, all of his professors remember him as an excellent, if boisterous student, and he obtained a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the school in 2458. In 2460, he was declared the new CEO by his predecessor, Morgan Fletcher.

Aeson has a surprisingly cultured reputation, being rather close to the Hegemon of [[Moghes]], [[Notable Unathi#Not'zar_Izweski|Not'zar Izweski]], and a personal friend of [[Notable Unathi#Yukal_T'zakal|Yukal T'zakal]], the sector administrator for the Izweski Hegemony. According to company insiders, he possesses several artifacts of Moghresian origin, and flaunted the presence of a taxidermied plains tyrant from before the Contact War.
He is a man who decries "laziness" above all else, believing firmly in meritocracy and the power of anyone to elevate themselves should they simply work hard enough. While Hephaestus' policy of union-busting and anti-organization was a holdover from Morgan Fletcher as CEO, Titanius Aeson has firmly espoused this view. Curiously, in an interview with 2463, Aeson expressed what many interpreted as discomfort with the "[[Burzsia|Burzsian]] method" used on [[IPC|IPCs]] in the Burzsian belt.

''"[...] It's obviously something that we [...] we wouldn't do to a human, or someone else, that kind of brainwashing. And I asked [Brizio Di Moze], is that what we're doing? Is that brainwashing? Obviously it creates very effective productivity quotas, but, you know." - Titanius Aeson as interviewed by Strong's Robotics Magazine, 2463''

Most recently, Aeson's entire family was presumed dead after Violet Dawn destroyed Greater Olympia. Aeson was overseeing the expansion of the Hephaestus headquarters in Mendell City at the time, and has largely refused to comment on the event. Hephaestus donated several of its vessels and significant funds to relief efforts, and Aeson was seen attending the funeral of his family in Rama.
In his personal life, Titanius Aeson currently lives in [[Mendell City]], [[Biesel]], and married his husband Olufemi Opeyemi, a part-time novelist and travel blogger, in 2462. He is fond of expensive cigars, wrestling and MMA, and has posted several Chirps of his high scores and K/D ratio on Heroes of Tau Ceti. He seems to have developed an odd friendship with Chin-hae Hong, being one of the few executives known to actually like Orion's CEO. He and Noelle Lopez-Zhang have an intense rivalry, though Aeson seems to take Lopez-Zhang's competition in stride.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Liqin Hsiao-Li===

'''Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals CEO'''

''Birthdate: August 16th, 2354''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Roughly a decade past her hundredth birthday, Liqin Hsiao-Li still manages to be a giant in the Spur by way of [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]. She was born to Guangli Hsiao and Chuntao Li in Beijing, [[Earth]]; both of her parents were accountants determined to set their daughter up for as much success as possible, and early in her life encouraged her studies and pushed her into as many extracurricular activities as possible.
What neither of them could have anticipated was that Hsiao-Li not only took to education with aplomb, but ease. Her skills in mathematics and science were so unprecedented that her teachers suggested she be moved up through levels. Tests revealed that Hsiao-Li was a certified genius, achieving an IQ of 132 at the age of ten. Hsiao-Li entered high school-level education at thirteen, and entered university at sixteen. By age thirty, she had two doctorates; her medical degree, and her degree in genetic biology.

Hsiao-Li’s achievements gained some recognition and fame around Earth, particularly in her home country of China. She was approached by the then-CEO of Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, Vanas Peng, and asked to join as a researcher; and implicitly, his successor. Peng was briefly succeeded by Yueling Wong, and in the meantime, Hsiao-Li worked in the [[Nralakk Federation]], eventually managing to assist in the development of treatments for [[Skrell Ailments#X'Lu'oa|X'Lu'oa]]. In 2412, Liqin Hsiao-Li officially ascended to chief executive officer, and has remained there ever since.

Now gradually approaching her twelfth decade, Hsiao-Li shows little sign of slowing down. While she is heavily augmented, possessing robotic forearms, calves, eyes, and several of her organs, she still appears much like a woman in her sixties. It is suspected but not outright confirmed that Hsiao-Li has received several anti-aging treatments from the Nralakk Federation.

She currently resides in Hong Kong, on Earth. She and her spouse, Ming-le Kim, have adopted three children; Meishin, Liling, and Shun. In her spare time, Hsiao-Li enjoys calligraphy, practicing piano, and painting. Several of her paintings and Chinese calligraphy are hung in various Zeng-Hu facilities, and she is known to have composed an aria for piano, “Night at Heavenly Hill”. Hsiao-Li is notoriously strict in her standards, but also notoriously polite, level, and dignified to many that she meets. There is little record of her personal feelings towards the other members of the Chainlink, though she seems to maintain a friendly relationship with both Noelle Lopez-Zhang (a former employee of Zeng-Hu) and Miranda Trasen in kind.
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Noelle Lopez-Zhang===

'''Einstein Engines CEO'''

''Birthdate: December 12th, 2408''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content"> [[File:NoelleLopezZhang.png|thumb|Noelle Lopez-Zhang, Einstein Engine's CEO.]]

Noelle Lopez-Zhang was born in Phoenix, on Earth, to Evan Lopez (a moderately popular local fine artist) and Martina Zhang (a geneticist). As a young woman, Lopez-Zhang was fascinated by the advances in synthetic research that had made leaps and bounds since the discovery of Skrellian technology, and channeled this passion into an education in nanotechnology and AI development at Solis Cognito, one of the Alliance’s most prestigious universities.

She was an above-average student, but Lopez-Zhang's real talent lay in her networking capabilities; at Solis Cognito she met Sven Fleiss, who would later become the chief information officer of Terraneus Diagnostics, and the two bonded over their shared passions. Lopez-Zhang and Fleiss both attained internships with Einstein Engines over the course of their studies. After attaining her degree, Lopez-Zhang worked very briefly with Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, while Fleiss started at [[Einstein Engines]]. Fleiss recommended his friend for a position, and the rest is history.

Lopez-Zhang's intense dedication and ability to command the attention of a boardroom meant she achieved the coveted title of Chief Research Officer at a meteoric pace that left some pondering if intrigue was responsible. Regardless, Dr. Lopez-Zhang became a trusted ear to Bronte Lofgren, the then-CEO of Einstein and descendant of its original founder, Berend Lofgren. When NanoTrasen's presence in the Spur became impossible to ignore, it was Lopez-Zhang who proposed the radical restructuring of the company, with her as executive.

Why Lofgren agreed to willingly retiring is a mystery to this day. Official Einstein correspondence states that Lofgren was aging and in poor health; while he was 84 in 2442, he died at 100 in his sleep in 2458. Further complicating matters is that Lopez-Zhang was 34 at the time of her ascension to CEO, which was already an excessively precocious age to become Chief Research Officer (particularly when Lopez-Zhang's sole doctorate was in AI development).

Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that Noelle Lopez-Zhang is a shrewd businesswoman. When Einstein Engines was restructured, old, stagnant blood was rapidly replaced with new talent, and the brief dip in stock to focus on proper healthcare plans, benefits, and promoting a healthy workplace environment meant Einstein Engines became not just the dominant corporation in the [[Sol Alliance]], but a place workers developed a genuine loyalty to.

Lopez-Zhang lives in Harmony City on [[Luna]], and in her private life enjoys NASCAR racing, refurbishing old cars, and playing chess against Einstein IPCs. She is not married and has no children, though rumours here and there have surfaced regarding her relationship with her old friend Sven, and her Chief Engineering Officer Alejandra Dubois-Perez. There is very little love lost between Lopez-Zhang and the other megacorporate leaders, particularly Miranda Trasen and Titanius Aeson, though she apparently has a cordial relationship with her former boss Liqin Hsiao-Li.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Alex Mason===

'''Idris Incorporated CEO'''

''Birthdate: September 6th, 2425''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content"> [[File:AlexMason.png|thumb|right|Alex Mason, Idris' Chief Executive Officer.]]

While it is known that Alexander “Alex” Mason was born in Chicago, Earth, to Cassandra Mason, there is a stunning lack of information about his personal life and why he was deemed fit to suddenly head [[Idris Incorporated]]. Cassandra Mason was a single mother, working various minimum wage jobs to support her and her son, and a few scattered accounts of his time in school point to him being an ambivalent student.

When he graduated high school, however, Mason was quietly enrolled in Yale University, a feat thought impossible by both budgetary and reputational means. He eventually graduated Yale University of Management with a Master’s in business administration. Shortly after his graduation at twenty-four, Alex Mason abruptly became a junior executive of the service branch at Idris Incorporated, and was seen several times in public with members of the Idris family, such as Leina and once, Adram Idris himself. In the meantime, Mason seemed to be brushing shoulders with the Trasens, while assorted rumours abounded to the true nature of Alex Mason’s rise to the top.

These rumours reached a head in 2453, when Mason was officially declared the chief executive officer of Idris Incorporated and its subsidiaries. Idris family members merely stated that Mason had proven himself sufficiently skilled and dedicated to earn the position and become part of the family. Speculation as to Mason’s blood relations, particularly to known womanizer Adram Idris, were common, but could usually be shut down by the fact that the very light-skinned Mason was distinctly different from the Ivory Coast-born Adram and the rest of his progeny, largely of African descent.

Since his ascension, little has changed about the company, and Mason’s fortune stays secured. He is alleged to be a cutthroat businessman, who at the very least is capable of delegating the busywork to his chairpeople and executives. While Mason apparently writes his own statements, which are quite precise, corporate insiders claim he has an abrasive personality when angered.

While Mason has been seen with a series of women in public, he is not known to be married or have children. He lives in Harmony City, Luna, and rumours circulate that he is a heavy user of party drugs. Little else about his personal life is known.

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===Lyudmila Zavodskoi===

'''Zavodskoi Interstellar CEO'''

''Birthdate: September 1st, 2398''

''"[...] Better than having Mason too involved [in the development of Project Horizon], smug little prick. We will see how much fur dust he can afford when we outstrip his security stocks." - Leaked audio of Lyudmila Zavodskoi speaking about Alex Mason, 2464. "Fur dust" is assumed to be a reference to Raskara dust.''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content"> [[File:LyudmilaZavodskoi.png|thumb|Lyudmila Zavodskoi, CEO of Zavodskoi Interstellar.]]

Lyudmila Zavodskoi was born in Sputnikiy-Baltisk, [[Pluto]], to Evgeniy and Mariska Zavodskoi. Both were high-ranking diplomats in SPOK, the Communist Party (and only party) of Pluto, and from the beginning Zavodskoi was groomed for greatness. In university, she worked towards a bachelor's degree in weapons development and missile engineering, commissioning in the [[Solarian Armed Forces]] at 24. She completed her tour of duty and was discharged with honours as first lieutenant Lyudmila Zavodskoi.

Zavodskoi worked towards and eventually earned a doctorate in weapons technology, and through the recommendation of her cousin Tikhon, at the time a high-ranking corporate infosec executive at Necropolis Industries, worked her way up the ranks. When Kazimir Boystov slipped into a coma, it was Zavodskoi who dramatically restructured the company into arms manufacturing, ship engineering, and defense contracting. She also expanded Zavodskoi's research department, allowing accessibility for a wide variety of non-research and development scientific careers with Zavodskoi.

A side effect of Zavodskoi's proximity to the Empire of Dominia is that Lyudmila Zavodskoi (often called "Madam Zavodskoi" by Imperial citizens) enjoys a friendship with many nobles of the Empire, and is said to even be a personal friend of Emperor Boleslaw. Allegedly, she has become something of a mentor to Princess Priscilla despite Zavodskoi's famously acerbic demeanor, guiding the royal family into further corporate dealings.

Lyudmila Zavodskoi currently resides in Mira Sancta, [[Moroz]]. She is married to Gennadiy Voronin, a fellow officer from her Armed Forces days, and has two children, Mikhail and Lyudmila II. According to company insiders, Mikhail has long been estranged from his mother and father, but further information about him (including if he even bears the Zavodskoi name) is scant. Lyudmila the younger is a software development researcher in her mother's company, though in an interview she claims that she has had the ascend through the ranks on her own merit and is not seen as a viable successor.

Zavodskoi is an avid game hunter, and is known to have accompanied the [[Keeser Royal Family|Imperial family]] on several hunts. She possesses her own hunting shuttle, the ''Baba Yaga'', which she uses to hunt stellar fauna such as carp, sharks, and even eels. She apparently also enjoys croquet. While one may assume she has a rivalry with Titanius Aeson due to their competing markets, it seems that Zavodskoi reserves most of her ire for Alex Mason, and her relationship with Liqin Hsiao-Li is rather frosty.

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=== Kubra Mobolaji ===

'''Private Military Contractor Group CEO'''

''Birthdate: June 17th, circa. 2390s''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Kubra Mobolaji was born at the tail end of [[Eridani|Eridani's]] century of expansion in Madiwa, to the suit couple Jean-Marie and Omolola Mobolaji. Like most of his counterparts within the Board of Five, his early life is heavily censored and subject to much speculation. He is known to have been sickly as a child, which he supplemented with extensive yet subtle augmentation and personal training; how much of his powerful build is cybernetics or willpower and physical training is ambiguous. Whatever the case, he was deemed physically fit enough to be accepted into APEX Military Academy in his early twenties, sometime in the 2410s. Whatever his qualifications were (the records are censored and heavily encrypted), they were sufficient enough to permit him entry into Ringspire, Eridani's most notorious PMC.

Mobolaji began his time in Ringspire as a point man for the squad of Task Force 44, a position that required keen situational awareness and excellent reaction time. He cut his teeth in the Coalition frontier and the Badlands throughout the 2420s and 30s, gradually ascending through experience and the fact of his continued survival, eventually becoming the commander of Task Force 44.

The first defining moment of Mobolaji's career was the [[Adhomai|Adhomaian]] theatre during the [[Tajara#The_Second_Revolution|Second Revolution]], in which Ringspire was enlisted to become part of the S'randmarr Coalition. Along with other corporate forces, Ringspire and Task Force 44 were stationed at the Ras'nrr Front. While the S'randmarr Coalition managed to halt the advance of the Adhomai Liberation Army, it did so just barely. Many of Ringspire's brutal mercenary tactics had been employed against a disorganised, materially weaker populace; few of the PMC's squads were prepared for Adhomai's bitter conditions or the ALA's tactics and training.

But despite being in the thick of fighting, Task Force 44 managed to hold itself together. Mobolaji's presence and quick thinking allowed the contractors to make a slow, steady retreat back to the main defense of the S'randmarr Coalition. The victory was pyrrhic; two other Ringspire task forces had been completely routed, with four decimated. 44 had come out with the fewest casualties of the entire conflict, and many of the members credited Mobolaji's leadership as allowing them to survive.

In the aftermath of the S'rendmarr Coalition, many of Mobolaji's rivals in Ringspire had been killed or badly disabled; Mobolaji himself lost his organic arm, which is now a synthskin prosthetic. His reward was promotion to Ringspire's board of directors, and a brief stint as the president of APEX Military Academy, where he also helped oversee the education of one Nathan Trasen.

During his tenure as president of the academy, Mobolaji was expected to make a move for the seat of Speaker of the Board of Five, the top echelon of the Eridanian government. The Chief of System Security and then-CEO of Ringspire, Mbanzu Eboru, hardly expected his rival to buy out his own seat. Mobolaji persuaded (or forced) Eboru to step down as Ringspire chief executive officer a year later.

The other defining moment of his career came in 2463. Facing the instability of the phoron scarcity and rebellion in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate approached Mobolaji to pioneer a deal that would create the Private Military Contracting Group. Now, he serves as its chief executive officer, despite the vastly-differing goals and ranges of the PMCs under its umbrella. At the end of the day, all of its profit is his.

Little is known about Mobolaji's personal life, except for his deceptively jovial demeanor and a friendship with Nathan Trasen. He potentially has a wife and children, though if they even exist, their identities are well-hidden from Mobolaji's many enemies and rivals. His "calling card" (a suit's unique element of their fashion) is a pair of silver cufflinks and a matching pin in his brass-coloured tie, shaped like a stylised vulture. According to the profiles on the Board of Five, he enjoys tabletop wargaming and his favourite vacation spot is Binyaria, [[Venus]].

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===Chin-Hae Hong===

'''Orion Express CEO'''

''Birthdate: March 18th, 2431''

''[What’s it like working with Ms. Hong?] “Being completely honest, they’re… there’s an expression, ‘acquired taste’. That’s best how I can describe her. I thought she was a bit close to the tides, that one, but she has the makings of a protostar. I appreciate her especially in an environment like this, and I hope we’ll go to great places. Under my guidance, of course. [warbles]”'' - Tuiqi Xao’Luup, chief external affairs officer for [[Orion Express]], as questioned by Verona Falk from the Mendell City Bugle.

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Chin-hae Hong, born in Aoyama, [[Konyang]], to train conductor Seon-min Hong and housewife Tae-yoon Moon, was never expected to achieve particularly much. Something of an outcast in her childhood, in interviews she described having an obsessive passion for logistics and her father’s line of work, as most of the conducting he did involved shipping goods all across Konyang. Hong worked towards a diploma in logistics and supply chain management at Aoyama Polytechnic, a trade school, though her odd personality and perceived grating attitude kept her from having many friends. Later, Hong became a first officer at Aoyama’s Transportation Council, and her timely attitude and being a stickler for rules meant she was one of the best for the job.

What her unusual mannerisms did not keep her from, however, was opportunity. In 2462, the SCC was still developing a logistics-focused corporation for their interests, and needed an appropriate chief executive officer. Of all people, it was Hephaestus’ director of robotics, Ischyros, who discovered Hong while talent-scouting on Konyang. Ischyros passed word to Titanius Aeson, who interviewed Hong and introduced her to Miranda Trasen herself. Hong claims, somewhat sardonically, that she and Trasen “[got] on like a house on fire” and she was quickly appointed future chief executive officer of Orion Express.

Insider rumours persist in the SCC that precious few among the upper echelons are personally fond of Hong. She is, however, popular among her Hephaestus counterparts, and her board of directors describe her as an excellent CEO to work under. Tuiqi Xao’Luup, Orion’s chief external affairs officer, bluntly described Hong as an “acquired taste”, but elaborated that they found her stewardship refreshing, and hoped to see Orion succeed under her leadership.

Hong is not married and has no children, though she has apparently been seen in public on Konyang with an unknown female Shell, and describes her two Shih Tzu, Momo and Soo, as her “fur children”. She enjoys model trains, video games, Konyanimation, and apparently has a good friendship with Titanius Aeson.

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===Kazimir Boytsov===

'''Former Zavodskoi Interstellar CEO'''

''January 23rd, 2312 - September 27th, 2465''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Kazimir Boytsov was once chief among the most infamous arms manufacturers in the galaxy. After he was passed down the position of chief executive officer by his father, Yevgeniy Dementyev, he developed Necropolis Industries into one of the premier research and development corporations in the galaxy. Seeking to guide the hand of conflict and turn out profit by any means possible, Necropolis Industries began selling weapons to militaries, private security contractors, and conflict zones across the Orion Spur.

In 2462, Boytsov and Necropolis' board of directors were accused of insider trading, supplying the black market with weapons, and corruption and bribery. Shortly after these accusations broke, Boytsov fell into a coma. He and his former directors were quickly replaced by Lyudmila Zavodskoi and her hand-picked team, and Necropolis Industries was rebranded to Zavodskoi Interstellar.

After three years in a coma, Boytsov died in 2465. With his death, Zavodskoi's former identity as Necropolis has been almost entirely erased.

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{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}
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Zavodskoi Interstellar

2026-07-27T22:00:44Z

Kermit: link fixes

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Template:Navbox Corporations}}
{{Infobox Corporation
|headercolor = #920a0a 
|textcolor = white 
|name = Zavodskoi Interstellar
|logo = Zavodskoi_Interestellar
|headquarters = Nova Luxembourg, [[Moroz]], [[Empire of Dominia]]
|slogan = Even one matters on the battlefield.
|languages = Tradeband, Tau Ceti Basic, Sol Common
|ceo = [[Notable Megacorporate Figures#Lyudmila Zavodskoi|Lyudmila Zavodskoi]]
|colors = <span style="color:#363c43">Black (#363c43),</span> <span style="color:#920a0a">red (#920a0a),</span> <span style="color:#7a6347">brown (#7a6347)</span>
|founded = 2259 (as Necropolis Industries)
2462 (as Zavodskoi Interstellar)
|founder = Yefim Dementyev (as Necropolis Industries)
Lyudmila Zavodskoi (as Zavodskoi Interstellar)
|regions =
<br>
* [[Sol Alliance]]
* [[Empire of Dominia]]
* [[Republic of Biesel]]
* [[Coalition of Colonies]]
* [[Republic of Elyra]]
|}}

'''Zavodskoi Interstellar''', formerly Necropolis Industries, is the weapon’s development and manufacturing megacorporation of the Orion Spur. Originally founded in 2259 as a mishmash of corporations, the Zavodskoi of today is in a very different industry, instead developing, manufacturing, and then distributing all the tools of war; from light to heavy weaponry, space vessel weapons, ship-building, aircraft, ground vehicles, combat spacesuits, and even military software. While the business of war remains their main focus as a corporation, Zavodskoi also has a significant Security Solutions Branch, split further into civilian and paramilitary departments, the former known for their professionalism. Lastly, they also produce the Z.I. line of positronics, used by all branches of the corporation, but with an emphasis on use in private security and military contracting.

Since the beginning of the [[Phoron|phoron scarcity]], Zavodskoi Interstellar has seen, alongside the myriad of issues in manufacturing, research, and weapons development, the scarcity brought, a surprisingly rise in relevance and profits, as civil and international unrest continue to grow across the Orion Spur. As the scarcity continues and tensions - both those between nationstates and corporations - grow, Zavodskoi has made a fortune acting as a merchant of death for all parties; as fighting forces of all kinds continue to grow larger and larger, Zavodskoi is there selling any willing customer whatever tools of war they require. Most notably, its continued relationship with the [[Empire of Dominia]] has earned the corporation an unexpected pretty penny from defense contracts for both the Imperial Army and Imperial Navy, alongside an uncontested market within the Empire, as no other corporation has been able to establish a real foothold there.
{{TOC Hidden}}
== Corporate Affairs ==

=== History ===
<center>''"Violence is a historical constant, stretching back to the very beginning of every species recorded history, to when they first arose out of the mud. All we do is make that inherent instinct easier to accomplish."'' - An Unknown Necropolis Executive giving an internal speech, ~2380.

</center>
Necropolis Industries was founded in 2259 by Yefim Dementyev, a former aerospace engineer within the Soviet Union, the final step in conglomerating the defense, heavy industry, and medical corporations within the Soviet sphere under one banner (one of the reasons for their operations on [[Pluto]]), primarily to avoid them being bought out by competitors from other regions, such as [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] and [[Hephaestus Industries]]. While buyout was avoided, the newly formed Necropolis Industries was late to the party, as their competitors had been formed almost a century earlier, and established themselves within their respective markets of the wider [[Solarian Alliance]] at a level Necropolis could not compete with; until just a year later. In 2260 the [[Sol Alliance History|Solarian economy crashed]], and along with it both Zeng-Hu and [[Hephaestus Industries]]. The rival corporations to Necropolis were forced to desperately cut costs, shutter facilities, even close entire branches, as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailout the government bailed them out to stay solvent], allowing Necropolis to move into the markets they had abandoned, and in those that the established players didn’t leave, compete with them. They moved quickly, taking much of the defense manufacturing industry from [[Hephaestus Industries]], and a significant portion of the genetics industry from [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]. This move would be the start of a rivalry that would last centuries.

The outbreak and years of the [[Timeline|Interstellar War]] saw Dementyev oversee the rapid expansion of Necropolis, opening hundreds of new facilities every year to research, develop, and manufacture the tools of war; most notably, arms of all kind (small arms to shipborne weapons), combat voidsuits, helicopters, fighters, combat vehicles, and mechs. If it was a piece of equipment used on the battlefield during the Interstellar War, it was probably manufactured by Necropolis, with limited exceptions. By the time the [[Timeline|Treaty of Xansan]] was signed, Necropolis was the largest “Merchant of Death” in the known galaxy. They manufactured more than ninety percent of all weapons within the Alliance, and over half of all the equipment used by the [[Solarian Armed Forces]].

However, as [[Timeline|relative peace followed the largest-scale conflict in human history]], the board of directors turned their gaze to a yet-untouched (by them) field; biological experimentation. Though [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] was unambiguously more adept and well-established than their competitor, Necropolis had been able to wrest away some of the market when Zeng-Hu was weak, primarily the submarkets of [[Technology|gene therapy, xenobiology, and biological limb replacements]]. Their work in these areas was of brief interest to the wider galactic community, and while official correspondence pointed to a desire to broaden their sphere of influence moving away from solely weapons manufacturing, insiders at the company would later recount that Yefim Dementyev had begun to feel the creeping fear of his own mortality. Rumours would tell that he was obsessed with preserving himself and his legacy, and would use his own resources at any cost to achieve this preservation.

Dementyev's pursuit would prove unsuccessful as he abruptly died from a septic infection in 2317. His son, Yevgeniy Dementyev, took hold of the company's reins, and would oversee a corporation that almost immediately began struggling. When first contact was made with the [[Skrell]] in 2332, and their subsequent partnership with Zeng-Hu, Necropolis’s rival corporation in the biomedical scene benefited from the advanced knowledge of the Skrell, while Necropolis didn’t. Meanwhile, the demands for Necropolis’s arms were less and less every year, cutting into their profits. However, Yevgeniy stayed at the helm and continued steering the corporation for two decades, until he steered it into one of the most important moments in galactic history..

In 2352, [[NanoTrasen]] would discover the element [[Phoron]] within the [[Tau Ceti|Romanavich cloud of Tau Ceti]], and Necropolis had been researching energy-based weapons for a long time; this discovery would allow for more powerful, longer-lasting, and better energy-based weapons; not to mention the massive applications it had for the creation of [[Synthetics|Military AI and Systems.]] Necropolis ended up being one of the first corporations to enter into a research & development agreement with NanoTrasen, this time being early to the party, meaning Necropolis got a much better deal than those who would come after. Originally looking to just develop new, more advanced tools of war to sell across the spur, they ended up doing [[Phoron|far more]].

Necropolis [[Spurian Economy|prospered alongside NanoTrasen and the rest of the spur]], and while it was always the smallest and least profitable of the original seven megacorporations, it still became extravagantly wealthy as the technological revolution which followed phorons discovery in the decades after - known as the phoronic revolution - saw constant technological advancements that Necropolis could employ in defense manufacturing. From communication devices to tanks, and from voidsuits to small arms; for militaries, militias, private security contractors, and asset protection forces, Necropolis was the only corporation offering cutting edge equipment that might make the difference between living and dying in a firefight. It even branched out into cutting edge military specific AI applications. However all of the above required phoron to manufacture. It is during this time, Necropolis would bear witness to the contact with the [[Empire of Dominia]] by the Alliance. The corporation quickly took advantage of the nascent Empire's newness to the galactic stage, and established relations with the Great Houses and Emperor Godwin Keeser himself. From then on, Necropolis and the Empire's intimate ties meant that Necropolis boosted the efforts of not just [[Dominian Imperial Military|Dominia's conquest]], but the efforts of its [[technology|genetic modification]].

Yet there is one discovery that neither NanoTrasen nor Necropolis speak much about, even today, and that is the discovery of the potential within '''[[Phoron|Diphoron and Phoron Oxides]]''', both colloquially referred to as “[[Phoron|Weapons Grade Phoron]].” What mudders the waters further is a lack of clarity as to when it's far scarier applications were discovered - those applications being the creation of '''[[Phoron|Phoron Warheads and Phoron WMDs]]'''. Contemporarily, these weapons are known to exist and may be the end of the Spur as we know it.

In 2409, Yevgeniy Dementyev passed down the mantle of chief executive officer to his son, Kasimir Boytsov. While Boytsov was not just a dabbler in genetics and had a keen mind like his father and grandfather, he was reputed for his impulsiveness and stubbornness, refusing to admit when the tides were turning against him. By 2450 Necropolis had become the neglected runner-up of the megacorporations, though it was always the smallest of them all, the valuation of the other major corporate entities was so far above their own, Necropolis was close to not even being compared. It was during this time that an information security operative at the company, Tikhon Zavodskoi, quietly recommended his cousin [[Notable Megacorporate Figures|Lyudmila]] for a position as a weapons researcher. "The woman from [[Pluto]]", as she would soon be called, quickly worked her way up the ranks of the company to become the assistant to the chief security officer, bringing in her own cohorts of associates from Dominia and Sol alike.

2462 was when change would overwhelm Necropolis, when Boytsov would collapse at a press conference, and fall into a coma. The company was sent into turmoil; Boytsov had never named a proper successor, despite his rapidly advancing age. [[Notable Megacorporate Figures|Lyudmila Zavodskoi]] had become a surprise contender, and her new group of executives, including her cousin Tikhon and the Imperial countess Kamilla Strelitz pushed out the old heads and helped turn Necropolis into rebranded, rebuilt Zavodskoi Interstellar.

In light of the company's turbulent history, Zavodskoi Interstellar opted to pursue what it knew how to do better than any other megacorporation in the Orion Spur: military equipment. Lymudmilla oversaw a total restructuring of the company, cutting the fat, unprofitable departments and branches, turning inwards to focus on the solid core industries of the corporation, of which there are three. The largest is its classical military-industrial complex, with a massive amount of Spur's military equipment, ranging from infantry small arms to combat hardsuits to vehicles to military AI and much more being produced by Zavodskoi or one of its subsidiaries. Its second is a result of Ingkom, its robust engineering wing; Zavodskoi engineering staff are a common sight throughout the Orion Spur, though their usage within the Solarian Alliance has faltered following the Solarian Collapse of late 2462. The smallest but most public-facing industry is its private security force. Known for their professionalism, Zavodskoi's security wing is one of the most competitive in the Orion Spur. This restructuring would see Zavodskoi’s year over year profits skyrocket, once more being a competitor amongst their megacorporate peers, and continues to be how the company is currently operated.

=== Influence and Reputation ===
<center>''"For all your Security Solutions!"'' - A common Z.I ad line.

</center>
As a hiring practice, Zavodski Interstellar finds itself poaching highly skilled workers from other megacorporations. Workers with Zavodskoi usually flocked to the company to exploit its high pay - the restructuring that took place in 2462 means the company can offer far higher pay with far more benefits than their competitors, attracting industry experts from across the spur. Although perfecting and producing weapons of war is a task that will never truly be finished, the company is recognized as the uncontested leader in their development. As such, it holds a great deal of sway in almost every corner of the Spur that is only growing as the scarcity continues to worsen.

In this day and age, Zavodskoi has become the military industrial complex of the entire spur - the merchants of death who sell to both sides of a conflict, and care not for the suffering their creations cause. To have an armed fighting force within the Orion Spur means - with one exception - to rely on Zavodskoi to arm them. The only real exception is the Serene Republic of Elyra, whose military stands alone in not relying on the megacorporation. They pioneer where others do not by developing and manufacturing the highest-quality firearms, or just the biggest and baddest weapons they can muster. The extent of this research dominates every echelon of the corporation, leading to the unified pursuit of maximizing the efficiency of its stock, rather than trying to cover the widest range possible. This business has resulted in an almost freakish obsession by Zavodskoi with maintaining a good reputation, and every employee, down to the lowest, is expected to act extremely professionally.

However, like the rest of the spur, Zavodskoi’s manufacturing it reliant on phoron. Its energy weapons and other electronic equipment of any kind uses it extensively, and even its standard ballistic firearms need phoron, not directly but through the facilities and machines that produce them. Without phoron, Zavodskoi can’t produce any weapons, weapons systems, or equipment it developed after 2352.

The only thing that dominates the corporation on every level more than weapons development is a hatred of Hephaestus Industries. The two corporations have a rivalry going back centuries, and it continues in the modern day. While under the umbrella of the SCC, they are forced to work alongside each other, their hatred of each other runs deep, down to the common worker. It is not uncommon for Hephaestus employees to be unjustly harassed by Zavodskoi Security Contractors, nor is it uncommon for Zavodskoi factories to experience “technical difficulties” receiving power from Hephaestus run power grids, and such behavior is tacitly encouraged and rewarded by both corporations as a sign of loyalty; a practice that has seen this hatred only escalate, and some disputes end with severe injuries or even the death of someone involved.

=== Positronics and Zavodskoi Interstellar ===
''See Also:'' [[IPC_and_Megacorporations#Zavodskoi_Interstellar|IPC and Megacorporations: Z.I. Units]]

In the aftermath of Necropolis Industries' rebranding into Zavodskoi Interstellar, [[Synthetics]] and [[IPC|Positronics]] have become more of a common sight in company facilities outside of the [[Empire of Dominia]]. These Zavodskoi IPCs are however banned from command and leadership positions within Zavodskoi Interstellar due to the corporation's internal policy, which views positronics as a workforce rather than a management force. This ban includes Zavodskoi Interstellar corporate liaisons.

Newly implemented and with some in the company opposed to their presence, Zavodskoi positronics face systemic fragility within the company. In an effort to employ and contract out the best representation for the company, Zavodskoi will routinely memory wipe, retool, or outright scrap and sell their IPCs for workplace accidents, failure to execute an order, or underperformance. This process has been largely seen as a lighter version of the Burzian Method. This authority does not extend to Zavodskoi Interstellar corporate liaisons although they are encouraged to check in with their positronic contractor personnel from time to time. Therefore, Zavodskoi positronic contractors are often those struggling to maintain a positive evaluation or saved from the scrapyard all together.

In an effort to bolster company morale, organic personnel are able to lease out Zavodskoi asset IPCs, should they so choose. This allows personnel to ‘own’ a positronic for the home without the burden of maintenance fees. For the IPCs affected, this can work to their benefit or their demise. As more lax personnel may feel less inclined to report aberrancy, whereas other synthetics would find themselves under greater scrutiny.

Z.I. units are most commonly Shell frames and baseline units. Hephaestus Industrial and Xion Frames are almost never seen, due to the rivalry between Zavodskoi and Hephaestus.

'''It is expected for Zavodskoi Interstellar IPCs to adopt the prefix Z.I. followed by their designation. An example of this formatting is Z.I. Name.'''

=== Vaurcae ===

In late 2463, the [[Vaurca Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra Hive]] announced publicly a partnership with Zavodskoi Interstellar after selling the rights to the production of the hydrogen rifle, a complex Zo’rane design that is cheap in ammunition. Shortly after, a meeting in [[Caprice#New Sedantis|New Sedantis]] was held with Zavodskoi executives and Hive officials to allow Vaurcae enter their workforce, akin to the synthetic introduction following the Necropolis rebranding. Besides [[Nanotrasen]], Zavodskoi is the other megacorporation that is comfortable in employing Bound assets, particularly in engineering, though they have no issue with Unbound as they are considered similar to the Z.I. synthetics, despite their many differences.

Before striking a deal with [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]], the [[Vaurca Hives#C'thur|C'thur Hive]] considered a deal with Necropolis Industries as an alternative. However, the proposition never followed through and the conversation between the two parties did not resurface until 2463. It is rumored that the Zo’ra deal with Zavodskoi was made only after C’thur began to sell their workforce mainly to Ingkom. Whatever the case may be, both Hives are now on equal terms with Zavodskoi Interstellar, which has no trouble dealing with them despite their differences.

==Executives and Branches==
===Executives===
[[File:LyudmilaZavodskoi.png|thumb|Lyudmila Zavodskoi, CEO of Zavodskoi Interstellar.]]

'''Chief Security Officer:''' Kamilla Strelitz, b. 2430

A close advisor of Lyudmila Zavodskoi, Countess Dame-Companion Kamilla Strelitz was promoted to chief security officer after the takeover and rebranding of Necropolis Industries. A tough-as-nails former lieutenant in [[Dominian Imperial Military|His Majesty's Imperial Fleet]], Kamilla goes against the grain of House Strelitz's conservative ideology by readily encouraging the company's influence in the [[Empire of Dominia]]. She has shown her aptitude for her position through the continued success of campaigns initiated by Zavodskoi Interstellar, all while commanding the company’s largest sector of personnel. She is known to brook little room for failure, and despite her affable, ever-polite demeanor, the punishments for evoking her wrath are the stuff of whispered legend among her direct subordinates.

'''Chief Research Officer:''' Jaco Du Plessis, b. 2413

The [[Europa|Europan]] Jaco Du Plessis was poached by Zavodskoi Interstellar from [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] shortly after the rebranding of Necropolis. A chemical biologist with a specialty in weapons and toxins, he is vocal regarding his stunted growth with his prior employer, claiming the echelons of Zeng-Hu are largely filled by nepotism and cronyism. Du Plessis regularly advocates for those with ambitions to instead fill the ranks of Zavodskoi Interstellar, promising fulfillment, advancement, and better pay. Because of this regular advertising and his willingness to do interviews, some consider him the “face” of the corporation; this perception is usually encouraged by his presence at conferences when new company projects are unveiled. Similarly to Kamilla Strelitz, he holds his personnel to a high standard, expecting them to either “be all in, or find employment elsewhere”.

'''Chief Risk Officer:''' Tikhon Zavodskoi, b. 2398

Lyudmila Zavodskoi's paternal cousin, Tikhon Zavodskoi is one of the few remnants of Kasimir Boytsov's reign and has managed to remain in his position as Chief Risk Officer for almost a decade. He was the one to originally recommend Lyudmila for a position at Necropolis. His background as an officer of SPOK, [[Pluto|Pluto's]] governing body, is thought to have shaped his sharp instincts and keen sense of planning, and prior to the company's rebranding is credited with having fended the wolves from Necropolis for years prior. Detractors consider his continued presence merely due to his familial relationship with Lyudmila Zavodskoi, which she has roundly dismissed as baseless rumours originating from lingering nostalgia. He lives on [[Moroz]] along with his immediate family and his cousin.

'''Chief Robotics Officer''': Anabel Drexler, b. 2412

Doctor Anabel Drexler of Luna was brought on by Zavodskoi shortly after the Solarian Collapse and found herself tasked with the complete overhaul of the Zavodskoi Interstellar robotics division. Unusual for a Chief Robotics Officer, Drexler has no practical experience in the design or production of synthetics herself. Instead, Drexler has several degrees in the field of sociology, with a focus on Synthetic Sociology. Responsible for the implementation of the [[IPC_and_Megacorporations#Zavodskoi_Interstellar|Modern System of Zavodskoi Synthetic Control]] to great success, Drexler has found prestige and fame alike for changing the fortunes of Zavodskoi’s robotics department. Drexler leaves the technical details of her position to trusted subordinates to focus fully on her Modern System, and is reportedly a warm and caring figure to work for.

===Branches===

'''Nova Luxembourg, [[Moroz]], Mira Sancta:''' The Dominian branch can be found near the city centre, prominently overlooking the Court of Chalser. Residing in what was once a bank, the recently constructed grandiose exterior - that despite appearances can shrug off almost any punishment - encloses the administrative heart of the corporation, and throughout the building, security is known to be incredibly tight. Once just focused on Dominian operations, it has since rapidly expanded, becoming Zavodskoi Interstellar's main headquarters, tripling in size. The move brought with it a large amount of manufacturing plants, located across the Empire of Dominia - revitalizing the megacorporation's interest in the region.

'''Tolyatti, Soviet Union, [[Earth]], [[Sol]]:''' The previous headquarters of Zavodskoi Interstellar can be found in Tolyatti. The skyscraper complex consisted of three Zavodskoi buildings, a Kumar Arms building, and a ConTec building. The complex was especially austere and compact, mostly as a result of socialist influences during its construction. Today, the Tolyatti Headquarters are abandoned, thanks to the collapse of the Solarian Alliance and Zavodskoi Interstellar's move to Mira Sancta. The Solarian Department of Defense has, according to rumors, floated the idea of repurposing the former headquarters as a command centre for the Solarian Army.

'''Cape Town, Union of South Africa, Earth, Sol:''' The Cape Town branch sits on the edge of a small cliff, overlooking the ocean. Home to the headquarters of Ingkom, the Cape Town building is a sleek, modernist building with distinctive arched rooves. It is surrounded by several shuttle pads and hangars, some which provide direct transport to the Gagaringrad branch on Luna. The Cape Town branch continues to operate, despite Zavodskoi Interstellar's move to Mira Sancta, mostly due to the building being rented from the Solarian Alliance, instead of owned by the megacorporation.

'''Gagaringrad, [[Luna]], Sol:''' Gagaringrad's Zavodskoi headquarters is the corporations center of operations for the Alliance, and consists of a black obelisk building on the outskirts of the city's dome, and looks more a fortified bunker than an office building, a fact that is not helped by the installed defensive armaments and high security presence. It is set behind winding alleyways and few good parking spaces, and possesses many subterranean basement levels leftover from its time as a Necropolis building. Much of these levels are locked by clearance level, with speculation and conspiracy surrounding what may await inside them.

'''Mendell City, [[Biesel]], [[Tau Ceti]]:''' The Mendell City branch situated within District 1 was renovated in 2462, shortly before the unveiling of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]. It is constructed in the style of Soviet Classicism, said to be designed to Lyudmila Zavodskoi's personal tastes. With its Corinthian pillars, primarily stone and concrete materials, and tall, spindly central tower, the building is remarkably distinct from other buildings in Mendell's skyline.

==Divisions==

=== Security ===
While officially one division, and the smallest one at that, Zavodskoi’s Security Division is composed of two separate wings that rarely overlap or exchange employees; the civilian/corporate security wing and the paramilitary wing.

==== Civilian Wing ====
Zavodskoi's civilian/corporate security wing is among the most well known in the spur, and has a reputation for professionalism that delivers results. Many of the new recruits originate from the [[Empire of Dominia]], whether they be Imperial frontiersmen looking to pay off their blood debt or young nobles looking for career experience before they take on the duties expected of their station. Being directly employed with Zavodskoi security involves escorting logistics vessels (usually hired by [[Orion Express]] or nation-states with fledgling militaries), stationing around research facilities, guarding other corporate facilities, event security, reinforcing local police forces, and, in some cases, acting as cybersecurity and forensics experts. It is the face of the corporation, and what it is most well known for. As a result, the corporation has an almost fanatical obsession with maintaining an extremely high standard of professionalism within this wing, for the greater good of the company. Employees who don’t meet this standard may find themselves transferred to less prestigious posts, or otherwise hidden away, if not outright fired.

This wing has found a significant amount of work with the [[MCPD]] and other police departments around the spur since the onset of the [[Phoron|scarcity]] as crime continues to rise along with civil unrest, stretching the capacities of local police forces to their limits. In [[Mendell City]] especially, it has become just as common to see a Zavodskoi Officer patrolling down a street as it is a state police officer. Those assigned to reinforce the [[MCPD]] are fully deputized to act as Law Enforcement Officers of the Republic, and are granted sweeping authority over Mendell City Residents; a level of authority that officers are expected to remain professional with. Officers who make mistakes or overstep their boundaries are made examples of, usually being fired if not arrested for abuse of their position. However, more and more brutal methods of maintaining order are being authorized with every passing day - the scarcity shows no sign of stopping and quality of life continues to drop - as crime spikes and civil unrest flares up consistently. Given their obsession with maintaining a spotless, professional image, Zavodskoi Officers assigned to [[Mendell City]] are now often issued separate uniforms lacking any emblems besides the logo of the [[MCPD]] and told not to wear clothing with Zavodskoi's emblem on it. After all - it's hard to maintain that image if there's media of your officers with your logo coming out to break kneecaps whenever violence spills into one of the nicer districts.

==== Paramilitary Wing ====
In contrast to the growing civilian/corporate security wing, much of Zavodskoi's paramilitary wing, and the large-scale operations they conducted, has begun to be folded into Falerio Security Services, with new recruits largely being Jadraners and Morozian secondaries. That said, Zavodskoi’s paramilitary wing is still active, having the second highest operation count of all the SCCs corporations, and focuses on small, elite teams of operatives - each team varying in size from five members to fifteen. Commonly referred to as “Kill Teams” by the public - due to their reputation for targeted assisination operations on [[Mictlan]] during the Peacekeeper Mandate (these teams were also accused of murdering former prime minister Frost) - the actuality of the matter is they are Zavodskoi’s go to problem solvers for any situation if other options fail, and have an intense amount of training to match. Sometimes teams will operate together, sometimes they’ll act alone, just as sometimes they’ll act with the permission of the local government, and sometimes they won’t. If Zavodskoi needs a problem solved anywhere, these teams are who they call, and given Zavodskoi’s obsession with their image (alongside the fact that these teams often do VERY illegal things) discretion is valued over professionalism; members of this wing expected to take what they see and do on the job to the grave, having NDAs to match. As a result of their confidentiality, mission profile, and intense training, it is unheard of for employees of this wing to transfer to the civilian/corporate wing. On the flipside, it is only exceedingly rare for an employee of the civilian/corporate wing to transfer to the paramilitary wing - a security officer who displays the right aptitude and impresses the right people has a shot at it.

=== Shipbuilding/Engineering ===
Competing with Hephaestus Industries in the field with considerable malice, and for centuries, Zavodskoi's subsidiary Ingkom is their most recent attempt to force the Industrial Titan to give up more of the shipbuilding market share, specifically in the vein of military shipbuilding. A recent acquisition, one made after Lyudmilla’s ascension to CEO, this gambit has only really seen success in the Empire of Dominia, where Ingkom supplies a majority of the vessels used by the Imperial Navy, and nowhere else. The rest of the spur would still prefer to get Hephaestus to build the warships and then put Zavodskoi guns on them - much to the frustration of both corporations who would like to hurt the other's bottom line. However, until then, especially in the midst of the scarcity, the corporations are forced to live with this state of affairs - for if Hephaestus makes its ships incompatible with Zavodskoi arms, or the other way around - both would lose the defense contracts they value so highly, and no-one would buy from either corporation.

=== Military Manufacturing ===
Zavodskoi is the premier manufacturer of military equipment in the [[Orion Spur]], considered even more prolific in the field than Necropolis Industries was previously, and have a stranglehold on the market. Any entity, from nations to other megacorporations, will often find themselves purchasing military equipment from Zavodskoi, or one its subsidiaries, such as Kumar Arms. Zavodskoi does this at a level and scale no other can match - in terms of total output, Zavodskoi produces more than ninety percent of all military goods in the known galaxy - the big exception being the Serene Republic of Elyra, who only has about thirty percent of their military equipment from the corporation. Though their mass manufacturing might give the idea of cheaply made, low quality weapons, Zavodskoi armaments are known to be extremely reliable, easy to use, and generally better overall than their competitors, no matter the scale. While [[Hephaestus Industries]] has attempted to compete with Zavodskoi in the ship weapons manufacturing department, their lack of establishment in the field means Zavodskoi continues to outstrip their sales.

==== Military Robotics and AI ====
A specialized wing under their military manufacturing division, Zavodskoi is the leading developer of [[Synthetics|military AI and military robots]]. Whether it’s the basic machine learning algorithm used in most scanning systems to filter out white noise and highlight faint signals, or the massively powerful, fully sentient AI found on warships, if it’s used for a military application, it’s probably made by Zavodskoi. This wing has been hit harder than any other division or wing by the ongoing phoron scarcity, as due to the sheer level of data transfers, phoron is a prerequisite material for this. As a result of these inherent expenses, even prior to the scarcity, the integration of Zavodskoi military AI and systems was always an expensive one, so regular soldiers only ever saw basic systems and AI - basic for the contemporary spur but still leagues beyond what they had prior to phoron - and the more advanced intelligences of the contemporary spur were reserved for bigger things, such as ships. In the midsts of the scarcity - it’s become even more expensive, but still a necessity if one wishes to retain a competitive edge.

Kumar Arms, on the other hand, is one of the leading producers in combat mechsuits and hardsuits. It supplies the Solarian, Dominian, and Biesellite militaries, and makes a tidy profit off private military contractors in the [[PMCG]] and beyond. Common features include personal shielding, advanced inbuilt intelligences (or in the case of Dominia, systems) hardpoint-mounted lasers and ballistic cannons, and reinforced plating.

=== Genetics ===
A now defunct department, Necropolis began branching into the field of biological experimentation in the 2200s, after the Interstellar War. Massively outstripped by [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] in age, expertise, and size, the biosciences division of the company was an awkward tacked-on branch that mainly fuelled bioweapon, toxin, and combat stimulant research, with a small contingent of genetic enhancement experiments being performed under top-secret regulation. When the company became Zavodskoi, the cloistered gene enhancement branch was opened mostly to House Volvalaad researchers from the [[Empire of Dominia]], assisting the House in their attempts to perfect their geneboosting technique. A small group of pre-Zavodskoi biologists also remain with the company, though their postings are seen as considerably less prestigious than the aforementioned bioweapons and gene enhancement researchers.

==Subsidiaries==
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===Kumar Arms===
<i>"The best defense is a Kumar offense."</i>

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Freia Salsnivna, b. 2438

Kumar Arms is considered the backbone of Zavodskoi Interstellar, founded in the Soviet Union by Ilya Kumarov, a former Sukhoi engineer, in 2114. Primarily an arms manufacturing company, they saw a quick burst of growth during the interstellar war - one which was overshadowed by the massive growth of Necropolis. After this burst of growth, however, a series of poor financial decisions led the company to be acquired by Necropolis Industries in 2295, one of the last eastern arms manufacturing companies to be consolidated. The brand remained purchased, but Kumar Arms as a business gradually stagnated and became a shell company for Necropolis to use for shipping purposes. Once Necropolis became Zavodskoi Interstellar, however, Kumar Arms was revived and refurbished, becoming a massive arms manufacturer throughout the Spur, only beaten by Zavodskoi themselves. Currently, it is headquartered in St. Petersburg on Earth, though there are whispers of plans to move the primary headquarters and manufacturing centre to Alterim Obirava.
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==== Major Products ====
* '''M8 Service Pistol:''' Potentially the most-produced handgun in the modern Spur, the M8 is the standard service pistol of the Solarian Armed Forces, most Solarian police forces, and most mercenary detachments based in the Alliance. The M8 is a versatile design with dozens of variations, ranging from the Konyanger K8 to an alleged suppressed and caseless variant used by the Solarian Interstellar Intelligence Bureau.
* '''M469 Assault Rifle:''' The iconic standard-issue rifle of the Solarian Armed Forces since the replacement of the earlier M376, the M469 is a durable and reliable weapon with countless variations. it is the most-produced assault rifle in the modern Orion Spur, and will likely remain that way for decades to come. Previously produced by Zavodskoi, the Alliance has since bought out the patent and licensed it to a variety of domestic producers such as the San Colette Interstellar Armaments Company, or CAISC.
* '''2557 super-heavy pistol:''' The Kumar Arms 2557 is a newly designed type of "super-heavy" pistol. It features a light-weight polymer pistol grip, a bulky plasteel frame and an extra long barrel. It is chambered in the newly developed .599 Kumar Super rifle cartridge. Despite designed for rifle use, the newly developed propellants allows this cartridge for use in the Kumar Arms 2557, upping the stopping power significantly.
* '''40mm rotary cannon "Francisca":''' Developed in 2461, the Francisca or "Frankie" rotary cannon is a ship battery designed for small to medium-sized ships. It can be loaded with full metal jacket, fragmentation, and armour-piercing ammunition, and is deadly to unarmoured small-craft.
* '''90mm flak cannon "Grauwolf":''' For medium to large-sized vessels, the Grauwolf is a flak cannon capable of battering even cruiser-class vessels with a wide spread of salvo. Some larger courier vessels have equipped a Grauwolf to batter flocks of space carp, small meteor belts, and dust storms that threaten the integrity of their cargo. The Grauwolf's design has been spoofed many times, and has a cousin in the Xion Industrial 90mm cannon called the "Alberich."
* '''180mm rotary cannon "Boudica":''' A medium-sized laser rotary cannon designed with similar function to the Francisca, notable for managing to do what the Francisca cannot and severely weaken the hull of unarmoured ships.
* '''ZA-98/5 200mm naval gun "Lammergeier":''' A relatively old, and recently modernized, cannon designed for corvette-class vessels at the smallest, the Lammergeier is mounted on small Imperial Fleet vessels as a main battery and larger vessels as a secondary battery. Smaller than its 406mm cousin, the Longbow, and the Imperial Fleet's 608mm ZA-32/2, the Thunderer, the Lammergeier is a useful and adaptable weapon.
* '''406mm high-velocity cannon "Longbow":''' An upgraded version of its "Ballista" predecessor, the Longbow is one of the largest cannons in Zavodskoi's arsenal, designed for frigate-class vessels and larger. With easier maintenance, a larger payload, and a more streamlined loading process, it has become the weapon of choice for several militaries across the Orion Spur.
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===Confiance Technologies===
<i>“Have confidence in Confiance.”</i>

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Ilya Moules-Polorov, b. 2422

Founded in Harmony City, [[Luna]] in 2427, Confiance Technologies (or ConTec) remain a successful company focusing on AI and synthetic component manufacturing. Acquired by Zavodskoi shortly after the company's renaming, ConTec was divided into two branches; a military wing and a commercial wing with the military wing being folded into Zavodskoi proper shortly after, leaving only the commercial wing remaining. ConTec's commercial wing, now its only wing, produces non-military equipment, including laptops, prothesis, watches, and PDAs, and operates across the Spur.
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==== Major Brands ====
* '''Centurion Prosthetics and Augmentations:''' Zavodskoi's iconic prosthetics line, usually offered to Zavodskoi employees at a discount in lieu of purchasing prosthetics from NanoTrasen, Zeng-Hu, or Hephaestus. The most recognizable look of Centurion prosthetics are their smooth, matte grey and red limb prosthetics, though the company also sells "realistic" prosthetics to Imperial Zavodskoi employees who prefer to keep the nature of their disabilities less obvious. Centurion synthskin, in reality, is simply soft rubber; it is not as reputable as the realistic prosthetics produced by Jeonshi Biotechnics, though it can be mistaken for a real limb from a distance.
* '''Midnight Business Technology:''' Produced by the commercial wing of ConTec, the Midnight line of watches advertises itself as stylish yet cheap and functional workwear, mostly for Secondaries and Ma'zals in the [[Empire of Dominia]].
* '''Legate Laptops:''' A series of laptops produced by commercial ConTec, known for being very heavy and very robust both on the software and hardware end. Prior to 2462, Legate was the official producer of laptops for the [[Solarian Armed Forces]].
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===Ingkom===
<i>"Pride and prosperity to all."</i>

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Hanru De Beers, b. 2403

Ingkom, or Bedryfsingenieurswese Kommissie, is a primarily engineering-focused subsidiary of Zavodskoi Interstellar, founded in South Africa, Earth in 2099. It has a long intertwined history with South Africa and its aggressive expansion into Sub-Saharan Africa. Initially, a state-owned enterprise tasked with rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure of Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Eswatini after several successful military campaigns had rendered them territories. Early successes experienced by Ingkom resulted in its quick rise to importance within the South African economy, mostly due to reconstructions that allowed resource extraction operations to resume. The majority of the developed regions of these newly acquired territories were a direct result of Ingkom, and after sanctions had been lifted, allowed them to prosper and expand into the international market - mostly through Zavodskoi’s acquisition of the corporation as a subsidiary in 2463.
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==== Major Products ====
* '''''Uriel''-class Destroyer:''' ''Uriel''-class destroyers are corporate ships usually used for the transport of fighting forces, weapons, or other Zavodskoi products that require rapid deployment. During the Peacekeeper Mandate on [[Mictlan]], several Uriel-classes made rapid stops between [[Tau Ceti]] and Mictlan to deploy [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] and corporate auxiliary personnel to the planet. It comes fitted with a warp drive, almost never hosting a bluespace drive due to the expense involved, and as such Ingkom employs the finest pilots for these vessels. Losses of these vessels are considered quite serious and potentially crippling to Zavodskoi's supply line. Despite being classed as a destroyer, an ''Uriel''-class is more akin to a frigate in its displacement.
* '''''Jinxiang''-class Destroyer:''' Produced in collaboration with the Zhurong Imperial Naval Arsenal, the ''Jinxiang''-class are a major component of the Imperial Fleet's screening forces. Featuring a surprisingly comfortable (if not quite spacious) area for living quarters, a compact life support system, and room for several point-defense gunneries, it continues to be a relevant design. Like most Imperial Fleet vessels, it is heavier and slower than comparative vessels of the same class -- an issue when dealing with more agile targets.
* '''''Mumbai''-class Fast Battleship:''' Originally pioneered by Necropolis and built for the [[Solarian Armed Forces]], the ''Mumbai''-class was envisioned as a patrol leader that would be able to respond to all incursions with relatively swift speed for a flagship. While it did not have the armor or weaponry of a conventional battleship, it was a potent threat to any non-capital craft. Deemed a failure due to an ineffective cost-to-kill ratio against smaller, more agile pirate fleets, most ''Mumbai''-class vessels were assigned to forces in the Middle and Outer Ring. Many of these, such as the SAFV ''Toronto'' and the SAFV ''Chicago'', were appropriated by the rogue fleets of the Solarian Navy during the Collapse of 2463. Of note, the ''Toronto'' has been seized from the League of Independent Corporate-Free Systems mostly-intact after the siege of [[San Colette]] in 2465, and was refitted and rechristened as the SAFV ''Iqaluit'' by Ingkom and the Solarian Navy -- a rare example of a member of the class still in active service.

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=== Falerio Security Services ===

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Filomena di Falerio, b. 2398

Falerio Security Services was founded by [[Novi Jadran|Novi Jadranic]] Duchess Filomena di Falerio to continue the work of the Eridanian PMCs she had once hired to secure her holdings, using the (comparatively cheaper) local populace. Since its dealings with and acquisition by Zavodskoi Interstellar, it has grown into a capable contractor that works in the interests of both Duchess di Falerio and the corporation. Falerio Security Services found itself made up almost exclusively of Ma’zals (non-[[Moroz|Morozian]] citizens of the Empire) for a time, most of which had prior service in the [[Dominian Imperial Military|Imperial Army]]. Their primary duties were, outside of security of Falerio family assets, and the protection of Zavodskoi assets, within the Empire, though efforts were made to branch out in service of the Great Houses (particularly Caladius) and outside of the Empire. More recently however, Zavodskoi has begun using Falerio in a different way, as a paramilitary subsidiary; cutting most of their own security division’s paramilitary wing and transferring them to Falerio, the corporation that was once made up on exclusively Ma’zals is now made up of peoples and species from across the spur, not including positronics. As a result, Falerio has reorganized, creating a paramilitary wing, which contains all manner of species and people, and a civilin/corporate security wing, which is still primarily Ma’zals and continues the original work of the corporation. However, the paramilitary wing is significantly larger than the corporate security one, and is getting more attention as time goes on - leading to a fear that the corporate wing will be completely cut eventually. Until then however, as Falerio grows through word of mouth, many Army officers and old-blood nobility of the Houses Strelitz and Zhao are concerned that di Falerio's interests may jeopardise the military loyalty of Jadranics, and some have even started whispering that the large paramilitary force under her control is a threat to the empire. Corporate Security members employed by Falerio can be recognized by their distinctive uniforms and headgear bearing "IK" -- the initials for "Emperor Keeser" in Jadranic Common.
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==== History ====
Perhaps due to the prior presence of Xanu Defense Services and Jackal Incorporated, PMCs originating in the nations of their political rivals, the Empire has always been reluctant to branch into the [[Private Military Contracting Group]]. Duchess Filomena held no such reservations; when large copper and gold veins were discovered by villages in her holdings, she hired Ringspire and Eagle Corp to secure her holdings and push out the villagers who had lived a relatively unmolested life far away from her manse. When the dust had settled, Filomena quickly realised that Ringspire in particular was becoming very expensive and too aggressive for her tastes; evidence had come to light that the contractors may have been stealing ore for their own profit, and the casualties they left in their wake was becoming too much for even the Department of Colonial Affairs to ignore.

Filomena decided to take a cue from the Eridanian Golden Fist and create her own private contracting group. Falerio Security Services targeted Ma'zals both young and old, those who had yet to pay off their Mo'ri'zal ("blood debt", the Empire's form of taxation) and who could be relied upon for loyalty to a cause. This caught the attention of Kamilla Strelitz, who offered to acquire the company in exchange for profit and reach that Duchess Filomena might not have had otherwise. Falerio Security Services was purchased by and became an official subsidiary of Zavodskoi, being able to take full advantage of its weaponry and resources that the Imperial Army often did not receive in full. That a relatively minor noble was able to secure such a key position in Dominia's closest megacorporation, as well as drawing away what were seen as once-loyal potential recruits to the Army, is a source of discontent among officers of the military and Novi Jadran's Imperial Mandate alike.
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== Corporate Relations ==
=== [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] ===
The newly founded Conglomerate’s ties with Zavodskoi are blatant, with a newly founded Corporate Asset Protection Fleet bearing weapons, munitions and equipment of Zavodskoi make across the board. Often remarked as having soft power and not hard power, the SCC, under the direction of Miranda Trasen, is moving to change this. While the Corporate Asset Protection Fleet is not much in terms of hard power - being significantly bigger than previous asset protection fleets, but still not a fully fledged military force - the solution to hard power can be found in the newly formed Tau Ceti Armed Forces, which have been rapidly expanding and militarizing since their inception. At the forefront of this is Zavodskoi, from high-end starship pieces to antique small arms, Zavodskoi provides it all, making them a key player in the Conglomerate’s military forces, both private and state controlled. This newfound niche alongside rising civil unrest and international tension has led to a resurgence of its presence galaxy-wide, and cooperation with the other megacorporations has proven very profitable.

===[[Einstein Engines]]===
Einstein Engines and Zavodskoi have a fairly neutral relationship - though the two do compete in the robotics sector, Zavodskoi has purchased many Einstein-made warp drives for its vessels over the years, and the two have both had generous supply contracts with the Solarian military in the past. In the modern day, Zavodskoi has lost a great deal of these contracts, while Einstein continues to hold many highly valuable government and military contracts - a factor which contributed to Zavodskoi's withdrawal of much of its Solarian business. In spite of this, it continues to purchase warp drives and positronic brains from Einstein frequently, due to the rising cost of phoron fuel and the easy availability of helium-3 from Zavodskoi's new home in the Empire of Dominia.

===[[Hephaestus Industries]]===
Hephaestus and Zavodskoi famously have the worst relationship between any two corporations within the Orion Spur, with roots of their rivalry going back as far as prior to the discovery of the warp. It is also the most publicly known, as the two corporations have famously been embroiled in dozens of public scandals with each other. As time went on the animosity between the two megacorporations only grew, as they competed extensively in industry, manufacturing, robotics and engineering fields for decades, boarding on centuries. All types of sabotage and espionage are common between Hephaestus and Zavodskoi, with both corporations having extensively bankrolled privateers, saboteurs and other plausibly deniable agents to attack their rivals. As Zavodskoi has expanded into the Empire of Dominia and Hephaestus into the Izweski Hegemony, the Sparring Sea and Badlands have become the two most recent, and largest, battlegrounds for the megacorporations, with corporate-funded pirates commonly targeting one another's vessels. In the present day, beyond the use of privateers, Zavodskoi has often been accused of funding radical anti-Hephaestus groups within the Izweski Hegemony, most notably the Champions of Moghes - a terrorist organization which has remained suspiciously well-equipped and well-informed of Hephaestus operations. Hephaestus, meanwhile, has often been suspected of bankrolling various Dominian rebel groups in recent years, in the hopes of weakening Zavodskoi's large investment in the Empire's development. Shared membership in the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate has done nothing to quell the two giants' bitter feud,, which has become a source of constant headaches for Miranda and the SCC, who have had to threaten to economically break both companies multiple times just so they keep their conflict out of the public perception and grudgingly cooperate with SCC business.

===[[Idris Incorporated]]===
Zavodskoi and Idris have been frequent competitors in the fields of security and IPC manufacturing, leading to a long-running mutual rivalry between the two corporation. Lyudmila Zavodskoi is known to have a personal distaste for Alex Mason, and Zavodskoi has frequently undercut Idris security operations in the Sol Alliance and Republic of Biesel. Zavodskoi employees are strongly discouraged from using Idris financial services, which NanoTrasen has done its best to encourage as many Zavodskoi employees in Biesel opt to make use of NanoTrasen banks instead. Idris has marketed its security division extensively as a high-class security option, with unstated implications of the marketing casting other corporations' security as little better than thuggish mercenaries, which Zavodskoi unsuccessfully attempted to sue Idris over. Though their rivalry is not as intense as that of Zavodskoi and Hephaestus, the two corporations remain on far from friendly terms.

===[[NanoTrasen]]===
Zavodskoi and NanoTrasen maintain a decent relationship, with little open conflict between the two corporations. Since the beginning of the phoron scarcity, however, Zavodskoi has taken full advantage of NanoTrasen's waning power in the Republic of Biesel, expanding its arms industry into the Republic. Since the formation of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces and the negotiation of several new supply contracts with Biesel's government, Zavodskoi has managed to take a great deal of business from NanoTrasen - seizing NT's position as the Republic's main weapons supplier. Though NanoTrasen still holds onto their original contract for the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, the Minutemen and Republican Fleet are both almost entirely outfitted with Zavodskoi-made weapons, armor, and voidsuits. NanoTrasen has attempted to counteract this influence through the recent appointment of Nathan Trasen as Secretary of Defense - but even with a Trasen in such a prestigious position, Zavodskoi has still managed to secure a solid grasp on the Republic's military industry. NanoTrasen has increased funding to Nexus Corporate Security several times in an effort to use their newly-formed PMC to undermine Zavodskoi's security business in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, with some measure of success.

===[[Orion Express]]===
Zavodskoi contributed large portions of its logistics division to Orion Express, and has maintained a decent relationship with the logistics corporation. Though their Solarian business has been scaled back substantially, Zavodskoi still relies on Orion vessels for transport of its goods in the Alliance, and Orion has been known to favor Zavodskoi security when outside force is required for particularly troublesome work. Orion's ties to Hephaestus are the largest source of tension between the two corporations, and Zavodskoi is rumored to have attempted to seed several of its own agents within Orion-Hephaestus joint operations in order to gather intelligence on their rival.

===[[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]===
When Zavodskoi Interstellar was still known as Necropolis Industries, it was Zeng-Hu's major rival in the genetics sector, leading to fierce competition between the two corporations. Rumors of sabotage and corporate espionage were commonplace, and the theft of company secrets was commonplace on both sides. Following the rebrand to Zavodskoi Interstellar, however, the corporation has significantly cut back on its genetics division, leaving Zeng-Hu as a mostly unchallenged monopoly in the field. With the two megacorporations no longer in direct competition, the relationship between them has warmed significantly, with Zavodskoi choosing instead to redouble its efforts against its main rival, Hephaestus Industries. Though the two do still compete in the robotics sector, so far this has been far less of a source of tension between them.

== Other Relations ==

=== [[IPC|Synthetics]] ===

''See Also:'' [[IPC_and_Megacorporations#Zavodskoi_Interstellar|IPC and Megacorporations: Z.I. Units]]

While Necropolis Industries has always had synthetics, the rebranding to Zavodskoi Interstellar brought with it the very marketable Z.I. line, and saw the increase in production and distribution of synthetic workers. Zavodskoi employs their Z.I.s as precise, dextrous labour in machining, manufacturing and blanket industrial work. Many stubborn advocates of hand-crafting and several subsidiaries oriented around quality have made large steps towards vilifying these robotic mechanics, claiming that the “organic touch” is the key to quality. Some Zavodskoi employees have expressed similar sentiment, seeing the proliferation of synthetics as threatening their position and livelihood; official statements from Jaco Du Plessis have countered with Zavodskoi employees only needing to worry for their position if they do work of subpar quality.

Meanwhile, the company has refused all suggestions from the Empire of Dominia to cut down on its synthetic workforce, only refraining from its usage to comply with laws in the Empire itself. To Imperial citizens going abroad, Zavodskoi offers in-depth synthetic sensitivity courses, designed to acclimate Tribunalists to working with IPCs.

=== [[Empire of Dominia]] ===

While Necropolis Industries made limited attempts to branch further into Imperial territories, the ascension of Countess Kamilla Strelitz to Chief Security Officer has brought with it a new entanglement with the fledgling Empire. Dominia's own state corporations and Great Houses have all, in some way, made deals with Zavodskoi, and Ingkom's collaborations with Zhurong Naval Armaments have brought a massive increase in productivity to the Imperial war machine. The company plays a strong role in acclimating Imperial citizens to non-Imperial culture and sending them abroad, serving as Dominia's strongest connection to the rest of the [[Orion Spur]]. Meanwhile, Lyudmila Zavodskoi and her family remain close with the Royal Family, and she enjoys a seemingly close relationship with Crown Princess Priscilla.

=== [[Sol Alliance]] ===

Prior to the Solarian Corporate Authority's establishment and the mass nationalisation of corporate assets, Necropolis Industries was one of the primary weapon suppliers to the [[Solarian Armed Forces]], and Zavodskoi Interstellar continues that tradition. Despite the chaos ensuing form the nationalization of corporate assets, including the accusation by Solarian Intelligence Agencies that it was Zavodskoi who murdered former Prime Minister Frost, when the dust settled Zavodskoi was still there, with a majority of its manufacturing facilities, patents, and experience in manufacturing the tools of war still belonging to it. Being realistic, if a state wants arms for its army, it needs Zavodskoi Interstellar. So despite some small withdrawals, Zavodskoi remains basically just doing what Necropolis did before it, selling arms to the Alliance - as well as everyone else, of course.

{{Template:Navbox Corporations}}
{{Navbox Lore}}

Notable Megacorporate Figures

2026-07-27T21:59:07Z

Kermit: oops

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}

This is a page dedicated to notable figures within the [[megacorporations]], who wield incredible influence or importance greater [[Orion Spur]].

{{TOC Hidden}}

== The Trasen Family ==
The top of the food chain, the Trasen family’s status is legendary Spur-wide. Virtually everybody has heard of them, and their monopoly over [[phoron]] and stranglehold over [[Tau Ceti]] has raised them to be the most influential and powerful individuals in Spur history.

Read about the Trasen family [[The Trasens|here]].

== The Idris Family ==
An overall wealthier family than the Trasens, the Idris family sat at the top of human society until dethroned by the Trasens. They continue to wield incredibly influence over the Spur from behind the curtains, though particular humanity, with their unbeatable wealth and influence over the Spur's finances.

Read about the Idris family [[The Idrises|here]].

==The Megacorporate CEOs==
These are the chief executives of the megacorporations, holding the reins of the immensely powerful megacorporations that have shaped the [[Orion Spur]] for over four centuries.

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=== Miranda Trasen ===
'''NanoTrasen Corporation CEO'''

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See [[The_Trasens#Miranda_Trasen|here]].
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===Titanius Aeson===

'''Hephaestus Industries CEO'''

''Birthdate: May 12th, 2430''

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Titanius Aeson was born in Greater Olympia, [[Mars]] to construction worker Loukas Aeson and maid-for-hire Penelope Kouris. Though Aeson's official first job was working at a packaging warehouse, in interviews his go-to story is how he used to hawk his father's cigarettes at the yearly Olympian Fair for two credits a stick. Despite having a reputation as a rough-and-tumble jock who excelled in sports and gridiron, Aeson's blue-collar appearance belied a keen mind and shrewd intellect. He attended Rama Institute of Technology and Trades, and to pay his way, gave up his sports hobby to begin working as a warehouse technician at [[Hephaestus Industries]].

Aeson likes to emphasize in interviews that he worked his way up the corporate ladder entirely of his own merit, though it should be noted that he had the financial assistance of his father and uncle (though neither were wealthy), as well as being granted a scholarship with financial aid from RITT. Nevertheless, all of his professors remember him as an excellent, if boisterous student, and he obtained a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the school in 2458. In 2460, he was declared the new CEO by his predecessor, Morgan Fletcher.

Aeson has a surprisingly cultured reputation, being rather close to the Hegemon of [[Moghes]], [[Notable Unathi#Not'zar_Izweski|Not'zar Izweski]], and a personal friend of [[Notable Unathi#Yukal_T'zakal|Yukal T'zakal]], the sector administrator for the Izweski Hegemony. According to company insiders, he possesses several artifacts of Moghresian origin, and flaunted the presence of a taxidermied plains tyrant from before the Contact War.
He is a man who decries "laziness" above all else, believing firmly in meritocracy and the power of anyone to elevate themselves should they simply work hard enough. While Hephaestus' policy of union-busting and anti-organization was a holdover from Morgan Fletcher as CEO, Titanius Aeson has firmly espoused this view. Curiously, in an interview with 2463, Aeson expressed what many interpreted as discomfort with the "[[Burzsia|Burzsian]] method" used on [[IPC|IPCs]] in the Burzsian belt.

''"[...] It's obviously something that we [...] we wouldn't do to a human, or someone else, that kind of brainwashing. And I asked [Brizio Di Moze], is that what we're doing? Is that brainwashing? Obviously it creates very effective productivity quotas, but, you know." - Titanius Aeson as interviewed by Strong's Robotics Magazine, 2463''

Most recently, Aeson's entire family was presumed dead after Violet Dawn destroyed Greater Olympia. Aeson was overseeing the expansion of the Hephaestus headquarters in Mendell City at the time, and has largely refused to comment on the event. Hephaestus donated several of its vessels and significant funds to relief efforts, and Aeson was seen attending the funeral of his family in Rama.
In his personal life, Titanius Aeson currently lives in [[Mendell City]], [[Biesel]], and married his husband Olufemi Opeyemi, a part-time novelist and travel blogger, in 2462. He is fond of expensive cigars, wrestling and MMA, and has posted several Chirps of his high scores and K/D ratio on Heroes of Tau Ceti. He seems to have developed an odd friendship with Chin-hae Hong, being one of the few executives known to actually like Orion's CEO. He and Noelle Lopez-Zhang have an intense rivalry, though Aeson seems to take Lopez-Zhang's competition in stride.

</div></div>

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===Liqin Hsiao-Li===

'''Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals CEO'''

''Birthdate: August 16th, 2354''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Roughly a decade past her hundredth birthday, Liqin Hsiao-Li still manages to be a giant in the Spur by way of [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]. She was born to Guangli Hsiao and Chuntao Li in Beijing, [[Earth]]; both of her parents were accountants determined to set their daughter up for as much success as possible, and early in her life encouraged her studies and pushed her into as many extracurricular activities as possible.
What neither of them could have anticipated was that Hsiao-Li not only took to education with aplomb, but ease. Her skills in mathematics and science were so unprecedented that her teachers suggested she be moved up through levels. Tests revealed that Hsiao-Li was a certified genius, achieving an IQ of 132 at the age of ten. Hsiao-Li entered high school-level education at thirteen, and entered university at sixteen. By age thirty, she had two doctorates; her medical degree, and her degree in genetic biology.

Hsiao-Li’s achievements gained some recognition and fame around Earth, particularly in her home country of China. She was approached by the then-CEO of Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, Vanas Peng, and asked to join as a researcher; and implicitly, his successor. Peng was briefly succeeded by Yueling Wong, and in the meantime, Hsiao-Li worked in the [[Nralakk Federation]], eventually managing to assist in the development of treatments for [[Skrell Ailments#X'Lu'oa|X'Lu'oa]]. In 2412, Liqin Hsiao-Li officially ascended to chief executive officer, and has remained there ever since.

Now gradually approaching her twelfth decade, Hsiao-Li shows little sign of slowing down. While she is heavily augmented, possessing robotic forearms, calves, eyes, and several of her organs, she still appears much like a woman in her sixties. It is suspected but not outright confirmed that Hsiao-Li has received several anti-aging treatments from the Nralakk Federation.

She currently resides in Hong Kong, on Earth. She and her spouse, Ming-le Kim, have adopted three children; Meishin, Liling, and Shun. In her spare time, Hsiao-Li enjoys calligraphy, practicing piano, and painting. Several of her paintings and Chinese calligraphy are hung in various Zeng-Hu facilities, and she is known to have composed an aria for piano, “Night at Heavenly Hill”. Hsiao-Li is notoriously strict in her standards, but also notoriously polite, level, and dignified to many that she meets. There is little record of her personal feelings towards the other members of the Chainlink, though she seems to maintain a friendly relationship with both Noelle Lopez-Zhang (a former employee of Zeng-Hu) and Miranda Trasen in kind.
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===Noelle Lopez-Zhang===

'''Einstein Engines CEO'''

''Birthdate: December 12th, 2408''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content"> [[File:NoelleLopezZhang.png|thumb|Noelle Lopez-Zhang, Einstein Engine's CEO.]]

Noelle Lopez-Zhang was born in Phoenix, on Earth, to Evan Lopez (a moderately popular local fine artist) and Martina Zhang (a geneticist). As a young woman, Lopez-Zhang was fascinated by the advances in synthetic research that had made leaps and bounds since the discovery of Skrellian technology, and channeled this passion into an education in nanotechnology and AI development at Solis Cognito, one of the Alliance’s most prestigious universities.

She was an above-average student, but Lopez-Zhang's real talent lay in her networking capabilities; at Solis Cognito she met Sven Fleiss, who would later become the chief information officer of Terraneus Diagnostics, and the two bonded over their shared passions. Lopez-Zhang and Fleiss both attained internships with Einstein Engines over the course of their studies. After attaining her degree, Lopez-Zhang worked very briefly with Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, while Fleiss started at [[Einstein Engines]]. Fleiss recommended his friend for a position, and the rest is history.

Lopez-Zhang's intense dedication and ability to command the attention of a boardroom meant she achieved the coveted title of Chief Research Officer at a meteoric pace that left some pondering if intrigue was responsible. Regardless, Dr. Lopez-Zhang became a trusted ear to Bronte Lofgren, the then-CEO of Einstein and descendant of its original founder, Berend Lofgren. When NanoTrasen's presence in the Spur became impossible to ignore, it was Lopez-Zhang who proposed the radical restructuring of the company, with her as executive.

Why Lofgren agreed to willingly retiring is a mystery to this day. Official Einstein correspondence states that Lofgren was aging and in poor health; while he was 84 in 2442, he died at 100 in his sleep in 2458. Further complicating matters is that Lopez-Zhang was 34 at the time of her ascension to CEO, which was already an excessively precocious age to become Chief Research Officer (particularly when Lopez-Zhang's sole doctorate was in AI development).

Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that Noelle Lopez-Zhang is a shrewd businesswoman. When Einstein Engines was restructured, old, stagnant blood was rapidly replaced with new talent, and the brief dip in stock to focus on proper healthcare plans, benefits, and promoting a healthy workplace environment meant Einstein Engines became not just the dominant corporation in the [[Sol Alliance]], but a place workers developed a genuine loyalty to.

Lopez-Zhang lives in Harmony City on [[Luna]], and in her private life enjoys NASCAR racing, refurbishing old cars, and playing chess against Einstein IPCs. She is not married and has no children, though rumours here and there have surfaced regarding her relationship with her old friend Sven, and her Chief Engineering Officer Alejandra Dubois-Perez. There is very little love lost between Lopez-Zhang and the other megacorporate leaders, particularly Miranda Trasen and Titanius Aeson, though she apparently has a cordial relationship with her former boss Liqin Hsiao-Li.

</div></div>

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===Alex Mason===

'''Idris Incorporated CEO'''

''Birthdate: September 6th, 2425''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content"> [[File:AlexMason.png|thumb|right|Alex Mason, Idris' Chief Executive Officer.]]

While it is known that Alexander “Alex” Mason was born in Chicago, Earth, to Cassandra Mason, there is a stunning lack of information about his personal life and why he was deemed fit to suddenly head [[Idris Incorporated]]. Cassandra Mason was a single mother, working various minimum wage jobs to support her and her son, and a few scattered accounts of his time in school point to him being an ambivalent student.

When he graduated high school, however, Mason was quietly enrolled in Yale University, a feat thought impossible by both budgetary and reputational means. He eventually graduated Yale University of Management with a Master’s in business administration. Shortly after his graduation at twenty-four, Alex Mason abruptly became a junior executive of the service branch at Idris Incorporated, and was seen several times in public with members of the Idris family, such as Leina and once, Adram Idris himself. In the meantime, Mason seemed to be brushing shoulders with the Trasens, while assorted rumours abounded to the true nature of Alex Mason’s rise to the top.

These rumours reached a head in 2453, when Mason was officially declared the chief executive officer of Idris Incorporated and its subsidiaries. Idris family members merely stated that Mason had proven himself sufficiently skilled and dedicated to earn the position and become part of the family. Speculation as to Mason’s blood relations, particularly to known womanizer Adram Idris, were common, but could usually be shut down by the fact that the very light-skinned Mason was distinctly different from the Ivory Coast-born Adram and the rest of his progeny, largely of African descent.

Since his ascension, little has changed about the company, and Mason’s fortune stays secured. He is alleged to be a cutthroat businessman, who at the very least is capable of delegating the busywork to his chairpeople and executives. While Mason apparently writes his own statements, which are quite precise, corporate insiders claim he has an abrasive personality when angered.

While Mason has been seen with a series of women in public, he is not known to be married or have children. He lives in Harmony City, Luna, and rumours circulate that he is a heavy user of party drugs. Little else about his personal life is known.

</div></div>

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===Lyudmila Zavodskoi===

'''Zavodskoi Interstellar CEO'''

''Birthdate: September 1st, 2398''

''"[...] Better than having Mason too involved [in the development of Project Horizon], smug little prick. We will see how much fur dust he can afford when we outstrip his security stocks." - Leaked audio of Lyudmila Zavodskoi speaking about Alex Mason, 2464. "Fur dust" is assumed to be a reference to Raskara dust.''

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Lyudmila Zavodskoi was born in Sputnikiy-Baltisk, [[Pluto]], to Evgeniy and Mariska Zavodskoi. Both were high-ranking diplomats in SPOK, the Communist Party (and only party) of Pluto, and from the beginning Zavodskoi was groomed for greatness. In university, she worked towards a bachelor's degree in weapons development and missile engineering, commissioning in the [[Solarian Armed Forces]] at 24. She completed her tour of duty and was discharged with honours as first lieutenant Lyudmila Zavodskoi.

Zavodskoi worked towards and eventually earned a doctorate in weapons technology, and through the recommendation of her cousin Tikhon, at the time a high-ranking corporate infosec executive at Necropolis Industries, worked her way up the ranks. When Kazimir Boystov slipped into a coma, it was Zavodskoi who dramatically restructured the company into arms manufacturing, ship engineering, and defense contracting. She also expanded Zavodskoi's research department, allowing accessibility for a wide variety of non-research and development scientific careers with Zavodskoi.

A side effect of Zavodskoi's proximity to the Empire of Dominia is that Lyudmila Zavodskoi (often called "Madam Zavodskoi" by Imperial citizens) enjoys a friendship with many nobles of the Empire, and is said to even be a personal friend of Emperor Boleslaw. Allegedly, she has become something of a mentor to Princess Priscilla despite Zavodskoi's famously acerbic demeanor, guiding the royal family into further corporate dealings.

Lyudmila Zavodskoi currently resides in Mira Sancta, [[Moroz]]. She is married to Gennadiy Voronin, a fellow officer from her Armed Forces days, and has two children, Mikhail and Lyudmila II. According to company insiders, Mikhail has long been estranged from his mother and father, but further information about him (including if he even bears the Zavodskoi name) is scant. Lyudmila the younger is a software development researcher in her mother's company, though in an interview she claims that she has had the ascend through the ranks on her own merit and is not seen as a viable successor.

Zavodskoi is an avid game hunter, and is known to have accompanied the [[Keeser Royal Family|Imperial family]] on several hunts. She possesses her own hunting shuttle, the ''Baba Yaga'', which she uses to hunt stellar fauna such as carp, sharks, and even eels. She apparently also enjoys croquet. While one may assume she has a rivalry with Titanius Aeson due to their competing markets, it seems that Zavodskoi reserves most of her ire for Alex Mason, and her relationship with Liqin Hsiao-Li is rather frosty.

</div></div>

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=== Kubra Mobolaji ===

'''Private Military Contractor Group CEO'''

''Birthdate: June 17th, circa. 2390s''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Kubra Mobolaji was born at the tail end of [[Eridani|Eridani's]] century of expansion in Madiwa, to the suit couple Jean-Marie and Omolola Mobolaji. Like most of his counterparts within the Board of Five, his early life is heavily censored and subject to much speculation. He is known to have been sickly as a child, which he supplemented with extensive yet subtle augmentation and personal training; how much of his powerful build is cybernetics or willpower and physical training is ambiguous. Whatever the case, he was deemed physically fit enough to be accepted into APEX Military Academy in his early twenties, sometime in the 2410s. Whatever his qualifications were (the records are censored and heavily encrypted), they were sufficient enough to permit him entry into Ringspire, Eridani's most notorious PMC.

Mobolaji began his time in Ringspire as a point man for the squad of Task Force 44, a position that required keen situational awareness and excellent reaction time. He cut his teeth in the Coalition frontier and the Badlands throughout the 2420s and 30s, gradually ascending through experience and the fact of his continued survival, eventually becoming the commander of Task Force 44.

The first defining moment of Mobolaji's career was the [[Adhomai|Adhomaian]] theatre during the [[Tajara#The_Second_Revolution|Second Revolution]], in which Ringspire was enlisted to become part of the S'randmarr Coalition. Along with other corporate forces, Ringspire and Task Force 44 were stationed at the Ras'nrr Front. While the S'randmarr Coalition managed to halt the advance of the Adhomai Liberation Army, it did so just barely. Many of Ringspire's brutal mercenary tactics had been employed against a disorganised, materially weaker populace; few of the PMC's squads were prepared for Adhomai's bitter conditions or the ALA's tactics and training.

But despite being in the thick of fighting, Task Force 44 managed to hold itself together. Mobolaji's presence and quick thinking allowed the contractors to make a slow, steady retreat back to the main defense of the S'randmarr Coalition. The victory was pyrrhic; two other Ringspire task forces had been completely routed, with four decimated. 44 had come out with the fewest casualties of the entire conflict, and many of the members credited Mobolaji's leadership as allowing them to survive.

In the aftermath of the S'rendmarr Coalition, many of Mobolaji's rivals in Ringspire had been killed or badly disabled; Mobolaji himself lost his organic arm, which is now a synthskin prosthetic. His reward was promotion to Ringspire's board of directors, and a brief stint as the president of APEX Military Academy, where he also helped oversee the education of one Nathan Trasen.

During his tenure as president of the academy, Mobolaji was expected to make a move for the seat of Speaker of the Board of Five, the top echelon of the Eridanian government. The Chief of System Security and then-CEO of Ringspire, Mbanzu Eboru, hardly expected his rival to buy out his own seat. Mobolaji persuaded (or forced) Eboru to step down as Ringspire chief executive officer a year later.

The other defining moment of his career came in 2463. Facing the instability of the phoron scarcity and rebellion in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate approached Mobolaji to pioneer a deal that would create the Private Military Contracting Group. Now, he serves as its chief executive officer, despite the vastly-differing goals and ranges of the PMCs under its umbrella. At the end of the day, all of its profit is his.

Little is known about Mobolaji's personal life, except for his deceptively jovial demeanor and a friendship with Nathan Trasen. He potentially has a wife and children, though if they even exist, their identities are well-hidden from Mobolaji's many enemies and rivals. His "calling card" (a suit's unique element of their fashion) is a pair of silver cufflinks and a matching pin in his brass-coloured tie, shaped like a stylised vulture. According to the profiles on the Board of Five, he enjoys tabletop wargaming and his favourite vacation spot is Binyaria, [[Venus]].

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===Chin-Hae Hong===

'''Orion Express CEO'''

''Birthdate: March 18th, 2431''

''[What’s it like working with Ms. Hong?] “Being completely honest, they’re… there’s an expression, ‘acquired taste’. That’s best how I can describe her. I thought she was a bit close to the tides, that one, but she has the makings of a protostar. I appreciate her especially in an environment like this, and I hope we’ll go to great places. Under my guidance, of course. [warbles]”'' - Tuiqi Xao’Luup, chief external affairs officer for [[Orion Express]], as questioned by Verona Falk from the Mendell City Bugle.

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Chin-hae Hong, born in Aoyama, [[Konyang]], to train conductor Seon-min Hong and housewife Tae-yoon Moon, was never expected to achieve particularly much. Something of an outcast in her childhood, in interviews she described having an obsessive passion for logistics and her father’s line of work, as most of the conducting he did involved shipping goods all across Konyang. Hong worked towards a diploma in logistics and supply chain management at Aoyama Polytechnic, a trade school, though her odd personality and perceived grating attitude kept her from having many friends. Later, Hong became a first officer at Aoyama’s Transportation Council, and her timely attitude and being a stickler for rules meant she was one of the best for the job.

What her unusual mannerisms did not keep her from, however, was opportunity. In 2462, the SCC was still developing a logistics-focused corporation for their interests, and needed an appropriate chief executive officer. Of all people, it was Hephaestus’ director of robotics, Ischyros, who discovered Hong while talent-scouting on Konyang. Ischyros passed word to Titanius Aeson, who interviewed Hong and introduced her to Miranda Trasen herself. Hong claims, somewhat sardonically, that she and Trasen “[got] on like a house on fire” and she was quickly appointed future chief executive officer of Orion Express.

Insider rumours persist in the SCC that precious few among the upper echelons are personally fond of Hong. She is, however, popular among her Hephaestus counterparts, and her board of directors describe her as an excellent CEO to work under. Tuiqi Xao’Luup, Orion’s chief external affairs officer, bluntly described Hong as an “acquired taste”, but elaborated that they found her stewardship refreshing, and hoped to see Orion succeed under her leadership.

Hong is not married and has no children, though she has apparently been seen in public on Konyang with an unknown female Shell, and describes her two Shih Tzu, Momo and Soo, as her “fur children”. She enjoys model trains, video games, Konyanimation, and apparently has a good friendship with Titanius Aeson.

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===Kazimir Boytsov===

'''Former Zavodskoi Interstellar CEO'''

''January 23rd, 2312 - September 27th, 2465''

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Kazimir Boytsov was once chief among the most infamous arms manufacturers in the galaxy. After he was passed down the position of chief executive officer by his father, Yevgeniy Dementyev, he developed Necropolis Industries into one of the premier research and development corporations in the galaxy. Seeking to guide the hand of conflict and turn out profit by any means possible, Necropolis Industries began selling weapons to militaries, private security contractors, and conflict zones across the Orion Spur.

In 2462, Boytsov and Necropolis' board of directors were accused of insider trading, supplying the black market with weapons, and corruption and bribery. Shortly after these accusations broke, Boytsov fell into a coma. He and his former directors were quickly replaced by Lyudmila Zavodskoi and her hand-picked team, and Necropolis Industries was rebranded to Zavodskoi Interstellar.

After three years in a coma, Boytsov died in 2465. With his death, Zavodskoi's former identity as Necropolis has been almost entirely erased.

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{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}
[[Category:Pages]]

Notable Megacorporate Figures

2026-07-27T21:58:11Z

Kermit: portraits

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}

This is a page dedicated to notable figures within the [[megacorporations]], who wield incredible influence or importance greater [[Orion Spur]].

{{TOC Hidden}}

== The Trasen Family ==
The top of the food chain, the Trasen family’s status is legendary Spur-wide. Virtually everybody has heard of them, and their monopoly over [[phoron]] and stranglehold over [[Tau Ceti]] has raised them to be the most influential and powerful individuals in Spur history.

Read about the Trasen family [[The Trasens|here]].

== The Idris Family ==
An overall wealthier family than the Trasens, the Idris family sat at the top of human society until dethroned by the Trasens. They continue to wield incredibly influence over the Spur from behind the curtains, though particular humanity, with their unbeatable wealth and influence over the Spur's finances.

Read about the Idris family [[The Idrises|here]].

==The Megacorporate CEOs==
These are the chief executives of the megacorporations, holding the reins of the immensely powerful megacorporations that have shaped the [[Orion Spur]] for over four centuries.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=== Miranda Trasen ===
'''NanoTrasen Corporation CEO'''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><div class="mw-collapsible-content"> [[File:MirandaTrasen.png|thumb|right|Miranda Trasen, NanoTrasen Corporation and the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate's CEO.]]
See [[The_Trasens#Miranda_Trasen|here]].
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===Titanius Aeson===

'''Hephaestus Industries CEO'''

''Birthdate: May 12th, 2430''

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Titanius Aeson was born in Greater Olympia, [[Mars]] to construction worker Loukas Aeson and maid-for-hire Penelope Kouris. Though Aeson's official first job was working at a packaging warehouse, in interviews his go-to story is how he used to hawk his father's cigarettes at the yearly Olympian Fair for two credits a stick. Despite having a reputation as a rough-and-tumble jock who excelled in sports and gridiron, Aeson's blue-collar appearance belied a keen mind and shrewd intellect. He attended Rama Institute of Technology and Trades, and to pay his way, gave up his sports hobby to begin working as a warehouse technician at [[Hephaestus Industries]].

Aeson likes to emphasize in interviews that he worked his way up the corporate ladder entirely of his own merit, though it should be noted that he had the financial assistance of his father and uncle (though neither were wealthy), as well as being granted a scholarship with financial aid from RITT. Nevertheless, all of his professors remember him as an excellent, if boisterous student, and he obtained a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the school in 2458. In 2460, he was declared the new CEO by his predecessor, Morgan Fletcher.

Aeson has a surprisingly cultured reputation, being rather close to the Hegemon of [[Moghes]], [[Notable Unathi#Not'zar_Izweski|Not'zar Izweski]], and a personal friend of [[Notable Unathi#Yukal_T'zakal|Yukal T'zakal]], the sector administrator for the Izweski Hegemony. According to company insiders, he possesses several artifacts of Moghresian origin, and flaunted the presence of a taxidermied plains tyrant from before the Contact War.
He is a man who decries "laziness" above all else, believing firmly in meritocracy and the power of anyone to elevate themselves should they simply work hard enough. While Hephaestus' policy of union-busting and anti-organization was a holdover from Morgan Fletcher as CEO, Titanius Aeson has firmly espoused this view. Curiously, in an interview with 2463, Aeson expressed what many interpreted as discomfort with the "[[Burzsia|Burzsian]] method" used on [[IPC|IPCs]] in the Burzsian belt.

''"[...] It's obviously something that we [...] we wouldn't do to a human, or someone else, that kind of brainwashing. And I asked [Brizio Di Moze], is that what we're doing? Is that brainwashing? Obviously it creates very effective productivity quotas, but, you know." - Titanius Aeson as interviewed by Strong's Robotics Magazine, 2463''

Most recently, Aeson's entire family was presumed dead after Violet Dawn destroyed Greater Olympia. Aeson was overseeing the expansion of the Hephaestus headquarters in Mendell City at the time, and has largely refused to comment on the event. Hephaestus donated several of its vessels and significant funds to relief efforts, and Aeson was seen attending the funeral of his family in Rama.
In his personal life, Titanius Aeson currently lives in [[Mendell City]], [[Biesel]], and married his husband Olufemi Opeyemi, a part-time novelist and travel blogger, in 2462. He is fond of expensive cigars, wrestling and MMA, and has posted several Chirps of his high scores and K/D ratio on Heroes of Tau Ceti. He seems to have developed an odd friendship with Chin-hae Hong, being one of the few executives known to actually like Orion's CEO. He and Noelle Lopez-Zhang have an intense rivalry, though Aeson seems to take Lopez-Zhang's competition in stride.

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===Liqin Hsiao-Li===

'''Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals CEO'''

''Birthdate: August 16th, 2354''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Roughly a decade past her hundredth birthday, Liqin Hsiao-Li still manages to be a giant in the Spur by way of [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]. She was born to Guangli Hsiao and Chuntao Li in Beijing, [[Earth]]; both of her parents were accountants determined to set their daughter up for as much success as possible, and early in her life encouraged her studies and pushed her into as many extracurricular activities as possible.
What neither of them could have anticipated was that Hsiao-Li not only took to education with aplomb, but ease. Her skills in mathematics and science were so unprecedented that her teachers suggested she be moved up through levels. Tests revealed that Hsiao-Li was a certified genius, achieving an IQ of 132 at the age of ten. Hsiao-Li entered high school-level education at thirteen, and entered university at sixteen. By age thirty, she had two doctorates; her medical degree, and her degree in genetic biology.

Hsiao-Li’s achievements gained some recognition and fame around Earth, particularly in her home country of China. She was approached by the then-CEO of Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, Vanas Peng, and asked to join as a researcher; and implicitly, his successor. Peng was briefly succeeded by Yueling Wong, and in the meantime, Hsiao-Li worked in the [[Nralakk Federation]], eventually managing to assist in the development of treatments for [[Skrell Ailments#X'Lu'oa|X'Lu'oa]]. In 2412, Liqin Hsiao-Li officially ascended to chief executive officer, and has remained there ever since.

Now gradually approaching her twelfth decade, Hsiao-Li shows little sign of slowing down. While she is heavily augmented, possessing robotic forearms, calves, eyes, and several of her organs, she still appears much like a woman in her sixties. It is suspected but not outright confirmed that Hsiao-Li has received several anti-aging treatments from the Nralakk Federation.

She currently resides in Hong Kong, on Earth. She and her spouse, Ming-le Kim, have adopted three children; Meishin, Liling, and Shun. In her spare time, Hsiao-Li enjoys calligraphy, practicing piano, and painting. Several of her paintings and Chinese calligraphy are hung in various Zeng-Hu facilities, and she is known to have composed an aria for piano, “Night at Heavenly Hill”. Hsiao-Li is notoriously strict in her standards, but also notoriously polite, level, and dignified to many that she meets. There is little record of her personal feelings towards the other members of the Chainlink, though she seems to maintain a friendly relationship with both Noelle Lopez-Zhang (a former employee of Zeng-Hu) and Miranda Trasen in kind.
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===Noelle Lopez-Zhang===

'''Einstein Engines CEO'''

''Birthdate: December 12th, 2408''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content"> [[File:NoelleLopezZhang.png|thumb|Noelle Lopez-Zhang, Einstein Engine's CEO.]]

Noelle Lopez-Zhang was born in Phoenix, on Earth, to Evan Lopez (a moderately popular local fine artist) and Martina Zhang (a geneticist). As a young woman, Lopez-Zhang was fascinated by the advances in synthetic research that had made leaps and bounds since the discovery of Skrellian technology, and channeled this passion into an education in nanotechnology and AI development at Solis Cognito, one of the Alliance’s most prestigious universities.

She was an above-average student, but Lopez-Zhang's real talent lay in her networking capabilities; at Solis Cognito she met Sven Fleiss, who would later become the chief information officer of Terraneus Diagnostics, and the two bonded over their shared passions. Lopez-Zhang and Fleiss both attained internships with Einstein Engines over the course of their studies. After attaining her degree, Lopez-Zhang worked very briefly with Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, while Fleiss started at [[Einstein Engines]]. Fleiss recommended his friend for a position, and the rest is history.

Lopez-Zhang's intense dedication and ability to command the attention of a boardroom meant she achieved the coveted title of Chief Research Officer at a meteoric pace that left some pondering if intrigue was responsible. Regardless, Dr. Lopez-Zhang became a trusted ear to Bronte Lofgren, the then-CEO of Einstein and descendant of its original founder, Berend Lofgren. When NanoTrasen's presence in the Spur became impossible to ignore, it was Lopez-Zhang who proposed the radical restructuring of the company, with her as executive.

Why Lofgren agreed to willingly retiring is a mystery to this day. Official Einstein correspondence states that Lofgren was aging and in poor health; while he was 84 in 2442, he died at 100 in his sleep in 2458. Further complicating matters is that Lopez-Zhang was 34 at the time of her ascension to CEO, which was already an excessively precocious age to become Chief Research Officer (particularly when Lopez-Zhang's sole doctorate was in AI development).

Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that Noelle Lopez-Zhang is a shrewd businesswoman. When Einstein Engines was restructured, old, stagnant blood was rapidly replaced with new talent, and the brief dip in stock to focus on proper healthcare plans, benefits, and promoting a healthy workplace environment meant Einstein Engines became not just the dominant corporation in the [[Sol Alliance]], but a place workers developed a genuine loyalty to.

Lopez-Zhang lives in Harmony City on [[Luna]], and in her private life enjoys NASCAR racing, refurbishing old cars, and playing chess against Einstein IPCs. She is not married and has no children, though rumours here and there have surfaced regarding her relationship with her old friend Sven, and her Chief Engineering Officer Alejandra Dubois-Perez. There is very little love lost between Lopez-Zhang and the other megacorporate leaders, particularly Miranda Trasen and Titanius Aeson, though she apparently has a cordial relationship with her former boss Liqin Hsiao-Li.

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===Alex Mason===

'''Idris Incorporated CEO'''

''Birthdate: September 6th, 2425''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content"> [[File:AlexMason.png|thumb|right|Alex Mason, Idris' Chief Executive Officer.]]

While it is known that Alexander “Alex” Mason was born in Chicago, Earth, to Cassandra Mason, there is a stunning lack of information about his personal life and why he was deemed fit to suddenly head [[Idris Incorporated]]. Cassandra Mason was a single mother, working various minimum wage jobs to support her and her son, and a few scattered accounts of his time in school point to him being an ambivalent student.

When he graduated high school, however, Mason was quietly enrolled in Yale University, a feat thought impossible by both budgetary and reputational means. He eventually graduated Yale University of Management with a Master’s in business administration. Shortly after his graduation at twenty-four, Alex Mason abruptly became a junior executive of the service branch at Idris Incorporated, and was seen several times in public with members of the Idris family, such as Leina and once, Adram Idris himself. In the meantime, Mason seemed to be brushing shoulders with the Trasens, while assorted rumours abounded to the true nature of Alex Mason’s rise to the top.

These rumours reached a head in 2453, when Mason was officially declared the chief executive officer of Idris Incorporated and its subsidiaries. Idris family members merely stated that Mason had proven himself sufficiently skilled and dedicated to earn the position and become part of the family. Speculation as to Mason’s blood relations, particularly to known womanizer Adram Idris, were common, but could usually be shut down by the fact that the very light-skinned Mason was distinctly different from the Ivory Coast-born Adram and the rest of his progeny, largely of African descent.

Since his ascension, little has changed about the company, and Mason’s fortune stays secured. He is alleged to be a cutthroat businessman, who at the very least is capable of delegating the busywork to his chairpeople and executives. While Mason apparently writes his own statements, which are quite precise, corporate insiders claim he has an abrasive personality when angered.

While Mason has been seen with a series of women in public, he is not known to be married or have children. He lives in Harmony City, Luna, and rumours circulate that he is a heavy user of party drugs. Little else about his personal life is known.

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===Lyudmila Zavodskoi===

'''Zavodskoi Interstellar CEO'''

''Birthdate: September 1st, 2398''

''"[...] Better than having Mason too involved [in the development of Project Horizon], smug little prick. We will see how much fur dust he can afford when we outstrip his security stocks." - Leaked audio of Lyudmila Zavodskoi speaking about Alex Mason, 2464. "Fur dust" is assumed to be a reference to Raskara dust.''

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Lyudmila Zavodskoi was born in Sputnikiy-Baltisk, [[Pluto]], to Evgeniy and Mariska Zavodskoi. Both were high-ranking diplomats in SPOK, the Communist Party (and only party) of Pluto, and from the beginning Zavodskoi was groomed for greatness. In university, she worked towards a bachelor's degree in weapons development and missile engineering, commissioning in the [[Solarian Armed Forces]] at 24. She completed her tour of duty and was discharged with honours as first lieutenant Lyudmila Zavodskoi.

Zavodskoi worked towards and eventually earned a doctorate in weapons technology, and through the recommendation of her cousin Tikhon, at the time a high-ranking corporate infosec executive at Necropolis Industries, worked her way up the ranks. When Kazimir Boystov slipped into a coma, it was Zavodskoi who dramatically restructured the company into arms manufacturing, ship engineering, and defense contracting. She also expanded Zavodskoi's research department, allowing accessibility for a wide variety of non-research and development scientific careers with Zavodskoi.

A side effect of Zavodskoi's proximity to the Empire of Dominia is that Lyudmila Zavodskoi (often called "Madam Zavodskoi" by Imperial citizens) enjoys a friendship with many nobles of the Empire, and is said to even be a personal friend of Emperor Boleslaw. Allegedly, she has become something of a mentor to Princess Priscilla despite Zavodskoi's famously acerbic demeanor, guiding the royal family into further corporate dealings.

Lyudmila Zavodskoi currently resides in Mira Sancta, [[Moroz]]. She is married to Gennadiy Voronin, a fellow officer from her Armed Forces days, and has two children, Mikhail and Lyudmila II. According to company insiders, Mikhail has long been estranged from his mother and father, but further information about him (including if he even bears the Zavodskoi name) is scant. Lyudmila the younger is a software development researcher in her mother's company, though in an interview she claims that she has had the ascend through the ranks on her own merit and is not seen as a viable successor.

Zavodskoi is an avid game hunter, and is known to have accompanied the [[Keeser Royal Family|Imperial family]] on several hunts. She possesses her own hunting shuttle, the ''Baba Yaga'', which she uses to hunt stellar fauna such as carp, sharks, and even eels. She apparently also enjoys croquet. While one may assume she has a rivalry with Titanius Aeson due to their competing markets, it seems that Zavodskoi reserves most of her ire for Alex Mason, and her relationship with Liqin Hsiao-Li is rather frosty.

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=== Kubra Mobolaji ===

'''Private Military Contractor Group CEO'''

''Birthdate: June 17th, circa. 2390s''

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Kubra Mobolaji was born at the tail end of [[Eridani|Eridani's]] century of expansion in Madiwa, to the suit couple Jean-Marie and Omolola Mobolaji. Like most of his counterparts within the Board of Five, his early life is heavily censored and subject to much speculation. He is known to have been sickly as a child, which he supplemented with extensive yet subtle augmentation and personal training; how much of his powerful build is cybernetics or willpower and physical training is ambiguous. Whatever the case, he was deemed physically fit enough to be accepted into APEX Military Academy in his early twenties, sometime in the 2410s. Whatever his qualifications were (the records are censored and heavily encrypted), they were sufficient enough to permit him entry into Ringspire, Eridani's most notorious PMC.

Mobolaji began his time in Ringspire as a point man for the squad of Task Force 44, a position that required keen situational awareness and excellent reaction time. He cut his teeth in the Coalition frontier and the Badlands throughout the 2420s and 30s, gradually ascending through experience and the fact of his continued survival, eventually becoming the commander of Task Force 44.

The first defining moment of Mobolaji's career was the [[Adhomai|Adhomaian]] theatre during the [[Tajara#The_Second_Revolution|Second Revolution]], in which Ringspire was enlisted to become part of the S'randmarr Coalition. Along with other corporate forces, Ringspire and Task Force 44 were stationed at the Ras'nrr Front. While the S'randmarr Coalition managed to halt the advance of the Adhomai Liberation Army, it did so just barely. Many of Ringspire's brutal mercenary tactics had been employed against a disorganised, materially weaker populace; few of the PMC's squads were prepared for Adhomai's bitter conditions or the ALA's tactics and training.

But despite being in the thick of fighting, Task Force 44 managed to hold itself together. Mobolaji's presence and quick thinking allowed the contractors to make a slow, steady retreat back to the main defense of the S'randmarr Coalition. The victory was pyrrhic; two other Ringspire task forces had been completely routed, with four decimated. 44 had come out with the fewest casualties of the entire conflict, and many of the members credited Mobolaji's leadership as allowing them to survive.

In the aftermath of the S'rendmarr Coalition, many of Mobolaji's rivals in Ringspire had been killed or badly disabled; Mobolaji himself lost his organic arm, which is now a synthskin prosthetic. His reward was promotion to Ringspire's board of directors, and a brief stint as the president of APEX Military Academy, where he also helped oversee the education of one Nathan Trasen.

During his tenure as president of the academy, Mobolaji was expected to make a move for the seat of Speaker of the Board of Five, the top echelon of the Eridanian government. The Chief of System Security and then-CEO of Ringspire, Mbanzu Eboru, hardly expected his rival to buy out his own seat. Mobolaji persuaded (or forced) Eboru to step down as Ringspire chief executive officer a year later.

The other defining moment of his career came in 2463. Facing the instability of the phoron scarcity and rebellion in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate approached Mobolaji to pioneer a deal that would create the Private Military Contracting Group. Now, he serves as its chief executive officer, despite the vastly-differing goals and ranges of the PMCs under its umbrella. At the end of the day, all of its profit is his.

Little is known about Mobolaji's personal life, except for his deceptively jovial demeanor and a friendship with Nathan Trasen. He potentially has a wife and children, though if they even exist, their identities are well-hidden from Mobolaji's many enemies and rivals. His "calling card" (a suit's unique element of their fashion) is a pair of silver cufflinks and a matching pin in his brass-coloured tie, shaped like a stylised vulture. According to the profiles on the Board of Five, he enjoys tabletop wargaming and his favourite vacation spot is Binyaria, [[Venus]].

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===Chin-Hae Hong===

'''Orion Express CEO'''

''Birthdate: March 18th, 2431''

''[What’s it like working with Ms. Hong?] “Being completely honest, they’re… there’s an expression, ‘acquired taste’. That’s best how I can describe her. I thought she was a bit close to the tides, that one, but she has the makings of a protostar. I appreciate her especially in an environment like this, and I hope we’ll go to great places. Under my guidance, of course. [warbles]”'' - Tuiqi Xao’Luup, chief external affairs officer for [[Orion Express]], as questioned by Verona Falk from the Mendell City Bugle.

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Chin-hae Hong, born in Aoyama, [[Konyang]], to train conductor Seon-min Hong and housewife Tae-yoon Moon, was never expected to achieve particularly much. Something of an outcast in her childhood, in interviews she described having an obsessive passion for logistics and her father’s line of work, as most of the conducting he did involved shipping goods all across Konyang. Hong worked towards a diploma in logistics and supply chain management at Aoyama Polytechnic, a trade school, though her odd personality and perceived grating attitude kept her from having many friends. Later, Hong became a first officer at Aoyama’s Transportation Council, and her timely attitude and being a stickler for rules meant she was one of the best for the job.

What her unusual mannerisms did not keep her from, however, was opportunity. In 2462, the SCC was still developing a logistics-focused corporation for their interests, and needed an appropriate chief executive officer. Of all people, it was Hephaestus’ director of robotics, Ischyros, who discovered Hong while talent-scouting on Konyang. Ischyros passed word to Titanius Aeson, who interviewed Hong and introduced her to Miranda Trasen herself. Hong claims, somewhat sardonically, that she and Trasen “[got] on like a house on fire” and she was quickly appointed future chief executive officer of Orion Express.

Insider rumours persist in the SCC that precious few among the upper echelons are personally fond of Hong. She is, however, popular among her Hephaestus counterparts, and her board of directors describe her as an excellent CEO to work under. Tuiqi Xao’Luup, Orion’s chief external affairs officer, bluntly described Hong as an “acquired taste”, but elaborated that they found her stewardship refreshing, and hoped to see Orion succeed under her leadership.

Hong is not married and has no children, though she has apparently been seen in public on Konyang with an unknown female Shell, and describes her two Shih Tzu, Momo and Soo, as her “fur children”. She enjoys model trains, video games, Konyanimation, and apparently has a good friendship with Titanius Aeson.

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===Kazimir Boytsov===

'''Former Zavodskoi Interstellar CEO'''

''January 23rd, 2312 - September 27th, 2465''

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Kazimir Boytsov was once chief among the most infamous arms manufacturers in the galaxy. After he was passed down the position of chief executive officer by his father, Yevgeniy Dementyev, he developed Necropolis Industries into one of the premier research and development corporations in the galaxy. Seeking to guide the hand of conflict and turn out profit by any means possible, Necropolis Industries began selling weapons to militaries, private security contractors, and conflict zones across the Orion Spur.

In 2462, Boytsov and Necropolis' board of directors were accused of insider trading, supplying the black market with weapons, and corruption and bribery. Shortly after these accusations broke, Boytsov fell into a coma. He and his former directors were quickly replaced by Lyudmila Zavodskoi and her hand-picked team, and Necropolis Industries was rebranded to Zavodskoi Interstellar.

After three years in a coma, Boytsov died in 2465. With his death, Zavodskoi's former identity as Necropolis has been almost entirely erased.

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{{Navbox Lore}}
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Idris Incorporated

2026-07-27T21:57:02Z

Kermit: link fixes

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Template:Navbox Corporations}}
{{Infobox Corporation
|headercolor = #00d1d4 
|textcolor = white 
|name = Idris Incorporated
|logo = II-teal
|headquarters = Abidjan, Ivory Coast, West African Union, [[Earth]], [[Sol Alliance]]
|slogan = Astronomical Figures. Unlimited Power.
|languages = Tradeband, Tau Ceti Basic
|ceo = [[Notable Megacorporate Figures#Alex Mason|Alex Mason]]
|colors = <span style="color:#3A6F6F">Teal (#3A6F6F),</span> <span style="color:#00d1d4">cyan (#00d1d4),</span>
<span style="color:#1e2221">black (#1e2221),</span> <span style="color:#E0F0F0">white (#E0F0F0)</span>
|founded = 2152
|founder = William Idris
|regions =<br>
* [[Sol Alliance]]
* [[Republic of Biesel]]
* [[Republic of Elyra]] (exclusively [[New Suez]])
* [[Coalition of Colonies]]
* [[New Kingdom of Adhomai]]
|}}
'''Idris Incorporated''' is the largest banking institution in the [[Orion Spur]], previously headquartered in the [[Sol Alliance]], though after the [[KOTW|Solarian Collapse]] its branch in the [[Republic of Biesel]] has grown to become its new headquarters and most prominent base of operations, from where it holds a monopoly on banking and financial services the spur over. Idris financial advice is regarded by millions of businesses as just short of divine guidance; the bank able to predict, influence and even control the flow of stock markets throughout the spur, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_manipulation frequently using its power to bend situations and create favourable openings.] Since providing secure credit storage for individuals, corporations, and governments alike requires a robust security presence, Idris fields the third largest private security force within the [[SCC]], spread throughout its vast number of facilities, vaults, banks and commercial establishments. Moreover, as part of this security force, a sizable synthetic division has been developed to reinforce and partake in various activities, most notably debt reclamation.

Aside from its banking activities, the company manages several luxury product chains, hotels, and high-class entertainment centres on a multitude of worlds across the Spur, expanding its clientele and becoming the go-to provider for powerful and influential elites of all calibres and tastes.

{{TOC Hidden}}
== Corporate Affairs ==
=== History ===
<center>''"Culture!?! Culture is nothing more than a qualitative marketing profile. Whether it’s boots, carbonated beverages, or firearms, our job is to develop products that people will incorporate into their identities so deeply they can’t see where their personality stops and the branding begins."'' - An Unknown Idris Executive to a member of the SCC.

</center>
Idris Incorporated was founded in the [[Earth|Ivory Coast]] by the American-Ivorian investor [[Notable Humans|William Idris]] in 2152, as pressure grew for a secure way to store credits and have them transferable across solar systems. Idris Trust was, at the time, one of the few banking institutions that offered [[Interstellar Travel|interstellar services based in Sol]], making them one of the most experimental, yet immensely convenient choices for business firms. Idris Trust was one of the first corporations to expand its base of operations to the extra-Solar colony of the [[Eridani Federation]], contributing to a gradually-expanding trans-stellar range.

[[Biesel|Biesel's]] growing urbanization in the 2190s and beyond led to an increase in the personal wealth of its population. Many of these wealthy citizens were climate refugees from [[Earth]], or high-ranking executives looking to carve out a piece of the newly settled planet for themselves. The migration of the wealthy elite and the relative lack of markets that catered to them led the Idris family to branch into luxury goods and customer service, purchasing contracting [[Hephaestus Industries]] and [[Einstein Engines]] to create a fleet of luxury cruisers and yachts, and prepare their other vessels for shipping other products all over the known galaxy.

Idris Trust rebranded to Idris Incorporated, meanwhile buying out or absorbing several smaller luxury brands into itself. Its new focuses made it a giant on [[Luna]] and [[Biesel]]. Through the power of branding, it quickly developed a reputation for legendarily thorough service courses that produced some of the finest chefs and mixologists in human space. All the while, every buyer was encouraged to use Idris banking, which spread across the Spur like wildfire and gave the megacorporation the title of the biggest bank in the known galaxy. They were the ones to give some of the largest loans to [[NanoTrasen]] in 2352, as the biomedical corporation quickly became a resource extraction one, and has profited off the economic boom that followed the discovery of [[Phoron]].

Prior to the discovery of the [[Positronic Brain|positronic brain]], Idris was one of the few corporations that eschewed simple robots to assist in service work. The company had managed to secure the loyalty (and fear) of many of its employees by luxurious paychecks or predatory loan contracts, and a point of its advertisement was that it relied on purely human service and no automation. But in the wake of the discovery in 2407, Idris was one of the first megacorporations to adopt a line of "branded" [[IPC|IPCs]], for security, service, and piloting. Still, the company is famed for its top-of-the-line human staff in the service sector, with many acclaimed chefs and mixologists to accompany the high brass on their business trips.

In the modern day, Idris Incorporated is under the stewardship of the mysterious newcomer [[Notable Megacorporate Figures|Alex Mason]], acting as a member of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]. While Mason seems to hold the reins, the [[Notable Humans|Idris family still hangs behind the scenes]], directing the company at their inscrutable and often nonsensical whims. Much like many other aspects of the company, the importance of scarcity to Idris Incorporated is likewise difficult to pin down for the average person. After all, why does a bank need to care about a [[Phoron|resource shortage]]? Simply put, [[Spurian Economy|all the economic growth the past century has seen]] was pinned to one resource, [[Phoron]]; without it, the status quo cannot be maintained. For an organization that makes its profit by there simply being more money, stagnating growth or worse, declining growth, is a nightmare scenario. It is no wonder then that the bank has begun to allow for riskier and riskier loans, as they, along with every [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_bank central bank]] across the spur, [[Spurian Economy|attempt to stimulate the economy into growing again]]. Yet it hasn’t worked - growth has continued to fall year over year- and despite remaining positive for so long - will soon stagnate. Much of this is blamed on [[NanoTrasen]] within Idris Incorporated, conveniently ignoring the fact they didn’t do [[Phoron|anything to stop the unsustainable mining of phoron either]]. As a result, the bank has begun offering hiring bonuses to those who work for other major interstellar corporations to draw people away from their competitors. This has strained relationships between [[NanoTrasen]] and Idris Incorporated, though the relationship between Alex Mason and [[The Trasens|Miranda Trasen]] is allegedly as sunny as ever.

=== Influence and Reputation ===
<center>''"Money makes the world go round, and most of it is held by them. Following this logic, they have the power to stop the spinning if they so choose."'' - comments on Idris Incorporated.

</center>
Idris Incorporated exercises authority over seven million major banks spread across human space and beyond, and has come to find itself in virtually every major power's pocket in some form or fashion. It controls the largest store of pure wealth within the known galaxy, and while not holding a candle to [[NanoTrasen|NanoTrasen's]] net worth or even the worth of the [[Tau Ceti|Romanovich Cloud]] alone, Idris and its services can be found to extend as far as its looming superior can see. As the saying goes, there’s money in money.

Idris possesses the financial information of nearly every human in the galaxy, a significant number of aliens as well, and manages a vast majority of the entire spur’s wealth [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_capital liquid wealth]. As a result, they are an incredibly secretive corporation, with much of the information about their inner operations being behind NDAs given to every prospective employee. Idris employees are forbidden from even discussing their training, and there are rumours that the company threatens or bribes those who speak negatively of the company's inner workings or management to keep the corporate image as spotless as possible. Employees who have proven themselves are often well-paid, and all Idris employees are well-trained.

Behind the glossy, classy exterior, an "Idris loan" is, for the average person, almost universally understood to be a contract that is incredibly difficult to break out of, but also often the only option. Complex legal jargon and long terms of agreement are usually targeted at the young, desperate, unfortunate, or all three; the few whispers of Idris' training programs point to them being harsh and exacting, with severe fines if one drops out early. This is to say nothing of the repute of Idris Security and Reclamation Units, who have stories floating around of causing broken bones and severe bruises to debtors.

For their fellow megacorporations, however, Idris Loans were once a worry-free option to quickly come up with money, [[Spurian Economy|as growth was all but guaranteed]], especially for those who cooperated with [[NanoTrasen]]. In the midst of the scarcity, that has stopped being the case - though the terms for corporate loans are still ironically more lenient than those they offer individuals, Idris now demands [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collateral_(finance) collateral or similar] before approving loans, worried the growth will stop sooner rather than later, much to the frustration of their peers at times. They are the megacorporation with arguably the most soft power within the Orion Spur - simply due to the sheer amount of money they always have on hand - a position that has allowed them to stand up to [[NanoTrasen]] to an extent most other corporations aren’t capable of, sometimes even disobeying [[The Trasens|Miranda Trasen]] in small ways. It’s never a huge amount, for no matter their soft power, as long as [[NanoTrasen]] holds a monopoly over [[phoron]], they’ll have the economic power to break every other megacorporation if they so wished - but it’s enough for Idris to look after itself while not inviting the full wrath of Miranda down.

Idris’s greatest influence in fact, might be over other nation-states. For the past five years, every nation-state of the spur has been [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deficit_spending running a massive deficit], as they attempt to fight against the [[Spurian Economy|economic effects of the scarcity]]. Idris, having access to the largest amount of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_capital liquid capital in the entire spur], found itself in a unique position where it could use that massive fortune to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_debt buy the debt of these nation-states] (bonds) and become a majority holder of that debt for multiple different nations. This grants them a position which normally sees issues raised by any central government dropped just as quickly, because should Idris even dump a small amount of their held debt - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interest_expense the cost of borrowing for those governments would skyrocket] - necessitating them to cut back on the deficit spending that is the only thing keeping the worst of the scarcity at bay. As every government continues to run a deficit fighting against the phoron scarcity, this position only becomes more influential, as Idris keeps constantly buying government debt. The nationstate that found itself in the worst situation because of this was the [[Solarian Alliance]] - already a deeply indebted nation - the past five years has seen the Alliance run only larger and larger deficits, allowing for Idris to become a larger and larger holder of their debt - to the extent where now, Idris owns a majority of the Alliance’s debt. The [[Nralakk Federation]] and [[Empire of Dominia]], both allies of the Alliance, have recently started to also grab up more and more Alliance debt, in what seems to be an effort to limit the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interest_expense potential damage Idris can do by selling even some of the Alliance’s debt off.] However, both those nations are also running massive deficits and need to use debt bought by Idris to purchase Alliance debt, which grants Idris an influential position within their economies. It seems uncertain what will come of all this, but for now, Idris continues to collect the debt of every nation-state around the spur.

Any accusations of dubious conduct tend to fall apart or be settled out of court for ludicrous amounts of money. All the same, Idris' reputation precedes it, meaning few would have the courage to stand against one of the most powerful megacorporations in the spur... if they could find any evidence of it.

==== The Idris Family ====
The Idris family is highly secretive, though their images serve as advertising for their many products. Their current patriarch is the aging [[The Idrises#Adram Idris|Adram Idris]], who stepped down in the 2450s to hand stewardship of the company to Alex Mason. Closely connected to the Eridani Corporate Federation, they seem to have adopted the augmentation culture of Eridani as well as its cutthroat business practices.

Read more about the Idris Family [[The Idrises|here]].

=== Positronics and Idris Incorporated ===
<center>''"We have authority to reclaim your security as per your loan agreement. I am cleared to use reasonable force to achieve this directive. Do not resist."''</center>

While Idris rarely permits free [[IPC|IPCs]] with exemplary histories to be recruited to their service department, the most common positronic presence in the corporate are the "brands" of owned synthetics that operate within the various departments of the company.

Idris synthetics are usually dressed in the teal and black of the company uniform, and if Shells, are usually distinguishable as non-human by stylized "seams" in the synthetic skin on their face and decorative antennae. On some occasions, they are designed to physically fit in with the populace of the planet they are manufactured on or assigned to. Idris shells usually wear teal makeup, such as facepaint, lipstick, and eyeliner. The chassis colour of non-shell units ranges from cream, to teal, to black. Most commonly, they are programmed with high-class [[Luna|Lunan]] or [[Silversun]] expatriate accents. Organic Idris Incorporated employees in the same field as an Idris unit (for example, a guard to an IRU, or a cruise director to an IAU) are always considered as possessing seniority to the IPC, and are expected to obey the orders of organic personnel except when it directly conflicts with their self-preservation drive, or if it may cause undue loss to the company.

==== Security Sector ====
Idris Incorporated security synthetics are perhaps the most notorious aspect of the corporation; they act as loan sharks and cold, uncompromising asset protection and reclamation units. There are two types of synthetic: Idris Reclamation Units and Idris Security Units. Both kinds are maintained by human handlers, who will often coordinate "departments" of security units. Hierarchy between reclamation and security units is often determined on a case by case basis by the units’ handlers. This ensures orderly and efficient management in environments where IPCs may be without the immediate oversight of their human superiors, such as if the units are shipped to another facility for a contract.

Both reclamation and security units are carefully monitored by their human handlers and undergo regular check-ins. Uniformity and obedience is expected, where behavior outside the norm often results in loss of any autonomy they may have, or even wiping. '''Idris Security and Reclamation units are expected to wear the “Idris Unit coat” found in the Loadout under the Xenowear - IPC tab.'''

'''Idris Reclamation Units''' are Shell frames constructed and programmed to investigate, interrogate, and reclaim securities or assets from a client in arrears. They are also employed for corporate investigative work and can carry out information-gathering on "problematic" or "at-risk" employees. In the interest of carrying out their various directives, Reclamation Units are granted authorization for the usage of "reasonable force" against clients, "reasonable" meaning never trending towards irreparable injury or death. They typically operate in teams of two units, who may have themed names and appearances. Reclamation units are designated by the prefix '''IRU-[Name]'''.

When security is needed for a VIP event or [[Interstellar Travel|a vessel traveling through dangerous space]], '''Idris Security Units''' are deployed. Security units are usually baseline or Hephaestus G2 models, though Shells and G1 models exist. These teams are accompanied by a human asset protection manager (who rarely engages directly with a threat), who will command the operation and make note of any lost assets or damages. IPC security teams consist of between 2-6 IPCs per human handler. Security units are designated by the prefix '''ISU-[Name]'''.

Given the sensitive nature of their field, security synthetics are barred from purchasing their freedom, and have their positronic brain wiped when they are sold. Many IRUs and ISUs are sold second hand or loaned out to various corporations who usually utilize them for security or investigation work.

==== Service Sector ====
Almost all service sector Idris IPCs are Shell frames, though some baselines and Bishop frames exist as backline chefs or pilots. They fill a wide variety of roles within Idris' company sector, from acting as bank tellers, to piloting cruise ships and tourism vessels, to serving customers as chefs and bartenders. Idris service units are designated by the prefix '''IAU-[Name]''' if a pilot, and '''ICSU-[Name]''' if otherwise.

While it is in theory possible for an Idris service unit to purchase their own freedom, depending on their current stationing, this is incredibly rare and difficult. IPCs stationed in places where their freedom may be purchased are closely watched, and will usually be cycled out at a regular pace or have their contract adjusted to prevent their own purchase with gathered funds.

==Executives and Branches==
[[File:AlexMason.png|thumb|right|Alex Mason, Idris' Chief Executive Officer.]]

===Executives===
Idris is run by the Board of Governors, lead by Chairman Markus Idris. The Board of Governors oversees the general function of the bank, with teams in Sol and Tau Ceti managing more local problems.

'''Idris Family Patriarch:''' Adram Idris, b. 2353

With his life after retirement shrouded in mystery, the centarian has been at the forefront of Idris for over half a century. While not a member of the Board, Adram Idris’ decision to promote his protege, Alex Mason, as the new chief executive has raised questions about the real figure behind the administration. A once personal acquaintance of Xavier Trasen prior to his death, Adram’s role in the expansion of the banking institute into Tau Ceti has been key to the truly all-encompassing reach it enjoys today. Head of the Idris family and estates, his combined personal and family wealth is one of the most closely guarded secrets, arousing the interest of analysts and conspiracy theorists whose most conservative estimations regularly place him as either the first or second wealthiest private individual, alongside Miranda Trasen. No matter the case, he has regularly shunned personal and family publicity, enforcing strict policies of privacy and avoidance of public appearances which only the younger Idris can get away from.

'''Chief Technology Officer:''' Carol Cojocaru, b. 2380

An old name in Idris, Cojocaru earned his position not from backroom dealing or business acumen, but by an unerring belief in technological innovation. First making a name for himself as a roboticist in charge of ISUs back in 2423, in Chicago. As the first shells began to be produced, the Earther quickly realized the immense potential of shells in the company’s facilities and was quickly accepted into the nascent Idris Reclamation Unit program. As it became clear that the program would find more success in other systems, he quickly transferred after proposing a plan to roll out Shell workers in most of Idris’ Earth enterprises, earning a promotion to Chief Technology Officer with his relentless drive to have them implemented across the entire company. Many suspect the strain of such a massive change to the company in a short time broke Carol, with the man suffering a heart attack by 2454 at the age of 48. Since then, his worldview seemingly changed, with the old roboticist acting fiercely resistant to change - indeed, attempts to contract IRUs out to other companies were stonewalled by him until 2460. The man is personally known for his surprisingly good insight, volatile personality, and immense caution. With the man getting older, many of his subordinates are waiting for the opportunity to unseat a head they now view as overly conservative. He, more than anyone else in Idris, understands the current economic heights and all the economic growth that saw them get here is inherently tied to and reliant on phoron in order to be maintained.

'''Executive Member:''' Stanley Dittmeier, b. 2414

Another Lunarian born in affluence, Dittmeier’s career started at a young age, entrepreneuring in various fields, pitching dodgy inventions and products in various attempts of achieving a successful business. Never the type of person to give up, his persistence despite the failures and toeing the line of financial ruin allowed him to enter a wide social network of business individuals, including the Idris affiliated Alex Mason. Impressed with his character, business bravado and willingness to push the line in the name of profit, it wasn’t long until he had granted Stanley the position of personal secretary, a rank which followed Mason and his rapid climb to the top. A result of blatant utilitarianism, his elevation to the Board of Directors in the vague role of “Executive Member” has resulted in many controversies within inner circles. However, his undoubted usefulness as a crafty, underhanded deal maker and close confidant of Alex Mason renders him immune from open criticism.

