Neighbors and Factions

Throughout space, there are a number of corporations, groups, and more who specialize in one or more types of product/area, some of which Lonestar Shipping Solutions frequently does business with, some are primarily criminal organizations, and some restrict what they will openly sell to the colony to specific lists of products for legal reasons. Here follows a list of known groups, their backgrounds, and some of their interactions/dealings.

Greyson Positronics

Greyson Positronics began as a Martian cybernetics research firm funded primarily by interest groups from a democratic Taiwanese, Pre-Federal government on Earth known as the Republic of China, in the hopes of securing a military advantage over the much larger authoritarian Communist regime which dominates the Chinese mainland. Being one of the main exporters of electronic components, Taiwan was able to spearhead the development of autonomous drones and artificial intelligence systems, including the first Integrated Positronic Chassis; a modular, cybernetic unit with inbuilt fabricators, allowing the tool configuration of the unit to be changed on the fly with the use of a multitool by a trained roboticist. Some time afterward, Greyson Positronics developed the Master Control Mainframe: A positronic brain mounted in a supercomputer chassis, capable of autonomously controlling, debugging, and maintaining the electronic systems of an entire facility, as well as being assigned IPC units, which it could coordinate to perform physical maintenance detail. The MCM, unlike the ICPs, was not slaved to any directives. It had the free will to do what it wished within the bounds of company policy, was given an incredible amount of responsibility, and was generally treated by the company that created it as being just as valuable an employee as a human would have been with the same responsibilities. This MCM unit, which is still active to this day, is known as 'Hal Greyson,' and formed a close working relationship with the Greyson family who built it. After the unsuccessful attempts by the Sol Federation to assassinate the Greyson family and subsume its assets, Hal Greyson orchestrated the first exodus from Federated space, in a move that crippled the Solar economy, for which SolFed propaganda continues to demonize them to this day. Greyson Positronics now resides on the distant planet Xiang jiang, as a primary manufacturer for the transhumanist Xianese Democratic Republic. It also has several autonomous facilities on various non-chartered planets along the Perseus arm, including Amethyn, which are maintained by Secondary Control Mainframes, in order to conserve resources and manpower. These facilities are immensely hostile and treat all non-greyson machines as a direct threat.

Nanotrasen LLC

When Greyson Positronics departed from Federal jurisdiction, it left behind a number of small subsidiary companies, which provided it with basic tools, standardized uniforms, pens, radios and headsets, and all manner of other small electronics and assorted items that could fall under the category of 'office supplies,' 'convenience,' and 'general goods.' Without the resources and guidance of the megacorp they supplemented, these subsidiaries decided to make the best of the situation and do what seemed most logical; Pool their resources together into a limited liability conglomerate under the leadership of one Jackson Trasen, a wealthy shareholder from Mars with some experience in corporate management. Such things as fire alarms, airlock electronics, office supplies, hydroponics trays, and most of the run-of-the-mill machinery, even on Nadezhda, contain circuitry and stock parts originally designed by the companies now united under the name Nanotrasen. More broadly, it is a safe assumption that any common object or device that does not bear the manufacturing mark of another company is produced by Nanotrasen.

Zeng-Hu Assistive Technologies

Zeng-Hu Assistive Technologies was among SolFed's largest and most profitable biotech companies prior to the Bluespace Crash, marketting themselves heavily in the fields of gene therapy, biological modification, and especially vat-growth reproduction. While much of the company's deep coffers came from providing healthcare, cosmetic mods, and Exaltation to Sol's wealthiest, another significant portion came from unscrupulous sales of forced-growth Vatgrown work forces, often to fringe colonial ventures or criminal organizations on the poorly-policed frontier. Several serious criminal suits were levied against the company, accusing them of stealing genetic material from their rich clients for use in their lines of vat workers, though the company successfully deflected blame in all cases to mid-level executives.

The Zeng-Hu vat production facility Shi Huangdi XII produced soldiers and labor gangs for the Kriosian occupation, and has gone rogue since the Bluespace Crash; now it sells products made from scraped together genetic samples to whoever will buy them. Increasingly, these are Void Wolves operating in and around Amethyn, who augment their home-grown soldiery with elite (though equally brainless) specimens from Zeng-Hu.

