Stellar Corporate Conglomerate

Stellar Corporate Conglomerate
Slogan	The unbreakable chainlink, holding the Spur together.
Headquarters	Top of the World, Biesel, Republic of Biesel
Chief Executive Officer	Miranda Trasen
Official Languages	Tau Ceti Basic, Sol Common, Tradeband
Official Colours	Navy blue (#336699), cyan (#81d9ee), gold (#f1b61c)
Founded	2458 (unofficially), 2462 (officially)
Founder	NanoTrasen Corporation
Operating Region	Republic of Biesel Coalition of Colonies Empire of Dominia Nralakk Federation People's Republic of Adhomai New Kingdom of Adhomai Izweski Hegemony Republic of Elyra

This is the page for the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, the organization the players work for. This contains very important setting information.

Formed at the height of NanoTrasen’s power in the galaxy, the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate — colloquially known as the “Chainlink” — is a group of seven megacorporations who exercise undisputed economic dominance over the entire Orion Spur; combined they represent 80% of the Spur’s economic productivity (almost the entirety of the remaining twenty percent is Einstein Engines). First publicly announced in 2462, during the Second Invasion of Biesel ostensibly to secure corporate-owned assets within Tau Ceti. However the reality of the matter is the SCC is far older than its public appearance and announcement suggests, dating back to at least the 2450s. However, this has never been proved and is a matter of conspiracy. The Chainlink came to be as a result of the incredible economic power held by NanoTrasen through their monopoly on exporting phoron to the wider Spur. Through this power, the tentative cooperation between all the megacorporations is assured for the time being, but behind the shaky peace lie unsteady alliances, corporate espionage, and cut-throat tactics as each corporation within the conglomerate battles to one up each other. More-over, these corporations are getting tired of taking orders from Miranda and have begun to chaff under her boot, frustrated with the balance of power. The main exception is Einstein Engines, a warp drive manufacturer, who, due to their prominence within Konyang, the Nralakk Federation and the Sol Alliance, can weather the wrath of NanoTrasen and remain independent. While initially, NanoTrasen punitively withheld phoron sales, they found it to be ineffective. Their relations are at least amiable at this point.

Contents

Notable Members

• Titanius Aeson, CEO of Hephaestus Industries
• Alex Mason, CEO of Idris Incorporated
• Liqin Hsiao-Li, CEO of Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals
• Lyudmila Zavodskoi, CEO of Zavodskoi Interstellar
• Kubra Mobolaji, CEO of the Private Military Contracting Group
• Chin-hae Hong, CEO of Orion Express

Corporate Affairs

History

"Understand this; your success stems from my Phoron, your technological edge stems from my Phoron, and your domination of markets stems from my Phoron. Without you, I am weakened, but without me, you are nothing. You will all accept the proposal, and you will all cooperate together as I have stated, or I shall break your corporations over my knee, consequences be damned. You have twenty-four hours to discuss with your executives before sending me your agreements." - Unreleased audio of Miranda Trasen on a joint call with the CEOs of the corporations that would eventually form the SCC, unknown date, ~2450s.

With the earliest dated supply shipments being traced to 2458, the history of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate and how it came to dominate the interstellar economy is one shrouded in secrecy until its public reveal in 2462. It appears that the constituent megacorporations of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate had been forced by Miranda to cooperate to ensure their economic dominance since at least the First Solarian Invasion of the Republic of Biesel, though within the shadows. Almost every element of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate had been hidden and concealed from the public and governments alike, with even the deepest scrutiny only managing to uncover the "chainlink" insignia on supply shipments from 2459.

However, following the Second Solarian Invasion of the Republic of Biesel in 2462, the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate revealed themselves to the interstellar community, proclaiming their goal was to protect the financial livelihood of all their corporate clients and assets, and to ensure megacorporate facilities across the Republic of Biesel would not be diminished as a result of “rogue actors”. Since then, they have operated far more publicly, both in good times and bad.

