Zavodskoi Interstellar
| Zavodskoi Interstellar | |
|---|---|
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| Slogan | Even one matters on the battlefield. |
| Headquarters | Nova Luxembourg, Moroz, Empire of Dominia |
| Chief Executive Officer | Lyudmila Zavodskoi |
| Official Languages | Tradeband, Tau Ceti Basic, Sol Common |
| Official Colours | Black (#363c43), red (#920a0a), brown (#7a6347) |
| Founded | 2259 (as Necropolis Industries)
2462 (as Zavodskoi Interstellar) |
| Founder | Yefim Dementyev (as Necropolis Industries)
Lyudmila Zavodskoi (as Zavodskoi Interstellar) |
| Operating Region | |
Zavodskoi Interstellar, formerly Necropolis Industries, is a weapons and aerospace manufacturing and development conglomerate founded in 2259. Zavodskoi distributes everything from light to heavy arms, space vessel weapons, ship-building, aircraft, ground vehicles, combat spacesuits, and military software. They also produce the Z.I. line of positronics, used for private security and military contracting. As Necropolis Industries, it primarily focused on genetic research and the biosciences; though Zavodskoi continues to have a genetics division, it is vastly outstripped by its competitor Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals.
Since the beginning of the phoron scarcity, Zavodskoi Interstellar has seen a rise in its relevance and profits, as civil unrest grows around the Orion Spur. Its focus on the research and development of weaponry has made it vital to the continued “stability” of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, as well as any other clients that have either purchased or hired their arms. Notably, its continued relationship with the Empire of Dominia has provided the Empire an opportunity for cooperative and profitable business relations with the rest of humanity.
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Corporate Affairs
History
Necropolis Industries was founded in 2259 by Yefim Dementyev, a former aerospace engineer with the Soviet Union. With the Alliance's outer territories beginning to show signs of unrest, the concerns of pan-galactic war were seen as an inevitability. With this in mind, Necropolis' making-a-splash invention was the combat-capable voidsuit. Lighter than a typical space suit and equipped with specialised atmospheric shielding that allowed a soldier to quickly slip in and out of it, the "Dracula" combat voidsuit was nevertheless heavy, cumbersome, and expensive. But the design showed promise, and the Sol Alliance's need for military expansion pushed demand for newer, sleeker versions, which skyrocketed with the outbreak of the Interstellar War.
The years of the Interstellar War saw Dementyev oversee Necropolis branching into weapons and ship armaments, which were often purchased by the similarly-young and upcoming Eridani private military contractors. When the Treaty of Xansan was finally settled, Necropolis had secured a contract with the Solarian military, leading to it supplying the Alliance with guns and its now-iconic "Gargoyle" combat voidsuit.
As 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' focus on gene therapy, xenobiology, and biological limb replacements led them to brief interest from the wider galactic community. While official correspondence pointed to a desire to broaden their sphere of influence and move 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.
However, Dementyev's pursuit was halted by his abrupt death from a septic infection in 2317. His son, Yevgeniy Dementyev, took hold of the company's reigns, and steered it into the twenty-fourth century. During this time, he would bear witness to the contact with the Empire of Dominia by the Alliance. Dementyev the younger 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 Dominia's conquest, but the efforts of its genetic modification.
In 2389, 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. While Necropolis' developments in weapons manufacturing and genetics were profitable, they were being easily outstripped in the manner of shipbuilding by Hephaestus Industries, and left in the dust by Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals. By 2450 Necropolis had become the neglected runner-up of the megacorporations, the stocks of the other major corporate entities far outstripping them. But it was during this time that an information security operative at the company, Tikhon Zavodskoi, quietly recommended his cousin Lyudmila for a position as a weapons researcher. "The woman from Pluto", as she was known, 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. Kasimir Boytsov was accused by the Alliance government of corruption, insider trading, bribery, and supplying the black market with weapons. He denied the accusations, but before a proper case could be brought against him, he collapsed at a press conference, and fell into a coma. The company was sent into turmoil; Boytsov had never named a proper successor, despite his rapidly-advancing age. Lyudmila Zavodskoi had become a surprise contender; 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.
