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{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Template:Navbox Corporations}}
{{Navbox Human Lore}}
{{Infobox Corporation
 
|headercolor = #920a0a <!--Can be left blank for grey header-->
<center>[[File:Mendell pixel.png]]</center>
|textcolor = white <!--Can be left blank for black text-->
[[File:BieselSolOldFlag.png|thumb|Biesel's flag prior to independence, still sporting the Solarian insignia. The circle in the middle represents Valkyrie, which had not been recognised by the Sol Alliance as a "separate colony or entity", only gaining such after the Republic's declaration. ]]
|name = Zavodskoi Interstellar
'''Biesel''', or [[Tau Ceti]] III, is the capital planet of the [[Republic of Biesel]] and the seat of its power. It was one of the first habitable exoplanets discovered by humanity, seventeen years after the [[Timeline#The Discovery of Warp|development of the Warp Drive]]. As a result of its sustained terraforming effort and colonization, Biesel has become one of the most wealthy and influential planets in human space.
|logo = Zavodskoi_Interestellar
 
|headquarters = Nova Luxembourg, [[Moroz]], [[Empire of Dominia]]
Following the aftermath of the economic collapse of the [[Sol Alliance|Alliance of Sovereign Solarian Nations]], the Federal Republic of Biesel and the Tau Ceti System achieved independence in 2452. Its independence was heavily assisted by [[NanoTrasen]], and Biesel continues to be the main base of operations for the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] in the aftermath of the establishment of the Solarian Corporate Authority, which saw NanoTrasen expelled from Sol territories entirely.
|slogan = Even one matters on the battlefield.
|languages = Tradeband, Tau Ceti Basic, Sol Common
|ceo = [[Notable Humans#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 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. Most notably, its continued relationship with the [[Empire of Dominia]] has given the Imperial Fleet the legitimacy to carve out territory in the Badlands, and provided it an opportunity for at least somewhat cooperative business relations with the rest of humanity.
{{TOC Hidden}}
{{TOC Hidden}}
==History==
== Corporate Affairs ==


===Colonisation===
=== History ===


Tau Ceti had long been suspected by astronomers to be a home to super-Earths; Earth-like planets with a larger mass that boasted a similar climate. In 2140, this suspicion was confirmed with the first clear views of Tau Ceti III. The central government of the Sol Alliance, in the wake of energy shortages and the need for helium-3, began construction on a massive colony ship, the SAEV Winterbottom, with the intent to build a fully self-sufficient colony on Tau Ceti III. Owing to the expense of helium-3 at the time, the Alliance knew that the journey would be a one-way trip.
Founded in 2259 by Yefim Dementyev, Necropolis Industries (now Zavodskoi Interstellar) grew on the back of an innovative invention: the combat-capable voidsuit. Even though they were initially heavy, cumbersome, and expensive, demand for better versions led to the polished versions we know today. The demand for space-capable armour skyrocketed with the outbreak of the First Interstellar War. In the years following the war, Necropolis became heavily involved in gene modification technology and biological experimentation. They were associated with the Empire of Dominia's efforts during this period rather than the Nralakk Federation like their main competitor: Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals. A brief period of fame was briefly enjoyed by them in the area of gene therapy, biological replacement limbs, and DNA manipulation. Wise financial decisions have ensured their dominance of arms procurement all across the Orion Spur, especially in the Sol Alliance. Weapons such as the energy machete, pulse rifles, and sonic weapons have fueled their continued dominance of the weapons market. Some detractors claim that in recent years they have delved secretly into bio-weaponry and atmospheric weapons, but this has always been denied by the company’s representatives.
Necropolis was disadvantaged by Nralakk investments in Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, which rendered its own genetic advances rapidly irrelevant, and soon realized its genetics partner - the Empire of Dominia - was nowhere near the level of the Nralakk Federation. As a result, Necropolis Industries rebranded itself as Zavodskoi Interstellar following massive cuts to its genetics division and a desire to move away from the less-than-stellar reputation of Necropolis, which had come to have its brand name associated with rumours of unethical biological experiments and potential terrorist financing.
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.


The construction of the Ulysses was completed in 2152. The Alliance appointed six researchers and brilliant minds to lead the expedition and colonisation efforts of the ship; former German military pilot and astrophysicist Peter Diezel, Congolese medical researcher Pascalline Kete, Soviet-Canadian engineer Nataliya Kerenkova, American chief of security Kellen Carver, Vietnamese botanist Le Hsung Tran, and American geologist Lester Grant. The rest of the population of the colony ship was selected from carefully vetted volunteers of all variety of professions, from architects, miners, chefs, and farmers.
=== Influence and Reputation ===


Much of the Winterbottom's year-long journey was spent with the crew in cryosleep. It was on October 24th, 2147, that the ship touched down on Biesel for the first time in the area that would become Mendell City. Colonisation and construction efforts went underway, as the researchers gradually began to map out the lay of the planet's surface, weather, and its precious minerals.
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.  


Biesel's name comes from the early months of 2148, as the colonists were beginning to settle in; chief of security Carver, who had dyslexia and was known among the crew for his spelling errors, wrote a notice to Dr. Diezel in which his surname was misspelt "Biesel". The moniker became an inside joke amongst the colony's leaders for years until it was time to rechristen Tau Ceti III in 2159.
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.


The colony continued to grow and expand throughout the later decades of the 22nd century. As ground zero, later renamed Mendell City, grew and expanded, colonists began to focus their efforts on forming other homesteads across the planet's surface. Cape Town was the second population centre to be established on the planet, a source of fresh water and further research on the planet's climate. Phoenixport, Ashton, and Craterview would soon follow.
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.


It was during this era that the mass hunting campaigns of the common barker began. Much reviled for their tendency to chew on wires and through wooden walls, colonists began hunting the rodent-like creatures for meat and the colonial government pushed an "anti-barker" advertisement campaign in 2175. This massive reduction in population of the rodents led to a slow but steady restructuring of Biesel's, and particularly Astraeus's, ecology. As [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] undertook efforts to revitalise Earth's biosphere, many endangered species that had existed in captivity or in protected areas prior to Biesel's colonisation were transported to Tau Ceti and introduced to the planet. The similar climate allowed species such as the bald eagle, the grey wolf, the Kermode (or spirit) bear, and the Atlantic salmon to thrive, while many native species such as the trellfish (an aquatic animal similar to a gar) and the gwyr (a quadrupedal ungulate) neared extinction. Even today, the majority of Biesel's wildlife originate from Earth rather than the planet itself.
=== Positronics and Zavodskoi Interstellar ===


=== The 23rd Century and the Interstellar War ===
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.


New Year's 2200 brought myriad changes to Biesel. The last original leader of the Winterbottom, Nataliya Kerenkova, died peacefully in her sleep a few hours after the clock struck twelve. The colonial governor at the time, 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, and those who were avoidant of the harsh conditions of [[New Gibson]] and [[Valkyrie]] settled instead on Biesel.
Newly implemented and with some in the company opposed to their presence, Zavodskoi positronics face systemic fragility within Zavodskoi Interstellar. 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.