Since its reveal, the Chainlink has continued to maintain its – more accurately, Miranda Trasen’s – dominance through several masterful techniques – one notably public one centring around the Corporate Reconstruction Zone, the annexed Solarian territories by the Republic of Biesel. Pouring countless resources into stabilizing the region so as to further exploit it, the Chainlink has all but managed to prop the annexation as a legal undertaking of colonies abandoned by the Sol Alliance during the Collapse. Yet while that is their most public technique, the far more important and relevant is their dealings with governments. The SCC unequivocally represents an almost total economic domination of the Spur, and yet, outside of the Solarian Alliance, few governments have made moves against them, whether they have antitrust laws or not. The reasons for this vary, but it has given Miranda Trasen unparalleled power.

Meanwhile, one of the Chainlink's primary assets, the SCCV Horizon, has undertaken several humanitarian missions across the Spur in an attempt to bolster its reputation. Hephaestus Industries has helped provide the electronic "vaccine" for the Rampancy Crisis of early 2466, and at it and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals' behest the Horizon has been assisting the Izweski Hegemony and the Nralakk Federation with humanitarian aid for the planet of Moghes.

Yet for everything the Chainlink has given her, the power Miranda Trasen holds and uses to maintain her dominance of the Orion Spur is an increasingly brittle power, and may one day break when she needs it most. The other CEOs, for economic, personal, or other reasons never willingly joined the SCC, and never would, despite what they say in public. They were coerced, bullied, threatened and bribed into line by Miranda, and have always chafed under her leadership - for she rarely asks, she demands - and as a result resentment has only been building within the SCC. Through her manoeuvring as the Director of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, she has managed to keep NanoTrasen predominant out of all the constituent corporations, and keep the other corporations in line most of the time. Whether or not NanoTrasen and Miranda can remain on top in the face of dwindling phoron resources and the resentment of her underlings, only time will tell.

Influence and Reputation

"Connecting you, connecting us all. The Stellar Corporate Conglomerate; interlinking the Spur." - Advertising campaign, originally released May 2465

The sheer scale of the co-operating corporations' influence through the SCC cannot be understated; while some of the larger political entities retain some measure of independence, they still ultimately rely on the constituent members of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate for their respective niches within the interstellar economy.

With galaxy-spanning ties, the SCC has promoted itself as the economic providers/saviours of the Orion Spur, a company that gives the common person a job in these trying times. The reality is much less shiny, and the SCC works as a force to maintain the power of corporations, primarily NanoTrasen, in an ever more uncertain spur. Even if nationstates take measures to try and curb the SCC’s influence, the absence of a member-corporation from a nation-state is more space for the rest of the Conglomerate to form trade ties; such as with the Solarian Alliance, who, despite expelling NanoTrasen from its borders, continues to work with other members of the SCC, Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, Hephaestus Industries, and Idris Incorporated most prominently.

Excluding Einstein Engines, only a sliver of economic productivity in the Spur is controlled by entities outside of the SCC’s control, with one slight exception; the Solarian Alliance. Despite the combined power of the Chainlink, the Solarian Alliance is the nation that has managed to take the most effective action against it, banning NanoTrasen from operating in alliance space and nationalizing much of the SCCs constituent corporations’ assets even after negotiations with Hephaestus Industries. That said, the Alliance still relies heavily on the corporations that make up the SCC economically, as combined the SCC’s corporations still make up a majority of the Alliance’s economic activity, but it’s the lowest percentage of anywhere in the Spur. The corporations that make up this Cartel rarely expand anymore, instead focusing on keeping what they currently have, as the scarcity shows no signs of ending

That said, their most recent market venture, kept far from the public eye, is the Cold War and occasional skirmishes between the Republic of Elyra and the Empire of Dominia, an excellent source of funding for both Zavodskoi Interstellar and the Private Military Contracting Group. The PMCG helps bankroll the Elyran military contractors of Jackal Incorporated, while Zavodskoi continues to manufacture and equip much of the Imperial Fleet. Yet both megacorporations do not directly rival each other, and both have goals of expanding into each other's home turf – it benefits both Zavodskoi and the PMCG to have as wide a client base as possible.