Holland & Sullivan

Holland & Sullivan is the largest and most productive weapon manufacturer, due to its pure market dominance they are known for a wide variety of weapons including high tech laser weapons to ballistic civilian firearms that vary greatly in price and quality. By securing contracts with the terran federation to outfit its police and military as the sole arms supplier, they have spread through out the known galaxy. Weapons from H&S vary greatly in quality and price due to different manufacturing standards and often low quality copies made by less scrupulous arms dealers. One thing is sure however, they are a house hold name in every frontier town.

Scarborough Arms

Scarborough Arms is a relatively unknown manufacturer of high grade ballistic weapons that operate outside of Sol jurisdiction. Scarborough trades largely in high quality weapons with frontier towns, void wolves, and opifex trade flotillas with ample manufacturing divisions allowing them to be a prime supplier in frontier territories, able to compete with H&S. Signature Scarborough weapons often come with a stylized function built around practical use, seeing the most success with the signature bullpup that has spread the galaxy over, even into SolFed territories. While the Scarborough are small compared to other larger dealers they are the chief suppliers to the Kriosan Confederacy, allowing them to open more production lines with greater safety. These operations outside of Sol control often leads to the Scarborough producing specialized arms free of any labels, allowing them to outfit anyone with a single trace back to them. Often times, this also leads to Scarborough ignoring patent rights, making perfect or improved copies of existing guns.

Kriosan Confederacy

The Kriosan Confederacy is the only known neighboring nation near the planet of Amethyn, of which the colony Nadezhda is on. Formerly under the control of the Sol Federation, the Kriosans rebelled and won at a heavy cost. Now, they are a small yet growing nation with control of several nearby sectors. Whilst relations have been rocky with them, currently the colony maintains a trade agreement along with a defense pact with the Confederacy, the resulting trade agreement granting Kriosans to build several outposts within the system of Amethyn. The defense pact stands for both the colony and the Kriosans, with either assisting one another when they are in need. The first case of this occurring was the Kriosans sending a drop pod with a specialized combat mech during a Excelsior assault.

Void Wolves

Void Wolves are not so much a faction but an identity, a catch all mask that is used by frontier pirates to avoid detection and classification by the various groups and empires they prey upon. While one could identify which group a Void Wolves belongs to with enough study, this commonly accepted mask works to make many of the disparate, often warring, pirates blend together enough to make them seem as a cohesive whole. One can usually be spotted by their common use of traditional void suits modified with armor plating and the use of energy swords, energy pistols, shields, and breaching kits. A more unsavory aspect of Void Wolves operating in the local region are the use of vat grown humans bolted with remnants of armor and equipment used to guard or assault locations. These 'meat puppets' are no more than organic machines with their weaponry and armor nailed to there flesh and used strictly as cannon fodder.

Of the Void Wolf factions operating around Nadezhda, the known groups are:

The Iron Lords

Leader: Jun Juro
The Iron Lords are a group of Void Wolves allied to the colony that provide enforcers for other Void Wolf factions, their primary asset to the colony is being look-outs and reporters of potential threats and problems. The Iron Lords have three well equipped ships, weapons, and quite a few hardened criminals working under them. According to rumors, it's leader Jun had a previous acquaintance with Over-Boss Jeremiah Hogg, though the details are unknown at present.

Xanaroth Syndicate

Leader: Barbara Xanaroth

The Xanaroth Syndicate is a group of smugglers and traders operating on the frontier and provide a wide range of goods, if the money is worth it. They are allied to the colony and presently work very closely with Lonestar, transporting equipment from cargo using their trade routes, a risky but incredibly profitable venture. The syndicate has a massive range of lightly equipped and speedy ships, giving them a wide presence as a frontier merchant.

Urianth Construction Company

Leader: Inuaq Ar’u

The 'free traders' of the frontier, the Urianth Construction Company builds on both planets and ships and has a small number of highly skilled engineers, atmospherics technicians, and construction experts. This particular group is known quite well for working with a wide range of factions and are allied with the colony, providing schematics they have either designed or 'appropriated' by their men. Though no proof exists, some have noted that of the known faction capable of providing vat grown cannon fodder, the Urianth is the most equipped.

Jackals

Leader: James Preston (KIA)

A relatively unknown group that was believed to have been spying on the colony and has reported to have worked with Excelsior more than once. Of the Void Wolf groups, they were the largest, most ruthless and weren't interested in allying with the colony. After the final assault, resulting in the death of James Preston, what remains of the Jackals are small splintered groups. If any are spotted, they are considered shoot-on-sight by most Prospector and Marshal forces.