The next two decades saw the founding of Belle Côte, Scottsdan, and Portsville as major population centres. In 2207, [[Hephaestus Industries]] established its first shipbuilding dock in Portsville, beginning Biesel's long history of megacorporate influence. As well, 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 in Mendell City and Cape City. 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.
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.


=== The 24th Century and NanoTrasen in Biesel ===
'''It is expected for research and security Zavodskoi Interstellar IPCs to adopt the prefix Z.I. followed by their designation. An example of this formatting is Z.I. Name.'''


It was not until [insert year], when NanoTrasen, up till then a biotechnical company, discovered Phoron along the outer edges of the system, within the Romanovich Cloud. It was this discovery that cemented Biesel's position as the richest system within the Orion Spur, dethroning the home system of humanity. Phoron became the primary fuel for interstellar travel, and NanoTrasen profited alongside the system. The megacorporation already held signficant influence over the still Solarian system, but now it had a stranglehold monopoly over it, as well as one of the most influential megacorporations within the spur.
=== Vaurcae ===


It was NanoTrasen's influence that allowed the system to find it's independence from the Solarian State - as in [year] during the midsts of a recession, NanoTrasen presented an ultimatum to the Solarian Government that would secure Biesel's independence - had the Solarian State turned them down, NanoTrasen would have crashed the markets further, resulting in another depression. Since then Sol, especially it's military, has seen the independence of biesel as a mistake, and have twice made attempts to recapture the territory against the wishes of the Solarian Government itself.
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.  


Since it's independence the young republic has transformed in many ways, facing challenges as they come, but it has been unable to shake the influence of corporations, continually relying on them for many things. Today in the wake of the phoron scarcity, it stands bigger than ever despite an unclear future, yet this size has not come without its issues. The young republic has compromised on many of its beliefs; oppressing those found in the corporate reconstruction zone and restricted freedom. The fog of time obscures what lies in store for the republic, but they go forward none the less, as idealists.
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.


=== Recent Events ===
==Executives and Branches==
Biesel has been the subject of many recent happenings within the Orion Spur, primarily due to its position as the richest system, and the domination of NT over the Republic. The following events are in chronological order.
===Executives===
[[File:LyudmilaZavodskoi.png|thumb|Lyudmila Zavodskoi, CEO of Zavodskoi Interstellar.]]


* Something x, y, z
'''Chief Security Officer: Kamilla Strelitz, Human, 35'''


== Environment ==
Advisor, and seen as the second-in-command of Lyudmila Zavodskoi, Kamilla Strelitz was only recently promoted to their position after the recent rebranding of the corporation. Kamilla has shown her aptitude for her position through the continued success of campaigns initiated by Zavodskoi Interstellar, despite commanding the company’s largest sector of personnel. She is known among the ranks as being belligerent and leaves little room for failure. Those that fail to achieve the standards set often find themselves personally experiencing the wrath of Kamilla Strelitz, enough to make desensitized men cry. Despite her “cheerful” personality, she is considered to be a close friend of the company’s CEO, almost guaranteed to be by her side when Lyudmila is in public.  
[[File:BieselV3.png|400px|thumb|right|A labeled map depicting Biesel.]]
Biesel is a planet slightly larger than [[Earth]], with a more temperate climate that ranges from oceanic to tropical. It takes thirty-five days for the planet to make a full orbit around its star, and its rotational period is twenty-two hours. Its icecaps on its poles are far smaller than that of [[Persepolis]], another Earth-like exoplanet, and it has very limited deserts at its equator. Snow is rare on Biesel, with its winter seasons being marked by cold rains. As such, most coastal cities on Biesel are fortified to reduce infrastructural damage from flooding, particularly in the aftermath of the Great Craterview Flood in 2225. Despite flood risks, there is very little risk of tsunamis on Biesel because of almost non-existent tectonic activity. In the summer, tropical storms form with a similar frequency to Earth, but because of the smaller land area, the tropical storms can be much stronger. Many coastal cities have detection systems that sound an alarm if the correct atmospheric conditions are met.


The planet has a rich resource base, attributed to a collision with a large celestial body early in its development. From the time Biesel was colonized, geologists have been studying Peterdiezel Crater closely. According to theories, the crater was created by the collision of a moon with the planet. This collision not only brought Biesel's moon, Valkyrie, into existence, but also created a wealth of resources. A part of Valkyrie is thought to be Biesel, while the other is thought to be the celestial body responsible for creating Peterdiezel Crater.
'''Chief Research Officer: Jaco Du Plessis, Human, 52'''


===Florae and Faunae===
Having previously been one of few top scientists with Zeng Hu Pharmaceuticals, Jaco Du Plessis was poached by Zavodskoi Interstellar shortly after the rebranding of the corporation. He is vocal regarding his stunted growth with his prior employer, advocating for those with ambitions to instead fill the ranks of Zavodskoi Interstellar, promising a fulfilment within the corporation they couldn’t get elsewhere. Despite his position as Chief Research Officer, some consider him instead to be the “face” of the corporation, often unveiling projects spearheaded by himself mostly through Confiance Technologies. Similarly to Kamilla Strelitz, he holds his personnel to a high standard, expecting them to either “be all in, or find employment elsewhere”.


In the years after the initial touchdown of the SAEV Ulysses, a number of Earth-originating species were introduced to Biesel's biosphere in the 2160s. Many of the species introduced to Biesel were endangered in their native environment on Earth; prior to the independence of Biesel, the colony had a "wildlife exchange agreement" with the government of Earth, in which species that had exploded in population on Biesel would have some of their number trapped and sent back to Earth as the planet's biosphere gradually recovered.
'''Chief Risk Officer: Tikhon Zavodskoi, Human, 68'''


As Biesel's general clime was similar to the Pacific Northwest of North America, many of its Earth-born species originate from there. The grey wolf, reindeer, and bald eagle's introduction to Biesel, while allowing the species to flourish, contributed to the rapid endangerment of the native white-breasted lakesurfer, an avian similar to a loon, and the barker, a large rodent. While the lakesurfer was placed under protection and preserved in several wildlife reserves in the early 2200s, the barker gained no such protection. Many biologists attribute this to the annoyance posed by barkers in the early days of colonisation, when it was common to have equipment burrowed into and wires chewed by barkers.
One of few remnants of Boytsov’s reign, Tikhon Zavodskoi has managed to remain in his position as Chief Risk Officer for almost a decade. Considered to be an astute, sharp-witted individual that has successfully managed to fend the wolves off, despite the decaying nature of the company before being rebranded. Many consider his continued presence merely due to his familial relationship with Lyudmila Zavodskoi, but she has reassured that despite being her cousin, Tikhon would be undoubtedly useful to the continued perseverance of Zavoidskoi Interstellar. Tikhon is very rarely seen outside of the company’s corporate facilities, if he is it’s often with his cousin.