As the Chainlink grows older, it has become more and more evident that the constituents are operating with their own agendas, stepping out of line with Miranda more frequently, and between each other, the Conglomerate is only an alliance of convenience. Though Miranda still comes down hard on disputes that get out of hand - such as the very public Hephaestus and Zavodskoi one recently - it more often only happens when the informal boundary of doing something that hurts the collective bottom line. For now, Miranda seems content to let it play out like that, as if the other corporations are occupied fighting each other, they’re less dangerous than if she were their common enemy, and almost always, none of them directly opposed NanoTrasen. However they have begun doing things not in the phoron giant’s best interests, somewhat outside of her reach, as seen with Hephaestus Industries’ planned expansion across Moghes, Idris Incorporated’s leveraging credit provided to NanoTrasen during its attempt to recapture control of Phoenixport, and the Private Military Contracting Group purchasing the Grupo Amapola, made up of former corporate opponents. Miranda however, lets it all go by without a comment - sure that the corporations will continue to fight amongst themselves, rather than unite against her. It's certainly a risky gamble - for every other corporation is not happy being under Miranda's boot.

Corporate Agendas

Each and every constituent megacorporation has their own agenda for the operations of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, which is always intended to work to their benefit.

NanoTrasen

NanoTrasen seeks to maintain the status quo of them being the dominant megacorporation, subverting the influence held by the combined might of the megacorporations to its own benefit, and will go to great lengths to ensure they remain on top – even so far as to diminish the Conglomerate’s influence to ensure their own is maintained. The Trasens openly claim that NanoTrasen will remain the most influential megacorporation, and Miranda Trasen installing herself as Chief Executive Officer of the Conglomerate is not lost on observers external or internal. Though the phoronics industry seems to be dwindling, the corporation still holds an almost total monopoly on it.

Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals

Zeng-Hu seeks to combine the innovation of the megacorporations to its own benefit, while also being able to keep a closer eye on the research and medical exploits of NanoTrasen and Zavodskoi Interstellar. While the keiretsu has benefitted from newfound opportunities to expand into other nations, it still seeks to ensure its technological edge through careful manipulation of its patents and intellectual property, ensuring it stakes its claim before anyone else when it comes to discovery and innovation.

Private Military Contracting Group

Conflict pays, and the Private Military Contracting Group knows this better than anyone. Being absorbed into the PMCG is a good investment for both constituent and conglomerate, but it also allows the Eridani Federation to expand their profit and sphere of influence in a gradually-fracturing Spur. The PMCG amasses military-grade technology and fleets to sell and contract to, but that is merely one element of their agenda. The more the Conglomerate relies on the PMCG for enforcement, the more of a hold the PMCG has over galactic conflict. The Group as a whole maintains the Conglomerate should broaden its capabilities to fight, routinely citing the need for such when referring to the Second Solarian Incursion of Biesel, but even inside the Group different agendas between companies abound...

Hephaestus Industries

Hephaestus Industries, the manufacturing giant of the Spur, wishes to merely expand its foothold within its existing industries – industrial research and development, resource extraction, and shipping. Similarly to Zeng-Hu, it seeks to combine the brightest minds within the Conglomerate to gain a technological advantage, but with particular application to help its existing monopolies as opposed to Zeng-Hu’s broader wishes. The future resides within the furnaces of Hephaestus Industries, and Titanius Aeson seeks to ensure the interstellar stage knows it. Even with the damage wrought by the Solarian Corporate Authority, Hephaestus Industries seeks to ensure they remain in steady competition with Zavodskoi Interstellar.

Zavodskoi Interstellar

Though the Solarian Corporate Authority revoked some of the megacorporation’s presence within the Solarian Alliance, Zavodskoi Interstellar still seeks to maintain strong ties. Now that the Alliance is NanoTrasen-free, Zavodskoi is free to directly challenge Zeng-Hu and Einstein Engines in industrial development and research. But its primary asset remains the Empire of Dominia, a nation-state which Zavodskoi has thoroughly entangled itself with and seeks to influence for their own benefit. Though Zavodskoi Interstellar agrees with the Private Military Contracting Group’s own agenda, and sometimes even contributes to its growth within the Conglomerate, it ultimately believes that the Conglomerate should remain “neutral” in the face of interstellar conflict, and profit from the lucrative opportunities that arise from playing both sides.

