ORGANISATIONS

INTERGALACTIC ORGANISATIONS

In addition to Pax Humanis, several other organisations have a reach that covers more than a few planets. Some are Militaristic; some are commercial ventures. Despite the best intentions of many religions, most don’t traverse the deep black very well, and only one ‘religion’ has touched more than a few planets.

FEE TRACKERS GUILD

Also called the Seeker Guild, or Hunters Union. The FTG was formed several centuries ago, from the pieces of 13 separate ‘bounty hunters guilds’ that had formed to protect the interests of those who hunt their fellow sentients for cash. The FTG has offices in at least one city on every free-planet in Chart-space, and even operates on a few home-worlds. Pax allows them to do their work, and often posts bounties on pirates and other criminals, although it is a rare sight to have a bounty on a ‘failed’ legionnaire. The FTG holds bounties in escrow, authenticates captures and corpses against the completion of a job, runs a number of private medical facilities for it’s members, and generally looks out for the Fee-trackers, because no-one else will. In return, a flat 10% of all bounty fees paid out have to go to the Guild. People who don’t pay find it very difficult to get work. Hunters who try to work independently also find themselves in trouble. In fairness, this is because most bounties posted go straight to the guild, so their members tend to hear about jobs first.

It should be noted that, whilst membership has many advantages (license to carry guns on nearly all planets and space vessels, certain legal bypasses etc), if the Hunter gets on the wrong side of the Voight trading Dynasty, or Pax, then the member is likely to find themselves off the list. Also, some crimes are not trans-galactic, and many criminals will find themselves with the full protection of local law once away from the system where the crime was committed. The FTG have no truck with any political beliefs, nor do they hire out as mercenaries. However, since a ‘no questions asked’ policy tends to be the case with large bounties, they have been used as an informal assassins guild from time to time.

VARESH HAULAGE.

The only big scale rival to the Voight Trading Dynasty, Varesh haulage has depots in nearly every system. Run by Kalista Varesh, the Fayl widow of the original Hominid owner, Colm Varesh, The company operates hundreds of medium and heavy cargo ships, and are a massive employer. Many free-trader captains got their start with Varesh. Whilst in competition with the Voight, Varesh only run cargo, they don’t sell it. Whilst many see Varesh as ‘good guys’ any number if small haulage firms can tell you horror stories of bully boy tactics and illicit buy outs.

COMBAT SPORTS LEAGUE.

The CSL is the adjudicating body in all professional combat sports across chart-space. They dictate standards, safety, rules and negotiate tri-d performance rights. Every pro combat athlete (as opposed to penal league) HAS to belong to the CSL and pay its exorbitant fees, or they will be blacklisted. On the plus side, the CSL ensure high quality medical care for its members.

FN/COLT&ARASAKA-STYER.

 The largest weapons corporation in the ‘verse. FCAS export everything the professional killer needs. Their research division boasts members of nearly every race that appreciates money (including, if rumour is to be believed, a slightly misguided Marken). Run by Hominids, FCAS also have a mercenary division that hires out its well-trained security force. Still trying to convince Pax that it should buy it’s weapons from them, whilst simultaneously supplying many of its opponents.

 Bn’songats2x6.

A Davinar run company, that also employs Marken and Hominids, 2x6 produces computer components and to-order AI and droids. Most of their business comes from star-ship manufacturers. BN'Songats2x6 is owned predominantly by the Davinar World government, and is one of the biggest employers within the Davos system and beyond. Whilst the company employs many non-Davinar across the 'verse, most people associate the company with the silicon's and nothing else.

TRENT SYSTEMS MANUFACTURING

TSM are the biggest independent star-ship manufacturer. Most others are affiliated to a certain species, but Trent manufacture a number of ‘generic’ models, armed or not, with GK drives fitted as standard. Their body shops can also provide modifications for non-hominid crews. TSM vessels are not the best, but most free traders swear by them.

Caste of Escorts, Partners and Companions

Whilst there are innumerable ‘houses of ill repute’ across the big black, offering every service imaginable to any who have the coin to pay for it, nothing comes close to the ‘Caste of Escorts, Partners and Companions’. The Companions, as they are normally known, are males and females trained in the highest arts of socialising, deportment, diplomacy, carousing and lovemaking.  The Schools, of which there are 20 or so, are all overseen by a central college, on the planet Cyanis. The College/schools teach its pupils how to be gracious and charming company in any gathering of social worth. The Etiquette of dozens of races is gone into in exhaustive detail, with the end result that the student should be a prized companion to the wealthy and powerful, wherever they may be, no matter what they may be doing.

Companions are well respected by anyone of standing, and far from ‘buying’ their services with simple coin, the arrangements between a companion and their suitor are complex and involve a choice on both sides. Few people of station will insult or snub a companion, as this can result in blacklisting from the use of the Castes services for life. However, it must be remembered that the Caste is still a money-making organisation, and therefore someone of massive wealth might get away with more.

The schools are sent a percentage of their student’s massive fees for each ‘engagement’, with a much larger fee if the client intends to marry the Companion.

Of course, those who will never have the money or station to employ their services may still view the companions as little more than high-class whores.

An important point regarding Companions and Pax Humanis. Companions are popular choices as ‘guests’ of Ambassadors and High Ranking officers within Pax, and the normal ‘stigma’ attached to Hominids (obviously, a Pax officer would never consort with any other species, and Sapiens are prohibited from joining the academy) is not applied to Companions, especially if escorting a Pax official. However, Pax do normally insist on an escort who has not been a companion to ‘alien’ species for at least 6 months. The Caste’ is utterly non-political, as it cannot afford to be seen to judge any of it’s potential clients. However, individual companions frequently do have beliefs, which the academy tries to suppress as much as possible through its training and rules.