Other notable species that have thrived on Biesel are the Kermode bear and the North Atlantic and North Pacific salmon. The Kermode bear, popularly known as the spirit bear, was at risk of losing its habitat in the Pacific Northwest due to declining numbers of salmon. The bear and the fish were initially introduced to northern Eos, around Griff's Lake and Lonely Lake, and reached sustainable population levels over the course of three decades, to the delight of biologists and fishers alike. The development of the town of Lakeside into Top of the World has led to concerns from locals about the Kermode bear's habitat and its disruption, and pollutants from the underwater fusion reactor that may harm the development of spawning salmon.
===Branches===


<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''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.
==== Notable Native Florae and Faunae ====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">


* '''White-breasted lakesurfer''' (''Haliolaevus seleni''): The official bird of Biesel, and one of its most iconic animals. The lakesurfer is an aquatic bird that primarily inhabits the content of Selene and Lake Tricord. It is a broad, black and white bird with a distinctive blue stripe along a short head crest or "mohawk". Prior to their protection, they were typically preyed on by bald eagles introduced to the Biesel biosphere.
'''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.  
* '''Common barker''' (''Ulosmarmota vulgaris''): A rodent-like animal with a long tail, similar in size to a muskrat. They have brown, shaggy fur, long incisors, and a distinctive danger cry or "bark" that earned them their name. Barkers are an endangered species on Biesel, and are rare to find outside of the forests and mountainous regions of the continents.
* Selenian moth (Lasiodoptera disstrium): A moff


</div></div>
'''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.


=== Continents ===
'''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.
====Astraeus====


Astraeus is the most affluent of Biesel's three continents and is home to the capital, Mendell City. Even today, it remains the most heavily populated area in Biesel, largely due to the availability of natural resources and the low-lying plains that were easily colonized by early settlers. Many of their homesteads soon turned into cities, dotting the landscape around the two mountain ranges in the north, the Grattle, and in the south, the Uratines. In its long history, the Grattle range has evolved from a mining zone to a destination recognized for its top-performing ski resort that can lure visitors from the furthest reaches of Orion Spur.
'''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.


Astraeus' major population centres are '''Mendell City''' and '''Cape City'''.
==Subsidiaries==
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Kumar Arms===
<i>"The best defense is a Kumar offense."</i>


==== Selene ====
'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Freia Salsnivna, b. 2438


The second-largest continent of Biesel, Selene, is situated north of Astraeus. In spite of its size, Selene is the continent with the lowest population density of the three, with almost all of its inhabitants living in coastal towns. Those not biding their time on the coasts are usually tending the inland plains that often are lined with farmsteads. The Greatkrag range that runs across Selene has come to symbolize the Biesel Escarpment, an area consisting of steep slopes that transition into arctic plateaus, which entice those seeking to escape civilization.
Kumar Arms is considered the backbone of Zavodskoi Interstellar, founded in the Soviet Union by Ilya Kumarvna, 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.
 
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Selene's major population centres are '''Phoenixport''', '''Ashton''', and '''Belle Côte'''.
==== Major Brands ====
 
* '''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.
==== Eos ====
* '''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 cannon designed for corvette-class vessels at the smallest, the Lammergeier has been used to explosive effect on the Imperial Fleet's corvettes assigned to the Badlands. Smaller than its 406mm cousin the Longbow, the Lammergeier is nevertheless 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.
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===Confiance Technologies===
<i>“Have confidence in Confiance.”</i>


The largest continent of the three, Eos resides mostly within the eastern hemisphere of Biesel and is the most industrialized. The large amount of coastal flatlands, supplied by rugged inlands, rich with minerals and resources of all varieties has led to most of the cities doting Eos to form along with the two major mountain ranges. They are the northern Latra range, which is heavily mined for its abundance of copper and iron, and the southern Sevul range, mined for its large quantities of heavy metals. Eos is also known for its sports fanatics, who host regular tournaments between the major population centres on Biesel.
'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Ilya Moules-Polorov, b. 2422


Eos' major population centres are '''Portsville''', '''Scottsdan''', '''New Marfa''' and the recently-developed community '''Top of the World''' and its sister town, '''Lakeside'''.
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.
 
==Economy==
 
Biesel's economy is greatly supplied by its rich, fertile land, used to grow crops. Fresh produce grown on Biesel is shipped all around the [[Tau Ceti]] system, and sometimes is shipped as far as the [[Republic of Elyra]] and the [[Coalition of Colonies]]. In its early days as a colony, fresh water from lakes and ponds was drained and shipped back to the [[Sol Alliance]] after climate disasters had rendered a great deal of [[Earth]]'s water supply unpotable; today, Getmore still markets water from Biesel's lakes as "the freshest in the [[Orion Spur]]". As well, the service economy on Biesel is established to cater to its large population of foreign workers; Idris caters (and exploits) thousands of new hires to megacorporations by marketing their restaurants and fast-food chains around Idris spaceports.
 
Most of the [[megacorporations]] have a full branch in District One of Mendell City, and perform many operations on the planet. While every one of the "Big Five" has a stake in Biesel somewhere, the ones most influential locally are NanoTrasen, Idris Incorporated, and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals. NanoTrasen and Idris account for the vast majority of corporate-run restaurants, hotels, and bars on the planet; even independent businesses likely cooperate or share their stocks in part with the two. While Biesel's healthcare system is ostensibly state-run, in practice many hospitals and clinics loan equipment from NanoTrasen and Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals. Almost all research into phoronics, genetics, and robotics is connected or funded by NanoTrasen or the keiretsu's subsidiaries.
 
The major trade port that is Biesel is propped up by the shipping efforts of [[Hephaestus Industries]] and more recently, [[Orion Express]]. [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] also assists in the purchase and transport of weapons brought to the Republic's capital, usually manufactured in the [[Empire of Dominia]] or on [[New Suez]]. Extraction of Biesel's rich deposits of helium-3 is also managed by Hephaestus Industries, and sold all across the Spur– even to the Sol Alliance.
 
== Culture and Demographics ==
 
Biesel is the birthplace for much of [[Biesellite Culture and Society|Tau Cetian culture]]. For the most part Biesellites tend to be amenable towards the heavy corporate involvement in their government, or even desensitized to it; the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]]'s role in social safety nets, well-paying jobs, and entertainment, reinforcing the image of their necessity and the overall pro-corporate sentiment among Biesellites. As a general rule, pro-corporate sentiment tends to lessen the farther one is away from Mendell City; Lakeside, in particular, has protested against the massive developments in their area to build the community of Top of the World.
 