Idris Incorporated

Idris Incorporated wishes to ensure the Spur at large is indebted to the company as much as possible – extending loans, establishing new banking branches, and having a healthy supply of Idris Reclamation Units keep liability at a minimum. Though in perpetual competition with NanoTrasen and now Orion Express in the service industry, Idris continues to grow its repute of excellent, high-class service through its fashion, cruise lines, hotels, restaurants, and private security.

Orion Express

Orion Express may have been initially planned as the SCC's delivery asset, but CEO Chin-hae Hong clearly has bigger ambitions. OE sees the future of the economy relying on its delivery services and resource extraction, along with a cheap and easily-trained service department. Orion wants to ensure its status in the Chainlink becomes invaluable, not just for the shipping services it provides between the megacorporations but to the nation-states around the Spur. As the company probes the borders of Sol and the attention of the Solarian Corporate Authority, it is becoming clearer and clearer that Orion Express is attempting to leverage influence even where it means causing drifts with the other megacorporations.

United Agenda

While the constituent corporations of the Chainlink can barely agree on anything without being coerced into doing so, there is one thing that six of the seven corporations can agree on; They want out. NanoTrasen is the obvious exception to this desire, but for every other corporation under the Chainlink, they are not there by choice. If they ever got the opportunity to somehow leave, or break NanoTrasen, they'd take it in a heart beat.

Branches and Notable Vessels

Branches

Compared to the far more widespread influence of their constituents, the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate's facilities are far and few between, and mostly exist within civilized space as a form of central command and mission control for Chainlink vessels. The Chainlink also has very few asset protection resources at its direct disposal, and if one of its vessels is in serious danger, duties of security will be delegated to local militaries or nearby corporate facilities. The following are the only dedicated SCC facilities in the galaxy, although the NTSS Odin has a small wing of its occupational deck dedicated to some Chainlink affairs, mostly delegated to it by the Top of the World headquarters.

Top of the World, Biesel, Tau Ceti: The centre of the Conglomerate, the Top of the World branch sits in the middle of a plaza constructed in 2462. Originally it was planned to be constructed in Mendell City, but the lack of space in the sprawling urban zone and an inability to set it next to NanoTrasen's skyscraper means that it was relocated to the Trasen-funded borough. While not an overly tall building, it stands out as a circular, modernist construction of glass and steel in the midst of Top of the World's quaint, otherwise deliberately-rustic architecture. This facility is where the top executives of the SCC and the League of Chief Directors meet to discuss business, and where the operative decisions regarding the Chainlink are made.

SCC-CC Odin, Tau Ceti: The former NTCC Odin has been taken over by the Conglomerate and is now used as its Sector Command for Tau Ceti, and as the primary place through which all interstellar communications relating to the chainlink and its operations pass. This is where messages are received from other megacorporate communication offices, and where relay operators will send monitoring notices and regulation reminders to other SCC vessels.

New Hormuz, New Suez, Tabiti: Shortly after NanoTrasen was forced to close its doors in the Republic of Elyra, the small facility once belonging to NT was reopened as an SCC outpost. Understaffed, underfunded, and roundly disliked by residents of the moon, the New Hormuz facility mostly keeps in contact with the Orion Express shuttleport on Bursa and the Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals facility on Aemaq.

Lago de Abundacia, Mictlan, Sankta Tereza: Constructed during the initial Peacekeeper Mandate, and partially rebuilt after the outright battle between the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion and the Samaritans, the Chainlink Lago de Abundacia facility presents itself as a tall, clean, white-and-blue office building in the downtown district of the city. During the Republic of Biesel's occupation, it largely housed operations for the corporate auxiliary forces of the military. Now, with Mictlan an independent member-state of the Republic and the PMC of N4NL officially banned from operating in the system, the headquarters has become considerably less busy.