Companions are trained to defend themselves, and whilst not the proficient spies and assassins some of the more paranoid Pax Commissars and Voight Council security would believe them to be, they are certainly not helpless.

MERCENARY COMPANY CHARTER

The MCC supposedly ensures fair treatment for it’s members, regulates fees and jobs, and ensures that merc aren’t just paid suicide troops. In reality, so few mercenary companies belong to the MCC that it has little real power. For a start, the Hominid and Galtor run organisation has never gotten the JakThund to sign on, meaning that entire race of mercenaries is operating outside the MCC’s jurisdiction.  The MCC does pay for medical frigates and armourers to help out the smaller companies that can’t afford such things, but these limited resources are so overstretched, that they often don’t show up when requested.

KOTOMAR-DRO-JA

This is only ‘reputed’ to exist. The T’sco family of Voights are the only point of contact for this organisation. Supposedly a Kalish-led brethren of assassins, the Kotomar-dro-ja will take members from any species, so long as they can pass the entrance exam. Those that can’t, fail; fatally, it is said. Many believe this organisation to be a myth.

THE DIVASHA’PAL’OU

Also called the mystics of peace. This religious organisation preaches a doctrine of non-violence and understanding. They claim that beyond the black, beyond chart-space, we are watched by ancient and wise creatures, who originated life in the ‘verse (hence the commonality of the humanoid form), and they merely wait for the silence of the guns and the cessation of bloodshed. Once peace reigns, they will return and enlighten us all.

Pax are on record as saying that, in the unlikely event these Divasha turn up, they’d better be prepared to sign an SDA, because they’ll treat anything from beyond chart-space as hostile….

THE lambda SYNDICATE

Of the various organised criminal organisations that plague the civilised and not so civilised regions of the ‘verse, the Lambda Syndicate are both the most infamous and least well known. No-one is sure who runs them, what they represent or even how they make their money. That they exist is without question. The inverted Y of their allegiance has been seen enough to confirm that. That they operate clear across primespace is also unquestioned. They are powerful, dangerous, and most authorities seem incapable of even locating their operations, let alone infiltrating their structure. Some even claim they operate within Pax core worlds. Membership is for life, betrayal leads to a sickening end for the traitor, their family, and often anyone who came into contact with them. The removal of key political and military figures, the hijacking of massive Voight Cargos, the sale of lethal designer drugs, the shipment of unlawful weapons of mass destruction, slave trading, the list of accusations runs on and on. The Lambda syndicate are believed to operate from dozens of worlds, employing any sentient species to further their ends. They are not to be crossed.

THE FALLEN

The Fallen are a former mercenary company, comprised of a number of renegade Jackthund, Hominids and Galtor, but whose number have been swelled by the dregs of whatever system they have passed through. The Original unit was signed on to provide battlefield support for a hominid world called Espiri, which was under siege by a Jackthund military force. Instead of fulfilling their contract, the large company took a bribe from the invaders and sat back and watched as the settlements were wiped out. Enough survivors escaped for word of the treachery to get out. Unable to find more work, the unit began to raid habitats and colony worlds clear across primespace. They specialise in arriving during intense fighting on war torn planets and using the confusion to wipe out as much of both sides, and the indigenous population as possible, then taking whatever is left of value. They have also been used as shock troops by other criminal organisations,  and will happily commit any atrocity in return for a pay-off.

100100012?

An infamous group of Davinar, Hominids and, if rumour is to be believed, several Kalish, a Tyrie and a couple of Voight, ‘Maybe’ (as they call themselves) are a group of electronic terrorists. Their exploits include the only recorded crashing of the Pax credit system on an SDA colony (Vega Prime), distribution of classified documents from FCAS and the fee-trackers guild, obtaining extremely private footage of the Head of R&D at Bn’songats2x6 and one of the companions guild, and selling it clear across the ‘verse. Were it just such hi profile pranks, ‘Maybe’ would be considered little more than an embarrassment. However, their constant theft of credit from various banking organisations coupled with their tendency to detonate passenger vessels and de-stabilise orbital habitats to cover their tracks makes them very dangerous indeed

THE STEEL LEGION (7TH Legion) Pax Humanis.

The Steel legion are the most feared of all John Gabriel’s forces. Wherever their war-cry is heard, blasting out a bastardised version of an ancient earth song, the enemy know all is lost. Only the most experienced join the 7^th, but it is not it’s veteran status that makes the Steel Legions reputation so fierce. They are not the best, nor the best lead, but it is the 7^th who the War council call in to the fronts where all seems lost. Following their Legionnaire prime, a man by the name of Darius Heinrich Custer, a full division of the 7^th mount up on hover-bikes and sweep down upon enemy ranks or settlements like the cavalry of ancient earth. The 7^th leave nothing alive in the wake of their charge. Nothing.  The atrocities committed by this unit are now so infamous that the mere mention of them arriving is enough to force capitulation from some colonies. Their recent, brutal actions in the taking of trinity has done nothing to enhance their image.

THE SILVER LEGION (200th Legion) Pax Humanis

It is unusual for a Pax humanis soldier to die of old age. A hard life of constant combat leave little likelihood of retirement. But still, more than you might think reach an age where their physical prime is leaving them. Typical of the indoctrination Pax go through ;far from thinking how they might enjoy their hard won retirement, most old soldiers would prefer to remain useful until death. If that death is facing the enemies of Sapien life, then so much the better. It is for these venerable war-horses that the Silver legion was formed. Centuries of warfare experience collected in one place, 100,000 veterans seeking nothing but to do their final service in John Gabriel's name.