A strong sense of individualism and duty permeate Biesel culture; many citizens have a positive view of the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]], even after the controversies surrounding the Peacekeeper Mandate. Some citizens regarded the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion as a better example of Biesellite duty and strength, and have taken the view that the expansion of the Armed Forces means the Republic is moving in a more war-like, jingoistic direction. Despite the popularity of the Armed Forces, however, the [[Hasta La Victoria Siempre Arc|2465 protests]] in Zhèngfǔ District have shown that support may be dwindling for Biesel's involvement in the [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]].
 
=== Aliens on Biesel ===
 
''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, and particularly Biesel itself, has among the most diverse and widespread populations of non-human species in the entire Orion Spur. Biesellite humans are no stranger to aliens in their streets, though ignorance, speciesism, and xenophobia are still common from humans to aliens, aliens to humans, and aliens to other aliens. As the Republic gains an identity away from the Alliance, alien influence has begun to permeate Biesel's culture more and more, to the chagrin of some and the acceptance of others.
 
=== Synthetics on Biesel ===
''See also: [[IPCs in Biesel]]''
 
Though Biesel is a beacon of hope and relative safety for synthetics, their position in society still remains a precarious one, both from a financial and a security standpoint. Freedom, and even citizenship, for integrated positronic chassis has firmly been established and is something the Republic takes pride in. Either through labour, negotiations, the goodwill of their owners or other occasions, IPCs may find themselves free from ownership, able to pursue their own destiny as independent individuals. Unfortunately for many, such destiny usually involves a hard and at times, short existence.
 
Free IPCs are afforded few actual opportunities to improve their lives, existing in a grey area between the relative stability of corporate owned assets, and the solidified protection of the state for citizens. With the recent introduction of the Synthetic Residence Card by the government, free synthetics are able to more clearly and safely navigate through the process of staying in Tau Ceti, finding employment, owning property, and more. While free IPCs were previously allowed to own property without a card, they have been grandfathered in.
 
For many free IPCs, citizenship is viewed as the ultimate goal in integrating into society. Citizenship entitles an IPC to increased legal protections, almost, if not on par with that of a natural-born human citizen, including complete protection as well as legal representation from being owned ever again. NanoTrasen and its subsidiaries are also obligated to pay IPC citizens working for it an equal wage as compared to humans. This compensation typically comes in the form of increased benefits such as repairs, insurance, and a pension, as opposed to a simple wage increase however. They also pay the same tax rate as regular citizens and no longer have to maintain the residency fee.
 
=== Entertainment ===
 
*'''Peterdiezel Boat Racing''' is an annual competition that begins in Craterview. The race is a three-day excursion and is usually recorded through observation drones following the individual boats racing against the clock. There are several routes all across Peterdiezel Crater, some more dangerous than others. While anyone can participate, most of the competitors are city teams such as the Mendell City Boat Club or the Cape Cods.
 
*'''Eos Sporting Tournaments''' are an annually held, international series of sporting events in which megacorporation-sponsored athletes participate in competitions involving human and alien sports. Every team or participant will represent a corporation during the competitions. Due to the corporate nature of the event, every participant must be employed in the megacorporation they represent. It is common for corporations to offer better salaries and benefits to notorious athletes in an attempt to poach them from their original employers. Games are usually hosted in any of Eos' cities except New Marfa.
 
*'''Belle Cote Fashion Show''' is a series of designer presentations held annually in Belle Cote. Sponsored by Idris, a variety of venues are used throughout the city to display the best-performing styles and themes of the year. Both Chief Executive Officers of Caishen Jewellers and Le Soleil Royal are regular hosts of the show, their fashion lines the staple of the event.
 
=== Festivals and Celebrations ===
 
*'''Republic Day''' (also known to some as Xavier’s Gala) is a holiday which commemorates the declaration of independence of Tau Ceti from the Solarian Alliance.  The crippling economic recession experienced by the Solarian Alliance allowed the Republic of Biesel to leverage their independence, and ultimately be awarded it. It is hosted on May 5th of each year, and usually involves total rejection of both Solarians and Megacorporations. Fireworks, parades, fairs and concerts are often commonly associated with Republic Day.
 
*'''Tribuisti de Colonis''', or Festival of the Settlers, is a massive Carnival celebration marking Biesel’s colonization. The festivities usually begin on the third Friday of October, through to the Sunday. Mendell City has become the most well-known celebrator of the festival, parading through the streets of the various districts with eccentric clothing and massive floats (usually of the planet’s native species). Other popular cities include Craterview, which celebrates the festival with dazzling fireworks and displays of lights, and Belle Cote, which throws its annual fashion show over the weekend the festival takes place.
 
*'''Heritage Day''' is a holiday that recognizes and celebrates the cultural wealth of the Republic of Biesel. Celebrations differ from person to person and usually depends on their cultural heritage and the remembrance of such. Some believe the wearing of cultural garments is enough, while others may partake in cultural festivities hosted across Tau Ceti. It is usually held every September 24th.
 
==Mendell City==
 
'''Mendell City''' is the capital of Biesel, and one of the most affluent cities in the [[Orion Spur]]. It is a massive city, home to billions of sophonts, and stretches out for roughly thirty-thousand square kilometres. Each of the [[megacorporations]] have headquarters in District One, and the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] is based in Mendell City. The city itself contains a mix of structures, ranging from kilometer high skyscrapers covering a dozen city blocks to almost serene suburbs, all wrapped into the city’s urban sprawl.
 
Mendell City is the hub of trade throughout the Republic, with trillions of credits flowing through the electronic stock markets in the business sector - whether in private transactions or on the trade floor. While few in Mendell live in abject poverty and the city's social safety network is largely supported by the megacorporations, the cost of living can grow exponentially, and low-income neighbourhoods are most commonly populated by non-humans. Higher education, in particular, is expensive and difficult to pay for unless one earns a scholarship from one of the corporations on the condition the student in question works for the corporation in question.
 
Mendell City is divided into fifteen administrative districts:
 
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=== District 1-4 ===
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'''District 1'''
==== Major Brands ====
 
* '''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]].
'''Zhèngfǔ District:''' The centre of Mendell, District 1 is home to the Mendell City Hall and the headquarters of most major megacorporations. NanoTrasen's Biesel headquarters sit adjacent to City Hall, with the towering two-hundred story skyscraper among the tallest buildings in the city. At the centre of the City Hall square, the Xavier Trasen memorial statue marks not only one of Biesel's greatest innovators, but also the original touchdown site of the SAEV Ulysses.
* '''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.  
 
'''District 2'''
 
'''Phoenix Park:''' One of the most wealthy and affluent areas in Mendell City, Phoenix Park is a large commercial district, home to several malls, retail outlets, and department stores. The district is bordered by a massive nature reserve (also called Phoenix Park), holding some of the few remaining original species of Biesel. High-ranking corporate executives typically hold apartments here.
 
'''District 3'''
 
'''Xinghua Prefecture:''' A small district that makes extremely efficient use of its space, this district is almost solely populated by large apartment and condominium complexes with some limited space designated for office complexes. Many corporations have employee housing in this district, due to the inexpensive cost of maintaining an apartment building in Xinghua. As of the Republic's most recent census in 2460, Xinghua is the most populous area of Mendell City. Anybody can be found here, though the vast majority of the population is human.
 