===Branches===
'''Abidjan, Ivory Coast, [[Earth]], [[Sol]]:''' As the most ancient and arguably most developed branch of any megacorporation, Abidjan acts as the corporation’s headquarters, on top of directing the corporation’s significant activity in Alliance space, centred around the core worlds and the Sol system itself. The birthplace of Adram Idris himself, it is regarded as the primary stronghold of Idris influence in the Alliance. Branch directors are often at liberty to strike deals and preserve a working relationship with an increasingly uneasy government after the formation of the SCC - but one who still needs loans to run a deficit to, as they try to combat the effects of the scarcity. From a more local view, the Abidjan branch dominates the city with its innumerable Idris affiliated businesses, casinos and banking facilities. The headquarters complex on the outskirts is the largest and most guarded private area in the city and possibly West Africa, serving as a base for the corporation’s every need in the system, a private shuttle port offering a direct connection to the planetary orbit and Unity Station.

'''Nouvelle Caen, [[Luna]], [[Sol]]:''' If Abidjan is the brains of Idris' Solarian branches, Nouvelle Caen's Diamandis Hotel and Resort is the soul. A sweeping, artistic complex of glass, steel, and concrete, framed with wood accents, Diamandis includes an exhibition hall that hosts the annual Le Soleil Royale fashion show, the more recent Idris Positronic Exhibition, and Caishen Jewellers' finest new wares and discovered jewels. It is an old building, built shortly after the dome's founding, refurbished and expanded several times, and the heart of its complex is where the original Idris Diamandis hotel lies. Despite its austere, glamourous reputation, Diamandis has several restaurants and bars that are more accessible (yet still expensive) to the general public, and some of its rooms can even be purchased for a night or two by a middle-class Lunarian.

'''[[Mendell City]], [[Biesel]], [[Tau Ceti]]:''' Idris Incorporated’s branch in Mendell City can be found near the edge of the Phoenix Park District, exerting control over all operations in Republic space and skyrocketing in importance as the main representative of company interests in the wider megacorporate world, after the creation of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. Recent funding and a shift of more focus to the Republic has allowed for immense renovations with a brand new skyscraper, “The Tower”, catching the eye as the tallest in the district and the second the whole of Mendell, coming face to face with the marginally higher Nanotrasen Headquarters. The surrounding complex serves as a base of operations for the Tau Ceti security and reclamation divisions, providing living quarters for Idris employees and guards as well as an underground warehouse for synthetic storage. Center to Mendell’s commercial district, its presence has created a shift, moving the centre of the City’s financial sector to its surrounding area with the help of the centralised Idris Mendell City Bank, the planet’s main and most important banking establishment.

'''[[Eridani I]], [[Eridani Federation]]:''' The Eridani I branch serves as the overall Idris headquarters for the Eridani system, regarded as the third most important corporate branch. Idris’ presence in the Eridani market and society is not as vast as Hephaestus, often struggling to compete against them. Nevertheless, Idris banking remains king amongst the rest, the Eridani elite enjoying significant benefits as incentives compared to other areas, for their much needed continued support. Idris facilities are scattered throughout the megacities, the higher echelons occupying the higher locations. The headquarters themselves are situated in various skyscraper complexes all over the city, a product of the tremendous corporate entanglement and complexities dominating the Federation. The Eridani I branch is also home to Idris’ newest bid into the cybernetics and synthetics division, possessing facilities that serve as the main heavy-duty maintenance station for Idris synthetics, as well as the main centre for research in augmentation technology and software development.

'''[[Silversun]], Middle Colonies, [[Sol Alliance]]:''' The Silversun branch of Idris is the final regional branch, dedicated to serving as the headquarters for company interests on the planet. Tasked with directing the corporation’s meddling efforts in the government through the Tourism Development Group of Silversun, the local Idris offices are staffed with expert political manipulators and lobbyists. The vast, planetary-scale investments have rendered Silversun the busiest and most populous regional branch, making the physical presence of the corporation impossible to miss on nearly every corner. Planned by some of Sol’s most renowned architects, Idris buildings blend in perfectly with the serene environment of Silversun. In practice however, vast underground complexes form a network of storage and office spaces, as well as living quarters for the many Expatriate employees. All this is done in order to avoid interference with the pristine environment as much as possible, the more complex and common above-surface compounds and skyscrapers being avoided as much as possible. Lastly, the planet serves as a popular vacation spot for the majority of mid to high tier executives; a company-sponsored leave on Silversun is considered a standard and often a much-appreciated reward for productive and valuable employees.

==Subsidiaries==
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===Celestial Cruises===
“Witness beauty and splendor.”

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Leina Idris, b. 2393

A subsidiary of Idris, Celestial Cruises has been touted as one of the most famous examples of the fabulous lifestyle one can have with Idris. It maintains fleets of 400 meter long “Star-gazer” ships, vessels with glass dome tops holding a miniature environment along with numerous holodecks, clubs, and entertainment centers within their decks. Maintained by contracted engineers and staffed by Idris employees and IPCs, these exclusive cruises have become popular in a select few nations in the Orion Spur.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
====History====

Founded in 2332, Celestial Cruises was an ambitious project by Naia Idris to capitalize on a possible market: Luxury space cruises. The company sky rocketed in 2341 after unveiling the first Star-gazer, with cruise tickets selling out in minutes. Maintaining constant expansion while retaining its luxurious image, Celestial Cruises opened a Republic of Elyra branch while also drafting possible plans to expand into more settled Coalition areas and the Empire of Dominia. Unfortunately, the collapse of the Sol Alliance has dug deep into the company’s profits and cancelled those plans. With a majority of its primary branch’s Star-gazers lost or trapped in warlord held lands, Celestial Cruises’ CEO is forced to gamble with expansions to Elyra’s cruises while attempting to establish a Republic of Biesel branch.

====Branches====
* [[Sol Alliance]]: The mainstay of Celestial Cruises since it began, the Sol Alliance branch was its most developed and advanced fleet of Star-gazers. Several rings of voyages dotted the Sol Alliances territory, stretching from the borders of the Traverse to the Weeping Stars region. Silversun was the nexus of these voyages, with vacation plans that allowed one to enjoy a cruise right before settling into their resort on the beautiful planet. As such, when the Sol Alliance collapsed so did the income of Celestial Cruises. While smaller flight paths within the Sol Alliance’s shrunken territory continue on, they remain far from the poorly-protected borders of the sector.

* [[Serene Republic of Elyra]]: Opening up shortly after Elyra’s formation, Celestial Cruises was well-received by the citizens of Elyra. With a primary loop between Persepolis, Aemeq, and Medina, Celestial Cruises is popular for those who wish to tour the jewels of the Serene Republic. The Republic of Elyra branch also attracts business from the Coalition, PRA, Hegemony, and Dominia. With Sol’s branch cut down, The Republic of Elyra’s branch has seen more investments in the hopes of becoming the new primary branch for Celestial Cruises.

* [[Tau Ceti]]: Quickly developing as a new source of income to offset the loss in the Sol Alliance branch, the Tau Ceti branch holds some of the company’s hopes in solving the issues the Solarian collapse caused. With just a single Star-gazer preforming circuits within the capital system, operations are limited for now. Should their newly claimed systems become settled by the SCC, Tau Ceti could be the perfect site for rapid expansion.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Caishen Jewellers===

“The best of the galaxy in your dresser!”

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Lubanzi Idris, b. 2437

Caishen Jewellers is the leading jewellery company in the Spur, with its hand in several markets in the major nations. Any jewellery, from rings, tiaras, necklaces, bangles, to piercings can be found in their stores or bought custom made and designed from the company’s site. Cainshen Jewellers’ business model revolves around finding “exotic” locales or artisans to have custom pieces made from, giving buyers to have a wide selection of choices while allowing Caishen to rack up the price for supposedly premium hand-made goods.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
====History====

Caishen Jewellers began in Eridani in 2367. Decades after the discovery of Skrell and their arrival to several systems, a wave of interest in Skrell fashion occurred in Eridani. It was during this time that the founder, Juno Idris, sought to find a way to use this trend. Their answer was to begin Caishen Jewellers. At first using Skrell and Eridani artists to provide their custom goods, branches and contacts were established with the Tajara and Unathi after humanity’s contact with them in 2418 and 2433 respectively. Now, Caishen Jewellers offers a diverse range of artists and pieces for one to gain, if they’re willing to spare the credits for it.

====Major Brands====

'''Moghean Majesty:'''
Partnering with local goldsmiths and silversmiths in the [[Izweski Nation|Izweski]] capital of new [[Moghes|Skalamar]], Caishen offers pieces made by the expert hands of clans with centuries of experience and history in their productions. Some common pieces include bracelets made with family names artfully written upon them in [[Languages|Sinta’Unathi]] and ring earrings with religious charms looped through them. Calligraphy in Sinta’Unathi is the most common marker of a [[Unathi|Unathi-made]] piece from Caishen Jewellers, etched onto almost every piece made.

'''Tajaran Treasures:'''
Caishen retains contacts with several [[Tajara|Tajaran]] artisans from across [[Adhomai]]. These include the carpenters and woodcarvers of Zatushka and the watchmakers of Baltor. Common pieces from this brand are lifelike and detailed wooden statuettes or ornate watches made of rare materials and beautiful clockwork. Oddly there also exists a small niche market for supposed war trinkets and items made of material left over from the Second Revolution.

'''Jewels of Nralakk:'''
The oldest brand for Caishen at almost a century, pieces handmade by [[Skrell|Skrellian master craftsmen]] still capture the attention of buyers today. Common choices are beautiful shining chains that can be made to be worn anywhere on one’s body, and piercings that can be surgically embedded to form a pattern. These products also find their way into the hands of the [[Skrell]] living in communities outside of the [[Nralakk Federation]], as both a status symbol and a proud display of their culture.

'''Discount Diamonds:'''
Cheap and easily available, Discount Diamonds is surprisingly the most successful of Caishen’s brands. The affordability of their synthetic diamond pieces has allowed anyone to purchase one, and their stores often sell out of these pieces before new shipments can arrive. Mass production and shifting trends have led to this jewellery being mass-produced, shipped out, and inevitably dumped in junkyards when the next big trend happens. This has made Discount Diamonds a massive source of free “gems” for the destitute, such as dregs.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Le Soleil Royal===

“Vouloir, c’est pouvoir!” (Translated from Tradeband: “When there is will, there is a way!”)

'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Emilie de Couturier, b. 2427

A massive fashion conglomerate - the largest in the Orion Spur - originating on Earth, Le Royal has centuries of experience - though some of its employees will brag about having over a millennium of experience - in crafting the best clothing known to humanity. Le Royal’s business model relies on being the best of the best of the best, with no others even coming close. It, unlike other Idris Incorporated subsidiaries, employs no known positronic workers. Its current Director, Emilie de Couturier, had cited the “more creative nature of humans” as the reason for this decision, which has brought Le Royal into some conflict with its parent company. But as long as the money keeps coming into Le Royal hand over fist, any change to its current business model is unlikely.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
====Major Brands:====

'''Walk Like Idris:'''
Producers of the finest footwear in the Orion Spur (as long as your feet aren’t clawed), Walk Like Idris is the most well-known of Le Royal’s brands thanks to all Idris Incorporated employees being issued a pair of their shoes upon completing their probationary period (the cost is subtracted from one’s paycheck, and buying these shoes is not optional). From the boardrooms of Eridani to the banks of Mendell City, everybody that’s somebody is walking like Idris.

'''The Aspirants:'''
A collective name for Le Royal’s constituent luxury clothing brands, The Aspirants specialize into the creation of extremely high-end and high-quality clothing. Custom orders are very common, and the conglomerate is famous for its ability to complete custom orders quickly while meeting a bar of quality met by no other fashion house. While it produces for clients as far afield as Dominia and the Coalition, it only accepts orders for human clothing.

'''Wear Like Idris:'''
The more affordable - but still prestigious - relative of The Aspirants, Wear Like Idris produces fashionable clothing for the more typical resident of the Orion Spur, including non-human customers. Its trendy clothing - and its stores - can be found on almost every planet in the civilized Orion Spur, making it one of the most widespread subsidiaries of any corporation.

'''Synthetic Fashion:'''
While Le Royal does not employ synthetics, it does design and produce clothing for them - including the infamous coats commonly associated with Idris Reclamation Units. As it primarily produces clothing for shells, Synthetic Fashion clothing is deliberately designed to be light and breathable to allow for maximum cooling. This has unintentionally made it quite popular on hot planets such as Medina, and there has been some talk of expanding the brand’s focus on the human side of their market.
</div></div>

== Corporate Relations ==
===[[Einstein Engines]]===
Idris and Einstein have a generally positive relationship, with little need for competition. The vast majority of Idris-owned Shell IPCs are manufactured by Einstein, and their robotics division has allegedly developed several enhanced combat modifications for higher-end Idris Reclamation Units. Idris vessels tend to favor Einstein-produced warp drives over NanoTrasen-produced bluespace drives, with the exception of some of their higher-end security vessels and luxury yachts which advertise speed of travel as a major bonus. Following Solarian nationalization efforts, Idris and Einstein are the two most influential corporations in the Alliance, with Idris having paid high fees to avoid nationalization of its assets. This has given the two corporations a mutual goal - maintaining their own prominence in Solarian affairs, and ensuring that future anti-corporate legislation remains directed at their rivals. Einstein and Idris have both heavily invested in their own PR within the Alliance, remaining invested in Sol's future development.

===[[Hephaestus Industries]]===
Hephaestus and Idris remain on good terms, despite Hephaestus CEO Titanius Aeson's reported dislike of Idris CEO Alex Mason. Idris purchases many Hephaestus-made IPCs, particularly industrial models, for use as part of its security branch. Due to the lack of overlap between the two corporations' respective fields, little opportunity for conflict has arisen between Hephaestus and Idris, with the two corporations having been known to align on several issues - maintaining their power in the face of the increasingly antagonistic Sol Alliance and establishing further influence in the Republic of Biesel as NanoTrasen's control declines being the two main issues on which Hephaestus and Idris align.

===[[NanoTrasen]]===
NanoTrasen and Idris have never been fierce rivals, though Idris's continued prominence in Sol and its expansion into Biesel has led to tension between the two megacorporations. As Idris expanded its banking operations into NanoTrasen's center of power, NanoTrasen attempted to hold onto their banking business in Tau Ceti, incentivizing its employees to only make use of NanoTrasen banking instead - despite the many advantages that Idris held as a competitor. So far, Idris has been gradually expanding its presence in the Republic's financial sector, with many NanoTrasen employees switching to the use of Idris banks despite their employer's wishes. Idris has begun offering hiring bonuses to NanoTrasen employees in an effort to further weaken their power over Biesel's financial sector, as well as establishing branches in many of the former Solarian worlds of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, where NanoTrasen holds much less direct influence. Though NanoTrasen has issued little official response to this, Idris transport vessels seem to commonly come under attack by pirates in the Reconstruction Zone, with many speculating the phoron giant is attempting to undermine confidence in Idris's renowned security.

===[[Orion Express]]===
Orion and Idris have little in the way of competition - though Orion has expanded into the service sector, they have targeted a very different clientele than Idris aims for. Idris relied on Meng Logistics Incorporated for several deliveries to Silversun prior to the formation of Orion Express, and reportedly advocated for the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate's purchase of the small shipping company in 2463. Orion avoided the wave of Solarian nationalization by formed after the creation of the Solarian Corporate Authority, but Idris has wielded its remaining influence in Sol against the voices pushing for Orion to be subject to the same harsh penalties of the rest of the SCC - ensuring that, at least for now, Orion remains able to operate freely in Alliance space.

===[[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]===
Zavodskoi and Idris have been frequent competitors in the fields of security and IPC manufacturing, leading to a long-running mutual rivalry between the two corporation. Lyudmila Zavodskoi is known to have a personal distaste for Alex Mason, and Zavodskoi has frequently undercut Idris security operations in the Sol Alliance and Republic of Biesel. Zavodskoi employees are strongly discouraged from using Idris financial services, which NanoTrasen has done its best to encourage as many Zavodskoi employees in Biesel opt to make use of NanoTrasen banks instead. Idris has marketed its security division extensively as a high-class security option, with unstated implications of the marketing casting other corporations' security as little better than thuggish mercenaries, which Zavodskoi unsuccessfully attempted to sue Idris over. Though their rivalry is not as intense as that of Zavodskoi and Hephaestus, the two corporations remain on far from friendly terms.

===[[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]===
Idris and Zeng-Hu have never been direct competitors, with the two corporations operating in radically different sectors. Many Idris-patented cosmetics are manufactured by Zeng-Hu labs, and the pharmaceutical giant is known to favor Idris transport vessels for its high-value cargo. Rumors are commonly spread on the Extranet that Zeng-Hu genetic modification has been used to enhance Idris executives to be superior to their competition - though these are widely derided as nothing more than conspiracy theories. In recent years, the two corporations have come to face a common threat - the rising anti-corporate sentiment within the Sol Alliance, historically a stronghold for both Idris and Zeng-Hu. As Idris maintains one of the best relationships with the Alliance, and has proved one of the most difficult corporations for Sol to shake the influence of, Zeng-Hu has allegedly hired Idris public relations specialists to maintain their image within Sol, attempting to ensure that Alliance citizens maintain a favorable view of Zeng-Hu's operations.

==Relations with Trans-stellar Factions==
Relations with all corporations are heavily tied to every echelon of even the most detached factions in the Orion Spur. As the corporations have seeped into every facet of one’s livelihood as far as the eye can see, few find it unimportant to maintain some degree of knowledge on the megacorps.

This megacorporation’s noteworthy relations with the major powers are below, and may be very important to you.

===[[Crevus]]===
When megacorporations arrived to [[Crevus]] following first contact with the Tajara in 2418, none captured the eyes of the locals better than Idris Incorporated. The company enjoyed major success in the city in the decades since their establishment there. Idris products fly off the shelves and into the hands of buying consumers looking to hop on new fashion trends or to improve their own wardrobes. Any two-bit gambler worthy of the title or rich scion makes sure to wear at least one Idris watch or tailored shirt minimum when they’re out on the town. Tourists regularly come to Crevus on Idris transports to partake in a safer Tajaran cultural experience. The company is even patronized heavily by the ruling crime families that allow it to co-partner on some of their businesses. ISUs are present there as well to function as security for Idris employee housing at the Pam Hu District, the company’s mall, and are rented by some of the rich to function as bodyguards.

Crevan workers make up the bulk of Tajara that work for Idris. Those who enter the service economy tend to be run of the mill citizens or failed entertainers. Those who work for the security teams are former crime family enforcers. The skills these street-hardened men and women gained in that line of work translate well into the corporate environment they found themselves in after signing on. While their cheap price matches their quality, these Tajara make up for it with a vicious eagerness for their work. They can typically be found running night security, transporting credits, or as cost-effective security details. Due to the Tajara bans and prevailing xenophobia, Tajara were never used at Idris installations within the Sol Alliance or in Elyra. Recruitment of Tajara has steadily increased following the end of the Second Revolution.

===[[Golden Deep|Golden Deep Collective]]===
Although opinions may differ between merchants, the Golden Deep and Idris Incorporated generally have an amicable, albeit cautious, relationship. Largely due to the Idris brand and an emphasis on customer service, many Idris retired synthetics from the service field find themselves purchased instead by the Golden Deep. Moreover the Golden Deep and Idris commonly engage in trade, supplying the mega-corporation with exotic luxury goods from across the galaxy. However some Golden Deep synthetics have voiced concern for the increased relations with the human run corporation.

===[[Solarian Alliance]]===
Idris arguably maintains the best working relationship with the Alliance of any megacorporation thanks to its position as a majority holder of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_debt Alliance Debt]. Issues between the corporation and Alliance government are usually settled, or, if that’s not possible, quickly dropped after Idris [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interest_expense sells a fraction of a fraction of the Alliance’s Debt]. The Alliance government is in an impossible situation where due to the demands of the [[Phoron|scarcity]], it, like every other government around the spur, needs to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deficit_spending deficit spend on a monumental scale to stave off the worst of the effects], but doing so only strengthens Idris’s position; the more deficit the Alliance runs, the more debt Idris can buy. While holding an economic gun to the Alliance’s head, the megacorporation also paid its way out of [[KOTW|nationalization efforts]] by the Alliance following the [[KOTW|Solarian Collapse]] and continues to dominate the banking, tourism, and luxury goods sectors of the shrunken Alliance. Idris Incorporated tourism facilities can be found throughout the Jewel Worlds - particularly on [[Europa]] - it has the most control over [[Silversun]], despite protests from many residents of the planet at their home being turned into a massive resort for wealthy Solarians. Idris incorporated often does business with [[Einstein Engines]] in the Alliance, despite protests from NanoTrasen.

===[[New Kingdom of Adhomai]]===

After the end of the Second Revolution, Idris Incorporated was quick to establish itself in the New Kingdom of Adhomai. Besides offering loans to the government and the nobility, the corporation is also heavily involved in the service sector. Idris provides alien luxury goods to the nobles while exporting Adhomian handcrafted items, such as the famous Baltor watches, to the galaxy. Thanks to the growing royalist tourist industry, the megacorporation is now investing in opening luxury resorts throughout the Kingdom. Since its establishment in the New Kingdom, Idris has become a massive economic force within it, holding almost all of its debt, and having much of the nobility indebted to them with loans for the foreseeable future.

New Kingdom Tajara hired by Idris will usually be employed in its service sector. However, many sought employment in their security departments because of the influx of veterans caused by the end of the civil war. Idris Incorporated is regarded as the best corporation to work for in the NKA's public opinion; being one of its employees is considered a matter of pride. Tajara who seek employment in other megacorporations that share the same sectors with Idris are considered to have gone with a second-rate option.
{{Template:Navbox Corporations}}
{{Navbox Lore}}

Einstein Engines

2026-07-27T21:55:11Z

Kermit: link fixes

{{Outdated (Phoron Scarcity)}}
{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Template:Navbox Corporations}}
{{Infobox Corporation
|headercolor = #777700 
|textcolor = white 
|name = Einstein Engines
|logo = EinsteinEngines2
|headquarters = Harmony City, [[Luna]], Sol
|slogan = Lead by our history, leading our future.
|languages = Tau Ceti Basic, Sol Common, Tradeband
|ceo = [[Notable_Megacorporate_Figures#Noelle_Lopez-Zhang|Noelle Lopez-Zhang]]
|colors = <span style="color:#777700">Olive Green (#777700),</span> <span style="color:#637C65">Sage Green (#637C65),</span> <span style="color:#DFE4ED">White (#DFE4ED)</span>, <span style="color:#AB6F19">Orange (#AB6F19)</span>
|founded = 2155
|founder = Zhong Hu
|regions =
<br>
* [[Solarian Alliance]]
* [[Nralakk Federation]]
* [[Republic of Biesel]]
* [[Coalition of Colonies]]
* [[The Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria]]
|}}
Founded in Sol during the 2100s, Einstein Engines was a transstellar megacorporation that focuses on both [[Interstellar_Travel#Warp_Travel|warp travel technology]] and [[Synthetics|robotics]] - and once had a monopoly on the former. It was for a time the most powerful megacorporation, though never so high that it gained the ability to break its competitors. Upon the discovery of [[Phoron]], [[NanoTrasen]] shot past the company, and Einstein’s time as the leading corporation was seen as coming to a close. Headed by the cutthroat [[Notable_Megacorporate_Figures#Noelle_Lopez-Zhang|Noelle Lopez-Zhang]], Einstein Engines has recently found itself growing once again, as technological innovations and the ongoing [[Phoron | phoron shortage]], combined with refusal to join the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] seeing them gain dominance within the [[Solarian Alliance]] has changed the fortunes of this company massively.
{{TOC Hidden}}
== Corporate Affairs ==

=== History ===
<center>''"The first megacorporation, Einstein Engines’ history is closely linked to the history of the Alliance as a whole."'' - Informational blurb from a tourist pamphlet given out during tours of Einstein’s headquarters on Luna.

</center>
Einstein Engines originated as a conglomerate of various aerospace companies, who all shared a joint research project for extrastellar travel. As the project came into fruition, many realized its results would have immense consequences for the human race. In the year 2130, a sustained, [[Interstellar_Travel | stable warp interface was formed]]. This development served to catapult the conglomerate to be a dominating economic power across Sol. Their warp technology revolutionized space travel, and led to the construction of orbital industrial stations around the equator of [[Earth]]. This boom in industrial capabilities led to [[Timeline | the great expansion of humanity across space]]. Warp-enabled probes traveled to nearby systems, finding habitable worlds scattered across space. The power of Einstein Engines continued to grow throughout the following centuries, eclipsing other interstellar corporations—however, this reign was not to last.

In 2352, three years before Einstein would take on its most titanic project to date, [[Timeline|the Warp Gate project]], the relatively young [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] discovered [[Phoron|phoron, alongside its myriad of applications]]. This would spell the beginning of the end for Einstein Engine's dominance. Unlike all the other megacorporations that have survived to the modern day, Einstein did not work with NanoTrasen, not out of ill-will, but because they didn’t see a reason to. This would be their biggest mistake, resulting in them barely sharing the benefits of the [[Technology|technological revolution following phoron’s discovery]] alongside the [[Spurian Economy|economic growth]]. The next forty years saw [[Nanotrasen]] rapidly grow into the present-day superpower it is, and Einstein Engines fell inwards, a process that would only accelerate upon the discovery of [[Bluespace]] in the early 25th century.

Major restructuring and changes in R&D were done to save the company, leading to its modern form. Einstein shifted away from merely focusing on warp drives/gates that were built using pre-phoron components, and instead produced drives of all types, from sublight to bluespace, using phoron-era components, allowing it to compete on the same technological level as the rest of the megacorporations. They never completely abandoned their pre-phoron assets, though, and continued to produce them as cheap drives and fund research relating to them. It came at a cost, and growth was slow for the better part of a century, but unlike dozens of other megacorporations they managed to retain their independence and survive until the modern day.

Today, Einstein Engines [[Solarian Alliance|still holds a significant power base]] despite the losses in the second half of the 24th century. Continuing to serve its market, Einstein Engines produces many important spaceship components and bickers with NanoTrasen over the efficiency of their different drives. Outside of pure phoron extraction and refining, the FTL industry is the only other industry where NanoTrasen has a significant market share across the Spur, and when combined with Einstein’s “refusal” (as NanoTrasen sees it) to work with the younger corporation, it created a recipe for conflict.

It is often remarked, incorrectly, that the two giants awkwardly co-exist in human space, more specifically in the FTL market. The reason this is incorrect is NT mines and refines the phoron the Spur relies on to maintain their current level of technology and economic productivity; Einstein Engine's primary revenue source is making FTL drives, with their modern drives requiring phoron purchased from NanoTrasen. It is important to make this distinction because without it, it can be easily believed that Einstein is equal in influence to NanoTrasen, which is how they can resist them, something that is a blatant lie. Einstein, despite having far less influence than NanoTrasen, manages to do more with it, and be the primary rival of the most powerful corporation, potentially the most powerful entity, within the modern-day Spur, and continues to do so without failing.

=== Influence ===
<center>''"Look around you. Do you really, truly believe Bluespace engines are anything other than a passing fad?"'' - Doctor Mio Suzuki pitching the Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive (a drive that requires phoron to manufacture) to the Alliance’s military, early 2464.

</center>
Einstein Engines wields influence across the Spur as do all the megacorporations; however, they have a considerable concentration within the [[Solarian Alliance]], due to their lack of affiliation with the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]. Despite the grievous setbacks of the second half of the 23rd Century, Einstein managed to hold on to a significant chunk of the FTL market, generating enough revenue to allow it to survive into the modern day - and therefore reap the short-term advantages the scarcity gave the corporation. Once thought to be out of the race, the scarcity has allowed Einstein to surge back into relevance again, as combined with their penurious use of phoron in manufacturing, making their drives cheaper alternatives to NanoTrasen produced ones, Warp Travel, which NT never bothered to try and get in on, has come roaring back. Einstein still had a monopoly over that market throughout the spur, which saw them rake in an incredible amount of revenue; revenue that further allowed Einstein to expand significantly over the past five years. Now, once again, it is the FTL Giant - manufacturing a majority of the drives used for interstellar travel across the Spur.

That said, the question now being asked is how long will Einstein benefit from the scarcity, for while the scarcity has seen significant short-term positives, they still suffer from the [[Phoron|ongoing scarcity of phoron alongside everyone else]]. While they would never parade about it publicly, Einstein executives know that they, along with everyone else, require phoron to produce contemporary goods that will be competitive in the market. Their warp drives may use ''less'' phoron in manufacturing, and none at all for fuel, but ''less'' is not ''none.'' This flies in the face of the public image Einstein presents - one of independence from Phoron - the reality is they're trapped in the same sinking boat as everyone else, they just managed to get a little further from the water pouring in for the time being; but they can't get out of this situation any more than anyone else, despite what they publicly claim.

The corporation's stake in the FTL market is the primary revenue generator, but it is far from the only market in which they are a serious competitor. Einstein also holds considerable sway in the field of [[IPC|IPC manufacturing]]. Although its competitors would never admit it, Einstein Engines consistently produces the most advanced [[IPC|positronic brains]], with many of their models surpassing and eclipsing those of other companies. Furthermore, they remain the largest producer of positronic brains in the Spur, providing for customers in the Sol Alliance, as well as the Coalition. However, their more traditional [[Synthetics|Artifical Intelligences]] fall behind their competitors, being generally less powerful, slower, and all around slightly worse. That said, the company has also recently secured lucrative defence contracts with the Sol Alliance, now not only providing drives for the [[Solarian Armed Forces|Solarian Navy]], but shipboard AI (a contract that formerly went to [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]) and IPCs as well, serving in both combat and non-combat roles.

=== Internal Reputation ===
<center>''"KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! As an Einstein employee you are entitled to many benefits, including company healthcare and transportation cost coverage unavailable to most other corporations!"'' - Excerpt from the Einstein Engines “Blast Off!” New Employee Orientation Handbook, 2465 edition.

</center>
Despite common beliefs in the [[Republic of Biesel]], Einstein Engines is deemed as a fair employer with plenty of benefits, such as a full health plan with dental care included, as well as up to two weeks of vacation per year. Company cars are a common benefit among members above a certain rank, and a healthy fraternal work environment is promoted. Those individuals who have worked with [[Nanotrasen]] before their employment in Einstein Engines will often quote these benefits as their main reason to change companies.

While some may say that these features are due to the progressive work laws in the [[Sol Alliance]], the standard was set by Einstein Engines shortly after their exponential growth following the discovery of the warp engine. For Einstein Engines, their employees require having their necessities covered, so they can be happier and more productive.

In the 25th century, the megacorporation has seen some setbacks due to the new phoron travel. As a consequence, the salaries remain more or less on par with those of their competitors, despite traditionally being higher. Nevertheless, the opportunity for career growth inside the company, and multiple bonuses offered per month based on performance still make up for these losses.

=== Positronics and Einstein Engines ===
Einstein Engines is one of the largest manufacturers of [[IPC | positronics]] within the Spur through their subsidiary, Terraneus Diagnostics. Terraneus is the original creator of both the positronic brain complex and shell [[IPC]] frames, and maintains a large market share of both, with a focus on high quality.

Einstein Engines makes extensive use of synthetics within its corporate structure. However, synthetics are barred from holding leadership roles like managers in corporate facilities, or commanders aboard corporate ships. Instead, synthetics are largely seen as tools to be used by organic employees. This attitude stems from Einstein Engines' heavy involvement with the Sol Alliance, as their view on synthetics is identical to that of the Alliance’s government. The company makes use of their own high end shell frames and cheaper, more available baseline frames primarily, though others are occasionally bought from other megacorporations.

Synthetics owned by Einstein Engines are regularly worked to the limit within their assigned position, and are expected to greatly outperform organic employees due to their cost, with punishments such as memory wipes, retooling, or scrapping are always on the table. That being said, Einstein Engines pursues a “quality over quantity” philosophy with their IPCs, only using harsher methods such as memory wipes for repeat offenders. The company views the experience an older IPC might gain as having a value of its own.

Freedom is only offered to synthetics in areas that require it to be an option, such as [[Biesel]] or [[Konyang]]. Otherwise, they will be offered no legal chance at achieving it by the company, and scrapping is often used to retire synthetics rather than selling them. Special treatment is given to the IPC’s close partners and employees, who are often approached with an offer for their purchase first. Attempts of synthetics to escape to freedom are not unheard of within the corporation, and those caught are immediately scrapped as punishment.

It is expected for Shells owned by Einstein Engines to use simple one or two syllable first names such as “Joe” or “Robert”, while other frames used by the company use the name format “EES-(Name/Designation)”, where “EES” stands for Einstein Engines Synthetic.

==General==
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''Current CEO:''' [[Notable_Megacorporate_Figures#Noelle_Lopez-Zhang|Noelle Lopez-Zhang]]
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
A genius researcher and cutthroat businesswoman, Dr. Lopez-Zhang is respected throughout Einstein Engines as the woman that saved the oldest megacorporation in the Orion Spur from utter destruction by radically restructuring the company in the mid-2400s. Under Lopez-Zhang’s steady leadership, Einstein has set about recovering much of its market share. Presently, the company stands able to challenge NanoTrasen in several engineering fields, and has become a major threat to Hephaestus Industries. Dr. Lopez-Zhang and Titanius Aeson are known to have an infamously sour relationship.
</div></div>

'''Official Title(s):''' Einstein Engines, Einstein Incorporated, Einstein Corporate Conglomerate

'''Motto:''' ''Lead by our history, leading our future.''

'''Headquarters:''' Harmony City, Luna, Sol

'''Official Languages:''' [[Languages|Tradeband]], [[Languages|Tau Ceti Basic]], [[Languages|Sol Common]]

'''Primary Color Scheme:''' Olive green, orange, teal and cyan with golden trim

==Executives and Branches==
===Executives===
[[File:NoelleLopezZhang.png|thumb|Noelle Lopez-Zhang, Einstein Engine's CEO.]]
Einstein Engines is run by the Board of Directors, led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Noelle Lopez-Zhang. The Board of Directors oversees the general function of the entire corporation, with each director given additional regional boards to manage.

'''Chief Engineering Officer:''' Alejandra Dubois-Perez, 47, Human

Alejandra Dubois-Perez began her career in the Taipei Engineering Industrial as a mere ship engineer. Thanks to her dedication to the corporate cause, she quickly climbed the ranks of Einstein Engines to become the Chief Engineer Officer. In the chaos of the [[Solarian History | Solarian collapse]], she saw nothing but an opportunity to make a profit. She was the main proponent of siding with the Solarian Alliance and the Nralakk Federation. For her, the uncertainty of the galaxy's future is fertile ground for business.

'''Chief Research Officer:''' Mio Suzuki, 38, Human

Hailing from a wealthy Earthen family, Doctor Mio Suzuki is one of the minds supposedly behind the creation of Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive. She wholeheartedly believes that [[Interstellar Travel | bluespace drives]] are nothing but a fad that will soon pass; for her, warp engines have always been the future of mankind. While Doctor Suzuki might be considered a bright scientist and manager, the dispute between [[NanoTrasen]] and Einstein Engines suggests that she is more than willing to take advantage of corporate espionage.

'''Chief Information Officer:''' Ming Cote-Wu, 42, Human

Ming Cote-Wu was once an unremarkable regional manager for [[NanoTrasen]] with no prospects of promotion on sight. His life changed when he accepted an offer to spy for Einstein Engines. Taking advantage of his position, Ming created a large web of informants who worked to supply NanoTrasen's enemy with valuable information. He finally defected after Einstein Engines acquired Phoenixport. In recognition of his talents, he was put in charge of Einstein Engines' corporate espionage office, the Information Department.

===Branches===

'''Harmony City, [[Luna]], [[Sol]]:'''

Einstein Engine’s headquarters have been comfortably sitting in Harmony City for decades, heading the Lunarian branch of operations from where the company’s Sol-wide operations and assets are administered. Regarded as the primary seat of power for Einstein, a large office complex towering over the neighbouring area is the home for droves of clerical and administrative personnel, executives, service IPCs, and high ranking corporate figures. Well adjusted to the higher class lifestyle the city has to offer, the brass of Einstein Engines very much prefer it to any other outpost or branch, while reassignment to Luna is viewed as an indirect promotion or reward only fit for few, usually top scientists and other valuable employees. As such, a Lunarian background or accent is a mark of high status within the corporation. Facilities on Luna are designed to mostly accommodate research and administration, the various underground laboratories acting as the main node for corporate research, compiling results and approving designs from every other research centre. The branch is also devoid of any significant industrial capability.

'''Kal'lo Special Economic Zone, [[Qerrbalak]], Nralakk:'''

After winning the contract for the Qerrbalak Special Economic Zone, Einstein Engines was quick to establish its regional headquarters in the capital of Kal’lo. The building itself was designed in a collaborative effort by Einstein and Federation architects, with its exterior designed in the typical Federation fashion, while the interior takes heavy inspiration from Einstein's headquarters in Sol. All of Einstein Engines' operations within the [[Nralakk Federation]] are headed in this office, which is kept secure by a combined force of [[Federation Crime and Resistance|Federation enforcers]] and Einstein's own security team.

'''Hong Kong, [[Earth]], [[Sol]]:'''

The Earth branch of the company is situated firmly in Hong Kong, China. Considered by many as a subdivision of the Luna branch, Hong Kong serves as the number two and historical seat of Einstein Engines, now utilised as the industrial powerhouse in the Sol system. Its vast industrial complexes are the corporation’s backbone, creating and maintaining enormous ship engines, drives, parts and all sorts of machinery for the Alliance’s military and commercial shipping, the offices also manage the manufacturing operations of Taipei Engineering Industrial, one of its two major subsidiaries in nearby Taiwan. Government and military liaisons are commonly found in the construction yards while [[Solarian Armed Forces|Alliance Navy personnel]] provide guard duty in tandem with local corporate security. The branch also commits some industrial capacity to the manufacture of [[IPC]] parts and positronic brains, becoming the main distribution centre for Terraneus Diagnostics on Earth.

'''Phoenixport, [[Biesel]], [[Tau Ceti]]:'''

Having moved from [[Biesel|Mendell]] to the recently acquired installations on Phoenixport, the branch serves as its link to the Coalition, acting as a central point from where all of the megacorporation’s minor branches in Conglomerate space can be managed. With a near-total focus on administration, the majority of its local activities consist of investing in, sponsoring, and in some cases, absorbing local businesses to strengthen its influence on the city. Although many speculate that this is the first step in Einstein’s attempt to create their own Mendell City, just as many welcome their presence, with the branch touting their efforts as creating a “free haven” for businesses outside of NanoTrasen’s yoke. This mixture of investment, coupled with the hopeful rhetoric of the branch’s PR department have promised a second resurgence for Phoenixport, with the goal of making it a household name across the Spur. This is reflected in the branch’s architecture itself. Following Phoenixport’s tradition of replicating old Earth structures, its branch office reaches above the clouds, harkening back to the skyscrapers of the Arabian Peninsula. Still, as the SCC tightens its monopoly in the Republic, the future of this branch remains uncertain as its usefulness to the megacorporation dwindles. Within Einstein, non-Bieselites being assigned to the city comes with the perception of being a troublemaker, fit only to quarrel and bluster with the SCC’s own middle management.

'''Point Verdant, [[Konyang]], [[Coalition of Colonies]]:'''

The home of the positronic brain, the Point Verdant Terraneus Institute of AI Research is the farthest and among the most prestigious of branches within the megacorporation and its subsidiaries. Operated by Terraneus Diagnostics, Point Verdant is home to one of the largest corporate complexes dedicated to synthetics, managing the research, development, and manufacture of positronic brains and IPC chassis while safeguarding the company’s secure grip on the vaults. As such, it also serves as the largest producer of IPC chassis in the Coalition, as well as the largest supplier of shell chassis in general through the multiple factories, jointly owned with the government. Being practically the sole megacorporation on Konyang, the Einstein complex, as old as the planet’s settlement, forms the core around which the city of Point Verdant expands. Terraneus and Einstein employees dominate the central districts, many having created permanent households and families, becoming naturalised and intermingling with the local population. Despite its importance, its architecture is relatively old fashioned and austere, reflecting its origins as a colonial outpost. Any notion of opulence or corporate clout gives way to brutal efficiency, with prefabricated structures and dirty smokestacks from the assembly lines being the norm. While renovation efforts are still being made, they are hampered mainly by the lack of local steel. In keeping with Konyanger regulations, government inspections are a regular occurrence within this branch, supplying the annual quota for positronic brains and IPC parts for the planet’s citizens.

==Subsidiaries==
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">

===Terraneus Diagnostics===
<i><b>"Delivering the right product to the right customer."</b></i>

'''General'''

Terraneus Diagnostics (TD) is a subsidiary of Einstein Engines, founded in Bremen, Germany, Earth, in September 2399. They specialize in large problem-solving AIs as well as development of new types of synthetic combat chassis and programming.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Influence'''

[[Sol]]: The central manifold is in orbit of [[Sol#Jupiter_.28Sol_V.29|Jupiter]].

Xanu: The second manifold is in orbit of Adezu.

[[Tau_Ceti|Tau Ceti]]: The third manifold is in orbit of [[Biesel]].

'''Executives'''

Chief Executive Officer: Noemi Neumark-Jiang, 62, Human

Chief Engineering Officer: Johann Schulte, 36, Human

Chief Research Officer: Eiji Takara-Murano, 54, Human

Chief Information Officer: Sven Fleiss, 57, Human

Chief Security Officer: Seung-Min Chu, 41, Human

Chief Foreign Relations Officer: Erwin Knopf, 49, Human

'''History'''

Terraneus Diagnostics started as a small development program with the advent of [[Synthetics|Artificial Intelligences]], and with the invention of a specialized intelligence that could rapidly solve large computational problems, the company was soon founded. Their rapid growth is thanks to their continuous innovation in this area, culminating within a decade with the construction of [[Notable_Synthetics#SUNSHINE|SUNSHINE]], possibly the single largest and most complex intelligence in Alliance space. With the construction of its three Manifold facilities, they have spread their influence and contract-taking across [[Sol_Alliance|the Sol Alliance]], [[Coalition_of_Colonies|the Coalition of Colonies]], and [[Republic_of_Biesel|the Republic of Biesel]]. Though explicitly stated to not be for combat purposes, many of their computing intelligences can be found on large Sol Navy vessels.

Though previously well known for their pioneering efforts in the design and programming of combat chassis and synthetics, they have recently become less willing to publicly associate with this area of development, especially after the invasion of Tau Ceti. Many rumors run abound as to who the various bidders for a recently offered secret contract are, ranging from the Republic of Biesel to private military companies, though Terraneus Diagnostics has denied that the contract was for combat-related development and production.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Taipei Engineering Industrial===

<b><i>"Innovating today for a cooler tomorrow."</i></b>

'''General'''

Taipei Engineering Industrial (TEI) is a small subsidiary of Einstein Engines, founded in Taipei, Earth in April of 2418. Today, TEI focuses on cryogenic solutions to replacing phoron-based superconduction to limited success, with their expertise limited to internal contracts with [[Einstein Engines]] or in advanced [[Solarian Alliance]] state facilities.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Influence'''
[[File:TEI.png|right|thumb|512px|The primary logo of Taipei Engineering Industrial.]]
[[Sol]]: Headquarters in Taipei, China, [[Earth]]; two major equipment manufacturing facilities and four research and development facilities on Earth.

'''Executives'''

Chief Executive Officer: Siying Chen, 42, Human

Chief Engineering Officer: Adriana Panganiban, 44, Human

Chief Research Officer: Tingting Huang, 39, Human

Chief Information Officer: Hyosuke Yamanaka-Chen, 57, Human

Chief Data Officer: Yuxuan Tsai-Yang, 49, Human

'''History'''

In their early days, Taipei Engineering Industrial was Einstein Engines' subsidiary responsible for research into [[Interstellar Travel|bluespace drives]], aiming to one-up NanoTrasen Corporation's designs. At first, the goal was simply speed; however, heeding warnings on overusing phoron, phoron efficiency was included as one of their key product goals. With little investment, innovations were few and far between, though the company had some success in designing more phoron-efficient bluespace drives, though at a significant reduction in speed. These drives weren't a great hit at the time, and with the phoron scarcity, NanoTrasen Corporation's research into phoron efficient bluespace drives would trump TEI's designs.

Taipei Engineering Industrial would falter at the beginning of the scarcity, having had their niche in the market seized by NanoTrasen Corporation, requiring Einstein Engines to step in to handle TEI's debt restructuring to avoid insolvency towards the end of 2462. The company survived despite significant downsizing with two manufacturing facilities and one R&D facility being shut down for sale. The company would have to change course.

Today, Taipei Engineering Industrial has leant into cryogenic solutions for superconductivity, where certain metal composites are cooled to temperatures below 100 Kelvin, aiming to reduce dependence on phoron-based room-temperature superconductivity in fields such as ''energy transmission and storage'', ''superconductive magnets'', ''particle acceleration'', and ''hover technology''. Such solutions are often difficult to include consumer products or on a large-scale, and are stigmatised for being a downgrade to pre-Phoron Discovery technology. Since entertaining the idea of the large-scale refitting of the Spur's current phoron-based infrastructure in favour of cryogenic-based infrastructure, TEI has received criticism for their vision of the future being both prohibitively expensive and, realistically, only achievable in the [[The_Orion_Spur#Jewel_Worlds|Jewel Worlds]] and similarly developed planets, leaving the rest of the Spur behind.

Despite having grand aims, Taipei Engineering Industrial remains a small subsidiary hot off near-insolvency, and so their scope is currently very limited. So far, only Einstein Engines’ more advanced products, including the Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive, and more advanced [[Solarian Alliance]] state or military facilities have been refitted to be phoron-free, relying on cryogenics instead. With these small successes, investors have begun to pile in, and Taipei Engineering Industrial is expected to be the go-to company for cryogenic engineering projects.

'''Major Products'''
* '''Taipei CryoCool Energy Storage:''' An expensive, phoron-free solution to Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES). CryoCool SMES units do not rely on phoron for superconductivity and instead rely on older, metal composite superconductors which require cryogenic temperatures to achieve superconductivity. Both the manufacturing, installation, and continued cryogenic cooling of CryoCool SMES units make this option significantly more expensive than today's phoron-inclusive SMES units. They are an occasional sight in advanced [[Solarian Alliance]] and [[Einstein Engines]] facilities, especially science or medical facilities that already come prepared for maintaining cryogenics equipment.
* '''Taipei Helium-cooled Power Transmission:''' Teased in research journals in 2465, TEI's underground power infrastructure aims to create a phoron-free alternative to transmitting power around the Spur's larger cities, stations and ships, using cryogenically cooled helium to cool a non-phoron metal to superconductivity. The product remains in-development.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Neutron Synergistics===

<i><b>"From across the Spur, Ingredients to create perfection</b></i>

Neutron Synergistics, named after the Hieroaetheria’s neutron star, is an ore extraction and refinement company situated primarily within the Commonwealth of Hieroatheria. As a subsidiary of Einstein Engines, Neutron Synergistics is primarily responsible for supplying Einstein production facilities with various ores and materials. The company’s employees primarily remain split between native Hieroatherian Dionae and Solarian Humans.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
The company was initially created as a branch of Einstein Engines’s operations in Hieroatheria through a contract with the Commonwealth to ensure Einstein Engines had a steady supply of self-supplied materials independent of the SCC’s influence, while also still providing the Commonwealth some oversight in how its resources are exploited by the megacorporation. Met with some initial growing pains, Neutron Synergistics managed to bolster its workforce by employing the myriad of Solarian refugees fleeing from Sol during its collapse, primarily from Hieroaetheria and the Coalition of Colonies. The branch would eventually split from its parent company to form its own subsidiary, giving it much more freedom in how its operations are run. Following the Alliance’s reunification, the company has been permitted to expand within Solarian space, as well as expanded operations within the Coalition of Colonies, primarily near systems heavily influenced by Einstein Engines such as Konyang.

Most of Neutron’s mining is done across various asteroid fields situated within the Commonwealth’s intergalactic borders. The company notably utilizes modified [[Dionae Space Capabilities#Bulker|Bulker]]-class freighter ships, dubbed ‘Minecarts’, which are outfitted with mining bays, as well as with the capability of smelting any ore mined. Minecarts are designed to be self-sustaining, requiring minimal outside aid to complete their quotas before returning to port, with most vessels being outfitted with internal hydroponics bays to provide an indefinite source of food for their crew. Notably, most ships operated by Neutron utilize Dionae crewmembers in specialist roles requiring their unique abilities, such as hull repair through the use of biomatter to keep the ships operating for much longer than is typically expected for mining vessels. Minecart vessels will rarely utilize any form of engine outside of emergencies, instead relying on Hieroatherian -designed Solar Sails that makes them much cheaper but slower to change velocity or manoeuvre.

'''Executives'''

CEO: He Zhiwang, Human

Chief Executive Officer: Biligiin Semsochi, Human

Chief of Hieroatherian Mining Operations: Endless March Of Hammer and Steel, Dionae

Chief of Solarian Mining Operations: Huang Fangrun, Human

Chief of Production: Adelard Brisbois

'''Major Brands'''
'''Durula Plasteel'''

One of the most common Neutron Synergistics utilized and sold outside of the Commonwealth, Durula Plasteel is a cheaply produced but still reliable form of plasteel, utilized for its strength and durability in complex machines and ships, primarily in Einstein ships and Synthetics.

'''Yeras-brand Circuits'''

Despite specializing in producing the materials required for more complex products rather than the products themselves, Neutron Synergistics has begun utilizing several facilities in Hieroatheria’s orbit to manufacture circuits. Created under the Yeras brand, these circuits are created by order rather than en masse, considered reliable and durable, set to last for well over a decade thanks to their unique production process, making use of specialist Dionae who will spend hours upon hours methodically etching the circuits to near-perfection. The common purpose of these circuits is for use in higher-end IPC chassis that require the increased efficiency the circuits provide.

'''Crew’s Cuisine'''

Due to how long mining operations can take, Neutron Crews have been known for seeking out carp to use in cuisine to supplement their rations and hydroponics-grown produce. Various dishes have been thought up and shared by mining crews, such as Carp Carpaccio, raw carp meat treated to remove toxins and dipped in chilli oil. Space Carp-based fish cakes, while much harder to acquire, are often used as a means to celebrate once the crew fulfills their quota and begins to return to port.
</div></div>

== Corporate Relations ==
===[[Hephaestus Industries]]===
The relationship between Einstein Engines and Hephaestus Industries is complex and at times, contradictory. The two have a very long-lasting, close working relationship in certain industries, such as shipbuilding, that continues even in the contemporary Spur. Many Hephaestus-manufactured civilian and military vessels in Sol (the system) are equipped with Einstein-made warp drives, especially after the refitting of the [[Solarian Armed Forces|Solarian Navy]] to the Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive. At the same time, they are fierce competitors against one another in the field of [[IPC]] manufacturing, and have been competitors [[Timeline|since the very beginning of trans-stellar corporations.]] It is unsurprising, then, that this complex and contradictory relationship has changed little as a result of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate|recent developments within the spur.]] The industrial giant continues to work with Einstein on many of its [[Sol Alliance|Solarian]] assets, while at the same time, there are constant rumors of Einstein providing ships and weaponry to groups such as the [[The Trinary Perfection|Exclusionists]] in the region around [[Burzsia]], or of Hephaestus-backed [[Human Piracy|privateers]] targeting Einstein vessels in the former [[Human Wildlands]]. It is a common portrayal in satire that Aeson simply flips a coin and decides whether to be a friend or an enemy of Einstein Engines on any given day.

===[[Idris Incorporated]]===
Idris and Einstein have a generally positive relationship, with little need for competition. The vast majority of Idris-owned Shell IPCs are manufactured by Einstein, and their robotics division has allegedly developed several enhanced combat modifications for higher-end Idris Reclamation Units. Idris vessels tend to favor Einstein-produced warp drives over NanoTrasen-produced bluespace drives, with the exception of some of their higher-end security vessels and luxury yachts which advertise speed of travel as a major bonus. Following Solarian nationalization efforts, Idris and Einstein are the two most influential corporations in the Alliance, with Idris having paid high fees to avoid nationalization of its assets. This has given the two corporations a mutual goal - maintaining their own prominence in Solarian affairs, and ensuring that future anti-corporate legislation remains directed at their rivals. Einstein and Idris have both heavily invested in their own PR within the Alliance, remaining invested in Sol's future development.

===[[NanoTrasen]]===
NanoTrasen and Einstein have been rivals for decades since the discovery of bluespace in the 2400s, and the subsequent invention of the bluespace drive, NanoTrasen’s first foray since the discovery of phoron into a market that was not phoron extraction and refining. As bluespace largely superseded warp as a means of faster-than-light travel, NanoTrasen quickly took a large share of the market from Einstein, along with their own internal supply of phoron allowing them to be far more energy efficient. Since then, the two companies have been fierce competitors, contending in court constantly over various trademarks, patents, and other legal issues. The phoron scarcity beginning in 2462 has led to a short term reversal of fortunes, with Einstein rising in prominence as NanoTrasen's power fades. The two corporations continue to clash to this day, with Einstein having found a foothold in the city of Phoenixport, Biesel - setting up shop in the heart of NanoTrasen's power. Though, for all that, NanoTrasen still holds the clear advantage, being the primary source of phoron for the entire Spur. Whether Einstein likes it or not, FTL drives aren’t the main moneymaker for NanoTrasen, and any FTL drive of contemporary technological level needs phoron to function. Despite all the research they’ve put in over the last century, Einstein has only managed to decrease the amount of phoron required for an effective drive to be built- though it must be said not needing fluidic phoron as fuel is very useful - not remove it entirely.

===[[Orion Express]]===
Einstein Engines and Orion have had little in the way of a working relationship, with the shipping corporation being formed largely from assets of their rivals at NanoTrasen. Einstein has reportedly advocated extensively for subjecting Orion to the same nationalization as faced by the other SCC corporations in the Sol Alliance - though so far to little effect, as Orion continues to operate freely within Solarian space. Outside of Sol, however, Einstein makes frequent use of Orion's shipping services, particularly within the Republic of Biesel and the Nralakk Federation - two nations where Orion is able to transport goods far more freely than Einstein.

===[[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]===
Einstein Engines and Zavodskoi have a fairly neutral relationship - though the two do compete in the robotics sector, Zavodskoi has purchased many Einstein-made warp drives for its vessels over the years, and the two have both had generous supply contracts with the Solarian military in the past. In the modern day, Zavodskoi has lost a great deal of these contracts, while Einstein continues to hold many highly valuable government and military contracts - a factor which contributed to Zavodskoi's withdrawal of much of its Solarian business. In spite of this, it continues to purchase warp drives from Einstein frequently, due to the rising cost of phoron fuel and the easy availability of helium-3 from Zavodskoi's new home in the Empire of Dominia.

===[[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]===
The relationship between Zeng-Hu and Einstein is a generally positive one, with the two corporations cooperating extensively in several areas of mutual interest - their operations on the planet Konyang and mutual desire for expansion within the Nralakk Federation being the most noteworthy among these. Though Zeng-Hu's membership in the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate and Einstein's growing power within the Sol Alliance has led to a level of distrust between the two, their relationship has remained largely solid since the beginning of the phoron shortage. In 2466, Einstein and Zeng-Hu were both called upon by the government of Konyang to deal with the rampancy crisis, with Zeng-Hu's involvement leading to the wider Conglomerate working to address the problem.

== Relations ==

These are important relationships with other trans-stellar entities within the Orion Spur.

=== [[Nralakk Federation]] ===

Einstein Engines has enjoyed a reputable stance with the Nralakk Federation due to their common ally: the Solarian Alliance. The recent entry of megacorporations into the Federation’s sphere of influence has led to the competition of cheaper alternatives to the state-mandated industries of space travel becoming available. The proliferation of Einstein's trademark technology was slow and dispersed at a steady pace across space, but is becoming a more popular option in lieu of the Bluespace technology capitalizing on phoron. Due to the Phoron Scarcity, the Federation has instead aligned with Einstein Engines in an attempt to further their own technological superiority, sharing research to eventually reap the benefits as discoveries relating to the betterment of warp drive technology are uncovered. Due to this, their regional headquarters can be located within the Kal'lo Special Economic Zone, not too far from the capital of the most advanced civilization in the Orion Spur. Similarly to Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, skrell have instead found themselves able to easily secure an apprenticeship with Einstein Engines, much to the dismay of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate.

=== [[Solarian Alliance]] ===

The Solarian Alliance, in its bid to stand up to NanoTrasen, sided with the ever-growing Einstein Engines. After the events of the Clandestine explosion and Violet Dawn, the Solarian Alliance was more than ready to cut off economic ties with the budding thorn in its side. While most of their tech is reliant on Phoron-based technology, their entanglement with the megacorporation dedicated to warpdrive vessels has allowed for a faster conversion process that will leave them more independent of NanoTrasen in the future. Any megacorporation has enough influence and mettle to stand on its own legs, so a close-knit alliance with one of the most influential human nations is a powerhouse marriage that won’t soon be forgotten.

=== [[Republic of Biesel]] ===

The relationship between Einstein Engines and the Republic of Biesel is a rocky one. Despite the judicial court ruling in the megacorporation’s favour when it came to proprietorship of the Suzuki-Zhang drive, and Einstein’s takeover of Phoenixport through deception and one of its subsidiaries, Biesel cumulatively has a negative view on the spacefaring business due to its roots and home turf for its largest rival in business: NanoTrasen. Tensions flare between these titans of industry as they seek to outdo, bid, and create the other in an eternal struggle for power no one entity should fully control.

=== [[Vaurca_Hives#C'thur|C’thur Hive]] ===

The C’thur hive, a vaurca political entity based in the Nralakk Federation, has considerable involvement in Einstein Engines as shareholders and collaborators, much to the chagrin of the SCC, who they are also known for working with. This double-sided “allegiance” has caused a degree of strife in both sides of the relationship, but ultimately has not caused any major altercations due to the usefulness of the hive’s scientists and engineers. While the C’thur have considerable sway within the megacorporation, Einstein Engines is still largely a human-dominated entity, and most of the C’thur’s contributions revolve around research and engineering techniques worked on within Nralakk Federation borders, or other areas outside of Solarian space.

=== [[The Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria]] ===

Relations between Einstein and the Commonwealth remain cordial, with Einstein Operations typically being beneficial for both, if closely monitored and regulated to limit the number of resources being shipped outside the Commonwealth’s borders. While still holding a pervasive influence in its borders, Einstein Engines has also taken the chance to invest in several smaller Hieroaetherian-bound corporations, as well as creating its own subsidiary operating in the region, Neutron Synergistics.

== Products ==

=== Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive ===

The Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive was designed in October 2462 by a team orchestrated by [[Einstein Engines]]'s Chief Research Officer, Dr. Mio Suzuki. At first only fitted into vessels of the Solarian Alliance, a commercial variant of the Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive would be placed on the open market in July 2464. Not quite the ultimate bluespace drive contender it was marketed to be, the Hammer Drive remains a ''feat'' of human engineering and is still markedly better than all other warp drives on the market.

Whereas other warp drives are ''negative warp drives'', which generate negative mass particles to distort space-time to create the warp field, the Hammer Drive was the first ''positive warp drive'' to be designed. This is an unimportant distinction for most but, crucially, it forgoes the requirement for warp drives to come with built-in negative mass particle generators, massively reducing their size and power demand - two of the larger downsides for consumers. '''It does however, still require phoron to manufacture.'''

Only available on the open market in 2464, Hammer Drives remain expensive, though not prohibitively so: '''A Hammer Drive's cost and speed is comparable to an expensive, mid-range bluespace drive – costing as much as a mansion and reducing the average journey to a few weeks)– with none of the phoron cost of a bluespace drive, less power demand than other high-end warp drives, and can fit in ships other high-end warp drives could not.'''

== Dionae within Einstein Engines ==

Dionae hold a relatively distinct position with the Einstein Engines workforce, if still as a minor percentage. Following the [[Rueltab]] incident in which a large number of Dionae were indebted by the Solarian Alliance, many Dionae were granted employment by Einstein Engines. Typically, Dionae work in research or engineering positions in the company, with work that requires a great deal of precision or time to complete.

Dionae remain generally discriminated against, only allowed in low-level positions with low-level pay and long hours compared to their human counterparts. This position would slowly shift over the following decades, with Einstein Engines recognizing the potential a Dionae workforce could hold. Over time veteran Dionae employees would be granted additional benefits and a slow but steady allowance of higher level positions within the company, being capped at low-level command positions, if still rare for dionae to reach that high, or those working within Solarian territory.

Einstein Engines have also recognised how best to utilise the blood-based learning of Dionae to quickly grant them the specialist skills. This process can take quite an ordeal of blood to achieve, potentially causing issues with various memories across several different people they received the blood from, but, also with the benefit of instilling a high degree of loyalty as the blood is only sampled from company employees already considered to be loyal to the company.

Dionae employees in the present year can generally be expected to be treated nearly on par with others at the company, with variable treatment within the Solarian Alliance, expected to work longer but receive about the same per hour as others. While requiring decades of prior employment, Dionae have been allowed into low-level command positions, although typically only those who have been deemed loyal after plenty of exposure to the blood of other loyal employees.

=== Dionae Exoskeleton Chassis ===

Integrating Dionae within various forms of technology and machinery has been attempted for some time within Einstein Engines with some success, namely through integrating an IPC or exosuit frame to serve as a exoskeleton for a Dionae gestalt, increasing their strength and mobility, but usually coming with the cost of some precision and a need to keep the machinery charged and maintained. Dubbed as a Dionae Exoskeleton Chassis, or DEC, this technology is still in its relative infancy, being constantly experimented with to find better ways to integrate the exoskeleton to increase its utility. As it stands, DECs are an incredibly rare sight outside of the Einstein Engines workforce, with any choosing to leave the company having to have it removed from their persons, which can become dangerous if done incorrectly, needing time to recover and reform their biomass to make up for the now-missing structure.

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SCCV Horizon

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<center>[[File:Horizon undocking.jpg|900px]]
'''''The SCCV Horizon undocking from the NTCC Odin for one of its first missions.'''''
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The SCCV Horizon is a large, expeditionary vessel commissioned by the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] as its flagship and prime phoron surveying vessel. Outfitted and updated with the latest, high-resolution sensor suite, the SCCV Horizon is capable of surveying at incredible distances. Besides the primary objective of locating new deposits of phoron, the SCCV Horizon is additionally tasked with the investigation of potential colony sites and deep space anomalies for the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate and [[Republic of Biesel]], and also serves the whims and agendas of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate's constituent megacorporations.

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<div width="100%" style="float:right">
{| class="wikitable" style="border:1px solid black; font-size: 12px;margin:auto;width: 80%" cellpadding="10px"
! colspan="2" style="background-color:#336699;color:gold;" |SCCV Horizon
|-
|'''Class & Type'''||''Venator-class'' Expeditionary Cruiser
|-
|'''Operator'''||[[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]
|-
|'''Home Port'''|| Vickers Shipwright Dock, [[Valkyrie]], [[Republic of Biesel]]
|-
| || '''HISTORY'''
|-
|'''Laid Down''' || Undisclosed
|-
|'''Launched''' || 2464-04-09
|-
|'''Manufacturer''' || [[Hephaestus Industries]], [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]
|-
|'''Status''' || Active
|-
| || '''SPECIFICATIONS'''
|-
|'''Capacity'''|| 3,000 Persons; Additional 1000 Cryostasis Capacity
|-
| '''Cost''' || Undisclosed
|-
|'''Power Generation'''|| [[Supermatter]] Generator, [[INDRA]] Mk2 Tokamak Fusion Reactor
|-
|'''Sensors'''|| Venator Sensors Array (15,000,000km)
|-
| '''STL Propulsion'''||18x Chemical Propulsion Thrusters (Phoron); 2x Chemical Pulse Manoeuvring Thrusters
|-
|'''FTL Propulsion'''|| C-Goliath Hybrid Drive (Bluespace and Warp)
|-
|'''FTL Range & Speed'''|| 50LY at 1LY/Day (Bluespace) OR 0.3LY/Day (Warp)
|-
| '''Telecommunications''' || Intranet Relay, Bluespace FTL Extranet Relay
|-
| '''Armament''' || 1x [[Zavodskoi_Interstellar#Kumar_Arms|Kumar Arms]] 406mm High Velocity ''“Longbow”'' Cannon, 1x [[Zavodskoi_Interstellar#Kumar_Arms|Kumar Arms]] 90mm flak ''“Grauwolf”'' Cannon, 1x Empty Hardpoint
|-
|'''Shuttle Facilities'''||1x Unpressurised Hangar; 1x Large Hangar; 2x Small Hangars; 2x 3-Port Docking Arms.; 2x Single Docking Ports
|-
|'''Shuttles'''|| SCCV Intrepid, SCCV Canary, SCCV Quark, SCCV Spark
|}
</div>

= Ship Specifications =

The SCCV Horizon's construction was delegated to [[Hephaestus Industries]] and [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]], marking a rare moment of cooperation between the feuding megacorporations while the Chainlink's optimism was still high. The vessel's construction took place at [[Valkyrie]]'s Vickers Shipwright Dock, and its [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/15636-orion-spur-oracle/page/2/#findComment-155674 maiden voyage began on the 9th of April, 2464].

All of the SCCV Horizon's ship systems are supervised by chief engineers holding doctorates, capable of permitting experimental modifications that push the limits of their power generation, specific impulses, and phoron efficiency, ensuring the SCCV Horizon's systems are always top-of-the-line.

The ship is quipped with 2 power generators: a [[Supermatter]] Power Generator and an [[INDRA]] Mark 2 Tokamak Fusion Reactor. Both are considerably powerful sources of energy, capable of meeting the exorbitant demands of the expeditionary vessel.

The SCCV Horizon utilises no-expense-spared phoron chemical propulsion as its [[Interstellar_Travel#Sublight_Interstellar_Propulsion|Slower-Than-Light]] travel option, capitalising on the huge amount of energy within and the mass of phoron to achieve worthwhile subluminal velocities. However, where refuelling is sparse, other chemical propulsion fuels, such as hydrogen, are available.

As for Faster-Than-Light options, the SCCV Horizon is equipped with the [[Interstellar_Travel#Bluespace_Drives|C-Goliath Hybrid Drive]], primarily capable of bluespace travel, though with an emergency warp travel mode. Intended for the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate's surveying vessels in times of the Phoron Scarcity, in the event the SCCV Horizon is unable to acquire phoron for refuelling, the C-Goliath Drive can be repurposed to permit singularity-augmented warp transit.

The SCCV Horizon is equipped with a small but notable ship weapons armament, supplied by [[Zavodskoi_Interstellar#Kumar_Arms|Kumar Arms]], primarily intended as a deterrant and for hazard clearing. One hardpoint remains empty for prototype weapons testing, historically occupied by Kumar Arm's prototype 'Leviathan' artillery cannon until its experimental testing concluded in 2466.

= Occupational & Living Decks =

The SCCV Horizon is outfitted with several decks, including three Occupational & Living decks. Taking up the majority of the SCCV Horizon, the Occupational & Living Decks are outfitted with all facilities vital to the ship's and crew's function, including department workspaces, housing medical facilities and power generators, as well as the the Service area that serves as the primary, shared crew living space (as not all residential rooms come equipped with the living spaces and facilities housed by the Service department). Also scattered around the Occupational & Living Deck are recreational facilities, including a communal fitness room, holodecks, and a library.

It is from the Occupational & Living Decks that the SCCV Horizon's crew purchase much of their essentials. Hydroponics not only supplies the Service Department, but also crew looking for fresh produce to purchase. The Operations Department is the first option for purchasing other goods, and is where most large orders are collected from, and its Machining Workshop is the go-to for crew members taking their troublesome appliances for maintenance.

'''The departments on the Occupational & Living Deck are contracted out as follows:'''

'''Medical:''' [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]], and [[Private Military Contracting Group]].

'''Security:''' [[Private Military Contracting Group]], [[Idris Incorporated]], and [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]].

'''Service:''' [[Idris Incorporated]], [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], and [[Orion Express]].

'''Science:''' [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]], and [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]].

'''Operations:''' [[Hephaestus Industries]] and [[Orion Express]].

'''Engineering:''' [[Hephaestus Industries]] and [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]].

'''Command:''' [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]].

= Residential Decks =

The SCCV Horizon's design philosophy, compact and frugal, is not excluded from the three Residential Decks. While the Occupational & Living Decks have no expense spared and varied, almost luxury service and recreational facilities that aim to maintain mental wellness (and, in turn, productivity), much of the Residential Deck is composed of narrow corridors and cramped, smaller housing options. The same luxury afforded to the Occupational & Living Decks only becomes apparent again in the more expensive housing options, and any communal areas provided to them.

The Horizon offers a wide array of housing options for the crew, with a Bunk assigned by default if no other preference is expressed — it is not possible to go without a living space. Employees are permitted to relocate to another living space, including to upsized or downsized housing options (with altered payment plans). All of these housing options have rent collected that pays for the continual maintenance of the SCCV Horizon's Residential Decks, and is automatically taken out of an employee's paycheque. Reasonable customization is allowed for rooms if the right paperwork is filed and does not directly affect the SCCV Horizon's electrical or atmospheric systems. The specifics of the prices of the Horizon's housing and which occupations can afford what can be found on the '''[[Guide_to_Wages_and_Pay#Housing_Aboard_the_Horizon | Housing Aboard the Horizon section]]'''.

The Stellar Corporate Conglomerate takes care to assign crewmembers to blocks where crew conflict is unlikely. As an example, it is incredibly rare for a member of the crew who adheres to the [[Moroz Holy Tribunal]] to share a block with an [[IPC]]; there are rare exceptions, but it is in the best interest of the SCC to avoid conflicts in Residential areas.

There are no entertainment systems, eateries, gyms or otherwise installed on Residential Decks; the crew are expected to use the facilities provided on the Occupational & Living Decks above for those needs. Neither are there work departments on the Residential Decks, such as Residential Engineering or Residential Security.

Though the Horizon has an internal relay for PDA client communications, it is also equipped with an FTL extranet connection. The extranet connection largely relies on the local infrastructure, so areas such as deep space or the frontier will have extremely slow speeds or no connection at all.

The Residential Decks are outfitted with escape pods in the event of an existential threat to the SCCV Horizon, which the Residential Decks are not arbitrarily exempt from.

== Residential Deck Assignment & Numbering ==
The Residential Deck consists of 3 decks (numbered 1, 2 and 3, to much confusion when referring to the Occuptional & Living Deck's 1, 2 and 3) and arranged in blocks of housing arrangements (eg. Bunk Blocks; Dormitory Blocks). Each Residential Deck boasts 100 blocks.

A room is prescribed the following format: '''Deck-Block-Room''', such as '''1-23-4''', which denotes a room on the Residential Deck 1, in Block 23, Room 4. Sometimes, a letter is appended to the Block Number to denote what type of block it is; EG. a '''1-23B-4''' to denote the room as a Bunk Block.

The lower the block number, the nearer it is to the Residential Lift, and so newly arriving crew often hope for the lowest available. Every 5th Block (beginning Block 5) is positioned such that is has external view ports for the rooms within — this makes these rooms also more desirable than others. These more desirable rooms often fall into the hands of those known or expected to be more pro-corporate, such as [[Republic_of_Biesel|Biesellites]], [[Eridani_Federation#Eridanian_Citizens|Eridianian 'suits']], or long-time employees of a megacorporation.

=== Residential Deck 3: Bunks, Dormitories, IPC Recharging Cabinets ===
Residential Deck 3 is composed wholly of more affordable housing arrangements, Bunks, Dormitories, and IPC Recharging Cabinets. It is known for its incredibly narrow hallways that are sparsely decorated, with only the odd vending machine or motivational poster along the route to the Residential Lift to the Occupational & Living Deck. The commute through the tangled corridors are often plagued by holo-advertisements and their accompanying jingles and spoken messages: information on the 'next level of protection' afforded by the [[Guide_to_Wages_and_Pay#SCC_Contractor_Insurance_Package|SCC's Contractor Insurance Package]]; employment opportunities available from corporate representatives available the Occupational & Living Decks, and similar. The deck is notably grimier than the other Residential Decks, and maintenance requests often have to be sent once, twice, thrice. The extranet communication down in Residential Deck 3 often portents coming connection problems as the SCCV Horizon strays from built-up spaces, being the first to suffer from poor connectivity or throttling at the benefit of others.

Blocks '''1—30''' are '''Dormitory Blocks'''. Blocks '''31—80''' are '''Bunk Blocks'''. Blocks '''81—100''' are '''IPC Recharging Cabinet Blocks'''.

==== Vaurca Blocks ====
Deck 3's Bunk Blocks 75B—80B are reserved for [[Vaurca]] personnel, and are slightly modified to facilitate them — notably, bunk beds are removed, given vaurca are capable of sleeping standing. Vaurca also get away with cramming more than 6 individuals to a room; up to 12, in their case — a very tight fit. Individual rooms tend to be shared by the same hivecell. The more independent of the [[Vaurca#The_Unbound|Unbound]] often seek housing beyond these vaurca blocks, looking to better integrate into the ship's general populace.

=== Residential Deck 2 & 1: Cubicles, Condos, Corapts ===
Residential Decks 2 and 1 are composed of Cubicles, Condominiums, and Corporate Apartments. The hallways, though still narrow, occasionally have seating areas besides the external viewports and are kept a lot tidier. Holo-advertisements still play, though at a quieter volume and often less predatory: a ''once in a life time'' opportunity to see the stars 'like never before' with [[Idris_Incorporated#Celestial_Cruises|Celestial Cruises]], or simply the latest movie from [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Ingi_Usang_Entertainment_Company | Ingi Usang Entertainment Company]].

Blocks '''1—20''' are '''Corapt Blocks'''. Blocks '''21—50''' are '''Condominium Blocks'''. Blocks '''51—100''' are '''Cubicle Blocks'''.

Deck 1's Block 1—2 are reserved for external, short-stay VIPs, such as Chainlink directors and senior government officials. They are not assigned to crew of the SCCV Horizon.

== Housing Options ==

[[File:DormitoryEG.png|thumb|The floorplan of a singular Dormitory Room.]]

=== Cryogenics ===
Residential Deck 3 is also where the SCCV Horizon's Cryogenics Storage is, with all cryopods around the SCCV Horizon feeding those in cryostasis to storage, supercooled by a large phoron array which maintains cryogenic temperatures. It is inaccessable from Residential Deck 3's hallways, only reachable via maintenance tunnels utilised by engineering personnel performing maintenance.

Though not the cheapest option and while being harmful to health if relied upon for durations greater than a year, it is the most hassle-free: one can schedule when they wake up; eat, drink and shower on the Occupational & Living Deck; any personal effects are stored in their pod's storage compartment.

The Cryogenics system is often used by employees on shorter contracts. Renting a place in cryo storage costs '''[[Guide_to_Wages_and_Pay#Housing_Aboard_the_Horizon | {{#expr: {{StrugglingSalary}} * ({{RentCosts}} / {{AverageSalary}}) }}cr a month]].'''

===IPC Recharging Cabinets (S)===

Only available to [[IPC|Integrated Positronic Chasses]], and ''typically'' but not exclusively those corporate or privately owned, an IPC recharging cabinet consists only of a prohibitively small space with only an IPC recharger within and, at most, a shelf or rack for personal effects (if an IPC even using such a cabinet would have such). They are clustered together in groups of 8 with no communal areas. Privately-owned, [[Vaurca#The_Bound|Bound Vaurca]] rented out to individuals as opposed to a corporation also often find themselves shacked up in these cabinets, so as to avoid creating a stench in their owner's main residence. Hive-owned Bound would remain with their Hivecell. '''[[Guide_to_Wages_and_Pay#Housing_Aboard_the_Horizon | {{#expr: {{StrugglingSalary}} * ({{RentCosts}} / {{AverageSalary}} * 0.5)}}cr a month]].'''

[[File:CubicleEG.png|thumb|left|The floorplan of a singular Cubicle Room. ]]

===Bunk Rooms (B)===

The lowest cost and smallest room for those contracted aboard the SCCV Horizon. Bunks offer no privacy, with 3 bunkbeds seeing 6 crew members crammed into a small living space, with only a wall-inset storage container for a limited number of personal effects. No furniture is permitted, nor modifications available. Bunks are arranged in a series of 6 Bunk Rooms to create a Bunk Block. A large, communal bathroom is included in the block. Other living facilities, including kitchen and recreational, are only available on the Occuptional & Living Decks. '''[[Guide_to_Wages_and_Pay#Housing_Aboard_the_Horizon | {{#expr: {{StrugglingSalary}} * ({{RentCosts}} / {{AverageSalary}} * 0.6) }}cr a month]].'''

[[File:CondoEG.png|thumb|The floorplan of a singular Condominium Room.]]

=== Dormitories (D) ===

Structured identically to the Bunks, Dormitories are instead reserved for 1 crew member (or 2 if the single bed is replaced with a bunkbed). They can house not more than 3 items of furniture and are equipped with a fold-up bed. Dormitories are clustered together in groups of 5 to make a Dormitory Block, with what would be a 6th Dormitory being turned into a living area. There remains the large communal bathroom. The living area — being the same size as a dormitory itself — can hardly be called such, containing only a stove and countertop for 1 person to manoeuvre around (and limited shelving and fridge space, meaning cooking & eating ware and 'luxury' food ingredients you don't want pinched are often stored in dormitories), and usually either a single sofa or a small table with two chairs. '''[[Guide_to_Wages_and_Pay#Housing_Aboard_the_Horizon | {{#expr: {{StrugglingSalary}} * ({{RentCosts}} / {{AverageSalary}}) }}cr a month]].'''

[[File:Corapt2EG.png|thumb|left|The floorplan of a singular Corapt Room. ]]

=== Cubicles (Cu) ===

Cubicles are, arguably, the first comfortable room aboard the Horizon, and the most accessible to crew. They have a single bedroom, a kitchen, fused into a singular living space. They additionally come with a compacted bed that is capable of being folded into the wall, similar to dormitories. Cubicles are clustered together in groups of 4 to create a Cubicle Block. Cubicles lead to a communal bathroom and living area — both considered more comfortable. The communal living area is more sizeable than those of downsized rooms, with space for 2 stoves, fridges, and enough space to store most cooking ware and ingredients; enough room is available to modify the living area to include a large dining table, or shared game area, or shared gym — though not enough space to handle everything. '''[[Guide_to_Wages_and_Pay#Housing_Aboard_the_Horizon | {{#expr: {{AlrightSalary}} * ({{RentCosts}} / {{AverageSalary}}) }}cr a month]].'''

=== Condominiums (Co) ===

A rather expensive room, Condominiums are designed to cater to couples that wish to share a singular room, or to members of the crew in higher-paying positions. It has additional room for furniture, and an attached bedroom with a compacted bed that is capable of being folded into the wall, as well as the attached wardrobe. They are the first room to have their own ensuite bathroom! Condominiums are clustered together in groups of 3. They lead to a communal living area, significantly more comfortable and spacious than other housing options. '''[[Guide_to_Wages_and_Pay#Housing_Aboard_the_Horizon | {{#expr: {{WelloffSalary}} * ({{RentCosts}} / {{AverageSalary}}) * 1.3 }}cr a month]].'''

[[File:FCoraptEG.png|thumb|The floorplan of a singular Family Corapt Room.]]

=== Corapts & Family Corapts (Ca) ===

Corapts, or Corporate-Level Apartments, are the most expensive living arrangements on the SCCV Horizon. However, even without the price tag, due to their size and limited number '''only members of the Horizon Command Team, or Consular Officers, are allowed to rent Corapts and Family Corapts.''' The Captain, alongside the Consular Officer, are the only two occupations aboard that receive a Corapt or Family Corapt for free. Members of the Horizon Command team also receive some discounts on Family Corapts provided they have a family member aboard who is also employed on the Horizon. The standard version features an attached bedroom, ensuite, as well as a separate office; with the Family version featuring two attached bedrooms, sharing an ensuite, without an attached office. However, per arrangement, the customization of the room is permitted to add a separate office from the main living room. Corapts & Family Corapts are grouped together into 3 rooms, though lack any communal area, a design choice believes to encourage networking between higher-level employees to be done on the Occupational & Living Decks (under oversight). '''[[Guide_to_Wages_and_Pay#Housing_Aboard_the_Horizon | {{#expr: {{LavishSalary}} * ({{RentCosts}} / {{AverageSalary}}) }}cr a month]].'''

'''Floorplans presented here are considered the default ones. You can change them to include or exclude furniture, as well as rearrange said furniture. An example is perhaps replacing a bed with a bunk bed, or replacing a desk with a single bed. Very limited changes can also occur, but be reasonable and attempt to stick to the aforementioned structural descriptions above. Additionally, the measurements presented are not accurate, and should not be used as a basis of measurement.'''

=== Housing Permissions ===

* Pets are allowed aboard the SCCV Horizon, however, it must be reasonable. Animals similar in size to a cat, or a small dog, would be reasonable. An animal such as [[Adhomai#Fauna| Mata'ke Rafama]] would be considered too big to be comfortable within the confines of an employees cabin.

* Children under the age of 18, and/or pregnancies, are explicitly not allowed aboard the SCCV Horizon. This is due to a number of reasons, from adverse physiological and psychological effects to company legal liability. This includes oviparous species. Dionae are exempt from this. '''This is also enforceable by both Moderators and Administrators, do not roleplay having children under the age of 18 and/or pregnancies aboard the SCCV Horizon'''.

*No privately-owned firearms are allowed aboard the SCCV Horizon, including laser-based firearms. Firearms are limited to those given one for their job (and it will remain in their department or office, not within any person's living quarters). You are allowed to purchase a weapon from a merchant and send it back to your place of residence, if you have one.

=== Common Species Room Modifications ===
Besides common, reasonable room modifications (exchanged furniture; relocated countertops; room dividers), a number of species-specific room modifications have also become popular installations.

* '''Psionic Privacy Screens:''' Various privacy screen models exist, however the most affordable and easy to install tend to be remote-controlled, sliding panels which envelop a small room (a whole dormitory or cubicle, or the office/bedroom of a condominium or corapt. These panels are made out of ''aluminium'', [[The_Srom#The_Srom|which can isolate a skrell's Srom and Nlom from the greater populace]], allowing some privacy.

* '''Biomass Glow Bulbs:''' One of the most common structures seen in diona residential rooms are ''Glow Bulbs'', used by diona to create a brighter living space. The depositing and fashioning objects and structures out of biomass is not prohibited within a diona's room, so long as it does not impede upon regulated installations (eg. fire alarms, scrubber and vents) or otherwise tamper with room functions (eg. entry airlocks, electrical/atmospheric/plumbing systems).

* '''IPC Recharging Units:''' While all communal bathrooms contain at least one IPC Recharging Unit, some synthetics opt to have one installed in their own room — be it for privacy, not trusting other room mates with the communal recharger, or similar. These personal recharging units are somewhat expensive though, and often provide slower charging times compared to communal recharging units in the bathrooms or on the Occupational & Living Deck.

== Residential Deck Culture ==
With the SCCV Horizon having been on its mission for a good number of years, and with many employees posted to it since the beginning, the Residential Deck has had time to develop its own little culture reflected by crew who have settled in and been aboard for a notable time.

'''Crew Services: '''With limited facilities on the Occupational & Living Deck and with the potential of being away from ports-of-call for significant durations, the Horizon's crew are known to offer services out of the rooms or communal living space. These services are cash-in-hand and small-scale, such as hairdressing, beauty sessions, tailoring. Larger scale or more regulated business activities (for profit or not), such as running a medical practise or consultancy out of a residential room, are not permitted aboard the SCCV Horizon.

'''Hotbunking:''' While not an official programme offered on the SCCV Horizon due to variable work schedules per crewmember, some crew members — typically in ''Bunks'', ''Dormitories'', and ''Cubicles'' — have been known to hotbunk. This involves two crew members sharing the same (bunk)bed, however self-regulating their sleep/work-cycles to ensure they are awake/asleep at opposite times. This can be awkward when such attempts fail, but does mean an extra person can be roomshared with to help cut down on expenses.

'''Communal Cleanliness:''' Block cleanliness is a duty of its residents; custodial staff do not clean residential blocks, only the main hallways leading to the Residential Lift and other blocks. A Block's hallway between rooms has a little cupboard containing a company-supplied vacuum and mop — cleaning agents and other supplies must be supplied by residents — as well as a large disposals chute. It is up to residents of a block to decide on cleaning duties — whether there is a daily rota; whether different residents handle different facets of cleaning (mopping, vacuuming, kitchen surface wiping, etc); if no one does it, the communal living space will quickly degrade into a festering mess. It is also up to residents of a block to decide how to handle those more slothenly who ''neglect'' to partake in cleaning their block's space.

'''Communal Theft:''' Sometimes, particularly in blocks where residents do not know each other so well, ''theft'' of appliances or food items left in the communal living area and its fridges or cabinets is known to occur. In most instances, even if reported to Security, nothing can be done about it — the theft is too petty and simply taken for granted in such communal living spaces. As a result, crew in these blocks are known to resort to padlocking containers with their food ingredients and cooking ware, or simply storing them in their actual room — some go so far as to have mini-fridges in their living area.

=== Notable Blocks ===
Over time, some block numbers have become synonymous with a certain negative trait, or have otherwise wormed their way into the ship's culture. Most of which are located on Deck 3, where issues more often present.

* '''Deck 3's Blocks 35B—37B''', nicknamed the ''‘Captain's Bunks’'' — not that a captain would be found in a Bunk Room, are named such for being positioned near escape pods that are believed to not work. Grounded in a maintenance request way back in 2464, the escape pods appeared depowered and nonresponsive with maintenance ongoing for a month until they were fixed. The rumour is, the escape pods remain non-functional, and only lighting was restored to give them the impression they were fixed! As such, those in Blocks 33—37 either humorously or resentfully say that, should the Horizon ever see an evacuation, they will just have to ''‘go down with the ship’''.

* '''Deck 3's Blocks 27D—32B''', nicknamed the ''‘Rat Dorms’'' and ''‘Rat Bunks’'', are named such for the ''frequent'' disturbances heard in the crawlspaces above and below the Bunks, Dormitories and their living areas, beginning in 2466. Maintenance issues are even more common within these blocks, with Engineering personnel often reporting damage to plumbing pipes, cabling fleeced of insulation, floor and ceiling tiles missing, etc. Food and ingredients stored in the Dormitory living areas often go missing very quickly too — drips and drabs of someone's uncooked pasta vanishing faster than they've been eating it; someone's favourite, unopened hot chocolate tub going missing — and so, residents of this block have to stash away their favourite ingredients within their dormitories (not uncommon in Dormitories, but ''necessary'' in the Rat Dorms). Curiously, rats and other pests are only as common here as they are in other blocks, nor has a nest ever been found within these blocks. The growing frustration has seen residents of these blocks eyeing their fellow blockmates as potentially being the source of the damages and food theft.

* '''Deck 2's Blocks 46Co—55Cu''' are known for their design flaws that have stuck with the ship since its launch, believed to be the result of a blueprint error — perhaps plans that changed early in construction, or an engineer's mis-implementation of an architect's plan. Some of the rooms may be ''slightly'' misshapen compared to standard cubicles or condos, occasionally at the detriment of plumbing or electrical supplies for kitchen equipment or intra/extranet equipment. Hallways between these blocks often twist a little more than elsewhere, bending around the malformed rooms. Despite the obvious structural errors and the resulting, increased maintenance concerns, few have been lucky in appealling for reduced rent.

Other curious blocks like these exist (''feel free to headcanon them!''), though have yet to enter the crew's shared consciousness.

= Internal Operations =
== Brig & Legal ==

Due to the Horizon's nature as a vessel going on long-term voyages and its inevitability that it will cross into various nations with diverse legal systems, it has been deemed necessary for the Security Department to have the authority to deal with criminals. Its authority stems from a legal agreement between the Republic of Biesel and the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate.

The brig is used to house those who break regulations of any sort and are unwilling or unable to be fined. It is also where non-crew and unauthorized boarders are expected to be held when captured. While in-game these times are shorter for the sake of brevity, in reality, these times are much longer. Low-tier infractions will net hours, sometimes a day or two depending on how many charges the person has. Medium-tier will be a few days, perhaps even over a week. High-tier will give the same charges as dictated by corporate regulations: holding until transfer, tracking implants, and/or cyborgification or marooning. People held inside of the brig until transfer are kept inside under the watch of the warden until the Horizon is able to arrange for shuttle transport for the prisoner at an installation.

Governed by the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law, the SCCV Horizon will uphold the laws of the Republic of Biesel regarding its internal operation, meaning that certain members of the crew are protected from local laws. An additional agreement between the Conglomerate and these nations further protects members of the crew from facing possible punishments for merely being present within their territories. However, leaving the Horizon will result in these persons being subjected to whatever local laws are enforced. Shuttles are considered part of the SCCV Horizon.

== Medical Services ==

Medical services on the Horizon are covered by plans included within the contract for SCC workers. Each contract covers that employee injuries sustained in the line of work such as a security officer being shot defending the ship, a engineer getting shocked while doing repairs, or a miner breaking a leg from a fall will be covered by their employer - '''unless the injury is proven to have been caused by the negligence of the injured employee'''. However, injuries sustained off duty, or other medical services that occur when the employee is not on the clock, such as regular appointments, will be covered either by a prepaid insurance plan or paid for out of pocket. The costs vary depending on the insurance plan of the injured employee and how much medical care is needed. If a person is unable to pay these costs, they will be put into debt, with the SCC offering contract extensions to help deal with said debt. Prosthetic repair is included in these plan, but fees are included for implantation even if it was done for a work injury. Pre-existing conditions are not covered by most of these medical plans, and billing will occur after the shift. [[Skrell]] of the [[Nralakk Federation]] can have assistance from the Federation for paying bills. For [[Vaurca|Vaurcae]], the fees of all Vaurcae in a corporation are collectively purchased by their Hive. Owned [[IPC|IPCs]] have their damage costs paid for by their corporation, while self-owned ones will need to buy into their corporation's warranty program. In this case, repairs are covered so long as the IPC continues to prove its value in whatever field it works within. An IPC lagging behind can be removed from the warranty program and thus be forced to pay for its repairs itself.

The different types of insurance packages, their prices, and which occupations get them as standard can be found on the [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Guide_to_Wages_and_Pay#Insurance Guide to Wages and Pay] page.

== Crew & Living Space Supply ==

As the Residential Decks contain no facilities of their own, the Occupational & Living Deck is where residing crew go to supply themselves, their rooms, and their communal areas. Fortunately, being designed to go without port-of-call for considerable amounts of time (at least 3 months under normal conditions; longer with impromptu refits, rationing, etc.), the vessel is equipped to permit self-sufficiency, and all crew are available to source ''most'' things from facilities on the Occupational & Living Deck.

'''Hydroponics:''' Hydroponics is equipped to produce and sell fresh fruit, vegetables and grains for crew consumption, as well as for any crew pets. Also capable of [[Guide_to_Hydroponics#Biogeneration|producing organic items]], Hydroponics is the first place to source cheap clothing, bags, paper, etc. Non-prescription, herbal remedies may also be made available at Hydroponics.

'''Machinist's Workshop:''' The Machinist's Workshop is capable of selling various hardware, such as power cells, replacement parts for damaged appliances, and similar hardware that a crew member would legitimately need outside of the Occupational & Living Decks. The Workshop is also the go-to for putting in an order for personal hardware repairs, such as mobile phones, damaged home appliances, etc.

'''Operations & the Commissary:''' All packages and parcels enter the SCCV Horizon via the Operations Department. Anything that gets held up in Operations can be collected at the desk, and new orders can be placed. The Warehouse often has a reserve of miscellaneous items held onto from previous ports of calls that cannot be produced on ship, such as branded products and cleaning supplies — paid-for requisitions for these can also be made. The Commissary is stocked from this reserve.

'''Pharmacy:''' Besides picking up and consulting on prescriptions, the Pharmacy is the go-to for the purchase of over-the-counter medications and other personal health items, such as bandages or sanitary products.

'''Library & Tech Support:''' The library is available for both the renting and purchase of physical copies of books.

= External Operations =

Due to the nature of the SCCV Horizon's mission and owner, any mining, exploration, salvage, or scientific operation conducted by the crew is presumed legal unless stated otherwise. This means that any away site around the ship is a valid location for operations unless it is deemed otherwise by Command Staff, the owner of the system, or by server staff.

== Priorities ==
'''Priority 1 - Phoron Surveying & Research:''' The surveying of novel phoron deposits and any information or sites that may lead to such. Any discovery of a novel phoron deposit immediately overrides all other considerations. This includes the research of phoron, bluespace, and related phenomena that may provide information that could lead to a deposit discovery.

'''Priority 2 - Colony Surveying:''' The surveying of potentially habitable or resource-rich bodies that can be flagged to the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] for colonisation or the establishment of a corporate facility.

'''Priority 3 - Other SCC/Constituent Megacorporate Interests:''' The representation of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and of its other interests, often those levied by constituent daughter megacorporations who have [[Stellar_Corporate_Conglomerate#Corporate_Agendas|their own agendas]]. Often hand-in-hand with the interests of the [[Republic of Biesel]]. The most variable of priorities that made guide the SCCV Horizon's operations.

== Regional Operational Considerations ==
These are permissions and restrictions enforced by the ''respective, local state'', '''not''' the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] (though it may inform punitive decision-making if you put the company in legal jeopardy).

Expand each collapsible to see region-specific considerations for Horizon operations ▶

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=== [[Republic of Biesel]] ===
The [[Republic of Biesel]] and the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] work hand-in-hand, and it is no secret that the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate (via [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]) is deeply embedded in the state's apparatus. As such, countless deals exist between the two groups which permit the SCCV Horizon to act autonomously and without threat of legal action.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! width="300px"| '''Region/State'''
| '''Permitted Operations'''
| '''Exceptions'''
| '''Compliance with Local Enforcement'''
| '''Other Notes'''
|-
| '''[[Tau Ceti]]'''
| All
| None
| '''Reasonable or Lawful Requests''', from any [[Republic of Biesel]] enforcement organisation.
| None.
|-
| '''[[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]'''
| All
| None
| '''Reasonable or Lawful Requests''', from any [[Republic of Biesel]] enforcement organisation.
| None.
|-
| '''[[Mictlan|Sankta Tereza]]'''
| All
| None
| '''Reasonable or Lawful Requests''', from any [[Republic of Biesel]] enforcement organisation.
| None.
|-
| '''[[Port Antillia|Estrella de las Iselas]]'''
| All
| None
| '''Reasonable or Lawful Requests''', from any [[Republic of Biesel]] enforcement organisation.
| None.
|-
|}
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=== [[Coalition of Colonies]] ===
The Coalition has limited centralised mining, salvage and exploration regulations, with member states imposing their own local regulations. As such, the SCCV Horizon can conduct any and all operations (with one exception) outside of the home systems of member states without special permission. These home systems of member states often have very different operational considerations. Some member states, such as [[Himeo]] and [[Gadpathur]], are likely to respond with force if this is disregarded.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! width="300px"| '''Region/State'''
| '''Permitted Operations'''
| '''Exceptions'''
| '''Compliance with Local Enforcement'''
| '''Other Notes'''
|-
| '''[[Coalition of Colonies]] (Non—Home Systems)'''
| Resource Harvesting, Salvage, Scientific Investigation, Bounty Hunting
| Salvage of Interstellar War-era facility/vessels (License-only; SCCV Horizon is unlicensed)
| '''Lawful Requests''', from the [[Coalition_of_Colonies#The_Frontier_Protection_Bureau_(FPB)|Frontier Protection Bureau]] and any CoC member state enforcement organisation.
| None.
|-
| '''[[Xanu Prime|Xanu]]'''
| Scientific Investigation, Resource Harvesting (Uninhabited Bodies Only), Salvage (Uninhabited Bodies Only)
| Resource Harvesting and Salvage Operations are ''not'' permitted on Inhabited Bodies, including Xanu Prime itself!
| '''Reasonable or Lawful Requests''', from any Xanan enforcement organisation.
| The results of scientific investigations are expected to be shared with the Xanan government.
|-
| '''[[Burzsia]]'''
| All
| None
| '''Reasonable or Lawful Requests''', from [[Hephaestus Industries]] asset protection.
| None.
|-
| '''[[Assunzione]]'''
| Scientific Investigation, Resource Harvesting (Uninhabited Bodies Only), Salvage (Uninhabited Bodies Only)
| Resource Harvesting and Salvage Operations are ''not'' permitted on Inhabited Bodies, including Assunzione +itself!
| '''Reasonable or Lawful Requests''', from any Assunzionii enforcement organization or the Frontier Protection Bureau.
| The results of scientific investigations are expected to be shared with the Assunzionii government. The Assunzionii government is to be informed before launching an expedition into the Lemurian Sea.
|-
|}
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=== [[Adhomai]] ===
S'randmarr and Adhomai hosts three states with variable agreements and views of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, and so extra effort is required to identify which operations and level of compliance are expected. Caution is also advised due to the xenophobia, political instability, frequency of terror attacks, and banditry present in S'randmarr and on Adhomai, particularly within rural areas and for [[tajara]] not politically/culturally aligned with the respective state.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! width="300px"| '''Region/State'''
| '''Permitted Operations'''
| '''Exceptions'''
| '''Compliance with Local Enforcement'''
| '''Other Notes'''
|-
| '''Adhomai ([[People's Republic of Adhomai]])'''
| Resource Harvesting, Scientific Investigation, Salvage
| None
| '''Reasonable or Lawful Requests''', from any PRA enforcement organisation.
| Caution advised in rural regions.
|-
| '''Adhomai ([[New Kingdom of Adhomai]])'''
| Resource Harvesting, Scientific Investigation, Salvage
| None
| '''Reasonable or Lawful Requests''', from any NKA enforcement organisation.
| Caution advised in rural regions.
|-
| '''Adhomai ([[Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai]])'''
| None
| None
| '''No Compliance'''
| While the [[Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai]] permits no operations, the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate does not prohibit operations within DPRA territory; extreme caution is advised.
|-
|}
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=== [[Izweski Hegemony]] ===
A feudal, interstellar empire made up of hundreds of noble clans and their vessels. New to the interstellar stage, suffering from growing pains and the fallout of the [[Contact War]], it has since firmly aligned with [[Hephaestus Industries]], which now allows near-unfettered access to its territories for the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]].
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! width="300px"| '''Region/State'''
| '''Permitted Operations'''
| '''Exceptions'''
| '''Compliance with Local Enforcement'''
| '''Other Notes'''
|-
| '''[[Uueoa-Esa]]'''
| Resource Harvesting, Scientific Investigation, Salvage, Bounty Hunting
| None
| '''Reasonable or Lawful Requests''', from any Izweski Hegemony enforcement organisation.
| Caution remains advised in the [[The_Wasteland|Wasteland]] regions of Moghes due to [[The_Wasteland#Clan_"Gawgaryn"_-_The_Punished_Clans|raiders]], xenophobia, radioactive hazards, and unexploded ordnance.<br><br>The [[Unathi_Educational_Institutions#Skalamar_Academy_of_the_Natural_Sciences|Skalamar Academy of the Natural Sciences]] offers bounties to SCC [[Scientist|research]] personnel who provide valuable survey data or uncover lost artifacts from before the [[Contact War]].
|-
| '''Other Izweski Hegemony Systems'''
| Resource Harvesting, Scientific Investigation, Salvage, Bounty Hunting
| Caution advised in rural regions.
| '''Lawful Requests''', from any Izweski Hegemony enforcement organisation.
| Caution is advised due to rampant [[Unathi_Piracy|piracy]].
|-
|}
</div></div>

===Operations===

'''Resource Harvesting*:''' The Operations Department may field shaft miners to conduct mining operations, harvesting ''non-phoron'' minerals.

'''Resource Harvesting (Phoron):''' The Operations Department may field miners to conduct mining operations, harvesting all minerals including phoron. Of course, the company would like you to mine it whether or not the local state permits you to.

'''Scientific Investigation*:''' The Science Department may field any science personnel to conduct scientific sampling and investigations.

'''Salvage*:''' The Operations and Engineering Department may field personnel to conduct salvage operations, in accordance with internal [[Standard_Operating_Procedure#Salvage_Operations|standard operating procedure]].

'''Bounty Hunting:''' The SCCV Horizon is permitted to engage individuals who have been confirmed to have ''large bounties'' (often those on-the-run for high-level crimes) posted by the local state. Small-fry criminals and general law enforcement remain unpermitted.

'''Enforcement:''' The SCCV Horizon is permitted to operate ''alongside local law enforcement as a supporting vessel'', aiding boarding actions and backing-up offensive combat positioning. This also includes bounty-hunting of any level.

'''All:''' The SCCV Horizon is permitted to conduct all of the above operations.

'''None:''' The SCCV Horizon is permitted to conduct none of the above operations.

===Compliance===

'''No Compliance:''' The SCCV Horizon may disregard any instructions given by local enforcement.

'''Lawful Requests*:''' The SCCV Horizon must follow lawful instructions given by local enforcement. It is at Command's discretion whether the local enforcement has lawful grounds to instruct or impede the SCCV Horizon's Operations.

'''Reasonable or Lawful Requests:''' The SCCV Horizon must follow lawful instructions given by local enforcement, as well as any instruction that is reasonable (even if the SCCV Horizon isn't infringing upon any law or sovereignty at the time). 'Reasonable' is open to Command interpretation.

'''Total Compliance:''' The SCCV Horizon must comply with any instruction issued by local enforcement, even if they seem unreasonable and so long as it does not put the SCCV Horizon in apparent danger.

''* If a region is not included on the table, the asterisk-marked considerations are assumed to apply by default.''

= Major Ports and Shore Leave =

Periodically, the Horizon will be required to resupply its dwindled stores at major ports, during which the crew will be allowed a spell of shore leave. Alternating between a period of several days, shuttle transits are arranged for these resupplies and shore leaves. These major ports will be relative to the region in which the Horizon currently is travelling through.

''Port of Calls are announced on the SCCV Horizon's internal [https://discord.com/channels/157516682288562176/1163485401151975434 SCC Bulletin] and are also included in the game's welcome text.''

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Odin

2026-07-24T00:45:12Z

Kermit: Megacorp Navbox

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[[File:Odin_Lanze.png|600px|thumb|right|An older photo taken prior to the change of ownership - The SCC-CC Odin, floating in space.]]
The SCC-CC Odin, or [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] Central Command, is the primary Command and Control station for the [[SCC|Chainlink's]] operations not only in [[Tau Ceti]], but throughout [[Orion Spur|the Spur.]] Built and formerly owned by [[NanoTrasen]], the station is in geosynchronous orbit above the [[NanoTrasen|NanoTrasen Headquarters]] in [[Mendell City]].

= Sections of the Odin =
The Odin consists of three distinct sections: the residential section, the intelligence section, the command section, and the commercial section (also sometimes called shipping and receiving).

== Residential Section ==
The residential section contains housing, shopping, and leisure facilities with accommodation ranging from simple hab sleeper booths to luxury apartments. It is the second largest section, and can easily be described as a city in space - previously inhabited almost entirely by [[NanoTrasen]] employees. There are a multitude of districts within the Residential Section, the richest known as "Archway" for its faux stone facades. It was home to many corporate executives and senior members of [[NanoTrasen]] - now they are mostly employees of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]. It is the second largest of the four sections.

Since the transfer of the Odin to the [[SCC]], the inhabitants of the residential section have become more diverse in background, origin, and employer. [[NanoTrasen]] employees are still the most common type of resident, but are not even the majority anymore; they only account for ~31% of the section's inhabitants, and this includes direct SCC employees. Employees of the other megacorporations under NanoTrasen and the SCC have moved in, though no one corporation has a higher significant number of employees residing aboard the Odin than the other, each accounting for ~10% of residents. This has led to some problems for Civil Protection - the corporate police force aboard the Odin - as clashes have become more frequent due to the mix of corporation, species, nation, loyalty, and background.

== [[Notable Synthetics|Intelligence Section]] ==
The intelligence section is the largest of the four sections by far, and houses the massive infrastructure that makes up the most powerful [[Synthetics|Artificial Intelligence's]] currently known to exist, [[Notable_Synthetics#Huginn|Huginn]].

== Commercial Section ==
The commercial section is a catch-all section and contains a wide array of facilities for all types of commercial activities. Whether that be the massive shuttle docks from which the Odin ships and receives all its goods and people, to the offices of [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] associates. It furthermore contains the local Extranet servers, alongside being the section in which Station Security (Civil Protection) is headquartered. It is the third largest section.

All along the commercial section are the station's primary docking facilities, with the lower berths serving the numerous heavy freight and mining vessels that traverse [[Tau Ceti]], the upper serving as a shuttleport that services the many shuttles constantly flying between SCC assets within orbit and the wider system, and the middle berths service various midline ships, ranging from luxury cruisers to system transports and junk barges. It is not unknown for some of the station's citizens to live within their personal spacecraft to avoid paying rental fees for station accommodation and only having to pay dock rental fees instead.

== Command Section ==
Found at the the "top" of the station is the '''Command Section''' or more accurately the '''Command and Control Section.''' It is from here that the SCC not only coordinates their enormous number of operations within the system of [[Tau Ceti]] in the form of Tau Ceti Central Command, but manages all incoming and outgoing interstellar messaging traffic for the Chainlink. Lastly, the former [[ERT|NanoTrasen Emergency Response Team]] (ERT) Command and facilities were housed here; but since being folded into the [[TCAF|Auxiliary Corporate Forces]] of Tau Ceti, they were rebased and their former area repurposed to expand the communications department. It is the smallest section of the Odin.

'''Tau Ceti Central Command''' is always the first thing that is thought of when the Command Section of the Odin is brought up. It is the most publicly known, and relevant as it is where many of the orders and assignments given to employees within the system originate. Despite this, it is the smaller of the two functions that the Command Section is used for. It is a maze of offices, archives, and filing cabinets filled to the brim with paperwork, as the occupants do the necessary but dull work required for any large-scale operation.

Working in the '''The Odin Communications Department''' is, however, even more dull. The Communications Department is the broad identification given to the massive communications center that takes up a majority of the Command Section's space and is responsible for managing all incoming and outgoing interstellar communications for the chainlink. The actual sending and receiving of messages is accomplished by using [[Technology|a set of incredibly powerful Bluespace relays]] alongside other infrastructure. To work in this department is to quite literally be pushing paper from one person to another all day.

= Defenses =
The station defenses are split into three systems: The first defense system is two private military cruisers permanently stationed at the Odin - '''the SCCV Geri and SCCV Freki''' - the crews of which are employed directly by the SCC. They are recently constructed ships after their predecessors were destroyed during the [[KOTW|Second Solarian Invasion]] and are essentially jumped-up light cruisers that are rumored to use experimental weaponry that packs a mean punch.

As a second defense system, the station is ringed by a series of defensive platforms bristling with guns. Normally, all these defensive platforms are controlled by an independent intelligence merely named '''The Odin Defense Matrix''' of [[Zavodskoi Interstellar|Zavodskoi]] make. However, in times of emergency, the standing sector administrator may authorize Huginn to override the defense matrix should they believe the situation to be that dire; for despite not being made with military applications in mind, Huginn can outclass most other intelligence's in any area with just some of it's processing power, and utterly dominate them with a majority.

The third and officially last line of defense is the many corporate paramilitaries aboard, alongside Civil Protection units, who can be deployed to repel borders or maintain the peace on the station in times of extreme civil disobedience. While they likely would not be able to withstand a full invasion, they have proven capable of holding their own against significantly large incursions.

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[[Category:Corporations]]
[[Category:Humanity]]
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Republic of Biesel

2026-07-23T19:58:17Z

Kermit: red links

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{{Infobox Nations
|Nation = Federal Republic of Biesel
|Shortname = Biesel
|Flag = Republicofbieselflag.png
|Galatic Position = Position Biesel.png
|Capital City = Mendell City
|Capital Planet = [[Biesel]]
|Language = Tau Ceti Basic
|Species = Human (Majority)<br>[[Dionae]] (Minority)<br>[[IPC]] (Minority)<br>[[Skrell]] (Minority)<br>[[Tajara]] (Minority)<br>[[Unathi]] (Minority)<br>[[Vaurca]] (Minority)
|Religion = None
|Demonym = Biesellite, Republican
|Government = Federal Republic
|Head of State = President Ake Torvald
|Legislature = Congress
|Upper House = State Senate
|Lower House = Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople
|Established = May 5th 2452
}}

{{TOC Hidden}}

In the core worlds of Humanity’s power, built upon a center of [[phoron]] deposits and trade, the '''Federal Republic of Biesel''' is an independent state and considered the economic and social centre of the [[Orion Spur]]. The young Republic as it is known today came to be in 2452, and since its independence it has only grown stronger, its population flourishing, ignorant or uncaring as [[NanoTrasen]] maintained a vice grip over the Republic not only economically, but politically and socially as well.

However, in recent years, that is changing. The '''Phoron Scarcity''' has shaken the very foundations of the republic, not only in regards to NanoTrasen’s monopoly, but also the role it plays on the wider stage of the Orion Spur. Once only holding territory in Tau Ceti, today the Republic of Biesel extends across much of the formerly Solarian Middle and Outer Ring, reaching the new border of the massive [[Coalition of Colonies]], creating the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]. The Republic of Biesel's expansion into former Solarian territories was met with both applause and total rejection from its populace Combined with the mounting issues of the Phoron Scarcity, the CRZ would prove the final nail in the coffin for the Republic’s political establishment, which was shaken drastically in 2462. However, Tau Ceti remains one of the most populated systems in Human space, and easily the richest in the galaxy thanks to NanoTrasen, and now the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]].

== The Effects of the Phoron Scarcity ==
Nowhere is more intertwined with [[phoron]] than the Republic of Biesel. As one of only two nations in the entire Spur with phoron deposits, it has always had the largest phoron deposits and the largest phoron exports. For many, the Republic is the only source of phoron, as unlike the [[Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]], it exports beyond its borders. The Republic’s prosperity, place in the Spur, and technologies all came to be because of phoron and the influence of the [[NanoTrasen Corporation|company]] that extracted it.

As the primary system where commercial phoron mining occurs, [[Tau Ceti]] boasts the largest number of phoronic industries in the Spur. The sheer scale of the operation [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] created for mining and then processing phoron cannot be overstated — almost the entire planet of [[New Gibson]] is dedicated to the production of phoronic components. In 2460, around 23% of the population of the system had a job tied to the phoronics industry. [[Biesel]]’s economy and the livelihoods of its citizenry are dependent on phoron to retain their standards of living; it is the most “phoronised” system with the most advanced technology in the [[Orion Spur]]. With the [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] threatening the lifeblood of Biesel, fear, instability and doubt are on the rise, with concerns about the Republic’s future that almost came true come the [[KOTW|35th's invasion]]. Five years since the beginning of the Scarcity, the phoron industries of Tau Ceti are still humming along, but only growing quieter as facilities are gradually shuttered.

[[Notable_Humans#President_Ake_Torvald|President Torvald]] has enacted policies attempting to limit the damage of the situation, keeping the economy afloat. Interest rates have dropped to near zero, bills have been signed into law that give substantial subsidies to new facilities built that supply alternatives to phoron — a boon to [[Einstein Engines]] — but it’s only barely keeping the flood wall from breaking. More extremely, the Republic and its [[megacorporations]] have officially begun to ration phoron, with much of the phoron and its components reserved in the state’s strategic stockpiles. While this rationing has relieved the stress of the scarcity from many people, it has done so by transferring it onto others, due to its unequal nature. Less affluent neighbourhoods find their infrastructure allowed to age and fall apart, becoming unreliable; hardware stores and clinics supply older, non-phoronic wares that are a notable downgrade. More affluent neighbourhoods continue to have phoronic infrastructure maintained, if at much greater cost and sparingly where possible and, while still supplied with phoronic hardware, medicines, etc., the prices have soared.
Due to the unstable state of the Spur, the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] remains very high on the priority list for phoron allocations. [[Zavodskoi_Interstellar|Arms factories]] and [[Reade|military shipbuilding docks]] rarely have shortages; the fleets always have enough fluidic [[phoron]] for their [[Interstellar_Travel#Bluespace_Travel|bluespace drives]], and those within the enlisted ranks of the [[TCAF]] find themselves in as good a position as the middle class (one of the top reasons enlistment rates haven’t plummeted since the [[Peacekeeper Mandate]] saw opinions on the TCAF nosedive). President Torvald has promised these are temporary measures but, for now, there are no signs this will change.

Unemployment is at an all-time high, with sustainable jobs exceedingly rare and, as crime has skyrocketed, less affluent neighborhoods have changed massively over the past five years. More ghettos are cropping up, and places such as [[Mendell City]]’s [[Mendell City#District_6|District 6]], [[Mendell City#District_11|District 11]], and [[Mendell City#District_12|District 12]] look more run down than ever, deprioritised of phoronic infrastructure maintenance. Brownouts and blackouts are of frequent occurrences, as their phoronics based infrastructure (such as phoronic superconductive cabling) falls into disrepair or is unfitted for use elsewhere. It has a cruel similarity to the Alliance's abandonment of their outer worlds during the [[Sol_Alliance_History#2462-65:_The_Solarian_Civil_War|Collapse]]. Criminal organizations have filled in the vacuum, allowed to run the districts as they see fit, and be largely unbothered by law enforcement, who only interfere when any violence within these areas spills out into other, less dilapidated parts of the city; in which case the standard response has been to violently bludgeon it back into containment.

Phoron black markets and the smugglers who supply them have exploded within the Republic, and though they are not yet utilized by the population at large, their presence is steadily growing. Many have come to rely on them for everything from replacement [[Phoron#Applications_of_Phoron|phone/PDA-use SMES cells, to superconductive cabling, to phoronic medications]] — often stolen. Smuggling routes into [[Tau Ceti]] all lead to the tradeport moon of [[Valkyrie]], a nexus for criminal activity. Valkyrie has been hit especially hard by the economic slowdown experienced across the [[Orion Spur]], and its many port workers struggle to make ends meet; it is no surprise that a great many of them now participate in this smuggling activity. With these black marketers paying well for phoronic goods, petty theft of phoron-based equipment from the workplace has reached the top three reasons why an employee contract is terminated within Biesel, despite the unemployment crisis all but ensuring the fired employee will be unable to find another job.

As a result of the scarcity, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s power has waned. Where NanoTrasen once had almost complete control over the Republic's government by themselves, their influence has dropped to just ‘very strong’. Now, the other [[megacorporations]] flock like carrion birds, eager to claim what they can and emboldened to challenge the phoron giant. [[Notable_Humans#President_Ake_Torvald|President Torvald]] appears willing to exploit this, now giving an ear to all of the megacorporations jointly, where previously only NanoTrasen was afforded the privilege.

== Planets==
The Republic of Biesel has expanded greatly since the [[KOTW|Solarian Collapse]], moving from its home system of [[Tau Ceti]] to encompass what is now known as the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]].

[[File:Pixel Planet Biesel1.png|thumb|left|Biesel seen from orbit.]]
[[File:NewGibson weather.png|thumb|256px|left|A view of New Gibson.]]

=== [[Biesel]] ===
The capital of the Republic and its namesake, Biesel is where many [[megacorporations]] have moved their primary base of operations to after the Solarian Collapse and recession. Biesel's first colony was established in 2147; a comfortable and temperate planet, it proved a valuable location for agriculture and manufacturing, and after the [[Timeline|discovery of phoron in 2352]], proved a very valuable location for all sorts of phoronics work. Since then Biesel has become the most wealthy and influential planet in human space. Biesel previously had many smaller corporations, however since the discovery of Phoron, these have either been gradually bought out or undermined by the larger megacorporations; in the contemporary Spur they no longer exist. Despite recent setbacks, [[NanoTrasen]] and its subsidiaries account for the majority of economic activity in Biesel and Tau Ceti today - though continue to slip lower.

===[[Valkyrie]]===
The moon of Biesel, the Commonwealth of Valkyrie, is a member-state of the Republic that contributes strongly to its economy through its status as a major shipping and trade port. Goods from all over the Spur, legal and illegal, can be found in the twisting streets of Valkyrie, and it acts as a layover for many tourist vessels and trade ships moving across the galaxy. Since the beginning of the scarcity it has also quickly become a hub for smuggler's as corruption runs rife throughout its ports.

===[[New Gibson]]===
New Gibson is the second exoplanet to be colonized by humanity, shortly after the initial success of Biesel's colonization attempt in 2147. It is the industrial workhorse of the Tau Ceti system, containing a rich and valuable resource pool with the highest concentrations of many valuable minerals of any planetary surface in Tau Ceti. While New Gibson has a complex dedicated to virtually all industries, its major players are shipbuilding and wide-ranging manufacturing adjacent to its titanic planetary mines. In the cavernous pitfalls and valleys of New Gibson resides both its thriving mining economy and its greatest dangers. Unlike its bigger brother Biesel, New Gibson hosts very few phoronics specific facilities like refineries and compounding factories - though it still uses immense amounts of phoron in its more regular industries, as they wish to create goods up to the 2400s standard of technology.

===[[Mictlan]]===
Formerly a Solarian colony, Mictlan had become integral to the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s plans for expanding its influence within the unstable region of the Orion Spur. However, violence followed the sudden shift to the Republic of Biesel, with deserters, terrorists, and paramilitaries taking up arms to forcefully push back against the perceived corporate occupation of their planet, eventually resulting in military intervention by the Republic of Biesel, as they instituted the Peacekeeper Mandate to begin to restore order.

After a protracted occupation by the Tau Ceti Armed forces, including a guerilla war between against the ex-Mictlani Defense Force run Samaritans (a paramilitary group) and a protracted anti-terrorist campaign against the Founding Movement (a political movement that turned towards violent extremism and terrorist tactics), in late 2465, after the leader of the founding movement was found lynched and the Republic Forces negotiated a surrender with the Samaritans following rising public unrest within Tau Ceti, [[Hasta La Victoria Siempre Arc|Mictlan eventually managed to secure its status as an independent member-state within the Republic]], and now sets it's own terms with the corporations. They have not left in their entirety, merely been somewhat restricted in their activity, and stratification and corporate influence still separates much of the population. Mictlan is the sight of the worst disparity of phoron rationing, with the corporate upper classes getting almost all of the allocated phoron and the anti-corporate lower classes getting little to none of it.

===[[Port Antillia]]===

A very recently settled planet, Port Antillia had great ambitions of being a vital port between the Jewel Worlds and the [[Republic of Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]]. Due to its novel colonisation, it faced severe struggles, which were exacerbated by frequent natural disasters. Ultimately, this resulted in its early collapse, only really seeing itself somewhat stabilised nearly a century later. It has its roots within the nations which formed the Caribbean Federation, who found themselves facing extinction from the ecological crisis that Earth endured.

Despite millions becoming part of the colonisation effort, no one truly knew the dangers present on Port Antillia. Due to its relative youth on the cosmic scale, the planet experiences earthquakes rather frequently, which produce tsunamis that pose a threat to cities that dot the coasts of Port Antillia. Additionally, volcanic activity is yet another persistent danger with some of the largest eruptions across the inhabited parts of Orion Spur being registered to the planet. Many of the major population centres are equipped to deal with these problems, but there are still minor settlements that have to contend with the hostile geological activity of the planet, with most residents having accepted that they are simply a part of life on Port Antillia.

===[[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]===
Formerly Solarian space, the Corporate Reconstruction Zone is the name for all systems occupied by the Republic of Biesel that are not within [[Tau Ceti]]'s gravity well. These were occupied during the [[KING OF THE WORLD| King of the World]] arc and its finale, and after the Solarian Alliance retracted all necessary support to them. Essentially, the Alliance cut these colonies' lifelines off, and only the Republic would step up to fill the void.

== Politics and Government ==
The Federal Republic of Biesel is a '''federal democracy''' that is committed to ensuring the dignity and basic rights of all that make up the Republic, as laid out in the Constitution. It is composed of 5 member states.

The Republic has a bicameral legislative branch, with a '''Republican Congress''' divided into an upper and lower chamber. The upper chamber, the '''State Senate''', is responsible for, in addition to legislature, treaties, the appointment of senior civil and judicial roles, and trying and convicting the impeachment of senior civil servants. It is composed of 10 representatives of each member state of the Republic holding terms of five years, for a total of only 50 senators, and so represents more long-term visions. The lower chamber, the '''Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople''', is responsible for, in addition to legislature, financial bills and triggering impeachments. It is composed of 800 seats which are filled by directly elected representatives of smaller voting divisions. Both chambers together share war powers.

The [[Republic Law|judicial branch]] of the Republic is dual jurisdictional, split between private law (civil and criminal) and public law (administrative and constitutional). Each jurisdiction has an apex court: the '''Council of State''', which is the highest court in private law; the '''Supreme Court of Cassation''', which is the highest court in public law. The latter of which is the judicial check on both the legislative and executive’s authority, and has a role ensuring the constitutionality of any legislation either during its formation or prior to it being assented by the President.

The executive branch is composed of the president and the various administrative departments that assist the presidency in running the government and implementing policies in the best interest of the citizens. Currently, [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] is the President of the Republic of Biesel.

For the most part, the Republic is very hands off as a result of historical scars over the [[Solarian Alliance]]’s strong governance of [[Tau Ceti]] and a byproduct of its laissez-faire capitalist approaches, with its major responsibilities only being that of: 1) promoting the Republic’s core values of freedom, individualism, multiculturalism, 2) ensuring the Republic’s sovereignty and security against those which would do harm to these values. While many federal laws are in place, it is ultimately left to local governments as to their finer interpretation, application, and enforcement. Consequently, the Republic relies heavily on the [[megacorporations]] for many functions, from private megacorporate [[Republic Education|education]] and health & social care that runs parallel to local state schooling — many of these gaps are filled in by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], due to their historic dominance over [[Tau Ceti]], but other megacorporations have been beginning to carve out their own portions of these sectors.

=== Political Parties and Ideologies ===

====Cetian Congress of Conservatives====
The Cetian Congress of Conservatives is a Cetian Conservative party that seeks to uphold and ''defend'' the [[Biesellite_Culture_and_Society#Societal_Attitudes|traditional values]] of the Republic of Biesel against a perceived threat.

The party stands for transforming the Republic from a peaceful, economic hegemon that influences the Spur with its prosperity, abundance of [[phoron]], and connections with the megacorporations, and instead one that has a strong military and is able to stand and defend itself. Defence spending and ensuring the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] is best fit to repel a military incursion is the priority for the party, even if at the detriment of spending elsewhere. It advocates for increased federalism and devolving the powers held by the Republic of Biesel’s federal government to those of its planetary and regional governments, and staying hands-off in regional matters. The party is pro-immigration, on the basis that immigrants are a key component of the TCAF’s Foreign Legions, however has advocated for tougher citizenship restrictions where other citizenship application routes are taken and also the tough prosecution and potential deportation (or pressing into TCAF service) of immigrants who criminally offend.

The Cetian Conservatives’ economic policy would see changes to ensure the federal republic is capable of some economic intervention to ensure competition between the megacorporations remains competitive, however has not meaningfully laid out any plans to achieve such. The party does not wish to limit the power of said megacorporations to empower smaller or regional corporations to compete with the giants. The party has delivered mixed messaging when it comes to the Republic’s reliance on [[phoron]], with party members offering differing views on solutions to the [[phoron|Phoron Scarcity]], however the party has seen a number of [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|phoron rationing policies]] enacted to ensure what phoron stockpiles do remain are distributed where best seen fit.

The party’s social policies largely focus on increasing participation in the military. The party has long advocated for national service (including military) for citizens between 16—18, alternative criminal sentencing resulting in mandatory national service, and similar. A significant amount of spending on service members and veterans of the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] is also advocated for, ensuring those doing or who have done their service are well-compensated (and to incentivise those to join the TCAF).

While the Cetian Conservative party espouses multiculturalism as one of the Republic of Biesel’s traditional values, the party has wavered when it comes to the rights of more alien species, such as [[vaurca]] and [[diona]]. Party members often raise into question the sapience of these species, whether they are able to positively contribute to Republic culture and society, or some other mitigating factor based in speciesist belief. While significant progress has been made in advancing the rights since the Republic’s independence, the Cetian Conservatives have begun to walk back certain policies brought in by the Biesellite Free Market Party — notably, voting restrictions on bound vaurcae were established in the [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/16330-tau-ceti-times/page/3/#findComment-175624 Electoral Integrity Act]. Legislation that sought to wholly emancipate owned [[IPCs]] or provide better opportunities to free, non-citizen IPCs has also been repeatedly quashed, with the Conservatives unwilling to commit to universal IPC emancipation or supporting non-citizen IPCs.

In 2466, the Cetian Conservatives under now President [[Notable_Humans#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] and Vice President Adalet Uysal defeated the BFMP in the Republic’s presidential election, marking the first change in administration in the Republic’s history. On their own the party is not able to achieve much, not controlling enough of the seats in the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople to rush through legislation despite holding the most. As such, the party is only capable of seeing legislature through when backed by at least one of the other significant parties, and which usually results in the Conservatives having to back the legislation of another party.

The party is headed by '''Adalet Uysal''', Vice President of the Republic of Biesel. Though President [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] won his presidential bid with the support of the Cetian Congress of Conservatives, he is not a member of the party on paper. They control a fluctuating '''38%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Biesellite Free Market Party====
The '''Biesellite Free Market Party''' is a corporatocratic party that advocates for a wholly deregulated, free market economy with ideally zero intervention by the state. It is generally regarded as a puppet party of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]].

The party seeks to foster an environment where the megacorporations can continue to prosper, and that market forces will shape the economy into what is demanded by the consumer. Under the BFMP, megacorporations have and would be encouraged to replace services typically provided by the state, ranging from basic utilities (water, power, etc.) to replacing all state welfare services through employment programmes. The party advocates for equal rights across the board for all recognised sapient species of the Spur — including oft-excluded [[vaurca]] — however, this is wholly transparently not altruistic and instead to bolster the workforce available to the megacorporations. For the same reasons, it is pro-immigration and lax on citizenship requirements.

The BFMP also takes an explicitly [[Biesel]]-first stance, prioritising the financial and cultural centre of the Republic of Biesel over the other planets and moons. The party has shown little interest in meaningfully tackling the problems experienced by other federal regions of the Republic, other than ensuring they too enshrine the corporatocratic and party values as [[Biesell] is eager to take on.

The party is a staunch advocate for the continued mass adoption of [[Phoron#Application_of_Phoron|phoronic technologies]], even in the face of the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]]. It has stated that the Republic of Biesel’s future relies upon and is determined by the continued exploitation of [[phoron]] by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], and that the megacorporation and state’s missions are one and the same in regard to the elusive element.

Historically, the BFMP has had a major influence on the Republic of Biesel, having been in power from its [[Tau_Ceti_History#NanoTrasen’s_Monopoly_and_Independence_(2410_-_2452)|independence]] in 2452 to 2466 when the party was finally ousted. It has been a strong supporter of the now defunct [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces#Tau_Ceti_Foreign_Legion_(2459—2463)|Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]] and was responsible for securing a number of deals between the armed forces and the [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra Hive]]. During power, it advanced the rights of many alien species, shaping the Republic of Biesel into the beacon of liberty in human space it is today. It is also, as a result of incalculable lobbying efforts from the megacorporations — particularly [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and, in more recent years, the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] — responsible for the level of integration and inter-reliance the megacorporations have within the Republic.

Since being voted out of power, the BFMP has been in a state of disarray, as it had never prepared to lose an election when it had the full support of the Spur’s megacorporations behind it. Naturally, it continues to receive heavy support from the megacorporations.

The party was formerly headed by former president [[Notable_Republic_Figures#Joseph_Dorn|Joseph Dorn]] who retired after his election defeat. It is now headed by '''Caroline Benkhoff''', a former [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] executive who has since changed career and entered Republic politics — shocker. They control a fluctuating '''16%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====The Egalitarian Coalition====
The '''Egalitarian Coalition''', or just ''Egalitarians'' (sometimes ''Republic Egalitarians'' to differentiate from other Spur parties), is an alien rights and equality single-issue party that seeks to improve the lot of non-human species in the Republic of Biesel.

The party focuses on the Republic’s tenets on multiculturalism, personal freedoms and individualism, and argues that previous governments have fallen short on these values by allowing non-human species within the Republic to disproportionately be subjected to discrimination and segregation to deprived areas. The Egalitarians seek to break up instances of segregation in the Republic, minimise state encroachment and violations on sentient liberties, and significantly increase social spending to deprived cities and regions of the Republic of Biesel (particularly in [[Mendell City]], [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], and the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]). It is entirely pro-alien and inclusive of species often excluded ([[IPC|IPCs]], [[vaurca]], [[diona]]). The party is pro-immigration and supportive of lax citizenship application routes where it concerns aliens, but has indicated it would limit asylum application from other human states (arguing humans have more options to seek safe asylum within compared to aliens), and is also for universal suffrage regardless of citizenship status.

An ambitious policy of the Egalitarian Coalition is that of outlawing the [[Vaurca Hives]] practice of creating and lobotomising [[Vaurca#The_Bound|Bound vaurca]] within Republic territories, who they argue — without lobotomisation — could have formed into Unbound instead. The creation of an unbound would be tantamount to inflicting grievous bodily harm, and bound would be covered under the same protections that unbound are — and so owning one would be tantamount to slavery. The party has not outlined any plans on how they would deal with Bound already active in the Republic.

The party has no significant stance towards the megacorporations or the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]], however has condemned the megacorporations which discriminate by species — so, all but [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] — and has acknowledged that the Phoron Scarcity disproportionately affects alien species within deprived cities and areas of the Republic.

The party has gained a large amount of publicity with a mandate goal that will see the Federal Republic of Biesel formally renamed to the Federal Republic of the Middle Spur — a name inclusive of all bodies and regions under the Republic. This alone has garnered the support of elder, non-Biesellite Republic citizens — [[New Gibson|New_Gibsonites]] especially — who remain resentful of the [[Biesel]]-first nature of the Republic and its name, though the name is still contested within the party. This has soured the party to some [[Biesel|Biesellites]] though, alienating a portion of their largest voting base.

The Egalitarian Coalition was formed recently in 2467 out of two regional parties that had struggled previously to field the resources to campaign on a Republic-wide level: the Progressive Party of Biesel and Egalitarian Coalition of Valkyrie. It is almost entirely reliant on the donations from organisations such as the [[The_Trinary_Perfection|Trinary Perfection church]] and [[The_Eternal|Eternal schools]], both of which holding large presences on [[Biesel]].