Rather than pursue further genetics work, Zavodskoi Interstellar opted to pursue what it knew how to do better than any other megacorporation in the Orion Spur: military equipment. Three main pillars continue to drive Zavodskoi Interstellar. The largest is its classical military-industrial complex, and a massive amount of humanity's military equipment, ranging from infantry small arms to combat hardsuits to vehicles and much more, are today produced by it or one of its subsidiaries. Confiance Technologies, a recent subsidiary of Zavodskoi Interstellar, is one part of the military-industrial pillar that has even branched out into robotics. Its second pillar, as a result of Ingkom, is 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.
A third, less public, pillar of Zavodskoi Interstellar is its private security force. These officers go wherever Zavodskoi employees go and are known throughout the Orion Spur for their professionalism. According to company representatives, Zavodskoi's security wing is one of the most competitive in the Orion Spur and is trained longer than any other megacorporation's security force. A recent turnover in the highest ranks of the security forces following the rebranding of Necropolis to Zavodskoi has caused some suspicion among third-party observers, but no information has been released on this by Zavodskoi representatives.
Influence and Reputation
As a hiring practice, Zavodski Interstellar finds itself poaching highly skilled workers from the other megacorporations. Workers with Zavodskoi usually flocked to the company to exploit its high pay - the dissolution of several underperforming departments and subsidiaries in more contested markets means that the company can focus and attract industry experts to work on weapons research. Although perfecting 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.
Clients ranging from small colonial militias to interstellar governments trust and rely on the megacorporation for their expertise. In this day and age, Zavodskoi pioneers where others do not by developing and manufacturing the highest-quality niche-function 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.
Zavodskoi Interstellar rarely works alongside Zeng-Hu contractors - 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 sour at best. Although this attitude has lessened with the formation of the SCC, rivalry still occurs. This echoes down to the lowest ranks, as even the common worker can find themselves cheering onto outclassing the opposition. This isn’t an excuse to get fired for trashing your coworker.
Positronics and Zavodskoi Interstellar
In the aftermath of Necropolis Industries' rebranding into Zavodskoi Interstellar, synthetics and 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. Zeng-Hu Mobility and Bishop frames are uncommon, due to the rivalry between Zeng-Hu and Zavodskoi. Meanwhile, Hephaestus Industrial and Xion frames have some prominence within Ingkom and Kumar Arms, helping to engineer ships and weapons of war.
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 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 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.
Prior to striking a deal with Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, the 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, who has no trouble dealing with them despite their differences.
Executives and Branches
Executives
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 His Majesty's Imperial Navy, 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 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'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.
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 grandiose exterior encloses a large research building that is well known for its incredibly high security. It has since rapidly expanded following the move of Zavodskoi Interstellar's main headquarters and has tripled in size. The move brought with it several 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 consist of a black obelisk of a building on the outskirts of the city's dome. 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 10 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
Zavodskoi's corporate security division is among the most expansive in the Spur, and despite being largely cribbed together from Necropolis' old forces, has acquired a new reputation for professionalism and delivered 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, event security, and in some cases, Confiance employees acting as cybersecurity and forensics experts.
In contrast, Zavodskoi's private military excursions have begun to be folded into Falerio Security Services, though it is largely Jadraners and Morozian secondaries recruited. Elsewhere, Zavodskoi private military operations had a significant presence on Mictlan during the Peacekeeper Mandate, supporting Tau Ceti Armed Forces as corporate auxiliaries.
Industrial Science
Weapons Manufacturing
Zavodskoi is the premier manufacturer of personal arms and vessel-class arms in the Orion Spur, and is considered even more prolific in the field than Necropolis Industries was previously. Any entity, from nations to other megacorporations (even Zavodskoi's rival Zeng-Hu), will purchase weaponry from Kumar Arms. Kumar manufactures everything from pistols for the Solarian military to ship guns for their subsidiary, Ingkom, and their armaments are reputed as more reliable (though more expensive) than NanoTrasen. 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.