Nouvelle-Rochelle, Xanu Prime, Xanu: On the outskirts of Nouvelle-Rochelle operates this branch of the Chainlink, as a utilitarian blue warehouse space and shuttleport that lacks the Conglomerate's aesthetic sensibilities. It stays in close contact with the Chevauchée Asset Protection branch, also in Nouvelle-Rochelle.

Hongse Cheongbao, Zhurong, Hashirajima: The Empire of Dominia has no proper SCC facility, but much like the Odin, a small wing of the Zavodskoi Interstellar headquarters within Zhurong houses Chainlink operations and communications, and is the first destination for Imperial citizens becoming employed with the Conglomerate.

Kal'lo, Qerrbalak, Nralakk: The Chainlink facility in Skrellian space is repurposed from an old Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals operations center before its move to the city of Qwklip. Considered one of the more comfortable postings for bureaucrats of the Chainlink and employees from its constituent companies, this reputation is slightly marred by the Einstein Engines office building that sits across the street from it.

Crevus, Adhomai, S'rand'marr: The Chainlink base in Crevus is a building that blends in with much of the classically-styled architecture, with its tidy edges, baroque decorations, and stone exterior. All Adhomian contractors with the SCC must usually make a journey to the facility in Crevus to have their paperwork and identification in order, though citizens of the People's Republic of Adhomai can also visit the NanoTrasen facility in Nal'tor, which has a small wing dedicated to SCC activities.

K'rath, Ouerea, Uueoa-Esa: The Chainlink's Uueoa-Esan branch is unmistakably modernist in construction, comparable to the Hephaestus Industries skyscraper at the heart of New Skalamar. It boasts elegant gardens of Ouerean and Moghresian flora in its courtyard, though some of the locals feel its sleek, elegant style and prominence in the skyline takes away from what many view as K'rath's distinguished, luxurious aesthetic.

Notable Vessels

Stellar Corporate Conglomerate vessels are an underdeveloped field, and the Chainlink relies on the ships of its constituents to ferry goods (particularly in the case of Orion Express), perform security duties, and complete research surveys. All Chainlink vessels have the secondary goal of locating and securing sources of phoron, though in practice the vessels tend to be used for whichever purpose the megacorporations can advocate or agree that they should be used for.

SCCV Horizon: The only ship in the Venator-class, the SCCV Horizon is a long-range cruiser vessel designed for self-sufficient general-purpose work. The Horizon's purpose is manifold; it is a testing ground for the Chainlink's latest ship AIs, weaponry, sensors, and even physical structure, and as such tends to undergo frequent changes, refits, and swapping of its equipment and personnel. The Venator-class sensors are the Horizon's primary tool in locating potential phoron deposits, though its sensors also assist in general surveys of planetary bodies that is assigned for study to its research department. Meanwhile, the Horizon's engineering and flight crew are entrusted with the maintenance and firing of sophisticated weapon prototypes, the most notable being the top-secret "Leviathan" Zero-Point Artillery Technology, developed by Zavodskoi Interstellar.

Icarus-classes: If the Horizon is a show of the Chainlink's reach, the Icarus-classes are a show of its power. The Icarus-classes are frigate-sized vessels equipped with military-tier gear and three weapon systems. However, the Icarus-classes are rarely deployed, particularly because there are only two of them; the SCCV Harmony, and the SCCV Ozymandias. Previously, the Harmony was deployed to fend off a pirate cruiser raiding the Horizon, and the Ozymandias has helped carry personnel of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces to conflicts in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone.

Serendipity-classes: Serendipity-classes are survey and scouting vessels used mainly for research, mineral extraction, and for marking points of interest. They are designed to be self-sufficient for up to two years in worst-case scenarios, and there is discussion of sending a Serendipity into the less-travelled reaches of the Spur, near Light's Edge and the Deadspace Spine, to do delicate work that the Horizon may not be suited for.

Internal Structure

The Chainlink is headed by the League of Chief Directors, who manage the Conglomerate's internal affairs while delegating ultimate authority on employees of Chainlink operations to their respective corporations. Originally, most of the League of Chief Directors were NanoTrasen employees rewarded for their loyalty to the corporation, but as the Conglomerate grows older, many of them have been cycled out with representatives of other corporations (to NanoTrasen's chagrin).