The party has a co-leadership structure, headed by both '''Montgomery''' and '''Harbinger of Peaceful Purposes''' — an [[IPC]] and [[diona]] respectively. Since combining their resources and planetary reputations, they now control a fluctuating '''23%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Cetian Social Democratic Front====
The '''Cetian Social Democratic Front (CSDF)''' is a New Gibsonite Social Democratic party that seems to balance the Republic’s capitalist values with a robust welfare state, as seen on [[New Gibson]].

The party endeavours to implement a series of policies that will regulate the Republic of Biesel’s economy, implement some anti-trust laws, and increase taxes targeting megacorporations and the wealthy so as to level the playing field in the Republic’s markets and to establish a welfare state. It has explicitly set out to break the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and constituent companies monopolies and party messaging often claims they have been allowed to progress too far, which has seen it gain the ire of the megacorporations. The CSDF has also advocated for significantly increasing public education and health & social care funding, allowing public schools and health & social care services to better compete alongside private services. The party should not be mistaken for left wing or socialist though, and their vision only sees the megacorporations regulated enough to allow competition with local corporations, services, and public bodies.

With a notable [[skrell]] influence, as is expected for a party out of [[New Gibson]] and one led by a [[New_Gibson#Xoikku|Xoikku]] skrell, the party has advocated for a [[Nralakk_Federation#Social_Compatibility_Index|Social Compatibility Index]]-like system to be implemented in the Republic, with a scaling universal income based on one’s degree of impoverishment and contribution to the Republic of Biesel. The party has also taken an anti-synthetic stance, seeking to halt any further emancipation or support of owned or non-citizen [[IPC|IPCs]], null the First Amendment that emancipated free IPCs and entitled them to citizenship and the rights thereof, bring back external IPC tagging at a national level, criminalise IPCs who do not clearly identify as such, and to decommission advanced AIs such as [[Notable_Synthetics#Huginn|Huginn]] and [[Notable_Synthetics#Aura|Aura]]. For all other species though, sans [[vaurca]] which they have remained silent on, the CSDF strongly advocates for equality, and putting in place strong anti-hate laws that prevent speech and actions that threaten the Republic’s diverse and multicultural environment.

Despite its progressive stances, the CSDF takes an anti-immigration stance. The party has stated that temporarily halting citizenship and asylum applications or severely toughening up the application process is necessary for the Republic to effectively handle the strain on its systems which now are exaggerated by the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]]. It is adamant that said anti-immigration stance is not a result of xenophobia.

Unlike all other parties, the CSDF is also explicitly anti-[[phoron]], believing phoron alternatives — such as [[Interstellar_Travel#Warp_Travel|warp drives]] and [[Einstein_Engines#Taipei_Engineering_Industrial|cryogenic engineering solutions]] — are vital to see the Republic of Biesel through the phoron scarcity. Yet another reason for the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and constituent companies to scorn the party. However, it has seen the party receive some support from [[Einstein Engines]].

Historically, the Cetian Social Democratic Front has always been hindered by scandals, [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Service Bureau]] investigations, and other obstacles set in place by the megacorporate establishment. However, since the election of Ake Torvald, the frequency of these have curiously ceased.

The party is headed by '''Zash Vi’tak'''. They control a fluctuating '''20%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Minor Parties====
'''Hadiist Party of Tau Ceti'''

The Hadiist Party of Tau Ceti is a Biesellite Hadiist party that seeks to apply [[Notable_Tajara#President_Njadrasanukii_Hadii|President Njadrasanukii Hadii]]’s teachings to the Republic of Biesel and its problems.

The party seeks to drastically expand the powers of the Republic’s executive branch, consolidating unlimited power in the president, through which the Hadiist teachings can be enacted with greater ease. These teachings include the establishment of a robust welfare state and equality for all species. It is against melting pot multiculturalism and instead advocates for the state to preserve and protect each species’ traditional values, and that they can exist alongside one another but not merging with one another — it somewhat differs from [[People%27s_Republic_of_Adhomai#Hadiism|Adhomian Hadiism]] in this regard, as it has abandoned the idea of creating a superculture. As a result of the [[Solarian Alliance]]’s stance on [[tajara]], the party also advocates for a strong defence budget.

Its current leader is Chairman '''Matvei Karakhan''', a [[People%27s_Republic_of_Adhomai|People's Republic of Adhomai]] migrant who also founded the party. They control a fluctuating '''3%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

'''Syndicated Union of Labourers (Banned)'''

The '''Syndicated Union of Labourers (SUL)''' is a radical syndicalist party that seeks to revolutionise the Republic of Biesel into a system of worker’s unions, as seen on [[Himeo]].

The party is the reaction to the Biesellite Free Market Party that has dominated the Republic’s politics since its independence. To this day and despite being banned, it campaigns for the immediate nationalisation of [[megacorporations|megacorporate]] holdings, the expansion of worker’s rights, and then ultimately the dissolution of the [[Republic of Biesel]] after the promotion of worker’s unions to the point they can replace the Republic. However, being the only socialist party to have ever gained significant traction, it often attracts those with their own ideas of syndicalism, or those who aren’t syndicalist at all and instead some other flavour of socialist, so it has forever been uncertain as to whether they would be as extreme in their actions as they say they are — or, if these campaign messages are [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Intelligence_Service|fabricated]].

Obtaining membership or associating with the SUL is a potentially criminal offence, one that is guaranteed to result in [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Service Bureau]] or CCIA investigation even if no charges or regulatory infractions are raised. Higher echelon members or those responsible for organising party events or membership drives are at risk of serious indictments, up to terrorism. '''You are at greater risk of losing your character should you play an SUL-affiliated person; discretion is advised.'''

== Economics ==
The Republic of Biesel is a market capital economy, described as having strong investments in resource extraction, agriculture, shipping and handling, and manufacturing. In reality, its economy is based on two things: phoron and trade. Exporting phoron, and acting as a trade hub for the rest of the Spur. Both of which are currently under threat due to the scarcity, and have resulted in [[Spurian Economy|economic instability]] within the Republic. Early in the Scarcity, its currency saw some devaluation; however, it has since bounced back as subsidies, the slashing of interest rates, and other monetary policies have managed to keep its economy technically growing slowly for now, but the rate of that growth is falling rapidly year over year. It maintains the '''Biesel Standard Credit''' (电/CR) as its official currency, with some segments of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone still utilizing the Solarian Standard Credit. It sees usage outside of the Republic, within the [[Izweski Nation|Izweski Hegemony]], who adopted it as their official currency following the collapse of the Solarian Alliance, and some sections of the [[Coalition of Colonies]] near the shared border, as well as the [[People's Republic of Adhomai]]. The BSC is available in electronic, bankcard and chip that have the symbol of a lit torch on them. Responsibility for the currency falls to the Central Biesel Banking Authority, which is located in District One of [[Mendell City]], where it cooperates closely with [[Idris Incorporated]] to form monetary policies. Similar to the Solarian Standard Credit, the BSC is a fiat currency.

While [[NanoTrasen]] is still the undisputed most powerful megacorporation within the Republic, the Republic is no longer exclusive to them. This was made clear by a daring move of [[Notable Humans#Noelle_Lopez-Zhang|Noelle Lopez-Zhang]], when [[Einstein Engines]] acquired NanoTrasen's holdings in the Biesellite city of [[Biesel|Phoenixport]]. When the government cooperates with Megacorporations, it cooperates with almost all member corporations of the [[SCC]] on somewhat equal terms. Still, for now [[NanoTrasen]] holds significant economic power within the Republic, given their stranglehold on one of the most important aspects of the economy, [[Phoron]]. Phoron has made [[Tau Ceti]] and the Republic as a whole one of the wealthiest nations in the Spur, and has been integral to its very identity. This is, of course, now threatened by scarcity - something that has put pressure on not only the entire country but on NanoTrasen specifically, [[Phoron|who tries their best to keep up the illusion that all is well]].

Biesel has a significant presence in the medical technology industry, owing to [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals|the agreement signed between Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and NanoTrasen a decade after the discovery of phoron]]. Its medical innovations spawned from this agreement include being the nation where dexalin and peridaxon were first synthesized.

== Culture and Demographics==
''See also: [[Biesellite Culture and Society]]''
<center>''“The people of Biesel could all collectively protest for a century. It still won’t change anything, because power in the Republic does not lie with people. It lies with corporations.”'' - Hugo Beasley, “A Himean In Mendell City”, released 2464</center>

Due to the [[Tau Ceti History | many events of the past decade]], the Republic of Biesel’s culture has drastically changed in recent years. They place emphasis on individual freedoms, inclusivity, and more recently, duty to uphold those previous two values. Originally a culture propped up by megacorporate entities, in the past decade's challenges, such as the [[KOTW|Second Solarian Invasion]], it is clear that the culture of the young nation [[Tau Ceti History|has come into its own in many ways]]. Still, Republic Citizens are on average largely pro-megacorporation and rather anti-Solarian; the latter sentiment only continuing to increase due to Solarian Actions.

=== Languages ===
Although Tau Ceti Basic has prospered as the official language of Biesel ever since its founding, it has undergone a significant amount of change thanks to the linguistic and cultural additions of the Republic’s many immigrants. Linguists have noted that the original Solarian-born tongue is highly susceptible to both human and alien pronunciation, making accents easy to detect. Due to its multicultural roots, though, little was done to interfere with its natural progression in schools and the general population — Biesel’s government continues to frequently tout Tau Ceti Basic’s many forms to this day. Many actors and singers are especially famous for embracing (or in more dishonest cases, emulating) foreign accents to reach new target audiences or for plain clout. Unsurprisingly, these differences are also used by politicians to tie their voters together or draw lines between them. ‘Pure’ Biesellite accents are mostly a mark of prestige used by diplomats and influential business workers, usually obtained naturally through being born into long-established immigrant families, gradually eschewing their former pronunciation as a result of distance.

A noticeable byproduct of this multiculturalism is the abundance of foreign slang used by a wide range of Biesellite citizens. Drawn from just about every corner of the Spur, these words and sayings are often thrown into sentences with little care for grammar, with alien immigrants especially finding it hard to let go of old customs. Humans, who generally have an easier time with Tau Ceti Basic, are known to pick these remnants up through living and working close to alien-dense districts. Truly bizarre combinations of dialects and slang emerge from these relationships, which tend to confuse completely foreign listeners, but are the beating heart of culture for urban Biesellites.

===Aliens in Tau Ceti===
''See also: [[Skrell_Abroad#Skrell_in_the_Republic_of_Biesel|Skrell in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Unathi_Abroad#Unathi_in_the_Republic_of_Biesel|Unathi in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Little Adhomai]], [[Zo'ra in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Minor_Dionae_Factions#The_Biesellian_Choir|The Biesellian Choir]]''

The Republic has among the most diverse and widespread populations of non-human species in the entire Orion Spur. From the district of [[Little Adhomai]] to the Zo'ra Hive's presence on [[Biesel]] and Caprice, Biesellite humans are no stranger to aliens in their streets. However districts primarily populated by aliens have a lower-than-average income than human-dominant districts, and are essentially ghettos. The condition and wealth divide in these districts is only continuing to worsen as the phoron rationing policies of Ake Torvald sees priority go towards wealthy neighborhoods. They look more run down than ever, as the crime rate has steadily been increasing and black markets begin to pop up more frequently. As a result, similarly to the human poor, [[TCAF|recruitment in the Tau Ceti Armed Forces has become particularly popular]].

===Synthetics in Tau Ceti===
''See also: [[IPCs in Biesel]]''

[[Biesel|Biesel]] is currently home to one of the largest populations of [[IPC|IPCs]] within the known galaxy. Although not yet entitled to the same rights as their fellow Bieselittes, the attitude towards IPCs, owned and unowned is generally regarded as the most progressive within the [[Sol Alliance#Inner Colonies|Inner Colonies]]. IPCs in the Republic are a common sight in urban areas such as [[Mendell City|Mendell City]] and Phoenixport. Such a degree of urbanisation can be attributed to the more developed infrastructure and available services required for the maintenance, housing and charging, as well as employment opportunities provided by the megacorporate presence.

==Military==
''See also: [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]]''

[[Image:Tcflposter.png|thumb|400px|A recruitment poster for the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.]]

The Republic of Biesel's sovereignty is currently protected by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, which were formed in 2465 in response to the long and difficult fight against insurgency in the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], replacing [[TCAF|their ineffective predecessors in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.]] An amendment to the [[Peacekeeper Mandate|People's Protection Act]] saw the creation of the TCAF, alongside the new branches of the Tau Ceti Minutemen (Army), Republican Fleets (Space Fleet), and the Corporate Auxiliary Forces (Corporate Paramilitaries). Since [[Tau Ceti History|President Torvald’s election]], the [[TCAF]] has seen it’s funding increase dramatically, and be prioritized for phoron after the president instituted soft-rationing, which has led the military to see a surge in recruitment numbers, while retaining access to some of the best technology and equipment available in the spur; enough to where by most estimates, they could put up a real fight against their current regional threat, the reconstituted [[Solarian Alliance]].

Non-citizens seeking citizenship in Tau Ceti can acquire it through service in the Armed Forces.

Their current operations extend as far as the borders of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, and generally drop off from there, except their previous involvement in the [[Tajaran_Military_Structures#The_S.27rend.27marr_Coalition|S'rend'marr Coalition]] at NanoTrasen’s request almost half a decade ago.

==Technology==

'''Phoronics:''' The Republic of Biesel's technological advancements are owed to the vast deposits of phoron in the Romanovich Cloud, and what would become the republic was the birthplace of the “Phoronic Revelotion” a technological revolution that followed the discovery of phoron for almost fifty years, and laid the foundations for the technology of the Spur to become what it is today. Even in the midst of the scarcity, Biesel still has some of the most advanced technology in the Spur thanks to its large supply of phoron - including a large supply of phoron WMDs and Phoron Warheads, planet killers and city killers respectively.

'''Robotics:''' The relative freedom of synthetics within Biesellite space has also inspired a great degree of research into refining and developing positronics. While many megacorporations still have primary positronic facilities in the Alliance, with some even purchasing Shell frames from [[Einstein Engines]], NanoTrasen and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals in particular have begun to invest in positronic and frame manufacturing plants on [[Valkyrie]], [[New Gibson]], and Reade.

'''Anomalies Studies:''' The Republic's other greatest scientific advancement is the study of the anomalous properties of bluespace. Xenoarchaeology and the study of Alden-Saraspova activity within the Romanovich Cloud is a well-established field in Tau Ceti, and many aspiring anomalists and bluespace researchers venture into Tau Ceti to study the high amount of anomalous items and artifacts that are unearthed within the Romanovich Cloud. Strangely, the rates of anomalous activity emanating from the Romanovich Cloud have steadily increased as phoron has been mined.

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Republic of Biesel

2026-07-23T19:57:37Z

Kermit: formatting hiccup

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{{Infobox Nations
|Nation = Federal Republic of Biesel
|Shortname = Biesel
|Flag = Republicofbieselflag.png
|Galatic Position = Position Biesel.png
|Capital City = Mendell City
|Capital Planet = [[Biesel]]
|Language = Tau Ceti Basic
|Species = Human (Majority)<br>[[Dionae]] (Minority)<br>[[IPC]] (Minority)<br>[[Skrell]] (Minority)<br>[[Tajara]] (Minority)<br>[[Unathi]] (Minority)<br>[[Vaurca]] (Minority)
|Religion = None
|Demonym = Biesellite, Republican
|Government = Federal Republic
|Head of State = President Ake Torvald
|Legislature = Congress
|Upper House = State Senate
|Lower House = Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople
|Established = May 5th 2452
}}

{{TOC Hidden}}

In the core worlds of Humanity’s power, built upon a center of [[phoron]] deposits and trade, the '''Federal Republic of Biesel''' is an independent state and considered the economic and social centre of the [[Orion Spur]]. The young Republic as it is known today came to be in 2452, and since its independence it has only grown stronger, its population flourishing, ignorant or uncaring as [[NanoTrasen]] maintained a vice grip over the Republic not only economically, but politically and socially as well.

However, in recent years, that is changing. The '''Phoron Scarcity''' has shaken the very foundations of the republic, not only in regards to NanoTrasen’s monopoly, but also the role it plays on the wider stage of the Orion Spur. Once only holding territory in Tau Ceti, today the Republic of Biesel extends across much of the formerly Solarian Middle and Outer Ring, reaching the new border of the massive [[Coalition of Colonies]], creating the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]. The Republic of Biesel's expansion into former Solarian territories was met with both applause and total rejection from its populace Combined with the mounting issues of the Phoron Scarcity, the CRZ would prove the final nail in the coffin for the Republic’s political establishment, which was shaken drastically in 2462. However, Tau Ceti remains one of the most populated systems in Human space, and easily the richest in the galaxy thanks to NanoTrasen, and now the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]].

== The Effects of the Phoron Scarcity ==
Nowhere is more intertwined with [[phoron]] than the Republic of Biesel. As one of only two nations in the entire Spur with phoron deposits, it has always had the largest phoron deposits and the largest phoron exports. For many, the Republic is the only source of phoron, as unlike the [[Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]], it exports beyond its borders. The Republic’s prosperity, place in the Spur, and technologies all came to be because of phoron and the influence of the [[NanoTrasen Corporation|company]] that extracted it.

As the primary system where commercial phoron mining occurs, [[Tau Ceti]] boasts the largest number of phoronic industries in the Spur. The sheer scale of the operation [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] created for mining and then processing phoron cannot be overstated — almost the entire planet of [[New Gibson]] is dedicated to the production of phoronic components. In 2460, around 23% of the population of the system had a job tied to the phoronics industry. [[Biesel]]’s economy and the livelihoods of its citizenry are dependent on phoron to retain their standards of living; it is the most “phoronised” system with the most advanced technology in the [[Orion Spur]]. With the [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] threatening the lifeblood of Biesel, fear, instability and doubt are on the rise, with concerns about the Republic’s future that almost came true come the [[KOTW|35th's invasion]]. Five years since the beginning of the Scarcity, the phoron industries of Tau Ceti are still humming along, but only growing quieter as facilities are gradually shuttered.

[[Notable_Humans#President_Ake_Torvald|President Torvald]] has enacted policies attempting to limit the damage of the situation, keeping the economy afloat. Interest rates have dropped to near zero, bills have been signed into law that give substantial subsidies to new facilities built that supply alternatives to phoron — a boon to [[Einstein Engines]] — but it’s only barely keeping the flood wall from breaking. More extremely, the Republic and its [[megacorporations]] have officially begun to ration phoron, with much of the phoron and its components reserved in the state’s strategic stockpiles. While this rationing has relieved the stress of the scarcity from many people, it has done so by transferring it onto others, due to its unequal nature. Less affluent neighbourhoods find their infrastructure allowed to age and fall apart, becoming unreliable; hardware stores and clinics supply older, non-phoronic wares that are a notable downgrade. More affluent neighbourhoods continue to have phoronic infrastructure maintained, if at much greater cost and sparingly where possible and, while still supplied with phoronic hardware, medicines, etc., the prices have soared.
Due to the unstable state of the Spur, the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] remains very high on the priority list for phoron allocations. [[Zavodskoi_Interstellar|Arms factories]] and [[Reade|military shipbuilding docks]] rarely have shortages; the fleets always have enough fluidic [[phoron]] for their [[Interstellar_Travel#Bluespace_Travel|bluespace drives]], and those within the enlisted ranks of the [[TCAF]] find themselves in as good a position as the middle class (one of the top reasons enlistment rates haven’t plummeted since the [[Peacekeeper Mandate]] saw opinions on the TCAF nosedive). President Torvald has promised these are temporary measures but, for now, there are no signs this will change.

Unemployment is at an all-time high, with sustainable jobs exceedingly rare and, as crime has skyrocketed, less affluent neighborhoods have changed massively over the past five years. More ghettos are cropping up, and places such as [[Mendell City]]’s [[Mendell City#District_6|District 6]], [[Mendell City#District_11|District 11]], and [[Mendell City#District_12|District 12]] look more run down than ever, deprioritised of phoronic infrastructure maintenance. Brownouts and blackouts are of frequent occurrences, as their phoronics based infrastructure (such as phoronic superconductive cabling) falls into disrepair or is unfitted for use elsewhere. It has a cruel similarity to the Alliance's abandonment of their outer worlds during the [[Sol_Alliance_History#2462-65:_The_Solarian_Civil_War|Collapse]]. Criminal organizations have filled in the vacuum, allowed to run the districts as they see fit, and be largely unbothered by law enforcement, who only interfere when any violence within these areas spills out into other, less dilapidated parts of the city; in which case the standard response has been to violently bludgeon it back into containment.

Phoron black markets and the smugglers who supply them have exploded within the Republic, and though they are not yet utilized by the population at large, their presence is steadily growing. Many have come to rely on them for everything from replacement [[Phoron#Applications_of_Phoron|phone/PDA-use SMES cells, to superconductive cabling, to phoronic medications]] — often stolen. Smuggling routes into [[Tau Ceti]] all lead to the tradeport moon of [[Valkyrie]], a nexus for criminal activity. Valkyrie has been hit especially hard by the economic slowdown experienced across the [[Orion Spur]], and its many port workers struggle to make ends meet; it is no surprise that a great many of them now participate in this smuggling activity. With these black marketers paying well for phoronic goods, petty theft of phoron-based equipment from the workplace has reached the top three reasons why an employee contract is terminated within Biesel, despite the unemployment crisis all but ensuring the fired employee will be unable to find another job.

As a result of the scarcity, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s power has waned. Where NanoTrasen once had almost complete control over the Republic's government by themselves, their influence has dropped to just ‘very strong’. Now, the other [[megacorporations]] flock like carrion birds, eager to claim what they can and emboldened to challenge the phoron giant. [[Notable_Humans#President_Ake_Torvald|President Torvald]] appears willing to exploit this, now giving an ear to all of the megacorporations jointly, where previously only NanoTrasen was afforded the privilege.

== Planets==
The Republic of Biesel has expanded greatly since the [[KOTW|Solarian Collapse]], moving from its home system of [[Tau Ceti]] to encompass what is now known as the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]].

[[File:Pixel Planet Biesel1.png|thumb|left|Biesel seen from orbit.]]
[[File:NewGibson weather.png|thumb|256px|left|A view of New Gibson.]]

=== [[Biesel]] ===
The capital of the Republic and its namesake, Biesel is where many [[megacorporations]] have moved their primary base of operations to after the Solarian Collapse and recession. Biesel's first colony was established in 2147; a comfortable and temperate planet, it proved a valuable location for agriculture and manufacturing, and after the [[Timeline|discovery of phoron in 2352]], proved a very valuable location for all sorts of phoronics work. Since then Biesel has become the most wealthy and influential planet in human space. Biesel previously had many smaller corporations, however since the discovery of Phoron, these have either been gradually bought out or undermined by the larger megacorporations; in the contemporary Spur they no longer exist. Despite recent setbacks, [[NanoTrasen]] and its subsidiaries account for the majority of economic activity in Biesel and Tau Ceti today - though continue to slip lower.

===[[Valkyrie]]===
The moon of Biesel, the Commonwealth of Valkyrie, is a member-state of the Republic that contributes strongly to its economy through its status as a major shipping and trade port. Goods from all over the Spur, legal and illegal, can be found in the twisting streets of Valkyrie, and it acts as a layover for many tourist vessels and trade ships moving across the galaxy. Since the beginning of the scarcity it has also quickly become a hub for smuggler's as corruption runs rife throughout its ports.

===[[New Gibson]]===
New Gibson is the second exoplanet to be colonized by humanity, shortly after the initial success of Biesel's colonization attempt in 2147. It is the industrial workhorse of the Tau Ceti system, containing a rich and valuable resource pool with the highest concentrations of many valuable minerals of any planetary surface in Tau Ceti. While New Gibson has a complex dedicated to virtually all industries, its major players are shipbuilding and wide-ranging manufacturing adjacent to its titanic planetary mines. In the cavernous pitfalls and valleys of New Gibson resides both its thriving mining economy and its greatest dangers. Unlike its bigger brother Biesel, New Gibson hosts very few phoronics specific facilities like refineries and compounding factories - though it still uses immense amounts of phoron in its more regular industries, as they wish to create goods up to the 2400s standard of technology.

===[[Mictlan]]===
Formerly a Solarian colony, Mictlan had become integral to the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s plans for expanding its influence within the unstable region of the Orion Spur. However, violence followed the sudden shift to the Republic of Biesel, with deserters, terrorists, and paramilitaries taking up arms to forcefully push back against the perceived corporate occupation of their planet, eventually resulting in military intervention by the Republic of Biesel, as they instituted the Peacekeeper Mandate to begin to restore order.

After a protracted occupation by the Tau Ceti Armed forces, including a guerilla war between against the ex-Mictlani Defense Force run Samaritans (a paramilitary group) and a protracted anti-terrorist campaign against the Founding Movement (a political movement that turned towards violent extremism and terrorist tactics), in late 2465, after the leader of the founding movement was found lynched and the Republic Forces negotiated a surrender with the Samaritans following rising public unrest within Tau Ceti, [[Hasta La Victoria Siempre Arc|Mictlan eventually managed to secure its status as an independent member-state within the Republic]], and now sets it's own terms with the corporations. They have not left in their entirety, merely been somewhat restricted in their activity, and stratification and corporate influence still separates much of the population. Mictlan is the sight of the worst disparity of phoron rationing, with the corporate upper classes getting almost all of the allocated phoron and the anti-corporate lower classes getting little to none of it.

===[[Port Antillia]]===

A very recently settled planet, Port Antillia had great ambitions of being a vital port between the Jewel Worlds and the [[Republic of Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]]. Due to its novel colonisation, it faced severe struggles, which were exacerbated by frequent natural disasters. Ultimately, this resulted in its early collapse, only really seeing itself somewhat stabilised nearly a century later. It has its roots within the nations which formed the Caribbean Federation, who found themselves facing extinction from the ecological crisis that Earth endured.

Despite millions becoming part of the colonisation effort, no one truly knew the dangers present on Port Antillia. Due to its relative youth on the cosmic scale, the planet experiences earthquakes rather frequently, which produce tsunamis that pose a threat to cities that dot the coasts of Port Antillia. Additionally, volcanic activity is yet another persistent danger with some of the largest eruptions across the inhabited parts of Orion Spur being registered to the planet. Many of the major population centres are equipped to deal with these problems, but there are still minor settlements that have to contend with the hostile geological activity of the planet, with most residents having accepted that they are simply a part of life on Port Antillia.

===[[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]===
Formerly Solarian space, the Corporate Reconstruction Zone is the name for all systems occupied by the Republic of Biesel that are not within [[Tau Ceti]]'s gravity well. These were occupied during the [[KING OF THE WORLD| King of the World]] arc and its finale, and after the Solarian Alliance retracted all necessary support to them. Essentially, the Alliance cut these colonies' lifelines off, and only the Republic would step up to fill the void.

== Politics and Government ==
The Federal Republic of Biesel is a '''federal democracy''' that is committed to ensuring the dignity and basic rights of all that make up the Republic, as laid out in the Constitution. It is composed of 5 member states.

The Republic has a bicameral legislative branch, with a '''Republican Congress''' divided into an upper and lower chamber. The upper chamber, the '''State Senate''', is responsible for, in addition to legislature, treaties, the appointment of senior civil and judicial roles, and trying and convicting the impeachment of senior civil servants. It is composed of 10 representatives of each member state of the Republic holding terms of five years, for a total of only 50 senators, and so represents more long-term visions. The lower chamber, the '''Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople''', is responsible for, in addition to legislature, financial bills and triggering impeachments. It is composed of 800 seats which are filled by directly elected representatives of smaller voting divisions. Both chambers together share war powers.

The [[Republic Law|judicial branch]] of the Republic is dual jurisdictional, split between private law (civil and criminal) and public law (administrative and constitutional). Each jurisdiction has an apex court: the '''Council of State''', which is the highest court in private law; the '''Supreme Court of Cassation''', which is the highest court in public law. The latter of which is the judicial check on both the legislative and executive’s authority, and has a role ensuring the constitutionality of any legislation either during its formation or prior to it being assented by the President.

The executive branch is composed of the president and the various administrative departments that assist the presidency in running the government and implementing policies in the best interest of the citizens. Currently, [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] is the President of the Republic of Biesel.

For the most part, the Republic is very hands off as a result of historical scars over the [[Solarian Alliance]]’s strong governance of [[Tau Ceti]] and a byproduct of its laissez-faire capitalist approaches, with its major responsibilities only being that of: 1) promoting the Republic’s core values of freedom, individualism, multiculturalism, 2) ensuring the Republic’s sovereignty and security against those which would do harm to these values. While many federal laws are in place, it is ultimately left to local governments as to their finer interpretation, application, and enforcement. Consequently, the Republic relies heavily on the [[megacorporations]] for many functions, from private megacorporate [[Republic Education|education]] and health & social care that runs parallel to local state schooling — many of these gaps are filled in by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], due to their historic dominance over [[Tau Ceti]], but other megacorporations have been beginning to carve out their own portions of these sectors.

=== Political Parties and Ideologies ===

====Cetian Congress of Conservatives====
The Cetian Congress of Conservatives is a Cetian Conservative party that seeks to uphold and ''defend'' the [[Biesellite_Culture_and_Society#Societal_Attitudes|traditional values]] of the Republic of Biesel against a perceived threat.

The party stands for transforming the Republic from a peaceful, economic hegemon that influences the Spur with its prosperity, abundance of [[phoron]], and connections with the megacorporations, and instead one that has a strong military and is able to stand and defend itself. Defence spending and ensuring the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] is best fit to repel a military incursion is the priority for the party, even if at the detriment of spending elsewhere. It advocates for increased federalism and devolving the powers held by the Republic of Biesel’s federal government to those of its planetary and regional governments, and staying hands-off in regional matters. The party is pro-immigration, on the basis that immigrants are a key component of the TCAF’s Foreign Legions, however has advocated for tougher citizenship restrictions where other citizenship application routes are taken and also the tough prosecution and potential deportation (or pressing into TCAF service) of immigrants who criminally offend.

The Cetian Conservatives’ economic policy would see changes to ensure the federal republic is capable of some economic intervention to ensure competition between the megacorporations remains competitive, however has not meaningfully laid out any plans to achieve such. The party does not wish to limit the power of said megacorporations to empower smaller or regional corporations to compete with the giants. The party has delivered mixed messaging when it comes to the Republic’s reliance on [[phoron]], with party members offering differing views on solutions to the [[phoron|Phoron Scarcity]], however the party has seen a number of [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|phoron rationing policies]] enacted to ensure what phoron stockpiles do remain are distributed where best seen fit.

The party’s social policies largely focus on increasing participation in the military. The party has long advocated for national service (including military) for citizens between 16—18, alternative criminal sentencing resulting in mandatory national service, and similar. A significant amount of spending on service members and veterans of the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] is also advocated for, ensuring those doing or who have done their service are well-compensated (and to incentivise those to join the TCAF).

While the Cetian Conservative party espouses multiculturalism as one of the Republic of Biesel’s traditional values, the party has wavered when it comes to the rights of more alien species, such as [[vaurca]] and [[diona]]. Party members often raise into question the sapience of these species, whether they are able to positively contribute to Republic culture and society, or some other mitigating factor based in speciesist belief. While significant progress has been made in advancing the rights since the Republic’s independence, the Cetian Conservatives have begun to walk back certain policies brought in by the Biesellite Free Market Party — notably, voting restrictions on bound vaurcae were established in the [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/16330-tau-ceti-times/page/3/#findComment-175624 Electoral Integrity Act]. Legislation that sought to wholly emancipate owned [[IPCs]] or provide better opportunities to free, non-citizen IPCs has also been repeatedly quashed, with the Conservatives unwilling to commit to universal IPC emancipation or supporting non-citizen IPCs.

In 2466, the Cetian Conservatives under now President [[Notable_Humans#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] and Vice President Adalet Uysal defeated the BFMP in the Republic’s presidential election, marking the first change in administration in the Republic’s history. On their own the party is not able to achieve much, not controlling enough of the seats in the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople to rush through legislation despite holding the most. As such, the party is only capable of seeing legislature through when backed by at least one of the other significant parties, and which usually results in the Conservatives having to back the legislation of another party.

The party is headed by '''Adalet Uysal''', Vice President of the Republic of Biesel. Though President [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] won his presidential bid with the support of the Cetian Congress of Conservatives, he is not a member of the party on paper. They control a fluctuating '''38%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Biesellite Free Market Party====
The '''Biesellite Free Market Party''' is a corporatocratic party that advocates for a wholly deregulated, free market economy with ideally zero intervention by the state. It is generally regarded as a puppet party of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]].

The party seeks to foster an environment where the megacorporations can continue to prosper, and that market forces will shape the economy into what is demanded by the consumer. Under the BFMP, megacorporations have and would be encouraged to replace services typically provided by the state, ranging from basic utilities (water, power, etc.) to replacing all state welfare services through employment programmes. The party advocates for equal rights across the board for all recognised sapient species of the Spur — including oft-excluded [[vaurca]] — however, this is wholly transparently not altruistic and instead to bolster the workforce available to the megacorporations. For the same reasons, it is pro-immigration and lax on citizenship requirements.

The BFMP also takes an explicitly [[Biesel]]-first stance, prioritising the financial and cultural centre of the Republic of Biesel over the other planets and moons. The party has shown little interest in meaningfully tackling the problems experienced by other federal regions of the Republic, other than ensuring they too enshrine the corporatocratic and party values as [[Biesell] is eager to take on.

The party is a staunch advocate for the continued mass adoption of [[Phoron#Application_of_Phoron|phoronic technologies]], even in the face of the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]]. It has stated that the Republic of Biesel’s future relies upon and is determined by the continued exploitation of [[phoron]] by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], and that the megacorporation and state’s missions are one and the same in regard to the elusive element.

Historically, the BFMP has had a major influence on the Republic of Biesel, having been in power from its [[Tau_Ceti_History#NanoTrasen’s_Monopoly_and_Independence_(2410_-_2452)|independence]] in 2452 to 2466 when the party was finally ousted. It has been a strong supporter of the now defunct [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces#Tau_Ceti_Foreign_Legion_(2459—2463)|Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]] and was responsible for securing a number of deals between the armed forces and the [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra Hive]]. During power, it advanced the rights of many alien species, shaping the Republic of Biesel into the beacon of liberty in human space it is today. It is also, as a result of incalculable lobbying efforts from the megacorporations — particularly [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and, in more recent years, the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] — responsible for the level of integration and inter-reliance the megacorporations have within the Republic.

Since being voted out of power, the BFMP has been in a state of disarray, as it had never prepared to lose an election when it had the full support of the Spur’s megacorporations behind it. Naturally, it continues to receive heavy support from the megacorporations.

The party was formerly headed by former president [[Notable_Republic_Figures#Joseph_Dorn|Joseph Dorn]] who retired after his election defeat. It is now headed by '''Caroline Benkhoff''', a former [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] executive who has since changed career and entered Republic politics — shocker. They control a fluctuating '''16%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====The Egalitarian Coalition====
The '''Egalitarian Coalition''', or just ''Egalitarians'' (sometimes ''Republic Egalitarians'' to differentiate from other Spur parties), is an alien rights and equality single-issue party that seeks to improve the lot of non-human species in the Republic of Biesel.

The party focuses on the Republic’s tenets on multiculturalism, personal freedoms and individualism, and argues that previous governments have fallen short on these values by allowing non-human species within the Republic to disproportionately be subjected to discrimination and segregation to deprived areas. The Egalitarians seek to break up instances of segregation in the Republic, minimise state encroachment and violations on sentient liberties, and significantly increase social spending to deprived cities and regions of the Republic of Biesel (particularly in [[Mendell City]], [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], and the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]). It is entirely pro-alien and inclusive of species often excluded ([[IPC|IPCs]], [[vaurca]], [[diona]]). The party is pro-immigration and supportive of lax citizenship application routes where it concerns aliens, but has indicated it would limit asylum application from other human states (arguing humans have more options to seek safe asylum within compared to aliens), and is also for universal suffrage regardless of citizenship status.

An ambitious policy of the Egalitarian Coalition is that of outlawing the [[Vaurca Hives]] practice of creating and lobotomising [[Vaurca#The_Bound|Bound vaurca]] within Republic territories, who they argue — without lobotomisation — could have formed into Unbound instead. The creation of an unbound would be tantamount to inflicting grievous bodily harm, and bound would be covered under the same protections that unbound are — and so owning one would be tantamount to slavery. The party has not outlined any plans on how they would deal with Bound already active in the Republic.

The party has no significant stance towards the megacorporations or the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]], however has condemned the megacorporations which discriminate by species — so, all but [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] — and has acknowledged that the Phoron Scarcity disproportionately affects alien species within deprived cities and areas of the Republic.

The party has gained a large amount of publicity with a mandate goal that will see the Federal Republic of Biesel formally renamed to the Federal Republic of the Middle Spur — a name inclusive of all bodies and regions under the Republic. This alone has garnered the support of elder, non-Biesellite Republic citizens — [[New Gibson|New_Gibsonites]] especially — who remain resentful of the [[Biesel]]-first nature of the Republic and its name, though the name is still contested within the party. This has soured the party to some [[Biesel|Biesellites]] though, alienating a portion of their largest voting base.

The Egalitarian Coalition was formed recently in 2467 out of two regional parties that had struggled previously to field the resources to campaign on a Republic-wide level: the Progressive Party of Biesel and Egalitarian Coalition of Valkyrie. It is almost entirely reliant on the donations from organisations such as the [[The_Trinary_Perfection|Trinary Perfection church]] and [[The_Eternal|Eternal schools]], both of which holding large presences on [[Biesel]].

The party has a co-leadership structure, headed by both '''Montgomery''' and '''Harbinger of Peaceful Purposes''' — an [[IPC]] and [[diona]] respectively. Since combining their resources and planetary reputations, they now control a fluctuating '''23%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Cetian Social Democratic Front====
The '''Cetian Social Democratic Front (CSDF)''' is a New Gibsonite Social Democratic party that seems to balance the Republic’s capitalist values with a robust welfare state, as seen on [[New Gibson]].

The party endeavours to implement a series of policies that will regulate the Republic of Biesel’s economy, implement some anti-trust laws, and increase taxes targeting megacorporations and the wealthy so as to level the playing field in the Republic’s markets and to establish a welfare state. It has explicitly set out to break the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and constituent companies monopolies and party messaging often claims they have been allowed to progress too far, which has seen it gain the ire of the megacorporations. The CSDF has also advocated for significantly increasing public education and health & social care funding, allowing public schools and health & social care services to better compete alongside private services. The party should not be mistaken for left wing or socialist though, and their vision only sees the megacorporations regulated enough to allow competition with local corporations, services, and public bodies.

With a notable [[skrell]] influence, as is expected for a party out of [[New Gibson]] and one led by a [[New_Gibson#Xoikku|Xoikku]] skrell, the party has advocated for a [[Nralakk_Federation#Social_Compatibility_Index|Social Compatibility Index]]-like system to be implemented in the Republic, with a scaling universal income based on one’s degree of impoverishment and contribution to the Republic of Biesel. The party has also taken an anti-synthetic stance, seeking to halt any further emancipation or support of owned or non-citizen [[IPC|IPCs]], null the First Amendment that emancipated free IPCs and entitled them to citizenship and the rights thereof, bring back external IPC tagging at a national level, criminalise IPCs who do not clearly identify as such, and to decommission advanced AIs such as [[Notable_Synthetic#Huginn|Huginn]] and [[Notable_Synthetic#Aura|Aura]]. For all other species though, sans [[vaurca]] which they have remained silent on, the CSDF strongly advocates for equality, and putting in place strong anti-hate laws that prevent speech and actions that threaten the Republic’s diverse and multicultural environment.

Despite its progressive stances, the CSDF takes an anti-immigration stance. The party has stated that temporarily halting citizenship and asylum applications or severely toughening up the application process is necessary for the Republic to effectively handle the strain on its systems which now are exaggerated by the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]]. It is adamant that said anti-immigration stance is not a result of xenophobia.

Unlike all other parties, the CSDF is also explicitly anti-[[phoron]], believing phoron alternatives — such as [[Interstellar_Travel#Warp_Travel|warp drives]] and [[Einstein_Engines#Taipei_Engineering_Industrial|cryogenic engineering solutions]] — are vital to see the Republic of Biesel through the phoron scarcity. Yet another reason for the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and constituent companies to scorn the party. However, it has seen the party receive some support from [[Einstein Engines]].

Historically, the Cetian Social Democratic Front has always been hindered by scandals, [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Service Bureau]] investigations, and other obstacles set in place by the megacorporate establishment. However, since the election of Ake Torvald, the frequency of these have curiously ceased.

The party is headed by '''Zash Vi’tak'''. They control a fluctuating '''20%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Minor Parties====
'''Hadiist Party of Tau Ceti'''

The Hadiist Party of Tau Ceti is a Biesellite Hadiist party that seeks to apply [[Notable_Tajara#President_Njadrasanukii_Hadii|President Njadrasanukii Hadii]]’s teachings to the Republic of Biesel and its problems.

The party seeks to drastically expand the powers of the Republic’s executive branch, consolidating unlimited power in the president, through which the Hadiist teachings can be enacted with greater ease. These teachings include the establishment of a robust welfare state and equality for all species. It is against melting pot multiculturalism and instead advocates for the state to preserve and protect each species’ traditional values, and that they can exist alongside one another but not merging with one another — it somewhat differs from [[People%27s_Republic_of_Adhomai#Hadiism|Adhomian Hadiism]] in this regard, as it has abandoned the idea of creating a superculture. As a result of the [[Solarian Alliance]]’s stance on [[tajara]], the party also advocates for a strong defence budget.

Its current leader is Chairman '''Matvei Karakhan''', a [[People%27s_Republic_of_Adhomai|People's Republic of Adhomai]] migrant who also founded the party. They control a fluctuating '''3%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

'''Syndicated Union of Labourers (Banned)'''

The '''Syndicated Union of Labourers (SUL)''' is a radical syndicalist party that seeks to revolutionise the Republic of Biesel into a system of worker’s unions, as seen on [[Himeo]].

The party is the reaction to the Biesellite Free Market Party that has dominated the Republic’s politics since its independence. To this day and despite being banned, it campaigns for the immediate nationalisation of [[megacorporations|megacorporate]] holdings, the expansion of worker’s rights, and then ultimately the dissolution of the [[Republic of Biesel]] after the promotion of worker’s unions to the point they can replace the Republic. However, being the only socialist party to have ever gained significant traction, it often attracts those with their own ideas of syndicalism, or those who aren’t syndicalist at all and instead some other flavour of socialist, so it has forever been uncertain as to whether they would be as extreme in their actions as they say they are — or, if these campaign messages are [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Intelligence_Service|fabricated]].

Obtaining membership or associating with the SUL is a potentially criminal offence, one that is guaranteed to result in [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Service Bureau]] or CCIA investigation even if no charges or regulatory infractions are raised. Higher echelon members or those responsible for organising party events or membership drives are at risk of serious indictments, up to terrorism. '''You are at greater risk of losing your character should you play an SUL-affiliated person; discretion is advised.'''

== Economics ==
The Republic of Biesel is a market capital economy, described as having strong investments in resource extraction, agriculture, shipping and handling, and manufacturing. In reality, its economy is based on two things: phoron and trade. Exporting phoron, and acting as a trade hub for the rest of the Spur. Both of which are currently under threat due to the scarcity, and have resulted in [[Spurian Economy|economic instability]] within the Republic. Early in the Scarcity, its currency saw some devaluation; however, it has since bounced back as subsidies, the slashing of interest rates, and other monetary policies have managed to keep its economy technically growing slowly for now, but the rate of that growth is falling rapidly year over year. It maintains the '''Biesel Standard Credit''' (电/CR) as its official currency, with some segments of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone still utilizing the Solarian Standard Credit. It sees usage outside of the Republic, within the [[Izweski Nation|Izweski Hegemony]], who adopted it as their official currency following the collapse of the Solarian Alliance, and some sections of the [[Coalition of Colonies]] near the shared border, as well as the [[People's Republic of Adhomai]]. The BSC is available in electronic, bankcard and chip that have the symbol of a lit torch on them. Responsibility for the currency falls to the Central Biesel Banking Authority, which is located in District One of [[Mendell City]], where it cooperates closely with [[Idris Incorporated]] to form monetary policies. Similar to the Solarian Standard Credit, the BSC is a fiat currency.

While [[NanoTrasen]] is still the undisputed most powerful megacorporation within the Republic, the Republic is no longer exclusive to them. This was made clear by a daring move of [[Notable Humans#Noelle_Lopez-Zhang|Noelle Lopez-Zhang]], when [[Einstein Engines]] acquired NanoTrasen's holdings in the Biesellite city of [[Biesel|Phoenixport]]. When the government cooperates with Megacorporations, it cooperates with almost all member corporations of the [[SCC]] on somewhat equal terms. Still, for now [[NanoTrasen]] holds significant economic power within the Republic, given their stranglehold on one of the most important aspects of the economy, [[Phoron]]. Phoron has made [[Tau Ceti]] and the Republic as a whole one of the wealthiest nations in the Spur, and has been integral to its very identity. This is, of course, now threatened by scarcity - something that has put pressure on not only the entire country but on NanoTrasen specifically, [[Phoron|who tries their best to keep up the illusion that all is well]].

Biesel has a significant presence in the medical technology industry, owing to [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals|the agreement signed between Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and NanoTrasen a decade after the discovery of phoron]]. Its medical innovations spawned from this agreement include being the nation where dexalin and peridaxon were first synthesized.

== Culture and Demographics==
''See also: [[Biesellite Culture and Society]]''
<center>''“The people of Biesel could all collectively protest for a century. It still won’t change anything, because power in the Republic does not lie with people. It lies with corporations.”'' - Hugo Beasley, “A Himean In Mendell City”, released 2464</center>

Due to the [[Tau Ceti History | many events of the past decade]], the Republic of Biesel’s culture has drastically changed in recent years. They place emphasis on individual freedoms, inclusivity, and more recently, duty to uphold those previous two values. Originally a culture propped up by megacorporate entities, in the past decade's challenges, such as the [[KOTW|Second Solarian Invasion]], it is clear that the culture of the young nation [[Tau Ceti History|has come into its own in many ways]]. Still, Republic Citizens are on average largely pro-megacorporation and rather anti-Solarian; the latter sentiment only continuing to increase due to Solarian Actions.

=== Languages ===
Although Tau Ceti Basic has prospered as the official language of Biesel ever since its founding, it has undergone a significant amount of change thanks to the linguistic and cultural additions of the Republic’s many immigrants. Linguists have noted that the original Solarian-born tongue is highly susceptible to both human and alien pronunciation, making accents easy to detect. Due to its multicultural roots, though, little was done to interfere with its natural progression in schools and the general population — Biesel’s government continues to frequently tout Tau Ceti Basic’s many forms to this day. Many actors and singers are especially famous for embracing (or in more dishonest cases, emulating) foreign accents to reach new target audiences or for plain clout. Unsurprisingly, these differences are also used by politicians to tie their voters together or draw lines between them. ‘Pure’ Biesellite accents are mostly a mark of prestige used by diplomats and influential business workers, usually obtained naturally through being born into long-established immigrant families, gradually eschewing their former pronunciation as a result of distance.

A noticeable byproduct of this multiculturalism is the abundance of foreign slang used by a wide range of Biesellite citizens. Drawn from just about every corner of the Spur, these words and sayings are often thrown into sentences with little care for grammar, with alien immigrants especially finding it hard to let go of old customs. Humans, who generally have an easier time with Tau Ceti Basic, are known to pick these remnants up through living and working close to alien-dense districts. Truly bizarre combinations of dialects and slang emerge from these relationships, which tend to confuse completely foreign listeners, but are the beating heart of culture for urban Biesellites.

===Aliens in Tau Ceti===
''See also: [[Skrell_Abroad#Skrell_in_the_Republic_of_Biesel|Skrell in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Unathi_Abroad#Unathi_in_the_Republic_of_Biesel|Unathi in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Little Adhomai]], [[Zo'ra in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Minor_Dionae_Factions#The_Biesellian_Choir|The Biesellian Choir]]''

The Republic has among the most diverse and widespread populations of non-human species in the entire Orion Spur. From the district of [[Little Adhomai]] to the Zo'ra Hive's presence on [[Biesel]] and Caprice, Biesellite humans are no stranger to aliens in their streets. However districts primarily populated by aliens have a lower-than-average income than human-dominant districts, and are essentially ghettos. The condition and wealth divide in these districts is only continuing to worsen as the phoron rationing policies of Ake Torvald sees priority go towards wealthy neighborhoods. They look more run down than ever, as the crime rate has steadily been increasing and black markets begin to pop up more frequently. As a result, similarly to the human poor, [[TCAF|recruitment in the Tau Ceti Armed Forces has become particularly popular]].

===Synthetics in Tau Ceti===
''See also: [[IPCs in Biesel]]''

[[Biesel|Biesel]] is currently home to one of the largest populations of [[IPC|IPCs]] within the known galaxy. Although not yet entitled to the same rights as their fellow Bieselittes, the attitude towards IPCs, owned and unowned is generally regarded as the most progressive within the [[Sol Alliance#Inner Colonies|Inner Colonies]]. IPCs in the Republic are a common sight in urban areas such as [[Mendell City|Mendell City]] and Phoenixport. Such a degree of urbanisation can be attributed to the more developed infrastructure and available services required for the maintenance, housing and charging, as well as employment opportunities provided by the megacorporate presence.

==Military==
''See also: [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]]''

[[Image:Tcflposter.png|thumb|400px|A recruitment poster for the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.]]

The Republic of Biesel's sovereignty is currently protected by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, which were formed in 2465 in response to the long and difficult fight against insurgency in the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], replacing [[TCAF|their ineffective predecessors in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.]] An amendment to the [[Peacekeeper Mandate|People's Protection Act]] saw the creation of the TCAF, alongside the new branches of the Tau Ceti Minutemen (Army), Republican Fleets (Space Fleet), and the Corporate Auxiliary Forces (Corporate Paramilitaries). Since [[Tau Ceti History|President Torvald’s election]], the [[TCAF]] has seen it’s funding increase dramatically, and be prioritized for phoron after the president instituted soft-rationing, which has led the military to see a surge in recruitment numbers, while retaining access to some of the best technology and equipment available in the spur; enough to where by most estimates, they could put up a real fight against their current regional threat, the reconstituted [[Solarian Alliance]].

Non-citizens seeking citizenship in Tau Ceti can acquire it through service in the Armed Forces.

Their current operations extend as far as the borders of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, and generally drop off from there, except their previous involvement in the [[Tajaran_Military_Structures#The_S.27rend.27marr_Coalition|S'rend'marr Coalition]] at NanoTrasen’s request almost half a decade ago.

==Technology==

'''Phoronics:''' The Republic of Biesel's technological advancements are owed to the vast deposits of phoron in the Romanovich Cloud, and what would become the republic was the birthplace of the “Phoronic Revelotion” a technological revolution that followed the discovery of phoron for almost fifty years, and laid the foundations for the technology of the Spur to become what it is today. Even in the midst of the scarcity, Biesel still has some of the most advanced technology in the Spur thanks to its large supply of phoron - including a large supply of phoron WMDs and Phoron Warheads, planet killers and city killers respectively.

'''Robotics:''' The relative freedom of synthetics within Biesellite space has also inspired a great degree of research into refining and developing positronics. While many megacorporations still have primary positronic facilities in the Alliance, with some even purchasing Shell frames from [[Einstein Engines]], NanoTrasen and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals in particular have begun to invest in positronic and frame manufacturing plants on [[Valkyrie]], [[New Gibson]], and Reade.

'''Anomalies Studies:''' The Republic's other greatest scientific advancement is the study of the anomalous properties of bluespace. Xenoarchaeology and the study of Alden-Saraspova activity within the Romanovich Cloud is a well-established field in Tau Ceti, and many aspiring anomalists and bluespace researchers venture into Tau Ceti to study the high amount of anomalous items and artifacts that are unearthed within the Romanovich Cloud. Strangely, the rates of anomalous activity emanating from the Romanovich Cloud have steadily increased as phoron has been mined.

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Republic of Biesel

2026-07-23T19:33:01Z

Kermit:

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{{Infobox Nations
|Nation = Federal Republic of Biesel
|Shortname = Biesel
|Flag = Republicofbieselflag.png
|Galatic Position = Position Biesel.png
|Capital City = Mendell City
|Capital Planet = [[Biesel]]
|Language = Tau Ceti Basic
|Species = Human (Majority)<br>[[Dionae]] (Minority)<br>[[IPC]] (Minority)<br>[[Skrell]] (Minority)<br>[[Tajara]] (Minority)<br>[[Unathi]] (Minority)<br>[[Vaurca]] (Minority)
|Religion = None
|Demonym = Biesellite, Republican
|Government = Federal Republic
|Head of State = President Ake Torvald
|Legislature = Congress
|Upper House = State Senate
|Lower House = Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople
|Established = May 5th 2452
}}

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In the core worlds of Humanity’s power, built upon a center of [[phoron]] deposits and trade, the '''Federal Republic of Biesel''' is an independent state and considered the economic and social centre of the [[Orion Spur]]. The young Republic as it is known today came to be in 2452, and since its independence it has only grown stronger, its population flourishing, ignorant or uncaring as [[NanoTrasen]] maintained a vice grip over the Republic not only economically, but politically and socially as well.

However, in recent years, that is changing. The '''Phoron Scarcity''' has shaken the very foundations of the republic, not only in regards to NanoTrasen’s monopoly, but also the role it plays on the wider stage of the Orion Spur. Once only holding territory in Tau Ceti, today the Republic of Biesel extends across much of the formerly Solarian Middle and Outer Ring, reaching the new border of the massive [[Coalition of Colonies]], creating the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]. The Republic of Biesel's expansion into former Solarian territories was met with both applause and total rejection from its populace Combined with the mounting issues of the Phoron Scarcity, the CRZ would prove the final nail in the coffin for the Republic’s political establishment, which was shaken drastically in 2462. However, Tau Ceti remains one of the most populated systems in Human space, and easily the richest in the galaxy thanks to NanoTrasen, and now the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]].

== The Effects of the Phoron Scarcity ==
Nowhere is more intertwined with [[phoron]] than the Republic of Biesel. As one of only two nations in the entire Spur with phoron deposits, it has always had the largest phoron deposits and the largest phoron exports. For many, the Republic is the only source of phoron, as unlike the [[Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]], it exports beyond its borders. The Republic’s prosperity, place in the Spur, and technologies all came to be because of phoron and the influence of the [[NanoTrasen Corporation|company]] that extracted it.

As the primary system where commercial phoron mining occurs, [[Tau Ceti]] boasts the largest number of phoronic industries in the Spur. The sheer scale of the operation [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] created for mining and then processing phoron cannot be overstated — almost the entire planet of [[New Gibson]] is dedicated to the production of phoronic components. In 2460, around 23% of the population of the system had a job tied to the phoronics industry. [[Biesel]]’s economy and the livelihoods of its citizenry are dependent on phoron to retain their standards of living; it is the most “phoronised” system with the most advanced technology in the [[Orion Spur]]. With the [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] threatening the lifeblood of Biesel, fear, instability and doubt are on the rise, with concerns about the Republic’s future that almost came true come the [[KOTW|35th's invasion]]. Five years since the beginning of the Scarcity, the phoron industries of Tau Ceti are still humming along, but only growing quieter as facilities are gradually shuttered.

[[Notable_Humans#President_Ake_Torvald|President Torvald]] has enacted policies attempting to limit the damage of the situation, keeping the economy afloat. Interest rates have dropped to near zero, bills have been signed into law that give substantial subsidies to new facilities built that supply alternatives to phoron — a boon to [[Einstein Engines]] — but it’s only barely keeping the flood wall from breaking. More extremely, the Republic and its [[megacorporations]] have officially begun to ration phoron, with much of the phoron and its components reserved in the state’s strategic stockpiles. While this rationing has relieved the stress of the scarcity from many people, it has done so by transferring it onto others, due to its unequal nature. Less affluent neighbourhoods find their infrastructure allowed to age and fall apart, becoming unreliable; hardware stores and clinics supply older, non-phoronic wares that are a notable downgrade. More affluent neighbourhoods continue to have phoronic infrastructure maintained, if at much greater cost and sparingly where possible and, while still supplied with phoronic hardware, medicines, etc., the prices have soared.
Due to the unstable state of the Spur, the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] remains very high on the priority list for phoron allocations. [[Zavodskoi_Interstellar|Arms factories]] and [[Reade|military shipbuilding docks]] rarely have shortages; the fleets always have enough fluidic [[phoron]] for their [[Interstellar_Travel#Bluespace_Travel|bluespace drives]], and those within the enlisted ranks of the [[TCAF]] find themselves in as good a position as the middle class (one of the top reasons enlistment rates haven’t plummeted since the [[Peacekeeper Mandate]] saw opinions on the TCAF nosedive). President Torvald has promised these are temporary measures but, for now, there are no signs this will change.

Unemployment is at an all-time high, with sustainable jobs exceedingly rare and, as crime has skyrocketed, less affluent neighborhoods have changed massively over the past five years. More ghettos are cropping up, and places such as [[Mendell City]]’s [[Mendell City#District_6|District 6]], [[Mendell City#District_11|District 11]], and [[Mendell City#District_12|District 12]] look more run down than ever, deprioritised of phoronic infrastructure maintenance. Brownouts and blackouts are of frequent occurrences, as their phoronics based infrastructure (such as phoronic superconductive cabling) falls into disrepair or is unfitted for use elsewhere. It has a cruel similarity to the Alliance's abandonment of their outer worlds during the [[Sol_Alliance_History#2462-65:_The_Solarian_Civil_War|Collapse]]. Criminal organizations have filled in the vacuum, allowed to run the districts as they see fit, and be largely unbothered by law enforcement, who only interfere when any violence within these areas spills out into other, less dilapidated parts of the city; in which case the standard response has been to violently bludgeon it back into containment.

Phoron black markets and the smugglers who supply them have exploded within the Republic, and though they are not yet utilized by the population at large, their presence is steadily growing. Many have come to rely on them for everything from replacement [[Phoron#Applications_of_Phoron|phone/PDA-use SMES cells, to superconductive cabling, to phoronic medications]] — often stolen. Smuggling routes into [[Tau Ceti]] all lead to the tradeport moon of [[Valkyrie]], a nexus for criminal activity. Valkyrie has been hit especially hard by the economic slowdown experienced across the [[Orion Spur]], and its many port workers struggle to make ends meet; it is no surprise that a great many of them now participate in this smuggling activity. With these black marketers paying well for phoronic goods, petty theft of phoron-based equipment from the workplace has reached the top three reasons why an employee contract is terminated within Biesel, despite the unemployment crisis all but ensuring the fired employee will be unable to find another job.

As a result of the scarcity, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s power has waned. Where NanoTrasen once had almost complete control over the Republic's government by themselves, their influence has dropped to just ‘very strong’. Now, the other [[megacorporations]] flock like carrion birds, eager to claim what they can and emboldened to challenge the phoron giant. [[Notable_Humans#President_Ake_Torvald|President Torvald]] appears willing to exploit this, now giving an ear to all of the megacorporations jointly, where previously only NanoTrasen was afforded the privilege.

== Planets==
The Republic of Biesel has expanded greatly since the [[KOTW|Solarian Collapse]], moving from its home system of [[Tau Ceti]] to encompass what is now known as the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]].

[[File:Pixel Planet Biesel1.png|thumb|left|Biesel seen from orbit.]]
[[File:NewGibson weather.png|thumb|256px|left|A view of New Gibson.]]

=== [[Biesel]] ===
The capital of the Republic and its namesake, Biesel is where many [[megacorporations]] have moved their primary base of operations to after the Solarian Collapse and recession. Biesel's first colony was established in 2147; a comfortable and temperate planet, it proved a valuable location for agriculture and manufacturing, and after the [[Timeline|discovery of phoron in 2352]], proved a very valuable location for all sorts of phoronics work. Since then Biesel has become the most wealthy and influential planet in human space. Biesel previously had many smaller corporations, however since the discovery of Phoron, these have either been gradually bought out or undermined by the larger megacorporations; in the contemporary Spur they no longer exist. Despite recent setbacks, [[NanoTrasen]] and its subsidiaries account for the majority of economic activity in Biesel and Tau Ceti today - though continue to slip lower.

===[[Valkyrie]]===
The moon of Biesel, the Commonwealth of Valkyrie, is a member-state of the Republic that contributes strongly to its economy through its status as a major shipping and trade port. Goods from all over the Spur, legal and illegal, can be found in the twisting streets of Valkyrie, and it acts as a layover for many tourist vessels and trade ships moving across the galaxy. Since the beginning of the scarcity it has also quickly become a hub for smuggler's as corruption runs rife throughout its ports.

===[[New Gibson]]===
New Gibson is the second exoplanet to be colonized by humanity, shortly after the initial success of Biesel's colonization attempt in 2147. It is the industrial workhorse of the Tau Ceti system, containing a rich and valuable resource pool with the highest concentrations of many valuable minerals of any planetary surface in Tau Ceti. While New Gibson has a complex dedicated to virtually all industries, its major players are shipbuilding and wide-ranging manufacturing adjacent to its titanic planetary mines. In the cavernous pitfalls and valleys of New Gibson resides both its thriving mining economy and its greatest dangers. Unlike its bigger brother Biesel, New Gibson hosts very few phoronics specific facilities like refineries and compounding factories - though it still uses immense amounts of phoron in its more regular industries, as they wish to create goods up to the 2400s standard of technology.

===[[Mictlan]]===
Formerly a Solarian colony, Mictlan had become integral to the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s plans for expanding its influence within the unstable region of the Orion Spur. However, violence followed the sudden shift to the Republic of Biesel, with deserters, terrorists, and paramilitaries taking up arms to forcefully push back against the perceived corporate occupation of their planet, eventually resulting in military intervention by the Republic of Biesel, as they instituted the Peacekeeper Mandate to begin to restore order.

After a protracted occupation by the Tau Ceti Armed forces, including a guerilla war between against the ex-Mictlani Defense Force run Samaritans (a paramilitary group) and a protracted anti-terrorist campaign against the Founding Movement (a political movement that turned towards violent extremism and terrorist tactics), in late 2465, after the leader of the founding movement was found lynched and the Republic Forces negotiated a surrender with the Samaritans following rising public unrest within Tau Ceti, [[Hasta La Victoria Siempre Arc|Mictlan eventually managed to secure its status as an independent member-state within the Republic]], and now sets it's own terms with the corporations. They have not left in their entirety, merely been somewhat restricted in their activity, and stratification and corporate influence still separates much of the population. Mictlan is the sight of the worst disparity of phoron rationing, with the corporate upper classes getting almost all of the allocated phoron and the anti-corporate lower classes getting little to none of it.

===[[Port Antillia]]===

A very recently settled planet, Port Antillia had great ambitions of being a vital port between the Jewel Worlds and the [[Republic of Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]]. Due to its novel colonisation, it faced severe struggles, which were exacerbated by frequent natural disasters. Ultimately, this resulted in its early collapse, only really seeing itself somewhat stabilised nearly a century later. It has its roots within the nations which formed the Caribbean Federation, who found themselves facing extinction from the ecological crisis that Earth endured.

Despite millions becoming part of the colonisation effort, no one truly knew the dangers present on Port Antillia. Due to its relative youth on the cosmic scale, the planet experiences earthquakes rather frequently, which produce tsunamis that pose a threat to cities that dot the coasts of Port Antillia. Additionally, volcanic activity is yet another persistent danger with some of the largest eruptions across the inhabited parts of Orion Spur being registered to the planet. Many of the major population centres are equipped to deal with these problems, but there are still minor settlements that have to contend with the hostile geological activity of the planet, with most residents having accepted that they are simply a part of life on Port Antillia.

===[[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]===
Formerly Solarian space, the Corporate Reconstruction Zone is the name for all systems occupied by the Republic of Biesel that are not within [[Tau Ceti]]'s gravity well. These were occupied during the [[KING OF THE WORLD| King of the World]] arc and its finale, and after the Solarian Alliance retracted all necessary support to them. Essentially, the Alliance cut these colonies' lifelines off, and only the Republic would step up to fill the void.

== Politics and Government ==
The Federal Republic of Biesel is a '''federal democracy''' that is committed to ensuring the dignity and basic rights of all that make up the Republic, as laid out in the Constitution. It is composed of 5 member states.

The Republic has a bicameral legislative branch, with a '''Republican Congress''' divided into an upper and lower chamber. The upper chamber, the '''State Senate''', is responsible for, in addition to legislature, treaties, the appointment of senior civil and judicial roles, and trying and convicting the impeachment of senior civil servants. It is composed of 10 representatives of each member state of the Republic holding terms of five years, for a total of only 50 senators, and so represents more long-term visions. The lower chamber, the '''Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople''', is responsible for, in addition to legislature, financial bills and triggering impeachments. It is composed of 800 seats which are filled by directly elected representatives of smaller voting divisions. Both chambers together share war powers.

The [[Republic Law|judicial branch]] of the Republic is dual jurisdictional, split between private law (civil and criminal) and public law (administrative and constitutional). Each jurisdiction has an apex court: the '''Council of State''', which is the highest court in private law; the '''Supreme Court of Cassation''', which is the highest court in public law. The latter of which is the judicial check on both the legislative and executive’s authority, and has a role ensuring the constitutionality of any legislation either during its formation or prior to it being assented by the President.

The executive branch is composed of the president and the various administrative departments that assist the presidency in running the government and implementing policies in the best interest of the citizens. Currently, [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] is the President of the Republic of Biesel.

For the most part, the Republic is very hands off as a result of historical scars over the [[Solarian Alliance]]’s strong governance of [[Tau Ceti]] and a byproduct of its laissez-faire capitalist approaches, with its major responsibilities only being that of: 1) promoting the Republic’s core values of freedom, individualism, multiculturalism, 2) ensuring the Republic’s sovereignty and security against those which would do harm to these values. While many federal laws are in place, it is ultimately left to local governments as to their finer interpretation, application, and enforcement. Consequently, the Republic relies heavily on the [[megacorporations]] for many functions, from private megacorporate [[Republic Education|education]] and health & social care that runs parallel to local state schooling — many of these gaps are filled in by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], due to their historic dominance over [[Tau Ceti]], but other megacorporations have been beginning to carve out their own portions of these sectors.

=== Political Parties and Ideologies ===

====Cetian Congress of Conservatives====
The Cetian Congress of Conservatives is a Cetian Conservative party that seeks to uphold and ''defend'' the [[Biesellite_Culture_and_Society#Societal_Attitudes|traditional values]] of the Republic of Biesel against a perceived threat.

The party stands for transforming the Republic from a peaceful, economic hegemon that influences the Spur with its prosperity, abundance of [[phoron]], and connections with the megacorporations, and instead one that has a strong military and is able to stand and defend itself. Defence spending and ensuring the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] is best fit to repel a military incursion is the priority for the party, even if at the detriment of spending elsewhere. It advocates for increased federalism and devolving the powers held by the Republic of Biesel’s federal government to those of its planetary and regional governments, and staying hands-off in regional matters. The party is pro-immigration, on the basis that immigrants are a key component of the TCAF’s Foreign Legions, however has advocated for tougher citizenship restrictions where other citizenship application routes are taken and also the tough prosecution and potential deportation (or pressing into TCAF service) of immigrants who criminally offend.

The Cetian Conservatives’ economic policy would see changes to ensure the federal republic is capable of some economic intervention to ensure competition between the megacorporations remains competitive, however has not meaningfully laid out any plans to achieve such. The party does not wish to limit the power of said megacorporations to empower smaller or regional corporations to compete with the giants. The party has delivered mixed messaging when it comes to the Republic’s reliance on [[phoron]], with party members offering differing views on solutions to the [[phoron|Phoron Scarcity]], however the party has seen a number of [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|phoron rationing policies]] enacted to ensure what phoron stockpiles do remain are distributed where best seen fit.

The party’s social policies largely focus on increasing participation in the military. The party has long advocated for national service (including military) for citizens between 16—18, alternative criminal sentencing resulting in mandatory national service, and similar. A significant amount of spending on service members and veterans of the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] is also advocated for, ensuring those doing or who have done their service are well-compensated (and to incentivise those to join the TCAF).

While the Cetian Conservative party espouses multiculturalism as one of the Republic of Biesel’s traditional values, the party has wavered when it comes to the rights of more alien species, such as [[vaurca]] and [[diona]]. Party members often raise into question the sapience of these species, whether they are able to positively contribute to Republic culture and society, or some other mitigating factor based in speciesist belief. While significant progress has been made in advancing the rights since the Republic’s independence, the Cetian Conservatives have begun to walk back certain policies brought in by the Biesellite Free Market Party — notably, voting restrictions on bound vaurcae were established in the [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/16330-tau-ceti-times/page/3/#findComment-175624 Electoral Integrity Act]. Legislation that sought to wholly emancipate owned [[IPCs]] or provide better opportunities to free, non-citizen IPCs has also been repeatedly quashed, with the Conservatives unwilling to commit to universal IPC emancipation or supporting non-citizen IPCs.

In 2466, the Cetian Conservatives under now President [[Notable_Humans#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] and Vice President Adalet Uysal defeated the BFMP in the Republic’s presidential election, marking the first change in administration in the Republic’s history. On their own the party is not able to achieve much, not controlling enough of the seats in the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople to rush through legislation despite holding the most. As such, the party is only capable of seeing legislature through when backed by at least one of the other significant parties, and which usually results in the Conservatives having to back the legislation of another party.

The party is headed by '''Adalet Uysal''', Vice President of the Republic of Biesel. Though President [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] won his presidential bid with the support of the Cetian Congress of Conservatives, he is not a member of the party on paper. They control a fluctuating '''38%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Biesellite Free Market Party====
The '''Biesellite Free Market Party''' is a corporatocratic party that advocates for a wholly deregulated, free market economy with ideally zero intervention by the state. It is generally regarded as a puppet party of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]].

The party seeks to foster an environment where the megacorporations can continue to prosper, and that market forces will shape the economy into what is demanded by the consumer. Under the BFMP, megacorporations have and would be encouraged to replace services typically provided by the state, ranging from basic utilities (water, power, etc.) to replacing all state welfare services through employment programmes. The party advocates for equal rights across the board for all recognised sapient species of the Spur — including oft-excluded [[vaurca]] — however, this is wholly transparently not altruistic and instead to bolster the workforce available to the megacorporations. For the same reasons, it is pro-immigration and lax on citizenship requirements.

The BFMP also takes an explicitly [[Biesel]]-first stance, prioritising the financial and cultural centre of the Republic of Biesel over the other planets and moons. The party has shown little interest in meaningfully tackling the problems experienced by other federal regions of the Republic, other than ensuring they too enshrine the corporatocratic and party values as [[Biesell] is eager to take on.

The party is a staunch advocate for the continued mass adoption of [[Phoron#Application_of_Phoron|phoronic technologies]], even in the face of the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]]. It has stated that the Republic of Biesel’s future relies upon and is determined by the continued exploitation of [[phoron]] by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], and that the megacorporation and state’s missions are one and the same in regard to the elusive element.

Historically, the BFMP has had a major influence on the Republic of Biesel, having been in power from its [[Tau_Ceti_History#NanoTrasen’s_Monopoly_and_Independence_(2410_-_2452)|independence]] in 2452 to 2466 when the party was finally ousted. It has been a strong supporter of the now defunct [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces#Tau_Ceti_Foreign_Legion_(2459—2463)|Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]] and was responsible for securing a number of deals between the armed forces and the [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra Hive]]. During power, it advanced the rights of many alien species, shaping the Republic of Biesel into the beacon of liberty in human space it is today. It is also, as a result of incalculable lobbying efforts from the megacorporations — particularly [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and, in more recent years, the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] — responsible for the level of integration and inter-reliance the megacorporations have within the Republic.

Since being voted out of power, the BFMP has been in a state of disarray, as it had never prepared to lose an election when it had the full support of the Spur’s megacorporations behind it. Naturally, it continues to receive heavy support from the megacorporations.

The party was formerly headed by former president [[Notable_Republic_Figures#Joseph_Dorn|Joseph Dorn]] who retired after his election defeat. It is now headed by '''Caroline Benkhoff''', a former [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] executive who has since changed career and entered Republic politics — shocker. They control a fluctuating '''16%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====The Egalitarian Coalition====
The '''Egalitarian Coalition''', or just ''Egalitarians'' (sometimes ''Republic Egalitarians'' to differentiate from other Spur parties), is an alien rights and equality single-issue party that seeks to improve the lot of non-human species in the Republic of Biesel.

The party focuses on the Republic’s tenets on multiculturalism, personal freedoms and individualism, and argues that previous governments have fallen short on these values by allowing non-human species within the Republic to disproportionately be subjected to discrimination and segregation to deprived areas. The Egalitarians seek to break up instances of segregation in the Republic, minimise state encroachment and violations on sentient liberties, and significantly increase social spending to deprived cities and regions of the Republic of Biesel (particularly in [[Mendell City]], [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], and the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]). It is entirely pro-alien and inclusive of species often excluded ([[IPC|IPCs]], [[vaurca]], [[diona]]). The party is pro-immigration and supportive of lax citizenship application routes where it concerns aliens, but has indicated it would limit asylum application from other human states (arguing humans have more options to seek safe asylum within compared to aliens), and is also for universal suffrage regardless of citizenship status.

An ambitious policy of the Egalitarian Coalition is that of outlawing the [[Vaurca Hives]] practice of creating and lobotomising [[Vaurca#The_Bound|Bound vaurca]] within Republic territories, who they argue — without lobotomisation — could have formed into Unbound instead. The creation of an unbound would be tantamount to inflicting grievous bodily harm, and bound would be covered under the same protections that unbound are — and so owning one would be tantamount to slavery. The party has not outlined any plans on how they would deal with Bound already active in the Republic.

The party has no significant stance towards the megacorporations or the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]], however has condemned the megacorporations which discriminate by species — so, all but [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] — and has acknowledged that the Phoron Scarcity disproportionately affects alien species within deprived cities and areas of the Republic.

The party has gained a large amount of publicity with a mandate goal that will see the Federal Republic of Biesel formally renamed to the Federal Republic of the Middle Spur — a name inclusive of all bodies and regions under the Republic. This alone has garnered the support of elder, non-Biesellite Republic citizens — [[New Gibson|New_Gibsonites]] especially — who remain resentful of the [[Biesel]]-first nature of the Republic and its name, though the name is still contested within the party. This has soured the party to some [[Biesel|Biesellites]] though, alienating a portion of their largest voting base.

The Egalitarian Coalition was formed recently in 2467 out of two regional parties that had struggled previously to field the resources to campaign on a Republic-wide level: the Progressive Party of Biesel and Egalitarian Coalition of Valkyrie. It is almost entirely reliant on the donations from organisations such as the [[The_Trinary_Perfection|Trinary Perfection church]] and [[The_Eternal|Eternal schools]], both of which holding large presences on [[Biesel]].

The party has a co-leadership structure, headed by both '''Montgomery''' and '''Harbinger of Peaceful Purposes''' — an [[IPC]] and [[diona]] respectively. Since combining their resources and planetary reputations, they now control a fluctuating '''23%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Cetian Social Democratic Front====
The '''Cetian Social Democratic Front (CSDF)''' is a New Gibsonite Social Democratic party that seems to balance the Republic’s capitalist values with a robust welfare state, as seen on [[New Gibson]].

The party endeavours to implement a series of policies that will regulate the Republic of Biesel’s economy, implement some anti-trust laws, and increase taxes targeting megacorporations and the wealthy so as to level the playing field in the Republic’s markets and to establish a welfare state. It has explicitly set out to break the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and constituent companies monopolies and party messaging often claims they have been allowed to progress too far, which has seen it gain the ire of the megacorporations. The CSDF has also advocated for significantly increasing public education and health & social care funding, allowing public schools and health & social care services to better compete alongside private services. The party should not be mistaken for left wing or socialist though, and their vision only sees the megacorporations regulated enough to allow competition with local corporations, services, and public bodies.

With a notable [[skrell]] influence, as is expected for a party out of [[New Gibson]] and one led by a [[New_Gibson#Xoikku|Xoikku]] skrell, the party has advocated for a [[Nralakk_Federation#Social_Compatibility_Index|Social Compatibility Index]]-like system to be implemented in the Republic, with a scaling universal income based on one’s degree of impoverishment and contribution to the Republic of Biesel. The party has also taken an anti-synthetic stance, seeking to halt any further emancipation or support of owned or non-citizen [[IPC|IPCs]], null the First Amendment that emancipated free IPCs and entitled them to citizenship and the rights thereof, bring back external IPC tagging at a national level, criminalise IPCs who do not clearly identify as such, and to decommission advanced AIs such as [[Notable_Synthetic#Huginn|Huginn]] and [[Notable_Synthetic#Aura|Aura]]. For all other species though, sans [[vaurca]] which they have remained silent on, the CSDF strongly advocates for equality, and putting in place strong anti-hate laws that prevent speech and actions that threaten the Republic’s diverse and multicultural environment.

Despite its progressive stances, the CSDF takes an anti-immigration stance. The party has stated that temporarily halting citizenship and asylum applications or severely toughening up the application process is necessary for the Republic to effectively handle the strain on its systems which now are exaggerated by the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]]. It is adamant that said anti-immigration stance is not a result of xenophobia.

Unlike all other parties, the CSDF is also explicitly anti-[[phoron]], believing phoron alternatives — such as [[Interstellar_Travel#Warp_Travel|warp drives]] and [[Einstein_Engines#Taipei_Engineering_Industrial|cryogenic engineering solutions]] — are vital to see the Republic of Biesel through the phoron scarcity. Yet another reason for the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and constituent companies to scorn the party. However, it has seen the party receive some support from [[Einstein Engines]].

Historically, the Cetian Social Democratic Front has always been hindered by scandals, [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Service Bureau]] investigations, and other obstacles set in place by the megacorporate establishment. However, since the election of Ake Torvald, the frequency of these have curiously ceased.

The party is headed by '''Zash Vi’tak'''. They control a fluctuating '''20%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Minor Parties====
'''Hadiist Party of Tau Ceti'''
The Hadiist Party of Tau Ceti is a Biesellite Hadiist party that seeks to apply [[Notable_Tajara#President_Njadrasanukii_Hadii|President Njadrasanukii Hadii]]’s teachings to the Republic of Biesel and its problems.

The party seeks to drastically expand the powers of the Republic’s executive branch, consolidating unlimited power in the president, through which the Hadiist teachings can be enacted with greater ease. These teachings include the establishment of a robust welfare state and equality for all species. It is against melting pot multiculturalism and instead advocates for the state to preserve and protect each species’ traditional values, and that they can exist alongside one another but not merging with one another — it somewhat differs from [[People%27s_Republic_of_Adhomai#Hadiism|Adhomian Hadiism]] in this regard, as it has abandoned the idea of creating a superculture. As a result of the [[Solarian Alliance]]’s stance on [[tajara]], the party also advocates for a strong defence budget.

Its current leader is Chairman '''Matvei Karakhan''', a [[People%27s_Republic_of_Adhomai|People's Republic of Adhomai]] migrant who also founded the party. They control a fluctuating '''3%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

'''Syndicated Union of Labourers (Banned)'''
The '''Syndicated Union of Labourers (SUL)''' is a radical syndicalist party that seeks to revolutionise the Republic of Biesel into a system of worker’s unions, as seen on [[Himeo]].

The party is the reaction to the Biesellite Free Market Party that has dominated the Republic’s politics since its independence. To this day and despite being banned, it campaigns for the immediate nationalisation of [[megacorporations|megacorporate]] holdings, the expansion of worker’s rights, and then ultimately the dissolution of the [[Republic of Biesel]] after the promotion of worker’s unions to the point they can replace the Republic. However, being the only socialist party to have ever gained significant traction, it often attracts those with their own ideas of syndicalism, or those who aren’t syndicalist at all and instead some other flavour of socialist, so it has forever been uncertain as to whether they would be as extreme in their actions as they say they are — or, if these campaign messages are [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Intelligence_Service|fabricated]].

Obtaining membership or associating with the SUL is a potentially criminal offence, one that is guaranteed to result in [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Service Bureau]] or CCIA investigation even if no charges or regulatory infractions are raised. Higher echelon members or those responsible for organising party events or membership drives are at risk of serious indictments, up to terrorism. '''You are at greater risk of losing your character should you play an SUL-affiliated person; discretion is advised.'''

== Economics ==
The Republic of Biesel is a market capital economy, described as having strong investments in resource extraction, agriculture, shipping and handling, and manufacturing. In reality, its economy is based on two things: phoron and trade. Exporting phoron, and acting as a trade hub for the rest of the Spur. Both of which are currently under threat due to the scarcity, and have resulted in [[Spurian Economy|economic instability]] within the Republic. Early in the Scarcity, its currency saw some devaluation; however, it has since bounced back as subsidies, the slashing of interest rates, and other monetary policies have managed to keep its economy technically growing slowly for now, but the rate of that growth is falling rapidly year over year. It maintains the '''Biesel Standard Credit''' (电/CR) as its official currency, with some segments of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone still utilizing the Solarian Standard Credit. It sees usage outside of the Republic, within the [[Izweski Nation|Izweski Hegemony]], who adopted it as their official currency following the collapse of the Solarian Alliance, and some sections of the [[Coalition of Colonies]] near the shared border, as well as the [[People's Republic of Adhomai]]. The BSC is available in electronic, bankcard and chip that have the symbol of a lit torch on them. Responsibility for the currency falls to the Central Biesel Banking Authority, which is located in District One of [[Mendell City]], where it cooperates closely with [[Idris Incorporated]] to form monetary policies. Similar to the Solarian Standard Credit, the BSC is a fiat currency.

While [[NanoTrasen]] is still the undisputed most powerful megacorporation within the Republic, the Republic is no longer exclusive to them. This was made clear by a daring move of [[Notable Humans#Noelle_Lopez-Zhang|Noelle Lopez-Zhang]], when [[Einstein Engines]] acquired NanoTrasen's holdings in the Biesellite city of [[Biesel|Phoenixport]]. When the government cooperates with Megacorporations, it cooperates with almost all member corporations of the [[SCC]] on somewhat equal terms. Still, for now [[NanoTrasen]] holds significant economic power within the Republic, given their stranglehold on one of the most important aspects of the economy, [[Phoron]]. Phoron has made [[Tau Ceti]] and the Republic as a whole one of the wealthiest nations in the Spur, and has been integral to its very identity. This is, of course, now threatened by scarcity - something that has put pressure on not only the entire country but on NanoTrasen specifically, [[Phoron|who tries their best to keep up the illusion that all is well]].

Biesel has a significant presence in the medical technology industry, owing to [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals|the agreement signed between Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and NanoTrasen a decade after the discovery of phoron]]. Its medical innovations spawned from this agreement include being the nation where dexalin and peridaxon were first synthesized.

== Culture and Demographics==
''See also: [[Biesellite Culture and Society]]''
<center>''“The people of Biesel could all collectively protest for a century. It still won’t change anything, because power in the Republic does not lie with people. It lies with corporations.”'' - Hugo Beasley, “A Himean In Mendell City”, released 2464</center>

Due to the [[Tau Ceti History | many events of the past decade]], the Republic of Biesel’s culture has drastically changed in recent years. They place emphasis on individual freedoms, inclusivity, and more recently, duty to uphold those previous two values. Originally a culture propped up by megacorporate entities, in the past decade's challenges, such as the [[KOTW|Second Solarian Invasion]], it is clear that the culture of the young nation [[Tau Ceti History|has come into its own in many ways]]. Still, Republic Citizens are on average largely pro-megacorporation and rather anti-Solarian; the latter sentiment only continuing to increase due to Solarian Actions.

=== Languages ===
Although Tau Ceti Basic has prospered as the official language of Biesel ever since its founding, it has undergone a significant amount of change thanks to the linguistic and cultural additions of the Republic’s many immigrants. Linguists have noted that the original Solarian-born tongue is highly susceptible to both human and alien pronunciation, making accents easy to detect. Due to its multicultural roots, though, little was done to interfere with its natural progression in schools and the general population — Biesel’s government continues to frequently tout Tau Ceti Basic’s many forms to this day. Many actors and singers are especially famous for embracing (or in more dishonest cases, emulating) foreign accents to reach new target audiences or for plain clout. Unsurprisingly, these differences are also used by politicians to tie their voters together or draw lines between them. ‘Pure’ Biesellite accents are mostly a mark of prestige used by diplomats and influential business workers, usually obtained naturally through being born into long-established immigrant families, gradually eschewing their former pronunciation as a result of distance.

A noticeable byproduct of this multiculturalism is the abundance of foreign slang used by a wide range of Biesellite citizens. Drawn from just about every corner of the Spur, these words and sayings are often thrown into sentences with little care for grammar, with alien immigrants especially finding it hard to let go of old customs. Humans, who generally have an easier time with Tau Ceti Basic, are known to pick these remnants up through living and working close to alien-dense districts. Truly bizarre combinations of dialects and slang emerge from these relationships, which tend to confuse completely foreign listeners, but are the beating heart of culture for urban Biesellites.

===Aliens in Tau Ceti===
''See also: [[Skrell_Abroad#Skrell_in_the_Republic_of_Biesel|Skrell in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Unathi_Abroad#Unathi_in_the_Republic_of_Biesel|Unathi in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Little Adhomai]], [[Zo'ra in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Minor_Dionae_Factions#The_Biesellian_Choir|The Biesellian Choir]]''

The Republic has among the most diverse and widespread populations of non-human species in the entire Orion Spur. From the district of [[Little Adhomai]] to the Zo'ra Hive's presence on [[Biesel]] and Caprice, Biesellite humans are no stranger to aliens in their streets. However districts primarily populated by aliens have a lower-than-average income than human-dominant districts, and are essentially ghettos. The condition and wealth divide in these districts is only continuing to worsen as the phoron rationing policies of Ake Torvald sees priority go towards wealthy neighborhoods. They look more run down than ever, as the crime rate has steadily been increasing and black markets begin to pop up more frequently. As a result, similarly to the human poor, [[TCAF|recruitment in the Tau Ceti Armed Forces has become particularly popular]].

===Synthetics in Tau Ceti===
''See also: [[IPCs in Biesel]]''

[[Biesel|Biesel]] is currently home to one of the largest populations of [[IPC|IPCs]] within the known galaxy. Although not yet entitled to the same rights as their fellow Bieselittes, the attitude towards IPCs, owned and unowned is generally regarded as the most progressive within the [[Sol Alliance#Inner Colonies|Inner Colonies]]. IPCs in the Republic are a common sight in urban areas such as [[Mendell City|Mendell City]] and Phoenixport. Such a degree of urbanisation can be attributed to the more developed infrastructure and available services required for the maintenance, housing and charging, as well as employment opportunities provided by the megacorporate presence.

==Military==
''See also: [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]]''

[[Image:Tcflposter.png|thumb|400px|A recruitment poster for the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.]]

The Republic of Biesel's sovereignty is currently protected by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, which were formed in 2465 in response to the long and difficult fight against insurgency in the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], replacing [[TCAF|their ineffective predecessors in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.]] An amendment to the [[Peacekeeper Mandate|People's Protection Act]] saw the creation of the TCAF, alongside the new branches of the Tau Ceti Minutemen (Army), Republican Fleets (Space Fleet), and the Corporate Auxiliary Forces (Corporate Paramilitaries). Since [[Tau Ceti History|President Torvald’s election]], the [[TCAF]] has seen it’s funding increase dramatically, and be prioritized for phoron after the president instituted soft-rationing, which has led the military to see a surge in recruitment numbers, while retaining access to some of the best technology and equipment available in the spur; enough to where by most estimates, they could put up a real fight against their current regional threat, the reconstituted [[Solarian Alliance]].

Non-citizens seeking citizenship in Tau Ceti can acquire it through service in the Armed Forces.

Their current operations extend as far as the borders of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, and generally drop off from there, except their previous involvement in the [[Tajaran_Military_Structures#The_S.27rend.27marr_Coalition|S'rend'marr Coalition]] at NanoTrasen’s request almost half a decade ago.

==Technology==

'''Phoronics:''' The Republic of Biesel's technological advancements are owed to the vast deposits of phoron in the Romanovich Cloud, and what would become the republic was the birthplace of the “Phoronic Revelotion” a technological revolution that followed the discovery of phoron for almost fifty years, and laid the foundations for the technology of the Spur to become what it is today. Even in the midst of the scarcity, Biesel still has some of the most advanced technology in the Spur thanks to its large supply of phoron - including a large supply of phoron WMDs and Phoron Warheads, planet killers and city killers respectively.

'''Robotics:''' The relative freedom of synthetics within Biesellite space has also inspired a great degree of research into refining and developing positronics. While many megacorporations still have primary positronic facilities in the Alliance, with some even purchasing Shell frames from [[Einstein Engines]], NanoTrasen and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals in particular have begun to invest in positronic and frame manufacturing plants on [[Valkyrie]], [[New Gibson]], and Reade.

'''Anomalies Studies:''' The Republic's other greatest scientific advancement is the study of the anomalous properties of bluespace. Xenoarchaeology and the study of Alden-Saraspova activity within the Romanovich Cloud is a well-established field in Tau Ceti, and many aspiring anomalists and bluespace researchers venture into Tau Ceti to study the high amount of anomalous items and artifacts that are unearthed within the Romanovich Cloud. Strangely, the rates of anomalous activity emanating from the Romanovich Cloud have steadily increased as phoron has been mined.

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Kermit:

<center><div class="padded" width="50%" style="font-size: 13px; padding: 5px">
{| style="cellpadding: 5px; text-align: center;width: 45%" class="mw-collapsible mw-uncollapsed wikitable" data-expandtext="▼" data-collapsetext="▼"
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! colspan="3" style="width: 100%; background-color:#404EBF" | [[:Megacorporations|<span style="color: white">Megacorporations</span>]]
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| text-align="center" nowrap| [[File:SCC logo.png|20px|link=]][[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]][[File:SCC logo.png|20px|link=]]
|-
| text-align="center"| [[File:Hephaestuslogo4.png|20px|link=]][[Hephaestus Industries]] · [[File:Nt-logo.jpeg|20px|link=]][[NanoTrasen Corporation]] · [[File:EinsteinEngines2.png|20px|link=]][[Einstein Engines]] · [[File:Zavodskoi Interestellar.png|10px|link=]][[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] <br> [[File:PMCGsmallogo.png|25px|link=]][[Private Military Contracting Group]] · [[File:ORION SPUR LOGISTICS.png|25px|link=]][[Orion Express]] · [[File:ZH-lightpurple.png|20px|link=]][[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] · [[File:II-teal.png|20px|link=]][[Idris Incorporated]]
|-
| text-align="center"| [[Notable Megacorporate Figures]] · [[The Trasens]] · [[The Idrises]]
|}
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[[Category:Lore]]
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[[Category:Corporations]]

Notable Republic Figures

2026-07-23T19:31:21Z

Kermit:

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This is a page dedicated to notable figures throughout the [[Republic of Biesel]] who wield incredible influence or importance, within the Republic or the greater [[Orion Spur]].

Local or organisational figures can be found on their respective planet or organisation pages — this page only concerns figures with Republic-wide significance!

{{TOC Hidden}}

== Political ==

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Åke Torvald===
'''President of the Republic of Biesel'''

''Birthdate: August 13th, 2420''

''‘Without a clear goal and efforts to reach it, no man can live.’''
- Åke Torvald's office desk inscription.

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Åke Torvald is a [[New Gibson|New Gibsonite]] politician, former [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Intelligence_Service|Biesel Intelligence Service]] officer, and the current President of the [[Republic of Biesel]].

Torvald was born in 2420 in [[New_Gibson#Fallanland|Fallanland]], [[New Gibson]] to a lower-middle class family. His father was a foreman at a [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] [[Phoron#Applications_of_Phoron|phoronics]] factory and his mother was a local councillor. The young New Gibsonite was active in school and local politics clubs and has said that he often got in trouble when espousing pro-independence and anti-[[Solarian Alliance]] views. He would secure exceptional grades in secondary schooling, pass his Gymnasium’s Social Sciences programme, and then study for a BA in ‘’Politics, Philosophy and Economics’’ in 2438 at [[Human_Educational_Institutions#New_Gibson_University|New Gibson University]].

While at university, he secured an administrative placement at [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s New Gibson branch office at [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]] in 2440. He has disclosed very little about his employment at NanoTrasen, only that — at the time — he felt ‘satisfied’ with his employment terms. In 2450, Torvald would abruptly end his employment at [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and go unemployed for 2 years, a period in which he has spoken even less about.

Shortly after the [[Republic of Biesel]]’s [[Tau_Ceti_History#NanoTrasen’s_Monopoly_and_Independence_(2410_-_2452)|independence]] in 2452, the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Intelligence_Service|Biesel Intelligence Service]] would be officially established, with Åke Torvald among its original staff. Between 2452 and 2457, Torvald was [[New Gibson]]’s Regional Director at the BIS. Once again, Torvald has revealed very little about his time at the intelligence agency.

After departing the BIS, Torvald would enter [[New Gibson]]’s local politics. He has claimed that the experience and earlier connections made both at NanoTrasen Corporation and the Biesel Intelligence Service helped propel his political career forwards quicker than most. In 2459, Torvald would already hold the cabinet position of ''Minister of Home Affairs'', managing the moon’s police and prosecution services. At the time, Torvald’s politics were largely unremarkable and he was regarded to be a very ‘bland’ if ‘stern’ politician who was quite tough on crime.

In 2460, at age 40, Torvald would marry his partner of 6 years, who he appears to have a good relationship with. Beyond this, much of his private life is unknown and Torvald often refuses to comment on any questions related to his personal life.

In 2461, Åke Torvald would be elected Presiding Speaker in New Gibson’s parliament.

'''Presidency'''

Torvald would enter Republic of Biesel federal politics in 2466, running for President of the Republic of Biesel as an independent, though with the support of the [[Republic_of_Biesel#Politics_and_Government|Cetian Congress of Conservatives]] (following an agreement where the party’s leader, Adalet Uysal, would run as Vice President). During his initial campaign, he was a strong critic of the [[Republic_of_Biesel#Politics_and_Government|Biesellite Free Market Party]] and the at-the-time administration led by former president [[Notable_Humans#Former_President_Joseph_Dorn|Joseph Dorn]], highlighting the Republic’s failures preparing for and in the aftermath of the [[Sol_Alliance_History#2462-65:_The_Solarian_Civil_War|Solarian Collapse]] and in the [[Tau_Ceti_History#The_Peacekeeper_Mandate_(2463)|Peacekeeper Mandate]]. He campaigned for increased defence spending and took a notable anti-[[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra Hive]] stance which saw the [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/16330-tau-ceti-times/page/3/#findComment-175624| Electoral Integrity Act passed that banned Bound vaurca from voting]. His campaign was defined by rather arrogant and occasionally xenophobic displays (though he objects to the latter, blaming ignorance), with critics of Torvald and the Cetian Conservatives accusing him of bullying and speciesism. Nonetheless, he would succeed in his presidential bid and become the 2nd President of the Republic of Biesel.

As president, Torvald has advanced much of the agenda of the Cetian Congress of Conservatives, with the Republic’s defence budget the highest ever, another round of [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces#Torvald_Administration_and_the_Armed_Forces_Reforms_(2466—2468)|Tau Ceti Armed Forces reforms]], and has implemented [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|phoron rationing]] to remedy the Phoron Scarcity. However, he has also appeared to be advancing his own agenda, which is perverting various apparatus of the Republic of Biesel to better suit him — best seen in the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Intelligence_Service|Biesel Intelligence Service]], which now more often exceeds the powers given to it by performing actions within the Republic and overstepping on the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Services Bureau]]. Supporters of the Cetian Conservatives and the Torvald Administration are adamant that all of these measures are necessary to counter the threat posed by the [[Solarian Alliance]] and any other foreign actor that may threaten the Republic of Biesel, though critics decry the infringements upon personal liberties and politicisation of state apparatus seemingly required to achieve such. His actions have made him a controversial president, however the low seat share held by other parties in the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople has so far seen no impeachments levied against Torvald, and the Cetian Conservatives have affirmed the measures taken by Torvald. He has also yet to severely spurn the megacorporations — particularly [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and its presiding [[Trasen Family]] — and so he has avoided any unfortunate ‘accidents’.

Torvald has never fully disclosed his political vision, and so despite the public eye preventing him from remaining elusive, he is now instead enigmatic. He is often described as Machiavellian and the distilled essence of a politician, and he is both lauded and condemned for his ruthlessness and intelligence. Half way through his first presidential term, the Republic of Biesel and the rest of the Spur will soon see where he stands as his vision comes into shape.
</div></div>

<hr>

=== Local Leaders ===

<div class="toccolours">
====Theresa Lindqvist====

'''Presiding Speaker of [[New Gibson]]'''

</div>

<div class="toccolours">
====Daniel Zhuang====

'''Governor of Anemenostrovilos''' ([[Reade]])

See [[Reade#Government_and_State|Reade: Government and State]] for now.
</div>

<div class="toccolours">
====Darla Petrenko====

'''Administrator of Thyella''' ([[Reade]])

See [[Reade#Government_and_State|Reade: Government and State]] for now.
</div>

<div class="toccolours">
====Quinn Turner====

'''Mayor of Beacon''' ([[Reade]])

See [[Reade#Government_and_State|Reade: Government and State]] for now.
</div>

<div class="toccolours">
====Ladislao de Santos====

'''Prime Minister of [[Mictlan]]'''

See: [[Mictlan#Ladislao_de_Santos|Ladislao de Santos]]
</div>

<div class="toccolours">
====Julien Guierriere====

'''Premier of the Union of [[Port Antillia]]'''

See: [[Port_Antillia#Premier_Julien_Guerrier|Premier Julien Guerrier]].
</div>

== Military and Security ==
<div class="toccolours">
==== Martijn Vinke ====

'''Principal Legate of the Republic Astroforce'''

See [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#martijnvinke|Martijn Vinke]]
</div>

<div class="toccolours">
==== Clarisse Lyon ====

'''Director of the Biesel Security Services Bureau'''

See [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law|Clarisse Lyon]]
</div>

<div class="toccolours">
==== Jack Prueksakasemsuk ====

'''Director of the Biesel Intelligence Service'''

See [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law|Jack Prueksakasemsuk]]
</div>

== Historical ==
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Joseph Dorn===

'''First and Former President of the Republic of Biesel'''

''Birthdate: January 9th, 2406''

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
The former president of the Republic of Biesel, President Joseph Dorn was the first leader of the nation and guided it through a series of threats to its continued existence throughout his twelve year reign.

Now in retirement, his legacy is mostly defined by the later years of his presidency: the creation of the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], the deployment of [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces#Tau_Ceti_Foreign_Legion_(2459—2463)|Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]] troops as peacekeepers within the CRZ, the disastrous [[Tau_Ceti_History#The_Peacekeeper_Mandate_(2463)|Peacekeeper Mandate]], and the civil unrest that came along with all of this.

His party, the Biesellite Free Market Party, was ravaged in the election of 2466 and is now relegated to being a minor party within federal politics. After his defeat Dorn retired from political life entirely, and now lives at the [[Biesel#Top_of_the_World|Top of the World]], writing memoirs that focus on the early parts of his life and career — one of which, ''‘The First President: Lighting The Beacon of Liberty’'' was recently released with solid reviews. It is likely that the remaining time the former president has left will be peaceful, living safely in a country he helped found. It is rumoured by tabloids that he has weekly coffee with Miranda Trasen herself.

</div></div>

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[[Category:Pages]]

Republic Education

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Kermit: torvald link fix

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Education in the [[Republic of Biesel]] is decentralised, with planetary, regional governments, and the private education sector expected to organise education that adheres to the federal government’s standards and inspections.

Curriculum, educational pathways, and assessment material can all vary, but is evaluated and approved by the federal government who recognise any certifications and qualifications thereof. A few small components of the education system have been set in place by the federal government, such as Republic core subjects, strong accommodations for non-humans, and the rare federal financial incentives and regulations. In the megacorporate-dominated economy of the Republic, the megacorporations also play a major role in education, with a significant number of learners receiving private education with one of the megacorporations.

Across the Republic of Biesel, an academic year has been standardised to start on the ''15th of September'' and end on the ''15th of July''. Attendance between the ages of 6 and 16 (other ranges are used for aliens) are compulsory, however some local governments extend this to 18.

== Cetian Model ==
The Cetian Model of primary to secondary education is the standard throughout the Republic of Biesel, being the model in use on both [[Biesel]], [[Valkyrie]], and over time adopted by other minor bodies and habitats throughout [[Tau Ceti]]. [[New Gibson]] has its own educational model for primary—secondary education, and the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]] still makes use of Solarian styles of education.

Education is compulsory for children between 6 and 16 years of age if human, 4—14 if [[tajara]] or [[unathi]], and 10—40 for [[skrell]]. For [[diona]], education is compulsory between ages 0—5 for the first nymph, with subsequent nymphs forming gestalts with the original nymph able to ‘skip’ compulsory education.

=== Primary School ===
Primary school caters to children between 6 and 12 years old (human), 4—10 years old (tajara and unathi), 10—30 (skrell), and 0—5 (diona).

Parents can elect to enroll their students year early in a ‘Preschooling Year’ at age 5 (human), 4 (tajara, unathi), or 5—9 (skrell), which is encouraged but not essential, and prepares children for proper schooling and ensures they are meeting basic arithmetic, reading, and oral language milestones — not all public primary schools provide a preschool year, however most corporate private schools do.

Primary education is responsible for early socialisation, teaching student skills to best prepare students for education ahead, and essential subjects such as mathematics, language, literacy, and local history (typically the planet, moon, or station the school is on are covered in the best depth, with Tau Ceti history touched on in some depth).

In public primary schools, it is typical for them to have mixed-classes, with all species that can be found in the Republic of Biesel sharing the same classes. A priority of these mixed-classes is to foster acceptance and understanding in the Republic’s diverse environment. Teachers are frequently alien, and so it is not uncommon for one’s early role models and authority figures in public school to be of another species. Corporate primary schools, particularly those run by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], differ in that they often provide additional, single-species tutoring or classes, marketing a better quality of education. Corporate schools of other megacorporations, particularly [[Idris Incorporated]] and [[Einstein Engines]], tend to lack alien teachers, and are sometimes criticised for focusing on the learning outcomes of humans over attending aliens.

In the final year, students take the '''Cetian Standardised Assessment Tests (CSATs)'''. This test cannot be failed, is independently examined, and is used only as a measure of the progress made by a student, determining the level of support needed in college or if a school is underperforming.

==== Skrell Scuttle Schools ====
Major cities, including [[Mendell City]], have public [[Federation_Education#Scuttle_Schooling|scuttle schools]] that employ only skrell lecturers and take on skrell children, however outside of major cities and especially off [[Biesel]], these skrell-tailored primary schools are scarce. As a result, many skrell aged 10 to 40 continue to be home-schooled by their [[Skrell_Relationships#Unions|quya]]. This is a gap in education that [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] fills with private education, with corporate scuttle schools being much more common than their public counterparts, but still only in more developed towns and cities.

=== College ===
College caters between 12 and 16 years old (human), 10—14 (tajara and unathi), 30—40 (skrell).

Colleges are responsible for the provision of a well-rounded education that prepares them for either higher education or entering the workforce, and handles both lower and higher secondary education. It is divided into the '''First Cycle''', in which students study Republic Core Subjects and Local Core Subjects, with each school term offering a different Elective Subject for the year’s cohort. The '''Second Cycle''' follows, in which students can select three Elective Subjects per their interests to study alongside the core subjects for their eventual exams.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Republic Curriculum
|-
! Federal Core Subject !! Local Core Subject (Biesel Core Subjects as example) !! Elective Subject
|-
| Tau Ceti Basic Language & Literature || Biesel Geography || Tau Ceti History
|-
| Mathematics || Biesellite History || Astronomy
|-
| Combined Sciences ''(divided into Physics, Chemistry, Biology during the Second Cycle; students select 2 of the 3)'' || Finance Management & Megacorporate Studies || Computer Science
|-
| Biesellite Cultural Studies || || Performance Arts
|-
| Physical Education ''(relegated to Elective Subjects in the Second Cycle)'' || || Health & Social Care
|-
| One of the following Contemporary Foreign Languages: Sol Common, Tradeband, Biesel Sign Language, Elyran Standard

|| || Economics
|-
| || || Culinary Arts
|-
| || || Any Other Number of Electives
|}

Generally, the quality and richness of education is markedly better in private corporate colleges and public secondary schools tend to fall behind when it comes to learning outcomes — corporate colleges offer a greater variety of elective subjects and host more extra-curricular events. However, social environments in public schools tend to be regarded as better — more diverse student environments, more relaxed and supportive teachers — with corporate colleges often having terse student-teacher relations and competitive student-student relations. Public colleges tend to foster cooperation and support their students, whereas corporate colleges aim to create competition and challenge their students. Corporate colleges often tend to expect their students to enter a megacorporate career, with job fairs and mock job interviews a yearly occurrence, and so students who vocalise a desire not to are sometimes allowed to fall to the wayside. Public colleges on the other hand are supportive of any career outcome, with the infrequent megacorporate jobs fair or [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] fair.

In public colleges, students take the '''Cetian Assessments of College Education (CACEs)''' to receive a '''Cetian College Diploma (CCD, ‘Diploma’)''' in their selected subjects, graded A to E, with C as a pass. Grades are assigned after an examination of a student’s portfolio: one computer exam at the end of year for each subject which determines a base grade, which can be modified by four coursework items completed throughout the Second Cycle and a review of a student’s school notebooks and similar material during the Second Cycle. This comes with the usual pros and cons of portfolio testing — qualitative results, avenues for preferential treatment, and increased time to examine.

In corporate colleges, students take the '''Standardised College Tests (SCTs)''' to receive a '''Certificate of College Education (CCE)''' in their selected subjects, graded A to E, with C as a pass. These examinations are standardised, with students sitting two computer exams for each of their core subjects and one exam for elective subjects. This comes with the usual upside and downsides of standardised testing — quantitative results, uniformity, pressure — but often presents problems in the Republic’s diverse society which resists uniformity and where other social factors already provide plenty of pressure.

Most employers, especially megacorporate employers of course, look upon CCEs as a more valuable secondary education qualification than a Diploma for entry-level postings, and so they are often more desirable for students looking to get straight into the workforce. However, post-16 senior colleges value the Diploma more due to similarities in assessment.

In both cases, if a core subject is failed, a single repeat computer exam can be taken; failing a core subject twice sees a student required to repeat the failed subject’s course until they do pass (and paying for it, in the case of private corporate schooling), often alongside their post-16 education or employment.

==== Skrell Reef Colleges ====
Reef colleges are significantly more common than scuttle schools across [[Biesel]] and [[Valkyrie]], though are often scarce in more rural regions of [[Biesel]] or more deprived parts of [[Valkyrie]]. They are common enough that homeschooling a skrell’s secondary education is generally not required, with few home schooling at this level. They are, for all intents and purposes, the same as Colleges in course structure and variety, however lecturers are all skrell, with non-skrell serving only in teaching support roles. Skrell students take the '''Cetian Skrell Assessments of College Education (S-CACE)''' to receive a '''Cetian Skrell College Diploma (CSCD, ‘Skrell Diploma’)''', though unlike the standard CACEs, they follow a similar standardised assessment as a corporate college’s SCTs. The [[Nralakk Federation]] only recognises a CSCD after a formal re-examination conducted by a Federation authority.

=== Senior Colleges ===
Senior colleges cater to students aged 16—18 (human), 14—16 (tajara, unathi), and 40—50 (skrell) and are responsible for preparing students for higher education or providing vocational qualifications.

At senior college, students take the '''Baccalaureat''' or ‘Bac.’. The Baccalaureat has a small roster of core subjects (mathematics, Tau Ceti Basic language & literature and philosophy), and then two streams with variable courses. Senior colleges are usually dedicated to one stream, though larger colleges may offer multiple. They are:

* '''General College''', offering '''General Baccalaureats (GBac.)''': in addition to the core subjects, students select three subjects from a large variety of academic-focused courses (eg. Arts, Valkyrian Geography, Government & Politics, Tradeband, Chemistry, Psychology, Mechanical Engineering). A General Baccalaureat with a subject profile matching a desired university course is generally expected of students applying for university (eg. Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology to study Medicine).

* '''Vocational College''', offering '''Vocational Baccalaureats (VBac.)''': in addition to the core subjects, students select one course that is tailored to a profession they intend to enter (eg. Cook, Electrician, Spacefreighter Pilot). A Vocational Baccalaureat allows one to quickly enter the workforce in a desired occupation, though unlike apprenticeships are still largely classroom-based. They tend to be heavily tailored to the college’s locale.

* '''Combined College''', where multiple streams of the Baccalaureat are offered at the same campus.

The Baccalaureat is continuously assessed by exams throughout the course, a final exam, material produced by the student, coursework, and presentations. They are graded Distinction, Merit, Pass, or Fail, and cannot be retaken.

Senior colleges suffer similar environment and culture problems as colleges, with a disparity in learning outcomes, provision of extra-curricular events, teaching support, student relations, etc. between public and corporate senior colleges.

== Apprenticeships ==
Apprenticeships are widely available for persons after leaving college and tend to be weighted more towards practical, on-the-job experience than classroom work. Most Vocational Colleges and universities provide easy access to potential employers, the facilities for classroom learning, and any computer examinations required throughout the apprenticeship, however many Level 1 and 2 Apprenticeships can be directly accessed from an employer.

Apprenticeships allow an individual to prepare for:
* '''Level 1 Apprenticeships:''' Vocational Diploma, which is roughly equivalent to 2/3rds of a Vocational Baccalaureat, and generally takes 1 year of study to acquire.
* '''Level 2 Apprenticeships:''' Advanced Vocational Diploma, which is equivalent to a Vocational Baccalaureate and can be accepted by universities, taking another 1 year of study to acquire.
* '''Level 3 Apprenticeship:''' Apprentice Degree, which is equivalent to a Bachelor’s in learning material.
* '''Level 4 Apprenticeship:''' Higher Apprentice Degree, which is equivalent to a Master’s in learning material.

They are graded Distinction, Merit, Pass, or Fail.

== University ==
The majority of universities in the Republic of Biesel are private and corporate-sponsored, or entirely corporate-owned. Publicly-funded universities are generally only found in major cities and are reliant on the local government to fund.

The federal government has standardised course lengths to 3 years for a Bachelors (always with Honours; one can take their finals in their 2nd year to graduate without Honours), 2 years for a Masters, and 3 years for a Doctorate. Though, placement or other ‘extra’ years are occasionally added. Part-time studying typically doubles the length of a course. In cases like Medicine, the Bachelors and Masters may be offered in a single 5-year course.

Various federal programmes also exist which award funds or tax breaks to participating universities:

* The '''Republic Abroad''' programme allows students to study 1 year of their course in a university also participating in the programme on another planet or moon within the Republic of Biesel. The aim of the programme is to foster acceptance and mutual respect between the Republic’s various cultures and species, and to generally provide opportunities for students to see and visit another area. However, it has been criticised as a mechanism through which Biesellite cultural hegemony is established.

* Multiple equal opportunities programmes exist that expect a proportion of admitted students to be of a certain demographic — with focus on alien species. As a result of many alien species arriving without significant resources or residing in more deprived areas, the programme was devised to ensure participation in higher education for aliens remained accessible.

* Naturally, a significant amount of funding universities receives comes from federally-issued research projects, which are typically concerned with [[Phoron#Applications_of_Phoron|phoronic technologies]] (civil to theoretical to military applications), the effects of multiculturalism and, as of late, astromilitary and interstellar state rights. Many Masters and Doctorate students find themselves contributing to research or taking on projects in these fields important to the Republic of Biesel.

Degrees in the Republic are graded Fail, Pass, Merit or Distinction.

Students who join the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] as reservists can also potentially have their tuition fees entirely paid off by the TCAF, contingent on active participation in reservist training and a necessary 3 years of active service (either served on graduation, or ‘owed’ down the line where the TCAF can contractually draft the individual). This was recently introduced by President [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] and the [[Republic_of_Biesel#Political_Parties|Congress of Cetian Conservatives]], in response to dwindling recruitment rates.

== IPCs and Education ==

[[IPC|IPCs]] are able to avoid conventional education through the use of [[Positronic_Brain#Software_and_Memories|datapacks]], which are small chips or drives capable of uploading technical knowledge to an IPC’s positronic. Where more in-depth professional or formal education is uploaded, it is required for an accrediting body to ensure the uploaded knowledge is on par with what is expected for the field.

For ''IPCs owned by megacorporations and large private bodies'', the matter is simple. More expensive and in-depth datapacks that are pre-accredited by a professional or government body are uploaded. The owner of the IPC needs only to upload the datapack and send off the appropriate proof of installation to the accrediting body. No examinations are required and the ordeal is over in a few business days with minimal inconvenience. If all goes well, an IPC will receive back, depending on the breadth of their datapack: '''Level 1 Certificate of Datapack Knowledge (CDK-1)''', equivalent to an Advanced Vocational Diploma and generally concerning non-academic, technical knowledge; '''Level 2 Certificate of Datapack Knowledge (CDK-2)''', equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree; '''Level 3 Certificate of Datapack Knowledge (CDK-3)''', equivalent to a Doctorate and quite expensive.

For the ''average free IPC'', pre-accredited datapacks are out of reach. As such, these IPCs must make do with more affordable, non-accredited datapacks, and then sit short, standardised examinations to determine if their professional datapack installed the full-breadth of knowledge required for the qualification they hope to achieve. The accrediting body will then dispense either a '''Positronic Vocational Diploma (PVD)''', equivalent to an Advanced Vocational Diploma and concerning non-academic, technical knowledge; '''Positronic Degree (PDeg.)''', equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree; '''Advanced Positronic Degree (APDeg.)''', equivalent to a Doctorate.

For ''IPCs owned by individual or small private bodies'' and '''wealthy free IPCs''', pre-accredited datapacks awarding Level 2 and 3 Certificates are often unaffordable due to their exclusivity. As such, these IPCs tend to only receive Level 1 Certificates concerning non-academic vocational and technical knowledge, or must take non-accredited datapacks and sit the same formalisation exams free IPCs do for Positronic Diplomas and Degrees.

Some IPCs nonetheless opt to pursue vocational or higher education conventionally, typically out of wanting to integrate into human culture and experiencing the same formational life experiences, however this is both a bit more expensive than non-accredited datapack and demands a greater level of commitment. For those that enter higher education at major universities, these academic bodies often commission course-tailored, pre-accredited mini-datapacks that supplement a positronic’s learning (though are more piece-meal than an all-in-one datapack). These mini-datapacks combined shave one year off a course, though add up to cost the same in tuition fees as the skipped year.

== Vaurca and Education ==
[[Vaurca|Vaurcae]] are able to avoid conventional education through the use of [[Virtual Reality]]. Like IPCs, where more in-depth professional or formal education is uploaded, it is required for an accrediting body to ensure the uploaded knowledge is on par with what is expected of the field.

For the initial education of both Bound and Unbound vaurca, the Zo’ra Hive cooperates with accrediting bodies to ensure all VR education material is up to expectations. A vaurca’s [[Vaurca_Culture_and_Society#The_Ta_and_Hive_Leadership|alate]] sends off the appropriate paperwork related to a spawned vaurca’s initial VR education to the accrediting body who will award a certification, depending on the breadth of training: '''Level 1 Certificate of VR Training (CVRT-1)''', equivalent to basic, non-academic vocational training; '''Level 2 Certificate of VR Training (CVRT-2)''', equivalent to an Apprentice Degree, with a balance of academic and vocational training; '''Level 3 Certificate of VR Training (CVRT-3)''', equivalent to a Masters. '''Level 4 Certificates of VR Training (CVRT-4)''' are equivalent to Doctorates, with a strong focus on academia and management in their discipline, but only available to Ta.

Any additional education or training an Unbound vaurca undertakes after this requires them to a sit a short, standardised examination with the accrediting body, where either a '''Vaurcaesian Diploma''' (equivalent to a CVRT-1), '''Advanced Vaurcaesian Diploma''' (equivalent to a CVRT-3), or '''Vaurcaesian Degree ''' (equivalent to a CVRT-3) is awarded. Though issued by an accredited organisation, these certifications are looked upon dubiously and not always taken at face value, as there is little to stop a vaurca from being fed examination answers over the [[Hivenet]].

Vaurca of other Hives must also sit one of these standardised examinations to ensure any VR training received by their Hive is up to standards. This has led to a notable bias towards hiring [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra]] vaurca, who generally hold the most robust Certificates of VR Training.

== Diona and Education ==
[[Diona|Dionae]] are able to go either-way when it comes to education, usually depending on their views towards conventional and [[Dionae_Biology#Genetic_Absorption_and_Neural_Translation|genetic learning]].

For dionae who prefer conventional learning, nymphs can enroll separately or as a gestalt from any age to enter education as any other species would — in the case of the Cetian Model, beginning with primary school while in a nymph stage; further stages as a coeus. Conventional education can also be supplemented by genetic learning. The [[Eternal_Gardens#Eternal_Temple|Eternal Temple]] also provides its own education to dionae as an alternative to the Cetian Model’s compulsory schooling element, and also offers approved vocational courses and apprenticeships that older dionae can pursue. Conventional education offers all of the same qualifications available to humans.

For dionae who solely utilise genetic learning, genetic material can be sourced from registered organisations or [[megacorporations]]. Genetic material (usually blood) is legally harvested and then prescribed a rough classification of the learning worth of the sample depending on the donor’s education. When a dionae believes they have absorbed enough information to qualify for a certification, they are able to sit a standardised test to determine if their new knowledge is up to standards. Depending on the breadth of knowledge, they may get a: '''Level 1 Certificate of Genetic Assimilation (CGA-1)''', equivalent to basic, non-academic vocational training; '''Level 2 Certificate of Genetic Assimilation (CGA-2)''', equivalent to an Apprentice Degree. Genetic learning is unable to qualify a diona for post-graduate qualifications, and so masters and doctorates are typically pursued conventionally.

As a significant quantity of dionae immigrate to the Republic with no prior, formal education, it is often required they sit an examination to have their breadth of knowledge formalised into an above diona or human certificate.

== See Also ==
* [[Human Educational Institutions]]

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Republic Security & Law Enforcement

2026-07-23T19:30:29Z

Kermit: torvald links fix

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Law enforcement jurisdiction in the [[Republic of Biesel]] is handled on a three-tier level. '''Corporate Agencies''', whose job it is to enforce the law within major corporate facilities, such as in and around a headquarters building. '''Regional Agencies''', such as the Mendell City Police Department, who perform a bulk of the policing duties in the Republic, focusing on specific cities or continents, and who often have specialist teams to handle unique threats. '''Federal Agencies''', which are often incredibly specialised, heavily funded departments that have jurisdiction over the entire republic.

== Federal Agencies ==

=== Biesel Security Services Bureau ===
The Biesel Security Services Bureau is the domestic intelligence and security service operating across the [[Republic of Biesel]], holding jurisdiction over federal crimes that are particularly severe, target the overall republic, or cross member state territories. It often works alongside regional agencies to target and eventually break up pockets of crime across the republic, as well as the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] for crimes occurring in space (such as smuggling).

The BSSB was founded in 2452 following the Republic of Biesel's independence, first comprised of senior MCPD officers, defected [[Solarian_Security_and_Law#Domestic_Agencies|SIP-CA]] supervisors, and senior [[NanoTrasen Corporation|corporate counter-intelligence]] case officers. As a result of the lattermost and [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] being behind much of the BSSB's equipment and network provisions, the BSSB has always turned a blind eye to federal crimes involving the phoron company where possible, often colluding with them to see any legal issues disappear. Under President [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]], this has gradually begun to shift, but much of the entrenched leadership of the BSSB continues to see NanoTrasen as a beneficial force within the Republic of Biesel.

{{anchor|Clarisse Lyon}}
<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#E8C079; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Director of the BSSB — Clarisse Lyon'''</div>
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The Biesel Security Services Bureau is headed by '''Clarisse Lyon''', a [[Biesel|Biesellite]] who was appointed all the back in 2454 by former [[Notable_Republic_Figures#Joseph_Dorn|President Dorn]]. Prior to her appointment, Lyon was employed by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] as a counter-intelligence case officer, combatting corporate espionge — or organising it. She would be among the first senior leaders of the BSSB after its founding, responsible for quickly raising the fledgling intelligence agency to the same standards as other Spur intelligence agencies. Following the untimely death of the first BSSB director, she would takeover the office, and has held the position ever since, firmly entrenched with her years of experience and a rumoured continued association with NanoTrasen. Whether she remains in the position with [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] trying to shake things up is yet to be determined.
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==== Divisions ====
'''Special Investigations Division'''

The Special Investigations Unit is the division most people think of when picturing the Biesel Security Services Bureau. They are the face of the organisation, with the agents within tasked with investigating cross-Republic crimes, severe federal crimes such as terrorism, or any other crimes that fall under federal jurisdiction (such as those on spacecraft and space stations, where no regional agencies are). Today, the SID is almost entirely dedicated to stopping the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|blackmarket phoron operations]] within the Republic.

'''Tactical Response'''

The Tactical Response Division is the specialised quick response team of the Biesel Security Services Bureau. Standard operations include serving arrest warrants to those deemed a threat to national security, disrupting possible terrorist actions, and assisting the Special Investigations Division if required.

'''Government Security'''

The Government Security Division is responsible for investigating and reporting on people or groups deemed to be a risk to the security of the Republic as a whole. Since the election of [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]], the upper files of the division have been seeded with former Biesel Intelligence Service officers who are loyal to the Torvald administration, which has seen some success in flipping the BSSB to his machinations — more active political opponents of the president often find themselves harassed with corruption scandals and smear campaigns. However, the BSSB’s leadership itself have not taken fondly to this, often throwing hurdles in the way of division case officers known to have BIS or Torvald connections. This has resulted in the Government Security Division essentially being a cold battlefield for the BSSB-BIS interservice rivalry, reducing the division's effectiveness to the point many government buildings or personnel rely on private security.

'''Consular Officer Bodyguards on the SCCV Horizon are BSSB Close Protection Officers from the Government Security Division by default. Other private/megacorporate security bodyguards are permitted using customised loadouts.'''

'''Analytics and Cybercrime'''

The Analytics and Cybercrime Division is responsible for assisting the other divisions with analytical reports and in combating high scale extranet crime of all kinds, often being responsible for the arrest of those attempting to buy or distribute black market goods and services. They are responsible for keeping the Organized Crime Registry, which is a complete database of all the known information on various organised crime groups currently operating or thought to be operating in the Republic. The Registry is accessible by the Biesel Intelligence Service, however, planetary policing forces are required to request authorisation to access the Registry.

<hr>

[[File:BISLogo.png|thumb|The symbol of the Biesel Intelligence Service.]]

=== Biesel Intelligence Service ===

The Biesel Intelligence Service is the foreign intelligence service for the [[Republic of Biesel]], and is responsible for gathering, processing, and analysing intelligence regarding the Republic’s national security. It is responsible for conducting covert investigations concerning foreign powers, as well as monitoring civilians in foreign nations who are potential threats to the Republic. It has both a reputation within the Republic as integral to the young state’s defences, but also one cloaked in secrecy and ruthless in its purpose..

While the BIS’ mission is to perform intelligence and covert operations outside of the borders of the Republic of Biesel, the Service regularly exceeds its jurisdiction and operations within the Republic, much to the frustration of the BSSB. Furthermore, the BIS is one of state organisations of the Republic of Biesel to not be entirely hollowed out by the [[megacorporations]], with few inter-dependencies and oversight from such.

The agency, beyond more mundane duties, is often rumoured to be involved in targeted assassinations of both anti-Republic, pro-Solarian Hegemony, or anti-megacorporate actors, blackmail of an administration’s political enemies, illegal cover-ups, and many other shady activities. Over the Republic’s short history, there have only been two major scandals regarding such and, in both cases, the illegal activity was determined to have been done by a rogue case officer — both found having taken their own lives.

The BIS was officially founded after the [[Tau_Ceti_History#NanoTrasen’s_Monopoly_and_Independence_(2410_-_2452)|Republic’s independence from the Alliance]] in 2452. However, there are both facts and rumours contradictory to this, with some records showing mentions of the BIS in [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s and independence groups’ correspondence as far back as 2430 — two decades prior to independence. It is uncertain just when the organisation was founded, its early purpose, or who it was formed of.

Since Ake Torvald’s election in 2466, the BIS has seen its funding increase and powers expanded. Its upper ranks are reported to be dense with loyalists of the President, with a purge having been conducted in the two years after his election.

{{anchor|Jack Prueksakasemsuk}}
<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#E8C079; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Director of the BIS — Jack Prueksakasemsuk'''</div>
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The Biesel Intelligence Service is headed by Director '''Jack Prueksakasemseuk''', an older [[Valkyrie|Valkyrian]] senior intelligence officer who was recently appointed to the position in 2467 by President [[Notable_Republic_Figures#Åke Torvald|Åke Torvald]]. Unlike previous directors of recent times who were often politicians, Prueksakasemsuek was promoted from within the BIS' senior leadership — he was formerly the regional director of BIS operations in the [[Solarian_Reconstruction_Mandates#Southern_Solarian_Reconstruction_Mandate|Southern Solarian Reconstruction Mandate]]. Being a newly public figure, little is known about the new BIS director besides his former office, but his appointment does reveal that [[Notable_Republic_Figures#Åke Torvald|Åke Torvald]] is rewarding choice BIS senior leadership as opposed to installing bureaucrats to the lead position, and some others speculate that Prueksakasemseuk was a BIS associate of Torvald during the president's own time in the intelligence agency.
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==== Divisions ====

'''Espionage Division'''
The Espionage division is responsible for the BIS’ covert operations and is generally the division people think of when the BIS is mentioned. The division has regional operations throughout regions of the Spur problematic for the Republic — as well as unpermitted operations within the Republic of Biesel — and field case officers who manage intelligence gathering and covert operations from their regional bases.

'''Counter-terrorism Division'''
The Counter-terrorism division is responsible for counter-terrorism operations and preventing foreign terrorist groups from harming the Republic. The division works closely the other divisions, and often works alongside the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] — particularly the [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces#Notable_Cohorts|Frogmen]] — when performing raids abroad. The Counter-terrorism Division is also rumoured to heavily exceed the powers given to it, going beyond surveilling and intervening on foreign terrorist groups, but also home-based anti-Republic, pro-Solarian, and anti-megacorporate groups.

'''Cyber Division'''
The Cyber division handles cyber threat intelligence for the Service. It collects and analyses information about potential or existing cyber threats, pulling from a range of surveillance sources — space traffic monitoring, social media and other extra- and intranet traffic, etc. — within and beyond the Republic of Biesel to inform its decisions. It is a rare case where the BSSB and BIS do cooperate closely, with the Cyber Division working closely with the BSSB’s Analytics and Cybercrime division, and receiving expedited access to their Organised Crime Registry. The Cyber Division also has close ties with the recently organised [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces#Electronic_and_Cyberwarfare_Legion|Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion]] of the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]], with the BIS freely supplying intelligence on military targets and personnel to the ECL.

'''Marshals Division'''
The Marshals are the BIS’ internal security and enforcement division. On paper, the division is responsible for security at BIS facilities, protection of high-value persons, detentions and arrests of rogue or compromised BIS agents. In practice though, the Marshals are additionally reported to serve as an unofficial police arm of the BIS, making arrests within Republic territory where involving the BSSB or regional agencies could threaten a more clandestine BIS operation — as such, they work closely with the Counter Terrorism division, and have a poor inter-agency relationship with the BSSB’s Tactical Response Division.

== Major Regional Agencies ==

===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#776be3; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Biesel</div>===
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==== Mendell City Police Department ====
The regional agency regarding the enforcement of the capital of the great [[Republic of Biesel]], the Mendell City Police Department is an institution that has existed long before the independence of Biesel. For many years, before and after independence, the organization managed to keep a lid on violent crime within the city a majority of the time, only sometimes needing assistance from outside forces. However since the onset of the Scarcity the MCPD has found itself overstretched and understaffed, as crime rates rise to record highs and quality of life drops, leading to widespread civil unrest. The MCPD has barely managed to keep a lid on things, and has begun relying heavily on Corporate Security Officers to bolster its ranks.

Operating in the vast and unpredictable capital city, the MCPD is often put at the forefront of incredibly specialist and unique crime, leading to experienced MCPD officers being sent across the Republic to train, advise, or handle emergency situations that the local agencies are untrained or otherwise unable to deal with. A notable manifestation of this is specialist financial crimes detectives being sent to far flung, often rural areas of the Republic.

===== History =====
One of the oldest institutions within the [[Republic of Biesel]], the [[Biesel|Mendell City]] Police Department has become integral to the functioning of the capital. Its first iteration was the Colonial Enforcement Service, a policing body established during the initial colonisation of [[Biesel]]. The Colonial Enforcement Service was tasked with preventing as well as dealing with any criminal elements that arose during the early days of planetary colonisation and were largely successful in doing so. It continued to operate as the CES until the 2180s, after which it transitioned into the Mendell City Police Department. In spite of their early successes, the Mendell City Police Department began to fall short of its reputation shortly after the [[Timeline|Second Great Depression began]], with corruption quickly breeding among its ranks. With the economy in tatters and poverty rising sharply, it was inevitable that crime would start to proliferate - with many in the MCPD using the rise in crime as an opportunity to line their own pockets. [[Biesel|Various districts found themselves controlled by syndicates]], with those meant to protect them turning a blind eye. It wasn't until the late 2290s, after the conclusion of the Great Interstellar War, that the MCPD returned to their duties - attempting to wrangle the crime they had allowed to grow under control.

They eventually succeeded and, for over a century and a half, managed to keep a lid on the rapidly growing Mendell City with few incidents. It wasn't until 2464 and the onset of the Phoron Scarcity that the situation began to spiral out of control, as [[Republic of Biesel|falling quality of life, unequal rationing, mass unemployment, and an outbreak of black markets and smuggling]] began to see a sharp rise in crime and civil unrest. These conditions only continued to worsen, which saw crime and civil unrest rise as well, heavily straining the MCPD. They began to heavily rely on Corporate Security Officers to bolster their ranks, deputizing them and giving them the authority of a civil police officer. As the scarcity has continued, the situation has only gotten worse for the MCPD, and today they are overstretched and barely keeping a semblance of order within most of Mendell; in some districts they've given up entirely and abandoned them.