Shipbuilding
Competing with Einstein Engines and Hephaestus Industries in the field with considerable success, Zavodskoi's subsidiary Ingkom is a source for many weapons shipping and military vessels that primarily collaborate with the Solarian Armed Forces and the Imperial Navy. Despite being a more recent acquisition by the company, purchased after Lyudmila Zavodskoi's ascension to chief executive officer, Ingkom's absorption into the company means Zavodskoi has poached several skilled engineers from its competitors with offers of better pay and security.
Robotics
Zavodskoi purchases its positronics and Shell frames from Einstein Engines, though one of its subsidiaries, Confiance Technologies, manufactures baseline positronic frames used for Z.I. units. Zavodskoi-manufactured Shell frames are also currently in development, though Jaco Du Plessis has admitted in interviews the look of the prototype frames is currently "uncanny" and "not ideal for marketing". Otherwise, ConTech also manufactures prosthetics with a distinctive black and red plating, as well as "realistic" prosthetics for Imperial employees or those who cannot afford the expensive Zeng-Hu synthskin prosthetics. Usually these artificial limbs are simply flesh-toned metal (with over 500 skin tones available), or limbs covered in soft rubber with touch sensors underneath.
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, hardpoint-mounted lasers and ballistic cannons, and reinforced plating.
Genetics
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
Kumar Arms
"The best defense is a Kumar offense."
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. They are one of the most prominent manufacturers of military and police equipment, and supplied much of the Solarian Armed Forces during the Interstellar War. After this burst of growth, however, a series of poor financial decisions led the company to be acquired by Necropolis Industries in 2295. 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, diversifying into military vehicles and batteries for space vessels. It continues to supply not just the Solarian military, but that of the Empire of Dominia as well. 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.
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.
Confiance Technologies
“Have confidence in Confiance.”
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. The military wing produces a great amount of the Sol Alliance Navy's on-board AIs and combat-grade robotics, and does not operate outside of Solarian space due to the sensitive data they handle. ConTec's commercial wing produces non-military equipment, including laptops, watches, and PDAs, and operates across the Spur.
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.
Ingkom
"Pride and prosperity to all."
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.
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.
Falerio Security Services
Chief Executive Officer: Filomena di Falerio, b. 2398
Falerio Security Services was founded by 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 finds itself made up almost exclusively of Ma’zals (non-Morozian citizens of the Empire), most of which have prior service in the Imperial Army. Their primary duties, outside of security of Falerio family assets, involve protection of Zavodskoi assets, though efforts are being made to branch out in service of the Great Houses (particularly Caladius) and outside of the Empire. 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. PMCs employed by Falerio can be recognized by their distinctive uniforms and headgear bearing "IK" -- the initials for "Emperor Keeser" in Jadranic Common.
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.
Corporate Relations
Stellar Corporate Conglomerate
The newly founded Conglomerate’s ties with Zavodskoi are blatant, with a newly founded Corporate Force Projection Fleet bearing weapons, munitions and equipment of Zavodskoi make across the board. From high-end starship pieces to antique small arms, Zavodskoi provides it all, making them a key player in the Conglomerate’s private military forces. This newfound niche 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 are long-enduring rivals, with the two megacorporations competing extensively in industry, manufacturing, robotics and engineering fields for decades. Mutual sabotage and espionage are common between Hephaestus and Zavodskoi, with both corporations having extensively bankrolled privateers, saboteurs and other plausibly deniable agents to sabotage their rivals. As Zavodskoi has expanded into the Empire of Dominia and Hephaestus into the Izweski Hegemony, the Sparring Sea and Badlands have become two of the largest modern battlegrounds for the megacorporations, with corporate-funded pirates commonly targeting one another's vessels. 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, with only the shared threat of the phoron crisis forcing them into cooperation.
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
Synthetics
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. While this briefly continued after Zavodskoi's rise, the expulsion of NanoTrasen and other megacorporations losing much of their stake in the Alliance led to several struggles between state and corporation. The Armed Forces managed to buy out several equipment patents originally jointly owned by them and Zavodskoi, including the original "Gargoyle" voidsuit design. Since then, Zavodskoi remains a large employer within the Alliance, but is vastly outstripped by Einstein Engines and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals.