'''District 4'''
 
'''Abaster Fields:''' A gated suburb to the west of the city, largely home to various estate properties and mansions of the affluent. Due to exorbitant costs associated with moving into Abaster Fields, the district isn't heavily populated, but remains an influential district due to its wealth. Many high-ranking corporate and diplomatic officials can be found here, often living in expensive mansions designed to show off their wealth to the Republic's citizenry.
 
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=== District 5-9 ===
===Ingkom===
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<i>"Pride and prosperity to all."</i>


'''District 5'''
'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Hanru De Beers


'''Homewood:''' A large suburb on the eastern side of the city, with an artificial river built coming in from Severson's Rift. Home to the medium-upper and upper class families, this district is considered to be "almost as good as" Abaster Fields by its residents. Those with the wealth to live in Abaster Fields do not share the same opinion. Homewood's residents are often the middle echelon of corporate facilities, typically the leaders of a department that are rich enough to move out of the city itself, but not rich enough to move into Abaster Fields.
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 the nation and its aggressive expansion into Southern Africa, and its interference in Central Africa. Initially a state-owned enterprise was 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 lifted, allowed them to prosper and expand into the international market - mostly through Zavodskoi’s acquiring of the corporation as a subsidiary in 2463.
 
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''District 6'''
==== Major Brands ====
 
'''Imperial Plaza or [[Little Adhomai]]:''' The Imperial Plaza, nicknamed "Little Adhomai" due to its primarily [[Tajara|Tajaran]] population, has one of the highest crime rates in Mendell City. Gang violence, domestic disturbances, and drug trafficking are prevalent, and the district is not widely trafficked by those who reside outside of it. It has become a well-established centre of Tajaran culture in Tau Ceti.
 
'''District 7'''
 
'''Vega de Rosa:''' Vega de Rosa is an entertainment district home to casinos, nightclubs, bars, and theatres. At the centre of the district are its most expensive and elite clubs - with the Eridanian-operated Sa Majesté Musa regarded as the peak of Vega de Rosa. Reputed quality decreases as one heads out from the centre, with the lowest-quality venues barely scraping by on the outskirts of Vega de Rosa. This district shares a border with District Six, and the Vega de Rosa side of the border features a significant amount of Tajara-run casinos known for their quality and low cost.
 
'''District 8'''
 
'''Lekan District or [[Starlight Zone]]:''' Named after the City Commissioner Lekan Mugabe, who commissioned the development of the district, Lekan is an industrial centre housing the bulk of fusion power plants and water treatment plants of the city. This district is located on the shores of Severson's Rift, with multiple ports operating there. The district also houses massive recycling centres that neatly and efficiently sort through the thousands of tons of trash generated by the city. In recent years, the district now finds themselves at the middle of a [[Skrell]] refugee crisis.
 
'''District 9'''
 
'''[[Flagsdale]]:''' Also known as Vaur’xoer (‘The City Upside-down’), Flagsdale holds the largest concentration of Vaurcae in Mendell. Originally an unpopulated industrial slum, it has been largely repurposed by Vaurcae and mainly the Zo’ra Hive. The lack of streetlights and maze-like streets, many with debris or abandoned cars blocking them, make it hard for Mendell City Police to navigate and keep order. This, alongside the famine conditions, stranded Queenless Vaurcae, and illegal k’ois pits have made it largely a growing ground for disease, poverty and crime.  


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=== District 10-15 ===
=== Falerio Security Services ===
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'''District 10'''
'''Chief Executive Officer:''' Filomena di Falerio
 
'''Republic's Landing:''' A large commercial district taking advantage of the multiple civilian shuttleports in the area. It has two amusement parks, ports for orbital cruise ships, various museums and other tourist attractions, and the world's largest hotel, the Crimson Heights. It has a direct maglev link to Districts five and three. A significant amount of Republic's Landing is zoned for residential development, with those that can afford or (or need the convenience) living here to avoid most of the commute to its shuttleports. District 10 is home to a significant Th'akh Unathi population, as it is home to the exiled monks of the [[Unathi_Abroad#Mendell_City_-_The_Akhanzi_Exiles|Akhanzi Order]].
 
'''District 11'''
'''Eleven:''' The result of urban sprawl and low-income housing, this district is regarded as the worst district in Mendell aside from districts nine. Along with district six, "Eleven" claims the dubious honor of possessing one of Mendell City's highest rates of violent crime. Gangs and criminal enterprise rule the abandoned streets, and many of the buildings are derelict structures. Attempts to revitalize this forgotten district have fallen flat, with legislation dedicated to revitalization and those dedicated to reforming the district not lasting long in Mendell City's municipal government. [[NanoTrasen]] often recruits entry-level staff from this district and houses them on the Odin in a mutually beneficial move; the new employee is "rescued" by their corporate benefactors, and NanoTrasen gets a fanatically loyal employee. [[Dionae_Clusters#The_Biesellian_Choir|A large community of Dionae live within District 11]], alongside the Eternal Temple. District 11 is also home to several [[Unathi]] criminal organizations, with the Aut'akh [[Aut'akh#The_Razortail_Enclave,_"the_Ruffians"|Razortail Enclave]] and the gang known as the [[Unathi_Abroad#Mendell_City_-_The_Bastard_Hatchlings|Bastard Hatchlings]] being the two most notable.
 
'''District 12'''
 
'''Xavier District:''' District 12 is one of the largest gathering of intellectual properties in human space. This single district has over twenty-five universities, fifteen colleges, thirty high schools, four training centers, and three NanoTrasen research facilities, as well as other corporate research laboratories. Xavier District is officially classed as a residential district, a measure proposed by NanoTrasen's liaison on City Council. Some suspect the lower property taxes in residential zones was perhaps the reason behind this. Formerly known as the Think Tank, this district was renamed in remembrance of Xavier Trasen shortly after the corporation firmly entrenched itself in the system.
 
'''District 13'''
 
'''Bullard Avenue:''' Although this northern district is much larger than the single avenue it is named for, Bullard Avenue is the economic centre of Mendell City. This district home to large banking centres, the Mendell City Stock market, and other finance institutions that help drive the commerce of one of the Orion Spur's wealthiest systems. Although the majority of the district is designated commercial properties, there are some residential complexes to be found here that are typically rented to those who work within the district. Many of the apartment buildings here are populated by Idris Incorporated employees and the IPCs that follow them everywhere, with service-model shells being a common sight.
 
'''District 14'''
 
'''New Detroit or The Scrapheap:''' An industrial district that houses a large portion of automated factories. Due to the recent embargo by the [[Sol Alliance]], the district has fallen on hard times as material shortages have reduced industrial output as the City attempts to stimulate growth through subsidizing domestic material production of plasteel through NanoTrasen to replace the other materials. The area has a large IPC community within it which is heavily discriminated against. The Trinary Perfection, a synthetic-centric religion, has a major presence here.
 