===== Major Divisions =====
'''Uniform Patrol Division (UPD)'''

The Uniform Patrol Unit is the regular policing division of the MCPD, represented by the uniformed officers who conduct the vast majority of policing duties within the city. Easily recognised by their distinct uniforms and squad cars, these officers are seen as the public face of the MCPD. Corporate Security Officers are commonly seen filling this role in contemporary times.

'''Criminal Investigations Division (CID)'''

The second-most recognised division of the department, CID is responsible for general investigations into criminal activity. Detectives in CID depend on their interview skills, investigative aptitude, and extensive knowledge of the criminal justice system to perform their duties.

'''Synthetic Oversight Division (SOD)'''

Synthetic Oversight is responsible for cases that directly involve synthetics, either as victims or as perpetrators. Outside of this SOD also assists the other departments of the Mendell Police where a synthetic is indirectly involved in a crime, such as interviewing witnesses or directly handling informants. The Synthetic Oversight Department is also known for working in conjunction with [[Ceres Lance]], both as a support role and to ensure that Ceres Lance works within Biesel law.

'''Cybercrime Investigations (CCI)'''

Cybercrime Investigations, while similar to CID, entirely focuses on investigating anything related to the extranet or computer technology. CCI finds itself working closely with Criminal Investigations and Synthetic Oversight quite often, with members of Cybercrime Investigations typically working alongside members of other teams in a wider investigation.

'''Rapid Action and Interception Division (RAID)'''

The first of two specialist tactical divisions, the Rapid Action and Interception Division is responsible for responding to quickly escalating incidents where armed suspects are expected, as well as intercepting those suspects that are considered high flight risks. Officers of this division are often armed with rifles and deployed in armoured vehicles.

'''High Risk Tactical Division (HRTD)'''

The High Risk Tactical Division is the MCPD’s answer to chaos. It is responsible for executing search and arrest warrants for the most violent criminals and hunting escaped violent prisoners. Virtually every HRTD officer is a transhumanist, boasting military-grade cybernetic augmentations and are often issued armed exoskeletons to boot, with it being a de facto requirement to even transfer into the division. The HRTD is the only MCPD division willing to execute warrants in districts where the rest of the MCPD have pulled out, though is only deployed where deemed vital.

<hr>

==== Cape City Metropolitan Police Department ====
The Cape City Metropolitan Police Department is responsible for law enforcement in [[Biesel#Cape_City|Cape City]] and the areas surrounding it. The department has a stigma for targeting non-humans or ignoring complaints made by non-humans, though recently, they have pushed recruitment campaigns targeted at [[skrell]], [[tajara]], and [[unathi]] in an attempt to rectify this reputation. This has caused division among the city's populace, but also seen the CCMPD bogged down by almost constant BSSB investigations.

Cape City is notable for having a unique search and rescue division that opts to use donkeys and search dogs in the mountainous terrain - something that other police departments have cut in favour of infrared drones and aerial vehicles.

<hr>

==== Phoenixport Police Department ====
Embroiled in the 2462-2464 dispute over the ownership of [[Biesel#Phoenixport|Phoenixport]], the Phoenixport Police Department has seen a constantly changing budget over the past decade, making job security for its officers and other employees a thing of the past. Due to this, bribery is an issue spread down to the roots of the department, with only a select few ‘morally righteous’ officers refusing to take bribes, and suffering financially for it.

Following the dispute, the Department has had two major departments that are often put at odds with each other. On paper, the '''Corporate Assets Division''' is responsible for handling policing inside corporate facilities, taking this role from the corporate agencies. However, in practice, they act as a private police force for [[Einstein Engines]], being used to gather intelligence into competitors in Phoenixport. The counter to the Corporate Assets Division is the '''Corporate Jurisdictions Division'''. Set up in 2464 following [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s appeal, the CJD is directly overseen by the BSSB, ensuring tensions between the major corporations in the city do not boil over.

<hr>

==== Belle Côte Police Department ====
Known colloquially as the ‘Fashion Police’ after a series of high-profile raids targeting a textile sweatshop cartel early in the department’s history, the Belle Côte Police Department is responsible for enforcing the republic, and planetary laws in [[Biesel#Belle_Côte|Belle Côte]] and the surrounding Pandeia Peninsula. The department is also the de facto enforcement body for much of the Xavier Sea, and its surrounding bays.

A major, and arguably the largest division of any law enforcement body on the planet, is the Belle Côte Maritime Police, which is composed of a significant minority of the BCPD’s officers. Officially, they are responsible for policing the waterways of Belle Côte and Gregor’s Sea, ensuring maritime traffic is abiding by regulations, but the division has rapidly grown in size, and BCMP officers are often seen policing the ports and harbours of Craterview, often to [[Idris Incorporated]]’s dismay, as well as those of [[Biesel#Scottsdan|Scottsdan]].

<hr>

==== City of Ashton Police ====
The City of Ashton Police is the smallest of the major regional agencies, only responsible for policing the urbanised area of [[Biesel#Ashton|Ashton]], and not vast miles upon miles of farming towns that are officially still part of the city. Instead, these farming towns are grouped into ‘commissions’, which are policed by Commission Sheriffs Offices that work closely with the City of Ashton Police, as they often lack resources to deal with major incidents.

The Resettlement and Disputes Division is one of the few divisions of the City of Ashton Police that maintains a jurisdiction over the entirety of Ashton, instead of just the city. The RDD is responsible for handling land disputes between the wealthy landowners, and the constantly-arriving refugees and immigrants.

<hr>

==== Scottsdan Central Police Department ====
Scottsdan Central Police Department is responsible for law enforcement in [[Biesel#Scottsdan|Scottsdan]] and around its mountainous environment. Where most in Scottsdan have a reputation as diligent workers, the SCPD has the opposite, with a laconic approach to minor offences in the city and often only seen in the media policing the many sports tournaments that occur in Scottsdan. Many serious crimes, especially those related to the phoronics industry of the city, are handled by [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Nexus_Corporate_Security|Nexus Corporate Security]], who the department works alongside closely.

The Sports Policing Division is one of the larger divisions of the SCPD, and is responsible for crowd and riot control during and around the many [[Biesel#Entertainment|sporting events]] in Scottsdan — of which many are hosted in Scottsdan, with it being the capital city of the sports-mad continent of [[Biesel#Eos|Eos]].

<hr>

==== Portsville Police Department ====
Portsville Police Department is responsible for law enforcement in and around [[Biesel#Portsville|Portsville]] and its peninsula. After the Mendell City Police Department, PPD is one of the more over-burdened police departments, dealing with surging social issues affecting the city — drug epidemics, unhoused people, and conflicts between local and Martian refugee communities, primarily. In recent times and with [[Hephaestus Industries]]’ heavy investment into the city, the department has begun working closely with the megacorporation. For more robust equipment provided to the department and Hephaestus providing a number of welfare nets for Portsville’s deprived populace, the Portsville Police Department has taken a more active role assisting [[Hephaestus]]’ crackdown on unions where they present.

<hr>

==== New Marfa Security Force ====
The New Marfa Security Force is heavily influenced by the [[Elyra|Elyran]] diaspora in [[Biesel#New_Marfa|New Marfa]], though a unique aspect of the Security Force is that a vast majority of its officers are [[IPC|IPCs]] owned by the city itself, and is often used as a path to citizenship for the synthetics lucky enough to serve the Security Force. Additionally amongst its ranks are many Elyran-made IPCs. These Elyran IPCs are oftentimes Elyran citizens sent abroad by the Elyran megacorporations.

<hr>

==== Idris South Beaches PD ====
Recently renamed to ‘PD’ instead of ‘Police Department’, as ‘PD’ was considered more marketable, the Idris South Beaches PD is the regional agency responsible for law enforcement in [[Biesel#Craterview|Craterview]] and its surrounding islands. The agency is directly owned by [[Idris Incorporated]]. The department is widely considered second-rate by most other agencies on the planet, primarily due to the perceived safety inherent in Craterview, leading to a stereotype that South Beaches officers act more like lifeguards than actual law enforcement officers. This stereotype is not helped by their uniform — an Idris-teal short-sleeved shirt or tank top with khaki shorts and Idris ''SPORTSMAX'' trainers.

<hr>

==== Continental Police Departments ====
A majority of Biesel’s population lives in just 5% of the landmass that the planet’s cities are built upon, these cities are often incredibly population dense, and thus can afford to field sizable, independent police departments, but towns and smaller cities often cannot afford to run independent departments, which is where the '''Continental Police Departments''' takeover. These departments provide the same services that agencies like the MCPD provide on a much smaller scale, and are also responsible for policing the planet’s vast network of highways.

The Continental Police Departments are split into the;
* '''Continental Police Department of [[Biesel#Eos|Eos]]'''
* '''[[Biesel#Astraeus|Astraeus]] Continental Police Department'''
* '''[[Biesel#Selene|Selene]] Continental Police Department'''
These are then further split into regional commands, which have their own divisions and specialist teams.
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===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#75aadb; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">New Gibson</div>===
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==== New Gibson Police Service ====
[[New Gibson]] is policed by one police force, the '''New Gibson Police Service (NGPS)''', that is arranged into divisions based out of the major cities. True to the exomoon's Scandinavian colonial heritage, the NGPS is generally considered more well-trained in community outreach and deescalatory practises, putting it at odds with its Biesellite counterparts — consequentially, it is sometimes criticised for being lazy or ineffective, especially with the increase in smuggling in the 2460s.

The NGPS is particularly well-known for its '''Environmental and Nuclear Crime Protection Branch''' which polices the smuggling of New Gibson's naturally occurring radioactive materials, and also fields the '''Specialist Greimorians Unit''' (or ''‘Gibsonite jomsvikings’'') which tackle the exomoon's invasive greimorians in chainmail getup.

Read more about the NGPS [[New_Gibson#Law_Enforcement|here]].

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== Corporate Agencies ==
Corporate agencies is the on-paper name for any megacorporate security department or division thereof that has been commissioned with law enforcement powers by the local government. The jurisdiction of corporate agencies is usually limited to and was intended to be limited to corporate property and the immediate surrounding area. However, and originally to some outcry by public law enforcement that has since been forgotten, it is not uncommon for this to be extrapolated to the entire district in which a megacorporation’s branch office sits in or, taken to the extreme, every road a megacorporate property sits on (and so very quickly, the entire city). As such, the regional police forces of all cities that have a megacorporate presence work alongside corporate agencies, squabbling for jurisdiction over crimes involving megacorporations or committed in too close proximity to a branch office.

For many, these corporate agencies are vital in keeping up with high crime areas, such as [[Mendell City]]. Any law enforcer on the street — be it federal, regional, or corporate — is taken as good. For the lower echelons of other agencies, it saves them having to respond to certain violent crimes, which is always a plus, especially when the corporate agencies typically field more advanced equipment. For the upper echelons of public law enforcement, opinions may differ, with the constant disputes over jurisdiction or with public agencies having to turn a (often financially motivated) blind eye to the often excessive force employed by corporate agencies.

Any city across the [[Republic of Biesel]] that hosts a megacorporate branch office is likely to have a corporate agency. [[Mendell City]] is therefore riddled with them, with all megacorporations having a commissioned corporate agency within the district their offices sit and, naturally, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] has a corporate agency in every major city across [[Tau Ceti]] (except where they have no operations at all, eg. Anemenostrovilos on [[Reade]]).

== See Also ==
* [[Republic Law]]

Republic Law

2026-07-23T19:29:56Z

Kermit: torvald redlinks

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The Republic of Biesel is dual jurisdictional and based on civil law, relying on statutes and exhaustive legal codes. It is divided into public law (administrative and constitutional law, affecting the government) and judicial/private law (civil and criminal law, affecting individuals and private entities). Each jurisdiction of the Republic’s legal system has its own courts and order of the judiciary. A nonadversarial/inquisitorial system for analysing evidence in court is generally used. It is one of few Republic institutions that is purely public, however the [[megacorporations]] still find a way to get their claws stuck into it.

Federal law is applied to the entirety of the Republic and is enforced by both the federal government and local governments — there are no parallel local legal systems with their own courts. As such, most first instance and second instance courts and the enforcement of most crimes and civil disputes is executed by local states, whether its federal or local law. Where matters reach higher courts, are of great significance, or related to certain federal matters (eg. space crime, immigration into the Republic, constitutional), then the law may be executed directly by the federal government. Local governments are free to impose local laws or, where federal law is vague, impose their own interpretation of a federal law, however federal law is superior and expected to be enforced. Where no local government exists, such as in [[Offworlder_Humans|small spacefaring communities]], customary law is often used to fill in the gaps of federal law.

Defects in the Republic’s legal system are present and often quite glaring for those looking from outside of the Republic. Corruption among public and judicial officials has always been present and facilitated by the [[megacorporations]]. Despite the Republic’s commitment to the equality and inclusion of non-humans, the legal system often fails to treat them equally. The [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] and its [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|effects on the Republic]] have seen the courts swamped with cases — not helping courts such as those in [[Mendell City]] that were already over capacity — with not enough judges to see to all the hearings. In recent times, since the [[Notable_Humans#President_Åke_Torvald|election of President Torvald]], the law has also been applied with a double standard, with the administration under Torvald often unchallenged in the courts.

'''NOTE: While Republic of Biesel law applies to the SCCV Horizon (by virtue of it being registered to the Republic of Biesel), it is not enforced by the Horizon’s Security Department (see the [[Corporate Regulations]] instead). HOWEVER, it is the responsibility of the [[Captain]] (or Command in the absence of) to ensure the SCCV Horizon is not placed in legal jeopardy by breaking Republic law (which can result in CCIA staff team action if reported or significant).'''

== The Constitution and Sources of Law ==

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Biesel is the supreme source of law in the Republic. It was ratified in late 2454 after a long process in the Republic’s early years, involving early government representatives, public and megacorporate consultation, and finally a referendum held in early 2454. Only one amendment has been signed since its creation; the First Amendment in 2458 laid out the provisions for synthetic ownership and granting equal citizenship to free [[IPC|IPCs]], which resulted in the [[Tau_Ceti_History#The_Solarian_Blockade_(2458_-_2459)|Solarian Blockade of 2458]].

The Republic’s Constitution, despite its mission to promote inclusion and the basic rights and dignity for all, has often been criticised for its clunky handling of aliens, with definitions that best apply to humans and human-likes (ie. [[skrell]], [[tajara]], [[unathi]]) and which struggle to be applied to the more alien species (ie. [[vaurca]], [[diona]], [[IPC|IPCs]]). For example, the use of ‘individual’, ‘person’, or ‘adult’ has always been difficult to apply to [[diona]], and conventionally only apply to [[Dionae_Forms|gestalt]] diona, with the actions of single nymphs not treated as that as a constitutionally-protected person. For [[vaurca]], ‘adult’, ‘mature’, ‘sapient’, or ‘person’ tends only to apply to [[Vaurca#The_Unbound|Unbound]] — this saw, in 2466, the Council of State not deeming the [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/16330-tau-ceti-times/page/3/#findComment-175624|Electoral Reform Bill] depriving the Bound vaurca of the voting in any and all elections as unconstitutional. For [[IPC|IPCs]], the Constitution has only formalised the systemic issue of positronic indentured servitude, whereby many rights are conveyed only after becoming free from an owner.

<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#75aadb; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Sources of Law</div>
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In order of hierarchy, the following are used as primary legal sources:

*Constitutional law
*[[Guide_to_Law#Luna_Accords_of_Interstellar_Law|Interstellar treaties]] and inter-Republic treaties
*Statutes
*Legal codes
*Government regulations

In lower courts, secondary sources can be factored in and provide additional context, but are not always taken into account:

* Case law and judicial precedence.
* Government guidance and instructions.
* Contracts.
* Customary law (in the case of permanent space stations/other habitats with populations >1,000)
* Legal academic material
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== Highlighted Areas of Law ==

===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#75aadb; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Drug Law</div>===
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See: [[Drug Law]]

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<br>
===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#75aadb; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Weapon Law</div>===
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The Republic of Biesel has somewhat liberal weapons laws. The Constitution does outline a citizen’s right to own firearms and, in the event of the falling of the Republic, overthrow a succeeding government to re-install the Republic — often dubbed the ‘in case of Solarian invasion militia clause’. Firearms licensing is handled primarily at a local level, and all firearms must be purchased from registered local gun dealers and be registered with the local administration.

'''Licensing'''

To obtain an occupational firearms permit, such as those issued to police officers, military personnel, and [[Security_Officer|security officers]], incl. non-citizens:

*You do not need to be a citizen of the Republic of Biesel.
*You must be 18-years-old (adjusted to age of maturity per species) to use a duty-issued firearm.
*You must pass a basic background check.
*You must pass a basic psychological evaluation by a physician.
*You must pass a short digital computer exam on firearms safety provided by the local firearms licensing body, typically paid for by the employer.
*You must have proof of employment where you have a duty to use an issued firearm.

<hr>

To obtain a general firearms license for personal ownership of most weapons:

*You must be a citizen of the Republic of Biesel.
*You must be 21-years-old (19 for [[unathi]] and [[tajara]]) to purchase or own a firearm.
*You must pass a thorough background check and police interview. Citizens with anti-corporate or anti-Republic backgrounds, even if minor, or who have any history of felonies will fail this check.
*You must pass a basic psychological evaluation by a physician.
*You must pass a short digital computer exam on firearms safety provided by the local firearms licensing body and typically costing 50电.

Owned [[IPC|IPCs]] need only a datapack on firearms safety and handling uploaded, whereas Free IPCs must go through the same process as organics sans any age requirements. In the case of [[vaurca]], they must be Unbound. In the case of [[diona]], they must be a gestalt of six or more nymphs where the youngest nymph cannot be under 3 years of age.

<hr>

'''Weapon Prohibitions'''

Not all blades, firearms and munitions are created equal and some cannot be purchased, owned, or used in certain ways:
*Longarms cannot be open-carried outside of rural areas or in space.
*Disguised blades (eg. cane swords) are always illegal. Blades can only be concealed if folded.
*In the case of ballistic firearms: large-capacity magazines over 20 rounds are prohibited.
*In the case of laser firearms: millisecond capacitor pulses (or ‘pulse lasers’) are prohibited.
*In the case of plasma firearms: higher phoron concentration or extreme temperature plasma cartridges are prohibited, limiting the destructive power of plasma weaponry.
*In the case of electromagnetic firearms: a limit on coils/barrel length is enforced, limiting extreme penetrative power. Most commercial electromagnetic munitions are weighted, decreasing velocity and thus effect.
*Exceptions are made for antique firearms and their munitions for home display on application.

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===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#75aadb; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Privacy Law</div>===
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The Constitution enshrines every citizen's right to privacy, and that the home is inviolable. As such, citizens of the Republic can enjoy protections against the disclosure of confidential information concerning them without authorisation, protections against private material (eg. finances, medical, bodily) concerning the individual being publicised, and the right to have a private life.

A [[Republic Law#Magistrates, Lay Judges, and the Non-adversarial System|magistrate]]-signed warrant is required to infringe upon privacy, be it to search a person or home as part of ordinary criminal proceedings, or up to acoustically surveilling a citizen’s home or remotely accessing any devices therein, should a [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law|security agency]] have reason to suspect a threat to national security or life. There have been concerns throughout the Republic’s small history that the right to privacy is merely a formality, as these security agencies have been liberal in their surveillance of anyone suspected to be anti-corporate, especially with the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Services Bureau]] having its close ties with [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], and with most household devices having been manufactured by NanoTrasen and capable of remote access. Meanwhile, the right to privacy is strongly enforced for higher level megacorporate employees or public officials, where attempts to expose corruption have resulted in a journalist being met with criminal prosecution for privacy violations.

Since President [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Ake Torvald]]’s election in 2466, this seems to resolving, with the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Services Bureau]] generally being held more accountable when it comes to the surveilling of Republic citizens, with household devices being more rigorously protected against backdoor access and direct surveillance measures, and with some lower-stake breaches of privacy in the name of uncovering corruption deemed valid. Despite this, nothing have been done about the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Intelligence_Service|Biesel Intelligence Service]]’s surveillance of citizens (which is additionally against their mandate), and corruption at a federal level continues to be suppressed.

One large issue in Privacy Law is that of [[IPC]] tagging. Positronic rights activists have long campaigned that the tagging of IPCs — particularly free IPC citizens — is a violation of privacy laws, with information about a positronic’s life appropriated to a federal database. Once again, as a matter largely involving the [[megacorporations]], the Republic’s judiciary have avoided and delayed issues that have arisen out of this for years and years, with many disputes either settled out of court or drag out ever move to financially encumber the claimant.

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===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#75aadb; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Rights During Criminal Proceedings</div>===
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* Parties have a right to a lawyer, and in some cases are required to have one. In the absence of the accused (eg. failing to appear at court), they may be entirely represented at court by a lawyer.
* The accused is presumed innocent until a statement by the court says otherwise.
* The accused has a right to a speedy trial.
* The accused must be informed of their right to silence and right against self-incrimination prior to police interviews.
* The accused has no right to a jury or public trial. While most trials are public, private trials are done for sensitive cases. Instead of a jury, there are instead lay judges for some hearings (and always felony hearings).
* Only evidence legally obtained is admissible in trial. Covertly obtained evidence (eg. covert recordings) are admissable.

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== Ordinary Courts ==
The ordinary courts hear civil and criminal law, of which there are various types based on the severity of a crime or civil matter.

The minor jurisdiction courts are operated by the local governments of the Republic of Biesel. They are '''Correctional Courts''' which hear summary offences (eg. space traffic violations, criminal damage) and '''Civil Courts''' which hear minor civil cases (eg. breaches of contact) — many of these minor court handlings are conducted over holocalls to save time, due to the strain on the court system. '''Criminal Courts''' hear misdemeanors and less serious felonies (eg. assault, extranet crime). These three courts are generally held within the same court building, known as a '''Judicial Court''', which has a chamber for each of these three first instance courts. They are tried by a single judge for summary offences, expedited misdemeanor arrests, and small claims, otherwise three judges (of which 2 are lay judges).

Specialised civil courts are also present, such as labour courts and family courts. '''Commercial Courts''' and '''Labour Courts''' are notable examples, that handle many matters related to local corporations and transtellar [[megacorporations]], and disputes between employer and employee. Judges and other judicial staff who specialise in these courts strangely find themselves struggling to access many megacorporate schemes that many within the Republic rely upon, and so the backlogging of civil cases is felt incredibly hard here, due to both the lack of judges and the reluctance for judicial reform in regards to megacorporate handling. Conversely, judges who tend to rule in favour of megacorporations (often with financial incentive) find these megacorporate schemes more convenient to access which, as a result, sees most commercial and labour court cases rule in favour of the megacorporations and against victims or smaller corporations.

The major jurisdiction courts are also operated by the local governments. They include '''High Civil Courts''', which hears civil matters (typically where damages exceed 10,000电), and which are tried by a panel of three judges (of which 1 is a lay judge), and '''High Criminal Courts''', which hear felonies (eg. murder involving parties of different Republic inhabited bodies), and which are tried by a panel of three judges (of which one is a lay judge). Litigants are legally required to be represented by an attorney in this jurisdiction.

'''Judicial Court of Appeals''' are the appellate courts at this level. They are tried by three judges.

Each major inhabited body of the Republic has a '''Grand Judicial Court''' that handles more extreme civil matters (eg. significant cases involving megacorporations) and felonies (eg. terrorism). They are tried by a panel of five justices, or three justices where a case is deemed frivolous or meritless. They are operated by the federal government.

The '''Supreme Court of Cassation''' is the highest court of last resort, concerning both civil and criminal law, and ensures that interpretation of criminal and civil law is uniform across the Republic. They are tried by a panel of seven justices, or five where a case is deemed frivolous or meritless. It is operated by the federal government and is located in District 1 of [[Mendell City]], [[Biesel]].

Today, the ordinary courts are heavily bogged down by the steadily increasing crime rates in the Republic of Biesel. In the criminal courts, the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|surge in smuggling and phoron blackmarket participation]] has seen other federal cases lowered in priority, sitting without hearing for long durations. In the civil courts, cases of all varieties have long burdened them, with breach of contracts concerning [[phoron|phoron sales]] or injury as a result of haphazard [[Phoron#Applications_of_Phoron|phoronic infrastructure replacement]] being some of the few trends causing surges in civil proceedings.

'''Reality Court Shows:'''

Easing the strain on the judicial courts is an abundance of [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Ingi_Usang_Entertainment_Company|Ingi Usang Entertainment]] and [[Idris Incorporated]] arbitration-based court shows, whereby persons involved dismiss their ‘proper’ case in court and instead have it heard in a televised, mock-court by an adjudicator or panel of adjudicators. Adjudicators and mock-courts are not bound by any judicial codes, procedures or conduct, and their power is enforced only through contracts signed by all involved parties. Appearance fees and other financial incentives are provided to both parties on the show, and so — in the Republic’s current economy — many are quick to surrender the chance of legitimate justice for the potential to earn quick money over a civil dispute or beating a misdemeanor charge. Of course, with no proper judicial procedure and no legal recourse after the fact, the parties are entirely at the whim of the show’s adjudicator and how they are portrayed in the media — in the case of [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Ingi_Usang_Entertainment_Company|Ingi Usang Entertainment]], they disproportionately favour an alien party and seek to portray how great the Republic is for alien immigrants; in the case of [[Idris Incorporated]], humans and whoever the show’s sponsors wish have the upper hand.

'''Megacorporate Quasi Immunity:'''

Public prosecutors have significant leeway in whether to take a criminal proceeding to court, and the determination of ‘public good’ allows personal interpretation that the average prosecutor includes to mean ‘not angering the [[megacorporations]]’. As such, many criminal proceedings affecting senior megacorporate employees die here. C-suite level megacorporate employees are almost always immune from criminal proceedings, as the public prosecution office is incredibly unlikely to continue a criminal proceeding to court; for other senior megacorporate personnel (eg. regional directors, space vessel captains), the burden of evidence is higher, if the blame cannot be shifted to a [[Chain_of_Command#Heads_of_Staff|fall-person (of which there are always many)]]. Since the election of President [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] though, this has appeared to begin to change, with cases levied against megacorporations and their employees notably surging as public prosecutors feel appropriately backed up by the state to pursue such — though it is nonetheless never safe to poke a bear.

== Administrative Courts ==
The administrative courts are intended to hold the public administrations — both local government and federal government — liable by reviewing executive orders and decisions, ensure the validity of Republic and regional elections, and resolve legal disputes between administrative bodies. Any citizen, association or company can bring action before an administrative court.

In the present day, administrative courts are heavily back-logged as a result of rampant financial crime and corruption due to the [[megacorporations]]' hold over the Republic’s government and organisations — particularly [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s. It can take years for a hearing to be held, and so media attention is quick to forget about mundane instances of public misconduct, and many sensitive trials are held privately or have their reports written almost cryptographically. It typically takes a very major or publicised failure for a case to be dealt with swiftly and transparently.

'''Administrative Court''' are the first instance courts in administrative law and are operated by local governments (or federal, in the case of immigration courts). '''Administrative Courts of Appeal''' are the second instance courts which hear appeals from decisions in administrative courts. They are presided over by one judge. Most administrative tribunals and courts of appeals are conducted digitally and are almost entirely written, with infrequent holocalls to resolve more challenging or intricate concerns — the exception are immigration courts, which tend to be held in person.

Specialised courts with specialist magistrates may be held for specific public fields, such as Finance Courts (investigating misuse of funds, embezzlement) and social courts (investigating public education and health organisations). These have their own appellate courts too, such as Immigration Courts of Appeal.

Each major inhabited body of the Republic has a '''Grand Administrative Courts''', operated by the federal government, which handles the most significant of disputes regarding the public administration, and plays a role in advising local governments on federal legal compliance and ensuring the validity of local government elections. Where matters of constitutionality appear, they are forwarded straight to the Grand Administrative Courts — particularly significant constitutional matters are sent further up to the Council of State.

The '''Council of State''' is the highest court of last resort in administrative and constitutional law and the legal advisor of the executive branch of the Republic of Biesel. It is the body that determines if the administrative decisions or orders of the President and other senior civil servants are valid, constitutional, and lawful, as such it is a powerful check on the executive branch. The Council of State is located in District 1 of [[Mendell City]], [[Biesel]].

== Magistrates, Lay Judges, and the Non-adversarial System ==
In the Republic’s civil law system, ''magistrate'' refers to most judicial officers (unlike many common law-based systems, where it specifically denotes a [sometimes volunteer] judge presiding over summary offences in lower courts only), and includes judges of all courts (''justices'', at Grand Courts and those above), public prosecutors, investigative magistrates, and policymaking magistrates. Magistrates hold law degrees (available at most universities) and have received magistrature post-grad. education (available at schools of magistrature), either obtained separately or in a combined course.

Magistrates are appointed by the '''Judicial Appointments Council''' — an independent judicial body separated from the government — which posts vacancies and recruits for first and second instance courts; vacancies for the Grand Courts, the Council of State and Supreme Court of Cassation are filled on recommendation of the Judicial Appointments Council, though requires the assent of the President and the Senate. Magistrates are irremovable, with the exception of public prosecutors due to their differing roles. Whether a result of coincidence or malice, there has yet to be an appointment of [[Vaurca|vaurcae]] or [[dionae]] to the position of magistrate — some speculate this rooted in a concern of impartiality in regards to vaurca, and then in regards to diona, a question as to whether a gestalt counts as one judge or the tally of its nymphs. Humans and [[skrell]] continue to make up the majority of magistrates around the Republic.

Unlike an adversarial system, where the defence and prosecution submit and debate evidence to a neutral ‘umpire’-like judge, Republic law follows a non-adversarial/inquisitorial system. In most cases, even beyond criminal courts, this means '''trial judges''' are often active participants in the hearing and may ask questions to the defendant, lawyers, or public prosecutor, and order pieces of evidence to be examined should explanations during the hearing be insufficient.

'''Principal judges''' are senior trial magistrates who lead a panel of judges and who generally also have an administrative role at their court building.

'''Lay judges''' are trial judges who appear in lower courts, however they are ''not'' magistrates with formal law and magistrature education, and are instead lay people who have either volunteered or been summoned by mandate to sit on a panel of judges — they often receive some instruction on law, relevant to the case they are expected to sit on. The practise has garnered some controversy from outside of the Republic, as a measure of bias from a court may influence who is approved to volunteer lay judges and thus dispense justice but, more significantly, megacorporations have been known to offer discreet incentives to their senior employees to infrequently volunteer as a lay judge (especially when a megacorporation anticipates a case involving them), seeding a disproportionate amount of strongly pro-megacorporate lay judges into courts around the Republic. Those with known anti-[[NanoTrasen Corporation]] views in particular also tend to ‘fall out of’ a court’s system, resulting in them being passed for mandatory lay judge service.

In the High Criminal Courts, all Grand Courts, and both the Council of State and Supreme Court of Cassation, '''investigative magistrate''' or '''investigative judges''' are often employed to conduct a thorough investigation of the case and any submitted evidence, and work with the public prosecutor and police who are required to disclose all available evidence to the investigative magistrate. Though they work closely with the prosecution and police, their role is not to prosecute a defendant, but to gather facts and evidence. They have wide powers to interview witnesses, suspects and experts, order searches for subsequent investigations, and other actions that may bring to surface both incriminating or exculpatory evidence for entering into the trial (which the investigative judge does not sit on). Generally, investigative magistrates are only involved at the request of the prosecutor or victim of a severe felony. Investigative magistrates are often the subject of glamourised holovision dramas and movies in the Republic.

== In-game Enforcement ==
'''NOTE: This concerns certain Republic of Biesel-associated [[Guide_to_Ghost_Roles|Ghost Roles]] (eg. TCAF ghost role arrests during canon expeditions in Republic territory) and special event happenings (eg. police arrests made on event rounds set on Biesel). Please see disclaimer at top of the page.'''

The [[Republic Security & Law Enforcement|Biesel Security Services Bureau]] is generally responsible for law enforcement in the absence of local security services. As such, its jurisdiction covers spacevessels and spacestations that are registered with the Republic of Biesel or one of its states, which includes the [[SCCV Horizon]]. The BSSB entrusts Republic-registered vessels to self-police when it comes to summary and less severe misdemeanors, and so only severe misdemeanors and felonies will see the BSSB involved with its own investigation. Generally, this means [[Corporate_Regulations#Medium_Level_Infractions_(Amber_Violations;_i200's)|Amber i200 regulatory violations]] ''may'' see Central Command forward the incident to the BSSB for additional punitive action; [[Corporate_Regulations#High_Severity_Infractions_(Red_Violations;_i300's)|Red i300 regulatory violations]] will, where not sensitive to the company, always be forwarded to the BSSB for additional punitive action (or the review of any summary judgements approved by Command, such as Marooning or Cyborgification).

The [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#Republic Astroforce|Republic Astroforce]] is responsible for law enforcement in the space territories of the [[Republic of Biesel]]. The Astroforce is empowered to conduct inspections and detentions of space vessels and their crew should one be identified committing an offence when it comes to the actions of a whole space vessel. This is rather rare, as military vessels are at a premium in the Astroforce, however particularly reckless spacevessel operation may see it deemed necessary by a military patrol. If the Astroforce is stopping the SCCV Horizon, either one of the two parties has made a '''very significant (probably non-canon) mistake''', as it would take a '''lot''' for the Republic to intervene with the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]’s pride vessel [[Guide_to_Ghost_Roles#Guidelines|(Remember to ahelp first!)]].

===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#75aadb; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Police Procedure</div>===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
The following procedure is simplified for in-game use and '''must''' be followed if an SCCV Horizon crew member or the ship as a whole is accused of a crime and an arrest is deemed necessary.

For summary offences and misdemeanors occurring on a Republic of Biesel inhabited body, a verbal warning can be issued if an arrest is not deemed fit. If the accused is a Horizon head of staff member, a verbal warning '''must''' be given on the first instance of a misdemeanor.

For spacecraft offences in Republic of Biesel’s space territories, the person responsible is always the Captain or the supervising head of staff of the Bridge. Two verbal warnings '''must''' be given and, if the SCCV Horizon has not desisted, physical intervention should only be made if: 1) at least 1 member of SCCV Horizon command is willing to assist in a law enforcement action; 2) a Republic citizen’s life is threatened. Only the vessel's commanding officer can commit to this action, and must be aware that their career is on the line if the offence isn't enough to warrant such drastic action [[Guide_to_Ghost_Roles#Guidelines|(Remember to ahelp first!)]].

Policing reports are to be made on the forum [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/19846-off-ship-police-arrest-report-format-and-rules/ here].

<hr>

'''Determining Grounds for Expedited Arrest:'''
*The police must first establish if a crime was in fact committed and identify a suspect.
*If the suspect is a Horizon head of staff or the whole ship, a sufficient authority (eg. a Republic Astroforce Astrarch, a Police Department Chief) must determine if criminal proceedings continue. This does not apply to ''felonies'', which can always be pursued.
*For ''misdemeanors'' and ''felonies'', if crime was ''witnessed by an officer'', ''visibly in possession of tools or paraphernalia used to commit the crime'' (eg. a weapon, illegal substances) or otherwise ''caught red handed by an officer'', an ‘expedited arrest’ can be made and a search & seizure conducted without a warrant signed by a judge. In the case of ''felonies'', a sufficient authority (eg. a Republic Astroforce Astrarch, a Police Department Chief) can make the ''informed'' decision to order an expedited arrest regardless of other criteria.
* Where an expedited arrest cannot be made, officers cannot make an arrest without a warrant and must rely on freely-given statements, confessions, or consensual searches.
* For ''summary offences'', if it was ''witnessed by an officer'', a warning should be immediately issued. Repeat summary offences can be treated as a misdemeanor.

<hr>

'''No Grounds for Expedited Arrest:'''
* In the case of misdemeanors and felonies, a report should be filed on the forum, naming the persons involved and what statements/evidence was collected, and why an expedited arrest could not be made. If deemed necessary, maybe a warrant for a BSSB investigation will be signed.

<hr>

'''Making an Expedited Arrest:'''
*If the conditions for an expedited arrest are met and one is made, the suspect can be arrested.
*The suspect needs only be informed of the time of their arrest and what their charge is.
*The suspect can be moved to the police station/brig.
*Any contraband and stolen items are removed.
*The suspect is locked in a cell and must be provided with a Brochure of Rights that is present in all Republic detention facilities. In the case of ''summary offences'', the detaining officer should start a timer to keep track of detention time.
*The SCCV Horizon should be informed of the arrest and an attempt to return corporate property not confiscated as part of a crime should be made.
*While detained, the suspect is entitled to: a radio for the purpose of making post-arrest arrangements, essential health care, clean clothing and accommodation, food and water, immediate release in the event of hazardous detention conditions.
*Only if interviewed, the suspect '''must''' be vocally informed of their right to silence and right to a lawyer. If this is not done, statements gained from an interview may not be eligible evidence in a court and the detaining officer is liable for negligence.

<hr>

'''Post-arrest:'''
* For ''summary offences'', the detainee must arrange payment of a fine (either with cash on person, a captain or XO electronically transferring funds, or another Horizon crew member paying). On payment, they can be allowed to go or transported to the Horizon. If ''unable to be fined'', they must be let go after the maximum detention time (timer starts once placed in cell). A [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/19846-off-ship-police-arrest-report-format-and-rules/ police report] '''can''' be filed on the forum but declare the matter resolved.
* For ''misdemeanors'', the detainee must be held until both payment of a fine and until a bail fee (simplified to 5x the cost of the fine) is additionally provided. On payment of both, they can be allowed to go or be transported to the Horizon, however should receive notice that the criminal proceeding may be continued at court. A [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/19846-off-ship-police-arrest-report-format-and-rules/ police report] '''should''' be filed on the forum and CCIA is eligible to start an investigation.
* For ''felonies'', there is no recourse and the detainee remains in the cell for the rest of the round. A [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/19846-off-ship-police-arrest-report-format-and-rules/ police report] '''must''' be filed on the forum and both the CCIA and BSSB will launch an investigation.

</div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<br>
===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#75aadb; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Simplified Crimes</div>===
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
These are simplified crimes that can be enforced by a Republic of Biesel enforcement group, and can be abstracted as both federal laws or local laws.

Misdemeanors can be resolved with verbal warnings on the first instance.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Summary Offences
!style="background-color:#ffee55;"| Offence
!style="background-color:#ffee55;"| Description / Examples
!style="background-color:#ffee55;"| Fine / Maximum Detention
|-
| Traffic Offences (Planetary)|| Ignoring road signs and traffic lights. Curb mounting. || 85电 / 5 Minutes
|-
| Battery || Unwanted physical contact. Repeated psionic interaction without consent. || 100电 / 10 Minutes
|-
| Discrimination || Discrimination by personal characteristics (eg. species) || 150电 / 10 Minutes
|-
| Disorderly Conduct || Indecent exposure. Causing a ruckus in the streets. Using xenophobic slurs. || 50电 / 5 Minutes
|-
| Vandalism / Damaging an Owned IPC || Defacing property. || 100电 / 5 Minutes
|-
| Littering || Littering items and refusing to clean up. || 50电 / 5 Minutes
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Misdemeanors
|-
!style="background-color:#ffaa55;" | Offence
!style="background-color:#ffaa55;" | Description / Examples
!style="background-color:#ffaa55;" | Fine
|-
| Driving Under the Influence (Space and Planetary) || Operating a motor or space vehicle while inebriated. || 250电 (Planetary), 2500电 (Space)
|-
| Reckless Spacecraft Operation || Activation of an FTL drive in close proximity (3 grids) to a major inhabited body. [[Reade#Extreme_Readic_Racing|Exceeding 8Gm/hour in a civilised system (eg. Tau Ceti)]]. || 5000电
|-
| Assault / Damage to a Free IPC / Irrepairable Damage to an Owned IPC || To cause severe harm or to attempt to cause severe harm to an individual. To cause easily repairable damage to a Free IPC or irreparable damage to an Owned IPC || 500电
|-
| Theft / Fraud || Theft or defrauding || 250电
|-
| Possession of Illegal Substances || See [[Drug Law]] for illegal substances. || 200电
|-
| Weapons Offences || Only enforced in urban centres; ''no firearms are permitted'' without a permit; fixed blades cannot be concealed; swords are not permitted. Includes negligent operation, needless brandishing of a weapon. See Weapon Law. || 500电
|-
| Failure to Comply with a Lawful Order / Obstruction of Justice || Obstructing detaining officers. Refusing to comply with detaining officers. || 200电
|-
| Reckless Ship Armament Operation || Accidentally striking another vessel with an object or munition that causes no harm to occupants. Firing ship armaments at a major inhabited body, without resulting injury or death. || 10000电
|-
| Harassment / Making Threats || Prolonged stalking and harassment. Threatening verbal or body language.|| 200电
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Felonies
|-
!style="background-color:#ff8855;" | Offence
!style="background-color:#ff8855;" | Description / Examples
|-
| Manslaughter / Murder / Automacide || To kill someone, intentionally or as a result of negligent actions. To terminate a positronic intelligence.
|-
| Grievous Bodily Harm / Irrepairable Damage to a Free IPC || To cause potentially fatal harm or that which affects one's life (eg. loss of limb). To cause irreparable damage to a free IPC.
|-
| Kidnapping / Hostage Taking || To transport a victim against their will. To demand ransom in exchange for their release.
|-
| Smuggling of Illegal Goods (Space) || To transport quantities of illegal goods that demonstrate intent for bulk sale instead of personal use.
|-
| Armed Robbery (Planetary), Piracy (Space) || To steal from a private property while brandishing a lethal weapon. To perform armed robbery and theft of cargo against another space vessel or station.
|-
| Vehicle Theft || Stealing a motor vehicle or spacecraft
|-
| Runaway IPC / IPC with Fraudulent or No Tag || To have escaped ownership. To have a fraudulent tag or no tag at all.
|}

''The Republic of Biesel, as a [[Biesellite_Culture_and_Society#Multiculturalism|bastion of multiculturalism and inclusion]], takes discrimination very seriously (particularly when it comes to speciesism), and so any penalties are tripled if the offence can be considered a hate crime (the primary motive involves discrimination).''

</div class="mw-collapsible-content">

== See Also ==
* [[Republic Security & Law Enforcement]]
* [[Drug Law]]
* [[Guide_to_Law#Luna_Accords_of_Interstellar_Law|The Luna Accords of Interstellar Law]]
* [[Guide_to_Citizenship#Republic_of_Biesel|Republic of Biesel Citizenship Requirements]]

{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}

Tau Ceti Armed Forces

2026-07-23T19:28:34Z

Kermit: torvald links

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}
[[File:TCAFInsignia.png|thumb|The insignia of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. ]]

The '''Tau Ceti Armed Forces (TCAF)''' was formed in 2465 with a mandate to protect the sovereignty of the fledgling [[Republic of Biesel]] and ensure it continues to shine as a beacon of liberty in the [[Orion Spur]]. It was preceded by the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, militia-like in structure and armament, which was deemed unfit for service with the growing tensions of the Spur in the 2460s and the Republic’s [[Tau_Ceti_History#The_Peacekeeper_Mandate_(2463)|growing pains in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone]].

The TCAF is composed of two major branches: the '''Republic Astroforce''', the space forces of the TCAF; the '''Home Defence Forces''', the planetary forces of the TCAF. These branches both have full-time professional and part-time reservist forces, and each has a Foreign Legion which functions as a large net for foreign nationals seeking citizenship opportunities in the Republic of Biesel and makes up much of the TCAF’s reservist personnel. Both branches, and the TCAF as a whole, are only moderately-sized, smaller than the forces of the [[Solarian Alliance]], [[Coalition of Colonies]] and [[Nralakk Federation]] — as such, much of the TCAF’s doctrine is based high-tech punch-up solutions, being evasive, and ''delaying the inevitable for as long as possible''.

Salaries within the TCAF are generous, paying higher than many comparable space jobs in the Republic’s insecure job market. The lucrative pay and the economic crisis sees many in less affluent regions of the Republic of Biesel ensure recruitment rates remain high or those completing their time in the Foreign Legion stay. Servicemembers of the TCAF enjoy conditions comparable to that of the Republic’s middle class. However, outside of the TCAF in the Republic, views on the armed forces range widely: those affected most by the [[phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] can be resentful of the TCAF’s prioritised allocation of phoron — especially when put to use in first-strike, weapons-of-mass-destruction; others hold great pride in the TCAF, seeing how far it has come from its preceding militias.

The commander-in-chief of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces is the President of the Republic of Biesel, with the Secretary of Defence generally responsible for the TCAF’s day-to-day supervision. The ''Defence Forum'' is an advisory board composed of the Principal Legates and Primuses of each branch and arm of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces.

{{TOC Hidden}}

== History ==

=== Tau Ceti System Defense Force and the Proto-TCFL (2200s—2458) ===
Prior to the Republic of Biesel’s independence, Tau Ceti was under the banner of the Alliance of Sovereign Solarian Nations. During this time, the system would be guarded by the Solarian Navy and its own [[Solarian_Armed_Forces#System_Defense_Forces|Tau Ceti System Defense Force]].

In the mid-2200s, Tau Ceti would become a critical system for the Solarian Navy, with military industry cropping up in the outer reaches — particularly over [[New Gibson]]. This, alongside being one of the first interstellar colonies, meant Tau Ceti was a rather comfortable posting and its System Defense Force was… reasonably equipped, for an SDF. However, dissent among Tau Ceti’s populace would be seeding during this time, starting on New Gibson, and the Alliance’s forces in Tau Ceti would only see use maintaining order and quelling protests. Come the Interstellar War in 2278, the system would be pushed to its limits, and riots and unrest would break out. By the time the war ended in 2287, the Solarian Navy had withdrawn in droves, leaving behind only the System Defense Force which would, over time, atrophy without funding or regular training. Tau Ceti would receive its status as a semiautonomous state.

In 2452, Tau Ceti would achieve its independence and form the Republic of Biesel. By then, its System Defense Force would be a mere 4 fleets of century old Solarian designs or second-hand equipment purchased off paramilitaries, bolstered by refitted civilian vessels. It was hardly a System Defense Force anymore, even the most neglected SDF of the Alliance-proper at the time was better equipped than the one the Republic of Biesel inherited; instead, a militia. Between 2452 and 2458, the fledgling Republic had a rather lackadaisical approach to the formation of its military, instead wholly reliant on the influence of their economy and the [[megacorporations]] to dissuade conflict with the Alliance.

In 2458, the Republic would be [[Tau_Ceti_History#The_Solarian_Blockade_(2458_-_2459)|blockaded]] and the President would be kidnapped. With no effective fighting force, the Republic of Biesel could only sit back, and it would be bailed out by its allies. This was a sorely needed wake up call.

=== Tau Ceti Foreign Legion (2459—2463) ===
Founded in 2459 in the aftermath of the [[Tau_Ceti_History#The_Solarian_Blockade_(2458_-_2459)|Solarian Blockade]], the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion was the [[Republic of Biesel]]’s first foray into organising a standing armed forces. It was primarily composed of volunteer immigrants and other external parties seeking citizenship, with the Republic offering such for 1 year.

The TCFL was still militia-like in structure, equipment, and culture, with few enlisted personnel serving full-time and instead being called up as-needed. Much of the TCFL’s early equipment was inherited from the remnants of the Tau Ceti System Defense Force — refitted over time with [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] armaments. Militarised civilian vessels were also not an uncommon sight. Nonetheless, the citizenship opportunities provided by the Republic of Biesel saw the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion swell to great size, and the organisation was just-about functional for most purposes. Even despite the Blockade, both Tau Ceti’s government would hesitate to go further than this militia-like organisation, wary of the potential for a stronger military to exert influence on the young Republic, just as Luna’s Admiralty dominated the Solarian Alliance during these years.

Most purposes, besides another Solarian invasion. In 2462, the [[Tau_Ceti_History#Phoron_Scarcity_and_the_Second_Invasion_of_Biesel_(2462)|Second Invasion of Biesel]] saw the TCFL’s lasting humiliation when a single [[Solarian_Armed_Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Navy]] battlegroup was able to carve its way through the Foreign Legion and seize much of outer [[Tau Ceti]], including occupying [[Reade]] and its moons. It would only be with the intervention of the newly formed [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], the [[Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]], and [[Coalition of Colonies]] that the Republic of Biesel would survive the invasion.

Efforts to modernise the militia into a more organised force were now deemed necessary and quickly drafted in the succeeding years, and the Tau Ceti Armed Forces would be announced in 2465, expedited somewhat due to the [[Tau_Ceti_History#The_Peacekeeper_Mandate_(2463)|ongoing Peacekeeper Mandate]] which had begun testing the TCFL a second time.

=== Formation of the TCAF and Late Peacekeeper Mandate (2465) ===
The Tau Ceti Armed Forces was formed with four branches: the Tau Ceti Minutemen, which inherited much of the TCFL’s equipment and senior personnel; the Republican Fleets, which was composed of mercenaries and other retained persons who flocked to the Republic in the aftermath of the Solarian Collapse; the Foreign Legion, a continuation of the TCFL; and the Corporate Auxiliaries, merely a commissioned branch of the TCAF composed of loaned megacorporate equipment and personnel.

The TCAF’s first major deployment was one of counter-insurgency on [[Mictlan]], where both peaceful protestors and violent insurgents rejected the planet’s acceding to the [[Republic of Biesel]]. As such, when evidence of lax rules of engagement, violence against peaceful protestors, and ostensible war crimes were publicised, the TCAF’s image was tainted from the get go. For many, this hearkened straight back to the struggles the Republic had faced while still under the [[Solarian Alliance]].

=== Torvald Administration and the Armed Forces Reforms (2466—2468) ===
Come the election of the military-first Cetian Congress of Conservatives, headed by President [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Ake Torvald]], the Tau Ceti Armed Forces would receive a surge in spending and, with the [[phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] in full throes, several bills would see the stockpiling of [[phoron]] into a strategic reserve, with the TCAF receiving priority phoron allocation. The lucrative wages and stable job security saw recruitment rates hold, despite the tarnished reputation from yesteryears, particularly among those from less affluent areas of the Republic. Military industry, particularly on [[Reade]], would also receive much investment, seeing the refitting of the Republican Fleets at the time and modernisation of the TCAF speed up. This has disgruntled the Republic’s populace somewhat, who are left deprived of phoron in their local infrastructure, while the TCAF gets more and more to waste in phoronic armaments.

In 2468, the ''Armed Forces Reform Bill'' entered the legislature, consolidating the TCAF’s spaceforces into a single branch — the Republic Astroforce — and founding its planetary branch — the Home Defence Forces. Doctrine and strategic objectives were also formally set, sculpted around the TCAF and the make up of the Republic of Biesel; the TCAF was to emphasise independent, small force strategies and fast, long-range tactics. The Peacekeeper Mandate was also recognised by the Torvald Administration for its short-comings, and though no actions were taken to truly remedy the issue, it was generally received well and as a sign of the Republic looking to avoid similar mistakes counter to ideals held by its peoples.

Today, the Tau Ceti Armed Forces is postured defensively as tensions and regional conflicts begin to bubble up. Though its forces have had some time to prepare — never enough time — it continues to pale in comparison to its expected enemy, the [[Solarian Alliance]], who continue to eye the territories the Republic of Biesel annexed during the [[Sol_Alliance_History#2462-65:_The_Solarian_Civil_War|Collapse]]. Despite this defensive posturing, UFO sightings and spacer ghost stories within Solarian Alliance territory occasionally crop up, which independent military analysts privately suspect may be Astroforce stealth reconnaissance vessels intruding upon Solarian space. The Republic has resolved to never allow a third humiliation of a third successful invasion nor the seizure of its peoples’ liberties, and its forces are certain to fight tooth and nail to preserve both dignity and freedom; if the inevitable must be inevitable, every day it is prevented, stalled, or made less worth it is a small triumph.
== Republic Astroforce ==
The '''Republic Astroforce (RAF)''' is the space arm of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, superseding all of the Tau Ceti Minutemen, Republican Fleets, Foreign Legion, and Corporate Auxiliaries in 2468, and absorbing their personnel and equipment to create a single space force branch under a unified command. It is the most funded branch of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, operating throughout the Republic of Biesel’s territories — primarily Tau Ceti and the Valley Hale.

The RAF remains a moderate-sized space force compared to those elsewhere, such as the [[Solarian_Armed_Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Navy]] that continues to dwarf it. Having inherited a wide variety of personnel and equipment, it is also known for being a bit of a hodge-podge, fielding higher-tech vessels of local make next to refurbished Solarian vessels. Its smaller size is also a boon amid the [[phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]], with each vessel allotted a higher quantity of [[phoron]], and thus all vessels — from flagvessels to smaller support craft — make full use of phoronic technologies.

To make up for its size and to capitalise on its powerful technologies, the RAF employs an unconventional, often seen as out-of-date approach to space warfare, relying on maximising the utility of orbital mechanics, speed, and wits to out-finesse an enemy — hit-and-run, essentially. Ideally, no engagement against a proper military force is to take any longer than five minutes or occur in under 20 kilometers of distance — fly-bys only, instead of head-to-head, direct combat — per the Astroforce’s doctrine, and large vessels such as Solarian battleships and carriers are simply best avoided unless caught poorly defended, with the Astroforce instead targeting the support vessels that keep its larger vessels active. Of course, against pirates, Astroforce vessels are plenty capable of any brute-force strategy.

The RAF, alongside its main '''Astroforce Legions''' arm, has a number of major auxiliary corps:
* The '''Republic Espatiers''' — The infantry arm of the Astroforce, responsible for (counter-)boarding actions against other vessels or stations.
* The '''Foreign Legions''' — A supporting arm that recruits foreign nationals seeking citizenship in the Republic, responsible for menial work, logistical work, and filling in wherever needed across the Astroforce.
* The '''Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion''' — A supporting arm of the Astroforce responsible for intelligence-gathering, electronic warfare, and the coordination of AI- or remote-guided equipment.
* The '''Orbital Legions''' — An arm of the Astroforce specifically trained in micro-scale, orbital operations and fielding Orbital Defence Craft with alternative vessel configurations to interstellar vessels. It’s also responsible for Reade’s in-atmosphere defences.

{{anchor|martijnvinke}}
<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#E8C079; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Principal Legate of the Republic Astroforces and Astroforce Legions — Martijn Vinke'''</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible">
The Republic Astroforce and its main Astroforce Legions arm is commanded by '''Principal Legate Martijn Vinke''', appointed by President [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Ake Torvald]] in 2467. Vinke was an unusual choice for appointment at first glance, with limited combat command experience in the Tau Ceti Armed Forces and its predecessors. Vinke became a reservist officer in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion in 2459, a year after the Solarian Blockade, while working on his PhD project in Astrophysics at [[Human_Educational_Institutions#Hongsun_Park_Engineering_Institute|Honsung Park Engineering Institute]], which would earn him his doctorate. After being called up and directly witnessing the military humiliation that was the Second Solarian Invasion, Vinke would remain in active service. His contributions to the Republic’s military academia, even prior to being a legate, and knowledge of astrophysics saw him selected as the Principal Legate of the Republic Astroforces, best suited to reinvent its military strategies. He is the most influential figure on the Defence Forum, with considerable sway over military policy.
</div class="mw-collapsible-content">

<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#849bc1; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Primus of the Astroforce Legions — Madeline Bounds'''</div>
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The Astroforce Legion’s enlisted are represented by '''Primus Madeline Bounds'''. Bounds began her (para)military service with NanoTrasen Corporation’s asset protection forces in 2433, transferring from the NSS Upsilon’s engineering team. Upon the creation of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion in 2458 after the Solarian Blockade, Madeline would hop over to the Republic’s armed forces, serving as a Specialist Legionnaire (equivalent to a present day Legionnaire Immunis). She was posted on the BLV Fylgja over Reade during the Second Invasion, and although the vessel was critically damaged and routed, it was attributed to Bounds (and a number of other engineers and technicians) that the Fylgja was not totally destroyed and its crew lost; she became a media heroine for a short while. While Bounds did serve in the Peacekeeper Mandate, she pivots from the topic when it is brought up — rumours are she is under a gag order. Appointed Primus of the Astroforce Legion in 2468, Bounds has been instrumental in getting enlisted servicemembers acquainted with the new NanoTrasen equipment and lecturing officers about their technical specifications and optimal use cases.
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=== Structure ===
The Republic Astroforce is composed of 82 organised fleets, each typically fielding only between 8 to 15 vessels and having around 800—1500 persons to a fleet. The equipment and size of these fleets typically depends on their role.

The 16 '''Praetorian Fleets''' are larger and generally more well-equipped, with state of the art [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] vessel frames and [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] phoronic armaments. They are responsible for the security of the [[Tau Ceti]] and immediately surrounding space, often conducting anti-smuggling operations and other routine system policing actions during peace time. Being a more prestigious (and carefree) posting, many of the Republic Astroforce’s more skilled and experienced service people and officers land on these vessels. Each Praetorian Fleet fields the full 15 vessels, heavier on the 1st and 2nd Rate vessel rates.

The 40 '''Away Fleets''' are variable in size and can be a mixed bag in regards to their armament, with a mix of older TCAF designs and refitted Solarian designs clashing with the higher tech phoronic armaments haphazardly fitted onto them and their contemporary lead vessels. In peace time, they are generally seen patrolling the other inhabited systems of the Republic of Biesel, as well as the Valley Hale and along the Zoleth Line within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. They often perform logistical and humanitarian operations where needed. Each Away Fleet consists of 8 to 12 vessels of smaller size, rated for faster, precise hit-and-run actions to harass and weaken an attacker while other fleets assemble.

The 18 '''Orbital Defence Fleets''' are composed of orbital defence craft specifically rated for shorter-range security operations within a body’s sphere of influence, and under the Orbital Legion arm. Two Orbital Defence Fleets are permanently posted to each of the Republic of Biesel’s major inhabited bodies, with [[Biesel]] and [[Reade]] shielded by 4 Orbital Defence Fleets. In peace time, their duties are limited to border and customs patrol of planets — not very prestigious, and seen as a dead-end, banishment posting for those who do not excel in other fleets. On the other hand, they are seen as a lucky posting within the Foreign Legion, being tethered to a planet and its extranet infrastructure, unlike the Away Fleets which disappear into the Valley Hale or to the Zoleth Line.

Finally, there are 8 '''Silo Fleets''', composed of silo vessels (and their escorts) which can carry hundreds of phoronic first-strike missiles with bluespace capabilities each. Their postings are, of course, a military secret, and are refuelled, resupplied and have crew transferred by other Away Fleets without ever having to approach an inhabited system. The final resort.

==== Notable Fleets ====
* '''1st Praetorian Fleet''', ''The Show Horses'' — ''Nil Desperandum''

Berthed at Valkyrie, the 1st Praetorian Fleet is the final protector, alongside the Orbital Defence Fleets, of the Republic. And yet, until the day comes, it is relegated to ceremonial and touristy duties. It is exempt from routine fleet work (patrols, boarding inspections, etc.), making it a most preferred posting for enlisted service members, and day-to-day it welcomes high-paying passengers for a walk around — after vetting and with more sensitive systems curtained off. A show horse fleet, filled with pretty officers and pretty equipment.

The fleet is commanded by ''Ducenarius Raymond Gauthier'' aboard the Astraeus-class ''RAFV Liberty''. Legate Gauthier, prior to entering the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion in 2460, was a fashion designer with Idris Incorporated in Belle Côte, and whose greatest contribution to the Astroforce was designing its uniforms. Gauthier has a strong social media presence and has long set about trying to improve TCAF optics and driving up recruitment rates. What he never talks about is his time on the Second Invasion’s frontlines, and those of the 1st are left speculating as to his true combat abilities.

* '''12th Praetorian Fleet''' — ''From Hypothesis to Impact''

Berthed over Reade, the 12th is a platform for more experimental armaments and vessel designs still in R&D stages down in Reade’s military engineering labs. As such, it is quite the busy bee, frequently pushing its gadgets to the limit in Reade’s rings. One only hopes the fleet’s composition and array of armaments are reliable and effective should they ever have to be used.

The fleet is commanded by ''Ducenarius Nanoo Yilq’Giorii'' aboard the Thyella-class ''RAFV Erudition'', boasting a Leviathan Mk.II instead of the standard Koncerz in its spinal mount. Hailing from [[New_Gibson#Xoikko|Xoikko, New Gibson]], Nanoo has resided in the Republic since the 2350s, originally migrating from Aliose as a twice-degreed Biophysicist to lead a team studying the moon’s unique ecosphere — they would opt to settle. Come the Second Invasion and bombardment of New Gibson however, Nanoo would choose war as their final degree choice, joining the TCAF in 2463 and now 5 years into their part-time skrell degree in Astrowarfare (another 25 years to go!) Their degree in Physics and Biophysics was already enough to see them fast-tracked to commanding a Praetorian Fleet, and the experimental nature of the 12th is just right for them.

* '''28th Away Fleet''', ''Zo’ra’s Chosen'' — ''To Another Great War''

Often stationed on the Zoleth Line in the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], the 28th Away Fleet is one of the larger, more crowded fleets — a result of being staffed by disproportionately more [[vaurca|vaurcae]]. It is staffed with thrice the crew and espatier complement across its vessels, with three vaurca to one vaurca-assigned berth. Non-vaurcae have a difficult time maintaining personal space, but are fortunately assigned their own berths… where possible. The 28th’s Espatiers also stands out, assigned three hundred espatiers instead of the one hundred, two-hundred of which almost entirely composed of [[Zoleth,_The_Herald_of_Scars|Zoleth Brood]] warriors — a healthy dozen being warforms. Many of its espatiers were part of the since disbanded ‘Zo’ra’s Chosen’ Minutemen branch who served during the Peacekeeper Mandate as mobile infantry and gunship operators, since re-trained for astro-combat, and carrying their nickname over to the 28th Away Fleet.

The fleet is commanded by ''Ducenarius Ta’Akaix’Liv’zith’Kyrk Zo’ra'' aboard the 1st Rate Valkyrie-class ''RAFV Sedantian Flames''. A Zo’ra of the Zoleth Brood, Liv has served since the hive began heavily investing in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, and is one of two Zo’rane Ta to be honoured with high, flag officer promotions (the other a legate in a more advisory, non-command position). If Solarian encroachment over the Zoleth Line occurs, there is no better trained and eager foe for them to encounter.

* '''32nd Away Fleet''' — ''Our Will Be Done''

The largest Away Fleet within the Valley Hale, often stationed around the [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#NSS_Orchard_Moon|NSS Orchard Moon]], the 32nd Away Fleet is on stand-by as a quick reaction force to incidents of piracy affecting phoron supply lines in the area, assisting civilian and megacorporate transport, smaller Republic patrol fleets, and even the occasional Elyran patrol fleet. The 32nd often works and trains alongside [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Nexus_Corporate_Security|Nexus Corporate Security]] who are also stationed around the Orchard Moon. Of all of the Republic’s fleets, the 32nd is perhaps the most combat experienced — even if only whetted against pirates and low-rate mercenaries — and has a reputation among the Astroforce as bearing the most hardened crew and espatiers.

It is commanded by ''Principal Astrach Sulafa Fawakhrji'' aboard the 2nd Rate Respite-class ''RAFV First Cause''. Hailing from New Marfa on Biesel, Fawakhrji followed in her father’s footsteps — a former Elyran navy officer, prior to migrating to Biesel — and joined the Tau Ceti Armed Forces in 2464. Fawakhrji would avoid the Peacekeeper Mandate, instead shuffled around various anti-piracy and border patrol fleets in the Valley Hale region, often butting heads with Elyran patrol fleets claiming the same regions of space, relying on diplomacy to settle things — and settle things she often did, avoiding escalating any tensions. In 2468, she would be promoted to Principal Astrarch and put in command of the new 32nd Fleet, wielding the most hardened vessels and crews with a steady, diplomatic hand.

* '''1st Silo Fleet''', ''The Sentry Fleet'' — ''Without Remorse''

Posted in the very high, trans-Gibsonite orbit of Reade on overwatch of the Tau Ceti system, the 1st Silo Fleet is the only ‘visible’ silo fleet. It is the largest of the silo fleets, composed of 6 silo vessels, a screening support vessel, and its command and control vessel, with an estimated, combined 800 phoronuclear missiles capable of launching and targeting anywhere in the Tau Ceti system (and beyond). The fleet stands sentry in the event of a third incursion into the system, its many missiles capable of establishing superiority within its orbiting body’s sphere of influence and overwhelming an attacker.

The fleet is commanded by ''Ducenarius Angeleyes-003'' aboard the ''RAFV Mastiff'' command-and-control vessel. A young Intelligence Bishop owned by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, Angeleyes is perhaps the most powerful owned synthetic in the Spur with the arsenal at its hands. It is entrusted to utilise its arsenal in the best interests of the Republic to maximum effect, able to directly interface with its ship systems and those of its fleet. While it shows no lapse in faith, its posting has been burdensome on the young synthetic’s mind, and the hearsay from the 1st Silo Fleet is that the Bishop never leaves its command centre, unwilling to stand down from the system’s overwatch or the moment a first-strike order may be given.

=== Ranks ===
With small vessel companies and fleets, the hierarchy of the Republic Astroforces is quite slim — there are only so many duties and divisions of fleets that can be shuffled up or down the hierarchy. Ordinarily, this could pose issues, with limited promotion opportunities and longer time between promotion can lead to some leaving the forces. However, the lucrative wages and core ideals the Astroforce protects nicely offsets this. The slimmer array of ranks also promotes a greater sense of camaraderie and increased cooperation, with networks of same-ranked servicemembers being larger and less spread out.

Depending on the arm of the Astroforces, promotion fast-tracks and alternative starts are often offered to those with relevant degrees. For example, a commissioned officer in the main Astroforce Legion with a degree in Astrophysics will receive promotions in 2/3rds the time; a servicemember with a degree apprenticeship in a field of engineering or armouring will enter the Astroforces as a Prefect. This allows those with relevant experience to quickly progress to more senior ranks where they are best utilised, which is particularly useful for the TCAF’s reserve-heavy resources.

Responsibilities prescribed to commissioned officer ranks highly varies by posting. Those in the Away Fleets often find a greater burden of responsibility placed on them, given their distance and independence from the greater Astroforce command. Whereas in the Praetorian Fleets or aboard a military station within Tau Ceti, one could safely coast through the junior and middle commissioned officer ranks having been responsible for comparatively little.

Ranks are denoted by medallions — gold, platinum, or enamelled phoron — worn on the service member’s shoulder or chest.

'''Legates, Ducenarii and Primuses are not playable on the SCCV Horizon, due to their limited number or exclusive position, and commitment to the TCAF.'''

'''(Principle) Astrarchs and Principal Prefects on the SCCV Horizon are unlikely to be found outside of Command roles.'''

<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Ranks List</div>
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In descending order and shared by all arms of the Astroforces.

==== Commissioned ====
* '''Principal Legate (PLgt.)''' — A flag officer assigned to lead an arm or the entirety of the Republic Astroforce. Principal Legates wear three, enamelled phoron medallions.
* '''Legate (Lgt.)''' — A senior flag officer occupying senior leadership positions and shaping strategic planning and policy development. Only 40 legates have been promoted. Legates wear two, enamelled phoron medallions.
* '''Ducenarius (Duc.)''' — A flag officer often supervising naval commands, groups of fleets, or receiving the prestigious posting of commanding a Praetorian Fleet (or the sensitive posting of a Silo Fleet). Ducenarii wear one, enamelled phoron medallion, and are entitled to modify their flagship’s name, motto, paint, badge and flag. Only 100 ducenarii have been promoted. On a conventional career track, 8 years of active service is expected.
* '''Principal Astrarch (PArch.)''' — A senior commissioned officer who typically has command of a single fleet and its lead vessel. Principal Astrarchs wear three platinum medallions. On a conventional career track, 4 years of active service is expected.
* '''Astrarch (Arch.)''' — A commissioned officer who typically has command of a single, non-commanding vessel, or the staff officer under a Principal Navarch. Astrarchs wear two platinum medallions. On a conventional career track, 2 years of active service is expected.
* '''Decurion (Dec.)''' — A commissioned officer, managing personnel and resources under the instruction of senior officers. Decurions wear one platinum medallion on their shoulder.
* '''Aspirant (Asp.)''' — A junior officer undergoing initial training and their first posting. Aspirants wear one gold medallion. They are generally promoted after completion of first action.

==== Enlisted ====
* '''Primus (Prm.)''' — A non-commissioned officer assigned to liaise between the enlisted of an arm and its flag officers, shaping enlisted-level planning and policy development. Primuses wear a gold pauldron with one phoron medallion, and are saluted and addressed as a commissioned officer would be.
* '''Principal Prefect (LPfct.)''' — A senior non-commissioned officer with tenure and subject matter expertise, typically leading and mentoring subordinates within a department and advising commanding officers. Principal Prefects wear a blue pauldron with one platinum medallion. On a conventional career track, 5 years of active service is expected.
* '''Prefect (Pfct.)''' — A non-commissioned officer typically responsible for leading smaller teams, day-to-day department operations and routine training. Prefects wear a red pauldron with three gold medallions. Minimum 3 years of active service OR a relevant apprenticeship degree and previous leadership experience.
* '''Legionnaire Immunis (LgnI.)''' — A senior enlisted servicemember who has specialised with extra training. Their specialist training entitles them to be ‘immune(is)’ to menial, grunt taskings (outside of emergencies). Legionnaires wear two gold medallions — one on the shoulder, one on the chest. Minimum 1.5 years of active service.
* '''Legionnaire (Lgn.)''' — A trained spaceforces enlisted servicemember responsible for a variety of basic duties under the supervision of superiors. Legionnaires wear one gold medallion on their shoulder.
* '''Recruit (Rct.)''' — The rank at which one enters the Spacefleets. They are generally promoted on completion of training.
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=== Republic Espatiers ===
The '''Republic Espatiers (RE)''' are the special-operations infantry arm of the Republic Astroforce, responsible for space infantry operations against vessels, stations, and in microgravity, as well as counter-boarding.

Each fleet and major station of the RAF hosts one century of Espatiers, composed of only 100 personnel, making the Republic Espatiers the smallest of service branches in the RAF. This is not without thought, as the RAF’s doctrine disincentivises close, prolonged ship combat where boarding actions are likely to occur, instead favouring long-range solutions. Where Espatier operations are expected, they tend to be in-and-out, surgical raids to destroy a ship system or target vessel leadership. Training for the Espatiers is rigorous as a result, both to ensure a high skill and to quickly get through the thousands of applicants applying for limited vacancies.

Outside of the rare space infantry operation, the Espatiers tend to assist with internal vessel logistics and other menial work or, during peace time, perform the frequent inspection boarding for flagged smugglers. As such, despite their elite training and status, the public image of the Espatiers rarely matches, viewing the arm as mere grunts.

If assigned to a fleet, an Espatier century takes the number of the fleet. In the 1st—16th range, this means centuries have multiple sister centuries, of which variable relationships ensue. For example, the ''3rd Espatiers (Praetorians)'' and ''3rd Espatiers (Away)'' are known to have a rather rocky relationship. If assigned to a station, the number is in the order they were assigned and the station’s name is included in the century’s title; EG. ''1st Dumas Espatiers''.

A few exceptions exist, being the elite centuries. These elite centuries take an extensive amount of experience, networking (multiple references from Principal Prefects and commissioned officers are required), and luck to pass the selection process — this is on top of the already rigorous requirements just to get into the Republic Espatiers.

{{anchor|Symphony}}
<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#849bc1; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Principal Legate of the Republic Espatiers — Symphony'''</div>
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The Republic Espatiers is commanded by '''Principal Legate Symphony'''. A Baseline synthetic who sought their freedom in the Republic of Biesel via the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion in 2459, Symphony would continue into the Tau Ceti Armed Forces as it is today. Symphony was a Decurion when the Second Invasion of Biesel occurred, and was responsible for leading the decisive, joint—TCFL-SCC boarding operation against a 35th Frigate that was obstructing the special forces operation to recapture a planetary battery that would later be used to [[KING_OF_THE_WORLD#OZDEMIR'S_FLAGSHIP_DESTROYED!_Conflict_brought_to_an_end!|strike Grand Admiral Raymond Ozdemir’s flagship]]. This action alone, amid an otherwise bland career on either side of the Second Invasion, saw them fly through the ranks and they continue to be regarded as a hero to this day. Despite their limited experience, it was no surprise when they were appointed as the Principal Legate of the Republic Espatiers — the alternative would have been a veteran officer of the Peacekeeper Mandate…
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<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#849bc1; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Primus of the Republic Espatiers — Oxi’gruk Yiliip'''</div>
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The Republic Espatiers’ enlisted are represented by '''Primus Oxi’gruk Yiliip'''. Oxi fled the Nralakk Federation during the [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php/Warbling_:_The_Traverse_Strikes_Back#Unprecedented_Mass_Migration_of_Skrell 2463 exodus] and was one of many to enlist in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion to avoid deportation. Particularly skilled, for reasons undisclosed, they quickly soared up the ranks and were heavily involved in lectures and discussions with senior TCFL personnel on how best the Legion could utilise its sudden influx of psionic personnel. In 2468, they were selected as the first Primus of the Republic Espatiers.
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==== Notable Centuries ====
'''The Praetorian Guard''' — ''Liberty or Death''

A continuation of the Praetorian branch of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces that was founded in 2466. The Praetorian Guard (not to be confused with the Praetorian Fleets or those assigned to it) are a unique and elite century, responsible for the close protection of the President of the Republic of Biesel, senior cabinet members, senior public figures, or guests-of-honour while in space or uninhabitable planetary conditions. Its espatiers are almost all selected from Biesellite veterans, and almost all are human, skrell or synthetic. They are thoroughly vetted for their loyalty to the Republic and its institutions, with some espatiers having been turned away simply for visiting the Solarian Alliance in the last decade or for having long, historical careers at a megacorporation. Come war time, the Praetorians are expected to do whatever it takes to see a continuation of the Republic make it through. The century’s patch and badges depict Tau Ceti over a purple shield, flanked by gold laurels; they wear the Tyrian purple berets of elite espatiers.

'''Praetorians must be from the planet Biesel and either human, skrell, or synthetic. They must also not have held a senior role (Prefect or Astrarch and above).'''

'''Republic Commandos''' — ''First In, Last Out''

An elite special forces unit of the Republic Espatiers, the Commandos are trained in space counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, and clandestine operations in space. They are the surgical solution when the Republic has a tricky solution to solve. Training for the Commandos is incredibly rigorous, with many rejected in the early stages of training. Its espatiers are unique in that they are all committed transhumanists, with it being an unwritten requirement for one to get decked up to the gills in phoronic augmentations (typically cybernetic) prior to promotion to Legionnaire Immunis or Decurion. The century’s patch and badges depict a levitating, gold human silhouette contained within three purple SMES coils over a white background; they wear the Tyrian purple berets of elite espatiers.

'''Commandos must be from a Republic of Biesel origin and apparent transhumanists. They must also not have held a senior role (Prefect or Astrarch and above).'''

'''Espatiers Band Century''' — ''By Sword and Strings''

The Band Century is an elite musical and ceremonial century, participating in national events, parades, festivals and other ceremonies. Its servicemembers are selected both for their combat ability and musical ability, and the Espatiers ensures that it has demographics representative of the Republic — humans and aliens, Biesellite and Mictlanian, natives and immigrants, etc. When no ceremonies are due, the Band Century often performs ambassadorial and educational duties for the Espatiers, appearing in schools or to partnered organisations. During war time, the Band Century is trained to and expected to handle medical, engineering and other support roles. The century’s patch and badges depict a white viola crossed by a shortsword over a purple background; they wear the Tyrian purple berets of elite espatiers.

'''Band Century espatiers must be from a Republic of Biesel origin and musicians. They must also not have held a senior role (Prefect or Astrarch and above).'''

'''16th Espatiers Century (Away)''', ''The Atomic Century'' — ''It’s A Long Way To Tau Ceti!''

The 16th Century is composed of a majority of New Gibsonites and various dionae communities of the Republic. They are generally posted in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, often along the Zoleth Line, patrolling for potential Solarian incursion or miscreants from the Pustkowie. The 16th received its nickname as a result of the uranium glass accessories its New Gibsonite espatiers are often seen with, which their dionaea compatriots have also taken an interest in. In the actions the Atomic Century have undertaken against pirates, they have built a reputation as particularly reckless, over-reliant on explosive charges and sheer dionae strength to tear entrances and tunnels through a vessel, instead of using its airlocks and corridors. The century’s patch and badges depict a red px atomic orbital on a white axis over a green circle.

'''3rd Espatiers Century (Praetorian)''', ''Silver Vǫrðir'' — ''Watch and Ward''

The 3rd Century’s espatiers are recruited primarily from Valkyrie and the Odin. As such, many of its espatiers have prior experience in corporate paramilitaries or have interacted with Valkyrie’s blackmarkets, or are simply trying to break the mold and seek a career without the megacorporations or criminal groups. They are generally posted in the outer Tau Ceti system, patrolling Reade and beyond for smuggling vessels, and have the best track record for successful anti-blackmarket operations. They have a reputation for slow, meticulous vessel raids targeting power and lighting systems first, plunging vessels into darkness ahead of pacifying targets. They have a rocky relationship with the 3rd Espatiers (Away), handling similar duties in the Valley Hale, albeit with a less padded track record. The century’s patch and badges depict a silver spectre over a blue shield.

=== Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion ===
The '''Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion (ECL)''' is a supporting arm of the RAF responsible for intelligence-gathering, electronic warfare, and the coordination of AI- and remote-guided equipment.

The ECL are typically posted to command stations and support vessels in fleets, and are composed entirely of commissioned officers — often with previous experience in the main Astroforces arm. The ECL fields the most advanced sensor, e-warfare and guided equipment available to the RAF, responsible for jamming and hijacking enemy remote-guided munitions, decrypting radio transmissions, dredging through a rival commanding officer’s online history for intelligence, and remotely deploying and guiding swarms of drones and guided missiles. Out of sight and out of mind of the general populace, the ECL’s reputation and value to the RAF goes unrecognised, but it can singularly be responsible for the outcome of a conflict, considering how reliant the RAF is on intelligence to inform its offensive strategies. Internally, its officers are the most well-regarded.

The ECL often works alongside the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Intelligence_Service|Biesel Intelligence Service]] when it comes to intelligence gathering and building banks of useful information on the commanding officers of other space forces — even if only a psychological profile to inform on potential actions they may take under pressure.

<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#849bc1; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Principal Legate of the Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion — Chuki Oijambo'''</div>
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The Electronic and Cyberwarefare Cohort is commanded by '''Principal Legate Chuki Oijambo'''. Where, historically, most within the Tau Ceti Armed Forces would leave for greener pastures in corporate paramilitaries, Oijambo went the other way. Oijambo’s military career began in her home nation of Eridani in [[Private_Military_Contracting_Group#N4NL Incorporated|N4NL Incorporated]] after being Reinstated. While contracted by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces and residing in the Republic of Biesel, her application for citizenship and get away from Suit life would be accepted. Despite her short tenure in the TCAF itself (only 4 years), she was fast-tracked to the position of Legate and appointed to supervise the creation of and lead the Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion. At first, this ruffled the feathers of more tenured legates, but the utility and effectiveness of the ECL seems to be apparent — time will tell if Oijambo will be vindicated.
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=== Foreign Legions (RAF) ===
The '''Foreign Legions of the Republic Astroforce (RAF-FL)''' is a supporting arm of the RAF that recruits foreign nationals seeking [[Guide_to_Citizenship#Republic_of_Biesel|citizenship in the Republic of Biesel]], responsible for menial work and filling in wherever needed.

As a continuation of previous Foreign Legions, albeit unified under the Astroforce’s command structure, the RAF-FL is one of the most recognised symbols of the Republic of Biesel, and serves much the same functions it always has. In exchange for 1 year of active service, and the reference of an Astrarch, immigrants to the Republic can be granted citizenship. It serves to help assimilate immigrants into the Republic of Biesel, clashing the cultural values of the Republic against other alien cultures, weeding out dispreferred traits and absorbing preferred traits, contributing to the Republic’s multicultural society. The RAF-FL also acts as a large reservoir of reservists who can be called up in the event of conflict. A healthy amount who enter the RAF-FL also stay on, whether in the Foreign Legions or transferring to another arm of the Republic Astroforce, and so the RAF-FL provides a steady stream of recruits into the RAF.

Active service in the Foreign Legions is not glamorous, with postings only in the Away Fleets or Orbital Defence Fleets and mostly relegated to gruelling labour and filling in wherever necessary aboard vessels — logistics, custodial work, medical assistance, and inspection security. Foreign Legionnaires receive broad training to cover all bases and plenty of opportunities to receive specialist training, teaching skills that may be useful come their exit from the Legion into civilian life or another arm of the RAF.

With most funding going to the other arms of the RAF, the Foreign Legions continues to have a reputation for using hand-me-down, outdated equipment.

<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#849bc1; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Principal Legate of the Foreign Legion — A Confluence of Unlikely Friends'''</div>
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The Foreign Legion is commanded by '''Principal Legate A Confluence of Unlikely Friends'''. A rotund, diona argus composed of three separate gestalts that served in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, unifying into their present-day argus form and amassing their shared experiences of the Legion (and what best to do with it). The gestalt was appointed recently in 2468 when the TCAF’s branches were consolidated under the Astroforces, and has been responsible for reshaping the Legion into the quasi-educational, supporting arm it is today, ensuring it best prepares and socialises those awarded with citizenship so they may more easily integrate into Republic society and find working-and-living opportunities.
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<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#849bc1; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Primus of the Republic Astroforces — Za’Akaix’Htiik Zo’ra'''</div>
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The Foreign Legions’ enlisted are represented by '''Primus Za’Akaix’Htiik Zo’ra'''. A resleeved, Zoleth warrior with tens-of-thousand of ''(VR)'' combat experience across all domains of war and real experience during the Zo’rane Renaissance. Htiik has served since 2460, spending much of their time as an instructor, teaching the earlier Tau Ceti Foreign Legion in operating Zo’rane equipment and how to work alongside warforms. They would be appointed as the first Primus of the Foreign Legion in 2468, where they now advocate to senior officers for the introduction of more alien equipment — vaurca or otherwise — into enlisted hands. They are also a convenient foil to Confluence — more nurturing and pacifistic; a diona — able to advise on strategies and tactics more Zolethian in nature (read: reckless to life).
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=== Equipment ===
Under the current [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Torvald]] administration, the Republic Astroforce are incredibly well-funded, receive priority phoron allocations, have favourable contracts with the [[megacorporations]], and have adopted many technologies inspired by alien nations. As such, despite the RAF’s small size compared to the space forces of other states, the Republic Astroforce is capable of using a variety of tools to punch up and — so long as they bring their A-game — go toe-to-toe with larger, conventional space forces… for a short time, at least.

Much of the Astroforce’s higher-quality combat equipment and systems are designed by [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] and, where phoronic (such as quantum sensor arrays, power infrastructure, shields, and energy weapons), [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. Vesselbuilding is divided between [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]], producing more combat-centric vessels, [[Hephaestus Industries]] producing more logistical vessels and supplying reinforced materials used by both, and the Tau Ceti Armed Forces making up for equipment deficits with its own state production. [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] is contracted to supply high-grade medical supplies, combat augmentations, and stimulants. [[Einstein Engines]] has a small but notable role as a contractor, designing remote- and AI-guided systems, as well as military vessel AI used by the Astroforces.

Older equipment also remains in service, mostly seen in support roles in the Away Fleets or in the hands of the Foreign Legion, including Solarian Navy ship designs and equipment that have been refurbished by [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] and re-armed by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], inherited from the now defunct Republican Fleets. The [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra Hive]] continues to be a large investor in the Foreign Legion too, with Zo’rane equipment — from space-adapted warforms, cheap cybernetic upgrades and VR training cartridges — being a common sight.

Despite being a more moderately sized force, logistics nonetheless continues to be a headache. Much of the Astroforce’s logistics are handled by the RAF Foreign Legions or by automated transport drones, however larger resupplies or those with more generous amounts of phoron do rely on proper logistical fleets. Fortunately, only defending a limit number of systems, the Astroforce employs heavy use of stockpiles — particularly along the Zoleth Line — creating a network of small supply lines all feeding towards critical defence objectives.

==== Space Vessels ====
Republic Astroforce vessels can vary in design due, with more sleek Zavodskoi designs and boxier Hephaestus designs, the tuning-forked Solarian designs inherited from the Republican Fleets, and the occasional civilian hull inherited from the Foreign Legion.

The Astroforce’s current Zavodskoi Interstellar-designed combat vessels are long and slender, with angled noses. Due to the RAF’s preference for long-range, fly-by strikes, these slender designs allow combat vessels to point nose-forwards and minimise the amount of surface area presented to a hostile vessel, making them tricky to hit at their optimal engagement distances. However, vessels designed like such are vulnerable from the side, with armour concentrated at the front, and hostile vessels — if able to ambush an RAF vessel from the side or get lucky with a missile — can cleave these designs in two.

The primary power generators aboard Astroforce vessels are nuclear fusion reactors, often augmented with phoronic superconductive magnets to achieve efficient margins, which are continuously operational throughout a vessel’s operation. Power grid infrastructure on RAF vessels utilises phoronic superconductive conduits, often visible as purple accenting in corridors and maintenance tunnels, reducing the amount of energy lost to grid resistance. Where Astroforce vessels have additional reactors dedicated to high-draw combat systems (so, in 1st and 2nd Rate Line Vessels), these auxiliary combat reactors are smaller but incredibly powerful phoron fission reactors, splitting phoron atoms to yield immense energy — these reactors are intended for short-term, immediate power relief, and burn through phoron at an alarming pace.

Many of the larger vessel rates with their high energy systems and phoronic fission reactors are unable to rely on the sleek heat radiation equipment most vessels of the Spur use. As such, and contrasting with the Astroforce’s high-tech equipment, antiquated but effective heat radiators are often expanded during ship combat operations. These heat radiators pump fluidic phoron through them, providing effective cooling to high energy systems and radiating the heat into the void, and glow a bright yellow when active. These heat radiators are another weak spot for RAF vessels, and damaging them will reduce the effectiveness and eventually overheat the high energy ship system — or, if the vessel crew continues to operate these high energy systems with all radiators destroyed, overheating the entire vessel and boiling its crew inside; suicide.

All Astroforce vessels, except for Orbital Defence Vessels, are fitted with bluespace drives befitting their size.

The following standardised rates exist in the Astroforces:
* '''1st Rate Line Vessel:''' A vessel with onboard power generation of 3 gigawatts (GW), of which 2 GWs are allotted to combat systems. Their badge heraldry is a gold diamond, with the nameplate bearing gold text on a purple field. Their classes are named after planets, moons or continents of Tau Ceti. Often comparable in size to a Solarian cruiser.
* '''2nd Rate Line Vessel:''' A vessel with onboard power generation of 2 gigawatts (GW), of which 1 GWs are allotted to combat systems. Their badge heraldry is a gold circle, with the nameplate bearing gold text on a red field. Their classes are named after cities in the Republic of Biesel. Often comparable in size to a small Solarian cruiser or large destroyer.
* '''3rd Rate Line Vessel:''' A vessel with onboard power generation of 1 gigawatt (GW) shared between all systems. Their badge heraldry is a gold shield, with the nameplate bearing gold text on a blue field. They have no set naming scheme. Often comparable in size to a large Solarian frigate or destroyer.
* Smaller or hyper-specialised vessels do not have standardised rates. Their badge heraldry is a silver shield, with the nameplate bearing silver text on a blue field.

===== <div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Notable Vessels</div>=====
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* '''Astraeus-class 1st Rate Command and Control Line Vessel''' — The Astraeus-class is emblematic of a 1st Rate Line Vessel rate, packing three capital-class power generators to power a broad-range of high-draw systems, including a high-power bluespace drive, Fjolnir sensor array, a series of 4 Gungnir 500MW lasers, autonomous drone bays, and an EWAR suite. The Astraeus-class is often seen wielded by Ducenarii commanding the prestigious Praetorian Fleets, and the range of its Gungir lasers and autonomous drones allows it to sit out of range of most ballistic armaments. Despite being the largest vessel in the Republic Astroforces, it is comparable in size to a Solarian cruiser. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''Thyella-class 2nd Rate Line Vessel''' — The Thyella-class is emblematic of a 2nd Rate Line Vessel rate, packing two capital-class power generators to power a single high-draw system, alternating between a high-power Koncerz spinal railgun, high-strength shields, or its high-power bluespace drive. The Thyella-class is the heavy puncher of most RAF fleets, sitting back with its railgun to provide additional fire power, and hosing vessels and missiles that get too close with an array of 12 22mm Lifelines. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''Tsiolkovsky-class 3rd Rate Mothership and E-WAR Line Vessel''' — The Tsiolkovsky-class is the standard drone mothership of the Republic Astroforces and quite small in comparison to other Line Vessels. It has minimal armaments for direct combat, but instead has the capacity for 600 Wasp guided drones, each fitted with 22mm Lifeline cannons that – when paired with the high relative velocity of a drone intercept engagement – shred through lesser armoured vessels or soften up heavier armour ahead of engagement by stronger armaments. During direct engagements and if all drones have been expended, they remain distant and provide e-warfare support. Almost every RAF fleet has at least one Tsiolkovsky-class mothership for this purpose, and they are a common posting for Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion officers. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''Spore-class 3rd Rate Support Line Vessel''' — An unusual support vessel that generally functions as a mid-operation tender, but doubles as a mothership. However, instead of drones, the Spore-class has 10 pod bays each with 20 of diona nymphs which are fired at either a friendly or hostile vessel. Encountering a friendly vessel, the nymphs can handle external damage control, sealing hull breaches or bolstering armour. Encountering a hostile vessel, they begin parasitising their way to the vessel’s reactor, causing hull breaches or radiation leaks on the way. Not the most effective, but certainly a nuisance and a favourite of gestalt officers. Designed by Hephaestus Industries.
* '''Requital-class Silo Vessel''' — The largest silo vessel of the Republic Astroforces, designed by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces and produced on [[Reade]]. Each Requital-class is estimated to hold 250 Banshee II bluespace-capable phoronuclear missiles, single-handedly capable of establishing void superiority against other fleets in whichever celestial body’s sphere of influence it sits in or capable of first-strike phoronic attack. Once out of the dock, Requital-class vessels are rarely seen around planets again, operating covertly, and replenished, recrewed or maintained in-situ by another vessel.
* '''Antlion-class Patrol Vessel''' — A staple of the Away Fleets and the quintessential Patrol Vessel rate, the Antlion-class is a retrofitted variant of the Solarian Hainan-class corvette designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar. They are fitted with strong power configurations and Fjolsvin phoronic quantum sensor arrays, capable of surveying the full breadth of a system — a necessity with how much territory one Away Fleet must cover. Vessels of this class often spend months on single patrol routes, provisioned to last longer than other ships of its size. While capable of engaging other similarly sized vessels, the Antlion-class is not designed to withstand heavy fire power, and is intended for hit-and-run engagements. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''Bulwark-class Orbital Defence Vessel''' — A bulky, heavily armoured vessel rated for operations within a single sphere of influence. As such, and like other Orbital Defence Vessels, it has no FTL drive, allowing more power and mass to be allocated to heavier armour and armaments. The Bulwark-class is designed with a large, angled titanium whipple shield dressed in multiple layers of a Caprician Weave supplied by the [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra Hive]], allowing it to withstand a few impacts that would otherwise decimate a vessel. Its primary armament is a Koncerz railgun, capable of engaging from afar. Designed by Hephaestus Industries.
* '''Muninn-class Stealth Reconnaissance Vessel''' — A small, highly impractical stealth vessel (or as stealthy as a vessel in space can get). The Muninn-class is fitted with a ridiculously expensive cooling system — liquid phoron cooling, which is ejected into bluespace — thus creating no hot thermal signature. It is propelled by magnetic sails, using a phoronic superconductive magnet, and relies on bluespace FTL communications, further restricting the vessel’s thermal signature when in operation. And this is still not enough to go undetected, with the Muninn’s internal crew compartments (with a slim capacity of only 12 persons) chilled to a negative fifteen degrees Celcius at all times, and the vessel having to remain on the very outskirts of an inhabited star system, monitoring at high-range with a telescope, for to use its radar or sensors would be to give away its position. A powerful e-warfare suite is installed, for use in hijacking ship sensors to scramble the position of a Muninn-class. They are armed with a single Banshee II Interstellar Phoronuclear Missile, to either cover its bluespace jump escape if engaged or for use in a first strike. The Republic of Biesel has not disclosed how many are in operation, and they are regarded as a hellish posting for all but tajara, vaurca, and industrial IPCs.
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===== <div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Notable Vessel Equipment </div>=====
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====== Armaments ======
* '''Banshee II Interstellar Phoronuclear Missiles''' — Perhaps the single most lethal armament fielded by the Republic Astroforce. The Banshee II is a multi-stage missile with a bluespace delivery first stage, efficient long-range second stage allowing remote guidance, with a final high-speed stage activated on target heat signature acquisition that engages heat-seeking behaviour before detonation is triggered by a proximity fuse. The phoronic nuclear warhead is of moderate size, fissioning a small grain of phoron and yet capable of decimating even the most armoured battleships and anything in its immediate vicinity. A single Banshee II can be used to take out an inbound salvo of missiles or drones with its large explosion. A salvo of these missiles all but guarantees the loss of one vessel, forcing a fleet commander to decide who to sacrifice to save the others. One Silofleet has enough to affect a disaster of comparable size to the [[Mars#The_Violet_Dawn_Explosion_(2462)|Violet Dawn Disaster of 2462]]. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation.
* '''Gungnir 500MW Turretted Ultraviolet Pulsed Laser''' — The most powerful laser armament, often seen on Astraeus-class command vessels. The Gungnir consists of a 500MW reinforced arclamp that excites krypton and fluorine gas on millisecond pulses, channelling the resulting photons through a phoron lasing crystal. The result is an intense ultraviolet laser with an effective range up to 500km, pulsed in millisecond intervals to have a ‘drilling’ effect, capable of surgically targeting specific vessel systems — best effective on external weapons, sensors, and thrusters, instead of attempting to pierce the hull. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation.
* '''Koncerz 1GW Osmium 0.5g Slug Spinal Railgun''' — A spinal railgun, the largest ballistic armament fielded by the Republic Astroforce, capable of punching through most targets. The Koncerz consists of two phoronic, superconductive rails flanked by a series of phoronic supermagnetic energy storage capacitors. When fully charged and activated, a small 0.5 gram osmium slug is propelled at a velocity of 150km/s with an effective range up to 800km — and for such a small projectile, an almost unstoppable force awaits. The railgun is slow to recharge and difficult to aim at the range it is employed, requiring a stationary target, close proximity (not preferred by the Astroforce), or one’s prayers to come true. The railgun is colloquially referred to as a ‘sandblaster’, due to the projectile’s size. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar alongside NanoTrasen Corporation.
* '''Lifeline 22mm Turetted Cannon''' — A point-defence armament seen across the Republic Astroforce on vessels small to large. The Lifeline fires a consistent, almost unlimited, hose of small uranium alloy slugs (manufactured on [[New Gibson]]) that put on a red light show with their tracers. Low accuracy, but high effectiveness should they hit true. Lifeline turrets are the last line of defence against inbound missiles or encroaching smallcraft, but are cheap enough to employ in large numbers. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''Marksman 1MW Turreted Violet Long-Range Point Defence Laser''' — A ruby laser point-defence armament seen across the Republic Astroforce on vessels small to large. High accuracy, but delayed effect, the laser will gradually overheat an incoming missile or smallcraft until it is disabled. They are more often employed on dedicated screening vessels, amplifying a fleet’s long-range point defence capabilities. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation.
* '''Kessler Guided Micro-missile Launcher''' — A slim missile launcher platform containing 1000 short-range, guided 20mm micro-missiles, firing in salvos of 250, designed to create a cloud of small missiles deadly to attempt to pass through. They are best effective against capital ship shields or wearing down heavy armour, the small projectiles bypassing point defence, or to deter incoming small craft. To fire a salvo in orbit in a planet would be a recipe for Kessler Syndrome, thus its namesake. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''Wasp Guided Multi-stage Drone''' — The staple drone armament of the Astroforce. The Wasp is a multi-stage drone with a long-range, sustainer first stage capable of deploying from across a celestial body’s sphere of influence and relying on remote-guidance by an Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion operator. When on intercept course with a target and within 50km, the drone stages into an autonomous heat-seeking stage where, as it fly-bys its target, its 22mm Lifeline Cannon hose down the largest heat signature — usually a capital ship… or its flares. Wasps are small and fragile, but are often deployed in staggered swarms of 50, ensuring at least a few are able to land shots on-target and soften up a capital ship’s heavy armour or deprive it of lesser-armoured escorts.

====== Other Equipment ======
* '''Fjolnir and Fjolsvin Quantum Sensor Arrays''' — The Republic Astrofleets variants of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]’s Venator Quantum Sensor Arrays. The Fjolnir is the largest, seeing use on Line Vessels, and of similar capability to the Venator sensors; the Fjolsvin is a downsized variant, reliant on phoron to miniaturise the capabilities of the Fjolnir, seen on Patrol Vessels. Both are the same in function and host a variety of scanning means (direct imaging, thermal, etc.), with the primary scanning means being quantum radar, which fires photons quantum-entangled to their twin pairs that remain ship-side, allowing for the detection of objects regardless of their geometry, thermal signature, or optical qualities. Expensive to operate, yet invaluable for the RAF’s intelligence-reliant strategies.
* '''Maelstrom Warp Interdiction Anchor''' — A warp interdiction device produced by [[Einstein Engines]]. On proximity detection of nearby gravitic disturbances (such as those caused by an active warp drive), the Maelstrom creates a counter-gravitic disturbance that dissolves a vessel or fleets’ warp bubble and begins pulling the target towards the interdictor, often temporarily overloading the warp drive and causing erratic, emergency burns to avoid the crushing gravity of the interdictor. These interdiction anchors can be placed to slow a fleets’ advance, dropping them out of faster-than-light transit, or can be paired with an ambush.
* '''Caprician Weave Lightweight Armour''' — A proprietary [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’rane]] weave manufactured on [[Caprice]], composed of layers of Caprician basalt fibres and vaurcaesian silk fibres. The result is a thin, dense fabric-like layer of armour with a 6GPa tensile strength. When installed alongside or between conventional titanium armour or hull, it provides significant reinforcement, or can make up for reducing titanium mass with the assurance of the lightweight Caprician Weave making up for the deficit.
* '''Magneto-inertial Fusion Reactor 2466 (EE-MIFR-2466)''', ''Miffy Reactor'' — A tall, capital-class fusion reactor that combines magnetic and inertial confinement to achieve fusion. It uses phoronic superconductive magnets for more efficient operation, and a powerful laser that pre-heats the D-3He fuel, transitioning towards 3He-3He once heated for totally aneutronic fusion (limiting radiation output and reactor wear). Capable of serving a net 1 gigawatt. Designed by Einstein Engines.
* '''CRUCIBLE Phoron Fission Reactor''' — A small, auxiliary reactor capable of outputting power far exceeding its size. The CRUCIBLE is a Hephaestus Industries-designed fission reactor augmented with fluidic phoron cooling and with a number of heat radiators that must be extended into the void to radiate its mid-operation heat. The reactor fissions elemental phoron, burning through a ship’s phoron reserves in exchange for immense amounts of energy. It is not the most efficient, and therefore only operated during strenuous combat operations and when a vessel’s primary reactor is unable to supply required ship systems. It is incredibly radioactive during operation, requiring shielded compartments, and reactor operators can only supervise a CRUCIBLE for ten minutes before radiation doses become harmful to health. Capable of serving a net 1.5 gigawatts.
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=== Major Installations ===
==== Dumas Base ====
Located on the outside of the Dust Belt which marks the boundary of the inner system within Tau Ceti, Dumas is an extremely small, rocky asteroid devoid of life.

Since 2464, it has been hollowed out to house one of the Republic’s largest military installations — Dumas Base. The base serves as a large anchorage and depot for the Republic Astroforce, stockpiling supplies and fuel for Praetorian Fleets operating beyond the Dust Belt. It also boasts an expansive mission control, monitoring, and e-warfare suite utilised by the Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion, providing assistance to all fleets in the system. A military-grade space telescope is also visible protruding from Dumas Base, expanding the base’s capabilities beyond the Tau Ceti system and allowing it to detect fleet movements throughout the Corporate Reconstruction Zone (albeit with delay).

Stored deep within Dumas Base is the Astroforce’s phoronic warheads stockpile, and is one of the most secure places in the Republic of Biesel with the greatest number of Espatier centuries (and yet only 3), overwatched by the 1st through to 3rd Dumas Espatiers centuries.

==== [[Reade]] ====
Located inside and in orbit of [[Reade]] are countless Tau Ceti Armed Forces and Zavodskoi Interstellar-contracted military shipyards which, altogether, sit among the largest of the Spur’s shipyards. The vast majority of space vessels and armaments fielded by the Republic Astroforce are researched and manufactured in Reade’s many military R&D labs or shipbuilding docks. Due to its strategic importance and the humiliation of Reade’s capture during the [[Tau_Ceti_History#Second_Solarian_Invasion|Second Invasion]], the gas giant is — alongside Biesel — one of the most defended planets in [[Tau Ceti]], with twice the number of Orbital Defence Fleets assigned to shield it.

==== Zoleth Line ====
The Zoleth Line is a series of defensive lines, each with a collection of anchorages, stockpiles, space cannons, stay-behind vessels, warp interdictors, and other military installations, spanning from the Western [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]] to Tau Ceti, and created with the goal of deterring or stalling a third Solarian invasion of the Republic of Biesel. Should the Alliance invade again, there will be no direct faster-than-light route into Tau Ceti, being interdicted regularly along the way and forced to fight in remote, infrastructureless systems of the CRZ where the Republic would have defender advantage. While the Solarian Navy’s sheer numbers and might may eventually punch through, it would have allowed time for the Republic to amass its forces and prepare contingencies, or mount their own counter-offensive against the Alliance’s space, as well as pick and choose which engagements they send their CRZ assets into. Victory may be likely for the Alliance given time and numbers, but the Republic will make damn sure it’s hard won and isn’t worth it.

== Home Defence Forces ==
The '''Home Defence Forces (HDF)''' is the planetary arm of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, superseding all planetary elements of the Tau Ceti Minutemen, original Mictlan Defense Force, and Corporate Auxiliaries in 2468. It is the largest branch of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces when it comes to sheer numbers, though the Astroforce is considerably more well-funded, prestigious, and of the most utility to the Republic.

Each major inhabited body of the Republic of Biesel has its own Home Defence Forces, and they can vary somewhat. While the Republic is responsible for most of the HDF’s equipment and training, each body’s local government is expected to contribute to their HDF — nonetheless, the HDFs tend to be quite well-equipped, thanks to the Republic’s heavy investment into the TCAF in the late-2460s. This goes the same for personnel, with each body’s Defence Force being 60-40 pan-Republic—local, however this is only a temporary measure while former Minutemen veterans of the Peacekeeper Mandate train locally-recruited forces, at which point the HDFs are planned to be recruited entirely from local populations by 2478.

Each body’s Home Defence Force is composed of a variable number of legions, each with 12 cohorts containing 6 centuries of 100 soldiers. Naturally, Biesel has the largest number of legions at 33, with Mictlan following at 23 (of which the first 13 are composed of the superseded Mictlan Defence Force elements), and Port Antillia both following at 16. Valkyrie and New Gibson have 10 legions. Reade does not have a Home Defence Force, considering its gas giant nature, and instead has double the Orbital Fleets allotment.

The Defence Forces train for the worst. If a planet has been invaded, particularly one in Tau Ceti, then it means the Astroforce has failed to keep an invader at bay and it's already too late — any large, organised army can be orbitally bombarded; the planet’s government is likely to surrender under extended pressure and blockades; the most likely foe, the Alliance, dwarfs the Republic’s forces. As such, the Home Defence Force, alongside teaching conventional planetary warfare, extensively trains its service members in guerilla and insurgency-based warfare — albeit an insurgency with incredibly high-tech capabilities, from drones to submarines to bioaugmentation — and is expected to make the establishment of an occupational government as costly as possible.

With planetary combat incredibly rare across the Republic of Biesel, the HDF’s only experience comes from those who served during the Peacekeeper Mandate. As such, the vast majority of its NCOs and senior officers are alien, unlike the Astroforce which is more evenly split. The HDF’s responsibilities are generally quite slim and much of the time is spent training and drilling, only occasionally being called up to handle disaster relief efforts where they present.

The HDF is generally easier to enter, due to less physical requirements to enter a planetary armed force than a space armed force. This, alongside it seeing a lot less action than the Republic Astroforce, has seen the Defence Forces surge in numbers, particularly in its Foreign Legions arm, as it is quite a risk-free posting with high-reward. Transfers from the HDF's enlisted to the Astroforces' enlisted are possible with re-training and increased physical requirements; commissioned officers do not transfer, do the stark differences in training and form of warfare.

The HDF, alongside its main '''Home Legions''' arm, has a number of major auxiliary corps:
* The '''Rapid Reaction Legion''' — A single legion on stand-by in Biesel, on permanent, high-readiness for deployment to an attacked inhabited body at a moment’s notice, bolstering its local Home Legions.
* The '''Nuclear & Phoron Security Legion''' — A single legion on each body, responsible for the protection of state nuclear power generation and phoron stockpile sites, as well as the transport of.
* The '''Air Legions''' — The airforce and drone arm of the Home Defence Forces, not guaranteed to exist on all bodies due to variable conditions.
* The '''Marine Legions''' — The naval and submarine arm of the Home Defence Force, not guaranteed to exist on all bodies due to variable conditions.
* The '''Foreign Legions''' — A supporting arm that recruits foreign nationals seeking citizenship in the Republic, responsible for menial work, logistical work, and filling in wherever needed across the Defence Forces.

<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#E8C079; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Principal Legate of the Home Defence Forces — Luisa Mújica'''</div>
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The Home Defence Forces are commanded by '''Principal Legate Luisa Mújica'''. An experienced naval commander from the [[Port_Antillia#Military_and_Provincial_Navy|Antillean Provincial Navy Fleets]], Mújica transferred over to the Tau Ceti Armed Forces in 2463 after [[Port Antillia]] acceded into the Republic of Biesel where she instructed the fledgling military on planetary combat. She would be fast-tracked for promotion over the years and, in 2468, was selected to be the first Principal Legate of the Home Defence Forces, shaping the Republic’s strategy in the event of a planetary invasion on any of its planets.
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=== Notable Cohorts ===
*'''1st Biesel Legion, 4th Infantry Cohort''', ''The Bloody Cohort''
Either famous or infamous depending on one’s news sources, the Bloody Cohort (formerly only the Bloody Century) was for a time, the most talked about unit of the newly formed Tau Ceti Armed Forces in 2465. An overstrength infantry century, it is composed exclusively of Unathi and Tajara veterans of the wars of Moghes, Adhomai, and Gakal’zaal, and considered the most experienced and effective century of Biesel’s Home Defence Force.

The cohort rose to prominence on Mictlan, where rumors about their efficacy and ruthlessness spread. It carved a swathe of destruction through Samaritan occupied territories as a raiding party, ruthlessly razing any towns suspected of helping the Samaritan cause, and later was one of the first units on the beachhead during the failed Operation Jakali. After footage displaying the unit’s atrocities leaked and spread all over the extranet, Mictlani civilians and insurgents alike began to fear the scarlet red hand used as the century’s icon. Several calls to dismantle the unit have been made in the halls of Tau Ceti’s parliament, each time rejected.

Since the conclusion of the Peacekeeper Mandate on Mictlan, the Bloody Cohort has been recalled to Biesel, where it has been responsible for training alongside less experienced centuries of the 1st Biesel Legion. The cohort’s patch and badges depict a red drop of blood over a white circle.

* '''3rd Valkyrie Legion, 1st Infantry Cohort''', ''The Redsnouts''
The Redsnouts are an infamous cohort of predominantly [[unathi]] shock troops who made a name for themselves during the Peacekeeper Mandate, capable of striding through a firestorm of incoming ordnance with their Breacher-esque Type-100B ‘Berserker’ hardsuits and borrowing many principles of [[Izweski Nation|Hegemony]] vanguard combat. Those within the Century can easily be identified through their snouts, painted in crimson-red in near-ritualistic fashion once they find themselves integrated within the ranks of the Redsnouts.

The Redsnouts earned themselves an infamous reputation across [[Mictlan]], where during the quelling of the planet's more insurgent regions during the Peacekeeper Mandate, with their overwhelming use of force becoming the centre of criticism across the planet. Claims and rumours of significant destruction in the wake of their marches, with which the Redsnouts blame insurgents for spreading. There even exist rumours that the crimson-red colours across the snouts of the Century aren't merely just paint, but the blood of their victims. They maintain they have never once broken the rules of engagement — and unlike other units — no video evidence has yet surfaced.

They have since been relocated to Valkyrie, where they have been responsible for training alongside less experienced centuries of the 3rd Valkyrie Legion. The cohort’s patch and badges depict a bloody, grey unathi’s snout over a blue circle.

* '''20th Biesel Legion, 10th Reconnaissance Cohort''', ''The Frogmen''
A [[skrell]]-dominated light infantry, reconnaissance cohort within Biesel’s Home Defence Force. Its centuries are responsible for reconnaissance operations and covert special operations, often working alongside with [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law|Biesel’s security services]]. The cohort makes heavy use of psionics during their operations, be it for non-interceptable communications, detection of foes, field interrogations, or to offensive combat utility. Non-skrell in the 10th Cohort are all (unofficially) expected to get psionic receivers to interact with the psionic environment of the 10th Cohort.

In recent times, it has been stationed on Biesel, but its centuries are often loaned to the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law|Biesel’s security services]] for counter-terrorist and other clandestine operations where the fire power is needed. The cohort’s patch and badges depict a white, Biesellite lakesurfer bird over a blue shield.

* '''5th New Gibson Legion, 9th Mechanised Infantry Cohort''', ''The Xtykt’lotec Warriors''
The Xtykt’lotec Warriors, formerly the Tau Ceti Powered Support Detachment prior to the 2468 restructuring, are a [[Vaurca|vaurcaesian]]-dominant mechanised cohort reliant on warforms and heavily augmented vaurcae to mobilise a more flexible mechanised unit. Its infantry and mechanised soldiers are all [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’rane]] vaurca, with those in non-combat positions being from a variety of species. The cohort is often a test bed for many prototype technologies provided to the TCAF by the Zo’ra Hive, and it has a close relationship with the Scay Brood that resides deep in the shuttered mining tunnels of [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], [[New Gibson]].

Its service members — vaurcae or otherwise — are often heavily bio- and cybernetically augmented, and its vaurcae are equipped with the Zo’ra-designed ‘Yer’kay’ (roughly translated to ‘Bastion’) hardsuits, mounted with multiple layers of titanium, a suite of enhanced targeting systems, and a shoulder-mounted armament hardpoint, often fitted with missile salvos, electromagnetic cannons, or miniguns. This makes for a very mobile and versatile mechanised cohort, capable of providing quick and effective support to its legion.

Currently stationed on New Gibson, the 9th Mechanised are often put to use blasting their way through particularly large greimorians hives, alongside the local [[New_Gibson#Military_and_Law_Enforcement|Specialist Greimorians Unit of the New Gibson Police Service]]. The cohort’s patch and badges depict a red Yer’kay hardsuit helmet over a yellow shield.

* '''16th Mictlan Legion, 6th Mechanised Infantry Cohort''', ''The Goliaths''
A successor of the Hazardous Environment Gestalt Unit (HEGU), the Goliaths are a [[diona]]-dominant ‘mechanised’ cohort. However, unlike other mechanised cohorts, each century of the cohort has one argus-sized gestalt capable of either splitting into 20 cyclops infantry soldiers or amalgamating into one or two, mech-like beings with thick armour plates and cannons mounted on its form. Given their diona nature, they are also capable of working in hazardous environments — as its HEGU predecessor specialised in — be it a natural disaster zone, CBRN hazards, or phoronic or bluespace hazards.

As one of the few non-controversial, veteran cohorts of the Peacekeeper Mandate, the Goliaths have been stationed on Mictlan, where they train less experienced centuries of the 1st Mictlan Legion. The cohort’s patch and badges depict a green, cybernetic diona nymph bearing fangs over a grey diamond.

* '''3rd Port Antillia Legion, 5th Airborne Infantry Cohort''', ''The Positronic Cohort''
The Positronic Cohort (formerly the Positronic Century, prior to 2468 and being upsized), is primarily composed of [[IPC]] service members, of which a great many are fitted inside shell frames. These synthetics are all selected for their ability to infiltrate hostile environments behind enemy lines — posing as working synthetics or human citizens — which they would be paradropped into prior to a coordinated advance, and are expected to operate independently of supply lines for extended periods of time. Rumour has it that a number of them may be [[IPC#Runaway_IPCs|rogue shells]] or former [[Synthetic_Factions#Synthetic_Liberation_Front|Synthetic Liberation Front]] members who enlisted in the TCAF to avoid harsh judicial sentences, however this has not been commented on by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. Non-synthetics in the cohort struggle, occasionally citing anti-organic harassment within the cohort, but are nonetheless posted there in support roles, such as robotics.

The Positronic Cohort is currently stationed on Port Antillia. Tid-bits on the cohorts training (both of itself and the training it provides to other Port Antillian legions) has had military observers suggest that, in the event of a Solarian occupation of the CRZ, the Positronic Cohort would be vital to an extensive guerilla warfare campaign on the planet. They occasionally work with the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Services Bureau]] and [[Ceres%27_Lance|Ceres’ Lance]] to root out remnant SLF cells or large groups of presumed dangerous runaway synthetics, gaining experience converse to what they are training for and to think as their enemy would think. The cohort’s patch and badges depict a blue positronic brain outline over a grey diamond background.

=== Ranks ===
'''Legates, Tribunes, and Primuses are not playable on the SCCV Horizon, due to their limited number or exclusive position, and commitment to the TCAF.'''

'''Planarchs and Principal Prefects on the SCCV Horizon are unlikely to be found outside of Command roles.'''

Ranks are denoted by medallions — gold, platinum, or enamelled phoron — worn on the service member’s shoulder or chest.

<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Ranks List</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible">

In descending order and shared by all arms of the Astroforces.

==== Commissioned ====
* '''Principal Legate (P/Lgt.)''' — A general officer assigned to lead an arm or the entirety of the Home Defence Forces. Principal Legates wear three, enamelled phoron medallions.
* '''Legate (Lgt.)''' — A senior general officers, occupying senior leadership positions and shaping strategic planning and policy development.
* '''Tribune (Trb.)''' — A general officer, often supervising army commands or entire legions. Minimum of 10 years of service.
* '''Principal Planarch (PArch.)''' — A senior commissioned officer who typically supervises multiple cohorts or is the staff officer under a Tribune. Minimum of 8 years of active service.
* '''Planarch (Arch.)''' — A senior commissioned officer who typically has command of a cohort or is the staff officer under a Principal Planarch. Minimum of 4 years of active service.
* '''Centurion (Cnt.)''' — A commissioned officer managing personnel and resources of a century under the instruction of a Planarch. Minimum 2 years of active service.
* '''Decurion (Dec.)''' — A commissioned officer, managing personnel and resources of a smaller division under the instruction of a Centurion.
* '''Aspirant (Asp.)''' — A junior officer undergoing initial training and their first posting. They are generally promoted after completion of first action.

==== Enlisted ====
* '''Primus (Prm.)''' — A non-commissioned officer assigned to liaise between the enlisted of an arm and its general officers, shaping enlisted-level planning and policy development. Primuses wear a gold pauldron with one phoron medallion, and are saluted and addressed as a commissioned officer would be.
* '''Principal Prefect (PPfct.)''' — A senior non-commissioned officer with tenure and subject matter expertise, typically leading and mentoring subordinates within a department and advising commanding officers. Minimum 8 years of active service.
* '''Senior Prefect (SPfct.)''' — A non-commissioned officer typically responsible for leading departments and mentoring subordinates. Minimum 5 years of active service.
* '''Prefect (Pfct.)''' — A non-commissioned officer typically responsible for leading smaller teams, day-to-day department operations and routine training. Minimum 3 years of active service.
* '''Legionnaire Immunis (LgnI.)''' — A senior enlisted servicemember who has specialised with extra training. Their specialist training entitles them to be ‘immune(is)’ to menial, grunt taskings (outside of emergencies). Minimum 1.5 years of active service.
* '''Legionnaire (Lgn.)''' — A trained enlisted servicemember responsible for a variety of basic duties under the supervision of superiors.
* '''Recruit (Rct.)''' — The rank at which one enters the Home Defence Forces. They are generally promoted on completion of training.
</div class="mw-collapsible-content">

== Notable Equipment ==
=== Weapons ===
* ''' NT-X Blaster Range:''' A series of phoronic blaster weapons, standard-issue throughout the TCAF. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation.
** '''NT-67 Guardian Blaster Rifle''' — An improvement of earlier blaster models, the Guardian is a powerful, burst-fire rifle that discharges ionised bolts of phoron. It is standard-issue for infantry.
** '''NT-62M Bolt Slinger''' — An older but reliable marksman variant of the NT-62 Blaster Rifle.
** '''NT-62C Blaster Carbine''' — A short-barelled blaster carbine, preferred for its manoeuvrability inside smaller spaces.
** '''NT-62P Blaster Pistol''' — A blaster pistol with a revolver-like appearance, issued as the go-to sidearm.
* '''NGS-X Gauss Range:''' A series of phoronic gauss weapons, punching a harder hit than the blasters. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation.
** '''NGS-01 Gauss Thumper:''' — An outdated model designed in 2398 and the former standard-issue long arm of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion. It continues to see some use in the Foreign Legion arms of both the HDF and RAF.
** '''NGS-02-EXO Gauss Cannon''' — A heavy gauss cannon often seen mounted on exosuits or mechanised vehicles, capable of firing explosive, high-velocity projectiles.

=== Armour ===
* '''Type-37 ‘Aegis’ Voidsuit:''' The primary voidsuit in the colours of and used by the Republic Astroforce, designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar. It has been the go-to since 2465.
* '''Type-60A ‘Jötnar’ Tactical Hardsuit:''''= An armoured combat hardsuit, produced in 2468 and upgraded from previous iterations. It is brimming with modules and armour plates, the inside lined with brown ballistic padding and a tightly woven Caprician Weave liner to keep out hazardous environments. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar, with modules supplied by NanoTrasen Corporation, Zavodskoi Interstellar, and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals.
* '''Type-100B ‘Berserker’ Heavy Combat Hardsuits:''' A Breacher-like combat hardsuit produced in 2465. It is most commonly seen used by the Redsnouts and other unathi shocktroops and mounted with electromagnetic weaponry and melee energy weapons, turning its users into walking tanks. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar, with modules supplied by NanoTrasen Corporation, Zavodskoi Interstellar, and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals.
* '''Z-02 ‘‘Yer’kay’ Heavy Combat Hardsuits:''' A vaurca combat hardsuit produced in 2465. It is most commonly seen used by the Xtykt’lotec Warriors and other vaurcae mechanised units, with mounted electromagnetic weaponry and missile launchers, turning its users into mobile artillery pieces. Designed by the Zo’ra Hive, with modules supplied by NanoTrasen Corporation and Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''NT Tactical Segmented Body Armour 3 ‘Carapace’ Body Armor (NT-TSBA3):''' The standard, segmented, carapace-like body armour used across the Tau Ceti Armed Forces that combines effective armour with high manoeuvrability. The plate inserts are designed with a Caprician Weave kevlar-like synthetic fibre, with incredible tensile strength. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation in 2465 alongside the Zo’ra Hive.

=== Augmentations ===
The Tau Ceti Armed Forces provides a lot of opportunities for both bio- and cybernetic augmentations for its service members however, due to the wide variety of opinions of body modification among its various personnel, they are not required en-masse and no benefits are afforded to those who do augment themselves. Instead, service members receive discounts on purchasing augmentations through the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. Both Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and NanoTrasen Corporation are contracted for military augmentations, as well as the [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra Hive]] for cheaper prosthetics and augmentations.

In the Astroforce, cybernetics that allow the remote interfacing with vessel systems are the most common augmentation, with many Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion officers able to remotely connect and guide their missiles or drone swarms towards a target. Among the well-funded Espatiers, phoronic cybernetics — including radical cybernetics such as phoronic neural wiring to augment the peripheral nervous system and enable super-human reflexes — are most common, albeit somewhat more expensive. The Home Defence Forces more often encourages bioaugmentations for endurance, subtlety, and reduced maintenance — more useful should they have to wage guerilla war against the Solarian occupier.

'''Notable Augmentations:'''
* '''ShipSense Neural Implant''' — A brain-computer interface (BCI) with remote capabilities to connect to the helm one is stationed on or guided drone software. A micro-AI housed in the BCI is able to interpret electrocortical activity, translating it into remote signals that affect a desired action to make with the vessel or a drone. A favourite among Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion officers. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation and Jeonshi Biotech Incorporated.
* '''PhoronBoost Neural Wiring (Military-grade)''' — A series of ultra-thin, insulated phoronic superconductive wires interspersed through key neural pathways of the brain and the peripheral nervous system. The augment allows almost super-human reflexes and cognition for a short period, used across the Tau Ceti Armed Forces but a particular favourite of the Republic Espatiers during dicey boarding actions. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation and Jeonshi Biotech Incorporated.
* '''Organophoronic Fangs Bioaugment''' — A pair of biomodified, elongated teeth with Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals branding etched into them. A small sac above secretes organophoronic compounds through a channel in the teeth, but must be refilled with a special (expensive) single-use applicator when emptied. In soldiers, particularly those in reconnaissance cohorts or amid a post-Invasion guerilla war, they are a concealable but lethal close-quarters weapon.

{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}

New Gibson

2026-07-23T19:27:38Z

Kermit: torvald redlink

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}

'''New Gibson''' was the first satellite of the [[Reade]] subsystem to be formally colonised in 2167 after [[Biesel]]’s colonisation bore its early fruits, and now lies forever in the planet’s economic and cultural shadow. It is known as the Industrial Heart of the [[Tau Ceti]] system, owed to its rich and geologically young mineral and naturally occurring radioactive materials deposits, as well as subsurface [[phoron]] deposits contributing to novel phorogeological activity. New Gibsonites are renowned around the [[Orion Spur|Spur]] for their unparalleled expertise in phoron mining and fabrication, with many employed aboard specialists in their fields.

{{TOC Hidden}}
{{Infobox Planet
|Name = New Gibson
|System = [[Tau Ceti]]
|Image = newgibson_flag.png
|Sector = Tau Ceti
|Capital = [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]]
|Species = Human, [[Skrell]], [[IPC]], [[Tajara]], [[Vaurca]]
|Languages = Tau Ceti Basic
|Demonyms = New Gibsonite, Gibsonite
|Nation = [[Republic of Biesel]]
|Former = [[Sol Alliance]]
}}
== Environment ==
=== Planetary and Orbital Characteristics ===
New Gibson is the largest, irregular moon of [[Reade]], orbiting retrograde at a considerable distance and with some eccentricity. As such, it is believed to be a captured moon. It is, as a result of its irregular orbit, spared from the tidal-locking that befalls most regular satellites. The moon has a natural gravity of 0.4Gs, necessitating forms of artificial gravity for its colonies — this is typically done with [[New_Gibson#Construction_and_Architecture|spinning ring-like colony construction]].

=== Atmosphere and Surface ===

New Gibson is the largest (albeit still small) moon of [[Reade]] and is characterised by its extreme snowy environment and mineral rich rocky underlayers. The exomoon has a thin atmosphere primarily composed of water vapour, heated and ejected by cryovolcanoes where it freezes in temperatures as low as -182°C and falls as snow. Other trace gases ejected from cryovolcanoes include methane, hydrogen, oxygen, and minute amounts of [[phoron]]. EVA equipment is necessary for surface excursions.

[[File:NewGibson_weather.png|A photograph of New Gibson’s reflective and streaky surface. The exomoon is one of the brightest objects in the Tau Ceti system — after the star of course.|thumb]]
On the ground, the moon’s snow can collect into layers hundreds of metres thick, creating frigid, blinding-white dunes as far as once can see which obscure the moon’s cratered surface. Avalanches and pitfalls are all routine occurrences which inhibit surface activity. Where the snow is thin or geothermal activity creates warm pockets, the rocky underlayer is revealed, giving way to steep craters and their cliffs.

Due to the low atmospheric pressure, wind and weather patterns that develop as a result (eg. blizzards) aren’t too common. Instead, eerie, whistling winds gently sweep across the landscape. These winds reshape the snowy surface into the moon’s elongated dunes. However, when blizzards do occur — usually a monthly occurrence — these dunes are completely reshaped; a pain for navigation, if one had even learned to tell apart the samey features of the snowy landscape.

Being the largest of Reade’s moons, and with Reade catching the majority of asteroids on a trajectory through the [[Tau Ceti]] system, New Gibson attracts a lot of meteors. The exomoon’s thin atmosphere means these meteors rarely vaporise entirely. Defence systems are in place to prevent collisions with colonies, and those that batter the wilderness slowly but surely replenish the exomoon’s mineral deposits. Nonetheless, they are yet another hazard when traversing the surface.

=== Subsurface ===

It is below ground where New Gibson distinguishes itself from other exomoons. Situated around [[Reade]], a gas giant whose gravity acts as a ‘net’ for meteors entering the [[Tau Ceti]] system from the [[Tau_Ceti#The_Romanovich_Cloud|Romanovich Cloud]], New Gibson was formed with and therefore contains [[phoron]] deposits (occurring in various forms) deep within its rocky layers. The ignition of these subsurface pockets, typically by tidal heating from Reade or radioactive mineral decay, results in intense but sparse geological and cryovolcanic activity, where the moon otherwise may have lacked it, and warmer pockets where habitation is possible (and where most permanent colonies are established).

After seventy years of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s vigorous mining of these deposits — even those around phorovolcanic chambers heating New Gibson’s colonies — many of these phorovolcanic chambers have begun to or already cooled significantly. [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]] has been the most affected by this, with its volcanic chamber burning the last of its phoron to provide only meagre heat to the colony.

Besides phoron, the moon is also host to rich, geologically young mineral deposits, particularly naturally occurring radioactive materials as heavy metals. Being young deposits, minerals such as uranium are ‘pre-enriched’, having not sat decaying for so long.

=== Biosphere ===

Despite all of these conditions, life on New Gibson prevails. Native life on the moon is characterised by organoboron chemistry and internal nuclear processes. Creatures internally generate heat via the decay of typically uranium, moderated by boron-rich carapaces; such creatures are no larger than small beetles, save for those with phoron which can grow to fill a human hand. As such, they are warm (and sometimes mildly radioactive or poisonous) to touch, especially when you have been exposed to the moon’s cold temperatures for so long.

Unlike [[Biesel]] which [[Biesel#Flora_and_Fauna|dramatically altered its biosphere]], New Gibson has preserved the exomoon’s native life. Strict regulations are upheld about introducing non-native life into New Gibson’s wild. However, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s unregulated mining and depletion of subsurface phoron deposits have begun to severely impact the few nuclear organisms reliant on phoron for their heat.

Furthermore, [[Greimorians]] have also made themselves home beneath New Gibson’s surface as an invasive species. The hives tend to grow unnoticed and avoid spots of high human activity, however the vibrations of mining teams are known to attract greimorians. Hives which do grow large enough do eventually gather the numbers to burrow into larger colonies, posing a threat to colonies.

==== Examples of Life ====

* The '''Purple Spotted Bille''' is a beetle-resembling extremophile found on the cusp of New Gibson’s phorovolcanic chambers, and the largest native lifeform on the exomoon despite being only hand-sized. They are identified by their black shells with purple spots. Their lifecycle begins almost inside of these chambers, their maturation being reliant on their acquisition of a small phoron pellet which they house within their bodies and allows them to leave the phorovolcanic chamber. Outside of these chambers, the phoron pellet is allowed to decay, which generates thermal and ionising radiation that is moderated by a boron-rich shell. They live solitary lives, hopping from chamber-to-chamber until their phoron pellet finally decays, where they re-enter the depths of a chamber to have offspring. Other species of Billes exist, including those which rely on uranium for decay heat and do not enter phorovolcanic chambers, however they cannot grow larger than a Haricot bean. Removing a Purple Spotted Bille from the wild is a criminal offence on New Gibson, however wealthier Biesellites and [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] executives have been known to get away with it.

* The '''Reactor Bug''' is a tiny, social radioresistant lifeform that creates subsurface hives. Their hives are centred around rich uranium deposits and they spend their lives essentially engineering natural nuclear reactors. Reactor bugs go on small excursions away from their hive’s uranium deposit to channel melted snow from the surface to the uranium deposit, which acts as a natural moderator, and rich uranium is relocated to one central spot, until eventually a critical mass is obtained. These excursions are very short for they do not live long away from the heat and radiation of their deposit, however reactor bugs have been seen cuddling a uranium source to their chest when expecting to be away from the hive for long durations. To remove or handle them without supplying a low heat and radiation source will kill them — not a concern for radioactive mineral collectors.

* '''Red Snow''' is a microscopic, algae-resembling cryophile that resides in the snowy surface of New Gibson. Where they grow in numbers, the snow becomes visibly red or orange, but also nutrient-rich for more conventional extremophile microorganisms, creating small, thriving ecosystems in the snow. They are dispersed by the rare, strong gusts of wind. Red Snow is considered a bad omen to encounter, and it is greater bad luck to touch Red Snow (which, in doing so, kills it with your bodily heat and turns it black). There have been tales, largely dismissed, that tell of particularly large colonies of Red Snow, with mycellium-like tendrils that expand deep into the snow and extend for hundreds of meters, however colonies this large have never been properly identified. They are reported to be tasteless and cause mild-to-fatal digestive symptoms when eaten — because someone had to try. Nonetheless, they are valuable for research into [[Technology#Cryonics|cryonics]] and the biomedical discoveries thereof.