These internal affairs include personnel assignment to Conglomerate postings (including job applications), background checks for SCC employees, advertising, and the maintenance and design of SCC outposts. Apart from this maintenance and bookkeeping, the SCC does not "sell" anything; its continued operations are thanks to the profits generated by its constituents in the name of the Chainlink. For these reasons, those employed directly by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate are bureaucrats, managers, and other office workers who manage the behind-the-scenes operations of a vast web of connected megacorporations.

Command Staff

On the other hand, there are the contractors with the Conglomerate. These employees are hired from a constituent corporation as command or command support staff, and are legally registered as working for the SCC. In practice they hold two contracts; one with their original corporation of employment, and one with the Chainlink. In the early days of the Conglomerate's founding, much of the command staff was promoted from NanoTrasen employees. But as the SCC diversifies and NanoTrasen's focus narrows, more and more command staff in the Chainlink originate from the other corporations.

To take a command staff position in an SCC facility, an employee must apply for the position by writing an application to the Internal Affairs Agency. This application must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from a representative of their original megacorporation. However, letters of recommendation do not just have to come from constituents in the Chainlink; they can also come from smaller or state-run corporations, such as Elco, Polaris Holdings, and Eridani Energy. Einstein Engines is the obvious exception to this rule, as Einstein will not offer letters of recommendation for employees seeking work with the SCC, and the SCC would not accept Einstein recommendations.

While working in an SCC facility, this "loaned" command employee is expected to follow certain terms laid out in their contract, although the enforcement of some of these terms can be loose depending on their importance or individual discretion. The corporate oversight of the Chainlink frowns on but rarely punishes a member of command staff wearing the logos and colours of their original corporation. Command staff demonstrating obvious bias towards their own corporation, such as employee favouritism or prioritizing sending reports of their work to their original corporation, is more strongly discouraged but difficult to verify. Not helping matters is that constituent corporations will often aid the employee showing bias; for example, a chief engineer originally contracted with Hephaestus Industries can expect to have their recorded experiments with a supermatter engine made property of Hephaestus and heavily censored before the report goes to the Chainlink itself.

Chainlink Command Contract Highlights

As determined by the contract of all SCC employees and provided employees of Conglomerate Member Corporations, the following is a list of guidelines and requirements while performing duties or representing the SCC.

• The employee is expected -
  • To act in a manner befitting a representative of the Conglomerate and their originating corporation;
  • Place the interests of the Conglomerate before the interests of other organisations or groups, including their originating corporation or nation-state;
  • To not display the trademark of their originating corporation, or nation-state, in such a way that it breaches Conglomerate ideals; and
  • Not to display prohibited symbology, including, but not limited to -
    • Emblems of "warlord states", including the Solarian Restoration Front, the League of Independent Corporate-Free Systems, the Free Solarian Fleets, the Southern Solarian Military District, and the Southern Fleet Administration; or
    • Emblems of anti-corporate organizations such as the United Syndicates of Himeo, Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai, the "Founding Movement", or the "Samaritans"; or
    • Emblems of the group "Champion of Moghes".
• Failure to meet any of these listed items may result in a review of the employee's contract or punitive action.

Corporate Oversight

Though the megacorporations ostensibly cooperate, espionage, poaching workers, and leaking classified information is an ever-present risk. To combat this and to avoid bias in handling employee affairs, the Chainlink has created a third-party oversight agency that answers directly to the Chainlink and acts independently of any other megacorporation. This Stellar Corporate Conglomerate Internal Affairs Agency, or SCCIAA, employs agents to deliberate on and disable potential threats to the corporate agenda. The SCCIAA and its Human Resources department will adjudicate corporate policy as well as incident reports in Chainlink facilities, and sometimes work closely with law enforcement if an employee has violated the regulations of their workplace. While the Biesel Security Services Bureau is the first point of contact for Chainlink vessels as they operate under Biesellite law, local law enforcement may be called upon to handle serious crimes in stationary SCC facilities.

Only humans and Skrell are employed in these positions, though there is talk of employing corporate-owned IPCs as Internal Affairs agents.