'''District 15'''
 
'''Jie District:''' The district where the majority of the city's low-income housing is located, this district is located on the outskirts of Mendell City but is not designated a suburb like D4 or D5. Before it was turned into subsidized housing, this area of the city was a location where displaced refugees of the First Interstellar War resided. This district was formerly known as the Suo District, named after the Sol Alliance admiral Wen Suo, however, this district was renamed after the Republic Navy Admiral Zheng Jie who grew up in this district following independence. Despite its patriotic name pro-Solarian sentiment is high the Jie District, which often feels abandoned by the Republic of Biesel in general.


Born from the Eridani PMCs that first secured her holdings, Falerio Security Services was founded by [[Novi Jadran|Novi Jadranic]] Duchess Filomena di Falerio to continue their work, but using the (comparatively cheaper) local populace. Since then it has grown into a large and capable contractor that enjoys an excellent relationship with the Imperial Army, typically picking up assignments that are deemed too low priority for Army assistance. Headquartered on Novi Jadran, Falerio Security Services finds itself made up almost exclusively of Ma’zals (especially Jadraners), most of which have prior service in the armed forces. Their primary duties, outside of security of Falerio family assets, involve protection of Zavodskoi assets and House Caladius vessels. But creating a hint of tension between the Army and Falerio is the growing amount of Jadranics that see the PMC as a far more viable opportunity to pay off their Mo'ri'zal; some high-ranking Imperial officers have expressed concern that Falerio's venture has jeopardised the loyalty of the planet's Ma'zals.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
==== Structure ====
Perhaps due to the prior presence of Xanu Defense Services and Jackal Incorporated, the Empire has always been reluctant to branch into the [[Private Military Contracting Group]].
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=== Public Transportation ===
== Corporate Relations ==
 
===[[Einstein Engines]]===
==== Mendell City Metro ====
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.
 
The Mendell City Metro runs beneath the city’s fifteen districts, capable of carrying hundreds of thousands of people a day. It is a well-known avenue of public transportation, and it is the most utilized out of the other possibilities hosted within Mendell City. Hephaestus Industries and NanoTrasen have an ongoing deal with the Republic of Biesel regarding subsidized ticket fees for their employees and the sizes of both megacorporations mean the Mendell City Metro is one of the more congested public transportation options as well. Vagrants within the city often host themselves within the discontinued tunnels of the Mendell City Metro, some even referring to them as underground shanty towns due to the sheer size of some of the communities.  
 
==== Shuttleports ====
 
Shuttleports are a necessary part of life on Biesel, especially Mendell City. Megacorporations have dozens of facilities hosted within the clutches of the void, resulting in many of their employees having to utilize shuttles in order to attend to their careers. Shuttleports are incredibly large and operate similar to what an airport would - including separate wings for arrivals and departures, with round-the-clock displays of their expected times. Leisure tickets for shuttles aren’t cheap, and multiple rides can come at quite a cost. However, shuttles used exclusively to attend to places of employment are often heavily subsidized, and can even be said to be affordable for janitors. 
 
==== Interdistrict Highway ====
 
The Interdistrict Highway was a project implemented by President Joseph Dorn early on in his presidential term and was introduced to decrease congestion building upon the smaller roads across the fifteen districts. It wraps around a significant portion of Mendell City and allows for smooth travelling for those with their own personal vehicles - with a small fee at tollbooths. Those without a personal vehicle can ride the Interdistrict Route, the cheapest public transportation option available to those living in Mendell City, that utilizes several hundred buses to ferry their passengers across the districts.


==== Severson’s Ferry ====
===[[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.


The Severson’s Ferry is a vestige of what was previously an interconnected system throughout Mendell City, using districts with harbours as pick-up points - sometimes even transporting passengers across the rift to Phoenixport. The availability of other means of public transport almost rendered it defunct, but the revival of Phoenixport - and the flooding of refugees into Mendell City - has seen it rise to popularity once again. Despite the rivalry between Einstein Engines’ Phoenixport and the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s Mendell City, the industry is busy as of late, with tourism continuing to climb.
===[[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.


==Other Major Cities==
===[[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.


'''Cape City:''' Otherwise known as the “City of Splendor” by many Biesellites, is a city focused heavily on entertainment, production of holovids, and exorbitant tourist attractions. Situated around and on the side of Mount Nevermeet in the midst of the Cape Sea, the entertainment centre sits comfortably by scenic vistas, large themed resorts, and studios for filming and recording. However, due to unique labor laws, it has gained a bad reputation among non-humans for being exploitative and predatory in their practices. Any xenos looking to gain entry into fields like animation, studio production, acting, and the like face harsh stereotypes and discrimination, poorer qualities of living, and shop and drop contracts (hiring someone, forcing them to work an unusually high amount of hours a week, then “dropping” them if they protest or request different hours after a short period contract expires). Nonetheless, Cape City is on the up-and-up, and only time will tell its rise to the intergalactic stage as a media giant or not.
===[[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.


'''Phoenixport:''' In a similar way to Mendell City, Selene's capital, Phoenixport, is located along the inner coast of its continent along Severson's Rift. After rebranding as a "successor" to Mendell City, the city gained prominence and briefly achieved its goal. Phoenixport was briefly successful, but fell off the radar and eventually became a breeding ground for nefarious behaviour. In another effort to revive interest in the city, government officials introduced replicas of various ancient architectural wonders. Examples include the Eiffel Tower and the Parthenon. Overall, the construction scheme did improve the quality of the city and even attracted large numbers of tourists eager to see the wonders rebuilt far from the dire conditions on Earth. [[KING_OF_THE_WORLD#LANDMARK_COURT_DECISION_SEES_EINSTEIN_ENGINES_DEFEAT_NANOTRASEN!|In late 2462]], Phoenixport was acquired by [[Einstein Engines]] in a landmark auction. [[NanoTrasen]], however, did not take the transfer of ownership idly - any NanoTrasen employees within Phoenixport were given until March of 2463 to relocate or be summarily fired. After an appeal by NanoTrasen in 2464, which proved that Einstein Engines had illegally acquired assets within Phoenixport, much of the corporate assets found themselves up for grabs yet again. Despite assistance from [[Idris Incorporated]], NanoTrasen failed to secure a majority holding within Phoenixport, with Einstein Engines continuing its hegemony over the city. Subsequently, the discrimination faced by those in Phoenixport by local law enforcement has decreased significantly, as well as the "random" searches of Phoenixport-flagged spacecraft. Some of those forced from their homes during the original dispute have since begun to slowly return.
===[[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.