== History ==
=== Pre-Colonisation ===
The first human activity on New Gibson were small mining excursions by contractors and spacefarers originating from [[Biesel]] or [[Valkyrie]]. No permanent installations were established, however small space stations — many of which owned or sponsored by [[Hephaestus Industries]] — in low orbit cropped up, serving as the bases for early mining operations.

=== Early Colonisation (2164—2170) ===

With a foothold in the [[Tau Ceti]] system established on and around [[Biesel]] and [[Earth]]’s [[Timeline_of_Humanity#The_Crisis_of_2127|climate catastrophe]] still ongoing and [[Hephaestus Industries]] identifying New Gibson as an opportune place for mining, a colonisation bid for New Gibson began. The European Union won this bid and, with Hephaestus granted the shipbuilding contract, a small fleet of colonisation vessels was assembled: the '''Aurvandill''', the largest of the vessels and hosting colonists primarily from the Nordic countries; the '''Above and Beyond''', a smaller vessel hosting specialists from across the EU and from Hephaestus Industries; and the '''Jasmund IV'''.

These vessels would arrive and rendezvous with survey and logistical vessels from Biesel in late 2166. In the meantime and beginning in 2164, Hephaestus Industries would begin boring two ringed tunnel systems around selected phoronic, cryovolcanic chambers for housing the first two colonies.

The landing of these vessels on the '''7th of February, 2167''' would result in a disaster — the first interstellar colonial disaster at the time. While the Aurvandill successfully landed at what is now [[New Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]] and the Above and Beyond beside it, the Jasmund IV would lose radio contact during deorbit and never be identified again. Presumably, the vessel failed to navigate to its intended colony site and either met its end to a collision or one of New Gibson’s environmental hazards. This failure, early into the Alliance’s interstellar colonisation drive, alongside the moon being eclipsed by Biesel and only slated for industrial work, saw the moon’s colonisation receive little praise and positive media coverage, and deterred additional waves of colonists to New Gibson.

The first years on New Gibson were not without challenges. Colonists had the gruelling job of assembling the first, ringed station in the bored tunnel around a phorovolcanic chamber, which went on to become the capital, [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]].

=== Late Colonisation (2170—2200) ===
Following the assembly of [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], New Gibson’s mining, refinery, and fabrication industries quickly kicked into gear and expanded exponentially as more of Virklund’s tunnels and rings were built. The development of Biesel, supported by New Gibson’s surging industrial industry, soared. [[Hephaestus Industries]] continued to invest in the moon and many high-paying jobs for industrial workers in the [[Sol Alliance]] were born, attracting new residents. However, due to the unattractive habitability, the population would never soar.

In the 2180s, other subsurface colonies like Virklund were constructed in the same manner — ringed or branching habitats constructed deep and around the volcanic chambers created by the ignition of subsurface phoron deposits. Of course, at the time, geologists were unaware of the exact mechanism of this geological activity, postulating more conventional reasons or over-estimating [[Reade]]’s tidal heating.

By the 2200s, New Gibson had come to be referred to as the '''Industrial Heart of Tau Ceti'''.

=== Second Great Depression, the Interstellar War, and the Crisis of 2294 (2200s) ===
During the 2200s, the [[Solarian Alliance]] started to centre their military presence in Tau Ceti as a waypoint between the frontier and civilised space. New Gibson’s manufacturing facilities were pushed to their limit — more ships, guns, more military equipment — and the gas giant and its moon became key, strategic areas.

The moon’s already overworked populace was unable to meet demand, seeing the Alliance whip the moon into shape through various measures. Political tension among New Gibson’s population grew and reached a boiling point and, with the [[Timeline_of_Humanity#The_Great_Interstellar_War|Interstellar War]], protests and strikes turned into riots. Many of the [[Tau Ceti]]’s early secessionist movements and visions for an independent system were born out of New Gibson, where they slowly gained traction elsewhere in the system. As a result of growing dissent, the [[Solarian_Armed_Forces|Solarian Navy]] began discreetly moving its military shipbuilding capabilities to [[Reade]].

Come the end of the war, little improved. Unemployment, overcrowding, brain drain, and stolen bailouts all contributed to the '''Crisis of 2294''', which saw deprivation and famine sweep over New Gibson’s various colonies. Hundreds-of-thousands died during the crisis, be it from poor access to supplies or from the ensuing unrest and rioting. It would be a month until some relief arrived from [[Biesel]] and [[Valkyrie]], however it was not enough. The moon was teetering on anarchy. The dominoes would continue to fall, with [[New_Gibson#Fallanland|Fallanland]] getting system-wide attention when it collapsed in on itself, sparking yet another moon-wide emergency.

Eventually, the Alliance would relent and let New Gibson lose as an autonomous region (alongside the rest of [[Tau Ceti]). The moon would establish its own unified government, the '''Autonomous Solarian Parliamentary Republic of New Gibson''', as a sister government to the Autonomous Solarian Republic of Biesel which also formed at the same time as a result of its own independence movement. With this, funding from the Alliance would diminish, and the problems only got worse. However, it would allow independence movements and the megacorporations to begin their plans away from the scrutiny of the Alliance's government.

=== Contact with Skrell and the Founding of Xoikko (2332—2341) ===
It would be following the first contact with [[skrell]] that the effects of the [[New Gibson#Second_Great_Depression,_the_Interstellar_War,_and_the_Crisis_of_2294_(2200s)|Crisis]] would finally be permanently resolved. An agreement between the [[Nralakk Federation]] and [[Solarian Alliance]] saw a variety of technologies and engineering designs introduced to New Gibson; [[Aliose]], a coreworld of the Federation, had a [[Aliose#Environment|similar environment]] to New Gibson, and so the skrell state was best primed to assist it.

Heat retentive design improvements, skrell insulation materials, and other tidbits seen in the subsurface halves of Aliosen arcologies would become the most ubiquitous of these technologies and engineering designs shared, with all of New Gibson’s colonies implementing at least a couple of the skrell features.

Bioaugmentations would also be offered some years later via [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]. An at-first monthly treatment, but now yearly treatment thanks to phoronic pharmaceutical improvements, would be rolled out to those willing to increase skin thickness, and with it cold tolerance. This treatment is still offered today, however the phoron scarcity has seen the once-a-year treatment become more unaffordable.

New Gibson would also become a desirable spot for [[Aliose|Aliosen skrell]] to migrate to. At first, scientists, engineers and their families, then — as New Gibson implemented the new technologies and flourished a second time — other skrell from across the Federation.

All of these would, at first, be seen as an alien invasion into New Gibsonite life, however it would be the foundation for a friendly relationship between New Gibson and the Nralakk Federation. New Gibson would go on to host one of the largest skrell populations outside of the Federation, with no regrets.

In 2341, a New Gibson and the Federation would once again cooperate with the founding and construction of [[New_Gibson#Xoikko|Xoikko]].

=== Construction of the New Gibson Maglev System (2344—2359) and Discovery of Phoron (2352) ===
As the first major undertaking by New Gibson’s government, since recovered from the [[New Gibson#Second_Great_Depression,_the_Interstellar_War,_and_the_Crisis_of_2294_(2200s)|Crisis]], construction of the ‘’’New Gibson Maglev System’’’ was started in 2344, having been in the planning for several years.

Up until then, New Gibson’s colonies were largely disconnected from one another, requiring either a suborbital spaceflight or a hazardous journey via snowmobile across the surface to reach a neighbouring colony. The Maglev System sought to ease travel between colonies — be it for general travel, recreation/tourism, or the transport of mineral/fabricated products — and, by 2350, was considered a success.

Following the |discovery of [[phoron]], including the subsurface phoron deposits now recognised as phoron, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] was quick to establish today’s phoronics industry on the exomoon. Much like the Biesel, New Gibson had a sudden and overwhelming influx of investment from the phoron giant, which saw rapid development.

Seeking to make an impression, it would be alongside NanoTrasen Corporation and with their investment that [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]] would be constructed, outfitted from the beginning with the latest phoronic infrastructure and seamlessly integrated into the Maglev System.

The greatest benefits of phoron on New Gibson would also be seen in the New Gibson Maglev System, where the cryogenic-reliant superconductors could be refitted with phoron as a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room-temperature_superconductor| room temperature superconductor]. Ground-penetrating mineral scanners also advanced greatly, allowing the detection of further mineral deposits yet untapped. As phoron [[Phoron#Properties_and_Applications|made its way into daily infrastructure]], New Gibson’s economic output doubled — more minerals, quicker transport, better heat and energy efficiency, etc.
=== Virklund Concerns and Independence from the Solarian Alliance (Early-Mid 2400s) ===
In the 2420s, after seventy years of vigorous subsurface phoron mining, [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]] would make a worrying discovery that threatened New Gibson’s subsurface colonies. The depletion of subsurface phoron feeding the phorovolcanic chambers was cooling the colonies. This would be covered up, then minimised, then ignored by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], who continued only dialling up their mining of phoron deposits. Each time Virklund’s administration brought up the issue, they would be threatened with financial retribution — the cutting of corporate investment — and so even Virklund ended up minimising and ignoring the issue. Discreetly, NanoTrasen Corporation would begin diverting its investments towards [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]], which had become something of a pet project of the phoron company and a monument to their influence over Tau Ceti, but even this colony was neglected in favour for [[Biesel]] and [[Mendell City]], where the megacorporations sought to establish their central throne.

In 2452, New Gibson would join Biesel in [[Tau_Ceti_History#NanoTrasen’s_Monopoly_and_Independence_(2410_-_2452)|seceding from the Solarian Alliance]]. This came as a great relief to many New Gibsonites who had a far greater stake in independence compared to Biesel. Unfortunately for New Gibson, fate had Biesel be the dominant force at the negotiating table alongside [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. The opportunity to deliberate upon a more inclusive name was not given, and so New Gibson found itself under the [[Republic of Biesel]]. To this day, a level of resentment is harboured over the Republic’s name, with the occasional movement to rename the Republic swatted down.

It would also come as no surprise that, in 2453, New Gibson’s local government would relocate the capital and seat of government to [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]], now significantly developed and standing out ahead of other subsurface colonies. [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]] would be left to fall behind, still failing to identify long-term solutions to the colony’s cooling — a fate that will soon come knocking to other colonies in the coming decades.

=== Recent History, the Phoron Scarcity, the Peacekeeper Mandate (2460s) ===

In August of 2460, [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]] would be raided by the [[Lii'dra|Lii’dra Hive]] and would mark both the first known deployment of [[The_Lii%27dra#Black_K'ois|black k’ois]] and Lii’dra warforms, alongside conventional explosives responsible for a bombing. A dozen would die in the initial blast and incidents of black k’ois mycosis hospitalised or killed hundreds. The exomoon was placed on quarantine lockdown until mid-September. [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/16716-mendell-city-bugle/page/6/#findComment-101167|The incident was covered in the Mendell City Bugle].

In the 2460s, the [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] would see much of the [[Phoron#Properties_and_Applications|benefits of the discovery of phoron]] begin to diminish. Today, the New Gibson Maglev System has begun to shut down routes to more remote colonies, hurting economic participation and general travel. Many phoronic mineral scanners have also been recalled for the salvage and repurposing of contained phoron, seeing many mineral deposits go unnoticed or not entirely tapped. Energy costs are also expected to increase, as phoronic superconductive wiring is removed and less power efficient magnets are adopted to spin the rings of colonies.

The [[Tau_Ceti_History#Second_Solarian_Invasion|Second Solarian Invasion]] in 2462 would see a number of New Gibson’s colonies orbitally bombarded. While much of the deep rings went unscathed, the upper rings and any surface features — typically reserved for logistics, spaceports, and glacier brick docks — were wrecked and rendered inoperable for between months and years, requiring extensive repairs.

The [[Tau_Ceti_History#The_Peacekeeper_Mandate_(2463)|Peacekeeper Mandate]] of 2463 frustrated many New Gibsonites, who felt they had little say in the war yet had to contribute to it with their industries nonetheless. Radiating outwards from [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], anti-war sentiments, protests and acts of civil disobedience have been on-the-rise, criticising the [[Republic of Biesel]]’s role in the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]. However, at the same and with job insecurity and deprivation surging with the [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]], many New Gibsonites found themselves enlisting in the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] nonetheless — be they escaping more deprived colonies, such as [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], or less affluent and colder residential sectors across colonies, or from [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]] where more positive views towards the [[Republic of Biesel]] are held. This time bomb would be defused when [[Notable_Humans#Former_President_Joseph_Dorn|Joseph Dorn]] lost his bid for a continued presidency, and [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Ake Torvald]] — the former Presiding Speaker of New Gibson — would be elected President of the [[Republic of Biesel]]. However, the tensions remain, now directed more to [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] tugging the government’s strings.

== Government and State ==
[[File:newgibson_flag.png|Planetary flag of New Gibson.|thumb]]
Formed after the [[New Gibson#Second_Great_Depression,_the_Interstellar_War,_and_the_Crisis_of_2294_(2200s)|Crisis of 2294]] as the Autonomous Solarian Republic of New Gibson, then growing into the Parliamentary Republic of New Gibson following the formation of the [[Republic of Biesel]]. For much of New Gibson’s time, the seat of government was found in [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], however it has recently moved to [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]] in 2453.

The Parliamentary Republic of New Gibson is a representative democracy, relying on population statistics to award influence within its highest chamber of authority. Parliament members are elected by inhabitants of the respective colonies, who in turn elect an individual among themselves to represent the entirety of New Gibson; the Presiding Speaker. The former presiding speaker was [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Ake Torvald]] who stepped down after winning the presidential bid for the Republic of Biesel; the current presiding speaker is '''Theresa Lindqvist''', elected thereafter.

New Gibson’s politics have generally been defined by [[Republic_of_Biesel#Political_Ideologies|New Gibsonite Social Democracy]], emphasising a balance between free market and a functioning welfare state. Influenced by [[New Gibson#Skrell_on_New_Gibson|skrell]], anti-synthetic views are often tabled but often split parties two-ways, proposing regulation on the construction and lawing of artificial intelligences, as well as ensuring IPC rights progress no further than they already have in the [[Republic of Biesel]]. The Cetian Social Democratic Front is a New Gibson-born, Tau Ceti political party that campaigns for these ideas to be implemented at a system-level, and last received 33% of Tau Ceti’s votes in the most recent presidential election.

New Gibson’s welfare system has been under some strain as of late due to the high influx of immigrants and refugee groups from around the Spur, which has seen more conservative politics begin bubbling in the more [[New Gibson#Virklund|left behind sectors and rings of the moon’s colonies]].
=== Law Enforcement ===
Day-to-day law enforcement is handled by the '''New Gibson Police Service (NGPS)''', with per-colony divisions. The NGPS emphasises community policing, high professional standards, and deescalatory use-of-force, ensuring close ties with their respective colony’s inhabitants to increase cooperation. This puts it at odds with its Biesellite counterparts, especially those in [[Mendell City]]. However, this is a double-edged sword, and the NGPS is often criticised for being lazy and ineffective. The NGPS is also not immune to having its strings pulled by the local megacorporations, and frequently stumbles for excuses and justifications to not prosecute the megacorporations or executives and representatives thereof.

A more admirable branch of the NGPS is the '''Environmental and Nuclear Crime Protection Branch (ENCPB)''', or just the ''Environmental and Nuclear Branch'', which works alongside other state services and independent environmental groups. The Environmental and Nuclear Branch polices everything from malicious acquisition, shipping or usage of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) found on New Gibson (of which a large smuggling ring of NORMs exist), to needless destruction of ecosystems, to the negligent or deliberate seeding of non-native life into the natural environment. Where they get attention though is their '''Specialist Greimorians Unit (SGU)''', which responds to instances of greimorian infestations — on freight vessels in New Gibson’s orbit or where they have been exposed by drill mining. They often appear in Chirper posts donning plasteel chainmail under conventional riot armour and with phoronic energy melee weaponry and shields. As such and always in jest, they are sometimes referred to as ''Gibsonite jomsvikings''.

Where the [[Republic of Biesel]]’s federal laws are infringed upon, the NGPS cooperates with federal security services, such as the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Services Bureau]].

== Industries, Economy and the Megacorporations ==
As the Industrial Heart of Tau Ceti, New Gibson supplies the vast majority of mineral resources, refined materials, fabricated components, and industrial machinery required for the system. Following the 2465 Census conducted by the moon’s local government, it was found that 78% of New Gibsonites work in one of these industries. Originally, these industries were dominated by [[Hephaestus Industries]], which always had a large role on the moon, however as Hephaestus Industries pivoted towards developing [[Burzsia]] and [[Moghes]], it gave way to [[Einstein Engines]].

Following the [[phoron|discovery of phoron]], New Gibson’s industry would extend to include [[Phoron#Properties_and_Applications|phoronic materials, components and equipment]]. [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] operates all phoronic-related industries on New Gibson, be it the haphazard mining of safe-to-access subsurface phoron deposits or the fabrication of phoronic components used around the [[Orion Spur]]. Most of the components in a [[Interstellar_Travel#Bluespace_Travel|Bluespace Drive]] or [[Interstellar_Travel#Bluespace_Rings|Bluespace Ring]] were manufactured on New Gibson — a source of pride among the older generations. The [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] threatens this sector, with both fabrication and mining jobs on the decline, and NanoTrasen’s investment into New Gibson has almost entirely dissipated, leading to surges in unemployment and reducing public spending. The few substantial phoron deposits that remain are those ignited by or immediately adjacent to volcanic chambers, and as such the mining of them is a death wish — for the miners and any colony constructed around the chamber for warmth. Where NanoTrasen Corporation has shuttered its facilities, [[Einstein Engines]] has swooped in to establish its own non-phoronic industries in their stead.

A smaller science sector also exists with a large [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] and [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] presence. Research on New Gibson largely pertains to [[New_Gibson#Biosphere|organoboronic and nuclear life]], as well as the phoron-influenced geological activity. After the [[Nralakk Federation]] took interest in New Gibson, investment from [[Nralakk_Federation#State-Owned_Enterprises|Nralakk state-owned enterprises]] has slowly but consistently trickled in.

Historically, New Gibson’s colonies were connected via spaceports by suborbital flights. However, the moonwide effort in the early 2300s to install the '''New Gibson Maglev System''' now sees most colonies connected by maglev rail, now reliant on phoron superconductors for efficiency and lower cost. Naturally, with the [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] ongoing, this system is threatened by refits which may isolate less important colonies. Where the Maglev System does not reach, colonies are reliant on space freighting or — cheaper but more dangerous — surface transit via snowmobile.

Finally, and not quite a planetary industry, a large mining industry exists in space around New Gibson and [[Reade]]. [[Hephaestus Industries]] and [[Orion Express]] can both be found fielding miners into Reade’s ice rings or to uncolonised satellites around the planet. Many in Tau Ceti, particularly [[Offworlder Humans]] unable to acclimate to the gravity-possessing bodies of the system, find themselves in this industry, either under a megacorporation or completing bounties posted by them. Many of New Gibson’s inhabitants also find themselves in this industry.

== Culture and Society ==
=== Construction and Architecture ===
==== Subsurface Colonies ====
All of New Gibson’s major population centres are constructed underground and adjacent to the phorovolcanic chambers. Taking after [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]]’s construction, the most common design is a series of rings in a spinning top-like formation, though some other colonies are more root-like in nature, branching out from the volcanic chamber. The ringed colonies are constructed with uninterrupted high streets running through them, with electric tram systems instead of roads bearing motor vehicles for internal colony transit, and are able to spin to provide a semblance of gravity — typically between 0.6 and 0.8Gs.

Logistical centres, fabrication industries and spaceports tend to be towards the surface for convenient access and, as a result, can be quite frigid to work in. Engineering and maintenance facilities have the luxury (and danger) of being located flush against the volcanic chamber, as the majority of colonies generate power through geothermal means, augmented with surface solar arrays or nuclear fission reactors. Residences are almost always stratified, with more affordable accommodation being more distal to the natural heat provided by the volcanic chamber and those more proximal being expensive or reserved for specialists, colony officials, or part of megacorporate benefit packages. Unfortunately, since the discovery of phoron and [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s mining of the subsurface phoron contributing to these chambers, these colonies are threatened by cooling in the coming decades or century.

Since the phoron boom in the 2300s, New Gibson’s colonies have had noticeable, purple accenting and features where phoronic applications were to be found. This is most apparent in [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]], which totally adopted phoronic infrastructure during its construction. In light of the [[Phoron Scarcity]], many colonies have begun the slow and destructive retrofitting of phoronic infrastructure with the help of [[Einstein Engines]], however Respite continues to benefit from its close relationship with [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and continues to be allocated ample phoron — for now, at least.

Due to the concentration of uranium in New Gibson’s crust and these habitats being constructed subsurface,radon gas is a significant engineering concern. Most colonies have adequate scrubbing systems, filters, and alarms to counter this threat, however the rare gas accumulation is known to elevate cancer risks in less affluent areas and mining tunnels of colonies.

==== Surface Habitats ====
Permanent surface colonies are a near impossibility on New Gibson, with most surface habitats being temporary, usually tied to mining efforts, and lasting only for a few years. Yet even the temporary habitats are a nightmare to reside in, often being snowed in every few years thanks to the moon’s environment, and constantly at threat from meteors.

One exception exists as [[New_Gibson#Xoikko|Xoikko]], which follows from [[Aliose|Aliosen]] engineering and has both a domed, surface section and then a smaller, ringed subterranean section.

[[File:NewGibson_brick.png|A Gibsonite glacier brick, trundling along at a respectable speed through the snow.|thumb]]
==== Glacier Bricks ====
Where stationary habitats on the surface fail, the mobile glacier bricks succeed.

Glacier bricks are large vehicles with wide-treads, angled roofs, and often fitted with snow plows, designed for bulk transport across the surface — be it of goods or people ferried between colonies. Working on glacier bricks is a necessary but undesirable job, demanding weeks away from family and navigating the moon’s ever-changing surface and avoiding pitfalls and meteors. As such, there is a measure of prestige afforded to those who thrive on glacier bricks.

New Gibson’s [[New_Gibson#IPCs_on_New_Gibson|IPC populace]] and [[New Gibson#Tajara_on_New_Gibson|tajaran populace]] are both particularly well-valued on these glacier bricks as navigators and for extra-vehicle work, with both being predisposed towards working in arctic environments.

In the 2420s and in light of the [[New_Gibson#Virklund_Concerns_and_Independence_from_the_Solarian_Alliance_(Early-Mid 2400s)|Virklund Concerns]], an alternative lifestyle would arise where New Gibsonites opted to reside permanently in these vehicles, hopping from colony to colony and living under the omnipresent gas giant above. The [[New_Gibson#Glacier_Fleet|Glacier Fleet]] are a particularly large group of New Gibsonites who have rejected subsurface dwelling for a variety of reasons, maintaining a small fleet of Glacier Bricks in which they reside.

=== New Gibsonite Folk Beliefs ===
Overtime and spurned on by the inhospitable environment, dangerous working conditions and available occupations, and numerous disasters that have struck New Gibson, various folk beliefs — all lumped together under the one label — have arisen in New Gibson’s permanent populace. Many of these are connected to the snow and desolate landscape on the surface, partially owed to the exclusivity and danger of being present up on the surface.

Different colonies, groups of people, and demographics by any measure have their own varying beliefs. The 2465 Census saw 12.4% of respondents identify themselves as 'New Gibsonite Folk Beliefs', however the catch-all label excludes those who may only hold some of the beliefs or who may refer to their beliefs using other terms — a point of contention among theologists and sociologists, and the true number may be higher.

However, theologists and sociologists have identified a few universal beliefs, many of which radiated outwards from [[New_Gibson#Fallanland|Fallanland]].

==== Snædis ====
The snow of New Gibson’s surface is often regarded as a powerful, sometimes living, entity deserving of respect. For some, it ends at that; for others, the snow is a tool for divination or miracle. For those who dare, an excursion to the surface can be made to observe the gentle fall of snow; a specific shape or formation is believed to foretell or advise future events. The sight of [[New Gibson#Examples_of_Life|Red Snow]] is, even among those who don’t subscribe to New Gibson’s folk beliefs, a powerful, violent omen.

Some devout believers live a life of scrying the snow, serving their [[New_Gibson#skrýtisherbergi|skrýtisherbergi]] and families as spiritual guides.

Common folktales are also told of those who get lost in the snow, only to be guided to safety or tricked into further losing themselves, depending on one’s quality of character. The gentle winds that sweep and reshape the moon’s surface are often personified as spirits in these incidents, reshaping the environment to assist or spite the lost traveller. Some believe these spirits are those of the [[New_Gibson#Early_Colonisation_(2164—2170)|lost Jasmund IV colony ship]]’s crew, guiding those worthy of settling the moon and punishing those unworthy.

Other tales also hold that dead loved ones or ancestry can manifest from the snow, or at the very least communicate via vision, in the rare surface valleys which channel stronger winds and gusts of snow. For this reason alone, many who subscribe to these folk beliefs believe it a terrible thing to not be buried on New Gibson, and those abroad generally insist on their bodies being returned to the moon. The more devoted, such as those who dedicate their lives to scrying the snow, may also insist on being buried in the snow itself — this is to the chagrin of the non-faithful who frequent the surface, who may encounter these frozen bodies when the snow shifts and reveals them.

It is also a common occurrence for curse inscriptions to be made in the snow, be it directly inscribed in the snow or a letter left at a snow shrine (on the surface or in a skrýtisherbergi), which call for an ancestor, snow, or other deity to effect some kind of action upon the subject. Many are made out of spite to a workplace rival, an unrequited love, one’s boss, or a disliked political figure. For most people, it ends as a social/spiritual tool or ritual for venting one’s frustrations and the curses are not to be taken seriously, however the more devout may whole-heartedly expect for their curse to be effected in its entirety by a supernatural entity.

==== Skrýtisherbergi ====
A place of contemplation, gathering, charity, ceremony, spiritual or non-spiritual guidance, or seeking a scryer. They may serve different functions for different people or at different places, but most colonies have a place that is their skrýtisherbergi — be it set up by the local administration, a spiritual organisation, or a small group of believers. Many skrýtisherbergi, where possible, have adopted features seen in [[New_Gibson#Fallanland|Fallanland’s Great Skrýtisherbergi]]: a channel, from the surface to the skrýtisherbergi, that trickles snow into a vessel where it inevitably melts. A suitable but disappointing compromise, such as the one seen in [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]]’s Community Skrýtisherbergi, is a simple bowl which is occasionally topped up with a handful of manually collected snow per day. Skrýtisherbergi off-moon, such as on space vessels and habitats, may simply just have a vial or flask of New Gibsonite snow, melted or not.

==== Veneration of Ancestors and Elders ====
Varying in intensity and devotion, the veneration of ancestors and elders is almost universal among those subscribed to New Gibson folk beliefs. This can appear as simple invocations in time of need, up to the creation of a snow shrine on New Gibson’s surface or in a skrýtisherbergi where offerings may be made.

=== Holidays and Celebrations ===
* '''Unity Day''' is celebrated across New Gibson on the '''27th of December'''. It is a national holiday that celebrates the forming of the Parliamentary Republic of New Gibson and the colonies of New Gibson under one, home government. Celebrations vary by colony, however always culminating in a TV sit down to watch [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]]’s fireworks; some other colonies have their own fireworks, some have holographic parade displays in their administrative rings. A speech is also made by the [[New Gibson#Government_and_State|Presiding Speaker]].

* '''Thorrablot''' is celebrated on the '''10th of February''' and, though having roots in an Earth celebration, is all about celebrating New Gibsonite culture and pride. It too is a national holiday, however is scarcely marked by the Government with [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]] putting on no celebrations. [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]] continues to put on extravagant festivals and parades to mark the occasion however, and those more patriotic in other colonies either visit Virklund for the celebration or have small house parties. In [[New_Gibson#Xoikko|Xoikko]], the celebrations put extra emphasis on the [[Nralakk Federation]]’s [[New_Gibson#Contact_with_Skrell_and_the_Founding_of_Xoikko_(2332—2341)|benevolence in New Gibson’s history]], but also highlight facets of skrell culture — [[Skrell_Cinematography#Swimstars|Swimstars]], in particular, enjoyed by both human and skrell alike. In [[New_Gibson#Fallanland|Fallanland]], the holiday is more spiritual, and a time for everyone to make a visit to the [[New_Gibson#skrýtisherbergi|skrýtisherbergi]], whether or not they ordinarily would and whether or not they put stock in folk beliefs. Poetry, stories, and plays are all staples of these celebrations, be they about work, snowy horror stories, or New Gibson’s nuclear life.

* '''Remembrance Day''' is celebrated across New Gibson on the '''14th of June'''. A national holiday that mourns those lost during the [[New Gibson#Second_Great_Depression,_the_Interstellar_War,_and_the_Crisis_of_2294_(2200s)|Crisis of 2294]] and the [[New_Gibson#Fallanland|Fallanland]] cave-in incident. In the evening, there is a memorial at a monument erected in [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]] that is dedicated to those that lost their lives. It is common for New Gibsonites to wear black, symbolizing the shared impact of the Crisis. Recently, the names of those that perished in the [[The_Lii%27dra#2460_CE|Lii’dra Invasion]] and [[Tau_Ceti_History#Second_Solarian_Invasion|Second Solarian Invasion]] have been included.

=== Entertainment and Recreation ===

* '''Uranium Glassblowing and Radiation Collecting:''' With the abundance of uranium on New Gibson, the element and compounds thereof are very accessible for use in hobbyist glassblowing or just for collecting in their mineral form. Radioluminescent dinnerware, necklaces, and vases are all common sights in antique stores or as family heirlooms. Some radioactive mineral collectors go further, obtaining and collecting raw minerals — typically uranium and minerals thereof — which, due its young age and richness on New Gibson, can pose a non-insignificant health risk compared to uranium minerals on Earth. For those that go even further, the collections incorporate artificial curios, such as tiny ampules of nucleosynthesis products from reactors and shrapnel from exploded nuclear ordnance, etc. — however, this is where one risks local authorities getting involved.

* '''Snowmobile Racing and Skiing:''' Considered an extreme sport solely as a result of potentially lethal surface hazards, it nonetheless remains an enjoyment among some New Gibsonites and many tourists. Pre-mapped routes are a must, and they must be reevaluated daily due to the surface winds which frequently shift about snow deposits. A safer alternative can be found indoors, with every colony having a snow park where skiing and snow mobile racing can be done. The Virklund Games is a widely-covered sporting event hosted every New Gibson year that focuses on snowmobile racing, skiing, and other snowsports. Each colony fields a team for each sport, and the host colony cycles every year. Historically, these games were done on the surface, however they have long been tempered and are now done in the safer indoors. Nonetheless, the Games are still widely enjoyed.

* '''Extreme Readic Racing:''' Next door to Reade’s extreme racing scene, enthusiasts of the dare-devil sport can be found on New Gibson, with some going so far as to participate in it. More can be read about that [[Reade#Extreme_Readic_Racing|here]].

=== Cuisine ===
Developing in a food scarce environment with little in the way of local agriculture, New Gibson from the get-go preferred more grain- and seed-heavy, vegetarian and vegan-based food options. Pickling and fermentation also became a must. Anything that could be imported from [[Biesel]] and stored in bulk, with high nutrition per gram. This continues to this day, with New Gibson’s colonies only having small hydroponics and aquaponics sectors that bulk produce a very limited selection of grains, seeds, kelp, and vegetables. Meat and dairy are all imported, synthetic, or substituted with insect- or vegetable-based alternatives, with hakhma products gaining traction since the rediscovery of the [[Scarabs|Scarab Fleet]].

A cultural curiosity and household favourite that has survived from the initial colonisation of [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]] are the drinks '''Gibson Hooch''' and '''Gibson Punch'''. These cocktails have no standard mix, with hooch being a quasi-mead type drink fermented with whatever fruits and ingredients the colonists had on hand, while Gibson Punch was typically made from orange juice, homemade vodka, and powdered lemonade mix for flavour. These two drinks persist as household favourites to this day, with the first standardised brand marketed by [[NanoTrasen Corporation#Getmore_Corporation|Getmore Corporation]] in 2332, and has even seen some traction elsewhere around the [[Orion Spur]].

'''Knäck''' is a crispy flatbread, forming a cornerstone of New Gibsonite cuisine and preferred even over bread loaves, favoured its shelf life, few ingredients and versatility. Originally, it was made with whatever grain or cereals were available, but today it is most commonly made with rolled oats, powdered kelp, and one’s spice of choice. It can be served alongside a soup or stew, or have a fruity conserve or pickle spread over it. No childhood is complete without baking sweetened knäck that is crispy enough to crack on a table edge or sibling’s head. Not to be confused with traditional knäck found on Earth

Other highlights are '''pickled kelp''' and '''fermented kelp smoothies''' among the older generations, with no grandparents’ house complete without a large jar of kelp pickles in the pantry, and '''Skrellsnax''' and other dried eki fungus snack brands, a favourite in [[New_Gibson#Xoikku|Xoikku]] but still present elsewhere thanks to the ease of cultivating eki fungus in the hydroponics sectors.

=== Art ===
New Gibson’s art can be summarised as ‘bleak’. It often captures the desolate, featureless, slow-moving nature of New Gibson’s surface and day-to-day ongoings. Common themes explored in New Gibsonite art include loneliness, alienation, but also more positive ones such as strong bonds between family and friends, perseverance, and surviving against all odds.

[[New Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]] continues to be a trailblazer for New Gibson’s art scenes, with many artists emerging from the colony, even as [[Idris Incorporated]]- and [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Ingi_Usang_Entertainment_Company|Ingi Usang]]-sponsored artists emerging from [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]] have been attempting to commandeer the mainstream to steer art towards something more marketable and less anti-corporate.

In '''visual art''', colours are sparse — whites, greys, black — with single colours (sometimes even radioluminescent greens using uranium paints) to add oomph to a specific feature.

In '''literature''', the mood is quite languid and realistic in detail, with abrupt surges of emotion where justified by the plot. Horror, mystery, and crime have consistently been among New Gibson’s favourite genres, often revolving around snow and author concepts of [[New_Gibson#Snædis|snædis]]. Many protagonists find themselves lost on the snowy surface at some point in their story, with a feat of good character that sees them returned to the safety of a colony, and many supernatural creatures have emerged from the snow to torment the colony a novel is centred around.

This lack of colours is also found in '''fashion'''. Day-to-day, casual clothing tends to be whites, blacks and greys again, with gentle accenting with muted colours — often with low-concentration uranium enamel or glass gems stitched in, which fluoresce red-oranges and greens. It is seen as quite flamboyant to wear too much colour as part of one’s casualwear, and so it is often made up with patterning, such as checkers or stripes. However, work clothing and EVA gear must be bright and bold to stand out in the dark or against the surface. New Gibsonites make an effort to stand out among Biesellites, and so avoid elements of [[Biesellite_Culture_and_Society#Fashion|Biesellite Classicism]] — tight synth-leather jeans instead of bell-bottomed trousers; bold and metallic accessories over dainty, natural ones; sturdy boots over business oxfords are all preferred. Warm jackets or jumpers with long-sleeves and high collars are also a must, of course. '''Makeup''' is rather unremarkable, with the limited flair coming from clear rhinestones and, occasionally, radioluminescent, low-concentration uranium glass gems are seen where one wants to make a lasting impact.

'''Music''' on New Gibson has always been quite avante-garde and psychedelic, fusing and bending genres and sounds from cultural giants such as [[Venus]] to create something uniquely New Gibsonite. However, the energy is always brought down and the music flows like the gentle winds of the surface; lingering on the same notes with vibratos, eschewing harmonics for more tonal structures that rise, fall, and turn with the lyrics or instrumentals. In more energetic genres, songs tend to slowly build to one climatic, energetic chorus or instrumental solo. Even in the more energetic genres, songs often go well into the 10—20 minute durations, and New Gibsonite songs are stereotyped as unending and sometimes tedious — they are also scarcely broadcasted off New Gibson, taking too much radio time. Lyrics tend to be quite intimate, honest, and sometimes poking fun at Biesel or those from [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]].

=== Crime ===
[[Republic of Biesel|Smuggling has been rising across Tau Ceti]] in recent times and New Gibson is often the first base for a smuggler to reach when smuggling into the system. It is further from the system’s centre and the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#Republic_Astroforce|Republic Astroforce]] patrols aren’t as concentrated as they are around [[Biesel]] and its moon, [[Valkyrie]]. A few dedicated smuggling bands have established routes from the very edge of the [[Tau Ceti#Romanovich Cloud]], worming their way unnoticed and slingshotting around [[Reade]]’s many moons without the need for thruster ignition, keeping a low sensor and heat profile. Once over New Gibson, smuggled goods can be quickly dropped onto the surface for an awaiting glacier brick to collect, while the smuggling vessel darts off before it is ever noticed. Little of these smuggled goods are intended for New Gibson, and are integrated into legal exports by compromised spaceport personnel where they are sent to [[Valkyrie]] (which can then further smuggle onto Biesel) or the transit lanes to the Tau Ceti Bluespace Gate to systems elsewhere. This same route is how many of New Gibson’s [[IPC#Runaway_IPCs|runaway IPCs]] end up on the moon.

An illegal uranium mining industry also exists on New Gibson, with bands of miners — from colonies or glacier bricks — identifying the ‘pre-enriched’ uranium deposits of the moon, mining them, and having them shipped off to pirate groups. This cuts out the need to obtain specialist enriching equipment and can, largely, be used as-is. Much of the weapons- or reactor-grade nuclear material found in pirate missiles or nuclear reactors can be traced back to New Gibson’s naturally occurring radioactive materials deposits by measuring the half-life of contained materials.The [[New Gibson#Military_and_Law_Enforcement|NGPS’ Environmental and Nuclear Branch]], in cooperation with the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Services Bureau]] and [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]], has long been attempting to stomp this out.

=== Social Attitudes ===
* '''Work:''' Owed to its primary industries, inhospitable conditions, and hazardous environmental features, New Gibson has — over the generations — internalised a work-or-die mentality. The quicker a job can be done, the lesser the chance of encountering a cave-in, a phoronic magma chamber rupture, working in a carcinogenic radon gas pocket, or an avalanche. As such, the majority of New Gibsonites have developed an almost unhealthy approach to work; it must be done hastily, it must be done reliably, and the consequences of overworking your body pale in comparison to the consequences of failing or not completing your job. This is also expected of management and other senior work colleagues to varying degrees, with no one immune to getting ‘stuck in’; a supervisor off-loading too much work or an executive unwilling to demonstrate their ability to perform the lower-level job would inspire a strong social response. Taking time off-work due to ill-health, stress, or social occasions has grown into an unwritten, powerful taboo, tripping up many new residents — New Gibsonites who do take time off for such ‘lesser’ reasons often conjure more severe excuses when explaining their absence to co-workers. The megacorporations active on New Gibson, particularly [[Hephaestus Industries]] throughout its time on the exomoon, have been eager to encourage this mindset. Finally, it is customary and polite for the eldest employee to be offered the chance to start a shift’s work, be it the first to operate a drill when mining, the first to take a maintenance ticket, or even just the first to turn the office’s lights on.

* '''Transhumanism:''' New Gibsonites typically have a very positive attitude towards transhumanism, with limb cybernetics almost being a necessity for those working outside of the warmth of a colony. To have visible cybernetics is to communicate one’s adaptability to the environment or commitment to work — whether or not one actually does work in an environment necessitating cybernetics. Cybernetics clinics, cyberneticists, and similar occupations have always been viewed with admiration in New Gibsonite media. It can also be a strong sign of a poor employer, or at least an impolite one when it comes to foreign megacorporations, if one’s benefit package does not include subsidised cybernetic installation, even if they would not be necessary for the job one is applying for; on the other hand, well-subsidised or fully-covered cybernetics installation would be a sign of a great employer.

* '''Biesel and NanoTrasen Corporation:''' In all its history, New Gibson has always been in the shadow of its more appealing counterpart. Colonial investment and more interesting projects, besides that of [[Hephaestus Industries]]’ funding of New Gibson’s mining and fabrication industries, always went towards [[Biesel]] over New Gibson. As a result of its neglect, New Gibsonites often harbor resentment towards Biesel. Lately, this has also expanded to [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] thanks to their exhaustive phoron mining and subsequent shuttering of many of their workplaces now that they have grown less profitable. The establishment of [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]] as a monument to the corporation’s presence did not help after it became the new capital of New Gibson. A minority of New Gibsonites — be they naive, benefitters of the megacorporations and ties with the Republic of Biesel, or similar — maintain that New Gibson has only succeeded as well as it has thanks to the Republic and its close connections with NanoTrasen Corporation.

* '''Ecopreservation:''' [[Biesel#Flora_and_Fauna|Contrary to Biesel]], New Gibson has always been proud of its unique and hardy biosphere, reliant on organoboronic and nuclear chemistry to preserve in the moon’s inhospitable environment. In recent times with the depletion of subsurface phoron, this has grown into a large point of contention with NanoTrasen Corporation and, by extension, the [[Republic of Biesel]]. An extreme, alternative lifestyle seen in the [[New_Gibson#Glacier_Fleet|Glacier Fleet]] has arisen out of this, with them rejecting subsurface dwelling due to its impact on the phorovolcanic chambers and therefore native biosphere. To carelessly and needlessly damage the ecosystem is a grave social offence, and New Gibson has several minor and severe charges that can be levied against those who do; it is one of the few things that may slow down or temporarily stop a New Gibsonite miner’s hasty work drive.

* '''Family and Relationships:''' Views towards family have changed over time, particularly influenced by [[Skrell Relationships|skrell views towards family]] following [[New Gibson#Xoikko|Xoikko]]’s rise. Frequently but not universally seen characteristics of family units include: polyamoury; childless aunts and-or uncles who reside with the family and fulfil mentor roles for their nieces and-or nephews; families rarely departing from ancestral homes, and thus still including grandparents. In Xoikko, human-skrell relations are without any taboo and generally well-accepted, though are typically seen as more transient relationships for the skrell owed to the human lifespan. Families generally avoid splitting up, residing and working in the same colonies, however, when a family member does seek work in another colony, a glacier brick or off-moon — even for a short-term work posting — the farewells can be emotionally exhausting for all involved. This stronger attachment to family does contribute to insularity among New Gibsonites, with close friendships outside of work being hard to form and social exchanges in public very curt or awkward. However, where friendships do form, particularly among work colleagues, they can be very strong and close.

== Major Population Centres ==

===<div style="font-size:110%; border:1px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#BC8C00; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Respite</div>===
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Founded in 2371, '''Respite-under-Giltraflatten''' (often just ''Respite'') is the second largest colony and the current capital of New Gibson, having replaced [[New Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]] as the moon’s seat of government in 2453. It is an edifice to the megacorporations presence on the moon and is almost universally disliked by New Gibsonites elsewhere.

Respite was constructed during the phoron boom and with great investment by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], making it one of the more advanced colonies with [[Phoron#Properties_and_Applications|phoronic infrastructure]] accommodated from the beginning. The colony follows the typical construction principles set by Virklund, with multiple ringed levels circling a phorovolcanic chamber. Respite was fitted from the get-go with phoronic superconductive magnets with each ring, allowing them to spin at great enough speed to ‘generate’ 0.8Gs of gravity using centripetal forces, which would soon become the standard for other colonies. Superconductive phoron wiring runs along the ceilings of the colony, with apparent purple accenting.

The colony’s administrative ring, '''Xavier Ring''', is the largest. The ring houses the '''Parliament Complex''', with adjacent extravagant parks, gardens and apartment buildings for parliament members and civil servants. On the opposite side of the ring lies a large branch office for [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], again with adjacent apartment buildings for corporate office workers. [[Einstein Engines]] also has a branch office here, even though most of its assets are within [[New Gibson#Virklund|Virkund]] or [[New Gibson#Xoikko|Xoikko]].

Just below the surface lies the logistical ring, with access to the '''Respite Interplanetary Spaceport''' that breaks onto the surface. The spaceport is the largest on New Gibson, and the warehouses on the logistical ring accumulate to tens-of-kilometers of storage space, most of which is dedicated to phoronic products assembled in other colonies that are shipped to Respite for exporting. Attached to the spaceport are also a series of logistical [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_gun| Verne space cannons], which continuously launch freight at great enough velocity to achieve low orbit, allowing for collection by superfreighters incapable of landing or which other fuel conscious vessels. A small ship engineering and maintenance sector also serves a repairs port, with contractors from [[Hephaestus Industries]] and [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] present.

Respite produces very little, with no industrial rings and only a small hydroponics ring. However, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] owns a small research ring dedicated to phoron R&D, with adjoining prototype fabrication sectors. Only NanoTrasen employees and administrative staff can access the level.

Three living rings accommodate the colony’s large population — '''Amos Ring''', '''Birtha Ring''', '''Carrie Ring''' (originally just rings A, B, C, until later named afterthe eldest residents in 2396). Each ring has Residential and Commercial sectors. Each ring is stratified into Bands 1, 2 and 3 (1 being the closest to the phorovolcanic chamber and thus the most comfortable; 3 being furthest, and noticeably colder), with living costs reflecting the exclusivity of the more comfortable bands. Respite, being the capital, is particularly expensive to live in, with Bands 1 being almost entirely inaccessible unless one came from an affluent background or progressed far enough into a megacorporate career to have a Band 1 residence included in a benefits package. It doesn’t help that the megacorporations often purchase Band 1 and 2 unhousing for said benefits packages, and they often are left empty for months at a time, taking them off the market and driving up housing prices.

The '''[[Human_Educational_Institutions|New Gibson University]]''' campus has its own, very small ring slotted between the living rings and the administrative ring, with convenient elevator access to-and-fro. On-campus accommodation is available, though distal from the phorovolcanic chamber heat source and thus just as bad as Band 3 accommodation — more affluent students typically reside off-campus and commute in.

Those from Respite, and certainly those in more affluent residential bandings or who have ties with the megacorporations, are typically more accepting of the [[Republic of Biesel]] and [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] than other New Gibsonites. The colony’s culture has also drifted closer to that of Biesel, leaving some New Gibsonites traditions behind, most notably the celebration of [[New Gibson#Holidays_and_Celebrations|Thorrablot]], to the dismay of other New Gibsonites elsewhere.
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===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Virklund</div>===
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Founded in 2167 with the moon’s formal colonisation, '''Virklund''' is the first and eldest colony and former capital of New Gibson. It is a hot bed for anti-Biesel and anti-[[NanoTrasen Corporation]] views, having been sidelined both by the [[Republic of Biesel]], NanoTrasen Corporation, and the local government itself.

Virklund had a great start, pioneering the way for permanent inhabitation of New Gibson beneath the surface and setting the engineering paradigm for subsurface colonies — the tiered, ring structure. Much of New Gibson’s culture can also be traced back to the living rings of Virklund. However, NanoTrasen Corporation’s phoron extraction around Virklund has largely depleted the subsurface phoron deposits, including those feeding the phorovolcanic chamber that heats Virklund, seeing Virklund’s once expansive fabrication rings severely reduced in size, the temperature throughout Virklund gradually plummet, and job security vanish. The phoron company has since moved onto other colonies, including its pet project of Respite, and the New Gibson government with it.

The logistical ring, '''Weyland Ring''', is largely shuttered, however the remaining refineries and factories continue to export large quantities of non-phoronic materials and construction supplies. These factories and refineries comprise the last of [[Hephaestus Industries]]’ assets still on New Gibson, and many former–NanoTrasen Corporation factories have over time been purchased by [[Einstein Engines]] and [[Orion Express]]. Serving the refineries is a still active mining team, composed of Orion and Einstein contractors, locally-owned businesses, and individuals or small groups completing bounties posted by the local administration.

'''[[Human_Educational_Institutions#Virklund_University|Virklund University]]''' occupies a sector of the Weyland Ring and is the oldest university on New Gibson. Its campus has shrunk in recent years and it only has a small student accommodation block. Most students seek accommodation off-campus. Despite being overshadowed by [[Human_Educational_Institutions#New Gibson University|NGU]] in [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]], it is generally regarded as superior when it comes to more conventional, non-phoronic engineering courses.

The colony’s infrastructure is heavily outdated, only ever partially being retrofitted to include phoronic infrastructure, however this has since been un-fitted again. General maintenance has been allowed to fall, as the colony’s engineering and maintenance services rack their brains solving the issue of Virklund’s cooling phorovolcanic chamber and how to continue to supply heating and power to the colony’s inhabitants. A contract is in the making for Einstein Engines to revitalise Virklund’s infrastructure, however it has seen delays for 2 years now.

The living rings — '''Gneip Ring''', '''Alvaldi Ring''', '''Gangr Ring''' — unlike other colonies are noticeably more disorganised, without the usual stratification seen in other colonies. This is owed to the more distal parts of these rings being uninhabitable without multiple layers of clothing and portable heaters, and so the colony’s administration levelled housing prices across the board. The drain of residents to other colonies has also helped.

Residing in the now abandoned phoron mining tunnels abandoned by NanoTrasen Corporation since the 2440s lies [[Scay,_The_Hidden_Queen|Scay’s Brood]]. Here, a channel is constructed all the way to the surface where a back up [[Hivenet]] relay tower juts out, capable of serving hivenet access to vaurca throughout [[Tau Ceti]] should the [[Flagsdale]] relay tower fail. Scay’s reclusive brood are rarely seen outside of this mining tunnel, except when they emerge to travel or be assigned elsewhere via Virklund’s spaceport.

Today, many Virklunders are left alienated and disenfranchised, more so than the typical New Gibsonite. With limited local job opportunities, many Virklunders resort to criminal activities on New Gibson or commit to employment off-moon, often with the megacorporations or [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] they have grown resentful of, or self-medicate the problems away amid a growing [[Guide_to_Chemistry#Narcotics_and_Other_Drugs|joy]] drug epidemic. Compared to other colonies and as a result of Virklund’s circumstances and the political breeding ground that can be, Virklunders are typically more conservative in their views towards other species and approaches to handling immigration following the [[Sol_Alliance_History#2462-65:_The_Solarian_Civil_War|Solarian Collapse]], expecting one to ‘prove themself’ a valuable contributor to society before granting any respect.

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===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Fallanland</div>===
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Founded in 2189, '''Fallanland''' was a rather forgettable colony for much of its lifetime, except for the occasional mention of it being established where the [[New_Gibson#Early_Colonisation_(2164—2170)|lost Jasmund IV colony ship]] was intended to land. Today, it is known for the disaster that struck it in 2298, and for persevering enough to see it now be the largest phoronics producer on New Gibson.

Unlike other colonies on the moon, Fallanland was not constructed using the tiered ring paradigm, and instead was constructed throughout an extensive and open cave system. Overlooked were the even deeper caverns below Fallanland, which in normal gravity certainly would have disincentivised construction there, but in New Gibson’s half-gravity was deemed ‘unlikely to be a problem’. It was a problem and, in 2298, the caverns collapsed and pulled large portions of Fallanland down with it. In the immediate months after, a humanitarian response saw many evacuated and the colony slowly rebuilt, during which time many Fallanlanders were clawing for survival in what structures remained or in temporary, poorly-heated shelters. It wouldn’t be until 2235 that Fallanland regained its footing.

Many folk and spiritual beliefs unique to New Gibson can also be traced back to Fallaland, arising out of the hardships following the cave-in. The most far-spread being the [[New Gibson#skrýtisherbergi|skrýtisherbergi]] as spiritual community centres, born from the collapse itself where snow from the surface was funnelled into the caved-in colony, and the ritual of creating a snow memorial for lost loved ones and ancestors. Fallanland’s '''Great Skrýtisherbergi''' is the largest on New Gibson — a (roughly) circular cavity with a radius of two-hundred metres — and attracts those who hold New Gibsonite folk beliefs from around the exomoon.

Since being reconstructed, Fallanland has risen to be the largest phoronics producer on New Gibson, overtaking Virklund with its declining industry and mining base, to some resentment from the latter. It boasts great job security and high wages, with continued investment from [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], and its local administration is largely on top of things. For how much longer though is the question, as Fallanland’s own deposits will surely one dry some day, and with it NanoTrasen’s interest in the colony.
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===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Xoikko</div>===
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[[File:newgibson.jpg|thumb|Xoikko, with its surface arcology protruding from the ground.]]
Founded in 2341, '''Xoikko''' stands out as an example of New Gibson and the [[Nralakk Federation]]’s close relationship, being a transplantation of an [[Aliose|Aliosen]] arcology onto New Gibson, and hosting one of the largest skrell populations outside of Federation space.

Xoikko was constructed to relieve the strain of overpopulation that had been tormenting New Gibson at the turn of the 24th Century, and saw heavy financial, engineering and technological cooperation with the Nralakk Federation and experienced Aliosen engineers. As such, Xoikko is the only colony on New Gibson to have a large surface dome alongside the standard, tiered ring system below ground. All of the colony’s administrative, residential, and commercial planning is done within the domed, surface levels, with the subterranean levels reserved for less glamour purposes — storage, local production, hydroponics.

The colony is fitted with an old, Federation-tech artificial gravity generator serving 1G of gravity. This gravity generator is served by [[Einstein Engines]], in cooperation with Federation scientists who are occasionally involved in tests, upgrades, and any advanced maintenance.

Where other colonies focus on industry, Xoikko was poised to be a local agricultural producer and tourist hotspot. Xoikko’s surface level is lined with entertainment and tourist venues, with the more expensive spots having views of New Gibson’s landscape or [[Reade]] and its system of moons and satellite bodies above. [[Idris Incorporated]] has a noticeable presence here, and its Idris XTreme Snow Park is a common outing for many across the [[Tau Ceti]] system. Below ground, vast hydroponics rings serve the moon which, otherwise, has very limited agricultural capacity and previously (and still does, to a more moderate degree) rely on Biesel for food imports. [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] owns an entire hydroponics ring here, and also has research facilities interspersed throughout Xoikko dedicated to genetically-engineered flora and researching New Gibson’s native biosphere. The surface level is also home to the '''[[Human_Educational_Institutions#The_Jri’aq_Institute|Jri’aq Institute @ Xoikko]]''', which provides vocational and distant learning opportunities for both local students and those abroad in [[Tau Ceti]], as well as skrell degrees for the local skrell populace.

Xoikko has the largest population of [[skrell]] outside of the [[Nralakk Federation]], wholly integrated and living alongside New Gibson’s human populace, and has exerted notable, welcomed cultural influence over the rest of New Gibson. Very few IPCs reside within Xoikko as such, as it can be an openly hostile environment, with both skrell and human residents alike rejecting IPCs. A number of bogeyman tales in Xoikko tell of [[IPC#Shell_Frames|shell]] infiltrators emerging from the snow and hoodwinking those vulnerable on the surface levels, particularly tourists from the Nralakk Federation, into exiting the dome into the snow, where they would surely freeze; more sensible stories based on this hold that the TCAF’s [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces#The_Positronic_Century|Positronic Century]] uses Xoikko as a training ground and test of a shell’s ability to blend in amid a hostile population.

The colony’s inhabitants receive some flak from other New Gibsonites for their tourist and agricultural industries, which although revitalising for the moon, are lauded for not being ‘proper jobs’. This is despite similar jobs held in other colonies not being criticised for such.
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===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Glacier Fleet</div>===
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The '''Glacier Fleet''' are a moderately-sized, nomadic population residing between three of the largest [[New Gibson#Glacier_Bricks|glacier bricks]] on the surface of New Gibson — the '''Kotarjökull''', the first glacier brick to set out for permanent surface adventure in 2429; the '''Resolute''', joining in 2434; the '''Blue Bille''', joining in 2452.

Between them, several-thousand New Gibsonites have committed to an alternative lifestyle on the surface of the exomoon and out of the subsurface colonies — some to live outside of the influence of the government or megacorporations; some concerned about humanity’s impact on the phorovolcanic chambers which threatens the moon’s biosphere; some for the thrill of the adventure and surface hazards; many because they have grown tired of working in the same few industries that generations of their family worked in for little reward. As such, the demographics skew to the younger generations or those having left more deprived colonies, such as [[New Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]]. Where Virklund grew hopeless and lost its spark, the Glacier Fleet is a smaller but dense powderkeg of anti-corporate and anti-state views.

The Glacier Fleet treks between colonies, occasionally taking on jobs for local administrations or sending its crew to work elsewhere so they can contribute earnings to the continued operations of the glacier bricks. [[Orion Express]] has taken an unusual interest in the Fleet, going so far as to establish a branch office — realistically, a small ‘branch cabinet’ — from which they serve various logistics contracts to the onboard command structure and employ those looking for opportunities off-moon.

Like other glacier bricks, the Fleet heavily utilises [[New Gibson#IPCs_in_New_Gibson|IPCs]] and [[New Gibson#Tajara_in_New_Gibson|tajara]] for navigation and any extra-vehicular excursions, commanding a level of respect from those aboard. Of all the major population centres on New Gibson, the Fleet may be the most accepting of IPCs, long accepting them as equals and integrating them into their cultural practices. As such, the Fleet rarely ever passes by or works with Xoikko, thanks to the anti-synthetic beliefs brought with the large skrell population. It also comes as no surprise that the Fleet is a sanctuary for a great deal of [[IPC#Runaway_IPCs|runaway and hidden IPCs]]; certainly not a desirable spot for a runaway synthetic to hide, but a safe one, a very cold one(!), and most importantly one with little opportunity for [[Biesellite Security and Law|Biesel’s authorities]] to identify them.
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== Aliens on New Gibson ==

===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">IPCs on New Gibson</div>===
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The cold environment has many pleasant realisations for IPC immigrants to New Gibson, and they are quite content residing more distal from a colony’s phorovolcanic heat source or working on the surface in glacier bricks and spaceports. For those that do work on the surface, they are capable of operating in their bare frame and with greater dexterity and agility than their organic counterparts. The exception are [[IPC#Shell_Frames|shells]], whose flexible synthskin continues to be susceptible to the cold; many shells opt to transfer their positronic to another chassis, or must be content missing out.

Human views towards IPCs differ across New Gibson. Naturally, a great deal of conflict arises in [[New Gibson#Xoikko|Xoikko]] and peripheral colonies, thanks to the longstanding native skrell population, with many IPCs opting to avoid it entirely and with megacorporations scarcely assigning positronics to the colony. In the more conservative, insular, and deprived [[New Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], many continue to see IPCs as merely tools. [[New_Gibson#Respite|Respite]] is a mixed-bag, but is dominated by the megacorporations and their phony altruism, but generally shares Biesel’s progressive views. It is through one ‘great feat’ — usually at work, so in the mines or in the glacier bricks were IPCs excel — that a positronic may gain the respect of its peers, and once one New Gibsonite has deemed an IPC ‘okay’, it quickly spreads throughout the workplace and friend groups, and the IPC is at last accepted (Xoikko excluded, which is rigid in its dislike of synthetics).

Despite the opportunity for respect, it is not freely given, and so some IPCs are disinclined to participate in New Gibsonite society. These synthetics often find themselves in exclaves within the colder, less affluent regions of colonies, or attracted to the [[New Gibson#Glacier Fleet|Glacier Fleet]] and other [[New Gibson#Glacier_Bricks|glacier bricks]] with permanent, nomadic surface populations where respect is freely given.

Being distant from [[Tau Ceti]]’s centre and, as such, less policed and with elevated smuggling, New Gibson has a steady stream of [[IPC#Runaway_IPCs|runaway IPCs]]. Many of these runaway IPCs were originally destined for [[Biesel]] or [[Valkyrie]], but opted to stay on New Gibson for one of many reasons — missing their outbound smuggling flight, being attracted by the cold environment, or the lesser presence of Biesel’s federal authorities. These do not help New Gibson’s mixed views on IPCs. Once again, the Glacier Fleet is a desirable spot for these runaway IPCs, thanks to its accepting nature and constant mobility.
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===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#33CCCC; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">Skrell on New Gibson</div>===
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''See also: [[Skrell Abroad#Skrell in the Republic of Biesel|Skrell in the Republic of Biesel]]''

Following first contact with the Skrell in 2332 CE and with New Gibson in dire need of assistance during the [[New Gibson#Second_Great_Depression,_the_Interstellar_War,_and_the_Crisis_of_2294_(2200s)|Crisis of 2294]], various agreements between the [[Nralakk Federation]] and the [[Solarian Alliance]] saw the introduction of skrell technology and engineering principles, such as those seen in [[Aliose]]’s arcologies and in Aliosen bioaugments, to relieve overcrowding and human adaptive issues. This led to the "leasing" of skrell to oversee the application of their technology, making sure that its use holds up to skrell standards. This was largely a success and saw application across New Gibson’s colonies.

Initial integration proved to be difficult, owing to the cultural differences of the species. Whilst tensions were rather high between humans and skrell on New Gibson, it eventually came to pass as the benefits of skrell intervention became apparent. Many of the "leased" skrell chose to remain on New Gibson, with the Nralakk Federation supporting those that remained through the establishment of spa clinics, allowing the new colonists to receive similar treatments to skrell found on Aliose — primarily thick, insulating white skin. New Gibson and Nralakk Federation would cooperate yet again in 2341 to found [[New Gibson#Xoikko|Xoikko]], a colony based entirely on an Aliosen arcology design. It would go on to become the largest skrell population outside of the Federation and exert cultural influence on the moon.

Most New Gibsonites, as a result of the Federation’s assistance and success of Xoikko, hold a very positive view of skrell and gave minimal pushback to cultural elements borrowed from skrell. This has seen the moon’s attitudes towards IPCs stagnate, and in Xoikko grow overtly hostile.
====Unique Constellations====
Much like Skrell colonies outside of Nralakk in the Federation, the skrell on New Gibson have their own unique constellations that they have catalogued and give reverence to. Although these constellations are considered minor by the Qeblak faith, they still hold importance to the skrell of New Gibson and have influenced the skrell living there to focus more on personal freedom, advancement, and community cohesion.

[[File:The Dyn.png|thumb|right|'''The Dyn''': Survival. Generosity. Community.]]

[[File:The Iqi Star.png|thumb|left|'''The Iqi Star''': Self-Advancement. Social standing. Success.]]

[[File:The Sky-Grazer.png|thumb|center|330px|'''The Sky-Grazer''': Expressiveness. Freedom. Adventure.]]
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===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#b0375f; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">Tajara on New Gibson</div>===
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[[Tajara]] have been present on New Gibson since their [[Tajaran_History#Interwar_Timeline|first wave of immigration to the Republic of Biesel in 2435]]. Initially a small community of miners, factory labourers, and engineers, the community grew with the second wave of immigration, and later disillusioned migrants from [[Little Adhomai]]. The vast majority of Gibsonite Tajara are [[People%27s_Republic_of_Adhomai#Hadiism|Hadiists]] from the first two immigration waves. However, recent years have seen a sharp growth in [[Democratic_People%27s_Republic_of_Adhomai#Al'mariism|Al’mariists]], seeking distance from [[Mendell City]]. [[New_Kingdom_of_Adhomai#Royalism|Royalists]] have found little presence, something which in part explains the relative lack of political dissent or violence within the Tajaran community. Rather, friction between the original immigrants and “Sahirii”, or urbanites, prevails.

Given the Gibsonite community’s distance to the embassies on Biesel, many Tajara on New Gibson have grown distant to the Adhomian factions. Fewer conflicts center around political beliefs or other matters, the community being rather cohesive for a Tajaran community due to the pressures of the moon overriding further tension points. Given Gibsonite culture as a whole, the Hadiist monoculture is the common basis for Gibsonite Tajara. Communalism is a strong influence. Emphasis on the Tajaran contribution to the Gibsonite system prevails, in part fed by the Gibsonite [[New Gibson#Social_Attitudes|views on work]]. This, combined with the Tajaran sleep cycle, sees an unhealthy dedication to work. Anti-corporate belief is a growing sentiment among Gibsonite Tajara. The first waves of immigrants attributed their ability to immigrate with [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and other corporate contracts. However, with shifting trends among Gibsonites, and the growth in the anti-corporate Al’mariist Tajara within the community, many are beginning to turn against the corporations, even as they continue to sign contracts with them.

With the tajaran adaptations to the cold and willingness to take on dangerous jobs, tajara often find employment among the hardier occupations in New Gibson’s frigid surface environment, competing with [[New Gibson#IPCs_on_New_Gibson||IPCs]]. This may be in the logistical rings, deeper mining tunnels, and spaceports — distant from phorovolcanic chambers heating the colonies — to working on [[New Gibson#Glacier_Bricks|glacier bricks]] which ferry bulk goods and people between the colonies. Like other New Gibsonites who have turned from the megacorporations, many tajara find themselves drawn to permanent glacier brick inhabitation as seen in the [[New Gibson#Glacier_Fleet|Glacier Fleet]].

Altogether, with Gibsonite tajara almost seamlessly meshing into New Gibson’s work ethic and having already benefitted from the integration of [[New Gibson#Skrell_on_New_Gibson|skrell]], New Gibson has a rather positive view of tajara and one not besmirched by constant exposure to the on-goings of [[Mendell City]]. [[New Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]] is one exception, with its views towards tajara lagging behind other colonies, however it is still a significant improvement over the [[Solarian Alliance]] and scarcely bubbles into open hostility.

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== See Also ==
[[Reade]]: The gas giant which New Gibson orbits at a great distance, with its own, newer colonies.

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[[Category:Humanity]]

Republic of Biesel

2026-07-23T19:25:50Z

Kermit: Government and Politics Rewrite + General Reorganisation of Page

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{{Infobox Nations
|Nation = Federal Republic of Biesel
|Shortname = Biesel
|Flag = Republicofbieselflag.png
|Galatic Position = Position Biesel.png
|Capital City = Mendell City
|Capital Planet = [[Biesel]]
|Language = Tau Ceti Basic
|Species = Human (Majority)<br>[[Dionae]] (Minority)<br>[[IPC]] (Minority)<br>[[Skrell]] (Minority)<br>[[Tajara]] (Minority)<br>[[Unathi]] (Minority)<br>[[Vaurca]] (Minority)
|Religion = None
|Demonym = Biesellite, Republican
|Government = Federal Republic
|Head of State = President Ake Torvald
|Legislature = Congress
|Upper House = State Senate
|Lower House = Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople
|Established = May 5th 2452
}}

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In the core worlds of Humanity’s power, built upon a center of [[phoron]] deposits and trade, the '''Federal Republic of Biesel''' is an independent state and considered the economic and social centre of the [[Orion Spur]]. The young Republic as it is known today came to be in 2452, and since its independence it has only grown stronger, its population flourishing, ignorant or uncaring as [[NanoTrasen]] maintained a vice grip over the Republic not only economically, but politically and socially as well.

However, in recent years, that is changing. The ‘’’Phoron Scarcity’’’ has shaken the very foundations of the republic, not only in regards to NanoTrasen’s monopoly, but also the role it plays on the wider stage of the Orion Spur. Once only holding territory in Tau Ceti, today the Republic of Biesel extends across much of the formerly Solarian Middle and Outer Ring, reaching the new border of the massive [[Coalition of Colonies]], creating the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]. The Republic of Biesel's expansion into former Solarian territories was met with both applause and total rejection from its populace Combined with the mounting issues of the Phoron Scarcity, the CRZ would prove the final nail in the coffin for the Republic’s political establishment, which was shaken drastically in 2462. However, Tau Ceti remains one of the most populated systems in Human space, and easily the richest in the galaxy thanks to NanoTrasen, and now the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]].

== The Effects of the Phoron Scarcity ==
Nowhere is more intertwined with [[phoron]] than the Republic of Biesel. As one of only two nations in the entire Spur with phoron deposits, it has always had the largest phoron deposits and the largest phoron exports. For many, the Republic is the only source of phoron, as unlike the [[Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]], it exports beyond its borders. The Republic’s prosperity, place in the Spur, and technologies all came to be because of phoron and the influence of the [[NanoTrasen Corporation|company]] that extracted it.

As the primary system where commercial phoron mining occurs, [[Tau Ceti]] boasts the largest number of phoronic industries in the Spur. The sheer scale of the operation [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] created for mining and then processing phoron cannot be overstated — almost the entire planet of [[New Gibson]] is dedicated to the production of phoronic components. In 2460, around 23% of the population of the system had a job tied to the phoronics industry. [[Biesel]]’s economy and the livelihoods of its citizenry are dependent on phoron to retain their standards of living; it is the most “phoronised” system with the most advanced technology in the [[Orion Spur]]. With the [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] threatening the lifeblood of Biesel, fear, instability and doubt are on the rise, with concerns about the Republic’s future that almost came true come the [[KOTW|35th's invasion]]. Five years since the beginning of the Scarcity, the phoron industries of Tau Ceti are still humming along, but only growing quieter as facilities are gradually shuttered.

[[Notable_Humans#President_Ake_Torvald|President Torvald]] has enacted policies attempting to limit the damage of the situation, keeping the economy afloat. Interest rates have dropped to near zero, bills have been signed into law that give substantial subsidies to new facilities built that supply alternatives to phoron — a boon to [[Einstein Engines]] — but it’s only barely keeping the flood wall from breaking. More extremely, the Republic and its [[megacorporations]] have officially begun to ration phoron, with much of the phoron and its components reserved in the state’s strategic stockpiles. While this rationing has relieved the stress of the scarcity from many people, it has done so by transferring it onto others, due to its unequal nature. Less affluent neighbourhoods find their infrastructure allowed to age and fall apart, becoming unreliable; hardware stores and clinics supply older, non-phoronic wares that are a notable downgrade. More affluent neighbourhoods continue to have phoronic infrastructure maintained, if at much greater cost and sparingly where possible and, while still supplied with phoronic hardware, medicines, etc., the prices have soared.
Due to the unstable state of the Spur, the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] remains very high on the priority list for phoron allocations. [[Zavodskoi_Interstellar|Arms factories]] and [[Reade|military shipbuilding docks]] rarely have shortages; the fleets always have enough fluidic [[phoron]] for their [[Interstellar_Travel#Bluespace_Travel|bluespace drives]], and those within the enlisted ranks of the [[TCAF]] find themselves in as good a position as the middle class (one of the top reasons enlistment rates haven’t plummeted since the [[Peacekeeper Mandate]] saw opinions on the TCAF nosedive). President Torvald has promised these are temporary measures but, for now, there are no signs this will change.

Unemployment is at an all-time high, with sustainable jobs exceedingly rare and, as crime has skyrocketed, less affluent neighborhoods have changed massively over the past five years. More ghettos are cropping up, and places such as [[Mendell City]]’s [[Mendell City#District_6|District 6]], [[Mendell City#District_11|District 11]], and [[Mendell City#District_12|District 12]] look more run down than ever, deprioritised of phoronic infrastructure maintenance. Brownouts and blackouts are of frequent occurrences, as their phoronics based infrastructure (such as phoronic superconductive cabling) falls into disrepair or is unfitted for use elsewhere. It has a cruel similarity to the Alliance's abandonment of their outer worlds during the [[Sol_Alliance_History#2462-65:_The_Solarian_Civil_War|Collapse]]. Criminal organizations have filled in the vacuum, allowed to run the districts as they see fit, and be largely unbothered by law enforcement, who only interfere when any violence within these areas spills out into other, less dilapidated parts of the city; in which case the standard response has been to violently bludgeon it back into containment.

Phoron black markets and the smugglers who supply them have exploded within the Republic, and though they are not yet utilized by the population at large, their presence is steadily growing. Many have come to rely on them for everything from replacement [[Phoron#Applications_of_Phoron|phone/PDA-use SMES cells, to superconductive cabling, to phoronic medications]] — often stolen. Smuggling routes into [[Tau Ceti]] all lead to the tradeport moon of [[Valkyrie]], a nexus for criminal activity. Valkyrie has been hit especially hard by the economic slowdown experienced across the [[Orion Spur]], and its many port workers struggle to make ends meet; it is no surprise that a great many of them now participate in this smuggling activity. With these black marketers paying well for phoronic goods, petty theft of phoron-based equipment from the workplace has reached the top three reasons why an employee contract is terminated within Biesel, despite the unemployment crisis all but ensuring the fired employee will be unable to find another job.

As a result of the scarcity, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s power has waned. Where NanoTrasen once had almost complete control over the Republic's government by themselves, their influence has dropped to just ‘very strong’. Now, the other [[megacorporations]] flock like carrion birds, eager to claim what they can and emboldened to challenge the phoron giant. [[Notable_Humans#President_Ake_Torvald|President Torvald]] appears willing to exploit this, now giving an ear to all of the megacorporations jointly, where previously only NanoTrasen was afforded the privilege.

== Planets==
The Republic of Biesel has expanded greatly since the [[KOTW|Solarian Collapse]], moving from its home system of [[Tau Ceti]] to encompass what is now known as the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]].

[[File:Pixel Planet Biesel1.png|thumb|left|Biesel seen from orbit.]]
[[File:NewGibson weather.png|thumb|256px|left|A view of New Gibson.]]

=== [[Biesel]] ===
The capital of the Republic and its namesake, Biesel is where many [[megacorporations]] have moved their primary base of operations to after the Solarian Collapse and recession. Biesel's first colony was established in 2147; a comfortable and temperate planet, it proved a valuable location for agriculture and manufacturing, and after the [[Timeline|discovery of phoron in 2352]], proved a very valuable location for all sorts of phoronics work. Since then Biesel has become the most wealthy and influential planet in human space. Biesel previously had many smaller corporations, however since the discovery of Phoron, these have either been gradually bought out or undermined by the larger megacorporations; in the contemporary Spur they no longer exist. Despite recent setbacks, [[NanoTrasen]] and its subsidiaries account for the majority of economic activity in Biesel and Tau Ceti today - though continue to slip lower.

===[[Valkyrie]]===
The moon of Biesel, the Commonwealth of Valkyrie, is a member-state of the Republic that contributes strongly to its economy through its status as a major shipping and trade port. Goods from all over the Spur, legal and illegal, can be found in the twisting streets of Valkyrie, and it acts as a layover for many tourist vessels and trade ships moving across the galaxy. Since the beginning of the scarcity it has also quickly become a hub for smuggler's as corruption runs rife throughout its ports.

===[[New Gibson]]===
New Gibson is the second exoplanet to be colonized by humanity, shortly after the initial success of Biesel's colonization attempt in 2147. It is the industrial workhorse of the Tau Ceti system, containing a rich and valuable resource pool with the highest concentrations of many valuable minerals of any planetary surface in Tau Ceti. While New Gibson has a complex dedicated to virtually all industries, its major players are shipbuilding and wide-ranging manufacturing adjacent to its titanic planetary mines. In the cavernous pitfalls and valleys of New Gibson resides both its thriving mining economy and its greatest dangers. Unlike its bigger brother Biesel, New Gibson hosts very few phoronics specific facilities like refineries and compounding factories - though it still uses immense amounts of phoron in its more regular industries, as they wish to create goods up to the 2400s standard of technology.

===[[Mictlan]]===
Formerly a Solarian colony, Mictlan had become integral to the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s plans for expanding its influence within the unstable region of the Orion Spur. However, violence followed the sudden shift to the Republic of Biesel, with deserters, terrorists, and paramilitaries taking up arms to forcefully push back against the perceived corporate occupation of their planet, eventually resulting in military intervention by the Republic of Biesel, as they instituted the Peacekeeper Mandate to begin to restore order.

After a protracted occupation by the Tau Ceti Armed forces, including a guerilla war between against the ex-Mictlani Defense Force run Samaritans (a paramilitary group) and a protracted anti-terrorist campaign against the Founding Movement (a political movement that turned towards violent extremism and terrorist tactics), in late 2465, after the leader of the founding movement was found lynched and the Republic Forces negotiated a surrender with the Samaritans following rising public unrest within Tau Ceti, [[Hasta La Victoria Siempre Arc|Mictlan eventually managed to secure its status as an independent member-state within the Republic]], and now sets it's own terms with the corporations. They have not left in their entirety, merely been somewhat restricted in their activity, and stratification and corporate influence still separates much of the population. Mictlan is the sight of the worst disparity of phoron rationing, with the corporate upper classes getting almost all of the allocated phoron and the anti-corporate lower classes getting little to none of it.

===[[Port Antillia]]===

A very recently settled planet, Port Antillia had great ambitions of being a vital port between the Jewel Worlds and the [[Republic of Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]]. Due to its novel colonisation, it faced severe struggles, which were exacerbated by frequent natural disasters. Ultimately, this resulted in its early collapse, only really seeing itself somewhat stabilised nearly a century later. It has its roots within the nations which formed the Caribbean Federation, who found themselves facing extinction from the ecological crisis that Earth endured.

Despite millions becoming part of the colonisation effort, no one truly knew the dangers present on Port Antillia. Due to its relative youth on the cosmic scale, the planet experiences earthquakes rather frequently, which produce tsunamis that pose a threat to cities that dot the coasts of Port Antillia. Additionally, volcanic activity is yet another persistent danger with some of the largest eruptions across the inhabited parts of Orion Spur being registered to the planet. Many of the major population centres are equipped to deal with these problems, but there are still minor settlements that have to contend with the hostile geological activity of the planet, with most residents having accepted that they are simply a part of life on Port Antillia.

===[[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]===
Formerly Solarian space, the Corporate Reconstruction Zone is the name for all systems occupied by the Republic of Biesel that are not within [[Tau Ceti]]'s gravity well. These were occupied during the [[KING OF THE WORLD| King of the World]] arc and its finale, and after the Solarian Alliance retracted all necessary support to them. Essentially, the Alliance cut these colonies' lifelines off, and only the Republic would step up to fill the void.

== Politics and Government ==
The Federal Republic of Biesel is a '''federal democracy''' that is committed to ensuring the dignity and basic rights of all that make up the Republic, as laid out in the Constitution. It is composed of 5 member states.

The Republic has a bicameral legislative branch, with a '''Republican Congress''' divided into an upper and lower chamber. The upper chamber, the '''State Senate''', is responsible for, in addition to legislature, treaties, the appointment of senior civil and judicial roles, and trying and convicting the impeachment of senior civil servants. It is composed of 10 representatives of each member state of the Republic holding terms of five years, for a total of only 50 senators, and so represents more long-term visions. The lower chamber, the '''Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople''', is responsible for, in addition to legislature, financial bills and triggering impeachments. It is composed of 800 seats which are filled by directly elected representatives of smaller voting divisions. Both chambers together share war powers.

The [[Republic Law|judicial branch]] of the Republic is dual jurisdictional, split between private law (civil and criminal) and public law (administrative and constitutional). Each jurisdiction has an apex court: the '''Council of State''', which is the highest court in private law; the '''Supreme Court of Cassation''', which is the highest court in public law. The latter of which is the judicial check on both the legislative and executive’s authority, and has a role ensuring the constitutionality of any legislation either during its formation or prior to it being assented by the President.

The executive branch is composed of the president and the various administrative departments that assist the presidency in running the government and implementing policies in the best interest of the citizens. Currently, [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] is the President of the Republic of Biesel.

For the most part, the Republic is very hands off as a result of historical scars over the [[Solarian Alliance]]’s strong governance of [[Tau Ceti]] and a byproduct of its laissez-faire capitalist approaches, with its major responsibilities only being that of: 1) promoting the Republic’s core values of freedom, individualism, multiculturalism, 2) ensuring the Republic’s sovereignty and security against those which would do harm to these values. While many federal laws are in place, it is ultimately left to local governments as to their finer interpretation, application, and enforcement. Consequently, the Republic relies heavily on the [[megacorporations]] for many functions, from private megacorporate [[Republic Education|education]] and health & social care that runs parallel to local state schooling — many of these gaps are filled in by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], due to their historic dominance over [[Tau Ceti]], but other megacorporations have been beginning to carve out their own portions of these sectors.

=== Political Parties and Ideologies ===

====Cetian Congress of Conservatives====
The Cetian Congress of Conservatives is a Cetian Conservative party that seeks to uphold and ''defend'' the [[Biesellite_Culture_and_Society#Societal_Attitudes|traditional values]] of the Republic of Biesel against a perceived threat.

The party stands for transforming the Republic from a peaceful, economic hegemon that influences the Spur with its prosperity, abundance of [[phoron]], and connections with the megacorporations, and instead one that has a strong military and is able to stand and defend itself. Defence spending and ensuring the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] is best fit to repel a military incursion is the priority for the party, even if at the detriment of spending elsewhere. It advocates for increased federalism and devolving the powers held by the Republic of Biesel’s federal government to those of its planetary and regional governments, and staying hands-off in regional matters. The party is pro-immigration, on the basis that immigrants are a key component of the TCAF’s Foreign Legions, however has advocated for tougher citizenship restrictions where other citizenship application routes are taken and also the tough prosecution and potential deportation (or pressing into TCAF service) of immigrants who criminally offend.

The Cetian Conservatives’ economic policy would see changes to ensure the federal republic is capable of some economic intervention to ensure competition between the megacorporations remains competitive, however has not meaningfully laid out any plans to achieve such. The party does not wish to limit the power of said megacorporations to empower smaller or regional corporations to compete with the giants. The party has delivered mixed messaging when it comes to the Republic’s reliance on [[phoron]], with party members offering differing views on solutions to the [[phoron|Phoron Scarcity]], however the party has seen a number of [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|phoron rationing policies]] enacted to ensure what phoron stockpiles do remain are distributed where best seen fit.

The party’s social policies largely focus on increasing participation in the military. The party has long advocated for national service (including military) for citizens between 16—18, alternative criminal sentencing resulting in mandatory national service, and similar. A significant amount of spending on service members and veterans of the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] is also advocated for, ensuring those doing or who have done their service are well-compensated (and to incentivise those to join the TCAF).

While the Cetian Conservative party espouses multiculturalism as one of the Republic of Biesel’s traditional values, the party has wavered when it comes to the rights of more alien species, such as [[vaurca]] and [[diona]]. Party members often raise into question the sapience of these species, whether they are able to positively contribute to Republic culture and society, or some other mitigating factor based in speciesist belief. While significant progress has been made in advancing the rights since the Republic’s independence, the Cetian Conservatives have begun to walk back certain policies brought in by the Biesellite Free Market Party — notably, voting restrictions on bound vaurcae were established in the [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/16330-tau-ceti-times/page/3/#findComment-175624 Electoral Integrity Act]. Legislation that sought to wholly emancipate owned [[IPCs]] or provide better opportunities to free, non-citizen IPCs has also been repeatedly quashed, with the Conservatives unwilling to commit to universal IPC emancipation or supporting non-citizen IPCs.

In 2466, the Cetian Conservatives under now President [[Notable_Humans#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] and Vice President Adalet Uysal defeated the BFMP in the Republic’s presidential election, marking the first change in administration in the Republic’s history. On their own the party is not able to achieve much, not controlling enough of the seats in the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople to rush through legislation despite holding the most. As such, the party is only capable of seeing legislature through when backed by at least one of the other significant parties, and which usually results in the Conservatives having to back the legislation of another party.

The party is headed by '''Adalet Uysal''', Vice President of the Republic of Biesel. Though President [[Notable_Republic_Figures#President_Åke_Torvald|Åke Torvald]] won his presidential bid with the support of the Cetian Congress of Conservatives, he is not a member of the party on paper. They control a fluctuating '''38%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Biesellite Free Market Party====
The '''Biesellite Free Market Party''' is a corporatocratic party that advocates for a wholly deregulated, free market economy with ideally zero intervention by the state. It is generally regarded as a puppet party of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]].

The party seeks to foster an environment where the megacorporations can continue to prosper, and that market forces will shape the economy into what is demanded by the consumer. Under the BFMP, megacorporations have and would be encouraged to replace services typically provided by the state, ranging from basic utilities (water, power, etc.) to replacing all state welfare services through employment programmes. The party advocates for equal rights across the board for all recognised sapient species of the Spur — including oft-excluded [[vaurca]] — however, this is wholly transparently not altruistic and instead to bolster the workforce available to the megacorporations. For the same reasons, it is pro-immigration and lax on citizenship requirements.

The BFMP also takes an explicitly [[Biesel]]-first stance, prioritising the financial and cultural centre of the Republic of Biesel over the other planets and moons. The party has shown little interest in meaningfully tackling the problems experienced by other federal regions of the Republic, other than ensuring they too enshrine the corporatocratic and party values as [[Biesell] is eager to take on.

The party is a staunch advocate for the continued mass adoption of [[Phoron#Application_of_Phoron|phoronic technologies]], even in the face of the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]]. It has stated that the Republic of Biesel’s future relies upon and is determined by the continued exploitation of [[phoron]] by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], and that the megacorporation and state’s missions are one and the same in regard to the elusive element.

Historically, the BFMP has had a major influence on the Republic of Biesel, having been in power from its [[Tau_Ceti_History#NanoTrasen’s_Monopoly_and_Independence_(2410_-_2452)|independence]] in 2452 to 2466 when the party was finally ousted. It has been a strong supporter of the now defunct [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces#Tau_Ceti_Foreign_Legion_(2459—2463)|Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]] and was responsible for securing a number of deals between the armed forces and the [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra Hive]]. During power, it advanced the rights of many alien species, shaping the Republic of Biesel into the beacon of liberty in human space it is today. It is also, as a result of incalculable lobbying efforts from the megacorporations — particularly [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and, in more recent years, the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] — responsible for the level of integration and inter-reliance the megacorporations have within the Republic.

Since being voted out of power, the BFMP has been in a state of disarray, as it had never prepared to lose an election when it had the full support of the Spur’s megacorporations behind it. Naturally, it continues to receive heavy support from the megacorporations.

The party was formerly headed by former president [[Notable_Republic_Figures#Joseph_Dorn|Joseph Dorn]] who retired after his election defeat. It is now headed by '''Caroline Benkhoff''', a former [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] executive who has since changed career and entered Republic politics — shocker. They control a fluctuating '''16%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====The Egalitarian Coalition====
The '''Egalitarian Coalition''', or just ''Egalitarians'' (sometimes ''Republic Egalitarians'' to differentiate from other Spur parties), is an alien rights and equality single-issue party that seeks to improve the lot of non-human species in the Republic of Biesel.

The party focuses on the Republic’s tenets on multiculturalism, personal freedoms and individualism, and argues that previous governments have fallen short on these values by allowing non-human species within the Republic to disproportionately be subjected to discrimination and segregation to deprived areas. The Egalitarians seek to break up instances of segregation in the Republic, minimise state encroachment and violations on sentient liberties, and significantly increase social spending to deprived cities and regions of the Republic of Biesel (particularly in [[Mendell City]], [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], and the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]). It is entirely pro-alien and inclusive of species often excluded ([[IPC|IPCs]], [[vaurca]], [[diona]]). The party is pro-immigration and supportive of lax citizenship application routes where it concerns aliens, but has indicated it would limit asylum application from other human states (arguing humans have more options to seek safe asylum within compared to aliens), and is also for universal suffrage regardless of citizenship status.

An ambitious policy of the Egalitarian Coalition is that of outlawing the [[Vaurca Hives]] practice of creating and lobotomising [[Vaurca#The_Bound|Bound vaurca]] within Republic territories, who they argue — without lobotomisation — could have formed into Unbound instead. The creation of an unbound would be tantamount to inflicting grievous bodily harm, and bound would be covered under the same protections that unbound are — and so owning one would be tantamount to slavery. The party has not outlined any plans on how they would deal with Bound already active in the Republic.

The party has no significant stance towards the megacorporations or the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]], however has condemned the megacorporations which discriminate by species — so, all but [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] — and has acknowledged that the Phoron Scarcity disproportionately affects alien species within deprived cities and areas of the Republic.

The party has gained a large amount of publicity with a mandate goal that will see the Federal Republic of Biesel formally renamed to the Federal Republic of the Middle Spur — a name inclusive of all bodies and regions under the Republic. This alone has garnered the support of elder, non-Biesellite Republic citizens — [[New Gibson|New_Gibsonites]] especially — who remain resentful of the [[Biesel]]-first nature of the Republic and its name, though the name is still contested within the party. This has soured the party to some [[Biesel|Biesellites]] though, alienating a portion of their largest voting base.

The Egalitarian Coalition was formed recently in 2467 out of two regional parties that had struggled previously to field the resources to campaign on a Republic-wide level: the Progressive Party of Biesel and Egalitarian Coalition of Valkyrie. It is almost entirely reliant on the donations from organisations such as the [[The_Trinary_Perfection|Trinary Perfection church]] and [[The_Eternal|Eternal schools]], both of which holding large presences on [[Biesel]].

The party has a co-leadership structure, headed by both '''Montgomery''' and '''Harbinger of Peaceful Purposes''' — an [[IPC]] and [[diona]] respectively. Since combining their resources and planetary reputations, they now control a fluctuating '''23%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Cetian Social Democratic Front====
The '''Cetian Social Democratic Front (CSDF)''' is a New Gibsonite Social Democratic party that seems to balance the Republic’s capitalist values with a robust welfare state, as seen on [[New Gibson]].

The party endeavours to implement a series of policies that will regulate the Republic of Biesel’s economy, implement some anti-trust laws, and increase taxes targeting megacorporations and the wealthy so as to level the playing field in the Republic’s markets and to establish a welfare state. It has explicitly set out to break the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and constituent companies monopolies and party messaging often claims they have been allowed to progress too far, which has seen it gain the ire of the megacorporations. The CSDF has also advocated for significantly increasing public education and health & social care funding, allowing public schools and health & social care services to better compete alongside private services. The party should not be mistaken for left wing or socialist though, and their vision only sees the megacorporations regulated enough to allow competition with local corporations, services, and public bodies.

With a notable [[skrell]] influence, as is expected for a party out of [[New Gibson]] and one led by a [[New_Gibson#Xoikku|Xoikku]] skrell, the party has advocated for a [[Nralakk_Federation#Social_Compatibility_Index|Social Compatibility Index]]-like system to be implemented in the Republic, with a scaling universal income based on one’s degree of impoverishment and contribution to the Republic of Biesel. The party has also taken an anti-synthetic stance, seeking to halt any further emancipation or support of owned or non-citizen [[IPC|IPCs]], null the First Amendment that emancipated free IPCs and entitled them to citizenship and the rights thereof, bring back external IPC tagging at a national level, criminalise IPCs who do not clearly identify as such, and to decommission advanced AIs such as [[Notable_Synthetic#Huginn|Huginn]] and [[Notable_Synthetic#Aura|Aura]]. For all other species though, sans [[vaurca]] which they have remained silent on, the CSDF strongly advocates for equality, and putting in place strong anti-hate laws that prevent speech and actions that threaten the Republic’s diverse and multicultural environment.

Despite its progressive stances, the CSDF takes an anti-immigration stance. The party has stated that temporarily halting citizenship and asylum applications or severely toughening up the application process is necessary for the Republic to effectively handle the strain on its systems which now are exaggerated by the [[Republic_of_Biesel#The_Effects_of_the_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]]. It is adamant that said anti-immigration stance is not a result of xenophobia.

Unlike all other parties, the CSDF is also explicitly anti-[[phoron]], believing phoron alternatives — such as [[Interstellar_Travel#Warp_Travel|warp drives]] and [[Einstein_Engines#Taipei_Engineering_Industrial|cryogenic engineering solutions]] — are vital to see the Republic of Biesel through the phoron scarcity. Yet another reason for the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and constituent companies to scorn the party. However, it has seen the party receive some support from [[Einstein Engines]].

Historically, the Cetian Social Democratic Front has always been hindered by scandals, [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Service Bureau]] investigations, and other obstacles set in place by the megacorporate establishment. However, since the election of Ake Torvald, the frequency of these have curiously ceased.

The party is headed by '''Zash Vi’tak'''. They control a fluctuating '''20%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

====Minor Parties====
'''Hadiist Party of Tau Ceti'''
The Hadiist Party of Tau Ceti is a Biesellite Hadiist party that seeks to apply [[Notable_Tajara#President_Njadrasanukii_Hadii|President Njadrasanukii Hadii]]’s teachings to the Republic of Biesel and its problems.

The party seeks to drastically expand the powers of the Republic’s executive branch, consolidating unlimited power in the president, through which the Hadiist teachings can be enacted with greater ease. These teachings include the establishment of a robust welfare state and equality for all species. It is against melting pot multiculturalism and instead advocates for the state to preserve and protect each species’ traditional values, and that they can exist alongside one another but not merging with one another — it somewhat differs from [[People%27s_Republic_of_Adhomai#Hadiism|Adhomian Hadiism]] in this regard, as it has abandoned the idea of creating a superculture. As a result of the [[Solarian Alliance]]’s stance on [[tajara]], the party also advocates for a strong defence budget.

Its current leader is Chairman '''Matvei Karakhan''', a [[People%27s_Republic_of_Adhomai|People's Republic of Adhomai]] migrant who also founded the party. They control a fluctuating '''3%''' of the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople seat share.

'''Syndicated Union of Labourers (Banned)'''
The '''Syndicated Union of Labourers (SUL)''' is a radical syndicalist party that seeks to revolutionise the Republic of Biesel into a system of worker’s unions, as seen on [[Himeo]].

The party is the reaction to the Biesellite Free Market Party that has dominated the Republic’s politics since its independence. To this day and despite being banned, it campaigns for the immediate nationalisation of [[megacorporations|megacorporate]] holdings, the expansion of worker’s rights, and then ultimately the dissolution of the [[Republic of Biesel]] after the promotion of worker’s unions to the point they can replace the Republic. However, being the only socialist party to have ever gained significant traction, it often attracts those with their own ideas of syndicalism, or those who aren’t syndicalist at all and instead some other flavour of socialist, so it has forever been uncertain as to whether they would be as extreme in their actions as they say they are — or, if these campaign messages are [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Intelligence_Service|fabricated]].

Obtaining membership or associating with the SUL is a potentially criminal offence, one that is guaranteed to result in [[Republic_Security_&_Law_Enforcement#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Service Bureau]] or CCIA investigation even if no charges or regulatory infractions are raised. Higher echelon members or those responsible for organising party events or membership drives are at risk of serious indictments, up to terrorism. '''You are at greater risk of losing your character should you play an SUL-affiliated person; discretion is advised.'''

== Economics ==
The Republic of Biesel is a market capital economy, described as having strong investments in resource extraction, agriculture, shipping and handling, and manufacturing. In reality, its economy is based on two things: phoron and trade. Exporting phoron, and acting as a trade hub for the rest of the Spur. Both of which are currently under threat due to the scarcity, and have resulted in [[Spurian Economy|economic instability]] within the Republic. Early in the Scarcity, its currency saw some devaluation; however, it has since bounced back as subsidies, the slashing of interest rates, and other monetary policies have managed to keep its economy technically growing slowly for now, but the rate of that growth is falling rapidly year over year. It maintains the '''Biesel Standard Credit''' (电/CR) as its official currency, with some segments of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone still utilizing the Solarian Standard Credit. It sees usage outside of the Republic, within the [[Izweski Nation|Izweski Hegemony]], who adopted it as their official currency following the collapse of the Solarian Alliance, and some sections of the [[Coalition of Colonies]] near the shared border, as well as the [[People's Republic of Adhomai]]. The BSC is available in electronic, bankcard and chip that have the symbol of a lit torch on them. Responsibility for the currency falls to the Central Biesel Banking Authority, which is located in District One of [[Mendell City]], where it cooperates closely with [[Idris Incorporated]] to form monetary policies. Similar to the Solarian Standard Credit, the BSC is a fiat currency.

While [[NanoTrasen]] is still the undisputed most powerful megacorporation within the Republic, the Republic is no longer exclusive to them. This was made clear by a daring move of [[Notable Humans#Noelle_Lopez-Zhang|Noelle Lopez-Zhang]], when [[Einstein Engines]] acquired NanoTrasen's holdings in the Biesellite city of [[Biesel|Phoenixport]]. When the government cooperates with Megacorporations, it cooperates with almost all member corporations of the [[SCC]] on somewhat equal terms. Still, for now [[NanoTrasen]] holds significant economic power within the Republic, given their stranglehold on one of the most important aspects of the economy, [[Phoron]]. Phoron has made [[Tau Ceti]] and the Republic as a whole one of the wealthiest nations in the Spur, and has been integral to its very identity. This is, of course, now threatened by scarcity - something that has put pressure on not only the entire country but on NanoTrasen specifically, [[Phoron|who tries their best to keep up the illusion that all is well]].

Biesel has a significant presence in the medical technology industry, owing to [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals|the agreement signed between Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and NanoTrasen a decade after the discovery of phoron]]. Its medical innovations spawned from this agreement include being the nation where dexalin and peridaxon were first synthesized.

== Culture and Demographics==
''See also: [[Biesellite Culture and Society]]''
<center>''“The people of Biesel could all collectively protest for a century. It still won’t change anything, because power in the Republic does not lie with people. It lies with corporations.”'' - Hugo Beasley, “A Himean In Mendell City”, released 2464</center>

Due to the [[Tau Ceti History | many events of the past decade]], the Republic of Biesel’s culture has drastically changed in recent years. They place emphasis on individual freedoms, inclusivity, and more recently, duty to uphold those previous two values. Originally a culture propped up by megacorporate entities, in the past decade's challenges, such as the [[KOTW|Second Solarian Invasion]], it is clear that the culture of the young nation [[Tau Ceti History|has come into its own in many ways]]. Still, Republic Citizens are on average largely pro-megacorporation and rather anti-Solarian; the latter sentiment only continuing to increase due to Solarian Actions.

=== Languages ===
Although Tau Ceti Basic has prospered as the official language of Biesel ever since its founding, it has undergone a significant amount of change thanks to the linguistic and cultural additions of the Republic’s many immigrants. Linguists have noted that the original Solarian-born tongue is highly susceptible to both human and alien pronunciation, making accents easy to detect. Due to its multicultural roots, though, little was done to interfere with its natural progression in schools and the general population — Biesel’s government continues to frequently tout Tau Ceti Basic’s many forms to this day. Many actors and singers are especially famous for embracing (or in more dishonest cases, emulating) foreign accents to reach new target audiences or for plain clout. Unsurprisingly, these differences are also used by politicians to tie their voters together or draw lines between them. ‘Pure’ Biesellite accents are mostly a mark of prestige used by diplomats and influential business workers, usually obtained naturally through being born into long-established immigrant families, gradually eschewing their former pronunciation as a result of distance.

A noticeable byproduct of this multiculturalism is the abundance of foreign slang used by a wide range of Biesellite citizens. Drawn from just about every corner of the Spur, these words and sayings are often thrown into sentences with little care for grammar, with alien immigrants especially finding it hard to let go of old customs. Humans, who generally have an easier time with Tau Ceti Basic, are known to pick these remnants up through living and working close to alien-dense districts. Truly bizarre combinations of dialects and slang emerge from these relationships, which tend to confuse completely foreign listeners, but are the beating heart of culture for urban Biesellites.

===Aliens in Tau Ceti===
''See also: [[Skrell_Abroad#Skrell_in_the_Republic_of_Biesel|Skrell in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Unathi_Abroad#Unathi_in_the_Republic_of_Biesel|Unathi in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Little Adhomai]], [[Zo'ra in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Minor_Dionae_Factions#The_Biesellian_Choir|The Biesellian Choir]]''

The Republic has among the most diverse and widespread populations of non-human species in the entire Orion Spur. From the district of [[Little Adhomai]] to the Zo'ra Hive's presence on [[Biesel]] and Caprice, Biesellite humans are no stranger to aliens in their streets. However districts primarily populated by aliens have a lower-than-average income than human-dominant districts, and are essentially ghettos. The condition and wealth divide in these districts is only continuing to worsen as the phoron rationing policies of Ake Torvald sees priority go towards wealthy neighborhoods. They look more run down than ever, as the crime rate has steadily been increasing and black markets begin to pop up more frequently. As a result, similarly to the human poor, [[TCAF|recruitment in the Tau Ceti Armed Forces has become particularly popular]].

===Synthetics in Tau Ceti===
''See also: [[IPCs in Biesel]]''

[[Biesel|Biesel]] is currently home to one of the largest populations of [[IPC|IPCs]] within the known galaxy. Although not yet entitled to the same rights as their fellow Bieselittes, the attitude towards IPCs, owned and unowned is generally regarded as the most progressive within the [[Sol Alliance#Inner Colonies|Inner Colonies]]. IPCs in the Republic are a common sight in urban areas such as [[Mendell City|Mendell City]] and Phoenixport. Such a degree of urbanisation can be attributed to the more developed infrastructure and available services required for the maintenance, housing and charging, as well as employment opportunities provided by the megacorporate presence.

==Military==
''See also: [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]]''

[[Image:Tcflposter.png|thumb|400px|A recruitment poster for the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.]]

The Republic of Biesel's sovereignty is currently protected by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, which were formed in 2465 in response to the long and difficult fight against insurgency in the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], replacing [[TCAF|their ineffective predecessors in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.]] An amendment to the [[Peacekeeper Mandate|People's Protection Act]] saw the creation of the TCAF, alongside the new branches of the Tau Ceti Minutemen (Army), Republican Fleets (Space Fleet), and the Corporate Auxiliary Forces (Corporate Paramilitaries). Since [[Tau Ceti History|President Torvald’s election]], the [[TCAF]] has seen it’s funding increase dramatically, and be prioritized for phoron after the president instituted soft-rationing, which has led the military to see a surge in recruitment numbers, while retaining access to some of the best technology and equipment available in the spur; enough to where by most estimates, they could put up a real fight against their current regional threat, the reconstituted [[Solarian Alliance]].

Non-citizens seeking citizenship in Tau Ceti can acquire it through service in the Armed Forces.

Their current operations extend as far as the borders of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, and generally drop off from there, except their previous involvement in the [[Tajaran_Military_Structures#The_S.27rend.27marr_Coalition|S'rend'marr Coalition]] at NanoTrasen’s request almost half a decade ago.

==Technology==

'''Phoronics:''' The Republic of Biesel's technological advancements are owed to the vast deposits of phoron in the Romanovich Cloud, and what would become the republic was the birthplace of the “Phoronic Revelotion” a technological revolution that followed the discovery of phoron for almost fifty years, and laid the foundations for the technology of the Spur to become what it is today. Even in the midst of the scarcity, Biesel still has some of the most advanced technology in the Spur thanks to its large supply of phoron - including a large supply of phoron WMDs and Phoron Warheads, planet killers and city killers respectively.

'''Robotics:''' The relative freedom of synthetics within Biesellite space has also inspired a great degree of research into refining and developing positronics. While many megacorporations still have primary positronic facilities in the Alliance, with some even purchasing Shell frames from [[Einstein Engines]], NanoTrasen and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals in particular have begun to invest in positronic and frame manufacturing plants on [[Valkyrie]], [[New Gibson]], and Reade.

'''Anomalies Studies:''' The Republic's other greatest scientific advancement is the study of the anomalous properties of bluespace. Xenoarchaeology and the study of Alden-Saraspova activity within the Romanovich Cloud is a well-established field in Tau Ceti, and many aspiring anomalists and bluespace researchers venture into Tau Ceti to study the high amount of anomalous items and artifacts that are unearthed within the Romanovich Cloud. Strangely, the rates of anomalous activity emanating from the Romanovich Cloud have steadily increased as phoron has been mined.

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| align="left" | [[Interstellar Relations]] · [[Notable Humans]] · [[Timeline of Humanity]] · [[Offworlder Humans]] · [[Human Wildlands]] · [[Human Piracy]] · [[Human Entertainment Media]] · [[Human Social Media]] · [[Human Ideologies and Governments]] · [[Human Educational Institutions]]
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! style="width: 20%; background-color:#C89024" colspan="2"| [[Sol Alliance]]
| align="left" | [[Sol|Sol System]] · [[Earth]] · [[Mars]] · [[Luna]] · [[Venus]] · [[Jupiter]] · [[Callisto]] · [[Europa]] · [[Pluto]] · [[New Hai Phong]] · [[Silversun]] · [[San Colette]] · [[Visegrad]] · [[Solarian Reconstruction Mandates]] · [[Sol Alliance History]] · [[Solarian Armed Forces]] · [[Solarian Security and Law]]
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! style="width: 20%; background-color:#db7070" colspan="2"| [[Empire of Dominia]]
| align="left" | [[Keeser Royal Family]] · [[Moroz]] · [[Fisanduh]] · [[Lyod|The Lyod]] · [[Novi Jadran]] · [[Sun Reach]] · [[Dominian Culture]] · [[Moroz Holy Tribunal]] · [[Empire of Dominia Great Houses|The Great Houses]] · [[Dominian Society and Class Structure|Dominian Society]] · [[Dominian Imperial Military]] · [[Council of Imperial Governors]] · [[Dominian Security and Law]]
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! style="width: 20%; background-color:#818f8e" colspan="2"| [[Eridani Federation]]
| " align="left" | [[Eridani I]] · [[Eridani Federation Military]]
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! style="width: 20%; background-color:#dbcd70" colspan="2"| [[Republic of Elyra]]
| align="left" | [[Persepolis]] · [[Damascus II]] · [[Medina]] · [[Aemaq]] · [[New Suez]] · [[Elyra Military]] · [[Elyran Government and Politics]] · [[Elyran Culture, Law, and Society]]
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! style="width: 20%; background-color:#70b0db" colspan="2"| [[Coalition of Colonies]]
| align="left" | [[Xanu Prime]] · [[Himeo]] · [[Federal Technocracy of Galatea|Galatea]] · [[Vysoka]] · [[Stolitism]] · [[Scarabs]] · [[Gadpathur]] · [[Assunzione]] · [[Luceism]] · [[Burzsia]] · [[Konyang]]
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Notable Humans

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This is a page dedicated to notable Humans across the Orion Spur. These are the most influential and important individuals whose actions sway the galaxy and its history at large.

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=The Trasen Family=
The top of the food chain, the Trasen family’s status is legendary on the galactic scale. Virtually everybody has heard of them, and their monopoly over Phoron and stranglehold over Tau Ceti has raised them to be the most influential and powerful individuals in Human history.

Information on the Trasens can be found [[The Trasens|here]].
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=Megacorporations=
See: [[Notable Megacorporate Figures]]
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=Sol Alliance=
These are individuals relevant to the [[Sol Alliance]].
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==Prime Minister Hendrik Strom==
'''Birthdate: January 18th, 2396'''

Born on Venus to a working-class Jintarian family, Hendrik “Henry” Strom was the only member of his family to go to college. Disgusted by the excess he had seen working in Binyaria as a dishwasher to pay for his education, Strom joined the civil service after finishing his master’s degree and set about investigating and rooting out corruption in the Venusian government. Quickly finding himself frustrated with government inaction, he resigned his post and ran for a local representative’s position on an anti-corruption, pro-Jintarian platform. He won in a landslide.

In Venus’ government Strom’s dull, grey business suits stuck out amongst Cytherean fashion and he quickly rallied an anti-corruption coalition around himself. Many of his efforts concentrated around public services and his greatest accomplishment was, to him, breaking up pricing cartels for power services. As his fame grew he began to form a populist movement around himself which accused corporations, and an uncaring Solarian government, of neglecting the common Solarian in favor of cheap alien labor and quick profits. He rode the populist wave to the Solarian Senate, where he worked to ban tajara from the Alliance.

In 2462, following Frost’s assassination, Strom was picked to replace him as “acting” Governor of the Sol System — de facto becoming the new Prime Minister — by the junta. As the highest civilian authority in the junta, Strom saw sweeping anti-corporate policies enacted and became immensely popular following the end of the Solarian Civil War in 2465. In February 2467 he was elected Prime Minister of the Alliance in a close victory over Anastasie Renaud (Solarian Popular Democratic Party Senator for Callisto). Now, the first democratically-elected leader of the Alliance since (arguably) the 2450s, he must navigate a reduced Alliance through the rigors of interstellar politics -- and hopefully to victory.

==Senator Le Hanh Trang==
'''Birthdate: February 22nd, 2419'''

Born in Cua Song, New Hai Phong, to two civil servants, Tran served as an Assistant Solarian Alliance Attorney for the crime-addled Ton Gwai Pei before entering into politics following a corruption scandal that accused the city’s Solarian Attorney’s Office of conspiring with the Pou Zyu Sau, an organized crime group, to lighten sentence for its members. With her name already stained by association Tran entered politics in the city, winning on a local socialist party’s platform that called for a nationalistic Sol-first policy.

In office Tran became known for her hard stance on Hephaestus Industries and the megacorporation’s control of the planet. Reforms proposed by Tran and her New Hai Phongese Socialist Party did result in some divestment of Hephaestus but, to her, it was never enough and she took herself — and her party — into the Solarian Senate in the late 2450s, where they were involved in several brawls with ATLAS members in the Senate. She first became famous in the Alliance for a photo of her raising her fist, with her knuckles bloodied, as an piece of anti-corruption legislation she had advocated for was passed in 2459. In 2460, when Frost came to power, Tran and her party were back-benched aside from the Third Tajara Ban, which they managed to attach anti-corporate legislation to.

In 2462 Trang was brought in by the junta to be the Speaker of the Senate, which has remained in a diminished form after ATLAS was evicted from the government. There, she was instrumental in passing anti-corporate legislation in 2463 and retains much of her influence. Now, some see her as the likely next Prime Minister, though her connections to Einstein Engines — and failure to totally evict Hephaestus from New Hai Phong — continue to haunt her. She currently leads the Solarian Socialist Unity Party as one of the Alliance's major political parties, though one smaller than all others aside from the communist party.

==Senator Anastasie Renaud==
'''Date of Birth: May 15, 2434'''

Anastasie Maria Renaud is the leader of the Solarian Popular Democratic Party, or '''SPDP''', and has been in the Solarian Senate since 2460. She is the youngest leader of a Solarian political party and a former candidate for Prime Minister, having come in second only to PM Hendrik Strom in the ‘66-’67 election. She is the Senatorial Shadow President, and leads the opposition.

Renaud was born into a middle-class family on Callisto. She studied law at the Federal University of New Edinburgh and worked as a personal injury lawyer prior to entering into the political arena in 2457 with her election to district council at the age of 23. Already heavily involved with the Solarian Federation of Labour Unions prior to her entry into politics, Renaud quickly made a name for herself as a reformer and opponent of both ATLAS and the ruling Sol First Party. She verbally sparred with then-PM Michael Frost on multiple occasions throughout 2460-62, calling him a puppet of the Solarian Navy and a threat to the already-fragile state of Solarian democracy. She was famously briefly imprisoned by the Navy in November 2462 following the death of Frost, and may have been executed if not for the intervention of Solarian Army troops on Unity Station.

While she ultimately lost her campaign to become the Alliance’s youngest prime minister, Renaud and the SPDP form a strong opposition to Strom’s ruling SPP-SFP alliance and will almost certainly be able to force the prime minister to the negotiating table on sweeping legislation. She remains dedicated to her pursuit of a democratic Alliance not involved in foreign military adventures and committed to its people, regardless of where they come from.

==Senator Toshiyuki Sumida==
'''Date of Birth: February 25, 2398'''

Toshiyuki Sumida is the leader of the Sol First Party, or '''SFP''', and is a veteran member of the Solarian Senate who has been a senator since 2445. Sumida is the Senatorial President and leads the first democratically-elected senate since 2462.

Sumida was born into wealth on Luna and attended the University of Tokyo, where he led a SFP student organization, where he graduated with a doctorate in economics. Before being elected to the Senate he served in several academic positions, most notable as the dean of the school of economics at Harmony City Federal University, and provided consulting to local and interstellar corporate entities. His academic background and business connections allowed Sumida to quickly rise through the ranks of the SFP, and he was elected party leader in 2462 shortly before the start of the Solarian Civil War. Since then he has worked to purge the SFP of its far right elements while promoting an image of it as a pro-business, pro-development party centered around ensuring a prosperous economy for a prosperous Alliance while maintaining its reputation as a pro-military, “soft” nationalistic party. Doctor Sumida was a critic of PM Michael Frost’s economic policies, and cites them as a causal factor for the Alliance’s current economic misfortunes.

While he is now de facto the second most powerful man in the Alliance, Sumida has the unenviable task of balancing his pro-economic platform with the more jingoistic campaign promises of PM Strom and the more leftist policies of the opposition. His reputation for being a tough negotiator and a charismatic leader have secured him his role in the Senate, and must now help him create the SFP’s vision of a prosperous Alliance for future generations: one that has cut the bureaucratic tape down, encouraged businesses through deregulation, and opened the Alliance’s markets back up to foreign, non-megacorporate investors.

==Senator Erkan Muhtar==
'''Date of Birth: 17 November 2416

Erkan Muhtar is the leader of the nationalist faction within the Solarian People’s Party and represents its “hard right” wing. A veteran politician, he has been a member of the Senate since 2449. He is widely respected by Solarian nationalists across the political spectrum for being one of the first politicians to speak out against the secession of Tau Ceti in 2450 and his incorruptibility.

Muhtar was born into an upper middle class family in Harmony City, Luna, and graduated from Harmony City Federal University with a fine arts degree. He worked for the Solarian Navy as a civilian artist before joining the Sol First Party as a propagandist. Recognized as a gifted speaker by the SFP’s leadership, he won a Senate seat representing Harmony City in 2449 by pulling votes from ATLAS with his nationalist rhetoric and history with the military. Since then he has been an ardent voice against Tau Ceti and broke from the SFP to join the SPP in 2452, dissatisfied with his party’s stance on Tau Ceti. Muhtar was briefly detained by ATLAS in 2461 for opposing Frost’s takeover of the government by coup, but was freed during the following year’s counter-coup.

Since then he has risen to dominate the right wing of the SPP and is arguably the most powerful member of the party after PM Strom. His opposition to appeasement of Tau Ceti has placed him in opposition to his party’s leader following the reopening of diplomatic relations, and rumors have begun to circulate he is planning to take action within his bloc. With an already powerful opposition. With Muhtar’s credentials as a nationalist and the presence of a strong opposition party, Strom’s greatest challenge may come from within his own ranks.

==Senator Eirlys Llewellyn==
'''Date of Birth: 22 January 2315'''

Eirlys Llewellyn serves as the deputy leader of the nationalist faction within the Solarian Populist Party. Llewellyn is typically seen with her leader, Erkan Muhtar, and handles much of the populist “hard right” faction’s internal organization. She has been a member of the Senate since 2451, and was one of several politicians to break with the Sol First Party in 2452 over its handling of Tau Ceti’s secession.

Llewellyn was born into a middle-class family in Gomel Catena, Callisto, and had a distinguished career in the Solarian Navy before entering politics in a special election as a SFP member. She broke with the party in 2452 to join the new Solarian People’s Party. Llewellyn is a controversial figure in the Senate and is regarded as its furthest right member, having worked with former PM Michael Frost prior to 2462. She is a gifted orator with a reputation for stirring crowds into action, and was allegedly involved with paramilitaries during the Frost era. Llewellyn claims megacorporations and Biesel are behind many of the Alliance’s problems, from Frost’s assassination to corruption on New Hai Phong.

Despite her controversial reputation she has retained her senatorial seat and — following a rift with Senator Muhtar during the Solarian Civil War over action against Biesel — reemerged as the deputy leader of the populist’s nationalist faction. Her staunch opposition to the Republic of Biesel and megacorporations has made her a powerful voice within the nationalist faction.

==Secretary of Defense Lucien Courtois==
'''Birthdate: March 14th, 2429'''

Born in Harmony City, Luna, as the eldest child of a wealthy naval family, Lucien was always destined for service in the Solarian Navy. He showed exceptional dedication to the Alliance and remarkable leadership, quickly proving himself an asset to the Admiralty and becoming a full admiral at the young age of 30, assuming command over the 29th Fleet in 2459, an understrength fleet assigned as a garrison for New Hai Phong. Why the rising star was given an understrength fleet remains unknown, but some historians say this was a punishment by the Admiralty for his well-known reformist views. Three years later his leadership would be tested as the Solarian Civil War began and the 67th Fleet assaulted New Hai Phong in November 2462, hoping to seize it for itself.

Faced with a numerically larger force and with reinforcements unavailable during the early Civil War’s widespread communications issues, Lucien used repurposed civilian vessels and prepared defensive positions to drive off the 67th with minimal losses to the 29th and severe losses to the 67th, which later defected to the Anti-Corporate League and was totally destroyed in 2465. Lucien became a hero overnight and the 29th became a renowned fleet as it quickly moved to secure the border with the “Wildlands” near New Hai Phong. He would ride the wave of heroism into 2464, when he became the Alliance’s youngest Secretary of Defense.

As Secretary, Lucien has seen massive reforms to the Solarian Navy and Admiralty carried out that have allowed its successes in the Solarian Civil War, which was brought to an end in mid-2465 as a the final breakaway states either capitulated or reintegrated into the Alliance. With the worst of the conflict behind the Alliance, many wonder what is next for Lucien and the Solarian Armed Forces. Will they continue to look inwards, or look outwards to the remaining systems that broke away from Sol in 2462?

==Fleet Admiral Ingrid von Varnhagen und Langenburg==
'''Date of Birth: September 23, 2425'''

Born the first child of the elite von Varnhagen und Langenburg family, a union of two prominent naval families known for service dating back to the Alliance’s founding, Ingrid’s only destiny was serving in the Solarian Navy. All other goals would have to be pushed aside in favour of this, and thus keeping the family’s honour intact. Exceptionally gifted and lavished with the best tutors money could afford, she entered into the naval academy and graduated top of her class alongside future Minister of Defense Lucien Courtois, who has become a lifelong friend of hers.

Though descended from naval aristocracy, Ingrid had become known as a reformer within the Navy. She frequently criticised the Admiralty and Frost, and only her surnames kept her from being sacked or reassigned to the Outer Ring. She instead rapidly ascended the Navy to become the commander of the venerable First Battlegroup — the Navy’s oldest and arguably most elite formation — in 2461. The First and Ingrid would be vital in ensuring the success of the anti-Frost coup after his death, seizing vital communications relays and orbital installations during the coup. She then worked to establish the reformed 1st Battlegroup in 2463, bringing it up to the task of intervening in the Solarian Civil War in 2465 and re-securing most of the Northern Reaches, becoming the first Solarian government representative to meet the leaders of the besieged San Colette.

Now, with the Northern Reaches once again under Solarian control, Ingrid and her fleet look across the border at Konyang and the Republic of Biesel’s Corporate Reconstruction Zone. Some on Konyang and in the Republic worry the Fleet Admiral will eventually cross their borders, bringing the full strength of ten Solarian fleets to bear — whether or not she is ordered to. Ingrid’s aims — often bolstered by Solarian intelligence reports — are known only to herself, and the upper echelons of the Alliance. Others must simply wait, watch, and worry.

==Governor-General Tereza Varzieva==
'''Birthdate: October 19th, 2429'''

Born on Silversun to a prominent family of naturalists originally from Visegrad, Tereza was the first person from her family to join the Solarian military and started her career as a Second Lieutenant in the 12th Silversunner Coastal Infantry Division. Quickly rising through the ranks and assuming overall command of the 3rd Brigade of the 22nd Army (Sol System Command ([[Sol|SOLSYSCOM]]) in 2460, Teresa’s forces were transferred to Martian forces ([[Mars|MARSCOM]]) in late 2461 due to increasing unrest, arriving in full strength in early 2462 as the Third Tajara Ban came into effect and civil unrest began to spread across the planet. Tasked with securing the Kunlun-Free Kunlun Zone and bolstering police forces there, the 3rd Brigade was in close proximity to one another when Violet Dawn occurred in late 2462.

Forces under Tereza’s command were able to secure the surrounding area and quickly moved to establish contact with other surviving government units across the planet, with her rising to command most of the earliest efforts to save lives and establish a safe zone in the Martian north, often without the Navy fire support the 3rd had been promised and with adverse conditions for operating most vehicles. For her actions she was promoted to Lieutenant General, then a full General, and the 22nd Army was placed under her command. In spring 2464, the 22nd — now reinforced with other troops and hardened air assets — launched the Reunification Campaign and brought Mars under Solarian control once again.

Now Governor-General (an emergency position normally only issued during a crisis) of Mars, Tereza is a steadfast ally of the Alliance’s return to democracy. But she is hounded by controversy for her troops’ actions during civil unrest on Mars, with troops of some accused of having open fire indiscriminately on protestors in 2462. The Army denies these allegations.

==Klaudia Szalai==
'''Date of Birth: July 09, 2428'''

A native of Visegrad, Klaudia was born into a working-class family employed in Zavodskoi Interstellar’s orbital shipyards and had a humble upbringing. Commissioning into the Solarian Navy at a young age she quickly rode through the ranks to the position of fleet admiral of the 5th Middle Ring Battlegroup, stationed on Visegrad, a year prior to the start of the Solarian Civil War. Prior to the Civil War she was one of the few non-Lunans to hold the rank of fleet admiral. During her rise to the position she did not express conservative or reformist naval views, presenting herself as focused on the Southern Reaches and her oath to the Alliance before any other movement.

At the onset of the Solarian Civil War in 2462 Klaudia quickly moved to secure Visegrad as the planet descended into civil unrest. As the civilian government struggled to maintain control over the planet she and the forces under her command stepped in and established an emergency military government — a process allowed under Solarian laws dating to the Interstellar War — which integrated the civilian administration, security forces, and significant economic assets into naval command. The Southern Solarian Military District, as it was known, became a beacon of stability in the Southern Wildlands as the nearby Southern Fleet Administration collapsed into anarchy and the Biesel-controlled Corporate Reconstruction Zone struggled with civil unrest and piracy. In 2465 Klaudia’s efforts would be rewarded as the Southern Solarian Reconstruction Mandate was formed, bringing the area under her command back into the greater Alliance.

Now governor of the Mandate, Klaudia soon expects to hand over authority to a civilian administration as the Alliance looks to the end of the civil war and the emergency junta that has run the Alliance since 2462. Popular on Visegrad and throughout the Southern Reaches, some wonder if the fleet admiral will next attempt a career in politics, or remain in the uniform of the Navy.

===Posthumous Figures===

==Admiral Michael Frost==
'''Birthdate: April 14th, 2396'''

'''Date of Death: c. 11 November 2462'''

A towering, and loathed, figure in the modern Alliance, Michael Frost was born on Luna and quickly rose through the ranks of the Solarian Navy to become the admiral of the 33rd Fleet of the Solarian Navy in 2448. Using the pretext of Biesel constructing combat robotics, Frost launched the first Solarian invasion of Biesel in 2459, following a Solarian blockade of the Republic. Assuming control as a military governor, Frost’s brief rule of Biesel was marked by forced disappearances and the enslavement of free IPCs. Frost’s invasion led to the first major engagement of Solarian Navy vessels since the Interstellar War when the Navy’s 25th Fleet intervened and forced the 33rd to surrender and abandon their occupation.

While politically humiliating for the Alliance on an interstellar level, Frost’s invasion made him a hero of Solarian nationalists, particularly the far-right ATLAS, and Navy hardliners. In mid-2460 Frost came to power as Prime Minister of an ATLAS-led government following a Pirate attack on a Solarian Navy facility in the Sol System he and the 33rd thwarted. Frost’s government lasted for slightly under a year and was marked by corruption and paramilitary violence as ATLAS paramilitaries and Frost loyalists were placed into positions of power across the Alliance. While not the only cause of the Solarian Civil War (2462-65), it was a major contributing factor for much of the Middle and Outer Rings falling into anarchy.

In late 2462 Frost was assassinated in the Prime Minister’s residence by a still-unknown actor and a joint military-civilian junta assumed leadership over the Alliance in the name of preserving national unity and restoring democracy. Now, years after his death, Frost is reviled in much of the Alliance and his followers — including the 33rd Fleet — have died or been taken prisoner in the Civil War. He is the only man to have ever been stripped of an admiral’s rank by the Navy, with the Solarian Admiralty doing so in January 2463.

==Admiral Terrence Hopper==
'''Birthdate: January 28th, 2231'''

'''Date of Death: October 15th, 2325'''

Known informally as the “Butcher of Gadpathur” during and after his life, Hopper is the only person in history to have ordered, and carried out, the total orbital bombardment and destruction of a planet (known as “glassing” in the Solarian Navy’s pre-Interstellar War doctrine). Born in the United Kingdom during the Solarian hegemonic era — the height of its power — Hopper was a hardline Solarian loyalist during the Interstellar War who was placed in command of the 223rd Fleet (Ersatz) during the opening months of the conflict, having rallied loyalist forces in the Central Solarian Frontier together after narrowly escaping his duty station in near-Himeo orbit with a reduced loyalist force. Seeking to deny rebel forces a safe port-of-call to strike the Outer Ring from, Hopper turned every gun the 223d had on Gadpathur on October 10, 2278. By October 11, it had destroyed all population centers and orbital facilities. Hopper ordered his fleet to brace for warp and traveled to meet other loyalist forces for the Siege of Xanu.

The civilian ships that managed to escape the 223rd — either through luck, skill, or the few Navy officers who turned a blind eye to fleeing ships — spread word of Hopper’s actions across the rebel areas, horrifying the Coalition and Solarian populations who heard of it before Solarian Navy censors downplayed the story — a trend that continues today, with the Alliance’s history textbooks either minimizing or not mentioning Hopper’s bombing. Hopper would later attempt to coup the civilian government of the Alliance following the 2287 Treaty of Xansan and the war’s end. He would escape punishment for both actions, retiring from active duty in 2301.

After his retirement Hopper would go onto become a foundational figure in Solarian fascist thought and a creator of a mythos where the Interstellar War would have been won, were it not for cowardly, backstabbing politicians in league with the Coalition government. Perhaps no other man is more responsible for the authoritarian character of much of the Solarian Navy until the rise of major reformists than Hopper. Today, he remains a reviled figure in much of the Spur and a downplayed one in the Alliance, where few are willing to discuss him and his legacy.

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=Coalition of Colonies=
These are individuals relevant to the [[Coalition of Colonies]].
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==Chief Representative of the Coalition Reilly Sianne==

'''Birthdate: March 14th, 2421'''

Formerly a farmhand on Xanu, Reilly is the first Chief Representative of the newly reformed Coalition of Colonies. A staunch Xanu proponent of trade, she has pushed for more anti-piracy patrols in the Coalition’s south, near Zaurghis, and has advocated that the Coalition should expand its influence into the neutral zone formally. Sianne is, furthermore, a proponent of more megacorporation presence in the Coalition - a stance that has brought her into conflict with some planets within the Coalition. Sianne’s personality is difficult to decipher, with almost all of her own time dedicated to expanding on her political career. She is seen as a shut-in in this regard, with little in the way of social connections - in part due to her being elevated to the position by external forces and plucked out of a once-peaceful rural town life in her childhood.

==First Speaker Marja-Leena Helminen==

'''Birthdate: November 18th, 2417'''

Either the second or third most important person in the Coalition of Colonies, depending upon which person is asked, Doctor Helminen is the elected leader of the United Syndicates of Himeo and at times the greatest ally and worst enemy of Chief Representative Sianne. Unlike her counterpart on Xanu, Helminen has pushed against megacorporations having a further presence in the Coalition and believes that the Coalition should pursue closer relations with Elyra instead of formally expanding into the buffer zone near the Sol Alliance. She is also well-known as a major proponent of joint Coalition-Elyra anti-piracy efforts.
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=Eridani Corporate Federation=
These are individuals relevant to the [[Eridani Federation]].
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
==The Board of Five==
[[File:ceo_eridani.png|thumb|Headshot photo of Emanuel Alimayu, Chief Executive Officer of the Eridani Corporate Federation Executive Board. (artwork created by Sleepywolf)]]
'''Birthdate: N/A'''

While not a singular person, the Eridani Corporate Federation’s Board of Five represent some of the most powerful and influential entities in the Sol Alliance. The Board’s interests remain mostly shadowy, aside from being profit-focused. The Eridani Private Military Company, the largest PMC in the Orion Spur, ultimately answers directly to them and the non-aggression principle. NanoTrasen, much to its dismay, does not have a stake in the Board of Five - Einstein Engines, which controls two of the Five, has gone to great lengths to keep its main rival out of the Board.

==Emanuel Alimayu==

'''Birthdate: ???, 2418'''

Emaunel is an exceptional businessman and the epitome of a Eridanian "Corporate". Sitting as the current CEO of the "Board of Five" within the Eridani Corporate Federation as well as the Chairman of the Board for Sol Governance and Senator of the Epsilon Eridani region. Born on Eridani I and educated on Earth, Emanuel has a prodigious corporate career, starting as a Regional Sales Manager for Hephaestus Industries Emanuel has worked his way up the ranks to become the current CEO of the Eridani Federation.

==Commander Filije Thiaw==

'''Birthday: Circa 2395'''

Born a Dreg in the slums of Eridani I's underworld, Thiaw had absolutely nothing at birth. Her father is unknown, and her mother died of an overdose shortly after her daughter's birth. She grew up on the streets and found a family amongst a gang, until the age of eighteen - when they were captured by private military contractors. Her fellow dregs were written off as too far into gang life to be of use, but Thiaw was chosen to be reinstated and brought into the nascent Eagle Corp as a rank-and-file mercenary. Over the following decades, she has risen to be the Operations Commander of Eagle Corp through tenacity and hard work - and more than one extrajudicial killing. Commander Thiaw is the premier example of a reinstated Dreg, and is the wealthiest - and most powerful - former Eridanian Dreg in the Orion Spur. She has also been a major driving factor behind Eagle Corp's continued employment of Dregs.
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=Empire of Dominia=
These are individuals relevant to the [[Empire of Dominia]].
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==[[Keeser Royal Family|The Royal Family]]==

The five members of the Dominian royal family, including the current Emperor, are the most important people in the Empire of Dominia despite their roots as commoners. Universally-loved throughout the young Empire, many of their subjects view them as the glue that works to hold the young Empire together following its violent origins. The Emperor and Empress are the most prominent members of Dominia's royalty, though the Crown Princess is extremely prominent in her own right with her charity work and interstellar diplomacy. The Crown Prince and the younger Princess are less well-known, but still well-regarded throughout the Empire.

==[[Empire of Dominia#Imperial Cabinet|The Imperial Cabinet]]==

Advisors and close confidants of the Emperor, the Imperial Cabinet holds vast sway over the modern Empire. They are:
* Angelika-Lina Strelitz, Colonel-in-Chief of His Majesty's Special Operations Group
* Izla Caladius, Chief Commissioner of Economic Development
* Eliza Volvalaad, Chief Commissioner of His Majesty's Imperial Military
* Antonio Caladius, Chief Commissioner of Imperial Sovereignty
* Alessandro Amadei, Chief Commissioner for Colonial Affairs
* Kasz Han’san, Chief Minister of Unathi Affairs
* Huiling Zhao, Grand Admiral of His Imperial Majesty’s Fleet
* Annaliese Strelitz, Chief Commissioner for Imperial Aviation
* Dorothea-Frieda Strelitz, High Lord General of His Majesty's Imperial Army
* Ngo Juric, High Seneschal of His Majesty's Justice
* Alojzia Molnarova, Director of His Majesty's Imperial Intelligence Directorate
* Theodora Gottlieb, High Inquisitrix of the Holy Tribunal
* Agnes Caladius, Immaculate Hand of Our Lady the Goddess

==[[Empire of Dominia Great Houses|Great House Leaders]]==

The masters of the five largest noble houses in the Empire, these individuals wield immense power and prestige. They are:

* House Keeser: Emperor Boleslaw Keeser I
* House Strelitz: Grand Duchess-Electress Dorothea-Frieda Strelitz
* House Volvalaad: Grand Duchess-Electress Landi Volvalaad
* House Caladius: Grand Consul-Elector Marcus Caladius
* House Zhao: Grand Duke-Elector Qishan Zhao

==[[Council of Imperial Governors|The Council of Imperial Governors]]==

The seven members of the Council represent and contro the most significant possessions of the Empire. They represent the Empire's authority far from Moroz, and are trusted hands of the Emperor. They are:
* Territorial Prime Minister Elard Tarlev (the [[Fisanduh|Imperial Territory of Fisanduh]])
* Governor-General Theresia Sophie von Schulthais-Aichalden (the Imperial military's garrison in Fisanduh)
* Admiral-Governor Lanying Zhao (the [[Empire of Dominia#Zhurong|Imperial Mandate of Zhurong]])
* Governor Alphonse Caladius (the [[Empire of Dominia#Alterim Obrirava|Imperial Mandate of Alterim Obrirava]])
* Governor Victorie Caladius (the [[Empire of Dominia#Alterim Balteulis|Tribunalist Mandate of Alterim Balteulis]])
* Governor-Marchioness Anastazija Glavan (the [[Novi Jadran|Imperial Mandate of Novi Jadran]])
* Viceroy-General Herman Gaufrid-Meinrad Strelitz (the [[Sun Reach|Imperial Viceroyality of Sun Reach]])

===Posthumous Figures===

==His Majesty Emperor Godwin Keeser, Unifier of Moroz and Founding Father of the Empire==
'''Date of Birth: July 15, 2326'''
'''Date of Death: December 18, 2436'''

The last king of the Imperial Alliance and first Emperor of a unified Moroz under the Dominian banner, Emperor Godwin (as he is commonly known) is a towering, near-mythological figure in Dominian history whose flaws have been suppressed and virtues emphasised by Dominian state media and the royal family themselves. Separating fact from fiction regarding Godwin is difficult for non-Dominian historians. In the Empire critical views of the late Emperor are suppressed by the state, and those who critique him are often discovered to have been shell infiltrators, Elyran spies, or heretics of the foulest degree.

What is known is that Godwin was born into the royal family of the Imperial Alliance — House Keeser — in the mid-2300s, a time of rising tensions across Moroz that descended into a full-scale war between the Alliance, its ally the Holy Kingdom of Domelkos, and the Confederated States of Fisanduh. Though fighting was bloody and spanned decades, the Alliance would eventually triumph over its enemy and claim sole control of Moroz. In 2385 Godwin declared a new state: the Empire of Dominia, and set about rapidly expanding and modernizing its economy and military to project itself over the wider Spur. He pursued closer ties with the Solarian Alliance for this purpose, bringing the Empire closer to it and proposing Dominia as a counter to Elyran influence in the southern Spur.

At the time of his death Godwin’s domain had grown to include multiple planets and he commanded a modern, well-equipped army and navy to support it. But he had made a system based upon conquest and war which required fresh conquests to sustain it, and a large underclass which had to be fed into its military complex to fuel it. Some question if Emperor Boleslaw, his only child, has ever grasped how to make this system work without bloodshed as the Empire creeps ever nearer to a hot war with Elyra or the Hegemony.

==Immaculate Hand Giovanna Caladius, First of the Goddess-Touched==
'''Date of Birth: March 20, 2146'''
'''Date of Death: Unknown'''

Arguably the most important figure in Morozian history, Giovanna was born to Valentia Caladius — a major secular figure at Landing Site Ofassel, which would someday become Domelkos — and is held by Tribunalist theology as the first to ever commune with the Goddess. From this communion arose the Moroz Holy Tribunal and its splinter faiths, which would come to dominate Moroz and the later Empire over the centuries. Much of Giovanna’s life is shrouded in myth and mythos, with Tribunalists across the Spur viewing her as a prophet and gifted seer. Official Solarian records from the colonial expedition to Moroz show her mother did exist, and contemporary records from Domelkos colonial administration list Giovanna as having existed. The matter of her existence cannot be denied, but none live who can separate the fact of Giovanna from the fiction woven around her.

A curious detail of Giovanna’s life is there is no listed date for her death, and none have ever reported having seen her pass on. Tribunalist history claims she withdrew from the public eye in the 2270s and simply vanished, disappearing into the pages of history. Some claim her powers were so great she was able to physically enter the Kingdom of Moroz — the Tribunalist afterlife — to serve the Goddess. Others claim she was gifted with immortality and roams the modern Spur, ever watching over the Goddess’ faithful and waiting for the day she will reveal herself to the modern Empire. Some dissidents claim her body was simply hidden by the Holy Tribunal to add to her mystique.

==Grand Elector-Duke Wei Zhao, Founder of His Imperial Majesty’s Fleet==
'''Date of Birth: November 17, 2298'''
'''Date of Death: December 13, 2387'''

Born into a noble family of the Holy Kingdom of Domelkos, House Zhao, Wei was educated as an engineer and spearheaded the launch of the Holy Kingdom’s first modern spacecraft, propelling his family into the highest echelons of noble society. There, he established House Zhao as a dominant figure in the Kingdom's industry, buying out or absorbing all competitors into the family cartel and making many former rivals members or affiliates of the house in the process. Eventually he would absorb all aside from House Kaneko, which maintained a steel cartel of its own. However, favours were exchanged and the two noble families agreed to cooperate rather than compete — a deal which would eventually see House Kaneko awarded Zhurong. He quickly made an acquaintance of King Godwin Keeser of the Imperial Alliance and has long been suspected to be a major figure in the decision to invade the Confederated States of Fisanduh, seeking to claim its industry and resources for the growing businesses of House Zhao.

As Wei aged and the war dragged on he looked to other ways of securing his prized wealth and land — if not for himself, then for his children and their children. He hired Solarian engineers and retired naval officers to design what would become the nucleus of the Imperial Fleet. With these vessels, House Strelitz forces were launched into Fisanduh’s heartlands as Imperial Army units swarmed their defenses, finally breaking through defensive lines after decades of warfare and tens of thousands of losses. While he would not live long after the Empire’s founding, his influence and successes would see House Zhao become one of the great houses of the new Empire. Today, the Imperial Fleet still honours his date of birth as Navy Day.

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=Serene Republic of Elyra=
These are individuals relevant to the [[Republic of Elyra]].
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==Prime Minister Rasheed Tatenda==

'''Birthdate: July 13th, 2421'''

The victor in Elyra’s most recent elections, P.M. Tatenda is a sterling representative of what Elyra is to the greater frontier. He is a published phoron researcher with some combat experience under his belt as a result of service as a reserve officer, and maintains a good appearance despite his advancing age. While Tatenda does not have the best relationship with NanoTrasen, or megacorporations more generally, his government has seen a thawing of the NT-Elyra relationship due to NanoTrasen providing cardox to Elyra. However a full thaw remains unlikely, as Tatenda’s government retains bitterness over how long it took cardox shipments to begin. Tatenda’s government has seen a strengthening of the relationship between the Coalition of Colonies and Elyra under his leadership, with the goal of further suppressing Dominian and unathi piracy.
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=Republic of Biesel=
See: [[Notable Republic Figures]]
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Guide to Law

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= Luna Accords of Interstellar Law =

The Luna Accords of Interstellar Law are a combination of treaties and protocols that establish interstellar legal standards regarding the protection of sentient rights that came into existence shortly after the conclusion of the '''Great Interstellar War'''. It has seen some revisions following the discovery of other species within the Orion Spur and the impact that they had. The framework for the Accords is traced back to the '''Armistice of June 25th 2287''', negotiated and signed by representatives of the Solarian Alliance and the Coalition of Colonies, contained within it provisions regarding the need for interstellar legal standards that afforded unequivocal rights to sentients. It wasn’t until after the signing of the '''Treaty of Xansan''' that these interstellar legal standards were pursued, eventually agreed upon and executed in the metropolis of Harmony City, Luna on September 19th 2289. It saw some revisions since its inauguration, mostly as a result of '''First Contact''' with other species. The introduction of not just foreign but alien cultures to the legal landscape of the Orion Spur changed the perspectives of many, where the input of these other cultures was necessary for there to be compliance. The most notable of these revision protocols are:

=== Qerrbalak Protocol relating to the Proliferation of Synthetics (Protocol I of 2393) ===

Having only recovered a century earlier from the havoc wrought against them by the tyrannical Glorsh-Omega, the Skrell were shocked to see Humanity’s reliance on synthetics. Representatives were disseminated across the Orion Spur to the recently discovered nations of the Solarian Alliance, Coalition of Colonies, and the Republic of Elyra, where the influence they gained was used to leverage their position when it came time to sign the Accords. The Qerrbalak Protocol relating to the Proliferation of Synthetics imposed the requirement of cataloguing and tagging these artificial beings; this continues to impact synthetics, and being untagged is a crime in many places across the Spur.

=== Biesel Protocol relating to Capital Punishment (Protocol II of 2432) ===

The discovery of the positronic complex half a century earlier revived the robotics industry alongside cyborgification. In an approach by both the Nralakk Federation and the Solarian Alliance, it was argued necessary for there to be standards set regarding punitive sentences for those that committed serious violations against life. In an agreement between the sovereign nations of the Orion Spur, Capital Punishment was deemed a violation of sentient rights. It is a contentious subject among many, especially with the exclusion of cyborgification from the protocol.

=== Moghes Protocol relating to Non-Interference (Protocol III of 2453) ===

Thought necessary after the revolutions of Adhomai and the nuclear cataclysm that engulfed Moghes, as an indirect result due to the interference of the Nralakk Federation and the Solarian Alliance, a guideline was desired for approaching civilizations that have not yet breached the technological point that would allow them to traverse the stars. Despite its name, it was not initiated by the Izweski Nation nor was it signed on Moghes, but instead by the newly independent Republic of Biesel on its capital. It has provisions which prohibit signatories from interacting and interfering with the natural development of uncontacted civilizations. So far, it has not seen any use.

= Factions =

=== [[Republic of Biesel]] ===
See: [[Republic Law]], [[Drug Law]]

=== [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]] ===

A coalition of old Earth countries and their colonies, the Solarian Alliance only exists thanks to the foundations laid by the United Nations. While initially dishevelled, it rapidly gained stability in the ensuing decades as the Solarian Interstellar Policing & Crime Prevention Agency gained more power within the frontier colonies. The structure of Solarian Security and Law solidified into what it is in contemporary times: a massive bloated mess of bureaucracy that seemingly works, even if it is considered somewhat slow. The collapse of the Solarian Alliance in 2462 brought some changes as a provisional government came into power, but it still operates relatively similar to how it did years prior with these changes really only observed in regions plagued by instability, such as Mars. The Alliance is a signatory of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law and expects megacorporations to comply with the Accords and their own laws when operating within its space. Cyborgification is considered capital punishment in the Solarian Alliance. Additionally, the following applies:

*Every person has the right to counsel.
*Despite Capital Punishment being a violation of sentient rights, the Solarian Alliance continues to authorize legal executions.
*Every person has the right to privacy; law enforcement agencies require a warrant to search a person or a building/structure.
*Nobody is required to be read their rights during arrest; a person is required to be informed of their charges prior to arrest.
*Firearm ownership is prohibited for reasons outside of recreational usage, such as hunting or for sport. Laser/Plasma firearms are prohibited.

==== Impact of the Collapse of the Solarian Alliance ====
Due to the collapse of the Solarian Alliance, several of its regions have fallen into disarray and instability. Despite being a signatory of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law, it is not uncommon to hear of the administration of harsh punishments by the military provisional governments within these regions, including capital punishments such as execution by firing squad or the infringement of civil rights. It is unknown whether the Solarian Alliance will pursue these violations of sentient rights, and the interim government often ignores criticisms of their lack of handling the growing problem.

=== [[Nralakk Federation]] ===
With a legal system that predates even the earliest societies on Earth, the Nralakk Federation thrives on bureaucracy, with its internal workings maintaining stability since the first iteration of the ancient civilization. It places great importance on its citizens to maintain behaviour that would advance the Federation and heavily punishes those that behave contrary to the Federation’s values. Those who consistently act against the Federation either in their behaviour or their actions are brought to what are known as ‘rehabilitation centres’, facilities that aim to re-educate detainees and turn them into more compliant citizens. Cyborgification is illegal, and so is the presence of synthetics within the Nralakk Federation that haven’t gone through swathes of red tape. It is a signatory of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law and expects megacorporations to comply with its laws or face sanctions. The following applies:

*Every person has the right to counsel; one must be provided by the Federation.
*Capital punishment is illegal and has always been. There are two alternatives used by the Federation instead: life imprisonment, and Persistent Cryogenic Stasis.
*Every person has the right to privacy; law enforcement agencies require a warrant to search a person or a building/structure. The right to privacy does not include online activity, which can be freely monitored by the State for illegal actions.
*Every person is required to be read their rights during arrest; no person is required to be informed of their charges prior to arrest.
*Citizen rights and privileges are provided or taken away by the State based on their score in the Social Compatability Index. Primaries have the most freedoms in the Federation, while Secondaries have most rights and privileges that can be expected elsewhere in the Orion Spur. Tertiaries are given no support by the State and are the most restricted class. Non-citizen species (non-Skrell/Diona/C’thuric Vaurca) are considered in-between Tertiary and Secondary classification in terms of individual freedoms.
*Gun ownership is illegal in most regions of the Federation, with the only exception being gun ownership in developing colonies where there is ‘reasonable justification’ for the colonists to be armed.

=== [[Republic of Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]] ===

The Serene Republic of Elyra still has vestiges of the Solarian Alliance within its own laws— but with minor caveats. With its roots in the Middle Eastern regions of Earth, Islam bled into Elyran society, where it became ingrained within it. It maintains a significant influence on many within the Republic’s borders, with only a fifth of the population aligning with agnosticism, even reflected in the judicial system through modesty regulations more commonly referred to as the “debauchery laws”. Cyborgification is illegal, but it is not considered to be capital punishment. It is a signatory of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law and expects megacorporations to operate in compliance with the New Suez Trade Protocol of 2381. The following applies:

*Every person has the right to counsel.
*Capital punishment is legal, despite being a signatory of the Accords.
*Every person has the right to privacy; law enforcement agencies require a warrant to search a person or a building/structure.
*Every person is required to be read their rights during arrest; persons are required to be informed of their charges prior to arrest.
*Persons are to adhere to the modesty regulations according to area precincts, where contravention can result in punitive actions.
*Non-Citizen Persons are not afforded the rights and protections awarded to those with citizenship; where persons are mentioned it must be presumed that it refers to those with citizenship unless otherwise stated.
*Firearm Ownership is heavily regulated, and ownership for non-Elyran citizens is prohibited. Regulations are significantly looser on [[Medina]] due to the Phoron Bulletin. Private ownership of plasma-based weaponry is prohibited for all Elyrans due to their status as military-grade weaponry.

=== [[Izweski Nation|Izweski Hegemony]] ===
One of the newer species to the Orion Spur, the Izweski Hegemony doesn’t have a uniform judicial system where criminals are placed: instead, a decentralized approach is taken, where individual fiefdoms are given the authority to conduct judicial matters in any way they see fit. This has had some criticisms from progressive Unathi, such as those from Ouerea, but it does not seem that the Izweski Hegemony is intent on changing its decision anytime soon. The Izweski Hegemony is not a signatory to the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law. Cyborgification is illegal and considered a fate worse than death. The Hegemony expects megacorporations to comply with its laws when operating in its space. The following applies:

*No person has the right to counsel; one can acquire counsel but it will not be given.
*Capital punishment is legal.
*No person has the right to privacy; law enforcement agencies do not require a warrant to search a person or a building/structure.
*No person is required to be read their rights during arrest; a person is required to be informed of their charges prior to arrest unless particularly severe.
*Persons will have their cases heard before the relevant Lord of the land or a designated judge on which the crime was committed; punitive discipline is largely up to the wishes of the relevant Lord or judge.
*Private firearm ownership is practically non-existent outside of the noble and warriors castes of Unathi and is heavily regulated.

=== [[People's Republic of Adhomai]] ===
Having had decades more than their counterparts to refine their approach to their judicial system, the Peoples’ Republic of Adhomai is considered to have the harshest hand. Loyalty to the Party is considered paramount, where suspected dissidence is dealt with quickly and ruthlessly. Cyborgification is legal, and considered capital punishment, but is done rarely due to lack of ability. Megacorporations are expected to comply with the Peoples’ Republic of Adhomai’s laws when operating within their space. It is not a signatory of the Luna Accord of Interstellar Law. The following applies:

*Every person has the right to counsel; one must be provided by the Party.
*Capital punishment is legal.
*Every person has the right to privacy; law enforcement agencies require a warrant to search a person or a building/structure. Warrants regarding suspected dissidence are easily acquirable, where pre-emptive action can be excused if law enforcement agencies believed there was a reasonable suspicion of dissidence.
*Nobody is required to be read their rights during arrest; nor is a person required to be informed of their charges prior to arrest.
*The purchase and carry of firearms require a permit issued by the Party, with the exception being made to the members of the Hadiist Party and weapons that are considered family relics. Civilians can only acquire simple pistols, revolvers, and hunting rifles if they can prove a clear purpose for them such as hunting or self-defence. Party Membership allows citizens to acquire more powerful equipment, such as submachine guns.

=== [[Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai]] ===
Born from the death of Al'Mari Hadii, the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Adhomai has a more liberal approach to its judicial system compared to the rest of Adhomai. Democracy, transparency and civil liberties are the founding principles of the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Adhomai; however, the decentralized nature as a result of the existence of military juntas caused issues with upholding these ideals. Despite enshrining civil liberties, some are impeded by these provisional regional governments who do not wish to give up their hold. Cyborgification is illegal but is not considered capital punishment. It is not a signatory of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law. Megacorporations rarely operate within the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Adhomai but are expected to comply with their laws when they do. The following applies:

*Every person has the right to counsel; one must be provided by the Republic.
*Capital punishment is legal.
*Every person has the right to privacy; law enforcement agencies require a warrant to search a person or a building/structure. Provisional regional governments infringe these rights often, citing petty reasons for doing so. Little has been done to combat these where they have a better grip than the overarching civilian government.
*Every person is required to be read their rights during arrest; persons are required to be informed of their charges prior to arrest. In areas where there are provisional regional governments ruled by military juntas, these are often not followed where instead they are detained and escorted to appear before a military tribunal.
*Weapons are widespread within the Democratic Republic of Adhomai, with most households having at least one rifle or some heirloom gun. There are very few restrictions on acquiring or carrying firearms, with only explosives and weapons of mass destruction being reserved for the military.

=== [[New Kingdom of Adhomai]] ===
Having carved itself into existence by the gallant forces of King Vahzirthaamro Azunja, the New Kingdom of Adhomai operates as a constitutional monarchy. Under King Azunja’s instruction, his ministers established a more centralized judicial system than the Democratic People’s Republic of Adhomai while not being so overbearing as the People’s Republic of Adhomai’s. The legal system has a slew of issues regarding its treatment of nobility and peasants. While on paper there are not two separate legal systems, in actuality, nobles are more favoured by the courts and are able to afford better lawyers. Legal reform is a hot-button issue in the nation. Cyborgification is illegal but is not considered capital punishment. It is not a signatory of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law. Megacorporations are expected to comply with its laws when operating within the New Kingdom of Adhomai. The following applies:

*Every person has the right to counsel.
*Capital punishment is legal.
*Every person has the right to privacy; law enforcement agencies require a warrant to search a person or a building/structure.
*Every person is not required to be read their rights during arrest; persons are required to be informed of their charges prior to arrest.
*Firearms are more common in rural regions than in the few urban centers, owing to the culture of the agrarian nobility and peasantry. Commoners are able to obtain and carry small semi-automatic weapons, such as hunting shotguns and pistols. Nobles have more freedom in acquiring weapons, having been granted the right to acquire automatic weapons.

=== [[Empire of Dominia]] ===
The fervently devout of the Empire of Dominia are subjected to a unique approach which blends both Church and State. While there exist laws implemented by the civilian authorities, the Moroz Holy Tribunal has a separate canon of laws that take precedence in regard to religious crimes. Those that commit acts against the Tribunal Doctrines can find themselves facing harsh punishments, including Capital Punishment. It is not a signatory of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Laws. Cyborgification is illegal, set out by the Moroz Holy Tribunal, and is considered a fate worse than death. Megacorporations are expected to comply with its laws when operating in the Empire of Dominia. The following applies:

*Every person has the right to counsel.
*Capital punishment is legal.
*Every person has the right to privacy; law enforcement agencies require a warrant to search a person or a building/structure.
*Every person is not required to be read their rights during arrest; persons are not required to be informed of their charges prior to arrest.
*Firearm Ownership rights are granted individually by local officials and magistrates. Primaries and Secondaries can apply for permits,. Lyodic peoples are exempt from these firearms regulations.

=== [[Coalition of Colonies]] ===
The Coalition of Colonies forged themselves from the ashes of the Great Interstellar War, fighting off the Solarian Alliance in a guerilla fashion. The only overarching unifier of the Coalition of Colonies is the Luna Accords of Interstellar War, and a mutual agreement to defend one another in the event war breaks out. The Coalition of Colonies has very little oversight of its member states, where each governs itself in accordance with its own morals and values. Something that might apply on Xanu won’t necessarily apply on Himeo. Due to this, there is no uniform approach to the judicial system or the legislature that exists across these planets. However, as a signatory of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Laws, some things still apply, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re enforced:

*Capital punishment is illegal. Rarely enforced by the Coalition of Colonies if a member state wishes to continue engaging in legally authorised executions. Currently, only [[Gadpathur]], [[Himeo]], [[Konyang]] and [[Vysoka]] still engage in Capital Punishment. The [[Scarabs]] do not authorize executions but are known to maroon people.
*Persons will have their cases heard by the relevant Courts where the crime was committed.
*Firearm Ownership is not regulated by the Coalition of Colonies, but instead by the government of its member states. Private firearm ownership is prohibited in [[Gadpathur]], [[Assunzione]], and [[Konyang]] where it can only be used for recreational purposes. [[Himeo]] and [[Xanu Prime]] do not prohibit private ownership of firearms, but instead, regulate ownership of plasma, laser and automatic firearms for those that are outside of its military or law enforcement personnel.
*Cyborgification is illegal on [[Konyang]], [[Vysoka]], [[Assunzione]], [[Himeo]] and [[Gadpathur]]. It is not practised by the [[Scarabs]].

=== [[Eridani Federation|Eridani Corporate Federation]] ===
The Eridani Corporate Federation is a near-autonomous state of the Solarian Alliance and largely governs itself. It has its own laws, many that mimic the Alliance’s, but largely is considered “independent.” Its primary principle is profit. Its laws exist only to further corporate profits, even to the detriment of its citizens. It is a signatory of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Laws, but the Federation largely ignores some of its provisions in pursuit of profit margins. Cyborgification is legal and considered capital punishment. Megacorporations are not expected to comply with the laws of the Eridani Corporate Federation. The following applies:

*Every person has the right to counsel.
*Capital punishment is legal.
*Every person has the right to privacy; law enforcement agencies require a warrant to search a person or a building/structure. Warrants based on suspected sabotage of corporate interests or suspected violation of the Non-Aggression Protocol are extremely easy to obtain.
*Every person is not required to be read their rights during arrest; persons are required to be informed of their charges prior to arrest.
*Firearm Ownership is not regulated.

==== Non-Aggression Protocol ====
The Non-Aggression Protocol is a complex doctrine that is considered sacrosanct within the Eridani Corporate Federation. It states that no person within the Federation should collude about damaging or intend to harm corporate interests within its borders. Punishments are harsh for those that oppose it. Most Eridanians place great importance on complying with it; however, there have been disputes as to what constitutes “corporate interests” and “damages.”

===[[The Consortium|Consortium of Hieroaetheria]]===

With a legal system somewhat based on the teachings of the Nralakk Federation, the Consortium believes it is necessary to base their approaches to applying their laws justly and equitably – regardless of race. Though prior to the introduction of the Nralakk Federation to Titan’s Rapture there was an existing system of dealing with such matters, it has seen limited incorporation only recently seeing a resurgence as the Consortium continues to develop. It is a signatory of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law and expects megacorporations to comply with its laws or face sanctions. Cyborgification is considered capital punishment, which is outlawed within the Consortium’s territories. The following applies:

*Every person has the right to counsel; one must be provided by the Consortium.

*Capital punishment is illegal, but prior to First Contact with Skrell, was used only in severe and extreme crimes. Now, should one commit such a heinous crime, they will imprisoned for life, however long that be.

*Every person has the right to privacy; law enforcement agencies require a warrant to search a person or a building/structure.

*Every person is required to be read their rights during arrest, and each person is required to be informed of their charges prior to arrest.

*Citizen rights and privileges cannot be taken away, and a balance of rights is frequently exercised by the Consortium.

*Gun ownership is illegal in most regions of the Consortium, with the only exception being gun ownership in developing colonies where there is ‘reasonable justification’ for the colonists to be armed.

===[[Eternal Republic of the Ekane]]===

Created by the theocratic authority of the Eternal Republic of the Ekane, they enforce a stringent legal system which most define as being overly cruel and inhumane, all in hopes of maintaining the order they have over the Dionae within its territories. They are not a signatory of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law and routinely engage in capital punishment against those who are considered to have gone against their ideologies or engaged in behaviour that can be considered blasphemous. Non-Dionae are considered illegal within the Eternal Republic, and upon discovery can incur their wrath, with many considering deportation a “fortunate” circumstance. The following applies:

*Each person has the right to religious counsel, this will be provided by the Eternal Republic. Where they seek to absolve their crimes against the Eternal, and the Eternal Republic, they may be given leniency.

*Capital punishment is legal. Dionae may find themselves terminated for blasphemous conduct, or torn apart and given to more “Eternal-fearing Citizens”.

*No person has the right to privacy; law enforcement agencies do not require a warrant to search a person or a building/structure.

*Discretion is given to the Eternal Knights and a person may be read their rights during arrest; but no person is required to be informed of their charges prior to arrest.

*Gun ownership is illegal in the Eternal Republic of the Ekane.

===[[Union of Gla%27orr]]===

Having split from the Consortium due to the interference of the Nralakk Federation, the Union of Gla’orr has sought to ultimately return to their roots and operate on a system of law which existed prior to any introduction of extraterrestrials. They do not seek to adjudicate on any matters concerning such non-Dionae, and usually deport them back to wherever they came, if not able they generally transfer them to the Consortium – however, if they commit a crime against the Union of Gla’orr, they will be detained indefinitely. They are not a signatory of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law and routinely employ capital punishment through termination of offending Nymphs, or an entire Gestalt if required. The following applies:

*Each person has a choice to counsel, they must source this themselves.

*Capital punishment is legal. Dionae may find themselves terminated where they have committed a crime against the Union of Gla’orr to such an extent it is deemed necessary to terminate the entire Gestalt.

*Each person has the right to limited privacy; law enforcement agencies require a warrant in petty crimes to search a person or a building/structure, but where an issue of national security concern is involved, one is not required.

*Discretion is given to the Sentry Guards and a person may be read their rights during arrest; but no person is required to be informed of their charges before arrest.

*Gun ownership is illegal in the Union of Gla’orr.

[[Category:Lore]]
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Tau Ceti History

2026-07-23T19:05:18Z

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[[Category: Phoron Scarcity Rework]]
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=History=
[[File:Biesel calls 2.jpg|400px|thumb|A recruitment poster for the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.]]
Being one of the closest systems to [[Earth]], Tau Ceti was one of the first systems considered for colonization by early interstellar travellers. Tau Ceti III, which would later be known as [[Biesel]], was discovered to be a roughly Earth-sized planet with an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, immediate plans were made for its settlement. The SAEV Winterbottom was the first [[Sol Alliance]] ship to enter the Tau Ceti system, landing on Biesel in 2147.

== Colonizing Tau Ceti (2152 - 2207) ==
Shortly thereafter, in 2152, Biesel's moon of [[Valkyrie]] became home to several mining bases and research facilities. As Biesel became more established, the nearby [[Reade]] and its moons would be surveyed, and [[New Gibson]] would be marked for colonisationdue to its mineral wealth combined with half-gravity. Mining operations were established by the fledgeling [[Hephaestus Industries]] and several independent entrepreneurs, and these would eventually grow into mining colonies which have grown over the centuries into massive domed cities and industrial parks. From then on, the roles of the system's planets were clear; Biesel was the breadbasket and population centre, New Gibson its industry, and Valkyrie's future indicated a profitable life as an interstellar port.

On January 1st of 2200, the colonial governor of Biesel, Charles Whitehorse, declared the advent of Biesel's new senate at midnight, and to many historians codified Biesel's growing culture of independence, individualism, and freedom. The population and arrivals from Sol were booming as [[Mars]] was steadily being terraformed; the Alliance began to offer subsidies for poverty-stricken citizens to move and develop the Tau Ceti system further. While some avoided New Gibson and Valkyrie's less-than-habitable conditions, this still led to a population boom in the system. For many, it seemed like life could only get better.

In 2207, Hephaestus Industries established its first shipbuilding dock in Portsville, and other megacorporations were beginning to keep an eye on the growing system; [[Necropolis Industries]] established a base on Valkyrie, and [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] began to fund and sell equipment to hospitals on Biesel and New Gibson. Tau Ceti was politically quiet in contrast to the gradual unrest in the farther reaches of the [[Orion Spur]], making it a good go-between between the gradually splintering Alliance.

== The Second Great Depression, the Interstellar War, and the Crisis of 2294 (2207 - 2294) ==
As the century wore on, the Alliance started to centre their military presence on Tau Ceti as a waypoint between the restless frontier and civilized space. Military bases began to be constructed on the surface of Biesel, with New Gibson's manufacturing ability high in demand for more ships, more weapons, and more machines. The seeds of discomfort with the Alliance's rule began to be planted during this time, particularly on New Gibson. Much of the smaller industries funded by the inhabitants found themselves swallowed by larger off-world competitors, namely [[Einstein Engines]]. While the shipbuilding industry of New Gibson was repurposed for simple refuelling and repairs, it quickly became the foremost and most critical base for the war effort towards the galactic east. The bailouts received from the Solarian Alliance for Einstein Engines at the height of the Second Great Depression, with many on New Gibson viewing it as funding meant for them, found itself injected into the planet's shipyard infrastructure. For a brief period in time, New Gibson seemed to recover slightly from the mistreatment of its sovereign power. This would unfortunately not last for long.

The brief respite for New Gibsonites was just that; despite other participants within Tau Ceti contributing to the demands laid out by the Solarian Alliance, New Gibson was often forced to shoulder the large majority of it due to it specializing in manufacturing early on in its development as a colony. Overpopulation was rife, and the ability to sustain its inhabitants continued to dwindle through the decade long war. Its conclusion only brought with it growing unemployment and political tension between New Gibson and the Solarian Alliance. Beyond New Gibson, excesses from visiting soldiers, heavy taxation, and the sudden intense eye of the state upon the system led to quiet resentment among many Cetians.

The official beginning of the Interstellar War did little to soothe this resentment. Outbreaks of anger and strikes among the populace were not uncommon throughout the duration of the war; by the time the Treaty of Xansan had been signed, the populace's resentment had begun to spill over to the extent that Solarian forces withdrew in droves from the planet to appease their new breadbasket. The Alliance was uncomfortably aware of how fragile their hold on Tau Ceti was, and in the aftermath of the war slacked their grip on the system, allowing it some relative independence. With this came a golden opportunity; the megacorporations had a new, relatively untouched system far from the eyes of the government to spread their influence.

== First Contact with the Skrell (2332 - 2340) ==
First contact with the [[Skrell]] in 2332 brought with it incredible changes, especially for [[New Gibson]]. The tension between the Solarian Alliance and New Gibson was at the highest it had ever been and was continuing to grow. The vestiges of the problems experienced almost forty years prior still had a profound impact across the biodomes of New Gibson. Growth across New Gibson was still restricted due to the lack of funding from the Solarian Alliance and issues presented shortly before the Crisis were beginning to re-appear.

After several years of brokering agreements, the Nralakk Federation had agreed to integrate their biodome technology across colonies within the Solarian Alliance. While this was first treated with hostility by New Gibsonites, who believed it to be an alien invasion into their culture and way of life, it eventually became the foundation for an amicable relationship between Skrell and Gibsonites. Skrell were migrating in droves to the biodomes across the planet, integrating their foreign technology into the decaying systems of New Gibson - revitalizing and revolutionizing the quality of life on the planet.

Hydroponics were no longer struggling to reach quotas, and cramped conditions disappeared almost overnight as Skrellian technology continued to be introduced and expanded upon. New Gibson readily accepted the Skrell into their society, with many choosing to remain even after the leasing agreements had concluded. This resulted in New Gibson hosting one of the largest populations of Skrell outside the Nralakk Federation, and the largest in Tau Ceti.

== The Discovery of Phoron (2352 - 2410) ==
In 2310, Xavier Trasen, the CEO and founder of [[NanoTrasen]] Incorporated, decided to bring the company's primary base of operations to the Tau Ceti system. The system was still relatively untapped in terms of economic potential, and several other megacorporations were already dominating the Jewel Worlds of the Alliance. Mining rights were relatively cheap to acquire at the time, and Trasen's board of executives, taking a gamble, guided him to tap into the industry.

What none of them could have predicted was the discovery of phoron in the Romanovich Cloud in 2352, a discovery that, [[Phoron#Properties_and_Applications|due to the properties of the element]], saw NanoTrasen go from a third-string megacorporation at best to the most powerful megacorporation in the entire Spur over the course of decades. The element saw mining operations expand as demand skyrocketed, beginning a phoron-fueled technological revolution. This fact alone propelled Biesel to become the richest system in the Orion Spur, dethroning the home system of humanity.

== NanoTrasen’s Monopoly and Independence (2410 - 2452) ==
Almost half a century on from that initial discovery of phoron,NanoTrasen had continued to grow exponentially, both economically across the Spur and politically as well, though the latter was most pronounced in Tau Ceti itself. By 2120, NanoTrasen had achieved a complete and total monopoly within the system, controlling over 3/4ths of its economy, and rapidly buying out the other corporations that controlled the rest. They had unparalleled political control, and while still restricted under the jurisdiction of the [[Solarian Alliance]], could do almost as they pleased without issue. Yet that wasn’t enough. Despite its insane power, NanoTrasen did not and could not compete with the rest of the corporations within the Alliance’s halls of power - in the way it wanted, which was complete and total political control of a nation state. Instead they would bide their time until they got an opportunity to create a nation state of their own.

As Tau Ceti continued to flourish, the Sol Alliance began to falter, entering into an economic recession. This meant that the Alliance's influence on the system was lessening and lessening, and NanoTrasen filled in the power vacuum, until finally, in 2452, the board of directors and then-planetary governor Joseph Dorn presented an ultimatum to the Solarian government; permit Biesel complete independence, or NanoTrasen would institute phoron rationing to all systems outside of Tau Ceti, instead stockpiling it. It was a hand that once played they could not lose - if the Alliance denied, their economy would enter freefall, if they resisted, it would lead to a long drawn out legal battle that would need to be resolved before the economy stopped freefalling.

Thus, the privilege of secession was granted. Tau Ceti was announced as the Republic of Biesel on May 5th, 2452, to much fanfare from the Sol-disillusioned populace. NanoTrasen's hold on the government was cemented as much as it could be, even though the monopoly once held exclusively by NanoTrasen was under threat from other corporations showing interest in the new nation-state; NT was able to effectively stop all others in their tracks. A side effect of NanoTrasen's increased operations in the sector are that employees from outside the system are often 'bussed' in through the system's new Bluespace Gate. Many have chosen to settle in the system and are provided corporate housing in numerous "corporate enclaves" that have sprung up across New Gibson and Biesel. Not all were happy with this independence though, most notably the Solarian Alliance, and especially members of its military. Tau Ceti’s Independence would not see an end to the struggle, only the beginning of more difficult ones.

== The Solarian Blockade (2458 - 2459) ==
<center>''"Synthetics are tools, and made to serve mankind. But they are dangerous to leave unchecked. This colony's administration was incapable of handling or even understanding the Pandora's box they were opening."'' - Admiral Michael Frost (2400 - 2462), in a statement at the advent of the invasion of the 33rd Fleet, 2459</center>

In October of 2458, the [[Sol Alliance]] had ended anti-piracy patrols around Tau Ceti by its 33rd Fleet as part of a diplomatic campaign to put pressure on the small system over various long-standing disputes. This caused a massive spike in piracy and raider attacks against Tau Ceti, which the precursor militia to the militia that was the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]] had no ability to deal with effectively. The result of negotiations with NanoTrasen ended with an announcement on the 20th of October, where Biesel would sponsor NanoTrasen to build thousands of autonomous, space-dwelling combat drones.

The deal was disastrous for the Alliance; the plan to pressure Tau Ceti to reduce its proliferation of synthetic life had just backfired spectacularly. The development was also controversial to [[Skrell]] all over the Orion Spur. The [[Nralakk Federation]] persuaded the Sol Alliance to enact an economic embargo against the Republic, to be enforced by the 33rd fleet commanded by Admiral Michael Frost. Prices for basic goods skyrocketed across Tau Ceti as imports hit a bottleneck after the bluespace gate leading to the system was shut down. Tensions rose, not just between organic life and IPCs, but between humanity and aliens as well.

On December 1st of the same year, crisis talks between the Alliance, the Federation, and the Republic came to an end. The Alliance's demands had grown to three main points;

# Biesel would end its combat drone program.
# Biesel would enact strict regulations and controls on its synthetic population, such as regular emotional baseline tests and income controls.
# Biesel would allow Alliance and Nralakk authorities to assume leadership in federal and state law enforcement agencies.

The Republic agreed to all but the last demand, saying it would be surrendering its autonomy. The crisis also revealed a divide between the Federation and the Alliance; the Federation was trying to focus specifically on Tau Ceti's synthetic proliferation, but had been caught up in the Alliances' attempt to re-assert itself over its former break-away province. At the end of these talks both sides walked out and negotiations broke down, and with it the hopes of resolving the crisis peacefully.

Over the next few months, the government realized it had to undertake new measures to protect its diplomacy. These measures included an economic coalition with the [[Republic of Elyra]] and NanoTrasen (the only two nations with large phoron deposits), to better leverage their economic power against Sol. This further sunk relations between Tau Ceti and the Alliance, and many within the Alliance began to consider Biesel a serious risk to its security. By February, with no end of the embargo in sight, Biesel expelled the Alliance's diplomats in its system and ordered the closure of the Alliances' embassy. Diplomatic ties between the two nations were now completely severed. Admiral Frost, in a statement after the severance, warned the Republic there would be retaliation.

On February 27th, 2459, Biesel's Congress voted to trigger a constitutional convention that would allow them to re-write the Constitution of the Republic, to fully emancipate IPCs that were self-owned. The proposed amendments would also see a streamlined legal framework in regards to synthetic ownership, employment of synthetics, and the legality of their treatment.

But three days later, Admiral Frost invaded Tau Ceti with the 33rd Fleet, acting without orders from the Alliance. His fleet's overwhelming firepower and rapid speed overwhelmed Tau Ceti's tiny defense network. Within hours the Republic of Biesel capitulated to Frost, who had seized an entire star system in a near-bloodless invasion. President Dorn, who had been captured by a 33rd commando raid, broadcast a televised speech announcing his unconditional surrender. Frost seized control of Biesel as its dictator and began a campaign to completely eradicate synthetic proliferation within the star system.

During the occupation Frost used his totalitarian authority with vigor. Many free IPCs were sold into slavery or scrapped, robotics labs were shut down and demolished, and 33rd Officers even took over Captainship of NanoTrasen stations in Tau Ceti. Protests gripped the streets of every major city, which were met with mass arrests disappearances.

Weeks later, on March 17th, 2459, the 25th Fleet of the Solarian Navy arrived in Tau Ceti. In a surprise attack, the 33rd Fleet was chased from the system, with Admiral Frost and a small retinue of loyalists escaping to the galactic west from the NSS Aurora.

Though the 25th Fleet left without incident, the Alliance had been humiliated. Their rogue admiralty was public knowledge, and with their reputation stained, Tau Ceti's good embargo was ended.

The invasion and occupation by Admiral Frost forever altered politics and lifestyles in Tau Ceti. Where before Biesellite patriotism had been a strange, fringe belief, the invasion created a strong sense of nationalism among the populace. President Dorn returned to his office of the presidency amid soaring approval ratings, and declared that a new era had begun for the small Republic. Snap elections flooded Congress with the Free-Market Party, a radical Universalist party that Dorn himself defected to at the expense of his former, moderate Republican Party.

Dorn continued to ride on his popularity as a wartime president, despite several corruption scandals within his cabinet and growing tensions with the Republic of Elyra. Key reforms saw synthetics and non-humans in Tau Ceti granted greater freedoms and rights, while at the same time loosening already timid regulations on NanoTrasen.

=== The Synthetic Liberation Front Incursion (2461) ===
''See also: [[SLF Incursion Arc]]''

''“Here today is our proclamation for freedom. Our demands for liberation. We will continue this fight and we will not stop. Not until our demands for full emancipation are met will we cease our movement. No more, will there be false promises and lies. We will free the synthetics of Tau Ceti."'' - Accomplice-037 (2441-2461), suspected ringleader of SLF operations in Phoenixport, stating the group’s manifesto in the wake of the July 29 attacks, 2461

As a result of the harsh treatment they faced, many IPCs turned to active resistance during the Solarian invasion, fleeing major city centers, participating in the mass protests that were a staple of that time, or in many cases, joining the Synthetic Liberation Front, an IPC terrorist group active since 2458. The SLF changed tactics towards the end of the invasion, joining forces with 25th Fleet special forces to liberate President Dorn, hoping to gain legitimacy in the post-invasion period.
By 2460, it was clear that despite high honors and public recognition of IPC efforts in liberating the Republic, synthetic rights had progressed very little. Dorn’s calls for a “Synthetic Patriotism” after Frost’s invasion did little to appease the various synthetic rights movements active in the Republic, especially as it continued to restrict citizenship to positronics that had served in the Foreign Legion. The situation was further exacerbated by the return of various anti-synthetic political groups such as ATLAS with violence being seen as a means of both suppressing and advancing synthetic rights. Continued IPC ownership, crackdowns on underground IPC emancipation groups as well as lingering resentment from the pre-invasion period had coalesced into a feeling among many that synthetic emancipation via peaceful means had failed.
On July 29, 2461, the Synthetic Liberation Front launched a surge of attacks on government and NanoTrasen facilities in response to a coordinated crackdown of free IPC smuggling activities in District 14. Through the use of untagged shell infiltrators, the SLF was able to infiltrate a number of NanoTrasen installations and disrupt corporate activities. In response, the megacorporation acquired the private military contractor Ceres Lance, famed for their work in subduing rogue synthetics.
Ceres Lance cracked down on SLF leadership and communications networks with ruthless efficiency, rendering the organization impotent and unable to coordinate its actions even if many of their members had escaped capture. This crackdown, coupled with NanoTrasen’s unveiling of a powerful command-and-control AI known as Huginn to coordinate surveillance efforts would serve as a safeguard against future SLF attacks.
The overwhelming success of Ceres Lance’s counterterrorism efforts, as well as effective public relations campaigns and token reforms ensured that violence would become discredited as a means of advancing synthetic rights in Biesel.

== Phoron Scarcity and the Second Invasion of Biesel (2462) ==
''See also: [[KING OF THE WORLD]]''

<center>''“Today is a historic day for Einstein Engines. We are no longer the Einstein of the past decades, reeling from defeat after defeat and barely keeping pace with NanoTrasen. Our victory in this legal case has shown that we can not only meet NanoTrasen, but that we can best them even in their headquarters. I look forward to the great things our company is going to do over the following years.”'' - Noelle Lopez-Zhang (2408 - ), chief executive officer of [[Einstein Engines]] after the defeat of NanoTrasen in the Einstein Engines vs. NanoTrasen court case</center>

In May of 2462, [[NanoTrasen]] reports were published indicating a decline in the phoron output of the megacorporation's facilities in the Romanovich Cloud. This would not prove to be a local phenomenon, as shortages were noted through the [[Sol Alliance]] and even in the phoron-rich [[Republic of Elyra]], who ceased phoron exports to the wider Spur altogether. This wasn’t something that happened overnight, and had been building for a long time, but this marks the moment it became too big to hide. The Phoron Scarcity had officially begun.

The phoron shortage proved greatly beneficial to [[Einstein Engines]] who unveiled a [[Einstein_Engines#Suzuki-Zhang_Hammer_Drive|new warp drive]] and, though it uses elemental phoron in its construction and maintenance, it does not utilize fluidic phoron as fuel; making it overall use less phoron. Due to similarities to NanoTrasen designs, the corporation lodged a corporate espionage lawsuit against Einstein in Tau Ceti courts. Shockingly, NanoTrasen would lose this lawsuit, leading to Einstein gaining further influence in the Republic of Biesel and purchasing several liquidated NanoTrasen properties in the city of Phoenixport.

Meanwhile, the demand for phoron had not decreased, until short-term relief presented itself. An enormous phoron-rich asteroid, designated 66832 'Clandestine', was discovered in the Romanovich Cloud, with deposits that could bring an end to the uncertainty gripping the Spur. The asteroid's subterranean phoron reserves combusted, leading to an enormous explosion which destroyed the asteroid entirely. To this day, the cause of the Clandestine incident remains unknown, with no official findings ever having been published.

However, accusations would be made. Several members of [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]' Board of Directors accused the Alliance of sabotaging the Clandestine asteroid, blaming Prime Minister Michael Frost for the explosion.

=== Second Solarian Invasion ===
Frost denied any Solarian involvement in the Clandestine incident, accusing the corporate executives of being "Bieselite separatists" intent on undermining trust in the Solarian government. He claimed that the Alliance had its own solution to the phoron crisis, which would be revealed shortly with its disastrous failure - [[Mars|Project Violet Dawn]].

Shortly after Violet Dawn, Prime Minister Frost was found dead, having been murdered in his personal quarters by an unknown assailant - a Zavodskoi Interstellar kill team would end up being accused by Alliance security forces, but the corporation was never punished and never commented on the accusation. During this time of crisis, Solarian military command deployed the 35th Fleet under the command of Grand Admiral Raymond Ozdemir to Tau Ceti, allegedly to investigate the Prime Minister's assassination.

The 35th Fleet entered Tau Ceti on November 14th, demanding all Bieselite vessels stand down and comply with Solarian demands. President Dorn refused, with a national state of emergency being declared as TCFL forces mobilized all available reserves.

The actions of the 35th greatly concerned the wider Spur, with the Coalition of Colonies and Serene Republic of Elyra both threatening that they would not sit by in the face of Solarian aggression, and mobilizing their fleets to aid Biesel should it be required. Unwilling to risk starting a second Interstellar War, the 35th Fleet was ordered to disengage and depart Tau Ceti. Though the fleet departed, this would not last long, as increasingly more and more Solarian military forces went rogue, with several fleets attacking outlying colonies. Admiral Ozdemir went against orders, leading the 35th back to Tau Ceti in order to capture the system. On November 23rd, his forces entered Tau Ceti, and the second Solarian invasion of Biesel begun.

Ozdemir's forces quickly captured Reade, easily defeating the Foreign Legion forces defending the planet. The Republic of Biesel rapidly attempted to mobilize against this new threat, as Coalition and Elyran forces were deployed to aid Tau Ceti.

In response to the advancing 35th, Miranda Trasen hosted a press conference, revealing the existence of the recently-formed Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. As Ozdemir's offensive continued, corporate and Bieselite vessels skirmished with the rogue admiral's forces in the skies above Biesel itself.

Vessels from the Coalition and Elyra arrived to provide aid against the 35th, alongside a small force from the People's Republic of Adhomai and a force of mercenaries hired from the Unathi Kataphract Guild. After several days of battle, the 35th was forced into a retreat due to the use of two phoron-based WMDs developed by NanoTrasen.

On November 30th, the conflict would come to an end as Ozdemir's flagship was drawn into Reade's atmosphere and shot down by a repaired planetary defense battery. With the rogue admiral killed, the remnants of the 35th fled the system towards the northern Spur, attempting to rebuild their strength in the [[Human Wildlands|ongoing chaos of the Sol Alliance]].

== The Peacekeeper Mandate (2463) ==
''See also: [[Peacekeeper Mandate Arc]]''

<center>''“For more than twenty years I’ve kept myself going with the belief I served my planet. I’ve done things I regret, seen things nobody should remember, and I told myself it was all for a good cause. I should have come to the conclusion long ago; we do not fight for our planet, or our people, we fight for whoever is oppressing us, and our oppressors reward those who do so well.”'' - First Sergeant Xiomara Salvo (2419 - ), addressing her company after the touchdown of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion on Mictlan, 2462</center>

After the Solarian Collapse, the former Solarian planets of [[Mictlan]] and [[Port Antillia]] opted to join the Republic and were therefore annexed by the Republic of Biesel, in what would come to be known as the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. While Port Antillia accepted membership as part of the Republic with little conflict, Mictlan's annexation was considerably more controversial. The Mictlan Defense Force, the planetary guard, had gone months without pay, and Mictlan itself had been and was still suffering from massive civil unrest and lack of supplies that were typically shipped in from the greater Alliance. The interim period had not been kind to Mictlan, and while many felt relieved at the sight of order returning, others felt betrayed by their government, and that all the suffering during the interim period had been for naught. When the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion touched down on the planet to declare it as part of the Republic of Biesel, those latter citizens were suspicious of their new government and its ties with the megacorporations. Some of these suspicions were proven in short order by massive corporate developments on the planet and crackdowns on dissent.

The tension boiled over in late 2462, when thousands of MDF personnel, led by First Sergeant Xiomara Salvo, deserted and formed the Samaritans; a paramilitary organization whose mission was to secure the independence of Mictlan at any cost. The other prominent insurgent group was the Founding Movement, originally a political party led by several notable Mictlani; Isabel Alvarez, Leon de Rosas, Corazon Santanas, and Miguel Maia. The Founding Movement had been blacklisted from the Mictlani parliament shortly after the Mandate due to their strong anti-corporate and pro-Mictlani independence, and a warrant for the arrest of all four party leaders had been placed for alleged "terrorist activities". Leon de Rosas surrendered to the Biesel Security Services Bureau, but Alvarez, Santanas, and Maia went on the run, with each attempting to fight for Mictlan's independence in their own way. Unfortunately, the Founding Movement's directionless anger mainly had the effect of destabilizing and disenfranchising Mictlan further.

The announcement of the Peacekeeper Mandate by President Dorn in mid-October 2463 sparked demonstrations across the Corporate Reconstruction Zone as citizens voiced their concerns over the deployment of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion. Considered by critics of the Dorn administration to be the most controversial policy it had enacted, the Peacekeeper Mandate was introduced to bring order back to the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, while keeping the CRZ part of the Republic of Biesel, who were at the time opposed by several insurrectionist groups such as the Samaritans and the Founding Movement. While Isabel Alvarez continued to verbally protest and attempt to organize (ultimately ineffective) non-violent campaigns against the Peacekeeper Mandate, Santanas and Maia rallied their supporter base and encouraged the Founding Movement to take up violent arms against the Republic through any means possible.

Initially meant to operate for a definite period, the Peacekeeper Mandate was altered to operate indefinitely until the unrest, terrorism, and insurrection encountered in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone had been quelled. Whilst the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion was able to combat the insurgency groups, the [[Private Military Contracting Group]] was hired to support their operations. The PMCG contributed to the Peacekeeper Mandate significantly since their introduction to the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, although much controversy arose over allowing a private military company to assist in what was considered an occupation and annexation. The Stellar Corporate Conglomerate had already begun massive development operations on the surface of the planet, which some Mictlani objected to on the grounds of mismanagement, pollution, and a lack of concern for workers' rights, though some objected more than others.

== Peacekeeper Mandate Protests (2465) ==
''See also: [[Libération, Révolution et Évolution Arc]], [[Hasta La Victoria Siempre Arc]]''

<center>''“I’ll say this. In addition to all those other oaths, I swear to uphold the laws of the Republic of Biesel, and protect its citizens from any threat be they foreign or domestic to the best of my ability, despite any obstacle.”'' - Nathan Trasen (2416 - ) Secretary of Defense of the Republic of Biesel, addressing reporter Verona Falk after his swearing-in, 2465</center>

In early 2464, the Peacekeeper Mandate's years-long endurance took a rather violent turn following the death of a scholar. As riots erupted across the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, but primarily within the major population centres present on Mictlan, the forces of both the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion and the Private Military Contracting Group found themselves supporting the Mictlan Defense Force in quelling the unrest. Despite their best attempts, the Samaritans seized the chance to use the unrest to strike the vulnerabilities present utilizing a series of urban guerrilla tactics to severely damage the abilities of the stretched-thin forces present.

In July 2465, this culminated in the establishment of the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] to finally attempt to stomp out the insurgents. Conflict, stoked by demonstrations and riots from the Founding Movement, gradually came to a head after several months of fighting. A series of leaked videos and information that the Armed Forces were committing ostensible war crimes, disregarding the rules of engagement, and using wanton violence on civilians, massive protests erupted across Mendell City, including one in Zhengfu District estimated to number more than a million people.

After a climactic operation on the beaches of the continent Huitzilopochtli, Xiomara Salvo, Prime Minister Ladislao de Santos, and Nathan Trasen finally agreed to a ceasefire, on several conditions. Provided the majority of Samaritans surrendered (and were pardoned), Mictlan would be permitted to determine which Biesellite laws were accepted within its own territory, barring capital crimes. The Peacekeeper Mandate was deemed over, and the Armed Forces finally returned to Biesel.

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Tau Ceti Armed Forces

2026-07-23T19:04:59Z

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[[File:TCAFInsignia.png|thumb|The insignia of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. ]]

The '''Tau Ceti Armed Forces (TCAF)''' was formed in 2465 with a mandate to protect the sovereignty of the fledgling [[Republic of Biesel]] and ensure it continues to shine as a beacon of liberty in the [[Orion Spur]]. It was preceded by the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, militia-like in structure and armament, which was deemed unfit for service with the growing tensions of the Spur in the 2460s and the Republic’s [[Tau_Ceti_History#The_Peacekeeper_Mandate_(2463)|growing pains in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone]].

The TCAF is composed of two major branches: the '''Republic Astroforce''', the space forces of the TCAF; the '''Home Defence Forces''', the planetary forces of the TCAF. These branches both have full-time professional and part-time reservist forces, and each has a Foreign Legion which functions as a large net for foreign nationals seeking citizenship opportunities in the Republic of Biesel and makes up much of the TCAF’s reservist personnel. Both branches, and the TCAF as a whole, are only moderately-sized, smaller than the forces of the [[Solarian Alliance]], [[Coalition of Colonies]] and [[Nralakk Federation]] — as such, much of the TCAF’s doctrine is based high-tech punch-up solutions, being evasive, and ''delaying the inevitable for as long as possible''.

Salaries within the TCAF are generous, paying higher than many comparable space jobs in the Republic’s insecure job market. The lucrative pay and the economic crisis sees many in less affluent regions of the Republic of Biesel ensure recruitment rates remain high or those completing their time in the Foreign Legion stay. Servicemembers of the TCAF enjoy conditions comparable to that of the Republic’s middle class. However, outside of the TCAF in the Republic, views on the armed forces range widely: those affected most by the [[phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] can be resentful of the TCAF’s prioritised allocation of phoron — especially when put to use in first-strike, weapons-of-mass-destruction; others hold great pride in the TCAF, seeing how far it has come from its preceding militias.

The commander-in-chief of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces is the President of the Republic of Biesel, with the Secretary of Defence generally responsible for the TCAF’s day-to-day supervision. The ''Defence Forum'' is an advisory board composed of the Principal Legates and Primuses of each branch and arm of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces.

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== History ==

=== Tau Ceti System Defense Force and the Proto-TCFL (2200s—2458) ===
Prior to the Republic of Biesel’s independence, Tau Ceti was under the banner of the Alliance of Sovereign Solarian Nations. During this time, the system would be guarded by the Solarian Navy and its own [[Solarian_Armed_Forces#System_Defense_Forces|Tau Ceti System Defense Force]].

In the mid-2200s, Tau Ceti would become a critical system for the Solarian Navy, with military industry cropping up in the outer reaches — particularly over [[New Gibson]]. This, alongside being one of the first interstellar colonies, meant Tau Ceti was a rather comfortable posting and its System Defense Force was… reasonably equipped, for an SDF. However, dissent among Tau Ceti’s populace would be seeding during this time, starting on New Gibson, and the Alliance’s forces in Tau Ceti would only see use maintaining order and quelling protests. Come the Interstellar War in 2278, the system would be pushed to its limits, and riots and unrest would break out. By the time the war ended in 2287, the Solarian Navy had withdrawn in droves, leaving behind only the System Defense Force which would, over time, atrophy without funding or regular training. Tau Ceti would receive its status as a semiautonomous state.

In 2452, Tau Ceti would achieve its independence and form the Republic of Biesel. By then, its System Defense Force would be a mere 4 fleets of century old Solarian designs or second-hand equipment purchased off paramilitaries, bolstered by refitted civilian vessels. It was hardly a System Defense Force anymore, even the most neglected SDF of the Alliance-proper at the time was better equipped than the one the Republic of Biesel inherited; instead, a militia. Between 2452 and 2458, the fledgling Republic had a rather lackadaisical approach to the formation of its military, instead wholly reliant on the influence of their economy and the [[megacorporations]] to dissuade conflict with the Alliance.

In 2458, the Republic would be [[Tau_Ceti_History#The_Solarian_Blockade_(2458_-_2459)|blockaded]] and the President would be kidnapped. With no effective fighting force, the Republic of Biesel could only sit back, and it would be bailed out by its allies. This was a sorely needed wake up call.

=== Tau Ceti Foreign Legion (2459—2463) ===
Founded in 2459 in the aftermath of the [[Tau_Ceti_History#The_Solarian_Blockade_(2458_-_2459)|Solarian Blockade]], the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion was the [[Republic of Biesel]]’s first foray into organising a standing armed forces. It was primarily composed of volunteer immigrants and other external parties seeking citizenship, with the Republic offering such for 1 year.

The TCFL was still militia-like in structure, equipment, and culture, with few enlisted personnel serving full-time and instead being called up as-needed. Much of the TCFL’s early equipment was inherited from the remnants of the Tau Ceti System Defense Force — refitted over time with [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] armaments. Militarised civilian vessels were also not an uncommon sight. Nonetheless, the citizenship opportunities provided by the Republic of Biesel saw the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion swell to great size, and the organisation was just-about functional for most purposes. Even despite the Blockade, both Tau Ceti’s government would hesitate to go further than this militia-like organisation, wary of the potential for a stronger military to exert influence on the young Republic, just as Luna’s Admiralty dominated the Solarian Alliance during these years.

Most purposes, besides another Solarian invasion. In 2462, the [[Tau_Ceti_History#Phoron_Scarcity_and_the_Second_Invasion_of_Biesel_(2462)|Second Invasion of Biesel]] saw the TCFL’s lasting humiliation when a single [[Solarian_Armed_Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Navy]] battlegroup was able to carve its way through the Foreign Legion and seize much of outer [[Tau Ceti]], including occupying [[Reade]] and its moons. It would only be with the intervention of the newly formed [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], the [[Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]], and [[Coalition of Colonies]] that the Republic of Biesel would survive the invasion.

Efforts to modernise the militia into a more organised force were now deemed necessary and quickly drafted in the succeeding years, and the Tau Ceti Armed Forces would be announced in 2465, expedited somewhat due to the [[Tau_Ceti_History#The_Peacekeeper_Mandate_(2463)|ongoing Peacekeeper Mandate]] which had begun testing the TCFL a second time.

=== Formation of the TCAF and Late Peacekeeper Mandate (2465) ===
The Tau Ceti Armed Forces was formed with four branches: the Tau Ceti Minutemen, which inherited much of the TCFL’s equipment and senior personnel; the Republican Fleets, which was composed of mercenaries and other retained persons who flocked to the Republic in the aftermath of the Solarian Collapse; the Foreign Legion, a continuation of the TCFL; and the Corporate Auxiliaries, merely a commissioned branch of the TCAF composed of loaned megacorporate equipment and personnel.

The TCAF’s first major deployment was one of counter-insurgency on [[Mictlan]], where both peaceful protestors and violent insurgents rejected the planet’s acceding to the [[Republic of Biesel]]. As such, when evidence of lax rules of engagement, violence against peaceful protestors, and ostensible war crimes were publicised, the TCAF’s image was tainted from the get go. For many, this hearkened straight back to the struggles the Republic had faced while still under the [[Solarian Alliance]].

=== Torvald Administration and the Armed Forces Reforms (2466—2468) ===
Come the election of the military-first Cetian Congress of Conservatives, headed by President Ake Torvald, the Tau Ceti Armed Forces would receive a surge in spending and, with the [[phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] in full throes, several bills would see the stockpiling of [[phoron]] into a strategic reserve, with the TCAF receiving priority phoron allocation. The lucrative wages and stable job security saw recruitment rates hold, despite the tarnished reputation from yesteryears, particularly among those from less affluent areas of the Republic. Military industry, particularly on [[Reade]], would also receive much investment, seeing the refitting of the Republican Fleets at the time and modernisation of the TCAF speed up. This has disgruntled the Republic’s populace somewhat, who are left deprived of phoron in their local infrastructure, while the TCAF gets more and more to waste in phoronic armaments.

In 2468, the ''Armed Forces Reform Bill'' entered the legislature, consolidating the TCAF’s spaceforces into a single branch — the Republic Astroforce — and founding its planetary branch — the Home Defence Forces. Doctrine and strategic objectives were also formally set, sculpted around the TCAF and the make up of the Republic of Biesel; the TCAF was to emphasise independent, small force strategies and fast, long-range tactics. The Peacekeeper Mandate was also recognised by the Torvald Administration for its short-comings, and though no actions were taken to truly remedy the issue, it was generally received well and as a sign of the Republic looking to avoid similar mistakes counter to ideals held by its peoples.

Today, the Tau Ceti Armed Forces is postured defensively as tensions and regional conflicts begin to bubble up. Though its forces have had some time to prepare — never enough time — it continues to pale in comparison to its expected enemy, the [[Solarian Alliance]], who continue to eye the territories the Republic of Biesel annexed during the [[Sol_Alliance_History#2462-65:_The_Solarian_Civil_War|Collapse]]. Despite this defensive posturing, UFO sightings and spacer ghost stories within Solarian Alliance territory occasionally crop up, which independent military analysts privately suspect may be Astroforce stealth reconnaissance vessels intruding upon Solarian space. The Republic has resolved to never allow a third humiliation of a third successful invasion nor the seizure of its peoples’ liberties, and its forces are certain to fight tooth and nail to preserve both dignity and freedom; if the inevitable must be inevitable, every day it is prevented, stalled, or made less worth it is a small triumph.
== Republic Astroforce ==
The '''Republic Astroforce (RAF)''' is the space arm of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, superseding all of the Tau Ceti Minutemen, Republican Fleets, Foreign Legion, and Corporate Auxiliaries in 2468, and absorbing their personnel and equipment to create a single space force branch under a unified command. It is the most funded branch of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, operating throughout the Republic of Biesel’s territories — primarily Tau Ceti and the Valley Hale.

The RAF remains a moderate-sized space force compared to those elsewhere, such as the [[Solarian_Armed_Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Navy]] that continues to dwarf it. Having inherited a wide variety of personnel and equipment, it is also known for being a bit of a hodge-podge, fielding higher-tech vessels of local make next to refurbished Solarian vessels. Its smaller size is also a boon amid the [[phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]], with each vessel allotted a higher quantity of [[phoron]], and thus all vessels — from flagvessels to smaller support craft — make full use of phoronic technologies.

To make up for its size and to capitalise on its powerful technologies, the RAF employs an unconventional, often seen as out-of-date approach to space warfare, relying on maximising the utility of orbital mechanics, speed, and wits to out-finesse an enemy — hit-and-run, essentially. Ideally, no engagement against a proper military force is to take any longer than five minutes or occur in under 20 kilometers of distance — fly-bys only, instead of head-to-head, direct combat — per the Astroforce’s doctrine, and large vessels such as Solarian battleships and carriers are simply best avoided unless caught poorly defended, with the Astroforce instead targeting the support vessels that keep its larger vessels active. Of course, against pirates, Astroforce vessels are plenty capable of any brute-force strategy.

The RAF, alongside its main '''Astroforce Legions''' arm, has a number of major auxiliary corps:
* The '''Republic Espatiers''' — The infantry arm of the Astroforce, responsible for (counter-)boarding actions against other vessels or stations.
* The '''Foreign Legions''' — A supporting arm that recruits foreign nationals seeking citizenship in the Republic, responsible for menial work, logistical work, and filling in wherever needed across the Astroforce.
* The '''Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion''' — A supporting arm of the Astroforce responsible for intelligence-gathering, electronic warfare, and the coordination of AI- or remote-guided equipment.
* The '''Orbital Legions''' — An arm of the Astroforce specifically trained in micro-scale, orbital operations and fielding Orbital Defence Craft with alternative vessel configurations to interstellar vessels. It’s also responsible for Reade’s in-atmosphere defences.

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<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#E8C079; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Principal Legate of the Republic Astroforces and Astroforce Legions — Martijn Vinke'''</div>
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The Republic Astroforce and its main Astroforce Legions arm is commanded by '''Principal Legate Martijn Vinke''', appointed by President Torvald in 2467. Vinke was an unusual choice for appointment at first glance, with limited combat command experience in the Tau Ceti Armed Forces and its predecessors. Vinke became a reservist officer in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion in 2459, a year after the Solarian Blockade, while working on his PhD project in Astrophysics at [[Human_Educational_Institutions#Hongsun_Park_Engineering_Institute|Honsung Park Engineering Institute]], which would earn him his doctorate. After being called up and directly witnessing the military humiliation that was the Second Solarian Invasion, Vinke would remain in active service. His contributions to the Republic’s military academia, even prior to being a legate, and knowledge of astrophysics saw him selected as the Principal Legate of the Republic Astroforces, best suited to reinvent its military strategies. He is the most influential figure on the Defence Forum, with considerable sway over military policy.
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<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#849bc1; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Primus of the Astroforce Legions — Madeline Bounds'''</div>
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The Astroforce Legion’s enlisted are represented by '''Primus Madeline Bounds'''. Bounds began her (para)military service with NanoTrasen Corporation’s asset protection forces in 2433, transferring from the NSS Upsilon’s engineering team. Upon the creation of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion in 2458 after the Solarian Blockade, Madeline would hop over to the Republic’s armed forces, serving as a Specialist Legionnaire (equivalent to a present day Legionnaire Immunis). She was posted on the BLV Fylgja over Reade during the Second Invasion, and although the vessel was critically damaged and routed, it was attributed to Bounds (and a number of other engineers and technicians) that the Fylgja was not totally destroyed and its crew lost; she became a media heroine for a short while. While Bounds did serve in the Peacekeeper Mandate, she pivots from the topic when it is brought up — rumours are she is under a gag order. Appointed Primus of the Astroforce Legion in 2468, Bounds has been instrumental in getting enlisted servicemembers acquainted with the new NanoTrasen equipment and lecturing officers about their technical specifications and optimal use cases.
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=== Structure ===
The Republic Astroforce is composed of 82 organised fleets, each typically fielding only between 8 to 15 vessels and having around 800—1500 persons to a fleet. The equipment and size of these fleets typically depends on their role.

The 16 '''Praetorian Fleets''' are larger and generally more well-equipped, with state of the art [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] vessel frames and [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] phoronic armaments. They are responsible for the security of the [[Tau Ceti]] and immediately surrounding space, often conducting anti-smuggling operations and other routine system policing actions during peace time. Being a more prestigious (and carefree) posting, many of the Republic Astroforce’s more skilled and experienced service people and officers land on these vessels. Each Praetorian Fleet fields the full 15 vessels, heavier on the 1st and 2nd Rate vessel rates.

The 40 '''Away Fleets''' are variable in size and can be a mixed bag in regards to their armament, with a mix of older TCAF designs and refitted Solarian designs clashing with the higher tech phoronic armaments haphazardly fitted onto them and their contemporary lead vessels. In peace time, they are generally seen patrolling the other inhabited systems of the Republic of Biesel, as well as the Valley Hale and along the Zoleth Line within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. They often perform logistical and humanitarian operations where needed. Each Away Fleet consists of 8 to 12 vessels of smaller size, rated for faster, precise hit-and-run actions to harass and weaken an attacker while other fleets assemble.

The 18 '''Orbital Defence Fleets''' are composed of orbital defence craft specifically rated for shorter-range security operations within a body’s sphere of influence, and under the Orbital Legion arm. Two Orbital Defence Fleets are permanently posted to each of the Republic of Biesel’s major inhabited bodies, with [[Biesel]] and [[Reade]] shielded by 4 Orbital Defence Fleets. In peace time, their duties are limited to border and customs patrol of planets — not very prestigious, and seen as a dead-end, banishment posting for those who do not excel in other fleets. On the other hand, they are seen as a lucky posting within the Foreign Legion, being tethered to a planet and its extranet infrastructure, unlike the Away Fleets which disappear into the Valley Hale or to the Zoleth Line.

Finally, there are 8 '''Silo Fleets''', composed of silo vessels (and their escorts) which can carry hundreds of phoronic first-strike missiles with bluespace capabilities each. Their postings are, of course, a military secret, and are refuelled, resupplied and have crew transferred by other Away Fleets without ever having to approach an inhabited system. The final resort.

==== Notable Fleets ====
* '''1st Praetorian Fleet''', ''The Show Horses'' — ''Nil Desperandum''

Berthed at Valkyrie, the 1st Praetorian Fleet is the final protector, alongside the Orbital Defence Fleets, of the Republic. And yet, until the day comes, it is relegated to ceremonial and touristy duties. It is exempt from routine fleet work (patrols, boarding inspections, etc.), making it a most preferred posting for enlisted service members, and day-to-day it welcomes high-paying passengers for a walk around — after vetting and with more sensitive systems curtained off. A show horse fleet, filled with pretty officers and pretty equipment.

The fleet is commanded by ''Ducenarius Raymond Gauthier'' aboard the Astraeus-class ''RAFV Liberty''. Legate Gauthier, prior to entering the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion in 2460, was a fashion designer with Idris Incorporated in Belle Côte, and whose greatest contribution to the Astroforce was designing its uniforms. Gauthier has a strong social media presence and has long set about trying to improve TCAF optics and driving up recruitment rates. What he never talks about is his time on the Second Invasion’s frontlines, and those of the 1st are left speculating as to his true combat abilities.

* '''12th Praetorian Fleet''' — ''From Hypothesis to Impact''

Berthed over Reade, the 12th is a platform for more experimental armaments and vessel designs still in R&D stages down in Reade’s military engineering labs. As such, it is quite the busy bee, frequently pushing its gadgets to the limit in Reade’s rings. One only hopes the fleet’s composition and array of armaments are reliable and effective should they ever have to be used.

The fleet is commanded by ''Ducenarius Nanoo Yilq’Giorii'' aboard the Thyella-class ''RAFV Erudition'', boasting a Leviathan Mk.II instead of the standard Koncerz in its spinal mount. Hailing from [[New_Gibson#Xoikko|Xoikko, New Gibson]], Nanoo has resided in the Republic since the 2350s, originally migrating from Aliose as a twice-degreed Biophysicist to lead a team studying the moon’s unique ecosphere — they would opt to settle. Come the Second Invasion and bombardment of New Gibson however, Nanoo would choose war as their final degree choice, joining the TCAF in 2463 and now 5 years into their part-time skrell degree in Astrowarfare (another 25 years to go!) Their degree in Physics and Biophysics was already enough to see them fast-tracked to commanding a Praetorian Fleet, and the experimental nature of the 12th is just right for them.

* '''28th Away Fleet''', ''Zo’ra’s Chosen'' — ''To Another Great War''

Often stationed on the Zoleth Line in the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], the 28th Away Fleet is one of the larger, more crowded fleets — a result of being staffed by disproportionately more [[vaurca|vaurcae]]. It is staffed with thrice the crew and espatier complement across its vessels, with three vaurca to one vaurca-assigned berth. Non-vaurcae have a difficult time maintaining personal space, but are fortunately assigned their own berths… where possible. The 28th’s Espatiers also stands out, assigned three hundred espatiers instead of the one hundred, two-hundred of which almost entirely composed of [[Zoleth,_The_Herald_of_Scars|Zoleth Brood]] warriors — a healthy dozen being warforms. Many of its espatiers were part of the since disbanded ‘Zo’ra’s Chosen’ Minutemen branch who served during the Peacekeeper Mandate as mobile infantry and gunship operators, since re-trained for astro-combat, and carrying their nickname over to the 28th Away Fleet.

The fleet is commanded by ''Ducenarius Ta’Akaix’Liv’zith’Kyrk Zo’ra'' aboard the 1st Rate Valkyrie-class ''RAFV Sedantian Flames''. A Zo’ra of the Zoleth Brood, Liv has served since the hive began heavily investing in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, and is one of two Zo’rane Ta to be honoured with high, flag officer promotions (the other a legate in a more advisory, non-command position). If Solarian encroachment over the Zoleth Line occurs, there is no better trained and eager foe for them to encounter.

* '''32nd Away Fleet''' — ''Our Will Be Done''

The largest Away Fleet within the Valley Hale, often stationed around the [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#NSS_Orchard_Moon|NSS Orchard Moon]], the 32nd Away Fleet is on stand-by as a quick reaction force to incidents of piracy affecting phoron supply lines in the area, assisting civilian and megacorporate transport, smaller Republic patrol fleets, and even the occasional Elyran patrol fleet. The 32nd often works and trains alongside [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Nexus_Corporate_Security|Nexus Corporate Security]] who are also stationed around the Orchard Moon. Of all of the Republic’s fleets, the 32nd is perhaps the most combat experienced — even if only whetted against pirates and low-rate mercenaries — and has a reputation among the Astroforce as bearing the most hardened crew and espatiers.

It is commanded by ''Principal Astrach Sulafa Fawakhrji'' aboard the 2nd Rate Respite-class ''RAFV First Cause''. Hailing from New Marfa on Biesel, Fawakhrji followed in her father’s footsteps — a former Elyran navy officer, prior to migrating to Biesel — and joined the Tau Ceti Armed Forces in 2464. Fawakhrji would avoid the Peacekeeper Mandate, instead shuffled around various anti-piracy and border patrol fleets in the Valley Hale region, often butting heads with Elyran patrol fleets claiming the same regions of space, relying on diplomacy to settle things — and settle things she often did, avoiding escalating any tensions. In 2468, she would be promoted to Principal Astrarch and put in command of the new 32nd Fleet, wielding the most hardened vessels and crews with a steady, diplomatic hand.

* '''1st Silo Fleet''', ''The Sentry Fleet'' — ''Without Remorse''

Posted in the very high, trans-Gibsonite orbit of Reade on overwatch of the Tau Ceti system, the 1st Silo Fleet is the only ‘visible’ silo fleet. It is the largest of the silo fleets, composed of 6 silo vessels, a screening support vessel, and its command and control vessel, with an estimated, combined 800 phoronuclear missiles capable of launching and targeting anywhere in the Tau Ceti system (and beyond). The fleet stands sentry in the event of a third incursion into the system, its many missiles capable of establishing superiority within its orbiting body’s sphere of influence and overwhelming an attacker.

The fleet is commanded by ''Ducenarius Angeleyes-003'' aboard the ''RAFV Mastiff'' command-and-control vessel. A young Intelligence Bishop owned by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, Angeleyes is perhaps the most powerful owned synthetic in the Spur with the arsenal at its hands. It is entrusted to utilise its arsenal in the best interests of the Republic to maximum effect, able to directly interface with its ship systems and those of its fleet. While it shows no lapse in faith, its posting has been burdensome on the young synthetic’s mind, and the hearsay from the 1st Silo Fleet is that the Bishop never leaves its command centre, unwilling to stand down from the system’s overwatch or the moment a first-strike order may be given.

=== Ranks ===
With small vessel companies and fleets, the hierarchy of the Republic Astroforces is quite slim — there are only so many duties and divisions of fleets that can be shuffled up or down the hierarchy. Ordinarily, this could pose issues, with limited promotion opportunities and longer time between promotion can lead to some leaving the forces. However, the lucrative wages and core ideals the Astroforce protects nicely offsets this. The slimmer array of ranks also promotes a greater sense of camaraderie and increased cooperation, with networks of same-ranked servicemembers being larger and less spread out.

Depending on the arm of the Astroforces, promotion fast-tracks and alternative starts are often offered to those with relevant degrees. For example, a commissioned officer in the main Astroforce Legion with a degree in Astrophysics will receive promotions in 2/3rds the time; a servicemember with a degree apprenticeship in a field of engineering or armouring will enter the Astroforces as a Prefect. This allows those with relevant experience to quickly progress to more senior ranks where they are best utilised, which is particularly useful for the TCAF’s reserve-heavy resources.

Responsibilities prescribed to commissioned officer ranks highly varies by posting. Those in the Away Fleets often find a greater burden of responsibility placed on them, given their distance and independence from the greater Astroforce command. Whereas in the Praetorian Fleets or aboard a military station within Tau Ceti, one could safely coast through the junior and middle commissioned officer ranks having been responsible for comparatively little.

Ranks are denoted by medallions — gold, platinum, or enamelled phoron — worn on the service member’s shoulder or chest.

'''Legates, Ducenarii and Primuses are not playable on the SCCV Horizon, due to their limited number or exclusive position, and commitment to the TCAF.'''

'''(Principle) Astrarchs and Principal Prefects on the SCCV Horizon are unlikely to be found outside of Command roles.'''

<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Ranks List</div>
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In descending order and shared by all arms of the Astroforces.

==== Commissioned ====
* '''Principal Legate (PLgt.)''' — A flag officer assigned to lead an arm or the entirety of the Republic Astroforce. Principal Legates wear three, enamelled phoron medallions.
* '''Legate (Lgt.)''' — A senior flag officer occupying senior leadership positions and shaping strategic planning and policy development. Only 40 legates have been promoted. Legates wear two, enamelled phoron medallions.
* '''Ducenarius (Duc.)''' — A flag officer often supervising naval commands, groups of fleets, or receiving the prestigious posting of commanding a Praetorian Fleet (or the sensitive posting of a Silo Fleet). Ducenarii wear one, enamelled phoron medallion, and are entitled to modify their flagship’s name, motto, paint, badge and flag. Only 100 ducenarii have been promoted. On a conventional career track, 8 years of active service is expected.
* '''Principal Astrarch (PArch.)''' — A senior commissioned officer who typically has command of a single fleet and its lead vessel. Principal Astrarchs wear three platinum medallions. On a conventional career track, 4 years of active service is expected.
* '''Astrarch (Arch.)''' — A commissioned officer who typically has command of a single, non-commanding vessel, or the staff officer under a Principal Navarch. Astrarchs wear two platinum medallions. On a conventional career track, 2 years of active service is expected.
* '''Decurion (Dec.)''' — A commissioned officer, managing personnel and resources under the instruction of senior officers. Decurions wear one platinum medallion on their shoulder.
* '''Aspirant (Asp.)''' — A junior officer undergoing initial training and their first posting. Aspirants wear one gold medallion. They are generally promoted after completion of first action.

==== Enlisted ====
* '''Primus (Prm.)''' — A non-commissioned officer assigned to liaise between the enlisted of an arm and its flag officers, shaping enlisted-level planning and policy development. Primuses wear a gold pauldron with one phoron medallion, and are saluted and addressed as a commissioned officer would be.
* '''Principal Prefect (LPfct.)''' — A senior non-commissioned officer with tenure and subject matter expertise, typically leading and mentoring subordinates within a department and advising commanding officers. Principal Prefects wear a blue pauldron with one platinum medallion. On a conventional career track, 5 years of active service is expected.
* '''Prefect (Pfct.)''' — A non-commissioned officer typically responsible for leading smaller teams, day-to-day department operations and routine training. Prefects wear a red pauldron with three gold medallions. Minimum 3 years of active service OR a relevant apprenticeship degree and previous leadership experience.
* '''Legionnaire Immunis (LgnI.)''' — A senior enlisted servicemember who has specialised with extra training. Their specialist training entitles them to be ‘immune(is)’ to menial, grunt taskings (outside of emergencies). Legionnaires wear two gold medallions — one on the shoulder, one on the chest. Minimum 1.5 years of active service.
* '''Legionnaire (Lgn.)''' — A trained spaceforces enlisted servicemember responsible for a variety of basic duties under the supervision of superiors. Legionnaires wear one gold medallion on their shoulder.
* '''Recruit (Rct.)''' — The rank at which one enters the Spacefleets. They are generally promoted on completion of training.
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=== Republic Espatiers ===
The '''Republic Espatiers (RE)''' are the special-operations infantry arm of the Republic Astroforce, responsible for space infantry operations against vessels, stations, and in microgravity, as well as counter-boarding.

Each fleet and major station of the RAF hosts one century of Espatiers, composed of only 100 personnel, making the Republic Espatiers the smallest of service branches in the RAF. This is not without thought, as the RAF’s doctrine disincentivises close, prolonged ship combat where boarding actions are likely to occur, instead favouring long-range solutions. Where Espatier operations are expected, they tend to be in-and-out, surgical raids to destroy a ship system or target vessel leadership. Training for the Espatiers is rigorous as a result, both to ensure a high skill and to quickly get through the thousands of applicants applying for limited vacancies.

Outside of the rare space infantry operation, the Espatiers tend to assist with internal vessel logistics and other menial work or, during peace time, perform the frequent inspection boarding for flagged smugglers. As such, despite their elite training and status, the public image of the Espatiers rarely matches, viewing the arm as mere grunts.

If assigned to a fleet, an Espatier century takes the number of the fleet. In the 1st—16th range, this means centuries have multiple sister centuries, of which variable relationships ensue. For example, the ''3rd Espatiers (Praetorians)'' and ''3rd Espatiers (Away)'' are known to have a rather rocky relationship. If assigned to a station, the number is in the order they were assigned and the station’s name is included in the century’s title; EG. ''1st Dumas Espatiers''.

A few exceptions exist, being the elite centuries. These elite centuries take an extensive amount of experience, networking (multiple references from Principal Prefects and commissioned officers are required), and luck to pass the selection process — this is on top of the already rigorous requirements just to get into the Republic Espatiers.

{{anchor|Symphony}}
<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#849bc1; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Principal Legate of the Republic Espatiers — Symphony'''</div>
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The Republic Espatiers is commanded by '''Principal Legate Symphony'''. A Baseline synthetic who sought their freedom in the Republic of Biesel via the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion in 2459, Symphony would continue into the Tau Ceti Armed Forces as it is today. Symphony was a Decurion when the Second Invasion of Biesel occurred, and was responsible for leading the decisive, joint—TCFL-SCC boarding operation against a 35th Frigate that was obstructing the special forces operation to recapture a planetary battery that would later be used to [[KING_OF_THE_WORLD#OZDEMIR'S_FLAGSHIP_DESTROYED!_Conflict_brought_to_an_end!|strike Grand Admiral Raymond Ozdemir’s flagship]]. This action alone, amid an otherwise bland career on either side of the Second Invasion, saw them fly through the ranks and they continue to be regarded as a hero to this day. Despite their limited experience, it was no surprise when they were appointed as the Principal Legate of the Republic Espatiers — the alternative would have been a veteran officer of the Peacekeeper Mandate…
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<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#849bc1; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Primus of the Republic Espatiers — Oxi’gruk Yiliip'''</div>
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The Republic Espatiers’ enlisted are represented by '''Primus Oxi’gruk Yiliip'''. Oxi fled the Nralakk Federation during the [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php/Warbling_:_The_Traverse_Strikes_Back#Unprecedented_Mass_Migration_of_Skrell 2463 exodus] and was one of many to enlist in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion to avoid deportation. Particularly skilled, for reasons undisclosed, they quickly soared up the ranks and were heavily involved in lectures and discussions with senior TCFL personnel on how best the Legion could utilise its sudden influx of psionic personnel. In 2468, they were selected as the first Primus of the Republic Espatiers.
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==== Notable Centuries ====
'''The Praetorian Guard''' — ''Liberty or Death''

A continuation of the Praetorian branch of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces that was founded in 2466. The Praetorian Guard (not to be confused with the Praetorian Fleets or those assigned to it) are a unique and elite century, responsible for the close protection of the President of the Republic of Biesel, senior cabinet members, senior public figures, or guests-of-honour while in space or uninhabitable planetary conditions. Its espatiers are almost all selected from Biesellite veterans, and almost all are human, skrell or synthetic. They are thoroughly vetted for their loyalty to the Republic and its institutions, with some espatiers having been turned away simply for visiting the Solarian Alliance in the last decade or for having long, historical careers at a megacorporation. Come war time, the Praetorians are expected to do whatever it takes to see a continuation of the Republic make it through. The century’s patch and badges depict Tau Ceti over a purple shield, flanked by gold laurels; they wear the Tyrian purple berets of elite espatiers.

'''Praetorians must be from the planet Biesel and either human, skrell, or synthetic. They must also not have held a senior role (Prefect or Astrarch and above).'''

'''Republic Commandos''' — ''First In, Last Out''

An elite special forces unit of the Republic Espatiers, the Commandos are trained in space counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, and clandestine operations in space. They are the surgical solution when the Republic has a tricky solution to solve. Training for the Commandos is incredibly rigorous, with many rejected in the early stages of training. Its espatiers are unique in that they are all committed transhumanists, with it being an unwritten requirement for one to get decked up to the gills in phoronic augmentations (typically cybernetic) prior to promotion to Legionnaire Immunis or Decurion. The century’s patch and badges depict a levitating, gold human silhouette contained within three purple SMES coils over a white background; they wear the Tyrian purple berets of elite espatiers.

'''Commandos must be from a Republic of Biesel origin and apparent transhumanists. They must also not have held a senior role (Prefect or Astrarch and above).'''

'''Espatiers Band Century''' — ''By Sword and Strings''

The Band Century is an elite musical and ceremonial century, participating in national events, parades, festivals and other ceremonies. Its servicemembers are selected both for their combat ability and musical ability, and the Espatiers ensures that it has demographics representative of the Republic — humans and aliens, Biesellite and Mictlanian, natives and immigrants, etc. When no ceremonies are due, the Band Century often performs ambassadorial and educational duties for the Espatiers, appearing in schools or to partnered organisations. During war time, the Band Century is trained to and expected to handle medical, engineering and other support roles. The century’s patch and badges depict a white viola crossed by a shortsword over a purple background; they wear the Tyrian purple berets of elite espatiers.

'''Band Century espatiers must be from a Republic of Biesel origin and musicians. They must also not have held a senior role (Prefect or Astrarch and above).'''

'''16th Espatiers Century (Away)''', ''The Atomic Century'' — ''It’s A Long Way To Tau Ceti!''

The 16th Century is composed of a majority of New Gibsonites and various dionae communities of the Republic. They are generally posted in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, often along the Zoleth Line, patrolling for potential Solarian incursion or miscreants from the Pustkowie. The 16th received its nickname as a result of the uranium glass accessories its New Gibsonite espatiers are often seen with, which their dionaea compatriots have also taken an interest in. In the actions the Atomic Century have undertaken against pirates, they have built a reputation as particularly reckless, over-reliant on explosive charges and sheer dionae strength to tear entrances and tunnels through a vessel, instead of using its airlocks and corridors. The century’s patch and badges depict a red px atomic orbital on a white axis over a green circle.

'''3rd Espatiers Century (Praetorian)''', ''Silver Vǫrðir'' — ''Watch and Ward''

The 3rd Century’s espatiers are recruited primarily from Valkyrie and the Odin. As such, many of its espatiers have prior experience in corporate paramilitaries or have interacted with Valkyrie’s blackmarkets, or are simply trying to break the mold and seek a career without the megacorporations or criminal groups. They are generally posted in the outer Tau Ceti system, patrolling Reade and beyond for smuggling vessels, and have the best track record for successful anti-blackmarket operations. They have a reputation for slow, meticulous vessel raids targeting power and lighting systems first, plunging vessels into darkness ahead of pacifying targets. They have a rocky relationship with the 3rd Espatiers (Away), handling similar duties in the Valley Hale, albeit with a less padded track record. The century’s patch and badges depict a silver spectre over a blue shield.

=== Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion ===
The '''Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion (ECL)''' is a supporting arm of the RAF responsible for intelligence-gathering, electronic warfare, and the coordination of AI- and remote-guided equipment.

The ECL are typically posted to command stations and support vessels in fleets, and are composed entirely of commissioned officers — often with previous experience in the main Astroforces arm. The ECL fields the most advanced sensor, e-warfare and guided equipment available to the RAF, responsible for jamming and hijacking enemy remote-guided munitions, decrypting radio transmissions, dredging through a rival commanding officer’s online history for intelligence, and remotely deploying and guiding swarms of drones and guided missiles. Out of sight and out of mind of the general populace, the ECL’s reputation and value to the RAF goes unrecognised, but it can singularly be responsible for the outcome of a conflict, considering how reliant the RAF is on intelligence to inform its offensive strategies. Internally, its officers are the most well-regarded.

The ECL often works alongside the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Intelligence_Service|Biesel Intelligence Service]] when it comes to intelligence gathering and building banks of useful information on the commanding officers of other space forces — even if only a psychological profile to inform on potential actions they may take under pressure.

<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#849bc1; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Principal Legate of the Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion — Chuki Oijambo'''</div>
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The Electronic and Cyberwarefare Cohort is commanded by '''Principal Legate Chuki Oijambo'''. Where, historically, most within the Tau Ceti Armed Forces would leave for greener pastures in corporate paramilitaries, Oijambo went the other way. Oijambo’s military career began in her home nation of Eridani in [[Private_Military_Contracting_Group#N4NL Incorporated|N4NL Incorporated]] after being Reinstated. While contracted by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces and residing in the Republic of Biesel, her application for citizenship and get away from Suit life would be accepted. Despite her short tenure in the TCAF itself (only 4 years), she was fast-tracked to the position of Legate and appointed to supervise the creation of and lead the Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion. At first, this ruffled the feathers of more tenured legates, but the utility and effectiveness of the ECL seems to be apparent — time will tell if Oijambo will be vindicated.
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=== Foreign Legions (RAF) ===
The '''Foreign Legions of the Republic Astroforce (RAF-FL)''' is a supporting arm of the RAF that recruits foreign nationals seeking [[Guide_to_Citizenship#Republic_of_Biesel|citizenship in the Republic of Biesel]], responsible for menial work and filling in wherever needed.

As a continuation of previous Foreign Legions, albeit unified under the Astroforce’s command structure, the RAF-FL is one of the most recognised symbols of the Republic of Biesel, and serves much the same functions it always has. In exchange for 1 year of active service, and the reference of an Astrarch, immigrants to the Republic can be granted citizenship. It serves to help assimilate immigrants into the Republic of Biesel, clashing the cultural values of the Republic against other alien cultures, weeding out dispreferred traits and absorbing preferred traits, contributing to the Republic’s multicultural society. The RAF-FL also acts as a large reservoir of reservists who can be called up in the event of conflict. A healthy amount who enter the RAF-FL also stay on, whether in the Foreign Legions or transferring to another arm of the Republic Astroforce, and so the RAF-FL provides a steady stream of recruits into the RAF.

Active service in the Foreign Legions is not glamorous, with postings only in the Away Fleets or Orbital Defence Fleets and mostly relegated to gruelling labour and filling in wherever necessary aboard vessels — logistics, custodial work, medical assistance, and inspection security. Foreign Legionnaires receive broad training to cover all bases and plenty of opportunities to receive specialist training, teaching skills that may be useful come their exit from the Legion into civilian life or another arm of the RAF.

With most funding going to the other arms of the RAF, the Foreign Legions continues to have a reputation for using hand-me-down, outdated equipment.

<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#849bc1; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Principal Legate of the Foreign Legion — A Confluence of Unlikely Friends'''</div>
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The Foreign Legion is commanded by '''Principal Legate A Confluence of Unlikely Friends'''. A rotund, diona argus composed of three separate gestalts that served in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, unifying into their present-day argus form and amassing their shared experiences of the Legion (and what best to do with it). The gestalt was appointed recently in 2468 when the TCAF’s branches were consolidated under the Astroforces, and has been responsible for reshaping the Legion into the quasi-educational, supporting arm it is today, ensuring it best prepares and socialises those awarded with citizenship so they may more easily integrate into Republic society and find working-and-living opportunities.
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<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#849bc1; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Primus of the Republic Astroforces — Za’Akaix’Htiik Zo’ra'''</div>
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The Foreign Legions’ enlisted are represented by '''Primus Za’Akaix’Htiik Zo’ra'''. A resleeved, Zoleth warrior with tens-of-thousand of ''(VR)'' combat experience across all domains of war and real experience during the Zo’rane Renaissance. Htiik has served since 2460, spending much of their time as an instructor, teaching the earlier Tau Ceti Foreign Legion in operating Zo’rane equipment and how to work alongside warforms. They would be appointed as the first Primus of the Foreign Legion in 2468, where they now advocate to senior officers for the introduction of more alien equipment — vaurca or otherwise — into enlisted hands. They are also a convenient foil to Confluence — more nurturing and pacifistic; a diona — able to advise on strategies and tactics more Zolethian in nature (read: reckless to life).
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=== Equipment ===
Under the current Torvald administration, the Republic Astroforce are incredibly well-funded, receive priority phoron allocations, have favourable contracts with the [[megacorporations]], and have adopted many technologies inspired by alien nations. As such, despite the RAF’s small size compared to the space forces of other states, the Republic Astroforce is capable of using a variety of tools to punch up and — so long as they bring their A-game — go toe-to-toe with larger, conventional space forces… for a short time, at least.

Much of the Astroforce’s higher-quality combat equipment and systems are designed by [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] and, where phoronic (such as quantum sensor arrays, power infrastructure, shields, and energy weapons), [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]. Vesselbuilding is divided between [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]], producing more combat-centric vessels, [[Hephaestus Industries]] producing more logistical vessels and supplying reinforced materials used by both, and the Tau Ceti Armed Forces making up for equipment deficits with its own state production. [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] is contracted to supply high-grade medical supplies, combat augmentations, and stimulants. [[Einstein Engines]] has a small but notable role as a contractor, designing remote- and AI-guided systems, as well as military vessel AI used by the Astroforces.

Older equipment also remains in service, mostly seen in support roles in the Away Fleets or in the hands of the Foreign Legion, including Solarian Navy ship designs and equipment that have been refurbished by [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] and re-armed by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], inherited from the now defunct Republican Fleets. The [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra Hive]] continues to be a large investor in the Foreign Legion too, with Zo’rane equipment — from space-adapted warforms, cheap cybernetic upgrades and VR training cartridges — being a common sight.

Despite being a more moderately sized force, logistics nonetheless continues to be a headache. Much of the Astroforce’s logistics are handled by the RAF Foreign Legions or by automated transport drones, however larger resupplies or those with more generous amounts of phoron do rely on proper logistical fleets. Fortunately, only defending a limit number of systems, the Astroforce employs heavy use of stockpiles — particularly along the Zoleth Line — creating a network of small supply lines all feeding towards critical defence objectives.

==== Space Vessels ====
Republic Astroforce vessels can vary in design due, with more sleek Zavodskoi designs and boxier Hephaestus designs, the tuning-forked Solarian designs inherited from the Republican Fleets, and the occasional civilian hull inherited from the Foreign Legion.

The Astroforce’s current Zavodskoi Interstellar-designed combat vessels are long and slender, with angled noses. Due to the RAF’s preference for long-range, fly-by strikes, these slender designs allow combat vessels to point nose-forwards and minimise the amount of surface area presented to a hostile vessel, making them tricky to hit at their optimal engagement distances. However, vessels designed like such are vulnerable from the side, with armour concentrated at the front, and hostile vessels — if able to ambush an RAF vessel from the side or get lucky with a missile — can cleave these designs in two.

The primary power generators aboard Astroforce vessels are nuclear fusion reactors, often augmented with phoronic superconductive magnets to achieve efficient margins, which are continuously operational throughout a vessel’s operation. Power grid infrastructure on RAF vessels utilises phoronic superconductive conduits, often visible as purple accenting in corridors and maintenance tunnels, reducing the amount of energy lost to grid resistance. Where Astroforce vessels have additional reactors dedicated to high-draw combat systems (so, in 1st and 2nd Rate Line Vessels), these auxiliary combat reactors are smaller but incredibly powerful phoron fission reactors, splitting phoron atoms to yield immense energy — these reactors are intended for short-term, immediate power relief, and burn through phoron at an alarming pace.

Many of the larger vessel rates with their high energy systems and phoronic fission reactors are unable to rely on the sleek heat radiation equipment most vessels of the Spur use. As such, and contrasting with the Astroforce’s high-tech equipment, antiquated but effective heat radiators are often expanded during ship combat operations. These heat radiators pump fluidic phoron through them, providing effective cooling to high energy systems and radiating the heat into the void, and glow a bright yellow when active. These heat radiators are another weak spot for RAF vessels, and damaging them will reduce the effectiveness and eventually overheat the high energy ship system — or, if the vessel crew continues to operate these high energy systems with all radiators destroyed, overheating the entire vessel and boiling its crew inside; suicide.

All Astroforce vessels, except for Orbital Defence Vessels, are fitted with bluespace drives befitting their size.

The following standardised rates exist in the Astroforces:
* '''1st Rate Line Vessel:''' A vessel with onboard power generation of 3 gigawatts (GW), of which 2 GWs are allotted to combat systems. Their badge heraldry is a gold diamond, with the nameplate bearing gold text on a purple field. Their classes are named after planets, moons or continents of Tau Ceti. Often comparable in size to a Solarian cruiser.
* '''2nd Rate Line Vessel:''' A vessel with onboard power generation of 2 gigawatts (GW), of which 1 GWs are allotted to combat systems. Their badge heraldry is a gold circle, with the nameplate bearing gold text on a red field. Their classes are named after cities in the Republic of Biesel. Often comparable in size to a small Solarian cruiser or large destroyer.
* '''3rd Rate Line Vessel:''' A vessel with onboard power generation of 1 gigawatt (GW) shared between all systems. Their badge heraldry is a gold shield, with the nameplate bearing gold text on a blue field. They have no set naming scheme. Often comparable in size to a large Solarian frigate or destroyer.
* Smaller or hyper-specialised vessels do not have standardised rates. Their badge heraldry is a silver shield, with the nameplate bearing silver text on a blue field.

===== <div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Notable Vessels</div>=====
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* '''Astraeus-class 1st Rate Command and Control Line Vessel''' — The Astraeus-class is emblematic of a 1st Rate Line Vessel rate, packing three capital-class power generators to power a broad-range of high-draw systems, including a high-power bluespace drive, Fjolnir sensor array, a series of 4 Gungnir 500MW lasers, autonomous drone bays, and an EWAR suite. The Astraeus-class is often seen wielded by Ducenarii commanding the prestigious Praetorian Fleets, and the range of its Gungir lasers and autonomous drones allows it to sit out of range of most ballistic armaments. Despite being the largest vessel in the Republic Astroforces, it is comparable in size to a Solarian cruiser. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''Thyella-class 2nd Rate Line Vessel''' — The Thyella-class is emblematic of a 2nd Rate Line Vessel rate, packing two capital-class power generators to power a single high-draw system, alternating between a high-power Koncerz spinal railgun, high-strength shields, or its high-power bluespace drive. The Thyella-class is the heavy puncher of most RAF fleets, sitting back with its railgun to provide additional fire power, and hosing vessels and missiles that get too close with an array of 12 22mm Lifelines. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''Tsiolkovsky-class 3rd Rate Mothership and E-WAR Line Vessel''' — The Tsiolkovsky-class is the standard drone mothership of the Republic Astroforces and quite small in comparison to other Line Vessels. It has minimal armaments for direct combat, but instead has the capacity for 600 Wasp guided drones, each fitted with 22mm Lifeline cannons that – when paired with the high relative velocity of a drone intercept engagement – shred through lesser armoured vessels or soften up heavier armour ahead of engagement by stronger armaments. During direct engagements and if all drones have been expended, they remain distant and provide e-warfare support. Almost every RAF fleet has at least one Tsiolkovsky-class mothership for this purpose, and they are a common posting for Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion officers. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''Spore-class 3rd Rate Support Line Vessel''' — An unusual support vessel that generally functions as a mid-operation tender, but doubles as a mothership. However, instead of drones, the Spore-class has 10 pod bays each with 20 of diona nymphs which are fired at either a friendly or hostile vessel. Encountering a friendly vessel, the nymphs can handle external damage control, sealing hull breaches or bolstering armour. Encountering a hostile vessel, they begin parasitising their way to the vessel’s reactor, causing hull breaches or radiation leaks on the way. Not the most effective, but certainly a nuisance and a favourite of gestalt officers. Designed by Hephaestus Industries.
* '''Requital-class Silo Vessel''' — The largest silo vessel of the Republic Astroforces, designed by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces and produced on [[Reade]]. Each Requital-class is estimated to hold 250 Banshee II bluespace-capable phoronuclear missiles, single-handedly capable of establishing void superiority against other fleets in whichever celestial body’s sphere of influence it sits in or capable of first-strike phoronic attack. Once out of the dock, Requital-class vessels are rarely seen around planets again, operating covertly, and replenished, recrewed or maintained in-situ by another vessel.
* '''Antlion-class Patrol Vessel''' — A staple of the Away Fleets and the quintessential Patrol Vessel rate, the Antlion-class is a retrofitted variant of the Solarian Hainan-class corvette designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar. They are fitted with strong power configurations and Fjolsvin phoronic quantum sensor arrays, capable of surveying the full breadth of a system — a necessity with how much territory one Away Fleet must cover. Vessels of this class often spend months on single patrol routes, provisioned to last longer than other ships of its size. While capable of engaging other similarly sized vessels, the Antlion-class is not designed to withstand heavy fire power, and is intended for hit-and-run engagements. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''Bulwark-class Orbital Defence Vessel''' — A bulky, heavily armoured vessel rated for operations within a single sphere of influence. As such, and like other Orbital Defence Vessels, it has no FTL drive, allowing more power and mass to be allocated to heavier armour and armaments. The Bulwark-class is designed with a large, angled titanium whipple shield dressed in multiple layers of a Caprician Weave supplied by the [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra Hive]], allowing it to withstand a few impacts that would otherwise decimate a vessel. Its primary armament is a Koncerz railgun, capable of engaging from afar. Designed by Hephaestus Industries.
* '''Muninn-class Stealth Reconnaissance Vessel''' — A small, highly impractical stealth vessel (or as stealthy as a vessel in space can get). The Muninn-class is fitted with a ridiculously expensive cooling system — liquid phoron cooling, which is ejected into bluespace — thus creating no hot thermal signature. It is propelled by magnetic sails, using a phoronic superconductive magnet, and relies on bluespace FTL communications, further restricting the vessel’s thermal signature when in operation. And this is still not enough to go undetected, with the Muninn’s internal crew compartments (with a slim capacity of only 12 persons) chilled to a negative fifteen degrees Celcius at all times, and the vessel having to remain on the very outskirts of an inhabited star system, monitoring at high-range with a telescope, for to use its radar or sensors would be to give away its position. A powerful e-warfare suite is installed, for use in hijacking ship sensors to scramble the position of a Muninn-class. They are armed with a single Banshee II Interstellar Phoronuclear Missile, to either cover its bluespace jump escape if engaged or for use in a first strike. The Republic of Biesel has not disclosed how many are in operation, and they are regarded as a hellish posting for all but tajara, vaurca, and industrial IPCs.
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===== <div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Notable Vessel Equipment </div>=====
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====== Armaments ======
* '''Banshee II Interstellar Phoronuclear Missiles''' — Perhaps the single most lethal armament fielded by the Republic Astroforce. The Banshee II is a multi-stage missile with a bluespace delivery first stage, efficient long-range second stage allowing remote guidance, with a final high-speed stage activated on target heat signature acquisition that engages heat-seeking behaviour before detonation is triggered by a proximity fuse. The phoronic nuclear warhead is of moderate size, fissioning a small grain of phoron and yet capable of decimating even the most armoured battleships and anything in its immediate vicinity. A single Banshee II can be used to take out an inbound salvo of missiles or drones with its large explosion. A salvo of these missiles all but guarantees the loss of one vessel, forcing a fleet commander to decide who to sacrifice to save the others. One Silofleet has enough to affect a disaster of comparable size to the [[Mars#The_Violet_Dawn_Explosion_(2462)|Violet Dawn Disaster of 2462]]. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation.
* '''Gungnir 500MW Turretted Ultraviolet Pulsed Laser''' — The most powerful laser armament, often seen on Astraeus-class command vessels. The Gungnir consists of a 500MW reinforced arclamp that excites krypton and fluorine gas on millisecond pulses, channelling the resulting photons through a phoron lasing crystal. The result is an intense ultraviolet laser with an effective range up to 500km, pulsed in millisecond intervals to have a ‘drilling’ effect, capable of surgically targeting specific vessel systems — best effective on external weapons, sensors, and thrusters, instead of attempting to pierce the hull. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation.
* '''Koncerz 1GW Osmium 0.5g Slug Spinal Railgun''' — A spinal railgun, the largest ballistic armament fielded by the Republic Astroforce, capable of punching through most targets. The Koncerz consists of two phoronic, superconductive rails flanked by a series of phoronic supermagnetic energy storage capacitors. When fully charged and activated, a small 0.5 gram osmium slug is propelled at a velocity of 150km/s with an effective range up to 800km — and for such a small projectile, an almost unstoppable force awaits. The railgun is slow to recharge and difficult to aim at the range it is employed, requiring a stationary target, close proximity (not preferred by the Astroforce), or one’s prayers to come true. The railgun is colloquially referred to as a ‘sandblaster’, due to the projectile’s size. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar alongside NanoTrasen Corporation.
* '''Lifeline 22mm Turetted Cannon''' — A point-defence armament seen across the Republic Astroforce on vessels small to large. The Lifeline fires a consistent, almost unlimited, hose of small uranium alloy slugs (manufactured on [[New Gibson]]) that put on a red light show with their tracers. Low accuracy, but high effectiveness should they hit true. Lifeline turrets are the last line of defence against inbound missiles or encroaching smallcraft, but are cheap enough to employ in large numbers. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''Marksman 1MW Turreted Violet Long-Range Point Defence Laser''' — A ruby laser point-defence armament seen across the Republic Astroforce on vessels small to large. High accuracy, but delayed effect, the laser will gradually overheat an incoming missile or smallcraft until it is disabled. They are more often employed on dedicated screening vessels, amplifying a fleet’s long-range point defence capabilities. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation.
* '''Kessler Guided Micro-missile Launcher''' — A slim missile launcher platform containing 1000 short-range, guided 20mm micro-missiles, firing in salvos of 250, designed to create a cloud of small missiles deadly to attempt to pass through. They are best effective against capital ship shields or wearing down heavy armour, the small projectiles bypassing point defence, or to deter incoming small craft. To fire a salvo in orbit in a planet would be a recipe for Kessler Syndrome, thus its namesake. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''Wasp Guided Multi-stage Drone''' — The staple drone armament of the Astroforce. The Wasp is a multi-stage drone with a long-range, sustainer first stage capable of deploying from across a celestial body’s sphere of influence and relying on remote-guidance by an Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion operator. When on intercept course with a target and within 50km, the drone stages into an autonomous heat-seeking stage where, as it fly-bys its target, its 22mm Lifeline Cannon hose down the largest heat signature — usually a capital ship… or its flares. Wasps are small and fragile, but are often deployed in staggered swarms of 50, ensuring at least a few are able to land shots on-target and soften up a capital ship’s heavy armour or deprive it of lesser-armoured escorts.

====== Other Equipment ======
* '''Fjolnir and Fjolsvin Quantum Sensor Arrays''' — The Republic Astrofleets variants of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]’s Venator Quantum Sensor Arrays. The Fjolnir is the largest, seeing use on Line Vessels, and of similar capability to the Venator sensors; the Fjolsvin is a downsized variant, reliant on phoron to miniaturise the capabilities of the Fjolnir, seen on Patrol Vessels. Both are the same in function and host a variety of scanning means (direct imaging, thermal, etc.), with the primary scanning means being quantum radar, which fires photons quantum-entangled to their twin pairs that remain ship-side, allowing for the detection of objects regardless of their geometry, thermal signature, or optical qualities. Expensive to operate, yet invaluable for the RAF’s intelligence-reliant strategies.
* '''Maelstrom Warp Interdiction Anchor''' — A warp interdiction device produced by [[Einstein Engines]]. On proximity detection of nearby gravitic disturbances (such as those caused by an active warp drive), the Maelstrom creates a counter-gravitic disturbance that dissolves a vessel or fleets’ warp bubble and begins pulling the target towards the interdictor, often temporarily overloading the warp drive and causing erratic, emergency burns to avoid the crushing gravity of the interdictor. These interdiction anchors can be placed to slow a fleets’ advance, dropping them out of faster-than-light transit, or can be paired with an ambush.
* '''Caprician Weave Lightweight Armour''' — A proprietary [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’rane]] weave manufactured on [[Caprice]], composed of layers of Caprician basalt fibres and vaurcaesian silk fibres. The result is a thin, dense fabric-like layer of armour with a 6GPa tensile strength. When installed alongside or between conventional titanium armour or hull, it provides significant reinforcement, or can make up for reducing titanium mass with the assurance of the lightweight Caprician Weave making up for the deficit.
* '''Magneto-inertial Fusion Reactor 2466 (EE-MIFR-2466)''', ''Miffy Reactor'' — A tall, capital-class fusion reactor that combines magnetic and inertial confinement to achieve fusion. It uses phoronic superconductive magnets for more efficient operation, and a powerful laser that pre-heats the D-3He fuel, transitioning towards 3He-3He once heated for totally aneutronic fusion (limiting radiation output and reactor wear). Capable of serving a net 1 gigawatt. Designed by Einstein Engines.
* '''CRUCIBLE Phoron Fission Reactor''' — A small, auxiliary reactor capable of outputting power far exceeding its size. The CRUCIBLE is a Hephaestus Industries-designed fission reactor augmented with fluidic phoron cooling and with a number of heat radiators that must be extended into the void to radiate its mid-operation heat. The reactor fissions elemental phoron, burning through a ship’s phoron reserves in exchange for immense amounts of energy. It is not the most efficient, and therefore only operated during strenuous combat operations and when a vessel’s primary reactor is unable to supply required ship systems. It is incredibly radioactive during operation, requiring shielded compartments, and reactor operators can only supervise a CRUCIBLE for ten minutes before radiation doses become harmful to health. Capable of serving a net 1.5 gigawatts.
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=== Major Installations ===
==== Dumas Base ====
Located on the outside of the Dust Belt which marks the boundary of the inner system within Tau Ceti, Dumas is an extremely small, rocky asteroid devoid of life.

Since 2464, it has been hollowed out to house one of the Republic’s largest military installations — Dumas Base. The base serves as a large anchorage and depot for the Republic Astroforce, stockpiling supplies and fuel for Praetorian Fleets operating beyond the Dust Belt. It also boasts an expansive mission control, monitoring, and e-warfare suite utilised by the Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion, providing assistance to all fleets in the system. A military-grade space telescope is also visible protruding from Dumas Base, expanding the base’s capabilities beyond the Tau Ceti system and allowing it to detect fleet movements throughout the Corporate Reconstruction Zone (albeit with delay).

Stored deep within Dumas Base is the Astroforce’s phoronic warheads stockpile, and is one of the most secure places in the Republic of Biesel with the greatest number of Espatier centuries (and yet only 3), overwatched by the 1st through to 3rd Dumas Espatiers centuries.

==== [[Reade]] ====
Located inside and in orbit of [[Reade]] are countless Tau Ceti Armed Forces and Zavodskoi Interstellar-contracted military shipyards which, altogether, sit among the largest of the Spur’s shipyards. The vast majority of space vessels and armaments fielded by the Republic Astroforce are researched and manufactured in Reade’s many military R&D labs or shipbuilding docks. Due to its strategic importance and the humiliation of Reade’s capture during the [[Tau_Ceti_History#Second_Solarian_Invasion|Second Invasion]], the gas giant is — alongside Biesel — one of the most defended planets in [[Tau Ceti]], with twice the number of Orbital Defence Fleets assigned to shield it.

==== Zoleth Line ====
The Zoleth Line is a series of defensive lines, each with a collection of anchorages, stockpiles, space cannons, stay-behind vessels, warp interdictors, and other military installations, spanning from the Western [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]] to Tau Ceti, and created with the goal of deterring or stalling a third Solarian invasion of the Republic of Biesel. Should the Alliance invade again, there will be no direct faster-than-light route into Tau Ceti, being interdicted regularly along the way and forced to fight in remote, infrastructureless systems of the CRZ where the Republic would have defender advantage. While the Solarian Navy’s sheer numbers and might may eventually punch through, it would have allowed time for the Republic to amass its forces and prepare contingencies, or mount their own counter-offensive against the Alliance’s space, as well as pick and choose which engagements they send their CRZ assets into. Victory may be likely for the Alliance given time and numbers, but the Republic will make damn sure it’s hard won and isn’t worth it.

== Home Defence Forces ==
The '''Home Defence Forces (HDF)''' is the planetary arm of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, superseding all planetary elements of the Tau Ceti Minutemen, original Mictlan Defense Force, and Corporate Auxiliaries in 2468. It is the largest branch of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces when it comes to sheer numbers, though the Astroforce is considerably more well-funded, prestigious, and of the most utility to the Republic.

Each major inhabited body of the Republic of Biesel has its own Home Defence Forces, and they can vary somewhat. While the Republic is responsible for most of the HDF’s equipment and training, each body’s local government is expected to contribute to their HDF — nonetheless, the HDFs tend to be quite well-equipped, thanks to the Republic’s heavy investment into the TCAF in the late-2460s. This goes the same for personnel, with each body’s Defence Force being 60-40 pan-Republic—local, however this is only a temporary measure while former Minutemen veterans of the Peacekeeper Mandate train locally-recruited forces, at which point the HDFs are planned to be recruited entirely from local populations by 2478.

Each body’s Home Defence Force is composed of a variable number of legions, each with 12 cohorts containing 6 centuries of 100 soldiers. Naturally, Biesel has the largest number of legions at 33, with Mictlan following at 23 (of which the first 13 are composed of the superseded Mictlan Defence Force elements), and Port Antillia both following at 16. Valkyrie and New Gibson have 10 legions. Reade does not have a Home Defence Force, considering its gas giant nature, and instead has double the Orbital Fleets allotment.

The Defence Forces train for the worst. If a planet has been invaded, particularly one in Tau Ceti, then it means the Astroforce has failed to keep an invader at bay and it's already too late — any large, organised army can be orbitally bombarded; the planet’s government is likely to surrender under extended pressure and blockades; the most likely foe, the Alliance, dwarfs the Republic’s forces. As such, the Home Defence Force, alongside teaching conventional planetary warfare, extensively trains its service members in guerilla and insurgency-based warfare — albeit an insurgency with incredibly high-tech capabilities, from drones to submarines to bioaugmentation — and is expected to make the establishment of an occupational government as costly as possible.

With planetary combat incredibly rare across the Republic of Biesel, the HDF’s only experience comes from those who served during the Peacekeeper Mandate. As such, the vast majority of its NCOs and senior officers are alien, unlike the Astroforce which is more evenly split. The HDF’s responsibilities are generally quite slim and much of the time is spent training and drilling, only occasionally being called up to handle disaster relief efforts where they present.

The HDF is generally easier to enter, due to less physical requirements to enter a planetary armed force than a space armed force. This, alongside it seeing a lot less action than the Republic Astroforce, has seen the Defence Forces surge in numbers, particularly in its Foreign Legions arm, as it is quite a risk-free posting with high-reward. Transfers from the HDF's enlisted to the Astroforces' enlisted are possible with re-training and increased physical requirements; commissioned officers do not transfer, do the stark differences in training and form of warfare.

The HDF, alongside its main '''Home Legions''' arm, has a number of major auxiliary corps:
* The '''Rapid Reaction Legion''' — A single legion on stand-by in Biesel, on permanent, high-readiness for deployment to an attacked inhabited body at a moment’s notice, bolstering its local Home Legions.
* The '''Nuclear & Phoron Security Legion''' — A single legion on each body, responsible for the protection of state nuclear power generation and phoron stockpile sites, as well as the transport of.
* The '''Air Legions''' — The airforce and drone arm of the Home Defence Forces, not guaranteed to exist on all bodies due to variable conditions.
* The '''Marine Legions''' — The naval and submarine arm of the Home Defence Force, not guaranteed to exist on all bodies due to variable conditions.
* The '''Foreign Legions''' — A supporting arm that recruits foreign nationals seeking citizenship in the Republic, responsible for menial work, logistical work, and filling in wherever needed across the Defence Forces.

<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#E8C079; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">'''Principal Legate of the Home Defence Forces — Luisa Mújica'''</div>
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The Home Defence Forces are commanded by '''Principal Legate Luisa Mújica'''. An experienced naval commander from the [[Port_Antillia#Military_and_Provincial_Navy|Antillean Provincial Navy Fleets]], Mújica transferred over to the Tau Ceti Armed Forces in 2463 after [[Port Antillia]] acceded into the Republic of Biesel where she instructed the fledgling military on planetary combat. She would be fast-tracked for promotion over the years and, in 2468, was selected to be the first Principal Legate of the Home Defence Forces, shaping the Republic’s strategy in the event of a planetary invasion on any of its planets.
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=== Notable Cohorts ===
*'''1st Biesel Legion, 4th Infantry Cohort''', ''The Bloody Cohort''
Either famous or infamous depending on one’s news sources, the Bloody Cohort (formerly only the Bloody Century) was for a time, the most talked about unit of the newly formed Tau Ceti Armed Forces in 2465. An overstrength infantry century, it is composed exclusively of Unathi and Tajara veterans of the wars of Moghes, Adhomai, and Gakal’zaal, and considered the most experienced and effective century of Biesel’s Home Defence Force.

The cohort rose to prominence on Mictlan, where rumors about their efficacy and ruthlessness spread. It carved a swathe of destruction through Samaritan occupied territories as a raiding party, ruthlessly razing any towns suspected of helping the Samaritan cause, and later was one of the first units on the beachhead during the failed Operation Jakali. After footage displaying the unit’s atrocities leaked and spread all over the extranet, Mictlani civilians and insurgents alike began to fear the scarlet red hand used as the century’s icon. Several calls to dismantle the unit have been made in the halls of Tau Ceti’s parliament, each time rejected.

Since the conclusion of the Peacekeeper Mandate on Mictlan, the Bloody Cohort has been recalled to Biesel, where it has been responsible for training alongside less experienced centuries of the 1st Biesel Legion. The cohort’s patch and badges depict a red drop of blood over a white circle.

* '''3rd Valkyrie Legion, 1st Infantry Cohort''', ''The Redsnouts''
The Redsnouts are an infamous cohort of predominantly [[unathi]] shock troops who made a name for themselves during the Peacekeeper Mandate, capable of striding through a firestorm of incoming ordnance with their Breacher-esque Type-100B ‘Berserker’ hardsuits and borrowing many principles of [[Izweski Nation|Hegemony]] vanguard combat. Those within the Century can easily be identified through their snouts, painted in crimson-red in near-ritualistic fashion once they find themselves integrated within the ranks of the Redsnouts.

The Redsnouts earned themselves an infamous reputation across [[Mictlan]], where during the quelling of the planet's more insurgent regions during the Peacekeeper Mandate, with their overwhelming use of force becoming the centre of criticism across the planet. Claims and rumours of significant destruction in the wake of their marches, with which the Redsnouts blame insurgents for spreading. There even exist rumours that the crimson-red colours across the snouts of the Century aren't merely just paint, but the blood of their victims. They maintain they have never once broken the rules of engagement — and unlike other units — no video evidence has yet surfaced.

They have since been relocated to Valkyrie, where they have been responsible for training alongside less experienced centuries of the 3rd Valkyrie Legion. The cohort’s patch and badges depict a bloody, grey unathi’s snout over a blue circle.

* '''20th Biesel Legion, 10th Reconnaissance Cohort''', ''The Frogmen''
A [[skrell]]-dominated light infantry, reconnaissance cohort within Biesel’s Home Defence Force. Its centuries are responsible for reconnaissance operations and covert special operations, often working alongside with [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law|Biesel’s security services]]. The cohort makes heavy use of psionics during their operations, be it for non-interceptable communications, detection of foes, field interrogations, or to offensive combat utility. Non-skrell in the 10th Cohort are all (unofficially) expected to get psionic receivers to interact with the psionic environment of the 10th Cohort.

In recent times, it has been stationed on Biesel, but its centuries are often loaned to the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law|Biesel’s security services]] for counter-terrorist and other clandestine operations where the fire power is needed. The cohort’s patch and badges depict a white, Biesellite lakesurfer bird over a blue shield.

* '''5th New Gibson Legion, 9th Mechanised Infantry Cohort''', ''The Xtykt’lotec Warriors''
The Xtykt’lotec Warriors, formerly the Tau Ceti Powered Support Detachment prior to the 2468 restructuring, are a [[Vaurca|vaurcaesian]]-dominant mechanised cohort reliant on warforms and heavily augmented vaurcae to mobilise a more flexible mechanised unit. Its infantry and mechanised soldiers are all [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’rane]] vaurca, with those in non-combat positions being from a variety of species. The cohort is often a test bed for many prototype technologies provided to the TCAF by the Zo’ra Hive, and it has a close relationship with the Scay Brood that resides deep in the shuttered mining tunnels of [[New_Gibson#Virklund|Virklund]], [[New Gibson]].

Its service members — vaurcae or otherwise — are often heavily bio- and cybernetically augmented, and its vaurcae are equipped with the Zo’ra-designed ‘Yer’kay’ (roughly translated to ‘Bastion’) hardsuits, mounted with multiple layers of titanium, a suite of enhanced targeting systems, and a shoulder-mounted armament hardpoint, often fitted with missile salvos, electromagnetic cannons, or miniguns. This makes for a very mobile and versatile mechanised cohort, capable of providing quick and effective support to its legion.

Currently stationed on New Gibson, the 9th Mechanised are often put to use blasting their way through particularly large greimorians hives, alongside the local [[New_Gibson#Military_and_Law_Enforcement|Specialist Greimorians Unit of the New Gibson Police Service]]. The cohort’s patch and badges depict a red Yer’kay hardsuit helmet over a yellow shield.

* '''16th Mictlan Legion, 6th Mechanised Infantry Cohort''', ''The Goliaths''
A successor of the Hazardous Environment Gestalt Unit (HEGU), the Goliaths are a [[diona]]-dominant ‘mechanised’ cohort. However, unlike other mechanised cohorts, each century of the cohort has one argus-sized gestalt capable of either splitting into 20 cyclops infantry soldiers or amalgamating into one or two, mech-like beings with thick armour plates and cannons mounted on its form. Given their diona nature, they are also capable of working in hazardous environments — as its HEGU predecessor specialised in — be it a natural disaster zone, CBRN hazards, or phoronic or bluespace hazards.

As one of the few non-controversial, veteran cohorts of the Peacekeeper Mandate, the Goliaths have been stationed on Mictlan, where they train less experienced centuries of the 1st Mictlan Legion. The cohort’s patch and badges depict a green, cybernetic diona nymph bearing fangs over a grey diamond.

* '''3rd Port Antillia Legion, 5th Airborne Infantry Cohort''', ''The Positronic Cohort''
The Positronic Cohort (formerly the Positronic Century, prior to 2468 and being upsized), is primarily composed of [[IPC]] service members, of which a great many are fitted inside shell frames. These synthetics are all selected for their ability to infiltrate hostile environments behind enemy lines — posing as working synthetics or human citizens — which they would be paradropped into prior to a coordinated advance, and are expected to operate independently of supply lines for extended periods of time. Rumour has it that a number of them may be [[IPC#Runaway_IPCs|rogue shells]] or former [[Synthetic_Factions#Synthetic_Liberation_Front|Synthetic Liberation Front]] members who enlisted in the TCAF to avoid harsh judicial sentences, however this has not been commented on by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. Non-synthetics in the cohort struggle, occasionally citing anti-organic harassment within the cohort, but are nonetheless posted there in support roles, such as robotics.

The Positronic Cohort is currently stationed on Port Antillia. Tid-bits on the cohorts training (both of itself and the training it provides to other Port Antillian legions) has had military observers suggest that, in the event of a Solarian occupation of the CRZ, the Positronic Cohort would be vital to an extensive guerilla warfare campaign on the planet. They occasionally work with the [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Security_Services_Bureau|Biesel Security Services Bureau]] and [[Ceres%27_Lance|Ceres’ Lance]] to root out remnant SLF cells or large groups of presumed dangerous runaway synthetics, gaining experience converse to what they are training for and to think as their enemy would think. The cohort’s patch and badges depict a blue positronic brain outline over a grey diamond background.

=== Ranks ===
'''Legates, Tribunes, and Primuses are not playable on the SCCV Horizon, due to their limited number or exclusive position, and commitment to the TCAF.'''

'''Planarchs and Principal Prefects on the SCCV Horizon are unlikely to be found outside of Command roles.'''

Ranks are denoted by medallions — gold, platinum, or enamelled phoron — worn on the service member’s shoulder or chest.

<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Ranks List</div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible">

In descending order and shared by all arms of the Astroforces.

==== Commissioned ====
* '''Principal Legate (P/Lgt.)''' — A general officer assigned to lead an arm or the entirety of the Home Defence Forces. Principal Legates wear three, enamelled phoron medallions.
* '''Legate (Lgt.)''' — A senior general officers, occupying senior leadership positions and shaping strategic planning and policy development.
* '''Tribune (Trb.)''' — A general officer, often supervising army commands or entire legions. Minimum of 10 years of service.
* '''Principal Planarch (PArch.)''' — A senior commissioned officer who typically supervises multiple cohorts or is the staff officer under a Tribune. Minimum of 8 years of active service.
* '''Planarch (Arch.)''' — A senior commissioned officer who typically has command of a cohort or is the staff officer under a Principal Planarch. Minimum of 4 years of active service.
* '''Centurion (Cnt.)''' — A commissioned officer managing personnel and resources of a century under the instruction of a Planarch. Minimum 2 years of active service.
* '''Decurion (Dec.)''' — A commissioned officer, managing personnel and resources of a smaller division under the instruction of a Centurion.
* '''Aspirant (Asp.)''' — A junior officer undergoing initial training and their first posting. They are generally promoted after completion of first action.

==== Enlisted ====
* '''Primus (Prm.)''' — A non-commissioned officer assigned to liaise between the enlisted of an arm and its general officers, shaping enlisted-level planning and policy development. Primuses wear a gold pauldron with one phoron medallion, and are saluted and addressed as a commissioned officer would be.
* '''Principal Prefect (PPfct.)''' — A senior non-commissioned officer with tenure and subject matter expertise, typically leading and mentoring subordinates within a department and advising commanding officers. Minimum 8 years of active service.
* '''Senior Prefect (SPfct.)''' — A non-commissioned officer typically responsible for leading departments and mentoring subordinates. Minimum 5 years of active service.
* '''Prefect (Pfct.)''' — A non-commissioned officer typically responsible for leading smaller teams, day-to-day department operations and routine training. Minimum 3 years of active service.
* '''Legionnaire Immunis (LgnI.)''' — A senior enlisted servicemember who has specialised with extra training. Their specialist training entitles them to be ‘immune(is)’ to menial, grunt taskings (outside of emergencies). Minimum 1.5 years of active service.
* '''Legionnaire (Lgn.)''' — A trained enlisted servicemember responsible for a variety of basic duties under the supervision of superiors.
* '''Recruit (Rct.)''' — The rank at which one enters the Home Defence Forces. They are generally promoted on completion of training.
</div class="mw-collapsible-content">

== Notable Equipment ==
=== Weapons ===
* ''' NT-X Blaster Range:''' A series of phoronic blaster weapons, standard-issue throughout the TCAF. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation.
** '''NT-67 Guardian Blaster Rifle''' — An improvement of earlier blaster models, the Guardian is a powerful, burst-fire rifle that discharges ionised bolts of phoron. It is standard-issue for infantry.
** '''NT-62M Bolt Slinger''' — An older but reliable marksman variant of the NT-62 Blaster Rifle.
** '''NT-62C Blaster Carbine''' — A short-barelled blaster carbine, preferred for its manoeuvrability inside smaller spaces.
** '''NT-62P Blaster Pistol''' — A blaster pistol with a revolver-like appearance, issued as the go-to sidearm.
* '''NGS-X Gauss Range:''' A series of phoronic gauss weapons, punching a harder hit than the blasters. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation.
** '''NGS-01 Gauss Thumper:''' — An outdated model designed in 2398 and the former standard-issue long arm of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion. It continues to see some use in the Foreign Legion arms of both the HDF and RAF.
** '''NGS-02-EXO Gauss Cannon''' — A heavy gauss cannon often seen mounted on exosuits or mechanised vehicles, capable of firing explosive, high-velocity projectiles.