'''Belle Cote:''' Situated at the southernmost edge of the Pandeia Penisula, hedged in by the Greatkrag ranges, Belle Cote is considered Biesel’s centre of finance, fashion and arts. The Selenian Moth, an insect that produces a resilient fibre that is common in textile manufacturing, was discovered by colonists early on in the development of the colony. A result of this discovery was the rapid decline of fishing and the emergence of the fashion industry. With an annual show, Belle Cote pushed the boundaries of fashion vogue and still does so to this day. Those living in Belle Cote are often considered to be a bit stuck up, looking down on others who don't keep up to date with their trendy outlandish trends. Even the poorest dress themselves in their eccentric styles. It is a popular honeymoon and wedding destination, which the artisanal community has begun franchising upon.
== Relations ==


'''Ashton:''' In the heart of Selene, Ashton sits among miles of rolling farmlands that are home to dozens of different species of flora, including some that are native to Biesel. Due to its dominant agricultural industry, the community's economy has become centred on agriculture, as illustrated by its bimonthly Ashton farmer's market, which draws residents from surrounding cities alike and has become a cornerstone of the community's economy. As a whole, Ashtons are noted for being incredibly welcoming and cheerful. In recent years, Ashton has become home to [[Unathi_Abroad#Ashton_-_The_Escapees|a significant Unathi diaspora]], as many refugees from [[the Wasteland]] of [[Moghes]] were resettled there.
=== [[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. This newfound niche has led to a resurgence of its presence galaxy-wide, and cooperation with the other megacorporations has proven very profitable.


'''Scottsdan:''' The continental capital of Eos and the industrial giant of Biesel. Its abundance of raw resources, provided by the Sevul Range, and the refinery processing capabilities has resulted in megacorporations expanding their operations within the city. There is a growing robotics industry, with Hephaestus Industries, Confiance Technologies and Terranius Diagnostics locked in a perpetual war of dominance. Most of the goods produced within Scottsdan are transported via monorails designed to carry freight to Portsville, the closest port to both Mendell City and Phoenixport on Eos. Citizens of Scottsdan are remarkably hard-working according to the megacorporations, however, some prefer to call them stuck up doormats due to their snooty, sycophant tendencies.  
=== Synthetics ===
Since its rebranding from Necropolis Industries, Zavodskoi Interstellar often employs synthetics 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, rather than objective fact. This case often seeps down to the working persons of the company through rough opinions of the synthetics which threaten the work of their lives. Contrarily, major steps to save the company face have echoed from executives, painting out a confusing and chaotic internal struggle against synthetics in the company.


'''Top of the World:''' Previously a sleepy town, Lakeside has now shot to prominence after Miranda Trasen herself funded the borough. Several acreages along the coast of Griff's Lake were cleared to construct a gated community floating along the lake, with many of the original residents of Lakeside offered contracts to move to Ashton, New Marfa, or Mendell to make room for roads, parking lots, and bridges to the community.
=== The Empire of Dominia ===


Now, Top of the World is uniquely populated by those who are gifted access by Miranda Trasen herself, or those able to afford the ridiculously expensive “warranty”. Only the highest of echelons exist within the man-made island. Beneath its surface exists an experimental fusion reactor of unprecedented scale that some residents have accused of being dangerously radioactive, though authorities assure residents there is no danger found in its proximity to Lakeside.
Since its arrival in the Dominian industrial scene, Zavodskoi has made headway to monopolizing itself over the fledgling empire as best it can, to decent success. Its sway in the Imperial politics up high remains a mystery, but the certainty of Zavodskoi presence across the Empire’s domain is all there. In recent times, the company can be found reaching out to various establishments in the Empire in an attempt to, for whatever reason it can make up, buy them out. Whether this is a pitiful desperate attempt to grab power or grow a new monopoly is on you to decide.


Prior to 2463, an entire community of positronics was manufactured by NanoTrasen that existed purely to maintain Top of the World. After 2463, these IPCs have been made obsolete after the introduction of a triumvirate of artificial intelligences; Exteriores, Interiorem and Centrum. They coordinate with an array of bound drones, completing the tasks previously assigned to hundreds of independent positronic bodies, a cost-saving measure compared to aging IPCs. Said IPCs were quickly placed into other jobs or positions within NanoTrasen, typically far more dangerous than the previous maintenance and janitorial duties.
The quality of life between Top of the World and Lakeside is stark. Poverty grips the majority of the population nestled within the backwater town. Dilapidated houses are a common sight within Lakeside, even entire houses sunken into the growing marsh.
'''Portsville:''' Portsville was originally established as a fishing and shipbuilding hub in the early decades of Biesel's colonisation. For decades, the city was prosperous, supplying the planet with massive cargo ships to traverse its great blue oceans. After Biesel’s independence from the Alliance, however, Solarian subsidies for the industry disappeared and NanoTrasen found that shipbuilding was now cost-inefficient due to the continuing decrease of shipping goods by shuttle or spacecraft. The company withdrew most of its investment in the city’s heavy industry nearly overnight, causing the local economy to recede and the city itself to gradually decay into a patchwork of run-down apartment blocks, abandoned shipyards, and fishing ports in desperate need of maintenance.
Recently, however, [[Hephaestus Industries]] has brought up much of these abandoned facilities with hopes of retooling the city into a spaceship production centre on Biesel. This has also coincided with the megacorporation inviting many Martian refugees fleeing from the [[Mars#The Violet Dawn Explosion|Violet Dawn disaster]] to resettle in the city to work at these new facilities. Ports-Ville itself is unprepared for this great migration of people and is in the middle of a severe housing shortage, with many new arrivals finding themselves living in makeshift tent-town camps as a result. It is yet to be seen if this new investment by Hephaestus Industries will pay off and revitalise the city once more, as the influx of Martian refugees has so far only continued to strain the city’s already declining economy.
'''New Marfa:''' Established along the eastern coastline of Eos, New Marfa is one of few cities on Biesel without megacorporate dominance, which is largely attributed to its status as a hub for [[Republic of Elyra|Elyran]] migrants; half if not most of the citizens are either Elyran immigrants and expatriates or directly descended from one. Elyran culture is dominant in the city, to the point that at a glance, it has become nearly indistinguishable from a city in Persepolis. Elyran megacorporations retain a minority over the market with the SCC megacorporations, and the competition has led to a flourishing synthetic development sector. With a thriving glass refining industry and healthy technology sector, New Marfa’s advancements in the fields of robotics are said to be at least a year ahead of everything else on Biesel.
'''Craterview:''' Craterview has managed to become the vacation and resort city of the Republic of Biesel, with large [[Idris Incorporated|Idris]] Hotels lining the interior perimeter of the beaches and small family-run motels dotting the plots of land surrounding the beaches. Crime rates soar the farther one strays from the city centre, as locals defraud and steal from tourists drawn to their slice of Biesel. Other than the tourism industry, the fishing industry also does well, leading to a growing presence of local seafood hibachi restaurants. In addition to year-round sunshine and tropical climate, Craterview is occasionally interrupted by tropical storms. It is no wonder that boat races have become an attraction, even becoming an event for betting. In the rich suburbs, marinas line beachfront estates where [[Eridani Federation Military|Eridani Private Military Contractors]] are often spotted. It is well known that residents of Craterview are both competitive and sceptical of the wealthy.
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Revision as of 12:34, 2 May 2024

Zavodskoi Interstellar
Zavodskoi Interestellar.png
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. Most notably, its continued relationship with the Empire of Dominia has given the Imperial Fleet the legitimacy to carve out territory in the Badlands, and provided it an opportunity for at least somewhat cooperative business relations with the rest of humanity.