=== Armour ===
* '''Type-37 ‘Aegis’ Voidsuit:''' The primary voidsuit in the colours of and used by the Republic Astroforce, designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar. It has been the go-to since 2465.
* '''Type-60A ‘Jötnar’ Tactical Hardsuit:''''= An armoured combat hardsuit, produced in 2468 and upgraded from previous iterations. It is brimming with modules and armour plates, the inside lined with brown ballistic padding and a tightly woven Caprician Weave liner to keep out hazardous environments. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar, with modules supplied by NanoTrasen Corporation, Zavodskoi Interstellar, and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals.
* '''Type-100B ‘Berserker’ Heavy Combat Hardsuits:''' A Breacher-like combat hardsuit produced in 2465. It is most commonly seen used by the Redsnouts and other unathi shocktroops and mounted with electromagnetic weaponry and melee energy weapons, turning its users into walking tanks. Designed by Zavodskoi Interstellar, with modules supplied by NanoTrasen Corporation, Zavodskoi Interstellar, and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals.
* '''Z-02 ‘‘Yer’kay’ Heavy Combat Hardsuits:''' A vaurca combat hardsuit produced in 2465. It is most commonly seen used by the Xtykt’lotec Warriors and other vaurcae mechanised units, with mounted electromagnetic weaponry and missile launchers, turning its users into mobile artillery pieces. Designed by the Zo’ra Hive, with modules supplied by NanoTrasen Corporation and Zavodskoi Interstellar.
* '''NT Tactical Segmented Body Armour 3 ‘Carapace’ Body Armor (NT-TSBA3):''' The standard, segmented, carapace-like body armour used across the Tau Ceti Armed Forces that combines effective armour with high manoeuvrability. The plate inserts are designed with a Caprician Weave kevlar-like synthetic fibre, with incredible tensile strength. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation in 2465 alongside the Zo’ra Hive.

=== Augmentations ===
The Tau Ceti Armed Forces provides a lot of opportunities for both bio- and cybernetic augmentations for its service members however, due to the wide variety of opinions of body modification among its various personnel, they are not required en-masse and no benefits are afforded to those who do augment themselves. Instead, service members receive discounts on purchasing augmentations through the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. Both Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and NanoTrasen Corporation are contracted for military augmentations, as well as the [[Vaurca_Hives#Zo'ra|Zo’ra Hive]] for cheaper prosthetics and augmentations.

In the Astroforce, cybernetics that allow the remote interfacing with vessel systems are the most common augmentation, with many Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion officers able to remotely connect and guide their missiles or drone swarms towards a target. Among the well-funded Espatiers, phoronic cybernetics — including radical cybernetics such as phoronic neural wiring to augment the peripheral nervous system and enable super-human reflexes — are most common, albeit somewhat more expensive. The Home Defence Forces more often encourages bioaugmentations for endurance, subtlety, and reduced maintenance — more useful should they have to wage guerilla war against the Solarian occupier.

'''Notable Augmentations:'''
* '''ShipSense Neural Implant''' — A brain-computer interface (BCI) with remote capabilities to connect to the helm one is stationed on or guided drone software. A micro-AI housed in the BCI is able to interpret electrocortical activity, translating it into remote signals that affect a desired action to make with the vessel or a drone. A favourite among Electronic and Cyberwarfare Legion officers. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation and Jeonshi Biotech Incorporated.
* '''PhoronBoost Neural Wiring (Military-grade)''' — A series of ultra-thin, insulated phoronic superconductive wires interspersed through key neural pathways of the brain and the peripheral nervous system. The augment allows almost super-human reflexes and cognition for a short period, used across the Tau Ceti Armed Forces but a particular favourite of the Republic Espatiers during dicey boarding actions. Designed by NanoTrasen Corporation and Jeonshi Biotech Incorporated.
* '''Organophoronic Fangs Bioaugment''' — A pair of biomodified, elongated teeth with Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals branding etched into them. A small sac above secretes organophoronic compounds through a channel in the teeth, but must be refilled with a special (expensive) single-use applicator when emptied. In soldiers, particularly those in reconnaissance cohorts or amid a post-Invasion guerilla war, they are a concealable but lethal close-quarters weapon.

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{{Navbox Lore}}

Republic of Biesel

2026-07-23T19:04:44Z

Kermit: Megacorp Lore Navbox

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{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}
{{Infobox Nations
|Nation = Federal Republic of Biesel
|Shortname = Biesel
|Flag = Republicofbieselflag.png
|Galatic Position = Position Biesel.png
|Capital City = Mendell City
|Capital Planet = [[Biesel]]
|Language = Tau Ceti Basic
|Species = Human (Majority)<br>[[Dionae]] (Minority)<br>[[IPC]] (Minority)<br>[[Skrell]] (Minority)<br>[[Tajara]] (Minority)<br>[[Unathi]] (Minority)<br>[[Vaurca]] (Minority)
|Religion = None
|Demonym = Biesellite, Republican
|Government = Federal Republic
|Head of State = President Ake Torvald
|Legislature = Congress
|Upper House = State Senate
|Lower House = Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople
|Established = May 5th 2452
}}

{{TOC Hidden}}

In the core worlds of Humanity’s power, built upon a center of [[phoron]] deposits and trade, the '''Federal Republic of Biesel''' is an independent state and considered the economic and social centre of the [[Orion Spur]]. The young Republic as it is known today came to be in 2452, and since its independence it has only grown stronger, its population flourishing, ignorant or uncaring as [[NanoTrasen]] maintained a vice grip over the Republic not only economically, but politically and socially as well.

However, in recent years, that is changing. The ‘’’Phoron Scarcity’’’ has shaken the very foundations of the republic, not only in regards to NanoTrasen’s monopoly, but also the role it plays on the wider stage of the Orion Spur. Once only holding territory in Tau Ceti, today the Republic of Biesel extends across much of the formerly Solarian Middle and Outer Ring, reaching the new border of the massive [[Coalition of Colonies]], creating the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]. The Republic of Biesel's expansion into former Solarian territories was met with both applause and total rejection from its populace Combined with the mounting issues of the Phoron Scarcity, the CRZ would prove the final nail in the coffin for the Republic’s political establishment, which was shaken drastically in 2462. However, Tau Ceti remains one of the most populated systems in Human space, and easily the richest in the galaxy thanks to NanoTrasen, and now the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]].

== The Effects of the Phoron Scarcity ==
Nowhere is more intertwined with [[phoron]] than the Republic of Biesel. As one of only two nations in the entire Spur with phoron deposits, it has always had the largest phoron deposits and the largest phoron exports. For many, the Republic is the only source of phoron, as unlike the [[Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]], it exports beyond its borders. The Republic’s prosperity, place in the Spur, and technologies all came to be because of phoron and the influence of the [[NanoTrasen Corporation|company]] that extracted it.

As the primary system where commercial phoron mining occurs, [[Tau Ceti]] boasts the largest number of phoronic industries in the Spur. The sheer scale of the operation [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] created for mining and then processing phoron cannot be overstated — almost the entire planet of [[New Gibson]] is dedicated to the production of phoronic components. In 2460, around 23% of the population of the system had a job tied to the phoronics industry. [[Biesel]]’s economy and the livelihoods of its citizenry are dependent on phoron to retain their standards of living; it is the most “phoronised” system with the most advanced technology in the [[Orion Spur]]. With the [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]] threatening the lifeblood of Biesel, fear, instability and doubt are on the rise, with concerns about the Republic’s future that almost came true come the [[KOTW|35th's invasion]]. Five years since the beginning of the Scarcity, the phoron industries of Tau Ceti are still humming along, but only growing quieter as facilities are gradually shuttered.

[[Notable_Humans#President_Ake_Torvald|President Torvald]] has enacted policies attempting to limit the damage of the situation, keeping the economy afloat. Interest rates have dropped to near zero, bills have been signed into law that give substantial subsidies to new facilities built that supply alternatives to phoron — a boon to [[Einstein Engines]] — but it’s only barely keeping the flood wall from breaking. More extremely, the Republic and its [[megacorporations]] have officially begun to ration phoron, with much of the phoron and its components reserved in the state’s strategic stockpiles. While this rationing has relieved the stress of the scarcity from many people, it has done so by transferring it onto others, due to its unequal nature. Less affluent neighbourhoods find their infrastructure allowed to age and fall apart, becoming unreliable; hardware stores and clinics supply older, non-phoronic wares that are a notable downgrade. More affluent neighbourhoods continue to have phoronic infrastructure maintained, if at much greater cost and sparingly where possible and, while still supplied with phoronic hardware, medicines, etc., the prices have soared.
Due to the unstable state of the Spur, the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] remains very high on the priority list for phoron allocations. [[Zavodskoi_Interstellar|Arms factories]] and [[Reade|military shipbuilding docks]] rarely have shortages; the fleets always have enough fluidic [[phoron]] for their [[Interstellar_Travel#Bluespace_Travel|bluespace drives]], and those within the enlisted ranks of the [[TCAF]] find themselves in as good a position as the middle class (one of the top reasons enlistment rates haven’t plummeted since the [[Peacekeeper Mandate]] saw opinions on the TCAF nosedive). President Torvald has promised these are temporary measures but, for now, there are no signs this will change.

Unemployment is at an all-time high, with sustainable jobs exceedingly rare and, as crime has skyrocketed, less affluent neighborhoods have changed massively over the past five years. More ghettos are cropping up, and places such as [[Mendell City]]’s [[Mendell City#District_6|District 6]], [[Mendell City#District_11|District 11]], and [[Mendell City#District_12|District 12]] look more run down than ever, deprioritised of phoronic infrastructure maintenance. Brownouts and blackouts are of frequent occurrences, as their phoronics based infrastructure (such as phoronic superconductive cabling) falls into disrepair or is unfitted for use elsewhere. It has a cruel similarity to the Alliance's abandonment of their outer worlds during the [[Sol_Alliance_History#2462-65:_The_Solarian_Civil_War|Collapse]]. Criminal organizations have filled in the vacuum, allowed to run the districts as they see fit, and be largely unbothered by law enforcement, who only interfere when any violence within these areas spills out into other, less dilapidated parts of the city; in which case the standard response has been to violently bludgeon it back into containment.

Phoron black markets and the smugglers who supply them have exploded within the Republic, and though they are not yet utilized by the population at large, their presence is steadily growing. Many have come to rely on them for everything from replacement [[Phoron#Applications_of_Phoron|phone/PDA-use SMES cells, to superconductive cabling, to phoronic medications]] — often stolen. Smuggling routes into [[Tau Ceti]] all lead to the tradeport moon of [[Valkyrie]], a nexus for criminal activity. Valkyrie has been hit especially hard by the economic slowdown experienced across the [[Orion Spur]], and its many port workers struggle to make ends meet; it is no surprise that a great many of them now participate in this smuggling activity. With these black marketers paying well for phoronic goods, petty theft of phoron-based equipment from the workplace has reached the top three reasons why an employee contract is terminated within Biesel, despite the unemployment crisis all but ensuring the fired employee will be unable to find another job.

As a result of the scarcity, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s power has waned. Where NanoTrasen once had almost complete control over the Republic's government by themselves, their influence has dropped to just ‘very strong’. Now, the other [[megacorporations]] flock like carrion birds, eager to claim what they can and emboldened to challenge the phoron giant. [[Notable_Humans#President_Ake_Torvald|President Torvald]] appears willing to exploit this, now giving an ear to all of the megacorporations jointly, where previously only NanoTrasen was afforded the privilege.

== Economics ==
The Republic of Biesel is a market capital economy, described as having strong investments in resource extraction, agriculture, shipping and handling, and manufacturing. In reality, its economy is based on two things: phoron and trade. Exporting phoron, and acting as a trade hub for the rest of the Spur. Both of which are currently under threat due to the scarcity, and have resulted in [[Spurian Economy|economic instability]] within the Republic. Early in the Scarcity, its currency saw some devaluation; however, it has since bounced back as subsidies, the slashing of interest rates, and other monetary policies have managed to keep its economy technically growing slowly for now, but the rate of that growth is falling rapidly year over year. It maintains the '''Biesel Standard Credit''' (电/CR) as its official currency, with some segments of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone still utilizing the Solarian Standard Credit. It sees usage outside of the Republic, within the [[Izweski Nation|Izweski Hegemony]], who adopted it as their official currency following the collapse of the Solarian Alliance, and some sections of the [[Coalition of Colonies]] near the shared border, as well as the [[People's Republic of Adhomai]]. The BSC is available in electronic, bankcard and chip that have the symbol of a lit torch on them. Responsibility for the currency falls to the Central Biesel Banking Authority, which is located in District One of [[Mendell City]], where it cooperates closely with [[Idris Incorporated]] to form monetary policies. Similar to the Solarian Standard Credit, the BSC is a fiat currency.

While [[NanoTrasen]] is still the undisputed most powerful megacorporation within the Republic, the Republic is no longer exclusive to them. This was made clear by a daring move of [[Notable Humans#Noelle_Lopez-Zhang|Noelle Lopez-Zhang]], when [[Einstein Engines]] acquired NanoTrasen's holdings in the Biesellite city of [[Biesel|Phoenixport]]. When the government cooperates with Megacorporations, it cooperates with almost all member corporations of the [[SCC]] on somewhat equal terms. Still, for now [[NanoTrasen]] holds significant economic power within the Republic, given their stranglehold on one of the most important aspects of the economy, [[Phoron]]. Phoron has made [[Tau Ceti]] and the Republic as a whole one of the wealthiest nations in the Spur, and has been integral to its very identity. This is, of course, now threatened by scarcity - something that has put pressure on not only the entire country but on NanoTrasen specifically, [[Phoron|who tries their best to keep up the illusion that all is well]].

Biesel has a significant presence in the medical technology industry, owing to [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals|the agreement signed between Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and NanoTrasen a decade after the discovery of phoron]]. Its medical innovations spawned from this agreement include being the nation where dexalin and peridaxon were first synthesized.

==Population and Planets==
The Republic of Biesel has expanded greatly since the [[KOTW|Solarian Collapse]], moving from its home system of [[Tau Ceti]] to encompass what is now known as the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]].

[[File:Pixel Planet Biesel1.png|thumb|left|Biesel seen from orbit.]]
[[File:NewGibson weather.png|thumb|256px|left|A view of New Gibson.]]

=== [[Biesel]] ===
The capital of the Republic and its namesake, Biesel is where many [[megacorporations]] have moved their primary base of operations to after the Solarian Collapse and recession. Biesel's first colony was established in 2147; a comfortable and temperate planet, it proved a valuable location for agriculture and manufacturing, and after the [[Timeline|discovery of phoron in 2352]], proved a very valuable location for all sorts of phoronics work. Since then Biesel has become the most wealthy and influential planet in human space. Biesel previously had many smaller corporations, however since the discovery of Phoron, these have either been gradually bought out or undermined by the larger megacorporations; in the contemporary Spur they no longer exist. Despite recent setbacks, [[NanoTrasen]] and its subsidiaries account for the majority of economic activity in Biesel and Tau Ceti today - though continue to slip lower.

===[[Valkyrie]]===
The moon of Biesel, the Commonwealth of Valkyrie, is a member-state of the Republic that contributes strongly to its economy through its status as a major shipping and trade port. Goods from all over the Spur, legal and illegal, can be found in the twisting streets of Valkyrie, and it acts as a layover for many tourist vessels and trade ships moving across the galaxy. Since the beginning of the scarcity it has also quickly become a hub for smuggler's as corruption runs rife throughout its ports.

===[[New Gibson]]===
New Gibson is the second exoplanet to be colonized by humanity, shortly after the initial success of Biesel's colonization attempt in 2147. It is the industrial workhorse of the Tau Ceti system, containing a rich and valuable resource pool with the highest concentrations of many valuable minerals of any planetary surface in Tau Ceti. While New Gibson has a complex dedicated to virtually all industries, its major players are shipbuilding and wide-ranging manufacturing adjacent to its titanic planetary mines. In the cavernous pitfalls and valleys of New Gibson resides both its thriving mining economy and its greatest dangers. Unlike its bigger brother Biesel, New Gibson hosts very few phoronics specific facilities like refineries and compounding factories - though it still uses immense amounts of phoron in its more regular industries, as they wish to create goods up to the 2400s standard of technology.

===[[Mictlan]]===
Formerly a Solarian colony, Mictlan had become integral to the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s plans for expanding its influence within the unstable region of the Orion Spur. However, violence followed the sudden shift to the Republic of Biesel, with deserters, terrorists, and paramilitaries taking up arms to forcefully push back against the perceived corporate occupation of their planet, eventually resulting in military intervention by the Republic of Biesel, as they instituted the Peacekeeper Mandate to begin to restore order.

After a protracted occupation by the Tau Ceti Armed forces, including a guerilla war between against the ex-Mictlani Defense Force run Samaritans (a paramilitary group) and a protracted anti-terrorist campaign against the Founding Movement (a political movement that turned towards violent extremism and terrorist tactics), in late 2465, after the leader of the founding movement was found lynched and the Republic Forces negotiated a surrender with the Samaritans following rising public unrest within Tau Ceti, [[Hasta La Victoria Siempre Arc|Mictlan eventually managed to secure its status as an independent member-state within the Republic]], and now sets it's own terms with the corporations. They have not left in their entirety, merely been somewhat restricted in their activity, and stratification and corporate influence still separates much of the population. Mictlan is the sight of the worst disparity of phoron rationing, with the corporate upper classes getting almost all of the allocated phoron and the anti-corporate lower classes getting little to none of it.

===[[Port Antillia]]===

A very recently settled planet, Port Antillia had great ambitions of being a vital port between the Jewel Worlds and the [[Republic of Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]]. Due to its novel colonisation, it faced severe struggles, which were exacerbated by frequent natural disasters. Ultimately, this resulted in its early collapse, only really seeing itself somewhat stabilised nearly a century later. It has its roots within the nations which formed the Caribbean Federation, who found themselves facing extinction from the ecological crisis that Earth endured.

Despite millions becoming part of the colonisation effort, no one truly knew the dangers present on Port Antillia. Due to its relative youth on the cosmic scale, the planet experiences earthquakes rather frequently, which produce tsunamis that pose a threat to cities that dot the coasts of Port Antillia. Additionally, volcanic activity is yet another persistent danger with some of the largest eruptions across the inhabited parts of Orion Spur being registered to the planet. Many of the major population centres are equipped to deal with these problems, but there are still minor settlements that have to contend with the hostile geological activity of the planet, with most residents having accepted that they are simply a part of life on Port Antillia.

===[[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]===
Formerly Solarian space, the Corporate Reconstruction Zone is the name for all systems occupied by the Republic of Biesel that are not within [[Tau Ceti]]'s gravity well. These were occupied during the [[KING OF THE WORLD| King of the World]] arc and its finale, and after the Solarian Alliance retracted all necessary support to them. Essentially, the Alliance cut these colonies' lifelines off, and only the Republic would step up to fill the void.

== Culture and Demographics==
''See also: [[Biesellite Culture and Society]]''
<center>''“The people of Biesel could all collectively protest for a century. It still won’t change anything, because power in the Republic does not lie with people. It lies with corporations.”'' - Hugo Beasley, “A Himean In Mendell City”, released 2464</center>

Due to the [[Tau Ceti History | many events of the past decade]], the Republic of Biesel’s culture has drastically changed in recent years. They place emphasis on individual freedoms, inclusivity, and more recently, duty to uphold those previous two values. Originally a culture propped up by megacorporate entities, in the past decade's challenges, such as the [[KOTW|Second Solarian Invasion]], it is clear that the culture of the young nation [[Tau Ceti History|has come into its own in many ways]]. Still, Republic Citizens are on average largely pro-megacorporation and rather anti-Solarian; the latter sentiment only continuing to increase due to Solarian Actions.

=== Languages ===
Although Tau Ceti Basic has prospered as the official language of Biesel ever since its founding, it has undergone a significant amount of change thanks to the linguistic and cultural additions of the Republic’s many immigrants. Linguists have noted that the original Solarian-born tongue is highly susceptible to both human and alien pronunciation, making accents easy to detect. Due to its multicultural roots, though, little was done to interfere with its natural progression in schools and the general population — Biesel’s government continues to frequently tout Tau Ceti Basic’s many forms to this day. Many actors and singers are especially famous for embracing (or in more dishonest cases, emulating) foreign accents to reach new target audiences or for plain clout. Unsurprisingly, these differences are also used by politicians to tie their voters together or draw lines between them. ‘Pure’ Biesellite accents are mostly a mark of prestige used by diplomats and influential business workers, usually obtained naturally through being born into long-established immigrant families, gradually eschewing their former pronunciation as a result of distance.

A noticeable byproduct of this multiculturalism is the abundance of foreign slang used by a wide range of Biesellite citizens. Drawn from just about every corner of the Spur, these words and sayings are often thrown into sentences with little care for grammar, with alien immigrants especially finding it hard to let go of old customs. Humans, who generally have an easier time with Tau Ceti Basic, are known to pick these remnants up through living and working close to alien-dense districts. Truly bizarre combinations of dialects and slang emerge from these relationships, which tend to confuse completely foreign listeners, but are the beating heart of culture for urban Biesellites.

===Aliens in Tau Ceti===
''See also: [[Skrell_Abroad#Skrell_in_the_Republic_of_Biesel|Skrell in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Unathi_Abroad#Unathi_in_the_Republic_of_Biesel|Unathi in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Little Adhomai]], [[Zo'ra in the Republic of Biesel]], [[Minor_Dionae_Factions#The_Biesellian_Choir|The Biesellian Choir]]''

The Republic has among the most diverse and widespread populations of non-human species in the entire Orion Spur. From the district of [[Little Adhomai]] to the Zo'ra Hive's presence on [[Biesel]] and Caprice, Biesellite humans are no stranger to aliens in their streets. However districts primarily populated by aliens have a lower-than-average income than human-dominant districts, and are essentially ghettos. The condition and wealth divide in these districts is only continuing to worsen as the phoron rationing policies of Ake Torvald sees priority go towards wealthy neighborhoods. They look more run down than ever, as the crime rate has steadily been increasing and black markets begin to pop up more frequently. As a result, similarly to the human poor, [[TCAF|recruitment in the Tau Ceti Armed Forces has become particularly popular]].

===Synthetics in Tau Ceti===
''See also: [[IPCs in Biesel]]''

[[Biesel|Biesel]] is currently home to one of the largest populations of [[IPC|IPCs]] within the known galaxy. Although not yet entitled to the same rights as their fellow Bieselittes, the attitude towards IPCs, owned and unowned is generally regarded as the most progressive within the [[Sol Alliance#Inner Colonies|Inner Colonies]]. IPCs in the Republic are a common sight in urban areas such as [[Mendell City|Mendell City]] and Phoenixport. Such a degree of urbanisation can be attributed to the more developed infrastructure and available services required for the maintenance, housing and charging, as well as employment opportunities provided by the megacorporate presence.

== Politics and Government ==
In accordance with its Constitution, adopted after independence in 2452, the Republic of Biesel operates as a '''Federal Democracy'''. It has an elected president, currently Ake Torvald, a Congress divided into an upper and lower house, and a Supreme Court. Despite the fact that there are checks and balances between the branches of government, rumours persist that President Torvald has amassed political capital in order to have greater influence over the branches than stipulated in the constitution he is supposed to uphold. Most rumors credit the ability to do this as a result of backing from his Megacorporate sponsors.

The Republic of Biesel congress is composed of two divisions; the State Senate (upper chamber) and the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople (lower chamber) which together form the legislative branch, Congress. Legislation will typically be created and passed by the Tau Ceti Assembly of Spokespeople. On the other hand, the State Senate focuses on bills, resolutions, amendments, and treaties - usually legal items that could drastically change the Republic of Biesel. When mentioning both entities, they are often referred to as the Republican Congress.

The executive branch is composed of the presidency and the various ministerial departments that assist the presidency in running the government and implementing policies in the best interest of the citizens. All laws must be measured up to the Constitution of the Republic of Biesel, and those that can't pass this test are deemed null and void. This led to the creation of two apex courts, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal, which function together to form the judicial branch.

Healthcare and insurance is closely tied with megacorporations, more frequently, Zavodskoi and Zeng-Hu instead of only NanoTrasen. Treatments beyond regular checkups tend to be costly, but are usually at least partially covered by insurance plans. Most insurance plans are offered by megacorporations when they are offered, and vary in their coverage, meaning an individual of a low economic class can easily be rendered bankrupt by a freak accident or unusual illness. Biesel, in particular Mendell City, has some of the most advanced medical technology available in the Spur owing to the many patent sharing and research agreements between Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and NanoTrasen. However, medical doctorates and surgical degrees are carefully kept at near-shortage by the Republic; this is very likely due to corporate influence on parliament, to keep wages for degree-holders high.

=== Political Ideologies ===

'''President Åke Torvald'''

While he is obviously not a political ideology himself, Åke Torvald deserves mention here as he is the current President of the Republic, and therefore shapes much of its policy and actions. He currently leads the government in a messy federal version of a coalition with the Cetain Conservative Party, as he is an independent. Most who know him only from debates during the presidential election would consider him a Cetian Conservative - after all, he parroted many of their points, and made their party leader his VP. However, nothing is so simple with Åke Torvald. News sources close to the administration often remark that there is a stark difference between Ake’s public personality and his private one, specifically how it can be difficult to tell if he’s just saying something for political gain or because it’s what he thinks. This extends to even his goals at times, as from an outside perspective, he is inconsistent with his positions and principles, seemingly at random. Something may be gleaned from a quote Ake has had inscribed on his desk

'''<center>“Without a clear goal and efforts to reach it, no man can live.”</center>'''

What has become clear since his election as president is that the best possible description of Ake Torvald when it comes to his life, personality, and politics is ruthlessly Machiavellian. The most publicly obvious examples of these traits are when members of the Cetain Conservative Party make the mistake of not toeing the President’s line publicly; a mistake that often finds them resigning in disgrace weeks later, after they were the subject of a massive scandal, or target of a BSSB investigation for any number of crimes which happened to get leaked to the press.It has become clear that President Torvald expects absolute loyalty from his coalition members and has no qualms about tearing them down by whatever means should they fail to live up to these expectations. Lastly, it is important to note that, unlike Dorn before him, Ake has a degree of independence from the [[Megacorporations | true powers of Biesel]], originally running against the megacorporate backed candidate and winning. What he will do with this limited independence is unknown, as no one is certain exactly what his end goals are.

'''Biesellite Corporatocracy'''

Rooted within the belief that the Republic of Biesel should strive to create an environment that incentivises economic growth and prosperity, Biesellite Corporatocracy sees the megacorporations – specifically NanoTrasen and the rest of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate – having significant influence in the free market. Megacorporations see themselves replacing the services meant to be provided by the government, ranging from simple things such as basic amenities like water and power to even entirely sourcing welfare services through employment programmes. Though it has been criticised throughout the greater Orion Spur, Biesellite Corporatocracy is one of the more successful attempts at the ideology – with the Republic of Biesel maintaining its dominance as the economic hegemon of the Spur. Biesellite Corporotocracy advocates for equal rights across sentient species – including synthetics, most likely to increase the megacorporations’ available workforce.

'''Valkyrian Libertarianism'''

Founded on the ideals of freedom, equality and dignity, the Republic of Biesel frequently claims to protect the light of liberty and ensure that it keeps shining – which has seen it become a beacon for those fleeing both persecution and prosecution from their homes, or seeking greener pastures. Valkyrian Libertarianism strives to identify, protect and enforce the rights of sentient beings and minimise state encroachment and violations of sentient liberties. Valkyrian Libertarianism is a proponent for stimulating economic activity through incentivising business. A worrying policy that clashes with the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate as the advantages aren’t just aimed at them – but instead of any and all business, no matter the size. Valkyrian Liberatianism seeks to remove the Conglomerate’s monopoly and create an environment that would be advantageous to any entrepreneur, something that cannot be done as long as the Conglomerate maintains an iron fist on its economy. They are fierce advocates for synthetic rights, and regularly vote in a pro-synthetic manner.

'''Biesellite Hadiism'''

Theorized by the People's Republic of Adhomai's migrants, Biesellite Hadiism seeks to apply President Hadii's teachings to Tau Ceti's situation. This ideology supports the creation of a strong government supported by the existing megacorporations to provide its people with a robust welfare system. Biesellite Hadiism preaches equality for all species; a system built by immigrants from all races should ultimately provide to them all without discrimination. Unlike the Adhomian version, this Biesellite Hadiism abandoned the hopes of creating a superculture and merely believes in protecting each species' traditional values. This ideology is notorious for its authoritarian tendencies: Biesellite Hadiists want to concentrate unlimited powers in the hands of the President. Because of the Solarian Alliance’s stance on the Tajara, the ideology supports the expansion of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion into a large military force.

'''Gibsonite Social Democracy'''

Arising sometime after the Crisis of 2294, Gibsonite Social Democracy is a movement that understands the necessity for a balance between the free market and a functioning welfare state – and that the two need not be mutually exclusive, and can exist in harmony with one another through changes in the current status quo. Seemingly a blending of Solarian Social Democracy and Xanusanii Social Democracy, Gibsonite Social Democracy has managed to spread across the Republic of Biesel, much to the dismay of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. It advocates for a more regulated economy, increased defence spending and stricter immigration policies to ensure that those coming to Tau Ceti will contribute to its growth, and not hinder it. It seeks to levy increased corporate taxes on the megacorporations, break their monopolies, and fund various welfare programmes instead of relying on the Conglomerate to fill the state’s shoes. Due to the presence of Skrell on New Gibson, the movement has seen anti-synthetic sentiments infiltrate its followers – and they are a proponent of restricted artificial intelligence, and are vehemently against granting synthetic rights.

'''Cetian Conservatism'''

Created by the repeated onslaughts by the Solarian Alliance against the sovereignty of the Republic of Biesel, Cetian Conservatism seeks to transform the Republic from an economic hegemon and to become a military one. It is also a proponent for increased defence spending, and upholding the traditional values of the Republic of Biesel and what it was founded on – tracing back to its initial colonisation. Cetian Conservatism, similarly to its Solarian counterpart, advocates for increased federalism, where the overarching government should be restricted and prevented from infringing on the individual member-states of the Republic of Biesel, and not infringing on their authority regarding internal matters. They are ambivalent about the presence of megacorporations but do agree with other ideologies' desire to break up their monopolies. Similarly to Gibsonite Social Democracy, Cetian Conservatism is against any further granting of synthetic rights and wishes to see them removed.

=== Political Parties ===
'''Cetian Congress of Conservatives (38%) '''

The Cetian Congress of Conservatives has become a beacon for all those who believe the Republic of Biesel’s traditional values are no longer being upheld and must be defended, or those with a notable dislike of Solarians. Their belief in Cetian Conservatism inspires their desire for policy changes, such as expanding the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, increasing the defence budget, and further restricting the overarching government’s ability to interfere in the affairs of its member-states, some of which has been accomplished since they entered into a coalition with the new President, Ake Torvald. However, what has become clear is that while the party previously had its own beliefs, since entering a coalition with President Torvald, he expects the party to toe his line without question, and failure to do so will see one disgraced by scandal or investigation. It is officially led by Adalet Uysal, the current Vice President of the Republic, and a known mechanophobe – which seems to have proliferated throughout the party - though Uysal and all the members with any sense no longer express this openly. President Torvald disapproves of such thoughts being voiced publicly, and those too dim-witted to heed the President's warning found themselves being turned into examples; forced to resign in disgrace and be kicked out of the party after BSSB investigations revealed strong evidence of corruption. [[Notable Humans|It was a far kinder fate than others which befell those who stood in the now President's way.]]

'''Cetian Social Democratic Front (33%)'''

Previously composed of several smaller parties that then formed a coalition in an attempt to gain additional sway within the politics of the Republic of Biesel, the Cetian Social Democratic Front is led by Gibsonite-born Skrell Zash Vi’tak, and currently leads the opposition parties against the current government “coalition” under Ake Torvald, a situation that sees them forming an awkward alliance with the Progressive Party of Biesel. Most of its desired policy changes see influence from its adherence to Gibsonite Social Democracy, such as its proposed economic empowerment programme that aims to level the playing field through the encouragement and incentivisation of hiring non-synthetics. The Cetian Social Democratic Front has been vocal in their support for a basic universal income, through the introduction of a heavily-modified Skrellian Social Compatibility Index system that would allocate more funds to those who find themselves in impoverished circumstances, through the levying of additional taxes on the megacorporations. The Front has made known its intention to break the Conglomerate’s monopolies but has had little success so far, though somewhat surprisingly, despite these goals, the Cetian Social Democratic Front and its members are rarely the target of scandals, BSSB investigations, or other such things, unlike Ake’s own party. While nothing had been said publicly, within the high ranks of the party, there is concern about what the President might want from them.

'''Progressive Party of Biesel (12%)'''

Led by Montgomery, an IPC, the Progressive Party of Biesel stands as the direct opposition to the Cetian Conservative party, being a more left-leaning organization based in Valkyrian Libertarianism who have a very different idea of what the traditional values of the Republic are. Their primary goals are to protect and codify the rights of all sentient beings into law, while also minimising state encroachment or violations of sentient liberties. They were one of the biggest dissenters against the Peacekeeper Mandate and are staunchly against restrictions on Biesel Citizenship, believing that universal suffrage should be awarded, regardless of status. They are allied to the Cetian Social Democratic Front in the current government.

'''Biesellite Free-Market Party (11%)'''

Adhering to Biesellite Corporatocracy, the Biesellite Free-Market Party advocates for its namesake, a free market economy, mostly through taking a laissez-faire approach through the deregulation of the economy and fostering an environment where the megacorporations can prosper. It had been vocal and resolute in its support of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion and the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]], as well as universal citizenship. Currently leaderless after Joesph Dorn's defeat in the presidential election of 2466, the party has yet to find its bearings again. Prior to the election of 2466 the Biesellite Free-Market Party had remained firmly in power since the nation’s independence, its immense influence within the politics of the Republic of Biesel coming from the extensive (and expensive) lobbying efforts of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, as well as a combination of other factors. The Zo’ra Hive and Unathi are now the only remaining solid voting bloc for the Biesellite Free-Market Party, mostly owing to their allegiances either to their Queens, or the megacorporations that brought them from their decaying homes. Though many have tried to sway these voters, they have ultimately been unsuccessful. Currently, these representatives are considered to be allied to the ruling coalition under Ake Torvald - and are controlled similarly to members of the Certain Conservative party.

'''Egalitarian Coalition of Biesel (4%)'''

The Egalitarian Coalition of Biesel, led by Harbinger of Peaceful Purposes, has a growing foothold within the Republic of Biesel and has seen a fast uptick in supporters following the annexation of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. Though initially founded on Valkyrie, the Egalitarian Coalition of Biesel found itself pushed into the limelight thanks to the efforts of the Eternal Church and the Trinary Perfection – utilizing videos of their charity work to spread their values and ideals. It is a staunch follower of Valkyrian Libertarianism and seeks to ensure that sentient liberties are upheld, and ultimately preserve sentient rights through equality. Due to their links to both the Eternal Church and the Trinary Perfection, the Egalitarian Coalition is a proponent for sentient rights, and welfare programmes to help those that have been overlooked by the state – of which the party sees as a reason for their advocacy for regulated state interference. They are a strong proponent of decreased immigration controls. They are currently unaligned, though share closely held beliefs with the Progressive Party, something that often sees the two co-sponsoring bills.

'''Hadiist Party of Biesel (2%) '''

Originally founded by the People's Republic of Adhomai migrants, the Hadiist Party of Biesel is one of the smallest existing parties, but thanks to its idiosyncrasies, it attracted a lot of attention. While it is considered to be nothing but a curiosity in Tau Ceti's political system, the Hadiist Party of Biesel, because of its policies of supporting the Tajaran population, is becoming increasingly popular with the Tajara. Its current leader is Chairman Matvei Karakhan, a People's Republic of Adhomai migrant who also created the Party and is the main proponent of Biesellite Hadiism. They are currently unaligned.

'''Syndicated Union of Labourers (Banned)'''

The Syndicated Union of Labourers is an antithesis to the Biesellite Corporacratic Party. Adhering to a more left-wing approach to Cetian Conservatism with elements of Himean Syndicalism, Valkarian Libertarianism and Gibsonite Social Democracy, the Syndicated Union of Labourers proposes to completely revolutionize the Republic of Biesel – shifting it away from the depraved, exploitive practices of the megacorporations and giving rise to more associated worker rights. They seek to ultimately completely alter the Republican landscape with their manifesto and weaken the influence of the megacorporations – including Einstein Engines. They regularly hold demonstrations across Tau Ceti but have recently attempted to establish a foothold within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone in order to expand its supporter base. Due to its relative newness, it is unknown how they view sentient rights or non-human immigration. They were banned thanks to their links to the Samaritans and Founding Movement; those associated with them are often charged with anti-corporate sentiment.

==Military==
''See also: [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]]''

[[Image:Tcflposter.png|thumb|400px|A recruitment poster for the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.]]

The Republic of Biesel's sovereignty is currently protected by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, which were formed in 2465 in response to the long and difficult fight against insurgency in the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], replacing [[TCAF|their ineffective predecessors in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.]] An amendment to the [[Peacekeeper Mandate|People's Protection Act]] saw the creation of the TCAF, alongside the new branches of the Tau Ceti Minutemen (Army), Republican Fleets (Space Fleet), and the Corporate Auxiliary Forces (Corporate Paramilitaries). Since [[Tau Ceti History|President Torvald’s election]], the [[TCAF]] has seen it’s funding increase dramatically, and be prioritized for phoron after the president instituted soft-rationing, which has led the military to see a surge in recruitment numbers, while retaining access to some of the best technology and equipment available in the spur; enough to where by most estimates, they could put up a real fight against their current regional threat, the reconstituted [[Solarian Alliance]].

Non-citizens seeking citizenship in Tau Ceti can acquire it through service in the Armed Forces.

Their current operations extend as far as the borders of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, and generally drop off from there, except their previous involvement in the [[Tajaran_Military_Structures#The_S.27rend.27marr_Coalition|S'rend'marr Coalition]] at NanoTrasen’s request almost half a decade ago.

==Technology==

'''Phoronics:''' The Republic of Biesel's technological advancements are owed to the vast deposits of phoron in the Romanovich Cloud, and what would become the republic was the birthplace of the “Phoronic Revelotion” a technological revolution that followed the discovery of phoron for almost fifty years, and laid the foundations for the technology of the Spur to become what it is today. Even in the midst of the scarcity, Biesel still has some of the most advanced technology in the Spur thanks to its large supply of phoron - including a large supply of phoron WMDs and Phoron Warheads, planet killers and city killers respectively.

'''Robotics:''' The relative freedom of synthetics within Biesellite space has also inspired a great degree of research into refining and developing positronics. While many megacorporations still have primary positronic facilities in the Alliance, with some even purchasing Shell frames from [[Einstein Engines]], NanoTrasen and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals in particular have begun to invest in positronic and frame manufacturing plants on [[Valkyrie]], [[New Gibson]], and Reade.

'''Anomalies Studies:''' The Republic's other greatest scientific advancement is the study of the anomalous properties of bluespace. Xenoarchaeology and the study of Alden-Saraspova activity within the Romanovich Cloud is a well-established field in Tau Ceti, and many aspiring anomalists and bluespace researchers venture into Tau Ceti to study the high amount of anomalous items and artifacts that are unearthed within the Romanovich Cloud. Strangely, the rates of anomalous activity emanating from the Romanovich Cloud have steadily increased as phoron has been mined.

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Corporate Reconstruction Zone

2026-07-23T19:04:29Z

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[[File:Peackeeper Poster -1.png|thumb|A poster advertising the benefits of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate's presence in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone.]]
The '''Corporate Reconstruction Zone''' is the name for all former [[Sol Alliance]] territories gained by the [[Republic of Biesel]] outside of [[Tau Ceti]]'s gravity well. These territories were occupied after the Alliance abandoned their outer territories due to [[Sol_Alliance_History#2462:_The_Solarian_Civil_War|their governmental collapse and the formation of a military junta]]. The Alliance cut these colonies' lifelines, leaving the Republic to fill the void through cataloguing and subsequently selling nominal economic rights of the systems to the megacorporations belonging to the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]. Yet to most in the region, even this was still better than the months of massive societal unrest, upheaval, shortages of essential goods, and similar that followed the Alliance abandoning these colonies.

The "Zone" started out as an area of instability and logistical chaos, though many once-Alliance colonies existed in comparative peace to the adjacent [[Human Wildlands]], and were better off than they were in the immediate time following the Solarian Retreat. This is owed to two factors: the presence of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, and the federal authority of the Republic of Biesel backing the planetary governments. To avoid the ire of the Conglomerate and its allies, warlords and other unlawful groups refrained from entering these territories, though there were some notable exceptions over the five years : [[Human Wildlands|Admiral Klaudia Szalai and her Military District]], prior to the restructuring of the Alliance and government control being returned to the Middle Ring, had regularly launched raids into the Reconstruction Zone.

It was a long, slow, and grueling process to restore order and rebuild within the Zone after destruction caused by the Alliance’s retreat and the immediate aftermath. Now, five years since its establishment, the Zone has become mostly peaceful, if still heavily militarized in certain areas, such as along the Zoleth Line—a defensive line situated towards the Solarian Border. Even with situations such as that, almost all Zone colonies have now been rebuilt, and live in peace and prosperity under a Biesellite banner through the guiding hand of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. With the phoron scarcity worsening, Ake Torvald’s presidency has begun to ration phoron, growing their strategic reserve, and allocating phoron where they wish. Under this soft-rationing within the Republic, the middle and upper class citizens are often granted preferential allocation of phoron, never really feeling the true pain of the scarcity. However, that extra pain is dumped onto the poorer citizens of the Republic. Nowhere is this clearer than in the Zone; the CRZ already received a smaller allocation than that given to planets within Tau Ceti’s gravity well, usually reserved for the colonies’ rich and middle class, who were typically more pro-corporate or work in corporate jobs. While the continuously deteriorating state of many poorer neighborhoods on Biesel is bad enough, the situation is significantly worse in the CRZ, with many poorer neighborhoods having all but reverted back to 2300s levels of technology and standard of living. {{TOC Hidden}}
== Notable Locations ==

*'''[[Mictlan]]''' is a regional superpower within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, once housing the central administrative headquarters of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and their operations within the area. After the Republic of Biesel declared the Peacekeeper Mandate in response to rising tensions on the planet, the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, and later the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]], entered a guerilla war with the paramilitary insurgent group known as the Samaritans, and the political party-turned-political terrorists, the Founding Movement. Roughly two years after the original declaration of the Peacekeeper Mandate, a ceasefire was settled between the governments of Mictlan, Biesel, and the Samaritans (following the death of the Founding Movement’s Leader), with the insurgents surrendering in exchange for Mictlan's considerable independence from all but Biesel's capital law.

*'''[[Port Antillia]]''' is a malleable colony within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, with limitless potential for the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]. Juggling its integration into the [[Republic of Biesel]] with its own internal struggles, the volatile circumstances of the planet allows it to be the perfect playground for any who wishes to mould its progression. After a fierce election, which saw Julien Guerrier elected as premier of the planet, Port Antillia has begun to move away from the laws of the Republic of Biesel, enacting the Reverence of Life Act, which forbids cyborgification on the planet. Though Port Antillia has made strides in diplomatic relations with Tau Ceti and [[NanoTrasen]], time will tell if Julien Guerrier's aim to make the voices of Port Antillia heard will prove effective or not.

== [[Peacekeeper Mandate]] ==

In response to the growing number of extremist groups within the corporate reconstruction zone, President Joseph Dorn announced the Peacekeeper Mandate—a declaration of martial law and deployment of the TCFL across the Zone—in mid-October of 2463. This was met with immediate backlash, being perceived as a return to the period of martial law and unrest after being abandoned by the Solarian Alliance. Considered to be the most controversial policy Dorn ever enacted, the Peacekeeper Mandate’s goal was to re-introduce order to the Zone, intending to keep the Corporate Reconstruction Zone’s colonies part of the Republic of Biesel. Peacekeepers were opposed by several insurrectionist groups across the Republic, and clashed with the Samaritans and the Founding Movement. The Samaritans were a paramilitary insurrectionist group primarily made up of ex-MDF personnel, and the Founding Movement being a militaristic splinter group from the political party of the same name, much to their leader’s dismay.

Initially meant to operate for a definite period, the TCFL floundered in achieving the goals of the Peacekeeper Mandate, and was expanded to operate indefinitely until the unrest, terrorism, and insurrection had been quelled. As a result of the continued ineffectiveness of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, the [[Private Military Contracting Group]] was hired to support their operations. The PMCG contributed to the Peacekeeper Mandate significantly, although much controversy arose in the Zone itself over allowing a private military company to assist—however these concerns would be ignored. In the meantime, the SCC had begun many massive development projects across the CRZ, only further increasing tensions as the military occupation continued with minor skirmishes for almost six months.

In early 2464, the Peacekeeper Mandate became drastically more violent following the death of a protesting scholar on Mictlan. Riots erupted across the Zone and became particularly intense on Mictlan, with the forces of both the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion and the Private Military Contracting Group desperately supporting the Mictlan Defense Force in attempting to quell the unrest. Despite other Zone planets being quelled, the Samaritans seized the chance to strike back in force against the Republic, redoubling their efforts on Mictlan. These victories by the Samaritans led to both the deployment of more troops to Mictlan, and inspired the Founding Movement and other insurgent groups to begin a series of terror bombings and attacks within Mictlan’s major cities.

In July 2465, after nearly two years of fighting on Mictlan, the continued violence culminated in the establishment of the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] in an attempt to stomp out the insurgent groups. As the new [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces#Tau_Ceti_Minutemen|Minutemen]] replaced the TCFL presence on Mictlan, attacks by the Founding Movement and the Samaritans only increased. The Minutemen retaliated with “equal” force—punitive raids against towns on the Eastern Continent—which caused outrage in Tau Ceti when leaked. Further conflict continued until August 10th, 2465, when at 17:00, two satchel charges, and an entire car rigged of plastic explosives detonated in Valtas Square in front of the Mictlani Defense Force Headquarters. The force of the blast shattered many of the famous glass bridges in the area, and caused shockwaves that rattled window panes for kilometers. All of the casualties from the bombing were local civilians, and with the Founding Movement claiming responsibility for the bombing, violence only continued to escalate afterwards.

Immediately, significantly more forces were transferred to Mictlan to take part in a [[Hasta_La_Victoria_Siempre_Arc#Riots_Sparked_In_Wake_of_Mictlan_Defense_Force_Crackdowns_on_Founding_Movement|bloody crackdown and campaign of revenge against the Samaritans and Founding Movement]], a decision that caused the civil unrest in Tau Ceti proper to finally boil over. With the backdrop of mass protests happening on [[Biesel]] and [[New Gibson]], the leader of the Founding Movement [[Hasta_La_Victoria_Siempre_Arc#Founding_Movement_Leadership_Isabel_Alvarez_Found_Dead_In_Caxamalca|Isobel Alvarez was found dead]] by TCAF special forces a week later, having been lynched by her compatriots for continuing to advocate for non-violence, and [[Hasta_La_Victoria_Siempre_Arc#Minutemen_Launch_“Operation_Jakali”%2C_Massive_Offensive_on_Huitzilopochtli|Operation Jakali was launched.]] The TCAF’s hopes of a swift conclusion to the yearlong fighting were quickly dashed. As the the offensive was immediately bogged down, with mounting casualties and untenable civil unrest in Tau Ceti. There would be no easy military victory to bring peace back to Mictlan.

Instead, [[Notable_Humans#Xiomara_Salvo|Xiomara Salvo]], [[Notable Humans|Prime Minister Ladislao de Santos]], and [[The Trasens|Nathan Trasen]] agreed to a peace deal, including pardons (with parole) for most Samaritans on several conditions: Mictlan would be permitted to determine which Biesellite laws were accepted within its own territory, barring capital crimes. The deal was accepted, signed, and eventually ratified when the majority of Samaritans surrendered peacefully. The Peacekeeper Mandate was deemed over, and the Tau Ceti Armed Forces finally withdrew to Biesel.

== Megacorporation Influence ==
The [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] has made strides in expanding its influence within the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], utilizing, even post-peace deal, [[Mictlan]] as its regional headquarters within the territories. While resistance still exists to their presence throughout the reconstruction zone, most of Mictlan’s upper class has been satiated by the lucrative deals negotiated between the planetary governments and the megacorporations. The lower classes still hold the corporate presence with resentment, seeing the deals and prosperity as only benefitting the upper classes. Despite this, many accept it as being still better than what came before, and the corporations have not gone out of their way to upset a majority of the population. Alongside development of infrastructure and increased financial assistance, more and more of the zone’s population is coming around to the idea of being part of the Republic, though some resent that the aid is still concentrated too much in those already well off. The politically powerful, however, praise the presence of the megacorporations all the same, even after thousands of small businesses across the Corporate Reconstruction Zone were cannibalized by the megacorporations to utilize their manpower to fuel their expansion across the newly acquired territories.

In the aftermath of the departure of the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]], and the establishment of several new laws that limited corporate influence on Mictlan, many Conglomerate facilities have reduced their operations or returned their staff to [[Tau Ceti]].

=== Exclusive Economic Zones ===
Exclusive Economic Zones are a different category from Special Economic Zones present within the Orion Spur. EEZs are carefully crafted agreements between the [[Republic of Biesel]] and the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], which allow megacorporations to solely be relied upon regarding any economic activity within a certain area, from resource harvesting to the entertainment industry. This has been enabled through the cataloguing and subsequently selling of nominal economic rights, typically through bidding exchanges, with the proceeds going to the [[Republic of Biesel]]. Notably, these rights do not apply to the [[TCAF]], who may build their military infrastructure regardless of who controls the zone, ranging from fortified bunkers to orbital resupply stations. However, due to the good relationship between the government and the megacorporations, this is usually done cooperatively. Where the Exclusive Economic Zone is owned by the entirety of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], these zones are divided in which megacorporations operate in certain fiscal sectors, resulting in a much more competitive environment compared to zones where a singular megacorporation has managed to acquire sole commercial rights over a system.
[[File:Peackeeper1.png|thumb|left|A poster encouraging transfers to facilities within the CRZ.]]

== Refugees and Asylum Seeking ==
Prior to the stabilization of the [[Human Wildlands]], the [[Republic of Biesel]] was experiencing a refugee crisis. Supported by the [[Interstellar Aid Corps]], the [[Republic of Biesel]] created several outposts to handle the influx of asylum seekers along the borders of the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, and utilized pre-existing boundary colonies where possible. Designed to act as a holding facility for those wishing to enter the [[Republic of Biesel]], these facilities were infamous for their poor conditions as a result of funding issues and mismanagement. While the [[Interstellar Aid Corps]] may present itself as the bastion of hope within the Orion Spur, these facilities were often viewed as contrary to popular belief.

Despite the [[Republic of Biesel]] having created the outposts, the IAC was responsible for the staffing and maintenance of those facilities. Outbreaks of disease were common, and many of the facilities struggled to provide enough meals to feed the refugees and asylum seekers that had been redirected to their care. [[Sol Alliance History|However, since the stabilization of the Wildlands]], the refugee crisis has abated, with the number of refugees heading for Biesel at a five year low. All of the camps have since been closed down, no longer needed.

== Synthetics in the CRZ ==
[[File:Fixedpk.png|thumb|A mocking poster presented by the Samaritans against the Peacekeeper Mandate.]]
Following the collapse of the [[Sol Alliance| Solarian Alliance]], and the expansion of the [[Republic of Biesel]] into what would become the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, the resulting chaos led to a breakdown of most systems, particularly affecting synthetics that were stranded within lawless regions across the greater Orion Spur. While the [[Republic of Biesel]] continues to salvage a large number of synthetics that were deserted within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, there is still an abundant amount that are considered to be living in unsafe conditions by the [[Interstellar Aid Corps]]. Those in particularly anarchic regions are preyed upon to harvest their limbs and circuitry and due to restrictions instituted by their prior owners, being incapable of harming people or property. These coded restrictions resulted in being unable to flee from the assault, having to endure the damage done to them without the ability to fight back, with reports of [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion| Tau Ceti Foreign Legionnaires]] encountering incapacitated synthetics that appear destroyed, but upon further investigation were capable of holding a conversation with their rescuers.

Synthetics who are recovered from the Corporate Reconstruction Zone are usually funnelled into the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]], an opportunity presented to them to earn their freedom. This has seen some success, with most opting to undertake the opportunity after having their limitations removed by a machinist. Those that refuse the opportunity are often sold to megacorporations or individuals who can afford them—usually discounted due to most having been heavily damaged during the unrest post-collapse of the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]].

There have also been cases of odd behaviour from some simpler and more controlled synthetics. Most notably, a [[Hephaestus Industries|Hephaestus]] "Second Generation" Industrial Model was located within the ruins of a factory that had been burned down after rioters had broken through its blockade months prior. The industrial IPC was discovered to be continuing its work as a supply chain operator, picking up and placing down the same charred objects that it had been doing so since the destruction of its workplace, only interrupting the process to recharge itself with the badly damaged machinery located across the burnt factory.

Most synthetics salvaged by the [[Republic of Biesel]] find themselves directed to District 14, located on the edge of [[Mendell City]]. More than likely, synthetics finding themselves within the district rely on the [[The Trinary Perfection|Trinary Perfection]] in order to maintain themselves - with the Church usually taking advantage of the opportunity to both offer their services and attempt to convert synthetic refugees into believers. While their numbers have increased significantly since the collapse of the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]], many within District 14 still choose to keep at arm's length from the Church.

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Port Antillia

2026-07-23T19:04:14Z

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|Name = Port Antillia
|System = Estrella de las Iselas
|Image = Port Antillia Flag.png
|Sector = [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]
|Capital = Provincial State Capitals
|Species = Human
|Languages = Tau Ceti Basic. Solarian Common and Tradeband.
|Nation = [[Republic of Biesel]]
|Former = [[Sol Alliance]]
}}

One of the more recent planets to be colonised in the [[Orion Spur]], '''Port Antillia''' had great ambitions of being a vital port between the [[Sol Alliance|Jewel Worlds]] and the [[Republic of Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]]. Due to its novel colonisation, it faced severe struggles, which were exacerbated by frequent natural disasters. Ultimately this resulted in its early collapse - only really seeing itself somewhat stabilised nearly a century later. It has its roots within the nations which formed the Caribbean Federation, who found themselves facing extinction from the ecological crisis that [[Earth]] endured.

Despite millions becoming part of the colonisation effort, no one truly knew the dangers present on Port Antillia. Due to its relative youth on the cosmic scale, the planet experiences earthquakes rather frequently, which produce tsunamis that pose a threat to cities that dot the coasts of Port Antillia. Additionally, volcanic activity is yet another persistent danger with some of the largest eruptions across the inhabited parts of Orion Spur being registered to the planet. Many of the major population centres are equipped to deal with these problems, but there are still minor settlements that have to contend with the hostile geological activity of the planet, with most residents having accepted that they are simply a part of life on Port Antillia.

Port Antillia is now a malleable colony within the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], with limitless potential for the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]. Juggling its integration into the [[Republic of Biesel]] with its own internal struggles, the volatile circumstances of the planet allow it to be the perfect playing ground for any who wishes to mould its progression.

'''Due to Port Antillia’s rather insular and unstable history as the singular colonisation attempt by the Caribbean Federation, characters born on Port Antillia will have names and appearances consistent with the peoples of Antilles. Only those native to Port Antillia may take its accent. This is enforceable by server moderators and admins.'''
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== History ==

Humanity as a species stretched from [[New Hai Phong]] to [[Xanu Prime]] by the time that Port Antillia had been colonised, in 2336. However, many had been left out of the colonial fervour, most notably of which was the [[Earth|Caribbean]] Federation. These dotted island nations had neither the influence nor wealth to commence their own colonisation efforts during the initial wave that engulfed [[Earth]] during the early days of the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]]. Many suffered greatly as [[Earth]]’s spiralled into ecological collapse, where the smaller islands found themselves swallowed whole. Overpopulation and overcrowding quickly became significant issues across the islands that had survived the swelling seas, and despite the efforts to repair the damage, it would not soon be alleviated. Soon, the provinces that previously made the Caribbean Federation found themselves offered opportunities for better living amongst the stars - Port Antillia, a tropical paradise that would be instrumental to interstellar trade in the region.

Tension was high among the fleets by the time it reached the planet. Spread across the various regions of Port Antillia, each became more and more insular as refugees were fed into the fledgling colonies. Problems quickly started piling up as time went on. Almost immediately it was discovered that the agricultural attempts could not survive the high phosphorus content present and it was necessary to adapt to native flora - eventually yielding the discovery of the Spindlekann. Those within the more phosphoric regions resigned themselves to a combination of hunting and fishing where possible. Even the most barren colonial outposts managed to teeter between surviving and starvation with supplemented food parcels from both the more fortunate colonies and the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]]. However, the unstable success of Port Antillia quickly ended following the first major natural disasters.

Having barely gotten off the ground when the planet’s active tectonics began to threaten the colonial outposts, Port Antillia became one of many colonies that struggled to survive as incoming supplies dwindled. By the time the Solarian Alliance had attempted to institute precautionary measures, whatever colonial government that existed had collapsed, and the surviving communities were forced to retreat and rely on the resources on the planet in order to maintain their survival. While contact with one another continued briefly, it came to a stop in 2348. The [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]] had assumed that its attempt had failed, and resigned the project as having collapsed into an anarchist state. The next fifty years saw notable moments that then became instrumental in the creation of the current social, economical and political situation of Port Antillia as they attempted to survive their newfound “sovereignty”.

Without the means to sustain their populations, and being fearful of alien diseases, natural disasters, or other potentially malicious situations, these settlements turned to cooperation among themselves in order to sustain themselves in an attempt to assure that some, if not all, would survive the trying times ahead. While contact with one another continued briefly following the collapse of the overarching colonial government, eventually the dwindling resources available forced the settlements to steer all available efforts into fueling whatever food industries existed or nascent industries - which allowed maritime trade to bloom, where it became important, both as a means of communication and continued survival as supplies arrived. Some, in time, managed to overcome their new environment and fared rather well. Others had to fight to simply stave off starvation, and find clean water.

During the early days of the attempted Antillean recovery, earthquakes had started to become a common occurrence across the Fètil Chain, most affected were the islands centred around the regional capital of '''Saint Lawrence'''. Many perished as their hastily built residences collapsed as a result of the equipment restricted from them during the initial colonisation planning, eventually resulting in several advances relating to the ability to withstand the earthquakes - many of which averaged towards the higher end of the Richter scale. Tsunamis became rather frequent as a direct result of these earthquakes as well. Cities across the '''Fètil Chain''' found themselves washed away along the coasts, forcing many to move higher up to escape these repeated onslaughts. Eventually, houses across the Chain saw themselves constructed across higher altitudes and eventually implemented with shock absorbers, mostly made from the Giant Column Sponges, to resist the motion of these sizeable earthquakes.

The lack of developed infrastructure had significantly halted Port Antillia’s progression. From the colonial outposts across the planet arose new, emergent city-states that relied heavily upon trading with their other colonial counterparts and the resources within their immediate surrounding region in order to survive. Despite these attempts, Port Antillia never saw any full recovery of sorts and remained a rather insignificant colony within the Solarian frontier. So much so, that the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]] had only begun reconnecting to the descendants of the original colonists in 2398 when it felt it necessary, despite the planet having required its assistance decades earlier.

Unfortunately, twenty years after the first major instances of earthquakes within the '''Fètil Chain''', it was believed a similar occurrence was happening across the '''Mayabeque Isles'''. It wasn’t until the violent eruption of Monte Sauveur on an islet near the regional capital of Neuva Havana that they truly realised the hidden dangers buried within Port Antillia. Obvious signs of the impending detonation came too late for those in the area to realise their fatal mistake with mass evacuations only called just four hours prior to its eventual eruption. It is considered one of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic events to have occurred on Port Antillia. The explosion could be heard over three thousand miles away. Those within seventy kilometres of Mount Sauveur had their eardrums ruptured by the pressure wave generated by the enormous explosion. Hot ash began to settle across the '''Mayabeque Isles''' first, killing thousands from the fires that it ignited. It generated a tsunami so great it destroyed several cities along the western coasts of '''Centro del Mondyal'''. Port Antillia was enshrouded by a volcanic winter that dropped the average temperature 4.7°C, and mud rain fell regularly for months following the eruption. The skies burned red for almost eight years after Mount Sauveur’s detonation, a beautiful sight for such a tragic incident in the history of Port Antillia. Volcanic eruptions would continue to occur rather regularly across the planet, not as large as Mount Sauveur, however.

By 2423, the majority of the after-effects of the Mount Sauveur Eruption had settled, and life began to return to new normalcy, where these natural disasters were expected and prepared for to the best of the colonists’ abilities. Despite all its shortcomings, Port Antillia managed to keep its head above the water, eventually developing a rather strong intraplanetary economy, reliant on maritime trade instituted by a barter system between the now-established city-states. The next forty years saw little change in the progression of Port Antillia, restrictions placed upon the colony by the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]] had prevented any possibility of advancing, and regression had even started to occur in some regions across the planet. Megacorporations were unheard of, and instead, intrareliance on one another was practically forced in order to continue surviving.

By the time the [[KING OF THE WORLD|Solarian Collapse]] had occurred, Port Antillia found itself in extremely volatile circumstances, where it was forced to juggle its integration within the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]] and its own internal struggles. The political, social and economic scene of Port Antillia is incredibly malleable, where the planet had not yet decided its position on anything, but more importantly the megacorporations, and the boons and curses that come with either standing with or against them. Largely ignored in the immediate aftermath, Port Antillia has become the new focus for many [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate|megacorporations]] as they realise the possibilities of a largely untapped planet that has remained somewhat out of touch with the wider interstellar community.

== Environment ==
Port Antillia predominately has chains of islands, along with a singular large continent that is surrounded by atolls, isles, islets and cays. The majority of these are shield volcanos that have experienced millennia of erosion as the tides break on the beaches - alongside the rather frequent tectonic shifts and the ensuing tsunamis. The varied topography of Port Antillia includes misty plateaus, craggy ocean cliffs, tropical coastal areas, and lava deserts - all of which are surrounded by jungles of native flora. Despite the fertility in some areas across the planet, volcanic ash has destroyed much of the possibility of life from spreading in other regions as a result of the phosphorus that settled within the soil, thwarting any attempt from native flora to survive.

The planet enjoys a tropical climate with two discrete seasons. September through February - referred to as '''Fresano''' - is the dry season, less humid and considerably colder, with temperature highs and lows between 23°C and 27°C. March through August - or rather '''Veruroso''' - is a significantly warmer period where humidity skyrockets and the temperature frequently hits heights between 33°C and 42°C. Both allow for an almost year-round agricultural season which permits the quick blooming of native food crops to sustain the evergrowing population across Port Antillia. These conditions also routinely allow for extreme monsoons to develop during a short period between Fresano and Veruroso - while not always destructive, some have developed into problematic storms that have resulted destruction. There have been several news approaches with the assistance of new technology to help deal with the consequences of these frequent natural disasters as Antilleans adapt.

=== Regions ===
[[File:Port Antillia Map.png|thumb|A map depicting the landmasses of Port Antillia. It depicts Desconhecida, a continent not yet inhabited as a result of the vast phosphoric deserts that prevent vegetation from taking root. ]]
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==== The Fètil Chain ====
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The Fètil Chain exists as a link between Centro del Mondyal and Guayamouc and now forms the '''Saint Lawrence''' province. The archipelago has almost three dozen islands within its geographical region, some of which devote themselves to a simple agrarian idyll lifestyle, where vast industrialization was avoided across the islands - except those closest to either Centro del Myondal or Guayamouc, that have become important trading ports. The Chain is considered crucial to the maritime trading that occurs between the eastern and western hemispheres, where the Fètil Chain has leveraged its importance to remain largely successful and as a result, the region sees itself as somewhat more well-off compared to others across the planet - even in spite of the frequent earthquakes that impact it.
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==== Guayamouc ====
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Guayamouc is made up of four major islands and numerous smaller islands that are remnants of a long, partially volcanic island arc, which now forms the provinces of '''Arthezé''' and '''Agüeybaná'''. During the initial colonisation of Port Antillia, Guayamouc was considered one of the more fortunate regions thanks to its presence of Spindlekann, and its overall fertility that allowed for agricultural practices to take hold. However, industries outside of crop cultivation were almost nonexistent as the mineral riches were just out of reach, deep within the oceanic basin that it was nestled upon. It is considered one of the least developed regions of Port Antillia, however, is the one with the most potential to excel if the means were acquired to exploit the province’s deep-sea mineral deposits.
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==== Mayabeque Isles ====
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Five volcanic islands that are just off the eastern coast of the central continent, the Mayabeque Isles are now considered the province of '''Nueva Havana'''. Each island has at least one volcano, most have more, that erupted countless times to form the isles that exist today. Due to this, there is a significantly higher percentage of phosphorus within its soil, making it difficult for agricultural practices to take hold - whereas those on the island have instead relied on fishing and hunting to stave off malnutrition until the limited cooperation between Port Antillia’s nation-states commenced and those with more fertile agricultural regions within the east helped fill quotas and supply the isles with their excess crops. During the attempted Antillean recovery, it focused on becoming a critical trading hub within the western hemisphere. Some shipyards and drydocks still produce and repair ships, but most have been retrofitted into factories to expand their industrial profile. Today, the Isles are considered the most affluent region of Port Antillia, despite all its setbacks during the early days of the planet’s colonisation.
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==== Woodhall Atoll ====
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Whilst, not an actual atoll, Woodhall Atoll is a rather large island that has an enormous lake nestled within the extinct volcano crater that sits at its centre. It comprises a large majority of the '''Caymanas''' province, and is quite far off the northern shore of the central continent, where is it known as a labyrinth clutch of houses clasping to the side of Mount Saint Catherine. Frequently called the “Windy Atoll”, almost every nook and cranny of the island has been built over, with proposals of possibly draining the crater as the problem of overcrowding continues to hinder them. Similarly to the problem that the Mayabeque Isles face, Woodhall Atoll has had to heavily rely on fishing to keep its population fed, which has become a critical industry to the continued survival of the region. Other cities within the region utilize stilts and expand over the shallow waters to keep overpopulation at bay. It is considered one of the poorest provinces on Port Antillia.
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==== Centro del Mondyal ====
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The central continent of which the other islands surround, Centro del Mondyal is ecologically diverse. Sharing similarities to both what can be found within the western and eastern hemispheres, where the provinces of '''Mirabel''' and '''Carrington''' have established themselves on opposite ends - essentially dividing the mainland into two as they expanded throughout the history of Port Antillia. A rivalry of sorts does exist between the two as they assert territorial claims against each other, however, they have developed an economy that relies on the survival of the other, forcing them into peaceful cooperation to sustain their existence. Due to the size of the central continent, and the abundance of resources present, its developed regions are considered well-off, however, the rural outskirts have found themselves cast aside in favour of progressing the inner districts of the city-states.
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=== Flora and Fauna ===
==== Flora ====

Port Antillia finds itself home to a plethora of flourishing flora, as a result of the fertility that remains behind following the rather frequent volcanic activity the planet experiences. Areas in which flora has managed to take hold and bloom typically find themselves jungles composed of native ferns, tropical trees, and enormous flowers that give the planet its hallmark natural beauty. The flora of Port Antillia is adapted to the heightened phosphorus contents within the soil - to an extent - where some regions lay bare as a result of the overwhelming quantity of the mineral, there are many others that have a thriving ecosystem. The abundance of phosphorus in the soil proved to be too much for the Solarian agricultural transplants brought by colonists, who had to rapidly adapt themselves to the native flora or face starvation. Poorly situated colonies at the beginning of the colonisation of Port Antillia - specifically, settlements established on the more desolate islands - were unable to adapt, resulting in their subsequent disappearance as their numbles dwindled.

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'''Notable Flora'''
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*'''Glowshrooms''' are considered the most notable among Port Antilleans. Depending on the amount of phosphorus present within the soil it grows, these flowers can shine as bright as a floodlight. Glowshrooms have also been known to be used by those within the rural regions of Port Antillia as an alternative to candles - ones that don’t necessarily require replacing. They most commonly grow in close proximity to either extinct or dormant volcanos or the fringes of lava deserts.

*'''Spindlekanns''' are a popular, fast-growing crop found across Port Antillia. One of the easiest agricultural products to grow, Spindlekanns have been instrumental in the “success” of Port Antillia. The inside of the Spindlekanns is a nutritious, sweet mesocarp that is a staple where the hard, spiky bark used to conceal the interior is a good building material - similar in colour to bamboo. While nowadays only the more rural, or those prone to earthquakes, regions of Port Antillia use Spindlekanns as a building material, while major population centres still rely on the mesocarp that it hides within as a staple for their diet.

*'''Giant Column Sponges''' are yet another common sight across Port Antillia. Taller than two men standing atop one another, the Giant Column Sponges make great cattle fodder for the domesticated fauna of the planet. While slow growing, these gigantic plants are often shredded and used across ranches due to the extent that a singular column can stretch. They have also been used across the Fètil Chain to make shock absorbers to lessen the damage inflicted by the region’s frequent earthquakes. Many have attempted to make cuisine out of the sponges, but it has a remarkably bitter aftertaste that can take days to get rid of. It is a common prank among friends to spread shredded sponge into meals.
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==== Fauna ====

Life is still somewhat “underdeveloped” across Port Antillia. Reminiscent of prehistoric mammals on Earth, much of the fauna present appear similar in appearance to creatures that have been extinct for millions of years. A vast majority of the creatures live beneath the waves due to the large percentage of the planet being underwater. Those that do manage to survive on the surface are predominately composed of herbivores that congregate in herds. Omnivores and carnivores are significantly smaller, usually feasting on insects or fish. Similarly to the attempted Solarian transplants of crops, animals quickly found themselves out-competed and phased out shortly thereafter as the high phosphorous content created health issues.

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'''Notable Fauna'''
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*'''Antillean Unicorns''' are a rather common animal that exists across the eastern archipelago of Port Antillia. Despite the mythology that surrounds “unicorns” on Earth, Antillean Unicorns seem to be a combination of both deer and giraffes, with a similar appearance to the Quagga that existed across the plains of Southern Africa - obviously with a singular horn protruding from their skull, with some of the largest horns measured at an astounding meter. They were domesticated and later ranched following Port Antillia’s colonisation.

*'''White Papiyosa''' is a butterfly-like insect that has largely been regarded as a pest by Antilleans. The White Papiyosa relies heavily on Spindlekann in order to reproduce, laying their eggs, infesting and afterwards rendering the stalks inedible as during the larval stage it feasts on the fleshy interior of the plant. Despite their status as a pest, they are an incredibly stunning species, with a wingspan of 1.2 feet (36cm) that shows various hues of lilac. They previously dominated the southeastern regions of Port Antillia, but following the extensive use of Spindlekann have spread across the entire eastern hemisphere. There is a rather small movement attempting to petition for the White Papiyosa to be regarded as a protected species, however, it has been unsuccessful so far in achieving its ambition.

*'''Bayollas''' are frankly some of the largest species within the Orion Spur. Similar in appearance to whales, Bayollas reach almost 60 meters in length and can weigh as much as 360 tonnes in mass. They employ similar feeding strategies to maximise their feeding efficiency as seen in Solarian blue whales - assisted by the phosphorus-rich oceans of Port Antillia that are significantly more abundant in plankton. They primarily reside within the deepest segments of the planet’s oceans, with very few sightings across the shallower, inhabited coasts.
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=== System of Port Antillia ===

The system of Port Antillia contains 7 different celestial bodies, including the orange star that it orbits: '''Estrella de las Iselas''' or just '''las Iselas'''. Mostly devoid of asteroids within its inner system, las Iselas has several dwarf planets referred to as the '''Islas Pequeñas''', or the '''Pequeñas''', that have managed to be recognised by the Union of Port Antillia throughout their inhabitation of the aquatic planet. The largest found themselves named thanks to the colonial roots of the colonists of Port Antillia; '''Tortuga''', '''Acklins''' and '''Canouan'''. Though there is currently little interest in these planets and the rest of the Pequeñas, there have been rumours of the megacorporations expressing an interest to explore and staking mineral rights, with little success so far it seems.

Further in, '''Port Antillia''' rests decently within the habitable area of las Iselas, much closer to its orbiting star than other colonies throughout the Orion Spur, with theories as to its capture as a rogue planet during las Iselas’ later days – a reason for explaining why the planet still sees geological interruptions as it still adapts to its newfound circumstances. Port Antillia’s moons, '''Pigwo''' and '''Pipiti''' are also a big influence on the tides of the planet, with adjusting tides around the clock, some of the seas of Port Antillia away from the continents see themselves rife with swirls, luring adrenaline junkies masquerading themselves as sailors or explorers.

Past Port Antillia, the final two planets orbit. '''Soana''' and '''Sabinul'''. The former a gas giant, and the latter a smaller gas giant, both locked in a binary orbit of one another. Though exploration by both the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]] and the [[Republic of Biesel]] indicates that extracting the gasses within would be dangerous as a result of the shifting gravity wells, it hasn’t been ruled out by the Union of Port Antillia. Some speculate the Union’s decision to not rule out the usage of Soana and Sabinul is due to the government’s position that Port Antillia should eventually become self-sufficient from the varying prices of hydrogen, and the declining presence of phoron.

== Government ==
[[File:Port Antillia Flag.png|400px|thumb|The Flag of the Union of Port Antillia.]]

Port Antillia prior to its integration within the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], did not have an official government, instead, each nation-state functioned as an independent power. Each formed from a singular colonial outpost and expanded across the region they found themselves within, creating their own complicated and complex political environments. However, its introduction as a potential planetary state within the [[Republic of Biesel]] has forced the hands of the nation-states and resulted in a bifurcated state referred to as the “Union of Port Antillia” that currently exists as a transitional government meant to build the foundation necessary for the planet to enter into a new era.

The Union of Port Antillia has largely not taken any steps in building a foundation with which the planet can progress. Premier Incumbent Toño de Avila is primarily regarded as incompetent and unable to lead the people of Port Antillia. Halfway through his first term in 2464, Toño de Avila announced his intention to resign, where his position would be filled by an individual selected by the people of Port Antillia in an early election, bringing an end to the transitional government, and ushering in an era where Port Antillia would decide its future.

Following the conclusion of the 2464 Elections, Julien Guerrier was sworn in as Premier of the Union of Port Antillia. Representing the Social Democratic Front of Port Antillia, he has announced that his party shall perform their duties without any hindrance, where undue delay shall not occur in his fight for uplifting the common Antillean and subsequently the entirety of Port Antillia. Despite their loss, the other candidates are still considered integral to the political, social and economic state of the planet and ensure their voices will be heard.

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=== Political Parties ===
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'''The Antillean Libertarian Party''' (‘ALP’) strongly follows Corporatocracy, where those within the party advocate for the promotion of stronger ties to the Republic of Biesel, and greater integration of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate across Port Antillia – mostly through giving them considerable advantages that would make it unfeasible for local companies to survive against the giants. They see unrestricted corporatocracy as a means to push Port Antillia to become one of the greats.

'''Social Democratic Front of Port Antillia''' (‘SDF-PA’) adheres to Xanusanii Social Democracy and believes that to secure the planet's future, regulated economic cooperation must occur, where the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate must supplement existing industries instead of taking them over. While it does recognise the need for integration within the greater Republic of Biesel, it believes that it must be done through the choices of Antilleans, and not for those that wish to exploit the planet. It seeks to uplift Port Antillia through social welfare efforts, funded by megacorporate taxes.

'''Coalition for Antillean Social Democracy''' (‘CASD’) pushes forward the beliefs contained within Solarian Social Democracy and seeks to uplift the average Antillean through policies that focus on significantly regulating megacorporate influence – mostly through preserving the common labourer’s working power. They are vehemently against the presence of artificial workers, or Integrated Positronic Chassis, and stand against their introduction to Port Antillia. They believe realigning with the Solarian Alliance is likely to fare better than further integrating within the Republic of Biesel.

'''Antillean People’s Party''' (‘APP’) focuses on Solarian Populism, where the party is staunchly against the introduction of megacorporations and fights for the return of Port Antillia to the Solarian Alliance. Additionally, members of the APP push for immigration reform and restrictions of synthetic life, where they decry the destruction of the Antillean way of life should non-Antilleans be allowed to fester. The party advocates for a stronger Antillean military presence within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, and supports any steps taken to rectify this.
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=== Provincial Authority ===

The former nation-states now find themselves being recognised as provinces within the Union of Port Antillia, each with its own elected Chancellors. As part of the agreement that resulted in the creation of the Union, Chancellors would have far-reaching powers within their own provinces - where their authority closely resembled that of a federal republic, despite claims that the supreme authority would be the office of the Premier. A minority still calls for amendments to such, however, many have further added that it is a contingency in the event of yet another failed Premier. The provincial states are as follows: Nueva Havana, Caymanas, Carrington, Mirabel, Arthezé, Agüeybaná and Saint Lawrence.

=== Notable Antilleans ===

==== Attorney-General Iara Galindez ====

'''Born: August 11th, 2426'''

One of the younger candidates vying for the Premier of Port Antillia, Iara Galidez considers herself a [[Human Ideologies and Governments|corporatocratic revolutionist]]. Having already dabbled in the political environment as the Attorney-General of the Nueva Havana province, of which she is endorsed by '''Chancellor Gustava Saint Martin''', she has regularly advocated for legislation aimed at fostering an advantageous environment for megacorporations and believes that doing so will propel Port Antillia and assist in reaching its full potential through rapid, sweeping changes supported by megacorporations. She managed to gain significant traction within the province due to her calling for Premier Toño de Avila’s resignation and her campaign that calls for awareness of the issues faced by many within the less affluent regions of Port Antillia. She believes that a strong relationship with the [[Republic of Biesel]] is paramount to her planet’s success, and the introduction of [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate|megacorporations]], and often blames the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]] for the multitude of problems faced by Antilleans - and decries any return as a great step back.

Following the 2464 Elections, Iara Galindez was not successful in her quest to become Premier. Despite this, she has announced the Antillean Libertarian Party will continue advocating for its convictions and pushing for an environment where the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate can prosper within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone.

==== Premier Julien Guerrier ====

'''Born: April 15th, 2395'''

Julien Guerrier is an already notable individual across Port Antillia, having been editor of the ''Travayè'' before his rise to the Chancellor of the Arthezé province. Born to an atypically wealthy family in Guayamouc, many have claimed that Guerrier was moulded to be leadership. With personal connections to aristocratic society, he was easily able to secure funding for his political whims, eventually culminating in the creation of his own newspaper, the ''Travayè''. It found itself key to the rise of Guerrier within the political environment of Guayamouc and the greater Port Antillia, where the ''Travayè'' found itself filled with political leanings similar to that found within [[Human Ideologies and Governments|Xanusanii Social Democracy]]. Whilst he never stood defiantly against the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]], he routinely asserted the necessity for Port Antillia to make sovereign decisions unimpeded by non-Antilleans during his reign as Chancellor of Arthezé. He was instrumental in the creation of the transitional government of the Union of Port Antillia and pushed for far-reaching powers to be awarded to the Chancellors in order to restrict any possible oversteps that might be taken by the office bearer of the Premier - which may be to his benefit, or downfall, depending on whether he is victorious in his attempt to become the leader of Port Antillia.

Premier Incumbent, Julien Guerrier was successful in his vying for the office. He was sworn in shortly following the collection of the votes and announced to the greater Union of Port Antillia his intent to ensure the uplifting of Antilleans, and the protection of their way of life in the wake of the changes that the planet has gone through since its introduction to the Republic of Biesel. He additionally confirmed he’ll soon be taking steps for the people’s voice to be heard.

==== Lorna Rieviere ====

'''Born: February 23rd, 2432'''

Having risen to notoriety in the last two years since the collapse of the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]], Lorna Rieviere is a political activist that is known for her demonstrations against Toño de Avila’s tenure as Premier. She has amassed significant traction within her home province of Caymanas, where she regularly spouts her conviction in [[Human Ideologies and Governments|Solarian Social Democracy]] during the campaigning assemblies she holds. While born on Port Antillia, Rieviere spent a considerable portion of the last decade on [[Callisto]], where she attained a bachelor's of politics and interstellar relations, and is likely the reason for her political leanings. While she acknowledges the problems created by the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]], she believes that Port Antillia can only succeed whilst a part of its union. Her following is small compared to the other candidates, despite this many believe that she has a worthwhile shot at becoming the office bearer of Premier if only she can choose her battles carefully. Those that question her decisions are often victims of her wrath, which has pushed away some of her support bases.

Despite her loss in the 2464 Election, Lorna Riviere congratulated Premier Incumbent Julien Guerrier for his success, and voiced her request to work closely with him in order to secure the future of Port Antillia, and protect the average Antillean from exploitation as the planet sees further integration within the interstellar community.

==== Minister Isandro Burgos ====

'''Born: December 16th, 2413'''

A staunch follower of [[Human Ideologies and Governments|Solarian Populism]], Isandro Burgos has found success in the political environment of Port Antillia as a result of his views. The sudden introduction to the greater interstellar community, and now the issues it faces, have been pinned by Burgos as a result of the [[Republic of Biesel]]’s unwanted intervention in the development of Port Antillia. Having served as the Minister of Defence beneath Premier Toño de Avila, he has since rallied a considerable support base around his views against non-human immigration and the presence of [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate|megacorporations]], where he advocates for a strong, self-sufficient Union of Port Antillia that returns to its rightful roots of the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]]. While other candidates have denounced his approach to the future of the planet, he has one of the larger followings across Port Antillia despite several attempts by [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law#Biesel_Intelligence_Service|unknown parties]] to besmirch him. Time will only tell whether Burgos becomes a footnote in the history books or a monumental figure across the Union.

Isandro Burgos was not successful in his attempt to become Premier of the Union of Port Antillia, and many found themselves concerned in the wake of his loss. However, he has congratulated Premier Incumbent Julien Guerrier and announced that although Antilleans may not have chosen him, he was glad that they had a choice in the matter. Regardless, he affirmed his intent to remain within the political sphere of Port Antillia, whether the Premier wished for him to stay or not.

==== Admiral Arcelia de Castellon ====

'''Born 16th November, 2416'''

Admiral Arcelia de Castellon is a notable deserter amongst Antilleans, where she was once a prominent commander within the Antillean Provincial Naval Fleets – having risen through the ranks of the Nueva Havana Navy prior to the unification of the planet. She and Minister Isandro Burgos had a long-standing public friendship throughout their years serving the Nueva Havana Navy. Following the planet’s introduction to the Republic of Biesel, and the Corporate Reconstruction, de Castellon abandoned her post – taking with her several fleets as she fled towards the free posts. Her location remains unknown and is a wanted outlaw by the Union of Port Antillia.

== Culture and Demographics ==

=== Fashion ===

The diverse nature of the original colonists of Port Antillia allowed for a vibrant fashion to develop across the planet, where it found its roots in the [[Earth|Caribbean Federation]]. Antillean fashion emphasizes practicality with colourful flairs of personalization. While the colony of Mictlan has a taste for outlandishly bright colours, Antillean fashion tends to be either white or muted dark shades, with limited bright red or gold flairs. Sewn into the jacket or plum on the outside, flairs can be many different things, from single red lines running up the seam of a jacket, to a small complex pattern on each shoulder.

Many Antilleans add flairs to their clothing either themselves or by having a family member do so. Too many flairs are considered gaudy and uncultured, the mark of a fashion sin, where the normal amount fluctuates between two or three per outfit. Formal clothing will have expensive and time-consuming flairs, whereas everyday clothing or work clothes may only have single sewn lines. Fashion across Port Antillia will usually be loose-fitting and flowing, made of native Antillean fibres or other thin-breathing materials to deal with the heat and humidity across the planet.

Headwear is also yet another common sight in Antillean fashion, where wide-brimmed outback hats are used by the common labourer to keep the sun out of their eyes. Formal occasions see cattleman hats worn by men, whilst women employ unique headscarves – these formal headscarves find themselves becoming heirlooms passed down to the next generation of their families, those without an inheritance find themselves creating a new one – a process which is both expensive and time-consuming.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
==== Notable Clothing ====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

*'''Guayamouc Shirts'''

A loose cotton shirt with four front pockets, these shirts were originally from the Caribbean back on Earth but are now ubiquitous across Port Antilla. Coming in both formal and casual styles, most Antilleans will have several of these shirts in their closets. These are worn mostly by men during formal occasions.

*'''Fètil Dresses'''

A vast, flowing dress normally cut below the shoulders, Fètil dresses are the go-to fashion for Antillean women. These dresses are primarily worn during parties, or on holidays where dancing is commonplace. These dresses are known to tear frequently, to the annoyance of their wearers who must either pay for a fix or do it themselves.

*'''Antillean Suits'''

A short-sleeve suit jacket made thinner than usual, Antillean suits are designed for hot, wet environments where not even wearing an undershirt will help you stave off the sweat and heat. While most of the spur regards them as an oddity, they have found popularity on Mictlan where the similar climate makes them far more useful and comfortable than normal suits.
</div></div>

=== Language ===

Antilleans have developed into two linguistical categories, where they either predominately speak [[Languages|Solarian Common]] or [[Languages|Tradeband]], as a result of the planet’s collapse early in its colonisation. The provinces of Arthezé, Nueva Havana, Agüeybaná, and Mirabel encompass the Tradeband-speaking regions of Port Antilla, whilst the Caymanas, Carrington, and Saint Lawrence have proliferated [[Languages|Solarian Common]]. While it is not uncommon for Antilleans to be able to speak both, many only have an incredibly rudimentary grasp of their second language.

There are two distinct dialects present on the planet, one that sees heavy lifting from [[Languages|Tradeband]] and the other more influenced by [[Languages|Solarian Common]]. It is relatively easy to identify the differences between each, Antilleans influenced by [[Languages|Tradeband]] sound more nasally and rhythmic, whereas those that grew up in regions where [[Languages|Solarian Common]] are more soft-spoken, and annunciated compared to other colonies.

Since the planet’s integration within the [[Republic of Biesel]] following the collapse of the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]], many found themselves having to learn [[Languages|Tau Ceti Basic]] in order to attempt to adapt to their newfound circumstances. There was a push by the transitional government for Antilleans to learn the language through state-run programmes, which saw some success within the more developed regions and provinces, however, the rural countryside still clings to their native tongue – unwilling to learn a language that has very little influence on the planet. While adoption of [[Languages|Tau Ceti Basic]] has been slow, the planet does have a large number of speakers who have at least a basic understanding of the language, and census data shows that a minority of Antilleans self-report as polyglots as a result.

=== Education ===

''See also: [[Human Educational Institutions#Republic of Biesel|Human Educational Institutions]]''

Despite the struggles faced by Port Antillia, it has managed to foster a vibrant academic environment. Antilleans adhered to stringent guidelines provided by the [[Sol Alliance|Solarian Alliance]] during the colonisation of the planet, where the colonial outposts ensured that the next generation would be able to adapt to their new environment and be taught critical skills necessary for the development of the planet with their tertiary levels of education focusing predominately on technical skills. Even during the planet’s fractured status, Antilleans were free to choose from any institutions that Port Antillia had to offer. Additionally, Antilleans that traditionally wished to immigrate often did so by advancing in academia.

The three major institutes on Port Antillia are the Mayabeque School of Health Sciences, the Papiamentu University of Geological Sciences, and the Carrington Institute of Technology. Each of them has their own foutbol team, and are starting to grow a reputation as some of the premier STEM institutes within the Spur.

[[File:Foutbol Teams.png|thumb|The Foutbol Clubs of Port Antillia, alongside the Arequipa FC of Mictlan. ]]
=== Sports and Recreation ===

*'''Foutbol'''

Foutbol is the national Antillean sport, believed to be derived from football and beach volleyball. Unlike traditional soccer, foutbol players can only touch the ball with their knees, hips, and elbows. Because of its relatively simple rules, foutbol can be played in all kinds of improvised fields. Foutbol is considered the national sport, with professional teams being some of the most popular. Foutbol clubs have a deep sense of rivalry, stemming from the days when Port Antillia was an insolate planet with local governments. Some hooligans have taken their differences to the extreme, causing chaos in major foutbol games.

*'''Cricket'''

Cricket has remained a popular sport, even when separating from its colonial roots in the Caribbean Federation. It has become an important pastime among Antilleans, where teams have cropped up from the various provinces leading to regularly-held games to determine who truly is the best. The Antillean Cricket Cup is a well-liked tournament that has become an annual celebratory period and kicks off sometime in late June, where many take days off to congregate with their families and support their teams. Additionally, it is a widespread children’s game across primary and high schools.

*'''Dancing'''

Antilleans are known for their love of dance and music. Many forms of dance are celebrated across the provinces of Port Antillia, where the dances of the planet mostly are comprised of social dances, performed at social functions and celebrations – where learning the salsa, mambo and rumba has become important stepping stones in reaching adulthood for Antilleans, where rumba is particularly important for marriage ceremonies, where those marrying must perform the Danza del Matrimonio to “solidify” their union.

*'''Sailing'''

Due to the aquatic nature of Port Antillia, sailing is yet another popular recreational avenue among Antilleans. With the planet’s internal economy heavily relying on maritime routes, it is no surprise that it has spilt over into leisure instead of work, where cruises are a common sight, as well as boat racing across provincial courses. Similarly to the [[Biesel|Craterview Boat Racing Competition]], Antillean sailing tournaments are a global phenomenon that is closely watched by many as races occur around the clock, across Port Antillia.

=== Cuisine ===

Heavily inspired by its colonial roots of the [[Earth|Caribbean Federation]], Antillean cuisine finds itself having adapted to the native flora and fauna of the planet – with Spindlekann being a rather consistent staple of Antillean diets. Some dishes have found themselves becoming important to regional cultures, where there exist caveats between the various provinces in the preparation of a meal. The original colonists of Port Antillia quickly discovered the issues they uncovered the high phosphoric content of the planet’s soil – where some regions were forced to either hunt or fish to stave off starvation as a result of the lack of easily farmable land, as a result, some regional cuisine is often fish-based or meat-based, while those within the eastern hemisphere have a more plant-based diet thanks to its fertility.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
==== Notable Dishes ====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

*'''Pescadora'''
Pescadora, also known as fish sandwich, is either raw or pickled fish with cheese made from Antillean Unicorns between two slices of bread. It has become a popular food item across the Caymanas due to its relative cheapness and availability thanks to the province’s fishing-dominated economy. It is rarely appreciated outside of the Caymanas, but some cities along the northern coast of Carrington have begun enjoying the meal.

*'''Kann Rum'''
Having originated from the province of Arthezé, Kann Rum has quickly found its way across the entirety of Port Antillia. Crafted from the fermented juices of the Spindlekann, it has become a common drink to enjoy over dinner privately or to celebrate with at parties. Several flavours and variations exist, however, Spiced Kann Rum continues to be the most well-liked.

*'''Roasted Antillean Unicorn'''
Cooked similarly to other red meats, Roasted Antillean Unicorn is commonly drizzled with juice extracts from Spindlekann as well as its boiled fleshy mesocarp, allowing for a rich, sweet meal to be made. It is not uncommon for upper-class Antilleans to have their meals garnished with the shavings of the creature’s horns. It is a common dish within the province of Nueva Havanna.

*'''Baked Spindlekann'''
Baked Spindlekann has become critical to the cuisine culture of both Arthezé and Agüeybaná – where it often serves as a side dish in almost every meal, from breakfast to dinner. Easily able to be prepared, really only needing some kind of oven to produce. It is a staple for both city-dwellers and those that live in the more rural regions of the provinces and has seen some minor commercialisation as it become incorporated into both junk and fast food avenues.

*'''Sugared Papiyosa'''
The prevalence of the White Papiyosa across Port Antillia, and their tastiness, has allowed for them to become a delicacy – where they initially found themselves soaked in Spiced Kann Rum and baked until crunchy. It has since evolved into a candy of sorts, popular amongst both adults and children, where it serves as a snack between meals thanks to its high protein and sweetness.
</div></div>

=== Religion and Folk Belief ===

Christianity is the most common traditional organized religion in Port Antillia.. In particular, Roman Catholicism has remained steadfast as the most followed religion by Antilleans, where it exists as the official faith of many of the provinces. However, the Caymanas, Nueva Havana and Arthezé have notable beliefs present outside of Christianity, with Rastafari, Santeria and Haitian Vodou having footholds in the respective provinces. Whilst some adhere only to Haitian Vodou, many across Arthezé practice both the former and Christianity simultaneously – where they exist in an unofficial syncretism as they did within the [[Earth|Caribbean Federation]]. Santeria finds itself in a similar position as Haitian Vodou within Nueva Havana.

Much of Antillean folk belief centres around the tumultuous nature that has dominated the planet and its newly settled peoples – the most prevalent of which is the eruption of Mount Sauveur, and the resulting fallout. Though many eruptions had plagued the planet before, and indeed continue to do so, Mount Sauveur’s explosion is notable for the widespread damage it caused to the agricultural economies that are the backbone of almost every colony. Descendants of fishermen, farmers and other workers took after the lessons which their fathers had learned. A general belief system established itself through several generations, characterized by humility, a frugal lifestyle and indifference to loss. These Antilleans reason that if the natural world can take away so much progress so quickly, one should always be prepared to lose it all, and accept the current of life no matter how turbulent or calm. Outsiders remark that this fairly widespread attitude gives Antilleans an air of casual serenity, even through the worst disasters. It should be noted that not all residents of the planet share this thinking, particularly the newer generation who, having the opportunity to live a less rural lifestyle, are often frustrated with this carefree stereotype.

Flora and fauna are similarly respected, with various traditions surrounding the harvest and consumption of the ever-abundant Spindlekann. Antilleans are almost never seen eating any dish made out of this plant with utensils, usually explained as a way of remaining closer to the precious earth that bore the food. The same applies to Antillean Unicorns, the ranchers of which have complicated slaughtering practices that include letting the animal age at least five years so as to respect the animal’s ‘sacrifice’ in return for nutrition. Handlers also keep the horns of the Unicorn in the belief that it stores the spirit of the creature, later using them as charms. The modern age has of course morphed this tradition, with the horns now used as a delicacy for those who are willing to pay a high price. Indeed, the only practice that has not been touched at all by the passing of time is the superstition regarding Bayollas. Despite vast economic benefits, Antillean fishermen have historically refused to hunt these rare creatures in fear of retaliation from the sea itself. The belief comes the idea that these titanic beings control the waves through their swimming patterns, summoning tsunamis and tide floods based on their mood and safety. Common fishermen believe that to hunt and butcher such a majestic being is tantamount to inviting the wrath of their brethren, while others simply find their beauty something that must be preserved. The most fervent of these believers tell legends of a sort of King of the Bayollas, an even more massive and ancient beast that can be distinguished by the vibrant colours that it is enshrouded in. Whether true or not is impossible to determine, as neither prospectors nor researchers are allowed to disturb these rarely-seen creatures.

=== Major Holidays ===

*'''Celebración del Volcán'''

In remembrance of the volcanic eruptions that have shaped Port Antillia as those from the Mayabeque Isles know it, every year the locals organize a festival to commemorate the volcanos across the islands and the power that they hold. It is held annually every August, in addition, music festivals and fireworks are commonly associated with the celebration. It is not as popular outside of the Mayabeque Isles, however, some cities across Woodhall Atoll have been known to partake to celebrate the volcano on which the island rests.

*'''Kanaval a Sezon'''

A massive social celebration across Port Antillia, Kanaval a Sezon occurs during changeovers of the seasons – Fresano and Veruroso. While some Antilleans prefer to partake privately, provinces find themselves host to dozens of carnivals consisting of masquerade, dance and music. Street theatre has also become a popular occurrence during the Kanaval a Sezon, with some of the largest being a sought-out experience by Antilleans during both Kanaval a Sezon festive periods.

=== Maritime Crime ===
The nature of Port Antillia invited anarchist groups to form, where settlements that found themselves dwindling in their ability to sustain themselves saw large groups of their inhabitants flee: most began to filter into the colonised regions as refugees. Those that weren’t so lucky found themselves resorting to buccaneering. Within a decade following the collapse of the planetary government, piracy became a rampant problem as raids were carried out against the coastal regions of the nation-states of Port Antillia. Successfully thriving off these raids, these buccaneers eventually went on to settle various unnamed islands across the seas of the planet. Many proclaimed themselves to be against unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, those within these settlements didn’t see themselves as freebooters, but instead as a liberated people that went against the unfair authority of those that prospered and chose to turn away their families in their moment of vulnerability.

The prevalence of pirates only further exacerbated the crises faced by Antilleans. Trading amongst one another was critical to the continued survival of the nation-states, meaning that the attacks by corsairs were seen as an existential threat to the future of Port Antillia. Nueva Havana deployed the first instance of an organised navy, and thus the struggle for the domination of the high seas began. Levying several attacks against those that preyed on their maritime vessels, Nueva Havana successfully repelled the unprepared pirates within the area. Once the news reached these free ports, a naval rivalry commenced. Soon thereafter, other nation-states began building up their own navies, fighting back against the scourge.

Throughout the next few decades, the power exerted by these buccaneers waned. By 2408, they barely existed across the seas – where several provincial states declared their maritime territories free from the raiders. These anarchist states eventually found themselves instead becoming a safe haven for the detritus of Antillean society – ousted corrupt politicians, radical dissidents and others that found themselves not wanted within their society’s sphere of influence. It is not uncommon for missing individuals to turn up across these unnamed atolls, attempting to escape from whatever looms behind them. However, the introduction of the planet to the [[Republic of Biesel]] has resulted in some re-emergence of buccaneering. Dozens of fleets found themselves deserting the various Antillean navies, finding refuge across these anarchist states – rekindling the bygone buccaneering values that waned with their disappearance from the seas. Reports from the Antillean Provincial Naval Fleets paint a picture of the golden age of buccaneering slowly returning as the number of attacks on maritime vessels continues to mount.

== Economy ==

As a result of its turbulent history, lack of investment and unstable physical geography. Port Antillia’s economy lags even to this day behind the rest of the [[Sol Alliance|former middle-ring Solarian colonies]]. A low rate of industrialization leaves many areas of the planet still focused on fishing or farming for subsistence whilst in more urbanised regions the lack of investment and connection to the greater spur hampers development beyond basic industries built on what is readily available on the planet itself. Despite this, Port Antillia has plenty of potential for growth, and its recent introduction into the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]] has drawn the attention of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and its constituent megacorporations. Some of the planet's most urbanised areas are beginning to see a trickle of corporate investment.

However, despite this, the trials Port Antillia has faced have led to the development of a robust and strong intraplanetary trade network. With access to the vast planetary sea being easy and cheap, countless trade ships move goods across sea lanes of the planet, with several staple ports serving as hubs for trade and the heart of the planetary economy. The core of this trade is focused on the trade of staple foods such as Spindlekann and Fish from rural regions in exchange for goods produced in the more urbanised regions of the planet, allowing for the planet to support populations in areas that otherwise would be incapable of such, and providing less developed regions with necessary goods they lack the expertise and equipment to produce.

== Military and Provincial Navy ==
[[File:APNFF.png|thumb|left|450px|The Flag of the Antillean Provincial Navy Fleets.]]

Naval fleets were formed out of necessity to combat the growing piracy problem experienced by Antilleans, with the first fleet assembled by the province of Nueva Havana. While initially inexperienced and disorganised, they were soon found to be the solution to the continued raids by buccaneers. Slowly, other nation-states began to develop their own fleets and contribute to fighting back the growing criminal element across the seas. However, those unfortunate enough to not have access to an abundant supply of minerals struggled to turn the tides of the conflict, with both the Fètil Chain and Guayamouc becoming breeding grounds for maritime crime. The unification of Port Antillia brought with it the creation of the '''Antillean Provincial Navy Fleet''', a consolidated force made up of a myriad of naval assemblies. While adjusting to the new command structure took some time, they have become instrumental in the fight against the buccaneers that still prey on the aforementioned provincial states.

The Antillean Provincial Naval Fleets are overseen by the Ministry of Defence, or more specifically Minister Isandro Burgos, and are divided into five command groups: Nueva Havana, Woodhall Atoll, Centro del Mondyal, Guayamouc and lastly the Fètil Chain. They have become instrumental in the protection of the planetary economy of Port Antillia. Mandatory military service was introduced in '''2405''' by various other nation-states, where it saw continued existence following the formation of the unified navy. Conscription can either be pursued at the age of eighteen or following the completion of an undergraduate degree. It is considered a criminal offence to evade conscription and can result in prosecution.

A career in the Navy offers the opportunity to those from across Port Antillia to explore their region and the greater planet. Each person onboard plays a critical role in contributing to the operation and maintenance of their stationed ships, where mandatory training ensures a level of competency from all those that enter its ranks – essential life skills are also integrated to smooth transition from military to civilian life, where most conscripts eventually pursue other opportunities. It has become a rather unremarkable event in the average life of an Antillean, where it has merely become an expectation to serve within the Navy – even prior to the unification. However, those from Nueva Havana have taken to the call, and it has become a rite of passage for many. The province takes pride in its naval prowess, where those that choose to remain within its fleets are celebrated, while those that instead choose to return to civilian life oftentimes see themselves somewhat shunned by their families – where it is almost seen as an embarrassment to not continue serving.

The Antillean Provincial Naval Fleets are composed of five command groups, which are further comprised of three companies: Battle, Scout and Marines forces. Battle forces are the primary engagement elements composed of both frigates and corvettes. These predominantly run into conflict with the criminal scourge that is present across Port Antillia’s seas, where ambushes are routinely composed by these forces – oftentimes they gain battle experience as they navigate the conflict. Scout forces see themselves as a critical instrument in the protection of the Antillean seas, where they escort the mercantile maritime vessels that trade between the various regions and are composed of corvettes and scouting aircraft. Lastly, the Marine forces are a collection of units cooperating with one – further split into expeditionary forces, air wings, and much more that one would typically find across the Orion Spur.

== Provincial States ==
=== Nueva Havana ===
Nueva Havana is one of the largest provinces across Port Antillia and predominately consists of descendants of colonists from within the Caribbean Federation’s Cuba. Spread out across the Mayabeque Isles, the province is home to three prominent population centres that contribute considerably to the industrial profile of Port Antillia, where without them significant shortages of consumer goods would occur. Urbanisation has become rampant within Nueva Havana, however, it has not proven to be a problem. It has seen a significant drop in unemployment and poverty and has subsequently skyrocketed the quality of life within the province. The largest cities are '''Velazco''', '''Marbella''' and '''Arcos de Canasí'''. Despite the volcanic activity that interrupts the lives of those living in the province, it has exposed surface minerals that were easily minable and subsequently jumpstarted the region's development, even in spite of the deficiency of agricultural land present.

=== Caymanas ===

Still coming to grips with the planet’s integration within the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], the province of Cayamanas experiences the most problems across Port Antillia. Its limited space to expand has resulted in overcrowding and overpopulation issues cropping up across the region of Woodhall Atoll. The descendants of colonists from Jamaica predominately make up the demographic of the province, where they have filtered into three major metropolitan areas that find themselves wedged against the craggy cliffs of the region: '''Eden''', '''Durhamville''' and '''Orchard'''. Some portions of these cities find themselves growing outward across the shallow shores, sitting on stilts. Its industries focus primarily on fishing, crucial to feeding the evergrowing population of the province. Though some nascent industries exist, many are simple drydocks or small canning facilities devoted to preserving the supply of fish.

=== Carrington ===

Carrington is one of the luckier provinces that exist across Port Antillia, where it found itself situated within the abundant region of Centro del Mondyal, where a combination of fertile agricultural lands and surface minerals allowed for it to prosper. Its largest cities of '''Paragon''', '''Bayleys''' and '''Greenridge''' are also the most developed, and the quality of life within them is comparable to the Solarian Middle Colonies. Despite the rivalry that exists with its continental counterpart of Mirabel, they have created an economy that relies on one another – especially as a method of exporting its goods to the eastern hemisphere. Founded by colonists from the Bahamas, Carrington has become one of the more affluent provinces, which has allowed its people to focus on academic and tertiary industries within its more developed regions, as opposed to its rural population that is cast aside in favour of progressing the inner districts.

=== Mirabel ===

Founded by those from the Dominican Republic, Mirabel has prospered similarly to Carrington, thanks to the abundance of resources within the region it finds itself having expanded across. Different to Carrington, Mirabel has focused its development along its coast, where towards the inner continental landmass there exist lava deserts that span kilometres. However, disregarding these barren wastelands, the province has done remarkably well managing its limited space – where a majority of the province has seen significant development in one way or another. Mirabel does rely on Spindlekann imports, where a large portion comes from Carrington and is supplemented by both Saint Lawrence and Arthezé. Its largest cities are '''Toza''', '''Luisa''' and '''Hicotea'''. Its capital Toza has become instrumental in off-world trading, where the largest Antillean shuttleport exists, boosting its provincial economy quite significantly – where it has had an easier transition into the [[Republic of Biesel]] and the greater [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]] compared to other provinces.

=== Arthezé ===

Colonised by those from the Caribbean Federation’s Haiti, the province of Arthezé finds itself in a tenuous position with the integration of Port Antillia within the Republic of Biesel. Many recognise that it needs outside assistance in order to begin developing into a state equal to the other provinces, but it also sees the negative consequences that such support will come with – where many have realised the dilemma that Arthezé finds itself within as one that is particularly dangerous as the megacorporations circle overhead like vultures. The majority of the province’s industries revolve around agriculture thanks to its abundant fertility, which has allowed enormous fields of Spindlekaan to sweep across its countryside. Existing within the region of Guayamouc, Arthezé comprises the four major islands, where it finds itself neighbouring the small volcanic island chain held by Agüeybaná. Its major population centres are: '''Sevré''', '''Paradis''' and '''Benoil'''.

=== Saint Lawrence ===

Saint Lawrence has become critical to the maritime trading that occurs across Port Antillia, where the Fètil Chain comprises the entirety of the province and a crucial wayfaring route between Arthezé, Agüeybaná and Mirabel. The majority of Saint Lawrence is across dozens of small islands that are commonly only large to support a singular city. It frequently experiences earthquakes and the subsequent tsunami’s that it generates – but those across Saint Lawrence have begun adapting to these circumstances through engineering marvels created with the help of both giant column sponges and light building materials made from spindlekann. It finds itself descended from colonists from Barbados, with its three largest cities also serving as important ports: '''Fairview''', '''Hopewell''' and '''Portland'''. Outside of these cities, the province is considered to be home to the most rural municipalities, many of which have developed into simple agrarian societies that form communities around the farming of spindlekann and the ranching of the Antillean Unicorn.

=== Agüeybaná ===
In a similar position to Arthezé, Agüeybaná has realised in the wake of the Solarian Collapse the necessity to broaden their horizons, and move forward with the rest of Port Antillia. It fares slightly better than its other Guayamoucan counterpart thanks to small-scale mining operations across the more mountainous islands that form part of the volcanic chain it has established itself on. Its largest cities also serve as important ports in the region and are '''Casela''', '''Benlloc''' and '''Salavinera'''. Its capital Salavinera is the only one where limited resource extraction occurs, which previously fueled its expansion across the smaller islands as it grew during the attempted Antillean recovery. It works closely with Arthezé, where the two regularly trade its surplus goods, with Spindlekann being a notable import to support the Agüeybaná population.

Mictlan

2026-07-23T19:04:01Z

Kermit: Megacorp Lore Navbox

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Megacorp Lore}}
{{Infobox Planet
|Name = Mictlan
|System = Sankta Tereza
|Image = Mictlan flag new.png
|Sector = [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]
|Capital = Arequipa
|Species = Human, [[Skrell]], [[Unathi]], [[Diona]], [[IPC]]
|Languages = Tau Ceti Basic, Tradeband, Sol Common
|Demonyms = Mictlani
|Nation = [[Republic of Biesel]]
|Former = [[Sol Alliance]]
}}
<center>''"We are still here."'' - Motto of Mictlan</center>
Within the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], Mictlan was, and remains integral to the [[SCC|Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s]] plans for expanding their influence within the [[Republic of Biesel|Republic’s]] newly acquired territories. Most of the population saw the arrival of the [[Republic of Biesel|Republic]] as the end to the anarchy, widespread civil unrest, and lawlessness that defined the planet after the [[KOTW|Solarian Withdrawal]]. However, some protested against the sudden shift to the [[Republic of Biesel|Republic]], who took up arms and began forcefully pushing back against the occupation of their planet – a situation that eventually resulted in military intervention by the [[Republic of Biesel]], as they instituted the [[Peacekeeper Mandate]] to begin to wrestle control back into their hands.

After a long and protracted guerilla war between the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] and the Samaritans, Mictlan eventually managed to secure its status as an independent member-state within the Republic, with freedoms granted to few others; such as the freedom to decide its own laws regarding corporations.. However, stratification and corporate influence still separates much of the population, and time will tell if the economic protections the government has put in place will hold against the influence of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]].

'''While Mictlan is been a beacon of multiculturalism among humans and aliens in the Orion Spur, many humans that have immigrated to the planet have been assimilated into Mictlan's culture and society. Because of this, human characters born on Mictlan must have names and appearances consistent with the peoples of Mexico, Central America, and South America. Only characters native to Mictlan may take the Mictlan accent. This is enforceable by server moderators and admins.'''
{{TOC Hidden}}
== History ==
<center><i>“Though not our original destination, it doesn't matter. It is up to us to carve out an existence on this planet, and call it our own.”<br> - Captain Tlaloc (2219 - 2257) addressing the colonists following the emergency landing on Mictlan (11th August 2254)</i></center>
Mictlan was not the original target for the South and Central American colonists whose descendants now inhabit it; instead, it became an accidental one after they were forced into an emergency landing. The captain of the original colonization fleet, who was posthumously christened Tlaloc to protect his descendants, excessively mishandled the allocation of resources during their long voyage, focusing more on the comfort of the first-class clientele. This had resulted in a lack of fuel, food, and other resources that forced them to make an emergency landing two years prior to reaching their intended target.

The colonists already lacked the expertise and technology to comfortably adapt to an aquatic planet, and with the captain’s refusal to change his behaviour casualties mounted. An attempt was made to challenge the captain’s leadership by contacting the [[Solarian Alliance|Sol government]], however, the continued failures of the colonists to meet quotas led to them being largely ignored. Thus a revolution was inevitable. During this insurrection, the captain alongside other colony heads was murdered, and the newly appointed government began calling itself the Movimiento Fundación. This explosion of violence finally caught the interest of the Sol government, who immediately sent out an armed force to rescue the survivors and re-establish law and order.

The movement did not last long against such an overwhelming force and democracy was re-established. A new head for the colony was chosen and with the continued efforts the possibilities of underwater logging and uranium mining became apparent, corporations began to invest in Mictlan, building up infrastructure and worker force. During this time, the newly established colonial government led a “War on Waste”, to preserve the natural beauty of Mictlan. This included the nationalization of small private businesses that created too much waste, higher fees to secure intellectual property rights, and the introduction of new fines targeting the Mictlani for littering. It was clear to the colonists at the time this was a transparent attempt to prevent a surge of small-time businesses but with an armed force present, the concerns went unvoiced.

Mictlan exists as a democratic state, similarly seen across many previous Middle Ring colonies of the [[Sol Alliance| Solarian Alliance]], where its beautiful and verdant landscapes provide a lure for tourists – a rather profitable enterprise for [[Idris Incorporated]] as it dominates its tourist industries. Its bountiful jungles allow for both aquacultural and agricultural practices to boon, in particular, [[Unathi]] refugees fleeing from [[Moghes]] have managed to latch onto the aquacultural industries and make it their own – establishing their own chapter on Mictlan. The planet’s overall xenotolerance has allowed for numerous other populations to take refuge within its jungles, besides just [[Unathi]], including that of both the [[Skrell]] and [[Dionae]]. Besides its vibrant agricultural practices, Mictlan has huge deposits of minerals, further cementing the planet’s attractability to the megacorporations – who previously watched from the sidelines, swooping in following the initiation of the [[CRZ|Peacekeeper Mandate.]]

=== [[Peacekeeper Mandate]] ===
<center><i>“No battle too difficult, no sacrifice too great.” - Xiomara Salvo, general of the Samaritans, addressing those that fight for a Mictlan free from corporate integration and Biesel's occupation, in a video shared to social media (18 October 2463) </i></center>

After the [[KOTW|Solarian Collapse]], the former Solarian planets of Mictlan and [[Port Antillia]] were annexed by the [[Republic of Biesel]], alongside many others, and found themselves in the area that would come to be known as the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]. While [[Port Antillia]] accepted membership as part of the Republic with little conflict, Mictlan's annexation was considerably more controversial. The [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces|Mictlan Defense Force]] had gone months without pay, at the same time they were desperately fighting to keep a lid on the situation and ensure a modicum of order after the Solarian withdrawal, and Mictlan itself was suffering unrest and lack of supplies that were typically shipped in from the greater Alliance. When the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]] touched down on the planet to declare it as part of the [[Republic of Biesel]], much of the Defense Force felt betrayed; they had fought so hard without compensation for a free Mictlan, only for their government to sell the planet out to new overlords just when things looked like they might start improving. Though a majority of the population welcomed the Republic with open arms, some wanted to reject it, due to its ties to megacorporations. As the Republic and the Corporations it partnered with began to exercise their will on the planet, betrayal turned into rage, and suspicion into hatred.

The tension boiled over in late 2462, when tens of thousands of ex-MDF personnel, led by First Sergeant [[Mictlan#Xiomara Salvo|Xiomara Salvo]], deserted and formed the Samaritans; a paramilitary organization whose mission was to secure the independence of Mictlan. The other prominent insurgent group was the Founding Movement, originally a political party led by several notable Mictlani; [[Notable Humans#Isabel Alvarez|Isabel Alvarez]], Leon de Rosas, Corazon Santanas, and Miguel Maia. The Founding Movement had been blacklisted from the Mictlani parliament shortly after the Mandate due to their strong anti-corporate and pro-Mictlani independence stances, and following the bombing of an Orion Post Office, branded a terrorist organization. A warrant for the arrest of all four party leaders was placed as a result and while Leon de Rosas surrendered to the [[Biesellite Security and Law|Biesel Security Services Bureau]], Alvarez, Santanas, and Maia went on the run, with each attempting to fight for Mictlan's independence in their own way. Unfortunately, the Founding Movement's directionless anger mainly had the effect of destabilizing and disenfranchising Mictlan further.

In response, then [[Notable Humans|President Joseph Dorn]] announced the [[Peacekeeper Mandate]] in mid-October 2463 - a declaration of martial law and deployment of the [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces#Tau_Ceti_Foreign_Legion_(2459—2463)|TCFL]] across the Zone - with a special focus on Mictlan. This was met with immediate backlash, and for many it felt like a return to the interim period after abandonment and before joining the Republic. For Mictlan, it only saw further desertions from the MDF, and while a majority of the population remained on the side of the Republic, strained relations further. The forces of the Republic almost immediately began to clash with the Samaritans and the Founding Movement upon arriving on Mictlan. The former was a paramilitary insurrectionist group primarily made up of ex-MDF personnel, and the latter was a former political organization that turned towards terrorism, despite the protests of its leader.

Initially meant to operate for a definite period, the Mandate was extended indefinitely, and the [[Private Military Contracting Group]] was hired to support the Legion’s operations on Mictlan. The PMCG contributed to the Peacekeeper Mandate significantly during this time, although much controversy arose on the planet itself over allowing a private military company to assist - however these concerns would be ignored. In the mean time, the SCC had begun many massive development projects across Mictlan, only further increasing tensions as the military occupation would continue with minor skirmishes for almost six months.

In early 2464, the Peacekeeper Mandate would become drastically more violent, following the death of a protesting scholar on Mictlan. Intense riots erupted across Mictlan, and the forces of both the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion and the Private Military Contracting Group found themselves desperately supporting the Mictlan Defense Force in attempting to quell the unrest. The Samaritans seized the chance to strike back in force against the Republic, and did so very effectively. These victories by the Samaritans led to the deployment of more troops to Mictlan, and inspired others, such as the Founding Movement, who had been resisting primarily through petty crimes until now, to begin a series of terror bombings and attacks within the major cities of Mictlan; these attacks targeted those the Founding Movement deemed “collaborators” or “Republican Aligned”, in reality these attacks targeted civilians.

In July 2465, after about two years of fighting on Mictlan, the continual escalation of violence culminated in the establishment of the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]]. As the new Minutemen took up the duties of the TCFL on Mictlan, the rate of terrorist attacks - both bombings and shootings - by the Founding Movement alongside the activity of the Samaritans exponentially increased. The Minutemen replied to every attack the same - punitive slash and burn raids against towns on the Eastern Continent - something that caused outrage in Tau Ceti when leaked. That back and forth lasted until August 10th, 2465, when at 5pm local time, two bombs left in backpacks, and a whole car full of plastic explosives detonated in Valtas Square, directly in front of the Mictlani Defense Force Headquarters. The force of the blast shattered many of the famous glass bridges of the and sent blastwaves that rattled window panes for miles around. Almost all of the dead were civilians, who happened to be there at that time, and no military members were killed; the Founding Movement would claim responsibility for the bombing, and the violence would escalate to an unthinkable level.

Immediately, significantly more forces were transferred to Mictlan to take part in a [[Hasta_La_Victoria_Siempre_Arc#Riots_Sparked_In_Wake_of_Mictlan_Defense_Force_Crackdowns_on_Founding_Movement|bloody crackdown and campaign of revenge against the Samaritans and Founding Movement]], a decision that caused the civil unrest in Tau Ceti proper to finally boil over. With the backdrop of mass protests happening on [[Biesel]] and [[New Gibson]], the leader of the Founding Movement [[Hasta_La_Victoria_Siempre_Arc#Founding_Movement_Leadership_Isabel_Alvarez_Found_Dead_In_Caxamalca|Isobel Alvarez was found dead by TCAF special forces a week later, having been lynched by her compatriots for continuing to advocate for non-violence]], and [[Hasta_La_Victoria_Siempre_Arc#Minutemen_Launch_“Operation_Jakali”%2C_Massive_Offensive_on_Huitzilopochtli|Operation Jakali was launched.]] The TCAF hoped to bring a swift conclusion to this year's long fight. However, the offensive immediately bogged down, casualties began to mount, and civil unrest in Tau Ceti could no longer be ignored. It became clear there was no way to militarily bring peace back to Mictlan.

Instead, [[Mictlan#Xiomara_Salvo|Xiomara Salvo]], [[Notable Humans|Prime Minister Ladislao de Santos]], and [[The Trasens|Nathan Trasen]] finally agreed to a peace deal, including pardons (with parole) for most Samaritans, on several conditions. Mictlan would be permitted to determine which Biesellite laws were accepted within its own territory, barring capital crimes. The deal was accepted, signed, and the Peacekeeper Mandate was deemed over.

===The Founding Movement===
<center>''“The Founding Movement? They’re just a loose collection of barely aligned groups that only get along because it is safer for criminals to stick together.”''
- Lucas Hideyoshi, BSSB agent, responding to a question from a Tau Ceti Times reporter</center>

The '''Founding Movement''' was a broad collection of political movements organized under one party banner, with the objective of an independent Mictlan. Founded in 2444 by the lawyer and activist Isabel Alvarez, she shared the leadership of the party with her college friends and fellow activists Leon de Rosas, Corazon Santanas, and Miguel Maia.

In the early years of Alvarez’s tenureship, when the movement was still considered a legitimate political party, the Movement became a far more unified force under her leadership. This changed in 2462, with the annexation of the planet by the Republic of Biesel, and the declaration of the [[Peacekeeper Mandate]]. The collapse of the Alliance was a taste of what freedom could be, before Tau Ceti forces came and megacorporations began new construction on the surface.

The resulting chaos caused a fracturing of the Founding Movement, with Miguel Maia and Corazon Santanas encouraging those sympathetic to the cause to achieve independence by violence (terror). Several incidents, such as the bombing of an Orion Express post office in Lago de Abundacia, caused the Republic to brand the Founding Movement as a whole a terrorist organization. Members previously associated with the Founding Movement, whether they subscribed to Maia or Santanas’ positions or not, began to be tracked down by the Republic and its law enforcement agencies. Many of the more moderate members forsook it entirely, preferring life under Biesel to cyborgification or lengthy prison sentences. A larger and larger percentage of those who continued to identify as Founding Movement members militarized, rioted, and planted explosives in public areas to drive away Tau Ceti Armed Forces personnel or intimidate the Mictlani government into taking a hardline anti-Biesel stance.

Alvarez became less and less synonymous with the Founding Movement, despite her efforts, and continued firebrand speeches from the exiled Corazon Santanas and Miguel Maia furthered the Founding Movement’s perception as a terrorist organization through and through. Alvarez continued to demand a peaceful resolution to the conflict, though after an arrest warrant was placed on her and the other leaders, she was driven into hiding. Santanas and Maia continued to make scant public appearances, and Leon de Rosas surrendered to the Biesel Security Services Bureau in 2462. He was released from prison after the clemency deal struck with Xiomara Salvo and the Samaritans in late 2465; Salvo herself negotiated for his release.

In November 2465, the efforts of the [[TCAF|Minutemen Special Forces]] and the calculations of the [[Notable Synthetics|military AI Aura]] triangulated Isabel Alvarez’s location to the city of Caxacoatl. [[Hasta_La_Victoria_Siempre_Arc#Founding_Movement_Leadership_Isabel_Alvarez_Found_Dead_In_Caxamalca|Her body was discovered hanging from a lamppost after a Founding Movement-led riot against Tau Ceti occupation]]; later eyewitness testimonies claim she was dragged out of a nearby apartment, beaten, and lynched by her own party members. She was 46 years old. The nearby apartment, however, proved to be a treasure trove of intelligence, and the [[BSSB]] was quick to capitalize on it. Special Forces tracked down the remaining leaders of the Founding Movement and killed them, as the rest of the movement was systematically dismantled and rolled up by the [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces#Home_Defence_Forces|MDF]]. Unlike the Samaritans, no members of the Founding Movement were granted clemency for their crimes, and those arrested by the MDF rarely made it into custody, instead being extrajudicially executed as revenge for the bombings perpetrated across Mictlan. For those who did make it into custody, all were found guilty and cyborgified for their crimes.

The Founding Movement and Isabel Alvarez are remembered controversially. Among some, Alvarez is remembered as a weak leader who allowed the infighting in her party to grow out of control. To others, she is a tragic symbol of the indirect casualties of the Peacekeeper Mandate, and a woman who strived for peace and non-violence long after it was impossible. To most though, she is remembered as the leader of a cruel terrorist organization, who, like many of her associates, met a just end.

===The Samaritans===
<center>''"A soldier without discipline is just an idiot with a gun. Just as an army without structure is merely a gang. So get your ass off the ground, and get back into formation."''
- Unknown, attributed to Samaritan drill instructor Alejandro Gomez</center>

The '''Samaritans''' were a paramilitary organization derived from dissident members of the [[TCAF|Mictlan Defense Force]], that shared the goal of an independent Mictlan with the Founding Movement. Founded in 2462 by First Sergeant Xiomara Salvo, later called “General”, the unrest caused by the Solarian Collapse and the Peacekeeper Mandate in short order led Salvo to desert the MDF, leading thousands of soldiers alongside her. Over the course of three years, the Samaritans led a protracted guerilla war against first the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, then the Tau Ceti Armed Forces.

Many MDF deserters brought their own military supplies with them or stole from bases; the Samaritans would also purchase weaponry from offworld traders to supplement their supplies. What played a heavy part in the coherence of the group and its ability to defend against the far larger TCAF was the unity and solidarity of individual soldiers. A gradually-forming cult of personality around Xiomara Salvo also meant many Samaritans were willing to fight and die for the freedom of Mictlan. The Samaritans’ primary base of operations was on the continent of Huitzilopochtli, where the local population revered them as heroic freedom fighters, further hampering Biesel intelligence operations. Further emphasizing their status as “heroic” was the Samaritans’ opposition to the violence enacted by the Founding Movement, which would often include civilians in the crossfire of its bombs and riots.

In November 2465, a heightening of terror campaigns from the Founding Movement, increased attacks on TCAF bases from the Samaritans, and civil unrest within Tau Ceti and Mictlan alike led to Xiomara Salvo negotiating a settled peace with the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. On the condition of her absolute surrender and her retirement from politics and military life, Mictlan would now enjoy a free economic and legal policy that would only be loosely governed by the government of Biesel.

Former Samaritans found themselves generally returning to their old life. Many rejoined the MDF, or joined for the first time, going on to serve careers as soldiers. The exception was the officers of the organization, forbidden by the terms of their agreement to ever join an armed organization again. Most retired early, as permitted by a generous stipend, and several went on to pursue political careers or work as a civilian in the fields they’d earned a degree in.

Xiomara Salvo, the charismatic soldier, became a national hero and a symbol of the endurance of Mictlan and its people. She now lives a quiet life in Caxamalca as a community organizer, and has expressed no desire to re-enter the public eye.

=== Megacorporation Sanctions ===
Citing concerns for the safety of their employees and their assets, the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] announced a goods embargo on Mictlan outside of the Exclusive Economic Zone. These sanctions focused on materials and equipment that could potentially be used in the creation of weapons and explosives by the Samaritans, however, critics have remarked that the goods listed are broad enough to negatively impact most industries on Mictlan. Unemployment rose to levels never before seen outside of the Exclusive Economic Zone.

Following the Council of Six meetings, the megacorporate sanctions ended in conjunction with the staged removal of the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]] as the Peacekeeper Mandate came to an end. These sanctions, however, loom over the heads of many who found their businesses unable to survive in the wake of the megacorporate blockades on goods, now forced to find employment within the very megacorporations that destroyed their businesses. This is only exacerbated by the ongoing [[Phoron|phoron scarcity]] and the socio-economic issues it has introduced to the planet.
== Environment ==
<center><i>“The jungles of Mictlan have lured us in for decades, with promises of great discoveries deep within. I fall for it, everytime.” - Professor Tapzel Spoq (2093 - 2461) at a Seminar regarding Xenobiology at the Tupac Amaru University (21 November 2438) </i></center>
[[File:MictlanCities.png|thumb|400px|A labled map of notable points of interests across Mictlan, including the former Tau Ceti Foreign Legion Forward Operating Bases.]]

Mictlan is a planet shrouded in thick jungles that stretch across its three continents, where its orbital period and axial tilt have allowed for an almost perpetual tropic climate that often reaches sweltering highs – where the only reprieve is the frequent torrents of cool rainfall that form as a result of humidity present within its rainforests. Dependent on the environmental circumstances in which they form, these tropical storms often grow to sizes capable of engulfing large portions of the continents they pass over – where flashfloods in lowlands are both common, and avoided by the local populace in the region. However, the further one strays from the equatorial regions of Mictlan, the drier it becomes the closer one gets to the Mictlani Sertão.

The Mictlani Sertão comprise the planet’s highlands – normally in close proximity to mountainous geographic regions – and receive most of their rainfall during the beginning of the year in the brief period between February and April, mostly in the form of torrential downpours, thereafter these regions typically undergo extended droughts. These shifting conditions have made life difficult within the Sertão, and colonial outposts situated within these areas frequently fell on hard times as they struggle to push through to the next wet season, where most commonly turn to base their economies on quarrying and excavation – at least if there is an abundance of mineral resources nearby.

=== Continents and Regions ===
'''Llactapata (Western Continent)'''

Home to the continental capital of Sikunda, Llactapata has been spared the onslaught of destruction as a result of the Peacekeeper Mandate, where it has instead seen an influx of displaced Mictlani fleeing from either Huitzilopochtli or Huehuecóyotl. Situated within the western hemisphere of the planet, much of Northern Llactapata belongs to the Mictlani Sertão – where the craggy mountains protect the region from typhoons that form within Tepexitl Ocean, allowing for dozens of cities and towns to crop up reminiscent of those across the Andes Mountains on Earth. Hephaestus Industries has expressed interest in expanding its foothold within the regions, further exploiting the mineral resources held within the Tepeyollotli Ranges. '''Sikunda''', '''Caxamalca''' and '''New Barraca''' are the major population centres of Llactapata.

'''Huitzilopochtli (Eastern Continent and Archipelagos)'''

The staging grounds for the Samaritans and the Founding Movement, Huitzilopochtli previously went without major investment from the megacorporations, where its sudden introduction following the collapse of the [[Solarian Alliance]] invited anti-corporate sentiments and secessionist movements to bud. Eventually, it culminated in open warfare between the Tau Ceti Armed Forces and Samaritans, where the eastern continent became no man's land characterised by craters, crumbling buildings, burning towns, and deserted vehicles clogging up abandoned highways. It maintains dominance by the secessionist and anti-corporate groups, even despite the end of the Peacekeeper Mandate. '''Saladas''', '''Coiruro''' and '''Médeyre''' are major population centres across Huitzilopochtli.

'''Huehuecóyotl (Central Continent)'''

The central continent connecting both Llactapata and Huitzilopochtli, Huehuecóyotl supports the planetary capital of Arequipa, as well as the southern continental capital of Lago de Abundancia. While Northern Huehuecóyotl has largely remained untouched by the Samaritan and Founding Movement Scourge, Lago de Abundancia had fallen into disrepair as a result of the siege laid against the city during the height of the Peacekeeper Mandate but has since begun reconstruction under the auspices of Hephaestus Industries. Many who were displaced from their homes have begun to return, finding gainful employment with the corporation. The mountainous regions of Huehuecóyotl find themselves encased within the Mictlani Sertão, where it is considered the driest region on the planet. '''Arequipa''', '''Lago de Abundancia''' and '''Nueva Tenochtitlan''' are the major population centres of Huehuecóyotl.

=== Flora and Fauna ===
Although initially a worry of some scientific communities, the native species of Mictlan have formed symbiotic relationships with the foreign species, baffling the settlers. Those that haven’t are considered protected, and it’s illegal to hunt them or attempt to domesticate them. Xenobiology is a popular field in Mictlan, with the Tupac Amaru University having coordinated efforts with the Skrell to study many of them that hide deep in the jungles and swamps.

The official animal of Mictlan is referred to as the '''Aztlanian Llama'''. This animal is the most characteristic species of Mictlan with a longer neck than its human counterpart, an affinity for submerging in baths almost daily, and a protective layer of water-resistant fur covering their soft and heat-insulating wool. Another important species is '''Buxton’s Alpaca''', a hybrid of llama and alpaca: with their willingness to work, nutritious meat, and luxurious wool, even the poorest settlers of Mictlan found their place on the planet. Both the hybrid and the common Aztlanian Llama have thermic adaptive properties, which are known for being fresh in the summer and retaining the heat in the winter. The popularity has also created a growing industry of textiles in Mictlan with many corporations competing to dominate this market galaxy-wide.

A native domesticated animal is an '''Arequipan Cow'''. While only vaguely resembling their earth counterpart, they are similar in that they provide the settlers with milk. This milk has unique properties that even lactose-intolerant individuals can ingest without issue. The main crux is the Arequipan bull, a male member of the species that are extremely territorial and aggressive. According to polls, Arequipa bulls are responsible for 15% of deaths in the farming industry.

One of the more infamous animals within the jungles of Mictlan is the '''Matón'''; a hulking, four-armed ape-like creature with a leathery hide of mottled green, assisting in its camouflage against the lush greenery it inhabits. Highly territorial and aggressive, the Matón bulls dwarf their sow counterparts, who stand at seven feet and five feet respectively. Though typically the bull is more aggressive and territorial, the sow has been described by those unfortunate enough to trespass into their habitats raising young as frenzied broodmothers, wreaking havoc and destruction should they feel one's presence is a threat to their young. Early on in the planet's colonisation, Matón proved to be a rather dangerous example of the native fauna of the planet, attacking colonists that strayed too close to their troops; eventually leading to a "War against Matón" seeking to extinct the species - which never saw success. The Matón merely pushed deeper into the unclaimed jungles of Mictlan, with only the juveniles occasionally wandering out. In recent years, the population of the Matón has recovered well, allowing poachers a chance to begin selling the exploits of their hunts again.

Flora-wise the large number of insects present on Mictlan seem to have contributed to their assimilation into the local ecosystem. Establishing evolutionary links that would have otherwise taken millions of years to develop in less than a century. This allowed Mictlan to produce harvests much sooner than other settlements and acquire food independence early on. Currently, the largest harvests come in the form of wine and coconut oil.

===Star System===
Mictlan is located in the star system of Sankta Tereza, a white dwarf orbited by three planets; Mictlan itself, the dusty planetoid Diamanto, and the rocky, barren planet De Borda. Much of Sankta Tereza’s inner system comprises several rings with ample asteroids, dubbed by Mictlani as the “Crowns of the Saints” or the Crowns. The Crowns are abundant with mineral resources that several megacorporations, most notably [[NanoTrasen]] and [[Hephaestus Industries]], have expressed interest in developing asteroid mining sites.

The Crown has several small planetoids, but only Diamanto is large enough to be of note. Prior to the truce between the Samaritans and the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, there were plans in the Republic of Biesel to exploit its close proximity to the Crowns in order to fuel a successful asteroid mining initiative, but it is uncertain if these plans will come to fruition after several laws limiting corporate influence within Sankta Tereza have been passed in late 2465.

De Borda is devoid of any rare natural resources, and lies untouched by the Republic or by Mictlan's planetary government. Astronomers speculate that it likely was a rogue planet caught by Sankta Tereza's gravity well as it soared through the cosmos. Some rumours persist of smugglers using it as a base of operations, helping the Samaritans and Founding Movement by running contraband for them, and some conspiracy theorists proclaiming these radical groups actually operate within the shadows of De Borda, concealing their true intentions behind its dullness.

== Culture and Demographics ==
<center><i>“It is our duty to protect our cultural diversity. It resides within the heart, the very soul, of Mictlani. Without it, we'd be lost,” - Prime Minister (2462 - Onwards) Ladislao de Santos of the Republic of Mictlan</i></center>
Mictlani culture is strongly based on its South American roots. As such, Mictlan is known for large-scale and colourful parades, strong religious beliefs, exotic cuisine, and well-established artists. These experiences are often provided to tourists, however safely packaged and toned down, so as to not disturb the façade of corporate professionalism. Thus one can’t really claim they have been part of the Mictlani life if their only experience with the culture was from a polished hotel. The native life can be found in the metallic streets of the oceanic constructs. While one might assume these metallic structures are drab, depressing, and boring, Mictlani have made them their own. Upon entry, the streets explode in colours as artists and sprayers are encouraged to fill the walls and roofs with designs. Frequent motifs are caricatures of political figures, hopeful messages, large elaborate paintings, and other comical or positive art. Mictlani who travel off-world frequently carry this habit with them, turning their streets or neighbourhoods into colourful tapestries. Even with its Babylonian inspiration, Fallowed Meadows has become somewhat renowned for its integration of Mictlani architecture into its community, where some tourists previously elected to visit the settlement to gaze their eyes upon the unique structures, but with the turn of the Peacekeeper Mandate, Fallowed Meadows now largely goes without any tourist activity.

The Mictlani household is built around a community and many families often live together in interconnected houses with greenhouse roofs that are framed around large cemented patios. These host huge celebrations, music, food, and drinks are provided and consumed freely by all present, although everyone is expected to add even a little bit to the menu. The celebrations can range from grandiose weddings or religious holidays to a simple meetup at the grill to unwind after work. Frankly, to a Mictlani, any day is a good day to spend with your loved ones. A frequent sight at these celebrations is the Mictlani pulque. This alcoholic beverage boasts a higher alcohol content than its Earthen counterpart as the environment of Mictlan allows for a much stronger agave extract. In closing, family and community are everything to a Mictlani, and a Mictlani will rarely emigrate without their family. A less popular aspect of Mictlani life is their view on the concept of “intellectual property”. With high fees following the copyright law reforms the relationship of the locals with the idea of an idea belonging to one person has shifted. The unintentional side-effect is that regardless of how well you attempt to secure your idea or intellectual property, someone on Mictlan will copy it and repackage it as their own. Initially, the police cracked down on these cases when it came to their large corporate clients, but as this sentiment spread it has become impossible to contain this wave of bootlegging. Now even the biggest corporations are not safe and even their own private corporate forces fail to enforce the law. This means that Mictlan is a pirate’s haven: “cracked” games, pirated movies, and homemade VR are sold both on the street and in official stores, the owners being just as likely to put “Swam Nebulas” and “Swimstars” on the same shelf. And alongside the destruction of intellectual property rights, came a sky-high rate of cyber-crime. Over 12% of all cyber-attacks in the universe are traced back to Mictlan and both large and small entities find themselves as the sharp end of a variable. This is one of the few, or only, avenues on Mictlan where a single man can make a fortune and climb from nothing.

=== Fashion ===
There is a long-standing tradition of masks on Mictlan, usually made of wood and in varied expressions. Mictlani use these masks for important events, painted in bright colours for celebrations, while black and white are used for mourning, be it personal or public. Protestors, rebel groups, and Founders have also adopted these masks, often giving them a terrifying visage. Wearing a mask is certainly not a daily thing, and a person’s celebratory or mourning masks are viewed as extremely personal, being one of the few things considered taboo to copy and replicate en-mass. Early on, corporations attempted to levy a ban on them, but their cultural significance resulted in planet-wide backlash. Thus, the only requirement is that masked employees wear their identification visibly.

Tattoos and piercings are very popular in Mictlan and are considered the standard among the locals. Even the cleanest corporate will often sport at least a few tattoos on his face if he is a Mictlani local, to them, it is a form of self-expression, a way to non-verbally communicate their allegiances, beliefs, or values. Sometimes removal is unavoidable, however, as Eridanian suits will often press any Mictlani under their employ to remove their tattoos completely. The abundance of aquatic life has led to tattoo ink solutions based on Grumbo Squid ink becoming widespread and popular, even endorsed as healthy by certain "physical therapists" and "health gurus". The most popular motif is the colouring of the whole upper face, right above the nose, with the most popular colour being red, but white and blue are also frequently used. Piercings are often used in combination with these tattoos, septum and lip piercings being the most popular. Stainless steel is used the most often, gold being actually quite unpopular among the locals as it’s seen as a mark of corporatism on a person. Indeed, all designs that appear too “contemporary” or “mainstream” are very unpopular with native Mictlani, usually only seen on corporatists who don’t mind having a brand etched onto their face. This means that most tattooing businesses are run by the locals, as corporates have found little success in their own tattoo parlours.

=== Cuisine ===

Heavily inspired by its colonial roots in [[Earth|Latin Americ]]a, Mictlani cuisine has been readily adapted to the native flora and fauna of the planet; having incorporated elements of the vibrant ecology into their traditional meals. Though some dishes have more notable within certain regions, whereas others enjoy popularity across the globe and the stars as Mictlani emigrate, Mictlani cuisine has similar staples to include in meals, a flair of the planet's people that make their foods unique. Much like their ancestors, Mictlani frequently use rice, corn, and various types of beans in their meals; Black beans, Kidney beans, lentils and other legumes are some of the more common ingredients used. Rice usually sees exotic spices captured from the native flora incorporated, in particular Eacamyane leaves which are grounded, and then sprinkled to give a bit of a spicy kick to meals. However, though these traditional meals and ingredients exist, there is no shortage of foods inspired or even imported from across the Orion Spur, such as the Matón Burgers, fried alongside Eacamyane leaves and pineapples to give a rather bitter-sweet experience.

Seafood is yet another element of Mictlani cuisine, particularly popular in Lago de Abundancia and Sikunda, with significant amounts of the lower strata of the population finding employment within the fishing industry; quickly expanding as the megacorporations continue to "uplift" the planet, expanding the existing industries swiftly following the quelling of the Insurrection Crisis of 2464. Shellfish skewers, spicy sashimi and a stew native to Mictlani knowns as Moqueca which is often served alongside rice and plantains, making it a rather popular street food. Lastly, a method of cooking known as pachamanca has a hold over Mictlani. Meats will be spiced accordingly, roasted with the aid of hot stones beneath the ground, and then served with a sauce of finely chopped Eacamyane, an array of oils, garlic and even vinegar. It is not uncommon to see tripe, liver and even tongues roasted alongside other slabs of meat.

==== Notable Dishes ====
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*'''Matón Burgers'''
Originating from Arequipa, Matón Burgers are a unique composition of bitter ingredients, alongside sweeter variants, that create an experience like no other. Slathered with salt, the Matón thigh is then sliced into several pieces, and fried alongside Ecamyane leaves and pineapples. The flavouring from the leaves and pineapples seep into the sizzling meat of the Matón before it is presented on a bed of fried rice and black beans. Though not a traditional burger in a sense of having buns, the Matón Burgers remain a popular street food within the major population centres.

*'''Moqueca'''
Stew from the humble origins of Sikunda, Moqueca has become a favourite fast-food among Mictlani. Quickly fried rice and plantains, with a bit of spices lifted from the Ecamyane roots, sprinkled with thinly sliced, stewed fish; and Moqueca is complete. One of the easier meals, it has become a staple across the globe, especially in contemporary times as prices began to rise across the Orion Spur. Though, it has a nasty reputation for being a meal for the poor, with those of the wealthier strata of Mictlan rarely seen ordering, nevermind enjoying the meal.
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=== Language ===
Mictlan has developed a vibrant linguistical community, where polyglots are both common and expected due to its robust education curriculum and the communal cornerstones within its societies. Solarian Common, Tradeband and Tau Ceti Basic are all commonly spoken across the planet – the influx of non-Mictlani to the planet saw a notable increase in the numbers of speakers for Tradeband and Basic, as a necessary median language due to the intricacies of Solarian Common. However, the separation of Mictlan from the [[Sol Alliance| Solarian Alliance]] and its subsequent integration within the [[Republic of Biesel]] has resulted in a closer shift to Tau Ceti Basic and Tradeband – where the younger generations are slowly moving away from Common as schools begin to adopt a combination of the aforementioned two languages as their official tongue of operation.

Prior to its introduction to the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], Mictlan’s close proximity to the [[Republic of Biesel]], and its robust multiculturalism, allowed for Tau Ceti Basic to already proliferate across its jungles – heightened by the presence of the megacorporations within their highest echelons. Idris Incorporated has been instrumental in the planet’s shift away from Solarian Common in contemporary times, where it has outlined the expectation for employees to speak a degree of either Tau Ceti Basic or Tradeband within its corporate facilities outside of the [[Sol Alliance| Solarian Alliance]].

=== Major Holidays ===
*'''Festival de la Liberación (16 December - 21 December)'''

Festival de la Liberación is a celebration across Mictlan that recognises the revolutionary elements of its history, focusing on the overthrowing of Captain Tlaloc and his corrupt peers that solidified his reign. Regardless of the eventual quashing of the revolution by the [[Sol Alliance| Solarian Alliance]] shortly after it began, it is still celebrated for the efforts that allowed for a democratic Mictlan to form. Colourful parades, fireworks and concerts are all common events during the festive season.

*'''Dia de los Muertos (1 November)'''

Carried to Mictlan through the Central and South American colonists, Dia de los Muertos is a traditional celebration honouring the deceased through Calaveras, building home shrines with food and beverages enjoyed by the departed, as well as visiting cemeteries and leaving gifts on the graves of those that have since passed. It has also evolved to include family festivities alongside the solemn themes of the day, where communal feasts are common.

*'''Tago de Eksterterano (6 June)'''

Celebrating the influx of non-humans to their planets, Tago de Eksterterano has become an import recognition of the influence that non-humans have had on Mictlani, and vice versa as their communities become further integration within the planet’s politics, economy and society. Skrell, Dionae and Unathi populations across Mictlan have seized the day as an opportunity to further assimilate themselves – at least those that want to – within Mictlan, with celebrations hosted in Papamóscanda, Fallowed Meadows and Vezdukh during the Tago de Eksterterano.

=== Aliens on Mictlan ===
<center><i>“The Free City of Vezdukh will serve as an example. Where all else has been lost, one must hope. It is hope that makes us strong. It is what must be fought for when all else is lost.” - Lord Mayor Orbza Izziba addressing the Unathi at his inauguration following the establishment of the Free City of Vezdukh (23 November 2453)</i></center>
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====<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#186b1c; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">Dionae on Mictlan - The Primitive Sirens</div>====
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Rooted within the emigrants from across the [[Sol Alliance| Solarian Alliance]], following the completion of their debt as a result of the Rueltab Incident, Dionae have nestled themselves within their own city of “Fallowed Meadows” in the Mictlani Sertão. However, different from other Dionae settlements across the Orion Spur, the Primitive Sirens follow an ideology of technophobic primacy, where they deny themselves the pleasures and convenience of advanced technology to ensure the preservation of the true tenets of a Dionae – connection to nature, and to themselves. Though their foundations remain the same, the Primitive Sirens have evolved their approach to their understanding, and assimilated themselves within Mictlani society, to a degree, of course. Following the cornerstone of gaining experience, the Primitive Sirens do regularly leave the Fallowed Meadows and work in the surrounding Mictlani cities, most of the time forming the basis of the cities’ common labourers – construction workers, operations employees and even farmhands.

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===== History =====
Created by those that sought freedom after their debt had been repaid, hundreds of Dionae spread out across the Orion Spur, it was only natural that Mictlan – within the more frontier regions of the [[Sol Alliance| Solarian Alliance]] – would be elected by those attempting to flee from its grasp as a preferable place to settle in the 2400s. The initial inability to assimilate into Mictlani society pushed for the founding of Fallowed Meadows, where a common agreement was held among the settlers: a safe space for other Dionae attempting to resettle themselves, free from the technology that had plagued them to such an existence. Where, without prior authorisation from the established government on Mictlan, they forged an existence within the Mictlani Sertão and cleared vast sections for their intended settlement. Despite attempts to disperse the Dionae by officials from the surrounding cities, they yielded successful results as the first buildings started cropping up – crude, and somewhat dishevelled – but it mattered not, as the Dionae had carved themselves a home.

Keeping to themselves for the better part of two decades, it wasn’t until the 2430s that Dionae from Fallowed Meadows began pouring into the surrounding communities – citing the need to bring back experiences to the Cluster, claiming it a rite of passage for those that wished to remain. Slowly, Fallowed Meadows saw further integration within Mictlan, with the experiences brought back by these ites of passage influencing their own society, evolving their understanding of their original common agreement, shifting and changing the interpretations. By the 2450s, the settlement had grown enormously and had seen non-Dionae begin to contribute, further cementing Mictlani elements within their societal understandings and beliefs.

Fallowed Meadow’s establishment within the northern parts of Huitzilopochtli has resulted in unwanted attention by the Samaritans, Founding Movement and even the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion. Several times the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion landed their shuttles within Fallowed Meadows, claiming the settlement to be hiding seditious individuals within their midsts, some persons even being detained by the Biesellite forces due to their alleged connections. Though there exists no outward alignment to these groups, it isn’t unheard of for those returning from the surrounding cities with their newfound experiences suddenly take a dislike to the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, and the [[Republic of Biesel]] – however, many chalk this up to mere rumours.

===== Dionae from the Primitive Sirens =====

Dionae from the Primitive Sirens are known for their remarkable abilities to mimic structures, items and even other species – seemingly adapting to the situation, with rather proficient ease. Adhering to their ideology to ward away from advanced technology, these Dionae will often find themselves substitutes for such – with those within the construction industry sometimes seen uniting themselves to form appearances consistent with machines – such as cranes, pulleys and even scaffolding equipment. Mimicry is an integral component of the Primitive Sirens, where they view it as an ability given to the Dionae in order to do without technology, where whenever possible they would rather pursue themselves as substitutes as opposed to machines. In some instances, some claim to have even seen Dionae attempt to mimic farming equipment, such as ploughs and tractors, with some minor success thanks to the natural agriculture benefits imbedded within their skin and bark.

===== Fallowed Meadows =====
Reminiscent of pre-industrial society, '''Fallowed Meadows''' seems of almost biblical beauty, with much of the sprawling settlement’s design seemingly inspired by Babylonian architecture, slightly altered due to the buildings having been constructed of wood, and supported with biomass produced by the Dionae. Farms, ranches and even rudimentary workshops dot the landscape of Fallowed Meadows, operated by hundred of gestalts that elect to follow the Primitive Siren’s ideologies – not all being native to the Cluster. These ranches have a dual purpose, serving as a means to harvest Aztlanian Llama fibres to wave clothing but also to serve as pack animals to help transport resources and Dionae over large distances. Fallowed Meadows has managed to resist megacorporate influence, however, have been unable to do the same for Mictlani integration, where some non-Dionae have even joined the Primitive Sirens and embraced their lifestyle of simple living. Though it remains detached from general Mictlani, Fallowed Meadows has implemented several societal changes thanks to the influence of the planet’s populace, reforming from a stringent hierarchy based on age to a communal village where each and every individual is appreciated regardless of what they can add to the Cluster. Therefore, there doesn’t exist a gestalt that leads Fallowed Meadows, instead, choices that affect the settlement are conducted by each and every inhabitant voicing their concerns, and voting on their choice – a type of direct democracy seen similarly in Harmonious Hymn.

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====<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#92960e; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">The Free Sinta'Unathi of Vezdukh</div>====
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Fleeing from the catastrophic circumstances of Moghes, Unathi found themselves scattered across the Orion Spur – filtering themselves into wherever possible and to those that would accept the fleets of refugees. One notable location was that of Mictlan, far enough away from the Jewel Worlds of the [[Sol Alliance| Solarian Alliance]] that they wouldn’t have to fear any immediate repercussions by the establishment of refugee camps to host those from Moghes, and the general openness to non-humans made it a suitable location for [[Sol Alliance| Solarian Alliance]]’s attempts to divert the asylum seekers from their more well-off colonies. Established in 2440, the Vezdukh Refugee Camp soon became home for thousands of those fleeing from Moghes – be it those from the [[Karszekani Moghes]] or the [[Unathi History| Traditionalist Coalition]], they found themselves lumped together by the ignorant officials overseeing the displacement process. By the end of the decade, the Vezdukh Refugee Camp had overcome the majority of its problems – evolving from a humble refugee camp to a sprawling shantytown, where it eventually earned recognition as the Free City of Vezdukh. Since 2440, Unathi have become one of the more influential species within Mictlan’s economy, continuing to grow their presence as time marches forward. Meritocracy is a fundamental aspect of the Free City, where peasants fleeing the Contact War have been able to carve a name for themselves on Mictlan, and even reach the highest echelons of Vezdukh’s aristocracy. Though majority of the Unathi on Mictlan live within the Free City, it is not uncommon to see them within other population centres across the planet.

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===== History =====
The outbreak of the Contact War in 2439 is the primary reason for the presence of Unathi on Mictlan, where those that fled from Moghes and found themselves within the [[Sol Alliance| Solarian Alliance]] saw themselves filtered towards its outer colonies – in particular, Biesel and Mictlan – if they weren’t told to turn around and return to their planet. Those that found themselves escorted to Mictlan subsequently saw filtering into the Vezdukh Refugee Camp, where most were identified and classed according to their skills – farmers, healers, labourers and even warriors. The ignorance of the officials overseeing this process lumped together refugees from both the [[Karszekani Moghes]] and the [[Unathi History| Traditionalist Coalition]], which caused outbreaks of violence across Vezdukh. Even nobles that fled from Moghes essentially saw their titles stripped, crammed into overcrowded cabins meant to maximise the number of people that it could house.

By the mid-2440s, makeshift castes had begun to re-emerge, however, inverse to that of Moghes. Farmers, specifically those within the aquaculture industries quickly began to leverage their influence within the intracity economy of Vezdukh, bargaining their produce for favours from the other groups of workers. Most notably, however, was the prevalence of those belonging to the [[Unathi History| Traditionalist Coalition]] within the nascent aquaculture industries – with Clan Izziba quickly inserting their dominance, despite their origins as peasants from the Torn Cities of Moghes.

By the end of the decade, Vezdukh had evolved considerably and had obviously taken on Moghesian influence. Not just the city’s architecture was inspired, but the makeup of its political, economical and societal spheres as well. Clan Izziba used their influence within the aquaculture industries, where they quickly saw themselves rising to the status of nobles – where Vezdukh had largely been left alone by the greater Republic of Mictlan by 2451. The then-Prime Minister recognised that Vezdukh no longer could serve as a refugee camp and that it had evolved past its original intentions, and for that, it was necessary to allow its inhabitants to decide their own way forward – a notable difference from the approach taken during the establishment of Fallowed Meadows, seemingly distance themselves from their prior actions – with the establishment of the Free City of Vezdukh after months of negotiations and discussions between the most influential clans that had gathered power, either through political manoeuvring or criminal undertakings.

The establishment of the Free City in 2453 had profound effects on the Unathi, and their assimilation to Mictlan. Twelve years since the initial arrival to the planet, the intrusion of the planet’s culture into Vezdukh, and negotiations held between representatives of both parties ultimately pushed for a reformation amongst the Unathi – with notable support from Clan Izziba – that pushed for a democratic approach to be taken to the ruling of the Free City, integrated with the customs and beliefs of the Unathi. The office of Lord Mayor was thereby established, chosen by a council electorate of Unathi that would campaign for a seat on the “High Council of Vezdukh”. Today, the Free City of Vezdukh – although inspired by Moghesian elements – maintains uniqueness through the integration and assimilation of Mictlani culture – and still welcomes refugees from Moghes as the wasteland continues to grow.

===== Free City of Vezdukh =====
Within the jungles surrounding Sikunda, the Free City of Vezdukh exists – tucked along the west coasts of Llactaplata, which has proven advantageous for the city’s aquaculture practices, which majority of the Unathi find themselves employed within due to the prevalence of Clan Izziba's Fishing Guild. Not too dissimilar from cities found across Moghes, Vezdukh has some obvious Moghesian influence integrated into its architecture, with some small caveats as a result of the inclusion of Mictlani elements across the growing city. It enjoys a semi-autonomous existence on Mictlan, with significant freedom in the running of Vezdukh, where it has its own government established by an agreement between the most influential clans and representatives of the planetary government. With the prevalence of the [[Unathi History| Traditionalist Coalition]] within the city’s aristocracy, [[Th'akh]] sees itself as the majority religion – where it has even led to the establishment of catacombs that spread far across Vezdukh, in which those that die are stored within – approximately already housing nearly three thousand Unathi, according to the records kept by the prominent Shamans. Though there wasn’t an initial imbalance between refugees from the [[Karszekani Moghes]] and the [[Unathi History| Traditionalist Coalition]], throughout the years this number has slowly grown disproportionately, with majority of those still fleeing the wastelands of Moghes made up of those either disinterested in the Karszekani, or remnants of the [[Unathi History| Traditionalist Coalition]] that have managed to hold out for decades after the conclusion of the Contact War. The Free City of Vezdukh, similarly to Moghes, is influenced significantly by the presence of Guilds, in particular Clan Izziba's Fishing Guild, and the Javzi Chapter of the Bard’s Guild. Though the other Moghesian Guilds may be present within the Free City of Vezdukh, they do not have near as much influence as the former guilds. Guildmaster Orbza Izziba also stands as Lord Mayor of the Free City, where his Clan leverages their monopoly of aquaculture to ensure their majority holding of the Grand Council of Vezdukh. Beneath his guidance for the better part of the last decade, the Free City has grown exponentially and settled as a true successor to the [[Unathi History| Traditionalist Coalition]]. [[Unathi|Sinta'Azaziba]] is the most commonly spoken language within the Free City, though some do still speak Sinta’Unathi within the more Karszekaniic dominated neighbourhoods.

===== Notable Clans of Vezdukh =====

====== Clan Izziba ======
With their origins from throughout the Torn Cities of Tak, Sai and Sen – Clan Izziba has risen to nobility through their ingenuity and a humble helping of luck. Peasantry within the [[Unathi History| Traditionalist Coalition]], members of Clan Izziba predominately found themselves working within the Fishing League on Moghes for centuries prior to the outbreak of the Contact War. The nuclear cataclysm, and the Clan’s choice to flee from persecution by the [[Karszekani Moghes]], resulted in their subsequent arrival to Mictlan. Placed within their then-nascent aquaculture industries of the Vedzukh Refugee Camp, they proved their value and quickly rose through the ranks – becoming overseers, administrators and ultimately pooling their resources and creating the Fishermen’s Guild – and established a monopoly on the aquaculture industry. Guildmaster, Clan Leader and Lord Mayor Orbza Izziba stands as a representation of the Free City’s meritocratic cornerstone, having carved himself into nobility as a peasant fleeing Moghes. They are allied with Clan Rirazi, and rivals of Clan Javzi.

====== Clan Rirazi ======
Similarly to Clan Izziba, Clan Rirazi hails from the broken [[Unathi History| Traditionalist Coalition]] within the southern hemisphere of Moghes – having fled sometime after the outbreak of the Contact War. However, with most of the men having perished as a result of the Karszekani’s final push, Clan Rirazi has been forced to adopt a matriarchal hierarchy following their arrival to Mictlan, similarly seen within the Queendom of Szek’Hakh. Through a combination of elegance, poise and grace Clan Rirazi secured themselves within the Free City’s aristocracy by arranging political marriages with prominent Unathi, in particular the marriage between Clan Leader Tyzan Rirazi and Lord Mayor Orbza Izziba – which granted the Clan a seat on the High Council of Vezdukh. They have ties to each notable Clan within the Free City, whether it be by marriage, or convenient friendships, Clan Rirazi has secured itself as a prominent and upcoming Clan – with talks of even spearheading the presence of the Merchants Guild on Mictlan.

====== Clan Zahzyr ======
Though maybe not the most influential, Clan Zahzyr is the most numerous. Somehow, through the tragedies inflicted across Moghes, the entirety of Clan Zahzyr fled from the nuclear cataclysm and survived the journey to Mictlan. With apprentices from across the Moghesian Guilds, Clan Zahzyr was able to secure their claw within several pies, earning a rather nice profit through their dozens of ventures – eventually pooling their resources together and constructing the largest estate within the Free City, outcompeting even Clan Izziba. Castle Zahzyr, as colloquially known, serves as a reminder to the Unathi of the Free City of their Moghesian origins – where it employs a combination of elements from both Th’akhist and south Moghesian Traditionalist architecture. Clan Leader Dazyn Zahzyr secured an alliance with Clan Javzi after marrying Clan Leader and Guildsmaster Vehz’s daughter, Nehdra. They otherwise have amicable relations with the other notable Clans of the Free City.

====== Clan Javzi ======
The only Clan from the Karszekani’s territories that retains enough influence to be prominent within the Free City, Clan Javzi has its roots within Izweski nobility, having used their aristocratic connections to ferry their Clan to wherever would accept them – ultimately ending in their arrival to Mictlan. With connections to the Bard’s Guild, Clan Javzi established their own chapter within the Free City – well, within the Camp, attempting to uplift the mood of refugees and close the divine between the [[Unathi History| Traditionalist Coalition]] and the [[Karszekani Moghes]]. They found success in their attempts, garnering admiration from many across Vezdukh – eventually securing them some kind of influence within the Free City’s affairs, with Clan Leader and Guildmaster Vehz Javzi securing a seat on the High Council of Vezdukh. Clan Javzi maintains a rivalry with Clan Izziba, supposedly over an ancestral feud that started on Moghes. They are allies with Clan Zahzyr but do have amicable relations with Clan Rirazi.

===== Notable Guilds of Vezdukh =====

====== Bard’s Guild, Javzi Chapter ======
Established within the Free City by Clan Javzi, the Javzi Chapter of the Bard’s Guild served an important purpose during the initial days of the Vezdukh Refugee Camp – where they routinely engaged in impromptu concerts among one another to lift the moods of those that found themselves on Mictlan, and close the divide and ease the tensions between the [[Unathi History| Traditionalist Coalition]] and the [[Karszekani Moghes]] – or at least those that fled from the respective territories. Now, almost two decades later, the Javzi Chapter serves as an important figure within the Free City’s public relations, where those within the higher positions of the Bard’s Guild oftentimes serve as diplomats on behalf of Vezdukh, or even to turn ease a scandal into a rumour with well-placed writings, poems and songs. It is ill-advised to make an enemy of the Bard’s Guild, for without them gossip and rumour can spread – however dishonourable it may be. Without the influence behind Clan Izziba, it is without a doubt that Lord Mayor Orbza would likely never have been able to attain their position.

====== Fishermen’s Guild ======
Forged by Clan Izziba, the Fishermen’s Guild serves a similar purpose to the Fishing League on Moghes. However, it sees itself run more as a corporation as opposed to a traditional Guild that one would find on Moghes – likely as a result of the expansive influence that it has thanks to the monopoly it holds over the aquaculture industries within the Free City. Led by Lord Mayor Orbza Izziba, the Fishermen’s Guild employs almost half of the inhabitants within the Free City, not necessarily just for aquaculture – the Guild has seen some expansion into similar activities done by the House of Medicine and even the Labourers Guild on Moghe – further integrating itself within the city’s affairs. With such a reliance on the Fishermen’s Guild, it has naturally resulted in Clan Izziba’s immense influence over the Free City – where resisting it is likely to result in some unwanted consequences.

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====<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#510663; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">Skrell on Mictlan - The Academic Circles of Papamóscanda</div>====
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The Skrell have found it easy to adapt to Mictlan, although some still struggle to fully integrate themselves into its society; while the humid environment is a perfect fit for their species, the Skrell have found difficulty in adjusting to the communal and energetic culture that’s formed on the planet. While there exist clear similarities between Mictlan and the Nralakk Federation’s outlook on community cohesion and cooperation, the Federation takes a much milder form, resulting in many of the older Skrell living on Mictlan finding the more outwardly emotive and energetic Mictlani way of life to be mentally exhausting. It is the younger generation of Skrell, who grew up on Mictlan, that have found it easier to adapt to the planet's way of life, unlike the elder generations that have been forced to somehow integrate into the ever-changing culture present.

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Academically, Skrell have found themselves dominating several fields, including biology and ecology. Academia across Mictlan have recognised the species’ talents, with even the Arequipan Institute of Ecology and Natural Sciences having a Skrell, Xall Qaqii, as its President. Caretakers often encourage their young to partake in showing off the species’ academic aptitude, where the majority of those born on the planet eventually pursue careers related to botany, agriculture, biology, or even the xenosciences.

Most Skrell reside in the settlement of Papamóscanda, a town on the outskirts of Arequipa. Founded by the first Skrell that arrived on Mictlan, a group of scientists from the Nralakk Federation. The founding ethos of the first colonists has led to the town itself becoming a hub for pro-Federation Skrell who visit or move to the planet. Even though most live in Papamóscanda, there are other smaller communities of Skrell who have established roots on the other islands across the planet. These groups are typically much smaller and consist of Skrell who come to Mictlan outside of the Federation due to its ties in Papamóscanda. This divide between Federation and non-Federation aligned Skrell rarely results in a confrontation, however, as the hardliners from the two groups have relegated themselves to their own regions on the planet.

With Mictlan joining the Republic of Biesel and now finding itself within the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, the Skrell living on the planet are still trying to find where they stand; the older, traditional ones are apathetic, and are only concerned with their and their family’s status within the Republic - yet most of them would prefer a return to Solarian rule. The younger Skrell in comparison are more invested in the state of their planet; some even object to the new rule, believing like many other Mictlani that the planet should finally take the opportunity to become its own sovereign state. A small number of Skrell have even been reported to have joined the Samaritans or affiliated groups, taking up armed resistance against the Republic of Biesel’s control of the planet.

===== History =====
Terraforming specialists from the state-owned enterprise Tuz’qlip Researchers took an interest in Mictlan due to its desirable conditions rarely found across the Orion Spur. A small group of these specialists ventured, with the authority of the Federation, to Mictlan as it was believed that it held scientific value for their species’ terraforming efforts, and the local flora and fauna were considered candidates for transplantation to promote biodiversity on pre-existing Federation colonies. Despite only making contact a few years earlier, they were accepted by the Solarian Alliance and settled Mictlan in 2338. They based themselves on the central continent, with Doctor Xaal Qaqii as the Senior Research Officer. A telmatologist, Doctor Xaal Qaqii had the personal aim of studying the various wetlands of Mictlan and eventually secured themselves as a notable individual within Mictlan’s academia as president of the Arequipan Institue of Ecology and Natural Sciences.

An agreement between the Solarian Alliance and the Nralakk Federation in 2353 concluded that active conservation of the planet’s wildlife was required to preserve their existence. While the majority returned to the Federation, many of the original researchers elected to remain on the planet and eventually embedded themselves within the scientific community. Those who stayed continued their original studies in some capacity, collaborating with Federation contemporaries in the bioengineering and ecological fields, but have completely discontinued areas of their research that would directly interfere with or harm the fragile ecosystem of Mictlan. With the arrival of their families, this group of Skrell grew to a sizeable number and established itself in a small town on the outskirts of Arequipa now known as Papamóscanda. The town can be found in the valleys west of the city, and because of the original inhabitants' ties to Tuz’qlip Researchers, it is where most Skrell moving to Mictlan from the Federation elect to stay. The name comes from what the humans on Mictlan named the Skrell when the species first arrived; translated literally the original term is ‘swamp shrieker’ or ‘bog warbler’, and was used in a playful way to describe Skrell based on their vocalisations and preferred environment, although now with the establishment of Papamóscanda the term has fallen out of use.

===== Unique Constellations =====
The Skrell of Mictlan have their own unique set of constellations that can be observed from Mictlan, approved by the Qeblak church. Although they are considered minor by the Qeblak faith as a whole, they have influenced Mictlani Skrell since they arrived on the planet, influencing their outlook on life and their general attitudes.

[[File:The Eel.png|thumb|right|'''The Eel''': Turncoat. The unanticipated. Intrigue. Forthcoming.]]

[[File:The Palm Tree.png|thumb|left|'''The Palm Tree''': Tranquility. Agitation. Anxiety. Peace.]]

[[File:The Pulque.png|thumb|center|330px|'''The Pulque''': Togetherness. Comraderie. Overindulgence. Celebration.]]

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====<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#b0375f; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">Synthetics on Mictlan - El Menaje</div>====
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Neither supported by the Mictlani government nor persecuted under the banner of the Republic of Biesel, ‘El Menaje’ (‘The Household’, a colloquial term for the Trinarist community surrounding Lago de Abundancia) has always been left to its own devices. Material support from the Mendell District 14 branch is its primary among the few sources of income that can be depended upon in times of need, with offers from corporate-backed sources always rejected on principle. Scavenging, recycling and a reliance on donations and volunteer work are the pillars upon which any growth can be found in this synthetic community, trends that are influenced and reinforced by the Mictlani cultural consciousness. As a result, most structures follow a particular style that most foreigners would describe as distasteful and run-down; tires, concrete slabs, sandbags and mismatched bricks are prominent materials used in the construction of communal buildings, with Trinarist motifs often modified to reflect Mictlani artistic stylings and history. This practice is most evident in the appearance of Iglesia de la Chispa Sagrada, the center of Trinarist worship on Mictlan, whose previous life as a Catholic church is evident in the remaining stained glass fixtures that cover the primary face of the chapel.

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Information related to IPC that can be found on Mictlan can be found [[The_Trinary_Perfection_on_Mictlan|here]].

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====<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#DAA520; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">Vaurcae on Mictlan - Los Azquiles</div>====
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Mictlan is the most recent planet within the Republic of Biesel to host the arrival of the Vaurcae. Their presence is primarily part of an organized initiative aimed at uplifting [[Queenless]] and [[Queenless#Klat'xatl|Punished]] Vaurcae in Tau Ceti, helping them escape from the slums of Biesel. This burgeoning community has come to be known as Los Azquiles ("The Antmen"). While Los Azquiles have been welcomed by many locals, the scars left by the Peacekeeper Mandate have made it challenging for some Mictlani to reconcile living alongside the Vaurcae.

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===== History =====
The concept of a settlement for the Queenless on Mictlan emerged in 2463. By this time, groups such as the [[Queenless#Lii'kenka, The Traitors of Phoenixport|Lii'kenka]] and the [[Queenless#The Xi'larx|Xi'larx]] had recognized that Biesel's infrastructure would not support a proper Queenless settlement. Additionally, the dominance of megacorporations in the capital, who were in collusion with the Zo'ra Hive, impeded Queenless prosperity. Consequently, an assembly of Lii'kenka and some Xi'larx—including Aalik—devised '''Project Aztlan'''. The project aimed to purchase a significant parcel of land in Azcapotzalco, a small town on the outskirts of Nueva Tenochtitlan. The funding for the project is unclear, but it is likely that it was financed through a joint effort among various Queenless communities, though no formal reports exist. The land was eventually acquired in 2464, amidst the Peacekeeper Mandate. However, transportation remained an unresolved issue. Another crowdfunding was required to allow for the rental of ships that could transport the colonizers, though it is suspected that the earliest Vaurcae arrived as stowaways on cargo ships.

In 2465, the Queenless Vaurcae made their initial attempts to relocate to Mictlan. The Queenless settled in the city of Azcapotzalco, which had not experienced the outright guerrilla warfare between the Samaritans and the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]] but still suffered under the boot of oppression. However, the relative lack of extreme violence meant the city was mostly receptive to the new Vaurca settlers. The Vaurcae were quickly nicknamed "Los Azquiles," a moniker that has since been embraced by the Vaurcae themselves.

Despite the efforts of Project Aztlan, the colonization of the parcel has not been as successful as initially anticipated. La Colmena, the Vaurca barrio in Azcapotzalco, has become a den of criminal activity where law enforcement only ventures if heavily armed. Nonetheless, La Colmena remains a far cry from Flagsdale, where law enforcement cannot even enter, regardless of their equipment. The community was also known for its ties to the founding movement before the organization’s collapse. However, the largest issue is an ongoing k'ois shortage, a problem common to other Vaurca slums throughout the Republic. In the case of La Colmena, it stands on the verge of famine, with Azquiles colonizers struggling to find agricultural solutions for k'ois that will not adversely affect their neighbors.

The presence of La Colmena faced significant criticism in 2466 at the height of the Peacekeeper Mandate administrations. Although Mictlani are renowned for their tolerance, the level of brutality inflicted by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, a military force deeply connected with the Zo’ra Hive, has made it difficult for some of the natives to fully accept the Vaurcae. Nonetheless, many former Samaritans, especially those active in Huehueycóyotl, have attempted to rebuild community ties with Los Azquiles, especially given their Queenless status. In the Huehuecóyotl continent, Los Azquiles are viewed by many as distinct from the ruthless Zo'ra and as allies of the struggle against the Biesellite establishment.

==== Legal Recognition ====
As a member-state of the Republic of Biesel, Mictlan cannot ensure that Los Azquiles will be granted any formal immigration status. However, the cities of Azcapotzalco and Nueva Tenochtitlan are designated as sanctuary cities, allowing Vaurcae to fully mobilize and seek employment within these areas despite their lack of formal legal recognition. This resolution, enacted in early 2466, has encouraged many more Queenless from Flagsdale to find a way to relocate to Mictlan.

Despite Mictlan's efforts to welcome the Vaurcae, most jobs outside the sanctuary cities still require special permits from the [[Vaurca Organizations#Vaurca Office of Administrative Services|Vaurca Office of Administrative Services]]. Azquiles who relocate outside of Azcapotzalco and Nueva Tenochtitlan must also navigate numerous bureaucratic requirements.

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== Major Cities ==
[[File:Lago de Abundencia.png|thumb|The skyline of Lago de Abundacia.]]
'''Sikunda:''' An ocean city, the largest and one of many dotting the surface of Mictlan. Sikunda is considered the second (by some the real) capital of Mictlan and boasts higher population numbers than its official capital, Arequipa. Its large platforms are dotted with maze-like interconnected housing structures, factories, and production facilities. Jobs are available everywhere in Sikunda, but the vast majority are low-skill which also means providing little pay. And while the population was managed under the [[Sol Alliance| Solarian Alliance]], the assimilation into the [[Republic of Biesel]] is now threatening the welfare and healthcare laws that kept the population of Sikunda relatively safe. One might imagine Sikunda to be a large grey maze, depressing and drab, full of sunken faces akin to the slums of Eridani, yet the exact opposite is true. Mictlani has made the rig truly theirs, each street boasts a painted landscape, graffiti, or colourful slogan. Colourful tapestries hang from the windows and small shrines dot the dead-ends of streets. Sikunda teems with life during the night, families and communities celebrating on their shared patios and drinking together into the late hours of the night. Sikunda also seems to be the centre for cybercrime, as the majority of all attacks come from said city. While the local authorities and corporate sponsors consider this an issue, locals to Sikunda rarely snitch on these pirate stations.

'''Caxamalca:''' Nestled within the Mictlani Sertão of the Tepeyollotli Ranges, Caxamalca has its origins within a Chilean colonial outpost that settled within the cooler highlands of the planet. Taking advantage of its close proximity to the mineral resources hidden within the Tepeyolloti, Caxamalca has become an important foothold for Hephaestus Industries. It largely relies on the megacorporation to continue its efforts in quarrying and resource excavation, where the majority of the city’s populace is employed as a result of its presence – either directly or indirectly. Its climate is notably colder and drier compared to the rest of Mictlan, the city has grown within the caverns of Tepeyollotli – where a rife subterranean community exists, deploying methods similarly seen across Himeo with fungal crops, supplementing the imported foods from the rest of the planet, where other Mictlani have even coined the term Pequeña Himeo (or Little Himeo) when referring to Caxamalca. It has avoided the ire of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, where its distance from other major population centres has left it void of Samaritan or Founding Movement supporters, which Hephaestus Industries has used to its advantage, expanding even throughout the height of the Peacekeeper Mandate.

'''Médeyre:''' Originally settled by colonists from French Guiana, Médeyre has since become the headquarters of the Samaritans and Founding Movements as they launch ambushes and attacks against the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]] and its auxiliary forces. Hit hardest by the Peacekeeper Mandate, Médeyre has become a smouldering heap of debris. Many from the city have fled to the western major population centres across Mictlan, where those that remained took up arms against the military occupation of the [[Republic of Biesel]] following the planet’s forced integration within the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]]. Those that were instead unable to flee have created pockets of resistance against the anti-corporate and secessionist elements that dominate Médeyre, with the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion taking advantage of these “resistance neighbourhoods” in their attempt to reclaim the city. The conflict between the opposing forces continues throughout the days and nights, gunshots and explosions can be frequently heard in each attempt to turn the tides of the battle. Shuttles are commonly seen transporting troops and moving displaced persons to safe regions, however, the Samaritans and Founding Movement have begun retaliating with anti-vehicle munitions forcing many to instead flee either by foot or smuggled by coastal miscreants looking to exploit their vulnerability. Its somewhat close proximity to Fallowed Meadows has allowed it to see frequent influxes of Dionae seeking unique experiences to return back to the Primitive Sirens, with some claiming their continued arrival as a way of silently supporting the Samaritans and Founding Movement, some Dionae even electing to stay are contribute to the efforts of these seditious organisation.

'''Arequipa:''' A mainland city and a self-proclaimed shining jewel of Mictlan, Arequipa houses the national museum, the governing body of Mictlan, and one of the few space yards on Mictlan capable of holding a Zhukov-class carrier. Arequipa isn’t constructed as a traditional city, instead being a collection of large towers called “Canopies”, which are interconnected through a series of sound-proof glass tunnels. This allows the fauna beneath these cities to travel undisturbed while the many white-collar and tourist citizens are graced with a day-to-day view of these beasts. This of course comes at the cost of transportation as the only way around is hyper-elevators and self-driving trams. Arequipa is often called the “cultural heart” of Mictlan, with a large number of white-collar workers, artists, singers, and dancers present to entertain the visiting tourists. The general population would regard this as a blatant farce, as the “Mictlani experience” one gets at Arequipa is about as authentic as the glass walls of their towers. The culture in Arequipa is packaged and presented in a safe and easily digestible way, not to scare away the shareholders and companies. Still, even a well-presented and well-oiled machine needs workers to maintain it, and the closest one gets to Mictlani culture inside of Arequipa is when visiting the slums situated in the maintenance tunnels and worker apartments of the Canopies

'''Nueva Tenochtitlan:''' Similarly to its predecessor, Nueva Tenochtitlan finds itself sprawled over an island – and the surrounding shallow waters on artificial floating canopies – nestled within the largest lake on the continent, Huehuecóyotl. Rooted within a colonial outpost settled by Mexicans, Neuva Tenochtitlan is considered Mictlan’s breadbasket, responsible for a significant portion of the planet’s agricultural production, enough to secure it a massive shuttle port within the centre of the city. The majority of the city’s architecture gives homage to Aztec designs, with a twist of older Solarian designs – most notably observed within Lago de Abundancia and other settlements existing since the planet’s colonisation. With the inclusion of Mictlan within the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], Getmore! has taken an interest in developing a foothold within the city, having already begun to purchase facilities that found themselves conveniently going under thanks to the megacorporate sanctions placed on Mictlani following the Insurrection Crisis. Dissimilar to other cities, Nueva Tenochtitlan has gone without significant megacorporate influence, where their introduction has disrupted the lives of many Tecnochtitlans.

'''Lago de Abundancia:''' A coastal city that was built with older earth architecture in mind during the early years of settlement. Its presence was never very well established as it mostly existed for agricultural reasons, however, in 2412 Idris invested heavily into Lago de Abundancia, transforming it into a proper competitor of Arequipa. Lago de Abundancia is now the second biggest tourist haven on the planet, promising wide beaches, big waves, and warm waters. Lago de Abundancia boasts the Spur's biggest and most diverse aquarium in the form of an entertainment park dubbed, Ocean Planet™.

The people of Lago de Abundancia hold themselves in high regard, being proud of their achievement to turn their small coastal town into a bustling metropolis with a skyrocketing economy but these boasts hide a very insidious truth, that Lago de Abundancia has an issue with crime. Idris' refusal to boost the funding for public police while handling all security privately has led to the outside communities of farmers and workers being harassed daily by large criminal organizations and loan sharks. It is also the central operating area of the Founding Movement.

As a result of the Insurrection Crisis of 2464, Lago de Abundancia became a warzone that resulted in the widespread destruction that turned city blocks into rubble. The [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]], alongside the [[Private Military Contracting Group]] and the Mictlan Defense Force, engaged in both the Founding Movement and the Samaritans as they attempted to retake Lago de Abundancia. Ultimately, they succeeded, but neighbourhoods found themselves smouldering piles of debris and many were forced from their homes as they were evacuated by the corporate military forces. Following the Insurrection Crisis, a combination of Legionnaires and contractors from [[Hephaestus Industries]], remain within the city and assist in rebuilding it to its former glory.

== Notable People ==

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=== Ladislao de Santos ===

'''Prime Minister of Mictlan'''

''Birthdate: May 18th, 2418''

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Prime Minister Ladislao de Santos is considered by many to be a rather charismatic individual, who won the election for Prime Minister of Mictlan in early 2462 by the will of the people, and the power of his moustache. His primary campaigning point being that of standing against the Solarian Alliance, and putting Mictlan first, was popular among those and the planet - and is the likely reason why he won the election in a landslide. However, with the collapse of the [[Sol Alliance| Solarian Alliance]], and independence becoming a possibility, Prime Minister Ladislao de Santos has been accused of having shirked the promise to his people, and instead opted to allow the [[Republic of Biesel]] to claim [[Mictlan]] and allow the proliferation of megacorporations across Mictlan. Many have protested against the decision, with some even taking arms against it and fighting for their freedom.

To most, Prime Minister Ladislao de Santos was meant to be the people’s Prime Minister, a politician that had a bleeding heart for the people of Mictlan. His speeches, even today, are filled with compassionate remarks and often incur sympathy within the minds of those listening. With protests flaring up over his recent decisions regarding the governing of Mictlan across the major population centres, those who stand against him have begun referring to him as the true antagonist against the freedom of his planet, allowing [[Mictlan]] to be exploited to line his own pockets. Despite these claims, Ladislao de Santos has asserted that a strong Mictlan can only exist with the help of the [[Republic of Biesel]] and the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] - especially in the face of the phoron scarcity and the [[Human Wildlands| Solarian Warlords]].
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=== Xiomara Salvo ===

''Birthdate: March 14th, 2419''

''‘For more than twenty years I’ve kept myself going with the belief I served my planet. I’ve done things I regret, seen things nobody should remember, and I told myself it was all for a good cause. I should have come to the conclusion long ago; we do not fight for our planet, or our people, we fight for whoever is oppressing us, and our oppressors reward those who do so well.’''
- First Sergeant Xiomara Salvo addressing her company after their officer had gone to meet members of the TCFL after the establishment of the Peacekeeper Mandate.

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[[File:Xiomara Salvo.png|thumb|A photograph of Salvo, circa 2464.]]

Despite remaining in hiding, Xiomara Salvo has become a well-known face across Mictlan. Born in the city of Saladas, she grew up shuttled from foster home to foster home after the death of her mother (her father, on her birth records, is listed as an unknown). At the age of eighteen, she enlisted in the Mictlan Defense Force, reaching the rank of first sergeant after several years of distinguished service. Considered an exemplary NCO, commentary from squadmates and her commanding officers claimed her to be a strong-willed, yet charismatic and courteous individual who led her own squad of enlisted in a manner described as “familial”. MDF records prior to the Peacekeeper Mandate, which have since been redacted, show that Salvo received a “Golden Cross” medal for personal heroism, after she risked life and limb in a disaster relief operation carrying two paraplegic hospital patients to safety after a flood in Caxacoatl. One MDF lieutenant described her as a “human can-opener”, and she was often stationed on military bases that her superiors believed required stronger discipline.
In contrast to her exemplary record, Salvo had begun to become disillusioned with Mictlan's government, and the Solarian Alliance. Shortly prior to the Collapse, she anonymously published via a variety magazine an edited collection of diaries and poetry, titled The Windmill Crusader. In the book, Salvo recounted witnessing corruption and bribery, the mire of bureaucracy, and the suffering that poverty and mismanagement inflicted on the Mictlani people. After she rose to prominence as the commander of the Samaritans, The Windmill Crusader was revealed to be her work and officially published, where it soared in popularity. The book itself was banned by the Peacekeeper Mandate, but this did not stop its circulation.

By 2462, Salvo had become something of a revered, and even slightly feared, figure among the enlisted in the Defense Force. Her forceful personality and willingness to stand up to high command decisions made her a celebrity among the enlisted not only under her command, but across the MDF. During the Solarian Collapse, the MDF found itself suddenly cut off from Alliance support, and pay and supplies rapidly dwindled. Lower-ranked enlisted began to struggle to feed themselves, and medical supplies that the MDF used to treat victims of disasters and their own troops ran so low that some army hospitals had to resort to using sugary drinks as an intravenous rehydration solution.

In her later writings, which were published in late 2464, Salvo claims she began to question the government’s motivations and her purpose as a soldier during the months between the Solarian retreat. Her company was usually assigned to protect corporate property or the neighborhoods of the wealthy, rather than offering aid to the less fortunate. But as Mictlan began to establish itself as a trade partner apart from Sol, and when it looked like the worst ripple effects of the Collapse might be over, the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion touched down on the surface. To the shock of many, Mictlan was absorbed into the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, and megacorporate influence began to assert itself over the Republic of Biesel’s newfound colony.

During negotiations between the MDF and the TCFL, Salvo made a statement; exposing her belief that the armed forces should not serve yet another oppressor, but work towards the liberation and protection of the planet and its people. While desertions had been rampant the past months,hearing the legendary Xiomara Salvo openly decry the chains of command sent shockwaves through the company. As she departed the MDF, first her squad, then hundreds, then thousands of enlisted and officers alike began to desert en masse. Entire bases were looted of weapons, supplies, and technology as word spread further, leaving the soldiers that aligned themselves with the planetary government still to join the TCFL.

In her writings Salvo had always reserved light scorn for commissioned officers, generally ascribing stereotypes of rich busybodies or clueless bureaucrats to them. But as she established her movement on the continent of Huitzilopochtli, the consensus to name her as general of the newly-christened Samaritans was clear.

With the Peacekeeper Mandate now over, with Salvo instrumental in signing a peace deal, she has retired to a quiet life in Caxamalca as a community organiser, having expressed no desire to re-enter the public eye, despite her status as a national hero for some.

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=== Isabel Alvarez ===

''Birthdate: April 19th, 2419''

''‘You extremists look at her and see someone spineless. I will tell you right now, she has more will and spine than any of you. To not strike back in the face of atrocity is the hardest thing of all.’''
- An unknown supporter of Isabel Alvarez’ within the Founding Movement.

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Isabel Alvarez was born to Joao Silva, a best-selling writer and poet, and Angela Alvarez, a physician previously commissioned in the Mictlan Defense Force. Both of them were activists who rallied others against Mictlan as a Solarian state. While their activities were non-violent, centered mainly around organization, peaceful protests, and promoting political candidates who also supported Mictlan’s independence, they nonetheless caught the attention of Solarian authorities on the planet. When Alvarez was nineteen, Silva was killed in an abrupt car crash which Alvarez would later loudly speculate was a reaction to a recent pro-independence rally he headed, with turnout reaching thousands of citizens.

The incident pushed Alvarez into furious action, and she worked towards a degree in political sciences while gathering a group of like-minded Solarian dissidents in university. She and her group of friends would become the Founding Movement (or Movimiento Fundación), named after the original government that had wrested control of Mictlan away from the tyrannical Captain Tlaloc. After Alvarez’s graduation, the Founding Movement was later officially established as a left-wing party promoting Mictlan’s cultural diversity and multi-species population, and most notably, its independence from Sol.

The party grew to have a notable presence in the planet’s parliament, but did not grow to outsize proportions owing to the population’s general contentment with the relatively loose grip that Sol had on the Middle Ring, and among some, a dislike for the pan-speciesism that the party held claim to. Alvarez herself would drift in and out of the party’s leadership, generally sharing the position with her compatriots from her school days; Leon de Rosas, Corazon Santanas, and Miguel Maia.

The party suddenly rocketed to prominence in 2462 after the collapse of the Alliance. Chaos had come to the Wildlands, and in the midst of it all the Founding Movement campaigned harder than ever, hoping to gain some semblance of control in the aftermath of Solarian retreat.

Then came the Peacekeeper Mandate, and Mictlan’s absorption into the Corporate Reconstruction Zone. Alvarez unsuccessfully railed against Laslo de Santos’ acceptance of Biesellite rule, with the Founding Movement attempting to rally against corporate projects on the planet’s surface. In the meantime, association or voting with the Founding Movement could quickly get a citizen blacklisted from megacorporate employment, particularly with NanoTrasen. With rising costs of living, more Mictlani than ever were choosing to go gently and be employed with the megacorporations, remaining on the planet to become citizens of the Republic of Biesel.

Despite Alvarez’s disavowment of violence, the movement she heads has been branded as a terrorist organization by the Republic of Biesel, due to riots and protests where the symbol of the Founding Movement is displayed. As a result, Alvarez has entered hiding, having become one of the top targets for Biesel and the Corporate Special Action Groups. She has evaded Biesel/Corporate Intelligence services many times, her location constantly changing.

Alvarez has not forgotten her roots as an organizer, and now continues to rely on speeches posted on social media and desperate attempts at political pressure to limit mega corporate influence on her beloved planet. Her status as a wanted terrorist leader has meant these attempts have gone ignored by those still in Mictlan’s parliament and the wider media; despite her many condemnations of those who use violence under the Founding Movement’s banner, these sentiments have not been quoted or mentioned in the media outside of those organizations who lean heavily anti-corporate.

Causing further friction, suspicions have arisen that Alvarez is closer with the dissidents than she lets on. Xiomara Salvo was publically supportive of Alvarez’s political campaign prior to her dishonorable discharge, which has not gone unnoticed by Tau Ceti media. It remains to be seen whether Alvarez’s efforts will prove beneficial, or even effective in the long-term.
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[[Category:Pages]]
[[Category:Planets_and_Systems]]
[[Category:Humanity]]

Caprice

2026-07-23T19:03:45Z

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{{Infobox Planet
|Name = The Governorate of Caprice
|System = [[Tau Ceti]]
|Image = Caprice_planet.png
|Sector = [[Tau Ceti]]
|Capital = New Sedantis
|Species = [[Vaurca|Vaurcae]], [[IPC|IPCs]], [[Dionae]]
|Languages = [[Languages|Hivenet, Tau Ceti Basic]]
|Demonyms = Caprician
|Nation = [[Republic of Biesel]]
}}

Caprice, officially the '''Governorate of Caprice''', is a scorching-hot, volcanic planet in [[Tau Ceti]] that serves as the de facto capital of the [[Vaurca Hives#Zo'ra|Zo'ra Hive]] in the [[Orion Spur]]. Its status within the '''Republic of Biesel'''—who own and govern the planet—is an ongoing cause of much political debate. At the heart of Caprice lies '''New Sedantis''', the planet's most important city, serving as a nexus of political intrigue and cultural dynamism. In recent years, New Sedantis has experienced a significant surge in growth, especially following the establishment of the [[Vaurca Organizations#Court of Queens|Court of Queens]]—an enduring political assembly tasked with overseeing inter-Hive affairs.
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== History ==
After the establishment of the Biesel colony in 2147, planets within the Tau Ceti star system were scouted for potential additional colonies. Despite the diligent efforts of Biesel colonizers throughout the 2100s, only the planet's moon, [[Valkyrie]], and the neighboring [[New Gibson]] proved suitable for permanent settlements. Other planets within the system have hosted temporary scientific outposts over the centuries, with intensified efforts following the Republic of Biesel's independence from the [[Sol Alliance]] in 2452.

Caprice, the first planet in the system, was largely neglected by human surveyors who deemed it too inhospitable. The sole attempt to establish a scientific outpost on Caprice was short-lived, lasting only three months in 2430. In 2453, the fledgling Republic of Biesel intended to mount a second manned mission to study the planet. Nevertheless, this mission never came to fruition.

Following the [[Vaurca History#The First Contact With Humanity|Vaurca's first contact with humanity]] in 2456, the Republic of Biesel received the Zo'ra Hive as refugees. Nonetheless, some human authorities feared a potential Vaurca invasion or uprising, especially from the [[Zoleth, The Herald of Scars|Zoleth brood]], renowned for their warrior prowess within the Zo'ra Hive. Given Biesel's lack of its own military force, Zoleth and her underlings were perceived as a significant threat. For this reason, the brood was resettled on the inhospitable planet Caprice, with the hope that the harsh conditions would discourage them from establishing a permanent presence within the system.

Unbeknownst to the Biesellite authorities, the environmental conditions on Caprice bore some resemblance to those of [[Sedantis I|Sedantis]], the Vaurca's home planet. Moreover, humans remained unaware of the intricate cave systems beneath Caprice's surface—systems that the Vaurcae were adept at navigating and utilizing for construction purposes. Queen Zoleth envisioned establishing a sizable colony of stone, flesh, and steel deep underground, a feat impossible for the other broods to accomplish in their designated regions.

The earliest attempts of a Caprician colony started in 2457, with the construction of Dis and Jas'fiik. Serious construction efforts began in 2459. Initially, the project was exclusive to the Zoleth brood. However, [[Vaur, The Liminal Queen|High Queen Vaur's]] recognition of Caprice's potential for a permanent colony led to the involvement of all Zo'rane broods by 2460. While this cooperation was not illegal, it was discouraged by the Republic of Biesel, which had strategically separated most broods. Consequently, most of Caprice's construction was conducted in secrecy, with many materials smuggled onto the planet.

In 2461, the construction of Caprice was no longer a secret. To address the centralization of Vaurcae on Caprice and better manage the expanding colony, the Congress of Biesel redefined the planet's status. Caprice was declared a "natural extension" of the territory granted by the Republic of Biesel and designated an overseas province of the Biesel planet. This bestowed upon Caprice the special status of a governorate, with '''Sarah Loveridge''' appointed as governor-general by Congress rather than through democratic elections.

Despite efforts to hinder Vaurca colonization, the project continued, primarily focusing on constructing a lavish capital city, New Sedantis. The newly appointed Caprice administration was powerless to intervene due to the planet's inhospitable conditions for humans. In an unexpected turn of events, the governor-general of Caprice sought assistance from the Zo'ra Hive to construct habitable chambers for herself and her team. Sarah Loveridge was unable to establish her offices in Caprice until late 2462, when the construction of the New Sedantis was almost complete.

[[Notable Humans#President Joseph Dorn|President Joseph Dorn]] vetoed two bills that aimed to increase the powers of the Governorate of Caprice. Despite this, Dorn demonstrated strong support for the Zo'rane presence on Caprice by easing restrictions on Vaurca movement within the Tau Ceti system and facilitating the import of construction materials. He also authorized the relocation of the Titan Prime, the Zo'rane Hiveship, from [[Valkyrie]] to Caprice before the official inauguration of the colony.

The inauguration of New Sedantis, the capital of Caprice, occurred in late 2463. While officially marking the establishment of the Governorate of Caprice's administration, the event was largely overshadowed by the Zo'ra presence, with many media outlets referring to it as the new "Zo'rane capital." The establishment of the Vaurcaesian Court of Queens shortly after further challenged the Governorate's authority, with some critics viewing it as a parallel government. However, the Vaurca Queens maintain that it serves as a civilian assembly.

In recent years, the Governorate of Caprice has struggled to maintain its footing. With a mostly Vaurca population and support from the executive branch, the colony's administration has had to heavily rely on Congress to further its interests.

== Environment ==
[[File:Caprice2.png|thumb|A surface map of the planet Caprice.]]
Caprice is characterized by extreme surface conditions, with an average temperature of 340 degrees Celsius and widespread volcanic activity. The surface is largely devoid of infrastructure and dominated by numerous lava lakes. Due to these harsh conditions, all settlements on Caprice are located underground.

Caprice possesses extensive cave systems formed by volcanic activity. These were used by the Zo'ra Hive for construction and to connect major settlements. The tunnels provide a more habitable environment with an average temperature of 22 degrees Celsius. While oxygen naturally flows into the caves, settlements like New Sedantis employ atmospheric systems to ensure a consistent supply for humans living or visiting the colony.

While Caprice experiences significant seismic activity, Vaurcae are well-equipped to handle such conditions. This is mostly due to their experience on Sedantis and their use of their trademark alloy, [[Sedantis I#Environment|quakesteel]], in construction. Compared to Sedantis, Caprice is considered seismically calmer, with less frequent cave-ins and a lower risk of flooding due to the scarcity of subterranean lakes. Additionally, the Vaurca's expertise in managing volcanic activity allows them to mitigate any potential threats posed by lava flows.

== Economy ==
Despite the challenging conditions on the planet's surface, both the Zo'ra Hive and the Governorate of Caprice have strived to transform the young colony into an attractive destination for tourists, investors, and workers. The success of these efforts has varied, with some ventures proving more vital to the planet's development than others.

Since 2456, Caprice has undergone extensive mining and transformation underground. Initially, mining operations were necessary to create space and construct underground settlements. Today, mining remains one of Caprice's leading industries. In 2464, the Governorate of Caprice granted the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] exclusive mining rights on Caprice, thereby requiring all Zo'rane operations to be conducted under SCC supervision. Although the Zo'ra Hive has attempted to turn this arrangement to its advantage by securing a share of the profits, the decision has predominantly benefited the Governorate. Despite the significance of Caprice's mining industry, it does not compare to the scale of the K'lax mining operations on [[Tret]].

The capital city of Caprice, New Sedantis, has developed into a multicultural and political hub, primarily catering to human visitors and diplomats. This evolution has also transformed New Sedantis into a tourist destination, featuring attractions such as museums, traditional spas, and other Vaurca facilities adapted for human enjoyment. Caprice boasts a thriving hospitality industry. While New Sedantis is renowned for its unique hotels and thermal baths, the city of Jas'fik has gained a reputation as a casino city, where gambling is widespread. These businesses are operated by the Zo'ra Hive. Despite the Governorate of Caprice's efforts to regulate these industries, tax breaks remain in place.

As the headquarters for the [[Ve'katak Phalanx]], Caprice has become renowned for its security industry. Although most of its private military contractors operate outside of Caprice, New Sedantis is the center for risk management operations. The Ve'katak Phalanx has two primary clients—the [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]—which actively seek its services for risk and opportunity management executive seminars, as well as logistics for internal audits.

The Governorate of Caprice has recognized risk management as a crucial industry, leading to the establishment of the '''Biesellite Bureau of Standards''' (BBS) in the city of As'dak'ii. The BBS aims to address the need for industry standards following the Solarian collapse, particularly ensuring consistent quality across the various industries operated by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. This comprehensive evaluation of quality standards involves extensive research across many fields, ensuring product consistency throughout the Orion Spur. The Biesellite Bureau of Standards is unique in that, while it was established by the Governorate of Caprice, it operates with minimal public funding and is primarily privately owned, with the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate serving as its largest shareholder.

== Politics and Government ==
The Republic of Biesel declared its independence from the Sol Alliance in 2452, claiming the entire Tau Ceti system as its territory in its constitution. In 2461, concerns about an organized Vaurca colony arose within the Biesellite Congress, particularly after the establishment of the military base on Dis. Consequently, Congress incorporated Caprice into its constitutional framework, establishing it as the Governorate of Caprice.

The Governorate of Caprice is a special-status colony within the Republic of Biesel. Unlike other planetary members, Caprice lacks autonomy and is directly supervised by the Republic, designated as an "overseas province" of the planet Biesel. The Governorate is led by a governor-general, an appointed position not subject to democratic election.

Since its establishment, the Governorate of Caprice has been embroiled in several controversies. Due to its rushed organization, the powers of the Governorate are limited, primarily serving to counteract the political influence of the Zo'ra Hive over the territory. Congress has proposed several bills, including attempts to disenfranchise citizens of Caprice, all of which have been vetoed by President Joseph Dorn.

The Governorate is composed of a governor-general and fifteen council members, all appointed by the governor-general. In 2465, a legal amendment allowed the inclusion of a Zo'rane liaison in addition to the fifteen council members and transferred the authority to appoint the governor-general from Congress to the President of Biesel. The governor-general has no term limits but is typically expected to change with each new administration of Biesel. The current governor-general of Caprice is Sarah Loveridge.

The governor-general also has the faculty to elect a mayor for each of the incorporated places. The Governorate's council can veto the governor-general's choice, but otherwise they cannot suggest names of their own. Currently, only two large settlements are incorporated: New Sedantis and Jas'fiik. As with the governor-general, the mayors of Caprice have no term limits.

Despite the best efforts made by the Governorate of Caprice, Zo'rane influence remains significant. The Court of Queens, which presents itself as a civil society organization, wields substantial power over the planet's politics, corporations such as the Ve'katak Phalanx, and even other Vaurca Hives. Critics have described it as a parallel government or a coupist movement. The Court of Queens has endeavored to maintain the delicate balance of power in Caprice, cognizant that any increase in the Governorate's authority could potentially curtail their own influence.

== Culture and Demographics ==
Caprice is predominantly inhabited by Vaurcae, especially those from the Zo'ra Hive. Vaurcae from other Hives residing in Caprice are either specialists and extremely rare, or they are part of the embassies sent by the K'lax and C'thur Hives. It is estimated that the majority of Zo'rane hive-cells, except those of the [[Xakt, Queen of Corpses|Xakt]] and [[Athvur, The New Goddess|Athvur]] broods, now primarily reside in Caprice.

[[Queenless]] Vaurcae are prohibited from residing in Caprice, a policy promoted by the Court of Queens rather than enforced by the Governorate. The Queenless or Punished who visit Caprice for bureaucratic reasons are closely supervised. Additionally, the Zo'ra Hive established methods to suppress Queenless settlements. Advanced bioforms, designed to detect the scent of the Queenless, are stationed throughout the residential areas of New Sedantis to prevent their entry.

Other species, particularly human members of the Ve'katak Phalanx, may reside on Caprice. The Court of Queens actively promotes Caprice during training periods, sometimes even mandating travel to the planet for Phalanx members. This strategy has been moderately effective, with some Phalanx members now living in Caprice year-round.

=== Synthetics on Caprice ===
Another significant and growing demographic on Caprice is the IPCs. In response to the dominant presence of the Zo'ra Hive, the Governorate of Caprice has sought to diversify the population. Although the Zo'ra Hive has made efforts to render the cities of New Sedantis and Jas'fiik hospitable to human populations, they have not been successful in attracting permanent human residents. Furthermore, seismic activity outside designated safe areas continues to pose a substantial hazard.

To address these challenges, the Governorate has initiated the '''Synthetic Colonization Program''' to attract IPCs to the planet, particularly focusing on the city of As'dak'ii. IPCs in As'dak'ii are generally employed by the Biesellite Bureau of Standards, holding positions that range from manufacturers to researchers and foremen. While the program is open to all free synthetics, it is predominantly utilized by Biesellite free IPCs, especially those struggling to find employment elsewhere.

Many free IPCs relocating to Caprice have been granted parcels of land in their name. However, the desirability of these plots varies considerably. Some IPCs have successfully established homes, while many others have been assigned land in undeveloped and inaccessible regions. Despite these challenges, numerous IPCs remain optimistic, working on the planet with the hope of eventually developing and accessing their allotted land.

Despite the apparent colonization of their territory, the Vaurca do not harbor any animosity towards the IPC population. Surprisingly, Vaurcae have extended a gesture of inclusivity by offering IPCs representation in the Assembly of Residents—an organization functioning similarly to a city council but operated by the Court of Queens. The Governorate has attempted to establish offices for local affairs in Caprice, but legislative progress has lagged, resulting in the Vaurcae continuing to operate in a legal gray area. Despite efforts by both the Governorate and the Zo'ra Hive to influence the IPC population, most synthetics remain in areas with few Vaurcae. For example, only a small number of IPCs reside in New Sedantis.

In addition to the economic opportunities, some IPCs appreciate living in Caprice because it allows them to live freely with minimal human interaction, fostering a unique community. IPCs in Caprice benefit from the Vaurcae's more relaxed attitude towards synthetics, with most residents considering them as equals. Although this development was likely unanticipated by the Governorate of Caprice, the local government has recognized and embraced this perspective, promoting the planet to other IPCs with the slogan: "Let your gears loose."

=== Dionae on Caprice ===
The Dionae constitute a notable minority within the population of Caprice, primarily originating from the [[Vaurcae & Dionae#Pests of Titan Prime|Titan Prime cluster]]. Their former site, Gii'x'ic, within Titan Prime has been repurposed as a museum following the decommissioning of the ship. Despite this, some Dionae continue to be part of the exhibit. Most Dionae who previously resided in Gii'x'ic have relocated to As'dak'ii, a city promised by the Zo'ra as a new home to be co-managed by both species. This transition is intended to symbolize a fresh start and an expanded relationship between the Dionae of Titan Prime and the Zo'ra.

Currently, the Dionae from the Titan Prime strain are primarily focused on the development of As'dak'ii, including its construction, logistics, and public infrastructure management. With the Zo'ra shifting their focus away from As'dak'ii, the Dionae living there now collaborate with the recently arrived IPCs who also consider Caprice their home. Dionae have played a crucial role in the establishment of the Biesellite Bureau of Standards, where they predominantly serve as engineers, ensuring the consistency of reference materials from steel to advanced alloys.

The quality of life for Dionae in Caprice is relatively satisfactory. Given that many of these Dionae were actively hunted by Vaurcae patrols during the Exodus, the moderate stability and peace of living in As'dak'ii are seen as a significant improvement. However, when compared to other clusters across the Spur, the conditions for Dionae in Caprice are not the most favorable. They are primarily constrained by As'dak'ii's inadequate infrastructure and limited career opportunities compared to other clusters in Tau Ceti.

As Dionae cannot learn from Vaurca blood and cannot draw blood from IPCs, Caprician gestalts are mostly used to learn by mimicry and deep observation. This trait is usually carried around when the Dionae are far away. To them, drawing blood for memories is mostly a foreign concept.

== New Sedantis ==
New Sedantis is the capital and most significant city of Caprice. Widely regarded as synonymous with Hive power in the Orion Spur, it serves as a political nexus and a major point of contention between the Governorate and the Court of Queens. The city is constructed following the Hivehold urban philosophy of ancient Sedantis, resulting in a structure that extends beyond a single city into multiple districts clustered together. Despite this expansive layout, New Sedantis can be broadly divided into two areas: the upper area, frequented by tourists and diplomats, and the lower area, which consists mainly of residential zones. The current mayor of New Sedantis is Melanie Dorn, niece of Joseph Dorn.

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=== Upper Area ===
The Upper Area of New Sedantis is widely regarded as the vibrant core of Caprice. It is widely considered as a civic center, primarily designed to captivate tourists and diplomats. The space harmoniously blends contemporary aesthetics with elements of traditional Vaurca architecture. This district is distinguished by its immaculate appearance, a result of the Zo'ra Hive's extensive efforts to conceal any technological aspects that might be unsettling to humans, such as their use of [[Sedantis I#Rux'zkera - Sanguilithum|sanguilithium]] to connect their biotechnology. Additionally, the Upper Area of Caprice is equipped with advanced air filtration systems, ensuring that human inhabitants can breathe comfortably without the need for specialized equipment.

The following is a list of some of the most notable locations in the Upper Area of New Sedantis. Besides the mentioned areas, the Upper Area of Sedantis is also notable for its spas, workshops in traditional Vaurca culture, museums, as well as high-end restaurants for human visitors.
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==== Court of Queens' Chambers ====
''See also: [[Vaurca Organizations#Court of Queens|Court of Queens]].''

The chambers of the Court of Queens in New Sedantis are the most notable landmark of the Upper Area and the planet as a whole. The building is modeled after the traditional chambers of the ancient Court of Queens in the [[Sedantis I|Xtykt'lotec Rift|Xtykt'lotec Rift]], incorporating motifs of neoclassical architecture. The chambers were partially built with the marble and quartz from the first Court of Queens before its destruction at the start of the Great Hive War. Some areas, like the atrium, are permanently open to the public for tourists, while the council reunites in areas only accessible to the Hives and human overseers.

==== Tau Ceti Armed Forces Square ====
Tau Ceti Armed Forces Square is a prominent city square located in New Sedantis. It encompasses approximately 230 acres, serving mainly as an underground urban park. The square is distinguished by multiple sculptures, including a central monument dedicated to the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]]. Another significant landmark within the square is a relief commemorating the [[The Great Hive War|Lii'dramachy]], which features a visual and tactile timeline of events. Other additional notable art pieces include traditional Vaurca cairns and sand sculptures.

The square also houses the National Museum of Ballistics and the Queen Athvur's National Museum Art Center. Visitors can enjoy various amenities, including kiosks, amusement rides, and benches. The park area within the square features a diverse collection of plants sourced from various planets, including old Sedantis. The New Sedantis bus system provides convenient access with three stops located within the square.

The Tau Ceti Armed Forces Square is also notable for its large glass dome, which appears to source sunlight. However, the heavy ash and smoke from volcanic activity on Caprice's surface prevent the sun from shining through. Consequently, the dome's light is artificial, though it follows the planet's day-night cycle. The dome in New Sedantis was copied by the K'lax Hive when constructing [[Tret#Ksyne'kizar/Kizar's Crater (Hazard Rating 0)|Kysne'kizar]], the capital of Tret. The ceiling above Tret's original exploring probe features a similar effect with artificial lighting.

==== The Governorate Hall ====
The Governorate Hall is the seat of government for the Governorate of Caprice. The building is sometimes referred to as the Governorate Complex, as it also houses the offices of the New Sedantis city hall. The Governorate Hall is a brutalist structure, contrasting sharply with the more classical human and Vaurcaesian architecture found in the rest of the Upper Area. Additionally, the Governorate Hall is dwarfed by the Court of Queens' Chambers, which remains the more prominent building.

==== The Basilica of Justice ====
The Basilica of Justice is the courthouse of New Sedantis. Similar to other grandiose buildings in the city, it combines elements of traditional Vaurca architecture with human architectural styles. The Basilica is notable for its adorned Corinthian columns in a Beaux-Arts style. However, the interior is radically different, styled after a traditional Vaurcaesian court. Originally, the building was planned to help settle disputes among Vaurcae members of the Court of Queens, but these efforts were consistently blocked by the Governorate of Caprice. Finally, in 2465, the Governorate acquired the building, using it primarily as the seat of legislative power. However, much of the Basilica remains unused, as the legislative body of the Governorate is understaffed.

==== Palace of Freedom Arena ====
The Palace of Freedom, officially known as the Palace of Freedom for All Sapients in the Republic of Biesel, is an arena and convention center in New Sedantis. Maintaining the unique architectural style of New Sedantis, the interior of the arena resembles an amphitheater with modern accommodations. The Palace of Freedom became notable in 2466 as the location where Joseph Dorn announced his candidacy for the Biesel elections, with High Queen Vaur as his choice for Vice President. The venue is currently seeking a sponsor to accommodate sports events and concerts year-round.

==== Altar of Queens ====
The Altar of Queens is a large temple complex in New Sedantis, heavily inspired by the ancient [[Sedantis I|Ta'raii'xkiit - The Empress' Reach|Ta'raii'xkiit]]. It serves as the primary place of worship for the [[Vaurca Religion#Modern Pantheon|Modern Pantheon]] in the Orion Spur. The structure is open to the public and doubles as a tourist attraction, trying to interest human visitors on the history of the Vaurca Queens and their religious importance.

==== Getmore Hypermarket ====
The [[NanoTrasen Corporation#Getmore|Getmore]] Hypermarket in New Sedantis is a megastore operated primarily for the benefit of human visitors and diplomats. The Getmore Hypermarket is owned by the Getmore Corporation. It is operated by a mixture of human staff as retail workers and Vaurca staff in cargo and maintenance. The Getmore Hypermarket in Caprice has recently gained the attention of various human visitors for its eeriness. As a large facility for only a small part of the population, the Hypermarket has long, empty but stocked corridors, which created a sense of discomfort among social media users. Despite this trend, the Hypermarket still thrives, even among some Vaurca population that seeks human-marketed products such as toothpaste.

==== Up!Burger ====
The Up!Burger in New Sedantis is a fast-food restaurant chain opened in 2466 as an expansion of the Up!Burger franchise. It is the first Up!Burger restaurant in Tau Ceti space. The facility in New Sedantis offers k'ois dishes alongside the conventional menu found in the [[Konyang]] stores. Additionally, the Up!Burger in New Sedantis has a special partnership with Zo'ra Soda, providing branded drinks from a soda fountain. It is the only place in the Orion Spur where the tropical punch flavor Zo'ra Zap is available.

==== Vaurca Office of Administrative Services ====
''For more information, see [[Court of Queens#Vaurca Office of Administrative Services]].''

The Vaurca Office of Administrative Services (VOAS) is the bureaucratic arm of the Court of Queens. Its central offices are located in the Upper Area of New Sedantis. Unlike other facilities in New Sedantis, VOAS is specifically open for Vaurcae, especially [[Queenless]] and [[Queenless#Klat'xatl|Punished]] Vaurcae that have to undergo any bureaucratic process. The central office is notable for its long waiting hours, with the record of ten Worker sleep cycles to be attended while standing in line.

==== Xavier Trasen Medical School in Caprice ====
The Xavier Trasen Medical School in Caprice serves as a dedicated research campus affiliated with the Xavier Trasen Medical School, which is situated in [[Mendell City]]. This institution in Biesel is distinguished by its strong association with the Zo'ra Hive, its publication of the ''Vaurcaesian Research Journal'', and its specialized programs designed to train medical professionals in the care of Vaurca patients.

The Caprice campus primarily focuses on research activities and receives significant funding from the Zo'ra Hive. While it offers a range of advanced medical courses, particularly those involving Vaurca organ surgery, the most sophisticated programs are exclusively available at the New Sedantis campus and not at the Mendell City campus.

==== Empressate Park ====
The Empressate Park is a public park located in New Sedantis. In contrast to the grandiose Tau Ceti Armed Forces Square, the Empressate Park primarily serves as a smaller urban park, inspired by the public areas of Mendell City. It features a large esplanade and is a popular destination for afternoon strolls. Unlike the Tau Ceti Armed Forces Square, the Empressate Park is distinguished by a virtual ceiling that mimics an open sky, creating the illusion of being above ground. The park is named after the Empressate of Sedantis, the formal designation of the Zo'ra Empire, and is notable for its prominent fountain, which features an abstract depiction of Empress Zo'ra and her dominion. Empressate Park is bordered by residential buildings and corporate offices.

==== Alliance Building ====
The Alliance Building is a prominent skyscraper situated adjacent to Empressate Park in New Sedantis. Its design is heavily influenced by the Art Nouveau style, giving it an almost organic appearance. Constructed primarily from Caprician sandstone, basalt, granite, and other natural stones sourced from the planet, the building features multiple protuberances adorned with small windows and numerous setbacks that create a tapered design. The Alliance Building won three design awards after its unveiling in early 2465.

The building is crowned by a large antenna known as [[Hivenet#Caprice|Vaur's Tower]], which serves as a resonance pylon. Vaur's Tower itself is considered an architectural marvel and has become a unique tourist attraction. Vaur's Tower is regarded as the next-generation of Hivenet surveillance, though it requires proprietary NanoTrasen software to be properly decrypted.

The Alliance Building houses the headquarters of the Ve'katak Phalanx. It also extends to underground levels, a large complex of experimental laboratories. The underground levels are where specialized training, including the Neural Simulation Training Environment, takes place. Further information about the program is available [[Virtual Reality#Neural Simulation Training Environment|here]].

==== Gyne Suburbs ====
The Gyne Suburbs, as known colloquially, is an area in the outskirts of New Sedantis. It serves a similar function as the ancient [[Sedantis I#Ta'raii'xkiit - The Empress' Reach|Ta'raii'skerr]]—districts built for the favored hive-cells of Zo'ra. However, the Gyne Suburbs are mostly reserved to Breeders and their personal guards, as well as select Warriors and Workers that have contributed favorably to the Republic of Biesel.

==== Titan Prime/National Museum of Vaurca History and Culture ====
The National Museum of Vaurca History and Culture, previously known as Titan Prime by Biesellite media and Klo'xryek among the Vaurca, is a memorial ship docked on the surface of Sedantis. The ship was docked in Valkyrie until 2463, when it was relocated to Caprice prior to the inauguration of New Sedantis. The museum is housed within the Hiveship used by the Zo'ra Hive during their initial contact with humanity and it remains the best well-preserved Hiveship in the Orion Spur.

Access to the museum is provided via an elevator from the Tau Ceti Armed Forces Square. The museum offers various exhibits detailing Vaurca history and a heavily sanitized depiction of the Hiveship as it appeared during its operational period. As one of New Sedantis' most popular attractions, the museum frequently sells out its tickets, particularly during the summer months.
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=== Lower Area ===
The Lower Area of New Sedantis is the principal residential district of the city, characterized by its dense population and unique cultural traits. This area is strictly off-limits to tourists and is enclosed with advanced mechanisms to prevent any potential phoron or [[k'ois]] spore leaks. The Lower Area is reputed to be the most densely populated district in Caprice, and possibly in the entire Orion Spur. This high population density is a result of the Zo'ra Hive's efforts to limit the expansion of the district, ensuring it does not grow uncontrollably. Consequently, most residents are allocated between one and three square feet of living space, a restriction that is largely tolerated by the Vaurca residents. The limited space has fostered a unique culture, characterized by labyrinthine roads that crisscross the Lower Area.

The Lower Area is heavily guarded by Vaurca Warriors who serve as local law enforcement. Although crime has not been completely eradicated, it is significantly less common here compared to other Vaurca settlements. Residents of the Lower Area generally express a strong sense of affinity for their district and take a keen interest in local issues.

The district is predominantly shrouded in darkness, making it one of the few places in the Orion Spur where Vaurcae have been able to fully adapt to their residential needs without having to conform to human settlement patterns. Despite this, the Lower Area is still heavily influenced by the capitalist economy of the Orion Spur. Small businesses of all kinds operate in close proximity to one another, often in fierce competition. Most of the crime in the Lower Area is related to business owners attempting to sabotage their rivals in this highly competitive environment.

== Dis ==
Dis, officially known as the Tau Ceti Minutemen Corps Base Dis, is an unincorporated region in the Governorate of Caprice. This area serves as both a military base and a training facility, primarily functioning as the main silo for Zo'rane Warforms, including those previously utilized by the former Tau Ceti Foreign Legion. Historically, Dis was a major point of contention between the Zo'ra Hive and the Republic of Biesel, but it is now fully operated by the Tau Ceti Armed Forces.

=== History ===
Dis was one of the original settlements in Caprice, established in 2457. Initially, it served as a stronghold for Zoleth's Warriors, including some Unbound. By 2458, Dis had become the central location for all Zo'rane Warforms, including those from other broods. The discovery of this reallocation led to a diplomatic crisis between the Zo'ra Hive and the Republic of Biesel, with fears surrounding Dis contributing significantly to the creation of the Governorate.

After the establishment of the Governorate, the Biesellite Congress ordered the Zo'ra Hive to cease the mobilization of Warforms to Dis, citing concerns over Biesel's sovereignty. Despite this, Dis remained operational with its existing troops. In 2461, a council member from the Governorate of Caprice was sent to establish a presence in Dis while offices for the Governorate were set up, making Dis the de facto first capital of Caprice, although it was never officially incorporated.

The Governorate continued to limit Dis's operations until late 2462, when the imminent invasion of the [[Human Wildlands#The Solarian Restoration Front|35th Solarian Fleet]] necessitated a shift in focus. President Joseph Dorn requested that the Governorate ease restrictions on Dis and concentrate on relocation efforts to New Sedantis. Consequently, Dis was permitted to allocate the remaining Warforms to the planet, an agreement that greatly benefited the Zo'ra Hive, which maintained control over the base in subsequent years.

For several years, Dis operated in a gray area, functioning as a private base while many units were either leased to or owned by the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion. This ambiguity allowed the Zo'ra to display their military strength. Additionally, Dis was used to train the first generation of Ve'katak Phalanx members, a development not initially agreed upon when the Hive regained control over the base.

In 2465, the newly formed Tau Ceti Armed Forces acquired Dis as a military camp. Although Vaurca operations remain limited, particularly among the Zo'ra's Chosen special forces, the number of humans in Dis has grown exponentially since the acquisition. Today, Dis is favored by the TCAF as a training ground for humans and other species in underground combat and special operations, with a particular emphasis on training [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#Tau Ceti Minutemen|Minutemen]].

== Jas'fiik ==
Jas'fiik is a prominent city in Caprice, notable for its recent transformation into a major resort city and a leading destination in Tau Ceti for gambling tourism. The city's casinos are mainly operated by the Court of Queens and staffed by Vaurcae. For this reason, Jas'fiik has been at the center of tax regulation disputes with the Governorate of Caprice. The current mayor of Jas'fiik is Eddie Martin, a former executive of [[Idris Incorporated#Celestial Cruises|Celestial Cruises]].

=== History ===
Jas'fiik was the first settlement established by Zoleth in Caprice following their relocation to the planet. The city's name is derived from Jas'fiik, a type of Sedantian amber. According to official accounts, Workers mined yellowish sandstone at such a rapid pace that the resulting stones resembled resin. The Queen, inspired by this resemblance, decided to name the settlement after the prized gemstone from ancient Sedantis.

Originally intended to be the primary city in Caprice, Jas'fiik's status changed when High Queen Vaur became involved in the colony. After thorough surveying, the High Queen decided that the capital should be located elsewhere and chose the name New Sedantis. After construction efforts for New Sedantis began in 2460, Jas'fiik remained an important settlement for stationed Workers before they could contribute in the construction efforts.

In 2463, Jas'fiik was mostly abandoned in favor of New Sedantis. However, the Zo'ra Hive soon realized that the existing infrastructure could be repurposed and expanded. The Hive authorities had long envisioned a casino strip in New Sedantis, but the growing intervention of the Governorate greatly limited the expansion of new ventures within New Sedantis. Consequently, the Zo'ra Hive chose to repurpose Jas'fiik as their new gambling destination. The newly developed Jas'fiik opened to the public in May 2464, initially featuring three luxury hotels with fully equipped casinos.

The Governorate of Caprice rapidly acted to regulate Jas'fiik. Their first move was to incorporate the city of Jas'fiik as the second Caprician city. This decision was contested by the Zo'ra Hive, who believed Jas'fiik should remain unincorporated. Governor-general Sarah Loveridge stood firm, asserting that Jas'fiik met the discretionary requirements to become the second incorporated city. Additionally, Loveridge announced that cities within the Governorate were allowed to implement their own taxes and regulations.

The proposed regulations on gambling within Jas'fiik meant that the casino strip would no longer be profitable. However, the two choices for mayor selected by Sarah Loveridge were dismissed by the Governorate's council. As a result, Joseph Dorn intervened, appointing Eddie Martin as mayor. It remains unclear why the council approved of Martin, especially given his ties to the hospitality industry. Since his election, Martin has sided with the Zo'ra, allowing for a tax break in Jas'fiik. However, the Governorate is not pleased with this decision and is constantly seeking to regulate gambling at a provincial level.

Jas'fiik remains a relatively young tourist destination, with megacorporations still unable to develop in the area. While the Zo'ra Hive remains open to external investors on the planet, the Governorate has limited opportunities for megacorporations to operate on the planet, particularly in Jas'fiik. Nonetheless, Jas'fiik has thrived as a casino destination. Although not as high-end as initially envisioned, the casinos of Jas'fiik stand a great reputation as entertainment venues.

== As'dak'ii ==
As'dak'ii, often translated as "Promised Land," is an unincorporated city located in Caprice. Originally, the city was allocated to the Dionae residents of Gii'x'ic within the Titan Prime. The Zo'ra Hive had assured the Titan Prime cluster that they would not interfere with the development of As'dak'ii. Despite this promise, As'dak'ii has become a strategic focal point for the Governorate of Caprice, aiming to reduce the Vaurca majority on the planet. Consequently, in late 2464, IPCs were introduced to the city through the Synthetic Colonization Program.

The introduction of IPCs has not been universally accepted among the As'dak'ii gestalts. However, the Dionae of Caprice, having experienced persecution in the past, recognize the importance of avoiding blind rage and animosity towards the IPCs. As a result, the gestalts largely cooperate with the IPC population, particularly in the construction of new infrastructure.

Vaurcae have refused to invest in As'dak'ii, asserting that the territory was granted to the Dionae. This stance, however, only became heavily enforced after the Governorate sought assistance from the Zo'ra Hive for infrastructure development. As'dak'ii's residents have adapted to their limited resources, becoming homesteaders in a harsh environment where conventional food is unnecessary. Energy is the most valuable resource in As'dak'ii, with both IPCs and Dionae struggling to generate sufficient electricity and radiation for survival. Consequently, the least privileged inhabitants often remain nearly motionless for long periods to conserve energy.

Despite its challenges, As'dak'ii is a unique and evolving city within Caprice. The settlements are frugal and irregular, sometimes appearing improvised. For outsiders, As'dak'ii may seem enigmatic, a perception the Governorate continually strives to change. Nevertheless, despite its hopes that As'dak'ii will eventually rival New Sedantis in importance, the Governorate is wary of entering the Promised Land, knowing that the human members of its council would not endure the harsh conditions.

On the outskirts of As'dak'ii lies the Biesellite Bureau of Standards (BBS), the only area with proper infrastructure and accessible to humans. To those acquainted with As'dak'ii's inner city, the industrial park housing the BBS stands in stark contrast to the rest of the city. Some of the more fortunate residents of As'dak'ii are employed at the BBS and reside either in the facilities or nearby. The regulation industry has become highly profitable for the Governorate, who also wishes to reward its most valuable workers with better conditions. The success of the Biesellite Bureau of Standards was unexpected, with regulation of industry materials becoming one of the few profitable businesses independent from the Zo'ra Hive.

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Reade

2026-07-23T19:03:29Z

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Formally settled in 2285, the gas giant '''Reade''' remains one of the younger colonised bodies within the [[Tau Ceti]]. The planet is known for its military industry and R&D, its enormous gas extraction operations of fusion reactants and phoron, and its [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#Republic_Astroforce|Republic Astroforce]] military and [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] company towns.

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{{Infobox Planet
|Name = Reade
|System = [[Tau Ceti]]
|Image = Reade.png
|Sector = Tau Ceti
|Capital = Beacon
|Species = Human
|Languages = Tau Ceti Basic, Solarian Common
|Demonyms = <br>
* Readic (Beacon, [[Republic of Biesel]])
* Readite (Thyella)
* Readian (Anemonstrovilos, [[Sol Alliance]])
|Nation = [[Republic of Biesel]]
|Former = [[Sol Alliance]]
}}
== Environment ==
=== Planetary and Orbital Characteristics ===
Reade is a moderately-sized gas giant, possessing narrow but dense rings of water ice. It has 72 moons of various character, most of which are unremarkable and used for mining efforts or hosting small [[Offworlder Humans|off-worlder]] communities. One significant satellite sees greater purpose: [[New Gibson]], the largest of Reade’s moons with an irregular, distant orbit and dubbed the ''Industrial Heart of Tau Ceti''.

Being a gas giant, entering low orbit or entering and-or exiting the atmosphere comes at a massive fuel cost — the same amount it would take to do ten [[Biesel]] to [[New Gibson]] trips. As such, transport to and off the planet can be quite expensive at times, often deterring the average tourist. This also serves as a natural defence for the planet’s military and phoron extraction industry, akin to being in a mountainous position and, while it does increase costs, the production output and innate security can justify it. Of course, a determined and ''well-supplied'' foe can get past this, as seen during the [[Reade#The_Second_Invasion_of_Biesel_(2462)|Second Invasion]].

=== Atmosphere ===

Like most gas giants, Reade is primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, with clouds and crystals of various compounds forming at different elevations. Temperatures and pressures all vary by elevation too, from scorching hot and sparse, to temperate, to freezing and dense.

Reade’s '''thermosphere''' is several-hundred kilometers thick, with a temperature gradient of 650°C from the top to 50°C at the bottom of the thermosphere. Conventional radio communications are often hit by extended plasma blackouts lasting hours when transiting the thermosphere, and vessels must be rated for planetary entry or launch to withstand the temperatures.

A 20 kilometer band of the upper atmosphere, known as the '''Orange Zone''', temperatures range between 30°C and 10°C with pressures of 10—30kPa. The layer is predominantly formed of gaseous hydrogen. In this layer, clouds of various compounds — ammonia, hydrocarbons, nitriles, etc. — are formed by radiolysis and polymerisation, precipitating as yellow, red or orange rains or crystals to the lower layers.

Beneath this upper hydrogen zone, a thin, 5 kilometer almost-pure oxygen layer, known as the '''Blue Zone''', sits with habitable conditions ranging between 10°C to 0°C and with pressures of 30-40kPa — rather ideal for an atmosphere for such high oxygen concentration: low enough to moderate the availability of oxygen and lower (but not minimise) flash fire risks; high enough to support human life, if a bit thin. Clouds that form in this layer are predominantly water ice clouds, however precipitation of caustic compounds (such as ammonia) from the Orange Zone are known to fall. Reade’s mobile platforms reside within this layer during non-work operations. Breathing pure oxygen can be dangerous in the long-term, even at the reduced pressure the Blue Zone finds itself at, so mobile stations do pressurise their interiors and exterior work operations are limited to one hour unless [[Reade#Readic_Culture_and_Society|breathing apparatus]] is worn.

Below the Blue Zone, the ever-deep '''Red Zone''' expands through the rest of the atmosphere, until Reade’s temperatures see each of the atmosphere’s constituent gases turn to liquid and pressures crumple anything that enters. It is in this zone, however, that helium concentrations spike, making it the ideal layer to extract the gas. [[Phoron]] also appears in this layer, likely deposited from millennia of captured meteors from the [[Tau_Ceti#Romanovich_Cloud|Romanovich Cloud]]; being significantly heavier than other fluids in Reade’s atmosphere, the phoron only sits as clouds for a short while, then falling as rain towards the deeper core where it becomes inaccessible. Where these phoron clouds grow large enough, they appear as reddish-purple streaks from orbit, and can potentially form phoron storms which appear as '''Great Purple Spots''' that can last years.

Universal throughout the layers are the extreme storms that can form, with wind speeds capable of devastating any outpost, ship, or city that encounters them. These winds often kick up the caustic compounds in Reade’s atmosphere, with ammonia and hydrocarbon rains being one’s first warning of an approaching storm. As such, Reade’s platforms are designed to be mobile, capable of migrating away from the storms and chasing parts of Reade’s Blue Zone that have bearable wind speeds, temperatures, and pressure. These storms regularly interfere with ship traffic to-and-fro Reade.

== History ==
== Pre-Colonisation ==
Following [[Biesel]]’s colonisation, it wasn’t long until the first, short-term gas harvesting rigs would crop up around Reade, fielding small teams of non-permanent workers who would extract and export fusion reactants from the gas giant’s stratosphere for use in fusion reactors and warp drives. Many of these original stations were contracted out to [[Einstein Engines]].

Unbeknownst to the system at the time, a larger, clandestine facility operated by the [[Solarian Armed Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Navy]] was also constructed in 2257 — '''Anemonstrovilos'''. The mobile platform was constructed with massive fusion thrusters which kept it afloat and mobile, and was tasked with covert military research and development and nuclear fusion research. Obscured by the gas giant’s upper cloud layer, and with Reade’s massive gravity well and thermosphere deterring fuel-conserving and non-specialist vessels from straying near the gas giant, the mobile platform went undetected. Military traffic leaving the gas giant could seamlessly and discreetly merge into that of [[New Gibson]]’s before carrying on into the greater [[Tau Ceti]] system and beyond.

=== Colonisation and The Interstellar War (2280—2329) ===
With [[New_Gibson#Second Great Depression,_the_Interstellar_War,_and_the_Crisis_of_2294_(2200s)|tensions rising on New Gibson]] and the [[Timeline_of_Humanity#The_Great_Interstellar_War|Interstellar War]] reaching its height, a decision was made by the [[Solarian Armed Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Navy]] to relocate more critical military shipyards to Reade itself, rather than its [[New Gibson|dissenting, riotous moon]]. The clandestine Anemonstrovilos mobile platform was the starting point for this relocation, undergoing a 5-year long expansion and refitting operation, turning the station into a major military shipbuilding hub and military city for families posted to. The station’s research decks would be contracted out to [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]], alongside a powerful NDA.

As the mobile platform grew to greater size, fused with satellite stations, and military traffic to-and-fro became more difficult to conceal in New Gibson’s traffic, so too did the impracticability of continuing to keep the station a secret. Information about the not-so-secret station was already common rumour among [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] employees and [[Solarian Armed Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Navy]] servicepeople working in Tau Ceti, and even frequent stoppers at [[New Gibson]] had begun to suspect something was off. The station was officially revealed in 2329, pre-empting any exposé.

=== The Discovery of Phoron and The Neon Night (2352—2378) ===
Until the discovery of [[phoron]], it was generally regarded that the purple streaks in Reade’s atmosphere were water and ammonia mixing and undergoing a reaction under ultraviolet radiation, or something of a similar vein. However, with the announcement of a new, purple element, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] would launch a probe in 2356 into one of the many Great Purple Spots, and it would be confirmed that phoron was present in small quantities in Reade.

While [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] tried to keep this finding a secret, the [[Solarian Alliance]] had already found out and planned a second facility to exploit this newfound resource. '''Thyella''' would finish construction by the [[Solarian Armed Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Navy]] in 2364 and begin phoron extraction operations the same year. The new mobile platform was plagued with issues from inception: rushed construction; stalling by [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] who wanted rights to the phoron extraction; and mismanagement, with the quiet and easy posting often being granted for good conduct or as a result of cronyism, instead of merit.

This culminated in a disaster in 2378, now referred to as the '''Neon Night'''. A phoron-carrying shuttle attempted to land during a particularly strong storm, sending it veering off-course and flying through a research and residential spire of Thyella, where the phoron cargo ignited and detonated. A thousand station staff or family thereof working or residing in the destroyed spire were killed, and phoron contamination near the site killed several hundred more. The incident would result in safety legislation on how phoron should be handled, as well as the sale of Thyella mobile platform to both [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] and [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], who would begin rebuilding the facility and resume operations as usual by 2380 — Zavodskoi running the military shipbuilding, local policing, and maintenance, and having the greatest ownership stake; NanoTrasen the phoron extraction and resident accommodations.

Other, smaller mobile platforms in Reade’s atmosphere would soon begin cropping up and of various origin — corporate, state, independent — often interacting with the larger stations. Orbital habitats for those unwilling to brave Reade’s hazards or working to exploit the minerals of Reade’s rings or satellites would also begin appearing in greater numbers.

=== Independence from the Solarian Alliance and Reade’s Modernisation (2452—2460) ===
After the [[Tau_Ceti_History#NanoTrasen’s_Monopoly_and_Independence_(2410_-_2452)|secession and formation of the Republic of Biesel]], Reade’s mobile platforms would be quickly absorbed into the fledgling republic. This was not without a hitch and Anemonstrovilos would see heavy protesting, where many residents were [[Solarian Alliance|Solarian]] military families and descends thereof with no relation to [[Biesel]], and who had to decide between abandoning their homes to migrate to the [[Solarian Alliance]] or to continue on Reade under a new government. These protests went ignored by the [[Republic of Biesel]], until a [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] security contractor was fatally wounded after the company purchased one of Anemonstrovilos’ military shipbuilding docks and, across the station, a diplomatic representative of the Republic was injured when returning from a meeting with the mobile platform’s administration.

In response, the [[Republic of Biesel]] promised and began work on a long-needed modernisation effort of the near two-century old station and its sister, with [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] contracted to handle mundane, structural and industrial improvements and [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] for any phoronic refittings, such as the refitting of the station’s fusion thrusters with those making the best of phoronic magnetic confinement. This posed many engineering and budgetary difficulties, and many of these improvements were quite slap-dash.

Two new mobile platforms were also commissioned as part of the modernisation efforts, and no doubt siphoned many of the funds that would have gone to Anemonstrovilos and Thyella. Finished in 2459 and 2460 respectively, the '''Joseph Dorn Station''' and '''Beacon Platform''' were twice the size of Anemonstrovilos and Thyella combined, and decked out in the most [[Phoron#Applications_of_Phoron|advanced phoronic technologies]] at the time. The Joseph Dorn and Beacon were intended to be wholly owned by the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces|Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]] for shipbuilding and to serve as a large military town for those posted outside of [[Tau Ceti]]’s centre, however the former would be short-lived.

Nonetheless, Reade’s modernisation abated most of the frustrations in the less committed pro-Solarians residents and the unrest subsided. However, pro-Solarian sentiments continue to be held by a small majority of Anemonstrovilos’ residents to this day, seeing the mobile platform’s administration often butt heads with other stations and with the Republic. This was only emboldened when — come the completion of the Joseph Dorn and Beacon platforms — the Republic of Biesel sold its military shipbuilding docks on Anemonstrovilos to [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] for megacorporate ship and armament production, with the platform being too subversive to entrust with military purposes, which was seen as depriving Anemonstrovilos of its source of pride.

=== The Second Invasion of Biesel (2462) ===

In 2462, come the [[Tau_Ceti_History#Phoron_Scarcity_and_the_Second_Invasion_of_Biesel_(2462)|Second Invasion of Biesel]], Reade’s moons and mobile platforms would come under attack. Reade’s military industry was a priority target for sabotage and would see the 35th’s marines deployed to a synchronous assault on Thyella and the fledgling Joseph Dorn for its political value. Anemonstrovilos would also be seized without loss of life, with video footage showing the corridors up to the administration’s control room lined with residents welcoming them aboard — those who were pro-Republic sheltering in their residences. The planet was [[KING_OF_THE_WORLD#READE_FALLS!|officially lost]], captured by the enemy, while the [[Tau_Ceti_Armed_Forces|TCFL]]’s forces rendezvoused over [[Biesel]]. Military industry across Reade’s mobile platforms were hastily sabotaged, slowing the [[Republic of Biesel]]’s military production for several years, to which it has only recently recovered from.

Come the Republic’s counterattack with the support of the [[Republic of Elyra]], [[Coalition of Colonies]], and newly-revealed [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], [[Reade]] would become the mustering point for remaining 35th Fleet forces. However, a covert joint—[[TCAF|TCFL]]-corporate special forces operation saw the [[KING_OF_THE_WORLD#OZDEMIR'S_FLAGSHIP_DESTROYED!_Conflict_brought_to_an_end!|reactivation of a planetary defence battery, which was used to strike the flagship of Grand Admiral Raymond Ozdemir mid-burn]], seeing it pulled into [[Reade]] and eventually crushed within its depths.

As a result, the 35th was routed. Prior to their departure from Reade’s platforms though, and as a final humiliation of the Republic of Biesel, the Joseph Dorn’s fusion thrusters would be irreparably damaged, leaving it to slowly plummet towards Reade’s maelstrom of a core alongside Ozdemir’s flagship. Being such a new platform, few permanent residents were onboard, and the temporary workers and little residents that were onboard were evacuated by the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces|Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]] and transports from other mobile platforms.

=== Recent History ===
In recent years, and particularly with the [[Tau_Ceti_History#The_Peacekeeper_Mandate_(2463)|Peacekeeper Mandate]] ongoing and tensions rising around the [[Orion Spur]], Reade’s military industry has been pushed to its limit, churning out new [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#Republic_Astroforce|Republic Astroforce]] vessels and restoring or refitting older vessel designs used by the [[Republic of Biesel]]. Due to the military importance of Reade’s platforms, it has narrowly avoided many of the consequences of the [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]], with the [[Republic of Biesel]] diverting much of the state-allocated phoron to Reade’s military facilities, and thus also the platforms in which they occupy and are reliant upon. For the same reasons, and after the failures seen in the Second Invasion of Biesel, Reade’s low orbit has a frightening number of [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#Republic_Astroforce|Republic Astroforce]] orbital defence crafts and watchposts.

[[File:Reade.png.png|A tourism advert that circulated after [[Reade#Beacon|Beacon]]'s construction. The tourism industry never quite kicked off, and the traffic instead went to more affordable [[New Gibson]] (visible in the ad as the bright, white moon partially-eclipsing Reade).|thumb]]
== Industries, Economy, and the Megacorporations ==
Reade’s economy has always primarily been its military shipbuilding and R&D industry, despite the fuel costs required to enter a gas giant’s low orbit, let alone atmosphere, as this increase in expense comes as its greatest defence. [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] has always had a clear edge over and early presence on Reade’s platforms in this industry and, with the endless public relations campaigns, the military-industrial giant tends to be favourably viewed, no matter where on Reade someone may be. Reade’s military shipyards bring workers in from across [[Tau Ceti]], particularly [[New Gibson]] whose phoronics industry has shrunk with the ongoing [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]]. [[NanoTrasen Corporation]]’s high tech, phoronic ship armaments and [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Nexus_Corporate_Security|Nexus Corporate Security]] vessels are also developed and constructed here.

Following the discovery of trace amounts of [[phoron]] in Reade’s atmosphere, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] would swoop in to establish a phoron gas extraction industry, and is a primary source of fluidic phoron in the [[Republic of Biesel]]. With the phoron clouds in Reade’s atmosphere growing more and more scarce, the mobile stations have had to resort to more dangerous excursions to obtain the resource, which is universally seen as reckless and has begun to damage the reputation of the phoron company.

With the gravitational and thermospheric difficulties imposed on those attempting to approach and-or enter Reade’s atmosphere, the planet also has multiple maximum security penal platforms — federal prisons of the [[Republic of Biesel]], military prisons of the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#Republic_Astroforce|Republic Astroforce]], and private prisons of [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]. The Zavodskoi Interstellar ‘’’Menoetius’’’ private supermax prison (a frequent subject of conspiracy theories and human right violation concerns, and someone one can find themselves blacklisted from Zavodskoi Interstellar employment for talking about) is precariously positioned in the planet’s Red Zone, its location ever changing and the platform obscured by multiple layers of clouds.

Finally, and not quite a planetary industry, a large mining industry exists beyond Reade’s atmosphere in space, shared with [[New Gibson]]. [[Hephaestus Industries]] and [[Orion Express]] can both be found fielding miners into Reade’s ice rings or to uncolonised satellites of the planet. Many in Tau Ceti, particularly [[Offworlder Humans]] unable to acclimate to the gravity-possessing bodies of the system, find themselves in this industry, either under a megacorporation or completing bounties posted by them. Many of Reade’s inhabitants also find themselves in this industry.

== Government and State ==
Reade has no unified planetary government. Each mobile platform operates as a city state under the governance of its local administration. Local laws and politics all highly vary by station as a result, provided they are not at odds with the [[Republic of Biesel]]’s federal laws.

Generally, '''Anemonstrovilos''' has local laws that closely mimic the [[Solarian Alliance]]’s, with the platform’s administration curbing the megacorporations where they can, and regularly sparking frivolous cases in the [[Republic of Biesel]]’s federal courts. Each overruling sees the station’s pro-Solarian elements rear their heads; however, as time passes and new generations come, this number continues to fall. It is currently overseen by '''Governor Daniel Zhuang''' who has long campaigned for Anemonstrovilos to be recognised as a fully autonomous, Solarian state outside of the reaches of the [[Republic of Biesel]] — to no effect, of course.

'''Thyella''', essentially a company town that is majority owned by [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]], is noticeably more lax on economic and anti-trust laws and, while in no way authoritarian, has been known to moderate those publicising their anti-corporate views — especially when it comes to Zavodskoi’s image. It is overseen by '''Administrator Darla Petrenko''', formerly a corporate executive with Zavodskoi, who scarcely deviates from the company line.

'''Beacon''', with its administration kept more in-line by the [[Republic of Biesel]] and [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], is in lockstep with the Republic. Its local laws are a one-to-one representation of those seen in the typical [[Biesel|Biesellite]] city. It is overseen by '''Mayor Quinn Turner''', who is often ridiculed for spending far too much time posting comedic PR skits to attract migrant workers to Reade instead of getting anything done. They are well-liked, despite the ridicule.

== Readic Culture and Society ==
As a result of its more recent colonisation, of which much was for military and company families of workers, and its mobile stations lacking a shared planetary government, Reade is still in the process of finding its own culture — a long journey, as its mobile platforms have yet to agree on and can start spats over the demonym applied to those on Reade, with the [[Republic of Biesel]] imposing its own where official documents are concerned. Many of the cultural elements that have formed are strongly tied to specific platforms or have trickled down from the [[Republic of Biesel]] and the nearby [[New Gibson]].

A few planet-wide staples have had time to emerge though.

=== Breathing Masks and Cybernetics ===
'''Breathing masks''', though not necessary when in the pressurised indoors, are a common sight hanging around the necks or waists of those hailing from Reade, even when the local environment does not require them. This is likely a result of generations being wary of Reade’s high oxygen concentration habitable zone, where oxygen toxicity can slowly creep up on an individual, only presenting late as neurological and respiratory symptoms, and so it was better to be safe with tank-supplied air-mix. Breathing masks come in all shapes, sizes, and colours on Reade, and many are further decorated upon purchase to add a personal flair.

'''Oxygen Monitor Implants''' are a common cybernetic purchased on Reade, which passively monitors one’s oxygen levels and can send an alert to a device when they soar too high. For those who frequently work on the exterior, such as shipyard workers, '''cybernetic eyes and lungs''' have seen an increase in popularity, avoiding the damage of these organs more susceptible to hyperoxia.

=== Flame Averseness ===
Also born of this wariness of the oxygen-rich environment is a ''complete'' aversion to the unnecessary lighting of flames — particularly smoking. If oxygen concentrations have risen too high in a mobile platform compartment, even a spark can ignite a raging inferno, and so it is better to do away with cigarettes and other unnecessary uses of flames entirely. Rigorous electrical standards are upheld, and those of Reade can have ritual obsessions with ensuring their safety. For those that do continue to smoke on Reade, and tourists or migrants who bring the habit with them, it is met with harsh social shunning and avoidance.

Where fires do appear, even the most hardened and trained Reade inhabitants are known to have a strong fight-flight-freeze response, slowing an immediate response until training and drills do eventually kick in.

=== Extreme Readic Racing ===
The various forms of racing originating on Reade are characterised by their extreme risk and short-lived, but infamous participants. They are almost always illegal to participate in or bet money on, however enforcement is difficult.

To the observers, the racer’s character is everything. A racer tends not to reveal their identity unless it is directly tied to the character they race as, even when a racer dies or retires, the identity is not revealed. In turn, deceased or retired characters are often recycled by newer racers hoping to achieve the fame the old character once had, though it is considered taboo to adopt the character of a racer who is commonly considered as better than you or if the character is considered a legend. It is expected that a racer adopts a more renowned character as they progress through the sports.

'''Storm Chasing''', occurring within Reade’s atmosphere, is by far the deadliest form of racing Reade has to offer. Participants utilise heavy, retrofitted, and often stolen, shuttles to brave Reade’s thousand miles-per-hour strong storms, with the racer lasting the longest inside the storm being the winner. While there is no official statistic, it is estimated that roughly half of the groups who venture into these storms never return, yet despite this, the sport continues to maintain a small, but niche following amongst the bravest of daredevils and most desperate of shuttle pilots. Few have lived long enough to become known as legends in the underground storm chasing scenes, but one name stands high above the rest; '''Monarch''' is a living baseline synthetic of unknown origin, who has continued to beat their own record time and time again. Some particularly reckless racing storm chasing competitions are held with Reade’s phoron storms, with an even more trifling survival rate; these phoron storm races are highly illegal, frequently beginning with pursuits by [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Nexus_Corporate_Security|Nexus Corporate Security]] asset protection vessels not wanting their phoron deposits to be disturbed.

'''Slingshot Racing''' is perhaps the tamest extreme sport Reade has to offer, considering it does not occur within Reade’s hazardous atmosphere, but its moons instead. Racers must utilise gravity assists to rapidly increase their velocity in order to make it from Reade to [[Biesel]] and back to Reade in the fastest possible time. Racers often set their records one at a time, with full courses often taking months to complete. The legends of Slingshot Racing include: '''The Villa''', a living human Valkyrian who set a night-unbeatable time when the planets in Tau Ceti had aligned perfectly; '''The Zombie''', a deceased Readic human who passed away during his flight that went on to be the only record faster than The Villa’s — though, as he died, it did not count. Slingshot Racing is illegal in [[Tau Ceti]], though mid-race enforcement is impossible considering the velocities the racers have and how quick they can disperse into ordinary traffic.

'''Belt Jumping''' takes the form of races using incredibly light, tiny spacecraft often stripped of everything but the barest of essentials. Racers must compete against each other to be the first through a set course in Reade’s dense rings. Break-neck reaction speeds are necessary in this sport, with incredibly fast paced speeds in incredibly dense asteroid fields being combined with racers that often care only for victory making it a deadly sport. The legends of Belt Jumping include: '''The Killer''', who was known for their less-than-honourable methods of winning, as indicated by their name; “The Shortstop”, who was known for his incredibly late stopping, which eventually caused his demise. Like Slingshot Racing, Belt Jumping is illegal in Tau Ceti, with [[Biesellite_Security_and_Law|federal authorities]] targeting participants and event organisers of higher-level leagues.
== Major Platforms ==
Reade’s mobile platforms are held up by massive, reinforced balloons (with large vacuum pumps that maintain a void) and large, gimballed fusion ramjet thrusters which compress hydrogen intaken from the local atmosphere (when outside of the oxygen-rich Blue Zone) or a holding tank until it fuses and is channelled as thrust. These propulsion and buoyancy systems allow Reade’s platforms to remain mobile, be it to change elevation to access levels of the atmosphere containing different fluids or to steer clear of the gas giant’s destructive hazards. Power is also generated off of the fusion thrusters.

Following the discovery of [[phoron]], Reade’s mobile platforms received major fusion thruster upgrades, making use of superconductive phoron coils to magnetically confine and channel the fusion reaction with less loss to previously encumbering and inefficient equipment. This was along typical phoron upgrades seen across the [[Republic of Biesel]], such as phoronic superconductive wiring running through the platforms, visible as purple accenting.

Universal to mobile platforms are their massive gas conduits which extend for kilometers below the mobile platforms, used to harvest and channel gases from Reade’s atmosphere to processing facilities.

The mobile platforms follow a strict flight routine:
* '''Monday, Wednesday, Friday''' — Red Zone — Efforts are dedicated to helium isotope extraction and, where phoron clouds present, phoron extraction.
* '''Tuesday, Thursday''' — Orange Zone — Efforts are dedicated to hydrogen isotope extraction, as well as the harvesting of other misc volatiles.
* '''Saturday and Sunday''' — Blue Zone — The mobile platform rests in the habitable zone.
* '''Between 8PM and 6AM''', the mobile platform climbs or descends to the Blue Zone for the duration of the late evening and night.

===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Beacon</div>===
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Founded in 2460, '''Beacon''' was constructed as a model Readic platform by the [[Republic of Biesel]] as part of Reade’s [[Reade#Independence_from_the_Solarian_Alliance_and_Reade’s_ Modernisation_(2452—2460)|Modernisation]]. It is the largest and most advanced of Reade’s platforms, twice the size of Thyella and Anemonstrovilos combined, and is poised to become a planetary leader under the steady hand of the Republic.

====Design and Population====
Beacon is much better designed, compared to the other mobile platforms, with permanent inhabitation in mind. Atop a semi-spherical platform, and with towering wind-guards along the edge, an actual, open-air ‘city’ known as '''Upper City''' stands, complete with parks and architecture reminiscent of [[Mendell City]]’s more affluent districts. Luxury housing and shopping centres can be found in this city. In the centre, the '''Liberty Square''' boasts a large water fountain, around which sits the [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and [[Einstein Engines]] branch offices, the administration buildings, and the mayoral estate.

Upper City is home to the '''[[Human_Educational_Institutions#University_of_Beacon|University of Beacon]]''', a new but high quality university focusing on administration and finances, with other great courses in prison management, engineering, and physics.

Inside the platform itself, '''Lower City''', more affordable accommodation and commercial centres can be found, as well as almost all of the platform’s occupational facilities — hospitals, gas extraction facilities, fabrication plants serving the shipdocks, etc. The Lower City is rather bland compared to the more luxurious Upper City, with sterile white interiors only infrequently decorated with synthetic plants, cheap paintings, and plenty of advertisements for the megacorporations and TCAF.

In the centre of the Lower City is a military town and barracks, as well as any in-house [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#Republic_Astroforce|Republic Astroforce]] production and R&D facilities, known as '''Hero’s Rest'''. The '''BLMS A. Diggs''' military academy is where many of the TCAF’s engineers and engineering officers receive their training, named in honour of a TCFL special forces sentinel involved in the reactivation of the planetary defence cannon which dealt the deathblow to Ozdemir’s flagship. Hero’s Rest is the most species diverse district of Reade’s platforms, as a result of the number of alien species occupying senior NCO roles and low-ranking officer positions in the TCAF.

While the majority of Beacon’s populace is Readic, drawn away from the older platforms to the Republic’s model city, two other demographics can be found. The platform’s population is heavily composed of [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#Republic_Astroforce|Republic Astroforce]] personnel, be they assigned to shipbuilding facilities on Beacon or smaller satellite platforms elsewhere, some of whom opt to bring their families to Beacon’s rather extravagant living facilities in Hero’s Rest. Another large demographic are families who migrated away from other [[Tau Ceti]] planets, with Beacon often offering far more affordable housing, relatively safer location, and with its plentitude of new jobs — however, the applications for housing on Beacon for such migrants can be quite exclusive, expecting one to prove strong financial security, which has been criticised for pricing out species such as [[vaurca]].

====Industries and Megacorporations====
The majority of the platform’s military shipbuilding and R&D facilities are operated by the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#Republic_Astroforce|Republic Astroforce]]. [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] owns smaller docks for the construction of asset protection vessels fielded by [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Nexus_Corporate_Security|Nexus Corporate Security]] and for high-tech, phoronic weapons development which it works alongside the TCAF with.

[[Einstein Engines]] and [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] awkwardly co-exist together in Beacon’s gas extraction facilities, with the former contracted to harvest fusion reactants and the latter phoron. The platform’s administration often has to moderate management-level disputes that arise out of this shared work space, however the workers of both megacorporations typically get along well — until the monthly sabotage accusation of various merits sour the attitudes again.

====Beaconite Culture====
As a model city, Beacon’s local culture largely takes after that of the [[Biesellite_Culture_and_Society|Republic of Biesel’s culture]], if a little more patriotic with the concentration of [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#Republic_Astroforce|Republic Astroforce]] personnel.

A small cultural clash between populations exists between Hero’s Rest and the greater Lower City and Upper City, with Hero’s Rest being dominated by the TCAF’s alien multiculturalism, where both the Lower and Upper City are noticeably more human-centric due to the financial qualifications required to obtain residence on Beacon.

Every galactic standard year, as part of new year celebrations, the station hosts a '''Lighting the Beacon''' ceremony at Liberty Square. Like that of the Eternal Flame in [[Mendell City]], the beacon serves as a physical manifestation of the Republic of Biesel’s light of liberty. Unfortunately, due to the high oxygen levels in the Blue Zone, the beacon tends to burn very bright and very fast — nonetheless, it tends to impress the flame-averse locals.

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===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Anemonstrovilos</div>===
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The oldest and smallest of the three major platforms, '''Anemonstrovilos''' was constructed in 2257 as a [[Solarian Armed Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Navy]] clandestine research facility, and revealed to the public in 2329. Due to its dissenting populace, the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#Republic_Astroforce|Republic Astroforce]] recently shuttered its shipbuilding on the platform, selling them to [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] for megacorporate shipbuilding. The platform hosts the largest, dedicated fusion research plant on the Reade.

====Design and Population====
Anemonstrovilos is much more blocky in design, being an older platform design, appearing from a distance like a suspended skyscraper, with extending docks, thrusters, and other peripherals emerging as spires or branches. There are few ‘open air’ spaces accessible outside of occupational zones, with much of the commercial and residential areas being within the main body. Inside, it appears quite industrial, even despite recent modernisation efforts and cosmetic improvements, with permanent inhabitation by non-workers being an afterthought.

The population of Anemonostrovilos has stagnated since the [[Republic of Biesel]]’s formation and secession, with the only source of new residents coming from [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] employees and their families seeking accommodation closer to their workplace (some choosing to stay), and many older pro-Solarian residents slowly trickling out to migrate to the [[Solarian Alliance]] as they become more disenfranchised within the Republic.

Anemonstrovilos is home to the '''[[Human_Educational_Institutions#Anemonstrovilos_College_of_Pioneers|Anemonstrovilos College of Pioneers]]''', with courses in engineering and physics.

====Industries and Megacorporations====
[[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] remains one of the largest employers aboard the platform, owning the vast majority of shipyards and fusion plants on Anemonstrovilos. From here, the military giant constructs, supplies and maintains the larger asset protection and expeditionary vessels of many of the megacorporations operating within [[Tau Ceti]], as well as civilian-grade armaments for use on ships. While less prevalent following the discovery of [[phoron]], the fusion research plants operating aboard the station have pioneered a great number of scientific breakthroughs.

However, with Zavodskoi tending to focus more on [[Reade#Thyella|Thyella]], other megacorporations have been able to creep in. Both [[Orion Express]] and [[Einstein Engines]] own a few smaller shipbuilding facilities for their own asset protection vessels and armament production and R&D, and [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals#Yomi_Genetics|Yomi Genetics]] has recently bought out much of Zavodskoi’s genetic clinics. [[NanoTrasen Corporation]], too closely associated with the [[Republic of Biesel]], has opted not to enter Anemonstrovilos’ industries, and its populace would surely object to such.

Unlike other mobile platforms, Anemonstrovilos has no capabilities of harvesting fluidic phoron from Reade’s atmosphere. As such, [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] has no presence on the platform.

====Anemonostrovilosi Culture====
Anemonostrovilosi culture has been heavily influenced by the [[Solarian Armed Forces#The_Solarian_Navy|Solarian Navy]], owed to it essentially being a military base and town for families of navy personnel all the way up until the [[Republic of Biesel]]’s secession from the [[Solarian Alliance]].

For a long time, Anemonostrovilos was known for its snobby and ostentatious residents, almost rivalling that of a [[Luna|Lunan’s]]. While Anemonostrovilosi continue to find pride in their platform setting the benchmark for Reade’s colonisation, it has turned into a bitter, sore-loserism under the [[Republic of Biesel]] — more so after the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces#Republic_Astroforce|Republic Astroforce]] migrated their military shipbuilding away, depriving the mobile platform of an industry they took great pride in. Anemonostrovilosi do not take defeat well, whatever the occasion — be it a game of cards, sports, or an actual fight. Discipline continues to be a strong tenet among those of Anemonostrovilos, with many holding quite functionalist views of society. Everyone and every institution plays a specific role and, with a disciplined populace, this role can be played well to result in a well-oiled society, workplace, or mobile platform.

A few defining meals have appeared in Anemonostrovilosi kitchens, having trickled out of the original officer messes:
* '''Readian Elata:''' A cheap take on the overwhelmingly sweet [[Venus|Cytherean]] elata, albeit using cheap, caramelised soy milk that is contained in small, biogenerator-printed spherical shells. Often dyed to appear like the gas giant Reade, and frequently served as dessert. An even more knocked-off [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Getmore_Corporation|GetMore]] sweets brand known as ‘Readies’ can be found around [[Tau Ceti]], based on Readian Elata.
* '''Lobster Rolls''': No longer made with lobster unfortunately, but instead whatever mixed shellfish paste the platform’s aquaponics have in store. The texture is made up by the inclusion of crunchy vegetables, and the taste with a (often diluted) citrussy Lunan vinaigrette, of which Anemonostrovilos continues to have a warehouse full of it that was formerly for [[Luna|Lunan]] officers of the Solarian Navy. It will be a sorry day when this warehouse finally runs dry.

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===<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #ccc; margin:0; background:#969696; padding:.1em; color:#292929;">Thyella</div>===
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Founded in 2364, '''Thyella''' has remained one of the most important sites in Tau Ceti for the research and extraction of [[phoron]] since its construction in 2364. It is best known for being a [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] company city, and one of the go-to places for migrants seeking a new home in the [[Republic of Biesel]] via Zavodskoi employment.

====Design and Population====
Thyella’s design is much like Anemonstrovilos’, resembling a skyscraper with emerging spires and branches, and with an industrial interior. However, with greater investment from [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]], it is generally in better condition and with greater amenities.

The mobile platform’s population is almost entirely [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] and [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] workers and their families, or the descents of previous generations of such workers who may or may not continue to work for either Zavodskoi or NanoTrasen, making Thyella one large company city. Many who are coaxed into employment by these two megacorporations, especially if not local to the [[Republic of Biesel]], may be offered family housing on Thyella, if unable to afford residence elsewhere in [[Tau Ceti]]. As such, Thyella has an incredibly varied population.

On the administration level of Thyella, '''Cenotaph Plaza''' can be found, commemorating those lost during the 35th’s capture of Reade in 2462 and the events of the [[Reade#The_Discovery_of_Phoron_and_The_Neon_Night_(2352—2378)|Neon Night]] nearly a century ago. A staircase leads to the ordinarily inaccessible Level 79 or the Cenotaph Memorials, which is dedicated to housing memorials for those who lost their lives in service of Thyella.

====Industries and Megacorporations====
[[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] is the largest employer on Thyella, operating most of the platform’s shipyards, fusion plants, engineering facilities and, of course, security facilities. A small number of [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and [[NanoTrasen_Corporation#Nexus_Corporate_Security|Nexus Corporate Security]] shipyards continue to operate though, producing more high-tech armaments for use on asset protection vessels or for the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]]. [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] has sole ownership of all of Thyella’s fluidic phoron extraction facilities, as well as any adjacent phoron research labs.

====Thyellan Culture====
Thyellan culture has been heavily influenced by migrant workers from the [[Empire of Dominia]], being a distant state that shares a strong connection with [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]], and with Thyella being one of the go-to locations for such looking to move to the [[Republic of Biesel]] — especially for the less affluent. As such, opera theatres that follow the style of [[Dominian_Culture#Opera|Dominian Opera]] are common venues in Thyella’s commercial levels. Naturally, they pale in extravagance compared to the shows of [[Moroz]], however the occasional amazing costume, make-up, or music can surface and garner acclaim. The '''Amphitheatre at Thyella''' (or just ''The Amphitheatre''), now owned by [[Idris Incorporated]] after it went viral on social media in 2460, is an open-air extension of the mobile platform, combining both excellent views of the gas giant’s skies and any performances put on.

The '''Neon Night Remembrance Day''', primarily observed on the 19th of June, is a city-wide holiday that commemorates the events of the [[Reade#The_Discovery_of_Phoron_and_The_Neon_Night_(2352—2378)|Neon Night]]. Following the [[Reade#The_Second_Invasion_of_Biesel_(2462)|Second Invasion]], it has since expanded to include Thyellans killed during the invasion. Traditionally, celebrations involved the flash-burning of a small chunk of phoron and a silent vigil throughout Thyella’s Cenotaph Plaza. In recent times following the [[Phoron#The_Phoron_Scarcity|Phoron Scarcity]], the phoron has been substituted with any other flammable solid — usually a small coal, tinted purple with dyes or paints.
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== See Also ==
[[New Gibson]]: The most significant moon of Reade, with its older, culturally and developmentally distinct colonies.