Contents

Corporate Affairs

History

Founded in 2259 by Yefim Dementyev, Necropolis Industries (now Zavodskoi Interstellar) grew on the back of an innovative invention: the combat-capable voidsuit. Even though they were initially heavy, cumbersome, and expensive, demand for better versions led to the polished versions we know today. The demand for space-capable armour skyrocketed with the outbreak of the First Interstellar War. In the years following the war, Necropolis became heavily involved in gene modification technology and biological experimentation. They were associated with the Empire of Dominia's efforts during this period rather than the Nralakk Federation like their main competitor: Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals. A brief period of fame was briefly enjoyed by them in the area of gene therapy, biological replacement limbs, and DNA manipulation. Wise financial decisions have ensured their dominance of arms procurement all across the Orion Spur, especially in the Sol Alliance. Weapons such as the energy machete, pulse rifles, and sonic weapons have fueled their continued dominance of the weapons market. Some detractors claim that in recent years they have delved secretly into bio-weaponry and atmospheric weapons, but this has always been denied by the company’s representatives.

Necropolis was disadvantaged by Nralakk investments in Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, which rendered its own genetic advances rapidly irrelevant, and soon realized its genetics partner - the Empire of Dominia - was nowhere near the level of the Nralakk Federation. As a result, Necropolis Industries rebranded itself as Zavodskoi Interstellar following massive cuts to its genetics division and a desire to move away from the less-than-stellar reputation of Necropolis, which had come to have its brand name associated with rumours of unethical biological experiments and potential terrorist financing.

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 Zavodskoi Interstellar. 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.

It is expected for research and security 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

Lyudmila Zavodskoi, CEO of Zavodskoi Interstellar.

Chief Security Officer: Kamilla Strelitz, Human, 35

Advisor, and seen as the second-in-command of Lyudmila Zavodskoi, Kamilla Strelitz was only recently promoted to their position after the recent rebranding of the corporation. Kamilla has shown her aptitude for her position through the continued success of campaigns initiated by Zavodskoi Interstellar, despite commanding the company’s largest sector of personnel. She is known among the ranks as being belligerent and leaves little room for failure. Those that fail to achieve the standards set often find themselves personally experiencing the wrath of Kamilla Strelitz, enough to make desensitized men cry. Despite her “cheerful” personality, she is considered to be a close friend of the company’s CEO, almost guaranteed to be by her side when Lyudmila is in public.

Chief Research Officer: Jaco Du Plessis, Human, 52

Having previously been one of few top scientists with Zeng Hu Pharmaceuticals, Jaco Du Plessis was poached by Zavodskoi Interstellar shortly after the rebranding of the corporation. He is vocal regarding his stunted growth with his prior employer, advocating for those with ambitions to instead fill the ranks of Zavodskoi Interstellar, promising a fulfilment within the corporation they couldn’t get elsewhere. Despite his position as Chief Research Officer, some consider him instead to be the “face” of the corporation, often unveiling projects spearheaded by himself mostly through Confiance Technologies. 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, Human, 68

One of few remnants of Boytsov’s reign, Tikhon Zavodskoi has managed to remain in his position as Chief Risk Officer for almost a decade. Considered to be an astute, sharp-witted individual that has successfully managed to fend the wolves off, despite the decaying nature of the company before being rebranded. Many consider his continued presence merely due to his familial relationship with Lyudmila Zavodskoi, but she has reassured that despite being her cousin, Tikhon would be undoubtedly useful to the continued perseverance of Zavoidskoi Interstellar. Tikhon is very rarely seen outside of the company’s corporate facilities, if he is it’s often with 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.

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.

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 Kumarvna, 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 Brands

  • 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 cannon designed for corvette-class vessels at the smallest, the Lammergeier has been used to explosive effect on the Imperial Fleet's corvettes assigned to the Badlands. Smaller than its 406mm cousin the Longbow, the Lammergeier is nevertheless 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

  • 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.

Ingkom

"Pride and prosperity to all."

Chief Executive Officer: Hanru De Beers

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 the nation and its aggressive expansion into Southern Africa, and its interference in Central Africa. Initially a state-owned enterprise was 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 lifted, allowed them to prosper and expand into the international market - mostly through Zavodskoi’s acquiring of the corporation as a subsidiary in 2463.

Major Brands

Falerio Security Services

Chief Executive Officer: Filomena di Falerio

Born from the Eridani PMCs that first secured her holdings, Falerio Security Services was founded by Novi Jadranic Duchess Filomena di Falerio to continue their work, but using the (comparatively cheaper) local populace. Since then it has grown into a large and capable contractor that enjoys an excellent relationship with the Imperial Army, typically picking up assignments that are deemed too low priority for Army assistance. Headquartered on Novi Jadran, Falerio Security Services finds itself made up almost exclusively of Ma’zals (especially Jadraners), most of which have prior service in the armed forces. Their primary duties, outside of security of Falerio family assets, involve protection of Zavodskoi assets and House Caladius vessels. But creating a hint of tension between the Army and Falerio is the growing amount of Jadranics that see the PMC as a far more viable opportunity to pay off their Mo'ri'zal; some high-ranking Imperial officers have expressed concern that Falerio's venture has jeopardised the loyalty of the planet's Ma'zals.

Structure

Perhaps due to the prior presence of Xanu Defense Services and Jackal Incorporated, the Empire has always been reluctant to branch into the Private Military Contracting Group.

Corporate Relations

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 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.

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. This newfound niche has led to a resurgence of its presence galaxy-wide, and cooperation with the other megacorporations has proven very profitable.

Synthetics

Since its rebranding from Necropolis Industries, Zavodskoi Interstellar often employs synthetics 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, rather than objective fact. This case often seeps down to the working persons of the company through rough opinions of the synthetics which threaten the work of their lives. Contrarily, major steps to save the company face have echoed from executives, painting out a confusing and chaotic internal struggle against synthetics in the company.

The Empire of Dominia

Since its arrival in the Dominian industrial scene, Zavodskoi has made headway to monopolizing itself over the fledgling empire as best it can, to decent success. Its sway in the Imperial politics up high remains a mystery, but the certainty of Zavodskoi presence across the Empire’s domain is all there. In recent times, the company can be found reaching out to various establishments in the Empire in an attempt to, for whatever reason it can make up, buy them out. Whether this is a pitiful desperate attempt to grab power or grow a new monopoly is on you to decide.